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Fiona
Fiona smiles, hands on her hips as she watches their friends run for the loot scattered across the battlefield.
“Look at ‘em...” Rhys says, coming up behind her, grinning. “So silly. Running around like that...the little rascals.”
Fiona laughs, “Yeah, like little kids scampering for candy. It kinda--” She starts, but cuts herself off when she notices that Rhys is gone, running for the Vault. “Hey!” She takes off after him, smothering that familiar spark of annoyance that Rhys always brings out in her.
Definitely annoyance. Not anything... else.
Seeing her as she comes up beside him, Rhys yells, “It’s just you and me now!” He laughs shortly. “Seems fitting.”
Fiona almost laughs in return before she remembers that she’s irritated with him. “We...” she pants, running hard to keep up with him (when did he get so fast?), “are going in... together , dammit! Like a family!” She stumbles, almost tripping.
Rhys
“Of course!” he gasps, trying to hold on to his lead. “I wouldn’t have it any other way, ha. Unless I...” he struggles to run and talk at the same time, “hoo... haa... unless I... happened to be much faster than you... which clearly I’m not .” He throws at her with the same venom he always has. But maybe feels a little less now.
Fiona pulls ahead with a sudden burst of speed and a laugh, but stops before the entrance, panting.
He comes to a stop beside her, gasping for breath. “We’ll call... we’ll call it a tie.” He chokes out, breathing heavily.
“No, no way...” Fiona manages between breaths, “I won... You had a head start...”
He feels a laugh bubbling up in his chest. This is the way things always are with them. Rhys catches his breath, standing up and marveling at the giant, glowing door before him.
If anyone asks, no , he isn’t waiting for her to catch her breath. At all.
Fiona sighs, straightening to see the view.
With a sidelong glance at his partner, he starts forward. “Well, no turning back now,” he announces. “I guess we should just go ahead and--”
Fiona
“Wait.” Fiona says, before she can stop herself. “Wait a second.”
He turns back, frowning in confusion. “Wh...? Wha... uh, okay? Why? What’re we waiting for?”
Yeah, Fiona, what are you waiting for, huh? She asks herself, cursing her own stupidity. Is this really the best time for this...? I mean, the Vault...
But... She stops, I have to know, or it’s going to drive me crazy. Ok, deep breath Fiona, just ask him. Ok, here we go...
“Have you got a thing for my sister, or what?” Ok. Not really what I was going for there... but... “Oh, don’t get that stupid look on your face! I mean, maybe I’m misreading things... but I’m basically a professional at that, so I seriously doubt it,” Fiona says, with more confidence than she feels.
Rhys
Whoa. What, seriously? She thinks-- Wait, with Sasha? He gapes at Fiona. What the hell is she even talking about? Is this the reason she keeps getting grumpy every time I’m around Sasha? She really thinks...? Sasha?
He almost wants to laugh at the absurdity of the moment. Here they are, standing on the threshold of a Vault, and the woman he... er, that is, Fiona, thinks he’s in love with her sister. Or... something. Well, at least he doesn’t have to worry about the truly terrifying situation he’d be in if that were the case.
Just, you know. The truly terrifying situation he’s actually in. But, well, she doesn’t need to know that. Possibly ever.
Play it cool! “Seriously,” he says, trying to be nonchalant, “you don’t have to worry about it.”
“Really?” Fiona says, looking unconvinced. “And why is that?”
Oh boy. Just... say something clever. Actually, say anything other than the truth. “Hoo, uh, ‘cause...” Don’t panic, don’t panic, stay calm, don’t say anything stupid-- “B-because I’m interested in someone else,” he blurts, flushing red and looking away.
Wow. Just wow. Way to go, genius. That was the exact opposite of not saying anything stupid.
Can’t I go fifteen minutes without screwing something up?
Rhys forces himself to look at her.
Fiona blinks at him and he gives her a weak smile.
Fiona
Someone... else?
She feels like an idiot, sitting there blinking like a fool. She tries to smile back, or ask him what he means, or do anything, really, but just ends up glancing away, feeling ridiculous.
He didn’t mean...? Did he?
Rhys breathes out loudly, rubbing at the back of his neck uncomfortably. Neither of them can seem to meet the other’s eyes.
“Awesome.” Rhys mutters awkwardly. “Well, uh, now that the, um, horrifically uncomfortable conversation is out of the way...” He continues, looking almost like he wishes the Vault monster would come back and squish him where he stands, “Maybe we actually go into the Vault that we’ve risked life and limb to find.”
“Yeah.” She says, finding her voice, “Okay.” It comes out much calmer than she feels.
Was he talking about...? But, I mean, if not, then who...? Or, no wait, there was that Hyperion chick, what was her name? Yvette? He did save her despite the whole betrayal thing. But he was looking at--
Fiona pushes the thoughts away and follows Rhys into the Vault. I’ll worry about it later, she decides. Yeah, after we get the treasure from this Vault.
Focus on the Vault.
Rhys
What a fiasco.
Rhys berates himself internally as they pass through the Vault door. I really, really shouldn’t have said that. Had to go running my mouth again. Couldn’t have just said that I see Sasha as a friend, or something, nooooo. I had to blurt out the first thing that came to mind.
He sighs internally. At least she didn’t kill me. There’s always that. Maybe she didn’t know who I meant. Though, I almost wish...
He pushes the thought away. It’s better if she doesn't get it.
Coming back to himself, he blinks in amazement at the Vault around them. “Wow,” he says, “you think they made this place big enough?” The glowing blue and violet interior of the Vault is breathtaking. Especially the huge drop under the totally not dangerous looking floating stairs.
Yep, fear of heights, check.
Still, the view is pretty killer.
“So this is it...” Fiona says from next to him, equally enraptured.
“I guess so.” Rhys replies distantly.
Fiona shakes her head. “All that work to find a vault...” she whispers, almost reverently, “and here we are.” She starts forward, her eyes drinking in the sights, completely unperturbed by the drop (no, no, Rhys, don’t think about it, don’t look down).
He follows.
“I... I never thought I’d see the inside of one of these things.” Her voice is filled with disbelief. “Walking through a weird, echoey room... to open a glowy box.”
He smiles at the excitement in her voice. Vault Hunting suits her, I think. “You know,” he says casually, “you’ve gotten pretty good at this whole Vault Hunting thing.” He stops, shrugging, shooting her a smile. “I don’t know, could be a future in that. I mean, how many people can say they’ve actually found a Vault? Especially if you throw in all the people that die seconds after opening.” He waves her forward, letting her lead the way up the first flight of steps. “You’re in uh, you’re in rare company.”
Fiona
Rare company? What does he mean by that?
No, no, stop! Quit over-analyzing everything, Fiona! Focus. Vault Hunting.
“I’m still learning,” Fiona replies honestly, “but... I think I can grow into it eventually. I don’t know... This life... suits me. And honestly...” she says, stopping on the landing and turning to face him, smiling, “I’m as surprised by that as anyone. It’s been a good ride. Why get off now, right?”
“I’m sure you’ll make a fortune as a Vault Hunter.” Rhys smiles back, and she gets lost for a second in the way his eyes light up when he smiles. It’s been far too rare an occurrence, in the time they’ve known each other, seeing a genuine smile on his face.
Felix had trained her well enough to recognize lying when she saw it, (at least when it came to someone who wasn’t Felix himself. A forgivable lie, in hindsight, she supposes, standing there with nine million dollars in her pocket.)
At first, she’d thought that it was just the Hyperion smugness, or perhaps deceitful nature, that had always kept the smiles from reaching his eyes. But now, having heard his side of their story...
Handsome Jack had not been kind. And true though it was that she still harbors some anger at him for not sharing the secret of Jack’s involvement with them, she could, Fiona supposed, understand why he hadn’t. After all, how do you bring up, ‘hey, there’s a mass-murdering megalomaniac in my head, he’s useful but really, really dangerous’, in a casual conversation, anyway?
And Jack... Jack had done a number on him, that much was clear. The things Jack had called him, told him he was, made him blame himself for... She’d had no idea what that murderous bastard had really been doing to him the whole time. Maybe if she had...
He has so much self doubt. And Handsome Jack is to blame... for most of it, at least.
Rhys
Rhys takes a deep breath, realizing how a comment about making money would sound, coming from a Hyperion warmonger (well, ex-Hyperion warmonger, but really, she had no reason to believe that he isn’t one. He hasn’t exactly made the best case for that, after all...)
Just like Handsome Jack--
He clears his throat, pushing the thoughts away and backtracking quickly. “I mean... obviously money isn’t everything,” he substitutes hurriedly, “Sure, sure, it’s important but... It doesn’t have to drive your existence,” he tells her firmly, turning to look out over the vault, unable to meet her eyes, “like it did mine. There’s a healthy balance out there... somewhere.”
Pathetic, the voice in his head says. Who do you think you're fooling?
Jack may be gone for good, but crushing the ECHO eye couldn’t chase away the other demons in his head. And some of them are really good at imitating Jack.
He waits for her to tell him that he has no right to suggest such a thing, after everything he’s done. He waits for her to call him a Hyperion stooge (which he was), or a liar and a murderer (which he is) or an Atlas warmonger (which he swears he will never, ever be, but... she has good reason to fear that outcome.)
But she doesn’t.
“What about you, then?” Fiona asks simply, “What will you do next?” Rhys sees her smile at him when he turns to head farther up the staircase. “Atlas is a pretty big name... At least, it was. Any plans?”
Well. That’s... not what he expected to hear.
He laughs, softly, relieved. “Well, to be honest... I’m just happy to be alive.” The steps ahead of him have fallen away, (don’t look down!), leaving a small gap that they’re going to have to climb over. He looks back at her over his shoulder. “It was pretty touch and go for a bit there.”
She comes to stand beside him, laughing a little. “Yes, it was.” she agrees.
Rhys glances over to see her smiling at him. He takes a deep breath, and climbs over the gap, “And I have no clue,” he continues, coming to a stop in front of the glowing purple chest, “what Atlas is gonna be yet, but,” he turns to grin back at her, “I’m excited to find out.”
Fiona
She glances down at her feet, hoping he hadn’t caught her staring at him as he climbed. He’s sure not the same guy who tried to buy that fake Vault Key, all those months ago. He’s stronger, and sadder. And maybe, she thinks, looking up to give him an encouraging smile, a bit wiser than I thought.
She catches the nervous look on his face, and he clears his throat. “Hey,” Rhys says, “I just wanted to say...” He reaches out for her, giving her that cautious smile, “thanks.” She takes his hand, letting him help her up onto the ledge. “I... we... really couldn’t have done this without you. I really appreciate it.” Then he coughs, shrugging, “Alright. So, there... that’s over and done with.”
Now, they’re standing in front of the chest, side by side. Fiona glances at him sideways. “I gotta say,” she replies honestly, “I’m a little sad it’s over.” She shrugs, pretending not to notice his shy grin.
“Well, who knows...” Rhys says, “Maybe this is just the beginning.” They step forward, staring down at the chest. She hears him suck in a breath. “Would... you like to do the honors?” he asks with a smirk, gesturing at the box.
An answering smile breaks over her face in return. “It’s the last one...” Fiona says, remembering the day they found Gortys. She nods at him. “It’s only right that we both open it... It’s the best part.”
He returns the smile, obviously remembering that day too. “Heh,” he laughs, “Kinda hoping you’d say that.”
They share a nod, and turn their attention to the glowing box before them. As one, they each place a hand on the edge of the chest, and it begins to open.
After this, she thinks, there’s still a lot to figure out. But we’ll get there. She glances at Rhys, and their eyes meet. I know we will.
Light washes over them in an instant, and then...
The whole world just... falls away.