Resurrection of Hope: Chapter Two
Title: Resurrection of Hope
Author: cherimorton
Summary: Ville meets a new hope
Disclaimer: I own the Ville in the story. I'm not deserving of his real person.
Ville contemplated his morning during his short walk to work. Charli had a mischievous way about her, but it was harmless and she was very humorous. He could also tell from her work that she was very dedicated; some of the photographs from Germany were in seedy places, places that even inhabitants of Germany wouldn't go if they could avoid it. So, she was brave. Then he remembered the phone call in the elevator yesterday, and how she'd paled and suddenly looked fragile. It was obvious she was avoiding the caller, and had been for some time, but who was he? Ville frowned at the thought of an unwelcome man invading Charli's life. But then he remembered how she'd recovered, like nothing had happened. Was she just easy going, or was she putting on a brave face? He was so lost in thought, he almost ran into Silke with his coffee. "Earth to Ville! Hel-loo Ville! Coffee!" she said, wafting the cup in Ville's direction. He looked up, surprised. "Oh, hi Silke. Thanks," he said, taking the cup and walking into the mixing room where he spent most of his day with the band and doing a playback for Bam.
Bam loved the album. He said simply, "Brilliant." It wasn't too heavy, a small degree lighter than Venus Doom but very HIM; upbeat and melancholy at the same time. Bam always appreciated how Ville could be such a walking contradiction with so little effort and pull it off with amazing confidence and grace. When Bam said 'HIM is the greatest band in the world', he meant every single word.
Ville returned tiredly to his hotel room at 10 o'clock that night, having taken Bam to the airport (or riding with Bam in the cab to the airport; he still didn't drive) earlier and seeing him off to Finland, where he was promoting Team Element. Switching on the TV, he vaguely wondered what Charli was doing before letting his mind drift off to sleep.
Ville was walking through a misty forest, confused about how he'd suddenly gotten there from his warm LA hotel room. Aimlessly, he wandered through the trees when the wind picked up and he could smell a soft, sweet scent on the air. Breathing deeply, he needed to find the source; somehow he knew it held the key to his happiness. The aimless walking turned into a semi- frantic searching, and he breathed a sigh of relief when he could see a figure in the distance. Closing the gap between him and the figure, his brow creased in realization that the scent was not coming from this still unidentified form in front of him. It was cloaked in heavy velvet, and he could tell it was a male form, but he couldn't make out whether it was human or animal. "It would have to be human; it's cloaked," Ville thought to himself as the form turned to him. He heard a soft hissing, seemingly coming from the cloaked form, and could make out the words 'DON'T TOUCH' being said and then sharp white razor teeth closing in on him.
"What the hell?!" Ville said, sitting up in the dark. He was sweating and trembling slightly. He tried to calm his breathing and catch his breath, and after a few long seconds decided to reach for his inhaler. Sucking in the medicine, he felt his lungs ease up and his pants became steady. He sat like that for a minute more, then reached for his cigarettes. He lit one, suddenly aware that it was really hot in his room. Promising himself to request a room with a balcony the next day, he slid his shoes on, having had slept in his clothes, and decided to go for a walk though it was still dark out and the sun wasn’t beginning to rise. "Ok, see? I'm getting out of my room," he thought to himself, then willed that thought to Mige. He knew his friend was passed out in his apartment and wouldn't know that Ville was out of his room, but he was still satisfied with his thought. He exited the elevator and stepped out into the cool early morning air.
He didn't see the small figure sitting on the outside windowsill in the shadow of the hotel light, so he jumped slightly when a light voice said, "You shouldn't wander the streets alone in the dark, you're too pretty not to be a target."
He turned just as Charli jumped down from her perch, cigarette in one hand, coffee in the other. He grinned at her and said, "And you should be?"
She shrugged and threw her finished cigarette in the cigarette disposal. "Like I said, I'm pretty indestructible. You're up early," she said brightly.
"I sleep too much. I think I've ran out of being tired. I needed something to do to get rid of some energy. You're up pretty early too. Do you always get dressed and walk down five floors for a smoke?" he asked her.
"Ha, no. Amy doesn't smoke, so I don't smoke in our room when she’s there. And since it seems rude to smoke in the hallway, I came out here. The city is different at this time of night. Or morning. Whatever,” she said, laughing lightly again, "Where ya goin? Trying to avoid the morning rush at the coffee house?"
Shrugging, Ville responded, "I hadn't decided yet. Just wandering aimlessly."
"Ah, a very dangerous thing... to wander when no one is aware of where you may be going, especially you."
"Well, since there is strength in numbers, would you like to join me?" Ville asked, hope touching his heart, then confusion at the feeling of hope. He didn't think that emotion existed anymore.
"Ok, but only for your safety," Charli said grinning at him.
"I don't know, it may be safer for me to go alone, since you always run into things," he said, joking back.
Charli looked guilty for a minute, then brightened again when he laughed. They fell into step as they walked, a gentle breeze blowing past them and lifting their hair off their shoulders. "So, what are you in LA for?" Ville asked her.
"Shooting. I'm experimenting with magazine shoots, with models. Not as much fun as my regular work, but sometimes you just gotta bite the bullet, right? Besides, it's fun to tell someone to make like a banana and split and actually have them do it," she said, making Ville laugh.
"You don't like models?" he said.
"It's not that I don't like them, I guess... I just usually prefer my work to happen, not have to manipulate it. I like natural occurrences, I love seeing things that everyone sees on a regular basis, just in a different way and putting my spin on it, to make people see things, ya know?" Charli answered.
"I do have to commend you on that; you're very good at seeing special in the mundane. It's inspiring," Ville finished.
"I inspire the Ville Valo?" Charli couldn't hide the pride in her voice, "Wow. I've never gotten a compliment that good. This is me being happy," she said, pointing to her face and the wide smile on her lips. Ville couldn't do anything but smile back at her as the streetlights lit her features, the fair skin, dark eyelashes framing those midnight eyes, symmetrical nose, and plush pink lips, still pulled open in laugh, over straight, gleaming teeth. There was no denying she was beautiful, and Ville tried keeping his expressions in check, because he could feel himself wanting to reach for her. He was so caught off guard by the attraction he had to her, he barely registered her next words, "The perfect man. Huh. I inspire the perfect man." He felt the (now becoming) familiar warmth of hope spreading through him, though he still didn’t understand how it was happening. He laughed it off, saying, "I am in no possible way the perfect man." Charli looked up at him, almost surprised that he'd heard her. "But you are, Ville. It would be... amazing to shoot you. Everything after that would be downhill. I'd never get a more beautiful subject," she said, then looking at the sidewalk, suddenly shy. Ville repressed a shiver when she said his name, so soft, yet so confident. She thought he was perfect. They walked in silence for a while, Ville willing his heart to quiet, Charli studying the city lights as if they were a rare archetype from Atlantis. Ville forced himself out of his reverie when he heard Charli light a cigarette. Looking up at her and smiling he said, "Smoking is bad for you," as he pulled out his pack and lit one for himself. "Hi pot, I'm kettle," Charli said grinning. They walked for about half an hour, until Charli's phone rang, again causing Ville to laugh at the ring. Amy was on the other end, worriedly asking where Charli was. "I'm just walking, Aim. I'm fine, I promise. Haha, no, nothing like that. I ran into the lovely Ville again. No, I didn't take him out this time," Charli said rolling her eyes as Ville chuckled, "Yeah, I'm coming back. Wait, what time is it? Oh, damn! OK, stopping to get coffee first. Can you get the Nikon and the polarized lenses together? No, the blue bag. Ok, see you- No, I won't stop and get you coffee. You should be getting me coffee, sheesh! Fine, what size? Ok, got it. Two? Oh, who cares, I'll just bring a bunch. Bye," and ended the call. "Time to go to work already?" Ville said, amused. Charli sighed and said "Yeah... and I gotta take care of my assistant... sheesh, I'm glad I'm not paying her," she finished, laughing. "Here, this is the best coffee around here," Ville said, stopping in front of a stand. The Chinese man behind the stand nodded his head in thanks, and gave Charli her first cup free. "Jackpot!" she said, breathing in the scent of the cup.
They made their way back to their hotel just as the sun was rising, Ville receiving a parting smile from Charli as she opened her door and disappeared inside. Ville opened his door also, and tried to sort through the feelings he was getting... it had been what, two years since he felt something for someone else? The smart thing to do was give up and not even involve himself with anyone. But he seemed unable to help himself; Charli was a force to be reckoned with, he could easily see that, and if she decided she wanted him, who was he to deprive her of that? It's not like he wouldn't be a willing participant... he was just afraid of being wiped all over the floor again. He didn't think Charli would be like that, but how could he really know?
Oh, what the hell was he thinking? She didn't see him in any sort of "involvement" light; his train of thought had been based on the assumption that she did. But surely, she didn't. Did she? Grumpy, Ville grabbed clean clothes and headed for the shower, thoughts still on Charli- where, under clothed and dry conditions, it wouldn't be a problem, but naked and shower conditions? Problem.
______________________________________________________________________
Chapter One
Author: cherimorton
Summary: Ville meets a new hope
Disclaimer: I own the Ville in the story. I'm not deserving of his real person.
Ville contemplated his morning during his short walk to work. Charli had a mischievous way about her, but it was harmless and she was very humorous. He could also tell from her work that she was very dedicated; some of the photographs from Germany were in seedy places, places that even inhabitants of Germany wouldn't go if they could avoid it. So, she was brave. Then he remembered the phone call in the elevator yesterday, and how she'd paled and suddenly looked fragile. It was obvious she was avoiding the caller, and had been for some time, but who was he? Ville frowned at the thought of an unwelcome man invading Charli's life. But then he remembered how she'd recovered, like nothing had happened. Was she just easy going, or was she putting on a brave face? He was so lost in thought, he almost ran into Silke with his coffee. "Earth to Ville! Hel-loo Ville! Coffee!" she said, wafting the cup in Ville's direction. He looked up, surprised. "Oh, hi Silke. Thanks," he said, taking the cup and walking into the mixing room where he spent most of his day with the band and doing a playback for Bam.
Bam loved the album. He said simply, "Brilliant." It wasn't too heavy, a small degree lighter than Venus Doom but very HIM; upbeat and melancholy at the same time. Bam always appreciated how Ville could be such a walking contradiction with so little effort and pull it off with amazing confidence and grace. When Bam said 'HIM is the greatest band in the world', he meant every single word.
Ville returned tiredly to his hotel room at 10 o'clock that night, having taken Bam to the airport (or riding with Bam in the cab to the airport; he still didn't drive) earlier and seeing him off to Finland, where he was promoting Team Element. Switching on the TV, he vaguely wondered what Charli was doing before letting his mind drift off to sleep.
Ville was walking through a misty forest, confused about how he'd suddenly gotten there from his warm LA hotel room. Aimlessly, he wandered through the trees when the wind picked up and he could smell a soft, sweet scent on the air. Breathing deeply, he needed to find the source; somehow he knew it held the key to his happiness. The aimless walking turned into a semi- frantic searching, and he breathed a sigh of relief when he could see a figure in the distance. Closing the gap between him and the figure, his brow creased in realization that the scent was not coming from this still unidentified form in front of him. It was cloaked in heavy velvet, and he could tell it was a male form, but he couldn't make out whether it was human or animal. "It would have to be human; it's cloaked," Ville thought to himself as the form turned to him. He heard a soft hissing, seemingly coming from the cloaked form, and could make out the words 'DON'T TOUCH' being said and then sharp white razor teeth closing in on him.
"What the hell?!" Ville said, sitting up in the dark. He was sweating and trembling slightly. He tried to calm his breathing and catch his breath, and after a few long seconds decided to reach for his inhaler. Sucking in the medicine, he felt his lungs ease up and his pants became steady. He sat like that for a minute more, then reached for his cigarettes. He lit one, suddenly aware that it was really hot in his room. Promising himself to request a room with a balcony the next day, he slid his shoes on, having had slept in his clothes, and decided to go for a walk though it was still dark out and the sun wasn’t beginning to rise. "Ok, see? I'm getting out of my room," he thought to himself, then willed that thought to Mige. He knew his friend was passed out in his apartment and wouldn't know that Ville was out of his room, but he was still satisfied with his thought. He exited the elevator and stepped out into the cool early morning air.
He didn't see the small figure sitting on the outside windowsill in the shadow of the hotel light, so he jumped slightly when a light voice said, "You shouldn't wander the streets alone in the dark, you're too pretty not to be a target."
He turned just as Charli jumped down from her perch, cigarette in one hand, coffee in the other. He grinned at her and said, "And you should be?"
She shrugged and threw her finished cigarette in the cigarette disposal. "Like I said, I'm pretty indestructible. You're up early," she said brightly.
"I sleep too much. I think I've ran out of being tired. I needed something to do to get rid of some energy. You're up pretty early too. Do you always get dressed and walk down five floors for a smoke?" he asked her.
"Ha, no. Amy doesn't smoke, so I don't smoke in our room when she’s there. And since it seems rude to smoke in the hallway, I came out here. The city is different at this time of night. Or morning. Whatever,” she said, laughing lightly again, "Where ya goin? Trying to avoid the morning rush at the coffee house?"
Shrugging, Ville responded, "I hadn't decided yet. Just wandering aimlessly."
"Ah, a very dangerous thing... to wander when no one is aware of where you may be going, especially you."
"Well, since there is strength in numbers, would you like to join me?" Ville asked, hope touching his heart, then confusion at the feeling of hope. He didn't think that emotion existed anymore.
"Ok, but only for your safety," Charli said grinning at him.
"I don't know, it may be safer for me to go alone, since you always run into things," he said, joking back.
Charli looked guilty for a minute, then brightened again when he laughed. They fell into step as they walked, a gentle breeze blowing past them and lifting their hair off their shoulders. "So, what are you in LA for?" Ville asked her.
"Shooting. I'm experimenting with magazine shoots, with models. Not as much fun as my regular work, but sometimes you just gotta bite the bullet, right? Besides, it's fun to tell someone to make like a banana and split and actually have them do it," she said, making Ville laugh.
"You don't like models?" he said.
"It's not that I don't like them, I guess... I just usually prefer my work to happen, not have to manipulate it. I like natural occurrences, I love seeing things that everyone sees on a regular basis, just in a different way and putting my spin on it, to make people see things, ya know?" Charli answered.
"I do have to commend you on that; you're very good at seeing special in the mundane. It's inspiring," Ville finished.
"I inspire the Ville Valo?" Charli couldn't hide the pride in her voice, "Wow. I've never gotten a compliment that good. This is me being happy," she said, pointing to her face and the wide smile on her lips. Ville couldn't do anything but smile back at her as the streetlights lit her features, the fair skin, dark eyelashes framing those midnight eyes, symmetrical nose, and plush pink lips, still pulled open in laugh, over straight, gleaming teeth. There was no denying she was beautiful, and Ville tried keeping his expressions in check, because he could feel himself wanting to reach for her. He was so caught off guard by the attraction he had to her, he barely registered her next words, "The perfect man. Huh. I inspire the perfect man." He felt the (now becoming) familiar warmth of hope spreading through him, though he still didn’t understand how it was happening. He laughed it off, saying, "I am in no possible way the perfect man." Charli looked up at him, almost surprised that he'd heard her. "But you are, Ville. It would be... amazing to shoot you. Everything after that would be downhill. I'd never get a more beautiful subject," she said, then looking at the sidewalk, suddenly shy. Ville repressed a shiver when she said his name, so soft, yet so confident. She thought he was perfect. They walked in silence for a while, Ville willing his heart to quiet, Charli studying the city lights as if they were a rare archetype from Atlantis. Ville forced himself out of his reverie when he heard Charli light a cigarette. Looking up at her and smiling he said, "Smoking is bad for you," as he pulled out his pack and lit one for himself. "Hi pot, I'm kettle," Charli said grinning. They walked for about half an hour, until Charli's phone rang, again causing Ville to laugh at the ring. Amy was on the other end, worriedly asking where Charli was. "I'm just walking, Aim. I'm fine, I promise. Haha, no, nothing like that. I ran into the lovely Ville again. No, I didn't take him out this time," Charli said rolling her eyes as Ville chuckled, "Yeah, I'm coming back. Wait, what time is it? Oh, damn! OK, stopping to get coffee first. Can you get the Nikon and the polarized lenses together? No, the blue bag. Ok, see you- No, I won't stop and get you coffee. You should be getting me coffee, sheesh! Fine, what size? Ok, got it. Two? Oh, who cares, I'll just bring a bunch. Bye," and ended the call. "Time to go to work already?" Ville said, amused. Charli sighed and said "Yeah... and I gotta take care of my assistant... sheesh, I'm glad I'm not paying her," she finished, laughing. "Here, this is the best coffee around here," Ville said, stopping in front of a stand. The Chinese man behind the stand nodded his head in thanks, and gave Charli her first cup free. "Jackpot!" she said, breathing in the scent of the cup.
They made their way back to their hotel just as the sun was rising, Ville receiving a parting smile from Charli as she opened her door and disappeared inside. Ville opened his door also, and tried to sort through the feelings he was getting... it had been what, two years since he felt something for someone else? The smart thing to do was give up and not even involve himself with anyone. But he seemed unable to help himself; Charli was a force to be reckoned with, he could easily see that, and if she decided she wanted him, who was he to deprive her of that? It's not like he wouldn't be a willing participant... he was just afraid of being wiped all over the floor again. He didn't think Charli would be like that, but how could he really know?
Oh, what the hell was he thinking? She didn't see him in any sort of "involvement" light; his train of thought had been based on the assumption that she did. But surely, she didn't. Did she? Grumpy, Ville grabbed clean clothes and headed for the shower, thoughts still on Charli- where, under clothed and dry conditions, it wouldn't be a problem, but naked and shower conditions? Problem.
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Chapter One