So guess what? I still don't own Spring Awakening. WAAAAAAAAAH! Also, sorry if I go overboard on the stuttering here, but he's SCARED s***less, so he's bound to stutter more, right?

"Can't help the itch to touch, to kiss, to hold him once again…"

Hanschen Rilow wasn't given to worrying. Didn't fret over grades, or fuss about friends. But now, three days after Ernst had been brought over, he began to. He had only stirred for a few minutes at a time to mumble indistinctly before drifting back to sub-consciousness. If this kept up Hanschen would have to move him, his parents would only be gone four more days. He padded over to the bed where Ernst lay and knelt, as if about to pray, then couldn't help but laugh at a distant memory- "Have you prayed tonight, Desdemona?"- but that was before everything became complicated. He smoothed a strand of Ernst's hair away from his face and gently kissed his forehead. He rarely showed this kind of tenderness to Ernst when he was awake, why was that?

Because I'm a bloody tease. he thought with a smirk. He didn't like being taken for granted, and those three words Ernst craved so much would land him in that dreaded position of belonging to someone, like a toy. However, he couldn't help but think that if Ernst would just open his eyes, just speak his name once more, they would come rushing out.

No time like the present Hansi. muttered the voice that dominated his softer side-yes, he had one- Ilse's voice, actually, she had always tried to be his moral compass when she could. Hanschen leaned forward.

"Ernst." The name came out a clipped whisper. He tried again, carefully adjusting his voice to that velvet coated, honey sweet tone of persuasion. "Ernst, darling, please wake up." the boy on the bed murmured something indistinct. Hanschen grasped his hand, intertwining their fingers. "It's really not fair to keep me waiting like this you know. Not when I…" he choked for a moment and felt Ernst's fingers twitch, "Not when I…love…you." What a coward he was. The boy couldn't even hear him and he feared his own words.

Then suddenly long black lashes fluttered open to reveal rich, brown doe eyes.

"Hanschen?" his voice was weak and cracked with disuse, but Ernst was unmistakably awake.

"Good morning dear, I thought you'd never come around." His voice was perfectly back to normal.

Ernst twisted around in confusion. "H-how long have I b-been here?"

So he hadn't heard. "A few days. Ilse found you and brought you here."

"Bless her soul." he muttered, attempting to sit up.

"Ernst…what happened to you? I don't want to pry, but you did show up a bloody, unconscious mess. I was a bit worried."

Ernst's eyes clouded over with a terrible mixture of shame, grief and fury. "They found out. About us." Hanschen's head jerked up, eyes wide. "N-not both of us." he added hurriedly, "Just m-me. I don't know who told them or h-how they knew, but I went home and m-my father just came at me- I've n-never seen him like th-that Hanschen, I was so frightened! He took me to the yard and beat me with his f-fists and then a whip, t-trying to get me to tell who I was w-with, he didn't know who to suspect, and m-my mother had to pull him off me…" he dissolved into tears, burying his face in his hands.

Hanschen, who had been listening in silent horror, joined Ernst on the mattress and held him, tracing the tears away and pressing his own lips softly to his. "You're safe here, Ernst." he whispered. "I love you."

Ernst's thin form pulled away briefly. "You…what?"

Hanschen cocked an eyebrow. "Did I stutter?"

"N-no, I guess you didn't, but Hansi-"

He was cut off by Hanschen's lips, more urgent this time.

"Trust me on this one, Ernst. I'm sure of it."

"I know, Hanschen, I heard you the first time."

Whew! Got a bit fluffy there at the end, but trust me I know how this is going to play out. Ilse might return next chapter, I'm not sure yet.