Real Life or Fantasy? - 'Bohemian Rhapsody', Roger Taylor

We Belong Together

The five managed to make it through all four jugs of beer, with some snacks in between. Mal and Roger made sure not to drink as much as the others though, for they still had their own promised celebrations to fulfill and wanted some alone time as a new couple.

They had seen Freddie and John home safely, and when they arrived back at the May's flat Mal and Rog supported the very drunk Brian between them and carried him straight up to bed, where he promptly fell asleep. He, Freddie, and John were probably going to have nasty hangovers.

Now the next morning Mal snuggled up against Roger, reaching up to run her fingers through his golden hair, his fingers tracing gentle patterns along her arm. Before Brian woke up Roger would go and arrange himself on the couch downstairs to make it look like he had spent the night there (they had planned it all out), but for now, they happily lay in each other's arms.

"I kind of like keeping it a secret," she said, breaking the comfortable silence between them.

He chuckled. "It hasn't even been a day."

"I know." She snuggled closer.

"We'll just have to get the others shit-faced drunk more often." Both laughed at this, remembering their very drunk friends the night before.

"Speaking of, I'd better go check on Big Brother." He didn't usually drink that much, so she thought checking in couldn't hurt.

"Aww, you're leaving me," Roger whined jokingly.

"Oh, quit your whining, you. I'll be right back, I promise." She pecked his lips before slipping out of bed and quickly throwing on her bathrobe before heading down the hall to Brian's room, where she found him exactly where they had left him the night before, in the exact same position: on his stomach face down on the bed, snoring softly.

She chuckled, tip-toeing into the room to place a kiss on the mass of curls atop his head. "Sleep well, Big Brother."

Before leaving, she paused in the doorway, hesitating, and finally turned back to face the sleeping heap that was her brother. She crept back over to him and leaned over his ear. "Rog and I are dating," she whispered. There, now she felt a little less guilty keeping it from him.

She half expected him to shoot awake, suddenly all sobered up by her confession, ready to storm into her room and drag Roger out of her bed. But he didn't even budge.

With that, she returned to her room where she found Roger also exactly where she had left him, laying in bed half-covered by the sheets. She took a moment to admire him, her Rog.

"How is he?" Rog asked.

"Sound asleep." She crawled back into bed beside him. Then she added, "I told him."

Now he looked at her, confused. "Oh - I thought you said-"

"He's still passed out, asleep. But I just feel better saying it to him, even if he won't remember. I just felt a little guilty keeping it from him, that's all."

He nodded. "Well, now if he asks, you can say you told him, and that he just doesn't remember."

She chuckled. "Oh you and your schemes. But yes, that's true."

After a little while longer of snuggling, and Brian still not awakening, Mal and Rog headed downstairs to the kitchen to prepare something to eat.

They were in the middle of making pancakes and coffee when heavy footsteps filled the kitchen, followed by a groan.

"Morning Brian," said Mal, chuckling at his dishevelled state. "Would you like some coffee?"

"Yes, please. Strong as possible." Brian collapsed into a chair at the table, brushing his now very messy curls out of his face. "You didn't make it home last night, Rog?"

"Naw, had to help Mal get you inside and up the stairs and into bed. You were so out of it, Mate."

"Yeah, feels like it."

"Then I just crashed on the couch for the night."

"Oh." Brian nodded slowly, rubbing his eyes. While he was doing so, Rog winked at Mal.

"You two seem to be faring pretty well," Brian observed, they obviously much less effected by the drinks than he was.

The two in question exchanged a glance. "Yeah," answered Mal, smiling. "We're just fine."

-------------------------------

The band was currently waiting to meet with their potential manager, John Reid. Luckily, everyone was over their hangovers and as chipper as ever for today.

"Wow - I didn't know it was fancy dress, Fred," remarked Brian as Freddie emerged out onto the patio wearing a white leather jacket with an elaborate, spiky collar.

"Well I've got to make an impression, Darling." Freddie held out his arms to show off his fancy jacket.

"You look like an angry lizard," Brian joked, making the others laugh. "It's your best work, really. Real subtle."

"Can I borrow it for Sunday church?" joked John as Freddie sat down.

A man in a suit joined them then, and everyone straightened up. This was John Reid.

"So, this is Queen," Reid said. He looked across the table at Freddie. "And you must be Freddie Mercury. You've got a gift, you all have. So tell me, what makes Queen any different from all the other wannabe rock stars I meet?"

"I'll tell you what it is," Freddie quickly jumped in. "We're a group of misfits who don't belong together, playing for all the other misfits, the outcasts, at the back of the room who're pretty sure they don't belong either. We play for them. We belong to them."

Mal thought that was beautifully put.

"We're a family," Brian told Reid.

"But no two of us are the same," added Roger.

"That's what makes us so special," added Mal. "We're all so different and yet we fit together perfectly."

A young man arrived and brought a cup of tea for Reid. "Paul Prenter, meet Queen," Reid introduced. "Our new signing. Paul will be looking after you day-to-day."

Paul nodded to them. "Pleasure."

"If I can get you on the radio, then maybe I can get you on television," Reid explained. The group was trying hard to contain their only increasing excitement.

"Top of the Pops?" Roger asked, a gleam in his eyes.

"Hopefully."

"And then?" said Freddie.

"'And then'?" chuckled Reid. "It's only the biggest television program in the country. And no one's ever even heard of you! Look, I admire your enthusiasm, but if it goes well, if it happens, I've got a promotional tour of Japan in mind." He let that offer linger as the band exchanged excited glances and smiles.

Mal felt Rog grasp her hand beneath the table and give it an excited squeeze. They shared a grin, she squeezing his hand back.

Freddie was nodding. "We'll want more."

"Every band wants more," Reid told him.

"Every band's not Queen," spoke up John.

"Exactly!" Freddie agreed.

Reid chuckled. "So this is Queen, huh?"

"Yes, Darling," confirmed Freddie. "This is Queen."

(Thank you so much for the 200+ reads! :D Thanks so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!)