𝐑𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 | 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐢𝐞 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐬

𝟑𝟔 | 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐰

When we returned to the garage, Luke and Reggie were getting ready for the show. Alex and I were still catching up on twenty-five years worth of fangirling.

"But like, Kanye publicly humiliated her and she turned it into an entire era," I explained. "But when you actually listen to it - none of it's actually about him. It's about finding yourself again and falling in love. That's a power move."

"Fine," Alex huffed. "But 1989 changed lives."

I came to a halt and placed a hand on Alex's arm, regarding him seriously. "Reputation changed my afterlife."

Alex scoffed. "You were a Red girlie like ten minutes ago."

I shook my head, still serious. "Not after listening to Reputation."

"Honestly, I think you're more of a Speak Now girlie."

"Don't start," I warned. "That's a dangerous path none of us want to go down."

"What are you guys talking about?" Reggie asked, half-interested, half-concerned.

"Reggie's a Debut stan," I stated.

"With a sprinkle of Fearless," Alex added.

"Yes!" I agreed as I slowly began to circle around Luke. "But what about Luke. Luke, Luke, Luke."

I stopped and looked Alex dead in the eye. "Don't you dare say what I know you're about to suggest."

Alex raised his hands in defence. "But it works!"

"What is going on right now?" Luke whispered to Reggie.

"I. Don't. Know," Reggie feared.

"You're only saying Lover because of ... circumstances," I blushed a little. "But I want to know which one he is at his core."

"Fine," Alex pondered. "There's a lot of guitar riffs in Speak Now."

"True," I placed my hands on Luke's shoulders. "You're Speak Now."

"Mine, Sparks Fly, Enchanted," Alex began listening off the lovey-dovey songs off Speak Now.

"Shut up, Alex!" I exclaimed before pinching Luke's cheek. "You're so right, though."

"Um, okay ... " Luke slowly started to back away. "Can we have our drummer back for the next half hour or so?"

"Fine," I rolled my eyes as I pulled a pair of AirPods out of my pocket and placed them in my ears. "But I'm moving on to Folklore without you."

"No!"

"Whoa! What are those?" Reggie asked.

"AirPods," I stated as I twirled the case around in my hand. "The headphones of the future."

"The present," Luke corrected, removing them from my ears. "And no, we need our number one sound engineer."

I turned to Alex. "See? How could he possibly be Lover when he's a hater?"

———

When we went outside, we saw the garden had been bedazzled with fairy lights and streamers.

"Whoa," I said as I admired the artwork. "It looks great out here."

"Yeah," Reggie agreed. "Flynn has been out here all day."

"Did I tell you which song we're going with yet?" Luke asked as he placed and arm around me.

"No," I rolled my eyes. "But based on that cheeky little grin of yours I'm gonna go with Edge Of Great."

"Bingo!" Luke chimed, before kissing me on the cheek. "And thank you."

"No, thank you for making it better," I took his hands in mine. "I know I've been giving it a hard time, but the song does really mean a lot to me. I wrote it about me and Rose after Rose suggested I give songwriting a try."

"And now her daughter is going to be singing it back to you," Luke smiled, caressing my hands with his thumbs. "We won't let you down."

"I know," I smiled.

It was as we stood there, staring into one another's eyes, that I realised Alex was right - he did look at me differently. I couldn't help but smile.

"What are you smiling at?" Luke teased.

"Alex was right," I admitted. "You're so Lover."

"I thought I was a hater?" Luke joked.

"Nah," I scrunched my nose. "You're too Loverable."

"I still don't know what you're talking about," Luke said. "But it sounds adorabable."

Luke smiled before our lips met.

"Alright, enough of that lovebirds!" Reggie exclaimed. "We've got a show to put on!"

And what a show it was, they killed it as always.