.:cascades of gray:.

Title:: The Whole Story
Genre:: Vam 'Series'
Rating:: PG
Summary:: The story of two neighbors - from beginning to almost end.
Notes:: This started out as an entry for the Fluff competition but turned into something else. Prepare for sop.



Part Four

“That’s my flight.” Bam stood up and nodded, helping Ville to his feet.

“You got everything,” he asked, checking to make sure Ville hadn’t left anything behind.

“Yeah, thanks.” They looked at each other for a second, before Bam flung his arms around Ville’s neck and hugged him as hard as he could.

“I’m going to miss you, faggot,” he said, teasing, but with a hint of sadness in his voice that he just couldn’t get rid of. Ville had to punch him out of perfunctory obligation, but he knew there were tears in both of their eyes that were going to spill over if they weren’t careful.

“I’d better go,” Ville whispered into Bam’s ear. Bam stood back and nodded. “I’ll call when I get there.” Bam nodded again, sniffing hard. “Oh, dammit Bam.” Ville put his bags down again and wrapped Bam into the tightest hug he’d ever given him. “I’ll miss you, sweetheart.” He pressed a kiss to Bam’s hair, and then another to his check, and another… he could have gone on forever, but the last warning for his flight sounded over the intercom and he had to let go. “Love you, BamBam.”

“Yeah… take care of yourself, Ville. Remember, if anyone touches you, I’ll beat them up. That promise still stands.”

Bam hadn’t cried in years, but when he lost sight of Ville through the door that lead to customs, he had to let the tears flow before he exploded.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Knock, knock, knock

Bam’s hand rapped against the door to the apartment, and he stood back, waiting breathlessly for it to be opened. When it did, he was greeted by a familiar face, and he beamed at the look of shock on it.

“BAM!?” Ville squealed, and leaped into Bam’s outstretched arms. “BAM!”

“VILLE!” Bam laughed, squeezing him tight before dropping him onto the floor. “Jesus, Ville, you’re skinnier than ever.”

“And damned proud of it, thank you very much, your mom was on a mission to make me fat for my whole life and OH MY GOD WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!” He leapt back into Bam’s arms and hugged him as tight as he could without killing him. Bam laughed, and laughed, and laughed some more. Ville’s surprise and shock were completely expected. Through the struggles of adult life and semi-fame, they had lost touch, and Ville hadn’t heard from Bam in two years.

“Brandon Margera, I forbid you to do that to me ever again! I kept calling, but you’d moved or something, and the stupid lady wouldn’t give me your number, and your address changed… and…” Bam laughed loudly, which shut him up fast.

“I had exactly the same problem, Mr. I’m a Rock Star Now. Seriously, I had to be looking through tabloids to find your apartment, you jerk! You could have TOLD me about your contract!” Ville blushed but let Bam into his apartment, wrapping his arm tightly around his waist and taking his suitcase from him.

“Hope you don’t mind, but I’m staying for a while.” Bam winked and shut the door for Ville.

“Mind?! Of course I don’t mind! Oh my god, come here, you stupid American idiot! Dammit I missed you!” Bam laughed and let Ville hug and squeeze and coo over him as much as he wanted.

A few hours later, after the shock had worn down, they sat on Ville’s couch and sipped very strong coffee so that they could regain some of their nerves, killed by the excitement and shock.

“So, Mr. Rock Star? Anything interesting happening in your life? Any new boys I should know about? Cuz you know, I need to give them the ‘I will kick your ass’ talk if there are.” Ville laughed and shook his head.

“No, no, nothing on that front. Actually, there hasn’t been anything happening there for ages. Had a fling with my guitarist, he’s so cute – you’ll see, and you will agree, even if you are straight as an arrow, you dumb fuck – but that had to stop cuz of the band… so… nothing since then. What about you?”

Bam grinned and mentally told Ville to brace himself for the shock.

“Nothing at the moment really. I just broke up with someone.”

“Yeah? Who?” Bam grinned even harder.

“You’re going to hit me,” he said, laughing. Ville put his cup of coffee down.

“Who?” He said, looking into Bam’s eyes, trying hard not to grin himself.

“Guess.”

“That slut that made Ryan hate you for a while? You didn’t find her again, did you?” Bam laughed.

“No, no. Okay, I’ll give you a hint. Think… Novocain.” Ville’s eyes got huge, he stared, and then he screamed.

“YOU DID NOT!” Bam threw his head back and laughed as hard as he could.

“Well, I had to see what all the fuss was about, see,” he said, in between his rib-shaking laughs.

“I can’t believe you, Bam. You’re fucking with me, you must be!” Ville shook his head in shock. “You’re straight!” Bam laughed again.

“I thought I was,” he said, and then laughed some more when Ville hit him hard upside the head. “Ouch, Valo, what was that for!?”

“For not realizing earlier, you stupid fuck!” Bam laughed even harder.

“What does that mean?!” He was crying he was laughing so hard, and Ville was laughing too now, and they could both hardly breathe.

“It means you’re an idiot. My God, Bam, do you even…” Ville trailed off, laughing so hard now that he was almost rivaling Bam. Eventually, the laughter died down and Ville just sat there, shaking his head in disbelief.

“What?! Quit looking at me like that!” Bam said, throwing a pillow at Ville.

“I can’t help it! First, you turn up at my door after 2 years of nothing, and announce you’re staying for a few weeks. Secondly, you have a beard. Third, you tell me you were dating Novak, and fourth… I don’t even know what’s fourth, you’re just ridiculous!” Bam laughed again and grinned.

“You know you missed me.” That stopped Ville laughing immediately.

“Bammie, you have no idea.” Bam’s smile faded momentarily, and he nodded.

“I missed you too, Ville.” They sat in silence for a while, until Ville’s disbelief forced him to break it.

“I can’t believe you dated Novak,” he said. Bam laughed again, and shrugged.

“Well, if it was good enough for you, I thought I might as well try it.” He winked and then took Ville’s hand and squeezed it. After a few minutes, Ville looked at Bam.

“Bam, can I do something?”

“Sure…” Ville leant over and kissed him square on the lips. Bam’s eyes flew open, but he let Ville kiss him, until Ville pulled back, looking shocked himself.

“You know,” Ville said, running a hand through his hair - shorter than Bam had seen it since they were in primary school – feeling rather self-conscious. “I have wanted to do that … since I was 7.”

Bam stared at him, and then threw his head back laughing. Ville blushed and tried to turn away but Bam just reached over, grabbing a handful of hair, and pulling Ville’s face back to his. When Bam pulled away, Ville was wide-eyed and almost looked terrified.

“I’ve wanted to do that since you walked through that damned gate in that stupid goddamn airport,” Bam said, but this time he wasn’t laughing, and neither was Ville. It was only a matter of very heavy, very loaded seconds later that their coffee cups sat forgotten on the table and their lips were locked in combat, their hands battling each other to get as close of a grip on each other as possible. Breathless, eventually, they had to stop, pulling away to catch some air, but staying just a nose’s length away from each other.

“I think I’ve been in love with you for 15 years, Bam,” Ville said, quietly, biting his lip. Bam nodded.

“I know… me too, now I think about it…” Then they were back to gripping at each other’s shirts and hair and faces and lips, and it didn’t seem likely that they would ever let go.

Eventually, however, they had to let go. When the phone rang, Ville pulled back from Bam’s lips apologetically, a smile plastered across his face that Bam had never seen the likes of before.

“Dude, you could give the fucking Cheshire Cat a run for his money right now,” Bam said, laughing. Ville stuck his tongue out at him before answering the phone. Bam watched in awe as Ville spoke in very fast torrents of very confusing sounding words down the receiver and then hung up, still smiling.

“That was Linde – my guitarist… I have to go to practice tonight, but I told him you were here and he said that you should come too. Dunno why I even asked, it’s kinda my band anyways, but you know…” Ville trailed off, running a hand through his hair self-consciously, still grinning. Bam shrugged.

“Hey, that’s cool with me. When do we have to go?” Ville looked at the clock and laughed.

“Yeah, I was supposed to be there 10 minutes ago.” Bam rolled his eyes but leapt up from the couch, grabbing Ville by the waist with one hand and sweeping their jackets off the hook that Ville had put them on with the other.

“Well come on then, I don’t want to make you late!” Ville grinned and let Bam take his hand to pull him through his apartment door, only just managing to grab the key and shut the door properly before Bam was throwing him in the elevator and wrapping him as close as he could get with his arms.

“So this is the infamous Bam,” said a kind of short, kind of squat guy as soon as Ville burst through the door to their practice room with Bam in tow. Ville grinned and nodded, throwing Bam in front of him. The squat one – who had a bass guitar thrown around his back – was the only one who was speaking though. The rest of the band were just staring at him.

“Ville… you… never said that your Bam was… Bam as in… that Bam…” said the one behind the keyboard slowly, still staring at Bam, who was now starting to laugh because he suddenly realized what must have happened. Ville, however, was clueless, and very confused.

“Well… what other Bam would he be? I mean… how many people called Bam do you know?” Ville looked from one band member until the other until the guitarist – Linde, Bam remembered – stepped forward and grabbed Bam’s hand to shake it very vigorously.

“You see, I don’t think Ville watches much TV, especially MTV, so I don’t think he actually knows who you are…” Linde said, stepping back again, shaking his head at Ville and saying something to him in Finnish which had a tinge of disbelief in it that Bam picked up on. Bam was just laughing at Ville’s face.

“What do you mean, TV? Why does it matter about TV?” Bam laughed even harder, shaking his head at Ville. Eventually the drummer, throwing his sticks at Ville, explained.

“You idiot. Your best friend is only on the best and funniest TV show ever!” The rest of the band laughed and nodded; the drummer kept talking. “Seriously, Ville… I mean… it’s the best show… I don’t know how you’re still alive, Bam, but seriously, I love that show.”
“Thanks man,” Bam said, laughing. “I almost died a couple times.” Ville looked at him, confused. “Me and Ryan and Rake and Raab and Jess and some of Raab’s really weird friends have a TV show – you remember Johnny? And Steve?”

“You do not,” Ville said, staring at him. Bam laughed and nodded.

“Do too.” Ville stared, and then saw that he wasn’t kidding, and started laughing so hard he thought he’d fall over.

“There! That’s number four! I knew there would be one! Bam, you’re ridiculous!” Then everyone fell about laughing, because Ville looked so funny, clutching at Bam’s hand with tears of mirth pouring down his cheeks, and because it had been so long since they’d seen him that happy. When they all regained their senses, introductions were made, and Bam threw himself into a beanbag to watch what he later declared was the best damn band practice ever, and he officially made up his mind that they were the best band in the world, and dubbed himself the official number one fan.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

“How’s West Chester?” It was later that night, and they’d drunk their fill with the band after practice, but were eager to get back to Ville’s apartment to catch up. They had managed it, just, and were now laying on the floor of Ville’s kitchen, plastic tumblers full of vodka and coke next to their heads. Bam shrugged in response to Ville’s question.

“Same as ever,” he said. “It doesn’t really change.”

“I thought not,” Ville said, sighing, letting his fingers get lost in Bam’s unruly curls, resting on his stomach.

“It’s boring without you,” Bam said quietly, staring at the ceiling. “We really missed you.” Ville smiled and let his finger trace the side of Bam’s cheek.

“Sounds like you were having fun though, what with filming and skating and stuff…” Bam shrugged.

“Yeah, I mean, I found stuff to do, but I missed you like whoa. And your friends were right, I did almost kill myself a couple times, cuz there was no-one there telling me how stupid I was being.” He turned his head to look at Ville and smile ruefully.

“I missed you too, BamBam. I could’ve used some good old Bam hugs these past few years. And someone to beat people up for me.” He winked at Bam and arched forwards to plant a kiss on the top of Bam’s head. Bam, however, moved so that Ville caught his lips instead of his forehead. Ville smiled into them and sat up so that he could kiss him properly.

“Love you,” he said into Bam’s lips, giggling a bit as Bam’s bearded chin tickled his.

“You too. Can we sleep now? I’m so jetlagged.” Ville laughed and nodded, helping Bam off the floor and leading him into his room. “I can’t believe you’re dragging me into your bed and I can’t even find the energy for sex,” Bam said, shaking his head ruefully. Ville stared at him in shock and then burst out in laughter.

“Brandon!” he cried, appalled and amused at the same time.

“What?!” Bam pulled his shirt off and pushed his pants down to the ground and crawled into Ville’s bed in his boxers. “As if I haven’t been thinking about it for years.”

“You have?!” Ville looked at him, shocked, refusing to get into bed until he got straight answers. Bam laughed, completely unabashed, and scooted over to make room for him.

“Yes, I have, now will you get in so I can sleep please?” Ville shook his head but obliged, still blinking in disbelieving shock.

“You’re ridiculous,” he said again, for what seemed like the 10th time that day. Bam shrugged.

“And you’re gorgeous. Now shut up and let me sleep, idiot.” Bam wrapped an arm around his waist and snuggled into his chest and was asleep before Ville could even reply, leaving Ville wide awake and wondering what he’d done right after so many things that were apparently wrong, and wondering if Bam even knew how many dreams he was making come true.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

“No, I’m sorry, I just can’t have it.” Ville blinked – that wasn’t the answer he was expecting. “I’m sorry, Ville, but it just can’t happen.” Ville crossed his arms and leant back from the table, glaring at his manager and his publicist, who now opened her mouth to say something that Ville was sure he didn’t want to hear.

“Ville, you know I want to give you my full blessing, but I just can’t… you don’t know how much bad publicity that could be.” Ville frowned and stared at her like she was from the moon.

“Do you guys know how famous he is in the States,” Ville asked, incredulously. Silke nodded.

“Yes, we do, but I’m not sure yet whether that’s the best option to take in order to get a break over there.”

Ville frowned.

“I thought all publicity was good publicity,” he said. Silke nodded sort of sideways in a gesture that acknowledged concession of that point, but he could see she wasn’t done.

“It’s just that the heartagram is something we were trying to coin for the band, and the band only. If Bam plasters it all over everything, then it’s not just going to stand for the band, is it?” Ville glared.

“I don’t think it stands for only the band anyways. That’s not the point of it. It means something, and technically, it’s mine, and I can give it away to whoever I want.”

“Yes, we know that, Ville, but I just think you’d be very silly to dilute it by letting some skater kid use it on everything. How many skaters are going to listen to your music anyways? I thought skaters are supposed to be all hard and stuff.” Ville rolled his eyes.

“Seppo, I grew up with skaters; trust me, they are anything but hard. Anyways, Bam’s TV show isn’t just going to be watched by skaters… I still think he should be allowed to use it.”

Seppo and Silke shrugged simultaneously – normally Ville would laugh at that but he was so incensed about their apparent stupidity he couldn’t bring himself to laugh.

“I guess it’s your decision in the end, Ville, but I just think you should think about it. It’d be better publicity just to announce to the world that the two of you are involved, in my opinion, because the press would eat that up, but whatever.” Silke shrugged – Ville gave a small smile to acknowledge that he was glad she wasn’t against their relationship, but he was still annoyed that they hadn’t adored the idea from the beginning like he had.

“I’m going to let him use it,” he said, after a few minutes. “I invented it for him when we were 12 years old; I think he deserves to use it.” Silke smiled – it was common knowledge that she thought they were the cutest couple ever to appear on the earth – and Ville had to smile back at her, even though Seppo was still glaring stormily at him.

“I understand he’s one of your closest friends, but honestly, did you have to go this far?” Seppo finally said, rolling his eyes. Ville had only told them earlier that very day that he and Bam may just be closer than best friends, and Seppo hadn’t really had time to adjust. “The thing with Linde was okay, the fans ate it up, but this is just…”

“Shut up, Seppo,” Silke snapped, and Ville grinned. He opened his mouth to say something but Bam burst into the apartment just as he did, covered in snow and stomping with the cold. Seppo’s eyes almost burst out of their sockets with shock, but Silke just burst out laughing, and Ville grinned.

“Fuck me it’s cold out there,” Bam said, shivering and stripping himself of his very big and fluffy jacket. “Hey Silke, hey old dude who’s name I can’t ever remember. Hey Ville.” Ville rolled his eyes and Seppo glared, but Silke just kept on laughing. “Well at least someone appreciates me,” Bam said, glaring at Ville playfully. “Silke, I officially love you. Marry me?” He threw his arms around her neck and kissed her cheek playfully, making her laugh even more.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, get off of her, you slut,” Ville said, tugging at Bam’s hand, because he wanted some attention too.

“Says you, Valo,” Bam said, laughing, but he let Silke go and wrapped his arms around Ville from behind. “So what’d they say? Can I use it? Did I interrupt before you could decide? I’ll go away again if you need, only please let me use it.” Ville laughed and swatted Bam away, grinning at him.

“Well, they don’t like it much, but I say you can use it, so you can use it.” Seppo glared some more when Bam whooped, picked Ville up out of his chair and swung him around the kitchen with glee.

“That’s so cool. Oh, oh, oh, thank you!” He grabbed Ville’s face and kissed him hard, and then grabbed Silke, and kissed her, and then, to Seppo’s consternation, he kissed him too, hard and right on the lips, which made Ville and Silke fall against each other, laughing so hard they thought they might explode. “Oh, you guys’ll see, I’ll be really good about it, and everyone will be like, in love with your band and oh oh oh, thank you!”

Seppo’s glare melted but he wiped his lips with the back of his hand and shuddered. “I don’t know how I got myself into this mess,” he muttered to himself, and Ville laughed, wrapping his arms around Bam’s waist.

“Oh, Seppo, shut up, you know you love it.”

“Whatever. Silke, let’s go, I’m sure they want to have celebratory sex or something like that, knowing Ville like I do.” Seppo shuddered visibly at the prospect, and Ville and Bam brightened at the idea. Silke just laughed.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

“Bam, your phone is ringing.” Ville shook Bam by the shoulders; Bam, still jetlagged, even though he’d been in Finland for more than a week, pried his eyes open and glared. “What’s it say? Who’s calling?” Ville tossed the phone at him, and he read “Novocain Heroine” on the caller ID. Groaning, he flicked open the phone.

“Novak, this had better be good, I was asleep.”

“Yeah, yeah, shut up, you’re not going to die. I just wanted to know what was going on.” Bam sat up and rubbed at his eyes, yawning.

“Whatcha mean?”

“I mean how are things going with lover-boy? Was I right?” Bam grumbled at his inquiry and flashed a glance at Ville, who was watching him surreptitiously from his desk.

“Yes, you were right. Quit gloating.”

“Ha, I told you so. Did you ask how long?” Bam blushed and turned away from Ville.

“Since he was 7?” he said, quietly; it came out as a question because he was so embarrassed to admit that Novak had been right.

“I knew it! So, you told him, right?” Bam sighed.

“Yes, I told him.”

“And?”

“And what?” Bam hissed, hiding the phone from Ville now, even though he knew Ville knew he was on it.

“Are you two together now or what?!” But that wasn’t Novak’s voice. Bam’s eyes flew wide open.

“RANDOM! What are YOU doing there?!” Ryan laughed on the other end of the line.

“Novak called me, he said there was something interesting to find out. He was right! I knew it!” Bam held the phone away from his ear and looked over at Ville in shock; Ville, who had guessed what was going on now, was laughing quietly. Ryan was still talking when Bam put the phone back to his ear. “…knew you two weren’t just good friends… so that’s why he like, never dated anyone. Oh, except you, Novak, I forgot but oh my god, hahahaha, I knew you two were into each other!” Ville was crawling into the bed next to Bam now, chuckling gently as he took the phone from Bam’s shocked hands.

“Random, shame on you, you’ve made my Bamikan all speechless.” Ryan yelped, and Novak shouted, and there were several other voices who joined in the call of Ville’s name very, very loudly. Ville grinned and slipped a hand around Bam’s waist. “Hello boys. How are you all?”

“Dude, we’re great,” Ryan said, obviously after winning a scuffle for the phone. Ville heard shouts in the background that confirmed Ryan’s statement. “How’re you?”

“I’m fine, Random, but I have one request for you.”

“What’s that?”

“I wish you would stop terrorizing my new toy, because now he’s scared it’s gonna take me a while to get him worked up enough so that I can have my fun with him.” There was silence on the other side of the line, and Bam stared at Ville in shock, until the group of guys listening in burst out in hysterical laughter, and Bam attacked Ville’s smirking lips with his own. He took the phone back from Ville after a few seconds, though.

“Yeah, you heard him Random, piss off so that we can go have fun.” The sound of Bam saying that made them all laugh again, and then Novak was back on the phone.

“I see I taught you well, BamBam,” he said, and Bam laughed.

“Yeah, I think you taught Ville well too,” he said, and Novak chuckled.

“Bam, you sound a bit hot and bothered, I’m gonna leave you to your boyfriend now.”

“Thank you,” Bam said, raising an eyebrow at Ville, who looked rather like the cat who’d just got his milk. “Bye, assholes. Do that again and you will die.”

“Yeah, yeah. Bam, tell Ville he needs to come back to West Chester, cuz we miss his skinny ass,” Raab piped up.

“Okay, I’ll work on him.”

“Yeah, you do that, just as long as I don’t know how you’re working him, it’s all good.” Bam grinned, closed the phone, and cocked his head at Ville. “What?”

“Boyfriend?” Bam shrugged.

“What’s the difference? Boyfriend, best friend with benefits… I see no difference.” He winked and pulled Ville towards him. “It’s up to you, Willa.” Ville smiled and kissed Bam’s nose.

“Boyfriend and best friend. Whatcha think?” Bam grinned and nodded.

“Perfect,” he said. “But now, I’m going back to sleep.” Ville pouted.

“What about my fun,” he wanted to know, poking Bam’s stomach. Bam grinned.

“Later, baby, later.”

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Bam unlocked his front door and winked at Ville as he hushed him and dragged him into the front hall.

“APE! I’M HOME!” Bam yelled, grinning at Ville, planting a kiss on his cheek and telling him to wait whilst he bounded to the kitchen to hug his mother.

“And? How was the competition?” She asked, after hugging him. Bam grinned – she thought he’d only gone to Finland for a skate competition and overseas publicity.

“Great,” he said. “And yeah, I was walking around, and I met someone.” He winked at her. April frowned.

“Oh, Bam, I hope this isn’t one of those skanky girls who aren’t worth the clothes they wear – or don’t wear…” April whispered, frowning some more. Bam chuckled.

“Nah, it’s not a girl, anyways,” he said. April frowned some more.

“You’re not having another Novak stage, are you?” She hadn’t approved of that at all; not so much because Novak was also a boy, but because she thought Bam could do better than drug-addicts. Bam grinned.

“Something like that, only I think you might like this better. Wanna meet him?” April sighed and put down her dish towel.

“If I must.”

“Close your eyes,” Bam said, putting his hands over her eyes from behind anyways and leading her down the hall. “Okay, open,” he said, grinning at Ville over the top of her head. When Bam let April see again, her jaw dropped to the floor.

“VILLE!?” She screeched once she got control over herself again. Ville grinned and wrapped his arms around her. She was babbling into his chest, about how much he’d grown and how skinny he was and why hadn’t he been in touch in so long and what was he doing here, and then she turned to Bam, who was grinning so much he thought his face might split.

“So, do you approve of my choice,” Bam asked, his eyes twinkling as he took Ville’s hand. April stared at them, her mouth still open, but then she shook her head, laughing.

“You know, I might have known,” she said, and then laughed some more, pulling both of them into a hug. “Course I approve, probably your best choice yet, you stupid boy.” She cuffed Bam’s head and kissed Ville’s cheek.

“I’m so glad to see you. Come on, you two must be exhausted from that plane ride, let me get you something to eat.” Ville looked like he wanted to protest but Bam rolled his eyes at him, taking his hand and dragging him into the kitchen behind April, still talking to herself in shock. “And here was me thinking you were coming home with another drug-addict, or some whore or something and the whole time it’s Ville… you two are too much for me…” However, when she turned and saw Ville perched on Bam’s lap behind the table, her shock softened to a loving smile. “Bam, you had better not screw this one up,” she said, smiling as she handed them two beers from the fridge and a sandwich each. “I kinda have a feeling that he’s a keeper. You know, not that I didn’t know that since he was three and couldn’t speak English yet, but I never thought like this… anyways, that doesn’t matter.” She blushed when Bam and Ville both laughed at her, and sat down across from them, grinning at her two favorite boys, surprised but happy and confident that this was what they were meant to be.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

“Dammit,” Ville said, flinging a shoe across the bus – he’d been fighting to get it off for what seemed like hours, and it was just pissing him off. Linde, coming back from talking to the driver, only just managed to suck himself against a wall in order for the shoe not to hit him.

“Jesus, Ville, calm down,” he said, handing his friend a beer. Ville glared, but popped the lid open and downed the bitter liquid quickly, before Gas put a hand on his shoulder.

“Ville, stop, drowning yourself isn’t going to make him appear.” Ville stopped chugging, but he glared at Gas all the same – what business was it of his, anyways? Burton threw himself into a seat next to Ville and put a friendly hand on his knee.

“Sucks, huh?” Ville nodded and sighed, leaning his head on Burton’s shoulder.

“Now you know how we felt, leaving our missus’ at home,” Linde said, winking. Ville rolled his eyes at him.

“You’re all crazy though. At least I haven’t married Bam yet.” His friends shook their heads in mock-despair of him – they were almost all married, and if they weren’t, they had very steady girlfriends.

“Why don’t you?”

“What, marry him?” Ville laughed and slapped Mige upside the head. “Idiot. Why would I do that?”

“I dunno, let’s think for a second… hmmm… maybe because you love him?!” Ville rolled his eyes at Linde’s sarcasm and pushed his blonde-haired friend away.

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean I have to marry him.”

“What, you mean you wouldn’t, even if he asked?” Ville frowned.

“I’ve never thought about that. We’re two guys…”

“So? It’s legal now, isn’t it?”

“Well yeah… but… it’s Bam. Guys, you don’t get it, he’s been saying how much he hates the idea of getting married since he was 7 years old!”

“Ah, but he was talking about marrying some chick, not about marrying a really hot Finnish rock star,” Burton said.

“Especially the really hot Finnish rock star that used to be the boy next door, and who he’s madly in love with. Come on, you don’t see the looks you two give each other, they’re sickening.” Mige poked Ville in the stomach, and Ville batted him away, pulling his knees to his chest.

“Guys, shut up, you’re making my head hurt.” They all cooed at him in unison and Burton put his hand up to stroke his friend’s hair.

“How long have you two been friends?” he asked Ville. Ville shrugged.

“I dunno. He hated me until we were in first grade…”

“Yeah, but still, first grade. How long is that now? 17 years? And you’ve known him for what? 21?” Ville nodded, frowning, not seeing where any of it was going. “And how long have you two been together? 2 years now?” Ville nodded. “And do you think you’ll ever get tired of him?” Ville shook his head. “D’ya think you’ll ever not love him?” Ville even laughed at that, because the idea was so ridiculous. “Do you think he’ll get tired of you?”

“No…”

“And I know how much he loves you, he told me one night when he was pretty drunk and lost all of his so-called manly inhibitions,” Linde piped in, nodding eagerly. “I mean, that kid is seriously in love with you, Ville. And he told me he never wants anyone else…” Ville blushed, but slowly started to smile.

“See, Valo?” Mige said, throwing an arm around his shoulders from the other side of him, accidentally knocking Burton’s hat off of his head. “What harm could it do?”

Ville shrugged, but shook his head and then shook his friends off.

“You guys are nuts. I’m gonna… gonna go… work on the set list…” The band laughed and high fived each other as soon as Ville had crawled into his bunk, because they knew he wasn’t going to work on the set list at all – his quiet voice speaking English in soft, loving tones was enough validation of that assumption. Mige and Linde grinned at each other; they knew things Ville didn’t, and their secrets excited them.

----------------------------

Ville sighed and leant against the frame of the door leading onto the stage. He couldn’t be bothered to do this show. All he wanted was to go home to Bam and fall asleep.

“Come on, Romeo, let’s get this show done and then I promise, you can fly back to your Juliet.” Ville smiled as he felt Mige’s big hand squeeze his shoulder.

“Thanks Mizzee. Only don’t let Bam hear you calling him Juliet, I’m not sure he’d approve.” Mige laughed, and they walked out onto stage arm in arm, much to the audience’s delight. Ville took his place at the front of the stage, clicked his microphone on, and started the show, his eyes dashing over the crowds in front of him. He was in the middle of the third song when a pair of very familiar eyes caught him, front and center, and he grinned and forgot the words to the verse. The rest of the band knew what must have happened and started laughing over their instruments, and Ville came back to the microphone, singing shakily through his grin. Bam crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head, as if to say he was disappointed, but then grinned and gave Ville an encouraging thumbs up. Ville only made it two more songs before he couldn’t handle it anymore, he had to have Bam next to him.

“This song is for my best friend in the world… because I love him, so much it hurts…” The crowd let out a huge ‘aw’ at this rare expression of compassion from the lead singer, and watched wide-eyed as Ville beckoned Bam on stage; Bam clambered up with the help of the security guards and threw his arms around Ville, who buried his face into Bam’s neck.

“What are you doing here?” he asked into Bam’s ear, whilst the crowd screamed their approval. Bam chuckled.

“I came to give you a present… and to ask you something…” Bam grinned at Ville’s stunned face when he reached into his pocket and brought out a simple, slim, silver band, engraved with a heartagram on the inside of it. Ville stared, all thoughts of the show forgotten as he threw his arms around Bam’s neck again and kissed him hard on the lips; the crowd went wild, and Gas and Mige played a little drumroll and riff, just to make fun of them.

“Is that a yes then,” Bam asked, grinning, through Ville’s repeated lip-presses.

“Of course it is, you idiot, I can’t believe you, I just… did those idiots put you up to this?!” He turned to glare at his band, but Bam just laughed and shook his head.

“Nope, I came up with it all by my lonesome. They thought it was a great idea though. Whatcha think?”

“I think you’re perfect,” Ville said, and kissed him again. Bam grinned into the kiss, and waved sideways at the audience in the middle of it, making them explode again. “Only I thought we agreed we’d keep us secret,” Ville said.

“Too late now, isn’t it?” Bam laughed, kissed him again, and squeezed his hand. “Finish the show, baby, I’ll wait over here.” Ville clung to his hand as he walked away but eventually let go and went back to the mic.

“Sorry about that, sweethearts,” he said. The crowd went wild again. “It appears he couldn’t wait until afterwards to ask me to marry him.” Ville grinned against the mic and turned his head sideways to look at where Bam was grinning like a cat in the shadows.

“I hope you said yes!” some girl from the front row screamed, and Ville laughed heartily.

“Of course I did, could you say no to those eyes?” The crowd went wild and the band did a celebratory combined solo, which sounded horrible, but made Ville smile. “Anyways, the show must go on… even if it feels like I’m going to be… uhm… Buried Alive by Love.” He laughed at his own really lame introduction and the band launched into song – the best they’d ever played.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

“Now, see, this could prove a problem,” Bam said, frowning at something.

“What’s that, sweetheart?” Ville leant his head on Bam’s shoulder, his smile seemingly permanent.

“Well, see, someone has to carry someone over the threshold, but we’re both guys, so there’s no bride.” Ville sat up and laughed at him so loudly that the driver of their limousine thought something had gone wrong, and made a quick check that they were okay.

“Is that seriously what you’re worried about?” Ville laughed. “Bammie, I thought you didn’t go in for tradition.” He looked Bam up and down, as if this was proof: Bam had chosen to be married not in a tuxedo, but in baggy khaki’s, shoes with holes in them and a collared shirt that wasn’t even done up properly. Ville, decked out in tuxedo and shiny shoes, almost felt ashamed next to him – but not really, because he knew there was no way in hell he’d ever have gotten Bam into a suit.

“Yeah, well, I kinda always looked forwards to that. An excuse to throw someone on a bed afterwards, you know?”

“Is that what you’re going to do when we get in? Throw me on the bed?” Bam smirked at him.

“Well that was the plan… if I’m going to be the one carrying you. Otherwise you’re going to have to throw me.” Ville rolled his eyes.

“Bam, I can’t even lift you, much less throw you. I think you’re going to be carrying me.” Bam considered Ville for a second, and then nodded.

“No, you know, you’re completely right. I forgot how weak you are.” He winked and pulled Ville closer to him, placing a chaste kiss to his lips. “Quit pouting.”

“Love you,” Ville said after a while. “I can’t believe we just did that.”

“What, get married?” Ville nodded. Bam smiled and kissed the top of his head. “I know. My mother almost shot me when I told her. Because she thought someone had stolen my body, of course.” Ville laughed, kissing the underside of Bam’s chin.

“My mom just thought I was nuts, because she remembers you when you were four years old and trying to kill me with sticks.” Bam giggled.

“Well, you were weird back then,” he said. “Like, you didn’t speak any English. How weird was that.” He stuck his tongue out and Ville poked him hard in the stomach.

“Shut up, idiot.”

“Fine, dumb-ass.”

“Fuckhead.”

“Retard.”

“I hate you.”

“No you don’t.”

“… you’re right. Damn you.”

“Right back atcha, stupid-face.” This last insult made them both burst out in laughter, and the driver shook his head, silently pitying them because they had obviously made a huge mistake in getting married, if they were already insulting each other on the drive from the church. However, what he didn’t know was that they’d hidden behind those insults for their whole lives and not to use them would have been weird… plus, they were unable to resist each other after a good bout of playful fighting.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

“Ville, Ville, wake up, shit shit shit, wake up, we gotta go!” Ville sat up in bed, bleary eyed, watching as Bam rushed around the room trying to get dressed.

“Bam, calm down, what’s going on?”

“It’s here, I mean, it’s coming, I mean…” Suddenly, Ville was wide awake.

“Seriously?”

“YES! Get out of bed and get dressed and hurry up!” Ville jumped out of bed and ran around the room too, pulling clothes on and bumping into Bam as he ran around the room like a chicken without its head.

“Bam, calm down! Did the hospital call?” Bam nodded, rifling through stacks and stacks of papers on his desk, looking for the right ones.

“Yeah, yeah, like, just now, come on, we gotta go.” He found the papers and grabbed Ville’s hand, tugging him towards the door; Ville only had his leg halfway through his pants though, and fell flat on his face.

“Bam! Dammit!”

“Shit, sorry baby, come on!” Ville couldn’t find it in himself to be angry, just picked himself up, pulled his pants on and ran after his husband.

10 minutes of a very nerve wracking car journey later, they ran into the waiting room of the hospital and Bam pounced on the lady at the reception desk.

“Uh, hi, Bam Margera, Ville Valo… we’re here for the…”

“Oh, of course,” the lady said, not even needing to be told why they were there. She smiled at them. “If you’ll take a seat over there… it shouldn’t be too long now; she’s doing a beautiful job, and everything seems to be going to plan.” They nodded in unison, both of them wide eyed, and went to find some empty seats, clutching at each others’ hands tightly.

“What if it’s a girl?” Bam asked after a while, when their heart-rates had calmed considerably. Ville shrugged, leaning his head on Bam’s shoulder.

“I dunno, what about Saari?” Bam frowned.

“I was thinking along the lines of like, Jessica.”

“What, and have her have the same name as every other girl in her class?” Ville scoffed. “No, Bammie, she’s going to be a wonderful child, she needs a wonderful name.”

“How do you know she’s going to be a wonderful kid,” Bam asked into Ville’s hair. Ville grinned.

“Because, I know her father,” he said. Bam blushed and kissed Ville’s head for a little while.

“Okay, so… what about Aurora? That’s wonderful… both the name, and the thing…” Ville pondered this, and nodded.

“I like that. But what if it’s a boy?” Bam laughed.

“William, obviously.” Ville shuddered.

“God no, my name’s bad enough in Finnish, I wouldn’t inflict it on anyone in English.

“Hmmm… okay… Chris?”

“Boring.”

“Ryan?”

“Bam, you’re just naming all your friends!” Ville laughed and poked him in the stomach. “What about… I dunno… Richard?”

“God no, you are not naming my son Richard.” Ville pouted but then chuckled good-naturedly.

“Fine then. Ummm… what about Kaj? Jaakko? Lauri? Rasmus? Tuomo? Sami?”

“That one, I liked that one.”

“Sami?” Bam nodded.

“Yeah, cuz in English, it’d be just like Sammy, right?”

“Yeah, but you know, cooler.” Bam nodded.

“I like it.”

“Me too.” They were about to kiss when a nurse marched into the room and called their names and they jumped sky high, clutching each others’ hands again, and allowing themselves to be lead to the back room, where new-born babies were kept under observation. When they looked through the window, a nurse wheeled a cot towards them and the nurse they were with pointed at it – a little body, decked out in baby blue from head to toe, lay in it, wriggling a bit. Bam gripped Ville’s hand and Ville let his chin rest on Bam’s shoulder.

“Guess it’s Sami then, huh,” Bam said, after a while. Ville nodded, a tear standing in his eye, which Bam soon kissed away.

“He’s a gorgeous, healthy little boy, and you’ll be able to take him home in just a little while,” the nurse said quietly. Bam and Ville nodded and held each other tighter.

“Look, look, Ville, he’s smiling at you,” Bam said, pointing. Ville grinned, kissed Bam’s cheek and then went back to gazing on Sami like he was something that had fallen from heaven.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

“Man, I knew it was a bad idea to take a three year old on a plane,” Bam said, looking in the rear-view mirror where Ville sat, trying desperately to get Sami to stop crying.

“He’s just tired, Bam,” Ville said, and then went back to kissing Sami all over and trying to get him to eat something to shut him up.

“Yeah well… he still made a hell of a lot of fuss on that stupid plane.”

“Oh shut up, Bam, like you weren’t encouraging him. ‘I know, Sami, how about we run up and down the aisles, just because we can because we’re in first class!’” Ville rolled his eyes but smiled at Bam in the mirror. “Hey, Bam, isn’t that where you’re supposed to turn?” Ville pointed at the turn off that was almost past them, and Bam swore and swerved the car into it. This made Sami stop crying, and instead sit up and laugh. Ville shook his head in amazement.

“Bam, I swear, this kid is so much like you, it’s scary.”

“Well, he does have my genes,” Bam said, sticking his tongue out at Ville. “Okay, shit, I have no idea where I’m going.” Ville looked out the window at the familiar streets and laughed.

“Bam, it’s West Chester, how can you get lost?!”

“Shut up, this is the fancy side of West Chester, we were like, never over here!”

“Yeah but still!” Ville laughed and then leant over the driver’s seat to kiss Bam’s cheek. “Left, you need to go left. And then right, another right, straight on, and it’s number 53.”

“How come I always have to drive, and you get to look after the kid? Huh?”

“Cuz baby, I can’t drive, remember?”

“I’m damn well gonna fix that. You think I’m going to chauffer you around town, you got another thing coming, hotstuff.” Ville just laughed, and then smiled as they pulled into the driveway of their new house. Bam helped him out of the back and then unbuckled Sami from his car seat, and grinned as Ville raced Sami inside, leaving Bam to carry the suitcases – as always, but he didn’t mind as much as he made out, and Ville knew it, or else he’d help too.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Knock, Knock, Knock

It was the next day that their first visitor appeared, and Bam got up from the table where he and Ville had been sitting, drinking coffee and watching Sami play on the floor, to pull the door open. A pretty lady about their age – somewhere in her thirties – stood on the porch, holding a basket of cookies in her hands.

“Hey, I’m Laura, and me and my daughter Jessica here, we just wanted to come say Howdy and welcome you to the neighborhood.” Bam stared at her listlessly for a few seconds, but then grinned and took the basket of cookies.

“Thanks,” he said, smiling. “Those look amazing.”

“I tasted them before, to make sure Jessica didn’t tip the salt in them or anything but they’re fine. You know, three year olds, you never can tell what they’re going to do.” Bam grinned, and nodded.

“I know; I have one of my own. Sami,” he said, and Laura smiled.

“That’s a real nice name. Where are you all from?”

“Well, I’m from just the other side of town, but we lived in Finland for a while.” Laura nodded, hiking her daughter up onto her hip. Jessica hid her face in her mom’s shoulders.

“Sorry, she’s a bit shy around strangers. Anyways, if you have one her age we should maybe get them together; anyways, I’d love to have you and your wife over, get to know you better.”

Bam smiled kindly as Ville came down the hallway, holding a happily messy Sami in his arms.

“Me and my husband, you mean,” he said, and Laura, who didn’t miss a beat with her smile, nodded eagerly.

“Course, sorry, you know, silly me, I just assumed… anyways. That must be Sami.” Ville nodded for Sami – who was now cutting a similar act to Jessica – and then stretched his free hand towards Laura.

“Yeah, that’s Sami. I’m Ville. Nice to meet you,” he said. Laura grinned and shook his hand warmly.

“You too,” she said, noticing that Ville’s hand was now around Bam’s waist. Smiling at them, she nodded again.

“Y’all should come over for dinner sometime,” she said, as a way of taking her leave. “It’d be great to get to know you better. This is a real neighborly place, you’ll see. Jessica, say bye.” Jessica looked up and waved goodbye, and Sami looked up to, just in time to grin at her. When Bam and Ville closed the door and Sami jumped out of Ville’s arms, they looked at each other and burst out laughing.

“No… fucking… way,” Bam said, laughing so hard he had to slide down against the door so that he wouldn’t fall over. Ville followed suit, giggling into Bam’s shoulder.

“Whatcha think? Jessica and Sami?” They burst out laughing again, shaking their heads, laughing until they were crying. Sami soon came to investigate what was wrong with them, and Bam pulled him into his arms, squeezing him a bit.

“What do you say, Sami, think she was weird at all?”

“Bam… Bam… you have to stop, ahaha, I’m going to explode,” Ville protested, trying to hit Bam but failing, ending up with his arms draped over his two boys, grinning as they all squeezed together against the door, seemingly back at the beginning of everything, but one spiral later on. He giggled again at the thought.

“Hey, BamBam, maybe we should save them the trouble and just get them married now,” he said, after watching Sami run away to find his dinosaur toys. Bam just turned and pulled Ville into his arms, laughing and kissing his head.

“I dunno, and cut them out of the fun of the ride?” Bam shook his head. “Nah, I think we should just sit back and watch.” Ville nodded, laughing, kissing the side of Bam’s lips.

“Come on gorgeous, let’s go exploring.” They had yet to explore their own back yard, and Ville had been promised by the landlady that there was a creek there, with a bridge over it, and he really wanted to see Bam’s face when he saw it; and then he planned on crawling under the bridge with Bam by his side and Sami playing in the water and not coming out for a couple hours. Bam, when he saw the creek and the bridge, agreed whole-heartedly, and thought that now was a perfect time to teach Sami how to get Ville as wet as humanly possible.