It wasn’t a good day.

There were good days and bad days in the group, just like there were in anything. Sometimes it was that one person was having a bad day, and everybody else had to figure out how to handle it.

But today, it was one of those days where it felt like everyone had gotten up on the wrong side of the bed. Katie and Brad were having to tag-team to put out all the metaphorical fires, and then Tim had a panic attack, so Katie pulled him out of class to take him on a walk and talk to him privately, leaving Brad in charge.

Yeah. Not exactly what he’d been hoping for.

Brad had to cool down three potential arguments, and Laura was refusing to say anything, and Jared was being unusually sarcastic and pointed in his remarks. In fact, the only person who was actually on good behavior was Preston.

He’d been pretty damn good lately, actually. He was actively participating in the exercises and offering his support during discussions. He seemed to be, finally, proactive about wanting to succeed in this class and put his angry past behind him.

Brad couldn’t help but feel his chest swell with pride a little. Not for himself. He hadn’t done the hard work. He could only show people the way, give them options. Preston had to do the hard work himself, and he had.

Now, though, Brad was having one of those days with everyone else where he wished that he was allowed to get a little angry. But he had to set a good example.

“This is fucking ridiculous,” Jared said, stopping their discussion and interrupting Laura, who was finally starting to talk. “I mean, all we do is sit around and fucking talk; what is that supposed to do?”

“I know it doesn’t always feel like you’re making progress,” Brad said, keeping his tone calm and soothing. “We often don’t see how well we’re doing, or how far we’ve come. But I have an outside perspective, and I can promise you that you all are doing a lot better.”

“Oh yeah?” Jared pointed at Preston. “What about him? He hasn’t said a damn thing since we started.”

“Preston started out mocking this entire process and joking his way through exercises. Now he’s proactive, a good listener, and encourages others to share. That’s quite a lot of progress.”

“Then how come you don’t make him share?” Jared demanded. “You and Katie make everyone else share.”

“We told Laura she didn’t have to share today.”

Jared scoffed. “Yeah, like, one time. Preston doesn’t ever have to share. It’s not fucking fair. How come the rest of us have to bare our souls, and he doesn’t?”

Jared stood up, and Brad had to breathe deeply to keep from startling. He had to show that he was in control of the class. “I think he’s your favorite,” Jared said, “and it shows. It’s not fair. You can’t treat him better than you treat everyone else.”

“Preston and I are working together the same way I’m working with all of you,” Brad assured him.

“This is bullshit,” Jared said.

Brad had been leaning against the desk, a habit of his, and now Jared crossed over to him and got right in his face. “I think you’ve been wasting our fucking time. You don’t care about any of us. You just pretend—”

Someone’s hand landed on Jared’s shoulder, and suddenly the guy was spun around. Brad saw Preston, glaring at Jared like he was going to wring the guy’s neck.

“You get your damn ugly face away from him,” Preston snarled. “Or I’ll make it even uglier. You catch my drift?”

Preston was not a small guy. Brad suspected that was why he slouched in chairs—to make himself appear smaller. Now he loomed over Jared, reminding everyone of just how big and strong he was.

Jared had nothing on Preston’s muscles. Preston could snap him like a twig if he wanted to.

“You treat Brad with some damn respect,” Preston growled. “He’s putting in his time for you, and giving a damn about you after everyone else has given up. Everyone’s given up on me, but not him.

“So you sit down and shut up and be damn grateful. Or I’ll teach you some humility out in the schoolyard, just like we’re back in high school. That sound good to you, asshole?”

Brad knew that he should be upset that Preston was being so angry. He knew that he should demand that Preston cut it out.

But it was good to see that Preston was using his anger to defend someone. And Brad couldn’t deny … he liked that Preston was defending him. Protecting him.

Brad had limits. He couldn’t get angry. He had to take the high road in this class to be a good example and to keep his students’ faith in him.

Preston had no such limits. He could scare Jared into sitting down and shutting up.

It was actually really damn attractive. Preston looked like he could beat Jared within an inch of his life, and just knowing that all that strength was behind him, supporting him, protecting him…

Brad knew it was probably wrong, but damn if it wasn’t hot as fuck. He wished he could thank Preston with a blowjob or something.

Jared looked into Preston’s eyes—saw that the guy was dead serious—and sat down. Still glaring, but silent.

Brad was going to need to have a talk with him.

The rest of class went a little better. Everyone seemed to be properly cowed by Preston’s show of strength. Brad tried not to preen a little when he remembered the possessive note in Preston’s voice.

When Katie got back with a much calmer Tim, she raised her eyebrows in surprise and shot Brad a pleased look. At the end of class she gave a talk, and as people gathered up their things, Brad told her the gist of what had happened.

“You talk to Preston,” Katie told him. “I’ll handle Jared.”

As everyone filed out, Brad grabbed Preston and told him to stay behind.

Katie threw her arm around Jared’s shoulders and led him out the door. “Jared, if you could come half an hour early to class next time? And be sure to write about this in your journal.”

Jared grumbled something under his breath, but nodded. Brad figured a few days would give Jared time to cool down and to look at this episode objectively.

The door swung shut behind them.

Preston looked like he was waiting for a punch. “I’m sorry.”

Brad stared at him, surprised. “You’re apologizing?”

“Well, yeah.” Preston shrugged and shuffled his feet. “I lost my cool. I shouldn’t have done that.”

“Maybe getting angry wasn’t the best option, but you did it for a good reason. You were protecting me.” Brad cleared his throat. “And I—I wanted to thank you for it.”

Preston’s head whipped up in shock. “What?”

“Thank you,” Brad repeated. “You stood up for me and protected me, and I really appreciate that. I can’t always defend myself in this class the way that I normally would. I have to uphold certain types of behavior. And you helped me out there. So thank you.”

Preston, to Brad’s surprise, was blushing. It made Brad start to blush as well. “You’re welcome,” Preston said. “I’d do it again any time.”

Brad knew it was probably a bad idea, but he couldn’t have stopped the warmth spreading through his chest if he’d tried.