Feelings Long Buried - Roger Taylor

August 1972

While Y/N loved the boys, their marathon recording and writing sessions were always rough. Every single one of them tested everyone's patience, with the tension getting pulled tighter with every song, and had more than one fight over a lyric or riff. More often than not, it was the two biggest divas of the band, Roger and Freddie, but sometimes the everyone took part of the yelling. Like that disgustingly hot August night recording their first album, where Roger and Brian were at each other's throats over the lyrics of "Doing Alright." Roger wanted to tweak the original for the album, while Brian thought the original was fine as it was.

John, Y/N, Mary, and Roger's most recent hook up were slumped on the studio's couch, exhausted by the argument, while Freddie tried to run interference. It didn't help that the heat outside was seeping through the walls and made them sticky with sweat.

"All I'm asking is to up the energy! This is our first album, we need to be intense and eye catching!" Roger shouted, gesturing tiredly with his arms. Brian rubbed his hands over his face with a sigh escaping his lips.

"We need variety," the guitarist started calmly, but that calm sounded easily broken. "We already have 'Keep Yourself Alive,' 'Modern Times Rock and Roll.' If we don't have some relief from the anthems, some bloody dynamic," Brian's voice began to rise quickly, "then the album will fail! We'll be over before we start, it's as simple as that!"

"Bri may have a point there-" Freddie tried to dial down the tension. Tried.

"No he doesn't!" Roger interrupted quickly.

Y/N glanced around her and noticed that Mary was asleep, with everyone else not far from it themselves. She then looked to her watch; 3:08 am. They'd been recording for ten hours at that point, and this argument had taken up the past forty minutes of it. It seemed everyone had had enough.

"Alright," Y/N said as she got to her feet. The three who were arguing turned their attention to her. "I think I speak for all of us when I say, this has gone on for too bloody long," she sighed. A few groans of agreement came from the couch. "Now, you still have tomorrow to record, and it's three in the bloody morning. Can we all agree to settle this tomorrow?"

"We have to decide this! If Brian could just open his mind a fraction of an inch-" Roger interrupted but was interrupted himself.

"If Roger could just leave well enough alone, we wouldn't be having this argument in the first place!" Brian retorted. Ten hours, and one pain in the ass argument, is what made Y/N snap.

"Oh for the love of God! You're both exhausted, stubborn, and clearly not getting anywhere by shouting at each other!" Y/N matched their volume in an attempt to get through to them. As she walked towards Brian, Roger, and Freddie, she was sure to put a hand on each of the fuming musician's shoulders. "Maybe if you two got some food, got some sleep, you'd be able to talk about this like rational adults instead of screaming like children," she said casually but her eyes were pleading with the both of them to just drop it for now.

Roger and Brian maintained a disagreeing eye contact, jaws clenching and hands on their hips, before finally standing down. Everyone in the room sighed in relief. They all got to their feet and milled about gathering their things, and Y/N let her arms and eyelids fall through a sigh. Whatever energy Y/N had had left, most of it went into breaking up that fight. She was almost unaware of Brian's apology.

"Sorry, Y/N," he muttered tiredly. Her sluggish eyes were pried open again at the apology, and she cracked a smile to Brian's surprise.

"It's been a while since I've seen you so vocally passionate," she joked and threw a fatigued hug around Brian's torso. "Alright, sleep is calling me," Y/N added as they pulled away.