~ ❀ ✿ ~

𝐋𝐀𝐁𝐘𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐇 ― ☀ ☁ ― 𝖑𝖆𝖇𝖞𝖗𝖎𝖓𝖙𝖍

\\ 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 //

IT WAS JUST THAT KIND OF DAY TODAY.

Her father had visited upon training in the morning, getting up in the air with them for the first time to show off his pilot skills, and the day couldn't have gone by smoother.

Taylor'd drove Glen, Danny, and Lewis back to the hotel, and Monica was planning to sleep over for the final few days of training they had left.

It was a Friday night, so she'd called everyone over for dinner and playing board games, which they'd made a tradition out of while they awaited their fellow others finish their flight training.

She'd taken a shower, after letting Goose place his sloppy but forever lovable kisses all over her face and palms.

The pup had been doing good, nearing his three-year mark soon. He was a momma's boy through and through, following her around the house, getting in bed with her and cuddling in, wanting to eat his meals with her, always looking forward to spending all his time with her.

The few times Glen'd come over with take-out and their routinely 'sit and talk', Goose had been all over him, laying by his side and only his, almost disregarding Taylor, if not for her giving him his food.

She didn't mind one bit, glad to know that the poor dog who'd before been untrusting of men, was gradually opening up to someone she could call a shoulder to rest on, a safety net to fall back on.

The last couple of days, she was trying to keep her mind off of a certain, temporarily, sandy brown-haired man with a growing moustache that looked good on him and it was only him who could pull it off.

It was wrong, and she was glad she'd at least realized it.

He had a girlfriend, someone who he constantly spoke about, or to, that too, with beautiful honesty about how much he really loved her. That should be enough for her goose bumps to stop doing their thing every time he was in a hundred-feet radius between her.

Taylor figured she was jealous that someone younger than her had a more stable 'love' life than she did.

No, she didn't want to jump into marriage, but, just having someone to call after a bad or a good day seemed enough for now.

There was conflict in the chords as she sat by the piano, hands perched over the ivory keys after she stroke them randomly.

One of Swift's unreleased songs had been prominent in her mind ever since she'd been sent a version of her by the piano singing it.

Taylor had always loved all things music.

She'd learnt to play the piano and guitar simultaneously when she was sixteen, having found the love for all of it when she'd meet Taylor for the first time.

Her best-friend was practically the music industry, who, speaking of, has an album awaited by her fans, on which, she might or might have not meddled on in.

She supposed she didn't hear the door open with the keys she'd handed Glen because the guy practically lived here.

She strikes up a few notes, listening to the melody they create together, figuring out the perfection of it all.

She can hear her voice all of a sudden, slow whispers of the song escaping her as she looks down upon the piano, hearing paws against the marble floors, knowing Goose loved to listen and sit by when she'd be by the piano.

"And," She shakes her head when she realizes she was playing in the wrong key, bringing her hands backwards and checking over the keys before perching them back over the ivory, pressing softly and with a bit of pressure when she felt necessary.

"I," Taylor drags the word, just as she figures out she's in the right key, small smile lighting up her face in the excitement.

Goose's mouth opens again, panting, and she looks down at him with a smile, "That's the one, right, bub?" He closes his mouth, before opening back again, the corners of his mouth perked upwards, in what she could assume was a smile.

Then, it's a melodious jumble of chords heard, one that entices goosebumps to rise over her body, and the others who stood behind her watching, mixing with her sweet voice as she sings out, not knowing they'd entered.

"I don't wanna look at anything else now that I saw you," Not knowing what to say, she improvises, humming a random tune before she adds it in the song for herself, knowing she'd send a recording to Taylor for further ideas.

"I can never look away," She couldn't. She couldn't find herself looking away every time his hazel greens met her emerald ones.

But, why?

"And, I don't wanna think of anything else, now that I thought of you." The piano is slow, and beautiful, piecing the piece together in the best ways possible.

It's a random mix of words, the next ones, but somehow they make much sense for her to raise her brows in surprise at herself, "I've been sleeping so long," A pause that lasts two seconds as the piano's done with an echo of the last chord, "in a twenty-year dark night,"

Her brows raise in utmost pleasure at figuring out what could possibly go up, continuing as her lips crinkle upwards in delight, "And now, I see daylight, and I only see daylight."

She has to 'ooh', because she knew it comes from her heart. She'd had a busy life, and she'd seen some shit, but now, as she's back in the air and training and extremely close to start shooting what could be the big breaks of her fellow cast members, and mentally-position-earned best friends, she was happy. Lighter, loving the luminescence and brightness of her life today.

Taylor ends her whispers with a repeat of the first few chords she'd played at the beginning, before dragging her fingers across the piano from left to right in a swift manner, and playing the last high note on it, with a chuckle.

They've got the song now.

What she didn't have, in this specific moment, or she swears it was one of her best qualities as an active aviator, is spatial awareness, because the way she was scared when she hears whoops and cheers from behind her, it would almost seem to someone that she was a horror movie character in the climax of it.

Her terrified-ness though, is immediately replaced with a mix of embarrassment and surprise, delighted enough to see them come over, even more humiliated when she stubs her toes on the chair by the piano.

She turns around, simultaneously, feeling the wave of pain run up her knee as she hops on her right leg to turn around to get a glimpse of the intruders.

Taylor hears the beginning of a snort from Glen, giving him her wide 'mom' eyes as he calls it, pointing her free hand at him, "You dare, Powell!"

Glen covers up his snort with a cough, throwing up an offended hand to his chest.

"Hi!" She nervously chuckles, looking over at everyone else, who were busy covering their faces or hiding their amusement, scratching the back of her neck as she looks down at her feet before at them.

"That looked like it hurt." Miles whispers to Monica, who nods, jutting her lip out at the thought of being in Taylor's shoes.

"Just, get your asses to the couch-"

And she didn't have to say anything more, watching them with a smile as they hurriedly scamper over and through one another towards the couch.

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

AND SOMEHOW, THEY ENDED UP AT THE BEACH.

Laz, Lennie, Cas, JJ, and Slick had hopped on the first opportunity to scoop Taylor up into a hug the moment they laid there eyes on her, having just gotten back from a week's worth of extensive flying.

Naturally, Cas found Monica's side, and she had to contain her excitement when he kissed her forehead.

Currently, they'd been given the pass of a single drink, just the very one, unauthorized by anyone but Taylor for the evening, who'd made sure they promised not to drink at all after this once.

Taylor was nursing a cold beer in her hand, talking to Lazarus about their current mission, Glen, folding his hands over one another as the both of them pay attention.

She remembers how it used to be, the six of them, side to side, literally, up in the air and possibly cloud nine, care-free because they knew they had each other's backs.

And then, she was hit by the train of truth.

Maybe, Taylor missed being an active Naval aviator.

She was, perhaps, trying to avoid that very fact, but being back in the air after so long, and with the return of that nostalgic, familiar sense of belonging, she briefly wondered if she was totally not crazy for wanting to return, even if it was a small part of her that did.

The accident had been rough, not just on her, but everyone she knew and loved.

But she came out fine.

Practically feeling her soul shake her head at the idea, she shivers it off slightly, pulling her leather jacket ever so close to her body, brushing a hair back.

Her beer bottle clinks against Laz's, smiling at him as the both of them engage in an unsaid chugging competition.

Taylor's eyes wander over the others, looking over them and making sure they were all smiling and busy being happy as she gulps her last sip of the beer.

She did not mean to find Miles already looking at her with an amuse-stricken smile, shaking his head before shifting his eyes from hers. His hands were around a cold beer glass, fingers pressed against the cold condensation, his forming biceps perching from under his button down tucked into grey jeans.

And there's that rush down her spine.

No.

She tries not to groan in disappointment when she catches a glimpse of Keleigh cuddling into his side, arms wrapped around him, and what not.

Yeah, Taylor being single was definitely the problem here.

What was she even thinking?

Was she even thinking?

She's hit by a bus, a crystal clear realization.

Taylor Cruise had a crush on Miles Teller.

Is that where the brightness was returning from?

Is that where the random coldness down her spine rushes in from?

Is that where the longing of not being able to see his gorgeous green-mixed-truly-stunningly-with-brown eyes comes from?

Well, shit.

And she knew him how long exactly?

Nearing three and a half months now.

How was this even possible?

And they still had about six more months of work to do, then the press work. Then, the parties, then the interviews, and god knows who and what.

So. Much. Being. Around. Him.

Worst part is, she thinks her father's going to assign her and Miles for interviews.

Okay, okay, maybe she's overthinking this just a bit.

It's just a crush.

Crushes surpass, crushes end.

Taylor could only hope she wouldn't start writing actual songs for him now. Ridiculous.

But what if she already has?

Just this afternoon?