Shades of Innocence (A GerIta FanFic)

Chapter 15

"Come on Feli...you need to get dressed."

"What's the point?" The voice that had spoken wasn't the Italian's own. It was harsh and unforgiving, cold and distant. "I'll be putting my street clothes back on in a few minutes anyway."

"Feli...please." Ludwig's own voice sounded rather strained, almost hurt, and Feliciano felt a pang of guilt for his unintentional outburst. He relented, slowly climbing off the table he slipped his legs into the jumpsuit and got trembling to his feet. Ludwig hoisted it up over his back, helped him to get his arms into the sleeves and then proceeded to slowly do up buttons on the front, his fingers stumbling over them as his hands shook. The man only looked up when a warm tear dripped silently onto the back of his hand. Ludwig's face softened with grief to gaze into Feliciano's sad eyes, full of heart breaking tears once more. "Feli..." he breathed, slowly holding out his arms.

Feliciano flung himself into the German's chest, letting out a heart wrenching sob as he did so. "...it's not f-fair." he moaned, his voice braking harshly as he spoke.

Ludwig tried his best to comfort the young man yet he'd been strangely quiet over the last few hours, only vocalising minimal responses; most of the night he'd relied on physical actions to express how he was feeling. Feliciano was torn between wishing Ludwig would speak to him or for the man to remain quiet...he wanted him to sob and howl, cry and bawl like he was and scream about how cruel fate was being to them...but if that was indeed the case then neither of them would be the strong one, the one that the other needed to pull them through this. Thus Ludwig remained silently emotional, offering only soft murmurs of comfort and gentle hushing as the younger sobbed into him and clawed at the front of his jumpsuit, never once showing any signs of breaking his resolve himself...although Feliciano was certain he was fighting an intense battle.

The bars to the cells that ran alongside their own did not slide open as normal at seven o clock that morning, the change was not a comforting one. Feliciano's hands clenched tighter on the front of Ludwig's jumpsuit as the slow, drawn out footsteps of Arthur Kirkland approached down the corridor. The Italian closed his eyes, knowing there was no way he could avoid this, hide from it. He could sense the Brit in their wake, he could almost feel his saddened gaze on the pair of them through the bars of their cell. Only when he heard the soft jingle of the guard's keys as he reached for his belt did a cold dread sweep through the young man, he seemed to have ceased breathing.

"...um, Feliciano...it's time to go now." Arthur said quietly as he fiddled awkwardly with his keys, meeting Ludwig's gaze as if searching for some kind of permission.

The German seemed to register the look, and gently prized the Italian from him. "Can I come to say goodbye?" he croaked softly at the Brit, still clinging onto the young man's hands.

Arthur nodded. "Of course, I can take you to the end of the block but that's where I'll have to leave you..." he took his time unlocking their cell and dragging open the bars to reveal a large gap, where he stood back waiting with his head lowered.

Feliciano's feet seemed rooted to the cold floor, tears still running silently down his face, not even his stab wound could penetrate the numbness sweeping across him. He hardly even registered himself being tugged slowly out into the block D corridor by Ludwig, walking slowly towards the large metal door that loomed at the other end. Inmates occasionally yelled at them as they passed but no one took any notice, not even Arthur acknowledged their demands to know why they were not being let out of their cells for breakfast. Feliciano's fingers clung limply to Ludwig's own as he shuffled slowly after him, an eternity past far too soon and he found himself face to face with a very familiar door.

Arthur went about unlocking and unbolting the heavy door and Feliciano finally managed to come to his senses. He turned sharply to face Ludwig, pulling him suddenly close by the collar.