Taylor Swift and Tree Paine Oneshots

So it isn't the real stuff

Tree Paine sat across from Taylor in the cozy living room of the mansion, going over some final notes for the upcoming show. As they discussed details, Taylor, as usual, casually mentioned something about having drinks later, as if she was planning a night of cocktails and relaxation.

Tree raised an eyebrow, glancing at Taylor. "You're always talking about drinks and alcohol, but I thought with everything going on—your gastroparesis, epilepsy, POTS, and asthma—you couldn't have alcohol. Am I missing something?"

Taylor chuckled softly, giving a playful shrug. "Well, I can't have alcohol, not really."

Tree leaned back in her chair, clearly confused. "But... you're always talking about it. And I've seen you with wine at dinners, champagne on special occasions. So how does that work?"

Taylor grinned, her blue eyes twinkling with mischief. "You've seen me with drinks, sure. But it's never real alcohol. I just make it look fancy."

"Wait, what?" Tree said, now fully intrigued.

Taylor stood up and walked over to the kitchen, opening one of the cabinets. She pulled out a bottle of what looked like champagne and placed it on the table in front of Tree. The label was colorful, featuring cartoon grapes and bubbles. Tree blinked at it, her confusion growing.

"Kiddie champagne?" Tree asked, her eyebrows shooting up.

"Yep!" Taylor laughed, clearly amused by Tree's reaction. "I stock up on this stuff during New Year's so I can have something 'fancy' throughout the year. It's sparkling apple juice, but it makes me feel like I'm still part of the fun."

Tree stared at the bottle, then back at Taylor. "You're telling me that all this time, when you've been talking about having drinks, you've been referring to this?"

Taylor nodded, popping the bottle open with a little flair. "Exactly! I can't have real alcohol with all my health stuff going on. It messes with my meds and makes everything worse. But I still like to feel like I'm enjoying the moment, you know? So I get creative."

Tree was still processing this new information, her mind racing back to all the times she'd seen Taylor at events, casually sipping on what she thought was wine or champagne. "Wait, what about the wine I've seen you drink at dinners?"

Taylor's grin widened as she pulled out another bottle from the fridge, this one looking very much like an elegant, expensive wine. "This?" she said, holding it up. "It's just fancy apple juice mixed with sparkling water. Totally alcohol-free. It looks real, though, doesn't it?"

Tree burst out laughing, shaking her head in disbelief. "You've been faking me out this whole time?"

Taylor winked, pouring a glass and handing it to Tree. "Yep. No one ever questions it, and it's fun to play along. Plus, it lets me stay part of the social scene without actually risking my health."

Tree took a sip, tasting the sweet, refreshing apple juice with a hint of sparkle. She couldn't help but laugh again. "I can't believe I've been fooled by sparkling apple juice."

Taylor leaned back in her chair, satisfied with her little trick. "Hey, a girl's gotta get creative when she can't have the real stuff."

As they continued talking, Tree found herself both amused and impressed by Taylor's clever workaround. It was just another reminder of how adaptable Taylor had become in managing her chronic conditions while still finding ways to enjoy life.

"So, New Year's is just an excuse to stock up on kiddie champagne?" Tree teased.

"Exactly," Taylor said with a grin. "I get enough to last me the whole year. Who needs alcohol when you've got sparkling apple juice?"

Tree smiled, shaking her head. "You're something else, Taylor. But hey, if it works, it works."

"That's the spirit!" Taylor cheered, raising her glass of apple juice in a mock toast.

Tree clinked her glass against Taylor's, still shaking her head in disbelief. "Here's to your fancy apple juice and keeping us all on our toes."

Taylor laughed, taking a sip. "Cheers to that!"