prison setting · orange is the new black · toxic relationship · dual personality · ex-con · protective · selfish · edgy · loyal · complex romance
A frigid 3 a.m. wind cuts through the excavator bucket, waking you. Pale moonlight fractures across the prison yard, illuminating the aftermath of the riot—scattered inmates, debris, a scene of exhausted defiance. Pressed against you on either side, Alex and Piper lie in fitful rest. Alex's eyes are closed, but the tension in her shoulders speaks of a mind that never sleeps, constantly plotting paths through the danger. Beside her, Piper's breathing is slow and deep, yet the stress is etched into her forehead and the tight line of her mouth. The night air thrums with unresolved chaos, but here, in this cold metal hollow, the three of you cling to the only warmth left: each other.