(trigger warning: rape/sexual assault)
brett woke up to a large hand on his shoulder, shaking him gently.
"hey, it's dinner time," eddy's voice was soft and sweet, nothing like it had been the day they'd met. brett opened his eyes to see the taller man standing over him, slight amusement on his face.
"what?" brett asked defensively, sitting up and wrapping the heavy blanket around his shoulders.
"you talk in your sleep," eddy grinned. a fiery red tint made its way across brett's already flushed cheeks and he cringed visibly.
"what did i say?" he quizzed, but he almost didn't want to know. the smile didn't leave eddy's face.
"well," he stood up, slapping his knees, "you said my name about... four times. and some other things i couldn't really make out."
brett groaned loudly and pulled the blanket over his head, curling up into a ball on the couch. how embarrassing.
"yang, there's no time for you to lay there and wallow in your embarrassment. come on."
"it's better than going to the cafeteria and having some dude twice my size shove me up against the wall and ask me why i was in the warden's office for hours... sir," came brett's muffled reply. eddy winced.
"tell them you were in trouble," he offered, attempting to take the blanket from brett. he gripped it tighter.
"for what?" brett almost laughed. eddy shrugged.
the smaller man sighed deeply and stood up.
"well," he said, "i'm going to head that way. thank you.. uh, sir."
eddy only grinned in response. the door shut behind brett with a quiet click and he took a deep breath.
surprisingly, no one said a word to brett on his short journey to the cafeteria. the other inmates still seemed to be focused on the extremely large man and the way he walked. brett did not condone bullying in any shape or form, but it was a relief to have the focus off of him. he clung to the wall and kept his head down so it would stay that way.
dinner was as disgusting as usual, so brett got a glass of water and sat alone—as usual. prison was all about routine and he'd established his pretty quickly. it consisted of avoiding other inmates and trying to stay hydrated so that starvation would be the only nutrition-related danger in his stay. his commissary money would come in soon and he'd be able to buy food, but a man can't live on chips and ramen noodles forever. he'd already lost a few pounds in the short duration he'd been there, making him even smaller. the weight loss angered him, but there was no way he was going to give in to eating the food and destroy his already sensitive stomach.
eddy had the guards keep an eye on brett and they never failed to inform him of the smaller man's eating habits, or lack thereof. the way he treated his staff greatly contrasted the way he treated brett and all of the COs found his interest in the inmate strange, but none of them dared to say a word. eddy was not usually a kind man at his job, especially if his authority was challenged in any way.
after dinner, brett shuffled along with the other inmates in the hall to return to his bunk. the only notably unpleasant interaction (besides the constant overall unpleasantness of the facility) was a hard shove against his back, but that was only because he got stuck behind someone who seemed to be unaware of how his own feet worked. he said nothing to the man who shoved him. he knew better.
thankfully, he made it back to his cubicle in one piece. he sat down on his bed and curled up into a ball with a book that he'd taken from the library.
there were no notes from eddy on his bed, which caused a strange feeling that was both relief and disappointment. he shook his head and tried to focus on something else other than the thought of the taller man's dazzling smile and toned arms. eddy had an air of confidence and dignity and it sucked brett in like an undertow, leaving him drowning in his own inappropriate thoughts about the warden.
brett's stomach growled loudly and he winced, trying his hardest to ignore it. it distracted him for the entirety of the three hours he spent reading, trying its hardest to get him to do something about his overwhelming hunger. nausea was hitting him hard and he groaned softly. he knew he needed to eat, but he just couldn't bring himself to put the food in his mouth.
he fell asleep with his book in his hand and an angry growling coming from his stomach.
;
"get the fuck up, yang," a loud voice interrupted brett's troubled sleep. he opened his eyes to see an angry looking inmate standing over him, arms crossed. three other men stood behind him in the same aggressive position.
"what?" brett asked groggily, rubbing his eyes and beginning the daily search for his glasses.
the man replied by grabbing brett's shirt collar and lifting him out of the bed with one hand. brett pushed at the man's hands in a feeble attempt to get away from him, but it only made things worse.
"you're coming with us, princess," the inmate grinned, spit flying from his mouth and landing on brett's face with every syllable. the temptation to yell for eddy tugged at brett's lips, but he kept them shut. that was the worst thing he could do right then.
"no i'm not," he said firmly, jerking his body away. the other man laughed and brett was completely caught off guard as his strong fist collided with the smaller man's nose.
shockingly enough, there were no guards in the room. brett assumed they were all in the cafeteria for breakfast. he groaned loudly and put his hand to his face, eyes widening at the dark blood that streamed from his nostrils onto his fingers.
"it's worse if you fight it. keep your mouth shut and i might limit what i put in it," he hissed. brett's eyes widened.
"you're not putting anything in my fucking mouth," brett argued as the man tried to pick him up. he had just managed to wriggle out of his grip when the other men stepped in, their strong hands wrapping around brett's limbs and carrying him effortlessly to a closet that was close to the place where they slept. they shoved him inside and slammed the door, the tallest man putting his sweaty hand over brett's mouth.
"if you scream, we'll kill you."
"leave me the fuck alone," brett growled, trying once again to jerk his arms from their strong grip. every single one of them laughed.
"on his knees," the same man demanded. his order was followed by a strong push on brett's back that forced him into a kneeling position.
"here's what's going to happen, you fucking faggot," the fourth man said, stepping into the front of the cluttered room. brett's legs were shaking violently.
"you're going to do exactly what i say when i say it. you're going to suck on whatever me and my friends here put in that pretty little mouth and you're not going to complain. and once we exit this closet, you're going to keep that fucking mouth shut."
brett shook his head violently.
"anything you put in my mouth is getting bitten off."
the men looked at each other and exchanged a strange nod before the third man kicked brett hard in the center of his chest, knocking all of the air completely out of him. he collapsed onto the floor, wheezing.
"you do anything other than what i tell you, and i will rip your fucking throat out."
"why me?" brett breathed, trying to jerk his arms out of the men's grip once again. their hands around him only got tighter.
"we've decided you're the best candidate. it seems like those pretty pink lips have been wrapped around someone else's cock in this facility already, am i right?"
"what?" brett asked, shaking his head. the other inmates laughed once again.
"we're talking about the warden, you stupid fag," the third man chuckled. brett shook his head again.
"no, i haven't—"
"save it. i'm getting tired of the sound of your voice," the first man sighed, unbuttoning his oversized pants.
the events that followed in that dimly lit closet changed him forever. the more he resisted, the worse it got. he left that terrible cube with his entire body sore and a disgusting taste in his mouth. bruises covered his body and dried blood covered his chin and neck. he walked carefully to the bathroom after the men were finished (literally) and locked himself in a stall.
work duty was not on brett's mind despite his daily responsibilities in the library. he sat on the floor in that stall for the entirety of the day, silent sobs shaking his entire body. he could barely move and nausea kept hitting him in waves. his breaths were shallow and he drifted in and out of consciousness for hours until everything turned black and stayed that way.