Levi Winchester

I woke up suddenly after who knows how long in a cold sweat. It felt like it was a lot of time. Turning to my left, I noticed Tyler's absence. Why did he leave? When did he leave? Did I save him? Why am I in the hospital?!

"Tyler?" I slowly sat up ignoring my splitting headache and aching chest. I guess I got a pretty good beating.

I know I saw Tyler though, I had to have! I apologized and he held me, right? Was that a dream? Was he in the bathroom? Where did he go?! He said he wouldn't leave!

Was he alive?!

Fuck! It must've been a dream?! Did someone find me knocked out?! Was that my life flashing before my eyes?! Holy shit! I lost and Jay killed Tyler! I lost!

No, no, I don't know for sure. I need to calm down. I know I woke up in the hospital bed and saw Tyler. It could've been a dream, but I have to check. If Tyler is dead, he would be here.

I had to go find Tyler now!

I moved my legs over and took a few seconds to steady myself. I've never taken drugs before, not even for a headache,but whatever they shot me up with was something I didn't want to experience again.

I slowly dragged my feet as I walked out of the room and into the hallway. Everything was kind of blurry, as if I was drunk. It felt awful. I turned and I saw familiar shaggy red hair disappear into a room.

I walked over slowly careful to see who's room this was, but When I walked in I just saw a sleeping figure. Why was he in the hospital bed? Did he get hurt?! "Tyler?" I whispered.

"Oh, are you looking for Tyler?" An old lady sat up and turned to me. Where did he go? I saw him come in here.

"I thought I saw Tyler come in here, I'm sorry," I panicked and turned to leave.

"He just left to get water...." he's alive. I immediately fell into the visitors chair in relief. It was real. "Ohhhhhhh, aren't you that friend attached to Tyler's hip? Lee? Lionel?"

"Levi."

"Right, Tyler's boyfriend? I knew that!"

"Yes, ma'am." I looked at the old lady with discomfort. Why was she so familiar? "You're Tyler's grandmother?"

"Has Tyler spoken about me?"

"No, I remember someone going into hospital though recently. Otherwise why would he bother? And I never heard anything about it again so I just assumed they died." I proceed to blurt out like an idiot. Was that rude of me to say? "I'm sorry, I'm not used to these medicines yet."

"Such an honest boy, you two wouldn't remember me seeing as I went away before I could even meet you a second time. I'm surprised you have such a great memory, Tyler only remembers me on wires." The lady chuckled.

"We've met?"

"I'm not sure," she giggled. I noticed she laughed just like Tyler. "I think we have, you have such a familiar face."

"Where's Tyler?"

"I'm not sure, he probably went for water, but he'll be back soon."

"Oh, then I'll come back later. Sorry to-"

"No! No! Please take a seat! I want to know more about Tyler's friend! Tell me about a good book you're reading." She pleaded. I should be good to Tyler's family as well, right? For some reason I sat down and started into a long explanation of War and Peace. "Gosh, you really read the book! It's quite challenging to read and understand? I assume you're extremely talented at doing everything if you apply this to everyday life. How cool! Are you a chess player."

"I've never been beaten at it." I flinched at her loud voice.

"Sorry, I got excited so I guess I got extremely loud. Old habits. "Have you read the Psycho series?"

"I have except the last one..."

"Well I love the author so I have all the books. You can borrow my copy! I'll tell Tyler to give it to you." She offered.

"Oh, thanks." Why was she so eager to speak to me?

"I have many other books as well I think you'll love." As she told me about the books I could tell that she was lost in her own world. She went from looking dead to like she could live a hundred more years. And talking to her was actually kind of fun. She was very interesting and we actually read a lot of the same books.

It was like talking to Tyler.

"What are you....oh this picture?" She could read me like Tyler could. She held out the photo. "It's Me, Drita and Stan. Isn't Drita a spitting image of Tyler now? she insisted on having her hair cut short because some boy band said they liked it. Doesn't she look like him!"

Tyler did look exactly like his mom. It's still scary how similar they are in character. "Yeah, it's kind of scary."

"I'm so glad Tyler got all Drita's mom genes. She was so popular in school and dated the most attractive educated boys. She even dated a guy with politician parents. But in the end she chose Stan. They were like beauty and the beast. I wonder if she passed down that crazy gene."

"Crazy gene?"

"Yes, the curse runs in our blood. When we see someone we like we persue relentlessly and whatever it takes to obtain that. Drita messed up Stan pretty badly. one time, I had to let him out of the basement but he wouldn't leave just to prove a point to Drita. So crazy, yet so in love and made for each other."

"Yeah, I think it might have trickled thru a bit." I smiled telling her about how Tyler tased someone. She was actually really easy to speak to.

It tickled her pink. "Enough about me, Levi what about you and your family? It's been so long...I think."

"Oh, um," I felt the sense of pending doom again, this time enough to make my feel nauseous. Suddenly my lungs started to feel empty and my chest tightened. Was the temperature rising?

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, I just have a bad headache and-"

"Levi! What the fuck?!" I heard someone scream from behind me. "Why're you here?! I told you not to move from your bed!"

"Ohhhhhh," grandma chuckled slyly. "Is this the one you've been so enamored with that your mom told me about? Oh you look like your mom pining after Your dad. It makes me sick."

"Grannnn," Tyler whined.

"Fine, but I need details later. I didn't tell him anything too embarrassing."

"Fine, you're just as annoying as mom! And you!" Tyler turned his attention back to me. "I looked all over for you! Do you know how worried I was? You have to eat well to recover quickly! I got something home cooked so let's go!"

"Ok, goodbye, ma'am." I let Tyler grab me and help me walk.

"Bye, Levi! Come visit again!"

"Can you walk?"

"I don't take medicine, Tyler. It feels really bad."

Tyler walked me out and rubbed my back. "Did grandma say anything weird to you?"

"Weird like what?"

"I don't know."

"We just talked about books."

"I guess she wouldn't say anything weird, but why were you there in the first place? Don't you know that you need to rest? If you walk around like this you won't get better-"

"I missed you a lot." I confessed. Stunning Tyler into silence. When we reached my room and Tyler sat me down I watched Tyler open the food slowly.

"Y-you should eat," Tyler was blushing a deeper red. "You're left handed and you shouldn't move your left hand, so I'll help you."

Tyler was going to feed me? I know how to use my right hand. I'm ambidextrous. But I couldn't pass this up?

It wouldn't be right. Tyler scooped up the food and held it to my mouth. I grabbed his hand softly with my right hand to get him to look at me pushing the food away. "You must've made this."

"How do you know?"

"Because the oil is burnt, I can smell it and you tried to cover it up with more vegetables, the carrots are still raw, its yellow so you put too much turmeric, plus there's a lot of other seasonings that don't mix well....should I stop."

"You bitch!" Tyler snapped at me.

"I'll eat it if you want me to." I offered. Damn, I fucked up.

"Excuse the fuck outta me, Gordon Ramsey! You want me to order something for you?"

"You were so worried you made me food even though you can't cook? I'm really happy you care so much about me Tyler."

"Shut up! It was....whatever! It's always been my job to take care of you. I won't cook for you anymore."

"Just don't make another one for anyone else. Or just don't make another one until I teach you."

"When will you teach me?"

"When we have kids," I joked. Tyler looked extremely flustered at this. It felt great to tease him again.

"Is it that bad?"

"No, but the love in it can make me feel invincible," I smiled. Tyler was a tomato at this point.

"You're so annoying," Tyler got up. "I'm going to get some different food. I can't let you eat it if it's bad and it doesn't matter what you say because I'm forever going to stay out of the kitchen."

"Food where?"

"Usual takeout spot."

"Can I go with you?" I asked.

"But you shouldn't be out of the bed. Plus it's cold-"

"Please, I won't cause any trouble!"

"It's not that!"

"Please let me go with you."

"Levi! You shouldn't even be out of your bed!" Tyler said.

"I'll wander around so much you won't find me and the food will get cold!" I whined. "I'll make myself even sicker if you don't take me with you!"

"Levi, don't be a fucking brat!"

I pouted intensely. "I hate laying around, you know that. I'm fine, I'm not in pain and I can move! It's the damn medicine that's fucking with me."

"Your rib-"

"Just feels uncomfortable, it's not broken or anything or else I'd be in more pain. It's most likely just bruised," I explained. "I swear I can run a mile after this medicine wears off."

"I hate that you don't listen." Tyler shook his head. About thirty minutes later we were walking down the street. "I can't believe you convinced me. I was so determined but somehow you got past that."

"I can't believe you bought me a new jacket and pants." I firmly held Tyler's hand feeling warm in my new clothes.

"New what? It's my dads old one. I took it because he doesn't wear it anymore."

"When he taught us how to fight, right."

"Yeah, I miss those days. I was so much stronger. back then, we used to toss people around remember. The feeling when you slam someone to the ground. I miss it." Tyler reminisced. I laughed. "I'm glad you're back to normal. I prefer this side of you. Happy and no worries, when was the last time we had no worries?"

Tyler hugged me suddenly, and for a bit we just stood with each other. It's felt like so long since I could get lost in his smell and not worry. To really feel him breathing and....his heart racing.

"It's been extremely long," I mumbled. It's my fault that I'm making Tyler feel this way. Truly being at peace with him is my goal that I'm working towards and somehow, I can kinda bypass the guilt of lying to Tyler about everything.

But that still makes me a bad boyfriend. I've lied my way into Tyler's life and I secured him. He's been upfront about everything and I've just kept lying to him. No matter the justification, this relationship wasn't fair to Tyler.

Maybe, to feel worthy of Tyler, the best thing I can do for us....is to just tell him the truth about everything.