𝙇𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝘼𝙩 𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛, 𝘽𝙤𝙬𝙞𝙚!

SEVEN - Place in Berlin

David and Mari continued to talk for around five more minutes, joking around like idiots and making fun of some people that passed by.

The two released their laughs as a lady chased after another woman, screaming profanities.

"She looked like something out of the Exorcist!" David broke, the two hunched over laughing at each other, tears in their eyes from minutes of laughter, receiving odd looks from those passing by.

They finally calmed down and made their way back inside the restaurant, their food had arrived while they were gone.

"Nobody's getting up from this table again until the bill's been paid." John said, eyes going back and forth between David and Mari as they sat down, glanced at each other, and stifled their laughter. John hid his own small smile from the two's antics, watching with a keen eye as the two sat down in their seats.

*

The dinner went well once everyone was situated, the four joking around as they ate.

"I'll pay, don't worry about it."

"No, John, I'll pay for my own meal."

"No, David, I drug you out here, I'll pay."

"Hey! How about we all pay for our own meals?" Mari finally broke up the banter between the two men, "We're all filthy rich, it won't hurt."

They did in fact all pay for their own meals, as they went outside, Mari and David continued their own conversation as Yoko and John did the same a step or two in front of them. When the couple finally reached their car, they looked back at Mari and David, both too immersed in whatever they spoke about to notice they'd stopped walking.

"Well, it was nice seeing you two." Yoko finally spoke, breaking the two out of their conversation.

"You're leaving already?" David asked, looking down at the clock on his wrist, "Come on, we could all go to the bar down the street or something!--" David begged, not wanting the night to end so soon.

"I have to run by the studio tomorrow morning. I can't stay up late, and you know Yoko can't drink." John explained.

David went silent, his body language changing as the cold winter air revealed his sighs, small clouds leaving his mouth with every breath he took. He was disappointed, he didn't want to go back home so soon. He didn't like it there, really. There was nothing to do.

"We'll go by the bar then," Mari finally decided, "You two should get some rest."

She saw out the corner of her eye, David looked at her and smiled like a child catching sight of a candy store. John and Yoko smiled at Mari's accommodating nature, John moving to take his keys out of his pocket.

"Alright, you two have fun." John said, wiggling his eyebrows at Mari as David looked away. She rolled her eyes and wished them a nice night, next thing she knew they were gone.

"I can't stay long, I'm right tired."

"That's alright, I just hate to go home so soon."

The two began their walk to the bar that was only down the street, about a five minute walk. They continued talking, whether it was about each other's lives, experiences, muses, ect..

"Did you ever wear the dress in public?"

David nodded, "Yeah, I almost got shot once in Texas."

Mari gasped, her eyes widening, "Why the hell would you go to Texas in a dress!?" she laughed, watching him do the same.

"I don't know! I was a naive lad, I don't know what I was thinking!"

They crossed a crosswalk, barely paying mind to the traffic, "I remember the first time I saw the photo of you in that dress." Mari said, recalling the day she found his record.

"What did you think?" He asked.

"As embarrassing as it is to say, I thought you were gorgeous."

David was taken aback, but recovered quickly, "Embarrassing?" he laughed, almost pulling Mari's attention from the pink tint covering his pale face at that moment.

"Well I'm right in front of you, it's so silly!" She said, flustered, but laughing all the same.

"But I saw that cover, found Hunky Dory, and after I listened to that one I went back to work the next day and bought your self title. I heard Space Oddity and I just knew you were onto something, like you had a mind for music that no one else did."

He was unreasonably taken by surprise at her admiration, of course, she never made a point to keep it a secret. He just wouldn't have expected it otherwise.

"Thank you." He then paused, thinking of what to say.

"I didn't really know who you were." He finally deadpanned.

They both broke into laughter, David shaking his head and interrupting in order to continue.

"But between what I know of you now, what John's told me, what Mick's told me, and what I have heard, I really would like to know more about you." He said with a sense of sincerity.

She paused, thinking of something to say.

"Thank you." she finally said, looking out at the sidewalk ahead of them as a cool slow breeze hit her face.

*

"I'm not allowing you to have too many drinks here," Mari said as they walked in, "You already had three at Le Cirque."

"Well I needed three at Le Cirque."

She locked eyes with him as they sat down, studying his expression. She felt as if he wasn't joking, though she gave a small laugh anyway.

They both ordered their drinks, sitting in comfortable silence for a moment before David finally spoke up.

"Have you figured out where you're moving yet?"

He knew she probably hadn't, but he really couldn't think of anything else to say. To his suprise, she nodded in response.

"West Berlin." she said, "I've got a friend who lives there, told me there was a place to stay near the borders of Oranienburg and Schöneberg. Sounds great really, she sent me the newspaper listings and it looks perfect."

"I asked her to send me some papers for it, she said she'd probably be able to get a hold of them in a few weeks." Mari continued as their drinks arrived. David took his own, nodding along to her words.

"I'll probably start a new record once I get there." She finished.

David hummed, "Very excited for you to do so."

She smiled, "How come?" she asked, head tilting to the side.

"Well I'd like to become more familiar with your catalogue."

Mari paused, her eyebrows furrowing as a smile slyly spread across her face, "You sound like Russell Harty when you talk like that." She finally said, laughing. He realized how formal he was being and laughed.

"Sorry, I barely speak to anyone outside of interviews anymore, it's like I've forgotten how to be casual."

She laughed at his comment, "I can give you some of my records, if you'd like. I have at least two copies of each."

He raised an eyebrow "Why two?"

"In case David Bowie ever says he'd like to become more familiar with my catalogue."