While Lucas and Taylor worked on their songs, social media began buzzing with news of his New York arrival.
The initial paparazzi photos from Teterboro barely caused a stir, but when someone snapped pictures of Lucas entering Taylor's Tribeca penthouse, the internet exploded.
Entertainment sites immediately ran with the story:
"CONFIRMED: Lucas Knight and Taylor Swift Reunite for New Music Project"
"A Star Is Born Stars Back in Studio Together"
"Knight-Swift Collaboration: Round Two Coming Soon?"
Fans flooded Twitter with excitement:
"Lucas and Taylor back together in the studio? We're being FED 😭"
"A Star Is Born gave us Shallow, can't wait to see what they create this time!"
"Their chemistry in the movie was unreal, and now we get new music?"
The memories of their previous collaboration as Jackson and Ally in "A Star Is Born," particularly their performance of "Shallow," had fans eagerly anticipating what this new project would bring. Their duet had become iconic, with millions of views across streaming platforms.
Social media quickly divided into two passionate camps. The Lucas-Taylor shippers filled Twitter with their hopes:
"Lucas and Taylor would literally be the perfect power couple. The talent, the chemistry!"
"Jennifer's cool but imagine Lucas and Taylor together? They'd rule Hollywood."
"Anyone else think Lucas and Taylor are secretly perfect for each other? Those studio sessions must be intense 👀"
The LuciFer fanbase responded with fierce loyalty:
"Lucas and Jennifer are literally soulmates, stop trying to break them up."
"My sources say Lucas is already ring shopping for Jennifer. Stay mad."
"Friendly reminder that Lucas and Jennifer have been together for years. It's just work, calm down."
The debate escalated across platforms as both sides dug in:
Taylor fans: "They've got more chemistry in one song than Lucas and Jennifer have in years 🤷"
LuciFer fans: "Imagine thinking a few studio sessions mean more than a long-term relationship. Touch grass."
The hashtags #LucasTaylor and #LuciFer trended as fans battled it out in the comments sections of every entertainment site covering the collaboration.
The battle between fan groups grew so intense that even casual observers found themselves drawn into the drama. #WhoWillLucasChoose topped Twitter's trending list, as the debate took over social media.
Then someone changed the game entirely:
"Forget Jennifer and Taylor, I'm Team Lucas x Ryan Reynolds!" The tweet featured an expertly edited photo of Lucas and Ryan in a dramatic embrace, complete with romantic lighting and rose petals. Two million views later, the meme wars had begun.
"Lucas Knight and Keanu Reeves are the OTP we deserve!" Another user posted, sharing a photoshopped image of the two actors in a passionate kiss. The post sparked an avalanche of similar edits, each more ridiculous than the last.
What started as a fierce shipping war transformed into an internet-wide comedy fest. Late night hosts couldn't resist jumping in - Jimmy Fallon featured a segment showcasing the best edits, while James Corden did a dramatic reading of the most outrageous fan tweets.
The meme continued to spread as YouTubers began featuring it in their videos. PewDiePie clicked through the edited photos, his authentic laugh carrying through the video.
"Oh my god," he chuckled, shaking his head at the Lucas-Keanu edit. "This is actually really good editing though. And I mean, they'd probably get along pretty well - both seem like genuinely nice guys in real life."
The Lucas-Keanu pairing quickly emerged as the internet's favorite take on the meme.
People couldn't help drawing parallels between the two actors - Keanu's legendary humility becoming more widely known just as stories of Lucas's quiet charity work were surfacing.
Neither sought attention for their good deeds; the media had to dig to uncover Lucas's extensive philanthropic work.
The original shipping war between Jennifer and Taylor fans became almost background noise compared to the Keanu memes.
Some media outlets couldn't resist stirring the pot, publishing speculative headlines like, "Was Jennifer Lawrence Kept in the Dark About Lucas's Secret Meeting with Taylor?"
The baseless rumors infuriated Jennifer's fans. When reporters started reaching out to Jennifer and her team about the spreading news, it became a real distraction.
In the middle of preparing for her Hunger Games role, Jennifer found herself dealing with these pointless speculations. Rubbing her temples in frustration, she decided to address it directly. She posted a quick Vine video setting the record straight - yes, she knew about Lucas's collaboration with Taylor, and no, there wasn't any drama.
While the video silenced most of the gossip, some skeptics still insisted she was just trying to save face and protect her relationship.
---
In Taylor's studio, Lucas and Taylor took a break after finishing their recording session. Taylor reached for her phone, scrolling through social media updates.
"It's barely been a week since we started working together again, and look at all these rumors flying around," Taylor said, shaking her head at her screen.
"Part of the celebrity package," Lucas replied with a resigned smile. "Can't avoid it."
"True enough." Taylor continued scrolling, then let out a laugh. "At least something good came out of all this - these memes are actually hilarious. People shipping you with every celebrity in Hollywood."
She turned her phone toward Lucas. "Look at this one."
Lucas leaned in to see an expertly edited photo of him and Snoop Dogg in a romantic embrace. He could only shake his head, though a smile tugged at his lips.
"Not gonna lie, they're quite creative with these edits," Lucas said, scrolling through more photos.
"Right?" Taylor laughed. "The editing skills are honestly impressive."
They soon set aside the internet drama to focus on their work. Despite the outside distractions, they had songs to perfect.
---
Days blended together as they worked, fine-tuning melodies and trading lyric ideas.
After weeks of collaboration, Lucas and Taylor had completed their songs together. Though they still needed to rehearse for the upcoming concert, their separate Christmas plans meant that would have to wait.
"I had a lot of fun with this collab. I'll miss you," Taylor said, giving Lucas a quick hug goodbye.
"Yeah, me too," Lucas smiled. "We'll pick up the rehearsals after the holidays."
Taylor nodded. After exchanging a few words with her parents and manager, Lucas left with Neil and his team.
The moment they stepped out of the Tribeca penthouse, camera flashes greeted them - the paparazzi had been waiting.
"Lucas! How's Jennifer feeling about your time with Taylor?" The paparazzi shouted, cameras flashing rapidly.
"Jennifer and I are doing great," Lucas replied calmly, moving through the crowd. "She's fully supportive of the collaboration."
His security team cleared a path to their waiting SUV, and they quickly left the scene behind.
At the private airfield, they boarded Lucas's jet for the flight back to Los Angeles. Hours later, as they landed, Lucas spotted Jennifer waiting by her car.
"I missed you," she said, pulling him into a tight hug.
"Missed you too," Lucas murmured against her hair.
After saying goodbye to his team, Lucas and Jennifer slipped into her car's privacy. As they pulled away from the airfield, Jennifer glanced at him with a slight smile.
"You and Taylor certainly got everyone talking," she said.
"Jealous?" Lucas asked, half-teasing.
Jennifer shook her head, leaning against his shoulder. "No need. I trust you completely."
Lucas felt warmth spread through his chest at Jennifer's words, responding with a tender smile. They planned to spend the entire holiday season together, not wanting to wait until Christmas itself.
Their frequent public appearances together quickly dampened the collaboration rumors.
Entertainment media shifted focus to celebrating their relationship, with fans sharing photos of the couple enjoying simple moments around Los Angeles.
Between these precious moments with Jennifer, Lucas researched the South Korean music industry. His knowledge of which groups would explode in popularity gave him a unique advantage. The potential returns from early investment in these future K-pop powerhouses could significantly boost his philanthropic endeavors.
The profits would flow directly into LK Research's medical projects and his other charitable initiatives. Cancer research, in particular, needed consistent funding - breakthrough treatments required years of sustained investment.
By positioning himself early in what he knew would become a multi-billion dollar industry, Lucas could secure a steady stream of resources for causes that truly mattered.
Lucas understood capitalism's fundamental flaws stemmed from human nature itself - greed driving people to hoard wealth rather than using it for meaningful change.
The system wasn't broken because it didn't work, but because too many wielded it for personal gain instead of societal benefit.
But that same system, properly directed, could fund research, healthcare, and innovation that helped millions. The key was channeling profits toward what truly mattered - not another luxury car or mansion, but medical breakthroughs and humanitarian causes.
In his living room, Lucas studied reports about BTS's growing popularity and BLACKPINK's impressive debut. BigHit Entertainment's strategic moves particularly caught his attention, along with promising developments from TWICE and Red Velvet.
Jennifer settled beside him on the couch, peering at the papers. "What's got you so focused?"
"Just looking into some Korean music groups," Lucas explained. "Think they're going to be huge in the coming years. Might be worth investing in."
"Interesting," Jennifer murmured, then leaned closer with a playful smile. "But maybe we can discuss business strategies tomorrow? I've got other plans for tonight."
Lucas caught her meaning immediately, setting aside the reports with a knowing smile.
Lucas and Jennifer spent their days in comfortable domesticity, their relationship growing stronger. For Christmas, they escaped to Switzerland, enjoying the privacy of snow-covered mountains and cozy chalets away from Hollywood's spotlight.
As January 2017 arrived, they returned to work, diving back into the intense world of Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2. The familiar dynamic of working together on set made the long shooting days feel natural.
In the midst of filming, Summit Entertainment dropped the "La La Land" trailer on YouTube.
The preview of Lucas and Emma Stone's musical romance captured audiences immediately - seven million views in just two hours.
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