Chapter Text
While it happened sometimes, Jack had made sure thunderstorms weren’t a common weather pattern on Helios. As impressive as it was his employees had made it possible, he couldn’t stand them. Pathetic fallacy, he always thought, whenever something bad happens it storms.
The storm had raged outside for most of the afternoon and, so far, all through the night. Rain pounded on the window along with hailstones, thunder roared and, no matter how hard Jack tried, he couldn’t block the sounds out. The CEO lay on his back, staring up at the ceiling with malcontent as the noises from outside rattled around in his brain. He was exhausted, mentally and physically, but he couldn’t bring himself to close his eyes. Closing his eyes would be a commitment to the nightmares he wasn’t prepared to make tonight.
His head turned to the side, eyes settling on the soft tuft of brown hair sticking out from beneath the heavy blankets. Jack laughed softly, realising that maybe he wasn’t alone in his dislike of storms.
That didn’t mean he wasn’t alone in being awake, though.
No, Rhys slept soundly once he fell asleep, the loud thunderclaps too distant to disturb him any further. It made Jack almost jealous, seeing the younger man’s chest rise and fall so steadily, so peaceful.
He wished he could sleep like that again. But he knew he couldn’t. He’d repressed too much to ever give himself anything even remotely resembling peacefulness ever again.
It was his fault he was like this, and he knew it.
Slowly Jack sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed before rising on them. He stretched his back out, letting out a soft sigh as he began to walk to the bedroom door.
“Goin’ somewhere without me, handsome?” a sleepy-sounding voice from the bed asked, muffed a little by the blankets which were soon kicked down to completely uncover Rhys’ face.
Jack froze. He’d tried his best to be quiet and not wake him, but for someone who’d slept through the majority of a torrential storm he was surprisingly observant.
“Can’t sleep,” Jack replied simply, his voice a little louder than a whisper, “go back to sleep, I won’t go far.”
Rhys shook his head, yawning as he removed himself from the vast bed. “Nuh-uh, no way am I leaving you when you can’t sleep.” He said, approaching Jack. Wrapping both arms around his waist and pressing his face into the older man’s back, he spoke again, muffled by the fabric, “Really don’t wanna try to sleep one more time?”
Jack thought for a moment, considering all of his options before he simply shook his head, offering no other explanation. Rhys, in response, knocked a bare foot against Jack’s socked one, smiling up at him.
“Well, I guess it’s a no to the pills, too, then.” Jack shook his head again. Slowly, Rhys led Jack out of the bedroom, “Go make drinks, okay? No caffeine, hot chocolates, or something.” Again, Jack found himself too tired to reply, instead just nodding and eventually pulling himself away from Rhys and going into the kitchen.
Rhys didn’t follow, wandering into the lounge and over to the bookshelf. He and Jack had only been dating for a few months, Rhys hadn’t really had the chance to look around the expansive penthouse the CEO owned.
His eyes scanned over the books, only a few managing to catch his interest, before his eyes settled on a downward-facing photo frame. A soft frown met his lips, surely Jack hadn't intended for it to be so hidden? He reached out, lifting the frame and holding it in both hands as a viewed the image.
Jack’s wedding day, he thought, must be his wife.
His wife- Well, Rhys thought she looked incredible. Long, dark hair twisted up skilfully and an elegant white gown. Of course, Jack looked fantastic too. Young, happy. Two things Rhys seldom saw when he looked at him.
It brought a smile to his lips.
Jack finally returned from the kitchen, two steaming mugs in his hands, but his eyes were trained on Rhys as he approached. The younger man turned quickly with a blush when he heard footsteps coming closer, stuttering out, “I- I’m sorry. I wasn’t being, y’know, nosy or anything. I was just picking it back up and- and I saw it.”
While Rhys could tell the older man wasn’t angry at him, the way he was still so terrifyingly silent was unnerving, and Rhys couldn’t help but feel as if it was his fault.
“I… I don’t know what the line is. When it comes to talking about her, but…” a moment passed, and Rhys gave Jack a soft smile, “What was she like?”
Jack’s eyes finally caught the image after Rhys’s question, and a sombre smile grew on his lips.
“She was perfect.”