#writeastormsblog

[rin-bellatrix]

Chapter commentary below the cut ⤵️

Sasha and August fixing up the Purple Skag, I love it!! 🥹💖✨️ I'm just imagining them like working on it like some home renovation type show. Cute~!! 🥰🥰🥰

[August nodded at Rhys from the counter, wiping some glasses with a dish rag. “‘Ten million dollars,’ what can we do for ya?”] I love this call back 😏😆🤭

[He knew August wasn’t one for small talk, at least not with anyone who wasn’t Sasha.] This feels so true to his character lol! 💯✨️

[“Eh. I greeted him when he walked in, and I didn’t strangle him on sight. That’s friendly enough,” August chuckled. Rhys gave an awkward laugh mostly out of discomfort. “Anyways,” August said, walking out. “Gotta sort out the new shipment on the booze. I’ll be back.”] God I love August so much, and you write him so well!! 😆💖💖💖

[With a flashlight beaming from his robotic palm, the stun baton in the other, he held his breath while wind whistled through the creaky wooden boards of the buildings.] Rhys traveling to dangerous places just to get to Fiona is making me nearly burst with fan girl happiness~ 🤭🥰🥰

[“Mmm… hehe, okay.” Fiona weakly hugged his side as his arm wrapped around hers. Rhys heavily blushed as she nestled into him.] Rhys, I get it, but keep it together man, you've gotta concentrate! 😆🤭✨️

[Fiona, still delirious on losing a bit of blood, spoke softly, “You always smell good…” Rhys let out a surprised laugh, raising a brow. “Yeah?”] I'm also a "Rhys smells amazing" truther bc ain't no way that man is leaving his house without donning a spritz or two of some expensive cologne 😤💯✨️

[“No, you’re not,” Rhys softly said against her hair. You’re everything to me, Fiona.] ARGH, that whole scene~~ 🥺🥺🥺

[”Mhm. Gotta boss you around,” she mumbled, pulling the blanket over her face. Her eyes shut again. “It’s fun.”] I 100% agree with Fiona lol! 😆🤭💖

[“Heh, yeah.” Rhys smiled tiredly. “Your sass is one of the things I really love about you…”] AAAAHHHHH~ 🙈💕✨️

Omg they're processing their individual and shared traumaaa~! 😭😭😭💔💔💔🤧🤧🤧

[“Rhys...” Her heart skipped a beat. Her hand slightly pressed harder against his chest, feeling how real it all was, making sure that she wasn’t dreaming. “…You mean after all this time, it was me?” “Yes. For the longest time, yes.” Rhys eyed her longingly.] AAAAHHHHH they're finally talking and clearing things uuuuuup~!! 😭💖💖💖

[“You’re my silver lining, Fiona. Not just back then. At any moment I’m in trouble, you show me my silver lining, and it’s you. I just want to be that for you.”] AAAAHHHHH!!! 💖✨️💕💖✨️💖💕💖✨️💖💕💖✨️💖💕💖✨️💖💕💖✨️💖💕💖✨️💖💕💖✨️💖💕💖💖✨️💕💖✨️💖💕💖✨️💖💕💖💖✨️💕💖✨️

[Eagerly, their lips met and melted into one another. Trembling from the intensity of their intimate exploration, Rhys and Fiona got lost in one another, yet finally found what felt like shelter from being homesick for so long.] THEY FINALLY DID IT~~~!! 🙌🏼💖💖💖‼️

I already know that you're planning on writing more, but if I didn’t, I'd definitely be begging you to write more on how you think they manage to navigate this new aspect in their relationship. Absolutely 💖PERFECT💖 chapter that ended in the best way possible!! 100/10, yes that's a one hundred out of ten score lmao! 😂😂😂 this was the best thing to read before bed, hopefully I get to dream of it too 🤭💕✨️ I'm eagerly looking forward to what else you've got in stock for these two lovebirds now that they've cleared up their misunderstandings and have embraced this new dynamic between them~ 🥰💖✨️

Show Me My Silver Lining (TFTBL Rhys/Fiona Fanfiction) - Chapter 14

SUMMARY: A fan-written continuation of the lives of the Atlas CEO and Pandoran Vault Hunter. Canon-aligned with TFTBL, but not with game 3. What happened after the vault? How does the beloved duo continue growing together? Rhyiona ship including slow burn, fluff, and banter. Enjoy!

(art made by using Canva)

------------------------------------------------------

heads up: this chapter is a hurt/comfort one. u might get ahh emo

------------------------------------------------------

CHAPTER FOURTEEN: Wounded

—Monday—

Late afternoon, Rhys stepped into the Purple Skag. He raised a brow, surprised at the new wooden flooring and repainted interior. Last he talked to Sasha, she mentioned how chipped and cracked the walls were, and that there were so many scuff marks on the floor, so she and August were planning on getting it all redone.

August nodded at Rhys from the counter, wiping some glasses with a dish rag. “‘Ten million dollars,’ what can we do for ya?”

“Hey. Place looks nice.” Rhys nodded back with a tired smile. “I’m, uh, actually looking for Fiona.”

August looked over his shoulder, calling, “Sasha!” Then to Rhys, “She’ll tell you.”

“…Thanks.” Rhys scratched the back of his head. He awkwardly stood for a moment, then took a seat at the bar. His elbows rested on the counter, and he shut his eyes. He knew August wasn’t one for small talk, at least not with anyone who wasn’t Sasha. Rhys could probably ask Sasha how their trip was if he wanted to.

With the swing of the back door, Sasha came out and stood behind the counter. “Whatcha need, babe?”

August grinned at the sight of her. “Your friend over here wants some info on Fiona.”

Sasha noticed Rhys and smiled with surprise. “Oh, hey! Long time no see.” She looked back to August. “Be nice to him. He’s our friend, not just my friend.”

“Eh. I greeted him when he walked in, and I didn’t strangle him on sight. That’s friendly enough,” August chuckled. Rhys gave an awkward laugh mostly out of discomfort. “Anyways,” August said, walking out. “Gotta sort out the new shipment on the booze. I’ll be back.”

The two lovebirds exchanged a kiss goodbye. After August left, Sasha took a turn at wiping the glasses, standing before Rhys.

“Nice to see you again.” Rhys smiled. “I’m glad August didn’t strangle me. Maybe he does consider me an actual friend.”

Sasha shook her head, grinning. “That’s just how August jokes. He doesn’t mind people as much as people think he does.” She tilted her head at Rhys. “I’d assume you’re here to catch up and ask me how the trip was if I didn’t know better.” Sasha began to smirk.

“Pff— what? I care about you, too. I’m not… only here for, uh.” Rhys averted his eyes. “For Fiona…”

“It’s okay, Rhys. I’m not even offended.” Sasha smiled and patted his arm. “I’m actually glad you really care about Fiona before anyone else. Especially right now…” Sasha shook her head, her smile fading. “I’m worried about her.”

Rhys frowned. “I wanted to ask you what happened. I’ve tried messaging her and she hasn’t answered. Do you know where she is, or should I try to give her space, or…?”

Sasha sighed, setting down the glass and rag. “I can’t tell you what’s going through her mind right now, even if I knew it all exactly. You and Vaughn got a bro-code; her and I got a sis-code. Besides, it’s better if you hear it from her.”

Rhys anxiously rubbed the back of his neck. “Could you at least tell me if I did something wrong?”

“Uhhh… nope. But I could tell you where she is.” Sasha gave a small smile. Rhys slouched a bit. “Seriously, you’re alright, Rhys. Fiona’s just… she’s processing things. All I know is that you should definitely be the one to be there for her right now.”

Rhys raised a brow. “Even though you’re her sister?”

“…This may or may not be something that is about you. So, yeah. You could annoy her enough to get her to start talking. I believe in you.” 

Rhys sighed, mumbling, “So much for the reassurance.”

“You’ll be fine. Well, when it comes to talking to her, at least.” Sasha crossed her arms, frowning. ”’Cause here’s the thing: Fiona told me hours ago she was going on another run for some vault-hunt info. Little exploration north of the nearest canyon… I hope you brought your stun baton.”

…

With an address and a spare jeep Vaughn provided, Rhys drove out until he reached a run down, abandoned town. The sky had darkened, and specks of stars faintly began to appear, when he carefully walked through and looked at the many bust-opened walls and shattered windows. Rhys frowned, noticing some dead bandits lying around outside. They must’ve tried to jump her.

“C’mon, Fiona…” Rhys’s brows furrowed. His shoulders tensed. “Where are you?”

With a flashlight beaming from his robotic palm, the stun baton in the other, he held his breath while wind whistled through the creaky wooden boards of the buildings. Upon seeing a familiar hat on the ground outside one of the doorsteps, Rhys hastily made way.

As he opened the door, his breath hitched in his throat as his flashlight caught the glint of a gun aimed at him.

“Rhys?” Fiona blinked at him, lowering her roshambo.

Rhys gaped. ”Fiona— what happened?”

From the looks of it, the place used to be some sit-down spot. Rusty metal tables and chairs were littered about, some being tossed over to their sides. Fiona was seated at a small crooked table at the back wall, hair messied, and with dark circles under her eyes. Bloodied makeshift bandages wrapped around her right calf over her pant leg.

She weakly smiled at the sight of Rhys rushing to her with worry in his eyes. “A bandit got me. Weird, right?“ She winced. “It’s rare to find one who’s a good shot.”

“Come back to my place. Let me take care of you,” Rhys immediately said. There was no room for hesitation at the sight of her wounded like that; No other conclusion existed to him.

Bittersweet warmth filled Fiona. She shook her head, loving and hating it at the same time. “Rhys, I’m fine. You’ve got work tomorrow.” She frowned, considering the travel time to Pandora. “Wait, why weren’t you at work today?” 

“I took some days off. I needed to come see you.” Her face dropped. “It’s okay. This is important.”

“You shouldn’t have done that.” She shook her head, chuckling. “Really, I’m fine.”

“Fiona, you’re bleeding.” His brows furrowed as she laughed.

“It’s bandaged, and I’m a big girl, Rhys. I’m all good.” She slowly stood, but as she stepped forward, she screamed. Rhys immediately caught her as she fell.

“No, you’re not!” Rhys said through gritted teeth. “Seriously, you can’t walk like that.”

“Pff, what are you gonna do?” She swayed a little. “It’s not like you can carry me.” Fiona giggled as deliriousness continued kicking in from the blood loss.

“Lean on me as you limp. Don’t put your weight on your bad leg. I-I’ll hold you steady. C’mon.” Rhys shook his head. “I’m taking you back to my apartment. I need to get you cleaned up properly— just, please, Fiona.”

“Mmm… hehe, okay.” Fiona weakly hugged his side as his arm wrapped around hers. Rhys heavily blushed as she nestled into him. 

He sighed and muttered under his breath, “You’re making it so hard to be angry at you right now…”

“Good.” Fiona hummed, closing her eyes. “Since you make it so hard to be angry at you.”

Rhys frowned, but didn’t question it further as they started walking outside. First, get her taken care of. Then, talking.

Fiona, still delirious on losing a bit of blood, spoke softly, “You always smell good…”

Rhys let out a surprised laugh, raising a brow. “Yeah?” Suddenly, she buried her face against his neck, making him gasp. “Wh– F-Fiona!”

“Mmm… wish I’d get shot more often if it means I get to breathe you in like this.” She let out a shuddering sigh against his throat, and Rhys’s knees buckled. “You’re so good to me, Rhys,” she whispered. Rhys looked down at her, his heart racing, but her face stayed buried against him. “Why can’t I… h-ha..have… ” Fiona’s voice broke. She whimpered.

Rhys cupped the side of her face, meeting her sad gaze in the moonlight, her lips trembling. “Hey, hey…” He felt a sharp pang in his chest at the sight of her like this. “I don’t know what’s going on,” he said softly. “But I want to talk about it. I want to talk to you, Fiona. I want to stop whatever’s hurting you.”

She sniffled. Without being able to fully be on guard, a tear slipped down her cheek. “I hate how hard you’re making this for me,” she whispered. “You’re such a jerk. Why’d you have to… why…” She softly punched his chest with no real force behind it. 

His insides twisted further, making him pull her into an embrace, wanting to just hold her, wanting to just take away her pain. “I don’t know what I did,” Rhys said hoarsely. “But I’m going to do everything I can to make things better. Please, Fiona. Let me take care of you.”

“Rhys…” Fiona hiccuped, and shut her eyes, trembling. She let herself enjoy his embrace, missing how it felt from so many months ago, secretly wanting to relive it over and over every night. “I’m so selfish…” she murmured.

“No, you’re not,” Rhys softly said against her hair. You’re everything to me, Fiona.

…

Back at his place, Fiona tiredly sprawled across his couch. One lamp casted dim lighting. It was some hours past midnight, and Rhys was cleaning off the coffee table from redoing her bandages. He’d grabbed scissors and cut the bloodied pant leg fabric just below her knee, knowing he’ll just have to buy her more clothes if she’d fuss about it later. He’d properly disinfected the wound, applied salve, and wrapped it cleanly, then gently helped Fiona readjust herself on the couch. She sleepily grumbled.

Rhys grabbed a blanket from his room, then tucked it over her. His heart melted at the sight of her resting under his care. 

He sat down on the floor in front of the couch, running his hand through his hair, then flicked on his palm’s screen. “Just texted Sasha you’re alright. Now we gotta figure out what to eat,” he said, more to himself than to Fiona. “Any ideas on takeout?” He asked out loud, anyway. “I know a few places that are open twenty-four hours.”

He tiredly half smiled at the strands of hair that covered her face. Without thinking, he gently brushed it aside, and her eyes fluttered open. Rhys froze with his fingertips just touching her reddening cheek. “Sorry! Sorry, I uh—“ He pulled his hand away.

“What do you wanna eat?” She sluggishly asked. “I’m not really hungry.”

Rhys frowned. “Well, you still need food anyway. After what happened, you have to eat.”

“Ugh.” Fiona lightly scoffed. “So bossy.”

“Says you,” Rhys teased back. “Takes one to know one.”

”Mhm. Gotta boss you around,” she mumbled, pulling the blanket over her face. Her eyes shut again. “It’s fun.”

“Heh, yeah.” Rhys smiled tiredly. “Your sass is one of the things I really love about you…”

Fiona’s face reddened. She blinked beneath the blanket, unsure if she heard that right. 

Rhys sighed, looking down at the floor. “I wish you knew how much you mean to me.” He sounded so disappointed. “I thought I was doing a good job. I thought I treated you well enough that you knew how special you are to me… I thought I made it clear that I… you… ” He shook his head as he mumbled to himself. “Damn it…” 

Fiona felt her heart pound. Hope and hurt swirled in her chest. She felt dizzy at the thought of hoping that maybe… maybe…

“Rhys.” Fiona moved the blanket aside. She eyed him, frowning at how tired he looked. She stared at him as she struggled to figure out what to say exactly. “Rhys, I—“ She swallowed. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?” Rhys’s brows furrowed. “I messed up somehow.”

“No– Well, I don’t know. I’ve already forgiven you for what happened long ago. I’m just— I don’t know.” Fiona sighed, sitting up.

“Fiona, you should rest. We can talk about this more after you’re taken care of.”

“I am taken care of.” Fiona patted the spot beside her, insisting him to join. 

Upon him sitting beside her, she snorted. “Ew, those socks.” His socks were bright red patterned with blue swirls. He laughed as she made sure to cover his feet as she tossed his share of the blanket over his lap.

They stared forward, silent for a moment. Rhys rubbed his face while Fiona glanced away, both trying to figure out where to start.

Rhys began. “I don’t want to make you talk about it if you don’t want to, but I’ve been worried about you. I can’t stop worrying about you after the way you left my office.”

“I know. I’m sorry about that,” Fiona said quietly. “And I should’ve responded to your messages. I told you I’d be there for you. I told you that I’d be there to support you—“

“Stop,” Rhys said gently, more so pleading her to than wanting to interrupt. “You’re wrong if you think you haven’t been there for me. You’re always looking out for others. For Sasha, of course. For Vaughn. For me. So please, don’t feel like you’ve fallen short somehow.” Rhys shook his head. “Right now, you’re the one who needs to be supported. So tell me what’s going on. Please.”

Fiona fidgeted with her sleeves, thinking. She exhaled slowly, then began, “Your old arm… Do you know the last time I saw it?”

Rhys frowned. “On Helios, I guess, before everything went down?”

She shook her head. She turned her face away from him, feeling her chest tightened. “I know you’re okay now,” she said quietly. “But knowing you more than I did back then, I think that’s why it hurts so much more now. T-to,” she choked on her thought. “To think that you were—” Her eyes teared up. “Your arm was all I had left of you, Rhys,” she whispered.

Rhys’s eyes widened as he recognized what she meant. “You saw my arm… after Helios crashed. The way I left it there...”

She met his gaze, glaring at him. “Yes.” Rhys’s hand went to reach for hers, but she jerked away. “No! No, you don’t get it, Rhys— I—“ She sharply inhaled. “I thought you were dead!” Shaking with both anger and pain, she couldn’t stop hot tears from streaming down her face. “For a year! I thought you were dead, and I couldn’t reach out because I kept—“

“Fiona—“ Rhys’s heart dropped to his stomach.

“I kept looking for you!” Fiona helplessly admitted, cupping a hand to her mouth as she choked from sobbing. “I couldn’t s-stop looking for you. It was… S’bad…”

Remorse gripped his chest. “We looked for you,” Sasha said to Rhys, when they had all reunited to save Gortys. “We really did.”

“And now y-you’re here, and you’re okay. S-so, I don’t know why I’m not. I’ve forgiven you for not reaching out. I could’ve reached out, too, if I wasn’t scared to just have one more thing to constantly look at, t-to just know you were alive. But if I messaged you, and then you never responded, then what?” She hiccuped. “I-I would’ve waited everyday, checking my ECHO until you would’ve. So if you were dead, I would’ve checked until the day I’d die.” She shook her head, struggling to breathe. “I don’t know why I’m hurting right now; You’re fine. This doesn’t make sense. I’m s-sorry…”

Rhys grabbed her hands, firmly taking them in his. He rested his forehead against hers, tears streaking his face, too, as he looked her in the eyes. “I’m the one who should be saying sorry,” he said firmly. “Not you. Not for this. You shouldn’t have to feel like hurting the way you do now about what happened back then is something to apologize for. I put you through this, Fiona,” he said, voice strained. “I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”

Fiona shut her eyes as she struggled to calm her breathing.

“I’m here, Fiona. I’m here, right now, with you.” Rhys whispered, cupping her face with his human hand. 

She leaned into his palm, and her eyes shut tighter. “W-why does it hurt more now? Why— why did you make me experience grief, and now I know you more than I ever had, and if you h-had died, I wouldn’t get to have what I’ve been having with you…” 

More tears streaked down Rhys’s face as she shook. “I’m so sorry,” he kept saying. “I’m so sorry, Fiona.”

“You’re such a jerk. For making me think you were dead. And then getting me to live moments with you that I wouldn’t have if you were. ‘Cause you made me– y’made me–” You made me fall in love with you.

Rhys so badly wanted to pull her in again, but was overwhelmed with guilt. As if he shouldn’t be allowed to want to hold her. “If seeing me now hurts you—” He swallowed as his chest ached with dread. “We don’t have to keep hanging out. I know I messed up. I-I know, I—“

“No!” Fiona desperately lunged for him, wrapping her arms around his neck as if he were about to vanish in thin air. “Don’t leave again.”

Overtaken with yearning, Rhys hastily wrapped his arms around her in return. His arms were quickly displaced to wrap around her lower back as they leaned and shifted into laying on their sides, their bodies facing towards one another as the blanket fell to the floor. His chin tucked over her head, and their legs intertwined.

For a while, they laid on the couch, silently crying and clinging to one another, their chests aching and their throats tight. As they focused on one another’s body heat, they soothed each other in their embrace. At last, their breaths calmed, and the tangible comfort felt lulling.

“I’m not leaving you, Fiona,” Rhys declared softly. “I need you to know that I won’t. I won’t leave, unless you ever want me to.”

“I don’t want you to." She sniffled. "I don’t want to ever go back to living without you.” She snuggled into him further, and his face warmed.

His arms wrapped tighter around her. “You mean so much to me; I wouldn’t dare to even think about leaving you behind.”

Fiona’s stomach fluttered. “Rhys…”

“I had to see you again,” he said. “Remember?”

“Rhys…” Fiona felt herself come undone, melting at his words. “Don’t say that to me. Please.”

“Why?” He whispered. “I mean it, Fiona.”

“You don’t understand what you’re doing to me when you say that,” she desperately said, but Rhys closed his eyes, continuing.

“Did you know how much I love it when you tease me,” he murmured. “And your laugh. I love it when you snort-laugh.” 

Fiona’s heart felt loud in her chest. She stayed silent, aiming to focus as she processed his words.

Trying to be brave, Rhys continued. “I love seeing how excited you are when you talk about books or vault-hunting… and how you're all badass with that tiny gun in your sleeve, and how you'd trash talk me when we’d do anything together… A-And your smile— Did you know you wear the cutest smile, even when you’re being a smartass? Heh, especially when you're being a smartass...”

Fiona gently pulled away. Her eyes widened at him. His eyes searched hers, and their faces flushed. “…You should see how cute you get when you’re excited,” she quietly admitted as her eyes shyly went to her fingers curled against his chest. “You’re such a dork about pancakes and silly nerd stuff… and I love trash talking you because your pout looks so good on you…” As she spoke, she focused on soothingly tracing circles with the tips of her fingers, but it only made Rhys’s heart beat louder. “Building your own arm is pretty badass… pff, y'know, you’re so smart sometimes it’s annoying.”

“…” Astounded, Rhys wore the shyest smile. “…I hope you’re not messing with me right now. I… heh... u-um…”

“I’m not, Rhys.” Fiona’s eyes softened. “I mean it.” She gently smoothed her hand over his shirt, firmly holding it against the thudding of his heart.

“I- u-um…” Rhys nervously chuckled, and Fiona melted as she recognized the effect she really had on him.

She gave a soft smile. “Continue,” she gently encouraged.

Smiling back, Rhys softly cleared his throat. “You’re so courageous. Clever, witty, and you just... You don’t understand how much you mean to me. You make me want to be better. You make me want to be someone you deserve.” Rhys shook his head. “I just can’t believe you’d think that ‘someone else’ could ever not be you.”

“Rhys...” Her heart skipped a beat. Her hand slightly pressed harder against his chest, feeling how real it all was, making sure that she wasn’t dreaming. “…You mean after all this time, it was me?”

“Yes. For the longest time, yes.” Rhys eyed her longingly. He subconsciously brought his face slightly closer to hers, furthering her blush. “I just want to take care of you, Fiona. I want to do more than just take you out to the city, or have dinner together. More than just staying up late talking, or tending wounds and trauma… I want to make you smile whenever you're down.”

“You do,” Fiona insisted. She couldn’t help but leaned closer. Rhys’s ears reddened even more as she found her fingers toying with locks of his hair, soft from loss gel.  “When I struggled with the vault pendant. When it came to Felix.”

“I want to make you laugh the way you make me laugh,” he said, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

Her stomach fluttered. “You do, Rhys.” 

“You’re my silver lining, Fiona. Not just back then. At any moment I’m in trouble, you show me my silver lining, and it’s you. I just want to be that for you.”

“Rhys.” Fiona was breathless. “You already are that, to me.”

“I want to be the one who gets to make you happy in ways that… friends don’t,” Rhys finally said. “I don’t want to do this with anyone else. Wanting you so close to me. Wanting to hold you. I want to hold you so bad, I—“

Fiona teasingly brushed the tip of her nose against his. “Yeah?” She whispered. “I think about you holding me,” she helplessly admitted. “Every night.”

Rhys brushed his nose on hers back, their breaths mixed in with one another. “Fiona,” he whispered.

Nose brushing nose, breath on breath, they fell into a trance, studying each other’s eyes and lips up close. Warmth washed over them. Their bodies radiated with urgency to be closer.

“I love you, Fiona,” Rhys finally admitted. He had one hand still firmly held against her lower back, while his other hand tenderly traced the nape of her neck, making her shudder, before settling on caressing her cheek. “So tell me what you want from me.”

With her fingers in his hair, she softly grabbed a handful, making his breath catch in his throat. Their lips helplessly parted as Fiona finally breathed to him, “I love you, Rhys. Kiss me.”

Eagerly, their lips met and melted into one another. Trembling from the intensity of their intimate exploration, Rhys and Fiona got lost in one another, yet finally found what felt like shelter from being homesick for so long.

------------------------------------------------------

writer's note: ahhh!!! should I keep going? I could end it here, but I'd love to write out more scenes of an established relationship between Rhys and Fiona. I could honestly do one-shots of them in an established relationship, or just keep adding on chapters here. what do you think? please let me know!

Also, thank you so much for reading my ongoing fanfic thus far! It means a lot that I can just write stuff like this and that others could enjoy it. Hehe, finally got that long awaited smooch, eh? Hoped this chapter's pacing didn't feel rushed. I might've gotten too emo to gauge that oops

[rin-bellatrix]

Work It Out

"Jump with them all, and move it. Jump back and forth, and feel like you were there yourself, work it out." -- Gorillaz

While trying to track down a stolen case full of money, the Hyperion stooge and the Pandoran con artist find themselves trapped beneath Bossanova's arena. While not necessarily enemies, they aren't exactly friends, and they need to set aside their pride and work together to reunite with Sasha and Vaughn, and secure that case. If only they could stop bickering to make it in time.

This was created with the mindset of "what if it was Rhys and Fiona under Bossanova's arena instead of Rhys and Sasha?" The opportunity they could've had to bond and banter even more~ 💯‼️✨️

As always, anything I write can't pass inspection without my beloved ship sister @admiralsweko who betas 99.9% of my works and catches all my flaws and makes them better 😆💕✨️ THANK YOU SWE~!! 💖

Super awesome special shout-out to beloved Rhyiona Core members, @comma-tose @plague-cure and @writeastormsblog who I'm posting this especially for, since she requested fluff. (Even tho this really isn't fluffy per se~ But it's definitely rhyiona themed, and building on the potential for future romance~ 😏😉😆)

Fiona, Rhys and Jack AI gif from this post. Blue cyber themed dividers from this post. Blue cyber themed LOADING gif from this post.

Enjoy! 💜

"Attempting to reboot lift operation systems, please input the authorization code for calibration." The voice informed them as it floated out of the barely functional Atlas speakers.

The Hyperion company man furrowed his brow as his ECHO eye glowed, his look of concentration illuminated by the bank of moniters before him. His real and cybernetic hands danced over the brightly lit keyboard with such speed, that it was hard for even the seasoned con woman to keep up with everything he was entering into the old database. She glanced up at him, his side profile stark against the artificial light before him and the dark room at his back.

"We need to hurry, who knows what Bossanova's goons are gonna do with that case of money." Fiona tried to urge him along, crossing her arms as she grew antsy when another minute dragged by and nothing seemed to be happening.

She didn't wanna mention that she was also worried for Sasha, having been separated from her when the manhole cover slammed down over her head, forcing her to partner with the taller of the two Hyperion men. The shorter one seemed to be a little more put together than his lanky friend, but he was very obviously an off-worlder, and Pandora wasn't kind to its own inhabitants; a foreigner was just ripe for the picking (or peeling, in some psycho's cases). Hopefully Sasha could keep them both safe...

When the only response she got to her statement was the sound of more clicking and tapping on keys, she approached the lanky man's side to peer down at whatever the hell was taking him so long. She reached his shoulder and he spared her a glance, and from this close she could see even more details about him. His robotic eye implant was radiating a bright blue light, almost bright enough to hurt her own eyes. Around his azure iris swirled repeated patterns of zeroes and ones, circling around his pupil which seemed to operate much like an aperture for a camera. He blinked, and turned back to his insistent tapping, and the after image of his luminescent gaze floated before her. She blinked rapidly to dismiss the lingering affect.

"What's taking so long, Hyperion?" she outright questioned, frowning at the lines of unreadable code flashing across the screen. None of it made sense to her, and it usually never did; she was comfortable with leaving electronics and the like to Felix's capable care.

"Hey, hacking into an old, unused Atlas database is not exactly as easy as I'm making it look, lady. You've got to be subtle and finesse your way through - though I suppose that you, a lying, cheating, Pandoran con artist wouldn't know about subtlety." He offered her a tight smile full of false joy, before dismissing her and returning to his work. He was still obviously sore over the fake vault key and maybe also the attempt to push him out of a moving vehicle into the desert.

But oh, he wanted to play it like that, did he? Well it takes two to tango and Fiona had nothing to do right now but dance.

She leaned back against the jutting curve of the desk, lifting a delicate hand and making a show of examining her nail polish. "I sure was subtle enough when I planted that EMP receptor on the case of the vault key."

His almost rhythmic tapping ceased, and out of the corner of her eye she saw him turn towards her.

"So that was your fault?! You were there the whole time?? Ya know, my systems are still whacked because of your little 'EMP receptor'!" He huffed and threw his arms in the air, and though he easily towered over her, she didn't consider him a threat in the slightest; just another Hyperion lackey blowing a lot of hot air.

"I'm sorry, what was that? I couldn't hear you while I was being extremely subtle over here."

"Oh my GOD - has anyone ever told you how infuriating you are??"

The Pandoran native leveled him with a flat, unimpressed stare as she plucked at her ruffled cuff to fluff it out more. "Cry me a river, corporate boy."

Rhys grumbled in clear discontent, his eyes narrowed and his mouth souring into a petulant pout. Something about it brought joy to Fiona's jagged heart; perhaps it was the fact that she could easily rile him up with so little effort. It was actually kind of fun.

He straightened his vest, glowering down at her from his height as he added, "By the way, that vault key was the worst one I had ever seen, it was so obvious that it was fake."

"Dealt with many vault keys, have you?" she asked, lifting a scarred brow in accusation. "You must be really important up there if they're leaving you in charge of all the real vault keys. Tell me, how many have you handled that have actually opened up a vault, huh?"

The company man glanced off to the side, the apples of his cheeks pinkening ever so slightly as he swallowed. "Look, I'm uh, I'm trying to work on this okay?" He gestured towards the ancient Atlas computers by his side. "So I'd appreciate a little more patience and also, some peace and quiet would be nice, if it's not asking too much."

The grifter sighed, rolling her eyes as she folded her arms across her chest. "There will be all the 'peace and quiet' you want from me as soon as we get that money and go our separate ways."

Rhys shook his head, more so to himself than anything, and settled his fast fingertips over the illuminated keyboard again. "Ya know, I never wanted this."

"What, to be a mindless cog in the massive warmongering machine of Hyperion? Seems a bit late to be thinking like that." Time was ticking and the more time they stood here squabbling, the farther away that money and their chance at a new life got.

The man before her sighed, and it was deep and frustrated, and something about it made her regret her words, for just a moment. But she wasn't going to get soft around a complete stranger, doubly so for a Hyperion stooge who was after the cash just as much as she was.

"No, I mean..."

"Authorization complete. Initiating system maintenence check, please wait."

Images flashed across the grime covered monitors, but all Fiona could make out was the occasional glimpse of the Atlas logo. A soft whirring sound emitted from the computers, before a series of loud metal clanking noises reverberated from the area around the lift.

"I meant..." Rhys spoke up again, and Fiona had forgotten that he had been trying to tell her something while lost in the tentative excitement that the lift was actually going to work for them. "I've always wanted to be this. To just, be good at my job. I wanted to make it, and bring my friends with me. I never thought that I'd be doing something like this... I can admit that I regret a lot of the stuff I've done, things that were 'necessary' to help me get a step ahead. But it's all meaningless, everything I've done up until this point, if we don't secure that briefcase."

He turned towards her and met her eyes, his heterochromatic stare arresting. "I don't wanna argue with you any more, and I'd like it if we could come to some sort of truce. I mean, we're partners in this, whether we like it or not, so why can't we try to make the best of it...?" He offered his metal hand, waiting tentatively for her acceptance or refusal.

She eyed him skeptically, but he seemed sincere enough about it. Though in her time as a con artist, she knew that actions spoke louder than words. So she'd take him for face value, but keep him at arm's length because at the end of the day, the only people she could trust were Sasha and Felix.

Confident with her decision, she reached out and took his mechanical hand, offering a firm shake as she said, "I can agree to a compromise."

Relief softened his features, a smile breaking out across his face. "Great! That's actually, pretty great, I uh, didn't think it'd be so easy, honestly..."

"Just because I'm born and raised on Pandora, doesn't automatically make me a psycho, you know. I do have some decorum." Here she stepped closer to him, his cybernetic hand still heavy in her grip. "That being said, I do have the shiniest meat bicycle. Never forget that, slick."

At his look of surprise and confusion, she smirked and winked playfully at him, loosening her hold around his hand and taking a step back. Or she would have, had he not renewed his grip and tugged her forward, leaning into her space and keeping her trapped between his body and the edge of the desk behind her.

Before she could decide whether or not to jam her knee into his groin, he said, "Just because I work for Hyperion, it doesn't automatically make me a bad guy." He mirrored her statement, locking eyes with her as the lift lights flashed in the background. "And my name isn't 'slick,' it's Rhys."

Being cornered like this would usually cause Fiona's fight or flight response to kick in, but despite the fact that he was encroaching on her space, she didn't feel threatened. She parted her lips, about to ask him if he was finished making his point, when the action caused his gaze to flick down to her mouth. He glanced back up into her eyes, and whatever sass she was about to say fizzled away as her heart skipped a beat.

She felt the tension between them shift ever so slightly, felt as though if she were to let this moment linger, she would come to regret it. He was objectively attractive, but she had never let a pretty face distract her from achieving her mark, and she wouldn't start now. Even if curiosity tempted her to taste his mouth...

He blinked, seeming to disperse his thoughts before releasing her hand and taking a step off to the side. "Uh... So, it says here that there's less than a minute left of the... The maintenance check. Yeah."

"That's... Great! The sooner we get outta here, the better. Right."

Rhys ran his robotic hand over his gelled hair and down his neck as Fiona brushed her bangs away from her face, both of them purposefully avoiding the other's gaze. The con woman berated herself, vowing to stay on top of whatever little game he was playing. Willing away the mild attraction she felt, she adjusted her stance and tugged on her jacket, straightening it out.

"Lift system maintenance check complete. Anomaly one detected: C-grade gears need replacement. Anomaly two detected: hydraulic wiring in need of repair, potential fire hazard. Anomaly three-"

"Shit, what does this mean?" The Pandoran groused, stepping close to Rhys' side again to glare down at the lift's long list of damages that needed immediate repairs.

The young manager grunted in frustration, before leaning down and spamming the keys again. "The Atlas maintenence system is trying to prevent us from getting on that lift, it's claiming that it's a huge safety violation. The bandits here have rigged the basic system somehow, but my method must've woken up the actual safety protocols. But, that's okay because if the guys who were here before us could make it to the top, so can we. Don't worry, I've got this, this is gonna be way easier than the initial breach." He flashed her a confident smirk over his broad shoulder before focusing on bypassing Atlas' firewalls.

His little smirk was winsome, and as soon as the thought crossed her mind, she rejected it completely, throwing out the possibility that this nerd could cause such a reaction in her. Refusing to entertain those kind of thoughts about him any more, she turned away to survey the room. There had to be something she could do while Rhys fiddled with the computers for another ten minutes-

"Aaand done!"

"What?"

"We're outta here, c'mon!"

He grabbed her hand in his human one and ran over to the elevator, almost dragging her along in his excitement. She held on to her hat as she did her best to keep up with his ridiculously long legs, opening her mouth to scold him as they stopped in the center of the lift.

"Hey, you-" she started, shaking off his slightly sweaty grip and wiping her hand down her pant leg.

"I'm not gonna lie, this is actually kind of cool!"

"What?"

He turned toward her and smiled shyly. "When I was a kid, I used to make and hand out my own business cards. I always wanted to be at the top of the corporate ladder. I never had time to explore or go out and see the universe if it wasn't related to acquiring another asset for my boss. So this... It's scary as shit, don't get me wrong - but... It's pretty neat."

Fiona could see how a life full of 'thrills' would appeal to someone who lives in a cubicle and survives on paperwork and speadsheets, but this was the real world; her life wasn't some adventure that she could just drop whenever she wanted. Life up in Helios must be hell, but she'd take it in a heartbeat over another day scrounging for scraps on Pandora.

"You must have it easy up there. When I was young, I had just mastered a new pick-pocketing technique called 'feather fingers,' and I couldn't wait to teach it to my baby sister. Don't ever be mistaken, Rhys - Pandora is just a stepping stone for you but this little rock is my home, and I know more than anyone how things can turn sour real quick."

His hopeful smile had dimmed completely as she spoke, and now he looked down in thought. He lifted his gaze and met her jade eyes again, his features solemn in the dim light. "Have you ever thought about...leaving?"

The grifter couldn't help but scoff, incredulous at his question. "Of course I have, every sane person on this damn planet has. You think if we had a way to leave Hollow Point and everything behind, we wouldn't take it? That money in that briefcase was our way out, our only chance to get away from here. So let's get our asses up there and do whatever it takes to get that money back."

Rhys could see that she was dead serious, the fire in her eyes was blazing with determination. He felt the same, seeing how determined and how dedicated she was, was like looking in a mirror. If he didn't return back home to Helios with at least half of that money, everything from the moment of his handmade business cards up til his conversation with Vasquez, was all down the drain. That cash was really the answer to all their problems.

He lifted his cybernetic hand and opened the menu for the lift. Or at least he assumed it was the menu for the lift. His interface was still a bit wonky due to the strong pulse of the EMP device from earlier. The menu he could see was very distorted, buttons and commands glitching across the holographic screen. He tsked in irritation and clicked on the button he thought would start the lift.

Across the spacious room, a crane lowered a row of large crates to the floor. The crates seemed to be making... Noise.

"What are you doing? Get the lift started!"

"I'm trying! I just- I pressed the wrong thing alright? Okay, it's gotta be this one-"

The next button the young manager clicked on opened the crates, which turned out to be cages, which turned out to be holding ill-tempered skags. The pack of four-legged beasts prowled out of their metal carriers, scenting the air and eventually turning towards the only two people in the room.

"Rhys...??" Fiona questioned, flicking her wrist to make her pistol settle into her hand.

"Uh- shit- At least you have a gun-"

"This only fires one bullet!"

"One- one bullet?? Why?? What's the purpose of that?!"

"It's not my own choice! It was given to me!"

"By who, someone who wants you dead??"

"Shut up and get this lift moving!"

What a buncha dumb asses, just my luck.

"Hey, I'm trying my best here!" he groused in response, only realizing a second later that the voice didn't sound like the Pandoran. "Wait, who-"

"Well, 'your best' isn't cutting it!"

Before the Hyperion employee could answer her, the skags drew closer, hesitant at first but growing bolder as their hunger overtook the need to be cautious. Rumbling growls filled the room and Fiona aimed her pistol to the closest skag. Rhys pressed the only available button left on the glitchy menu...

And nothing happened.

Cursing under his breath, he spammed the command in the hopes that something would work in their favor.

The con woman tried to entertain the thought that she could fend off the small pack of wild, ravenous animals with a single bullet and the small knife she kept hidden in her boot. There was a slim chance she could do it, but in every scenario, the injuries would be grievous.

Suddenly the lift beneath their feet shuddered, and slowly began to rise. The immediate elation they both felt simultaneously plummeted as the largest skag began running towards them, intending on making a leap onto the platform. The grifter readied her gun, aiming at the hungry creature to shoot it off in case it made the jump.

The animal pounced off the ground and sailed through the air, its momentum more than enough to carry it to the elevated platform. Fiona's finger tightened on the trigger, waiting for the precise moment when it would be close enough that perhaps the shot could push it off the ledge.

Before the skag landed, it seemed to bounce off of an invisible wall and fall down onto its spiny back, scrabbling to right itself and stand on all fours again. It roared in frustration, but the lift was now much too high up to see it any more.

The 'invisible wall' shimmered and reformed into a tall figure that stepped closer to the two flabbergasted people with a graceful ease that Fiona envied.

"I have a question. Have you seen a Gortys piece? I really need it."

The Pandoran con woman recognized the lithe being in front of her, vaguely recalling that this was one of the vault hunter's that was known galaxy-wide. Unsure of what to say in the presence of someone who was very powerful and who obviously just saved their lives, she shook her head mutely.

Rhys, unlike her, didn't seem to be at a loss for words because his giddy voice sounded from behind her, "Hi, I just wanted to say, that I think you're really cool."

She glanced back at him and was perplexed to find him damn near twirling his hair. Fiona fought the urge to roll her eyes as she turned to face Zer0 again, surprised to see a <3 flash across his reflective visor.

Before she could find her footing in this new predicament, the muffled sound of a roaring crowd and the booming bass of loud music rumbled above their heads. Just as the three of them looked up, the doors over the ceiling unlocked and parted, the lift pushing them up into the middle of Bossanova's arena.

©rin-bellatrix 2025

☆ borderlands masterlist ⋆ main masterlist ☆

[writeastormsblog]

Rhys Teaches Fiona How to Play Video Games (from my longer tftbl fanfic, but in case you don't want to commit to the lengthier read, here's the cute scenes on their own!!)

“Okay, see those glowy boxes? You’re gonna wanna drive into those. They give you power ups,” he proceeded to explain.

Fiona started getting the hang of by the end of the second round. “And how do you drift, again?”

“Hold the R button while steering into a turn. See, there we go!” Rhys proudly grinned. “Drift away!”

Fiona shook her head, smiling. “This is incredibly bizarre. It's the most colorful death rally I’ve ever seen.”

“Except no one has to die!” Rhys enthusiastically clarified as he went to put the lasagna in the oven. He came back with glasses of water, placed one in front of her, then picked up his controller again. “Alright, hydrate yourself. We're gonna be here for a bit, doing some more practice races. Think you can handle it?”

“Not really, but yeah,” she chuckled. “Let’s do it.”

...

“Rhys, who are all these other players?” Fiona chortled. “They keep passing me! How long have they been playing?”

“Oh, they’re bots,” Rhys said as both of them leaned forward, subconsciously swaying at the curve of the race track.

“Like Loader Bots and Gortys’s?”

He laughed. “No, like in the system!”

“What?” She yelled next to him, unaware of how loud she was. 

“I said, like— hahah, hold on! Ah, you’re in eighth place!”

“Yeah, which is better than ninth!”

“Pff, I’m just a little distracted by your yelling is all!”

Rhys passed Fiona. “Hah! Who’s in ninth place, now?”

“No! No, enhance!” Fiona yelled, and Rhys couldn’t stop laughing. “Enhance!”

"'Enhance' won't save you!"

"Nah, it's got to!" Fiona snickered as she raised a hand to shield Rhys’s eyes. “Enhancing blindness!”

“Hey, no cheating!” Rhys ducked and batted her arm away, laughing.

They smiled so much that it hurt.

During the last round of the race, the two went back and forth being one ahead of the other.

“C’mon!” Rhys exclaimed, shaking his controller. “C’mon!”

Fiona held her breath as the finish line came into view for both of them.

“Hah, look at me! Ahead of you!” Rhys said, not realizing the power up Fiona had been saving. Just before he reached the finish line, Fiona red-shelled him. “What?! WHAT?!”

“YES!!! HAHAH!!!!” Fiona jumped up, victorious as she crossed the finish line while Rhys’s racer remained flipped over. “TOUCHGOAL!!!”

“I can’t— I can’t believe you!” Unable to stop laughing, Rhys fell back into the couch. He covered his face in the crook of his arm.

“I’m sorry, what was that? I don’t speak loser.” Fiona stuck her tongue out at him.

------------------------------------------------------

See the full chapter here:

https://www.tumblr.com/writeastormsblog/782028522040508416/show-me-my-silver-lining-tftbl-rhysfiona?source=share

Or if you'd want to read the other chapters first:

https://www.tumblr.com/writeastormsblog/781206333259169792/show-me-my-silver-lining-a-rhyiona-fanfic?source=share

[writeastormsblog]

⋆˚✧Welcome to my Blog✧˚⋆

Here's the Content Navigation:

˚°◦.•❀̥˚•.༺•❀.•Rhyiona Content•.❀༻.•❀̥˚•.◦°˚

Show me my Silver Lining - Chapter Select https://www.tumblr.com/writeastormsblog/781206333259169792/show-me-my-silver-lining-a-rhyiona-fanfic?source=share

~My Mini~ Rhyiona Fanfics https://www.tumblr.com/writeastormsblog/782760238126448640/my-mini-rhyiona-fanfics?source=share

What Song Comes to Mind About Your One-True-Pairing?https://www.tumblr.com/writeastormsblog/780410529871282176/what-song-comes-to-mind-about-your?source=share

･:*.⋆𖦹ཐིཋྀ⋆.*:･Life is Strange Content･:*.⋆ཐིཋྀ𖦹⋆.*:･

-Will be added soon!!! Stay tuned<3

[rin-bellatrix]

Omg a little Gortys core necklace for rhyiona~ 🥹💙❤️💜

Okay, fun idea— now does anyone know someone who makes jewelry?

Also imagine Rhyiona wearing this :0 that’s what I pictured when drawing it out

[writeastormsblog]

Show me my Silver Lining - a Rhyiona fanfic - CHAPTER SELECT HERE BELOW:

Chapter One: It’s Not Worth Losing People Like You

https://www.tumblr.com/writeastormsblog/779320437647769600/show-me-my-silver-lining-tftbl-rhysfiona?source=share

Chapter Two: Payday, Payroll, and New Beginnings

https://www.tumblr.com/writeastormsblog/779472117601386496/show-me-my-silver-lining-tftbl-rhysfiona?source=share

Chapter Three: Human Alarm

https://www.tumblr.com/writeastormsblog/779722261711159296/show-me-my-silver-lining-tftbl-rhysfiona?source=share

Chapter Four: 4AM

https://www.tumblr.com/writeastormsblog/779778175231279104/show-me-my-silver-lining-tftbl-rhysfiona?source=share

Chapter Five: Fishy Ideas

https://www.tumblr.com/writeastormsblog/780285695589777408/show-me-my-silver-lining-tftbl-rhysfiona?source=share

Chapter Six: Non-Date Night

https://www.tumblr.com/writeastormsblog/780958270119641088/show-me-my-silver-lining-tftbl-rhysfiona?source=share

Chapter Seven: I Miss You, Too

https://www.tumblr.com/writeastormsblog/780958542845902848/show-me-my-silver-lining-tftbl-rhysfiona?source=share

Chapter Eight: Kid Sister Calls

https://www.tumblr.com/writeastormsblog/781088523255234560/show-me-my-silver-lining-tftbl-rhysfiona?source=share

Chapter Nine: Through the Books She Read

https://www.tumblr.com/writeastormsblog/781271583096553472/show-me-my-silver-lining-tftbl-rhysfiona?source=share

Chapter Ten: Aliens Were That Creative

https://www.tumblr.com/writeastormsblog/781639311106916352/show-me-my-silver-lining-tftbl-rhysfiona?source=share

Chapter Eleven: Driftio Kart

https://www.tumblr.com/writeastormsblog/782028522040508416/show-me-my-silver-lining-tftbl-rhysfiona?source=share

Chapter Twelve: Didn't Want it With Anyone Else

https://www.tumblr.com/writeastormsblog/782763062422831104/show-me-my-silver-lining-tftbl-rhysfiona?source=share

Chapter Thirteen: Lucky to Have You

https://www.tumblr.com/writeastormsblog/782939104947175424/show-me-my-silver-lining-tftbl-rhysfiona?source=share

Chapter Fourteen: Wounded

https://www.tumblr.com/writeastormsblog/783296327961509888/show-me-my-silver-lining-tftbl-rhysfiona?source=share

Chapter Fifteen: Asking Her Out

https://www.tumblr.com/writeastormsblog/784664331705040896/show-me-my-silver-lining-tftbl-rhysfiona?source=share

[writeastormsblog]

~My Mini~ Rhyiona Fanfics

Couple Nicknames (but Rhys and Fiona edition) https://www.tumblr.com/writeastormsblog/779277298312593408/couple-nicknames-but-rhys-and-fiona-edition?source=share

Different Color https://www.tumblr.com/writeastormsblog/781135351777509376/different-color-a-tiny-rhyiona-fanfic?source=share

I Shall Name My Firstborn Loader Bot https://www.tumblr.com/writeastormsblog/781021297567203328/imagine-in-some-universe-rhys-and-fiona-have-been?source=share

Rhys Teaches Fiona How to Play Video Games https://www.tumblr.com/writeastormsblog/782030721700265984/rhys-teaches-fiona-how-to-play-video-games-from?source=share

Talk About Last Names https://www.tumblr.com/writeastormsblog/779646206143004672/talk-about-last-names?source=share

Your Face Matches My Dress Right Now https://www.tumblr.com/writeastormsblog/782586068169031680/your-face-matches-my-dress-right-now-a-mini?source=share

[writeastormsblog]

Stay Hydrated, Rhys ~another snippet from my ongoing rhyiona fanfic~

Vaughn frowned. “Okay, I think that’s enough coffee… And chess. You do know you’ve been moving the same piece back and forth for the past twenty minutes, right?” Vaughn crossed his arms, leaning back in a Hyperion office chair. It was dark outside the old office room, and Rhys kept visiting the keurig since the late evening’s light was out. 

“Ugh…” Rhys slouched as he stood. “No, no, it’s fine.” He went to pour more packets of sugar into his mug while he boiled another round of coffee.

Vaughn leaned back in his chair to the outlet behind him and unplugged the machine.

“Hey!” Rhys pouted.

“Seriously, bro.” Vaughn shook his head. “You put like twenty sugars in each cup.”

“No, only eight.”

“Yeah– so either way, that sugar crash isn’t helping you.” Vaughn gestured to the water cooler. “Do you remember what water tastes like? Go drink some.”

“Ughhh nooo, water’s bland–”

“Rhys, I will call Fiona. And tell her how you make every conversation about her.”

------------------------------------------------------

See the full chapter here:

https://www.tumblr.com/writeastormsblog/782939104947175424/show-me-my-silver-lining-tftbl-rhysfiona?source=share

Or if you'd want to read the other chapters first:

https://www.tumblr.com/writeastormsblog/781206333259169792/show-me-my-silver-lining-a-rhyiona-fanfic?source=share

[rin-bellatrix]

Spoiler commentary below the cut ⤵️

[“Maybe don’t.” Fiona laughed, semi-amused by the thought of Rhys in a mustache.] The spirit of Rhys' mustache from the future is breaking space and time laws to come give Fiona an unsettling feeling in the present lol

[“Yeah? We don’t want to take away how much you can see my annoying face, do we?” Rhys said with a new confidence in his tone. Vaughn looked between the two, confused, but grinning.] Vaughn is witnessing their flirting and realizing that they've gotten simultaneously bolder and more obtuse with it than when they had been traveling together 😆😆😆

[Fiona clenched her jaw, quickly turning back to Vaughn before she’d end up spitting on Rhys again.] Fiona, in public?? In front of Vaughn? 😲😳🫣

[“Excuse me?” Rhys crossed his arms. “I can defend myself.” Vaughn and Fiona exchanged a knowing look. Rhys pouted.] Rhys, let's be honest with ourselves now... A stun baton probably isn't as effective against rakks as you might think it is, sir 👀 let your girlfriend- I mean """friend""" protect you 🤭

[She stayed silent for a beat. “Let’s go,” she said. She quickly walked out without another word.] Oooooooh~ the drama of it all~ 🍿👀✨️

OOOOOOOH~ That part with Fiona ruminating on her past with Felix was so bittersweet~ The part where she and Sasha played rock, paper, scissors to get the last slice of pizza, only for Felix to take it and then them getting revenge by hiding his stuff~ 🥹🥹🥹 I'm not crying, you're crying 😭🤧😔

[A warmth bloomed in her chest, again. Her eyes softened. Why did he have to say something like that? Why couldn’t he leave her alone to repress her ongoing inner turmoil instead of melting her insides with that sincerity in his face and voice—] 😂😂😂 her reaction is so precious and so funny at the same time!

[“I don’t know. You kinda punch me a lot, literally.” He smirked.] That's just how she shows love, Rhys. Fiona's just a little rough around the edges 🤭💕✨️

[“Uhm, I can think like this on my own, thank you very much.” Rhys playfully pouted, knowing it would get another chuckle out of Fiona, and there it was again. The warmth. By the end of the conversation, with all his attentive listening and thoughtful words, that warm, good feeling was in her chest, again.]

Rhys and Fiona's heart to heart was so fantastic 💖💖💖 Fiona had some legitimate concerns and Rhys had some really solid advice. And they communicated perfectly, gotta love that emotional maturity! 😌👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼💯✨️ Now, if only they could talk like this about their feelings for one another... Clear up that whole "interested in someone else" fiasco... 👀😆🤭

[“Hmm…” Rhys scanned it with his ECHO eye. “I still can’t decipher what it means, but the eye is picking up some of the same alien symbols from the vault pendant. Maybe it’s supposed to twist and turn until it spells out something.” Rhys began to toy with it, randomly turning and clicking it about.] Rhys playing with the eridian rubix cube is giving me ANXIETYYY~ 😨😨😨

[A thundering roar echoed throughout the desert. The alien rubix cube exploded.] I KNEW IT! RHYS! 😭😭💀

Lowkey wanna try a drake fruit (iirc, I think that's what they're called?) bc Rhys made it look so appetizing when he bit into it in the game 👀🤔🤤 (I also can't find the gif of him eating the fruit, so please just imagine that scene since Tumblr is letting me down once again 💀)

Chapter ten, completed! 🫡✨️ Fiona needs a vacation, I think 😂😂😂

Show Me My Silver Lining (TFTBL Rhys/Fiona Fanfiction) - Chapter 10

SUMMARY: A fan-written continuation of the lives of the Atlas CEO and Pandoran Vault Hunter. Canon-aligned with TFTBL, but not with game 3. What happened after the vault? How does the beloved duo continue growing together? Rhyiona ship including slow burn, fluff, and banter. Enjoy!

(art made by using Canva)

------------------------------------------------------

CHAPTER TEN: Aliens Were That Creative

—The Next Day—

In an old breakroom of crashed Helios, Vaughn was rummaging through some cabinets. While he was sorting out supplies, Rhys and Fiona, back in their typical venture attire, showed up.

“Hey, guys! You made it!” Vaughn grinned.

“Hey, yourself,” Fiona greeted, touching the brim of her hat.

“It’s always great to see you, man.” Rhys bro-fisted him. “The beard’s as full as ever. It looks awesome. Heh, maybe I should let my facial hair grow out.”

“Maybe don’t.” Fiona laughed, semi-amused by the thought of Rhys in a mustache.

“What? You think I couldn’t pull it off?”

She shrugged. “You already look good, clean shaven.” She paused as she registered her own words. 

“Oh—“ Rhys was momentarily caught by surprise. Fiona’s face warmed as he gave a shy smile. “Heh, uh—“

“‘Cause y’know,” Fiona quickly said. “It’s easier to make fun of your face when it’s not covered up.” Rhys quirked a brow at her, and even she knew that was a horrible save. 

“Yeah? We don’t want to take away how much you can see my annoying face, do we?” Rhys said with a new confidence in his tone. Vaughn looked between the two, confused, but grinning. 

Fiona clenched her jaw, quickly turning back to Vaughn before she’d end up spitting on Rhys again. “Anyways, back to the plan, or whatever the plan is exactly,” Fiona nonchalantly went. “You explained there’s a huge pile of Rakk nests nearby, and from the swarms dive-bombing us on the way here, I don’t doubt it.”

“Yeah, it’s crazy big. They keep harassing the Children of Helios, and they’re why we haven’t gotten far on neighborhood construction yet. So, the plan: You, me, and Rhys head out. We’ll take a couple jeeps that were found abandoned near our base. It should all be fixed up by Janey soon enough.” Vaughn continued to pack supplies at the table, stuff like fruit and water. “The nest pile is at the bottom of a gigantic crater. I figured you guys take one jeep, get around to one side, while I take the other to be back up from my end. In case I gotta fire away and distract any Rakks coming after you guys if they catch onto what you’re up to.”

“Okay, which is what exactly?” Fiona tilted her head.

“Fiona, your job is to keep Rhys alive.”

“Oh. Okay.”

“Excuse me?” Rhys crossed his arms. “I can defend myself.” Vaughn and Fiona exchanged a knowing look. Rhys pouted.

“And uh, when it comes to you, Rhys,” Vaughn turned to him, then hesitated. “I figured to let you be the one holding onto… something I wasn’t sure Fiona would be exactly okay with.” Vaughn worriedly glanced at Fiona as he went to a bottom cabinet. Upon opening, he revealed a Hyperion briefcase, identical to the old one except quite larger. Fiona froze. “It’s uh… yeah. It’s another Hyperion case with a biometric lock. A uh, bomb in it that’ll set off once you try to override my bio signature.” Vaughn shifted from one foot to the other. “This should take out the nests,” he finished quietly.

Rhys and Vaughn looked at Fiona, but she turned herself away from them.

“Fiona?” Vaughn said. “You don’t have to do this if you’re uncomfortable with it. I wasn’t sure if it would matter to you or not…”

“It’s fine,” she said, still not facing them. Her fists clenched. “Let’s do it.” Not a waver in her voice, but there was a coldness she couldn’t bite back. On the inside, a brutal wave of bitter emotions swept over her; anger, sadness, betrayal, confusion. All tied to a rotten old conman. Felix. His face when he told her that they’re family when he grabbed the case. Him running off after he failed to secure the money for himself. That utterly selfish, filthy, coward of a man—

“Fiona,” Rhys said softly behind her, as if he was worried he’d scare her off.

She stayed silent for a beat. “Let’s go,” she said. She quickly walked out without another word.

…

Back when the money blew up and Felix ran off, Fiona constantly went back and forth in her mind. She was glad he lived, but hated he left. And she helped him leave her. She helped him leave Sasha.

“I can’t believe you let him live,” Sasha spat. “Why did you warn that son of a bitch? Should’ve let that case explode right in his face!”

But Fiona couldn’t do that. She couldn’t have let this man who took care of them die like that. The closest thing they had to a father with no one else to look out for them but one another. Before they met him, they struggled snagging wallets, eating out of the trash, trying to have anything to survive. Then they met him in an attempt to pickpocket the man.

When they tried to pickpocket Felix, he didn’t even get mad. He could’ve hurt them. He could’ve killed them, and no one would have cared or even noticed. Instead, amused by their mischievous ways, he fondly took them in as his own. He taught them how to get around life the way he lived it. From that angle, then, maybe that’s all it ever was. Maybe he didn’t raise them because he cared about them for them. Maybe he raised them for him to get around life the way he lived it; to make a big cash-grab after making them do all the dirty work. He didn’t want to raise children– He wanted to raise criminals to reap something as big as ten million dollars. Their time together had to have been all a part of using Fiona and Sasha in the end. But then…

She’d remember Felix teaching her how to drive, scolding as she’d twist and turn the caravan just to make Sasha laugh as they were thrown about. Fiona would remember his many CDs of classical music, tiredly listening as he looped it over and over, and her eventually knowing how every song goes without knowing any of the names. She’d recall in her teens how she and Sasha would rock-paper-scissors for the last slice of pizza before realizing Felix snagged it, and they’d giggle while getting back at him by stealing and hiding his stuff in different places. 

And in between all of those memories, Fiona saw him as an old conman with that Hyperion briefcase in his hand. From first learning how to drive, to Felix insisting to her that they were family and that will never change. Felix’s redundant music and her and Sasha’s payback pranks, to the moment of Felix sending down the old caravan as Fiona struggled to crawl out. And then he saved Sasha. He wasn’t even there, but he did save her. Felix saved Sasha. That watch was his gift to her, so really, what did any of what they had actually mean? Fiona thought she understood him well enough once he took the money for himself, but then he left them that watch. Though Fiona was incredibly thankful beyond words, as she wouldn't hesitate to do anything and everything to save her sister's life, Sasha's second chance being from Felix was baffling to an extreme she wasn't sure how to process.

For a while, it was difficult for Fiona to do or have things she would tie back to Felix. Fiona didn’t want to give up her love of reading. She didn’t want to stop living the caravan life. She still treasured and used her roshambo that he made for her. And so for all of that, along with keeping a brave face for Sasha, she chose to repress the confusion and hurt she felt when it came to him and that briefcase. She wanted to pretend that memory of him and the case didn’t exist, didn’t want the hurt to ruin what she had left of him. What good he had done, though his intentions might’ve not been for her and Sasha’s wellbeing at all. For certain, Fiona felt she would never reach out to him. She was too scared to know. Yet at the same time, she wished she would know. She craved closure on what every moment truly meant leading up to the death rally. A part of her wanted to understand more about who he really was, for her to stop being so indecisive about it. She wanted to understand whether she should or shouldn’t hate him. Instead, she settled to pretend him with that briefcase case never happened.

…

Rhys drove while Fiona rode shotgun. They followed Vaughn’s jeep as the familiar sunbaked desert scenery rolled by. Fiona stayed silent, eying the purple rubix cube in her hand. She pocketed it to study on the way to Vaughn’s base camp. She meant to conjure up the possibilities of what it could do or sell for as entertaining thought tangents. Now she just wanted to distract herself from any thoughts of Felix and that case bubbling to the surface again.

“Another alien thing?” Rhys noticed, frowning.

“Yeah,” Fiona said. “Not sure what it does. I might just toss it at the nest to get rid of it. I dunno.” She shrugged. “I found it yesterday. I don’t really want to hold onto it long enough to find out if it eventually induces nightmares.”

“Yeah,” Rhys nodded. “Heh, looks like a rubix cube.” 

“Kinda is, yeah.”

“No portals appear when you turn the pieces?”

“Haven’t messed with it much, but from what little I did, nope.”

“Interesting.” Rhys was quiet for a moment, then opened his mouth, then shut it. His eyes glanced between her and the road ahead.

“I’m fine, Rhys.” Fiona huffed.

“I didn’t say anything.”

“I could tell you wanted to.”

“I… yeah. Okay,” Rhys shook his head. “I just… wanted you to know you’re welcome to talk to me about anything. Good or bad, I’m here for all of it. I’m here for you, Fiona.”

A warmth bloomed in her chest, again. Her eyes softened. Why did he have to say something like that? Why couldn’t he leave her alone to repress her ongoing inner turmoil instead of melting her insides with that sincerity in his face and voice—

“Fiona,” Rhys said quietly, so quiet she could barely hear him over the engine and crumbling ground beneath the wheels. He stared straight ahead as he barely spoke, building up the courage to finally admit a simple, but vulnerable, truth. “I um…” His ears were red. “I care about you a lot.”

Fiona’s face felt warm. She mustered a small smile. “I know you care,” she mumbled. I just wish I could understand if Felix really did.

“We’re a team, remember?” He smiled softly. “So, let’s do this together,” Rhys said as they arrived at the crater, but Fiona understood he wasn’t solely referring to the Rakks’ nests. “Woah…”

Fiona looked over the edge as they passed Vaughn and drove around to the opposite side. Her eyes widened. “That’s… that’s big. That’s really, really big.”

At the base of the crater, scattered about were enormous chunks of meteorite. At the crater’s center was the biggest of them all, towering with crooks and crevices, and that’s what housed layers upon layers of swarming Rakks’ nests. The nests were so condensely put together and so incredibly populated that Rakks constantly flew out and replaced one another as they fought over where to perch.

“Well. Please keep me from dying,” Rhys said as they parked behind a massive caving boulder, hiding them and the jeep from sight. 

“That’s my job,” Fiona said warily. She sighed, stepping out and grabbing the combat rifle Vaughn provided.

Vaughn peeked his head out behind the caving boulder he staked out at, waving his arm from the distance. 

Rhys waved his arm back, the Hyperion case in the other. That stupid, ugly case. As Vaughn returned to cover, Rhys turned to Fiona, sucking in a breath. “Ready?”

Fiona nodded. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”

“Alright,” Rhys took a shaky breath in. “In three.” He began to punch in the code. “Two… One.” Beep beep beep beep—

Rhys flung it as far as he could, and the two hastily ducked into the caving boulder, covering their ears.

Beep beep beep beep beeeeep—

The explosion roared and rumbled the terrain. The ground quaked beneath them, cracking out from the crater. The screeching of Rakk swarms cried out. Rakk carcasses rained from the sky, thudding all around the crater. However, many shadows seem to move on the ground, all casted from above. 

Fiona’s brows furrowed. “How are some of them still alive from that? They shouldn’t be flying still.” She chanced a peek around the boulder, horrified at the result. Many swarms of surviving Rakk continued flying upward from the remaining half of the huge meteorite, screeching with utmost pure wrath. “Damn it, Rhys!” She ducked back behind quickly, hissing, “You only took out half of it!”

“What–!” Rhys glared back. “How is this my fault? The bomb clearly wasn’t big enough!” Rhys yelled.

“You threw too late! Or not far enough— shit!”

“Then you take the case next time, since it’s so easy!” Rhys spat. Recognizing his wording, his face dropped. “Shi— Fiona, I-I didn’t mean—“

“Just shut up, Rhys!” Fiona looked daggers at him as swarms continued screeching overhead. He shrank back. Fiona rubbed her face as Rhys stared at the ground, not exchanging another word between them. After ten minutes of crouching, they opted to sit. It could take maybe hours for the Rakks to calm down and settle again. Who knew when. No doubt if the two tried driving off now, it would catch their attention and set them aggroed.

Fiona looked down and away from Rhys, clutching the rifle against her chest. She heard him flick open the holographic screen from his palm and the sound of texting. 

“Vaughn’s okay,” Rhys said quietly. “And I let him know we’re still alive on our end.” Rhys was met with more silence. “Fiona… I didn’t mean to…”

“It’s okay, Rhys,” Fiona finally said. She sighed, still not meeting his eyes. “I’m sorry I yelled at you. That yell wasn’t really meant for you. You’re not the one I’m actually frustrated at.”

“I know. I figured…” Rhys ran a hand through his hair. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“What’s there to talk about?” She shook her head, clenching her jaw. “You were there when it happened.”

“I’m not asking you to talk about what happened. I’m asking if you want to talk about how you feel from what happened.”

“Wh— How do you think I feel?!” She snapped, then froze. Rhys didn’t flinch, though. When Fiona guiltily met his gaze, all she saw was worry in his eyes.

“I know you’re hurting,” he said. “It’s alright.”

“No,” Fiona sighed, sadly eying him. “It’s not. It’s not right for me to take it out on you. You’re my friend, not my punching bag, Rhys.”

“I don’t know. You kinda punch me a lot, literally.” He smirked. “Also, did you just admit we’re friends twice now?”

Fiona gave a tired smile. “You never stop, do you?”

“I haven’t heard you admit that since that time in Scooter’s garage. I was starting to think it was all a dream.”

She chuckled. “You’d dream about me, huh?”

Rhys’s face reddened, and Fiona blinked, not intending that. She eyed him for a moment. Briefly, she entertained an idea: Could I… be the ‘someone else’? Strange, but wouldn’t it make sense if she was the one he meant? Why else did he keep getting flustered or at least seemingly flustered around her if it wasn’t the case? No, Fiona. It could be all in your head. It’s better to not get your hopes up. Besides, you’re still figuring out what he really means to you for sure.

“So,” Fiona continued. She sighed, setting her gun aside. She pulled her knees up to her chest. “Felix tried to reach out to me. Sort of.”

Rhys frowned. “He did?”

“I kept getting calls from an unknown contact not too long ago. Eventually he left a voicemail, but,” Fiona shook her head. “I couldn’t deal with it. The moment I played his voicemail and heard him say hello to me, I hit delete.” She dragged a hand down her face. “I can’t stand his voice, even though maybe some part of me misses it,” she then admitted. She glanced at Rhys. He looked thoughtful.

“Do you ever want to talk to him again?” Rhys asked.

“No.” Fiona frowned. “Yes? I don’t know.”

“Well, what makes you say no, and then yes?”

“Uh… ‘No’ because I’m worried I won’t like answers to questions I have, and ‘yes’ because I’m tired of not knowing the answers.” She leaned her head back against the wall. “I keep replaying moments Sasha and I had with him, growing up. Look, we never got around to actually calling him, ‘dad,’ but y’know. I don’t know– I’d hate to think that he kinda was that for us because then that means Sasha and I would’ve lost our dad twice.” Fiona knew Rhys’s questioning look, so she quickly answered, “Our mom and dad died from a bandit shootout. We were so young, I don’t grieve about it so much. Really, it’s Felix who stuck around longer, so… When it comes to him, I don’t know what to do. I don’t know if I should try to talk to him again.”

Rhys nodded. “Well,” he exhaled. “That’s a tough decision to make. To reach back out or not. But if you did, I think that closure might help you,” he gently suggested. “You sound like you’ve been wrestling with questions about him, even if it’s more subconsciously. Maybe a talk will have him put those questions to rest, but that’s your choice. And if you choose not to, you’ll be alright, too. You’ve been doing great, carrying on with your life like you have. So, it’s okay if you don’t bring yourself to, y’know?”

Fiona’s brows furrowed. “You don’t think it’s selfish of me not to? He raised Sasha and I. Even if it might’ve been for his own gain in the end, he still dedicated years to care for us.”

“I mean, you kinda saved his life. After he robbed you and Sasha, then bailed. I’d say the score’s even if there is a tally on owing things. If you didn’t warn him, he wouldn’t even have the chance to talk to you.”

“Yeah…” She tilted her head. “That’s true.”

“If you reach out to him, make sure it’s for you and not for him,” Rhys said firmly. “It’s not selfish, or self-centered. After what he did, you should be trying to take care of yourself. And you’re doing that. Keep doing that. I know you care about him, and you can still choose to have that care with you, but don’t let your care for him cost you any less care towards yourself. You can still care about him without having to cost the care you gotta have for you.”

Fiona smiled, raising a brow. “What kind of weed have you been smoking?”

“Uhm, I can think like this on my own, thank you very much.” Rhys playfully pouted, knowing it would get another chuckle out of Fiona, and there it was again. The warmth. By the end of the conversation, with all his attentive listening and thoughtful words, that warm, good feeling was in her chest, again.

“I’ll talk about it with Sasha sometime when she gets back. I think it’ll be something we decide to do together,” Fiona glanced away, grinning. “But I gotta say, as much as talking to you sometimes drives me insane, sometimes talking to you does the opposite. So, thank you for this.”

“You’re… welcome?” Rhys quirked a brow, wearing a half grin. “I can’t tell if that’s a compliment or not.”

“Kinda both.” Fiona smiled. She stretched her arms up. “Anyways, I feel a lot better.”

“Heh, good. I’m glad. That’s what really counts.” Rhys leaned forward, massaging his legs. “But it’d be nice if my legs didn’t fall asleep. They’re incredibly numb right now.”

“I think we should be good to get up. Thought it’d take longer, but it sounds like the noise has really died down. Alright, let me help you up.” She stood before him, offering her hands. He smiled as she pulled him to his feet.

“Aghh—! Wow, I can feel pins and needles all over my legs. Feels weird. Stepping sends a shock through them.”

“It’ll pass. Keep stretching and you’ll get that blood circulation back.”

Fiona leaned against the boulder where she could quickly peak around. “I’m gonna give it a minute before checking if the coast is clear. Or doable, at least, to speed the jeep out of here if some are still close enough to want to chase us.” She pulled out the purple rubix cube again, mindlessly fidgeting with it, but not turning the pieces all the way.

“Vaughn just texted and said he spotted most of them back at their nests, but he’s still uncertain to move right now.” Rhys eyed the cube. “Can I see that?”

Fiona shrugged, plopping it into his hand. “Sure, I guess. Just remember we don’t know how it works, so.”

“Hmm…” Rhys scanned it with his ECHO eye. “I still can’t decipher what it means, but the eye is picking up some of the same alien symbols from the vault pendant. Maybe it’s supposed to twist and turn until it spells out something.” Rhys began to toy with it, randomly turning and clicking it about.

“Be careful. We don’t know what it’ll do.”

“Yeah, I know. I’ll be cautious. Experimenting is how you learn stuff.”

“Um,” Fiona squinted. “The last thing gave me nightmares, remember? For all we know, you could be messing with it and trigger it to explode.”

“Please. Alien rubix cube turns out to be a bomb? I don’t know if they were that creative.” Rhys rotated the sides, clicking again and again, until the cube suddenly lit up bright purple with a ticking noise.

“Uh, Rhys?” Fiona looked at it as it got louder. 

“Uhh— wh-what’s it doing?”

The ticking got louder, more frequent. It began to hurt their ears. The light pulsed to the increasingly fast rhythm, which heavily resembled the sound of a ticking time bom—

“Shit!” Frantic as she realized, Fiona snatched it out of his hands, went ‘round the boulder and threw it down into the crater. 

“Get down!” Fiona ducked back behind, tugging Rhys down with her.

Both covered their ears. Then, silence. Other than the sound of disturbed Rakks. A moment passed as Rhys and Fiona looked at one another, and Rhys shook his head. 

“Well, that didn’t do anything—“

A thundering roar echoed throughout the desert. The alien rubix cube exploded.

…

“Well.” Rhys scratched the back of his head as Fiona glared at him from across the table. They were in the old Hyperion cafeteria. “Yeah. So uh, who knew aliens could be so creative, eh?”

“Alright,” Vaughn said, bringing a bowl of fresh fruit. “We did it! With all the nests officially gone, now we feast, my friends! Cheers!”

Fiona crossed her arms, still glaring at Rhys. He sheepishly grinned.

“Oh come on,” Rhys said. “We succeeded!”

“And survived,” Fiona said, unamused. “Barely.”

“Yep, you kept me alive, so uh. You did your part.” Rhys coyly smiled. 

Fiona sighed. “I guess we could’ve been dead a lot of times before today. Like a lot, since we’ve met.” 

Vaughn happily held out a fruit to her. She tiredly nodded, taking it. 

“I need to go home and read. And sleep.” Fiona sunk her teeth into the treat. “And take more of this for the road,” she muttered while chewing.

[rin-bellatrix]

Chapter commentary below the cut ⤵️

[As early morning light spilled from the windows, Fiona began to stir awake. When she slightly moved, her eyes fluttered open to Rhys’s arms wrapped around her, and her hand rested against the tattoo at his open collar.] Omg, her hand resting on his tattoo, I'm already loving this chapter and we just started 😂😂😂

[“Hey, bed-head.” Fiona smiled and gently ruffled his messy hair, making him blush.] If he fell asleep without washing the gel out of his hair, I bet his bed-head is crazyyy wicked 😂🤭💕

[“Heheh, well, you don’t seem to have a problem with my saliva when it’s in your mou— oomph! Owhaha!”] It's not a Stormy Original Rhyiona Piece™️ if drooling/spitting isn't mentioned at least once per chapter 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[“But surely you know more of an extent of how convincing this mouth can be.” She hummed, satisfied at how much his face reddened.] Fionaaa~! 😳🫣😆

[Fiona melted as Rhys covered his face with his hands. She wrapped her arms around him. “You’re so cute.”] AAAWWWWW they get to do stuff like this now~ 😭💖💖💖💖💖

[She laughed. “Down, boy! Down!” But her blushing cheeks only told him to keep going.] These lovebirds just woke up and I've already lost track with how many kisses they've shared! They just can't get enough of each other! 😆😆😆

[“Heh, thank you.” Rhys puffed out his chest a little. “I’m not gonna lie, I might’ve let the sweet taste of victory convince me to invest in some more coffee machines for my employees.”] I wonder if Athena ever got one for herself~ 🤔👀🤭

[“Ehhh, I prefer seeing you squirm a little.”] LOL yeeees~~~ 😂😂😂👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[And if she thought she was getting nervous... Well, if only she knew what Rhys looked like on his end.] OOOOOOOH this cliffhanger?? 👀‼️ devious...! 🫵🏼😠😤

Despite them still being flustered, they're also smooth af with some of those lines~ 😏✨️

Looking forward to the next part~! 💖💖💖

Show Me My Silver Lining (TFTBL Rhys/Fiona Fanfiction) - Chapter 15

SUMMARY: A fan-written continuation of the lives of the Atlas CEO and Pandoran Vault Hunter. Canon-aligned with TFTBL, but not with game 3. What happened after the vault? How does the beloved duo continue growing together? Rhyiona ship including slow burn, fluff, and banter. Enjoy!

(art made by using Canva)

------------------------------------------------------

CHAPTER FIFTEEN: Asking Her Out

As early morning light spilled from the windows, Fiona began to stir awake. When she slightly moved, her eyes fluttered open to Rhys’s arms wrapped around her, and her hand rested against the tattoo at his open collar. 

Rhys eyed her with a goofy grin. “Hey.”

“Hey, bed-head.” Fiona smiled and gently ruffled his messy hair, making him blush. “How long have you been awake?”

“Eh, maybe a few minutes before you.”

She raised a brow. “Have you been watching me sleep?”

“Yea— what? N-no, that’d be creepy.” Rhys stared past her.

Fiona laughed. “It’s okay. I know I’m pretty.”

“Heh… You really are.” Rhys shyly met her eyes, and Fiona blushed. “I’m uh, not used to saying that kinda thought out loud. I guess it’s okay to say that out loud now. This, uh, will definitely take some time getting used to.”

Fiona grinned. “I could get used to it.”

“I’m sure you could.” Rhys chuckled. Yawning, he added, “Sorry. I know I have really bad breath in the morning.”

“You say this as if I haven’t spent days walking through the desert with you. I know that by now.” She rolled her eyes. “It’s from all that drooling. Guess I might have to get used to you drooling on me from now on.”

“Heheh, well, you don’t seem to have a problem with my saliva when it’s in your mou— oomph! Owhaha!” 

Blushing and laughing, Fiona sat up, then frowned once she saw her cut-off pant leg. “Ah. I forgot about the bullet wound.”

“I took a few days off, so if you want to crash here, you’re welcome to. You can borrow my clothes if you need clean ones while putting yours in the washer.”

“Mm… Sure, since you owe me a pair of pants, anyways. I’ll accept lounging in yours as temporary pay.”

”I needed to redo the bandages somehow.” Rhys rolled his eyes. “The dried bloodied fabric literally suctioned to you. But yeah, I figured you’d want me to buy you a new pair.”

“And a new hat.”

”That too?” He raised a brow. “You were the one who lost it.”

“Yeah, but you could’ve picked it up,” Fiona playfully retorted.

“Yeah, well, my hands were full.” Rhys smiled and shook his head. “But alright, I’ll take you shopping. Not today though– you still need rest,” he quickly added. ”Also, I can't believe you got away with not eating last night.”

“I said I wasn’t hungry.” Fiona grinned. “I’m sorry if you were, though.”

“Heh, if I was, you definitely made me forget.”

“The gift of gab; the charm of my con artist days. Though, I suppose nowadays I still exercise my wit with you.”

“Don’t think you can talk your way through everything.” Rhys finally sat up and readjusted himself to sit beside her. “I work in the biggest of big business, so I’ve had my fair share of people trying to talk their way outta things.” He brushed the red streak of hair behind her ear and planted a kiss on her brow. “Use your distractive talk all you want, but you might be meeting your match.” 

“Oh, I’m sure I’ve met my match in one way.” Fiona winked. She planted a lingering kiss back. “But surely you know more of an extent of how convincing this mouth can be.” She hummed, satisfied at how much his face reddened. 

“Yeah, I’m uh–” He cleared his throat as she laughed at the octave change in his voice. 

Fiona melted as Rhys covered his face with his hands. She wrapped her arms around him. “You’re so cute.” 

“You’re the worst.”

“Mhm. Well, would ‘the worst’ suggest ordering delivery from your favorite breakfast place?”

Rhys gaped, then grinned from ear to ear. “Nevermind–” He excitedly planted kisses on her face and neck. “–You’re the best!”

She laughed. “Down, boy! Down!” But her blushing cheeks only told him to keep going.

After staying together for a few days, the two had to depart and get back to business. A couple weeks went by while Fiona was doing exploration on a nearby planet, and Rhys was staying on top of running Atlas, but they kept up messaging here and there, having yet to figure out the next time they’d set to see each other.

“Hey, you,” Rhys cheerfully greeted through an ECHO call. “How’s it going? You, uh, busy right now?”

“Nah, just finished checking out some cool ravines.” Fiona shrugged, smiling. She sat criss-crossed on mossy ground and propped her device against a rock, taking shade under a rocky arch. “Guess I can chat right now while I sort through some new loot.” She brought out said loot and began to rummage through them, cluttering metal against one another. “I just had the most amazing workout. This place requires some serious climbing and maneuvering.”

“Heh, yeah? Sounds like an adventurous gig. It’s totally you.”

“Aww, thanks.” She beamed. “So, what about you? What are you up to?”

Rhys grinned. ”I successfully landed some huge business deals with some top investors. It took a lot of elaborate arrangements ahead of time, but it worked out! So satisfying to see it pay off.”

“That’s awesome, Rhys. I know you worked really hard for this.” Fiona smiled. “Congratulations.”

“Heh, thank you.” Rhys puffed out his chest a little. “I’m not gonna lie, I might’ve let the sweet taste of victory convince me to invest in some more coffee machines for my employees.”

“Pff, you dork.” Fiona laughed. 

“Hey, it’s a way we can all celebrate!”

“Yeah? You gonna test out every one of them yourself?”

Rhys chuckled. “Well, now that you mentioned it, maybe I should.”

Fiona shook her head. “I thought I loved coffee, but compared to you, it seems like I barely like it.”

“Heh, yeah.”

Fiona kept rummaging through her loot, expecting him to continue, but stopped once the hesitance from his end caused a lingering silence. She looked at him, and his ears reddened. 

He cleared his throat. “So, uh, there’s a… certain reason why I called you… besides seeing how your day is…”

Fiona raised a brow as an embarrassed smile crossed his face. “You held at gunpoint or do you need me to help you pull another week of all-nighters?” She teased.

Rhys laughed. “Nope, it’s just ‘cause you’re so pretty to look at.”

“Understandable.” Fiona grinned, blushing. “Okay, seriously though. There’s another reason why you’re nervous, right? Like, something making you nervous enough to also call me about?”

Rhys sighed. “You really are good at reading people, huh?” He rubbed the back of his neck which Fiona knew was a typical nervous quirk of his.

Fiona eyed him. “Hey, whatever you’re about to say…” She smirked. “I’m probably going to laugh at you.”

Rhys scoffed, but was unable to suppress a smile. “Y’know, I don’t know why I’m surprised. Of course you’d say that.”

“Mhm.”

“Can’t offer me some comfort?”

“What, my charm isn’t enough? Also, isn’t honesty important in a relationship?”

“Fiona, you wound me.” Rhys sighed, still rubbing the back of his neck. “But uh… heheh, give me like, three to five business days to say what I want to say.”

Fiona rested her chin in her hands, staring at him with a wide grin.

“Wh— y-you can go back to sorting loot while I figure out the words—“

“Ehhh, I prefer seeing you squirm a little.” 

“Seriously?”

“Yeah.”

“This. This is what I get for liking you.”

“Mhm.” She snickered, seeing his face redden through the screen. “C’mon, don’t be shy.”

“You’re so mean.” Rhys pinched the bridge of his nose, taking a deep breath in. “Do you, uh,” he cleared his throat as his eyes briefly glanced away. Then, in a smaller voice, “…Do you want to go out, sometime?”

Fiona blinked, registering his words. She raised a brow, smirking. “Rhys. Are you asking me out right now?”

“Y-yeah…” He shyly smiled back at her. “Is that, uh, cool? I guess? ‘Cause like, y’know. There’s reciprocation, and uh, I haven’t gotten around to actually asking you out officially. So, this is me. Doing that. Yeah. Heheh.”

“Hmm.” Fiona grinned and swept her bangs aside. She playfully tilted her head as if in deep thought. “Yeah, okay. I’d like that.”

Rhys sat up straighter, excitement rushing through him. “Cool! Cool, so uh, I’ll send you more of the details later? I’ve got something in mind, but I’ve got a meeting in five, so I gotta get going. But awesome!” 

“It is awesome, you dork.” Fiona smiled. “Let’s chat more later.”

However, the moment the call ended, something strange settled in her stomach. Fiona took a moment as she processed something like nervousness kicking in. She certainly felt excited. She loved spending time with Rhys. They were gonna hangout again, so it would be all good and familiar, right? They’ve hung out before.

Thing is though, she’d never been on a date with Rhys.

She’d never been on a date for real. And with someone she cared about.

Don’t overthink it, Fiona. She frowned as she began to overthink it.

And if she thought she was getting nervous... Well, if only she knew what Rhys looked like on his end.

------------------------------------------------------

writer's note: heheheheh >:D if you'd think after they've kissed and expressed their feelings that they'd be less flustered, you're about to find out how wrong you are

mwahahaha~ (cue me rubbing my hands together like a house fly)

[rin-bellatrix]

I realized that my review/comments are not very spoiler friendly, so I'm gonna try to leave em hidden away under a cut 😅 that way I can spare some people from crucial plot points in the future 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️✨️

Spoilers under the cut! ⤵️

Ooh that's a great point, Felix home schooling Fiona and Sasha. Like we never think about it but it makes sense, bc there aren't schools on Pandora, right? 😆😆😆 So yeah, someone had to teach them how to read, write, do math, etc. So interesting~ 🤔

Young Fiona not loving the science fiction or romance novels is so funny~! I wonder if she was reading any of Honoria Moxwell's works, maybe a prequel to "Vault of Passion" perhaps~? 😏🤭💕 (this is a callback to @admiralsweko 's work "Burn After Reading" where rhyiona read a romance novel together 🤭💖✨️)

Ooh, "Bullymong Blood," I would read this crime thriller too~ 👀 the title and summary (and knowing it's set in the Borderlands universe) makes it sound interesting! 📖✨️

Fiona imparting a fry tax on Rhys, and Rhys allowing her his fries, is so freaking domestic and cute~ 🥹💕✨️ true love is stored in the fries~ 🍟

GASP uno reverse fry snatching from Rhys?? I was not expecting this turnaround! 😲😲😲

FIONA SPITTING ON HIM I CAN'T 😭😂😂 she said "💦" seems like rhyiona can't help but to swap spit... 😏😆🤭 (for the life of me, I can't find a gif of that time she spits on him in game, so just have this one instead I guess, since Tumblr didn't wanna give up the goods)

Yeah Fiona... tackling Rhys, straddling him, then spitting on him "to avenge your stolen fries"... mhmm, we see how it is. This man steps into your home all alone and you let your freak flag fly, ok girl~ 🏴😈🖤

I love that Vaughn called Fiona before he called Rhys, and I think it might have to do with the fact that she's a bad ass vault hunter 😉���✨️

LOOOVE seeing Sanzosin art at the end, those posts are absolutely stellar and her art is gorgeous, gotta show love to the GOAT of rhyiona art 😌🙌🏼💖💖💖 and I particularly love that they're both tied into Fiona reading as a leisure activity hehe 😆💕✨️ Great job at picking those specific posts Stormy! You've got an eye for detail~ 💯💖✨️

Onto the next chapter! I'm nosy and I wanna see what Vaughn needed help with 👀😆😆

Show Me My Silver Lining (TFTBL Rhys/Fiona Fanfiction) - Chapter 9

SUMMARY: A fan-written continuation of the lives of the Atlas CEO and Pandoran Vault Hunter. Canon-aligned with TFTBL, but not with game 3. What happened after the vault? How does the beloved duo continue growing together? Rhyiona ship including slow burn, fluff, and banter. Enjoy!

(art made by using Canva)

------------------------------------------------------

CHAPTER NINE: Through the Books She Read

After she finished her call with Sasha, Fiona laid in bed reading a book. She comfortably lounged in a burnt sienna camisole and dark grey leggings, hatless on the occasion. With an apple in one hand, since she was too lazy to make food or go out and buy an actual meal, Fiona settled chomping away as she happily flipped through a crime thriller. 

Though Fiona didn’t exactly have a normal public school life growing up, she had the adequate amount of homeschooling from Felix in between thievery lessons. There was no good in being illiterate when raised into a life of crime considering the importance of knowing the price wanted posters deemed on her head. It ultimately encouraged her to lay low and be very aware of the potential consequences at hand.

Learning how to read was a basic skill anyways, regardless of what life path one chose. When she wasn’t actively practicing how to act and get away with crime, Fiona still learned through the books she read. Even if they were fictional stories, she became more cunning and clever in her teenage years as she began to think like the ways her favorite characters did, or perhaps even better. Her favorite characters always had the upper hand and didn’t lose control. Well, until they’d get caught later for their wrongdoings, but Fiona would be determined to succeed in ways they failed. Noting the holes in their lies, their carelessness in elaborate detail, when really if someone wanted to act without getting caught, opting for more vague answers at times really helped. Or if someone caught how one lie contradicted another, play it off as seemingly contradictory, or diagnose it as merely bad wording. Shoot, even talking long enough on some tangent can make a person forget his point. More often than not, from a lot of the times she mentally exercised all the what-ifs, it really helped her act fast on the spot. Fiona loved those stories even more so because of it. All the entertaining conflict-solution type of thought provoking narratives. 

However, at some point Felix told her she should try to read other genres. He spieled on about how she should expand her taste palette and try to appreciate what other books had to offer. Honestly, it was just an elaborate scheme to try to get Fiona to read the science fiction books he liked.

She tried, but quickly lost interest. Sci-fi and historical fiction just didn’t reach her the same way. And the one time she tried to sit through a romance novel, a scowl firmly resided on her face the whole way through. How could these characters be so dense? Fiona would think. Why would anyone want romance if it makes them think less with their brain and act more irrationally from their feelings? In short, Fiona favored and decided to stick to her crime thrillers.

A couple hours later, there was a sudden knock at the door. Fiona jumped at the noise. Frowning, she tucked the open book under her arm, chucked the apple core in the trash, and grabbed her roshambo. She squinted through the peephole only to see a familiar lanky dork sporting a white short-sleeved button up and tan khakis, and set the gun aside.

She opened the door to his goofy grin.

“Hi.” Rhys scratched the back of his head. His other arm was awkwardly tucked behind his back as he eyed her in her lounge wear. “Caught you at your leisure, eh?”

Smiling, she raised a brow and leaned on the door frame. “Yeah. I was kind of having some me-time before someone came over unannounced.”

“Oh, uh— right. Sorry, heh. I finally sorted out my schedule to have a free weekend. I usually spend time outside of work overplanning stuff in advance, but I’m trying to pull away from that. Loosen up a bit. So, uh, I guess I skipped a step in coming to see you. Letting you know I’m free, I mean.”

“No, it’s alright.” Fiona shrugged. “You’re lucky you caught me at home when I could’ve been elsewhere, though. You might want to call next time to check.”

“True. I’ll keep that in mind.” Rhys nodded while Fiona glanced over her shoulder. The place was clean other than her unmade bed and the coffee mug in the sink.

“Anyways, you’re welcome to come in,” she decided. “I don’t really have food in here, though. I should’ve gone for groceries today.” Then, Fiona spotted the plastic bag silhouetting takeout boxes he held behind his back. “Hold on, is that some sort of surprise peace offering?”

Rhys chuckled. “For showing up unannounced, I guess. Philly cheesesteak and fries.”

“Get in the caravan right now.” Fiona dragged him in by the wrist, and he laughed.

As they ate and chatted, Rhys peered at the book set aside on the table. “Bullymong Blood.” He raised a brow at Fiona. “I didn’t know you were into reading.”

“Always have, growing up,” she answered between mouthfuls. “Loved thrillers. I liked the way they made me think.”

“Heh, that’s cool. I’ve always been more into sci-fi.”

“That’s not surprising, given your nerdy disposition.” 

“Yeah, yeah,” Rhys rolled his eyes but smiled. “So what’s it about?”

Fiona’s eyes lit up. She quickly swallowed her food. “It follows a thief who struggles with kleptomania. As a cry for help, he’d mark the places he robbed with bullymong blood, actually hoping to get caught, while at the same time seeing how long he could lie his way out of it.”

“Woah.” Rhys looked at her warmly as she rambled with enthusiasm. His brow quirked up. “That sounds like a cool book.”

Fiona grinned. “It is. I highly recommend it.”

“Heh, you’ll have to let me borrow it sometime.”

“I was rereading it, so you could go ahead if you want. Though, it comes with a fry tax.”

Rhys chuckled. “You say that as if you haven’t been stealing my fries. I’ve noticed. I hate to break it to you, but you’ve lost touch with your sneaky ways.”

“Wasn’t trying to hide it,” she countered, plucking another fry. “I know you see it. You just didn’t stop me so I kept going.”

“I figured you might’ve wanted a reaction out of me, so I wasn’t gonna give you that satisfaction.” Rhys smirked. “Although, I wasn’t going to let you go without payback either.”

“Pff, yeah? So what are you gonna do about it?”

“This.” He swiftly grabbed a handful of her fries and shoved it in his mouth.

“Wh– hey!” Fiona started batting at his arms. “Thief!”

“Look who’s talking!" His words were muffled. “Hah– ah, ow! Fiona–!”

She play-tackled him, wrestling him down on the couch with her on top.

“I already swallowed it! It’s gone!” He laughed. “You’ll have to wait a few hours if you want them ba–”

She spat right in his face.

“AGH! Fiona, whyyy–” He wriggled to wipe his cheek on his shoulder.

She smirked. “You know why. Now we’re even.”

“How is that even?” Rhys pouted. “I didn’t drool on you this time! And if anything, I was the one getting even. Fries for fries!”

Fiona laughed. “You took way more than I did. This is justice.” Suddenly, Fiona very much realized how she was on top of him. This again; her hands pinning him down, that tattoo at his open collar. She got off of him. His face was as red as hers as they shifted back to sitting.

Okay, fine… To say the least, I’m very much attracted to him. She gripped the edge of her seat as she allowed that truth to finally sit in her mind. But that’s not enough to conclude I like him romantically, right? I could find a lot of people attractive. It’s outta be more than just attraction to actually want someone like that. To want someone in the I-gotta-spend-my-life-with-you, more-than-with-anyone-else, kind of way. Fiona frowned. How does this work exactly? There’s no way I’m gonna read some romance novel to help me figure it out. Even if I do, what do they know? The characters are idiots, in my opinion… Fiona shook her head. She should take it one day at a time.

Fiona looked at him again and grinned as he was trying to finger-comb his hair back down. “Hah. Your hair’s all messed up.”

Rhys scoffed. “I have no idea how you were able to mess up my hair like this. Seriously, was ‘wanted for bad hair styling’ a reason listed on your wanted posters? Before you paid to take them down and all.”

“Nope. It wasn’t on my resume.” She smirked. “I’m actually kinda impressed with myself. You could stick pencils in all that hair gel. Hah, wait, I should’ve done that. Made your head a pencil cup when we stayed up. Guess that’s an idea for next time.”

Rhys huffed, trying to suppress a smile. “I’m glad you find this amusing.”

“Very. I like this look a lot better. It distracts from your annoying face.”

“But you missed seeing this annoying face, remember?” He smirked.

“Emphasis on ‘annoying.’ Anyways, the rest of your fries are mine—“

An ECHO call rang from the counter, startling the two.

"What?" Fiona mumbled as she got up. “Hm, interesting.” She showed Rhys the screen as she answered.

“Hey, Fiona!” Vaughn said. “Oh cool, Rhys you’re there! Great— Now I don’t have to call you afterwards to reexplain a bit of a situation. Uh, I’m gonna need your guys’s help.”

------------------------------------------------------

writer's note: you didn't think I'd never write in our favorite abs-packing, gloriously bearded bro, did you?

also— choosing to expand on Fiona’s character with a hobby in reading? Inspired by the amazing artwork of @sanzosin !!!

[rin-bellatrix]

10/10 series, HIGHLY recommend if you want some ✨️quality✨️ rhyiona fluff in your life to brighten your day 😌💖✨️

Show me my Silver Lining - a Rhyiona fanfic - CHAPTER SELECT HERE BELOW:

Chapter One: It’s Not Worth Losing People Like You

https://www.tumblr.com/writeastormsblog/779320437647769600/show-me-my-silver-lining-tftbl-rhysfiona?source=share

Chapter Two: Payday, Payroll, and New Beginnings

https://www.tumblr.com/writeastormsblog/779472117601386496/show-me-my-silver-lining-tftbl-rhysfiona?source=share

Chapter Three: Human Alarm

https://www.tumblr.com/writeastormsblog/779722261711159296/show-me-my-silver-lining-tftbl-rhysfiona?source=share

Chapter Four: 4AM

https://www.tumblr.com/writeastormsblog/779778175231279104/show-me-my-silver-lining-tftbl-rhysfiona?source=share

Chapter Five: Fishy Ideas

https://www.tumblr.com/writeastormsblog/780285695589777408/show-me-my-silver-lining-tftbl-rhysfiona?source=share

Chapter Six: Non-Date Night

https://www.tumblr.com/writeastormsblog/780958270119641088/show-me-my-silver-lining-tftbl-rhysfiona?source=share

Chapter Seven: I Miss You, Too

https://www.tumblr.com/writeastormsblog/780958542845902848/show-me-my-silver-lining-tftbl-rhysfiona?source=share

Chapter Eight: Kid Sister Calls

https://www.tumblr.com/writeastormsblog/781088523255234560/show-me-my-silver-lining-tftbl-rhysfiona?source=share

Chapter Nine: Through the Books She Read

https://www.tumblr.com/writeastormsblog/781271583096553472/show-me-my-silver-lining-tftbl-rhysfiona?source=share

Chapter Ten: Aliens Were That Creative

https://www.tumblr.com/writeastormsblog/781639311106916352/show-me-my-silver-lining-tftbl-rhysfiona?source=share

Chapter Eleven: Driftio Kart

https://www.tumblr.com/writeastormsblog/782028522040508416/show-me-my-silver-lining-tftbl-rhysfiona?source=share

Chapter Twelve: Didn't Want it With Anyone Else

https://www.tumblr.com/writeastormsblog/782763062422831104/show-me-my-silver-lining-tftbl-rhysfiona?source=share

Chapter Thirteen: Lucky to Have You

https://www.tumblr.com/writeastormsblog/782939104947175424/show-me-my-silver-lining-tftbl-rhysfiona?source=share

Chapter Fourteen: Wounded

https://www.tumblr.com/writeastormsblog/783296327961509888/show-me-my-silver-lining-tftbl-rhysfiona?source=share

[rin-bellatrix]

OMGGG WHY IS THIS THE CUTEST THING EVER~~~!!

His digital display changed to her eye color... 😭💖💖💖

Her nail polish - on her ring finger! 💍 - changed to his eye color... 😭💖💖💖

They're too cute, I can't stand it~! 🙈💖💖💖

Different Color ~a tiny Rhyiona Fanfic~

Rhys was on the couch, opening up his palm hologram to check his emails.

Fiona leaned her head on his shoulder. "Hmm, something looks different."

"Yeah? I switched up the font in settings. I think this one looks nicer."

"It's a nice font, but I was talking about the different color. The projection's usually in blue, but now it's green. A very familiar green."

Rhys grinned, looking into her eyes. "I just changed it to my favorite shade of green."

Fiona snorted and playfully shoved him. "Dummy."

"Hold on-" He caught Fiona's hand, smirking. "What do we have here?"

"Hm? I'm not sure what you're talking about." Fiona casted a look away as she feigned an oblivious tone.

"Your nails are all painted teal except one. One's painted gold." Rhys studied her hand, holding it in his. "A very familiar gold." He elaborately winked his echo eye, and Fiona chuckled.

"Oh really? How interesting."

"And it's on your ring finger." Rhys's face turned red. "Heh- did you, uh, choose that finger specifically for a reason, like to hint at something, or?"

"Not sure what you mean. Are you suggesting I should've done my middle finger? It would've made my flip-offs prettier now that I think about it. Shame."

Rhys rolled his eyes. He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. "Can't spoil when," he said softly. "But I've been thinking about making it soon."

Fiona kissed his cheek. "Can't wait," she murmured, hugging his arm.

:)

[rin-bellatrix]

Stormy, I gotta say that I think this is my favorite chapter so far! I LOVED all of the rhyiona interactions happening here, everything was so in character and I really adore your writing style, you're really doing an amazing job out here 💖💖💖

Gotta love Rhys calling Fiona pretty and getting flustered about it 😆 And then Fiona later saying that she's gonna come visit him to beat him up, and show him her pretty fist 👊🏼😆✨️ Ahh and the part where they're talking on the couch and Rhys is complimenting her on her settling into the vault hunter life, and Fiona complimenting him on his progress as CEO~ 🥹💖💖💖 Simply scrumptious chemistry *chefs kiss*!

Also, the term Promethean city boy~ I might have to borrow that in the future for one of my own fics, it's so good 🤭🤭🤭

Show Me My Silver Lining (TFTBL Rhys/Fiona Fanfiction) - Chapter Three

SUMMARY: A fan-written continuation of the lives of the Atlas CEO and Pandoran Vault Hunter. Canon-aligned with TFTBL, but not with game 3. What happened after the vault? How does the beloved duo continue growing together? Rhyiona ship including slow burn, fluff, and banter. Enjoy!

(art made by using Canva)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CHAPTER THREE: Human Alarm

“Hey Fi- Oh wow you look tired,” a well-maintained Rhys said from his side of the screen. Not a wrinkle in his work attire, not a hair out of place. The heavy hair gel slicking back his locks definitely helped him look as polished as he did. Fiona, on the other hand, didn’t use gel or live the tame day-to-day office life. “You’ve got hat-hair.” Rhys chuckled.

“Thanks, Rhys. I didn’t notice.” Fiona rolled her eyes, finger-combing her hair. “Really, how would I have known I was tired if you didn’t tell me I looked it? Incredibly helpful. So insightful.”

“Glad you finally acknowledged my great detective skills,” Rhys grinned at her teasing. “So, uh, anyways. Now’s not a bad time to call?”

“Mmm, I was gonna sleep until I forget that I’m alive and alive with the most excruciating body pain, but I guess I can spare some time. What’s going on?”

“Ah, yikes. But aww, you’re so generous. Yeah, so um,” Rhys briefly glanced away from the camera. “Uhh…”

Fiona raised a brow. “Rhys?”

“Ah, well– how do I put this?” Rhys scratched the back of his head. “So uhh… See, well, like. Haha, ah–”

“Rhys,” Her eyes narrowed. Slowly, she asked, “Is everything okay?”

Rhys hesitated. His mouth opened then quickly shut, thinking hard about how to say whatever it was that he wanted to say.

“Rhys, any longer and I’m going to fall asleep on the spot–”

“Wait! IneedyoutocometoAtlas!” Rhys said, or more so spilled. Fiona blinked, registering the spill of words.

Rhys looked antsy. He didn’t look directly at her. Was he simply nervous or…?

Or was there someone else in the room?

Fiona sat up straighter, unsure of what was happening. “Rhys,” she paused. “Can I ask why?”

“Oh, I could just tell you, y’know, when you get here,” he said. “I’d rather you be here first.”

“Right…” Fiona then cautiously asked, “Do I need to bring anything? Like,” she thought for a moment. “Like the tricks up my sleeve?”

Rhys frowned. “Huh? What do you mean?”

Fiona gestured to her sleeve, then briefly shot a finger gun.

“Oh– y’mean your roshambo. Sure, up to you. Isn't it better to keep it on you?”

Fiona facepalmed. “Are you not being held at gunpoint right now?”

“What? No! Where did you get that idea?”

“I can’t tell if you’re covering or being genuine right now. You’ve been glancing away from me and breaking eye contact multiple times. Unless it’s because I’m so pretty it’s intimidating to look at me for too long, my guess was that someone else is in the room.”

“No, no one else is in the room,” Rhys reassured very matter-of-factly.

“Oh, okay. You seemed nervous. I was wondering why you kept glancing off–”

“N-not that it’s because I think you’re pretty,” Rhys quickly said, then cringed. “Not that you’re not pretty either! I mean, cause you are, wait I mean– No, like, haha, I didn’t, ah–”

“Rhys. I’m coming over there to beat you up. And you’re covering the transportation fee. After I show you how pretty my fist is, then you can tell me what you actually need me there for.”

With a long sigh, Rhys finally settled with a small, relieved smile. “Thank you,” he said softly. “I’ll book you the nicest hotel.”

“And I want more fancy meals. On your card, because when it’s out of your wallet the food tastes better.”

He chuckled. “I didn’t expect anything different from you.”

…

Atlas was huge.

Fiona never got around to visiting, but here she was. She had showered and managed to find some clean clothes to wear and some to pack, then Rhys ordered a ride to pick her up and everything.

Being well past midnight, the lobby appeared incredibly spacious without crowds of employees bustling about. Tall glass windows practically built the entire back wall. There was nice carpet and wide staircases leading to the next floor and advanced tech adorning the walls. A few guards chatted here and there, but Fiona got in with ease. Rhys gave her a key card and informed the guards of her arrival. She stepped into the elevator, suitcase in hand, and pressed the button to the top floor.

With a ding, she entered another wide hall. She quirked a brow at the fancy potted plants that sat pretty at the big double doors leading to Rhys’s office. Of course, it'd be weird to expect anything less for the Atlas CEO, but Fiona still found the elaborately polished scene amusing. Maybe none of Rhys’s employees saw him outside of work and specifically on Pandora, but Fiona knew how much his flailing limbs and loud socks and drool juxtaposed the composed atmosphere. Scanning her key card, the doors whirred open.

Rhys stood up from his desk, ready to greet her as she strolled in. “You made it.” He grinned.

“I did.” Fiona smiled back. Her eyes scanned the big room and she was pleasantly surprised at how comfy it was rather than professionally bland. He had a varnished dark wood desk, the typical big cushy office chair with fancy framed certifications from behind, and there were bookcases of tech stuff and many book titles regarding business spiels, no doubt. But Rhys also had warm lights on the wall and framed photos, some of the same Fiona had, of their friends on his desk. There were two big red couches that were well cushioned and definitely nap-worthy, and between the couches was a wide and low fish tank as a glass table; a whole glowing table aquarium. Fiona had never seen such a thing.

“Wow,” Fiona said. “Okay, I’ll admit it. You’ve got a cool office.” Naturally, she went to the couches, set her suitcase down, and sank back into the pillows. “Oh, this is nice. Yeah. Wow, that’s great on the back.”

“Right?” Rhys beamed and puffed out his chest a little. Rhys momentarily dipped behind a door next to his desk, then came back out with a glass kettle and mugs. “I’ve got fresh hot coffee. You want some?”

Fiona cracked a smile. “Why is that even a question?” As he sat on the couch across from her and poured, she leaned forward. “Are these Atlas drink coasters?” She flipped one between her fingers and read a huge letter A.

“Yeah, we’ve got our own coasters! Pretty neat, eh? Gortys thinks the fishes appreciate it more than we do, so she prefers to turn the coasters upside down so they can read it.”

Fiona raised a brow. “Wait, Gortys is here?”

“Not right now, but she does work here. She’s kind of my little assistant.” Rhys shrugged as he handed her cup. “She left hours ago, probably hanging out somewhere with Loader Bot.”

Fiona grinned as she sipped, savoring the warm dark notes of black coffee. She could imagine Rhys bringing Gortys to work, her pointing at everything in the room with childlike wonder, and it warmed her heart just as well. How adorable– the Gortys part, of course. The Gortys part.

“So,” Rhys said. “I’d ask how have you been, but from the call earlier I’d assume busy.”

“Busy is right.” Fiona stretched out her legs. “Been out and about, chasing leads. Even if it’s hard to actually come up with anything leading to the next vault, it’s fun to find loot like it's an egg hunt.”

“You really do love what you do, huh? I mean, you obviously don’t need to do what you’re doing for money.”

She nodded. “I mean, yeah. As you said before, money shouldn’t drive my existence. After being financially taken care of for the long run, I figured I still wanted to do something. I don’t think I could settle for an early retirement, to just exist in one place. It’s not for me.” Cradling the mug in her hand, she comfily slouched. “The more I trained with Athena’s crowd, the more I realized how much I loved being on my feet. The adrenaline rush and all. It’s worth the body pains, no matter how much the body pains suck.”

Rhys gazed at her admirably. “The vault hunter life suits you. I can’t imagine you not being caught up in some wild adventure. You’re great at adapting to anything thrown at you, and it's not something anyone can do. You've got a way of always hitting the ground running.” He gave her the most genuine smile and she felt her face get too warm for her liking. “So really, Fiona. I’m happy to hear that.”

“What about you?” She smoothly asked, deliberately redirecting the focus. She wanted to ignore how the way he spoke of her made her feel some sort of giddiness. “Promethea city boy, big building, full of big plans. You’ve done a great job with the place.”

“I’m living the dream,” Rhys said. “Sometimes I can’t believe any of this is real. I’m worried someday I’ll wake up and this was never here.”

“You worked hard for this,” Fiona found herself continuing. “You earned it, Rhys. And I honestly think you’re the best person to be in this position of power.”

Rhys’s eyes widened in surprise. “You mean that?” He ran a hand through his hair. “Heh, sorry. I just, wow. I didn’t expect that from you all of a sudden.”

Fiona briefly glanced away, slightly flustered again. “I mean it. From what little I’ve seen of Hyperion, sure, you were just as pretentious and ambitious in climbing the corporate ladder. But they didn’t have your character.”

Rhys raised a brow at her. She rolled her eyes. “What I mean is, you care about people. You were a jerk at times, sure. You had your moments. But unlike them, you put people first. You weren’t willing to sell out Vaughn to Hyperion higher ups. You could’ve thrown him to the skags, even though you both stole the money. You helped Yvette survive the crash after she betrayed you to Vasquez, and you came back to check on a couple of con artists well after you got the rights to Atlas.” Fiona shook her head. “Sometimes it’s worrying that someone might take advantage of you with that kind of loyalty. More than anything, though, it shows you’ve got heart. I don’t know much about corporations, but I know about you. So, whatever you choose to research and do, I’m here to support you.”

Rhys wore a shy smile and went a little red in his face and ears. “Heh, well… I don’t really know what to say. Other than, well, thanks. Thank you, Fiona. That means a lot, coming from you.”

Fiona looked at her drink. “What did you put in here? I’m not usually all nice when being honest.”

Rhys laughed. “Just coffee, I promise. I guess that was all you just now.”

“You caught me at a late hour and still coming back from a long week. Don’t get used to this.” Fiona smiled. “So, what do you need help with?”

Then, there it was. In the blink of an eye, his face dropped. The uneasiness from before was suddenly written all over him again. His knuckles whitened as he gripped his mug. His brows furrowed. “I’m still not sure how to phrase this without sounding weird and super lame.”

“Then it’s probably just weird and super lame, and you should start somewhere.” Fiona shrugged, somewhat trying to reassure him to speak.

“Gee, thanks,” Rhys scoffed, running a hand through his hair. “Well then,” he paused. “I plan on working late into the early morning, and I might fall asleep. I’ll need you to help me stay awake.”

Fiona stared. “Okay…? And you can’t set an alarm, because?”

“Because,” he shook his head, sucking in a breath. “Because when I get nightmares, alarms don’t easily wake me up.”

“Nightmares?” Fiona frowned. “What nightmares?”

“I don’t really want to go into them. That part isn’t really important,” he quickly said, trying to wave off the concern she wore. “I usually take medicine,” Rhys said. “To help me avoid them, or at least make it easier for me to wake up from them. But recently, the pharmacy I ordered from stopped supplying them.”

“So…” Fiona set down her drink. “You want me to be a human alarm clock?”

“Just for a week,” Rhys assured. “I’ll figure out another way to tackle this, I just,” he huffed. “I’ve got a lot of paperwork and meeting plans to sort through. Please? Then when I’m done with work, you’re welcome to go to your hotel room or explore Promethea and do whatever until the next night I stay up.”

Fiona tilted her head, still frowning. “But what about you, when you’re done with working late? Are you not going to sleep between then and whenever you go into work the next day?”

“I will.”

“Won’t you still have nightmares then, too?”

“Yeah,” Rhys sighed. “I will, but it’s when I don’t need to wake up immediately to keep working every minute by minute to finish my heavy to-do list. I don’t do this all the time– I know it’s incredibly unhealthy to be sleep deprived. I just need to get stuff down this week.”

Fiona rubbed her face. “I should’ve slept more on the way here.”

“You can still sleep on the couch. If I fall asleep,” Rhys looked away again. “You’ll know. You’ll uh… you’ll know. Just be prepared that I might yell a little in my sleep. Do whatever it takes to snap me out of it. You’re the only one I trust to do this for me; I don’t want any of my guards or other employees to see me that way.”

Fiona eyed him. He shrunk in posture, eyes downcast, and fidgety. He sat very different from how he was when they talked just moments before. Fiona felt a pang in her chest. She sighed.

“Alright, Rhys. It’s time to get to work.”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spoiler but not really: It was actually because he found her pretty. Seeing her face up close thanks to the camera, plus having to ask her to stay with him because he had nightmares, equals a very nervous and embarrassed Rhys.

[rin-bellatrix]

Chapter commentary below the cut ⤵️

[Another photo was a selfie of them from the Purple Skag. Rhys held the camera as he wore Fiona’s hat, mockingly pursing his lips, while Fiona was mid jump in tackling him from behind.] I need a copy of this photo stat! 🤭💕✨️

[“Rhys, I will spit on you.”] There it is... 😏😂😂😂

[The selfie beside it was taken by Fiona. Her smirk was at the forefront of the picture, while in the background Rhys was struggling to climb the bottom of a rocky cliff. His lanky legs dangled awkwardly as though he was a cat hanging onto a branch.] Hang in there Rhys~! ✨️

AHHH~ Some quality Sasha x August moments and also sister bonding~ omg I love this chapter so much already~! 🥹🥹🥹💖💖💖💕💕💕✨️✨️✨️

[Sasha laughed. “I’ll be sure to say ‘gross’ then, when you and Rhys kiss.”] An eye for an eye, and Fiona knows a lot about eyes~ 👁😆🤭

[“I…” Fiona felt her mouth dry. Sasha sat patiently, squeezing her hand. Fiona took in a shuddering breath, closing her eyes as she realized how badly knee-deep she was in. “...I have feelings for Rhys.”] YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES~!! 🥳🎉🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼✨️✨️✨️

Ok, this is OFFICIALLY™️ my new favorite chapter!! AAHHHH omg I love it so much~!! 😆💖💖💖 Not only did we get grifter sisters spending quality family time together, but we ALSO got saugust AND rhyiona cuteness in the same chapter??? We are being blessed fam 😭🙏🏼💖💖💖 I'm tempted to print this specific chapter out and hang it up on my fridge or something 😂😂😂

Stormy, 10/10 chapter, I can't gush enough about how much this soothed my fan girl heart 🥰🥰🥰 Thank you for serving up yet another gourmet meal, you're so talented and kind to share this beautiful work with us 🙏🏼💖💖💖

Show Me My Silver Lining (TFTBL Rhys/Fiona Fanfiction) - Chapter 12

SUMMARY: A fan-written continuation of the lives of the Atlas CEO and Pandoran Vault Hunter. Canon-aligned with TFTBL, but not with game 3. What happened after the vault? How does the beloved duo continue growing together? Rhyiona ship including slow burn, fluff, and banter. Enjoy!

(art made by using Canva)

------------------------------------------------------

CHAPTER TWELVE: Didn't Want it With Anyone Else

—Months Later —

At 1AM, Fiona still laid awake. Maybe Fiona was too excited to sleep. Of course she’d be excited— Sasha would be coming back home tomorrow after being away for forever. Traveling planets further and further away really did take a lot of time to travel back from. Fiona missed her like crazy. She couldn’t wait to see her, to catch up, and have their late-night sister sleepovers. She’d braid Sasha’s hair, and Sasha would paint her nails, as they’d share everything that’s been on their mind. But sharing what’s been on Fiona’s mind? Maybe Fiona was overwhelmed about that. Maybe that’s what also kept her awake because what was constantly on her mind… was Rhys.

The ceiling lights were off in the caravan, but Fiona left a string of lights on. The lights strung along the short wall space above her mattress, illuminating the photos on the underside of the top bunk in a soft yellow glow. Staring at the newest ones, she replayed all the moments she and Rhys had since they started hanging out one-on-one.

One was a photo from the night they played video games, in which Rhys was frantically dabbing at a huge spill of lasagna sauce on his work undershirt. 

“Stop laughing and grab more napkins! This is serious!” He said, trying to suppress a smile as Fiona’s laughter flooded the room.

Another photo was a selfie of them from the Purple Skag. Rhys held the camera as he wore Fiona’s hat, mockingly pursing his lips, while Fiona was mid jump in tackling him from behind.

“AGH— Get off of me!”

“Not until you gimmie back my hat!”

“You’re just mad that I look good in it!”

“Hah, you wish!”

Rhys’s hand held the hat tightly atop his head as he tried to wrestle her off.

“Rhys, I will spit on you.”

“I’ve been spat on enough times that I am not afraid!” He challenged, then quirked a brow as he tried to tickle her. “Hah!! Hahah, you’re ticklish!!“

“Rhys!!!”

The selfie beside it was taken by Fiona. Her smirk was at the forefront of the picture, while in the background Rhys was struggling to climb the bottom of a rocky cliff. His lanky legs dangled awkwardly as though he was a cat hanging onto a branch.

“Rhys, say cheeeese~”

“My. Human arm,” he squeaked. “I can’t feel it—“

“C’mon, your height should be an advantage. Get better footholds, or throw yourself up with your robot arm!”

“You’re not helping!”

Another photo of them at crashed Helios taken by Vaughn. Wide shot, Rhys and Fiona were on opposite sides of knocked over cafeteria tables, holding finger guns to their chests. 

“This is so stupid!” She laughed.

“Shh!! The immersion, Fiona! Now make the gun noises, or else it doesn’t count— Psh-pew-pew pew!!”

…

“So.” Sasha grinned, cracking open the bottle of Fiona’s signature teal nail polish. “Sounds like you two had tons of fun.”

Next to the bunk beds, the sisters sat on the floor. It was late evening of the next day. The two spent the day lounging at home, as Sasha obviously needed rest after all her travels, and Fiona bought ingredients ahead of time to make them homemade stew. The stew sat on the stovetop, cooking for the past few hours while Fiona had braided Sasha’s hair, and it filled the air with wafts of many savory spices and herbs. Mixed in with the strong scent of nail polish, it tickled Fiona’s nose.

Fiona shrugged. “Sure, hanging out with Rhys was fun,” she admitted as Sasha started painting. “But I’m glad you’re back. Now I can spend more time with you instead.”

“Mhm,” Sasha raised a brow, half grinning. “Because you’d only hang out with Rhys to temporarily replace me, right? And Rhys, specifically, when you could’ve hung out with Vaughn, or Athena, or any of the vault hunters?”

 A blush spread across Fiona’s face. She sighed, looking away. “Sasha…” Fiona sat silently for a moment, then mustered some courage. “How did you know what you were feeling for August?”

Sasha paused mid-paint. Her eyes widened.

“I mean,” Fiona continued, staring at her nails. “We’ve never had time, growing up, to actually date people for real. We’ve ‘dated’ people for cons. Had kissed people or whatever. So how’d you know you actually wanted to do it for real when it came to August?”

“Huh.” Sasha blinked. She sat back with a small smile. “I seriously thought you’d never ask.” She tilted her head in thought, chuckling a bit as she continued painting. “Well, with August? We weren’t exactly romantic even when we first ‘dated,’ y’know? He actually drove me crazy when I first got to know him. Obviously, he wasn’t known to be from a friendly crowd. He had this ‘tough guy’ act. He’d go swinging at rude customers, and he was super cocky about that whole reputation. I found it really annoying.” Sasha finished one hand, then put aside the bottle of nail polish. She rested Fiona’s hand in hers as they waited for her nails to dry. “We’d chat at the bar. He’d remember my favorite drinks, which was nice, but y’know any bartender would for regulars. I didn’t want to feel too special about it. Wasn’t sure why I would care to even feel special when it came to him, but…” Sasha shook her head, then smiled wide in a way Fiona hadn’t seen before. 

“But…?” Fiona curiously eyed her. 

“Overtime, as I stayed around him, I started seeing sides to him that I didn’t mind. I didn’t know who his mom was– until, well y’know– but I’d notice how caring he was whenever he’d answer her calls. He’d have specific music he liked to hum to on the jukebox. I noticed him sway a little while wiping down the counters.” Sasha briefly closed her eyes, replaying the moments as she rambled. “Initially, I talked to him more for the sake of conning, but honestly? The more we talked, the more I found myself enjoying it. Learning things about his life. He loved dogs; he used to have a pit bull. He loved rock and metal. Hahah, actually, August wanted to join some band when he was a teenager.”

“Pff, what?” Fiona raised a brow, amused. A corner of her mouth went up. “No way.”

“Yeah,” Sasha laughed. “He did! He loved music. But I guess his mom had him toughen up quickly, so he had to skip some hobbies he would’ve gotten into… Anyways… I just,” Sasha shook her head. “I felt good just being around him. When he eventually asked me out, we’d spend more time together, and he proved he could actually be quite a gentleman. A gentleman who swore a lot, sure, and yeah, had his moments with the local thugs, but he looked out for me. He’d notice when I’m tired or feeling off. Even though I couldn’t share with him my life like he could to me at the time, he made it clear I was welcomed to. He’d serve my favorite food and drink from the bar, and would let me ramble about the latest guns I was into. Eventually I felt comfortable enough to let him know when he was getting too cocky or out of hand, and he’d respect me enough to hold back.” Sasha then frowned, looking down at the floor. “All of that… I didn’t realize how much it all meant to me, what we had, until after he found out I was part of that con… And I couldn’t have admitted to you how much it hurt even if I wanted to, since I didn’t even want to admit it to myself. But it really hurt. I knew he was angry with the betrayal, and secretly I was even angrier.” Sasha sighed. “I was angry with myself, but I wanted to pretend I didn’t care while searching for the Gortys project. I had to stay focused on our goals for us, so you and I could finally make it big time and be stable in our lives. There was no time to feel vulnerable and mopey…”

“Sasha…” Fiona squeezed her hand, feeling a pang in her chest. Fiona was supposed to look out for her little sister. She was supposed to be the one making sacrifices to take care of Sasha. “I didn’t know. I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you about August. I’m sorry that…” I wasn’t sure if I would’ve been. And I’m your big sister.

Sasha shrugged, giving a sad smile. “I know. And to be fair, even if I admitted it to you and you got pissed, I’d get it. I know August isn’t exactly the definition of prince charming. He had a dangerous background and did a lot of bad things. He had a lot of issues he needed to resolve in different ways than what he was used to.”

“Still, though,” Fiona shook her head. “I wouldn’t have wanted you to face your hurt alone.”

“Hah, I couldn’t even fully face it myself for a while, so I didn’t exactly ‘face it alone.’ Can’t face something I didn’t want to admit was there, until it got too much and eventually I couldn’t turn away.” Sasha sighed again, shoulders slumped. Fiona leaned forward, wrapping her arms around her. Sasha hugged her back, and they stayed that way for a moment. Sasha then pulled away and patted Fiona’s arm. “I’m okay now, sis. Really.” She smiled again, genuinely, and Fiona smiled, too.

“I know,” Fiona said. “You’re all grown up. You can make your own decisions. As much as August still is a weird choice to me, I’m glad you told me about how you see him. I’m glad I could understand him better just to understand you better.”

“Wow.” Sasha exhaled a soft laugh. “I feel a weight coming off me I didn’t even know I had.”

“Yeah?” Fiona smiled. “Y’know, I felt like we were distant lately. I thought it was just from all the traveling you’ve been doing. Maybe I should’ve spent more time asking what’s been on your mind, how you feel and all about stuff I haven't really understood. I’m sorry I didn’t take the time to sooner.” She shook her head. Then chuckling, she admitted, “I’m still gonna say ‘gross’ though, every time August kisses you.”

Sasha laughed. “I’ll be sure to say ‘gross’ then, when you and Rhys kiss.”

“Uh–” Fiona’s face brightly reddened. “No– We’re not… I don’t know–”

“How I knew what I felt with August,” Sasha quickly cut in, “was because I thought about how I could’ve started my life over with anyone else, once I’d gotten the money. I could’ve had a clean slate. New life, all stable, no need for cons anymore. Could’ve tried to start something with someone without having to face my mess and without having to earn trust all over again after all my lies, but what I had with August? I didn’t want it with anyone else. I couldn’t have wanted it with anyone else, no matter how much I’d try to push it down. He made me want to face all of the messes we were in. Mistakes from my end and his. I wanted to go through it all, just to be with him again.” Sasha looked thoughtfully to Fiona. Fiona didn’t meet her eyes.

“I…” Fiona held her breath. Images flickered through her mind of those days spent in the desert on foot, kidnapped and forced to recollect everything with Rhys. After thinking he was dead for a year, and then he had the nerve to finally show all dolled-up. There he was, after all that time apart, and they went back and forth yelling at each other as they processed all their mistakes together. All the pain that was bottled up and sealed tight, crashing through the surface, coloring their faces in rage and bitterness. But deep down, Fiona was glad to see him. She would’ve rather been burning with anger towards him than grief. She hated being held at gunpoint while going through it all over again, but she would’ve if that was the only way to reconnect with him. Would she have done that for just anyone? And even if she only saw him as a friend?

Truth was, Fiona still thought about the night she and Rhys held each other. When they’d confide in one another about their nightmares. She replayed the way it felt to be held by him. Many sleepless nights, she’d bury her face in her pillow, pretending to relive that moment all over again. Rhys made her feel so safe and understood in ways she didn’t think she needed someone to, in ways she didn’t even know she could ever want.

“I didn’t want it with anyone else. I couldn’t have wanted it with anyone else, no matter how much I’d try to push it down,” Sasha said. 

Fiona felt her heart ache. Because nobody else was Rhys. Rhys with his stupid smug grin when he’d tease her. Rhys with his ugly socks and his finger guns and his passion for hacking. The way he quirked a brow when Fiona would get confused about his high-tech life, and would be more than happy to teach her. The way Rhys’s eyes looked to her with worry when Felix stressed her out, and how Rhys’s fingers tentatively held her face when she’d accidentally gotten bruised. The way Rhys listened to her talk about her interests, the way he was happy to share his, too. 

Fiona felt her stomach flutter. What she felt towards Rhys, she didn’t want with anyone else. She didn’t want to be playfully competitive with anyone else like they had— from arm wrestling, to racing under city lights and night skies, or video games. She didn’t want to sit and share thoughts like she did with him with anyone else— those all-nighters, chugging caffeine, or while bombing rakk nests. She especially couldn’t picture herself breaking in and waiting in anyone else’s home to have dinner together, for her to stay and comfort and share each other’s company after a long day at work.

“I had to see you again,” Rhys said.

Even now, she could hear his words echo in her mind, no matter how much she tried to pretend she didn’t. His voice when he said those words still made her heart pound rapidly against her ribcage as if it were about to shoot out of her chest. Those words, in his voice, made her feel overcome with warmth– absolute happiness– that she helplessly let devour her. She didn’t care for anyone else to say such a thing to her like Rhys did. She wanted it to be him who’d say that to her… And so it finally made sense why she demanded Rhys to stay away from Sasha back at the vault entrance, when she thought he liked Sasha. At the time, Fiona already saw Rhys as a great guy, better than August. So she didn’t understand why she told him to back off as a knee-jerk reaction. Reflecting on everything, it all clicked into place. Everything made sense because the truth was, she wanted him. Fiona wanted Rhys.

“I…” Fiona felt her mouth dry. Sasha sat patiently, squeezing her hand. Fiona took in a shuddering breath, closing her eyes as she realized how badly knee-deep she was in. “...I have feelings for Rhys.”

------------------------------------------------------

writer's note: Finally, Fiona faces it! Heads-up, the slow burn ain't done burning slow quite yet >:) Hehe, hold tight! Btw, I wanted to write a bit more on Saugust. I hope you enjoyed it!

I think August would be a dog person. Do you see it, too?

Also, what instrument do you think August would've played if he ever gotten into it as a hobby? Just some fun ideas to ponder

[rin-bellatrix]

Loaderbot approves 👍💛✨️

I Shall Name my Firstborn Loader Bot

Imagine in some universe Rhys and Fiona have been married for a few years and then find out they’re gonna have their first kid and it’s a girl.

Fiona: so for possible names—

Rhys: LauraBeth or LylaBelle

Fiona: …Have you thought about this before?

Rhys: Uh, yeah. Y’know, I just like thinking about cool names.

Fiona: Why do you want a first name to merge two names together like that? Do you know any Lauras or Beths or Lylas…?

Rhys: …

Fiona: Like, are you trying to honor anyone here? What’s with these kinda suggestions?

Rhys: (makes eye contact with the bot standing beside Gortys) Uh…

(To be clear, this isn’t exactly my headcannon. I just think it’d be funny if Rhys did try to go with naming his kid LB in some way.)