Comforting My Friend John

If I fell in love with John

"John?"

"Yeah, George?"

" 'M really sorry about Stuart. Everything will be alright eventually."

John nodded and I hugged him, rubbing his back soothingly. As I held him he began to sob and hold me tighter.

"Fuckin' queers!"

I turned to look at Paul.

"What?"

"Queers!"

"Yeh loved John!"

"Yeah but tha' fuckin' whore Stuart stole 'im from me!"

"Paul!"

John looked up.

" 'E was the love of me life and 'e jus' died. 'Ave some fuckin' curtesy!"

Paul scoffs and turns away.

"I's alright Johnny. I'll take care of ye!"

"Ta Georgie."

I nodded and took the sleeping Georgie handing her to John before I took Shane's hand.

"C'mon, yeh can stay with me."

"We can't sleep in the same bed."

"No course not! I'll sleep on the floor"

"No, Geo..."

"John, i's fine. Now c'mon."

John was too tired to argue so he left with me, leaving to my hotel.

----------------------------------------------

The next morning the kids awoke early and I got up with them to allow John some peaceful sleep.

Georgie sat crying on the couch and Stuart wondered around digging in drawers. I sat with Georgie trying to calm her down.

"I's alright love.. Papa is only sleeping!"

I set the small child down and went upstairs to check on John. John had a tendency to get dramatic over things like this and he was one of my bestest mate's. I didn't want anything to happen to him. Besides who would take care of these two poor children.

I opened my bedroom door and found the tv on and John asleep in the bed clutching his guitar and some paper, a pen stuck behind his ear. I laughed at him and walked over to the bed. I slowly reached out to John first taking the pen and sitting it on the night stand. Then I pried the papers out of his right hand setting them on the table with the pen. Next I worked on getting the guitar from him. I gently tried to pull him up to pull the guitar strap from around his torso. John mumbled and I thought he had waken up but soon was snoring. I laughed again pulling the strap off him and setting the guitar against the wall. I threw the covers over John and shut of the bedside lamp leaving on the tv before finding my way back downstairs.

Upon reaching the living room I found the twins sitting on the floor with a bag of crisps. I shook my head laughing and walked over to them taking the back.

"No, loves. This isn't fer babies."

I set the bag on the coffee table and bent to pick up the twins.

"Come 'ed lets see what George can find fer yehs to eat."

A short while later John came out of the room showered and in a new suit.

"Sleep well?"

"Eh on and off"

"Ye were snoring away about an hour ago."

"Was I?"

"Mhm. I went in to check on ye and moved yer stuff so ye wouldn't break it."

"Oh. Tha's why everything was moved."

"I didn't mean to cause any alarm."

"No I know. Jus' thought the twins..."

"Nah, I've 'ad 'em since the got up!"

"Oh.."

John's face fell and he seemed down again.

"I feel like an awful father."

"John, yer boyfriend died last night... Ye need time to get over tha'. Till then...."

I handed him a plate with eggs, bacon and toast.

" 'M 'ere to 'elp!"

"Ta mate... Fer everything."

I smiled and sat in a chair across from him.

"Tha's wha' friends are fer mate. To 'elp when ye need it!"

"But yer more than jus' a friend aren't ye?"

"I am?!"

I looked at him confused and he looked up from his plate and smiled.

"I've thought by now ye'd think of me as an older brother like ye do Paul."

"Well.. I do actually. Yer jus'... The older mischievous brother."

"Aye. Tha' I am mate."

He laughed before continuing to eat his food.

"Aren't ye gonna eat?? Are ye sick Geo?"

"Huh? Oh no! I ate already."

"Normally yer still eating."

"Ahh well Epp's been giving me shite fer it."

He watched me skeptically before shrugging and changing the subject.

"Who's gunna watch the babies while we play?!"

I sighed.

"I dunno. Eppy?"

John nodded, speaking with a mouthful of food.

"Yeah sounds good enough. But what if 'e says no?"

I laughed and handed him a napkin.

"Does Ep ever say no to ye?"

"Yeah yer right."

We continued to sit in silence for a while as John finished eating.

That's when it hit me.

I got up and ran into the bathroom leaving a confused John at the table.