Kaylor One Shots

Guitar Lesson

"You know I've always wanted to learn." Interrupted the light strumming that sometimes accompanied Taylor's thoughts as snippets of words and moments weaved their way into lyrics. Or sometimes they did. Not today though. Today all she was getting was unimpressed looks from Meredith who didn't seem to appreciate the free concert.

Taylor glanced up, catching sight of the clock on the way to slightly sleepy green eyes and a smile Taylor was convinced would have started wars had it existed centuries ago. "Good morning, sleepy head. Or good afternoon."

Karlie glanced at the clock before shrugging. "Hey, it's still morning for another fifteen minutes."

"My mistake." Chuckling ruined any attempt at being contrite. "You really want to learn?"

"Yeah. I mean, don't all kids go through a rock star phase or some sort?" A teasing grin tugged at Karlie's lips as she added, "Most of us grow out of it though. We never become you know, actual rock stars."

"I'm hardly a rock star."

"Sorry. Seven time Grammy winning pop star. My mistake." Karlie parroted back in the same tone as she walked to the kitchen. Taylor's eyes couldn't help but follow her.

Taylor felt her face warm just a little. Even after all this time, the extent of her success still surprised her. "Whatever Ms. Supermodel-slash-entrepreneur-slash-college student."

"You know I could teach you." Taylor offered after Karlie returned to their living room with a cup of coffee.

"Teach me?"

"Yeah. How to play."

"Is this going to turn out like that time I tried to teach you ballet?" Karlie's eyes lit up and a smirk tugged at her lips at the memory of that day.

"Oh my god. Will you let that go?" Her face was now more than just a little warm.

"Not even when we're old and gray."

Taylor thought her heart was going to burst at how matter of fact statements like that had become. Like the idea of them not spending their lives together didn't even exist at this point.

Even knowing how Taylor could get once an idea was in her head, Karlie was still surprised when Taylor handed over her guitar with a simple, "Here."

"You're serious?"

"Of course."

"Taylor – "

"It'll be fun." Taylor interrupted before Karlie could tell her she was being ridiculous. "Besides it means you can play for me when I'm too old to. Since I'm going to get old so much faster than you."

"You are."

"It's two years, Kloss."

"It's closer to three." Karlie stuck out her tongue and Taylor couldn't help but laugh. "You going to teach me or what?"

"Okay, here's how you hold a guitar." Taylor began with the basics. For having never picked up a guitar before, Karlie wasn't bad. She'd certainly seen worse. But once Taylor starts showing Karlie how to play a C, she could see the beginning of frustration setting in at the foreign feeling.

"How do you do this all the time? This feels weird." Karlie mutters as she tries strumming again, not yet able to make it as smooth a movement as it should be.

"Practice." Taylor's shrug does nothing to ease the frustration forming in Karlie's eyes and Taylor gets an idea. "Come here."

"What? Why?"

"Just come here." Karlie doesn't understand until Taylor is guiding her to sit between her legs, her girlfriend's chest lightly pressing against her back and her chin resting on Karlie's shoulder. "Keep your back straight. And your arm should be keeping the guitar neck in position, not your left hand."

"Never thought you'd be lecturing me about posture." The teasing tone becomes a squeal as Taylor's fingers dance briefly over a ticklish spot neat her ribs. "Okay! Okay!"

"That's what I thought, Kloss. Now," Taylor's hands are quick to cover her own, gently guiding her left hand into a C and her right hand through a single strum. "That's a C. Good job!"

"You're doing most of the work, Tay."

Taylor ignores her as she guides Karlie through three more chords. "This is an F. An A minor. And a G."

Taylor guides Karlie as she practices each chord, making her switch until she's at least a little comfortable with each of them and the transitions between them for what Taylor has in mind. Karlie can feel Taylor smile even if she can't see it at the moment as Taylor places a capo on the second fret. "And when you put them all together, you can get this."

It's probably the roughest version of Love Story that Karlie has ever heard. It lacks the smoothness that comes from Taylor's years of practice. Instead, it's a little slower and a little stuttered as Taylor tries to adjust to helping an inexperienced Karlie play it instead of playing it herself. But she can hear the smile in Taylor's voice as she softly sings in her ear.

She wonders if Taylor is thinking of flirty conversations between outfit changes and Karlie writing her number on a cocktail napkin at the end of an after party and pressing it into Taylor's hand with a clear expectation of a phone call. Or maybe she's thinking to a Gala in May, back when they had truly been young and oblivious to the fact that they person they were flirting with about baking would end up being the love of their life.

"And that's how you play the first verse of Love Story. Good job!" Taylor's voice jars her out of her thoughts and she can't help but shake her head.

"You did most of the work. I just –"

She's cut off by calloused fingers gently turning her head until she's softly kissed. She doesn't mind in the slightest.

"You did amazing for your first time picking up a guitar."