Holding Hands Won't Be Enough

Chapter 3: Helsinki Constellations

"This house is fucking nice!" Bam mused, as he walked up the stairs with his friend. "Didn't realise Seth could afford shit like this."

"He probably can't," the tall Finn laughed, "I'll bet you he's shacking up with a rich girl with penchant for long haired bad boys."

"So long as she's got tits and a good ass dude, it's been a total dick-fest hanging with you guys this past week." Bam laughed, ringing the doorbell. "I miss Missy." he added succinctly. 

"Hey dudes." Seth warmly smiled as he opened the door. He was an attractive man, shoulder length hair messily kept back with a wrap around head band. Athletically toned body, framed usually by his lackadaisical styled clothes. He was kind and always polite, everyone he met instantly fell in love with his charm; even Ville would admit that the first time they had encountered, he had developed somewhat of a man crush.

"Thanks again for letting us impose ourselves Seth, you're a good man." Ville couldn't stress enough that it wasn't necessary that they stayed with him and that the idea of being an imposition was worse to him then missing a few days of recording, but as hard as he resisted, Seth insisted.

"It's nothing, we've got plenty of space and my girl is fine with it; come in, come in!" he smiled. "Oh, Mal!" he called into the house as Bam and Ville followed him into the entryway, "Come meet the guys!"

Ville's heart pounded so hard against his chest that it felt like it stopped beating altogether. His stomach dropped to his feet. He felt like he was in a rollercoaster that had simultaneously dropped from the highest peak, and crashed into the wall at the end. Her hair was different - it was so much longer now, her natural wavy auburn tumbling over her shoulders, a far cry from the choppy dark hair she had preferred for as many years as he could remember. Her face had changed but only in ways someone who had spent hours looking at her would notice, her eyes looked older, and her cheeks had started to hollow, but only slightly. He had wondered so often what she looked like and what she was doing. She stood rigidly, staring at him as intently as he stared at her - all for a second - her chest rising and falling harshly before she bent down and reached for the paint pot she had dropped. The splatter of paint on her face didn't even register in his mind until he saw it all over the floor. He didn't know what to do, he was frozen.

"Oh shit..." Bam choked out, slightly shocked, touching Ville's arm lightly, noticing a child appear as Seth lurched forward to help Milly clean up the paint.

"Mummy!" he laughed, waddle-running up behind her and throwing his arms over her shoulders, clinging on to her back, smearing his small paint-covered hands on her face and neck some more as he grappled for leverage to pull himself up onto her. "Why aren't you finding me anymore?" she flipped him over her shoulder as she stood up and balanced him on her hip.

"Because we've made a silly mess and because it's time for bed." she said seriously, making a subconscious point of turning his face away from Ville.

"Oh, babe, he can stay up a while longer; introduce him to the guys." she shook her head.

"No, he's tired, I'm covered in paint.. come on." She said as she walked away. He stopped her and grabbed Oscar from her arms. "Seth."

"Babe, chill out." He laughed, having no idea how much she wanted to leave so she could throw up, or cry, maybe even both. "Guys, the paint covered cutie is my girlfriend, Mal. And this little gremlin, is Oscar." He said, stepping closer to them. "Say hello, Os."

"Hello!" he waved, planting his not-waving hand on Seth's face, not that there was any paint left on it after wiping it all over his mother.

"Os, this is Bam."

"Hey little dude." Bam said tickling Oscar's belly with one finger.

"And this is Ville." Ville couldn't take it all in, first the love of his life was standing there right before him then he was being introduced to her child? Her child... He looked to Milly who was clutching her forehead, then back to the little boy. He had stunning green eyes, just like hers and bouncing chocolate curls framing his cheeky face. "And this is Ville."

"Hello little one" he smiled purposefully, completely aware his face was no doubt showing signs of shock and awe having been completely blindsided by not only Milly, but a child calling her Mummy. 

"Right, enough now Seth, I need to get him cleaned and into bed." She said sternly, walking over and taking her son. She took him from Seth without her eyes even drifting towards Bam or Ville and immediately made her way upstairs.

"Mal!" he called after her, "Mal!" he grunted, "Huh, don't know what's gotten into her." He muttered to himself, "Little man wears her out this time of night I guess."