Rhys nearly jumped at the snap of the wood. Jack’s axe didn’t go through all the way, so he braced his other hand against the block and jerked the blade a few times until it pulled free. He watched Jack roll his neck and shrug his shoulders, before hefting the axe down again, this time splitting the log the rest of the way down.  

It was odd to see Jack doing something so physical. Not that Rhys hadn’t seen his alpha spring into action before when someone behaved in a way Jack deemed inappropriate towards his mate, or when some would-be assassin thought they could get the drop on him. Jack wasn’t exactly lazy, but he did enjoy his downtime, preferring relaxing on the couch or screwing Rhys silly to going to the gym or taking a jog.

But damn. Jack chopping wood? Something so simple was getting Rhys’ heart pumping as he watched Jack move—not expertly, but with focus and raw strength he’d not seen in quite some time.

This is a super self indulgent fic involving Rhys and Jack vacationing to a cabin on a woodsy cabin. Featuring probably unrealistically attractive Jack but you know what? That’s okay. 

Rhea was a wild planet, largely uninhabited and untouched by civilization, but it didn’t pose nearly the danger a place like Pandora did. Probably because it was not infested with crazed adventure-seekers and warring mercenaries. And while there could potentially be hidden dangers Hyperion expeditions had yet to uncover, preliminary ecological surveys showed most of the local fauna posed little immediate danger to humans.

So, obviously, it was the perfect place for an isolated, relaxing vacation.

Rhys had balked the first time Jack suggested it, but after seeing photos of the surrounding area and the little but luxurious cabin Jack had built there, he started to warm up to the idea. And when Jack had gone out and bought a full rustic little wardrobe full of cute jeans, flannel shirts, and cute peacoats Rhys found himself won over.

Excited as he was to explore a new planet, Rhys wound up taking a nap almost immediately when he got there, exhausted from the transport. The entire cabin smelled lovely and relaxing, of pine and cinnamon spice. Despite the chill of the forest outside the interior radiated warmth, and the moment Rhys saw the comfortable couch covered in blankets he flopped down onto the cushions and knocked out.

When he finally woke up he felt fuzzy but relaxed. He yawned, stretching his arms out over his head and flexing his toes in his boots. He hadn’t even bothered to take them off before he fell asleep, he realized with an inward chuckle.

After a moment’s spent enjoying the softness of the couch and the comforting smells around him Rhys finally wobbled upright, placing his feet on the floor as he looked around, half expecting to find Jack similar conked out in the armchair, but his alpha was nowhere to be found. Rhys turned around to glance over the back of the couch to the little pass-through window that looked into the kitchen, but nope. Nothing.

Rhys stood, legs still a little wobbly from sleep, before starting to explore the rest of the cabin. It was small, about half the size of Jack’s penthouse, but not cramped or uncomfortable. Words like quaint and cozy meandered around in his head—both things he’d never figured Jack would be into, and yet it’d been Jack’s idea to build this place. There were touches of luxury here and there—the coffee table had been carved from from beautifully marbled wood, and a fancy television sat mounted above the empty fireplace—but otherwise it looked fairly rustic.

A quick peek into the kitchen confirmed Jack wasn’t there, so Rhys started to check the bathrooms and the bedrooms, eventually ending up near the back end of the house when he couldn’t find hide nor hair of his alpha. There, as Rhys ducked his head into the tiny laundry room, he finally heard a muffled thunk from outside, followed by a distinctly human grunt.

Rhys pushed open the unlocked back door onto a small little porch populated by a couple of carved chairs, tucked under a little awning. A few little lanterns glowed from the roof’s edge, providing little needed light in the late afternoon but adding to the overall ambience nonetheless.

He could smell the fresh spice of the woods around them, the leaves and bark heavy with the cooling temperate as the sun started to tickle against the tops of the trees. The sunlight filtering through the highlighted everything in a gentle orange glow, from the boulders and stumps scattered about the ground to the broad pair of shoulders and oddly focused face that didn’t yet notice Rhys’ presence.

Jack stood in the backyard of the cabin—if you could really call it that, considering there were no visible fences separating the little grass clearing from the surrounding woods. He’d stripped down from the flannel shirt he’d worn on the transport, tying the garment around his waist to keep it from getting in the way. The white undershirt beneath stuck to his chest and stomach, spotted in places from sweat and grim. In one hand gleamed the long handle of an axe, its edge flashing in an arch as Jack whipped it over his head and brought it down to crack through a piece of wood set up on a broad stump.

Rhys nearly jumped at the snap of the wood. Jack’s axe didn’t go through all the way, so he braced his other hand against the block and jerked the blade a few times until it pulled free. He watched Jack roll his neck and shrug his shoulders, before hefting the axe down again, this time splitting the log the rest of the way down.  

It was odd to see Jack doing something so physical. Not that Rhys hadn’t seen his alpha spring into action before when someone behaved in a way Jack deemed inappropriate towards his mate, or when some would-be assassin thought they could get the drop on him. Jack wasn’t exactly lazy, but he did enjoy his downtime, preferring relaxing on the couch or screwing Rhys silly to going to the gym or taking a jog.

But damn. Jack chopping wood? Something so simple was getting Rhys’ heart pumping as he watched Jack move—not expertly, but with focus and raw strength he’d not seen in quite some time.

Rhys knew that body intimately. He’d ran his fingers over Jack’s form many times, exploring those lingering muscles beneath the layer of aged softness in his chest and shoulders. Jack’s youth had built him well, and even now Rhys sensed the power kept in reserve, rendered mostly unnecessary thanks to Jack’s privileged position and access to all sorts of advanced weapons.

Warm wind swirled around the porch, tickling Rhys’ neck and face and making him shudder. Jack tossed the two halves of wood into a small pile besides the stump, and when those arms flexed and hands grabbed an even larger log Rhys finally decided to speak up.

“Wow. I would call you a show-off, but who were you even showing off to, the trees?” The omega chuckled as he walked out onto the porch, letting the door fall shut behind him. The sound drew Jack’s attention to him, giving Rhys a proper view of his face, tense with concentration and peppered with sweat and dirt.

“Rhysie? You finally wake up?” Jack sounds a little breathless, voice slightly broken by pants.

“Mmmm. This place is super relaxing, I couldn’t help it.”

Jack’s pecs moved with his breaths, muscles bulging out against the white fabric. His shirt truly was plastered against his body, clinging to the contours of his chest and collarbone. Rhys bit his lip as he walked down the steps, loafers crunching into the grass as he walked to meet Jack. The alpha dropped the axe, letting it fall into the earth with a soft thunk, his attention distracted from chopping wood now that his mate was awake.

Jack’s palms pressed against Rhys’ hips as soon as he got close, rucking a bit of his shirt up as his fingers dug in to properly grab him. Rhys arched his back, curving his crotch and belly forward to rub up against Jack’s body as it pushed closer, rubbing them both together.

“You…you look really good like this…” Rhys reached up to cup Jack’s face. He still wore his mask, but dirt clung to his cheek and sweat shone on the gaps of tan skin between the edges of fake flesh and his hairline. He trailed his fingers up the seam between his mask and the face until he reached the clasps near his temples.

“Think so, sugar?”

“Mmhm. You’d look even better without this, though…” Rhys pinches the clasps between his fingers, but Jack only frowned.

“Pumpkin…”

“No one’s here…” Rhys pressed closer, kissing Jack’s cheek, then just beneath his left eye. “Come on. Please?”

Jack, instead of relenting, pressed forward to claim Rhys’ lips, trying to distract him. The omega moaned as a tongue pushed into his mouth, doing its job to draw Rhys’ attention from the mask as his hands fell back to cradling Jack’s jaw.

It was hard not to go weak-kneed and fluttery with Jack kissing him, the scent of earth and spice and alpha pheromone already seeded deep within his senses. Rhys’ hands slowly drifted from Jack’s jaw to wind about his neck, keeping himself close as Jack’s mouth consumed him with warmth and need.

Rhys lifted one leg up to rest around Jack’s hips before he even realized what he was doing. Jack’s hand slapped onto his thigh, securing it there, keeping Rhys slightly off balance and reliant on Jack’s weight and grasp even as his kissing grew aggressive to match Jack’s teeth and tongue. Rhys moaned low in his throat as Jack’s fingers dug harder into his thigh, those well-manicured nails—now caked with grit—scratching against the fabric of his jeans.

Jack soon yanked Rhys’ other leg up around his hips to join the other. He clenched his thighs as his fingers dug into Jack’s shoulders, holding on tight as the alpha supported Rhys’ weight all on his own.

The late-afternoon breeze whistled through the woods, sending leaves on the ground scattering. Rhys’ felt his hair tousle from its already disheveled state as the wind tugged at him and goaded even more of Jack’s rugged scent into his nose. He gasped when their lips parted and Jack let their foreheads list together, tongue lapping over his canines as he looked at Rhys with raw hunger he could practically feel in his blood.

“…Maybe we should take this inside, huh?” Rhys trailed his fingers through the hair on the back of Jack’s neck, feeling how it stuck in sweaty spikes. Jack rumbles his assent deep in his chest as he stroked his nose alone Rhys’ cheek, dragging his scent along his skin in small huffs. Already uninterested in words.

Rhys tilted his chin back to give Jack more access to his neck, already okay with that.

---

The bedroom sat on the east side of the cabin, closest to the light of the setting sun. It filtered, warm and gold through the blinds, casting fat slats of light onto the bed covered by wool blankets and furs.

The waning sunlight shifted, glistening on the disturbed dust as Jack pushed Rhys down against the bed and climbed atop him, settling right between the omega’s parted legs as he pressed their lips together.

Rhys smelled a little different here. Not radically—Jack still intimately knew it as Rhys’ scent as a part of him as his hair or eyes or hands—but enough to pinch his notice. It smelled more raw now, pared down from the usual trappings of cologne and deodorant and hair product—simple yet more free, less restrained than how he smelled on Helios.

It was driving Jack crazy. Since arriving on Rhea he felt so different, more in tune with his body than every before. He could feel the warmth of his blood pump in his veins, conscious of it especially in his temples, neck and groin. He felt anima, given into instinct, and he needs more than anything now to press Rhys into the bed and fuck him as hard as he could.

The mask had done it. Once they were inside, he’d let Rhys’ remove it, let it fall to the homespun rug beneath his feet. As soon it unclipped from his face Jack didn’t even care what happened to it because Rhys had kissed him right after, brushing up against the rough skin and stubble of the alpha’s face. Jack hadn’t been able to help himself after that, as he hauled Rhys off to the bedroom and tossed him onto the bed.

Jack watched as Rhys’ throat now fluttered with moans, the top button of his flannel already undone. Both his hands lay pinned by Jack, bared and open to whatever the alpha wanted. His eyes were dark in the musky shade of the bedroom, looking up from under his lids at his alpha.

Jack slid his hand beneath Rhys’ collar, pushing it aside and exposing more creamy skin. Rhys hummed, his throat vibrating as Jack moved his palm down to the very topmost part of his chest, pushing the fabric against the first button. It popped open, showing off even more of the omega’s chest. Jack lowered his mouth to press against the soft skin, wetting it before his teeth pressed in.

He left dark, possessive marks all over Rhys’ neck and collar, painting him with bruises as he unbuttoned his omega’s shirt, letting it fall open against the bed. His pants met a similar fate, tossed carelessly down against the floor to reveal Rhys’ body in full.

He looked right with his naked torso splayed out against the bed of furs and wools, his tattoos and cybernetic the only mementos of the world back on Helios. But Jack could easily ignore them when he pressed his nose against the soft skin of Rhys’ hips and stomach and inhaled that woodsy, primal smell that drove the movement of his hips, hands, teeth.

Rhys was already slick when Jack stuck his fingers in, loose enough that he didn’t have to spend all that much time stretching and scissoring before Rhys was arching his back and begging for more and now and how could Jack hold back when his cock was viciously hard in his pants and his libido was begging to break free?

He snapped his belt off and shoved his pants down his hips, not bothering to strip himself completely yet. His undershirt almost felt like a second skin anyway, plastered to his body and every movement of his muscles and arching spine as he grabbed Rhys’ hips and hefted them up against his groin. Rhys keened at the show of strength, grasping for his alpha as Jack pushed his cock right into his slick hole.

Rhys clenched tight as Jack pressed all the way to his core, wrapping his thighs around his hips and holding him close as the alpha started to rut senselessly inside of him, starting shallow but fierce as his slid in and out of Rhys’ entrance.

On Helios Jack might let Rhys sit on top of him or satisfy himself with lazier, slower sex, but here, surrounded by wilderness and utterly alone, divorced from needling subordinates and posters of himself Jack needed to lay claim to something as real and grounded as the omega pinned underneath him, utterly lost in the pleasure wrought from Jack’s powerful thrusts and fingers that tugged through Rhys’ hair as he finished devouring his omega’s neck.

Arousal clustered like heavy, roiling clouds in his stomach, Rhys’ smell growing clear to the point of unbearable and Jack just wanted to flood himself in it, his teeth raking over the circular tattoo on Rhys’ neck as if trying to replace it with his own, inked-in saliva. Rhys’ cries pitched into a wail and kissed his ears, and Jack could feel something warm suddenly splash against his stomach. Slick squeezed out of the omega’s hole as his body shuddered in orgasm, trying to milk Jack to a knot. The alpha cursed into Rhys’ skin, his mouth still latched onto the slope between his neck and shoulder. The iron in his blood tasted sweet, warm and tender as a freshly cut steak.    

When it came Jack’s orgasm cleaved conscious thought from his body, his hips moving mindlessly as his knot swelled with need and stuck itself deep inside of Rhys. He snarled, his canines digging hard into the omega’s shoulder, his cock pouring release out into Rhys’ willing, pliant body. The storm in Jack’s groin fully unleashed as Rhys accepted every last inch, every last drop.

Jack’s muscles twitched as he held himself propped up on the elbows, whole body shuddering throughout the length of his orgasm. Rhys panted in their shared space when Jack finally lifted his mouth from his shoulder to properly look at his omega.

Rhys’ cheeks were flushed as the dying sun outside, now draining to pink as the night claimed it. He could barely keep his eyes open but Jack could still make out the faint glimmers of affection in their depths. Rhys’ lips pulled into a gentle smile, all pink and satisfied. Jack usually felt good after sex, but seeing his omega relaxed, his instincts sated to overflowing? Had his ego nice and lofty.  

“Looks like you enjoyed that,” the alpha chuckled as he laid himself besides Rhys, turning him slightly to keep the knot inside him comfortable.

“Think…we definitely both needed this vacation…to properly unwind…” Rhys breathed as he nuzzled closer, letting their foreheads rest together. Jack nodded, hand lifting to cradle Rhys’ face, drawing his brimming, sweet scent in.

“It’ll be getting cold soon…tell me that firewood wasn’t just for show.” Jack’s arms wound tighter around Rhys’ waist as the omega lazily draped a leg over his hip.

“Mmm…in a second, sugar,” Jack murmured, enjoying the kisses Rhys started to pepper over his scar. “Let’s enjoy this for just a moment.”