Type of work: Chapters of In Joy and Sorrow
Genre: Romance, fan fiction
Title: In Joy and Sorrow: Chapter Three, Under cover of sunshine
Author: dreamsinfiction
Fandom: Ville Valo of -H-I-M-
Rating: PG-13
Warning: mild swearing
Summary: A drunken night leads to.....
Disclaimer: There's a reason it's fiction, my dears. ;-)

Links to previous chapters



His hand still on the small of her back, Ville's silence was starting to make Kat nervous as they made their way down the hall. The only time she heard anything from his mouth was when one of the other bands spoke as they passed them in halls. Not a word did he say to her. Chewing her bottom lip, she slowly descended the stairs down to the main level of the club, losing contact with Ville in the descent.

Waiting for him at the bottom of the steps, she glanced over her shoulder at him. For a moment their eyes met once again and he smiled, easing her nerves some.

"So tell me, Kat, who are you really?" he requested in a soft tone as they weaved through roadies and other personnel.

"The only thing I told you falsely was about not knowing who you were. I wanted... I wanted you to be at ease with me, as yourself," she stated, stopping when two guys carrying a drumset passed by.

"And you did not believe that if we knew you were a fan?" Ville pressed.

Kat shook her head, "I've been to enough concerts, seen enough fans, to know what they... we're... capable of. And that any musician of your stature should be wary of any fan, especially one that worked magic to get up to see you hours before the show."

The road manager stopped them befor Ville had the chance to respond to her statements, instructing Ville where his best point of attack would be in the crowd. Kat stepped away some as they talked business, wondering if it would be a good time to slink out like the cat she was. But before she could inch away any more, Ville's hand touched her arm, bringing her thoughts and eyes back to his.

"There is more to be said on this matter, but not now. Face the fans with me, Kat. Protect me from their wily ways," there was a glint in his eyes she couldn't quite decipher.

Lighting a cigarette, he headed out to what was certain to be a swarm of giggling girls. Kat followed, but not all that closely, just enough to keep her eyes on him, just enough so that he would know she was still there.

As expected, Ville was accosted for some time. Kat couldn't help the smile that came to her lips, knowing she had outwitted every fan to gain access to the real Ville, not rock star Ville. And the smile remained as the rest of the band trailed in, giving the fans more to scream about. For what seemed like ages, they entertained their fan base before trailing back into the safety of backstage. Instead of going up to the green room, the band was escorted to their tour bus — and Kat was pulled along.

Seated on a couch in the coach, her eyes darted around. Ville knew who she was, she wasn't certain the others did, if they had figured it out from the brief exchange before the encore. Nerves were rising again. Oh she needed a drink.

As if reading her mind, Ville offered her a bottle of... something... she wasn't entirely sure what, until her lips touched it. Vodka. Usually not something she drank without something else, as was apparent by the scrunch of her nose before passing the bottle along.

But it gave her the courage she needed.

"I have a confession to make," she announced loudly enough the guys quieted down. "I do too know who you all are. I spent the past week orchestrating a rather complex plan to get backstage and to meet you all before the show. I didn't tell you that I'm a really big fan of your work because I didn't want you to think of me as a fan. I wanted to see you as who you really all are."

The guys stared at her for a moment.

Gas broke the silence, "We all pretty much figured that out, Kat. No worries."

A relieved smile filled her face, "Really?"

"Really. Now where shall we take this celebration amongst friends?" he replied.

"I know just the place."


The rest of the night was pretty much a blur to Kat. They only visited two... three.... maybe it was four bars. As the liquor flowed, so did inhibitions. By last call, Kat has spoken on the phone with every wife that called to see how the show had gone, danced on a table off which she fell into Ville's lap, and probably told everyone more than she should have. And by the end of it, she couldn't remember where her hotel was, what it was called, or even what colour it was. Which ended up not being a problem as the band pulled her into their hotel with them. She was stumbling too much to argue.

Not that she remembered any of it when she woke up in a large bed, the sound of someone sleeping next to her. Upon waking and realizing those human sounds, Kat's eyes flew wide open. The room was blissfully mostly dark, but she knew just from the smell it wasn't her room. Ever so slowly, she started to slid out of the bed, her bare toes searching for escape from the bedding. Toes finding carpet, Kat slowly moved out of the bed, only to freeze once again. Where were her clothes? Looking down her eyes tried to connect tee shirt with the loose cotton softness her hands were feeling. She knew she didn't have a shirt like that. Who the hell had she gone home with? And who undressed and re-dressed her?

Those questions would remain unanswered for the moment as the bathroom called her. Tiptoeing over to a door, she pulled it open, only to find it was a closet. Smiling to herself, she tried the next door and was relieved it was exactly what she needed. After making sure the door was closed soundly before reaching for a light switch, Kat avoided looking at the mirror through her squinted eyes.

After relieving her body of much of the alcohol she had drank, Kat stared at her reflection in the mirror. She certainly didn't look as bad as she expected, well at least after she washed off the remains of the club makeup. Her eyes were bloodshot and her bottom lip a bit swollen, whether from biting it or something else she wasn't certain at all. All she remembered was leaving the club with the band... did she blow what could be a memorable night by drinking too much? And where the hell was she?

Turning the light off in the bathroom before slowly opening the door, Kat went on a search to answer the questions swirling in her head. There had been hotel emblems on the ammenities in the bathroom, but she hadn't thought of that until after leaving it. And knowing who was in that bed was more important. Creeping back to the bed, Kat circled to the side she had not slept in. Her eyes had fully adjusted to the darkness at that point and widened when she realized whom she had shared the bed with.....

Ville sighed and turned over, reaching to the other side of the bed, the side where Kat had been. Finding the bed empty, he sat up. Even in darkness she could see his eyes were searching for her.

"Ville?" she breathed, her voice raspy.

Her turned to her voice, a relieved smile barely visible in the darkness, "Sweetheart. I thought you had left under cover of ... sunshine."

She chuckled at that, "And how would I explain to anyone why I'm walking around in a tee shirt that's very much not mine?"

He reached for the bedstand light, turning it on. Both of their eyes narrowed at the sudden light, Ville's fingers feeling around blindly for his cigarettes. Lighting one and puffing on it seemed to wake him up and settle Kat's nerves for some reason. Though she was dying to know what he was wearing under the bedcovers... and to ask him all sorts of questions about the night.

"How about breakfast, Kat?" Ville offered, picking up the phone without waiting for a response.

She sat on the edge of the bed, waiting for him to return the receiver to the cradle, "What happened last night, Ville?"

His eyes went to hers, "You're quite a wild one, Kat."

Her eyes widened, "Did we... did we...?"

He chuckled, "No, my sweet. Neither of us were sober enough for anything of that nature. I am not even certain who it is that got you out of that dress and those ridiculous boots. I know I could not have unlaced a thing last night."

"Oh," there was a note of sadness in her voice.

Offering her his cigarette, Ville moved out of the bed, "Do not be so disappointed, darling. The day is young, I think."

With a wink, he headed to the bathroom, leaving that thought dangling in her mind like the cigarette between her lips.