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hoopdiddies · 6 years ago

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Burn This Out (Roger Taylor x F!Reader) Part 2

Edited.

A/N: Late update as I've been entirely busy this week and probably will be for the next 12 months. I might have to post a new chapter per week to manage my time better. As usual, feedbacks are much appreciated! ♥

Summary: She and Roger are just friends now and that he has completely moved on with his life, at least that's what Y/N thinks.

WC: 4k+

Warnings: Angst, fluff, mentions of alcohol, smut implication

Tags: None. Taglist is still definitely open :')

I made a playlist for this series.

Parts: 1

- - - - - - -

"I'm not!" You state strongly, wrapping your arms around the amp for the last time to carry it out. You huff at how your limbs have taken the consistency of gelatin.

"Well, I trust that you won't drop it the second time so please, let me help you." Roger insists as he cracks his knuckles, a lazy yet closed smile tugging on his lips as he waits for your response. You don't give yourself time to think about it and give in hesitantly tilting your head to one side to beckon him over. Surely the awkward silence between you both as you transport the amp to one of the booths is one thing you ought to shake off later on.

The tiny voice in your head tuts at how you had just greeted him after years void of any contact– an unholy screech followed by the amp to his foot. You were lucky enough to not have caused him any real pain.

Or so you thought.

After setting the amp in a booth, you thank Roger for volunteering and he shrugs in the most casual way possible, his lingering gaze staying on you for a few moments. "You're welcome. It's really not advisable for a lady to take on a hefty load like that."

You make a pshaw sound with your mouth as you walk towards the door past him, slightly flustered but not surprised at your small talk. "I'm okay, 'gers. I'll be doing this for some days at least."

His brows shoot up in awe upon hearing you call him by the nickname– which just came out without you being aware of it slipping– you had given him back then, a ghost of a hopeful grin pulling on his lips. He opens his mouth to say something sound and witty, hoping to make you feel at ease but is interrupted by Liam stepping into the room with a cup of coffee in hand that's meant for you.

"Oh, there you are. Goodness, you had me a little worried. " Liam gushes as he hands you the cup yet the relieved smile on his face fades as he finds you with some company– company being Roger– inside such a compact room, suddenly looking as if he's about to question what you both were up to.

"Thanks, Li and don't worry. I just transferred the last of the amps and it was work." You roll your eyes to the back of your head jokingly, popping the plastic lid of the cup open and bringing the rim of the cup to your lips.

"Don't tell me you were doing all the heavy lifting?" He takes you by the shoulders and looks down at you with brows disheveled and drawn together, the little, jerking motion produced from it nearly spilling a bit of your drink.

"Ah no. Roger actually helped me out and I nearly crushed his foot with the last amp. By the way, Roger, you've met Liam– my boyfriend." You reintroduce Liam to Roger, miraculously leaving out feeling awkward for the sake of composure after heaving out a quiet apology and he smiles at Liam in mild acknowledgement.

Liam flicks his eyes to the jittery blond and then back to you, darting them back to Roger once more to thank him. "Well then, mate. Thank you. Though I must apologise on behalf of her untimely clumsiness."

Oddly enough, yours and Roger's eyes expand in unison at that, out of amusement and disbelief, respectively.

"Please don't. I'd rather you appreciate such 'untimely' clumsiness, all the brightest people have it." You don't mean to assume and never would you ever dream to, but it's almost as though Roger gave you an elusive compliment as his voice cracked later into his last words. He excuses himself from the room to get back to what they are really here for, leaving you a pondering mess next to your boyfriend.

The day progressed longer than you thought but it certainly drew your attention tight to getting everything done before exiting the studio. Freddie asked for your availability in the evening as they had planned to go out for a drink but you had to decline, though you would've loved to tag along. As to poke fun at you, he joked about the reason of you passing the offer being an excuse to avoid Roger but of course, you solidly asserted that it had nothing to do with that.

Freddie very well knows that you broke things off with Rog in the first place and that you are happy in your relationship with Liam– though you hope he's not expecting for you and Roger to reestablish that bond just because they're going to be around for a while to record the second half of their album. You and Roger can remain good friends and that's just it.

That's where you mean to draw the line.

"So like a Bohemian Rhapsody two, but with more soul?" Brian licks his bottom lip after taking a sip of his scotch, creasing his brows together at Freddie who has pitched the sixth track of the album, being Somebody To Love.

"Precisely. You, Roger and John will have fun recording the backing vocals with m-"

"Definitely not. I'm sticking to my schtick." John interrupts Freddie quickly from declaring that he'll be participating in singing and takes a swig of his drink. Freddie shrugs and rephrases with a clap. "You and Roger will have fun recording the backing vocals with me."

"Whatever you say. What d'you think, Rog? Think you still got- Roger?" Brian blinks thrice upon seeing Roger look twice as musingly wistful as the last time while tracing his fingertip around the rim of the glass quietly.

Freddie and John turn their heads to Roger as well, concern written boldly on their faces. "Rog? You alright, mate?" Brian pats his shoulder and Roger responds accordingly, snapping out.

"Huh? Uh, yeah. Were you talking about the sixth track?"

"Yeah. Are you sure you're in good spirits? You look the contrary." Freddie inquires, something Roger dismisses with the simple wave of his hand.

"I'm fine, Fred. On with the song, tell me about it."

Freddie takes into account Roger's tendency to refuse talking about the things bothering him and just goes on with it, not wanting to upset the drummer any more than seeing you with a new guy has. The next day, the boys spend the first half of the morning laying down the melody by John's directions since they'll be working on the fifth song he's recently penned. You're seated by the water dispenser with a notepad in one hand and a pen in the other, humming a tune you had made on the piano last week and trying to put some words into it to pass the time. You bite down hard on your lip at how messy the words seem in your head, ending up ripping a scribbled page and crumpling it frustratingly.

"That sounded ridiculous." You mumble to yourself, ready to write on the blank space until, "I don't think so though."

"Bloody Mary!"

"In case we haven't met, it's Roger." He snorts as he reaches his hand out to shake as a gag and you smack his hand away lightly. "Don't do that! Jeez, that's the second time."

The playful mischief in his eyes doesn't subside. "Okay, sorry. But you seemed to have dropped something." He produces the paper you've discarded and you shake your head with a smirk.

"Dropped that on purpose."

"Why," he straightens the paper and an impressed smile grows on his face as he reads the words you've left undone, "these are pretty good. Did you just write these now?"

Being so unsure about allowing Roger to evaluate it, you nod demurely and feel the heat rise further up to your face at his compliment to your 'bad' lyrics. With the grin on his face stretching even more, his brows perk up as he continues. "You could put this out there, you know?"

"Rog, they're barely lyrics, much less a proper composition. I may have gotten the tune down but I just need some words to top it."

"We'll do something about that. It has the potential to be released." He hands you the paper and you look at him confusingly, scoffing as you take it. "I'm not a recording artist to do so."

He swallows dryly and jerks his shoulders. "Who says you have to be? You have the heart of one."

You very much trust that he's not going to coax you out into releasing a composition. You feel as if you still don't have what it takes though you're trying. "Regardless, what are you doing here? Go drum your heart out or whatever. Poor lads you just left to toil while you're out here complimenting this crap for lyrics."

You put the paper on the dispenser and hop off the stool, ushering him back with a push to which he plays along with by moving on his own accord.

"Am I not allowed to? Those were gold." He tries reasoning out all the while stifling a giddy laugh. Oh god, the guy hasn't changed one bit. He's still much of the motivator as he was back then.

"It's gold when I say it is. Now don't bother me." You roll your eyes playfully and he raises his hands up in surrender, waving at you as he heads back into the live room to help his band mates.

"What was that about?" For the third time this week, you get a good startle as Liam comes into the scene behind you, curious about what he had just witnessed.

"For the love of- nothing. It's just Roger being Roger. " You put your hand up to your chest to catch your breath from the startle inflicted on you. Liam's brows shoot up to his hairline as he teases a proper answer from you. "That sentence has a lot of connotations. By that you mean?"

Much to your surprise, you hear the a tinge of jealousy in his voice and it makes it difficult for you to strangle yourself from cracking up. You had pegged Liam for someone who had tolerance for 'rivalry' as you once told him about Roger yet it's as though he's really not taking the friendly interaction between you and the drummer lightly.

You cross your arms at him, holding back a grin. "By that I mean, he was just being a motivator and definitely NOT flirting with me."

"I didn't ask anything about him flirting-"

"Sure, Li. Tell yourself that," you giggle and stand on the tips of your toes to kiss his nose, his towering stature making it a little hard for you to do so flat on your heels, "You don't have to be jealous about anything, alright? You're the only one who's ever made me feel so...alive."

If he does so, why did it it take you to three whole seconds to say the word?

He softens at your reassurance, stealing a sweet peck from your lips as he wraps his arms around your waist, your semi-public display of affection remaining untouched by external forces. "I'm not jealous but damn, I don't really know what I did to deserve you, Y/N."

"You just found me."

"You know I never could foresee the future years. You know I never could see- what else can I- ah, hold on! Where life was leading...me! " John sighs in content as he jots down the first three lines of the third verse of his song on his notepad, grinning proudly for making it that far in two hours with his lyrics.

"I guarantee you, Deaky. You could undo a heavy downpour with that tune." Freddie compliments John's sunny lyrics to which John blushes as a response. "Oh, Fred, stop."

"I mean, it has a slightly aggressive drop to that part there, John. Are you sure you aren't going to bring back some rain with that?" Brian teases slyly and nudges a dazed Roger by accident, apologizing for a quick moment before noticing the state he is in once more.

"Roger? Seriously, what's gotten into you?" Brian snaps his fingers in front of the drummer to pry him out of the trance he has put himself in as he watches Liam steal a kiss from you on the other side.

Roger responds in the slightest, gulping as he nods while nervously tapping a rhythm on the cajon he's seated on. "I'm alright, Bri. I was just thinking about uh," he turns to face his bandmates while making small circles in the air with his index finger, "the uh- drum line for Deaky's song."

Roger has made the minimal accident of saying something he normally wouldn't say and attracts his bandmates' concern.

"Rog, you never think about your drum lines. You never do, they just come to you naturally. What's really wrong?" Despite having his song on the line, John approaches him to ensure he's doing alright, dissecting his mood to be a bit more fallen this time around.

Roger shakes his head aggressively and scoffs at the sympathy shown by the rest, accidentally catching another glimpse of you on the other side of the glass and scrunching his nose. "I'm swell, alright? Now stop being so mushy and let's get on with it. Is it so bad to think for once in my life?"

"Woah, okay. Don't need to get so gritty about it. We're just concerned." Brian hoists his hands up confusingly and grabs the acoustic guitar next to him to play his demo of the song's tune. With his head hung low and shoulders relaxed, Roger closes his eyes and opens them to a deep inhale, tapping the striking surface of the instrument to find an appropriate rhythm for John's song, the ecstatic feeling that had washed over him when he had the privilege of seeing you smile at him again making his sour smirk curl into a sad smile. Shrewd of the reason behind Roger's gradual change in behavior, the boys sigh at how his recurring heartbreak has affected him, both musically and emotionally. They've always known his split with you made him hit an all time low though he never shows it when he's surrounded by people however seeing you again with someone new this time just did it for him.

Losing you was like losing his rhythm.

"Y/N, what's wrong with your face?" Jesse asks as she pours white sugar into her tea. You avert your gaze from the rainy scene outside the window and shake your head. "What are you-"

"That. Your- your brows." She leans over to reach out to your forehead from her end of the table and flicks your glabella with little force, making you yelp at the blunt pain.

"What was that for?"

"You're welcome. You were in a trance. What were you thinking about?" Jesse takes a brief sip of her tea and waits on for you to answer.

You give away nothing more than a mere, dismissive wave of your hand to quench her curiosity but it doesn't do you any better as she pries again. "Don't give me that bull. What's wrong? Did you and Liam get into a fight?"

"What? No. We didn't."

She clasps her hands together and speculates further, eager to know the truth. "Roger?"

"I-"

"You paused. He didn't do anything, did he? " She pins you flat into your chair with an impaling stare and you shake your head again. "No! Thing is-"

"Thing is?"

You sigh, rubbing your forehead. "Until they finish the second half of their album, everyday is going to be awkward with my ex and boyfriend working together with me involved."

"It doesn't have to be. You're in a relationship and Roger must be over the past completely. Besides, " Jesse downs what's left of her drink and smacks her lips, "the interaction is professional, isn't it?"

Why wouldn't it be? Except that you put some humour into your talk to lighten the vibe between you both. Roger may not have had brought up the past to apologize for what he did but you're quite certain he might just do so in an appropriate time to avoid friction within your work. It's perfectly okay if he chooses to leave it be and not own up to his failure, you've left it all behind anyway.

"Purely. But I have to be frank and tell you that we are still able to share a few laughs like normal people whenever we talk." You slip off your seat and grab something to drink from the fridge.

"It would only be awkward if you make it. Especially when Liam's within a certain radius."

"Especially when Liam's what?" A lilted voice asks from the kitchen entrance and it's no other than Freddie who has let himself in since you and Jesse were deep in your discourse to realize that he had been knocking thoroughly on the front door.

You and Jesse stare agape at Freddie's unannounced entrance and end up laughing at the suddenness. You close the fridge door and stride up to the singer to give him a hug, joking about. "I think you've got the wrong house, sir."

"I hope you don't mind me trespassing, but I had just gotten your address from your man," Freddie pinches your cheek and walks up to Jesse to introduce himself to make up for barging in.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be anywhere...but here?" You wonder, making a steeple of your fingers.

He places his hands on his hips and smirks, pulling out a seat next to Jesse. "Yes indeed but I might need your help with a composition."

You cast solid your gaze to Jesse and back to Freddie, blinking as to make sure you're hearing him correctly. "For real? I mean, you need my help for a song when you literally made every single element of Bohemian Rhapsody a masterpiece."

He shakes his head modestly and flicks his hand down lamely, wanting to dismiss the fact that he did so in a brief interval. "Darling, just the tune. This is going to be for the sixth song which will come out as a hybrid of gospel and rock."

Struck by Freddie's boldness to mix yet again two completely different genres, Jesse's eyes widen at him in awe. "Woah, okay that has to sound good. Can I just say how much I love your work with the latest album? I can't stop headbanging to it shamelessly in my car."

Much to Freddie's joy, he turns to look at a starstrucked Jesse and bobs his head at her in genuine appreciation. "I love you, dear for that."

"Alright. When do we start with that? I still have my piano from before." You rub your temple and Freddie purses his lips together, the pull giving his cheekbones sharper and fuller edges. "I would love to but in the studio of course. I don't want to be a bother to you here."

As a foremost obligation in the early hours of the morning, a straightened out bedsheet free of creases and crinkles does Roger a dulcet mood but this time, he endeavors to leave it otherwise. With a slender, au naturel brunette topping him and sucking on the sweet spot behind his ear, he hisses between his teeth at the sensation, beads of sweat dripping from the tips of his fringe.

"You're- you're that eager, huh sweetheart?" He asks, his voice hoarse from an early morning shag– a chronic activity he's been engaging himself in ever since...that day to rid himself of thoughts of the past, which has proven to be just as ineffective as before now that he had seen you again– only this time with someone new.

All the drinking and one night stands have done him much harm than good, even when his reason of doing so might seem understandable.

As much as he enjoys the physical pleasures of this type of cop out, there's only one touch he would always melt to upon contact and still long to relish for as long he lives– yours.

Unfortunately, it's a jewel he's lost to someone else.

"You're not gonna move up in there?" The girl questions in a sultry tone as she continues marking him, snapping him out of his thoughts.

Unsure what to do since he has effectively tired himself out, he swallows dryly and stutters as the girl's nipping becomes slightly more predatory. "B-Babe. I'd want to but-"

The shrill of his landline by his bedside table saves him the trouble of explaining and he quickly pardons himself to take the call, shifting out from underneath the girl and answering the ring. "Talk."

"What the hell, Rog? It's past 8 and everyone's here except you." It's Brian and he's ineffably pissed on his end.

Roger chuckles and combs back his just-fucked hair, rubbing his eyes in the process of replying. "Wait- everyone? Including Fred?"

"Including Fred. Now get off the line and get your arse here, pronto! I happen to know what you've been doing all night to get up this late."

Unapologetic about his conclusion, Roger glances briefly at the waiting brunette on his bed and draws his bottom lip between his teeth, saying in a gravelly tone. "I've been doing it a lot lately, Bri. But I'll be there in 5."

He hangs up and shoots a narrow gaze at the girl beside him, his deep inhale serving as a casual apology. "Hun, I think I may have to disappoint you for now."

In the midst of having the crew and 2/4 of the band piece the fifth track on the mixing consoles, you and Freddie are busying yourselves as you work on the tune of his song in the live room, tangled cables and wires left spread around the hardwood floor– which you had left for the meantime to help him compose.

In awe of the first half Freddie has played on the piano, you bless him with a sincere smile and praise. "That was beautiful, Fred. I don't think I should add any."

"Oh no, you should! We're not even halfway into the song and you're already underestimating yourself." With Freddie not wanting to make you feel deflated about your skill on the keys, he gives you a little nudge to continue where he's left off but with a tune of your own composition.

As you begin to play your contribution, Freddie lays out the lyrics he's written last night before you and starts singing as he follows through the melody beautifully.

"I work hard...every day of my life...I work til I ache my bones. Now you." He gestures for you to sing along and you reluctantly surrender, playing your continuation of the tune as you do.

"At the end...of the day, I take home...my hard earned pay all on my own."

Shocked to hear you sing demonstratively and in perfect sync with the tune, Freddie gasps as a huge grin starts taking form on his face.

"Y/N, dear, that was-"

"Beautiful."

"Rog. How long have you been standing there?" Freddie asks curiously but full of amusement, brows furrowed at the drummer walking in unannounced. You stop playing immediately the moment your eyes find Roger leaning against the door frame, a genuinely pleased expression gracing his face.

Roger fixes his posture and waltzes up to your direction, blue eyes heavily hooded but full of life as he briefly lays eyes on you– well, as he lays eyes on you. "Just a minute ago. Slipped past Brian to avoid getting five ounces of scolding."

"Have you been out for an epic shag again last night? Is that why you're late?" Freddie asks the unexpected to subtly make fun of the atmosphere between you and Roger, earning a sharp inhale from him and a stifled chuckle from you. Those questions usually get Roger cocky and airy about how good his nights would go with the semi-circle of girls he could bewitch with a single bat of his pretty blues, unlike right now.

He's truly mortified to say the least, since Freddie has asked him right in front of you. He could boast about it to see how you'd react but he wouldn't dare to say a word affirming it.

"What are you- of course not! That's a heap of work." Of course he'd lie with you present.

#queen #roger taylor #70's roger taylor #roger taylor fanfic #roger taylor x reader #queen fanfic #queen band

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hoopdiddies · 6 years ago

Text

Burn This Out (Roger Taylor x F!Reader) Part 1

A/N: Hey everyone! Back with a new series. Anyway, I'll be starting uni again tomorrow so I'll be posting chapters a day after doing so with a current one. Though this chapter doesn't seem as eventful, as always feedbacks are appreciated!

Summary: Roger's been hopeless ever since your split from him. Nothing he has done could ever fill that void except you.

Warnings: An equal amount of fluff and angst for now :) Plus some slight swearing.

WC: 3k+

Tags: @amy-brooklyn99 Taglist for this series is always open!

Masterlist

- - - - - - - - - - - -

1970

Bright, baby blue eyes continue to pose as a distraction for you from ever completing the third half of your thesis, your mindful pen tapping embedding rhythm at every passing second Roger pries your focus away from your temporary studiousness by leaning to your face to plant a quick kiss every three seconds as to presumably relieve you of tension.

He had just finished on the exact same task of ending his thesis with a conclusion whereas you struggle to get the words laid out well on the paper, with him not helping at all. "Rog, please. Can you not?" You bite down on your lip to contain an infectious smile from all his lingering kisses.

"You look tense and I want to help." He twirls his finger around the ends of your hair and as much as you hate to admit it, it feels good.

"You'd be of a great one if you just let me finish this. I don't know how you did yours that quickly but I'm not taking any risks." Ignoring his antics with a deep sigh, you tangle you fingers into your hair and give them a light tug from the roots, just ticked off from the stress. Roger adjusts himself on the sheets and gathers the ends of your hair into a loose bundle in his hands, taking the scrunchie you had left lying on the bedside table and tying your hair with it. "Babe, the paper isn't due until next month."

You turn your head around to look at him with pursed lips. "I know...but I got extracurricular work for half the month. We're that hectic, Rog...or I'm that hectic, you seemed to have finished yours easily," you trail off a bit with a big yawn and it encourages Roger to lay you down on his lap, knowing full well that you are prone to 'dysfunction' if you don't take a time off.

"I did mine with you to reduce all your worrying and anyway, I apologise for finishing sooner. I should've waited for you." He begins stroking your hair as his voice takes on a slightly rough edge, making you glance up at him with one brow cocked.

"Quit humble bragging. I just don't know how you do it."

"Do what?"

You shrug. "Complete every task ranging from mellow to earth-shattering within a short interval."

Though Roger looks as though he couldn't get something done without complaining, he always manages to do the contrary and pull it all off with a carefree smirk and some loose limbs to spare. The last time you checked, you were often called the work-oriented one in the duo– not that Rog isn't considering people's impressions of him– and yet somehow he consistently nails finishing ahead of you like most of the time he never even tries.

It mesmerizes you so much...at the same, ticks you off.

He rakes his hand through his shaggy, blond hair and narrows his eyes as to think. "Well, advice for you, princess," he lowers his head and brushes his lips on your forehead, whispering in the sweetest of tones and your eyes flutter shut to feel him, "overthinking is a time killer. You're the smartest person I know, apart from Brian, yet the most diligent one. Actually too diligent."

You giggle at his statement, reaching up to fondle the little scruff that he had grown to avoid being mistaken for a woman– his bright blues slightly tinged with the thin shadows of his fringe and lips curled into a smile that act as Cupid's arrow to you. God, you love this man so much even when he could be a raging pain in the ass sometimes but he then he is your pain in the ass.

"...You're going to pass, I'm sure of it."

"You're always sure of everything, 'gers." You pinch his nose with a giggle and he lowers his head in, his mouth hovering over yours.

"Why wouldn't I be? Everything you do is always born out of hard work."

"All you do is work!"

"So that's your basis of justifying what you've done?! "

"You barely had time for me! For us! "

"I'm trying, Roger! You, of all people should know that I'm trying my best to make time for you, but that doesn't mean you're free to do whatever or whomever you please just because I'm not around!"

"I- Y/N-"

"I've worked for this relationship too, you know... Have you?"

A few years later

"You quit?!" As though she couldn't be more surprised, Jesse raises her voice to a screech and you hold up a finger at her. "Need I repeat myself?"

She shakes her head and leans her hip against the edge of your study desk, slamming her hand onto the surface and startling you for a split second. "No, but you had it good! That was good pay, you couldn't just-"

"It WAS good pay until my boss became as effective as an egomaniac than he was as a human being." You gesticulate vaguely at the little known fact.

You had been an employee at a music company for a while until you had decided to stand up to your egotistical boss' shit and turn your back for real just a few days before. The pay was indeed good but then as time went by, you and the rest of your colleagues weren't given good raises and ended up going home with less of your usual pay.

Now you've yet to find a new place to apply as an assistant in. Somewhere that might benefit you of a true experience in a recording studio and the music world with your dream of becoming a music producer, a place where you can't just brush arms with the crew as you exchange unacknowledging glances of each other's existence.

Even after taking a biology course in college, producing music was all the rage for you.

"I'm sorry to hear that- wait, hold up! Doesn't Liam work in a recording studio?" Your eyes widen at the forgotten fact Jesse has pulled up. Of course!

Liam, your boyfriend of two years, does indeed work as a mastering engineer in a studio down Wessex and they could be hiring since a new director had taken over not too long ago. You had already told him about your resignation from the company you now used to work for days prior and that if ever you've found a new place, you'd tell him.

Now you have something to truly tell him.

You heave out a sigh of relief at the reminder supplied by Jesse otherwise the possibility of losing an opportunity would've been through the roof.

You slam your hands on the surface with a wide grin gracing your face. "Thank God, Jes! Don't tell Liam that I had a moment of forgetting what he does." You don't give her time to react and zip out of the room to call him up and ask him a few questions. A minor hiccup that you've skidded a bit down the hall but it doesn't stop you from pouncing to the phone and dialing Liam in the fastest you've done.

"Hello?" A husky, post-sleep voice greets you and you chuckle to yourself.

"Oh crap, Liam! I didn't distrub you, did I?"

He chuckles back and draws a sharp breath in. "Nope. You'd never, babe. Anyway, you sound elated, what's up?"

"Are they now hiring new staff at the Wessex studio?"

The affirming snap of his fingers on his end becomes the thrilling start of your entire week and it progresses from there. With the program open and Liam being the mastering engineer in the studio, he is able to get you in direct contact with the manager for an interview along with other several applicants hoping to get in as well. So far, you've proven yourself to be reliable, diligent and trustworthy, traits both Liam and now the manager highly regard you of. You acquire the same impression on most of the personnel in the studio who prove to be just as team-oriented as you are.

It's also a great convenience that they've got you and the rest of the newly hired staff since a band will be soon utilizing the studio for the second half of their album and everyone would be full hands on this one.

Also, though you and the rest of the hired haven't been given a proper tour of the studio and the equipment that lay around due to the rush the main staff had been in, you are bound to have that happen on the first day.

Little do you know, the said first day would turn out eventful.

Too eventful to begin with, because it has started off with a mere, "Jesse! Where the hell is my sweater?" to which she responds from upstairs with, "On the couch! What the heck are you still doing here? It's your first day in as Liam's protegee!"

You rub your forehead at her comment on your position with a ridiculous grin. Liam had volunteered to, quote unquote, 'mentor' you beforehand anyway. "Yes, you could...say that. By the way, thanks! I'll let you know how it goes!" You hear her farewell echo from the above and grab your things, speedwalking your way out with a daring expression plastered on your face ready to start a busy, first day as a studio assistant and Liam's protegee.

A fellow hire whose face you had accidentally familiarized yourself with a few days back greets you on your way into the control room and you give each other acknowledging nods. This is it. You've finally step foot into the first moment of gaining some first hand experience in the art of music production and it is something you damn will not loosen your grasp on.

You find Liam fiddling with a few mic stands situated near the booths and stride up to him playfully, surprising him by throwing your arms around his neck as you plant a kiss to his cheek. "Hey babe!"

He turns around and returns the favor with a kiss to your lips. "Is my girl ready?"

"You bet your plump ass, I am." You pump your fist in the air avidly, earning a quick chuckle from your raven haired boyfriend. "Good, because the band will be arriving any minute now and we need to get these stands," he taps on the trunk of one stand and points to the spacious live room on the other side of the glass, "in there."

"Got it and might I ask who'll be recording today?" You place your hands on your hips as you watch him stack some tapes to be used later on the 24-track recording. "You'll be surprised." Judging by the Cheshire-cat like grin spread on his face, it's bound to surprise the soul out of you. You give him a quizzical look and ask him if you could play a few keys on the piano you've spotted in the live room, along with other musical instruments.

Liam gestures for you to knock yourself out and you giddily open the door leading to it, waltzing towards the piano and gliding your hand over the polished surface.

A mic is already positioned atop, only lacking an artist to pour their heart and soul into a composition. You consider yourself to be rather average on the instrument but Freddie, being an impactful singer and a virtuouso on the piano himself, had said that you were one of the most well versed players he had ever known.

A gentle smile tugs on your lips at the memory and you suddenly wonder how he and the boys are doing with their boosted career as a rock band.

How Roger is doing.

You shake your head and scoff incredulously to yourself, thinking that it's not worth asking with what he did before, much less worth thinking about.

Besides, you've got a boyfriend so reflecting on the past would be futile and just plain wrong.

You haven't heard from them in a while anyway though you have been able to listen to their latest hit single which was released nearly a year ago.

You take a seat on the stool and linger your fingers on the keys you mean to press down, playing a soft, melancholic tune of your own liking– or rather original composition. It hasn't even been a minute into the tune and a familiar praise slows down the tempo of your playing, turning your head around to a smiling face you thought you'd never see again.

"Why did you stop? It was beautiful, dear."

"Oh my god, Freddie!" You slide off the stool and don't hesitate to run up to him for a hug. So Queen are the mystery band. Liam really outdid himself with the implication. Besides that, Freddie gives you the biggest I-missed-you embrace you've ever had.

"Goodness, Y/N. You've grown!"

"It's only been a few years!" You pull away only to lightly smack his chest, eliciting a lively chuckle from him. "Indeed and what are you doing here? Why aren't you a bloody producer yet?"

Your brows shoot up as you wonder the exact same thing. "I'll get there someday, Fred. Being a studio assistant would be the first step. Anyway, I'll be helping you guys out with your recording, as an external force of course." You declare with an enthusiasm Freddie had always loved about you. He grabs you by the shoulders and stares at you square in the eye.

"I promise you, we won't make be much of a pain in arse. We've recorded the first half of the album at Sarm East and now," he trails off a tad as incoherent chatters echo from outside the room, revealing the rest of the band, a few of their crew and the studio staff scattering about to prepare, " the second half here." He drawls on his words and you both snap out from the odd daze you've put yourselves in.

You wouldn't dare to admit it mentally but what really trapped you in that daze was seeing Roger march into the room gracefully like he was just walking on thin air and it was like seeing him walk into your life for the first time again.

You want your soul to curse on behalf of your physical body from gazing beguilingly at your ex though you're already in a fulfilling relationship with Liam. You clear your throat, patting Freddie lightly on his shoulder.

"Right. I gotta go move. We can catch up later. Kick arse, Fred!" In the middle of wishing him good luck, you jog out of the live room and mingle with the rest of the assistants working on their duties– starting off with the mic stands, the realization of Freddie noticing the way your brows perked up upon seeing Roger again far from your mind.

With the equipment promptly set up in the live room, Liam and a fellow sound engineer tinker with the controls as the 2/4 of the band pad into the space– namely Roger and John, as they will be leading the rhythmic section. On the other hand, Brian and Freddie are somewhere in one of the isolated booths recording the piano and guitar part of the song. Rest assured that you and the rest of the assistants won't be needed until the next step of recording.

Roger adjusts his headphones over his head and shows off his signature, drumstick twirl, pointing it to John to initiate his bass line.

You approach Liam's side and breathe out a heavy sigh as you gauge his work on the audio mixing consoles. He turns up a few dials to adjust the volume for the people in the control room to hear.

"This is refreshing." You whisper to Liam and he smiles, nodding. "It gets more interesting during the vocals session ."

"Thank you, for making this happen." You hum sweetly and bend down to kiss his cheek, your action somehow catching Roger's eye from his side of the glass and causing him to hit his fingers with his own drumstick from the distracting sight.

"Shit!" He mutters huskily as he drops the stick, hissing softly at the sting. John pauses and asks Roger if he's alright, earning an earnest nod from him as he bends down to pick up his stick all the while apologising quickly to the people of the control room, his pupils dilating fully as he takes a glimpse of you. "Sorry...sorry! Suppose we'll have a take two then."

With your attention firmly set on the controls, Roger blinks thrice at the surprise of his life and takes advantage of the time he has left before the start of his beat to absorb the distracted view before him.

She's here. He thinks to himself, twirling the stick in his hand as a coping mechanism for the erratic heart beat seeing you again has caused. He gazes over at you subtly once more and his eyes fall discouragingly as he watches you happily interact with Liam, taking the hint that he's his new replacement in your life. Someone better, someone who has treated you better than he had and ever will. The thought makes his stomach churn uncomfortably yet he dismisses the sensation it has sent.

For the meantime, he draws his focus away from the bitter sight and starts away with his drum line, bobbing his head to every beat he's produced and momentarily detecting the thought of you.

During your coffee break just after the sound engineers have pieced the musical arrangements with the aid of the record producer, you and Freddie get back to your agreement of catching up while the day's young, having Brian and John shortly interrupt your talk just to greet you with a big hug, signifying how badly they've missed you. While you have the chance to, you reintroduce Liam to the boys as your boyfriend, the revelation coaxing out various responses from the three boys.

Sharp intakes of breath from Brian and John accompanied by an implying cough from Freddie– all done out of the observation that you, your ex and current lover are in the same building and working on one, whole task altogether, oddly betting on an awkward tension to soon arise.

"Are you alright, Freddie? Do you want me to get you some water?" Liam asks, suddenly concerned and clueless as you are to the reason behind his antic.

Freddie wags his finger and clears his throat. "No thank you, Liam. I'm fine just...clearing my voice is all."

Liam nods with a weak 'ah' and excuses himself to assist in piecing the song together, leaving the four of you to go on with your conversations. Not long after, you also excuse yourself for the same reason; to help the rest of the assistants move the amps from the live room to the isolation booths.

With already two amps carried out, you rub your hands together to handle the third one yourself, slipping your hands underneath the thing and lifting with your legs, reeling from side to side as you trudge in an uncoordinated pace due to the heaviness of your load on your way out.

Your face tautens at the weight you're carrying, tempted to drop it at any given moment to spare your appendages of any strain, yet you beg to differ and carry on.

As you always have.

"Bear with me-" You grunt in an unladylike fashion as you feel your hands slipping from underneath. Just as the amp begins surrendering to gravity, a trusty support catches the base of the amp in time for you to breathe. "I got you."

Finally someone.

"Oh goodness, thanks." You croak out a breathless thanks, your hands deliberately slipping at the poke of the person's head to the side to reply to your gratefulness. "Anytime."

The sudden reveal of Roger being the one who's saved you from a back ache causes you to shriek briefly and let go of the amp and it makes a resounding thud as it lands on his foot.

He breathes in sharply, his nostrils flaring open and lips pressed tightly together to suppress a scream of pain. "Shit, Roger! I am so- I am so sorry." You hurriedly lift the amp to free his foot from getting entirely squished. He leaps back and shakes his leg, asking ridiculously. "Wow, you're still that jumpy?"

It's been four years and he remembers that one, tiny detail.

Plus you were only jumpy when he was involved in such pranks. Regardless, he was the biggest surprise of your life back then.

What ever happened to that?

You look up at him, brows knit together with an unbelievable smirk on your face. "I'm not..."

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