In My Dreams It's Me And You

Nathalie’s POV

“Why couldn't we have just gone back with the others?” Brian groaned. He yawned loudly just as we were leaving the airport after an early morning flight. “At least then I would have got some sleep, and a change of clothes.”

Even though I was exhausted- probably more so than Brian because of having to run around trying to prepare for the dinner- I didn't seem to show it. Probably because unlike Brian, I was running on a female's system, which seemed to vastly outrun that of a man's. Or at least his.

“So you would've preferred last night not to happen?” I retorted, stopping suddenly and crossing my arms with a frown. “Here I thought you enjoyed it. You certainly weren't complaining of being tired; or do we only do that afterwards?”

“You know I didn't mean that babe,” he said with a smile, pulling me into his arms and kissing me on the neck. “Come on, let's see that smile.”

He pulled a variety of stupid faces at me until I couldn't hold back laughing any longer, playfully shoving him in the shoulder before grabbing his hand to hail down a cab.

After we had sat in the back I couldn't help commenting, “I've fallen in love with an idiot.”

He grinned. “At least I make life interesting.”

--

Since there was a day before the next show we all met up at the beach close by to the next venue; or at least that’s where Brian and I ended up. The others were still on the road when we first stepped out onto the sand, in our formal outfits from the night before no less since all our others were on the tour bus. There wasn’t much care for the clothes considering the heat so I ended up ripping most of the skirt from my dress while Brian took off both his jacket and shirt and just rolled up his trousers to fashion shorts.

I tapped Brian on the chest as I was lying by his side, my other arm resting over my eyes to shield from the sun. “Can you ring Zacky again? They must be nearby by now.”

He sighed as pressed the button dialling the last number, putting it on speaker before he placed his cell between us both.

“Hello?”

“Hey Zack,” Brian greeted. “Nat’s just wondering if you are going to be here soon.”

“Hey! You wanted to know as well!” I protested, swinging out the arm from my eyes to punch him awkwardly on the chest.

“That hurt!” He whined, rubbing at the spot where I hit him and looking at me ruefully. “You are so mean.”

I was about to reply to his childish comment when Zacky chuckled from the cell. “Now now children, play nice.” His voice sounded odd this time though, almost like an echo. The sun was probably frying his cell or something.

“When are you going to be here Zacky?” I asked, rolling on my side so the sun didn’t burn my eyes. “If I knew flying here would have meant we were this early I wouldn’t have bothered.”

“You could have at least bothered to let us fly with you,” Zacky replied, his voice sounding even stranger. It sounded as if he was actually next to me speaking, not just through a phone. I didn’t have time to ask since something hit my head, revealing to be a set of clothes falling onto my lap as I suddenly sat up, seeing Zacky right behind me alongside the rest of the guys. “But then I wonder who would have been there to rescue you with clothes?”

I scowled as Brian got up to greet everyone, choosing instead to stay sitting down. “Nice to see you too, Zacky.”

Chloe didn't seem to appreciate my choosing to stay sitting down as she grabbed my wrist and hauled me to my feet, shaking her head in disapproval as she examined the tattered fabric of my dress. “Really Nat? Could you not once, just once, think before you act?”

I smiled sheepishly. “But then who would be there to annoy you?”

“Sometimes I wonder what to do with you,” Chloe replied with a sigh. “Now come on, time to change.” She pressed her hands against my back and began to force me to walk, giving me just enough time to look back and see the amused grin on Brian's face.

--

The dress ended up being thrown away despite Chloe's protests due to the cost of it, and we were now walking back to the guys sprawled out on a blanket Val must have brought with her. Brian was busy making a sandcastle with Zacky- I swear those two are so childish- but his head snapped to me as I walked up, pulling me down so that I was sitting in front of him, my back to his chest.

“Someone is looking very sexy today,” he murmured slyly in my ear, his arms winding around my waist.

Chloe smiled smugly beside me, having taken up helping Zacky after Brian left. “My fashion choices are always the best.”

Really I couldn't protest against that, even though I did playfully swipe at her. She always did know what looked good on people, and even though it was just a simple black bikini top with a pair of black shorts it did make me look good. However when I looked a bit closer at what I was wearing, I noticed something.

“Chloe, did you do this?” I moved so that she could see the left side of my bikini top. It was only small, but surely enough there was the deathbat logo for the band.

“I thought you would like it,” Chloe replied. “There's a matching one on the shorts as well, but it's slightly different.”

“What is it?” I tried to twist myself so that I could look at the back of the shorts, since there was nothing at the front. When I got up to try and see it I noticed that Jimmy had fallen back laughing, followed by a few sniggers from everyone else. Even Brian was biting his lip, trying not to laugh. “What is it?”

“Erm...” Brian trailed off, obviously not wanting to say whatever it was.

I rounded on Chloe, glaring down at her. “What does it say?”

She smirked, simply holding up a compact mirror she had taken from her bag and held it up so I could see. Embroidered into the waistband of the shorts read 'Fucking Synyster Gates. Jealous?'

“Oh.” I shrugged and sat back down, stretching myself on the sand so that my head was resting on Brian's lap.

He looked oddly down me. “Oh? Is that it?”

Obviously he was expected some kind of outburst from me, but I couldn’t really care less. Chloe beside him just looked disappointed by my reaction, while the others followed Brian's performance and just looked bemused.

“Well,” I began, looking up at him. “I am, and naturally, people will be jealous. However unlike those many thousands of people dreaming about it, I don't need to.” I chuckled as his face fell into shock from my words, adding, “And anyway I think it's kind of funny, so I don't mind. I've worn worse on clothing.”

“Such as?”

Chloe and I exchanged looks; both of us remembering a certain instance a year or so back. “Don't worry about it.”

He shrugged, leaning back on his arms. “I almost don't want to play the show tomorrow.”

“Oh, the pain of being paid so much just to play an hour long set,” I remarked sarcastically, rolling my eyes as he raised an eyebrow at me.

“You can talk,” Brian snorted. “At least I do something for an hour; you don't do shit for your trust fund.”

I pouted. “That's mean.”

“You started it.”

“No I didn't, you did. You started whining.”

“Doesn't mean I started it.”

“Yes it does.”

“No, it doesn't.”

“Yes-”

“Hey!” We stopped and turned to see Val, who was currently rubbing her head with an annoyed look. “Stop acting like children; you're giving me a headache.”

We both grinned as I sat up so that I could lean against Brian's chest. “Sorry Val.”

“You right you are,” she grumbled, lying underneath the shade of the large umbrella that they must have put up when Chloe and I went to change.

Brian prodded me lightly in the side, a curious look on his face. “Why did you never tell me about the record label thing?”

I sighed. “Curiosity killed the cat you know.”

“Come on Nat, it's just a question. And anyway, you could just buy another cat.”

“I don't like cats anyway.” I reached out to the side and started to grab at the sand, watching it as it trickled through my fingers. “And I don't know why I didn't. I don't really tell anyone. I don't want anyone to like me just because of what assets my parents left me.”

“You think I care?”

I smiled. “Well you asked, and if you have to ask about something it means you care about it.”

“Well, maybe I'm just checking that you can't somehow work your connections in the business and get us chucked off our label,” he said, curling his arms around my waist and playing with my fingers. “I think I should remember not to piss you off.”

“It is Alex you shouldn't be pissing off,” I commented. “Although I guess if you pissed me off, he would do something about it.” I couldn't help but laugh as an image of Alex when he was angry filled my thoughts, adding, “But luckily for you, I wouldn't doom your band because you are an ass.”

“That's good.”

“But it doesn't mean I would be able to stop him from doing other things.”

“And what might that be?”

I chuckled; probably sounding a bit sinister by the looks of his worried expression. “Trust me; you wouldn’t want to know.”