Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy (JoeMazzello!JohnDeacon fanfic)

thirty three

Introductions are made and Roxanne disappears into the kitchen behind Freddie's mum to so she can put the cake down and then help her bring out some of the food. 

Freddie's family are lovely, very welcoming and it's not long until they're all sat down, helping themselves to Jer's delicious cooking. 

Roxanne is sat between John and Brian, Alyssa is on John's other side and across the table sits Mary, Freddie, Roger and Freddie's sister, Kash. 

"Slow down, Nessie," Roger laughs as she helps herself to more of the food.

"Sorry," she flushes, "It's just so good." 

"Nonsense," Jer waves a hand, "Plenty for everyone." 

She gives Roger a smirk, "Plenty for everyone, Rog." 

"Now Mary," Jer begins, sitting down on Brian's other side once more, "I can't tell you how long I have waited for Forrokh to bring home a nice girl like you."

Brian and Roxanne share a confused look, as does everyone else. Why hadn't he told them that Freddie wasn't his real name? 

"Forrokh?" Mary repeats.

Freddie's mum looks shocked, "Did Forrokh not tell you he was born in Zanzibar?" 

"No," Roxanne says, looking at Freddie, who's clenching his jaw and not looking at Mary. She didn't look particularly happy, "No, he didn't." 

Brian tuts quietly. 

"I thought Freddie was born in London?" asks John, just as Freddie's mum gets up from the table again. 

"Oh, he was," replies his sister, "At the age of eighteen!" 

"Shut up," Freddie hisses, pushing his sister away and Roxy laughs. She had wished she'd had siblings to act like this with. 

But she had Roger and let's face it, he was as good as her brother. 

"Our family is Indian Parsi," Jer explains as she rejoins the table, holding something large and square in her hands, it looks like a photo album and Roxy shares an excited look with John. 

More photos of baby Freddie! 

"Mum," he begs, "Mum, mum, mum!" 

"Have a look at these!" Jer smiles and immediately, everyone is reaching for the album; Freddie so he can make sure nobody can see them and the rest so that they can.

"We need to see them!" Roxanne argues as Mary manages to get the album from his mother's grasp. 

"A thousand years ago, the Parsis fled to India from Persia to escape Muslim persecution." 

Roxanne looks to the head of the table when Freddie's father, Bomi Bulsara, starts talking. He'd been pretty quiet for most of the small party but Brian, who seems to be the only one other than her who had heard him speak, leans closer so he can hear the man over the other's quarrelling. 

"Really? That's terrible. So why did you leave Zanzibar?" 

"We didn't leave," Bomi replies and Roxanne has to look away from the man because John is nudging her and Roger is kicking her shin, trying to get her to look at the photos they're holding. 

She and John share an album but listen as Jer tells him that Freddie used to be quite the boxer when he was younger. 

"He had to be," Kash replies, "His opponents were always trying to punch in his teeth." 

Again, Roxanne laughs, glancing over to where Freddie is now stood by the family's piano and she's not at all surprised when he starts playing a very slow, very dramatic rendition of Happy Birthday though being used to this, nobody listens.