Who am I to You? (Kaylor/Torlie AU)

5

"Coffee or tea?"

"Ooh tough one! I love both but I can't start my day without a good coffee buzz."

"Hmm...thoughts on sports?" Taylor asks while they walk into step with each other on the lit trail. Karlie had been showing her around the forest area near the inn, which included a hidden lake.

"Love!" Karlie answers. Her face lights up with that wide-eyed smile from ear to ear as she says it. "Hiking's always fun around here plus the monthly Basketball and Baseball games!"

"Gross!!! I should've known you were the sporty type when I saw how toned you are," Taylor turns to her and sighs, "I absolutely loathe physical activity. Damn. Just when I was starting to like you, Karls!"

"Are you kidding me? Getting all sweaty and feeling your muscles burn after a really good workout? That's heaven right there," Karlie throws it back to Taylor fighting the smile on her face to seem more serious.

The blonde just rolls her eyes and laughs as Karlie laughs right along with her. She doesn't even notice that the brunette had stopped in the middle of her tracks before bumping into her arm, "We're here! What do you think?"

Right in front of them lay a serene lake surrounded by a thick row of trees that shone their reds, yellows, and oranges with the setting sun. The calm waters itself reflected the color of the sky and the mountains peppered around them.

In the middle of the lake sat a small gazeebo fit with a table and chairs for two, illuminated by strings of christmas lights and candles in mason jars. "This is incredible," Taylor says breathlessly.

She takes Karlie's hand as they walk along the dock to the gazeebo, unable to keep the awe off her face. "Just look at the scenery and all the lights and how serene and romantic it is. It's so magical, and just so..."

"...beautiful," Karlie finishes. Her green eyes are fixated on the blonde in front of her as she says it, and their gazes meet. A blush forms on both their cheeks, forcing them to quickly look away in an attempt to forget what just happened.

"So, uhm," Karlie clears her throat before speaking, jitters coursing through her body when facing Taylor once more. "If you don't like sports, what do you like? Music? Art? Other than writing, obviously. You already have that retelling of Romeo & Juliet anyway!"

This cuts any of tthe awkward air in the room and gets a laugh out of Taylor, in reference to that moment they first met. "I dabble in both, but music is my first love," she says simply and smiles.

"I write songs, actually. About situations, emotions, sometimes even about people I know and love...or used to."

"Sounds like you've got a long list of that over there," Karlie teases playfully.

"Of the ones that were real & who meant something to me?...Nah, it's not that long," Taylor answers with a sad smile. "What about you! Other than being such a jock, what are you into?"

"I love baking, like I'm a total cookie monster! And I've been trying out photography too. Nothing too fancy though, it's just pictures of people around town and the sceneries, stuff like that," Karlie says nonchalantly.

"We should totally have a bake off!" Taylor says excitedly, "And you can like show me your photographs, maybe?"

"Only if you let me hear some of your songs...Deal?" Karlie says, extending her hand for Taylor to shake.

"Deal!"

/

Karlie leads Taylor by the hand up the front porch steps and into the darkened house. "Are you sure this is okay? What if we wake up Helen and John, won't they be pissed at you?" Taylor asks nervously.

"It's fine, they're heavy sleepers," Karlie says waving her off and giggling. "Relax, I got you."

Ugh why are you so cute when you worry like this?! She squeezes Taylor's hand and helps her down into the even darker basement.

"Just stay close to me, okay? I can't have any other lights on in here. Wait, let me switch on this red one," Karlie says. Taylor holds on to her even more tightly and leaves no more than a couple of inches of space between them, afraid to break something in the dark.

"Ta-da!!" Taylor squints her eyes, adjusting to the sudden influx of light in the room. A glow of red filled the room, casting shadows on the trays filled with liquid and pieces of paper as well as on the images that hung from a string line on the wall.

"These are all yours? And like, you developed them too?" Taylor asks Karlie, unable to contain the admiration in her voice.

"Yup, this is all me," the brunette says smiling, "Ooh this is a couple of shots I took just last week!

Forgetting momentarily that Taylor and her hands were still intertwined, Karlie excitedly points to the images on the wall, pulling both their arms up in the process. "Whoops, my bad!" she says blushing, slowly letting go of Taylor's hand.

"Hey, it's okay! Don't let go just yet...please," the blonde blurts out. Taylor smiles up at her and gives her hand a squeeze, "This feels nice."

Karlie returns the smile easily, thankful her red face is hidden by the light. She continues on about the different images plastered on the walls, each holding their own stories to be told. All the while she spoke, she could feel Taylor's excitement wash over her as well, their hearts racing and a warmth enveloping them from their clasped hands.

"...and this one was taken by accident, I never imagined it would come out this beautifully," she said, pointing to another photo. Her heart was beating faster than ever, the blush never leaving her cheeks.

"Karlie, can I kiss you?" 

What— Karlie stares at Taylor hard, trying to ignore her heartbeat echoing in her ears and only looking at the blonde's eyes. Desire, fear, lust, love, she saw it all in Taylor's eyes and then she nodded her head.

Choosing not to overthink the situation, but just go with what her heart and her gut were telling her then. Karlie drew a breath as Taylor's lips closed the space between them, her heightened senses feeling everything. From the tenderness and warmth of the kiss, to the taste of vanilla that lingered from it on Karlie's lips after.

Taylor slowly moves away to break apart the kiss when Karlie puts her free hand to the blonde's cheek, stopping a mere inches from her face.

"This feels nice," she says smiling.