into you//imagine

chapter twenty one

Ariana's Pov

A few weeks later, we were presenting the finished version of our joint album, 'thank u, next' to my label. We had finished the night before and the first thing we did was schedule a meeting with everyone to announce the news. It was only two weeks until our individual albums released, so things were perfect timing. Everything seemed to be falling in line for the both of us lately, it seemed like.

We started a family night which happened on Tuesdays with Mason, Lia, and Mal. Either Mason and Lia or Kai and I would handle dinner, while the other couple made a dessert. We'd play a few games and Mal's job was to have a movie picked out, so we could eat dessert and watch it after dinner and games. Sometimes we'd do sleepovers, it just depended on what was going on in the week.

I was so caught up in connecting with my girlfriend and her brother's family, I didn't realize that I wasn't as there for my own. I still talked to Mom and Nonna every day, and Frankie and I texted too, but I just missed them. Kai had yet to meet my parents or my grandmother, so I had invited them on tour as a surprise.

I figured because we were so serious in this short amount of time, why not finally start letting her in and making her a permanent part of my life? We already lived together.

Even with us being so public in and out of the public eye, we had yet to see how anyone felt about us together because we didn't have our social media since our labels took them to do album and tour promotions.

"So... this album is based on the course of your relationship?" Scooter asked after the last song had just finished playing.

"Yeah, from the beginning to where we are now," I said, with a shrug.

"Okay uh, I love it!" He smiled, clasping his hands together as Kai and I let out sighs of relief. "Now, how does the Girlfriend tour sound? Tommy pitched it to me, and I actually love it."

"I think it fits all three albums collectively, I like it. We just need to get a setlist together so that we're equaling everything out."

"Okay then, the Girlfriend tour it is." I smiled, looking at the two.

"Three weeks ladies, see you on tour." He cheered, as we walked out of his office, excitedly.

When we got back home, we still had a lot to do. Toulouse and Harry wanted a walk, we needed to go grocery shopping, and we also needed to go to Target for some other things.

We both simply changed into some sweats to take our dogs around the neighborhood, and talk a bit. I opted on walking Harry, while Toulouse wanted Kai.

"Ari, life is so much better with you in it, like as my girlfriend." She said out of the blue, breaking our comfortable silence as we walked, holding hands.

"Baby, I love doing life with you too. I haven't felt this happy and this satisfied with how things are going in a long time."

"I know, it's crazy because I feel—" Before she could finish her sentence, we could hear people in the near background, starting to get loud.

"Hey, that's Ariana Grande!" One of them shouted. "Quick, pull out your camera, Jake!"

Kai let go of my hand, as she decided to let me walk in front of her, and she was just a little behind me.

I assume she did that to block any pictures they were going to take because she knew I hated when they'd just snap pictures without even asking first. Like that was all you had to do, but instead, you invade my privacy and it's uncomfortable.

"Hey! Hey! Smile!"

"Ariana, Ariana, Ariana, wait!"

"Hey guys, no pictures right now, please. I don't mind signing anything or talking with you guys, but my dog has really bad anxiety with cameras, so could you please put them down for a sec?" I asked politely, turning and stopping at the two guys.

"Jake, quick, get it now!" The guy said, proceeding to take a picture anyway.

Harry started to bark as Ari tried to calm him down, and so did Toulouse, the two took this as their opportunity to get more pictures, and I was pissed. I handed Ari Toulouse's leash and walked over to the two.

"She just said no fucking pictures, you're scaring my dog! Can't you see we were just on a fucking walk? All you had to do was just ask for an autograph or a picture or something and I'm sure she would've just snapped one with you, on her phone. I'm gonna ask you nicely to delete those pictures, and go." I snapped, as the two looked between themselves.

"No, these are our pictures." The guy known as Jake said and his friend nodded in agreement.

"I'm gonna ask you one more time bro, delete the pictures."

"We said no." He repeated, and I snatched the camera from his hands and threw it onto the ground. "What the fuck is your problem bro? I'm calling the police."

"I'll see you in court." I shrugged, turning to walk away. "Take care."

The two didn't say anything else as I grabbed Toulouse's leash, and we started to make our way back home.

I was honestly very irritated, I hated when I had to become a jerk because people couldn't listen to one thing. The media takes it out of control and then makes it something it's not. They take narratives and run with it, and if someone else saw that, they'd probably think I was hurting Ariana or something, just off of that one action. I know I shouldn't have broken their camera, but I'm especially protective over those two—

"-Kai, are you even listening?" Ari asked, snapping me out of my thoughts as I realized she was now standing in front of me.

"I wasn't, I'm sorry, what were you saying?"

She rolled her eyes. "Can you stop being mad? They were jerks, yes I know, but I want you here instead of up there." Ariana said, placing her hands on my temple.

"Ari, I know but they just completely—"

"-but you handled it and made sure everything was okay with Harry, Toulouse, and I." She reasoned, and before I could continue my banter, she placed our lips together softly.

It was always weird to me how she was able to do that, and direct my emotions to better ones. I didn't understand how the spark between some couples blew out, every time she kissed me, it always felt different. I always wanted another.

When we broke apart, she kept her hands on my face, almost to direct me to her eyes. "Now when we get home, we're gonna go grocery shopping, come back and put away the groceries, you're gonna run us a bath, and I'm gonna order us some food, okay?"

"Okay."

"Race you back, home?"

"That's not fair, I'm in Crocs!"