Hello! I haven't been on Fanfiction in forever! It's such a nostalgia to visit again :3

I originally posted this story on Archive of our Own; another great site for fic viewing! So I'm taking all 20 chapters I've currently written and slapped it here too!

WARNINGS: This entire story is filled with a lot of mature themes. Strong Language, Violence, Gore, Raunchy Jokes, Smut. A lot of Smut.

Disclaimer: Gearbox, you crafty bastards, it is your genius ideas that send my mind reeling into the world of borderlands you (ง ͯ ᗜ ͯ )ง I do not profit from this whatsoever, it is not my idea, etc etc.

Enjoy!

Chapter 1

Why did falling anywhere on Pandora always seem like it happened in slow motion? Perhaps it was due to the planet's gravitation, that it wasn't as strong as what was considered normal for those who weren't use to living there. And shock was easily another reason for it; in those moments your body is helpless to catch itself could the sudden rush of adrenaline actually slow time?

In a rush of logic and reasoning over his current situation, Rhys suddenly decided that he no longer gave a shit about why.

Because, holy shit, he was falling from the sky.

The painfully overwhelming ringing in his ears had yet to subside, even blocking out the sound of wind rushing past his ears. He saw his long limbs spread out all around him, like he was laying down in air, air moving past him insanely fast that is, and he realized he couldn't get them to move.

A large burning chunk of shrapnel, yellow and black and chrome, whizzed by him only feet away. Rhys could feel it pass him, a sound that would be more than likely something awful if he could hear it over the ringing.

The large piece of rocket sailing through the sky had caused Rhys to get thrown off balance and he twirled from his back onto his stomach, arms and legs still flailing around him against the force, the wind blowing in his face and threatening to flow into his mouth. Stunningly he was able to lift his head through all of this and peak through heavily squinted eyes.

It was like something out of sci-fi movie he'd watched as a kid.

There were flaming pieces of metal everywhere, blazing, melted, and trailing thick black lines of smoke and ember as they fell. There were other chunks of miscellaneous debris all in the air, he could barely make out pieces of shredded clothing and other materials, layers of the ship, and...oh God, was that a forearm and half a torso? Oh God, 'don't look at it, don't look at it. Gonna vomit.'

Rhys tore his eyes away to look at a large figure tearing through one large clump of smoke as if resurfacing from a pool of black water upside down. The wind stung his eyes like needles, tears flooding his vision for only a mere second before being blown away, but he steadied his gaze at the body, watching as it fell head first, torso angled in almost a curve, legs flailing out and fighting against the pressure, arms grasping as if trying to hold onto something.

Though singed and somewhat still smoking Rhys spotted the ever familiar black jacket, yellow sweater, and obvious sneakers. Both brown and blue eyes widened despite the stinging wind, his stomach jumping in his throat.

"Jack!"

His mouth moved but he could hear nothing but that damned ringing, and he wasn't even sure if he had said the man's name or thought it.

Whether Jack had heard the shout or it was just plain coincidence, he lifted his head back at that moment catching sight of Rhys. And they both stared at each other, not even acknowledging the burning objects whizzing past them. It didn't matter that Jack's expression seemed more angry than Rhys' shell shocked one, they both knew what the other was thinking the moment their eyes locked.

What the fuck just happened?

Not knowing what else to do, Rhys extended his metal arm out toward Jack.

In turn Jack mouthed something toward Rhys. Even with the deafening ring, he doubted he would have been able to hear him.

And time was going by so freakin slow.

But Rhys had to admit, it would have made for a good musical intro.

Jack started to squirm, like he was trying to gain balance against the magnitude of the current. Rhys continued to watch the other man, noticing that the weight of his outstretched metal arm sent his body careening head first, staring down into the Pandoran wasteland he would slam into with a bone shattering impact.

And what was worse than that? Rhys was absolutely terrified of heights.

And holy shit,they were really high in the air.

Panic seized Rhys' chest tightly, and he felt like his rib cage was going to implode on itself. He felt the air leave his lungs at what he assumed was an attempt at a fear stricken scream. The longer he stared at the distant ground bouncing closer and farther in his eyes, taunting him with his irrational fear, the more hysteria engulfed him. His stomach churned painfully.

Oh God, oh God. He was going to die, plummeting to Pandora, whatever is left of him will splatter over half a mile's radius.

Rhys didn't want to die, not now, not like this.

The ground began to fade into fond memories of him and Vaughn in college, in that shitty little dorm they shared with the cheap ac unit they had to constantly fix, of all the crazy intern parties he would drag the smaller more introverted man to. He remembered the first day he met Yvette and within the first minute they met he tried to flirt with her. He still remembers the blunt pain on his cheek when she had backhanded him, and how that one backhand had blossomed a best friendship.

He remembers mornings at the coffee shop, just the three of them laughing at the smallest things and too caught up in enjoying each others' company.

His first time on Pandora, the Gortys project, Fiona, Sasha…

When he first met Handsome Jack, first as a hologram and then in the new body he obtained when they arrived back on Helios.

The first time Jack caused his chest to flutter, that day in the office when that large hand ruffled his hair, trailing calloused fingers past his cheek to cup his jaw, causing him to look into those heterochromic eyes of his.

No...no...he didn't want to die! There was still so much to do, too many people to worry about!

Rhys didn't notice the blur of movement above him, spiraling down on top of him before he felt a large hand fist the back of his jacket between his shoulder blades. Despite the weight of gravity pulling them down the grip on him forced his body up and smashed him into another hard object, the fist uncurling only to be replaced by a strong arm wrapping around his back to hold him tight. Face pressed into a warm surface, Rhys picked up a fleeting scent of burning rocket fuel and singed leather.

A distant voice in his ear brought him back the present again, and he was surprised to hear anything other than the possibly-eardrum-ruptured sound of ringing.

"Hold on tight, kitten."

Rhys didn't have to be told twice, his hands gripping every bit of Jack's clothing possible, pressing himself as close as possible to the other man. He watched with unfocused eyes as Jack's other hand reached up to grip the small item hooked to the chest of his jacket, wrapping his large fingers around the pentagonal object until a bright blue light came to life in the middle of it. The blue light convulsed and Rhys found themselves both momentarily wrapped in a familiar bright warmth.

"And for fucks sake, don't puke on me."

Of all times for Jack to be a smartass, but before Rhys could register both the blue light and Jack's words, time began to speed back up, sending both men descending back down onto the hell ridden planet they had departed from only moments ago.

And that's when Rhys' eyes rolled back in his head, and his world had fallen into a black nothingness.

I hope you enjoyed it so far, guys! If you did, please help yourself to the rest of my story! And feel free to leave a comment if you'd like, I would be ever so grateful :3

Thank you!