"thank you so much berlin."
the backtracking from their closing song slowly dies in melody to follow after aylas voice.
"have a good night everbody. and have a safe way home, we love you."
violet sits in awaits just backstage, watching through the curtain. she would have enjoyed the view better from the ground; she was only upset that it wasn't an option for her anymore.
regardless, she waits for them to head off stage towards her. a smile stapled to her face as a
memento of the proud moment. she loved watching them perform, a kind of energy prevailed that she didn't know they had.
"how was it?" she asks finn as he approaches her. he takes her hands in his. although his laced with sweat as well as the rest of his body from jumping around. violet didnt seem to mind.
"you tell me."
"you guys always sound great." she smiles to the others surrounding behind finn. they smile back to her.
"that crowd was so insane! did you hear them singing? i could hear them over my drums to a song thats only been out for a week!" malcolm gushes, he loved his job. he was sad he was constantly pushed away from it by his fiancee. it was one of the reasons why violet hadn't met her yet.
"yeah! i thought i was going to mess up my solo with all the shouting." ayla chuckles, sparking up a conversation within the group.
violet tries to take that opportunity to pull finn away, unnoticed by the others.
"whats up?" he hushes quietly to her, still a smile on his face from his performance.
"i got a call during your guys' show, from maverick."
"about the designing thing!"
"yeah" she smiles,
"he told me to have my stuff submitted by early next week and he'll still consider."
"violet!" he exclaims, sweeping her up with his arms around her waist.
"thats so great! you still have a shot, im so happy for you!"
"thanks." she chuckles as he sets her down,
"i know we've got our flight out early tomorrow but, i think im going to work on my things when we get back. i- i can work on it in the lobby if im going to keep you up."
"no, no not at all. do whatever you need love."
she smiles to him, holding onto his fingers as they decide to approach back up with the others.
their after show routine was a completely different animal than what it used to be. there was no cleaning up for them, no van to put things away in and no plastic bottles of water that crinkled at the touch.
instead theyre given glass bottles, treated as the crews best; to include violet. it left her baffled.
soon, they head back out to the hotel. the night was dark, late. they all wished they had more time in berlin, but violet had work and the others had songs to produce.
as they individually branch off to their hotel rooms, violet follows after finn to the cold conditions of their shared room.
almost immediately, finn heads to the shower; leaving violet to change into her clean pajamas, getting comfortable in the white sheets of the bed. the lamp besides her illuminates the room, her laptop sat on top of her legs.
violet practically gets to working on her designs immediately. she had barely started on it back home, but had so many ideas after spending years in the industry. she knew what they were looking for, what people would buy.
she spends twenty minutes of silence working until finn comes out from the bathroom. pajama pants rested to his hips, his naked torso still occasionally beaded with drops of water.
he gets under the sheets next to violet, resting his head to her shoulder; watching what she was doing on her screen.
"how is it going?"
"fine i think, what do you think of this?" she pulls up a digital spread of a mens collection.
she looks down to him as he inspects, almost seeming to hesitate.
"just be honest."
"honest?" he looks up to her, she nods gently.
"you amaze me with everything you do."
her eyes roll gently,
"you're just saying that."
"i'm serious!" he defends, sitting up to be level with her.
"you're so talented violet, theres no way he wont choose you."
"if he does." she closes her laptop, setting it aside as she stares to his dark eyes.
"will you model it for me?"
"absolutely." he smiles gently, pressing his lips to hers.
"you're serious?"
"yeah." he nods, his eyes studying her own.
"i'm serious."
"whats malcolms fiancee like?"
"what?" he chuckles.
"i mean, is she cute? i need a female model, and i know thats not aylas kind of thing."
"shes cute but, you don't want her around."
"why not?"
"cause you don't like her?" he laughs.
"what do you mean i don't like her? i haven't met her yet."
his eyebrows furrow,
"you don't know?"
confusion smears to her face,
"what?"
"malcolms engaged to maddie."
violets eyes widen, looking away from finn as she processes.
"maddie? from tennessee? your ex?"
"yep."
"wha- that doesn't bother you?"
"of course it does. well, it did but; he's happy and im not ever going to be with her again. so if it was meant for them then thats what it is."
she sighs,
"i guess i'll force ayla into it then."
finn chuckles,
"invite her over to the apartment one night and feed her food, she'll say yes."
violet sighs, a different topic weighing on her.
"i think i should start looking for my own place again when we get home."
finns heart drops to his stomach, swallowing harshly in worry.
"is- is something wrong?"
"no, finn." she smiles, her hands wrapping around his arm.
"its just, that was the deal when i moved out there. and despite what you say, i know its tough to suddenly live with someone after living on your own for so long."
"i don't want you to leave me." he pouts, holding onto her.
"but i want you to do what you feel you need to."
she sighs, feeling the decision weighing on her. she reaches over to switch off the light, laying down in the darkness.
finn pulls her close to him, in fact they couldn't be closer. his fingers brush through her hair as violet smiles to him in the dark.
"just, worry about it when we get home, baby. berlin isn't a place for worries."
she tells him that she loves him, holding him close in the dark for she hated the thought of leaving him.
he hated the thought of her leaving him.
which was why that next day would bring nothing but terror in his life;
and he would never recover.
1150 wc