Lover of Mine (CTH)

2. Welcome Home; Dinner Party

Wed, Nov 21, 2018

(gwen's pov)
      i woke up at 12:30 pm and was still honestly exhausted. jet lag and finally sleeping in my big comfortable bed after sleeping in tour bus bunks and hotel beds, nothing prepares you for the exhaustion that catches up to you. i also had a headache. i groaned and sat up in my bed, rubbing my eyes and trying to wake myself up. it wasn't working. i threw the covers off and put sweatpants on and walked to the bathroom and turned on the cold water. i leaned down over the sink and splashed the water in my face. one thing about me is that i hate cold water when it's anything but the water im drinking. so this definitely wasn't a pleasant experience, but it did the job.
      i grabbed a towel and dried my face and then walked to my room, grabbed my phone off the charger, and walked to the kitchen. i grabbed a glass and filled it with water and got my bottle of tylenol. i put the pill in my mouth and downed the water. i put my hands on the counter and leaned on it and closed my eyes for a second. i wanted to make myself some lunch but couldn't muster the energy to do it so i went to my room and changed. i threw on a pair of flare leggings and oversized t shirt. i grabbed my phone and my wallet and slipped my sneakers on and walked out the door. i didn't even know where i was walking at this point. i found myself walking through the park down the street that had some food vendors. i stopped at one and ordered chicken fingers and fries. i stood to the side and waited for the food to be finished. when they called my name, the girl handed it to me and i took it and thanked her with a smile. i looked around and found an empty bench a few feet away from the truck. i sat down and ate as i people watched.
      "g?" i heard a familiar voice. i turned to see ashton.
      "hey ash!" i said, smiling.
      "hey!" he said, smiling back. "mind if i sit?" he asked, gesturing toward the bench.
      "please do!" i said, moving over. "how was your first day home?" he smiled at the mention of home. i love how much love the boys still have for their home. for our home.
      "it was amazing. i spent the entire day with my family. got lunch with my parents not long after we got back, played video games with harry, took lauren to the mall, and had dinner at my grandparents house with my whole family and them. it was a beautiful day." he said, his smile never leaving his face.
      "that's amazing ash. i'm so happy for you. i love you and your family together." he smiled and nodded.
      "how was yours?" he asked. i laughed.
      "it was interesting. spent the afternoon watching a movie and editing pictures, went to my mum's house and got berated and judged as usual, then went home and edited some more. welcome home g." i joked. ash frowned. "it's okay though, it ended great. calum texted me to ask how things with my mum went and then offered to hang out and talk. we went to the playground we used to hang out at all the time and talked. it was a great and honestly needed end to the day. so honestly i can't complain. and the editing and movies didn't bother me, i love what i do. so besides things with my mum, it was honestly a fairly good day." ash smiled.
      "i admire your ability to focus on the good, g. i really do."
      "thank you ash. i appreciate that." he smiled and nodded. we sat in silence for a minute. it wasn't uncomfortable. silence with any of the boys is rarely uncomfortable. when you've known someone since middle school, then live with them for months at a time on a tour, silence isn't rare and is honestly welcomed. "i can't believe there's only one show left of the tour." i said, breaking the silence.
      "it's crazy to think about. another tour in the books." i nodded. "i'm really glad we get to do it here at home though. where it all started." i smiled.
      "me too. home isn't always a positive place for me. but when it's combined with you four and live music and doing what i love, nothing beats that. the familiar aus air, the fans that started this journey with you guys-"
      "us." ash corrected. "started this journey with us. we always say you're just as much part of this band as the four of us. and you've been there every step of the way." i smiled. "now continue." i laughed a little.
      "nothing beats that. nothing beats a show where it all started, with the people it started with." i finished.
      "i couldn't agree more." ash and i continued talking long after we finished eating. we're both extroverts who love a good conversation, so conversations between us can last for hours if we're as uninterrupted as we have been in this park. it was 3:15 by the time we checked the time again.
      "shit, i have to go back and change before we go to luke's for dinner." i said after i realized what time it was.
      "oh shit, so do i." we both laughed. "we are a bad pair to leave alone talking when we've got somewhere to be at a certain time." joked ash.
      "you can say that again." we laughed and stood up. ash pulled me in for a hug.
      "it was nice talking to you, as always. i love you, kid." he said endearingly as we let go.
      "its always nice talking to you ash. i love you too." we both smiled. "i'll see you soon."
      "see you soon, g." we parted ways, ash walking home and me walking to my apartment. i put an airpod in as i walked back, but kept the other one out so i was aware of my surroundings. when i finally got back to my apartment, i walked in and went straight for the shower since it was hot and i was sweating from sitting in the direct sunlight and walking in the heat. i showered quickly, knowing i'd need to blow dry my hair.
once i was finished, i hopped out and dried myself off before blow drying my hair. then i walked into my room with only my towel on and went through my closet, looking for something to wear. i settled on a pair of jean shorts, a white tank top, and a yellow button down. i looked in the mirror and decided it needed something else, so i went to my dresser that had a drawer with hair accessories and pulled out my light blue bandana and tied it on my head. i went back to my closet and decided to wear my white sandals. i put my little gold hoops on and some rings and looked in the mirror again, deciding this time that this was perfect.
i walked over to my fridge and took out the bottles of soda i'd bought to take to the hemmings house and put them in my tote bag. i grabbed my keys, my wallet, and my phone and walked out of my apartment, locking the door behind me. i walked down the stairs and out to my car. luke's house isn't far, but it's a little too hot for me to walk today considering the dinner is a barbecue and i'd be outside all evening already, so i decided to drive. it only took me 2 minutes to get there. when i arrived, i parked on the street in front of the house and got out of the car. i knew i was about to be the only person in there without a family walking in with her, but i also didn't fully mind. this damn well wasn't the first and absolutely won't be the last. they've never made me feel bad for it or left out in any way, so i never minded. plus, liz has been more of a mother figure to me than my own mother anyway. and the boys are family as well. so in a way, my family was there.
      i knocked on the door and it opened just seconds later to reveal luke. he smiled when he saw me and immediately brought me into a hug.
      "hey g! i've missed you." he said.
      "hey luke! i've missed you too! i don't like having to go from seeing you almost 24/7 for months to going however long without seeing you. even if it's only a day or so." i said.
      "literally me either. it's the bad part of being home." i nodded with a smile.
      "hey g, honey!" said liz as she approached me. i smiled at the sight of woman who's more like a mother to me.
      "liz! hi!" i said excitedly as she embraced me.
      "i'm so happy you're here! i've missed that bright smile around this house!" she's always had a way of making me feel so so loved and welcomed.
      "i'm so happy to be here! i've missed you so much!" she patted my shoulder before stepping away so andy and jack could say hello.
      "g! hey! it's been too long! how are you?!" asked jack, excitedly, as he hugged me.
      "hey jack! i'm doin alright! missing tour already, but glad to have a bit of a break. how are you?!"
     "im good! just working and spending time with the boo!" he said.
      "oh shit yeah! how is she? how's that going?!"
      "oh amazing. she's amazing. we're amazing. i like her so much. we're getting more serious by the day."
      "that's amazing jack, im so happy for you! i cant wait to meet her now that i'm home!"
      "oh absolutely! i'll text you sometime tomorrow and maybe we can set up a family dinner here so you can meet her."
      "id love that a lot!" he smiled and patted my back before moving so andy and i could say hi. he hugged me and we made some small talk before the doorbell rang. luke opened it to reveal ash and his family and michael and his. they all walked in and all the families and i went to greet each other.
      "g, long time no see!" joked ash.
      "i know, it's been forever!" i joked back. we laughed and he pulled me in for a hug. as everyone continued to greet each other, the doorbell rang again. i opened the door and there stood calum and his family.
      "my girl!" yelled mali, running in and hugging me. i hugged her back tight.
      "my mali girl!" i said excitedly. she let go and went to say hi to the rest of the families. i went and said hi to calum's parents and gave them hugs. they were so excited to see me and it made me smile so much. i've always felt so much love from them. i've always felt so much love from all of the boys families. they were my families when mine was messy. then cal came over and hugged me.
      "hey hey!" he said, smiling.
      "hey cal!" i said, excitedly.
      "how are you?" he asked, suddenly serious.
      "i'm good. feelin a little like, lonely in a sense. just being the only one here without family. but i'm good."
      "you know you're part of all of our families gwen. but i know what you're saying. and i'm sorry. i couldn't imagine how that feels."
      "it's okay cal. i'm used to it." he frowned when i said that. "it's okay, really. we're gonna have a good day." i smiled. he gave me a smile and nodded and patted my back before wrapping his arm around my back and pulling me close to him. i leaned against him and smiled.
      once everyone said their hellos, we headed out to the backyard. i walked to the kitchen with mali to ask what liz needed help with. she handed me the lemonade pitcher and lemons and some things to squeeze them. one of my favorite things we do every summer is squeeze fresh squeezed lemonade. i brought it outside and put everything on the table and started to squeeze the lemonade. suddenly i heard the sound of a camera. i looked over to see calum with his phone out taking a picture of me. i laughed.
      "you match the lemonade!" said calum, smiling. i laughed a little. he's so fucking cute. i love how excited he gets when things match randomly. i love his attention to detail. he sat down next to me and him, mali, and i ended up talking the entire time i was squeezing the lemonade.