Honestly, I absolutely love throwing Driver into ColtlandGentry AU. Either through ships with Ryland or Colt, or through other ways. But I’m a sucker for family fluff, so…
I like to think that Driver would stick to Ryland the most. Because the alternatives are… scary.
Colt is okay. For the most part. But he’s loud and active, always on the move, always eager to do something. He’s a golden retriever in his soul with never ending energy for anything. For someone like Driver he’s a bit too much. Not in a bad sense, though. Driver loves discussing cars with the guy. And, although, Colt is not so interested like some might expect, he still knows a lot about them. He does stunts with cars too, after all. And to do so safely he needs his basic knowledge.
But Driver can’t handle so much energy. Apparently, his social battery has limits. That was a great surprise for him, cause he expected that with his hunger for any kind of affection he would cling to it like a beaten dog to the gentle hand. The most embarrassing part was that he didn’t even figure it out himself. He was trying to spend as much time as was possible, even went out for drinks with Colt once, only to return to his room and crumble from sheer exhaustion. He thought it happened because he was simply not used to it. Eventful days with a lot of talking and socializing and without wild adrenaline rush were rare to him throughout his entire life. So he didn't know what to do with a fog in his mind after long conversations. And then, one day, Colt just stops talking, in the middle of the conversation and his ranting about idiots and BMWs and just… looks at him with understanding. Driver can’t help but flinch.
«If you’re tired, don’t force yourself,» the older man said and pointed at Driver’s work. He looked down and… Oh. Pouring antifreeze instead of oil was a bad idea…
Somehow, Colt was figuring out when Driver was overwhelmed better than Driver himself could. And in a way it was comforting. Yet no less embarrassing. Even with reassuring that it’s fine and it’s just everyone’s problem that they face from time to time. Driver still couldn’t get the idea how much attention he needed, which in turn made him feel like he was picky. That feeling was crawling down Driver’s back, making him wish he could just bash his head against the wall. He wanted this, was crawling through hell for it, so why the hell his brain was acting up as if he had enough?! Why he can’t just be normal for once?
So Driver tried to distance himself a little. (Read, tried to hide in his new job, ignoring everything else.) But that didn’t help much. Because after this he bumped into Court. And that was… Terrifying.
Driver was taught and raised by the streets and foster system, he matured in criminal and he worked along with all sorts of desperate people. He knew when someone had blood on their hands. He knew when he was before someone stronger. Like a dog knows when a wolf came around.
Court was completely different from Colt. He was quiet and cautious around Driver at first. And he can’t blame the guy. If Driver could sense something in Court, then it worked in both sides. Driver long ago gave up on the idea to wash the blood off his own hands. He didn’t expert this man to forget about it either. Then here comes the realization.
Court is a protector of this family. He keeps tabs on his siblings, their lives, their partners and friends. He protects them from all sorts of things, pulling strings and arranging everything so they could work a bit less hard. He has connections and skills. He has information. So how come he allowed someone like Driver to get close enough to even breathe near the twins? Or Claire on occasion? How come he was letting him stay? Driver saw it in Court’s eyes, the guy knew about Driver’s past. So why?
The answer came much later. When during one of his night rides Driver almost slipped up, almost made a mistake that could lead to catastrophe. And suddenly Court was here. With a loaded gun and a shovel. As if he knew and was ready long before Driver could ever think about something like this. They managed to solve the situation without violence or any long lasting consequences, which was a miracle in a way. On a way back home Driver squeezed the steering wheel so tightly that his gloves were almost giving up. He tried to rationalize Court’s actions and his reasoning to help. Because there has to be a reason, no? They barely talked before that. Only a few times crossed paths at some family gatherings Driver was dragged into. So why on Earth Court was sitting in the front seat, next to Driver and chewing his gum as if they weren’t a few insults away from killing those assholes?
«What’s with a long face, Dri?» Court suddenly asked, making Driver roll his shoulders in confusion.
«Dri?» he arched his brow, ignoring Court’s question.
«Shorten version. Like Colt is Co, Ryland is Ry and Claire is Clae. Family thing.» Court shrugged, looking at the road with calm expression.
Family thing? Driver was confused and startled at the same time.
«You know my name,» he stated with pressure, gripping the wheel as he pressed gas pedal a bit.
«Do I?» Court smirked, looking at the younger man with little devils in his eyes. «Well, I guess I've started developing dementia. Cause all I remember is that you introduced yourself as Driver.»
Ah. Court was trolling him now. Driver wanted to band his head against the wheel. So that’s what Colt meant when he said that Court can be a menace…
After that night Driver was hiding both from Colt and Court. Because the first one was too kind and the second one was making fun of Driver. Both of them were respectful of Driver’s needs and habits but that didn’t stop them from ruffling his feathers a bit, making it obvious that they weren’t planning to leave Driver’s life.
And then there was Ryland. Awkward science teacher with the last name that fit him only half the time. Driver made no mistake, this guy had a temper of a wild goose and could explode at the smallest provocation. But something in his anger was weird. It never got destructive. Grace could throw something in anger and the next moment he was cleaning his mess, all while keeping his tirade. If he even allowed himself that, because in majority of cases Ryland was only hissing none obscene curses, mixing them with… names of dishes? Driver couldn’t believe that something like this could actually be true.
And Ryland was terrifyingly calm. Weird mix with a previous fact but he was. Only something really important or bad could make this man emotional. He was made of contradictions and sheer stubbornness to prove himself right in any question that had anything to do with science.
Driver met him last. Was it out of the care of other guys? Or because he was a teacher? Driver didn’t know. But he knew that the moment he accidently spent time with him, something clicked.
It wasn’t anything drastic or sudden like with Court or something embarrassing like with Colt. This time it was a quiet and slow conclusion that got him. He liked being on Ryland’s orbit. Not interacting per say, just… being close. Unlike Colt or Court, Ryland was letting Driver just stay in the same room without talking. It was weird at first, after all, Driver did spend time with other brothers. He got used to their quite talkative nature. Ever to Court’s. And now there was this man, who could talk with Driver one moment, and the next they were doing their own stuff as if the conversation had never existed. Something about this dynamic was pulling Driver closer.
He was acting like a stray cat without even realizing it. He followed Ryland some days, always behind him, always silent. Grace was allowing it. Or he simply was forgetting about Driver. At least he thought like that, until one day Ryland turned around, handed him a sandwich and went about his business without saying anything. Driver’s mind stopped for a moment as he stared at the food in his hand and then at Ryland’s back, as the man turned back to his work. It felt surprisingly good. So he kept dong it. Much to Colt’s and Court’s delight as they got a new material for their jokes.
i'm telling you it looks like this in my head:
