Love Is Real (Maylor)

Leaving Home Aint Easy

"My dad's dead, Roger."

Roger felt his face fall as he stepped towards the taller man.

"Bri, I'm so sorry-"

"Stop, just... just stop, okay?" Brian put a hand out in front of him to push him away. "I-I'm just here to grab a few things and then I'm leaving."

"To your parents?" Freddie asked, standing behind Roger. "Brian, maybe we should take a minute. Talk. We're here for you."

"The funerals tomorrow. Then I'm staying with my mother for a while." He said, his voice void of any emotion despite the tears stained on his pale cheeks. He clenched his jaw as he ignored Freddie's words.

"I can go with you." Roger said softly, looking at him. "You don't have to do this alone."

"No. I-I can't. You just... I need to be alone for now. I'm sorry, but I can't..." Brian rubbed his face, swallowing the lump in his throat.

"You can't what?" Roger asked carefully, furrowing his eyebrows at him, he looked at him with cautious eyes.

"I just lost my father, Roger. I'm not worried about a fucking relationship." Brian snapped before pushing past him to go into their bedroom to pack his things.

Roger stood frozen in his spot with his mouth slightly agape. This was a dream. It had to be. Brian's father was fine. The phone lines were down. Brian loved him. He wasn't ending this.

"Roger..." Freddie's soft voice came behind him before he felt a hand on his shoulder.

Roger couldn't respond, John called his name a few times but it fell on deaf ears.

Brian emerged from the bedroom with a few bags, heading straight for the door.

"Don't bother calling, Roger." He said without turning around before slipping out with a slam of the door.

It was real. It wasn't a dream. It wasn't some sick nightmare. It was really over.

Freddie wrapped his arms around him tightly, soon John followed suit and embraced him as well.

Roger couldn't even cry. His body was stiff and his eyes wide. "It's over..." he breathed, the arms around him getting tighter.

"No, no, darling. He's upset right now. He'll be calling with an apology before you know it." Freddie said, looking at him with an uncertain gaze.

Roger bit his lip and shook his head. "I-I think I'm just going to go to bed now."

"Rog..." John frowned, putting a hand on his shoulder. "He loves you..."

"He just broke up with me, Deaky. I just... I don't know what to do." Roger said, tears forming in his eyes.

"We're here when you need us." Freddie said softly, pulling him in for a hug. "We love you. And Brian does too. He's going through something awful. Just give him some time."

Roger nodded, biting his lip nervously. Give him time. Give him space. That's manageable.

"I'll go with it. If he really wants this to be over then... I guess there's not much I can do about it." He sniffled, taking comfort in his friends arms.

The two men shared a sad look before holding the blond tighter. It was hard seeing him so broken up, but Brian must be feeling quite terrible too. They all knew he was close to his father, how they made his guitar together. They knew how he recently came around to Brian's musical career and had told him how proud he was.

"I just want to be there for him... He gets so destructive of himself when he's upset." Roger looked up with teary eyes. "I don't want him to hurt himself."