Disclaimer: I don't know them, this never happened, I'm just a little insane ;)
The article I'm referring to was in Kerrang issue 1080
The door slammed and Ville jumped in surprise.
“Ville?” Bam called. “Where are you?”
Stiffening, Ville very slowly turned his head. He knew that tone far too well even though it was almost never directed at him. This was the slow, icy, hurt anger that Bam rarely reached and made Ville feel even worse.
“In here, Bam,” he replied softly.
Bam strode up to the doorway and stood in the frame, face tight, body thrumming with tension.
“What's wrong Bammie?” Ville asked worriedly.
“I'm like one of those ADD kids?” Bam snapped. “Fuck off little bro?”
“Fucking Kerrang,” Ville sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He'd made a stupid off-hand comment and that idiot Alex had included it in the article.
“Uh huh.” Bam crossed his arms over his chest. “So it's Kerrang's fault that you could say something like that, is it?”
“No Bam,” Ville said, shaking his head. “It was just a stupid, flip remark, I didn't mean it and it certainly shouldn't have been printed.”
“If you didn't mean it, you wouldn't have said it.” Bam's chest heaved and Ville winced, recognising the younger man's growing upset. “You felt cheated? I told you I had no control over them using the heartagram.”
“I know,” Ville exclaimed. “And you know we were pissed but we got over it.”
“Of course I know that but why did you have to say it like that? In an article?” Bam snapped. “You just give them more reasons to hate me.” His voice broke and he stopped, shoving his knuckles into his mouth to smother a sob.
Standing quickly, Ville frowned in confusion, Bam's tears shocking and painful. “Hate you? Who hates you?” He stepped closer but Bam shook his head violently and backed away.
“Bam,” Ville whispered, holding out his hand. “Please, who hates you?”
“How can you not know?” Bam spat, pulling even further away, backing down the hallway.
Heart clenching painfully, Ville darted forward and grabbed Bam's arm, dragging the younger man into a hug. Bam struggled against him but Ville had always been stronger and he held on until Bam stopped, almost collapsing on top of him as he started to cry.
“Oh Bam,” Ville whispered, tears of his own threatening to overwhelm him. In all the years he'd known Bam, he'd seen the skater cry fewer than a handful of times and he'd never been the cause before. “Who hates you?”
“Your fans,” Bam whispered, sniffing quietly, face buried in his neck.
“They don't hate you,” Ville started. He knew there was some resentment towards Bam from fans but he put it down to jealousy that Bam had become so close to the band.
“Are you kidding me?” Bam snorted, pulling back. “I know you don't go on fansites and stuff but are you really that unaware?” He shook his head and dropped his arms from Ville's shoulder. “You know when I jumped the balcony at the Dublin gig?”
Ville shuddered, just the memory of watching that plunge making his chest tighten. “Yes,” he whispered.
“I have never been so scared Ville, I had no idea if they'd actually catch me or if I'd just smash into the floor.”
“You were that uncertain and you still jumped?” Ville exclaimed, a mixture of anger and horror choking his throat.
“I had to or I'd just be even more of a loser to them,” Bam whispered, leaning against him.
“No!” Ville shouted, shoving Bam back and up against the wall. “No that's not good enough, you don't do that again, do you understand me?”
Bam blinked up at him. “But I...”
“No Bammie,” Ville pressed his hands into the wall either side of the younger man's head. “I love them, I do, but they don't know me and they don't know you, their opinions don't count.” He leaned closer and Bam's breath hitched. “I won't lose you to petty jealousy, Bam, things are hard enough...” Ville stopped, pressing his lips together to stop them from trembling.
“I'm sorry,” Bam breathed, eyes glistening with misery, lashes heavy with unshed tears.
“Don't be sorry,” Ville said softly, his heart aching at the pain he could see in the normally bright blue. How could he have missed this? “I hate this,” he murmured.
Bam's eyes widened in terror. “Wh-what? You d-don't mean...”
“No,” Ville said hurriedly. “No, never, Bammie. I hate that I didn't know about this. I hate the fact that our lives are so separate, that we have to stay so separate and that I feel like I have to make stupid comments to journos that just end up hurting you, to try and pretend that you're just my friend.” His tears spilled onto his cheeks and he sagged forward, Bam's arms wrapping round him as he cried out his own fear and pain.
“Shh,” Bam murmured, fingers carding through his hair. “It's okay.”
“No it's not okay, Bammie, I love you and no one knows,” Ville sobbed. “No one knows that the real engagement tattoo is on my arse...” The inanity of his words struck him suddenly and he giggled through his tears. “Oh love, only we could get engaged with matching tattoos on our bums.”
“Of course,” Bam chuckled softly, still stroking his hair. “And knowing us, I'm surprised our friends still haven't worked it out.”
Ville smiled and scrubbed the tears from his face. “Sweetheart, the band know.”
“They do?” Bam's eyes widened comically in surprise.
“And your parents, Jess, Ryan, possibly Raab...”
“They do?” Bam shook his head. “How the hell did I not know that?”
“I don't know my love,” Ville said quietly. “Nothing's ever really been said, but they know.”
“They don't mind?” Bam asked in a tiny voice, tucking his head into the crook of Ville's neck.
“Why would they mind when they know we love each other?” Ville whispered softly, pressing a kiss to Bam's temple. “They're our friend and family, and they do know us.”
“If they didn't approve of us...” Bam paused and swallowed. “Would their opinions count?”
“No, Bammie,” Ville said, pulling Bam closer. “When it comes to us, the only opinions that are ours, okay?”
“Okay Willa,” Bam whispered. “I love you.”
“I love you too,” Ville said. “Will you forgive me for what I said?”
“Yeah.” Bam lifted his head and kissed him gently. “Can we just go sit down and cuddle for a while? I miss just holding you the most sometimes.”
“I know darling, me too.” Ville backed up and took Bam's hand, leading him back to the sitting room so that they could curl up together on the couch, ensconced happily in the warmth of each other's arms.
end