A Whole New World (A Queen Fanfiction)

Chapter Three

Roger finally arrived back at the house later than he would usually want to. Thankfully, he at least had something with him, which was a decent amount of food for him, Brian, Freddie, and John that would at least last a little while. Not much was left of the final fifty pounds, but that was nothing unusual, considering what their situations had been for quite some time.

He looked around the tiny front room, wondering what it was going to be like, living here for however long they were going to.

"Roger, is that you?" he heard Freddie's voice call from the bedroom upstairs.

"Yeah," Roger called back. "I got food."

Roger climbed up the stairs, carrying his grocery bag up with him.

"Roger, dear," Freddie said. "We were so worried, you stayed out for so much longer than usual."

"Yeah," Brian said, putting a slightly beaten up old hardcover book down from where he was reading. "Did something happen?"

"Technically, yes," Roger said, setting down the bag and lying down on his bed, where Freddie was sitting with his hair wrapped up in a towel and blowing on his freshly painted black nails. Where Freddie managed to take a shower or get nail polish, Roger had no idea, but he did not feel like asking.

"What?" John asked, propping up against the wall from where he had been lying down flat on his bed.

"I met a girl," Roger said. "I met her in the market. Her name was Dominique. I first noticed her because she was very kind to a little child. The kid stole an apple and didn't realize it was wrong and then one of the real weird guys in the area got onto her."

"A child was out in that mess?" Brian said, shocked. "I've been there only once and that feels insane to me."

Roger nodded. "Dominique stood up for the child, but then the guy got onto her, and I was scared that he'd hurt her, so I stepped in and said she was my sister, convinced the guy, and I tried to leave it at that, but then the guy sent his gang out, and they hate me so I ran. And I took her so she wouldn't get hurt."

"You made the poor girl go frolicking around the rooftops?" John asked.

"She liked it," Roger said with a shrug.

"What happened next?" Brian asked. "Did they catch you?"

"Nope," Roger shook his head, and did not feel like mentioning how him and Dominique jumped across an alleyway. "We managed to shake them off eventually, and then I walked her back to her hotel and said goodbye."

"Well, that sounds so sweet," Freddie said, taking his towel out and letting his wet, slightly curly hair go free upon his shoulders.

"Yeah," John said. "Leave it to Roger to just find random people in the market to become obsessed with."

"I am not obsessed with her," Roger defended. "You're just insane."

"Is she poor too?" Brian asked. "Like we are?"

"I wouldn't assume so," Roger said. "She told me she works for Richard Branson, I figure she's an assistant or something. They're staying in this really nice hotel – I'll bet she has her own room in the room, it's one of those."

The room was filled with an awkward silence immediately. Even Freddie, in his cheerful mood, suddenly looked down at the floor with a pensive expression, his hair curtaining his face.

"What?" Roger said, feeling like he had said something either offensive or dumb.

"I'm sorry to tell you," Brian said. "But she's out of your league."

"Like, way out," John said, bluntly. "Sorry."

"It's not like I immediately want to date her or anything –"

"You do, Roger, and you're a very bad liar," Freddie said.

"Well," Roger said, crossing his arms. "I don't believe in 'leagues' anyways, and this is just a casual outing as friends. I barely know her, anyways, I just walked her home."

"And saved her from a bunch of people," John said. "By, y'know, risking certain death in the dumpster fire of the town we live in."

"It was only the decent thing to --"

"Yeah," John said, sarcastically. "We all believe you so deeply, Roger, I am almost moved to tears."

"What'd you get for dinner?" Freddie asked.

"I got stuff for sandwiches," Roger said. "Is there any kind of kitchen here?"

Freddie shrugged. "It's mainly just the table downstairs, nothing else."

"Oh," Roger said. "That'll do. I'll go down there."

"I'll go with you," Freddie said, following Roger as he went down the stairs.

They made four peanut-butter sandwiches in a comfortable silence together, by the light of a small, secondhand kerosene lamp.

Across the counter, a little mouse ran across, almost making no noise but being noticeable.

"Crap," Freddie said. "I didn't realize they were here."

"It's fine," Roger said, chuckling. "I don't mind."

They went back up the stairs, carrying a sandwich in each hand, and gave them to the guys. They all ate in relative silence.

"I'm going to go to sleep," Brian said, when he finished his dinner.

"I'll do the same," Roger said, running his fingers through his hair, taking off his shoes, and adjusting into his blankets. 

Freddie got up, shaking his hair out and preparing to go down the stairs.

"Freddie, you can stay here, you know."

"What?" Freddie said, confused. Roger knew that the poor guy probably meant it when he said he would sleep in the chair downstairs.

"Sleep in my bed," Roger said. "You're welcome here. It would be more comfortable than on that nasty old chair."

"Really?"

"Really," Roger said. "Now come on, you'll be freezing if you go down there."

Freddie got under the covers, seemingly quite content. For being so skinny, he surprisingly felt quite warm. Brian flicked the little secondhand oil lamp off, so then the only source of light was from the city outside, coming in through the glass door.

"Did anything romantic happen?" Freddie whispered, rolling over to where he was facing Roger.

"Kind of," Roger whispered back.

"Pray tell."

"She asked where I originally intended to take her, and that was here, because it was nearest, safest, you know. I mentioned the great view, and all of you guys, and she thought that was sweet, and seemed to actually want to come here. We talked briefly about maybe meeting up again, tomorrow."

"Ooooh!"

"I know," Roger grinned. "I bet she won't, but I think it would be so nice, right?"

"I bet she will," Freddie said. "It's not like she can forget such a heroic face."

Freddie was teasing, obviously, but something about that made Roger happy.

"Go to sle-e-e-e-p," Brian moaned from across the room.

Roger and Freddie giggled, getting situated comfortably.

It was not long at all before Freddie was rolled over to facing the opposite direction, snoring softly while wrapped up in a couple blankets. But Roger, for at least a little bit, stayed awake, and looked at the moonlight on the ceiling, replaying the past hour in his head until he peacefully fell asleep.