so! they've been fairing pretty well since swapping with clover and minako, getting their bearings again and being weirdly in sync with each other all the way through the rest of the day, dinner, and getting back to the room -- and seriously, climbing a ladder while handcuffed together? it totally sucked.
but now, rhys is feeling fairly tired and finds himself with his eyes drooping from wherever he is next to jack and after a moment... yeah, totally drifts off against his shoulder.
he'll wake up a moment later with a swear and sort of jerk up hard enough to pull jack's hand with him. sorry, jack! ]
[ Jack is at his desk, probably working on something, but that something doesn't particularly matter. It's the sort of thing where Jack probably just bullied Rhys into letting him work, and to be completely fair to Rhys, it's probably pretty boring. Even as enthralling as Rhys may find Jack, he's also the kind of person that does actually stop talking when he's focused.
He's so into his work and relatively at ease with Rhys at his side that he doesn't even really notice as Rhys creeps closer. It's only once Rhys taps against his shoulder that Jack looks over to him, and his lip quickly curly in a sort of amused disgust. Rhys jerks up just as Jack laughs, and it's easy to see the delight in Jack's eyes that makes it clear that he's about to get gently bullied. ]
Woaaahhh cupcake, tired much? Thank you for at least not drooling on my friggin' shirt.
[ why are you bullying him, what did he ever do to you? but seriously, while he does enjoy watching jack work because -- well, he just enjoys watching jack, as creepy as that sounds -- it... was getting boring and it was getting late. rhys rubs his palm into his eye with a yawn and tries to wake himself up a little. up, up, up, rhys. get up! ]
Yeah, I -- I didn't sleep much last night? And it's. Uh. Late.
[ god, so awkward. he glances back at the bunks behind them before frowning slightly from his place at jack's side, slumping a little. ]
... Don't really want to sleep on the floor though. [ and then he looks down at his clothes with another frown. ] Or in my actual clothes. I miss my pajamas.
[ that last sentence was a little petulant, honestly. baby's a little cranky. ]
[ Jack looks at his work for a moment more as Rhys complains, but with a sigh, he lifts his opposite wrist to look at his watch, and— Okay, yeah, it is kind of late, actually. It's too easy for him to get sucked into his work, since this is just a part of his driven personality. If there's work to be done, it's hard for him to stop until it's done, even when it's something a little more trivial like this. ]
Yeah, yeah...
[ Jack's response is dismissive and idle at first, as if he's half-listening. It might seem like Rhys is about to have to just sit up and deal with it, since Jack is the one that really decides things here, but thankfully, he takes off his glasses. Jack reaches up to run a hand through his hair as he thinks something over, because in truth, he's pretty tired too. There was really not configuration that they'd tried the previous night that was any kind of comfortable for either of them... Getting about an hour's sleep at a time was less than ideal.
He does get an idea, but. No. No? That would be totally gay. But on the other hand, it would be really nice to sleep.
There's the kind of thoughtful quiet that persists for a few moments as Jack mulls over this Deep Internal Conflict, but ultimately— ]
...Okay, so. If. And I stress if. We shared a bunk, would you not make it weird, kiddo?
[ He feels like he has to ask, but in truth, that's the best option here. Even without a murder this week, Jack doesn't exactly feel any more comfortable not being well-rested. There's something else going on for him here, after all. So later, this will probably be ironic, since his decision to cuddle up to an alien in disguise is based on wanting to be better prepared to fight an alien in disguise. ]
[ rhys really, really doesn't want to have to sleep on the floor. so, when jack pulls off his glasses and starts to, well, think -- rhys gets kind of excited. it says something about him, probably, that he's letting jack dictate his basic functions such as... going to sleep. eurgh.
but jack takes a while and rhys finds his eyes drooping again, his body leaning towards the warmth next to him instinctively and he's... so... tired...
he's so tired that he almost doesn't process exactly what jack's suggesting there. when he speaks, rhys' eyebrows furrow with confusion before -- oh. ohhh. ]
I'm not going to make it weird, Jack. Why would I ever make it weird? [ rhys... ] No, we can share. It'll be fine.
[ thankfully for them both, rhys isn't really aware of the second part of what's going on here. jack's worries, rhys' secret. all of that together -- it's the last thing on his mind. he isn't even concerned about his other secret, the one about atlas. it's all kind of irrelevant right now and instead, he pushes himself up from his chair and seems a little brighter than a moment before. ]
[ Jack actually gets up with Rhys, since he's at enough of a stopping point that he doesn't mind. He reaches to the cuffs just as smoothly to briefly undo them, since he does at least want to change if they're going to be... actually doing this. He doesn't want to sleep in his normal clothes either, if that's the case. It's kind of weird to think about, but it would definitely be too hot.
Of course, that's not to say that it actually bothers him enough to have, like, modesty. He heads over to his closet to grab a tank top to sleep in, but as he does, he peels off his shirt. Enjoy the dad bod as always, Rhys. ]
C'mon though. Don't want to waste our friggin' hour.
[ In any other context, encouraging Rhys to change more quickly would be a little g-- No, it's gay even in this context. They're both just accepting it. ]
[ when jack uncuffs the two of them, rhys mindlessly rubs his wrist with one hand which ... would be less weird if the hand that was cuffed wasn't the robot hand so, yeah, he's just standing there rubbing the metal. his eyes follow jack and he sort of mindlessly watches him strip for a moment before oh, oh right. ]
Right... yeah. Then I'm going to go shower real quick.
[ and off he dashes into the bathroom! well, he'll probably grab his pajamas really quick. jack can probably hear the water going a moment later. at least they can both change in pri...vate...? look, rhys wasn't going to strip in front of jack and that's final.
either way, twenty minutes later he'll be coming out of the bathroom in sweatpants, a tank top, and socks. he's drying his hair with a towel as he yawns sleepily, warms and content. he's totally ready for sleep. ]
[ Jack nods, but waves Rhys off dismissively as he definitely continues to just get undressed without a care in the world in that department. He'd absolutely sleep in the nude as he prefers to if that weren't, you know. Weird.
While Rhys is in the shower, it gives Jack some brief time to himself, so there's quick tapping away at his datapad to review and update his notes that he certainly doesn't want Rhys to see. But of course, that's quick. Really, all he has to add are notes on Clover and Minako, since they're the only people he has any real new notes on. It's brief, and he ends up glancing to the bathroom door idly as Rhys is still showering. ]
Moron. Shouldn't take you that long to shower...
[ He stands from his desk and heads to the bed instead, since by now, he's feeling tired too. It's the sort of thing that tends to hit him all at once rather than gradually, like he's suddenly aware of how little he's slept in the past few days. He reaches up to rub his face, and as his fingers rub near the latches of the mask, it's tender enough to make him frown, though that frown also deepens.
His hand lingers at his face for a few moments, but hesitantly, he starts to undo the latch that his fingers had brushed against.
When Rhys steps out of the bathroom, Jack's back is to him. It's clear that he's holding something in his hands, which might be slightly worrying from Jack, especially since there's a tension clear in his posture. He ignores Rhys's question, and his voice is fairly stern. ]
Hey, so. Just puttin' this out there, but you tell anyone about this? You're dead.
[ That's definitely how you get in the mood for cuddling, right... Though at least it's quickly apparent why Jack's mood has changed so much in those twenty minutes or so. He turns to look towards Rhys, and that strange, uncanny mask is in his hands, but of course that's not likely to be what Rhys notices first. It may have been mentioned in his profile, but it was another thing entirely to see Jack's face without the mask. The scarring is as significant as the profile implies, though several years old at this point. It's a sharp, distinct shape that absolutely holds meaning to people who know anything about Vaults. It's unmistakably the symbol of a Vault burned into his face to the point that his eyes are even more mismatched with one blinded by that injury.
He sets the mask down on the bedside table, but his posture doesn't relax any more. He's clearly measuring Rhys for a reaction here, though it's not quite to see how Rhys takes in the sight itself. More, he's measuring it to see how much he can trust Rhys with the knowledge of something that well-guarded. It's a bit ironic, since for someone who has no problems stripping in front of Rhys, taking off the mask involved quite a bit more trust than that. Which, of course, he plays off. ]
'Cause, y'know, the latches friggin' suck after, what, three days?
[ rhys is nervous when he takes in the scene in front of him, the question already leaving his mouth before he processes what's happening. he isn't sure what changed -- what happened between him going to the bathroom and coming back out and he drops the towel around his neck before taking a hesitant step... back. ]
... Tell anyone about what, Jack?
[ he's surprised that he doesn't stumble over his question, instead keeping his composure a bit as jack turns to him -- the warm contentment from only a moment ago turning into ice. his eyes stay on jack and there's a short gasp that leaves him as he sees the scar -- the vault scar. there's been so many rumors about what's under jack's mask during his time in hyperion, just a constant question weighing at the back of everyone employee's mind. reading that it was a scar felt... weird, initially, and that's why rhys took is so lightly because -- well, he really couldn't ask jack about the truth.
he hadn't thought it'd be a vault symbol... but it's kind of fitting, he thinks. of all the things that could be branded on handsome jack's face, of course it had to do with the vaults.
without thinking, rhys feels his eye light up to scan jack's face and he immediately slaps his hand over it, grinning sheepishly as he urges his brain to turn off. ]
Shit, sorry -- I wasn't thinking. Just a reflex.
[ he didn't catch anything on his eye and he hopes jack knows that. instead, he moves forward to jack, robot hand clenching and unclenching at his side and flesh hand covering his echo because he's so damn curious about this. he really, really is. still, this is jack and jack is... terrifying and a monster but rhys still has such stupid amounts of affection for him, if he's honest with himself. jack's still human despite everything else (including the ai thing) and rhys isn't going to treat him like less than that -- especially not right now. ]
Look, I'm not going to tell anyone. We're friends, right? And this is obviously a big deal for you and -- uhm. I don't know, man. I don't want to make it weird but I'm a hug-y kind of guy and now I really want to hug you.
[ at least he's honest?? but he'll drop his hand now and his echo eye is firmly shut off this time, no reflex kicking it on and he just sort of shrugs a little, crossing his arms over his chest. his eyes are still fixed on jack's face, taking in every detail he possibly can right now because he knows this isn't going to... well, last. ]
I'm not going to ask either because... well, I don't want to know.
[ and it kind of surprises him to realize that's the truth -- he doesn't want to know. he doesn't want one more idealistic belief he held about jack to be popped, to realize that something he admired jack for is twisted up in something awful jack did and lied about. he just wants to keep jack's image preserved as it is for him, no matter how messed up and conflicted rhys is about it currently. ]
-- But if you want something from like, the medbay? Lotion, I guess? Something to make it hurt less, I can get that for you. It looks kind of painful, Jack.
[ It's easy to see how drawn up and defensive Jack is, since really, once you know how to read him? Jack is as open as a book. There's the sort of tense danger in every inch of his posture that's threatening, but it's much more like Jack is daring Rhys to say something. That's the way it always is. Jack can open the door a crack to let someone see the kind of man he truly was, but if they didn't react the way he liked-- Well. There were many corpses to attest as to how that tended to go.
So when Rhys's eye lights up, Jack seizes up, and he's quick to step forward with a vicious expression. From anyone else, this would be a bit startling, sure, but from Jack? There was never any real doubt that he would absolutely just grab the eye right out of Rhys's head. It actually seems like Jack has half a mind to do exactly that, but the way Rhys quickly recoils to cover his eye also seems to stop Jack from that course of action. He doesn't seem any more inclined to relax, at least not until Rhys starts talking.
First, his brow knits in conclusion, since Rhys is rambling and making things weird again (as usual), and Jack absolutely opens his mouth to make a rude comment about that. However, he's surprised in a different way when Rhys doesn't push about what it is or where it comes from. That's what gets him to relax, ultimately. It's not something that Jack reveals casually, because he hates the questions that come with it. For once, there's the obvious, since telling the story about how you got a friggin' Vault symbol seared into your face kind of sucks, but more than that, it's the circumstances that had come before that really bothered him. No one likes relaying stories about being betrayed, and Jack least of all.
Instead, he turns away, which is as good a sign that Rhys is off the hook here as any. He nods to the bed, since apparently Jack's taking the wall. It's easily taken as personal preference, but this is a quiet sign of Jack's paranoia. In his mind, he'd rather be against the wall, because in the off chance someone comes in for an ambush, then, sucks for Rhys, but he's gonna be the first to go. Later, the irony of this thought would probably make him sick. ]
Nnnnnope, you are not lotioning me up, pumpkin. That's? Man. That's too far. Like, friggin' making out with you wouldn't be as gay as you feeling up my scar.
[ He scoffs, the picks up the handcuffs before beckoning for Rhys's wrist to cuff them together again. ]
C'mon. After all your bitching about going to sleep, now I'm tired too.
[ rhys feels his stomach twist in guilt at jack's tensing because he didn't mean to cause it -- not right now, of course. his feelings for jack are complicated and weird and the guy tried to kill him. rhys has made... some sort of fragile peace with that fact, sure. it doesn't sting as much as it used to at least -- but he still feels like he should be fragile with jack. careful.
he's so stupid, he knows this.
for now, he goes back to his default. the tension in the room is thick and he feels like there's no way it could result in anything good, so he just looks away from jack and follows after him so he can offer the arm that would make this sleeping situation more comfortable for the both of them. he mutters, just as petulantly as his snide comments when they go do anything else -- ]
I wasn't going to lotion your face. Or make out with you. Fucks sake, Jack.
[ as if he would, ever?? at all?? hell no. (that means he would, of course, but he doesn't quite want to admit it.) in a frustrated huff, rhys runs his free hand through his hair -- with the shower it now falls in a soft, wavy cut on his head and makes him look much sweeter than usual, more genuine. it's a pretty weird contrast.
but he will follow jack into the bunk so they can sleep, trying to keep a... reasonable amount of distance between the two of them as he gives jack his back here. this is definitely not going to be sustainable on the long term but with the tension and jack being jack, rhys doesn't want to risk giving him any more reason to kick him out of bed then he has already. he... really does want to sleep. ]
[ Jack puts the handcuff back on them, though his sour expression doesn't really lessen much here. He glances up to Rhys as if he's confirming that he's not taking a picture with his eye, but he's satisfied enough considering he heads to the bed without further comment on that. Though predictably, he does end up smiling and chuckling over Rhys's comment, since that's exactly why Jack says the shit he does. Watching people react? Always hilarious.
They both settle in the bed, and Jack absolutely has no objections to the back-to-back arrangement here. At least if nothing else, Rhys can relax himself with regards to Jack being Jack, because it's easy to feel him relaxing. He doesn't quite drift off to sleep, but if nothing else, that tension abates the longer they lay there.
Uncomfortably.
It's probably about an hour or so of just kind of shifting and trying to find a more comfortable configuration here to go to sleep, but. It's actually very quickly apparent to Jack that this isn't going to work. However, he realizes just as quickly what will, and that part is, uh. It's a problem? He has some pride here, or at least, that's what he keeps thinking to himself.
But, eventually, just laying there uncomfortably awake is more annoying than the alternative. Jack shifts so that he's looking back over his shoulder towards Rhys, glancing at him with the good eye. ]
Okay, so. I'm definitely still super awake because this is-- Goddammit, this is not even a little comfortable.
[ He thinks about asking, but in his mind, asking also just makes this worse... So Jack shifts instead and flips over, even if it's a little awkward because of how they're cuffed together. Jack is still stiff and uncomfortable, at least to start, but all things considered, that's probably fair, considering he's just shifted to be the big spoon. There's not even a rude, smartass comment. Jack legitimately has none. He doesn't even want to acknowledge that this just happened. ]
[ this is the most uncomfortable sleeping situation rhys has ever been involved with and one time he slept in a computer box with vaughn because of a stupid college prank. this? this tops any other experience he's had before and keeping himself from not touching jack is just... well, it's weird. it's so weird. there's no space to not touch jack and yet here they are trying to not make it weird.
rhys has pretty much resigned himself to a sleepless night when jack finally rolls over and looks at him. he turns a little to look back, eyebrows furrowing at whatever decision jack has made before oh. oh. his eyes widen slightly and he doesn't fight it as he finds himself being dragged into being jack's little spoon, instead feeling kind of embarrassed because oh wow, jack's warm. jack's really warm and soft and that's oddly nice. rhys knows not to acknowledge it but he fusses with the cuffs briefly to make it comfortable for the both of them, dropping his head back on the pillows a moment after. ]
... This isn't that bad.
[ maybe? kind of? he's not even sure if it's the right thing to say but after a moment, rhys moves his flesh arm to tug jack's tighter around him and presses back snugly against him. look, if they're going to do this, they should do it right. ]
Look, I'm not going to tell anyone, alright? Not even Fiona. So, like, make yourself comfortable, I guess.
[ don't make it weird don't make it weird don't make it weird. IT'S JUST TWO BROS BEING BROS. ]
[ Well, that's at least one hurdle over with, since he Jack had been halfway worried that this would be... too weird. Which, no, it pretty much is, he's decided. But so long as Rhys doesn't make it weirder, it's not terrible. Probably.
Or, definitely, because even if Jack absolutely prefers to project a certain image, he's much more sentimental and clingy than would be expected. He absolutely prefers sleeping with someone next to him, since it's really a feeling of security that he enjoys. Jack would also never admit to it, because admitting something like that was something he felt was a weakness, and yet. He's halfway annoyed with himself, because when Rhys actually shifts the both of them to be more comfortable, he can't help but relax to some extent. ]
Not bad? Listen- [ Jack still can't actually just accept this without comment, though. When does he ever. ] I am great at-- Uh.
[ That cuts off rather abruptly, since there really isn't a word for this that isn't going to make it overly intimate. It's not cuddling or snuggling, and just like that, Jack realizes he's the one making it weird, so he just ends up sighing out a noise of frustration. ]
Nnnnnevermind, not finishing that sentence. So, yeah, same, not talking about it.
[ But he's still going to get pretty damn comfortable, since Rhys actually mentioned it. The cuff makes it so that he practically has to embrace Rhys here anyways, so he just accepts that, even if it's with some mild reluctance. It's loose, but still a pretty warm half-embrace. Jack definitely gives off the impression without quite saying so that he's a cuddly (re: clingy) person, but he at least settles back down without too much shifting. ]
[ honestly, the reason rhys thinks jack is making it weird is because he thinks jack doesn't like guys and thinks rhys is gonna like, touch him or something. he also thinks jack must not be a very affectionate person because between all of rhys' offers for hugs and this whole cuddling debacle, jack must just not like people touching him. which, fair, yvette was one of those people and rhys just kept his hugs at a normal distance.
still, he's starting to feel a little bad here. like, maybe jack just needs a tiny bit more reassurance? rhys isn't going to make this a thing just because they cuddled -- he definitely has his weird mixed up feelings for jack (ones that aren't entirely platonic, he knows) but it doesn't mean this is part of it. huh. how's he supposed to make that clear? ]
It's -- it's fine, Jack. I've cuddled with people I've known for way, way less time than you. Sometimes I don't even know their names, hah. So, this isn't a big deal.
[ for rhys, he really thinks that will work. why wouldn't it? it's true and makes everything less important then jack might think it is so of course this will work. rhys doesn't super realize who he's talking to here.
instead he just yawns for now and presses his face into his pillow before tugging jack closer. he'll even move his leg so one of his legs presses in between jacks to make this a prime cuddling session. c'mon, get tangled up with him, jack! ]
[ Jack's tone here is genuinely questioning, and very, very slightly judgemental. That might seem odd, considering all of Jack's pretty legendary and loudly proclaimed sexual exploits, but as it turns out, Rhys doesn't actually have to wonder about that for very long. ]
I mean, I remember everyone I've cuddled with, pumpkin. And, y'know, definitely their names.
[ He doesn't object as Rhys gets into prime cuddling position, but he doesn't quite return it either. However, this is largely because he's not done making his point here, so he shifts to allow it. ]
You do realize that's a- Okay, this is a stupid word for it and kinda harsh on the language, but gets the point across. Fuckboy. Definitely a fuckboy thing.
[ okay, you're popping his bubble here, jack. there's a moment there as jack continues that rhys just sort of... tenses up a little before frowning deeply in the dark. let him take a moment to rearrange his world view first and then he can respond.
how... many people has jack dated? doesn't he like, sleep around? isn't he a super mega awesome hot dad? this can't be true at all... is it? shit.
and then there's -- well, that term. this is not the first time someone has called rhys a fuckboy but fucking stacey threw it in his face when she broke up with him and look. he, like, he isn't the best? at relationships? but what the fuck.
so, rhys is definitely shifting to turn over somehow and look at jack with a really annoyed expression now. it's unnecessarily complicated with these handcuffs and probably just drags them closer together. ]
I'm not -- I, what? What. I'm not a fuckboy, that's just -- fuck off. That's not a thing I am. And, and, you know? Even if I was? Who the hell are you to judge? You don't know anything about my sex life -- my personal life. Some people just, you know, they do relationships differently, right? And maybe I just don't want someone in my space all the time. That's a perfectly rational feeling and -- whatever. Fuck you. I was just trying to make you feel better because you're so sensitive.
[ you sure hurt the boy's feelings with one damn word, jack. let the fuckboy be a fuckboy!! ]
[ Jack is used to insulting people. That is obvious, and is in fact a normal part of working at Hyperion. However, it's much rarer when people actually take offense to what he says, especially when it's more of an off-handed comment over something actually barbed. This may be because they're afraid of Jack killing them (which, to be fair, is a very real possibility), but in any case, Jack's brow knits together when Rhys flips over in an expression of confusion, and it only deepens as Rhys explains. ]
Woah, woah, calm your tits, princess... Jesus. Defensive, much?
[ Yet even with Jack speaking the way he does, his tone is actually the sort that's probably meant to be genuinely calming? It's hard to tell with Jack sometimes. ]
Look it was just- an observation? I dunno. Cripes. I just- [ Wait. He belatedly catches onto part of this, and his expression twists up. ]
I am not sensitive, kiddo. Do I need to make a laundry list of terrible shit that I did last we-- Okay, maybe not last week. This place is stupid boring. You get my point here.
[ okay. yes. maybe he did get a little defensive here which... isn't what he planned but come on? he hates being called that. it reminds him of college and bitchy exes who act like he owed them something.
he shifts a little in his petulance, trying to cross his arms over his chest as he faces jack, a small space left between them for their arms. he's ready to argue here, okay? even if everything was going so well a moment ago.
though, it definitely gets gay for a second because he feels his knees brush against jack's under the blanket and that's weird and this is weird and he is trying to forget how weird it is. ]
Not... without reason, but whatever.
[ he hates!! the word!! and now he's ready to get bitchy some more. ]
Okay but, like, killing people doesn't mean you're not sensitive? You can be a murderer and have feelings too. It's not weird, Jack. You know that, right?
[ wait, that came out way more sympathetic and nice than bitchy and annoyed. shit, shit, shit. he fucked up. ]
[ The confusion at least leaves Jack's face for the most part. Of course, some still remains, since Jack is reminded of their proximity when Rhys brushes against his legs, for one, but it lingers because of what Rhys actually says. It doesn't look like Jack really agrees, but it's hard to tell what he's thinking, considering how a silence lingers a bit longer than it tends to with Jack. But after he seems to come to his answer here, his expression smooths out, though it's serious.
That might be worrying, since that's never quite a good thing to see from Jack, but his answer is... surprisingly honest. ]
...No, you can't, kiddo. It ruins the image.
[ He pauses again, almost like he's considering leaving it at that, but he ends up elaborating just a little more. ]
Let me tell you something here: to do what I do, you've gotta be untouchable. No one can see you so much as sweat. Show one piece of weakness, and someone-- Someone's gonna take advantage of that.
[ Jack seems to be choosing his words very carefully here, and there's definitely that kind of intensity again where he's clearly measuring Rhys's reactions. It's easy to read by now, though. This is how he always is when he feels that he's opening up in some way. ]
So I'm Handsome Jack, not just Jack or-- John. I've got the mask, 'cause no one can see the fact that someone made me bleed. That's- Y'know, that's what being at the top means, Rhys. There's people waiting to knock you down. If I'm sensitive or if I feel anything? I better not show it. It's ammunition. Plain and simple.
[ But for the last part, it's when Jack's gaze is the most intense. It's where it borders on being uncomfortable, since it's the sort of tension where it's hard to tell whether Jack is a hair away from murder, or if it's just how he expresses his seriousness in every situation. ]
And hope you understand. I'm trusting you with that.
[ for a moment, rhys thinks he made a mistake. it was just something that came out of him, without really thinking. he sort of... forgets, which is pretty obvious by now, that jack isn't just a morally dubious dude but actually one of the worst human beings in a century. it makes him slip and say things like "you can kill people and still have feelings" which... he will admit, is his own over-identifying of the situation.
he's killed people. he feels things.
right now, he feels a slight fear run up his spine at the thought he may have made a mistake here -- but also a curiosity, a genuine feeling of affection for jack. he wonders how much work it must take to put on such an image, wonders how much of what rhys knows about him is the image and how much isn't. it... makes rhys feel ill for a moment, like all this time he'd been pursuing a closeness with handsome jack instead of ... jack. or john.
... was he? was he really so shallow? ]
You can trust me.
[ his instincts are there, screaming at him with each word, telling him to go back, to leave this bed and try his very best to put more distance between jack and him. this isn't keeping jack happy so he doesn't kill rhys anymore, this is rhys wanting to make up for what happened -- this is rhys wanting to rewrite history. maybe here he could have jack like he wanted to so badly at home? maybe here, helios won't have to happen again? ]
And I'm sorry too. I guess I never really thought about all the effort you put into what you put out there? It always just seemed so you -- like there was nothing else but what you wanted everyone to see and I don't know. [ he shrugs a little helplessly, looking down towards their hands with a slight frown. ] I guess I thought that was pretty cool.
[ then he's silent for a moment, as if that's all he's got to say to jack here -- that he was shallow and saw nothing else but, after a moment, he shakes his head and does something pretty weird. he... smiles at jack, a small one, genuine and soft as he looks at jack. the room is dark, just barely enough light from rhys' eye and the ship outside of the room to show the reflection of each other's faces. rhys' hair falls in his face and over the pillow but he doesn't bother to brush it out, to push it back, instead he just enjoys the warmth radiating off of jack as he speaks again. ]
... But I think I like this Jack better? I know the logic, Jack. I'm not a dumbass. You have things you want to protect, to keep safe from ... everything else, so why would you let the world know who else you are under the mask? Uh, both literally and figuratively. People suck, the whole universe sucks. There's only like, a few people out there who are decent at all so... why does everyone else get to see you? Fuck that. But -- but this Jack -- the one I've met over the past few weeks, the one I'm laying here with right now? He's way cooler, I think, and I wouldn't mind getting to know him more.
[ Jack interjects in that brief silence with that much, since he can guess some of Rhys's thoughts here. That's not exactly something new, but it hasn't been common. After Elpis, Jack had closed himself off in a way that he didn't always like. Part of it was intentional, because it's exactly what he's talking about here, but there was just as much that wasn't. It's the way he gets wrapped up in his grand plan for the universe and how he sees a dagger in every hand waiting for his back as a result. So, really, only a few people had ever managed to see beyond Jack's mask, both physical and metaphorical.
He looked doubtful when Rhys asserted that Jack could trust him, as Rhys explains, that expression softens. Jack doesn't give his trust easily, and that's something that Rhys know better than Jack thinks, but it's almost a physical thing as he gives at least a small piece of it.
That's the thing about Jack, though. There aren't many people that can avoid getting wrapped up in Jack. He has a naturally magnetic personality, and it's what elevated him to the sort of cult-like devotion that was so unique to Hyperion, but even individually, when he's laying here having a moment of openness with another person, it's the same sort of thing. Jack isn't a liar, because every word he says is a truth or something he believes so strongly that it might as well be. He's genuine in a frightening way, because it's so easy to forget that there's so much of Jack that's completely divorced from other parts of him.
So that trust doesn't mean that Rhys is safe. In fact, it's so much more dangerous, and that's why every person that's seen beyond that mask has ended up dead. ]
You-- [ Jack starts to respond once Rhys has said his piece, but it comes with a laugh. ] I mean, to be honest here, you keep surprisin' me, Rhys.
[ Jack pauses, then shifts slightly closer. Usually he'd probably be at least a little more smooth here, but the handcuff and their proximity makes that less than elegant. The hand that's uncuffed at least comes up to Rhys's neck, but that's to help angle both of their heads here. As such, Rhys can probably guess what's coming next here and pull back if he wants, but really, Jack doesn't think that'll be the case, considering Rhys...
He kisses Rhys, and it's both brief and tender rather than the sort of aggressive that might seem to suit Jack better. After all, what Rhys says is bolstering and supporting Jack in ways that he might not have expected to, but also in those ways that aren't exactly good. But it's absolutely what Jack craves and appreciates, and at least for the moment, he thinks that something physical is a better way to convey that than through words.
After all, as he pulls back again, he proves that he's not actually smooth or a wordsmith. ]
[ this isn't the first time rhys has thought about kissing jack. he never really left himself indulge for more than a moment though because handsome jack was still more of an icon, a hero, than an actual human being. now though, things are a little different. when jack was in his head, he was kicked off his pedestal. when jack is at his side, he's brought to rhys' level.
on some level, rhys is aware of how bad this is, of how quickly it can turn into something that he can't handle -- that's how it always works with jack, right? every story from every person who got even a smidgen close to him. that's why no one really survives jack, not really. rhys though, he's naive and he wants so desperately to believe the lie that when jack moves in to kiss him, he doesn't back off.
his hands curl in jack's shirt, pressing in close to meet his mouth and feeling an odd but satisfying sensation as he feels the brush of the scar against his skin. it's still so cool, being this close to jack and this ... accepted? wanted? by him. rhys feels so jubilant in this moment, more than he's felt since jack smiled at him in his office and told him he was proud of him. this is better, this is a physical thing along with an emotional. it makes rhys feel whole.
when they break apart, rhys lets out a kind of breathy laugh, forehead pressed against jack's and not trying to move away this time. he grins, meeting jack's gaze in response and tries to squash the urge to kiss him again. not... yet, not now, but soon. ]
Nnnnot quite how I expected the night to go, gotta say. Thought you didn't want to make it that gay?
[ he curls closer, taking up more that little amount of space between them. his ankle slides against jack's and he lets out a pleased sigh, feeling... oddly relaxed now. he's accepted it, accepted how bad this is just how much he still wants it. it's fine, he thinks. it's completely fine. ]
Glad you -- [ he pauses, interrupting himself with a yawn and his eyes fall shut for a moment ] Glad you did though. I really like you -- different than the whole admiration thing. Just, y'know, you yourself. I really like that part of you and m'glad you finally believe me. I'll keep, [ another yawn here ] proving it if I have to, Jack.
[ it's said in a sleepy, content tone -- voice a soft mumble because in this moment, rhys is completely happy. surrounded by jack like this and given his affection, rhys doesn't want to be anywhere else in the universe. ]
Ha ha hah. [ That is absolutely a forced, sarcastic, and flat laugh. ] Least I'll remember your name, dickhead.
[ He gets a little defensive, but not nearly as bad as it could be. Considering he's the one that initiated that part, he can't really deny that it's pretty gay, but he also doesn't actually care too much about that part. Or at least, not as much as he was conveying, since that too is a way for him to keep a bit of distance. Jack keeps very nearly everyone at arm's length, since he has problems trusting people enough for any kind of intimacy. Even now, it's not completely there, not even close, but—
Jack shifts all the same to hold Rhys comfortably in his-- Well, ideally, this would be in his arms, but the cuff makes it a little more awkward. Still. It's close, even intimate, and he doesn't mind that at all. He absolutely prefers the comfort of having someone else sleep next to him, though he'd also never ask for it. And considering the sort of task he's been given here? It's more comforting than he would have expected to feel able to extend even this small bit of trust. It's physical, and even that much is no small matter for Jack.
Though for how he feels, that's something else entirely. Because even now, as he shifts and settles down, he's not sure what that is. It's appreciation for Rhys's admiration and loyalty, but the part Jack isn't aware enough of himself to recognize is that that trust comes more from the fact that Rhys is bolstering his ego and his beliefs. Jack's definitions of trust and betrayal are both very different from everyone else's, since both exist in a very black and white context. Agree with Jack, and he trusts you. Disagree with Jack, and you're a traitor. Both are far simpler than they seem, but that simplicity is part of what made Jack the monster he is.
Unfortunately, that's a harsh truth about Jack that Rhys will rediscover.
But for now, Jack doesn't think on what he feels here. Maybe it's just too late to think on it, which is what he decides on when he catches an infectious yawn. He finally relaxes too and gets them tangled further together to fall asleep. Considering the kiss, there's no need to hide that he's clingy, as if that's a surprise... ]
But, c'mon. Didn't even realize how goddamn little I've been sleeping lately.
[ More than Rhys knows and understands, but he's genuinely too tired to have his paranoia flare up. This is a good thing, since that would absolutely get him to back off. Without it, Jack just closes his eyes, just barely keeping the contact between their foreheads. It's super gay. ]
[ But not as bad as the fact that at some point in the night, they will absolutely end up spooning again and Jack will kiss his neck and mutter something about Nisha sucking his dick. That's canon now. Jack will not remember this, in fact. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
momijizukamori
week four - thursday?? thursday night or friday
Date: 2016-07-30 04:13 am (UTC)so! they've been fairing pretty well since swapping with clover and minako, getting their bearings again and being weirdly in sync with each other all the way through the rest of the day, dinner, and getting back to the room -- and seriously, climbing a ladder while handcuffed together? it totally sucked.
but now, rhys is feeling fairly tired and finds himself with his eyes drooping from wherever he is next to jack and after a moment... yeah, totally drifts off against his shoulder.
he'll wake up a moment later with a swear and sort of jerk up hard enough to pull jack's hand with him. sorry, jack! ]
Shit, ah. Shit!
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Date: 2016-07-30 06:36 am (UTC)He's so into his work and relatively at ease with Rhys at his side that he doesn't even really notice as Rhys creeps closer. It's only once Rhys taps against his shoulder that Jack looks over to him, and his lip quickly curly in a sort of amused disgust. Rhys jerks up just as Jack laughs, and it's easy to see the delight in Jack's eyes that makes it clear that he's about to get gently bullied. ]
Woaaahhh cupcake, tired much? Thank you for at least not drooling on my friggin' shirt.
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Date: 2016-07-30 08:24 am (UTC)Yeah, I -- I didn't sleep much last night? And it's. Uh. Late.
[ god, so awkward. he glances back at the bunks behind them before frowning slightly from his place at jack's side, slumping a little. ]
... Don't really want to sleep on the floor though. [ and then he looks down at his clothes with another frown. ] Or in my actual clothes. I miss my pajamas.
[ that last sentence was a little petulant, honestly. baby's a little cranky. ]
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Date: 2016-07-30 06:50 pm (UTC)Yeah, yeah...
[ Jack's response is dismissive and idle at first, as if he's half-listening. It might seem like Rhys is about to have to just sit up and deal with it, since Jack is the one that really decides things here, but thankfully, he takes off his glasses. Jack reaches up to run a hand through his hair as he thinks something over, because in truth, he's pretty tired too. There was really not configuration that they'd tried the previous night that was any kind of comfortable for either of them... Getting about an hour's sleep at a time was less than ideal.
He does get an idea, but. No. No? That would be totally gay. But on the other hand, it would be really nice to sleep.
There's the kind of thoughtful quiet that persists for a few moments as Jack mulls over this Deep Internal Conflict, but ultimately— ]
...Okay, so. If. And I stress if. We shared a bunk, would you not make it weird, kiddo?
[ He feels like he has to ask, but in truth, that's the best option here. Even without a murder this week, Jack doesn't exactly feel any more comfortable not being well-rested. There's something else going on for him here, after all. So later, this will probably be ironic, since his decision to cuddle up to an alien in disguise is based on wanting to be better prepared to fight an alien in disguise. ]
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Date: 2016-08-03 02:07 am (UTC)but jack takes a while and rhys finds his eyes drooping again, his body leaning towards the warmth next to him instinctively and he's... so... tired...
he's so tired that he almost doesn't process exactly what jack's suggesting there. when he speaks, rhys' eyebrows furrow with confusion before -- oh. ohhh. ]
I'm not going to make it weird, Jack. Why would I ever make it weird? [ rhys... ] No, we can share. It'll be fine.
[ thankfully for them both, rhys isn't really aware of the second part of what's going on here. jack's worries, rhys' secret. all of that together -- it's the last thing on his mind. he isn't even concerned about his other secret, the one about atlas. it's all kind of irrelevant right now and instead, he pushes himself up from his chair and seems a little brighter than a moment before. ]
C'mon, let's -- let's sleep.
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Date: 2016-08-03 02:56 am (UTC)[ Jack actually gets up with Rhys, since he's at enough of a stopping point that he doesn't mind. He reaches to the cuffs just as smoothly to briefly undo them, since he does at least want to change if they're going to be... actually doing this. He doesn't want to sleep in his normal clothes either, if that's the case. It's kind of weird to think about, but it would definitely be too hot.
Of course, that's not to say that it actually bothers him enough to have, like, modesty. He heads over to his closet to grab a tank top to sleep in, but as he does, he peels off his shirt. Enjoy the dad bod as always, Rhys. ]
C'mon though. Don't want to waste our friggin' hour.
[ In any other context, encouraging Rhys to change more quickly would be a little g-- No, it's gay even in this context. They're both just accepting it. ]
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Date: 2016-08-03 03:14 am (UTC)Right... yeah. Then I'm going to go shower real quick.
[ and off he dashes into the bathroom! well, he'll probably grab his pajamas really quick. jack can probably hear the water going a moment later. at least they can both change in pri...vate...? look, rhys wasn't going to strip in front of jack and that's final.
either way, twenty minutes later he'll be coming out of the bathroom in sweatpants, a tank top, and socks. he's drying his hair with a towel as he yawns sleepily, warms and content. he's totally ready for sleep. ]
Who's getting the wall?
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Date: 2016-08-03 03:52 am (UTC)While Rhys is in the shower, it gives Jack some brief time to himself, so there's quick tapping away at his datapad to review and update his notes that he certainly doesn't want Rhys to see. But of course, that's quick. Really, all he has to add are notes on Clover and Minako, since they're the only people he has any real new notes on. It's brief, and he ends up glancing to the bathroom door idly as Rhys is still showering. ]
Moron. Shouldn't take you that long to shower...
[ He stands from his desk and heads to the bed instead, since by now, he's feeling tired too. It's the sort of thing that tends to hit him all at once rather than gradually, like he's suddenly aware of how little he's slept in the past few days. He reaches up to rub his face, and as his fingers rub near the latches of the mask, it's tender enough to make him frown, though that frown also deepens.
His hand lingers at his face for a few moments, but hesitantly, he starts to undo the latch that his fingers had brushed against.
When Rhys steps out of the bathroom, Jack's back is to him. It's clear that he's holding something in his hands, which might be slightly worrying from Jack, especially since there's a tension clear in his posture. He ignores Rhys's question, and his voice is fairly stern. ]
Hey, so. Just puttin' this out there, but you tell anyone about this? You're dead.
[ That's definitely how you get in the mood for cuddling, right... Though at least it's quickly apparent why Jack's mood has changed so much in those twenty minutes or so. He turns to look towards Rhys, and that strange, uncanny mask is in his hands, but of course that's not likely to be what Rhys notices first. It may have been mentioned in his profile, but it was another thing entirely to see Jack's face without the mask. The scarring is as significant as the profile implies, though several years old at this point. It's a sharp, distinct shape that absolutely holds meaning to people who know anything about Vaults. It's unmistakably the symbol of a Vault burned into his face to the point that his eyes are even more mismatched with one blinded by that injury.
He sets the mask down on the bedside table, but his posture doesn't relax any more. He's clearly measuring Rhys for a reaction here, though it's not quite to see how Rhys takes in the sight itself. More, he's measuring it to see how much he can trust Rhys with the knowledge of something that well-guarded. It's a bit ironic, since for someone who has no problems stripping in front of Rhys, taking off the mask involved quite a bit more trust than that. Which, of course, he plays off. ]
'Cause, y'know, the latches friggin' suck after, what, three days?
no subject
Date: 2016-08-08 07:45 pm (UTC)... Tell anyone about what, Jack?
[ he's surprised that he doesn't stumble over his question, instead keeping his composure a bit as jack turns to him -- the warm contentment from only a moment ago turning into ice. his eyes stay on jack and there's a short gasp that leaves him as he sees the scar -- the vault scar. there's been so many rumors about what's under jack's mask during his time in hyperion, just a constant question weighing at the back of everyone employee's mind. reading that it was a scar felt... weird, initially, and that's why rhys took is so lightly because -- well, he really couldn't ask jack about the truth.
he hadn't thought it'd be a vault symbol... but it's kind of fitting, he thinks. of all the things that could be branded on handsome jack's face, of course it had to do with the vaults.
without thinking, rhys feels his eye light up to scan jack's face and he immediately slaps his hand over it, grinning sheepishly as he urges his brain to turn off. ]
Shit, sorry -- I wasn't thinking. Just a reflex.
[ he didn't catch anything on his eye and he hopes jack knows that. instead, he moves forward to jack, robot hand clenching and unclenching at his side and flesh hand covering his echo because he's so damn curious about this. he really, really is. still, this is jack and jack is... terrifying and a monster but rhys still has such stupid amounts of affection for him, if he's honest with himself. jack's still human despite everything else (including the ai thing) and rhys isn't going to treat him like less than that -- especially not right now. ]
Look, I'm not going to tell anyone. We're friends, right? And this is obviously a big deal for you and -- uhm. I don't know, man. I don't want to make it weird but I'm a hug-y kind of guy and now I really want to hug you.
[ at least he's honest?? but he'll drop his hand now and his echo eye is firmly shut off this time, no reflex kicking it on and he just sort of shrugs a little, crossing his arms over his chest. his eyes are still fixed on jack's face, taking in every detail he possibly can right now because he knows this isn't going to... well, last. ]
I'm not going to ask either because... well, I don't want to know.
[ and it kind of surprises him to realize that's the truth -- he doesn't want to know. he doesn't want one more idealistic belief he held about jack to be popped, to realize that something he admired jack for is twisted up in something awful jack did and lied about. he just wants to keep jack's image preserved as it is for him, no matter how messed up and conflicted rhys is about it currently. ]
-- But if you want something from like, the medbay? Lotion, I guess? Something to make it hurt less, I can get that for you. It looks kind of painful, Jack.
no subject
Date: 2016-08-09 04:12 am (UTC)So when Rhys's eye lights up, Jack seizes up, and he's quick to step forward with a vicious expression. From anyone else, this would be a bit startling, sure, but from Jack? There was never any real doubt that he would absolutely just grab the eye right out of Rhys's head. It actually seems like Jack has half a mind to do exactly that, but the way Rhys quickly recoils to cover his eye also seems to stop Jack from that course of action. He doesn't seem any more inclined to relax, at least not until Rhys starts talking.
First, his brow knits in conclusion, since Rhys is rambling and making things weird again (as usual), and Jack absolutely opens his mouth to make a rude comment about that. However, he's surprised in a different way when Rhys doesn't push about what it is or where it comes from. That's what gets him to relax, ultimately. It's not something that Jack reveals casually, because he hates the questions that come with it. For once, there's the obvious, since telling the story about how you got a friggin' Vault symbol seared into your face kind of sucks, but more than that, it's the circumstances that had come before that really bothered him. No one likes relaying stories about being betrayed, and Jack least of all.
Instead, he turns away, which is as good a sign that Rhys is off the hook here as any. He nods to the bed, since apparently Jack's taking the wall. It's easily taken as personal preference, but this is a quiet sign of Jack's paranoia. In his mind, he'd rather be against the wall, because in the off chance someone comes in for an ambush, then, sucks for Rhys, but he's gonna be the first to go. Later, the irony of this thought would probably make him sick. ]
Nnnnnope, you are not lotioning me up, pumpkin. That's? Man. That's too far. Like, friggin' making out with you wouldn't be as gay as you feeling up my scar.
[ He scoffs, the picks up the handcuffs before beckoning for Rhys's wrist to cuff them together again. ]
C'mon. After all your bitching about going to sleep, now I'm tired too.
no subject
Date: 2016-08-09 05:00 am (UTC)he's so stupid, he knows this.
for now, he goes back to his default. the tension in the room is thick and he feels like there's no way it could result in anything good, so he just looks away from jack and follows after him so he can offer the arm that would make this sleeping situation more comfortable for the both of them. he mutters, just as petulantly as his snide comments when they go do anything else -- ]
I wasn't going to lotion your face. Or make out with you. Fucks sake, Jack.
[ as if he would, ever?? at all?? hell no. (that means he would, of course, but he doesn't quite want to admit it.) in a frustrated huff, rhys runs his free hand through his hair -- with the shower it now falls in a soft, wavy cut on his head and makes him look much sweeter than usual, more genuine. it's a pretty weird contrast.
but he will follow jack into the bunk so they can sleep, trying to keep a... reasonable amount of distance between the two of them as he gives jack his back here. this is definitely not going to be sustainable on the long term but with the tension and jack being jack, rhys doesn't want to risk giving him any more reason to kick him out of bed then he has already. he... really does want to sleep. ]
no subject
Date: 2016-08-09 04:12 pm (UTC)They both settle in the bed, and Jack absolutely has no objections to the back-to-back arrangement here. At least if nothing else, Rhys can relax himself with regards to Jack being Jack, because it's easy to feel him relaxing. He doesn't quite drift off to sleep, but if nothing else, that tension abates the longer they lay there.
Uncomfortably.
It's probably about an hour or so of just kind of shifting and trying to find a more comfortable configuration here to go to sleep, but. It's actually very quickly apparent to Jack that this isn't going to work. However, he realizes just as quickly what will, and that part is, uh. It's a problem? He has some pride here, or at least, that's what he keeps thinking to himself.
But, eventually, just laying there uncomfortably awake is more annoying than the alternative. Jack shifts so that he's looking back over his shoulder towards Rhys, glancing at him with the good eye. ]
Okay, so. I'm definitely still super awake because this is-- Goddammit, this is not even a little comfortable.
[ He thinks about asking, but in his mind, asking also just makes this worse... So Jack shifts instead and flips over, even if it's a little awkward because of how they're cuffed together. Jack is still stiff and uncomfortable, at least to start, but all things considered, that's probably fair, considering he's just shifted to be the big spoon. There's not even a rude, smartass comment. Jack legitimately has none. He doesn't even want to acknowledge that this just happened. ]
no subject
Date: 2016-08-09 10:57 pm (UTC)rhys has pretty much resigned himself to a sleepless night when jack finally rolls over and looks at him. he turns a little to look back, eyebrows furrowing at whatever decision jack has made before oh. oh. his eyes widen slightly and he doesn't fight it as he finds himself being dragged into being jack's little spoon, instead feeling kind of embarrassed because oh wow, jack's warm. jack's really warm and soft and that's oddly nice. rhys knows not to acknowledge it but he fusses with the cuffs briefly to make it comfortable for the both of them, dropping his head back on the pillows a moment after. ]
... This isn't that bad.
[ maybe? kind of? he's not even sure if it's the right thing to say but after a moment, rhys moves his flesh arm to tug jack's tighter around him and presses back snugly against him. look, if they're going to do this, they should do it right. ]
Look, I'm not going to tell anyone, alright? Not even Fiona. So, like, make yourself comfortable, I guess.
[ don't make it weird don't make it weird don't make it weird. IT'S JUST TWO BROS BEING BROS. ]
no subject
Date: 2016-08-10 01:43 am (UTC)Or, definitely, because even if Jack absolutely prefers to project a certain image, he's much more sentimental and clingy than would be expected. He absolutely prefers sleeping with someone next to him, since it's really a feeling of security that he enjoys. Jack would also never admit to it, because admitting something like that was something he felt was a weakness, and yet. He's halfway annoyed with himself, because when Rhys actually shifts the both of them to be more comfortable, he can't help but relax to some extent. ]
Not bad? Listen- [ Jack still can't actually just accept this without comment, though. When does he ever. ] I am great at-- Uh.
[ That cuts off rather abruptly, since there really isn't a word for this that isn't going to make it overly intimate. It's not cuddling or snuggling, and just like that, Jack realizes he's the one making it weird, so he just ends up sighing out a noise of frustration. ]
Nnnnnevermind, not finishing that sentence. So, yeah, same, not talking about it.
[ But he's still going to get pretty damn comfortable, since Rhys actually mentioned it. The cuff makes it so that he practically has to embrace Rhys here anyways, so he just accepts that, even if it's with some mild reluctance. It's loose, but still a pretty warm half-embrace. Jack definitely gives off the impression without quite saying so that he's a cuddly (re: clingy) person, but he at least settles back down without too much shifting. ]
no subject
Date: 2016-08-10 02:14 am (UTC)still, he's starting to feel a little bad here. like, maybe jack just needs a tiny bit more reassurance? rhys isn't going to make this a thing just because they cuddled -- he definitely has his weird mixed up feelings for jack (ones that aren't entirely platonic, he knows) but it doesn't mean this is part of it. huh. how's he supposed to make that clear? ]
It's -- it's fine, Jack. I've cuddled with people I've known for way, way less time than you. Sometimes I don't even know their names, hah. So, this isn't a big deal.
[ for rhys, he really thinks that will work. why wouldn't it? it's true and makes everything less important then jack might think it is so of course this will work. rhys doesn't super realize who he's talking to here.
instead he just yawns for now and presses his face into his pillow before tugging jack closer. he'll even move his leg so one of his legs presses in between jacks to make this a prime cuddling session. c'mon, get tangled up with him, jack! ]
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Date: 2016-08-10 02:31 am (UTC)[ Jack's tone here is genuinely questioning, and very, very slightly judgemental. That might seem odd, considering all of Jack's pretty legendary and loudly proclaimed sexual exploits, but as it turns out, Rhys doesn't actually have to wonder about that for very long. ]
I mean, I remember everyone I've cuddled with, pumpkin. And, y'know, definitely their names.
[ He doesn't object as Rhys gets into prime cuddling position, but he doesn't quite return it either. However, this is largely because he's not done making his point here, so he shifts to allow it. ]
You do realize that's a- Okay, this is a stupid word for it and kinda harsh on the language, but gets the point across. Fuckboy. Definitely a fuckboy thing.
no subject
Date: 2016-08-10 03:05 am (UTC)how... many people has jack dated? doesn't he like, sleep around? isn't he a super mega awesome hot dad? this can't be true at all... is it? shit.
and then there's -- well, that term. this is not the first time someone has called rhys a fuckboy but fucking stacey threw it in his face when she broke up with him and look. he, like, he isn't the best? at relationships? but what the fuck.
so, rhys is definitely shifting to turn over somehow and look at jack with a really annoyed expression now. it's unnecessarily complicated with these handcuffs and probably just drags them closer together. ]
I'm not -- I, what? What. I'm not a fuckboy, that's just -- fuck off. That's not a thing I am. And, and, you know? Even if I was? Who the hell are you to judge? You don't know anything about my sex life -- my personal life. Some people just, you know, they do relationships differently, right? And maybe I just don't want someone in my space all the time. That's a perfectly rational feeling and -- whatever. Fuck you. I was just trying to make you feel better because you're so sensitive.
[ you sure hurt the boy's feelings with one damn word, jack. let the fuckboy be a fuckboy!! ]
no subject
Date: 2016-08-10 04:05 am (UTC)Woah, woah, calm your tits, princess... Jesus. Defensive, much?
[ Yet even with Jack speaking the way he does, his tone is actually the sort that's probably meant to be genuinely calming? It's hard to tell with Jack sometimes. ]
Look it was just- an observation? I dunno. Cripes. I just- [ Wait. He belatedly catches onto part of this, and his expression twists up. ]
I am not sensitive, kiddo. Do I need to make a laundry list of terrible shit that I did last we-- Okay, maybe not last week. This place is stupid boring. You get my point here.
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Date: 2016-08-10 04:20 am (UTC)he shifts a little in his petulance, trying to cross his arms over his chest as he faces jack, a small space left between them for their arms. he's ready to argue here, okay? even if everything was going so well a moment ago.
though, it definitely gets gay for a second because he feels his knees brush against jack's under the blanket and that's weird and this is weird and he is trying to forget how weird it is. ]
Not... without reason, but whatever.
[ he hates!! the word!! and now he's ready to get bitchy some more. ]
Okay but, like, killing people doesn't mean you're not sensitive? You can be a murderer and have feelings too. It's not weird, Jack. You know that, right?
[ wait, that came out way more sympathetic and nice than bitchy and annoyed. shit, shit, shit. he fucked up. ]
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Date: 2016-08-10 04:48 am (UTC)That might be worrying, since that's never quite a good thing to see from Jack, but his answer is... surprisingly honest. ]
...No, you can't, kiddo. It ruins the image.
[ He pauses again, almost like he's considering leaving it at that, but he ends up elaborating just a little more. ]
Let me tell you something here: to do what I do, you've gotta be untouchable. No one can see you so much as sweat. Show one piece of weakness, and someone-- Someone's gonna take advantage of that.
[ Jack seems to be choosing his words very carefully here, and there's definitely that kind of intensity again where he's clearly measuring Rhys's reactions. It's easy to read by now, though. This is how he always is when he feels that he's opening up in some way. ]
So I'm Handsome Jack, not just Jack or-- John. I've got the mask, 'cause no one can see the fact that someone made me bleed. That's- Y'know, that's what being at the top means, Rhys. There's people waiting to knock you down. If I'm sensitive or if I feel anything? I better not show it. It's ammunition. Plain and simple.
[ But for the last part, it's when Jack's gaze is the most intense. It's where it borders on being uncomfortable, since it's the sort of tension where it's hard to tell whether Jack is a hair away from murder, or if it's just how he expresses his seriousness in every situation. ]
And hope you understand. I'm trusting you with that.
no subject
Date: 2016-08-10 05:23 am (UTC)he's killed people. he feels things.
right now, he feels a slight fear run up his spine at the thought he may have made a mistake here -- but also a curiosity, a genuine feeling of affection for jack. he wonders how much work it must take to put on such an image, wonders how much of what rhys knows about him is the image and how much isn't. it... makes rhys feel ill for a moment, like all this time he'd been pursuing a closeness with handsome jack instead of ... jack. or john.
... was he? was he really so shallow? ]
You can trust me.
[ his instincts are there, screaming at him with each word, telling him to go back, to leave this bed and try his very best to put more distance between jack and him. this isn't keeping jack happy so he doesn't kill rhys anymore, this is rhys wanting to make up for what happened -- this is rhys wanting to rewrite history. maybe here he could have jack like he wanted to so badly at home? maybe here, helios won't have to happen again? ]
And I'm sorry too. I guess I never really thought about all the effort you put into what you put out there? It always just seemed so you -- like there was nothing else but what you wanted everyone to see and I don't know. [ he shrugs a little helplessly, looking down towards their hands with a slight frown. ] I guess I thought that was pretty cool.
[ then he's silent for a moment, as if that's all he's got to say to jack here -- that he was shallow and saw nothing else but, after a moment, he shakes his head and does something pretty weird. he... smiles at jack, a small one, genuine and soft as he looks at jack. the room is dark, just barely enough light from rhys' eye and the ship outside of the room to show the reflection of each other's faces. rhys' hair falls in his face and over the pillow but he doesn't bother to brush it out, to push it back, instead he just enjoys the warmth radiating off of jack as he speaks again. ]
... But I think I like this Jack better? I know the logic, Jack. I'm not a dumbass. You have things you want to protect, to keep safe from ... everything else, so why would you let the world know who else you are under the mask? Uh, both literally and figuratively. People suck, the whole universe sucks. There's only like, a few people out there who are decent at all so... why does everyone else get to see you? Fuck that. But -- but this Jack -- the one I've met over the past few weeks, the one I'm laying here with right now? He's way cooler, I think, and I wouldn't mind getting to know him more.
[ and then he turns sheepish for a moment. ]
I mean, uh, if that's okay with you and all.
this thread needs holy water
Date: 2016-08-10 02:42 pm (UTC)[ Jack interjects in that brief silence with that much, since he can guess some of Rhys's thoughts here. That's not exactly something new, but it hasn't been common. After Elpis, Jack had closed himself off in a way that he didn't always like. Part of it was intentional, because it's exactly what he's talking about here, but there was just as much that wasn't. It's the way he gets wrapped up in his grand plan for the universe and how he sees a dagger in every hand waiting for his back as a result. So, really, only a few people had ever managed to see beyond Jack's mask, both physical and metaphorical.
He looked doubtful when Rhys asserted that Jack could trust him, as Rhys explains, that expression softens. Jack doesn't give his trust easily, and that's something that Rhys know better than Jack thinks, but it's almost a physical thing as he gives at least a small piece of it.
That's the thing about Jack, though. There aren't many people that can avoid getting wrapped up in Jack. He has a naturally magnetic personality, and it's what elevated him to the sort of cult-like devotion that was so unique to Hyperion, but even individually, when he's laying here having a moment of openness with another person, it's the same sort of thing. Jack isn't a liar, because every word he says is a truth or something he believes so strongly that it might as well be. He's genuine in a frightening way, because it's so easy to forget that there's so much of Jack that's completely divorced from other parts of him.
So that trust doesn't mean that Rhys is safe. In fact, it's so much more dangerous, and that's why every person that's seen beyond that mask has ended up dead. ]
You-- [ Jack starts to respond once Rhys has said his piece, but it comes with a laugh. ] I mean, to be honest here, you keep surprisin' me, Rhys.
[ Jack pauses, then shifts slightly closer. Usually he'd probably be at least a little more smooth here, but the handcuff and their proximity makes that less than elegant. The hand that's uncuffed at least comes up to Rhys's neck, but that's to help angle both of their heads here. As such, Rhys can probably guess what's coming next here and pull back if he wants, but really, Jack doesn't think that'll be the case, considering Rhys...
He kisses Rhys, and it's both brief and tender rather than the sort of aggressive that might seem to suit Jack better. After all, what Rhys says is bolstering and supporting Jack in ways that he might not have expected to, but also in those ways that aren't exactly good. But it's absolutely what Jack craves and appreciates, and at least for the moment, he thinks that something physical is a better way to convey that than through words.
After all, as he pulls back again, he proves that he's not actually smooth or a wordsmith. ]
Yeah, it's obviously okay with me, dumbass.
holy shit
Date: 2016-08-10 07:37 pm (UTC)on some level, rhys is aware of how bad this is, of how quickly it can turn into something that he can't handle -- that's how it always works with jack, right? every story from every person who got even a smidgen close to him. that's why no one really survives jack, not really. rhys though, he's naive and he wants so desperately to believe the lie that when jack moves in to kiss him, he doesn't back off.
his hands curl in jack's shirt, pressing in close to meet his mouth and feeling an odd but satisfying sensation as he feels the brush of the scar against his skin. it's still so cool, being this close to jack and this ... accepted? wanted? by him. rhys feels so jubilant in this moment, more than he's felt since jack smiled at him in his office and told him he was proud of him. this is better, this is a physical thing along with an emotional. it makes rhys feel whole.
when they break apart, rhys lets out a kind of breathy laugh, forehead pressed against jack's and not trying to move away this time. he grins, meeting jack's gaze in response and tries to squash the urge to kiss him again. not... yet, not now, but soon. ]
Nnnnot quite how I expected the night to go, gotta say. Thought you didn't want to make it that gay?
[ he curls closer, taking up more that little amount of space between them. his ankle slides against jack's and he lets out a pleased sigh, feeling... oddly relaxed now. he's accepted it, accepted how bad this is just how much he still wants it. it's fine, he thinks. it's completely fine. ]
Glad you -- [ he pauses, interrupting himself with a yawn and his eyes fall shut for a moment ] Glad you did though. I really like you -- different than the whole admiration thing. Just, y'know, you yourself. I really like that part of you and m'glad you finally believe me. I'll keep, [ another yawn here ] proving it if I have to, Jack.
[ it's said in a sleepy, content tone -- voice a soft mumble because in this moment, rhys is completely happy. surrounded by jack like this and given his affection, rhys doesn't want to be anywhere else in the universe. ]
no subject
Date: 2016-08-10 09:16 pm (UTC)[ He gets a little defensive, but not nearly as bad as it could be. Considering he's the one that initiated that part, he can't really deny that it's pretty gay, but he also doesn't actually care too much about that part. Or at least, not as much as he was conveying, since that too is a way for him to keep a bit of distance. Jack keeps very nearly everyone at arm's length, since he has problems trusting people enough for any kind of intimacy. Even now, it's not completely there, not even close, but—
Jack shifts all the same to hold Rhys comfortably in his-- Well, ideally, this would be in his arms, but the cuff makes it a little more awkward. Still. It's close, even intimate, and he doesn't mind that at all. He absolutely prefers the comfort of having someone else sleep next to him, though he'd also never ask for it. And considering the sort of task he's been given here? It's more comforting than he would have expected to feel able to extend even this small bit of trust. It's physical, and even that much is no small matter for Jack.
Though for how he feels, that's something else entirely. Because even now, as he shifts and settles down, he's not sure what that is. It's appreciation for Rhys's admiration and loyalty, but the part Jack isn't aware enough of himself to recognize is that that trust comes more from the fact that Rhys is bolstering his ego and his beliefs. Jack's definitions of trust and betrayal are both very different from everyone else's, since both exist in a very black and white context. Agree with Jack, and he trusts you. Disagree with Jack, and you're a traitor. Both are far simpler than they seem, but that simplicity is part of what made Jack the monster he is.
Unfortunately, that's a harsh truth about Jack that Rhys will rediscover.
But for now, Jack doesn't think on what he feels here. Maybe it's just too late to think on it, which is what he decides on when he catches an infectious yawn. He finally relaxes too and gets them tangled further together to fall asleep. Considering the kiss, there's no need to hide that he's clingy, as if that's a surprise... ]
But, c'mon. Didn't even realize how goddamn little I've been sleeping lately.
[ More than Rhys knows and understands, but he's genuinely too tired to have his paranoia flare up. This is a good thing, since that would absolutely get him to back off. Without it, Jack just closes his eyes, just barely keeping the contact between their foreheads. It's super gay. ]
[ But not as bad as the fact that at some point in the night, they will absolutely end up spooning again and Jack will kiss his neck and mutter something about Nisha sucking his dick. That's canon now. Jack will not remember this, in fact. ]