Within the Mist- Maylor

Assumptions

Nothing had changed since that night when John and Freddie were arrested on behold of the others and Roger's breakdown. His behavior hadn't shifted one inch, still stuck in the same mentality, a destructive one. Mind never left the pit of doubt, the one where he got no answers to anything but one thing was certain, he was coming closer and closer to figuring out the truth hidden away from him all of these years and he would do anything for it. To his utter dread, that meant having to push the thoughts away to focus on his normal life. 

Brian didn't stop worrying about him and Roger never wanted to put that pressure on someone, so he put on a fake disguise. The one who showed that he was fine and didn't have the idea of putting oneself in danger to find answers to his questions. A slight tinge of annoyance filled Roger for himself every time Brian came to him worried, somehow if this was all his fault and that Brian was growing tired of him with each time Roger became one of his concerns. That's why he stopped being one of them. 

Making sure that he stayed out of trouble, he instead succumbed into a carefree person, one that had no problems whatsoever and made everyone believe that there wasn't anything else going on that would turn his world upside down. It worked for the meanwhile, Brian hadn't been stressed out over him in a long time and that was how things were going to keep going, unless something else had to go and fuck things up, in that case, Roger didn't have a clue on what to do. But as long as he had this under control, he was fine. 

Another day to get through and he was set to go. Brian and him had agreed to meet up somewhere, not a date per say, but a little meetup. Lots of good memories made, would've been better if Roger could be his real self but that couldn't happen. He would ruin Brian again and he didn't want to happen so soon, considering how emotionally fragile he was. Going back home, they walked along, minding their own business when the ground beneath them started rumbling. It wasn't a light rumble, but a heavy one that brought unpleasant feelings to Roger. Stomach turning with knots and twists, heart raced with the shaking growing stronger and louder. Having no idea what it was, he nearly jumped at the sight of 3 reporters appearing in front of both of them out of the nowhere, their mics in their face, greedy for answers.

"So, how is life now that you're no longer the most famous advertisement man in the world, Mr. May?"

He stayed speechless at their questions, struggling to take in what went on around him. He croaked out a few inaudible words before the scene was taken away by the mob of interviewers flooding in one after the other, crowding up the area and pushing anyone in the way out. Camera flashes erupting out of multiple cameras at once, blinding their sight. The chatters and shouts of the reporters mixing together to form one giant cluster of voices, unable to hear a single one of them. They buzzed around in Roger's mind that filled in the empty spaces with his own own dark voices that were only there to tear him down, blurring his thoughts and becoming louder and more menacing with each passing second. It wouldn't stop but with one question, everything changed.

"Who is this with you, Brian? A boyfriend of some sort? Are you homosexual, Mr. May?"

No.

"No, I'm just a friend of his!" Roger shot back, seeing how Brian was stunned at the question, freezing up in place. Before that, he ached to answer otherwise when the horrible consequences came to mind if he'd answered differently, so he said what seemed reasonable to him at the moment. Expecting them to fuck off and leave them alone, they shut out Roger's response and continued with what they were on to.

"Or is it that this man right here is only with you for the money and fame that you will someday gain back?"

That was when it stopped. Brian went silent, lost in his own thoughts. The reporters only kept firing questions at him, expecting immediate answers. That question was enough for him to get shot back into his own mind, his blank one. He'd never thought about it in that way, but why? All the events leading up to now replayed in his head. His first day, all those favors Roger had done for him, he should've known better. Now he would have to pay him back, that's what Roger was waiting for all this time. Everything made sense now, the puzzle pieces fitting together to form the harsh truth of him. He'd been lied to since the very beginning.

"How could you?!" he screamed at him.

Roger jumped back at his words, their hostile nature growling in them. What was going on? Brian never acted like this towards him and seeing this side of him rattled him to the core.

"What did I do?!"

He scoffed at his response, annoyance filling his voice. The reporters crowded the scene, centering their microphones on Brian who was slowly turning into a monster in front of everyone.

"You know exactly what you did. Stop fucking lying to me! All those favors, you're now expecting me to pay you back for everything. But that doesn't matter, that's exactly what you want, isn't that right, Taylor?!"

"No, I—"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP YOU SELFISH MOTHERFUCKER!"

The lump in Roger's throat ached to escape, his voice being lost with the panic that filled him, at the same time being mixed with the hurt and sting of Brian's words. The ones he never wanted to hear from him. The sound of him cursing him out was a sound that would haunt him from now on, seeing Brian's face was even worse. All creased in anger and showing no signs of stopping soon. The ache of the tears begging to be let out were shut out once more, he couldn't cry now, especially in front of everyone. All he could do was stand there in pure shock, letting Brian continue to do his thing.

"I never want to see you again and don't you dare come looking for me!"

Taking one more look at Roger, he whipped around on his heel and was off, storming away from the mob of paparazzi following behind him. He was left there, with his heart broken to say the least. The urge to let his feelings out overtook him and that was when he couldn't take it anymore. Going over to find a place to cry, he shut out all the voices chattering behind him who only added the mess going on inside of him, tearing at his self worth. That was it, the end of Brian and Roger's bond.