Inside the Lie

"Are you kiddin' me?!" Andy cringed as Metal started a scene in the middle of the cafeteria the next morning. He reached out and let his fingertips brush the outside of Austin's thigh gently, reassuring, silently asking Austin to hold his composure. Austin nodded, it was only a minute action, but it spoke volumes.

"Shut up, Metal." A guard warned him.

"No! The psycho's been released after he attacked me?! And you're all on his fucking side??"

"You started that yesterday, Metal. Now go back to your crew before I put you in solitary."

"What? Like you did him? Bring it on-"

"Trust me, if I have anything to do with it - it'll be for over a week. Now sit the hell down." Lionel threatened him, and Metal returned to his table, murmuring violent words under his breath.

"Thank you." Austin looked at Andy in surprise.

"For?"

"You know what for...I don't want you to go back to solitary."

"Worry about handling yourself in the showers or something?" Andy rolled his eyes.

"Thanks to you, no one will touch me. But I mean...I mean...I hate...the way it hurts you." Austin looked at him, his eyes were a fraction wider than usual, and Andy swallowed, heart hammering. He prayed he hadn't given himself away. Austin was silent, when they returned to their cell, Andy could feel the tension rolling off of him in waves.

"Austin."

"Mm?"

"I'm going to tell you something. I don't think I should, but you need to hear something other than the norm..." Austin stood up and folded his arms on Andy's bunk, resting his chin on them.

"Distract me, then."

"I like you." Austin frowned. Andy felt nauseous with fear.

"Ok, thanks?"

"I mean it. Like...as in...I think...about you." Andy cursed himself for not being more eloquent and Austin cocked his head to the side.

"How?"

"Like...us...together." Austin's eyebrows suddenly popped up and Andy could tell he was fighting off a smile.

"Don't fucking laugh at me!"

"I'm...I'm sorry..." It was only the second time Andy had seen Austin laugh properly, and it really was magical. But he wished he wasn't.

"I'm...I'm not laughing at what you said...I just can't believe it. Really?" He returned to his former position, grin now covering his face, and Andy sighed with embarrassment.

"Yes!"

"What are we doing in your fantasies, then?"

"What the hell do you think?" Andy snapped.
"Look, I told you this to distract you, not for you to torment me, you bastard."

"Well it's distracting me..so...."

"I don't know...kissing...fucking- the usual!!" Andy rolled over from where he'd been lying on the bunk, lying face down to hide his burning cheeks and avoid the mischievous grin on Austin's face.

"Ooh, am I fucking you? Do you think about that?" Andy felt his heart pounding as Austin climbed onto the bunk over him. He involuntarily squeaked out in surprise as Austin's weight settled over his ass, and Austin laughed.

"Piss off."

"There's not even a minuscule chance of that happening now. Come on. Tell me...are you fucking me? Do you think about riding my ass?" Andy was grateful for the pillow covering his face, despite the sweltering heat it was retaining from his cheeks.

"No..."

"Oh really? So you think about me fucking you?" Andy nodded hesitantly and Austin made a hushed exclamation of victory.

"You like the thought of my dick in your ass?"

"Shut up, Austin."

"Or what?" Andy didn't had a response to that - what could he really do against Austin? Any responses he could come up with were laughable.

"So you like that...hmm...are you getting excited talking about it?" Andy refused to admit that yes, yes he was, very much so.

"Are you excited with me sitting on your ass? Shall I shuffle back slightly? Andy pressed his mouth into the pillow to stifle a gasp as Austin slid back a few inches. He could feel Austin's package against him. Oh Lord.

"Shall we do it now?" Andy flipped over at lightning speed and slapped Austin's hands away from his hips when he felt them tug at his trousers. Austin sat back, laughing, and Andy snarled at him.

"Fuck you."

"You wish." Andy rolled his eyes and lied back down, face up this time. Austin looked at his body, and Andy fought the urge to squirm uncomfortably, he wanted to look relaxed despite the sheer panic going on inside him.

"You're pretty hot, now that I'm looking at you properly."

"Gee thanks." Austin smiled.

"I mean it." Andy swallowed.

"Anyway, I only told you that to distract you - go away now." Austin laughed.

"Why would I want to do that?"

"Well....I thought you'd be angry."

"Andy, I'm bisexual." Andy swallowed his shock.

"Oh.....well now I feel dumb." Austin laughed.

"You're adorable."

"Don't call me that." Andy glared at him as he knelt over him and laughed.

"You realise when you're angry, you're even more adorable."

"Fuck off, Austin."

"Oh....so cute!" Andy sat up and pulled Austin into a kiss. He wasn't entirely sure why, maybe it was because he was annoyed, or their proximity was too much to bear, or simply that Austin clearly didn't mind......maybe all of the above. Austin looked mildly surprised as Andy backed off. Victory at last.

"Not so cute now, eh?"

"You'll be cute until the day you die, Andy." Andy rolled his eyes until Austin kissed him. Andy pushed him away gently.

"I only did that to shock you - I'm not saying it's gonna happen all the time."

"And why not?"

"Because you're only doing it to distract yourself, you're only doing it because you think I won't mind and you've got easy access in here!" There was real shock on Austin's face, and Andy instantly wished he hadn't said it.

"In case you didn't notice, I don't take things like this lightly." He whispered the words, and if Andy hadn't been listening intently, he would've missed them.

"I know you don't, I didn't mean that."

"You know you're the only friend I've made since I got here...and that's not because I haven't had any opportunities. It's because I haven't wanted to." Andy nodded in shame.

"I know......Lionel told me." Austin looked at him, and for the thousandth time, Andy wished he could understand what he was thinking.

"I trust you. That's why I spoke to you, that's why I told you about Lily, that's why I'm not mad now. That's why I didn't hurt you when I got mad, and why I stopped fighting the second I realised I hurt you. Don't ever think something like that of me again. Ever." Andy swallowed guiltily and climbed down to his bunk.

"I'm sorry."

"I know, but I'm still angry." Andy accepted the situation and cursed himself, now Austin probably felt even worse than he had before.

"Stop it." Austin's quiet voice reached Andy's ears from above.

"Stop what?"

"Thinking so loudly. I can feel the guilt - if it helps, I'm glad you told me." Andy smiled to himself.

"By the way....how's your lip?"

"It's fine, don't worry about it."

"I'm sorry."

"It was an accident, Austin. And it was only two stitches - I think I'll live." Austin chuckled, and the two men didn't speak again for the rest of the day, content in their comfortable silence.