Shades of Innocence (A GerIta FanFic)

Chapter 18

"No you don't." Elizaveta insisted, grabbing the Brit's arms. "You don't know it for definite, they can't prove you knew anything."

Arthur just looked at her, sighing inwardly as he patted her hands. "...yes I do, you know it as well as I that he's gone to find Feliciano." the Brit glanced anxiously around again but the staff were all too occupied with their duties to pay attention to them.

Elizaveta bit her lip. "Well yes possibly...but you don't know that for sure! They can't blame you for not knowing..."

"They'll find a way you know that Elizaveta...any excuse to get me out of here." the Brit muttered coldly.

"Well...well can you delay it?" Elizaveta asked, gripping his hands in her own.

"What?"

Elizaveta pulled him close, pressing her face into his shoulder to whisper into his ear. "Let Ludwig have some time with Feliciano, just delay it okay? Take a long route, get yourself lost or just drive around for a while."

Arthur's bushy brows furrowed in confusion. "Liz I...I can't do that, it's not appropriate." he said uneasily. "He's an escaped convict."

"Arthur you know he's not going to cause any harm!" Elizaveta hissed, tugging at his arms. "He just wants to see Feli, can't you just let them have a little time together? That's all he wants, you saw the state he was in today..."

Arthur sighed, pulling back from her. "Yes he did seem very distressed, but Liz...escaping prison was not the answer, he would have seen Feliciano next month."

"That's not nearly enough and you know it Arthur!" Elizaveta growled, glaring up at the man in an uncharacteristic turn of anger. "How would you like it if you could only see Alfred once a month for barely any time at all? It's just not fair! All they want is to be together."

Arthur bit his lip, his resistance crumbling. "I...I know but...Elizaveta, it's not that simple-"

"Because you're making it complicated! Please Arthur..." she begged, her eyes wide. "...Ludwig always respected you, out of everyone here before Feliciano came along you were the only man he cared about...and who he thought cared about him..."

The Brit hesitated a few moments longer, casting another anxious glance towards his fellow prison guards before he relented. "Alright, here's what I'll do." he muttered quietly into the Hungarian's ear, who didn't help the subtlety by bursting into a wide grin. "I'll head over to Feliciano's place with Alfred, but we'll stay there for...for an hour or so okay? We'll meet him there and we'll tell him he has to come with us, but we'll let them be alone for a while...I'll give them as long as I can but I can't delay it forever." he said finally, standing up straight. "If they send over other officers I won't be able to talk my way out of why we didn't bring him back here immediately."

"Oh thank you Arthur!" Elizaveta cried, throwing herself into his arms. "I know they'll both really appreciate it!"

"Okay, okay shhh!" Arthur scorned her, his gazed nervously flitting about but thankfully no one seemed to be even aware of their existence in the dark corner of the office. He gently released her when she'd finished squeezing him. "Look I have to go before the warden sees me, he's convinced I know where Ludwig is and he'll get suspicious if I delay my leaving any longer."

"Okay, good luck Arthur, and please try to give them as much time as you can." Elizaveta gave him a haste kiss on the cheek before she squeezed her way out of the office, the presence of a prison physician anywhere near the administration department never failed to arouse suspicion among the guards...and the Hungarian's friendly nature towards the inmates had always been a source of confusion and suspicion at the prison.