The two weeks following Levi waking up are long and stressful ones. A lot of work is put into helping him recover from the injuries he sustained during the attack; George, however, is there by his side the entire time. The doting Greek has managed to recover almost fully; his ribcage is still slightly sore from the bruising, but he is now able to perform most tasks to a normal or acceptable standard in comparison to when he first woke up from being unconscious. The mental strain, though, has been an entirely different story — both the men have struggled with the idea of leaving the hospital and facing the outside world again. George has already been discharged from the hospital for around nine days; Levi, on the other hand, is still admitted. In these few days, George has found his 'freedom' difficult to come to terms with; the idea of being in a public setting often brings him intense anxiety now.

"How are you feeling today?" George asks, placing a grape into his lover's mouth. "Chew."

Levi obliges, chewing as requested until he is able to swallow; once his mouth is empty again, he responds. "Feeling okay. My body doesn't feel quite as achy today." He laughs to himself, at how silly he thinks he sounds. "I'm pathetic, aren't I? Look at me."

"Don't you dare." George pulls another grape from the bunch he has. "Open." Once Levi opens his mouth, George slips the grape in. "Don't you dare say you're pathetic. You are the bravest man I've ever met. Who else could have a smile on their face after what's happened?"

Levi finishes his food, furrowing his brows in protest. "You don't give yourself enough credit for how brave you've been, too. Everyone has been focusing on my recovery — yet nobody seems to be caring about yours. You've been incredible."

"I don't matter," George dismisses quickly, chuckling to make light of the situation. "I got off lightly compared to you."

"That's not the point though, is it?" Levi shakes his head, disappointed. "I wish you wouldn't be so self-deprecating. I know it all stems from the secret you're keeping, but you really are too hard on yourself. You've been here for me day in, day out — when nobody else has. And yet you got attacked too. It doesn't matter who had it worse. We were both affected by what happened, and it shouldn't have happened to either of us."

"It is what it is," George murmurs. "Once we're both out of here, I want to work to block it out as much as I can and move on with my life."

"Move on how?" Levi dares to ask. "Do you mean, act as if nothing ever happened? Continue on as normal? Or do you mean ... it's a turning point? A change in your life?"

"I can't tell her." These four words, even with no context, are completely telling of George's mindset in this moment. "If this is the reaction I get from strangers, how do I know she wouldn't be the same?"

"Oh, George ... "

"I can't, Levi." George is adamant in his decision. "I know it's wrong, but I'm not strong enough to deal with how she reacts. I don't know how I'm going to get out of this." The feeling of realisation that he is trapped in this situation is enough to bring tears to his eyes; as his demeanour softens. "I'm stuck. I'm stuck like this, and there's no way to get out of it."

"Don't talk like that." Levi rests a hand on his love's arm, rubbing gently to comfort him. "There's always a way out of everything. One day, you'll find the strength to tell her. I know you don't think you will ... but you will."

"I wish I could believe you." The tiny water droplets begin to slide over George's dark lashes, as his bottom lip gently trembles. The melancholy vulnerability evident in his facial expression is enough to break even the coldest of hearts; with Levi being so empathetic, he too begins to cry silently for him. Levi holds more optimism for George to confess than George does himself; but despite this, seeing the man he loves in such turmoil hurts his soul.

The mellow, emotional outpouring between the pair is short-lived, as it is interrupted by a nurse entering the room with Stephanie and Penny. The men work quickly to dry their eyes and part from one another, as not to give away anything that could incriminate them.

"Good morning, Mr Jones; Mr Panayiotou," the nurse greets warmly. "How are we feeling today, Mr Jones?"

"Feeling pretty good, thanks," he answers briefly, feeling no need to elaborate.

"Are you both alright?" Stephanie frowns, detecting the sadness between the men.

"Sorry," George breathes. "We just got a bit ... worked up about everything that's happened. Just having a bit of a wobbly moment," he chuckles. "You know how it is."

"Bless your hearts," Penny comments. "It's been tough. But the good news, sweetheart, is that you're looking good to come home today."

"Really?" The inflection on Levi's voice suggests he is surprised, even though he knows it has to happen eventually. "Is that what the nurses have said?"

"It's looking promising, Mr Jones." The nurse gives him a closed-mouth smile. "We just need to give you a few final checks; then, if all is well, we'll get the paperwork sorted this afternoon."

"I see." Levi is unsure of what else to say; he feels nervous about leaving the place that has taken such good care of him the last two-to-three weeks. "So then everything just carries on as normal? I have to just ... go about everyday life again?"

"We have some support lines if you need any help; or someone to talk to about what has happened to you. We gave the phone numbers to Mr Panayiotou once he was discharged," the nurse explains. "And although I don't know much, I'm fairly sure the investigation with the police is going well, too. The people who have done this to you won't get away with it, I can assure you." She leaves the room, so that she can check some notes and liaise with a doctor about Levi's condition.

"Do we know anything else about it?" George questions, aimed at nobody in particular.

"We do, actually." Stephanie responds; she and Penny both seem to share the same satisfaction as each other. "The police went around the local area asking if anybody had seen anything. This was a couple of days ago."

"And?" Levi cocks a brow in curiosity.

"Well," Penny braces herself. "One of the corner shops that's opposite the park you got attacked in ... they had a CCTV camera installed which overlooks the park. They said it's so they can catch shoplifters running away after they've left the premises or something. But obviously, the boys who attacked you didn't know that."

"You mean they filmed them attacking us?" George asks; the only concern he has, is that he and Levi could also be seen on any potential footage prior to the attack.

"The camera caught the boys chasing after you, George," Stephanie explains. "Unfortunately, it didn't catch anything before that point. But it caught them running after you, and when they attacked you. That's what the police said."

"Have you seen it?" Levi questions.

"Not yet. I don't know if we're allowed to," Penny informs her son. "But the police said their faces are clear enough to identify who they are. So they should be getting what they deserve soon enough."

"That's ... extremely lucky," George mutters, secretly relieved that no footage is available of Levi and himself showing any kind of affection to one another. "It's not often that criminals are identified that easily."

"Clearly it was written in the stars for you," Stephanie teases. "But you've had enough bad luck lately. It was about time you had some good luck."

"Exactly," Penny agrees. "You two boys are so lovely together—" She suddenly realises what she's said, so she tries to save face by playing off her statement. "Y-Your friendship is so lovely. It breaks my heart that you both had to go through this."

"Well ... it's happened now, hasn't it?" Levi shrugs. "Hopefully it won't happen again."

"It's going to take a while to get over what happened. You may never get over it," Penny reminds him. "But you both need to know that there's people who love you, who will be there to help you both when you're struggling."

The nurse returns at just the right time — as the conversation concludes. "Right, let's get you checked over Mr Jones."

•••

"You two make yourself comfortable. I'll make you a drink," Penny offers kindly, helping her son onto the living room sofa. "Tea, George?"

"As strong as you can make it, please." George flashes a brief smile, taking a seat beside Levi. "Thank you."

"Levi? Weak tea with sugar?" She glances across to him, with a motherly expression.

"Thanks, mum." Levi looks to the right of him, seeing Meggy and Maisie bounding up to them; they jump onto the sofa, taking the spare gaps between the men. "Hey girls."

"They're so cute," George snickers, gently stroking Meggy with one hand. "I can't believe I've never met them before today." Meggy climbs onto his lap, her paws digging into his thighs as she gets herself comfortable; then, she lays across him. "My god, I'm going to cry. She's the sweetest thing I've ever seen."

"Isn't she just?" Levi agrees. "And she's only a few months old. She was tiny when we first got her. She could fit into the palm of my hand."

"I remember seeing the photo." George rubs his fingers across the silky yellow fur that weighs him down. "This makes me want a pet dog of my own."

"Maybe one day you can have as many dogs as your heart desires," Levi comments playfully. "When we get our own place in the future."

"If we stay together that long," George corrects him. "Because there's no guarantee of anything, is there?"

"I suppose not," Levi evaluates. "But I have a good feeling that we'll be alright. Especially after everything we've already been through together. The last three weeks have been rough."

"That's one word for it." George heaves a sharp sigh through his nostrils, wanting to forget what's occurred, but knowing that isn't entirely possible. "I guess from now on, we don't show any kind of affection in public. I think the only place I trust is Goring, really."

"I think I agree with you," Levi responds. "Just seems quite coincidental that the one time we meet outside of Goring is when something bad happens. Better safe than sorry."

"At least the kids that did it are going to get caught," George reminds him; admittedly, he is shocked at how positive he's being about the whole ordeal. "Remember? Stephanie and your mum said they caught them on CCTV."

"I'm just amazed the cameras didn't film us too," Levi states. "Because if they had, it would be game over for your secret."

"But it isn't." George is unsure whether he senses some form of hostility in Levi's voice. "So I'm safe."

"For now," Levi remarks. "But it's only a matter of time before she will find out. Whether you tell her or not, if this type of thing keeps happening — eventually we'll slip up. It would be better coming from your mouth, than somebody else's."

"I know that." Regardless of his intended tone, George's response is snappy. "But you're not stuck in this like I am. You don't have a girlfriend to falsely appease every minute of the day."

"I'm aware of that," Levi defends calmly. "I'm just saying — I know you think there's no way out of this, but there is. And I know what's happened lately is enough to frighten you into never telling her, but the harsh reality George, is that one day you'll have to. For my sake, if not for your own."

"Levi, I love you; you know I do — but this isn't just about you."  George bows his head sadly, wishing he could explain his internal thought processes to his partner. "You saw what happened when a group of people found out about us. If the whole world knew, who knows what would happen to us?"

"I understand why you're scared, George. Trust me, I do." Levi cups George's face with his hand, letting his thumb caress his cheek gently. "I've only come out to my mum. I got lucky with how accepting she was. It won't be the same for every single person I tell. But you know what? I'll tell the people who matter, and if they don't want to stick around — it fucking sucks for them, because they won't have me around anymore."

George laughs lightly at Levi's cursing, his demeanour softening. "What a loss that would be for them."

"It would be, wouldn't it?" Levi grins, deciding it's best to block out the bad memories, even if just for this moment. "I'm one of the best people anybody could have in their lives."

"I have to agree to that." George's smile matches his, as he leans in to press his lips to Levi's. The kiss is short and firm; just enough to remind one another of why they are together.

The sweet reconciliation is cut short, when Penny arrives back in with two mugs of tea in her hands. "Here you go boys—oh, sorry. Am I gatecrashing again?"

"I told you before: gatecrash all you like," George snickers.

"Don't say that. One day I'll catch something unfortunate," Penny jibes, referencing the response she gave the last time George said this. "I just finished making your teas. I'll bring some biscuits in for you both."

"Thank you, mum." Levi smiles at her as she passes him both mugs; then, she darts out the room for a moment. "One day, she really will catch something like that."

"And it'll be unfortunate for everyone involved," George adds, amused. "But until then, I'm gasping for a drink. Pass me."

"Alright, pushy." Levi hands him one mug. "I already know this is yours. The colour of that drink is criminal."

"Shut up," George retorts. "At least mine isn't as weak as piss like yours."

Levi laughs loudly. "I'm using that phrase from now on. That's gold."

Penny returns holding a packet of custard creams and a mug of her own; she sets her cup on the coffee table, before unsealing the biscuits. "Help yourself to as many as you like. Doesn't cost much to replace them."

"Thank you." George takes two of them, dipping one into his drink in quick succession. "Levi, now's your chance to redeem yourself. Tell me you're a quick dunker."

"I like my biscuit soft," Levi answers. "No point dipping it in for half a second. It's still dry when you take it back out."

"Bloody hell — piss tea and soggy custard creams. Remind me why I'm entertaining a single second of your antics," George gasps.

"Because you love me," Levi replies smartly.

"I don't know — it may be a dealbreaker." George laughs again, taking a bite from his biscuit. "I'll have to train you to have some taste, if we have any chance of staying together."

"If my taste is so bad, why did I choose you out of all the men in the world?" Levi snaps back quickly.

George hesitates, uncertain of how to answer the remark; he doesn't know whether to use self-deprecating humour, or whether to use it as an ego boost.

His pause amuses Penny, who decides to talk for him. "Ah, leave him alone Levi," she chuckles, squeezing George's cheek with her fingers. "This lovely young man has been an absolute gem to you lately."

"I am aware mum," Levi huffs, in mock disapproval. "That's why I know that I want him to move in ... once he's told Stephanie the truth."

George furrows his brows in surprise; an endless number of questions form in his mind, but he is unable to voice them. Instead, he keeps staring at his lover, at a loss for words from this revelation.

•••

Chapter thirty-two! How will george react to Levi's proposition? xx