The time was passing by cruelly slowly, slower then George wanted it to. He wished there was Monday already — the day of their meeting. He was thinking only about this although he tried not. Harrison didn’t want to appear too happy. Too free.

Him and only him. The blue-eyed man. His face. His smile. His personality. Enthusiasm. All of this made George even more fascinated in Richard — as if they were meant for each other. They made some kind of connection the first day they’ve seen each other.

Then, one day, it hit Harrison. Caught him without a guard and hit him with all of its power.

He was in love with Richard.

Love.

So strange word. He had no idea when he heard it the last time. Love became in the present world something slowly getting forgotten, fading away. There was no love to children from their parents. To wife from husband. To friend from friend. Only gloom love to Big Brother, in the result of fear and terror. Because love was something what the Party feared. The most powerful feeling. Cruelly eradicated. The lust was forbidden, children were raised against their parents. A pair couldn’t get married when it was obvious they’re in love. Relationship could result only in children.

George felt shivers on his body. He loved him. Desired him. Love. Desire. It’s hard to imagine bigger crimes than this.

He’ll die. He was dead already. Dead man. Vaporized. No. First of all, tortured. The Thought Police was going to him. Who did he try to fool? There was nothing to hide when it came to the Party.

Help.

Harrison fought an impulse to curl up on the floor like a terrified child and took a few deep breaths. After a moment he calmed himself enough to think rationally.

He couldn’t change the fact he fell in love with Starkey. He’s never known this feeling before, but he was sure this is love. The way he thought about him. The way he always wanted to be around him. George couldn’t get over this feeling. The fact that Richard is man didn’t make it easier. If woman and man’s love happened from time to time, man to man’s…

How was this even possible?

Harrison realized he’s dead in so many ways he wanted to laugh.

But screw it, screw it! He won’t let them tear this feeling apart. Until he loved Richard, he’d have hope for a better tomorrow.

A clock was merciless; its hand cruel. Time was laughing at him. Monday’s work was torturing him. Until finally! The hour he could back home. But instead of home, he walked to a train station, preying that nobody would consider it suspicious. After all, he wasn’t doing anything against law right now.

George left the train on the third station and, according to Richard’s instructions, headed west. A pable path soon turned into a simple, muddy track. He was now in the woods, a rare occasion. Trees were blossoming and getting greener slowly, birds singing quietly on murmuring branches. There was no sign of snow that slowly melted away, flowers replaced its whiteness, each one flattering itself with beautiful colors and dancing between the grass. Everything looked brighter and warmer, sunlight turned delicate and kissed his cheek. This breathtaking view made George gasp. Another great thing was silence — far away from Liverpudlian noise.

The young man let himself drown in a beauty of nature waking up to life after cold winter when suddenly he realized he’s not alone.

Richard was standing near in a dull grey coat. But his eyes, on a contrary, shone with happiness. Harrison smiled, seeing how small he was, and ran to him.

“Ritchie…” He stopped next to him, not sure what to say, what to do. But Starkey solved this problem and hugged George, hiding head in the man’s chest. The younger one froze in friend’s embrace and feared to react somehow, but finally hugged back.

It took them a while to finally step away.

“This way’ll lead us to a beautiful place. Follow me,” said blue-eyed man with an excitement. George nodded, and they walked together in a silence — but comfortable silence. At some point Harrison felt Richard reaching for his hand, his fingers interlocking with George’s. A wave of warmth rushed his body.

After about twenty minutes of walking they saw a clearing resurfacing from the forest. Standing on a small hill, they had a lake with rushes swaying on the wind beneath. Gold sunlight reflected on a water’s surface. They could see tree tops fading in the distance. The whole place was surrounded by the aura of calmness.

“Lovely place…” Harrison sighed.

“Isn’t it? I found it when I was looking for solitude back in the times I told you about. I love this place because it’s so calm and you can forget about everything… literally.”

“Thank you that you brought me here.”

“You’re the first one except of me to see it.”

“Really?” George couldn’t help but smile at the thought that Richard has showed him his secret place. Him and only him. He started to wonder what is more beautiful — the clearing they saw or the man beside him.

They looked each other in the eyes. And, not being able to stop, encourage by whisper of the wind, George leaned in to Starkey. Their faces were only few inches apart. And then, not sure if he’s doing a right thing, Harrison moved his lips closer and kissed him unsurely because he had no experience in kissing. After a moment of pure bliss Richard kissed back and younger one melted.

He grabbed the smaller man by his arms. The kiss was long, yet George still felt dissatisfaction when Starkey backed away. They both were completely red.

“I-I’m so sorry,” murmured Harrison, avoiding his gaze. “Maybe I shouldn’t.”

Older one laughed. “You kidding me?” He connected their lips back together. George smiled into the kiss, feeling like an excited toddler.

The most beautiful feeling in the world. Loving the person that loves you back.

For the first he was unsure and embarrassed, fearing the unknown, but after a while his courage grown. Their kisses became deeper, both men didn’t feel coldness. Who could feel the coldness at the moment like this though?

Harrison didn’t know how much time passed by, but they finally stopped. It could be hours or maybe it only seemed like this. They sat on a fallen tree’s trunk. Richard lied his head down on George’s arm, who was playing with his fingers and rings on them.

“I love you,” he whispered to the blue-eyed man. And he really meant it — he loved Richard with all of his heart, even though he knew him for only a week.

He had to wait a moment until Starkey whispered: “I love you too, Joj.” He accentuated his name that it ended more like Joj than George.

“Oh,” younger one smiled. “Now I have to come up with some nickname for you.”

“Go on.”

George look at Richard’s hand again and kissed it.

“Ringo.”

“Ringo?”

“Yeah. From your rings, y’know.”

“It’s a good nickname,” Starkey laughed and his laugh sounded like a delicate ringing of bells for George.

“Funny, we met thanks to this idiot,” Harrison smiled.

“Lennon?”

“Yeah. My friend…” after those words brown-eyed man sighed. “I’m not sure if I’m still HIS friend though. We’ve argued recently. Maybe I was too hard on him… but he acted like a fool.”

“It’s about the Brotherhood, yeah?” George jumped, hearing this.

“You… you know?”

“I know. I wish I could have more courage to join them. To… to resist.” Harrison felt his heartbeat dangerously fastened. No. Everything but this. He couldn’t stand the thought of Ringo putting himself in this kind of danger. He still feared the open riot.

“You do. We both do. It’s our own riot.” George quieted him with those words and another kiss.

Starkey looked in his eyes, suddenly determined. “It’s not only riot. You know it isn’t.”

“Yeah. I know.”

Sun was ending its journey through the sky and the two lovers try to ignore it desperately by talking and kissing. But it was getting dark slowly and neither Ringo nor George could deny it.

“Time to go back…” George winced painfully, remembering about the rest of this world. The world that would start to suspect something if they didn’t come back on time. “Oh fuck.”

Richard’s face reminded him of a dissatisfied child. “Unfortunately.”

They said goodbye to this place and walked back, stopping at the edge of woods. “When will we meet again?”

“Soon. Please, soon.” A pleading spark appeared in Ringo’s eyes.

“Here?”

“No. We can’t go here too often. Do you know some other place?”

It took George a moment to answer. “John’s.”

“Why not?”

“The problem is that John doesn’t like me anymore… you know… our recent argument…”

“Apologize then, you idiot,” Starkey laughed. “Besides, I like John too. I don’t want to hate each other y’know.” Harrison smiled again; It seemed like he smiled more these days than in his entire life.

“Everything for you,” he kissed him one last time and both men walked back home.

George missed him in the very moment he turned back.