"Moments in Time":

"Confessions"

Setting: KHR, Primo's era
Pairing: G02, 02G
Rating: T
Summary: Where Giotto ends up in a fight, G. assists, and feelings are shared.
Word Count: 1,068 words
Genre: Romance
Point of View: Third-person
Warnings: Homosexual relationships, swearing, and possible OOC. Italics are flashbacks, thoughts, or stressed words.
Further Notes: I'm surprised I didn't do this sooner. Still no smut, but I have an idea for one so it'll come sooner rather than later. Ah, also note that this is Giotto and G.'s teenage years. Around 16 or 17 I suppose.

Giotto bit back a groan as one of his opponents managed to get a lucky kick right at his ribs. Seizing the opportunity, he grabbed the leg, twisting it and causing his assailant to fall painfully on to the dirt ground. He dodged just in time to avoid a punch to his temple, and jabbed the next guy in the ribs, causing him to double over. He sent a sharp kick, making the guy stumble away.

"Stupid orphan, can't you see no one wants you? That's why you're still stuck here!" One of the teenage men grinned (all of his poorly skilled opponents were rich kids, just like always). The others snickered, and advanced forward once more. He nimbly dodged each attack, whether it be a punch or kick, straightforward or a feint. He did not, however, dodge the wooden stick that smashed the back of his head.

The blond stumbled forward dizzily as one of the teens grabbed the back of his collar. Well shit, he thought, for once they got the best of me.

"Hey, quit it, you rich asshats!" One familiar voice shouted just as someone was about to bash in his face with a fist. That guy's wrist was caught in a vice grip, and Giotto looked up to spot his one and only best friend, G., standing there with a dark scowl on his face.

"Shit its G., run!" One of the teens yelled, trying to dart off. G., thoroughly unimpressed, threw his current captive at the ones trying to run, and effectively knocked all of them down. Giotto crouched down and leaned against a nearby tree, watching as the redhead beat up every single one of them, and sent them off with their tails between their legs. As soon as that was done, G. was running back over.

"G., you're injured!" was the first thing out of the blond's mouth. The redhead had a small stream of blood leaking out between the side of his mouth, and a bruise was forming on his left cheek. G. raised an eyebrow incredulously and crouched down, ripping at the sleeves of his button-down shirt, and pressing it against the back of Giotto's head.

"You are bleeding from the back of your head, and you are more worried about me? Giotto, do you have a concussion?" G. sighed, exasperated, and wiped the blood from his mouth with his other hand. "Seriously, what were they fighting about now?"

"I don't have a concussion," Giotto protested, "I worry because I care. And the usual orphan shit that we both get...You didn't have to step in, you know?"

"I wasn't going to, because I trust you immensely to take care of yourself. But the wood was a cheap shot and I don't need you black and blue. It ruins that face of yours."

"Oh, what kind of face is it?" Giotto asked with a small grin. G. pinched one of the blond's cheeks, stretching it.

"Its cheeky," He stated with a small smirk. Giotto stared for a brief moment and then began to laugh at G.'s (more than likely) unintentional pun.

"Well...thanks for your help." Giotto smiled. He closed his eyes when he smiled, but when he reopened them, he was in an embrace from G. "...G.?"

"Ah, you're awake," G. sighed, relieved, tightening his arms around the blond. "You just blacked out all of a sudden."

"Ah...sorry to worry you." The blond returned the embrace a little hesitantly as he glanced around (he was back in his shared room in the orphanage, and he felt bandages on his head). His face flushed pink, and his heart began to beat a little quicker. This wasn't good. If G. continued to hold him...he wasn't sure he could hold back.

He loved G., after all.

He was a sinner, he knew. He knew these feelings for another male would get him killed. He knew if G. ever knew that the other would freak and never talk to him again in the best case scenario. The worst case would that the redhead would rat him out and all of the religious citizens of the town would come at him. He knew all this and yet...

"Giotto..." G. murmured, uncertain and scared, "I love you."

"...Eh?" Was the initial reaction, the instinctual thing Giotto said nearly right away. G. tried to pull away, but Giotto held him in place, determined to get him to elaborate. "...You love me?"

"Yes," G. buried his face in the blond's shoulder. "I'm sorry. Its a sin; I should be condemned. Hanged, beheaded, stoned, whatever. I had to keep this to myself, lest I risk getting you involved in my sin. But, when you blacked out today, I got scared. You've never blacked out for more than a few minutes, but you've been out for nearly six hours. I was afraid you would be gone, and when I realized that, I knew I would regret it if I never said anything. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Giotto, that you have to deal with this selfishness of mine. I'm selfish for sinning and then dragging you in. I don't care if you tell someone about this. I deserve it. I can't live like this, knowing that I'm going to ruin your pure self. I-"

"G., shush," Giotto firmly said. The redhead had been rambling without even stopping to breathe once. G. stiffened, waiting for the denial, the push away, the harsh reprimands for sinning. However, Giotto just hugged him tighter and whispered softly, "Its not a sin for you to bear alone. Not at all...I love you, G."

"Y-you...what?"

"I love you. Do not think you are alone on this, because I am a sinner too. We can rot in the depths of Hell together for all I care. All that matters is that I love you, no matter how much people think its wrong or sinful. So please do not beat yourself up on this."

"Giotto," G. raised his head, his eyes uncharacteristically misty, as he said the name with so much hope and love that Giotto couldn't help but smile. "I love you."

"And I, you," Giotto smiled wider, and gently pressed his lips against the other's.

It was as beautiful and perfect as he thought it would be. They were out of the norm, but who cared...

Everyone else could burn.

Fin.

For the record, I do not want anyone thinking I'm against any kind of religion at all here, because I think whatever you believe in is up to you, and I respect that. The only reason I say this is because I don't want anyone getting offended by anything in the entire compilation. While no one has said anything to me, I just want to address this before any problems arise. I only write anything in Primo's era with homosexual intolerance because that's the way things were back then. I'm only stating things the way they would have been in that time period.

Thank you.

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