As long as you can (Cherik)

13. chapter

We went to a park nearby and sat down on a bench. It wasn't necessary warm but it wasn't cold either even though it was already the end of October. The ice cream made that day just a little bit better but I still felt like shit.

"Charles?"

"Hmm?"

"What are you thinking about?"

"I don't know... Not much... Probably life."

"Are you sad?"

"Not really. Maybe a bit tired but the ice cream did good."

"What is your favourite thing about life?"

"What?"

"What is your favourite thing about life?"

"I don't know, I think I don't have a favourite thing."

"Well you have to have something you like about all this."

"Hmm. Maybe breathing... Breathing fresh air."

I took his hand and took a deep breath feeling my tight chest. It was a little bit painful but I smiled at him and kissed his cheek. He giggled a bit and laid his head on my shoulder.
"Erik? What is your favourite thing about life?"

"Hmmm. Smelling you and dancing in the rain".

"Dancing in the rain? Isn't that a bit cold?" I asked in confusion.
"Well, sometimes but when you feel the cold rain on your shoulders you start to feel alive. You should try it." He smiled at me and carefully pulled me up from the bench.
"Do you even know how to dance?"
I asked while he was positioning me infront of himself.
"Yes, of course I do."

We stood there for a while arm in arm dancing to the sound of the wind. It got darker and like it was planned it began to rain. The raindrops ran down my face and I felt a cool breeze. He pulled me into his arms and squeezed me a bit as if he would never let go of me. It was the most beautiful moment we had together.

We probably danced for an hour in the cold autumnrain. But like most of the beautiful things in life our very best moment was destroyed by the world.
We stood there together arm in arm not noticing the world around us. Just dancing and breathing together. Our eyes, or at least mine, were closed and we didn't see the world around us. It felt like as if we would float in a different dimension.
But then something ripped us apart and we got separated. Some weird guys didn't like homosexuals and pushed us away from eachother. I fell on the ground because my muscles weren't strong enough to hold me up. Erik jumped down to me and asked if I was okay. He had tears in his eyes.
"Yes, I'm fine let's just go. We should leave those stupid guys alone" I said trying to pull myself on to my feet.
One of the guys pushed Erik and he also fell on the floor. He freaked out. He started to breath heavier and the anger in his eyes got visible. He jumped on to his feet and pushed the guy away. The guy fell on the ground and his friends came to help. Erik began to throw his fists through the air. I heard punches. I wanted to say something make them stop and just reverse the time. Erik was completely changed and I had never seen someone as angry as him in that moment. I couldn't move. My body was completely frozen and I wasn't sure if it was because of the shock or because of the disease. I was completely helpless on the floor and my only thought was to disappear into the ground and to save Erik.

"YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONGER THAN US. WHAT IS YOUR BOYFRIEND DOING? IS HE WAITING ON THE FLOOR FOR YOU SO YOU CAN FUCK HIM IN THE ARSE? YOU ARE DISGUSTING AND YOU DESERVE TO DIE. WE DON'T NEED STUFF LIKE YOU IN THIS WORLD!" One of the men shouted in Eriks face while he was laying on the floor getting punshed in the head.
"Leave him alone... Please..." I began to sob into the darkness. 
"What do you want douchbag? Shut your disgusting mouth!" One of them walked over to me and kicked me in the stomach. I curled up and started crying in pain. I couldn't breathe or even fight back. I couldn't even fight for Erik and help him.
After minutes of fighting and getting kicked they realised that we couldn't fight back and went away. They left us alone in the dark, cold park.

I passed out after a while and woke up in an ambulance full of confusion and pain.
"Where is Erik? Erik? Where is my boyfriend!?" I panicked and  felt a tiny pain in my arm. Then I fell unconscious again.

"Charles? Wake up. Please." I heard a familiar voice asking.
"Charles wake up. Please I need you. I can't lose you now.
I don't know if you remember but we got in to a big fight... Those guys broke my arm and you are in a coma. You had internal bleeding and lost to much blood because they kicked you in your stomach. I hope you'll be fine soon. I need you."

"But anyways. It was a beautiful evening until that and we really should dance more often. I learned to dance when I was ten. My brother taught me the first time I was in love. He was amazing. He was the first person I came out to. And he celebrated it because he said that he always knew that I was gay. He was the only person who supported me and now he's dead... I wish you could tell me something about your past, Charles.
We will be fine".

I felt a small kiss on my left hand but I wasn't able to respond. Not moving or speaking. I was trapped in my own mind. I just wanted to thank him and give him a kiss. Was that what it would feel like to die? Would I die like that? Without saying thank you? Without kissing him ever again? Without being able to breathe fresh air? Without being able to dance in the rain with the love of my life?
Would this be my end?