The Last Time

"Are you good to go?"

Taylor nods her head in approval and the first chords of the song begin to sing out of Ed's worn out guitar. There's something different about tonight. It's the last night of the red tour, and they both know it. Ed looks at her with eyes full of happiness but she can see the glint of sadness that she knows is present in her own as well. Is this really it? Is it really the last time? When will be the next time they see each other? She doesn't like how she cannot answer many of these questions.

She doesn't want to think about it, not now. They playfully finish the song, and it suddenly sets in that this is the last performance together for a while. Ed walks towards Taylor with heavy eyes and wraps both of his arms around her.

As his head rests on her shoulder for the brief second, the words, "I love you" escape his lips. He was gone before she could say anything, and she stood there motionless.

No, maybe she didn't hear him right. Maybe it was a misunderstanding. She wanted to believe that he had meant what he just said, so she did, and for the first time in her life it made her feel warm inside. She didn't feel scared, and she didn't want to run away from it. She had never felt this way about anyone before. Six months with Ed definitely deepened their friendship, but she hadn't realized how much. Not until moments ago. Maybe this was something she wanted all along.

The smile didn't part from her face the rest of the show. She kept thinking to what she believed he had said. What comes next?

Before she knows it, she is preparing to perform the final song of the night. The music starts playing and her dancers depart from their position in front of her. As she begins singing, her head moves right and then left. She does a double take. Her eyes widen. That's when she spots him, dressed in the white costume with red stretched across his face to match the other dancers. He did this to surprise her. He did this for her.

His attempts at dancing are, well, awkward to say in the least, but she admires it still. It makes her laugh, and she realizes that his ability to do that to her is something she loves about him.

"Come here." She says demanding while pulling him closer. He follows her demands. She wants to kiss him now, to return the words he had said earlier in the show.

He follows along with the choreography, trying to remember as much as he can from what he has learned in less than a day. He's thinking about how beautiful she is while performing; he's thinking about how flawless she is; he's thinking about the words he gave her earlier; he's thinking about kissing her to reinforce his words. He wants her to know how he feels before he has to leave in the morning.

Together they are running up the stairs and standing side by side, taking bows and posing. Ed mimics Taylor's poses, and soon she motions for him to move back a little. The lift begins to move downward.

As soon as she's sure that they are out of the view of others, she turns and pulls him towards her and crushes her lips to his with such passion and so much emotion that has been bottled up for so long. Ed surely was not expecting this, but he returns the kiss, reassuring her that he feels the same way. He was expecting to make the first move, but this feels right. A moment later, Taylor realizes that they've made it to the bottom. She doesn't know how long they've been there and neither does he, but for now it's just them two.

The music stops and she pulls away, still close enough that their foreheads are touching. Her hand rests at the back of his neck and his hands are at her waist. They stand quiet for a few seconds until her words break the silence.

"I love you too." She says.

For both of them, this feels right. For the first time in both of their lives, they feel at home within one another. They stand there, motionless for what feels like forever. Looking into her piercing blue eyes, he sees himself with eyes much like her own. They begin to hear laughter and footsteps from band members making their way off the stage. They both pull away quickly, and start heading towards the noise. Smiles stain the two faces. Maybe this isn't the last time.