isn't it? [taylor swift]

chapter 50

2021.

"Hey, it's good to see you, kid," Azul murmured, dropping his usual over professionalism and pulling Leia into a tight hug. She smiled softly underneath her face mask, tucking her head into his chest for a moment as she blinked back tears.

They were back in New York City - Christmas and New Year having been and gone and Leia finally feeling like she really was ready to return back to her normal life after the most insane year and a half of her life.

That had meant calling Azul back up and seeing if he was ready to go back to full-time security. He'd almost literally jumped at the news, having been getting bored of being a house-boyfriend while Riven worked from home during the pandemic.

"How's unemployment been treating you?" Leia joked as she pulled away, trying to not let him see that she was genuinely emotional that he was here for her.

He hadn't really been unemployed anyway - Leia had continued to pay him his usual salary (and a little increase as more album sales came through) during her rehab stints and during the times they'd all spent locked up inside their houses. Leia was perfectly aware that he'd been enjoying life as he just lounged around the apartment he and Riven had moved into together for a period of time, but she knew him well enough to know he was just glad to be doing something now.

"I'm just glad to be back," Azul said.

I'm just glad you're back, was the underlying message in his words that they both picked up on.

"Me too."

Leia reached into her rucksack, a lopsided small smile on her face as Azul looked down at it in curiosity. He had a suspicion that he knew what this was after talking with Riven that morning about seeing Leia, but he wanted the girl the chance to explain it all to him.

"So... while I'm fully responsible for my own actions, there's just some stuff in here that my rehab team thought it would be good to give to you and some of the others. Just since you're my main security."

"Your only security."

"Don't let Georgie hear you say that. She's gunning for your job it seems."

"I could take her. She's like three foot tall."

A cough from the doorway caused the two to stop their banter. Leia smiled softly from under her face-mask as Adrian looked between the two with a warmth in his eyes, a look there that made Leia realise that she'd really put them all through hell. Not that she hadn't realised that already.

"I don't think anyone could take Georgie when she's in a mood," Adrian joked. "Someone ask Austin, I'm sure he'll agree."

And there it was - unintentionally the first mention of Taylor Swift. 

Leia had replied to her text.

It had taken her three days. Three days of staring at the message, typing out responses only to delete them before they ever saw the light of day. Three days of running through every possible outcome, every potential version of this conversation - what Taylor wanted, what Taylor didn't say, what Taylor still wouldn't say.

But in the end, she had replied.

A simple yeah, we can talk. No exclamation points. No hesitation. Just an arrangement: when we're both back in New York.

She snapped out of her thoughts as she looked at Adrian and furrowed her eyebrows.

"Have you gone grey?"

"I've always been grey," the man admitted with a sigh. "I just finally decided to embrace it. Silver fox vibes."

Leia squinted at him for a moment.