Chapter Text
Link sat sideways at his desk, with his ankles crossed in front of him, hands folded on his chest, and chin tipped towards the window. Storm clouds were rolling in this afternoon.
Link was trying to fight his 2 PM slump and unfortunately failing. Briefing papers laid discarded on top of his desk calendar, and his half-drunk cup of coffee was already too cold and leaving a ring on the red-and-blue coaster. Just as his eyes started to droop, a couple of light taps came at the office door.
"Yes?" he called, as he turned forward and pulled himself back to his desk. He wouldn’t want to get caught daydreaming on the job.
His secretary Rhett poked his head through the door, curls that had fallen out of his bun framing his lit-up face. "Hello, sir, so sorry to bother you this afternoon. I know you're very busy."
Link waved him in. “No problem, Rhett. What is it?”
Rhett pushed open the door but stayed within its frame, filling the space easily with his tall stature. "I had to come tell you right away. We finally heard back about that meeting with the Human Rights Campaign board of directors."
Link perked up in his seat. "Oh, that's great news. I wasn't expecting them to get back to us so soon."
"I know! I knew you'd be happy to hear." A wide smile spread across Rhett's face as he finally stepped into the room and started crossing the space towards Link's desk. He held up the stack of papers. "These are their comments that they had on the document we shared."
Rhett now stood right at the other end of Link's desk. Link had glanced down to look at his calendar, but his eyes got stuck watching the other man's thighs graze against the wooden edge just two feet in front of him. His breath caught in his throat and caused him to break into an explosive coughing fit.
Rhett's eyebrows flew to his hairline as he dropped the papers on the desk and ran around to kneel in front of Link. He put a hand on Link's shoulder with no hesitation and gently squeezed.
"Oh gosh, Mr. President, are you okay?"
Link finally swallowed a gulp of air and looked up at Rhett from his hunched position. "You know I hate when you call me that."
Rhett's worry melted off his face and was replaced with a slight flush. "I want to be respectful. I know the last guy didn't last long in this position, and I don't want to end up like him." It seemed like he then realized he was still touching Link, so he let his hand briefly slide down the other man's bicep before dropping to his own knee.
Link responded by leaning his elbows onto his thighs, keeping their faces close. He chuckled and said, "It was because he was offered a position in Maine right along the coast. Who can blame him?" Link could swear Rhett was batting his eyes at him right now. "I don't think you're going anywhere any time soon."
Rhett's eyebrows returned to their elevated position. "What does that mean?"
"Just that I like having you around."
Now it was Rhett's turn to take a gulp of air. "Oh yeah?"
"Yeah, of course. You're a great influence on some of the other staff; you brighten up the place for sure." Link now wore a tilted grin.
"Oh, well I'm glad to hear that."
Link took in Rhett's rounded, pink cheeks popping up from under his bushy facial hair. Usually he preferred that the staff be more groomed, but with Rhett, he couldn't help but love the fullness of that man's hair and beard. He let his gaze travel back up to Rhett's eyes, noticing an intensity behind those green irises, but also a hint of confusion. That's when he realized he definitely had been caught staring.
Rhett’s voice dropped an octave: "Sir? Is there anything I can do for you?"
Those words shot straight to Link's core, and he felt a deep blush splash across his face. He dropped his head into his hands, glasses pushing up into his salt and pepper coif. He let out a low groan before raising his hand to wave Rhett away and out of the room.
"Sorry, Rhett. I'm fine. I think I just need a minute. I'll come find you in a bit so you can walk me through those comments from the HRC."
Rhett leaned back onto his heels before finally standing up and brushing invisible lint off his slacks. "Are you sure you don't need anything?" The worry had returned to his features.
Link finally looked up to meet the other man's eyes. His voice was rough when he replied, "Yeah, I'm fine. Thank you though."
"Anytime." He started to back out of the room, still facing Link, and threw a thumb over his shoulder. "You know where to find me."
Link watched as Rhett shut the door behind him with a quick wave, and then listened as he walked the short distance across the hall to his office, followed by the familiar squeal of his office door being pulled half shut.
Link turned towards his desk and dropped the backs of his elbows onto the now taller stack of papers, returning his still reddened face back to his hands. His thoughts were running a million miles a minute.
I really need to get my act together. I can't be flirting with employees. Link let out a deep sigh. And why did he have to say it like that? With his voice all low and gravelly and... intimate.
The loud shrill of his office phone ringing cut through his thoughts, and just like that he felt himself snap out of it. He sat up in his chair (even leaned over to give it a few pumps of air to make him feel a bit taller), straightened his tie, and stretched forward to pick up the phone.
"Hello, this is President Link Neal speaking."