[ rhys is aware on some level that he's making a mistake here. warning bells go off in his head constantly, telling him to not do this with jack again, not repeat his mistakes -- but there's this feeling that's been in him since helios went down, a hollow ache in his chest he could never quite fill. he thought it was fiona. then maybe jack. then he realized he wasn't quite sure what it was but no matter what he did with atlas, no matter how hard he worked, nothing changed for him.
here, even if it's all some fantasy and he's truly lost his mind, even if it ends in him needing to put down jack again, he chases after the vague whisper of what could be. if he could just fill that hollowness inside of him again, make himself feel as alive and happy (and blind) as he once was, maybe it'll all be okay again. so, he keeps being impulsive, making quick decisions in the moment that might be bad for him and jack both in the end. there's a reason, he thinks, that it's just him and jack here, right? and it has to be for this.
fiona left him but, he got a second chance with jack. he's not wasting it. even if he goes down burning, he's not wasting this second chance at having jack, real and whole beside him.
so he looks up when jack asks him, leans into his touch and looks so pathetically, woefully enamored with the guy in a way that he doesn't quite realize he's doing. it's that high he's chasing again, that wholeness. that's what he feels when jack commits himself to rhys like this and rhys lets out a breath he didn't realize he was holding.
he should say something, thank him or whatever but he's not quite sure how, still knowing what he has to do tonight. he bites his lip for a moment, still looking a bit rattled but not as much as he did before and without forewarning he's, uh, he's going to hug jack. tight and warm, fingers curling around jack's shoulders as he pulls him in close. he knows jack doesn't want this but -- but he had to, honestly. he couldn't just let this go without his thanks. his physical thanks.
when he speaks, it's muffled against jack's hair as rhys just takes a moment to savor before he's pushed off, which he'll assume jack will do. ]
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here, even if it's all some fantasy and he's truly lost his mind, even if it ends in him needing to put down jack again, he chases after the vague whisper of what could be. if he could just fill that hollowness inside of him again, make himself feel as alive and happy (and blind) as he once was, maybe it'll all be okay again. so, he keeps being impulsive, making quick decisions in the moment that might be bad for him and jack both in the end. there's a reason, he thinks, that it's just him and jack here, right? and it has to be for this.
fiona left him but, he got a second chance with jack. he's not wasting it. even if he goes down burning, he's not wasting this second chance at having jack, real and whole beside him.
so he looks up when jack asks him, leans into his touch and looks so pathetically, woefully enamored with the guy in a way that he doesn't quite realize he's doing. it's that high he's chasing again, that wholeness. that's what he feels when jack commits himself to rhys like this and rhys lets out a breath he didn't realize he was holding.
he should say something, thank him or whatever but he's not quite sure how, still knowing what he has to do tonight. he bites his lip for a moment, still looking a bit rattled but not as much as he did before and without forewarning he's, uh, he's going to hug jack. tight and warm, fingers curling around jack's shoulders as he pulls him in close. he knows jack doesn't want this but -- but he had to, honestly. he couldn't just let this go without his thanks. his physical thanks.
when he speaks, it's muffled against jack's hair as rhys just takes a moment to savor before he's pushed off, which he'll assume jack will do. ]
You're already pretty awesome, Jack.