The end of the world, or at least Los Angeles California, came as a surprise to just about everyone. A series of massive explosions, non-nuclear in origin fortunately, took out all communication and wiped out major portions of the population. Hollywood was gone, up to and including the famous sign. Million dollar homes in the hills suddenly became valuable only as a means of being able to see the enemy coming, even though people didn’t really know who the enemy was. Downtown LA burned and fell literally to pieces, the high-rises being the first to crumble.

Amidst the backdrop of this spectacular loss of life, property, and even civilization, were smaller battles over food, water, and security. Families and neighborhoods either banded together to protect one another, or tore out each other’s throats, even as early as that very first day while the bombs were still going off.

The only thing that Brian O’Connor cared about after what he thought was the last explosion to rock Burbank, was getting from his apartment in the Valley to Mia, thirty long minutes away by freeway, on a good day, down in East LA. Neither regular phones, nor cells were working, not that he was really surprised. Not sure what he was going to find when he went out, Brian loaded his pistol, shotgun, and belted on a few hunting knives for good measure. After packing clothes in a backpack, he shoved as much bottled water, and most of his canned goods, into a duffel bag and ran out to his car.

His brain pounded with the need to make sure that Mia was all right, even though every time he’d tried to talk to her in the last eight months had ended with her throwing heavy or sharp objects at him. Phone calls had been a waste of time, especially once she invested in caller ID and just stopped picking up the phone when he called.

This was different, though. This was life and death and, if Brian knew people as well as he thought he did, everything would fast deteriorate into chaos. Mia was alone in that big house and everyone on that block knew it. There were a lot of families there, but it also edged into gang territory. Cops would be scarce, assuming that they were even able to get to their precincts to form a game plan. Most would probably be trying to keep order in their own neighborhoods, if they weren’t already dead.

Driving down Victory Blvd. to get to Front Street proved to be an eye-opener. The Burbank Water & Power was leveled, as were the car dealerships opposite. Half a block away, Nickelodeon Studios was a hole in the ground, along with, he assumed, the Metro station, which was a block further in the other direction. He had to turn back, take an alternate route where there was actually still a road to use. By the time he got to the freeway, Brian was focused on nothing but driving, avoiding gaps in the road and people milling around with no clear thought for their own safety, zombies due to shock and/or injury.

The freeway was empty of cars, like an artery that had completely spilled its lifeblood. There were some wrecks to the side, but Brian didn’t dare look to see if anyone needed help. The ground continued to shake with either earthquake tremors, distant bombs, or both. Several times, Brian swerved off the road, unable to keep control of his relatively light-weight car.

By the time he reached the Third St. exit almost an hour later, his hands ached from holding the steering wheel in place. Thank God he’d filled up the tank just the day before. The memory of bitching about gas that was well over $2.00/gallon surfaced and his laugh held more than a little hysteria.

Pulling onto the right street at last, Brian breathed a sigh of relief at the miraculously untouched sight. No bombs, no looting, no violence at all, so far as he could see. How that had happened, he hadn’t a clue and didn’t care. Maybe people had felt the bombs go off and were too scared to go anywhere. Parking in the driveway, Brian climbed out of the car, shouldered his bag, and grabbed the shotgun before running to the front door to pound on it.

“Mia! Mia, it’s me! It’s Brian, open up!” he shouted, shifting over to peek in the porch window.

The door opened a few seconds later and he found her in jeans and t-shirt with frightened, dark eyes, long hair braided over her shoulder. “Brian, what the hell is going on? What’s with all the fire-power?”

Brian hurried inside and answered, “The end of the world, for all I know. Bombs’re going off everywhere, Mia, Jesus, I’m so glad you’re okay!”

“Bombs?” Mia exclaimed. “Bombs? Are you insane? Brian!”

After dropping the bag on the living room floor, Brian set the shotgun on the coffee table and answered, “Yeah, bombs. Burbank’s wiped out, so is Downtown, I saw it from the freeway. I don’t know what the hell happened, but we’re in some serious shit now. All right. Look, we need to expect the worst here. Did Dom leave any weapons around, for a ‘just in case,’ scenario?”

Mia nodded. “Yeah, in the barn. I’ll show you.”

He followed her out back to the barn/garage, but not before picking up the shotgun again. She stopped at a wreck by a side wall and said, “There’s a trapdoor under there.”

Looking around, Brian found a pulley that would move it and set the gun on the nearest table. It took almost twenty minutes to hook it up, even with Mia’s help, but they finally got it up and were able to swing the skeleton of the car out of the way. It took all of Brian’s strength to pull up the trapdoor in the floor, being that it was a slab of concrete with an iron ring as a handle, but he finally managed it.

A ladder led down into darkness and Mia wordlessly handed him a flashlight. Climbing down, he swung the light around the small room and whistled, impressed by the collection of automatic and semi-automatic weapons, not to mention a cabinet of handguns and...shit! Grenades? Flashing a brief grin up at Mia, he observed, “Damn, Mia, if this is ‘just in case,’ I’d hate to see him prepare for the end of the world.”

Returning the grin, Mia replied, “You know Dom. Better safe than sorry.”

Brian nodded and, after thinking about it a second, said, “I think we should take a couple back to the house, but leave the rest here for safekeeping.”

“What if we have to get to it in a hurry?” Mia pointed out.

A quick scan around the garage and Brian spotted when they needed. “Bring that slab over.”

She nodded and went to grab the smallish square of metal while Brian recovered two pistols with ammo and another shotgun with rounds. Climbing out of the hole, Brian fit the metal over the opening and then they swung the wreck in front of it, hiding, but not obstructing the cache. That done, Brian motioned Mia back towards the house, handing her the two Glocks while he carried the shotguns. Once inside the kitchen, he hesitated, not sure what to do next.

“Have you eaten?” Mia asked gently.

Brian blinked at her a few times then shook his head. “No.”

“Then let me fix you something.”

“I don’t think I could eat it.”

Closing the distance between them, Mia rubbed his shoulder, looking up at him sadly. “We should eat now. We don’t know what could happen next.”

Knowing she was right didn’t make his appetite appear, but Brian nodded agreement and asked, “Need some help?”

“No, thanks.”

And just like that, the gulf between them was back in full force. Sighing, Brian went into the living room to retrieve his bags and take a look out the front door. There were people gathered in the street now, as if his arrival had freed them from paralysis, and Brian grimaced as a few looked his way. They were mostly mothers holding onto their kids pretty tightly, only a few men in the mix.

Figuring that he was the closest thing to a cop in the area, despite his lack of badge, Brian called back to Mia, “I’m going out front to talk to your neighbors. I’ll be right back.”

The clattering in the kitchen stopped and Mia hurried into the living room. “I’ll go with you.”

Knowing that was a good idea, Brian took the hand she offered, grateful for the support, and they walked outside, towards the biggest cluster; about twenty men and women with their kids.

“What’s going on?” one of the women demanded anxiously.

Another asked, just as frightened, “Was there an accident at the plant? Is that why we don’t have any power?”

Looking back at the scared faces, Brian took a deep breath and said simply, “I think it’s war. There were explosions, bombs, and Downtown’s been wiped out.”

Shock rooted everyone to the spot. The youngest child, a toddler, began to cry from all the tension, maybe held too tight by its mother. The babble, mostly in Spanish, started a few seconds after that, people talking over each other, asking him too many questions for him to follow, even as fluent in Spanish as he was.

Holding up his hands, Brian exclaimed, “Quiet, everyone, please! Look, there’s nothing that we can do right now. Dom has a ham radio in the garage that I’m going to try and get working. If any of you have battery operated radios, turn them on and see if you can get any news. If we stick together, we’ll be fine.”

There was a translation for those who didn’t speak English, and slowly, the crowd dispersed. Breathing a sigh of relief, Brian turned to Mia and was promptly engulfed in a hug. Her arms slid around his waist, her face pressed to his throat.

Surprised, Brian nonetheless put his arms around her and held her tight for a few seconds. Kissing her temple, he whispered, “Let’s get breakfast and then I’ll get started on the radio.”

Mia nodded and pulled away, but kept her arm around his waist as they walked back to the house.

*  *  *  *

The rest of the morning passed in an eerie silence that kept Brian’s nerves on the razor’s edge. He was in the driveway with the radio on a table as he worked on it for a few reasons. He didn’t want anyone going into the garage and possibly stumbling onto the weapons if they came over to ask him questions. He was no soldier, but he couldn’t help but protect those who needed it. It was how he’d been since childhood.

Mia kept him company, sitting quietly in a chair as she read a one of her textbooks. She would talk to the women who stopped by now and again, helping to keep their block calm and free from panic. It was almost like the others looked to them for an example on how to behave, which probably wasn’t too far from the truth. Brian knew it was only human nature to look for someone else to follow in times of upheaval.

Just after noon, people drifted into the yard with food and a strange sort of barbecue started. No one knew how long the power would be out, so cooking the meat and chicken was a good idea. Neighbors brought over their own grills, the old fashioned, cheaper coal models completely unaffected by the lack of power. They used paper as tinder instead of lighter fluid, when Brian urged conservation.

The kids, being kids, started playing soccer in the yard while the adults talked quietly about what might be going on, elsewhere in the city and state. The country was too big of a question to even think about. All anyone had so far been able to get on the radio was static and the Emergency Broadcast Signal, but no actual news.

A couple of the men, introduced as Romero and Esteban, stuck around to help Brian tinker with the radio when people started to go back to their own homes. Romero, a big, easy-going Latino with dark eyes and a pot-belly, was soft-spoken and familiar enough with ham radios that Brian gave way to his expertise about twenty minutes into the conversation.

Esteban was a few years younger than Brian, with a new wife and baby to support, both still talking with Mia a short distance away, and new to the neighborhood. He average in build and looks, except for startling gray eyes that moved restlessly around the area. Esteban was restless on the whole, fidgeting or pacing as time went on, unable to sit still. From the constant crawling and squirming Esteban, Jr. did with his mother, Brian figured it was their nature, rather than the circumstances.

Around four in the afternoon, Romero was able to power up the radio, but couldn’t get anyone to answer him.

“I’ll keep trying,” he promised.

Brian nodded and said, “Someone will, anyhow. We’ll take turns. If anything, we should be able to get truckers once the insanity dies down.”

“Donde esta el Guard Nacional o la policia?” Esteban questioned abruptly.

Shrugging, Brian answered, “Ni idea.”

“Probablemente muertos,” Romero commented, grim.

Brian sighed, but had to silently agree. It was the sad fact that if there were any sort of government in place, they’d have seen the Guard or the cops by now. East LA was close enough to the center of the city that there should have been some kind of movement.

Delicate hands gripped Brian’s shoulder and Mia asked from behind, “You guys thirsty?”

There were nods all around and Brian patted her hand gratefully for the offer. She smiled at him in such a way that gave him hope that maybe, just maybe, she might eventually forgive him for the betrayal that had torn the others from her life. It was a long shot, but Brian would take any chance that presented itself.

She returned a few minutes later with cans of sodas, which was good. Brian didn’t want any alcohol clouding things up for anyone. Things were stressful enough without adding that to the mix. Brian watched her head back to Esteban’s wife, Cecilia, and couldn’t help but wonder what was going through her head. Was she glad, now, for the separation as that hopefully meant the others were better off, and safer, than they were?

Romero’s voice was a drone in the background already, the words repeated over and over as he searched for signs of civilization. Esteban didn’t seem to feel like talking anymore, which was more than all right with Brian. His own thoughts were going around and around about Dom and the others, wondering if they were safe. Wondering if they had, or ever could, forgive him. The family that he’d grown to love in less than a month.

Well, except maybe for Vince.

Grinning briefly at the thought, Brian stood and stretched, working out kinks in his back as best he could. Esteban had stood as well and walked over to Cecilia, gently rubbing her shoulder. Brian watched as they did that silent, married-couple communication thing that always made him a little wistful, no matter who the couple was. He was sure that he’d never have that for himself now. He’d come close, with Dom, but since the other man would never consider a relationship with him if he hadn’t betrayed them, Brian relegated it to the daydream pile.

“We’re going home,” Esteban said at last.

Brian shook hands with him and replied, “Good to meet you, Esteban, Cecilia.”

When they’d gone, he turned to Romero, who flashed him a tired smile as he took a drink between radio calls.

“Why don’t we pack this up?” Brian suggested. “I’ll come out again in a little bit and spend a couple of hours taking a turn, then we can pick it up fresh in the morning.”

Romero nodded agreement and they got the radio safely ensconced in the garage, shaking hands before the other man walked slowly towards his own house. That left Brian alone with Mia again, who’d already gone back inside. Sighing, Brian headed in as well, finding her at the sink, hand on the faucet. “You okay?”

“Do I look okay, Brian!?” she exclaimed. “For all I know, the others are dead! We don’t know what happened, how it got started, if it’s going to keep going. We don’t know anything!”

Putting his hands on her shoulders only turned Mia into a whirlwind of flailing arms and painful shin kicks. He pulled her tight, holding her through the dark emotions as she gave up the fight and just cried.

It seemed an eternity before she responded to his soft voice and the hand massaging her back, but she finally sighed and said, “I’m okay.”

Brian let her go cautiously. “You sure?”

“No,” she answered, rubbing her face with a wan smile. “But I will be...as long as you’re here. Thanks, Brian, for coming. I mean, with everything I’ve done to you...”

“It’s nothing compared to what I did,” Brian hastily assured her.

But she shook her head and took his hand, saying, “You tried to make amends. Hell, you did, really. You let Dom go, don’t think I don’t know that. You killed Tran for Jesse, and then just let Dom go. I know you’re not a cop anymore, I know you got fired because of us, and I’m, I’m sorry. I’m sure it meant a lot to you.”

Honest, Brian replied, “It did, just not as much as all of you.”

Offering a weak smile, Mia asked, “How about we start over? I hear the end of the world is great for a fresh start.”

Brian laughed, almost relaxing for the first time in eleven hours.

*  *  *  *

Sleeping on the couch with a gun under the pillow didn’t make for a comfortable night, but Brian had no idea what might happen and wanted to be ready. Being awake or dozing lightly gave him a lot of time to let his thoughts roam free. He remembered the last time he’d been at this house, the day of the aborted truck heist, Jesse’s death, and Dom’s disappearance.

“Busy day,” he muttered, unable to summon even the black humor that usually accompanied the words.

The look in Dom’s eyes just before he climbed painfully into the car was what he remembered most, though. For a split second, Brian had been positive that Dom had been going to ask him to go with him. He hadn’t though. The injured man had driven away while Brian had done his level best to keep the cops occupied long enough that the trail would be stone cold by the time Tanner got there to organize the search.

The IA investigation had been a picnic compared to the threatened jail time. There had been a lot of sleepless nights, waiting to find out if the Feds were going to press charges against him and send him to prison as a sacrificial lamb. He was still surprised that they’d let him go free at the end of that day, even on Tanner’s assurance that he wouldn’t try to escape. Of course, he hadn’t completely taken Brian at his word; there had been two units parked outside his apartment building.

It took almost two weeks for them to decide that there wasn’t enough hard evidence to charge Brian. He’d never felt more relieved in his life, no doubt about that. Going to prison would have been a hell that he might not have survived. Probably wouldn’t have survived, because he was sure the guards would’ve spread the word that he’d been a cop.

His thoughts drifted back to Dom, more often than not through the course of the night. The easy friendship that had sprung up between them; a surprise to both of them, Brian was sure. It had been for him, anyhow. He’d been drawn to Dom the first time he’d seen the man’s picture, though at first he’d identified the visceral emotion as contempt and disdain for a thug. As soon as he’d met Dom in the flesh, so to speak, Brian had known it was about as opposite from those concepts as possible.

Mia had summed it up best when she’d given him that half-smile in the yard and said knowingly, “You belong to him now.”

Brian hadn’t understood, then, what she’d meant. He’d thought it was about being part of the team, about being in a family for the first time ever. He hadn’t realized that there was just something about Dom that drew people to him, and he sure as hell hadn’t been immune. Brian remembered that first of many sleepless nights, thinking about how things had gone down in the race and after, at the party. It hadn’t been drinking Vince’s beer that had been the cherry on top, but rather the look in Dom’s eyes as he’d handed it to Brian that had brought up a fierce sense of elation.

The look in Dom’s eyes that had said that Brian had made an impact on the taciturn man, even if neither of them was sure what that would be.

An impact that had gone both ways because there had been at no time in his life, before meeting Dom, that Brian would have betrayed his Shield for anyone. Not even Rome. But then, he hadn’t been in love with Rome, either. They’d been best friends at one time, but Brian wouldn’t have tried to spring him out of jail or prevent him from getting there, as much as it had pained him.

Dom, on the other hand...well...there wasn’t anything Brian wouldn’t do for Dom and that included dying for him. Letting him go free hadn’t been anything at all, when it came down to it. Unfortunately, that had been all that he’d been able to do. Vince, Leon, and Letty had jumped bail all on their own, presumably to join Dom wherever he was.

Sighing as he stared at the ceiling, Brian prayed that Dom was somewhere safe and out of this insanity. Maybe somewhere down in South America. His hand roamed over his chest slowly as he thought about the other man. Picturing Dom in his mind, relaxed and smiling at some stupid joke Brian had made while they worked on the ten-second car-to-be together. Then he imagined what the other man looked like in passion, eyes dark with need and desire as he kissed Brian’s mouth like he owned it, because he did.

Dom’s hands rubbed Brian’s abs, fingers strong and sure as they caressed and pinched. Brian moaned into the hot mouth still possessing him, tongue tangling with Dom’s as he was tasted. Leaning over him on the sofa, Dom’s groin rubbed against Brian’s, causing him to gasp with pleasure.

“You look so good, Bri, so good,” Dom murmured against his lips. “Taste even better.”

Brian shuddered and arched up against the bigger man, hooking a leg over Dom’s hip for more. “Please, Dom, need you so bad.”

Eyes glinting in the darkness as he pulled back but didn’t stop rubbing against Brian, Dom rumbled, “I know. Gonna get in you so deep, you’re gonna feel me for a week, Bri. Gonna make you scream for me.”

Brian jerked out of the fantasy when the doorknob rattled, his hand instantly reaching under the pillow to grab the Glock. He primed it and rolled off the sofa to pad barefoot beside the door. It opened slowly and when someone stepped inside, Brian put the gun to his head and said, “Don’t move, or I blow your head off.”

There was a long moment of silence before, “Been a long time, Brian.”

Nearly sagging in relief at Leon’s voice, Brian pulled the gun away and exclaimed, “That’s a good way to get yourself killed, man!”

Even in the dark, Leon’s grin was easy to see and he shocked Brian by grabbing him in a bear hug. “It’s great to see you, Dog! Damn, I was praying you’d be here when I showed up! How’s Mia?”

“Worried sick about you!” Mia said as a flashlight found them.

Leon walked across the room and hugged her tight for a long minute, murmuring something too soft for Brian to hear, but it made her laugh shakily. Giving them some privacy, Brian looked out the front window and was relieved to see that there was still no activity in the neighborhood. Leon’s arrival hadn’t stirred anything up, fortunately.

Turning back to them, Brian asked, “So what did you see? What’s going on? Where are the others?”

“Let’s go into the kitchen,” Mia suggested.

Which they did, where candles were lit and a late supper/early breakfast made up for all of them. In the middle of the meal, probably realizing how anxious Mia and Brian were for news, Leon put down the sandwich and said, “It’s a warzone, in places. I come up from San Diego where I was visiting a friend of mine and for the most part, people are just keeping to themselves, waiting to see what happens, you know?”

Brian nodded, it was very much what they’d done, too.

“But some neighborhoods are under fire, and I’m not just talking about the ‘hood, either,” Leon continued, shaking his head. “Gangs are moving where they don’t usually go, with no cops to stop them. People are gettin’ hurt and killed, the ones who ain’t already dead from the bombs. I didn’t see a lot of movement on the freeway, some campers and people gettin’ the hell out of Dodge, headin’ towards Arizona and Utah, but I would’ve expected more.”

“Did San Diego get hit too?” Mia asked softly.

“With bombs? Yeah. You know, I don’t know if we’re under attack, or if some screw-up of our own did this, but I don’t think we’re going to get any help, any time soon,” Leon finished, starting to eat again.

“If, if Dom and the others are alive, they’ll be coming straight here,” Mia said. “We just have to hang in until they get here.”

Brian asked, “How long, do you think?”

Mia looked at Leon and suggested, “Tomorrow night?”

Nodding, Leon agreed, “Sounds about right.”

And then what? Brian wanted to ask, but didn’t. Would he be left behind? Would they stay and try to take care of the neighborhood until order got settled, if it ever did?

Too many questions.

They settled down for the night with Leon upstairs, like Mia, and Brian stretching out again on the sofa. Leon had offered to take a spell, but been waved off. Not that there was that much more time before daybreak, but Brian felt more comfortable with one of them near Mia and one by the door. Leon had seemed to understand and agree with him, going upstairs without too much argument.

Settled back on the sofa, gun under his pillow, Brian wondered how his life had gotten so fucked up that he was waiting for a felon on the run to arrive like a knight in shining armor.

*  *  *  *

“No don’t wake him, he’s exhausted,” Mia’s voice said softly. “You should’ve seen him yesterday, Leon. Organizing the neighborhood like he was Dom.”

“Except there weren’t any broken bones when he was done,” Leon joked, just as quiet.

She laughed, the noise hastily stifled, and Brian heard them walk from to the kitchen. He listened to the murmur of their voices and wondered what they talked about, but couldn’t summon the energy to get up and find out. Besides which, they’d just change the subject when he got there anyhow. His eyes remained closed as he drifted in and out of sleep while they continued to talk in the other room.

A crash from outside had Brian on his feet in a second, gun in hand, and at the door in another three. Looking out of the window showed no one at all, which sent the hairs rising on the back of his neck. The back window on Leon’s car had been smashed in, but there was no obvious perp.

“What do we have?” Leon asked.

Brian kept his eyes glued outside as he answered, “Don’t know yet.”

The unmistakable sound of a shotgun being primed echoed sharply beside him as Leon took his place on the other side of the door. “You want to go out and check?”

After only a brief hesitation, Brian nodded. They had to know what they were facing and staying inside wouldn’t tell them shit. “Stay on my left. Mia, keep the extra shotgun with you and if anyone you don’t know comes at you, use it.”

She swallowed nervously, but nodded. Brian took a second to cup her face and try to silently reassure her before heading outside, Leon a solid presence beside him. They went down the driveway to the street, and Brian caught sight of a few kids on bikes, pedaling as fast away as they could.

Letting out a shaky sigh of relief, Brian lowered his gun and said, “Just some kids.”

Leon flashed him an equally shaky grin as he replied, “I used to be those kids.”

In the daylight, Brian could see that Leon’s time on the run hadn’t been all that kind to him. Not that it would be, of course. There were bags under the other man’s eyes and he looked older, lines creased into his cheeks and forehead that made him look really different. With the brief grin, Brian saw a shade of the former man, the one he’d first met who’d grinned at him across the picnic table with Dom at its head.

“Why’d you leave them, Leon? Why go off on your own? Dom would’ve taken care of you.”

The questions stiffened Leon, a shuttered look coming over his face, hardening it further. “None of your fucking business, Brian. Let’s go back inside.”

Saddened by the change, Brian nonetheless put the gun in his shoulder harness. He shook his head and answered, “I’m gonna set up the radio again. Romero and Esteban’ll probably be over soon to give it another go.”

He got almost to the barn before Leon called out, “Brian, wait up!”

Turning back, Brian waited for him to catch up before continuing. He waved at Mia, who waved back through the window, then headed out back. They both remained silent as Brian brought out the radio on its table and set up shop again. All the time he was searching frequencies and asking for anyone to answer him, Brian felt those eyes on him. Mia came out a few times with sodas and breakfast, but she mostly stayed inside. Estaban and Cecilia did come over a couple hours into his stint on the radio and Brian gave up his seat without argument.

Romero was next to show up, but was only the start of the tide. It was like the Turetto house had become the de facto town hall. Not that Brian minded, really, since that meant he got to take stock of their neighbors again. He’d been too focused on helping get the radio in action to interact with the others very much. Now that he knew Esteban and Romero, he could leave that in their hands with confidence and get to know the others.

Before he knew it, it was lunchtime and he was refereeing the soccer game on the front lawn of boys vs. girls. It was easy to pretend that it was Memorial Day, or Labor Day, or even the Fourth of July, with the barbeque of more food, kids underfoot, live guitars instead of the radio, and women congregating in the kitchen.

It wasn’t though, and they were all reminded of that fact in late afternoon when Brian first heard the engines coming down the street; motorcycles, and a lot of them. Running to the street, he saw what had to be a gang of at least fifty men and women driving down from the far end of the road.

Meeting Leon’s gaze, he nodded towards the barn and was relieved to be understood as he saw Leon take a few of the men back there at a run. Brian would have to just talk fast until they got the weapons. The women and children melted into the house like ice on a hot summer day and Brian stood at the foot of the driveway with Romero, Esteban, and six other, unarmed, men.

The bikers stopped in formation in front of them, an impressive feat, considering how many of them there were. Looking them over, Brian’s cop-eye saw convict tats on the majority of them, and plenty of guns. Too many.

Stepping forward, he asked in a friendly tone, “Something we can do for you guys?”

For a moment, no one broke rank. Then a large, muscled man with handlebar mustache dismounted and walked over to him. A blond woman and older, buzz-cut gray-haired man followed suit, clearly the lieutenants. The leader looked him over, lips pursed beneath the bushy mustache, and countered, “You got any news of what the hell’s going on?”

Brian shook his head. “We woke up to bombs, same as everyone else. You’d know more than us, being on the road.”

“Those cars don’t have any dirt on them,” the man observed.

“Drove here to make sure my girlfriend was okay, but I only came down from Burbank,” Brian answered. He didn’t want anyone to think that Mia was unattached, if, God forbid, they stopped to hang around. “My friend showed up from San Diego last night, but other than that, no one’s left the ‘hood since it happened. How about you guys? You seen anything we should know about?”

Brian held the newcomer’s gaze for as long as he was stared at, not backing down. This was Dom’s home and he was damned if he was going to be moved.

“You’re a cop.”

“I was. Now I’m just a guy, protecting the ones he loves.”

For whatever reason, that seemed to set the man at east. A faint grin surfaced and he said, “You must be Brian. Dom said you’d be here.”

Brian blinked in surprise at Dom’s name and couldn’t find any words at first. Then he blurted, “Where’s Dom? Is he okay?”

The smile grew and the man answered, “Haven’t seen him for a couple of months, when we hooked up in a little town outside of Ensenada. Talked plenty about you, though. Thought someone went and stuck him with a voodoo spell or something.”

Something eased inside Brian at those words, the knowledge that Dom didn’t hate him soothing him at a fundamental level.

“Name’s Riley,” the man said, holding out his hand. “This is Pat, and Joe. You got some food to share?”

Grinning in relief, Brian nodded and turned to the men who’d backed him up. They’d caught on that the men weren’t hostile and relaxed a little. Leon and the other man came up just then, armed with pistols and shotguns, the heavier weapons still tucked away, Brian noted in approval.

“Riley? That you, Dog?” Leon demanded, incredulous.

Brian watched as Leon and Riley hugged tight and then Leon turned to the woman, Pat, and then to Joe. That seemed to be some sort of signal for the rest of the bikers to dismount and mill around. Riley walked with Brian back to the house while Leon stayed with Pat and Joe to organize necessities like bathroom visits.

“It’s okay, they’re friends!” Brian called out, in English and Spanish.

“We might not’ve been though. You should have your firepower closer at hand,” Riley informed him as they climbed the steps into the house. “Especially with what we’ve seen.”

“What have you seen?”

Jaw tightening, Riley said, “Let’s just say it’s a good thing I travel with a lot of friends who’re armed. Man’s better nature is not winning out.”

Brian sighed, but hadn’t really expected anything else.

“Riley!”

A wave of jealousy hit as Mia threw her arms around Riley and was spun in a circle by the big man. It was enough that Brian turned away, not wanting to witness the moment. He occupied himself by talking with Cecilia and holding her baby.

“Brian, you got a minute?”

Turning at Riley’s question, Brian nodded and returned the baby to his mother, trying to ignore the way the biker’s hand rested easily on Mia’s waist. It wasn’t even that he wanted Mia for himself, because that definitely wasn’t the case. Their one night together had proved that to him beyond a shadow of a doubt. No, the problem was that he wanted that spot in her heart, that of brother or uncle, accepted without reservation.

Shoving the ugly emotions down, Brian forced a smile and nodded. “Yeah, sure.”

Brian followed Riley into the living room to the front door and out, onto the porch. When the other man finally came to a stop, Brian waited patiently for the bad news. His heart prayed that it didn’t have anything to do with Dom.

“We didn’t see any soldiers on the drive from Las Vegas. Not one. It’s like the Guard’s up and disappeared,” Riley started seriously. “Cops, too. There’s no government at all, that we saw.”

“Yeah, I kinda figured.”

“You’ve got the right idea, holing up like this. Hunker down and don’t move, okay? Dom’ll get here as soon as he can.”

“Where is he?”

Riley shrugged. “He’s the wind, man. Roams anywhere between Ensenada, Las Vegas, Reno, and here.”

Stunned, Brian demanded, “He’s been here since the arrest warrant went out!?”

Riley’s lips twisted, wry. “Do you really think a warrant’s going to stop him from going where he wants?”

“Good point,” Brian acceded with a sigh.

Clapping him on the back, Riley announced, “We’ll stick around through the night to keep you company. You look like you could use a good night’s sleep. Hopefully Dom’ll be here by then.”

Brian sighed and thought, Hopefully.

Out loud, he asked, “What shape’s Vegas in?”

“Don’t even ask, man.”

Brian sighed again.

*  *  *  *

Even with almost fifty bikers camped out front, Brian got a good night’s sleep; maybe because of them. Definitely better than the night before, no doubt about that. It probably helped that he was sleeping in Dom’s bed, too. That first sense of discomfort faded soon enough as he stretched out and could’ve sworn that he could still smell Dom on the too-flat pillow.

When morning came, Brian just stayed where he was and stared at the ceiling. Thoughts about Riley’s revelations, that Dom had talked about him, mixed with that look Dom had given him that last day. What would happen when Dom showed up? Would he and Letty still be together? Probably. Would he accept Brian into the fold? Again, probably. If only because of Brian’s actions in the last couple of days, taking care of Mia.

But how would they be together? Would they be able to pick up the easy friendship that had been destroyed by Brian’s betrayal? Probably not. If Dom was going to make his life hell by taking him in and then giving him a cold shoulder, Brian wasn’t sure he’d be able to stay. It wasn’t even that he had to have Dom’s love and affection romantically, because that had even less than a snowball’s chance in hell of happening. But he wouldn’t be able to stay and see what he could have in the way Dom treated the others, while getting nothing of the big man’s attentions for himself.

A quiet knock at the door interrupted the maddening circle of his thoughts and Brian sighed, but got up and walked over. Riley was on the other side, fully dressed and alert, and looking ready to go.

“You guys heading out?”

Riley nodded. “We’re going to hit Downtown and then Sacremento.”

“Don’t bother with Downtown,” Brian informed him. “It’s a wasteland. You can see some of it from the freeway.”

Seeing such a hardened man look so sad struck Brian as being wrong. Riley had the look of a man who’d been in real battle, maybe in the army, or as a Marine in Desert Storm. He would be having serious flashbacks about now, most likely. Impulsively, Brian gripped his shoulder as a small gesture of comfort.

It seemed to bring Riley out of dark thoughts and a brief smile flittered over the creased face. “Dom was right about you.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah.”

Brian waited for an explanation, but Riley only winked and trooped down the hall without saying anything else. Scrubbing fingers through his hair, Brian turned to get dressed, then headed downstairs. He was outside in time to wave goodbye to Riley and his people, getting a brief one in return just before the gang drove off. The neighborhood seemed eerily quiet again, after the noise from the bikers faded away.

Mia leaned against him from behind, chin on his shoulder, and said, “Riley liked you.”

“I liked him, too,” Brian replied, staring at the empty street.

Dom hadn’t shown up.

*  *  *  *

Real trouble didn’t show up until the afternoon after Riley’s departure. Leon, Romero, and Esteban had driven to the local store, armed heavily, to get dry goods and water. Brian was taking a turn at the radio when shouting came from the street. Alarmed, Brian ran to the end of the driveway and found three of the men from the neighborhood in a serious brawl.

“Hey! Knock it off!” Brian shouted at them in Spanish, running to them.

The words did nothing, of course.

“Stop it! We shouldn’t be fighting each other!”

This time, his words paused them, but only as a chance to refocus their rage. Brian’s eyes widened in realization just before one of them jumped him. Staggering, Brian hit the pavement hard as fists drove into his gut. He gagged, unable to breathe, and a boot hit his side hard enough that a rib cracked audibly. Pain seared through him, but he was able to suck in enough breath to stop seeing stars. He stopped the next blow to his face and kicked brutally between the knees of the attacker on top of him.

Shoving the moaning man off him, Brian still had the other two to deal with and they were on him in a split second. He rolled a few times out of reach, but when he was on his knees to get to his feet, they took advantage of the awkward position with a knee to his chest that sent him sprawling again.

What a time to forget you fuckin’ gun! he thought vaguely.

The worst enemies usually did come from within, after all.

By the time he recovered himself enough to breathe again, he’d been flipped onto his back and was being strangled. Brian bucked up, trying to dislodge the man, but it didn’t work. He tried to tear the hands off, but the madness in his killer’s eyes obviously gave him some greater strength. He could hear the shouting in Spanish, the other two encouraging his death, and then Mia screaming for them to stop, along with a couple of other women, but the world faded into darkness really fast and he stopped struggling, arms falling limp to the side.

And then, abruptly, the hands were gone and he could breathe again, if with difficulty. Great, wracking breaths that hurt like hell through an abused throat. He heard the fight from a distance and could only be grateful that Leon and the others had gotten back early when they had.

Mia dropped to her knees beside him, tears on her face as she exclaimed, “Brian! Brian, can you hear me?”

Coughing again, Brian nodded mutely, positive that talking would be a big mistake. Gentle hands touched his face, as if Mia had to reassure herself through contact that he was really still alive. It felt good, though, so Brian wasn’t going to complain. Well, not that he could anyhow.

“How come every time I see you, you’re in trouble? First that fight with Vince. Now this. What are ya, a trouble magnet?”

And then Dom filled his field of vision, easily blocking Mia out. Dark eyes looked down at him with worry, lower lip cut and a bruise shadowing Dom’s left cheek. He was in perfect shape, otherwise, and Brian risked his throat to rasp, “Guess so.”

Dom grimaced. “Don’t talk.”

The big man crouched beside him, holding out a hand, which Brian instantly took. Vince unexpectedly supported one side and, with Dom on the other, Brian made a torturously painful walk into the house, and then the bathroom. Seated on the toilet, Brian wished desperately for some ice to suck on as Dom pulled a first aid kit from under the sink. Vince had disappeared as soon as he was sitting, and had closed the door behind him.

Looking at Dom through his one, not-swollen-shut eye, Brian asked, “You okay?”

Dom gave him an incredulous stare and repeated, “Am I okay? You’re the one who just got his ass kicked. And don’t talk. We don’t want the pretty voice of yours permanently damaged.”

Dom thinks I have a pretty voice? Brian thought in surprise.

“C’mon, Mr. Arizona, let’s get you fixed up,” Dom ordered.

Brian’s shirt was cut off to save him the pain of raising his arms. Dom shook his head at the massive, mottle bruising around the ribs and side.

“Damn good thing they didn’t get your kidneys. Ain’t got no hospitals to go to now.”

Silently agreeing with a nod, Brian couldn’t help a gasp of pain as Dom crouched down and wrapped his ribs tight. He was ignored, though, and Dom kept working. After the ribs were all set, Dom stood and cleaned Brian’s face with amazingly gentle hands. Brian couldn’t stop the pained gasps, but did his best to keep them to a minimum.

One of Dom’s fingers ghosted over his throat and he said, “Bastard who did this won’t be hurting anyone again.”

Alarmed, Brian started to ask if he’d killed the man, but Dom’s big hand covered his mouth, reminding him not to talk by simply silencing him.

“No, I didn’t kill him. Shoulda, but I knew you’d hate it if I did,” Dom told him.

Relieved, Brian gave him as much of a smile as he could, with the hand still covering his mouth, and Dom chuckled, shaking his head.

“You’re somethin’ else, Brian. Let’s go show the others you’re still alive. I heard Leon come in while I was doing your ribs.”

Brian hadn’t heard any such thing, but then, he’d been in a lot of pain at the time. He carefully stood, accepting the arm that Dom slid around his waist for support. Just as they reached the door, Brian stopped and put his hand on Dom’s chest to get his attention. When those dark eyes met his, Brian rasped, “I’m sorry.” and willed Dom to know just how sorry he was for everything that had happened before.

Dom stared back at him for a long time, then just nodded and opened the door to go out to the others.

*  *  *  *

Watching Brian be fussed over by Mia brought a smile to Dom’s face. Leon had the hangdog expression of guilt on his face for not being around when Brian almost got killed, which Dom would take care of when he had the chance. Vince sat across the room looking pissed, but for a change, it wasn’t Brian the anger was aimed at. It was the fucker who’d tried to kill Brian. As much animosity as there had been when they’d been striving for Mia’s attention, Vince had landed squarely in the ‘one of ours,’ mentality when they’d driven up and found Brian on the street, being strangled to death.

Dom repressed a shudder of fear at the memory. He could see in his mind, in slow motion, as Brian’s arms fell to the side, the fight and life going out of him. Dom didn’t even remember getting out of the car. He’d just slammed into the attacker in a full-body tackle and pounded his head into the pavement. There’d been a few blows from the other two who’d been watching, but Vince and Letty had taken care of them in short order.

It had been a real close thing, him almost killing the man who’d been intent on killing Brian. One more smash into the concrete would’ve finished him, Dom was positive. It had only been hearing Brian’s harsh coughs as he’d tried to breathe that had broken through his red haze of bloodlust.

Climbing off the man, Dom had ignored Letty’s pointed, “You never almost killed anyone for me,” comment on his way to Brian.

Letty, who was now staring at him stare at Brian, as if figuring something out for the first time and tasting something unpleasant in the process.

Well, not like he’d even been subtle or anything when it came to Brian. Love or hate, friendship or betrayal, it was all or nothing between them and had been since that first moment in the sandwich shop Mia had run. Meeting Brian’s eyes from the back room, Dom had been intrigued by the blond man who’d managed to make his sister smile so often and with so little effort. He’d gone there that day specifically to check out the man who’d lightened her mood, not expecting that shock of attraction to flare.

Two guys Dom didn’t know were talking to Brian now, reassuring him that they would take care of the radio and that they were sorry they weren’t around to help when it counted. Meeting Leon’s gaze, Dom shot him a curious look. Leon shrugged, indicating they were cool, and Dom nodded. If Leon said they were okay, they were.

“What radio?”

Dom’s question startled everyone into looking at him, but he just looked calmly at the two newcomers.

“Dad’s old HAM radio,” Mia answered. “Romero, Brian, and Esteban got it working a couple of days ago and have been trying to reach someone ever since. They take shifts.”

Dom nodded approval. He’d completely forgotten the thing was out there, but it sure couldn’t hurt to keep trying to get news. The shit they’d seen on the drive up from Santa Ana had been crazy, once they’d crossed the border into the US. Not that there’d been any border guards to stop them. Whatever was going on, it was strictly a US deal. He was willing to bet that Canada was doing okay, too.

“If we can boost the power, you could try someone in Canada or Mexico,” Dom suggested mildly. “They probably know more of what’s going on than we do.”

Romero looked startled for a moment, then his eyes lost focus as he started muttering to himself and nodding. Esteban moved hastily after him, waving to Brian before they were gone.

Now that it was just family, Dom looked around the room and said, “Vince. I want you and Leon to make the rounds. Find out exactly who’s in the neighborhood we know and can trust. Set up a patrol down to Eight St on the North and Walker Ave on the South and make sure everyone’s got a weapon. You know where they are. Letty, see what we got for fuel and get the generator going I want power in this house now. Mia, take a real stock of what we got for supplies and make a list of what we need, food, medical, clothes, whatever.”

Brian raised his hand, clearly looking for a job.

Pointing a finger at him, Dom said, “You’re going to bed and if you set foot outside of it except to use the can, I’m going to tie you to it.”

Brian made a face at him.

As everyone scattered, Dom turned his attention back to Brian and walked over to him. He held out a hand and was glad when it was taken. Carefully pulling the smaller man to his feet, he walked Brian to the stairs and asked, “Think you can make it upstairs? That way you don’t have to worry about the bathroom later.”

“Yeah,” Brian answered.

“What’d I say about talking?”

Brian blew him a raspberry, but stayed silent as they made a slow path upstairs. Dom winced at every not-quite stifled groan and gasp of pain, wishing he’d been just five minutes earlier and saved Brian from the beating. He still didn’t know what had started the whole thing and needed to make sure there wouldn’t be a repeat in the future.

They finally made it to the landing and Dom steered Brian towards his room. He expected some kind of protest, but Brian just flushed and avoided his eyes. Interested by the reaction, Dom only had to look at the rumpled bed to realize that Brian had already spent at least one night in his bed. A slow grin spread over his face and he commented, “Don’t get shy on me now, Brian. Come on. Stretch out.”

Brian hissed as he did as ordered and lay on the bed. Dom grabbed a couple of spare pillows from the closet and the tucked them under Brian’s injured side to keep the pressure off the ribs. He knew how painful it was to try sleeping flat with broken ribs and the other man had at least three that he’d been able to feel. After propping Brian’s head with another pillow as well, Dom sat on the bed and combed his fingers through the soft, blond hair. It was lighter than it used to be, speaking of a lot of time spent outside in the summer heat.

The uninjured blue eye met his curiously, maybe a little apprehensively, and Dom said, “We got to talk, yeah, but we’re cool, Brian. I’m still pissed you lied to me, but if you hadn’t…if you hadn’t been undercover, we wouldn’t have met and that’s not acceptable. Not to me. You owned up, you saved us jail time, and you got canned, we’re more than even, O’Connor. Past is past and we’re movin’ on.”

Relief swept across the battered face and Brian opened his mouth to speak, but Dom covered it with his hand. Frustration lit Brian’s eye and he scowled.

Dom just smiled and replied, “We got time, O’Connor, so just shut your yap and get some sleep. You want me to stick around ‘til you do?”

Brian’s eye flickered away, then back as he nodded. Dom continued to run his fingers through the soft hair he’d been dying to touch since first meeting Brian, silently willing the other man to fall asleep. It only took a few minutes, to Dom’s surprise, for exhaustion to overcome Brian. His breathing evened-out into true sleep, but Dom didn’t move from his spot for several minutes after that. Besides enjoying the feel of Brian’s hair, he just wanted to look his fill of the other man.

Finally rousing himself from the near-hypnotic state, Dom reluctantly stood and left the bedroom. There were things that needed doing.

*  *  *  *

Dom found Letty out back where the old generator was doing its best to turn over for her, but not making it. “What’ve we got?”

Shrugging, Letty answered, “It’s a twenty-year-old piece of crap.”

“And you can’t get it going?”

“Did I say that?”

“Good.”

As he walked away, she called his name and he paused. Bracing himself for anything from a thrown wrench to parental insults, Dom turned back around.

“Is this a permanent thing?” Letty asked, inscrutable.

Dom nodded slowly. “Yeah.”

“Yeah, I kinda thought that,” Letty said with a sigh. “You know, I knew that day in the garage we were over, but I didn’t want to admit it.”

He knew exactly which day she was talking about. It hadn’t been the last time they were together, but it had been the last time they’d made love. Every time after that had been about convenience and relieving tension, especially after all hell broke loose the day of the last heist.

“We had a good run.”

“Yeah. We did.”

Dom stared at her until Letty turned away, focusing her attention back on the generator.

*  *  *  *

Mia found him on the way to hook up with Leon and Vince to see how they were doing. Surprised, he asked, “Done already?”

“No. I just forgot to tell you that Riley stopped by yesterday,” Mia said, walking with him to the street.

Dom grinned. “How is the old buzzard?”

She smiled back and said, “Going strong as ever. Said he was heading on the Sacramento to see what they could see. Also had a private message for you, though I don’t get it.”

“What is it?”

“Sky’s blue without a cloud in sight.”

Dom’s eyebrows went up in surprise and he mused, “That so.”

“What’s it mean?” Mia questioned.

Thinking about it a second, Dom countered, “Don’t you think you should get to checkin’ out our supplies?”

“Dom.”

“Mia.”

She scowled but gave in and headed back to the house.

Dom met up with Leon and Vince on their way back and asked, “Everything settled?”

“Yeah. Three people to a patrol, shifts of four hours,” Leon announced. “Got it lined up for the next two days. We’re on tomorrow at seven.”

“Good.”

“Brian okay?”

Dom almost asked why Vince would care, but bit it back. If there was some easing of hostilities, he wasn’t about to sour it. Shrugging, Dom answered, “Three broken ribs, bad bruising, cuts that’re gonna scar, since we don’t have the right medical access, but he’ll live. Long as he doesn’t start pissing blood, I’m happy.”

The other two nodded agreement and they started walking back.

“You know, Brian was already here when I got here,” Leon told him. “He must’ve been driving here while all the shit was still going on. Takes balls to do that when you don’t know where the bombs’re gonna hit.”

Dom wasn’t surprised by the news, even if he had a little retro heart attack imagining Brian driving through a shitstorm to get here.

“What’re we going to do? We can’t keep just hanging around waiting for answers, can we?”

Vince’s questions weren’t anything Dom hadn’t already asked himself. “One thing at a time. We get settled. We make sure the women and kids are safe. Then we figure out what’s really goin’ on.”

By then, they’d reached the house and trooped inside. Darkness was falling and Dom looked at his watch to see that it was already almost eight o’clock. Mia had food waiting and Letty came in from messing around with the generator with a sour expression on her face.

“I’ll get the damn thing working after supper,” Letty stated, plopping into the seat between Vince and Leon.

Dom nodded, then looked at Mia and asked, “Brian eat?”

Shaking her head, Mia answered, “He was sleeping when I went up and I didn’t want to disturb him.”

“I’ll bring him something,” Dom said, holding his hands out. Mia took one and Vince the other, and he continued, “God. We thank you for keeping us alive and putting food on the table. Any other help you can throw our way would be real appreciated. Amen.”

There were murmured amens from around the table before they started to dig in. Talk turned to cars and races as everyone ignored the Pink Elephant that was in the room with them. The insanity could descend at any moment, and no one wanted to acknowledge the reason for the guns in everyone’s belts and the candles on the table.

Despite the tension, it was good to be home and have everyone around him again. He still missed Jesse fiercely, guilting over the needless death, but there wasn’t anything he could do about it. Dom relished the family he had left and vowed silently to keep them all together, physically, emotionally, and mentally.

Starting with Leon.

*  *  *  *

“So how was San Diego?” Dom asked, sitting beside Leon on the front porch after supper.

Leon shrugged. “It was fine.”

“You get what you went there for?”

There was a brief hesitation before Leon shook his head. “No. No, I didn’t get shit, Dom.”

Slinging an arm over his friend’s shoulder, Dom said, “Sometimes, family’s the hardest to forgive. Give your Ma some time.”

Leon shook his head. “Too late.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Yeah, I do. She died, Dom. She had a stroke two days before I even got there.”

“Shit,” Dom muttered. His arm tightened on Leon. “You okay?”

Leon sighed and said, “Not really. But I guess I will be. Don’t got much of a choice, do I?”

“None of us do,” Dom agreed.

They sat like that for several minutes and Dom could almost pretend it was just another summer night watching the neighborhood. The only things that marred it were the gun in his belt and the men doing their patrol down the street. And the thought of Brian, beaten for no real reason, upstairs in pain.

Finally stirring, Dom said, “I’m gonna head upstairs. You need anything?”

Leon shook his head. “Nah. I’m good. Night, Dom.”

“Night, Leon.”

Dom went back in the house, meeting up with Mia on his way to the kitchen. “You mind staying with Leon for a while? His mom died before all this shit went down.”

Stricken, Mia exclaimed softly, “Of course not! I’ll make sure he’s okay.”

Pulling her in for a tight hug, he said, “I know you will. Love you, Mia.”

She hugged him back just as tight and whispered, “I love you too, Dom. Thank God you’re here now.”

He kissed the top of her head before letting go and headed into the kitchen to fix a plate for Brian. If he wasn’t awake by the time he got upstairs, Dom would wake him. It turned out that Brian was asleep when he got upstairs so Dom set the plate down on the dresser to take a few minutes to think.

On the one hand, it wasn’t a really complicated situation. He liked Brian, and had from that first day, even when he’d been suspicious of the other man. That had changed, the longer Dom had known him, into something more. He wasn’t sure if it was love, but it was at least equal to the feelings that he’d had for Letty. Maybe stronger, since Letty had practically been a kid when they’d hooked up, and Brian was an adult.

Dom had never had any trouble with his attraction to guys; it just was. There wasn’t anything he could do to change it, or himself, and he didn’t really care what others thought, so he never even bothered to try. The people who were important to him, accepted him, and that was all that mattered.

On the other hand, Brian in particular was a complicated guy and Dom wasn’t all that sure that he’d be enough for the other man, in the long term. Dom knew he wasn’t stupid, by any stretch of the imagination. He’d scored high when they’d tested him back in grade school, especially in math and logics. But he wasn’t…well-rounded…like they liked to say. His interests lay squarely in family, mechanics, and that quarter-mile of freedom; everything else was just to be got through to keep those things going.

Brian…well…Brian was one of those people who knew a lot about everything and was interested in everything he didn’t know. Even in the short amount of time he’d known that other man, Dom had been able to figure that out from things he’d let slip here and there. He came out with all these off-the-wall statements about cultural clashes and politics, and somehow apply them to whatever the conversation was so that it totally fit.

And someone who could do that, was complicated. Besides which, Dom knew that he hadn’t even scratched the surface about what Brian’s personal life was like. All he really knew was that Brian used to be an undercover cop. He didn’t know about family, friends, ex’s, school, nothing. Whatever Brian’s past was, Dom knew it was sure to be difficult from the way he’d caught the other man staring at him and Mia, or him and the rest of the team; like he wanted so bad to be part of them, but didn’t know how.

There was pain there, and Dom wanted to know who’d hurt Brian so he could put the hurt on them in return.

Shaking his head at himself, Dom stood and grabbed the plate, sitting on the edge of the bed and shaking Brian awake. Whatever might go on between them, Dom wasn’t going to give up the chance for something real right now, because he thought Brian might lose interest in the future. That just didn’t make sense.

Brian’s eyes blinked open and a slow smile crossed his face. “Hey.”

“Hey yourself. How’re you feeling?” Dom asked.

After thinking about it a minute, Brian rasped, “Like shit.”

Dom grinned. “Yeah well, you look it too. C’mon and sit up. I’ve got food.”

“Thirsty,” Brian countered.

Shit. He’d forgotten a drink. “Here, get started with this and I’ll grab you some water.”

Brian nodded as he sat and leaned back against the pillows. Taking the plate from Dom, he balanced it on his lap while Dom left the room and went back downstairs to grab a few bottles of water. He passed Vince on the way, but Vince just shrugged and Dom continued on his way back. Brian had barely touched his food by the time Dom got there and accepted the water gratefully.

Dom couldn’t help but watch the way Brian guzzled the water down, Adam’s apple bobbing and throat moving smoothly. He got half hard just from that and shifted so it wouldn’t be too obvious to Brian. Hopefully.

“Where are you sleeping?” Brian asked, then grimaced and touched his throat.

“Right here. And I told you not to talk.”

Brian grinned, a flash of his old boisterousness, and whispered, “Got a pen and paper?”

Dom stood and went over to the dresser where he’d always kept scraps of paper by the phone extension. Sure enough, there was still a pile of it, along with a pen. He brought it all back to Brian who grimaced and took them, using the now-clean plate as a desk. When he was done writing, he held out the paper to Dom.

Scanning it quickly, Dom grinned and answered, “The left side, and no, I don’t snore.”

Brian’s grin grew and he wrote something on another slip of paper, holding it out.

“If you don’t believe me, ask Mia,” Dom rumbled.

One more slip of paper, which Dom chuckled at when he read it. Shaking his head, he looked at Brian and said, “You’re somethin’ else, Brian. I think we’ll wait ‘til your ribs are healed before trying anything that athletic. Now come on. I’m tired and have an early day tomorrow.”

Brian set aside the pen and papers, carefully maneuvering back under the covers while Dom got up to blow out the candles. Sliding into the bed, Dom spooned up behind the slighter man, taking his weight easily and providing the support needed for the broken ribs. Resting his arm along Brian’s lower abs, Dom pressed his face against the side of Brian’s throat, not talking for a long moment. He sighed deeply, more comfortable than he would’ve believed, considering that he’d never actually slept with a guy before. He’d fucked them, sure, but sleeping meant trust, and he’d never trusted one of them to sleep.

Half-turning, Brian reached to cup the back of Dom’s head, bringing him even closer. Knowing what Brian wanted, wanting it himself, Dom shifted forward and took the lips that beckoned in the dark. Brian’s mouth opened to his and he made a soft, eager noise that urged Dom on. Delving deep into the warmth with his tongue, Dom kissed him over and over, aching for more, but not wanting Brian to get hurt. Slowly, he broke the kiss into smaller, gentler ones, finishing with a butterfly kiss to the ugly bruising around Brian’s throat.

Brian sighed and pressed back against him, whispering, “God, I want you.”

“Same here, but not tonight, Bri,” Dom whispered back, regretful.

“I’m so glad you’re here.”

Dom kissed the soft patch of skin just beneath Brian’s ear and murmured, “Me, too.”

There was a long silence where he thought that Brian had fallen asleep, but then, out of nowhere, came a soft, “I love you, Dom.”

Dom’s hand tightened on Brian’s belly at the words, and he didn’t answer at first. Then he said simply, “I know.”

“Do you…?”

“I don’t know.”

Not sure if Brian would accept that, Dom waited, tense. Finally, Brian nodded and whispered, “Okay. S’long as I know where we stand, I’m good.”