I Know Places (Taylor Swift Imagines) (GxG)

Play Nice

surprise update. again.

"Hi, baby!" Taylor says happily as she comes up behind you.

She wraps her arms around your neck and nuzzles into your sweater-clad shoulder. "What chapter are you writing now?"

You're an author, and a big one at that. You've got around ten or nine published works that have sold a few million copies.

Taylor has always been a fan of your work; even before you two had met, she had already read and reread every single one of your books, and she was ecstatic when she found out you were in the middle of writing another book.

"Chapter eleven, baby," you tell her, fingers hovering haphazardly atop your keyboard as you wrack your head for a synonym for list.

"Litany," Taylor says softly, her eyes trained on the screen in front of you and the flickering cursor.

You smile and thank her before typing the word in.

At first, Taylor would stay away and try to avoid your office if she ever saw you writing, which proved difficult because there were - and still are - times when you would stay in your office for ages at a time.

But now, ever since you'd given her permanent permission to, she's been coming into your office whenever she wants, sometimes laying on the couch or the rug, or coming up behind you and taking a peek at what you're working on.

"Wait . . ." Taylor tilts her head a little at what you're typing in. "Are you . . . ?"

You laugh a little. "Yes, honey, I'm killing off Vanny."

Vanny, a side character in the new book you're writing, has been Taylor's favourite since day one. "She's just sweet and smart and sounds super cool," she'd reasoned. "I think your readers will love her."

You always knew Vanny would be killed off at some point, whether as an accident that wouldn't really be significant or to advance the plot. Despite this, you never told Taylor, because she loves Vanny.

"Why are you killing her off?" she asks, a deep pout evident in her tone.

"Because, hon, I have to move the plot along."

She gives an almost audible gasp at this. "Why? Use another character as your plot move-alonger!"

You chuckle. "Babe, no one else is as significant to my protagonist as Vanny is."

"That's exactly why!"

With that exclamation, she takes your laptop from its place on your desk and runs.

It's almost amusing to you, until you hear that the bedroom door across the hall has slammed shut, and the lock has been turned.

You stand up, padding over. "Honey," you say, knocking on the door gently. "Can I have my book back?"

"No!" Taylor says through the door. "You can have this back when you play nice and be sadistic to another character!"

You sigh, a smile playing on your lips. "Taylor, I promise it's necessary for the story."

"It's necessary for you to be nicer to my favourite characters!" she retorts.

You lean against the door, contemplating your options. "How about this," you begin, "I write an alternate scene where Vanny survives, and you can read it. But in the final draft, she has to go."

"No!" Taylor answers, whining like a five-year-old. "Why do you insist on breaking your readers' hearts? Do you even know how much I cried over Shayne?"

Shayne is a fan-favourite character of yours from a past book - he'd also been killed off to progress the plot.

You sigh, knowing Taylor's attachment to your characters is both a blessing and a curse. "I know, love. But remember how much more powerful the story became because of Shayne's sacrifice? Vanny's demise will have a similar impact."

"Impact shmimpact," Taylor grumbles through the door. "Can't you write powerful stories without making everyone cry?"

"Baby . . ." you say, chuckling a little.

"Five days!" Taylor exclaims angrily. "Five freakin' days, I cried over Shayne!"

"Oh, baby, I'm sorry -"

She cuts you off. "I still tear up when I think about Shayne!"

part ii coming soon