On Loving Paul [McLennon]

Flashbacks

On that same cold day in December, John was sitting alone in his flat while Yoko was out. Except he was many, many, many miles away in New York. As far away as he was from Paul, though, there was roughly the same amount of snow outside.

He was lounging in the sofa with the radio in when his new song began to play and he sighed... He missed Paul so much and he knew that Yoko thought the song was about her.

When the song was over he let his eyes flutter shut as the next song began to play.

John remained there in his relaxed state of mind for a long while... That was until Elvis began to play the phone Beth's to ring.

He got to his feet and crossed the room, switching the radio off and picking up the phone. "Hello?" He said.

"You idiot!" Said the voice of a great man whom he hadn't seen in many months. "You complete and utter idiot! What the fuck were you thinking?! What could have possibly possessed you to think that releasing that song to the public was a good idea?"

John frowned. "Well hello to you, too, George."

George huffed. "John Winston Lennon, do you realize what you've done?!"

"What have I done, Georgie?" John sighed.

"You've just broken Paul's heart," George said, trying to calm himself down even though he was absolutely fuming. "Again! He's going to think that song was for Yoko, you know! Ugh! I don't have to tell you this, you know that. You're just to ignorant and stubborn to admit it."

"In case you've forgotten, my relationship with Paul is no longer an existing concern." John said.

"But I am still concerned about Paul," George said.

"So am I but I can't exactly call him up and check on him, now, can I."

"John, just pick up the phone and call him." George huffed again and John could practically see him rolling his eyes. "He still loves you and you obviously still love him or you would have tossed that song in the rubbish bin a long time ago so why don't you just give up this stubborn ass act of yours and admit that you still lo- "

"Love," John cut him off sharply. "Has just about nothing to do with the situation. Actually, I take that back. It has everything to do with the situation. I'm doing this, I did this, not because I don't love him anymore but because I love him too much."

"Too much for what? For who, John? You? Are you scared of your feelings all of a sudden?"

"You know why I did this, George,"

"No, I don't." George sighed. "Paul does. He told me he does. He said that you told him on the day we broke up the band - or, should I say, you broke up the band. But you never told me or Ringo or anyone except for Paul and the way he tells the tale you took a hell of a long time to get around to that."

"I - I thought it was obvious," John said, taken aback.

"Well, it isn't!"

John blinked and took a deep breath. "George, I love him too much for his own good. He deserves a life that he doesn't have to hide. He deserves to have a wife and kids. He wanted a family and now he's got that!"

"YOU WERE HIS FAMILY!" George shouted angrily, something he rarely did. "YOU WERE HIS FUCKING FAMILY! YOU AND ME AND RINGO WERE HIS FAMILY AND WE COULD HAVE GONE ON LIKE THAT, JOHN, BUT YOU RUINED IT!!"

"HE DOESN'T NEED ME!!" John bellowed. "HE IS BETTER WITHOUT ME!"

George was silent for several moments. When he spoke again at long last, he wasn't shouting and he didn't sound particularly angry. He just sounded....disgusted? No. Not even that. He sounded so....disappointed. "John, I want you to think back to a particular date and year... July sixth of 1957."