The toast had gone cold. Leia didn't mind. 

She'd loaded it with raspberry jam, and that was doing enough heavy lifting for her mood. She sat cross-legged on the couch in one of Taylor's oversized hoodies, mug balanced against her knee, flicking idly through her phone while the morning news blared from the TV across the room.

"...broke Ticketmaster," the anchor was saying, the edge of disbelief thick in her voice. "I mean, when's the last time a pre-sale got a congressional response?"

Leia glanced up just as the screen cut to a grainy clip of fans screaming in their cars and waving their Eras Tour confirmation emails like golden tickets. The chyron below read: "SWIFTIES SHUT DOWN THE INTERNET: What's Next for America's Most Powerful Woman?"

The next segment was worse - two anchors sipping coffee and talking like they were at brunch, their voices chirpy as they tried to dissect into Taylor's personal life, photos of Joe flashing across the screen and various pictures of Taylor going for brunch with Leia and many of their other friends.

"Between more Grammy nominations and this, I mean... do you think she even sleeps?"

Even though the attention had been on Leia, Taylor had been nominated for a few Grammys too - unsurprisingly and well deserved. Georgie, who had starred in the All Too Well short film had asked Taylor that if she won, if it meant Georgie also was a Grammy winner - something that Leia could only roll her eyes at.

The remote clicked.

The screen cut to black.

Leia blinked. Taylor was standing near the arm of the couch, hair still damp from the shower, hoodie sleeves pushed to her elbows as she placed the remote back on to the table. Leia smiled gently at her, knowing that she hated all this speculation.

"They're going to drop it at midnight tonight" she said, calm but clipped as she flopped on to the armchair beside Leia. "Tree's sending the statement so that it'll be in the press by tomorrow morning."

Leia lowered the toast as she took another bite, her hunger gone suddenly. 

"The breakup?"

Taylor nodded. "By noon, everyone's going to know I'm officially no longer with Joe."

There was no smile in her voice, no triumphant swell. Just a quiet sort of finality.

"You okay?"

Taylor hesitated. 

"Yeah. I just wanted you to hear it from me before it hit every feed on Earth."

She reached for Leia's now-abandoned toast, took a bite without asking. The screen still glowed black in front of them.

Leia watched her chew, then said quietly, "Have you and Tree talked about... timelines?"

Taylor glanced at her. "For us?"

Leia nodded.

Taylor leaned back, sighing through her nose. 

"We're calling it amicable. Which, I guess, technically is true since we both checked out a long time ago. Tree's already prepped responses in case people speculate about a third party. She's good at phrasing things in ways that sound honest without giving anything away."

Leia pulled the blanket up over her lap, suddenly aware of the weight of it all. Not just the PR dance, but how easily this could all be misread. Headlines, assumptions. Her name.

"I don't want people thinking you left him for me."

"I didn't," Taylor said quickly. "And you know Tree's right, people will make up whatever timeline they want regardless. But the truth is, the public only just found out today. As far as they're concerned, we've just ended a six-year relationship."

Leia nodded slowly. "Which makes any kind of soft launch look brutal."

Taylor tilted her head. "Unless we wait."

"How long?"

"I don't know. A few weeks? A month?"

Leia made a face. "A month feels fast."

Taylor considered that, brushing toast crumbs from her knee. "Three months?"

Leia gave a mock gasp. "Wow. So I get to be your dirty little secret again?"

Taylor laughed, then caught herself. 

"Sorry."

"No, it's okay," Leia said, smiling lightly. "I'd rather we joke about it than pretend it's not complicated."

Taylor nudged her foot. "Okay. So what feels right to you?"

Leia was quiet for a moment. 

"I think it depends what we want the rollout to be. If it's a slow reveal, I'm okay with that. People might clock it on their own. You know - matching bracelets, blurry backgrounds, me wearing that one hoodie I keep stealing..."

Taylor leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. 

"So no big announcement."

"I think we wait until March," Leia said gently, and at the same time, Taylor said, "March."

They blinked.

Then both of them smiled - wide, a little startled, that kind of grin that cracked open at the corners because it couldn't be helped. Taylor let out a soft laugh and leaned back, her head resting against the couch cushion, her eyes closed for a second as if savoring it.

"That's ridiculous," she said, eyes still shut. "In a good way."

Leia was grinning too, setting her mug down on the side table. "What is?"

"That we're exactly on the same page. Same word, even."

Leia reached out, her hand finding Taylor's knee. "Not ridiculous. Just rare."

Taylor opened her eyes again and looked at her. "March makes sense. The breakup will have time to settle. The press will move on. People won't be looking at me and trying to draw a line from Joe to... this."

"To us," Leia finished, softer.

Taylor nodded. "To us."

The phrase lingered in the air, just long enough to take root.

Leia leaned in a little closer. "And if people guess before then... they'll only be guessing."

"No confirmation. No denial," Taylor murmured. "Just letting it live."

Leia rested her chin lightly on Taylor's shoulder. "Exactly. Let the tour take center stage. Let you take center stage."

Taylor turned slightly, brushing her nose against Leia's hair. "Only if you're watching from side-stage."

"I'll be there," Leia said without hesitation.

Taylor pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Good."

They sat like that for a moment, surrounded by the faint hum of the city beyond the windows, the faint sound of a car honking somewhere in the distance, and the muted weight of the world just beginning to stir awake.

No cameras. No flashbulbs. Just the truth of them, tucked between toast crumbs and sunlight.

"March," Taylor whispered again.

Leia smiled into her shoulder. "March."

_____

Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn Have Broken Up After Six Years Together: "Amicable and Mutually Decided," Says Source

PEOPLE – November 17, 2022

After more than six years together, Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn have officially ended their relationship.

A source close to the couple confirms to PEOPLE that the Grammy-winning singer and the British actor "quietly and amicably parted ways" several months ago and have been "living separate lives for some time."

"This was not a dramatic breakup," the source explains. "There was no scandal, no betrayal - just the slow realisation that they had grown in different directions. They still have a lot of love and respect for each other, but the romantic relationship has run its course."

Representatives for Swift acknowledged the split in a brief statement on Wednesday: 

"It is always sad when love dies out. Taylor is grateful to Joe for the time they shared and wishes him nothing but the best moving forward."

Alwyn's team declined to speak about the relationship itself, instead issuing a short comment focused solely on his career: 

"Joe is committed to focusing on his work at this time and, as he has always done, continues to ask that his private life remain private."

The couple, who first met in 2016, were famously private, with Alwyn rarely appearing alongside Swift at public events. Still, he quietly contributed to her music - co-writing several tracks on folklore and evermore under the pseudonym William Bowery, a collaboration that earned him a Grammy win alongside Swift.

Although Alwyn maintained a low profile during much of their relationship, fans have long debated how his proximity to Swift impacted his career trajectory. Some have credited the international attention he received, including high-profile casting opportunities, to his relationship with one of the most influential pop stars of the decade.

"His resume grew while hers reinvented the industry," one fan tweeted in the wake of the announcement, a sentiment echoed widely across social media.

Meanwhile, Swift's career shows no signs of slowing. The demand for her upcoming Eras Tour has already shattered Ticketmaster records, prompting widespread media coverage and even congressional discussion about ticketing reform. According to insiders, Swift is "incredibly focused" on the tour and is "more creatively energised than she's been in years."

"She's doing well," the source confirms. "She's in a grounded place. She took time to process this privately, and now she's looking ahead."

Those close to Swift say she's approaching this new chapter with characteristic thoughtfulness.

"She's proud of what they shared, but she knows who she is without him," the source says. "And she's ready to move forward."

____

"So, are we spending Christmas with your parents this year?" Taylor asked, a smile on her face as her and Leia stretched, Taylor's personal trainer setting up some equipment for the session. 

Now that Taylor was about to go back on tour, she'd declared that she wanted to be able to sing her entire setlist while on a treadmill to make sure that her stamina was where it needed to be. Leia was kind of terrified of that, but said she'd come along to some of her sessions to give them more time to be together admit their chaotic schedules.

"Ehm," Leia mumbled, her mind flickering back to her last conversation with her parents. "I don't think so. I think they're planning another one... travelling again."

Taylor, mid-lunge, slowed and looked over at her. "Oh. Are they going far?"

Leia shrugged one shoulder, keeping her eyes fixed on the floor mats. 

"Probably. They said something about South Africa or maybe Argentina. I can't really keep up."

Taylor didn't answer right away. She straightened, grabbed her water bottle, then stepped a little closer. 

"So... not with you?"

Leia gave a half-laugh, not bitter exactly, but brittle at the edges. 

"No. Not really their vibe these days. They like pretending their phones don't work."

Taylor's expression softened. "I'm sorry. I didn't know it was like that."

Leia glanced at her, then away again. 

"They didn't used to really be like it before everything happened. And after... well." She blew out a slow breath, shaking her head. "They weren't exactly thrilled about the rehab press tour. Or the sobriety interviews. They've never liked when I make things real."

Taylor sat down on the bench, towel draped over her lap. "I should've noticed."

Leia looked at her and her tone gentled. 

"Why would you? I didn't even notice it at first. I kept making excuses for them. Thought maybe they were just letting me figure things out on my own. But they've always kind of... stepped back when things weren't shiny."

Taylor stayed quiet, just listening, her hands loosely clasped in her lap.

Leia picked at the hem of her sleeve. "I think the first time they started keeping distance was after I went into rehab. I thought it would pass. But I guess it just... made them uncomfortable. Me being a mess."

Taylor's brows drew together. "You weren't a mess."

Leia smiled without humour. 

"I was. And that's okay to say."

There was a long beat before Taylor spoke again, her voice low. 

"It makes me angry. That they weren't there."

Leia met her eyes, surprised by the edge in her tone.

Taylor exhaled, rubbing the side of her neck. "I just... your worst moments shouldn't have scared them off. That's when you need people. That's when you needed them."

Leia looked down at her shoes, the corner of her mouth lifting just slightly. 

"You're kind of making up for it, though."

Taylor's head tilted. "I am?"

Leia gave her a sideways glance. "You're showing up. You always have, even when we weren't... like this."

Taylor reached over and laced her fingers through Leia's. Her grip was warm, steady. Leia shifted, adjusting the towel on her lap as she let out a quiet breath. 

"Whatever I end up doing, I'll want Georgie there."

Taylor looked over. "Of course. Is she around this year?"

Leia nodded. 

"Yeah. Last Christmas she was with Niall. They did this lowkey thing in Ireland. I think she needed it - something soft after all the noise."

Taylor tilted her head. "And you were with me."

Leia smiled at that. "I was. It was one of the best holidays I've had in years."

Taylor softened. "Then let's do it again. And bring Georgie this time."

Leia raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

Taylor nodded. "Absolutely. My mom already asked if you were coming back, and she'll love seeing Georgie again - you know how much she liked having Georgie around during the rep tour, and I'm sure if she's joining us on the road again that my mom will be excited to talk her ear off about that again. It's perfect."

Leia exhaled, touched. "Thanks. I wasn't sure if it'd be weird, bringing someone into the family mix like that."

Taylor smiled. "You brought yourself into the family mix last year. It only made it better, and besides, Georgie is family - and you know Austin sees her almost as much as a sister as he sees me."

Leia opened her mouth to say more, but the sharp clap of hands broke the moment.

"Ladies," Taylor's trainer called out cheerfully, stepping forward with a stopwatch and far too much energy for someone not wearing a hoodie and half-finished ponytail. "Warm-up's over. Let's get moving."

Taylor groaned, standing. "You live to ruin lives."

Leia snorted, rising more slowly. "Remind me why I said I'd come again?"

"Because you love me," Taylor replied, adjusting her fake mic-pack harness and grinning as she jogged lightly in place. "And because I promised you smoothies after."

"You promised me breakfast after."

Taylor shrugged. "Same thing."

Leia gave her a flat look, but still stepped onto the treadmill beside her.

"Ten minutes, conversational pace," the trainer called. "Taylor, pretend you're singing 'Cruel Summer.' Leia, just pretend you're not dying."

Leia rolled her eyes and started walking. "Thanks."

____

Two hours, one treadmill-induced identity crisis (Leia, of course), and one banana smoothie later, Leia found herself trailing behind Taylor into a sleek production office in Brooklyn, still slightly damp from a rushed shower and wondering how her life had turned into shadowing a pop icon like it was normal.

Taylor's creative directors were already seated, multiple screens lit up with looping stage render previews, colour-coded tour maps, and what looked like a 3D model of a stadium engulfed in LED lights.

Leia barely got past the doorway before she stopped in her tracks.

"Holy-" she muttered.

Taylor glanced back and grinned. "Yeah."

On the main screen, a digital Taylor stood on an enormous platform, surrounded by shifting visuals of falling leaves, stars, flames, and mirrored glass. One moment it looked like a woodland dreamscape, the next a synth-drenched night sky. Every detail pulsed in time with the music.

Leia stared. "This is... unreal."

"It's just the visual outline," one of the directors said modestly, tapping his tablet to change the set. "Still early days."

Taylor waved her off. 

"He says that every time. Meanwhile I'm crying at the lighting transitions."

Leia blinked as the screen shifted to a full stadium overview. 

"You're not performing on a stage," Leia said quietly. "You're performing in a whole damn ecosystem with those light up bracelets."

Taylor beamed. "That's the idea."

They sat through the rest of the meeting, Taylor flipping through setlist drafts and costume sketches with ease. It was so clear - this was her in her element. Focused, articulate, a little chaotic in the way only someone who cared too much could be.

Toward the end of the session, the topic shifted to personnel.

"So," said another team lead, closing a folder, "first-round virtual dancer auditions are done. We're moving on to final callbacks next week. In person. Manhattan studio."

"We've reached out to everyone we worked with on the rep tour and 1989 too," added someone else. "Trying to get as much of the old crew back as possible."

"The band's all returning," Taylor confirmed. "The girls too for backing vocals. If it's not broke, don't fix it."

Leia smiled, watching her work. There was so much intention behind every decision. Taylor wasn't just rebuilding a tour - she was continuing her touring family.

"I want to be at the in-person auditions for the dancers," Taylor said, flipping her planner closed. Then, glancing at Leia, she added casually, "You're coming, right?"

Leia blinked. "Who, me?"

Taylor looked up with a half-smile. "Yes, you."

Leia laughed lightly, shaking her head. "Oh, I don't think I'm qualified to make any kind of decision about backup dancers."

"You're not making decisions," Taylor said, amused. "You're watching. Being there. Meeting people. Giving me second opinions. And anyway, it's not just about dancing."

She leaned in slightly, her tone softening.

"We're hiring people who are going to be with us for almost every weekend for the next two years. I need people around me who feel safe. Who get it. And you know better than anyone what it feels like when something doesn't."

Leia hesitated for a second, then nodded slowly. "Okay. Yeah. I'll come."

Taylor grinned. "Good. You can help me decipher whose energy is 'team player' and whose is 'Tate's newest arch-nemesis.'"

Leia smirked. "I've been training for this my whole life."

Taylor leaned back in her chair. "I knew you'd come around."

____

The late-afternoon sun pressed low against the windshield, casting a gold haze over the standstill of traffic. Brake lights blinked in long, impatient rows, the kind of red that made your eyes ache if you stared too long. The city was humming beneath it all - car horns layered with sirens, snatches of distant music, someone shouting from a food cart two blocks away.

Inside the car, it was quiet.

Leia sat slouched in the passenger seat, her legs curled up and her forehead resting briefly against the cool window. Tate's leash was looped lazily around her wrist, even though the dog was sprawled at her feet in a snoring heap, dead to the world. Her phone buzzed gently in her hand, the screen aglow with messages she wasn't really reading - something from Georgie, a text from Taylor, a reminder about next week's fittings.

She felt still in a way she didn't get to feel often. Caught in motion without having to move.

Azul sat beside her in the driver's seat, both hands on the wheel even though the car wasn't going anywhere. He was quiet too, which wasn't unusual - Azul wasn't a chatterbox - but there was something slightly off in the air. Not just silence. Tension.

Leia didn't notice it right away. But when she glanced up from her phone to make a comment about the bumper sticker on the taxi in front of them, she caught it: his jaw, tight. One hand tapping rhythmically against the steering wheel. His eyes weren't on the traffic - they were fixed just beyond it, like he was watching something in the distance only he could see.

She paused.

"You good?" she asked, her voice low in the car's stillness.

Azul didn't answer right away. He inhaled once, sharp through his nose, like bracing himself. Then he nodded. Once.

Leia turned toward him slightly, curious now. She didn't ask again - she just waited. They'd been through too much together for her to push.

Finally, he spoke. 

"Can I... talk to you about something?"

Her brows drew together. His voice wasn't his usual steady cadence. It was careful. Like he'd rehearsed this, and still didn't trust it.

"Of course," she said, instantly sitting up straighter. "What's going on?"

Azul's fingers tightened around the steering wheel, then relaxed. He looked over at her, briefly, then back at the red light ahead that still hadn't changed.

"We've worked together almost six years now," he began, and Leia immediately felt her stomach tighten. A prelude like that always meant something serious. Something changing.

"Azul, are you...?"

"I'm not quitting," he said quickly, and the relief hit her so fast it almost knocked her breath out.

"Jesus," she muttered, her hand coming to rest lightly over her chest. "Don't start with that, you scared the hell out of me."

"Sorry," he said, a little sheepish. But his voice was still careful. Still weighted.

"I just... I want to ask your permission for something."

Leia blinked.

Azul never asked her for permission. He was her protector, her confidant, her occasional reality check when she forgot to eat or tried to convince him she didn't need a jacket in Winter. But this was new.

"I want to propose to Riven," he said finally. Quiet. Intent.

The city outside didn't stop - didn't blink, didn't care - but Leia felt the stillness of that moment settle over the car like falling snow. She stared at him for a second, and he didn't look away.

"You... want my permission?" she said finally.

Azul nodded. "He's your publicist. Your friend. But more than that, this life... it's intense. It's always moving. You know what it's like trying to love someone inside of it."

Leia's heart tugged, a quiet ache. She did.

"I didn't want to do this without telling you. Without knowing you'd be okay with it."

Leia looked at him for a long moment. And then - slowly - a smile tugged at her lips.

"You want to marry Riven," she said softly, almost like she couldn't believe it.

Azul finally cracked a smile, faint but there. "I really do."

Leia let out a breath, laughing under it. Her eyes stung without warning. She didn't even know why. Maybe it was just the sight of someone choosing love with that much certainty. Maybe it was the fact that someone as steady and quiet as Azul had let her in on something so deeply personal.

"I think he'd be an idiot to say no," she said.

Azul grinned now, a rare, real one. "So you're okay with it?"

Leia nodded. "More than okay. You're both... good. And you deserve good."

The light turned green ahead of them, but no one moved.

It didn't matter.

Leia reached down and scratched behind Tate's ears. "Do you know how you're going to do it?"

Azul turned the wheel gently as traffic started to crawl forward. "Not yet. I wanted to ask you first."

Leia smiled out the window, her voice low. "Ask me second. Ask him next."

Azul nodded, a quiet kind of happiness in his chest. "Copy that."

The traffic had thinned by the time they reached the expressway, the glittering glass of Manhattan fading behind them like a dream closing its eyes. The city gave way to warehouse blocks, rusted fences, dull grey signage. Everything out here felt quieter, flatter, like the pulse of New York slowed just enough to catch your breath.

Inside the car, the silence was warm now — still stretched out from the moment Azul had trusted her with his own heart. Tate had shifted in his sleep, curled tighter in the backseat, head resting on the armrest like he owned it. Leia kept her gaze half on the window, half on the blur of passing lights, her phone dark in her hand now, forgotten.

Azul drove with the easy rhythm of someone who knew every road by instinct. His eyes tracked the way ahead, but Leia could feel him glance over now and then. There was something new about the air again - not tense, exactly, but expectant. She felt it before he spoke. A kind of noticing.

"You still haven't told me what's in Staten Island," he said after a while. His tone was careful, not demanding - just a gentle tug of curiosity. "You usually avoid it like it wronged you personally."

Leia smiled faintly, but didn't answer right away. The road opened up in front of them, a rare stretch of unbroken movement. Grey sky pulling into dusk. The kind of light that made everything look like the past.

"I've got a dinner meeting," she said eventually, voice quiet.

Azul waited. He always waited.

"With someone I reached out to a few weeks ago."

More silence. The kind that meant keep going.

Leia adjusted the seatbelt across her chest, eyes still trained on the road. "Lana Wilson."

Now Azul turned his head slightly, surprised. "The documentary director?"

Leia nodded. "She directed Miss Americana. She still has a lot of the raw footage. Stuff that didn't make the final cut. Notes. Contact sheets. Private interviews. Even some behind-the-scenes footage from reputation that didn't get used."

Azul's hands stayed steady on the wheel, but his brow lifted slightly. "Why?"

Leia hesitated, her chest tightening in that strange, hopeful way. Like saying it aloud would make it real - or break it.

"I want to do something for Taylor," she said, finally. 

Azul didn't say anything, but his posture shifted with the kind of stillness he gave to things that mattered. Leia could feel him listening. She toyed with the edge of her sleeve, then smiled softly, her gaze drifting out the window to where the skyline had given way to low buildings and frozen trees, their bare branches flicking past like charcoal lines.

"Her birthday's next month. I want to make her something."

Azul glanced sideways. "Like a gift?"

Leia nodded. "Yeah like, a video. Just for her. Nothing fancy or public. Just... something that belongs to us."

She sat back, the thought of it pulling a warmth into her chest that she hadn't put into words until now.

"I started sorting through old clips I had - backstage moments, iPhone videos, that one tour bus ride back during rep where she was singing along to ABBA in a face mask. Then Austin gave me access to the TAS Content archives. Said I could borrow anything I needed, no questions asked."

Azul let out a low, impressed hum. "That's serious access."

Leia smiled. "You're telling me. I found footage of us from almost the day we met. Little moments - me showing up to rehearsals, standing side stage, even clips where we're just in the background of other people's shots, not realising the camera's on."

She paused, voice a little softer. 

"It's kind of wild, seeing the whole timeline like that. The shifts. The pauses. The parts where we drifted when Dylan was around."

Azul didn't interrupt. He never did.

"That's why I reached out to Lana," Leia continued. "She's brilliant with story. She understands how to shape something without making it look shaped. I just want a bit of help tying it all together. So it doesn't feel like a scrapbook but more like... a memory."

Leia's words hung in the quiet hum of the car, soft and certain. She wasn't looking at Azul, just out the window, where the fog was starting to catch in the branches along the roadside like cotton pulled loose. The sky was a thickening grey now, and Staten Island loomed ahead, close enough that road signs had started listing exits.

Azul was silent for a moment, thoughtful behind the wheel. His fingers tapped lightly once on the steering wheel, then stopped. Leia felt the change before he spoke. A pause that was almost careful.

"You ever think about it?" he asked quietly. "Marriage."

Leia blinked, startled.

She turned to look at him fully. "That's bold for a man who just asked permission to propose."

Azul smiled faintly, eyes still on the road. "Guess I'm feeling brave."

Leia let out a soft laugh. "What happened to bodyguards not getting involved in client relationships?"

He gave a small shrug. "Six years of driving you around, I've earned one question."

They both knew he'd earned a lot more than just that.

Leia went quiet, more because she was caught off guard by how much it disarmed her than anything else. The question hadn't felt invasive - just genuine. Gentle.

"I don't know," she said at first. Then, more clearly, "I mean... yeah. I think about it."

She looked down at her hands, thumb grazing her thumbnail. 

"Not in a 'planning-the-wedding' way. Just... in a knowing sort of way. Like it's a truth I carry around that doesn't need proving."

Azul glanced at her briefly, his face unreadable. Waiting again.

Leia inhaled slowly, then said, "I want to grow old with her."

The words came out quieter than she expected. Less dramatic. More matter-of-fact. Like naming something she already lived with every day.

"I want to wake up with her when she's eighty. I want to know her in the quiet parts of life, not just the high notes. I want to make her laugh when she's tired and hold her hand when she's not sure."

Azul said nothing, but there was a softness to his silence that made Leia keep going.

"I think people assume I'm the one who'd run from that kind of commitment. Because I'm the messier one, or because she's always been more... composed. But I've never wanted anything more than to be steady for her. To be someone she never has to doubt."

The car rolled through a slow bend in the road. Streetlamps began to flicker on above them, casting long shadows across the dashboard.

Leia leaned back into her seat, staring out at the trees rushing by.

"I don't know if we'll ever get there," she admitted, not bitterly — just with honesty. "But if I'm lucky enough to keep her... yeah. I'd marry her."

Azul nodded once, like he'd already known the answer.

"She'd be lucky too," he said simply.

Leia smiled to herself, not answering.

Outside, the road carried them forward, quiet and long and - for once - certain.

______

Georgie's apartment smelled like cinnamon and old wood polish - familiar, a little chaotic, full of life. The record player in the corner was spinning a Fleetwood Mac album that had a soft crackle beneath the music, and there were at least three half-cut cheeses sweating on a mismatched platter between their wine glasses. Leia was kind of impressed at how quickly Georgie had managed to take what once was their shared apartment and transform it completely into her own.

Leia had one leg slung over the arm of the couch, glass balanced on her knee, while Riven sat cross-legged on the floor beside the coffee table, enthusiastically dissecting a brie that had somehow both melted and hardened at the same time.

"This one tastes like a damp sock," he said, making a face.

"Expensive damp sock," Georgie corrected, topping up his wine. "It was imported."

Leia grinned, reaching for a cracker. "You say that like we're not just three idiots eating cheese from a plate shaped like the Eiffel Tower."

"It's called vibe, actually," Georgie said, settling next to her with a blanket and a sleeve of salted almonds.

Her phone buzzed in her lap. She glanced down at the screen, intending to ignore it - but the notification froze her fingers.

PEOPLE: EXCLUSIVE — Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn Actually Broke Up Nearly a Year Ago, Source Close to Alwyn Claims

Leia's jaw tightened. She tapped it open without thinking, eyes flicking across the screen as she scanned the first few paragraphs.

"Oh, fuck off," she muttered, sitting up straighter.

Georgie and Riven both looked up.

"What?" Georgie asked, voice casual but eyes alert.

Leia didn't answer right away. She was still reading. Her thumb scrolled down the page, mouth pressed into a tight line, eyes sharpening by the second.

"His team leaked that they broke up in December," she said flatly. "Nearly a year ago."

Georgie's brows lifted. "Wait. But didn't they agree to a joint statement?"

"They did," Leia said. "Taylor's team held back about him cheating on the set of that film out of respect - didn't want a circus. And now his lot are rewriting the timeline because they're panicking about how it's all being perceived."

Riven shifted on the floor. "So now it looks like Taylor was dragging it out, or hiding something."

Leia didn't answer right away.

She just stared at her phone, chest rising in a slow, deliberate breath. The kind she took before interviews - or fights. The kind that made her feel like something in her ribs had curled in on itself.

It wasn't just the headline. Or the conveniently vague "source close to Alwyn." It was the tone. The calculated neatness of it. The way it slid in a subtle, poisonous implication... that Taylor had misled people. That she'd kept something secret. That she had something to be ashamed of.

Her hand curled into the throw blanket bunched beside her, the fabric catching between her fingers as her jaw clenched hard enough to ache. She knew exactly what this was.

Joe's team - always quietly polished, always pretending to stay above the drama - had waited for Taylor to go high. Had waited for her to be graceful and understated and kind, and then slipped in just enough revisionism to reframe the whole thing. They weren't trying to burn her, no... they were trying to tilt the story. Make people wonder.

Leia could already hear it. The speculation. The TikToks. The comment sections.
If they broke up a year ago, then why did she...?
Was she seeing someone else when—
Did she lie about the timeline?

Her stomach twisted.

Taylor had worked so hard to stay quiet. To be kind. To leave space for him to walk away with dignity. Even when she had every right to scorch the earth.

And now this.

A cheap rewrite dropped on a Friday night.

Leia leaned forward, elbows to knees, and dragged a hand over her face. Her skin was hot. Her pulse loud in her ears. A glass of wine sat untouched on the coffee table, the edge of the stem catching the flicker of candlelight. Across from her, Tate slept in a lazy sprawl on Georgie's rug, oblivious. Riven was still watching her. Georgie, too - though hers was a quieter sort of watching, like she was waiting for the snap.

"I want to punch something," Leia said finally, voice low and even. "Like a wall. Or his stupid, self-satisfied face."

Georgie shifted, pulling her legs under herself on the couch. 

"He's a coward," she said. "Always has been. It's all 'I want privacy,' until he needs to control the story. Then it's conveniently leaked exclusives and backdated narratives."

Leia's mouth twisted. 

"He used to text Taylor asking her to correct headlines. The tiniest ones. Ones that didn't even mention him by name."

Riven raised an eyebrow. "Control freak."

Leia nodded. "And she always did it. Even when she shouldn't have. She'd call Tree, get it reworded. Just to keep him calm."

She could feel the heat rising now, slow and crawling and deep.

"She let herself be small for him," Leia said, not realizing until the words were out just how much she meant them. "Not creatively but emotionally. She held so much in to keep the peace. And now he's trying to make her look like she was hiding things?"

There it was - the snap.

Not loud. Not dramatic. Just a quiet, unmistakable fracture inside her.

Leia shook her head, more to herself than them. "She gave him an out with dignity. She gave him time. And this is what he does with it."

Georgie reached for Leia's wine and handed it to her, not saying anything.

Leia took it but didn't drink. She stared at the glass for a second, watching the way the deep red curved against the rim. Silence followed, heavy with agreement.

Riven leaned against the couch, now nursing the same glass of wine he'd barely sipped, and Georgie had her phone in hand, scrolling with the kind of concentration that made Leia suspicious.

She stayed slouched forward, arms wrapped tight across her knees, pulse still a dull thrum in her neck. The warmth of the room, the flicker of candles, the half-empty cheese plate — none of it could undo the steady heat pressing behind her ribs. The kind that made her wish she could punch a headline off the internet.

Georgie broke the silence.

"You want to feel a little better?" she asked, voice casual — but not flippant. She was testing the waters, just gently.

Leia raised her head slightly. "What do you have? Ice cream? A flamethrower?"

Georgie smirked and shook her head. "Twitter."

Leia blinked. "Same thing."

Georgie tapped her screen, then began reading, voice almost sing-song in contrast to the sharpness of the words.

"'They've been broken up for a year!' okay, then why wait until after Eras pre-sale and Grammy noms to leak it?" She let the silence hang. "Be so for real."

Leia gave a slow, tired blink, but her mouth twitched at the corners.

Riven gave a theatrical gasp. "That's what we call tactical annihilation."

Georgie didn't miss a beat. She scrolled, then read the next one with faux reverence. "'Let me get this straight: Taylor drops a classy statement, moves on quietly, and now Joe's camp is like, 'Actually she didn't dump me this week, it was last year.'" She added a deadpan look. "Okay, king."

Leia snorted, shaking her head. "God, they're relentless."

"Relentless and accurate," Georgie said. "We should all be so lucky."

Riven raised his glass in salute. "To Swifties: the internet's most well-documented militia."

Leia let out a slow breath, the tension in her jaw finally starting to ease.

Georgie glanced down at her phone again, smile curling. "Oh. This one's good. 'So Joe's team leaked the December breakup to "set the record straight," but now people are just remembering how Taylor carried his entire press presence for six years.'"

There was a long beat of silence after that.

Leia leaned back against the couch, letting her head fall against the cushion. "That one's actually brutal."

Leia reached for her wine, taking a sip at last. The sharpness of it grounded her.

Georgie raised her brows like she had one last gem to share. 

"Last one, promise. 'Joe's team: he wants privacy. Also Joe's team: leaks to People.'" she grinned, "Okay, privacy prince!'"

That did it.

Leia let out a laugh - full-bodied and sudden - the kind that made her press her hand to her mouth, like she wasn't ready to be laughing at all. Riven joined in, head tipped back in triumph, and Georgie just grinned, victorious.

Georgie leaned back beside her, their shoulders brushing. 

"He can try to twist the narrative all he wants," she said. "But she's not the one who'll need saving in the end."

Leia stared at the ceiling, quiet.

"She never was," she murmured.

They sat like that for a while, the music soft in the background, the sound of footsteps overhead, the wine warm in their hands. The night stretching out before them - calm, for now.

And somewhere in that stillness, Leia finally let herself exhale.

_____

December, 2022

New Orleans had quieted outside the window, the pulse of the French Quarter softened into distant jazz and flickering neon. The studio had emptied hours ago, after a long, laughter-warm day of music, late-night takeout, and birthday candles stuck into a slice of pecan pie someone had scavenged from a diner across the street. Taylor's team had peeled off one by one, murmuring their goodnights and closing the heavy door behind them until it was just the two of them left.

The room was dim now, lit by a low table lamp and the blueish cast of the laptop idling in the corner. The air still smelled faintly of coffee, old wood, and the vanilla from Taylor's sweater — the one Leia had stolen off the back of a chair without asking, sleeves pushed halfway over her hands.

Taylor sat on the floor with her back against the couch, legs stretched long over the rug. Her hair was half up, a little tangled, and her eyes had that soft, post-midnight glaze — not tired, just still. She was holding a gift bag between her knees, twisting the handles idly between her fingers.

Leia was cross-legged on the couch above her, one arm draped over the cushion, watching her with a quiet fondness that had nothing to prove anymore.

Taylor didn't look up when she spoke.

"I got you something."

Leia blinked. "You already had a birthday."

Taylor glanced up, a slow smile curling. "Not for my birthday."

Leia raised an eyebrow. "Did you find a holiday I forgot?"

"No." Taylor lifted the bag and held it toward her. "It's for our unofficial-but-actually-kind-of-official anniversary."

Leia didn't take the bag. She just stared at her, amused. "Our what?"

"Our one-year," Taylor said, feigning gravity. "If you count from when we got back together. Not publicly, obviously. I mean, secretly. Emotionally. Romantically. Existentially."

Leia laughed, slow and warm. "That's a lot of adverbs."

"I've had wine."

Leia reached out and took the bag, setting it on her lap without opening it. "I didn't get you anything for our anniversary."

Taylor tilted her head. "You didn't?"

Leia shook her head, then grinned. "Because I'm giving you your birthday present tonight instead."

Taylor's brows lifted, eyes curious. "You said you needed to wait until we were alone."

"We are alone."

Taylor sat up straighter, cross-legged now and leaning in slightly, the glow from Leia's laptop screen casting soft shadows across her face.

"What is it?" she asked, eyes curious and bright.

Leia smirked. "What do you think it is?"

Taylor tilted her head, lips curving into a teasing grin. 

"Well... you said you were saving it for when we were alone. So I was kind of hoping you were about to stand up and take off your clothes and reveal, I don't know... elaborate lace lingerie? Maybe with a bow?"

Leia snorted, eyebrows lifting. "You thought I was the gift?"

"I had a vision," Taylor said, placing a hand dramatically over her heart. "You in black and red lace, very tasteful lighting..."

Leia grinned, brushing a piece of hair behind her ear as she leaned a little closer. "That's... later."

Taylor raised an eyebrow. "Later?"

Leia stood without answering, making her way across the room to the laptop, her laugh trailing behind her. 

"Shut up. Sit still."

Taylor pressed her lips together to hide her smile, tucking her knees to her chest like a kid at a sleepover.

Leia connected the hard drive with a soft click, her movements steady but quiet, like she was lining up a secret. Then she dimmed the overhead light and came back to the rug, curling up beside Taylor and pulling a blanket around them both.

The screen lit with the first frame.

Leia didn't say a word.

Taylor's breath caught the second the video began.

A grainy clip — backstage, years ago — Taylor in a sweatshirt, laughing as Leia's voice came from behind the camera, teasing her for tripping over a mic cable. It was barely six seconds long, wobbly and ordinary. But real.

Then another. Taylor and Leia walking through some city at night, bundled up, heads tilted toward each other. A third clip: Taylor, mid-tour, sprawled across a dressing room floor, scribbling something in a notebook as Leia filmed her from across the room, quiet and unobserved.

The music under it was soft - just piano, no lyrics, although Taylor could tell by the way the notes intertwined that Leia had been the one pressing the keys - and the moments kept coming. Their hands brushing as they passed each other in a corridor, captured during the filming for the reputation tour. A blurry crowd shot with Taylor reaching back instinctively, Leia's fingers catching hers for a second before the lights cut out. A candid moment in a car that never made it into the final cut of Miss Americana, both of them mid-laugh, Taylor saying something soundless that made Leia visibly blush.

There was no structure. No timeline.

Just memory.

Just love, unspoken but stitched into every frame.

When the screen finally faded to black, Taylor didn't speak right away. Her eyes shimmered, and Leia could see the way her throat moved as she tried to swallow the feeling down.

"That's what you see when you look at us?" Taylor asked, voice barely above a whisper.

Leia nodded, the corner of her mouth lifting. "Yeah."

Taylor let out a soft, watery breath that was somewhere between a laugh and a sob. "I really thought there was going to be lingerie."

Leia leaned closer, brushing their noses together. "There still will be."

Taylor laughed then, properly, and kissed her - slow, sweet, and full of the kind of gratitude that didn't need to be named. When they pulled apart, Taylor tucked her face into Leia's neck, her voice muffled. 

"No one's ever done anything like that for me."

Leia closed her eyes, holding her close. "Then they weren't paying attention."

Taylor pulled back, her eyes meeting Leia's with an intensity that made the room feel suddenly smaller. Something shifted in her expression... a hunger replacing the softness of just moments before.

Without warning, Taylor moved, rising to her knees and pushing Leia gently back against the couch cushions. In one fluid motion, she swung a leg over Leia's lap, settling her weight against her thighs. Her hands came up to frame Leia's face, thumbs brushing along her cheekbones.

"I love you," Taylor whispered, the words barely audible before she captured Leia's mouth with her own. "I love you so fucking much."

The kiss wasn't gentle. It was consuming, desperate and deep from the first press of their lips. Taylor's fingers tangled in Leia's hair, pulling just enough to tilt her head back, giving her better access. Leia's hands instinctively found Taylor's waist, gripping the fabric of her sweater as Taylor's tongue swept into her mouth.

The blanket slid forgotten to the floor as Taylor pressed closer, her body flush against Leia's. Every point of contact between them seemed to burn, the heat building as Taylor rolled her hips slightly, drawing a soft gasp from Leia that she swallowed with another kiss.

"Wait," Leia managed to breathe when Taylor finally pulled back for air, her lips trailing down to the sensitive spot just below Leia's ear. "We're still in the studio."

Taylor paused, her breath hot against Leia's neck. "Everyone's gone."

"But-"

Taylor silenced her with another kiss, this one slower but no less intense. When she pulled back, her eyes were dark, pupils blown wide with desire. "I don't want to wait."

Leia's resolve crumbled at the sight of Taylor above her - hair disheveled, lips swollen, cheeks flushed with colour. She looked wild and beautiful and utterly determined. Leia's hands slid under the hem of Taylor's sweater, finding the warm skin of her lower back.

"Okay," she whispered, surrendering to the heat building between them.

Taylor smiled against her lips, a victorious curve that Leia felt more than saw. Her kisses grew more insistent, trailing along Leia's jaw and down her throat. Leia tilted her head back, offering more access as Taylor's teeth grazed her collarbone.

"What about your anniversary present?" Leia asked, though her hands were already sliding beneath Taylor's sweater, finding warm skin.

The gift bag tumbled to the floor, forgotten alongside the blanket as Taylor's hands found their way under Leia's borrowed sweater, fingers tracing patterns across her ribs. Outside, the distant sounds of New Orleans continued - jazz notes floating through the night, car horns, laughter - but inside their cocoon of warmth and desire, nothing existed beyond the two of them.

Taylor's smile turned wicked as she leaned down, lips brushing the shell of Leia's ear.

 "It can wait. We're both about to be a little busy unwrapping something else right now."

"The door," Leia managed to gasp as Taylor's fingertips brushed the underside of her breast. "Is it locked?"

Taylor paused, one hand still on Leia's jaw, holding it in place as they breathed in each other's faces, her eyes skimming above her head to look at the door with a curious look.

"It's locked," Taylor confirmed, her voice husky with desire. "I made sure when everyone left."

"Eager."

Relief and anticipation surged through Leia as Taylor's mouth crashed back against hers. The kiss deepened instantly, Taylor's tongue sliding against hers with renewed urgency. Leia's hands found purchase on Taylor's hips, pulling her closer as Taylor's fingers began working at the hem of Leia's borrowed sweater.

"Off," Taylor commanded, breaking the kiss just long enough to tug the fabric upward. Leia lifted her arms, allowing Taylor to pull the sweater over her head in one fluid motion. The cool air of the studio hit her exposed skin, raising goosebumps along her arms and chest.

Taylor's eyes darkened as she took in the sight of Leia beneath her, clad now only in a lacy black bra - just like Taylor had jokingly hoped for.

"You're so beautiful," she whispered, almost reverently, before her hands were moving again, finding the clasp of Leia's bra and unhooking it with practiced ease.

Leia shivered as Taylor's palms slid over her now-bare breasts, thumbs brushing across hardened nipples. The touch sent electricity coursing through her body, pooling low in her abdomen. Taylor lowered her head, replacing her fingers with her mouth, and Leia gasped, arching into the wet heat of Taylor's tongue.

"Taylor," she breathed, her hands tangling in blonde hair as Taylor continued her ministrations, alternating between gentle kisses and more insistent pressure.

Without warning, Taylor's hand slid down Leia's stomach, fingers deftly unbuttoning her jeans and lowering the zipper. Leia lifted her hips instinctively, allowing Taylor better access as her hand slipped beneath the denim and into Leia's underwear.

Leia bit her lip, eyes fluttering closed as Taylor's fingers slipped beneath the silk barrier, finding slick heat. The first touch made Leia gasp, her hips jerking upward.

"Easy, baby girl," Taylor soothed, her free hand stroking Leia's hair back from her forehead as she whispered into her ear. "We've got all night."

She established a rhythm, fingers circling and stroking as Leia's breathing quickened. 

"God, you're so wet," Taylor murmured against Leia's collarbone.

"Please," Leia whispered, her head falling back against the couch cushions as Taylor's touch became more insistent. The world narrowed to the points where their bodies connected – Taylor's mouth on her neck, her fingers between Leia's legs, the weight of her pressing Leia into the couch.

Taylor captured Leia's lips again, swallowing her moans as her fingers moved with increasing urgency. Leia's hands clutched at Taylor's back, nails digging into the fabric of her sweater as the tension built inside her.

"I want to feel you," Taylor whispered against her lips. "I want to watch you come apart."

The words sent a fresh wave of desire through Leia, her hips bucking against Taylor's hand. Taylor's movements became more focused, more precise, as if she knew exactly what Leia needed.

Just as Leia felt herself approaching the edge, her breath coming in short gasps and her body tensing with anticipation, Taylor's fingers slowed, then stilled completely.

"Wha-" Leia's eyes flew open, confused and desperate. "Why did you stop?"

Taylor smiled against her skin, a dangerous curve that promised both torment and ecstasy. 

"Not yet," she whispered, sliding backward off Leia's lap and onto her knees on the floor. Her hands moved to Leia's hips, fingers hooking into the waistband of her jeans.

"Lift," she commanded softly.

Leia complied without hesitation, raising her hips as Taylor tugged the denim down her legs. The cool air of the studio kissed Leia's newly exposed skin as Taylor removed her jeans completely, tossing them aside with casual disregard.

"You're not playing fair," Leia breathed, watching as Taylor settled between her thighs, pushing them wider with gentle but insistent hands.

"It's my birthday weekend, I can do what I want... especially to you," Taylor replied, her eyes dark with want as she lowered her head. The first touch of her tongue against Leia's centre drew a sharp gasp, followed by a low moan as Taylor's mouth replaced where her fingers had been moments before.

Leia's hands immediately found Taylor's hair, fingers tangling in blonde strands as Taylor's tongue worked against her with deliberate precision. The wet heat of Taylor's mouth was almost too much after being brought so close to the edge, and Leia felt herself spiraling rapidly toward release.

"God, Taylor," she panted, her head falling back against the couch as Taylor's hands gripped her thighs, holding her in place.

Taylor hummed against her, the vibration sending shockwaves through Leia's body. Her tongue moved in patterns that she knew drove Leia wild – circles and strokes that alternated between broad pressure and focused attention exactly where Leia needed it most.

The tension built again, faster this time, coiling tight in Leia's abdomen as Taylor's mouth worked relentlessly against her. One of Taylor's hands released its grip on Leia's thigh, sliding up to cup her breast, thumb brushing over her nipple in time with the strokes of her tongue.

The dual sensation was overwhelming. Leia's breath came in short, desperate gasps, her hips moving instinctively against Taylor's mouth. The room filled with the sounds of her pleasure – soft moans and broken whispers of Taylor's name.

"Don't stop," Leia begged, her voice barely audible as the pressure built to an almost unbearable point. "Please, don't stop."

Taylor increased her pace in response, her tongue moving with focused determination as Leia's body tensed beneath her. The wave crested suddenly, release washing over Leia with an intensity that made her cry out, her back arching off the couch with Taylor's name spilling frantically from her lips.

Taylor continued her ministrations through the aftershocks, gradually slowing as Leia's breathing steadied. When she finally pulled away, she pressed a gentle kiss to Leia's inner thigh, a self-satisfied smile playing across her swollen lips.

"Happy anniversary to you," Taylor murmured, resting her chin on Leia's knee.

Leia looked down at her, still catching her breath, her skin flushed and glistening with a fine sheen of sweat. Her eyes darkened as she took in the sight of Taylor between her legs, lips glistening, hair tangled from Leia's fingers.

"Your turn," Leia said, her voice husky with lingering pleasure and fresh determination.

Taylor raised an eyebrow, watching as Leia rose from the couch on slightly unsteady legs. "What did you have in mind?"

Leia didn't answer immediately. Instead, she padded across the studio floor, entirely comfortable in her nakedness, and reached for her overnight bag tucked beside the mixing console. Taylor's eyes tracked her movement, taking in the curve of her spine, the sway of her hips.

With deliberate slowness, Leia unzipped the bag and reached inside. When she turned back to Taylor, she was holding something black and unmistakable in her hands.

"This was for the hotel later," Leia said, her voice dropping to a register that made Taylor's breath catch. "But I think you might as well have it now... if you want it."

Taylor's eyes widened slightly, her tongue darting out to wet her lips as she took in the harness and attachment in Leia's hands.

"You brought that to the studio?" Taylor asked, her voice a mix of surprise and unmistakable arousal.

Leia shrugged one shoulder, a small smile playing at the corner of her mouth. "Well, it was in my bag and I wasn't planning on unpacking that in front of Drew before bringing it here..."

Taylor stood slowly, crossing the short distance between them. She reached out, fingers brushing against Leia's as she took the harness, examining it with deliberate attention.

"And how exactly were you planning to use this?" Taylor asked, her voice low and teasing despite the flush spreading across her cheeks.

Leia stepped closer, eliminating the space between them. Her hands found the hem of Taylor's sweater, fingers sliding underneath to trace patterns on warm skin as she pressed her own naked self closer to Taylor and her fully-clothed body.

"I was thinking," Leia said, leaning in to brush her lips against Taylor's ear, "that I'd like to watch you ride me while I tell you how beautiful you look taking it."

Taylor's sharp intake of breath was all the answer Leia needed. She smiled against Taylor's neck, pressing a kiss to the sensitive spot beneath her ear before pulling back to meet her eyes.

"What do you think?" Leia asked, her fingers already working at the button of Taylor's jeans. "Birthday girl gets to choose."

Taylor's answer came in the form of a kiss, deep and hungry, as she pressed the harness back into Leia's hands. 

"Yes," she breathed against Leia's mouth. "God, yes."

Leia smiled, feeling a surge of confidence at Taylor's response. She kept her eyes on Taylor's as she stepped back, just enough to create a small space between them.

"Then take off your clothes," Leia said softly. "Slowly."

Taylor's eyes darkened at the command. She held Leia's gaze as her fingers found the hem of her sweater, pulling it up and over her head with deliberate slowness. Her hair fell in messy waves around her shoulders as she tossed the garment aside.

Leia's breath caught at the sight of Taylor in just her bra—simple black lace that contrasted beautifully with her pale skin. Taylor's hands moved to the button of her jeans next, popping it open and lowering the zipper with tantalizing precision.

"Keep going," Leia encouraged, her voice low as she watched Taylor push the denim down her long legs, stepping out of the pooled fabric with practiced grace.

Taylor stood before her now in matching black underwear, her chest rising and falling with quickened breaths. The dim studio lighting cast golden shadows across her collarbones, the curve of her waist, the soft dip of her navel.

"Beautiful," Leia murmured, stepping forward to trace a finger along the edge of Taylor's bra. "But I think I said all your clothes."

Taylor smiled, reaching behind herself to unclasp her bra. The straps slid down her arms as she let it fall, revealing breasts that Leia knew as intimately as her own. Taylor hooked her thumbs into the waistband of her underwear next, sliding them down her legs with the same deliberate slowness.

Fully naked now, Taylor stood tall, unashamed and gorgeous in the soft glow of the studio. Leia took a moment just to look at her... all long limbs and soft curves, familiar and yet somehow always new.

"Now what?" Taylor asked, her voice a mixture of challenge and desire.

Leia didn't answer right away. Instead, she handed the harness to Taylor, their fingers brushing in the exchange.

"Put it on me," Leia said quietly.

Taylor's eyes widened slightly, but she nodded, taking the harness and kneeling down. Leia stepped into it, steadying herself with a hand on Taylor's shoulder as Taylor guided the straps up her legs, adjusting them with careful attention. Her fingers were warm against Leia's skin, lingering a little longer than necessary as she secured the final buckles.

"There," Taylor said, looking up at Leia from her position on the floor, her eyes dark with anticipation.

Leia reached down, brushing her thumb across Taylor's bottom lip. "Good girl."

Leia reached for Taylor's hands, guiding her upward. 

"Come here," she whispered, backing toward the couch and pulling Taylor with her. When her legs hit the edge, she sat, the toy jutting upward between them as she settled into the cushions.

Taylor stood between Leia's spread knees, her breath coming in short, anticipatory bursts. Leia's hands found her hips, thumbs tracing small circles on the jutting bones.

"Straddle me," Leia murmured, her voice low and commanding in a way that made Taylor's pupils dilate further. She slowly lowered herself onto Leia's lap, settling her weight on the toy, which disappeared inside her with a soft gasp. 

"Taylor," Leia breathed, her hands sliding up Taylor's sides to cup her breasts. "You look incredible." 

Taylor met her gaze, their bodies perfectly aligned. 

"You really like this so much, don't you?" 

Leia smiled, leaning in to press a kiss to Taylor's jawline. 

"I love it when I'm in control," she said, fingers trailing down Taylor's stomach to tease just above where she knew Taylor wanted her. 

"Then control me," Taylor challenged, arching into the touch. Leia chuckled softly, the vibration rumbling against Taylor's skin.

"Careful what you wish for," Leia whispered, hands sliding to Taylor's hips, gripping firmly enough to still her movements. "I want you to go slow. Show me how much you want this."

Taylor's eyes fluttered closed as Leia's command washed over her. She began to move, rising up slightly before sinking back down with deliberate control. The pace was torturous - for both of them - but Taylor followed Leia's instruction perfectly, each movement measured and precise.

"That's it," Leia encouraged, her voice low and thick with desire. "Just like that."

Taylor's hands found purchase on Leia's shoulders, using them for leverage as she continued her slow, rhythmic movements. Her head fell back, exposing the long column of her throat, which Leia immediately leaned forward to taste. The salt of Taylor's skin mingled with the faint trace of her perfume as Leia pressed open-mouthed kisses from collarbone to jaw.

"Leia," Taylor breathed, the name half-plea, half-prayer. "I need-"

"Not yet," Leia murmured against her skin, hands still controlling Taylor's pace. "Keep going just like this."

Taylor whimpered but obeyed, her thighs trembling with the effort of maintaining the slow rhythm. Leia watched her face - the parted lips, the flush spreading across her cheeks, the way her brows drew together in concentration - and felt a surge of both tenderness and desire.

"You're so beautiful like this," Leia whispered, one hand sliding up to cup Taylor's breast, thumb brushing across her nipple. "So perfect."

The praise seemed to affect Taylor as much as the physical touch. She moaned softly, her movements becoming slightly more urgent despite Leia's restraining hands.

"Please," Taylor whispered, eyes opening to meet Leia's gaze. "I need more."

Leia considered her for a moment, taking in the desperation in Taylor's eyes, the slight tremble of her lower lip. Then, with a small nod, she relaxed her grip on Taylor's hips.

"Show me," Leia said simply. "Show me what you need."

The permission was all Taylor needed. Her pace quickened immediately, hips rolling with newfound urgency. Leia's hands moved to Taylor's back, supporting her as she chased her pleasure. The new angle had Taylor gasping, her nails digging crescents into Leia's shoulders.

"That's it," Leia encouraged, one hand sliding between their bodies to find where Taylor needed her most. "Take what you want."

The first touch of Leia's fingers against her had Taylor crying out, the sound echoing in the empty studio. Leia smiled against Taylor's collarbone, circling her fingers in time with Taylor's movements.

"You're close, aren't you?" Leia muttered, "such a good girl."

"Yes," Taylor gasped, her movements growing erratic as Leia's fingers worked against her. "So close."

Leia increased the pressure of her touch, her other hand sliding up Taylor's spine to tangle in her hair, pulling gently to expose her throat again. She pressed her lips to the sensitive spot just below Taylor's ear, biting down as Taylor shuddered under her touch.

"Then come for me," Leia whispered, her voice a command wrapped in velvet. "Let go."

Taylor's body tensed, her rhythm faltering as the wave crested. Her lips parted in a silent cry before sound finally broke free - Taylor's voice echoing through the empty studio as pleasure overtook her. Leia held her through it, whispering encouragement against her skin, fingers still moving to prolong the sensation until Taylor collapsed against her, trembling and breathless.

They stayed like that for several minutes, Taylor's face buried in Leia's neck, their bodies still joined together as their breathing slowly steadied. Leia's hands traced lazy patterns across Taylor's back, soothing and gentle now that the urgency had passed.

"Happy birthday to me," Taylor finally murmured, her voice muffled against Leia's skin, mirroring her earlier joke.

Leia laughed softly, pressing a kiss to Taylor's temple. "And happy anniversary to us."

Taylor lifted her head, meeting Leia's eyes with a smile that was equal parts satisfied and tender. "I can't believe you brought that to a recording studio."

"I can't believe you locked the door before everyone left," Leia countered, brushing a strand of hair from Taylor's forehead. "Almost like you planned this."

Taylor laughed, her breath still coming in short, satisfied puffs. "Maybe I did, maybe I didn't."

With a gentle kiss to Leia's forehead, Taylor lifted herself off Leia's lap, wincing slightly as she did. The loss of contact left them both momentarily vulnerable, the cool studio air washing over their heated skin.

"Here, let me help," Taylor murmured, kneeling down to unfasten the buckles of the harness. Her fingers worked deftly, loosening each strap with practiced care. Leia lifted her hips to allow Taylor to slide the harness down her legs, setting it aside on the floor.

"We should probably clean that before we pack it away," Leia said, reaching for her underwear that had somehow landed on the arm of the couch.

"Later," Taylor promised, already pulling on her own clothes. She slipped into her jeans with a little hop, then reached for her sweater, tugging it over her head. Her hair emerged in a static-filled cloud that made Leia smile.

Leia dressed more slowly, her limbs still heavy with satisfaction. She pulled on her borrowed sweater last, inhaling the faint scent of Taylor's perfume that clung to the fabric. When she looked up, Taylor was watching her with a soft, unguarded expression.

"What?" Leia asked, smoothing her hair.

"Nothing," Taylor replied, but her smile said otherwise. "Just... you. Us."

Leia stood, crossing to where Taylor was now perched on the edge of the mixing console. She slipped between Taylor's knees, resting her hands lightly on her thighs. "Us is pretty good, isn't it?"

"The best," Taylor agreed, leaning forward to press a gentle kiss to Leia's lips.

As they separated, Taylor's eyes suddenly widened. 

"Oh! Your gift! I completely forgot." 

She slid off the console, moving to retrieve the gift bag that had tumbled to the floor during their earlier activities.

"My gift?" Leia blinked, genuinely confused for a moment. "Oh, right. The anniversary present."

Taylor returned to her, the silver gift bag swinging from her fingers. "I was going to give this to you earlier, but we got a little... distracted."

Leia accepted the bag with a small laugh. "That's one word for it."

"Open it," Taylor urged, her eyes bright with anticipation.

Leia reached into the bag, her fingers closing around a small velvet box. She pulled it out, raising an eyebrow at Taylor before carefully opening the lid.

Inside, nestled against black velvet, lay a delicate golden bracelet. Leia's breath caught as she lifted it, the metal cool and lightweight in her palm. It was intricately designed like a friendship bracelet, woven with thin golden threads that caught the light as they moved. At its centre hung two small charms: a tiny "13" and beside it, the letters "TS" in two light blue circles.

"Taylor," Leia breathed, running her finger over the intricate metalwork.

"I saw a fan tweet about trading bracelets during the shows... and I thought I wanted you to be the first to have one."

Leia knew at that moment, even though she'd known for years - there was no universe in which she wasn't hopeless one thing: 

Taylor's.