forever and always - taylor swift

13

"Y-yeah, fine!" Daisy replied quickly, waving them off with a nervous laugh. She turned to glare at Taylor, her eyes narrowing as she leaned in slightly. "What do you think you're doing?" she hissed under her breath.

Taylor, utterly unbothered, smirked and raised an eyebrow. "Just keeping myself entertained," she murmured softly, her fingers teasingly brushing higher.

Daisy swatted Taylor's hand away under the table, her cheeks burning as she tried to focus on the conversation around her. "You're impossible," she muttered, though her lips twitched as if fighting back a smile.

Taylor simply leaned back in her chair, looking immensely pleased with herself. "And yet, you still love me."

As the evening went on, the group warmed up to Taylor even more, laughing along with her stories and enjoying her presence. Toward the end of the dinner, Taylor leaned forward, flashing one of her signature smiles. "I've got an idea," she said, her voice carrying just enough excitement to catch everyone's attention. "Would you all be interested in tickets to the Eras Tour as a thank-you for letting me crash your reunion?"

The group erupted into cheers and exclamations of disbelief. Ella leaned closer, her eyes wide. "You're serious?"

"Completely," Taylor said with a laugh. "Daisy always talks about how great you all are, so consider it a little gift for keeping her out of too much trouble in high school."

"Trouble?" Daisy muttered under her breath, but she was smiling. "That's rich, coming from you."

As they wrapped up the evening, the group began gathering their coats and scarves, chatting excitedly about the tour and their favorite albums. Taylor stayed back, gently catching Daisy by the arm and pulling her aside near the restaurant door. Her blue eyes softened as she looked at Daisy. "I'm sorry I was late. Work's been... a lot."

Daisy shook her head, her smile reassuring. "It's okay. You showed up, and that's what matters."

"I really wanted to spend more time with you tonight, though," Taylor admitted, her voice quieter. "But I've got more rehearsals, and Tree's breathing down my neck about schedules."

"I get it," Daisy replied, her tone earnest. "You're working so hard, Taylor. I'm just glad you made it here at all."

Taylor's lips curved into a small, grateful smile. Without another word, she leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to Daisy's lips, lingering for a moment. "I'll make it up to you, I promise."

"You'd better," Daisy teased, but her voice was warm, her smile soft.

Taylor pulled away, keeping Daisy's hand in hers as they walked back to the group. "Thank you, all of you," she said, her voice carrying a genuine warmth. "This was the perfect break from everything."

The group responded with good-natured laughter and farewells. Ella, pulling on her coat, turned to Daisy. "Want a ride home, Daze?"

Daisy nodded. "Yeah, that'd be great, thanks."

Taylor glanced at Ella with a playful but serious look. "Take good care of her for me, okay?"

Ella grinned. "Don't worry, Swift. She's in good hands."

With one last glance at Daisy, Taylor leaned in and whispered, "Text me when you're home." Then, she pulled her coat tighter and headed out into the night, disappearing into the cold London air.

Daisy stood there for a moment, watching her go, before Ella nudged her. "C'mon, lover girl. Let's get you home."

As Ella drove through the quiet streets of London, a comfortable silence hung between her and Daisy. The radio played softly in the background, but it was clear Ella was holding back something. Finally, she broke the quiet, a sly smile tugging at her lips.