Ghost of You ▸ Roger Taylor

Pt. 5 - November 1975 - Home

Warnings: overly allusive flirting?

It was an early morning where Lena had woken up and been unable to fall back asleep. Padding through the house that was now her and Roger's, she put on some coffee and retrieved the muffins that she had made the previous weekend. There was nothing better than these sort of mornings, where she was in her happy place of knowing Roger was just in the next room and she could sit quietly, enjoying her alone time. She sipped her coffee and sat down at the upright piano that Roger had insisted exist within the house if for no other reason than to have it fit the aesthetic of the house. She did know how to play, and unknowest to Roger, quiet well in fact. She had noticed the sheet music that Freddie had left there several months ago when he had come by to show Roger final touches of a piece he had been finishing.

Lena had forgotten about the music until just now but was elated to find that the music Freddie had left was the sheet music for the beginnings of Bohemian Rhapsody. With the feeling of the keys almost too foreign under her fingertips, she began to play, following Freddie's gorgeous handwriting and trying to remember what the actual song sounded like, because this version still lacked the magic that it was in its finality. Part way through the song she heard the floor boards creek behind her, and envisioned Roger to be leaning in the doorway behind her. As the song finished he came and sat down beside her on the piano bench.

"I did not know that you played."

"I don't. Well I don't anymore."

"You should, because for that being such of rough draft of BoRhap," he said gesturing, to the sheet music, "and you having heard the actual song only half a dozen times, you sure made that your own, yet still Freddie's melody remained there."

"Well I would actually argue that I have heard the song way more than half a dozen times," she said leaning her head on his shoulder, "now that the full album has been released the radio stations will not stop playing it."

"Still, you are quite talented love," he said as he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer to his side.

"I've had a lot of practice is all."

"Whatever you say dear."

For a moment they were still before Lena broke the silence and tilted her face up to Roger's, "Don't tell Fred I was playing his song? Because then he will insist I play it for him and, ah, that is just not a good time and is something that I don't want to encounter."

Roger smiled down at her, "You need to give yourself more credit, especially if you can play it so well on the very first time looking at it. And there's no need to impress us all, we already know you're a wonderful human being."

Lena rolled her eyes, "I may be a wonderful human being as you say, but I am not a wonderful musician on the level of the four of you, and all the other crazy talented people I've met because of you."

"Darling you really must stop worrying about things like that, we're all just people who have happened to been put in the spotlight."

"Yes, in the spotlight of the centuries. People are going to look back at your music and be like wow, those guys were the real rockstars."

"I like that you think I'm a rockstar," he said, leaning just a bit closer to her, grinning mischievously.

She knew where this was going but played along, "Well you are a rockstar. And a famous one."

"Oh just enough to be dangerous. And to attract people like you."

"I think you would do that regardless of whether you were a famous rockstar or not," she said, remaining absolutely motionless and just barely failing to give him the 'okay' to kiss her.

"Hmm maybe, but I would have never met you if that were the case."

"This is perhaps true," Lena said grinning, still not closing the distance between them. She immensely enjoyed that even this far into their relationship he still waited for permission to touch her, to kiss her.

"But," she started, now leaning in and slowly blinking, "You never know with these sort of things, the things that are meant to happen, just sort of seem to happen you know."

"And I am glad they do my dearest Lena," he said as he kissed her.

It was the slow, untidy morning kiss that Lena had become so accustomed to these past several months. She turned to face him better and wound her fingers in his now almost long hair while he pulled her closer. Pressed up against each other on the piano bench like this was the sort of place she wished she could exist is forever, for all eternity just be here on this bench sharing slow, soft, kisses that spilled away from her mouth and down her neck.

Lena exhaled sharply as she felt Roger's teeth barely skim the exposed skin of her collarbone where her nightshirt had begun to slip at Roger's prompting.

Roger pulled away from her at that, although she really wished that he would cease being so polite and perfect all the time. Lena smiled slowly and rolled her eyes, "You know, I will not break like a china doll."

"Oh I know, I think you are exactly opposite of breakable, I just don't want to make you uncomfortable."

"Roger, we have this conversation literally everytime we do this, nothing about you makes me uncomfortable."

"Right then," he said, and leaned in to kiss her again, this time with far more urgency.

"But," she said pulling away, "You really have to be going this morning. You promised Fred you wouldn't be late for another press interview."

"Oh he'll live," Roger said, running kisses along her jaw, his hands gripping her waist.

"I'm sure he will. But you really did promise."

"But I promised to love you forever far before I promised him I wouldn't be late," he mumbled into Lena's neck.

Lena smiled and pushed him back, gripping his face in her hands. "I know. But you really must be going."

He took hold of her hands in his own, pulling them from his face and holding them tightly, "But I also must really be spending my time where it matters, which is with you."

"Stop being silly, and just get going. There's coffee already going and muffins still left from the weekend."

"You know what also could be continued from the weekend-"

"Rog no," Lena finally stood up laughing, "You have got to go."

By the time Roger had put himself together and downed a cup of coffee, Lena had successfully made it through several more iterations of Bohemian Rhapsody and could now play it with her own flair with ease.

"See," Roger called from the entryway where she could see him buttoning up his coat, "You are absolutely quite a talented musician."

Lena left the piano, carefully setting down the cover over the keys and padded to the entryway. "Go have fun. Remember you're supposed to be doing outrageous rockstar things and having all sorts of ridiculous adventures."

"It's a press interview, how fun can it really be? Plus you won't be there."

Lena rolled her eyes as he pecked her on the lips before turning to go. Before he could get far tho she grabbed the collar of his coat and kissed him again with a little more force than really necessary;

"I think I will be home from work when you are. In any case though, just remind me of where we left off on the piano bench when you get home, won't you?"

He smirked at her as he reached for the door, "You bet I will."