Requested By: Brittleheartwrm
"Mmm, this is delicious," Joe took another bite of the steak.
Taylor smiled, "Thanks."
"I don't understand how you can be so good at singing, painting, writing, and cooking," Joe grinned at her.
Taylor blushed, "Thank you."
Soon they finished their dinner, and moved over to the couch. "Want to watch something?" Joe suggested.
"Sure," Taylor said, "How about that new documentary on Netflix?"
"Sounds good," Joe nodded, taking the remote and turning on the TV. Switching to the documentary, he clicked play.
Taylor looked up at him, "Can I have a back massage?"
Joe chuckled, "I suppose so."
Taylor smiled, resting her head on Joe's lap. Joe gently massaged her back, occasionally placing a few kisses on her back. A hour and a half later, the documentary was over. Taylor groaned, not wanting to move.
"Ready to go to bed now?" Joe asked, still rubbing her back.
"Can we take a bath first?" Taylor asked, sitting up slightly.
Joe kissed her cheek, "I feel like this is just a way for you to prolong your massage."
Taylor smiled sweetly, "Maybe."
Joe grinned, "Alright."
They walked up the stairs together, and into the bathroom. Joe turned on the water, before stripping off his clothes. Taylor did the same, stepping into the bathtub. Joe sat behind her, and Taylor scooted into his lap. Joe began to massage her back, pressing little kisses on her shoulder.
Taylor leaned her head back, "I love you so much."
"Love you too," Joe mumbled.
Taylor smiled, "You're the best."
Joe kissed her cheek, "You aren't so bad yourself."
Taylor laughed softly, and Joe wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. Taylor shifted, so she was now straddling Joe. She rested her hands on his chest, placing a soft kiss on his lips. Joe leaned into the kiss, smiling.
They eventually broke apart, and Taylor rested her head on his chest, tracing his abs with her finger. "How did I end up with such a hot boyfriend."
Joe chuckled, "I could say the same about you."
Taylor blushed, "Really?"
"Duh!" Joe kissed the top of her head, "I mean c'mon, your gorgeous."
"Will you ever stop quoting my lyrics," Taylor rolled her eyes.
"Nope," Joe chuckled.
They stayed in the bathtub for fifteen more minutes, before drying off and changing into pajamas. Taylor was in Joe's shirt, and Joe was in sweatpants and a t-shirt. They got into bed, Joe wrapping an arm around Taylor. "My feet are cold," Taylor complained.
Joe put her feet between his, warming them up. "G'night," Joe said softly.
"Night," Taylor said, as they both slipped into sleep.
_______________________________
Five Hours Later
"TAYLOR! TAYLOR HONEY!" A voice called from downstairs. Taylor and Joe both woke with a jolt. Taylor looked up at Joe, terrified. Joe motioned for Taylor to be quiet, slowly standing up from bed.
"Darling! Your husband is home! It's been awhile!" The voice came again.
Joe motioned for Taylor to stand up. Grabbing their phone's off of the nightstand, he locked the bedroom door, before walking back over to Taylor and wrapping his arm around her shoulder. He guided her into the bathroom, locking the door behind them. He opened the towel closet, sitting down in it and motioning for Taylor to sit down next to him. Taylor's eyes were wide open, and she stared out at the door.
Joe rubbed her back as he dialed 911, bringing the phone to his ear. "MY LOVE! My darling Taylor! You've changed the house a little!" Taylor let out a whimper, and Joe kissed the top of her head. He then talked to the dispatcher, telling them exactly what was happening and giving them their address. He then hung up, turning back to Taylor. Tears were streaming down her face silently.
He pulled her closer, letting her bury her face into his shirt. "Darling! I'm home! Where are you?" The voice came again. "Tay tay! Did you lock the door on me?"
There was a rattling on the bedroom door. Taylor let out a small whimper, and Joe pulled her closer. He placed small kisses on her head, trying to calm her down. "Are you under the bed?" The voice laughed. "I wonder what we could do on the bed."
Taylor covered her mouth, trying not to sob. Joe closed his eyes, holding her tightly. "Maybe your in the closet?" They heard footsteps walking over to the other side of the room. "Look at all these lovely clothes you have!"
"Are you in the bathroom?" The voice said loudly. "I'm coming in!"
There was a crash, and footsteps came closer towards them. Suddenly there was a loud sound of sirens, and Joe breathed a small sigh of relief. "Tay, love, you didn't call anybody now, did you?" The voice said. "I'm not going to be happy if you called someone."
The footsteps walked around for a moment, before there was a loud shout from downstairs. "Police! Please come down here now!"
"You bitch," The voice said, and Joe simply pulled Taylor closer. Seven minutes later the closet door opened, but this time there was a policeman standing there. Taylor let out a sob, burying her face in Joe's chest.
"Ms. Swift? Mr. Alwyn? Are you guys alright?" The man asked.
Joe stood up, helping Taylor up with him. "Yes, thank you."
"Okay, we're just going to need you to come down stairs so we can figure out what happened," He said.
Taylor and Joe followed him downstairs, Taylor clinging onto Joe's arm. Another police officer came up to them, "Hey, I'm Alex. Your Taylor and Joe?"
Joe nodded, as Taylor was still in shock.
"Okay, so we're still trying how exactly he got in, and everything that's happening. But it'll be alright. Do you have a friend, a family member you could stay with?" Alex asked.
"Um, my Mum doesn't live too far away. We could drive over there," Joe suggested.
"Alright, we just need to ask you two a few questions, then you two can go. We will need you back here tomorrow to ask you a few more questions." Alex said.
After they answered a few questions, mainly Joe, they went out to the driver, who had arrived a little earlier. "To Elizabeth's house please," Joe said, giving a polite smile.
He sat down in the car, helping Taylor in. He rested his hand on her thigh, she had barely said anything since it had happened. He texted his mum in advance that they were coming, and summarized the situation. Once they arrived, he took Taylor's hand, leading her to the door.
Elizabeth was there, and quickly opened the door, "Oh my god you guys, come on in."
Elizabeth ushered them to the couch. "Are you guys alright?"
"We're fine, mum," Joe said. "I think we just want to go to bed now."
"Oh of course, you can go to the downstairs guest bedroom," Elizabeth said.
Joe nodded, gently walking Taylor over to the bedroom. Taylor laid down on the bed, and Joe sat down next to her. "Hey, you good love?" Joe asked her, rubbing her should softly.
Taylor didn't reply, just stared out. "It's okay if you aren't okay, but you can say so," Joe said quietly.
Taylor just shook her head, a tear slipping down her cheek. Joe bit his lip, deciding to give her time. He laid down next to her, wrapping his arm around her. The next morning Joe woke up first, deciding to make some tea for himself. Only Patrick was up, finishing last minute homework at the counter. Patrick turned to see Joe, "Hey, I heard about the whole thing. Are you and Taylor okay?"
Joe nodded slightly, "We're both a little phased, but we'll be fine."
Patrick nodded, going back to his homework. Joe made some tea, sitting down on the couch and sipping it. Suddenly there was a loud scream from the bedroom, and Joe stood up with a jolt.
Patrick turned around, a worried look on his face. "I'll be right back," Joe said, quickly running over to the guest bedroom.
Taylor was sobbing on the bed, her face buried in her hands. Joe rushed over to Taylor, sitting down next to her on the bed. "Taylor, love, darling," Joe said, rubbing her back. "It's okay, your safe, it's okay."
Taylor continued to cry, tears flowing down her cheeks. Joe cradled her close, kissing her on the head. Joe pulled her in tightly, whispering encouraging words until the tears stopped. Joe held her close, "Your alright."
She wiped her eyes, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm just so scared."
"It's okay, we're safe," Joe comforted her. "We're safe."
Taylor buried her face in his chest, "I'm so sorry."
"It's alright," Joe assured her. "It's okay."
Taylor nodded to herself, sighing. "Do you want to talk?" Joe asked softly.
"Not really," Taylor mumbled.
"Do you want to go get some breakfast?" Joe asked.
Taylor nodded. They both stood up, Joe squeezing Taylor's hand. They walked out to the kitchen, where Patrick was still doing homework at the counter. Patrick looked at them, "Is everything okay?"
Taylor forced a smile, "Yup. Um, sorry about that. Bad dream."
Patrick nodded, not quite buying it, but letting them have some space. "I'm gonna go up to my room."
Joe gave him a quick nod, helping Taylor sit down at the counter. "Want some coffee?" Joe asked.
"Yes please," Taylor mumbled, looking down at the counter.
Joe began making some coffee, occasionally glancing over at her to make sure she was okay. He brought her the coffee, sitting down next to her. He kissed her cheek, "So I think we have to go over back to the house later this afternoon, okay?"
"Okay," Taylor said blankly.
Joe furrowed his eyebrows, "Love, you sure you don't want to talk about anything."
Taylor bit her lip, "Um, well. I love you, I mean we've been dating for two years."
Joe cocked his head, "I mean yeah...?"
"And like I really, really, love you. Your the best boyfriend I could ever wish for. Ever." Taylor took a breath.
Joe wasn't quite sure where she was going this, "Thanks...?"
"But we need to break up," Taylor raised up her hand. "And before you say anything, I've thought about it a lot. And really I just... I really don't want to put you in this life."
Joe shook his head, "Taylor... what? Where is this coming from? We talked about this when we first started dating."
"I know but I just... it's not fair to you." Taylor put her head in her hands.
Joe sighed, "Taylor, I. Don't. Care. I want to be with you, no matter what."
"Joe, I can't do this to you! I can't literally put my boyfriend in fucking danger." a tear slipped down Taylor's cheek, "I can't do that to someone."
Joe placed a hand on Taylor's shoulder, "Tay. You aren't doing anything to me, because I'm choosing to be with you. Because I love you."
Taylor began to sob, trying to wipe away the tears. Joe ran his hand through his hair, "Tay..."
"Can you not talk to me right now?" Taylor said in between sobs. "I just need to... think."
She stood up, walking towards the hallway. On the way she passed Elizabeth who had an alarmed look on her face as she passed Taylor. Joe was sitting in the kitchen, his head in his hands. Elizabeth looked at him curiously, "Everything alright Joe?"
Joe turned to her, "Does it look like everything's okay?"
Elizabeth bit her lip, "So what happened?"
Joe explained the whole situation, and Elizabeth listened carefully. Once Joe finished, Elizabeth sighed. "So it's kind of like what happened at the beginning of your relationship. I think she's just scared that she'll scare you away, so she's trying to push you away before you walk away from her."
"But I won't walk away from her!" Joe said, exasperated.
"I know, but you have to tell her that, she's obviously going through a lot with everything that happened." Elizabeth explained.
"I tried!" Joe let out a frustrated groaned.
Elizabeth sighed, "I know it's hard, but you just have to try harder. I think she's just in the guest bedroom, go talk to her."
Joe hesitated, before standing up. "Okay."
Elizabeth watched him walk down the hallway, before he turned the corner. Joe knocked on the door, "Tay?"
"Come in," A small voice called from the bedroom.
Joe opened the door, stepping inside. Taylor was sitting on the bed, her headphones lying next to her. He walked over to her slowly, "Hey."
"Hey," Taylor replied quietly, looking down at her lap. "So um, we can figure out the logistics later, but after we talk to the people about last night you can leave. I might go back to New York."
Joe furrowed his eyebrows, "What are you talking about?"
"We're breaking up," Taylor said firmly.
Joe tilted his head, "We aren't breaking up, I thought that was established."
"I know but I just... we really should. I can't bring you into this. We're breaking up," Taylor said, looking down at her lap.
"Two years. We have literally been dating for two years. For two years I have poured everything into this relationship. I have loved you with ever inch of my heart. Then one instance changes everything? Your just calling it over? Without even talking about," Joe said, his confusion slowly morphing into anger.
"It's not like that," Taylor said defensively. "It's not like I want to break up with you."
"Then why are you breaking up with me?" Joe said incredulously.
Taylor's mouth opened and closed, before her eyes glassed over, "Can I just have a hug?"
Joe stood there, confused. Taylor's breaths became labored, and she closed her eyes, trying to clear her mind. Joe saw what was happening, and rushed over to her, wrapping his arms around her. "Hey, hey, hey, it's alright. It's okay. We can just talk about it. Everything's going to be okay. Just take a deep breath."
Taylor's breaths were uneven, "I just can't- I'm so scared. I can't bring someone else into this, and bring this fear into someone else's life. I can't, I can't."
"Shhh," Joe whispered into her ear. "It's okay. It's alright."
He ran his hand through her hair, holding her tighter, "Everything is alright," Joe repeated. Eventually Taylor calmed down, closing her eyes. Joe held her close, "It's okay."
Taylor whimpered slightly, curling up into a ball. Joe kissed the top of her head, rubbing her back gently. Taylor wiped her eyes, sniffling. They stayed there for a while, Joe holding Taylor close. Joe looked at Taylor's tear-stained face, trying hard not to cry at the sight of it. Taylor looked up at him, not sure what to say. Joe bit his lip, "Do you still want to break up with me?"
Taylor paused, "I don't know."
Joe's face fell, "Oh."
"Joe I love you, I just don't deserve you." Taylor said softly. "I don't want to put you through this."
"You aren't putting me through anything!" Joe said. "How many times do I have to say this?"
"I don't know! I love you so much, and I don't want to break up with you, but I have too!" Taylor said, putting her head in her hands.
Joe sighed, "Taylor you don't have to do anything! We're running in circles! Can we just agree to not break up over this? We can just talk about it."
"Well what do you want to talk about?" Taylor said.
"I love you. And you love me. Okay? So I really don't think we should break up. And I don't care if you think your pulling me into your world, because I will gladly always step into your world. Because I love you, and I would do anything to be with you," Joe gave her a soft kiss.
Taylor held back tears as she looked him in the eye, "Okay. Okay, I won't break up with you."
Joe smiled a little, "Promise?"
"Promise. I'm really sorry, your right," Taylor said, smiling back a little.
Joe brushed a loose piece of hair behind her ear, leaning forward and placing a small kiss on her lips, "So we're okay?"
"We're okay," Taylor assured.
I think I'll make a part two of this! Just about them both having nightmares and stuff. Would you guys be interested?
-Livi ❤️