I drove down the streets straight to the place I wanted to be. Random thoughts, feelings crowded my head but I shut them off, allowing nothing to surface up. Parking the car I shuffled through the now secluded park, this was the place me and Eric visited. My boots crushed the moist grass walking towards the lake. From the corner the soft glow of the lantern guided me.

A blanket was spread across, on the grass, the lantern had been placed on the middle along with the basket of food by its side. The care taker had dropped the things perfectly as I had instructed but the night was anything but perfect.

Sighing I sat down, alone staring ahead, my gaze falling on the lonely lake, having the company of the night and the faraway starry sky. I didn't know what to feel anymore, what was real and what wasn't. I wasn't sure how much I could take any longer. I was losing people whom I love too soon, too fast and it was ripping me off. I hadn't seen my son for almost a week and I missed him terribly. I missed David too, but I closed all my feelings for him at least for tonight because if I let it out, I would break beyond repair. I loved that man so fucking much, how could he not feel it, not understand it. Weren't my actions not enough to gain his trust? I knew he had been hurt before but did I seriously ever showed anything towards him except my love for him, my care for him.

"Simon", I heard a faint call. I turned around to find no one. It was completely dark, only the orange glow of the lantern. Damn, now I was hearing him too. My hands covered my face, and propped them on my knees.

" Simon" this time I met a dishevelled David standing few feet away. His hair was messed up showing his hands had went through them several times and that he had been worried. Good, he should be.

"Fuck Simon! You could have died the way you sped away." He huffed. I stared at him for a moment making sure he was alright and after the inspection I turned around facing away from him.

I saw him sigh deeply and then walk towards me. Taking the place beside me, he looked around watching the small setup I had planned for him.

"I am sorry." He whispered. I heard without speaking anything. I had nothing more to say to him.

"Simon I didn't want to hurt you. I was trying to protect you. Please don't act like this. I didn't want you to end up like me. I could never let that happen to you. Without a family, without a son. I know the pain, Simon, and I would do anything to prevent you from experiencing it even at the cost of my heart. You know the first time I held Alfred in my hands, he was so tiny and at the same time the most beautiful, perfect thing I had ever laid my eyes on. I loved him so very much, and in that moment I knew I held my own life in those bundles of white. Now it had been over a year since I had seen my kid, and it fucking hurts. It hurts knowing I failed, that I couldn't be the person Lara wanted me to be, the father my son wanted me to be. I just never want you to go through it Simon, I love you way to much to let you get hurt and bear it, I can't be the one to push you into this."

David was trembling as the words made out and I could no longer hold up. I pulled him against myself hugging him close.

"I can't let you, I can't let you get hurt." He mumbled in between tears.

"David, David look at me, David look the fuck at me," I commanded. His tear stained eyes found mine and when I say I could lose myself in his stare I mean every single word.

"Do you love me?" I asked, a very simple question.

"Simon I –" he began but I silenced him pressing my finger on his lips.

"Yes or no. Do you love me?" I asked once again.

"Yes I do. I love you." He said sincerely. God it felt so freaking nice hearing those words escape his lips, something I won't mind hearing all day long.

"That's it Darling. That's all I need. And you know I can never possibly get hurt because getting a chance of being loved by such a pure soul as you is the privilege that I probably won't ever deserve. And I also know it won't be a journey of perfect joy and happiness, but I want to embark on it with you. I love you enough to fight my way for it as long as I have your hand in mine."
I pulled his hand and interlinked our fingers squeezing them.

His lips met mine and under the open sky, the mysterious silent night, the infinite possibilities, we chose each other.

"I love you," he muttered softly against my lips.