Fandom: Queer as Folk
Title: Because I Love Him
Characters: Michael and Ben.
Pairing: Michael/Ben
Rating/Warnings: G. Future Fic, Slash.
Summary: 218 my way.
A/N: Thanks to Judy my friend and beta and to the readers.
Disclaimer: I don't own the fandom or anything you recognize. I only own this story.
Words: 546 words without title and ending.

*Because I Love Him*

Michael's POV:

Because I love him, I can't imagine my life without him. When Ben got sick, all I wanted to do was cry and hide under my covers, from him, and from the world.

But I didn't. I stayed with the man I love. I held Ben's hand, got him ice chips and water and stayed by his side, telling him how much I love him, and hoping it was enough.

Thankfully, it turned out to be enough, and it also turned out that all Ben had was a case of pneumonia, though it could have been fatal. No one will ever know just how relieved I am, that he's going to be okay.

My mother shocked the hell out of me, when she came to see him in the hospital. She even brought him some soup. I would have thought that his first reaction would be to tell my mother to get the hell out of his room, but he didn't.

Ben actually let her stay with him, and surprisingly, she was nice to him. As he slept, I watched my mother hold his hand, and I felt like I had been given the greatest gift.

Two of the people that I love most in the world, were finally getting along. I wanted to shout my happiness from the rooftops, but I was afraid I would scare my mother and Ben, so I only remained silent, and walked into Ben's hospital room.

After speaking to my mother for a few minutes, I watched as she left the room. Then I turned back to Ben, who looked so peaceful lying there in bed. I hope that he is okay now.

I would never be able to forgive myself, if something would have happened to Ben. He already has a lot going on right now. He's already up to his eyeballs in work.

Part of me wants to ask Ben to scale back on his classes, but if I ask him, I know that he will just fight with me until I either back off, or give up and let him do as he wants.

The other part of me, though, knows just how important his classes are to him, and I know that if I asked Ben to slow down, he probably would. I just don't want to pressure him either way, especially since he has pneumonia.

I just want Ben to be okay. I mean, I know that he has HIV. How the hell can I not? I've had nightmares about losing him to the disease; ever since we got together and I found out he was positive.

I love Ben, and I would and will, do anything and everything that I can, to make sure that he is okay. In my life right now, he is the one constant person that I know I can count on.

It's that reason, that I hope things between the two of us stay as good as they are now. I want the two of us to be able to have a future together, a beautiful future together.

I want what's best for him. Even if, for some reason, it turns out that I'm not what's best for him. Because I love him, and making Ben happy, is all that matters to me.

The end.