Brian rolled out from under the Supra as he heard footsteps.
"Shouldn't you be heading home?" Dom's voice traveled to Brian slowly, as Dom himself did. He began investigating the car above Brian.
"Headed out now." Brian stood up as he answered, his eyes meeting Dom's for a nod. Brian looked at Dom, who was now looking under the hood at the newly installed parts. "Should I be gone? How's she look?" Brian wiped his hands, a slightly nervous tick though no one seemed to know it.
"It's fine. Better than fine."
Brian made to speak but second guessed himself, Dom seemed distant, and he was still learning all his moods. He walked to the rolling chest and replaced the tools he'd been working with, moving idly as he had no real desire to go back to his cave of a room at the store.
"Brian," Dom was still under the hood, and Brian wasted no time joining him. "This here, you do this today?"
"I finished connecting it today, started putting it in last night though." Brian looked at Dom, who was nodding and staring at the car. He turned away, moving the rolling cart and grabbing a wrench Brian had been using. "I was getting it." Brian didn't want Dom to clean up after him, he was essentially a guest in Dom's well-stocked garage.
"I didn't say you weren't. You got somewhere to be?" Brian stared at Dom in response, whose lips quirked incrementally. "Let's go." Brian stared at the white shirt stretched over Dom's back before realizing he should be following. Outside Brian caught the keys as Dom walked to the passenger side of his own car. Brian felt the urge to question him but stifled it. Things had been strange since that first night, Brian was acutely aware of this. They were strange particularly when they were alone together; it seemed when in company or public that their relationship was just like any other between Dom and his team, albeit the lack of history between them. Sometimes Brian could sense it, even in groups, just a subtle tension. Dom seemed to test him, push and pull and feel Brian out for trustworthiness. This terrified Brian.
"You're quiet." Dom's low words broke the silence Brian had hitherto been unaware of. He really had no idea how to respond.
"Where are we going?" Ok, not so much what Brian had meant to ask, but better at least than a lot of other things he could have said. He tensed as Dom didn't answer, and checked his mirrors. Brian hadn't even been thinking about where he was driving, but found himself about to get on a road headed straight into desert. Dom still didn't speak. "And you say I'm quiet..." Dom finally reacted, laughing at Brian's glib, and Brian found himself laughing too.
"Head back to the highway, there's this place in the North." Dom gestured loosely with his hand; Brian saw it fall back to the heavy cotton work pants in his peripheral vision. "They do shrimp. Lobster too." Brian turned to Dom at this, ready to rant about late-night food and mysterious excursions, but found him staring out the window. He thought better and instead decided to enjoy the ride.
As Brian pulled in Dom was already reaching for the handle, pulling himself out of the car. He peered over the top at Brian. "Let me lead." Brian was about to object when he heard someone call out to Dominic.
"Toretto!" Dom was greeting the man, quite warmly. "How you been bra? Haven't seen you out these parts!"
"I've been busy, been busy. Nah, I uh, got some things taken care of, I've got some newbie paying off some debt...Brian!" Brian moved to the two men, the other a tall dark man that looked like he could lift a Ducati over his head, and Dom. Dom who radiated power and charisma, and even now Brian felt the crackling tension, and a hint of fear. "JC, meet newbie."
"Brian, pleased to make your acquaintance, man." JC extended a hand and shook before looking at Dom. "He lose a car to you then?" Brian laughed and looked away. JC laughed and nodded. "Brian, I hear the same fucking story from this guy. All the time! One of you guys had better beat him at his own game so I can get some variety in my life!"
"Now now, let's not give the kid ideas." Dom rumbled, arms across his chest. He stared at Brian in a maddening way, not unlike the night of the first race. A reminder, perhaps, of Brian's place? Or how others may view his place. Things were beginning to make sense. Brian was the new equipment, like a new set of tires, and Dom was showing him off. He looked at Dom, who grinned at him before beckoning him to follow with a slight movement of his head. They were led to a table inside by a bubbly waitress, whose appearance was harder than her attitude. Her bouncy pigtails were held in place with small skull clips, and piercings adorned her face and ears. Brian took in her muscled arms as she put the menus on the table.
"Enjoy, Dominic." She smiled and spun from the booth. Brian slid in the side facing the door and Dom's lips quirked. Brian looked out into the parking lot at the crowd, the obvious racing circuit, and tapped his fingers on the table. He looked slowly to Dom, his eyes also taking in the shanty-type restaurant, the exits, and the other patrons.
"We used to come here. Back when I was on the tracks." Brian's eyes settled on Dom as he listened. Dom was relaxed, his eyes skimmed the menu but mostly stared at Brian. As usual, Brian found this maddening somehow.
"Vince and them?" Brian ground out, eyes meeting Dom's. Dom looked down at his menu.
"No, my father and I, Mia too sometimes. Well, occasionally I'd bring Vince and Letty." He put his menu down as Brian picked his up. "The waitresses hated Vince." Dom laughed, looking around the place before his eyes came back to Brian. Brian nodded.
"I can see that. There's a clear picture in my mind actually." Brian watched Dom smile slowly then laugh, loud and low, and Brian couldn't help but smile, then laugh as well. A waitress showed up, cracking gum loudly while twirling her hair. Brian didn't know people in real life actually did that while looking like that. Brian looked to Dom, who was staring at her with a strange expression.
"What can I get you Dominic?" She leaned back, pushing her hips closed to their table, and effectively toward Dom's face. Brian watched in awe as he smiled up at her, an arm snaking around her waist to pat her ass. She giggled and Brian felt a shiver down his spine. Dom kept a hand on her ass as his eyes met Brian's for a lingering second.
"Shrimp, Janey, my usual." Brian was still attempting to decipher Dom's look when he realized they were both staring at him. "He'll have the same. And beers, Janey." With a pat on her ass she was gone, and Dom was staring at Brian. Brian's mind was working to catch up, still back at the look. It was knowing, teasing, and watchful. Dom was gauging his reaction. It was similar to the look he wore now, but crueler. "You're miles away Bri." Brian stared at him in response.
"What kind of beer?"
"What do you think?" Brian nodded. Dom leaned forward, thick arms falling across the table. "What is your fucking deal tonight?" Brian looked quickly to the window, the racers outside and the cars they fought over. "Hey. I'm right fuckin here Bri, not out there." Dom was staring at him, angry, and for a minute Brian wondered what the other patrons would think of them. Dom scolding his crew, his team, his property?
"I'm just out of it, shit I don't know Dom." Brian tripped over his words, Dom's intense glare making him stumble with his thoughts. Brian thought that his fight or flight instinct had to be broken. "I mean, what the fuck do you care? You've been treating me like the new find, the new tool, since we got here! Showing me off, speaking for me, I might as well be a dog!" Brian really wondered why he was half-shouting at a man who could clearly kick his ass. Dom looked around before bringing his eyes up to the blonde man in front of him.
"At least now I know you can speak for yourself." Dom leaned forward across the table. "You don't just waltz into this life Brian, I thought I made that clear. You may have earned your place with me, but these people have their own ways, and if you rub them the wrong way I won't be able to speak for you anymore. So which would you prefer? I can leave you here alone, or you can sit and have some fucking dinner with me to do the talking." Dom's eyes were raging. Brian knew he looked close to that, and his hands were clenching into fists on the table. Dom stared at him.
"Fuck you." Dom stared at Brian then began to leave their table. "This shrimp had better be good." Dom froze, one hand on the table. He slowly settled back to his seat, staring at Brian. He shook his head and smiled, and Brian let out a breath he'd been holding.
