Bring It Back - DEACURY

Can't You See

Though falling asleep had been easy enough, staying asleep was a whole other issue for Freddie. He tossed and turned, waking up every half hour until around two a.m. when he gave up. His mind wasn't settled enough to allow him a peaceful rest, and he knew exactly why that was. 

The singer turned on his side to look at John. The younger man was still sleeping away, completely oblivious to the plight his friend was going through. Freddie felt an aching need to cradle the bassist, and he quickly got out of bed before his mind could supply him with any more images.

He threw on some clothes before going downstairs to fix himself a cup of coffee. He needed the warmth more than the caffeine, but wasn't in the mood for tea. He needed something bitter on his tongue to get his mind off of things. By the time his cup was full, Freddie knew there was only one thing that could clear his mind; he needed to work out his frustrations on the bench.

He turned around to head out to the studio barn when he caught something moving in the corner. His brows furrowed in confusion. "Hello?"

"I didn't mean to disturb you," came Paul's voice. He hadn't been around the day before, supposedly off doing something for management before coming back. Freddie figured the man must have just gotten in, seeing as Paul still had a jacket and shoes on.

"No, no. Nothing to disturb here. Just a bit of an overactive imagination at play. I can't sleep, so I've decided to write."

"Would you...mind if I joined you?" Paul walked forward out of the shadows of the room, finally revealing himself. Freddie raised a brow at the question. It was an odd request, but he'd heard odder. 

"I don't see why not." His acceptance was more so from the fact that Paul was a grown man who could do whatever he wanted, and the studio not being Freddie's to control than it was from actually wanting Paul around. Freddie had been hoping for some privacy with his thoughts so he could think through them without a beautiful distraction sleeping right next to him. Oh well. It wasn't like Paul was going to figure out his secrets after a single writing session.

Paul perked up when he heard that, a large smile growing on his face. He nodded towards the door as if to hurry Freddie along. The singer had no idea why Paul was excited, but it was obvious he was. With a sigh, Freddie took a sip of his coffee and headed out towards the barn. 

Only a few lights over the piano were turned on, making the room dim, and setting the tone of Freddie's process. Paul sat across the room in a plush chair not too far from the piano. Freddie ignored him for the sake of getting started. He picked up his lyric notes in one hand, setting them behind the keys so he could read them as he played. Freddie mentally snorted. As if he could forget the words that had been playing through his head every time he looked at John. 

Freddie let his fingers lead him, bringing back the melody he had desperately clung to while John had rested in his arms. Even without words, the song reminded Freddie of the bassist's soft, gentle nature. Nothing could ever do John justice, but he was going to try.

He hummed first, getting the beats just right, before following it up with words. As he sang, occasionally pausing to replace or add words to the paper, he completely forgot about Paul. His focus was entirely on the feelings John brought about in him, feelings he hadn't even realized he had until he was utterly infatuated. They'd always been incredibly close, turning to each other for comfort and companionship before anyone else. That wasn't to say that they had blocked out Roger and Brian. On the contrary, Brian and Roger were usually the ones having endearing arguments while Freddie and John enjoyed the entertainment together. They were all always together, and Freddie enjoyed every moment of it. How deep his feelings were had only really become apparent when John had raced up the steps the day before and launched himself at him. In that moment, Freddie had only felt a deep concern, a pressing protectiveness, and an unbridled rage at whoever had hurt John. He felt a little foolish when he found out it had only been a nightmare, but the feelings didn't go away. Freddie had to wonder if they were always there. By the time he made his way back to the chorus of his new song, he realized that they had been.