Big Book of Rythna One Shots

Dead Inside (S)

The video (Dead Inside by Muse) contains Body Horror.

TW: Angst, Dark!Rythian,

Rythian's eyes were dark, lined with kohl and gleaming in the midnight darkness. Lalna had seen them brighter, but that was a long time ago.

"What are you doing here, Rythian?"

The other man blinked, slowly, like a cat. He sent a glance toward Sjin, slumped over on some of the assorted chests. They hadn't had a chance to build beds yet, too busy on their new adventures.

Time travel. Lalna would be lying if he said he hadn't thought about Rythian when they'd discovered what the machine could do.

But he could never bring it up to Sjin. Sjin was only joking these days, when he talked about Rythian. It seemed that his friendly nature had won Rythian over once again.

Not Lalna, though. Never Lalna.

"I was curious," Rythian said, but his voice was too light, eyes too placid as they scanned the room.

"About?" Lalna said, fingers tracing the handle of his flamethrower - just in case - as he waited with alarm and just a little bit of anticipation.

"What exactly Sjin does is his spare time. It's clear now, though. Lalna."

He tossed Lalna's name out like an afterthought, a discarded notion. For the first time, Lalna wondered if the reason he hadn't seen Rythian since Tekkit was simply because Rythian had forgotten him. Gotten over him, as it were. Risen above their tooth-and-nail fights, found a greater calling than their battles.

And if he had? That was fine; so had Lalna. He had his policing, and Nano as his apprentice? Partner? He certainly hadn't found anything missing after that fateful server switch.

"Why, Lalna? Had you thought I came here for you?"

The disdain is a little much, though.

"Methinks you do protest too much," Lalna said, purposely misquoting just enough to get under Rythian's skin.

But it didn't seem to. "Do you?" Rythian asked, amused. "That's ... cute."

Lalna ground his teeth and waited.

"Are you thinking I'm going to retaliate? No need. I know I could crush you without a thought, Lalna, and just rest content in the knowledge of my last promise to Zoey."

"What?" Lalna asked. "What makes you so sure?"

Rythian takes a series of steps toward him, measured, footsteps silent. "I promised Zoey to do you and Nanosounds no harm. Before she left. Left for a new world; away from you, me, or anyone else."

He was only about two feet away then, and he paused. "As for your question, I know that I could defeat you simply because of that. I have nothing left for you to take; you have more than ever for me to hold ransom."

Lalna had to stop his instinctive petulant response: he knew Rythian was right.

"Although," Rythian continued, taking another step toward him. "I do sometimes think. Think about the things I could do that wouldn't break my promise to Zoey. The issue lies with the interpretation: the letter or the spirit. There are many things I could do that wouldn't technically cause you harm, Lalna."

"Such as?" Lalna asked, heady anticipation building in his stomach.

Rythian narrowed his eyes. "This," he said.

He took two more steps and his cool hands were wrapping around Lalna's jaw, dragging his head up to allow their lips to meet.

Rythian's lips were soft, insistent, pulling at Lalna's mouth, and before he knew what he was doing, he was kissing the other man back. Rythian took a step forward, and Lalna mirrored him backward, until Rythian had him pressed up against the wall of the building.

Lalna felt Rythian's tongue and opened his mouth, allowing the taller man to explore his mouth, his touch heady. He felt Rythian's hands clasping his head, guiding the movement of their mouths together.

Rythian hummed just under his breath, and Lalna felt the rush of air from his nose tickling his cheek. It was bizarre, it should have felt unnatural - sharing the same breath as the man he'd fought so fiercely and so long.

Had this always been there? This undercurrent of tension? The flicker of Rythian's tongue against his own, sparking a bright twinge of excitement in his gut?

Rythian nipped his lip, and Lalna sighed.

And then he pulled away.

Rythian's eyes were darker than before, inches away from Lalna's own. His face was flat, only mildly interested. "See, Lalna? That didn't hurt."

He stroked his fingers along the line of Lalna's cheek, then pulled away. "I doubt I'll see you again," he said as he made his way to the door. "Take care of Sjin, will you?"

And then he was gone.

And Lalna was beginning to understand just how outmatched he was.

Credit To Roehrborn on Ao3