Empty swimming pools ✓

40. Everlong

Lennon walks out of the pristine townhouse in Belgravia he just had his appointment in, inhales a deep and necessary gulp of air and puts his sunglasses on. This is his third session with his therapist and he is finally past that awkward stage where he doesn't want to share the ugliest moments of his past with a complete stranger. It doesn't feel good, it is not easy but it's making him feel lighter, like all the bad stuff he has on his mind he can leave in that room. Therapy doesn't make him weak, it takes a strong man to admit he needs help, William told him once, and he often repeats that to him, how strong and brave he is for trying to take care of his mental health.

After another deep breath, the tension unwinds some and he lets the warm air of London wash over him. He reaches his car and once inside he taps the address William sent him into his GPS. It's where his recently purchased apartment is and it's the first time Lennon will see it.

He doesn't know how to feel about that. For the past month since they became boyfriends William's been spending almost every night in Lennon's house with the exception of a few times when he went to his sister's or when Lennon worked with the band on their new album in Nate's studio which usually means an all-nighter. And then there was one night when Lennon decided to sleep over at Sam's house because he felt guilty that suddenly all of his free time is dedicated to William. He doesn't want him to feel excluded, Sam rarely ever came to his house anymore, and there's a strange feeling inside his chest that he is losing his best friend since the things with William became official.

But the reason why Lennon is wary about William buying a flat for himself is that he fears it means that William doesn't want to spend time with him. Yes, it's irrational. Yes, he is still very much insecure. But just because he's never been happier and he's afraid to lose it. He wants to be with him all the time. Now that he's finally learning how to love, and more importantly how to love himself, he is scared that this change will disrupt his fairytale and burst his bubble.

After parking the car just across the street from the entrance to the building he scans the busy area of Soho in Central London. The media had more than enough of Lennon's face lately and he could do without paparazzi today. Even though he never really tried to hide himself before or care what the world would think about his business, now he is being a bit more careful. Because the public doesn't know about his relationship with William yet. They are not hiding it, a lot of people in the industry know, especially when William waits for Lennon in the studio to finish his recording sessions or when Lennon has his friends over and William is at the house. But they both want to keep it away from prying eyes of general public who would surely manage to complicate their current bliss. There is always speculation on social media about if they are dating or not, sometimes there's a picture taken of them, but nothing that would imply they are anything more than just mates hanging out. That's why he is not that much worried if someone does take a picture of him entering William's building, he is never going to confirm or deny anything.

He hurriedly crosses the street, the sunlight reflecting back off of the glass window of the modern building blinds him as he appreciates rare summer days like this. He enters the building and goes to the private lift and soon after he is in front of the door that William deliberately left open for him and walks inside. That perfect million dollar smile flies his way when he sees him and Lennon can't help but smile back. He can't help loving him more and more every day.

"Hey."

"Hi. Wow." He looks around. "This is...amazing. Charlotte had to do something with this?"

The light is flowing freely inside the large living room through the floor-to-ceiling windows. There's no curtains or blinds yet to stop it. The penthouse is immensely. A sea of white carpet stretches as far as the gigantic sliding glass doors on the opposite side. Cream-hued leather couches, plush club chairs and steel-framed glass tables and shelves are arranged in the vast living room area.