Bars Characters: Adam, Kyle, Ryan and Reece Setting: Detention, night
Prison wasn’t fun. Like not at all. And sure, really it was just a cell in the basement of the facility, but it sucked. The bed looked kind of the same, the bars were definitely the same and the whole place was really screwing with Adam. His bravado about taking whatever punishment they gave him was seeping away quickly. As it was, he was sitting on the edge of the cot, back against the wall, knees pulled up to his chest, trying to concentrate on breathing without throwing up and keeping the memories at bay.
Kyle had hurried down to the detention centre as soon as he’d been done with Becka, grabbing his back as he’d headed for the elevator. Giving a nod to the guy at the desk, he’d indicated that he was here to see Adam and, thankfully, hadn’t had to explain himself any further than that, or argue as to why he should be allowed in. “Hey,” he said, walking up to the bars. God, but that was a horrible sight - it brought back far too many memories for his liking.
Adam jolted at the sound of Kyle's voice, too lost in his own head to hear him coming. The sight of him was relief enough though, something obvious on the older man's face. "Hey," he said, getting off the cot and half reaching out for Kyle through the bars.
Kyle stepped forward, within distance that he could be grabbed. He got how Adam must be feeling right now. Neither of them had had anywhere approaching good experiences behind bars, which had been one of the reasons that Kyle had been adamant that he wasn’t going to allow his friend to go through this alone. “Sorry I took a while - I wanted to say bye to Becka,” he explained.
Adam found Kyle's hand and held tight for a moment, letting himself find some sense of grounding in the touch. That was what he needed to dispel the worst of the waking nightmares. After a moment he had a better hold of himself and loosened his grip. "No I get it. I did the same thing. She doing okay?"
“Yeah, I think so - she’s throwing a bit of a party in the cafeteria,” he explained, giving Adam’s hand a squeeze. “I’m glad you got to see her before she went. I would have hated it if you didn’t get to say goodbye,” he said, with sadness behind his eyes.
"I would have too," Adam admitted. There was a pause as Adam chewed at his lip. "I told her about stuff. Us. You know. She seemed fine. I guess I was a little worried it might bother her later. So I'm glad she seemed good. I can't believe she's graduating."
Kyle hesitated and then decided not to point out that there was no ‘them’. They both knew that, it didn’t need to be restated, especially not right now. “She didn’t mention anything about that to me. So, either she’s a good enough actress to hide that something’s bothering her, or it really doesn’t bother her.”
Adam nodded. "Guess it doesn't bother her. I don't think she's much of an actress." It felt odd, but in a way it was reassuring. He didn't have a problem with things, but he wondered if he was an odd one out on that.
Kyle looked at his friend, then tugged downwards on the hand he was holding. The artist slowly sat down on the floor, cross legged, leaning against the bars. “She said she gave you her email address. She asked if you could pass it on to me, so we’d have a way to get in contact, when we finally get out of here.”
Adam went with Kyle, sitting on the floor inside his cell, shoulder against the bars. "She did. I warned her it might be a bit but it couldn't hurt I guess," he explained. "I can give it to you too though. In case you get out first." And Adam guessed Kyle probably would.
Kyle quirked a smile. “Or in case you do and we forget about it in the mad rush of celebration,” he joked. He didn’t see himself getting out of here any time soon. He wasn’t actively working towards it, at least. He knew he didn’t ever want to go back to prison, and wouldn’t do anything which would risk that, but he still wanted to take what he saw as his necessary punishment for his actions. They’d tried to prevent him doing that before, he wasn’t going to let them now.
"If I get well enough to get out of here," Adam said, seeing his situation as more of getting better and less punishment. He wasn't even sure if he did what he was in for.
Kyle frowned a little, resting his head against the bars. “Get well enough?” he asked, not getting at why Adam would put it like that.
"Come on Ky. We both know I'm pretty screwed up. I'm not exactly a functioning member of society just yet." Especially since there were still gaps in his memories, things still kept him up at night, and he apparently didn't have his anger under any control either.
“I didn’t know that classified you as ‘sick’ A,” Kyle pointed out, softly. “Just that you have things you need to work on. And I doubt they wouldn’t have assigned you here if they didn’t think you had at least a reasonable chance of graduating.”
“I think it’s more like broken, but sick works too,” Adam said, turning so he could see more of Kyle. “Just being in here is freaking me out. I thought...I thought I’d be fine, but up until you got here, I was sure I was going to go through twelve hours of panic attack. I’m not well by any means.” He sighed and shrugged just a little. “I’m guessing there’s some chance, but no one said when.”
Kyle let go of Adam’s hand and slapped him lightly over the back of the wrist, not enough to hurt. Simply a tiny admonishment. “Hey, stop that,” he said, firmly. “I said you weren’t sick. And you’re not broken either. And you’re allowed to be freaked out by bars. I would be freaking out if I was in your position. So, if you wanna have issues with this, then have issues - and I’m going to do my best to distract you from them. All night if I have to. And then every time you need me too until we both get out of here.”
Adam made a show of rubbing his wrist where Kyle had smacked him even if it wasn’t that hard. “Alright, alright, not sick or broken,” he said, not sure he agreed with it, but if Kyle felt so strongly about it, he could go along with it for now. “And after?” he heard himself saying, wanting to know if Kyle would be there after too. Needing to know if Kyle would be there.
"Well, that depends..." Kyle said, aware of the fact Adam had never brought up 'after before. "Wren mentioned something about you guys planning things for after," he said, leaving it at that. Part of him couldn't imagine Adam wouldn't want him there. Another part of him though was still hurt over the idea that Adam's feelings for him may have been based on convenience, regardless of what the other man said. Either way, he couldn't quite meet his friend's eyes.
There was a sinking feeling at the mention of his plans with Wren and Adam because despite what he told her, he didn’t quite feel as good about the plans holding up to whatever she was starting to plan with Charlie. But, he had also told her he’d invite Kyle, which was the only bright part of the topic. “Well, I do, but Wren and Charlie are going traveling so really it’d just be you and me on a beach for a while.” He smiled a little, even if Kyle wasn’t looking at him.
Kyle bit his lip and refused to say anything remotely like the so you do want me there that he was thinking. It would be entirely inappropriate and unfair. He gave himself a beat and then said, "I'd better stock up on sunblock then. I always burn to a crisp."
That made Adam frown. “Maybe a beach isn’t the right place then,” he said. He’d been going for warm and something like he wasn’t used to. “Though you’d get a tan eventually right? That’d be cute.” Which he probably shouldn’t say, but he couldn’t help it.
“What, you don’t think I’m already cute?” Kyle asked, jokingly, raising an eyebrow. Now that Adam’s attraction to him was out in the open, Kyle refused to let it become awkward between them. Even if he knew that sometimes that was inevitable. He paused for a beat, then added, “I prefer the term ‘healthy glow’ - don’t really tan with sunscreen, but everyone looks better with a bit of colour. If you want the beach, then the beach is fine by me.”
“Who said you were cute?” Adam teased back even if it was painfully obvious he was teasing. It was a little weird, having it out there like that, but he supposed if Kyle was fine with it, he could play along. “I was just thinking something that wasn’t Boston. And somewhere that didn’t get snow. Plus we could learn to surf or whatever.”
“Boston? Is that where you’re from?” Kyle asked. It felt weird to realise that apparently he didn’t already know that.
Adam looked up and nodded. “Yeah. I don’t have that accent? So not a lot of people guess it. But that’s where I’m from. Figured...going back wasn’t my best choice.” Not with Jeffrey’s family still very much there.
“Why go back, when you’ve got the whole world to play with?” Kyle agreed. “I’d like to check out Paris sometime. Not to live permanently, but... France. That would be great.”
“Because I’m familiar with it. You wouldn’t want to go back to New York?” Adam countered, then made a face. “France? Really? That’s a little cliche isn’t it?” He was teasing, but mostly because he wasn’t good at thinking outside of the United States. The world seemed too big in that sense.
“There’s nothing wrong with a little cliche in life from time to time,” Kyle teased right back, lifting his chin a little, mock hurt. “And no - no going back to New York. There’s... nothing there for me now. And there’s a lot of that life that I wasn’t sorry to leave behind,” he admitted.
“Nothing?” That seemed to contradict the painting in Kyle’s room that he’d put so much time into. “Alright so what’s so great about Paris? Cliche or not.” Because Adam was curious what the appeal was.
“Not really - just memories. Good ones, and bad ones. A person who’s not me anymore and who I’ll never get back. If I went back - well, let’s just say that it would be easier all round if I didn’t try. As for Paris... All the cliches are what’s great about Paris. The biggest cliche of them all being that I’m an artist - I’d like to be an artist in Paris for a bit. Paris where they do actually also have great food. They have these little markets and you can buy everything fresh and... And we can also go to Italy, if you wanted. I love pasta.”
“I have this image of you dragging me around Europe so you can do art and be important,” Adam said and he didn’t sound upset about it. It wouldn’t be a bad thing to do with Kyle. “Pasta and pizza. Can’t go wrong there,” he agreed with a nod. “We just have to have a home at some point. I promised Wren. She’s never had one.”
“‘Dragging’?” Kyle asked, amused. “You know, you don’t have to come with me. And - I never intended to be gone for long, not in the scheme of things. I’d want to settle back in the States, somewhere. I just... I’d like to see the world not through the guise of my parents idea of vacations. Which mostly is the inside of upscale hotels and flying everywhere first class. The staid, boring, sanitised version of the world. Reality not included.”
“Would you really rather go alone?” Adam asked, hoping the answer wasn’t yes. Sure, he wasn’t quite the world traveler that Kyle already seemed to be, but he did want to be with his friend. “Wait...what was the bad part about nice hotels and first class? I’ve never even been on a plane, so I’m having a hard time seeing the bad parts.”
“No, dummy - I wouldn’t rather go alone, but if you’re going to be all ‘waaa, you’re dragging me’ about it, then you can stay home and I’ll send you pictures,” Kyle joked, clearly not actually annoyed with Adam at all. “First class and nice hotels are great - until that’s all you’ve had for your entire life. And they all look the same, and you don’t ever get to mix with regular people with regular experiences. You just get people who are so full of themselves all the damn time. And they expect you to always be just like them, and care about the same stupid, pointless crap that they care about. Where the biggest conversation topic is your golf handicap, or who your tennis coach is, or how much money you made of the stock market last month or what the fuck ever who cares anyhow,” Kyle ranted.
“I won’t complain too much, promise. I’d rather be the one taking pictures or whatever. Plus if I let you go alone, you might not come back.” Adam smiled a little, only half meaning it. He’d rather be there no matter how it played out. He listened to Kyle’s entire rant, nodding along with it. “You know it’s not really different anywhere else right? I’m pretty sure even if you aren’t rich they still talk about the same thing over and over again and expect you to be just like them. It’s just different expectations. They’re still there though.”
“Yeah, but at least if I get to go different places then maybe I can find people who are just like me? I was never a good fit to the circles that I was brought up in. I could play the part when I had to. But it was never me,” Kyle told him. He figured that Adam could understand that - from what the other man had said about his background, and from what he knew about Adam himself, he couldn’t see that being a good fit for him either.
“At least you know who you are. I’m still sorting that part out,” Adam said with a nod. “But yeah, I figure you can find your place and then work from there right?” He smiled a little. “At the very least, you’ll have me around so that helps too.”
Kyle smiled a little at that, though there wasn’t a huge amount else to say on the topic. Instead, he moved to grab his bag and pulled it to him next to the bars. He opened the flap and dug around inside. “So, I brought things with me - I didn’t know what you would be wanting to do, so I grabbed some sketch pads, a couple of books and a pack of cards,” he said, pulling things out and placing them on the floor at his side, within reach of Adam. “I promise, neither of the books have random whales in them.”
That made Adam laugh, leaning his head closer to where Kyle’s was. “You remembered,” he said, feeling kind of pleased about that. He looked at one of the sketch pads, reaching for it. “Is your stuff in here?”
The artist nodded. “Some of it,” he said. “The initial sketches of some of my paintings, and some other bits.” There were pencil drawings of most of the people he knew in the facility - renderings that didn’t take too long to do, but captured personality as well as likeness, somehow.
“Can I look?” Adam asked, hesitating before opening the book. He didn’t want to invade where he shouldn’t, but he was curious. It was part of Kyle and he had a guess that whatever there was in the book, it was good.
Kyle chuckled. “Of course you can,” he said. Kyle had never been shy about other people seeing his work.
Smiling more, Adam went back to settling close, flipping open the book. The first few pages were familiar, paintings he’d seen in Kyle’s room, including the one in his room. Then he got to the first portrait and glanced at the artist. “What’s this?”
Kyle twitched a smile. “What does it look like - it’s Carmel,” he said. He hadn’t had the sketch pad when he first got here, so the portraits weren’t done in the same order as he had met people, but he’d decided to draw her first, because she had been the first person he had met.
“Well obviously,” Adam said rolling his eyes. “I just didn’t realize you did people.” He tilted the page, looking at Carmel again then made a face and looked back at Kyle. “Am I in here?”
The artist chuckled. “Of course I do people,” he said, sounding mildly confused. “I don’t think they even let you into art school if you don’t do people. I wouldn’t, like, do an entire collection of portraits, or want to base my entire world around them or anything, but it’s fun when you’ve got a few minutes and you’ve just been given your first sketch pad and decent pencils in over a year. And yes, of course you’re in there - twice, I think you’ll find.” He had done near enough everyone, but there were only a few who had made it in more than once. Adam was one of those.
“Well yeah, but I learned math in school too and I’m not really using that much am?” Adam said smiling a little more and flipping through a few more pages until he found one of himself. It was good, simple, but fitting and honestly it made his smile go softer than before. “Twice? Is twice a good thing? Or is my head just funny shaped and interesting to draw?”
“Yeah, but I bet that if you were called on to use math, you’d be able to - since you learned it and all,” Kyle countered, before continuing, “Just look at the damn pictures and stop finding reasons that put yourself down. Go see if you think I drew you just because you’re some kind of funny looking,” he said, exasperated.
“Well, I learned something,” Adam said shrugging. He’d learned a lot those first few years of school, but the end was all mingled in with Jeffrey and it was hard to remember life before him. He smirked at Kyle then flipped through the page again until he found the other.
The first had been a standard headshot, simple, nothing out of the ordinary, all things considered. The second was an imagining - because Kyle had never actually seen Adam the way he drew him. He had positioned the other man leaning back against a wall, head tilted up and back, eyes half closed as he looked out of the picture window to his right side, the world spread out below, rolling fields and peaked mountains in the distance. Adam had one leg drawn up and looked utterly relaxed and calm. At peace with himself and the world. There was an air of serenity about the whole piece. Kyle said nothing, just watched, paying attention to Adam’s expression as he waited for the reaction to appear. He’d always liked that particular sketch, and had spent way too much time on it.
Adam didn’t know where to start. He felt more speechless than anything else, staring at the sketch for a long while in silence. It was him, sure, but it didn’t quite look like him, at least not the way he felt. He was confused by it, but flattered at the same time. It was stunning. After a moment he looked back over at Kyle, watching him for a moment. “This...is what you see?”
Kyle bit his bottom lip and shook his head. “No - yes... But no. It’s what... It’s where - you should be able to be like that. But, right now, you’re not. Which - that’s understandable. I just - I wanted you to be able to be there somewhere. Even if it was only on paper. Maybe one day it’ll be real,” he said, falling over his words, far too aware that he was usually far better at explaining his art than this.
Adam caught that, the way the Kyle stumbled over what he was saying and found himself nodding. “I like it. I hope it is. Real. You know one day.” He wasn’t thinking about reaching for Kyle’s hand but that was what he was doing.
Kyle intertwined their fingers and gave Adam a small smile. “I hope so too,” he said, quietly.
There was a quiet moment where Adam just ran his thumb over Kyle’s. “You know you help,” he said. “With getting there.”
The smile grew, a little more, just for a second. “That’s all I wanted,” the artist said, his voice not getting any louder. He slipped his hand back and turned to rest his back against the bars, though not actually turning away from Adam completely. Reaching out, he picked up another of the sketch books and flipped it to an open page. “I’m gonna...” he said, gesturing to the page with a pencil. He could do with some quiet time for a while, just right now.
In a way, it was all Adam wanted as well. There were moments when he wanted more, even now it would fit for there to be more, but he settled for nodding slowly, shoulder against the bars close to Kyle as he reached for one of the books, not caring which he grabbed. He kept the sketch book open to that page though, so he could see it even as he started reading.
Ryan entered and immediately noticed the two men on opposite sides of the bars leaning near each other. He sneered internally, somewhat distracted by running into Becka on the way down. He wouldn’t lie to himself and say he hadn’t wanted to bend her over again right then and there, but he’d kept control of himself and not shown a hint of how much he wanted to do just that.
Even if she had suspected him. Did suspect him. Stupid bitch. He hated that other people had put that in her head, after he’d gone to so much trouble to make up to her.
Fags, he thought at the two over there. “Hello, lovebirds,” he settled for saying, pillow and book still tucked under one arm. There was no particular venom in his voice, more of a verbal eye roll than anything. He just wanted tonight over and done with.
Kyle looked up from his sketchpad, the rhythmic scrape of his pencil not actually stopping. “Oh - we’re not,” he said, with a small laugh. He didn’t take offence to it, since the man’s tone hadn’t sounded like any was meant.
Adam didn't take the comment as well as Kyle did. Not because it bothered him that much, but more because it was Ryan. His head jerked up from the book he was reading eyes narrowing. "Hey look, it the guy I jumped." It was sarcastic since looking at them side by side Adam looked far worse.
Reece was following behind Ryan messing with the keys and starting towards a cell. He looked up at the other two, not worried about them as no one else had been and then back and forth between the two prisoners. If prisoners was the right term. Culprits? Either way it didn't look like it had been an even fight at all. Though, that didn’t make the kid any less of an idiot for taking on someone twice his size, which Ryan pretty much was. Reece wasn’t the type to back down from a fight, but he also learned at a young age not to start something he couldn’t finish and while in no way did he like Ryan, he did see the point in teaching the smaller man the same lesson.
Ryan rolled his eyes, reminding himself not to get angry about it, or let himself get provoked. He nodded good naturedly to Kyle, glancing at the sketch pad with interest. Might as well stay on good terms with someone, especially since Reece was here. Just a barrel of laughs, he thought with disgust.
“Oh look, the guy who wouldn’t leave me alone,” he replied back. “Maybe next time you should back off instead of trying to attack me.” His tone was rather mild all things considered. It might look uneven, but he’d been defending himself. He’d always defended himself in a manner that left people not wanting to come back for more, though apparently Adam just didn’t learn his lesson. Fucker.
Kyle blinked, the laugh dying. “You’re Ryan?” he asked, his tone flat. He didn’t want to do anything to cause a fight, not now, not here, but still - this was that guy. He had a number of reasons for not wanting to play nice either.
Adam just snorted a little, like he wasn't afraid, which was half true. He wasn't that worried with the bars in the way and if Ryan attacked him? It'd be worth it. He'd take whatever beating came to watch the guy go down.
“Yeah, I’m Ryan,” he said as he went into his cell. “And don’t let him fool you, he’s the one who kept coming back at me.” His voice had flattened accordingly, but he wasn’t about to start any shit. He knew better than to take the first swing, especially these days. He tossed his pillow down and sat on the bunk, his book in his hand.
Kyle’s jaw hardened as he glared up at Ryan. He had stopped drawing, though he still held the pencil tightly in his grip. “Oh, he doesn’t fool me, and neither do you,” he said, tightly. His tone was cold, though not aggressive enough to suggest he was after this coming to blows. Adam didn’t fool him - he didn’t need to, as far as Kyle was concerned. He trusted his friend to have told him the truth in this, both about the fight itself, and about his suspicions of Ryan and what he’d done.
This was clearly not the arena for it, but Adam couldn't help that he was having a hard time hiding a smile at the way Kyle was jumping to his defense. It was incredibly cute even if he might not mean it to be and it was also ironic given the way Kyle was so against Adam doing the same. Instead of saying anything and not being able to keep from grinning like an idiot, he stayed quiet, but reached for Kyle's hand, fingers brushing against his. They had each other's back. They always would.
Reece was not amused. Those were close to fighting words and while he completely understood why someone would want to punch Ryan, the look he gave Kyle clearly stated that he would shove the younger man in a cell without a second thought if he even got up off the floor. He was already caught up in one fight and he wasn't about to do that again.
Ryan just rolled his eyes blatantly at the two of them. Adam was a stupid moron to have tried to jump him in the first place; even though he was stronger than he looked, it was still obvious he was stronger than the other man. And to keep coming back and having to keep being put down was just idiotic, in his opinion. There was a time and place for that. “Whatever, you two.” His tone said he really couldn’t care less about what they thought. “Keep it down to a dull roar, I’m going to go to sleep here in a few.”
This time, unlike earlier, Kyle didn’t take Adam’s hand, instead shifting just out of the other man’s reach. “You do that,” he said to Ryan. “I’m sure you’ll have... pleasant dreams.” His tone was dripping with disdain, even as he shot a sickeningly sweet smile towards Reece. He figured that he couldn’t get in trouble for mere words.
Kyle moved away. For what seemed like a lot longer than the two seconds he did process it, Adam went into full on panic. What did that mean? What had changed? What now? He wasn't even sure if it was him speaking when he heard the words "Like I give a shit if you're sleeping." Out of the panic he moved further away from Kyle, the most space between them since he got there.
Reece gave Kyle a look of warning before pulling the door on Ryan's cell. "Watch it both of you. I got a cell left to stick you in," he reminded Kyle then went back to where he'd come from.
How much longer was he going to have to deal with petty children? Ryan wondered, disgusted. He flicked his glance to Reece, not grateful and still not liking the man, but at least he was doing his job properly at the moment. He flopped back onto the bunk and shoved his pillow behind his head. "It's called common courtesy, children. Do try to behave. It won't be me who suffers if you don't this time." He wouldn't provoke them, per se, but it didn't mean he couldn't laugh at them either.
Kyle gave a dry, humourless chuckle. This guy thought that he needed a lesson in manners? That was a joke. He said nothing to Ryan though, glancing instead towards Reece. “Don’t mind me - I’m just sitting here, minding my own business,” he said. “I’m not going to make trouble for you,” he promised, sounding as innocent and harmless as he knew he naturally looked. That had always been something that he could play to his advantage, when he wanted to. Kyle looked like he couldn’t, and certainly wouldn’t, hurt a fly.
Adam rolled his eyes. “What part of common courtesy was that? The one where you own up to what you’ve done or just lie like some sort of snake in the grass? I skipped charm school.”
Reece rolled his eyes at that innocent face, believing it and sure the kid would just wind up hurting himself more than anything else, but he was doing his best to stay the hell out of it. “Be sure you make good on that. Or you’re going to look worse than your friend.”
Ryan’s lifted eyebrows were all the sarcasm he needed to show his opinion of Kyle’s innocent face. Sure, like he was going to believe that. His own innocent face was far better than that pup’s. He didn’t even bother to glower in Adam’s direction, since he knew it would just be a useless waste of energy. “The one where you don’t make assumptions of guilt when it’s innocent until proven guilty, and I’ve done nothing wrong.” Especially that they could ever prove. “Though you certainly could use charm school, you really could use the polish.”
"Pretty sure the rules of innocent until proven guilty are crap. Plus we know you're guilty of something. You've already been punished. Remember?" Adam was bristling, getting to his feet even if he was locked up and couldn't do anything about it.
Ryan stretched out, looking supremely unconcerned. "For which I've done my time, made my apologies, and I haven't done anything else. So back off, puppy dog. Down, boy," he said, the sneer more implied than visible. Like he couldn't even be bothered to do it. "Before someone else decides to whip you with a newspaper." He lifted his book and opened it to where he had left off.
"Now who needs to learn some manners," Kyle drawled. He didn't buy for a second the 'I haven't done anything else's bullshit. Even if Adam's suspicions were wrong, Ryan had still beaten the crap out of his friend. No amount of 'self-defense' warranted that, in Kyle's opinion, and he hoped whoever was on the jury tomorrow would agree with that. In the meantime, Kyle would keep the majority of his opinions to himself, and concentrate on not attempting to gouge this smarmy fuck's eyes out. Not that he would do such a thing, of course, but the thought was strangely satisfying.
Adam was gripping the bars of his cell. Dog. The guy had just called him a dog. A puppy at that. "This pup has seen more violence than you'd believe. You never asked what I was in for. Just because you won one round doesn't mean you're better. And all it's going to take is one look at my face for people to side with me." Or so he hoped. Sure, he'd started the fight, but Ryan had delivered most of the blows.
Ryan raised his eyebrows and gave them both an arch look. "Now who's the lying little snake in the grass?" he drawled slowly and deliberately. "Subverting the justice system. You know good and fucking well you kept coming at me, for no other reason than you didn't like how I looked that day, basically. I put you down each time, but I didn't pursue you." His eyes glittered a little dangerously, but he never bothered to get up from his relaxed position.
"If I'd wanted you dead, boy, you'd be dead. If I'd wanted to maim you, I'd have maimed you. You got away with some bruises, as ugly as they might be. Though personally, I might consider them an improvement." He sneered faintly. "If you want to play dirty like that, be my guest. Get me locked up for a fight you both started and continued. Fine. Be it on your conscience. You're the one who has to live with yourself in the long run, and I guarantee I can handle what you throw at me." And he could also guarantee he wouldn't take it lying down. Guilt was always a good thing to throw around, though, even if he suspected it wouldn’t work here. "But you want to start some unfounded vendetta, you'd best be able to keep taking your licks and not go running to your new sugar daddy about it to cry when you run into my fists in the process."
He raised his book again. "Besides, whatever you're in for? I doubt it was for picking on someone bigger than you. Or even your own size." His tone was dismissive; he wondered if he could get Reece to shut them the fuck up. He hoped the other man was listening, though. Reece might not like him one little bit, but it seemed push come to shove, he was fair, and he would probably -- probably -- vouch for what Adam had just said, and it would be a point in Ryan's favor, not Adam's.
Reece was listening even if he was staying out of it. He knew what Ryan was saying and he knew the reaction it would get, so he wasn't surprised to see Adam gripping the bars of his cell. Reece didn't move yet though, waiting out what the kid might say because there was a lot in that.
Adam was seething. "I don’t have a sugar daddy. I take care of myself well enough. And you're right, you barely made a dent in comparison to what I've had done to me. Honestly a few punches? It was like nothing. Doesn't make you more of a man." Adam's knuckles were turning white and his voice was getting lower.
"Getting you locked up won't bother me in the slightest. I'm pretty sure we'll all be safer with your ass locked up. So I'll sleep just fine thank you."
Ryan looked idly over the top of his book, eyeballing Adam faintly. He could probably throw his book and peg him right between the eyes, and he might yet do it, but then he might lose the book. Since Adam and Kyle didn't seem inclined to leave him the fuck alone, well, his only form of adequate entertainment would be gone. He let his gaze slide to Kyle for a moment, and back to Adam. No sugar daddy, sure. "You're obviously not listening to what I'm saying. I don't think it makes me more of a man - beating up a little boy like you wouldn't do that for me. I'm man enough already." He stifled a yawn and settled back into the pillow a little more. Maybe he should have brought two of them. "Like I said, if I'd wanted you really hurt, you'd have been really hurt. I kept you off me and gave you a little discouragement." His tone was dismissive.
"Bully for you then, manipulating the system. What a good, honest, stalwart guy you are," he said, heavy with the sarcasm this time. Now he looked over at Reece. "You hear that, Reece? He's planning on manipulating the jury. You're a witness to it," he drawled.
That was it, Kyle had had enough of this. Slamming his sketchpad down on the floor, he jumped to his feet, though stepping back from the bars at the same time so there could be no suggestion to Reece that he was about to do anything physical, even if there weren’t bars between him and the other two men. “Okay - that’s enough. Both of you!” he snapped, loudly, looking between the two men. He turned round to Reece. “Can we put up like a sheet, or something between the cells? Quite frankly, this setup is ridiculous. Whoever the fuck decided that placing people who have already come to blows within close proximity of each other needs their damn head examining! Either that, or they’ve not actually seen the conditions down here!” After all, the cells had no privacy at all, nothing but bars between their inmates. “You have to see that this is not helping anything at all!” Kyle declared to Reece, hotly. Right now, he was less concerned with what had gone on, and more concerned with the way this would go if Adam and Ryan were left to snipe at each other all night. At least if they had some kind of separation, no matter how flimsy, they would stand a chance of being able to ignore each other.
Adam almost jumped to attack, not like he'd have much luck, but then Kyle was on his feet and yelling, which shut him the hell up quick. In fact, when Kyle looked around at him, shame was written across his features. He really needed to get the rage under control. "I can stop," he suggested, voice low, trying to be pleasing.
Reece moved when Kyle did, but when he didn't seem like he was going to attack, he backed off. The idea wasn't a bad one and he nodded. "Sure. Should be one in that open cell," he said nodding off to one side. "I'll help you if you think it'll shut them up." Which was what he wanted. The more they talked the more involved he had to get.
Ryan tossed up his hands. “Thank you, God, fucking finally!” he said with an obvious measure of relief and exasperation. “All I wanted was to be left alone in the first fucking place. I don’t need a sheet so long as he leaves me be, but I’m more than happy to hang one in here if you give it to me.” He’d been content to come in, lay down, read for awhile and then sleep. He’d even repeatedly ASKED them to let him alone and let him sleep. He grumbled to himself before speaking up again. “I’ll be quiet and keep to myself, so long as he lets me be. All I wanted was my book and my pillow and some sleep in the first place.” That was the point of coming down here at this time of night, so he could while it away much like he would have anyway.
Kyle stalked into the final cell and ripped the sheet off the bed, thrusting it through the bars to Ryan to hang up. He was done with all the arguing and sniping and he wasn’t going to start another round by giving the man any response to his ‘supposed’ wish to just be left alone. Kyle was of the opinion that if that had actually been the case, he would have just ignored everything from the start.
Adam's anger was gone now. Almost completely. He watched Kyle stalk around and wound up sulking back and sitting on the floor again. At least he couldn't see the ass anymore.
"If that's all you want why don't you just do it?" Reece asked, sticking close to Kyle for a moment in case Ryan tried something. "You two. Go back to being quiet like you were before he got here," he told Adam too.
Ryan resisted the urge to make an utterly disgusted sound at the lot of them. Of course it would be all his fault. Nevermind that Reece would have done the same exact fucking thing had someone run their mouth at him if he were in Ryan's place. He couldn't even see Kyle staying quiet if someone did the same thing. Well fuck the lot of them, he thought as he took the sheet. "Thank you," he said politely, and went to hang it, studiously ignoring the lot of them. Of course, ignoring them would probably have earned him taunts and sneers for being childish, it was obvious he just couldn't win.
"If you give me a moment, I will, Reece," he said, letting an edge of irritated exhaustion touch his tone. He hadn't tried to do something thus far, even though he'd had cause; he really didn't see why Reece was hovering over Kyle. They were the ones who had been violent and threatening. He'd stayed laying down the entire time. "Good night." He went back over, flopped on the bunk, and picked up his book again, going back to reading like he'd been trying to do this entire time.
Mother-fucking fuckers. Why everything was his fault by default, he didn't know. His actions, except for the stocks, had been that of a model prisoner. He hadn't provoked Adam beyond any kind of reason. He had even asked for quiet and to be left alone. And yet it was still his fault. Fuckers. He seethed quietly, his outward attitude one of quiet relaxation, not betraying his emotions at all.
Kyle settled back down as Ryan hung the sheet, making sure that he was out of sight of the other man. He knew that a large amount of the reason he had disliked the guy so immediately had been because of his friends. For what had happened to Adam, and for what Ryan had apparently done to Becka. Kyle had always been overly defensive of his friends. Yet in Kyle’s opinion, Ryan didn’t help his case with his attitude, the way he came across as if he always knew best, as if he was always right. Kyle had known far too many people like that to be comfortable with one now. He didn’t have to be comfortable with him though. All he needed to do was to ignore the man, as he apparently wanted. That and make sure that Adam did the same. Picking up his sketchpad and pencil, Kyle gave Adam a glance and a small, hopefully comforting smile, and began to draw once again.
Adam still felt bad for getting so upset, wondering what Kyle was thinking, but he didn't ask. Maybe later. Maybe he'd talk to Cal first about the anger. That might be a good idea. Ryan wasn't really out of sight and out of mind, but for the moment Adam could at least pick up the book and pretend to read it. The smile Kyle gave him helped, but when Adam tried to return it, it didn't make it to his eyes. He still rested his head near Kyle's, staring at the book, but not really seeing it.
After a few seconds of silence, Reece let out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding and went back to his chair. He was relieved the bout of verbal intimidation hadn't been finished up with physical intimidation as he'd gotten used to at prison. So used to it that he hadn't even noticed the tension and readiness to spring in his form until it had passed and it was easing. At least Ryan, although a dick, wasn't prison thug. If that was the case, Kyle might have been bloody. As it was no one else was hurt and for him the situation was corrected. He watched the lot of them for a moment more then rested his head against the wall, settling in for another long night.