A/N: I can't believe I'm actually putting this story up...

This has been my favorite thing to write, but I don't think it's even close to good. So only proceed if you dare!

I love Borderlands, and I played the games in the wrong order, which gave me an unnatural sympathy for Rhys and Jack. They aren't a thing I ever thought I would ship, but I got sucked into that void and there's no way out.

I can't say I'm entirely unhappy...

Anyways, this story is based off of Troy Baker's album, "Sitting in the Fire." Each part (or chapter) is based off of a different song, and I listened to it while I wrote that particular set of scenes. So I guess this is kind of a songfic...? Not really.

Also, I played my Rhys as a CinnamonBun, lovable smartass. So that's probably how he'll end up in the story.

Please keep in mind that this is my first time writing these characters, so please forgive any OOC-ness!

Part 1: "Intermission"

I remember the first time I saw Handsome Jack in person.

Vaughn and I were smoking in our usual spot when the CEO of Hyperion came rushing by, frazzled, unkempt, and fuming. I had frozen with the cigarette only halfway to my mouth, my lips open. I had watched my boss approach, my fascination contradicting the terror that Vaughn had probably felt.

Jack was gorgeous, just as his nickname suggested, and his displeased sneer had done well to show off all of his perfect lines. Awe-stricken wonder wasn't normally what someone felt when their angry, sanguinary boss was coming towards them...but that's what I had felt in that moment.

I'd snapped out of my wonderstruck state when Jack was suddenly right there in front of me. He stepped so close, I swear I could see the dim light from my ECHO-eye shine off his mask. I could smell his expensive aftershave and the gunsmoke husk of his shirt. It made me hungry for something I couldn't quite determine.

I had opened my mouth to say something I couldn't recall, but the words never left my tongue. Before I could say anything, Jack had plucked the cigarette right out of my hand and took a large drag, stealing half of the tobacco as well as my breath.

"Your mix sucks," is what he said, and I could smell my choice of tobacco on his breath. That's when he left with my cigarette in between his lips, muttering something about 'freaking vault hunters.'

That's when he left me with a terrified friend and a hole that hadn't been there before.

OoOoOoO

I remember the first time I touched Handsome Jack.

I never saw him before our first encounter, but now I was suddenly seeing him all of the time. We would knock shoulders when we passed in the hall, I would catch him glancing in my office when he was in the area, and he seemed determined to diminish my cigarette supplies. Every time he caught me smoking, he would snatch my cigarette right out of my mouth without even saying a word.

I would be lying if I said I didn't become paranoid. This much attention from the galaxy's most charming and devilish CEO was both alarming and rare. I began to wonder if I had been blacklisted - if he was just waiting for the perfect time to murder me. I couldn't think of anything I had done wrong, but Handsome Jack didn't always need a reason to strangle an employee.

So when we both caught the same elevator at the same time...I panicked.

I was stuck in an enclosed space with an erratic and brutal man for an impossibly long elevator ride. I remember sweating, my portable ECHO files practically slipping out of my moist hand. I had shook pretty badly, thankful that Jack wasn't even looking at me. I needed to do something to calm down.

And what did the mind turn to when it was nervous?

I lit a cigarette quickly, the exhaust fans turning on automatically at the first sign of tobacco smoke. That had caught Jack's attention and I stiffened, realizing the mistake I had made. He squinted and turned towards me, a devilish grin curling his lips. When he reached out, I did something that shocked us both.

I can't recall what brought me to make such an action. Perhaps my cybernetic arm just developed a mind of its own and decided what was best for me.

I grabbed Handsome Jack's wrist.

He looked at me with a face I had never seen on his smug persona before. His wide eyes and parted lips were almost foreign - he stared at me as if I had just kicked a puppy. I can't even begin to imagine what my face must have looked like.

My next move was an instinctive action in desperate attempt to clear the air. I reached in my pocket and pulled out a second cigarette. I let go of his wrist and offered it to him, trying to look as confident as I could possibly muster.

He studied me for only a few moments before a wide grin split his face. He reached forward and plucked the first, used cigarette out of my mouth and took a drag from it.

That's when the elevator doors opened, and he left me with a sweaty uniform and one less stick of tobacco.

OoOoOoO

I remember the first time I officially met Handsome Jack.

By then I was carrying extra cigarettes - Jack would take my first one and I would light a second. Vaughn and Yvette were both nervous about the situation and concerned for my safety. I didn't blame them...but I still made no attempt to avoid Hyperion's CEO. It came to the point where I expected him to show up at our smoking spot every day.

It took us two months to finally hold a conversation.

Jack didn't show up that day, and I couldn't help but feel concerned. More than anything, however, I was confused. I voiced my curiosity to Vaughn, but he wasn't nearly as startled.

"You can't expect a guy like him to be consistent."

Vaughn and I finished a drag and went our separate ways. It had been hard for me to go back to work that day; I normally had good control of my concentration, but my mind was strangely absent. I could barely finish a dozen recommendation forms without dreaming up another scenario that could have held Jack up.

When I started signing papers as 'Jack' instead of my name, I knew I had to figure something out. I went on break and headed to my favorite cafe. It was a small bistro near the back of the Hub of Heroism - it was my favorite because the crowds were lighter in this area, and I could often finds some peace and quiet.

That's where I found him.

Jack had been waiting for me at a table in view of the door. He straightened when he saw me and beckoned me over.

As you can imagine, I was pretty confused. I was freaked out and nervous about all the attention I was getting, and I was clueless as to why I was getting that attention in the first place. Meeting with Jack alone normally meant two things for employees: either he was going to kill me, or he was going to...actually, there was only one thing. I was probably going to die.

The baristas probably thought the same thing, because no one working there greeted me as I went in - they totally avoided us. I took a deep breath and clenched my fists to quell the shaking in my fingers. I could feel my lip trembling but I tightened my jaw to try and stop it. My breath was ragged and I could feel a sweat coming on - I was terrified! But I had been determined to confront him rather than run.

He watched me silently as I sat down across from him, barely able to keep his green and blue gaze. Damn, those mismatched eyes were really something to look at...just like my own blue and brown. I looked carefully, but I couldn't see any obvious emotion in his face. Was that what he looked like before he killed someone?

"What's your name?" He finally asked after a minute of intense silence. It felt like my tongue tied itself in a knot. I opened my mouth, but I couldn't force any words out. I couldn't say anything!

But the worst part was...when I opened my mouth, I squeaked.

Oh god, now my face was red too. I bet I looked like a total idiot!

I made sure my mouth was shut after that, and Jack sure took his time giving a response. He took a sip from his dark coffee and raised a judging brow at me. I practically melted in my chair, sinking into my shirt collar.

"I don't have all day, Squeaky," he informed me with the ghost of a grin on his lips. The pet name was diminishing, but his soft tone caught me off guard. It wasn't pity - thank god - but it was something I couldn't quite explain. It was inviting, though, and I felt some of my confidence return.

"Sommerset. R-Rhys Sommerset," I finally managed to stammer, using the breath I hadn't realized I was holding.

"Squeaky Rhysie," Jack grinned, chuckling to himself. He then concentrated on his coffee, offering no other word.

The longer I was there, the more anxious I got. I still had no idea why I was there, and part of me was still expecting to be murdered. The next words I said were so pathetic...but I had to know.

"Are you...are you going to kill me?"

That's when Jack laughed outright.

"Oh man, kiddo! Ahahahaaaa! Kill you! Haaaaa! You - hehe- you almost made coffee come out of my nose! That would have been sick! Hahaaaa!" It was as if I had told the funniest joke in the world. I could only watch, completely baffled, as Jack laughed at me. It was a shoulder-shaking, full-bodied laugh that made my heart tremble. "I wouldn't kill you! Well, I mean..yeah, I could. Obviously. I could slaughter you and leave your head on this table for that bitchbag waitress to clean up. But I'm not going to! Hah! Congratulations, Cupcake. Ya ain't dyin' today!"

I was finally able to relax a bit, leaning back into my chair and taking a deep breath. I was definitely relieved, but my confusion still remained. If he wasn't going to kill me, then what was this about?

When Jack finally settled down, he caught my gaze and held it, mirth still lingering in his heterochromic eyes. But there was something else there...I could almost taste it - it tasted similar to what I had felt the day I first saw him. Something that I didn't have, but it felt so important.

"I've been watching your work," he suddenly informed me, his tone a bit more serious now. "You first caught my attention when you totally massacred your competition for your current middle management position. I mean, you sent the guy packing with his freaking tail between his legs! That was brutal! You're ferocious!"

Ah, yes, I had almost forgotten about Kurt Despin. He was the bastard who had dated me for the sole purpose of stabbing me in the back and stealing my promotion. I don't always hold grudges, but this had been a special circumstance. I'm not a physically violent person, but I can alter records and blackmail the shit out of anyone who wants to screw with me. Being a cyborg and a coding nerd definitely have their perks. I won't go into details, but he won't be able to show his face in public any time soon, even after all of this time.

"I only did what I had to do," I told Jack, feigning humbleness. But in reality, hell, I was freaking proud of myself, and Jack's notice definitely gave me a well-deserved confidence boost.

"Noooo, no, no, no, no, cupcake, that's not what it was," he shook his head, one side of his lip cocked in a smug grin. "It was too fierce for that. I'm thinking it was something more like...revenge." He narrowed his eyes at the word, the perfect grin still present - he said the word with a pleasure that I still don't understand.

I was shocked, however, to learn that he knew the reasoning behind my actions. What he would do with that knowledge would astonish me even more.

"You're young, clever, hot, and ambitious, and I see a lot of myself in you. I'm here to offer you a new position. Well...by offer, I mean order, cause you're gonna do it. I'm your freaking boss, so you gotta do what I say. How would you like to be my - Handsome Jack's - personal assistant?"

A/N: And so, with these few meetings, our journey begins! Reviews and constructive criticism always appreciated!

Have a lovely day!

-HyperionSpeck