EVERGLOW | Freddie Mercury (Vol 2) | Freddie Mercury Fanfiction

12. Differences

"Oh stop squabbling you flock of old geese, I'm here." Freddie arrived for rehearsals before tonight's show with Lucy on his arm and his happiness unruffled.

"Finally," Roger sighed and rolled his eyes. "What took you so long?"

"It really doesn't matter," Brian already sounded exasperated and it was only 9 am. "He's here now. So let's just get on with it, can we?"

But Roger circled back to Freddie like a vulture. "What happened to the doughnuts you were s'posed to bring me for stalling for you?"

"Roger! Those deep-fried doughnuts are terrible for you," Freddie covered his mouth as if he had no idea what Roger was talking about. "Plus, I ate them all."

"And I knew he would eat them." Lucy swiped at the corner of Freddie's mouth with her thumb. "So I got an extra one for you."

Finding the offering sufficient for their agreement, Roger bit the doughnut in his mouth and accepted the treat with a content wink while he twirled his drumsticks between his fingers.

John Reid poked his head into the morning sorting and made his first order of business to follow up with her. "Lucy did you—"

"—Yes I did. The venue's been notified and they'll get it set up just the way Freddie asked." Lucy rubbed Freddie's shoulder and let him go prepare for his run throughs.

"You actually figured out how to get them to agree to everything Freddie wanted to add?"

"Just like you asked," she winked at him while she handed a few donuts to Ratty. "What did you expect?"

"To hear that you're out knocking on the gates of hell on some mission." John folded the papers in his hand in half and gave them to Lucy.

"Special situations require special forces, Mr. Reid."

"Behave, Lucy..." John Reid tilted his head and left her with a reminder, clearing the rehearsal space so the band could begin.

"Freddie will make sure I behave. Or else he'll come get me..." She held out her arm for Freddie who then hugged her waist with a microphone in his hand.

"How's my hair, dear—can you check—does it look okay? Or does it look like I showered as fast as I could after a morning swim with my girlfriend?"

"John—" Paul tried to report to him before he took off, but John Reid could already tell by the tone of his voice he was prepared to create the perfect 'I told you so' moment that would get him on board with his ideas.

Yet before he could get his words out, Roger and Brian headed him off with a tag team shutdown of the stark and sudden changes they knew he'd push for.

"C'mon, Paul. Be a team player. Don't be so divisive." Lucy raised her voice to intervene. "And can you let it rest, Brian? Just for a little bit, okay? If he doesn't get it, he will."

Freddie threw one of his arms around Paul's shoulders and shook him. "Relax, relax... See? My Lucy has everything under control so let's all just get on to the music."

"Yeah tell him to fucking relax," Roger all but snubbed the passive settlement in favor of egging on any reason to fight. "Bring on the final fucking shows—I'll be happy to get him away from me,"

"Easy, Roger.." Lucy pressed her hand into his chest to back him away from Paul. Unwilling to back down, Roger resisted until Lucy's mindful nudge became a demanding shove.

"Please find a way to calm down," she softened her tone and he couldn't help but be reminded of the first time he saw her breaking up a fight at his concert and not wanting any consequences that follow.