Who They Really Are

twenty two

"Are you in the car? Are you ready?" Addi whispers, and Kat laughs.

"Yes I'm in the car. I'm in the backseat too so make sure he gets in first," Kat replies.

"Okay they're getting suspicious so I have to go. See you in just a few minutes!"

Kat hangs up, then looks around at where she was. She was currently sitting in the very back of the 15 passenger van that was waiting to pick up the boys at the airport. She had wanted to greet Noel inside after he got off the plane, but Addi had told her that Dave didn't want any more commotion than usual, and had said that she could wait for him in the car.

Noel had just gotten off of the plane from Canada to Chicago, and Kat had flown out to surprise him. Addi had helped her plan the whole thing, and Noel had no idea that she'd be waiting for him.

Kat had been sitting in the van for about 20 minutes, just her and the driver, and she was beginning to get a little anxious. The waiting was giving her time to worry, her mind wondering if Noel even wanted to see her first thing when he got back.

But just as she is starting to rethink the entire thing, she sees people movement out of the corner of her eye.

The door opens, and Kat hears, "Why the hell is Noel all entitled all of a sudden? Maybe I want to get in first."

Then, "Shut up, Liam. Just let him get in," from Addi.

Kat puts a hand over her mouth to stop herself from laughing, then watches as Noel starts to climb into the car.

"I don't know why she wants me to get in first dude, real-" Noel starts to say, then stops when he sees Kat sitting in the backseat.

"Kat!" Noel says, dropping his bags and hurrying towards her. He practically jumps into the back row, then grabs her face with both of his hands and kisses her. Kat smiles, kissing him back, wrapping her arms around his body.

"Oh, that's why," she hears someone say in the distance, and Noel pulls back, a sheepish smile on his face.
"Hi," Kat says, grinning.

"Sorry, I've been waiting to do that for 3 weeks," Noel replies.

"Noel, come get your shit out of the way, then you can make out with your girlfriend."

Noel doesn't even bother to correct Liam this time, instead just going to the front of the van and grabbing his bags and moving back to the back row. He throws his bags over the seat into the back, then turns to face Kat.

"What're you doing here? Shouldn't you be in New York or L.A.?" Noel asks.

"Well since I have this time off I figured I could come and see you for a little bit since you're back in the U.S.," Kat said, nervously wondering what he'd think of her plans.

"Sweet, how long are you staying?" Noel says, calming Kat's nerves about whether or not he wanted her there.

"I'm not really sure.. I need to go check into a hotel somewhere and see."

"Hotel? Why would you be going to a hotel?" Noel asks, giving her a weird look.

"Where else would I stay?" Kat says.

"Why don't you just stay with us?" Addi says from two rows up. "I'll be staying with the guys for a couple weeks before I give them a chance to be alone and work on their music. So you might as well stay too."

Noel nods. "So what do you say?"

"Why not?" Kat says with a smile.

"Yay! Another girl being there will probably help keep me sane," Addi says.

"You know you're excited to stay with me, Addi. You'll be perfectly sane," Liam says, wiggling his eyebrows at her. She gives him a shove, giggling at him.

"It'll give us a chance to catch up, too," Noel whispers in Kat's ear. Kat turns to face Noel, their faces barely inches apart.

"What is there to catch up on? We talked the entire time you were gone," Kat whispers back, watching Noel's eyes as they make their way down to her lips then back up to her eyes. He starts to open his mouth to respond, then thinks better of it and presses his lips to hers for a brief couple seconds. He pulls away, and Kat rests her head on his shoulder.

"Oh yeah. I'm definitely ready to 'catch up'."