Break Me One More Time [McLennon]

in which john sulks

After Paul had eaten a sandwich and had some water, and a doctor who spoke barely any English came and told him that "he vill continue breathing", Paul went to sleep.

When he and John woke the next morning, they both got dressed, brushed their hair and their teeth, then headed downstairs to the dining hall where breakfast was served. They spotted a circular table toward the middle of the room where Brian, George, and Ringo were seated with a man that they didn't recognize (well, John didn't recognize him, anyway).

"Ah, John! Paul!" Brian beamed as they sat down. "How're you feeling?"

The question was obviously meant for Paul so John just looked at him. Paul nodded. "Much better, Brian." He smiled. "Thank you."

"Okay, boys," Brian grinned. "I'd like to introduce to Mr. George Martin. He's a producer and he's said that he has an interest in you. Mr. Martin, this is Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Richard Starkey."

"Pleased to meet you," George smiled.

"Really great to meet you," Paul grinned and John nodded in agreement, waving his hand awkwardly.

"Please, call me Ringo," Ringo reached over and shook George Martin's hand. "Everyone else does."

"It's fantastic to meet all of you," George Martin clasped his hands together. "I'm really looking forward to hopefully working with you boys, and soon I hope! Maybe, if we could work out a deal in the best couple of days before I go back to England...?"

"We can have contracts written up right away," Brian nodded. "That is, if the boys agree with what you want to do..."

Geogre Martin nodded and look around at Paul, John, George, and Ringo. "Boys, I'd like to offer you a record deal. I want you to come in to Abbey Road studios in January and record an album, which I could have released to the public by the end of March."

"Are you serious?" John grinned.

"I am, indeed." George Martin nodded with a smile.

"Well, that'd be brilliant!" Ringo said.

"Seriously, absolutely wonderful!" George laughed joyously.

Paul grinned. "That'd be amazing.." He said. He couldn't believe this was happening again. He was going to be a Beatle again! He was about to live the best years of his life again!

"Brilliant! I want at least ten songs for recording, and we'll go into the recording studio in January." George Martin grinned. "Right now I really have to run, but I'll see you boys in a couple months and I'll ring you soon, Mr. Epstein. Goodbye." He waved, and then he was off.

"Right, we should order some breakfast," Brian said, picking up the menu that dat in front of him. "What are you boys having?"

"Waffles," George said quickly. "They sound amazing."

"I think I'll just have some fruit," Paul said, staring at the menu for a few moments. When he looked up, though, everyone at the table was staring at him pointedly. "Uh, you know, on second thought, George is right. Waffles would be grand."

~~~

Over the next couple months, John, Paul, George, and Ringo worked feverishly trying to get enough songs soften for the album. They chose a few covers (such as A Taste of Honey and Twist and Shout). John and Paul kept perking in that song that John had started months earlier, Please Please Me (you know, the one that Paul already knew all of the lyrics to...just like every other song they were working on).

John decided that Do You Want to Know a Secret? was a great sing for the album and Paul agreed with him, obviously, and encouraged him to pitch the sing to Brian and George Martin. So when they went into the recording studio in January to begin recording, he did just that. The thing was...

"It's a wonderful song, John," Brian said. "We just think it might be better suited for George."

"Wha- but - I don't - what?!" John was not happy, to say the very least. When he and Paul stumbled into their flat at nearly two in the morning, after the album had been fully recorded, John was still sulking over the song.

"John, it's okay," Paul smiled and hugged him. "George sang it wonderfully."

"But I wrote that song," John pouted. "About you."

"I know," Paul said and he smiled, looking into John's eyes and running his hands through his hair. "It'll be our secret, yeah?"

John sighed. "Yeah, I suppose.."

Paul's smile widened. He pecked John's lips and put an arm around his boyfriend's waist. "Come on, my love.. Let's get some sleep."

~~~