Feelings Long Buried - Roger Taylor

July 1977

"No! You've got it completely wrong! Darth Vader is clearly going to be Luke's father!" Brian argued with John, while Y/N and Freddie only rolled their eyes from the opposite side of the booth.

"He should be the man who killed his father! Now he's killed his mentor, and his father, so it only gives him more means to get revenge!" John retorted. One of the first outings as a band since the Day at the Races tour, and they'd been debating movies for the past twenty minutes. Not that Y/N was complaining, that was to be expected with the boys, and it felt like a relaxing day hanging out with them instead of business. Freddie, however, wasn't as pleased with the conversation.

"Can we change the subject?" the singer asked pleadingly.

"Yes, like why the drummer isn't here yet?" Y/N commented as Brian and John's conversation died down, and her eyes kept darting to the door. One of the band members hadn't shown up yet, and she wished she wasn't painfully aware of that. She'd been itching to talk to him about her budding feelings since the tour ended, and while fear of rejection had gotten in the way so far, Y/N's stomach was in knots over the possibility of telling him tonight.

She tapped her fingers against the side of her gin and tonic, luckily the band didn't catch onto her nerves, and tried to keep her gaze on the table. Or Brian sitting across from her, or the coaster on the table. Anything other than the door. Through an attempt at a calming breath, Freddie's voiced pulled her from her own head.

"Roger, there you are darling!" A mix of excitement and anxiety flooded her chest, until she looked up. Roger was walking to their table, but he wasn't alone. A girl was clinging to his arm, and a pretty one at that. She had long black hair, deep and dark eyes, and a quite beautiful smile. Y/N's stomach twisted.

"I know, I know. I'm late," Roger grinned as he grabbed two extra chairs and parked them at the edge of Queen's booth. "But I'd like to introduce you all to someone," he and the girl sat in the chairs, both wearing a happy grin. Y/N couldn't help but take a long sip of her gin and tonic. "Everyone, this is Felicity. My girlfriend." The sip was ill-timed, as Y/N promptly choked at the announcement. She tried to play it off as a cough, and luckily the group was too busy reacting to Roger and Felicity to notice.

There were scattered congratulations, greetings, and comments about Roger finally having a long term girlfriend, but it all sounded like white noise to Y/N. She was staring at her finger tracing her glass's rim, tapping her leg nervously. Her stomach was churning at the news, and she couldn't help but feel stupid. They'd known each other for years and now is when she realized how she felt? When he had a serious girlfriend?

Noticing that she'd been silent for way too long, Y/N forced her ears to pick up the conversation around her.

"How long have the two of you been together?" Brian asked the couple. Begrudgingly, Y/N pulled her eyes to Roger and Felicity, his hand resting on her thigh, and had to brutally fight off the tears in her eyes.

"Oh, about six weeks?" Felicity smiled brightly, looking to Roger.

"With Rog? Well, you my dear are already impressive. I'm shocked anyone could be with him for that long," Freddie chuckled, the rest of the band following suit. Well, aside from Roger, who only rolled his eyes.

"I've been dying to meet you all. I don't know why he hid you all for so long. You seem lovely," Felicity grinned, shooting Roger a teasing look, but Y/N could've sworn his smile was more nervous than anything. His eyes flicked over to hers for a split second. If she wasn't already looking at him, she would've missed the glance.

"Well, it's still early," John added, only half joking.

"So, how did you meet?" Y/N asked. She knew she had to contribute to the conversation, and hoped the group couldn't tell it was said through gritted teeth.