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Dom noticed the stares the moment they stepped off the prison bus.

Men lingered behind the chain-link fence, leaning against the concrete walls as fresh inmates were herded into the yard. Their eyes swept over every newcomer, weighing them, sizing them up, deciding who looked weak and who looked like trouble.

A few of those looks settled on him.

Dom wasn't worried. Let them look. He'd dealt with worse than a prison yard full of predators, and he wasn't walking in alone. Vince was tough enough to hold his own. Leon knew how to keep his head down when he had to. Dom had expected the attention.

What he hadn't expected was the attention Brian received.

The whistles started almost immediately.

"Look what they brought us."

"Hey, blondie."

Dom's jaw tightened.

How the hell hadn't he thought of this sooner?

Brian wasn't just another inmate. He was young, clean-cut, with sun-bleached blond hair and impossibly blue eyes that stood out against the dull gray of the prison walls. He looked like someone who belonged on a California beach, not behind razor wire.

And once people figured out he had been a cop... Dom forced himself not to think about it.

A former cop was already walking into prison with a target on his back. A good-looking former cop? That made everything ten times worse.

Nothing was going to happen to Brian if Dom had anything to say about it.

Brian was family.

Things between him and Mia hadn't worked out, but that had never changed what Brian meant to them. He'd stayed. He'd proven himself long before the handcuffs ever came out.

Hell, Brian was the only reason Mia wasn't walking through these gates with them.

After the arrests everything had fallen apart. People were shouting, cops were everywhere, nobody knew what was happening anymore. Nobody except Brian.

He'd stayed calm while everyone else panicked. He'd pulled Mia aside, told her exactly what to say and what not to say. He'd talked to the prosecutors. Somehow he'd managed to negotiate deals that kept Mia, Jesse, and Letty out of prison.

Brian had known there was no saving Dom. Dom had known it too. So Brian had done the only thing he could. He'd saved everyone else. It was a debt Dom could never repay.

The guards ordered them forward, and the group shuffled through endless concrete corridors filled with the smell of bleach, rust, and stale air. Every set of bars they passed seemed to hide another pair of eyes watching them.

Brian walked in front of him without saying a word. To anyone else, he looked calm. Dom knew better.

Brian's shoulders were just a little too tense. His jaw stayed locked tight. His hands opened and closed into loose fists whenever he thought nobody was looking.

He was scared.

Not panicking. Not showing weakness. Just scared. And somehow that made Dom even angrier.

The only favor he'd managed to pull before sentencing was getting assigned to the same cell as Brian. It wasn't much. But it was enough. He intended to keep Brian where he could see him.

The catcalls followed them all the way down the corridor. Brian ignored every single one. Dom memorized every face.

Their cell was exactly what he'd expected. Gray concrete. Two metal bunks bolted to the wall. A stainless-steel toilet tucked into the corner without so much as a curtain for privacy. Nothing else.

The guards uncuffed them before the heavy steel door slammed shut behind them with a deafening clang.

Silence settled over the room. Dom waited until the footsteps faded before turning toward Brian.

"You stay close to me. You hear?"

Brian blinked, clearly caught off guard by the sharpness in his voice, before recovering with a familiar, stubborn look.

"I don't need a babysitter. I know how to take care of myself."

"This isn't a discussion, O'Conner." Dom stepped closer, lowering his voice. "You stay where I can see you. Yard. Chow hall. Showers. Everywhere."

Brian opened his mouth to argue. Dom cut him off.

"I'm not risking your life." His voice softened almost imperceptibly. "I'm not risking you."

For a long moment Brian just looked at him. Like he was searching for something beneath the anger. Whatever he found made the fight leave his shoulders.

"...Yeah. Okay."

Some of the tension left Dom's body. Not much. Just enough to breathe again. It still wasn't enough.

He wasn't worried about Vince. Vince could throw a punch as well as anyone, and if somebody wanted to test him, they'd regret it.

Leon would disappear into the background. He always had a way of making friends without attracting attention.

Brian was different. Brian was chaos wrapped in good intentions. He could walk into a room full of strangers and leave with twenty new friends or twenty new enemies. Sometimes both in the same afternoon.

He never backed away from a fight if someone else needed help. He never knew when to keep his mouth shut.

And the thing that scared Dom most -- Brian didn't seem to possess a single instinct for self-preservation. That was exactly what was going to get him killed if Dom wasn't there to stop it.

...

It was time for yard.

The gates buzzed open, and inmates spilled out into the afternoon sun in loose groups. Conversations overlapped with the clang of weights, distant laughter, and the occasional shout from across the yard.

Dom spotted Vince almost immediately. Vince gave him a curt nod before falling into step on his left. Brian drifted to Dom's right without saying a word.

Almost like he'd done it instinctively.

Dom's eyes swept across the yard. He wasn't looking for familiar faces. He was looking for trouble. It didn't take long to find it.

A few of the men who had been whistling at Brian during intake were scattered around the yard. One leaned against the fence with his arms crossed. Another sat at a picnic table, watching them openly. Neither bothered hiding where their attention was directed.

Dom knew he couldn't start swinging at everyone who looked at Brian. Didn't mean he wasn't tempted.

Every instinct he had screamed that a fight was coming. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow. But soon. He could feel it.

Without realizing it, he'd made Brian's safety his responsibility. His first priority. Everything else came second.

Vince seemed to understand without either of them saying a word. He wasn't watching the yard as obsessively as Dom was, but he kept his head on a swivel, tracking movement around them.

For all the arguing they did, Vince wouldn't hesitate to throw the first punch if someone came after Brian. Family was family.

Brian, on the other hand, looked thoroughly unimpressed with his two self-appointed bodyguards.

Dom glanced sideways at him.

"I'm gonna need you to do me a favor."

Brian looked over. "What?"

"Behave."

Brian snorted.

"Don't mouth off. Don't push anybody. Don't give them a reason."

Brian raised an eyebrow.

"What do you want me to do? Dig myself a hole and hide in it?" He gestured vaguely around the yard. "Would that make you feel better? Because somehow I don't think it would."

Dom let out a slow, exasperated sigh. Brian had never liked being told what to do. One of the things that had driven Dom crazy when they'd first met. One of the things he'd eventually grown to admire.

"I'm serious."

Brian's expression softened just enough to show he understood where Dom was coming from.

"I'll keep my head down." A beat passed before he added, "As much as my face lets me."

Despite himself, Dom almost smiled.

"Your face is exactly the problem."

Brian spread his hands. "Kind of hard to leave it in the cell." Dom shook his head.

"This isn't my first bad place, Dom. I spent years working around criminals." Brian shrugged. "Turns out I get along with them pretty well."

"You also have a talent for making enemies."

"I made you like me," Brian added, wearing that infuriatingly smug grin. "Didn't even take that long."

Dom looked at him flatly. "As I remember it, the first time we met you and Vince were trying to knock each other's teeth out because neither of you knew when to shut up."

"And yet..." He smiled wider. "You were completely taken with me."

Dom rolled his eyes, but the corner of his mouth betrayed him with the ghost of a smile. Brian noticed. Of course he did.

For just a second, surrounded by concrete, razor wire, and men looking for weakness, it almost felt normal.

Almost.

"Hey there, pretty princess."

Dom's entire body went rigid at the sound of the voice. His head snapped toward the speaker before the words had even fully registered.

"Back off," he growled, taking a step forward.

"You talking to me?" Brian asked lazily from the bench.

Unlike Dom and Vince, he didn't even bother standing. He remained exactly where he was, elbows resting casually on his knees, as if the comment hadn't been directed at him at all.

Dom and Vince moved instinctively, placing themselves between Brian and the inmate. Neither of them said another word. Their body language spoke loudly enough.

Brian, meanwhile, looked thoroughly unimpressed.

"Yeah, I'm talking to you, princess." The inmate grinned, eyes roaming over Brian without shame. "Call off your guard dogs and I'll show you a good time."

Dom saw red.

For one terrifying second, all he could think about was the last time he'd lost control -- the sickening crack of fists against flesh, the blood on his knuckles, the man he'd beaten half to death after finding out he'd killed his dad.

His fists clenched. One more word. One more fucking word.

"Dom."

Brian's voice cut through the haze like a blade. Just his name. Nothing else. It was enough.

Dom forced himself to breathe and finally looked back at him. Vince shifted beside him, a silent reminder that he wasn't the only one keeping watch.

Brian was still sitting on the bench. Still calm. Still relaxed. Like none of this bothered him. Like he already knew exactly how this was going to end.

Their eyes met for only a second. Something in Brian's steady gaze grounded him. The rage was still there, simmering beneath his skin, but it no longer threatened to consume him.

"I'm pretty high-maintenance," Brian said conversationally, finally looking back at the inmate. "Gotta warn you, I don't just put out for anybody."

The prisoner laughed and stepped closer.

Vince frowned, clearly confused. He looked almost offended that Brian was entertaining the conversation instead of telling the guy to go fuck himself.

"I'd treat you right," the inmate said. "A pretty little thing like you? I'd keep you all to myself."

Brian pushed himself to his feet. Dom nearly reached out to stop him. Nearly. But he knew exactly what Brian was doing.

In prison, reputation was everything. If Brian hid behind Dom every time someone tested him, he'd never stop getting tested. This was something he had to handle himself. Didn't mean Dom had to like it. Because he absolutely hated it.

Brian stopped in front of the inmate. The size difference was impossible to ignore.

The other man had broad shoulders, thick arms, and at least half a foot of height on Brian. Brian wasn't small by any means, but standing this close, he looked almost delicate beside him.

Almost. Dom knew better. Brian looked clean-cut. Pretty. Polite. Until he wasn't. There was something feral hiding beneath all of that. Something fast. Something mean.

"You really wanna get between my legs that badly?" Brian asked with a crooked smile. The inmate smirked. Big mistake.

Brian moved before the man could answer.

His fist slammed into the inmate's solar plexus with enough force to fold him in half, driving the air from his lungs in a harsh grunt. The second the man doubled over, Brian exploded into motion. One foot planted against the man's thigh while his hands caught his shoulders. He vaulted upward with practiced ease, swinging his legs around the inmate's neck. The motion was so quick it barely registered. Brian twisted.

Using nothing but leverage and momentum, he dragged the much larger man off balance and sent him crashing onto his back hard enough to shake the concrete.

A collective gasp rippled through the yard.

Before anyone could react, Brian had already transitioned. His legs locked tighter around the man's neck while one arm trapped the prisoner's head. The choke came on clean and precise.

The inmate kicked and bucked in Brian's hold, but nothing worked. Within seconds, his movements slowed. Then stopped.

His body went limp.

Brian released the hold immediately and climbed to his feet as though he'd merely finished stretching. He brushed invisible dust from his shirt. Didn't even spare the unconscious man another glance.

By now, nearly the entire yard had gathered around them. The silence lasted all of two seconds before guards shoved through the crowd.

Rough hands grabbed Brian by both arms. They hauled him backward, already dragging him toward solitary.

Brian laughed the entire time. Bright. Easy. Almost boyish. His smile flashed white against the bruised concrete surroundings, his blue eyes glittering with pure adrenaline.

He looked dangerous.

God, he looked beautiful.

"Hey!" Brian called over his shoulder, not making their job any easier despite letting them drag him away. "He wanted to get between my legs." He grinned wider. "I just gave him what he asked for."

...

Brian only spent one night in solitary.

By the time breakfast rolled around the next morning, a guard unlocked the isolation cell and escorted him back to the block. They had a few precious minutes before the morning count ended and everyone was marched to the chow hall.

Dom was already waiting.

"So this is what you call keeping your head down, huh?" It wasn't much of a greeting.

Brian looked up from rubbing the stiffness out of his wrists.

"He called me a princess." Brian said it so matter-of-factly that, for a second, Dom almost laughed. As if that alone explained everything.

Maybe it did.

If Dom had gotten to the guy first, he'd probably still be in solitary himself.

Brian leaned back against the bunk.

"Dom, I've been to juvie." His tone softened -- not defensive, just honest. "You think sixteen-year-old me had it any easier? Back then I was smaller, younger, and surrounded by the same kind of assholes." He shrugged. "At least this time I knew exactly what I was walking into."

Dom stayed quiet.

"I can handle guys like him," Brian continued. "Trust me, he isn't the first idiot to throw pet names at me, and he won't be the last. This was always going to happen." A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Hopefully a few of them got the message."

Dom studied him for a long moment. Brian wasn't trying to prove anything. He genuinely believed what he'd done had been the smartest option.

"You did good," Dom admitted. "You made your point." Brian looked mildly surprised by the praise.

"But next time," Dom continued, "you let me and Vince deal with whoever doesn't get the message." Brian raised an eyebrow. "We handle it together."

A smile spread across Brian's face. "Sure." Then he sighed dramatically.

"Still... that's probably gonna be a pretty long list. I've been told I'm hard to get over."

Dom barked out a laugh. That sounded exactly like Brian. Cocky enough to say it with a straight face. Funny thing was... Dom didn't think he was wrong. Brian had a way of sticking in people's heads.

"Mia seemed to manage."

Brian shot him an exaggerated look of offense.

"Okay. Rude." Dom only smirked.

"Mia's different," Brian said after a moment, his teasing fading into something quieter. "It was never really like that between us."

That caught Dom off guard. He'd always assumed Brian and Mia had been serious. After the breakup, Mia had seemed to be handling it surprisingly well. Dom had always figured it was because she'd been the one to end things.

Now he wasn't so sure.

He couldn't imagine why anybody would ever break up with Brian. Sure, he could be reckless, stubborn as hell, and way too smart for his own good. He talked back, pushed buttons, and somehow managed to find trouble wherever he went.

But he was loyal. Funny. Kind in ways most people never noticed. The kind of person who'd risk everything for people he cared about without expecting anything in return.

No. Dom genuinely couldn't understand why anybody would ever choose to walk away from someone like Brian.

Silence settled between them for a moment. Finally Dom spoke again.

"Thanks."

Brian frowned. "For what?"

"For Mia." Dom met his eyes. "And Letty. Jesse too." Brian's expression shifted. "I heard you're the one who kept them out of this."

Brian looked down at his hands. For the first time since Dom had met him, he actually looked a little embarrassed.

"Don't mention it."

"I mean it."

Brian shrugged. "If there'd been a way to keep the rest of you out too, I would've."

"You did more than the rest of us could." Brian didn't answer.

The heavy clang of metal against steel echoed down the tier.

"Breakfast!"

The guard rapped his baton against the bars again. Dom pushed himself off the bunk. Brian fell into step beside him.

...

Dom hated the chow hall. Too many bodies. Too much noise. Voices bounced off concrete walls until everything blurred into one constant roar. Trays clattered. Guards barked orders. Somewhere across the room, someone was already shouting. The food wasn't worth the hassle either.

They claimed the same table as yesterday. Without discussing it, Brian ended up sitting between Dom and Vince. It simply made sense. If anyone wanted to get to Brian, they'd have to go through one or both of them first.

Brian noticed. He didn't comment.

He simply picked at the sad excuse for scrambled eggs and quietly joined whatever conversation Dom and Leon had started, as though being subtly shielded had become the most natural thing in the world.

Vince had been unusually quiet throughout breakfast. Not silent, just simmering. Every few minutes he'd shoot Brian another glare over his tray before returning to his food. Brian ignored the first few. By the fifth one, he'd had enough.

"What?" Brian asked around a bite of toast. "Spit it out."

Vince set his fork down with a clink.

"I'm trying to figure out if you're mentally deficient or just plain stupid."

Brian looked genuinely offended at that. Vince continued anyway. "I haven't decided yet."

"What the hell was yesterday?" Vince leaned forward. "Is this what we're supposed to expect from you now? You gonna keep picking fights with guys twice your size?"

Brian swallowed before answering.

"Picking fights?" He let out a short, incredulous laugh. "Vince, are you serious? Should I have waited until he caught me alone? In a hallway? In the showers?" His voice stayed low, but there was an edge to it now. "Yesterday, I had witnesses. Guards. Cameras. There was no safer place for that to happen." Neither Dom nor Vince interrupted him. "I needed everyone to see what happens when somebody decides I'm an easy target."

He glanced around the chow hall.

"They're murderers. Robbers. Some of them are rapists." His gaze settled back on Vince. "Guys like that don't hear the word 'no.' You have to get through their thick skulls that there'll be consequences."

Dom found himself scanning the room as Brian spoke. Nobody seemed interested in their table. At least, not openly. A few glances drifted their way before quickly looking elsewhere. Yesterday's fight had been noticed. Brian had been right about that much.

Vince folded his arms.

"Fine." He didn't sound convinced. "But what was all the flirting about?"

Brian blinked. "...Flirting?"

"The smartass comments. 'I'm high-maintenance.' shit." Vince shook his head. "What the hell was that?"

Brian's lips twitched.

"Oh. That?" A grin spread slowly across his face. He shrugged. "I was entertaining myself."

Dom had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling. Of course he was.

"I like getting under guys' skin," Brian admitted without a hint of shame. "Especially the ones who mistake being big for being scary."

He took another bite of his breakfast.

"And watching them realize they're not nearly as intimidating as they thought they were..." He smiled to himself. "I don't know. I think it's funny."

"There wasn't anything funny about the way he was looking at you." The words slipped out before Vince could stop them.

Brian paused. Then a slow, knowing smile spread across his face.

"So you do care."

Vince looked horrified.

"Oh, fuck off."

Brian laughed. Dom hid his own smile behind his coffee.

That was the thing about Vince. He cared. Always had. He just had a funny way of showing it. He'd rather start an argument than admit he'd been worried. If anyone asked, Vince would deny it until his dying breath.

The walk back from the chow hall was noticeably different.

The catcalls had almost disappeared. There were still eyes following Brian as they crossed the yard -- curious, calculating, lingering a little too long, but nobody whistled, nobody called him pet names and nobody was stupid enough to step into his path.

Word traveled fast inside prison walls. Dom kept close anyway. Just because people had stopped talking didn't mean they'd stopped thinking.

He hoped the attention would stay exactly where it was -- at a distance. The stares he could live with.

The next few days settled into something resembling a routine.

Breakfast. Yard. Lunch. Count. Dinner. Lockup. The rhythm was monotonous enough that the days began to blur together.

There were the occasional arguments over cards, over food, over absolutely nothing, but nothing escalated into a fight. Nobody got hurt. Nobody landed in solitary. By prison standards, it was almost peaceful.

The inmate Brian had choked out on his first day still glared whenever their paths crossed. Hatred simmered in every look he sent Brian's way. But he haven't tried to approach him again.

As far as Dom could tell, he didn't have much of a crew behind him either. A couple of guys drifted around him now and then, but nobody who looked particularly loyal. Dom hoped that meant the man wasn't much of a threat.

Then again...

A bruised ego had started more fights than money, drugs, or territory ever could. And there were few things more dangerous than a man determined to prove he hadn't lost.

...

"Everything go alright today?"

The lights had been out for nearly half an hour. The block had settled into its usual chorus of snores, muffled conversations, and the occasional shout echoing from somewhere farther down the tier.

Dom lay on the bottom bunk, one arm tucked behind his head. Above him, Brian shifted on the thin mattress. A quiet laugh drifted down.

"You tell me. You've been glued to my side all day." Brian's voice carried a teasing warmth. "Actually... ever since we got here."

Dom didn't even have to think about his answer.

"I like having you around."

The words came out so simply that Brian went quiet for a beat. It wasn't something Dom had planned to say. It was just true. Brian made the days pass faster. Made the place feel a little less suffocating.

And for reasons Dom couldn't quite explain, he found himself looking for Brian whenever they were separated, even if only for a few minutes. He wanted him close. It wasn't only about Brian's safety anymore. 

"I mean..." Brian finally said, "I am excellent company." Dom huffed a laugh.

"If I had to spend all day with Vince," Brian continued, "I'd be thrilled to have me around too."

Dom chuckled, shaking his head. "What a little brat."

The mattress overhead creaked. A second later Brian leaned over the edge of the top bunk until his upside-down face appeared in Dom's view, blond hair falling toward the floor. He was grinning. Wide. Completely unapologetic.

"You should actually be thanking me."

"Oh yeah?"

"Absolutely."

Brian held up a finger. "I keep you entertained."

"Mm-hmm."

A second finger. "I stop you from brooding twenty-four seven."

"I still brood."

"Not as much."

"I caught you smiling four times today."

"I smiled?" Dom looked up at him.

"You did."

"When?"

"Doesn't matter. I counted." Brian shrugged. 

Dom rolled his eyes.

A third finger. "Without me you'd spend all day glaring at people." Brian continued. 

"I still do."

"Yeah," he agreed. "But now you've got company." He flashed that familiar crooked grin. "Funny, charming, devastatingly handsome company."

Dom let out an amused huff. Brian pointed at him immediately.

"What?"

"Five."

"Five what?" He frowned confused. 

"Smiles." Brian's grin widened. "I'm keeping track."

"So..." he spread his hands. "You're welcome."

Dom laughed, unable to help himself. "Thanks for the company."

Brian gave an exaggerated nod. Dom looked up at him, still hanging halfway over the bunk like gravity was merely a suggestion.

"And thanks for being a pain in my ass."

Brian's grin only grew. "Anytime."

He pulled himself back onto the mattress above, still chuckling to himself. Dom found himself smiling long after the cell had gone quiet again.

...

It happened again.

Dom saw it before he heard it. From the other side of the chow hall, he caught sight of Brian standing a little too close to the biggest guy in the room. The inmate towered over him, broad enough to block the light. Brian, naturally, didn't look the least bit intimidated. If anything, he looked amused.

Dom couldn't hear what was being said over the constant clatter of trays and voices bouncing off the concrete walls, but he knew that look on Brian's face. The little shit was mouthing off again.

Dom sighed, already pushing back from the table. He'd barely made it three steps before the inmate lunged.

The first punch never landed. Brian slipped to the side, shoving the bigger man off balance, but that was all it took.

The entire chow hall erupted. Trays hit the floor. Chairs scraped across the concrete. Inmates backed away just enough to form a loose circle around the fight.

"Goddammit," Dom muttered, breaking into a run.

Vince was already there. Instead of pulling Brian away like any reasonable person would've done... He drove his fist straight into the other inmate's jaw. Dom wasn't even surprised. Of course Vince's solution was to join the fight.

By the time Dom reached them, guards were pouring into the room.

"Break it up!"

Batons slammed against tables. Hands grabbed whoever they could reach.

Brian was hauled backward by two guards, still breathing hard. Vince was dragged away cursing loud enough for half the chow hall to hear. The other inmate wasn't in much better shape.

For one brief second, Brian caught Dom's eye across the room. He offered an apologetic little shrug.

Dom pinched the bridge of his nose. Unbelievable. Another fight. Another trip to solitary. Brian would spend the night there again. And, thanks to his impeccable sense of timing, Vince would be joining him this time.

...

Dom barely slept that night. Every time he closed his eyes, his mind drifted back to the chow hall. Brian laughing as the guards dragged him away. Vince swearing loud enough to shake the walls. The clang of the solitary door slamming shut.

He spent most of the night staring at the underside of the top bunk, turning over on the thin mattress every few minutes. When sleep finally claimed him, it couldn't have been for more than a few minutes.

The sharp crack of a baton against the bars jolted him awake. Metal rang through the block.

"Move!" The guards' voices echoed down the tier as the cells were unlocked one by one.

Dom rubbed a hand over his face and stepped out with the rest of the inmates.

He had barely taken a dozen steps before everything went to hell.

Someone screamed. Another inmate threw the first punch. A guard shouted for backup. Then the entire block exploded. Men were yelling over one another. Fists flew. Bodies surged through the corridor in every direction. Somewhere nearby, glass shattered. Batons struck concrete and then flesh.

The riot spread through the prison like wildfire. Some inmates rushed the guards without hesitation. Others joined simply because everyone else was. A few backed themselves into their cells, eyes wide with panic, praying the violence would pass them by.

Dom didn't spare any of them a second glance. His heart dropped into his stomach.

Brian.

That was his only coherent thought. By now, Brian and Vince should've been released from solitary and sent back toward the block. Which meant they were somewhere in the middle of this. Exposed. Alone.

Dom took off at a run. He shoved through the sea of bodies without slowing. Someone grabbed at his sleeve. Another inmate stepped into his path. Dom drove an elbow into the man's chest without breaking stride, sending him sprawling. He didn't even look back.

Please let them be together.

Vince was with Brian. That thought became a mantra as he ran. Vince was with him. He wasn't alone. He wasn't--

A deafening crash echoed down the corridor. Dom rounded the corner leading toward solitary.

The heavy security doors were still locked. On the other side, muffled by steel and concrete--

"Don't!" Vince.

He'd know that voice anywhere. He sounded so angry, so desperate.

Dom's blood ran cold. He slammed both hands against the door. Nothing.

His eyes landed on a young correctional officer fumbling with his radio. Dom crossed the distance in three strides. He grabbed the guard by the front of his uniform and slammed him against the wall hard enough to knock the breath from his lungs.

"Open the door."

The kid couldn't have been older than twenty-three. His face drained of color.

"I--I can't--"

"Let him go!" Vince's voice ripped through the door. Raw. Animalistic. Followed by the unmistakable sounds of a struggle.

Something inside Dom snapped. He slammed the guard into the wall again. Harder. The man's radio clattered to the floor.

"Open it."

Another impact echoed from the other side of the door. Then Brian shouted something Dom couldn't make out. That was enough.

"Open the fucking door!" Dom roared, inches from the guard's face. The young officer's hands shook so violently he almost dropped the ring of keys trying to pull it from his belt. He fumbled through them, missing the right one twice.

"Move."

Dom ripped the keys from his hand. His fingers found the lock almost by instinct. The mechanism clicked. He shoved the heavy door open with enough force that it slammed against the wall.

Dom burst through the doorway and rounded the corner. The scene froze for half a heartbeat. Vince was pinned against the wall by three inmates. Blood streamed down the side of his face. One eye already beginning to swell shut.

He was still fighting. Still kicking. Still screaming. His voice was so raw it barely sounded human anymore.

A few feet away--

Brian.

He lay crumpled on the concrete, frighteningly still. There was blood matted into his blond hair, the collar of his shirt torn nearly off one shoulder.

And kneeling over him...

The same inmate from Brian's first day. The one he'd choked unconscious.

The man was laughing. Brian's shirt hung open where it'd been ripped apart, and the inmate's hands were still on him. 

Dom saw red. The rest of the room disappeared. The shouting. The riot. The guards. None of it existed anymore. All he saw was that man's hands on Brian. Touching him. Hurting him.

Dom crossed the distance before the inmate even realized he was there. He seized him by the throat and ripped him away from Brian with enough force to send both of them crashing across the floor.

The man barely had time to gasp.

Dom's fist connected with his face. Once. Twice. Again. Bone cracked beneath his knuckles. The inmate tried to cover up. Dom didn't let him. Every punch landed harder than the last. Blood sprayed across the concrete. Across Dom's hands. Across his face.

The man's face quickly dissolved into a mangled, bloody mess. Still, Dom didn't stop. He couldn't. All he could see was Brian lying motionless on the floor.

He hit him again. And again.

Somewhere in the distance someone was yelling. Hands grabbed at his shoulders. He shrugged them off without noticing. The pounding of blood in his ears drowned out everything else.

"...Dom!"

Nothing. Another punch.

"...Dom!"

Still nothing. Then--

"Brian needs you!"

The words cut through the haze. Dom froze. His fist hovered in the air for one suspended second before slowly dropping to his side.

His chest heaved. His hands shook. He looked down. The inmate beneath him wasn't fighting anymore. Hell... He wasn't even recognizable.

Dom staggered backward.

Brian.

He spun around so quickly he nearly lost his footing.

Brian was exactly where Dom had left him. Still on the floor. Still terrifyingly still. Dom dropped to his knees beside him so hard they struck the concrete.

"Brian."

No response.

His hands -- still slick with someone else's blood -- came up to cup Brian's face before he caught himself. He forced himself to be gentler. Careful. His fingers slipped into Brian's hair. More blood. Fresh. It was still bleeding. A wave of panic crashed over him.

"Brian." His voice came out rough. "Bri... come on." Nothing. "Open those baby blues for me." His own voice shook now. He hated how scared it sounded.

Brian let out the faintest groan. Relief hit Dom so hard it almost hurt.

"That's it," he whispered immediately. "Come on, Bri."

Brian's eyelids fluttered. Slowly... Very slowly... Blue eyes blinked open, unfocused beneath the harsh fluorescent lights. He winced.

Dom slid an arm behind his shoulders, helping him sit upright. Brian leaned into him more than he usually would've. Whether he realized it or not.

Dom kept one hand firm against the middle of his back. Partly to steady him. Mostly because he needed the contact. Needed to know Brian was still here. Still breathing. Still alive.

"You with me?" Dom asked quietly. Brian blinked at him. "How's your head?"

Another slow blink.

"Bri." Dom gently hooked two fingers beneath his chin until those unfocused blue eyes met his. "Look at me."

Brian did. His pupils looked uneven. His gaze drifted for a second before finding Dom again. He looked dazed. Confused.

"I'm... good," Brian mumbled.

"Yeah," he said softly, brushing a strand of blood-soaked hair away from Brian's forehead. "You are." His thumb lingered there for a second. "No one's gonna touch you." It came out less like a promise to Brian and more like a vow to himself.

Dom became dimly aware of Vince standing a few feet away. He was bent over, hands braced on his knees, breathing hard. Blood dripped steadily from his nose onto the concrete below. It looked broken.

Dom finally tore his eyes away from Brian long enough to look at him. Their gazes met.

"You alright?" He needed to hear it. Needed to know. Vince wiped the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand.

"They came out of nowhere." His voice was hoarse. "They grabbed me first. They were after Brian. I just..." He swallowed hard. "I couldn't get to him." The guilt in his voice was almost worse than the blood.

"Vince." Dom waited until Vince looked at him again. "That's not what I asked." His tone was firm, leaving no room for argument. "Are you alright?"

Vince blinked. Then nodded once.

"...Yeah."

Dom let out a slow breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

"Good."

He glanced back at Brian, his expression softening immediately.

"We need to move," Dom said, forcing himself to think. "There's still a riot going on." He slipped an arm carefully around Brian's shoulders.

"C'mon, Bri." Brian made it to his feet, though most of his weight sagged against Dom for a second before he found his balance. Dom guided him over to the wall.

"Stay with me."

Brian blinked slowly. "I'm here."

His shirt hung in tatters, the ripped collar exposing far more skin than Dom was comfortable with. Without thinking, Dom pulled his own white shirt over his head.

"...Dom?" he asked with a frown.

"No."

Brian hadn't even opened his mouth yet. Dom gently took Brian's wrists and guided his arms through the sleeves. The oversized shirt swallowed him whole.

Only once Brian was covered again did the knot in Dom's chest loosen, if only slightly. Satisfied, Dom draped Brian's arm over his shoulders and wrapped an arm firmly around his waist.

"Ready?"

Brian gave a sluggish nod. Vince moved ahead of them without being asked, clearing the way.

The walk back to the cell block was quicker than Dom expected. The riot still raged in pockets throughout the prison, but most inmates took one look at the three of them and stepped aside. Maybe it was the blood covering all of them. Maybe it was the look on Dom's face. Either way, nobody got in their way.

As soon as they reached the cell, Dom eased Brian down onto the lower bunk. He pulled the barred door shut behind them. It didn't lock. But somehow the thin layer of steel between them and the chaos outside made the cell feel safer. Quieter.

Dom knelt in front of Brian. He'd bundled Brian's ruined shirt into a makeshift compress and held it gently against the wound in his hair.

Every now and then Brian winced.

"It's okay," Dom murmured. "Easy."

The words slipped out before he thought about them. Brian seemed to relax. A minute passed in silence. Then Brian frowned.

"Is Vince okay?"

Dom glanced toward the doorway. Vince had gone to look for Leon as soon as they'd reached the cell.

"He's okay," Dom said quietly. "Banged up, probably a broken nose, but he'll be okay."

"What... happened?" His speech was clearer now, though he still sounded dazed.

"The last thing I remember..." He frowned, searching for the memory. "...was some guys grabbing Vince." His brow furrowed. "And then -- my face got really close to the wall."

Dom's jaw tightened. For a split second, all he could see was Brian lying on the concrete again. He forced the image away. One slow breath. Stay calm. Stay gentle.

"There was a riot," he said quietly. "They jumped the two of you." He adjusted the compress against Brian's head. "But it's over."

Brian blinked slowly before nodding. After another quiet moment, he spoke again.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

Brian tilted his head, studying him with sleepy confusion.

"...Why aren't you wearing a shirt?"

Dom stared at him. Then, despite everything, a quiet laugh escaped him.

"You needed it more than I did, Bri."

Brian looked down at the oversized white shirt he was wearing.

"Oh." His fingers absentmindedly gathered a fistful of the oversized shirt, as if only now realizing it wasn't his. "Are we sharing clothes now?" 

Relief settled somewhere deep in his chest. Brian was fine. 

At some point, he drifted back to sleep. Dom let him. He'd wake him every so often to make sure he stayed responsive, but for now, his body needed the rest.

Outside, the riot showed no signs of ending. Shouts echoed through the block. Somewhere in the distance, metal slammed against metal. Orders were barked. Someone screamed.

Dom barely heard any of it. His attention never left Brian.

The makeshift compress was still pressed gently against the cut on the side of Brian's head. His other hand rested lightly against Brian's ribs, feeling the slow, steady rise and fall beneath the oversized shirt.

Breathing. That was all Dom cared about. As long as Brian kept breathing, everything else could wait.

Footsteps approached the cell. Dom looked up. Vince stepped inside, Leon right behind him.

Neither of them looked seriously hurt. Vince didn't sport any new injuries. Relief loosened another knot in Dom's chest. They were all here. All alive. That was enough.

"How is he?" Vince asked quietly, his eyes immediately finding Brian.

"In and out," Dom replied just as softly. "He knows who I am. He answers questions. That's a good sign." He adjusted the bundled shirt against Brian's head. "I think it's just a concussion."

Vince nodded once. He slid down the wall opposite Dom until he was sitting on the floor, forearms resting on his knees. Only then did Dom notice the tremor in his hands.

Leon lowered himself beside him without a word. For a long moment, neither of them spoke. The sounds of the riot filled the silence instead.

Dom looked up at Vince.

"You okay?"

Vince laughed once. It was a hollow, broken sound.

"No." He dragged both hands over his face before letting them fall uselessly into his lap. "I couldn't get to him." His eyes never left Brian. "They were laughing and I couldn't do a damn thing." His voice was barely above a whisper. "They would've..." The words caught in his throat.

"They would've done it right in front of me."

Silence settled over the cell.

"I couldn't stop them."

Dom looked at him for a long moment. Then he spoke quietly.

"You tried."

Vince shook his head. "It wasn't enough."

"No." Dom didn't sugarcoat it. "But you never stopped fighting." Dom held his gaze. "You kept them busy. They didn't get the chance to finish what they started." His eyes returned to Vince.

"Because you kept fighting until I got there."

Vince's breathing hitched. "What if you'd been a minute later?"

"I wasn't." The words came out firm. "I got there."

He refused to let himself think about the alternative. Not now. Maybe not ever.

...

The riot burned itself out almost as quickly as it had begun. Reinforcements flooded the prison, overwhelming the inmates one block at a time until the shouting gave way to orders barked through loudspeakers. Any prisoner who didn't feel like getting shot was instructed to return to his cell. Most did.

Dom didn't care about the riot anymore. He only cared about getting Brian a medic. That, unfortunately, took time. Far too much time.

By the time medical staff finally reached their block, Brian had been in and out of sleep for hours. Every time Dom woke him, he answered the questions correctly, but his words stayed slow, his eyes unfocused. When the medic finally insisted on taking Brian to the infirmary, Dom's stomach twisted.

Logically, he knew Brian needed medical attention more than he needed Dom hovering over him. But logic had abandoned him the moment he'd found Brian on that concrete floor.

The last time they'd been separated...

Dom forced himself to let go of Brian's arm.

"I'll be back," Brian murmured, sounding far more concerned about Dom than himself. Dom only nodded. It didn't make watching him disappear down the corridor any easier.

...

Brian wasn't gone for long. By evening, he was back. Apparently there were inmates in far worse shape than he was, and once the doctors had cleaned the wound, stitched the cut in his scalp, and decided his concussion didn't warrant keeping him overnight, they sent him back to the block.

Dom privately disagreed with that assessment. As far as he was concerned, Brian had been the most important patient in the entire prison. The second the guard opened the cell door, Dom was beside him.

"How's your head?"

"What did they say?"

"Any dizziness?"

"They gave you painkillers?"

Brian blinked through the barrage of questions before letting out a tired laugh.

"I'm okay."

Dom wasn't convinced.

"It's just a concussion," Brian continued. "Not even my first."

That did absolutely nothing to reassure Dom. Especially not with the fresh stitches hidden beneath Brian's blond hair.

"C'mon." Dom rested a steady hand against the small of Brian's back and guided him toward the bunks.

Brian instinctively turned toward the ladder leading to the top bunk. Dom stopped him with a gentle hand on his forearm.

"Not tonight."

Brian looked at him, tired confusion written all over his face. "It's my bunk."

"It is."

"So..."

"So you're taking mine."

Brian opened his mouth to argue. Dom didn't give him the chance.

"You've got a concussion. You're not climbing that ladder."

Brian glanced from the bottom bunk to Dom, then back again. A sleepy smile tugged at Brian's lips.

"Bossy."

"Get in the bed, Bri."

Brian chuckled under his breath but did as he was told, easing himself carefully onto the lower bunk. Only once he was lying down did Dom pull the thin blanket over him. Brian watched him with an amused look.

The lights clicked off. Darkness settled over the cell. For a while, neither of them spoke. Dom could hear Brian's breathing below him. Slow. Steady. Every exhale eased the tightness in his chest just a little.

He wasn't going to sleep much that night. He'd be waking Brian every couple of hours, just like the medic had instructed. He didn't mind.

A few minutes passed. Then Brian's quiet voice drifted through the darkness.

"...Sorry."

Dom frowned. "For what?"

Silence. Long enough that Dom wondered if Brian had fallen asleep.

Finally--

"For being... high-maintenance."

A small smile tugged at the corner of Dom's mouth. He stared up at the ceiling, shaking his head to himself.

"Wouldn't have you any other way."

The words slipped out before he had the chance to think about them. Brian didn't answer. A moment later, Dom heard the quiet rhythm of his breathing deepen. Asleep.

Dom closed his eyes. For the first time since the riot, he thought he might actually get a little sleep too.