Denial - a Breddy fanfic

33.

The concert hall they were rehearsing and playing in was relatively small, but quite modern. Appearently it was recently built, and Eddy really thought it was funny how incredibly proud this city seemed to be of their great composer Edvard Grieg. It felt almost unfitting not to play a piece by Grieg in this place called The Grieg Hall, or Grieghallen in Norwegian. There was even a statue of the man himself outside the building, and of course they took a selfie with it for their instagram. Brett hadn't seemed all into it, but Eddy tried to convince himself it was because of the time difference from Australia still. He didn't really believe it, but if he were to perform anywhere near the level he was usually at, he had to lie to himself.

They unpacked in the wardrobe backstage, a shared wardrobe. Brett was completely quiet as he got his violin ready. Eddy studied him as he looked over his music, fingered a few bars silently on the violin and started tuning. Eddy could feel Brett's emptiness like an aura, like he could hear the voice in Brett's head in himself. It made Eddy feel bad too. All he wanted was for his boyf... his friend to feel better, to be alright. He unpacked his violin, prayed to Ling Ling that he'd remember the new piece they were going to play, and took a deep breath.
"Ready?" he asked Brett, who just silently nodded at him. Time to face the orchestra.

The orchestra seemed kind, and they even applauded as they entered the stage with them. Mr Gardner shook their hands with a large smile.
"Welcome, you!" he greeted in his british accent. The englishman leading the orchestra turned to face the musicians of the ensemble and speak to them about the last thing they had been rehearsing before the duo entered. Eddy took the time to see how Brett was, and he was absolutely not faking it well at all. It had to be obvious to anyone, right?

"Alright, shall we do the new piece from the beginning?" Gardner asked the two solists, and Eddy nodded in a reply without looking away from Brett. Brett lifted his violin and Eddy copied him. He felt the stares of the orchestra in his neck, felt how they must have noticed the small hickey poorly hidden under a shirt collar on both his and Brett's necks. He felt the tension before they started playing, and he heard the wrong note sound from his violin.
Gardner stopped the orchestra and turned to him. Eddy's face turned all red, and he felt the basis for shaky bow coming up.
"I'm sorry, a slight memory slip", he said and tried to laugh it away. Luckily, the orchestra played along and laughed with him. He felt Brett's eyes on him, which didn't help on the shaky bow-syndrome, but he nodded for Gardner to try again.

The break was most welcome when it finally came about. Eddy rushed to get his violin down in its case and he lied down on the couch of their wardrobe. He expected Brett to turn up any second now in the doorway, and was surprised when there was a knock on the door. He quickly sat up before answering.
"Uh, come in?" It sounded more like a question, but the blonde girl he recognized from somewhere still opened the door and peeked inside. 
"Hi oh... oh my god, sorry to interrupt you on your break, I just..." She was stuttering, her cheeks flaring up a bright pink.
"Oh, no don't worry. Come in, what did you want?" Eddy's voice was kind, the kindness he put on his voice when he spoke to fans. The blonde girl stepped inside, bending her head in an apology.
"I'm just... I'm just a big fan of yours and... well.. was hoping you'd... you'd sign...?" She held out the score of the new piece they were playing. He took it from her and looked in his violin case for the marker they always used to sign stuff with.
"So, what's your name then?" he said while browsing the selection of writing tools he had. He stood up and wrote his curly signature on a blank space of the front page.
"Victoria", she replied, and giggled slightly when he gave her back the score. She studied his handwriting for a second before turning his attention back to him. Sure, she was tall, but Eddy was slightly taller.
"And what are you doing here? You seem to be even younger than me, what are you doing here with the old guys?" Eddy's smile was sincere, and his nerves seemed to have gone. Unusual, as he normally was the awkward one when they met fans. 
"I am a substitute vioinist here, I usually play in the youth orchestra. I'll be playing this project only." Eddy thought she seemed nervous, but she was sweet and very polite when speaking to him. Not all touchy and weird like some fans. He nodded at her reply.
"How old are you, if I may ask?"
"22, I'm doing my second year studying music here." Eddy thought she seemed proud of her studies, and he thought she must obviously be very talented to subsitute in a professional orchestra in only her second year of studies.
Then, Eddy remembered who he was really waiting for in the wardrobe in the first place. He looked at the clock hanging on the wall over the couch. Only fifteen minutes left of their break.
"I'm sure you'll find Brett around here somewhere too, by the way, if you want to cheer him up a bit", Eddy said while looking behind her out the door, looking for Brett.
"Oh, actually, I came for you", she said, her cheeks turning red again like they had when she first knocked. Eddy blushed too. He was used to all the girls swarming for Brett, not for him. "Uh, for your playing talents, I mean", she added and took a step back towards the door and smiled at him.
"I guess I'll see you around?" Eddy asked with a smile, being his charming self. 
She nodded at him. "I guess you will", and then she half ran out the door, score in hand.