Anatoly laughed softly, holding his hands up in a gesture of defeat. There seemed no recourse but to tell his story, but it wasn't the terrifying thing it might have been a few years ago. He could feel safe sharing such things now.

"I have been here about two and a half years," he started slowly, feeling a bit self-conscious. "I met Lex when I had been here about five months or so. We talked, became friends. And then... more. Everything was... it was the happiest I've even been in a long time."

He paused for a moment to take a sip of juice and to weigh how he would tell the rest of the story. Much of the reason Lex had left was personal, and he didn't think he would want that aspect being shared, even with friends. "He left because he thought it was the right thing to do," he continued finally. "But we were able to talk after many months of being apart, and things are fixed. I hope. I believe so."