In a blissful blur of happiness, time seemed to move so quickly. Winter turned to Spring, and as the months grew ever warmer, John and Robin grew ever closer.

Their relationship was still thrilling, but it had become comfortable. It was something exciting, yet it offered stability to them both, because as chaotic as their own lives were, they found a safe haven in each other. John still snuck into Robin's room most nights and she was glad to have him, always feeling mournful when she woke up to his side of the bed cold, even if she would see him at the bus stop only an hour later. They were both falling head over heels, deeper and deeper in love with each other, and though those words hadn't been spoken between the two of them, a strong understanding was built between them that they needed each other in a way they'd never felt before.

Sometimes her feelings for John were that intense she enjoyed the fact that they were back at college because she had something else to focus on. She enrolled herself in a photography class and spent her breaks trying to figure out how to develop all the pictures she'd taken over the Christmas holidays with the intention to make a memory book with them all. Lunchtimes were spent doing her other work, most of the time with Stuart for company, as not even the appeal of his girlfriend could convince John to not skip classes some days. Occasionally Paul and George would sneak out of their school to come and rehearse with John and Stuart, so Robin would tag along to take pictures of them. The few prints she'd done of the band at various clubs and pubs had gotten the attention and admiration of her new photography professor and, ever the over-achiever, Robin intended to keep impressing her.

Work was monotonous, but she enjoyed it all the same. Since the business was doing so well Albert was considering opening up another restaurant, and the company's triumph meant it was a great working environment. Robin and Kay had made it a tradition to go to the pub or even the cinema after their Friday night shift before meeting the lads at whatever venue they were performing at, and Robin loved having such a close girl friend. She trusted Kay with practically everything, and vice versa, and after a while Robin began to class Kay as her big sister. Some nights if they weren't meeting the lads, Kay and her boyfriend Frank would go home with Robin and Albert and they'd all eat dinner together, like some strange yet loving extended family. John would join them every so often, though he still regarded Albert warily.

For the first time in a while, Robin felt truly happy, and she almost felt excited to just be alive, especially as Winter turned to Spring. John had noticed that about her, he'd noticed she smiled a lot more than she did when they first met, and he'd spotted how she'd relaxed a lot into the group, no longer caring about others opinions. She seemed to be a lot more comfortable in herself, and the small growth of confidence was infinitely attractive to him.

"Why of all girls did I have to pull myself a workaholic?" he called one day in early April as he stood in the doorway of a classroom occupied solely by Robin as she arranged some of her prints, mounting them on pieces of black card. Robin let out a short laugh, not looking up from her work even as he came into the room.

"I'm busy," she told him as he hopped up onto the table, making it impossible not to look at him. With a small grin, she leant over and gave him a quick kiss before attempting to return to her work, except John had picked up the pile of photographs, flicking through them curiously. "I'm so glad you respect my academic commitments,"

"These are actually pretty good," he mused as he held one of them up for her to see, a picture of him and Paul sharing a microphone at the Cavern, taken at an angle so that a few of the crowd members could be seen dancing.

"Thank you for sounding surprised," she joked before gesturing to her bag. "I've got a few more developed, the ones from New Year and my birthday, and George's birthday,"

"What about those pictures we took when we were drunk the other night?" he asked dryly with a raised eyebrow, laughing as Robin blushed, hitting his arm.

"I really dislike you sometimes, Lennon," she muttered before sighing. "Yes, I printed those ones, they're in my bag, mostly cause I wanted to know what I looked like,"

"Well if memory serves right you looked bloody beautiful, as always, except you did look quite special wearing nothing but my shirt," John reminded her, except when she blushed at the thought of it he laughed, leaning in and taking hold of her chin with his hand, making her look him in the eye. "Dunno why you're acting shy now, you certainly weren't then,"

"Neither were you," she pointed out teasingly before breaking down into laughter. "Jesus Christ,"

"Nope, just John," he joked, making her hit his arm again, though she realised just how close they were and how easy it would be to wrap her arms around his neck and pull him in for a kiss.

So she did just that, and the two of them quickly descended into a passionate kiss, Robin's hands knotting into his messy hair as he had his hands on her waist. As he was sat on the table he drew her closer, his legs either side of her hips. Part of Robin wished they weren't in college so they could sneak off somewhere, especially when she felt John's lips move from hers, tracing kisses all down her jaw and she let out a quiet sigh of pleasure, wanting to be as close to him as possible.

"Hey, John, you in- oh, for fucks sake!" a voice called in shock, and the two of them quickly darted apart to see Stuart stood by the door, his head in his hands. Behind him was George and Paul, both of them holding their guitars and looking as if they were fighting off laughter. "Would you mind not shagging in here please? This is my landscapes classroom and I really don't want to picture you two in here every time I do my work!"

"Just don't think about it then," Robin said, rolling her eyes, surprisingly calm about it. "Alright, you two?"

"Not too bad, Mrs Lennon," Paul called with a smile, using the nickname for Robin that he was so proud of, despite everyone else hating.

"We've bunked off school to come practice," George said. "Is the hall free?"

"Should be," John nodded before looking back to his girlfriend, who had gone back to sorting through her pictures. "Is it alright if we go? D'you wanna come with us?"

"Nah, I've gotta get this done but you lot go," she told him with a smile, trying not to laugh when he pulled a disappointed face. "Go on, I'll see you later at the pub,"

"Fine," he sighed dramatically, kissing her cheek as he hopped off the table. "See you, Bird,"

***

Robin wasn't sure if it was because the Cavern was the first club she ever went to, but she never really enjoyed the gigs at different venues half as much. That night in particular they were playing a pub that was close to John and Robin's houses, so after her shift finished Albert dropped her off home so she could change into a tartan dress and black heels, re-doing her quiffed ponytail before walking to the pub to meet the others.

When she arrived she quickly realised that the pub definitely wasn't the same vibe as their usual haunts. It seemed much older, seedier, and if anything she didn't feel completely safe despite it being in the richer area of town. It reminded her of the pubs her Dad's mates would go in after football matches, and those memories weren't the most reassuring. Part of her considered just heading home and telling John she didn't feel well. He and the rest of the band hadn't arrived yet so she could definitely get away with the lie, but then she spotted Kay sat by the bar, looking just as out of place as Robin felt. In the hopes that her friend would make her feel a bit better, she rushed over, hopping onto a barstool next to Kay, who barely looked up from her drink to greet her.

"Alright?" Robin grinned at her. "You should have been with Susie on the shift earlier, bloody hell! She had it on her tonight!"

"That's shit," Kay muttered, downing the rest of her drink before glancing at Robin. "I fancy getting absolutely pissed tonight, you in?"

"No way, last time we got pissed I ended up losing my shoes and woke up on the floor of Paul's spare room with John," Robin laughed, and though Kay smirked at the story she could tell there was something wrong.

Usually Kay was bright and buzzing, and Robin felt like she emitted an electric-like ray of excitement, but tonight she was the complete opposite. Not only was she unusually quiet, with a lack of amusing remarks, but she looked different too, her hair looking tussled and spiking up in a way that looked quite cool if Robin didn't know how Kay usually liked it combed to look slick and chic. She was also lacking in makeup, lacking in her usual winged flicks of eyeliner and bright red lipstick. She usually looked as though she'd just walked off the set of a film, something that had intimidated Robin a little upon first meeting her, but if anything she was more intimidated by the woman she was sat next to now because she didn't know what to expect or what was going on. Robin might not have been the most social person, but she could tell when someone was in an emotional crisis.

The thought of Kay in a crisis or upset hurt. Robin knew her past, she knew how her father had walked out on the family and how her mother threw her and her little sister out when Kay was barely sixteen. She knew that Albert met her when she was kicked out of school and how he'd given her a job and helped her find somewhere to live. She knew that she met Frank unexpectedly on a night out where she was trying to get a drunk girl home safe and he was the off-duty bus driver who picked them both up, dropped them off at their front doors before asking her out for a drink. Robin knew that Kay had a difficult past but rather than wallowing or letting her struggles overwhelm her into a life of suffering she rose above it all and made her own way. She was strong and admirable, so what could possibly have her in such a dark mood?

"What's wrong?" Robin frowned, watching as Kay downed her drink before quickly ordering another. "Oi, don't drink if you're not in the right mindset, that'll only make you feel worse,"

"I'm fine," Kay replied stubbornly as the barman served her another double measure of straight gin without questioning her. "Don't be all dramatic about it. I'm fine,"

"Is something wrong with Rosie?" Robin asked again, knowing that her best friend was clearly going through something. "Is something wrong with Frank?"

"I wish something was wrong with Frank, I might now be in this problem if there was," she snorted out a laugh, taking a swig of her drink before squeezing Robin's arm tightly, offering her what she clearly thought was a reassuring smile, though it just looked a little scared. "Seriously, Rob, I promise I'm fine, and if not I'll tell you,"

Robin frowned again, and was on the verge of pursuing the problem until she was interrupted by the feeling of hands on her waist, spinning around on her bar stool to see John, his guitar case slung over his shoulder. He looked dark and mysterious in a black shirt and leather jacket, though behind him she notied the rest of the band and how they were all practically wearing the same, the only difference being that Stuart was the only one with dark sunglasses. With amusement she realised they must be trialling a new stage uniform, though she kissed John hello all the same.

"Jesus Christ, not again," Stuart muttered, clearly thinking of what he'd seen in the classroom.

"I know, it's sickening," Kay commented, forcing a small smirk as the rest of the lads laughed at her.

Whatever was going on with her, Kay definitely didn't want to talk about it, and so with the hope that her best friend would tell her when she was ready and know she could be trusted, Robin let the topic drop. Instead she relaxed and let her hair down, glad for the oncoming weekend to the point she took Kay up on her earlier offer. By the time the lads were starting their performance to a rammed pub, the two of them were very merry indeed, up from their stools and dancing about to the music, singing along to the point Paul made a remark about inviting them up for a number.

They were near the front, close enough so that John, even with his terrible vision, could just about see Robin. Every so often he'd glance out to her and wink and she would smirk at him, knowing with amusement that he probably couldn't see her, but that didn't really matter. She was just glad he was looking at her, and that he was hers, her boyfriend.

They got to Roll Over, Beethoven, which was usually their last song of the set, and as usual she made eye contact with Stuart as she nodded her head towards the bar. It was usually her job to get the first round of drinks in, so she left Kay at the front of the crowd and weaved her way through to the bar, managing to find a stool to perch on while she waited for the bar man to come over. Craning her neck over the crowd, she could still make out the band, and as she watched them finish up the last number, she couldn't help but grin, feeling bowled over by the love she had for them all.

"Fancy seeing a pretty girl like you here," an uncomfortably familiar voice drawled from behind her as she felt a hand rest on her shoulder. "Then again you always were cheap as muck, maybe this is the perfect place for you,"

Hazy from all the alcohol, Robin attempted to figure out how she recognised that voice, but she didn't have chance as the hand on her shoulder grabbed her, spinning her stool around so she came face to face with Ant. She'd almost forgotten completely about him. It seemed strange, considering he was techincally her first boyfriend, but after having a proper relationship and experiencing what love and lust actually felt like, she knew what Ant was wasn't her boyfriend. He was an insignificant bump in the road that led her to being with John, and being faced with him again only reminded her of how glad she was that she'd ran from him.

"Sorry, who're you again?" she frowned, the many, many gins she'd drank making her decide to mess with him. She immediately broke into laughter, especially when she saw he seemed furious at her joke. "I'm kidding, y'alright, Tony?"

"That's not my name, Roberta," he practically snarled at her, and she rolled her eyes. If she was sober she might have been a little more cautious, but her inhibitions had been thrown to the wind and she truly didn't care.

"Only my fucking mother calls me that," she snapped, getting up from the stool, though she realised his hand was still on her shoulder, and nothing made her feel more uncomfortable than him touching her. "Would you let go of me, please?"

"Do you know how long I've wanted to bump into you?" he said, his voice low with all aggression gone, instead his tone mimicking the kind one that he used to use with her. It made her skin crawl. "I've missed you, pretty girl. I wanted to come by the restaurant and pick you up, but when I tried fucking Lennon threatened me to leave you alone,"

Robin didn't know that. She remembered feeling wary about him trying to ambush her after work, hence John meeting her most days after her shifts, but he'd never once mentioned confronting Ant. He'd never even hinted that Ant had tried to meet her, and while part of her was angry that her boyfriend would keep that a secret from her, she was also caught in admiration that he'd tried to protect her. Still though, she imagined John's awful temper and thought about the possibility of him getting in a fight for her, and then her mind was full of images of him getting hurt because of his protectiveness and his aggression. She shivered slightly, though refused to show weakness.

"Yeah, well, I don't want to see you," she said, trying to shrug his hand off her, though he instead seized both of her arms, squeezing them tightly. "You were an utter wanker, Ant, the minute you couldn't get what you wanted you were awful. You never cared about me, you just wanted a quick shag,"

"And you think that bastard up there wants anything more than that from you?" he snarled again, pointing to John, who was still on stage and completely unaware. Maybe if he was wearing his glasses he'd be able to see, but no, he was blind to what was happening. "You deserve better than that waste of space,"

"You say another bad word about him," she said, her voice shaking with anger.

John was annoying, and he was over-protective, and he had a temper, but he was also kind. He cared about her, and he was truly gentle when he wasn't scared about appearing tough. He was sweet and loving, and made her feel appreciated. He was hers, regardless of his faults. She was with him because of who he was, just as he was with her despite her faults. For Ant to stand before her berating the boy she owed so much to, she felt anger like never before.

She wasn't the sort of person to lose her temper though. She could have easily hit him, or pushed him, or done something to hurt him and get him away from her, but that wasn't like her. Instead she used her anger, channelling it into strength as she pulled herself out of his grip and stormed over to the nearest exit, hoping that one of the lads who could actually see would notice. The song was nearly finished anyway, they'd be due off-stage any second.

She moved as quickly as she could through the crowd to get to the doors, and the fresh night air hit her like a tight embrace. She took in a few deep breaths, hoping to stop her head spinning, hoping that the fresh air would calm the churning in her stomach, but most of all she was hoping that someone noticed that she'd left. She couldn't go back in to find Kay or the lads, she couldn't risk going back in and seeing Ant. She wasn't sure why she felt nervous about him, but the thought of him trying to track her down unnerved her. She'd moved on - there was basically nothing to move on from - so why couldn't he?

"Oi, Robin!" she heard someone calling her name, and with a sigh of relief she sun round to see John running out of the pub doorway. Without second thought she fell into his arms, squeezing him tightly. "What's wrong? Stu said he saw you run away from the bar and out here. Were the drinks rates really that bad?"

"Ever the comedian," she muttered, trying not to laugh, though she instantly felt so much calmer now that he was back with her. "I just don't feel very good and thought I needed some air,"

That was technically a lie, but she wasn't going to tell her boyfriend that her ex-boyfriend was in the pub, talking badly about him and wanting to get her back. To tell John all of that, well, it would be a nightmare. She didn't want to even go down that route, simply because she knew telling him would push his temper to the limit.

"D'you wanna go home? I'll nip in and tell the lads we're going, make sure that one of them gets Kay home safe, she's absolutely plastered," John told her calmly, and his nature made her feel as though she had overreacted. How could someone with a temper like him be as chill? Perhaps it was the duality of him that she loved.

"Oh yeah, I bet that's exactly what you wanna do, get her home so you can shag her," a voice sneered from behind them, and Robin's chest tightened, realising that confrontation was not as escapable as she'd thought as she glanced around and saw Ant stood in the doorway, looking them both up and down.

"What the fuck're you doing here?" John snapped, like someone had flipped a switch in him as he immediately hardened up.

"Came to get my girlfriend back, but clearly she's downgraded herself," Ant shrugged, looking at Robin in a way that made her feel uncomfortable. If she wasn't holding onto John's arm so tightly she would have pulled her jacket around herself closer. "You both deserve each other, the artist and the dead-end guitar player, both of you'll never make anything of yourselves, while I'll-"

"Yeah you always did think you were God on fucking earth," John interrupted cuttingly, though Ant merely shrugged again, still looking at Robin. "I don't give a fuck what you think about me, but if you ever come near Robin again, if you ever speak to her, look at her, even think about her, I'll bloody kill you,"

Robin barely heard what Ant said next. The fear of confrontation and adrenaline of the whole argument had completely overwhelmed her, feeling as though she was completely buzzing, her senses blocked by her nerves. All she knew was that Ant said something, and whatever he said tipped John over the edge, and before she could stop him, John had launched himself at Ant in a blaze of fury.

***
Word count: 3800

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