isn't it? [taylor swift]

chapter 23

The first thing Leia noticed when she woke up was the quiet. It wasn't the kind of quiet she was used to - loud silence that screamed of loneliness, like the empty hotel rooms she found herself in too often when she was away from Tate and travelling. 

No, this silence was soft, warm, like a comforting blanket that wrapped around her. For a moment, she stayed still, savoring the weight of it. Her body, pressed against soft sheets, her head nestled against the pillow, and next to her -

Taylor.

She was right there, her bare back rising and falling slowly with her breathing, the faintest trace of sunlight seeping through the blinds, painting Taylor's bare skin in a golden hue. For a moment, Leia thought it was all a dream. But it wasn't. Taylor was real. Last night was real.

Leia's heart swelled with a mixture of joy and something heavier. She shifted slightly, careful not to disturb the fragile peace that hung between them. As she watched Taylor sleep, her mind replayed the events of last night - their confessions, the way Taylor had pulled her close, whispered her name like a secret only they shared. They'd crossed a line that couldn't be uncrossed, and Leia didn't have a single regret about it.

Seconds stretched into what felt like minutes, and then, Taylor's lashes fluttered, her hazel eyes slowly opening, focusing. When she saw Leia lying next to her, a soft, sleepy smile tugged at her lips.

"Morning," Taylor whispered, her voice husky with sleep.

Leia couldn't help but smile back. "Morning."

For a moment, they just stared at each other, neither of them wanting to break the fragile bubble they were in. Taylor shifted, propping herself up on her elbow. The sheet slid down her shoulder, revealing a bit more of her skin, and Leia's breath caught. It was surreal, seeing Taylor like this. Unmasked, vulnerable, her usual guarded walls nowhere to be found.

For a long time, they sat in silence, their fingers intertwined, both of them lost in their own thoughts. The morning light, once soft and golden, now felt sharper, more intrusive, as if it were a reminder that the world outside was waiting for them.

"Do you regret it?" Taylor asked suddenly, her voice quiet but edged with vulnerability. The question slipped out before she could stop it, and she immediately wished she could take it back. But it was too late. The words hung between them, heavy and fragile.

Leia's eyes widened, and she shook her head vehemently. 

"No," she said firmly. "No, Tay, I don't regret it. I could never regret this. You mean too much to me."

"But what if the world finds out?" Taylor whispered, her voice barely audible. "What if people start to talk?"

"They already will," Leia said with a sad smile. "People have been speculating about me for years and now that I'm out... I know people are going to talk about me - whether that's me and you, me and Cara, me and any of our other friends... I'm the easy target here."

Taylor studied her for a moment, hazel eyes unreadable. Then she let out a small, wistful sigh, her gaze drifting to their intertwined fingers resting on the white sheets.

"They will, won't they?" she murmured, rubbing her thumb over Leia's knuckles in a comforting gesture. "I don't want you to become a target because of me." 

The words were spoken so softly they almost got lost in the quiet morning air. Leia turned to face Taylor fully, reaching out with her free hand to gently tuck a stray curl behind Taylor's ear.

"I'm not afraid, Tay," Leia said, imbuing every word with conviction and warmth.

The pop-star looked up at Leia then, her eyes holding a mix of gratitude and fear - fear of the unknown, of change, perhaps even of herself.