Passion's Killing Floor

"Okay, so this is it. Just promise you won't run screaming once you see how much of a slob I am."

"I won't. I keep telling you, I'm no better, trust me. I just keep clean now because of Mindy. Now open the damn door."

"I am, I am," he said, pushing open his door.

When he said he was a slob, he was not kidding. You could hardly get across the room with out stepping on something.

"In here," he mumbled, taking my hand.

We entered what could only be his room, due to the mattress on the floor, his guitar was setting in the corner, between two walls next to tremendous stacks of CD's and Vinyls.

"Holy shit."

"Told you I was a music man," he grinned. "I apologise for the messiness, but sit on the bed, er... mattress."

I laid down on his mattress and put my hands behind my head. "For it being covered in god knows what, your bed is comfy."

"Bad back. So I've got to have the softest there is," he giggled, sitting down next to me and leaning back against the wall.

He plucked a few strings, then stared playing.

"Crawl down dead lovers' lane, the maze of memories stained and suck the blood right out of my heart.
"Scream out loves name in vain, embrace the pain again and loose yourself alone in the dark. Dead lovers lane." he let the last note ring out to its end, then looked at me. "There's more to it, but that's the best I've gotten so far."

"I love it. Just... wow."

"Seriously? Well I'm all flattered now," He grinned, laying his guitar on the floor.

"You are a fabulous artist, love. No wonder Danni freaks over you..."

He smiled and kissed my forehead. "Well I have muse now. And she's right beside me."

"Oh shut up. Don't be cheesy."

"I don't like cheese," he joked, kissing me.

"You're a turd, Valo."

"But I'm not in the toilet," he giggled.

"You shit the bed still? Lovely."

"Oh that's mean. I haven't shit the bed since I was like four!"

"So since last year?"

He stared at me wide eyed, mouth agape. "That is so mean."

"Payback's a bitch," I giggled. I leaned in to kiss him, but he pulled back.

"No, no, no. No kisses for Ms. Meany Pants. Nope," he said, popping the 'p' and crossing his arms.

"Oh don't take it too hard, Mr. Cheesy Man."

He stared at me out of the corner of his eye, before grinning and mumbling. "I don't like cheese."

* * *

"Lord, I love Mindy, but I hate baby sittin'! How are ya doing this?" Danni said dramatically from my couch.

"I'm doing it for one more week then I'm done."

"If you survive that long," Ville said from beside me.

"Shuddup or I'll stab you with this carrot," I told him, holding up the carrot I had been chopping for salad.

"I have celery, it's cooler."

"Mine's orange."

"Mine's green."

"You might want to get that checked out."

He smacked my arm with the celery stalk he'd been cutting. "Don't start that shit again."

"Just cut the stupid celery. Dan, turn on the telly and see if anything's on."

"Okie dokie."

She flipped through the channels, stopping on each one for a few seconds. She stopped on a news channel.

"Two boats collided, most were unharmed on..." No one paid attention. "but so far there are forty deaths on the west wing of the boat behind us, docked on the port when the two boats collided," the reporter said.

"God, Dan turn it. My sister is on a cruise, I don't want to hear bad shit like that."

She flipped through the channels again, stopping on a kids channel and leaving it.

"When is dinner gonna be ready?" Danni whined.

"When it's done," Ville replied sarcastically.

I pulled the plates out of the cabinets over my head and set them next to the salad bowl. Ville handed me a rag so I could get the noodles from the stove and set them down as well, beside the sauces and silverware.

"Now it's ready. So shut up."

Danni hopped up and practically ran over to the counter. She piled food onto her plate as quickly as she could then went back and plopped on the couch again.
'
"Here Mindy," Ville said, handing her a readied plate. "Be careful taking it to the couch, dont want anything to spill."

She held her plate with both hands and walked slowly to the couch.

"Here's a plate, love," Ville said, handing me one.

"Thank you. Now get some food, you skinny man," I said, poking him in the ribs.

"You're one to be talking. You're just as skinny as me so pig out, seriously."

"I don't eat pigs, gross."

He rolled his eyes as he walked in and sat next to Mindy on the couch. I followed, being careful (just like Mindy) not to drop anything on my floor, like a good person...
Yeah right.