Valentine Martin woke up in the early morning, scrunching her nose as she heard unfamiliar moaning through the wall. She sat up, massaging her face to get the sleep away. Straining her ears, she heard it again.
"Use your words slut. What do you wa...
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"River!"
Kenji cried out, running towards the cell his boyfriend was in.
River was sitting on the ground, leaning his back against the cold, dirty wall. The man looked weak. His bare chest was black and blue, his body covered in heavy gashes and scratches. He held his breathe in with every small body movement. It showed how he was in deep pain, but he didn't want to show it. It was the first time he had looked so defeated in front of his boyfriend.
Kenji felt his heart breaking in a thousand pieces, seeing his boyfriend in that state. He sniffed, hurriedly wiping away his tears with the sleeves of his sweater. He wanted to be strong. He could be strong.
"You shouldn't be here," the hoarse voice of River overlapped Kenji's wails of sorrow he couldn't hold back anymore.
River swallowed. It felt uncomfortable to talk with a parched throat. His father had no mercy on a son like him. It was all to teach River he had betrayed his family by running away. Besides the deep wounds the guards inflicted, River's body felt uncomfortable by sleeping shackled up on the hard ground.
"We came as we heard what was happening. We're worried, River." Valentine spoke up barely. Her throat kept closing up. She was near to crying herself. But, she tried so hard to keep it in. It looked like she had to be the stronger one of the three. She placed her hand in front of her mouth, muting the sobs that were threatening to come out. She swallowed them in, looking up with a calmer expression on her face.
The pregnant woman held out a cookie and water. "This was the only things I could steal from the kitchen," Valentine softly said. "I heard they're starving you here."
River smiled weakly, crawling closer to the cel. As far as the shackles allowed the man. "Don't touch the bars," he warned Valentine, sounding strained. "They're electronic."
Valentine nodded rapidly, her hands shaking slightly as they went though the bars. She carefully fed River the cookie. The man scoffed it down like it was his last meal. He nodded to the water Valentine had put on the ground.
In an instant, Kenji opened the bottle, helping River drink through the bars. Water spilt on his bare, rough and dirty chest, onto the filthy ground. But, River didn't care. It' felt like it had been years since he had gotten something in his system.
After drinking the whole bottle empty, the man sighed. He wasn't fully satisfied. He needed more energy. But, he knew that the two did all they could. And he was thankful for that. But, he also felt embarrassment creeping up in him. He never wanted those two to see him like that. Especially Kenji.
"Wh–when can you come out?" Kenji asked, fiddling his fingers together. He felt nervous. He was scared his boyfriend would tell him he would never. Because he left his family. And then came back. He couldn't help but think this was all his fault. Every decision River made was for and because of Kenji. It all pointed back to him. From beginning to the end.
