Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy (JoeMazzello!JohnDeacon fanfic)

forty

"Do you think he's lonely?"

John looks up from his paper, looking at Roxy to see that she's looking at her beloved cat, who is dozing on the fire escape, "Why do you ask that?"

Shrugging, she takes a sip of her tea, "I've just been thinking...I'm out of the flat for at least eight hours for work, I come back home for maybe an hour and then I'm out again. I just feel like he's lonely, that I'm...I feel like a horrible mother."

"Hey," John laughs, putting the paper down, "You're not a bad mother."

"I was thinking of getting another cat," she admits, cuddling up to his side.

"Yeah?"

She nods, "There are cat places all over the city. I was thinking I might go round some of them today. Maybe ask Freddie to come along."

"He'll enjoy that," John smiles, "Though I think he might try and come home with all of them."

"What do you think?"

"Me?" he asks, "I think it's a great idea."

"You do?" she peers up at him, "I just think that it'll be nice for him to have someone here with him. Someone who can keep him company when there's nobody here."

John nods and leans down to kiss her forehead, "It's a good idea, love."

Looking at the clock, John sees that it's just gone half ten and he lets out a sigh. He had to get going if he wanted to be on time for work, "I gotta go."

Roxanne pouts but lets him get up though she smiles when Casper jumps up on her other side.

"I'll be back later tonight," he says as he pulls on his coat, "I've got to make a stop at my bit to get some clean clothes. It seems that I've been staying here a lot longer than I thought."

Roxanne leans her head back against the couch and smiles, "You love it though."

John grins back at her, stepping closer and leaning down so he can give her a kiss, "I do. And I'll see you later." He scratches underneath Casper's chin, "See you later, buddy."

Roxy watches him go and looks at the cat when he looks at her, "Sometimes I think he likes you more than me."

He meows quietly and bumps his head against hers gently.

Yeah, she was going to get him a friend.

++|++

Of course Freddie said he'd come and at eleven-thirty, Roxy picked him up and he gave her directions to the shelter that he'd gotten one of his cats from; Romeo.

"This place is truly wonderful, darling," he tells her as they get out of the car, "They make sure that every cat is vet checked before they put them up for adoption so you have peace of mind."

He holds the door open for her and after they talk to the receptionist, they're being pointed into the direction of the pens.

As soon as they step inside, Roxanne realises that John could be right, Freddie could go home with numerous cats today.

He goes off ahead of her, saying something about wanting to see if a cat that was here on a previous visit was still here and that if he was, he would be taking him home with him.

She feels for the older cats; some of them had been here for months and probably wouldn't ever get picked because no one really wants a cat that is fourteen or fifteen years old.

If she could, she would take one of them, especially the jet black cat who is seventeen years old and looks like he's staring into her soul but she knows that it wouldn't work. Especially with Casper, who was just under two and though he doesn't sound like he does, he still liked to run around and cause havoc.

"Roxane, darling, come here!" Freddie calls, dragging her attention from the brown and white tabby she's looking at. 

"Oh," she looks up at the clipboard that tells them some information, "He's lovely."

"He came into the centre with a neck wound," Freddie explains, "He was attacked by a dog."

"The poor baby," she murmurs, crouching down to get a better look at the black and orange striped cat who's in the little cubby, "Is this him?"

Freddie nods, "This is Tigger."

What a great name.

"Have you guys heard anything about the album?" Roxy asks as she stands up so she can continue looking into the other cubbies, "It feels as if it's been ages since you went to a meeting or had a phone call."

Freddie shakes his head, "Nothing. The album is perfect but Foster says that they'd rather wait until after Christmas before they release it."

"That makes no sense," Roxanne shakes her head, "Why would they wait? If anything, it should be released before so they have a chance of selling more."

"That's what I thought," he nods, "They're barely letting us have any say in what happens. We don't know what the single is going to be or anything."

"That's such bullshit." 

"I'm inclined to agree." he mumbles, tugging her to a halt next to one of the cubbies, where there's an almost complete black cat, with four white paws and a white diamond marking on the stomach, "Now they're beautiful."

She stands on her tiptoes to read the information clipboard, "His name is Amos and according to this, he's not been in here long, just a couple of weeks."

"Ah yes," a voice says from behind them, which makes Roxanne jump and turn. There's a man with an impressive beard and hair that could give even Brian a run for his money, "That's Amos."

"Amos?" Roxanne repeats, crouching down as the cat comes over to the door, rubbing against the mesh. 

"He has been in our care before but he was adopted by a woman who couldn't handle him. She was in a wheelchair."

"Oh," Roxanne frowns. 

"She just wanted a companion."

"I can understand that," Freddie murmurs while Roxy keeps her eyes on the cat. 

"Would you like to pet him?" the man asks and she nods.  

"Yeah, I think I do."

++|++

okay, so i thought i'd do a little chapter with our angel Freddie and in honour of me getting a furbaby of my own, i thought there was no better place to have them go, than a cat rescue centre. 

PLEASE ADOPT AND DON'T SHOP!