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Daniel Radcliffe is a pretty cool guy, Link decides, after the cameras stopped rolling. Since Rhett and Link’s Internet presence had become so huge, the two friends had met a lot of famous people over the years, but it seems that the novelty hasn’t worn off. He’s still impressed by meeting the star of Harry Potter.
The crew is even more fascinated by him. A lot of their team are young enough to know Harry Potter as a classic of their childhood or teenage years, and to see Daniel Radcliffe here, candidly talking to them all like good friends, is an experience Link knows they’ll never forget. Moments like this, he decides, are what he works so hard for. Making people laugh and have a good time, making memories that will be wistfully repeated ten or fifteen years in the future. What could be better than that?
Link glances over at Rhett and Dan, in the centre of the room. He has to smile at their height difference. Dan looks like a kid next to Rhett. Link’s best friend could dwarf any man with his size, but Dan is short to begin with. They’re absorbed in a story that is drawing laughter and cheers from everyone. Dan has to crane his neck a bit to look up at Rhett when he speaks. The Brit has the ability to share the spotlight well and keep the conversation going, interjecting without interrupting or stealing the attention – a trait Link’s always prided himself and Rhett upon. It’s shaping up to be a fantastic day, and though they’d been scheduled to wrap up more than half an hour ago, nobody seems to be getting ready to leave.
His phone buzzes and he hears the little ding that means he’s got a text. Link knows it’s his wife before he even looks at the screen. His family is probably wondering what had happened to him and why he was still at work. “Excuse me,” he says to the room at large, but nobody takes much notice of him. He ducks out of the main studio, up the stairs and down a corridor, to find the comfy little dressing room with the big squishy sofa he loves so much.
It turns out he’s missed the first text: Are you going to be in time for a late lunch? It had been sent forty minutes ago. Link feels awful. He hates letting down his family.
Guess not…Long day for you? the newest text reads, with a little smiley emoji. At least she doesn’t seem upset. Just be home for dinner, okay? The phone dings again, and below that appears, Don’t forget to get the kids an autograph!
Link squirms around until he’s almost being swallowed by the sofa, grinning. Christy is wonderfully patient and understanding. If Link is late, she trusts he has a good reason, and doesn’t let herself get upset or disappointed. Already did, babe, he texts back. Got him to sign our DVD set. He waits a few minutes and then follows that with, Sorry :( Yeah, Dan is still here. The crew is having a blast.
Christy sends three responses in rapid succession.
Don’t worry. It’s a big day for everyone.
You boys having fun too?
I miss you.
Link feels another twinge of guilt. He’s normally home much earlier than this, but he’s definitely not ready to call it a day yet. He’s got to drive Rhett home, too, and he doesn’t want to ruin his friend’s good time. Having been plagued by severe back pain so often, a day where Rhett woke up feeling fine was something to celebrate. Link smiled, remembering seeing Rhett nearly bounding out of his gate in the morning like an eager puppy. He hated to see the man lumbering along like an old man, face drawn in pain. Rhett was incredibly tough, and didn’t like appearing weak or complaining, but Link could nearly feel how much he suffered sometimes and it made him sick with sympathy.
Link hits the call button, sick of texting. He wants to hear his wife’s voice, that adorable Southern twang he loves so much.
Raucous laughter hits his ear as soon as the phone stops ringing, and he grins. Christy let the kids answer her phone – probably being busy cooking lunch. Or, equally likely, Lando grabbed the phone before Christy could.
“Daddy!” Lando bellows in his ear, not being good at volume control, or our indoor voice, as Link and Christy call it. Link winces, but laughs.
“Hey, little dude! Are you guys all having fun without me?”
“No,” Lando tells him, firmly, as if to let Link know that his absence was definitely noticed and not approved of, but then Lando’s tone returns to excitement. “Mommy’s making gillcheese!”
Gillcheese is what Lando called grilled cheese, a delicacy to the almost-five-year-old. It was also a standard easy comfort food when only one parent was home and nobody had the time or patience for anything that took too long to prepare. Link loves hearing his kids’ language evolve, and their childish quirks amuse him endlessly. He can’t help but think of Rhett recounting the story of being unable to distinguish the words worm and warm as a kid, and grins like an idiot.
“Grilled cheese and ketchup?” Link asks Lando, who makes an affirmative sound. “Wish I was there with you all. Can you ask Mommy if she has a minute to talk?”
There’s a pause and then a great deal of staticky noise, as if Lando had dropped the phone or was holding it against his shirt and running over to Christy. Link waits, patient, as the noises continue until everything goes quiet and he hears his older son answer, “Hi Dad. Mom says hi too, but she’s trying to get lunches together and Lando just spilled his apple juice all over the kitchen.”
“Shoot,” Link says, disappointed. “Hey, Lincoln, I got Daniel Radcliffe to sign our Harry Potter DVDs!”
“Is he there right now? Can I say hi?” Lincoln loves Harry Potter.
“He’s downstairs,” Link admits, rubbing his sleeve at a spot on his glasses. “It’s really noisy down there so I had to find a quiet place to call. It’s a busy day. I think he’s signing autographs for everyone. I’ll try to get him to call before he has to leave, if I can.”
“Cool. When will you be home, Dad?” Lincoln likes to try and be ‘cool’ by acting like he’s not bothered easily, but Link can tell that he’s not impressed with his father being unexpectedly late.
There was no guilt quite like the guilt from disappointing your child, Link thinks to himself. “I’m not sure. Definitely before dinner. Can you tell that to Mom?”
“Sure, Dad.”
“And tell her that I love her. I love you too, Lincoln. Help Mom out with Lando as much as you can, okay?” He never admits it, but Lincoln loves when Link gives him ‘grown-up’ stuff to do. He had spent quite a while as the baby of the family, and it was a new and pleasant experience to be the big kid that could help with the new ‘baby’, Lando.
“’Course I will. Mom,” he shouted, covering the mouthpiece a little so his voice wasn’t too loud in Link’s ears. “Dad says he loves you.”
Link hears a faint, “Love you too!” that’s nearly drowned out by Lily’s faint talking from somewhere in the vicinity and Lando’s excited babble, which contains a lot of the words gillcheese and Daddy. He can’t help but laugh. Lincoln laughs too, and he knows without having to ask that Christy’s face is bright and smiling, as touched as Link is.
“Bye, Lincoln. See you soon.”
“Bye, Dad!”
Link has barely hung up and reaches for his mug of lukewarm coffee when he hears a prim knock at the door, which isn’t completely closed. Daniel Radcliffe’s pale face is peeking through. “Hey, Link!”
“Oh, hey!” Link sets his mug down and pockets his phone politely, surprised to see Dan up here. “Sorry, I know I just kind of disappeared.”
“It’s alright. Rhett went to pick up pizza for everybody,” Dan explains. “He asked where you were and I said I didn’t know. A lot of the people on your crew are arranging later rides and such, now that we’re all staying here for an impromptu pizza party. I was wondering where you’d gone and someone told me you’d be up here.”
“I had to call my family,” Link struggles to his feet and stretches. “I’m usually home by now.” He thinks briefly that Dan’s voice sounds strangely awkward and nervous, but chalks it up to the man feeling out of place, or maybe like he doesn’t belong in a part of the building he wasn’t personally invited to.
Dan fidgets a bit, and then slides into the room and lets the door fall closed. “Sorry, mate. I know everyone was expecting to be done by now.”
“Jeeze, don’t be sorry! We’re all just having too much fun to end it early. My wife and kids are gonna love this episode.”
A strange look flashes across Dan’s face at the word wife but it’s gone so fast that Link’s sure he must have imagined it. “It has been fun, hasn’t it? You and Rhett are hilarious. Thank you again for having me here.” Brilliant white teeth flash in a boyish, charming smile.
“No, dude, thank you for coming. You’re gonna send our views through the roof. And thanks again for signing my DVDs.”
“Oh, anytime. Do you have any posters for sale here? That Good Mythical Morning one with the rooster? If you and Rhett could sign one for me, I’ll give you my firstborn.”
“Had you seen a lot of our show before? And keep the firstborn. Three kids is enough.”
“I’m subscribed to all of your channels on Youtube,” Dan admits. “Big fan, to be honest. I was a little intimidated coming here.”
Link is flattered, and feels himself relax a little. He’s not quite sure when or why he’d tensed up. “Yeah, I’m pretty scary,” he jokes. “Once you’re on Good Mythical Morning, you never know where you’ll end up. You might even become as famous as us.”
Dan’s lips quirk in a lopsided grin. “You and Rhett just have such chemistry, you know? I was hoping I’d be able to be as charming as you guys are on camera. It’s a lot of pressure. You and Rhett are just so close,” Dan says. It’s a statement, but to Link it feels almost like a question, and he frowns.
“We’ve known each other since first grade.”
“Yeah, I know. I’ve heard the story.” He pauses, and the silence stretches out just long enough to start becoming uncomfortable. “But, um…Are you, uh…” Dan’s hand twirls in the air, a strange gesture. “You know.”
Link doesn’t have a clue. “Am I what?” He tilts his mug, seeing how much coffee he has left. When he takes a gulp and looks up, Dan has gone a little pink.
“Are you gay?”
“What?” That wasn’t what Link was expecting at all. Sure, he knows he’s seen as the feminine one of the duo compared to Rhett, but he doesn’t think he’s done anything that would create that impression.
“Well, you know, bi. Open-minded. Queer. Whatever term you use, I dunno,” Dan shrugs, looking embarrassed. “I don’t want to offend you, but...”
Link feels tongue-tied. Dan’s neat, precise accent makes his words so straightforward. He wants to say no, but if he’s going to be honest…
“Well,” he begins, looking into his mug like he’ll find some answers there. “I wouldn’t say bi… I don’t exactly have, uh, experience. But, well, I’m just not sure, really. I don’t come from a very liberal place, you know. Whatever I might have thought about, I wasn’t about to call myself bisexual in the middle of a rural North Carolina township.”
“And now that you’re in liberal LA?”
“I guess I haven’t thought about labels. I’ve been married for years, Dan.”
“So you’ve not been with a man, but you don’t find the idea strange,” muses Dan, a pensive look on his face.
Link likes the cadence of Dan’s words, but he avoids the question again. “I don’t think about it. I just said I’m married.”
Dan grins. “That doesn’t mean anything in itself.”
“True.” Link forces a laugh. It comes out like a giggle, and he mentally slaps himself. “Why do you ask, though?”
“You come off like a bloke who could be a good time, if you know what I mean. But there’s one obvious problem.”
Link chokes on his next sip of lukewarm coffee.
“Oh god, I hope I haven’t made things awkward.” Dan looks anxious, and pats him on the back as Link coughs out the coffee that went down the wrong way. “I’m not exactly smooth, okay? That sounded way too weird.”
Composing himself, Link considers. “Not awkward. Um, I’m flattered? Definitely flattered.” And interested, he almost blurts out, and his eyes go wide. Interested?! What the heck? “Thanks,” he finishes quickly.
“Good.” Daniel grins, his blue eyes sparkling. “You should be. You are very handsome.”
Link feels awkward now. Maybe because he can’t stop looking at Dan’s eyes. They’re big and expressive, and honestly, sort of cute. “Thanks. But what’s the problem?”
“Oh. The problem. Well…is there anything going on between you and Rhett?”
“Rhett? Rhett’s straight as an arrow,” Link protested. “Are you serious?”
“Whereas you are…”
“A flexible arrow?”
Dan nods. “So he’s not gonna kick my ass if I hit on you?”
“How’s he gonna know, dude?”
“I was hoping for a more direct ‘no’. I’m about a third of his height. He looks like he could pick me up and throw me across the street.”
“Rhett’s a gentle guy,” Link says. “And I don’t know how he’d react to this, but I don’t think jealous aggression is something you have to worry about.” The idea is so ridiculous that he almost laughs out loud again.
“That’s good,” muses Dan. “I was kind of thinking that there was a major elephant in the room during some of your shows. A big pink homosexual elephant, lurking in the corner. There’s tension.” He immediately winces. “Ugh. This is the part where my mouth starts running way ahead of my brain. I don’t mean that in a bad way. Or that everybody is noticing it and talking about it.”
Link doesn’t protest. There is tension – a lot of fans have picked up on it – but it’s disappointingly one-sided. He’s privately thought to himself, a few times, that if he and Rhett were gay, they would be the perfect couple. And he’s well aware of how much he thinks about Rhett, how much time he spends with Rhett, how many dreams he’s had about…
“Maybe there’s some tension,” he admits to Daniel, wondering why he’s being so candid to this near-stranger, when they’re discussing things he couldn’t even tell his best friend. “But I think it’s just me. Rhett’s – well, Rhett’s just incredible, you know. Magnetic. It’s…it’s tough. He’s so easy to fall in love with. To know him for so long and to love him so much – it’s not easy hiding it. He’s my best friend, though, and I’d rather die than scare him off.”
“He’s quite nice. Just intimidating. Big.”
“I can be intimidating too.”
“Mmm. Nope. Just cute. How could anyone resist you?” Daniel tilts his head and squints his eyes like a happy cat. “Mr. Straight-As-An-Arrow Rhett doesn’t know what he’s missing, and I don’t just mean men in general.”
“Dan, I’m not…” Link flounders, unsure how to deal with the compliments.
“Oh, I forgot to warn you. This is the part where I hit on you, okay?”
Link can feel himself turning pink and wonders how he’s gone from a normal day in the studio to flirting with Harry-freaking-Potter and discussing why Rhett ought to be envious of what he doesn’t have with Link.
“Do I just stand here and let it happen, then?” he counters, trying to keep the banter going.
A smile lifts the corners of Dan’s mouth. “You could. Or you could get some experience and kiss me.” Dan’s lips are pink and inviting. He’s got dark stubble over his jaw and strong chin, not nearly as intense as Rhett’s beard. He’s also young. Too young? Link has no idea.
Link’s shyness threatens to overwhelm him, and his initial response is to back away. Swallowing hard, he wills himself to just man up and go for it. What does it matter? Christy knew about some of his fantasies, and had suggested experimenting before. “It wouldn’t threaten me,” she explained. “If it would make you happy, it makes me happy. If you get the opportunity, why not? I know you’ll always come home to me.” Link hadn’t specifically told her who the main object of his fantasies was. “Wouldn’t you want to know who I experiment with before I go and do something?” he had asked. She gave him a knowing smile and said, under her breath. “I think I already do.”
Taking a deep breath, he steps forward, closing the distance between him and Daniel. He’s much taller than Dan, who has to tilt his head back to look Link in the eyes. For a moment they just look at each other, absorbing the moment, trading heavy breaths. Link can smell a pleasant spearmint aroma and wonders whether Dan had swished with mouthwash or brushed his teeth before deciding to come up here and proposition Link. Somehow, the thought that Dan had maybe felt insecure, or felt like he needed to prepare for this, reassured him.
“You want me to just go for it?” Dan asks, tilting his head a bit. He raises himself up on his toes and puts his lithe arms around Link’s neck. “Jeeze, you’re both giants,” he mutters, and Link has to smile. It's not often people refer to Link as tall when he spends most of his time standing next to Rhett.
They’re looking right into each other’s eyes. Dan’s are a purer, cleaner blue than Link’s own. They’re quite pretty, and shockingly pale beneath his intense dark eyebrows.
"Wait," Link says, and Dan looks at him, patient and waiting.
Just do it already, he tells himself. Stop staring and just kiss him. Link surges forward decisively to meet Dan’s mouth with his own, one hand gently cupping the back of Dan's head. The Brit yields immediately, soft mouth opening to make the kiss intimate right away. The brush of a tongue against Link’s lips prompts him to do the same, and they part for a fraction of a second only to kiss more firmly, wetly, tongues brushing.
Dan’s mouth is velvety and tastes as nice as his minty breath. The height difference is almost startlingly familiar; Link guesses Dan and Christy are quite similar in that respect – but everything else is completely new. The firm press of a man’s chest against Link’s own, muscled pecs instead of breasts. Short hair leaving his neck open, making it easier to touch and caress. A faint scrape of stubble, and the scent of a spicy deodorant instead of Christy’s crisp fruity perfume. It’s weird, but it’s definitely not unpleasant.
Smooth hands stroke the back of Link’s neck, mimicking his own movements as Dan makes a little mmmh noise, like a pleased purr. Link kisses him harder, spurred on by the positive response. He loves when his partner is responsive, loved to know when he was making them feel good. The idea of dirty talking embarrassed him a bit, mostly because of how cheesy it could be, but uncontrollable little noises always turned him on. Surprised, Link feels his cock begin to stir in his tight jeans. He hasn't kissed anyone but his wife in fifteen years, and he's finding himself become more excited than he'd thought he could be for another man - besides Rhett, of course.
Daniel’s hands drop to Link’s back, pulling the two even closer. Link holds Daniel awkwardly, suddenly even more aware of the age difference and the strangeness of being so much older, but so much less experienced. The smaller man is in charge, and he seems to know what he's doing. Dan shifts his hips, presses their groins together, and it's enough to make Link feel almost dizzy. He can feel Dan's warm, firm cock against his own, almost erect and separated only by a few thin layers of clothing.
“You’re amazing, Link,” Dan breathes. “This is much better than what I was picturing.” He moves his hands lower and cups Link’s ass, gently squeezing. Link feels out of place, but his arousal is increasing with every second. Gosh, the man was a good kisser. He wonders how Rhett’s hands would feel on his ass like this, and mentally slaps himself, hushing his own thoughts before they get out of hand.
“You were picturing this?” he asks Dan, a bit hoarsely. “Planning it?”
“Fantasizing about it, actually. You’re adorable, you know that? I was almost too nervous to come on the show. I was afraid everyone would see me staring at you the entire time.”
Link jumps when one hand slips into the cleft of his ass, light pressure against places even his wife doesn't touch. Dan notices him flinch, and the hands immediately slide back to Link's waist. "Sorry," Dan whispers huskily. "I'm getting a little excited. Was that too much? You okay?"
"I'm okay. Just...sensitive. I haven't really had anyone touch me there. It just made me jump." Link's face feels like it's on fire.
"That's a damn shame. You have a great ass." Dan sounds earnest and sincere.
Link shakes his head and goes in for another kiss. Kissing he can do. That's old news. He even thinks he might be good at it.
There are soft hands sliding up Link’s T-shirt, sort of petting at his stomach. It feels good. Link squirms a bit to pull his shirt up even more, giving Dan access to touch wherever he wants. The other man needs little encouraging; he nuzzles into Link’s chest, licks at a nipple, and runs his hands up Link’s bare back firmly, skilled fingers pressing into the muscles and massaging him. Link moans in appreciation, wanting more.
"You like that?"
“Yes, Daniel,” he groans, embarrassed at how wanton he sounds. “I think my knees are going to actually buckle.”
“There’s a sofa,” Dan observes. “Come here, I want to feel more of you.” He backs towards it, pulling Link after him, and before he knows it Link ends up straddling the small figure, pressed together intimately. For a few minutes, Dan just clings to him and lets Link kiss him until they’re both breathless.
It's good. It's better than good. But something still feels off, and Link can't put his finger on it. Dan's body fits perfectly beneath Link's, and his obvious arousal makes Link feel hot and shaky all over, but there's something missing. The size difference between him and Dan was not only similar to Christy, Link noted, but also similar to the difference between himself and Rhett. What if he fit beneath Rhett as neatly as Dan did with Link? What if it was Rhett's package, inches away from his hand? His cock gives another twitch, and Link cuts his own thoughts off by leaning down to capture Dan's mouth in a bruising kiss.
“Yeah, this is good,” mutters Dan as they break apart for air. He grins wolfishly at Link, who becomes aware that he has started to rut against Daniel’s thighs. “Wow, you’re big,” Dan exhales sharply. He shifts his legs and slides downwards to push his own arousal up against Link’s crotch again, and the room suddenly feels way too warm. “It must be true what they say about tall men. You have no idea how badly I want to see your cock, to suck you, finger you, watch you come for me…”
“Dan,” Link murmurs, as he thinks immediately of Rhett and how tall he was, and how big he would be. The situation is getting way too sexual, and the room isn’t exactly private. “That feels good, but we shouldn’t, man. Not here…This isn’t something that people should walk in on. We need to get back before people wonder where the heck we went.”
“I know, I know. I’m sorry.” Dan’s hands snake around Link’s waist and run over his ass again. “Just let me…one more minute. I can’t get enough of you.”
His shirt still rucked up around his armpits, Link lets himself be manhandled onto his back, and Daniel deftly clambers on top of him, hands wandering everywhere. Link closes his eyes as Daniel’s face descends. The kiss is the hottest yet; Dan nips at his lip right away and then his tongue is in Link’s mouth, aggressive and demanding. And far too enjoyable. Link feels his cock twitch he makes a desperate noise into Dan’s mouth, kissing him back just as hard. He rocks his hips, humping up against Dan, trying to make the most of these last few moments, and Dan responds eagerly. His fingers find Link’s nipples, pinching hard and then rubbing the ball of his thumb soothingly over the hardened nubs. Suddenly Link’s pretty sure he could come in his pants if this kept up.
There’s a voice outside the door somewhere, so faint. Is that his name?
“Link?” Footsteps on the staircase echo through the top floor. Link’s blood turns to ice. Dan doesn’t seem to notice anything, and when Link stops kissing back he only drops his head to kiss Link’s neck instead. It feels way too good, especially with his nipples still being played with, but they have to stop. Now. He glances down at the head of black hair tucked under his chin, and starts to say “Dan, there’s someone – ”
“Oh jeeze,” the familiar voice cuts through the air sharply. “Holy hell, Link, I’m sorry – I – I didn’t mean to – but what the fuck is going on?”
Something twists in Link’s gut and he pulls away from Dan sharply, breaking the wet kiss on his neck with a noise he hopes to God is not as loud as it sounded in his ears. He hadn’t heard the door open. Just as shocked, Daniel sits up and pushes away from Link, and then they’re both struggling to stand up as if they can pretend nothing was happening.
Rhett is standing in the doorway, mouth open, one hand fumbling for the doorknob. The look on his face makes the bottom drop out of Link’s stomach. It takes him about a second to absorb the scene in front of him, and then Rhett begins to flush with rage.
Frantic, Link smoothes his shirt down over his bare chest and stomach, aware of how swollen and red his lips must be, and how Dan’s fingers tugging at his hair have probably made him look dishevelled. Of course it was Rhett who walked in on this. Of-fucking-course.
“Rhett – I – It’s not what it looks like – ” Link feels like a complete idiot. Of course it’s what it looks like.
Rhett finds this statement as stupid as Link does. “You think I’m blind, Link? Christ!”
Daniel somehow makes himself look smaller, backing towards the wall. Rhett only spares him half a glance.
“I’m sorry,” Link blurts, feeling the tension in the room spike wildly. He knows Rhett must be shocked, but there’s fire building in his friend’s eyes, and it’s not the reaction he was expecting. Maybe a bit of surprise, and awkwardness, or admonitions about making out on the couch at work – but not this.
“Sorry? Yeah, okay. None o’ my business, man,” Rhett’s Southern accent strengthens when he’s feeling emotional. “I’ll just get on out of here. I’m at work, after all. I have things to do that don’t involve humping strangers in a fucking unlocked room while my employees wait downstairs.”
The cursing is extremely unusual for Rhett, and it’s scaring Link more than anything else.
“Rhett, wait,” Daniel straightens his clothes quickly. “We were about to stop, it’s okay. We weren’t here very long. Don’t run out of the room or people will notice. I think we have something to talk with you about.”
“No, I don’t think so.” Rhett’s stare focuses on Dan for the first time, his face going dark and ugly. “I know what I just saw, and I don’t want to think about it ever again.”
A strong, awful feeling of horror is consuming Link. Rhett is disgusted. He’s pissed at him. There’s a look in his friend’s eyes that he’s never seen before, and he’s known the man for most of his life. “Rhett,” he says, voice raw. “Don’t…” Don’t what? Don’t go? Don’t stay? Don’t look at me like that? “Don’t leave me here,” Link almost whimpers. His eyes actually prickle and he blinks hard. He’s not a crier and he doesn’t fucking want to start now.
The hand that was seeking the doorknob drops to Rhett’s side. Rhett is looking at Link’s face, studying him closely. Something was dawning on him.
“Link,” Rhett says, not quite questioning, eyes roving over Link’s face, an expert at reading Link’s expressions just like Link is at reading his.
“D’you want me to go, so you two can talk?” Dan asks, calm and proper as ever.
“No,” Rhett says, roughly. “No, you’re gonna stay here and tell me what the fuck is going on. Did you come in here just to corner Link? I saw the way you were lookin’ at him. What, were you just waiting for me to leave so you could try somethin’? Link, man, did you want that or was Dan making you – ”
Dan’s eyes widened a bit. “Whoa! Calm down, of course I wouldn’t – whatever the hell you’re thinking of.”
“Calm down?” Rhett barks at him. “Link, fuck, you look like you’re gonna cry. What the hell! Dan, I swear, if you did anything he didn’t want, I’m kicking your ass so hard you’ll land back in Britain.” Rhett towers over Daniel, glowering, the usual humorous sparkle in his eyes gone. Link doesn’t envy Dan, who is backing away slowly.
It’s completely insane. Rhett doesn’t seem to find anything implausible about the small, good-hearted, humorous British actor overpowering and assaulting his friend. Link fights a crazy urge to laugh, but forces it down. This isn’t funny. Rhett isn’t the kind of guy who intimidates people. His sheer size is sometimes disconcerting, but he never seeks conflict. Cursing and threats are not something Link hears from his best friend often.
Dan is protesting, straightening his back defiantly even as he retreats. “This is uncalled for, Rhett. What are you accusing me of? What do you think I would do? I’m a guest here, and I’m a big fan of you both. I’m sorry you walked in on a private moment, but – ”
Rhett’s eyes widen. “Not as sorry as you’re gonna be if you don’t shut your mouth.”
Link finds his voice. “Guys, stop!” he says, loudly, trying to gain control over himself. This is so surreal. “Rhett, it wasn’t like that. He wasn’t making me do anything. Gosh, listen to yourself!”
Dan is giving Link a knowing look. To Rhett his eyes flash a cold and wary look of anger and grudging respect. “I wouldn’t dare hurt Link, or anyone for that matter,” he states firmly, holding up his chin.
“Okay,” Rhett says, breathing heavily. “Okay. Fine. I believe you. But get out.”
“No need to be pushy, I’ve no desire to stay – ”
“Shut up and get out now or I’ll throw you out. Go downstairs and make sure nobody bothers us for a while.”
With a lingering look at Link, Dan quickly ducks out the door.
“What the hell was that?” Rhett thunders as soon as the door clicks shut.
He’d thought the anger had been mostly directed at Dan, but it doesn’t seem to have dissipated. “Look, dude, I didn’t think you were homophobic,” Link begins, slowly, trying to contain all the hurt he feels. “It was just kissing, okay? I was curious. Forget it happened.”
“Just kissing? He looked like he was doing a lot more than kissin’ you! I saw where his hands were. What you were letting him do to you. Link, he’s like twelve years younger than you! What the hell?”
“Why do you care, Rhett?” Link asks, furious.
“Why do I care that you’re sneaking around behind my back with our twenty-five year old guest star where anyone could walk in on you while your wife waits at home?”
“Behind your back?! I didn’t even know you’d left. You didn’t notice when I came up here to talk to my wife and kids.”
Rhett snorts. “Now you remember your family?”
Link lashes out, hurt and frustrated. “Shut up and leave me alone. I don’t need your judgment. I’m allowed to kiss a guy, okay? And let him put his hands on me, if I want it. He’s not a teenager, he’s an adult, even if he is younger than me. My wife and I have talked about this. You should be too damn smart to think it makes me weird or gross. Dan liked me, and I was curious, and it was all just spontaneous. We really were about to stop. I know it’s not appropriate at work.”
Rhett doesn’t meet Link’s eyes, but just curses again and begins pacing back and forth. Link can feel his hands shaking. He’s never seen Rhett this upset. Growing up in the South, Link knew the utter disgust with which some people looked at gay couples – even people who were otherwise nice and very polite – but Rhett, for all his jokes and grins, was always more intelligent than everyone around him. He saw through the bullshit and made connections that would have eluded most of their professors in college. Sometimes he didn’t even know it himself, but Link could always tell that Rhett was different. Rhett could see the good in everybody. Could this really be so awful to him?
“Please, don’t be like this. Let’s just forget about it. I’m sorry if you think I’m weird. Please don’t be mad at me.” Link squeezes his own hands together, trying to will himself to stop trembling as he watches Rhett pace. The possibility of their friendship being forever altered, or gone altogether, made him want to break something. What was life without Rhett? Link could never remember. Didn’t want to know.
“You complete idiot,” Rhett says, stopping to face the wall, and tears spring to Link’s eyes.
“Oh god, don’t,” he croaks, weakly. “Don’t hate me, Rhett. Please. I can’t stand it.”
“You think I’m judging you for kissing a guy? That I’m grossed out by you now or somethin’?”
“Um. Yes?”
Now Rhett doesn’t look angry, just hurt. He begins to look like himself again. “I’m not an asshole, Link,” he says baldly.
“I know, okay? But – you’re scaring me. You were so angry…”
“Yeah, I’m fucking angry.” Rhett suddenly punches the wall and Link flinches. He can usually predict Rhett’s actions but nothing is predictable here. Is this all some sort of dream? Should he pinch himself to find out? Waking up from this nightmare would be great. Any time now.
“I’m angry that you didn’t feel like you could tell me you liked guys,” Rhett says, a frustrated edge turning his voice gravelly “I’m angry that I just lost control of myself. I’m mad as hell that I scared you. That you thought I was disgusted by you. I’m angry that I was so rude to Dan.”
Link doesn’t know what to say. He doesn’t know where this is going.
“Most of all, Link – ” He turns to look Link in the eyes. Link can’t help but stare back. “Most of all, I’m angry that some random stranger can waltz in here and charm you better than I ever could. You’ve known the man for less than a day! Link, I’ve been fightin’ this for a long time, and you know I like women, but you, Link, you drive me fuckin’ crazy sometimes, make me lose my head. Since high school, I swear, I’ve been hiding it because it’s just so damn crazy, and I can’t help myself. You make me want to pin you down and kiss you good, get my hands all over you, and you have no idea, do you? Being with you all the time, being so close and unable to touch…”
The nakedness, the emotion in Rhett’s voice was undeniable, but the words were having a hard time sinking in. Link was sure his eyes were widening. This couldn’t be real, surely not, everything else was crazy too, but this…
“When I saw Dan groping and kissing you, I swear, I wanted to break him in half for getting the courage to do that. I want to touch you like that, okay? I want you in my arms, letting me put my hands in your shirt, tilting your head back for me like that to let me kiss your neck. Why, Link? What does Dan have that’s so dang special? He doesn’t know you, he can’t love you like I do. I’d be so much better for you. Why don’t you like me?"
The silence that follows is somehow tremendously loud. Link can hear his own blood roaring, his heartbeat like a war drum thudding inside his head. Rhett’s eyes are boring into him, full of fire and hurt and rage and want and Link almost forgets how to breathe.
“Rhett…” he breathes, looking at the floor to avoid the intensity of Rhett’s gaze. “I had no idea. I… told Dan you wouldn’t be mad if anything happened with us.”
“You told him that? Why?” He looks surprised.
“He asked if you were going to kick his ass for hitting on me. Didn’t want to encroach on your territory, I guess. He thought there was something going on between us. I told him you’re as hetero as they get.”
Rhett laughs shortly. “Well. I guess I’ve hidden it even better than I thought. I love Jessie, don’t get me wrong. But she’s told me for years, if you ever came around, she wouldn’t be mad if we ever…you know.”
Link’s mind is blown as he tries to imagine Rhett and his wife discussing what might happen if Rhett slept with him.
Suddenly Rhett looks embarrassed. “Crap, Link. I can’t believe I’ve just admitted all this to you. You must be so weirded out, that I’ve talked about wanting you to my wife. I’m so sorry, Link, sorry for walkin’ in on you and ruining whatever you had with Dan – ”
“No,” Link interrupts. Just say it, dang it! he chides himself. “Rhett, you don’t get it, it’s not just you. I’ve wanted you for ages, too – ”
The other man isn’t listening at all. “ – not gonna want to work with me anymore, and I’d understand, I would, but listen, I can control myself. I’ll make myself forget this ever happened. I can’t lose you like this – ”
“Rhett, shut up and listen to me, man!”
Rhett finally shuts up and looks at Link expectantly.
There are so many words to say. Link’s mind is bursting at the seams with a million speeches. Kind words, reassurance, bare honesty, all the times he’d dreamed about Rhett and woken up hard or with his underwear full of sticky drying come, or tried to hide his arousal when they were surfing together or when Rhett was massaging eggs and oil into his hair on set with those huge, deft fingers – but nothing could formulate properly. He couldn’t think of how to begin. Frustrated, Link just shook his head in exasperation and stormed forward, backing a very surprised Rhett against the wall.
“And you think I’m the idiot,” Link mutters, and then he closes his eyes, rocks up on his toes, and presses his lips to Rhett’s throat, as high as he could reach without Rhett bending down.
Rhett’s familiar scent is like home and warmth, salt and musk, soap and detergent. Link can feel his pulse racing beneath the hot skin, and he slides his mouth wetly and without purpose up to his friend’s ear. Bristly blond beard hairs scrape lightly at his face, making him feel shivery and hot all over.
“Oh, god, Link,” groans Rhett, and then there are big strong hands in Link’s hair and his head is being turned, tilted back even more so Rhett’s lips could press firmly against Link’s own.
Time stands still as Link’s brain deals with how different this kiss is to any other he’s had. It’s not the tentative, searching kiss of a near-stranger, like it was with Dan. It’s messy and unplanned and familiar. Their lips are a bit chapped and Rhett kind of tastes like onions and pizza. Their tongues meet, uncoordinated, uncaring, the kiss of lovers who’d been married for years. Link’s glasses are digging into his face almost painfully and he doesn’t care.
Link pushes forward with his body, blindly, pressing himself against the solid weight of his best friend. Rhett’s fingers slide from Link’s hair, smoothing it back in place before his hands come down to Link’s shoulders, petting down his chest and sides roughly. They’re both breathing heavily already, Rhett’s hot breath on his lips and then on his forehead as he kisses that, too.
“Mine,” Rhett breathes. “You’re mine, Link, dammit. If Dan touches you again, I dunno what I’ll do, but it won’t be pretty.”
“Yours,” Link agrees mindlessly, “yes, Rhett, I want you, I’ve always wanted you, I never thought I could have it.” He’s hard in his jeans again, uncontrollable as a teenager on his first date. He reaches up to cup Rhett’s face, running fingers through his beard and then upwards through his vertical hair. Rhett sags into the touch, turning to kiss Link’s wrist and then his palm, open mouthed and wet. His pink lips glisten and his eyes seem to glow as he stares at Link with pure desire, making Link’s stomach flip.
Suddenly the hands on his hips tighten and Link finds himself being spun around, easily maneuvered by Rhett's strong arms, and now his back is pressed against the wall next to the door. Link is deliciously helpless, pinned in place firmly by Rhett's solid body. They both shift around until Rhett’s thigh is pressed up against Link's cock. Link cries out in pleasure wildly, arching and rubbing against it, and he hears Rhett let out a noise that was almost a growl.
"Rhett, oh, yes, yes, right there, don't move, Rhett, don't stop," Link moans as they find the perfect angle and pressure. When Link thrusts his hips, his cock slides perfectly into the groove between Rhett's legs, and the frustrating lack of actual contact sends his body into overdrive.
"That's so hot, Link," Rhett murmurs. "Look at you, losing control for me like that. Gosh, you must be so loud in bed."
Link hugs Rhett against him, burying his face in his chest, feeling the tense muscles of Rhett’s back. He’s suddenly aware of the firm length of his friend’s sex, as hard as his own, bulging through the fabric of his jeans. He can't help but wonder what it looks like, how thick it is, how it would taste and how much Link could fit in his mouth. Was Rhett loud in bed? What did he like? What would he look like as he came? Link imagines Rhett spilling onto his hand, sticky warmth on his fingers, or maybe on Link's tongue. Link would look up at him and swallow it all. Instinctively, he tries to stand on his toes again, wanting Rhett’s cock pressed against his own. It’s like they have one mind instead of two, because Rhett seems to be going for the same thing, and suddenly they’re rocking against each other.
It’s insane that Link finds himself almost losing control already. He’s nearing forty, and here he is about to burst apart at the seams from a bit of dry humping. His hands are moving without any input from his brain, reaching down between them to cup Rhett's cock. It's hard to tell for sure beneath jeans, but it feels thick. Link curls his hands around its impressive outline, stroking as best as he can. Rhett throws back his head and moans too loudly for a not-so-soundproofed room, and one of his hands flies to Link's belt and starts trying to get it open.
As Link stands frozen with shock and desire, Rhett gets his belt and fly open and wriggles his hand down the front of Link's jeans, but outside of the underwear, to get a much more intimate grip.
"Ah!" Link gasps, and his head falls back and hits the wall loudly. Rhett looks concerned and leans in to kiss Link's forehead.
"You okay? Don't hurt yourself," Rhett chuckles, keeping his hand still but squeezing gently.
Link laments how he can manage to hurt himself during absolutely any scenario. "I'm fine. I don't care. Just...Wow, Rhett, your freakin' hands are gonna kill me."
"Yeah? You like this?" Rhett moves his hand up and down, a thin layer of cotton the only thing separating his hand from Link's shaft. Link is so hard that he's leaking already. He can feel the head of his cock sticking to his briefs and knows there's a growing wet spot there. On the upstroke, Rhett's fingers find the dampness, and his eyes smolder, a low moan rumbling from his chest. Rhett's free hand goes to his own crotch, knocking Link's hands away as he starts to open his jeans.
“We can’t do this here,” Link moans, when Rhett curves his hand around the shape of his balls. “Oh, Rhett, please. Please, I can’t – I’m gonna come if you keep doin’ that. I don’t want to come yet, okay? Not like this.”
“If you keep squirmin’ and saying ‘please’ like that,” Rhett said hoarsely, “then I’m gonna come.”
“The crew…” Link turns to make sure the door’s still closed. “Rhett, we can’t.”
Reluctantly, Rhett withdraws and his hands drop to his sides. Link follows suit. “Let’s get out of here, then," Rhett suggests.
“Where?” Link adjusts himself, blushing a bit.
“My place is empty, man. Remember? They’re all with Jessie’s cousins in Bakersfield.”
Link stares at him. “You’re serious?”
Rhett chuckles. “Well, we could always make everyone go home. I did have this wonderful dream about pinning you over the desk in the studio…”
Link nearly chokes, his mind filling with images – chest flat to the desk, Rhett standing behind him, hands on his ass, pulling his pants down and…
“You’ve thought about having sex on our desk?”
“Spanking you over our desk,” Rhett corrects, blushing a bit despite his cocky tone.
Heat fills Link, and he almost shudders as he pictures it. He tries for a light reply. “What, punishing me? What did I do wrong?”
“Being a tease. Wearing tight jeans. Filling your mouth with glue and turning to show me, all that white stuff dripping over your tongue…”
Link can feel his face grow warm. “You, ah, liked that?”
“I tried to play it cool, man, but it was tough. Wish I coulda bent you over right then and there, pulled down your jeans and spanked you until you learned your lesson.” Rhett’s voice is perfect for this kind of dirty talking, all rough and low and straightforward. His lips are curled into a little smile, like he’s picturing the scenario.
Overwhelming. “Th-then what?” Link asks, swallowing hard. “Tell me.”
“Yeah? You sure you wanna hear?”
“Please.” Link closes his eyes and Rhett leans in to brush his ear with his lips. Well, mostly with his beard.
“After I spanked you, you'd be sore as heck but still hard for me. I’d back you against the wall and push down on your shoulders until you were kneeling. Your pants would be tangled around your ankles and you wouldn’t be able to get away. Then I’d open my pants, grab you by the hair, and tell you that you better take care of the problem you created. I'd take my cock and tease you with it a bit, run it over your lips and get you to stick your tongue out so I could rub it over that, too. You’d want it so bad, you'd beg me to let you suck it, and you’d be so good at it, with those full lips of yours, and that tongue…”
Link nearly passes out at the surge of blood that races to his groin. “Jesus, Rhett,” he moans weakly.
Rhett licks the shell of Link’s ear. “Too much?”
“Not enough,” Link almost growls. “I’m so turned on I can barely breathe. Rhett, you are going to kill me. I’m too old to be this excited. I’m gonna have a heart attack.”
Rhett laughs and kisses Link’s forehead. “Sorry, Linkster. Maybe we should hurry up and get the heck out of here, huh? Eat a quick slice of pizza, wrap things up with Dan, say our goodbyes and just book it to my house.”
It takes every bit of will Link has to say, “Not so fast. I have to be back for dinner at least, especially after bailing on my family once. And I have to talk to Christy. She said I could experiment with a guy, but I really think she should know before we…”
“Yeah.” Rhett exhales hard. “Yeah, you’re right. Could you maybe come over later? After dinner, after the kids go to bed? You could spend the night and go back home in the morning.”
This is serious. It’s actually happening. Link’s wide eyes meet Rhett’s steady gaze. “Yeah, I could. If Christy says it’s okay…”
Rhett gives him a strange look, like he’s trying to be sultry and seductive, but just ends up struggling to control a big excited grin. As soon as Link starts to giggle, Rhett breaks into loud genuine laughter, and the two of them lean in for a hug at the exact same time. Link can hear Rhett's heart beating more quickly then usual, and a thrill shoots through him at the thought that he could get the man so hot and bothered.
“Gosh, I can’t wait,” Link mumbles into Rhett’s shoulder.
“I know, I know. This is unreal.”
“We should go downstairs before people start looking for us.”
Rhett kisses the top of Link’s head, and Link tilts his head back immediately to steal another kiss on the lips, too.
“Shit,” Rhett mumbles. “when I get you alone, Link…”
“Yeah,” Link says breathlessly, “You just wait, Rhett, I’ve been thinking about what I’d do to you for years.”
“Mmm. Tell me, Link.”
“Nope. If I tell you now I’ll just get hard again.”
“Freakin’ tease, man!” Rhett smacks Link’s ass playfully.
“Only ‘till tonight. Then you can have me however you want me.” Link licks his lips slowly, then grins when Rhett’s eyes focus on his mouth and glaze over a bit with desire. “I think I know what you want me to do first.”
“Come on, Link,” Rhett’s voice was hoarse. “I gotta hold it together in front of everyone. Keep that up and we’re locking this door and I’m not coming out until you’ve got my come all over those lips of yours.”
They both trade heavy breaths for a moment.
“Allright, let’s go. What kind of pizza did you get? Did you get me a Coke?” Link’s playing it cool, trying hard not to think about how much he wants to stay and do just what Rhett wants. He forces himself to open the door and start heading downstairs, aware of Rhett answering his question but not listening to a word of it. It takes up too much of his mind to be thinking determinedly of anything and everything besides getting to pleasure Rhett like he's wanted to since their college days. Link can barely focus, especially with the lingering feeling of the light spank on his ass and the thought of Rhett’s punishment fantasy. He can only hope he won’t act too much like an idiot for the rest of the day, and prays that, if this is a dream, nobody will wake him up.