In My Dreams It's Me And You

(Nats' POV)

Val and I spent all morning and afternoon together at the mall shopping and catching up on the last ten years. Before I moved away, Val and I had been extremely close and now that I was back, I had a lot to catch up on.

Val told me about how a year after I moved away, the boys got signed to Hopeless Records, recorded two albums with them, and then got signed to Warner Brothers. She told me that after they joined Warner, they got really big (which I already knew) and that they felt like they had more freedom. She also told me crazy tour stories from way back when they first started out, and how even though they now had a huge tour bus, crazy shit still went down all the time.

We were sitting down for a quick break and laughing at a tour story she had just told me when Val smirked at me. Even though I had been gone for ten years, I still knew what that devious smirk meant: I was about to be grilled with questions.

"So what's up with you and Mr. Zacky V?" she asked, leaning over the table. "I saw that little display of affection before we left!"

"Yeah, the whole damn living room saw it," I grumbled under my breath and blushed slightly. Val laughed and nodded her head, telling me to continue. I sighed and smiled a little bit before doing so. "Well, honestly, I don't really know what's going on with us," I confessed. "We're just hanging out and seeing what happens, I guess."

Val 'awwed' and cooed at me before becoming a bit more serious. "I just want you to know, Nat, he just broke up with Gena. They were together for a really long time, and well...I don't want to sound mean because I love him to death, but Zacky is a bit of a man whore," she warned, frowing slightly.

I laughed quietly and said, "Yeah, yeah, I know." Val gave me a questioning look and I sighed. "Brian and Matt already gave me that speech, so I know all about it. But seeing as how three people who are the closest to him have told me that, maybe I should listen, huh?"

Val nodded her head. "I'm not trying to discourage you or anything because frankly, it's your choice and not mine. I just want you to be...how shall I put it, informed before you make any decisions," she said, laughing at the end.

"Thanks, Val," I smiled. "You've always been a little more understanding than Matt, and I love you for that."

"No problem girly," she said as we stood up and grabbed our bags. "Now what do you say we head home and make some dinner? I don't know about you, but I'm starving and I bet the guys are too."

"Let's go then!" I cheered and raced Val to our car in the parking lot. We were laughing and screaming the whole way, gaining odd looks from the people around us, but that's what's great about Val: she doesn't really give a shit what you think about her, she's gonna be who she is.

Once we made it to the car and Val had started driving back home, she looked at me oddly. "Did you say back there that Brian had told you about Zacky?" she asked curiously. I nodded my head and gave her a strange look when she laughed. "Damn woman, you have Synyster Gates after you, too?"

I groaned and smacked my head against my window. "Please, let's not talk about that," I said. "Brian and I...well, actually nevermind."

"No no! Spill it, woman! I wanna know all the juicy details!" Val said excitedly. Before I could speak, she gasped and asked, "Oh my god, did you sleep with Brian?! Does Matt know?"

I snorted and said, "Trust me babe, there are no juicy details. Long story short, Brian wants me and I don't want him."

"Aww poor boy, he's not used to rejection," Val said and we both burst out laughing.

"Well, he better get used to it, because he ain't getting a piece of this!" I said, causing us both to start laughing hysterically.

Val pulled up in the driveway of Matts' house and we got out, bringing our bags with us. "I've missed you, girly," she said, giving me a hug as we walked up to the door. "I'm glad to have you back."

"Same here Val, and it's good to be back," I replied, grinning.

We walked through the door and Val screamed, "We're home, bitches!" I could hear the guys complaining about the loudness and I laughed along with Val.

"I'm gonna go put my stuff away and then I'll come help you with dinner," I told her and she nodded.

I carefully made my way up the stairs and to the end of the hall where my bedroom was and fumbled with the doorknob before finally getting it to open. Once I was in, I went over to my bed and set my bags on the floor at my feet. Overall, Val and I had made a pretty good haul: I had bought seven pairs of jeans, ten pairs of shorts, ten t-shirts, five pairs of shoes, ten skirts, and a whole new wardrobe of lingrie. Yeah, it was a pretty good day of spending Matts' money.

I was in the process of putting my clothes away when there was a knock at my door. I told whoever it was to come in and I was slightly suprised when I found Zacky standing a bit awkwardly by the door.

"Hey Zacky, what's up?" I asked happily. Zacky mumbled something inaudible and I asked him to repeat it.

"You're not going to like this," he said, looking at me nervously.

"Why? What's wrong?" I asked, started to get anxious.

"Well uh, after you left...Matt kind of told Brian and I something," Zacky stated. I tilted my head to one side and Zacky continued. "He initially told me that I wasn't allowed to be around you and I wasn't supposed to be involved with you, and then before he left the room, he told Brian the same thing."

I stood rooted to the floor, balling my hands into fists at my sides. What the fuck did he think he was doing? He can't fucking tell them to stay away from me; I'll make that decision by myself! I could feel myself getting angrier by the moment and Zacky was slowly backing towards the door. Before I knew what was happening, I stormed past Zacky and down the stairs into the living room. Brian and Jimmy were sitting watching TV and they attempted to talk to me, but backed off when I shot them a murderous glare.

"MATTHEW CHARLES SANDERS! GET YOUR ASS INTO THE LIVING ROOM THIS FUCKING INSTANT!" I screamed, causing Johnny to jolt awake on the love seat he had been sleeping on.

Matt came into the living with Zacky and Val following a moment later. Judging by the dopey look on his face, he didn't know that I knew what he had done. Well, he'd fucking find out soon. And we'd have an audience, how wonderful.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing, huh?" I asked, venom dripping from my voice. Matt gave me a blank look and I blew up. "I fucking know what you did after Val and I left, you asshole, so stop playing dumb!" I screamed.

This brought Matt out of his little world and his face instantly reddened. "Is this what this is about?" he yelled. I nodded my head and he groaned in disgust. "I already told you, Nat, I'm only trying to protect you!"

"And I already told you I can take care of myself, so fucking stop trying to control everything!" I shouted. "I'm a big girl Matt, I can handle myself!"

"Yeah, but you don't know them like I do!" he retorted. "I love them to death and they're great guys, but they can be such fucking pigs when it comes to women, and I don't want you involved with them!"

"I'm old enough to make my own decisions, Matthew! And if I screw up, it's my fault. You can't protect me from everything, and I'm bound to make a wrong decision some time!" I responded. "You've just got to let me do my own thing!"

Matt just shook his head. "I'm sorry Natalie, but I'm not backing down on this. I do not want you to be involved with them. I forbid you to."

When Matt said those four words, the whole room tensed. The guys barely dared to breathe, and Val looked as though she was ready to hit the deck once either Matt or I lost it. Good thing too, because I was about to go crazy.

My jaw was set tight and my fists were balled up once again. I spotted a very expensive looking lamp standing next to me on a table and I picked it up and quickly threw it at Matts' head. "You WHAT ?" I screeched, narrowly missing giving Matt a concusion. When the lamp shattered into a million pieces on the wall behind him, I picked up the remote from the floor and threw that at his head, too. "You are not my fucking father, Matt! You cannot forbid me from doing something!"

Infuriated at my sudden burst of violence, Matt picked up a vase and threw it in my direction. I ducked before it hit me and it crashed to the floor. "Like hell I can't!" he roared, throwing a picture frame at me. "It's for your own fucking good!"

Letting out a scream loud enough to burst the sound barrier, I charged at Matt. I tackled his mid-section and slammed him into the wall behind him. He pushed me to the floor roughly and I instantly got back to my feet, punching him in the face. He retaliated by pushing me away from him, making me stumble a few feet into someones' arms.

"Let me the fuck go!" I howled, trying to getting out of the persons' grasp.

"Not until you promise to calm down," Brian said gently into my ear.

I let out a frustrated groan and struggled to get away from him, wanting to attack Matt again. When Brian didn't let me go, I fell limp in his arms and slumped against him. "Fine," I mumbled. "I won't attack Matt again, I promise."

Brian released me and I slowly walked towards Matt, who was rubbing his jaw. I stood in front of him and shook my head. "Fuck you, Matt," I said before walking away towards the stairs. "Sorry for breaking your shit, Valary," I said as I walked past her. She just looked at me in awe.

I quickly made my way up the stairs and into my room, where I slammed the door shut. I walked over to my dresser and pulled out some shorts and a tank top before changing into them and crawling under the blankets of my bed. Someone knocked at my door and I screamed at them to go away.

"It's Brian, can I please come in?" he asked. I didn't give any reply and he slowly opened the door, shutting it quietly behind him. I heard him make his way over to my bed, and felt the weight shift when he sat down.

"What do you want?" I asked, not turning around to face him.

"I just wanted to see if you are all right," he said, gently rubbing my back.

Sighing, I turned around so I could look at him. All traces of insincerity were gone from his face, and only concern was present in his eyes. "I feel like shit, Brian," I said quietly. "I was so fucking pissed, but I shouldn't have gone as far as I did with that argument."

Brian nodded his head understandingly and put his hand on my shoulder. "If it makes you feel any better, Matt feels horrible too," he said. "He didn't like pushing you like that."

"I just feel so awful," I said. "I... "

"Shh, it's fine," Brian cooed, taking me in his arms when tears started rolling down my face. "It'll be fine."

Brian laid me down gently back under the covers of my blanket before standing up and taking his shirt and jeans off. He crawled back underneath with me and wrapped his arms around me, letting me rest my head against his chest. It might've seemed odd, but at that moment, I was glad Brian was there with me. The beat of his heart was strangely comforting, and I was soon asleep in his arms.