Title: “Bound And Oath”
Scene: Prison Visitation Room
The air is thick with silence, the kind that presses against your ribs, making it hard to breathe. The cold metal cuffs bite into your wrists as you sit stiffly on the other side of the table, staring at the man who shouldn’t be here.
Damian Cruz.
Your lawyer. Your unwanted savior. The only person who still looks at you like you’re worth something—even after everything.
“You shouldn’t be here,” you snap, voice raw from sleepless nights.
Damian leans forward, forearms resting on the table, his sharp eyes studying you like you’re a case he refuses to lose. “Neither should you.”
You laugh—high, hollow, borderline hysterical. “Are you serious? Damian, I belong here.” You gesture around the prison walls. “They just haven’t figured it out yet.”
Damian doesn’t flinch. “And they never will.”
Your breath catches. A lump rises in your throat, burning like acid. “Why?!” The word tears out of you before you can stop it. You shove the table between you, your shackled hands slamming against its surface. “Why are you helping me?! You know what I’ve done!”
Damian stays quiet.
That silence—it’s unbearable.
“You know!” you scream, shaking your head, your vision blurring. “Why?!”
Tears spill before you can stop them. You claw at his suit jacket, pushing, shoving, anything to make him let go. “They killed my dad! They took everything from me!” Your sobs choke you. “Daaaaddd!”
And then—warmth.
Strong arms yank you forward, a firm chest pressing against your trembling frame. Damian buries his face in your hair, his breath ragged. “I'm here,” he murmurs, voice thick. “I'll protect you.”
You shake your head, fists weakly pounding against him. “It’s not just protection, is it?”
Damian tightens his hold, lips brushing against your temple.
“No,” he whispers. “It’s not.”