Tied Together

Ashley's POV:

I slowly opened my eyes and felt a wave of pure joy rush over me as I realized my surroundings. Tyler was still asleep and had his arms wrapped around me and mine around him. It was still early and the sunlight was just starting to stream into the room. I smiled as I looked up at his face completely absorbed in sleep. My head was laying on his chest and I slowly and lightly began tracing the tattoo on his left arm.

My mind started to wander to thoughts of this upcoming week. I couldn't believe that tomorrow I would be meeting his family. I was nervous they wouldn't like me or approve of our relationship. And what would happen if they didn't? Or what if I didn't get along with one if his sisters? What if they tried to break us up again? But what if I loved them and they loved me? What if they were nice and I missed when they were gone? So many questions were floating around my head and somehow I had to pull myself together enough so that I could finish getting Tyler's apartment ready. He had two guest rooms so no one would have to sleep in Freddy's room. But that meant I had to get two rooms completely ready and cleaned and find sheets for the beds. I had to make sure the bathroom was ready for a female take over. I had so much to do and it felt like I had no time at all.

I was stopped mid thought by Tyler's low morning voice, "Mornin' babe." He kissed me on the top of the head and I looked up at him. My hand rested on his arm where I had been mindlessly tracing his tattoos while thinking of tomorrow. I smiled at him and he gave me a look as if he knew what I had been thinking. He sighed and started to talk, "I know your nervous but it'll be okay."
"I never said I was nervous."
He raised an eyebrow at me, "Oh? And you were just tracing my tattoos while incoherently staring off into space for the past ten minutes?"
"Well, I just woke up."
"Ash, just admit you were running scenarios through your head and all the 'what ifs'."
I huffed at him, "Fine. I admit I was but-"
"Nope. No more. That's all I wanted to hear-"
"But I-"
"No." And he kissed me to prevent me from talking anymore. When he broke the kiss he started to sit up, " I have off today so lets start getting this apartment ready. Lets start with the kitchen because I'm starved."

Tyler's POV:

By noon we had finished the kitchen and living room and were getting ready to straighten up the bedrooms and put sheets on the beds.

I had been thinking about our relationship and how the regular season was almost over. We were heading into the playoffs and my family would be here for the first game of our series against the Washington Capitals. My phone rang and I looked around and over at Ashley, "I if you find it answer it." And we both began turning the cleaned room into a mess again as we searched. "Hello?" I looked up from the floor, as I had been looking under the bed, and saw that Ashley had found my phone. I watched her as she talked to whoever was on the other end.

"Yup this is her."pause,"I know right!? He is totally careless with his phone, I'm surprised he still has this one to be honest." Pause "I'm looking forward to meeting you too! And that is correct." I figured that she must be talking to my mom or one of my sisters. "Absolutely, if you want to talk to him, he is right here." Pause, "Okay, sure thing. See you tomorrow." She hung up and turned to me, "That was your mom. She was calling to say that they are really excited to come down and to just make sure she had the correct plan for tomorrow written down . And she says hello and that she loves you."

"I feel so unloved that she didn't want to talk to me." I said putting on a fake over dramatic pout. She rolled her eyes at me and threw the sheets at me. I laughed and helped her make the bed.

***

We finished cleaning the house and eating dinner around 11:00 that night. Knowing that we had to get up early to get ready and pick up my family, we went to bed then. I turned out the lights and pulled Ashley close to my chest and kissed her head. She snuggled into me and I talked into her hair, "I Love You."
I could feel her grin as she kissed my collarbone and whispered, "I Love You Too."