speechless | roger taylor

twenty six

"Jesus Christ," Elise groaned, kicking her left leg over her right as she watched the fight break out in front of her. Freddie, Brian and Roger were arguing over something; she wasn't sure what, though. Maybe vocals, she thought.

"They never shut up," John said. "Do they?"

"Doesn't seem like it. Still love them, though," she laughed, resting her head on his shoulder. She'd missed the small displays of affection with her best friend—she was too caught up with Roger to show him the love that she used to. "I missed this."

"Missed what?"

"Us," she replied. John wrapped his arm around the girl and pulled her into his side, his hand clasping with hers. Roger noticed the two from the corner of his eye and his heart swole at the sight of Elise so happy with her best friend. If it had been anyone else holding her like that, he'd be instantly mad, but he knew that they had a bond like no-one else. 

"I missed it too," he said. "Are you happy? With Rog, I mean."

She nodded, closing her eyes as the fight continued in front of them. "I really am. I don't know—I saw all of those things in the tabloids and the stories you told me about how he had a new girl every day, but I don't see it. I get how girls can fall at his feet, it's Roger, for crying out loud, but he just...he seems so different from the stories I've heard."

"You know, he hasn't let a single girl touch him since the day I took you to meet him?" he told her, a gleam of happiness in his eyes. 

"Really?" John nodded in reply and her heart swole at the thought of her being his only one forever. 

"Can you believe that was two months ago?" he asked, watching as Roger stood up angrily from his drum kit. 

"It feels like it's been a week," she sighed contentedly. "Time flies by fast when you're having fun, hey?"

"It does," he laughed. "Can you believe I'm 24 in just a few days?" 

"I can't believe I am 24," she told him. "Have you heard from Veronica about Robert lately?"

"Yeah," he told her. "He's a loud cryer. I can't believe I'm missing the first month of his life."

Elise moved from his side and crossed her legs so she was sitting sideways on the small couch, facing John. "She knows there's nothing that you want more to be there with her. She understands, Deaks."

"What if she doesn't forgive me?" John asked, his voice soft. "It's our first child and I'm not there to be a dad. What if she hates me?"

"I know Vera, and she doesn't hate you. She might be the slightest bit upset because of the hormones and lack of sleep, but you'll make it up to her. She loves you."

"Thank you, Ellie," he smiled. She hugged him to the best of her ability from her position, burying her face in his hair. Their small moment of happiness was abruptly interrupted by the sound of a drumstick hitting the wall behind Brian's head, snapping instantly on impact.

"What the fuck did you guys do?" she yelled, standing up from the couch. The three screaming men quieted down, turning to Elise with guilty looks on their faces. Each of them looked as if they had been caught stealing cookies from the cookie jar. "Talk!"

"Well—!"

"Freddie wasn't happy—!"

"Brian wouldn't shut the fuck up about—!"

The boys continued to yell over each other, attempting to tell the younger girl their side of the story. She turned around with her hands on her hips and looked at John with an expression of disbelief plastered across her face. He shrugged and she turned back at the boys, taking a deep breath.

"All of you, shut up!" she said. "Freddie, what happened?"

"Roger's voice was too crackly and Brian wasn't focusing on his fucking notes!" he said. "Roger sounded like he'd been screaming for seven hours straight! And this dumb song! Don't even get me started!" 

Roger opened his mouth to protest but the look on Elise's face made him close it immediately. "Brian, tell me your side."

"I can't do anything with these two idiots bickering at each other constantly. How 'm I supposed to focus on my notes when these two are yelling at each other over things as dumb as the colour purple!"

"I doubt they were arguing about the colour purple," she sighed. "What song are you guys recording?"

"It's Roger's stupid car song," he informed her. "Have you ever seen the lyrics?"

"No?" she replied, looking at Roger. "I haven't."

"Come on, guys. We need a ten-minute break to calm down," John interfered as he stood up. Brian and Freddie immediately got the hint, backing out of the room with John hot on their heels.

And then, there was just Roger and Elise. 

"Can I see this secret song of yours?" she asked, moving to face him. 

"It was supposed to be a surprise," Roger said, saddened. He turned away from her and went back to his drums, picking up the small piece of paper from the top of the snare drum. He returned back to the girl and handed her the piece of paper, lyrics scribbled in chicken scratch.

She took it from his shaky hand and looked over the messily scrawled words. "'I'm In Love With My Car'?" 

"It's—it's a metaphor. I don't know."

Elise could tell that he was nervous about her seeing the song he wrote, yet she wasn't quite sure why. Of course, it wasn't necessarily the type of song she'd listen to, but she was going to support him either way.

"What's it about?"

"You," he shrugged. "I'm not very good at writing love songs, but..."

"'Tell my girl I'll have to forget her'?" she questioned. "Are you going to leave me for a carburettor?"

"No, no," he laughed. "It's just for the purpose of the song. I worked really hard on it—there's a car called the Lotus Elise. I thought you'd like it."

She looked back down at the lyrics and noticed how wrinkled the paper had been. He did work hard on it. When she looked back up at the blonde man, he was staring down at the ground, fiddling with his fingers. He was never one to be nervous but he poured his heart out into that song, and he was worried that she wouldn't like it as much as he hoped.

His worries were quickly washed away as Elise wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pulling him in for a delicate hug. She made sure not to damage the paper more than it already was, holding it out as she held herself tightly against him.

"I love it," she said. "Trust me."

"Promise?" he asked, a small hint of vulnerability showing through his tough-guy act. She pulled away for a moment to look him in the eye, her hands placed softly on his shoulders.

"I promise. I love you, you know."

Roger smiled, showing off his teeth as his ocean blue eyes met her honey brown ones. "I love you, too."

She moved forward, pressing a soft kiss to his nose. "You better now? Can I bring them back in without you threatening murder?"

The two of them broke out in fits of laughter, their eyes falling on the broken drumstick that laid on the ground not far from them. "I guess so."

"I'm gonna have to get you a new drumstick too, aren't I?" 

"I think so. Did we pack extras?" he asked, moving a piece of stray hair from his eyes.

"Did we pack extras," she mocked teasingly, laughing. "Rog, you break at least four drumsticks a week. I'd be crazy to let you come here without any extras."

He pulled Elise to him by her waist, quickly attaching his lips to hers. She tasted of sweet cherries, and he was sure it was a taste he'd never get sick of. He was head over heels for her in every way possible.

"What would I do without you?" he asked as he pulled away, his hands still firm on her waist.

"Probably run out of drumsticks way too fast."

-

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