Chapter Text
It was getting dark on Pandora. The two erstwhile Hyperion employees had been captive on the truck of Vallory's henchmen, being driven to collect Vasquez's body for the digistruction of Rhys' disguise. With their hands tied behind their backs, they talked quietly. Rhys made sure to be clear that the that the first chance he got, Vaughn needed to run away from their captors.
When they returned with Vasquez, Rhys was going to be launched into in the girls' caravan-turned-rocket ship to fetch the Gortys Beacon from Helios for the Queenpin. It would be hard for him to focus if he knew his best friend was held captive by violent gangsters. Unable to shake hands, or hug, they had done the one thing they could do: the Bro Knee.
Silence had descended over the two and they both watched the road go by before Vaughn swallowed and said, "Look, Rhys... I wish you luck. But there's a good chance... you, or I, Or, hell, Both of us might... not... make it." He looked away and swallowed before saying, "I don't want to leave this unsaid... because I might not be able to live with myself otherwise." Vaughn had wanted this to come out smooth and masculine, like a man taking charge of his own destiny. He took a deep breath and looked into Rhys's mismatched eyes and his resolve washed away into garbled anxiety, "You're... so... stupidly handsome, Damn it. You're .... I mean, I... Well, I really love you, Bro... like love-love you... and... I have since college."
Rhys could only stare at him for a few moments, his lips parted in surprise and his brain working slow to process the information. Vaughn took this as a sign that he had just made the biggest mistake of his life and looked away, face flushed in at the perceived rejection.
"Vaughn... I do." Rhys stammered.
Vaughn responded bleakly, "You what?" He ventured to look his friend in the eyes.
"Too. I mean, I do too... love you, that is." Rhys's voice wasn't any smoother. "And... I kinda... always knew you did."
Vaughn also took the next step first as well. Leaning closer to Rhys he mashed their lips together in a way that was more painful then pleasurable. There was not time for more as they pulled up to Old Haven and Rhys was bid by Kroger and Finch to look for Vasquez.
Rhys did not want to say goodbye. After all, Vaughn might not even get the chance to escape. Instead he just looked at him before being lead off and said, "Later, Bro."
Yet Vaughn had managed to bite one of the men and run off into the darkness. Rhys had never been more proud of Vaughn for escaping or so terrified that the smaller man he had always protected might be lost and perish out in the harsh Pandoran wilderness.