Kensington

The walls of Garden Lodge were dimly lit by the street lamps, and Lenny peered over the wall as Monica drove past, catching a glimpse of the building he'd be staying in for the next few nights.

It was so well hidden, but he caught a glimpse of the master bedroom window, which was lit.

She parked in the garage of the mews and took him in through the back entrance.

She lead him through the garden by torchlight and opened the front door with the intention of giving him a grand introduction.

But a fluffy, pretty cat with big blues eyes and a bushy cream coat and tail immediately crossed his trail, meowing as she drove into his sister's feet in the dark.

"Oh! Well, Hello Tiffany" Monica was slightly startled, but nonetheless reached down to pet her head as she purred and heat-butted her legs, "Tiffany was a gift from Freddie's ex girlfriend, now his financial advisor" she added, and proceeded to turn the key to unlock the door.

But Lenny was distracted by the splendour of the hallway; it was far from anywhere else he had been in, yet it still had a dash of warmth to it that he couldn't put his finger on.

"Freddie? Phoebe? Kids? We're back!" She called out.

He swore he heard the small voices of his niece and nephew coming from the stairwell in the background that only heightened the anticipation, but no booming singing voice he'd heard on records and the radio. Regardless, he obediently stayed on Monica's trail.

"Do you want to see the room where you'll be sleeping?" She asked.

"Oh, alright" he lifted his suitcase from his feet.

"You're in luck, you're getting the bedroom straight ahead," she smiled as she climbed up the stairs. "The bathroom is right across the corridor from you, first on the right... you'll be sharing it with the twins, I hope you don't mind."

He nodded, "Johnny and Roshni have their own bathroom?"

"Oh yes. Freddie wanted it put to good use... he also didn't want them leaving bath paint or rubber ducks in his beloved jacuzzi bath" she rolled her eyes as she reached a door, turning the knob.

"You have a jacuzzi as well?!"

She held the door back, "Oh yes... step right in."

He looked around at the plain white bedroom with a the biggest mahogany bed frame that he had ever seen sitting in the middle of it.

"I'm sorry it's so plain," she went to pull the curtains together. "Freddie doesn't know what to do with it unfortunately. We just use it to store our old bed from Stafford Terrace"

"It's huge!" He sat down on the mattress.

"Yes well, our current one is of tarantula proportions," she checked the thickness of the duvet, "Hang on a minute, I forgot to change it to the winter one. You're going to need another blanket. Let me check if the hot press has one" she rushed out of the room.

He quickly followed, and suddenly, a small naked figure with a brunette bowl haircut flashed across the corridor in front of him and into another room, a tubby, Brown haired man closely behind muttering along the lines of "Wait! Come back, it's your bath time!"

"Wow, Freddie Mercury really has let go of himself..." Lenny thought.

The man reappeared, the small boy flung over his shoulder, stretching his head away from his bare bottom, "Oh! You must be Lenny! I'm Freddie's personal assistant Peter, but you can just call me Phoebe" he held his hand out and shook, "This is Johnny, your nephew"

Lenny smiled uneasily, a little embarrassed at the fact that not only he mistook Phoebe (a nickname that he found rather strange) for Freddie Mercury, but also at such an introduction to his nephew whom he'd only seen in photographs.

"Say hello to your uncle, Johnny" Phoebe instructed, turning around as he head for the bathroom.

"Hello" the boy flashed a smile and waved over his shoulder, and indeed he looked like his father.

"Where's the other one?" Lenny rushed after them.

"Roshni is in the bath, waiting on her brother" Phoebe firmly placed Johnny into the tub next to his sister, who was sitting in the tap end looking like a drowned rat.

He was taken aback by how much of his sister that he saw in her.

"Hello," he smiled and waved from a distance, feeling like his presence was violating, "I'm just going to wait outside"

"I'm sorry about this," Phoebe apologised, handing Johnny a toy boat to keep him occupied. "I'm a bit tied up at the moment, it's their bedtime you see"

Lenny nodded silently and backed out of the bathroom, bumping into his sister, "Oh!"

"Oh, you've met them!" She smiled, folding a spare blanket in her hands.

"Yeah, bit of a bad moment but... at last!" he giggled, cheeks red.

"Why don't you wait downstairs? I'll be down in a minute to start making us something to eat," she suggested. "I wonder where on earth Freddie has gone..."

She rushed past him again, and lost for ideas, Lenny simply did as he was told and made his way back downstairs into the hallway.

But everything he was passing was curiouser and curiouser, for every few steps he took there was a cat washing itself on the carpet or a 19th century antique on display, or a record or painting on the wall.

He felt tempted to peer into the other rooms, but feared that being too nosey would anger his host.

He was startled by footsteps above his head and creaking on the stairs, thinking it was Monica.

But instead, a slender man wearing a mismatched tracksuit with a well-groomed, black moustache and a pair of striking brown eyes looked right back at him.

The creature silently hesitantly made his way down the stairs as he continued to stare.

"Hello" Lenny said quickly, forcing a smile.

There he was, the man himself. Freddie Mercury, lead singer of Queen. The man set to be his future brother-in-law.

But more significantly, the man whose heart was stolen by his own big sister.

"Well, hello," the rockstar purred, setting what appeared to be a large, thick book in his hand down on the side, crossing his arms as he approached him, "Monica never told me that her brother was such a strapping young fellow"

Freddie couldn't believe it, he was looking at a male version of Monica.

Lenny backed away as Freddie started to circle him like prey as eyes glanced up and down his figure, making him confused as to how he wasn't as shy as his sister had warned them to be.

Of course, what he didn't know is that Freddie already made a start on the after-dinner drinks right after Monica called the house to tell them she was waiting to collect Lenny at the station.

Lenny simply giggled nervously and held his hand out, "Nice to meet you at last..."

"Enchanté" Freddie took him by surprise as he kissed his hand.

"Oh, Freddie! Where were you?" Monica interrupted, rushing down the stairwell. "We didn't even see you!"

"I was just in our bedroom reading a shopping catalogue, dearie" he opened his arms.

"Whatever for?" She kissed his lips, "Have you been drinking already?!"

"Yes. But I was looking at clothes for the children for their birthday," he whispered as he changed the subject, hands on her waist. "I'll need your help later."

She smiled, "Their birthday isn't for another few months, but If you insist... so, you've already met Lenny."

"Yes, he just appeared out of nowhere" her brother stepped forward.

"I see... well, do you want to come into the kitchen and I'll find something to eat?" She let go of Freddie's hand.

"Sure" her brother quipped, now feeling uncomfortable under Freddie's gaze.

"We will be back, Lenny hasn't had anything to eat since he landed," Monica told him. "Can you help Phoebe bathe them upstairs?"

"Oh alright. Take all the time you need, my love" he answered reluctantly, but she took no notice.

He watched as she grabbed her brother's sleeve, muttering, "Come, I'll show you where the tea and coffee is if you ever want to help yourself..."

Lenny could feel Freddie's eyes track him as she lead him into the dining room.

"What an odd man" he thought, for the previous five minutes of his life were nothing short of bizarre and overwhelming.

****

"How come she has no peepee?"  Johnny squeaked as Phoebe dried his hair on his lap, and Freddie simply widened his eyes from his spot in front of the bathroom mirror as he gently combed Roshni's damp hair.

"Because Roshni is a girl" Phoebe simply answered him.

"My children are so bloody weird," he thought, pulling the vest over Roshni's head. "How come everyone else's turned out fine except mine?"

"Can I pull the plug?" His son asked.

"Go on, then" Phoebe let Johnny free from the bath towel, and he proudly made his way over to the tap end of the tub.

"Daddy, I don't like the sound, a monster lives down there!" Roshni gripped her father's leg, burying her face into his grey sweatpants.

"What monster, darling?" He reached down and rubbed her head affectionately.

"The sound of the water, it's a monster!" she pointed towards the bath tub, a pout on her face.

"I think she means the echo of the water draining down the plug hole" Phoebe added.

"Well, alright then. Let's get you dressed for bed," Freddie muttered as he gently pushed her forward, towards the doorway. "Out you go, little one"

He followed her as she skipped out of the bathroom.

For the past half hour as he sat on the toilet seat as his children played and splashed in the tub he could not stop thinking about how good-looking Monica's family were. Something about Lenny made his heart skip a beat, but of course not as much as Monica did.

Meanwhile, downstairs in the kitchen, Monica was clearing up after a meal of pasta and red sauce that she'd cooked for her and her brother, "Did you like it?"

"It's not as good as mam's version, but it was fine." he smirked from his stool at the breakfast bar.

"Oh, give it a rest" she picked his plate up.

He chuckled, "You were missing the bayleaf"

"I don't like adding them in," she put the ware into the sink. "I forget about them and then I accidentally blend them into the sauce."

"That's why you try and remember" he joked sarcastically.

She shot him a glare before switching the hot tap on.

"Ahh Mo, I'm sorry," he got up. "At least let me help with that."

"I'm not mad" she made room for him at the sink.

Freddie heard voices as he was passing the kitchen when heading for the piano room, hoping to surprise their guest with music.

He watched from the door frame as Monica and Lenny stood at the sink with their backs to him, making jokes and playfully backstabbing one another.

"So... I forgot to mention earlier that you gave up on the sideburns" she spoke up.

"Turns out sideburns weren't a good look for me... shaved them off not long after" he answered.

"Mmhm, I told you so... They certainly looked like pubes on your face when you started growing them"

"Fucks' sake, wise up!" He scoffed and splashed her.

"Hey!!" She started batting the damp tea towel at him in defence. "Don't speak to your big sister like that, Leonard!"

He laughed, then shot back, "Yeah, well let's not forget about how you used to straighten your hair with mam's clothing iron, little Mo!"

Freddie let out a loud snort, blowing his cover.

Monica spun around, red faced.

"A clothing iron? Dearie me..." the man approached the flustered woman.

"It was ages before I met you!" She protested as Lenny chortled with laughter.

Two small footsteps suddenly pattered in, Phoebe in tow, "Are we interrupting something?"

"Not at all, no" Monica smiled as her children ran to her legs.

"We want nesquick for supper" they chimed.

"Alright, as long as you both promise to brush your teeth," Monica reached the overhead cupboard for the chocolate powder mix in the small yellow tub, and Johnny and Roshni let out a cheer as Freddie hauled them both up onto the stools at the breakfast bar. "Phoebe, can you please grab the milk?"

"I'm on it" he headed towards the fridge and took the milk bottle.

"So tell me more about this clothing iron thing" Freddie went to her side.

"There's not much else to say. Every girl was doing it" she laughed.

"Well, I'm glad you stopped," he kissed her lips, running a hand through her hair instinctively. "I wouldn't like a hippy for a girlfriend"

"You did have a hippy girlfriend," she let out when they broke. "What about Mary?"

"She wasn't a hippy, she was just following trends like any other Biba girl" he defended.

"Did the other Biba girls fat-shame customers too?" She muttered lowly under her breath and got two cups, then handed them to Phoebe, "You straightened your hair too, you know... and you worshipped Hendrix"

Freddie blushed as Lenny laughed, "I know, and I looked bloody awful"

"What's wrong with Jimi Hendrix?" Her brother defended.

"Exactly!" Freddie remarked.

"Nothing!" She threw her hands up. "I'm just saying that you were a bit of a hippy chick magnet back in the day!"

He slipped his arms around her and murmured seductively, "And am I a magnet for you?"

She giggled, "I suppose."

Johnny and Roshni both let out a repulsed whine, "Eughhhhh!!"

Freddie grinned, letting go of their mother and storming towards them, booming "What?! Don't you two want to know where you both came from?"

They squealed and leapt off the stools, running from a cackling Freddie's arms and out the kitchen door.

"Wait, what about your nesquick?!" Phoebe pointed to the microwave as Freddie chased after them, vanishing.

Monica shook her head as she heard their footsteps thundering up the stairwell, "I'll take it up to them... could you please escort Lenny to the lounge and offer him something to drink?"

"Of course, would you like to follow me?" Phoebe turned to her brother.

"Yeah, please" he nodded and quickly followed him out...

...He was going to need something to ease him if he was going to stay in a household like this.