Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy (JoeMazzello!JohnDeacon fanfic)

thirteen

With Roxanne definitely deciding to stay, Freddie quickly got to work emptying out of his flat so she could move in as soon as she could which was sweet and all but he had no reason to rush - she didn't have any furniture or anything.

Besides, she was too busy working up the courage to phone her parents to let them know that she was moving down to the capital.

"I can do this," she nods, pacing up and down in front of the couch, "Right?"

"You sure can," Roger nods, watching her, "You're a strong, independent woman who doesn't need her parents."

She nods again but then shakes her head, "Give me one of those."

He raises an eyebrow but doesn't argue, tossing her the packet of cigarettes.

She feels like her hands are shaking as she pulls one from the packet and when she looks at Roger again, he throws her his lighter.

There's a chance that her mum, she'll be fine with all of this but it's her dad that she's worried about. From the moment she graduated high school, he'd been pushing university onto her, wherefrom there, she'd go on to get a good job.

Yeah, he wasn't going to be happy.

"Roxanne," her cousin groans, reaching over to pick up the phone, "Come on, let's get this over with."

She knows he's right - it's better to do it quickly.

And so she huffs and falls down onto the couch beside him as John stepped out of the bathroom.

"You're finally doing it then?"

Roxy nods, lighting the cigarette as she starts dialling the number for the B&B she calls home.

"Can't chicken out now," Roger whispers as John returns to tinkering with his amp and he presses his ear to the other side of the receiver so he can hear the conversation.

Please don't answer...please don't answer...pl-

"Red Lion bed and breakfast. This is Cathy speaking."

"Mum?"

"Roxanne! Hiya doll. We were just talking about you."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, your dad says he can't wait till you're home a-"

"Who's that on the phone?" she grips the phone tightly when she hears her dad's voice.

"It's Roxanne." her mum says and she hears the phone being passed over.

"Roxanne."

Roger pulls a face, backing away ever so slightly, "Hi dad."

"What have I told you about phoning this number? I don't know how many times - this number is only for bookings, remember?"

"Sorry..."

"Why are you ringing anyway? You're home tomorrow. Has something happened? What's that idiot of a cousin done now?"

"Idiot?" Roger hisses, trying to grab hold of the phone to give his uncle a piece of his mind but she manages to wrestle it from him.

"Dad, nothing's happened. I was just..."

She looks at Roger, who gives her an encouraging nod as John leans against the wall, the bits of conversation he's hearing has interested him.

Roxy doesn't know how to say it. Anyway she does, he's going to be angry.

"Roxanne, come on. I'm-"

It's ridiculous to feel this scared from your own father but Roxanne doesn't like yelling and she knows that's what is going to happen.

John, taking in her wide eyes and how tight she's gripping the phone, he moves to sit on the coffee table in front of them, putting a gentle and reassuring hand on her knee.

"You've got this." Roger whispers and she nods, clearing her throat to get her dad to stop his ranting.

"That's what I want to talk to you about."

"About coming home?" Gregory Taylor says impatiently, "Well, come on. Out with it."

"I'm not coming home tomorrow," she says quickly, so quick that she's not sure that he even heard her, "Well I am, but I'm not staying. 'm coming back down to London. I'm moving out."

"You're what?!"

++|++

Like she thought he would, her dad was, in one word, raging. 

In fact, he went on at her for so long that she actually stopped listening and just help the phone in one hand while she read a magazine, the sound of his ranting still being able to be heard.
He'd said that he wouldn't be prepared to help move her things down for her, didn't want any part in it. 

Her mother, she was more happy for her, she was just as excited as she was and said that she'd talk to her father before she got back tomorrow.

That just left her with the problem of getting her stuff down here. 

"What am I going to do?" she asks, puffing on her third cigarette of the afternoon and she huffs when Brian plucks it from her fingers and goes to throw it out the window, "Brian." 

"You don't need to do that. Carry on like that all day and you'll end up like Roger. Have you heard him walking up those stairs, Roxanne? He sounds as if he's about to keel over."

"Hey, I take very good care of myself," Roger protests, "I treat my body like a temple."

"Yes," John pipes up from behind the couch, where he's gone back to working on his amp, "Open to everyone, day or night."

Roxanne can't help but laugh, quickly covering her mouth when her cousin pins a glare on her but John hears her and hides his own smile. 

"What are you still doing here?" Roger asks, looking over his shoulder, "Don't you have something else you could be doing other than staying here and drinking all my beer?"

"Leave him alone, Roger," Brian mutters and Roxanne claps her hands to bring their attention back to her. 

"Guys, can we please focus? What am I going to do? I have nothing!"

"Relax! Freddie said that you could keep his living room stuff since Mary's already got all that. He just wants his bed."

"Yes, exactly and I'm not buying a new bed. Do you know how much those things cost?"

"Hang on," Brian holds up his hands to try and calm them all down, "You said you'd still be going home tomorrow, right?"

She nods. 

"Well, how about you just bring your bed down with you?"

"Bring it on the train? Good idea Brian, I'm sure the other passengers would love that."

"Don't be ridiculous," he mutters, "No, what if Roger drove you up?"

Her cousin scoffs, "Oh, sure. It's not as if I have a shop to run or anything."

"Freddie can do that."

"He needs help, Brian!"

"Oh because you're always so busy," Roxanne says quietly and Roger glares at her, "Well if you can't come then give me the keys to the van. I'll drive up myself."

"Like hell you will." 

"Alright!" Brian yells and they both shut up, "Roger, either you let her drive the van up or you go with her. It's the only way this will work."

"I'm not spending seven-plus hours in a van with her on my own. I'm sorry but I'll go mad." he says and it's Roxanne's turn to glare at him. 

"I'll come with you?" John offers, "I've always wanted to go up to Scotland." 

"Then it's settled," Brian smiles, patting Roger on the shoulder, "The three of you will go up to get her stuff."

"Fine."