In My Dreams It's Me And You

Brian's POV

I was led out back into one of the rooms set aside for costumes, her hand pushing me sharply on the chest so that I fell back onto a pile of feathered props. Her hand lingered on my chest as she followed me down, straddling my chest with a devilish smile.

“Did you enjoy the show?” She murmured close to my ear, my skin left tingling as she made her way down my neck in a succession of small kisses. “I hope you weren't disappointed.”

Sliding my finger underneath her chin I tilted her head upwards, pushing myself up so that our lips met. “You don't know how much I did.” I fell back again after our lips parted back onto the pile, adding, “Although I am slightly jealous that everyone else got to see the show as well.”

“Well, they don't get an invite to the after party, do they?” She replied slyly, picking up one of my hands in hers and brought it to the top of her jacket, guiding me though unfastening each clip that held it in place.

The last one came apart just as a brisk knock sounded from the other side, followed by the door opening and a voice commenting, “Nathalie, you know our patrons are off-limits.”

She dropped my hand with a roll of her eyes revealing that she was not wearing any form of bra underneath, merely tilting her head back to avoid moving her upper body and responding, “He was my boyfriend long before being a patron, so it doesn't count.” Despite how I managed to fumble with the clasps she managed to do them back up again in lightning speed, moving from my chest and standing to face them, her arms crossed. “People do normally choose to wait for a welcome before barging in to an occupied room.”

“Most people are not me,” they replied, walking into the room and offering me a hand. “I'm Sarah.”

“Brian,” I replied as I allowed her to help me back onto my feet. She still seemed slightly annoyed so I gave Nat a gentle shake as I wound my arm around her waist before turning to Sarah to ask, “Weren't you one of the performers just now?” I decided on using 'performers' since 'strippers' seemed a bit.. well. Up front I guess. “You work together with Nat then?”

“Who, Nat and I?” She shook her head. “This is one of the few times Nat has been on stage. She's a fantastic dancer as you can see, but she never wanted to join in with us; however I can see why she agreed for tonight.”

Both of the girls laughed as I replied, “There is no mistaking the severe hotness of Synyster Gates.”

Nat rolled her eyes. “You wish.” She turned to Sarah who suddenly seemed to have had a change of heart, now standing there looking anxious and fiddling with her shirt. “Sarah, get yourself together. Do you want him thinking you are a freak?”

I looked down at Nat, asking, “Meet who?”

“Johnny,” she replied, smirking as her friend's cheeks burned from embarrassment. “Sarah has the biggest of crushes on him.”

“Shut up!” Sarah shrieked, attempting to swipe at Nat who easily dodged it. “He's friends with him!”

“Hey! Who said I was friends with him?”

Sarah stopped chasing Nat to turn to me, confusion etched onto her expression. “I thought you were band mates?”

“Correct.”

“So wouldn't you be friends with him?”

“Not at all,” I replied, shaking my head. “Actually we all live quite separate lives in the band, we really only get together when we have to, like recording or touring.”

Her confusion deepened. “But... but I saw you all in the booth.”

“Are you sure?”

Nat sighed. “He's messing with you Sarah. Honestly, you are so gullible.”

“I don't see- hey!” She frowned, now advancing on me.

Luckily Nat decided to step in between us, stopping her friend in her tracks. “Just leave it, you'll just make him happier otherwise.”

“That's not fair!” I whined. “She was just getting mad.”

“Zip it Gates, or you'll get nothing for a month.” I was about to say something out of protest but she turned back and glared at me, forcing me to close my mouth. “Come on, let's go introduce Johnny to one of his little fans.”

–

Not wanting to give Sarah any chance of escape- since the look in her eyes certainly screamed it- Nat dragged her straight over to the booth, pushing her unkindly in the back so that she fell onto Johnny's lap. She instantly squeaked and jumped to her feet, rushing through a string of apologies as her cheeks flushed in embarrassment.

I sidled up next to Nat, whispering, “That was a bit mean.”

“So were you,” she replied with a shrug. “Johnny, I'd like you to meet Sarah. She has posters of you on her walls at home.”

“Nat!” Sarah shrieked, glancing fearfully at everyone before running off. She almost looked like she was about to cry as she hid herself in another booth on the other side of the room from ours.

“I think that was a bit mean of me,” Nat mused, staring after her friend with a bemused expression. “Didn't think that would happen.”

Johnny meanwhile was without a clue as to what had just happened, looking at me for an answer. “What the hell just happened?”

I shrugged. “That girl liked you, and wanted to meet you.”

“Oh.” He leant back, looking thoughtfully at her. “Was she one of the strippers from before?”

“Yeah.”

Despite his little legs, I had never seen a person move that fast. In a matter of seconds he had an arm around her shoulders, and after a few more had passed was already making out with her.

“Wow,” Nat stated. “Sitting to making out in under ten seconds. Must be a new record.”

“I've done better,” I snorted in reply.

Nat looked waywardly at me. “Hitting me at 60mph doesn't count you know.”

“That was uncalled for.”

She grinned, rolling onto her tiptoes and pressing her lips against mine, pulling away with a cheeky wink. “You'll get over it.”

I took over the space Johnny had left as Nat perched herself on my lap. Normally the booth would have been able to sit all of us fine, but Val had decided to take up space for at least three people by lying across the sofa, her head on Matt's lap as he happily obliged to pouring the contents of a cocktail glass into her mouth. Next to us was Zacky, his head resting on the top of Chloe's, both of them obviously having drunk too much and now fallen asleep.

“It's pretty much me and you tonight, isn't it?” Nat commented after doing the same as I did and looking over everyone. “There is no way this lot is going to be walking.”

–

Nathalie's POV

Sure enough, Brian and I were left with the task of getting everyone home, and I was certainly right in my prediction that no one was able to walk on their own. My particular charge of the night was Chloe, who was acting exactly like a corpse would, but of course without having the lightness of actually being one.

“Clo, could you not at least try and walk?” I pleaded, my legs straining under the dead weight. In no way was my friend overweight, but I wasn't the strongest of people in the world.

She mumbled something in reply but I couldn't make out a single word of what it was, just resigning myself to silence until I finally managed to get to Matt's car and dumping her in the nearest seat. As I stretched out my arms I saw Brian coming with Zacky over his shoulder in a fireman's lift, placing him in the back next to Chloe before leaning next to me and looked on at the next set of bodies staggering over.

Somehow, even though he had drunk as much of the rest if not more, Matt had managed to drag both himself and Val over to the car and slump in the two seats in front of the back. Sarah followed a few minutes after with Johnny which I found quite sweet, especially when he had a goofy smile on his face when she pecked his cheek goodbye. I concerned myself with a body check after he got in which made me realise Jimmy was missing, someone I don't remember seeing after I l came back with Brian from backstage.

“Where did Jimmy go? I don't remember seeing him when we went back to get the others.”

“Last time I saw him he was downing a shot to pluck up the courage to talk to the waitress,” Brian replied, leaning against the side of the car and lighting up a cigarette. “Some girl named Leana, I think.”

“Leana?”

Didn't need my help after all.

“In fact, that's her now.”

He pointed to the last of our group propped up against the small body of Leana crossing the car park. By the looks of it she was having a hard time with it as well, especially considering Jimmy's size and the fact she wasn't the tallest of people didn't help her case.

“Thanks Nat,” Leana gasped after I helped her get Jimmy into the front, my eyebrow raising as he slumped against the glass, not looking pretty in the slightest.

“I see someone made a new friend,” I commented slyly, smiling as I saw the blush rise on her cheeks. She quickly made her excuses about having to get back and scuttled off, but not before stealing a few glances along the way across the car park and almost tripping each time because of it.

“Are you coming back to mine tonight?” I asked Brian as she disappeared, turning just to see him flick the last of the stick onto the ground.

He took one glance at the bodies strewn across the back of the car and shook his head. “Probably not the best idea, might just crash at mine.” He must have sensed my disappointment as he pulled me over to him, wrapping his arms around me. “With you of course.”

I slapped away the hand that had begun to sneak its way under my jacket, feeling his fingers just brush against my breasts before I pulled away, kissing his pouted lips. “I'll meet you there. I've just got to go get my keys from inside and then I'll be over, okay?”

“Miss you babe,” he said with a squeeze of my hand, shooting me a sad look as he got into the car and backed it out. His passengers remained oblivious even when he had to stop abruptly just as another car came racing past the club, waving with one hand outside the window before setting off down the road.

It was a mixture of exhaustion and the ache that had grown since Brian left my side that made me not bother wanting to get changed out of my stage outfit, simply shoving the clothes I had worn from before into my bag and giving Luke a hug goodbye on my way out. When I walked over to my car I accidentally walked straight into someone, murmuring a quick apology as I tried to cross the rest of the distance without colliding with someone- or something- else. I never was a fantastic walker in heels when I wasn't fully attentive, and being tired certainly made me fall into this category.

–

When I arrived at the house Brian shared with Zacky I dumped my bag in the hallway along with my shoes after a minor struggle with them, walking over to where he was lounging on the sofa watching a random programme on the television and slumped down beside him, resting my head on his shoulder.

“Where is everyone?” I asked, fighting to stay awake as my exhaustion was quickly consuming the last of my energy. “Are they upstairs?”

“Nope,” Brian replied with a shake of his head, adding, “there is no way one person can get that lot past the front door on his own let alone up the stairs. I might as well have just driven the car through the wall instead.”

I responded with something that was between a yawn and a laugh, my eyes drooping as the seconds passed. Brian began to lightly brush his fingers against my cheek which didn't help in the slightest at keeping me awake, murmuring a soft, “You can sleep Nat” just as my eyes fully closed, sleep taking me at last at his command.