Historical Fiction Gay Oneshots

By my Side. (boy x boy) (WW2)

December 31, 1942, 3:27 AM, Stalingrad, U.S.S.R.

 Pvt. Nikolai Perovski 

Winter nights are so cold in Stalingrad, even with layers of clothes and sharing a cramped hiding spot underneath fallen floors of what was once an apartment with your fellow soldier (and best friend). I can't sleep, it's impossible to get the gruesome images of war and famine out of my head. The pain is overwhelming. I've never been able to fall asleep easily, but this is a whole new level of restlessness. 

I curl up into a fetal position the best I can in this tight space and let it all out in cries. I let the tears run freely down my cheeks and I muffle my sobs, as I have done so many nights before.

I feel a gentle grip on my shoulder and I immediately freeze. Did I wake him up? What if he's mad at me? Will he think of me differently?

 "Nikolai?" he whispers softly with a worried tone.

I try to speak but the only noises I can manage to get out are choked sobs and pathetic whimpers. It is so dark down here that I can't actually see his face, but I can feel him staring at me with a concerned expression. A few moments pass before I try talking again.

"S-Sorry," I finally say.

"It's okay Nikolai, are you okay?"

"Y-Yes."

"What's wrong?"

"Just.. thinking too much."

"Can I help?"

"No. Not really. Just.. keep me company."

"Anything for you, friend."

Friend. 

It feels so good to have a friend. Despite everything else, deep down, I am grateful for him. 

Kastro Voron is my dearest friend, and I would do anything for him, just as he would do anything for me.

He has been there for me since we were both thrown into the war. Since the beginning, we have fought side by side in battles, inseparable. We were there for each other through both glorious victories and great losses. This, surprisingly, is the first time he's seen me cry. I have seen him cry one time and one time only, and that was when we were kidnapped by Nazi soldiers, tortured and interrogated. (He was nearly beaten to death!) After that, we were assigned to fight in the Battle of Stalingrad. The other members of our original squad were either separated from us or killed, leaving only Kastro and I. And now, here we are, hiding like rats, struggling to survive day by day.

Kastro unexpectedly crawls closer to me, wrapping his arm around me in a warm embrace.  My heart skips a beat, and I instinctively huddle closer to him. The cold is so much more bearable with him this close to me. At this moment, I feel happier than I have in a very long time. In his arms I feel calm, like everything is going to be okay. Like we will survive and have a happy ending. I let out a deep sign of satisfaction. 

I turn on my side with my front facing him, and he does the same so that we are both facing each other. I place one of my hands on the slight curve of his hip, and with the other I reach out and cup his cheek. He crawls closer to me, and our faces are now inches apart. The sun is starting to rise, and with it comes sunlight creeping in through the cracks of the floor, sunlight that perfectly illuminates Kastro's features. I observe him closer than I ever have before. I notice the light, golden brown shade of his eyes, and how he has many scars all over his face. I also see his faint wrinkles, despite him being so young (only 19!) I gaze at his delicate rosy pink lips and at the stubble lining his sharp jawline. 

"Nikolai?" he whispers with his light, airy voice.

"Hm?"

Next thing I know, his lips are crashing onto mine. I hurry to kiss him back. I could feel his prickly  face rub against me as we shared a passionate kiss. I ran my fingers through his messy light brown hair with one hand and cupped his cheek with the other. I wish I could freeze time and stay in this moment forever. 

"Promise me you'll stay forever, Nikolai?"

"I always have, Kastro."

______________________________________

January 1, 1943, 1:30 PM, Stalingrad, U.S.S.R.

"Nikolai!! They are surrounding us!" 

Nazis are firing at us from every direction. We cannot escape. We are outnumbered. Overpowered. We duck away into an abandoned building. Nazi soldiers are flooding the building. Kastro fires at the wave of Nazis shooting at us from the outside, while I contain the soldiers behind us. This is impossible. I am almost out of ammo. This is it. This is the end.

Something hits me. Very hard. So hard that it knocks me down. Suddenly, while I'm on the ground, I hear Kastro shouting obscenities at our enemies while holding them off. My clothes feel wet. Slowly, the world fades to black. It feels like a better sleep than what I've had in a very, very long time. I look down and see blood pouring out of a hole on my chest and pooling on the ground. The last thing I hear is Kastro's voice, screaming, pleading me to stay awake. I feel his grip on my shoulders tighten as I slowly slip away into peaceful unconsciousness. With my last dying breath, I whisper

"I wish... we could... be more..."

I broke my promise.