Hello

A Good Couple

"Luce? Luce, wake up." I slowly woke up in the darkness, feeling hands pinning my shoulders to the mattress. I lurched at this sensation, my reflexes forcing me to put my hands around the neck above my own. If I wasn't such a small person (with therefore short arms), it would have winded him real good. He pulled his weight off my body instantly, grabbing my hands gently instead.

"It's okay, baby. It's just me. It's Rog." Roger breathed, surprisingly calmly considering my first reaction had been to prepare to strangle him. I realised what I had done and wrestled my hands out of his grasp. I scurried out of bed quickly, running my hands through my hair and pacing the room.

"God, what's wrong with me?! Roger, I'm so sorry!" I stared at my hands in shock. Why did they do that? The lamp on my side of the bed flickered on, revealing Roger looking calm and tired. He shook his head, his blond hair reflecting the faint light.

"I shouldn't have pinned you down. It's just that you were scratching yourself raw. Is your arm okay?" He asked, slowly crawling off the bed and walking towards me. I put my hand over my left inside forearm and felt the hotness of my skin.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I must have not scrubbed my hands well enough after cooking that custard." I walked into the bathroom and let the sink light flicker on. My arm was red and white from scratching.

"Oh nutsacks on a stick!" I hissed as Roger joined me. He took my hand and lead me to the sink, opening the medicine cupboard.

"No..." I begged, resting my head on his shoulder. He kissed my cheek slowly, understanding. I can deal with anything except skin wounds. That shit is messed up. And hospital grade antiseptic cream stings like a bitch.

"I'll be careful, I promise." He breathed, kissing me again and surprising me. I swore into his shirt, slightly hyperventilating.

"I hate you."

"You do?"

"Completely." I whispered, kissing his neck.

"You know you're totally ugly when you cry." Roger joked, wiping his hand on a bath towel before hugging me. He looked down into my eyes, causing a triple chin.

"Say it again and you can sleep on the couch." I yawned, kissing him deeply. I ran my hands slowly through his bright hair, wishing there was more of it to grab onto. Like how hot was he in the 70s?!

"Don't forget Vivienne's parents are coming for lunch." I whispered, breaking our kiss and looking out the bathroom window. The first waves of light were filtering through the gaps of the trees, casting finger-like spindly shadows on the ground. Winter was coming to a beautiful end.

"In that case, back to bed. Haven't seen good old Vivienne in a while."

"Just admit that you miss her" I giggled, walking back to bed. Henry laid unmoved since his midnight tantrum, completely calm in his bassinet on Roger's side of the bed. I flopped myself onto the bed, star-fishing in my pyjamas.

"Fine. I miss Old Bean."
________\\________

"So, when are you two getting married? You've got Henry, surely a wedding is next on the list."

Roger's hand squeezed my leg tightly under the table, a signal for me to take over. I looked at him in confusion and pain.

"Dad! Leave them alone! Sorry about him, Rog. He's too forward for his own good." Vivienne reprimanded her father, sitting down next to me.

"It's fine, Vivienne. One step at a time for us. Roger's occupation is very demanding and requires him to be away a lot so everything for us is just one day at a time." I explained, sliding my fingers under Roger's clenched hand. I held onto him, rubbing my thumb over his knuckles in reassurance. He shot a look at me that screamed "can I leave?"

I nodded at him and kissed his forehead. Roger stood up slowly.

"If I may be excused, I'm going to pop outside for a second." He announced quietly, power-walking out of the room. I glanced at Vivienne, completely confused. Vivienne's mother looked at me from across the table and told me to "go on."

Leaving Henry in Vivienne's care, I made my way down the staircase and out the front door. Outside, Roger was standing with his arms folded across his chest, leaning sideways against the power pole. He turned as I closed the front door behind me, looking at me with a frown.

"What are you following me for?" He questioned, with a slightly bitter undertone.

"I'll tell you once you tell me what's up. It's not like you to do that. Usually I'm grabbing you under the table at family gatherings when questions get too much, not the other way around"

I walked over to him and put one hand oh his cheek, the other on his upper arm. He pulled me into himself and let his hand fall onto my lower back. The smell of his body wash absolutely intoxicated my senses.

"Are you okay with the way things went? Are you okay with me being in Queen? Everything went so fast, like it always does for me. I never looked back to make sure you were runnin' the same pace." Roger confessed, running his palm up and down my spine. I stepped out of our embrace and prepared myself for a grand speech, complete with interpretive dance and hand movements.

"Roger Meddows Taylor. I wouldn't change a thing about anything. I mean yeah, getting together, screwing around and starting a family came quite suddenly, but it's with you so it's okay. As for Queen, of course! I want you to be in Queen. I want you to be cutting records and going on tours because it makes you happy. But even if Queen ended tomorrow, if we lost everything, I'd still love the hell out of you. Even if you do fart in your sleep. As for the married thing, no one else has to care. It's about you and I. It's all good, honey. It's all so very good." I spilt my soul to him, flickering eye contact as I spoke, broken by body movements. Roger half grinned in appreciation, continuing to lean backwards on the metal pole. I stared at the grass and then up at him. He swooped in and kissed me quickly, pulling my leg up to sit my knee against his hip.

"I get that you're trying to be sexy or romantic but you just gave me the biggest wedgie my bum has ever endured." I laughed between kisses. This was why we were together. Romance, for us, was always followed by something beautiful like that.