This Boy - Mclennon

Chapter 34: This Boy

~Paul's~

He was sentenced.

15 years in prison with no chance of parole for 10 years.

We drank a lot that night.

Back at home, everybody was all smiles. Mike was running around the house, chanting "the big bad wolfey is gone!" over and over again. It was quite adorable. John was trying his absolute best to stay with me, but there were a lot of people around. George, his family, Ritchie and his mother, Mimi, and a few of our school mates. I was already drunk when John found me sitting on the front step outside smoking a cigarette.

"Macca?" He questioned as he sat down next to me. I looked over at him with glossy eyes. "Ello, handsome." I smiled at the sight of him. "Shh, love. People can hear us." John warned quietly as he lit his own cigarette. "T'hell with them all, I'm in love - and it's a beautiful day!" I jumped up onto my feet and pulled him up by the hand, pulling him in close. "Paul," John had a tense tone in his voice. "No, don't stop me, not now," I mumbled into his shoulder. He took charge and put his hands on my hips, quickly glancing around before guiding us beside a big tree, hiding beneath the light of the moon. "John," I mumbled again, this time my lips found their way to his neck. "Johnny... Johnny," I began kissing up to his jawline. "Want you.. no, need you," I moaned, bucking my hips into his. "Paul, not now... baby, no.." John's voice was scarce and hardly heard. I kept kissing at his neck. "Fuck... need you, too, baby," John pushed me hard against the tree, his hands slowly moving from my hips down around my arse.

"Paul?" A soft voice called. We both jumped nearly fifty feet in the air and unfortunately, away from each other. We peaked around the tree to see Mike standing in the doorway, pyjamas on, sucking on his thumb. "Mikey," I adjusted my trousers to hide my stiffness, and approached him. "Told ye t'stop suckin that thumb. You'll loose it, mate." I smiled down at him. "I'm sleepy," he informed me. "Auntie can take you t'bed." I told him, brushing a few pieces of hair out of his eyes. "No, I want you and John, to.." he pointed at John, who's frustrated face quickly softened at the words. "Okay, Mike." I scooped him up onto my hip and went up the stairs to Mike's bedroom, John close behind. I lied Mike down in bed. "So he's gone," Mike said through a yawn. "Yes, love. He's gone." John answered for me, knowing I was too drunk to have a serious conversation about such things. "Thank you." Mike said, eyes beginning to fade shut. "For what?" I asked, tucking him in gently. "Protectin' me," he barely got the words out before he was asleep. I sighed and looked up at John, who's eyes were already locked on me with a proud look spread across his face.

John took my hand and helped me out of the dimly lit room, and back downstairs to the party. "Mike's gone to bed!" John warned everybody. "Aye," I agreed, noticing his fingers still laced with mine. I quickly pulled them away before anybody could notice, and thankfully, they did not.

"Oi! A celebratory shot is in order, isn't it?!" George called from the kitchen counter, pouring a line of small glasses full to the brim. I smiled widely and skipped over to him. "I think you might be right on that, Geo!" I slumped over the counter and stared at the line of drinks. "Mm, husbands givin' ye a look, mate." George said under his breath. I turned around and looked for John's face amongst the crowd, and my drunken eyes would not focus enough to find him. "Ah, well!" I grabbed a glass and slammed it back, feeling a burn in my throat. I quickly set it down and grabbed another. I pointed this one up in the air over my head, gesturing with my head for George to grab one as well, and he did. "Fuck you, Jim!" I yelled as we clinked glasses. Everybody cheered, and we slammed the drinks back. It didn't take long for my stomach to flip, though. I could feel the drinks coming back up. "Bloody hell!" I yelped and pushed my way through my company, and ran for the loo.

I hugged the toilet and spilled all of the alcohol I'd drank out of my stomach. I felt a hand on my lower back, rubbing in circles. "Macca, I'm here... Right here, babe." John's voice soothed me. "People, they're.." I tried to tell him to get back to our company, but I was rudely interrupted by my stomach evacuating more alcohol.

"Shh, babe, I sent them home. S'just us."

...

The next morning I was completely and utterly fine. I expected a mean hangover due to the fact that the last thing I remembered was vomiting. But, I cleared my system and woke up even before John. I rolled over and saw his beautiful face. His auburn hair fell into his eyes, almost covering them completely. I brushed the hair out of his eyes, and thankfully, his eyes opened. Slowly, sure. But they opened. "How are you feelin'?" John asked as he stretched his arms up above his head. "Bloody great, surprisingly." I chuckled. He brought his arms down around me, and pulled me in, so our bare chests were touching. "Are you happy?" I asked, looking into his eyes, our noses nearly touching. "I'm very happy, Paul. Are you happy?" He asked, not breaking our gaze. "Yes, Johnny." I smiled, leaning in and pressing our lips together gently. "My my, Macca. Look at you now." John gave me a quick once over. "What do you mean?" I hid my face in his neck, feeling my cheeks go bright red.

"You grew..." John began, placing a quick kiss on my head. "Ye went through hell, and came out on the other side a stronger, better man. You're raising yer younger brother, y'know, and he's going to be such a great man. Ye allowed me to be here with ye along the way, and I gotta tell ya babe..." John stopped and positioned himself to look into my eyes again.

"This boy is glad."