"Carina was almost assaulted one time," Orion muttered, and I frowned, turning my head to stare at him.

He was sitting with his back against the wall, head leaning back, legs stretched out and arms folded over his stomach. He didn't look any better than he had yesterday, but he was talking, so I suppose that could be considered an improvement. Although, the topic was a bit... unusual and unexpected.

The statement "why the fuck are you telling me that" was on the tip of my tongue, but I bit down on it when I remembered what Beckett told me before about how Orion had a bad habit of holding in a lot, wearing a mask to make himself look strong, in order to keep Carina calm, and in order to keep himself somewhat sane.

If he wanted to tell me about some traumatizing bullshit that happened to him in the past, then I really had no right to complain or question it. Instead I scooted back over to sit beside him, pulling my knees to my chest and wrapping my arms around my knees, leaning forward to see him better and humming to prompt him to continue.

"It was after the bombs fell," he explained, staring up at the ceiling, "When the roof of the observatory collapsed, debris kind of shredded my back, so he essentially dragged me to the nearest clinic to get patched up crudely. He didn't stay to watch, though, and I don't blame him. He probably didn't want to see me like that, so he left the room, but when the doctor told me I was fine and to go, I... couldn't find him. He must have gone for food or supplies or something, but he was out in the back alley getting pinned to the ground," he winced, and I inched closer so our shoulders were touching.

"You saved him though," I noted, and Orion dropped his head with a weak smile.

"Yeah, I guess. That was the first time I lost control and almost killed someone. The button of Carina's jeans was broken off, he had scratches on his face, he was shaking, and... I don't think I made it better by freaking out the way I did on the people who attacked him."

"He didn't get hurt though."

Orion shook his head, "I stopped them before anything could happen."

"Then you should feel happy," I nudged him, "Carina isn't afraid of you, just so you know. He's worried about you is all."

He pouted at me, that familiar indignant and highly immature expression I recognized from Orion, "What for?"

"Because you're trying too hard to be strong," I said, flicking his forehead before folding my arms and turning my head away, "He told me a bit, and Beckett did too. You hide behind this mask of strength, but they both can see through it. Now that I've seen your other side, I can see through your mask too," I leaned my head back and looked over at him, "Sorry I thought you were just an annoying jackass."

Orion pouted a bit more and rubbed his forehead, "That's rude, I'm not wearing a mask," he pointed at the door, "Those idiots are wearing masks."

"Yea, true," I breathed out, "I wonder why. Do you think it's to protect their identities? Or is it some weird south American tradition?"

"Why would I know any of that?" Orion asked, and I held my hands up.

"I was just asking rhetorically!"

We both tensed up when we heard heavy footsteps, watching one masked man jam the key into the cell and yank it open before two more stepped forward, shoving Beckett face first into the prison, blind folded, gagged, arms tied behind his back. He hit the floor hard, grunting, and the three soldiers scoffed and laughed as they closed and relocked the door before strutting off.

Orion and I shot forward the moment we saw Beckett, and Orion yanked at the rope around his wrists as I pried the gag from his mouth and pulled away the blindfold, choking a little. There was a horrid bruise around his right eye, cuts on his lips, a still bleeding gash cutting across his left eyebrow, and when Orion managed to free his hands, I was able to see the raw, scraped up skin around his wrists.

"Beck, easy," Orion soothed, rolling the man onto his back and taking his face with one hand, "Can you talk?"

Beckett nodded slowly, lifting a hand to rub his eyes and cringing as he pushed himself to sit up, groaning lowly and clutching his side, "I can talk. I'm fine."

"You look like shit!" I argued, and Beckett chuckled a little.

"Yea, I know."

"What happened?" Orion demanded, and Beckett sighed, leaning against him, and closing his eyes.

"They interrogated me is all. I didn't say anything, don't worry," his lips pulled into a crooked grin and he opened his eyes, "I'm strong."

"You look terrible," Orion sighed, and Beckett hummed.

"I feel great, I don't know what you're talking about."

"Come on," I took one of his arms, "Orion, help me get him back towards the wall and away from the door. In case those freaks come back."

"Right. Can you stand?" Orion pulled Beckett's arm around his neck, and Beckett nodded slowly.

"Yes, but... I think I have a couple bruised ribs."

"That's fantastic," I muttered in frustration, pulling Beckett to his unsteady feet with Orion's help.

Orion actually took most of Beckett's weight, letting the man slump against him as I just clung to his arm and lead them to the back wall so Orion could help Beckett sit before we plopped down on either side of him, internally waiting for him to explain what happened but also understanding how he may not want to talk about it.

I probably knew better than Orion did that sometimes it was hard to talk about personal trauma, especially when it had to do with being tortured for information. Sometimes information you didn't even have. So, I waved my hand in a cut-off motion when Orion started to speak, mouthing quickly for Orion to keep quiet for now.

Somehow, he must have understood me, because he sighed with a slow roll of his eyes before reaching out and pushing Beckett's hair from his face to see the bruises and cuts, "It doesn't look too bad," he revealed, pulling his sleeve over his thumb and carefully cleaning the blood away from the cut across Beckett's eyebrow, "I mean, it could have been worse."

"Yea," Beckett breathed, peeling his eyes open again to look at us, "Are you both okay?"

"Well besides the food and the draft, it's pretty nice here," I answered, and Beckett chuckled a little, shaking his head.

"You haven't been fighting, have you?"

"I don't know, have we?" I looked at Orion, who turned his attention away from treating Beckett to grin at me.

"Oh yea, constantly."

"No, we're not," I scoffed, "We've been getting along fine. We were fucking worried," I held back from smacking Beckett and instead leaned towards him on my knees, "What the fuck were you thinking?!"

Beckett hummed, pushing Orion's hands away from his face, "Some of what Manuela was saying in the car was how he planned on interrogating us individually. He went into detail, and... I may have gotten a little terrified of it," he smiled and reached out to take my hand, squeezing it, "I didn't want them to hurt you or Orion, not after what you've both already been through."

"That's not fair," I snapped, "You've been through enough too!"

"Hm, but I was the only one who could have made this deal," Beckett said, and Orion's frown became heavier on his lips.

"What deal?"

"Manuela promised he wouldn't touch either of you if I took the interrogation for you."

"What?!" Orion and I barked at the same time, and Beckett winced before laughing weakly.

"This is why I didn't tell you. I knew you would both freak out."

"Of course we would freak out!" I grabbed the front of his shirt, "What are you thinking?! Are you trying to be a hero?! No, fuck, is this some stupid attempt to win me over? I'm sick and tired of people getting hurt because of me, Beckett!"

He looked stunned at my outburst, and became even more sheepish when Orion added on to my scolding, "How can you make such a selfish, immature decision?! Last time I checked, I was in charge of our group, that makes me in charge of you! How dare you make a decision without asking me first!"

"Y-you would have said no-."

"Damn right I would have said no! Is he coming back?" Beckett sank a little into the wall at Orion's question, so Orion leaned closer, "Are they coming back to take you again?!"

"Yes," Beckett answered softly, and Orion covered his face with a hand, grinding his teeth before curling the same hand into a fist and punching the wall.

"Fuck!"

Beckett jumped at the exclamation before hunching his shoulders, looking guilty. Orion kept his fist against the wall, leaning his head against the cool concrete as Beckett continued to sit slumped against the wall, one hand holding his side, lips sealed, and the room was quiet for a long time.

It was interesting for me to see, personally, how Orion was suddenly so pissed off and torn because of Beckett. Well, he did say Beckett was special to him, and Beckett said the same thing about Orion. I'd just never seen their bond in this kind of light, where they were in danger and scared. Actually, in this kind of position, it was obvious just how much they cared about each other.

And me.

"It'll be okay," I said, and Orion turned his head to look at me the same time Beckett lifted his eyes nervously, both looking surprised when I smiled, "We'll get through it if we're together. Beckett, is there any way to go back on the deal?"

He lifted his head a little higher to see me clearer, "What do you mean?"

"If all three of us take on a portion of the torture, then-."

"No," Beckett cut me off, "This is something only I can do."

"Why?" Orion demanded, and Beckett leaned heavily against the wall.

"Porque le gusto."

Orion scowled and stood up, "Fine, don't tell us."

"What are you doing?" I asked, and Orion scuffed the ground with his feet as he paced away from us.

"Just keep an eye on him."

"Oh, are you going for a walk?" I asked, "Bring a sweater."

He chuckled and shook his head, turning back to us and smiling at me, "You're certainly a piece of work."

"Took you long enough to figure that out," I said, and he walked back over to the wall, sitting down beside Beckett with a heavy sigh.

"Alright, I'm calm, I won't argue with you about this because I'd probably to the same thing, but just for the record, I really don't like this idea."

"I know," Beckett whispered, "and I'm sorry, but please trust me. They won't hurt me too badly, maybe a few more bruises and scrapes, but nothing too serious. If they cross the line into things like burning or actually cutting me, then you can get as angry as you want."

"Wow, thank you," Orion put a hand on his chest, "Your permission is what I was waiting for."

"So that's where Carina gets it?" I asked, an eyebrow arched, and Orion grinned.

"You should've met our father."

"Dear Satan, no thank you," I held my hands up, and Orion laughed, his head falling back.

We ended up sitting leaning against the wall and pressed close together, Beckett in the middle, his eyes closed, with Orion lying against him, Beckett's head on top of Orion's, his arm curled around me as I in turned leaned against his side, being careful of his ribs. It made me sigh to think of what Beckett decided with that psychopath. Take on all the interrogation, punishment, and torture, just so Orion and I wouldn't be harmed?

I asked before and I'll ask again. What was it with people sacrificing themselves for me? Why was I so special? It didn't really seem like I was that important, even now, yet... people had fallen in love with me before, Ronnie, Beckett, Orion... that had to mean something, right? There was something about me that was appealing, something that drew them to me, and... maybe that meant something.

My mother always told me that being gay made you filth, worthless, it was a one-way ticket to hell, and sometimes I think she was right, about the hell thing anyway. Considering the world had ended, we were living in hell on earth, and honestly, it wasn't that bad. So maybe, just maybe, being gay wasn't as much of a sin as she always preached.

Really though, what loving god would condemn their child just because they love someone? Same sex or not. No, I don't think it was god's idea to hate gays, or blacks, or any other ethnicity or religion. It was the people that were tainted, not the Bible, not god. I mean, god didn't write the bible, did he? No. Man did. They just claimed, wrongly, that god was the one who prompted them to do it.

My question to that: why would a loving god ask man to write something filled with such hate?

He wouldn't, and now that the realization of that fact was in front of my eyes, I felt a little stupid. No wonder Ronnie had such strong faith; because he actually understood it. My chest felt tight, I wanted to cry, but at the same time I felt such an overwhelming rush of peace, turning and leaning further into Beckett's side, smiling softly.

Everything would be fine. Loving... at all... would not be condemned. Not by those who actually mattered.

"By the way," I sighed heavily, "Since we're probably going to die here, I figure I should tell you Carina and Cass are seeing each other."

The cell became unnervingly quiet as I shut my eyes, the soft smile still on my lips, until both men mumbled at the same time, "What?"