Taylor Swift and Tree Paine Oneshots

Michelin-star

Tree Paine had a good reason to believe that Taylor Swift couldn't cook. In fact, she had solid evidence—namely, the countless stories of Taylor accidentally setting her kitchen on fire. Over the years, Taylor's cooking misadventures had become a bit of an inside joke. Every time she tried something new, it seemed to end in disaster, with smoke alarms blaring and Taylor frantically opening windows to air out the smoke.

So, when Taylor invited Tree over to her house for dinner, Tree was fully prepared for a simple takeout night, or at best, a meal someone else had cooked.

As Tree walked into the house, she was immediately hit by the smell of something... amazing. She froze in the doorway, confused. The scent wasn't just decent—it was restaurant-level.

"Are we... ordering in?" Tree asked, half-joking as she stepped further inside.

Taylor popped her head out of the kitchen, smiling. "Nope, I'm cooking!"

Tree stared at her. "You're what?"

"I'm cooking!" Taylor repeated cheerfully, disappearing back into the kitchen.

Skeptical, Tree followed her. She had to see this for herself. And sure enough, Taylor was bustling around the kitchen like she knew exactly what she was doing. The counters were filled with ingredients, pots simmered on the stove, and Taylor was in the middle of expertly slicing vegetables.

Tree couldn't help but laugh. "Taylor, I've known you for years, and last I checked, you've set your kitchen on fire more times than I can count."

Taylor paused mid-slice and grinned. "Yeah, that happened a few times. Okay, maybe more than a few. But I was trying out new recipes! I didn't know what half the stuff meant back then."

Tree raised an eyebrow, still unconvinced. "Like the time you burned water?"

Taylor rolled her eyes, laughing. "That was one time! And for the record, I do know how to cook now. I've been taking lessons."

Tree folded her arms, watching as Taylor moved with ease between stirring sauces and checking the oven. "Okay, so what culinary disaster are we facing tonight?"

"No disaster," Taylor assured her, grinning. "Tonight, we're having pan-seared salmon with a lemon dill sauce, roasted asparagus, and parmesan risotto."

Tree blinked, taken aback. "That... actually sounds incredible. You made all this?"

Taylor nodded, clearly enjoying the look of shock on her friend's face. "Yup. And dessert's already chilling in the fridge—tiramisu."

"Tiramisu? Who are you, and what have you done with Taylor Swift?" Tree teased, though she couldn't help but be impressed by how smooth everything looked.

Taylor laughed, turning back to the stove. "What can I say? I like to challenge myself. Turns out I'm pretty good at it."

Tree sat down at the kitchen island, watching as Taylor plated the food. "I'm still not convinced. I mean, you set fire to your kitchen three times in the same month."

"Hey, I was learning!" Taylor defended herself with a grin. "Once I stopped trying to make soufflés without reading the full instructions, things went a lot smoother."

"I'll believe it when I taste it," Tree muttered.

Once Taylor finished plating the meal, she set it down in front of Tree with a flourish. The salmon was perfectly cooked, with a golden sear, and the risotto looked creamy and decadent.

Tree hesitated for a second before taking her first bite. The flavors hit her immediately—delicate, balanced, and absolutely delicious. Her eyes widened in surprise. "Oh my God. This is... this is incredible."

Taylor grinned, clearly pleased with herself. "Told you I could cook."

Tree was still processing. "Okay, I take back everything I said. This is, like, Michelin-star-level good. Since when did you become a five-star chef?"

Taylor shrugged casually, sitting down with her own plate. "I've been secretly taking cooking classes whenever I had time off from touring. I figured if I was going to cook, I might as well learn how to do it properly."

Tree shook her head, still in disbelief. "I'm still not over the fact that you're the same person who once tried to make pasta and somehow set the stovetop on fire."

Taylor laughed, raising her glass of wine. "What can I say? I've evolved."

Tree clinked her glass with Taylor's, finally giving in to the fact that maybe, just maybe, Taylor Swift could actually cook. "Well, I'll give you this—you're full of surprises."

Taylor smiled, taking a sip of her wine. "You have no idea."