He still waits for it to end. The cold of the bitter winter, the merciless ice always at his throat and grinding into his chest as it gives him nothing but the most useless of hope for any survival. His physical body survives while my mental state deteriorates with each growing day. He stares through a lifeless eye that seems to show him nothing more than the poison of his wound. The infection that brings him to his knees as he know he may have no more ounce of fight left in him. He's just a shell that waits for time to decide it's final moment; degrading slowly and breaking because of time.

Why me?! His tears ran freely down his face as the wind wrapped around him while he ran in a full out sprint across the rocky ground. The cold winter air bit viciously into his bones as he sobbed running past people who looked at him as though he was some mad, loads of people thought now that they knew about him, he was mad or had something wrong with him. His long scarf whipped back into his face and his hat felt like it was about to fall off but he didn't care.

His life had been so perfect. He had been hidden from everybody and yet he had been able to find someone he could love; Billy bloody Elliot. His dancing boy. Everyday they would sneak away behind the bicycle shed at school and he would watch his secret crush dance with such amazing skill that he would always be left in complete awe at how brilliant he was. He could always admire Billy's amazing skills in dancing, he could sit there for hours and just watch him. One day he could say that when that boy first began his career as the worlds best dancer.

Yet now it was all over. Everyone at school had found out about him... normally he could deal with it, mainly because before it had been him and Billy. No one would ever dare mess with him with Billy around because the two were a perfect team... But now his best friend was gone and it was just him again. How long was it before my parents knew? Already they at school the others had started attacking him. People he had though who had been his own friends had turned against him.

School had been the one place where he could escape to from a life of pain.

He couldn't take this no more.

No more.

It was only when he reached the other side of the park where he knew no one else ever went did he finally come to a stop. The rose bushes were fading under a weighed blanket of snow next to the broken ice covered river, while a coven of strong standing oaks stood around the area as though they were soldiers protecting their king. He had come here for long runs with Billy. They could just cut through the tunnel which wasn't for far away... It had been so funny. The other idiots in the class had ran through up on the hill taking a ridiculous amount of time to carry on... but it just wasn't right without having Billy around to cut through.

But it had been hen he was tracing his memories with Billy, he had found this area.

He liked coming here, he often did when his mother was working late and his father was to busy smoking cigars, drinking to the bottom of the bottles and talking to his imaginary protégé; the boy he wished truly was his son. The figure would feel lonely at home it was no wonder he had brought himself to this.

He would sit on the old rope swing and gently push out as it rocked him back and forth over the water "Why can't anything in my life just go right for once! I'm sick of these stupid dreams! I'm sick of always being alone!" He whispered and wiped away the slowly oncoming tears which froze quickly to his cheek.

The water was freezing; he would be dead in a matter of seconds. His body would sink to the bottom and they wouldn't find him till summer… that's how long it would take his parents to even realise that he was missing, but as he was the smallest step away from stepping into the sweet oblivion of the after life; a place where even his parents couldn't hurt me. No more having to listen to a pissed up father exclaim what a waste and freak that his son was.

But that's when he heard the last voice that he least expected to hear.

"Now what the hell do you think you're doing"
"F-Fuck off." Michael didn't turn around. It had to be a dream... It just had to be. There was no way the owner of that voice was really back here. No. This was just one of those dreams. "You're just another trick, like in them blooming dreams."
"Turn around Michael you Puff." He could hear the sly grin in the voice though there was something wary about it now.

The boy paused as he shook a fallen white snow flake which had landed on a loose lock of hair, he tucked it back under his hat and let his hands hang to the cold and biting air. His eyes almost seemed lifeless as he looked at the pale water in front of him. The smallest step of being out of pain. From being free. "Fucking 'ell just turn around and come back!" The voice barked at him.

Michael blinked at the water just a bit longer before he slowly began to turn around.

And there stood the boy that made his chest tighten all the more.

"Dancing boy." He whispered.
"I know me own name, now get back from that bleeding edge will ya!" Michael exclaimed. His eyebrows were bunched together with slight worry and his face was set hard. He was wearing his familiar big winter coat. His hands were pale from the cold just as Michael's were. "Bloody hell what were you thinking?" He exclaimed as slowly he pulled Michael back.
"What would you know dancing boy! You haven't been here!"

He regretted saying that the moment it left his lips.

What surprised him even more was the slight look of guilt which burned through Billy's eyes as he could no longer meet his gaze directly. "Well it's good that I've come back with a plan isn't it!" He gave a sly smile as both boys locked eyes and held each others gaze.
"Don't do that." Michael muttered as he began to walk away but decided to take a firm seat on a nearby swing instead.
"Do what?!"
"Look at me like that."
"What the 'ell do you mean!"
"Like you did the day you left." Michael turned his head away slightly. There was just too much going through his mind. "Look at me and then kiss me!"
"You're kidding right?"
"This isn't funny!"

Michael frowned slightly as he put his hands into his pocket. Billy could see just how bad the boy was trembling now. What the hell had happened to him when he had been away? Who ever had hurt his best friend like this... that was going to change, very soon. "You're blooming freezing." Billy muttered as he pulled the boy close and put an arm around his shoulders.

He only just realised that he had grown a bit and now he was the smallest of a bit taller than his best friend. "Tall git." Michael murmured quietly as though he had been reading his best friend's mind.
"Shut up you puff." Billy smirked as he began the long walk back. "Your Ma'am home?"
"And half pissed up with me dad."
"Good, then that means that they won't notice."
"Notice what?"

Billy's smirked just deepened. He rubbed Michael's back trying to give the boy some of his warmth back. "I want to drop by somewhere first." He ignored the confused look his best friend gave him. "Don't worry. Have some faith in me."
"There's no one who has ever had more faith in you dancing boy." He pretended not to hear Michael say that.

-Break-

Billy smiled as he watched Michael rub his hands together in the centre of the boxing ring. "Never bloody changes, it's always bleeding freezing in here!" He whispered as he breathed his warmth breath into his hands.
"ye're right. Some things don't change." Billy chuckled as he held out the old tutu that he had once made his friend wear. "Go on. It suits you." He grinned but didn't notice as a large blush moved across both of Michael's cheeks.
"Shut up." He muttered before stepping into it, still curious as to why his friend had brought them back here.
"You remember what to do?" He shed his coat and kicked away his shoes and jeans as he went to gently take Michael's hands and place them into their correct position. He watched Michael's eyes darting and glancing towards him as their fingers would brush together slightly.

Then again... he hardly felt his own slight blush moving at that point.

He smiled slightly as he watched Michael beginning to slowly replicate the moves confidently. "You're good." He observed.
"Been practising, ain't I." Michael said quietly though a faint smile tugged at his lips as he performed through the basic movements.
"I'd say." Billy nodded as he watched.
"So what's this plan you got... what won't my parent's notice?" Michael frowned.
"Well if you think they're gonna worry-"
"Will they fuck!" Michael exclaimed with a frown.
"Good because after here we're heading back to yours. Like I said." Billy gave a small smile. "I have a plan, don't I?"