speechless | roger taylor

fifteen

"Freddie! You've seriously got to be quieter," Roger whisper-screamed, hitting his friend's arm with the back of his hand.

"You'll wake Elise!" John told him, his voice as quiet as possible.

"I'm sorry! I'm excited!"

The four of them were scattered around Roger's kitchen table at eight a.m. the next morning, trying to make the most perfect breakfast for Elise's birthday. Roger had called Brian late last night while she was in the shower, hoping that he could muster up a good enough plan to make up for the incident with her family, and thankfully, he had.

Freddie was stood at the stove with a spatula in his hand, cursing under his breath as the grease from the bacon he was cooking splattered at him with his every move, his empty hand on his hip while John was placing purple dahlias in a clear vase on the dining table—Elise's favourite flowers.

Roger was going through his record collection, trying to find a particular record that just had soft melodies on it. It was one that his sister had given him a while back and he had only listened to it maybe twice, but he felt that it'd fit the day. Once he finally found it, he placed it atop his record player but waited to turn it on until he woke up Elise.

Brian, being the most organised and neat person there, was sat on the floor by the dining table, wrapping the presents that each of them got her in a bright blue wrapping paper. His long legs were crossed as he wrapped the small book he'd gotten her as perfectly as he could.

"Breakfast's done," Freddie mumbled after a few moments, sliding the bacon onto a larger plate beside the pancakes and hashbrowns he'd made a little earlier. They'd decided on not making eggs as Elise hated them and they weren't too fussy on them, themselves.

"Should I wake her?" Roger asked, still standing by his record player. Brian was standing now, placing the presents that he'd just wrapped on the kitchen island, stacking them as nicely as he could.

"Yeah," John said, "we'll get everything put together and cleaned up by the time you're out with her."

"Thank you, guys. I really do owe you," Roger smiled thankfully as he turned the record player on, waiting until the soft music played throughout the room.

"You're really head over heels for her, aren't you?" John asked, tilting his head to the side. Freddie was sat atop the kitchen island beside her gifts, kicking his legs all about, a bright grin on his face.

"Don't try and deny it, Rainbow," Freddie chuckled, "we all know you love her. Why haven't you asked her out, yet?"

"She deserves someone much better than me, Fred. Even her father suggested that I'd just cheat on her anyways," he sighed. "She's too good for me."

John laughed sarcastically, as quiet as he could. "Roger, she's just as crazy over you as you are over her. Her father is a piece of shit, he's said that to every boy she's ever brought home."

"But my reputation—"

"Rog, you wouldn't hurt her. When was the last time you even thought of anyone that wasn't her?" Brian asked. Roger looked down at the floor, shifting slightly. "Exactly. You haven't let a single girl touch you since you've met Elise."

Roger knew he was right. There were always multiple girls throwing themselves at him, and for the first time in a very long time, he shoved them off. The thought of anyone touching him other than Elise made his skin crawl.

"You're right," he said. "I dunno. I'll figure it out, yeah?"

"We know you will," Freddie laughed. "Go wake up Elise before all my hard work goes to waste," he told him, motioning towards the food he'd spent the last half hour cooking.

Roger chuckled and nodded, walking over to his bedroom door and opening it as quietly as he could. He turned back at the boys for a moment and pressed his index finger to his lips, silently telling them to be quiet as they finished up the small touches.

Roger shut the door behind him and gently sat down on the bed beside his sleeping beauty, revelling in how peaceful she looked for a moment. He rested his hand on her arm and shook her awake lightly, a smile on his face as she stirred awake.

"Hello, flower," he mumbled, helping her sit up. "Happy birthday, darling."

"Thank you, Rog. Why'd you wake me? I'd much rather stay in bed all day," she asked with a fake pout on her face, trying not to giggle.

"Come on, you've gotta get up. If you don't, I might just have to carry you myself," he shrugged, poking at her side playfully.

"Only because I don't want you carrying me and making me knock my head into walls," Elise laughed, sliding out of bed. She walked around to her bags and shuffled through it for a pair of pyjama bottoms, the cold air on her legs making her shiver.

Roger watched her as she slid a pair of black checkered bottoms on, fluffing her hair in the slightest before turning around to face him. "Am I pretty?"

He laughed wholeheartedly and nodded. "You're always pretty. Come on, there's something I'd like to show you."

He pulled the drawer of his nightstand open and picked up a soft scarf before closing it once more, striding over to the birthday girl. "Close your eyes," he whispered, placing the scarf over her eyes as a blindfold.

"Are you going to make me walk into a wall?" Elise asked, holding her hands out in front of her as Roger led her into the kitchen.

"No," he chuckled, "I've got to open the door, please do not walk into it."

She let out a squeaky laugh as he opened the door before continuing to walk through the small flat and into the kitchen where Brian, Freddie and John were standing around the kitchen island, a wide smile on each of their faces.

"Did you get me a giraffe? I don't see the need for a blindfold," Elise whined, her hand flying to Roger's bicep as she nearly tripped.

"You don't see the need for a blindfold because, petal, you're blindfolded. You can't see."

Elise stopped in her tracks and turned her head towards Roger's voice, her mouth open. "You absolutely fucking suck at jokes."

Freddie had a hand clasped over his mouth, trying his best to hold in his laughter at Roger's joke. Roger chuckled and stepped in front of Elise, his hands coming up to her blindfold. He carefully untied it and balled it up in his hands as Elise adjusted to the lights, blinking her eyes over and over until she could see.

"Surprise!" the four boys exclaimed, throwing their hands in the air. A wave of joy washed over her as she looked around the room, everything hitting her at once.

"You all did this? For me?" she asked, tears brimming in her eyes. John walked over to her from where he was stood at the kitchen island, holding his arms out for his best friend.

"We did," he smiled as she walked into his embrace. His arms wrapped around her as tightly as he could and she buried her face in his hair, giggling as it tickled her face.

"I love you," she choked out.

John pulled away from her. "I love you, too."

"Enough with the sappiness! I spent a half hour cooking this food and if we don't hurry and eat it, it'll be cold!" Freddie whined, taking a seat at the dinner table.

Elise chuckled and moved to sit down beside him, a bright smile on her face as she pressed a friendly kiss to his cheek. "Thank you, Freddie. Thank you, all. I'm so grateful for you guys."

"Thank us with hugs later, yeah?" Brian laughed, motioning between him and Roger as the three of them sat down. "Haven't even seen the presents we've gotten you."

"If I find a giraffe in one of those boxes, someone is getting hit."

-

[ so excited for the next chapter x sorry this is so late! ]