Playing With Fire

+++++++++



"Lean on me...When you're not strong!"



Carrie's groan turned into one of frustration at the sound of Kelly's cell phone ringing.



"Sorry," she frowned, pulling it out of her pocket. "Hey Ash, what's up?"



"Hey, I'm not interrupting anything am I?" Ashley asked with a smile.



"No, you're not interrupting anything," Kelly sighed, kissing Carrie's wrist one more time before letting it go.



"So, if you aren't getting any, then where the hell are you?"



Kelly rolled her eyes, "We're on our way. I couldn't find my keys."



"Sure..." Ashley laughed. "Well hurry up, cause Reba called and said she was on her way."



"Alright," Kelly replied. "We'll be there in a few."



"We need to go," she said, putting the phone back in her pocket.



"Now?" Carrie asked disappointedly.



"Yea," Kelly nodded, grabbing her keys. "Come on."



++++++++++



"How did y'all discover this place?" Kelly asked, taking a bite of food. The restaurant they were in was absolutely amazing. It was small and low-key. One of those places that you have to know where it is in order to find it.



"We got lost," Reba smiled. "And we some how ended up here."



"The food's great," Carrie commented, swallowing a bite of salad. "And it's so chill here."



Kelly laughed, "Chill?"



"You know, like peaceful and relaxed."



"I know, but when did you become ghetto?"



"Hey, I'm plenty ghetto, thank you," Carrie frowned, making the entire table burst into laughter.



"So, you've been having fun hanging out with Kelly?" Reba asked.



"Yea," Carrie smiled. "She's been a great friend."



Ashley started to have a mysterious coughing fit. Kelly narrowed her eyes at her.



"That's our girl," Reba smiled, making Kelly blush. "Always the sweetheart."



"Yea," Carrie agreed, placing a hand on Kelly's knee.



"So, where to after this?" Kelly asked, placing her fork down and wiping her mouth with her napkin.



"What do you mean?"



"Well, the nights young," she shrugged. "Unless you don't want."



"No," Carrie smiled, her hand sliding up Kelly's leg. "I just thought we were going home."



"Now where's the fun in that?" Ashley asked, noticing the look in Kelly's eyes and trying no to laugh, realizing what Carrie was doing to her.



"It's up to y'all," Kelly replied, through clenched teeth.



"I know this really great club," one of Reba's nieces replied. Carrie tried her best not to send the girl a death glare.



"Club?" Kelly asked skeptically.



"Trust me, you'll love it," she smiled. "It's actually more of a bar than a club."



"I'm in," Ashley shrugged.



"Me too," Jason nodded.



Kelly looked at Carrie apologetically, "Sounds good," she smiled.



+++++++



"This place is even more hidden than that restaurant," Carrie said, as she and Kelly followed the rest of them down the stairs of an old building. "I wouldn't be surprised if they had some secret password or something."



"I know," Kelly said, giving her hand a squeeze. "And I'm sorry, but I don't get to hang out to much with friends, you know? But I promise, if it sucks, and you're not having fun, we'll leave. Ok?"



"Alright," Carrie nodded, walking through the door that Jason was holding open from them. They were immediately surrounded by music.



"This is perfect," Kelly smiled, leading Carrie in, their fingers still intertwined.



"Yea, this is more of the bar area," Calamity explained. "The bar itself is along that wall, and if you go towards that far corner, there's a couple of pool tables. Then if you go through that door over there, that's more of the dancing area."



"Pool?" Kelly's eyes lit up. "Come play," she begged Carrie, tugging her by the hand towards the direction Calamity had pointed.



"I suck at pool," Carrie laughed.



"But I don't," Kelly smiled, knowing she was going to get the blonde to play.



"So, that's Carrie Underwood?" Autumn asked skeptically. "Doesn't seem like the type Kelly would hang out with."



"Yea," Ashley laughed. "Give her a little time, though. She'll grow on you."



+++++++



"Here," Kelly smiled sweetly, handing Carrie the pool stick. "I'll let you break."



"You're going to laugh at me," she frowned, taking it.



"I would never laugh at you."



Carrie scratched, making Kelly giggle.



"That wasn't a laugh," Kelly argued when Carrie gave her a pair of eyes. "Look, I'll let you go again."



+++++++++++



"Admit it," Kelly smiled. "You're having fun."



"Maybe a little," Carrie laughed, knocking a ball in. "Oh, did you see that? Did you see that?"



"Yea, I did. Great shot," Kelly laughed, not having the heart to tell her that she had knocked in on of Kelly's balls.



"I think, I'm going to get something to drink. You want something?"



"Nah," Kelly shook her head, knocking one of Carrie's balls in on purpose, hoping the country girl didn't notice. "I'm driving, remember."



"Well, if you're not going to drink, then I'm not going to drink," she frowned.



"No, go head. I'm good," Kelly insisted.



"What's the fun in drinking alone?"



Kelly raised a suspicious eyebrow, "Why Miss Underwood, you aren't trying to get me drunk so you can take advantage of me, now are you?"



"I would do no such thing," Carrie replied, not able to keep a straight face.



"You whore," Kelly teased, hitting another one in.



"You know you love it," she smiled, her eyes dancing as she watched Kelly bend over the pool table for a shot, her shirt falling some to reveal the small of her back.



"Quit checking me out," Kelly said jokingly, not realizing how right she was. "Your shot."



"How about we do something else?"



"Like what?"



"Let's dance."



"Whoa," she laughed. "I didn't think of Carrie Underwood as the type that danced at bars."



"Hun, don't forget I was a sorority girl."



"Ooo, pillow fight?" Kelly teased, earning a playful slap.



"So, you up for it?"



"Up for it? That sounds like a challenge," her eyes sparkled.



Carrie smiled, knowing Kelly would never back down from a challenge, "Maybe it was."



"Girl, you are going down," Kelly grinned, taking her hand and leading her to the dancing room and onto the floor in the middle of the crowd of people.



"Name the time and place," Carrie smirked spinning her around to face her.



"Oh, so you think you're funny now, huh?" Kelly laughed, spinning back around, dancing with her back to Carrie.



Carrie wrapped an arm around her waist, placing her hand on her stomach, and pulled her back against her.



"Who said I was joking?" she whispered, her lips grazing Kelly's ear. Kelly tilted her head back against Carrie's shoulder, determined not to let her win. She slowly started to sway to the rhythm of the music surrounding them. Her body still very much pressed against Carrie's.



Carrie couldn't seem to get her body to function at the feeling of Kelly grinding against her. She shook her head, trying to get the fuzziness out. She leaned back down to whisper in Kelly's ear.



"So?" she tugged on her earlobe with her teeth, smiling at the moan Kelly tried to keep down. "You wanna play games?"



She spun her back around so that they were facing each other once more.



"Maybe," Kelly licked her lips, staring boldly into Carrie's eyes.



"You know, you're in way over your head?" Carrie said, slipping her index fingers in Kelly's belt loops and pulling her closer.



"Maybe, but you find my innocence irresistible."



Carrie laughed, not wanting to let Kelly know just how right she was. Like the way she had started to subconsciously move to the music again, still pressed against Carrie. She knew the Texan had no idea what she was doing to her, and that just made the girl that much hotter.



"So?" Carrie asked, placing her hand on the small of Kelly's back. "You dance like this with all of your friends?"



"All the time," she replied with a smile, placing a hand on Carrie's hip.



"Really?" Carrie asked, one of her legs slipping in between Kelly's. She smiled as the girl's eyes glazed over almost instantly.



"It's all in good fun, right?" she retorted, managing to keep her voice steady. Carrie fought back the moan that was threatening as Kelly rolled her hips against hers.



"I almost forgot how good of a dancer you were," Carrie bit her lip.



"Yea, well, if singing ever fell through, I knew I could always just be a stripper," she joked, her voice shaky as Carrie slid her hand under the back of her shirt.



Carrie suddenly found it very hard to get the image of Kelly in a pair of short shorts, suspenders, and nothing else out of her head. Her eyes closed as Kelly's fingers accidentally grazed her bare thigh.



"Sorry," Kelly blushed.



"Girl," Carrie's voice was raspy. "You have no idea what you do to me."



Kelly couldn't help but shiver at the look in her eyes. She backed away, "I think I'm going to get some water. You want some?"



Carrie looked at her confusedly, "You ok?"



"Yea, it's just kinda hot in here," she replied, fanning her face as she walked off the dance floor, her heart echoing in her ears.



++++++++



"Have you guys seen Kelly?" Carrie asked, joining Jason and Reba's two nieces at a table.



"What do you mean?" Jason asked.



"She said she was going get some water, but she never came back."



"You let her go by herself?"



"Well, yea, she's a big girl, she can handle herself."



"No," Jason shook her head. "She's a friggin' five foot three world-renowned artist. You can't let her go wonder off by herself in an area that she's not familiar with when there's a bunch of drunk people wondering around."



"What's going on?" Ashley asked, joining them, handing Jason a drink.



"She lost her," Jason accused.



"I did not lose her," Carrie glared.



"Kelly?" Ashley laughed. "She's drinking some water out back. Seriously Jay, you forget the girl grew up in places like this. She can handle herself just fine."



"Told you so," Carrie said, standing up. "I'm gonna go find her."



+++++++++



"Kel?" Carrie questioned, walking out the backdoor. Kelly was leaning against the brick wall of the building, drinking a bottle of water.



"Hey," she greeted.



"You ok? You kinda disappeared on me."



"Yea, sorry," she sighed. "I just...can we talk?"



"Of course, you know that," Carrie said, sitting down on a box crate, patting the space on the side of her. Kelly sat down with her. "What's on your mind?"



"I like you."



"I like you too," Carrie laughed.



"No, I really like you," she stressed.



"Ok?"



"And I want all the same things that you do," Kelly said meaningfully. "I really do."



Carrie nodded, getting at what she was hinting at.



"I just don't think I'm ready."



"Can I at least know why?"



Kelly looked at her skeptically.



"Come on," Carrie smiled. "If I'm to wait for the most insanely hot person ever, I at least deserve to know why."



"So, it's ok?"



Carrie nodded, "So, I mean, if we're talking about sex and stuff, does that mean..."



Kelly smiled, taking Carrie hands in her own, "Carrie Marie Underwood--"



"Oh, middle name, kinda kinky," Carrie laughed, making her blush.



"--will you be my girlfriend...again?" Kelly continued, despite her burning cheeks.



"I'd be crazy to say no," she smiled, leaning in and kissing her softly. She could feel Kelly smiling against her lips.



"So..." Carrie sighed. "You gonna tell me why it is I have to keep taking cold showers every morning?"



"I've only been with one guy before," Kelly confessed nervously.



"Hun, if it's our different experience levels your worried about, you don't have to worry. I mean, we're both new to this whole girl thing," she laughed, but Kelly shook her head.



"Then what is it?" Carrie asked gently, noticing her hesitation.



"It just. It didn't end so well," she replied.



Carrie nodded with a frown, "David?"



Kelly smiled weakly.



"Hey," Carrie soothed, taking her face in her hands. "It's fine. Alright?"



"I wasn't ready, but I knew he was used to more...Then when everything just fell apart, I just couldn't help but think...God," she sighed. "I sound like some dumb high school girl."



Carrie kissed her softly again, "You're not dumb. He's the dumb one for treating you like he did, and letting you get away. But hey, now I have you, so I can't really hate the guy," she said, making Kelly giggle.



"There's a laugh," Carrie smiled. "And don't worry. I'm in this for the long haul, ok? I'll wait. We have our whole lives, right?"



"Yea," Kelly smiled back. "Have I ever told you how amazing you are?"



"About ten times a day."



"Well, ok then."



"But, I could always use an eleventh," Carrie urged.



"Well, Carrie, you are truly an amazing, wonderful, caring, person, and I think you've stolen my heart, but you know what?"



"What?"



"You can keep it as long as you want," she smiled, kissing her.



Carrie laughed, "I don't think I'm ever going to get used to this side of you? I never took you to be the cheese ball romantic type."



"Well, you're not exactly Miss Smooth, either," Kelly replied.



"I don't know," Carrie smirked. "You were the one rubbing on my legs earlier. You tell me how smooth I am?"



Kelly shook her head laughing, "You're crazy, you know that?"



"Only cause you're wearing off on me," she countered, offering Kelly a hand up.





++++++++++++



"So," Carrie smiled widely as Kelly entered the master bedroom after taking he shower. The shorter girl jumped, gasping in surprise.



"You're lucky I have clothes on," Kelly said, waiting for her heart to stop racing from the shock.



"How does that make me lucky?"



Kelly just shook her head, laughing at the country singer.



"So," she smiled again.



"You already said that," Kelly pointed out, crawling under the covers of the bed while Carrie remained sitting at the foot of it.



"I was just wondering..."



"Yes?"



"Well, where exactly does a girlfriend who is not a lover sleep?"



"Lover?" Kelly giggled, stressing the second half of the word. "How white are you?"



"I'm sorry, but we can't all be sexy, southern, ghetto, rock goddesses like yourself," Carrie teased.



Kelly merely rolled her eyes.



"Say it," Carrie smiled.



"What?"



"You know," her eyes twinkled.



"I don't see what the big deal is, it's just a word. It's like when people freak over me saying nekked. I don't get it."



"Oh, now you really have to say it," Carrie grinned, crawling up the bed and onto Kelly's lap. Her eyes were dancing in delight as they gazed into hazel. They slowly lowered to her lips that were struggling not to smile.



"Say it," Carrie said, her voice low.



Kelly rolled her eyes, "Lover."



Carrie shook her head, leaning forward to whisper in Kelly's ear, "Say it like you mean it." She took a quick nibble at Kelly's earlobe before sitting back up. Kelly couldn't struggled to hide the smirk. So the country girl wanted to play?



Kelly wrapped her arms around the girl, pulling her closer. She leaned forward so that her lips were just barely grazing her ear, almost as if it were a dream.



"Lova," she purred, delighted to feel Carrie shiver in her arms. She pulled back to find Carrie's eyes already cloudy. Kelly couldn't help but smile. All it took was one word?



"And as an answer to your question," she smiled. "You sleep in here with me."



Carrie beamed, giving the Texan a quick kiss.



"But no funny business," Kelly warned, shaking a finger at her.



"If you keep purring, I might not be able to help myself. Besides, everybody likes to rub a cat every now and then," she grinned evilly, climbing under the covers, waiting to see the blush rise. Kelly was pleased when she managed to hold it down.



"I've always been more of a dog person, myself," she shrugged, trying not to smile when she saw the other girl's jaw drop. Score! she thought to herself.



+++++++++



Kelly smiled as she snuggled into the body that was behind her. Carrie instinctively wrapped her arm tighter around the girl's waist. Kelly kept her eyes closed, hoping that this moment of bliss could last forever. That's when she felt several soft fingers caressing the inch or two of exposed skin on her stomach. She decided to let Carrie be because the touch was warming her to the core. Slowly the fingers slid under her shirt.



"Carrie," Kelly warned with laughter in her voice.



"Yes?" Carrie asked innocently as she carefully traced her nails across Kelly's upper stomach.



"How many of those beautiful fingers do you have?"



"Ten," she replied, not sure of where this was going.



"Well, if you'd like to keep all ten of them, I'd suggest you stop trying to molest me in my sleep," Kelly smiled.



Carrie leaned forward to whisper in her ear, "You can't rape the willing."



Kelly struggled to not close her eyes as a shiver ran down her spine. She turned over onto her back to look up at the country singer, "Who said I was willing?"



"That's cold," Carrie replied with a pout.



"Like ice," Kelly smiled.



"Well then," she returned the smile as she slid on top of Kelly, holding her weight up on her arms, "I might just have to warm you up."



"You wouldn't even know where to begin," Kelly teased, trying her best to ignore the way Carrie was running her knee up the Texan's leg.



"That sounded like a challenge," Carrie replied, lowering herself until their faces were inches apart.



"One that you can't win."



"Why is that?"



"Because," Kelly grinned, her eyes sparkling as she leaned up to where their lips were all but touching. "I never lose."



Carrie struggled to maintain her balance as she breathed in the breath that was escaping Kelly's lips.



"Hey, Kelly--whoa, shit!" Jason replied, covering his eyes immediately.



"Jason, don't you ever knock," Kelly sighed. Carrie smiled at the sound of disappointment in her voice as she rolled off of her.



"I didn't think...I mean...I didn't realize...breakfast?" he squeaked.



Kelly shook her head, rolling her eyes, "It's alright. Nothing happened. Carrie was just being a nerd."



Jason looked at the two of them skeptically.



"A horny nerd," Carrie grinned, making Jason groan. Kelly hit her arm.



"Come on," Jason frowned. "Way to early in the morning for me to be hearing that."



"I'm sorry Jay. We'll be out in a sec, ok?" Kelly said.



"Yea, don't take too long, though, cause we have a flight to catch."



"Yea, thanks," she smiled as her brother exited the room, closing the door behind him.



"You didn't have to hit me," Carrie pouted.



"You didn't have to make my brother feel so uncomfortable," Kelly replied.



"But it was fun."



"I know," Kelly smiled at her gently. "But he's really trying, ok? And you saying stuff like that isn't going to help matters."



"Sorry," Carrie frowned.



Kelly sighed, opening her arms, "Come here."



Carrie's eyes lit up as she accepted the embrace.



++++++++++



"Hey Care," Kelly smiled, getting an idea.



"Yea?" she asked, toothbrush in hand.



"Take these, it'll help you calm down for the flight," Kelly replied, pulling out some medicine from the suitcase.



"What is this?" Carrie asked nervously.



"It's nothing illegal, if that's what you're thinking," she rolled her eyes.



"You never know with you southern girls."



"It's more fun that way," Kelly winked before grabbing her bags and exiting the bathroom. Carrie took the pills with a shrug.



+++++++++++



"What did you give her?" Jason grunted as he practically drug Carrie to the cab after they got off the plane. It's not that she was heavy, she was just complete dead weight.



Kelly shrugged, "Benedryl."



Ashley laughed, getting into the front seat, "Who knew the girl was such a light weight?"



"How many?"



"Just a couple," Kelly started to laugh as well when Carrie's head fell on her shoulder. The girl was out cold.



"Ooo," Ashley smiled excitedly. "Let me draw a mustache on her."



Kelly snorted back her laughter, "No."



"You're no fun."



"What if we run into paparazzi?"



"Well, the girl already looks wasted," Jason pointed out, poking Carrie's cheek and getting no response.



"Keep your hands to yourself," Kelly teased. "We all know the minute I turn my back on you, you'll jump the poor girl."



Jason shrugged, "She's only with you because you met her first. If she had met me first--"



"She'd still be with Kelly," Ashley laughed. "Sorry Jay, you have no game."



"And my little sister does?"



"She nabbed a hottie from right under your nose, so I'd say yea."



"I knew I kept you around for a reason," Kelly said, giving Ashley a high five.



"Ok, no, we agreed no ganging up on the guy. It's not my fault I'm out numbered. I begged mom for a brother."



"The world can handle only so many male Clarkson's," Kelly replied as a joke, but Jason could see that look flash through her eyes. He leaned over Carrie and ruffled Kelly's hair affectionately, making her smile.



++++++++



"Mommy?" Carrie asked, grabbing a hold of Kelly's arm.



"Hey you, it's me," Kelly replied, kneeling before the oversized chair that Carrie was curled up in, in the middle of Kelly's dressing room.



"Kelly," Carrie slurred.



"You ok?"



"You look pretty," Carrie smiled, poking Kelly's nose, making herself giggle.



"You do too," Kelly replied, trying not to laugh.



"Where are we?"



"Indianapolis. We're at the press junket for the NFL kickoff thing. I'm sorry we had to drag you here, but it was too early to check into the hotel," Kelly explained.



"Too many words," Carrie frowned.



"I'm sorry," Kelly smiled gently, pushing a piece of hair out of the country girl's eyes.



Carrie grabbed Kelly's other arm, pulling her onto her lap.



"Hey," she smiled.



"Hey back," Kelly laughed.



"You wanna know something?"



"Sure."



"But you can't tell anybody," she shook her head.



"Ok."



"It's a secret," Carrie whispered, bringing a finger to Kelly's lips.



"I promise," Kelly smiled.



"I think I like you," Carrie whispered, scrunching up her nose as she brought her face inches from Kelly.



"Well, do you wanna know a secret?"



Carrie nodded her head adamantly, her face lighting up.



"But you can't tell anybody," Kelly insisted.



Carrie shook her head, her eyes wide like a little child's.



"I think I like you too," Kelly smiled, poking Carrie's nose, making her giggle again.



Carrie pulled Kelly closer, burying her face in her shoulder.



"But hey, I have to go do this interview and take a few pictures now, ok?" Kelly asked.



"But I don't want you to," Carrie frowned, looking up at her, resting her chin on Kelly's shoulder.



"Why not?" she asked patiently.



"Because I'm going to miss you," Carrie pouted.



Kelly was positive she felt her heart flutter, "I'm gonna miss you too."



She leaned forward, giving the country singer an innocent kiss. "But I'll be back soon."



"You promise?"



"I promise," she nodded.



"Pinky swear?" Carrie asked, holding out her pinky.



"Pinky swear," Kelly smiled, hooking their pinkies together. "How about you try to get some more sleep, ok?"



Carrie nodded as Kelly got off her lap, and she curled back into the sofa.