WILD ( freddie mercury. )

TWENTY-TWO - WE WILL ROCK YOU

★彡 TWENTY-TWO 彡★

"F-FRED? WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" Elijah asked with widened eyes, nearly choking on his own spit when he saw the man standing upright without any care in the world. He radiated a 'devil-may-care' aura but Elijah knew better— the way Freddie's fingers twitched subtly and his eyes that were so open Elijah could read him like a book. Freddie was nervous and the awkward silence as he asked why the man was there was proof. Elijah shuffled his feet and coughed whilst eyeing Freddie's plain orange and yellow striped shirt— a huge contrast to his fabulous and shiny costumes. Meanwhile, he was wearing a simple navy blue shirt that showed off his muscles and tattoos.

"Is it bad to visit a friend?" The way Freddie emphasized the word 'friend' made him flinch but he disguised it as a shiver. He shook his head and shrugged, "I guess not. However, you didn't have to visit me though. I was just about to go to the recording studio, we would have seen each other there eventually." Elijah forced out a laugh and grinned weakly. Freddie waved his hand away and scoffed, "It's different, Elijah. I don't want those three teasing us. I just wanted to bond with you. Like you said, baby steps." There was almost a distinct bitter tone in how Freddie responded to his sentence and Elijah could simply sigh in defeat. There was no use in arguing with Freddie when his decision was sound. "Alright then, I could never win against you, Freddie."

A genuine triumphant smile incidentally appeared on Freddie's face and Elijah's heart stuttered. Realizing what happened, Freddie's cheeks bloomed red and he licked his lips dryly, "Good thing you still remember." He mentioned offhandedly, trying to cover up his embarrassment. Silence filled them once more as Elijah stepped out of his apartment— the same place he lived in for five years, except it was dustier, messier, and honestly felt lonelier especially without John, Brian, Roger or Freddie hogging his place. The atmosphere was melancholic somehow and he couldn't get rid of the empty feeling in his chest, despite knowing what was the cause of that certain emotion. "We're going to be late," Elijah cut himself out of his daydreaming, almost panicking as he turned to look at his watch.

"Please, we're already late. So nothing's going to change if we come there later than planned." Freddie snorted before continuing, "And don't mind Rog, Bri, and Deaky, Elijah. They're used to my lateness after all." He winked conspiratorially, his whole mood changing from uncomfortable to sassy real quick. Elijah bit his lip to mask his laughter. "I knew it. You still haven't changed, do you?" He didn't mean to say it negatively but when he saw Freddie's smile falter and his eyes dull slightly, he knew he made a huge mistake. The regret rushed through him and he slapped himself internally for saying something callous. Elijah wanted to take back his words but it seems like something was stuck in his throat and he couldn't speak at all.

"Oh, but darling, I have changed." Freddie responded, accidentally slipping up and calling Elijah 'darling' for the first time in three years. He jolted back when he became aware of what he stated before turning his head, ignoring the way Elijah's mouth parted slightly whilst his whole body thrummed in agitation. It was afternoon and the sun was shining heavily upon them but it felt so cold, stillness embraced them once again before Freddie seemed to have enough of the never-ending awkwardness and clapped his hands in an attempt to clear the air, "Don't dwell on that too much, Elijah. Baby steps. Let's go!" He urged the man to move as he strolled away and Elijah ran towards him.