isn't it? [taylor swift]

chapter 71

"I have some absolutely wonderful news for you," Leia announced as she waltzed into their room, Taylor looking over at her with a smile as she looked away her TV show to give her girlfriend her full attention.

"Well, do share," Taylor replied, leaning against the back of the bed as she grinned back at the excited singer.

Leia flopped onto the bed, bouncing once, her legs dangling off the side.

"Riven and Azul finally set a date!"

Taylor's eyes widened, the grin stretching broader as she muted the TV. "No way. When?"

"August fifteenth," Leia sang, catching Taylor's gaze, her own dancing with delight.

"Leia, that's-"

"Right in the middle of your two-week break. You can actually go. I mean, we can go, if-"

Taylor laughed, reaching out and holding her hands for a second. Leia paused, realising that she had just cut off Taylor from saying something else.

"I was just going to say that's like, crazy soon? It's what, the twenty-seventh of July today? So that's like... two and a half weeks away, right?"

Leia nodded, smiling so hard her cheeks ached.

"I know! Azul told me in the car just there right before I came up here. He sounded like he just won the lottery. He told me to give Riven some space today, as when I called him earlier he was like crying, which means he's either overjoyed or having a nervous meltdown - either way, Azul said Riven's sister is handling it, whatever that means."

Taylor squeezed Leia's hand, her thumb tracing lazy circles across the back of it. "That means we can actually go. Together."

Leia coloured red, suddenly shy.

"I mean, unless you don't want to. But I'd like to. I want them to see us. I want you to be my date." She stole a look at Taylor, blue eyes bright and earnest. "That is, if you'll have me."

Taylor let out a low, delighted laugh, the kind that started from deep in her chest and tumbled out like a melody. "Leia Hudson, are you asking me to be your extremely public wedding date less than twenty-four hours since we debuted?"

"Debuted? We are not in Bridgerton," Leia sat up, knees drawn to her chest, and nodded, eyes sparkling with mischief. "But yeah, I guess I am. I want to dance with you, and eat way too much cake, and maybe even catch the bouquet. You could sign it, if I do. Can let Riven sell it on eBay afterwards to fund his Honeymoon."

Taylor raised an eyebrow.

"If you catch the bouquet, I'm going to have to physically restrain Georgie from planning our wedding by the next morning."

Leia didn't even flinch. "Let her try. I want to see what theme she'd force us into."

Taylor rested her chin on Leia's shoulder, arms coming up and over to nestle around her waist. The world - her world, at least, the part she wanted to exist in - shrank to this bed, this too-cool room with thin sheets and a half-eaten cheese plate languishing on the side table. Leia always managed to make any place feel like home, and being back at their apartment after the insane chaos of last night's show just proved that. Taylor knew she wasn't supposed to get used to the level of codependence that they'd formed since the tour had started, but she couldn't help it.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a scuffling sound near the foot of the bed. Tate had walked in now, throwing himself dramatically on the ground. Both women chuckled a little.

The cats were scatted around - Olivia sprawled over Taylor's notebook on the desk, Meredith curled around her laptop charger, the third - little Benji - slinking across the room towards the bed and insinuating himself between Tate and the ground.