Unfinished Business

Hopelessly Romantic (Martstein)

My mind hasn't stopped plaguing me with this one particular Martstein scenario and I need to let it out.

So, basically, I imagine a young, awkward and shy Brian who studies at some Dramatic Arts Academy ((which he did IRL, that's why he made the beetle bois do that deep bow after every show)), but isn't particularly good at, y'know, acting.

He really wants to be good, practices a lot, does his exercises, studies his scripts, but his nervousness just bleeds through every single act.

And at some point he gets a role in a musical (a really decked out final project), for which they get an actual orchestra, from a Music Academy partnered with theirs.

The director of the orchestra is also a student, albeit a slightly older one, a former soldier who decided to put himself through college after the horrors of war. George Martin is his name, and he's all quiet and kinda grumpy and just does as he's told because every attempt he makes at suggesting or tweaking something is met with violent denial by the producer of the musical.

Brian sees Mr Martin (he doesn't know he's a student at first, so he refers to him as Mister) very often in rehearsals, as he usually plays the base piano for when they can't get the whole orchestra in, and develops a teeny tiny crush on him.

He's a handsome man, talented and reserved and just has this aura of calm seriousness that draws Brian in. He never does anything about it, though, both because he's convinced no one would ever want him, and because he fears getting in trouble.

So he just... Looks at him. Sometimes gets distracted and misses his cues or gets dialogues mixed up or has voice cracks. He's not really that much of a singer, honestly, and with every mistake, the producer gets angrier and angrier.

And it boils down to a point where the man practically explodes and tells Brian, in quite crude language, that he's not meant for theatre or even music, that he should do everyone a favor and just quit, and so on and on. Basically drags him on the floor, in front of everyone.

Brian tries his best to just accept it and continue, manages to go through the rest of the rehearsal without messing up any more, but as soon as it's over he finds some small room to lock himself in and cry his heart out.

While he's in there, Mr Martin has decided enough is enough and gives the producer a piece of his mind (aka a royal beating), and once that's done he goes off to look for the poor kid who seemed so mortified and heartbroken.

George finds him quite easily, just following the sobbing sounds, and quietly enters the room to offer the lad some reassurance. He's... Not exactly good at it, bad with words but good with gestures, sort of.

At first Brian doesn't even notice someone's entered the room, but when he notices it's his (very secret) crush, he immediately tries to recompose himself, clear off the tears, tuck his hair back in place and so.

And George doesn't say much, he just sits by his side and pats his back, mutters something about the producer being... A few rude things, tells him he put him in his place, and apologizes to Brian, insisting he may not be the best actor, but he's passionate, and in the end that's what matters most.

All the while, both George and Brian keep getting closer and closer to one another, and at some point, without even noticing, Brian's sitting in George's lap. When they do notice, both apologize and step aside from each others, terribly embarrassed.

Brian thanks him, for his kind words and just for being there, and George smiles at him, a nice genuine smile, so different from his usual neutral frown that it makes Brian's heart swell a little.

George even presses a kiss to his hand, apologizes for leaving so soon but insists he must attend other appointments, and with that he leaves. Meanwhile Brian is practically love-drunk just from being so close to him.

That's about all I've got, but from there I can imagine what comes next, sort of.

Guess the rehearsals would continue, with the producer chilling down significantly, letting George's musical genuis shine a bit more and allowing Brian to mess up slightly more often without viciously reprimanding him, which does help a little with his nervousness on stage.

And George and Brian develop this sorta routine where they wait for rehearsals to be over and everybody to leave, so they can just hang out on the theatre for a while. And that eventually becomes the two of them roaming campus after rehearsal, and *that* becomes actual proper dates between them.

They get to know each others more, Brian starts to see the brilliance and actual kindness behind George's stern fasçade, George finds out Brian's more than just an awkward kid, he's also a rather good negociator and a sensitive admiror of all things artistic.

Neither really notices when they graduate from 'two people who know each others professionally' to 'friends who hang out sometimes and talk about music' to 'boyfriends in all but name', and neither even dares to ask the other what they really are.

George knows Brian's prefferences, doesn't care, but he does certainly mind when he finds him staring, more like openly ogling, at other lads. It feels like betrayal and he can't even begin to explain to himself why.

Brian just assumes George's straight, because him being queer would be too good to be true and the Universe is rarely that kind to him. He tries his best to accept he'll never be more than just his friend, tries to move on and fall for some other, hopefully more reachable lad, but really none of them catch his eye for more than a minute.

So it's the stupid 'unrequited love but not really' trope, and both torture themselves with it for a while, until George can make it through his own head that he's attracted to Brian and convinces himself that life's too short to hide his feelings and that if he has to fight every single pretentious actor in Brian's academy for his affections, he will. He served on the big War and made it alive, seducing his best friend should be nothing compared to it.

So, on the premiere ((is that the word? I feel like it's for movies)) of the musical, George is determined to make his move. He leads the orchestra with more passion than ever, admires Brian, shy timid little Brian, shining up there on stage, and decides that yeah, he's worth anything in this godforsaken world.

The play is over, met with standing ovations, and while the cast and staff have this party going on, Brian and George both decide they'd rather step aside, not having really bonded with anyone but each others.

Brian introduces George to his parents, as a friend, but even they get the hint that something else is in there. Mr Epstein even whispers to George that if he hurts his son he'll make him regret to be born, and George reassures him just as quietly that he'd rather die.

So yeah, after a while George takes Brian aside from everything and everyone, presents him with a bouquet and finally pours out all the feelings that have been eating him alive. He apologizes if Brian sees him as predatory or as 'destruction of their friendship', begs him for a chance to show him he means well, and so.

And Brian is standing there crying the whole time, heart bursting out of his chest, and as soon as George is done and looks at him with begging eyes, expecting any sort of reaction, good or bad, Brian jumps to his arms and covers his face in kisses, sobbing and laughing, not even able to string a coherent sentence.

As soon as both calm down, Brian admits his own feelings, how scared he was of George's possible rejection, and how he never thought anyone could ever want him. George just quietens him with kisses, warns him that if he hears him talking so lowly of himself again he might have to take more drastic measures (aka more kisses), and Brian just giggles, both of them holding each others and waltzing on Cloud 9.

And, years later, that's the favourite bedtime story for Brian and George's four unruly, yet hopelessly romantic children.