![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
day seven - rhys
[ Not too long before curfew, Jack will be tracking down Rhys. It definitely looks like he has something in mind, and he actually approaches and immediately sets a friendly hand on Rhys's shoulder. It seems like he's definitely getting more comfortable with being friendly with Rhys, even if it's just bit by bit. ]
Hey, Rhys. I've, uh—
[ He glances back over his shoulder as if he's worried about someone overhearing, but looks back to Rhys with a smile. ]
So, I've got some good news and some bad news. Well. First one is more like a suggestion than actually news, but, eh, whatever, semantics. Point is, which do you wanna hear first? Because, I mean, good with the bad and all that crap.
Hey, Rhys. I've, uh—
[ He glances back over his shoulder as if he's worried about someone overhearing, but looks back to Rhys with a smile. ]
So, I've got some good news and some bad news. Well. First one is more like a suggestion than actually news, but, eh, whatever, semantics. Point is, which do you wanna hear first? Because, I mean, good with the bad and all that crap.
no subject
C'mon, buddy, we've got this! I mean, sure, you're suspicious as hell sometimes, but that's why I'm here. The beauty and the brains to your... Ehhhhhhhh.
[ His grin makes it clear that he's (probably) teasing, but Rhys might not even have time to get offended, since Jack reaches out to hold Rhys's face lightly with both hands. It's mostly just to keep Rhys from looking down so miserably, but it is also a physical, intimate gesture. ]
Trust me, Rhys. I'm in your corner here, so it's not the end or anything. We'll be back to that sad armpit of a planet before you know it.
no subject
but then he remembers jack's office on helios, the prototype, jack's insistence that they'll be together with rhys' corpse and jack's mind and rhys knows he can't let jack take care of this. he hasn't given him anything sure, just a vague hope that it'll turn out alright. rhys can't trust jack to that extent -- not anymore. rhys has to take care of this himself, and he will.
so he opens his eyes and while his gaze is still pitifully miserable, he does try and crack a grin and a small laugh. ]
My ehhhhhh? You'll make a boy blush, Jack.
[ there's a slight frown then at the mention of pandora, making the small grin turn back into nothing and he looks away from jack, shrugging slightly. ]
You... are ridiculously hopeful, you know that? Your optimism is choking. How can anyone stand it?
no subject
[ Jack pulls his hands away from Rhys's face, though they settle on his hips. He sighs out in near exasperation at Rhys's pessimism, but it comes with a shrug that's not quite as heavy. He cracks a smile again easily, and even though the first smile had been pretty put on, this one is much more genuine. ]
Uh, duh, because it's not just being hopeful. Hope is for-- Okay, well, not idiots. But there's something about hope that I don't like? Something about it implies that it's beyond your reach, right? That part's bullshit. So it's not hope, it's confidence. When I say something's gonna happen? It'll happen. Easy as that.
[ Not quite, of course, but this is the foundation of the legend that Jack will become. This belief in himself and his abilities does seem a little delusional, but harmlessly so right now. It almost seems boyish in the kind of exuberance that Jack exudes on topics like this, and from another man, that might be all it is. But in Jack's hands, there's a grain of truth. Whether through skill, willpower, or some combination of that or other things, Jack does accomplish even the impossible. The problem comes in what he's willing to do to accomplish his goals.
Though, that doesn't quite matter now. Partially because SOMEONE is about to go off the deep end, god. Jack just snickers, then adds: ]
Also, I mean, you tell me. You're the one that's been ready to hop on my dick since-- Uh, kinda when you strangled me, actually? Or maybe when you cried after. I dunno. But I super don't want to think about strangulation in combination with anything sexy, that's like, a kink I don't want to discover. [ good luck jack ]
no subject
[ he's not entirely sure what they're doing here because while one part of him is making plan after plan after plan to figure out how to handle this, right now, with jack, he feels completely at ease. jack's hands drop to his hips and rhys moves his own hands to rest up on jack's shoulders and it's decidedly, uh, intimate. rhys is trying not to think too hard on what this means, honestly. ]
Dude, it is definitely not easy as that, especially not here when you don't even like, know anything. But it's still nice to uh, to see. I like your confidence even if I don't like your optimism. Which you are. You're incredible optimistic, don't even try denying it again. I guess -- [ he's trying to think of how to say it, pausing and looking thoughtful for a moment. ] It's less that you're hopeful but more that you are hope, you know? You kinda, you kinda embody it. It's like your thing.
[ he shrugs and there's a flush on his face because he didn't mean to get that poetic but there he goes, babbling again. his head ducks a little and he sighs, sliding his arms closer to jack if he hasn't been pushed off by now. ]
Tell you -- tell you what? How I can stand you? [ a pause and he pushes a little, grinning. ] Or why I want to hop on your dick? 'Cause, uh, look at you. You're the hottest guy I've ever met and I mean, I'm pretty hot? But you, you're gorgeous and I am super glad you shaved the goatee, it cleans you up nice. [ rhys doesn't really realize it but he's kind of leaning in now, eyes flicking over jack's face. ] You're all lean and strong and just, uh. Just right, in every way? The scar really suits you, you know. Makes you look kind of dangerous.
[ he shrugs then and pulls back a little, not to break the hold of course but to keep from going too close. jack gave him a window to compliment him, not a window to kiss him. ]
And -- and anyway, you're charming. Stupid optimism thing and all. You're smart. Charismatic. Reliable. Dedicated. [ a pause and with a bit of hesitance ] ... Loyal.
[ he glances up to meet jack's eyes again and sighs, shrugging. ]
The whole package, dude. Plus, you make me laugh.
no subject
Both parts appeal to his ego, even if it's in different ways. For the first part, it's everything that Jack genuinely thinks is great about himself, even if Rhys puts it in a bit more poetic and delicate terms that Jack might. His drive and ambition were what made him awesome, so, yeah, maybe it was optimism. But people didn't buy optimism. It was the first two, since you had to have a way to show that your optimism actually meant a damn, which was his point. But, regardless, he'll absolutely take this.
For the second, well. That's just Jack's narcissim and vanity being played, and that means he doesn't lean away when Rhys edges in closer. There's a pleased smile on Jack's face that grows as Rhys speaks, eventually reaching right to the corners of his eyes in how genuine it is. Mostly, he's just happy to be praised, but a part of him does take this as a sign that maybe Rhys is trusting him to handle things. The rage of a moment ago has turned to this, so... That had to be a good sign, right? Things were under control, and Jack actually feels confident that tomorrow won't be easy, but it can be manageable. Sometimes, delusions were nice that way. ]
You're damn right I am, sweetheart.
[ He remembers the conversation about nicknames, so he lets that one slip without hesitation. He doesn't exactly mean it as anything more than casual, but that's not exactly clear. After all, though Rhys had drawn back out of hesitation for pushing Jack too far, the easiest way to get Jack to be more comfortable is apparently compliments every time. Rhys had pulled back, but Jack closes the distance again without hesitation as he tugs Rhys's hips forward just to make sure of that. He presses his lips to Rhys's, and though it's brief, at least it's undoubtedly his own decision there. ]
Heh- I mean, I can't fault you for having good taste.
you made me write this god foresaken tag
he's not sure jack means it, any of this, especially when he drops the nickname with that same slick smile that has a tingle running up rhys' spine. he lets out a quiet, barely there groan that ends up muffled against the kiss he wasn't expecting and rhys doesn't bother to fight it. he pulls jack closer, keeps them flush against each other and chases after his mouth when they part but knows better than to connect again without knowing where they stand. instead, he breathes jack it, lips so tantalizingly close and rhys --
rhys feels better, about his plan. this jack, this wonderful jack that believes so much in people and is capable of doing the universe such good, the jack that rhys always wanted in his picture perfect vision -- no mask, no blood on his hands, nothing, just a good man who wanted to do good things. rhys doesn't want to ruin this jack but he wants to keep him and he's not quite sure if that urge to possess is something akin to the urge he gets when he seems something expensive that he wants as his own, for the status or whatever it is that day or --
or does he want to possess in the way of a relationship? jack called them partners and isn't that what rhys always wanted, to be jack's partner? he told him this when they first got here, that they were partners back home and then jack betrayed him. does rhys want to stand at his side or does he want to keep him locked away only for himself to admire? he's, uh, not actually sure yet.
but he is sure of one thing, he doesn't want to taint.
so, that's why rhys is going to do what he needs to do tonight. he needs to do something big, rash, dangerous. something that people won't think him, of all people, capable of doing. jack might know but -- but jack wouldn't turn on him, would he? rhys flicks his eyes up, mismatched meeting mismatched and he smiles softly at jack. ]
I do have good taste, huh? Considering I, uh.
[ he pauses, presses a kiss to the corner of jack's mouth. ]
I have --
[ another kiss, to his jaw. ]
What everyone else --
[ one more, to his throat and rhys' hand slides back to tilt jack's head up slightly. ]
Wants.
[ he breathes in against his throat, dragging his teeth lightly against the skin. ]
Shit, maybe that's why Elizabeth told you. I bet she warned you about me and everything. Asshole. Why doesn't she see how much I love you?
[ he's gonna stop then to press his mouth fully over jack's throat, definitely working his mouth in a bruising kiss there for a very explicit reason. whoops. you opened these floodgates, jack!! ]
fucking same i hate this
In Jack's mind, this whole encounter has a completely different context. Everything about how this has played out fits into Jack's perfect little narrative that's his ideal of how this whole... Complex thing was going to play out. Granted, she was bullshitting him, but Elizabeth had said she wanted him to be the hero. So this fit with that, didn't it? He had his partner, found out his partner's ass was on the line, tried to talk him out of it, and here he was, being rewarded for his efforts. That's exactly how this kind of thing goes, and so Jack is relaxed too.
He feels that he's won, as if this were something to win, because even if he can't save Rhys tomorrow... Well, whatever. It was unfortunate, but that's what the guy wants, right? Anyone this obsessed with him would want him to live, obviously. He wasn't going to throw Rhys under the bus, but he had to know that it was his own fault to end up in this mess in the first place. So everything was going to be fine. It would work out.
At least, it would for Jack.
Of course, knowing what he does of Rhys, or at least how that encounter in the bathroom had lingered in his head, he knows he really shouldn't push his luck with the physical gestures. Touching is okay, kissing is... probably not, but, look, it's not like he's going to date the guy, so it's just casual. Totally. This is how Jack justifies it to himself, but of course, his actions don't quite follow his own mental gymnastics. He'd thought about pulling away, since he's feeling content with this much, but Rhys does return the kiss, and in a way where Jack finds it very, very difficult to even entertain the thought of stepping away from this attention. ]
Shit—
[ He breathes out the curse with a laugh in his voice, because he's absolutely delighted by the phrasing and the implication far more than the action. Because it's true, right? If it wasn't, he wouldn't have had both Elizabeth and Rhys throwing sensuality his way. That thought is thrilling enough that he glosses over the possessive implication in what Rhys says completely, because Jack has already set things in his head where he's brokered some weird kind of peace or whatever between those these two petty idiots. His hands tighten on Rhys's hips, and he moves with the motion of letting Rhys pull his head back and expose his throat. This is nice, he thinks. A guy, a hero, could really get used to this. ]
I never said it was Liz, did I?
[ Though he also never said it wasn't, even now. He's got loyalty to both of them, and he doesn't fully realize just how much that conflicts. He has more on his mind there, and he knows that he should give Rhys the same plea that he gave Elizabeth, but that'll have to be later. He sucks in a breath when Rhys's mouth goes over his throat, and his hands come up to grip Rhys's shoulders tightly instead. It's not to push him off, not at all, because slightly upsettingly? It's hot. This kind of focus on him, even the possessiveness, is something deeply intoxicating because of how it sends Jack's ego soaring, and he closes his eyes as if to really savor this feeling. ]
Okay- Okay, that? That is nice. [ His grip on Rhys's shoulders relaxes, but it's so he can move a hand to settle against Rhys's neck more comfortably. ] At least I'm, well, I'm hearing it loud and clear.
no subject
he's still mouthing at jack's throat even as jack speaks and rhys can feel the vibrations under his mouth, enough to make him grin against the skin. he noses lightly under jack's ear as he mumbles, mind mercifully blank for once despite knowing that once this ends -- which it will end, because jack never lets him get too far -- he'll have to get to work. still, there's plenty of time for him to be a bit, uh, indulgent. ]
Who else would it be?
[ go ahead and try and convince him otherwise, jack. he's just going to go back to kissing then, teeth digging a little rougher and mouth pulling a bit more firmly against the skin. there's no possible way this isn't going to leave a mark, the way rhys is working at him, but that just pleases rhys really. no matter what, tomorrow people are going to look at jack and see his skin and know someone put it there. they'll probably know it was him that put it there. fucking nice, honestly. it makes rhys want to --
well, it makes rhys want jack to think it's nice too. his hands slide down then to grab jack's ass, pulling him roughly against his hips as he bites down harsher than before on his throat and growls out low against his skin. ]
Fuck, you're hot, dude. Never met someone so perfectly sculpted, want to put my mouth on you for hours. Holy shit. You're mine, babe. You know that, right? Mine.
[ really, the more the seconds pass, the more the aggression ticks up little by little. he should probably stop, right? he should definitely stop. he isn't stopping. ]
no subject
The problem is, it's difficult to entertain that kind of thought long when you have someone at your neck like this.
He'd brushed off Elizabeth's sexual advances, but it's way, way more difficult to do that for Rhys. Unlike Elizabeth's, this was far more genuine. Pretty obviously so, if only by the intensity of how Rhys bites and sucks at his neck, since Jack is pretty damn sure that's not something you can fake. His grip tightens reflexively, but the most satisfying, subtle sign that this is thrilling to Jack will be how Rhys will be able to feel his pulse rocket up underneath his mouth. ]
Damn- You're gonna leave a friggin' mark. Lots of 'em.
[ That ends up being his response to the question, so needless to say, that topic is getting further from his mind the more he's pulled into the thrill of his moment. It's intense in a way that's actually fairly intimidating, but Jack loves being lavished in attention. Someone being this into him was dizzying, because even if of course anyone should be, it's, uh. Not exactly something Jack has experienced before. He might lie and pretend otherwise, but no, this is definitely a first. It's what keeps Jack exactly where he is, and when Rhys grabs at his ass, Jack's hand shifts up so that he can ball a fist into Rhys's fair. He pulls his head back slightly, though it's not quite to stop this encounter so much as to Jack just getting aggressive in return. That's fairly clear from the smile on his face, since nothing about it says that he isn't loving this. ]
Yeah, you don't have hours. [ It probably sounds like a challenge, but that's actually not intentional on Jack's part so much as a "no shit" kind of statement. He pauses to lean forward and kiss Rhys again briefly, though this time it's more aggressive, and more teeth as if to match what Rhys has been doing to his neck. But Jack pulls back just to add because he's a cocky asshole: ] If you think I'm yours, then, y'know, I'm honestly impressed you didn't get super weird over the "sir" thing.
no subject
Wish I did. I'd, uh, I'd make good on the blowing you thing. Imagine, my mouth. Your dick. Maybe then I'll finally shut up, huh?
[ he's definitely egging jack on a little here and when jack kisses him, he finds himself giggling slightly into the kiss as he pushes back against it. he matches the aggression, feeling his teeth catch on skin and tongues slide over each other and this? this feels right. he doesn't even really give much thought to the fact that this is, technically, one of the first times he's kissed jack like this because you know what? it feels oddly right, like it's something he's done a thousand times before. that only makes him more eager to continue.
when jack adds that bit about the sir, rhys can't help the grieved noise he lets out and his hands clench tightly around jack's ass as he shoves his hips hard against him in response. he doesn't want to admit that he did like it, but retroactively when he took a moment to think about it. then he got mad at the missed chances, honestly. ]
Oh, fucking -- screw you, man. I had other things on my mind and like, if you're gonna call me sir, I'd like it to be when you want to be calling me sir. Not 'cause you're being a dick, dick.
[ which actually gives him an idea and his hands move from jack's ass to the front of his pants, fingers curling around the hem so he can start pushing jack backwards towards the closest table to them. he'll lean in then, biting lightly at jack's jaw with a pleased noise. ]
I bet you'd be into it though, right? You seem into that with the type of women you like. [ tf does that mean, rhys. ] And I just -- well, fuck, I don't have to be a woman to give you what you need, John.
[ RHYS... YOU ASSHOLE. ]
no subject
Both of Jack's hands come to grip Rhys's face instead, and that kiss is much more aggressive than it might have been originally. Every once in a while, there's a flash of Handsome Jack in this much more sane Jack, and the intensity here is probably one of those moments. The only reason he pulls back to make that comment at all is ironically because of that sanity too. He realizes that Rhys is egging him on here, and Jack is aware that he's falling for it completely. This is moving quickly, and Jack realizes that he really should be disengaging here, but that's easier said than done.
He grunts out lowly when Rhys brings their hips together, because fuck, this is hot. With their hips flush together, that thought of Rhys actually getting on his knees is more than tempting. God, he really screwed himself here trying to reassure Elizabeth that he had everything under control, because the guy is practically throwing himself at him. He's pretty glad to be interrupted from that deliberation by Rhys's comment, and he laughs as he rubs a thumb over Rhys's cheek. It's a tender gesture normally, but with this context, it definitely seems more mocking. ]
Awww, what, you got the subtext that I'm only callin' people 'sir' when I'm being a jacka—
[ He doesn't stop talking until Rhys is biting at his jawline, because he doesn't mind Rhys's hands coming to settle on his pants as much he should considering that conflict that he'd been having a moment ago. He groans at the feeling of Rhys's teeth at his skin, and his hands that had moved back to Rhys's shoulders tighten. He's really quite close to saying "fuck it," because, okay, sure, dip in credibility, but how bad could that be?
But then Rhys keeps talking. With what a talker jack is himself, you'd think he would understand, but. ]
The hell is that suppos- Holy shit.
[ Jack starts off with annoyance, but that last comment feels like it goes straight to his dick. Which he's also somewhat offended by for a moment, because what the fuck? When did his name become a kink? He hates himself, but much more than that, he hates how it also almost immediately gets his face to flush. It's not even because he's embarrassed, since that would almost be better than the truth of just. How correct Rhys is. It catches him so off-guard that those doubts are definitely gone by this point, but that cockiness seems to have evaporated rather quickly too. ]
Uh- Fuck, I sure hope your idea of what I need includes, y'know, you shutting the hell up, princess.
[ Well, mostly. He's still an asshole. ]
STOP MAKING ME WRITE THESE THINGS
rhys likes this.
he really, really, really likes this actually and there's a moment when rhys has jack pressed against the table now, staring right at the flush on his face where rhys decides this is something he'd like to keep doing. it sort of balances out in his head, all the trouble jack's given him in the past and all the scars he's left on rhys are suddenly less of a burden when he's got jack -- especially a jack who isn't even aware of what he's done to rhys -- looking like this under him. the fact that he can press like this and not fear violence in response but something positive, something like jack wanting him back, wanting him more.
(and there's another voice in the back of his head that sounds suspiciously like fiona telling him that there isn't any possible way this could be healthy. rhys tells that voice to shut up.)
so, rhys is gonna run with it. he's not unfamiliar to this kind of interaction, this sort of weird twist of domination and submission here, but having it with jack is thrilling and rhys' focus narrows intensely onto jack in this moment, leaning in to bite at his mouth roughly, wanting to break the skin on his lip as a reminder for jack of what they're doing right now. afterwards, he presses in his leg between jack's to shove his thigh up against his crotch, grinding it into him. ]
No thanks. I'm, uhn, pretty sure I'm going to keep talking because I think you like it? You like me against you like this just -- just taking.
[ he shifts his hands again, flesh hand griping the buckle of jack's belt while the robot hand slides up jack's chest, over his shirt to the base of his throat where he just. rests his hand there. he doesn't press in or anything, just lets the weight of it stay there with his thumb slowly stroking at the skin. he moves in a little then to murmur into jack's ear, voice low and rough and completely opposite to the usual harried yelling rhys uses. ]
God, I like you so much. You're so different now, so... warm and good. Completely different from me, I'm not a good person at all, I know that now. But you? You want to help people, aim for the greater good, do things that benefit everyone and that's -- that's all nice, I suppose. Not something I'm into but it's nice. Sweet. Incredibly attractive.
[ his hand shifts a little, it starts pressing down and he gets rougher with his leg, grinding rougher and faster. jack's going to get every bit of attention possible, rhys has decided. he wants to give it, so jack will get it. ]
So, shit, you're hot. So, what I'm thinking, Jack, is while you're going around, saving everyone, being a hero, helping people -- who's helping you? Where's your partner, Jack? Where's the one who will welcome you back, tell you how proud of you he is, and then fuck you until you're sobbing? Until you don't want anyone's touch but his?
[ he groans at the thought, low into jack's ear before moving to press his lips in an oddly chaste fashion to jack's cheek. he smiles against his skin then, nosing lightly at his temple before murmuring softly, voice still incredibly rough. ]
'Cause, uh, I think that's me, Johnny. I think that's what you need and I don't think anyone else in this god damn place is going to give it to you. So, what do you call me, baby? What do you call the guy that gives you all of this? What do you call the guy who thinks of you as his very own hero?
[ and considering the topic they were just talking about, it's pretty obvious what exactly rhys is telling jack to call him. this is is definitely one power trip rhys is soaring on. he seriously feels like there's no way this can go badly for him, that jack is finally entirely his just the way he wants him to be. it makes him feel a bit drunk. ]
no subject
[ Jack starts to complain when Rhys breaks the skin on his lip, though it's not at all because he dislikes it. He's actually pretty pleased with it, considering how his tongue comes out to lick at that blood reflexively, but he's more concerned about having to explain this tomorrow in murdertown. At least he doesn't have to worry long, because as soon as Rhys's leg comes up between his, that complaining is gone pretty damn quickly.
His face is still hot, but a smile breaks out easily on his face as Rhys moves things along. Shit, he's really going to get some kind of laid tonight, isn't he? He sure wouldn't have expected that with how his day had been going so far, but as he shifts how he's standing to give Rhys's thigh just enough room to grind against him, he's definitely not complaining. ]
You against me, yes, talking, well, depends on the subject, because so far you usually suck at picking those.
[ He at least admits that yes, he's into this, though it does come with a wry half-insult because he can't just compliment Rhys without immediately smacking him back down. Not that it particularly matters, because Rhys does pick a better topic so far as he's concerned here. That low tone in Rhys's voice is unexpected, and combining that with the way Rhys is grinding right up on his dick pulls out a groan. Jack closes his eyes with a smile, and, yeah, he likes this, he thinks. He ignores the self-deprecating comments in favor of enjoying all of those compliments and the attention Rhys is showering him in, because he's not even ashamed in the slightest that it's really doing it for him.
But not nearly so much as when Rhys gets a little rougher. Jack groans out a fuck when- Well, they're close enough together that it's probably not super clear which it's for, but the way Rhys's hand presses down on his throat jolts right down his spine.
Though at least Jack does feel like he understands one thing now, at least. Considering Rhys's implication that they dated, Jack kept wondering why. He was aware that he was probably seeing the worst of Rhys here, but even so, this nervous, kind of pathetic guy wasn't really his type. Guys in general weren't really his type, as evidenced by how quick he was to drool over Elizabeth, but that absolutely couldn't be said of Rhys. But, fuck, this was hot.
His ears are burning like he's a teenager again when Rhys talks dirty, because goddamn, he'd be pissed at the implication at any other time. But now? There's something that's always been incredibly appealing to him about having unbreakable trust in someone else, and as he's started to truly act on his hero complex, it's all the more valuable. As you do dangerous things, you need someone you can rely on without question, and even if it's not Rhys that ends up being that person, that fantasy is incredibly inciting. But that's just the trust. The sex is what gets Jack to roll his head back slightly and move his hands off of Rhys to brace himself on the edge of the table instead. ]
Oh, fuck you, asshole-- [ Jack breathes that out with a biting tone, but his voice is heavier now too. It turns into a laugh, since he's enjoying this, and one of his hands reaches up to grab Rhys's face roughly. He pulls Rhys's face back to his, since he wants to shut him up, one, but he also wants to kiss him again. It might prevent more of those marks, logically, but really, he just wants to return that aggression how he can. His kiss probably feels much needier now, and he breaks it only to take a breath, though he does add: ]
That's what I'd call you. [ He thinks about ending it there, but he laughs again. Because you know? He'd really like to see how this idiot reacts to it. ] You're an asshole, sir.