This Must be Fiction

Ville decided to curl up in the back seat and sleep for a little bit, considering he was out all night.

He ran into some people that wanted trouble.... What does that mean? Did he get beat up? Mugged? A scolding? I knew he wouldn't tell me more unless I really pried into it, but the topic was still sensitive for him. He grumbled quietly in the back seat and snored heavily. I laughed at him and shook my head.

I popped in my favorite Bob Dylan CD and got ready for the next few hours of this trip.

XXXX
"We're here?" I rubbed my eyes sleepily and looked at the road signs ahead of us. Ville had taken over driving after he woke up. He told me i could lay down in the back and he would finish taking us to California. He was shaking my thigh.

"mhmmm." He hummed. I sat up and looked out the window. It was night time, so I couldn't see much, but there were a lot of lights.

"How long was i sleeping?" I asked.

"Couple hours. You were talking. Interesting dream?" Ville glanced back.

"No. I don't remember it. What was i saying?" I asked. I crawled into the front seat and started flipping through the Cd's I had piled in the glove box.

"Nothing coherent. I heard my name though, that was neat." He smirked. I looked at him quickly and then went back to casually choosing a CD.

"I still don't remember it. Did it sound sexual? Normal?" I asked. I chose Van Hanlen and replaced the Bob Dylan CD with it.

"Eh I wouldn't say sexual. You moan in your sleep all the time though." He began laughing. I let out a little laugh. I knew that. Sometimes I'd wake myself up because I'd be groaning or moaning or something like that.

"Yeah I don't quite know why i do that. What does it sound like?"

"I would rather not imitate your weird moaning frequencies."

"Understood." I joked, gazing at him. We had arrived at the hotel of his choice.

"Would you..um.. like to pay for this one?" He asked uncomfortably. I shifted awkwardly in my seat knowing that this was the exact reason we had fought.

"Why don't we split it? I think that's fair." I said.

"I think that's fair too."

After we paid our dues and got settled in our new room we decided to go for a walk. It was pretty late, but there was a beach nearby and we both loved the night time, so it was appropriate.

The beach wasn't completely vacated and it almost upset me to have to share this alluring beach scene with anyone but Ville, but I guess that was just me over-reacting again. We walked with our feet just barely being lapped by the water. The moonlight reflected off the water and shone into my eyes, leaving me almost paralyzed to any other distraction but the water and the sky.

"You really love the beach." Ville laughed.

"I told you that before. If i was a hobo and couldn't live in a home I'd definitely live on a beach. With a cardboard box. Just saying."

"I'd want to live in a forest. Try to become more like a jungle cat. Something along those lines." He said. I couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"Jungle cat? That seems too funny to me." I kept laughing. He pushed me and caused me to stumble a few feet into the ocean.

"Aw you bastard my pants are all wet now!"
Ville laughed.

"Don't mock me then! I had to listen about you wanting to be a hobo!"

"I don't want to be a hobo, but if the situation ever came up i was just saying that a beach hobo is better than a gutter hobo. Case closed. No judgment against your jungle cat hobo."

"Ah. Alright then. Come here." He sat down in the sand and motioned me to stand near him. He began to cuff my pant legs until they were rolled to my knees.

"Or you could just take them off." He looked up from the sand with a cheeky smile.

"Don't start this again." I rolled my eyes and started walking. He dashed in front of me and bent his knees.

"Hop on, love." Ville said. He had his arms opened in preparation for me to jump on his back. I jumped, feeling like I hit a brick wall. I took a deep breath.

"Ow." I exhaled.

"Cozy?" He turned his head a little. I rested mine on his shoulder and nodded.

"Mhmm." I almost lied. It did feel nice to be against his body, but he was so rigid and so cold that it felt like I was getting a ride from a block of ice.

"Hey, I have a question." I said quietly. My speech was tranquil to keep the conversation private.

"Go on then."

"Why are you always so cold?" I asked.

"Well there I go thinking we were getting along just fine, and you're thinking I'm being cold."
There was a silence.

"You know what I mean." I said. His arms wrapped tighter around my legs.

"Poor blood circulation. Makes my temperature drop and causes my skin to lose pigmentation. Makes injuries less painful, though."

"All over your body?" I asked.

"Yes. They tell me it's a result from smoking and drinking too much. Possibly in conjunction with a poor diet."

"Ah." I smiled in realization. "I only asked because you're just always so cold."

"As so many past girlfriends have told me." He snickered. I giggled light-heatedly as well.

"It makes you unique."

"In a good way?"

"Of course." I kissed his ear.

"Thanks." He whispered. Ville set me down in the sand and took a seat next to me.

"Familiar scene eh?" He asked. I grinned.

"Less weird, I'd say." I laid down in the sand, using my hood as protection from the sand. Ville did the same, letting himself plop rather clumsily into the sand. I thought back to meeting him rather awkwardly on the beach only days earlier. How mistaken I had been about him. To think, if I hadn't let him come with me, I probably wouldn't have made it here. It was unbelievable. His hand gently rested on top of mine, not holding it, just resting there.

"This is really nice." I sighed. He grunted in agreement.

I could have been staring at the sky for minutes or hours, I didn't know. We didn't speak. It was lovely.

"I think I'm already starting to like California." I said. Ville stood up and held his hands out for me to take. He pulled me up instantly and turned around for me to jump on his back once again.

"Tired?" He asked. I hadn't noticed it until he mentioned it, but I was.

"Mhmm." I hummed. His low inner laugh rumbled his body. I nodded off on his shoulder while he walked. His steps didn't even bounce, he practically floated while walking.
I heard the noise of the elevator, and I heard Ville opening and shutting the door, but after that I easily went into another dreamless sleep.