Shades of Innocence (A GerIta FanFic)

Chapter 3

WARNING: Very sexual themes are included in this chapter. Swearing is also included.

In the last hour Feliciano Vargas had been shown and presented all four corners of the prison, from the kitchens to the chapel, the visiting centre to the shower room. The Italian was having immense trouble taking it all in, and even found himself zoning out as the British prison guard presented and explained all the various rooms. He was still shaken up from his fall in the cafeteria, not so much from pain, although his knees did throb a bit, but more from the humiliation and the general shock of being tripped in the first place. And Ludwig, just staring at him with those piercing blue eyes, looking at him with a mixture of annoyance and disgust...it was enough to make the Italian's stomach churn.

The last place Alfred and Arthur took the Italian was the prison courtyard; the only place where the inmates had the slightest taste of freedom. That only being if you could ignore the towering thirty foot fence that surrounded the deserted clearing, razor sharp barbed wire wound all around the top, glinting dangerously in the sun that blared down over them. It was a large wide open space at the back of the prison, mainly covered in tarmac but with a few patches of vegetation.

A basketball court stood towards the back of the yard, and a pile of weights and work out equipment took up a small section by the entrance to the courtyard that made up a gym. There was just one tree, a rather tall yet leafless oak stood almost exactly in the centre, bursting through a small patch of grass otherwise surround by black tarmac. A few benches with tables were also dotted around for inmates to sit on, yet they were firmly rooted down into the ground, to ensure that they weren't going anywhere, or used as a weapon.

By the time Feliciano was shown the courtyard, the inmates had been done with breakfast for almost an hour, and most of them were outside. A violent game of basketball was commencing between two rival gangs at the end of the courtyard, less a game more a string of punches and attacking between the two teams with the occasional bounce of a basketball. Several more prison guards were outside, stood in various spots around the yard to keep everything in order. The larger inmates were all congregated by the work out equipment, lifting heavy weights and doing reps. Others were merely standing around in their gangs, talking quietly amongst themselves whilst occasionally shooting dirty looks towards other inmates, and then going back to discussing their plans.

Ludwig, once again, was the easiest to spot. He was stood by the only tree in the courtyard, leant back against the sturdy trunk with his arms folded across his chest; his eyes were closed yet there was that nasty grimace ever present on his face. Not a single inmate was within ten feet of the German, they all kept a safe distance from him, and from the way they so naturally knew to avoid going near the tree it was clear to the Italian that this was something they were very used to doing.

"Okay dude so this is the last place to show you; this is the courtyard." the American prison guard said, presenting him the area less than enthusiastically.

"Inmates can't come out whenever they want however." Arthur said from the Italian's other side. "They can stay out here until lunch, then most days this place is closed off until the next day, and they can either go back to their cells or go about their other activities."

"...like what?" Feliciano asked softly, wanting to keep the conversation going and delay the prospect of being abandoned here.

"Well, some work." the Brit said. "In the kitchens or in the office doing small tasks."

"We also got some group help sessions set up here for addicts." Alfred informed him, looking at the Italian suspiciously. "...you got a problem with drugs dude?"

Before Feliciano could answer Arthur chipped in. "Of course he doesn't Alfred, did you even bother to read his file?" he asked with a roll of the eyes.