Type of work: Chapters of In Joy and Sorrow
Genre: Romance, fan fiction
Title: In Joy and Sorrow: Chapter Five, Insane walls
Author: dreamsinfiction
Fandom: Ville Valo of -H-I-M-
Rating: R
Warning: swearing, nudity, sexual tension
Summary: She checks out of her hotel room and....
Disclaimer: There's a reason it's fiction, my dears. ;-)

Links to previous chapters


Kat couldn't help the grin on her face as she sat in the back of the car with Ville. His hand was holding hers softly, his thumb caressing her palm every now and then. They didn't speak, but really had no need to in that moment. There was an air of calm neither wanted to disrupt.

Arriving at her hotel, which was surprisingly only three blocks away, Kat approached the desk, her hand still holding Ville's. She knew she looked like a mess. A brush hadn't really helped her messy hair, so she had pulled on one of Ville's hats. The rest of the clothes hiding her curves belonged to him as well, certainly given her a mismatched appearance. But she didn't care.

The desk agent looked up from her work, "How can I help you, Miss?"

"I left my key in my room," she declared.

"Do you have photo id?" the desk girl replied.

Her purse had not disappeared with her dress. That alone was something to be thankful for. Releasing Ville's hand, Kat pulled out her id from her wallet and handed it over to the girl. The agent looked at it and back at Kat, before nodding slightly. After returning her id, the clerk made Kat another pair of keys.

"Is there anything else I can do for you, Miss Montgomery?" she asked pleasantly.

"I realize it's after check out time," Kat began, glancing at the clock near the desk, "but I won't be needing the room any more. We just came to collect my things. I understand if you have to charge me for today, but I will be checking out within the hour."

The girl looked at her computer for a moment, "As housekeeping is still here, I will only charge you half a day, Miss Montgomery."

Kat smiled, "Thank you."

Ville's arm slipped around Kat's waist, his hand resting comfortably on her hips as they headed to the elevator. The doors opened and Kat had to struggle to not burst out laughing. The same elderly ladies that had been in the elevator when she left the evening before, stopped before exiting the lift. Their eyes widened, seeing the strange girl appeared even stranger than the night before, and had a man seemingly in the same 'class' as she. Kat had to bite her lip to keep from laughing as the ladies skirted Ville and her, eyes wide, clearly afraid they would hurt them or something.

With the safety of the elevator doors closing, Kat burst out laughing as she pressed the '6' button, "I rode down with them yesterday. Freaked them out by talking to them."

He smiled, "Certainly your appearance with me confirmed all of their suspicions?"

"Probably," Kat replied. "But they don't know what they're missing out on."

"Completely agreed," Ville nodded. "You are—"

The sound of the elevator interrupted his words. Kat stepped out, expecting him to continue with what he was saying. However he didn't, just laced his hands with hers once more. Down the hall they travelled rather silently again. Not once had silence with Ville made her uncomfortable, which surprise her some. usually there was that little stirring in her stomach to not allow voids of silence when around people she didn't know well. Not so with Ville.

Stopping in front of 624, Kat slid the key in the slot and pushed the door open. Flicking the light on she flinched some at the disaster-area her room was. She hadn't bothered to tidy up after herself after rushing to get ready for the concert. Dropping Ville's hand, she instinctually started to pick up her things, piling it all on the empty bed. Pulling the falling pants up, Kat remembered she wasn't wearing her own clothes and smirked. That would be the first thing she should do.

Without even caring about Ville's presence as he settled himself into a chair, Kat found a pair of her own jeans in the mess. She'd keep his shirt on for now. With her back to Ville, his pants fell from her body, giving him a nice view of her panty-clad bottom. Catching his eyes in the reflection of the mirror in front of her, Kat winked before pulling her own pants on, elicting a chuckled from him.

Able to move better now that she wore her own pants, Kat quickly shoved her belongings into her bag. Kneeling on the floor, she lifted the bedcovers to check under the bed. Finding one platform, she tossed it towards her bag. The next place to double-check was all of the drawers. She would hit the bathroom last, knowing that would take a little more care to pack up.

Twenty minutes after entering the hotel room, Kat announced, "I think that's everything."

Ville slowly stood, "How long were you to stay here?"

She smirked, catching the drift that she had a lot of stuff, "Ten nights. Six before the concert. The concert night. Three after to recover."

"Then you return home?" he asked, picking up one of her bags.

Kat swung the other bag and her makeup case over her shoulders, "I don't really know. I ... don't have a way home planned right now. The past few weeks I've been consumed with just coming here. I have nothing planned to go... anywhere."

"Why not?" he asked.

Flinching at the question as if he had just shouted or something similiar, Kat turned to head out of the room, "I'd rather not talk of it."

Ville didn't say anything in reply, the door to the room closing behind him. They moved silently down the hall, not touching at all. And that is when the uncomfortable silence settled in. As they waited for the lift, Kat began to have second thoughts and was about to return to her room when the elevator sounded. Ville must have sensed her hesitation, for his hand went to the small of her back once again, not pushing her forward, but rather as an assurance he was still there.

She stepped into the elevator.

The ride to the ground floor seemed twice as long as it probably was, due to the silence. Her mind was turning over words and images, trying to figure out how to explain her situation to Ville, if she even wanted to. No, that she was certain. She would explain it all to him. In time. Before they parted.

Checking out at the desk and receiving her bill, Kat looked over it briefly before thanking the girl. Out to the waiting car they went, the driver stowing Kat's luggage for them. Slipping into the car next to Ville, she hesitated, wanting to hold his hand again. Before she could reach for it, she found Ville's hand clasped over hers again, causing her to smile slightly.

"Let us walk the streets today. The weather is decent and I am not in mood to be contained by walls today," he suggested.

Kat nodded, "That sounds good. But first I want a shower."

Ville chuckled, "Of course, darling."


Leaning against the tile, Kat let the hot water run over her body. Ville was out trying to track down her dress again, hoping now that everyone had a chance to nurse their hangovers, someone would remember what happened to it. As the water ran over her hair, traces of pink flowed down the drain. The colour in her hair was only temporary, though she hadn't expected it to be that temporary. But she didn't really care either. The water just felt good, making her forget lots of things.

That was until there was a knock at the door and a voice that requested entrance.

Never being shy at all, she replied, "Go ahead."

Ville entered the bathroom, his verdant eyes glancing over at her as she turned the water off and opened the etched glass door. He offered her the towel that was barely out of her reach, not hiding the glance at her nakedness.

"Mige remembers you in the shirt last night," he declared as she started to dry herself off. "But he does not have anything more than that. Not knowledge of where your clothes are or how you got out of the dress."

She frowned slightly after wrapping the towel around her wet hair, "I rather liked that dress too."

Moving to lotion up, Kat was very aware that Ville was watching her every move. Just as aware that he had now seen all of her body art, from the heartagram tattoo on the small of her back to the heart chain tattoos that circled each pierced nipple. After getting her breasts tattooed she had sworn off tattoos, though the itch for a third was starting to develop, especially after seeing Ville and his inked glory.

Realizing she had left her clothes out in the room and that it no longer mattered, Kat left the bathroom. Opening her bag, secretly glad that she had left it on the bed and didn't need to bend over to access it, Kat shuffled through it to find panties first. Pulling a thong on, she then proceeded to find something else to wear, feeling those green eyes watching her.

"Do you always watch girls dress?" she teased, glancing over her shoulder before pulling a shirt on, choosing to forgo a bra again.

"I cannot help it. When beauty is nearby, my eyes are naturally drawn to it," Ville claimed.

"Uh huh. Admit it. You are hypnotized by the boobies. Most guys are," she grinned, turning to face him fully again while she buttoned her pants.

He chuckled, "I think it would be wiser to not reply to that comment."

"Maybe," Kat removed the towel from her head. "So Mige remembers me in the shirt? Interesting. And not helpful at all.

He shrugged, watching her pass him again to return to the bathroom, "I tried."

Maybe it was how he had looked at her. Or the way he had been at ease when she was naked. Or something completely else. Whatever the cause, Kat had not felt as safe and content as she did right then, brushing her teeth with a gorgeous man watching. She wasn't in the least self-conscious with him, like she had been with.... well everyone else she had ever known in her life. She was just naturally Kat around Ville, still a bit reserved, but more herself than she even expected.

Pulling a brush through her hair, she turned to Ville, "I'm getting hungry again. You?"

"You could say that," he replied, lighting a cigarette. "But I'm inclined to order room service again."

"Aren't you the one who didn't want to be contained by walls today?" she retorted, dropping the brush in order to weave her fingers through her wet hair and begin braiding it back from her face.

"That was before you permitted me in here," Ville replied, leaning against the door frame.

Kat flashed him a smile, "It is your bathroom."

He puffed on his cigarette, "I would never do anything you would not allow, Kat."

"I know you wouldn't. That's part of the definition of gentleman," she declared, pulling a ribbon out of her makeup case to bind the braid with. "Which is precisely why we're going on that suggested walk. Because these walls are driving me insane."