All In Good Time - A Time Travel Beatles Fanfiction

Track 20 - I Need You

Sunday morning crept in like a nun, all clouds and mist. On a ferry across the Mersey, Paul and Lainey huddled out of the wind on a black paint-chipped wooden bench, holding hands and watching the herons and kingfishers soaring against the backdrop of Liverpool's waterfront.

In New Brighton the sun showed itself just as they reached a fun fair by the sea. They wandered past a hodgepodge of rides and games, amid crumpled napkins, food wrappers, bottle caps and cigarette butts, the briny sea air blowing through their hair. Beneath a tent they lunched on cheese sandwiches and chips and fizzy orange drinks.

Lainey looked around, fascinated by the Sunday crowds, the old fashioned shoes and permed hair. Paul smiled across the table at her. "So you've seen my world. Tell me about yours."

He kept her talking all through lunch, laughing in all the right places, asking follow-up questions and nodding his head vigorously. Not even a shrink could be so actively engaged in every word she had to say. When she had finished he looked at her with his mouth slightly open.

"Your turn," she said, resting her chin in her palm as she listened to Paul's stories of visiting New Brighton as a teen and the mischief he'd gotten into. He was well into a tale involving firecrackers and a prank a cousin had played when he suddenly stood, scooped up the remains of their lunch and deposited it in a trash can.

"I've been made. Your 9:00."

"What?" Lainey had no idea what he was talking about.

Paul tilted his head to the right. "The three birds by the vending machine. They recognize me."

Lainey swiveled her head, daring a glance. "Okay...?"

"I don't fancy dealing with this today," Paul continued. "Come 'ead."

By the hand he led her out of the picnic area and across a parking lot. Excited squeals sounded behind them and he picked up the pace, dragging Lainey through a privacy hedge in the direction of the beach.

"Ow," he muttered. "Watch out for the—"

Lainey gasped as something scraped across her shin.

"—rosebush," Paul continued. With a glance over his shoulder, he took off at a run, pulling Lainey behind him. "Let's get out of here."

She stumbled along as they angled their way up onto a stretch of sand dunes behind the beach, ducking and running like fugitives. "We've outrun those birds," Paul said finally, sounding winded. "We're more fit than they are."

Only seconds later he stumbled over a hidden piece of driftwood, letting loose a string of curses before sprawling at Lainey's feet. Containing her giggles was impossible.

"You think that's funny, do you?" He grabbed her ankle, tripping her, and she let out a shriek and collapsed beside him on the sand.

He rolled on top of her, his body pressing hers into the cool sand, watching as she caught her breath. Then he lowered his head and kissed her, long slow kisses building the heat between them. He pulled away to smile down at her. Over his shoulder she watched the Atlantic clouds swarm in from the West. A salty breeze whispered through his hair, the sun kissing their skin. A picture perfect day. A picture perfect man to spend it with.

"Your hair is full of sand," he said, flipping her on top of him and scattering grains of sand through the air. Lainey sputtered, raising her hand to wipe at her face.

"Shit. You okay? I was trying to take one for the team and let you on top."

"My knight in shining armor." She rubbed at her eyes. "I'm okay."