George continues to stare at Andrew, desperation causing a terrible aching in his bones; for he wishes to know whether his lifelong best friend accepts him for who he is. The sickly feeling in his throat is almost unbearable; almost enough to break the intense eye contact the pair are maintaining. He can't quite believe that he has come out to somebody — let alone, the fact he's admitted to having feelings for someone else while in a relationship.

"What do you mean, "Oh"?" George finally dares to ask, unsure as to whether this is a suitable follow-up to his confession.

"I meant ... "Oh"?" Andrew responds uncertainly; his facial expression heavily suggests that he is still trying to process everything he has been told.

The ambiguousness eats away at George; so much so, that he softens his entire demeanour all at once in defeat. "You can tell me the friendship's over if you want. I know it must be hard, knowing you're best friends with a gay man. I know I'm pathetic."

Andrew doesn't speak at first; his glance hits George with matching furrowed brows — the first sign of a reaction that he has given since he found out the secret. As George observes his buddy, he spots a particular calmness in Andrew's body language, and a neutrality in his face. This is unfamiliar to George, due to their companionship being built upon playful disparaging and harmless banter; even when Andrew has been serious in the past, it has never presented quite like this.

"George," Andrew speaks, after the painstaking silence. "There is nothing pathetic about you. Not even slightly." The hard expression melts into an approving smile. "It's going to take more than you batting for the same team, for me to be scared off, you tosspot."

In his taken aback state, a loose grin forms on George's face; his fear seemingly diminishes in an instant, as he thoughtlessly forces himself onto Andrew in a tight hug. The action causes a laugh to escape from Andrew's mouth, as he wraps his arms around his beloved Yog. The affection lasts a few seconds, until George withdraws; this is when Andrew notices tears in his amber eyes.

"Thank you," he utters, swallowing to rid the lump that has formed in his throat. There is a melancholy glint that glosses over his irises; one that silently speaks of the turmoil he has encountered just in order to reach where he is in this moment. The relief that somebody so important to him is choosing not to give him a hard time over his sexuality, is refreshing, and exhilarating to the point of being overwhelming for him. "I-I really mean it. Thank you."

"It's nothing," Andrew assures him, nodding once to support this statement. "But I do think you need to tell Stephanie about all of this, before you begin any kind of relationship with Levi."

George looks at him near-blankly; the only indication of any emotion is the subtle lowering of his eyebrows, to suggest his guilt.

This nonverbal communication is enough for Andrew to get the hint on what has actually been going on. "Ah, shit, George."

"I feel terrible about it," he frowns, knowing the statement is merely a feeble justification for his continued behaviour. "But I don't want to have to wait for him. It isn't his fault I'm a coward."

"Let me get this straight." Andrew grimaces at the choice of wording, "No pun intended."

"Funny," George comments shortly.

"Let me get this right," Andrew rephrases. "You've known for — how long? — that you're gay, and you've been dating and living with a girl you don't actually like because you can't face telling her you're gay. And now you've met Levi, and magically he's gay too; and you fell in love but you can't tell anyone because you're cheating. But even if you weren't cheating, you would keep hush about it because you're too scared to admit you're gay to anyone."

"That's ... the general gist of it," George agrees, his tone giving away his internal shame at himself. "I'm not proud of the way I'm handling this ... but I'm just so scared, Andy."

"But why are you scared?" Andrew questions sadly.

"Have you seen how people like myself get treated?" George shakes his head, at the injustice that the many, many other homosexual people who exist must face. "Some people lose their friends and family. Some lose their dignity. And some even lose their lives. Everyone is lovely until they find out you're a man who fancies other men. Then the claws come out — even if they're the sweetest people ever, it can all change with this one little detail. I love my family, and I love my friends. Why would I want to lose any of them?"

"The people who leave aren't the ones worth knowing," Andrew reminds him; he pats his friend on the back to comfort him. "You've got me, if all else fails."

"As much as I appreciate that ... it's not the point," George sighs. "It's the unfairness of it all. Everyone is conditioned to believe my way of loving isn't normal. It isn't socially accepted, and that ... is just wrong to me. It shouldn't be this way. It's almost nineteen-eighty-seven. We should have abandoned this way of thinking in the forties. Fuck that — it shouldn't ever have existed."

"I see what you're saying," Andrew acknowledges. "I guess it can't be easy living like this."

"Why do you think I tried to end everything?" George's eyes move down to the ground; his internal mental struggle is something he hasn't had much chance to discuss, and it is daunting to him. "I couldn't handle hiding who I am anymore. But at the same time, I couldn't handle telling anyone."

"I wish you'd have told someone earlier. But I'm glad you told me eventually."

"You know, Levi saved my life. The day I tried to end it all, he called me in the middle of the attempt. I'd been hoping he'd contact me, and he finally did, right in the nick of time." His eyes meet Andrew's once more, as the tears that have clustered finally fall past his dark lashes. "He told me not to do it, and that's the day he told me he was gay too. He told me I wasn't alone; that I can talk to him about anything. He was kind, and genuine. And with not knowing how others around me would react to me being gay, I clung to what I had in him. He knows more about me, than you do."

"I see." Andrew wouldn't dare say it, but this knowledge makes him a little sad.

"It's not because I don't trust you. You're my best friend," George reassures him. "It's just, when you find somebody who knows how you're feeling about something ... it's a relief. And I knew you wouldn't be able to relate. I didn't want to risk our friendship over my sexuality."

"But I'm not a bad person, Yog. You know I'd accept you, and I'd listen to anything you told me."

"I can't know how anybody will react. Everyone I tell, I'm taking a gamble," George explains. "Just because you're a fantastic friend ... doesn't necessarily mean you'd have been supportive of me being gay. It doesn't work like that. I could never be sure until I told you. But it isn't me doubting you — it's just, everyone will react differently. You have to see this from my perspective."

"And I do," Andrew speaks defensively. "I get why you kept it from me. But what I'm saying is, those who don't understand ... well, they were never worth your friendship or love, in the first place."

"I just don't want to let anybody go." By now, George has taken on a hopeless tone; the tears which have dampened his cheeks have brought a delicate breaking to his voice.

"Well, mate." Andrew's hands rest upon George's shoulders, like a father to a son. "Only you can decide when you're ready to take the next step. I can't stop you from breaking Stephanie's heart, but giving you a hard time for it won't make things any better for anybody. You deserve to be happy, regardless of whether you're going about it the right way or not."

"Thanks ... I think." George forces half a smile, in an attempt to make light of the situation. "Just promise me you won't tell anyone about this. Not even Nancy."

"I mean, she was completely right about everything she's said about you," Andrew jibes mellowly. "When she said you're gay the first time we met her. And when she said you're having an affair."

"Don't remind me," George sighs. "I want to know how she developed the sixth sense to detect these things."

"She's an intelligent woman, is my fiancée," Andrew laughs. "And I hate to keep something from her, but it isn't my place to tell her, I guess. So, I promise I won't."

"Thank you." George chuckles quietly, at how much he has said those two little words in the last few minutes. "I'll tell everyone eventually. I just need to be ready. And I don't know how long that'll take."

"Please don't leave it too long to tell Stephanie though," Andrew pleads. "She doesn't deserve to be hurt over this. Even if you break up with her, without giving a reason. She deserves to know you don't love her."

"I just know how much she's been hurt by men before," he continues. "And the idea of being another man on that list makes me feel terrible."

Andrew realises George has a point; but despite this, he knows he must tell him what he needs to hear. "Well, the sooner you tell her, the easier it'll be for her to heal."

•••

Later in the evening, George approaches the front of his home; he removes the keys from his pocket, ready to insert them into the key slot in the door. However, before he can manage to achieve this, the door opens quickly before him. Stephanie greets him with an over-enthusiastic smile, grabbing hold of his arm to drag him inside.

"I've waited all day for you to come home," she tells him, as they arrive into the living room. "Did you have a nice time with Andrew?"

"It was nice," George answers, bewildered by her unusual level of energy. "Have you had a nice day? You seem to have done. I've never seen you quite so ... peppy."

"I had a great day!" Steph beams. "I went out with the girls into central London. You know, to do some Christmas shopping."

"Let me guess — you've already bought the exact ring you want me to propose with, one day?" George teases, giving the most convincing laugh he can muster. "Is that why you're so happy?"

"No," Steph snickers, shaking her head at him. "But we did play a couple of silly games while we were out."

"Games?" George's curiosity overrides any kind of negative feeling he still holds from his conversation with Andrew earlier. "What games can you possibly play as an almost-twenty-two-year-old with a bunch of other twenty-two-year-olds in the capital city?"

"One game was to find our partners a Christmas gift in under twenty minutes, but I knew exactly where to go and what to buy so I managed it in seven minutes," she explains. "And I know Christmas isn't for a couple of weeks yet, but I can't resist giving it to you right now because I'll explode if I don't."

"I mean, I'm always open to gifts," George evaluates. "Hit me with it. At least you'll have time to replace it before the big day, if I don't like it."

"Well, I'm hoping you'll love it." She grins, bringing a little bag out for him. "Merry early Christmas."

George takes the bag, using his fingers to fiddle with the cello-tape that seals the opening shut. He parts it, peeping down inside the bag to see something fluffy. Curious, he removes it from the packaging to discover that it's a gorgeous, soft polar bear plush, wearing a knitted jumper with writing on.

"Best daddy ever," he reads aloud, before his face contorts in embarrassment. "I mean, I didn't realise you had that kink. You know that I can never display this anywhere that any guests can see it, right?"

Stephanie cackles at his reaction, taking hold of the bear so that his hands can be free a moment. "Read the tag on the bag. You ignored it completely when you opened this."

He shrugs a little, grabbing the empty bag to read what she has written. "I can't wait to meet you."

He looks up at her, to find that in the few seconds his attention has been directed at the tag, Stephanie has produced a white stick from her pocket; and is holding it up for him to see. As he squints his eyes, he observes that there are two little red lines proudly displayed.

"What the?—" He can't finish his sentence, for he is too stunned at what he is seeing.

Stephanie squeals in excitement, cupping George's face in her hand. "Isn't it exciting? How long have I waited for this? George, you're going to be a daddy. The best daddy ever."

•••

So, George is going to become a father! How will he react to this news? Hope you enjoyed this one. xx