✨ Oneshots ✨

Old Friends - Maylor (platonic)

Happy (one day late) Birthday to Roger Taylor. And Happy Birthday to @melishathatonepear !

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1995 

Roger was sitting at the table, drinking his coffee. He was in a rather somber mood, it being his birthday and all. And the past few years hadn't been so easy.

Tigerlily came crawling over to the kitchen table, pulling herself up to stand on a chair. She stared at Roger with the same face he had.

"Hello, Tiger. You've come to see me?" He asked, getting a few words in reply. "Really? Well, you can stay if you like." 

The baby was happy to sit with him, on his lap, and even tried to take a sip of the warm beverage. Roger pulled it away gently.

"No, this is Daddy's drink. It's not for you." He spoke quietly.

"Hi, Daddy!" Rufus walked in and he said it loudly.

"Hi, Rufus. Me and Tigerlily were just talking. Have you come for breakfast?" Roger sighed with a smile.

"Well, I was here to ask that I wanted to play drums. But yes." The 4-year-old answered.

Roger placed the baby in a chair as he got up and started to make some scrambled eggs and toast for the kids. "You can play drums anytime, Rufus." 

"Me!" Tigerlily spoke when she saw him get the eggs from the fridge.

"Yes, dear. I'll make you eggs too." The man said, keeping an eye on her while he cooked.

Then Rufus remembered something. "Happy birthday!" 

"Thank you!" Roger flashed a grin. He began to get ideas for the day, of how to cheer himself up. 

Well, his kids cheered him up a bit. But it was also tiring. He finished cooking breakfast and gave the kids food. Rory and Felix ate soon after, having cereal.

Roger made a phone call, and then began to get ready. He started by putting on some new shoes, a gift from Debbie. "Kids, we're going to visit Brian."

And they all went out the door, driving to Brian's house. Which was a bit of a drive from there. Tigerlily was staring out the window the whole time while her siblings talked.

Finally, they arrived. Rufus rang the doorbell, Felix lifting him up so he could reach. Brian opened the door with a soft smile on his face. It was a little sad at the same time.

"Hello, so lovely to see you. Come in." He said quietly, as his daughters both came to talk to Roger's kids. 

"Happy birthday, Rog." He added, and Roger thanked him.

Emily was around Rory's age, so they were close friends, and Louisa was similar in age to Felix, and they got along as great friends too..

...That left Roger with his two younger ones. But Brian was gentle and kind, and he asked if he could hold Tigerlily.

"Oh, of course. I think she's a bit tired of me." Roger said in reply, with a slight laugh.

"She's not tired of you," the guitarist reassured the drummer. "She just doesn't know how to tell you that yet. And she always is fascinated by my hair, oddly enough." 

"Well, my hair is never long enough anymore for her to play with it. She does occasionally steal my glasses." Roger started to become happier.

"Yeah. But it's nice to hold her, all my kids are too big for that. And you know, they're getting 'too cool' to hang out with their dad." Brian laughed.

"I know the feeling," Roger agreed, thinking about Felix, who was 15-years-old.

Tigerlily was staring into Brian's hazel eyes, fascinated by them. She was used to seeing blue.

"Hello. What are you looking at? My hair?" Brian wondered, and she pointed to his face. "Oh, my eyes?" 

"Yeah," the baby agreed, looking a bit spaced out.

Brian gave the baby a hug, feeling rather comforted by holding her. He hadn't been held for a while either.

Then there were crashing sounds coming from the other room, though only a crashing of musical notes, not a person or thing. It was discordant and loud.

Roger and Brian both went to the noise and they found Rufus attempting to play the piano.

"Rufus, the piano and drums are very different instruments!" Roger called over the sound.

The little boy stopped and started to play more gently. "It's hard to play!" He said, not too frustrated.

"It is, isn't it?" Brian said, watching with amusement. "It's even hard for me to play." 

"Wow!" Rufus answered, surprised.

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2019

"Those were the days," Roger said to himself, remembering his birthdays in the past. 

That time when Adam and Brian gave him a surprise party and they played Scrabble.

That day when he visited Brian with his kids.

That birthday when Freddie presented him with a cake with a statue of him on it, telling him that's 'their new drummer.'

Roger thought of all this fondly, though with a touch of bittersweet memories.

And there were many more. He decided to surprise Brian, going over to his house. He knocked on the door.

The guitarist was there, and as soon as he opened the door, he was met with a big hug.

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Word count: 813