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

forty one

A few days before Roxanne's birthday, John's surprised her with the train tickets home and for the next few days, she bounced through her shifts.

Amos came home the same day that she took the adoption form back.

While he was confident in the centre, he'd been a little timid and cautious as he milled around the flat, poking his head in and out of all the rooms, getting a feel for the place while Casper looked on curiously.

They didn't get on the first couple of days, Casper did not like another cat taking Roxy's affection from him and so, unfortunately, there were a couple of scraps.

But then Roxanne had a stern conversation with him, telling him that Amos being here was for his benefit and he was to give him a chance and she likes to think that maybe, he understood her because the next morning, when she and John got up, the two of them were curled up together on the fire escape.

While she and John were gone, Roger was going to stay at her flat so that he could feed them and make sure that the two of them were alright.

"You have to play with him, Roger," Roxy instructs that morning before they head to the train station, "He's technically still a kitten, well they both are, but he needs stuff to play with, the scratching post, okay?"

Roger throws his head back and groans, "Yes, yes, I know! Now Nessie, will you please just go?"

"Alright," she mutters, turning to the cats so she can say goodbye and Roger nudges John's arm.

"Might wanna get out now."

"I heard that," Roxanne says quietly as John laughs and grabs his bag, "You know the B&B's number, right?"

"You've had the same number since we were like five. Yes, I know the number."

"And you'll ring if something happens?"

"I'll ring if something happens." he promises, "But nothing's going to happen, is it, lads because the three of us get on just fine. Now if the two of you don't hurry up, you're going to miss the train."

"Shit, he's right, Rox." John says, "Come on."

She grabs her bag, "Alright. See you on Monday, Blondie."

"I haven't heard that one in a while."

++|++

The pair made it to the station with just seven minutes to spare and before they boarded the locomotive, Roxanne stopped a woman and asked if she would take their photo with her polaroid.

"This is it," she grins, waving it to develop it, "The beginning of our adventure."

"We're going to Pittenweem, love. I would hardly call that an a-"

"Ah, ah, ah!" she presses a finger to his lips, "None of that negativity!"

"Sorry," John laughs, finding their seats surprisingly easily and being the gent that he is (and since it's her birthday weekend), he lets her take the window seat but she does promise to swap with him halfway through.

Once they're seated comfortably, John digs through his bag to find the paper he brought while Roxanne finds her magazine.

"Why do you read those?" he asks, nodding to the gossip headline that's on the front page, "You know that those stories are a load of bollocks, right?"

"Of course," she nods, "Doesn't mean that it's not entertaining."

He shakes his head as the train pulls out of the station, glancing down at her when she rests her head on his shoulder.