This Fortress of Tears

“Ville! I need you!” I yelled once again. After another moment or so, Ville came stumbling out from backstage as if someone had pushed him forward. Covering my mouth, I giggled into my hand as he rolled his eyes sarcastically at me and strolled across the stage.

“Yes, love?” He asked straight to me, and avoiding the microphone. I bit my lip nervously, stepping so that I stood directly in front of him, and then bit my lip nervously. After I took a deep breath, I peered back up to meet his soft, inviting gaze.

“Ville, will you sing the song with me again?” I pleaded, putting on the best puppy dog eyes I could. As he thought, his brow furrowed cutely, and a small smile formed on my lips. “Please?” I asked again sweetly.

“Alright.” He sighed, finally giving in with a smirk. “But on one condition.” I rolled my eyes and frowned at him.

“Yes?” I sighed, and placed my hands on my hips.

“I’ll tell you afterwards.” I stared quizzically up at him, but shrugged. We both took our places on the wooden stools that Sam and I had used. I glanced sideways at Ville, who gave me a nod and a warm smile, and began strumming the intro. The crowd cheered and brought out their cell phones and lighters, which ever they preferred, and began swaying them to the music. Looking out into the darkness from up on the stage, the scene looked like millions of tiny fireflies, all dancing to the beat of our song. I got caught up in the way Ville’s rugged, soothing voice mixed with the clean, resonant sounds of the acoustic guitar. As I joined him for the chorus and our voices mingled, the crowd swelled with cheers, and they grew even louder as we finished the song. Ville took a small bow next to the chair and begins walking back off stage, but I quickly put down the acoustic and run to his side, resting my hand on his shoulder.

“You never told me the condition.” I reminded him, full of curiosity but prepared for the worst. He stands silent, not meeting my eyes, but began intensely scanning the floor as if to look for something important he’d dropped. “Ville, what was it?” I bent down in search of his eyes, and when I finally caught them a witty smile spread across his face.

“Just that you don’t hit me.” His proposition shocked me, and I cocked my head to the side before letting out a small, relieved giggle. I stood up straight and squinted curiously.

“Ville, what do you mean by ‘just that I don’t hit you’?” I laugh again, shaking my head at his silliness. “Why would you think I’d ever-” Ville placed his index finger lightly on my lips, cutting me off, and made a soft shushing sound. I felt a warm fluttering sensation in the pit of my stomach. He removed his finger slowly. I tilted my head slightly along with his hand as he traced a line up my cheek until he reached a stray strand of hair and brushed it behind my ear, his dazzling green eyes never parting their gaze from mine. My breath came out shakily and my eyes grew wide with anticipation. His other hand went to my waist, pulling me closer until I could feel the warmth radiating from his body. He cupped my face in his hand, caressing my cheek with his thumb once before drawing me to him, our lips meeting in a soft, loving kiss. I felt suddenly relieved. It was as if the months of anxiety and frustration had been flushed from my body with that one, single kiss. Whistles and hoots sounded from the crowd behind us. We ignored them, Ville’s hand leaving my face to join the other, wrapping around my back, and if possible, bringing me in closer to his body. I brought my hands up to his neck, entwining one into his hair to deepen the kiss, and the sweet, potent taste of cigarettes and beer reached my tongue.

“Get a room!” I heard Bam’s voice yell from somewhere off stage. Without stopping to wonder when it was he arrived, I simply extended my arm and flipped him the bird, receiving more laughs from the audience. A camera flash lit the inside of my eyelids, and I reluctantly pulled away from Ville.

“Rylee, why’d you have to ruin the moment?” I squealed, unable to hide my grin of pure bliss.

“Right, and like Bam didn’t.” She retorted with a laugh. I glared at her shortly, and then moved to Bam, letting him know he wasn’t off the hook just yet. Ville’s hand drew me back to him. He rested his forehead on mine, let his hands fall onto the curve where my neck met my shoulders, and finally let them slide back down to my waist. Another camera flash shown from Rylee’s camera, along with many from the fans, and I giggled like a school girl, oblivious to it all as I got lost in his beautiful eyes. I was giddy, feeling as if a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders. At last I could show him how much he meant to me; how much he’d always meant to me, but I was just too blind to see it.

“Jay?” Ville whispered, his breath lightly brushing my face.

“Yeah, Ville?” I answered shyly.

“I think I love you.” He stated matter-of-factly, and chuckled softly. I couldn’t help but laugh myself, and I placed another soft kiss on his lips.

“I think I love you, too.” I giggle, and lean my head against his chest, wrapping my arms around his waist.

“Jacey Lynn Finch!” Seriously, what the fuck? Can’t she just die? I lift my head to see my mom, red in the face, and my dad, calm as always, standing just off stage. My mom marches over to where the two of us are still woven in an embrace, and stands about two inches from my face. “What did I say about leaving the house?”

“Mom, I really don’t give a shit what you say anymore, alright?” I say calmly, never letting go of Ville. I could tell this angered her beyond belief because she took several sharp puffs of breath, and her face deepened into a tomato-like red. With a snap she turns to my dad.

“Tell her to come home. Tell her she can’t be out on tour with her druggy friends and all those drunkards out there.” She screams to him, thrusting her arm, finger outstretched, in the direction of the now angered fans. Shouts of disapproval float from them up to the stage as my mom continues to mock them. “Tell her to come home.” She repeats to my father angrily.

“I’m sorry, Jay.” He starts, eyeing up my mother indifferently. She turns to me with a smirk on her face, hands on her hips as if she’s one some big high school clique bitch-out. “You’re mother is being very unreasonable. As far as I think, if this is what you want, go ahead and do it. I’m not stopping you.” I watch in amusement as the smirk instantly fades and she stares, disbelieving, up to my father. Her mouth begins to flop open and closed, apparently at a loss for words.

“Thank you so much, Daddy!” I shout and run to him, hugging him tightly and kissing his cheek. Meanwhile, my mother seemed to find her voice once again and commences to shout threats at me and everyone else, which are totally tuned out. Angered and frustrated about the interruption she’s caused, the crowd begins to throw bottles and cups of beer at her, and I see another camera flash. When I turn to Rylee, I see that all the guys from the other bands, the Cky crew, and Arianna have congregated on the stage to watch the scene, Bam rolling on the ground in fits of laughter. I jump, startled, as a pair of arms wraps around my waist and a head rests against my shoulder. I smiled sweetly once I see Ville’s head from the corner of my eye. “Dad, I’d like you to meet someone.” My dad looked to us in interest, a small grin forming as he sees us together. “Dad, this is Ville. He’s the lead singer of HIM. He’s the one that invited us on tour.”

“Pleased to meet you.” Ville says professionally, sounding a bit too cute for his own good, and extends his hand.

“You too.” My dad returns, shaking his hand. “You take good care of her, now. Or you’ll have to deal with me.” He tried to sound threatening, but I could see right through it.

“Of course, sir.” Ville said, sounding slightly nervous. I guess Ville couldn’t tell that it was all an act.

“So, I’m guessing this is why you four were so intent on making that tree house?” My dad asked me.

“Yeah, it is. But it’s also because we thought it would be fun to hang out in.” I added, trying to make it sound better even though it just made the four of us sound more like little kids. He nods in understanding.

“You better get on with the show. I’m thinking they’re starting to get bored of chucking drinks at my wife.” My dad says with a small laugh as he goes to retrieve my soaking, smelly mother with a grin, waving a goodbye to everyone. The crowd found their excitement once again as they watched their grand departure, and the stage was turned over to the remaining acts.

~*A Few Weeks After the Tour*~

“That’s everything.” Ville grunted as he dropped a box down onto the floor of my new home. With the help of Bam and Ville, we were able to get a seven bedroom house for Sam, Rylee, Payton, Ari and I. The house even has an in home theater! How cool is that? I paced through the hallway, eyes trailing the dome shaped ceiling in awe.

“I still can’t get over how big this house is.” I mused, spinning back towards him.

“I just can’t wait to get in that pool.” Payton exclaimed as she appeared out of one of the bedrooms she’d picked as her own. I already claimed the Master as mine. Bam and Miss, Ville and I, Ari and Joe, Payton and Zack, Sam and Ben, and Rylee and Eric all made our way through the house and outside to sit under the covered porch.

“You know guys. When my dad and I were talking before he reminded me of something.” I started, my eyes meeting each of Payton’s, Sammy’s and Rylee’s. “The tree house.” Grins spread widely across their faces.

“We’ll make one. Wait until we get settled into this beast and get jobs.” Sammy suggested.

“God, this house is too nice for us.” Bam laughed. “It’ll be ruined before you have the chance to settle.”

“Not if I can help it mister.” I scolded him as I sat on the swinging chair next to Ville, who rested his hand softly on my knee. I leaned my head against his shoulder and watched as the sun began to dip lower and lower down past the breathtaking view of the undulating, tree-lined horizon in our backyard. “Isn’t this just amazing?” I whispered as I intertwined our fingers.

“Yes, you are, love.” He murmured back. I rolled my eyes and smacked his arm lightly with my free hand.

“I meant our backyard, ya goof.” I giggled. “How is it that we found a house like this with a view equally as amazing? I mean, come on! Think of how many rich people there are around here, and still we’re the ones who bought it. It’s unreal!”

“You’re unreal.” Bam mocked in a dreamy, far off voice. I ripped my shoe from foot and chucked it at Bam, only to miss his head by a few inches and land near the edge of the pool. Perfect.

“You’re mom is unreal.” I yelled back, not really having any better comebacks at the moment.

“Hell yes she is!” Ville yelled excitedly, and he and Bam continued laughing. I ripped my hand from his and slapped him on the back of the head. “Ow! I was just joking, Jacey. April has absolutely nothing on you.”

“She better not.” I spat bitterly, crossing my arms over my chest. “Bam, bring me back my shoe.”

“No! You can get your own damn shoe.” He screeched, sounding very childish. “You’re the one who threw it at me.”

“Well, if Ville wouldn’t have been all cliché while I was commenting on the scenery…”

“How am I involved in this?” Ville interrupted, but I continued over him.

“…As I was saying, if Ville wouldn’t have been cliché, I wouldn’t have had to correct him, and you wouldn’t have had to mock him, and I wouldn’t have had to throw my shoe at you for mocking him…” I continued my Mojo Jojo-like ramble until he finally grunted in defeat.

“If it will make you shut the hell up, I’ll go get your damn shoe!” He got up with a huff and I smiled in victory. I watched as he slumped over to the edge, and just as he bent over to grab the shoe, I launched myself from the chair and forced him forwards into the water. On the way in, he let out a high pitched scream, which was soon drowned out by the splash, and upon resurfacing he sputtered and flailed his arms angrily. “What the hell, Jay?”

“That was for ruining my moment.” I smirked, looking down on him, happily dry. A pair of arms slid around my waist.

“You didn’t have to do that you know.” Ville’s voice sounded huskily in my ear. He pulled my hair away from my face, letting it fall onto my back, and gently kissed my neck once before resting his chin on my shoulder.

“Yes, I did.” I stuck my tongue out childishly, and Bam splashed me with a spurt of water. “Like I care.” Bam’s eyes strayed to somewhere behind me, and he gave a small nod. “What? Why are you nodding you psycho?” Ville’s head lifted off my shoulder and he spun me around slowly. “Ville, what’s going…on?” I stood and faced him, his eyes burning into mine with pure lust. His hand went to the back of my neck and his eyes fluttered between my lips and my eyes. His lips crashed into mine passionately and I lost all track of my surroundings. I let myself melt into his arms as they moved down to my waist, and he suddenly broke away. With me still in a daze, he spun me around and I felt my feet being lifted off the ground. “What the hell is going on?” I screeched as Ville and Bam moved me to the edge of the pool and begin swinging me back and forth.

“On three…One…Two…Three!” They launched me through the air and I landed in the water flat on my back. I felt the sting as I resurfaced and gasped for air.

“That was a dirty trick, guys.” I ran my hands over my hair to remove it from my face and glared up at the two of them. Bam was clutching his stomach and laughing. Ville only smirked apologetically. The rest of my friends in the background were either laughing as hard as Bam or just smiling. “Fine then.” I hoisted myself out of the pool and stormed past Ville, not meeting his eyes. The second I moved past him I spun and forced him into the pool. Unfortunately for me he grabbed my arm before I could get him all the way and we both ended up in the pool.

“Hey Missy.” Bam sang, wriggling his eyebrows mischievously.

“Oh no you don’t Bam.” Missy warned, raising her hands in defense. Bam stopped and cocked his eyebrows.

“Like that’s gonna stop me?” He laughed and picked Missy up bridal style and tossed her into the pool with ease. “You guys are missing out.” He commented to the others who were just sitting in their spots before diving head first into the pool and grabbing Missy’s feet.

“Who wants to watch movies?” I suggested, getting out of the pool once again and walking a safe distance from the edge. Everyone agreed and filed into the living room. “Can you guys figure out the theater room thing?” I asked whoever was still listening.

“Sure thing.” A familiar voice announced. I turned my head and saw Micah and Quinton standing in the doorway. Micah was the one that talked.

“Hey, guys.” I greeted. Micah and I exchanged a small reconciliation smile.

“Thanks.” I say quietly. I offered to get Missy dry clothes as we entered the house, and Ville did the same for Bam.

“I thought there was going to be a beat down out there.” Missy joked.

“Nah. It’s not worth fighting with him.” I told her, understanding what she meant. I rifled through boxes marked ‘Pajamas’ until I found something she could use and tossed her the set of clothes. “I’ve got Ville now. I guess we sort of…worked it out back at the concert.” I thought back to before I went to talk to Ville when Micah and I had that short little conversation.

“Well, that’s good.” Missy said as she took the clothes to the bathroom. “I’ll meet you guys downstairs.”

“Alright.” I bounded down the stairs, skipped into the living room and plopped down next to Ville on the wide C-shaped couch that faced the TV screen. “What are we watching?” I yawned.

“Looks like someone might not be watching anything.” He smirked, placing his arm around my shoulders. I cuddled against his body and inhaled his scent of clean laundry, cologne and smoke.

“No, I’ll be fine.” I whispered, closing my eyes. His chest shook gently beneath me, and I could hear the soft rumble of his laugh. “Really…” I yawned again. “I’m fine. What are we watching?”

“Knocked Up,” Ville murmered into my ear.

“Alright.” I wrapped my arms around his waist and shut my eyes momentarily.

“Oh my God! Kayte what are you doing here?” I heard someone yell. When I opened my eyes I saw Quinton rise from the couch and run towards a girl’s silhouette. I squinted into the shadows to try and make it out, and sure enough. When the light from the movie flickered just right, Kayte’s face was illuminated, along with the snide grin on her face. I watched helplessly from the couch as all my friends flocked to her side, including Ville, and I was left alone. My eyes began to burn. I felt hot tears flow from my eyes and I could taste the salt on my lips.

“Ville…” I whispered, my voice croaky and shaking.

“Jacey, I’m right here, Love. Jay? Are you crying?” My eyes opened and I saw Ville staring down at me with concern in his eyes. “Jacey what’s wrong?”

“Wow…” I murmered. “I just had a dream that Kayte was here and everyone in this room left me to be by her.” I laughed a humorless laugh as I sat up straight, now fully awake, and glanced at the screen. The movie was about ten minutes in.

“Jay, you don’t have to worry about her anymore remember?” Ville’s fingers brushed softly through my hair, soothing my nerves, and I rested my head against him once again.

“I know.” My eyes scanned the room. Sammy and Ben were sprawled out on the floor under a blanket, while Zack and Payton were on the right end of the couch, cuddled similar to Ville and I. Bam was messing around with Missy’s hair while she quietly scolded him and pushed his hand away repeatedly. Rylee and Erik were cuddled on the left curve of the couch, looking through the photos that she would soon be turning into our official Tour Scrapbook. Micah was on the floor leaning against the couch next to Joey and Arianna, the three of them giggling as Seth says ‘You’re prettier than I am’. Quinton was sitting next to me, and Kayte was nowhere in sight. I let out a content sigh and returned my gaze to the movie. Life couldn’t be any more perfect.