Chapter Text
Sometimes it seems like lately I just don't know; the rest of my life's been just a show.
Gwilym drives John and Veronica all the way across the city to a tiny bookstore/coffee shop and hesitantly John asks if the three of them would care to come in with him and his wife. He says nothing else, but his eyes telegraph real appreciation and thanks, and it seems that he would honestly be all right if they joined him. Joe in particular gets the sense that they make him feel safe--at least after the terrible occurrence he had just suffered through.
Not one of them make a big deal about it; except for Gwil. After he parks and they reach the front door of the place he posits "--There may be some new text out about Shakespeare!" and practically charges into the shop.
"What a nerd," Joe guffaws, and Rami smiles as he waits for Veronica and John to enter before him. Joe holds the door open for them, and John goes straight for the back where there is apparently a cosy little nook he and his wife have sat in multiple times. It is out of sight of the majority of the place. "This is like a maze," Joe whistles as he moseys among the stacks.
"A labyrinth," Rami agrees.
Gwilym comes hustling between shelves, beaming at them as he carries a pile of books. "This place is bloody excellent!"
John smiles at Veronica as he reaches a chair beside the small table in their nook and sits down. "...He really is so much like Brian," he murmurs. "Though with literature instead of Space." Gwilym blushes as he too sits down, a trifle awkwardly, across the table from John.
Veronica smiles at her husband and lifts her purse. "Would you like your usual, my love?" she asks him, and John nods in gratitude, pressing her free hand. "All right, I'll get it. What would you boys like?" She inquires of them.
"I'll go with you to order," Rami offers. "I already know what to get Joe. What about you, Gwil?"
Gwilym doesn't answer, already poring over a book, nose-deep. "Gwilly!" Joe hisses at him.
"Herm--oh, I'm sorry. What?" His light eyes rise.
"What would you like from the coffee shop, dear?" Veronica smiles at him gently. "Rami and I are taking orders."
"Oh, I'll have--a cup of Earl Grey, please. If they don't have that, black coffee, three sugars."
Rami nods. "I figured he'd ask for something like that."
"You know me well," Gwilym says with a slow, sweet smile just for Rami.
Joe sighs loudly. "Oh get a room, you two!"
"Ah ah, is Joey a little jealous because Ben isn't here for him?" Gwilym raises his eyebrows and transfers his now-cheeky grin over to Mazzello, who has sat down next to John. "That's too bad, Joe."
"Oh, well. You know I love you," Rami leans over and hugs Joe to him.
Joe waggles his eyebrows triumphantly at Gwilym and then beams up at Rami. "Love you too buddy."
Rami lets go and offers his arm to Veronica gallantly. "Shall we go get the drinks?" he asks her and she smiles as she takes his elbow.
"We shall."
John looks after the two as they move off together, feeling a warm sort of ache settle into his heart and his guts at the easy banter between these men, so much like what he once had with the lads as part of Queen... and Rami's easy sweetness and gallantry reminds him so much of Freddie.
He is jolted out of those thoughts when Joe, who has sat beside him, shifts his chair and body to face John, and his expressive eyes catch the older man's. "Hey, John. I just wanted to officially check and see if--if you're okay." Joe blows out a heavy breath and smacks his lips. "...Because what happened back there with those so-called fans, that was rough, buddy. Are you okay?" he asks. Gwilym has ceased reading now and is nodding along with Joe's words, his own gaze warm and full of sympathetic compassion as he looks at John.
At first John says nothing, his eyes flicker back and forth a bit. Neither man pushes him to speak, however; they simply sit by in companionable silence. That silence and their presences are comforting to John, he realises. Neither Joe nor Gwilym expect anything out of him, they are simply here and willing to listen if he chooses to talk. His heart aches at their kindness. Eventually "...I never realised," he admits, 'Just how much -celebrity, I suppose- is still attached to Queen. Even to the idea of Queen, now. This film, it has..." John pauses in an attempt to collect his thoughts. "It's changed a lot. Before I could stay unseen, unknown. Now, it's --different, as you saw." He adds in a little of that patented dry John Deacon humour and manages a smile.
Joe and Gwilym are both nodding. They have only seen the positive responses from fans of the film, but for someone whose goal in life has been to remain out of the public eye for more than twenty years, the side effects of fame and of this film are clearly, can clearly be damaging emotionally; and very nearly physically, as they witnessed this evening. "I'm truly sorry about that," Gwilym says, his bright eyes keen and kind as they rest on John's face. Joe nods furiously. "...We would never want any of this to upend your life."
Before John says anything, Rami and Veronica return with coffee and tea and biscuits for them all from the conjoining coffee shop, and Rami assures John they will not be disturbed: "Apparently the owner of this establishment knows you both rather well."
"And her teen-age daughter is quite taken with dear Rami," Veronica chuckles. "So I may have used that fact for our benefit." Gwil and Joe both radically raise their eyebrows.
Rami bows. "I'm more than happy to be of service in this instance," he says. His tone of voice is so gentle, and again John is reminded of Freddie by its kindness; but Rami also has a certain sparkle, for lack of a better term, all his own.
The older man smiles tremulously in thanks for him and for all of them; and then he realises: "Oh, no, this is taking you away from your 'real English food' evening." He speaks with remorse.
"Nahhh, what could be more English than sitting in a bookshop reading about Shakespeare and drinking tea? Eh, Gwil?" Joe grins.
Gwilym flicks his eyes up. "Wow, thanks, Joe. Hang on, I DID see a fish and chip shop just down the road when we drove over. Is that English enough for you?"
Both Rami and Joe laugh, and John cracks a smile. "...Roger was always taking his dates out to fish and chip shops, 'specially during the early days when we had little to no income and none of us could really cook, except for Brian." His tone sounds a mite wistful. "...That might be why I love cheese toasts, because I ate them all the time--Freddie always swore up and down that was the only food he reliably knew how to make. 'And you're looking pale as death, darling!' he said. Fed me and Brian a lot. Oh-" John breaks off and both Ronnie and Joe instantly move to comfort him; Veronica takes his hand and Joe squeezes his shoulder. Their solid, loving presences ground John, for which he is grateful.
He clams up now, though, and Gwilym stands. "Well I shall be the first to say that I enjoy a good greasy platter of fish and chips. Anyone like to come with and help me carry some back for all of us? The owners allow outside food items in this place, I hope. Wouldn't want to break any rules...."
"Okay then, Brian," Joe retorts significantly, immediate and John ducks his chin. That is certainly something Brian would say. Then Joe bounces upright and offers cheekily "But sure, I'll come with you. Maybe there's a sign in here somewhere...beside the door, I don't know, that directly tells us if outside food and drinks are prohibited." He smacks his lips and beams at his own wit, and Gwilym fondly shakes his head, lifting his chin a bit and rolling his eyes as he wraps an arm round Joe.
"Oh, yeah, mate. Excellent idea." Joe laughs aloud. Gwil lets go of him and adds "We'll be back in a bit." John tries to hand over some banknotes to pay for the fish, but "Oh, no. Keep your coin, Mr Deacon. This is my treat. It'd be an honour to buy supper for you and your wife, really."
"Let him do it if he wants to, hon," Veronica loudly whispers. "I already bought everyone's tea and coffee."
"She did," Rami affirms. "Put her cash up there on the counter instantly, and I couldn't stop her."
John's eyebrows draw together but his shoulders infinitesimally relax when Gwilym touches his arm with a smile so like Brian's. "--If you're honestly uncomfortable with me paying for it, then I won't. I just think it's the least that I can do for you, is all."
John's features soften. He still cannot rightly comprehend why these three men -or anyone, really- would be so honoured to do something for little old him; nobody special, just an electrical engineer who played bass for and then departed Queen. Yet Gwilym is utterly serious and sincere, as are they all. It is humbling. "Okay," he hears himself say. "You can if you really want to."
"I want to, Mr Deacon," Gwil responds. Joe nods.
"Thanks," John says. "And do call me John. I think all of you--" he glances round to the others and squeezes the hand of his wife, which he still holds. "Well, you deserve it. You've certainly done enough." He smiles now in his sly way. "...And maybe if we continue to get on, someday you can call me Deacy."
Gwilym's eyes bulge with shock as Joe's mouth drops open. "Oh, no, not at all!" Rami swiftly demurs. "We could never; that's for your friends." Joe shakes his head, agreeing with Rami.
After a bit of silence, the older man leans forward and speaks seriously, his soft gentle voice suffused with affection. "After all you've done for me in your film, and today, I...I would say that I consider us to be friends. If that's alright with you."
Joe blinks and is the first to speak, his voice suffused with enough excitement for them all: "Oh hell yeah!"