In My Dreams It's Me And You

Nathalie’s POV

A month later the tour was finished, and after getting back a few days ago Brian and I were laying in bed. It had already gone past midday, but after the hectic tour schedule everyone felt like they needed at least a week to recover. Well, almost everyone, if the person ringing my cell at that moment had something to say.

“Hello?”

“Nat, it's Clo.” As if I needed anyone to tell me that; she's the only person who could have this much energy after being completely drained of it all. “What are you two doing tonight?”

I rolled onto my side and looked at Brian beside me, prodding him in the back to get his attention only to have him groan about something incoherent and place a pillow over his head.

“Sleeping,” I replied, stifling a yawn as I pushed off the covers over me and stumbled out of bed. I glanced at myself in the mirror and sighed at the bird nest of hair on top of my head.

“You're coming out with Zacky and me,” Chloe said, saying it more of a command than anything else.

“Come on Clo,” I whined as I tried to attack my hair with a brush while holding my cell to my ear with my other hand. Something banged downstairs but I couldn't be bothered to go down and look. It was probably just the wind or something. “We only got back a few days ago.”

“You are coming out tonight; you can't stay a hermit for the rest of your life.”

“No Chloe,” I said firmly, giving up on the idea of getting up and crawling back into bed beside Brian. “Goodbye.”

I flipped the cell shut and placed it on the bedside table, cuddling up to Brian as he sleepily asked, “Whowazzat?”

No time was given to reply as the bedroom door flew open and smashed into the wall, making us both jump far enough in the bed so that Brian fell off the side of the bed, taking the covers and me- as I had wound them around myself- with him to the floor. After I had entangled myself I looked up and saw the one person who I really didn't want to see.

Chloe.

“You two are so lazy,” she commented, placing her hands on her hips as she stood over us. “We've been up for hours.”

I looked past her to Zacky who was standing in the doorway, or rather, was leaning against it and looking as if he were trying to sleep against it. “I can see that.” I got up from under the covers since I knew there was no way of Chloe letting me sleep any longer, stretching myself out to try and wake up, asking everyone, “ Anyone up for coffee? I know I can do with some.” I walked over to where Zacky was slowly sliding down the door and hooked my arm around is, just to stop him from falling, literally, flat on his face. “Come on Zacky, you'll get the first cup.”

All of us clustered in the kitchen with mugs of coffee in our hands, with Zacky seeming the most grateful for the caffeine that should just about get him through the rest of the day. They always said that he was the most energetic out of the band, but it seems he met his match with Chloe.

“Chloe, you do realise what you did this morning was basically breaking and entering, right?” I asked her as I jumped lightly onto the breakfast bar, resting my coffee on my lap. “Since technically you moved in with Zacky.”

“Don't try and use that against me, Brian still has a key to Zacky's, and he basically lives here,” Chloe pointed out. “I’ve done nothing wrong.”

“Except I basically live here, I don't officially,” Brian said with a grin, enjoying the look of annoyance on her face. “So I'm still allowed a key.”

“You shouldn't tease her Brian,” I told him having noticed the growing scowl. “You can't get away with it.”

Chloe raised an eyebrow in my direction. “And you can?”

“Of course I can,” I said, setting aside my coffee and pushing off from the bar to lean against it next to Brian. “That's one of the privileges of being your best friend.”

“You wish,” she snorted, walking behind me to place her cup in the sink.

I pouted. “Mean.”

“You'll get over it,” she replied airily, returning and sitting happily on Zacky's lap. “So are you going to come out or what?”

“Erm.” I turned to Brian, hoping that he would voice the rejection so I wouldn't have to. “What do you think?”

He shrugged. “Seems like a good idea. Maybe we can get a drink round Matt's, he owes me from the tour.” He looked over at Zacky, whose head was leaning against Chloe's back and falling asleep. “Zack? What'd you think?”

Zacky mumbled something that sounded vaguely like 'Sounds alright' into Chloe's back, which just made the smile on her grow larger as she realised I was getting backed into a corner. I sighed, finally relenting, “Fine. I'll drive. You two can come with us; pick up your car tomorrow. Saves two people from not drinking.”

“You sure about that babe?” Brian asked. “It's not far, we can all walk. About what, half an hour or so?”

“I don't feel up to walking,” I replied simply. “Plus I don't feel up to drinking, so I might as well drive us all over.”

“Wait,” Zacky interrupted, peering around Chloe to look at me. “I thought all your cars were two-seaters? How are we all supposed to fit in one of those?”

“He's got a point,” Brian agreed.

“I've got to drop off Jimmy's car back to him, so I might as well just drive that,” I replied. “We can walk back to yours after that, since you technically live only a block or so from Matt's.”

“Sounds like a plan to me,” Brian said. “Although I don't see why we can't just get a cab there, it's not like Rev would be sober enough to drive his car back home anyway.”

“No point wasting money when we can drive.”

“And when has money ever been a problem?”

I frowned. “And when has me wanting to drive been a problem?”

He seemed ready to protest more until Zacky cut in, “I'm up for Nat driving, at least then I don't have to be Jimmy's personal driver any more.”

“Well, hurry up then,” Chloe said. “Everyone is already waiting for us.”

I turned to her and sighed, realising that she had gotten us actually agreeing to go. “This was one of those times where we didn't really have a choice, wasn't it?”

The smile answered it all.

--

In the end we wound up in Deviate, meeting up with the others when we got there. Apparently the night out was to celebrate Val and Matt finally getting properly hitched while we were in Las Vegas for a show, since we didn't really get a chance to while we were on tour. None of us knew this, including the newly wedded couple, until Chloe announced it, just before marching off to the bar to get a round of drinks for everyone.

“So how does it feel to finally be Mrs. Valary Sanders?” I asked Val, who instantly began to rub over the fresh gold band around her finger. “Starting to regret it yet?”

She smiled as Matt reached over and took her hand in his, the pair of them acting the role of wedding bliss perfectly. “How can I regret the love of my life of eight years?” She replied softly, snuggling under his arm as he draped it around her shoulders. “All this means is that it is now official.”

“I think I prefer the single life myself,” Brian said with a grin as he lay back, resting his arms behind his head. “Not being tied down is much better.”

“So what am I, your bit on the side?” I asked darkly, narrowing my eyes at him. “If you prefer the single life so much maybe I can grant it to you.”

“I never said I wanted to be single, now did I?” He replied, only just managing to brush his lips against my cheek as I turned away from annoyance. “I said I prefer it, but not that I wanted it. I'd rather have you telling me what to do any day.”

“Nice save there Syn,” Zacky commented just as Chloe came back with a tray of drinks, plucking a beer off for himself. “Thanks babe.”

“Nice save for what?” Chloe asked, squeezing in the booth beside Zacky.

“That even though he prefers being single, Brian here would rather be with me,” I answered.

Chloe's face screwed up, trying to understand. “Well... I guess that's... sweet?”

“Of course it was,” Brian remarked. “I am a very sweet person.”

“I'm sure you are,” I replied, reaching over for the glass of orange juice and taking a sip, adding, “A sweet pain in the ass.”

He scowled in response as everyone laughed, but his mood lightened up considerably when I apologised with a kiss. Jimmy's attention seemed to be else where as he kept on looking out, making me ask, “Who are you looking for?”

To my surprise his face began to turn red, and he instantly mumbled a swift 'No one' before turning to his beer. I raised an eyebrow just as Chloe answered on his behalf. “He's looking out for Leana. They got very...close after you left from Cascade. Isn't that right, Jimmy?”

His cheeks burned brighter from this comment, making me feel quite bad for him. I squeezed out from the booth and turned back to him, pretending to lean over the table to get my bag and 'accidentally' knocking his drink to the floor. “Oh Jimmy, I'm so sorry! Here, come with me to the bar and I'll buy you another.”

Considering we got free drinks anyway thanks to Chloe owning the Club he took the hint and quickly got up, almost running away from the others as I had to almost jog to keep up with him through the crowds. He instantly slumped upon the bar when we both reached it, letting out a low groan.

I leant my back against the bar beside him, commenting, “You should have known that was going to happen. Think of it as karma. You did the same to Brian and Zacky, if I remember right.”

“I know I did,” he groaned, lifting his head slightly from the bar to look at me. “But I'm not bothered about that.”

“Then what is it?”

He turned slightly, stealing a look at one of the female bar staff serving a customer further up. I followed his gaze, seeing none other than the object of teasing for the others.

“Leana?”

Jimmy only nodded before allowing his head to slip back onto the bar mumbling, “I can't even speak to her.”

I frowned. “You spoke to her fine the last time we were here.”

“Yeah but-”

“But what?”

He shifted until his back was leaning against the bar, his head hanging as he replied lamely, “I was drunk.”

“That's pathetic.”

“I know.”

“Hey Leana!” Jimmy looked ready to run as I waved her over; stopped only from the fact I had a fistful of his shirt in my hand. “Remember Jimmy?”

“Jimmy?” I watched as her gaze shifted to him, with almost instantaneously her cheeks were burning darker than his. She directed her attention to the bottom of her shirt, playing with it nervously as she stuttered her reply. “Y-y-yes, I d-do. It's nice to s-s-see you a-again.”

I glanced between the pair of them as neither of them said anything, deciding to take it upon myself to start things off. “So Leana, how has work been going?”

“Same as always Nat,” she replied, a grateful tone seeping into her words. Obviously she was finding the silence as awkward as I was, but didn't want to be the one to break it. “How about you?”
“Work? Nat? Really?” Jimmy snorted, making us both look at him. “The day she works is the day I give up snacks!”

Leana didn't have the knowledge that I did about how much Jimmy and snacks go together, so looked confused when I scowled and punched him in the arm, murmuring, “I've given up snacks as part of my diet...”

I smiled evilly at Jimmy as he rubbed his arm where I punched it, turning to explain. “Snacks to Jimmy are like gas for a car. Basically the day he stops eating snacks is the day hell freezes over. Or in this case-” I paused to glare at him. “-is the day I work.”

Leana laughed, and after this they seemed to be talking fine, my lack of working skills seeming to unite the pair against me. She seemed preoccupied with him so I moved a bit further down the bar to give them some space, looking up just as another of the bar staff working tonight came over.

“Excuse me, miss?” The voice belonged to what must have been one of the newly hired staff, since everyone normally knew me by name. She placed a cocktail glass in front of me, an orange colour melting into scarlet at the bottom that was the iconic Tequila Sunrise, my favourite drink. “For you, from the gentlemen across there.”

I followed to where she pointed, noticing the male just as he gave a short wave. I couldn’t make much of him out from where I was however, asking, “Did he say who he was?”

“No, I’m sorry.”

“Oh.” I began to play absent-mindedly with the little paper umbrella in the glass. “Tell him thanks for me.”

“Of course,” she replied, disappearing to serve another customer.

I shouldn’t really have drunk it but it was rude to not drink it considering someone gave it to me, but after not drinking as much as I used to over the past few months I found that this one cocktail went to my head quicker than anything. It only took this one and I was already out of it- when I tried walking from the bar back to the booth I only managed a few steps before I found myself falling, only to be saved by someone.

“Watch your step there.” It didn’t sound like Brian or any of the other guys, but their voice did sound familiar, I just couldn’t place from where. “We can’t have you messing up that pretty face of yours.”

Even with him supporting me I felt my legs wobble. My mind had been far from me on loads of different occasions, but this time didn’t feel like any of the others. I couldn’t even seem to focus on anything, so when he suggested going outside for some fresh air I wasn’t going to disagree.

--

Brian’s POV

“Hey, has anyone seen Nat?” I asked, standing beside the booth and trying to scan the club for any sign of her. “It doesn’t take that long to get another drink.”
“Calm down Romeo,” Chloe said with a roll of her eyes, tipping a beer into Zack’s mouth. “She wouldn’t run out on you.”

“Well she’s not with Jimmy at the bar,” I pointed out to her. “And she’s not on the dance floor.”

“Maybe she’s in the toilet or something; did you ever think about that?”

“Maybe you’re right,” I resigned, slumping back into the booth after I let Val back in.

She gave Matt a light peck before turning to me to ask, “What’s with the long face?”

Chloe answered on my behalf as she set aside the now empty beer glass. “Nat. He thinks she's running away.”

“Oh. Well I did see her going outside with some guy; I think they were friends.”

Chloe turned to her. “Did he have brown-blonde hair, which constantly falls in his eyes and makes you want to scream ‘get a haircut’?”

“I don’t think so,” Val answered, leaning back against Matt. “He had brown spiky hair, and blue eyes. Looked as if he could be one of those really good-looking people in horror films who always turn out to be the psycho killer.”

“Oh, that’s comforting,” I said sarcastically. “My girlfriend has just been taken by her friend whose day job just so happened to be that of a serial killer. Thanks for that Val, thanks a lot.”

“Here to help,” she replied cheerfully, reaching over to pick up her drink from the table. “She’ll be fine, it’s not like anything will happen.”