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It’s on a random Thursday afternoon that Arthur decides to break George's heart. He doesn't know that but George can't help but still feel betrayed. And to think that the day had been going great so far, they had met up early in the morning to shoot a few videos, afterwards deciding to just keep hanging out as a group. The five of them are sitting around Chris and the other guys’ apartment when Arthurs decides to break the news.
“I’m moving back to Jersey.”, he mentions all casually, as if he didn't just turn George's whole world upside down. He doesn't really know what to say. It's like his world grinds to a halt. It feels like he's underwater, everything around him distorted and kind of muffled. Like he’s drowning, helpless and about to succumb to the crushing weight of his surroundings.
But why? Why does Arthur want to leave them, to leave HIM? Is it because of George? No, that can't be it, right? But what if? No, surely not, Arthur would have told him if he had any issues with him. He’s one of the most important people in George’s life, maybe even the person he’s closest to, there's no way George wouldn’t have noticed Arthur developing any ill feelings towards him. Or maybe that's just wishful thinking. George doesn't even know if Arthur considers him to be one of his best friends, they’ve never outright said it, Arthur has never like confirmed it or anything. George had just assumed that they were, it had always felt implied. He’s not so sure about that anymore.
He should’ve talked to Arthur, perhaps then he would’ve known that Arthur is apparently so unhappy in London that he needs to return to his hometown. But what if Arthur doesn't trust him enough to confide in him like that? Did Chris know about this? George hates himself for the feeling of jealousy that rushes through him at the thought. He knows it's unfounded, borderline ridiculous, Chris and Arthur have known each other forever, it would make sense for Arthur to confide in Chris instead of him. The bitterness still lingers, refusing to dissipate completely.
George’s spiraling thoughts are interrupted by the other Arthur asking if there's any specific reason for Arthur’s decision.
“I just feel like there's nothing that really keeps me here, like you know I love you guys but is that really enough?”, he confesses, “I’m almost 30 and like, I really thought I would have settled down by now, you know? Meet someone, fall in love, get married eventually, the whole shebang. I don't think I've been in one serious relationship ever since I moved here. I guess I'm just not built to connect with anyone here in that way-”.
“Wait a second, what about the girl you told me about? The one you went on a couple dates with a few weeks ago, didn't you say you guys were getting pretty serious?” Isaac interrupts his rambling.
“Well, she just wasn't what I was looking for.”, his sentence is punctuated by a sad, lingering look towards George, who’s now even more confused. It’s Chris who puts his exact thoughts into words.
“But what does that have to do with anything?”
Arthur looks caught off guard for a second, like he didn't expect them to question his decision, which just doesn't compute for George. Of course, they're not gonna be happy about one of their best friends leaving the city and moving back to his hometown. Especially one that is located on a fucking island.
That's what freaks George out the most, Arthur moving away is bad enough on its own but moving to an island? Meaning that there will be no more spontaneous hangouts, no more late nights, no more sleepovers, no more just the two of them spending time with each, making each other laugh and just having fun. He’s not at all ready to say goodbye to that, to them. George’s incoming panic attack gets interrupted by Arthur sighing loudly, he almost forgot that they're still waiting for a better explanation.
Arthur all of a sudden just looks so tired, like he's carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders and George can't stand for that. It’s time to put on his big boy pants and act like a friend, even if it is tearing him up inside. This is about Arthur. George sits up straight, trying to put on a normal facade that hopefully won't betray his inner turmoil. He unsuccessfully tries to catch Arthur’s eye, who looks like he’s steeling himself for a second and then takes a deep breath in.
“I’ve come to realize that I need some time away from London, there's something I realized, feelings I’ve previously been unaware of and I need some distance from things, people, you know how it is.”
His eyes keep darting back to George while he explains why he's ripping George's heart out and George feels his stomach plummet. There's no way but maybe– no, please god no, he thinks. Feelings he’s now aware of? Did Arthur catch on to his feelings and now wants to get away from him? Is he the person Arthur needs space from?
He never wanted something, anything like this to happen. Arthur wasn't supposed to find out, George was supposed to get over his stupid feelings and move on. Now everything is in ruins just because George couldn't help but fall in love with one of his best friends. He wants to cry. It’s all his fault, he’s the reason everything is falling apart. He should’ve never let himself get this attached to Arthur, he should've kept him at arm's length, treated him like any other friend. But falling in love with Arthur was just so easy, loving Arthur is just so easy.
“George! You good buddy?”, the other Arthur asks, startling him.
George blinks and shakes his head, desperately trying to focus. He hadn't even realized that he was zoning out. He feels something wet slide down his cheek and realizes with a sudden feeling of dread that he’s crying. He feels even dumber. Not only is he the reason that Arthur is leaving, now he's also stealing his thunder. This was supposed to be Arthur’s big moment. He really can't do anything right. George opens his mouth, ready to apologize for acting like a baby when Isaac pulls all of them into a big group hug. The hug is filled with words of encouragement, a bit of sobbing and just George being once again reminded of how amazing his group of friends truly is. He's going to fix things, no matter what it takes.
-
George doesn't fix things. But not for lack of trying, he tries everything, at first he tries talking to Arthur about why he’s leaving, the actual reason, not the lackluster one he gave them initially. Unfortunately, Arthur won't let anything slip. The only thing he manages to get out of him is the fact that a friendship is at stake. A friendship that apparently means a lot to Arthur, a friendship that he won't jeopardize for anything.
He tries telling himself that Arthur might just be in love with the girlfriend of one of his friends but when Arthur reveals that the feelings might ruin their group dynamic, he can no longer lie to himself. They are all single, none of them actively seeing anyone, so the potential girlfriend is out of the picture and Arthur isn't someone to steal a friend's date.
Which means that the only logical conclusion is the one George already came to a few weeks ago. Arthur knows about his feelings. God knows the reason he isn't saying anything to George though. If he had to guess he'd attribute it to Arthur’s nature, already being a slightly awkward person, he probably doesn't want to make things even more awkward and while George is glad about that, he already feels terrible enough, he also doesn't want Arthur to feel like he has to leave because of him.
That's why George decides to keep his distance. If he fools Arthur into believing that George is over him, he might change his mind. It's worth a shot. So he stops initiating any physical contact, he stops checking in on Arthur daily, he stops asking Arthur to hang out alone. Any behavior that might be considered romantic is shut down. It slowly but surely kills George inside but he's willing to sacrifice his own happiness, if it means that Arthur will stay.
-
In the end it doesn't work, Arthur still decides to leave. When he tells all of them that he's leaving in a few days to visit his family and sign the lease, George is devastated. To make things even worse, he reveals that he won't be coming back, at least not anytime soon. He explains that he’s signing the lease and will then stay with his family until he can move into his new apartment.
Everyone else is so happy for Arthur, congratulating him and wishing him all the best. George swallows his heart, puts on a fake smile and joins them. That night he cries himself to sleep.
-
The day of Arthur’s departure arrives way faster than George is ready for, not that he could ever be prepared to see Arthur leave. Chris, Issac and the other Arthur have decided to drop off Arthur at the airport, to give him a proper send off. They even bought him a stupid little teddy bear, a small cheap one that's supposed to remind him of them. It even comes with a little ‘We miss you’ heart and George just knows that Arthur is going to absolutely love it. But George won't get to see his reaction, as he has decided not to join them, scared that he might do something stupid like fall to his knees and beg Arthur to stay.
When he finally gathers the courage to tell the guys that he won't be coming along, feigning a headache as the reason, Chris is decidedly not happy. George can tell that they immediately clocked his lie and while Isaac and the other Arthur just look at George with disappointment, Chris is the only one to actually give him a piece of his mind.
“You can't be serious, George! One of your best friends is leaving and you can't be arsed to see him off? Are you being for real? That's such a shitty thing to do. Out of all people, I honestly never expected you to pull something like this,” he shouts at him. George cringes, knowing that he deserves that jab.
They are in George’s room, Chris having followed him after he tried to make a run for it. George makes no move to get out of bed, instead he crawls even further underneath his blanket, desperately trying to get away from the world. Maybe if he stays here long enough the pain of Arthur leaving will go away, maybe he'll no longer feel like Arthur is taking his heart with him. His safe haven, his refuge, is destroyed when Chris decides to rip away his blanket, exposing him to the cold air in the room and the reality of what is happening today. George wants his blanket back. He tries to reach for it, but Chris immediately snatches it away, looking at him in utter disbelief. George really wants that blanket back.
“Look, George, I know you're hurting but are you really gonna let him leave like that? Without saying something? Don't you think he deserves to know how you feel?”
George whips his head towards him. Come again?
“Don't look so surprised, literally everyone but Arthur knows that you're in love with him. So please come with us and say goodbye, if you won't do it for him or us, at least do it for yourself. This might be the last time you see him for a really long time, are you just going to let him go?”
Chris tries to catch his eye but George avoids his stare. He can't bear to even look at him, still in disbelief that everyone knows he's the reason Arthur is leaving, that he’s at fault. The guilt that has followed him around these past few weeks starts rearing its ugly head again.
George turns his head away, not ready to let Chris see his face. To let Chris see the tears that are slowly making their way down. He has ruined everything and now everyone is gonna hate him. He chokes down a sob, praying that Chris won't notice his shaking shoulders, how much all of this is affecting him.
After a few moments of heavy silence, Chris drops the blanket with a sigh and turns to leave. He reaches the door in a few short strides and as he opens it, he turns to look at George one last time. Even out of the corner of his eye, George catches the pity that is written all over his face. It makes him feel even worse.
“Will you please just think about it, George? It pains me to see you like this, to see both of you hurting. He really misses you, you know? We’ve all noticed that you guys have spent barely any time together these past few weeks. You mean a lot to him, George, way more than you think.”
With that Chris leaves and closes the door behind him. George sinks back down onto his pillow. Chris’ final gut punch still echoing through his head. Great, now he feels even worse than before. He hadn't even thought about Arthur missing him, too caught up upon trying to fix things at any cost.
For a split second he considers getting up and joining the others, to just put his feelings away for a few hours and to be the friend Arthur actually deserves. It would be the right thing to do and probably the only chance to salvage his friendship with Arthur at this point. But can he do that? Act like Arthur is nothing more than a friend, like he isn't what George yearns for, what he desires, that he doesn't inhabit his every dream.
In the end George decides to stay put, telling himself that it's better this way. Arthur is already dealing with enough as it is, he doesn't need George doing something stupid like confessing his undying love right before he has to board a plane.
So he stays in his room, ignores the others leaving to go pick up Arthur and instead tries to pretend that his world isn't ending. Tomorrow he’s gonna wake up and everything is going to be just fine, he’ll hang out with the guys and if he's feeling brave he might ask them about how the send-off went. If he’s really feeling brave, he might even reach out to Arthur to ask if he's settled in yet. Not seeing him almost everyday is going to suck, George had never realized how much time they actually spent together until he had to put a stop to it. Arthur has become such an integral part of his life, George still can't imagine not seeing him all the time. He tries not to think about it too much.
To distract himself, he decides to hop on Instagram. A bit of mindless scrolling will surely take his mind off things. A mistake apparently, as the first thing that greets him upon opening the app is a picture of Arthur. It’s a really nice picture, just a simple photo of Arthur laughing, his eyes all squinty and him just looking so incredibly carefree.
George wants him more than anything.
He swipes up, trying to push Arthur to the back of his mind, and is immediately greeted by another photo of Arthur. George scowls, is his algorithm really that fucked? It’s either that or the universe is trying to mock him. He doesn't know what he prefers less.
Focusing back on the photo, he notices that this time it's actually a picture of the two of them. They're both smiling at each other and wow, George can spot the heart eyes he’s throwing Arthur's way from a mile away. It’s not George's first time noticing the way he looks at Arthur and while he used to be incredibly bothered by it, he reluctantly has come to terms with it. It's not like he can do anything about it, but to see it blatantly like that? It’s more than his fragile heart can take at the moment.
George closes his eyes and swallows hard, desperately trying to ground himself. He really doesn't want to start crying again. It’s all he’s been doing ever since Arthur first made his announcement. He takes a few deep breaths, thankfully managing to calm himself down. Opening his eyes again, George immediately zeroes in on Arthur’s face, in particular on the way Arthur looks at him. How come he’s never noticed that Arthur looks at him like that? Just pure unfiltered joy on his face, like George is the only thing that matters, like he loves him and oh–
George drops his phone in shock, there's no way, right? There's no way Arthur might like him back but what if– He shakes his head, no, he can't start thinking like that. They are friends, just friends, only friends, never anything more than friends. Surely George is just imagining things, his brain trying to trick him into seeing something that isn't there. Anything to mend his broken heart. It’s ridiculous, getting his hopes up like that, it's not like there's anything he can do about it. Arthur is leaving, he’s made his decision and George should respect that. He should stay here.
His body is moving before he realizes it. Within seconds he’s out the door and frantically waving down a taxi. His mind and heart are racing. What is he doing? He should go back inside. George feels like he's losing his mind. When a taxi finally pulls up and George slides in, he barely acknowledges the driver, too busy booking a flight to Jersey on his phone. If he’s doing this, he’s doing it the right way. There's no way George’s gonna fuck this up by forgetting to buy a ticket and not getting past security.
The drive is silent, the driver not even bothering to strike up a conversation. If George had to guess it's because of the way he's looking right now, like, he's on his way to the airport without any luggage, disheveled and looking like he hasn't slept in weeks. For a second George wonders if he should have changed, put on something nicer but then he remembers that it's Arthur, Arthur who has seen him at his absolute worst. There's no way he would ever reject him because of something as stupid as a ratty pair of sweatpants. The thought does ease his mind a bit, calming his nerves and letting him relax for a second. Maybe things are gonna be fine after all.
As soon as they reach the airport, George is out of the car. He throws a quick ‘bye’ over his shoulder and then he is off, sprinting through the airport like a maniac. Weaving through the crowds, skidding around corners, it straight up looks like a scene from one of those cheesy rom-coms. Still, he can't help but wish for a happy end like that for Arthur and him. He keeps running, only stopping once he reaches one of the big screens listing all of the departures. He scans the long list until his eyes finally reach the dreaded flight to Jersey.
George's stomach drops. Boarding is going to start any minute now. He’s too late, he’s missed his chance. Arthur is leaving and George can't do anything about it because he's a fucking coward. If only he had left earlier, if only he had gone with the guys. It’s hopeless. Arthur is actually going to leave and he’s gonna forget all about George, he’s gonna meet a nice girl, marry her and the next time George sees him will be at the fucking wedding.
No, he resolutely tells himself, he can't give up now, not when he's come this far. There's no way he's leaving this airport without at least trying to get to Arthur. He's gonna fight for Arthur.
Looking at the board again, he notices that the gate isn't that far, he only has to get through security and he's pretty much there, then he'll be able to actually look for Arthur. He has to give it a try.
The security check is over insanely quick, the agents pretty much waving him through without any hassle. The fact that he’s barely carrying anything sure helps a lot and his sorry state must do the rest. The agent handling the trays, a friendly looking older woman, smiles at him.
“Tough day?” she asks him in a kind voice.
Startled, George blinks up at her, he hadn't even realized that he had been staring at the ground for the entirety of the check. He's been doing that a lot lately, zoning out, drifting off. Exhaustion riddles his whole body. These past few weeks have been so emotionally draining for him, he can't wait for all of this to be finally over.
In lieu of an answer George gives her a curt nord. He doesn't want to be rude but he's afraid that if he speaks now, he might actually start crying and he really doesn't want to bother a random airport worker with his love troubles. Graciously she must see the turmoil on his face because instead of prodding him further, she just gives him another warm smile and wishes him well. George breathes a huge sigh of relief and continues on his way towards Arthur.
Once George finally reaches the gate, he almost drops to his knees in sheer relief. Boarding hasn’t started yet due to some kind of delay. It's a borderline miracle and George takes a second to thank the universe for being on his side for once. Focusing back on the task at hand, he starts looking around frantically. Arthur has to be around here somewhere. His eyes scan the crowd, desperately trying to spot a familiar mop of brown hair. After a few minutes of fruitless searching, George is ready to scream. There are just way too many people around, he never expected this many people to want to fly to Jersey of all places.
He's close to giving up when he finally spots Arthur. Arthur, who's sitting there in all his glory, joyfully munching on a pink donut without a care in the world. There's a bit of pink icing smeared across his cheek and Arthur being Arthur tries to lick it off. He looks utterly ridiculous but George being George can't help but feel all fuzzy and warm inside. He’s once again reminded of how much he adores this weird little man. He also wants to lick the icing off himself but that's beside the point. Still mentally stuck on the icing, George almost misses Arthur looking up in his direction.
The moment their eyes meet everything slows down for George. The rest of the world melts away until there's just Arthur. George has to go to him right now, otherwise he might actually die. He starts off at a brisk walk, not wanting to cause a scene by running, but breaks out into a sprint the second Arthur leaps up from his seat to run George's way. They crash together in a violent hug, George pulling Arthur as close as humanly possible. God, he has missed this so much. Being this close to Arthur, simply feeling him, touching him is everything to George. This is where he belongs. He takes a deep breath in, trying to savor the moment for all it is worth. If this is the last time they'll see each other for a while, George's gonna take everything that he can get.
Their hug is cut short by an airport worker announcing that boarding is officially starting. George, feeling Arthur getting antsy, pulls away reluctantly. Arthur has always been a nervous person, of course he would be scared of missing his flight even though there's plenty of time left. Noticing Arthur’s attention drifting away from him, George grabs his hand, trying to keep their moment alive for just a few more seconds. Arthur’s eyes immediately zero in on their joined hands, he squeezes George's hand and beams at him.
Touch has always been one of Arthur’s love languages, George learned that fact about him early on. It's actually a trait the two of them share and one of the many reasons they just seem to fit. Chris often jokes about them being two puzzle pieces that just click seamlessly, George had never given it much thought, considering it another one of Chris’ stupid jokes but thinking about it now, it kinda makes sense. Being with Arthur does come incredibly easy to him, he never has to worry about coming off weird or saying the wrong thing, around Arthur he can just be himself. Arthur is it for him and George is tired of denying it.
He looks at Arthur and steels himself.
“I wanted to say goodbye and that I’m gonna miss you.”
“Aww, I’m gonna miss you too, buddy!”
The crowd starts moving around them, people bumping into them on their way to the plane. George feels his time running out. He looks up at Arthur and catches him smiling at him. He tries to think of something to say, something that properly conveys the enormity of what he feels, how much Arthur means to him. This is his one chance and he can't fuck it up by blurting out some half-assed confession. He has to make it count, there's no going back. It’s now or never.
“I love you.”
Before he can talk himself out of it, George reaches for Arthur to pull him back in. Their lips meet in a forceful kiss. The first thing George notices is that Arthur’s lips are surprisingly soft, he always imagined them to be chapped, the way that Arthur is constantly biting them. The second thing he notices is that Arthur is kissing him back. Holy shit, Arthur is kissing him back! This can't be real, George must be dreaming, but no, that is actually Arthur’s arm around his waist and Arthur’s lips pressed against his. George feels like he’s floating. Did he die on the way to the airport and this is his personal heaven? It has to be because Arthur is actually kissing him! It still feels surreal.
Arthur drags him back to the moment by using his hand, the one not secured tightly around George's waist, to softly tilt his head to the right. He barely has time to appreciate Arthur’s thumb stroking his cheek when there's a tongue swiping across his bottom lip. George gasps. Arthur, apparently fueled by the sound, presses even closer. The moment their tongues finally touch, Arthur lets out a quiet moan and George is pretty much done for. He can't get enough. He needs to get even closer, he–
Their kiss is interrupted by someone bumping into them. George, suddenly remembering that they’re in a crowded airport, pulls away with a gasp. Arthur immediately chases after him, tempting George to just lean back in and kiss him again. Instead he tries to put a bit of safe distance between them, embarrassed that a bunch of people just saw them making out.
But before he can even attempt to move, Arthur’s hand is already back in his, stopping George dead in his tracks and anchoring him to his spot. Still kind of in a daze, he takes a few seconds to calm his racing nerves. So much has happened these past few minutes, his brain barely able to keep up. He spares at glance at Arthur and finds him smiling softly at him. He looks happy and at peace, it’s like there's this glow around him. He almost looks angelic, George can't help but think. Arthur is just so incredibly pretty. If George hated the idea of him leaving before, he straight up loathes it now.
“Please don't forget me.”
Arthur looks confused, his eyebrows drawn together and a frown starting to emerge. George immediately regrets opening his stupid mouth.
“Like I know this doesn't change anything, not that that was my plan or anything! I actually didn't plan this at all, it just kind of happened? I just couldn't let you leave like that, without saying anything and so I came to find you and I did find you! You were there and there was the icing and the boarding and I just kind of panicked? And I know that I’m not really in any position to ask this of you but the thought of you just moving on and forgetting that any of this happened is killing me.”
He knows he’s rambling but he just can't stop himself. There's just so much left to be said!
“What are you talking about?”, Arthur asks, still frowning.
“Your move to Jersey? The reason we're here right now?”
Suddenly Arthurs starts laughing. George feels like an idiot.
“You can't seriously think that I’m still moving to Jersey after all this. George, I love you too.”
George’s cheeks almost hurt from smiling so much but he honestly doesn’t even care. He can’t believe it! To have Arthur kiss him back is one thing but for him to feel the same? George has to be the luckiest guy on earth, to have someone like Arthur love him.
They’re still standing there, stuck in their own little world and smiling at each other stupidly, when the airport worker from earlier yells at them to hurry up if they plan to board. For a second George’s face falls, what if Arthur decides to leave after all? He tries to gauge his reaction, just to see his entire face light up and for Arthur to step towards George with renewed excitement.
George wants to kiss him again.
“So, you bought a plane ticket, right? Do you wanna go to Jersey with me? I could show you around!”
George doesn't even bother with an answer, instead simply pulling Arthur straight towards the boarding desk.
-
It’s only once they reach the cabin that George realizes they won't be sitting together. Of course they're sitting apart, George booked the ticket about an hour ago without knowing Arthur's seat. It still kinda feels like a failure on his end. Arthur must sense his dejection because he just squeezes his hand and gives him an encouraging smile.
“Don't worry, the flight isn't that long, you won't even miss me!”
He presses one last kiss to George's cheek and then he's off to find his own seat. George, still sad and disappointed, just drops into his seat, trying to find joy in the fact he doesn't have to deal with the overhead bins. He's ready to just lean back and get this ride over with when a giddy Arthur sits down next to him. Apparently, some girl was kind enough to switch with him, Arthur recounts excitedly and points somewhere behind him. George tries to spot what he's pointing at, not really sure what he's looking for until he locks eyes with a girl their age. Noticing George looking, she gives him a big smile and two thumbs up, that must be her then, George mouths a ‘thank you’ back.
Arthur, of course, claims he was able to sway her due to his awesome negotiating skills. George doesn't have the heart to tell him it's probably because she took one look at them hanging all over each other and decided she did not want to deal with a lovesick Arthur for the entire flight.
Once everything calms down around them, everyone settled in their seats, Arthur immediately reaches for George's hand again. George just continues smiling, it's pretty much all he's been doing since he found out that Arthur loves him back. He's still kinda in disbelief about that. Beautiful Arthur, his Arthur, who's currently busy trying to take an artsy photo of their joined hands to post to his private Instagram story. It turns out kinda shitty, they’re in a cramped airplane after all, but George still adores it to no end. Probably because it warms his heart that Arthur is already so willing to share them with their little world.
He leans back in his seat, ready to watch Arthur work his so-called ‘magic’ in an effort to make the photo look actually presentable. He lets Arthur do his thing, content to watch him have fun and to admire him in silence. George only has to intervene once, to stop Arthur from adding a cheesy love song because that is just way over the top, even for him. In the end Arthur decides to barely change anything, claiming that their love speaks for itself. George decides not to mention that no one will be able to tell it's them just from their hands.
Apparently, he’s wrong about that because their friends immediately flood both of their DM’s with congratulations and well wishes. There's a surprising amount of ‘finally's among his messages which tells George that he might not have been as secretive about his feelings as he had hoped. It does make him worry a bit, but looking over at a happy and excited Arthur, George doesn't dwell on it too long. They made it and that’s really the only thing that matters.
George glances back down at his phone, swiping through all of the new messages til he spots Chris’ username. He opens up the message and finds a screenshot of Arthur’s story, underneath there's just a single message saying ‘I told you so’. George rolls his eyes, leave it to Chris to make it about himself. He types out a sarcastic reply but then thinks better of it and deletes it again. Chris doesn't deserve it, without him George would probably still be sitting in his bedroom, wallowing in his self-inflicted misery. Chris might be an asshole at times but when it comes down to it, he really is a great friend. Once he and Arthur get back to London, they really need to treat him to a nice dinner.
Instead of his original reply, he types out a simple ‘thank you’ instead, Chris will know what he means. A few seconds after he hits ‘send’ he gets a simple heart back. With a smile George slides his phone into his pocket and leans back in his seat. Next to him, Arthur is immersed in a back and forth with Isaac. He looks up for a second to press another quick kiss to George's cheek. George smiles and squeezes his hand, he can't believe that this is what he gets to call his life.