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mercurysnitch · 2 years

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Mother Mercury Part 5: The Show Must Go On

Summary: Trouble is brewing when Mel returns to the set of Bohemian Rhapsody after Thanksgiving break. Christmas is a turning point for Mel and Ben, and the end of filming might just have a few surprises in store.

A/N: Yes, it’s finally here. As previously mentioned, this is the last part of this story, three years and a pandemic after I started it. I do have an idea for a final epilogue chapter, but I'm not convinced I’ll ever get around to writing it. But I may post some “headcanons” of where I was planning for this story to go at some point.

Despite the long gaps between parts this story kept my mind somewhat occupied during multiple lockdowns even though very little of those thoughts ever actually made it onto the page, so I suppose I’m grateful for that.

This part covers the rest of Bohemian Rhapsody filming and a bit extra, so the story’s ending a bit earlier than I initially planned, but I think it works. The filming timeline might not be entirely historically accurate but at the end of the day, this is my fic so the timeline is whatever I say it is.

Not a lot of Eve in this one, but there’s some guest appearances to make up for it. Including, finally, the other surviving member of Queen finally turning up on-screen after many mentions in previous parts. Title is obviously from the Queen song.

The only warning for this one is mentions of illness, I think. Also as usual I think the English and American slang is accurate but I am neither of those things so it’s probably not perfect. Apologies if any Australianisms have snuck in, I try to avoid them but sometimes they’re not obvious.

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Previously on Mother Mercury: The Bo Rhap cast has been introduced to Freddie’s granddaughter Mel, who’s working in the wardrobe department, and her mother Eve. Ben and Mel are going out, and he was invited to Eve’s for Thanksgiving, but no one on set knows they’re together. Also, the director’s a pill.

Mel was feeling quite refreshed after the Thanksgiving break, and she knew the band were looking forward to getting back together. But when she and Ben finally arrived to set on the first morning back, there was a rather unwelcome surprise waiting for them.

The set was never far from organised chaos at the best of times, but that morning nearly everything seemed to be in total disarray. Even Barbara looked worried when Mel arrived at the wardrobe department to start her day.

“What’s going on?” she asked, suddenly concerned. “Our esteemed director hasn’t arrived yet” Barbara informed her, voice dripping with contempt. “And no-one’s heard from him. No one even knows where he is.” “Christ” Mel exclaimed. “So are we still running today, or…?” Barbara just shrugged. “If he’s not here soon we’ll have to shut down for today, nothing’s been properly organised.” “And after that?” Mel asked. “The word is if he doesn’t surface soon he’ll be sacked” Barbara replied conspiratorially. Not a minute too soon, Mel thought.

It was a strange, unsettled day. The assistant directors did what they could, but it was hard to make progress when no one really knew what they were supposed to be doing. After noon arrived with no sign of the director arriving on set, the decision was made to shut down for the day. Some of the most senior crew stayed on to do some contingency planning for the next few days, but everyone else was sent home. None of the cast were exactly happy with this news, but Joe was particularly unimpressed.

“Seriously? This bullshit again? Honestly, I don’t care what this guy’s resume is like, he’s a seriously shitty director right now. Like, does he just not give a shit about all the time and money he’s wasted? And putting everything on the A.D. s all the time, that’s just disrespectful, like, their job isn’t to do his job for him.” “We know, Joe” Gwilym said gently. “You think you’d be better?” Rami joked. Joe looked alarmed. “God, no, I directed one tiny indie with like half a crew, I wouldn’t have a clue what to do on a big production like this.” Suddenly he looked wistful. “Maybe one day, though.”

Lacking anything better to do, the band decided to decamp to Rami's hotel for the afternoon to have a proper post-break catch up. Lucy and Allen were also invited, along with Mel. She was pleased to be included, though she could have sworn she saw a hint of a smirk on Joe's face when he extended the invitation.

At any rate, mid-afternoon found the gang scattered through Rami's deluxe suite, chatting about what they'd been up to during the break. Allen and Gwilym had enjoyed a bit of time off with their partners, while Lucy had taken the opportunity to catch up with a few friends. Rami and Joe had of course gone home to spend the holiday with their families, which for Joe had been extremely bittersweet due to his father's illness.

"I just… He was so much worse than when I left" Joe explained. "I think… I knew he was getting sicker before I left, but it’s just so obvious how much he’s deteriorated while I’ve been away, and I..." At that Joe began to break down, leaning into Rami who embraced him tightly, whispering words of comfort the others couldn't hear. "We're all here for you, mate, anything you need" Gwilym added softly. Joe pulled back, smiling slightly. "Thanks guys" he told them. "But right now I need to not think about it for a while, so Ben, what did you do last week?"

Ben's eyes widened in horror. He'd spent most of the week with Mel, of course, but he could hardly tell everyone that without explaining why. "I, uh,…" he stammered, looking desperately to Mel for support. She merely grinned mischievously. “Y'know, we could just tell them” she said evenly, largely unperturbed. “We’re official now, we have to tell them at some point.” “You sure?” Ben checked. Mel nodded. “Alright then” Ben agreed. He grinned in anticipation. "I had Thanksgiving supper at Eve's, actually." The others were suitably shocked. "You what?" Lucy asked, baffled. "It's a tradition of ours" Mel explained. "We remember Freddie by having a big meal with lots of guests, and wine, once the kids are in bed of course."

"That's all well and good, but why was Ben invited to supper by himself?" Gwilym questioned. Mel and Ben broke into near identical mischievous smiles. “Because he’s my boyfriend” Mel announced, reaching out to take Ben's hand.

“I knew it!” Joe yelled. “I knew there was something going on.” “We’re all very happy for you” Lucy said kindly, shaking her head at Joe’s antics. The rest of the group were smiling, cheerfully congratulating the happy couple. “You’re not surprised” Ben observed. “We’ve been wondering when it would happen” Lucy explained. Ben raised his eyebrows. “When, not if?”

“Mate, you’ve been absolutely gone for Mel since the day you met her” Gwilym pointed out. “I have not” Ben protested to Mel, blushing furiously. She merely smiled. “Naww, love at first sight?” she teased. “Anyway,” Gwilym interjected, “we didn’t know how Mel felt, of course, but we had our suspicions, and, well…” It was Mel’s turn to blush. “Damn, and I thought I was hiding it so well around you lot.” “Hey, we're not holding it against you” Lucy reassured her. “No, no, it's quite alright” Mel agreed.

Suddenly Joe groaned, cutting through the general cheer. "What's up?" Rami said quzzically, speaking for the rest of the rather puzzled group. "I just realised, I'm the only single dude in the band now" Joe explained. "Gwil was the only one with a girlfriend when we started this movie, and then Rami and Lucy happened, which, okay, I’m thrilled he’s found someone, but now my boy Ben's gone and left me all alone in singletown and we're not even done shooting yet. I mean, I know stuff happens on movies but both of you met people, on the same movie, within weeks of each other?"

Mel stared at him in confusion. "Is… Is he actually upset two of his mates have met someone before him?" "No, no, he's happy for us, really" Ben assured her. "He's just whining cos he doesn't want to be the only one on the pull when we all go out." "Eh, it's not like I could be any less successful than I have been the last few months" Joe grumbled. "Yeah, and I can still be your wingman, you know" Ben told him cheerfully. Joe smiled. "Well, that could be fun" he said. "Seriously though, I am genuinely super happy for you crazy kids."

Mel grinned at that. "Thanks, old man." Joe laughed at the insult, though he looked mildly scandalised. But whatever offence he might have taken at Mel’s jibe didn’t last long, and the rest of the afternoon was spent recounting the highlights of Ben and Mel’s Thanksgiving dinner and discussing plans for the remaining weeks of the shoot.

The next day the director was still nowhere to be found, and no one had successfully contacted him. The first assistant director attempted to take charge so they could at least try to get something done, but the mood on set was still unsettled and progress was slow. Over the next few days everyone soldiered on as best they could, but the director remained conspicuously absent.

After another week of radio silence though, both the cast and crew’s patience was rapidly running out. Remarkably, that very day the director finally reappeared, hours after he should have arrived on set on a normal day, claiming he'd been delayed due to having to care for his ill mother. But it was too late. Official complaints had apparently been made, and by noon a couple of Fox executives had arrived to give the director his marching orders. Singer was officially fired, effective immediately, and production was suspended until a new director could be hired.

The cast were universally thrilled to see the back of Singer, but there was widespread frustration at the resulting delays. Although some of the tension that had hung over the production in recent weeks had finally lifted with the knowledge the director was gone for good, there was still some unease about the potential impact of all the disruptions on the production, not to mention the inevitable effects a new director would have on both the set and the eventual film. Rami, though, was apparently confident everything would turn out alright in the end.

“I know who they’re trying to get to take over, and if he says yes, it should be good” he told the band, following the official announcement of the search for a new director to the cast and crew. Gwilym wasn’t convinced. “It’s still a massive disruption though, especially this late on in production.” “As long as they listen to the crew we’ll be able to pretty much pick up where we left off, everything’s still basically set up” Joe countered. “Plus, if Rami says this guy’s good, he’s probably great, so…” Rami grinned. “Nice to know some of you still have faith in me.”

In the end it took only four days for the studio to announce Dexter Fletcher would be taking over to finish the film, and shooting would resume shortly. The cast made the most of the unexpected break, spending an afternoon having a (very) long lunch at Eve’s. Mel did have some slight misgivings about the potential consequences of introducing all of her workmates to her very-much-not-average family, but in the end she needn’t have worried. Everyone got over their awe at being in Freddie’s house very quickly, having been prepared ahead of time by Ben, and by the time the end-of-meal tea and coffee were served quite a lot of the band seemed to be happily ensconced with Eve’s family.

Gwilym and Violet, both keen gardeners, were deep in discussion about the proper care of his new indoor plants. No one else in the band was terribly interested in plants, so he was very pleased to finally find someone who shared his enthusiasm. Joe, armed with his years of experience as an uncle, had won Jamie over almost instantly, and had even managed to get Lavender to warm up to him within half an hour of meeting her. By that point she’d persuaded him to play blocks with her on the floor, Jamie having managed to engage Allen in a detailed discussion of their respective football teams’ recent fortunes.

Rami was discussing something Freddie-related with Eve. He’d had an unpleasant moment soon after arriving, when he’d been happily greeted by Eve’s big fluffy grey cat Oberon, only to immediately sneeze and instinctively move away from the poor thing. Once he’d explained he was allergic to cats Eve had obligingly shut away Oberon and his elegant tabby companion Titania for the duration and assured Rami it was perfectly fine, though she did note the irony of her father’s portrayer being allergic to his favourite animals.

Meanwhile Mel was enjoying a rare opportunity to get to know Gwilym and Allen’s partners. This was in fact the first time she’d met them, but thus far they were all getting on famously despite their various differences in age and professional background.

Lucy, having found herself uninvolved in any of the conversations, turned to Ben, who was watching proceedings with a contented smile.

“You look happy” she said quietly. “I am happy” Ben replied. “The prick is finally gone, I get to spend more time with some of my best mates and my girlfriend… life’s good, y’know?” Lucy smiled. “You really like her, don’t you?” “I do” Ben said softly. “More than I thought… well I thought, at the start, she’d be a-a rebound, or whatever, but then I wanted to be official, and she wanted me to meet her family, and I… it’s still so early, we’re moving a bit fast but… I actually quite like it.” “You’re getting serious then” Lucy observed. “I think we are” Ben agreed. “I mean, I don’t want to get too serious too quickly but… I don’t want to not be serious either.” “That’s a good thing, wanting to be serious” Lucy assured him. “And you just do things when it feels right for the two of you, if anyone says you’re wrong they can piss off.” Ben couldn’t help grinning at that. “Thanks, Luce.”

The rest of the afternoon passed quite peacefully, though Ben couldn’t resist the opportunity to stir things up a bit by encouraging Eve to play Freddie’s piano for the assembled company. At the mention of music Lavender immediately requested ‘All Together Now’, clearly still obsessed. Ben got a big surprise when Mel picked up the guitar to accompany herself while she sang, naturally backed by her mums. The others were of course preoccupied with Mel’s fabulous voice, so her playing passed largely without comment until much later, when she and Ben were walking back to her little house.

“I didn’t know you could play the guitar” Ben said casually. Mel smiled. “And the bass, a bit.” “Really?” Ben marvelled. “Haven’t you ever noticed the absurd number of instruments crammed into my sitting room?” Mel joked. “Well, I’ve seen the piano… wait, can you play that too?” Mel grinned. “Of course, darling, why do you think I have the bloody thing?” Ben was intrigued. “Did your mum teach you then, the piano I mean?” “And the guitar, at first” Mel told him. “Papa taught her when she was young, she passed it all on to me when I was old enough. But even when I was very small I liked it when she played, she said.” Ben nodded. “So does Eve play the bass as well?” “No, Uncle John taught me” Mel clarified. “And more guitar, Mum was always more interested in the piano.” “You’re very talented, you know, all those instruments” Ben commented, smiling. “So are you” Mel said. “Drums are hard, you’re pretty good for someone who’s only been playing a few months.” Ben blushed slightly. “Gee, thanks. But you’re… your whole family is, like, ridiculously musical, it’s insane.” “It’s in the blood, I s’pose” Mel said, shrugging. “I suppose it is” Ben agreed.

***

Dexter Fletcher’s arrival on set after the unplanned break heralded a significant change in working conditions. Much of the tension that had previously hung over the set had dissolved with Singer’s departure, and Fletcher brought a much happier, more buoyant energy to proceedings. The disorder that had arisen from the previous director’s frequent disappearances was quickly sorted out, and both cast and crew were soon back on track to produce a very good movie. Their renewed focus meant that the days passed quickly, and Mel felt as though she barely had time to blink before Christmas was upon them all.

The imminent Christmas break triggered many animated discussions about their respective plans between Mel and Ben. She was of course planning to stay in London, while he was going home to Dorset to see his family. Mel was wondering whether to be miffed she wasn’t invited, until Ben reminded her his parents currently didn’t even know she existed. “I’ll tell them when I get home, I want to do it in person” he assured her. In any case Mel wanted to spend at least some of the break with her boyfriend, as did Ben with her, so in the end he decided he would come back to London in time for New Year’s Eve, to finish off the break. “My parents might come up to London after that, for my birthday, I could introduce you to them then” Ben added, as a small sweetener. Mel liked the sound of that.

But before all that came the Deacon family Christmas party, less than a week before the big day. Ben had agreed to go with Mel quite happily, but he was distinctly uneasy as they prepared for the party. “Nervous?” Mel said lightly. “A little” Ben admitted. “But I just… I feel like I’m representing all of the band tonight, I don’t want to screw it up and end up with John Deacon hating all of us.” Mel grinned. “Yeah, Joe would probably wring your neck” she joked. “But he won’t hate the band, he’s already had a good report from Luke.” Ben smiled. “For a minute there I forgot Luke’s met all of us, I keep thinking he’s just met me. But I’m glad you think he liked us.”

”He did, he told me” Mel said, turning to face Ben with a reassuring smile. “I know you’re worried, darling,” she said gently, “but tonight, as far as Uncle John’s concerned you’re not Ben Hardy the actor playing his old friend in a movie about his old band, you’re just my new boyfriend Ben, coming to meet the family for the first time.” “That’s... barely less nerve-wracking, to be honest” Ben admitted, half-jokingly.

“John and Veronica are the nicest people, truly, you’ll be fine” Mel reassured him. “They’re also basically your grandparents” Ben pointed out. “And some of the things I’ve heard about John…” Mel smiled. “The press love to exaggerate” she said. “He can get a bit grumpy when he’s out and about, perhaps, but that’s just because he hates being recognised and pounced on in public. He’s perfectly lovely to people he actually knows.” “He doesn’t know me” Ben pointed out. “Yes, but you’re with me, and he’s known me quite literally my entire life, so I think you’ll be alright” Mel joked. Ben eventually agreed he’d have to take her word for it, and they got on with making their way to the party.

Ben wasn’t entirely sure what he’d actually been expecting, but the enthusiastic greeting he got from Veronica when she let them in the front door reassured him he at least wasn’t going to be made to feel unwelcome. In fact, they’d barely crossed the threshold of the living room when they were set upon by Luke and Cameron, both evidently pleased to see Ben again. They barely had time to draw breath before Ben was being introduced to the rest of the Deacon clan, who all greeted him warmly.

Ben was relieved at the general willingness to welcome him to the fold, though he seriously questioned whether he’d be able to properly remember the names of all their various partners and children. The children themselves were mostly dotted about the room enjoying playing with their cousins, and Ben was already despairing of keeping track of who belonged to which Deacon child.

As Ben and Mel circulated the room, drinks in hand, chatting to each of the guests, Ben noticed a distinct contrast between Mel’s relationships with the eldest and youngest Deacon siblings. She was of course very close to Luke and Cameron, and Joshua seemed to care for her quite a bit too. But Robert and Michael were apparently a lot more distant. There didn’t seem to be any particular tensions, but the significant age gap between them and Mel presumably wasn’t conducive to a close sibling relationship. Laura, conversely, was clearly rather fond of Mel, if in a distantly benevolent older sibling sort of way. Ben was slightly to shocked to realise she was almost the same age as Eve, which must have led to a few interesting experiences when Mel was born.

And then, finally, Mel led him to a corner where a figure in a dark woollen jumper was bent over the complicated-looking stereo system, fiddling with something. Veronica was standing nearby, glass in hand. “Uncle John?” she said softly. The figure straightened up and turned around, and Ben found himself face to face with John Deacon. His once-flowing hair was all but gone, and his face was naturally a bit worn with age, but the crinkly-eyed smile he broke into on spotting his surrogate granddaughter was unmistakable. “Hello Mel” he said quietly, leaning over to embrace her. “We were so pleased when Luke said you’d be coming” Veronica chimed in warmly. “Wouldn’t miss it” Mel said, as they broke apart. “Uncle John, this is Ben” she added, taking his hand as she spoke.

John’s smile dimmed somewhat when his eyes fell on the newcomer, but he shook Ben’s hand politely all the same, before turning back to Mel, not looking entirely pleased at the sight before him. “So how’s work been?” Veronica said brightly, perhaps attempting to smooth over the awkwardness. ”We heard there was some disruption a little while ago…” “There was” Mel confirmed. “But everything’s settled down since we got a new director.” John nodded. “Well at least it’s all going well now” he mused. “Though it did make me wish even more that you’d never got involved in the film.”

Mel sighed, and Ben guessed from her expression, and Veronica’s evident exasperation, this was a long-running point of contention with John. “I’m fine, all the drama had nothing to do with me” she grumped. “You’re lucky it didn’t, if someone found out it’d be a perfect storm for the press” John countered. Mel groaned in frustration. “It’s been six months and still no one on that set knows who I really am” she pointed out. “Surely I’m safe now, there’s only a few weeks of filming left after Christmas.” John glanced pointedly at Ben. “Clearly some people on set have found out the truth.” “Only because I told them, or Mum did” Mel clarified angrily. “And they haven’t spread it around either.”

“It’s only six of us who know” Ben said quietly. “Just the core cast, and we would never sell anyone out to the tabloids.” John seemed unconvinced as he turned to Mel. “D’you believe that?” “I do” she told him. “Do you really think we would have let them in on the secret if we didn’t trust them?” “Your mother wouldn’t” John agreed. “You, I’m not so sure about.” His tone was utterly deadpan, but he was smiling slightly, his eyes shining with mirth. Ben let out a small sigh of relief when he realised John was only joking. When he felt Mel relax next to him he knew everything would be alright, even if all wasn’t quite forgiven just yet.

Later on, after food was served, Ben found himself next to John, left alone after Mel got caught up talking to someone else and Veronica disappeared off to deal with hostess duties. He suddenly felt rather awkward. Of course there were plenty of things he would have liked to chat to John about, but he had also been warned that John Deacon’s past with Queen was something of a ‘sensitive’ subject for him. “It’s not that he never talks about it” Mel had explained. “But he really doesn’t like being asked direct questions about it.” Ben’s usual fallback would have been small talk about his career, which normally fascinated new people, but even that seemed a dangerous topic of conversation given the focus of his current job, not to mention John’s clear reservations about Mel’s involvement in the project.

Just as Ben was wondering if John was going to say anything to him at all, the older man caught his eye, smiling wryly. “I hope you don’t think what I said about the film was anything to do with you” John said quietly. Ben was confused. “What you said about the film?” “I wish Mel hadn’t taken the job on it, but not because of you” John explained. “I just worry she hasn’t even thought about the fact she’s put herself in the one place she and Eve are most likely to be… exposed, shall we say, let alone what might happen if they are revealed to the world.” Ben smiled reassuringly. “The half dozen of us who know won’t tell anyone else, and we’d do anything in our power to keep it out of the press, if it came to that.” “I’m sure you would,” John agreed, “but I’ll still worry about it.”

Suddenly he grinned mischievously. “You know, I wasn’t sure what to think when I first heard Mel was seeing you. All the people she could have fancied at work, and she went for the bloke playing Roger.” “Well, at least she didn’t go for the man himself” Ben quipped. John smiled wryly. “She’s gone for worse, even if he is a bit old for her. Though I should hope Roger still has enough sense to know better than to go after a 21-year-old at his age.” Suddenly John looked thoughtful. “You’re a bit older than Mel yourself, though, aren’t you?” “Only five years” Ben said sheepishly. “It’s alright, that’s not an age gap to be concerned about” John assured him. “Luke and Cameron seem to think you’re alright, and Mel seems very happy, which is the main thing.” “So am I” Ben admitted, wondering whether he was about to get the if-you-ever-hurt-her talk.

But all John said was “That’s all I want, for her to be happy.” He smiled wryly. “She’s an adult now, she’s old enough to make her own decisions, and I just have to trust her not to make any bad ones.” Ben couldn’t decide whether John’s last comment was aimed at him. “I hope you don’t think-” “No, no, not at all, I can see how much you care about her” John reassured him. “So, just remember, she is a Mercury, a rare and precious creature who should be treasured. If you did want my advice I’d tell you anyone who’s serious about her should treat her like the queen she is, but I’m sure you know what you’re doing.” Ben let out a breath he hadn’t realised he was holding, knowing now he had John’s approval. “Of course” he assured John, resisting the enormous temptation to make a Queen reference. It seemed unwise somehow, to draw attention to a topic they’d been carefully avoiding all night. They soon slid into much safer areas of small talk, and in fact John didn’t say much more to Ben after that, but he seemed not to dislike Ben, at the very least.

In fact, John wasn’t particularly talkative for the rest of the evening, but Ben nonetheless got the feeling he’d made a good impression. Well, he hoped he had. He felt rather conspicuous amongst all the Deacons, but they didn’t seem to find his presence particularly remarkable. He did field a few questions about his job, but none of them seemed overly curious, which at least meant he didn’t feel like he was banging on about himself too much.

Much later, when he was home again with Mel, he was relieved to hear she was pleased with how the evening had gone. Apparently Veronica had been very enthusiastic in her approval, and the others seemed satisfied he was a decent person, and seemingly weren’t terribly phased about the age gap. But the best news, at least to Ben, was the fact that John Deacon had apparently indicated he liked Ben already. Suddenly he didn’t think the party could have gone any better.

***

Christmas itself was much the same as always, though Ben left for his parents’ place with some trepidation. Mel for her part enjoyed her family’s low-key London Christmas, even if she did spend a bit of time wondering how Ben was getting on. As it turned out, his family were fairly pleased he’d found someone new, if a bit surprised it had happened so quickly. “Not that they mind much, apparently my mum was already plotting to set me up with one of the the locals before I told her” Ben reported, when he FaceTimed Mel on Christmas night. “So they’re not… unhappy about the age difference?” Mel questioned. “It’s barely a difference” Ben assured her. “But… I don’t think so. They’re pretty keen to meet you, I don’t think they’re too bothered.” Mel nodded. “So they are coming for your birthday then.” “Yeah, you’ll get to meet them very soon” Ben agreed.

In the end, despite Mel’s nerves Ben’s birthday turned out to be a very nice bookend to the Christmas break. His parents were very welcoming, and they seemed to be pleased to start getting to know Mel, at least. She did think she detected a whiff of tension when she mentioned her mums, but it was only a passing mention and as no-one said anything she decided not to dwell on it for the time being. More questions would no doubt be asked later, and if Ben’s parents did get judgmental at any point, she’d have no problems dealing with it head on. After all, she’d been dealing with other people’s attitudes about her unusual family for most of her life, there wasn’t a lot she hadn’t heard before.

***

Once production resumed after the Christmas break, filming was very much on the home stretch, though there was still plenty of fun to be had. One rather unpromising morning Mel was in the midst of organising some spare costumes when an American-accented voice cut through the chatter burbling through the wardrobe truck. “Hi, I’m doing a walk-on today, I was told to ask for Mel when I got to wardrobe?” “Ah, yes, I heard there was a special request.” Mel recognised her boss’s clipped English tones, rather jarring next to the drawling American. “Mel, extra for you!” Mel was slightly startled at the yell, but hurried to the front of the racks nonetheless. She found Barbara smiling warmly. “Special request from Queen; they want you to dress Adam for his scene today” she explained, as Mel emerged into the front.

She was only mildly surprised to find herself face to face with none other than Adam Lambert; wardrobe and makeup had been informed of his cameo ahead of time so they could plan his look. “Mel, this is-” “Adam, I know” she told Barbara. Adam was surprised.“You know who I am?” “Yeah, I’m a bit of a fan actually” she said, endeavouring to keep her tone casual. “Follow me, your stuff’s down here.”

Adam’s jaw had dropped the minute he saw Mel’s face, but he followed her obediently nonetheless. “Uh, has anyone ever told you you look just like Freddie Mercury?” he asked, once he’d recovered himself sufficiently. Mel just managed to hold back an exasperated sigh. “You would not believe how many times I’ve heard that since I started here.” “It’s true though, it’s… kinda scary almost” Adam insisted. Mel turned around to face him, having reached the rack she was looking for. “It’s not scary, it’s just genetics” she said blithely. “Don’t tell anyone, but I’m his granddaughter.”

Adam was so shocked at this Mel had to restrain herself from laughing at his expression. “His -? But he never had-?” “He did, he just kept it quiet” Mel explained. “Very quiet, clearly” Adam quipped. “This is, like, super rude, but I just… how did that even happen, Freddie Mercury having a kid?” Mel sighed. “It’s a long story, but basically my grandmother went to a party in Munich, Freddie was there, everyone was drunk or high, or both, and, well, shit happened.” Adam grinned. “Cool story, your grandma partying with Freddie Mercury.” “Yeah, I s’pose it is” Mel agreed. “I’ve never really thought about it to be honest, it’s just… the story of my family, y’know.”

Adam nodded in agreement, but he was looking at Mel with clear curiosity. “So did… did Freddie ever find out about his kid, do you know?” he asked, sounding rather uncertain, almost as if he thought he was edging into risky conversational territory. “He did” Mel reassured him, smiling softly. “And he got to know her very well, over the years.” Adam was understandably confused. “When you say very well…” “Ever heard of someone called Daphne Caddington?” Mel asked. He nodded. “She, like, lived with him for a while, with her daughter, yeah?” “She was my grandmother” Mel explained. Adam’s eyes bugged out in shock. “She was… so does that mean her daughter was-?” “Yep.” Mel grinned. “But Evangeline’s, like, my age and you’re…” Adam mused, puzzled. “She was quite young when I was born” Mel clarified, an amused smile dancing on her lips. “She must have been, like, super young” Adam agreed. Suddenly a thought occurred to him.

“Roger and Brian know about all this, don’t they?” he said quietly. It was barely a question. Mel nodded. “They’ve set us up” he mused. “Probably” Mel agreed. Adam smiled. “Those sneaky bitches.” “Did… did you just call Queen bitches?” Mel questioned. “Oh, they totally are” Adam defended, grinning mischievously. “You should see them in private, they bicker like an old married couple. It’s hilarious to watch… most of the time.”

Whatever the reason Queen had seen fit to make the request, Mel was quite pleased with it by the end of the day. She and Adam had an almost unhealthy amount of fun working together to get him appropriately attired, spending almost as much time cackling over his various touring-with-Queen stories as they did actually working. Despite their differences in age and background they seemed to share a lot of similarities in both interests and personalities, not least the fact they were both musical theatre actors by training.

Adam also seemed a bit awed by Mel’s connection to Freddie, asking her lots of questions in between bursts of work. Frustratingly, she wasn’t able to answer many of them, having never known Freddie herself. “Look, I get that you’re curious, darling, but I really don’t know that much about Freddie, you’d have to ask my mum” she told him, after the umpteenth question she couldn’t answer.

By the end of the day, he’d gone one better and got himself invited to tea at Garden Lodge. Eve had coincidentally happened to video call Mel while she was with Adam, needing an opinion on colours for a half-finished painting. Adam had in fact tried to escape until Mel hauled him over to meet the famous Eve Caddington, who wasted no time in putting him at ease and inviting him round to chat properly about Freddie. “You should come for tea some time, we can have a nice long chinwag over a hot meal” she said kindly. Adam was so stunned he barely managed to squeak out an “Okay!” before Eve hung up. Ever the professional, Adam quickly pulled himself back together and refocused on the job at hand, but Mel couldn’t help thinking there was an extra sparkle in his eye for the rest of the day.

***

Eve made one more visit to the set before the film wrapped. They were filming "the band" appearing on Top of the Pops, and it was all hands on deck. Roger and Brian were all dressed up for a quick cameo, and even Jim Beach was on set. Eve rather doubted he was having a cameo, although she also didn’t think he’d mind too much if he was asked to do one.

Eve was introduced to Dexter Fletcher by Roger himself, with much ceremony. Dexter said nothing obvious, but there was a look in his eye that made her quite sure Roger had spilled the beans about her true identity at some point. At least, she assumed it was Roger, or possibly Brian. There were others who knew, of course, but somehow Eve didn’t think they were the type to gossip, at least not about something like that, and certainly not to the new director.

It soon transpired that Mel had volunteered to be an extra in the background of the “performance” sequence. As the day’s schedule inched towards that part Eve found herself being persuaded to join her daughter in the scene, though she felt she was much too old to be playing a teenybopper in the Top of the Pops audience. The main cast very much disagreed, however. “You’re the same age as us, we’re not that old” Joe pointed out. “And anyway, most of the extras aren’t actual teenagers either” Mel added. “Oh come on, please? It’ll be fun, all you’ll have to do is stand and dance a bit.”

“It would give the scene an extra something, having Freddie Mercury’s daughter in it” a raspy voice interjected. Eve immediately turned around, shocked to see the director himself chiming in. “Roger told me” he added, seeing her confusion. Mel was suddenly uncertain, not having actually asked about adding another extra to the scene. “We don’t have to, if it’s going to be too difficult to change things…” “Nonsense, the more the merrier” Dexter reassured her. “Roger told me about you too, you know. I must say it almost feels like his approval, in a way, having you working here…” Somehow everyone knew ‘his’ didn’t mean Roger’s.

Having received the director’s approval Mel’s enthusiasm quickly returned, and she and Eve spent a very pleasant afternoon moonlighting as extras. In fact, most of the set seemed to be in a good mood that day. The happy atmosphere lasted through most of the remaining days of shooting, almost to the last day of filming. The final day itself, though, was somewhat subdued as everyone had finally realised the carnival really was nearly over.

But after the wrap on the last day came the wrap party, which everyone enjoyed. Roger, Brian and Miami were all in attendance, though Eve had declined the invitation she received after her appearance as an extra. The band were determined to enjoy one last night together, and Mel was almost as set on getting Ben out on the dancefloor at least once.

In addition to the dancing, and the usual drinks and finger food, a bit later in the evening they brought on a spot of Queen karaoke. Joe of course approached it with his usual enthusiasm, and managed to persuade several of the cast, and a few of the crew, to join him at various points. Mostly it was a bit of a laugh for everyone, but then Joe begged long and hard enough that Mel agreed to join him for Bohemian Rhapsody. Her spectacular rendition of the second verse just about brought the house down. Even Queen themselves looked impressed.

“I didn’t know you could sing like that” Roger commented later. Mel was, naturally, with Ben, in a secluded corner. “So can Eve” Ben added. “And they can both play too.” “Just a bit of piano and guitar, nothing special” Mel said, blushing. “Just like your grandad then” Roger mused. “Have you ever considered recording something?” Brian asked curiously. Mel shook her head. “No, not really. Anyway, right now I want to get into musical theatre, but maybe one day...” “Oh, of course, of course” Brian murmured apologetically. “Well, if you ever change your mind I’d be happy to help with the production side of things, if you needed it of course.” Mel was taken aback. Maybe it would be easier than she thought to do more than just theatre. “If I ever decide to record something you’ll be the first to know” she assured Brian.

“Well, whatever you do next, keep in touch, alright?” Roger told her. “That goes for your mum too, I’d like to know what Freddie’s offspring gets up to when she’s not swanning around film sets.” He paused, looking thoughtful. “You know, I should have you both round to lunch next time I manage to round up all of my brood” he mused. Mel wasn’t at all sure how to respond, but she had to admit lunch at Roger Taylor’s house did sound like fun. “I think Mum’d like that, I know I would.” “Partners will be invited too” Roger added, noticing Ben’s less-than-successful attempts not to look miffed at being left out. “Give us a time and we’ll let you know” Mel assured him.

Mel scored a number of comments from various members of the cast and crew as well, mostly complimenting her singing voice. Though a few did notice a resemblance to Freddie’s performance style as well. Even the director wandered over at one point, full of praise. However, it soon became clear he had something of an ulterior motive too. “I want a sort of chorus line for a couple of songs in the Elton John movie,” he explained, “and I’d love to have you in it. If you’re interested in auditioning, of course.” Mel was stunned. “You… you want to cast me in your movie?” Dexter nodded. “You’ve got a great voice, Mel, and exactly the right kind of background for what we’re looking for. I’d be a fool to pass up talent like this that’s just about fallen in my lap.” Mel grinned. “Send me the info and I’ll think about it when I’m a bit more sober.” Dexter seemed satisfied with that response, and soon darted off to talk to someone else looking very pleased with himself.

Mel turned to Ben, still grinning in amazement. “Did you- did you hear-?” she gabbled excitedly. “I’m gonna be in a movie!?” “I heard” Ben assured her, beaming proudly. “You’re a superstar, of course Dexter wants you in his musical… movie… thing.” Ben was still smiling at her, but he was a bit glassy-eyed, and Mel could see the night was starting to catch up with him. “I think you’ve probably had enough for tonight, dear” she said, a clear note of amusement in her voice as she moved his last drink out of his reach. “I do appreciate your support though.”

The festivities didn’t last much longer after that, with many of the crew needing to prepare for flights home the next day. The band were reluctant to say goodbye, eventually deciding to have one last breakfast together the next day before Joe and Rami had to fly back to America. Needless to say, they all regretted choosing an early start when they woke up the next day with pounding heads. Only Mel seemed to be entirely unscathed, although Lucy had also apparently escaped with only a mild hangover.

The others glared at them as they chattered happily over pancakes, though they had perked up a bit by the end of the meal. Even so, it was with heavy hearts that they all finally said goodbye that afternoon, naturally promising to see each other again soon. Exactly when ‘soon’ would be no one quite knew, though Lucy was apparently planning to meet Rami in America when she went over for a job in a few weeks, and Joe was unlikely to be far behind. Mel was sure it wouldn’t be long before Ben caught up with Gwilym either.

*******

Mel had thought, when she started working on Bohemian Rhapsody, that once filming was over she’d go back to her theatre life of auditions and waiting and hoping this part might be the breakthrough that would kickstart a long career. And she did, after taking a bit of time just to relax with Ben and luxuriate in having free time again. Ben was also between jobs, and keen to take a break while he could, knowing he had a round of promotion coming up for another project fairly soon, and more auditions on the horizon.

In the meantime, though, they spent a couple of weeks just enjoying roaming around London together and catching up on all the things they hadn’t had time for during filming. It was a largely quiet and domestic few weeks, though there was a small disruption when one of the more sensationalist tabloids published a couple of photos of them out and about together, with accompanying text proclaiming Ben had been spotted with a “mystery woman” multiple times in recent days.

Mel scanned that paper anxiously over the following days, but nothing more ever appeared. “Those photos were probably from someone who just got lucky anyway” Ben reassured her. “I mean, there’s probably more of them than what was published, but evidently none of them were clear enough to identify you. And ‘former soap star has new girlfriend’ is barely a story, it’s hardly something worth pursuing us over.”“I know,” Mel agreed, “but if they ever did discover who I am, that could be the beginning of how they finally find out about Mum and everything.” Ben found this a sobering thought, but he nevertheless felt it unlikely Eve would be discovered unless the tabloids decided to take more of an interest in Queen, something which could well happen if the movie did well. He refrained from sharing this thought with Mel, however.

Once it was clear nothing more was going to come of the photos Mel turned her attention to her audition for the Rocketman chorus. But just days after sending off her initial audition tape to the producers she had a phone call from Dexter offering her something of an upgrade on the chorus part.

“I’ve changed my mind, I’d really like you to try out for Kiki Dee” he told her, with his usual enthusiasm. “It’s not a big role, but it’s a speaking part at least.” Mel was stunned. “What-? Why-? A speaking part?” “I watched your audition tape” Dexter explained. “Your voice would be wasted in the chorus, not to mention the acting in your reel is streets ahead of everyone I’ve seen for Kiki so far.” “I- uh- Really?” Mel cursed internally at her clumsy response, but she recovered quickly. “I mean, of course I’ll audition for you!” Dexter was very pleased to hear that, and by the time Mel hung up she had a time and a place for a proper in-person audition in the very near future.

The audition, when it happened, went extremely well, and within a few days Mel got a phone call informing her that she’d won the part. She was positively buzzing with excitement when she saw Ben for dinner that night, and he was thrilled for her. “I knew you’d get it, you superstar, well done!” As they celebrated, Ben was slightly startled to realise there was something else he wanted to say to his extremely talented girlfriend. But he kept quiet, knowing the moment wasn’t quite right just yet.

They went back to Mel’s place after their meal, and spent quite a long night together celebrating intimately. The next morning Ben formulated a plan over his coffee, under the watchful eye of Jupiter the black cat, and quietly slipped out before Mel got up. When he returned she was sat at the head of the dining table, Mab purring on the chair next to her. Mel looked up as he came in, breaking into a confused smile when she noticed the large bunch of flowers Ben was holding.

“I, uh, I got you something” he said sheepishly. He smiled as he handed the flowers over. Mel was surprised. "Flowers? Why did you buy me flowers?" "Because. You got your first role" he explained. "Also, you're one of the most wonderful and amazingly talented people I've ever met, and…well, the thing is… I love you." He was suddenly very uncertain as he watched Mel gaping at him, worrying he might be pushing her into something she wasn't ready for. "You don't have to say it back if you're not-, it's ok, I mean I know it's a big deal, but I just wanted you to know" he gabbled, frantically attempting to backtrack.

Mel's face finally shifted into a broad smile. "It's okay, darling" she assured him. "I love you too." She leaned up to kiss Ben, who obligingly leaned down to meet her with a very passionate locking of lips.

“God, I’m so happy you said it back” Ben confessed, when they finally broke apart. Mel grinned. “What, did you really think I might not feel the same way?” she said teasingly. “No, I just - I wasn’t sure if you were there yet” he admitted, shaking his head. “For a moment there I thought I might have freaked you out or something.” “I wasn’t scared, silly” Mel assured him, a hint of laughter in her voice. “I just wasn’t expecting you to say it was all, I just needed a second to get over the surprise.” Ben smiled. “It was a good surprise, wasn’t it?” “An excellent surprise” Mel agreed. As they leaned in to kiss again, she really didn’t think life could get much better.

**************************************************************************************

A/N: And that’s all, folks. This was not where I’d originally planned to end the story but I ran out of steam and then it wound itself to a nice conclusion, so I went with it. There’s a couple of things in this chapter foreshadowing events I had planned for later but I think they still work as just parts of this chapter.

Incidentally, Adam’s comment about Brian and Roger is based on a quote I saw somewhere. I can totally imagine it though, they’ve known each other for a very long time at this point.

#ben hardy x reader #roger taylor x reader #john deacon x reader #bo rhap fic #queen fic #ben hardy #roger taylor #john deacon #Brian May #queen band #freddie mercury fic #freddie mercury #mother mercury

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assembledherethevolunteers · 4 years

Text

In Case You Didn’t Know

A/N: Hello, hello! Next songfic that I wrote! This one is ‘In Case You Didn’t Know’ by Brett Young (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qaHdHpSjX8) with Gwilym! I really liked this one, so I hope you guys do too!

Pairing: Gwilym Lee x fem!Reader

Summary: You and Gwilym have been dating for a couple months, but he’s about to leave for Italy. And you want to say something to him.

Warnings: Some sad (not really angsty), Cursing, Fluff, Implied sex (not explicit in the slightest, but just in case)

Taglist: @queenlover05, @seven-seas-of-ham-on-rhye

You watched as Gwilym ran around his flat, packing up for his newest job.

“I can’t believe you’re going to be in Italy for almost four months,” you pouted.

“I know, Y/N/N, but I’ll be back before you know it,” Gwil gave you a kind smile.

“Says you. You’ll be in a far off foreign country, doing something you love, and I’ll be here without my amazing boyfriend.”

Gwil looked at you sitting on the couch. It made him realize how much he was going to miss you.

The two of you had been dating for close to three months. Actually, tomorrow, the day he left, was your three month anniversary. And you were crazy about him. You hadn’t said those three magical words yet, but you wanted to. You wanted to tell him that you were in love with him. Truly. Madly. Deeply. In love.

Gwil walked over to you. You looked up at him and gave him a half smile. He took your hand and pulled you to your feet. He wrapped his arms around you and you rested your head on his chest.

“I’m going to miss you so much,” you whispered, nearly in tears. You couldn’t help it. He’d become such a big part of your life. You were friends for nearly a year before you both finally admitted to having feelings for each other. You’d talked every day since and seen each other usually three times a week. Now what were you supposed to do?

“I’ll miss you too,” Gwil pressed a kiss to top of your head. “But you could come visit.”

“You know I’ve got that big project at work coming up. I don’t know if I’ll be able to get away.”

Gwil sighed and gave you a squeeze and then rubbed your back. “It’ll be okay. We’ve got Facetime, and texting, and email.”

You chuckled under your breath. “Email, huh?”

“That way we can talk while you’re at work.”

“I’ve got an idea,” you pulled your head away and looked up at him.

“What’s that?”

“You finish packing and then meet me in the bedroom in oh…fifteen minutes?”

“Make it five,” Gwil growled and gave you a kiss.

Later that night, you were lying in bed with Gwil’s arms wrapped around you.

“What time do you have to be at the airport?”

“Half past seven,” Gwil pressed a kiss to your neck.

“We should probably get some sleep then. We’ve only got about five hours until we have to leave.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Gwil pressed another kiss to your shoulder.

“Don’t start what you can’t finish, Lee,” you mumbled as his lips continued moving.

“No, no, you’re right, we should get some sleep,” Gwil said in your ear before kissing just below it.

You turned over so that you were facing him. He gave you a soft smile.

“We really need to sleep.”

“I never said that you were wrong about that.”

You looked over Gwilym’s face in the soft light that was coming in through his window. Your heart was swelling and there…right on the tip of your tongue…

“Gwil, I…” you sighed, chickening out. “I really think we should get to sleep. You get crabby when you don’t get enough sleep.”

Gwil kissed your forehead. “Fine, let’s get some sleep.”

“And you’ll text me when you land?” You asked Gwil in the car in the morning.

“Of course I will,” Gwil squeezed your hand as you pulled into the loading zone.

“And call me after you get settled?” You knew you were just putting off letting him go. There was no way to put it off anymore. He would be leaving. You felt like your heart was going to actually break when he left.

“I will, I promise.”

You didn’t know it, but Gwil felt the same way. He hated leaving you for a week, let alone three months.

“And if you meet some pretty Italian woman then you’ll at least…”

“The only pretty Italian in my life is Joe.”

You laughed and then parked the car. “If you say so,” you glance at the clock inside your car. It was 7:15. “We should get you inside.”

You and Gwilym walked inside, hand-in-hand.

“...and when I get back, I’ll have a bunch of new recipes that I’ll be able to cook for you.”

“Now I really can’t wait for you to come home,” you pulled Gwil to a stop just before the ticket counter for him to check in.

“I can’t wait either,” Gwil sighed and then checked his watch. “I should really get going.”

You frowned. This was it.

Gwil wrapped his arms around you and pulled you towards him.

“I’m going to miss you so much,” Gwil whispered.

“I’m going to miss you too,” you said into his chest. You looked up at him and put your hand on his cheek. You then pulled him into a kiss. It still sent a bolt though you. Gwil pulled away and rested his forehead to yours.

“I love you.”

You hadn’t meant to say it. It just came out. Your ears started ringing and you took a step back from him.

“Y/N,” Gwil’s face was screwed up in confusion as he reached for you.

You both stared at each other for a few moments. When it was clear that you had really messed up and he wasn’t going to say it back, you panicked. He didn’t love you. He wasn’t where you were yet. Shit. SHIT! Your mind told you to run. To get out of there as soon as you could.

“I…I’m sorry. I don’t know why I said that. I just…um…and you don’t have to say it back! You better get going. I’ll talk to you when you land,” you quickly pressed a kiss to his check and made your way out of the building, hoping that you didn’t look at embarrassed as you felt.

God, you were so stupid. How could you just blurt that out just before he left? If you’d said it last night you could’ve at least talked it out. And now he was flying thousands of miles away. Fuck.

Meanwhile, Gwil was making his way to his gate. His heart was about to beat out of his chest. He’d heard you, of course. He knew what you said. And what it meant. It made him nervous. The last time he had been in a relationship he thought he was in love, but he got burned. What if the same thing happened here? He knew how he felt, but…was he ready to say it back to you? Right now? No, he wasn’t. So maybe some time apart would be good.

Later, as you were still panicking and stalking around your flat, you heard your phone ringing. You almost ran to answer it. You saw Gwil’s name on your phone and you felt yourself release a breath that you didn’t know that you’d been holding.

“Hello?”

“Hi, darling,” Gwil said.

It made you smile.

“You made it to your hotel?”

“I did. I am unpacking as we speak.”

“Good, I’m glad you’re there safe,” you replied.

Then the phone went silent. You listened to Gwilym as he unpacked and put his clothes away. It felt awkward. Or was that just you? Did he feel as awkward as you did? Probably not.

Gwilym felt nervous. Why though? You had said that he didn’t need to say it back. And he’d decided that he wasn’t ready. Not yet.

“So, what did you do the rest of the afternoon?”

“Oh, you know, cleaned up around the flat. Dishes, laundry, the usual,” you replied.

“Sounds like fun.”

“I guess.”

The silence took over again. You couldn’t handle it anymore. You had to bring it up.

“Look, Gwil, about what I said at the airport?”

“Yeah?” Gwil wasn’t sure what he was expecting you to say, but some sort of clarification would be nice.

“I…I didn’t mean to…make this weird.”

“Weird? Who said anything about weird?” Gwil asked, even though both of you knew it was weird.

You could take it back, but realized that you didn’t want to. You’d meant it. You’d meant everything you’d said. You loved him. And yes, you would like to hear it back, but you didn’t need to. You could wait until he was ready.

“I meant what I said. I do love you. And…and you don’t have to say it back if you’re not ready. And I probably should have said it before you left for four months, but I needed you to know.”

Gwilym didn’t know how to respond. He knew that he didn’t want to lose you, but he also knew that he wasn’t ready to say it back yet.

“Thank you for telling me. I just I don’t think I’m there yet.” Gwil almost felt guilty. He wanted to, but he just couldn’t bring himself to say it.

“And I’m not trying to force you!” You told him. You meant it, but your vision began to swim. Why were you crying? “I just…” You weren’t really sure what you were just, but Gwil apparently knew.

“I know, and I care about you a great deal, cariad.” And he did. He cared about you more than most people in his life. Maybe he was in love with you. But he couldn’t say it if he didn’t mean it.

You exhaled slowly to keep from crying. “I know you do, Gwil.”

“Good,” Gwil closed his eyes. He could tell you were upset, but he also knew that you weren’t going to force him into saying that he loved you.

“So,” you cleared your throat and wiped your eyes. “How was your flight?”

“Oh just dreadful,” Gwilym groaned and launched into the story about the awful person sitting next to him that just complained for the entire flight.

You and Gwil fell back into your normal conversations. It was like nothing had changed. You were on the phone for nearly two hours before you yawned and felt your eyes drooping.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart. You’ve probably been awake all day and some bastard kept you awake late last night.”

You giggled. “Yes, he did. He’s cute though, so I’ll give him a pass.”

Gwil chortled. “I’m sure he appreciates that.”

“You should probably get some sleep, too. You’ve got a big day tomorrow.”

“I know. Can we Facetime tomorrow night after you get off work?”

“Of course we can. I’ll call you?”

“Perfect. I um…Y/N?”

“Yeah?” Your heart accelerated a bit. You thought that maybe Gwil had changed his mind and was going to say it.

“I miss you.”

You bit your bottom lip.

“I miss you too, babe.”

“I’ll um…I’ll talk to you tomorrow, yeah?”

“Right. Bye, Gwil.”

“Bye, Y/N.”

There was a brief stint of silence and you thought about telling him again. The conversation almost felt incomplete. Now that you had said it, you almost felt like you had to end the conversation with it. You inhaled to start, but then Gwil told you goodbye again and then you heard him hang up. You sighed, annoyed with yourself. You should’ve said it to him.

Gwil sat on his hotel bed and stared at his phone for a few moments. He could call you back, talk to you more about the whole ‘I love you’ thing. No. He shouldn’t.

Gwilym laid back and closed his eyes. This was going to be a long few months.

“You seem…different,” your coworker, Julia, said to you over lunch one day.

“What do you mean?” You asked as you took a bite of your salad.

“You’re quiet, you’re sort of…down? I mean, I know that this project has gotten out of hand, but it seems like more than that. Problems at home?”

“Gwil is still in Italy.”

“When does he come home?” Julia’s voice was full of genuine concern. She was like the mother of the office.

“Not for another month. And…something else,” you sighed.

“What’s that?”

You went into an explanation of how you had told Gwil you loved him and he’d still yet to say it. It made you nervous. It made you feel like you were much more invested than he was. You had told him a couple more times, but Gwil still just said that he ‘cared about you, deeply’.

“Well, you both have been busy. Have you been talking every day?”

“No, I mean, we text every day, but we don’t talk on the phone. Sometimes we only send like five texts.”

Julia just hummed.

“I don’t know,” you rubbed the bridge of your nose. “Maybe when he comes back, we should take a step back.”

“I would wait for him to come back. Then maybe the two of you can approach the subject again.”

“I guess so. And just….wait until then?”

“I suppose so.”

“Thanks, Julia,” you gave her a small smile.

“Gwilym, is everything okay?” Nicholas asked him as they were sitting in the makeup trailer.

“Hm?” Gwil looked over at him. He’d been thinking about you. He was going to be home in less than two weeks and he missed you like crazy. He couldn’t wait to see you again. He was thinking about planning a romantic date of dinner, maybe some dancing. “Oh, yes. Just ready to be home, I think.”

“Ah. Ready to see Y/N, eh?”

Gwil smiled and nodded. “More than ready. Facetime just isn’t working for me anymore.”

“You poor thing. Four months without your love.”

“...right. My l…love.”

Nicholas cocked an eyebrow at him in the mirror.

“You two have been together how long?”

“About six months now.”

“And…you’ve said ‘I love you’, right?”

Gwil was silent.

“Oh, Gwil. You…you do love her, don’t you? The way you talked about her, I just assumed… I hate to say this, but if you don’t know by now, you probably don’t love her.”

Gwil stayed quiet, but his brain was working a mile a minute. He knew he loved you. He had figured it out a couple weeks after he left. The two of you were Facetiming and you had laughed at something that Gwil said to you and it hit him. It hit him like a ton of bricks. He was in love with you. He’d been in love with you since before the two of you were even dating, he’d just denied himself that. He’d just been so burned in the past he wasn’t willing to admit to himself. Now he was. He wanted to tell you, but he also thought that something that monumental should be said face-to-face. Even when you had said to him over the phone, he hadn’t said it back yet.

A couple nights before he left, Gwilym was sitting in his hotel room planning on how he could tell you. He pulled out a piece of paper and pen.

“Y/N,

I’ve been thinking about this for a while now. I think I really knew the moment when we were at Barney’s house and you and I were in the kitchen. We were having a discussion about whether or not I was right about…something or other. I honestly can’t remember, but you were arguing with me and I realized how passionate you were. I also couldn’t take my eyes off you. I think that was the first moment my brain said ‘oh, you’re in love with her’ and the annoyingly logical part of my brain said ‘NO! You’re not even dating her!’

Then, there was the night that we kissed for the first time after our first date. You and I had just left the theatre and we were holding hands, walking back to your flat. We walked up your door and I thought that maybe I wouldn’t kiss you. I wouldn’t try to rush things, but seeing you that night. That dress you were wearing and your eye makeup slightly smudged from you crying at the show…you looked too beautiful not to do something about it.

Finally, when you told me that you loved me at the airport, I…I should have said it back. I should have said it on the phone the night. I should have said it every day since then. And I’ sorry that I didn’t.

The truth is, Y/N, I’ve been in love with you for a long time. And it’s about bloody time that I tell you.

Y/N, I love you. I’m in love with you. Simple as that.

Gwil looked over what he had written and shook his head. He could read that to you over the phone the next time you spoke on the phone. But later that night, as he was talking to you, he couldn’t do it. He did decide to make the night he came home special though. He knew that you’d wanted to go to Fridley’s, a new restaurant that had opened not too long ago. Maybe he could call and make reservations…

You were bouncing on the balls of your feet at the airport. Waiting for Gwilym to finally be home. In your arms. In your bed. Not even for anything sexual (but for the love of GOD you needed him for that too), just being held by him during the night.

You couldn’t wait to see him. You couldn’t wait to kiss him and be with him. Even if it was just cuddling on the couch.

Finally, you watched as he came down the escalator. He was searching the crowd. Until those deep blue eyes that you hadn’t seen outside of a screen locked on yours. Your face broke into an face splitting grin. Gwil matched you.

He was so happy to see you. The moment he met your eyes his brain and his heart started yelling at him, “THERE SHE IS! THE WOMAN THAT YOU LOVE!” He wasn’t arguing with it anymore. He knew it was true. He was absolutely in love with you.

The two of you practically ran into each other’s arms. Gwil picked you up and spun you around. You giggled and wrapped your arms and legs around him.

“Oh, cariad, I missed you so so much,” he whispered in your ear.

“I missed you, too. Oh my gosh, I can’t believe you’re home!”

“Me either, darling, me either,” Gwil gave you a squeeze and then he sat you down. “I’ve got some surprises for you tonight.”

“Is that right? Does that include going to yours? Because I swear…”

Gwil gave you a heated kiss, promises of more to come. He had missed being able to kiss you. He had missed…well doing more than kissing, but right now he could settle for that. He was hoping he could convey how much he missed and loved you in that kiss.

“Oh we will end up at one of our flats. I promise you that.”

You laughed again. “Well, what are these surprises?”

“We’ve got dinner reservations at Friedly’s at seven. What do you think about that?”

You gasped. “How did you get reservations there? That’s the busiest place in London. You would have had to made reservations months ago.”

Gwil looked nervous for a moment. “I sort of called and played the ‘I’m an actor’ card.”

“Aw, you did that for me?” You laughed, knowing Gwil wouldn’t have don e that unless it was really important.

“Only for you, darling,” Gwil took one of your hands and brought it to his lips.

Later that evening, you were getting ready. You didn’t say ‘I love you’ to Gwil but you were going to say it tonight.

And if he didn’t say it back, the two of you were going to have a serious conversation.

You applied your lipstick before looking yourself over in the mirror. You were wearing what you knew was Gwil’s favorite dress and heels.

Gwil walked up the stairs to your flat. He usually took the lift, but he had so much nervous energy that he took the stairs. Tonight was the night.

You heard a knock at your door and smiled, knowing who was out there. You walked over and answered the door. Gwil was wearing a black suit with no tie. His whole face lit up when he saw you. It made your heart flutter and the butterflies you had in your stomach all day go crazy.

You didn’t know that Gwilym was experiencing the same thing.

“Hi, sweetheart.”

“...and they have beautiful beaches.”

“Sounds divine,” you sighed as you took another sip of wine.

“It is. I’ll have to take you there sometime.”

You smiled behind your glass, hoping that that promise would come sooner rather than later. Gwil was already planning it in his head while he poured himself another glass.

“But enough about my trip, how did your project go? I know you’ve been working so hard.”

You sighed and began talking about your project that you were still working on. Something had gone horribly wrong and you were still working on it. You even had to bring in some outside help and now you were in charge of the entire thing since your supervisor had been fired because of the mistake he made.

“At least I got a pay raise,” you downed the rest of your wine. It was already taking effect on you, your head getting a little lighter.

Gwil poured you some more wine as he listened to you continue to talk about your work.

You really liked your job, but it had been stressful lately and without Gwil there in person to talk to, it was worse.

After your second glass, you got giggly. Wine always did that to you.

“Gwil, can we dance?” You asked him as the string quartet started playing.

“Of course, darling,” Gwil stood up and then pulled your chair out, leading you to the dancefloor. Gwil wrapped one of arms around your waist, pulling you close and took your hand with the other. You put your free hand on his shoulder and he started moving around to the music.

“I know I told you this at the airport, but I missed you so much while I was gone.”

“I missed you too, Gwil,” you sighed.

Gwil let go of your hand and put his hand on your waist, pulling you flush against him. You rested your head on his chest before you put your other arm around his neck. Gwil pressed a kiss to your hair.

You listened to Gwil’s heartbeat in your ear. You’d missed hearing it. You’d missed having him hold you. You’d just missed everything about him.

Gwil had missed this too. He missed having you near him. Being able to see you whenever he wanted. Being able to kiss you whenever he wanted. He had missed everything about you.

It was now or ever.

Gwilym took a deep breath. “Y/N?”

“Hm?” You picked your head up and looked at him.

He just stared at you for a few moments.

“I…I know that I…” Gwil cleared his throat. “I know things have sort of been a bit…not up in the air, but odd? Because I haven’t said…you know. I haven’t told you that I…” Gwil sighed, trying to find the words. “What I’m trying to say, darling, is... I love you.”

You gasped. You weren’t expecting for him to say it first tonight.

“Gwil, I…you don’t have to…”

Gwil pulled you into a kiss, much like the one at the airport. He rested his forehead to yours again.

“I want to. And I mean it. I’ve been so SO in love with you for a long time, I just…I was being stupid and far too logical for my own good.”

“Say it again.”

Gwil smiled and ran his thumb along your jaw.

“I love you, Y/N. I love you more than I can…”

You cut him off with a kiss. A searing one that if the two of you weren’t in public, would lead to something that you both needed and wanted. You wrapped your fingers in Gwil’s hair deepening the kiss. You swallowed the groan he started.

Gwil pulled away for some air.

“Sweetheart, as much as I would love for this to continue, I um…I don’t think here is the appropriate place.”

“Let’s pay and go back to yours.”

“Yes, I…yes, let’s do that.”

“Say it one more time, please?”

Gwil stared into your eyes and gave you a quick kiss.

“I love you.”

“I love you too, Gwil. I love you so much.”

“I know, cariad.”

You and Gwil went back to his flat and enjoyed each other’s company the rest of the night with sweet kisses, slow, passionate sex, and whispered declarations of love.

You fell asleep, wrapped in Gwil’s arms. Safe, secured, and, now you finally knew, loved.

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