Love's Requiem (ENG)

Chapter 6 : Resurrection

"We've been slaves to this love
From the moment we touched
And keep begging for more"
(HIM - Resurrection)

She stayed at the same hotel she went to during her previous gig in Helsinki. Ville showed up in the lobby at 2pm as planned, and he was on time. He was slightly amused at the sight of Kim wearing a trench-coat in the middle of August but he also could not help but wonder if she was wearing anything underneath. 

Still tired from her morning-long jet lag nap, Kim ended up walking arm-in-arm with Ville. He told her a bit about the port and the streets of Helsinki as they headed to the studio, but what surprised her most were the people. Nobody stopped them or followed them. Some girls took pictures from afar but that was all.

- People are mostly respectful here. Except for the press obviously. I'm sure tomorrow will be in all their papers, married with two kids.

This amused them both.

***

Kim met the rest of the band. They wanted to rehearse before the actual recording session of the evening. She was impressed by their work ethic : no useless jams between songs and constructive discussions on takes. They appreciated her easy-going behavior : she let them guide her through the song and she adapted easily to Ville's directions. This helped them all warm up to each other and work efficiently. The evening's recording would go be quick and easy for both singers.

They all went dinning together, where they would be joined by Johan.

- Late as usual, claimed Gus, the drummer.
- I am so sorry but I had to spend time explaining Kim's presence to the record company since idiot Ville here did not wait for their approval, said Johan calmly as he joined the table.

Ville put his glass down and tried not to spit his wine out in laughter. 

- Well, hello miss. I do not know how I ended up in such a mess, but you could have avoided it !

Kim too laughed at Johan's words while shaking his hands. He sat with the group on the bench, forcing Kim and Ville closer.

They resumed their evening, chose the most Finnish thing they could get Kim to eat and ended the meal with some Salmiakki-based bullying she would not forget any time soon.

They talked of music mainly and came to the subject of how they started playing in bands. They were all very young when they started, except for the american singer.

- I was 17, going through a rough patch and my brother wanted me to stop wasting my time so he got me a guitar. I used to play piano but at that time I had given that up too. I was too lazy to learn how to play so I wanted to sell it. Looking for a buyer I discovered that Stan was a guitar player but we had never talked about it. We started writing stuffs that were not exactly good, but my brother Jim thought I had a good voice so he introduced us to John, who's more of a producer than a drummer really... But he decided to take up the drums, produce us and added Mike to the band. 

Told this way, it was a pretty basic story, the same she always told the press so she really doubted they didn't already knew about it. But the truth was not that simple and easy. She was always struggling to stay placid while telling this story. Ville could feel her right hand shake on the bench next to him.

***

Eventually Kim and Ville went back to the studio for their recording session. Kim sat in the control room of their assigned studio while Ville looked for their sound engineer. 

- I'm sorry, I don't know where he is.

Kim had gotten bored so she was rocking herself from right to left in the engineer's office chair. 

- He should be around cause we managed to get in, Ville went on. But...

Her constant half-rotation was distracting. He caught the handles of the chair and blocked it. Kim stopped right face to him, her eyes locked into his. This was even more distracting.

- He booked the wrong studio so we'll have to share the vocal booth, he said sternly.

- I don't mind. She was amused. But we could start without him. If you don't mind... She indicated Ville's hands with her eyes so he would let the chair go.

Kim pushed some buttons on the console, asked Ville for some tests and help on settings and they were good to go. 

- Do you do this very often ? asked Ville once they were both in the booth.

He felt so ill at ease. He enjoyed the privacy of the singing booth while recording, it was the only time he got to truly, deeply feel his songs, his lyrics and their meaning. Being here with someone was strange to him. Especially with Kim. She was a professional, which both reassured and worried him. Reassured because she really would not mind about these working conditions. Worried because... what if she was just like him ? Feeling a bit too much the songs meaning ? He was suddenly too self-conscious and awkward about sharing his lyrics. 

- What ? 

- Your own recordings ?

- Oh, John told me a few stuffs and we mix everything together so yes... But as you can see, it's not my biggest strength since I forgot the remote in the control room and I'd very much like some music to sing to in my headphones !

She smiled and exited the booth. Ville took this short time to breath deeply and regain his composure. They started their first take.

"Your love is a razorblade kiss
Sweetest is the taste from your lips..."

Ville and Kim were even more surprise at how well their voiced harmonized when they were singing together without a live band. They knew the first take was a very good one, but did a few more to have enough choice when mixing. 

The more they sang, the more the song stuck in Kim's mind. She stopped the instrumental track.

- Wait. Kim held onto Ville while taking off her heels. I am sorry, if we are going to do more takes I have to take theses shoes off, they are killing me.

He held her while she was balancing on one foot to catch her other shoe.

- Seriously, how can you write such catchy songs ?

Ville did not answer. He smiled widely when she dropped a few centimeters and her forehead reached his chin. He was a bit surprised. She smiled back, amused by her clumsiness and started singing the bridge to the song casually.

- Only inside I am Free...
- I am tired of waiting... He joined her.
- You've got to let me dream
- Inside baby

They had not let go of each other's arm.

- I'm not afraid to feel...
- I want you to love me...
- Cause you are the one...

They got even closer and their lips locked. At first none of them wanted to move, not wanting to interrupt this moment, not sure if the other really wanted this. But they soon forgot their doubt. It was only them, alone in this small, hot padded room, locked away from the light and sound of the outside world. And not knowing if they were actually alone in the studio made their kiss more passionate, their longing more intense. 

Their lips parted just in time. The lost sound engineer made his way to the control room. Kim and Ville were sure enough he had not seen them kiss, but they did not really care. Ville stared at Kim intently in the eyes while he addressed the other man and she put her shoes back on in a haste, not leaving his gaze.

- I don't know where you've been but we are done here.

They didn't even see the corridors and hallways of the studio past them. They managed to catch a taxi really quickly and threw themselves on the back seat, kissing again and again. As if the first time was just a dream they were trying to recreate and make more real. 

The car stopped but they did not. They reached her hotel room, she finally took off her trench-coat. And the walls became silent witnesses to a night warmed up by more than just songs and kisses.