"Hey hermano, you better watch your back."

"What?"

"I hear Glynn's letting El Cid out of the hole."

"So?"

"So I saw what you did, walking away when your amigos got busted, that's not cool man."

"What the fuck you want?"

"Nothing, just givin a heads up."

"Why don't you leave me the fuck alone, O'Reily?"

"Just some friendly advice Alvarez, that's all. Watch your ass."

~~~~

Later that day in O'Reily's cell:

O'Reily's standing by his bunk, hurriedly ruffling through some things he's dumped upon it. Annoyed, he picks up a stethoscope and flings it aside with only a cursory glance and continues shuffling through the items. From behind, he hears a low voice.

"Hey. O'Reily."

Recognizing the muted mumble immediately, O'Reily doesn't even bother to turn, too consumed with the task at hand. "Shouldn't you be busy hiding out from El Cid, Alvarez?"

"Fuck El Cid," he says matter of factly.

"No thanks, not the most appetizing option in here even if I was a fag," he reflexively replies. But the disparaging remark did get his attention with that unexpected show of cojones - yeah, real ballsy since El Cid's not standing right in front of him.

Casually leaning against the doorframe with downcast eyes, Alvarez deftly flips the grape lollipop in his mouth around. He tucks it into his cheek with his tongue. Without a hint of humor he raises his eyes, fixes O'Reily in his disconcerting stare and asks, "Yeah, who would be your first choice?"

With a combined snort chuckle, O'Reily brushes the question off with characteristic O'Reily charm. He sarcastically offers up, "Ha, that new chick hack - Blixinski." Turning back to his bunk, he resumes rifling through the items on the rumpled mattress.

Placing his hand against his stomach and rubbing lightly through the thin grey material, Alvarez gingerly sways forward a few steps. "Huh uh," he disagrees. Resting one arm on O'Reily's bunk, he reaches up and deliberately pulls the 'pop from his mouth. Rolling it off his tongue, his lips hug it snugly on the way out and the ball of candy is removed from the firm suck. "Can't get her man."

He's within a foot of O'Reily, and the Irishman loses his humor, mental gears rapidly shifting and clutching. It registers as only a squint eyed glance at the darker man as he cockily pushes further. "Why not?"

"Cause she's a hack."

"So what?"

"Can't bag a hack O'Reily."

"Sure I can," he says playfully, winking for emphasis. "I can bag anybody I put my mind to it."

"Yeah? Huh. Couldn't bag Nathan."

Silence and a long stare.

Turning back to his articles on the bunk once more, O'Reily suppresses the urge to curse under his breath as he still can't locate the missing item. "Look, Cyril's waiting for me in the gym, I don't have time to play the Oz version of the dating game right now. So if this isn't business..."

"But it is."

"Yeah? What business?"

Steel settles into Alvarez's intense gaze. "I already told you already, fuck El Cid."

Deliberately dragging his eyes up and then back down Alvarez's frame, O'Reily's not impressed. "Pffft. Yeah right. You don't have the balls for that hermano."

Alvarez takes another lick of grape, eyes still trapping O'Reily, "You don't know what I have the balls for -hermano-."

Annoyed, O'Reily has nothing to gain or lose, "Cut the shit man, what do you want?"

"Same thing as you. I know you wanna keep peddling tits, you know? Be a lot easier without Rauol eyefuckin every move you make." Shrugging, "I wouldn't care who you sold to, you know, wouldn't shake you down for a cut of it or nothin' either."

"Ahh, you want me to take out El Cid for you."

"Nah, not exactly. Just, like, I may need some help."

"Fuuuck you."

Rolling the sucker between his thumb and index finger, Alvarez leans even closer, clearly crossing the perimeter of O'Reily's personal space. "Would you like that?"

Silence and a stare.

"You're fuckin crazy, I gotta go."

"Nah, I ain't crazy," Alvarez replies, refusing to move. "I was, you know, like all fucked up and shit for a while. In solitary there. Went a little loco and shit, no one around. Only saw a few people, you know? Mukada, he'd come and see me, and Dr. Nathan. Gloria."

He eyes O'Reily again then continues. "She's sweet, you know? Nice lady. Pretty mami. I can see how you'd fall for her like that." Sliding even closer, he raises his mouth close to O'Reily's ear and whispers mockingly, "Fall in love with her."

Leaning back just slightly, he sees the hard glint and tiny tell of a single twitch of Ryan's left eye.

Dangerously, he presses on, "Course, maybe it's not her really." One arm still propped on the bunk, loosely holding a forgotten lollipop, he barely touches his own stomach with his other rose tattooed hand which is tucked between them, lightly resting there. "Maybe you just got a -thing- you know? Got bit by the spanish fly or somethin. Looking for some latin love," he mumbles with moist warm breath into Ryan's ear. Then his tongue wanders out and flicks against the tiny crook where Ryan's ear connects to his jaw.

He searches Ryan's eyes, pupils scanning from one to the other and is pleased note that Ryan's follow along with his.

Following Miguel's eyes tracing his own, Ryan's momentarily non-plussed when suddenly he inhales and takes in the faintest aroma of sugared grape.

He had stopped. Only for a few seconds, but he had forgotten to breathe. He could punch him out right now. He could go right to El Cid and bury his traitorous ass. He could laugh. He could push him away and brush it off and tell him to fuck off. He could, he could, holy fuck, he could lick him back and see what he does. Alvarez is fucking with him. And he did a damn good job of it for a second. Ok, two minutes. Who the fuck does he think he is, huh? Gloria sweet his ASS.

Amateur.

But, El Cid gone. Appetizing thought.

So he grins.

A slow sly crooked grin creeps across his face as he moves around, but not away. Circling, he backs Alvarez up into the corner where the bunk meets wall and casually rests his arm upon the disheveled cot. "So what exactly do you want Alvarez?"

Barely suppressing cockiness, Alvarez shrugs, "Told you."

"El Cid."

"Yeah."

"Gone."

"That's right."

"Fuck him."

"Fuck 'em," Alvarez repeats with an arched brow.

Looking down, O'Reily chuckles once lightly and rubs his hand across his scarred chin before raising his eyes. "And fuck you?"

"If you want."

"Hah," he says biting sideways on his lower lip. Squinting his eyes he questions, "You'd like that?"

This time it's Alvarez's turn to grin and be frozen. He never thought he'd get this far. Wasn't exactly his plan, just went with it on a whim you know. Who'd a fuckin thought, huh? Fuckin Oz man. But O'Reily's no dummy man, huh-uh. He could be fuckin with him right back. So he stares. Heavy lidded, refusing to answer, he stares and waits.

And O'Reily moves.

Close.

Closer. Brushing up against him, flushed warmth of breath and flesh, salt and blood, sweat and soap.

Mouth to mouth, O'Reily whispers this time, "You'd like it?" Taunting, he flicks his tongue against Alvarez's lower lip, two can play this game. One better than the other. His shamrock tattooed hand rests lightly on Miguel's hip, barely palpable, a mere suggestion of touch. He licks again, this time lingering, dragging his tongue firmly across Alvarez's lower lip, barely a hint of contact with his teeth up above.

Sugary sweet from the candy coating there, he sighs for emphasis then halts to whisper again. "Yeah, you'd like that."

Miguel raises his mouth slightly, his own tongue craving to roam out again, an indecipherably low affirmation falling out with his own breath.

So Ryan coaxes again, sucking on his bottom lip, pulling it between his own, teeth slightly razing against it.

And both of them; adrenaline courses through their veins, prickling the hairs on their arms, pushing them to meet the challenge thrown down amidst hot breath, warm bodies and slick lips.

"You'd love that," Ryan rasps and licks.

"I'd love that," Miguel agrees and kisses back.

And they stop.

Silence and a long stare.

Green on brown, searching and mirthful, still unbearably close. Sugar and salt, grape and musk, sweat and blood.

In Oz.

And their pupils follow the other's as they watch.

And wait.

Ryan breaks it. Leaning close, he whispers low in Miguel's ear, "But there is no love in Oz, not for you, me, anybody. Anybody." And his tongue flicks out and quickly licks the tiny crook where Miguel's ear meets his jaw.

Ryan backs up.

Miguel peels himself out of the corner.

O'Reily crosses his arms in front of him and wills a smirk onto his face.

Alvarez places his tattooed hand against his stomach and saunters a few steps. Stopping, he looks over his shoulder to make sure, "El Cid?" He questions.

"Fuck him." O'Reily answers.

Grinning, Alvarez tries to take his leave again. As he hits the doorway, he hears O'Reily.

"Sucker."

"What?"

Reaching down and plucking what's left of the grape candy off Cyril's pillow, O'Reily waves it in Alvarez's direction. "You dropped your tootsie-*pop*."

Smirking, Alvarez walks away this time. "Keep it," he calls out. "I got more where that came from - hermano."