Work Text:
George looked utterly exhausted. He was slumped rather uncomfortably in a seat staring off into blank space. His eyes squinting as the train was at a current halt, after finally returning to Marylebone Station. The Beatles had been informed of at least two more scenes that needed to be filmed before the day could subsequently wrap up. Ringo himself had a rather tedious shoot, but George had taken most of the heavy hits. They hadn’t been prepared for the work of scenes, and takes. Remembering lines was a pain too, and it was only their first day. They still had more locations and songs to sing, and the mundane train scenes were already proving to be rather boring.
Ringo mostly sympathized with George however. His handsome features looked nearly shot with annoyance as he slumped in that chair. Ringo remembered watching George nursing at his knees from the chase scene. George had a nasty fall that he thankfully was able to recover from quickly,but overall he was fully aware this day had taken the most out of George.
Ringo took a glance down the train corridor. John and Paul were currently flirting futility with the young actresses in the school girls outfits.
Little did they know, Ringo had seen Paul in one of the carriages, giving John a bright purple hickey on his neck, which he currently wasn’t bothering to hide.
The two of them did love a good flirt though. George wasn’t much the type, at least not since he and Ringo had become an item. One of the girls had approached him earlier, a younger, blonde miss. Ringo could still feel the warmth in his chest when George politely declined her invitation for dinner and remarked that he was spoken for.
Ringo gave the corridor another glance to see if he could spot the director. If they weren’t going to get to those last two scenes just yet… they might have a bit of time to themselves.
In quick, but quiet strides, Ringo edged his way to his boyfriend. He took George’s hand in his and quickly placed a kiss on it before sitting down beside him.
“That was a nice surprise.” George smirked as he sat up in his seat. “That- was the most interesting thing to happen’ all day.”
Ringo’s cheeks reddened, but the glint in his eye said he had something up his sleeve. “Well, let's get ourselves a little change of scenery then.”
Ringo smiled, then stood once more to take George hand again, this time pulling him out of his chair and quickly to the opposite carriage.
“Ringo? What are you...” The next carriage was filled with props and clothes racks. Ringo pulled off a long beige trench and cabbie hat, and slipped them both on. He took another glance and saw a thick scarf and a brown worn top hat and handed it George’s way.
George quirked his brow. “What’s this?”
Ringo was rummaging through a propbox when he pulled out a spare camera, giving it a once over, then decidingly hanging it around his neck. “It’s a disguise, love. Now follow me before someone sees us, yeah?’
Ringo had turned out the carriage door, and despite George’s bewilderment, he followed quite eagerly behind.
The two stepped off the train platform and avoided as much eye contact with passersby as possible. Sneaking away wasn't easy as a Beatle, but the station had been decommissioned for the filming, so no civilians would spot them just yet.
Once the two reached the pavement, no one paid much mind to them. The pedestrians were mostly grumbling businessmen, forced to take an alternate route due to the “undignified rock n’ roll film” currently inconveniencing the masses.
Ringo shot George a slight smile and started on to the nearest crosswalk with George trailing beside him. Every so often, their hands brushed, much like they did during press conferences, or public dinners. They both had a strong urge to just- grab it. To just say, Fuck it, I want to hold your hand . Unfortunately, blending in was difficult already, so the two settled on the light (purposeful) brushes, and the occasional hooking of pinkies. Brian was explicit on the lads being secretive, in fact, once he finds out they went off on their own, into the public of London . He will be furious.
“Where are you taking us Ritchie?” George’s muffled voice inquired through the scarf he wrapped over nearly half his face.
Ringo smiled down at the points of his shoes then turned another corner.
“I think you’ll like it… I just thought we ought’ to get away for a while.”
George’s lip quirked up under the scarf, and he continued to follow Ringo, quite eagerly now.
The crowds were beginning to thin, till there was nearly no one left on the pavement with them. They were at least two blocks away from the set, though George wasn't fully sure he had been paying that much attention.
When Ringo came to a halt they appeared to be outside a greenery of some kind. A park.
Ringo pulled the gate latch that coincided the red brick walls, and opened the entrance.
“Ringo, is this even allowed?” George’s apprehension was a bit obvious, but Ringo shook his head.
“It’s a public park, just a bit forgotten, hidden away.”
George tilted his head. “Then how do you know about it?”
Ringo shuffled nervously and his bright blue eyes clouded a bit to grey. “The hotel had an old newspaper, a couple weeks old, the place is going to be demolished and replaced soon… I read it was a bit close to the station... thought maybe it would be a neat place to visit to take a load off.”
George felt his body relax, no longer feeling as anxious. He now felt remorse for the place, and looking into the cobble path, it seemed a lot more appealing than before.
George laid a hand behind the small of Ringo’s back and guided him through the threshold, while closing the gate latch behind them.
He took his scarf and the comical top hat and hung them neatly on a nearby tree limb. “I think a nice, private load off is real gear idea, Ritchie.”
____________________
The garden was unlike anything the two Liverpool lads had ever seen. It was absolutely breathtaking in the most strange and peculiar of ways.
The garden was tight, and no where near spacious. Plants and vegetation grew over every nick and cranny, it was lush, and unruly. It was clearly never kept up. Ivy vines grew up nearly every tree, hanging low and occasionally tickling the tops of their heads. Bushes of perennials were abundant, clearly never pruned, while dime sunflowers grew between the tangled roots below.
In the seclusion and shade of the heavy thick trees, George paid no mind to taking Ringo’s hand. He hadn't even felt Ringo tense up- it was as if this garden was the safest place either of them could find themselves being. No fear of the press, or news headlines capturing and exposing the couple. The garden had clearly never seen human contact in decades. It was overgrown and messy, and somehow that is what made it even more appealing.
The path branched out in seperate ways, some sections covered by vines and roots. They both steered to the right and found a tiny pond shaded over. Barely touched by the sun.
“Hey, let's have a seat huh? Legs are a bit tired.” Ringo murmured, letting go of George’s hand a sitting down onto the bank of the pond.
“Only if you promise me a kiss when I meet you down there.” George winked, as he watched Ringo blush from the welcomed affection.
George kneeled down, and seated himself close to Ringo. Both their trousers mostly likely muddled with dirt and damp from the bank.
Ringo was covering a smile with his hand and wandered his eyes to the pond, too flustered to meet George’s.
George knew what Ringo was thinking. Despite not exactly being in public. They were out. In London, outside- no security, no manager, no bandmates. This was as public, and private as they could be. It was both terrifying and… exhilarating.
George reached up two fingers to Ringo’s chin, and gently turned his face to face his own.
“Geo…”
Ringo’s other hand flexed against his own knee, and George took the opportunity to grab a hold of his hand again. Giving it a proper squeeze.
“It’s… it’s just us okay?” George barely whispered as he leaned forward still not quite where he wanted to be. He didn't want to push Ringo if he was in fact too scared to do this here.
They had done this countless times before, but always away from any outside space, from any prying eyes, and they were always assured of that, as per Paul’s request to Brian that security was tight as a knot for the two couples.
Now they were far away… and Ringo was already pressing his lips to George’s.
It wasn’t a clashing kiss, nor was it hesitant. Ringo tilted his head in order for more space to move between George’s bottom lip, which made George lean down against him fervently to increase the pressure and close remaining space between them. He had taken quick control of the kiss as Ringo was now unceremoniously being pushed back onto his elbows with George still kneeling over top of him with a firm hand gripping the borrowed trench coat.
The kiss was slowing down a bit, in contrast to George’s sudden burst of energy. He took to laying Ringo flat on his back and just kissing him lazily against the grass beside the pond and bushels. Occasionally breaking for air and responding to Ringo’s sleepy nibbles at his red lips.
Ringo smiled against George’s last nip before letting a giggle slip.
“What- hey what are you-”
“Hold still hold still.” Ringo was reaching for the camera on his side, and checking the film.
He brought it up to his eye, and between both of George’s arms framing either side of him, he snapped a photograph.
“Sunflowers suit you well Georgie.”
“Ringo-” Before George could ask what in the fuck he was talking about, the camera had dispensed a rather clear polariod of George, which Ringo flashed to his face.
It appears several dime sunflowers had fallen, and scattered on his head. With George’s bewildered smile apparent in the shot, it was nearly picture perfect. Nothing about it was flawed, and George’s eyes were looking down so longingly… He looked so in love.
To be fair, he had been looking at Ringo, who wouldn’t fall for him?
George chuckled at his smiling boyfriend who was gearing up for another picture. “You couldn't resist could you?”
Ringo flashed another shot with camera before sitting up, and scottig from beneath George. “Not in the slightest.” He grinned with a cheeky smile.
The two both laughed and once again while taking another look at the vines and flowers.
“Shame this place won’t be here much longer eh’?” Ringo remarked looking out to take a shot of the pond overcast.
“Yeah… I rather like it.” George sorrowed as he spread his palm in the rich soil.
“Ritchie? Think I could ever get myself one of these? A garden? Maybe even a pond like this?”
Ringo felt his cheeks ache. George had him smiling big. “Maybe someday… I don't see why not.”
The lovers never wanted to leave, but of course the life of a Beatles never gave them much time to stop and smell the sunflowers. They would end up missing those last two scenes altogether, Brain would give them a stern verbal slap on the wrist, while John and Paul would secretly envy them for not thinking of running off as well.
But that time spent in the garden would stay with the both of them. Especially George...