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Nicolò was the first one thrown into the prison cell, landing on the hard floor. Seconds later, Yusuf landed on top of Nicolò.
Yusuf: “I am sorry, Nicolò.”
Nicolò: "I know you well enough to know that landing near or on top of my ass is something you aren't too sorry about."
Yusuf laughed.
Yusuf: "You know me too well."
They sat up, and Yusuf dusted the dirt off Nicolò's clothes while Nicolò corrected Yusuf's curls. Then, an officer stepped into the prison cell.
Officer: "Tomorrow at dawn, you will both be beheaded for the crimes you did."
Yusuf: "I protest. I prefer that my friend's head stays where it is for personal reasons."
Nicolò: "I second that."
Officer: "Shut up, both of you. If you don't like the idea of the executioner's dull sword, you are more than welcome to jump out of the window and into the river because if the fall from the tenth floor doesn't kill you, the cold water with the sharp rocks at the bottom will surely do it."
Yusuf: "Let me get this straight. If we want to keep our heads, all we have to do is to jump out of the window?"
Yusuf looked at Nicolò.
Yusuf:" What do you say about our options today, Nico?"
Nicolò lay down on the floor with a jawn.
Nicolò: "Since we got until dawn, I will tell you once I have thought about it."
Yusuf: "Yes, you are right."
Yusuf also lay down on the floor, where he placed his head on Nicolò's stomach.
Yusuf: "If we are still here tomorrow, feel free to try to behead us."
The Officer laughed as he left, and the prison door was locked after him.
Nicolò: "Just so you know it, but I had really hoped that the new year would have been older than twenty days before anyone would try to behead us."
Nicolò ran his fingers through Yusuf's curls while Yusuf played with Nicolò's fingers.
Yusuf: "I can only agree. And I am so sorry for everything. It is my fault."
Nicolò gently yanked in one of Yusuf's curls.
Nicolò: "Stop being so hard on yourself because you did the right thing. And you know very well I would have done the same thing as you did."
Yusuf: "True, but it is also true that I prefer that your head stays where it is right now."
Yusuf caressed Nicolò's face.
Yusuf: "I want to wake up to this beautiful sight every morning and kiss it while the sun's first beams caress it."
Nicolò: “Incurable romantic.”
They exchanged a smile between them which told them how they felt for each other.
Nicolò: "And I feel the same thing as you do. So, does that mean we take the jump?"
Yusuf: "Yes, I guess we are. I just wish it was summer instead of winter because I hate cold water."
Nicolò: "Try to think of something else than the cold water."
Yusuf: "Like what?"
Nicolò: "The jump into the water will surely get me wet, which means I have to get out of my clothes once we reach dry land."
Yusuf craned his neck before looking at Nicolò with a smirk.
Yusuf: "Suddenly, I love the idea of jumping into cold water."
Nicolò laughed.
Nicolò: "Now that we have agreed to jump, then the question is when are we going to do it?"
Yusuf: "I say after dinner if they decide to grant us one last meal."
Nicolò: "If they do, I hope it is a feast for a king because I am hungry."
Yusuf: "Or else I will buy you everything you love to eat."
Nicolò: "Sounds good. Does that mean you will serve the food for me in bed?"
Yusuf: "That was the plan because I am going to use your beautiful body as my plate."
Nicolò: "And once again, you have found a way to get your mouth on my body."
Yusuf: "Is that a complaint?"
Nicolò: "No, I can't wait to feel your lips on my body. It always makes me feel so good."
Before Yusuf could say anything, the prison door was opened. Then, a guard threw food on the floor before the prison door was locked again.
Nicolò: "I would rather face the executioner's dull sword than eat mouldy bread."
Yusuf: "I agree with you, so let us jump out of the window before it gets too dark."
Nicolò: "Yeah, that is a good idea. A kiss or two before we jump?"
Yusuf: "Of course. And I say five small kisses and one big one."
Nicolò: "Fine with me."
They both sat up before they kissed.
Nicolò: "You do know we might end up with a dislocated shoulder and other broken bones before we jump because that is one narrow window."
Yusuf looked over at the narrow window.
Yusuf: "I promise to kiss every inch of your sore body once we are to safety."
Nicolò: "I will keep you to that promise. And I promise to do the same thing."
Yusuf: "Me first."
Nicolò once again gently yanked one of Yusuf's curls.
Nicolò: "Such a child."
Yusuf: "Says the one who is yanking my curls."
Nicolò: "You like it, and you know it."
Yusuf: "I will never admit that out loud."
Yusuf blinked at Nicolò. They both remembered the first time Nicolò accidentally yanked one of Yusuf's curls during one of their first trysts. Nicolò felt so sorry for harming Yusuf, but Yusuf told him that he liked it very much and it was all a part of discovering how to bring pleasure to your lover.
Nicolò: "Let me jump first so I can get out of my wet clothes before you find me."
Yusuf: "Uhhh, I do love the idea of being greeted by you naked."
Nicolò stood up while shaking his head with a smile. Before Nicolò could squeeze through the narrow window, Yusuf pulled him in for a kiss.
Yusuf: "We will see each other soon. Promise me."
Nicolò: "I promise you will see me alive soon."
Nicolò sealed his promise with a kiss.
Nicolò: "Promise me I will see you alive soon."
Yusuf: "I promise you will see me alive soon."
Yusuf sealed his promise with a kiss.
Yusuf: "Love you."
Nicolò: "Love you, too."
When Nicolò squeezed himself through the narrow window, he heard his bones in his left arm break, but in the end, he fell out of the window and into the cold water. While swimming towards dry land, Nicolò felt his bones heal up, and by the time he reached the first piece of dry land he saw, he could tell his body was almost back to normal again - all he was doing was shaking because he was freezing. After catching his breath, Nicolò started searching for Yusuf and found him lying unconscious on one of the rocks.
Nicolò: "If you die on me, you will be in real trouble with me."
When Nicolò examined Yusuf's body, Yusuf started to laugh.
Yusuf: "Stop. It tickles."
Nicolò: "You scared the life out of me."
Yusuf: "And you didn't keep the promise of greeting me naked."
Nicolò: "That is two different things."
Nicolò kissed Yusuf before he started walking away with Yusuf straight after him.
Yusuf: "I agree with you, so when are you getting naked?"
Nicolò: "When you have fed me."
Yusuf: "That isn't what we agreed on. You would greet me naked, and I would feed you in return."
Nicolò: "You and I remember things differently. I am sure it was the other way around."
Yusuf: "No, it wasn't. And there isn't anything wrong with my memory."
Nicolò; "Really?"
Yusuf: "Please be less sarcastic and more naked."
Nicolò: "Do you really want me to get naked out in the open where everyone can see what you love so much? And if you use your memory, you will remember I didn't say when I would greet you naked."
Yusuf: "Okay, I agree that I prefer to enjoy the sight of you being naked in private."
Nicolò jumped over a tree trunk on the ground with Yusuf right after him.
Yusuf: "And I am still sure it was after our latest great escape you would agree me naked."
While walking through the forest, they discussed who remembered things correctly, holding onto each other for warmth. It took them the entire night to find their horses. Because they were both so tired and still freezing, they agreed to get into some dry clothes before laying down on the ground in each other's arms under a blanket to get some sleep. When they woke up, they ate a meal, and the moment Nicolò was done eating, it didn't take Yusuf long to get Nicolò out of his clothes.