More than a dream come true- M.G

Chapter 5- Apologies

"Hey guys, are you ready for this?"- I asked as they sat down. "Yeah, let's do it!"- Marcus nodded enthusiastically.

We started off with the usual questions- how they were feeling about the competition, their preparation and how they were handling the pressure. Marcus answered with his usual upbeat energy, Martinus kept his answers short, as usual.

Then come the question I had been dreading, but I was made to ask by my boss. It was disrespectful, even worse when I knew the story behind the answer, but I had no other choice.

I took a steadying breath. "So...how does it feel to represent Sweden in Eurovision, betraying your own country, considering you're originally from Norway?"- I glanced down at my notes and then looked up at them.

The question lingered in the air like a fog, and I immediately felt the tension tighten around us. "You know, it's a honour to represent any country, and Sweden's really welcoming to us"-Marcus shifted uncomfortably in his chair but managed to answer.

I nodded, sensing that Marcus was trying to keep things positive. My eyes flickered to Martinus, whose jaw had tightened at the question. He forced a smile but it didn't reach his eyes. "Yeah,"- Martinus said, his voice measured. "We love Sweden, and it's a big opportunity for us. But Norway will always be home". His gaze met mine for just a second before he quickly looked away.

I could tell he was holding something back, but I had no choice but to push through. We wrapped up the interview soon after, with Marcus doing most of the talking while Martinus grew quieter. On camera, anyone watching would think he was just tired or focused, but I could feel the tension simmering beneath the surface.

As soon as the camera was off, Martinus stood up immediately. "We're done, right?"- he demanded. "Yeah, we're done."- I replied, trying to keep things light, but he immediately stormed out of the room without even saying another word. Marcus shot me an apologetic look before following his brother out the door.

I sat there for a moment, replaying the interview in my head, trying to understand what had gone wrong. Before I could gather my thoughts, I saw Martinus through the open door, heading down the hallway and turning into one of the empty dressing rooms.

Instinctively, I followed. I didn't want things to end on a sour note and something told me that I caused the shift in his mood.

When I entered the room, Martinus was sitting in a chair, his back facing the door, his head buried in his hands. I could hear his uneven breathing, and when I stepped closer, I realised he was crying.

"Martinus?..."- I asked softly, unsure of what to say. He flinched at my voice, wiping his face quickly before turning around, his expression now hard with anger. "What do you want?"- he snapped, his voice sharp enough to sting.

I hesitated, taken aback by the intensity of his reaction. "I just... I wanted to see if you were okay. I didn't mean to upset you with that question earlier.. it was-"

"Obligatory?"- he cut me off, his eyes narrowing. "You think that makes it better? That you just asked that because it's your job?"- He demanded.

The words hit me harder than I expected. I could feel my chest tightening. "I didn't have a choice. It wasn't personal, I swear..."- I said, my voice low. "It felt personal."- he shot back, standing up. "You have no idea how it's like, okay? You just ask your questions and move on. But we're caught between two countries, two homes. It's not as simple as you make it sound! Do you know the way Norway treated us? Do you have a slight idea about the things they called us?!"- Martinus said, raising his voice more and more after each sentence.