Chapter Text
"Oh come on, let me talk to Ruby. Hopefully she'll convince you to come," a voice echoed from Taylor's phone, filling the room with a teasing energy just as Ruby stepped out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel, fresh from her shower.
The mention of her name naturally caught Ruby's attention. She glanced over, still towel-drying her hair, and raised a brow. "What's going on?" she asked as she ran a hand through her damp strands, water glistening on her shoulders.
Taylor sighed and patted the spot beside her on the bed. "Come here," she said, clearly a little irritated but trying not to show it too much.
Ruby obeyed, her curiosity piqued. She padded over and sat down beside Taylor, who silently handed her the phone. On the other end was Sabrina.
"Hey, gorgeous," Sabrina said with a giggle that carried a little too much sugar in it.
Taylor let out a very audible sigh. "Cut the flirting," she snapped, not even trying to mask the annoyance in her voice.
Ruby couldn't help the amused smile that crept onto her face. She glanced at Taylor, eyes twinkling. "Relax," she mouthed softly before turning her attention back to the phone.
"What's up?" Ruby asked, her tone warm but genuinely confused as to why Sabrina wanted to talk to her.
Sabrina quickly got to the point. She was inviting both Ruby and Taylor to her Short n' Sweet tour stop that night, and apparently, Taylor had already turned her down.
"I just thought maybe you could talk some sense into her," Sabrina added with another playful lilt in her voice.
Ruby laughed softly. "I'll see what I can do. Thanks for the invite," she said sincerely.
They exchanged a few more light words before the call ended, and Ruby handed the phone back to Taylor. She turned toward her, gently rubbing a towel through the ends of her hair.
"So," Ruby said, still drying off, "should we go? It might be fun. She's got some catchy songs."
Taylor didn't look up from her phone. "Yeah, and I get to watch her hit on you the whole night," she muttered flatly, scrolling like she wasn't bothered when she clearly was.
Ruby tilted her head, genuinely taken aback. "Wait, seriously?" she asked. "You do realize she's over ten years younger than me, right? I'm not about to date a child."
Taylor rolled her eyes but didn't respond, her pout practically glowing from across the room.
Ruby laughed as she tossed the towel on the edge of the bed. "You're adorable when you're jealous."
"I'm not jealous," Taylor said, entirely unconvincingly.
"Sure," Ruby teased, planting a soft kiss on Taylor's cheek before standing up. She stretched, glancing back at her. "Come on. We can match our outfits. That way, people know exactly who I'm with."
Taylor paused her scrolling and looked up at her with sudden interest. "Deal," she said a little too eagerly, her entire expression softening in an instant.
Ruby chuckled at the change in tone and nodded, heading toward the kitchen. "Alright then, let's go get some breakfast in us before we figure out what to wear."
-
After a quiet breakfast of eggs and bacon, the morning passed by in a comfortable rhythm. Taylor headed to the shower while Ruby stayed back, rinsing off the dishes and humming softly to herself. The simplicity of it all, the normalcy of domestic routines, made everything feel grounded, even in the chaos of their lives.
Eventually, they found themselves in Taylor's room. The sun filtered softly through the curtains as Taylor stood in front of her vanity, dabbing highlighter onto her cheekbones with practiced fingers. Ruby was sitting on the edge of the bed, watching her with that same look she always wore when Taylor wasn't paying attention — quiet awe, wrapped in love.
They had finally settled on their matching outfits: beige and black. Ruby wore a casual beige t-shirt that hugged her arms in just the right way, paired with dark denim jeans. Taylor went with a beige blouse tucked into a sleek black skirt, the hem riding high on her thighs with a single black garter peeking through on one side. She looked radiant, effortlessly elegant but with a mischievous edge that made Ruby's chest tighten.
Unable to resist, Ruby stood and walked over, slipping her arms around Taylor's waist from behind. She rested her chin on Taylor's shoulder, eyes fixed on her reflection in the mirror.
"You look so pretty," she whispered against Taylor's ear, her voice barely above a hum, before pressing soft, lingering kisses to the exposed skin of Taylor's collarbone.
Taylor giggled, warmth rising in her cheeks as she gently shoved Ruby away with a teasing push. "Stop, you're gonna mess up my makeup," she said, though the corners of her mouth curved up in a grin she couldn't hide.
Despite the laughter, there was something still lingering under Taylor's skin. A part of her that was still raw, still on edge. Ruby had been quick-tempered lately, sharp with anyone who even looked at Taylor the wrong way. Taylor felt the protectiveness, the urgency in it, but it came from a place she couldn't quite name yet. She tried to keep pushing those thoughts aside, unwilling to ruin moments like this. So instead, she turned around and pressed a soft kiss to Ruby's left cheek, and the sight of Ruby beaming like an idiot in love made her heart flutter.
"Go start the car. I'll be right down," Taylor said softly, brushing her fingers across Ruby's hand.
Ruby gave a small nod, letting go of Taylor's waist before heading downstairs to warm up the car. It didn't take long for Taylor to finish getting ready. About fifteen minutes later, she stepped outside, her heels clicking lightly against the pavement.
Ruby, who had been checking her phone in the driver's seat, quickly noticed her and got out without a word. She jogged over and opened the passenger side door for her, the gesture earning a genuine smile from Taylor.
"Thank you," she said warmly before slipping into the seat.
Ruby shut the door carefully and rounded the car again. She got back into the driver's seat, answering a call just as she did.
"Yeah, alright. Thank you," she said into the phone before hanging up and glancing toward Taylor, who was spraying perfume onto her neck and wrists.
"I checked in with security. They'll be escorting you safely to the venue. We've got a private entry through the back to avoid the crowd," Ruby explained calmly.
Taylor looked over at her with a soft expression, touched by how meticulous Ruby always was when it came to keeping her safe. "Thank you for being careful with me," she said, her voice gentle.
Ruby gave her a quick smile before starting the drive.
The ride to the venue was about forty minutes long, but it felt shorter with Taylor cracking jokes the entire way. Most of them were about cats, and Ruby found herself laughing along in that full-bodied way that only came out when she was truly happy. Her laugh wasn't polite, it wasn't restrained — it was open and real, and Taylor loved being the one to pull it out of her.
As they neared the venue, Ruby turned into the private backstage entrance and parked the car. "Alright, we're here," she said, turning off the ignition.
They stepped out and were immediately greeted by the bustling energy backstage. But before they could even take two steps, Sabrina came bounding toward them, arms wide open.
"You guys actually came! I knew I could count on you, Ruby," Sabrina said as she wrapped her arms around both of them, her voice bubbling with excitement.
She turned and winked at Ruby with a playful smirk. Ruby gave her a polite smile, not entirely sure what to do with the attention. Taylor, however, didn't hide her annoyance. She rolled her eyes dramatically and promptly intertwined her arm with Ruby's, staking her claim without saying a word.
Sabrina noticed the gesture and laughed. "Relax. I'm not gonna steal your girl. Remember? The Lord forgot to hand me a gay awakening," she joked, trying to lighten the mood.
Ruby chuckled awkwardly while Taylor stayed silent, holding onto Ruby a little tighter.
"I've gotta run. I'm going on stage in a few minutes, but I had my team reserve you a spot in the VIP tent. They'll escort you there," Sabrina said before rushing off, her mic pack already clipped on and her team buzzing around her.
As they were led through the venue, Ruby let go of Taylor's arm and instead draped her arm protectively over Taylor's shoulder. She pulled her close as they walked through the growing crowd. Taylor leaned into her, a little smirk forming on her lips as she glanced up at Ruby.
She loved the way Ruby held her like that. It made her feel small, in the best way — like she could melt into her and be completely taken care of.
Sure enough, the moment fans noticed Taylor, the crowd around them lit up with excited screams, flashing cameras, and waving phones. Ruby, ever calm, simply pulled the brim of her hat down lower over her face, deflecting all the attention toward Taylor, where she knew it belonged.
The lights dimmed as the show began, and Ruby was surprised at how well the visuals and music matched the album Short n' Sweet. It had charm and sparkle, but with a sharpness that made it stand out.
As the music played, Ruby stood behind Taylor and gently wrapped her arms around her waist. They swayed together slowly, the beat of the songs moving them in sync. Ruby rested her chin on Taylor's shoulder, lips close to her ear as she whispered little compliments, and Taylor just smiled, completely lost in the moment.
Ruby couldn't lie to herself. It felt a little strange having so many eyes and cameras on them, knowing every moment might be shared online within minutes. But she also loved seeing Taylor in her element, soaking up the love from her fans. And maybe, just maybe, she felt a little powerful knowing that despite all the people watching, she was the one holding Taylor Swift in her arms.
Finally, after a string of upbeat performances and glittering lights, the moment everyone had been waiting for arrived. The crowd buzzed in anticipation as the first notes of Juno were about to play. It was the most talked-about song of the night, the one everyone knew would bring the house down. But just before the intro could begin, a group of security guards approached the VIP tent where Taylor and Ruby were standing.
"You were asked to come for this performance," one of the guards said.
Ruby blinked, unsure who he was speaking to, until he pointed directly at her.
"Who, me?" she asked, confused.
"Yeah, Sabrina asked for you," he replied with a curt nod.
Ruby's brows knit together, bewildered. She looked down at Taylor, searching her expression for a cue. "Should I go?" she asked, her voice low, careful, as if she already knew this was a sensitive situation.
Taylor didn't even look at her when she responded, her voice clipped and cold. "Yeah."
Ruby frowned. "If you don't want me to go, I won't," she offered gently, hoping for something a little softer in return. Maybe even a hand on her arm, or a quiet please stay.
But Taylor stayed rooted in place, her eyes fixed on the stage. "Just go. The guy is waiting."
The dismissiveness stung more than Ruby let show. She let out a slow sigh and turned, following the security guard through the back path to the stage. Her boots hit the ground with a strange heaviness, a growing tension in her chest.
Once near the stage, she was met by Sabrina, flanked by two backup dancers, the lights above casting a dramatic glow over all three of them. Sabrina was already holding the mic and turned toward the dancers and Ruby with a glimmer in her eye.
"Do you see this gorgeous lady?" she asked into the mic, gesturing playfully toward Ruby. The dancers nodded enthusiastically, and Ruby, still unsure what was happening, gave a half-smile.
Sabrina grinned wider. "What's your name, handsome?" she asked with a cheeky tilt of her head, her voice echoing through the stadium.
Ruby scratched the back of her neck, clearly caught off guard, but managed to shout back her name.
Sabrina twirled the mic between her fingers. "Ruby," she repeated, letting the name roll off her tongue with exaggerated sweetness. Her dancers mimicked the tone playfully.
"I'm gonna be honest," Sabrina said, now walking slowly across the stage. "I've never been good with self-control... especially around girls who shine like sin."
The crowd erupted into wild cheers and laughter as Sabrina fanned herself dramatically, pretending to be overwhelmed. Ruby's ears burned, half from the heat of the lights and half from the attention.
"Oh my God, I feel so hot, my clothes are coming off for you," Sabrina said theatrically as one of her dancers unbuckled the long skirt she was wearing, revealing a much shorter, sparkling one underneath. The stadium roared with applause, phones lighting up like stars.
Then, with the kind of flair only Sabrina could pull off, her dancer handed her a pair of pink fuzzy handcuffs — instantly recognizable, infamous from her tour promotions. She was supposed to have a guard deliver them to the lucky fan. But this time, Sabrina didn't follow the routine.
She motioned for Ruby to come closer.
Ruby hesitated, glancing at the crowd, then at Sabrina's dancers who were just as confused. This wasn't part of the usual bit. But under the pressure of thousands of eyes and Sabrina's beckoning hand, she took a few reluctant steps forward.
Sabrina walked up and handed the cuffs to her directly, fingers brushing against Ruby's just long enough to draw another round of screams from the audience. Then she winked bold, playful, a little too much before turning back to the center of the stage.
"This song's for Ruby," she purred into the mic, and the first beat of Juno hit the speakers like thunder.
Ruby was escorted back to the tent with the handcuffs in hand, but her stomach was churning. As soon as she stepped inside, the tension in the air was undeniable. Taylor stood stiffly, her arms crossed, eyes forward, lips pressed in a hard line. She didn't even look at Ruby.
"Did you enjoy that?" Taylor asked, her voice low and sharp, every word dipped in jealousy.
Ruby didn't respond. She had learned the hard way that sometimes, silence was safer. The last time she'd tried to defend herself during one of Taylor's jealous moods, it was at Gigi's birthday party. Ruby had said something casual, and Taylor had snapped, saying she wouldn't even be in those rooms or at those tables if it weren't for her. It had hurt. Taylor had apologized after, swearing she didn't mean it, but the words had etched themselves somewhere deep.
So Ruby stayed quiet.
Taylor didn't say anything else for the rest of the show. Not a word. When Ruby tried to comment on a song or reach for her hand, Taylor either ignored her or stepped just slightly out of reach. The silence grew heavier with every passing minute, turning what should've been a fun night into something cold and hollow.
By the time the concert ended, Ruby had stopped trying. She watched Sabrina take her bows and disappear backstage while the crowd clapped wildly, and she pretended not to notice Taylor's cold shoulder.
Once they were outside, Taylor walked briskly toward the car, barely acknowledging the fans that had gathered near the exit. She offered them her perfect smile, posed for a couple of quick photos, all while acting like Ruby wasn't even beside her.
Ruby stayed close behind, her eyes scanning the crowd, ready to intervene if anyone stepped too far or tried something reckless. Her protective instincts never dulled, even when her heart felt bruised.
They got to the car, and Ruby opened the door for Taylor, who slipped inside without a word. Ruby closed the door gently before walking around to the driver's side, sliding in and starting the engine.
The drive home was suffocating.
No words. No music. Just the sound of the tires against the road and the occasional flick of the turn signal. Ruby kept her eyes on the road, one hand gripping the steering wheel a little tighter than usual.