Don't Talk! (Freddie Mercury / Queen)

14. Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat.

A/N- I apologise to any non-Hayes lovers, this'll be a long one, but necessary haha. Enjoy. X

H.G
Knightsbridge, London.
October, 22nd

"Do you have a cold?" Anne went to place a hand on my forehead but I shrank away. That didn't deter her, instead she placed a hand on my cheek.

"I don't get sick." I shot her my most withering glare. Annoyingly, she didn't react.

"Yes you do." George began the process of looping his navy tie around his neck. "Just not often. Remember the time you had hypothermia?"

"My god, when did that happen?" Anne asked with a frown. Her hand lightly brushed my cheek with a a tentative stroke. I wanted to hate it, but I didn't. Just like when Freddie kept touching me and I haven't stopped bloody thinking about it for the past month like a sap.

Crack.

I immediately pulled away from Anne and cleared my scratchy throat. I shall not waste time being sick, or by having silly thoughts.

I watched as Anne went to help my brother with the knot of his tie. Upon seeing their everyday mundane routines together over the past week, I found myself with a bitter taste on my tongue quite often. They were subtle with their affections, but I couldn't help but feel that my nose was rubbed in their perfect marriage, and perfect family. Not that I wasn't happy for them, but it irked me the ease at which they interacted. I have never had ease in any relationship. Most like because I went for women like Angie. Or women in general.

Crack.

I immediately shook my head as if to rid myself of such thoughts. The place in my mind where I safely kept my true feelings and thoughts seemed to be growing bold in the past few months. They tested the boundaries of consciousness many times, but I had the perfect wall in place. Impenetrable, save for a few cracks. Not being around people like Alex or Freddie would surely remedy the situation. I just need to be around emotionless robots, so naturally I returned home.

"When he was six, it was just after the Christmas break. We found him sleeping in the stables." George recalled, "He was cuddled up beside a horse, frozen half to death."

I was only bloody there because I didn't want to go back to boarding school. Oliver said Mum and Dad didn't want me around so it would be cheaper for them if I were to just run away. George just sat there when my eldest brother filled my head with nonsense. Naturally, at six, moving in with my pet in a damp stable seemed to be the ideal solution.

After that I learned my lesson and instead ran off to less hypothermic inducing places, like my auntie's flat or the gamekeeper's cabin. Unfortunately, I was often found much quicker in those cases, and dragged half kicking and stiff-upper-lipping it home.

"She was one of my favourite horses," I sighed wistfully, "Lady Revere."

"Is that the one Dad put down out in the garden when she went lame?" George frowned.

"Prick." Anne mumbled causing me to choke on my tea. It's not that she wasn't correct, I was just surprised about her being vocal about it.

"What's a prick mummy?"

Anne and George's eyes widened in alarm, whilst I let a laugh slip out. Lottie's eyes brightened at that. "It's a funny word?"