Counter-attack
A/N: Lots of updates cos I was inspired by seeing Spring Awakening in London for the second time on Friday :D
Ernst's breathing was heavy, he pounded forward another few miles, urging his body onwards and then stopped, panting, to rest. It had been six hours and he had barely stopped running. The camp seemed far behind him but now he was lost deep within a forest. He slid miserably down against the side of a tree. He was never going to find Hanschen, or probably any kind of civilisation for that matter.
Everything had been perfect before the war, of course they had had to hide their relationship from people around them, but at least they'd been together, now even if they found each other they could never go back, and it was all his fault. Ernst closed his eyes as he thought of that phone call, alone, bruised and bleeding in the freezing cold communication room.
"Mother-"
"Ernst! Darling, is there something wrong?"
"No mamma, I'm fine I-"
"Are you sure? You know, you don't sound fine."
"Yes mamma, I'm alright"
"Where are you? Still in the training barracks?"
"Yes mamma."
"Then what are you calling for boy! You no your father doesn't like me to spend too long on the phone!"
I was just calling to say-"
"Yes?"
"If I don't see you again-"
"Now Ernst really! There is no need for that kind of talk"
"But mamma-"
"I simply will not have it!"
"I love you and also-"
"Yes?"
"What?"
"You were going to say something else-"
"I was?"
"You were"
"Can I speak to Anike?"
"First finish what you were about to say."
A silence, Ernst took a deep breath.
"You know, the boy, who they drafted in with me?"
"Hanschen Rilow? Yes I know him."
"Well, I've lost him, I mean, we've been split apart, and I'm not sure if I'm going to find him again."
"Yes…"
"And if I don't make it back, I want you to tell him-"
"Ernst, where is this going?"
"tell him that, that I love him, and nothing in the world could ever change that."
And all Ernst heard was the slamming down of the telephone receiver and the cold empty tone as the line went dead.
Ernst's tears were misting over his eyes, the forest around him blurred and suddenly he thought he saw a blonde figure wandering through the trees.
Hanschen?
"HANSCHEN?" he brushed the tears furiously out of his eyes, scrambling to his feet.
The figure was still moving away from him into the distance, he was to far to hear his shouts. The boy looked about Hanschen's height, Ernst wished he had stopped to memorise every line of Hanschen's body before they had been torn apart, the turn of his shoulder, the soft curve of his lips, now he could hardly make the figure out through the trees.
His uniform, was it German? It was grey? Was his uniform grey? Ernst looked down at the ragged prisoner of war uniform he now was, he didn't remember.
With all his remaining effort, Ernst grabbed onto the branch of a tree to hold himself up, the final cry tore from his throat.
"HANSCHEN?!"
The hazy figure had turned round, Ernst could barely make out his muddy features, his limp and broken body was nothing like the muscular frame that Ernst had once known. The figure spoke softly,
"Ernst?"
And then he knew. Hanschen was sprinting towards him; Ernst started forwards,
"Oh God, Oh God, Oh God-"
And finally their bodies met, Ernst smashed their lips together desperately, he had missed this, the taste, the touch, too much. He felt hot breath on his neck as they kissed; trying desperately to get enough of each other, but it was never enough. Hanschen's hands roamed through Ernst's hair and finally, through tears, he held Ernst's face in his hand, resting their foreheads together.
"I thought I was never going to-" Ernst began
"Shhhhhh," Hanschen sobbed, "I know- I'm sorry-"
"Don't be"
They looked deep into each others eyes, Hanschen's were wild, elated, that dead vacant look from the battlefield had disappeared, and now for the first time out loud,
"I love you"
Ernst smiled, and the two stood together in the clearing of the forest, as the rosy light of the new summer shone down upon them both.
"I love you too"