Chapter Text
“But how do you know?” Kenny raised an eyebrow, looking him up and down over the rim of his champagne flute. “If you’ve never tried.”
Roger just laughed and shook his head. It was a fun afternoon - (well, it had to be afternoon by now, he was sure they’d been drinking Mimosas for at least three hours since brunch) - just one of the highlights of Freddie’s birthday week. Everyone was steadily getting quite plastered and Kenny had apparently made it his mission to sell Roger on the many joys of being gay, which both Roger and Freddie, who was bearing witness to all this, snickering, were finding very amusing.
“Who says I’ve never tried?” Roger retorted, casting Kenny a roguishly mischievous look.
Kenny gasped dramatically, one hand shooting out to grab Freddie’s arm for support. “What!”
“Oh, he’s having you on, dear,” Freddie rolled his eyes and sipped his champagne.
“Or am I.” Roger waggled his eyebrows.
Kenny’s eyes narrowed with suspicion. “No, I don’t believe it, not for a second. I don’t think you’ve ever so much as kissed another man.”
“And I’m afraid I don’t believe it’d change anything at all if I did!” Roger chuckled, admitting to his inexperience in that area, and downed the last drags of the Mimosa in his glass.
“Prove it.” Kenny purred with a smirk.
Now, Roger was not one to back down from a challenge. Especially so when pleasantly tipsy and in a room full of good friends. He narrowed his eyes in turn, one hand on his hip.
“Alright, I will.”
“What.” Freddie turned to him, his smile faltering. “Don’t be silly, you don’t have to…”
But Roger waved him off, craning his neck to look around the room.
“Oi!” he shouted, eyes locking on John, who was grazing on the delicacies which had remained on the table. “Deaks!”
Looking up at him, John picked up his own Mimosa - although it would appear he’d opted out of the orange juice part of the drink at this stage - and wandered over.
“Cheers.” He clinked glasses with all three of them as he stopped beside them, looking at Roger questioningly, simultaneously side-eyeing Freddie who had a hand over his mouth, looking on with a sort of bewildered amusement.
“I’m proving a point,” Roger informed him.
“Okay,” said John.
“Kiss me,” Roger demanded, quite seriously. “On the lips, like you mean it.”
There was a moment’s silence. John looked back at him, impassive and unblinking.
“I’ll pass.” And with that he promptly returned to the table. Kenny burst into uproarious laughter.
“Aw.” Roger pulled a disappointed face.
“Nice try,” Freddie teased.
“Shut up.” Roger stuck the tip of his tongue out between his teeth, grinning at him, and promptly reached out, seizing Brian’s sleeve as the guitarist walked by. “Bri!”
“Oh God,” sighed Freddie.
“Hey,” complained Brian, who had spilled a bit of his drink as a result. He switched hands, shaking the drops off his fingers.
“Listen - sorry, you alright - listen,” Roger said hurriedly, “give me a kiss, will you? I’m trying to prove I’m not gay.”
“What?” Brian frowned at him, confused. Roger huffed impatiently.
“Look, just come here.” He grabbed Brian by the shirt clumsily, pulling him closer.
“0h, we’re doing this,” Brian noted, swaying a little.
“Priceless,” Kenny commented, shaking his head, while Freddie squinted and grimaced, half looking away, when Brian submitted to his fate and let Roger press their lips together for a brief moment. They both pulled away and promptly snorted with laughter. Brian discreetly wiped his mouth on the back of his hand.
“See?” said Roger, turning back to Kenny. “Like kissing my sister!”
“Sister?” exclaimed Brian, affronted.
Freddie turned to stare at Roger with open-mouthed shock.
“Not that I’ve ever done that!” Roger shouted, eyes wide, realising what he’d just insinuated.
“That wasn’t much of a kiss, of course…” Kenny hid behind his glass with a wicked grin when Roger turned to glare at him.
“I mean, he’s right,” Brian agreed, and lifted a finger in warning, laughing and taking a step back when Roger looked at him. “I’m not kissing you again, I’m a married man!”
Roger rolled his eyes and turned to Freddie, who choked on his Mimosa.
“Oh no, no no no…”
“Why not?” Roger cocked his head, eyebrows raised. Freddie just gaped at him wordlessly. He looked mildly terrified, and Roger shook his head with a chuckle. “Right, nevermind… Kenny?”
“Alright then, why not!” Freddie quickly interjected before Kenny could react.
“Well.” The radio DJ ran a hand over his hair, trying and failing not to look a bit disappointed. “Go on then, three seconds at least.”
“How old are you all?” Brian inquired, although no one paid him much mind.
“Three seconds,” Roger grinned and turned to his best friend, leaning a bit closer. Freddie’s dark eyes met his and Roger looked away, dropping his gaze to Freddie’s mouth. His lips were curled into a small smile. He’d never really noticed before, Roger thought, how pillowy his lips were.
“Come on, Blondie,” they murmured as Freddie tilted his chin up.
And Roger leaned in.
One. Freddie’s lips were warm and soft, as soft as they looked, and surprisingly tender somehow, moving against his just minutely.
Two. Roger felt the telltale shortness of breath, the prickle of arousal, before he could wrap his mind around what was happening, and let his lips part just slightly, capturing Freddie’s top lip between his own.
Three. Freddie exhaled a faint, shuddering breath and Roger’s mind caught up with frightening clarity. Holy shit.
He pulled back quickly and blinked, heart beating in his throat. Freddie pulled his lips over his teeth and looked away, taking a long gulp from his glass.
“There.” Roger cleared his throat, turning to Kenny with what he hoped was a winning smile. “Was that satisfactory?”
Kenny looked at him for a moment, lips pursed. “I don’t know, was it?”
“Oh, shush!” Freddie gave him a slap on the arm. “Honestly, leave the poor man alone.”
“No, no, I apologise.” Kenny inclined his head, waving his hand with a little flourish. “I stand corrected. You, Sir, are clearly incorrigibly straight.”
“To nobody’s surprise!” laughed Brian, clapping Roger on the shoulder.
“Yes…” Roger looked down into his empty glass, keenly aware of Freddie’s presence beside him, his mind a haze from more than just alcohol. “Nobody’s surprise…”