by
DevilChild
Fandom: The Fast and The Furious
Rating: For Mature Readers
Pairing: Dom/Bri; Bri/Mia
Author's Note: A TF&TF High School AU inspired by an onlist challange. Thanks to Dawn and Bone for the beta. Thanks to Khal for additional helpful commentary.
Copyright and Disclaimer: The Fast and The Furious and the characters from it are creations of Gary Scott Thompson, Eric Bergquist, and David Ayer. I make no claims their ownership or creation. This bit of not for profit modern folklore (thank you Prof. Jenkins) is mine.
Despite the Hispanic population of the school, because soccer wasn't a traditionally "important" sport like football or basketball, the cheerleaders didn't start coming to the games until the team had a lock on a playoff berth. And while it was nice to finally have the official moral support of the school, it didn't help having a bunch of beautiful girls on the sidelines. Brian found himself distracted by Mia several times. One good chewing out from Coach Prince got Brian back in the game, though.
So far the team had gone undefeated, but today they were playing the team from Echo Park High, their traditional rivals. Hector had made some spectacular saves in order to help Ridgemont keep their one goal lead. Sure, the playoffs were a lock, but both teams wanted to go in as top seed.
But what really sucked is that the EPH players were doing everything they could think of to try and keep Brian out of the action. So far only some fancy footwork had kept him from going down, and despite his shin guards, he could feel a whole new crop of bruises. At least the ref had eyes in his head. Right now, both of their defenders had yellow cards for trying to take him out.
As the last five minutes ticked off the clock, Brian started to feel pretty wrung out. EPH had gotten a goal with ten minutes to go, tying the game. Everybody started playing with everything they had in them. One minute left before a sudden death overtime. Brian darted down the field, feinted left, shot right, and Paolo passed him the ball. He had the shot lined up and --
BAM!!
-- an EPH halfback cleated him hard from behind. The stands erupted into boos on the Ridgemont side, but Brian barely heard it as he slammed to the turf. The world turned black and white and for a few seconds he thought he would lose his lunch. Out of the corner of tear-flooded eyes he saw the ref pull out the red-card and then Brian had his arms slung over Mike and Javier's shoulders and they were taking him towards the bench as Coach Prince ran out to them.
"--that fucking fucker! You hear that, Pasquale?! Your player is a fucking asshole! Guy like that's got no place on a team!" Coach Prince shouted to the opposite sideline.
"Watch the language, Coach." The ref said.
"You saw it. That bastard lined up the shot and went cleats first!"
"Yeah, and he's out of here. Now take your player to the bench and get this sorted before I've got to yellow card you. "
As sensations other than the sheer throb of pain returned to his left leg, Brian could feel the ooze of blood under his sock. "Coach," he gritted out between clenched teeth, "just wrap it tight in a bandage. Wrap it so I can't feel it. I want to get out there and take my penalty kick before the stiffness sets in."
"Are you sure, Brian?"
"Hell yeah," Brian hissed. "It's my kicking leg, not the plant, so I can still do it, Coach, I know I can."
Coach Prince looked up at the bleachers and thought for a moment then said, "Alright, Brian. One try and if it goes to overtime, you are not on the field, no matter what."
Pat, the trainer, wrapped the ace bandage as tight over Brian's calf as he dared, but it still took an assist from Javier to get Brian back on the field. He forced himself to stay focused on the game in an effort to keep the pain from kicking in.
"Are you sure about this?" the ref asked as the EPH and Ridgemont players lined up in front of the goal.
"Yes," Brian said through clenched teeth.
The ref set the ball on the ground and Brian took a hop-skipping run at it, the pain causing his eyes to stream water down his cheeks. Plant foot down, the kick ... the world turned to black and white … yes! He'd somehow managed to get the spin on it and -- GOAL!
Brian's legs felt like noodles and he forced himself to stay on the field and hop-skip in the general direction of the game as the last few seconds ticked down. When the final whistle blew, he slung his arms over two guys and they carried him to the bench where Coach Prince and Pat gloved up and unwrapped the bandage, cut off his sock and -- oh shit it was bad.
Pat held his ankle, turning it this way and that and told him that nothing there seemed broken or sprained, then as gently as he could (but ohjesus it still hurt so bad that Brian cried out) manipulated the calf. At last Pat sighed with relief. "I don't think your fibula's broken. It's all just bruised and strained, and then there's the scrapes ... " Digging into his first aid kit he swabbed Brian's calf down with betadine, then wrapped it in an ace bandage, snapped a chemi-cool pack and wrapped that in.
There was no way Brian could drive. Hell, there was no way he could walk for the next few days, probably even as much as a week.
By that time Mia had forced her way over. Brian looked at her and said, "Mia, can you get Dom or Leon? I think one of them's going to have to give me a ride home."
"I can drive you."
"Yeah, but then you have to walk and it's dark out."
"Brian," she huffed, "It's Echo Park, not South Central."
"Mia, please. Besides, somebody's going to have to give me the shoulder to a car, and as much as you're strong and in good shape, I don't think we'd get too far."
After a few minutes she returned with both Dom and Leon. Leon winced when he saw the cool pack on Brian's leg. "Aww, dog, that's not good. We saw it from the stands." He got down for a closer look.
"Yeah," Brian said, "I'm going to need a ride home."
"And one for the rest of the week, " Dom added.
"At least."
With arms slung over Leon and Dom, Brian made it to the Civic. Gasping with pain he flopped into the front seat and adjusted it back as far as it could go. Mia headed towards Brian's car.
"We got a pair of crutches if you need them," Dom said as they rolled over the first set of speed bumps with a jar that set Brian's teeth on edge.
"I think I'll need them. I'll give you my firstborn if you remember them tomorrow."
Next set of bumps. Dom clutched, coasted, and then shifted. "Just don't get started on that firstborn thing anytime soon, right?"
Brian sighed. "Busted." But at least Dom was cool about it.
Dom looked over with a wicked grin and said, "You and Mia were about as subtle as a brick through a window."
Brian clapped his hands to his face and groaned before replying, "Well, it wasn't like it was a plan. It just sort of happened."
Dom's eyes became deadly serious. "You used protection, right?"
"No. We're a couple of complete fucking morons. Of course we used a condom! Sheezus!"
"Good."
Rolling his eyes and piffing air upwards, Brian said, "I never thought I'd have this conversation with you. Not in a billion years."
Dom looked thoughtful for a moment, shifted into gear as the light changed, and said, "Yeah. Well, the fact that I owe Mia big for covering my ass on several occasions is why I made Vince get the hell out before he could wake my dad."
"Dude, first and second born for that."
"You break her heart, I'll break your neck."
Brian smiled back at Dom. "But what if she breaks mine?"
"Well, we can still be friends. She's my sister, but there's always rule number two."
Brian gave Dom a look, so Dom explained, "When I was about six years old and my dad was going away on circuit he took me aside and explained the rules. Rule number one --"
"You don't talk about Fight Club." Brian couldn't resist.
Dom rolled his eyes. "Rule number one. Always be nice to Mom. Rule number two: Bros --"
"-- before hos." They finished in unison.
"Not that Mia's a ho, of course," Dom added.
They stopped to let Mia pass them and pull the MR2 into its part of the drive, then pulled in after. Brian opened the door and wondered how the hell he was supposed to get out.
"Here." Dom came around and gave him a hand up, while Mia followed with Brian's backpack.
His mom rushed out of the back door. "Sweetie, what's wrong?!"
"I got cleated," Brian gritted out as they hit the foot of the stairs. "Can you get me some aspirin or something?" Mia slipped ahead and held the door as somehow Dom and Brian clomped up.
As soon as Brian got seated in a chair at the kitchen table, Mia set his backpack down beside him and kissed him tenderly on the cheek. Dom squeezed his shoulder and said, "See you at 6:45?"
"Sounds right. I'll call you if I can't make it.'
Brian swallowed the Motrin his mother handed him and rolled his eyes as she insisted on unwrapping the bandages and seeing the damage for herself. "Oh, Brian," she cried, "are you sure it's not broken?!"
"I don't know. Coach and the trainer say it looks like a really bad bruise, a strain, and the scrapes. I'll be back to normal in a week or so." Actually, for all Brian knew his fibula could be broken or cracked, but he wasn't in so much pain that he felt like a trip to the local urgent care center. Because, frankly, if you weren't bleeding out, you spent the next three or so hours sitting on a hard chair, waiting, and if he had to sit home and ache with bruises, he wanted to do it on his couch or in his bed. "Sheesh, Mom! That fucking hurts!" he yelped as she prodded at the area of impact.
"Language."
Oh, pulleaze. "Mom, this is so not the time for that. Okay? Now is the time to feed me and then we can figure out how to get my ass upstairs, or at least make me a bed on the couch. I've got some homework to start, too."
Not that he got very much in the way of homework done. Even three Motrin barely took the edge off. By TV time, Brian couldn't stand it any more and had his mother take him to Urgent Care.
Verdict: cracked fibula.
Should heal completely in a few weeks. But no soccer. Not until next season.
He came home with a splint immobilizing his lower leg and instructions not to walk on it for another week.
After their hours long ordeal in the Urgent Care, Mom unbent enough to give him a double shot of rum for the pain and to help him sleep. Sure made scooting up the stairs on his butt a memorable experience.
~oo(0)oo~
The next morning at 6:45 sharp Dom knocked on the door. He listened to the bad news sympathetically then held out a pair of crutches. "Let's get these fitted to you."
As Dom loosened the wing nuts, Brian asked, "Where's Mia?"
"She figured she'd ride in with Leon."
"Oh."
Dom rolled his eyes and said, "Think about it, Einstein. Me tall. You taller. Crutches in back seat. Then there's back packs. Should we stuff her in the trunk?"
"Guess I'm being an idiot," Brian sighed. "Oh well, at least it's not Vince she's riding in with."
A guffaw of laughter. "Oh, he asked. And Mia looks at him all sugar and spice and says, 'Oh, I've already asked Leon. No point in you driving out of your way since he lives with us.' She hadn't of course, and Leon damn near blew it before I threw him an elbow."
Brian had to laugh. "Vince just doesn't know when to quit."
"No. 'S one of the things I like about him. You're not worried about Leon putting the moves on Mia?" Dom gave him a cocky grin.
"Nah. He thinks of her like a sister. It's Vince that you need to look out for. He'd go after Letty if he got a chance." With a groan he put his jacket on and slung his backpack over his shoulders.
Dom shot him an inscrutable look as he passed Brian the crutches back. "Oh, I never noticed."
Brian had to laugh. "Well, of course not! Do you think Vince is suicidal?"
Halfway to school, out of nowhere, Dom turned down the stereo and said, "This last breakup with Letty, I meant it. I'm tired of all her drama."
Brian nodded at him to continue, curious about where this was going.
"Well, should I go up to V and just say it's okay for him to ask her?"
"If that's the way you feel." Brian shrugged. Most guys were usually not keen on seeing their girlfriends pick up a guy on the rebound, while strangely enough, it almost seemed like Dom was eager to set Letty up.
Dom's brow furrowed in thought as he continued, "I mean, I've just got so much on my plate right now. I don't think I really have time for a girlfriend. But if she wants to go out with Vince, and he wants to go out with her, I should just get out of the way, right?"
Mentally Brian rolled his eyes. The stiff suspension on the Civic had his leg throbbing as they cruised over the patched and cracking pavement. "Yeah," he said after awhile, "just be cool about it."
"Cool about it," Dom echoed and didn't say another word until he deftly helped Brian out of the car, clapped him on the back, and told Brian to meet him in the gym after six.
~oo(0)oo~
Brian called his mom after school to let her know he'd be riding back with Dom and which meant more or less that he'd be home at the usual time.
His leg throbbed on and off all day. He had crutched over to the soccer field to watch practice, but riding the bench quickly became boring. Seeing the longing look in his eyes, Coach Prince flat out told him that he had no chance of taking the field before he was fully recovered, and that until he was recovered enough to help out a bit, he should take a break.
Brian crutched over to see if the library remained open after school. And it did, but only for two hours. He glanced at his watch. 4pm. Fucky fuck fuck, he thought and headed for the gym. At least he could go into the weight room and get some benches in. As soon as he saw the wrestlers doing takedown drills on the mat, that plan changed and he joined a small group of people in the stands.
Dom and Leon noticed him after a few minutes. Dom grinned at him before turning his attention back to his opponent. Brian spent the next hour watching the action on the mats and tumbling that grin over in his mind. It made him feel the same way Mia's grin did.
A hand on Brian's shoulder jarred him back to reality. It was Jimmy, the guy who did sports for the school newspaper. Brian almost sighed in relief when Jimmy asked if he wanted to talk about his injury and what this meant for Ridgemont's chances in the play offs? Brian all but heaved himself out of his seat and laboriously thumped out of the gym, half elated, half annoyed.
~oo(0)oo~
"Fucking things are killing me," Brian groaned as he nestled them in the back seat of the Civic.
"Eh, you'll toughen up in a day or two," Dom laughed. "You should've heard my Dad bitching when he was on them for a month."
Brian watched Mia get into Leon's car. No chance of studying with her tonight. It was her turn to work the store.
Dom cleared his throat. "There's a wrestling match Thursday night at seven. You coming?"
Considering the fact that Dom had come to several soccer games and was doing him a huge favor until he could drive again, Brian figured he owed Dom, plus it was a chance to spend more time with him. Always a good thing. "Sure. I'll have to ask my keeper though."
"Cool. I'll pick you up at 5:30. Bring your camera, get some footage of Leon kicking ass."
~oo(0)oo~
Once again Dom showed up at exactly 6:45 and helped Brian get into the car. He seemed so happy about something that he almost glowed.
"Dude? What's up?" Brian asked. "You're wired like you had six cups of coffee."
"Just having one of those days."
"What, channeling your inner Jesse?"
Dom at least had the grace to shoot him a mock sour look.
As they sat waiting for the light to change, Brian glanced in the side view mirror. He could see Leon's car behind them, and Leon was making faces at Dom while Mia rolled her eyes and hid her face in her hands. Perhaps when he could drive again, he should pick Mia up, and then Dom and Leon could share a ride and save some wear and tear on Leon's old car. He scratched that idea a split second later. Both of them loved driving too much to give it up.
Thumping his hands on the wheel in time to the music, Dom said, "I talked to him."
"What did he say?"
"That he's asking her to the winter formal."
"Shit. I've got to ask Mia. How much are tickets?"
Dom glanced at him, and said, "I should know? I'm a free man."
Brian decided to change the subject. "So, who are you wrestling Thursday?"
"A guy named Eddie Carver, but --" Dom practically went through the roof with glee "Leon's got Lance Ngyuen, Johnny Tran's cousin, and Leon's going to slam him to the mat."
"So, Johnny's going to be there?" Brian kept his voice neutral.
"Hell, yes! And I'm bringing Jesse, too."
Brian bit his lip in thought. "Is that a good idea?"
Dom's eyes bored into his. "If we want to show the Trans that we aren't afraid of them, yes. That's the only way to show an asshole like that -- just call his damn bluff."
Dom talked about the matches upcoming and how Jesse was coming along as a wrestler the rest of the way to the school. As soon as he pulled into his parking space and killed the engine, he practically flew around the car to help Brian get out.
Brian grinned goofily at him. Dom fussing over him just made him laugh. The Civic was low, but not that low and after a moment's hesitation, he took the offered hand when he saw a flash of hurt behind Dom's smile. Dom. Big brother and father to everybody on Team Toretto.
"Sweet boyfriend you've got there, Dom," Vince called out as he walked up between cars.
Bam! In a move so sudden Brian wondered where Dom's hand had vanished, Dom whipped around and cold-cocked Vince, laying him out.
"Jesus Christ, Dom!" Leon shouted as Dom shook his hand to ease the sting.
Mia's mouth went slack in shock as she dropped her bag in her haste to get to Vince.
Brian's face must have shown the shock he felt at the suddenness and the wrongness of what Dom had done, because Dom looked at him almost pleadingly for a second, and tried to say something before he stomped off -- in the wrong direction for his first class. Brian finally got to his feet, pulled the crutches out and shut the door. At his feet Leon and Mia were helping the still groggy Vince sit up. They looked just as dazed and confused as Vince.
Mia looked up at Brian, eyes huge. "Dom's never -- I mean, he and Vince have mixed it up before, but --"
"Not like this," Leon finished. "I have no idea what came over him. This morning he seemed ..."
Woodenly Brian said, "He was so happy in the car. Like everything was coming up roses for him." Glancing over his shoulder he found Dom sitting on one of the benches across the green, staring blankly into space. "Um... Should I go?"
"Nah. I'll bring him over." Leon stood and stalked off.
Clenching his teeth against the pain, Brian knelt down on the ground. "Man, Vince, you need to get some ice on that jaw."
"You really should go home, V," Mia said.
Vince went to shake his head no and winced at the motion. "Nah," he rasped, "I've got worse from my old man. Just give me a few minutes and if you've got some aspirin or something, Mia, I want it."
In a soft voice Mia began, "Vince, Dom--"
"'S okay. Bitch just has PMS or something."
Considering how many times he had thought the same thing about Vince, Brian chuckled at the remark.
Mia, however, was still fuming. "We should just leave and let him deal with getting his precious fucking car locked up. Maybe he'll forget and it will be stripped come lunch time. Asshole."
Both Brian and Vince gawked at her and snorted at the unreality of that statement. Dom not locking his car. Yeah, right.
"--lucky nobody really saw that, or else you'd be up at the office getting chewed out and suspended. Hello? No wrestling this week! What the fuck were you thinking?" Leon's voice hissed as he came over, arm slung over a contrite looking Dom's shoulder.
"Vinceimsorry." Dom mumbled.
Leon gave Vince a hand up and Brian slowly climbed back to his feet.
"Sorry, what did you say? I like couldn't hear it over the, oh, you know, general background noise." Vince's voice dripped with sarcasm.
"I said I'm sorry, man!" Dom snapped. "It was wrong of me. I should've said something, but I'm just sick and fucking tired of your mouth sometimes, Vince."
"Man, you know I didn't mean it," Vince said in a hurt voice.
"But you said it." Dom gave a sad, hitching almost laugh and said, "I keep saying that your big mouth is going to get you in trouble some day, but I never thought I'd be the one to shut it, not that way. Vince, man, I'm so sorry."
Vince slung a somewhat wobbly arm over Dom's shoulder. "If you ever deck me like that again .... Ah, c'mon, let's get some ice and some Tylenol or something." And the two of them wandered off.
As soon as they were out of earshot, Leon crossed his arms and leaned against the hood of his car, groaning. Brian nodded at him to go ahead. "Man," Leon said, "lately Dom's been really tetchy at home. Since Thanksgiving. Hair-trigger.
"Doesn't help that Nick's been talking about going back on the circuit soon again. He promised Dom that he'd stay home until graduation, but ... Nick just loves the track too much.
"And then there's the match this week. Dom's been wound up about that for the past week." Leon shook his head and sighed.
Brian shrugged. "He hasn't said a word about that stuff to me. Just been the usual stuff. Sports, girls, sports, cars, how my mom can be a bitch."
"Of course not," Leon chuffed. "He just thinks he has to go it alone on everything some times."
Before Brian could respond, the bell rang. He gave Leon a nod and crutched towards Mia and class.
Last Updated: 5/14/09