The Daddy Project

Coming out... As a Man.

     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."