For LinedWithCharcoal, I hope you like it~

"Run"

The clocked winked at the sleeping man whose head had fallen to his desk. The hour was early and late, for the man had been up all night working. His light blonde hair was a mess as he slept upon his most important work to date. The clock's rhythmic ticking and swinging pendulum continued unnoticed as the dreamer suddenly awoke. This was no time to be sleeping, for his work was vital to not only his survival, but others' as well. If only he was not intercepted before he got the info to other side. His brother's life and many other's depended on it.

The blonde stood suddenly. What is he had missed his drop? He hastily gathered his papers up off his writing desk and shoved them into a well-loved writing case. Throwing an overcoat on hastily, he gabbed the writing case and abandoned the room. Leaving everything immaculate, he said good-bye to his small apartment for good.

Briskly, man strode along the cold, rain-dampened cobble street, quickly tilting his hat down to help hide his eyes from any possible passing officers. Quickly, he wound his way through the streets toward the Wall. Not one block from his destination, he heard a second set of footsteps behind him. With out looking back he tried to loose his trailer as indiscriminately as possible. His pace sped up as he turned corners swiftly. This way and that he continued to attempt to evade the footfalls behind him. After almost twenty minutes, the clacking of shoes stopped. Sighing with relief, the tall blonde turned back and resumed his original path.

Pressing his back up against a wall, he stared across the wide street at the intimidating wall covered in graffiti. However, a cold hand fell onto his shoulder and he froze. Steeling himself as to not show fear he turned expecting to see and angry officer ready to interrogate him as to why he was out far past curfew.

His blue eyes met another set that belonged to the young woman who had stopped him. Her long platinum blonde tresses fell loosely and framed her delicate face. The man's eyes widened.

"Natalia…?" He asked warily. The woman continued to stare at him almost coldly.

"Is… that you?" She nodded slowly before hugging the man fiercely.

"L-Ludwig…" Slightly taken aback by her sudden display of emotion, he stopped for a second before hugging her.

"Natalia, what's wrong? Where is your brother? I am here to give him-"

"They have him." She mumbled into her friend's chest. Ludwig's eyes widened.

"What…? When? How?" He asked quickly as Natalia drew back and looked him in the eyes.

"The other officers found out that brother was helping people cross the Wall and… and that he was planning to get your brother out and bring him over and… well… they stormed the house before I could get there and… and…" She trailed off.

For as long as Ludwig had known Natalia, he had always known her to be strong. She and her older brother had been relocated to the city and her brother, Ivan, made an officer. Even when they had been separated and forced to live apart in the different control zones, she had never cried. When she spoke of how her older sister and parents died, she had not shown much emotion while her brother had to leave the room. Even now, with her brother gone and probably never to return like her sister and parents before him, Ludwig did not expect the tears he saw streaming down her cheeks.

"Oh, Natalia… I'm so sorry… is there, any thing I can do?" He asked her quietly. Nodding strongly despite her emotions, the young woman swallowed and replied.

"Yes… there might be officers waiting at your drop site so please… don't go and get caught as well… y-you're the only… only person I have left now…" Shocked into silence, Ludwig stared quietly. He was usually bad at showing his emotions well so he hoped what he was about to do was not wrong or misunderstood.

Carefully, he cupped her cheek and leaned forward. His heart beat painfully fast in his chest and he wondered if Natalia could hear it as well. Tentatively, he pressed a chaste kiss to her soft, cold lips. Looking into her eyes directly, he whispered,

"I'll never leave you."