𝑪𝒓𝒖𝒆𝒍 𝑺𝒖𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒓 || 𝑻𝒂𝒚𝒍𝒐𝒓 𝑺𝒘𝒊𝒇𝒕

●60●

"Do we really have to be in the woods for this?" Luna asked, brushing a fern off her jeans as she stepped carefully over a fallen tree. "I love you, but this is giving serious Hansel and Gretel lost in cottagecore energy."

Taylor laughed ahead of her, twirling slowly in a long, vintage coat she'd borrowed from the costume trailer of an old indie film. "You're the one who said I looked like a forest witch in this outfit."

"You do," Luna replied, reaching up to tuck a branch out of Taylor's hair. "But like... the friendly kind who gives you tea and emotional clarity. Not the hexing type."

They were deep in the trees, golden sunlight spilling in scattered rays through the thick canopy above them. Everything smelled like pine, moss, and rain. A stack of polaroids rested on a tree stump nearby, half-developed, filled with blurry shots of Taylor looking both mythical and vulnerable — exactly what she'd wanted.

"Okay, stand right there," Luna said suddenly, stepping back and raising Taylor's old camera. "No, turn a little. Yeah. Chin down. You're the ghost of a poet who's been haunting this forest since 1894."

Taylor laughed but held the pose. "You're ridiculous."

Click.

"And that's why you love me," Luna replied, smirking.

Taylor shook her head fondly. "You know, I was nervous to do this album without a big rollout. No singles, no promo. Just stories. Raw. Quiet. But now I think that's the only way it ever could've happened."

"Well," Luna said, lowering the camera and walking closer, "between the trees and the trauma, I think you nailed it."

Taylor smiled softly. "Folklore drops on the 24th."

Luna blinked. "Of this month?!"

Taylor nodded. "Evermore's coming later. But this one... this is the beginning."

Luna looked around, the stillness of the forest settling in her chest. "Okay, yeah. I get it now. This place is the album."

Taylor reached out, lacing their fingers. "Ready to get a few more shots?"

Luna lifted the camera again. "Only if I get credit as 'Forest Girlfriend / Creative Muse' in the liner notes."

Taylor winked. "Done."

Click.

●●●

It was after midnight in their bedroom, they had the windows open, a soft summer breeze drifting through sheer curtains.

The only light came from the amber glow of the lamp on Taylor's nightstand, casting golden shadows across the room. Luna lay with her head on Taylor's chest, listening to the steady rhythm of her heartbeat. One of Luna's hands rested on Taylor's ribs, while Taylor gently played with the strands of her hair, absentmindedly twisting and untwisting.

"Hey," Taylor said after a long silence, her voice barely above a whisper. "Can I ask you something?"

Luna hummed softly. "Mhm?"

"It's kind of big."

Luna shifted, propping herself up slightly to see Taylor's face. "Okay... you're scaring me a little."

Taylor gave a nervous laugh, brushing her fingers across Luna's cheek. "Not bad big. Just... maybe future big."

Luna studied her for a second, then relaxed back into the pillows. "Okay. Hit me."

Taylor took a breath. "Do you ever think about getting married? Like... us. One day."

Luna blinked, caught off guard — not because she hadn't thought about it, but because she didn't expect Taylor to ask it first. "You mean, like, a courthouse thing? Or a forest elopement with witchy florals and a folky string quartet?"