Hamburg

5. The Stars Are Out Tonight

    "Who's gonna drive us home?" Ringo asked, staring down at the copious tiny, empty glasses upon the dark, wooden counter. His vision was loopy and he imagined that George's couldn't have been any better, if not worse, since he had consumed more.

    "We walk it," said George. "Like we walked it here."

     "I can't even walk," said Ringo.

    "It's not fair depending on someone else... if we got ourselves where we did. If we can do it, we can also undo it."

    Ringo took a drag from his cigarette, his brows furrowed together in concentration. He exhaled. "Surely not. We smoke and we get lung cancer. We can't unsmoke and get rid of the cancer, can we?"

    "No, but we didn't smoke to get cancer, did we."

    "But we know it quite well that it can kill us. It says so on the packet."

    "Aye but cancer is a disease," said George.

    "So what?" Ringo said.

    "I was talking about," George said, searching his surroundings for the rest of the sentence. "I forgot what I was talking about."

    "You said, if we can do something, we can also undo it."

    "Did I?"

    "Fuck off," Ringo shook his head.

"Get off it, Rings," George said. "Don't have to be so sulky."

"Sulky?" said Ringo. "Who's sulking? You're just pissed off you're head, you are!"

"Am not," George crossed his arms over his chest defensively, almost childishly.

Ringo disappeared mentally for a moment though he didn't realise it until he found George inches away from his face saying, "What are you staring at?"

"Staring?" said Ringo.

"Yeah, at me."

"You wish," Ringo nearly stumbled on his words but made it across with mere scratches. "You're just pissed off your head."

"Right," George rolled his eyes, nearly laughing at himself for this new found sass. "Least I'm not in Rory Storm's band."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ringo said. "He's a good man, Rory you know."

"Well, he's always pissed!"

Ringo wanted to respond but he caught his eye on George's mouth and something happened inside him. He was frozen.

"You see?" said George, pointing at Ringo's blue eyes. "You're doing it again!"

"Doing what?!"

"Sterrringg!"

"What?"

"Yeah, you're staring at me, Ringo," George smiled smugly. Something about Ringo made him want to have arms wrapped around him.

Ringo laughed, defeated. Noticing himself. He shook his head and changed the subject, "How old are you anyway, Harrison?"

"Old enough to marry but, unfortunately Richard, it isn't within our rights to do so. Since you're a little man and all."

"You could pass for a lady though, wouldn't you."

"Aye maybe but when they lift up your skirt, you know-"

"Why would anyone lift up your skirt, you'd be my wife!"

"Getting protective already, husband?"

Ringo could feel warm fluid overtake the surface just under the skin on his face.

The bar-tender leaned in over the wooden counter, a tall lady, slightly muscular physique and hypnotising green eyes, "We're closing up lads, take your wedding outside."

George laughed so hard, Ringo turned into a raisin. The woman winked at Ringo and strolled off. Ringo could hardly remember whether he had legs or not.

They strolled off under the deep blue sky once more, the cold slashing them like daggers. The rain had stopped, just a sky full of stars scattered in constellations.

George didn't know what he was doing, in all honesty. He looked around him, ensuring that no one was around and that it was dark enough. He brushed his arm against Ringo's and felt the other shiver just slightly.

George looked at him and said, "Ringo,"

Ringo hummed in response, his eyes returning to the glistening pair of lips again.

"Hold me."

Before Ringo could figure out just how he would "hold" him or how George wanted to be "held", George's face dug into Ringo's shoulder. His taller body tilting down and leaning in close, his nose against Ringo's neck. He flushed and wrapped his arms around him. He didn't know if this was the right thing to do but took his chances. And soon he realised, when the warmth took over, that he didn't want to let go.

"Ringo?" whispered George.

"Yeah?"

"This isn't strange okay?" he said. "I'm just a little pissed is all."