This was prompted by an anonymous tumblr blogger.
Enjoy.
Fame Is Hard To Do
"What's the game plan again?" Beca asks, staring out the tiny airplane window, straining her neck to see land.
Luisa is sitting to her right, reading a book with rapt attention.
"Luisa." Beca says, Luisa tears her gaze from the pages of Dante Alighieri to pay attention to her bored girlfriend.
"What?"
"What're we doing when we're in Germany?" Luisa sighs.
"We've gone over this five times."
"Once more?" At Beca's pleading expression, Luisa relents, closing her book, saving her place with a black ribbon.
"Today we're just settling into the hotel, tomorrow visiting the Brandenburg Gate, at some point we're visiting Pieter's family, I have to spend a day working, and the two other days we can explore Berlin. There's so much to do there."
"We're visiting Pieter's family?" Beca asks, she hadn't remembered that detail.
"Mina and Evert, they're Pieter's parents, made me promise to visit them every time I am near Berlin."
"Aw, that's really sweet. Do I get to meet your family too?" Beca asks. Luisa nods.
"My mother actually lives next door to the Krämers."
"Not your dad?"
At that, Luisa looks down, intertwining her fingers with Beca's.
"No." Her answer is soft.
"Sorry."
"Ladies and gentlemen, we'll be landing shortly. Please turn off all electronics, thank you." The pilot's tinny voice filters through the overhead speakers, Luisa lets go of Beca's hand to pick up her book.
When the plane lands, she smiles, too excited to hide it.
"We're here. Welcome to my home."
Beca's tired as they get their bags, she hopes for a quiet ride to the hotel and to sleep for ages.
Luisa doesn't go through baggage claim unnoticed though, many people stop and stare at the blonde woman.
Beca studies her person.
As usual, she's immaculate in every way.
She's beautiful, but it doesn't completely explain the awestruck stares.
A young girl walks up to the couple, blushing as she gazes up at Luisa in adoration.
"Pardon me, but are you Kommissar?" She asks in German, Luisa nods with a smile.
The girl squeals in excitement, babbling on so fast Beca can't catch all of it, much less understand it with only her rudimentary knowledge of German. She can decipher the last bit, if she'd had any free hands she'd have patted herself on the back.
"I don't have anything for you to sign, but could I- would it be ok to hug you?"
Luisa barely says yes before the girl squeezes her tightly, running away quickly as her bravery fades.
"You're a celebrity." Beca comments, smiling even as she struggles with the bags.
Luisa shrugs and takes them from the tiny Bella, never indicating that they're heavy.
Beca internally curses her Amazonian warrior of a girlfriend.
"DSM is very popular, here especially."
"I forgot I was dating a big star." She teases, Luisa smirks.
"How could you forget such an important detail?"
"It must have slipped from my mind when I live with said star and have seen her scream like a child during Oculus."
"That was one time!" Luisa hisses, now Beca is the one to smirk.
After being asked to sign autographs and take pictures with people all the way to the hotel, and even in the lobby, Beca and Luisa collapse on their bed.
"Is it like this every time you're in Germany?" Beca asks.
"Several other countries as well, but yes."
"Isn't it exhausting, being on all the time?"
"I am indebted to the fans of DSM, without them I could not continue to make music with my team, so how could I ever complain from the attention?"
"Just answer the question, you saint."
Luisa chuckles.
"We both know that isn't true."
"And we also know you're avoiding the question."
"Ja."
"Ja, it's exhausting? Or ja, you're avoiding the question?"
"Ja."
"You're so annoyingly…hot." Beca wiggles closer to her blonde cinnamon bun, throwing a leg over longer ones.
"That was meant to be an insult." She mutters, she feels Luisa laugh.
Beca's staring at the Brandenburg Gate, it's more than stunning.
So much history has passed through the stone, so many tears and personal sorrows and now so much hope.
It's beautiful, the neoclassical architecture gorgeous, even without the past to enhance its significance.
Beca only wishes she could appreciate it with Luisa.
Initially, they'd started the day out as normal tourists, but Luisa had been recognized, and had spent most of the afternoon greeting fans and signing arms or whatever.
Beca can still see her from where she's standing, but Luisa's surrounded by a small crowd of college students.
Beca wanders over to them, noticing several of them are very attractive, and very interested in Luisa.
She can understand the fascination, as Luisa's one of the most interesting and beautiful people she's ever met, but she doesn't like the ogling.
"Your latest album was amazing, I have them all." A handsome guy with bottle green hair is saying.
A blonde girl, an extremely gorgeous blonde girl is staring at Luisa with bedroom eyes.
Luisa pretends not to see it, but Beca can practically feel the heat from five feet away.
She doesn't like it.
Not one bit.
"You're like an angel carved from the finest marble." The blonde blurts out suddenly.
Beca's positively fuming.
She's the one who blurts out compliments, not this chic.
Luisa thanks her gracefully before catching Beca's eyes.
If looks could kill she'd be dead several times over.
And Beca's not even looking at her.
She offers an apology and leaves the group, wrapping an arm around Beca's shoulders as they walk away.
"Your rage is showing, feisty maus." She says with a chuckle, Beca simply huffs.
"I'm sorry liebling, the rest of the day will just be us."
"Don't make promises you can't keep."
Luisa ends up having up to work for two of the days, Beca's not happy to find out they're publicity stunts, and their second to last day is spent being accosted by fans in the streets of Berlin.
It's not that Beca's jealous that Luisa's attention is diverted mostly to her fans, well that's not the only thing, but she's worried about her.
Luisa's not good at recognizing, or at least admitting, when she's tired, and ever since she's been in Germany she's been in her stage presence for most of the time.
Beca just hopes she can hold get some time to rest before they go home.
Today they get to visit family, Beca's both excited and nervous.
Luisa had said Pieter's family was basically her own, and Beca's not exactly great at first impressions.
For example, the first time she ever met Luisa, she babbled ridiculous things about confused sexuality and flawlessness and kicking asses.
Also, the first time she ever talked to her boss, she called herself nothing, and he had kept calling her Reggie.
Not very impressive.
She just hopes she'll be able to get through this day with minimal scars and embarrassment.
The first thing Luisa does after entering her mom's house and greeting everyone is to pass out on the couch, leaving Beca to fend for herself.
When the exhausted woman wakes up, Beca's going to have some strong words and accidental compliments with her.
Thankfully Luisa's family is very welcoming and friendly.
Adelaide, Luisa's mother, is the first to hug Beca.
Beca's surprised to find the graying woman is only a little bit taller than her.
Pieter's family is large and rowdy and happy, and everyone speaks English.
Beca feels at home with them, it's nice.
Pieter's younger siblings play in the living room, Luisa sleeping through their racket, Beca helps Mina and Adelaide with dinner.
"How did you find Germany?" Adelaide asks.
"I loved it, it's so beautiful here." She answers truthfully. "I must admit, I hadn't realized DSM was so popular."
Mina chuckles.
"Did you get the 'behind the scenes' version of the glamorous life?"
"It involves a lot more sleeping than I thought." Beca says, the two women laugh with her.
"It is tiring, being a public face, but I know she loves it." Adelaide says, a fond smile lighting up her kind face.
"You must be proud of her." Beca says, remembering the way her dad has to tell everyone he meets about his World champion daughter.
It's embarrassing, but sweet.
"Very proud. If her father were here now, he'd have told you how he knew she'd be great from the very beginning."
"Is he not around anymore?" Beca asks, her curiosity overriding any polite notions she might have had before.
"He battled cancer eight years ago, it was the first fight he ever lost."
"I'm sorry." Adelaide nods, accepting Beca's sympathy with grace and poise.
Beca wonders if that's where Luisa gets her elegance.
"It is." Adelaide says, smiling with amusement.
Beca blushes when she realizes she'd said that aloud.
Adelaide leaves the room to set the table, her lilac scented perfume lingers.
The radio fills the silence in the kitchen, Beca realizes it's a DSM song.
"They're everywhere." She mutters, the knife she's using to cut tomatoes moves a little faster.
"It's hard for families too." Mina says.
"Sorry?"
"Having our loved ones in the eyes and heart of the public. It's not easy."
"I'm sure I'll get used to it." Beca says, her knife chopping with more force.
Mina touches her arm lightly, taking the knife from the frustrated brunette.
"You will, but at the same time you won't. We watch as our- oh, I'm not sure of the word…we watch as our precious ones give themselves to those who don't know them as well as we do, we see their hard work chewed up and spat out, and it hurts both of us. We want to protect them, shield them from those we don't know or trust, but we can't. Not without stifling who they are."
Beca nods, the spoken words are a more eloquent version of her jumbled thoughts.
Mina's warm thumb strokes her cheek, she hadn't realized she'd teared up.
"I get it. I work in the music business too, and I love it, but at the same time I don't. I don't know." Beca says, her voice cracking.
She hates herself for it.
"I do." Mina's gentle voice speaks in volumes, her arms wrapping around the emotionally drained Bella.
She smells of fennel and her hug is that of a mother's.
"Luisa's a strong girl, she can take it. So can you."
Beca laughs as she pulls away, her hands reaching up to wipe away any residue tears.
"Thanks." She's painfully sincere, Mina winks playfully, it makes her laugh again.
After a lovely dinner full of laughter and teasing and wonderful food, Beca and Luisa reluctantly return to their hotel room.
"Hey Luisa?" Beca says once they're in bed, cuddled together.
"Ja?"
"I'm sorry for being such a pain this week, I'm really glad I came. Thanks for taking me with you."
She receives a kiss on the forehead.
"You're very welcome, kleine maus. I'm sorry we did not get to spend enough time together."
"Your fans are important."
"You are more important by far."
This time it's a kiss to the nose.
"Sap." Beca says, though her grin is bright enough to light the room.
"I'm tired. Besides, you love it."
"Maybe."
"When we're home, we'll spend a few days in, marathon the movies. Sound good?" Luisa says, yawning.
"Ja, definitely."
There's silence.
"Luisa?" Beca asks again, she doesn't receive an answer.
She leans up to leave a feather light kiss on a defined cheekbone.
"Sweet dreams."
