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A/N: Honestly, I never expected this fic to get to 8 chapters, but here we are!
Summary: Roger and Y/n babysit for John and Veronica
(You can imagine the canon or Hardy!Roger; whatever bohemians your rhapsody)
WARNINGS: Self-doubt, swearing maybe(?), mentions of sex (like... once)
This chapter will be rated as a T. Enjoy!
"If you need anything, literally anything, please call us. We know where everything is, and--"
"John, I promise I'll call if we need to. Roger and I will be fine," you tried to assure the bassist, giving his shoulder a pat as he took a breath.
"Okay, okay." He smiled, though it was a sad-looking one. You knew being away from Bobby was going to be difficult for him, and you tried your best to keep him calm, and ensure him not to worry a bit.
"Y/n is very responsible," Roger, who was standing next to you, reminded John. He knew John was aware of that, but Roger didn't like seeing John emotionally distraught. He saw John cry once so far in his life, and it was so heartbreaking that he decided he never wanted to see him cry ever again.
Veronica walked through the door into the nursery with Bobby in her arms.
"Let's say goodbye to Daddy," she cooed as she handed him over to John, who repeatedly kissed the infant's head over and over again, whispering to him how much he loves him, and how he was gonna be right back.
You watched with sad eyes and a pouty lip as John and his son interacted, Bobby reaching up to grab John's finger with his tiny hands. Roger gauged your reaction, taking quick mental notes of how John was acting so he could mimic his behaviour with Bobby later.
Veronica eventually had to tell John that they were going to be stuck in traffic if they spent any longer at home, so John placed Bobby in your embrace before blowing him a kiss.
"Uncle Roger will take good care of you, Bub. I love you," he whispered once more before thanking you again, and leaving the three of you in the nursery, though Roger followed them out and locked the door behind them.
You moved into the living room with Bobby in your arms, taking a seat on the sofa. Roger watched John and Veronica leave the driveway through the window, and you were saying inaudible, silly things to Bobby as he happily smiled at the faces you were also making.
Roger looked over his shoulder to you, and your eyes flitted to him. "Rog, d'ja think you could get me a bottle from the refrigerator, please?"
He nodded quickly, and rushed out of the room, returning only moments later with a bottle.
"Thanks, Love," you took the bottle from him, completely missing the look of pride sporting his face, but it didn't matter. You flipped the bottle, and Bobby, on instinct, reached out for it. You helped him hold it up, cooing about how hungry he was as he sucked the bottle non-stop.
Roger watched you intently from the other side of the coffee-table, biting the nail of his thumb as he took note on how to feed Bobby. Or... how you were feeding him.
Your eyes moved up to him again, catching notice of his intense stare. "... D'ja wanna feed him?" You asked Roger gently.
He froze up for a moment, pointing to himself in silent questioning. You nodded, and Roger's cheeks darkened a few shades.
"Come over. He won't bite," you teased, tilting your head in the direction of the empty cushion next to you, which Roger occupied not moments later.
He reached out to balance the bottle for Bobby now, and you let go of it. Roger grinned airily when he realized he was doing it. You smiled warmly at how proud Roger looked.
"Here," you reached one of your hands out to grab the wrist of his free hand. You pulled his arm over, and Roger watched you closely as you slowly put Bobby in his grasp. You adjusted his posture a little bit, putting a hand over your heart.
"You're both adorable," you sighed, rising to your feet and slipping into the kitchen for a moment. Roger looked down at Bobby, smiling a little as the baby stared at him with his big round eyes as he continued to suck the milk from his bottle.
"Auntie Y/n was right, wasn't she? You are very hungry," Roger let a chuckle pass his lips as he watched this kid in astonishment. He was so small. How could someone so small eat seemingly so much?
When you returned, Bobby was nearly done with his bottle. "What a good boy! You ate all your food! Good job!" Bobby smiled at your praise, and Roger's expression matched.
"I can take him now, if you'd like. I know he may be a little heavy, and your arm'll fall asleep at some point." Roger kept silent until Bobby was completely done the bottle, who'd pulled away from it entirely.
You scooped Bobby up and burped him, to which you responded "ooh, big burp," and you took this moment to eye the clock on the wall.
"Nine o'clock?! You still have a whole hour to be up, Honey Bear," you gasped, earning a happy squeal from the baby. "Maybe some Play Time would be good to tucker you out, huh?"
"Play Time?" Roger asked rather excitedly. You laughed at his enthuisasm, nodding at his question.
"Can I play with him?"
"Well what are you gonna play?"
"Peek-a-Boo, probably," he admitted lamely. You just shook your head with a smile, shifting to sit cross-legged and facing Roger. You set Bobby on your lap so he was also facing him.
Roger's smile widened so much he could barely keep his eyes open. He also sat cross-legged, facing you and Bobby.
He put Bobby's empty bottle on the coffee table, rubbing his hands together in an epic preparation to play the most intense game of Peek-a-Boo known to man...
He pressed his hands over his face, and you gasped playfully. "Bobby! Oh my goodness! Uncle Roger's Gone!"
"Peek-a-Boo!" Roger exclaimed as he parted his hands from his face, Bobby's eyes widening, as well as his toothless grin. He giggled, though it was short-lived, for when Roger put his hands over his face again, Bobby fell silent. That is, until--
"Peek-a-Boo!"
The child's laughs were contagious. Your head was thrown back as you laughed uncontrollably at the high giggles, and Roger took this time to just drink in how you looked when you weren't paying any mind to your surroundings.
The more of this situation he let himself become aware of, the easier it was for him to imagine the both of you in a place like this in the future, near or far. He was finally understanding why John loved being home so much.
Roger wouldn't admit it then, but he would give anything to be able to come home from work to this: a baby, and you.
You tilted your head back down, and before you could catch Roger staring right through you, he hid himself behind his hands again.
Peek-a-Boo lasted a little bit longer, but you and Roger eventually brought Bobby upstairs after he'd nearly fallen asleep in your lap.
How a baby could have fallen asleep during Peek-A-Boo, you didn’t know.
You set him down in his cradle, and rocked it slowly as Bobby drifted off to bed. You couldn't believe how well-behaved and quiet Bobby was, but you were not complaining; No, Sir.
Roger watched the both of you from the dresser, thumbnail between his teeth like earlier.
When you were sure Bobby was asleep, you caressed his soft pale cheeks with the back of your index finger before standing and tiptoeing away from the cradle. Roger got the door for you, and the both of you watched through the crack in the door for a moment or two before closing it completely.
"What now?" Roger asked gently. You shrugged before whispering, "Anything you want, really. Think of this time as a break." Roger nodded slowly, but made no move to leave his spot in front of the door.
"What will you be doing?" He asked after a moment. "Probably preparing for bed. We only have about seven hours of sleep if we're lucky, but he'll probably need to be taken care of in the middle of the night."
You pursed your lips in thought. "Let's just head to bed, Rog, get as much sleep as we can." He only responded with a nod. You followed him down the hall, but disbanded to your separate rooms. You were taking John and Veronica's room, while Roger was occupying the bed in the spare room.
You turned at the threshold of the door, as did Roger. You looked at him wordlessly, as did he to you.
"G'night, Roger," you yawned gently into your hand.
"G'night, Y/n," Roger whispered back as you both inched your doors shut.
Roger leaned up against the door as soon as it closed, and he let out a deep breath.
You both had to be here for two days, and not even two hours in, Roger was fuelling this domestic fantasy of his rather than fulfilling it.
He enjoyed every single minute of this, but with each passing second, Roger became increasingly aware of how much time was running out for the both of you to achieve this dream.
It stung, because Roger wasn't even sure if you wanted this. Of course you'd shown distaste for having children at this age, but even looking passed that, would you really want the father of your kids to be Roger Meddows Taylor, of all people?
The Sex Symbol, Roger Taylor? The sarcastic prick, Roger Taylor? The fuck-friend, Roger Taylor?
Roger's chest ached as he pushed himself off the door and towards his bed.
Of course you wouldn't.
You could do so much better.
You sat up abruptly when you heard it.
Crying.
You tossed the comforter off your body and threw your robe on, which was lying at the end of the bed. You opened your door, making your way to the nursery, silently hoping he hadn't been crying for too long.
You yawned weakly into your hand before opening the door. When you stepped into the nursery, you didn't expect Roger to be there, in the rocking chair in the corner of the room, Bobby in his arms as he fed him another bottle....
But there he was.
"Needed a changin', and then he was hungry," he explained quietly. You crossed your arms over your chest, observing how Roger held Bobby comfortably, and perfectly.
"Thought you didn't know how to take care of children, yet here you are changing and feeding him without my help."
"I never said I didn't know how to care for them, I said I was iffy with them," he corrected softly, never taking his eyes off the featherlight hairs on Bobby's head.
You raised an eyebrow, though Roger was focused on the child in his arms.
You couldn't even feed him on his own earlier, and now you're the Nappy Master? Yeah. Alright.
"That's not what you told me on the lift earlier today," you argued lightly, hands on your hips.
Roger sighed, crossing one leg over the other as he rocked slowly in the chair. "Maybe I wanted you to help me, alright?" You offered a sad smile, and he accepted it as a gentle apology.
The corners of his lips twitched upward as his eyes fell back to Bobby. "'N fact, the more I spend with this little guy, the more I wish I had a kid." He looked up to you.
"Crazy to think, huh? Once the King of One-Night Stands wanting a family," he spoke as if the concept were a funny joke; a paradox, even.
It was your turn to stare from the bookshelf on the other side of the nursery.
"... I know we have this arrangement and everything, and this was supposed to work out because neither of us wanted families of our own," you tensed at his words, but your shoulders fell when he said, "... and don't fret, I'm not gonna leave you."
"... But," you started for him.
"But," he paused.
"... I'm starting to understand what I'll be missing out on. Just makes me sad, is all." You pushed off the bookshelf and took a seat on the floor in front of Roger, the bright moon casting almost an ethereal glow along the side of his pale, sleepy face.
"What would you cherish about it if you had a family, Rog?"
"The fact that I'm being loved for more than my body would be a start," he said. You felt your stomach drop at that.
"Rich coming from a guy like me, I know," he sighed. "The idea of settling down, having constants in my life.... I'm craving that. I know I'm young, and I'm not tied down in a committed relationship, and I should be cherishing this freedom but..."
You tilted your head a little as he tried to piece together what he was about to say next. He swallowed, eyes falling to your face.
You looked so pretty...
"... What if I don't wanna be alone anymore, Y/n?"
You hadn't expected that, but it did explain the constant one-night stands he had with groupies: He was in search of validation; and what better way than to take a girl to bed and love on her all night?
"I... I have so much love to give, and no one to give it to." His voice sounded weak, and he looked helplessly at Bobby, who was still suckling away at the milk in his bottle.
"... What if he was right...?" You frowned a little as Roger lifted his gaze to you again.
"Mr. Garrison. I mean, what if having children is just as rewarding as he says it is?" You hadn't noticed you'd been crying until you could taste your salty tears on your lips. You'd been reminded of your conversation with Bethany a few weeks prior, and now you were asking yourself all the same questions.
"We'd be missing out on a good life," you laughed upsettingly, rubbing your eyes dry with the sleeve of your robe.
Roger didn't say much after that. After Bobby finished eating, Roger burped him and put him back to bed. Like before, Bobby fell right to sleep.
Roger rose to his feet, and then helped you up gently by your elbows. You followed him out of the room, and closed the door behind you.
Roger slid his arm around your back and slowly walked you down to your room. You took a step through the door, and when you felt his arm fall from your body as he began mumbling his "goodnight"s, you immediately turned back and caught him by his wrist.
He didn't say anything, and you rushed through your head for something to say.
"Stay," You said after another second of silence.
Roger's confused look melted into one of adoration, lips parted and eyebrows lifted.
"... Roger, I don't wanna be alone either."
And that did it.
Without another word, Roger had stepped into the room with you, and he shut the door behind him. You untied your robe, and Roger watched from where he was standing as you let it drop to the floor.
It's not like you were wearing nothing, but a long shirt and your underwear was pretty close to nothing.
He scooped you up in his arms silently, catching the light switch with his elbow as he slid the both of you into bed.
You expected him to just roll back over, but when one of his palms fell to rest at your hip, head on top of yours, you couldn't help but hold your breath.
At this point you and Roger'd had a fair amount of sex, but being wrapped up in his arms like that; his thumbs dragging down your bare skin in lazy, invisible patterns... it was the most intimate thing you'd done with him ever.
You only pushed yourself closer to Roger, and as you drifted off, basking in the warmth of his body heat, and drowning in the smell of his body wash, you heard him mumble, "you're not alone anymore, Doll."
_____________________________
A/A/N: Guys, the amount of notes I’ve been getting for these fics recently are blowing me out of the water! I want to thank all of you for your support by liking, reblogging, and leaving me replies. It really means a lot to me, and inspires me to go on doing what I love most: Producing these stories for you guys! I hope you all enjoyed this one. Things are only gonna get better from here! <3
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I'm sorry I've been inactive. This quarantine is kicking my ass, and I've had no motivation. It's all coming back, now though, so y'all should expect a new TCND chapter soon.
So, I'm also a massive Beatles fan and I watched Across The Universe (one of my faves) last night baked as hell and now I have inspiration to write about some of the Bug Boys. I just wanted to know what Y'all would think about me expanding my writing to more than one character. (Trust me, I love Rogie, but I also wanna see who else I'm capable of writing as)
Thank you all for your patience ❤❤
A/N: Y’all, I know this was kinda filler and may not make a whole bunch of sense bc I was half asleep while writing this, so I apologize if this is shit. I legit thought I was going somewhere with this, but I think I’ll find some more inspiration after posting this part.
Again, I am so sorry.
Summary: Y/n comes down with a case of Baby Fever; She and Roger talk a little more about their “agreement”.
(Whichever Roger you want, real or Borhap. Whatever flies your kite.)
WARNINGS: Swearing most likely, Slow burn, mentions of sex, etc. I’m sorry if I forgot some.
This chapter will be brought back down to a T, but read at your own risk.
When you woke up from your deep sleep the following morning, you weren't expecting Roger to be by your side.
And when you turned to glance over your shoulder, you were in no way shocked to find the space next to you empty.
"At least he didn't show me the door as soon as he woke up," you mumbled to yourself mid-yawn. You stretched your body out, and relaxed again. You nearly fell back to sleep, but you knew you had to get up.
The sun's rays flooded Roger's bedroom through the open window, making the off-white walls appear brighter than they actually were.
You were happy to see the clouds from the previous day dispersed and London was finally getting the sunshine it deserved.
Eventually, after a long while of you trying to convince yourself to get up, you tossed the blankets to the side to start the day, only to find, through your bleary eyes, that you were missing all of your clothes.
You had no problem with this, considering the previous night's circumstances, but you found it strange that you used to hate sleeping naked, though you had the most refreshing sleep in your entire life doing it.
You didn't dwell on the thought much longer. You climbed out of bed and walked around the room, searching for your pyjamas, or underwear, or something to leave the bedroom in.
Then you stopped.
"I don't need fucking clothes." Roger was probably at practice. And even if he weren't, it's not like he hadn't seen all of you before, or was never gonna see all of you again.
You rolled your eyes at yourself, turned on your heel, and moved towards the bedroom door.
You caught sight of yourself in the mirror over Roger's dresser for a split second, and as soon as you reached for the doorknob, you rushed back to the mirror to actually get a good look at yourself.
From the jawline down to your hipbones, dark, painful-looking bruises and prominent bite marks were harshly pressed into the skin of your torso.
You had hickeys and marks on your neck, collarbone, breasts, navel, you name it.
You hissed in pain as you tilted your head back and touched a particularly large blue-violet bruise at the side of your throat. Your flesh was tender, but, much like how you reacted when you woke up nude, you were okay with it.
You started thinking of the night before, and you squeezed your legs shut, though it was somewhat painful to do.
You realized just then that the hickeys did, in fact, pass below your torso.
You shut your eyes and sighed heavily.
You didn't even want to bother looking at the damage down there.
"As long as my foundation can cover the ones on my neck," you concluded to yourself before finally exiting the bedroom.
After showering and making your way downstairs to prepare a cup of coffee, you were pleased to see half a pot was already brewed and ready for you.
You were very glad to see things between you and Roger hadn't changed a bit.
After coffee, you decided to do some cleaning. It was your day off, though you really felt like you needed to be productive.
You started by doing laundry. This included yours and Roger's bedsheets, the throw blankets on your sofa and living room chair, and all of yours and Roger's dirty clothes.
While those were in the washer, you decided to hoover all the carpets and mats, and after that, dusting.
You switched the laundry over to the dryer, and started a new wash. You were basically done everything else, and it was only noon.
You wondered if there was something to do outside, so to pique your curiosity, out the door you went.
You noticed an unoccupied flowerbed by the front window, though gardening wasn't your thing. You continued on.
Your yard's grass was constantly cut by your landlady's husband, you believed his name was Issac Welch; so you didn't have to worry about that.
You stood in your driveway completely defeated, and at a loss for something to do.
"Yoohoo, good afternoon, Y/n!" You heard a melodic call from a woman to your left. In your peripherals, you could see Bethany Lester, a young woman, maybe a little older than you, twiddle her fingers at you in excitement.
You didn't know whether to panic, or to roll your eyes. You were forced to meet seven more of your neighbours after having dinner with the Garrison's, and she just so happened to be one of them.
She was kind, but a little too bubbly for your liking.
Despite your annoyance, you thought it'd be more civil and appropriate to approach her and strike a conversation, rather than ignore her; even though you wanted so badly to just walk back inside and shut the door and not talk to anyone for the rest of the day.
You turned your head in Bethany's direction and smiled. "Hello, Beth!" You walked to her place, a few doors down, where she sat in a yellow sundress on the concrete with her little boy, Raymond.
He was playing with chalk and writing out letters and numbers, backwards and forwards, and in no exact order.
“ Say hi to Y/n, sweetie," She requested from her son, who turned his head to you, smiled, and said, "Hello! I can draw a doggie! Wanna see?!"
"Sure!" You encouraged. Raymond excitedly got up from his spot and ran to the front door. He returned with a bucket containing many more pieces of chalk, most of which were different colours.
"How've you been, recently?" Bethany asked as she looked away from her son as he began drawing his masterpiece.
"Still getting used to the new place?"
"Yeah, it's still a little weird. But kind people like you are helping me and Roger settle in quite nicely."
Bethany smiled at your comment, and nodded her head.
"We like making newcomers feel welcome. We're all like one big happy family here, us neighbours," she laughed airily.
You smiled tightly, and laughed along with her. You found yourself slipping into a situation in which plans would probably be made before you ended the conversation, though you definitely did not want to make plans.
"Well, that's awfully nice of you."
Raymond shoved his hand into the chalk bucket, and violently moved his arm around until he pulled out, to your surprise, the exact colour he was looking for, before going back to drawing his dog.
Your brief interruption didn't stop Bethany from talking more, unfortunately.
"How are you and Roger, anyways? I always see you two out and about the complex. You two really do make a good couple."
You smiled warmly at Bethany's words, your face growing hot as you, once again, remembered last night.
"He was really great..." you paused for a second, and realized what you'd just said, eyes wide in horror.
"Is. He is really great. He's fine." You took a deep breath. "Sorry. I just... I get all nervous thinking about him."
"Still in the 'Honeymoon Phase’?" Bethany guessed aloud.
"Been together five years. I think we're well past the ‘Honeymoon Phase’."
Raymond stood to his feet again, and turned to look at you. You smiled at him as he approached you, and pulled on your sleeve.
"I'm finished my doggie, Y/n!"
"Well, what are you waiting for?! Show me!"
You let Raymond pull you to the area of concrete he was working on, and he pointed to the round balloon-looking animal proudly.
You could tell it was a dog. He added some pretty identifiable features like a long tail, floppy ears, and a comedic tongue.
You sat down cross legged in front of the drawing, and began complimenting it and going into full depth about how moving the drawing was to you, like how an art critic would speak about another's work.
Raymond, although he probably had no idea what you were talking about, smiled and gushed and laughed about everything you were saying.
You found this utterly adorable, and told him that if you had a bajillion pounds, you would spend every single one of them on one of his drawings if he ever became an artist.
Raymond thanked you endlessly for your kindness until he picked up another piece of chalk and gave it to you.
"Can you draw, Y/n?"
"Well, I can certainly try, but I don't know if my skill will ever compare to yours!"
You tried to draw a cat, as badly as you could, and afterwards tried to claim it as "the best doggie I can draw". Raymond just found this hilarious, and his little giggles were contagious.
You found yourself in a laughing fit, as well.
"You're really good with kids, Y/n."
"I like to think I am," you answered with a smile as you drew a stick person with spiky hair.
"Have you and Roger thought about having kids?" You looked up from your drawing to Bethany.
"Funny you say that. The Garrisons asked the same thing." She shrugged innocently.
"You just... seem like good mother material. And he, good father material." You laughed out loud at that.
You didn't see it for yourself.
"Thanks, Beth, but I don't know if Roger even wants to have children. We're probably not even cut out for the job."
"... You've never spoken to him about it before?"
You shook your head. "No, not exactly."
Bethany frowned a little. "Cole and I had Raymond only two years after we started dating. I was fresh out of college. Your age, I bet."
You looked over at Raymond, who was sticking his tongue out in pure concentration as he tried to draw a perfect circle. You didn't know if you could imagine someone, especially a little kid, sharing your features.
"It's worth it, you know," You turned to look at your neighbour again. "Having kids, I mean. Believe me, it's tiring, and lots of hard work, but going to bed knowing you have someone else to love just..."
Bethany sighed happily.
"It'll make you feel really good about where you are in life."
The conversation you had over at the Garrisons' was more from a paternal point of view, so hearing this from an actual mother roughly your age was actually sort of... helpful.
"I... I think I may talk to him. Tonight, actually. About this whole... baby thing."
"You should. I thought I wanted to wait until Cole and I were married, but things changed and now look at us: Engaged and with a three year old boy who means the world to us."
You smiled sadly at that.
It hurt because this was something you knew you may have wanted.
And it hurt even more because this was something you knew you were never going to have.
"Hey, Bird," you heard a familiar, startling voice behind you, and you turned to see, as you'd guessed, Roger, who held a hand out to pull you back to your feet.
"You're... You're back from practice early," you commented in a flustered tone, taking his hand anyways and letting him help you up.
"We figured we'd cut things short today, go home to our girlies." Your skin rose with goosebumps, and you blushed when Roger cupped your face and pressed a soft kiss to your forehead.
"Hey, Beth, nice seeing you again," Roger said after pulling away from you, to which you puffed out a sigh of relief, though he slid an arm around your waist all too soon, and you felt your face burning again.
"It's nice seeing you too, Roger."
"Hi Roger!" Raymond waved enthusiastically to the drummer, and he returned the greeting by going over, getting down on his knees, and high-fiving the kid.
Raymond offered to show Roger the drawing of the dog he did, and you watched as Roger picked up a piece of chalk out of nowhere and started adding to the picture.
Your nervous stare melted away and transformed into one of admiration as you watched Roger bond with Raymond.
Bethany got to her feet, and approached you, her eyes on her son as he offered blue chalk to Roger, who took it gratefully and drew a flower.
...
At least you think it was a flower.
"Still having doubts about being parent material?" Bethany asked rhetorically, nodding towards the sight before you.
You knew all of this was a charade, but...
Watching Roger behave like this, with a child, had some sort of effect on you.
And you knew you needed to talk to Roger about this problem sooner than later, because you really didn't want the whole neighbourhood waiting on you two for engagement news or pregnancy announcements that were clearly not coming.
_____________________________
You and Roger eventually returned home after saying good bye to Raymond and Bethany. The both of you stepped into the house, shut the door, and that's when the both of you noticed how quiet the atmosphere was.
Roger was looking at you in a shy manner, and your face warmed up as he mumbled a quiet "Hi, Y/n."
"Hey, Rogie," you breathed back softly. He smiled a little, and toed his shoes off. You followed suit.
"How uh... how were you this morning?" He asked, frowning a little afterwards. "... I'm sorry I didn't wake you up. I just... I didn't wanna bother you."
"It's okay," you spoke as gently as he did. You didn't know why you were talking so quietly, but you both just silently agreed that it was necessary at that moment.
"I had a good sleep."
"Well... that's good. Um... I did too."
"Good."
"Yeah."
Silence took over again, and Roger, leaning against the front door, looked around the hallway to find something other than you to look at. He didn't like staring, but it's all he wanted to do when you were around.
You, leaning against the wall adjacent to Roger, was looking around the room with the same intentions.
After finding nothing else to really look at, Roger just decided to interact with you.
He pushed himself off his spot against the door, and slowly moved towards you. His arms slid around your body in a warm, comforting manner. His embrace was welcoming, and you found yourself giving in to his affection.
His lips kindly pecked your forehead like how he did outside, and you smiled a little at the gesture. He kissed your forehead again, and then your cheek.
Roger knew if he didn't pull away, he would just end up taking you to bed like he did the night before, but he didn't want you to feel like he was just using you for sex.
As much as he wanted to keep up with the physical affection, he knew he had to separate from you at some point.
You looked up at him, and as he pulled away, it was as if you were gravitating towards him. You wanted his touch to linger for as long as possible, so your body moved with his hands as they fell to his side.
You cleared your throat awkwardly when you took notice of how close you'd actually gotten to Roger, and you expanded the space between the both of you by stepping back.
"... Are you hungry?"
Roger only nodded to your question, and you wordlessly moved to the kitchen to find something to make for lunch.
Roger followed along, and watched as you started searching the cupboards for something to eat.
You picked up and put down many cans, pretending to read them before setting them back on their rightful shelves. Your mind was too preoccupied with the societal expectations this complex had, and that the stress was finally catching up to you.
Eventually, after picking up the same can of vegetable soup for the seventh time in a row, Roger made his way over, put the can back for you, and closed the cupboard.
He waited silently for you to start talking, and you felt defeated.
"Roger, they're expecting us to have a baby."
"I know."
"And they want us to get married."
"I know."
You frowned.
You thought back to how you and Roger behaved with Raymond.
Like you thought then, it was everything you may have actually wanted, but you couldn't have.
And it hurt the more you repeated that in your head.
"... What if this wasn't such a good idea?" You asked Roger, eyes casted down at the clean marble countertops you wish you'd grown so accustomed to the previous couple of weeks living there.
"Hey, hey," Roger's hand squeezed your shoulder, and you looked up at him with sad eyes.
"You wanted this place, Y/n, and we sacrificed so much to get it for you!"
"... But it wasn't my idea to pretend we're a couple just for a house, Roger."
The glimmer of hope in Roger's eyes, like a candlewick, burnt out when you said that.
Was it really his fault you two were in this situation?
You sighed. "We agreed at the very beginning of this arrangement that things weren't going to change. We were going to avoid the neighbours at all costs, and live here for as long as we could as nothing but friends."
The more you spoke, the more deflated Roger felt.
So that's how you felt about him.
Nothing more than a friend.
"We can keep this arrangement going, as well as the uh..." you cleared your throat. "You know..."
You gestured between the both of you and Roger nodded slowly.
He was rather relieved that was still on. You had a rockin' body, and you definitely knew how to use it.
".. But I don't know how much longer we will survive here if we don't shut up."
"Yeah." Roger tried to interrupt the silence between voices to make things a little less awkward, and suspenseful. "Yeah, no, okay. Okay, I got it. No more talking." He frowned.
"You need to stop talking too, y'know," he said quietly, in the kindest tone he could. "You tend to panic and say random shit and that may not be good for us, either."
You nodded. "Been trying to work on that. It's hard to avoid these people!"
"This morning, Charles was standing outside and immediately started a conversation with me. It was almost like he was waiting for me."
You shivered unpleasantly. "That's pretty creepy," you mumbled in a funny voice, all of a sudden. It was one you used in high school all the time when Roger was turned down by a girl; and, believe it or not, happened a lot more often than one would think.
"Tell me about it," Roger responded through a giggle, his eyes began to shine like they had been when you'd first walked into the kitchen, ecstatic you decided to lighten the mood with your little side comments.
You offered him a pleasant smile, and reached up for the cupboard's handle again to properly search for something to cook, but Roger closed it again with the palm of his hand.
"... I really hope you know that... everything I said last night... about you, and how pretty you are..."
You looked from one blue eye to the other in wait. You would have hated how many times Roger paused during a conversation, but... it made your heart soar.
"Everything was true."
And that is when your heart skipped a beat.
"I know, Rogie," was all you said in response, reaching up and kissing his cheek before moving past him to look into the other cupboards for lunch-potential foods.
Roger was grinning from the innocent peck you gave him, though you were unaware of it because his back was turned to you.
But you had a feeling that's just what he was doing.
Though you were happy Roger was feeling a little better, you still had this dark feeling hanging over you.
If you wanted a domestic life with a husband and children, you would have to leave Roger, and this house.
But on the other hand, this was your home; Roger was your home. And to stay with him, you would have to give up your dreams of being a caring mother, and a loving wife.
You leaned your head sadly against the cupboard door.
You silently wondered if there even was a way you could have everything you wanted.
_____________________________
A/A/N: After editing a little, I don’t think this part is horrible, but it’s not the best. Hopefully the next chapter will be good enough for us to forget about this one.
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A/N: Okay, yes, I may or may not have written this in less than a day, and no, I’m not the happiest with it. Then again, I’m not exactly always happy with what I produce. As long as my works entertain others, that’s all that matters.
But anywho, I wrote this part of the series in 3rd person Omniscient for Roger because we need to know what’s going inside that tiny head of his.
Don’t forget to leave notes, show your support and interest in my pieces by sending in a reply. All support and feedback is greatly appreciated! :)
Summary: Roger and you spend dinner at the Garrisons, and Roger does some thinking.
(Again, Borhap! or Canon! Rog, whatever tickles your peaches)
WARNINGS: Swearing, slow burn, mentions of sex (nO sMuT), mentions of drugs, alcohol, overthinking(?) idk this part made me a tiny bit sad)
I’m rating this a T, but the subject matter is a little heavier than my previous parts of this fic. I would advise you to proceed with caution.
Roger stepped out of the shower, staring at his muted reflection in the foggy mirror before reaching for a towel. He took his time towel-drying his hair, and by the time he’d dried himself completely off, the steam in the bathroom dissipated just enough for him to be able to make out his facial features in that same mirror.
At this point he reached for the blow dryer on the right side of the counter. After fully removing the vapour off the mirror with it, he used it to completely dry his hair.
His fingers ran through his blond strands carefully as he tried to make sure he didn’t leave anything wet.
As much as Roger liked his hair, he’d rather have some girl pulling on it than him.
But that was besides the point.
Roger set down the blow dryer after a while, and just stared at himself in the mirror, his hands on either side of the vanity.
What the fuck was he doing?
He decided to fake a relationship with you, (on a limb, I may add) for the benefits of having a nice place to live.
It sucked that his days of sleeping around were coming to an end, though he didn’t exactly mind it.
In a way, Roger loved you. But it was like… a weird love. Almost like a “you-are-my-best-friend-and-I-would-die-for-you-but-if-you-totally-wanted-to-kiss-me-I-wouldn’t-think-twice-about-reciprocating” kind of love.
He’d felt like this towards you since high school, but you were with someone, and he forced his feelings down by sleeping with so many women he probably couldn’t remember any of their names if he tried.
Eventually, with all the drugs and alcohol he consumed, and all the skirts he’d been under for the last five years, that other, almost forbidden feeling towards you, was gone.
Well… Until now.
"Rog, you good in there?“ You called through the bathroom door. The sound of your voice almost had his heart jump up into his throat. He circled a towel around his waist, and opened the door.
You looked him up and down, and Roger could swear he saw your cheeks glow. "Damn, you’re looking good, Rogie."
He choked out a strained laugh, averting his eyes to the small droplets of water on his feet. "Wel-uh.. th-thanks, um… y/n."
You rolled your eyes, a dopey smile on your face. "And you thought I took those compliments seriously.” You squeezed past a nearly heartbroken Roger in the threshold of the door, and you reached into the medicine cabinet for your toothbrush.
“All I need to do after this is put on my lipstick, and you’re not even dressed! We’re supposed to be over there in five minutes!"
This had Roger disappearing immediately into the second guest room on the left, the one you decided would be his room after he forfeited the master bedroom over to you.
You just shook your head before shoving your tooth brush into your mouth.
_______________________________
"Just… be calm."
"I am calm. You’re the one that’s not calm."
"Why would I tell you to be calm if I’m not?"
Roger was about to respond just before Anna opened the door. Roger and you immediately slapped painfully wide grins on your faces, and greeted the older woman with a soft hello as you stepped inside.
"Something smells good,” Roger complimented as he removed his jacket. "Thank you, Roger. It’s almost ready. I’d give it another fifteen minutes, and then we’ll dine.“
Roger nodded to Anna with a smile and turned towards you. He helped you take your jacket off, and you watched as he placed the coats on an empty hook on the wall.
He faced you again, and winked. He reached down and grabbed your hand, giving it a warm squeeze before you were both led further into the Garrison’s home.
Anna encouraged you both to take a seat on the sofa while she continued watching the food.
"Charlie kept an eye on the casserole while I grabbed the door. He’ll be out in just a minute, loves."
"Take your time,” you called to her as she made a beeline to the kitchen, leaving Roger and you alone.
Roger pursed his lips, twirling his thumbs in the sudden, and awkward silence. He took this time to examine the tidy, well-furnished home.
He began silently counting all of the framed photographs on the wall.
He came across one of Anna and Charles. It seemed to have been an older one compared to some of the others. They were in wedding attire, Roger guessed, from the thirties or forties, the newlyweds brandishing bright, and ecstatic grins.
He couldn’t help but smile back at the photograph.
He didn’t feel as if it were a necessity to get married, but he wished he would find pure elation being with you.
It didn’t matter if he could never properly marry you; if he discovered you were never in love with him in the first place… or even if things did turn out that way; he just saw you. No one else.
It had to be you.
Roger’s eyes flitted to the right when Charles returned from the kitchen.
"Sorry to keep you kids waiting,“ he said sincerely, sitting down in his living room chair.
” ’S no rush, Mr. Garrison,“ Roger assured him.
No one really decided to say anything after that. It was silent for a few second too long, and Charles laughed a little.
"Geez, are you guys uncomfortable? You both look tense. You’re good here. You can relax. Been a long day for you two–"
"Charlie?"
"Oop– Excuse me,"
Charles pardoned himself from your presence to see what his wife needed.
You sighed heavily, and Roger’s head began to spin.
How could this look more natural…?
”… hey um…“ Roger mumbled gently, successfully grabbing your attention, and you raised an eyebrow in confusion.
Roger licked his lips, his hand slowly lifting and moving to hover just over your knee. His eyes refused to look back into your own.
You caught sight of his hand in your peripherals, and after looking downwards, you glanced back up at Roger.
"Is uh… is it okay If I…?”
You simply nodded, and Roger sighed in relief, his hand lowering onto your leg. You shifted the smallest bit closer to him, and you smiled a little at how embarrassed he was to be touching you like he would with any other girl.
You placed your hand affectionately over top of his when he started rubbing circles on your pant leg with his thumb.
Your cheeks were a pretty shade of pink, and Roger’s were, too.
Charles returned from the kitchen just then. “She "lost her glasses”. They were right on her face and neither of us even noticed until she saw herself in the window!“
You and Roger laughed along with Charles in regards to his wife’s antics.
"But enough about her, I see her every day. Tell me more about you. How long have you had this one for, Roger?"
The drummer smiled at you, taking a moment to himself to search your entire face for an imperfection; maybe a loose eyebrow hair, some smeared makeup, lipstick on your teeth, or even an ugly zit he could make fun of you for later. But there was nothing wrong with you.
He couldn’t find one thing on your entire face he didn’t like.
"I wish I could tell you I’ve had her forever, Charles…"
You looked into his eyes. There was something… not quite right.
It was the way he was looking at you.
He’d never looked at you like that before.
Not with that much adoration; and never, did you ever think, you’d describe Roger’s tone as "dripping with affection”. At least, not when he spoke of you.
“It’s been about five years.” Roger concluded. “Best years of my life."
"And the fact you’re still going strong makes me very happy,” Charles mused, his eyes shining with joy.
"Things’ll get even better. Wait until you’re married and have children!“
That statement had your blood run ice cold, and you could swear Roger’s eye twitched at the word.
Children.
"I remember when my wife told me she was pregnant. It was one of the greatest days in my life, though their actual births and my wedding day are easily the top two."
You opened your mouth, but no words would come out. You cleared your throat and tried again. "Uhm…” Charles turned your way. “We never really um…” you took a deep breath and tried again. “Well, we’ve never really sat down and really… discussed whether or not we even want kids.”
“No um… we just… can’t see ourselves as parents. To a baby. With our face. It just seems so… surreal.”
“Roger,” The blond swallowed, and nodded to Charles in acknowledgement.
“Becoming a father is so rewarding. Wait ‘till you have a baby girl or a little boy, and you hold 'em in your arms for the first time. All that doubt will just wash away. Anna and I were so confident in our parenting skills, we had four more little ones!”
You couldn’t imagine having more than just one child, let alone five, or any of Roger’s, for that matter. The concept was so foreign to you, especially when it’s suggested that the father of these kids is the man who purposely puts the toilet roll on backwards because, and only because, it pisses you off.
Anna called the three of you to the table, cutting the conversation short, though you were relieved to get your mind off how hilariously ridiculous it sounded that you were sort of expected to give birth to Roger Meddows Taylor’s offspring.
He, on the other hand, couldn’t shake the idea. He spent the whole dinner on auto-pilot, trying to imagine how a child could share both his and your features.
He watched you a lot during dessert, trying to decide his favourite part of your face, something that he would be happy for your hypothetical child with him to be graced with.
But much like earlier, he realized he loved your face so much, he couldn’t make an ultimate decision.
Much like you, Roger thought the concept was close to impossible, as well.
He didn’t want to come down with a “Baby Fever”, so he took the next chance he could to talk about something distracting. The subject was averted to music, and Roger’s drumming and things like that.
He was just glad his subconscious wasn’t focused anymore about which room in the condo would hypothetically be the baby’s.
_______________________________
“Thank you for inviting us over, Anna. That was the best casserole I’ve had in my life. Just don’t tell my mother.” Anna laughed at your joke, and teasingly assured you she wouldn’t.
Roger, after helping you put your jacket back on, held the door open for you, and after saying your final good byes to both Anna and Charles, the both of you were left alone in the cool summer night.
Your slow walk down the drive with Roger was very quiet. You two didn’t say anything.
You both took slow, careful steps towards your new home, two pairs of eyes searching the sky for constellations.
Roger’s hands were stuffed into his jean pockets, and you had your arms crossed over your chest.
He expected you to start rambling about how much of a disaster the entire visit was, and how there was certainly not enough casserole for left overs as Anna suspected, but you said nothing.
So he said nothing.
Roger climbed the stairs up to your front door, and unlocked it, wordlessly holding it open for you. You just nodded in thanks, and stepped inside, Roger close behind.
That’s where you both disbanded. You went right upstairs, leaving Roger alone in the dark front corridor. He just sighed, and locked the door as his eyes fixed to the blackness of the room.
He went straight to the kitchen, and opened the refrigerator. There were a few beer bottles in the fridge, and he reached for one, twisting the cap off with his shirt before taking a swig.
He shed his jacket and tossed it on the couch before sitting in the chair on the other side of the living room, and propping his feet up on the ottoman.
Upstairs, he could hear the tub’s faucet running. You were showering.
Taking another sip of his beer, Roger decided to wait until you were out of the shower and in bed before he went upstairs.
"… Rog?“
Roger’s eyes snapped open and he sat up with a start, gaze shooting to the hand on his arm.
Your hand.
Roger exhaled, and rubbed his tired eyes, his brain registering that you’d turned some of the lights on.
"Scared the bloody ‘ell outta me, y/n,” He slurred groggily, rubbing his forehead and combing his hair back with his fingers.
“I’m so sorry! I went to knock on your door and you weren’t in there!"
"I was waitin’ here for you t’ go t’ bed…” he must have fallen asleep, you thought as you rubbed the side of his arm.
“Well I was checking in on you to let you know the bathroom was free if you needed in."
” ’M fine, Love. Thanks, though.“ He removed his feet from the ottoman, and rubbed the back of his neck, a number of empty beer bottles falling from his lap and onto the carpet below.
”… I swear I only 'member grabbin’ one.“
”… You go upstairs, okay? I’ll put you to bed.“ You bent down and started picking up the bottles.
Roger, who was on his feet, and turning the corner, stopped to watch you. He counted every bottle you picked up off the floor.
The higher the number, the guiltier he felt.
By the time you picked up five, Roger was already gone, upstairs and changing into some nighttime clothes.
He blindly chose his clothes, the combination being a pair of checkered pants and a Rolling Stones t-shirt.
He didn’t even bother trying to make an effort to get up and brush his teeth. He just climbed into bed and shut his eyes.
But as promised, you walked into his room, and sat on his bed.
”… Roger, you know I didn’t hear the faucet running.“
That’s how easily convincing you were to him: Seconds later Roger was in the blinding luminescent light of the bathroom, you sitting behind him on the edge of the bathtub as he drunkenly brushed his teeth.
"Spit, rinse, and I’ll meet you in the room.” You rubbed his back gently before leaving him alone in the room.
Roger removed the brush from his mouth, and stared at himself in the mirror, toothpaste froth lining his lips and dripping down his chin in an almost comedic manner.
Roger thought the froth kind of looked like facial hair. He even giggled a little at the idea of him maybe one day having a beard.
But then his smile disappeared, and he wiped his mouth off. Although he remembered only drinking one, he knew why he drank so much more.
Those thoughts about you were returning. The more time he spent with you, the more giddy he’d feel, and the more close he’d want to get.
Roger wondered how he used to be able to teasingly slap your ass and make sexual jokes with you all the time without feeling at the very least flustered with his own actions.
He did it in front of the band all the time when you were around, but it was like he was in high school again.
He always had the urge to kiss you at least once before he died. The constant suppression over the last few years buried that urge six feet under, but it seemed the suppression wasn’t working anymore.
What if, Roger thought, this would be different? He technically had no reason to suppress any feelings he had towards you; well, maybe except for dignity purposes, but that was all.
What if luck and pre-destiny existed, and his chance to be with you just so happened to be now, under these awkward circumstances that would overall result in a blissful future with nothing but happiness…
But why would someone like her want to be with someone like you?
With the depressing thought hanging over him like an obedient rain cloud, he shut the bathroom light off, and moped to his room, where you sat in wait.
You helped Roger climb into bed, and you tucked him in, kissing his forehead like a child.
“If you need me in the night, you know where I am, Blondie.”
Roger nodded, and mumbled his good nights to you before rolling over.
When his bedroom door closed, Roger opened his eyes despite not being able to see anything in the room.
He blinked.
At the beginning of this commitment, pretending to be with you seemed like a piece of cake to him…
… But Roger didn’t know how much longer it would be until his behaviour towards you wasn’t pretend anymore.
_______________________________
A/A/N: Wow, This is a lot longer than I expected it to be, but I’m glad this part is done. I think I may write in Roger’s perspective more in this fic because he’s got lots of shit running through his mind, clearly. What are y’all’s opinions though?
Anywho, enjoy this, I’m gonna go find something to inspire me for the next chapter.
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A/N: Been a long time coming. I know it’s been literally half a year. I’ve been working through stressful family things, prep for university in the coming fall, spending as much time as I can with my boyfriend before we go our separate ways for a few months, etc.
Stuff just got busy and I am SO sorry I haven’t addressed any of that. I know many of you want part two, and here it is. I don’t know if it’s as good as my other works on here, but the only way to find out is to post it, right?
But anyways, yes, this chapter is here, and it’s kinda a filler. there’ll be more plot development in the next chapter, and I promise, if this part does well, I will not hesitate to post a continuation.
Like I say in my other author’s notes, feedback, and any sort of note, whether it be a reblog, a like, or a comment, is greatly appreciated. it inspires me more to keep writing. So thank you!
Summary: Moving day is here, and you and Roger had the honour of meeting the neighbours across the street, the Garrisons.
(This can be read as Borhap!Roger or IRL Roger. Whatever mows your lawn)
WARNINGS: Swearing, mild sexual content (but NO smut), and zero knowledge of U-Haul History (I know they no longer exist in the UK, but I’m Canadian and I’m too lazy to do any research to make sure the timeline is matched)
Like the previous fic in this series, it’s rated a T for Mature Subject Matter
It was a bright, sunny morning in London (shocking, right?).
The day would have been hot, but the wind chill cooled down the city rather nicely.
Not only was this a wonderful day, but it was moving day.
Roger was pushing the last box of vinyl records into the trunk of his car. He shut the trunk, and huffed a sigh before running his fingers through his sweaty hair. He didn’t remember the last time he’d lifted so much.
He took a minute to catch his breath, two ladies roughly the same age as him, jogging past. He drank in their appearances before winking at one of them and retreating to the apartment in which he and you once resided.
He made his way down the hallway leading to your room, and although he was planning on going to the empty room that once was his own, he figured he could receive the same amount of nostalgia when looking at your now vacant bedroom.
Roger found it so strange– The bare walls and stripped mattress. The empty closet and the unoccupied corners of the room.
“Weird, eh?” Roger asked you, who was simply packing away the last of the books on your shelf. You turned to him, and he leaned against the threshold of your bedroom door, arms crossed over his chest.
You shrugged your shoulders, glancing down at the floor and scratching the back of your head.
“Just a little, yeah.”
Roger playfully pouted at you, shoving his hands into his jean pockets as he entered the bedroom.
He looked around silently, and you went back to shoving your final books into its box before closing it up and labelling the cardboard.
“I’m gonna miss this place,” you said, frowning at the realization that you’d already slept, ate, showered, cleaned, and cooked for the last time in this apartment.
Roger took immediate notice of your upset tone. “Don’t get all melancholic on me now, y/n,” Roger teased, taking a seat right next to the box you just packed.
“But won’t you?/"
"Miss this place? Of course.” Roger smiled a little. “And Brian will miss us."
”Oh yeah. He’ll definitely miss my awful singing in the shower every morning, and your extremely loud noises when you bring a girl over to bed.“
He just shrugged. "What can I say? I’m not about to fake being unsatisfied, especially when I’m trying to get a girl off."
You shuddered. "I don’t wanna hear about your sex life, Roger."
He laughed loudly, rising to his feet and picking up the box of books on your mattress. "Then I don’t wanna hear you complaining about how loud I am in bed."
"You’re making it sound like we fuck,” you crossed your arms accusingly, your face twisting sourly.
“Might as well be. We’re basically a couple.” He turned on his heel and left the room, but not before he sent a teasing wink your way.
You simply shook your head, mumbling “gross” under your breath jokingly and moving to the bathroom to retrieve your remaining possessions in the medicine cabinet.
_____________________________
“Are you sure you don’t need my help, guys? Christine isn’t going to get here for another few hours."
"I think we’re all good, Bri,” Roger assured the tall guitarist, giving him a kind slap on the back.
“But if we do, we’ll give you a ring,” you added, to which Roger smiled. He liked that about you. You were so humble, but weren’t afraid at all to ask for assistance. It was an admiring trait of yours.
“Will do,” Brian confirmed with a grin and a simple nod of his head. You and Roger returned the nod, and walked to the car.
After climbing in, and giving one last look at the apartment building the both you and Roger once called home, he drove you both off to your new humble abode.
____________________________
“We can just put it here,” Roger directed as the both of you lowered the piece of furniture on the floor. When it was set where the both of you wanted it, you plopped down in the chair on the other side of the living room, sighing loudly.
“It was real nice of Christine to give us some of her furniture,” you commented, watching as Roger collapsed on the sofa in exhaustion.
“Well she’s got all Bri’s stuff now, right?"
The question sounded more like a statement, and Roger wasn’t surprised when you didn’t respond.
”… d'ya know what’s left to bring in from the U-Haul?“
"The mattresses and all the boxes from the car, I believe."
Roger groaned, and got to his feet, much to his dismay. "Then we can rest,” he exclaimed with a sigh. You just smiled at the idea, pushed off from your place on the chair, and followed Roger out.
He walked straight towards the moving truck and into the back, where one more box hid with the mattresses, which were now the only things occupying the truck. You, on the other hand, stood at the steps of the condominium, your eyes wandering around the complex.
Roger, who was just about to pass you with the final box in his hand, bumped your hip playfully with his own before slipping away into the building. You turned to where he was a moment ago, smiling to yourself at the idea of just how childish Roger could be.
Your eyes shifted to the right a little, and you caught the gaze of a man and woman who appeared to have been in their early to mid sixties, across the complex’s main stretch of road. You smiled, and waved at the couple, something you’d expect them to return.
What you didn’t prepare for was when they waved back, and began approaching you to properly greet themselves.
Your eyes widened and you began to internally panic. Roger was just exiting the front door, and you extended your wrist out, grabbing his arm tightly and pulling him back before he could go any further.
You turned to face him, your expressions hidden from everyone but him. “Neighbours’ coming,” you warned in a hushed tone, your eyebrows bent in worry, and your bottom lip rolling between your teeth anxiously.
“Hey, hey, nothin’ to worry about. I’m here. All you need to do is hold my hand, yeah? I can do all the talking."
You let go of his arm after a moment, and he slowly curled his fingers around yours. He took a deep breath, as did you, before putting on bright smiles, and turning towards the neighbours, who just appeared from in behind the truck.
"Hi! You two must be the new couple. Welcome to the complex! I’m Anna Garrison, and this is my husband, Charles."
You and Roger branded the friendliest smiles you both could muster. You watched as Roger let go of you to reach out and shake the couple’s hands.
"I’m Roger Taylor,” he introduced, glancing down and snaking an arm warmly around your waist.
“… and this is my beautiful girlfriend, y/n.” You tried to ignore what Roger said despite feeling your face grow hot. You reached out and politely shook the Garrisons’ hands as well, keeping the smile plastered on your mouth no matter how much it ached.
“I remember when we were that young and in love,” Charles mused in a soft tone. Conversations like this, Roger knew, you wanted to avoid at all costs, and he did as well. He was just… really good at lying.
Although the Garrisons looked nice, there was something about them that made them seem rather nosey.
And your suspicions were proven true when you watched Anna’s gaze fall on your bare wedding finger despite just hearing Roger and you were only “boyfriend and girlfriend”.
“So… do you two plan on marrying soon? You may be young, but time does pass."
You knew you should have remained quiet, but you began to panic, and you let out a laugh. "Yeah. We… we kinda talk about it. Not much."
"We wanna settle in first,” Roger offered, knowing if he didn’t start talking soon, you would have said too much.
You wondered how Roger could do that so easily: pretend, yet be so believable. You wondered if he simply tossed extra words in without thought. Like adding “girl” before “friend”, something he’d called you since you met.
You wondered if he found it awkward to hold your hand, or have you so physically close to him. Then again, you two never exactly had/ personal space.
You knew he had a method of doing this, but you couldn’t quite place exactly what he was doing, or how he did it so naturally.
“Well, it’s gonna be nice, having another couple to have over for dinner."
You could feel your throat swelling. If you made a list on everything you wanted to avoid doing with these neighbours in this complex that you were gonna end up having to do, a quarter of the list would have probably already been crossed off.
"That sounds lovely,” Roger nodded politely, silently wishing himself that the day never had to come, for your sake.
But it seemed Charles and Anna thought differently, and when the married couple made eye contact with one another, you and Roger just knew this invitation was not going to be forgotten about.
“Why don’t you two come tonight?” Charles asked, to which his wife nodded in agreement.
“Don’t worry about having to cook after a long day of moving in. I’m making a lovely casserole, and we can send you home with leftovers. There’s always too much for Charlie and I to eat anyways, with our kids having moved out and away long ago."
Roger opened his mouth to politely decline the offer, but like a few moments before, you panicked and spoke again. "That sounds great, actually!"
The blond looked down at you, and you could see in your peripheral that Roger seemed lost, though the Garrisons didn’t even notice.
"Perfect! We’re right across the road. I suspect it will be done near six-thirty. Gives you two some time to yourselves after everything is moved in."
"We’ll see you around six then?” Charles asked Roger, his old grey eyes wide and expecting.
“Six it is,” Roger agreed, matching smiles with the older gentleman.
“Six it is,” Anna repeated before linking arms with her husband, bidding farewell, and returning to their condominium.
As soon as they closed the door, you tightly grabbed Roger’s wrist, and stepped inside your new home. When the door shut, you let out a long groan, bending your knees and squatting, your face in your hands.
“I thought this is what you wanted to avoid!"
"I know, I know, and I panicked and I fucked up and now we have to have dinner with them,” you whined helplessly. “You’ve known me for years, you know I do this all the time!"
Roger, whose knees were bent, palms flat against his thighs as he thought, took a deep breath, and regained a neutral posture.
"You know what,” he raised his hands in a calming sort of gesture.
“It’s not as bad as you think."
"What do you mean "it’s not as bad as you think”?!“ You were horrified with Roger’s words.
"We do this once, and we never have to go back!” You raised your head from its once defeated position in your hands, but you could see Roger’s reasoning.
"Oh my God…"
"I know! Then we’re home-free!” He explained with a grin, his arms wide open.
You leaned backwards, falling on your ass and leaning your head up against the wall in relief.
“Oh God. We just gotta get through tonight.” You opened your heavy eyelids and smiled up at Roger. “We’ll be fine."
"Yes we will. Now, c'mon, Love. Let’s get those mattresses in here before someone takes notice we have different beds."
And that’s exactly what you did.
And after the car was all unpacked, you and Roger took a well-deserved nap together on the couch.
_____________________________
A/A/N: Thank you all for your patience. Happy reading!
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A/N: I am really going HAM on this series, guys. I love it so much tbh. the amount of traffic I’ve accumulated the last few days on my blog has me SHOOK. I’m so glad I’m bringing entertainment to well-deserved people! Love y’all!
Summary: It’s Friday. You just need to survive one whole work day before the night is all yours and Roger’s.
(Again, BoRhap or real Roger, whatever tickles your peaches)
WARNINGS: Swearing, Vaguely Mature Subject Matter
I’d rate this big boy a T.
It was definitely Friday.
And it was definitely seven o'clock.
A.M.
You watched as the red numbers on your alarm clock changed every infinity.
Twelve hours until dinner.
Two hours until work.
You felt as if you’d been lying awake in your bed for years. You barely had any sleep the night before, taking to the alarm clock as a distraction from your thoughts.
7:02, and your mind still raced with your heart.
It had only been two days since the situation regarding you, a lift, and a certain blond beauty occurred. Despite this, those days dragged on almost as if each day were a lifetime.
You’d had those days off, and you only did what you were doing now; staring at that damned alarm clock.
You didn’t know if you were excited or scared of this dinner with Roger. On one hand, you didn’t know how well the night would go considering your relationship with him had been transparent for a whole two years…
But you couldn’t help but think back to his confession in the lift. One you’d forgotten about until just this morning.
“My Doll, I have been in love with you since the moment I set eyes on you, and I never stopped.”
You shut your eyes and sighed. You remembered his voice being so gentle, and how the pause after his confession hung in the air in a very pleasant way.
You remembered how his bright blue eyes carved effortlessly into your heart and soul, and how his soft listings of the little domestic and romantic things he wanted to do with you had your chest nearly bursting with every butterfly that could have coexisted in your being at once.
You opened your eyes and frowned.
7:04.
You wished you’d responded to what Roger had said.
You could think of a million and one things to tell him if you were back in that situation.
In the lift.
7:05.
And a million and two things to tell him.
"Higher.“
"Fred, if this is gonna be like Bohemian Rhapsody, I may just have to leave–"
"Roger, Darling, you’re doing great here. Your falsetto is fantastic, but it just doesn’t seem to want to match tones.”
Roger sighed, pressing the palm of his right hand against his headphones. With his other hand, he spun his finger in a counter clockwise motion.
"Replay,“ he requested with a yawn. Roger really needed his morning coffee.
Freddie replayed the audio, and Roger waited for his falsetto.
In that moment, you ran through the doors of the console room the band was in, five cups of coffee and tea hot and ready for your coworkers and yourself.
"Sorry, the lineup was long, and they kept screwing up Roger’s order. As always.”
John leaned back in his swivel chair so he could see you past Freddie.
"You… seriously made sure they got his order right? That’s not… usual for you.“
You shrugged, setting the trays of coffee on the side table before removing your raincoat. "Figured I’d be nice today.”
You heard the famous Roger Taylor Falsetto from the studio.
"Still trying to perfect that part?“ You asked, taking Brian’s chair next to Freddie since he moved to retrieve his tea.
"Yeah. He insisted this song needed this one falsetto, but it’s not looking too good.”
You nodded at Brian’s response, and glanced down at the empty case the song’s tape was in. It was labelled “Somebody To Love.”
You pursed your lips, and looked up at Roger through the last window, only to see him looking back at you. You smiled the tiniest bit, and he returned it…
That is… until his attention was brought back to Freddie, who was scolding him for completely missing his time to hit his notes.
A break for Roger was called, and he left the studio. He knelt down next to your seat to talk to you, but he could see John glaring at him in harsh suspicion from over your shoulder.
Neither he, Freddie, nor Brian were aware of what happened the few nights before.
You found the silence the smallest bit awkward, so after clearing your throat, you smiled a little. “So I uh… I got you your coffee. For real this time. One and a half milk, one and a half sugar.”
"… Really?“ Roger got to his feet, and moved to the coffee table to grab his drink.
"Thought I should. You’re all working very hard. You deserve it.”
Roger took a sip of his coffee and hummed gently. “T'is a shame. I was just starting to enjoy the sweetness of two milk and two sugar.”
You just rolled your eyes in response, a smile at your lips. "You’re welcome, Blondie.”
From the other side of the room, Brian watched closely at the unusual encounter. Seeing a dinosaur in the middle of London in this time period would have been more believable to see than you and Roger…
"Are they flirting?“ John asked Brian in a hushed tone. He’d read his mind, but the lanky guitarist only answered with a shrug of his shoulders.
Freddie was more amused by yours and Roger’s engagement, mindfully leaning against the console board with his arms crossed over his chest, and a smirk on his lips.
Despite his desperate want to call you both out for your strange behaviour, he’d much prefer watching John and Brian go mad trying to figure the situation out.
"If I may,” John cleared his throat apprehensively, eyes narrowed.
“But Roger, you haven’t made one snide remark to y/n, and she’s already been here for a whole three minutes."
He paused. "Not that I’m wanting you both to fight.”
Roger just shrugged, and proceeded to hand you your order. This was the first time he didn’t try to purposely spill a hot drink on you in two years, and it was a very relieving feeling.
"Change of heart ‘suppose.“
After the boys’ coffee break, they found themselves back in the recording studio. You sat in the console room, and gave little suggestions to them every once in a while on how to improve the song.
Despite this, you knew that Somebody To Love was already a masterpiece.
"Can we start just before that falsetto, y/n?” Roger asked over the mic. You just nodded, and rewound the tape.
"Got no feel, I got no rhythm,“ you nodded your head along to Freddie’s vocals, and the already recorded instruments blasting through the speakers of both rooms.
You weren’t prepared to hear a wail of a falsetto coming from Roger. You snapped your head up to look at the band in the recording studio, Roger beaming at you in success.
You rose to your feet and cheered for the blond as the song continued on.
You knew for certain this take really counted.
The long repetition of the band members pleading the listeners to "find me somebody to love” eventually arrived in the song.
Whether this was purely a coincidence or not, Roger held eye contact with you the entire time he sang, a smile never able to leave his mouth every time he said that “L” word.
And you just found that fact utterly adorable and innocent.
It was true, then.
He really did forgive you.
And he really did love you.
"Lunch time!“ Brian announced with an excited clap of his hands. "Roger, it’s your turn to choose.”
Roger was sitting at the console board, staring at his reflection in the window separating the room you five were in, and the studio.
"I may have to skip out on lunch today, lads. I really need to practice some other songs for this album.“
While Freddie was obliged to leave, Brian and John found this really doubtful. You were staying behind to pack up the instruments the band weren’t going to use for the rest of the recording that day.
Why would someone insist on staying behind to be near an enemy? None of it was making sense.
Brian knew you. He’d known you since university. He just didn’t understand why you weren’t mouthing Roger off, or making an excuse to leave him behind.
Despite this, Freddie found himself out, and Brian and John followed.
You were lying on the couch behind Roger, reading a book. You weren’t really paying attention to it, though.
Especially not when you heard Roger’s swivel chair squeak. "Hey, Doll,” Roger greeted as he sat on the armrest of the couch by your feet.
You glanced up over the pages of your book, bending your legs so Roger could slip into the now vacant seat. You stretched your legs back out, and Roger rested his hand on one of your kneecaps.
"Hi, Loverboy,“ you acknowledged back, dipping your head back behind the book.
"Whatcha readin’?”
You shook your head. “Nothin’ interesting.”
You closed the book and dropped it on the floor, resting your arms over your stomach. “Whatcha practicin’?” You nodded your head towards the recording studio.
Roger gave you the same answer you did.
"Nothin’ interesting.“
Your lips twitched into a smile, and you closed your eyes.
Roger just watched you, his thumb rubbing circles over your kneecap in a slow, repetitive pattern.
"It’s so weird… being like this with you again.”
"Tell me about it, Doll.“
The only thing that really could be heard was the analog clock on the wall. You opened your eyes and examined the time.
1:34.
Five hours and twenty six minutes until dinner.
Three hours and twenty six minutes until the end of the work day.
"Why don’t I teach you some drumming?”
You moved your gaze from the second hand on the clock to Roger, whose eyes were wide and hopeful.
"What is this, 1974?“
"It just may be. For this lunch. If you want.”
You turned to face the live room’s tempting door handle.
"… only for a few minutes. I still need to pack up for everyone else.“
Roger beamed, and you lifted your legs to set him free. He immediately grabbed your hand, and pulled you into the studio, shutting the door behind you rather quickly.
"Okay okay,” Roger took a seat in his drumming stool, and turned to you, patting his thigh innocently with his hand.
"A special seat for a special lady.“
"In your lap? You call that special?”
"Well, not me, but some women might.“
You smiled, and shook your head. "Gross.”
Despite this, you seated yourself in Roger’s lap, and he spun the both of you around so you were behind the drums.
"Here,“ he gave you his drumsticks from his back pocket, and put them in your hands.
He went to cup his larger hands over yours, and you teasingly mumbled "gee, at least take me to dinner first.”
Roger shifted over so he could look at your face. “You mean to tell me I have to buy you dinner to hold your hand, but lap-sitting is completely fine?”
You shrugged, your uncontrollable grin resulting in a smile from Roger.
You both turned back to the drums, and Roger started naming the different types of drums on the kit.
Of course, you knew everything he told you. He’d told you before. You’d dealt with his drums and put them away for the longest time. Before…
"–And here’s the snare. T’s my favourite because its name is fun to say.“
You just let Roger talk. You missed hearing his voice speak with such passion.
You missed doing things like this with him.
You missed him.
How blind were you in the past not to catch on to how into you Roger was?
How into you he is now.
You opened your mouth to speak, but Roger was still going on about the drum kit.
You didn’t cut him off.
But you let him help you play.
He helped you play both simple and complicated songs, his arms guiding yours to the correct drums and cymbals at the right time.
At one point, Roger let go of your arms, and you kept to the notes he’d taught you moments before.
"You’re doin’ well, Doll.” He watched the drumsticks tap the cymbals over your shoulder, his hands innocently resting at your waist.
You repeated the same notes for a minute or so before you felt Roger’s arms slide around your body into a gentle embrace.
"… Rog?“
"I’m sorry, y/n. About the last few years. How I’ve treated you…”
He rested his head on your shoulder, and you reached up to comb his hair with your fingers.
"Hey, hey now. It’s okay. I’m okay. We’re okay.“
Although Roger found some relief in your words, he tightened his arms around you. You just sighed, and leaned back, turning your head to kiss his temple.
"It was justified, and all is forgiven, Hun. Let’s put these last two years behind us. Start over, yeah?”
Roger turned his head to face you, and after looking at you for a moment or so, he nodded his head.
"Thank you, Doll.“ One of his arms unravelled from around your waist, and he let his own fingers glide through your hair.
You shut your eyes, and basked in the short amount of time Roger gave you this attention.
When you opened your eyes, Roger’s gaze was obviously fixated on your lips. You lifted your head up a little, and his eyes flicked up to meet yours, gently, and kindly smiling.
"Y'know… you have nice lips.”
Your cheeks glowed, and you shyly looked away. Roger laughed– a short exhale out his nostrils.
"Don’t make me kiss you, y/n.“ You turned back to him, and the both of you’d found yourselves moving ever so slightly closer to each other.
Before he got too close, you pressed the tips of your fingers to his mouth, and smiled innocently.
"Whatever you say, Blondie.”
Roger’s mouth fell open in shock after you pulled your hand away.
"I wasn’t being serious!“
"No, Meddows. I’m doing what you asked,” you’d never looked so smug in your life, or sounded so proud.
You believe this was the first time you’d put the Roger Taylor in his place.
You glanced up at the clock, and proceeded to do a double take. “Shit!”
You jumped out of Roger’s lap, and started running around the studio, gathering cords, and wrapping them up frantically.
"What?!“
"We spent that whole hour drumming and talking! The boys will be back any moment!”
Roger wordlessly got to his feet and helped you clean up. You were thankful for that. You just never verbally expressed it.
When Freddie, John, and Brian all returned from lunch, not only was the studio empty of any unnecessary instruments, but your relationship with Roger, if you could even believe it, had been strengthened even further after the confession on the lift.
As much as it bummed you out, you and Roger didn’t kiss in the studio.
Were you close when Roger was apologizing?
Absolutely.
It was something that plagued your mind for the rest of the day.
The clock in the console room struck five, and you took a deep breath.
Two hours until dinner.
Brian entered the console room from the studio, his Red Special in hand. He was spending the last few hours practicing his solos for other songs on the album they were working on, and John was also in there with him at some point.
"That was a great practice, everyone!“ Freddie announced, a painfully wide grin on his face.
"Why don’t we all go for drinks tonight? My treat.”
You looked over at Roger with mild worry, shrugging on your raincoat slowly.
"I can’t tonight, Fred,“ Roger said apologetically. "I’ve plans I can’t cancel.” Freddie nodded in understanding.
"What about you, y/n?“ John asked.
"I have a date, actually.” At that, the room went quiet.
This was new.
Brian raised an eyebrow. “You… you’ve met someone?”
You swallowed. You didn’t think this was going to be such a big deal. You’ve dated around after your breakup with Steven. Why is it different now?
"Old friend,“ you explained. "Our friendship’s been kinda vacant. We wanted to reconnect. See what’d happen, you know?”
You swear on your life that you saw a hint of jealousy in Roger’s eyes, but it soon faded away when he realized the mistake he made.
Fucking dumbass, I was talking about you!
You shook your head a little in mild frustration, but smiled once more.
"Best be going, actually. Date’s at seven. Have a good night everyone!“
You heard a collective "good bye"s from Fred, Brian, and John, but an isolated "have fun tonight, y/n,” from Roger.
You shut the door to the studio, and made your way to the lift. As soon as the doors of the lift closed, you audibly groaned.
"Fucking moron.“
This little shit really just got jealous over himself.
Maybe all those months of faking hatred towards one another was really getting to him.
The lift, since it was broken, was very slow going down the elevator shaft. It gave you time to think.
After this date, you hoped to come clean with Freddie, Brian, and John about the state of your relationship with Roger.
Messages wouldn’t be underlying, nor would your unusual behaviour towards the drummer.
This situation was very complicated the more you thought about it, but you really hoped a fun night out with Roger would be enough to solve everything.
And it would.
A/A/N: This was very long so I apologize for the wait. I also wanna thank y’all for being patient. As always, comments, and feedback are always welcome!
@radiob-l-a-hblah @bohemiansweede @demo-wise @culturefiendtrashqueen @luvborhap
A/N: Alrighty, since I am seriously lacking energy to write a date scene for part 2 of Lift Confessions, I’ve decided to start another series to hopefully break through my writer’s block.
I got inspiration for this fic from another I read years ago and I can’t remember what the characters in it were for the life of me. I think I also read it on AO3 but again, I can’t be too sure. If the author of the first fic sees this and realizes it was their beautiful work that got me inspired, then thank you.
I ALSO APOLOGIZE FOR HOW SHORT THIS IS
Summary: Roger and his good friend y/n decide to move out of Brian’s flat after he gets a girlfriend and wishes to move her in. It’s a shame the condominium Roger and y/n want is owned by a landlady who is strict on who lives in her complex. They couldn’t possibly pretend to be a couple just to live here… or could they?
(Like all my other fics, this can be read as either BoRhap!Roger or real Roger. Do whatever floats your boat)
WARNINGS: Swearing. that’s something you can expect from me all the time.
I’d rate this chapter G, but the language puts it at a T
Your eyes marvelled at the high, bright ceilings as soon as you and Roger stepped into the vacant condominium.
"Rog, look how high up it goes!“
You pointed to the very top of the ceiling of the visible second floor at the base of the staircase
"This is more spacious than I thought,” Roger responded gently as his eyes followed your direction of pointing, his hand on your shoulder.
Although the both of you considered your shared apartment with Brian to really be “home”, it was barely that when Brian started to move his girlfriend in.
It’s not that you and Roger disliked her, she just had lots of furniture, and three people in a small flat was crowded enough, let alone four.
That’s when you and Roger decided to relocate elsewhere so Brian and his girl could have some privacy.
You and Roger had been friends since high school, and had been close ever since. You were now both in your mid twenties, and your friendship was still going very strong.
So much so that the both of you had no problem living alone together rather than finding partners yourselves to settle down with.
So this is how you ended up here; house shopping with your drummer roommate and best friend.
You’d spoken to Roger about the benefits of moving out before. not only would a move be convenient for space, but your work, as well as the recording studio Roger often used with Queen, were closer.
There were so many pros to moving, and little to no cons. It was something you both eventually felt you had to do.
"I know this is the first one we’re looking at, and we only just got through the door, but I’m already in love with this place.“
You moved deeper into the house as you spoke, grabbing Roger’s hand in the process to drag him along. At the end of the hall, a large empty room sat, the sun shining brightly through the large front window.
"I can clearly imagine this to be our living room,” you exclaimed, letting go of Roger’s hand and moving around the room and pointing to certain corners and walls to speak your visions about which pieces of furniture would look best where.
Of course, Roger wasn’t exactly sold on the place yet, but he crossed his arms, and listened intently to your opinions.
This was going to be your place as well, after all.
"And here is where we can put that picture of us at– oh my god, is that the kitchen?!“ You playfully pushed Roger out of the way to get to the kitchen. He turned to give you a playful glare, but soon followed along.
"This is getting better,” Roger voiced as he stepped into the kitchen after you, nodding his head in approval.
The kitchen was bright, clean, and very welcoming.
Everything about this place was very welcoming.
"God, couldn’t you just imagine us making cookies and cakes in here?“
"You mean burning,” he corrected.
"Just shut up and daydream with me.“
Roger laughed, his hand resting on your shoulder again, and his chin propped on the opposite one.
"We sound like a married couple, don’t we, Doll?”
"We do,“ you agreed.
Roger sighed gently before moving away from you and beckoning you towards him with his finger. "Upstairs time.”
Upstairs was what you two expected. A nice bathroom, a master bedroom, and two smaller rooms.
"I call the master bedroom.“
"You’re joking,” Roger retorted.
"I called it first!“
"You know what,” Roger sighed. You smiled, clearly under the impression you’d won the argument so soon.
"Why don’t we just share a bed?“ Roger teased, raising an eyebrow and smirking. You smirked back.
"You’d like that, huh, pretty boy?” Roger laughed, shaking his head and looking back into the large empty room.
"We should just use it for a storage room or something. Mediation.“
"You suck at being a mediator,” you voiced. Roger rolled his eyes at your response.
"That’s why John makes a lot of decisions for the band. C’mon. We can fight about this later, Doll.“ He nodded to the staircase to the bottom floor.
You led him outside by the hand, and the both of you took a step back to look at the house one more time.
"I really like it,” you told Roger.
"It is really nice,“ he agreed. He looked over at you, who was too busy admiring the house’s exterior.
The last time Roger saw you look at anything like that, you were admiring your high school sweetheart– your first love.
Roger knew you’d die for this place.
"Let’s go talk to the landlady, then. Tell her we’re interested.” Your eyes lit up brightly, and you turned to Roger. The smile on your face looked like it hurt.
“Really?!”
"Really,“ Roger grabbed your wrist, and led you off to the complex’s office without another word.
And you happily followed close behind, your hand tightening around his.
"Your references look really good,” the landlady, Tina Welch, commented with a grin.
"You guys are definitely eligible for the condo! I just need to ask a question or two if that’s alright.“
She examined the both of you over the thick lenses of her glasses, your references bouncing in her thin hands.
You and Roger looked at one another for a moment before agreeing.
"How long have you been together?”
"Uh– excuse me?“ Roger was the first to answer Tina’s question with another.
Tina raised an eyebrow, and cleared her throat. "This complex is full of small families, couples, and those attempting to start families. I only rent out to serious couples.”
You looked over to Roger, and he could see the glint of worry in your eyes.
"You two are together… Right?“ You held your breath for a long time, but you were eventually able to release a sigh, and prepare to tell Tina the bad news.
. But your words caught in your throat when you felt Roger’s hand grasp yours tenderly on the arm of the chair you were sitting in.
"Of course!” Roger laughed airily. “We weren’t expecting a question about that, sorry.”
You snapped your head to watch Roger in disbelief.
"We’ve been together for about…” Roger estimated, looking to his left as he gave thought, puffing up his cheeks and exhaling slowly. “What is it, five years now? It must be.“ You watched silently as he improvised so easily.
He looked over at you, smiling warmly.
You’d only seen him smile this way towards his old girlfriends.
"Right, Love?”
Even you could tell Roger found the word funny in his mouth when acknowledging you, but you nodded your head.
"Y-yes. Wow. Never realized how fast time has gone by,“ you nervously squeezed Roger’s hand, and the both of you turned to Tina, who smiled warmly.
"I could tell there was a strong connection. Five years is a very long time.”
Roger saw Tina look over the desk at your left hand. You weren’t branding a ring of any kind.
"Do you plan on getting married any time soon?“
Your stomach dropped at the next unexpected question. "Married?”
Roger covered for you again, clearing his throat.
"Hopefully soon. After settling here fully, of course.“ Roger lifted your hand up, and he kissed the back of it. You continued to study his sudden behavioural change.
Tina watched you with a small amount of suspicion, but after smiling at her with a believable grin, her face relaxed, and she slid the keys over to Roger.
"Welcome home, you two.”
"What the fuck was that?!“ You knew this car ride home was going to be anything but quiet.
"We got the place you wanted, didn’t we?" Roger’s behaviour, bubbly and happy, was a great contrast to you– stressed, and upset.
Roger actually had the audacity to drum his fingers on the steering wheel and nod his head to imaginary music in his joyous state.
"Yes Roger, but at what cost?! Telling our landlady we’re together?!” You began to spiral into a small panic.
Roger just shook his head like it was no big deal.
No big deal your ass.
"What about those monthly checkups she mentioned? We have to make it look like we share that bedroom! And what of the neighbours?! Tina is probably telling them about the “new couple next door” right now!“
Roger stopped nodding his head and drumming his fingers. He actually sat and thought about the situation, and considered your worries.
He was personally fine with what he did. He’d dealt with fake relationships before when it came to publicity.
However, in your defence, you were not accustomed to doing something like this, and that made him begin to feel a little guilty.
"Look y/n, I’m sorry. I didn’t think things would be this complicated.” He tried to think of upsides to the situation in order to calm you, although very few came up.
“You aren’t exactly a very social person. We don’t have to have an awful housewarming party or have weekend barbecues at the kind middle-aged couple’s a few doors down.”
"What are you saying?“
Roger smiled at you the like how he did in Tina’s office.
"I’m saying… we only have to pretend to be a couple in public. In the complex. That’s all. It’s not like we’re going to live day-to-day as an actual couple. We’ll go to work, get together afterwards, sleep in different beds, repeat. Just like at Brian’s.”
"… Are you sure it’ll be that simple?“
Roger shrugged. "We just need to remember to be a little more romantic and touchy around people. Besides, how hard can it really be?”
His response echoed through your head for the rest of the car ride home.
How hard can this really be?
A/A/N: I know this one is really shitty and short, but I promise it will pick up after this.
As always, suggestions and feedback are always welcome. Maybe help contribute to my stories by giving me ideas below!
@benders-diamond-earring @radiob-l-a-hblah @bohemiansweede @demo-wise @culturefiendtrashqueen