Chapter Text
“What are you smiling about?”
Roger beamed as he fell down onto the sofa next to Brian and leant up to press a kiss to his cheek before he pulled something out of a bag by his side. “This.”
Brian dropped his gaze to the tiny onesie that Roger was holding against his stomach. It was a stark white – not the best choice for a newborn baby or somebody living with Roger Taylor – with stark black letters on the front proudly proclaiming ‘I get what I want’.
Letting out a loud laugh, Brian reached out to stroke over the material. “That’s going to be true. Gonna get that from his Dad, huh?”
Roger giggled and looked down at the babygrow. “Of course. And you’re going to bow to his every whim.”
Brian smiled, but didn’t deny it. “Speaking of getting what you want, how was lunch?”
“He absolutely got what he wanted.”
Brian looked up and laughed at John walking into the living room. “Oh, yeah?”
“Yup,” John said, setting down a couple of glasses of water onto the coffee table. “Talked them into giving us a table by the window and somehow worked in a free pudding. Do not ask me how.”
“Because I’m a sweet-talker.” Roger stuck his tongue out when John rolled his eyes and he cuddled into Brian’s side, tucking his legs up under him. He winced a little as he tried to find a comfortable position, softening into a smile when Brian started to rub easy circles against his belly.
“I’m almost surprised that you didn’t pretend to go into labour to get a free meal.”
“You can do that?” Roger’s eyes nearly bugged out of his head and Brian quickly reached his arm around him to pull him down when he tried to jump up.
“You are not doing that.”
“Spoilsport.”
Brian rolled his eyes fondly even as Roger settled down against him again and hugged him close. “Did you have a good time?”
John nodded as he sat down in the armchair, giving the other two a sweet smile. “We did, thank you.”
“Yup.” Roger yawned widely and obnoxiously. “John didn’t even go on for half the meal talking about his amp, so that was a bonus.”
Brian choked back a laugh as John pulled a faux-offended expression, softening when Roger poked out his tongue and kicked at him jokingly.
“Nah, in seriousness,” Roger continued, his eyes slipping closed as he hitched his leg back up onto the sofa, “it was fun. Just like the old times.”
John’s smile was nothing less than beautiful and Brian met his gaze happily.
Thank you, he mouthed, grinning when John flushed.
“Freddie came round when you two were out,” Brian said, stroking Roger’s hair with one hand. “He said something about silver outfits for the wedding? I just nodded along and smiled in all the right places, but John, I swear you should have seen the look in Jim’s eyes. You’re really going to have to step in and work your magic. There’s no way on this earth that Jim is going to walk down that aisle in a silver tux, even if Freddie’s the one waiting for him at the altar.”
“What makes you think I’ll be able to stop him?” John asked with wide eyes. “Jim’s the one marrying the nutter. He should be the one to stop Fred.”
“Oh come on, Deacs,” Roger said, opening one eye to peer over at his friend. “You know you’re the only one able to calm any of us down. ‘Cept maybe Bri and that’s only cause he’s never done anything that he needed to be talked out of.”
“I married you, didn’t I?” Brian muttered, yelping when Roger pinched him on the thigh. “Please, Deacy,” Brian said, jabbing his finger into Roger’s side and joining his laughter, “you know you’re the one Fred listens to.”
“And maybe if you calm Fred down, Jim will be so grateful that he will let you add someone to the guest list.”
John flushed scarlet and Brian’s mouth dropped open. He looked down at Roger in his lap and back up to John. “What; a plus-one? Our Deacy wants a plus-one?”
“Mhm,” Roger nodded, his mouth twisting into a smug smile. “I didn’t hear much of the phone call before we left John’s, but the grin on his face spoke for itself.”
Brian widened his eyes at the mortified John and grinned widely. “Oh, you sneaky thing. Tell us, then. What’s their name? How long have to been seeing them?”
John glared at Roger, though the effect was somewhat lost with his cheeks as red as they were with embarrassment.
“Oh come on, Deacs,” Roger wheedled, “let me live vicariously through you.”
“Excuse me?” Brian said, looking down at Roger in betrayal, “what do you mean vicariously? What are you missing in your life?”
Roger laughed brightly and reached up to loop his arms around Brian’s neck, tugging him down to plant a kiss on his mouth. “Nothing, baby. You give me everything I could ever need.”
When Brian pulled back, seemingly satisfied, Roger shot John a wink. Brian noticed it and rolled his eyes at John, causing the bassist to let out a lovely giggle and bury his face in his hand. There was a moment of warm silence before John dropped his gaze down to his hands, picking at his fingernails before he spoke.
“Him.”
“What?”
John coughed and blushed as he spoke again. “It’s a him.”
Brian and Roger shared a look between them, Roger’s eyes dancing excitedly and his grin nearly splitting his face. Brian returned it for a moment before he softened his into something encouraging, turning back to John and waiting until he looked up again. When John finally did, his cheeks were a lovely red and he pressed his lips together as he went through a visible battle within himself.
“His name’s Victor.”
Roger coughed over a badly-disguised laugh and John glared at him. “Oh, shut up.”
“No, no,” Roger laughed for real and huffed when Brian poked him again. “It’s not bad. John and Victor. I like it. They fit together nicely.”
John rolled his eyes and Brian chuckled, taking over the conversation. “Okay, Deacs. We’re gonna need more than that. How did you meet him?”
“At the library.”
“The library?” Roger asked. “What the hell do you need to go to the library for? You do know that you’re rich and could just buy all the books you want.”
John rolled his eyes again and Brian let out a loud laugh.
“I asked him to go a while back,” Brian said, lifting a hand to play with a strand of Roger’s hair. “They do reading sessions of children’s books – I thought one of us could take our son.”
Brian couldn’t help the surge of happiness that flowed through him at that, nor could he resist the urge to bend down and share another kiss with his husband.
“I had no idea it would lead to a wonderful love story though,” he said when he resurfaced. Brian winked and John flushed from his head to his toes.
“Stop it. He’s nice, okay? He took me out for a coffee and I’ve seen him every week since.”
“Oh, Deacy, you dirty dog!” Roger crowed and pushed himself up onto one elbow. “How dare you not tell us for so long? I demand to know everything else I’m taking back your rights to be my baby’s godfather.”
Brian shook his head fondly and met John’s eyes with a shrug. “Whilst I wouldn’t take away your godfatherly rights,” he said, “I also wouldn’t mind hearing the story.”
“That’s all there is really,” John said, “I was asking at the desk about the sessions and he came over to check out his books.”
“More like check out your–”
Brian covered Roger’s mouth and beckoned for John to continue.
“Yes, well, I was wearing my tightest jeans – you know, the ones Fred got me – so I expect that had something to do with it.”
Brian grinned with pride at the shyness dissolving again for John’s bite to shine through.
“Anyway,” John continued, a smug smile on his face at Roger’s spluttering, “we said hello at the desk and then as I was on my way out, he ran up to me because I’d forgotten my card. He said he’d heard what I was asking and wondered whether I knew about the baby classes that they sometimes held at the cafe down the street.” John pressed his lips together, eyes glinting cheekily. “So I said that no, I hadn’t been there but that maybe he should take me.”
“John!”
Roger clapped his hands in delight and fell back into Brian. “Oh, Deacy! You smooth mover. What did he say?”
“Well, obviously, he took me and we’ve been talking ever since. He called me that night, almost as soon as I was home.”
“I have clearly taught you well,” Roger said, running his hands over his stomach. “Obviously all those years of taking you out to pick up dates have paid off.”
“Excuse me?” Brian cleared his throat and Roger blanched. “What nights would these be?”
“Years ago,” Roger said hurriedly. “So many years ago.”
“Hm, that’s what I thought.”
John hid a giggle behind his hair and Brian turned his attention back to him.
“You’ve got a glow I don’t think I’ve ever seen on you before, John. This man has to be something special.”
“He is,” John said, his voice barely more than a whisper. He cleared his throat and dropped his gaze to pull at a hole starting by the knee in his jeans. “I really think he is.”