It's All Part of the Story

The one where Taylor learns about baseball rivalries

September 2014

"Did you see the game last Sunday?" Kurt asks before taking a sip of his beer.

"Did I see the Giants lose spectacularly?" Karlie says with a small smirk. "No, but I wish I had."

"You're not a fan of the Giants?" Taylor asks and Karlie scoffs and shakes her head.

"Of course not."

Taylor settles back against Karlie's side more comfortably, leaning her head back against Karlie's shoulder and lets the talk of baseball wash over her as she watches the flames flicker in the fire pit in the Kloss's backyard. Kristine had gone to bed about an hour ago as she was flying back to California the following morning after the holiday weekend and the twins had left on a mission to find some marshmallows to toast.

"This is gonna be the Card's year I can feel it," Kurt boasts, chest puffing up with pride. "They're the best, no question."

"I thought that was the Yankees?" Taylor asks innocently, reaching for her glass of wine as she shrugs.

Karlie snaps her head to look at her girlfriend as Kurt levels an honestly astoundingly intense glare at Taylor.

"What?"

"What?" Taylor asks, pausing with her glass halfway to her mouth as she shrinks back from the twin scowls being sent her way. She quickly looks to Tracy who she can usually rely on to have her back when she is being ganged up on by Karlie and her sisters, but she's just looking between Kurt and Karlie with a small smile on her face.

"Don't tell me you're a Yankees fan," Karlie says looking at Taylor with such betrayal that Taylor doesn't know what to say.

"No," Taylor says immediately in a small voice. "Not really."

"No, or not really?" Karlie presses.

"We're a Football family, you know that," Taylor tries to defend.

"Stop avoiding the question, Taylor," Karlie's father warns and something about the way he says her name makes Taylor shrink back against Karlie.

"I mean, if I had to pick a team, then, yeah, it would probably be the Yankees."

Kurt regards her with an extremely disappointed look before turning it onto Karlie. "And you're sure she's the one?"

Karlie is still looking at Taylor in utter betrayal and it's as if she hasn't even heard her father's words. "Why? How? How are you a Yankees fan? You're from Philadelphia! I was okay with you being an Phillies fan, I could even stretch to the Mets, but the Yankees?"

"What? I don't know, I mean we live in New York," Taylor tries to defend, hadn't expected such a drastic assault on her choice. "I thought you hated the Cubs more than anything."

"I hate the Cubs because I'm a Cardinals fan but I hate the Yankees because I'm a decent person," Karlie says strongly.

"What's the big deal, it's just baseball?" Taylor says then and the moment the words leave her lips, she closes her eyes in regret. "I didn't mean that."

"It sounded like you did," Kurt says, his voice scarily relaxed in a way that sends a shock of cold down Taylor's spine and when Taylor turns to look at Karlie, she looks as if she's been burned.

"Karlie..."

"We'll talk about this later," Karlie replies, still not looking at Taylor.

When Taylor glances at Karlie's father, Kurt is staring at her, slowly shaking his head in disgrace so Taylor falls quiet.

Just then the twins come back out on to the deck with all the ingredients for s'mores, interrupting the tension and Taylor is grateful for the reprieve.

Later that night, Karlie stands at the door of her childhood bedroom and looks at Taylor who is laying on her bed staring at her phone so intently that she doesn't notice Karlie at first.

And so Karlie takes the opportunity to just look at Taylor because sometimes she forgets what a luxury it is to see her girl completely relaxed and at ease and the fact that she's getting to see it now after both of them spending the holiday weekend with her entire family in St. Louis is not lost on Karlie.

Karlie is shaken out of her reverie when her eye catches the t-shirt Taylor is wearing which she must have stolen from Karlie's drawer.

She shakes her head at her sneak of a girlfriend who is currently laying on her bed wearing Karlie's St. Louis Cardinals t-shirt that is probably the oldest, softest thing that Karlie owns without an ounce of shame or compunction.

"You play dirty," Karlie accuses, shaking her head as she pushes off of the door frame and finally steps into the room, before settling on the bed and sliding her arms around Taylor's middle. "Just like your team."

"They're not my team, Jesus," Taylor says with an eye roll. "Just because I have supported them in the past doesn't mean they're my team."

"That's a nice shirt you've got there," Karlie breathes as she leans in and brushes her lips against Taylor's. "But it still feels like I'm sleeping with the enemy."

"I'm not the enemy," Taylor murmurs, pressing her lips more firmly against Karlie's. "Just think of all my good qualities."

"Like?"

"I mean there's the orgasms if nothing else?" Taylor teases.

"Hm, maybe you're right," Karlie says reluctantly, having trouble hiding her smile.

"Do you still hate me?"

"Only a little bit," Karlie says, humming when Taylor moves her lips down along Karlie's jaw, nipping at her pulse point.

"Well, that's already better than I expected. Does your Dad hate me?"

"Don't talk about my Dad right now," Karlie says immediately.

"But does he?"

"No, not at all," Karlie says, pouting when Taylor pulls away.

"How does your dad not hate me right now? I insulted America's pastime."

"He says he can't blame you for bad taste," Karlie says, shuffling closer and trying to kiss Taylor again.

"He's really not mad?"

"No, he likes messing with you."

"That's mean," Taylor says, attempting to lean away but Karlie just tightens her arms around Taylor's waist and holds her close.

"It just means he likes you enough to keep you on your toes," Karlie explains, reaching up and brushing her thumb over Taylor's adorable pout.

"God you Klosses are difficult"

"You wouldn't love me so much if I weren't," Karlie shoots back and Taylor can't help but give in, pout melting into a soft smile.

"You're not wrong," Taylor admits, leaning in and kissing Karlie slowly but deeply, smiling breathlessly when Karlie's hand drops and her fingers sneak under Taylor's shirt to slide up her back.

Karlie uses her weight to push Taylor on to her back and hovers over her before leaning down and trailing gentle kisses down the side of her neck.

"I promise if we ever have kids, they won't be Yankees fans," Taylor whispers as she wraps her arms around Karlie's shoulders.

"Oh, you're good," Karlie mumbles into the skin of Taylor's neck.