Chapter Text
Mister Tall, Dark, and Homicidal.
Chapter One.
When you're in a desperate situation, you figure out just how much you're willing to do and how low you're willing to go. When he had been told by his current boss/ex-boyfriend that until the cost for his cybernetic prosthetics and Echo-eye had been paid off entirely, Atlas would be garnishing his wages Rhys had to figure out what exactly he would do to make rent and feed himself.
He found out that he was above prostituting himself but was not above shaking and grinding on a pole or making middle-aged middle-managers whose pitiful existence practically screamed, “Hi! Nice to meet you. I'm average in every single way.” feel like they were special.
It was all pretty mundane until he met Jack.
**
Rhys stared at the company issued digital clock, hoping that his friends wouldn't come before or during his, incredibly valid, melt down. Neither of them would be any help with this, he was sure. Knowing them they might accidentally make everything worse. Vaughn would try to find some sort of logical solution and that wouldn't help because this wasn't a logical problem he was dealing with, he was dealing with Vasquez trying to lord over his life after their relationship had ended...pretty violently at that. Yvette wasn't really the best at comforting so she would probably get really uncomfortable herself and start cracking bad jokes to lighten the mood and make it all even more awkward as if that was even a possibility.
12:32...shit. They'll be here any second...oh god, oh god please let the elevator be broken. Please let there be another employee having a meltdown so everyone has to pay attention to them and not me!, Rhys thought because fuck, he hated crying in front of people, hated it.He was always okay with having a one man uncontrollable sobbing party in the comfort of his own room, or a locked bathroom stall but when he knew someone would be able to see him he felt weak and tiny. like if he was incapable of holding in his emotions then he would suddenly be the laughingstock of Atlas...in the grand scheme of things it was at least rooted in the hard truth.
“Heeeey Rhysie it's lunch time so-” Yvette was cut off as soon as she looked at Rhys' distressed expression, which was getting worse by the second. “Uhhh…I might regret asking this but...what happened?”
“What's happened? Well, gee 'Vette I uh...I dunno but, hey let's see. Six months ago I got my arm ripped off by a malfunctioning loader bot. Then I had to either take unpaid leave and get cybernetic implants or lose my job! So that's fun. The-e-en Vasquez decides that he's not going to keep dating me but- oh get this its great! - He is going to keep being my boss and not allow me to transfer, because fuck that would just make my life a little easier and noooobody wants that. And-and today I find out that not only am I not getting compensated for, well you know, getting my fucking arm crushed!” Rhys stopped and angrily postured towards his implant,
“No uhh, today I- they- I mean Vas- my boss told me that I have to pay them back! Everything sucks right now, okay? and I am not going to be able to pay my rent. I'll probably end up being homeless, and then I'll probably start drugs and start prostituting myself to pay for the drugs and die!” Rhys babbled, working himself out of biting sarcasm to having a nervous breakdown at his desk. The rational part of Rhys completely understood that he was probably overreacting, he just couldn't bring himself to care enough to stop himself.
“Wow...That is like the worst five-year plan I've heard.” Yvette replied after a good several moments of awkward silence.
“Not the time, Yvette.” Vaughn groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. Yvette was a good friend but she honestly had the worst case of Foot-in-mouth Syndrome he had ever seen. “Just...trying to lighten the mood, guys. Look everything will be fine, we'll figure something out. Well, probably.”
“No it-it's fine. I-i-i am just a little...overwhelmed right now.” Rhys sniffed, “I can...I'll try to figure something out. I-sorry for that, Yvette.”
“No don't-Wait, I think I can help you, actually. I know a guy.” Yvette paused and turned around towards Rhys, “well a girl, two girls actually. Anyways, I can call in my favors and get you a part-time position. It's gonna sound a little shady but...how do you feel about being half-naked in public?”
“Um...what?”