Work Text:
Rhett knew it was coming, he’d been skittish ever since the camera stopped rolling. Rhett smiled to himself, watching Link with soft eyes as he blushed furiously, nervously bouncing his leg under the desk as Stevie debriefed them. It was obvious to Rhett that his partner wasn’t listening, his head was elsewhere, his mind was probably whirring and already conjuring up an unnecessary apology.
Rhett, of course, was right - he knew Link better than he knew himself.
The door had barely shut behind them before the rambling speech came tumbling out of the smaller man's mouth.
“I’m really sorry, gracious - that was really stupid of me wasn’t it? I’m sorry, man, I didn’t think, it was just spur of the moment, you know? Just part of the bit…I’m sorry if I overstepped, I know how private we are, that sort of thing is only meant to be between us, you have every right to be mad at me, we can go reshoot the whole thing if you want, I’ll stay late to get it done and I-“
“Link, baby, calm down” Rhett chuckled fondly, grabbing the smaller man by the wrist and pulling him over to the couch.
“I’m sorry” Link sighed, slipping his glasses off and setting them aside so he could dig the heel of his hands into his eyes, rubbing at them furiously.
“I’m not mad, ya dummy” Rhett grinned, brushing a strand of hair from Link’s forehead - the same rogue tendril that always seemed to run amok lately.
“I wouldn’t blame you, if you were, I messed up” Link said quietly, his voice thick and his bottom lip jutted out, trembling.
“Hey, hey - What’s all this for?” Rhett asked, the smile instantly falling from his face, encasing one of his large palms over Link’s knee. Link instinctively flinched away from the touch, before seemingly remembering where he was - who he was with.
“I’m being stupid, it doesn’t matter” Link sniffed, wiping at his eyes with the back of his hands fiercely.
“We don’t keep secrets Bo, not anymore” Rhett reminded him gently, carefully tracing soothing circles on the denim covering Link’s knee.
Rhett was right - ever since they’d both started going to therapy, there were no secrets between them. Feelings, regrets, longings and patient, long-time-coming kisses had been shared ever since Rhett had been taught how to recognise his feelings - his unconditional love for Link being the first one he’d uncovered. Excavated from the ruins of a conservative, Southern upbringing and silent frowns and jibes thrown his way when he spent all of his spare minutes with Link instead of his latest girlfriend. Months worth of poison injected into his brain during their stolen years had put barriers between them like never before, they both rushed to start a family and settle down to quell the Sunday services that still echoed in their minds. They’d both started to reject their touches, making an emphasised scene whenever either of them braved to reach out to the other whilst the camera was rolling, yet old habits began to bleed into their personal lives - they could probably count on one hand the number of times they’d hugged each other in the space of those few years.
But things were different now, the pair of them had crafted new identities and ideologies, ones that placed the other in the centre of their universe - and it was okay.
After confessions that slipped off of Rhett’s tongue smoother than the Jack Daniels that emboldened him in the first place, they’d added a whole new layer to their friendship. One built on forgiving and letting go of the past, recognising that nothing else mattered but the two of them, the way they entangled so wonderfully in the others life and the love that had been 36 years in the making.
“I know, sorry, I just forget that things are different now” Link admitted, looking up to meet Rhett’s gaze. Rhett could see the vulnerability pooling in his best friends’ eyes, his primal instinct to protect Link from everything evil that the world had to throw at him kicked in almost instantly.
“Come here” Rhett requested softly, holding his arms out for Link to sink into. Link immediately obliged, scooting across the couch to settle against Rhett’s chest, wrapping his slender arms around Rhett’s middle. “I love you, so much” Rhett reminded him, he’d vowed to himself long ago that he’d remind Link every single hour, of every single day if that’s what it took.
“I love you too” Link mumbled against his chest, clinging to the blue fabric of Rhett’s shirt, rubbing the material between his nimble fingers.
“I’m not ashamed of you, or us, you know that, right?” Rhett asked quietly, running his own fingers through Link’s silvered hair, coaxing contented sighs from his partner.
“I know, of course I know”
Rhett held him tightly, petting through his hair with feather-light touches, silently deciding that he’d sit here for as long as Link needed him. He knew that Link often slipped back into ancient habits, he’d received the worst of the torments when they were kids - even Rhett punching the other kids in the gut couldn’t solve the scars the jeers had left on Link’s spirit. When Link got into this mindset, Rhett just waited it out with him, holding him close as to anchor him to safety.
Link sniffed after a few minutes, pulling himself out of the embrace slowly, like they had been stuck together by tar. Rhett looked back at him, smiling warmly, his hand coming up to cup Link’s jaw, stroking over the silver stubbled pebbled over his skin. Link smiled back, his eyes fluttering shut under the soft caress, nuzzling into it slightly.
Rhett pulled him in slowly, giving Link the chance to pull away if he needed space, but Link instantly yielded, leaning forward to press their lips together. The kiss was slow and warm and wet and needy, Link patted around on the sofa, trying to seek out Rhett’s hand. Rhett indulged him, lacing their fingers together carefully, his other hand still holding his whiskered cheek.
Rhett pulled away first, freeing his fingers from Link’s grasp as he did so, placing both palms on the sides of Link’s face. Link flushed crimson as Rhett tipped his head down so Link was now staring at his lap, Rhett pressed a soft kiss to the crown of the smaller man's head, just like he had received himself under the watchful eye of the camera, under an hour ago.
“Please, never again apologise for loving me” Rhett whispered into Link’s hair, punctuating his plea with a final, gentle kiss to the head.