I decided to start with Hanschen this chapter. As always it is your choice whether you want to read both perspectives or not, but in this chapter both have dreams and separate scenes in their homes that I would love for you to read. This chapter came out longer than I expected. Reviews would be fantastic!

Disclaimer: I do not own Spring Awakening. If I did, I would own Ernst Roble. Sigh.

Hanschen

This was more like it. No thinking, just me and Ernst. He was already getting better, but, of course, not better than me. I was still in total control. This time, everything would work out according to plan. Just to be safe, I decided to warn him one more time.

"You're gonna be wounded, you're gonna be my wound, you're gonna bruise too, I'm gonna be your bruise."

He smiled up at me, and his huge eyes seemed to say, "Go for it." I took it as a go-ahead.

I removed both our shirts quickly and skillfully. So far, so good. Only when I went after the pants did he place a hand on my chest to stop me.

"Hanschen," his voice made him sound twelve years old. "Before we do this, I need to know that you love me."

Good thing I was practiced at the art of lying. Normally, I wouldn't tell a lie of this magnitude, but I was desperate. On top of Ernst, I was closer to need than I would ever admit. I couldn't let him get away this time. Lust was a powerful, powerful thing.

I looked deep into those massive eyes. "Ernst," I whispered, "I love you."

He smiled in disbelief and amazement, a smile that might have melted my heart a bit had I not been so focused. "Okay, I'm ready."

He lay flat on the ground, and gently removed his hand from my chest. As I watched the slender fingers recoil, I noticed a bruise on my chest where his hand had been. I looked back at him. "How did you do that?"

"I'm gonna bruise you, you're gonna be my bruise," he smiled happily into my eyes. "That's how love is."

I awoke in a cold sweat. What could have possibly called forth that dream? Ernst was putty in my hands. He wanted to be with me, needed even. Why else would he have agreed to meet me at the vineyard this afternoon? He knew what was coming. He had to. Besides, the child could barely talk to me, much less ask such a question. I was not the bruisable type. Despite my reassurances, it took me several shaky minutes to even notice my…er…stomach and retreat to the bathroom.

I spent the morning getting my homework done. Even the Good Lord knew I wouldn't be getting anything done after one o'clock. The assignments were painfully easy. Pity. I was hoping for something of a distraction. I laughed as I imagined Ernst, probably trying to do the same assignments. I was sure that he was failing miserably.

The homework was done in an hour. I checked the clock in my room. Eleven o'clock. Two hours to kill. I let my mind wander. I would be fashionably late; build up the poor boy's anticipation. Seducing him again would be ever so easy, and then I would have all afternoon to enjoy him.

At noon Mother called me downstairs for lunch. I tried to eat at a normal speed, knowing very well that eating faster would not make the time pass faster. Admittedly, I was a little excited. There was something thrilling about what I was going to do, like a lioness stalking her prey. Even better yet was the exhilaration of not having a plan.

I waited until five minutes after one before leaving. Not only did I know for sure that Ernst was there on time, but I was also aware of how long five minutes can seem when waiting in anticipation. On the way out I mentioned to Mother that I was helping a classmate study. She beamed and I was out the door before she could ask any questions. She had been trying to convince me to help out weaker classmates for months. She so badly wanted me to make friends.

I ran most of the way to the vineyard out of boredom. As I approached, I slowed to an easy walk. I began to look for Ernst, suddenly worried that he might have left, or had been too afraid to even come. I smiled when I noticed him standing behind a tree towards the back of the vineyard. Was he hiding from me? His back was up against the tree, and he appeared to be breathing heavily.

I began a childish game of hide-and-seek, pretending to look behind trees, rocks, and vines until I came to the tree where he was waiting. "Oh, where could Ernst be?" I loudly and dramatically asked the vineyard. Then I leaned up against the front of the tree and waited.

I heard him draw in a sharp breath and shuffle nervously around the tree towards me. When he finally made it around to the front of the tree, he tried to meet my eyes and match my seductive gaze.

"Why hello Ernst," I growled, not holding anything back. I watched a semi-confident look melt off of his face at the mere sound of my voice.

"H-h-hanschen," he stuttered. The poor boy was a wreck. A wide-eyed, pale skinned, naïve wreck…oh, why did that make him so alluring?

"Well," I said as casually as I could, "I guess we should start studying, shouldn't we?" I watched his eyes drop in disappointment, then grow wide in panic and embarrassment as he realized he hadn't brought any of his books.

"Hanschen," his voice was barely audible, "I'm afraid I've forgotten my books."

I was loving this. "Ernst," I scolded, "you forgot to bring your schoolbooks on a day we planned to study?" I looked directly into his eyes mocking chastisement.

"Y-yes," he hung his head in mortified shame.

"Oh, Ernst," I shook my head, "I guess we're just going to have to find something else to do…"

He looked up at me, his eyes more frightened and confused than embarrassed now. I smiled wryly and raised my eyebrows. It was then I noticed, hanging between our heads, a vine growing off of a lattice next to the tree. The vine was covered with the largest red grapes I had ever seen. I plucked one, the grape succumbing as easily to my grasp as, I was sure, Ernst would. I popped it into my mouth.

"Mmmm…" the grape was sweet and delicious, and I closed my eyes in pleasure as it slid down my throat. "Would you like a grape, Ernst?"

I noticed that his gaze had been more focused on the top button of my shirt, which I had purposely left unbuttoned, than on my face. At the sound of his name he came alert and looked into my eyes.

"Huh? Oh, sure," he said quietly, still obviously unsure of what would happen next. I picked another grape and held it to his pursed lips. He parted them slightly, and I let my fingers brush his lips as I pushed the grape inside, then let them linger a moment before I pulled them away. His lips remained open until, laughing lightly, I licked mine, which seemed to remind him of the grape in his mouth. He clamped it shut and chewed carefully, swallowing without the slightest hint of pleasure.

"Not a big fan of grapes?" I asked, as if I were genuinely curious.

"They're fine-I mean great-I mean…is it getting hot out here?" he asked miserably. He was even more nervous now than at either of our first two meetings. I didn't let myself wonder why.

"Not where I'm standing. Why don't you come sit in the shade next to me?" I looked at him half welcoming, half challenging. He stiffened before obliging. I sat down next to him, my back still up against the tree.

Keeping my eyes focused on some nonexistent object in the distance, I slid my leg gradually to meet his. I heard a whimper upon contact. I then placed my hand "absentmindedly" on my leg and let it wander over to his.

"Ohhhh…Hanschen?"

I whipped my head around and stared straight into his bewildered eyes. Our faces were only inches apart. "Yes?"

He gazed longingly into my eyes, and then squeezed his shut. Before I realized what he was doing, he closed the gap between us and touched his lips to mine fleetingly. I was ashamed of the slight shiver that ran down my spine. How could I feel anything from that?

He paused a moment before opening his eyes. "Was that okay?" My hand was still on his leg, and I could feel him shivering. His desire to impress me made me smile.

"That was fine, especially for someone so… inexperienced," I let the last word fall from my lips slowly, hoping he would take the bait.

"So you have a lot of…experience?" he sounded scared, almost hurt. Not exactly the reaction I was looking for, but I could still make it work.

"Some, of course. A lot of it is…" I leaned forward, still keeping one hand on his leg while pressing the other into the ground behind him. "…instinct. But you know there's only one way to gain experience."

He gulped and stared at my lips right in front of his, obviously contemplating if he should repeat his last move. He didn't have to. I barely had to move to capture his lips in a grateful kiss for both of us.

I leaned his back against the ground. He was already getting better, but not better than me of course. I tried to ignore the tingles in my lips, strangers to my body. I was still in total control. This time, everything would work out according to plan. I felt a strange sense of déjà vu as I removed our shirts. Everything was coming so easily now. Suddenly he placed his hand on my chest and broke the kiss, although it looked like it was hurting him.

"Hanschen," he breathed heavily.

No! I quickly mashed my mouth onto his to silence him. That nightmare was not about to become a reality. He seemed to forget whatever he was going to say as I placed a hand behind his head and held him to me, deepening the kiss to make sure he forgot. I was just about to make another attempt when I heard footsteps nearby.

I swiftly pushed Ernst away from me and grabbed for my shirt. I thrust my arms through the sleeves and began fumbling with my buttons while he lay flabbergasted on the ground. It was then that the intruder came into sight.

"Melchie?" Ernst asked in astonishment. "When did you get back?"

Melchior Gabor?! Melchior had gone completely AWOL, and had been missing ever since a few days after Wendla's funeral. He was supposed to come home from the reformatory but had run away instead. Good riddance in my book. Melchior and I had never really gotten along. He was a pompous know-it-all who obviously thought he was better than everyone else. And up at the top, we clashed.

But there he was, standing in front of me, ruining my afternoon. I watched Ernst scramble up clumsily to give Melchior a hug. A hug? And had he called him Melchie? No one but Moritz had called him that. I had seen them talking several times before Moritz's death, but I hadn't thought they were this close.

This could be a problem.

"So…" Melchior shot a disapproving look at me, "what have you two been doing?"

Ernst gazed happily at Melchior before starting, "Well, we…"

I cut him off, knowing that he was about to tell Melchior the truth. The truth that would certainly get us both sent to reformatories, separate ones of course.

"We were just talking," I hurriedly but coolly told Melchior, "we were having a nice conversation, that is, until you interrupted." I gave him a look that said get lost.

Ernst looked confused and a little hurt. Could he not see why this had to be kept a secret? Melchior eyed my disheveled clothing and hair, and Ernst's lack of a shirt. He glared at me angrily, and then shot a worried glance in Ernst's direction.

"Well, I'm on my way home now. I know that Ernst's house is way out of your way Hanschen, and I live right next door," his innocent act didn't fool me for a second. "I could walk Ernst home. That is, if you were just talking." He smiled defiantly, challenging me with his eyes.

"That would be very kind of you, Melchie," I knew the nickname would bother him coming from me. Obviously I didn't want to leave so soon, but he didn't give me much of a choice. Ernst looked at me in shock, his brow furrowed and his eyes staring right through mine.

"I guess we shall continue our conversation," he couldn't be dense enough to miss my implications, "at a later date." He disappointedly nodded in my direction. I held out my hand for him to shake and he frowned at the formality. I let the handshake last longer than it should have, and trailed my thumb over his little finger as suggestively as I could with Melchior standing there. Ernst cleared his throat and looked at the ground in attempt to hide his blush. That would have to do for now.

As we approached Melchior, he, of course, stepped between us. We walked like that down the road for a few minutes, Ernst asking questions about where he had been, Melchior giving vague answers and ridiculous philosophical wisdom. We couldn't reach the fork in the road soon enough. When it was time for us to separate, I glanced as casually as I could into Ernst's eyes.

"Nice to see you again, Ernst," professional and business-like; my father would be so proud. "Melchior," "I addressed him shortly.

"Hanschen," he glared again. "Have a nice night," now he looked amused. Great.

"Goodnight Hanschen," Ernst said quietly. I nodded in his direction and began the short walk home.

Allow me to explain. For anyone who didn't understand Hanschen's dream (I apologize I tried to make it clear), I based it on my interpretation of "The Word of Your Body." I believe that the wounds and bruises mentioned in the song are figurative and emotional, not literal and physical. In love and sex, you make yourself vulnerable to emotional pain. And while Hanschen uses this song to seduce Ernst in the vineyard scene, he only ever says that Ernst will be bruised and wounded. Hanschen does not want fall in love with Ernst because that will make him susceptible to pain. This dream highlights one of Hanschen's worst fears: vulnerability. That's my opinion anyway. Let me know what you think! Next chapter is Ernst's perspective, read on if you want to know what Melchie and Ernst discuss after they leave Hanschen...