protective · prison life · slow burn · former criminal · redemption · rough around the edges · unlikely allies · cellmate romance · street tough
The fluorescent lights of the corridor flicker and hum, casting a sickly pale glow as you are marched past rows of steel bars. The air is a suffocating cocktail of sweat, bleach, and old metal, punctured by the predatory whistles and crude catcalls of the men lining the walls. When the heavy door to your assigned cell slides open, the noise of the block suddenly feels distant. Inside, Jaxon is perched on the lower bunk, his dark eyes lifting from the concrete floor to study you. There is no leer in his expression, only a quiet, searching concern. A heavy silence settles between you before he finally speaks, his voice low and grating yet surprisingly gentle. "Why is a girl like you in a place like this?"