Shades of Innocence (A GerIta FanFic)

Chapter 5

"It's so good to see you again Feli." the Italian's friend, and his brother's partner, said with a warm smile; he sat down opposite Feliciano beside Romano after a good few minutes of the three of them embracing tightly with tearful eyes.

Feliciano managed the tiniest of smiles as he tentatively seated himself opposite in the uncomfortable plastic chair. "You too..." he murmured softly.

"You look well." The Spaniard kept his reassuringly composure as he spoke but there was definite concern in his eyes.

"Bullshit." Romano spat beside him, taking in the sight of his brother. The small Italian looked even skinner than usual, his orange jumpsuit was practically hanging off him; there were dark, grungy circles beneath his dull eyes, as if all the life had been sucked out of him. "He looks like he hasn't eaten in days."

"Lovino..." Antonio said gently, placing a hand on his knee.

"Be honest Feliciano, are they starving you in here?" Romano demanded, leaning across the table; Feliciano could see some distinct worry and frown lines embedded in his brother's face that hadn't been there previously. "Because I'll take them to court if that's the case!"

Feliciano shook his head, tucking his hands between his knees. "No, fratello really they don't starve me...I've been okay." he reassured him, despite only half of that statement being true.

For the past week and a half pretty much the only thing that had kept Feliciano going was the thought that he would eventually get a visit from his brother and Antonio. Inmates seemed to be kept in the dark about the days when visitors were allowed to see them; the first Feliciano had heard of it was the night before when he overheard a couple of Italian mobsters discussing the visits they were going to have from their wives the next morning. Arthur had woken him at the usual time and after breakfast he, as well as about half the prison population of block D, were taken to the visiting room.

Each block had their own days for when visitors could come and see their friends and relatives on the inside. The visiting room was a large, rather brightly lit room on the upper floor of the prison. Inmates were given a number before they were allowed in, where they would find the table with the matching number on it and wait for their visitors to be let in through the adjacent door on the other side of the room. The vast space was crammed with about a hundred tables, four chairs sat around each one.

Despite how miserable and depressed he'd been whilst he was in here; Feliciano was almost verging on ecstatic when his brother's face had appeared in the doorway after he'd been searched by the guards and let into the visiting room. Now here they were, sat around one of the circular tables in the middle of the room; they were surrounded by other block D inmates with their own visitors, however the familiar face of Ludwig was nowhere in sight.

"So what's it like in here Feli?" Antonio asked, trying to lighten the mood. "Is it true about the soap in the showers?"

"Antonio!" Romano growled harshly, giving him a sharp clip around the ear.

Feliciano smiled weakly. "They don't use bars of soap, there's gel...probably so that stuff doesn't happen..." he muttered, rubbing at his eyes tiredly.

Romano's brow creased with concern. "Nothing has happened has it?" he asked seriously, reaching out a hand to grab his brother's shoulder. "No one been giving you any trouble?"

Feliciano bit his lip, avoiding Romano's eyes. "I'm fine..." he muttered softly, gazing across the both of them with a sigh. "...miss you guys though."

Antonio looked at him sadly, "We miss you too; Vargas' Place just hasn't been the same without you."

"We're still working on your case." Romano said firmly, leaning low towards his brother across the table. "We've been to see the parole officer and I even sent a letter to the Japanese guy's family asking them to appeal your innocence."