With You.

“Just so you know, I am not, in any way, looking forward to this.”

I rolled my eyes at him, laughing. “Don't be so cranky. It'll be fun.”

“Jonne, darling, you do know what we're doing, right?”

“Yes. We're going to a water park with Bam and the boys.”

“And therein lies my point.”

“What? That we're going somewhere with Bam?”

“No, that we're going to a water park.”

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “You're being a drama queen.”

“I'm not.”

“Why don't you want to go, huh? Tell me that, Ville.”

“Because.”

“Valid reason.”

“Because... I don't like wearing swimmers, okay!” Ville snapped, turning his back on me and flopping face-down onto the bed.

I chuckled. “Why not?”

“Because I look like a creep in them.”

“You do not.”

“How would you know? You haven't seen me in them!”

I sat on the bed next to him, twirling his hair in my fingers. “No, but I've seen you naked, darling.”

“That's different,” he said, his voice muffled by the comforter.

“Kulta, look at me and listen,” I cooed. He turned his head, staring up at me. “You're going to be fine. You look absolutely perfect in anything... and, guess what?”

“What?” he mumbled.

“If anyone says otherwise, I'll smack them stupid.”

“But-”

“Ville, come on,” I said, reasoning with him. “Why are you acting like this? What's wrong with you in swimmers?”

He turned his head again, pressing his face into the bed. “It's stupid.”

“Tell me.”

“But, you'll laugh.”

“Love, I don't laugh at serious things. You should know that by now.”

He mumbled something I couldn't understand.

“Say that again?”

“When I was in high school, we went on a day-trip to a water park. These guys pulled my shorts off when I came off a slide, and I didn't realize until I stood up out of the water... and there were all these life-guards and teachers and students just... laughed,” he sniffed. “It took my literature teacher to yell at them for them to stop, and all the boys got was a telling-off.”

“Oh.”

“See, it's stupid. But nonetheless, I still fucking hate swimmers.”

“Ville, nobody's going to do that today. I promise.”

“How can you promise that? Jonne, we're going out with Bam.”

“Yeah, and... bad analogy time, I think. He's like Peeves, and you're the Bloody Baron. He'll listen to you, even if he's deaf to everyone else.”

“...Jonne, have you been reading Harry Potter?”

“Yeah.”

“You lame-ass shithead.”

“Well, there's not much else to read that I don't already know the ending of,” I protested.

+

“Seriously, Bam. Don't be an asshole to him today. He's... feeling self-conscious. Don't ask me why, but he is. Pass it on to the others, too, because I will flip out if they pull anything,” I said, my arms crossed as I leaned against the kitchen island.

“Jonne-”

“No, Bam. I don't want excuses. If he comes home crying, I'll fucking kill you.”

“Let me get a word in, yeah?” Bam said, rather than asked. “I'm not planning on fucking him up today. I never was; Novak's coming for a reason. What's up with you?”

“...It's nothing.”

“No, tell me.”

I huffed. “Fine, but you can't tell Ville, no matter what...”

+

We'd been at the pool half an hour, and Ville was sprawled out in the shade, reading. He'd not gone any closer to the water than where he was laying.

“Vil-le, come in!”

“Jon-ne, no.”

“I want to go down the big slide with you!”

He raised an eyebrow. “What are you, six?”

“No!” I protested, sitting down beside him. “Ville, you're only going to get sunburned sitting out here. And it's fucking so hot...”

“But-”

“I promise I won't let anyone get you, kulta. They're more likely to target me anyway.”

“Why do you think that?”

“Babe, I'm the one with pink board-shorts and long blonde hair.”

“So?”

“I'm more of a faggot.”

“Don't say that.”

“Why not? I'm being honest.”

“I don't like it when you talk bad about yourself. Remember how pissed I was after you kept going off at yourself because Kristian fucked Japa?”

“...Yeah,” I said, thinking back to the occasion.

I'd been so stressed out, pinning the whole thing on myself when Kristian and I, really, hadn't been exclusive at all. We just fucked when we were in the mood, and that was it. But, being the person I am, I thought it meant more; and when I found out he'd been fucking around with Japa behind my back, I went through this whole week where I'd do nothing but point out my faults and exaggerate them.

I remembered how frustrated Ville was; he'd nearly gagged me a thousand times.

“Please, Ville? I needyou.”

“Why?”

“Because there's strange people on the slides and I'm scared they'll hit on me.”

“Love, I'm not going to be much help.”

“Yes you will! Because, if we act totally normal, like the way we do around Tommi and Lauri, they'll know I'm with someone and won't try anything.”

He shook his head, laughing. “And who exactly are these strange people, Jonne?”

“Footballers,” I said, pretending to whisper.

He cracked up.

“What?” I asked, feigning hurt.

“Angel, you're scared of footballers?”

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

“Because... they might hit on me. And then, when they figure out I'm a dude, they'll act like ass-wipes.”

“They are ass-wipes.”

“Well, yes, but... you know what I mean.”

He sighed, either defeated or blatantly sick of my nagging. “Help me up.”

“I love you!” I squealed, pressing a hard kiss to his lips.

He rolled his eyes, pretending to be pissed. “Just help me up, jackass. And, by the way, if anything gets wet or stolen, it's your fault.”

“Oh, whatever,” I shrugged. “C'mon! The line's gonna be fucking a mile long in a minute.”

I stood up, taking his hand and pulling him up off the ground. We made our way over to the biggest slide tower, only to be stopped halfway up the stairs to the top.

“Kulta, we're not getting up there for ages yet,” Ville sighed.

“No, no! We will, just wait. It goes really quick, actually. All the chicks go down together, and then some of the dudes go behind each other really fast. Just watch.”

He raised an eyebrow. “How many times have you been down this thing?”

“Er, like... once? But I went down those straight ones a million times.”

“Oh my god,” he sighed, putting his face in his hands.

“What?”

“Nothing, nothing.”

The line, as I said it would, moved quite quickly; we were up the top within two minutes.

“Told you so.”

“Smart-ass.”

I smiled. “You want to go down first, and I'll follow?”

“You'd better fucking follow,” he said, glaring. I rolled my eyes with a giggle.

“I won't let your pants go anywhere, I promise,” I laughed. I leaned in close to his ear, lowering my voice. “At least, not until we're in the bathrooms later on... or the back of the car, that'd be fun.”

“Jonne!” he squeaked, swatting me on the shoulder.

“What?”

“You bloody well know.”

“Hey Ville?”

“What?”

“You can go down now,” I said, pushing him forward a little.

“Fuck! If you don't follow, I swear to-”

“I'll be down straight after. Just go!” I pushed him a little harder, and he was heading down the water slide with a squeal.

I waited for the safe signal, then pushed myself down.

The slide went through twists and turns, with tunnel-like parts here and there. I giggled to myself as I pictured Ville's face as he was tossed around by the water.

I landed in the pool with a splash, flicking my hair out of my face when I came back up.

Ville was there, holding onto the edge of the pool, looking almost petrified.

“What?” I asked, swimming over to him.

“That, Jonne, was fucking wild,” he hissed.

“In a good way?”

“I'm not entirely sure yet.”

I laughed at him. He flicked his hair around in response; water droplets hitting me in the face.

“Sorry, it's just... you know.”

“Sure, whatever.”

“Ville, come on. It wasn't that bad, was it?”

He looked at me. “Well, no...”

“I told you so!”

“Shut up, asshole.”

“I am not an asshole,” I defended. “Though, that would explain why you fuck me.” I poked my tongue out at him; he just chuckled.

“You, darling, are lame,” he said. “I'm getting out, I'm going to go get a drink or something, maybe find Bam.”

“This is it, Jonne. Do it. Do it now,” I thought.

He climbed up the ladder-like thing on the side of the pool, hoisting himself up and standing on the edge. I stared up at him, fishing in the pocket of my pink shorts for something.

“What're you looking at? Am I bruised?” he asked, looking down at himself.

“No, no, of course not,” I said, rushed.

“What is it, then?”

“Come closer, Vil.”

“Why?” he questioned, but kneeled down anyway.

“Now, Ville... I love you, right? And I always will and I want you to know that.”

“Jonne, what-”

“Shh, just let me finish,” I hushed. “God, Ville. I love you so fucking much it's... it's indescribable. Words can't say how much I love you, in any language of the world.” I paused, breathing as if I was about to dive off one of the boards in the pool a few meters away.

“Ville Hermanni Valo... will you marry me?” I asked, pulling out a small plastic box with a ring inside it.

“Oh my fucking God, Jonne...” he gasped, admiring the ring in it's box. I prayed he'd like it.

I looked up at him, pleading. “Kulta?”

“Oh lord... of course, enkeli. Of course I'll marry you.”

I slipped the ring onto his left ring finger, pulling him down into the most exhilarating kiss I'd experienced. Ville could kiss, he always could, but the utter romanticism laced in this particular one... it was mind-blowing.

“Pull me up, love?” I asked, offering my hand. He helped me up onto the side of the pool, pressing our lips together once again.

“Hey, Valo!” a voice called out. He pulled away, turning in the direction of the voice.

“Wha-”

Before he could finish his word, both of us were toppling back into the pool. When we surfaced, we saw Bam kneeling at the edge, his signature grin plastered to his face.

“I take it he said yes, then?” Bam smirked.

I nodded shyly.

“You told him?!” Ville yelped, his eyes wide. “That, Jonne, was just plain daft.”

“Why would telling me be daft, hm?” Bam inquired, raising an eyebrow.

“Because you... you just plain suck at keeping secrets and surprises.”

“Well, it's not like I had much time to tell you anything anyway. You were all fucking over each other the way here, and you were being a pussy earlier, and-”

“Oh shut up,” I said, exchanging a glance with Ville.

“No! And the only chance I would've had to tell you would have been when you were sitting over there and reading but I knew-”

Bam's words were silenced as we pulled him into the water, shoving his head down under the surface. He rose up, staring daggers at us.

“Now that... that, you Finnish fuckers, was uncalled for.”