Feels Like Tonight

Chapter 1

The twenty three year old sighed as she sank onto the sofa in the apartment she shared with her boyfriend of four years, her friends on the seats around her. It seemed like only yesterday that she had graduated from university and her boyfriend's band had left to go on tour with Olly Murs, which had given them their big break and led to a tour of their own.

"Do you miss them too?" she asked softly, running one hand over her face as she thought of the man who had left five months before.

"Of course we miss them, Steph," replied the brunette with a sad smile. "This is their dream, though. They're doing what they want to do and we're here supporting them. We knew it would be hard."

"Five months, Bethany," the blonde reminded her desperately. "I haven't seen Michael in five months when I'm used to seeing him every day and sleeping with him every night."

"We miss our boyfriends too, Steph," said the other woman from the armchair she had claimed for herself. "You're not the only one."

"I know that, Megan," she sighed, tucking her legs under her body. "I'm just scared I'm going to lose him. There are so many girls out there who are more beautiful than me and better for him. I don't want him to leave me for one of them."

"You're being stupid now," Megan told her, frowning at what was going through the blonde's head. "Michael would never cheat on you. The other boys would kill him if he so much as thought about it."

"I know he wouldn't cheat on me," she assured them as the brunette nodded in agreement with the younger woman's statement. "He's too good a man to even contemplate being with someone else whilst we're still together. But with so many women throwing themselves at him and the others every single night, he might realise that one of them is better than me."

"Of course there's going to be temptation," agreed Bethany, pulling her hair over one shoulder and playing with the necklace she was wearing. "We all get insecure sometimes, Steph. God knows I'm worse than most."

"That's not your fault, B," protested the blonde with a frown. "If it weren't for that jerk you dated –"

"I know that," she interrupted with a small smile. "And so does Ashton. But I know he loves me and that he'd rather spend the night on the phone with me than out with someone else, and when I doubt it, he'll do exactly that. Michael is just as in love with you; he would never give into temptation, no matter how much he misses you."

"That man is a kitten with a bad boy exterior," said Megan, hating to see her friend doubt her own worth. "Not the other way 'round. He would never risk losing you and you know that. He'll tell you all this when he gets back next month."

"You're right," sighed Steph, relaxing slightly into the cushions. "I just need him back; it's harder to remember how much he loves me when he hasn't held me in so long. I miss him so much."

"He misses you more," replied Bethany with a smile. "He stole Ash's phone last time we talked. He told me the only thing he hates about touring is being away from you."

"On that note, I think it's time to break out the takeaway menus and ice cream, don't you?" questioned Megan, standing and heading to the kitchen for the things she needed to cheer them all up.

Meanwhile, the boys they were talking about were sitting in their dressing room as they waited for their show to start. Luke was messing around on an acoustic guitar as Calum picked at the food laid out on the table, the drummer the only one to notice that the last member of the band was just sitting on the sofa looking troubled.

"What's got you so down?" asked Ashton, sitting beside him and ruffling his green hair, taking it upon himself to cheer up the younger man.

"I'm nervous," he confessed, frowning at the other man's action but making no move to fix his hair as he normally would.

"We've been doing shows for five months," he reminded him, confused by his statement and worried that he hadn't complained about his hair being messed up now. "This one will be just as good as the others we've played."

"Not about the show, Ash," sighed Michael, running a hair through his hair himself. "About telling Steph. I'm worried about what she's gonna say."

"You've worked out what you're going to say to her then?" questioned the older man, getting a brief nod in response. "When are you gonna do it?"

"The last show of tour," explained the twenty three year old, biting his lip. "I can't do it over the phone; she deserves better than that," he elaborated, putting his head in his hands. "God, Ash."

"You've got to tell her, mate," said the drummer, patting his friend on the back in an attempt to encourage him. "All I can say is good luck," he added before getting up and leaving him to his thoughts.