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The prison guard opens the cell door to find Mobeen and Nate laying on their beds, staring at the ceiling.
“Deen.” He says in a gruff voice. “You’ve got a visitor.”
Mobeen’s eyes widen, he turns to Nate for a clue, who had already climbed off his bunk and to the floor.
“Aks?” Nate inquires with raised eyebrows.
“Nah, she said she ain’t coming ‘till next week.”
With a look of concern, Nate clamps a hand around his best friend’s shoulder. “Good luck mate.” He leans in and whispers.
Mobeen nods, and follows the guard out to the visitation booths. When he enters the room and sees who’s waiting for him on the other side of the glass, phone cord twisted around his hand, ass probably stiff from the shitty chairs - his eyes could’ve popped right out of his head.
“Harper?” Mobeen clambers into the chair and shrieks into the phone. The officer shuts his eyes from the sheer volume of Mobeens voice.
“Hello, Moonbeam.”
“Oh fuck right off.” Mobeen scoffs playfully. “Do not call me that while I’m wearing this jumper.” Mobeen waits a beat, then he starts again in a small voice.
“Why are you here Harps, is everything okay? Aqsa?”
“Your sister is perfectly fine, Mobeen.” Harper reassures. “I just wanted to come see you.”
Mobeen puts his nose in the air. “Well I don’t believe you.” He says dramatically. “Where’ve you been all this time then?”
“Mobeen-“
“I’ve been sitting in a room, talking to Nate, staring holes into the wall, praying, reading books, and you’ve forgotten all about me yeah.”
“Mobeen listen, I came here to talk to you.” The haggard officer looks around nervously. “It’s important and I would’ve came round to see you earlier but I just didn’t get the chance.”
“Okay.” Mobeen sighs. “Tell me what’s going on.”
“Listen to me carefully Mobeen. Since you got locked up, things have gotten a lot worse out there. Especially on your block.” He whispers.
“Who? What’s been happening?” Mobeen inquires relentlessly.
“I can’t give too many details, but these people on the streets - your enemies, they’re getting braver. And I know telling you too much is gonna upset you ‘cause of your… current situation but believe me when I say it’s bad.” Harper explains, exasperated.
Mobeen doesn’t say anything for a minute, he just looks down at the table, like he’s really chewing on what he wants to say next. Harper gets the chance to really look at him, he’s thinner, his eyes darker, and even though upon seeing him he’s been his overactive self, Harper can’t help but notice that he seems more muted, empty, or like he’s over-acting. (More So than usual)
“Harps.” Mobeen deflates. “I know it's tough out there, but - and don’t let anybody in this building hear what I’m about to tell you - I trust in you to keep the streets okay, to keep these lowlifes in check. While I’m stuck in here, sometimes I just can’t help thinking ‘bout you being out there, on call, keepin’’ everyone safe. In your own dickheaded way, yeah?” Mobeen smirks.
“Oi, fuck off Mobeen.” The officer fights a blush, and loses.
Officer Harper’s smile drops. Mobeen isn’t gonna like this.
“I was walking my beat a few weeks ago.” Harper starts. Mobeen already doesn’t like the tone he’s speaking with. “It was dark out, and it happened quickly, but I was attacked.”
“What?!”
“Mobeen let me finish. Yes it sounds bad and it- it was. I was in hospital for a bit, but I’m okay now. And I’ve been thinking about this for a while now and.” Harper takes a deep breath “I think I’m gonna quit for a bit.”
Mobeen opens his mouth like he’s about to interrupt, but Harper mulls on. “Or I might ask for a transfer, I dunno, but since Eight-“
Mobeen hisses like he’s been stung.
“Listen, I’m really fucking sorry about Arslan. But since then, there’s a target on my back Mobeen.”
“But you can’t leave Small Heath, man. What about your family?” Mobeen pleads
“I don’t have any family here, Mobeen. It's just me out there. And I don’t want a repeat of what happened. I know you’re gonna be angry-“
“I don’t care about that, I want to know the names of the bastards who thought they could attack a fucking police officer. And I want them taken down and out of my neighborhood.”
“You think I don't want that? That I don’t know how you feel? It’s just me out there Mobeen, It seems like it's getting worse everyday and pretty soon I won’t be able to stop it.”
“I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“I know that-“
“I can’t lose you.”
“And this is the way you keep me safe, yeah? I put in a transfer, or I go on sabbatical, and I’ll be perfectly fine.”
“I don't believe you.” Mobeen says coldly.
“I know.”
“You’re the only copper I trust with Aqsa.”
“And I’ll look after her, I will. And before I leave Small Heath, I’ll come visit you again, yeah?”
“Yeah.” The sad, dark look doesn’t leave Mobeens eyes.
“Hey, remember that time I ran into you outside a pub?” Harper smiles charmingly.
“More like you fell into me.” Mobeen grins back. “You were proper smashed, kept telling me all these secrets about your life.”
“Bugger off, Mobeen. I did not.” Harper rolls his eyes. “Don’t tell me you forgot how you took advantage of my drunkenness.” He raises an eyebrow at the man across the glass.
“Hey!” Mobeen hisses into the phone, “that was all you, my guy. Trying to snog me while I, a gentleman, was trying to get you a cab.” He mutters.
“It’s not like you didn’t kiss back.”
“Not so loud, man!” Mobeen glares. “I’ve got a reputation to uphold here an’ all that. Can’t have anyone knowing I get with coppers in the wee hours of the night, yeah?”
Harper scoffs. “You’re ridiculous.” He fights a smile, the first real one that Mobeen has seen since they sat down. “Did you tell Nate about it?”
“Hell no I didn’t tell Nate, man! You think I’ve got some kind of deathwish?” Mobeen smiles, and Harper holds back a giggle. An honest to God giggle. Like they’re schoolgirls bunking class and not grown men sitting in a prison where the walls are made of concrete and the room is always either too hot or too cold.
They smile at each other across the glass. “It was nice catching up with you, Harps.”
“Yeah.” The copper replies sadly. “I’ll come see you again before I leave Small Heath.”
“You better.” Mobeen watches as Harper hangs the phone up and gets up to leave. With a small wave, Mobeen is headed back to his cell, ready to tell Nate about his pleasantly surprising visitor.
Nate doesn’t need to know all the details, though.