Can't Sleep... Love? (Mavi)

Morning Thirty-Four

I wake up because the bed is moving when Avi gets up.

I groan softly and pull the blanket over my head, eliciting a soft chuckle from my man. "Five more minutes" I mumble.

"You can even have ten, Babe, it's still early" he returns and carefully lifts the blanket enough to kiss my lips softly. "Wanna have breakfast here or is it going to be Starbucks?"

"Breakfast here and Starbucks on the way to the studio?"

"She craves caffeine today" Avi jokes and goes to search some clothes for the day.

"She always does" I return and prop myself up on an elbow to look at him. He's so beautiful, standing in front of his dresser wearing only boxers. Slowly I get up and tiptoe to stand behind him, sling my hands around his waist and press my lips on his neck.

"Mmhmm..." he hums softly and leans into my touch. "How do I deserve this?"

"You're cute and I love you" I answer him and start nibbling on the side of his neck, definitely leaving a mark.

"Mmhm... you're cuter" he returns and leans into my touch.

I giggle. "Thank you."

"Mmhm, and if you're finished marking me we could get dressed, have some breakfast and have a stop at your beloved Starbucks. Otherwise I we'll have no time for the latter."

I stop my soft nibbling and press a kiss on the mark I've left. "Only under one condition."

Without having to say anything, Avi hands me a flannel shirt.

"You know me too well" I take the shirt and put it on. It is a little bit too big, obviously, but it's comfortable. And smelling like Avi. I pair it up with the jeans I wore the day before and style my hair in a bun, using one of Avi's hair ties.

"Eggs and crackers for breakfast" Avi asks as he buttons up his flannel.

"Mmhm, sounds great. If you have some coffee, too?"

"Yes, my little caffeine junkie. You'll get your fill." He winks at me and I smile like stupid.

"I'll come down in a minute, just need to go into the bathroom real quick" I explain to him as he waits for me at the door.

"Okay, I'll prepare breakfast."

When he left I go into the bathroom and splash my face with some cold water. I look at myself in the mirror and smile at myself. I look happy, tired but happy. Avi and I spent the greater part of the last night talking. About us, mainly, but also about life in general, memories from he past and plans for the future. It was such an amazing close for a rather rough day. During our talk we decided to try our best and stay professional whenever we're working, even though everyone knows about us. We need to seperate our private life from our job life. I can't risk staring at Avi at a concert just because he's so attractive and miss my cue in a song or something else. But the most important thing for me is that we're both comfortable with our relationship. Hearing the three words from Avi last night and saying them back was more than enough proof that what we have is real.

~

When we enter our rehearsal room, Esther is the only one who's sitting at the conference table in front of her laptop. "You're early" she notices and looks up. "Good Morning. Great to see you together again." She gets up and hugs both of us tightly.

"Believe me, I'm glad, too" I joke and take a sip of my ice-cold coffee.

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry for what happened yesterday" Esther starts then. "If Jonathan and Sebastian hadn't arrived while you were telling us, I would certainly have reacted in a different way. I was just so overwhelmed because Sebastian started yelling and I just didn't know what to say. I should have said something, should have intervened."

Avi shakes his hand and hugs his sister once more. "Don't be, Esther. Mitch told me what you said to him, yesterday. I've reacted too rash."

"Okay, Baby Bro" Esther says as they let go of each other. I smile at their little sibling moment.

"Wow, Mitch is on time, that's something new." I grin as I hear Kirstie's voice and look over to her.

"Well, I arrived with Avi, not with Scott. That makes a huge difference" I throw back and hug her.

"I'm glad that you're okay, Mitch" she whispers into my ear.

"Me too, Kirstie, me too."

Minutes later Kevin and Scott both arrive together and after a quick 'hello' we get together at the conference table.

"So, how do we go on with Sebastian and everything" Scott wants to know almost instantly.

Esther smiles at us. "Well, I talked to Jonathan yesterday and told him my opinion. You're all grown up, you know what you're doing. You'll make it together. And well, he agrees. And in the evening I got a call from him saying that he talked to Sebastian. And well, Sebastian is no longer your manager. Jonathan is currently looking for a replacement but until he finds someone he and I will split up the remaining work."

I'm quite shocked when I hear that, yet I'm somehow glad. We all don't need negativity. We need to focus on the tour and our original album.

"That's good, I think" Scott says. "Tell us if you need help, Esther!"

"No, my job is the organisation, yours the music. Let's keep it that way" Esther says defensively. "I need to make a few phone calls. We'll talk later" she smiles in the round and leaves the room, carrying her notebook with her.

"So, shall we start with the new arrangement of Heartbeat Song? That's the only new one we have" Avi slips into work mode almost instantly.

"Yeah, let's just go for it! If we're good we'll finish before the recording session in the afternoon" Kevin adds and off we go into a long day of rehearsal and recording.

~~~~~~~