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butididntpourthewhiskeys · 5 years

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L O V E B O U N D

“Familybound - Part II”

Guys, a BIG thanks goes to @absent-minded-swiftie for sending me this old piece that I’ve written once. I hope you enjoy reading it xx Happy Thursday

“You do realize though that this view is insane right? There’s literally no place affordable in this town with such a view, I swear.“ Cara mumbles amazed while standing in front of the big window fronts in Taylor’s living room. “Don’t be distracted by the fact that she acts like a normal person. This place is still not affordable at all.“ Joe mumbles from the wooden table at the end of the big room while looking into his laptop. Taylor, who still comfortably sits on the couch behind Cara, just rolls her eyes at her boyfriend. He thinks he’s so clever and funny with his little snarky remarks today. Cara slowly trots back to the couch and smiles at Taylor before sitting down next to her again. Taylor now looks out of the window again and sighs. It’s grey and cold outside. It’s that kind of weather that is not cold enough for snow but too cold to enjoy being outside at all. Plus the rain.

God, this really is England.

Cara just places her hand over Taylor’s, has clearly noticed how lost she has been in her own thoughts. “But I’m serious, Tay. He’s right. You’re gonna be fine.“, Cara tells her friend, sips on her cup of tea once more before placing the big grey mug on the wooden coffee table again. She then looks at Taylor who just nods silently, still not really believing what her friend tells her. The two girls were casually hanging out in Taylor’s living room, two cats wandering across the room and her favorite chill- out playlist filling the room with comfortable songs that are making this grey and cold day at least a bit more cozy and warm. Taylor, who has changed her posture with a sigh, just looks from Cara to her boyfriend who winks at Cara in response after overhearing the girls’ conversation. “Can you imagine the level of chaos in his life If someone sees me? I mean, I’m all in for going to the movies but..“

“Babe. We’re sitting in a darkened room with people who are focused on a massive screen in front of them.“ Joe interrupts her with a sigh, sounding a bit tired, while answering a couple of emails. He knows her well and he knows that she has the tendency to work herself up into situations that most of the time turn out to not be difficult at all. Cara just looks at Taylor and laughs quietly while stirring the spoon in her tea. “Your gentleman of a boyfriend is taking you to one of the shabbiest cinemas in town. The chance of being all alone in there anyway because nobody in this town wants to go there is outstandingly high, Taylor.“ the model mumbles amused before placing her empty cup of tea right in front of her again. Joe clears his throat with a reproachful undertone. Taylor looks from Cara to Joe and back at Cara and smiles confused. “You British people with all your inside jokes..“ she mumbles, clearly not amused that Joe and Cara both seem to have gotten the joke, but she didn’t.

“I’m taking you to Vue Cinema, which is.. not the most elegant choice of cinemas in town but there’re literally no people there most of the time, so..“ “But that sounds good.“ Taylor answers him enthusiastic, looks back at Cara who slowly pets Meredith next to her, clearly amused about the situation. “Yeah, I mean. It’s just really hilarious to think that he would probably never take any girlfriend to this shabby place but because he’s dating Taylor Swift he thought to himself ‘mhm, what is the most disgusting place in town? Oh right, that’s where I’m taking her to for date night‘“ Cara mimics and Taylor throws her head back laughing. It’s funny to think of the situation that way. Joe just sighs, clearly amused as well, but shakes his head dramatically.

“You’re an awful person, Cara Delevigne.“ Joe mumbles, still focused on his MacBook, desperately searching for the original copy of a script that his manager had just sent him yesterday. “I love you too, guys. But I’m gonna head home now.“ she casually answers, slowly let’s go off the cat that was just getting comfortable on the cushion right next to her. Taylor nods, fixes a strand of hair behind her ear. “You’re still more than welcome to join us tonight. Even though the choice of movie theatre might not meet your standards.“ Taylor jokes and Cara pulls her into a soft hug. “Thanks but I’m actually going onto a date tonight, so..“ Even Joe, who was casually sitting on one of the leather chairs with his grey pants and a white shirt now looks up from his laptop screen and widens his eyes, clearly impressed. Taylor looks at Cara just as surprised as her boyfriend and immediately reaches out to hold onto Cara’s arm. “What? And you’re telling me this now? Who? How? Details please?“ she says, clearly excited. Even Joe now fully turns around in his chair, grabs his cup of tea that has almost become cold by now and takes a sip.

“Spill the beans, honey.“ he jokes in an American accent, has lifted up his voice to sound like Taylor. Cara just rolls her eyes at Joe laughing while Taylor casually ignores him, way too focused on Cara in front of her. “It’s nothing special. I just met this girl in Miami last week and she’s in town, so we’re having a couple of drinks. Nothing more.“ she says and Taylor nods. “Okay, but tell me how it went, okay?“ she states and Cara casually nods before getting up. She walks past Joe and gives him a high five before saying goodbye.

He can still hear low noises of the girls in the hallway, way too focused on the email he’s about to send to his management team. A couple of minutes later, Joe still finds himself sitting on the exact same table, head in his hands, clearly overwhelmed by the amount of work that lies ahead of him in the next months. The digital calendar on his laptop is marked in so many different colors, all of them standing for the amount of flights, meetings, auditions and shootings he’ll have before Christmas. His stare drifts off to the big window at the end of the room. It’s slowly getting dark outside and the city lights of London are far away, almost blurry. The smell of Taylor’s candles has now finally filled the room entirely.

And he loves it. It smells like her.

Just when Joe was about to reply to another email of his manager about a fitting with some costume designer of the movie he’s currently starring in, he feels two hands slowly wrapping themselves around his torso. One over his shoulder, one around his chest and a warm face that is slowly being pressed into the side of his neck. He feels a soft kiss being pressed onto his skin and he immediately smiles silently. “Hey.“ he mumbles quietly and feels her slowly letting go off him. He automatically pulls his chair back and gives her access to fully sit down on his lap, sideways, and with both hands wrapped around his neck. “Hey.“ she smiles, still make up free and her hair in a little curly ponytail, right in her neck. She comes closer to him and kisses him softly, knows that she probably acts like a little child. Not kissing him for two hours while Cara came by was definitely too long for her taste. Joe smiles, both arms wrapped around her waist now. His work can suddenly wait. She’s the worst distraction he has ever known. “So when do you have to leave tomorrow?“ she asks quietly, looks at his face with a hint of sadness in her eyes. She hates the fact that he’ll be gone for two days. She hates it. And she knows how childish it is to create such a drama for herself, just because he’ll be gone for 48 hours. It’s childish. She’s well aware that there will come times when they’ll be separated for even more than 48 hours. It’s childish and immature yet she can’t help it. She’s addicted to him. To him and his beautiful character. His beautiful smile.

“I think I’ll get picked up at around 10am. So.. sleeping in. At least.“ he mumbles into her side, lets his head rest on her shoulder for a few seconds before pressing a kiss onto it, right over the burgundy shirt she’s wearing. Taylor automatically places her hand on his scalp, scratches him gently. She knows how much he loves that. “Yeah, sounds good.“ she yawns, still tired from this early morning, just as much as him. Joe then slowly looks up again, gently smiling at her. She looks cute when she’s tired. “What do you want to eat before leaving?“ he asks her, feels a bit hungry by now. Taylor’s eyes wander outside again. She’s clearly uninspired when it comes to her food cravings tonight.

“How about I get us something from that kebab shop we went to? The one where..“ “Oh my god, yes!“ she answers euphorically, realized just now that that was exactly what she was craving. He laughs at her sudden excitement and leans in for another kiss. “Let me put on some clothes and I’ll be back in twenty.“ he says and Taylor lets him get up, moves on his lap herself.

It takes even less than twenty minutes for him to come back from the cold. It’s fully dark outside now. Taylor and Joe both get comfortable on the antique wooden table in the spacious living room, both talk about their plans for the next weeks, discuss appropriate birthday presents for his Dad and laugh about a meme she has found on Tumblr. After having everything cleaned up afterwards, Taylor disappears upstairs to get ready for the movie theatre with him. Joe, who was texting a friend, looks up surprised as his girlfriend walks down the stairs. He can’t help but let out a few breaths of amusement. She wears a hazelnut brown wig that almost looks like as If she’s a redhead. Her grey shirt and her blue Jeans support this casual look. He gets up and examines her slowly. Taylor blushes. She feels ridiculous as always whenever she tries to pull off a disguise, being well aware that she most likely looks like she forgot that Halloween is already over.

“Say hello to your girlfriend Shelby.“ she then smirks at him, tries to not let him notice how uncomfortable she really is, standing there in front of him with this ridiculous wig. Joe can’t help but bite his lip though. It’s incredibly sexy to even think about her switching personalities and watch her wink at him in this red wig. He laughs, slowly touches the fake hair. “Hi, Shelby.“ he just mumbles with a smirk on his face. Taylor laughs at his facial expression. He really seems to like that look on her.

“I’ve never dated a girl with red hair.“ He admits and Taylor laughs. “Well, you see. You get to be with so many girls when you’re with me.“ She answers casually and he smirks.

“Ready?“ He asks and Taylor nods, right before grabbing her coat that is hanging loosely over the sofa. Joe and her slowly leave the house and talk to Brandon on the way to the cinema, joking about her wig and how she’s “Shelby Swoft” tonight, a British girl with a fake American accent. Before leaving the car, she has to ensure Brandon once more that she’ll be fine and that he can wait in the car outside. Joe and her quickly get out. A cold wind strikes her face and she shivers immediately. The movie has started already and therefore, it’s almost empty in the little hallway. Joe steps up to buy the tickets for them and Taylor just pulls out her phone. She’s still anxious whenever she finds herself in normal situations like these with him. She still has these little moments where she feels like an idiot, unable to remember that her disguise has worked multiple times before and unable to calm down. She takes a deep breath, answers to a text message from Martha, just to distract herself a bit. She then feels Joe’s arm on her back again and starts to walk to one of the auditoriums with him. He quickly grabs her hand again and smiles at her.

“Everything alright, Shelby?“ he whispers and Taylor responds with a nod. “Shelby’s cold but good.“ He kisses her cold hands one time with a smile on his face. It’s a reassuring smile. Because he knows that she’s nervous and he gets it. But at the same time, he’s just so proud that he can make her do these things. It makes him proud to think that life couldn’t be more complicated for her, yet everything becomes normal with him in it. Because that’s all he wants to be. A part of her life. A part of her happiness.

When they enter the darkened room, the commercials on the screen are slowly coming to an end. They sit down right at the side of the seating area. Taylor holds her breath. She looks around. There’re only a few people in the cinema, probably even less than ten. None of them have even looked up when they entered the room. It worked. It really worked. After quietly pulling off her coat, Taylor immediately reaches for Joe’s arm. He gladly pulls his arm around her and Taylor buries herself in his chest. She’s happy about tonight. It was one of his great ideas. And it worked. She couldn’t be happier.

“Thanks.“ she whispers and Joe looks down at her in confusion. The movie slowly starts but Joe looks down at his girlfriend, who’s cuddling herself now even more into his chest. “For what?“ He asks and she slowly comes up to kiss his cheek softly. “For making me to do these things.“ He smiles, slowly sinks his head to kiss hers. Feeling the wig under his lips is not the same. “Can I just say..“ he whispers and Taylor looks up at him. “Shelby is great but Taylor’s my favorite.“ She can’t help but laugh quietly. He smirks. “Lucky you, cause that’s the one you’ll be getting tonight. Shelby may do movie theaters but Taylor does a lot more other things..“ she teases, biting her lip. Joe smirks back at her, asks himself how this woman can go from angel to devil in less than ten seconds. He responds a quiet “sounds good.“ And kisses her again before finally settling down to watch the movie. Taylor in his arm and her head on his chest. That’s how it should always be, in his opinion.

________________________________________

A phone rings, at the end of the room. Taylor who’s still deep asleep doesn’t move, doesn’t realize that the ringing sound in fact is a thing and not just part of her dream. Joe on the contrary, realizes quickly that the disturbing sound is his iPhone that was plugged in at the other side of the room. He groans, already mad at whoever of his mates calls him in the middle of the night, probably drunk as fuck. He slowly lets go of his girlfriend who is still asleep in front of him. Joe quietly gets up. In just his boxers, he wanders across the room. He’s clearly confused when the caller ID shows an unknown number. Taylor suddenly stirs, confused about the fact that she can hear Joe’s low voice at the end of the room, realizes just now that he has left the bed. She sleepily scratches her head, then sits up a bit. It’s still dark in the room. Taylor turns her head.

02.21 am. Who on earth is calling him in the middle of the night?

Being certain that Joe will tell his drunk friends to stop calling him at this hour of the night, Taylor falls back into the pillow, closes her eyes once more. She then realizes that Joe sounds different, doesn’t talk the way he usually would talk to his lads.

In just that moment, Taylor feels unusually awake.

She sits up, holds the blanket onto her chest and sees him standing there. His hair still messed up from sleeping, his hand on his forehead. He looks shocked. Taylor swallows, immediately crawls out of bed and turns on the small night lamp. She slowly grabs his shirt that’s laying on the floor next to her side. Taylor slept in nothing but her panties after making love to him right before they went to bed last night. She slips the big white t- shirt over her naked body and walks up to him. He notices her now, seems way too distracted to look at her though. She quickly grants him a worried look and places her head next to the phone to understand what the other person is telling him while Joe just casually answers with “Yes, alright.“ and “Where are they now“. Taylor feels goosebumps on her skin. She suddenly has this horrible assumption that something might has happened to his parents. Or his brother? She feels her heart beating faster as he suddenly mumbles a “Can you give me the address, please?“. She quickly lets go off his arm where she was holding onto and watches Joe wander downstairs to desperately find something to write on. She follows him slowly, eager to know who’s calling him. As she finds Joe in the kitchen downstairs with a pen and an old receipt from Tesco, she remains right next to him. She can sense that he is agitated, remains as polite as always yet shakes his head in disbelieve every few seconds. Taylor then looks at the receipt. He has written down an address. Winchester. Isn’t that where Patrick went for his class trip? She swallows.

Patrick.

Taylor then looks at her boyfriend again, who just ended the call, aggressively throws his phone onto the counter right in front of him. “Who..“

“I can’t believe how stupid someone can possibly be..“ he shakes his head, clearly emphasized his ‘stupid‘ which just shows that he really is upset. Standing almost naked right next to him, Taylor just places her hand on his shoulder. “What happened?“ she asks again, can’t believe that he makes her wait since minutes to let her know what this phone call was about. “My parents aren’t in town so I.. I have to fucking pick up Patrick. They found weed and cocaine at the boys room and.. apparently Patrick is the only one who admitted that it’s his, so..“

“What?“ she caws again, fells like she misheard what he just said. She just looks at him and Joe is pale. She has never seen him like this. Obviously. The words “Patrick“ and “Weed“ and “Cocaine“ in one sentence do not make any sense to her. Not at all.

“Are you sure that it’s his? I mean..“

“Of course.“ he hisses, anger in his voice. He then, suddenly, realizes how his tone has changed while talking to her and then immediately looks at her, for the first time tonight. “God, I’m so sorry. I’m..“

“No, baby. It’s fine.“ Taylor assures him, can clearly see in the way he stands there that he feels like losing his mind. The thought that his little fourteen year old brother has slipped into things like cocaine clearly is a shock.

“We’ll just.. put on some clothes and pick him up and talk to him. Okay? I’m sure..“

“You don’t have to come with me.“ he says and looks at her, but she just lets out an ironic laugh. There’s no way she’ll let him drive over there alone. “Of course I will. Let’s just put on some clothes and..“

“It’s almost two hours away.“ Joe says, feels bad for Taylor already. She was so tired last night and the fact that she now has to drive four hours in a car with him just pick up his irritated teenage brother is making him feel bad. He loves how supportive she is, but this is something serious. This is something about his brother that she shouldn’t have to deal with. But the blonde girl in front of him just smiles calmly, places her hand on his cheek and leans up to kiss his lips sloppily. “It’s really fine. Really. C’mon.“ she says and rushes upstairs with him.

As soon as they enter her bedroom again, Joe pulls on a pair of jeans and a sweater. He doesn’t feel able to think straight right now, doesn’t know what to tell her. Is he disappointed? Yes. Angry? Hell yes. But most of all he’s worried. Worried about the youngest one in his family. Taylor does just the same. She silently puts on a pair of jeans as well as a grey sweater and grabs a burgundy colored beanie out of her closet. She puts it on, then shares a look at him. As crazy as this situation is, they both can’t help but laugh for a second. They’re matching clothes. Again.

“Do you want me to ask Brandon, or..“

“If It’s okay for you I would rather take my car because I offered them to drop off some other boys at their parent’s houses as well and.. I don’t know. It’s not going to be a convo I want to have in front of..” “No, It’s fine. I get it. I’ll ask him to stay behind us. Okay?“

“You really don’t have to come with me. I’ll be fine. Just go back to sleep and..“

“Shut up, Joseph.“ she shoots back, not even listening to whatever he’s going to tell her next, just grabs her phone that was on the night table next to the bed. He can’t help but feel an enormous amount of thankfulness while watching her storm off into the bathroom, brushing her teeth within a matter of seconds. It’s overwhelming to feel her support. To know that she’d drop everything just to take a drive with him, to the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night, to deal with his immature brother.

Taylor leans her head against the cold car window. She yawns quietly, her eyes focusing on the empty and dark road. Nobody is on the street. Only the headlights lighting up the road.

It’s quiet. No surprise.

This drive is definitely not one of the fun road trips they usually take through the English country side with music blasting loudly through the car. She slowly turns her head, looks at her boyfriend who’s driving. He’s silent, his face laced with a scowl. She has never seen him so angry and terrified at the same time. And she gets it. She absolutely gets it. Getting to know Patrick, Taylor knew from the very first moment on that he’s a good kid. That Patrick is insecure which is normal at that age but that he has his heart in the right place, just like Joe does. She can’t really believe that Patrick would consume something as dangerous as cocaine. Weed on the other hand is something that most boys have consumed before, even though it’s illegal. Her brother might have as well. But being fourteen definitely is too early. Way too early.

“Are you still cold? Should I gear up the heater?“ he suddenly breaks the silence, still focused on the road. Taylor just moves in her seat, slowly puts her hands on her beanie, fixing it. “No, I’m good. Do you wanna talk about it?“ she asks carefully. Joe swallows, then sighs. His right elbow casually placed on the car window while keeping his hands on the steering wheel. “I’m just.. confused.“ he says slowly. Taylor immediately reaches for his hand that was casually placed in his lap while driving just with one hand. She intertwines their hands and strokes the back of his hand slowly. She loves that about him. She loves the fact that he just simply opens up. There’re no mind games with Joe. There’s never silence or difficulties when it comes to him. He grants her clarity and openness in moments in which there had always been confusion with her Exes.

“Of course you are.“ she answers quietly, leaves him some space to clear his head. “I mean.. I’ve done weed. At.. sixteen, I think. And I’ve done stupid things like.. going drunk to school or bringing alcohol to my grandma’s funeral, but..“

“What?“ she suddenly interrupts him with a horrified but amused look. Even he has to smile lightly at her shock. She sometimes can’t believe the hilarious stories he tells her about his teenager years.

“But the thing is.. Patrick, he.. he knew exactly that some teachers have their eyes on him because he did stupid things last year, like.. skipping classes and cheating on tests and.. he’s literally on the edge of failing some classes anyway this year. So.. I just don’t get why he’d do this? My mum is going to.. she’s going to be so worried about him. I mean.. cocaine? Is he mental? Where the fuck does he even get this stuff at fourteen? What kind of a person would sell this to a child?“ he rants and Taylor tightens the grip around his hand. She feels how he suddenly becomes more and more emotional, clearly affected by his worries.

“Hey, Joe. Calm down.“ she says calmly, just quiet enough to make him take a deep breath. She has never seen him like this. Never before. He doesn’t even move his hand that is in hers, clearly glad that she’s there with him.

“First of all, we don’t know Patrick’s side of the story yet. We don’t know If it really was his or if he was just covering for some of his friends. So the first thing you should do is talk to him and let him tell you his side of the story before jumping to any conclusions. I know you’re worried but he deserves a chance to explain himself first and..“

“He deserves to get his ass kicked. That’s what he deserves.“ Joe just mumbles grumpily. Taylor sighs, looks at him and rolls her eyes. “Baby.“ she warns him.

“He’s gonna get expelled. The school’s gonna report him to the police. Do you know that he won’t find a college that accepts him If he has a drug report?“ Joe rants. Taylor stays quiet. He’s right. With everything he says. And telling him to calm down would be more than wrong. The situation is bad and she’s well aware of that.

“If that is the case, we’ll find a specialized lawyer. He’s fourteen. This is not the end of the..“

“What if he’s really into this shit? I mean.. what if he’s an addict? And that’s the reason why his grades sunk and..“

“Baby, stop.“ Taylor finally interrupts him. He seems to lose his mind slowly. She looks at him and he just sighs. She feels how he tightens the grip on his hand, squeezes her hand one time.

He needs her. He really needs her a lot right now.

“Whatever it is.. there will be a solution. He’s a smart and good kid and whatever the reason for this may be.. it’s just a mistake. Young people do stupid things and..“

“I’m so sorry that I’m dragging you into this.“ he slowly interrupts her. His hand still in hers, his tired eyes on the road ahead. She just shakes her head. She seems off. Joe looks at her quickly, but she looks away, out of the window into the darkness. They’re still the only ones on the road. The sound of the engine the only noise in the middle of the night.

“Did I say something wrong?“ he murmurs under his breath, not sure If he’s getting her wrong.

“Yes.“ she answers him, a lot more reserved than he would’ve wished. Yet her hand is in his. And she’s not letting go. Not at all.

“You think that me going with you to pick up your little brother means you’re dragging me into something?“ she asks him with an angry undertone. He doesn’t know what to answer her and he doesn’t have to because she simply continues talking. “It’s just.. you always include me in so many things when it comes to your family and I’m always so thrilled and thankful and then you say something like this. As if I.. as if I shouldn’t be included or..“

“Baby, you got this totally wrong.“ he immediately answers her, “I want you to be included no matter what. It’s just.. this is not one of these fun and.. and joyful family moments and I don’t want to scare you away or think worse of my brother or..“

“I would never, Joe. Never. I love them and I love you.“ she interrupts him with a shaky voice. She’s emotional. Joe turns his head and sees the look on her face. She doesn’t cry but she really needs him to know. Joe immediately raises his hand that was holding hers. He leads their intertwined hands to his mouth and kisses the back of her hand at least five times.

“I’m an idiot. I’m an asshole, tonight. I just.. I feel like going crazy. I’m so sorry that I made you feel as If you shouldn’t be included in this or.. as If you wouldn’t love me or my family as much as you do. I’m just sorry. About this drama and the fact that you didn’t get enough sleep because of my crazy family again. Love you, that’s all.“ he casually says and she smiles tiredly at him. Her hand still receiving some sluggish kisses while he’s focused on the road. It’s still pretty dark in the car and just the little lights from the dashboard of the car light up his face.

He’s so beautiful. She will never have enough of this. Of him. Of the way they can just talk about every argument and solve it with their open communication. No mind games. Just two people working it out. “You’re not an asshole. But I love you, too.“ she says quietly, almost a whisper. He looks at her one time again and smiles slightly. Taylor places her hand on his hair, scratches the back of his head a few minutes. She then leans in and kisses his cheek softly. Just when she sat back again in the seat that is now warm because of the heating system in the car, Taylor notices that he takes the next exit off the road.

“What are you doing?“ she asks, followed by a big yawn. “Refueling. Why don’t you sleep a little?“ Taylor shakes her head.

“No, I’ll try to stay awake now. If not I’ll feel even worse as soon as we get there..“ Joe stops the car as soon as they’ve reached the gas stop. The yellow petrol station light illuminating the car. She can now fully look at him again. His eyes are puffy. He’s so worried, she can sense that.

“Are you okay staying here, or..“

“Brandon’s right behind, I’m good.“ she smiles at him, tries to make him feel her support. He has been the sun on her darkest days for over a year now. He has pulled himself back to make her feel better, to support her so many times. Now it’s her turn. Now she can finally try and give back and be there for him. Now she gets to be the sunshine for him.

“Okay. I’ll be back in a minute.“ he says and leaves the car. Taylor watches him filling up the tank in the rearview mirror. He then turns around to Brandon, signals him that everything’s fine. Taylor yawns again. She then takes her phone and checks her mails. It’s only 9.30pm in Nashville right now, and her mom has sent her a video of Kitty playing with some of Olivia’s toys. She smiles. If only they knew in how much trouble Joe’s brother is at this moment.

The car door then suddenly opens and Joe sits down next to her again. This time a warm cup of coffee and a candy bar in his hand. “There you go, this is for you.“ he says and gives both to his girlfriend. Taylor, who’s still in her favorite sweater and her beanie hat, just smiles. “Oh, thanks babe. You never forget to feed me.“ she smiles and takes a sip of the coffee. That’s exactly what she needed. “Can I have a hug in return?“ he mumbles, was just about to buckle up again. Taylor smiles warmly. She immediately places the hot cup in the holder next to her and the candy bar remains on her lap. She places her hand on his cheek and gives him a soft kiss. He smiles. She tastes like coffee and her favorite Burt’s Bees chapstick that she always uses each morning after getting up. She then wraps her hands around his upper back and head, presses her face sideways into his neck. Joe takes a deep breath. He’s so glad she’s here.

“He’s going to be fine. I know it.“ she whispers and holds him tightly. She won’t let go. Joe then slowly pulls back after a while. He smiles at her thankfully. “And you know that I’m always right, so..“ Joe quietly laughs at her smart remark. She’s right though. That, he has to admit. “Correct.“ He smiles while starting the car once more. “You know what I just thought?“ she smirks as he slowly drives onto the driveway again, both eyes focused on the empty street and Brandon right behind them. “What?“ “This is going to be a good story we can tell when he’s getting married one day. Like, oh Patrick please don’t forget that one time we drove two hours to get you in the middle of the night, you know.“

Joe smirks. She’s right. “And who mentions that part about the weed then?“

“We’ll decide that later on. As long as no one mentions my little walk of shame in front of his friends yesterday morning..“ she mumbles, while sipping on her coffee and looking out of the window. Joe laughs. “God, I almost forgot about that..“ he laughs and she punches him softly. “I really hope his friends from this morning aren’t the ones that we have to pick up as well..“ she whines and he laughs quietly. “I don’t think so, babe. These boys’ parents are apparently gone as well and they all have to be at the headmasters office tomorrow morning so.. I was asked by the teacher to get them as well.“ he says and sighs. He really is more than annoyed about this nightly trip. “Did they call your mom as well?“ She asks while looking out the window and into the sky. It’s still dark but the sky has turned into a lighter shade of dark blue. The sun’s still far away from rising yet it’s getting later.

“No, just me. Because they only have my number, so.. Do you think I should call her?“ He asks and looks at her. Taylor sighs, her free hand reaching for his. “Not yet. I think you should.. talk to Patrick first. And then call them later. Everything else will just freak them out even more.“ Taylor says and he nods. As so often, she’s right. A calm silence overcomes the two. Joe keeps on driving and Taylor sips on her coffee ever now and then. She then looks onto the road ahead, enjoys the moment. As weird as it sounds. But they’re alone. Absolutely alone. Nobody distracting him, nobody watching them.

“I know this probably sounds wrong but.. this is nice.“ she says then, looks at him. He frowns quickly, confused but waits for her to continue. “You and me and the fact that we’re doing this together.“ Joe looks at her for a second and all he sees as he looks back at the road is her warm smile. Now he’s the one reaching for her hand. “Yeah. And I’d like to do these things together with you for a very, very long time.“ “So you wanna pick up our kids after they were found with weed on a class trip, too?“ she jokes and he smirks silently.

“Patrick will do that. We’ll be on a holiday then, trust me.“ He says and makes her laugh a little before continuing to finish her coffee.

________________________________________

“Baby?“ She hears his soft voice, suddenly opens her eyes. Her neck feels a bit stiff and the car isn’t moving anymore. She feels his hand on her face. The sun slowly begins to rise and it’s not as dark anymore as in the moment where her eyes closed. “Did I.. did I fall asleep?“ she mumbles, rubbing her eyes disoriented. “Yeah. We’re here. I don’t think you should come with me, maybe you can stay in the car? There’re a lot of teenagers in there and..“

“Mhm, yeah.“ she answers him and he quickly pulls in to give her a kiss. “I’ll be back in a minute.“

“Do you want me to drive home with Brandon so you can talk to him alone or..“

“I’d love if you were here, but you don’t have to..“

“I’ll be here. Now go in there and don’t punch anyone right away. Promise?“ she interrupts and grants him a last smile. He kisses her again, then slowly leaves the car.

“Promise.“

Taylor looks how he disappears from the parking lot. There’s nothing but huge bushes in front of her. She loosens the belt around her torso, turns around to get a better look of where they are. The hostel looks really nice, seems to be hidden in a little forest, far away from everything. The building though cannot be seen from the parking lot where he left the car. The only thing that can be seen though is the ambulance that has parked on the other side of the parking spot, right where the little road leads to the hostel. She swallows. What a crazy night. It takes exactly five minutes until she can hear footsteps on the gravel path. She turns her head and sees two familiar persons walking towards the car. One tall man with a deep frown on his face and one boy with his backpack that looks just as devastated as the other one. Taylor can’t help but smile. They look like twins.

The car opens and Joe sits down next to her. He’s tense. She feels it. Patrick seems to place his backpack in the trunk first. Taylor squeezes his hand quickly, doesn’t have to talk to communicate with him.

Are you okay?

Yes.

In just that moment Patrick enters the car, quietly sits down in the backseat. It’s still dark outside. None of the boys are saying a word.

“Hi Taylor.“ she hears a slow mumble from behind. She slowly turns around and looks at Patrick. He’s pale. He looks shocked. She swallows. “Hey.“ she says warmly, then turns around to face Joe again. His hands are glued to the steering wheel even though he didn’t start car yet.

“Where are the other boys?“ she asks and Joe answers.

“Getting their stuff.“ he answers quickly. Taylor nods. She shouldn’t say much more. This awkward moment is not really any of her business. She’s here to support Joe, but she shouldn’t start the awkward conversation that’s bound to happen.

“I’m not gonna ask this in front of the others so.. why did you do it?“ Joe asks. He looks angry. Disappointed. Taylor swallows, looks into the darkness of the bushes right in front of the car. It’s probably four in the morning. Way too early for such a conversation.

“Did what?“

“Do you think I’m stupid?“

“I didn’t.. take the cocaine. What did they tell you?“

“That they found weed and cocaine and that you admitted that it was yours.“

"I did but.. I didn’t take the cocaine. Really.“ Patrick says and Taylor freezes. She looks at Joe and he still seems tense. More tense than she’s ever seen him.

“Why do you have it then?“ Patrick doesn’t say anything. Joe turns his head.

“Speak up.“

Patrick still doesn’t answer.

“We drove two fucking hours to get your stupid ass and you don’t even feel the need to answer me? What a fucking ignorant..“

“Hey.“ Taylor interrupts him. He’s about to freak out and yelling won’t bring them any further. He looks at her one time and immediately feels how much she calms him with just one look into her eyes. He swallows. Then he looks back at Patrick. He still wants an answer.

“I can’t tell you. I.. I just didn’t take it. Trust me. I wouldn’t.“

“What about the weed?“

“We.. we just shared a..“

“Was it yours? Or did the others..“

“It was mine but we all brought some..“ Joe just shakes his head in disbelief. He can’t believe it. Nothing of what happened tonight. He looks outside the window.

“Are you even aware that this is illegal?“

“I am. I’m sorry.“ the young boy sighs, his voice still shaky.

“Why’s an ambulance here?“ Joe asks, then looks back to Taylor. She seems just as clueless as him, shrugs her shoulders silently.

“One girl drank too much and they had to call an ambulance.“ Joe looks back at Taylor and shakes his head again for the twentieth time tonight. He can’t believe how stupid these kids are. He simply can’t believe it. Taylor looks also shocked. She still remembers from her school days that sneaking beer into different school activities has always been a thing. But weed, cocaine and alcohol poisoning? This is an extent that was unimaginable during her school days.

“Where’d you get that stuff from?“ Joe then asks again, still sounding angry. Patrick doesn’t answer. Again.

“Did you buy it? Who sells cocaine to kids..“

“The cocaine isn’t mine, I just told.“

“Then what about the weed? Where did you get that from?“ Patrick becomes silent again. Taylor witnesses the tense atmosphere.

“There’s.. this guy at our school.“ Joe sighs. Taylor as well. Seems like Patrick isn’t the only one in that school who’s going to be in a lot of trouble.

“Who’s the owner of the cocaine if it’s not yours?“

“You don’t know them.“

“I want a name, Patrick.“

“I can’t tell you.“

“Say his fucking name.“

“I can’t.“

Taylor opens her mouth. The situation will escalate If they won’t change the subject as soon as possible. Taylor turns around, carefully faces Patrick.

“Did your friends bring some as well or are you the only one who got caught?“ she asks silently, seems much more calm then her boyfriend is at this moment. Joe instead just looks out of the window, doesn’t even face his brother anymore. But Taylor notices how pale Patrick is. His hands are shaking while he sits in the back of the car. She feels bad for him. Not because what he did wasn’t absolutely wrong, but because she knows that he’s a good boy and that he just made a huge mistake with this.

“No, we.. we all brought some.“ Taylor nods. At least it seems like he’s not the only one who did something stupid on that trip.

“Why’d you do it, Patrick? You.. you knew that some teachers would have their eyes on you. You’re gonna get expelled. There’s no way mum will find another school that has such a good reputation as this one. You’ll get reported. How.. stupid could you be.“ Joe mumbles and Patrick remains silent.

“I know and.. I’m so sorry. I just.. I’m so sorry.“ he mumbles out of breath. Taylor feels instantly bad for him. “That’s your problem now, not mine.“ Joe says, clearly more angry at him than Taylor is. She just looks at her boyfriend next to her. He acts inviolable again, which is just a mechanism to protect himself. He’s scared but he doesn’t want to show it. So scared that he reacts with anger. She knows him too well. This is his way of showing him that he cares.

“Did you cover someone by saying that the cocaine was yours?“ she asks the boy softly and turns around to face him once more. On one hand she knows that she should just sit back and shut up. On the other hand she wants to support Joe. He seems shocked and helpless, somehow.

“Answer her.“ Joe shoots at his brother.

“Yes.“ Patrick mumbles then whispering, looks down at his hands. Taylor shares a look with Joe. She knew it. “Who did you cover up?“ Taylor continues now. Her soft voice seems to make Patrick open up more than Joe’s more angry rants. Even Joe gets that now and remains silent to see how far Taylor can make Patrick open up. There’s still silence in the car. Just a few noises coming from the hostel that is on the other side of the bushes in front of them. Joe has turned on the car a few minutes ago, so that the heater is running again. He doesn’t want Taylor to get cold. The fact that she’s a part of this drama with less than two hours of sleep is bad enough.

“Chloe.“ he whispers, his voice shaky. He doesn’t look at Taylor nor Joe. Nobody says anything anymore. Taylor turns her head to Joe and they share a look. Of course. Your first love really does make you do the most stupid things in the world. And it’s safe to say that Taylor and Joe both made their own experiences with that. Just in that moment of silence, low steps along the gravel path can be heard. Two boys, who also seem pretty shocked and shaken up are walking towards the car. Taylor bites her lower lip. They must be super embarrassed that Patrick’s older brother is going to be the one who has to bring them home.

“We’ll talk about this later.“ Joe says quickly, right before the other boys open the car door. Taylor looks at him and smiles. It was nice of him to not let Patrick discuss the whole Chloe topic in front of his friends.

As the car door opens, two young boys who are probably fourteen or fifteen as well enter the car, and slowly sit down in the backseat of the car next to Patrick. The light inside of Joe’s car makes the boys’ faces more visible. They look just as shocked and rattled as Patrick does.

“Sorry about this, Mr. Alwyn.“ one of them mumbles, clearly aware of the fact that Joe had to drive about two hours just to pick them up. The other one starts to mumble a light “Sorry“ as well. Shaky voices are the only thing Taylor can observe from their mumbles. They seem way too nervous to properly speak up. Joe just sighs, starts the car slowly.

“I’m tired but not old. You can call me Joe.“ he answers and starts the car before rolling slowly across the parking lot. Taylor smirks at Joe, then turns around to face the kids one time and notices the suddenly even more shocked and confused looks from the backseat. She quickly realizes why, is definitely not as good in looking angry as Joe is, therefore smiles at the young boys softly.

“Hi, I’m Taylor.“ she says, then turns around again. None of the boys answer anything anymore. Joe, who’s focused on the road once again can’t help but bite his lip and hide a smirk. He knows all about the sudden silence coming from the backseat. They clearly did not expect to see Taylor Swift in this car tonight.

“Mate, is that..“

“Shut up.“ Patrick shoots back. Taylor and Joe look at each other and can’t help but giggle quietly while driving home.

________________________________________

“You have two more hours before school starts. So enjoy thinking about what you’ll explain your headmaster at school..“ Joe mumbles during a big yawn as soon as they enter the family house again. Morning has clearly broken and a grey layer of clouds has replaced the dark night sky by now. It’s not raining but it’s more windy and cold as usual. The perfect weather for this day. Joe drops the keys on the little drawer in the hallway, feels more than exhausted after these four hours of driving. The boys who also haven’t slept at all last night don’t really answer, just quietly disappear upstairs. Taylor closes the door, as she walks in at last, watches the boys disappear. She sighs. It’s been a long ride. And definitely not enough sleep for any one of them. Joe takes off his coat, quickly throws it over the rack next to the door. Taylor who’s still in her sweatshirt pulls off her beanie. Her curly and messy hair sticking up from her head. Joe smiles tiredly while walking into the kitchen.

“You want some breakfast? This one’s for you.“ he says and holds up the last homemade chocolate muffin that his mum had kept in the breadbox in front of them. Taylor just shakes her head softly.

“Nah, it’s too early. But thanks. Another coffee would be great though.“ she mumbles, clearly poorly looking before yawning loudly. “Don’t you want to go back to bed?“

Joe shakes his head, enters the kitchen quietly.

“I have to leave for the airport at 10am and I have to call my mum before that, I guess. Also, I’m not sure she’s going to be fine with leaving Patrick alone until next week as long as I’m gone. Tom is in Dover until next month and I’m gonna be back in town on Friday. Earliest. So I’ll have to ask her..“

“He can stay at my place until you come back. If that’s okay for your mom, of course.“ she says, looks at him while leaning in the doorframe of the family kitchen. He tries to fumble one of the Nespresso capsule into the coffee machine, turns around and leans against the counter behind him.

He looks at her with a tired face. He seems surprised though. Surprised and incredibly pleased, somehow, while waiting for coffee to be ready.

“That’s so nice of you to offer but you don’t have to babysit him. I mean.. after all, I understand If you don’t trust him enough to behave and..“

“No, I trust him.“ she quickly interrupts, “I mean.. I get it that you guys are shocked and trust me, I get why. It’s been a crazy night but I’ve known Patrick for a while now too and I’m still convinced that he’s a good kid and that he just made a huge mistake because he fell in love with the wrong girl but.. I’m not gonna think any less of him. And If it helps, he can definitely sleep at my place tonight. I just have one meeting tomorrow, that’s it.“

Joe just lets out a low breath, clearly smiling at her now. The tall man then slowly walks up to her. Her hair is still a mess and he can’t help but get addicted to this. This make up free face with her messy bangs that stick up into all directions, her puffy eyes and her beautiful lips. She’s just a masterpiece. Inside and out. Taylor welcomes him getting closer with opened arms, looks at him rather confused, not sure how she should interpret his smiling face. He then stops before her, places his hands on her hips, pressing her to him. He smiles back at her. Slowly.

“What?“ she whispers, too tired to really speak up. “I love you, you know that?“ he mumbles and Taylor just smiles brightly at him. These three words are all she needs to suddenly glow all over her face.

“Yeah, I know that.“ she answers shyly, sinks her head because she feels an obvious flush on her face. Joe then lets go off her hips, both his hands now wandering up to her face. One hand on her cheek, one in her neck. “Good.“ he answers, still smiling, before giving her a deep and gentle kiss. Taylor doesn’t move at all, her cold hands holding onto the sides over his sweater. She smiles at him once more as he pulls back. She doesn’t want him to leave. Not today. Not at all.

“So you’re gonna be back on Friday, huh?“ she asks and he nods. “Yup.“ he answers while holding her. He now comforts her head, strokes over her hair a few times while simply holding her in his arms.

“And today’s Wednesday.“

“mhmhm.“ he agrees again, a strand hair stroked behind her ear, kissing the little spot on her temple softly.

“So two nights without you? Rude.“

He laughs quietly at her remark, his lips still on her head. Taylor feels her hands holding onto his sweater still. She hates to let go. Not because she’s afraid that she’s holding him for the last time. But because this is how it should always be. Her in his arms. His smell in her nose. His lips somewhere on her hair.

“I’m so sorry, baby.“ he whispers. She feels goosebumps on her skin. She can feel his love in every word. In every touch. In every breath. If she’d ask him to run away with her right here, right now, he’d say yes. She just.. knows.

“Do you want to be alone when you call your mum? I can take a shower and give you some space If you want.“ she then mumbles into his sweater, slowly buries herself in his chest. She realizes just now how tired she really is, would love to take a two- or three hour nap in his arms again before he heads off to Paris without her.

“I don’t want any space. Especially not from you, silly.“ he mumbles in her hair, clearly just as tired as she is. Taylor smiles. That’s exactly the answer she was hoping for.

“Good.“

________________________________________

“It’s fine, really.“ Taylor says into her phone, smiles gently. It’s probably been the tenth time today that she has reassured Elizabeth that it’s not a burden at all to take care of Patrick as long as Joe’s gone. She can absolutely imagine that hearing news like these from your fourteen year old son are frightening. Especially when you’re on your long awaited vacation in Dubai. Far far away from England.

Taylor buries her face slowly in her scarf, glad she’s wearing her warm cashmere coat. She has even put on some make up after attending a meeting in town earlier, still feels incredibly exhausted after not sleeping at all yesterday night.

While sitting on the passenger seat of the big black range rover and with her phone on her ear, she turns her head to where Brandon next to her is looking at. A ton of teenagers and young adults leave the school. All in their school uniforms.

Taylor swallows.

Usually witnessing situations like these don’t just bring back horrible memories from her school days, but also mean chaos. Chaos, because a thousand teenagers noticing her in front of a public school would end in a lot of hysteria. Taylor has never been more thankful for tinted car windows than she is right now.

“The next flight back to London we were able to get is on Monday. But I already told Tom to come home as soon as he can, because Joe apparently is gone on Sunday again I think? I just don’t want him to spend too much time with his pals, right now. I think his new popular friends have not been the best influence lately, and..“

“No, I think you’re right. But Elizabeth, it’s really fine. I’m in town anyway and I have about five security people around my house who’ll drive him to school in the morning and pick him up and.. I’m gonna make sure he’s not gonna do something stupid. I’m actually at school waiting for him right now. I texted him that I’m picking him up, so.. we’re gonna be fine, don’t worry.“ Taylor reassures, looks out of the window. Still, there’s no Patrick among all these kids.

“God, Taylor. You have no idea how glad I am that you.. that you would do this for us. This really means a lot. Thank you so much, it makes me feel so much better knowing that he’s gonna be sleeping at your place and not doing anything stupid at these other kids’ homes.“ Elizabeth mumbles into the phone and Taylor just smiles. She can clearly hear that Elizabeth is emotional and Taylor totally understands. This is the first time since she has known Joe that his family really seems to need her. And she has never felt more honored to receive so much trust. From him and from his parents. So much trust that they would even let her look after their child, as long as they’re gone.

“I know and I think that’s maybe what he needs. I think it’s gonna be good for him to spend some nights away from home and his friends and I’m sure he’ll be alright. Should I ask him to call you when we get home?“ Taylor asks, notices for the first time that it’s slowly getting dark outside. It’s clearly winter already in London and November means that the days not just get darker, but also a lot shorter.

“No, I talked to him already for quite a while this morning. Maybe I’ll call him tonight. Thank you so much, sweetheart. We love you.“ Elizabeth adds and Taylor feels her heart sink for a bit. She’s loving Joe for almost a year already and this has been officially the first time that his mum really opened up. She feels touched and honored at the same time. He was right. His family somehow becomes hers as well. And it feels better than she has ever imagined.

“Love you, too. I’m gonna make sure he’s fine. Don’t worry too much.“ she smiles, receives a last thank you from Elizabeth and then hangs up.

“There he is.“ she quickly says to Brandon after spotting a young blonde boy walking out of the school and who’s just a spitting image of her boyfriend. She smiles softly. He looks just as tired and strained as she probably does. No wonders, he didn’t sleep as well and he must be shocked about the events that went down yesterday just as much as her. Brandon quickly gets out of the car, waves at Patrick who then quickly understands. After a few seconds he opens the door, quickly gets into the backseat of the car. “Hey.“ he mumbles, tries to smile politely at Taylor but fails. Taylor just bites her lip. He’s ashamed and embarrassed and this whole situation must be awkward for him. She just smiles warmly at him, looks at him taking off his huge backpack.

“Hey, how was it?“ she asks casually, as Brandon starts his car. Patrick just sighs, reaches for the seatbelt.

“Bad.“ he just answers and Taylor nods empathetically. “Did your headmaster tell you what’s.. gonna happen now?“ she asks carefully, looks out of the window.

The traffic at this hour of the day is crazy yet it’s beautiful to look at all these buildings in this part of town. So many buildings are already decorated for Christmas. She has to smile silently. Joe would probably hate it, always complains about how people literally jump from Halloween decorations to Christmas decorations within a couple of days. But she loves it. She loves this time of the year and spending it here in this old and beautiful town with the man she loves and his family feels like a healing process. A healing process for so many things.

“Not yet. He just said that there will be consequences. And that I have to visit year eight classes until my class comes back from the class trip next week. And they want an appointment with mum and dad next week..“ Patrick mumbles in his thick accent. He’s ashamed.

“Mhm, okay. Are you tired?“ she asks him, turns her head to look at him. "I’m fine.“ he answers politely and Taylor smiles.

“Well, I’m super tired and super hungry. So what do you think about Pizza? Or.. Chinese? Did you eat already?“ she asks him, tries to change the subject. She’s well aware that what Patrick did needs to be taken seriously. But at the same time, she’s well aware that she’s not his mother. She’s not in the position to judge him or to be strict in any way. She just wants to make sure he’s okay. And the pale teenager in the back of this car does not look okay at all. Not after last night.

“No, sounds good.“ Patrick answers, looks out of the window as well. “Great. Do you have homework?“ she asks and Patrick nods. “Yeah.“

“Okay, so why don’t we get your stuff, go over to my house and I’m gonna order some food while you finish your homework? Sounds good?“ she asks and turns around again. Patrick nods once more, even tries to smile at her politely. She can’t help but smile once more. Again, it just blows her mind. He looks just like Joe. And he’s just as polite and sweet as Joe is. No matter what mistakes Patrick has made, no matter how many bad decisions he has made. He’s a good kid. She just knows that.

________________________________________

"I don’t even know if there should be boundaries from my side of what I’m gonna say. Am I stupid? I just.. I feel so bad for him. He’s such a sweet boy and he just.. totally fell in love with the wrong girl and did things to impress his friends and gain popularity and you know me. I can’t be cold or.. or rejecting to him..“ she whispers, looks out of the kitchen door and peaks upstairs to make sure Patrick doesn’t overhear this conversation while sitting over his homework.

She’s now back in her comfy clothes. Something that she was bitterly looking forward to after her meeting. Her sweatpants combined with her orange fox slippers and her favorite sweater she stole from Joe’s wardrobe the other day make her feel more comfortable quickly.

“Why should you be rejecting to him, honey? I think it’s sweet that you feel responsible for him but you’re not his mother. You’re not the one making the rules. So relax. Treat him the way you want to treat him.“ Andrea assures her daughter from the other side of the phone line.

Taylor slowly opens one of the pizza boxes that were just delivered and nods.

“Yeah, you’re probably right. It’s just.. weird. I’m used to babysitting toddlers. But a teenage boy? Man, this is so difficult.“ she whispers, really doesn’t want Patrick to latch on this conversation. But Andrea just laughs whole heartedly.

“Teenage years are the most difficult years for parents, trust me. Especially with boys because they don’t open up at all. You’ll make that experience yourself when you have kids someday.“ Andrea says and Taylor sighs, smiles silently at the thought of motherhood. A crazy adventure she definitely wants to take, someday.

“God, I just wish Joe was here. I feel like Patrick hates staying at my place and.. I don’t wanna dare him to have a conversation with me. It’s so awkward.“ she mumbles, looks at the hot Pizza that’s smelling incredibly good. She’s tempted to take a first bite, but then stops herself. You’re not alone, Taylor. This is rude.

“Don’t be so nervous, honey. Just treat him normally and If you feel like he needs space then give him space. Also, Austin can ease things as well when he comes tomorrow. Boys and boys are a different thing.“ Andrea smiles, is just about to start her day while it’s already dinner time for Taylor in London.

“I know.“ she smiles, “Did Austin tell you when his audition will be over? I’ll tell Brandon to pick him up and we can all have dinner together.“

“Oh, that sounds like a nice idea. I’m not sure. I think you have to ask him again.“ Andrea answers and Taylor nods, slowly hears some footsteps coming from upstairs.

“Alright mom, I gotta go.“ she says, smiles at Patrick who slowly peaks into the kitchen. The light in the house was dimmed but the kitchen lights are fully turned on.

“Okay. Talk to you tomorrow.“ she answers. “Talk to you tomorrow. Love you. Bye.“ Taylor says and hangs up.

“Hey, come in.“ she then says quickly, signals the boy to enter. He slowly makes his way into the kitchen and Taylor opens the second pizza box. “Your super healthy dinner is ready.“ she says sarcastically, “I’m starving.“ she adds and smiles at him.

“Smells good.“ Patrick answers as shy as always. Taylor feels that he’s uncomfortable. Of course. Who wouldn’t be? He probably hates the fact that he’s standing in the Taylor Swift’s kitchen and is now damned to babysitted by her. Taylor feels herself become a little more insecure, tries to hide it by simply putting on a smile. It’s her trick. She does this in any kind of situation. Hiding insecurities is her speciality.

“Should we.. eat in the living room?“ she asks and Patrick nods.

“Sure. Should I get some plates?“ he offers.

“Yeah, of course If you want. They’re in the left cupboard.“ she answers and disappears in the spacious living room where she quickly turns on some lights, tries to let some of Joe’s clothes he left here yesterday disappear as soon as possible so that Patrick doesn’t feel uncomfortable. Knowing that his big brother most likely took all of his clothes off right here where they’re just about to have some dinner, is not something he needs tonight.

After a while, Patrick joins her in the living room, sits down on the couch next to where she is sitting. He carefully places the plates on the wooden coffee table in front of them. Taylor opens the pizza boxes once more and then offers him some pizza as well. He thankfully grabs one slice. Silence. Taylor feels uncomfortable and he surely does as well.

“Do you want to watch some tv?“ she asks, pretty sure that all he wants is probably not to have to talk to her. After all, watching tv is still the best way to not have to start a conversation with her. But to her surprise, Patrick shakes his head while chewing on the Pizza in his hand.

“No, I’m good. Thanks.“ he answers politely, still not really looking at her. Taylor sighs. Patrick then faces her. The atmosphere has gotten even more awkward than before.

“God, this is so weird.“

“I know.“ Patrick answers and the two look at each other for the first time today. Taylor starts to laugh and Patrick joins her.

“I’m so sorry that you’re damned to stay at my house now. I bet you’d rather be with your friends or..“ “No, not really. I like your house.“ he answers and she smiles, takes another bite from the pizza now as well.

“Oh, thank you.“ she answers, leans back and places her feet on the couch now to get more comfortable. “How did your friends’ parents react? Do they have to spend time with their brother’s girlfriends now too, or..“ Patrick smirks, focused on the pizza now.

He’s embarrassed. She feels that.

“Uh, nah. They’re pretty much grounded for the next four to five years. So.. same as me.“ Taylor nods.

“What did your mom say?“ she asks gently, doesn’t even know where that confidence comes from all of the sudden but she somehow feels like she has that connection to Patrick. She somehow wants to know how he feels. She cares for him. He’s Joe’s little brother.

“She’s.. worried, of course. And angry. I mean. I know how stupid that was. It’s..I’d undo it immediately if I could. My mum’s crying, my dad’s angry, Joe hates me. I..“

“He doesn’t hate you.“ she interrupts him immediately. She would love to give him a tight hug right at this moment, but she knows that he’s a teenage boy who’s not as touchy and clingy as she is. But seeing him sit there being so sad, almost hurts her. He looks like Joe when he’s sad. That frown line on his face being a replica of her boyfriend’s.

“It’s just.. they all think I’m the problem child now. And I’m sure that I am anyway, so..“ Taylor shakes her head. She knows exactly what he means but he’s wrong.

“I don’t think you’re the problem child. I.. I think.. you just have to be able to answer the question why you did it honestly to yourself first before explaining anything to anyone.“ she says, the young boy looking at her confused.

“I mean, If you consume weed because you and your friends wanted to try it, then that’s something different than being an addict. Same with other stuff like.. cocaine. If you risk your own safety for someone who’s an addict then.. maybe not cocaine is the problem but.. that person.“ she finishes, then bites her lip immediately. She doesn’t know whether she went too far with her speech, doesn’t know if any of this is even her business or whether she should even have an opinion. She looks at Patrick, who has just finished his slice of Pizza. He doesn’t look at her, seems incredibly interested in his hands all of the sudden while having his head sunk.

“She just wanted to try it. She’s not an addict.“ he suddenly mumbles incoherently.

Taylor swallows.

She never thought that Patrick would open up like this. She immediately nods. “I believe you.“

“She.. she doesn’t have a family like I do. Her parents don’t care at all. If she would’ve been the one who was found with the cocaine, she.. she’d be in a lot more trouble than..“

“I get it.“ Taylor just assures him. She sighs. He’s blindly in love and she wishes there was anything she could do about it. But she’s been there quiet a few times as well. Maybe not with cocaine but with other emotional damages she could’ve prevented if she had known what she knows now.

“But since she’s your girlfriend, why don’t you..“

“She’s not my girlfriend.“ he interrupts her, way more calm than last evening when Joe teased him with Chloe.

“But..“

“We’re friends. She.. she has a boyfriend.“

Taylor doesn’t say anything. Now she gets it. Patrick tried to impress this girl. Being young and in love makes you do crazy things.

“But why didn’t her boyfriend say anything..?“

“Cause he’s an idiot?“ he says quietly and Taylor just smiles softly. Patrick has clearly blushed, can’t really look at her anymore. Taylor just sighs. She rests her head on the cushion of the leather couch and just enjoys this moment of openness between them. She then looks at Patrick who sits next to her, scratches the back of his head in embarrassment. She knows that gesture. Joe does just the same all the time.

“I think.. it was a selfless thing to do.“ she says and he looks back at her again, still a bit flushed.

“It was stupid.“

“Yeah, that as well. But..“

Patrick looks back at her. She seems super opened about that whole situation and he likes the fact that Taylor does not talk to him as If he’s just a child. She treats him as if he was a grown up and never puts herself above him or acts like she’s in a parental role. He never thought he’d say this about any of his brother’s girlfriends - but her opinion really matters to him.

“But?“

“But I think that.. you’ll see someday that the right girl won’t put you in that kind of a situation. The right girl won’t make you feel like you need to jeopardize yourself in order to impress her. What I’m saying probably makes zero sense to you now but.. you’ll know what I mean one day.“ She says, simply looks at him. Patrick doesn’t respond anymore and Taylor is unsure whether her words really made him think or whether he thinks that she’s absolutely annoying.

After all, who’d want to have her advice when it comes to love and relationships…

“Yeah, maybe.“ He then answers, not really dares to look at her.

“I just.. Joe and my parents won’t see this like you do. You’re really cool about this but.. they won’t understand this. They just see what I did wrong and..“

“No they just see all these bad things that could possibly happen to you because they love you. They just want you to be save.“ Taylor interrupts him. She bites her lips. He’s still not looking at her and she’s not sure if she has gone too far. She never thought their conversations would evolve into such a deep and honest talk. Yet she worships this moment. They somehow got closer than she ever thought they would. “Yeah.“ Patrick mumbles then, looks up to her.

Taylor sighs and grants him a smile.

This was a long day. A long day for all of them.

“Do you want the last slice of the pizza? I think you need it more than I do.“ she says with a slight smirk on her lips.

“I guess so.“ he answers and takes a bite. Taylor leans down and grabs the glass of water that was right in front of her. It’s already dark outside and she’s sure that she and Patrick are definitely heading to bed after the pizza. 30 hours of being awake is enough for both of them.

“If I won’t answer you anymore it’s because I fell asleep with opened eyes.“ she yawns, slowly leans back. Patrick just laughs at her while chewing the tomato pizza, granting her that same mischievous smile she knows too well from his older brother.

“How do you Alwyns do that? Whenever Joe’s awake for more than 24 hours he behaves as if everything’s as good, as always. And now you look absolutely fine as well.“ she protests, wishes she could deal with lack of sleep as well as the boy next to her can.

Patrick smirks while taking a last bite.

“We’re Aliens from an island called Grand Britannia and we don’t need sleep. That’s the truth. He’s been lying to you this whole time.“ Patrick casually answers and Taylor can’t help but laugh.

She’s really surprised about how funny Patrick actually is. She should be surprised about this but the longer she thinks about it, the less she is.

Joe is just the same. He seems shy and introvert at first. But once you’ve won his trust, he opens up and makes you see his real self. His fun and talkative and bright self.

“I’m shocked. I have to break up with him now.“ she jokes and Patrick reaches for the napkin that is next to the now empty pizza box.

“Please don’t. His Exes were so annoying.“ he says suffering and Taylor smiles at his compliment yet feels a bit uncomfortable with this topic.

“Really?“ she mumbles, doesn’t know if she wants to know any further details.

“Yeah. His last one always came over and constantly made us all watch Gilmore Girls all the damn time.“ he sighs annoyed and Taylor bursts our laughing, covers her mouth.

She cannot believe Patrick spills the beans about Joe’s Ex as casual as this.

“Oh my god. I’m so sorry about that.“ she laughs.

Joe has told her a lot about his Ex and has mentioned that she was difficult. But the fact that she made his entire family that includes four men watch a show like Gilmore Girls really surprises her. Joe falls asleep almost every time whenever they watch dateline together. She could never see him watching anything more girly than that.

“Yeah.“ he answers, “You’re really cool though.“ the blonde teenager then slowly says. Taylor looks at him and smiles. This is the biggest compliment she has ever gotten from a fourteen year old boy. “Thanks. You too.“ she answers and they both smile quietly.

________________________________________

Joe takes a sip from his water bottle as the car stops.

He’s still tired. The six hours of last night sleep clearly weren’t enough.

Paris was challenging and fun but also exhausting. The second he can see the warm light coming out of the old building’s windows right at the end of Crescent Road is the second he feels all warm and tingly inside.

He’s home. He’s home where Taylor is.

Joe slowly opens the car door, thankful for his old A.P.C lambskin jacket that keeps him warm. It’s bloody cold in London this evening, a freezing breeze combined with a few raindrops hitting his face. He quickly walks behind the car, opens the trunk and grabs his suitcase. He thanks the driver, then quickly spots Brandon who’s waiting in a car in front of the house. He smiles at the big guy and waves. He never thought he’d get used to another person constantly looking after his girlfriend, but he did. Brandon’s presence not only makes Taylor feel better. It gives Joe a good feeling to know that she’s safe.

As he passes the gate and walks up the steps to the door, he can smell all kinds of herbs and candles already. He smiles. She surely has cooked something tonight. As he rings the little bell, Joe keeps on smiling. It’s crazy how the thought of being with her can even make him forget about everything that’s been going on recently with his family, with Patrick. She also made him forget about his upset mum who’s more worried than ever, for a second. She made him forget all his worries about his youngest brother. She can do that just with her existence. It’s crazy how much a single person can change your life entirely.

With a slowly changing look on his face and still standing in front of the closed door in the cold and windy London weather, Joe rings the bell for a second time.

Still nobody answers.

He feels worry rise in him slowly. Why doesn’t she open the door? Is she busy cooking or did something else happen? The events of yesterday night still affect him a lot. Patrick was supposed to stay at her house as well. What if something happened that he doesn’t know about? After all, he hasn’t spoken to his brother since yesterday.

Joe now takes a few steps back, slowly marches through the front yard, takes a look into the small window that leads to the kitchen. The light is on but nobody’s there. This is strange. Very strange. Suddenly he hears loud noises. Laughter. Definitely more than three people that laugh out loud.

Joe slowly walks back to his suitcase, opens the upper bag and takes out his spare key.

After a few seconds, he has entered her house and is still confused and curious what’s happening in here tonight. After closing the door, he places his suitcase in the hallway and takes a few steps towards the living room. He’s not just met with warmth and the smell of her amazing vegetable lasagna but also a lot of laughter. He continues walking, not sure what he’ll find as he reaches the living room.

He remains in the door frame surprised.

Taylor, Patrick, Tom and Rebecca, his brother’s girlfriend, as well as Austin sit around her wooden dining table. Just a few candles brightening the room, some wine in front of the adults and a mug with hot chocolate in front of Patrick. The fireplace is lit and the coziest atmosphere possible fills the room. They all seem to laugh whole heartedly about a video that Patrick just showed them on the iPad that he’s holding in his hands. Joe can’t even remember the last time he has seen Patrick so extroverted and happy. He seems to have gotten out of his nutshell more than he has ever seen with his parents or even with him. Patrick laughs and talks, goes on and on about a guy in this video and makes everyone around them almost cry in laughter. They all seem so captivated by whatever he’s showing them that they don’t even notice Joe, who’s still standing in the doorframe.

For the first time, Joe feels peace.

This view, this moment is more than he has ever wanted.

This room is filled with so people who mean so much to him and it’s been a long time since he has seen all of them so happy and carefree. All together. He then looks at Taylor who seems to recover from her laughs just now. Little tears are running down her face because she had to laugh so hard. She wipes them away with her fingers and Joe can’t help but smile at her. She looks so comfortable around his family. She has never been more beautiful than in this moment, clearly unaware that he’s watching her, smiling at Patrick and holding her hands in front of her mouth while laughing. He still remembers during her darkest days back when they spent days and days talking and laughing while being nothing more than friends, how she always used to tell him that he’s like a sunny day to her, somehow.

Today, she is his sunny day on this grey Friday night.

Patrick spent two days with her and he comes home to a united family, to laughter and happiness. He knows why and he’s still in awe how she does it. Whatever happens to them, Taylor reacts with love. No matter if it’s a huge fight between them or if his little brother gets caught with weed.

She reacts with love.

She is love.

While watching her carefully listen to some comment of Tom, Taylor suddenly meets his eyes and notices him. Her eyes immediately grow wide and she gets up from where she was sitting.

“Oh my god. Hi.“ she says, meeting him in the doorframe.

Still in his winter coat. Still in awe of this family situation in her living room.

“Hey.“ he just smiles and gets pulled into a tight hug immediately. But this time it’s not him who pulls back. This time he’s the one not wanting to end this hug. She notices that.

“Since when are you standing there.“ she laughs into his shoulder, and Joe finally lets go. His face is cold from outside and a few raindrops are still visible on his jacket.

“Not long.“ he smiles, then kisses her gently.

“Look who came over for dinner.“ she smiles, immediately drags him into the room to say hello to Austin and everyone of his family.

He takes off his jacket, hugs his older brother who he hasn’t seen in a while as well as his girlfriend. Then he walks to Patrick, who still sips on his hot chocolate and high fives him. The teenager seems relieved about this reaction. Taylor smiles proudly at him.

While sitting down next to Austin and catching up with him, Taylor places a glass of wine in front of Joe. She sits down again, right next to Joe. He smiles at her one time, then reaches for her hand while talking to Austin. Taylor follows the conversation, suddenly feels him squeeze her hand three times.

She doesn’t react, just tightens the grip of her hand.

I love you.

I know.

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