"Funny But It's True"

“I could stay here for the rest of my life.”

“Funny you should say that,” George's voice drifted to me on the breeze.

“Why?”
“I was just thinking exactly the same thing.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

It was just the two of us tonight, relaxing, underneath an apple tree near The Home Farm. Our stomachs were full, and we were tired from a busy day. We lay, side by side, with the backs of our hands brushing against each other. We stared into the orange-pink sky. The sun was setting beautifully.

“Christ, I'm relaxed!” George exclaimed dramatically.

I laughed heartily, and nodded to myself, “Me too.”

George chuckled quietly, and the untroubled chirping of evening birds replaced our voices as the only sound. When I leaned up on my elbows, I could see the lights of the house flicker on, as daylight died away slowly. They would probably be splitting off into the bedrooms by now. I looked over, to see George watching me curiously.

“What is it?” I asked.

“Nothing,” he shook his head gently, but continued to watch me.

“What?!” I giggled.

“Nothing!” he laughed too.

I shook my head, with a smile, and returned to looking over to the house. I loved this place – you could always be yourself here, and no-one would accuse you of being weird or whatever. There was always something going on, be it something as simple as dinner conversations that changed from the Royal Family, to pigs and cows, or something as dramatic as Bill and Mary's upcoming wedding. I loved this place like it was my own home.

“Ever thought about living somewhere like here?” George asked.

“What?” I smiled confusedly.

“Have you ever thought about living in a place like our house?”

I thought about it. “Yeah.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“Even with all the crazy people?”

“It wouldn't be the same without you all.”

“So you could put up with living with me?”

Again, I thought about it. I didn't think about whether I could “put up” with him, but I thought about what it would be like to live with him. I imagined coming home at the end of the day, and him being there to greet me. My mind wandered instantly to him coming over to me, kissing me in greeting, and leading me further into our own home. I dreamed that we would eat together, talk, and laugh. And I imagined what our bedroom would look like, and how it would feel to lie by his side as he slept peacefully. My hand twitched against his, and I was back in the real world...

“I'll take that as a 'no' then?” he asked, laying back down, staring at the sky.

“You can take it as a 'yes', George,” I muttered.

“What took you so long to answer?” I could hear the amusement in his voice.

“It's not something you can just answer!” I teased. “Would you be able to live with me?”
“Yes,” he answered, with no hesitation.

I sat up, and looked down at him, my brows furrowed into a questioning look.

“Have you seen who I already have to put up with?” he laughed.

I laughed too, punching him gently in the arm, before curling my legs under me, and reaching my arm across his body, to lean over him. “Seriously though, why did you ask?”
He thought about it for a moment. “Because you fit in so well – you're one of us.”

A moment passed as we both pondered this.

“And I'd miss you, if you ever left.”

I laughed at this, because although I didn't live with them, I might as well. I was often there when George woke up, and he would often walk me home late at night.

“I'm not going anywhere,” I smiled, giving him a reassuring pat on the chest, as he looked up into my eyes.

We sat there for several seconds, just looking at each other, both of our eyes glinting with the smiles that never left our faces when we were together.

“You know,” George sat up, and put one leg either side of me, so our bodies were close and facing each other. “Mum thinks you should move in.”

“Really?” I felt confused, and a little frustrated that he'd said his mother had thought of it.

“Yeah.”

“What do you think?”

“I don't know,” he shrugged.

My heart sank a little.

“I mean,” he hastily added, no doubt seeing my disappointed look, “I'd love to live with you! Like I said, I don't know what I'd do if you left! But...”

“But?” I asked, willing him to continue.

“Mum thinks it's because we'd stay up all night, talking.”

I gave a short laugh, “We probably would.”

“And we'd probably have to share a room, so we could fall asleep talking.”

My heart skipped a beat, “Yeah...”

“But we can't do that, because, you know..."

I nodded to myself, hoping that that could one day be true, regardless.

“Mum's completely against the idea.”

"But it was her idea?"

"I lied about that..."

“So, what do you think? Whose idea was it?”

The sky darkened around us. I placed my hand gently on his arm, as he faced down thoughtfully consumed by the movements of his own hands. His soft, mischievous eyes looked slowly back up at me. I smiled, as I did every time I saw his face.

“It's funny...” he said.

“What is?” I asked when he didn't proceed.

“It's funny, but it's true. All those things I said... they're all great!”

I thought about it. It would be wonderful to stay up with him, just talking into the darkness. It was my dream to have conversations with him into the small hours, then fall asleep with him. I couldn't think of a better life.

I nodded, grinning to myself.

“But Mum...”

I nodded again, but this time, with less of a smile.

The hand that rested in my lap suddenly felt warmer, as his hand gently pressed on top of it. His fingers slipped over my skin, making me shiver, before he grabbed my hand in his, and squeezed. I looked at him.

His face was one of determination and thought. A moment of silence passed as he searched my face, and I let him.

“You're freezing!” he said suddenly, holding my hand up.

I hadn't noticed that we were in almost complete shadow, and the light summer sun had left us to grow cold. He tore his jacket off and draped it over my shoulders, hugging me into him. I uncurled my legs, and sat up on my knees, so I could get closer. 

“Thank you,” I whispered into his ear. I felt him shiver as my breath kissed his neck. I wanted to press my lips there, so much so that I felt myself moving involuntarily towards him. He held me tighter, and placed his chin on my shoulder. I cuddled into him, and he curled his long legs around me. I was warm, content, and settled perfectly in his arms.

“We fit together,” he muttered.

Again, he knew what I was thinking.

“Funny you say that,” I giggled softly.

“Funny, but true,” he rubbed my back, making my skin tingle with excitement. “What time do you want to go home tonight?”

“I don't.”

“You don't?”

“No, I don't want to go home tonight,” I asserted.

He moved us, so he could look into my eyes, “Where do you want to go?”

“Nowhere. I want to stay here forever.”

He laughed lightly, and kissed my forehead. “I knew you wouldn't leave.”

I kissed his cheek in return. “I don't think I ever want to go home now.”

“Good,” he replied, stroking my hair. “This is your home now.”

“What about your mum?”
“What about her?”

“What will she think?”

“She'll have to get used to the fact that regardless of what she thinks about unmarried men and women staying together, I want you to be with me all the time. Day and night.”

“Really?” I asked.

“Yeah.”

“This is a massive step!”

“You know,” he thought aloud, “we've never done anything in order.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, Bill and Mary dated first, then kissed, now they're getting married, and they'll move in together after that...”

I was dumbfounded. “W-what do you mean?!”

“Well, if we move in together, we're doing it all wrong!”

Birds sang in our brief silence.

“You feel like that..?”

“Don't you?” he asked, bewildered.

I almost cried as I realised he'd assumed I'd know about his feelings.

“You've never...”

“What?”
“You've never shown any kind of...”

“What are you talking about?! I've always shown you how much I care for you! I spend everyday with you. I walk you home every night. I get sad every time we say goodbye, and it makes my day every time you smile! I thought you knew?!”
“No!” I laughed.

His face dropped, “I thought you felt the same...”

“Just because I didn't know how you felt, doesn't mean I haven't loved you for years!”

We both stopped, mouths open, as we realised what I'd said.

“You love me?”

I nodded, scared, but reassured by what we'd said so far.

I felt his hands on either side of my face, as he lovingly, yet hungrily kissed my lips with the passion I'd always longed to feel from him. I kissed back just as urgently. Our bodies pressed against each others', and he held me tighter than he ever had before. His touch felt different, as though he was no longer afraid to hold me, to feel me. I touched his skin, his arms, his face. We broke for air, but I couldn't catch my breath.

“I love you,” he muttered against my lips, as his forehead rested on mine.

“I love you too,” I smiled, breathing heavily, but I didn't care.

It was funny how long it had taken us to realise what we had. It was funny that neither of us really knew what we were feeling until that moment. It was funny that we'd both hoped it would happen for such a long time before it did. And it was funny that it had come about in such a strange, kind of pathetically longing way... As George would have said... Funny, but it's true.