Getting to Know You

Chapter 19

{A/N: So, SO sorry I took so long to update!! Just when things were starting to happen in GTKY, finals came around and I have been totally swamped! Hopefully updates will be a little more frequent now that finals are over. You are all so sweet, thanks to everyone who takes the time to read this, or my other one Stop 49. Stay gorgeous, and let me know what you think!!!}

Chapter 19:

ASHTON'S POV:

As soon as I had the boys up to speed, we all went to bed. When I went back to my room, I was surprised to find Natalie awake. She was sitting in the middle of the bed and hugging her knees to her chest. "Why are you awake?" I whispered, closing the door. "I don't know... I tried to got back to sleep." She said, her voice shaking a little as she tried not to cry. "I can't sleep without you." She whispered, resting her forehead on her knees.

"Nats..." I crawled onto the bed and laid down next to her. "Come here." I said, pulling her down onto the bed with me. She curled up against my chest and buried her face in my neck, wiggling one of her legs in between mine so we were all tangled up. I covered us with a blanket and wrapped my arms around her, slipping one of my hands up the back of her shirt and tracing slow circles onto her back.

"Nats... since you're awake, can I talk to you about something?" I asked, nudging her with my nose so she would look at me. She nodded, so I continued.

"A few days ago you said that if I ever went back to Australia, you would come with me. Would you really?" I asked, biting my lip. I wanted her to mean it, I needed her to mean it.

"Of course I would. I meant what I said, Ash." She whispered, absentmindedly tracing my collarbone with her finger.

"Good, because I think we should go. Like, soon." I said, figuring that I might as well just come out and say it. I wanted to go, I wanted her to go, I wanted us to go, and I had a feeling that the sooner we left the better.

"What?" She asked, surprised, and my heart sank a little.

"So... you don't want to go?" I asked, already coming up with a big speech on what I could say to change her mind.

"No, I do! I do want to go! That just wasn't what I was expecting you to say." She said. She buried her face in my neck once again and yawned, making me feel bad that I had brought this up when she was so tired. "When did you want to go?" She asked, lazily wrapping her arms around my waist.

"I don't know, but sometime soon. We'll talk about it tomorrow, okay?" I said, running my fingers through her hair.

"Mhmmm." She hummed against my neck, making me shiver.

"I love you, Nats." I whispered in her ear, kissing her temple and tightening my arms aroud her.

The last thing I remembered before I fell asleep was Natalie smiling against my neck and telling me that she loved me too...

***

NATALIE'S POV:

I was still tangled up with Ashton when I woke up, but when I rolled over, I was nose to nose with Luke.

"Good morning." He smiled, rubbing his nose against mine and chuckling at my confused expression.

I looked over Luke's shoulder to see that Michael and Calum had crammed themselves onto Ashton's bed as well. "Good morning." I laughed. "What are you all doing in here?" I asked, smiling at Luke. He reached up and carefully brushed the cut on my forehead. "Does that hurt?" He whispered, taking his hand back. I shook my head no, accidentally bumping noses with him again. "That's good." He smiled, looking back at Michael and Calum. "Why are we in here?" He asked.