"Hey babe, you got the new toothpaste out there?" Adam called out to Taylor who was sitting in bed, scrolling through Tumblr. They had just gotten back from the iHeart Radio awards and decided to skip the afterparties, to just hang out with each other. "Yeah, sorry, forgot to put in the bathroom right away, let me grab it," Taylor called back, putting her phone down and moving to find it. Adam appeared in the doorway smiling. "Uh uh, nope. You stay in bed, miss five-time-award winner, I'll get it. Where'd you leave it?" Taylor laughed and sat back down. "In the living room in a bag," she answered smiling. Adam walked over to where she was sitting cross legged on the bed and gave her a few quick kisses on her cheek, her nose, her mouth. "Thanks for going downstairs for me," she said softly. "Thanks for picking it up when I forgot," Adam answered back with a smirk. He kissed her one more time before heading for the door. "I'll be right back!" "You better, I've got plans for us tonight," Taylor answered, smirking. "Big ones." Adam laughed. "Taylor I love you with all my heart and soul, but you are the cheesiest person ever," he called back as he headed down the stairs. Taylor laid back in bed, full of happiness and contentment. Everything was perfect. Great guy, great thing going musically, family was too, friends were good...Taylor was happy. And almost immediately, suspicious. That's not how things work out for her. Something is always going wrong. She suddenly sat up in bed and reached for her phone. "Tree? You there?" "Yeah Taylor, what's going on?" "Nothing, I'm just checking in. Anything I'm going to need to worry about for tomorrow, press wise?" Taylor was no fool. She had a love-hate relationship with the press, and she knew they couldn't wait to tear her down. "Hmm...nothing serious. All major media outlets are saying good things about tonight's awards, and the press coming tomorrow looks almost perfect." Taylor knew what almost meant. "What are they saying? Whose saying it?" She began to get jumpy, nervous. She thought quickly back over the night. She didn't swear accidentally, or say anything mean on or off camera. Her pulse was suddenly racing--she hated being misunderstood. "It's nothing serious, nothing too bad. Just a couple of the gossip mags saying that Adam didn't look to happy all night and when you thanked him. And that he wasn't giving you a standing ovation your whole speech. But it's nothing, Taylor, seriously. A couple trashy magazines. The big ones won't pick it up." Taylor was suddenly furious. She jumped up and started pacing around the room. "The nerve of some people! Adam is more reserved, he's shy! He shouldn't have to perform for the cameras! And he didn't even know I was going to thank him, it was a surprise! Oh my god!" Taylor ranted for a bit and Tree listened patiently. Finally, Taylor calmed down a bit. She leaned against the wall and asked, "Ok so it's a couple magazines, fine. Will it get big enough for Adam's team to notice?" Tree thought it over. "I doubt it, I don't think those guys check the gossip rags much." Taylor sighed, relieved. "Good, I don't want Adam to know anything about this if he doesn't have to. I really don't want him to get self-conscious about this, or start thinking...anyway, whatever. Hopefully it will blow over. Thanks for letting me know, Tree. I'll talk to you tomorrow." "Anytime girl--get some sleep! It's gonna be an intense week ahead." Taylor hung up the phone and crawled back into bed, her good mood completely ruined. Adam walked in a few moments later with the toothpaste. "Found it!" He said triumphantly, holding up the drugstore bag. "It was hidden under a couple pillows." "Great, babe, awesome!" Taylor answered, disguising her horrible mood with some fake cheer. But Adam saw through that. He put the bag down on the dresser and walked over to the bed. "What's wrong babe? You were fine a couple minutes ago." "I'm fine, it's stupid, I'm fine--really," she said and he stroked her hair softly. "Would this have anything to do with what you were talking to Tree about?" He asked, surprising Taylor. "You heard that?" She asked, guiltily. "Just the last bit. What don't you want me to know?" Taylor pulled away from his hands, which were rubbing her back. She smiled and moved so she was standing, then headed to the bathroom. "It's really nothing," she called back, turning the faucet on. "Just something stupid the press wrote. No big deal!" Taylor started to brush her teeth vigorously, but jumped when she felt his arms wrap around her from behind. She glanced up in the mirror and she saw his tall frame leaning down so he could rest his head on her shoulder. She leaned back against him, leaned into his warmth, and his abs and his heart, and rubbed her cheek against his scratchy beard. God she loved him. He could make any bad fearing disappear, like smoke. "And what did they say that was stupid that got you all upset?" He growled in her ear before gently biting her earlobe. Taylor sighed and turned around, keeping his arms on her waist. "Just something about you looking like, not so happy when I thanked you onstage. And during the night, like apparently you didn't look overjoyed to be there or whatever. It's stupid, not big deal. I just thought you wouldn't care so I didn't want Tree to mention it." "What do these people think that I'm just have a stupid smile on my fucking face for three fucking hours," Adam said angrily, letting go of Taylor's waist suddenly. "You know, they like to create drama, it's really no big deal, just a couple stupid tabloids, most of the press was really really good!" Taylor answered, trying to pacify him, grabbing his hand as he began to pace around the bathroom, trying to keep him in one place. "Fucking press, God fucking dammit. I hate it when they write shit like that, I do smile a lot, just not every goddamn second of every goddamn day...and seriously who likes having a million cameras in their face, shit," he ranted as Taylor listened patiently. Eventually he ran out of steam. He looked at Taylor, who was still holding his hand, rubbing circles into his skin. He looked at her and sighed as she smiled. "All calmed down?" She teased, and he laughed, pulling her in tight against him. "You know it's shit, right, God I'm the happiest I've ever been when I'm with you," he whispered in her ear as he rubbed her back. "I know, me too," she whispered back, pulling him in closer. "But," she said, pulling back a bit so she could look at him, "if this ever gets to be too much--the press, the media, the cameras--I want you to tell me, ok? Promise?" Adam chuckled. "Babe there is literally nothing in this world that could make me feel like this wasn't worth it. You're worth it 100 times over." Taylor stood on her tipi-toes and gave him a quick kiss. "You're my favorite person ever," she said, kissing him one more time before leaning back down. "Now finish washing up so I can thank you again...in bed." She finished her sentence off with an obvious wink as she headed to the bedroom. "You are so corny!" He laughed, turning the water back on, feeling much better, as she had gotten rid of all his negative feelings, made them disappear. Feeling like he was at the right place at the right time. Feeling like he could never be happier or more safe. Feeling like they were both each other's homes and that nothing could take that away from them. Knowing that they were stronger than everything else, as long as they had each other.
