Y/N/N: Your Nickname

John Imagine:

"I found you!"

You let out a cry of surprise, yet your shock contorted into a bright smile as you dissolved into fits of giggles. Your best friend, John, laughed along with you. You stood up from your crouching position behind the bush, your chosen hiding place, and playfully shoved his shoulder.

"It's my turn! Go hide!" you encouraged as you covered your eyes and began to count to ten.

"Remember, no peeking!" John reminded you with his five-year-old glory.

You smiled and continued to count as he tried to find a hiding spot. It was moments like these that you would treasure, savour, for the rest of your life. But being only five, you wouldn't know that until a month later.

***

"You're leaving?"

John gasped in horror once you told him the news. Your cheeks were streaked, glittering with tears that contained melancholy and despair. Your parents had just given you the horrible news; you would be leaving Liverpool to America, where your father had received a job opportunity, and opportunity to good to decline. Which meant that you would have to move away from your best friend.

"But I don't want you to go!" John suddenly said, his eyes glistening with heartbreak.

"Me neither, Johnny," you sobbed.

"But Y/N/N... we're supposed to go to the moon together! I don't want to go there alone..."

You threw your arms around his neck and embraced him tightly. He returned the embrace as you cried into his shoulder.

"I'll miss you, Johnny," you whimpered.

"I'll miss you too, Y/N/N..."

***

You bit your thumbnail nervously as you waited for the world famous band to appear on stage. Biting your thumbnail... that had been a habit of yours since you were little. You would only do this when you were nervous. And you were beyond nervous right now.

The Beatles. So famous and so talented. And so full of the childhood memories you kept treasured for years. You never forgot your time in Liverpool. Especially not with your best friend and rhythm guitarist of the band, John.

When you had heard about his band, you had to fly to Paris to see him. You had barely managed to snatch a spot in the front, and now you were waiting for what felt like an eternity.

You felt your ears ring alarmingly when the sound of screaming girls blared throughout the arena. The band had finally arrived on stage. And although it had been fifteen years since you last saw him, you recognized John right away.

You gazed at him in awe as he sung the first note to Twist and Shout. You barely made a sound, although it was difficult to listen to the music due to the fact that the girls were screaming.

John hit the last note of the song on his guitar and smiled widely at the crowd. You continued to stare, not knowing whether coming to see him was a good idea. You were starting to have doubts.

Finally, he caught your eye and glanced. His eyebrows furrowed for a moment, though his smile never left. You felt your breathing hitch and your heart quicken to a more rapid pace. What if he didn't recognize you? What if he had forgotten about you? Maybe you didn't mean as much to him as you used to?

You didn't know.

He looked away.

***

After shoving your way through the crowd of crying teenage girls, you managed to slip into the backstage area, where several fans were to take a peek at The Beatles.

"Oh, Paul, I'm such a huge fan!"

"You sung Everybody's Trying to be my Baby so wonderfully, George!"

"Ringo, your eyes are so beautiful!"

"I can't believe I'm talking to John Lennon!"

Your ears perked at the sound of his name. Even up close, he looked just the way he did fifteen years ago. He chuckled at greeted fans just as security arrived to take them away. But when his eyes met your once again, his eyebrows knitted together like they did before. But this time, he didn't look away. There was a spark in his eyes that relieved you immensely.

There was recognition on his face.

"Y/N? Is that you?" he said, shocked.

He recognized you.

"Hello, John," you replied with a nervous smile. "It's good to see you again."

The rest of the band looked confused, but John's face split into a wide grin, his lips curling happily.

"Blimey, it really is you, Y/N/N!" he cried.

You felt your heart lighten when he called you by the nickname he had given you as he strode in for a hug. You returned the embrace, the nostalgia completely overwhelming.

"Hey John?" Ringo said awkwardly. "Mind elaborating on this for us?"

"Oh right," John chuckled a little breathlessly, pulling away from the hug. His eyes were bright with memories of the childhood, memories of you. "Lads, this is Y/N. She was my best mate when we were wee kids."

"Lovely to meet you, Y/N," George said kindly.

"It's lovely to meet all of you as well," you grinned.

"John, why didn't you tell us that your best friend was a beautiful young lady?" Paul smiled at you. The compliment made you blush.

"Alright, alright, leave us alone for a bit, will you?" John rolled his eyes, shooing his band mates away.

The lads left the two of you alone.

"Johnny, it's so good to see you," you said happily.

"You as well!" John smiled. "Are you still in America?"

"I've just moved back to England a month ago," you replied. "I'm in London now. Perhaps we could-"

"John!" a voice called down the hall. "Get over here! We've got to get going!"

"Coming, Eppy!" John called back. He turned back to you, his smile gone, replaced with irritation and gloom. "Uh... I have to..."

"I figured," you sighed, disappointed. "Maybe I'll see you in England someday?"

"Oh, absolutely-"

"Lennon!"

"Bloody hell, I'm coming!" John called again. "I-I'm sorry, Y/N."

"It's fine, really," you smiled assuringly. "We'll see each other again."

As he was leaving, you knew you would meet again.

***

Back in London, you were seated comfortably on a bench in your favourite park. Whenever you and your family went to visit family in London when you were little, you would always come to the park to play. You and John had even claimed this park as yours whenever he came along with you. To this day, it will always be your park.

Your eyes were glued onto the pages of your favourite novel, the background faded away into the setting of the story. Oh, how you loved to read...

"Y/N/N?"

You gasped, startled, and tore your eyes away from the book. You spun around, where you spotted no other than John himself, standing by the swings and smiling brightly.

"John!" you said, standing up. "What a coincidence!"

"Not really," he chuckled. "I figured you'd be here. You didn't think I forgot about this place, did you?"

You meekly shrugged your shoulders, sheepish.

"We meet once again," he said in a deep dramatic tone. You giggled as he approached you. "I'm glad I found you here, y'know."

"Me too," you responded.

"How about we go get a drink so we can catch up? I'll call it a date. What about you?"

You smiled cheekily and nodded in agreement.

"It's a date."

Requested by @Kaitlin_W1212! This was a little longer than most of my Imagines but I really enjoyed writing this one! :)