Status: Live

Holding Hands Won't Be Enough

Chapter 8: Penance

“Ladies and Gentlemen, a real treat this cold evening, Ville Valo of HIM fame – our native rock and roll god – is going up in the dunker and he’s going to pick an audience member to seal his watery fate. Oooh!” he chorused, the crowd joining in. Ville’s eyes found Milly’s and hers his, she motioned with raised hands as if to ask, ‘what are you doing’, to which he shrugged and smiled. “Now Ville, why are you doing this? Especially on a night as cold as tonight…”

“I have a tendency to say really dumb things to my lovely girlfriend, I over think things and in doing so offended her, so this is a penance, for putting an elephant in our proverbial room.”

“Well, climb on up and see which audience member takes your fancy.” He nodded gingerly and made his ascent to the top of the tank, settling on the trap seat nervously. “See anyone you like?”

“Yes, the lovely lady with the green felt coat.” The man marched straight over to her and pulled her into the clear space in front of the growing audience. They clapped and whooped; she glared up at Ville and shook her head. This wouldn’t fix anything. And besides, she was a terrible shot.

“And what’s your name, misses green felt coat?” he held the microphone out to her face.

“Milly…”

“Now, am I right in guessing by the death glare you gave mister Valo, that you are perhaps his lovely girlfriend?”

“Yep…”

“Oooh.” He cooed, again, the audience joining in, “Anything to say to your hunky man?”

“Elephants can swim in water.” She said almost bitterly, it would have been more convincing if she hadn’t started to smirk at the idea of him wet for the rest of the evening.

“Yes, but the mud washes off of them.” He retorted quickly, with a dazzling but cheeky smile.

“Well, the time has come. Ville has chosen the prize for her if she can knock him down within two minutes and I’m positive that him plunging down into the water is prize enough for her at this moment!” a man scurried over and handed her a bucket with a load of cricket balls in. She looked to her friends who just laughed and clapped their hands, then to Ville who only looked at her lovingly. “Ready?”

“Sure.” She laughed, looking down at the bucket and picking the first ball.

“Time!”

Naturally she missed the first shot; the second hit, but not hard enough; the third one bounced off the target. She lost her patience; she just wanted to see him fall into that water. Picking up the forth ball, she calmly walked to the target, the audience reacting with another, “Ooohuuhh.”, she looked up at Ville and smiled slyly.

“I didn’t like that apartment anyway.” She said loudly, causing Ville to frown angrily.

“Wha-“, she hit the target with the ball held tightly in her hand, a klaxon sounded and Ville dropped with a large crack, splash and a roaring cheer.

“Ladies and gentlemen” the commentator laughed, “blatant cheating but amazing none the less.” He walked her back around the side of the tank that Ville would be descending, “Let’s get this man a towel.” The same man who passed Milly the bucket of balls, hurried a towel up to the tank, reaching the top just as Ville pulled himself from the water. “Come on down here, Ville.” He clenched the towel around his shoulders, visibly shivering from the bitterly cold air. The commentator stopped him from walking next to her, they stood either side of him as he spoke, “How do you feel about the cheating, Ville.”

“I deserved it.” He laughed, mopping his face with the corner of the towel.

“Milly, has he served penance in your eyes?” she looked at him standing there in only his shirt and jeans, teeth chattering and smiled.

“I would have forgiven him by days end anyway, but this is very Ville..”

“Ville, do you want to present her with her prize?” he nodded and the man reached in his pocket and handed something to her soggy man. He held out a plush purple elephant, wearing a tiny top hat and giggled.

“If the elephant in the room is cute, you can’t get mad now.” She laughed and took the beautifully soft toy and cuddled it to her chest.

“Kiss and make up! Kiss and make up!” Mige and Linde chanted from the audience, to which, naturally, the crowd joined in. Ville held his wet arms open, the towel being held like bat wings and motioned for her to step closer. She giggled and stepped up to him, looking up to his eyes.

“You’re going to be wet all night now, you know that?” she mused.

“Darling, I was hoping I could say the same thing.” He said, dirtily. Her eyes widened and she slapped him playfully, his head lowered to her level and he kissed her longingly. “I’m sorry.”

“Forgiven.” She said, pressing her lips back to his and running her hands through his sodden locks.


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He sat himself back down on the sofa, handing the elephant to Oscar. “Here you go little man."

"What do you say munchkin?” she prompted.

“Thank you.”

“You’re incredibly welcome.” Ville sat smiling vacantly watching the cartoon, mulling over the memory of how the elephant came to be here now.

“What are you smiling about?” she said softly, stifling a yawn.

“That you kept the elephant.”

“Yes I did.” It was a second before she smiled, “I tried to throw it out, but I went back to the charity store and bought it back hours later.”

“Why?”

“Because it symbolises that you recognised you hurt me and wanted to pay for it. The hours I stared at that bloody elephant after I left is insane, then Oscar came about and just gravitated to it.”

“I really am sorry for what I did to us...” he said glumly. She nodded.

“I know. I’m sorry for what you did to us too.” She placed her hand on top of his. This was the first time she had purposefully and meaningfully touched him in almost four years. His heart swelled. “But, things happen. You were a drunk, I didn’t eat, we both had raging tempers, I was trying to start a business and you had just been signed to a major label. We were stressed; we just… lost sight of what we meant to each other is all. Everything happens for a reason. Now look at us! Your dreams came true Ville; you tour the world with your best friends and have people scream your lyrics at you. I own a successful business and a massive home and I have Oscar. We have almost everything we wanted in life.”

“If there’s one thing I’m glad of, it’s that in my breaking your heart, you slept with an idiot and had Oscar.” He laughed, demurely. Her heart beat hard, now wasn’t the time to say anything. Hell, how could she? It would be the hardest conversation she’d ever have to start. So she changed subject.

“Ville, I’ve missed you every day.”

“I’ve missed you too.” He squeezed her hand.

“Can we just, put our past completely behind us and be friends again. Please?”

“Sweetheart, I’ll never do anything to lose you from my life again.”
♠ ♠ ♠
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