Chapter 1 – Sun
Engines revved threateningly around him, and though the threats made him chuckle smugly on the inside, Dom didn't crack a smile. Instead, he glared each driver down through the path of windows constructed by the bodies of their cars. Dom slowly turned his attention back to the road, one hand grasping the wheel, the other resting lightly on the gearshift. The vehicle purred contentedly, excited for the race. His foot itched toward the clutch and he drew in a breath to calm his eager heart. Sliding his hand over to the passenger's seat, he tossed up the seat and twisted the handles of the NOS tanks. A hissing sound spouted from the tanks and Dom flipped the seat back down. The countdown began, and the same thoughts that had haunted him since the night it happened ran through his mind.
Don't think about her. Not now.
Don't think. Drive. Don't think.
His car screamed over the starting line, gaining an impressive lead on the other four competitors. The progression to fifth gear was quick, quicker than usual.
Don't think. Dom's hands grew clammy. His chest squeezed taught. Drive. That's all that matters. Don't let yourself think about her. Don't—Beautiful, beaming, Letty's face burst in front of his eyes like the sun, like his sun, blinding him from everything else around him. Thrown by the surprise, Dom's hands gripped the wheel, one thumb smashing the NOS release button down. The wheels squealed against the cement, slamming the back of his head into the headrest. The sudden shock woke him from the dazed stupor and Dom tried to regain control of the car. Though it hadn't swerved off course, he'd hit the damn button too early. The nitrous oxide already dissipated and the white car behind him sped ever closer. Dom shook the abrupt, aching, empty hole in his chest out of his mind and focused again on the race.
"Fuck."
Dom scolded himself for just a half-second, then recollected his thoughts and kicked straight back into action. Targeting the finish line—he was just over half-way there—kept him in check, and he waited impatiently, drumming his fingers on the wheel, for the perfect moment. The white car had nearly caught up when something clicked in Dom's head and his hands, reacting automatically, pressed the second release. This time around, he was ready. Fingers wrapped vice-like around the wheel, back rammed into the seat, accelerator jammed to the floor, Dom crossed the red line nearly ten feet ahead of everyone else. He kicked the brake down and burned tracks into the road while swiveling to a stop. Shift in neutral, parking brake set, car off, keys removed, Dom stepped shakily from the vehicle. He attempted, somewhat successfully, to hide the anxiety that coursed through him like a tapeworm, consuming everything it could and leaving him completely, painfully empty.
The familiar sensation of sweaty bodies thrusting themselves on him swept Dom up in a wave of blissful ignorance. He smiled and accepted congratulations gratefully, laughing at some people that so obviously begged for a laugh, shaking some hands, answering some questions with shortly-phrased answers. Other cars swung to their stops and their owners fell out, cussing and scowling and growling and any other number of infuriated actions. They grudgingly handed him his winnings and trudged away. But the only person that Dom wanted at his side couldn't be there. So he settled for the next best thing; or, the equally best thing.
Eyes drifting over the heads of the rowdy mass, Dom searched incessantly for his sister, spotting her about twenty feet away. Mia perched on the hood of a black Honda Civic, with Brian's arm draped around her shoulders, grinning broadly at her brother. Her eyes—the strangest sort of clear, deep, gemlike brown—sparkled proudly and she snuggled into Brian's side. He too smiled at Dom, but his lips merely twitched upward crookedly, unlike the full-blown, pearly white of Mia's. Dominic tried to be polite about it: he gradually made his way to the Civic, flashing grins at everyone that patted his shoulder. Finally managing to free himself of the throng, Dom climbed nimbly up to them and alit by their side, elbows resting on his knees.
"Nice race, Dom," Mia approved brightly, nodding in acknowledgement.
"Thanks, Mia." Dom pecked her lightly on the cheek.
"Your first shot was too early," Brian commented, grinning cockily at him. "I thought you were gonna lose there for a second."
"Boy, that crash really knocked your head," Dom half-joked, slapping the back of the ex-Fed's head. He relished the peacefulness that encompassed him when with Brian and Mia. He always felt very, unexplainably calm. The feasting tapeworm shrank down and wiggled desperately, its nutrition sapping away with the improvement of his mood.
"How much didja get?" Mia wondered curiously.
"Uh… couple grand. Nothing to brag about."
"Dom, what if I started racing?" Mia piped, and by the way her eyes flickered from his face, out to the crowd, and back, he knew that she already knew the answer.
"Mia, I don't want you getting caught up in all this…" Dom's face scrunched reluctantly, trying to be kind.
"Just to help with money!" she protested. When Dom opened his mouth to argue, she cut him off hastily. "And I'm already caught up in it. Whatever you're in, I'm in."
"And whatever she's in, I'm in," Brian added, squeezing Mia's shoulder gently.
Dominic frowned. "You remember my warning, Brian?" He constantly reminded the boy—because that's all he was; a boy—of the threat he had delivered before Brian and Mia's first date. The one stating: "If you break her heart, I'll break your neck." He'd let him slide before. He wouldn't again.
Brian waved his hand lightly, expelling air sharply through his nose in an almost non-existent laugh. "Yeah. Sure."
"I'm serious."
Brian stared directly into Dom's eyes. "I won't hurt her."
"That's what you said last time."
"Give it a rest," Mia growled, ending the conversation.
After a small moment of silence, Mia stretched her arms and sighed contentedly. "How about we go to dinner? The three of us. At Cha Cha Cha's."
A defeated laugh rumbled from deep within Dom's throat. "All right."
They slid off the hood, clambered into the car, and slowly carved a path out of the raceway to make their way to the quaint Cuban restaurant.
*A/N: read and review! please and thank you! =D