His Majesty (Slide Away)

25.

Paul spent the rest of that night trying to get to sleep, but he just couldn't. At 12:30, John still was not in the room with him, but was downstairs trying to find the culprit. The Omega felt incredibly alone and vulnerable, and knew he could not sleep until there was someone with him.

The idea of ringing George came to his mind at around 12:45. He would feel bad from disturbing George, but he needed a friend here. In fact, he didn't care who, he just needed someone.

"Hello?" Paul asked the operator.

"Yes, sir?"

"Please can you put me on a line to George Harrison?" He asked, fiddling with the cord between his fingers.

"Of course, right away sir."

That line went silent for a few seconds, before a voice was heard.

"Hello?" George's groggy voice spoke. It was clear that Paul had just woken him.

"George..." Paul spoke, a sad tone in his voice. "I am sorry if I have woken you up..."

"Sir?" He had noticed the sad tone. "Oh, no. No you haven't..."

"I'm sorry to be ringing at this hour, I just... I've had quite the day of it, to be honest..."

"Oh? Whatever's the matter?" He seemed rather concerned now, shuffling around on the other line.

"I... Well..."

Paul rubbed at the sides of his head in order to try and come to terms with it all. That was something he still hadn't done yet.

"It's alright, sir... You can tell me..." George spoke, and he knew that if the Beta was there, he'd be rubbing his arm right now. "Do you wish for me to be there? I can come round straight away."

"No, no... It's alright. I just..." He sighed. "I have spent the last few hours in hospital."

"What?!" George exclaimed. "Oh my- Oh my goodness! Sir, are you alright?"

"Did you not get my letter, George?"

"No... It was my day off today, remember? I have not been in your quarters all day, sir. Barely in the servants quarters either, as I have been playing golf all day with some school friends..."

"Oh." Paul spoke, his heart dropping at the mention of George's 'school friends'.

He knew that he was jealous. For the first 18 years of his life, Paul did not have a best friend. Or a friend, to be honest. His brother was the closest he had to such a thing, and so when George came along it was like God had granted him not just an amazing lover, but an amazing new boy to befriend.

Of course George had other friends... But Paul didn't. He didn't know how to have backup friends... He didn't know how to talk to new people, how to act around new people, or how to be a normal person. George actually went to school, but Paul didn't. His mother taught him herself, and even then they didn't learn what other schoolboys learnt. They never learnt about maths or science, or how to play football or about religion.

Once again, he just felt incredibly defeated.

"Sir?" There was a voice on the other line. "Are you there, sir?"

But Paul did not respond.

"Sir?" He could hear through the other line, however the phone was slowly slipping from his hands. "Sir?!"

He lay back on the bed, slowly, the phone dangling off the bedside table, only hanging on thanks to its cord. The line must have gone dead eventually, because all of a sudden, Paul could hear a long beep.