Locked Away (GerIta)

Chapter 15

Chapter 15

~

Ludwig grunted as he pushed Romano, who had been here for three weeks, along with the tip of his gun. Some soldiers winked at the German, telling him the men were always "best".

"I'm not raping him." He snapped at them and then shoved Romano into his tent.

Ludwig had him in cuffs and sat him in a chair. "Eat." He growled and tossed him a roll of bread.

Romano caught it and glared at the soldier. "Like hell I will." He spat. "What the fuck did you poison this thing with?"

Ludwig sighed and grit his teeth. "I'm keeping you alive. Be grateful, you f-"

"My brother." Romano interrupted loudly.

"He's alive." Ludwig suddenly softened and sat on his cot, closing his eyes. "But he hasn't come out of the apartment."

"How do you know?"

"Because the soldiers are watching him." The German sneered and glared at the bread in his hand. "They want him dead."

"What about you, then?" The Italian almost shouted. "Why am I still alive? Why is he still alive if you all want us dead?"

"I don't want him dead." Ludwig whispered. "I love him."

Romano grit his teeth and lunged forward at the Nazi in front of him only to be shoved back into the chair with a pistol to his head.

"Eat the bread, Romano."

~

Feliciano had Antonio and Grandpa Roma visiting him every week, they would bring him enough food until they returned and they would let him talk about how he felt. The young Italian was driving himself insane with how guilty he felt. He wouldn't eat for days, he wouldn't get out of his bed, he didn't go to work. He was crying most of the time and he just wanted to trade himself in for his brother.

The Italian decided to go out one day, Saturday, Ludwig's free day which he spent in the town market most of the time. He walked to the location quickly and sighed in relief as he noticed it wasn't as busy as a usual Saturday. He could see a few soldiers walking around but they all had guns held across their chests. No, Ludwig wouldn't stand out. He would be wearing normal clothes.

Feliciano weaved in between people and went straight to the back row of selling stalls where they sold books and household goods. He knew he could find the German there. Sure enough, Ludwig was sat on a bench with a book in his hands just a few yards away. A large German Shepard sat at attention in front of him and he swallowed hard.

Slowly, he took a few steps towards Ludwig and got closer until the dog began to bark and snarl at Feliciano. The German looked up and his eyes widened slightly before he gave a command in his native tongue and the dog immediately stopped barking. He just stared at Feliciano for a long while before he stood up, grabbed his arm and lead him away from the crowd.

"If they see you here they'll shoot you on the spot." He growled in a hushed tone and practically dragged him to the large building behind the market. It had huge pillars at the front, the empty steps were worn, some broken and some just cracked. "Please don't kill me..."

Ludwig pulled him behind a pillar and froze angrily. "Kill you?" He hissed. "Kill you?" Then he laughed bitterly. "Think again, Feliciano. I know that we've only known each other for a few months, that we were taking it too fast in the beginning, I know that you betrayed me, you infiltrated the fucking camp!" He shouted and breathed heavily as he glared at the Italian who was looking away. "But I know that I love you."

Feliciano turned to him quickly. "What?"

"I love you." Ludwig repeated softly, letting go of his arm, hand dropping to his side.

"Oh..." Feliciano took a deep breath and sunk to the ground, sitting against the pillar. "Why?"

"Because I think you're beautiful. I think you're smart and kind and important. I think that you're the only human being on this entire earth that could've reminded me that if I was closing my doors on life, life would close its doors on me. You make me soft and weak and I can't think straight when you touch me. I hate it." He spat harshly. "But I can't get enough of you." Ludwig crouched in front of him and caressed his cheek, taking his chin gently between his index and thumb.

"Me?" Feliciano questioned again.

"Yes, you." The German confirmed. "I'm not supposed to get weak and show my emotions. I'm not suppose to smile and fall in love with someone. But that day you told me to stop smoking... you did something peculiar to me. And if your goal was to make me love you, it worked."

"I-I just didn't want you to continue with the smoking and get sick from the effects... I don't want anyone to die. But I'm living in a place where soldiers are murdering innocent people." Feliciano teared up and Ludwig felt as if the comment were directed to him.

"It's... my job." Ludwig swallowed hard and closed his eyes. "That's not an excuse, I know. But this is for my country and I have been told who the enemy are. You fought your enemy. You fought me. What am I? Just a fucking mission?!"

"No!" Feliciano cried out desperately. "I came here with Romano because we didn't want to be part of the Resistance anymore. He dragged me into that mission. I didn't know we were going to kill people until I got there!"

There was a long silence between the two. Feliciano took a shaky breath and he snapped inside, standing up and shoving Ludwig back. "You don't love me!" He shouted.

"No one does! You're just the exact same as everyone else! You just want me for sex!" He teared up and breathed heavily. "You're just filth. At least the men at the bar wouldn't lead me along. They'd just fuck me and get it over with."

Feliciano swallowed hard and walked away, going in the direction of the bar he worked at. Maybe he still had a job.

~

To be continued...