I Know Places (Taylor Swift Imagines) (GxG)

Out of the Woods

The year is 2020. The world had gone to shit when you turned two, and for twenty years, you lived a life of luxury with your mom. Clean water, clean food, clean clothes, and a roof over your heads. That's luxury now, apparently.

You keep a picture of her in your locket.

You hum a song to yourself as you trudge through the snow, your feet sinking into the powder slightly. Your cat, Sphinx, daintily walks alongside you as you make your way to your most trusted food provider; a factory north of your little cabin in the woods. You know full and well that this factory nor the food would last for ever. But you avoid the world's harsh reality as you stash cans of tuna and packs of veggies in your backpack.

You stop halfway through stuffing the food into your bag at the sound of groaning and creaking.

Shit. Zombies.

As Sphinx meows and paws at your leg, you shake your ankle a bit.

"Quit it, Sphinx," you hiss, quickly zipping your bag back up and slinging it over your shoulder.

Just as you're about to make a run for it, you hear the unmistakably distinct sound of footsteps. Human footsteps.

You blink and shake your head. Maybe your hearing's going bad.

But no. Accompanying the footsteps are occasional whimpers and sniffles.

Suddenly, through one of the many holes in the factory walls, slips a girl. She's thin and lean, panting heavily.

You furrow your brows, and Sphinx mewls, making the girl look up at you.

She backs away, shaking like a leaf in the breeze. "Don't hurt me," she whispers, scrambling to stand. "I-I'm just--"

"Running," you finish for her, nodding. "Yeah."

And then you turn to leave. You feel bad for it, yes, but she isn't your concern. Taking her in would only mean another mouth to feed and another ass to save. No. She's a liability.

"Wait, p-please."

You keep walking.

Liability.

"Please. Please . . ."

You sigh and look over at her. She's crying, her eyes filled with raw desperation and pleading.

Tear streaks cut through the grime on her face, her clothes hang too loosely around her frame. This girl barely looks like she can handle a fistfight, let alone a world crawling with zombies. She's a mess, and you know it.

Your eyes narrow as Sphinx trots up to the girl and nuzzles her ankle.

Damn it. That cat has more empathy than you sometimes.

"Please," the girl says again, shakily. "I-I'm not bitten. I lost m-my group--they got to them. I'm all that's left."

You hesitate. Your instincts are screaming at you to run, to leave her to her fate. But a part of you, that part you wish would stay buried, takes pity on the girl. You feel the cold of the locket's metal seep into your skin, and you remember your mom. The warmth of a home and a person to turn to is irreplaceable.

So, with a sigh, you turn, gesturing for her to follow.

You two and Sphinx start to trudge back to your cabin, her stumbling in the snow.

"What's, um, w-what's your name?" she asks shyly.

"Y/N," is the short, gruff answer you give.

The girl nods, her eyes still glistening with the remnants of her tears. "I'm Taylor," she offers, her voice trembling slightly as she tries to keep up with your pace.

You glance at her from the corner of your eye. The name sounds familiar, like something from a time long forgotten, before everything went to hell. You don't pry, though. The last thing you need is to get attached.

The snow crunches beneath your boots as the two of you walk in silence, Sphinx weaving between your legs and Taylor's, occasionally glancing back as if to check that the girl is still there.

"How long have you been on your own?" you ask after a while, the sound of your voice surprising you in the stillness.

Taylor hesitates, her breath visible in the frigid air. "A few weeks. Maybe a month? I lost track," she admits, hugging her arms around herself for warmth.

A little begrudgingly, you shrug your jacket off and drapes it over her shoulders, and as you do, you see tears well up in her eyes once more.

"Whoah, why are you crying?" you ask, a little taken aback.

Taylor sniffs and tries to wipe her eyes with the sleeve of your jacket, which is comically too big for her. "I-I'm sorry," she stammers, her voice cracking. "It's just . . . it's been so long since anyone's shown me any kindness. Everyone's so . . . so scared now. People don't help each other anymore." She looks up at you, her eyes wide with gratitude and vulnerability.

You shrug, trying to act nonchalant. "Don't read too much into it," you say gruffly. "I just don't need you freezing to death before we even make it back. Like I said, you're a liability." But even as you say it, you feel a small twinge of guilt. You know the real reason you offered her the jacket. There's a part of you that can't stand to see someone suffering, no matter how much you try to suppress it.

Taylor nods, clearly trying to regain her composure. "Thank you," she whispers, clutching the jacket around her tightly. "I won't be a burden, I promise. I can help . . .  with whatever you need. I can cook, I can clean, I can--"

You raise an eyebrow at her. "Can you fight?" you ask, cutting her off.

She looks down, her face flushing with embarrassment. "N-no," she admits. "Not really. I mean, I know how to defend myself a little, but. . . I've always had someone else to rely on. Until now."

You sigh. The truth is, you don't need her to fight. You just needed an excuse to keep her at arm's length, to remind yourself that she's a stranger, not your responsibility. But looking at her now, you see something of yourself in her--a lost soul trying to survive in a world that's gone mad. Maybe, just maybe, you both need each other more than you want to admit.

"Alright, Taylor," you say, softening your tone just a little. "Here's the deal. You can stay with me for a while. But if things get tough, you have to be ready to move on. No attachments, no promises. Got it?"

She nods eagerly, relief washing over her face. "Got it," she says. "I won't slow you down, I swear."

"Good," you reply, turning your gaze back to the snowy path ahead. "Now let's get moving. We're not out of the woods yet."

I wanna cuddle NeveahMoonlight so bad you don't understand

anyway

Cuddles and kisses,

Zee