behind bars 6/6
masterpost | part i | part ii | part iii | part iv | part v | part vi
part six
A couple of weeks later, Kyle shows up to dinner with a huge bruise on the left side of his chin. It looks painful, and David winces in sympathy, his own chin hurting just by looking at it. He can only imagine how it must feel.
He is amazed that Kyle continues to decline - or rather, use not so sophisticated words (last time there had been lots of swearing, way too much for David's like) - whenever the suggestion of accepting Tiemann's offer is mentioned.
Kyle, for some reason, seems to be prone to accidents. Though they are not really accidents, David knows. The inmates prod at Kyle, push him around, and David knows that this is where the two of them definitely differ. Personally, he would have given up long ago - in fact, he gave up rather, maybe even pathetically in some people's opinion, quickly - but Kyle! Kyle seems to like egging them on, almost as if he thrives on it, like he gets a kick out of fighting.
"Ouch," says Kris, mirroring David's wince, when he sits down at the table, two trays of food placed on the table. Andy Skib grabs one of them, pulling it closer, and Kris pulls the other one closer to himself. David watches Kyle watching it, and catches the look of disdain on his face.
Him and Cook are different than Andy Skib and Kris though. Normally it is Cook who carries the trays while David loads them with food. He realizes that Kris' way of acting is exactly what Kyle hates about the whole punk-system. David glances at Tiemann who is still standing in line, talking with Castro about something, the dreadlocked inmate looking slightly perplexed and uncertain to how to act around Tiemann. David pities Jason Castro, because everyone knows that Tiemann is not the most, well, um, friendly guy.
"Just one more week," says Cook, and David turns his head to look at Cook. His boyfriend is looking at Andy Skib, and David follows Cook's gaze until he is looking at the dark-haired inmate as well.
Kris leans against Andy Skib's shoulder, and David smiles fondly at the display, finding himself lean slightly against Cook's side as well. Kyle huffs on the other side of the table, but David tries to ignore it. This is about Andy Skib.
"Are you excited?" asks David, picking up his glass of juice.
"It'll be nice getting out of here," replies Andy Skib, voice curt and low, looking at Kris for a brief moment before finally looking at David. David's smile falters just a bit. Andy Skib leaving means that Kris will be alone. Well, not technically alone. Cook and Tiemann will both take care of him, they promised, but David knows that Kris is worried. Understandably so, David thinks, fully knowing that he would be too, if Cook were to leave this place before him. In fact, the weeks they spent apart when Cook had been thrown in dissociation were horrible, and the thought of not seeing him ever again until when they are both on the other side of these walls makes him feel a bit sick to his stomach.
"Gotta' be fucking awesome man, to leave this place behind," comments Kyle, completely ignoring the looks that he receives.
"I suppose," says Andy Skib, eyes narrowing into tiny slits as he regards Kyle with this cool lofty look that makes David glad that he is not on the receiving end of it. "Though it will naturally be with mixed feelings. I am, after all, leaving behind friends." Kris lowers his head at the last word, and David can see that the other inmate blush somewhat at the words.
"But you'll get out soon too, though, right?" asks David, trying to turn this into something positive. It is, after all, a good thing for Andy Skib and part of him feels like they ought to at least acknowledge that, no matter how sad it is that Kris will still be in here while his boyfriend is outside of these walls.
"Yes, uh," says Kris, a hand reaching up to scratch the back of his neck. David has noticed that he does that a lot when he is nervous. "I have my parole hearing next month, so if everything goes as it should, I'll probably be out of here in a month or two. But, yeah. You never know. I might not get approved for my parole."
David offers his friend a smile, reaching out a hand to gently squeeze Kris's other hand that still lies on the table. "Everything will be fine," he promises, even though he has no clue how it will all turn out. But he hopes Kris will get his parole, hopes so much that his heart my burst with want for this to happen.
"Yeah," says Cook, smiling as well. Kris' face relaxes, and David's smile softens.
Kyle snorts and starts to eat his food. David looks at Kris who is smiling, though he seems a bit… well, hurt maybe, kind of like he is trying not to let Kyle get to him. David kind of wants to kick Kyle across his shin. Childish? Yes, maybe, and definitely also out of his character, he knows, but Kyle needs to learn that he should not be mean to people. He ignores the irony of the fact that they are in prison. If he closes his eyes, he can sometimes forget that he is in here, and he figures that it works as well if he tries his best to think of this as if they are on the outside. However, he does not get a chance to act on his desire to kick - not that he would ever actually do it, as his mom taught him never to be violent - as Tiemann approaches the table.
"What the fuck," says Tiemann when he places his tray down next to Kyle, finally having made it out of the line. David watches as Tiemann sits, a hand reaching out to grab Kyle's chin and forces Kyle to turn his head so he can see the entirety of the bruise that now graces Kyle's face. Kyle winces and tries to pull away, but David can see that Tiemann has a good grip on the other inmate, a grip that he knows from personal experience can be difficult to break free from.
Cook has the same kind of grip when he wants to, and this is just another reminder how close the two of them are. Even though David knows that they are merely friends, he still feels that spark of jealousy hit him whenever he thinks of the intimacy of their relationship. Mostly emotionally wise, but he knows from experience that they have also been intimate intimate before. At least in here, but he has his suspicions that they might have been so on the outside as well, though he is too afraid to ask Cook, mainly because he isn't sure if he actually wants to know?
"Who hurt you?" asks Tiemann, and David blinks, realizing that he had momentarily zoned out a bit. Cook nudges him with his elbow, and David turns to find Cook smirking at him and wriggling his eyebrows in that weird way that makes David laughs. It does this time too, but Cook just continues to smirk and nods inconspicuously to Tiemann and Kyle who are in a heated debate about Kyle not wanting to share the information about his bruise.
"None of your business. I'm not your punk, so fuck off," says Kyle, but David can hear that his voice does not have the same kind of bite to it, like it usually has. Almost as if he does not mind that Tiemann is meddling in his business, despite what he says.
"No, but you're my cellie," says Tiemann, as if that matters. David thinks it is maybe a bit weak of an argument, and Kyle must think so too, because he just rolls his eyes. However, Kyle does not turn his face away when Tiemann's grip loosens and instead moves his fingers to touch the sore spot almost tenderly.
Cook nudges him again and lifts his eyebrow; obviously trying to communicate silently with David, except, um, David is not entirely sure what he is supposed to say. Cook makes a face.
"Oh, um," he says, when he suddenly realizes what Cook is trying to make him say. "We're all friends. I know you didn't really, um, want to be friends, but we, err, are now. We're all just concerned? I mean, we don't want you to be hurt." Cook made him practice saying this, though he has a distinct feeling that he did not managed to get it all right. Still, Cook looks pleased, so he figures he might have said some of the right stuff, or at least enough of it.
Kyle pulls away from Tiemann's hand and eyes him warily for a couple of seconds.
"I suppose," he finally says.
"Yeah," says Kris, jumping in to save David. "You're one of us now, Kyle. You kind of have been since you got here, and you know it, so there's no point in trying to deny it. We don't want anyone to hurt you if we can prevent it. That's all there is to it."
Kyle rises from his seat, and David fears that maybe they went a bit overboard. He cannot understand why Tiemann cannot just find another punk, but for some reason the tattooed inmate has set his eyes on Kyle and refuses to give up. David suspects that he maybe kind of likes the chase - a lot. Because he has been less, um, sulky (maybe?) since Kyle got here, and even though he is being turned down constantly by Kyle, he kind of seems a bit happier than David has ever seen him before.
"You don't have to fight alone," says David. He knows it is kind of horrible of him to use Kyle's own words against him, and as soon as the words have left his mouth, he feels bad and wishes that he could take them back. This is one of the things that he does not like about Cook and Tiemann and maybe even Andy Skib as well. They are prepared to say and do anything in order to get what they want, and now David is doing that as well for them.
Cook places an arm around his waist, dexterous letting his fingers run up and down David's side, making him squirm a bit in his seat. He tries to tell himself that he has to do it, that he is Cook's punk and this is prison - in here, you play your part in order to survive, though it no longer feels like a part. He loves Cook, and he would do anything for him, only thing is that Cook would also do anything for Tiemann, which is why he is currently in this situation. He thinks maybe it is a bit unfair to Kyle, but Cook had been insistent, immediately telling David to use that line the moment they had shared his and Kyle's conversation with his boyfriend after they had, um, finished.
Kyle glances at him, looking torn between storming off and sitting down again. Finally, after a tug on his sleeve from Tiemann, he settles back down in his seat.
"They want me to deal their drugs for them," he finally admits, and David finds himself looking around in the cafeteria even though he has no idea who they are. "I told them no. I'm not fucking dealing with drugs anymore."
"Is dealing the reason why you ended up in here?" asks Kris, looking sympathetic, leaning forward in his seat. David looks back at Kyle, swallowing. He has never asked Kyle why he was here. It seems almost too personal to know why anyone is in here. The reason why any of them is in here is after all a part of their history. Personally, David is ashamed of what he did, even though it was technically an accident. It had all happened so fast - too fast for David to even react properly - and then his fate was sealed because he got a lawyer who was, in Cook's words, shitty. He normally does not believe in talking bad about people, but even he has to agree here. Except, as he tries to tell himself when he wakes in the middle of the night from a nightmare of the incident, if he had never ended up here, he would never have met Cook. Or Kris or Andy Skib or even Tiemann.
"A kid OD'ed on it and died. They said it was my fault because I was his dealer. Not my fault my supplier gave me a bad product."
"Who wants you to deal?" asks Tiemann, sounding… well. David thinks that angry is the best word for Tiemann's low and dangerous tone right now. He instinctively huddles closer to Cook, and Cook wraps his arm around him without a word. Like they just fit, like a jigsaw puzzle maybe, he thinks, a soft smile gracing his lips. Cook squeezes his hip fondly.
Kyle nods towards a table, and David recognizes some of the face. It is a group though, of men that he is not familiar with, and judging by their appearance and, um, tattoos too, he is glad that he has never needed to associate with them. He does not know why they are in prison, but something tells him that whatever it is, they are definitely guilty, very much so. It is mean to judge people on their appearance, he knows that, and he also knows that his mom would maybe tell him to behave in Spanish if she knew that he did that, however he cannot help himself.
Tiemann gets up and walks resolutely towards the table, not a care in the world that he is walking into a dangerous zone where he is outnumbered four to one. Cook's hand falls from David's hip, and David watches as Cook stands up, hands clenching into fists as he prepares himself to have Tiemann's back if he needs it. David on the other hand, prepares himself to disappear if anything should happen. A shared look with Kris tells him that the other inmate is doing the same as him. Andy Skib too, which David definitely can understand as Andy Skib is leaving next week, and he does not need to be implicated in any prison related fights as they might fuck up everything for him.
David cannot hear what is being said, but Tiemann looms over one of the guys and they nod their heads, almost in sync. Then Tiemann turns, points towards Kyle. David looks away from the spectacle to watch Kyle, who in return looks a bit flustered. Voices are being raised, and it ends with Tiemann punching one of the men on the jaw.
Johns and three other guards appear by the table quickly, calming the situation before the other inmate gets a chance to lay a punch on Tiemann.
None of them are being escorted out of the cafeteria; however, Johns is pushing Tiemann back to their table while the other three guards are trying to calm the hurt inmate. Johns has his black truncheon drawn and ready to be used in case any of the inmates should try anything.
"That was stupid, Tiemann," says Johns, but David swears - except he does not really swear - that he can see a twinkle in Johns' eyes, like he finds it amusing.
"He punched Kyle," sneers Tiemann.
Johns just raises an eyebrow.
Cook sits down next to David again, and David relaxes. He notices out of the corner of his eye that Kris and Andy Skib shares a look before getting up, leaving them without a word.
"I don't see why that's any of your concern," says Johns, sounding impatient.
"Kyle's a friend," is all Tiemann says.
Kyle looks curious and maybe also a bit embarrassed.
Johns leaves them, and the guard is barely out of sight when the other inmate says, loud enough for any inmates sitting close by to hear it, "Thanks Neal, but this doesn't mean that I'll be your punk."
David cannot help but let out a short laugh at the absurdity of it all. They had been trying to make Kyle pliant to the idea, yet he seemed to know exactly what they had been up to. Still, he sounded pleased, so maybe the idea had worked just a bit after all.
"Wanna' play cards?" asks Kyle, looking at David. David glances down at his barely touched food, and nods. He is not really hungry. He pushes his tray towards Cook, and gets up.
"See you soon?" he asks, looking down at Cook.
"Yeah, stay in one of the cells," says Cook, pushing David's tray into the middle of the table so he can share it with Tiemann as well. David nods and without much thought does an awkward wave as well. He has no idea why he did it, but still blushes when Kyle teases him about it all the way back to Kyle's and Tiemann's cell. Yes, they are definitely getting closer to being friends, he thinks, and playfully elbows Kyle's arm, making the other inmate stumble a bit.
~
Kris is sad that Andy Skib is now gone but refuses to show it, telling David that he needs to focus on his upcoming hearing for his parole, which means that the southern inmate is spending quite a lot of time with his lawyer, going over his testimony and whatnot. David is not completely sure what is required. He is sad though, not just that Andy Skib is gone, but that Kris whom he knows is sad does not even have time to dwell on the fact that his boyfriend and protector has left. But mostly, as egoistical as it sounds, he just kind of feels sorry for himself, because even though he still has Cook, he misses Kris' company more than he ever thought he would. A small part of him dreads the day where Kris will get his parole - which David knows for sure he will get as Kris is like one of those model-inmates who have no fights on his records.
Kris is not the only one sad about Andy Skib leaving the prison. Cook is sad, though he tries not to show it, but David knows, because Cook is even more protective of him than usual, never leaving his side for more then a few minutes at a time. He is not entirely sure if Tiemann's is sad as well, as he has only seen him at meal times in the last couple of days. This also reminds him that it has been a while since he last hung out with Kyle.
Andrew, Cook's younger brother whom David thinks is pretty awesome - if maybe a little weird sometimes, but still really fun and sweet - is visiting Cook today, so for the first time in weeks, David is all by himself. It feels weird sitting in his cell alone, so he decides to go find Kyle, hoping to maybe be able to persuade the other inmate to go with him to the library. Cook prefers that he does not go anywhere alone, so David really hopes that Kyle will go with him so he does not have to ask Tiemann.
Cook keeps telling him to just call him Neal, but for some reason David cannot really make himself use the name as he has gotten used to saying Tiemann. It does not help either that Tiemann had been sitting next to them had made a face when Cook had told David that he was actually allowed to call him Neal.
He leaves the cell, eyes quickly scanning the area before stepping out completely. Then he heads to Kyle's and Tiemann's cell.
"Hi David," says Castro when he passes him. David smiles and nods in return, muttering a small hello in return.
He hears the noises before he makes it to the cell. He pauses a few feet away from the cell, swiftly looking around to make sure that no one is behind him. Then he hears noises again, and realizes that they are coming from the cell. He walks slowly and silently until he can look inside the cell.
A gasp pushes past his lips before he can stop it. Oh gosh.
Tiemann has Kyle up against the wall, pants down and um. David steps back quickly, leaning against the wall as he tries to stop blushing. Kyle - it is definitely Kyle, thinks David, recognizing the voice - moans inside the cell and David swallows and hurries away back to his own cell.
He feels flustered and embarrassed and also, maybe just a tiny bit turned on. He presses the heel of his palm against his erection, willing himself to not be turned out by the display he had seen. It is wrong to, um, listen to other people having, um, gosh, having like sex! He knows that.
He has calmed down completely when Cook returns half an hour later, looking cheerful, carrying a package of something under his arm.
"Andrew brought a batch of my mom's cookies," he says, grinning widely.
"Cookies aren't good for you," chides David, but still accepts one when Cook holds out one for him. It's good. In fact, it is very, very good, he thinks.
"Fuck," says Cook, voice all strange and low and, um, David looks up and sees the heated look in Cook's eyes, the way he breathes funnily. David crooks his head, looking confused at Cook.
"You are so hot, pet," says Cook, sitting down on the bed next to David, a hand starting to run up and down his thigh, the batch of cookies momentarily forgotten on the bed next to David. He blushes as Cook leans closer, taking a bite of David's cookie, their eyes locked together. David feels like he cannot possibly look away, but he does not care, because he does not want to look away. His breath hitches in his throat, and he feels this weird kind of butterfly-like feeling in the pit of his stomach.
Cook's fingers curl around David's hand, mouth moving down to take the last part of the cookie, lips closing around David's fingers in the process. He whines, completely breathless by now.
"Want another one?" asks Cook, lifting an eyebrow, grinning. David just nods, and Cook leans over him to grab another cookie from the box. This time it is Cook who holds it, and David takes a bite from it when Cook presses it against his parted lips. He lowers his eyelashes coyly and watches as Cook takes a bite from the cookie as well.
Normally, he would have been too embarrassed to ever do anything like this, but Cook seems to bring out the want in him; the side that craves and begs for touches and smiles and - Cook's hand on his thigh moves to cup the slight bulge in David's pants, and David moans and lifts his hips just a bit, pressing against the warm hand.
"Cook," he breathes, close to almost sobbing, too caught in the moment to be embarrassed about his reaction.
Cook hushes him and presses the last piece of the cookie into David's mouth. David catches the fingers with his teeth, licking the tips quietly, looking at Cook.
"I want you right now," whispers Cook, and David nods.
They are about five seconds from maybe quite possibly tearing each other's clothes off when Kris appears outside of their cell. He looks just as surprised as David had felt an hour ago when he had accidentally walked in on Tiemann and Kyle going at it.
Cook groans, looking like he might just still continue with what they are doing despite the fact that they now have an audience, but David pushes him away, embarrassed, though with a smile and a silent promise that they will continue after lights out.
"Sorry, I can, err, I can leave?" says Kris quickly, though it comes out more as a question, looking away as Cook gets up from the bed and adjusts himself in his pants. David clears his throat and grabs his pillow, covering his groin, blushing as Cook just smirks at him.
"Sorry," says Kris, a hint of a smirk on his lips, like he finds it amusing. David just finds it incredibly, um, awkward. Still, he gestures for Kris to come in and sit down on the bed. Kris does so, claiming the spot next to David that Cook had just gotten up from.
There is a pregnant pause where none of them say anything. It is uncomfortable, so David takes the box containing the cookies that Cook had gotten from Andrew, and offers Kris one. Cook gives him a heated look, and David lowers his eyes and closes them until his eyelashes rest against his cheeks, trying to collect himself.
"These are good," says Kris, munching away on a cookie. David just nods, feeling like he has got a toad stuck in his throat. Cook laughs and leans down, hand resting just above David's knee as he grabs a cookie with his other hand from the box.
"Yes, they are, aren't they?" asks Cook. David looks up, eyes going wide for a split second as Cook claims a kiss from him. It is a relatively sweet and innocent kiss. No tongues, just two sets of lips pressing together in a familiar way. David loves it.
"How did your meeting with your lawyer go?" asks Cook. David blinks, dazed and maybe also a bit disoriented, and realizes that Cook is now standing up against the wall a couple of feet away from him
"Good. She sounds positive, thinks that if I just stick to my statement and ace the physiological test that I'll be out of here in a couple of weeks."
David smiles, "That's good news!"
Cook nods. "That's awesome dude. I bet Andy will be thrilled to see you on the outside."
Kris frowns. David looks up at Cook, and Cook, well, he pushes away from the wall and looms over Kris. "You are going to see him on the outside, right?"
"What if things are different on the outside?" asks Kris, sounding so very young and scared.
Cook's face softens, and David reaches out tentatively, hand grasping Kris' hand, squeezing it gently, hoping that Kris will find it comforting.
"You owe it to yourself to give it a chance at least," he says, looking briefly at Cook before looking back at Kris who just nods, looking so confused.
"Everything will be the same on the outside - better, even, I think. You'll see," says Cook, leaving no room for arguing. Kris does not look like he wants to argue, let alone like he wants to talk anymore, so David says the first thing that comes to his mind.
"They are, um, doing it," he blurts out.
"What?" asks Cook, looking perplexed.
"I was going to ask, um, Kyle if he wanted to go to the library with me, but he was busy with, um, oh my heck, he was busy with Tiemann." The words leave him so fast that he feels almost exhausted when he has finally said it.
"You mean?" asks Cook, smirking.
"I think so?"
"That's good though, right?" asks Kris.
David shrugs and Cook laughs.
"What are you laughing about?" asks Tiemann, suddenly standing in the doorway, glancing at the three of them. David giggles and Kris holds up a hand in front of his mouth, trying to hide his amusement. Cook, however, just walks over to Tiemann and throws an arm around his shoulder, forcing him to step into the cell.
"We are laughing at you, you dog," says Cook, wriggling his eyebrows suggestively. Tiemann just stares at him, not looking at all amused.
The entire situation gets even more funny when Kyle shows up, looking at the four of them: Cook laughing, David and Kris trying to stop laughing and Tiemann, well, Tiemann is just looking like he is about five seconds from killing them all with his bare hands. David sees the hands clench and unclench, but for some reason he just finds it even more so amusing and leans against Kris to bury his face in the crook of Kris' neck.
"What the fuck?" says Kyle.
"They know," is all Tiemann says, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Hey," says Kyle, taking a step forward, pointing at them one by one, his finger moving in the air as he tries to decide whom to focus on. "This doesn't mean I'm his punk though, just so we are all clear."
Tiemann snorts, and Kyle huffs, annoyed.
The bell rings, signalling that it's time for dinner. Cook grabs his arm as David gets up from the bed, and together they watch as the other three inmates leave the cell, heading towards the cafeteria.
"Tonight," says Cook, smiling as he leans down to kiss David's mark on the neck. "Tonight we'll continue what we started earlier before we were so rudely interrupted."
David swallows and nods, kind of, um, already looking forward to lights out. "Promise?" he asks, perhaps a little too eager. Cook turns them around and pushes him up against the wall.
"Got my word," is the answer, short and precise and so full of promises that it makes David shiver with anticipation and want. In fact, he hardly even feels hungry anymore.
~
The sky is a gorgeous blue, barely any clouds in sight. Now that summer is over again, the weather is turning a bit colder, especially in the afternoons, but as long as it's not raining, David won't complain. Not that he really complains when it rains. But Cook complains, which means that they end up staying in their cell rather than going out and get their daily amount of fresh air. Honestly, David doesn't care what the weather is like, as long as he gets to be outside.
He tries to imagine himself on the outside again, and closes his eyes to better be able to picture it all. It is weird to think that he will be out of here in two months time, that he has already been in here for more than a year. He wonders if he will see Andy Skib and Kris again. Last he heard from them, they were living together in an apartment, though the letter had been vague to say the least.
"David, what are you doing?" asks Cook, moving so close that David can feel him against his shoulder.
"Shuush," he says, cracking an eye open to look at Cook, smiling widely, "I'm thinking of the future."
Cook's warm hand reaches out to touch his cheek, "Am I in your future?"
David smiles and closes his eyes again, imaging how things are supposed to be. Him and Cook standing in front of a house with a small garden, a dog running around, waggling its tail, just like Cook had told him, and the sun is shining bright and there's a gentle breeze against his skin.
"Yeah, you're right next to me," he says, opening his eyes to look at Cook again.
Cook smiles, the smile reaching his eyes and making him look so much more handsome than David has ever seen him before. Cook's eyes flicker down to his lips, and David unconsciously licks them, knowing what's coming next.
When they kiss, it's not rough or quick, but rather a slow, gentle kiss that makes David want to smile and sigh at the same time.
fin.
~
masterpost | part i | part ii | part iii | part iv | part v | part vi
part six
A couple of weeks later, Kyle shows up to dinner with a huge bruise on the left side of his chin. It looks painful, and David winces in sympathy, his own chin hurting just by looking at it. He can only imagine how it must feel.
He is amazed that Kyle continues to decline - or rather, use not so sophisticated words (last time there had been lots of swearing, way too much for David's like) - whenever the suggestion of accepting Tiemann's offer is mentioned.
Kyle, for some reason, seems to be prone to accidents. Though they are not really accidents, David knows. The inmates prod at Kyle, push him around, and David knows that this is where the two of them definitely differ. Personally, he would have given up long ago - in fact, he gave up rather, maybe even pathetically in some people's opinion, quickly - but Kyle! Kyle seems to like egging them on, almost as if he thrives on it, like he gets a kick out of fighting.
"Ouch," says Kris, mirroring David's wince, when he sits down at the table, two trays of food placed on the table. Andy Skib grabs one of them, pulling it closer, and Kris pulls the other one closer to himself. David watches Kyle watching it, and catches the look of disdain on his face.
Him and Cook are different than Andy Skib and Kris though. Normally it is Cook who carries the trays while David loads them with food. He realizes that Kris' way of acting is exactly what Kyle hates about the whole punk-system. David glances at Tiemann who is still standing in line, talking with Castro about something, the dreadlocked inmate looking slightly perplexed and uncertain to how to act around Tiemann. David pities Jason Castro, because everyone knows that Tiemann is not the most, well, um, friendly guy.
"Just one more week," says Cook, and David turns his head to look at Cook. His boyfriend is looking at Andy Skib, and David follows Cook's gaze until he is looking at the dark-haired inmate as well.
Kris leans against Andy Skib's shoulder, and David smiles fondly at the display, finding himself lean slightly against Cook's side as well. Kyle huffs on the other side of the table, but David tries to ignore it. This is about Andy Skib.
"Are you excited?" asks David, picking up his glass of juice.
"It'll be nice getting out of here," replies Andy Skib, voice curt and low, looking at Kris for a brief moment before finally looking at David. David's smile falters just a bit. Andy Skib leaving means that Kris will be alone. Well, not technically alone. Cook and Tiemann will both take care of him, they promised, but David knows that Kris is worried. Understandably so, David thinks, fully knowing that he would be too, if Cook were to leave this place before him. In fact, the weeks they spent apart when Cook had been thrown in dissociation were horrible, and the thought of not seeing him ever again until when they are both on the other side of these walls makes him feel a bit sick to his stomach.
"Gotta' be fucking awesome man, to leave this place behind," comments Kyle, completely ignoring the looks that he receives.
"I suppose," says Andy Skib, eyes narrowing into tiny slits as he regards Kyle with this cool lofty look that makes David glad that he is not on the receiving end of it. "Though it will naturally be with mixed feelings. I am, after all, leaving behind friends." Kris lowers his head at the last word, and David can see that the other inmate blush somewhat at the words.
"But you'll get out soon too, though, right?" asks David, trying to turn this into something positive. It is, after all, a good thing for Andy Skib and part of him feels like they ought to at least acknowledge that, no matter how sad it is that Kris will still be in here while his boyfriend is outside of these walls.
"Yes, uh," says Kris, a hand reaching up to scratch the back of his neck. David has noticed that he does that a lot when he is nervous. "I have my parole hearing next month, so if everything goes as it should, I'll probably be out of here in a month or two. But, yeah. You never know. I might not get approved for my parole."
David offers his friend a smile, reaching out a hand to gently squeeze Kris's other hand that still lies on the table. "Everything will be fine," he promises, even though he has no clue how it will all turn out. But he hopes Kris will get his parole, hopes so much that his heart my burst with want for this to happen.
"Yeah," says Cook, smiling as well. Kris' face relaxes, and David's smile softens.
Kyle snorts and starts to eat his food. David looks at Kris who is smiling, though he seems a bit… well, hurt maybe, kind of like he is trying not to let Kyle get to him. David kind of wants to kick Kyle across his shin. Childish? Yes, maybe, and definitely also out of his character, he knows, but Kyle needs to learn that he should not be mean to people. He ignores the irony of the fact that they are in prison. If he closes his eyes, he can sometimes forget that he is in here, and he figures that it works as well if he tries his best to think of this as if they are on the outside. However, he does not get a chance to act on his desire to kick - not that he would ever actually do it, as his mom taught him never to be violent - as Tiemann approaches the table.
"What the fuck," says Tiemann when he places his tray down next to Kyle, finally having made it out of the line. David watches as Tiemann sits, a hand reaching out to grab Kyle's chin and forces Kyle to turn his head so he can see the entirety of the bruise that now graces Kyle's face. Kyle winces and tries to pull away, but David can see that Tiemann has a good grip on the other inmate, a grip that he knows from personal experience can be difficult to break free from.
Cook has the same kind of grip when he wants to, and this is just another reminder how close the two of them are. Even though David knows that they are merely friends, he still feels that spark of jealousy hit him whenever he thinks of the intimacy of their relationship. Mostly emotionally wise, but he knows from experience that they have also been intimate intimate before. At least in here, but he has his suspicions that they might have been so on the outside as well, though he is too afraid to ask Cook, mainly because he isn't sure if he actually wants to know?
"Who hurt you?" asks Tiemann, and David blinks, realizing that he had momentarily zoned out a bit. Cook nudges him with his elbow, and David turns to find Cook smirking at him and wriggling his eyebrows in that weird way that makes David laughs. It does this time too, but Cook just continues to smirk and nods inconspicuously to Tiemann and Kyle who are in a heated debate about Kyle not wanting to share the information about his bruise.
"None of your business. I'm not your punk, so fuck off," says Kyle, but David can hear that his voice does not have the same kind of bite to it, like it usually has. Almost as if he does not mind that Tiemann is meddling in his business, despite what he says.
"No, but you're my cellie," says Tiemann, as if that matters. David thinks it is maybe a bit weak of an argument, and Kyle must think so too, because he just rolls his eyes. However, Kyle does not turn his face away when Tiemann's grip loosens and instead moves his fingers to touch the sore spot almost tenderly.
Cook nudges him again and lifts his eyebrow; obviously trying to communicate silently with David, except, um, David is not entirely sure what he is supposed to say. Cook makes a face.
"Oh, um," he says, when he suddenly realizes what Cook is trying to make him say. "We're all friends. I know you didn't really, um, want to be friends, but we, err, are now. We're all just concerned? I mean, we don't want you to be hurt." Cook made him practice saying this, though he has a distinct feeling that he did not managed to get it all right. Still, Cook looks pleased, so he figures he might have said some of the right stuff, or at least enough of it.
Kyle pulls away from Tiemann's hand and eyes him warily for a couple of seconds.
"I suppose," he finally says.
"Yeah," says Kris, jumping in to save David. "You're one of us now, Kyle. You kind of have been since you got here, and you know it, so there's no point in trying to deny it. We don't want anyone to hurt you if we can prevent it. That's all there is to it."
Kyle rises from his seat, and David fears that maybe they went a bit overboard. He cannot understand why Tiemann cannot just find another punk, but for some reason the tattooed inmate has set his eyes on Kyle and refuses to give up. David suspects that he maybe kind of likes the chase - a lot. Because he has been less, um, sulky (maybe?) since Kyle got here, and even though he is being turned down constantly by Kyle, he kind of seems a bit happier than David has ever seen him before.
"You don't have to fight alone," says David. He knows it is kind of horrible of him to use Kyle's own words against him, and as soon as the words have left his mouth, he feels bad and wishes that he could take them back. This is one of the things that he does not like about Cook and Tiemann and maybe even Andy Skib as well. They are prepared to say and do anything in order to get what they want, and now David is doing that as well for them.
Cook places an arm around his waist, dexterous letting his fingers run up and down David's side, making him squirm a bit in his seat. He tries to tell himself that he has to do it, that he is Cook's punk and this is prison - in here, you play your part in order to survive, though it no longer feels like a part. He loves Cook, and he would do anything for him, only thing is that Cook would also do anything for Tiemann, which is why he is currently in this situation. He thinks maybe it is a bit unfair to Kyle, but Cook had been insistent, immediately telling David to use that line the moment they had shared his and Kyle's conversation with his boyfriend after they had, um, finished.
Kyle glances at him, looking torn between storming off and sitting down again. Finally, after a tug on his sleeve from Tiemann, he settles back down in his seat.
"They want me to deal their drugs for them," he finally admits, and David finds himself looking around in the cafeteria even though he has no idea who they are. "I told them no. I'm not fucking dealing with drugs anymore."
"Is dealing the reason why you ended up in here?" asks Kris, looking sympathetic, leaning forward in his seat. David looks back at Kyle, swallowing. He has never asked Kyle why he was here. It seems almost too personal to know why anyone is in here. The reason why any of them is in here is after all a part of their history. Personally, David is ashamed of what he did, even though it was technically an accident. It had all happened so fast - too fast for David to even react properly - and then his fate was sealed because he got a lawyer who was, in Cook's words, shitty. He normally does not believe in talking bad about people, but even he has to agree here. Except, as he tries to tell himself when he wakes in the middle of the night from a nightmare of the incident, if he had never ended up here, he would never have met Cook. Or Kris or Andy Skib or even Tiemann.
"A kid OD'ed on it and died. They said it was my fault because I was his dealer. Not my fault my supplier gave me a bad product."
"Who wants you to deal?" asks Tiemann, sounding… well. David thinks that angry is the best word for Tiemann's low and dangerous tone right now. He instinctively huddles closer to Cook, and Cook wraps his arm around him without a word. Like they just fit, like a jigsaw puzzle maybe, he thinks, a soft smile gracing his lips. Cook squeezes his hip fondly.
Kyle nods towards a table, and David recognizes some of the face. It is a group though, of men that he is not familiar with, and judging by their appearance and, um, tattoos too, he is glad that he has never needed to associate with them. He does not know why they are in prison, but something tells him that whatever it is, they are definitely guilty, very much so. It is mean to judge people on their appearance, he knows that, and he also knows that his mom would maybe tell him to behave in Spanish if she knew that he did that, however he cannot help himself.
Tiemann gets up and walks resolutely towards the table, not a care in the world that he is walking into a dangerous zone where he is outnumbered four to one. Cook's hand falls from David's hip, and David watches as Cook stands up, hands clenching into fists as he prepares himself to have Tiemann's back if he needs it. David on the other hand, prepares himself to disappear if anything should happen. A shared look with Kris tells him that the other inmate is doing the same as him. Andy Skib too, which David definitely can understand as Andy Skib is leaving next week, and he does not need to be implicated in any prison related fights as they might fuck up everything for him.
David cannot hear what is being said, but Tiemann looms over one of the guys and they nod their heads, almost in sync. Then Tiemann turns, points towards Kyle. David looks away from the spectacle to watch Kyle, who in return looks a bit flustered. Voices are being raised, and it ends with Tiemann punching one of the men on the jaw.
Johns and three other guards appear by the table quickly, calming the situation before the other inmate gets a chance to lay a punch on Tiemann.
None of them are being escorted out of the cafeteria; however, Johns is pushing Tiemann back to their table while the other three guards are trying to calm the hurt inmate. Johns has his black truncheon drawn and ready to be used in case any of the inmates should try anything.
"That was stupid, Tiemann," says Johns, but David swears - except he does not really swear - that he can see a twinkle in Johns' eyes, like he finds it amusing.
"He punched Kyle," sneers Tiemann.
Johns just raises an eyebrow.
Cook sits down next to David again, and David relaxes. He notices out of the corner of his eye that Kris and Andy Skib shares a look before getting up, leaving them without a word.
"I don't see why that's any of your concern," says Johns, sounding impatient.
"Kyle's a friend," is all Tiemann says.
Kyle looks curious and maybe also a bit embarrassed.
Johns leaves them, and the guard is barely out of sight when the other inmate says, loud enough for any inmates sitting close by to hear it, "Thanks Neal, but this doesn't mean that I'll be your punk."
David cannot help but let out a short laugh at the absurdity of it all. They had been trying to make Kyle pliant to the idea, yet he seemed to know exactly what they had been up to. Still, he sounded pleased, so maybe the idea had worked just a bit after all.
"Wanna' play cards?" asks Kyle, looking at David. David glances down at his barely touched food, and nods. He is not really hungry. He pushes his tray towards Cook, and gets up.
"See you soon?" he asks, looking down at Cook.
"Yeah, stay in one of the cells," says Cook, pushing David's tray into the middle of the table so he can share it with Tiemann as well. David nods and without much thought does an awkward wave as well. He has no idea why he did it, but still blushes when Kyle teases him about it all the way back to Kyle's and Tiemann's cell. Yes, they are definitely getting closer to being friends, he thinks, and playfully elbows Kyle's arm, making the other inmate stumble a bit.
~
Kris is sad that Andy Skib is now gone but refuses to show it, telling David that he needs to focus on his upcoming hearing for his parole, which means that the southern inmate is spending quite a lot of time with his lawyer, going over his testimony and whatnot. David is not completely sure what is required. He is sad though, not just that Andy Skib is gone, but that Kris whom he knows is sad does not even have time to dwell on the fact that his boyfriend and protector has left. But mostly, as egoistical as it sounds, he just kind of feels sorry for himself, because even though he still has Cook, he misses Kris' company more than he ever thought he would. A small part of him dreads the day where Kris will get his parole - which David knows for sure he will get as Kris is like one of those model-inmates who have no fights on his records.
Kris is not the only one sad about Andy Skib leaving the prison. Cook is sad, though he tries not to show it, but David knows, because Cook is even more protective of him than usual, never leaving his side for more then a few minutes at a time. He is not entirely sure if Tiemann's is sad as well, as he has only seen him at meal times in the last couple of days. This also reminds him that it has been a while since he last hung out with Kyle.
Andrew, Cook's younger brother whom David thinks is pretty awesome - if maybe a little weird sometimes, but still really fun and sweet - is visiting Cook today, so for the first time in weeks, David is all by himself. It feels weird sitting in his cell alone, so he decides to go find Kyle, hoping to maybe be able to persuade the other inmate to go with him to the library. Cook prefers that he does not go anywhere alone, so David really hopes that Kyle will go with him so he does not have to ask Tiemann.
Cook keeps telling him to just call him Neal, but for some reason David cannot really make himself use the name as he has gotten used to saying Tiemann. It does not help either that Tiemann had been sitting next to them had made a face when Cook had told David that he was actually allowed to call him Neal.
He leaves the cell, eyes quickly scanning the area before stepping out completely. Then he heads to Kyle's and Tiemann's cell.
"Hi David," says Castro when he passes him. David smiles and nods in return, muttering a small hello in return.
He hears the noises before he makes it to the cell. He pauses a few feet away from the cell, swiftly looking around to make sure that no one is behind him. Then he hears noises again, and realizes that they are coming from the cell. He walks slowly and silently until he can look inside the cell.
A gasp pushes past his lips before he can stop it. Oh gosh.
Tiemann has Kyle up against the wall, pants down and um. David steps back quickly, leaning against the wall as he tries to stop blushing. Kyle - it is definitely Kyle, thinks David, recognizing the voice - moans inside the cell and David swallows and hurries away back to his own cell.
He feels flustered and embarrassed and also, maybe just a tiny bit turned on. He presses the heel of his palm against his erection, willing himself to not be turned out by the display he had seen. It is wrong to, um, listen to other people having, um, gosh, having like sex! He knows that.
He has calmed down completely when Cook returns half an hour later, looking cheerful, carrying a package of something under his arm.
"Andrew brought a batch of my mom's cookies," he says, grinning widely.
"Cookies aren't good for you," chides David, but still accepts one when Cook holds out one for him. It's good. In fact, it is very, very good, he thinks.
"Fuck," says Cook, voice all strange and low and, um, David looks up and sees the heated look in Cook's eyes, the way he breathes funnily. David crooks his head, looking confused at Cook.
"You are so hot, pet," says Cook, sitting down on the bed next to David, a hand starting to run up and down his thigh, the batch of cookies momentarily forgotten on the bed next to David. He blushes as Cook leans closer, taking a bite of David's cookie, their eyes locked together. David feels like he cannot possibly look away, but he does not care, because he does not want to look away. His breath hitches in his throat, and he feels this weird kind of butterfly-like feeling in the pit of his stomach.
Cook's fingers curl around David's hand, mouth moving down to take the last part of the cookie, lips closing around David's fingers in the process. He whines, completely breathless by now.
"Want another one?" asks Cook, lifting an eyebrow, grinning. David just nods, and Cook leans over him to grab another cookie from the box. This time it is Cook who holds it, and David takes a bite from it when Cook presses it against his parted lips. He lowers his eyelashes coyly and watches as Cook takes a bite from the cookie as well.
Normally, he would have been too embarrassed to ever do anything like this, but Cook seems to bring out the want in him; the side that craves and begs for touches and smiles and - Cook's hand on his thigh moves to cup the slight bulge in David's pants, and David moans and lifts his hips just a bit, pressing against the warm hand.
"Cook," he breathes, close to almost sobbing, too caught in the moment to be embarrassed about his reaction.
Cook hushes him and presses the last piece of the cookie into David's mouth. David catches the fingers with his teeth, licking the tips quietly, looking at Cook.
"I want you right now," whispers Cook, and David nods.
They are about five seconds from maybe quite possibly tearing each other's clothes off when Kris appears outside of their cell. He looks just as surprised as David had felt an hour ago when he had accidentally walked in on Tiemann and Kyle going at it.
Cook groans, looking like he might just still continue with what they are doing despite the fact that they now have an audience, but David pushes him away, embarrassed, though with a smile and a silent promise that they will continue after lights out.
"Sorry, I can, err, I can leave?" says Kris quickly, though it comes out more as a question, looking away as Cook gets up from the bed and adjusts himself in his pants. David clears his throat and grabs his pillow, covering his groin, blushing as Cook just smirks at him.
"Sorry," says Kris, a hint of a smirk on his lips, like he finds it amusing. David just finds it incredibly, um, awkward. Still, he gestures for Kris to come in and sit down on the bed. Kris does so, claiming the spot next to David that Cook had just gotten up from.
There is a pregnant pause where none of them say anything. It is uncomfortable, so David takes the box containing the cookies that Cook had gotten from Andrew, and offers Kris one. Cook gives him a heated look, and David lowers his eyes and closes them until his eyelashes rest against his cheeks, trying to collect himself.
"These are good," says Kris, munching away on a cookie. David just nods, feeling like he has got a toad stuck in his throat. Cook laughs and leans down, hand resting just above David's knee as he grabs a cookie with his other hand from the box.
"Yes, they are, aren't they?" asks Cook. David looks up, eyes going wide for a split second as Cook claims a kiss from him. It is a relatively sweet and innocent kiss. No tongues, just two sets of lips pressing together in a familiar way. David loves it.
"How did your meeting with your lawyer go?" asks Cook. David blinks, dazed and maybe also a bit disoriented, and realizes that Cook is now standing up against the wall a couple of feet away from him
"Good. She sounds positive, thinks that if I just stick to my statement and ace the physiological test that I'll be out of here in a couple of weeks."
David smiles, "That's good news!"
Cook nods. "That's awesome dude. I bet Andy will be thrilled to see you on the outside."
Kris frowns. David looks up at Cook, and Cook, well, he pushes away from the wall and looms over Kris. "You are going to see him on the outside, right?"
"What if things are different on the outside?" asks Kris, sounding so very young and scared.
Cook's face softens, and David reaches out tentatively, hand grasping Kris' hand, squeezing it gently, hoping that Kris will find it comforting.
"You owe it to yourself to give it a chance at least," he says, looking briefly at Cook before looking back at Kris who just nods, looking so confused.
"Everything will be the same on the outside - better, even, I think. You'll see," says Cook, leaving no room for arguing. Kris does not look like he wants to argue, let alone like he wants to talk anymore, so David says the first thing that comes to his mind.
"They are, um, doing it," he blurts out.
"What?" asks Cook, looking perplexed.
"I was going to ask, um, Kyle if he wanted to go to the library with me, but he was busy with, um, oh my heck, he was busy with Tiemann." The words leave him so fast that he feels almost exhausted when he has finally said it.
"You mean?" asks Cook, smirking.
"I think so?"
"That's good though, right?" asks Kris.
David shrugs and Cook laughs.
"What are you laughing about?" asks Tiemann, suddenly standing in the doorway, glancing at the three of them. David giggles and Kris holds up a hand in front of his mouth, trying to hide his amusement. Cook, however, just walks over to Tiemann and throws an arm around his shoulder, forcing him to step into the cell.
"We are laughing at you, you dog," says Cook, wriggling his eyebrows suggestively. Tiemann just stares at him, not looking at all amused.
The entire situation gets even more funny when Kyle shows up, looking at the four of them: Cook laughing, David and Kris trying to stop laughing and Tiemann, well, Tiemann is just looking like he is about five seconds from killing them all with his bare hands. David sees the hands clench and unclench, but for some reason he just finds it even more so amusing and leans against Kris to bury his face in the crook of Kris' neck.
"What the fuck?" says Kyle.
"They know," is all Tiemann says, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Hey," says Kyle, taking a step forward, pointing at them one by one, his finger moving in the air as he tries to decide whom to focus on. "This doesn't mean I'm his punk though, just so we are all clear."
Tiemann snorts, and Kyle huffs, annoyed.
The bell rings, signalling that it's time for dinner. Cook grabs his arm as David gets up from the bed, and together they watch as the other three inmates leave the cell, heading towards the cafeteria.
"Tonight," says Cook, smiling as he leans down to kiss David's mark on the neck. "Tonight we'll continue what we started earlier before we were so rudely interrupted."
David swallows and nods, kind of, um, already looking forward to lights out. "Promise?" he asks, perhaps a little too eager. Cook turns them around and pushes him up against the wall.
"Got my word," is the answer, short and precise and so full of promises that it makes David shiver with anticipation and want. In fact, he hardly even feels hungry anymore.
~
The sky is a gorgeous blue, barely any clouds in sight. Now that summer is over again, the weather is turning a bit colder, especially in the afternoons, but as long as it's not raining, David won't complain. Not that he really complains when it rains. But Cook complains, which means that they end up staying in their cell rather than going out and get their daily amount of fresh air. Honestly, David doesn't care what the weather is like, as long as he gets to be outside.
He tries to imagine himself on the outside again, and closes his eyes to better be able to picture it all. It is weird to think that he will be out of here in two months time, that he has already been in here for more than a year. He wonders if he will see Andy Skib and Kris again. Last he heard from them, they were living together in an apartment, though the letter had been vague to say the least.
"David, what are you doing?" asks Cook, moving so close that David can feel him against his shoulder.
"Shuush," he says, cracking an eye open to look at Cook, smiling widely, "I'm thinking of the future."
Cook's warm hand reaches out to touch his cheek, "Am I in your future?"
David smiles and closes his eyes again, imaging how things are supposed to be. Him and Cook standing in front of a house with a small garden, a dog running around, waggling its tail, just like Cook had told him, and the sun is shining bright and there's a gentle breeze against his skin.
"Yeah, you're right next to me," he says, opening his eyes to look at Cook again.
Cook smiles, the smile reaching his eyes and making him look so much more handsome than David has ever seen him before. Cook's eyes flicker down to his lips, and David unconsciously licks them, knowing what's coming next.
When they kiss, it's not rough or quick, but rather a slow, gentle kiss that makes David want to smile and sigh at the same time.
fin.
~
masterpost | part i | part ii | part iii | part iv | part v | part vi