May I request selective mutism Brian where he goes an entire day without speaking at all? The boys don't know he has selective mutism and they all assume he's going crazy, but the next day he's talking perfectly fine?
The more anxious Brian is, the less likely he can talk.
On the day the boys and him find out of they’ll be signed to the label of their dreams, his anxiety is practically leaking from his pores. He could barely sleep and eating was out of the question with how his stomach kept flopping. He had a feeling his speech would be non existent by the time he made it over to meet with the other 3.
He was right.
Freddie playfully asked him if he was nervous, able the sheer terror on his face. Brian opened his mouth to say yes but his vocal cords just froze instead. He nodded, playing it off as nerves.
John sometimes got chatty when he was nervous. He wandered over to Brian and talked his ear off about labels and how they worked, as if Brian didn’t already know. Nervous habit of John’s. Brian could only smile and nod, sometimes making a surprised face to keep John under the impression that he cared. He would’ve told the bassist to go talk to Roger, but he had no words. He had to stand there for 15 minutes of nonsense. John tired himself out and went to go find Freddie to talk to. Thank god.
Roger was always quiet when anxious. Brian went to him and sat down next to him, hoping they could stay in silence.
“Scared?” Roger asked.
Brian nodded.
“Me too. But I think we’re good enough to be worth their consideration. I think we’ve got this,” Roger said.
Brian couldn’t even hum in agreement, his vocal cords were so tight. He nodded again.
Roger left it at that.
Brian seemed to be in the clear until after they got the phone call.
They were signed.
Everyone was screaming and cheering and Brian could only clap and bounce.
“We did it, lads!” Freddie said.
“My god, I can’t believe we really pulled it off!” Roger said, holding his head.
“Good lord, we actually did it,” John said, all dazed out.
And Brian said nothing, continuing his clapping hoping no one would notice.
Freddie noticed. He always noticed.
“Brian! Say something, love! Are you that shocked?”
Brian nodded, mussing his hair up to play up the shock.
“Luvvys! Brian’s at a loss for words!” Freddie announced. The boys awwed at him, pulling him into multiple hugs.
It got worse when they went out to drink. The “shock” could only last for so long.
“What do you want?” Roger asked, going to order for the whole table. Brian shrugged. He wanted some wine, but he couldn’t say it. Even with the fear gone, his voice refused to return to him. Typical.
Roger looked at him funny but left anyways to get their drinks.
Meanwhile, Freddie was gushing about what this would mean for the band. “Imagine the pay we’ll get. Oh my god. Brian, what will be the first thing you’ll buy?”
Uhhhhhh.
Brian pretended to think and then laughed silently. He shrugged cluelessy, trying to convey that there were far too many things to consider.
“Wouldn’t you buy a fancy telescope or something?” John asked, remembering vaguely a time where Brian said that was his dream purchase.
Brian pointed at John, as if to say, you’re right!
“Use your words, darling, you’re a big boy!”
Uh oh.
Brian frowned and pointed to his throat.
“Oh. Sore throat? Why didn’t you say so? Oh, I guess you couldn’t. Hah!”
And it was dropped just like that.
Until the next day.
“Some sore throat you have,” John commented to the chatty Brian. Brian flushed.
“Miracle recovery?”
“Mhm.”
He’d explain another day...