A Man For All Seasons (Queen or Freddie Mercury Fanfic)

5. Pandora's Box, Part Two

John

For whatever reason, my hair (what's left of it, anyway) stands up on end at the suggestion. "The box?"

Danny nods. "Yeah."

I'm a bit at a loss here, as I don't have the first clue what "box" he means or why it's so bloody important- but Freddie seems to understand straight away. "Actually- why don't we wait for your mum?"

"No way!" the boy exclaims. "She doesn't know I told you about it and she would be really mad if she did."

Freddie's lips twitch over his teeth as is his eternal, nervous habit. "Mm. I wouldn't be so sure about that, Danny, I think she'd understand."

But Danny sighs, solemnly shaking his head. "No way. She made me promise I wouldn't show you, no matter what, and I got in enough trouble yesterday. Also, if we're going with her, we won't get to open it up while she's gone. We have to do it now."

"What box?" I ask at last.

"You know, the box with all my dad's stuff in it?"

Chills snake their way up my spine when he says that (and yes, I know I could have described the feeling with a much more familiar phrase, but I have heard it sung often enough as it is and I have no doubt the rest of you will do the same as soon as you finish reading that line). On instinct, I simply shrug my shoulders.

"Huh," Danny frowns. "Thought you knew about it. Oh well, I'll show you too. One sec, I'll go get it, you guys can wait in my room."

He's feeling rather bossy today, I note to myself, chuckling inwardly.

It would seem I'm not the only one who thinks that either. Freddie's brows shoot up as he pops back, arms folded, "Oh, we can, can we?"

Danny sort of shrinks back with a sheepish smile. "Sorry, uh- would you guys please go into my room and, uh, wait for me while I get it out of Mom's closet?"

"That's better," Freddie nods, rising from the table. "All right, then. To the purple lair."

A slight crease forms between Danny's black brows. "Hey! It's not a lair! It's-"

"My dear boy, the clock is ticking," Freddie informs him while I fight valiantly against a broad grin; the poor man is thoroughly oblivious to what's happening here and it's all I can do not to say something. "Are you really just going to argue with me about whether or not your room is a lair, or are you going to get the box?"

"Mmph," Danny huffs, pushing his glasses further up his nose. "Box."

"Right, then. Go for it."

So the boy hustles straight into Julia's bedroom while I take forever and a day to stand up from my chair. Not really, of course, but I do it much more slowly than Freddie nonetheless. Of course, it bothers him a bit. I actually see his hands flex a little at his sides, as though he's wondering whether or not he should help me. But I'm not that far gone yet. For the sake of Freddie and my own pride I rise unassisted, moving as smoothly as I can manage.

But apparently that stifled look on my face is still there, because Freddie asks, "What's gotten into you?"

"Nothing, Freddie," I shake my head, smiling wider after I hear myself utter his name.

He rolls his eyes. "Oh, God, now you're both doing it."

"It really is nothing, I just- couldn't help but notice."

"Notice what?"

By this point we're in Danny's room, so I nod my head in the direction behind me. "Just now, you- sounded quite fatherly indeed, talking to him."