Twenty-eighth Embarrassment

bNORA:/b

One of the best feelings in the world is falling asleep in the arms of someone you love. But thats only the second best feeling. The best feeling in the world is waking up in their arms, because then you know that they stayed with you all night long, and they never left you. You know that they were by your side.

I think I usually wake up before Gustav. I like to lay there with his arm around me and listen to him breathe. I like the way that his breathe feels against my skin, the way that it tickles my senses and washes over me. I love the way that his skin feels against mine, so soft and warm. I like the way his muscles twitch every once in awhile and I love how I can feel that against me. It makes everything so real to me that it drives me insane.

These are my favorite moments with Gustav. Sure, I like going out with him and driving and talking to him, but neither of us are huge talkers normally. These are all fun and I enjoy every second of those, but when we lay together like this it's something else. It's magical and perfect, like the world stops and it's just us, and this room in the beauty of it all.

I let my thumb slowly stroke his hand. His palms were calloused from countless hours of drumming, and when those rough callouses surrounded my scarred hands, it felt so right and perfect that it was almost sickening. At some point, I felt the grip on my hand tighten, and I hear him breathe in sharply. I couldn't help but smile, a blush forming on my cheeks.

"H-Hey, " I said, and he shifts. I feel his nose brush against my shoulder, and my heart jumped to my throat when I felt his lips press against my neck. My blush deepened, my blood thundering in my ears. iShut up shut up shut up/i I willed my heart, but sadly it seemed more interested in getting mass amounts of blood to my face. I heard Gustav breathe in slowly, and his grip around my body tightened. Any gap between us was closed, my back pressed up to his chest, and his leg brush up against mine. I felt our limbs slowly tangle together automatically, and I was starting to think that my heart was literally going to explode. I tried my best to keep my breathing even as I felt him nuzzle my neck.

"Hey, Nora," he whispered. A chill ran down my spine as his voice tickled my skin, and I bit my lip to keep myself from squeaking. I shut my eyes for a second, trying to focus only on Gustav. My body began to melt more against his, beginning to relax against his body, and my breathing began to even out. My blush began to settle down, but I could still feel that the tips of my ears were warm. A smile bloomed on my face, and I closed my eyes.

I love you, Gustav. I really do. I just wished that I could say it out loud.

My fingers brushed against the cool ceramic of the inside bottom of the urn, a mixture of emotions filling me. I couldn't really pinpoint them, and I honestly didn't know how exactly I did feel about it. I was okay with it, but it was also like giving up an old childhood toy; you know you don't need it, but you want to keep it close to you anyways. I closed the urn, and I placed it back on the floor of the car between my feet patting the top before sitting up completely. Beside me, Gustav was intensely driving.

"Do you want me to drive?" I offered, and I shook his head.

"No, we are almost home... which by the way," he started. "I was thinking of visiting my parents before heading home, would you be okay with that? I could show you around my old town too," he asks me. I smiled, nodding my head.

"Yeah, thats totally fine. I would actually really like to meet your parents. And I thought you grew up in Magdeburg," I asked, and he smiled.

"I did... but a different part of it. On the opposite end, actually. We would have to drive through it to get home, so I thought why not." I nodded in understanding, and my eyes picked up a sign. We were only 30 miles away.

We drove on. It was early in the day, only about 9:00. We originally would have made it back to his apartment by around 1:00 PM, but with this detour I was guessing we would be back in the early evening.

We reached Magdeburg in no time at all, and immediately Gustav began pointing things out to me.

"Thats where this old arcade used to be, but it burned down pretty soon after our first tour," he said, pointing to a small cafe. "I haven't been to the cafe yet because we got so famous that it really isn't possible." he smiled at that, almost a little sadly. "It's nice being well known," he said as he drove through the town. "But I miss being able to walk down the streets of my childhood, you know?" I nodded in a somewhat understanding, I at least knew what it felt like to miss walking in my hometown. He made a right hand turn to the outer edges of town. He reaches across me, pointing out the window. "That's my old high school," he said, and I couldn't help but laugh.

"It's so small!" I said, and he smiled.

"It's a small town," he replied back.

"Mine had 15,000 people in it," I told, him and he looked at me in shock.

"That's huge!" he gasped, and I laughed.

"It's California, what did you expect?" I asked him, and he shrugged. We drove past the school slowly, and Gustav started telling me about his childhood a little. He told me about how Georg and him knew each other before they met the twins, how they had met them in a small bar. "I was wondering who those weird people were on stage!" he said, and I couldn't help but laugh at that. "Back then they were still called Black Question Mark, whoever came up with that name is beyond Georg and I," he said, laughing. "Yes, Bill and Tom... they are a funny pair," he chuckled, making a left turn. "Even when they were 12."

He drove around some more, pointing out certain buildings and places to me. He showed me his favorite hang out spots when he was little, and at one point he drove past he old childhood home. His parents had moved him and his sister to another house when he was 9. As we got closer and closer to his parents house, I couldn't help but feel more and more nervous. I pushed up my glasses nervously.

It was 11:00 by the time we reached his parents house. He excitedly unbuckled his seatbelt, and I carefully undid my own. He did a quick scan outside for paparazzi before opening the door. I slowly slid out of the car, making sure that my dad's urn was right-side up. I fingered the vial of my dads ashes nervously.

"Come on," he called, and I nodded nervously. He saw this, and he gave me a comforting smile. "Don't worry, my parents will love you," he said, and I nodded my head again. It didn't really calm my nerves. Which makes me think... why iwas/i I so nervous?

I stuck close to Gustav as we walked up the driveway. I could see the cobblestone underneath the light layer of snow, and to my right there was a small front yard, with a variety of plants. We didn't even reach the front door when it was thrown open, and a body threw itself at Gustav.

"Gustav!" the girl shrieks, and I jump at her sudden presence. Gustav shouts in surprise, but when he realizes who the girl was he laughs, giving her a big hug.

"Hey there, Francezska," he tells her, and I couldn't help but smile. She has his blonde hair and wasn't much shorter than he was. She was skinny and I could see her strong muscles flex under her skin as she hugged Gustav; I could tell that she worked out. When she pulled back, I saw that she had his creamy brown eyes that I had come to love, her cheeks rosy from the cold air. I saw another form come to the door, this time an older woman.

"Gustav!" she calls, and Gustav's face lights up.

"Mom!" His mom comes trotting out of the house, immediately clutching on to her son. She kisses him multiple times before letting go, turning to me.

"And you," she says, walking over to me. "Must be little miss Nora," she marvels, and I nod shyly.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," I say, and she smiles at me.

"Oh, don't be so formal," she tuts, and I couldn't help but smile. She takes hold of my hand, giving it a squeeze. Her eyes meet mine, full of a sincere sorrow. "Gustav told me what happened to your dad," she said, and I felt my heart fall a little bit. I see Gustav give his mom an annoyed look before glancing worriedly at me. "I am so very sorry for your loss," she said, and I nodded.

"Thank you very much, I am doing much better than I was before. Gustav has been a real big help to myself and my family," I told her, and she smiled. I could see Gustav blush.

"It was nothing, really," he mutters, and we all laugh. Gustav's mom turns back to me, a smile all over her face.

"Well, you can call me Claudia," she said, and I nodded.

"Thank you, Claudia," I said, and she nodded.

She guided Gustav, Francezska-who turned out to be his little sister- and I back into the house. Francezska was 19 years old, and while she wasn't in college at the moment, she said that she planned to go soon. Gustav of course looked at his sister like she was crazy, and I couldn't help but smile at them. I was hustled into the dinning room where Claudia had already prepared lunch. Everything looked so good, and I was excited to try the food that was out in front of me. I sat down next to Gustav and followed his actions by serving myself up. When I began eating, I wanted to cry it was so good. Maybe I was too used to fast food, but it tasted like my moms cooking. It made me realize how much I mussed my family.

"This is delicious," I exclaimed, and Claudia blushed a little. "Really, this is amazing, it reminds me of my moms cooking," I said, and she laughed. Gustav smiled as well, nodding his head in agreement.

The rest of lunch was spent getting to know Francezska and Claudia. Gustav's dad was away and I wouldn't be able to meet him, which I was a little bummed about. I taught Francezska some English words, and when I told them that I am semi-fluent in Afrikaans, they demanded that I teach them some. I ended up teaching Gustav some of the Afrikaans as well, and I couldn't help but laugh at him as he tried to pronounce the words.

Talking with his family, I couldn't help but feel like I was home.

bW/bhat bO/bbscure bW/borlds!~Twenty-eighth Embarrassment, END