Taylor Swift and Tree Paine Oneshots

Grandmaster

Tree Paine had just finished a busy day at work, promoting and managing Taylor Swift's latest album release, and decided to unwind with a documentary she'd been meaning to watch. It was about the youngest chess grandmasters in the world, an inspiring and impressive topic that seemed like the perfect distraction from the chaos of her job.

As she settled into her couch with a cup of tea, the documentary began with the usual narration, showing profiles of child prodigies from around the world. Each of them had remarkable stories, but one segment made Tree freeze in her seat.

The screen flashed a black-and-white photograph of a little girl sitting at a chessboard, concentration etched on her young face. The narrator began talking about a particular chess prodigy, who had been the youngest to achieve grandmaster status at just seven years old.

Then, the name appeared on screen: Taylor Alison Swift.

Tree blinked, her heart skipping a beat as the documentary shifted to color footage of Taylor from years ago, smiling shyly at a press conference after winning a major chess tournament. The girl in the footage was unmistakably a younger version of the woman Tree had worked with for years.

"No way," Tree muttered aloud, sitting up straighter, her tea forgotten on the side table. Her eyes were glued to the screen.

The documentary continued, showing interviews with chess experts who talked about Taylor's unprecedented rise in the chess world. The footage featured a young Taylor expertly moving pieces across the board, her mind focused in a way that stunned even seasoned professionals. They discussed her achievements in depth, revealing that she had received her grandmaster title at age seven, the youngest in history.

Tree could hardly believe what she was hearing. She knew Taylor was multi-talented, but this? Chess prodigy? Grandmaster at seven?

The documentary went on to explain how, after her rise in the chess world, Taylor gradually shifted her focus to music, leaving her chess career behind as she grew more interested in songwriting and performing.

Tree stared at the TV, her mind racing. How could she not have known about this? She worked so closely with Taylor, handling every aspect of her public image, and somehow this huge part of Taylor's life had never come up.

As the documentary wrapped up, with more footage of Taylor as a young girl playing chess against adults twice her age, Tree grabbed her phone. She had to know more.

Later that night, Tree showed up at Taylor's house, where Taylor had just wrapped up a writing session.

"What's up?" Taylor asked, raising an eyebrow as she let Tree inside. She could tell something was up by the way Tree was holding herself—more curious and intense than usual.

"You're going to explain something to me," Tree said, her voice somewhere between amused and shocked.

Taylor gave her a confused smile. "Okaaay... What did I do this time?"

Tree crossed her arms, still trying to piece together how she hadn't known. "I just watched a documentary about chess grandmasters, you know. And imagine my surprise when I see you in it, as the youngest grandmaster ever. Care to explain?"

Taylor's face turned a light shade of pink as she laughed awkwardly, clearly not expecting the conversation to take this turn. "Oh, that. I figured you'd see that eventually."

"That?!" Tree nearly sputtered, throwing her arms out. "You've been sitting on the fact that you're a chess grandmaster? Since you were seven? Seven, Taylor. How did I not know about this?"

Taylor chuckled, rubbing the back of her neck. "I don't know... I guess I didn't think it was important? I mean, I haven't played competitively since I was a kid. It's not really part of my life anymore."

Tree shook her head in disbelief. "Not important? You're one of the youngest grandmasters in history, and you didn't think that was worth mentioning? How do you just... forget to tell someone that?"

Taylor shrugged, still smiling sheepishly. "I guess it just didn't seem relevant. I mean, I play music now. Chess is cool, but it's not like I'm still playing in tournaments or anything."

Tree sat down on the couch, still processing the revelation. "Unreal. I mean, I know you're ridiculously talented, but this? It's like you have a secret life I never knew about."

Taylor laughed softly and sat down beside her. "Well, not exactly a secret. Just something I did when I was younger. It's kind of like a different part of me, I guess."

"I can't believe it," Tree said, shaking her head, the amazement still clear in her voice. "You're out here dominating music, and meanwhile, you could've been dominating the chess world too. Is there anything you can't do?"

Taylor grinned. "Cook. I'm terrible at cooking."

Tree shot her a look, finally starting to laugh. "That hardly makes up for it."

Taylor leaned back, more relaxed now that the shock had settled. "If you want, I could teach you to play sometime. But I should warn you—I'm still pretty good."

Tree smirked, raising an eyebrow. "Oh, I'm definitely going to take you up on that. But now that I know your secret, don't expect me to go easy on you."

Taylor chuckled. "Wouldn't dream of it."