The night before had been surreal, almost magical, as Lillie woke up the next morning with the slightest of hangovers and nothing but the memory of laughing with her best friend and his three bandmates.

Knowing she had to pack all her instruments away, Mick had left her to lock up, and as soon as he had left, John suggested that they got a round of drinks. It wasn't like him to suggest breaking the rules, and the confidence behind the suggestion made Lillie like Queen even more, the boys of the band having a positive influence on him after all. So, as much as the four men protested, Lillie took the money out of her tip jar that had been sat on the side of the stage whilst she'd played, dumping it all in the till and telling the boys to help themselves, and she would have been lying if she said she didn't let Freddie convince her to do a few shots with him.

When Lillie imagined what it would be like to meet Queen, she had imagined, after initial nerves, asking them everything under the sun about music, asking how to get better at playing, at singing, asking how they write their songs. Lillie hadn't imagined getting tipsy in front of them at all, and she certainly didn't imagine them asking her questions, wanting to know about her, excluding John, of course, who already knew everything. When they first asked about her, she had shot John a look, to which he nodded at her, signalling that he hadn't mentioned anything personal about her, hadn't mentioned anything about her past, to which she was grateful for. She was glad that these people she quite admired knew nothing about her, nothing except the fact she was John's best friend and a musician, and the introvert within her wanted her to almost keep it that way, as well as being utterly confused as to why they would want to know about her. Why would they care, why would they want to know her, when she was so ordinary, and they were so interesting?

Lillie was still trying to wrap her head around that question at work the next morning. Playing at the local pub every Friday and Saturday night wasn't the most glamourous of jobs, but working weekdays on a part time contract as a PA in an office and weekends as a shop assistant in Debenhams was even less glamourous, but work was work. Lillie couldn't remember the last time she had a full day off, considering she also worked evenings in the pub she played at, not that she minded, not if she wanted to fund her own music career and one day be able to afford to move out from her parents house. Her brother, Xander, and John were constantly worrying that she was overworking herself, and sometimes she did think she was, but it wasn't like she had a choice. She wasn't like John, who's music career had taken off, or like Xander, who was away in America studying to become a lawyer. No, instead she was a university graduate, a wannabe musician, and no one was going to help her get what she wanted except for her. If she wanted to be a singer-songwriter, she had to work hard, not just at her music but at everything, and if working constant overtime to be able to afford it all was what she had to do, she'd do it.

As she paced the aisles of the store, exhaustion from the night still coursing through her body, Lillie caught sight of herself in one of the mirrors. She was never the most glitzy, but her outfit from the night before stood out far more than her simple black-shirt-and-trousers uniform, and most of that probably came down to the fact she was wearing simple flat shoes rather than her red platform stilettos, making her appear far more short than she had done the night before. She wasn't wearing makeup either, and her hair was pulled up into a top knot with only her fringe down, her large, oversized glasses finishing her face off. All of that combined made her feel as if she was a completely different person. The Lillie Sparrow from the night before had been replaced by this bare, simple woman, someone who didn't stand out at all, someone no one would expect had captivated an audience with her music not even twenty four hours previous.

Lillie loved the way she was when she performed, but when she had to go back to her normal self, she found herself picking out her faults. She wasn't as outgoing as she was on stage, or as confident, as bright and bubbly. Instead, she felt almost dowdy, basic, almost as if she was inferior, but to what, she wasn't sure. She could become a whole different person when she performed, a person she liked, and all Lillie wanted to do was combine the two, become that person she almost admired in her day to day life. However, at that time, it didn't seem like something she could do, so she carried on working, sifting through the men's section shirts, her mind still stuck on last night, the thought of meeting Queen stuck at the centre. She found it almost amusing how she had met them at her best, appearance wise, personality wise, but heaven forbid they see her like this, in this version of herself she barely liked.

It was that exact moment that Lillie glanced up towards an approaching customer with her perfect customer service smile, only to realise it was two approaching customers, both being a part of the group she spent the night before with. As the realisation hit her that Freddie Mercury and Brian May were walking over to her, Lillie felt as if she wanted to hide, her worst fear suddenly coming true. It wasn't like she could hide though, as whilever they were in the shop they were customers, and it was her job to serve them; shit.

For some reason, she found herself more anxious at being in front of Brian rather than Freddie, the complete opposite of how she expected herself to feel. Freddie Mercury was the focus of Queen, and Lillie knew more about him than she knew about Brian, but yet there she was, desperate for the guitarist not to see her in her day-to-day persona, wanting to preserve the reputation she'd set for herself last night. She wasn't sure why she felt like that, but maybe it was something to do with the buzz she'd felt around him last night, the nervous butterflies reappearing.

"Lillie, darling!" Freddie greeted as they finally approached and she found the courage to step out from the railings she'd been hiding behind.

Freddie pulled her into a hug, and Lillie glanced around nervously to make sure her manager wasn't around and watching. Brian, meanwhile, stood off to the side, almost as if he was lost and not quite sure what he was doing there, which was odd, considering the outing had been his idea. Freddie didn't find it odd though, he knew what the guitarist was like around women, and his momentary act of courage in suggesting going to her work had come and gone.

It was a surprise to both men that Brian was actually interested in Lillie, considering he never showed much interest in any women, a source of much teasing from Roger. Whilst the other lads had girlfriends, fiancés, or love affairs, Brian kept to himself, and when the moment did arise for him to show interest in a girl or a relationship, it was short lived. No one really matched up to his passions, no one sharing his interests in music, science or even animal rights, and so no one really seemed to hold Brian's focus. Lillie, however, had captivated him. He'd been unable to keep his mind off her, his thoughts stuck on the way she sang, the way she played, the way she laughed, the way she smiled. He'd thought maybe it had been a one off, his instant attraction to the girl, hence why he suggested the shopping trip to Freddie, thinking he'd see her and realise it was all the adrenaline of the night, the alcohol mixed with the fun of the night.

He'd been wrong though, as the moment he caught sight of her from the other side of the store, Brian felt as if he'd been hit by a tonne of bricks. There was that nervous buzz, that electric current drawing him to her. In the back of his mind, he thought seeing her in everyday might make him see reality, but if anything, she looked more beautiful than she had done the night before. It wasn't a fluke, it was real, and the realisation that Brian might just have a crush on his bandmate's best friend was the final straw to the bravery he'd plucked up to go and see her. Maybe he was smitten with her, maybe he did quite like her, but he daren't say anything that would ruin it, his usual nerves taking over.

"What are you guys doing here?" Lillie greeted the two, and Brian could tell she was as overwhelmed with the whole thing as he was. "I can't really stop to chat, I'm already on a warning and I'm not due for my break for another hour,"

"Deacy told us you worked here," Freddie shrugged slightly, and Brian had to hold back a laugh as he heard her mutter out a curse about her best friend under her breath. "I tried to tell Brian this was a bad idea, but he refused to listen to me,"

"Thanks, Fred," Brian muttered, looking at the floor for a moment, embarrassed, until his gaze finally flicked up to Lillie, their eyes meeting.

As there eyes met, Lillie felt a sense of endearment wash over her, seeing the tall man flush bright red in shame at being exposed by his friend. He'd wanted to come and see her, he'd been thinking of her, just as she'd been thinking of him. It was sweet, and it momentarily made her forget her anxiety at being seen without her on-stage confidence, especially as Brian offered her a small, gentle smile. Any excited feelings she'd experienced around him the night before had settled to a low buzz of something else. Was it admiration, or was it fondness?

"Doesn't matter anyway, John's off with his girlfriend, Roger's moping about hungover, and we desperately need new clothes for concerts!" Freddie explained, taking hold of Lillie's arm, almost excitedly. "Will you help us, Lillie, dear?"

"I'm hardly going to say no, am I?" she sighed, holding back a laugh as she shook her head slightly. She hung up the remaining shirts she has holding, hoping her hug with Freddie hadn't creased them, before turning back to both men. "Right, is there anything in particular you're looking for? I know you're all quite daring when it comes to your show outfits, and we've just got a new collection out in the Women's section, I know that sounds ridiculous-"

"That's perfect! Lead the way!" Freddie exclaimed, taking hold of Lillie's arm, shooting Brian a mischievous smirk, a smirk that pretty much told Brian he knew exactly what he was thinking, knew exactly how he was feeling.

***

It turned out Lillie's suggestion of checking out the women's section had been worthwhile, considering after an hour of looking around the rails, Freddie had ran to the dressing rooms, trying on pretty much everything in the store. The entire time Lillie stuck to his side, telling him what was popular, what colours sold best, and what she thought would suit him best, all whilst Brian trailed behind the two, pretending to show an interest when really the whole time he spent watching her, admiring the way she looked when showing Freddie around.

In Brian's eyes, she looked just as beautiful as she had done the night before. Sure, she wasn't dressed as fancily with her hair and makeup done, but that didn't seem to matter to him. What attracted him to her in the first place was the way she presented herself on stage, even if she had been the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. No, to him, the electric energy she demonstrated was what made her attractive to him. Here though, it was like she was a different person, seeming almost hesitant to be herself, but when she was showing Freddie around the rails, picking out suggestions for him, he saw the same focus, the same dedication he'd seen in her eyes the night before. The way her forehead frowned ever so slightly in thought, the way her eyes lit up at Freddie's excitement, the way she breathed out small laughs in almost nervousness, the small smiles that flicked across her face every so often. Brian seemed to like everything about her, every small detail, and that thought was almost overwhelming.

Little did he know Lillie felt the same, sparing glances to the guitarist any chance she got. It was shocking enough she was helping Freddie Mercury pick out clothes, and she honestly thought in the whole situation that it would be that which was making her nervous, but no, instead it was the fact that Brian was with them. His presence made her self-conscious, not wanting to embarrass herself, desperate to appear as cool as she had done the night before, but she wasn't entirely sure why. She'd never felt that anxious buzz of butterflies before, how was she to know it was the beginning of a crush?

It was only when Freddie was in the dressing room that the two finally got the chance to talk. Brian, leaning against the wall, caught sight of Lillie running back into the dressing rooms carrying three different leotards, handing them to Freddie through the curtain before turning to Brian, shooting him a friendly grin.

"Not trying anything on, Brian?" she asked, raising her eyebrow as she let out a small sigh.

"No, I don't really need anything to be honest," he said, before plucking up the courage to tell her the truth. "I only really suggested coming so I could see you, really,"

"That's sweet," Lillie grinned, blushing the way she had done the night before, and Brian felt a smile creep onto his own face. Almost nervously, she straightened her uniform, pushing her glasses further up her face. "I'm actually really glad to see you, I had a lot of fun last night,"

"It was, I had a great time," Brian nodded. "I didn't really get chance to tell you last night, but I really loved your music. I thought your version of Misfire was way better than ours,"

"I only really picked that one to make fun of John, really," she laughed, biting her lip. "I doubt it was better than yours anyway, you guys are Queen, you're amazing!"

"John mentioned you loved the band," Brian laughed at her enthusiasm for their music, finding it quite endearing. "But no, you were amazing, you've got a real talent,"

"Thank you, Brian, you've got no idea how much that means," Lillie sighed. "But it's not talent, it's me working at it everyday. Even if my parents hate it and think guitar is a man's instrument, and that I should just settle in an office job if I can get one, music's my dream,"

At her confession, she looked down to the floor, almost ashamedly, whilst Brian frowned as he watched her. Upon hearing her words, her slight insecurities seemed to make sense to him, because of course she would be unsure of herself if she was doing something her parent's didn't want her to spend her life on; he would know. Of course, her words were merely scratching the surface of all of her hesitancy but Brian didn't have to know that, not just yet, but his small, reausring smile he offered her was enough to tell her he understood.

Brian was just about to tell her how much he understood, tell her about his own father not liking his music career over his prospects as an astrophysicist, but he didn't get the chance, not as Freddie pulled back the curtain dramatically, flaunting out of the cubicle in a silver sequined jumpsuit.

"What do you think, darlings?" he asked excitedly, twirling.

"Amazing, it actually suits you," Lillie commented, though as she spoke her gaze flicked to Brian, biting her lip as she smiled.

With that look, she seemed to say more than she could have done if their conversation hadn't have been interrupted.

***

Word count: 2790

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Hi guys thank you so much for reading!
I hope you're enjoying this fic so far, I'm loving writing it. I'm really liking the dynamics between Lillie and Brian that are developing as well as her relationship with the rest of the band.
Let me know what you think to this so far, please vote and comment and stay tuned for the next part next week!
~Olivia