summary: stable boy and daughter of a rich man at day. young, dreaming lovers at night.
warnings: some smut (unprotected sex, please wrap it before you tap it!), but it’s actually more of fluff. it’s also pretty short.
“Joe?” you whispered out, clutching onto your silk night robe that was failing to keep you warm from the unforgiving cold of the night.
After calling your lover’s name again, you did not have a chance to react to the swift crunching of the grass behind you before thin, but strong arms lifted you up, swirled you around, and put you back down.
Letting out soft, hushed giggles, you turned around to see him. Your rosy-cheeked, wide-smiled, stable boy. “Joe,” you breathed out, opening your arms up to have him into your arms before he stopped you.
His smile suddenly fell, being replaced by a look of worry. His hands then immediately cupped your face, some of his warmth traveling onto your cold skin. “(Y/N), where’s your coat? You’re cold as ice, darling.”
You only gave him a small, shy smile, accompanied by a sniffle, and shrugged. Joe rapidly removed his own, before wrapping it around your shoulders.
“I told you to always bring a coat, (Y/N),” Joe sighed, “I don’t want to lose my girl because she froze to death.”
Feeling your cheeks warming up at his statement, you simply looked down at your feet, not knowing how to respond to him.
His mouth curved into a smile, before tilting your chin up to look into his eyes, “don’t go shy on me now, darling.”
Trying to avoid to squeal and giggle at his boyish smile, you just pulled him into a bone-crushing hug, your face pressing against his chest, taking in his scent and hearing the subtle thumps of his heartbeat. Only for you.
Pulling away, “I made a fire to keep us warm, come on.”
You both settled into your usual spot, which was a bit far from the main manor, just far enough so no one would spot the bright light of the fire he always made.
Of course, no one knew about you and Joe. Your father would throw a huge fit and would easily get rid of a mere stable boy and get a replacement. You didn’t want to think about that.
Both of you always spent nights like these as much as you can, just being each others’ own escape from the real and cruel world. You would gladly throw away your status and wealth just to spend another night with him.
Joe leaned against the tree, his arms wrapped around your figure that was resting on his chest. His eyes traveled from the star-filled sky to you. Only he knows how beautiful you look under moonlight. Only him.
Feeling his burning gaze, your attention from the night sky turned to your lover behind you. You then slowly turned around to face him, your figure now resting on his lap.
He was breathless. You were breathtaking. He saw how the moonlight kissed almost every inch of your skin. “You’re beautiful,” He finally managed to say.
You cupped both his cheeks, you face moving closer towards his. “We’re beautiful,” You looked into his soft, gleaming eyes, before pressing your lips to his, your hands moving down to his shoulders.
Pulling away, both panting and gazes suddenly becoming fired with never ending passion, you breathed out, “make love to me, Joe. I need you.”
Joe did not hesitate to fumble with his pants, eventually freeing himself, already dripping from the sight of you.
You did the same, removing your undergarment then throwing it aside, forgetting about the coldness that surrounded the both of you.
After he breathlessly nodded for you to continue, you slowly sank down on him, remembering how much you always dreamed and craved for his touch.
Once you took in his entire being, you realized how you were the only one who saw him under moonlight. How only you saw his beauty and vulnerability. Only you.
Your hands bunched up the fabric on his shoulders, becoming enraptured with euphoria every time you moved up towards the sky, then back down to your lover.
Feeling tears glass over your eyes, you buried your face into his shoulder and sobbed, “you’re so beautiful, Joe,” moving yourself more rapidly, feeling your stomach tighten, and your core pulsating.
“I know, I know,” he said, almost sobbing as well, his hands guiding your lower body, “let go for me, darling. It’s just us for tonight. No one else,” he moved his own body up faster.
You sobbed even more into his shoulder as he helped you move faster, feeling an abundance of tingles in your lower body, before finally bursting, breathing his name out over and over again, “Joe!”
As Joe felt yourself tighten around him, he released himself, letting himself come undone, “(Y/N),” he breathed out.
The two lovers stayed in the same position for what seemed like years.
“I don’t want to wake up from this dream,” The rich man’s daughter cried, clutching onto her lover’s shoulders.
“Then we’ll sleep for a million years,” The stable boy replied, pressing his sweaty forehead against his lover’s.
And then they were no longer just a stable boy and a rich man’s daughter.
Just two lovers who saw each other under moonlight.
“If I could have him like this in my dreams every night of my life, I’d stake my entire life on dreams and be done with the rest.” - André Aciman (2008). “Call Me by Your Name: A Novel”
a/n: ur girl has been watching cmbyn and moonlight again. also this kinda sucked ik, it was hard getting back into writing fics after not doing it for a long time, hope y’all still remember me lmao.
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Summary: Ben lands a huge acting gig which you know will turn your lives upside down.
-
It was an ordinary day at the office. You sat there, sifting through Pinterest boards, blogs and archived magazines. “Look for 70s and 80s fashion. File anything you like.” your boss had said. Just that. Knowing what kind you were looking for would be so much easier. Or even which project it was for.
Working as a costume hand was a great job. Admittedly, you hadn’t taken part in many big projects yet, but that day would come soon, you were sure. Who knows, you might even get to work on a movie that your boyfriend was in.
Ben was lovely. The pair of you had met on the set of X-Men: Apocalypse. You’d dropped by the set to meet with a co-worker for lunch, and literally collided into Ben.
“Oh my God, I’m so sorry!” he said, helping you to your feet.
“It’s alright, I wasn’t paying attention.” you mumbled.
“No, no, I was too busy on my phone! I’m at fault!” he insisted.
“How about we’re both equally at fault?” you said.
“Okay. How about we grab coffee and laugh about it? I’m Ben, by the way.” he chuckled.
You grinned. “I’m Y/N. I can do tomorrow?”
“Cool, meet me here at 11?” Ben said, blue eyes twinkling.
“You have a deal!” you smiled.
From then, the pair of you hit it off immediately, and began dating shortly after.
You sighed, and clicked on another link, when your phone began to ring. You smiled, looking at the contact photo, and answered the call.
“Hey, Benny. ”
“Hello, love.” Ben said quietly.
“What’s up?” you asked.
“Well, you know that role I mentioned I really wanted, but was also terrified for?” Ben replied.
You nodded, then realised he couldn’t hear that, so you added a “yeah?”
“Well, they offered it to me.”
You gasped. “And what did you say?”
“I said I’d get back to them.” he said.
“Ben, you never actually told me what role it is.” you said.
“It’s a surprise. But it’s a biopic. That’s all I’ll say!” Ben laughed.
You laughed in response. “Okay. Well, do you still want to take the role?”
“I want to. I’m just scared. Like, the guy is still alive. I don’t wanna ruin who he is.” Ben said.
“I’m sure the man himself is involved in the project. And besides, they wouldn’t have chosen you if they didn’t think you fit the role. You can do this.” you reasoned.
“God, you always know how to bolster my mood.” Ben laughed.
“So you’ll take the role?” you asked, excitedly.
“Yeah. I’ll also put in a good word for you.” Ben said, and you could hear him smiling through the phone.
“No, Ben! I’m already caught up in whatever project I’m doing!” you giggled.
“I have to go, I’ll see you tonight, love.” Ben said.
“Bye, Ben.” you replied, and the hung up the phone.
You sat there, continuing your research for the next three hours, wondering whatever it was Ben would be working on.
5 o’clock rolled around, and you grabbed your bag and headed out to the main foyer to clock out.
“Oh, Y/N!” you heard a voice call, and you turned. Your boss walked up to you, her heels clicking on the tiled floor.
“Yes?” you asked, smiling at the woman before you. She was lovely, if not a little bit ditzy.
“I asked you to research, but I realised I forgot to give you the actual project. Final version only came in about half an hour ago, anyway.” she said, with an airy laugh, and handed you a folder. “You’ll be working under Julian Day.” she said, before sauntering off.
You decided the folder could wait, and hopped into your car, and drove to the flat you shared with Ben. The radio was tuned to a random channel and you heard the vocals of Freddie Mercury drift around the car.
“All we hear is radio ga ga! Radio goo goo! Radio ga ga!”
Still humming the Queen song, you turned your key in the lock, and opened the door to see Ben at the stove, cooking dinner.
“Hello, love.” he said, flashing you a smile. “Stir-fry tonight, that alright?”
“Perfect. Let me change out of these work clothes and I’ll be right with you.” you grinned, and chucked the folder on the kitchen counter. Ben saw a bunch of pages fall out and reached over to skim one, his eyes widening as he read.
Ben gently slotted the paper into the folder, and could hardly contain his excitement. “Love?” he called.
“Hm?” you said, walking back into the room, work clothes swapped for a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt.
“Have you looked at this?” he said, gesturing to the folder.
“No, I just wanted to get home and relax before I burdened myself with work.” you replied. “Besides, we have to celebrate your new acting job! I assume you took it.”
“I did! But, love, I think you should look at it.” Ben grinned.
You frowned. “Did you look?”
“I saw a couple of pages when they fell out. Sorry. But it’s a good project. Perfect, even. I know you can do this.” Ben said apologetically.
You raised a brow, and opened the folder. There on the first page was something you hadn’t expected to see.
The words BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY glared up at you from the first page. Shaking slightly, you turned the page.
There was a cast list, which you found your eyes drawn to. Knowing who you were working with was always useful before beginning a project.
Mary Austin: Lucy Boynton
Roy Baker: Tim Plester
Jim Beach: Tom Hollander
Bomi Bulsara: Ace Bhatti
Kashmira Bulsara: Priya Blackburn
Jer Bulsara: Meneka Das
John Deacon: Joe Mazzello
Kenny Everett: Dickie Beau
Ray Foster: Mike Myers
Bob Geldof: Dermot Murphy
Jim Hutton: Aaron McCusker
Brian May: Gwilym Lee
Freddie Mercury: Rami Malek
Paul Prenter: Allen Leech
John Reid: Aiden Gillen
Tim Staffell: Jack Roth
Roger Taylor: Ben Hardy
You froze, not quite believing your eyes. You looked up at your boyfriend, who had a smug grin.
“You didn’t think of telling me you were playing bloody Roger Taylor?!” you exclaimed.
“I wanted it to be a surprise!” Ben laughed, as you tackled him in a hug.
“Did you know I’d be working on this?” you asked.
“Honestly, no. I had no idea. God, I didn’t even know who else was in this movie other than Rami.” Ben said, running a hand through his hair and stirring the dinner once more.
“I can’t believe it. I get to work on a movie with you and it’s about my favourite band!” you said, excitedly dancing on the spot.
Ben chuckled. “I’m excited too.”
You leaned into the taller figure that was your boyfriend. “I know you can do it.” you mumbled into his shirt.
Ben pressed a kiss into your hair. “And I know you can too.”
“I can’t believe it though! Is this the real life?”
“Is this just fantasy?” Ben softly sang, and you smiled.
God knows, your lives were going to turned upside down.
Oh, How the Mighty Fall [In Love] CHAPTER ELEVEN (Ben Hardy x OC)
Lily Anne Mercury is brought in to help with Bohemian Rhapsody at the request of her Uncle Bri and Uncle Rog, and along the way, she might meet someone to share her life with. The only problem with this is that while their friends and the world can see that they’re perfect for each other, they’re going to be fully blind to this for a while.
DISCLAIMER: I’m fully aware that it would’ve been physically impossible for Jim and Freddie to have a child even with this method during the time they were alive, but the idea of Freddie as a dad and the idea of how his child would turn out to be was just too sweet for me to not write.
So sorry for the long ass wait! I went through a rut and real life became too much, and I finally got the chance to continue today. I got to school two weeks ago, so a lot is happening.
Lily has been feeling exceptionally nauseous and moody these past few days, and now she knows why since it is typical for the second month of pregnancy to be the time morning sickness, food aversion, and a host of other unsavory symptoms to arrive. This particular morning, she awakens from her slumber and runs to her en suite bathroom, vomiting up last night’s Indian food. She groans as Katie opens the door and comes inside.
“I guess I should say congratulations, Lily,” Katie says, getting her a glass of water.
Lily groans and gargles before weakly spitting into the toilet and flushing it. She presses her cheek to the cold toilet seat and smiles at her assistant. “Thank you, Katie. I appreciate it.”
“Can I get you anything to eat before today’s rehearsal? Any tea? You shouldn’t drink coffee while pregnant.”
Lily sits up slowly and sighs. “I’ll take a chocolate croissant and an earl grey tea with two sugars. Buy yourself something to eat as well, love. Whatever you want, it’s on me.”
“But--”
Lily waves dismissively. “I know, I know. You’re not a charity case, my dear. Just let me treat you this once, please. It’s the last day of the tour and you’ve been a trooper.”
Katie sighs. “Of course, Lily. I’ll be right back with your breakfast.”
When Katie leaves, Lily gets out of the bathroom and flops into bed, curling up under the plush comforter. Her phone buzzes, and she picks it up to see that Ben is trying to FaceTime her. She presses the accept button and smiles weakly at him.
“Hello, love. How are you?” He asks, looking concerned. “You look pale.”
She sighs, moving to a more comfortable position. “I had my first bout of morning sickness just five minutes ago. It was disgusting.”
Ben nods, looking down before meeting her eyes again. “But… doesn’t morning sickness mean the child is healthy?”
She nods, smiling. “Yep. Little Baby Jones is developing as he or she should.”
Ben smiles, letting out a little laugh. “Little Baby Jones?”
She grins. “Do you like that? The band came up with it and I thought it sounded lovely.”
Ben nods, running a hand through his hair. “Little Baby Jones. I love it.”
Ryan Reynolds comes up behind Ben and grins into the camera. “Hi. Sorry to intrude, but congratulations, you two!”
Ben is on set for reshoots today, just for a few scenes with Ryan.
Ryan shrugs. “Just like the last two. She’s a bit mad at me right now because the kid won’t stop kicking, but she’ll get over it.”
Ben laughs and looks to Lily. “Surely you won’t blame me for when Little Baby Jones kicks.” He looks fearful. “Right?”
Lily purses her lips. “I’ll be very hormonal. Don’t hold your breath, Hardy.”
Ben nods and Ryan claps him on the shoulder. “It’ll be alright. Just change all the diapers the first week after she gives birth and she won’t be angry anymore.”
Lily smiles. “I like that idea! Very clever, Ryan.” She smiles at Ben. “I’ll let you two go now. Break a leg!”
Ben smiles at her when Ryan leaves to go to his trailer. “I love you, Lil. See you tonight.”
She smiles back at him. “I love you too, Ben. I can’t wait to get home.”
~
Lily yawns, exhausted as she exits the car and walks back to her home. She holds her travel pillow in one hand and has her backpack in the other, and shuffles through the door to see a fresh vase of roses and lilies with a handmade sign in Ben’s handwriting, saying “Welcome home, Lily!” She smiles sleepily and crouches down as Reykja and Frankie jump on her to kiss her, wearing new collars that have bow ties on them. She scratches their heads as the security detail puts her suitcases in the foyer, and closes her eyes, holding the pups in her arms, moving to sit on the ground.
“I missed you too, babies. Mama has gifts for both of you, don’t worry.” She kisses the pups and smiles.
The security detail leaves and locks the door behind them, and she hears a welcome voice as she opens her eyes.
“Do you like their bow ties? I thought you’d appreciate it,” Ben says, leaning against the wall of the foyer wearing gray sweats and a loose blue sweater.
Lily looks up at him, nodding. “I do appreciate it. They’re ready for the Met Gala.”
Ben laughs and helps her up before hugging her tightly. Lily breathes in the scent of his cologne, her face pressed up against his sweater, and relishes in his warmth. His hand travels to her back, fingers splayed against the oversized sweater that was once his, and he closes his eyes.
“I missed you,” he says quietly, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.
“Same here,” she replies. “It’s lonely at night without you next to me. You’re my favorite pillow.”
He smiles, looking down at her. “I just washed the sheets and am ready to be a human pillow.”
She looks up with a tired smile. “How’d I ever get so lucky?”
He gives her a peck before pulling away from her to bring up her backpack. “You earned me, and I earned you, somehow.”
She scoffs. “You would be a gift to anyone, Ben. I’m the lucky one in this relationship.”
Ben looks at her and raises a brow. “What did I say about you putting yourself down?”
She purses her lips. “That I shouldn’t do it and you love me?”
He kisses her forehead. “That’s right.”
They go upstairs to their bedroom, and Ben smiles as Lily flops face-first onto the bed, the dogs jumping up to lick her face. He shoos the dogs away, and helps her roll onto her back, positioning her to lay on her pillow. Frankie and Reykja sniff the air before moving to lick Lily’s stomach, and she smiles at the sight.
“They know,” she says, scratching their heads. “You two will have a little sibling to protect. Isn’t that exciting?”
The pups snuggle into her stomach protectively, and Lily smiles at Ben, who moves them to the foot of the bed in order to cover her with the duvet and curl up around her, one hand resting on her stomach. She places her own hand over his and closes her eyes.
“When should we tell everyone the news?” Ben asks, kissing her shoulder.
Lily shrugs. “I think at the party in two days. It would be a good surprise for everyone, and we wouldn’t have to make the announcement more than twice.”
Ben nods, holding her closer. “We should visit my parents to tell them about the baby.”
She turns around, fear in her eyes. “I’ve only ever FaceTimed with you and your parents, and the first time I meet them you’re just going to drop the ball that I’m pregnant?”
Ben nods slowly. “I mean, is there any other way to do it at this point? We shouldn’t wait any longer.”
She sighs, closing her eyes. “What if they don't like me and think I tried to trap you in a relationship with this child?”
Ben shakes his head, kissing her forehead. “They don’t think that, Lily. They trust my judgment, and if I thought we weren’t going to stay together for a good long time, I would have asked you to reconsider if you wanted the baby or not.”
She raises a brow. “A good long time? Is that your way of saying forever?”
Ben takes a moment before nodding. “I guess so. I really hope you feel the same way because you’re never getting rid of me.”
She smiles and pulls him down for a kiss. “You’re the best annoyance I could ever have.”
He kisses her and laughs, curling up next to her contently.
~
Lily twists the ring on her finger nervously as Ben drives them over to his parents’ house two hours away in Bournemouth. They’re thirty minutes away, and Lily has bought onesies for her baby’s grandparents to tell them the news.
Ben looks over at his nervous girlfriend and puts a hand on hers, prompting her to look over at him. She holds his hand, and he brings it to his mouth, kissing it gently.
“Everything will be okay, love. I promise you that they will be happy and supportive,” he reassures her.
She smiles at him weakly. “I hope so. I want your parents to like me. I know they’ll like their grandchild, because Little Baby Jones is half you. I’m not worried about that. Hopefully them liking the baby will make them like me, since I’m making the baby.”
Ben lets out a little laugh. “You’re overthinking it, love.”
She sighs deeply and nods. “I know. Sorry.”
Ben smiles and as they hit a red light, leans over to kiss her cheek. “They’ll love you. Don’t worry about a thing.”
She smiles at Ben as he begins driving again. “How are you feeling about all this?”
Ben takes a deep breath. “I’m excited. My mum can’t wait to meet you, and my dad is happy that I found someone who loves me just as much as I love them. They already like you. I think they’ll be shocked and happy about Little Baby Jones, but ultimately, supportive.”
She nods. “Even if they aren’t, I’m betting on Roger crying tomorrow when he finds out, and that will fill me with joy.”
Ben lets out a huff of laughter. “We’re videoing their reactions, right? I feel like we should.”
She nods. “Definitely. We should make home videos for Little Baby Jones. Freddie did it for me while he was still alive. Jim kept it up, but his camera work was shoddier than Freddie’s.”
Ben smiles, imagining his child grow up, and being able to show them videos of themselves as a baby. It’s so cute he almost cries. He kisses Lily’s hand.
“We should look for good cameras online and get one as soon as possible,” he tells her, and she grins at him, kissing his cheek.
~
Ben rings the doorbell with one hand and holds Lily’s hand in the other, squeezing it as he hears his mother run towards the door, calling out to his father to turn off the television and greet his son. The door opens and Lily is faced with a short woman with blonde hair and Ben’s eyes, and a smile that could light up a dark room. She gasps as she sees Lily and brings her in for a hug, and Lily is surprised, but reciprocates the gesture.
“Oh, Lily! It’s so nice to meet you in person!” She pulls away, pushing some hair out of Lily’s face. “I’ve heard so much about you from Ben. You’re even more beautiful than he described you to be.”
Lily smiles at a flushed Ben whose eyes are very interested in the ground and turns back to Ben’s mom. “I certainly hope he only told you the good things about me. The tabloids will tell you the rest.”
Ben’s mom turns to her son and pulls him down, kissing his cheek. “Oh, he adores you, Lily. He’s never been so excited to tell me that he got a girlfriend.”
Lily grins, and watches as Ben hugs his mom. The woman waves them inside, and as Lily enters the humble home, her boyfriend is embraced by his father, who has the exact same nose as him, and even though he’s turning gray, she can still see some brown curls.
After hugging his son, Ben’s dad turns his attention to Lily and smiles. “Finally Ben brings you over! He’s been talking about you for months.” He hugs Lily and pats her on the back.
“I’m sorry it took this long to meet you! It’s just been hectic for me, work-wise,” Lily replies, smiling at the man.
Ben’s dad nods. “You just got back from a huge tour, didn’t you?”
Lily nods. “Yep! A huge North American tour. It was exhausting but amazing.”
Ben’s mom leads them to the dinner table and they sit down to eat a homecooked meal.
~
After a hearty dinner and a wonderful conversation that has brought Ben’s parents and Lily closer together, Ben squeezes Lily’s hand. She looks over at him and raises a brow.
“Do you want to give them their gifts now?” He asks.
She nods, and watches as he hands over the presents to his confused parents.
Ben’s mom frowns. “What is this? You didn’t have to bring us presents.”
Ben gestures to the bags. “Open it and you’ll see.”
The parents open the bags at the same time and pull out the onesies, going quiet in shock. Ben’s mom looks like she’s about to cry, and his dad’s jaw has dropped and won’t come back up.
Lily takes a deep breath. “The reason this visit was on such short notice is that I wanted you two to meet me before our relationship progressed and the press found out I’m pregnant. I realize everything has moved very fast, but I promise you that my feelings for your son will not fizzle out. We spent so long waiting for the right time to confess that we wasted ten months on useless pining, and even though this baby came rather quickly--”
“Was it planned?” Ben’s mom asks, looking at Lily.
Ben shakes his head. “Not at all. You know I wouldn’t decide to have a child with someone just a few months into dating them. We were careful, but this happened, and we decided that we should keep the baby.”
His mom smiles, wiping away tears. “How far along are you?”
Lily smiles at her. “I’m about two months along. I don’t know exactly how old Little Baby Jones is, but based on my symptoms and the timing of things, that’s my guess.”
Ben’s dad clears his throat and wipes away tears. “I’ll need to see if they make baby-sized rugby jerseys.”
Ben looks over at his parents. “You’re not mad or shocked?”
Ben’s mom shakes her head. “Oh, we’re shocked, alright. But mad? Love, you found the perfect woman for you and now you’re making a family with her. How could we possibly be mad about that?”
Ben’s dad looks over at Lily and smiles. “You’re an amazing person, Lily. It is an honor to have you become a part of our family.”
Lily smiles and nods. “I’m glad that I can be a part of it.”
Ben’s mom gasps. “Oh!”
Ben turns to face his mother. “What is it, mum?”
She grins. “The baby will be here for Christmas! Oh my lord, my little grandbaby will be able to be a part of the Christmas celebration!”
Ben’s dad nods and looks at the young couple across from him. “If you two feel up to driving over for Christmas, please do. The whole extended family will be here, and they’ve been waiting for Ben to settle down with a nice woman and have a child. We all have. Little did we know that we’d be sharing the grandparent title with Freddie Mercury.”
Lily laughs. “We’re going to tell Brian and Roger and the rest of the BoRhap cast tomorrow about the baby. My bandmates already know because they helped me get the tests on the road.” She grins. “I was planning on having Brian and Roger also be grandparents for this baby.”
Ben’s dad leans back, smiling and holding the onesie. “Never thought I’d meet Queen, and now they’re gonna be part of my family.”
Ben’s mom smiles fondly at Ben and Lily. “This is amazing news, you two. Congratulations. You’ll be amazing parents.” She bashfully looks down. “However, if you need a weekend off, we will gladly take the little one and babysit them for you two.”
Ben lets out a laugh and wraps an arm around Lily’s shoulders. “We’ll be sure to take you up on that offer.”
On the car ride home, Lily smiles and holds Ben’s hand, her other on her stomach. She’s so happy that his parents like her, and even happier that they cannot wait to meet their grandchild.
~
The next day, Lily sets up a camera in a houseplant, and Ben makes sure all the gift bags are properly labeled and prepared. They’re getting food delivered since they’re all too tired to even think about cooking, and the Taylors and Mays are joining the band and the BoRhap boys for the get-together.
Lily is wearing a loose top with a pair of jeans, and looks at herself in the mirror, her bump barely visible. She can still tell it’s there, though. Ben walks in the room and sees her examining herself and smiles at her.
“You’re barely showing, Lily,” he says.
She sighs, looking in the mirror. “I know, but with the rumors I need to be extra cautious. People will already be suspicious and this looks like a bit more than bloating.”
He walks over and places his hand on her stomach, kissing her forehead. “It’ll all be okay. We’ll be fine.”
She closes her eyes and leans into his touch, smiling. “Thanks, Ben.”
Ben pulls her into a hug. “You’re welcome, Lil.”
~
The party is in full swing, and Lily smiles as Ben comes back into the room with a bottle of beer, sitting next to her on the loveseat and wrapping an arm around her shoulders.
Joe sits with Anusha across from them, and Gwil is next to Lucy on another couch. Rami is making himself and her cocktails. Bron and Madi are picking up the food they’ve ordered, and Roger and Brian and their respective wives have just arrived.
They’re discussing the tour and the funny shenanigans that went on during their time on the bus, and when Roger pitches in with stories of Freddie and himself taking care of a drunken Brian during their early tour days. Brian immediately turns red, but Lily and the band prompt Roger to talk more, and they are all enthralled by the stories the older man has to articulate.
Of course, when Bron gets into the shenanigans Room 301 got into on tour, she pointedly avoids telling them the best one.
~
After a filling dinner and wonderful conversation, Lily looks over at Ben and he passes out the gift bags to everyone. She smiles as her friends and family examine the bags.
“As thanks to all of you for being such good companions, Ben and I bought these gifts for you. I think you’ll love them, and I’m very excited for you all to see what they are.” She looks at Ben before pressing her lips together. “You can open them now if you want.”
As the gift bags are opened, the reactions begin to make their appearance.
Joe’s face is reminiscent of a child’s at Christmas. He pulls out the onesie and gasps, a smile spreading across his face. Anusha pulls her onesie out and her jaw drops as she looks at Lily, who’s leaning back in the loveseat, a smile on her face.
“I knew it!” Joe exclaims, standing up and laughing.
Anusha is still staring at her friend. “You really wanted to lock him down in this relationship, didn’t you, Lily?”
Lily laughs and looks over to see Gwil, Rami, and Lucy digesting the information. Lucy looks over at her and a smile spreads across her face before she hugs her tightly, letting out a squeal.
Rami is still speechless, but Gwil gets up and hugs Ben tightly.
“Congratulations, Ben. Congratulations to both of you! This is amazing, really. Unexpected, but wonderful!” Gwil hugs Lily as well, and she smiles.
Rami nods, smiling. “This is a great gift, guys. I’m so glad I get to be a part of your baby’s life.”
Lily squeezes Ben’s hand, and he speaks up.
“I know this is kind of sudden, but we’re really happy about it. I can’t wait to be a father. I feel even better about this because I know Little Baby Jones will have a wonderful support system.”
Lily looks at Roger and Brian, who are still looking at their onesies in awe. Roger’s fingers shake, and Sarina holds his hand. Anita is wiping away tears.
Brian smiles and nods approvingly. “Little Baby Jones can come to the animal sanctuary as often as they’d like.”
Anita nods. “We will gladly babysit.”
Sarina rubs Roger’s back, tears in her eyes. “We have more than enough children to keep the baby occupied if you need a break.”
Roger finally speaks up, letting out a laugh. “Fucking finally!”
Ben blinks, confused. “Huh?”
Roger huffs. “I have five kids. Five. A few of them are older than Lily. Do they have kids of their own? Of course not!” He shakes his head. “I’ve been waiting for my first grandchild for years now, and for the child to come from you and Lily— who finally got her shit together and admitted that she liked you—“
“Blame me like that again and you won’t be Little Baby Jones’ grandfather,” Lily threatens, raising a brow.
Roger raises his hands in surrender. “All I want to say is that I’m very excited to have a new child to corrupt. Especially since you two are such a good couple and I’ve wanted you two to date from the day you met.”
Lily hugs Roger and after they part, he hugs Ben tightly, whispering something to him that makes him smile.
Brian hugs Lily, sobbing into her shoulder. She comforts him, smiling. Anita comforts her husband as he pulls away, rubbing his eyes. Lily squeezes Brian’s hand.
“I-I’m so happy. Pardon the tears, please. It’s just... you deserve this, both of you. A child is the best gift you could possibly receive. You two will be amazing parents, I know it.”
Lily smiles as Ben comes up to her and wraps an arm around her shoulders.
Roger speaks up, grinning. “Enough tears! We need to celebrate! Where’s the champagne?”
Lily laughs and sits back on the couch when Ben goes to find the champagne. She leans into Roger, smiling.
“I’m so proud of you, love,” he whispers to her, kissing her forehead. “You chose a good man.”
She smiles up at him. “I couldn’t have done that without you.”
He ruffles her hair as Ben, Ezichi, and Gwil come back with champagne glasses and sparkling seltzer for Lily.
After they toast, Joe gasps and everyone turns to face him.
“What’s up, mate?” Ben asks.
Joe grins. “Can you imagine how cute that kid is gonna be? I don’t think we properly spent time thinking about how gorgeous a baby with Ben’s eyes and Lily’s hair would be.”
Lily nods. “That’s what I want. A tan baby with dark hair and green eyes.”
A few hours later, they’re looking at pictures of babies on Pinterest and grinning.
“Lily, Little Baby Jones could be a model!” Anusha exclaims.
Lily leans against Ben’s chest, smiling as their friends gush over the child yet to come.
~
Later that night, Lily posts a picture of her ultrasound on Instagram with the caption, “Little Baby Jones, coming December 2020!”
She wakes up to enthusiastic comments and a phone call from her Aunt Kash. She sits up in bed and smiles as Ben holds onto her in sleep, one hand firmly on her stomach. The pups sleep at her feet, guarding her unborn baby from any harm.
“Hello?” She whispers. “We need to be quiet, Auntie. Ben is still sleeping, as are the pups.”
Ben shifts in his sleep, cuddling further into Lily. She places one hand onto his head, running her hands through the curls growing out from the haircut he’s just had.
Kashmira lets out a little laugh. “I’ll try, but it will be hard. I’m just so happy, Lily! You deserve this and will be an amazing parent.”
Lily smiles. “Thank you, Auntie. I’m excited. Ben will be a great dad, I just know it.”
Ben lets out a little puff of air and groans, adjusting himself to be even further on top of Lily.
Kash lets out a shaky breath and Lily can tell she’s smiling. “I’m just so happy. We need to get together and go shopping for the baby. You’re going to be the best mother, and that child will be— there’s no way you’ll produce an ugly child, not with yours and Ben’s genetics.”
“He is quite the beauty, isn’t he?” Lily says, smiling down at her man.
“Quite. I’ll let you get back to him, but I just wanted to tell you that I’m so happy and proud.”
“Alright. Thank you for calling, Auntie. Come over soon and we can have dinner,” Lily says, smiling.
“Of course! We’ll set a date. I love you.”
“Love you too. Bye.”
Lily hangs up and puts down her phone, looking down at Ben, who opens his eyes and blinks sleepily, yawning and nuzzling into her stomach.
“Mm... who was that?” He mumbles, eyes shut.
“My Aunt Kash. She was congratulating us on Little Baby Jones,” Lily says, running a hand through his hair.
He smiles up at Lily, eyes heavy. “I have a name for the baby.”
She raises a brow. “What is it?”
Ben rolls over and yawns again. “Taylor May.”
Lily nods, smiling gently. “Brian and Roger would love that.”
Ben looks up at Lily. “Would you?”
Lily thinks for a moment. “Taylor May Jones. That’s a solid name. Not to effeminate. Not too masculine. I like it. Taylor would also work for a boy. I think we should keep it in consideration.”
Ben smiles and nods. “Alright. I’m okay with that.”
Lily leans back against her pillows. “You want a girl, don’t you?”
Ben closes his eyes. “I’d be perfectly happy with either.”
She lets out a little laugh as he dozes off again.
Have a one-shot in mind but didn’t know who the main man of the story will be. If ya’ll check my masterlist, you can see the fandoms I write for. For this I had Queen/BoRhap in mind. Send me your votes of who should be the main man in the fic.
Oh, How the Mighty Fall [In Love] CHAPTER SEVEN (Ben Hardy x OC)
Lily Anne Mercury is brought in to help with Bohemian Rhapsody at the request of her Uncle Bri and Uncle Rog, and along the way, she might meet someone to share her life with. The only problem with this is that while their friends and the world can see that they’re perfect for each other, they’re going to be fully blind to this for a while.
DISCLAIMER: I’m fully aware that it would’ve been physically impossible for Jim and Freddie to have a child even with this method during the time they were alive, but the idea of Freddie as a dad and the idea of how his child would turn out to be was just too sweet for me to not write.
Hello everyone! I apologize for the long ass wait time. Emotionally and mentally, I’m not doing the best rn, and it’s really kicking my ass. I tried my hardest on this chapter, and I hope y’all like it!
-- casey
TRIGGERS: mentions of alcoholism? Honestly nothing is really that spicy in this installment of the story
FACECLAIMS:
Kelly Gale as Lily Anne Mercury
Sira P. Kante as Ezichi Adebayo
Erika Linder as Bronwyn Ryan-Hughes
Bree Kish as Madigan Ryan-Hughes
“Can you believe this shit? I’m not invited to the Golden Globes because I wasn’t ‘close enough to the project!’” Lily Anne scoffs, pacing in the studio as she rants to Zichi. “That’s complete and utter horseshit and we all know it. I was there almost every day we weren’t on tour! Fuck the Golden Globes!”
Ezichi sips her tea, frowning in confusion. “You’re Freddie’s daughter. You helped in every step of the project. You’re dedicated to keeping his memory alive. Why wouldn’t you be invited to an event celebrating a movie that created a whole new generation of Queen fans to help in those efforts?”
Lily Anne nods furiously, flailing her arms in distress. “Exactly! I don’t get it.”
Zichi nods. “It makes no sense. I’m going as Gwil’s plus one, but if you really want to be there, I would give up my spot for you.”
Lily Anne shakes her head. “No, please don’t do that. You and Gwil deserve to have a nice night out and some rocking sex in a hotel bed. I won’t take that away from you.”
Ezichi blushes at Lily’s comment. “Really, Lily. My sex life is fine without hotel rooms. I don’t need to go.”
She raises a brow. “Just fine? That’s upsetting, I thought Gwil would do better than fine.”
Ezichi rolls her eyes before putting down her cup. “Lily, tell Ben and Joe that you’re not invited to the Globes.”
Lily frowns. “Why?”
Ezichi grins. “If Gwil got a plus one, I’m sure that the same invitation went out to Ben and Joe. Either of them could bring you.”
She perks up and kisses Zichi’s forehead, cupping her cheeks. “Ezichi Adebayo, you absolute genius of a woman. I love you to the moon and back.”
She takes out her phone as Ezichi grins.
Lily Anne: IM SENDING OUT AN SOS TO EVERYONE
Lily Anne: I HAVE NOT BEEN INVITED TO THE GOLDEN GLOBES
Lily Anne: I NEED TO BE SOMEONE’S PLUS ONE
Dinosaur Boy: why didn’t they invite you???
Lily Anne: i wasn’t “close enough to the project”
Benjamin Jones: that’s absolute bullshit!
Benjamin Jones: fuckin wankers
Lily Anne: i know, right? anyways, if one of you lovely men could take me as a plus one, i’d fucking love that.
---
“Hello?” Joe picks up his phone, leaning back on his couch.
“Hey. It’s Ben. I need a favor,” his friend frantically asks.
“Sure thing, Benny. What do you need?” Joe asks, perking up.
“Ask Lily to be your plus one,” he says.
“But-- but she loves you, not me! She’d like it more if you brought her,” Joe says, frowning.
Ben lets out a whine of distress. “Please, Joe. I’ll get too nervous, and fuck something up, and I can’t afford to lose this-- I can’t afford to lose her.”
Joe nods slowly, biting his lip. “Okay. I get what you’re saying--”
“--then do this one favor for me, please!” Ben interrupts, stressed out.
“I will! Just promise me one thing,” Joe says.
“What is it? I’ll do literally anything to repay you for this,” Ben asks.
“You ask her to the Oscars,” Joe responds.
Ben fumbles with his words for a minute before sighing heavily. “Sure. I’ll do that.”
Joe grins. “Good. I’ll ask her later today, okay?”
“Okay. Thank you so much, buddy,” Ben says, sounding much more relaxed.
“You’re welcome, Ben,” Joe says. “Remember, you’re asking her to the Oscars!”
“Don’t worry, I will!” Ben insists.
“Alright. I’ll see you soon, Ben.”
“Thanks, mate. Bye.”
When Ben hangs up, he sees Frankie looking at him with a distinctly unimpressed expression.
“You wouldn’t understand, Frankie.”
The dog huffs and walks out of the room.
---
Lily Anne is reclining in her oversized bathtub, enjoying a bath bomb and a face mask. Reykja sits on the bath mat, chewing on her bone, and Lily Anne has her eyes closed and is listening to royalty-free spa music she downloaded online onto her phone. She’s very zen at the moment. Suddenly her phone rings, and she frowns, opening one eye in annoyance. This is her free time. How dare someone interrupt it.
She looks at the phone and sees that Joe is calling, and picks up. “Lily Anne Mercury, speaking. You’ve interrupted my bath time, so this better be worth it, Dinosaur Boy.”
Joe gasps. “Oh, no! I’m so sorry, Lily. I can call later, but I think you’d want to hear this.”
She nods and leans back. “Alright. What’s going on?”
“Ben asked me to do something,” he says.
Lily Anne perks up, smiling. “Oh?”
“Don’t get too happy. He asked me to ask you to the Golden Globes.”
She sighs and leans back in the tub. “Oh… why isn’t he asking me?”
“He got scared, alright? I know I’m not him, and you’d rather be with him, but would you like to go to the Golden Globes with me? You don’t need to be by my side the entire time, just on the red carpet. Once that’s over, feel free to do whatever--” Joe begins ranting, and it’s the most considerate rant Lily Anne has ever heard.
“I’d love to go to the Golden Globes with you, Joe,” Lily says, smiling fondly.
“Great! It’s a date then,” Joe responds.
“What color is your bow tie? I can try to match it, if you’d like,” Lily asks, petting her pup lazily with one hand.
“I was thinking just doing a black one. Wear whatever you want. You’ll look good in anything.”
Lily laughs. “You’re too kind, darling. I’ll try not to overdress.”
Joe lets out a breath of laughter. “Alright. I’ll see you soon, Lily. Get back to your bath.”
“Have a nice night, Joe,” she responds before hanging up and letting out a deep sigh.
She looks down as Reykja blinks up at her curiously.
“I really thought Ben was going to ask me, didn’t you, girl?”
The dog lets out a yip of agreement.
“It’s alright, though. I’ll be fine, love. There’s always other events.”
1991
“Darling, must you do this?” Freddie asks from the tub filled with bubbles, looking over at Jim. “She’s still so young.”
Jim raises a brow and looks over at Freddie. “I found a knot in her hair yesterday that looked like it could be a bird’s nest, Freddie. It’s time.”
Freddie takes time to release a bone-shaking cough and leans back in the tub. “It’s such a shame, though. Her curls are immaculate!”
Jim sighs. “She’ll still have the curls afterward. If anything they’ll be more pronounced since her hair will be shorter.”
Lily Anne’s hair has gotten out of control, lately. It is past her butt, and the Indian genetics she has makes it very thick. Nobody in their right mind would be alright with spending over an hour detangling a two-year-old’s hair every day.
Freddie frowns. “Oh, alright. Just make sure she looks cute.”
Jim grins and kisses the little girl propped up on the bathroom counter. “She’s half you. Of course she’ll look cute. She’ll be beautiful no matter what haircut she has.”
Lily Anne coos, waving her little hands around. Her parents grin at her, and Freddie looks on with a happy gaze. He’s so lucky to be able to see her grow at least this much, though he knows that his time in this world is coming to its close.
“Ready for the cut, flower?” Jim asks. “It won’t hurt, sweetie.”
Lily blows a spit bubble and as Jim cuts her wet curls, she makes her mouth into an ‘o’ shape and watches in the mirror. She giggles and takes a handful of her hair, giving it a gentle tug. Jim pries her fingers away and quickly finishes the job, and Lily grins, looking at her shoulder-length curls.
Jim turns the girl towards Freddie and grins.
“You look amazing, darling girl!” Freddie coos hoarsely, smiling at his baby girl.
“You really should trust me more, love. I told you she’d look wonderful no matter what haircut she has,” Jim chuckles, kissing Lily’s cheek.
Preparing for the Golden Globes
Lily Anne smiles as her ends are trimmed, watching in the mirror. “My dad gave me my first haircut, you know. He was a barber before becoming the gardener at Garden Lodge,” she says, smiling wistfully.
The hair stylist smiles, trimming a little bit more off her ends. “That’s so sweet! Did he always cut your hair?”
She laughs. “Yes, until I began dying my hair in college and doing crazy punk hairstyles by myself. He seemed horrified but didn’t complain. He even bought me a hair straightener that wouldn’t fry it nearly as much as the cheap one I had.”
The stylist nods. “I remember when you would come out with crazy hair colors and choppy bangs and I really loved it.”
She grins. “Thank you, darling. That’s so sweet!”
The rest of the time passes and by the end of it, Lily’s hair is in a half bun, with the rest of it gently curled. Then, the makeup artist comes in and does a fairly natural look on her, but with an intense smokey eye. When she looks in the mirror, she smiles.
“Oh, it’s perfect, darling! Thank you so much!”
The artist smiles and shrugs. “You were a wonderful canvas. Thank you for the opportunity, Miss Mercury.”
She scoffs. “Call me Lily. I will be calling you the next time I’m in Los Angeles. Consider yourself booked for the Oscars, love.”
The makeup artist leaves and Lily changes into her dress, which is a stunning custom McQueen mermaid gown, emerald green with Swarovski crystals adorning the entire thing in place of embroidery. It dips low and creates a lot of cleavage, and the crystals are in the shape of Freddie’s face. Her assistant helps her put on her crystal choker and hoops, and she smiles as she looks in the mirror. Finally, her Louboutins are put on, and she hears a knock on the door.
“Who is it?” She asks.
“Your hot date,” Joe replies.
She picks up her matching clutch and opens the door, revealing Joe in a nicely tailored suit. He looks her over, in awe.
“Wow, Lily… I’m the one with the hot date,” he says, looking at the dress. “That’s Freddie’s face! Holy shit!”
She shakes her head. “The suit fits you perfectly, Mr. Mazzello. You look absolutely dashing. How are you still single?”
Joe shrugs. “I dunno. Must be my personality, I guess.”
Lily scoffs and shakes her head. “I’ll have none of that self-depricating nonsense tonight. Now, let’s get to the car, shall we?”
Joe holds out his arm for her and she takes it, smiling as they walk downstairs to the car, where Gwil and Ezichi are waiting. Allen, his daughter, Ben, Rami, and Lucy have already left for the event.
They enter the car and Gwil looks at Lily’s dress, nodding in approval. “You look very nice tonight, Lily. I love the dress.”
She grins. “Why thank you, Gwil! The suit is fabulous. Did Ezichi have the final say?”
Ezichi kisses Gwil’s cheek and nods. “Of course I did, and didn’t I do well?”
Joe nods. “Hell yeah, you did. You didn’t do too badly yourself, Zichi. That’s a wonderful pantsuit.”
Ezichi is wearing a white and black harlequin wide leg pantsuit with small diamonds on the edges of it, and she looks stunning.
Ezichi grins. “Thank you, Joe. It might be hard to piss in, but at least I look great.”
Gwil wraps an arm around his girlfriend. “You look magnificent, Zichi.”
Ezichi leans into her boyfriend and Lily lets out a fake vomit noise with Joe.
“Disgusting,” Lily says.
“Find a room,” Joe adds.
“If you wanted to fuck that badly, you shouldn’t have chosen a pantsuit,” Lily comments.
The pair blushes and Lily and Joe crack up, leaning back in their seats.
---
When they’re escorted to the red carpet, Ben is waiting for Joe to arrive, and when he sees Lily Anne--
Wow. She looks gorgeous.
Instant regret fills his head, and thoughts swirl as she approaches in her green gown.
‘Why didn’t you ask you, you bloody idiot? She’s stunning, and she could be on your arm right now if you had the fucking balls to ask her to the event. You’re an idiot, a right idiot, and you blew it.’
He’s forced out of his thoughts when she comes up to him, smiling. “No plus one, Ben?”
Ben refocuses on her. “A-ah, no. No plus one. My mum couldn’t come with me, and I didn’t want to ask anyone on Tinder.” He lets out a nervous laugh, rubbing the back of his neck.
She shrugs. “Oh, well. It’s a shame.” She thinks for a moment before smiling. “You know what? I can be both yours and Joe’s plus one. I’m alright with being shared for the night.”
Joe comes up to Ben and gives him a hug. “Looking good, buddy.”
Ben grins at Joe. “Better than Cardy B?”
Joe laughs and nods. “Much better than Cardy B.”
Lily grins, taking both boys’ arms. “It’s showtime, boys. Let’s show them all how wonderful we are.”
The trio walks down the red carpet, and their names are screamed by the masses. Cameras flash, and Lily helps them navigate with practiced poise. She’s been doing this since she was a child, and the spotlight is where she belongs. They split up once it gets to the photos, and she puts on a smile, showing off her custom gown.
After some group photo ops, Lily goes off with Zichi and Lucy, and the girls enter the building.
Lucy smiles at Lily as they stop by the bar, and squeezes her hand. “What was your favorite cocktail when you drank?”
Lily looks at Lucy and smiles. “I loved Moscow mules.”
Lucy nods and looks to the bartender. “Can you make a vodka tonic and a virgin Moscow mule, please?” The bartender nods, and Lucy turns back to Lily. “You look upset. Is it because Ben didn’t ask you to the event?”
She lets out a deep sigh and Zichi rubs her back. “He loves you, Lily. It’s just because he’s nervous.”
Lily shakes her head. “Everyone is saying that, but… I need to hear it from him before I fully let myself believe it. I mean, him loving me would be a dream come true. I’ve never experienced my dreams going according to plan. Most times they backfire. I can’t risk losing this one. If I do… I’ll never find anyone I love as much as I love him.”
The bartender passes them their drinks, and Lily Anne tries hers. It tastes… delicious. Her face lights up.
“Excuse me, darling? I must have the recipe for this drink. It’s amazing, and to do it without alcohol is impressive.”
The bartender nods and writes down the recipe on a napkin, grinning. “I’m glad you like it! Here you go. Enjoy.”
She takes the napkin and places it in her clutch, grinning.
Lucy smiles. “Did that make tonight a little better?”
Lily nods, and Zichi hugs her friend. “You deserve nice things, Lily. One of those nice things can be Ben.”
Lily smiles and when she pulls away, she smirks. “One of your nice things can be rocking hotel sex. You don’t have to clean the sheets the next day, so go wild!”
Ezichi coughs, keeling over at Lily’s words. Lucy laughs, leaning against the bar. Lily sips her drink, pleased with herself.
When Brian and Roger enter and see the scene, immediately they tense up as they see a drink in Lily’s hand.
“That better be bloody virgin, Lily,” Roger says, raising a brow.
She nods and smiles, holding out her drink for him to try. “100% virgin, unlike us.”
He sips the drink and nods before handing it back to her. “Not bad. I like it. What’s got Zichi so red?”
She smirks. “I told her that she deserves good hotel sex.”
Roger scoffs and nods. “Hell yeah, she does! The best part is that you don’t have to wash the sheets afterward!”
Lily grins. “That’s what I said.”
Ezichi grimaces. “He’s corrupted you.”
Roger grins and kisses Lily’s forehead, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and jostling her. “Been doing that since day one.”
Brian speaks up, rubbing Ezichi’s back. “We’re going to take our seats with Rami, but we’ll see you later. Hopefully, we win something,” he says, crossing his fingers.
Lily nods and hugs her uncle. “Of course you will. Freddie’s energy was central in the movie, and he thrived despite the odds. This movie will too.”
Brian kisses the top of her head and smiles. “Send some good energy to us, alright?”
She nods. “Of course we will. You go sit down.”
Rami is walking by and comes over, kissing Lucy. She smiles and as he leaves, he yells, “Let's do this shit!”
Brian and Roger join the younger man and Lily laughs.
“He’s so strange and wonderful,” Lucy says, placing her hand on her cheek.
Lily nods. “I agree. Let’s go to our seats.”
The girls head off to get to their seats.
—-
Ben leans back on the couch, nursing a glass of sparkling water. Joe comes over to join him, holding a vodka tonic.
“Not drinking yet, Ben?” He asks, sitting next to his friend.
Ben shakes his head. “Nah. I don’t want Lily to be the only sober one and have to take care of us both. I’d feel bad if she had to do that.”
Joe presses his lips together. “You regret not asking her, don’t you?”
Ben nods, closing his eyes. “She looks… so beautiful. To think I could’ve had her on my arm but I chickened out makes me feel like an idiot.”
Joe nods. “She looks amazing. You know what? Don’t be sad.” He slaps Ben’s thigh. “She can sit in between us. You’ll get to have time with her alone later, alright?”
Ben rubs his thigh. “Sure. Thanks, mate. I really appreciate it.”
Lily walks in with Zichi and Lucy, and Gwil wraps an arm around his girlfriend, leading her over to the couch, where she promptly leans her head on his chest. Lucy sits next to Rami’s mother.
Joe and Ben part and pat the seat in between them, and Lily sits in between the pair, smiling.
Joe stands up and looks over the crowd. “I’m going to get a refill. Does anyone want anything?”
The group gives Joe their orders, and he walks over to the bar. Lily Anne leans back, squeezing Ben’s hand.
“How’d the red carpet stuff go?” she asks him, smiling.
“Good,” he says, smiling. “The interviews went well.”
She smiles and nods. “Great! That’s wonderful, Ben! Interviewers can be shitty and ask dumb questions, so I’m glad yours were good.”
He laughs and shakes his head. “One of them implied that Roger in the 70’s wasn’t beautiful, so I replied and said that he was wrong, and if I was around, I may have turned.”
She snorts, covering her mouth. “I’m sure he’ll appreciate that answer.”
Joe comes back and hands people their drinks. He takes his seat and sips his own, watching as the T.V. turns on the awards show starting. The crowd quiets, and Lily smiles. Her parents are watching fondly from above.
---
The anticipation in the room is palpable when the announcer opens the envelope containing the name of the winner. Lily squeezes Ben and Joe’s hands and prays a silent prayer that Rami wins.
When his name is announced, they stand and scream, hugging each other and laughing. There is no sweeter feeling than a well-earned victory. She launches herself into Ben’s arms, and the sound of his laughter fills her with joy. She looks up at him, and their noses touch, and she freezes up because if she just leaned in a few inches closer she’d be kissing him, and he’s looking down at her and panicking--
Joe comes up behind her and turns the affair into a group hug, and she’s snapped out of her thoughts, laughing once more. When they sit down, she takes a deep breath and looks at Ben, who’s staring straight ahead with a wide eyed look on his face.
Oh, God. That could’ve been fucked up so quickly.
When she turns back to the screen to watch Rami’s acceptance speech, she feels Ben’s eyes on her and blushes.
The second win garners a similar reaction, but this time, Lily hugs Joe, just to avoid making a mistake with Ben. Lord knows that this time, she might not have been able to restrain herself.
---
The afterparty is hosted in Roger’s suite, and after being so kind as to ask permission to drink from Lily, she tells Ben that he can drink however much he wants. He promptly downs four shots of vodka without blinking, and Lily is shocked. The alcohol will hit hard and she knows it. However, she’s curious to see what the alcohol does to Ben.
Apparently, he becomes a frat boy. He’s with Joe, who’s honestly just a sillier version of himself under the influence of alcohol, and they walk over to where she’s sitting.
“Are you from Tennessee?” Ben asks her, grinning.
“I’m from London, you know that, Ben,” she says, raising one unimpressed brow.
“‘Cause you’re the only ten I see,” he continues, laughing at his own joke.
She snorts and sips her sparkling water, shaking her head. “Those four shots hit you hard, didn’t they, Ben?”
“Okay, okay. Let’s try another one.” He laughs, running a hand through his hair, and Lily Anne is so confused as to why she isn’t completely turned off by this behavior. “I hope you know CPR.”
“I’m certified,” Lily Anne replies, nodding matter of factly.
“Because you’re taking my breath away!” Ben finishes, a grin only growing on his face.
Joe is leaning on Ben, laughing heartily. Lily purses her lips, sighing.
“Still not impressed?” Ben asks, pouting. “Fine. One more.” He holds out his arm to her. “Feel my shirt.”
“This is your jacket, Ben,” she states, looking up at him.
He shakes his arm, whining. “Just feel it, okay?”
She sighs and feels the jacket material before looking up to see a smirk on his face.
He leans down and grins, his breath smelling like alcohol. “It’s boyfriend material.”
She rolls her eyes, shaking her head. “That was great, Ben.”
Ben giggles and looks at Joe with excitement in his eyes. “Mate, she likes me! Your lines worked!”
Lily laughs. She likes Ben, but not because of some cheesy pick up lines. Joe grins and hugs Ben, and she watches them tackle each other happily.
“I think someone had pizza delivered. Why don’t you two get some?” Lily comments, smiling.
The two boys grin at each other and stumble through the crowd towards the kitchen for food.
When they leave, Lucy sits down next to her, and holds her free hand. “Are you having fun, Lily?”
She nods, smiling. “Of course I am! I love seeing all my friends happy.”
Lucy grins. “Oh, that’s wonderful!” She leans in, her smile widening. “I saw Ben and Joe coming over here. What happened?”
She rolls her eyes. “Ben tried to use some pick up lines Joe taught him on me. They were exceptionally bad.”
She laughs, and sips her champagne. “He really does like you, Lily.”
She nods, rubbing her temples. “I know. We nearly kissed earlier, but stopped before it happened.”
Lucy gasps. “Oh my god, when? How did I miss it? Why did you stop?”
Lily sighs. “When Rami won, we hugged, our noses touched, and I froze up, panicking. I don’t want to ruin anything between him and I, so we both didn’t go any closer.”
Lucy squeals. “But that would’ve been so cute!”
Lily raises a brow. “It wouldn’t have been cute once I found out that he doesn’t love me as deeply as I love him.”
Lucy nods, pursing her lips. “I understand why you’re scared. You don’t want to lose a good thing. I get it. But one of these days, you’ll need to confess.”
Lily nods. “I know. I’ll do it eventually.”
Lucy shrugs. “Who knows? It could lead to something beautiful.”
She smiles and squeezes Lucy’s hand. “You should probably find Rami. He’s a mess navigating a party without you.”
Lucy smiles. “I should. Take what I said into consideration though, alright?”
Lily nods. “Alright. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
Lucy leaves to find her man, and Lily sits back, watching as everyone enjoys themselves.
---
After frat boy Ben comes clingy Ben. Joe brings him over, and Lily raises a brow.
“I surely hope you’re not here for more bad pick up lines,” she says.
Joe shakes his head. “Nah. He just started whining and wanted to see you, so I brought him over before he could start crying.”
Ben whines into Joe’s shoulder, mumbling incoherently.
Lily nods. “I think we should take him back to his hotel room. He seems a little too far gone.”
Joe nods in agreement. “Yeah. I’m going to stay a little longer and make sure everyone gets back safely, but if you don’t mind taking him back, I’d appreciate it.”
She smiles and nods. “I’ll manage him.” She stands up and lets Joe drape Ben onto her.
Joe smiles and looks at Ben. “You’re with Lily now. Are you happy?”
Ben nuzzles into Lily and nods, mumbling, “Yay. Finally.”
Joe lets out a little laugh. “I’m going to go now. Get back safe, alright?”
She smiles and nods. “Of course. Come along, Ben. Let’s get you home.”
Ben looks up at her and blinks, confused. “Home is in London.” He gasps, eyes wide. “We’re not in London, are we?”
She shakes her head. “No, darling. We’re in Los Angeles. I meant home as in your hotel room.”
Ben blinks, pouting slightly. “I wanna go home.”
She nods, placing a hand on his cheek. “We’re going home tomorrow, lovie.”
He whines, shaking his head. “No, like-- like my room.”
She sighs and supports his waist as he follows her out of the suite and down the hallway. He begins to ramble, and she simply entertains his commentary.
“You look real pretty tonight, Lily.”
“Thank you, Ben. You looked very pretty as well.”
“My stylist chose the suit. I like it.”
“I like it too, Ben.”
“Who chose your outfit?”
“I helped design it with the head fashion stylist at Alexander McQueen.”
“Wow. You did good.”
“I know, love.”
“Can you design something for me?”
“I can do that, Ben.”
Ben squeals happily and buries his head in her shoulder, squeezing her waist tightly. “Yay!”
They get to the elevator and walk in, and Lily presses the button, keeping Ben’s hands away from the console as he reaches for it. He whines and shakes his head, and as the bell dings and they get to the lobby, a chauffer for the BoRhap cast sees them and helps them into the car, where Ben promptly lays his head down in Lily’s lap.
He mumbles something as she straps him in and she looks down at him.
“What did you say, darling?”
“Touch my hair.”
She frowns. “Why?”
He looks up at her with pleading eyes. “It feels good.”
She sighs and obliges, running her hands through his hair, and within five minutes of the ride, he’s snoring into her lap. It feels comfortable and soft and she takes a picture of him, smiling. She’s saving that to her hidden files in her camera roll.
When they get to the hotel ten minutes later, she shakes Ben awake, and he lets out a confused noise, lifting his head.
“It’s time to get up, love.”
“We’re home?”
“Mhm. We’re home.”
The driver helps her get Ben out of the car, and he leans heavily on her as they walk inside and to the elevator. They get to Ben’s floor and she takes the key card from his pocket, helping him inside. He flops onto his bed, and she sighs heavily.
“Ben.”
A tired groan.
“Take off your jacket, at least.”
“You do it.”
“Turn over, and I will.”
Ben slowly obliges, and Lily walks over, unbuttoning the jacket. She heaves him up to take it off, and he looks at her, smiling. She looks down at him and raises a brow.
“What’s that look for, Ben?”
“Thanks, Lil.”
She smiles and helps him back down, squeezing his hand. “Of course. It’s no problem, darling. You’d do the same for me.”
She hangs up the jacket and looks back to see Ben failing to unlace his shoes. She leans down and helps him, and when he curls up on the bed, she covers him with a hotel blanket. Immediately, she hears snores, and leaves the room, heading back for her own.
---
Ben wakes up and blinks, confused. He has no idea how he got here, and no idea how he managed to take off and hang his suit jacket and untie his shoe laces. He drank far too much last night, and doesn’t remember much after eating pizza with Joe.
When he sits up, he groans from a pounding headache, and lays back down. He reaches for his phone on the bedside table and groggily tells Siri to call Joe. After putting the phone on speaker phone mode, and a few rings, Joe answers him.
“How much do you hurt?” he asks.
“More than I ever have in my life. Will you tell me what happened?” Ben asks, rubbing his eyes.
“You took some shots, drank some more, hit on Lily with bad pick up lines I gave you, and almost cried when I wouldn’t bring you immediately to her, but ultimately, she brought you back.”
He frowns and groans, burying his face in his hands. “Oh, God… First I almost kiss her, then I hit on her, then she drags my ass back?”
Joe chokes on the water he’s drinking. “You almost did what?!”
“When Rami won, she hugged me, our noses touched, and shit-- I almost leaned in, but I panicked, and then she panicked, and then you made it a group hug.”
Joe lets out a groan. “Why’d I third wheel that? Jesus, Ben, I’m so sorry.”
Ben frowns. “What? You want me to have kissed her?”
Joe scoffs. “Of fucking course I want you to kiss her! You two are soulmates! I want you to get married and have babies!”
Ben shakes his head. “Get the fuck out of here with that crap, mate. I can’t think about things like that.”
Someone opens the hotel room door, and the smell of breakfast wafts into the room. Ben groans and opens one eye, and when he sees Lily walking in with a tray of eggs, salsa, and buttered toast, he blinks, confused.
“Lily? What’s all this?” he asks, slowly sitting up in bed.
“Hangover food. I had a feeling you’d need it.” She holds out a water bottle and two advil. “Take these first.”
Joe greets Lily. “Hi, Lily! How did getting Ben home go?”
She shrugs. “It was fine. He was a bit heavy to carry, but I managed.”
Joe laughs. “Well, I’m gonna let you go now, buddy. Enjoy your meal.”
Joe hangs up, and Ben blushes, unable to meet Lily’s gaze once he’s taken the advil and downed some water. “How’d you get in?”
She holds up his keycard. “I took this from you, because I knew you’d need the meal and I’d need a way to get in.”
He nods, and looks at the meal. “Why salsa?”
She smiles. “Put it in with the eggs. The spice helps immensely. Don’t worry. I told them to give you mild.”
He nods, and does as she says. He bites his lip, leaning back in bed. “Lily, I am so sorry for what I did when I was drunk. How bad were the pick up lines?”
Lily winces. “Pretty bad, mate. I’ll spare you the details.”
He groans, and takes a bite of the food. In a moment, he feels… almost better? He looks up at Lily as if she’s God.
“That already helped. How do you know such good hangover food?”
She looks down at him, and with a straight face, says, “I was an alcoholic, Benjamin.”
Ben covers his mouth, his face flushing bright red. “Oh, shit. I’m so sorry. I absolutely forgot about that.”
Lily smiles gently and ruffles his hair fondly. “It’s alright, Ben. I take no offense.”
He continues eating, and looks absolutely miserable. She sits in a chair in the corner of the room and checks her emails. After a few minutes of silence, Ben speaks up.
“When do we leave the hotel?”
Lily looks at the itinerary and shrugs. “At six tonight. It’s currently eleven a.m., so you have plenty of time to recover and pack.”
Ben nods, slowly chewing his toast. “Okay. Good. If I were to get in a car right now, this meal would go to waste.”
She laughs and nods, rubbing the back of her neck. “I can’t say that’s never happened to me. Taking a bath always helped me with the nausea, so when you’re ready to get up, try that.”
Ben smiles at her and swallows. “Thanks, Lil.”
She smiles back at him. “Don’t mention it.” Her phone buzzes and she looks down at it. “Business call. I have to go, but if you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask, alright?”
He nods, and watches as she leaves the room.
Maybe if after all he did to be a nuisance while drunk didn’t drive her away, she truly is his soulmate.
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Oh, How the Mighty Fall [In Love] CHAPTER TEN (Ben Hardy x OC)
Lily Anne Mercury is brought in to help with Bohemian Rhapsody at the request of her Uncle Bri and Uncle Rog, and along the way, she might meet someone to share her life with. The only problem with this is that while their friends and the world can see that they’re perfect for each other, they’re going to be fully blind to this for a while.
DISCLAIMER: I’m fully aware that it would’ve been physically impossible for Jim and Freddie to have a child even with this method during the time they were alive, but the idea of Freddie as a dad and the idea of how his child would turn out to be was just too sweet for me to not write.
Lily gets backstage after a performance with her band and sits down in her chair, taking out a makeup wipe and beginning to take off her foundation. She’s exhausted, emotionally drained, and ready to drink a cup of chamomile tea with lemon and go to bed on the tour bus as they haul the band and their instruments to a new city.
It was hard to leave home after spending a few blissful weeks with Ben, going to the animal shelter, walking their dogs, and taking long, relaxing baths. However, he left to go work on another project, and their few weeks of paradise had to come to an end. She drove him to the airport and kissed him goodbye, and went back home to their pups. It has now been a month and a half on tour, and she misses him dearly.
Her assistant Katie comes inside with a styrofoam cup of tea and Lily takes it gratefully, sipping the beverage and sighing. “Thank you, Katie.”
Katie nods, but unlike her usual smile, she only looks nervous. “You’re welcome, Lily.” She bites her lip, shaking her head. “The Daily Mail came out with something on you, and normally I wouldn’t bring this up, but… this, in particular, is more than petty drama.”
Lily looks up at her. “I’ll take a look. Show me what it is.”
Katie passes Lily her phone, and on the snapchat story for the Daily Mail, there’s a picture of her in a tight leotard, with the headline “FREDDIE’S GONNA BE A GRANDDAD? LILY ANNE MERCURY MAY BE EXPECTING WITH NEW BOYFRIEND BEN HARDY.”
Lily scoffs and shakes her head, handing Katie back the phone. “That’s bloody ridiculous. Also impossible. I’m on birth control. I can’t be pregnant.”
Katie lets out a noise of doubt. “Not exactly. Birth control is only 91% effective. So it may not be all speculation.”
Lily purses her lips, nodding. “Alright. I didn’t know that, but thank you for the information.”
Katie hesitates before asking, “Do you want me to get you a pregnancy test? Just to make sure?”
Lily shakes her head, waving a hand dismissively. “No. It’s alright, Katie. You can go back to the bus.”
Katie nods, smiling. “Got it. If you need anything, just call.”
Lily smiles at her and nods. “Of course. You’re an angel, Katie. Thank you for the tea!”
Katie waves goodbye, and after taking off her lipstick, Lily gets a FaceTime call from Ben on her own cell phone. She answers, and Ben’s worried face greets her.
“Hello, love! Are you done shooting for the day?” She props up the phone against the mirror, scrubbing away the powder in her eyebrows.
Ben nods, running a hand through his hair. “Yeah. We ended early. I couldn’t focus.”
Lily looks back at him and sighs. “You saw the article?”
Ben nods, looking down. “I did, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I know you haven’t gotten the chance to take a test yet, but could you at least answer one question for me?”
She nods, standing up to take off her costume. “Of course, darling. Anything to make you sleep easier.”
Ben stumbles over his words before asking, “Do you think you’re pregnant?”
Lily shakes her head as she pulls on a silk robe. “I’m on birth control, Ben. It’s 91% effective, as Katie has informed me, and I’ve been on it for years. I don’t think it’s possible for me to be pregnant. Perhaps I was just bloated that night. I did happen to eat a lot more than usual before the show.”
Ben nods, biting his lip and taking in the information. “Okay. Alright. Because I just remembered that we didn’t use protection after you danced, and the thought is still nagging at me.”
She pauses and her eyes go wide. Oh, shit. She forgot about that. She places a hand over her mouth and sucks in a breath.
“Lily? Did I just scare you?” Ben looks nervous.
Lily takes a deep breath and shakes her head. “No, I just forgot about that minor detail, that’s all. It doesn’t change my opinion. It is highly unlikely that I’m pregnant.”
Ben sighs in relief, leaning back against the couch in his trailer. “Good. Great. That’s amazing. I think I’ll sleep tonight.” He smiles at her. “I just wanted to make sure. I got really scared.” He laughs, his eyes crinkling. “I can tell you’re exhausted. Sleep well, sweetheart.”
She smiles and blows him a kiss. “You too, lovie. I miss you and I love you.”
Ben grins at her. “I do too. Kick ass and take care of yourself. Goodnight, love.”
She ends the call and the band piles into the large bus, and immediately Lily falls asleep. However, when she has a nightmare about being heavily pregnant and going into labor at a gig, she wakes up sweating, and the frantic googling begins.
How effective is birth control?
Can birth control kill an embryo?
Signs of early pregnancy
First two months of pregnancy
After that, she goes into the bathroom and stands on her toes, examining her stomach to see if it’s bigger than usual. She sees that it is, and a wave of anxiety washes over her. She calls Katie, who’s in a second bus, and does not get an answer because she’s sleeping and it’s 3:30 a.m. Shaking, she lays down in her bed, and when they get to a rest stop near a drug store at five to refuel, she shakes Ezichi awake.
“Zichi, I need your help,” she whispers to the groaning woman.
“Why? Jesus, what time is it?” She turns to look at her friend, adjusting her bonnet. “What’s wrong?”
Lily sighs, her hands shaking. “So I’m sure you saw this Daily Mail article.”
“I didn’t.”
Lily thrusts her phone in Ezichi’s face, and the sudden light makes her hiss. “I can’t bloody read this, give me one moment.” She reads it and raises a brow. “Lily.”
“Yeah?”
“You do realize how low the likelihood of you being pregnant is, correct?”
“Yes!” Lily hisses, trying to stay quiet. “But Ben and I had unprotected sex--”
Ezichi groans. “Why?”
“Because I danced for him and I don’t know if it was the costume or--”
Ezichi shakes her head, covering her ears. “I don’t need details!”
Lily sighs. “Sorry. But anyways, it was a spur of the moment thing, and we didn’t think about protection.”
Ezichi sits up, rubbing sleep out of her eyes. “Do you need me to get a pregnancy test for you?”
Lily nods, turning red.
Ezichi groans and gets out of bed, and the door opens to reveal a disgruntled couple of lesbians.
“Mate, it’s five in the morning. What’s going on?” Bron says, running a hand through her messy hair.
Lily sits on Ezichi’s bed, ready to cry, and Ezichi pats her shoulder. “Benjamin may have knocked up our lovely friend here, and I need to go get the pregnancy test for her.”
Lily whines. “Don’t call it that, Zichi! It makes him sound like an irresponsible man whore and me sound like a stupid little girl.”
Madi comes over to her and rubs her back, and Lily hugs her, burying her face in her shoulder.
Madi looks up at Bron and Ezichi and sighs. “Go to the drug store. Get five pregnancy tests and a few other things to make it look less suspicious.”
“Can I get a pint of ice cream?” Lily asks, her voice breaking.
Madigan nods and pets her friend’s hair. “Ben and Jerry’s chocolate fudge brownie?”
Lily nods against Madi’s shoulder. “Please.”
Ezichi nods, and Bron gets her wallet and phone. “I’ll get myself some snacks. You just stay here and comfort Lily.” Bron goes over to Lily and pats her head. “We’ll take care of you, mate. Just sit tight and relax.”
Bronwyn and Ezichi get off the bus to go get their goods and Madi holds her friend as she breaks down crying, babbling about how she wouldn’t be a good mother and doesn’t want to lose Ben because of this. Madigan just listens to her, and by the time Ezichi and Madi get back with water, ice cream, pregnancy tests, and sour cream and onion potato chips, Lily is sitting up, brown eyes rimmed red.
~
She chugs the water and takes the tests into the bathroom, where she pees into a cup and puts a bit of it on each test, and sets a timer for the tests. She comes out and digs into her ice cream, laying her head in Ezichi’s lap. She sits quietly and her friends sit around her.
“God, I’ve put you all through so much. I’m so sorry…” Lily begins.
Bron shrugs, taking out a chip and pops it in her mouth. “It’s alright. We know you’d do the same for us.”
Ezichi smiles, taking a chip from the bag. “Remember when we had to wait in the health center for hours for my STD test results at one in the morning after a gig?”
Lily lets out a little laugh. “Yeah… I don’t think the workers appreciated that we brought popsicles with us.”
Madi grins. “They still let us use their freezer, though.”
The group laughs, and Lily closes her eyes. “I appreciate all your support very much. I love you all more than words can describe.”
“We love you too, Lily,” Ezichi says, looking down at her friend. “We always have and always will.”
Madi smiles at Lily. “You’re one of the few people I’d do this for.”
Bron grins at her wife and wraps an arm around her. “Aren’t you glad we’re lesbians and don’t have to deal with this?”
Lily pouts at them, and Madi snorts. “Of course I am.”
The timer goes off and Lily sits up, taking a deep breath.
Madi looks over at her friend. “Do you want any of us to go in there with you?”
Lily shakes her head. “No thanks, Mads. I’ve got to do this by myself.”
She stands up on shaky legs and puts down her ice cream, heading over to the bathroom.
~
Positive.
Positive.
Positive.
Positive.
Positive.
Lily sits on the floor of the bathroom and places a hand on her stomach.
Holy shit.
There’s a tiny person in there.
She and Ben made a new life together.
In nine months, that tiny person will be pushed out of her vagina.
She’s going to be a mama.
Ezichi looks into the bathroom, and sees Lily sitting on the floor with a hand on her stomach and a far off look in her eyes. “Lily? Is everything alright?” Lily looks up at her slowly, eyes wide. Ezichi puts her hand over her mouth. “Oh my god.” Lily nods, looking terrified. “Do you need a few moments to yourself?”
“Can you help me up? I might faint,” Lily hoarsely whispers.
Ezichi guides her to the couch and Bron and Madi take one look at the hand on Lily’s stomach and gasp.
Bron grins. “I’m gonna be the best aunt. I fully plan on corrupting your child.”
Lily looks up at her and smiles, laughing. Bron has a talent for diffusing tension with a well-timed comment.
Madi smiles and laughs with her friends, squeezing her wife. “If you ever need a pair of chaotic babysitters, we’ll take the little one for the night.”
Lily grins. “I have Roger for that.” She gasps, eyes wide. “Oh my god. This will be Roger’s first grandchild.”
Ezichi raises a brow. “Or grandchildren.”
Lily waves her arms around, shaking her head. “No! I will spiral if you even say that again, so help me God!”
Ezichi raises her arms in surrender. “I’m sorry! But you do realize Roger will spoil this child rotten, don’t you?”
Lily nods, laughing. “He’s going to lose his mind! He’ll be so excited!”
Madi smiles at Lily. “What about you?”
Lily looks at her, confused. “What about me?”
Madi gestures to her stomach. “Are you excited?”
Lily goes quiet, before smiling and stroking her stomach. “I mean… I’m scared shitless, not gonna lie. I don’t know if Ben wants this, and I feel completely unprepared for a child that’s not an animal, but I know I want to keep it and love it, and… and…” She looks at her friends with a warm smile. “I want my baby to have his eyes. Imagine it. Beautiful green eyes with tan skin and a thick mane of dark hair. It would be beautiful.” She shakes her head. “This all feels unreal. I’m going to be a mum. My child will grow up in my childhood home, and I’ll teach them to garden and play piano, and Brian will show them all the constellations in the sky, and Roger will give them a drum kit to give Ben and me migraines.” She smiles at her friends, tearing up. “And you’ll all be there with Gwil and Joe and Rami and Lucy, just showering them in love. They’ll have all the family they could ever want.”
Everyone is now teary, and Bron wipes away a tear before saying something that makes Lily’s heart melt. “Freddie and Jim would be so excited to be grandparents.”
Lily nods, smiling. “They’d be so happy.”
---
Dinosaur Boy: hey can you talk right now? this is important.
Lily Anne: sure thing!
Lily picks up the phone when Joe calls her, and sits back in her dressing room couch in M. “What’s up, Joe?”
Joe gets right to business. “It’s Ben. He called me last night freaking out.”
Lily nods. “About the article? I told him that it was highly unlikely that I was pregnant. He seemed alright after calling me about it.”
Joe lets out an affirmative noise before beginning to explain what he was told. “He was alright until he dreamed that you were pregnant, and nearly had a panic attack on the phone with me.”
She frowns. “Oh, no! Is he alright now?”
Joe takes a moment. “Kind of. I kept him from spiraling, but he had a lot to say over the phone in his panic.”
Lily bites her nail. “What did he tell you?”
Joe sighs. “Well, from what I could make out, he’s super nervous because he feels unqualified to be a dad, and he’s worried that it could tear you two apart after pining after one another for so long and not being officially dating for a long time. He wants so badly for this to work, because he’s so in love with you. He went on a five-minute rant about how wonderful you are.”
“That’s flattering. He’s very sweet.” Lily smiles, her heart warming at the statement.
Joe continues. “He’s scared out of his mind, but he made it very clear that he wants to be a father.”
Lily releases a breath she didn’t know she was holding. “Alright. Did he say anything else?”
“Not really. That’s the jist of what he told me.” Joe hesitates for a moment. “But if you are pregnant, which would be great, I’m a fucking amazing babysitter and will be in London more often.”
She raises her brows. “I’m assuming that it’s going well with Anusha, then.”
Joe laughs. “Yeah! She’s amazing, Lily. We have a great time together and she’s so funny and willing to put up with me. She even decorates Cardy B.”
Lily snorts. “You have him up in your apartment?”
Joe scoffs. “Of course I do! It’s a constant reminder of our lovely Benny.”
“Our? You assume that I’m sharing him with you?”
Joe laughs again. “You may have him now, but I stole his heart first and we both know it.”
Lily shakes her head. “I can’t deny that.” She looks at the clock on the wall. “I have to go soon, but is there anything else you wanted to tell me?”
Joe nods. “I think you should tell Ben whether or not you’re actually pregnant, because it would ease a lot of his worries.”
She nods. “Duly noted. I’ll do that.”
“So… are you or are you not pregnant? Or do you not know? Because I need to know if I have to buy a set of toy velociraptors.”
Lily laughs. “I’m not saying anything, Joe. I have to go now.”
He lets out a small groan and nods. “Alright. Break a leg, Lily! Anusha and I can’t be there tonight since we have Beetlejuice tickets, but have fun!”
“I will.” She smiles. “Have a great time, Joe.”
“Sure thing. Bye!”
When Joe hangs up, she moves to the makeup chair and begins putting down her base, and the rest of the band, which has been notably absent today, files into the room. She turns around and sees Ezichi holding a box, and raises a brow. “Did you go shopping today and only buy one thing? I should’ve been there to help you do some serious damage.”
Ezichi shakes her head. “We only needed this one thing. It’s for you.” She hands over the box from F.A.O. Schwarz and Lily opens it, awwing as she pulls out a plush, dark brown teddy bear with a small red bow tie.
Madi shrugs. “It’s really for Little Baby Jones, but we thought you’d love it as well.”
Bron grins. “I picked out the bow tie. Isn’t it classy?”
Lily holds the bear to her chest, smiling at her friends. “It’s perfect. Thank you so much, ladies!” She stands up and hugs her friends before looking more closely at the bear.
It has gold button eyes and a black nose, and it is by far one of the most adorable teddy bears she’s ever seen. She can imagine Little Baby Jones hugging this toy in their crib, and she wants to cry.
Ezichi smiles at Lily. “You’re going to be an amazing mom, Lily. We can’t wait to be aunts to your baby, and we’re so happy for you and Ben. You deserve this family, and for you to finally get it makes us so excited.”
Lily fans her eyes. “Jesus, Zichi! You’re going to make me cry.” She dabs her eyes and smiles. “I cannot thank you all enough. I know Little Baby Jones will love that bear.”
The girls all hug, and after a fantastic performance, go their separate ways to unwind and undress.
~
When Lily enters her room, she sees a vase of lilies and daisies that wasn’t there before. She goes over and plucks a note from the vase, smiling at the note.
Break a leg, love! I can’t wait to be home with you.-- Ben
“I figured you’d like those.”
Lily turns to see Ben standing in the doorway of her changing room, and puts a hand on her chest. “Ben! Aren’t you supposed to be in London working? If I knew you were coming to New York I would’ve made sure you had a seat at the concert.”
Ben rubs the back of his neck, letting out a nervous laugh. “I got here ten minutes ago from the airport. I couldn’t work well when I was thinking about… everything. I took a red-eye here.”
Lily looks down. “That makes sense.” There’s a tense silence in the room before she smiles at Ben. “You can come on inside, you know. Don’t be getting all shy on me, Hardy.”
Ben walks inside and hugs her, and she melts into his arms, closing her eyes. When he pulls away and looks down at her, his eyes are filled with anxiety.
“I need to know, Lily. I’m sure Joe called you and told you what I said--”
Lily nods, wrapping her arms around his waist. “He did.” She lets out a nervous laugh of her own. “I must admit, I did have my own bout of panic on the bus. I had a nightmare that I went into labor on stage, and when I woke up, I couldn’t stop thinking. Once the bus stopped, I woke up Ezichi, and the rest of the band, and…” She sighs. “We got five tests and a few snacks from a convenience store.”
Ben’s breath hitches in his throat. “What did the tests say?”
‘Please, please, please be positive.’
Lily smiles up at him tearily. “Positive, all five.”
Ben’s eyes well up with tears of joy. “Oh my god…” He can only manage a whisper.
She nods, and when she speaks, her voice cracks. “You certainly got past the birth control, darling.”
He picks her up, holding her tightly and kissing her. She can taste the salt of his tears and knows that her own are joining his when they pull away and laugh, crying at the same time. Her arms are wrapped tightly around his neck, and his hands hold her tightly to him. They’re both shaking.
When she’s put on the ground, he wipes away his tears, sitting down. “Oh my god, we’re going to be parents! My mum is going to freak out. She’s been waiting for this for ages.”
Lily grins. “Roger will lose his mind.”
Ben gasps. “It’s his first grandchild!”
She nods, laughing. “He’s going to have a heart attack. We need to catch his reaction on video.”
Ben nods, pulling her into his lap. “Of course! Holy shit, we get to name our own child!”
Lily turns towards the doorway to see Madi recording them, and smiles. “How much of that did you get?”
Bron wipes away a tear. “All of it. That shit was breathtaking, mate.”
Ezichi appears, a black tear streaming down her face. “It really was.”
“You two are going to be the best parents,” Madi says, her voice cracking.
“Thanks, Madi,” Ben replies, crying himself.
Lily sniffles, wiping her nose. “Come in here so I can hug you all.”
The friends get out all their tears before the girls take off their makeup, and Katie brings Lily’s things back to her hotel room.
---
Lily is curled up in the large bed, and she feels Ben come up behind her, his chest pressed up against her back. She closes her eyes, enjoying the warmth he provides. His hand moves to her stomach and under her tee shirt (his tee shirt), and she smiles.
“Do you want a boy or a girl?” She asks, placing her hand over his.
Ben sighs, resting his head in the crook of her neck. “As long as our baby is healthy, I don’t care.”
Lily scoffs. “That’s a bullshit answer. You have a preference.”
Ben lets out a little laugh, his warm breath on her skin. “I really don’t. Do you?”
Lily smiles. “I think I’d like a little girl, but I’d be fine with a boy as well. There’s only one thing I really want.”
Ben kisses her cheek. “What would that be?”
She turns to look at him, smiling. “I want them to have your eyes.”
Ben’s lips turn up into a smile. “I think I’d like that.”
She curls up into his chest, her stomach slightly pressing into his. She’s quiet for awhile. “I don’t think any of that really matters, though, because I know one thing for sure.”
Ben opens one eye, looking over at her. “Hm?”
Lily grins. “Our child is going to be gorgeous no matter what.”
Oh, How the Mighty Fall [In Love] CHAPTER EIGHT (Ben Hardy x OC)
Lily Anne Mercury is brought in to help with Bohemian Rhapsody at the request of her Uncle Bri and Uncle Rog, and along the way, she might meet someone to share her life with. The only problem with this is that while their friends and the world can see that they’re perfect for each other, they’re going to be fully blind to this for a while.
DISCLAIMER: I’m fully aware that it would’ve been physically impossible for Jim and Freddie to have a child even with this method during the time they were alive, but the idea of Freddie as a dad and the idea of how his child would turn out to be was just too sweet for me to not write.
Hey, everyone! Apologies for the slightly altered formatting, the option for the lines isn’t currently available on tumblr and I am confused. If you could help me figure this out, I’d appreciate it. Thank you!
-- casey
TRIGGERS: explicit sexual content (18+ only please!)
~
FACECLAIMS:
Kelly Gale as Lily Anne Mercury
Sira P. Kante as Ezichi Adebayo
Erika Linder as Bronwyn Ryan-Hughes
Bree Kish as Madigan Ryan-Hughes
Sonakshi Sinha as Anusha Laghari
~
LILY’S DRESSES
~
Lily is howling in laughter as she watches comedienne Anusha Laghari’s comedy special on Netflix. It is filled with jokes about growing up Indian, dealing with white people, and being in the comic industry as a woman of color. She’s currently talking about how she’s being described as the “brown John Mulaney,” but nothing about that man is remotely like herself, as much as she likes John Mulaney.
“The man is from a bloody Catholic household and walks around like he’s taking up too much space. I don’t have anything in common with that. The only thing that’s similar about us is that we both get massive paychecks,” Anusha says, grinning as the audience cheers. “I’m alright with the success rate being similar, but I am my own person, and not any version of anyone else. It’s been a wonderful show here in Radio City, and thank you so much for coming out to see me! I love you all! Good night, New York!” Anusha blows kisses to the crowd before the screen fades away to the end credits.
Lily met Anusha when they were both very young, and the pair were in the same Indian dance class. Jer would drop her off, and the Indian mothers would look at her curiously, but not say anything.
Needless to say, the fact that she was only half Indian was very noticeable when Jim’s pale complexion and cable-knit sweaters clashed with the brown women and colorful saris he was surrounded by.
Lily had practically no friends in that class except for Anusha, who told off some mothers and walked over to Lily when she was crying. She was always there for Lily, even though her mother didn’t exactly approve of the life Lily lived. When she saw how dedicated Jim was to taking care of his daughter and helping her experience her culture, she gained respect for him and practically adopted Lily as her own daughter, bringing her along to family occasions and constantly allowing the girl to sleep over with Anusha, and vice versa. Jim would sit with Anusha’s family at recitals and smile as his little girl twirled around stage with her best friend.
Anusha was always funny. Comedy made sense for her. She struggled for years, moved to New York, booked strange hours and worked under sexist bosses to make her name in the industry. Now, she’s one of the biggest names in comedy. Lily couldn’t be prouder of her childhood bestie.
Lily calls her friend, catching her breath. Anusha picks up immediately.
“Hello, Lily!” she cheerily says. “How was the special?”
Lily wipes a tear from her eye. “Darling, you’re so talented. I’m so proud of you. Also, my stomach hurts from laughing so damn hard.”
Anusha lets out a laugh. “Thanks, Lily! You’re the best, mate. I’m so glad you like it.”
Lily sighs and pets Reykja, who jumps up onto the couch. “It was amazing, darling. I’m so proud to call you my friend, and I know that Jim is smiling at you as we speak.”
Anusha quiets, letting out a small sigh. “Lily… stop it, don’t make me cry. You know I loved Jim more than anything. He was the absolute best. I’m so proud to call you my friend. Your latest album is a hit, and you’ve got a gorgeous blonde man pining over you. Now, if I were you, I would have immediately dragged him to bed, but--”
“Can’t I be nice without you making things filthy?” Lily scoffs, shaking her head. “You don’t even like blondes.”
Anusha laughs. “You’re right. But I have an interest in one of your blonde boy’s friends.”
She raises a brow. “Gwil is taken and so is Rami.”
Anusha huffs. “I know, Lily! You think I didn’t do my research? I like Joe.” She takes a deep breath. “Joe seems really nice, and he’s very cute and talented. I looked online, and I didn’t see anything about him having a girlfriend.”
Lily smiles. “He’s single.”
Anusha lets out whoops and hollers of joy. “Yes! Could you get me his number? I really want to talk to him.”
“You’re in New York right now, aren’t you?”
“Yep! I’m coming back to London tomorrow,” Anusha says.
“He’s in New York as we speak. I can tell Joe to meet you somewhere tonight.”
Anusha nervously laughs. “Lily, babe… I’m in sweats and my hair is greasy enough to sustain a fire. I can’t meet anyone like this.”
Lily nods. “I get it. I’ll ask him if he’d be interested in meeting you, alright?”
Anusha sighs in relief. “That would be great. Love ya, Lily!”
Lily smiles. “Love you too, Nush.”
She hangs up and immediately calls Joe, who picks up after a few rings.
“Hi, Lily! I was just thinking about you!” He sounds kind of drunk. “Sebastian and I are out drinking and one of your songs came on and I screamed ‘That’s my friend!’’
Lily smiles and chuckles. “That’s very sweet of you, darling. I appreciate it.”
“I also told everyone how you and Ben are soulmates,” he continues, giggling.
She holds back anger and sighs heavily. “That’s great, Joe. The world already thought that. I can’t wait to see Ben’s reaction to the news. Can I ask you something quickly?”
Joe laughs. “Sure thing! What is it?”
“Do you know Anusha Laghari? She has a comedy special on Netflix,” Lily begins.
“Of course I know her! I love her stuff! She’s also super pretty,” Joe says happily.
Lily smiles. “She’s my best friend from Indian dance school, and she wants your number.”
Joe gasps, covering his mouth with his hand. “Me? And her? Lily, you’re joking.”
“I’m not. She told me herself,” Lily says, leaning back on her couch.
“She’s talented and funny and gorgeous and cool, and— and— I’m just a lanky white dude who met Jeff Goldblum once! Why me?”
Lily shrugs. “Because you’re funny and handsome and charismatic and sweet.”
Joe stutters. “Aw, Lily, I’m blushing. Really, she asked for my number?”
Lily nods. “Mhm.”
“Give it to her, and tell her that I’ll text her when I’m not drunk. Thank you so much, Lily!”
“Of course, Joe. Uber home and drink some water, love.”
“Sure thing. Bye, Lily!”
Joe hangs up and Lily texts Anusha Joe’s number, explaining that he’ll text her when he’s sober.
—-
The next morning, Ben looks in the mirror and tries to pep talk himself up, trying on his beanies to see which one works best with his navy blue adidas jacket and black-striped joggers.
“What’s better, Frankie? Yellow or red?” He turns to his pup, who opens one eye and sniffs in the direction of the yellow hat. “Thanks, girl. I’ve got to look good for our walk today. I’m going to ask Lily to go to the Oscars with me.”
Frankie yawns and stretches, standing up and walking to Ben’s feet. Ben leans down and puts the leash on her before checking that he has his phone, keys, and wallet. He puts on his sunglasses and they leave the apartment, walking over to his car.
They drive to Garden Lodge and Ben parks next to Lily’s G-Wagon. The gate is already open, since Ben and Lily do this joint dog walk five times a week and Ben arrives at the same time every time they do it.
“I think the garden is pruned well enough,” Ben comments, watching as Lily meticulously goes through a patch of yellow flowers looking for weeds.
Lily looks up at him and takes off her filthy gloves and large sun hat, shaking out her hair. “I saw some weeds earlier this morning, so I decided to do something about it.”
Ben smiles as Frankie licks Lily’s cheek, and Reykja runs out of the doggie door to meet her friend. Frankie barks happily and Rey yips in return, playing with the other pup.
Lily picks up the end of the leash attached to Rey’s harness, standing up and looking up at Ben.
“Ready to go?” He asks.
“Yep!” Lily responds, walking alongside Ben and locking the gates after they exit. As they walk out of the driveway, they see two teenagers pasting notes to Freddie on the wall.
They spend ten minutes with the excited teenagers who fawn over Frankie and Rey, explain how much they love Queen and Room 301, and get selfies with both of them. After the kids leave, Lily smiles up at Ben.
“They were more interested in you than me, you know. BoRhap made a difference,” she says, smiling as they begin the walk to the park a half mile away.
Ben nods. “I know. But they’re getting into your music as well because of the movie, so it’s not just Queen that’s thriving.”
She nods. “I just hope the Academy acknowledges all of that. Rami deserves to win, and BoRhap deserves all the awards it’s up for.” She chuckles. “I have a feeling I might be a little biased though.”
Ben looks down and lets out a little laugh. “I don’t mind. Actually, on that note, I’d like to ask you something.”
Lily bites back a smile and looks up at Ben. Is he going to do what she thinks he’s going to do? “Of course! What is it?”
Ben takes a deep breath as the dogs sniff the base of a tree, and gathers all his courage. “Would you like to go as my plus one to the Oscars?”
Lily’s eyes light up and her smile brightens the gray London sky. “I’d love that, Ben!”
Ben grins back at her, releases a breath he didn’t even know he was holding, and Frankie looks up at her dad, wagging her tail. “That’s great!”
Lily walks alongside Ben, and she laughs, shaking her head. “You looked nervous for a second, Ben.”
Ben feels a cold drip of sweat coming down his forehead and his face burns. “Huh? I’m not nervous. Why would I be nervous?”
Lily looks up at him and raises a brow. “I could’ve said no.”
Ben looks down, laughing nervously. “I mean, you could’ve, and gone with Joe again.”
She scoffs. “Even then I ended the night with you, Ben.”
Ben nods, smiling. “Yeah…”
She shrugs. “Besides, I practically set him up with my friend.”
Ben grins at her excitedly. “Seriously?”
She nods. “Mhm. You know the comedienne Anusha Laghari?”
Ben nods, grinning. “Of course! How do you know her?”
“She was my best friend as a child. We went to Indian dance school together as children.”
Ben nods, impressed. “Sometimes I forget that you know so many famous people.”
She grins. “Another one of my friends was Sean Ono Lennon. Yoko still sends me birthday gifts.”
Ben stops in his tracks. “You’ve met Yoko Ono.”
“Yes, I’ve been to her house for play dates with Sean. He helped me through the loss of my father.”
“Wait.” He waves his hands around in a confused gesture. “Does this mean that you met the other Beatles as well?”
She nods. “I know Paul and Ringo. I met George briefly when I was a baby but I don’t remember.”
Ben shakes his head as he continues walking. “That’s… how are you so nonchalant about that?”
She shrugs. “I was born into this life. It just sort of happened.”
Ben stutters for a minute before taking a deep breath. “Anyways, back to the topic at hand. Joe’s been single for a long time. What makes you think that Anusha can change that?”
Lily nods. “I have a good gut feeling about this, Ben. Also, she’s the one who asked for his number. He’s not chasing after someone who’s uninterested. She’s funny, he’s humble, and it wouldn’t be long distance since she lives in New York at the moment. That makes everything easier.”
Ben raises a brow. “Do you think it will last if it happens?”
She smiles and nods. “The last time I had a feeling this strong about anyone was when Zichi asked me about Gwil. Before then it was for Madi and Bron.”
Ben purses his lips. “You have a pretty good track record then. I trust your judgment. If Anusha is like she comes across in her special, her and Joe will be great together.”
She grins. “What you see is what you get with both of them. I have a good feeling about this.”
They walk along the track in the park in relative silence before Lily speaks up.
“You should wear a white suit jacket.”
Ben looks over at her and raises a brow. “All white?”
She shakes her head. “No. I think it should have a little bit of black, but that with nice dress pants and a pair of black Louboutins? Could be a major look.”
Ben nods, considering her suggestion. “What about sunglasses?”
She smiles, looking up at Ben. “That could be good.”
Ben takes mental notes of that before giving a suggestion of his own. “You should wear a red dress.”
She nods, pursing her lips. “Any particular style?”
He smiles and shrugs. “I think a princess gown would be fitting. After all, you’re the princess of Queen.”
She lets out a little laugh. “I guess I am. I’ll get it with a hoop skirt large enough to fit a person under.”
Ben raises a brow and looks away from her.
Anybody would be lucky to be under Lily Anne’s skirts. He just prays that one day, it could be him.
—-
Lily is corsetted tightly, and leans on the California King sized bed for support. “Fucking hell— holy shit! How much tighter can you go?” She asks the assistants helping her into her red ballgown.
It is heavy, large, has poofy sleeves, and her tits are barely contained by the layered fabric that dips low and squeezes her waist. The skirt looks like the curtain of an opera house, and the fabric is subtlety embroidered. She’s never worn something so grandiose before, but she has a feeling that tonight will be the night Ben admits his feelings to her, so she’s made every effort to look like a goddess.
Her heels are placed on her feet and her loose curls are adjusted before a heavy diamond choker and dangling diamond earrings are put on her. She looks in the mirror and catches her breath, her red lips turning up into a smile.
She’s never been this gorgeous before.
There’s a knock on the door, and she collects her clutch and does final checks on her outfit before opening the door and seeing Ben—
Her breath stops in her throat, because her man is looking so good tonight. That white suit with the black shoes and the perfectly tailored pants— she thinks she’s going to die.
He’s looking at her like she’s God, and in his eyes, she may as well be. Ben has never been struck speechless by how good someone looks before, but both of them are trying to form words as they look over each other.
“I— you— wow,” Ben gets out, shaking his head in awe. “You look amazing, Lily. Truly.”
She smiles and looks him over, adjusting his bow tie. “So do you. I was right to suggest the white tux jacket.” She smiles up at him. “You look stunning, Ben.”
Ben smiles and takes her hand as she exits the room and thanks her assistants. “We both look great. Now we just have to figure out how to transport me to the event so people witness how good I look.” She says, chuckling.
Ben nods, letting out a noise of thought. “You might need to stand.”
She sighs. “The things I do for fashion.”
—-
When they get to the red carpet, they are barraged by people asking if they’re a couple, and they brush off those questions, but a little part in each of them wonders how long it’s been since they could truthfully classify each other as mere friends.
This game they’re playing has to end. They need to admit to each other that they’re so much more than just friends to one another. The tension is thick, and the unspoken truth they both know has to come out of someone’s mouth.
When they leave the interviews and take photos together, Ben’s hand rests on the small of her back, and hers on his shoulder. Paparazzi are screaming about how good they look together, and they don’t respond. They already know that they’d be a gorgeous couple. If only one of them would make a move.
—-
“We’re not allowed in?” Lily Anne asks, raising a brow. “My uncles are performing and we were all a part of Bohemian Rhapsody.”
The guard shakes his head. “I’m sorry, ma’am. Your seats were taken by other people.”
Lily huffs, and looks back to see her friends nervously pacing, Anusha looking over to see what’s going on.
The rest of the night was going great, and she and Joe have hit it off wonderfully. Everything was wonderful until now.
Lily leans in, lowering her voice. “How much did they pay? I promise I can double it.”
The guard shifts uncomfortably and after a moment says, “One thousand for a whole row.”
She nods, and pulls out two thousand from her clutch. He takes it and nods, stuffing it in his vest pocket. “I’ll be right back, ma’am.”
Lily smiles and nods. “Good choice, darling. We’ll be waiting.” She walks back to her friends and smiles. “Give them a moment to kick the Kardashians out of our seats and we’ll be let inside.”
The whole group grins except for Ben. “How much money did you give him, Lily?”
Lily looks up at Ben. “That’s none of your business, Ben. It doesn’t matter, anyways. We’re in. That’s what counts.”
Ben shakes his head. “How much? I’ll give you the money, because it’s bollocks that you had to pay in the first place.”
Gwil and Joe nod, and Anusha speaks up. “Yeah. Tell us how much it was, and we’ll pay you back for it.”
Lily rolls her eyes and shakes her head. “No. It was pocket change for me, really.” Zichi gives her an impatient and accusatory glare. Lily crumbles under the pressure. “Fine.” She leans in. “Two thousand dollars.”
Joe chokes on his own spit, and Gwil curses in Welsh. Ben looks down at her and places a hand on her shoulder.
“Lily, you did all that for us to get in?” Ben asks.
She nods. “This movie has been one of the most important projects of our lives. It’s brought together you guys in a bond that’s truly unbreakable, my band, and my best friend from childhood. We’re a family, all of us. We deserve to be there when Rami and the movie win the awards it fucking deserves. I can earn back my money. It’s worth it for this.”
They are escorted inside, and sit down, Lily Anne apologizing for her skirt going onto Ben and Joe’s chairs. She stands back up as they sit down and then sits, her skirt covering both their laps. Ben laughs and she looks over at him, frowning.
“Why are you laughing?”
“It feels like I have a blanket on my legs. How thick is the fabric of this dress? How are you even walking around in this? Your legs must be damp.”
She scoffs. “Don’t be stupid, I have ventilation installed in this thing. I can’t have a swampy vagina by the end of the night.”
Joe covers his mouth as he laughs, and Ben snorts, grinning. Anusha is trying to contain herself and failing, and the whole row tries to quiet down as the lights dim. After they settle down, Ben lets out a chuckle and Lily elbows him. Joe snorts and Anusha shakes from containing herself. Then, the music starts.
Nobody is singing louder than them. Adam looks over and blows a kiss to Lily Anne, and she winks back at him, waving to Brian and Roger. The camera pans over to them as they shout along to We Will Rock You. It’s wonderful, and they could care less about what the other people in the audience think about them. This is their moment, and they will bask in it.
Things quiet down as the award show starts, and whenever BoRhap wins an award, they stand up and jump around, hugging one another and cheering loudly. They must be annoying the fuck out of literally everyone else in the audience.
Finally, Rami wins. Lily begins to cry, and Ben hugs her. She carefully angles herself so she doesn’t get any makeup on his pristine white blazer but still enjoys the tight embrace. When he gives his speech, she squeezes Ben’s hand, and he squeezes hers back just as tightly.
The ceremony flies by after that, and while their group mingles with other celebrities, Lily and Ben stick together and make their way into a quieter area of the auditorium.
“Four out of five isn’t bad,” he says, smiling. “I think Freddie would be proud.”
Lily laughs. “He’d be proud regardless of if BoRhap won all of the categories or none of them. You all worked so hard on this film, and it showed. He knows you tried your best, and it was done with love. It was worth the time it took to develop the project. Tonight is merely proof of that.”
Ben smiles at her. “I’ve never seen you so happy before, watching Rami win.”
She shrugs. “Rami deserved that. He became Freddie, and that takes a lot of talent and hard work to be someone that big. I’m so proud of all of you. You did a glorious job.” Lily takes a moment. It’s time to say it. “There’s only one thing that could make this night even better.”
Ben raises a brow and looks down at her. “What would that be? I’d be happy to provide it if I can.”
She purses her lips, taking a deep breath. “We’re close friends, you know that as much as I do.”
Ben’s heart skips a beat. “Of course I do. Casual friends don’t just go to the Oscars or walk their dogs together.”
Lily nods. “Casual friendship doesn’t usually involve quitting cigarettes together or buying out Indian restaurants either.” She looks up at Ben, who’s looking at her with a knowing look. “I think we both know that we’re not just close friends, either.”
Ben presses his lips together, and nods slowly. “I think we’ve known that for a while now.”
“I care more deeply for you than I have for anyone else in my life, and I felt that way almost immediately after meeting you. I knew those feelings were true after you threw away your pack of cigarettes and vowed to help me quit one of our worst habits.” Lily speaks slowly and clearly, and their gaze could not be separated by anything going on around them. “You didn’t kiss me at the Globes because you were afraid of mucking it all up and losing something so precious to you.” She places a manicured hand on his chest and feels his heart pounding. “You’re just as precious to me, Ben. You’re the only man I’m ever going to devote myself to for the rest of my days, and I know that.”
His hands shake as he places one on top of hers, and the other on her waist. He has no words, but none are needed.
“You’re mine, and I’m yours. We knew that a long time ago, but tonight, I’d like to get that confirmation. That would send me over the moon.”
Ben nods and pulls her tightly against him, and in the room full of people, kisses her passionately. It feels like winning that last Oscar to finally have her lips on his, and when she cups the back of his neck with one warm hand, he closes his eyes.
The only thing that matters right now is her. Everything else is drowned out by the sensation of an embrace months in the making.
When she pulls away from him, her eyes are sparkling, and he rests one hand on her cheek, stroking it gently. She leans into him and smiles, red lips quirked into a smile.
“I’ve been waiting to do that for so long…” he admits. “But as much as you deserve gentle loving, tonight I’d love nothing more than to be the man under your skirt.”
Lily smirks, grinning like a cat that got the cream. “I know. Why else do you think this gown is so bloody wide?”
They rush off to find a bathroom stall.
—-
“No luck?”
“I can’t fit in any of these stalls, Ben. The skirt is too wide,” Lily responds, pouting.
Ben sighs deeply and runs a hand through his hair. “Stand in front of a sink.”
Lily’s eyes go wide. “Benjamin Jones, are you serious? Anyone could walk in here and see us!”
Ben nods. “I don’t fucking care. Let them see.”
Lily sighs and looks up at Ben to see if he’s actually serious, and he nods to a sink. She releases a resigned breath and does as she’s told.
Ben promptly ducks under her skirts and taps her thighs, and she spreads her legs to give him room. She’s wearing black mesh panties, and he can see that she’s freshly waxed, with only a tiny bit of pubic hair.
“Oh… you planned for this, didn’t you?” Ben says with a grin.
Lily huffs, her face burning under her foundation. “Well… yes, of course I did! But I didn’t plan for it to happen this publically!”
Ben chuckles and shakes his head, gently kissing her thigh and causing her leg to shake. “Don’t worry, darling. This won’t take long. You’re already soaking wet, and I know what I’m doing.” He kisses further up her thigh, one hand holding her leg firmly in place. “Just relax and let me take care of you.”
She lets a moan and squeezes her eyes shut, gripping the counter. After five minues of Ben’s tongue doing magical things to her clit, he tugs the thin panties aside and strokes her folds with one finger. His hot breath and amazing tongue and finger combined with the tight grip on her thigh-- she knows she’s close.
Just as she’s about to come, Lucy walks in the bathroom, and she clenches up, all chance of orgasm gone. Ben has frozen up too, so Lily is just standing there with his tongue on her clit and his finger inside of her while their best friend has no clue.
“Hi, Lily!” Lucy says, waving to her friend before frowning at her flushed face. “Is everything alright? You’re so red!”
‘I have our mutual friend’s mouth on my vagina. Everything is great.’
“Oh, it’s nothing! The dress is just heavy, that’s all,” Lily tells the blonde woman. “It’s not easy to walk around in.”
Technically that isn’t a lie. The dress is heavy, and she has had to have assistance to walk around at the event.
Lucy nods. “That makes sense. The dress is magnificent, but highly impractical.”
Lily laughs. “Isn’t that true of most fashion, darling?”
Lucy nods. “It is.” She takes a moment and sighs, smiling. “Tonight has been wonderful. I’m sure Freddie is happy.”
Does it feel wrong to think about one’s father while there’s a mouth on your clit and a finger inside of you? Yes. It does.
“Freddie is probably ecstatic right now,” Lily says, grip tightening on the counter as Ben continues slowly.
Lucy laughs. “I’m glad. The boys are celebrating. By the way, where’s Ben?”
‘Under my dress. Pleasuring me with his tongue.’
“I don’t know. He was in the auditorium last I saw him, but—“ Ben hits her G-spot and she has to take a moment. “Ah. Just some period cramps. Sorry.”
Lucy looks over and pats her shaking hand.
“I’m sorry. I have some Advil back at the hotel if you’d like it,” she says.
“I’ll be fine, but thank you, lo—“ Lily kicks Ben when he hits a sensitive spot, and he pulls away, crawling out from under her dress in pain.
Lucy looks amused. “Do you want the Advil, Ben?”
Ben is all flushed and his hair is a mess. There’s red lipstick on his mouth and his pants have dust on the knees from where he was kneeling.
“That would be great, Lucy. Thanks.” He looks down, beet red.
Lily scratches the back of her neck, and Lucy smiles at the couple.
“It was about time you two figured it out. I’m glad you did!”
Lily and Ben mumble their thanks, and Lucy finishes washing up.
“Joe wants to pick up snacks at 7/11 with you, Ben. Lily, Anusha is waiting for you. Come out once you’re ready and we’ll be on our way,” Lucy says. “Congrats!” She calls out as she leaves the bathroom.
Lily helps Ben up and sorts him out, sighing.
“I’m sorry, love. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
Ben smiles and kisses her forehead after she cleans up the lipstick. “It’s alright. That was fun.”
Lily smiles at his flushed appearance and kisses him, tasting herself on his lips.
When they leave the bathroom, Brian, having spotted them, gives Roger twenty pounds for losing their bet of whether Lily and Ben would confess to each other tonight.
—
“So we have Sun Chips, Doritos, tortilla chips, queso, and guac. Do we need anything else?” Joe asks, holding some of the items in his arms.
“I think that’s all,” Ben says, only really half engaged in the conversation. He’s still thinking about Lily.
“Is something wrong, Ben? You seem distracted,” Joe asks, frowning.
Ben lets out a little laugh and shakes his head. “No, not at all. I mean, I’m distracted, but it’s not for a bad reason.”
Joe nods, smiling. “I’m glad you and Lily figured it out, really. I’ve been waiting for that to happen for such a long time.”
“Thanks, mate. I appreciate it. How’s Anusha?” He asks, following Ben as they head up to the checkout.
Joe grins. “She’s amazing, Ben. She’s gorgeous, funny, and I’m not uncomfortable around her. We get along really well.”
After they check out, Ben walks back to the Uber with Joe and after they get in, he smiles at his friend. “Do you think you and her could date?”
Joe thinks for a moment before nodding. “I do. I really like her.”
Ben grins. “As long as I’m best man at the wedding, I’ll support you.”
Joe flushes and Ben laughs, and as they head back to the hotel, they bask in their happiness.
—-
“Then Lucy walks in—“
“He’s still under your dress?”
“Yes! So we’re talking and he hits a sensitive spot and I kick him, and he exits the skirt in pain,” Lily finishes, reapplying her mascara.
Anusha cracks up, clapping her hands. “Lily!”
“What?” She looks over at her friend, confused.
“I never took you to be an exhibitionist, but I guess life is full of surprises,” Anusha comments, grinning.
Lily rolls her eyes and shakes her head fondly, picking up her nude lipstick. “Shut up. How’s it going with Joe?”
Anusha grins, pausing her makeup routine. “He’s amazing, Lily. I couldn’t have imagined a better person to go to an awards show with.”
Lily raises a brow. “Do you want to date him?”
Anusha nods furiously. “I’m never letting him go, mate! He’s been perfect. Why would I give up that?”
Lily raises her hands in defense. “Alright! Ease up, Nush. I’m glad you like him. He’s a really nice guy, and you two will make a great couple.”
Anusha grins and adjusts her cocktail dress, looking over herself in the mirror. Lily looks over at her and nods in approval, liking the way the dress looks on her. Anusha lets out a satisfied hum and smiles before looking over at her friend’s dress and raising a brow.
“You’re certainly going for easy access tonight, aren’t you, Lily?”
She shrugs and looks in the mirror, turning in her metallic, low cut dress with lantern sleeves and a short skirt, the deep plunging fabric left leaves little to the imagination.
“I didn’t get to come in the bathroom. He has a job to finish,” Lily says, smiling. “After all, now there’s no use in playing coy after what happened earlier.”
Anusha smirks and pats her friend on the back with a knowing grin. “If you can walk tomorrow, I’ll know he didn’t do his job well enough.”
Lily’s suite soon fills up with guests, and the alcohol begins flowing. The boys finally get back from their trip and the snacks quickly become the center of attention, and as Lily heads over to get some guacamole and chips, she feels someone put a hand on her shoulder and turns to see Sarina smiling at her. She hugs the woman and grins.
“How’d you enjoy the ceremony, Sarina?” Lily asks, looking up at the woman.
Sarina grins. “It was wonderful! I loved it. Roger and Brian are very pleased with how everything turned out.” Her grin becomes a smirk. “How did you enjoy the ceremony?”
Lily laughs. “It was great. The boys deserve this, as do Roger and Brian. But I know you’re not asking about that.”
Sarina shrugs. “It was bound to happen and we both know it. Roger had a bet with Brian about it, and he won. He’s ecstatic that you two got together before he’s on his death bed.”
She rolls her eyes. “He certainly has a flair for the dramatic, doesn’t he?”
Sarina lets out a small laugh. “That he does. I’ll leave you to find your man and I’ll go off to find mine. Have a fun time, Lily.”
She kisses her aunt’s cheek and continues walking, and feels a large, warm hand on her hip. She looks up at Ben and smiles, placing her hand on his chest.
He leans down and kisses her cheek. “You certainly chose an easier dress for me to take off of you, didn’t you?”
She smirks and kisses him gently. “I’m glad you like the view, darling. I figured after the hassle of the first dress you deserved something a little more easy access.”
Ben grins and kisses her back, tugging on her bottom lip as he pulls away. She looks up at him with dark eyes, and he raises a brow. “You want to go to your room now?”
Lily sighs, looking down. “We should be a little subtle. Let’s wait a little bit. Once people are drunker, we can slip away and nobody will notice.”
Ben nods, kissing her forehead. “Sure thing, Lil.” He leans in close to her ear and whispers, “I can’t wait to absolutely ruin you.”
Her knees go weak and she looks up at him with a smile. “Was that a threat or a promise?”
Ben smirks and pinches her ass. “It’s whatever you want it to be.”
She raises a brow and grins. “I’ll see you later in my bedroom, Benjamin.” She pulls him down and whispers in his ear. “If I’m able to walk tomorrow, I’ll be upset with you.”
She walks off, hips swaying. Ben’s eyes follow her body, and she grins, feeling him follow her.
Joe is already very drunk, and so is Anusha. They sit together on the couch, leaning against one another.
“We should do karaoke!” Joe exclaims. “Can we get a karaoke machine?”
Anusha gasps and puts a hand on his chest. “We should totally get a karaoke machine. You’re a genius, Joey.”
Joe blushes and grins at her, holding her hand. “Will you sing with me?”
Anusha nods, smiling. “It would be my honor.”
Lily looks over at Ben with a knowing look, and he nods, impressed.
Joe points at Lily. “Call the front desk. We need a karaoke machine, stat.”
Gwil stands up from his place on the couch. “I’ll get it. You stay sitting, Lily.”
Lily smiles at Gwil gratefully and leans back, Ben’s hand resting on her shoulder. She moves closer to him and smiles.
—-
Surprisingly enough, this hotel can provide karaoke machines. Joe hollers as the machine is set up by a level headed Ezichi.
Anusha looks over at Lily. “You should do it!”
Lily chuckles. “What song do you propose I perform?”
Joe grins as he looks at her. “Another One Bites the Dust.”
Anusha nods enthusiastically and she nods, smiling. “I’ll appease you drunken idiots.”
“I’m not an idiot!” Anusha insists.
“I’m not drunk!” Joe adds, pouting.
Ben snorts in laughter and Lily shakes her head fondly before standing up when Gwil cues up the song and hands her the microphone.
Her performance is captivating. The dress combined with her moves, and the eye contact she makes with the rest of the group as it continues is amazing. She ends up on Ben’s lap, with her hands resting behind his neck and his own on her waist. She feels his trousers getting tighter in the crotch and smiles at the good work she’s done. The crowd cheers her on and she stands to bow, and walks off to the kitchen. She’s intercepted by Roger, Sarina, Brian, and Anita, and hugs her family.
“Turning in for the night?” She asks.
Brian smiles and ruffles her hair. “We’re too old to party like this. The rock and roll lifestyle isn’t meant for the elderly.”
She grins and kisses his cheek. “Well thanks for coming anyways. I appreciate it.”
Anita smiles and hugs her niece. “We wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
The couple leaves after saying goodnight, and after Sarina exits the room, Roger presses a small plastic square in her hand. She looks down at the condom and back at her uncle, pressing her lips together. Roger grins and ruffles her hair, kissing her forehead before leaving the room. She sticks the condom in the waistline of her dress and walks back to the kitchen, where she pours herself a glass of water.
She feels hands on her waist and breath on her neck and smiles, closing her eyes. “How’d you like my performance, Benny?”
Ben’s grip on her waist tightens. “I think everyone is drunk enough.”
She turns in his arms and presses her hips against his own, looking up at him demurely. “Promise to make me scream, Hardy?”
Ben leans down, eyes darkening. “That would be detrimental to your career if we make that a habit, y’know.”
She shrugs. “I know. I’m sure hickeys all over your neck and chest would be detrimental to yours as well. I suppose these can be our mutual indulgences.”
Ben smirks and rests on hand on her cheek, brushing back a curly strand of hair behind her ear. “I’m happy to oblige your desires, and wish for you to do as you please with me.”
Lily leans in, placing one hand on his chest. “What are we waiting for then? I have so many plans for you.”
The two of them walk into the bedroom and lock the door, and Lily pulls out the condom. Ben looks amused.
“Roger’s gift,” she explains, smiling as she throws the condom onto the nightstand.
Ben grins and pulls her close, kissing her and gripping her hips tightly in his big hands. She wraps her arms around the back of his neck and leans into him, jumping up to hitch her thighs around his waist. He supports her weight effortlessly, and his hands cradle her ass.
“I’ve been waiting so long for this to happen,” Lily says when they pull apart, catching their breath.
She gasps as Ben pushes her against the wall. “I’ve been attracted to you since the day I met you.” He begins sucking kisses down her neck. “When I saw you with Joe at the Golden Globes, I was so angry with myself.”
Lily moans and fists Ben’s hair. “Why were you mad? You’re the one who asked him to take me.”
Ben grinds into her and looks up at her, pushing her dress off her shoulders to reveal her chest. “Because you looked gorgeous, and you could’ve been my date. But I was an idiot who was too scared to ask you.” He kisses down her collarbones, leaving angry red marks all over. He relishes in her little sounds, and the cursing, and his name being said like a prayer. “I could’ve been doing this to you before the show if we had figured ourselves out sooner. You’d barely be able to walk on the red carpet, leaning on me for support. Everyone would know why you’d be unstable, since you don’t drink. The headlines would be proclaiming how filthy of a couple we are.”
Lily gasps as he nips her breast. “Do you always talk this much during foreplay, or am I just a lucky woman?”
He grins and looks up at her flushed face. “You like it?”
She nods, pupils dilated. “So much. Please don’t stop.”
He raises a brow. “Not even to finish eating you out?”
“...I can make an exception.”
He moves her to the bed and finishes what he started in the bathroom.
---
She spends five minutes composing herself before shakily sitting up in bed. Ben is taking off his white jacket, and she clears her throat, leaning against the pillows.
“Ben.”
He turns around to look at her and takes off his jacket. “Yes, love?”
“Let me,” she says, sitting on the edge of the bed.
He sits next to her on the bed and she straddles his lap, beginning to undo his bow tie. She can feel the bulge in his pants and smiles, tossing the tie aside and beginning to undo the buttons. “I’ve got you all worked up, haven’t I?”
He lets out a small laugh and squeezes her hips. “You’ve had me worked up since the day I met you.”
She smiles and finishes unbuttoning his shirt, pushing it off his shoulders. He takes off the shirt and she runs her hands over his chest slowly, eventually getting onto her knees and undoing his belt. “I’ve always thought you were very pretty, Ben.” She unzips and unbuttons his pants, and feels his thighs tense up.
“In college my friends and I would talk about our celebrity crushes, and, well…” He helps her take off his pants and slips off his shoes after she unties them. “You were always mine.”
She smiles as he leans down and kicks off his socks, and kisses him, chuckling. “We really have been into each other for the longest time.”
Ben’s breath catches in his throat as she kisses up his thighs, looking up at him. She puts one finger in the waistband of his briefs and looks up at him for permission. When he nods frantically, she pulls down his underwear and tosses it aside.
Ben isn’t the biggest she’s ever seen, but he’s proportional and thick, and she knows that he’ll feel good. She can’t wait to take him. She takes him in her hand and begins slowly pumping, and his muscles practically ripple with the release and uptake of tension in his body.
“Relax, love. I’ll take good care of you.” She presses a kiss to the head of his cock and he releases a sweet moan.
The sounds of drunken karaoke in the background are ignored, and Lily focuses on Ben’s noises as she takes him in her mouth.
---
The wet slapping sounds of skin on skin fill the room, and Lily moans out her lover’s name as he’s propped up above her, holding onto the headboard of the bed and her waist. He grunts into her neck, and she rakes her fingernails down his muscular back.
Sex has never felt this good. Sure, Frank made her orgasm, but he never made her feel quite like this. Ben sets a good pace and is incredibly attentive to her needs. She’s not afraid to voice what she wants him to do, but she’s more than happy to let him have his way with her.
She’s always enjoyed being submissive. Luckily for her, Ben enjoys being dominant.
“Lil… fuck, Lil. I can’t hold out much longer,” he groans, leaning into her neck.
Lily moans, her fingers tugging on his curls. “Me neither. Speed up-- oh! Yes! Like that!”
Ben moans as he comes, and Lily shouts out his name, orgasming at the exact same time as him.
She kisses him gently as he lays down partially on top of her, his head resting next to hers on the pillows.
“I love you,” he whispers. Her heart soars.
“I love you too, Ben.” She smiles and moves so he can dispose of the condom.
When he comes back, he brings her into his arms, and she entangles her legs with his, resting her head on his warm chest. She yawns, cuddling up to him. He closes his eyes and smiles, and they fall asleep in each others’ arms.
When they’re walking to the terminal, Lily tries to avoid Ben’s eyes, because she knows that he’s smirking. She is beyond sore, and it is painful to move after everything he did to her the night before.
They board the plane quickly and after Ben puts his and Lily’s carry on luggage in the overhead bins, he settles in his window seat. She sits next to him and immediately rests her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes and sighing.
“Did the Advil help?” He asks, kissing the top of her head.
“Not really,” she mumbles. “I can barely walk, you wanker.”
He laughs and places a hand on her thigh, smiling. “You’re welcome.”
She smiles slightly and when Gwil and Ezichi sit in the middle two seats next to them, Ezichi grins at the sight. Gwil holds her hand and smiles as well, because he’s never seen Ben this content before.
After the plane takes off, Lily readjusts herself and curls up against Ben, and he holds her, closing his eyes. The pair fall asleep entangled in each others’ embrace.
Gwil stands up and takes a picture of them, and once they land on the ground, he posts it on instagram with the caption “It took ten months. @joemazzello”
Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy Chapter Two: Introduction
Under Her Nose Chapter Six Posted!
The permanently tagged people will be tagged, but if you want to be tagged in any of these fics and their further upcoming chapters, please let me know and I'll certainly tag you :)
If you have any requests for Gwilym, Brian, Roger, Ben or Joe - let me know! These are the boys I'm prepared to write for right now, please don't be offended :))
