Hotel Hijinx Pt. 02

George tried to remember, it was so hard to pull specific memories from the murky fog, it made him sick to try and sift through it.

'Yes,' he said quietly the memory was a shadow of the reality, all emotions and feelings, 'it hurt, but, I remember you were gentle. I should have known you were in there somewhere, still managing to protect me despite it all.'

'I didn't do a very good job,' he said, tracing the pattern of bruises down George's arm, bruises that perfectly matched up with his fingerprints. 'You must be in a lot of pain,' he said, his face contorting into guilt and anguish.

'It doesn't hurt so much when I'm with you,' he said softly and Aaron smiled a small sad smile, holding him tighter to his chest. 'You know, when I woke up I wasn't sure if I would still feel like this for you,' he mumbled into his chest, breathing in Aaron's comforting smell.

'I wondered the same. But it looks like we might be stuck with each other for a little longer,' he said, a twinkle of amusement in his eyes.

George sighed deeply and dramatically, 'I guess so.'

They fell into silence, neither needing to speak, appreciating the silence. Finding comfort in one another, their heart beats thudding in unison as they sat entwined on the floor.

6 MONTHS LATER

George sat next to Ethan on the flimsily erected school bandstand beside the football field. It was the final game of the season, the first time their school had ever gotten this far, and their final year before they all left for various universities, or employment.

'It's fucking freezing,' Ethan said through gritted teeth, rubbing his hands together and sticking them in his armpits. 'Why they insist on holding these games in February I will never understand.'

'At least we're all wrapped up, wouldn't want to be one of them,' George said nodding towards the field where their team were playing only in royal blue shorts and t-shirts, their clothes and hair being swept away by the chill winds.

'Stupid sport,' Ethan muttered and George chuckled.

Two girls were sat behind them talking loudly, they had been ignoring their incessant chatter for most of the game but suddenly their conversation made George's ears prick up.

'Why do the hottest guys on the team have to be gay?' one of them sighed.

'I know,' the second girl pouted, 'it's just not fair. And they have boyfriends too apparently,' she sighed.

'I heard they were all straight friends until they went on a lads holiday, but that just sounds like boys in denial to me,' she said before laughing, 'maybe they'll go on another holiday and come back deciding their suddenly straight again!'

George caught Ethan's eye who raised his eyebrows at him, a small smirk on his face.

'Got to love how girls gossip,' he said quietly, and George scoffed in agreement.

'Don't know what I ever saw in them to be honest,' he whispered back and Ethan grinned.

Suddenly a cheer went up around them, people jumping to their feet.

'What happened, was that another goal?' Ethan asked, both of them standing to crane their necks over the people in front of them.

'No,' George said, watching as the opposing red team walked dejectedly towards their coach, 'I think that's time.'

'Oh good!' Ethan said relieved, 'It's finally over and we can return to the realm of central heating!'

They watched the crowd of blue cheering and shouting as they began to exit the field, and saw as Jake and Aaron hung back to talk to their coach, fulfilling their duties as Team Captain and Vice Captain, both with excited grins plastered on their sweaty faces. George felt a warmth in his chest to see them both so happy. Jake was dismissed first and he saw as his eyes searched the crowd for them.

Jake had changed physically over his time in the hotel, as had George. He was far less muscular now, and his features much softer than they had been, his face almost heart shaped in appearance, compared to its rugged appearance from before they had left. George remembered how Jake's parents had barely even recognised him when they arrived at the hospital. George's face hadn't been that masculine in the first place, but the changes Ethan had spotted back in the hotel were definitely more obvious now. There was no denying he fell into the cute category now, not that he minded what girls thought of him anymore. The one thing he had been a little frustrated about was his height, he had without a doubt shrunk, barely taller than Jake now, Aaron and Ethan well over a head taller than them both. But whenever George brought up his height change Aaron just grinned and said how much he liked it, so eventually he decided to just accept his new appearance without further complaint. The doctors had been more successful in fixing their addiction to the drugged food they were given. The boys each incredibly relieved to be able to taste and eat normal food again.

Ethan waved to catch Jake's attention from across the field and began to make his way down the bandstand, Jake smiled as he saw him and began running over to meet him. When they reached each other Ethan pulled him into a huge hug, turning slightly on the spot, smiling with an obvious expression of pride on his face and saying something George couldn't hear. Jake was looking up at him, eyes as wide as a child, Ethan leaning in for a brief kiss, a simple sign of sincere affection. They looked more in love than anyone George knew.

He turned to see the girls sat behind him watching in jealousy and snickered at them.

'Yeah, they're together. That a problem for you?'

'No?' one of them said affronted, the other looking at him with a shocked expression.

'Good,' George said, an insincere smile on his face, 'next time you bitch about people's love lives, maybe check who your sat near to. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go congratulate my boyfriend.'

With that he walked away from them in time to see Aaron shake his coaches hand a final time before heading towards the stand. George walked forward so that he was stood half on the pitch, and waved. Aaron saw him and smiled, coming over at a light jog.

'Hey,' he said, leaning down for a kiss. George kissed him back, throwing his arms around his neck, feeling Aaron's slip around his waist.

'Well done Team Captain,' he said as he pulled away from the kiss, but he didn't move his arms. He didn't want Aaron's warm embrace around him to break, it was his favourite feeling in the world.

'Thank you, did you enjoy the game?' he said smugly.

'Yes! You know I think football is finally growing on me after all!'

'Uh huh, you've always hated football,' he said unconvinced.

'Yeah well, one can change their mind can't they?' he argued back and Aaron laughed.

'Okay, okay. Tell me then my No. 1 Fan, what was the score?'

'Umm...' he said. Shit. He had him. But Aaron only seemed more amused.

'You don't need to pretend to like football just because you're with me now. I love you for you, and I've know you too well, for far to long for that.'

'But can I still be your No. 1 fan?' he teased.

'Absolutely, and I won't lie, I can't decide if having you in the stands today was a help or a hindrance. I wanted to play well because you were watching, but you're also incredibly distracting,' he said leaning in again for another kiss.

George pulled away grinning, 'oh am I now? And why is that?'

He pulled him tighter into his embrace, and whispered softly in his ear, his breath tickling George's neck.

'Because all I could think about was what we did last night, and the night before, and the night before that. I damn near gave myself a boner right there in the middle of the game.'

George laughed, 'what about if you started thinking about what we could do tonight?'

Aaron groaned into his neck, 'don't do that to me, I've got the Team Celebratory drinks to get through first!'

'And everytime you look at me you can think about our own private celebration I have planned for later,' he said smugly and Aaron bit his lip. George loved it when he did that.

'You are the worst,' he said, but his eyes were only full of happiness.

'Yep, that's why you love me,' he said playfully, and taking his hand led him off the field.

They rounded the back of the bandstand and saw Ethan and Jake just out of sight making out against the wooden struts.

'Oi, Ethan, Jake!' George called. They broke off to turn and look at him in surprise. 'What have I been telling you about too much PDA! Save it for the bedroom!'

Ethan raised a finger at George, and returned to kissing Jake, their passion almost passing for aggression.

'Dont forget to breathe!' George yelled again and Aaron dragged him away, laughing.

'Leave them to it, as long as they're happy, I'm happy' Aaron said, draping his arm protectively around George's shoulders as they walked back towards the main school buildings, George leaned his head against Aaron's shoulder and sighed a happy sigh.

'Yeah, me too.'

THE END