Paul was happily enjoying the part of the evening that involved John pulling Him by his hand but the part about kidnapping his friends, he wasn't so eager about.

"Turn right up here" Paul was giving John the directions to George's house as if it wasn't bothering him. John yanked him so hard as he stopped in front of the house. Paul linked his arm through John's and they looked up at George's house.

"How do we reach the lad?" John turned his face to Pauls. Paul pushed his hair back a little behind his ear and pointed out George's window.

"That's his, listen John I don't think-"

John started the pebble throwing though and Paul pulled his lips together and looked wildly from John to the window. The window slid open while their was a pebble mid air, George ducked.

"The hell?-Paul!" George slammed his hands against the window sill as he looked down at John and Paul.

"Were whisking you away George!" John cupped his hands against his mouth, George scowled down at him.

"Go away" George clasped his hand around the window, ready to shut it. He did have a small grin because he could see Johns bruise all the way up here.

"George!" Paul shouted and bounced a little from heel to toe, he was too cold to stand out here.

"Paul!?" George slouched against the window sill.

"Get down here!" Paul hopped. George slammed the window shut and thrust out of the house minutes later. He was bundled in a much warmer jacket than Paul, Paul wanted to complain but George would smugly point out that was only the end of summer just like Paul had done.

"What am I doing down here?" George frowned. Paul shrugged and gave him a pity look.

"Dunno, the man of the hour here is not telling me but we're collecting people apparently" Paul put his arm around George's shoulders. John bowed dramatically.

"Aye aye George! You are my next project!" John grabbed George's face. George slapped him away.

"Get off!"

John began to walk away, Paul pulled George beside him.

"Someone tell me how to get to Ringo's because I don't know-"

"Ringo's?!" George lifted his head dramatically and Paul gave another pity smile.

"Yeah, sorry but it seems Johns is going to start making an effort to get to know you guys-"

"I don't want to do whatever it is he thinks we're gonna do" George and Paul fell to slower pace behind John and began whisper shouting at each other.

"C'mon Geo, it'll be fun! Do you need a signal word or something to let me know if you want out?" Paul giggled.

"Actually yes I do!"

"Ok what's the word?" Paul smiled. George looked off thoughtfully with his own little grin.

"Uh-wish?"

"Wish?" Paul chuckled.

"I panicked! It popped into my head so I said it, ok?" George punched Paul.

"Lads! I can barely see and I don't know where I'm going!" John turned to them. Paul smiled and walked to Johns side and put his hands over his eyes.

"Glasses, John!" He smiled and John mockingly laughed and pulled out the frames to put over his face. Paul patted his cheek and turned to George.

"Where's Ringo's place?"

George should know that but he didn't. "I dunno. I've only ever seen him at school and the stand" George was hoping that'd mean John would give up now but he didn't even seem to slow in his pace. Instead, John ran up to a phone booth and thrust the skinny door open. He put the phone under his chin and pulled Paul inside next to him.

George heard giggling as he tried not to look at the clear glass. He was sitting away from the booth, on the curb. "Better not be doing dirty things in there!" George yelled.

The giggling ended and the door flew open. George finally looked at the booth and John pushed Paul outside, Paul was laughing wildly and bounced back on his crossed feet. John faked disappointment then shook his head, he turned to George and gestured for him to come.

George lolled his head back and took a dreaded look at the bright red booth. He rose to his feet and walked over to John, who pulled him inside. The booth smelled of smoke and George felt like he could hear all the past phone calls that had been spoken in the tight air. George leaned over John and dialed Ringo's phone number for him, John gave him a teasing appreciative grin.

"Ta, love" he turned away from him and leaned against the small cracked glass. "Ello Rings! It's me John!"

George took that as a sign to hop out of the booth where Paul was smoking a cig on the curb. "You knew his number?"

"Uh-huh. If I didn't that'd be even sadder than me not knowing where he lives, wouldn't it?" George huffed as he sat down next to Paul.

"Maybe. I was thinking, your signal word needs to be something less casual-"

"Aye Ladies! Time to go" John hopped out of the booth and held out a hand for each one. Paul gratefully took it but George slapped Johns hand away and stood on his own. The three walked side by side by side, Paul and John passing the cig back and forth and George breathed in the smoke.

"He's up there!" John broke free from the subtle linked arms he was in with Paul and ran for the house up the street. Paul looked towards the pouting, dreadful George and shook his head.

"Enjoy this one night of recklessness, huh George?!" Paul bumped his shoulder and took off after John. George took in Pauls wild run and John nearly tripping up Ringo's steps and at the sound of the doorbell, George let go of his annoyance and ran after them.

George hopped onto the middle step, behind John and in front of Paul. Ringo opened the door and leaned on the doorway and smugly crossed his arms.

"It's less fun to give you a heads up over the phone about kidnapping ya but we did get to surprise George!" John stuck his thumb out to pint at George.

"Hello" George waved and Ringo smiled.

"Hello" Ringo hopped away from the door, closing it and following the three lads down the steps.

"You lot drunk?" Ringo laughed as he watched John and Paul were seemly competing on the best American accent a little ways in front of George and himself.

"Oh no, we apparently are just this way naturally" George laughed and Ringo looked back at John and Paul. They reached a stop sign when John stopped them all.

Ringo looked at him questionably and George crossed his arms but Paul looked very eager to hear what John was planning. The sky was now very dark and the stars were specks of a twinkling white.

George was expecting a rambunctious invite to a bar of some soggy sort but John had yet to even give an inkling to what he was planning. John ran his thumb over his eyebrow and cocked his nose in the air. "There's a music store, down the street from a small corner shop in Brikenhead" John smiled and clasped his hands together.

"Brikenhead?" Paul rose an eyebrow and leaned on the stop sign.

"It's only the town over, c'mon" John slung his arm over Pauls shoulder and gestured for George and Ringo to follow them. If George was honest, the air was really nice and he could actually have a lot of fun this way.

Paul was listening to everyone's footsteps and brushing against Johns jacket. He fluttered his eyes open and closed and let the walk blur a little.

George glanced over at Ringo, he seemed like he was enjoying himself. He peeled his eyes off the lad and looked at the empty streets and gained enough courage to grab Ringo's hand.

There was the occasional complaint, maybe a pebble in the shoe or quip about the ever so long walk there. But everything was actually ok. Ringo and George weren't talking about anything heavy and John had a very sleepy Paul tucked under his arm.

The music store was small but after the walk, it seemed like their collective small victory. Ringo and George headed straight for the door whereas John took Paul further down the street, Paul was so tired that he wasn't really paying attention. George gave him a look but John gestured that they'd be back soon. George had a fight bubbling up his throat but he swallowed it and opened the door to the music store.

John pulled Paul into the corner shop and the small bell over the door gave more life to Paul. They pulled apart in enough time so no one would see they'd even been touching. Paul rubbed his fists against his eyes and followed John across the store. Though he could barely even keep up with the way John was bounding all over the place.

John had apparently found what he'd been looking for and payed then left with Paul tracking behind him. He hadn't even asked a question. John pulled Paul down on the curb outside the store and pulled out what he'd bought.

Chocolate, he'd bought a chocolate bar. He was quietly breaking it in half as Paul watched, head on Johns shoulder.

"Want half?" John held one half under Pauls nose. Paul watched the little shavings fall off and smelled the sweetness.

"Yes please" Paul held his hand out and John grinned, placing it in his palm.

"You didn't ask as many questions as my previously known paranoid princess would have, what's the matter?" John bumped Pauls arm.

Paul broke the chocolate into smaller pieces and shrugged. "Nothing. I loved today" Paul smiled.

"Writing a love song for Wednesday? Friday could get jealous that way" John popped another chocolate into his mouth, the tone of his voice more melting then the chocolate.

"It'd be my first love song where I actually felt the emotion" Paul smiled and shaved a little chocolate off one of the pieces. John grabbed Pauls chin and looked him straight in the eye.

"I'm glad" John threw the last piece into his mouth and pulled Paul up into a full run for the music store.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ringo and George hit their feet against the carpeted floor of the store and gazed over the instruments. They shined and glimmered in enticing ways. George's fingers tingled to strum the strings of the guitars.

"Do you play?" George had never asked Ringo that question, which was odd because music was always in the front of his mind.

"Yeah, drums actually. That's my main thing" Ringo said, half the way to drooling over the drum set next to the door. George grinned and looked at the lady at the register.

"Can we try?" George asked, he may have winked. Maybe she giggled and waved for them to try anything they pleased.

He turned back to Ringo, who was looking at him knowingly. George laughed and set Ringo down on the stool behind the drums. "Play me something"

"Drums aren't exactly romantic George" Ringo picked up the sticks and began a nice sounding beat. As George watched him, he came across a hanging guitar. He gave the register lady another look and headed for the instrument.

The guitar was in George's arms and the drum sticks were pounding in Ringo's hands once Paul and John entered the store. John took notice of the lady at the register drooling over George. Paul threw the last of his chocolate in his mouth and went right for Ringo.

"You play?" Paul watched Ringo go. Ringo gave him a look and Paul chuckled.

"Do you?" Ringo asked. Somewhere in the back, George moaned in an annoyed huff. The other three lads looked over to him.

"Paul could literally play anything he touches" George explained. John gave Paul an excited look and took Pauls hand and put it on his own chest.

"Play me, Paul" John gave a mad wink and tapped his fingers against the back of Pauls hand.

Ringo looked at George and pointed his stick down his throat. George giggled but stopped once Paul and John looked at him.

There was a certain air to this night that each lad noticed at different times within the experience. The taste of cheap chocolate was still on the tip of Pauls tongue and John was beginning to notice the reflection of his own eyelashes on his glasses. George was pressing his fingertips into fancy guitar strings with Ringo's knuckles turning red with delightful white edges as he clutched the drum sticks. The boys had all drifted to their preferred instruments. There was no magic, they didn't all fall into the same tune in such wonderment. But there was something there, almost defiantly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

John could always feel it getting late before he noticed it, he was always the tired kind. They whisked out of the store with teasing jolts to George to get the register lady's phone number. The teasing wasn't directly shared from George to John or the other way round but every tease was friendly and Paul took notice.

John was able to pull George aside when Ringo and Paul were in need of a loo and fled to a store nearby. George didn't even seem too hesitant to speak to the man.

"Ringo is gonna owe me for this but the two of ya need to plan the big third date and forgive and forget the jealousy issue" John waved his hand around against the chilled air. George clicked his tongue along his cheek and looked from John to the store a few times.

"I think so too, came to that decision on me own earlier but-" George grinned a little "I appreciate the thought". And George really did. "Paul really seems to like you for some odd reason" George looked back at the store as if willing for the two lads to burst out.

"I like the odd" John shoved his hands into his pockets, the fabric inside brushing against the backs of his hands.

"Course ya do, anyway" George turned fully back to John, "he was drooling about chocolate earlier and I don't really know what that means but he's got his mind set on you, John and if that's something that scares ya-"

"Paulie's mind has barley left the music station....this thing we've got starting is not the center of his brain nor mine George" John announced this all in a mocking higher end voice but started again in a normal voice once George tried to interrupt. "But I'm liking it, Paul seems to two so we're good George"

George was about to add more to that but just decided on a nod. Ringo and Paul finally bounced out of the store and walked with linked arms towards George and John. John was about to reach for Paul but he shrunk away

"Aye, Ringo and I are getting to know each other better" Paul smiled and pulled Ringo in front of the other two and they walked and whispered to each other. John chuckled a little and looked to George, he offered him his arm to link. To his surprise, George took the offer and linked his arm right through Johns. They walked right behind the other bumbling two.

"Never had me a best mate that was as protective of me as you are with Paul" John observed as he stared at Paul and Ringo's backs.

"I don't mean to be that way, you know?" George shrugged.

"Suppose it's a good thing though" John looked down at George. "I owe you a drink, kid. Remind me of that soon before I change me mind"

"Alright"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
John finally caught up with Paul and the couples split off for their good nights, unspoken as if rehearsed.

John was twirling Paul up the street, Paul seemed to be getting dizzy though so John retracted his arm and Paul fell back into his side.

"This was fun!" Paul giggled.

"I can tell, you're acting like you're drunk" John chuckled right into Pauls ear.

"I'll tell ya, that's how I thought this night would end" Paul looked at John with an honest face.

"Think that's what everyone thought, but I shocked ya didn't I?" John kissed his temple.

"Uh-huh, I could write a song about your character" Paul ended that comment with a laugh but John kind of froze and Pauls mouth fell into a thin line.

"Aren't all your songs about love?" John asked, rolling his lips together.

"Yeah..." Paul looked off. If it was possible, John froze even more.

"What about the song about Wednesday? To make Friday jealous?" John brought the previous conversation up again with a frigid tone. Paul realized the undertones of Johns tone and turned sharply.

"I'm not gonna write a song about you, so you can relax, ok?" Paul pulled away from Johns grip and headed for his house steps. John leaned on the railing and pushed himself over it to lean right into Pauls face.

"Goodnight princess" he smiled and pecked Pauls lips.

"Good night Johnny" Paul patted Johns shoulder and that turned into a rub. "My Da's gonna kill me...he's probably awake and waiting for me, or at the very least Mike is up." Paul frowned.

"Part of the excitement, ain't it? I'm inviting you over for dinner with Mimi again"

"Really?"

"Yes, she hates ya and it makes me laugh" John tapped against the railing and chuckled, Paul smirked.

"I've never been that kind of mate. George's family likes me" Paul kicked his leg against the railing.

"Mimi isn't easy to please but you're gonna charm her eventually, Paulie" John ran the pads of his thumbs against Pauls skin.

"Maybe I'll write her a song" Paul clicked his tongue

"Quippy, Princess very Quippy" John rolled his lips over Pauls again.

"Night" Paul pecked Johns lips once again and turned into his home.

John rubbed at his neck and walked away.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
George and Ringo were in a similar situation on George's porch.

"I'm worked up about our third date" Ringo fumbled with his thumbs and George took his hands in his own.

"This could be our third date than" George grinned. And Ringo seemed to like that idea.

"I'd like that, takes some of the pressure off"

"But what about our fourth date?"

"Oh yeah...." Ringo looked off as if putting himself back in all his stress. George chuckled and took Ringo's face in his hands.

"I'm sure our relationship will be stress free soon" George brought him in for a kiss that Ringo greatly appreciated.

"Oh I hope so" Ringo knitted his eyebrows together and smiled. George pleasantly thought the night over and grinned.

Didn't even have to use the signal word.