Nineteen Sixty-Four // Starrison

Chapter 19

It was a hot, stifling day, filled with intense work. George walked into the lunchroom, heading to receive his ration of food, his thoughts still circling around his conversation with John. Only an this moment he felt prick of anger toward his friend. Oh, of course, he wanted this — crazy and ridiculous — plan to succeed. But no, George Harrison simply couldn't stop being mad, thinking how Lennon wants to leave them all. They won't come back, one way or another. Either killed, or finding their idyll of dreams — never seeing Geo and Rings again, never hearing their voice. The man felt taste of bitter in his mouth. They were friends since childhood, supporting each other in the abyss of madness. Keeping together in the worst times. Even now, kinda distant from each other, but still having this feeling of sympathy.

Harrison didn't want John to die. He didn't want both men to die. Not them.

He sat beside the table, poking a plate with his fork with an apathy, feeling so alone at this moment. George wished even Eric Clapton to sit next to him; sometimes annoying and too lawful, but at least he could make Harrison focus on other things.

The chair shuffled, right on cue, and the older man with a handsome face and dark hair sat next to George. Harrison needed a moment to recognize him — one of the workers, Stuart Sutcliffe. This silent, calm type of person that never spoke, never did anything bad, he was just sitting in the background and watching the situation. Stu looked at him acutely, and put his briefcase right beside George's.

Cutlery clung. After a while another workers filled the lunchroom. When the noise became louder, Stu, never looking away from his plate, whispered quietly:

"Take my briefcase when you'll stand up."

Harrison flinched a little, but made sure to not betray them with his mimicry.

"There's a book inside. Return it the same way you got it. Two weeks."

Wave of excitation rushed through his body.

* * *

Sunlight danced in between tree's branches, clinging to every gap and heating their hands. Harrison kicked the leaves off and looked at Ringo — the man was looking at the horizon, deep in his thoughts, smoking the cigarette. The younger one didn't mention The Book yet; he waited for some right occasion. And it rested in George's briefcase, waiting patiently, knowing that its time will eventually come.

The brown-eyed man shivered slightly.

"Everything alright?" Richard looked at him worriedly.

"Yeah." In spite of those words Harrison grabbed his lover in a tight hug, hiding head in Starkey's chest, listening to his comfortable and calming heartbeat. The older one caressed his head.

George felt unfounded fear. It was not about The Book, or The Brotherhood. He couldn't describe this. But he feared.

* * *

The four men were sitting on the floor, surrounded by piles of dirty papers, with messy words scribbled on it, filled with forbidden songs and chords.

Candle gave them small, uncertain light, even though its fire trembled a little.

John was holding the guitar on his lap and playing. Some song he wrote by himself, maybe with a little help of Paul, whose head now laid on Lennon's arm, comfortable, happy. And they were singing, all together. Not caring about anything, not thinking about the government's terror, forgetting, that their clocks are ticking until the unavoidable. After the entire life of fighting, there came a moment of calmness. Right here, right now, future didn't matter.

Bonded by a mutual riot, by a mutual friendship. No, not friendship, George corrected himself, coming closer to Ringo. Love was even in John Lennon's eyes; he never looked at anyone this way as he looked at Paul. Love.

Three Party members and one prole, lost in the revolt.

The song came to its end - but they had much more of them.

Happiness looked so permanent. George shivers, the room becomes much colder, because those were their last moments of calmness, last free breaths of air, last free talks. Fate is a cruel woman, and she'll always come to you. At the end, nobody is free.

//A/N: very short chapter, I'm sorry! But I needed short, calm chapter here. And, as you can assume from the last paragraph, something is going to happen, and I'm gonna be... cruel. Hah. 
Stay tuned and THANK YOU FOR 1K VIEWS! <3 it's so nice that someone reads this crap.//