As we got to the drummer Pete's party, I could tell John had gotten very much more on guard then before, becoming more witty when he spoke, seeming to put certain walls up to put on more of a teddy boy facade in front of his mates.

"Lennon!" Paul smiled as he saw us walk in through the smoke and loud rock n roll music playing throughout the confined house space.

"McCartney." He smirked with his smugness that made him seem more cynical and cold.

"Hello Ellie." Paul batted his eyelashes sweetly, evidently tipsy and hopelessly flirtatious.

"Hello Paul." I felt slightly sheepish speaking with him because of the last time we'd met, seeing him smirk.

"John's pretty set on you, y'know, but I don't know what you see in him, no good he is." Paul scrunched his nose leaning in to nearly whisper to me, his breath smelling of cheap beer.

My face filled with colour hearing that John had talked about "being set on me" to Paul.

"Right, that's enough outta you, or I'll deck ye'." He said making a funny face, slipping his tongue behind his bottom lip and shaking his fist jokingly.

I giggled as John began to escort me along past Paul, only being able to get a quick goodbye out to Paul before losing sight of him in the sea of people in the small house.

"You fancy a drink?" John inquired as we found ourselves where the drinks were spread out on the dining table.

"Aye." I agreed over excitedly making him chuckle, grabbing us both beers.

"So how come I've never seen you 'round before in the 'pool? I'm sure I would've remembered you." He spoke cheekily as he handed the drink to me.

My expression dropped for a second, knowing exactly why.

"I dunno," my expression picked back up again, "suppose I don't get out enough." I said taking a sip of the beer that tasted like gasoline, almost cringing.

"Well I'm glad that's changed," he smiled holding out his beer for cheers.

I clinked his glass with a lopsided grin, my chest filled with butterflies as the two of us drank.

"So, your band," I said breaking the tension I felt between John and I, having lost myself in his eyes for a moment, "you're starting to really attract attention?" I inquired having heard their name increasingly before we'd even met.

"We're doing well yeah," his eyes sparkled as he began to talk about his band, something I'm sure he was very passionate about.

He continued to tell me about how his band's recent success, along with some stories of Germany, and I couldn't help but be absolutely fascinated with how freely he lived.

That's a lesson I could learn from him.

"So what about you then? What's your story?" He pretended to become more serious narrowing his eyes teasingly as we had found a spot to sit together on a love seat, the two of us having some sort of privacy amongst all the partiers.

"There's not much to tell, I'm afraid," I laughed anxiously.

"There has to be something." He grinned leaning into me wiggling his eyebrows goofily, undertones of genuine curiously prevalent.

I smiled, "really, there isn't, I'm treated like bloody porcelain by me mum, it's been hard to live a life on my own." My smile fell slightly.

"If you stuck around, with me I mean, I could show you that life you've been missing." His expression softened, a small simper peaked on his lips suggestively.

"-John, come 'ead and take a shot already." George called from across the room, a group of Johns friends calling him over, cutting the moment short.

"You're in high demand." I smiled seeing him look back over to me and roll his eyes at George.
________________

John and I had gotten increasingly drunk throughout the course of the night after Johns bandmates had become so insistent on getting us blitzed. They were instigators, the lot of them. I think they were waiting to see John make a move on me.

John was puffing out thick white clouds of smoke from his cigarette as we sat at the kitchen counter, Paul telling the group gathered round the table a story about Germany.

Somehow, John's free hand had found itself on my thigh, which was oddly comforting despite how forward it may have seemed. It was if he were being protective, and I was too woozy to care much about it.

"-the police were even more angry when they found out the thing we lit on fire, the act of arson if you will, was in fact, a rubber nailed to the wall." Paul shrugged wryly causing everyone to roar with laughter at Paul and Pete who were standing side by side with goofy grins like Laurel and Hardy.

"It's not like you would've actually used it anyway, right Macca?" John poked fun complacently, watching Paul's eyes narrow.

"You." Paul laughed thickening his accent pointing at John.

John shrugged batting his eyelashes acting innocent, leaning back and puffing out another cloud, it blowing over to where I sat and causing me to cough, starting to have a fit of it, though being quiet enough that no one turned their head.

I excused myself to the washroom quickly as to not draw attention to myself quite embarrassed. John noticed my exit and looked concerned before I had turned as left through the crowd.

I had made it to the washroom to try and calm the coughing, grabbing a tissue and letting out one big cough, retracting the tissue to see specks of blood.

My entire body cringed at the familiar sight, looking away from it crumpling the tissue, throwing it in the bin and looking at my ghostly pale reflection in the mirror.

My eyes drooped from how tired and obviously drunk I was.

I noticed my eyes were watering and scowled, "pull it together Eleanor." I let out a big sigh wiping my eyes, trying to forget about it.

"Elle?" I heard a knock at the bathroom door, knowing it was John.

Hesitantly, I walked to the door peeping it open to see John's eyes meet mine, troubled.

"Sorry," I spoke blinking slowly, seeing John wary of my faint expression.

"D'you fancy getting out of here? It's becoming a bit of a drag." John spoke though he seemed to be more worried over how exhausted I probably seemed.

My face fell, "me mum. If she finds out I've been drinking-" my eyes widened realizing how late it had become, losing track long ago.

"Sleep it off at mine. My aunt Mimi is at my other aunts house until New Years so my house is empty," he began realizing what it seemed he was implying and correcting himself, "I'll sleep on the couch and you can have the bed." He grinned cutely, trying to persuade me to say yes.

"Alright." I agreed blissfully coming out into the hallway with him, grabbing ahold of him arm so I wouldn't lose him when we walked past everyone.

The two of us ducked out quickly, walking out to the nearest bus stop and made it to his house after awhile, the brisk winter air sobering the two of us enough that we were in good shape by the time we got into John's house.

My teeth had begun chattering so John offered up to sit by his fireplace for awhile to warm up again.

"Why is this bloody thing so hard to light," he grunted trying to light the wood with his lighter.

"Can I try?" I flashed a grin of entertainment as he handed it over grumpily.

I put the lighter at the bottom where the newspaper was, blowing on the small flame that begun and seeing it begin to make the logs crackle.

"Show off." He mumbled obviously feeling quite defeated over it.

"Spoiled sport." My eyes crinkled at the corners handing him back his lighter, causing his expression to lighten amused.

He had gone right after to grab some things, coming back with an armful of blankets and a pyjama shirt of his for me to wear.

He sat back down next to me to heat up to the fire as well crossing his legs, looking to me in a way that made contentment fill my heart.

"Thank you for tonight. It was really nice." I drew my bottom lip between my teeth to stop myself from looking too enthusiastic.

"Thank you for agreeing. I realize I'm not the most deserving person of your forgiveness." He glanced away bowing his head.

"I think you've more than made up for it. I had fun." I grabbed his hand feeling more bold, probably from the shots of rumens both had been throwing back.

John looked down at our intertwined fingers and smiled to himself satisfied before looking back up to my face.

His eyes were illuminated with a bewitched sparkle, they trailing down to my lips temptingly. Mine did the same, feeling as if time stopped as John leaned in to kiss me,  igniting my entire being with a captivating spark, feeling myself give in easily under his touch.

As our lips parted he smiled at me, smitten.

That's when I realized, my feelings for John Lennon were unlike anything I'd experienced before. I had begun to fall hard for him, and I was worried, more so for his sake.