It's All Part of the Story

The one where Karlie comes to a realisation

March 2015

Karlie quietly closes the front door behind her, toes off her shoes in the hallway and she stumbles on something and she doesn't want to turn on any lights so she's also not sure what she stumbles over but she soundlessly regains her footing and slowly makes her way up the stairs. The 7th stair is creaky so she hops over it, a triumphant smile on her face when she makes it upstairs without a sound.

Twisting the door handle, she quickly slips into the dark room, making out a lump in bed and frowning when she sees that the curtains haven't been closed and she briefly considers closing them before realising they might make too much noise so she creeps towards the walk-in closet and carefully sets her bag down on the floor just outside of it, turning back to the bed and starting to unbutton her jeans.

"Hey."

Karlie jumps about a foot in the air, a curse falling from her lips before Taylor's quickly shushing her. 

"Fuck, Taylor, you scared the shit out of me," Karlie hisses as she moves closer to the couch, locating the blonde. 

"You're the one sneaking into my bedroom in the middle of the night," Taylor points out and, well, she's not wrong.

Karlie shimmies out of her jeans and rounds the couch to find Taylor curled up under a blanket. "What are you doing on the couch?" 

"Couldn't sleep and I didn't want to wake her," Taylor explains gesturing to the lump in her bed. 

Karlie quickly takes off her bra from under her t-shirt and slides onto the couch next to Taylor, the woman curling into her. 

"You have another girl in your bed?" Karlie asks teasingly, craning her neck to try and make out the shape in Taylor's bed but it's too dark so she turns back to look at Taylor, the faint light coming in from the large windows enough for Karlie to make out her soft smile. 

"Dixie." 

"Slumber party?" Karlie asks, trailing her hand softly down Taylor's side before curling around her hip. 

"Something like that," Taylor says with a smile, wrapping her arms around Karlie and pulling her closer. 

"Wait," she says suddenly, head snapping up to look at Karlie as if seeing her properly for the first time. "You're not supposed to be here until tomorrow afternoon." 

"I took an earlier flight. Surprise," Karlie says dryly but Taylor still laughs softly. 

"And you came straight here," Taylor says reverently, fingers trailing over Karlie's cheek. 

"I missed you," Karlie says, twisting her head to quickly kiss Taylor's fingers. "But if I'd known you were letting another girl keep your bed warm in my absence..." 

"Welcome home," Taylor says, completely ignoring Karlie's words as she slides a hand to cradle the back of Karlie's head and pull her closer. 

"I'm so glad you're here," she says softly, leaning in and kissing Karlie slowly. 

"Hmm," Karlie hums against Taylor's lips, shifting so she's more comfortably pressed against the blonde as she kisses her back. 

"I love you," Taylor says when they slowly part. 

"I'd hope so, because coming back earlier than expected and finding your bed occupied really suggests otherwise," Karlie teases. 

"Oh my god, shut up," Taylor says, yanking Karlie back down and against her lips, teeth scraping over Karlie's lower lip as she urges the blonde's mouth open, hand sliding up her back under her shirt.