writeastormsblog

[writeastormsblog]

Hey again!! Finally found another moment to respond, and I’m so enthusiastic about this discussion with you!! Though I extended your question to others, you’re the one who gave us a talking point to begin with, so thank YOU <3

The way you explain how you could see Rhys and Fiona’s dynamic developing in ways the game did not flesh out shows how you’ve got a lot to say that I think is absolutely worth sharing in writing fanfiction. If you’re interested in writing fanfic, I think you have so many ideas worth exploring that I say do it!!

I’m still a learning writer, and I always will be. Every time I reread a chapter of my ongoing Rhyiona fluff, I’m always seeing things I would do differently. It’s easy to spot a lot of technical edits I’ve done over time in comparison to the reblogs of the initial version, but even then, illegibly there’s content I wish I slowed down and fleshed out more thoroughly. Writing will always a growing process, so know that if you feel held back by the fear that your writing might not be what you want it to be initially or held back by the uncertainty of not knowing where to start, starting somewhere— literally with even one sentence— and continuing to add on and edit from there is how you become closer and closer to what you want your writing to be. From reading your reflection on the matter of Rhyiona, all the potential in your contemplative ideas, I really believe you would be great at writing fanfic. Ideas are the bones of writing any narrative. Writing skills can always be developed overtime, but having ideas is where it’s at, which you truly do have and I’d love to see you explore!!

And thank you for your kindness and comfort in regard to my rough circumstances lately. You’re right; this whole rough patch of my life is temporary. It will pass, and someday I’ll look back and feel like this was all a blur. I’m just standing in the middle of the storm right now, but I know when the storm blows over and moves far away, I’ll feel as though it wasn’t as lingering with all its intensity. Thank you for reminding me that :)

And I’d be delighted to see what prompts you suggest that I could write with in the future!! I’d love to see what comes of it. Talking to you already has been really inspiring to me as a writer. It’s so touching to know my stories are something that helps you. I just want you to know you contribute so much to the Rhyiona community by just engaging and being enthusiastic about the ship alone. Look at this whole discussion YOU started— YOU are awesome!!

And hehe, my pillows are good and so are my shower temps<3

Hey so I gotta ask! What got you back into tales? If you ever left lol. It’s just I LOVED tales back then but for some reason my saves keep corrupting and I got tired of dealing with it so I deleted it 💀 but I recently got back into it and I’ve been reading your fanfic and I’m loving it! It’s so true to their characters! For some reason I always felt Fiona was a better match for Rhys and that last scene with them in the vault was the nail in the coffin. What got you into it again? Because truly I have no idea why I did 😭

Firstly, it is so incredibly lovely to know that something I’ve written has brought someone else joy. Thank you so, so much! Life has been very rough for me lately, having me constantly busy and I probably will be for a while, so I don’t know when I’ll update and write anymore chapters after Chapter 15, but know I do plan on getting back into it whenever life slows down. Suddenly, I’m given this brief moment to check Tumblr as a break from reality, and upon doing so I saw this comment of yours! To receive a comment is truly so delightful. Seriously, thank you times a million<3 So, to answer what you’ve asked, well…

As years have flown by and life became more complex for me, I craved comfort in nostalgia, and how I’d typically get my fix of comforting nostalgia was from old narrative-driven video games. When I first got into Tales From The Borderlands, I believe it was when Jacksepticeye posted his gameplay footage for it. The year the game came out, I was twelve years old, so it feels really random how memories of the game’s existence hit me about a decade later. Now that you’ve asked, I’ve reflected, and I think it was stepping into being an English major that made me remember the game.

From indulging in narrative-driven video games at such a young age, I fell in love with the idea of storytelling and specifically that of creative writing. So, during my most recent semester at college, I finally decided to take an intro to fiction writing course that covered so many aspects of storytelling. The instructor would invite classmates and I to share examples of stories that applied certain narrative techniques, and that’s what really jogged to mind Tales From The Borderlands. I couldn’t stop bringing up the game numerous times. “Does anyone have an example of a piece of media that uses a type of plot structure we can discuss?” (Oh, well Tales From the Borderlands utilizes frame narrative structure.) ��Let’s talk unreliable narrators” (Oh! Well, there are these two protagonists, Rhys and Fiona…) “Does anyone have an example of Chekhov’s gun?” (Felix’s gift to Sasha) “Given the twelve character archetypes we went over, pick one and give an example of it” (Gortys falls under The Child archetype, as she is hopeful yet naive…) In short, I believe this is how I got back into watching gameplay of Tales From The Borderlands. Analyzing and studying any beloved media of storytelling can teach a writer a lot about how to improve in the craft.

If I’m honest, I’ve never written fanfiction before, and I never thought I’d get into it. Fourteen year old me thought fanfiction was absolutely cringe and not worth getting into, either writing it or reading it. Twenty-two year old me, being very frustrated that romancing Rhys and Fiona was not an option, decided to indulge in reading a lot of Rhyiona fanfic to scratch the itch the game did not provide, and I quickly learned that there are so many incredibly talented writers that write incredible fanfic. Writers like @andaxay @admiralsweko @rin-bellatrix absolutely proved the pretentious mindset I had at fourteen was so very wrong, and such a joy it is to be proven wrong for something as silly as that.

Naturally, as to how I decided to start writing my own fanfic, reading the works of those fanfic writers and many more from ao3 have inspired me to give it a shot. Additionally, as someone who has stressed over original content she wants to put out someday, I wanted a break from getting so hung up on my original work’s rough patches of the writing process, while still practicing the craft of creative writing somehow. Thus, fanfiction just made sense to start exercising and honing in on narrative techniques while removing the pressure I have from time to time regarding my original stories. While writing fanfic, I could practice character voice vs narrator voice, flashbacks, narrative pacing, varying sentence structure in developing a writing style, etc. etc. I’m still learning as a writer, and always will be, so writing fanfic is such a fun way to go about my journey. And upon further research, I’ve found that many amazing writers have actually started practicing their craft by writing fanfiction. For example, Marissa Meyer (New York Times Bestselling author of The Lunar Chronicles) started off writing Sailor Moon fanfic! It’s so cool to see other people’s writing journey, and now in my own writing journey, it’s so cool to have support like yours with me!

Thanks again for enjoying my content and for reaching out to me. I wish I could convey to you how much it means to me to have such a response. Again, my life has been really rough lately, so I am not exaggerating when I say this; seeing someone genuinely interested in anything I chose to write is so uplifting, and it truly made my night. You’re seriously so awesome! May your days be filled with traffic-free drives and the best breakfast foods ever served (Translation: May you have amazing blessings come your way!!! God bless you!!!)

[writeastormsblog]

Hey so I gotta ask! What got you back into tales? If you ever left lol. It’s just I LOVED tales back then but for some reason my saves keep corrupting and I got tired of dealing with it so I deleted it 💀 but I recently got back into it and I’ve been reading your fanfic and I’m loving it! It’s so true to their characters! For some reason I always felt Fiona was a better match for Rhys and that last scene with them in the vault was the nail in the coffin. What got you into it again? Because truly I have no idea why I did 😭

Firstly, it is so incredibly lovely to know that something I’ve written has brought someone else joy. Thank you so, so much! Life has been very rough for me lately, having me constantly busy and I probably will be for a while, so I don’t know when I’ll update and write anymore chapters after Chapter 15, but know I do plan on getting back into it whenever life slows down. Suddenly, I’m given this brief moment to check Tumblr as a break from reality, and upon doing so I saw this comment of yours! To receive a comment is truly so delightful. Seriously, thank you times a million<3 So, to answer what you’ve asked, well…

As years have flown by and life became more complex for me, I craved comfort in nostalgia, and how I’d typically get my fix of comforting nostalgia was from old narrative-driven video games. When I first got into Tales From The Borderlands, I believe it was when Jacksepticeye posted his gameplay footage for it. The year the game came out, I was twelve years old, so it feels really random how memories of the game’s existence hit me about a decade later. Now that you’ve asked, I’ve reflected, and I think it was stepping into being an English major that made me remember the game.

From indulging in narrative-driven video games at such a young age, I fell in love with the idea of storytelling and specifically that of creative writing. So, during my most recent semester at college, I finally decided to take an intro to fiction writing course that covered so many aspects of storytelling. The instructor would invite classmates and I to share examples of stories that applied certain narrative techniques, and that’s what really jogged to mind Tales From The Borderlands. I couldn’t stop bringing up the game numerous times. “Does anyone have an example of a piece of media that uses a type of plot structure we can discuss?” (Oh, well Tales From the Borderlands utilizes frame narrative structure.) “Let’s talk unreliable narrators” (Oh! Well, there are these two protagonists, Rhys and Fiona…) “Does anyone have an example of Chekhov’s gun?” (Felix’s gift to Sasha) “Given the twelve character archetypes we went over, pick one and give an example of it” (Gortys falls under The Child archetype, as she is hopeful yet naive…) In short, I believe this is how I got back into watching gameplay of Tales From The Borderlands. Analyzing and studying any beloved media of storytelling can teach a writer a lot about how to improve in the craft.

If I’m honest, I’ve never written fanfiction before, and I never thought I’d get into it. Fourteen year old me thought fanfiction was absolutely cringe and not worth getting into, either writing it or reading it. Twenty-two year old me, being very frustrated that romancing Rhys and Fiona was not an option, decided to indulge in reading a lot of Rhyiona fanfic to scratch the itch the game did not provide, and I quickly learned that there are so many incredibly talented writers that write incredible fanfic. Writers like @andaxay @admiralsweko @rin-bellatrix absolutely proved the pretentious mindset I had at fourteen was so very wrong, and such a joy it is to be proven wrong for something as silly as that.

Naturally, as to how I decided to start writing my own fanfic, reading the works of those fanfic writers and many more from ao3 have inspired me to give it a shot. Additionally, as someone who has stressed over original content she wants to put out someday, I wanted a break from getting so hung up on my original work’s rough patches of the writing process, while still practicing the craft of creative writing somehow. Thus, fanfiction just made sense to start exercising and honing in on narrative techniques while removing the pressure I have from time to time regarding my original stories. While writing fanfic, I could practice character voice vs narrator voice, flashbacks, narrative pacing, varying sentence structure in developing a writing style, etc. etc. I’m still learning as a writer, and always will be, so writing fanfic is such a fun way to go about my journey. And upon further research, I’ve found that many amazing writers have actually started practicing their craft by writing fanfiction. For example, Marissa Meyer (New York Times Bestselling author of The Lunar Chronicles) started off writing Sailor Moon fanfic! It’s so cool to see other people’s writing journey, and now in my own writing journey, it’s so cool to have support like yours with me!

Thanks again for enjoying my content and for reaching out to me. I wish I could convey to you how much it means to me to have such a response. Again, my life has been really rough lately, so I am not exaggerating when I say this; seeing someone genuinely interested in anything I chose to write is so uplifting, and it truly made my night. You’re seriously so awesome! May your days be filled with traffic-free drives and the best breakfast foods ever served (Translation: May you have amazing blessings come your way!!! God bless you!!!)

[writeastormsblog]

AHHHHHHHH YAYYYYYYYYYY!!!!

I mean— ahem—

Commentary Below the Cut ⬇️💕

[a foreigner was just ripe for the picking (or peeling, in some psycho's cases).] Not the “peeling” 🍕😭😅

[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.] Ooooh!!! The imagery!! I’d be captivated if I saw that in someone’s eye :00

["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."] Haha yoo I thought we left shade back at Hollow Point but here Rhys is, throwing shade 😂

[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.] 😂Fiona being impish!! Dw Rhys, you’ll grow to like that about her 😉🥰

["By the way, that vault key was the worst one I had ever seen, it was so obvious that it was fake."] oh, really? Pfff!! Yeah, ok rhys mhm

[Tell me, how many have you handled that have actually opened up a vault, huh?"] gottem!!! Atta girl, Fi!!! 😂

["That being said, I do have the shiniest meat bicycle. Never forget that, slick."] I frickin loved that line in the game!! I’m chuckling about how confused Rhys has to be since he’s very unfamiliar with the psychos on Pandora. He’s probably thinking “one of us is high rn idk which one”

[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.] THE PLAYFUL WINK AND SMIRK?? HIM IN HER SPACE??? AHHH THE TENSION!!!!

[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.] OOO THE NERD’S GOT HER ALL LOST FOR WORDS!!! AHHHH!!! The funny thing is, Rhys is just naturally doing this because we all know this man has no game and wouldn’t smoothly hint anything flirtatiously. The fact that the dork is just naturally attracted to her, and that alone is making her all flustered!! Ugh!!! That’s so frickin cute— my hEart!!!😭❤️

[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."] I’m kicking my feet over here!!! Rhys’s dialogue so flustered heavy, Fiona y’know he doesn’t have to just be a temporary ally—

[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.] THE HAND HOLDING!!!! THE EXCITEMENT TO JUST GRAB HER HAND AND RUN, C’MON RHYS!!! Man’s subconscious is saying more than he lets on, ugh!!! 😤😂

Not the sweaty grip 🤣 ugh that’s so fitting for Rhys though. He’s so frickin awkward yeah I bet he’s got a clammy hand

Also Fiona keeping it real and telling Rhys her life on Pandora isn’t all about excitement, but survival: I love how she’s helping him become more aware of what exists outside of his life on Hyperion. It’s cute that he’s finding it neat to learn about, but even better that Fiona doesn’t shy away from explaining the seriousness of growing up in such a place.

[What a buncha dumb asses, just my luck.] ayeee, the cameo of “your new best frenemy” Lol nice hint there

[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."] Pfff!! It gets me every time 😂🤣 Rhys, you goof!!!

[She glanced back at him and was perplexed to find him damn near twirling his hair.] I LOVE this line. The exaggeration adds so much more to the scene<3

💕❤️Rin, thank you so frickin much for writing this!! The fact that I wanted more Rhyiona content and you took the time to do that?? “My thanks is eternal” -LB❤️💕

Whether or not what you wrote counts as fluff because it’s so early on in their dynamic, know it doesn’t matter because I loved it anyway!!! You’re so good at writing tension between the two and it fed my fangirl heart!!! Rin, you are awesome!!!!!

Fr, reading your stuff, either your fanfic or commentary on fanfic, brightens my day by a million percent!!! I love how you write, and I love seeing how you react to other people’s writing. “I just wanted to say, that I think you're really cool.” -Slick <3 🥰✨

I hope to see you write more Rhyiona content!!! Whenever you get the writing fever, PLEASE!!!!!!

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]

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)

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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.

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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)

[writeastormsblog]

aww!! right back at u <3

To all fellow Rhyiona writers. Ily <3

[writeastormsblog]

Writing is such an interesting form of time travel. Some late afternoon, I could be telling myself, “Yeah, I’ve got time to write. Maybe I’ll do ten or twenty minutes.” And then suddenly it’s two in the morning— Um, how did I get here?? This is why setting an alarm is important. Idk how to control my powers yet so yeah the main character vibes kicking in hard rn

[writeastormsblog]

See this? This is frickin food for me. I’d eat this all up!! I love seeing characters like this :,0

When a Character Has a Crush and Is Absolutely, Pathetically, Hilariously in Denial

This is not slow burn. This is oh-no-I-accidentally-fell-for-you chaos with a side of emotional whiplash...

⭑ They suddenly become weirdly aware of everything that person does. Chews their pen? Heart attack.

⭑ They insist they’re “just friends” but act like they’ve been married for 40 years.

⭑ Their friends all know. The mailman probably knows. They don’t know.

⭑ They make fun of the other person flirting with people. Then sulk. Then deny they’re sulking.

⭑ They get flustered over the dumbest things. A smile. A shared drink. A hand on the shoulder.

⭑ They remember everything about them... dog’s name, birthday, and act like it’s totally casual.

⭑ Their voice gets weird around them. Higher. Quieter. Rougher. It’s never consistent.

⭑ They get competitive. They don’t know why. (It’s jealousy. Surprise.)

⭑ They notice new clothes. New hair. New earrings. And absolutely say nothing while staring too long.

⭑ They get mad when other people point it out. Mad and embarrassed. The “shut up” is always immediate.

[writeastormsblog]

yeah this all is fitting 😂 I could definitely see these characters as these cats n dog. Ofc Rhys is the odd one out lol

Also, idk why, but I imagine if there was a storyline of Fiona ending up with a pet, she’d have a Siamese cat. It would probably be a stray that followed her home one day.

so

[writeastormsblog]

okay wait why is one of the things I personally find super romantic is something like this? specifically, more like if I’m struggling to sleep at some hour past midnight, and my future lover just goes “ah well, time to take you to ihop. let’s go get a fat stack of pancakes.” (Yeah, some ihop locations are apparently open 24hrs!!) like yes please ahHhh

I’m ngl it’s been on my bucket list to go to an ihop with some friends at three or four in the morning and just do creative writing or build legos or something. I’m not even into building lego sets, but idc. We could play card games or do coloring books or whatever. Thing is, I just want to hangout at a diner with strawberry n whip cream covered pancakes with loved one(s) when I should be fully unconscious.

romance is not about the kiss. it’s about the line “i brought you coffee” when no one else did

[writeastormsblog]

Rhyiona writers PLEASEEE!!!!

Tender Actions for Characters Who Are Yearning (But Not Together… Yet)

(aka: I crave you in silence, and if you notice, I’ll die and also be thrilled)

・❥・Letting their hand hover near yours but never quite touching. Every atom screaming: please reach back.

・❥・ Saving the last bite of something, “just in case you wanted it.” (They always do. You always remember.)

・❥・ Fixing their backpack strap, even when it’s not falling.

・❥・ Offering your umbrella wordlessly. Standing a little closer than needed.

・❥・ Sitting beside them at a group thing before your brain catches up. Like it’s instinct.

・❥・ Casually mentioning something they said weeks ago. Something small. Something they didn’t think you’d remember.

・❥・ Carrying an extra pen, just in case they forget.

・❥・ Letting them rant. Letting them ramble. Letting them be.

・❥・ Your eyes finding theirs in a crowd before your brain says, look away.

・❥・ Brushing against them “by accident” and apologizing even though it lit your whole nervous system on fire.

[writeastormsblog]

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)

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

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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, gotta sort out the new shipment on the booze. I’ll be back.”

The two lovebirds exchanged a kiss goodbye, then August walked out. After August left, Sasha took a turn at wiping the glasses and stood 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 directions 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 he wrapped his arm around her. 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.

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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

[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.”

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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

[writeastormsblog]

Show Me My Silver Lining (TFTBL Rhys/Fiona Fanfiction) - Chapter 13

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)

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CHAPTER THIRTEEN: Lucky to Have You

Fiona paced around in Rhys’s office. She crossed her arms, periodically checked the clock, and continuously waited for whenever he’d get back from his meetings. She tugged at her hat. She fidgeted with her sleeves.

What am I gonna even say to him? Do I have to say anything to him? I mean, no, but what else am I supposed to do with this information? 

Fiona shook her head, frowning.

What if he doesn’t even feel the same way? Do I even have an actual shot at this, or am I about to ruin whatever it is we do have? –No, it’s gotta be me he’s interested in. He’s been flustered. He’s held me close. He’s made so much time to see me, and I haven’t seen him make an effort like that with anyone else. I have to be the ‘someone else,’ right?

Fiona huffed, clenching fists at her sides.

This is so stupid! I have no idea what I’m doing. I should just leave. I’m leaving.

She spun towards the door, then paused.

He could be coming back any moment. What are you gonna say if you pass him on the way out? Just, calm down— It’s just Rhys. It’s just the biggest dork you’ve ever met. Rhys, CEO of nerds, who drools in his sleep, and sucks at running. He’s not some scary monster on Pandora. It’s just Rhys, who looks stupid flailing around the desert; Rhys, who can’t shoot a gun. Rhys… who looks so damn cute when he’s caught off guard. Rhys, who gets all excited about the ‘best breakfast place’ on Promethea, insisting you have to go with him. Rhys, who stays up late calling you to tell you about how he finally read the book you like. Who ambitiously and annoyingly tries to snag your hat, having you hold him down until you get him to wear that insanely kissable pout or kissable smirk…

Blushing and huffing, Fiona threw her hands in the air and stomped over to his desk. She plopped down in his cushy desk chair, massaging her temple. She scanned his desk for something. Anything. She needed a distraction from all the noise inside her head. 

She blinked. Upon noticing the stack of blueprints before her, Fiona‘s brows furrowed. She slowly reached to examine them. Curiously flipping from one page to the next, it appeared to be variations of Rhys’s robot arm. There were scrawled notes of what he wanted improved in the next upgrade with many different sleek designs. He circled the diagrams’ finger joints, scribbling something about the percentage of varied mobility. As Fiona flipped further back in the small stack of blueprints, it seemed that Rhys continuously planned and improved upon older models, basing the next blueprint off of another. She quirked a brow, intrigued by it all. She didn’t understand all of his tech stuff, but she understood enough to know it was impressive what Rhys could do. Fiona smiled. The fact that he could plan enhancements and to be the one building his own limb, knowledgeable on even the smallest details about it? Of course it was another thing Fiona had to admire about him.

When she flipped to the very back of the stack, the blueprint of the oldest model on file made her face drop. Fiona was stunned. There, in all its familiarity, was the diagram of Rhys’s old yellow robot arm. The arm he wore when they first met and first got to know one another. 

A wave of melancholy crashed over Fiona as she remembered the last time she ever saw that old arm. It was in Helios. Crashed Helios. Unattached to Rhys, and Rhys’s body nowhere to be found among the wreckage. 

Fiona tossed the blueprints back onto the desk, trying to shake away the memory. But it wouldn’t leave her, and a flood of images opened up. So vivid it could’ve been tangible in front of her, she saw the metal rod that stabbed through his arm from which it hung. Mangled wires where his shoulder should’ve been, caked with dried blood. His blood. Fiona’s stomach began to churn, remembering the dread, the fear, and the denial that hit her all at once. Her frantically roaming through all of crashed Helios, day after day, and Sasha trying to drag her away from the wreckage. Fiona battled compulsions, trying to fix the emptiness that suffocated her while struggling to let go. She couldn’t bring herself to message him, to not see him respond. That in an ongoing, torturous way, it would’ve confirmed he was really dead, yet simultaneously it’d leave her to endlessly wait and constantly check over and over and over, desperate to see if she was wrong, that he was alive and he’d respond. She was desperate to know that he wasn’t dead, all while hating how angry she was at him, and hating how much she’d never get the chance to see him again and figure things out together.

A tear slipped down Fiona’s cheek, plopping onto her lap. She wiped her cheek, startled at the wet spot on fabric. I know he’s okay now… We're okay now. She shook her head. So why does it hurt so bad, still? Somehow, maybe it hurts even more now than it did back then. She frowned. But why?

The whirred open of Rhys’s office doors made Fiona jump. She quickly wiped her sleeve across her face as Rhys walked in, occupied on a video call from the palm of his hand. Fiona squinted at the projection of a pretty blonde woman’s face.

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea for sales,” Rhys said, chuckling. “I’ll have to think about it, Madeleine.”

“I’ve got many connections in marketing that side of the industry. You don’t think I know this kind of business?” The woman smiled, leaning into the camera, keeping her eyes fixated on Rhys. “How long have we known each other, Rhys?” She purred, and a new uneasiness settled in Fiona.

“I know, I know. You’ve got a lot handled for your company.” Rhys smiled and shook his head. “But I will still need some time to consider.”

“You’re a very smart and capable man. I know we’d make great partners,” the woman said smoothly. “Take care, now.”

“You as well,” Rhys nodded, then shut off the call. He looked up to go to his desk, then let out a startled noise at Fiona. “Fiona! Heheh, breaking in again, eh?” He chuckled, running a hand through his hair.

Fiona crossed her arms, tilted her head to the side, and mustered a grin. Upon feeling a weird twist in her stomach from the blonde, mixed in with sudden remembrance of her grief, Fiona’s body thankfully went into her trained defense mechanism from her years of conning. She automatically raised a brow, naturally cool and unwavering, though she felt her insides were about to explode. “It’s not really breaking in, this time. I still have the key card from playing human alarm.” She lifted her chin, smirking. “So. Madeleine, huh?”

“Yeah, she’s a great business woman. I knew her from sharing a few classes with her back in high school. Very demanding and persuasive. She knows how to sell.” Rhys smiled and strolled over to the desk. “Nice chair you got there. Mind if I use it?”

“Hmm…” Fiona squinted at Rhys. “Are we gonna talk about it first, or?”

Rhys frowned. “Talk about what?”

“Her. Madeleine.” Fiona casually checked her nails, purposefully avoiding his eyes.

“Uh… We just did? What else is there to say about her?”

“Oh, y’know.” Fiona shrugged. “You’ve known each other for a bit.”

He scratched the back of his head. “Briefly and barely? We were classmates for a couple years.”

“And you’d ‘make great partners.’” Fiona quirked a brow, finally bringing herself to meet his gaze even though her chest ached. “But not just business partners, right?”

Rhys blinked. “Huh?”

“I saw all I needed to know.” Fiona confidently stood, at least appearing so as she placed her hands on her hips. “Found your ‘someone else.’”

“Woah, woah— no.” Rhys’s eyes widened. He raised his hands, frowning. “That’s not what’s going on here.”

“Sure, and Rakk Hives are kid-friendly.” Fiona smirked. “C’mon, Rhys. It’s obvious.” I should go. I should stop talking about this further, but I’m scared it’s not me. I have to know, and this a way to do it. She turned towards the window, arms crossed, all in secretly stomaching her discomfort.

“Seriously,” Rhys frowned and shook his head. “You’ve got it all wrong. It’s not her.”

“Mhm, Mr-very-smart-and-capable-man.”

“Hey! She’s just not blind.” Rhys scoffed. “I am a very smart and capable man.”

Fiona rolled her eyes. “Other than her being a bit of a kiss-ass, she suits you. Corporate saleswoman and corporate company man. Sounds like a match. Same upbringing, lots in common, right?” If I keep pushing him a bit more, maybe he’ll give in and admit it. End of story, I won’t have to wing a confession, and I could pretend I never knew I liked him since I never had a chance to begin with.

Silence. Fiona frowned, turning back to him. She froze at the legible dejectedness in his eyes. As guilt gnawed at her insides, Fiona shook her head. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I—“ Rhys paused. He rubbed his face, and took a deep breath in. He took a deep breath out, eyes closed, crossing his arms and shaking his head. “I can’t believe you right now.”

Fiona eyed him, confused. 

“I just…” Rhys inhaled again. His shoulders slumped as he casted his gaze to the floor. “Do you…” he mumbled. “Do you want her to be the ‘someone else’?”

“…What?” Fiona blinked. She wasn’t sure she heard him correctly. Why would he ask her something like that? “I didn’t hear you…”

Rhys glumly stared off, then shook his head. He softly cleared his throat. “I said, ‘Do you want to tease me so bad about this?’” He lied. “Is that why you’re so insistent on knowing this right now?”

“I…” Fiona crossed her arms. She thought she heard him say something else. No, he did say something else. He said... No, he didn’t– it wouldn’t have made sense.

“What do you want from me, Fiona?” Rhys said hoarsely. Fiona felt locked in place as his eyes desperately searched hers. The ache in her chest grew.

“I…” want to know if it’s me you want. That it’s actually nobody else you could’ve meant when you said you were interested in ‘someone else.’ Fiona’s words died in her throat. She held her breath, shutting her eyes. But if it’s not me, I… I can’t let you be the one to tell me. I want to be the one to say it first. I don’t want this to feel like you’ve hurt me somehow, so just— let me say it first. I need to know now. I’ve never been like this before, so please make this easier on me.

Maybe it was a stupid idea for her to consider coming here to tell him how she felt. The lack of reciprocation could cause a gaping rift between them, awkward and too difficult to salvage the closeness they currently had. Was it really worth the risk if that was the case? After all that they’ve been through, and all that they’ve grown together?

Fiona frowned, glancing at the blueprints on his desk. Rhys’s brows furrowed as she found herself flipping to the one of his old arm from when they first met. A heaviness hung over Fiona as she stared, her finger tracing over the diagram.

“I… just want to be here for you.” She blinked back tears and kept her voice steady. “I’m…” glad you’re here. Lucky that you’re alive, and that I get to spend time with you, still. “I’m here to… to just make sure you’re happy and well,” she decided. Fiona smiled, genuine, but couldn’t withhold the sadness behind it. Rhys stood silently, confused and processing whatever was going on, still. Your happiness matters more to me than being with you. “So that means if she’s really the one you want, I’m here to support you about that.”

Rhys opened his mouth to speak, but a notification rang from his palm. 

“Heading to another meeting, right?” Fiona already went around him and to the door, tugging her hat over her eyes. “I’ll see you later.”

“Hold on, wait—“ Rhys said from behind her, but Fiona didn’t stop. He froze in his office as she hastily walked out.

…

“I don’t get it, Vaughn,” Rhys said, downing another coffee. His human hand shook as he moved one of his bishops.

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.”

“Oh, yeah. And then she’ll laugh and tell you how I’m actually into someone else!” Rhys huffed, throwing his hands up.

“Water. Now. Grumble into a cup of it before we continue.”

Rhys obliged, exasperatedly rolling his eyes. He sat back down with his cup on the table, then rubbed his face. “This whole thing is making my head hurt.”

“I think it’s the dehydration that’s doing more of that, but go ahead,” Vaughn said. He patiently waited as Rhys sipped his water.

“I just…” Rhys sighed. “I thought I made it clear to her. Maybe she sees it, and this is her way of telling me ‘no.’”

Vaughn tilted his head. “Eh… I don’t know about that. D’ya think Fiona’s used to this kinda thing? The idea of someone dating her, I mean. From time to time, I’d catch up with Sasha on calls, and she’d excitedly tell me what she and August were up to. She told me how she never really had time for actual romance back when she and Fiona were con artists. Did you maybe think about that?”

“I mean… no?” Rhys frowned. “But Fiona’s good at reading people. She might not have dated seriously, but she could at least pick up on what I’m feeling right?” Rhys shook his head. “I’m still trying to pick up on what she’s feeling, even though I've never dated seriously either, y’know.”

“Yeah, I know.” Vaughn rolled his eyes, chuckling. “It was super annoying how you were kinda a chick magnet back in high school and college. Wish you’d leave some for the rest of us, sheesh.”

“Hey, you had a couple girls who liked you, too.” Rhys raised a brow.

“Yeah. Because they thought I had money, Rhys. They saw me stand next to someone’s fancy car once and computed that two plus two equals five.”

Rhys laughed. “Okay, but if they saw what you were packing under your shirt now? I'd cry myself to bed at night about how I'll never achieve such glorious abs.”

Vaughn chuckled. “I’ll be sure to put ‘abs’ on my resume if I ever decide to start dating. Anyways.” Vaughn scratched the back of his head. “How sure are you that you’ve made it clear to Fiona that you’re interested in her?”

“Um, a lot.” Rhys crossed his arms.

“Elaborate.”

“Pff. Y’know.” Rhys shrugged, glancing away. “Like, I told her I was interested in ‘someone else’ when she thought I liked Sasha.”

“Ah.” Vaughn nodded thoughtfully. He let a beat of silence pass. “Y’know, ‘someone else’ isn’t exactly synonymous with ‘Fiona.’”

Rhys rolled his eyes. “Well, yeah! There’s more to that. I called her pretty once.” Vaughn raised a brow. “W-well, sort of... Kinda took it back a little ‘cause I got scared of what she’d say.”

Vaughn exhaled. “Okay, here’s a good idea. I think this one’s the most effective way–”

“No–”

“Tell her that you like her.”

“No–”

“Rhys. If you want a clear answer, give her a clear idea of what’s going on from your end.” Vaughn frowned as Rhys slumped down in his chair.

“I just…” Rhys shut his eyes. He dragged a hand down his face. “I’m scared to outright say it. I don’t want to mess up whatever we already have. Fiona means a lot to me. If she doesn’t feel that way back, I’d burden us. And if she does, and I mess it up, I’d hurt what we’ve got, too.”

“Rhys. You can’t be serious right now.” Vaughn shook his head, leaning forward. “You both have literally went through the worst of the worst. You think she wouldn’t stick around just cause there might be unreciprocated feelings, or that you guys date and maybe you’ll mess up here and there?”

“I…” Rhys faltered and fidgeted with his robotic finger joints.

“Think about it. You guys butted heads with each other so many times, practically at each other's throats at some points, but you both stuck around one another and grew together.” Vaughn smiled. “You’ve both messed up a ton. She first met you because she was trying to con ten million dollars out of us, remember? Then you and I tried to steal the caravan, then she wanted to kill you by having you thrown out of that caravan at max speed. Then, you even had a mass murderer floating around in your head– you legitimately put us all in danger with that going on–”

“Yeah,” Rhys brought a hand to his face, cringing. “Yeah, that was really bad.”

“You put her sister in danger, and you know how much Sasha means to Fiona. Her sister means the world to her,” Vaughn said. “But I make this point to say that even after all of that, Fiona was willing to reconnect with you, Rhys. And at gunpoint, kidnapped, and forced to wander the Pandoran desert by foot.”

“Heh, yeah…” Rhys rubbed the back of his neck, sighing. “Yeah…”

“I don’t think she’ll leave you if you tell her how you feel. I won’t say that confessing won’t change things,” Vaughn cautioned. “And I don’t know what will come of the confession, other than clarity, but I sincerely don’t think there’s something you guys can’t work through. You’ve been through a lot together.”

“Yeah…” Rhys nodded, looking back on his adventures with her. They had been through a lot together. They’ve had their worst moments together– caught up in their selfish mistakes, calling each other out and yelling through their misunderstanding, bickering, and pettiness back then. But after all of it, they came out on top, growing with one another. They had each other’s backs throughout everything, learned to listen to one another, and got better at expressing their care towards each other, and overall created many wonderful and fun memories together. As much as Rhys was determined not to, certainly Fiona wouldn't just leave that behind, either.

“Alright. Just don’t leave me!” Rhys pleaded through a shutting metal door, wedged open with the last Gortys piece.

“Of course,” Fiona reassured him. “If I was gonna leave you, I would have done it a long time ago.”

Regretfully, he didn’t bring himself to reach out to her for an entire year— and yes, mostly because he was paranoid that Jack was still around— but also from thinking she didn’t stay true to her word. Yet, it was so clear how much hurt he could've avoided if he just listened to her sooner. If he had just reached out and given her a chance to explain before a year of dwelling and mental turmoil fully took over.

Once they reconnected by being forced to relive everything together, Rhys was stunned about how wrong he was about her. He was moved by how she really did try to stay behind. After so many people would’ve abandoned him, Fiona didn’t. Fiona really cared about him. He should’ve known sooner. For someone who was raised to live a more selfish life, she was actually one of the most selfless people he knew. Fiona stopped Felix from dying after he robbed her and Sasha big time. Fiona stopped Athena from killing Cassius, too, even though she could clearly empathize with how much having a sister meant to her. How, in all the galaxies, did Rhys happen to be one of the few who got to know someone as incredibly loving and loyal as Fiona? It was one of the many things that Rhys might never understand but truly cherish about her.

“...I’m really lucky to have her at all in my life. She’s an amazing person,” Rhys mumbled, not realizing the smile that he wore. Warmth bloomed in his chest as he thought about what they had, that he even got to have what they had together. “She deserves so much. I'm afraid of how much I could mess up. I just want to do right by her."

Vaughn gently smiled and gave him a reassuring pat on the arm. "Hey, bro. It's a part of life. We all hurt each other sometimes, so it's bound to happen. What counts is that you're trying to do what's right, and that you want to do right by her. Besides, you both kept growing stronger through any tough stuff you've been through together."

"Heh, yeah. We do make a good team."

Suddenly, an aching twist resurfaced. Rhys frowned, remembering the sadness she wore when she looked at the blueprint of his old arm. Right... What was that about?

“You'll be alright, man,” Vaughn said, his back to Rhys as he went to the water cooler. "Tell her how much she means to you."

“Heh, yeah… I should.” Rhys glanced away. And I will. But first, I need to know what made her sad. I’ve got to be there for her, first. I need to do right by her.

“I… just want to be here for you,” Fiona said. “I’m here to… to just make sure you’re happy and well.”

Rhys shook his head. His heart ached as he recalled how pained her tone was. Well, the same goes for you, Fiona. I’m going to make sure you’re happy and taken care of, too. He flicked open his messages from his palm.

Then, he typed: Hey. Let’s grab dinner this weekend. I need to see you.

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writer's note: I go back and forth over how I refer to these parts of an ongoing fanfic as "chapters" because I don't really have a planned plot structure to the narrative. These moments are just written chronologically, fixating on cute scenes of the otp, all in gradually building their romance arc. As a fanfic reader/writer, I'm just here for the scenes of the duo. I'm not really big on plot structure rn-- I just want to explore and indulge in more of their dynamic. I hope you're fulfilled with my writing just by that :)

also-- credit where credit is due! special thanks to @plague-cure for the amazing, ongoing support for this fanfic! the hype has seriously fueled me to keep writing. "my thanks is eternal" -LB

but also! @plague-cure was the one to inform me that apparently borderlands has a cookbook coming out, and there's a recipe page where Rhys talks about his love for breakfast foods! so that's what inspired the detail I wrote: Rhys, who gets all excited about the ‘best breakfast place’ on Promethea, insisting you have to go with him.

Take care, guys <3 and drink water!! even if it's bland!!!

UPDATE: oh my goodness, I didn't copy and paste this in, but extra also(s) where credit is due-- "And We Go Again" aka my fave rhyiona fanfic of @andaxay inspired the bit where Rhys knows how to build his own arm! That fanfic is amazing! Seriously, go read it-- link below:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/28293291/chapters/69330114

[writeastormsblog]

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)

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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.”

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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

[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]

Your Face Matches My Dress Right Now ~a mini Rhyiona fic~

Fiona: (at the wedding venue in a figure-hugging red dress)

Rhys: (properly in a nice suit and tie, caught off guard at the sight of her) H-hey. Heh, wow— you look… s’good. (Clears throat) Yeah

Fiona: (grinning) Not bad, yourself. You clean up nice

Rhys: I’m just gonna, y’know, go get drinks (walks straight into a doorframe, hitting his forehead with a loud thud)

Fiona: (laughing) You alright?

Rhys: (wincing and quickly turning away) Yep, yeah, I meant to do that!

Fiona: Oh, really? (Smirking) ‘Cause your face matches my dress right now!

Rhys: >:(

[writeastormsblog]

It’s crazy to think about how Rhys spent a good while idolizing Jack, then goes through the whole “don’t meet your heroes” experience. Though it is ultimately up to Rhys that he turns away from Jack, being with Fiona definitely catalyzes his detachment.

Not that Rhys turns around and idolizes Fiona— of course not, and that wouldn’t be healthy— but as @comma-tose said from the choices presented to pick between Jack and Fiona, being with her encourages him to turn away from idolizing Jack. Being with her really helps Rhys understand Jack for the bad things he did like ruining her planet, and I think Rhys sees and begins to adore Fiona’s sense of self as she goes onto stating Jack’s flaws and failures, to take Jack’s words “with a grain of salt.” She doesn’t look to someone else to strive to be like Rhys does, she’s just herself by easily acknowledging how nobody else is flawless. Rhys had many motivational quote posters of Jack, so it must’ve been sitting in the back of his mind, painting Jack as a successful or epic being, while Rhys faced not wanting to go along with Jack’s murderous, psychopathic ideas. Fiona encourages Rhys to let go of idolizing Jack by reminding Rhys how Jack’s just another flawed person, he had his downfall, and that he’s ultimately not some superior being like Rhys had come to believe.

I think this added such an incredible layer to Rhys and Fiona’s friendship. And obviously for Rhyiona shippers like me, this aspect to their build up of underlying romantic tension? Swoooooooonnnn!!!!!!

So, we all know that in Tales From the Borderlands Rhys gets one chance to choose between Fiona and Jack right?

Well I personally think there's actually three instances where it's a choice between specifically Jack and Fiona. Hear me out.

The first one, in the Atlas facility under Old Haven, is obvious because the prompt that comes up is literally "Trust Jack" or "Trust Fiona". It's a direct choice between the two where both have a plan and Rhys needs to pick one of them. Jack also gets angry with Rhys if he chooses Fiona over him, criticising his choice to trust Fiona's improvising.

The second is a little more vague, but I think it's the choice to tell Fiona and Sasha about Jack or to listen to Jack and keep it a secret. Now the reason why I think this is specifically a choice between Fiona and Jack is because if you choose to tell the sisters about Jack then Fiona is the one who will talk about him with Rhys, making fun of him for how he died, or other vague bits of sarcastic commentary. She's also the one that Jack will talk about either knowing or not knowing about him during the rule Hyperion or reject Hyperion scene.

And speaking of that scene, I believe that's the third trust Jack or trust Fiona scene.

Fiona is the one Jack threatens to get to Rhys in the reject Hyperion route, where he talks about how he's going to make Rhys strangle her, either because she knows he's in Rhys's head, or he takes delight in the idea of her having no idea why Rhys has turned on her if she doesn't know he's there.

She's also the one Jack talks about if you choose to rule Hyperion, either talking about how glad he is she knows because now he can see the look on her face when she realises Rhys chose Hyperion, or laughing about how surprised she's going to be when she sees the two of them.

She's the one involved with the Gortys project like Rhys is, she's the first person Rhys can choose to directly disobey Jack in favour of. Rule Hyperion or Reject Hyperion is about whether or not Rhys has learnt enough to realise he can't trust Jack, and that trust first came into question when the initial choice between Jack and Fiona happened.

Regardless of who you choose in the Atlas facility scene it was a moment where Rhys had at least a thought of ignoring Jack's influence. And if you choose to reject Hyperion here it's a direct consequence of Rhys starting to not just trust Jack without question.

Jack might tell her that he doesn't care enough about her to kill her, but that's not entirely true. He was never going to let any of them leave alive if he could help it, but especially not her. She's the one Rhys could trust over him, she's the one that can directly remind him of his failure by calling out how he died, and she's the one other person directly connected to Gortys making her someone other than Jack that Rhys can relate to. The thought that his influence over someone who had admired him could be called into question would bug Jack to hell and back, because he is used to being practically worshipped by his employees.

Fiona wasn't special to him, she wasn't someone important to him (beyond being connected to Gortys), and she wasn't the focus of his plans, but she WAS the competition. It became personal the second Rhys even considered trusting her over him.

Also she defaced his memorial which has gotta sting. Good for her.