The Loser in the End--The Sequel

Babydoll Tears

Freddie found himself outside Roger's apartment building, debating whether or not to go inside. He knew Debbie was there, and Roger wouldn't be pleased to see him at his door. But Freddie had no where else to turn. He couldn't handle this all on his own.

Roger came to the door quickly.

"Freddie," he said in hushed tones. "What are you doing here?"

"Roger, I need to talk to you," Freddie said.

"Now isn't a good time," Roger objected. "Debbie's here and..."

"I saw the photos of us,"  Freddie interrupted.

That got Roger's attention.

"What?" Roger whispered, looking over his shoulder nervously.

"The photos Brian has of us...you know."

"...Shit..." Roger said as he realized what Freddie was saying. "Wait for me outside."

He told Debbie he was going out for a little bit, then went downstairs to join Freddie.

"So they really exist?" Roger said, nervously puffing on a cigarette and offering one to Freddie.

"I saw them," Freddie nodded, accepting the cigarette and lighting it.  After taking a long drag, he told him the whole ugly story. 

"Jesus," Roger said.  "What is his problem?"

 "Roger, why the fuck didn't you tell me he had threatened you?" Freddie said angrily.

"I was too scared, Freddie," Roger shivered in the cold. "You know if Debbie ever found out about us, she'd be gone in a second."

Freddie put his arms around the blond, warming him. But Roger pushed him away, and Freddie felt a pang in his heart.

"Afraid someone will see us?" Freddie said with a hurt look on his face.

"Well you never know," Roger said, avoiding Freddie's eyes.

"If you'd told me about it right after it happened, we could've done something about it,"  Freddie admonished. "Now, I'm not so sure..."

"We'll just go on like we have been, and everything will be fine," Roger said.

"It's not that simple now," Freddie said, exasperated with the blond.  Perhaps Roger didn't fully understand that Freddie himself had something to lose as well.

"Well what are you gonna do then?" Roger said with panic rising in his voice. "My whole future is at stake here! I can't lose Debbie."

"I don't know," Freddie said. "But I can't just let him get away with this."

"Freddie, please!" Roger begged. "Don't do anything..."

Roger was becoming increasingly agitated.

"Roger!" Freddie said, grabbing the blond by his shoulders. "We can't just live in fear, always looking over our shoulders. He has to be stopped!"

"But Freddie..." Roger said, tears spilling from his big blue eyes and down onto his soft cheeks, "I'll lose everything...Please, Freddie, don't do anything, I beg you. Please..."

Freddie looked into his eyes, and although Roger was a full-grown man now, Freddie still saw the same boy he'd fallen in love with so many years ago. Roger had been so thin and frail in those days, and had looked-up to Freddie in every way.   Roger's mother hadn't liked the idea of her little boy traveling the globe with a rock band.  The little blond knew nothing of the world and all it's dangers.  And so Freddie had made a promise to her that he would always take care of him and always be there for him, no matter what.  God, Freddie had fallen so hard for Roger. Oh how he'd loved nurturing him, and making sure he grew big and strong...and now Roger was bigger and stronger, and starting a life of his own apart from Freddie, and it hurt him so bad... But Roger was happy with Debbie, and she was good for him, too...

Freddie sighed in defeat. He couldn't destroy his Babydoll's future, could he? He couldn't break the promise he'd made to Roger's mother, could he?