ACT ONE: DUSK
"Everything is getting settled for what happens at night. It's time for anticipation. The hour of the day when you feel the potential in the air."
Chapter 7
A strong smell of cologne and cigarette smoke was the only thing your nose could capture in the boy's small dressing room. They all shared a small room as they got ready for their show, excited because it was in an actual small music festival - even though it was in the countryside. The trip there was already a bit stressful, since the car broke down twice - they had to change the tire once, and then the car engine wouldn't start, and they had to wait until another car passed on the empty road so it could jump start their car.
Roger was stressed inside the car - more so than the other boys. He insisted you went to their show, even though it was a three hour trip away, and now the car kept breaking down. He was stressed not only because there would be barely no time for them to set up their equipment for the show, but also because you might get mad at him for the shitty time you were having.
When you both got off the car to look for the jumper cables in the back - or jumper leads, as he called them - he apologized for the whole situation. "It's not your fault, Rog. I want to go to the show, I want to see you guys play. Even if none of us are very satisfied with the situation right now, I'm not blaming you", you said, and you two exchanged a tired smile.
"Well, I am. I thought this van was in better conditions, Mr Taylor", Freddie said, getting off the car. "It's better than no van at all, Freddie", Roger answered. "It's a long trip in a bad road, full of holes. If there was less holes, the tire wouldn't need to be changed, and the car would only have a problem starting once we were returning. It's easier if we blame Roger, though. More satisfying", John said, also getting off the van.
"I was about to thank you, but then you kept talking and changed my mind" Roger said with an ironic grin. "I'm not getting off this car to make any snarky remarks. I'm gonna take a nap until you fix this", Brian said, his voice sounding distant as he laid down on the back seat of the van.
"Now that sounds smart", you said back at him, but you started moving down the road. "But I don't think it's gonna be a long nap, Bri. There's a car coming", you continued as you saw the car get closer.
"I hope whoever's there helps us", Deacy said. "They will", Roger said, almost aggressively. He was mad at himself for the whole situation. "Relax, Rog. Let me handle this", you told him.
"Yeah, let Y/N seduce the driver into helping us", Freddie said, teasing Roger. "I guess I won't have to", you said, as the car got closer and you had a good look at the driver. "It's an old lady", and she started slowing down as she noticed you.
She was incredibly nice. You barely had to ask before she got off the car, even taking the cables off Deacy's hands and connecting both car batteries. "You know, you should take this car to a shop as soon as possible", she said, looking at Roger. "Yeah, I'll do that as soon as we get back to London", he answered her, feeling as if his mom was giving him a lecture. The lady was tough, but caring. "If you were my grandson, I'd take it for you. I just came back from visiting him in London. He reminds me of you, all of you, with the long hair and... different... clothing. Except you, of course, dear", she said, now talking to you. "You remind me of myself, a few years ago. I used to go on road trips with my husband all the time, before he got drafted, you know", and she kept talking as she helped Roger and John to start the car.
After that, she opened her backseat and got a big Tupperware full of scones, and jelly and cream on two smaller Tupperwares. "Just so you have a snack on your way and don't perform on an empty stomach", she said, looking at you one by one. "You really remind me of my grandson", she told Deacy, and gave him a hug. He froze at first, confused, but soon relaxed and hugged her back.
"Thank you helping us!" you told her. "And thanks for the scones!" Freddie said, already biting one of them. "You're all welcome. Goodbye, kids", she said, looking at you all again, and keeping her gaze a little longer on John. "Take care", he told her, and she started her car and left.
"I though it was pronounced scone, like tone", you said, and Roger laughed. "Of course you do. But it's scone, like gone. There's a rhyme for that", he said, and tried to remember it. But you were faster. "I asked the maid in dulcet tone
To order me a buttered scone;
The silly girl has been and gone
And ordered me a buttered scone"
The boys stared at you. "What? I got corrected about it as soon as I got here. But it's fun to see if a person will correct me by becoming offended or by being nice", you told them. "So you were testing me?" Roger said, ironically raising his eyebrow. "Yeah", you told him, nodding your head and wrapping your arms around his torso. "And did I pass?", he asked, gently holding your face in his hands. "With flying colors", you told him, and he gave you a peck on the lips.
"Oi, lovebirds. We have a show to perform", Freddie interrupted, and you got inside the car. You sat by Roger's side, his right hand on your thigh. "Again, and not that I have anything against you being here, Y/N, but why couldn't I bring Veronica?", Deacy asked, and you nodded your head as if saying "it's fine".
"Because it's my van and it would only fit one more person, so I chose who it would be", Roger said. "Focus on driving the car, Roger. We don't need any other surprises, like getting lost", Brian said, just waking up from his nap. "Are these scones?", he said as he opened the Tupperware.
And you were now putting cream and jelly - or jam, as Roger corrected you later - on one of the last scones, sitting on the couch, watching them get ready. They dressed at a normal pace, not embarrassed of your presence, but Roger took a little longer, fixing his hair as he wore only his underwear. He looked at you from the mirror, smirking, just to make sure you were watching him. You smirked back.
His show outfit today was nothing but black leather pants and a velvet vest. "How do I look?" he asked you, before sitting by your side. "You know, I think I've seen better", you smiled at him. "Really? When?" he asked you. "Hm, let me think. Probably yesterday afternoon", you told him. He spent the afternoon in your place, and you enjoyed it in your usual, very carnal, manner. "Oh, I see. But I'm not sure if you'd like me to perform naked", he wondered. "Perhaps if it was a private performance", you answered, and he smiled at you. "Maybe later. Can you put it on me?", he said, giving you the eyeliner. You smiled back at him and slid the eyeliner across his lids, smudging it with your fingers. "You're annoying, really. You're not only hot and talented, but you also look better with eyeliner than I do", you told him, admiring his look. "I beg to differ", he answered you, snaking his arms around your waist and pulling you closer to him.
You were about to kiss when someone knocked at the door. "Queen in 10 minutes. We need you backstage", and Roger rolled his eyes, pressing a quick kiss to your lips. "You taste like jam", he told you, licking his lips and getting up from the couch, offering you a hand.
You all started walking to where they had to wait for their turn to perform, and they all looked a bit nervous. Roger twirled his drumsticks in his hands. He turned to you. "Are you gonna watch the show from here?" He asked you. "Actually, I thought it would be a better experience from the audience. I should probably get going if I want a good spot, though", you answered, and gave him a kiss. "I hope you enjoy it. It was an interesting experience, up until now, right? That lady was nice", he said, and you laughed.
"Yeah, it was definitely interesting how she was about to adopt John", you answered. "We only found her instead of a grumpy middle aged man because of you. You're my good luck charm", he said, kissing you again. "Am I, though? You could also make the point that the car broke down because of me. Maybe I'm not bringing you luck, maybe I'm just making things more interesting. You did meet me right after your frontman quit the band", you told him. "Yeah, and right before we got a better frontman and a better bassist. But I like your point; you're not my good luck charm, you're my interesting charm", he said as a staff told them it was time. "Good luck. I'll be as close to the stage as possible", you told him, as he exhaled and gave you a quick smile.
You said good luck to the rest of the boys as well, and followed the signs until you found the audience. You moved through the crowd, finding a nice spot, but unable to be in front of the stage; there was a group of girls that wouldn't let you come closer. They were all wearing tiny pieces of clothing, even though it's still cold in March. Leather, fur, sequins; they were definitely dressed to get as much attention as possible. They got yours, and since the boys weren't onstage yet, you overheard their conversation.
"So Robert, the roadie, said he could get us backstage passes. I know it would be easier to get on with the boys from the local band, but I want someone from Queen. They're from London, you know", the prettier one said. She seemed to be the older, even though she seemed younger than you - maybe she was 18? - and was the most confident. You realised they were groupies.
But that didn't bother you - hell, you even thought to yourself a couple of times that, since Roger and you weren't really, officially dating, you were a groupie. But now, being faced with people that, even though younger than you, really knew what being a groupie was, you thought how stupid you were. They probably planned that whole evening, making friends with staff members and stuff. You just got lucky.
And then one actually got on your nerves. "I'll try to get with the drummer, the blonde one. He's cute, and my friend hooked up with him last year. She said he was pretty straightforward", a 16-year-looking girl said, her brown hair around her heart shaped face.
You've never been jealous of Roger before, but this made you a bit uncomfortable. They were all younger than you, wearing sexy clothing and looking like they were about to hunt. They seemed focused.
But then the band got onstage, and you forgot about them. They started with Son and Daughter, and Roger's moan-like enunciation of "I want you" at the intro of the song got you distracted. They sounded amazing, and the audience reacted - people learned the chorus (when there was one) and were singing it at the top of their lungs at the end of the songs. If the song was more experimental, like The Night Comes Down, they just banged their heads to the beat and danced. You knew they were special when you watched them rehearse, but now, in a large audience, you never saw them play so perfectly. It was like the audience energized them.
Freddie had everyone hooked to every word he sang, Brian amazed them at his long, complex solos, Roger kept everyone moving, never missing a beat, singing his harmonies and falsettos with perfection, and Deacy - in his first official performance with the band - didn't miss a note, and even danced a little when he sang backing vocals on Freddie's mic in Liar, the last song of the show.
You made your way backstage, more amazed at the incredible experience you had as a member of the audience than turned on by Roger. It was the best show you've ever been to. You just thought about the girls again once you got to the backstage entrance, passing through them with your backstage pass on your neck as they shot you a death glare. They saw you as competition. It made you uncomfortable; before Roger, you didn't even went out on a date with a musician. You have been seeing him for two months, and you got along with the rest of the band as well.
But really, what made you any different from them when you don't look into the details of the situation? You only got there because you thought Roger was hot the first time you saw him. You just saw him before they did.
So you weren't as happy as you were a few minutes before. But then Roger appeared in your field of vision - what was he doing on the backstage entrance instead of the dressing room? But then his eyes found yours and he called your name. He was looking for you, a huge smile on his face.
The sight of him in his leather and velvet outfit, black eyeliner on his eyes, contrasting with his happy expression, lifted your spirits and mood. You ran into his arms, jumping on him and wrapping your legs around his waist, giving him a long, wet kiss. "This was the best show I've ever seen in my entire life", you told him, as you both breaked the kiss to get some air. "I'm glad you liked it, babe", he told you, and you felt a buzz through your body. He never used a pet name before.
"I loved it, babe", you told him, winking as you used the pet name, too. "Let's get to the dressing room so you can tell the boys how you're our number one fan", he told you.
As you got to the dressing room, the girls were already there with the band. You saw as Brian talked to the leader, her blonde curls matching his brunette ones. Another one talked to Freddie, and the other one was trying to get John's attention as he turned a bottle of whiskey. The brunette that wanted Roger was sitting on the couch, and her eyes glimmered once she saw him, but the happiness was gone as soon as she saw you holding his hand.
Roger sat on one of the chairs and served whiskey in two glasses, offering you one as you sat on his lap and wrapped one of your arms around his neck. He barely had a sip of his drink when you grabbed his head by the jaw and started kissing him, almost as if you were marking territory. Roger noticed you were a bit more touchy with him, considering you were usually less of a show off in public, but he enjoyed it when you moved in his lap, now straddling his hips.
You kept making out until Freddie caught your attention by announcing you were all going to a pub down the street. You both got up, Roger's face marked with you lipstick, and you thought that you probably looked the same. You liked it; it was more obvious who was he with.
As you walked to the pub, Roger's grip on your waist got a bit loose sometimes, as his hand went down and squeezed your ass. He was expecting you to smack his chest, telling him to be less obvious, but you didn't. You just smiled, happy that he was still being obvious in his preference for you.
In the pub, you both tried talking to John, but he was already too drunk to have a real conversation with anyone. That was good, because then he didn't notice how Roger's hands were going up your inner thigh, him watching your reaction as you bit your lip to hold a moan. The girl who was talking to him got annoyed and tried to get Brian's attention, but the leader of the girls didn't seem interested in sharing him, and started kissing him right there. The brunette that wanted Roger was more lucky, as Freddie gave her as much attention as he gave the other girl, the one that first started talking to him.
"Let's go out for a smoke", Roger told you, and you both got up right as John's head plopped on the table. He passed out. "Should we be concerned?" you asked, his hand already guiding you out of the bar. "I don't think so. John really likes his alcohol", he told you, and got a cigarette out of his pocket. He passed it to you, lighting it up while you held it between your lips. "I'll never get used to how beautiful you look", he said, looking into your eyes as you breathed in the smoke.
"I'll never get over how beautiful, talented and a good lay you are", you told him, and he laughed. "You're getting even faster than me at flirting back, you know", he answered, and you passed the cigarette to him.
He looked so beautiful there, just smoking, his body against the wall, his bare chest out, since the wind pushed his vest back, and you just kept looking at him, not really thinking much besides how insane it was that this guy, this fucking guy, was still interested in you, when he interrupted your internal dialogue. "Do you like your view?", he asked, noticing how you were checking him out. "It's quite nice", you answered, and he passed you the cigarette. "They should study how horny you get after seeing me perform. Or was it something else?", he asked, but he had a guess. "If I'm being honest, I got a bit territorialist, you could say, when your dressing room got that full", you admitted. "Is it like that everytime?", you asked. "Yeah, but as long as you're there, I won't have eyes for anyone else", he told you, moving in front of you. "But you don't have to, though. I felt stupid afterwards, because it's not like I'm different from them, you know? I'm a groupie, too. You don't have any obligations with me, like fidelity. I'm just less aware that I'm a groupie most of the times", you said, looking down.
You hated to admit these things to him, to be this serious, but you always liked when everything was clear, and that included where you are with Roger. His index finger got under your chin and lifted your face so he could look straight into your eyes. "You are different. I've never been with only one person for so long. How can I make this more obvious to you?" he said, kissing you.
The kiss started slow, but it got deeper as he started pressing you against the cold bricks of the bar. "I know, actually. I only had one serious girlfriend in my life, when I was really young, but I want to try having another one, if it makes you understand you're not just a groupie. Y/N, you're funny, you're beautiful, you're interesting, and you're an amazing lay. The best I've ever had. I adore how you're not a prude or pretending to be one. You're not a groupie I barely pay attention to the name. Do you want to be my girlfriend?" he asked, his fingers running down your thighs and putting one of them on his hips.
You were shocked and amazed. You wondered if he was only being like this because he was drunk, but his blue eyes were electric and awake. "Yes", you answered him, and he smiled at you. "Okay, then let's go to the bathroom. I know you don't like to do stuff in public and I'm not going back to London without fucking my girlfriend".