Leon inhaled loudly and Stuart watched him exhale. He was finally allowed to leave his bed after they had removed his neck cast. He still couldn't walk so Stuart had to take him out on a wheelchair. They were at the lunchroom where the doctors, nurses and patients normally had their lunch. It had an opening in the roof and as Stuart stared at it, he realized it could be closed.

"At least it's close to outside." Leon spoke up, earning Stuart's attention, who stood behind him. "I don't get to smell all those medicines and drugs for a while. It's good."

     Hearing his voice so weak and the defeat in his tone only pulled on Stuart's heartstrings. He ran a hand through his hair before pulling a chair from a table in front of Leon.

"How are you feeling today?"

"No better than yesterday," he said then cleared his throat.

"Any recovered memories?" Stuart knew that the only thing Leon knew now was what he had told him.

He had been brief when he had told the terrified and confused man days ago that they were experiments to a project called The Daddy Project. Leon had been very verbal about his denial so when the man told Stuart he wanted to tell him something, he had been quick to react and had gotten the man a chance to be 'outside'.

     Leon shook his head and Stuart's shoulders fell. He only sighed then stood up to return the chair. He got behind the wheelchair and asked, "Anywhere do you want me to take you next?"

He hated how mean he sounded but he couldn't help it when the man had lied to him to get him out of his room.

"No, here's fine. You should seat." He looked up at him and smiled.

The Aussie couldn't say no even when it was at the tip of his lips. So instead, he said as he went to seat on a chair behind him, "I have to leave soon though. I have a friend I need to meet."

"Who is it?" he asked.

"A friend," he said curtly. When Leon said nothing after, Stuart was forced to continue. "My friend's a woman. Her name is Michaela. In the project, she's the school's vice principal and my best friend."

"Hmm," was all he said.

Stuart hated this. He hated this whole situation to the point he wanted it in the reverse. If he were the one with the amnesia, Leon would know the right words to make him remember. But then he couldn't put Leon in that kind of situation because he had only just lost his wife a year ago. The pain he would feel, Stuart could only just imagine it.

"Am I supposed to be jealous of her?" Leon asked and it snapped Stuart out of his deep, pained thoughts.

"I don't know. I don't think you're supposed to be, but I guess sometimes, when I stay late with her, you get jealous."

Leon chuckled then glanced over his shoulders at him. "Funny, I'm not normally the type to get jealous. I must have really liked you."

Stuart could no longer hold back his grin. How could he when Leon was finally accepting the fact that he liked him? He licked his lips and smiled widely at the progress he had made. Now soon enough, he'd remember who he was and they could go back to their initial problem.

     Standing up, Stuart said as he came back behind him. "And the feeling is mutual. I've got to go now but I'll be back before it gets dark."

"You don't have to stress yourself." Leon waved a hand at him in dismissal but it only made him scoff.

Stuart got in front of him and knelt so he was eye level with him. "Staying with you is no stress at all. Going home after a day with you and knowing you aren't coming home, knowing why, gets me suicidal. I'd rather be stressed with you than without. Now, let me take you back to your room."

Leon only stared at him and Stuart took it as a silent yes before standing up but Leon reached for him, stopping him in his spot. "No, leave me here."

Glancing at the hand, he traced it up to the Canadian and frowned. "But you'll get cold."

"I need the fresh air." When Stuart wanted to reply, he quickly added, "And if I do get cold, I'll just roll around until I can get someone to take me back to my room."

Stuart didn't believe him and it only made him worry more. "Leon..." He looked down at the man and he smiled up at him.

"I promise."

Stuart decided to give him a benefit of the doubt and he managed a smile for him then leaned down to leave a small kiss on his forehead. The confused look Leon had given him made his heart clench but he only just smiled after then left the room.

"I think Leon's getting better but damn it hurts. Just the look he gave me after I kissed him was..." Stuart sighed loudly as he came out of his car. "I need to see you."

     The voicemail beeped and the automatic voice came back on and Stuart quickly ended the call. Sliding his phone into his pocket, he glanced up at the familiar house and hoped Michaela was in. She hadn't picked up her phone and that could only mean she was busy.

He strolled up to the house and knocked. When he did it for the third time and no answer, he called her line again but like before, no answer.

He stood there for another ten minutes before deciding to check through the window if he could find someone.

     Stuart's life was already going downhill so when he saw John and some other man lip locked, he didn't know how to react.

     Normally, he would drum against the door until it broke them apart then punch John in the face, but right now, all he wanted to do was run back to Leon and just pretend everything was okay. He was tired and denial looked like the best way to go.

But John was cheating. He was cheating on Michaela. He was cheating on his best friend. Maybe not best friend but someone close enough to him that it mattered.

     Stuart returned back to their front step but when he was about to turn and leave, the door open and Stuart came face to face with the man John was cheating with.

He was tall, as tall as Michaela if he had to put it like that. But other than that, there was no reason for John to find this man more attractive that Michaela. She was beautiful and had the craziest laugh he had ever heard.

The man's smile immediately fell but Stuart had nothing to say to him. He only managed a small smile for him and said, "Sorry, wrong house."

     Quickly sending a short thanks to the man upstairs when the man didn't try to stop him, he made it back to his car then called Michaela as he entered. He knew he had to tell her, but he hoped somehow she already knew about it.

She picked up on the first ring and her voice was off. "Stuart?"

"Michaela, I'm so sorry but I just saw John with someone else." He rushed, knowing he wouldn't be able to tell her if they stayed a little longer just conversing.

"Stuart," her voice shook. "the man you saw was me."

     If Stuart's world hadn't crashed before then it just did as he looked back at the house and saw the man on the phone. Stuart watched him raise his hand to his mouth and coughed into it. Hearing it from the phone only drove Stuart hysterical. The phone slipped from his hand and he immediately started his ignition.

He didn't need this right now. He didn't need this at all.

And he knew returning back to Leon would only make the situation worse. Leon didn't know who he was, his 'best friend' was actually a man and his heart raced for a certain Canadian.

     Stuart decided that night to spend it with beer until he got knocked out because honestly, that was the only escape he had.

...

   He felt the pressure to his legs and he quickly woke up to glare at the man sitting on it. Michael was a heavy man and Vlad didn't need to carry him to know.

"Wake up my only Russian friend. I made lunch." Michael grinned at him then stood up and disappeared into his dining which was in his kitchen.

     Unlike Vladimir's house which was big with enough space to move around, his was quite tight. His living room which was cramped led up straight to the bedroom. The kitchen and dining were behind the only other in the living room door beside the front door.

Vladimir rolled off the couch and was relieved when the soft rug couched his fall. He stretched like a cat before standing up to look for his phone then joining Michael for lunch.

     "So when are you leaving?" He asked then placed a plate of pizza in front of him.

Vlad gapped at it then him. "You said you made lunch."

The man shrugged and sat down across from him. "Okay I ordered. No difference."

"Big difference. Some else made food. Zat is ordering."

Michael gave him a drolly stare before repeating his initial question. "When are you leaving?"

Vlad shrugged. "When I feel like."

"Don't act so nonchalant. I don't have space for another ass."

"I will leave soon." He sighed as he picked up his pizza. "I only need to get a few zings under control."

Michael grumpily dropped the matter and they both fell quiet to finish their pizzas. When they were done, Vlad excused himself and left the house to listen to his voicemail.

It had become a routine since the first day he left his house. Most of them were from Andres and when it wasn't from him, it was from either Gala or Stuart.

Listening to it always made him feel an ache in his chest every time.

"From Andres Maximiliano; hey come back home. I didn't mean what I said. Let's talk about this. If you want to pause at any time press 1. To replay your message press 2-" Vlad deleted it and skipped to the next one.

"Another message from Andres Maximiliano; I don't think I can handle the kids, and hell Gala complains a lot. I just finished having a conversation where most of the talking came from her. All that even bother to come out of my mouth before she stormed away was, 'I'm sorry' or 'it's going to be okay.' God, I miss you so much."

"...Today I stood up to the kids. My heart has never raced so fast before in my life. Except when I'm with you. Then it races all the time. Back to the story, so I stood up to the kids and they are going to have a roaster on who gets to do what now. Hopefully, it stops the fighting. Hopefully."

"...so I'm lying in bed alone again. I wish you were here."

The next messages were from Gala, Theo and Cherri. He understood why Theo and Cherri would be calling him. It had been four days since he disappeared and since then he hadn't left the house to work or anything.

However, what disturbed him more was Andres. He suddenly couldn't get that sad and lonely image out of his head. He could just see the man clutching the pillow to his chest and thinking it was him.

"Ah fuck!" he cursed loudly as he aggressively ran a hand through his hair.

This wasn't him. He wasn't the man to run away from his problems. So why was he here? Why was he ignoring Andres and the kids and work? Because the man had denied his feelings? So what? At least he knew what he felt and he was ready to face his grandma now.

     "So I talked with Bonnie," Michael said as he came out of the house. He sat by the steps that led up to his house and Vlad was relieved when he saw him open a pack of cigarettes.

Michael willingly gave him one and they had a good smoke before he continued. "So about Bonnie, she still hasn't heard from the Admin. But about that number you ask, she's got it. I'm going to send it to you."

Vlad exhaled in a puff of smoke then glanced down at his phone when it vibrated.

Michael: Grandma May 567-584-0931

"Got it?"

"Yes. Spasibo."

"Your grandma?"

"Yes. I have disappointed her."

Michael glanced at him for a short moment then looked away. "Mama knows about Andres?"

"Well..."

"You could've lied," he said then drew on his cancer stick.

Vlad shook his head. "Zere is no point lying. I would have to tell her anyways zat yes, zere was a time in my life I loved a man."

Michael coughed in response and rather harshly. He cleared his throat and exhaled loudly. "Wait you love him?"

"I do not zink I stuttered." Vlad rolled his eyes then stood up to enter back in the house.

"I didn't mean to be rude." Michael called to him but he only ignored him as he disappeared into the kitchen to call him Ma.

Hopefully, they patch things up.

_________________________
Hopefully, Stuart doesn't kill himself.

John's side story about him and this new man has started in my other book, Men Love. Check it out.

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