Empty swimming pools ✓

4. The city

It's the moment of complete confusion. His throat is so dry and eyelids heavy so he doesn't bother opening them yet. He groans and moves his tired body in a more comfortable position only realising that he still has his jeans on. What happened last night? 

The headache is an answer to his question - he got wasted. The next one is - in which stranger's bed did he end up this time? But the jeans are still on him so ...  What the hell?

He has to open his eyes. It takes a few minutes for the blurry room to come into focus. The agonizing throbbing in his head is real. He turns his body slowly and very cautiously so as to not further the strength of the pounding. Lying next to him just an arm reach away is this beautiful man with feather-like eyelashes and soft golden-brown hair on white pillow in his deepest sleep.

It is William. And oh my God the headache just got worse. He looks at him again, the sunlight that peaks through curtains makes his skin glow - tanned and perfect. It glints in his hair and makes that gold too, like honey - he is blindingly beautiful. Damn. Is he dreaming? He wrenches his eyes away. What the fuck happened?

He can't remember much or anything really. He remembers William obviously and the bar and endless rounds but William here in his bed, no. He reaches down under the duvet just to check again his jeans and he glances at William's body, yes, he is also dressed, wearing jeans and t-shirt that clings so tight to his body. Fuck, he doesn't remember William taking his hoodie off last night, he is positive that he would remember how fucking sexy this man looks without it.

He reaches for the glass of water, his moves are careful and slow but William makes noise from the other side of the bed, and Lennon shuts his eyes in frustration. He's usually not embarrassed by anything but now he's pretty sure he will have to face it. William reaches for him.

"You alright?" His morning voice and worried tone cures Lennon's headache a little.

"I'm... yeah... I think so. What happened?" he jumps right into it, if he made an idiot of himself he wants to know.

"You were, well, drunk." he yawns and stretches his arms above his head. "Like a lot drunk," he laughs. "And everyone left so I had to bring you here. Which was a mission itself." William speaks slowly reaching for his phone.

"Fuck. William, I'm so sorry. Why didn't you call Liam? You should've just left me there and gone home, Jorja or the lads would have picked me up."

"Oh no believe me they wouldn't, they all just fucked of. You told them they should go because we have some important stuff to discuss alone." Lennon closes his eyes in embarrassment and William just chuckles. "It was only you and me in the end, I couldn't just leave you alone."

"I'm sorry. Shit."

"Stop saying you're sorry it's what anyone normal would do," William speaks like it's nothing while typing on his phone still lying in the bed.

"Thank you so much, I'm an idiot. And you stayed the night when you probably had stuff to do... I'm ... Oh fuck, you told me you have work in the morning! What's the time now?"

"Well.. It's half past eleven. I had a rehearsal at nine. It's fine. I messaged them it's not a big deal."

"Shit. Wait, rehearsal? Erm..."

"You don't remember where I work, do you? We talked about it last night."

"Yeah...I... I kind of remember."

"Where do I work, Lennon? " William is teasing him and barely containing his laughter.

"You're enjoying my misery too much."

"Yeah I am,"  he smiles at Lennon. "I work on Broadway."

Lennon is boyishly covering his head with the duvet because he actually doesn't want to be making a fool of himself anymore. Why does he care so much about ruining this man's day? He only met him last night. He's met random people in his life before embarrassing himself countless times and really didn't care. He has to apologize, it's Liam's friend after all. It's the least he can do.

"William, I'm sorry one more time, " he says quietly still under the cover and William snorts, moving the duvet from Lennon's face.

"Stop it. Go and shower you fool, you are evaporating alcohol. I'm gonna be on my way."

"No, stay!" Lennon raises his raspy morning voice and props himself on his elbows. The loud voice makes William flinch in surprise. "I'm going to shower but you stay. What I mean is I'm gonna make it up to you, please, I cannot just let you go after all you've done for me." Lennon is rambling now. "Also I definitely want to hear everything about you working on Broadway, because, wow, I can't believe I don't remember that fact about you." He's getting up and looking lost searching for something around a semi-dark hotel room, just a few rays of light managing to light up the space.

"Here. My airplane ticket. Let's see.. My flight is at eleven tonight. And I presume you're off for the day. Thanks to this asshole." Lennon is theatrically pointing at himself making William chuckle from the bed.

"So Mister Hamilton-Smith you're mine for the afternoon and I will make it up to you." William studies him from the bed, a whisper of a smile nudging the corner of his lips. "Shhh no, shut up! I won't take no for an answer."

"Oh dear, you're stubborn sober as much as drunk. " William rolls his eyes but he's very amused by this hangover Lennon.

"I'll be done in a second. Don't leave William." Lennon shouts closing the bathroom door behind him.

Shower makes him feel better but he just wants to finish up as soon as possible so he can go back and be in William's presence. That man is so genuinely nice and amazing, he has to make sure he doesn't hate him because of last night's escapade. When he leaves the bathroom a big white towel around his waist, droplets of water running down his tattooed body William is staring.

"What?" Lennon interrupts his thoughts.

"What what?" William is caught. Lennon smiles.

"You're staring. " He is pulling up his clean underwear, the towel still covering everything and then removes it after the underwear is safely on. Then he puts jeans on and an old Champion sweatshirt a bit wrinkled from being days in his suitcase.

"No I wasn't. You just look... funny with your hair wet like that." William smiles nervously and shakes it off. "So where are you taking me? Do you know you're way around the city?"

"You'll see. I was here quite a few times visiting Liam. Do you want one of my clean hoodies? That one looks like shit." Lennon sees William's green hoodie from last night on the floor.

"Ok, if you don't mind. Yeah.. it stinks of all the beer we spilled. Cheers."

"Not a problem. Here, try this one, size should be ok. And I will give yours to Liam, you don't want to carry it with you now. I will see him when he comes to the UK in a few days." Lennon hands him a simple black hoodie from his suitcase and after picking up his phone, rings and wallet they're out.