Those three little words (a Maylor fanfiction)

Part 51

John's POV
As soon as I stepped inside the hall, I saw two figures already up on the stage and the both of them hopped down when they saw me. "John! How are you?" Brian's voice rang around the room as he bounced towards me.

"I'm good, how are you? And how's Rog? Is he here?" I asked as Brian pulled me into a quick hug then grinned, "I'm alright and he's alright...umm, I dunno where he's gone" he said then I felt a poke in my side and turned to see nobody there.

I turned around and heard sniggering from beside me and looked to see the mischievous blonde stood there with the biggest grin on his face I'd ever seen, "hi! How are you doing?" I squealed and pulled him into a tight hug as he wrapped his arms around me as well.

"I've never been better, feel a bit like a packhorse but apart from that I'm absolutely fine..." he smiled and we let each other go as Brian effortlessly hopped back up onto the stage. "Why with the packhorse stuff? You're not carting that bloody thing around with you, are you?" I joked and he chuckled and shook his head.

"No, no...only a little tank thing but it's heavier than you'd expect. The doctors said I had to have it for rehearsals these few weeks so I kinda have to be like a packhorse" he explained and jumped up so he was sitting on the edge of the stage then beckoned me up as well.

I hopped up and sat next to him as a huge fuss started outside the doors, "Fred's here...and apparently everyone he knows as well" Roger said and I hummed as a huge group came through the door with the shining star himself in the middle of it all.

Brian came and sat the other side of Roger as we all greeted Fred with hellos and smiles and everything, "Okay then my darlings, how about we have a quick drink then get down to practicing..." he suggested and I heard a little sigh from Roger as if to say 'no, how about we do what we're here for'.

"Or not...that's fine, help a friend up" Freddie smiled and we helped him to sit up with us, his legs were too short to get him high enoughp so we had to basically lift him. "Right...go on, get yourselves ready" he said then pranced off somewhere to hang his stuff up as the three of us went to our places to start.

I took my bass guitar out of the case and plugged in the wire coming from the amps as the other two sorted themselves out. I sling the strap over my head and into my shoulder then sat on the floor and roughly tuned the guitar by ear.

"Don't let 'im take the piss" I heard Roger mumble and gave him a little look of confusion, "sorry, I just...don't worry" he said but I wasn't taking 'don't worry' as an answer. I went up the two steps and knelt down next to my best friend and bandmate as he tried to turn away from me on the stool.

"I will worry, what's the matter? Who's gonna take the piss" I asked and he looked at me with a worried face. "Fred...I don't want him taking the piss" he muttered and I patted his knee as reassurance, "he won't...I won't let him take the piss out of my friend no matter what you need to do" I said and he just shrugged.

"Thanks but I don't-I just...don't worry about me, if he takes the piss then I'm out" he said and I hummed in agreement, tapping his knee then leaving him to do what he needed. I went back down the steps and sat just in front of the kit as Brian sat on a stool that he dragged over.

"Ah, I see we're all ready" Freddie's voice echoed around the room before he was even with us then he came and sat next to me, "what'll be a good warmup? Uhh, how about your thing, John? That'd be alright" he said and there was a collective hum from all of us.

The singer stood up and went to the front of the stage as Brian followed and went off to the right. I stayed sat down on the step and quickly checked my tuning then Freddie started doing the little thing on the piano to start us off.