Chapter Text
The sky is dark and grey, filled with low hanging clouds that hold more rain to pour down on the two men running through the empty streets. Every sensible person is inside, staying warm and dry, but to Rhett and Link’s defence the day started with nice mild weather, only slightly overcast. As living in Los Angeles California made them expect warm and sunny weather, neither man had looked up that evening’s weather forecast as they set out for a short walk around the block . For longer trips out into the wilderness Rhett would take the time to plan and take the forecast seriously, but today the big rainstorm took them both by surprise. Just as they were leaving the park nearby Rhett’s house, the first fat drops of rain had begun to fall. Soon it was pouring, soaking the two men only wearing light jackets and in no way prepared for such weather.
They are making their way over to the house, running with big steps through puddles and getting wetter every second they remain outside. They’re almost there when Rhett takes a moment to appreciate the way Link’s darkened jeans move with his running figure, his eyes not straying from the glorious image and thus completely missing the big puddle of water in the middle of his lawn. The muddy water is soaking up his shoe and the entire calf of his left leg feels dirty, making him yell in annoyance. He isn’t hurt or anything, most of all just berating himself for his inattentiveness.
“You alright?”
Link stops his path to Rhett’s front door, turning back in the pouring rain. Rhett can only just make out the concerned look on Link’s face as he steps closer to help Rhett make the last few yards safely. He doesn’t really need the help, but Link’s strong arm around his back feels nice and if he leans in a little bit more than is necessary, who will know? Certainly not Link, who is smiling at him through the wet strands of hair plastered to his forehead, still looking as gorgeous as always.
Together they stumble through the door, the sudden silence and dryness a nice contrast to outside. Taking a moment to calm his breath and racing heart, Rhett kicks his door closed and runs a hand through his messy wet hair. It feels like everything is wet, down to his socks and even his underwear, the soaking wet fabric constricting his body everywhere in an unpleasant way. It seems like Link is not faring any better than him, his moving arms straying around droplets of water as they fly off of him.
“Dangit, I’m soaked!”
Link complains as he plucks at his sodden denim shirt, keeping it away from his chest with an annoyed look on his shining wet face.
“There’s no way I’m getting home like this, brother. You’re stuck with me for the night.”
Rhett grimaces at the puddles of rainy and muddy water that are forming beneath the both of them, their wet shoes making squeaky noises on his precious hardwood floors. He’s definitely more concerned about the state of his floors than his best friend and business partner staying the night. Over the years, especially with the both of them single the majority of time, it had become somewhat of a regular occurrence anyway, both men just as comfortable at the other’s house as at their own home, even though lately, they spend a lot of time together at Rhett’s place and he was just fine with that.
“You know the way, man.”
Wiping away some of the rain of his face, smoothing over his beard, he speaks to his dripping friend.
“But don’t use all the hot water this time, I need to warm up in the shower just as bad.”
As Link makes his way over to the bathroom, huffing out some mocking laughter without any real bite into it, Rhett takes another moment to covertly look over and appreciate the way Link’s jeans cling to his retreating legs. He’s always loved watching his friend move around, but the added wetness and the way it made certain parts stand out that much more clearly was making it hard to resist right now. His eyes move up, startled by the sheer amount of glistening naked skin he encounters there as Link is drawing his shirt over his head.
Or at least, as Link is trying to do so. Rhett chuckles, amused by the sight of his ever clumsy friend, his tight and unyielding denim shirt halfway around his head impeding his vision severely. Extending one long arm, he grabs onto Link’s shoulder just in time before the man finishes his blind path straight into the doorway of the bathroom.
“Gosh Link, here, let me help. You’re gonna get yourself hurt this way..”
Taking hold on both sides of the soaked shirt, Rhett grips the wet denim tight as he yanks hard to release its clinging hold on Link’s body. With some wiggling they finally do manage to get the shirt off, Rhett now standing close to a disheveled looking Link with the shirt still in his hands. Link is smiling up at him, his eyes crinkling behind his fogged up glasses, thanking him before turning around and walking into the bathroom. It takes Rhett a moment longer to collect himself and drag his mind out of the gutter where it currently resides with way too much mental images of Link’s wet chest.
“Take your shirt and the rest of your clothes into the dryer, okay? They should be dry by tomorrow.”
Rhett throws the shirt in the bathroom, near to where Link is standing. He is truly trying not to look as his friend is working on his jeans fastenings, trying to keep his gaze averted and his mind occupied with other things, like grabbing a towel for himself before Link could begin his shower. But Rhett can’t help sneaking in a look as Link is shimmying out of his tight wet jeans, looking like a damn near model in his clinging black underwear and making Rhett blush as he looks away immediately. Turning around, strangling the towel in his hand, seems like the safest thing to do for now. He’s breathing a little fast, but working hard to get himself under control, not sure why tonight his mind and body are betraying him like this. It’s not like he’s unused to seeing Link in different states of undress. It’s the wetness.. He looks so good, all slicked up like that..
Shaking his head to clear all, mostly unwelcome, thoughts, Rhett decides it’s probably most sensible to leave his own sodden shirt here, easily taking it off and dropping it next to Link’s in his bathroom sink. With his back turned and the towel already on his head, trying to dry his hair somewhat, he totally misses Link’s own appreciating gaze, lingering on his freckled shoulders, transfixed on the muscles moving beneath the tanned skin. Rhett’s voice is muffled, coming from underneath the fluffy towel.
“You okay with searching for something that’ll fit on your own? You probably know where I keep everything better than I do myself.”
He stops on his way out of the bathroom, taking in Link’s glassy eyed stare, wondering for a second if Link was alright before dismissing it as another instance of his friend behaving oddly. Rhett doesn’t notice the full body shiver as Link gets back to the present, reigning in his brain from wherever it has gone, smiling pleasantly at Rhett as he repeats the question.
“Hey man, you’re okay with picking up clothes on your own right? And don’t use all the hot water!”
Shaking his head at Rhett’s stern voice, giving him a devious smile before answering.
“How you’re gonna stop me, brother? Hah?!”
Knowing it won’t impress or intimidate Link much, Rhett still frowns and puts on his best stern, serious expression.
“I mean it, Link! If you’re still in the shower in ten minutes I’m gonna drag you outta here.”
Link’s laughter and pink tinted cheeks make Rhett’s mouth quirk up into a small smile, not resisting the way the sight of Link’s happy face makes him happy too, no matter the reason for it.
“Alright, alright, I’ll behave this time. Keep your pants on! Or don’t! Gosh you’re just as soaked as I am. You’re gonna get your whole house wet if you’ll start walking around like this, dude. Think of your precious hardwood floors!”
Even if Link probably meant it as a mocking statement, Rhett knows there is a big truth behind what he said and as he looks down at his dripping and muddy jeans for a second, he considers the pros and cons of walking around mostly naked and whether it would be extra weird if he unclothed in the bathroom, right where Link was currently standing mostly naked.
Shifting his weight, his socks making a nasty wet sound inside his shoes is what makes the decision much easier. He reverses back into his bathroom, already toeing off his muddy grey sneakers as he makes his way over to the empty space near the toilet. Not making eye contact with Link or looking at his practically naked and slightly shivering body is difficult but important. Feeling the need to clear the air, not sure if it’s for his own benefit or for Link’s, he tried for a joke anyway.
“That’s actually a good idea. Don’t look though, this ain’t gonna be a pretty sight!”
Flinging his dirty wet socks to the side, to be dealt with later, Rhett begins working on the button and zipper of his jeans. Getting them opened is easy enough, but the thick denim is proving to be too tough to get down any further than his hips.
Refusing to ask for help and still not making eye contact, Rhett is struggling with his wet jeans, trying to get them down while keeping his boxer briefs to stay where they are. Link’s voice is uncharacteristically soft and close enough that it startles Rhett.
“You need help with that, Rhett?”
Link’s sincere tone makes the hairs on his arms stand up, bringing a flush to Rhett’s face as he nods in defeat and turns around to face Link.
Without speaking further, Link gets down on one knee, safely positioning himself to the side as to not be in an uncomfortable and decidedly sexual position in front of Rhett’s crotch. As long fingers prod between the wet denim and his naked skin, Rhett feels the flush on his face spread down further, staining his chest red. Even with Link sitting to the side, his direct line of sight is on Rhett’s nether region and Rhett isn’t sure how comfortable he is with all of this. It feels too risky, too easy to lose sight of his reasonable mind and normal mental barriers. Holding on to his underwear with one hand, he pulls the left side of his jeans down with the other. Link peeled the denim down on the right side, both of them slowly working the fabric down his thighs and freeing him of the stubborn jeans.
They work hard, both of them feeling the tension in the room as they strip Rhett of his clothes. But the noises they are producing while doing so are loud and ridiculous, making both men laugh and thus finally breaking the tension. Rhett’s fear of this turning into something uncomfortably sexual turn out to be unfounded as the lifelong friends fall back on their shared sense of childish humor and laugh loudly.
“Your legs are so frickin long, dangit! Why you gotta have such freakishly long legs, man, they are like 6 feet tall! We’re not even halfway there, brother, and I’m tired! My arms are like ready to fall off!”
Rhett lets out a hard laugh at Link’s mock complaining, making the other man burst out into giggles too.
“Come on dude, you have to help me! Let me sit down on the toilet for a sec, you can pull down the legs. I know that will work, come on, just let me..”
Rhett’s sits down awkwardly, making a wet fart sound as he makes contact with the porcelain of the toilet, the both of them bursting out into new laughter.
“Gosh man, this is ridiculous! Your frickin giant legs, hoist them up brother!” Rhett throws his legs up, holding on to the toilet to get a grip as Link pulls down on his tight jeans. More ridiculous sounds, more laughter and tears in both of their eyes finally results in Rhett’s jeans off his long legs and Link laying down on the ground holding them in his hands. Their laughter is loud, long and feels incredibly good shared between the two friends.
-
The water feels nice as it falls down, encompassing him with warmth. The traces of rain washed away as he stands in the shower, letting the water fall down without doing much to get clean just yet. Link knows he doesn’t have too long, knowing his friend will be pissed if he really does use up all the hot water, but he still takes a long moment doing nothing except standing there and enjoying himself.
His mind automatically turns to thoughts of Rhett, his best friend Rhett, his best friend Rhett who is walking around practically naked at the moment, his best friend Rhett who is walking around practically naked at the moment because he helped him undress.
A wandering mind turns to wandering hands, making Link’s usual showering routine a bit longer than usual.
-
“I’m done. Bathroom’s all yours.”
Rhett looks up from where he was kneeling down and cleaning his hallway floor, wiping the hardwood carefully to take care of the mess they left earlier before it could stain. He only sees a flash of naked legs and a towel draped over hips before Link disappears inside his bedroom, the bathroom door left open and steam billowing out. Straightening with some effort, Rhett picks up his set of fresh clothes and makes his way over for his time in the shower.
He makes sure the bathroom door is closed before stepping out of his last garment, his underwear now only slightly damp as his body heat had dried up most of the soaked through rain. Stepping under the blissfully warm water, Rhett feels his body relax and takes the time to enjoy the streams running over his naked torso. Just standing there in his shower, the air thick and humid already from Link’s shower a little bit earlier, Rhett lets his mind wander, enjoying this time alone before he would spend his evening together with his friend.
Over the years in their friendship he and Link were never very far apart, inseparable as children, rooming together in college and then starting to work together as young adults. It had been Link’s decision to not room together after college, claiming it would be good for them to have their own place. Rhett always thought it was funny, seeing how Link was always over at his place, often spending the night in his guest bedroom after claiming he was too tired or it was too late already to head back to his own place.
But Rhett wouldn’t want to complain about this, quite the opposite actually, since he was the one pestering Link about finding some shared home now that they moved over to California. So the day after he found a new green toothbrush next to his own blue one in his cabinet, Rhett decided not to say anything about it, he just smiled every time Link fell asleep next to him on his couch and walked over to the bathroom to brush his teeth before bed. He hadn’t sneakily left any of his clothes over at Rhett so most of the time he just borrowed some pajama pants from Rhett, the loose fabric barely clinging to his much smaller hips.
The sight of his clothes on Link, his very own and comfortable clothes on Link’s wildly different figure always did things to him, made his thoughts get a little crazy before he gained control over himself once again.
Because no matter how close they were, closer than any normal pair of friends, best friends even, they were never more than that.
Rhett frequently mourned that loss, the hypothetical idea that he needed someone in his life to be his partner, his romantic and sexual partner. Standing there alone in his shower, he could admit to wanting Link to be that partner, beside every other role he fulfilled in Rhett’s life. But he knew it would never be, deepening their barely platonic friendship seemingly not something Link was interested in. Or at least that was the conclusion Rhett had reached a long time ago, after many of his not so subtle hints were ignored or rejected. So even though his heart still longed for more, his body still yearned to get closer, even closer to his best friend, he’s accepted there not being room for more.
It’s a pity that being this close with Link and sharing almost every aspect of their lives also meant that all other romantic pursuits were doomed from the start. Over the years, especially after their college days, Rhett had tried to seriously get into the dating game, finding some lovely girls who were willing to be wooed by him. Only to let them all slip away after some weeks together, when his intense friendship with Link and the resulting closeness they shared drove them all away. Rhett had learned early on that he’d never been willing to give up some of the amazing aspects of their friendship and was barely even willing to make a compromise when his girlfriends had asked him to. Eventually it became too much, the strain on the rare relationships already too strong to let the infatuation survive and transform into something like love.
As a result Rhett had been single for a long time, and so was Link. They never talked about their struggle in finding a good and flexible romantic partner, never talked about how their friendship impacted their lacking romantic life. But that was okay.
His imagination and his right hand had been his only private bed partners for years now, not entirely satisfying but sufficient enough for Rhett when he needed it.
Thinking about how Link had been standing there under the same water stream, soaping himself up, Rhett’s body begin to respond to the mental image, getting excited as his own hands follow the trails of soap across his own chest. He takes a moment to enjoy this, to let the vision in his mind unfold. Knowing Link like he does, having talked about their showering routines on their Good Mythical Morning show, he knows how efficient Link is, there’s no time for enjoying himself. But in Rhett’s mind Link is taking his time, moving the soap around his body sensually, lingering on sensitive places and getting a bit carried away under the warm water cascading down on him.
Before Rhett’s mind can get carried away, exciting himself even further with these unrealistic images of his friend, he clears his head and finishes his own washing up in the most efficient way, ignoring his body’s demand for more attention.
-
His hair is still damp, no trace of his usual upright style but instead curling on his forehead, as Rhett steps out of the bathroom, his own pajama pants slung low on his hips and a comfortable hoodie over an old shirt the perfect attire for a quiet night in his own home with his best friend. In search of said best friend, Rhett walks across his living room, drawn to the passionate singing coming from the kitchen.
‘... If you just dare me, I’ll win your heart, Now let it start, let it start... I’m a don’t do it wrong - do it righter, I’m a prizefighter…’
Rhett takes a long moment to enjoy the sight of Link dancing and singing in his kitchen, moving around as he prepares coffee for the both of them. He manages to look both graceful and silly at the same time, making Rhett smile his softest, most affectionate smile. Seeing Link dance around in his too big pajama pants, one of Rhett’s older grey shirts on and his hair slicked back from his eyes makes something in his chest tug hard. He doesn’t know the song Link is singing, but the lyrics make sense to him, feeling almost like Link could be singing it for him, to him, motivating Rhett to give him the signal, to dare him to do something about this potential that’s been brewing between them for years. Instead, Rhett goes for something light, his expression already molded into something a bit more safe, grinning a bit as he speaks up.
“Should I be worried about a solo career starting, huh? That sounds good, brother..”
Whipping around with a startled look on his face, Rhett thinks Link has never looked sweeter. He doesn’t dwell on it too long, though, as he moves past Link to grab his mug from the finished coffee maker. Leaning against the counter, cradling the mug in both hands, he can’t help himself, his eyes find their way back to Link’s face anyway. Link is smiling widely at him, his crooked and pointed teeth showing as his lips widen.
“Nah, no way you can get rid of me that easily, Rhett.” Rhett smiles back at Link, knowing the statement to be an honest one, even if it’s said in a jocular way. “And besides.. I wouldn’t want to do this all by myself. I like it too much together, just the two of us.” This time the sincere words hit a little closer to Rhett’s already thumping heart, making him catch his breath and look away from Link’s face to collect himself. He didn’t mean it like that..
Only looking back up when he feels ready, Link has already moved on, humming the words ‘... just the two of us, we can make it if we try.. just the two of us…’. Rhett takes a couple of deep breaths before he follows Link into his living room, clutching to his coffee mug just a tad too hard as he watches the man move his hips to the imaginary beat.
-
The movie is long past finished, Rhett now just scrolling through the Netflix menu selecting several documentaries and movies for his watchlist. There are several interesting ones he and Link should watch, maybe sometime later this week. Maybe they could provide some new and interesting topics for them to bring to Good Mythical Morning. He makes a mental note to include the series ‘Masters of Sex’, its premise promising enough, especially when watched with Link.
But not right now, because Link is out like a small child, nestled up on the couch with his heavy head leaning on Rhett’s thigh. Somewhere during the movie, Rhett had no idea when or how he hadn’t noticed it, Link had fallen asleep and begun his deterioration into his most comfortable state. Which was, like always, faced away from the noise of the tv and with his nose almost up against Rhett’s stomach.
And just like always, Rhett doesn’t have the heart to wake Link up and make him move away from his snuggled up position. He too, is at his most comfortable like this, even if it’s not really by choice.
Turning off the tv with the remote, Rhett stretches a bit before softly shaking Link’s shoulder, gently calling the sleeping man in his lap.
“Mmmm, no, I’m asleep..”
The deep frown on Link’s forehead belies his words, making Rhett respond with a bit of a firmer tone. “Come on, Link. I need to sleep too.”
Still Link won’t budge, a mulish expression crossing over his ‘sleeping’ face. Clumsy hands grip some of the fabric of his hoodie, tugging on the front as Link tries to get his message across in a nonverbal way before sighing and opening up one eye. The crystal blue of Link’s surprisingly clear eye is tracking Rhett, sizing him up before it disappears again behind a closing eyelid. Link’s voice is low and sleepy, the hands on Rhett’s hoodie persisting in their tugging. “Come and lay with me for a little while, Bo.”
The couch is big enough for the both of them to lay down comfortably and Rhett always melts a little at the affectionate nickname they had for each other since they were little kids, so he yields easily enough. Not really thinking about it, Rhett scoots down lower and hoists his long legs onto the couch next to Link. It takes some maneuvering but after not too long, Rhett is laying down comfortably next to Link, who is already snuggling up to Rhett in this new position.
Maybe he should be weirded out by this, maybe they both should be. They’re not anything more than friends and this isn’t really something two guy friends share with each other, right? But who knows for sure? At that moment neither one of them really cares too much, being close and being comfortable next to each other as they fall asleep on Rhett’s couch.
-
Soft grey morning light is shining unhindered through big windows, brightening up the living room and waking up Rhett. He stretches his limbs, yawning as he opens his eyes slowly to the intimate and cozy sight of Link snuggled up close to him, still sleeping soundly with his open mouth pressed against Rhett’s hoodie. His soft snoring is not cute at all, but not annoying Rhett either, he's just used to it by now. As much as they shared a bed, or in this case some other sleeping surface, it would be odd and useless to still get worked up about the little flaws they both have. Rhett knows he has a ton of them and Link never complains too much, mostly opting for a light teasing when it gets too much.
But as much as Rhett likes it, lying close and sharing his comfortable couch with his friend, he wants to get up now that he's awake, maybe even stretch his back a bit with some of the exercises his doctor gave him. Link is not easy to move when he’s asleep, his weight heavy and uncooperative, even tightening his arm across Rhett’s chest as Rhett tries to move away from underneath him. Soft and sleepy eyes open, staring up at Rhett’s face before closing again.
“Mornin’ Rhett..” Link’s voice is almost gruff after hours of sleep and still only barely awake. Before Rhett can answer in kind, the loud growl of his empty stomach makes itself known first. It’s enough for Link to relinquish his hold on Rhett and roll over on the couch, giving Rhett the space to get up and move away. For a second, Rhett fights the urge to roll over too and chase the warmth of Link’s unintentional embrace, finding some control in reciting his mantra. He doesn’t want you to.
Standing up from the couch is tough, his muscles protesting against their owner’s need to move and get them back to work. With a deep sigh, Rhett stands up to his full height and stretches, making several things in his back pop a little. Feeling Link’s eyes following his every move, he looks back again to his friend still lying on his couch. His own voice, naturally a bit lower than Link’s, is even more gruff and almost sounds like a low rumble. “Good morning to you too, Link.”
The moment Link’s eyes meet his own, after taking the time to look him all over, takes Rhett’s breath away. This early in the morning it’s much more difficult for Rhett to make sense of the look Link is giving him, the eye contact almost electric and startling in its intensity. Are Link’s eyes truly hooded, looking at him, sultry and almost hungry, or is he finally breaking and making so much more of a comfortable early morning situation. What if Link is just hungry?
A panic starts in Rhett’s mind, making him break out in cold sweat at the conflicting emotions inside of him. His eyes flit away, breaking the locked eye contact with Link. Afraid to look further, afraid to misinterpret the information in his seemingly malfunctioning brain, he doesn’t let his eyes wander over Link’s body. He doesn’t let himself look at the rumpled comfortable figure of his best friend displayed before him. Instead he makes a 180 turn and stumbles over his own barely cooperating feet, repeating he doesn’t want you, he doesn’t want you, he doesn’t want you, inside his head. Safe inside his kitchen, after taking a couple of deep breaths, Rhett shouts his intentions of making breakfast to the general direction of Link in his living room, already rummaging through his fridge to get out the eggs, bacon and waffles.
-
Scrubbing over his sleepy face, Link lets out a deep sigh. He was sure this was it, the moment actually there. But once again Rhett stepped away and retreated before they could even address the elephant in the room. And it was becoming an incredibly big elephant, almost impossible to ignore, no matter how much his friend tried to.
Link doesn’t know what’s holding Rhett back, after all these years of dancing around each other and deepening their relationship, he was sure his friend was harbouring the romantic feelings for him. Feelings that he himself had reciprocated for a long time now. Lately, if you could even call the last 8 or 9 months ‘lately’, these feelings had made themselves even more clear than before. Link can’t recall what had happened to make it so, but all the same it means that it’s becoming harder to ignore or set aside. Right now, Link isn’t even sure anymore what the actual reasons for their long abstinence were, the fear and homophobia long forgotten since their move to liberal California some years ago. Right now it just feels silly and unnecessary to avoid their long awaited something More.
But he had let himself think about it, some time ago when he had a rare quiet night alone at home, weighing every option and every possible outcome to this situation. It was hard to come to conclusions all by himself, so used to Rhett’s presence and his opinions being a part of the process. But it was then that Link had made the decision to test the waters slowly, making sure Rhett was comfortable with all this. It even crossed his mind that Rhett possibly was not comfortable enough to start something with someone of the same sex, Link’s gender an obstacle in pursuing his obvious interest in his friend. After hours and hours of long lingering stares at several of his physical assets, becoming increasingly more obvious over time, Link had dismissed this theory and just chalked Rhett’s behaviour up to fear of messing up their friendship or something like that.
After this week's recordings, their flirting now reaching ridiculous new heights and resulting in much deserved laughter and ribbing from their crew, Link had made the decision to finally move things along during the weekend. There was really nothing special about this weekend -making it perfect- two whole days of uninterrupted time together. He’d even packed a small backpack that Friday morning, stowed with some of his own underwear and shirts, already prepared for a weekend over at Rhett’s place.
Last night’s unexpected rain had helped him along, creating a good reason for him to stay the night and thus giving him an easy start. Snuggling together on the couch, getting closer under the pretense of sleep, was nothing new but still too nice to pass up on.
But now Rhett’s hiding away in the kitchen, making way too much noise with frying pans while having a meltdown. As Link lies there, still on the couch, thinking back to the intense moment they just had, he lets out another deep sigh. It seems like just giving Rhett bedroom eyes and expecting the big man to get the message that it was okay to ravage him was not going to be enough to finally move their relationship to More. Welcome to Good Mythical More, where we give you more.. Shaking his head at his own silly brain, Link stretches himself languidly on the couch before he to moves up to stand with a groan and saunters over to the kitchen, done with waiting and his mind set on moving this along right now.