Chapter Text
Rhys awoke to the sound of Jack snoring. God the man was like a bear, and just to prove the statement, he had Rhys wrapped in a bear hug. As Rhys tried to move, Jack just pulled him closer, almost like he was just some kind of pillow or stuffed animal, and as cute as it was, Rhys was starting to get a leg cramp. He dared to pat the older man's cheek, trying to rouse him just a little.
"Hey, Jack, c'mon, we gotta get up."
"Just go back to sleep, pumpkin,"Jack mumbled; finally rolling over and freeing his smaller companion.
"Jesus...."Rhys pushed himself onto his elbows, reaching for his dying phone and opening it up to see...several, to say the least, messages from Vaughn. It was mostly just worried emojis and queries about his medications, so he let it alone and got up. Quietly, he searched for a charger compatible with his phone.
Then a pair of arms laced themselves around his waist, a charging cord dangling from one of the fists. Jack kissed Rhys's cheek lightly and Rhys could feel him smile.
"Morning, cupcake."
"Good morning, Jack,"Rhys chuckled, taking the cord from him.
When Rhys's phone was plugged in, Jack spun him around and just held him in a hug for a good few minutes, and even if Jack wouldn't admit it, he'd had a rough dream or something because his heart was beating too fast to be normal. Rhys just sighed and smiled, letting himself be wrapped in Jack's arms for as long as he needed.
"You want breakfast? I can have something up here in less than fifteen minutes,"Finally, they parted, and Rhys was at a loss as to how he should respond. If the time on his phone was right, it was after lunch, but that didn't seem to bother Jack much as he dialed a seemingly familiar number into his phone.
"I'm game for whatever you wanna get,"Rhys smiled.
In less than fifteen minutes, as promised, Jack had simple omelettes brought up for the both of them, and God, it was the best food Rhys had ever put in his mouth.
"Hey, kiddo,"Jack began, having already finished his food. "You...You know you can talk to me about stuff, right?"
"Yeah?"
"Can I ask you something?"
"Of course,"Rhys raised an eyebrow.
"Why did you beg me not to leave when I got up to take a piss last night?"
It struck Rhys; he didn't remember that at all.
"I...don't know. I don't remember."
"I don't see how you wouldn't...."Jack scooted closer, taking Rhys's hand. "You were crying by the time I got back, kiddo. I was worried. You scared me."
"S-Sorry,"Rhys hung his head.
"Look, if there's anything you need to say, ever, you can tell me okay? Even if it's about me. I care, and I wanna know when my Rhysie is feeling down."
The words 'my Rhysie' put a smile on his lips.
"Jesus, Jack, of course,"He grinned and let out an exasperated puff of air. "I just...I don't...No one likes hearing sob stories and no one's ever actually wanted to listen, no matter how willing they seem like they are to."
He paused and looked up to see Jack's expression, clearly of both sympathy and concern. Jack pulled Rhys into his lap and brought him close, the younger of the two resting his head on Jack's shoulder.
"I'm willing to, and I want to, Rhysie."
It was Rhys's heart's turn to pound furiously, and it took everything he had to utter the next words, and even then, it was barely a whisper.
"I'm afraid."
Jack seemed taken aback for a moment, then reached a tentative hand up to stroke Rhys's messy, half-gelled hair. Rhys took a heavy breath, wrapping his arms around Jack's shoulders. He drew up, contemplating what the hell he was supposed to say. It wasn't quite clear in his head, so how the hell was Rhys supposed to tell the story in a way that didn't seem like disgusting, mossy, muddy water? Fuck it, that's how.
"I feel like we're moving really fast, Jack, but...."Rhys paused. "I don't mind. At all."
He leaned up to place a small kiss on Jack's lips, observing the man's confused, concerned features. Jack saw a storm mixing in Rhys's eyes and noticed the lightening in the electric blue and the falling forest in the green, like some kind of flame ridden battle with the memories that wanted to escape his lips. Jack opened his mouth to speak, but Rhys's sentence interrupted his.
"If you're absolutely sure you want to hear it, I'll tell you."
"Rhysie, baby,"Jack returned Rhys's small peck of the lips and met his eyes. "I'm more than absolutely sure."
It took Rhys a while to form his words, unsure of how to start the whole of his childhood off. He couldn't summarize it, he knew. It was too much. Way too much.
"So, I told you about when I was born, right? When they didn't think I was going to live?"He paused. "Well, it was more that that. I was premature. Like, really really premature. I was an emergency c-section and I had the cord wrapped around my throat and my arm. I think mom was...26 weeks along? The first four months of my life I didn't leave the NICU. Lost my arm before I even knew how to use it."
There goes the easy part. Rhys made himself breath. It wasn't bad yet. Yeah, he just had to keep telling himself that.
"So all that happens, they find out my immune system is shit, so I spent a while in quarantine, too. Finally get out of that one, get fluid in my lungs. Long story short, first couple of years of life were a literal hell. Until I was eight, I barely left to hospital. I don't remember a lot of it. Didn't have any friends. Didn't really know what the world was like."
A smile, although noted to be heavily forced by Jack, graced Rhys's features.
"There wasn't much worth remembering."
"What about after that, kiddo? There's bound to be some kind of happy memories."
"Of course there are, but it's all after I got my arm and my eye...ya know, when I could actually function as a human. But I had babysitters and my parents were always at work and even if things got better I was lonely. I still couldn't leave my bed because the surgery was too harsh and I was just so lonely,"Rhys's voice broke. "God damnit, Jack, I was so fucking lonely."
Rhys tried his hardest to keep tears from forming, but they slipped out of the corners of his eyes anyway. He didn't want this; it was all going to come out at once and that would be too much for both him and Jack, he was sure. Jack, however didn't question it.
"Hey, Rhysie, hey..."Jack wrapped him up in a tight embrace. "It's okay, I've got you..."
After twenty minutes of straight crying, Rhys was doubting that a human could actually produce that many tears. The little whines he let out were beginning to become hoarse croaks and a wet patch had formed on Jack's shirt. Through the whole bought of sobs, Jack had held Rhys close, running his fingers through the back of his hair.
"Hey, cupcake?"
He could only bring himself to glance up, voice too broken and sore to function.
"I've got you. You don't have to worry about being lonely anymore because I've got you. I'm here. You've got me, and Muscles, and your other little lady friend. The little gal at the coffee shop too. You're not gonna be alone anymore, so don't worry about it."
When Rhys began to tear up again, and Jack smacked his palm into his own face.
"Sorry, Rhysie. I'm just really really bad with feelings."
"N-No, Jack,"Rhys smiled. "It was perfect. Thank you."
Another kiss, lead by Rhys, full of what one could only describe as innocent, loving, grateful passion. As it gradually deepened, Rhys moved to straddle Jack's legs, flicking his tongue against the CEO's lips. Jack responded with a grin and a tug of Rhys's hair, pulling him back to expose his flushed face and neck. After leaving a serious mark, Jack halted himself and pulled Rhys back into a hug.
"I won't say that I'll never leave, Rhysie, but I can promise you won't be alone, ever again."