⇾ 𝐈𝐓'𝐒 𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐘 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 | 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧 𝐋𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐧 𝐈𝐈

Chapter Twenty-One: You've Got Yourselves a House

April 1, 1964

After making our decision, we'd consulted the Beatles' accountants, put in an offer, gone home, and made dinner with Paul.

"So, you're moving out, then?" asked Paul over the chicken I'd cooked up that he was just finishing.

"Hopefully," said John, cracking a grin. "I've just about had enough of you."

"And I you," Paul responded.

"Respectively," John added, lifting his cup of water up into the air jokingly. "To new beginnings," he said and Paul and I lifted our cups into the air too.

"Now," said Paul. "Lovely dinner, Donna. I'm off to bed." He stood up and carried his plate over to the sink and went off towards his room.

"Perhaps we should follow," John replied, standing up and taking both of our dishes.

"Hey, John?" I asked.

"Yes, love?"

"You don't wanna—you know—talk about your dad, do you?" I inquired shyly.

He turned back towards me, taking my hand wordlessly and leading us towards our room. "Why?" he asked dryly when we'd went in and closed the door. "What's there to say? He left me and mum. There's nothing more to it."

"C'mon, John, are you sure?"

"Sure about what? That he left me? Of course I'm bloody sure, Donna. You can't be around me and not be around me at the same time, and he definitely wasn't there."

I nodded. "I get that. What I meant was, y'know, are you sure you don't want to talk about it? It has to be bugging you just a little bit."

"Of course it's bugging me," he said frustratedly. "But that makes me not want to mention it." He sighed. "Just, why now, Donna? Why disappear for years and then show up all of a sudden...while I'm busy too? Couldn't it have been when I was out getting drunk." He laughed lightheartedly.

"I dunno," I admitted. "I just know that sometimes it helps to talk about it. Just of any sort. You know I'm here to listen, right, John?"

He nodded. "Of course I know you're here. It's me that's not. I don't want to listen to myself. What've you got to say about that one, my little detective?" He grinned teasingly.

"I think you should anyways," I responded, offering an encouraging smile.

"Well, what do you reckon I should say, pet?"

"Anything," I responded. "Don't you trust me?" I grinned.

He chuckled. "Of course I do." He paused "Well," he said, not knowing where to begin. "I don't really know what to say. Talking is too hard."

I rolled my eyes. "Any other time of the day it isn't."

He sat us down on the bed and laid his head on my shoulder, sighing heavily. "I just wish he'd been there with us or just...dead." No words followed that statement for a long moment. "Knowing that he was just bailing on us was the worst part of it all," he said in a rush. "He's rocked my trust to say the least. And then when I saw him today." He laughed lightly. "I tell you Donna, I've never wanted to hurt someone more in my life. Silly, isn't it? It's my father. I should be thanking him for my life, but I can't, you know."

"I'm sorry," I said.

"He's been a bit of an arsehole, hasn't he?" John chuckled.

"Sure sounds like it," I replied.

"Anything you'd like to say?" he asked. "Anything bothering you?" I shook my head silently. "There's one more thing," he said, pulling away with a dopey grin.

"And what's that?" I asked.

"I'm very, very tired," he said. "And I'd really like to go to bed. And it appears you are too."

That's when I realized that my eyelids were drooping hopelessly.

"It appears I am," I said, falling back onto the bed, giggling.

"Would you like to shower first, love?" asked John, falling beside me and propping himself up on his side so he could smile at me.

I did the same and nodded. "That's a good idea."

He placed a kiss on my lips. "Then, off you go, pet," he said jokingly. "I looove you."

"I looove you too," I said as I stood back.

April 2, 1964

Waking up in John's arms always felt comforting, but somehow this morning the feeling had doubled. Usually it was me trying to get John up, but today it was the opposite. I was exhausted, despite having gone to bed at a reasonable time the previous night.

"Have you taken ill?" John asked, running his hands through my hair. He was sitting up. I hadn't made it there yet.

"No," I blubbered. "Just tired."

"Oh, now come on, don't make me get the cold water," he cooed. "That ought to wake you up, yeah?"

I flopped over and laid my head on his lap. "Five more minutes?" I asked, smiling up at him innocently, giving him the look he could barely ever say no to.

"Okay, Donna, no," he said sternly. "Up."

And so I did so, with a reluctant groan. "How about if you're ready in less than fifteen minutes we'll stop and get breakfast?" he offered hopefully.

I chewed on the suggestion for a moment, then shrugged. "Alright."

He smiled. "Now, up with you," he said.

"Oh, okay." I sat up and threw the covers off of the both of us, letting in a wave of cold. I shivered slightly, rushing over to get something to change into.

"Cold, are we?" John asked.

"Not until you made me get up, I wasn't," I retorted, grinning.

"C'mon, love, you're strong. You've got this."

"Mhm, I'll take that advice," I said as I rushed off towards the bathroom.

~~~

John and I were ready to leave at 9:30 when the phone rang. Paul had already left to go to breakfast with Jane and so we were the only ones left here. John rolled his eyes at me jokingly before setting down his guitar case and going towards the phone on the coffee table by the couch.

"Hello?" John asked into the phone, putting his hands into his pockets. "Ah, yes, hello," he then said, gesturing for me to join him. I did, curious as to why I needed to be there. He put his arm around me and pulled me closer to him so I could hear into the phone too. I recognized the voice as one of the accountants that had helped us yesterday with the house. He was jabbering about something I didn't understand.

"Nonetheless, you've got yourselves a house, Lennon," were the only words I properly understood.

"W-we have?" John said, his face breaking into a wide smile and tightening his grip on me.

"You do," said the accountant. "Congratulations." I didn't know what to say.