Monday. September 6

Waking up for Hope this morning was sweet. A joyful excitement swept through his entire body and concentrated in his stomach.

"He loves me... I want to hear and feel it again and again," Hope hugged himself and savored the warm feeling spreading through his insides.

At that moment, his cell phone alerted with a new message, in which the guy saw what he wanted so badly - another confirmation of mutual feelings:

<Jake: "Good morning, love! Really looking forward to seeing you. Is the meeting at the big break still on?">

Hope couldn't contain his joy, and it burst out in chaotic movements of his limbs across the surface of the bed. Calming down, he wrote:

<Hope: "Yeah, Hia. I'll text you the approximate meeting place.">

After a few manipulations with the map and the editor, he sent Jake the location where they would be reunited, and then he stretched out on the bed and made a sound that sounded a lot like a cat calling during mating season.

Knock, knock, knock

"Come in, P!" - shouted the boy, as he knew that out of all the members of his small family, there was only one person who didn't break in his door at full speed.

"Nong, are you awake yet?" - A happy snaggletoothed face poked through the door.

"Uh-huh," Hope smiled back, pulling on a t-shirt.

"You seem to be in a good mood, I see. I'm glad! Let's go get breakfast, Snowy's spoiling us again today," Panit winked.

"I'll be down in five minutes," the guy couldn't stem the flow of happiness that, no matter how hard he tried to hide it, was absolutely reflected on his face, which meant it might raise a lot of questions and teasing from Grandpa. The boy sighed, mentally preparing himself for a cheerful breakfast.

After running a couple of variants of a less happy image in front of the mirror just in case, he went downstairs.

The short rehearsal didn't produce the desired result, and his suspicions were justified. As soon as he sat down at the table, two green aventurine eyes immediately scanned him, and then Grandpa began to quickly type something into his phone, lifting the corners of his lips slightly.

"Didn't say anything. I can't even believe it... Am I doing a pretty good job? Or maybe this is just the calm before the storm?"

The silence was interrupted by the sound of a text message on Troy's phone, which he frowned at and then, with a squint at his son, wrote a reply, then leaned back against the desk and asked, looking into blue eyes:

"So you and Jake talked last night?"

"Well, I guess you could say that," Hope replied uncertainly, as he didn't want to lie to Grandpa, but then he immediately remembered his and Lion's brief "conversation" and, blushing, smiled embarrassedly.

BANG

Troy's palm landed on the table and his forehead was like a thunderous, black-clouded, layered sky. Panit scooted closer to his soulmate and peered into the screen of his phone, stroking the man's strong tense shoulders as the man tapped his thumbs exasperatedly, typing a message.

"Honey, give me your phone for a second," Panit spoke softly, holding out his palm.

"Why all of a sudden? It's my cell phone. I have to deal with someone who obsessed with..." - The gray-haired man answered gruffly, but didn't take his thought to its logical conclusion.

"*Whine*... well, please Snowy!" - The sunny guy stuck out his bottom lip and drew his eyebrows together.

"Bunny, what's the matter with you? Of course you do!" - Troy replied worriedly and handed the phone back to Panit.

"Ha, that's the way to do it! Who said yesterday that everything of yours is mine?" - The boy squinted his eyes slyly and, biting his lip, typed a message on Grandpa's phone.

"What's going on?" - Hope wasn't getting any insight at all from the scraps of phrases.

"Done!"-Panit put the phone aside, away from his half, and, looking at the younger man, replied, "It's just that someone is preventing his son-in-law from establishing contact with his child. Who is it? Who? Ah, Snowy?"

"Why am I interfering with him? Just another warning... Wouldn't be redundant. Let him take responsibility for his actions," Troy made the most innocent face he could. Surprised kitty eyes and cheeks stuffed with food turned the formidable Troy into a little fat Lori.

"Can you look like that again?"

"Grandpa, are you threatening Jake?"

The boys spoke at the same time, asking their questions to the man already looking at his plate, only the tone was drastically different.

"You've got to be kidding me. Let me eat in peace," Troy popped two sweet rounds into his mouth at once and quickly got up to get more coffee.

The boys looked over and smiled at each other. Hope decided to leave this conversation, as he knew that Troy didn't wish him and Lion any harm, even on the contrary, he was doing his best to improve their relationship. "Mommy" had told him last night that Grandpa had transferred a very large sum of money to Jake's account on Friday to pay off his debt to his parents, and had helped him with various kinds of advice.

Deciding to change the subject of conversation, the boy asked:

"P, I've been wondering since yesterday what Grandpa got you?"

"Oooh, Snowy has overwhelmed me with presents! Honestly, I think it's too much. I'm not used to it... We had lunch at Ministry Of Crab! I was impressed and very shy since I didn't know how to eat many of the dishes, but... our daddy explained everything as we went. Also! - Panit started cheerfully, and then wrapped his arm around Troy's waist and pressed his cheek against his shoulder, -He got me tickets to Coldplay! They're coming to play a big concert in a couple weeks! You know that song "Yellow"? I used to listen to it a lot... back then... and dreamed that someday I would meet someone who could love me enough to devote his life to me... I found him..."

That was incredibly sweet, the Troy hugged Panit back and kissed him on the top of his head, and the older man sang softly:

Look at the stars

Look how they shine for you

And everything you do

Yeah, they were all yellow

I came along

I wrote a song for you

And all the things you do.

And it was called yellow...

"Love is a priceless gift that we must try to preserve," Hope thought, looking at the happy, loving couple, and then drifted back to Jake: "I'll hear him out, but it won't make any difference... It's decided. "

The couple, meanwhile, had merged in a light kiss, and the boy fidgeted in his chair, feeling like a third wheel here.

"Ahem. Eat before it gets cold. Son, can I get you some tea?" - the gentle notes in Troy's voice made the atmosphere even sweeter, as if there was a spiderweb of cotton candy hovering in the air around them.

"There was another present... Mmmmm, an incredible dinner!  - whispered the older man cryptically, leaning over the table as the man fiddled with the kettle.

"Really? What did Grandpa make? No leftovers for me? P, at least show me a picture," Hope said it loud enough, not knowing it was classified information. Panit hissed, but it was too late, green eyes fixed on the boys:

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, P said you made a... magical dinner. I was just wondering what exactly was on that table," Hope said slowly, looking at the family members in turn.

"It's too early for you to know about that," Troy cut him off, and then, with a twinkle of demoness in his green eyes, looked at a silently giggling Panit, "Hurry up and finish your breakfast and go for a run. You too, Sunshine."

"Me? Snowy! Physical activity is not for me, especially after a FULL dinner! You understand, don't you?" - the older man started indignantly, and finished by looking flirtatiously at his Yeti and running a finger over his chest, revealed by the deep neckline of his tank top.

"Mmm, when you're so insistent and make a valid argument, I can't say no, sweetie," Troy gave in very quickly, and Hope chuckled, immediately chalking up this solution to the situation:

"We should try something like that with Lion."

Waiting to see Jake was like praying not to the gods, but to the image of his beloved, words replaced by the overwhelming desire to hear him again, to touch his warm hand and join him in a kiss.

"Your happy smile... I'm glad things are getting better. Your tears and pain have been very hard on me, son. I'm sorry I couldn't keep you from them," Troy spoke softly in a serious tone as they sat on the porch steps after their run.

"It wasn't your fault, Grandpa. We've worked it all out...well, almost. We'll talk today and everything will be one hundred percent okay."

"Great. So far I see everything in the most rosy...ugh...joyful light. Jake and I will be buying out your time in the basement, Norman will make sure you only work at the restaurant on weekends, Club customers are now getting extra attention and extra checks after the hidden camera incident. I think life is slowly getting better," Grandpa was saying, and Hope understood his reluctance to say the word "rainbow," although after meeting him and getting closer to his colleagues, it didn't make him hate and irritate, but rather regret.

"Uh-huh. Grandpa, what about Anuman?" - Hope suddenly remembered.

"And with him... absolutely nothing. The boys have been watching him for a week, or rather just sitting in the car outside his house. That rotter is apparently stressed out, trying to rethink life after his punishment. The day before yesterday, I took the surveillance off. It's a shame they're wasting their time. Now Calleo sometimes watches him on the security cameras, he's only been to the grocery store so far, he looks banged up, probably won't wake up soon. Let him boil in the shit he once drove innocent girls into," Grandpa was still speaking softly, but you could tell from the metal in his voice that he had a strong antipathy for the man.

"I see, what about Soni? Has he managed to find any dirt?"

"Not yet, no. Don't think about it, this situation doesn't concern you at all. They'll figure it out on their own," Troy said, patting his son on the knee.

"Who THEY?" - The boy clarified.

"Yeah, Khun Nanfa, Soni and... Okay, run to shower and study. I have to go to the Farm, things are busy," Grandpa's tone and words made it clear to Hope that the conversation was definitely over at this point.

"Okay. If you're in a hurry, Grandpa, I can walk or take a cab myself," Hope offered.

"No, I always have time for you. Pack up," Troy stood up and, adjusting his butt shorts, went into the house.

***

When they pulled into the school parking lot, Troy first decided to walk Hope to the front entrance.

"How about another hug and tell me how much you love me, Grandpa? I'm a big boy to walk me to the school door," Hope smiled. No, he wasn't ashamed in front of his companions, he just wanted to tease the gray-haired man a little bit.

"Embarrassed of me, kid? You're going to be the envy of half the school right now," Troy laughed.

"That's right! Run to work or the girls will be jealous," Hope said cheerfully, but then he remembered something and added in a soft, coaxing tone. - And... don't pick me up, I'll probably have company tonight..."

The man's eyebrows met for a second, conferred and parted, "I'll call closer to the case and we'll decide."

"Thanks, Grandpa!" - the boy put his arms around Troy's neck, for to him the lack of a direct rejection was equal to an unexpected green traffic signal. It was now safe to continue on his way to meet his happiness.

A slight smile played on Hope's lips as he walked to class, but his whole gut was determined to throw a bright party: his insides danced as his brain conjured up bold images, rich in feeling and color, accompanied by the music of thoughts of the long-awaited hours alone with Lion.

I had to abruptly stop this cheerful internal humming when his name was thundered across the classroom:

"Hoooope!!!"

Jean burst from her seat and within seconds was groping the headman's muscles and touching his forehead.

"Get your naughty hands off the president!" - Pruit immediately squeezed in between them. Facing his friend and folding his palms, he proclaimed: "O great, fair-haired God! Why have you deprived us of the gift of beholding your shining countenance?"

"I am very glad to see you too!" - Hope smiled at his companions and knew for sure that Pruit hadn't pushed Jean away because he wanted to shield his friend's body from encroachment, and she hadn't resented it, which meant they were still doing well.

"We've been so worried! Your guardian said you were sick. Is it true? Is everything okay now?" - Concernedly the girl wailed, pushing her soulmate aside.

"Everything is fine now. There was a slight fever. Don't worry," Hope assured her.

"Strange all of course... You disappeared and then the coach came back twenty-four hours later and wasn't himself. A lot of people were afraid to even go near him. His eyes were shooting lightning bolts. He must have been worried about you, huh?" - Jean whispered the last sentence into her friend's ear, and Pruit immediately leaned in to overhear and nodded vigorously in agreement with her words.

"Class is coming up soon. Let's put this conversation on hold," Hope smiled, sliding the palms of his friends' hands apart as if they were window shades, and made his way to his seat.

Today, the headman was completely focused on his studies. Heavy thoughts no longer tormented him. Only at the end of the fourth academic hour, the waves of impatience and desire to talk to his beloved, overwhelmed him with increasing force. And as soon as the bell rang, he snapped out of his seat, dropping his friends:

"I'll be busy at lunchtime today!"

He could hear them trying to object, but there was a long corridor before his eyes, and his feet carried him forward. Trying not to run, he quickly covered the distance to the central staircase and flew down the steps, jumping over one.

Overcoming the last two with an easy long jump, Hope headed for the park:

"Are you there yet, Lion? I'll be right there!"

The courtyard was busy, so he had to get around the students who were enjoying the big break. And now he was already walking along the narrow path to the part of the park where there were usually no people.

When he reached a quiet place, a small clearing among the trees, Hope stopped and began to type a message to Lion that he was already there.

Suddenly he was shoved hard from behind, and he dropped the phone from his hands, flying to the grass. A quick somersault over his shoulder, and he was already on his feet, Grandpa always said that when attacked you must act instantly in the first seconds, otherwise, hesitating, you can never live the next.

The guy could not see the face of his attacker, as the black cap almost completely covered it.

"Who are you, and what do you want?" - Hope didn't hold back his voice and asked loud enough in hopes that the other students would hear him.

"W-who am I??? Already forgotten?" - hissed a familiar voice like a snake, and the boy didn't immediately recognize it. But when the man lifted the visor of his cap, Hope was taken aback, not expecting to see Anuman in front of him.

"I'll ask the question again - what do you want from me?" - Hope's voice sounded harsh and rough.

"Just wanted to talk... Been waiting for you here since this morning," his interlocutor smiled unkindly, taking steps in his direction.

"Doesn't sound like just a conversation! Stay where you are, Anuman!"

"And if I don't want to? What are you going to do? How quickly I found you... If it hadn't been for the embroidery on your shirt that day..." - The grin grew wider and wider, and the distance between them slowly shrank.

"Stay back! I will defend myself, I warn you!" - Hope put one foot forward and clenched his fists, already contemplating his actions in the event of a possible enemy attack.

After coming within a meter, Anuman stopped and turned half sideways and spoke softly:

"Those farm scum fucked me day and night... There's nothing left of me... I don't want to live anymore... but before that..."

Hope felt sorry for the broken man for a second and loosened his stance, and just then, with a cry of "I'll kill you!" Anuman's hand swung toward him. Managing to pull his head back quickly, Hope saw the blade of a small penknife gleaming in the sunlight fly before his eyes.

"Crazy man! Put the weapon away and we can talk," Hope tried to delay time and calm his attacker by parallel retreating along the edge of the small clearing, moving toward the path.

Anuman followed, no fear in his eyes, only a savage desire to kill his cornered victim and a burning, unconcealed hatred.  

In one leap he was half a meter away, and his knife hand began to move sharply, trying to pierce his abdomen or graze his face. While Hope was focused on the weapon and deftly dodging the blows, Anuman suddenly kicked the guy in the knee with his foot.

From the sharp pain Hope stood for a second on his bad knee, leaning it against the grass, but he could not get up as he wished, for the beast did not wait, but roared and pounced on him, throwing him to the ground. The knife flashed upward for a split second, and Hope immediately put his hands out to defend himself. Catching the point a few centimeters from his face, he clutched the blade hard, feeling the searing pain, and tried to wrestle the weapon from his attacker's hands, but it wouldn't work.

Feeling his strength Hope tried to fight back with his legs, paralleling the blade's distance from him. The Anuman squeezed his lower body hard with his thighs, so this tactic was not successful.  Although Hope was taller and stronger than this man by sight, the hunter's strength was incredible, rage and hatred fueling it.

Despite the violent throbbing in his palms, the skin on which the sharpened steel cut, and the trickles of blood running down his arms onto his white shirt, Hope moved the knife point farther and farther away from him, trying to switch his brain from the pain to thinking of a plan of further action.

"Since I can't take down the creep who did this to me, I'll take his sweet boy's life! Bitch, let him choke on that shit!" - Anuman spat out each word while trying to burn and drain the two darkened oceans with a savage stare.

"Anuman! Calm down, let's talk!" - shouted back Hope and mentally briefly scolded himself for wasting energy on pointless talk at this moment.

In the next second, his attacker jerked the knife out of his hands, giving his palms another sharp pain, and brought his hand up for another attack. Hope had his hand ready to strike, but at that second, a fist hit Anuman's face, causing him to lose his balance and fall backward. And suddenly... the face of his beloved appeared before his eyes. A fraction of a second, and the dark pupils dilated, the face was distorted by the pain he was experiencing, and the dear, desirable lips silently said:

"I'm here. It's okay."

As Hope's heart clenched, his eyes caught sight of Lion bringing his right hand over his left shoulder and gripping the handle of the knife thrust into him from his back.

He realized his lover was trying to protect him and took the blow for himself. His blood froze with the icy terror and fear for his life that engulfed him, and then boiled with anger and a fierce thirst for vengeance in a split second.

"Bitch!" - he didn't panic, but instead exerted every bit of strength at that moment at the edge of his power to punch Anuman in the face with his bloody hand and then stand up as he staggered back.

Jake clutched the blade tightly, not releasing it from his body. Anuman couldn't pull the weapon and quickly figure out what to do next, and those seconds were enough for Hope. After delivering a series of precise blows with his hands and feet to the short-cropped head of the no longer blond man, he stopped, seeing the pitiful sight of the attacked bastard lying on the grass. The hatred and rage that had recently raged in his eyes had been replaced by terror and fear. Hope took a step toward him, and he started to retreat, crawling backward, then jumped to his feet and stumbled toward the path.

When he saw the Anuman disappearing behind the trees, he sprinted toward Jake. It was a terrible picture, with only the hilt of the knife sticking out of his shoulder, which he still held tightly in his hand, his knuckles white.

Hope gently put her arms around him and began to speak: 

"Honey... I'll be right there... I'll get help! Stay conscious, please!"

"The important thing is you're safe..." - Jake whispered in the ear of the boy, who was already sobbing on his right shoulder:

"What about...?"

Fear for his lover's life made Hope's voice shake, tears rolling down his cheeks as Lion put his right arm around his waist, but his brain kept him from falling into despondency and began to think quickly:

"It's going to be okay, love! I have to look for my cell phone!"

Finding his cell phone lying in the grass with a glance, he quickly ran over to it and then, back to his man, pressed the emergency speed dial button.

📞 "Son! Already miss me?..." - Troy began cheerfully, but Hope didn't let him finish and began to quickly describe the situation, trying to keep his trembling voice quiet and enunciate each word clearly:

📞 "Anuman was here! The knife is in Jake's back! We need help! School Park!"

📞 "Got it! Don't take the blade out! Help will be here soon!" - Grandpa said in a military quick manner and hanged up.

"Honey, how are you? Look at me! The doctors are on their way. We'll wait a little while..." - Hope lifted the head of Lion, who was sitting on the grass, peering into his dark pools.

"It's okay. I don't feel any pain...I can breathe, so it's okay. You need to wrap your palms...your shirt..." - Lion even smiled, but Hope knew the state of affect wouldn't last long.

The guy looked at his palms, the gruesome wound on the left was long and deep and still bleeding bright scarlet blood, on the right only the fingers were cut and barely bleeding anymore. Quickly taking off his shirt, he wrapped his left hand with it and clenched his fingers into a fist.

Hope then sent Troy the diagram he had made that morning of the location of the place just in case, since the park was quite large. He didn't get it right away, his fingers slippery with blood, so he had to wipe them on his shorts a few times.

Guy stroked his right hand over his Lion's pale cheek, leaving red streaks on it, kissed his face weightlessly, and hoped for the best.

"It's going to be all right. It's going to be all right!" - his brain was repeating the same thing like a broken record.

Jake tried to speak, but Hope put a finger to his lips:

"Shh, save your strength, Hia. We'll talk after they take...that object out of you."

Hope didn't know how long it was until they heard voices approaching. The wait seemed like an eternity to him, tears were leaving the two suffering oceans in an uninterrupted stream, his heart was throbbing in terror in his ribcage, his body was stiff and tense to the point of being tense, and his arms, especially his left arm, were beginning to go numb.

"This way, quick!" - it was Grandpa. Hope's muscles relaxed slightly as he heard a familiar, hopeful voice.

Strong arms pulled him away from Jake, and two EMTs in white light medical suits began to examine the wound and administer first aid to the victim.

"Anuman?" - A tear choking Hope whispered to Grandpa.

"He'll be caught soon. I'm sorry about that. Don't worry about it. Come on, we'd better take a look at you. Just your hands?" the man said softly in a squeezed voice as he examined his son's body.

"I'm okay. I'm in one piece. Help him!" - burst out Hope, watching as the medics lifted his loved one up and carried him away from the area.

"Son, get up. It's going to be okay. I've seen a lot in my life. Jake's wound is not fatal. Do you believe me?" - Since the words were spoken by Troy and not anyone else, the boy believed it, so he stood up, wiped his tear-wet cheeks with the back of his right palm, and they followed Jake and the EMTs.

When Hope looked at his lover's bloody back, with a gruesome object sticking out of the left side of it, he immediately lowered his eyes down. The white and black birds in his soul, representing love and pain, faith in the best and fear of loss, merged into one screaming gray feathered creature, and choking tears burst forth again.

The boy tried to concentrate on the doctors' conversations, on the warmth of Grandpa's hands leading him down the path, but his brain kept returning to those terrible minutes and tried to think of alternatives to his actions that would not lead to such, as it seemed to him, a terrible outcome.

Many frightened students crowded around the ambulance, and there were some teachers, the principal, and two school security guards trying to contain the crowd so the specialists could do their job.

As the doctors placed Jake belly down on the stretcher and began to create a tower of gauze around the knife so it wouldn't slip off during transport, a sobbing Radi burst through to the injured man and grabbed his arm:

"How come...? How come?"

Hope burned the woman with a look as he walked between her and the stretcher, unceremoniously removing her hand and not looking at her indignant expression at her student's outraged at this behavior, then turned to Grandpa:

"I'll go with them."

"Yes, of course! I'll follow you," replied Troy, whose whole appearance at this point indicated that he was in frustration and most likely blaming himself for what had happened.

The ambulance raced through the streets of Bangkok with its lights and horns on. Hope kept holding Lion's hand and whispering encouraging words to him. He really wanted to, but he couldn't tell him how much he loved him because the doctors were nearby, setting up the IV and monitoring his vitals.

Ten minutes later they were there, and Hope was running beside the wheelbarrow without letting go of his lover's hand. As Lion and the medics disappeared behind the operating room doors, Hope leaned his forehead against the opaque cold glass and whispered:

"It's not a fatal wound. It's going to be okay..."

Suddenly he felt a numbness in his legs, moved back to sit down on the bench, but did not have time, because it was as if he was covered by a multi-ton concrete slab: his body weakened, the hospital corridor floated, he heard Troy's muffled cry: "Son!" and everything went black.

***

"How is he?" - was the first thing Hope blurted out when he woke up in the hospital bed and saw Grandpa beside him.

"He's fine, but he's still asleep for now. As soon as he wakes up, we'll be the first to know. Come on, lie down! What's the matter with you? You've got an IV," Troy spoke confidently, but not as cheerfully as usual, laying the boy down and adjusting his pillow.

"Oh! He's really going to be okay, isn't he? No serious consequences?" - Hope put his right hand with rewound fingers over his face.

"None, uh-huh. It'll take time for the wound to heal, but other than that, he's fine, I trust Dr. Williams. We've known him a long time, he often patches up my guys. Are you thirsty?" - Grandpa's words were soothing, and the question exposed a wild sense of thirst, which the lad immediately confirmed:

"Yes."

Troy helped him sit up and brought a glass with a tube to his mouth. Greedily gulping down the cold water, Hope looked at his left arm, the hand of which was tightly bandaged. He felt a slight burning sensation, but it was bearable.

"Should we add more painkillers? The wound's stitched up, we'll have to hold off on basketball for a while," Troy said.

"It's okay. Right one's intact, I'll try to play like this. Who should let us know about Hia? Can I be with him while he sleeps?" - Hope's heart was out of place, wanting to make sure his loved one was really okay.

"Okay. Let's wait for Panit and go to his room, it's next to yours," after Grandpa's words, Hope looked around and realized that the hospital room was different from the common rooms.

"It's a VIP room, Jake has one just like it," Troy confirmed his son's guess and then lowered his head and continued: "I'm sorry. It's my fault. That thing put my guard down... I didn't realize he was smart enough to evade the cameras and get to school."

"Don't, grandpa. It's not your fault here," Hope took the gray-haired man's hand and looked into his face, only now noticing how it had changed from what he'd seen this morning. The wrinkles were deeper and the pale color of his skin emphasized the sadness in his bright green eyes.

Ding-ding-ding

Troy's phone broke through the silence that had formed, and he answered it immediately:

"Yes! Did you find him? Uh-huh... And him...? Okay. Go away. Calleo will clean it up."

Then Grandpa, having typed and sent the message, sighed and smiled:

"That's it. Anuman will never bother us again."

"What happened?" - Hope immediately questioned, wanting to know what had happened to the attacker.

"That rotten bastard decided to hide in the nearby high-rises. My boys chased him up onto the roof. And he said, 'I'll get you all in the next life, you scum,' and jumped down." A fitting end for a piece of shit like him. Well, that's okay, I'll find him in the next life and punish him...and the one after that, if I have to," Troy smiled sadly.

"Grandpa, you're in your sixties, you think you can handle it?" - Hope wasn't laughing, but he had envisioned a similar ending for Anuman, and now he had his own man in front of him that he wanted to cheer up.

"Of course. I'm going to live forever!" - Grandpa fell for the provocation, jutting his chest out in a cartwheel and the sad smile was replaced with a playful one.

"That's a great plan. I like it!" - Hope replied cheerfully, then pulled the blanket off of him to stand up.

"Wait, I'll help you with the IV," Grandpa fretted.

At that moment, after knocking, Panit entered the room, followed by another man Hope didn't immediately recognize.

"Look what a cute little bunny I met in the elevator," the older man chuckled, and then, walking over to the bunk, put his hand on the younger man's shoulder and asked quietly, "Are you okay?"

"I'm all right, P. I'm alive and almost well," Hope replied, showing his bandaged hands, then still decided to take a closer look at the guy in the pink jumpsuit, with fluffy bunny ears on his head and matching makeup on his face: "Nahun, is that you? "

"Yes. Hi! I stopped by to see the kids, and when I left, I ran into Panit. He told me in a nutshell what happened. Glad you're alright," Blue said.

At that time, a doctor entered the room:

"Greetings, everyone. Patient, where are you going?"

"Noah, my son is anxious to see his savior. Is he awake yet?" - Troy walked up to the surgeon and shook his hand.

"Five minutes ago. I was just from him. He's doing fine. Let me examine you first, young man. Lie down," the doctor spoke sternly, looking at Hope, and while he reluctantly assumed a horizontal position, looked around at the boys present, lingering his blue eyes on the "rabbit," and then turned again to the patient.

"I'm Dr. Williams. You've lost a lot of blood. Your temperature is normal now and your chest is fine. You'll be able to check out tomorrow. You'll need to come in every other day for dressings. The stitches will be removed in a week to a week and a half, it depends on the speed of healing. Don't get your arm wet," the surgeon explained the situation after a brief examination, turning off and disconnecting the IV, and then turned and addressed Blue:

"I think I know you. You wouldn't happen to be Nahun Chantarangu, would you?"

"Yes. But... have you and I met?" - Blu muttered, gazing into the man's face.

"I saw your donor profile. You agreed to a difficult surgery yesterday, and I'd like to discuss something with you, since I'm the surgeon who has to perform it," Dr. Williams clarified in a serious tone.

"Yes, okay... When should I approach you?" - Blue looked slightly embarrassed, peering at his friends' reactions.

"Now. Let's not put it off to a long wait. Especially since we have a serious conversation to have," the surgeon immediately replied without stopping eye contact.

"Maybe I'd better get changed then?" - Nahun said slowly, rubbing his furry ears.

"No need... It's a very cute costume. As far as I know, bunnies can listen carefully, and their self-preservation instinct is pretty high. This will be good for our conversation," these words, spoken in a beautiful velvet voice, made Blue blush and, lowering his gaze down, he spoke quietly:

"Good."

"Then we leave you to it. All the best to you, P'Troy, and your son, and less of these situations along life's path," Dr. Williams bowed out, giving Nahun a gentle nudge towards the door. The last thing Hope saw was a smile play across the serious doctor's lips as he looked at the small fluffy tail attached to the slightly tight buttock overalls, wagging from side to side with every step Blue took.

"Has Nahun ventured into some kind of dangerous transplant surgery?" - Panit asked excitedly as the door slammed shut.

"I think so too, but Dr. Williams is a good man, maybe he'll be able to talk the boy out of it. I'll talk to him about it later," Troy replied as he hugged his soulmate.

"That's it, I'm outta here," Hope quickly jumped up from his bunk, excited to finally be able to see Lion.

"Hey, not so fast. You passed out a while ago. I'll walk you out," the gray-haired man immediately rushed to his aid, helping his son up.

Hope couldn't hear anything, his legs were carrying him to the exit, he wanted to make sure Lion was alive and well, as the last images of the memories were horrible.

***

When the boy, accompanied by Troy and Panit, entered the next room, he immediately rushed to his lover, who lay unmoving, with his eyes open, turning his head to the window. He was wearing a short-sleeved blue hospital shirt with the buttons undone, giving a view of his tanned embossed chest, part of which was covered by a gauze bandage.

"Hia..." - the boy whispered, barely touching the bandage with the pads of his fingers.

Jake turned his head sharply and grinned and spoke in a slightly hoarse voice:

"Kitten... Are you okay?"

"Yeahhhh..." - Hope crouched gingerly on the bed and cuddled up to his lover, resting his face against his right armpit. The bloody images of the experience were behind them, and they were seeing it now as a terrible dream that was already in the past. Jake was okay-that was the main thing; nothing else seemed important at this moment. A warm hand stroked his blond, unbrushed hair while he heard the loud pounding of his lover's heartbeat and smelled its musky soothing scent.

"I was so scared, Hia..." - whispered Hope turning his head toward his savior's face.

"I don't believe it, you gave that scumbag a good whipping," Lion chuckled and then wrinkled his face slightly.

"Does it hurt?" - Hope pulled himself up sharply, not wanting to hurt the wounded man any more.

"It's okay, get back in your place, YOU are my personal and most effective medicine," Jake gently ran his hand down Hope's neck and, running his fingers through his hair, leaned the kitten's head against his chest.

The movements sent shivers down his body, his body filled with warmth, and his heart quickened its pace.

"Ahem. The air was getting more cloying than ever. Hey, Jake. I'd like to say a few words before Panit and I head down to the café, so as not to disturb you...to heal and recuperate," Troy's soft voice distracted the couple from immersing themselves in their small, love-filled world.

Hope stood up, remembering that he and Jake weren't the only ones in the room.

"Khun Troy, I'm sorry if I would have gotten to the meeting a little earlier...," Jake looked regretfully at his lover's bandaged hand.

"It's my fault. I should have kept my son from something like this. Thank you for being there in time and doing what I should have done," Grandpa said sadly, touching the edge of his shirt, while Panit pressed his whole body against his shoulder for support.

"Don't say that. I don't know what exactly drove this man to this act, but I saw the madness in his eyes. Maybe he really is crazy? Did they catch him, by the way?"

"Yes. He's been dealt with... Don't worry. He won't bother anyone else. I'd like to give you some lessons in self-defense, if you don't mind. You never know what's gonna come in handy in life. Remember, on the battlefield, there are two rules-- no distractions, even if it's your dying comrade, and don't turn your back on the enemy. All right, let's put this conversation on hold. We'll go, maybe you'll finally get to talk," Troy smiled and quickly walked with his sunshine out the door.

The couple broke out into a smile as well, looking into each other's eyes.

"Your father is right, I'd like to finally explain myself..." - Jake began, but Hope put a finger to his lips and whispered:

"I know everything, Hia... I love you, you love me. It's as simple as two times two makes four."

"So much for talking... And I have a speech prepared by the way," Jake chuckled.

"Save it until the big date. Tell me, aren't we... well... dating?" - The boy asked uncertainly, snuggling back against his savior's chest.

"And you still have doubts? You want a proof?" - Jake raised one eyebrow.

"I do!" - Hope playfully replied, lifting himself up.

Lion's hand lay on the back of his neck and within a second, his lover's dry lips touched his lips and they melded together, communicating all the unspoken words in a passionate, tender and wet kiss.

"Son!" - it was a man's stern voice, but not like Grandpa's voice, and so

The couple interrupted the intimate "conversation" and gazed toward the entrance to the ward, at which stood an elderly couple: a tall gray-haired man in his sixties and a woman much shorter than him, who, unlike her companion, was smiling a broad benevolent smile.

"Mom, Dad, hi. How did you know I was here?", Jake piped in. Hope didn't immediately get the meaning of his lover's words; only after a couple of seconds, realizing their significance, he perked up and, rising to his feet and lowering his head, folded his bandaged palms as a sign of respect.

"We received a call from Khun Pattanapong informing us of the incident. Ah, what a cute boy! What's your name? Who are you to our son?" - the woman walked to her son's bunk and placed the fruit basket on the nightstand, never taking her eyes off Hope and never stopping smiling.

"Good afternoon, my name is Hope. I'm..." - The boy, blushing uncertainly with embarrassment, began. Oh, this wasn't how he had envisioned this meeting, and not so soon either.

"This is my boyfriend, I told you about him," Jake said calmly for him. After those words, Hope's mind filled with a pile of questions:

"Did he tell his parents about me? About what? When? How did they react to it?"

"Is he even eighteen? He looks very young and... reminds me of someone...," the father of the family began sternly, sitting down on the couch and putting his leg over his leg, but he was interrupted by his wife's ringing voice:

"Darling, ay, how impolite! Don't mind him, angel. Phapphun is not an evil man, he just has trouble with manners sometimes. My name is Darika. Nice to meet you. My son is smiling, and that's the most important thing for us. Right, my dear husband?"

After the woman's meaningful look, the man squirmed a bit and squeezed out a small smile: "Of course. How could it be otherwise. But, I'd like to talk to you, son, about your relationship."

"I'll leave you to it. Khun Phaphun, Khun Darika," Hope said immediately, bowing his head and hurried out of the room.

Closing the door behind him, he pressed himself against the wall and tried to calm his frantically pounding heart, which was racing with worry:

"What if they don't allow us to date? Lion's father is so serious, and he obviously didn't like me! Gods, they saw us kissing, how embarrassing!"

"What's wrong, Nong?" - Panit ran up to him and grabbed his forearm, probably the look on the guy's face at that moment was quite a sight.

"Oh, P! What's going to happen?" - muttered Hope worriedly, already anticipating a panic attack.

"Is there something wrong with Jake? Has the doctor stopped by? Complications from the surgery?" - the older man made an attempt to get some information. But, Hope already felt the numbness in his body, and just silently prayed to the heavens to take pity on them and make sure Jake's parents didn't forbid them from seeing each other.

"What's going on here?" - Grandpa approached.

"There's...Jake's..." - Before Hope could finish his sentence, Troy had already pulled the handle and burst into his son-in-law's room.

"Grandpa!" - shouted the boy, running in after him and grabbing the man by the shirt in an attempt to stop him.

At this point, Jake's parents were standing by their son's bunk laughing with him, but the laughter stopped abruptly as soon as they saw Troy burst into the room.

"I apologize. I thought you needed some help. And you guys are...it turns out you're doing fine," Grandpa muttered slowly, rubbing his hands together awkwardly and swaying.

"Yeah, we're doing great. And who are you?" - Darika cheerfully entered the conversation.

"I'm the guardian of this... particularly sensitive kid. My name is Troy. And you are the parents of our savior, am I correct?" - the gray-haired man answered just as cheerfully, patting Hope on the shoulder as he blushed and wanted to fall under the ground.

"Yes, my name is Darika and this is my husband, Phaphun. Come on in," the woman replied.

"Nice to meet you!" - Troy approached the man and they exchanged handshakes.

"How about some coffee, Khun Troy? I think we should get to know each other better," Darika chirped.

"Agreed, Khun Darika," Grandpa smiled, and within a minute it was just the loving couple in the room.

"Sorry...I got so excited and Troy misinterpreted everything. Did we interrupt your conversation?" - Hope guiltily spoke in a quiet voice, slowly approaching the bed.

"You're too far away, I can't hear you, come closer," Jake asked.

When Hope crouched on the edge of the bed, he was immediately grabbed by a strong hand and pressed against a warm chest:

"Silly boy, there's no cause for worry. First of all, my parents have never interfered in my personal life, only worried, and not often, and secondly, even if my father forbade me to date you, I would never listen to him. This string is so strong that nothing can break it."

"They caught us kissing ... I'm ashamed that our first meeting happened that way..." - Hope voiced her worries almost in a whisper and absently ran her finger over her lover's bare belly. 

"Mmm... honey, you shouldn't do that now, my beast is almost awake... You'll be even more uncomfortable if our parents enter the room now," Jake nodded toward his lower body. Hope traced his gaze to where the light sheet lifted upward and rippled over his man's twitching aroused shaft.

"Oh, sorry... Gods, what's wrong with me?" - jerked Hope's hand away and covered his face.

Jake was having fun, laughing, trying not to move his body in the process.

"Tonight, when everyone's gone, will you come over to my place?" - He whispered, calming down.

"For what purpose are you asking, Hia?" - squinted Hope's eyes, and then seriously continued without hearing the answer, "What did the doctor tell you? There was probably something in there regarding physical exertion."

"He said...mmmmm...let me remember. That's right, he gave me permission to take my personalized blue-eyed painkiller whenever I want," Lion said, smiling carnivorously.

"Hia, be serious! You have a deep wound, this is no joke," Hope liked his man's words, but his lover's health came first right now, so he got up and moved to the couch, "I'll keep an eye on you from a distance."

"Okay, sit there for a while, but as soon as everyone leaves, you'll definitely be in my arms, kitten," Jake spoke so languidly and looked so intently as if hypnotizing the boy.

"I don't mind a hug, Hia, except I know where it will lead.... First I'll find out all the details from Dr. Williams, and then we'll decide what you can do and what you should refrain from," Hope had to put on Red's impenetrable mask for a while in order to stifle a great desire to go against his lover's wishes and touch his body.

"Whatever you say, baby," Jake agreed, but the light in his smiling dark eyes made it clear that those words were just a ploy to lull the boy's guard down.

***

The day seemed very long to Hope. Troy and Panit were always around him, keeping him entertained. To the guy's question about Jake's parents, Grandpa's answer was a little wordy:

"They're good people, we'll get along for sure. His father's like me, he's a bottle of expensive whiskey, and mother's a saint, like my Sunshine. Don't worry, there will be no problems with them, they are the kind of parents who care about the happiness and mental balance of their children, not the norms and rules imposed by society."

Next, his best friends came in briefly with huge bags of goodies, as if their headman was going to be in the hospital for a couple more weeks. Pruit made a lot of jokes, trying to cheer up the injured man, and he was good at it. For a short time Hope forgot himself.

Then the guy was visited by Khun Pattanapong, apologizing for what happened within the walls of the guarded school. It turned out that the perpetrator had entered the territory when the guard had left his post for a couple of minutes, and now he was facing dismissal.

It was a huge surprise for Hope to see Brian with a bouquet of flowers. According to him, he had come to the school to see him and met C, who told him about the nightmare incident. As Grandpa and his half were in the room, drilling "blue bangs" with a stare, Captain XY made only small talk and soon left, promising to return.

By 6 pm, all visitors had dispersed, as hospital regulations demanded, and there was finally silence.

After going to the dressing room, the boy knocked and entered Jake's room. He was sitting on the bed with a sad face.

"Is something wrong?" - Hope asked excitedly, heading toward the bunk.

"Uh-huh," Lion replied sadly.

"Does it hurt? Shall I get the doctor?" - the boy jumped up to the man and weightlessly touched his shoulders with his hands, afraid of hurting him, and suddenly found himself captured in the strong embrace again.

"I've missed you so much all this long day," Jake whispered, touching his lips to the lad's earlobe and taking deep inhales and exhales.

"Hia..." - Hope wanted to stop him, but Lion started covering his neck with kisses, and the unreliable barrier fell with ease.

When his lover's hand slipped into the loose hospital pants and ran his fingers along the cleft between his buttocks, the boy couldn't hold back a groan:

"Aaaah... Hia... what are you doing?"

"I missed you, kitten... How about a little... romp?" - Jake's gentle voice enveloped her with warmth, and a flame ignited in her lower belly.

"You...can't move...the wound..." - Hope's mouth said one thing, but disobedient willing hands were already moving over his pumped torso, one of which he couldn't feel anything because of the bandages, but it didn't matter.

"But you... can... Close the door please," his lover's plan was clear, his breathing was intermittent, he wanted Hope and the desire was mutual, so the guy stood up and walked quickly to the door. After the lock clicked, their eyes met and the man waved his finger toward him.

Hope didn't hesitate and walked over to the hospital bed and climbed onto it, settling on his man:

"Just don't move. I'll do it all myself."

"Whatever you say, my tiger. I'm all yours... Here you go," Jake pulled a tube from under the pillow and held it out to his kitten.

"Lubricant? From where?" - Hope was surprised, his inner voice informing him that Lion couldn't have seen this coming, and it was unlikely he carried lube during class in his pocket.

"One of your family members gave it to me. I think you can guess who," the wounded man chuckled.

"P is in his repertoire, and when does he have time for everything! Thank you... Aaaah," the boy mentally and not only thanked the older man, but at that moment Jake's hand slipped under his pants and gently touched the hard head with his fingers. His brain abruptly pulled the switch shutting off his thought process, letting his body savor the blood-exciting sensations.

"Ah, kitten, take off your...clothes," Jake whispered. Hope scrambled to the floor and began to undress, trying to undo all the buttons on his shirt with one hand, not all of his fingers being able to do so, the process taking too long and annoying him, but when he looked at his lover trying to pull down his pants and boxers with one hand, trying not to move his left shoulder, he laughed.

"You think that's funny, you little devil?" - Lion grinned, looking at him carnivorously.

"It's really funny, Hia. We can't even get our clothes off properly, do you think this is going to work?" - The kitten couldn't quell the laughter bursting out of him.

"Come to me. I'll show you that there are no obstacles that can stop us."

Hope obeyed. As he sat his naked buttocks on Jake's thighs, the man reached up and in a couple of movements pulled the kitten's shirt over his head and immediately nestled a kiss on his chest.

The boy in turn grabbed the two already hard rods with his right hand and began to run his palm along their entire length. 

"My fingers...bandaged...can you help me?" - Whispered the kitten.

"Yeees...." - replied Jake, pulling his lips away from the hard nipple, "Squeeze some gel on my fingers."

The presence of only one capable hand on each of them did not prevent a rapid preparation of the channel, and when Hope was no longer able to endure, the words came out of his ajar lips with a groan:

"Aaaah... Hia... pull it out."

The fingers left his hole and he stood up, guiding his lover's huge staff to the entrance of his throbbing, demanding hole.

"Aaahhh...aaaahhh...aaahhhh...aaahhhmmmmmmm," Hope's moans came out, the volume of which he tried to control so as not to disturb the neighbors as his ass was thrust up the full considerable length of the Lion's piston.

"Yeaaah...kitten...yeaah..." - Jake lifted himself up on his healthy hand and then placed it on the kitten's smooth thigh, helping him take it all in without a trace, simultaneously sucking on his bulging forward chest and leaving red marks in its wake.

"Do you... feel... how much I love you?" - these words escaped Hope's lips as he felt completely happy and fulfilled again.

"Ah... yes, tiger cub... I'm sure... you feel... my love too," the man replied, tensing and thrusting upward with his lower body to maximize penetration while his healthy hand gripped the kitten's buttock tightly.

Hope began to move, leisurely at first, plunging Lion's cock inside him and not withdrawing it immediately, but moving his hips back and forth to feel the full range of incredible sensations as the huge piston touched his prostate.

Jake liked those leisurely movements too, and he moaned into the guy's chest, biting the soft skin lightly a couple times, and sometimes they met glances and he whispered:

"You're so... handsome... it's my special... kind of drug... seeing you on me... and feeling myself... in you."

This went on long enough until Hope felt the pressure in his rod. He moaned and quickened his pace. Their bodies were wet with sweat and made obscene noises with each sharp contact, and their squashed moans echoed throughout the spacious room.

"Oh...kitten...I'm...aaaaaaammmmm...soon," Lion moaned, and the guy brought a hand up to his throbbing shaft. A couple of palm movements up and down, and Hope, closing his eyes and letting out a prolonged squeezed moan: "MMMMMMMM!" cumming extravagantly, spewing his accumulated cum on his lover's chest. Bright colored spots flashed in front of his closed eyes, and his ears rang and felt like they were wearing furry headphones again. At that moment he felt Lion's cock straining hard, and then warmth spilling inside. All of this was accompanied by the vibration of his lips on his chest, the way Jake was trying to muffle his growl of satisfaction.

They breathed often, embracing each other's bodies, and there was nothing else: no misunderstandings, no misery, no danger, no fear.

"It's as simple as two times two - we must always be together, and nothing will stop us."