Mal seemed in slightly better spirits the next day - she was eating again, so that was definitely an improvement. She was still actively avoiding Roger though - or as much as she could do, sharing and house and being in a band with him and collaborating with him on said band's new album venture.
It was driving him - and, quite frankly, everyone else - slightly mad.
Roger was certain that if he didn't make more of an effort, he would lose Mal forever. He also knew that if he didn't make some progress soon, Brian would attack. The guitarist's threat still lingered.
"Mal." Roger knocked on the door to her room. Usually she left it wide open, so that anyone passing by may peek in and say hello. But it had been sealed shut for the last few days. "Mal, I know you're in there. And I know you probably don't want to talk to me, and you don't have to, but will you at least listen?" She didn't answer, so he continued. He would start, and if she told him to shut up and piss off, then he would.
He had desperately wanted to fix things between them right away, but had also wanted to give her some space. She had clearly wanted it, and he respected that.
Now, he needed to fix things once and for all.
With that he launched into speaking, wanting to say everything in case she shut him down. "I'm a total wanker, and you've got every reason to be upset. Every reason."He sighed, sinking to the floor and sitting with his back against the door, continuing to speak. Still, she said nothing, and so he plunged onward. "With girls, I always know what to say. Except with you. I always get tongue-tied. Which is why I'm making such a mess of this right now. I love you. I love you, and I know I messed up, and I'm sorry, so sorry. You deserve better, but I hope you can at least forgive me-" He stopped.
She was standing there in the hall, facing him.
"Mal!" He jumped to his feet. "I thought you were in your room."
"I was, but I had to use the loo."
"So you weren't in there listening?"
"No."
"How much did you hear?"
"All of it. I stopped and stood in the hall when I heard you."
"Oh, well, well I'm glad you heard it..." He rubbed the back of his neck. "With you, it's different."
"Sure."
"No, I'm serious, it is. Please believe that."
"I was believing it."
"I love you, Mal."
"I thought you loved your car."
"Mal-"
"I know, sorry, couldn't help myself." She was smiling a little.
"Can we talk?"
"Soon, yeah."
He nodded. "Soon. Okay."
"Okay."
------------------------------------
"Alright Darlings, this is a new song I've been working on," Freddie announced, passing music sheets around to everyone. "Let's give it a go, shall we?"
"Always up for that, Fred," said Mal. "What it called, your song?"
"Somebody to Love."
"I like that."
"Thank you, Dear. So do I." He winked.
They began. Freddie and Mal began singing the first verse.
"Can, anybody, find me
Somebody to-"
She broke off, not finishing the verse. Everyone stopped playing.
"Mal?" questioned Brian.
"Sorry, I can't do this. At least not until-" She turned to Roger. "Freddie, Brian, John, would you mind giving Roger and I a moment, please?"
"Now? For what?" said Brian, but Freddie shooed him and John out of the room.
"What is it?" asked Roger, standing up from the drum kit. "Everything alright?"
"Can we talk now?'
"Of course."
"I wonder what they're saying in there-" Freddie pressed his ear to the door.
"Don't listen in, we should give them some privacy," protested John.
"I love you too," Mal said.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. And I forgive you. But this is your last chance."
"Yes, yes, and I won't break it, I promise." They embraced.
"Alright boys, thank you, you can come back in now," she called.
The door opened and the three returned. "Everything alright?"
"Yes, everything's good now."
"Good. Glad to hear it. Now let's do this!" Everyone took their places with their respective instruments and Freddie struck the first note on the piano.
"Can, anybody, find me
Somebody to-"
"Love...." chanted everyone at once.
"Chills!" exclaimed Freddie. "Let's keep that up!"
"Ooh, each morning I get up I die a little
Can barely stand on my feet
Take a look in the mirror and cry
Lord, what you're doing to me
I have spent all my years in believing you
But I just can't get no relief, Lord!
Somebody, somebody, ooh somebody, somebody
Can anybody find me somebody to love?"
They continued through the whole song, Mal getting more and more into it the longer they went - performing like her old self.
"Find me somebody to love
Find me somebody to love
Find me somebody to love
Find me somebody to love
Can anybody find me-"
She met eyes with Roger, Freddie giving the final line to her to sing on her own. "-Somebody to love?"
There was a final burst of music and the song finished.
There was a beat of silence following the end of the song, before everyone began cheering and laughing.
Oh, it was good to be back.
(Okay, so this is my favourite Queen song and, as a hopeless romantic, it's also my personal anthem! ;) It's also the first, or one of the first, Queen songs I ever heard, in a movie called 'Ella Enchanted' which I loved as a kid - anyone else know this movie?
This song will always hold a special place in my heart! :.) The version Queen does with George Michael is also very good, but it's also really sad because that version was for the Freddie Tribute Concert (Love you Fred!)
Haha, I'm getting all nostalgic over here! ;) Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter! :))
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Real Life or Fantasy? - 'Bohemian Rhapsody', Roger Taylor
Fanfiction"Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?" London, 1970. Mallory May has been begging to join her brother's band for ages, and when the lead singer quits and they are searching for a new vocalist and bass guitar player, she might just find her...
