It's All Part of the Story

I like shiny things but I'd marry you with paper rings

January 2017

Before Karlie even opens her eyes, she's relieved to remember it's Sunday and she and Taylor have nowhere to be. They've both been in different cities for the past two weeks so a weekend at home with no distractions was a welcome reprieve.

It's not like she would have moved anyway. She would have happily ignored her phone and convinced Taylor to do the same just to stay this way for a little longer. Taylor's head rests right in the middle of her chest, leaving sleep-mussed curls to litter Karlie's neck and shoulders. There's a leg thrown over her hips and she doesn't think she'd be able to get out of bed anyway because the grip Taylor has around her keeps her firmly against the mattress. Karlie lifts her head to look down at their bodies and smirks when she sees the blankets have gotten tangled up underneath Taylor again. Her bare back is on display and her warm, heavy body is the only thing keeping Karlie warm. Karlie swallows thickly at all the soft, pale skin Taylor has on show. She's such a messy sleeper.

"Behave yourself," someone says and Karlie jolts when she realizes it's actually Taylor.

Her voice is thick with sleep and incredibly attractive. "I can hear your dirty thoughts from here, Kloss."

Karlie giggles and lets her tongue catch between her teeth. "I won't be held accountable for the things I do when I'm half asleep."

Taylor looks up at her quickly and smirks. "Oh, really?"

Karlie should probably look guilty or something but it's really hard to when she's had a good night's sleep and her fiancée is sprawled on top of her, naked. She arches up to kiss Taylor instead and giggles against her.

"You're so beautiful," Karlie whispers when they part and she loves the way that Taylor goes soft and lets her urge her over onto her back. Karlie presses kisses onto Taylor's jaw and gets way too much enjoyment from the way Taylor's breath catches in her throat. Karlie nuzzles her face into Taylor's neck before settling against her once again, arm wrapped firmly around her waist.

When Taylor wakes up again, she doesn't actually remember falling back to sleep. Karlie is snuggled into her neck and she can feel the soft exhale of Karlie's steady breathing against her skin and she can't tell if she's awake or not.

It's one of Taylor's favourite things in the world, these lazy mornings where she wakes up tangled together with her girl. She cherishes the quiet intimacy of bare skin brushing against bare skin, soft sighs and sleepy kisses being exchanged. Both of them drift in and out of sleep, their bodies pressed so closely together that each time one of them shifts, the other adjusts. It's a stark contrast to most mornings where alarms blare and hurried kisses are pressed against foreheads or cheeks or worse still, they wake up to an empty bed. So whilst these mornings don't happen nearly as often as either one would like, it makes them all the more special when they do come along.

Taylor's not sure how long they lie there, both of them content to bask in the comfort of being in each other's arms again.

"I've missed this," Karlie mumbles her voice still thick with sleep as she burrows deeper into the crook of Taylor's neck. "I love waking up next to you."

"Me too," Taylor smiles trailing her hand down the soft skin of Karlie's back. "Any day that I get to wake up with you is already a good day."

Karlie can't help the smile that blooms across her face at the words and she wills the blush that springs to her cheeks to dissipate. "You're such a sap."

"You love it," Taylor shrugs as she sweeps her fingers through Karlie's hair. "I'm your sap."

"I can't wait to marry you," Karlie breathes, the words escaping her before she has a chance to stop them.

Karlie's confession steals the breath from Taylor's lungs and she moves to lay her head down against Karlie's shoulder, needing a moment to catch her breath, but Karlie's fingers are gentle against her cheek as she pulls her in for a slow kiss.

"Let's just get married," Taylor whispers when they pull apart, her eyes still closed and breathless.

Karlie chuckles and presses gentle kisses to Taylor's eyelids, the tip of her nose and the corner of her mouth. "Baby I would marry you in a heartbeat, but we agreed that we were going to wait until we could celebrate properly without any secrets."

"I know," Taylor sighs flopping back against her pillow. "And I promise you that we are going to do that someday but until then..." she trails off as she rolls over to her own side of the bed and grabs her journal from its usual spot on her bedside table.

"What are you doing?" Karlie enquires rolling over on to her stomach and propping herself up on her elbows to watch Taylor.

"We're getting married," Taylor says as she carefully tears a page out of the back of her journal and looks around for a pen.

"Okay.... What does that mean exactly?" Karlie asks, still not sure what her fiancée is up to.

"I'm sick of waiting, I've been ready to marry you for years," Taylor explains dropping the blank page and pen in her lap and turning to face Karlie. "So, until we can do this properly, this will have to do."

She urges Karlie to sit up against the headboard and then settles beside her, her legs thrown over Karlie's lap, journal resting against her knees which she uses to lean on as she begins to write.

Karlie shuffles closer and tilts her head to peer over Taylor's shoulder trying to read what she's writing but all Karlie can make out is the date scrawled in the top right hand corner of the page.

It only becomes clear after a couple of minutes that Taylor is writing promises to her on the blank page. Well, not so much promises as vows.

I promise to always share my dessert with you even though you never order your own.

I promise to always dance with you.

I'll try my hardest not to get annoyed when you whisper during movies.

I promise I'll always love you.

When Taylor's finished she hands Karlie the pen and paper and moves to lay her head against Karlie's shoulder so she can read what Karlie is writing.

I promise to always take care of you.

I promise to always make your morning coffee just the way you like it.

I promise to kiss every paper cut, every cat scratch and bruise.

I promise to always hold your hand.

Once Karlie is done, Taylor plucks the pen from her hand and leans over to sign the page with a flourish before gesturing to Karlie to do the same.

Karlie can't help but chuckle at Taylor's dramatics but does as she's told, adding her signature beside Taylor's complete with love heart.

"There," Taylor whispers with a nod and she wraps her arms around her girl.

"I love you baby," Karlie murmurs, trailing her fingers down Taylor's back and pressing a kiss to her temple.

"Wait, you have to kiss me to make it official," Taylor says as if it's the most obvious thing in the world and Karlie is all too happy to oblige, cupping her face gently before pulling her in for a deep, slow kiss.