"Oh, for fu—" George cuts his own speech off, when he remembers he is in the presence of his children. "Fudge. For fudge sake."

"Levi?" Mack's expression is one of confusion. "Uh, I thought you guys were going to see your family today?"

"We are," George answers, before his husband can even open his mouth to talk. "We just wanted to take the kids on The London Eye first. I suppose it's not a crime, is it?"

"George," Levi whispers, as a form of warning for his impolite tone. He turns his attention back to Mack. "So, how come you're on here too? I thought you lived in London anyway."

"Well, I do." Mack rubs the back of his neck, as if trying to find the right words to say. "I just fancied a change of scenery. I suppose seeing the city from high up is vastly different to walking the streets."

"Fair enough," Levi comments, in a bid to dismiss the conversation politely; after all, he wants to spend the time with his family.

"We've really got to spend the entire time with this guy," George huffs quietly. "We can't even escape him. We're bloody suspended in mid-air."

"Be nice, George," Levi demands, finding some amusement in his partner's one-sided conflict with Mack. "He's done nothing wrong to you, has he?"

"You're so oblivious, it's actually rather funny," George states, shaking his head in disapproval; he decides he isn't going to waste this precious moment with his kids, so he averts his eyes to the view, bending down to bring Gemma and Kieran into his embrace as they marvel at the sights. "Look at this, guys!" he gasps, pointing to the various tiny buildings and famous landmarks which appear the size of his hand. "Isn't this incredible!"

"Is that the clock thingy?" Kieran asks, pointing to the tower which houses Big Ben.

"It is!" George answers. "Well remembered, Kieran."

"Look at the pretty water, Daddy," Gemma instructs excitably. "The river is so long."

"It is, isn't it?" George questions rhetorically. "That's the River Thames. That's one of the most famous rivers in all of England. Did you know that?"

Gemma shakes her head. "No, Daddy."

"Well, you've learnt something new today," George chuckles. "Are you going to show your new cat the views?"

Gemma giggles, holding her plush cat up against the window to 'show' it their pretty surroundings. She moves the cat's head from side to side with her fingers, finding great joy in such a simple pleasure. "He likes the views."

"Who wouldn't?" George replies. "It's stunning."

"So, you go home tomorrow?" Mack asks Levi. "You said it was just a weekend visit, didn't you?"

"Yeah," Levi responds. "Uh, the kids have school on Monday. I didn't want them to be too tired."

"You seem like a good dad," Mack compliments. "Don't get many truly good dads anymore."

"I-I mean, I try my best." Levi glances over at Gemma and Kieran, who are still in awe of what they're seeing; George stands with them, pointing out the significant attractions through the window. "But George is honestly the best father those kids could ask for. They'd be lost without him. And he'd be lost without them."

"You don't give yourself enough credit," Mack assures him. "You always point out how good George is. But what about yourself?"

"We both have our strengths. We both have our weaknesses." Levi shrugs subtly as he explains. "We complement each other because of it."

"And ... " Mack points to the children, to support his upcoming interrogation. "I'm guessing the lass is yours, and the little lad is George's?"

"I guess you wouldn't need a DNA test to determine it, would you?" Levi laughs. "Our son is the spitting image of George when he was younger. And our little girl is just a tiny female version of myself, really."

"So, did you use a surrogate, or something?"

"I mean." Levi is a little taken aback by the question, as the maternity of his children is something of a personal topic for him to discuss. "They have real mothers, if that's what you're asking."

"Have the kids ever asked to meet their mums?"

Levi furrows his brows, evaluating that it's best to leave the subject be for now. "No. But I'd never stop them if they wanted to, when they're older."

"You're a good guy," Mack tells him. "They're lucky."

"Thanks." Levi gives an uneasy smile, coming to the conclusion that now is a good time to end the conversation. "Anyway, I best get back to them. I'm missing precious time."

"Of course." Mack gestures with his hand, for Levi to go back to his family.

Levi heads back over to George and the children, to catch up with where they're at. "Have I missed anything?"

"They're just enjoying the views," George fills him in. "But unlike your little friend over there, the kids are enjoying the view outside the window — not the ones inside this pod we're in."

"Behave," Levi snickers. "He was just asking a bit about the kids."

"What?" George's face contorts with frustration at this. "You told a complete stranger information about our kids?"

"No!" Levi defends quickly. "He just said about how Gem looks like me, and Kieran looks like you. And he asked about their mothers."

"That better have been all you said," George warns him sternly. "Don't put them in danger because some creep has a crush on you."

"I wouldn't dream of doing anything that put them in danger," Levi says, resting a hand against his lover's shoulder. "I didn't even say their names when I was talking about them. I'm not completely stupid, you know."

"Fine." George puts the subject to rest, reasoning with himself that there's no point in debating the matter while he's still trying to enjoy this moment. "Well, how about we get a photo while we're in here?"

"Great idea." Levi pulls out his phone, turning his head to the other side of the pod. "Hey, Mack?"

Mack averts his glance over in the direction he hears his name being called from, spotting Levi looking at him; as a result, he moves from one end to the other. "What's up?"

"Would you mind taking a photo of us, please?" Levi requests politely. "We just want to have something to remember this by."

"Of course." Mack takes a hold of Levi's phone, stepping back while the family position themselves in front of the large window. He stares at the phone screen intently, to ensure that the composition of the image is perfect, before snapping a handful of shots. "There. I took a few for you. Had to get all the important stuff in the background."

"Thank you." Levi takes back his mobile device, flicking through the photos quickly to make sure they look alright. "These are great."

"Come on — whilst we're here, let's have a selfie," Mack presses with a laugh. "It would be funny."

"I mean, okay," Levi agrees, switching the camera to selfie mode. "You getting in, George?"

"I'll pass." George knits his brows together as he watches his partner take a photo with Mack; it's a simple gesture, and entirely innocent, but he can't help but find frustration in it. To cool himself off, he peers back out of the window, at the pretty views. "We're almost down to the ground again. Did you guys enjoy it?"

"Yeah," Kieran answers. "It was really cool."

"Can we go around again?" Gemma asks.

George chuckles at her question. "Unfortunately not, darling. We'd have to pay again, and we can't afford that. But you'll have the memories forever now. And there's no stopping us from coming back in the future."

"Oh, look, Daddy." Kieran points to the other side of the pod. "They have a camera outside the window. Can we get our photo taken?"

"I suppose we can try to," George replies. "Although, I think a lot of other people in here will be in the background." He carefully leads the children over to the camera, which is preparing to capture the people who share the vicinity with them. "Levi? Are you coming?"

"Yeah." He tucks his phone away into his pocket, before heading over to his family. "I see we're making the most of the photo opportunities today."

"Why not?" George questions rhetorically. "We may as well."

"There's a countdown, Daddy," Gemma points out.

Some other individuals gather around near them, in order to sneak into the photo; after the countdown is done, a bright white flash causes the children to flinch. George and Levi find amusement in this, snickering quietly to themselves as the pod finally descends to the start point again. Once they are back on the ground, the doors open, allowing everyone to exit.

As they pass through a little building, Kieran spots the image on a screen. "Look! It's the picture they took!"

Levi grins, as a substitute for laughter. "You're both squinting, look! Because of the white light when the camera took the photo."

"We have to get a copy," George states, heading to the counter to inquire about this. "Can I just get a copy of our photos, please?"

"Of course! A popular choice among other visitors is this." The woman lifts a book from behind the counter, showing George the inside. "It contains a brief history of The London Eye, as well as a frame page for the photo to go into. And, you'll get a few smaller copies of the photos; an empty keyring; and a magnet included, so that you can pop the photos in those too. Can I interest you in that, at all?"

"It sounds great," George acknowledges. "You know what? Go on then. I'll do that."

"Would you like a copy of the photo from inside the pod; the photo from before the ride; or one of each?"

"One of each, please," George decides. "How much will that be?"

"That's twenty-five pounds, please, sir."

George recoils subtly at the high cost of something so seemingly small; but regardless, he evaluates that the cost of a fantastic memory is, in fact, priceless. He nods, pulling his wallet from his pocket; then, he brings out his debit card. "Card please, love."

"Of course." She sets up the card machine, ready for him to pay. "There you go. It's ready for you now."

George inserts his card, entering his PIN code, before observing the screen to wait for the prompt to remove it again. Once he's withdrawn it, he watches the woman assemble the photograph package he's just purchased. He briefly rotates his body to look over at Levi, who heard the cost of the book, and is now looking at George with widened eyes. George silently laughs at his lover's expense, before bringing his attention back to the counter. The lady hands him the book in a bag, so he flashes a smile.

"Thank you," he says graciously, before moving away from the desk. He arrives back with his family, to explain the contents of the bag. "It's a book about The London Eye, and it has a photo slot in it too, see?" He opens the pages out without removing the souvenir from the bag, to demonstrate. "And it has keyrings and magnets, too. It's cute."

"Twenty-five quid, though," Levi chokes out playfully. "Most expensive photoshoot ever. The photos Mack took are free."

"I don't particularly care," George retorts calmly. "At least the photos I paid for, won't have the connotations of that creep attached."

"He's not a creep," Levi argues, although with no intention of being confrontational. "Like I said, he's just ... lonely."

"I wouldn't send that photo of you both to him," George advises. "He might put it to some use tonight, seeing as he's so lonely. All he has is his hands."

"George!" Levi gasps, unsure whether to be shocked, or to find hilarity in the comment. "Children present!"

"They don't know what I'm talking about," George defends; his shoulders jerk up and down with each burst of laugher that passes his lips.

"You should be glad about that," Levi scolds him mockingly. "Although, I can't send him anything, anyway. I don't have his number. He's got mine. I'm surprised he hasn't texted yet, to test it out."

"Because he conveniently keeps bumping into us," George reminds him. "It's almost as if he's stalking us, or something."

"Get a grip," Levi teases. "There's no chance."

"Hm." George takes a moment to pretend to think; he rests his fingers under his chin in contemplation. "Bumps into us at a bar; then he's randomly stopping in the same hotel as us; and then he happens to get in the same pod as us at The London Eye. And this guy lives in London. What's his need for a hotel and a trip on The London Eye, hey?"

"It does sound strange," Levi reasons. "But I'm sure it's entirely innocent. You're just overthinking it."

"Of course I am," George responds sarcastically. "All I'm saying is, I wouldn't want to be in his hotel room at midnight tonight. God knows what you'd catch him doing."

Levi shakes his head, dismissing his husband's apprehensiveness. "You're so funny. I'd rather be with you at midnight. So much more fun."

"Now who's making inappropriate comments in front of the kids?" George jibes, raising an eyebrow. "Anyway, come on. I think it's time to move on to the next thing."

"Agreed." Levi takes Gemma's hand, making sure that George follows suit with Kieran. "Come on then, guys. Let's head back to the room for a bit."

The four of them make their way off the premises of The London Eye, instead moving towards the closest tube station so that they can go back to the hotel.

• • •

Chapter twelve! What's going to happen next? xx