Take a sad song and make it better

Chapter twenty five

"So..." John began. Paul eyed him curiously from where he sat, perched upon his bed.

"Band practice is today." He informed Paul as nonchalantly as possible, as if commenting on the weather.

"So?" Paul asked.

"I want you to come. It's time to get back into the swing of things." John replied in his responsible adult voice.

"Oh... I dunno Johnny..." Paul murmured, chewing his thumbnail, a habit that John found both endearing and off putting at the same time.

"I don't wanna... Talk about any of it y'know? Plus Dad's not home, who's gunna look after the baby?" He pointed out logically.

"If anyone brings up Dot or that I'll pummel 'em right? And as for Mary, she can stay with Mimi, I already asked her and she said it was fine. Gone right soft she has 'cause of her."

Paul was silent, deep in thought for a full minute until finally he let out a defeated sigh.

"Fine. I guess its better to just jump straight back into things..." Paul muttered. John grinned a victorious grin before pulling the younger boy from his seat and taking him tightly in his arms and kissing him fiercely.

Paul mellowed instantly and his arms made there way to John's shoulders, his fingers twirling a lock of maple brown hair behind his ear, enjoying the coarse feeling of the strands.

"Thank you." John said sincerely after he pulled away.

"Yeah well, you always get your bloody way dontcha Lennon?" Paul replied with a smirk.

"'Spouse it'll be funny... Y'know, showin' up with a baby outta the blue. Pete and Stu still don't know right?" He continued, starting to see the bright side.

But John looked away guiltily.

"John..."

"Stu knows alright?" John revealed.

"What!? How the bloody hell does he know?" Paul exploded, his blood pressure soaring.

"Stu knows a lot of things..." John whispered, watching the colour drain from Paul's face, he swpre he could see Paul's pulse thumping wildly against his throat.

"What things does he know?" He asked, terrified of the answer.

"...Everything... I didn't tell him I swear Paul! Well I told him Dot was preggers but the... Other stuff he figured out on his own." John answered, finding himself slightly scared of Paul's reaction, fear was something he never felt from Paul.

"Figured out on his own!? What does that mean? We don't bloody make a show of it!"

"He ah... Heard us going at it... In his bedroom. He confronted me about it and I socked him one. Right in the face, bloody good hit if I do say so myself." John explained, smirking as he remembered punching Stuart. It really was a terrific shot.

"Oh my God... This is not happening!" Paul exclaimed, beginning to feel slightly sick in his stomach.

"He's fine with it Paul! Honestly, do you think he would be walking around unaided if he wasn't okay with it?" John reassured him.

"That not the bloody point John! The point is that he knows that I let you bugger me and he's going to use it against me." Paul said, beginning to pace in front of Mary's cot.

"I never said I told him... Any details." John mumbled.

"Of course you told him details! I know you John, I know you would have gone into very great detail." Paul growled. John's cheeks flushed lightly and he suddenly became very interested with picking lint off of his black T-shirt.