Interesting (AfterDeath)

Chapter 20

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Reaper P.O.V

Eventually, Geno trailed back into the cell, eyes trained carefully on the ground. He was closely followed by a concerned looking Ink, whose worried gaze was burning into the other's back.

Ink caught Geno's sleeve, and Geno turned to face him with an almost convincing smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Do it now, Geno," Ink instructed sternly. Geno gave a slow nod, smile falling, looking at the ground. Ink paused, then sighed, resignation written on his face.

"I'll go now, but if you ever need to talk..." Ink trailed off, and Geno just smiled falsely, gripping at his arm

"I know where to find you," Geno finished, nodding slightly. Ink hesitated, then gave a terse nod, and spun around to face the cell door, leaving hastily, giving me no acknowledgement whatsoever.

Geno sighed softly as he watched Ink leave, then turned to me, eyes ridden with tears.  I went to wrap him in a tight hug, but he turned away from me, arms wrapped around himself.

"Sweetheart?" I called softly, trying to hide my hurt. "Are you okay? What happened?"

Geno laughed; a soft, broken laugh, tears trickling down his cheeks, sending a pang of longing sadness through my heart, making me take a step towards him, extending my arm.

"Sweetheart..?" I said softly, chest aching in longing. I stared at him, and he glared back, eyes holding a whole lot of pain. I held my gaze, and eventually, Geno sighed softly, dropping his arms to his sides, turned his eyes down, and let me hug him. I embraced him tightly, rubbing his back comfortingly, nuzzling his head gently. He rested his head on my chest, returning the hug, tears trickling down his cheeks.

"You wouldn't be doing this if you knew what I had done," he mumbled into my chest.  I frowned slightly, stroking the back of his head.

"Tell me what happened," I said quietly.  Geno sighed softly, slumping towards me in defeat.

"Ink..." He trailed off with a sigh.

"Ink gave me a choice. I have to either break off all interaction with you, or be fired. If I'm fired, I have to hand in my badge, and leave the premises. Permanently. Otherwise, I'm valid for a five hundred dollar fine, and possible jail time. Judges don't like 'crooked cops', so jail time would be more likely." He paused for a second, then looked up at me and gave a short, sad laugh.

"At least I'd be with you," he added softly. I raised an eyebrow.

"Don't get thrown in prison," I said sternly, "Don't do that. I'd rather you lose your job and not be able to see you again, at least you'd be safe. I do not want you in here."

Geno blushed softly, and I paused for a while, then pulled back from our hug to look him in the eyes.

"What did you say?" I questioned, voice quiet.

"You really want to know?" He asked sadly, wringing his wrist nervously. I gave a slight nod, heart dropping, already suspecting what he was going to say.

Geno looked away, pausing for a long while, gripping his arm, an incoherent mumbled something escaping his lips.

"I agreed," he said softly, tears dripping down his cheeks. I sighed, my face falling.

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Geno P.O.V

"Fuck you Ink.  Why'd you have to do this shit," I mumbled, tears falling down my face.  I could tell from the expression on Reaper's face that he hadn't heard me, so I continued.

"I agreed."

Reaper sighed, and his face turned dark, then he fell silent. I felt a knot of guilt resting in my stomach

Eventually, he sighed heavily, and pressed a long, lingering kiss to my lips, making me blush despite the situation. Reaper pulled back slowly, and wiped my tears away with his thumb, smiling sadly.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, burying my face in his chest. Reaper laughed bitterly, stroking my back gently.

"Don't apologise," he murmured, a hint of sadness touching at his voice.  "It's... fine." His last word sounded so broken. I wrapped my arms around him tightly, and could only then notice his shaking, as if he was holding back sobs.

"At least this way I have a chance of seeing you," he said quietly, his voice bare and genuine, vulnerable; stripped of it's flirtatiousness and coyness.  He laughed a soft, broken laugh, and tears fell.

"Maybe I'll even get to talk to you." Reaper's voice was hushed, absent of any sarcasm, almost wistful.  I frowned slightly, and pulled him closer.

"Hey," I said sternly, "You're talking to me now, aren't you?" Reaper sighed.

"Yeah," he mumbled, before sighing softly, pulling away, sitting back down on the cell bed, rubbing his face with his hands tiredly.  "Yeah, I am."

I joined him on the bed hesitantly, pulling him into a tight hug.

"I wish I could come with you wherever you went," he mumbled absentmindedly, face buried in my shoulder, arms tight around me.  "I wish I could break out of here and come with you to the ends of the earth.  I wish I could just stay with you, forever, maybe." Reaper laughed softly, nuzzling my neck gently.  "I wish I could see that beautiful face of yours every day."

My face seared with heat, and I drew away quickly to glare at him.  He only laughed quietly, looking down slightly, his expression... off.  My glare faltered, and I frowned slightly, pulling him into another hug.

"Sorry," I mumbled guiltily, pressing my face into Reaper's chest.  He sighed, his lips meeting my forehead in a gentle kiss.

"Nah, sweetheart, I'm sorry," he said softly, pausing, then continuing.  "But I do mean it all.  I wish I could break out of here, run away with you, just you and me on the run from the law, dodging cops and arrests and bullets.  I wish I could stay with you for the rest of my shitty life - my life, which has, of course, become considerably less shitty since you walked into it." Reaper looked at me and cracked a grin, making my heartbeat falter.

"And I do wish that I could see your face every day, it truly is quite a wonderful sight to behold."

I started at his words, blushing deeply and averting my eyes.  A sudden thought ran through my head, distracting me from Reaper's final sentence.

'...break out of here, run away with you...' I thought, eyes narrowed and calculating, blushing softly.  '...just you and me on the run from the law, dodging cops and arrests and bullets...'

'He should become a writer for some crappy fan fiction or something, that was so cliché,' was a present thought also.

I paused for a long while, then smiled a slow, slight smile, a no doubt ridiculous and unrealistic plan forming in my head, but a plan nonetheless.

"Well that's an idea," I said softly, pulling back from the hug to meet Reaper's hopeful eyes.

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I really need to work on updating more.  Sorry guys .-.