Who: Billy & Rhett. Where: Mansion to hospital, and on the way back. When: Morning; somewhere between the latter half of 9 and 10.
Rhett wished he could wrap his head around all of this. What's up with the tests? Why do they need to be checked up? Couldn't they have done that when they were all knocked out and being transported here?
Sigh. There was no point in dwelling. He'd quickly figured out They weren't going to let them know anything They didn't want them to know. So for now, Rhett was going to take this as a needed vacation from life. He was going to live his routine, and he would schedule in whatever the Big Guys Upstairs planned for them.
As soon as he finished those tests and sent those messages to Cecilia and Reginald, he got ready and headed downstairs for breakfast. Being the boring as fuck guy he was, he opted for Cheerios again. While he sat at the counter and crunched on his cereal, he noted someone approaching the kitchen.
--
Against his better judgment, Billy was feeling a bit curious...and hungry. He’d snagged a few things that morning once he’d finally been able to get out of his room, but they hadn’t been much. He wasn’t certain why he was in this strange place or who put him there, but he could deal with it later (or continue to staunchly avoid thinking about it as he had been for the past couple days).
There had been noises indicative of people moving about, and Billy had done his best to ignore them as he had in previous days. Yet, there wasn’t anything immediately threatening him (yet, his mind repeated helpfully), so he felt like he could venture into other parts of the house in relative safety.
His first destination: the kitchen. The second trip was only marginally less trial and error than his outing early in the morning, but it still went much quicker. When he saw another person in the kitchen however, he froze. They were already looking at him.
Shit. Shit.
Billy looked like the angriest deer in the headlights, like a giant buck that might jump through the windshield to gore the driver for looking at him the wrong way. His gray sweatsuit was understated, sleeves pushed halfway up forearms thick with muscle. He was still for a time, considering his options. He couldn’t just turn around and walk out, that’d be weird and cowardly. Still, he moved with a stiff defensiveness, keeping the other man in his peripherals as he rooted around for something.
Ultimately, he grabbed a bowl and turned, regarding the man sternly but with some cracks of uncertainty showing in the way his brows rose slightly.
“Ya mind?” Billy asked succinctly, tapping the side of the cereal box with a large finger.
--
Rhett was still getting to know everyone in the house--he hadn't quite pinned all the names onto faces quite yet. So when the man walked stepped into view, he smiled gently all the while assessing his features and committing his face to memory.
Yep, totally committing it to memory.
He paid no mind to the other's stiffness, instead turning his attention back to his cereal and turning over different phrases he could greet the man with. But before Rhett settled on one, he was already being addressed to. Glancing over at him, he arched a brow and his smile had a tinge of amusement to it.
"Nah, man. It's not like I paid for it." He took a thoughtful bite of cereal before continuing. "I haven't seen you before, right? My name's Rhett."
--
There was a soft, though slightly irritated grunt in response to the other man granting him permission through humorous quip. He used the small space of silence to dump cereal into his bowl, waiting for the other shoe to drop. His expression only softened a little around his eyes when the man, Rhett, introduced himself.
“Billy.” He muttered before he turned to fetch milk to pour on his cereal. He felt bristly, on edge. He hadn’t been immediately recognized, so that was a small comfort. There was no saying whether he’d be as fortunate with the others, however many there were.
“What is this place?” the boxer asked simply before taking a heap of cereal into his mouth.
--
Well, Rhett couldn't expect everyone to be taking this as casually as he has. Isn't the other man's attitude more in line with what the expectation was?
He gave a small shrug. "Dunno. Can't place us on a map with what we've found so far. Even the town down along the way is completely deserted. None of us have a clue as to how they've all pulled this off. But it could be worse when comes to being abducted, yeah? I mean, we can go for a swim or play some video games or pool before they lobotomize us and sell our organs, or whatever."
--
Rhett's words weighed on him as he chewed, brows knitting back together in a look that was more concerned than angry. From what he had gathered, it seemed like everyone here (the ones he encountered) knew about as much as he did: nothing. He took another bite, trying not to spend too much time dwelling on the implications of Rhett's last comment. If they wanted his organs, they'd have to cut them out of his cold, dead body (but he supposed that was kind of the point).
"So this hospital thing?" Billy asked, trying not to sound or look too anxious about it. There was still a certain tightness in his voice. "I guess everybody's going?"
--
“Don’t think we got much of a choice, bro. In this situation they’ve made it pretty clear they’re the ones that are in charge.” Rhett crunched on his cereal before he continued. “Didn’t they say something about being punished if we don’t go by 5? I’m not really into that sort of thing… Well, even if I was, I’m pretty sure they don’t mean it in any kind of way that’s fun,” he grinned cheekily.
“You wanna go together? Feel like it’s a better idea if we go in groups. You know, so we have someone to watch our backs if anything goes down.”
Rhett felt like this guy was definitely someone he wanted on his side; it looked like he could really beat the shit out of anyone that tried to fuck with him. So he also noted not to piss him off in any kind of way, though it looked like he already had his feathers ruffled, understandably. He filed it away in his mind that Billy had the whole sexy, broody look down pat, whether he did it consciously or not.
--
Only the persistent crunch of Cheerios in his mouth stopped Billy from insisting that he wasn't Rhett's bro (his mother would be appalled if he spoke with a full mouth). The mention of the mysterious and ominous punishment distracted Billy enough that he didn't jump back on his previous train of thought once he swallowed. He vaguely remembered reading it, but it hadn't really sunk in as a possibility until he heard it from someone else, a real person instead of a computer screen.
Before he could get too far with that, Rhett interrupted his slower moving thoughts with a question. "Uh," he started intelligently as his blue green gaze shifted to Rhett, his brows jumping up on his forehead by a line. He was a loner by nature, and part of him still wanted to go without the help of another. Yet, going alone was how he'd ended up in this mess in the first place, by anecdotal connection.
"Sure." He finished eloquently, averting his eyes in a way that was almost sheepish. He wasn't remotely heroic or even that brave, from his own perspective. He wasn't about to wax lyrical about watching out for each other.
As if to solidify that point, he started shoveling cereal into his mouth at a faster rate.
--
Rhett watched the other man curiously as he continued to finish his own bowl of cereal. He carefully observed his expression, and kept track of how his eyes moved. He wasn't quite sure what to make of Billy's short words, or distant attitude. Either he was annoying him, or he was just the loner type, or maybe even he was feeling awkward? Either way, it was too soon to tell. All he could do was file away their interactions and keep them in mind for later.
Setting down his empty bowl, he nodded slightly, the brief, calculating look in his eyes melting back into the initially friendly gaze. "Cool, thanks man. I think I'd definitely feel safer with you around," he chuckled, sliding off his seat and heading over to the sink to rinse out his kitchenware.
--
The stern lines of Billy's face softened into a more thoughtful expression. I'd definitely feel safer with you. Well, he supposed most people would considering that Billy was built like bulldozer. He thought to point out that he was captured as well despite his size, but he let the fact lie unspoken. Maybe it was implied by him simply being there.
In a show of good will, he gathered Rhett's bowl along with his own to clean and place the dishes and utensils into the dishwasher. He put the cereal where he thought it went (based on what he remembered from previous forays), but he figured it didn't matter much. The people who ran this place would put it back where it went if it bothered them; they did that with everything and everyone else.
He turned to regard Rhett after he was finished, "Gunna get my jacket."
Ten or so minutes later they were on the road, his Thriller vs. Mendoza '14 jacket pulled around him. It was an uneventful trip, barely even a trip by Billy's standards. He had planned to just plow through the distance at a breakneck pace, but with someone else he had to take it slower.
He still set a brisk pace, occasionally stopping and looking over his shoulder at his travel partner in between casting appraising glances around at the strange, empty town.
"Weird place." He grunted out as he stood, waiting for Rhett to come up to his side.
--
Rhett was pretty sure no one person would be able to stop whoever, or whatever organization had kidnapped them all... They were in possession of a lot of power, and personally he had given up chances of getting out of this place.
When Billy took his dishes, he nodded appreciatively, and sat back by the counter with his hands clasped in his lap. He took a moment to consider the gesture--if he was the abrasive loner type, would he really go through the trouble of cleaning Rhett's bowl too? That was something to keep in mind as he continued interacting with the other man; he would need to continue gently nudging him with friendly actions. In his experience, you needed patience to get under the skin of guys like this.
"Sounds good, I'll wait for you by the door."
Soon enough they had hit the road, and while Rhett had planned on a leisurely walk, Billy seemed to have another plan in mind.
God, maybe he needed to start planning some leg days. Or at least use those treadmills he saw in the gym room... He hadn't thought he was out of shape before, but considering how well-built Billy was, maybe he shouldn't feel too bad?
Besides it wasn't so bad to be lagging behind him, it meant he could admire the view without being too obvious. (Was it weird everyone in the house was so good looking?)
Rhett huffed a deep breath as he stepped up besides him. "Yeah, it's totally empty. Seems like it's stuck in the 50s, or something. It's pretty cleaned out too... besides what They wanted us to have, anyway. So pretty much everything we already have back at the house," he shrugged.
--
The boxer stayed still for a time as he took stock of their surroundings. There was nothing but dead silence around them, blaring in its absence. Billy never thought he'd miss the haze of noise and activity that came with a bustling city, but there was a sense of anonymity that came with that. This emptiness meant any presence stood out.
"Hm." Billy made a face at Rhett's remark about the era of the decor, since the observation was a bit lost on him. It wasn't like he couldn't appreciate aesthetics, but he didn't really keep track of them on a timeline. "Seems like a lotta effort for....whatever it is." He made a vague motion with his hand, waving the thoughts away.
Billy slowed his pace a bit further yet, as though he had become acutely aware of Rhett's less athletic state.
He glanced over his shoulder briefly as he continued to blaze the trail for them, "...Where are you from?"
--
"Yeah. But doesn't all of this seem like a lot of effort for whatever it is?" Rhett smirked, continuing to follow after Billy as he quickened his pace once again. Though he noted he seemed to have slowed down a bit, which he was grateful for.
"Hm? Oh." He grinned, brushing his hair back casually with a hand. "I was taken from New York. What about you?" He didn't go any further than that--if the others wanted to pry later, maybe he'd give up more personal information, but right now all they needed to know was that.
--
Billy squinted back at Rhett when the other man echoed his words back at him, his brows creeping together into what threatened to be a scowl. His shoulders started to square, but hunched a little again when Rhett answered his question. The way he carried himself had a sort of stalking, looming look to it.
"St. Louis." He answered, similarly concise about the information. He didn't think too much about how little information Rhett had actually provided, since Billy himself had actually offered the same amount in less words. He considered other queries, but felt stymied by what questions he didn't want turned back on himself.
"Why do you think they took you?" It was a question that was niggling at him since he had woken up that first day. Why him? Why was he here?
--
Oh boy, wasn't that the million dollar question? Rhett couldn't say for anyone else--but the main reason anyone would want to kidnap him in such a shady way was if he pissed them off, probably because he stole something from them. But that didn't explain everyone else, unless they were all connected to some kind of heist or jewel robbery together, which was highly unlikely.
He simply shrugged. "No clue. Nothing really special about me, I just work as a locksmith," he lied without missing a beat. "You got any clue why they would want to take you?"
--
Billy was quiet for the space of a heartbeat, sending his gaze anywhere except towards Rhett.
"I thought my trainer committed me to bootcamp or something." That had been his first thought when he had woken up in a fancy room. But when the hardcore boxing drill instructors didn't materialize, that idea had died. He didn't really want to think that Tony had anything to do with this. He didn't want to think this had anything to do with that. He didn't want to give any credence to that train of thought.
He didn't offer any other context with that nugget of information as he glanced up and down the deserted buildings they passed.
--
Well, that was vague. If he had a trainer that was hardcore enough he'd even consider the option of being sent away to bootcamp, then maybe he was an athlete? It was the most obvious route Rhett could come up, but other than that he had nothing.
Since they had nothing but time until they got to the hospital, he decided to throw around a few more questions.
"You leave anyone behind? Friends, family, girlfriends or boyfriends? You don't have to say if you don't want to, I know for some people talking about that kind of stuff in this situation is probably hard."
--
Billy bristled.
His love life was a bit of a sore spot; his family was more so. It wasn't like there was a shortage of attention for a national heavyweight boxing champ, but none of that attention ever came to fruition. He was still very alone, aside from his rollercoaster companionship with his trainer and manager, Tony. It felt sort of weak to be desirous of attachment when attachment had hardly ever been a positive force in his life.
"Mm." He made a noise of acknowledgement as he considered his options. Rhett had given him a perfect out, but it was a coward's retreat. "Not really." He didn't need to be more elaborate when Rhett was already half expecting him not to answer.
"What about you?" Turnabout was fair play.
--
Hmm… Rhett kept it in mind that maybe that was a topic he should avoid in the future.
At the responding question, he smiled wryly. He was more than aware of his lack of relationships and the incidental loneliness, the latter of which he wished he could be less aware of. It was kind of funny, one of his restless late night walks that resulted from thinking and feeling too much was how he ended up in this place to begin with. But as much as he knows he craves that physical and emotional intimacy, it was in everyone’s best interests if he abstained.
“Nah, not me. I got acquaintances here and there, but I’m not close to anyone. Looks like we got that in common, at least,” Rhett laughed lightly. “Well, that and the Cheerios.”
--
For his effort, Rhett got the slightest ghost of a smile; a sort of sickly thing that was quickly put out of its misery by the returning neutrality of Billy's usual, stone faced glower. He wasn't sure what to say. It felt like bragging to say he was a household name (some households anyway), and it wasn't like he could prove it when Rhett obviously didn't know who he was.
He sighed, letting some of the tension out of his frame. A quick scan of skyline put what looked like a hospital in his sights.
"We're almost there." Billy alerted Rhett, moving as though he was going to give the building a wide berth as they came up on it.
--
The last time Rhett had a physical check-up was when he was still in prison... and come to think of it, that was probably one of the only times. He was sure his mom and dad took him to the doctor to get him checked up, but his health wasn't really the main concern when he was bouncing around foster homes and getting into trouble with the law. So this was going to be exciting.
"You nervous? I'm sure it'll be fine. You know. Probably, anyway," he grinned.
--
Even if he was nervous, he wasn't about to admit that to Rhett. He wasn't about to admit it to even himself, pushing any feelings of dread down and summoning the will that pushed him through every fight. Whatever this was, whatever it was going to be, he had to deal with it now. There was no recourse.
"No." He answered simply, not looking back to see if Rhett was following as he lead the way into the building.
He wasn't sure what he was expecting, but the weight of disappointment settled on him when he realized the hospital was just like the town: empty. Billy cursed under his breath, though not entirely certain if he was directing it at the circumstances or himself for that brief spark of mad hope. He stood in the lobby, fully turning to face Rhett with expectant eyebrows perched high on his forehead.
"Time for the smart guy to lead."
--
"Who, me? Smart guy? You flatterer," Rhett teased with a wink as he continued on ahead. The message on the computer had said something about the elevators...? He vaguely remembered seeing those when he had come into town to explore the area, but either way, the posted signs They'd left behind were obvious enough.
"Perfect setting for a zombie apocalypse," he stated casually as he strolled towards the elevator and pushed one of the buttons. The doors slid open immediately, and he glanced back at Billy with a shrug, before stepping in and scanning his bracelet.
The hospital was creepy on its own, but his body tensed even further when he entered the enclosed space.
--
The taller man huffed impatiently when Rhett winked at him, a scowl with no genuine scorn turning the corners of his mouth down. He followed along behind Rhett like a giant, angry, and very lost puppy. He managed to murmur an affirmative "I guess," in response to Rhett's assessment of their surroundings.
To no one's surprise, Rhett wasn't the only one slightly uncomfortable with the confines of the elevator. With the closer proximity, Billy had a chance to compare their sizes. The boxer had a couple inches of height and at least double digits in weight over the slighter man. He tried to keep his thoughts objective, focusing on numbers rather than whether or not Rhett's face could be considered handsome. Though now that he got a closer, more inspecting look at him...well.
Billy derailed that train of thought.
He crossed his thick arms over each other, leaning back into the corner of the elevator like he could melt into it.
"I don't like physicals." He admitted right before the elevator lurched into motion.
--
"Oh yeah?" Rhett smirked, his jaw tense and his teeth grinding as the elevator continued to move. His train of thought had completely halted, and his hands moved automatically as they flexed and unflexed. It wasn't until the room slowed to a stop, and the doors slid open before he started to breathe again.
The cogs in his brain started to move again, and he realized he should respond, belated as it was. "I don't usually go to 'em, honestly. After you?" His smile was once again relaxed as he motioned out the door for Billy.
--
Only Billy's obstinate refusal to study Rhett at length stopped him observing the other man's discomfort. The boxer noticed the lull in the conversation, but by the time he looked up Rhett was already speaking again.
He gave the other man a flat stare in response to his politeness, pushing out of the corner with an easy roll of his spine. Billy squared his shoulders, angling his head back slightly. His eyes narrowed but there was no target for his irritation. He stepped through the elevator door, his eyes widening in surprise.
"Whoa," was all he managed to say at first in response to the gleaming metal hallway laid out before him.
"I'm starting to believe that whole aliens thing."
--
Rhett continued to smile cheerily at Billy when he stared back. He couldn't help but think that whenever the guy would eventually smile for real, it'd probably end up being pretty adorable.
Following after the other, he stood beside him and raised his brow at the steel hallway.
"Goddamn... This is all kinds of what the fuck," he breathed before daring to take a few more steps forward. He looked around the room to file away all the details, noting that there were a couple red lights among the green.
"How nice of them. Private rooms for each of us," he smirked. "Nothing but the best for Their esteemed guests," he murmured.
Gesturing towards one of the room panels that had a green light, he looked over at Billy with an amused expression. "Guess there's nothing else to do but go in?"
--
Billy wondered if Rhett's humoring approach was just a means of defusing the stress of the situation. Personally, he couldn't find it in him to be amused by any of their current circumstances as he stood in front of a neighboring door. His frown deepened as he studied its impassive surface, his own hazy and distorted reflection glaring back at him.
"Mm." He grunted in response before he held his bracelet up to the panel like he'd seen Rhett do with the elevator. The door opened with an ominous shhhunk, causing Billy to take a cautionary step back before curiously gazing inside. Once again, nobody was in the room.
He glanced towards Rhett, giving him a solemn nod before he stepped into the room, the door closing behind him like a falling guillotine.
--
"See ya soon," Rhett gave Billy a two fingered salute before scanning his own bracelet and stepping into his room.
And of course, as soon as he entered it, he was blessed to hear the sound of the thick, metal door slamming shut automatically behind him, locking him in this daunting, alien looking room. It was a good thing he loved the sound of being shut in an inescapable room so much.
Instinctively, he retreated slightly and pressed his back against the door, his fingertips pushing against the cold surface. He was only barely aware of the foreign voice making its request and was instead hyper aware of his quickened, shallow breaths and the sound of his heartbeat hammering in his ears.
"Fuckingfuckfuckfuck," he whispered with mania. His thoughts were racing and filling his head with fear and paranoia; his sensical thoughts fading to the back of his mind. He quickly turned around, his hands wildly groping the surface of the door for a handle or something he could use to get out--but before even two seconds passed, a pain that cleared out every single voice in his head blew through his body. When he gathered his senses, Rhett found himself hunched over the floor, taking deep, labored breaths.
So that's how it's going to be, huh? He smirked to himself, even laughing quietly to himself. Of course we wouldn't have a choice... The doors only ever unlock when we do what they want.
"Fuck!" He yelled loudly, not even caring if someone heard him. He highly doubted it. There were others more stubborn here, and if they were subjected to those shocks more often than him, They needed to make sure their screams weren't disturbing the other patients.
Sighing deeply, Rhett staggered onto his feet and faced the table with an annoyed smirk, before slowly shrugging off his clothes.
"Fucking dicks..."
--
On the other side of the wall, Billy was faring only slightly better. The bitter taste of defeat settled on his tongue as he toed out of his running shoes and peeled his clothes off. He folded them halfheartedly and dropped them to the side before padding softly towards the exam table.
In a way, this put him losing his championship title in perspective. At least then he'd still been formidable even in defeat. Here, all his strength was reduced to nothing. He was as helpless as a newborn, trapped inside this gleaming steel cage. Even if he had thought to resist, there was no way he was bursting through that thick steel door. He was completely at Their mercy.
He hissed sharply as he settled down onto the table, warm flesh meeting cold metal. Billy jerked involuntarily when the machines sprang to life, unfolding from their hiding places like the twisted arms of monsters. He wasn't sure if it was the paralyzation of fear or some kind of self-preservation that held him still as the machines worked him over. Whichever it was, he'd never admit that it wasn't entirely a conscious decision.
Half of a shout caught in his throat when the needle pierced him for a blood sample, but by some fortune he managed to stay still until it was finished. Once he was dismissed, he dressed quickly from the waist down. His shirt and jacket he carried with him, only pulling them on after he was released into the relative safety of the hall.
"Rhett?" He called out before he fully had his head through his sweatshirt.
--
The rational side of Rhett's mind was in control for the rest of the examination, doing its best to keep his anxiety and fears at bay while the mechanical arms checked him over. At the sight and sound of them coming to life, his full body twitched and he had almost leapt off the table, but the reminder of the painful shock kept him in place.
As surreal as the experience was, in all honesty? It was not the worst, nor most fearful encounter of his life. But it definitely reaffirmed Rhett's beliefs from the very start--he was not going to fuck around with Them. If they wanted to play science experiment in exchange for their obedience and a stocked up, swaggy mansion, that was perfectly fine with him.
He just hoped it wouldn't get much worse than this.
After redressing himself, except for his hoodie which he held in his hand, Rhett exited the room and checked to his side where he sensed someone else's presence. And he was once again thankful for his compliant attitude, because if he hadn't hurried along with his exam and continued to fight, not only would he be a hell of a lot more hurt, he would've also missed the glorious sight of his half-dressed walking partner.
Yep. Speechless.
Not wanting to come off as totally obvious, Rhett looked up towards Billy's face as he spoke. "Hey, man. How'd yours go?"
--
Luckily for Rhett, Billy was too preoccupied with getting his sweatshirt straightened out and his jacket pulled on to notice Rhett's lingering gaze. When he finally looked up, there was a tiny glint of sadness in his face. He almost looked haunted.
"Fine." He muttered as he threw his hood up over his head. In truth, he felt exposed and vulnerable. He'd been relieved of choice and he hadn't even raised a finger for it.
"Let's get out of here." Without any further dalliance, Billy lead the charge back to the elevator and out of that frightful place.
--
Rhett's brow furrowed in worry. That was not an expression he recognized in the hour or so that he'd known Billy, and he had a feeling that wasn't normal for him either. When he hurried off, the thief followed after, glancing back briefly and noting the red lights that were still in place.
Poor, stubborn bastards. He wondered if what They had in mind for them tomorrow would take into account the ones who'd be hurting for the next week after their punishments.
When the elevator door closed behind them, Rhett dared to glance up at Billy.
"You okay?"
--
When Rhett spoke, Billy turned his head and looked at him like the other man had grown a second head right there in the elevator. There was a complete and utter lack of comprehension in his expression.
"Uh?"
Was he okay? It was a simple question, and from what he could tell Rhett was genuine in his concern. It was a perfectly normal thing to ask given what they'd just been through. So why did he feel so off balance?
"Fine." He answered, folding his arms and closing himself off again. There was something about the small act of compassion, so tiny and offered so freely that it couldn't be with ulterior motive, that made him withdraw from it.
"I'm fine." He answered a little more definitively, turning to stare back at the door of the elevator until it mercifully spat them out on the ground floor. Billy once again resumed his stalwart march, pausing a few steps up to glance over his shoulder to see if Rhett was there.
--
Rhett raised his brow expectantly when Billy looked at him... and did not feel any confidence in his answer--especially with that body language. Personally, he was still feeling a little tingly and emotionally drained from his claustrophobia and getting zapped, so he was feeling a little... numb. Was he being inconsiderate? He felt a bit disconnected in his lack of understanding and that was... new. And frustrating.
He was going to be annoyed if They'd permanently brain damaged him.
He nodded silently, trying to come up with what to say next. When the doors opened, he automatically followed after Billy, speaking up when their eyes met.
"You wanna hang out when we get back to the house?"
--
Billy turned the question over his head, and for an utterly too brief moment his consistently icy expression melted into something almost awestruck and wondering. Rhett didn’t know he who was. He knew Billy, not Billy Thriller the boxing champ. He didn’t know about his wins, his losses, the highs and lows of his career. He didn’t have to be anyone or anything besides himself.
“I…” The words caught in his throat. Was he afraid? What if it wasn’t what he thought it was. What if Rhett just didn’t want to be alone in the face of the daunting situation they were stuck in. At the bottom line, what else did Billy have to do?
“I was…” His brows almost crashed back into each other as a sort of frustrated confusion twisted his features, “I was gunna train, but...yeah, sure.” He nodded quickly and exactly once, as if to affirm the answer that he’d just voiced.
--
Rhett continued to watch Billy's expression with curiosity and interest. He of all people knew that humans were multifaceted and possessed different layers in their personalities, and he considered himself an Experienced Onion Peeler... but guys like Billy intrigued him with their thick outer layer and varying internal layers. Some people were just broody assholes on the outside, and less broody assholes on the inside, but that didn't seem to be the case with Billy.
He couldn't say for certain whether he wanted the other's company simply because he didn't want to be alone right now, or if he had a genuine care for him... Often Rhett can't tell the difference between his lies and his honest feelings, and most of the time they were the same thing all along. Regardless, he needed to remember the bottom line: He needed to come out on top, no matter who he has to use, no matter how shitty it is, or how bad it hurts.
"Hey, that's cool if you still want to do that. I can like... I dunno, spot you or whatever. You can deadlift me," Rhett grinned.
--
There was a soft whuffing sound. Billy’s head was turned away from Rhett pointedly so that all the other man could see was the back of his skull. His shoulders were twitching very minutely.
Billy was actually laughing
When he finally turned to look at Rhett over his shoulder, there were creases at the corners of his eyes. His mouth was pulled a little wider, but not quite into a smile. It was like he’d forgotten how to smile naturally. Billy turned his gaze back to the road before them before he spoke.
“Think yer only ‘bout half of what I can bench press.”
--
Not to brag, but Rhett was great at making people laugh. The funny, unassuming bro was the role he played and perfected--but actually getting that kind of reaction from someone like Billy made him feel all nice and fuzzy inside.
"You can grab some weights and stack 'em on top of me. I'm pretty sure that wouldn't collapse my bones. Maybe." He draped his hoodie on top of his head as they continued to walk back.
--
His brows furrowed again, but this time in a more amused than annoyed look that he cast over his broad shoulder at Rhett. He stuffed his hands in his pockets with an exasperated huff as he looked away from the other man again.
“Yer a weird guy.” He made the remark without any venom or scorn. It was said with a sort of wonder that made it sound like a curious observation instead of an insult,
He wove his way back to the mansion by picking out landmarks he recalled from their initial trip to the hospital. It hadn’t been as bad as he had feared, but that didn’t mean it would stay that way. It was hard to think well of mysterious strangers keeping him prisoner.
All in all, he’d...made a friend? An acquaintance. One that hadn’t yet proved untrustworthy. Billy spun on a heel, easily walking backwards as he looked Rhett up and down.
“Probably get a better workout lifting some beers.”
--
Yep, he totally called it! The guy was kind of adorable when he wasn't as prickly. Rhett was counting these as all sorts of wins in his book.
"Bro!" Rhett cried in mock-offense. "Man, not everyone can be swole as fuck like you. It's not really the look for me, but you pull it off pretty well."
--
Blue green eyes averted to the side and all expression left his face. He turned around again, his arms pulling in a little tighter. He shrugged like he was trying to shake something off his back.
“I guess.” He knew he was handsome, objectively. He’d had plenty of temporary girlfriends to prove it. Girls who came and went like the seasons. Girls who left when they figured out that Billy Thriller wasn’t all that thrilling.
--
Huh. had he said something wrong? Rhett wasn't sure if he'd be able to get an actual answer if he prodded; he had gotten plenty out of Billy for now, and he didn't want to push his luck.
"Look at you, all modest and shit," Rhett risked amicably patting him on the back when he pulled up beside him. "Hey, if you're too intimidated by the thought of lifting this hefty, solid mass of 140lbs of skin and bones, I ain't gonna judge," he joked while gesturing towards himself. He had been around a lot of big people in his lifetime, but at least he was better looking than them. It wasn't fair if they were well-built and hot.
"We could do other stuff. There's a pool room, a video game room, a theater... This place is a pretty sweet setup. You know, besides the cameras and stuff," Rhett pointed vaguely at the sky.
--
Rhett knocked a cut off grunt out of Billy with the pat, and the boxer’s eyebrows were threatening to merge into each other again when he glowered down at him. It wasn’t quite as cold as when they’d started out, but still more closed off than he had been a minute ago. Billy sniffed haughtily before pushing at him with an elbow.
“If I tried to lift you, I’d just end up flinging you into orbit.” He growled out. He fully extended his arm, though it was crooked at the elbow. He was using it to establish the distance between them.
“Nah, I...I gotta train. You know, keep hope that we’ll get outta this place.”
--
Rhett nodded. Even if he personally didn't believe in that, most people weren't as depressing as he was. He was sure the others had hopes and aspirations, whereas he stole to make a living and if that was no longer an issue, well... What was the point of trying to leave, right?
"Sure thing, man. If you need a partner or wanna hang out later, hit me up. Even if we're in a deserted town, it's good to keep in touch with each other. Humans being social creatures and all, y'know? S'good for you." He patted Billy's arm lightly.
--
Slowly, he looked down to where Rhett’s hand had connected with him before turning a scrutinizing gaze up to the smaller man. A gaze that tried to enforce the idea that he could easily snap Rhett in half like a dry twig, but he wasn’t sure how well he could sell the idea now. Billy dropped his arm back down to his side with a huff.
“All right.” He said simply, without any indication of whether he would or not. He didn’t like to create social expectation, especially now that he didn’t have Tony to go schmooze for him. After a long moment of silence and intense brow furrowing, he looked at Rhett again.
“Thanks.” He said it slowly, and with a sort of sour face, as though he was out of practice forming the right sound.
--
The whole time, Rhett just continued smiling easily, despite any intimidating glares coming from Billy. Sure he was skinny, but he wasn't afraid of getting beat up--he'd been beat up his entire life. He'd dealt with gangs. He'd been to prison. But that was the beauty of it all: no one expected that from him.
At the thanks, he beamed brightly at Billy. Well, well, well~ weren't they making progress here?
"Yeah, no pressure, man. I'm sure we'll have plenty of time to do whatever."