The transport rumbled as it neared the surface of the planet, landing gear shifting into place and sending little vibrations through the floor beneath Rhys’ feet. The omega hummed, fiddling with the seatbelt strapped atop his belly as he watched the twinkling city come into view below.  

At least from afar, it looked impressive. Towering skyscrapers, sprawling development cut in a neat hexagon in the middle of a vast sea. Hyperion banners visible even from hundreds of meters up. Jack hadn’t struck out just yet.

The familiar sound of the landing thrusters hissed from outside the transport’s hull as they cut down to a small bridge connecting the city to the landmass, and here Rhys pulled away from watching the outside world to sit back in his seat. Landing, like takeoff, usually made him queasy, and he’d rather not throw up all over his clothes and earn undeserved teasing from his husband.

This fic is literally just mindless banter and fluff with Jack taking his expectant omega Rhys all around Opportunity, thats literally it. I probably could’ve made it better but I was also just tired of having it in my WIP pile so….just take it for the meandering noncanon mess that it is lmao. 

“You’re going to love Opportunity, babe,” Jack said, not for the first time, from the seat besides Rhys. He’d spent the entire transport trip blabbing on about how great his newly constructed city was, how much Rhys would love it, how much their kids would love it. Rhys didn’t miss that—kids, even though the trips to the doctor over the past few months had confirmed without a doubt that he was only having one pup, much to Jack’s consternation. He knew the alpha wouldn’t be satisfied with just one kid—Jack’s ego was way too big for that—but he’d have to wait until this one was raised before he even dreamed of putting Rhys through this again.

“You keep telling me that…but it’s not just me that I gotta think about here. It’s gotta be safe for the pup, too, and wasn’t there just some problem with bandits a month or so ago?” Rhys spoke to Jack without looking at him, watching the planet outside the transport window. Pandora was a hellish place Rhys avoided if he could help it, and while he’d seen the plans and progress photographs from Opportunity’s construction, he didn’t exactly trust the planet’s crazed, anti-Hyperion denizens.

“Babe, Rhysie, c’mon. Think I can’t smash some stupid bandit invasion? If those bastards didn’t take me seriously when I blew half their numbers sky-high then they’ve got slag-for-brains.”

“Pandorans aren’t exactly known to listen to reason…”

“Well,” Jack smirked, hand stroking the back of Rhys’ neck, “that’s what the wall-to-wall cryo shield is for, babe. Keeps the city cool too, all the while turning all those nosy bastards into bandit-sicles.”

Though the way he phrased it—clearly amused by the idea of freezing any and all invaders to death—was a little sick, the idea of a shield certainly had Rhys breathing a bit easier. Sometimes Jack lost track of important little things like security while he mapped out where all his statues would go and how many naked hot tubs per-square-meter were needed, but he’d clearly paid attention to keeping Opportunity defended.

Rhys still wanted to wait and see the city for himself before he made any further decisions.

The transport rumbled as it neared the surface of the planet, landing gear shifting into place and sending little vibrations through the floor beneath Rhys’ feet. The omega hummed, fiddling with the seatbelt strapped atop his belly as he watched the twinkling city come into view below.  

At least from afar, it looked impressive. Towering skyscrapers, sprawling development cut in a neat hexagon in the middle of a vast sea. Hyperion banners visible even from hundreds of meters up. Jack hadn’t struck out just yet.

The familiar sound of the landing thrusters hissed from outside the transport’s hull as they cut down to a small bridge connecting the city to the landmass, and here Rhys pulled away from watching the outside world to sit back in his seat. Landing, like takeoff, usually made him queasy, and he’d rather not throw up all over his clothes and earn undeserved teasing from his husband. His stomach flipped a little, independent of his pup’s activity, as the transport slowed to a hovering stop, shaking for a couple seconds as it settled upon the ground.

Rhys was a few months away from giving birth, but Jack still offered his hand when he moved to get out of his seat. The omega sighed, but let Jack help him up nonetheless, even allowing him to sling his arm about his waist as they strode down towards the opening hatch of the transport. Surprisingly ambient air blew at Rhys’ hair—Jack hadn’t lied about the cryoshield staving off Pandora’s notoriously scorching weather.  

Sunshine and blue skies were always a bit of an adjustment whenever Rhys went down planet-side, and with his unfortunately delicate constitution thanks to the pregnancy that usually led him to avoid unnecessary trips. Everything always felt too big on Pandora, too far removed from the cozy, solid walls of Helios he grew used to as he laid in his nest, everything he needed within reach from the position of laying down. Rhys almost felt like swaying as they walked down the gangplank, thankful for his alpha’s arm around his waist though his vertigo had him feeling a little ridiculous. What kind of apex omega feared open spaces? Get it together, Rhys.

Focusing on the city that raised up above him helped ground his wandering mind, fortunately. Jack gave his hip a tiny squeeze as Rhys’ crept his eyes upward, tracing Opportunity from the front gates where they stood up to the top crest of the largest skyscraper. The sun glinted off the walls and spires of the buildings, making the whole thing glow like the facets of an irregular jewel.

“Is it always this sunny here?” Rhys commented, unused to such natural lighting. It wasn’t his first time on Pandora, but since the planet was hardly the place for an omega carrying a child, it’d been quite some time since he’d been.

“Always sunny on Pandora, babe. Did you know days here are ninety hours long?”

“Ninety hours?” Rhys balked. “No wonder everyone is insane…”

“Don’t you fret though, pumpkin. Got a nifty little feature of the cryoshield to help us out.” Jack pointed skyward. “Artificial light blocking technology all around us plus a holographic day-night cycle to ensure proper circadian rhythm in each and every resident…”

The omega whistled as they walked on towards the city’s front gates.

“Fancyy…good thing, adjusting to a whole other whacked-out sleep schedule would not a happy Rhys make.” Jack had already experienced what a grumpy omega, roused at 4 am by the urge to pee or the incessant kicking of their pup, was like, and Rhys knew he wasn’t eager to deal with that again anytime soon.

Armed loaders and turrets lined the perimeter of the city, some fixed atop the walls and others patrolling the path leading up to it. Groups of human soldiers, clad in bright yellow body armor, mingled in as well, coming to stand to attention as Jack passed by. Rhys smirked slightly, unable to totally rid himself of the giddy little thrill that wriggled through his body at these casual displays of Jack’s power. People parted for him—and Rhys, now—like a moonshot slicing through the ocean.

The entry plaza that greeted them as they finally walked into Opportunity proper looked just about how Rhys had expected it to. Jack’s image dominated nearly every inch of decor, from the murals plastered on the walls to the advertisements floating in the air, to the massive statue rising up out of the center. He would scoff at the excess if he wasn’t already used to it. Being mated to someone like Handsome Jack quickly got you acclimated to the size and scale of their ego.

“Pretty cool, right?” Jack murmured as he led Rhys down towards the main statue, before quickly pointing out the others dotting the plaza. “And look! There’s little kiosks at each one that tell you stuff about me. You know, just in case not everyone coming here knows. Isn’t that awesome?”

“I’ll be impressed if it’s actual trivia, and not just things you made up,” Rhys joked. “They should’ve run the scripts for those by me first, so I could fact check them, maybe even give them some real juicy ideas.”

“Aww come on, sweetheart, no one needs to know what color underwear I have—I mean, aside from the freaks like you,” Jack shot back, though he pulled Rhys away from the direction of one kiosk when the omega started to wander over towards it.”

“Anyway, enough of all that. How’s about we start with a little bit of shopping to ease us in, sweetheart? Opportunity’s already the most fashion-friendly city this side of the galaxy—with all the swankiest stuff you could ever want—and it ain’t even open to the public yet!”

Rhys already had a wardrobe stuffed full of designer clothes back on Helios, and sincerely doubted he’d find much he didn’t already own four pairs of—but if Jack was in a spoiling mood, then Rhys was going to take advantage of it.

He let Jack lead him away from the main plaza, down one arm of the city decorated with geometric hedges and even more murals featuring the CEO’s exploits. Rhys liked one in particular, even stopping to admire it with a smirk. His eyes roved over the striking lines and bright colors depicting Jack fending off a group of psychos, one arm wrapped protectively around a wide-eyed pup who stared up at the heroic alpha with an awe beyond its understanding.  

Very cute.

They finally moved out into another, albeit smaller plaza, hemmed in by storefronts on either side and centered around a statue of Jack—this one in a nice, sharply cut suit, its hand raised with a champagne flute to toast the shoppers blowing more of their money on Hyperion products. Rhys wished he’d wear something like that suit more often, but even today on an allegedly special occasion he still sported his same tired outfit. Which was fine—it wasn’t as if Rhys had dressed nicely or anything, only putting on the best tailcoat and dress shirt his belly could handle.

The first boutique they stepped into boasted a new line of seasonal swimwear in their storefront, shiny gold mannequins modeling trunks and bikinis in a pleasing if predictable palette of black and white and yellow. Rhys hoped there’d be more of a variety inside and indeed, once they walked into the store proper he saw more colors aside from the usual Hyperion livery. A rack lined with clothing and accessories in various shades of blue in particular caught his eye, and he ambled over, running his fingers over the soft spandex and examining each item as Jack wandered to the other end of the store.

Rhys ended up finding a cute pair of shorts he liked—after a moment’s despair at passing up his usual size for the one his pregnant body now needed—holding them against his hips as he awkwardly modeled in one of the full-length mirrors. He saw Jack coming up behind him before the alpha tried to grab his shoulder and spook him, whirling around to meet him with a warning growl that quickly turned into a bemused snort when he saw what Jack was holding.

“What is that?”

Jack held the hanger up a little higher, the stripes of gold on the bathing suit shining in the boutique’s bright lights.

“Something you’d look damn sexy in.”

Rhys draped the blue shorts over his arm before taking the hanger from Jack’s hand to twirl it slowly by the hook.

“I can look damn sexy in just about anything, but it doesn’t mean I’m going to wear it willingly…” He examined the outfit closer, drawn to the black and gold briefs but wrinkling his nose at the ruffled bikini top.

“Why are you always trying to get me into two-piece suits? My body just ends up looking like a pregnant-belly sandwich,” Rhys grumbled as he tried to imagine how they suit would look on his body. Much as Jack wanted to ogle him at all times, he had grown a bit sensitive about showing too much skin as he’d gotten bigger. Even with the curse of stretch-marks kept at bay for now with a strict regime of lotion and soothing baths, sometimes it was hard to feel sexy while looking like he’d just been stuffed with a beach ball.

“Get the bottoms, I’ll actually use those, but my tits aren’t nearly big enough to justify wearing a bikini top.” Even with hormones running amok, his chest hadn’t grown that much, though that didn’t stop Jack grabbing and squeezing him there whenever they had sex.

“And don’t you try to pull a fast one and buy it a size too small like those shorts from last week,” Rhys scowled, remembering how he’d ended up burying his tears of frustration into his pillow as those traitorous shorts had clung unbuttoned on his hips. When Jack had finally copped to buying a smaller size because he liked seeing Rhys’ butt and thighs all squeezed he’d been banished from the bedroom until he returned with a “sorry for being an asshole” snack.

Thankfully, when Rhys checked the bags after Jack had made his purchase, he was pleased to find his alpha had behaved himself and bought the correct size.

“Good. Now I won’t have to punish you again for being an asshole. I’m getting way too tired to do any of that stuff,” he teased.

From there, Rhys raided the beauty care boutique next door where the attendants practically fawned over him, complimenting his skin and hair and insisting he needn’t change a thing about his current while obviously still trying to get him to buy their products. The flattery still won Rhys’ favor, and since Jack was footing the bill he decided there was little harm in splurging and upping the commission for these nice people.

On their advice, he picked up some product for his hair as well as some special cream to help stave off the marks on his belly, knowing he’d need it especially as he moved into the literal final stretch. He felt pretty pleased with all his purchases and couldn’t wait to try them all out back at home.

“Hungry, kitten?” Jack asked as soon as they exited the beauty boutique, lade with yet another bag full of little bottles and tubes. Rhys hummed, scenting at his mate’s shoulder to make his pleasure known—though not too much. He didn’t want to already pump Jack’s ego to capacity before he approved the rest of the city.

“I could do with a snack…tell me you didn’t just drag and drop the eateries from Helios down here, because I’m interested in trying something different for once.”

“Please, I know how much you love your food, I wasn’t about to skimp out on that,” Jack snorted, leading Rhys away from the shopping and towards a cute storefront crowned by an awning decked out in yellow and white stripes, capped by a sign proclaiming it the “Handsome Jack’s Decadent Confectionary and Ice Cream Shoppe.”

“Ooh? What’s this?” Rhys cooed, smirking sidelong at Jack as he led him into the shop. “Don’t tell me, you built me my own ice cream parlor? That you…named after yourself?”

“Shoot, pumpkin, you want that name changed and I’m on it, we can have it be “Squeezy Rhysie’s Bountiful Creamery’ or something like that.” Jack smirked with a feigned grab towards Rhys’ chest.

The omega leaned away and wrinkled his nose.

“No. Noo. Please, don’t even say that again,” he mumbled as they walked inside, a little chime sounding out above the entrance.

By the look of the place Rhys knew Jack must’ve allowed someone else to design it. The quaint, sublime decor, akin to a very vintage scoop shop from the old feature programs that he sometimes found on the ECHOnet. He was delighted to find stripes splashed over the walls and chairs and even the clothes of the employees working behind the counter.

“Aww. You remembered how much I love stripes.” Rhys snickered as he led Jack for the first time in their tour of Hyperion, even his heavy baby belly unable to slow him down when ice cream was involved. He skirted around the stanchion forming the corner of the line, any guests in front of them quickly parting to the side once they saw who was barreling up behind them with a major sweet tooth.

Rhys pressed his hands up against the sneeze guard like a little kid, the impact of his cybernetic palm sending the glass shuddering so violently he worried it might break—or he would worry if he wasn’t busy ogling all the brightly colored flavors of ice cream. Though his enthusiastic expression dropped somewhat when he read the little placards next to each tub.

“Really? Bandit Blood? Thresher’s Delight? Skag Piss?”

“Aw come on. Those are just names, sugar.” Jack murmured as he slid in besides him. “Well, maybe not Skag Piss. That’s for the real adventurous out there.”

Rhys made a face.

“You better be joking…I don’t want to think about how many people are walking around here with pee-breath.”

“Well, everyone here’s only here on my permission, so if anyone breaths the wrong way in your direction, tell me and I’ll have ‘em shot.”

“No thank you,” Rhys replied flatly, scanning the rest of the menu, eyebrows furrowing as he tried to figure out which of the bizarre flavors he might actually like.

“How about Cryo Crunch?”

“Unless you wanna freeze yourself from the inside out, no. Not something I’d recommend while you’re growing a person.”

“…I’m guessing Firemelon Spice Sherbet has a similar problem.”

“For you, kitten, that’d be heartburn city.”

“Pandoran Passion sounds pretty safe…”

“Pfft. People down here don’t know the meaning of safe or passionate but…I guess it’s not too bad. Just a blend of a couple fruits from the Highlands.”

“I’m not sure if I trust anything grown on this planet…might just go with Aquatorian Sea Salt Vanilla.”

“Vanilla? Well, if you’re sure,” Jack snickered, earning an annoyed huff from Rhys and a jab towards the cash register. The omega crossed his arms over his stomach as he watched Jack order, ensuring he didn’t try to slip a fast one and get Rhys to try one of those nasty flavors.

Thankfully when the cheery employee handed him the overladen waffle cone, it looked normal. A quick lick confirmed it was indeed vanilla—but no run of the mill ice cream. Rhys’ eyes lit up with pleasure as he smacked his lips, before taking a large bite out of the top of his treat, enjoying the creamy sweetness with a hint of fine salt. He nearly forgot himself and let out a moan, his craving finally satisfied.

Rhys turned back towards Jack, only to find his alpha with a double-scooped cone of his own in hand.

“You got something?”

“Yep. Eden 5 Forbidden Fudge. Wanna try?”

“As long as it’s not secretly bullymong crap or something…” Rhys mumbled, leaning forward with a testing lick. After confirming yes, that was chocolate and not anything else, he went back for seconds.

Jack next guided him towards an area of the city relieved from the massive shining walls and modern architecture, instead giving way to greenery beyond the geometric hedges that peppered the rest of the districts. Rhys was impressed—Jack had actually put some time and effort into making a decent little park here, full of lush vegetation and colorful flowers and quaint, well-maintained stone pathways.

“Didn’t think you cared about preserving natural beauty,” Rhys teased, his flesh hand playfully squeezing Jack’s own as they ambled together into the park. The shade from the trees above felt pleasant on his skin, keeping him cool beneath the layers of clothing. It felt so normal, to walk through a park eating ice cream with one’s mate, so far removed from the lavish dinners and exotic vacations he’d grown used to as Jack’s chosen omega. He felt charmed at the quaint nature of the park, though Hyperion’s mark still filtered through, yellow and white logos glaringly obvious on the receptacles and benches lining the path.

Rhys found himself stopping periodically along their walk to take a closer look at the trees and bushes, delighted to find they differed from those grown on Helios. He was sure he hadn’t seen anything like them before, not even on the occasional trip to Research and Development, where most exotic flora found its way to.  

“There’s no way these plants come from Pandora, right?” Rhys reached out, letting the long, silky leaves of one particular tree weave between his fingers. “It’s not like….biting me or poisoning me or exploding or anything.”

“Pfft, babe I’m not about to stuff this place with bushes and flowers that wanna kill you. Most of these are imported from other, less shitty planets.”

“Good. Last thing I need is a heart attack. Or an early labor…” Rhys grumbled as he rubbed his stomach, pup doing battle with his stomach as the latter tried to digest his ice cream.

The pair walked in quiet for awhile, broken only by chitchat and quiet observations as Jack pointed out various plants and told Rhys where exactly his landscapers had swiped them from. Rhys nodded along, happy to zone out to his alpha’s voice until they rounded a bend in the path which opened out into a large, forested plaza crowed by a towering golden figure.

At first, Rhys figured it was another statue of Jack, to continue the trend set by the rest of Opportunity. But much to his surprise, his own sculpted face looked out over the clearing, points and contours scintillating in the warm Pandoran sun.

“Oh my god. Is that…that’s me?”

“In the flesh—uh, gold, kitten.” Jack corrected, throwing out his arm and gesturing dramatically towards the statue. “Are you surprised? What do you think?”

Rhys stared up for a moment, taking in the full impact of seeing himself huge and artfully sculpted just like the hundreds of Jack’s statues he’d seen in his lifetime.

“It’s…surprisingly tasteful.”

“What, did you thing I was gonna have you spreading your legs all over the park or something? Jeez, pumpkin. Give me a little credit.”

“Never,” Rhys retorted. He ambled around the statue, getting a better look.

“You really made my ass pop out…”

“Damn right. Too bad I didn’t wait a few more months though, for you to get a bit….plumper…” Jack’s grin turned lecherous as he tried to grab for Rhys’ butt, only for the omega to lean away with a scowl.

“No thanks, I think I prefer how it turned out…and I’m glad you didn’t decide to slap this on.” Rhys grabbed his belly in both hands, giving it a very slight jiggle.

“Oh, don’t tempt me. There’s still time, pumpkin, if you wanna be immortalized as the patron omega of all Opportunity.”

Rhys let out a humorless laugh.

“No. Absolutely not. You already take enough photos of me all round and huge.”

“Because you’re frikkin’ hot. Not all alphas can appreciate a pregnant omega the way I can.” Jack leaned in with a grin, breathing through his fangs. “With lots of cash, and sex.”

“You’re luck plenty of one can always make up for lack in the other,” Rhys retorted as they finished rounding the statue, before continuing on a little further through the rest of the forested space. Thankfully, no further, lewder statues of Rhys jumped out to surprise him, leaving the omega feeling fairly satisfied—and impressed.

He tried not to let his pleasure bleed out much lest Jack’s ego over-inflate itself, though some happy pheromones inevitably seeped through. Jack’s city was certainly something to behold, and if Rhys’ feet hadn’t started hurting by the end of the park tour he would’ve wanted to see the rest. Thankfully, Jack had a plan that sounded pretty appealing to his omega.

“I still haven’t shown you the house yet, babe. The rest of the city can wait, but you gotta see the place I made for us. It’s perfect.”

“As long as I can put up my feet and relax, I’ll take most anything,” Rhys winced, flexing his toes within the confines of his shoes. He’d picked out his roomiest pair of flats and still his feet ached after only an hour or so of slow walking. Jack carefully helped him off the park bench and to his feet, supporting the omega as much as Rhys would allow before he grew too embarrassed. Jack’s hand squeezed against his weight, supporting his unwieldy omega against his body as they shuffled off towards the opposite end of the city, cutting back through the main plaza towards a quieter, less metropolitan district.

Rhys puzzled as they moved further away from the towering skyscrapers that dominated the Opportunity skyline, where he’d first assumed Jack had built their new home-away-from-home. He kept close to Jack’s side as the alpha led him down a street lined with dormant security loaders that ended in a large, scintillating metal gate. Jack tapped a couple of buttons embedded into a console on one of the high steel walls flanking the gate, knocking out a couple security questions as the software analyzed his voice and face and finally let the gates slide open with a metallic swish.

A lavish courtyard greeted them first, followed by what Rhys could only describe as the fanciest mansion he’d ever seen—and in his younger days with Vaughn he’d spent hours pouring over multi-billion dollar homes on Eden-6 they were totally going to own someday. The lines of the home followed the sleek, modern design of the rest of Opportunity, only with more Jack-style embellishments, such as two statues holding up the gilded canopy overhanging the massive dark-wood door and plenty topiaries lush with garish gold and blue flowers Rhys had never seen before. Presumably, if they weren’t from another planet Jack had already conquered, then the CEO had engineered them himself.

“First impressions, what do you think, babe?” Jack beamed as he led him around the ornate fountain spitting water into the sky and towards the door just as the gates slid closed behind him. Rhys let out a little chuff of interest, delaying his judgement until he got to see the inside.

Following another security check, the massive front doors swung open with a click and a grind and not a single finger lifted towards the glossy H-shaped knobs. Jack turned, offering his hand palm up to Rhys’, who rolled his eyes but nevertheless let his alpha lead him daintily over the threshold into the foyer, where they found themselves surrounded by light fixtures shaped like stylized crystal deposits and two large oil paintings on either sides of the hallway, depicting a continuous scene between them that—upon closer inspection—detailed an intimate progression of Jack’s life. Far from the more grandiose depictions littering the rest of Opportunity, these paintings detailed their relationship outside the prying eyes of the rest of Hyperion’s elite in a way that had Rhys’ heart leaping warmly in his chest.

“I didn’t know you were having these done…” He murmured, reaching out to tenderly brush his fingers against the ornate frame of the painting to the left, eyes lingering on the little scene of his and Jack’s wedding on the sunset-stained cliffs of Aquator. His alphas arms wrapped around him, lips pressing a kiss to the side of the omega’s neck.

“Of course not. This whole place is sort of a surprise.”

“I mean, I knew you were building a mansion…”

“Yeah, but you didn’t really know what it looked like or what was in it.” Jack lifted his finger to tap at the skin beneath Rhys’ port. “I know some tricks to keep your nosy little eyes outta things.”

Rhys chuckled softly, one hand coming up to rub against Jack’s fingers, enjoying a quiet moment with his alpha, before they continued to walk down the foyer. At the end of the hallway the mansion properly opened out into a massive living room ringed with panoramic windows, shining natural light into the fully-furnished space. Rhys could see lush gardens and little paths outside and, beyond that, the bright glittering aqua of the lake Opportunity sat upon.

“Honestly…I’m kind of more surprised you didn’t put all this in that giant skyscraper.” Rhys leaned into his alpha as he took in every detail of the living room, eager to explore them all more closely after Jack’s full tour of the mansion finished.

“Oh please, I already got the biggest seat in the house,” Jack snorted as he pointed towards one of the large windows, where Helios could now be seen hanging high in the sky, “the whole east bank of Opportunity is ours though, kitten. That’s impressive enough, right?”

Rhys raised an eyebrow and turned his chin towards his mate.

“Okay, okay,” Jack backpedaled, “I definitely also have the topmost penthouse in the biggest skyscraper here reserved just for me. You know, if you ever want to appreciate the view.”

Rhys smirked.

“There’s the Jack I know.”

Honestly though, Rhys appreciated having his feet on the ground rather than hundreds of feet in the air. In Helios things were different, but planet-side, where gravity came into play, he found himself hating heights. Transports were doable, but he couldn’t stand the idea of living anywhere high up permanently, especially in his current, hyper-vigilant state. He didn’t want to admit Jack may have taken that into account, but the idea that his phobia might’ve be enough to thwart part of Jack’s ego in this self-centered enterprise of a city had him feeling a little fuzzy inside.

“Besides…I just couldn’t resist the idea of giving you the surprise you’ve always wanted. And once I saw the design plans, well…I knew you wouldn’t settle for anything else.”

Rhys pursed his lips in confusion.

“What surprise? The mansion isn’t the surprise?”

“The mansion holds the biggest surprise of all, sweetheart. C’mon.” Jack nudged him softly before leading him on out of the living room, down a hallway full of framed pictures, some of which Rhys recognized from his ECHOeye screens database, and while he wondered how exactly Jack had gotten those, as well as what all the other doors they passed by held beyond that, any further concerns were wiped away as the hallway opened up into a smaller sitting room complete with a pair of wide, crystalline sliding doors that looked out into the massive yard.

Only this time Rhys didn’t see vibrant gardens and little walking paths, but rather the biggest, bluest, fanciest pool he’d ever laid eyes on.

He gasped audibly, unable to hold back even as he clapped a hand over his mouth. Jack laughed, sound giddy and pleased as he slid open the doors and led Rhys out onto the natural-rock porch, a cool breeze tumbling over them both as they stood at the edge of the massive pool. Until Jack spoke up, only the trickle of an artificial waterfall cut through the awed hush.

“This is the one time I’d say silence is the biggest compliment.” Jack beamed, hand not resting on Rhys’ waist planted proudly on his hip. He looked over to his omega as he struggled to compose himself.

Rhys had never disliked the penthouse up on Helios—in fact, he’d dreamed of living there himself long before he and Jack had ever met—but while it certainly had the fanciest jacuzzi tub in all of the station, he’d always longed for a proper pool to relax and cool off in. And while they’d traveled to resorts on various planets that offered such an amenity, Rhys had long yearned for one that belonged to him and no one else. And Jack, in the midst of building a city-wide monument to himself, had taken a moment to build something huge and lavish that his omega had wanted for as long as they’d lived together.

“So? What do you think of Opportunity now, kitten.”

“I—it’s fine.” Honestly, he was more than a little choked up, but Jack breezed right past that, his eyebrows prematurely shooting up at Rhys’ sparse reply.

“Just—just fine? I—Come on kiddo! There’s shopping, ice cream, a fancy park, a frikkin’ statue of you and a mansion that’s half pool! What more could you want?”

“Hey, easy there—,” Rhys eked out a correction, hand now resting on his agitated alpha’s forearm. “I think just have to try this out first…I’m sure it’ll pass with flying colors…maybe.” Even as he tried to mollify his mate, Rhys couldn’t resist the teasing wink.

“I guess neither of us are really beach body ready but…oh well.” He started to shrug off his coat, ready to strip down right here rather than waddle around looking for a bathroom. Jack only shot him an offended look.

“What? I’m always beach body ready, kitten—“

“Jack, I love you, but I’ve seen you naked, this is a brand new pool and if you dip in it’s gonna immediately get clogged up with old man hair.”

Honestly, Rhys didn’t mind his alpha’s body hair, but he admittedly liked to see him a little groomed. Jack turned red at the latest bout of teasing, furrowing his brow in annoyed thought.

“Why I…ugh….all right, why don’t you go ahead and try it out first…I’m gonna go…do some stuff…!” Jack dropped their shopping bag against the deck as he rushed back inside, Rhys chuckling softly to himself, imagining what his alpha would try to do to impress him even more. He watched his alpha amble back inside and down the hallway, before turning his attention to the shopping bag, grateful he’d decided to go ahead and buy a couple of swimsuits early on.  

Rhys grimaced as he noticed Jack had after all somehow bought the bikini top without him noticing, so he left that draped over the back of the deck chair for now as he slipped the gold and black swim briefs up his legs, carefully bracing himself against one of the rocky decorative walls lest he fall over. The garment fit snugly over his newly ample ass and hips, but to his relief they didn’t dig into his skin the way he hated. Jack may like seeing red fabric marks pressed against his body—one of many unexpected kinks Rhys had discovered over the years—but lately tight clothes only chafed and itched against his most sensitive areas. Which was kind of….all of him at the moment.

Once he got his swimsuit on he started to step carefully towards the pool, unable to see his feet beyond the pale belly rounding out from his middle. The deck was thankfully dry—untouched by anyone save those who constructed it and Jack, probably. Rhys would be the first to try it out.

He grasped the railings once he got close enough to the edge and soon eased himself into the shallow end, moaning in relief as the water kissed his stinging feet and legs—he’d enjoyed walking about the city, but even with his flat-bottomed shoes his muscles protested at the added weight. But the perfectly temperate water soothed his aches, and he soon slid in the rest of the way, until the surface of the water lapped midway up his belly.

Rhys paused a moment just to relax, to take in the feeling of the tranquil pool around him. The sun above bathed him in light, warming his skin even as below the surface the water cool

He grabbed a bright yellow float from the edge of the pool in case he grew tired, folding his arms atop it as he gently kicked off from the shallow end, swimming with long, lazy strokes.

His body glimmered beneath the surface, water and sunlight making his skin look almost luminescent, and with his tattoos swirling down his arm and chest like the easy current he almost felt like a merman—some exotic find on a more elegant, more beautiful planet. Indeed, he’d almost forgotten he was on Pandora.  

Rhys floated forward, pushing his toes against the bottom of the pool until he drifted towards the deeper end. He liked being in the water—he felt nice and buoyant, so far removed from the awkward heaviness he dealt with on the daily now whenever he decided to move. He almost felt like he did buried in his nest—relaxed and floating like crisp scent on the breeze.

He wondered if Jack would mind if he built a nest out here by the pool. Some of those huge chairs looked like they could be stuffed with pillows and made into a nice alcove bed for him to rest and relax underneath the artificial stars. Jack could join him, and if he kept his mouth closed, it might even end up kind of romantic.

As he floated towards the end of the pool he decided to dive beneath the surface, taking a huge breath before he plunged his head into the water, swimming down a foot or two before opening his eyes.

He could see where the deep end of the pool met the surrounding lake, separated only by a huge, floor to surface panel of crystalline glass. Rhys gasped at the sight as he swam closer, bubbles of air blossoming from his lips before he remembered to keep his mouth closed. Light from above filtered through the surface in little slanted columns, shimmering clearly off into the distance beyond the boundary of the pool. He could see shapes way out there, some large and dark, others thin and silvery, clustered together and mostly likely a school of fish. He swam a little bit closer, blue light reflecting off the glass as he activated his ECHOeye, trying to get a read on a couple of the fauna swimming around on the other side. A group of small yellow and blue streaked fish fluttered close, tiny bodies shimmering and perfectly in synch. His eye quickly zeroed in and etched out the info—Pandoran Azurstripe Snapper, juveniles, indigenous to the open waters of Lake Shining Horizons, feeds on shrimp and plankton—just as the school turns abruptly at the glass and swims back off into the clear depths.

Rhys wondered if they tasted good. Maybe Jack would wanna try fishing? Seemed like an old guy kind of thing, though if he mentioned that Jack might shy away from cooking him a fancy, fresh-caught fish dinner.

He finally had to break for the surface, pushing himself up through the water until his head popped up for air. He took in a deep breath and smiled to himself, before slowly swimming back towards the edge of the pool—and a waiting Jack. Who had apparently stripped down all the way and slipped on a pair of Hyperion-branded swim trunks Rhys had never seen before. Not only that—Jack’s chest also looked far shinier and sleeker than normal, and even from a distance Rhys could see his watery eyes and little winces. He snorted bubbles into the water, realizing his boyfriend, in desperation to impress him, had actually gone and waxed himself just the way Rhys liked it—keeping hair on his arms and legs while leaving his chest and stomach silky and smooth.

Finally feeling as happy and content as a pregnant omega could be, Rhys lifted his head with a wide smile, pleased pheromones drifting like smoke on the pool’s surface as he addressed his alpha.

“Hey long, tan, and handsome. You joining me?”

“Mmm. I take it you approve of the pool, huh?” Jack’s voice, though still tight, sounded relieved by his mate’s human, pleased scent.

Rhys nodded, kicking his feet lightly in the water.

“I’ll like it even more of you come share it with me,” he murmured, low and sensual tone not lost on his alpha. His smile pinched at his cheek, a bit of fang showing over his lower lip.

“Don’t mind if I do, sugar,” Jack barked, before taking a running jump into the water.