Therapy Session (Mac Prison)

Thirty Four: Inmates and Books

Well, the navy didn't work out. I got discharged. Fantastic. So I guess I'm back! Good news is that I've been thinking of this story a lot so I have ideas of what's going to happen in the near future for Mac and Jesus and Trisha and yeah!

It was lunchtime, and Mac was eating with Negan and his little goonies. Rick was sitting not too far off, and Mac couldn't help but chuckle every time Rick glanced at the black woman on guard. Mac had found out a couple of days ago that Rick had been able to talk to Carl on the phone, once Lori and Shane were at work. Apparently what Shane said about Carl not wanting to see his father again was a lie. It seemed that Carl was missing his father a lot, though he was coping without him. Judith was growing fast, and in a couple of months it'd be her second birthday. Rick was disappointed that he couldn't see his, well, Shane's daughter on her special day. But Carl had promised to visit him on Monday, which was just in a couple of days when Carl had spoken to Rick. Now today was the day, and Carl was due to visit, though the time remained unknown. Rick was reasonably excited, yet anxious all the same. After all, his son was going to be coming to a large building full of convicted criminals.

Meanwhile Mac couldn't help but glance across the table at Jesus, who was laughing with Negan as though Mac wasn't there. The way his eyes crinkled around the edges when he laughed was oddly attractive. Something others would call... cute. They had agreed to become friends in private again, though now that a week had passed since their encounter in the library, Mac found that his lips were once again burning with that same craving as they had a week prior. He mentally groaned at his stupid bodily instincts. He wanted another kiss from Jesus. Maybe even more. After all, that night Jesus had come back was also planted in the back of Mac's mind.

Suddenly the warden, Lucille, entered the cafeteria with four other guards and seven new inmates. The inmates had "USP" written on their right sleeves. Mac assumed it stood for the inmates that would be sent to the Utah State Penitentiary once it was finished being rebuilt. The inmates quieted down and turned their heads towards the warden. Lucille was rarely seen outside of her office, so this was definitely a strange occurrence.

The inmate at the front of the line was a short scrawny man with shoulder length blond hair and a perfectly waxed mustache. Crack head. The second man was black and very tall and threatening. Murder. The third was a skinny Mexican guy with a mustache and long black hair. Drugs. Then there were two inmates who looked barely old enough to move out of their parents' homes. The first was tall enough and had short light brown hair and dark brown, nervous looking eyes. He had his left arm in a sling. The second was slightly shorter than the first, with extremely long and thick dark brown hair. His left eye was an icy blue, while the right one was covered in a patch. Mac narrowed his eyes at the second kid. He looked familiar-

"Carl?" Rick choked out. Mac glanced at his friend and saw that he was sitting rigidly, his eyes wide and in disbelief as he stared at his son.

"Oh shit," Negan mumbled, chuckling a little. "That your kid?"

Rick didn't answer, and Mac couldn't blame him. "Yeah, it's his son." Mac answered for Rick, straightening up and focusing his attention on Carl, who was clearly trying to mask his fear with a glare.

Mac glanced across the table at Jesus, who was also staring at the new inmates. When he sensed Mac's stare he glanced at him and gave a faint shrug, indicating that he didn't know what to do about the situation. Mac shrugged back and turned his attention onto Carl.

Later that day Mac was chilling in the library, staring at some words on a book he had randomly picked up. His lips were aching to kiss Jesus again, and fuck, Mac didn't really want to fight it. And he didn't want to wait until late that night to fulfill his need. Now he was waiting for Jesus to show his face again, and those lips.

Almost as if thinking about him summoned him, Jesus and one of the former Saints entered the quiet book room. Mac glanced up, closing the book and standing up. Jesus and the Saint paused, the Saint glaring at Mac with distrust glazing his eyes.

"Rovia! Need to talk with ya." Mac declared, setting the book down. At his words, the other library-goers gathered their things and left quietly. The Saint was the last to go, only leaving when Jesus murmured something to him. The librarian was a guard who was asleep at the desk, his fat mouth hanging open as faint music played into his ears from his headphones, so he most likely wasn't going to be a problem. Mac had to admit that he missed Mrs. Peletier. She was a nice lady and one of the only members of the prison that Mac actually enjoyed being around.

Jesus swung his way towards Mac, a cushions and yet cocky expression on his face. Mac turned and headed down the rows of books, making sure they were out of view of the guard and any inmate who would wonder in by accident. Jesus took a second to catch up, though when he did, he barely managed to say 'hello' when Mac leaned down and pressed his lips against his rivals'. Jesus played into it, setting one crutch aside and resting his hand against Mac's cheek while Mac's hands rested on Jesus' hips. Mac relaxed into the touch, and even allowed his eyes to flutter shut for a brief moment.

After about thirty seconds, Mac pulled away breathlessly. Jesus had a small blissful smile on his lips, his hand still on Mac's face.

"You know, I think you're getting better at this." Jesus murmured, brushing Mac's cheek with his thumb.

Mac flushed at the statement and stepped away, glancing back up at the snoring guard. He didn't know what to say. "Thanks," he mumbled awkwardly.

After a few seconds of silence, Jesus retrieved his other crutch and glanced behind him at the books. "Oh, no way!" He exclaimed excitedly, pulling a book down from the shelf and examining it, a childish excitement gleaming in his bluish-grey eyes. "I can't believe they have this!"

Mac looked at the cover of the book and knit his eyebrows together. The cover was of some boy on a broomstick trying to catch a golden baseball with wings. There was a castle in the background, as well as a three headed dog hidden away in the corner. The title read: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. He'd heard of this book when he was younger, but had always assumed that it was for kids. "And the whole series! Man, I'm really starting to like it here." Jesus stated, a broad smile playing on his lips as he took two more books down from the shelf.

"Ain't this a kids' book?" Mac inquired, arching an eyebrow at Jesus.

"Yes it is generally aimed at kids, but it's such a good series! And it's one of those things that you read as an adult to feel like a kid again!" Jesus stated. "Well, until you get to the fifth book anyway. Then things get really dark. Personally I think the series gets better after that point. I don't know, I really liked fucked up things."

Mac glanced down at the book in his hand, and flipped it open to the first page.

Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.

The next thing Mac knew, he was reading about an old wizard leaving a baby on the front porch step to be raised by the baby's aunt and her husband. He glanced up, finding that he was sitting on the couch next to Jesus, who was reading the second book (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets) with concentration. He glanced at Mac and smirked, gesturing to the book in his hand. "Like it?"

"Yeah," Mac mumbled, and for the rest of the afternoon they read in silence.