Dom's gaze didn't waver even as he turned in and saw the big sign with the overly large baseball and bat.
"Batting cages!" It was honestly a surprise.
The cars behind them honked as they turned into the parking lot and saw the sign. As the engines shut off and the people got out they looked excited about this.
"You're into this? Full of surprises!" Leon said, patting him on the shoulder.
"Driving in street races is still the most unique thing about him, though," Jesse said as an aside.
Leon held his fingers up with a smile. "Cop. Striptease. Kissed Letty. Baseball. But you still think street racing is the most unique thing he does?"
"SWAT is top of my list," Vince said with a shrug.
"What does the winner get?" Jesse asked.
"The winner doesn't do any dishes back at home," Leon supplied.
Dom caught Brian's eye, shaking his head from side to side at their antics.
"Not exactly a place to teach me any strip tease lessons, then?" Dom smirked, catching the attention of the others again.
"You've really never taken anyone here before, have you? Just wait. There's always direct contact."
They looked more nervous than ever.
The big area lights overhead illuminated the dozen or so outdoor batting cages and was enough to guarantee the lot of them wouldn't be seeing any stars while here. There was a group of kids at the other end of the arena, but for the most part they would be alone in this dying sport. Brian paid for an hour for just one cage. He wasn't cheep, it was just part of the fun of hanging out.
The cage was in a high fenced-in area about eight feet wide and fifteen feet long, just as high to block wild balls. One end had a ball machine to pitch to them at a high speed, and the other was where one of them would stand with a rented baseball bat, ready to make an ass himself when he couldn't hit a ball that flew into the same place every time. The onlookers would stand around, either cheer the batter on or chew him out. It was always a great way to spend an evening.
Jesse liked the idea of not doing the dishes and chose to be the first up, but proved his inexperience with two misses.
"Miss this next one and I'm coming in there to show you some moves, and I can't help unless I'm plastered to your ass," Brian warned with a smirk, but was serious.
That got a collective group of harder men than most to both cringe in worry and smirk in mirth for their friend.
Jesse gulped a breath that seemed to not be full of oxygen. He knew the ball was in position, the air compressor machine readying to send him his sixth ball, but the anticipation of it killed Jesse's cool.
"You got this man!" Leon hollered in encouragement.
The others clapped. The ball released and Jesse swung while ducking back to get out of the way.
The clang of the metal gate opened and before Jesse could even turn his neck Brian was on him, pushing him back into position, arms wrapped around him and holding his hands over the baseball bat. It was a new feeling.
Leon whooped.
"Ready for it - " Brian encouraged, back pressed to Jesse's. "It's not going to hit you. Here it comes, nice and easy - "
Brian was the rock keeping Jesse's body in place. His strength overpowered Jesse's desire to shrink away, flail the bat, hide. Brian was a comfort, like a sentinel from a comic book. Jesse couldn't have used the word dad; not with this amount of physical contact. Daddy, maybe, but that made him cringe. The damn CLONK as the ball hit the bat reverberated up Jesse's arms and he swore it pitched his heart into a new tempo.
Whoops and hollers and claps from the spectating crew. Jesse flung his head around, grinning at them all, at Brian who was close still.
"See that?!" Jesse gasped, too thrilled to remember how awkward it was a second ago.
"Let's get the next one!" Brian urged. "Loosen up or I'm going to help more!"
"Uh-oh, comin' for ya, man!" Leon hollered, bursting with chuckles again. Then for the other two by his side, laughing, he said, "You two really alright hanging with this guy?"
The smiles on their faces said yes.
This time he didn't control Jesse, but he made sure to adjust his posture and the spread of his legs. CLANG! A better hit this time. The next two Jesse got, too. He dropped the bat and raised his arms into the air when it was all over. The others came in and high-fived him.
Ten balls were gathered and put into the basket of the machine again, which would start pitching once they pressed the button by the chain link door. They'd paid for an hour. They'd do this over and over, changing batters until their time ran out.
"Don't go too far," Leon said, picking up the bat from the matted floor pasted in that dry maroon sports covering and claiming next turn, calling Brian over to him with a wave of his hand. "I know now why you chose this place, but I haven't done this before, so show me how."
Brian moved in again with a grin. He loved this game.
Brian showed Leon for his first four balls how to better stand and bat. He probably only needed to do it for the first two, but hey, he was weak and Leon was tight and willing. When he went back out with the others he was a bit flushed and grinning.
Vince told him, "You don't have any friends because you keep taking them here and scaring them away."
"You scared, Vince?"
The others laughed again and Vince didn't look too bothered by it. He took it almost like a challenge. No, buster. Not scared, said his eyes as he glared with a twist of his lips into a smile. Dom stood by Vince's side giving his oldest friend an approving look.
"See? This is why it works," Brian explained. "This is the place to take someone. Doesn't matter how good you can swing a bat; inevitably there will be someone hanging all over someone else."
"Shut up! You're distracting me!" Said Leon, having to put up with all their noise.
He didn't do too bad in the end. Vince was next and held up a hand right away to stop Brian.
"Nu-uh! Not happening. Just watch and learn, buster!"
Vince took the bat and readied his first swing. The ball came at him and he swung the bat hard enough to almost throw his shoulders out of their joints. They were all cringing by the time he'd finished, making contact with only three balls and somehow causing himself a tweaked ankle. There was a bench nearby and not bolted down so Dom and Brian brought it over closer to the cage and they crowed it, giving Vince the spot on the end.
"Want me to check out that ankle - ?" Brian couldn't even finish his grinning offer, too busy dodging Vince's shoe he'd taken off to check out the damage there.
"You're not coming near me," Vince declared, pissed but more at himself for feeling embarrassed. He caught the disapproving eyes of Dom, then added, "No offence," like that counted.
Anyway, Brian never stopped grinning. He was up before Dom. He hit all ten, walked off without a limp.
"Hey Dom, need some help with your first round?" Brian offered, passing the bat over while Leon and Jesse went about gathering the balls. And Brian wasn't even subtle about it, already looking back down at Dom's body.
Dom took the bat and swung it around, making his first hit a light one on the backs of Brian's thighs. "I think I've had you close enough for one day."
It hurt Dom's heart to say it, though. He felt like following Vince's lead right now.
Brian and the others left the cage. Everyone watched closely as this was the crowning moment.
"You're gonna get 'em!" Leon encouraged, clapping.
The first ball went flying past Dom. He cringed, looking back at his team. Everyone clapped, spurring him on. Dom turned back to his nemesis, the little hole that ejected the balls. Another splurged out towards him, sailing past his bat like it was made of ghost essence. It had a bit to do with the strange noises of the machine nocking the ball, causing anticipation that Dom couldn't time right. Had to do with that and this empty feeling in his gut that was distracting him.
"You'll get the next one!" Brian called, clapping. "All good! You'll get it!"
His voiced rallied Dom, but in the end he only got three. He was as bad as Vince.
Brian couldn't have been happier to follow Jesse into the cage to help him a little more with his game. Back on the bench the three others were leaning back just watching now, knowing Jesse was in good hands.
"The buster has a real ace up his sleeve for taking people here," Leon said with a grin. "I think I'll get him to help me again, only this time I'll have him pull some real moves on me."
"You'll what?!" Vince gasped.
Dom bit the inside of his cheek.
Leon nodded, like he was so smart for thinking of this. "So that I'll know what to do when I take a girl here! This is really fun, dawg! And Brian's all up on Jesse with a good excuse! He's playing a good game!"
Vince leaned past Leon to give Dom a hard look. He knew even if Dom was bruised by him in this way that he would keep his cool and not spoil things. Dom preferred parties to last long into the night; he would brush things off before letting them affect him personally…even if that meant putting up with watching Leon get to touch someone he was beginning to feel a pressure in his pants for.
Vince never would have imagined having the guys out and having this much fun without a tuned motor or a lot of beer. His smile returned soon enough and just wouldn't drop for the whole rest of the hour here.
For that little while Brian could forget about how Roman's big mistake of lying to say he discovered stolen goods at Tran's place dumped the full brunt of the hijacking case on Brian's own shoulders. He knew that right now his boss Tanner and the FBI agents and maybe those three new guys were going over a recourse. The raid on Johnny Tran was a rabbit hole of possibilities, but for now he was out with Dom, Vince, Leon and Jesse, messing about at a batting cage with Leon being heavy playful on him.
"Winner doesn't do the dishes, but is it really worth this much effort sabotaging Brian to win?" Vince asked the group around him, all of whom were watching Leon standing behind Brian and severely messing with the guy's game. This was going to be his last baseball and so far Brian had only hit one other this round.
Brian had this toothy grin on his face and inched a little tighter against Leon's front.
"Help me again put my hands in the right place?" They heard him say.
Leon did as asked. From the other's perspective outside the cage they saw Brian's eyes close seconds after their buddy rested his chin over Brian's shoulder. It caused a collective discomfort between Vince and Jesse. It was sharp jealousy that Dom felt. It tightened his brow and made the muscles in his arms twitch.
"Open your eyes, buster!" Dom growled.
Brian remembered to, smirking as his lids uncovered and he caught sight of the ball coming forward. The hit was loud and hit the metal fence ahead of them.
"Your eyes were closed?!" Leon asked like he was really surprised.
Brian turned around and discreetly-not-so-much adjusted himself in his pants. "You're really good at teaching, you know?"
Leon saw Brian's movement and took a step away, hands up and saying, "Whoa! I know this is just a game! Haha! That was fun anyway! Woo!"
Leon jumped back further, laughing.
"You're happy about giving him a hard on!?" Vince shot at him.
Leon nodded and declared, "I'll take it as a compliment! I'ma bring dates here the rest of my life! Love it!"
Vince gave a glare but it was Dom who looked worse off than him. He was trying for a neutral expression but it was tight as he looked at Brian. Seeing that Dom had stopped having as much fun, Leon crooned.
"Nothing wrong, is there, Dom?"
"Yeah, is there?" Vince also inquired of the muscled man.
Maybe he tried to sound innocent, but Dom jabbed out an elbow into Vince because he knew the truth. Brian saw it and adjusted the way his jeans were again, trying to cool himself down. It wasn't his intension to get carried away. He saw the chip on Dom's shoulder, the way Vince dared Dom to speak, and Brian felt a cold draft ice over the sweat Leon had built up on his chest and thighs. It somehow stung his eyes, too…felt like the start of one of those subliminal self chastising moments that Brian found most painful. It showed on his new demure expression that the others all saw.
At the sight of it, Vince shoved forward through the swinging chain link door and grabbed the bat from Brian and blocked Dom from his view. He did it to offer the new guy a moment to get himself together.
"Never mind, buster!" Vince declared, smacking Brian on the arm, too. "Help pick these up for my turn! Before the clock runs out!"
Vince had almost embarrassed Dom again and that was something Dom hated but was use to. While Vince swung his last round, Brian and the others were back outside the chain link fence and watching. It took only one minute for Brian to collect himself, but he wasn't as happy as he was a moment ago.
It was the last few moments of the game that would decide who went home without dish duty. It really was looking like Jesse's night, though. Leon and Brian sat next to each other on the small bench, with Jesse in the middle. Dom stood by the gate, keeping to himself. For his part, Brian kept both eyes on Dom, looking up and down his body in that way that he was drawn to doing. Right now he was trying to decide if he had caused any real trouble with his behavior. He suspected Leon was sitting far away from Dom for the same worried reason.
He didn't offer to help Vince or Dom these past few times. Brian discovered now that it didn't just irk Dom, it really might be an issue. He knew, too, that there was something in the way Vince was treating the whole situation that was a little odd. Little did Brian know that Vince was feeling sorry for Dom, as Vince had come to the conclusion that Dom was a little curious about what it would be like to do that, too.
Dom was inwardly suppressing the tingling that was growing in his gut at the new feelings he was experiencing. He needed this moment off to the side to do so.
Vince had poked Dom a few times throughout the night, even asking, "Want me to break them up?"
Dom hadn't replied back then. He just kept his eyes glued on the scene before him, studying it.
Jesse had watched the exchange between Vince and Dom with dawning horror. He kept it to himself in that way he'd been doing lately. His night was going just fine, no need to spoil it with admitting that Vince actually seemed to be egging Dom on for some sort of…experiential relationship with Officer O'Conner.
Just before ten o'clock, everyone was piling back towards the cars, congratulating Jesse and lamenting their own failures. Brian lingered around Dom, figuring he'd be his ride. Dom thought the same. They settled into the car, buckling in and watching the others pull out and get going home. But before igniting the engine, Dom looked at Brian.
The light was dim. Eerie as it shadowed Brian's nose and eyes in near blackness. Dom squinted, leaning forward to see what he was missing, knowing it was those light blue eyes and those sparkly blonde curls. When Brian leaned forward too, they came back into view.
"Have fun tonight?" Dom didn't mean to sound so gruff.
Brian took a silent moment to consider Dom's mood. He nodded hesitantly, mouth straight.
"Yeah. A lot. Thank you for asking me to do it. Nothing went…wrong, did it? You had a good time, too?"
He was nervous. Dom didn't like this nervousness as much as he did when Brian was trying to get to know the color of the Supra. The forced-calm twitch he had when he was trying to act like nothing was wrong. He was worried, because was Brian worried about him? He wanted to find out. He did it also to offer some sort of white flag truce even to himself. Brian wasn't a danger to him…this night was a clear sign that Dom had picked a good new person to come into their group. He took them out and made them feel good and there wasn't any need for highway robbery, Leon on the police scanner, or drunk and disorderly crowds.
Dom reached across and rubbed his knuckles against Brian's shirt right over his chest, right around where his heart would be pumping. He looked for any sign of a flinch, but there was none. If anything, he relaxed.
In this moment, everything was still. The stars were out, there was the sound of Sunset Boulevard traffic, but it was muted compared to the sound of their bodies adjusting in the seats and the light way Dom's knuckles slid against Brian's white shirt. It didn't even feel awkward to keep the silence, but Dom knew he added some level of it when his knuckles slid upward and slid gently against the rough stubble grown on Brian's chin. He didn't linger. He went right for the keys and turned them in the ignition.
"Had a good time," he stated simply, getting the car moving. And he could have put the music on and drowned out any chance at further conversation, but he kept it off so the air remained open.
Halfway home, Brian found his voice.
"Dom? Something not okay?" He still sounded nervous. "It's just, I'm not saying I noticed anything off, but tonight you - "
"Busy day," Dom declared. He glanced at Brian, at the lights stroking over his face, his full attention given and it made him happier than not. Dom tried for a change of topic. "You too? Going to talk about what you did today after you left?"
Brian shook his head. "Can't. Cops aren't suppose to talk about open cases."
"What if it was your husband or your wife who was asking? Would a cop talk then?"
Brian took a deep breath. Imagine him with one of those two people in his life…improbable. Brian didn't know why, but it just seemed like an unattainable treasure.
Shook his head.
"Probably not. That's usually the person a cop protects the most. I hear stories about guys getting divorced because they're so cagy that they just stop talking altogether about stuff. Trying to protect who they think is some vanilla housewife who couldn't handle the real shit we sometimes see. Bodies and kids and things…" He'd seen stuff like that he'd rather not talk about, too.
Dom kept glancing over. Brian kept watching him.
"I'm not some vanilla housewife," Dom pointed out with a smirk.
Brian smiled, his first in some minutes. He was looking like he would come around and talk a little bit. He always did when pushed a little, anyway. Always said a little bit of the truth just for Dom.
"It'd just cause trouble if I told you what happened tonight. You'd want to know more and more."
"That a bad thing? I could use the lessons in following the law," his joke doesn't go flat and Brian laughed a little.
"But then pretty soon you'd start listening to the police scanners for my chatter, follow my route on the map, start showing up at crime scenes."
"Doesn't sound like me. I'm too busy with the garage," he said, making it obvious that all sounded like some bullshit, too. "I have more respect in your abilities than that. I've seen the way you put the Supra together, too. If you're half as good at your job as you are with cars, then…" he let it hang.
Brian grinned and for some long seconds lost all words.
"That means a lot to me to hear. By the way, Dom? Did Leon make you angry for some reason? At the end there you looked a little…" angry with him and me.
It was like Brian didn't know he was poking a bear. It was just in him to ask about problems, though. Call it his cop instinct, but he had been like this since being locked in a little room with Rome for two years; it was just better to make sure the other person was alright and wasn't going to wake up in the middle of the night throwing punches.
Dom gripped his steering wheel tighter, knowing Brian was deflecting off himself just as Dom had done.
"And Vince," Brian went on casually, carefully. "He looked like he had something to say but wasn't."
Dom rolled his eyes back in his head and huffed. Vince. The bastard and his games were killing him slowly. Dom said tersely, "Don't know what you're talking about."
And then a smile broke out on Brian's face and he finally looked away at last, straight out the front window. It was with such sudden lightheartedness that Dom couldn't deny it was strange. Brian had picked up on something just then and had instantly gone back to enjoying himself.
Dom wasn't angry with him. He had no reaction to the thought of him or Leon, but had such one to Vince that caused him to show his true feelings. It was Vince, but that was okay because Vince as the oldest friend; nothing would tarnish that relationship.
It wasn't Brian. It wasn't what he and Leon were doing. It was something Vince was doing.
"You weren't pissed at Leon for putting his arms around me?"
Heat rose to Dom's cheeks and his chest tightened, too. He swallowed.
"Why would I be?"
Dom felt a rush when Brian reached up and ran a hand over his buzzed head softly. It was another impulsive move from Brian, drawn out from relief and comradeship…lingering appreciation for the feel of Dom's body. It was praise via petting is what it was. Dom felt his breath hitch.
"Felt good to touch like that," and his hand went down Dom's head, staying there along the back of his scalp behind his ears.
He probably should have pushed him off. Didn't.
The bumps on the road jostled Brian's gentle hand and caused it to move along the skin, alternating pressure and position and tickling. All the feelings collected in the pit of Dom's stomach again. There was pressure behind his genitals he wasn't comfortable with but was becoming aware of.
No more words were said but that was definitely because Dom was focusing on driving, not because he was too afraid of where else those words would lead. Brian kept his hand lightly attached to the back of Dom's head and an eye on him for the rest of the way home.