They rode back to the apartment in separate cars at separate times. Grace didn't stick around for the rep room like she usually did, cleaning up Taylor's stuff in the dressing room so they could leave afterwards and go back to whatever hotel or house they were staying in. She got into the car she'd taken there, actually appreciating having a second driver instead of having to sit through traffic alone, and got ready for bed in the apartment after checking her emails one last time.
Taylor got home two and a half hours later and saw the corridor light on. She quickly said hello to their cats and made her way upstairs to the bedroom where she hoped Grace would be asleep on her side of the bed. The room was empty still but she knew Grace hadn't gone to Amber's yet, her keys were in the bowl at the door. She got ready for bed, slipping on a tee and some fresh underwear before padding to the guest room and turning the handle.
Whether Grace wanted her to be there or not, Taylor didn't know, but she wanted to sleep in the same room. The creak of the hardwood in the doorway of the bedroom alerted Grace of someone's presence and she opened her eyes to see the blonde's silhouette walking towards her.
"Please," was all Taylor said. Grace scooted over in the mattress and opened the blanket up, allowing her a place to settle before she wrapped her arm around Taylor's body and held her close.
Grace didn't say anything as they shared a pillow. She could feel Taylor's unsteady breathing against her so she moved her hand until she could locate her partner's and squeezed it inside her own with the hope that it would bring some comfort to her. She laid like that for a moment more until Taylor wiggled again and Grace found herself awake because of it.
"Darling, hold still or we cannot cuddle," Grace pressed a kiss to Taylor's shoulder and the blonde sighed longingly.
"I'm sorry," Taylor replied softly.
"It's okay, love," Grace murmured against her shirt still. She gently moved some of Taylor's hair out of the way with her other hand right before the blonde turned around in her arms.
"Are we okay? I know you're mad," her blue eyes still looked so blue in the dark, so scared.
"We'll be just fine," Grace had calmed down quite a lot in the quiet of the apartment now that she knew Michael was safe, "I told you not to worry about this, we can talk about it tomorrow. You need rest."
"I can't sleep without talking about it."
"What is there to speak about?" Grace asked calmly, "You got mad at me and even after I told you I was not okay, you iced me out and punished me with silence for what? He called me and needed help, I went to help him, and then you got angry. I- I don't understand what you think was going on, did you think I was going to go and try illegal drugs for fun? If you're weren't on stage I would have talked to you about it first but I didn't want to worry you and if it wasn't the middle of the night I would have taken him straight to a facility but you can't just knock on the door and book a room like a hotel! They have to have space and you have to make sure the treatment is suitable for the person."
"I was scared," Taylor admitted as she choked back a sob, "I don't know what I would do if you were- you were like that. I don't know what I'm doing now and I saw him react like that and I got so scared for you and your sobriety and I don't have a good excuse for shutting you out. I just need to know if we'll be okay."
"We'll be okay if you think we'll be okay," she put her palm on Taylor's cheek and wiped away a stray tear.
"It's all in my head, maybe."
"Don't do that," Grace frowned, "Don't do that, your feelings are valid even if I think they're partially unjustified."
"Are you still going upstate?" Taylor tried to shake away the negative thoughts in her mind, "Please don't go, I know this is hard but please don't go."
"Amber needs help and I think we spend a little too much time together as of late. It's only a couple of weeks and then I'll be right back with you. I'm still yours and I'll be with you before you know it."
"It feels like if you go then we're still fighting and I don't want to lose you or this just because we didn't fix it right away."
"I'm yours," Grace pressed a kiss to Taylor's lips and shifted her body closer, "You're all I want and I'm declaring the fight over and raising the white flag because I'm sorry, too. I didn't mean to scare you or keep you out of the loop."
"I'm sorry," the older woman said again and Grace did was kiss her again because she was so sick of fighting. Twenty four hours of whatever the fuck that was had been terrible and she needed Taylor as much as Taylor needed her.
What was meant to be a chaste kiss to get her to stop talking quickly grew deeper as both of them were exhausted but not sleepy and Taylor wrapped her leg around Grace's top one. She ground their hips together and it was clear what direction things were headed despite the heavy emotional drain of the day.
Her fingers tangled in Grace's hair and she let the brunette guide her back onto the mattress to make it easier to kiss her. Grace's hands began to travel down her skin as she broke the kiss and inquired, "Are you okay for this or is it too much?"
"Baby, it's too little," Taylor nodded once and Grace chuckled before she kissed her again, a little more passion seeping through it.
"It's four in the morning," Grace whispered as if someone would hear them, "You need to sleep or you'll be tired during the show."
"I'm emotionally drained and need to feel something," Taylor hummed as she ran her index finger along Grace's side slowly, tracing the fabric of her shirt until it dipped towards the neckline and hooked on it playfully, "It's you or a vibrator, take your pick."
"It's not going to be a vibrator," that was practically an insult if you asked Grace.
"Then fuck me," Taylor was enjoying the boldness that came from them being in nearly pitch black light. She could barely see Grace but she could feel her hands quickly push Taylor's above her head, "Come on! I've been more turned on by a mouthwash ad."
Grace put her other hand over Taylor's mouth, "Don't be a brat."
Taylor stuck her tongue out and licked Grace's palm and she could hear Grace seething behind her pursed lips. The brunette reached for the lamp and hit the switch, removing her hand as she looked into Taylor's eyes with raised eyebrows.
"I take it back," Taylor inhaled sharply.
"It's too late for that, darling," Grace's cheeks turned into a gentle, terrifying smile. She removed her top, giving Taylor a little show as she dropped it onto the floor. The blue eyed woman froze, wondering what the next move would be. Everything with Grace was like a game of chess, one move after another, but Grace was usually at least two moves ahead when it came to the game they were currently playing.
She shifted her weight off of Taylor and removed her pyjama bottoms. She let them fall too, "Undress yourself."
Taylor obliged and continued to breathe shakily on the mattress afterwards. Grace's fingertip traced her left nipple from beside her, a soft squeeze that sent a pulse right to Taylor's centre had the blonde groaning quietly.
"Why don't you go get that vibrator you so desperately wanted?" Grace asked sweetly.
"It's in our room," Taylor hoped Grace wasn't about to do what she was thinking about making her do.
"You can get it. I'll wait."
"Grace," Taylor pleaded with just her girlfriend's name but she knew it was useless. Grace had a course of action in her mind and unless Taylor said no, she was going to make her do it.
"Go on, baby," Grace cooed, "Be a good girl and go get it."
"I don't even know if it's charged."
"If it's not charged then I'll find something else for you to do, but you have to retrieve it. I want proof that it's not working," Taylor got out from under the covers and reached for her shirt when the younger woman said, "That stays here."
"Grace."
"Darling, you've made your own bed and you can lie in it. I told you to behave and you didn't, now you can learn."
"You suck," Taylor was loving that tone but she'd never admit it.
"What was that?" Grace hummed.
"Nothing."
Taylor came back a minute later with the purple device. She pressed the power button and it turned on.
"Looks like it was charged after all."
"Yeah," Taylor shifted her gaze as she got back under the covers. She placed the vibrator between them, they used it somewhat frequently to change things up but she'd pushed Grace maybe a little too far that night. She liked to talk back and get a reaction, she liked pushing her buttons.
Grace picked it up and clicked the buttons a few times to change the settings. She then maneuvered it under the comforter they were sharing and straight to Taylor's clit.
"Fuck," Taylor's hips bucked at the contact. It was on the highest setting and while she was really turned on, it was still a lot to take.
Grace was holding it firmly and Taylor knew she could tap out but it felt so good. Her hips continued to try to move away from it involuntarily but Grace did her best to prolong the contact.
"I'm sorry!" Taylor finally exclaimed and Grace immediately pulled it away, "I'll be good!"
"Exactly thirteen seconds? Really, Tay?" Grace set it aside and brought her into a kiss, "I don't know why you insist on making me do that? Couldn't you just behave? You'd have so much more fun."
Taylor absolutely, under no circumstances could just behave. That was the fun, "I like pushing your buttons."
"Oh you push them," Grace chuckled lowly. She used her right hand to brush aside Taylor's hair from her face so she could see it all, "Next time, it won't be the vibrator."
"Shiver me timbers," Taylor replied flatly.
"Now you're on your own," Grace picked the vibrator back up and placed it in the palm of Taylor's hand.
"You won't just watch."
"I bet you otherwise."
"You'll want to take over."
"I'm fantastic on my side of the bed, actually, thank you," the former heiress got comfortable with her pillow and used one arm to prop it up so she could see the show better.
If Taylor hadn't poked fun at the warning, she'd be enjoying Grace's mouth between her legs at that moment and she knew that. She could have had her fingers tangled in Grace's hair, guiding the pressure and feeling knots build in her stomach with every swipe of her tongue but instead she pushed and Grace pushed back.
"What are you waiting for? An invitation?"
"No," Taylor looked at the vibrator as she mumbled, "I want you."
"How do you ask, baby?"
"Grace, please."
Grace couldn't played the 'please what' card but she knew Taylor needed to sleep and it was so much easier just to let her have a small victory, "It's for the benefit of the fans. Can't have you falling asleep on stage, can we?"
"I'd be asleep so much faster if you'd touch me already," the singer surrendered into Grace's touch as the brunette smiled and continued to run her fingers across Taylor's inner thighs. There was only so long they could take the power struggle, the games.
Grace brushed her thumb over Taylor's clit and watched with amusement as Taylor's eyes shut with pleasure, finally. She moved it in tight circles as she said, "I can't believe I'm rewarding your heinous behaviour."
"It's 'cause you love me," Taylor replied as she felt Grace's index finger glide through her folds and spread some of the wetness around.
"If you didn't have a show tomorrow, this would have gone down a very different path. You'd be awake until the sunrise putting on a show for me, darling," Grace pressed a kiss to Taylor's cheek innocently as she teased her entrance with her finger, "But tonight you can get away with being a brat because it's been a long day and I know you'll be so good for me, right?"
"Yeah," Taylor agreed breathlessly. Grace sunk the first finger inside slowly and brushed right across the spongey surface. Taylor moaned at the relief, her walls contracting around Grace's digit because one finger wasn't enough.
Grace couldn't resist Taylor's lips, pulling her into another long kiss as she teased the idea of a second finger. Taylor was moaning into it quietly, matching Grace's movement as her hands wandered the younger woman's skin.
"You're so beautiful like this," Grace murmured against her lips. Taylor opened her eyes and they met her girlfriend's, heightening the feeling of knots in her stomach.
"For you. You're still mine."
"Always will be," Grace agreed with a gentle, warm tone. Taylor couldn't help but blush as Grace continued to watch her face, every movement of her hand was calculated but her attention was fully on Taylor's eyes.
"Don't stop," Taylor said the obvious as she began to approach her orgasm. Grace promised not to, urging her to let go before pulling her into another kiss when she felt Taylor clamp down around her fingers as she came.
Taylor moaned into the kiss, driving her hips into Grace's hand as it started to wear off, Grace's thumb slowing on her clit. She turned her head, needing a breath as Grace pulled out.
"Thank you," Taylor panted, her chest heaving as all the muscles that had tightened began to relax, including her legs which shook just the slightest bit.
Grace collected the moisture from between Taylor's legs on her fingers as much as possible and then brought them up to the blonde's mouth, "Open."
Taylor spread her lips and sucked them clean. Grace liked that, Taylor wasn't the biggest fan but she was happy to do it in the first moments after her orgasm when the world felt so much softer and quiet.
"Let's clean you up so you can sleep," Grace peppered Taylor's shoulder with kisses. She didn't want Taylor to fall asleep and risk a UTI or something.
"I can sleep now," Taylor shut her eyes until she realized, "Gracie, do you want me to...?"
"I'd much rather you sleep," Grace pushed the blankets off of them and Taylor opened her eyes again at the cold, "I'll help you, Taylor. The faster you get up the sooner you may sleep."
"Why'd you get naked if you don't wanna?" Taylor wasn't complaining about it but she felt bad leaving Grace high and dry.
"For your benefit," Grace chuckled, "I know you love my boobs."
"I do love your boobs so much."
Taylor fell asleep a minute after her head hit the pillow after carefully placing herself tangled in Grace's arms. She had been so caught up in her own mind that a good sleep felt like it might heal all wounds. She didn't appreciate when Grace's alarm went off at eight, though.