Vrai ou Pas Vrai; Real or Not Real

The air was crisp and harsh, a bitter wind coursing its way through the small town of Buies Creek. This winter had been incredibly cruel, but Link had been prepared. He dressed himself in a dark blue beanie—decorated with an obnoxious pompom at the top, which he had attempted to rip off but was scolded by his mother for doing so—and a matching scarf of the same color. Shivering, Link pulled the woolen scarf higher up his neck and tucked his chin behind it to provide his face with an additional grade of warmth. At this point, he acknowledged the decision to shave his goatee a few days prior with a resigned shake of his head. That additional body hair might have heated his cheeks further, but it was too late to do anything about it now. He exhaled warm air from his mouth and watched as it formed a ghostly mist in front of his face, reminding him just how cold it was and how late his friend was to come pick him up.

It was early afternoon on New Year's Eve and the town was deserted, not as much as a car passing by Link's home. He might have began to worry that the place was suddenly inhabited, and that one of the apocalyptic comics he read had come true, had it not been for one of his neighbors—a short but lanky man, dressed in work boots and a winter coat—walking his dog past Link's house. Link offered a passive wave from where he was perched on the front steps of his home, knees tucked into his chest to keep himself warm. The wave was returned briskly and was accompanied by an impromptu bark from the dog. Buies Creek was a small town; everybody knew everybody, hence why Link had been polite enough to acknowledge any passersby.

Snow fluttered down from the sky and landed on his front yard, forcing him to squint at the brightness of it. Would it ever stop snowing? He found himself wishing he'd worn regular gloves as opposed to finger-less, which were a little impractical now that he thought about it. Wasn't the whole idea of gloves so that the entirety of his hands could warm up, not just a fraction of them? Not that it mattered, anyways. Unless his friend planned on bombarding Link with snowballs upon his arrival, which, really, sounded pretty plausible.

Speak of the devil, Link thought, as a pair of headlights assaulted his vision and made him blink multiple times to refocus his eyes. A familiar vehicle came into view, pulling up right in front of Link's yard. A Dodge Dynasty, affectionately referred to as the Omega. The driver, a boy that Link could recognize anywhere, one whom he could pick out of a sea of people, left the engine running and took a step out of the car, leaning on the hood and smirking over at Link.

“Need a ride?”

Link huffed in response and rose to his feet, wincing at the stiffness in his knees from sitting perched on his steps for so long. He took a step back, ascending the stairs to open his front door and poke his head through and yell, “Rhett's here, mom! I'll be back tonight!”

Without waiting on a response, being too excited, Link closed the front door in a hurry and jumped down his front steps. His feet made a distinct crunching sound as they collided with the snow covering the grass on his front yard, making his skip to the car a lot noisier than anticipated. The boy waiting for him still had the same smirk on his face, only now it reached his eyes like he was making an attempt not to comment on Link's obvious anticipation.

“Where've you been, man?” Link asked, a little miffed, as he pulled open the passenger side door and climbed inside the Omega. Once his friend got back in the car and slid the door closed, Link continued, “I've been freezing my butt off out here, Rhett!”

“Cole wanted the car so I had to plead my case to my dad first.” Rhett replied easily, like it didn't matter. Of course it didn't—he wasn't the one waiting out in the cold for thirty minutes. “Told him I'd clean the house tomorrow if he let me.”

“And that worked?”

“I'm here, aren't I?” Rhett asked, peering over at Link with both hands firmly planted on the steering wheel. The taller of both boys was wearing a thick, woolen hoodie that sagged from his slim frame and made him look larger than he actually was. He, too, was wearing a beanie, although it was gray, didn't sport a pompom on the top, and did a good job of hiding his prominent ears. Having a buzz cut at this time of year must be killer, Link thought, though he couldn't empathize. His own darker hair was short, sure, but not that short.

“Man,” Link rubbed his hands together emphatically, exaggerating a little bit, but he was pretty darn cold. The heater in Rhett's car had never worked and neither of them were optimistic that it ever would, so wrapping up in thick clothing had been essential. “Mom was makin' broth before I left.”

“You could'a brought some in a container, or somethin'.” Rhett replied as he released the handbrake and pulled out onto the street.

“Could've,” Link agreed, though admittedly he'd been too eager to get out of the house and spend some time with his best friend. They hadn't seen much of one another over the Christmas break, both having been too preoccupied with their own families and whatnot, and that agitated Link. Spending time with Rhett provided him with a breath of fresh air in the midst of any family-induced anxiety the holidays brought to his plate, and for the first time in almost two weeks, Link felt like he could breathe freely again. Not that it would last long, however, since this was the only day they could spend time together for the next week. Rhett's family tended to visit during New Year's—tradition and all that—which left Link at a disadvantage. He didn't want to admit his reliance on his best friend, but Rhett being preoccupied pretty much left him at a stand still. They had other friends, of course, which Link would hang out with during that time. But none of them were Rhett.

Link drummed his fingers on his thigh, trying to keep the blood flowing as he peered out the passenger side window and rubbed at it with his sleeve to rid the glass of condensation. He had half the mind to draw something on it with his fingertip, but decided against it.

“I've been looking forward to today all week.” Rhett said unexpectedly, and when Link turned his head to look at the other boy, he could see the way Rhett's jaw tensed, decorated with a thin chinstrap beard that Link suggested he would suit. Surprisingly, Rhett had given it a trial period. “Think the real reason my dad gave me the Omega was 'cause he was sick of me going on about today.”

Link knew his friend found it difficult to say things like this, things that would seem intimate, so he really appreciated it. Not that he'd tell Rhett that for fear of making the other boy uncomfortable with his sudden honesty, so Link simply nodded, looked away and said, “Me too.”

“You've been tellin' my dad about today too?” Rhett asked like the smart ass he was, deflecting the confession of excitement easily.

“You're slowly approaching 'dad humor', Rhett,” Link told his friend, unable to keep his smile at bay, “Quit whilst you're ahead.”

“I'll make a great dad then, won't I?” Rhett laughed, prompting Link to shake his head and return his gaze to the window. Truthfully, thinking about the future left Link feeling a little unsettled. Nothing felt set in stone, not really. He and his friend had so many things planned to do together; things they wanted to see and things they wanted to accomplish. Link figured as long as they stayed together then he'd be okay, but he couldn't build his hopes up. If Rhett wanted to go another way, or do something without Link, then Link wouldn't stop him. Of course he wouldn't. But he would still be hurt about it.

Such thoughts kept Link's mind occupied during the drive to the Cape Fear River. The taller boy driving didn't speak again until he pulled onto a dirt road nearing the side of the river itself. Many times they had come here as kids moving into their teenage years, but now, as they were nearing the end of high school, they hadn't been able to spend much time alone like they had before. Rhett's father had been adamant that he focus on his studies, and Link could tell it had an affect on his friend's confidence. Rhett was afraid of disappointing his father, that was no secret to Link, but sometimes Link wished it wasn't like that. School was important—more important than he was willing to admit—but spending time with his best friend was more important. To him, at least.

The Omega's tires struggled against the ground, mixing with ice, slush, mud, and whatever else managed to wedge itself in there. Link gripped onto the car door for support and peered over the dashboard to watch where Rhett was driving. Tire tracks from previous visits to the river—some created with Link's pickup truck, some with the Omega—were covered in snow and ice, making it difficult for the taller boy to navigate easily along the narrow track. Rhett cursed as they hit a bump in the road that caused both of them to bounce in their seats. With Rhett's immense height, his head collided with the roof of the car with an audible bump, prompting Link to let out a short laugh.

“You alright?” He asked speedily, the movement of the car making his voice shake. He managed to wrestle the words out of himself eventually, with great difficulty, but he wasn't sure they were even decipherable until his friend responded with a firm nod of his head.

“I'm fine,” Rhett told him curtly, not taking his eyes off of the track ahead, both hands firmly wrapped around the steering wheel, “Not a lot further now, Link.”

They continued along the dirt road for another few minutes, the tires struggling against the harsh environment until Rhett allowed the car to roll to a stop alongside a small meadow where both boys could safely vacate the vehicle. The air was colder than before, nipping at Link's nose and ears and undoubtedly turning them red. If he had to suffer the remainder of the day looking similar to Rudolph, then so be it. His friend fared worse, his cheeks and nose slowly turning a deep maroon in the absence of a scarf cover him. But Rhett suited it—Rhett suited anything, and Link had come to terms with that a long time ago. He was forever doomed to be the dorky, embarrassing-looking one of their duo, it seemed. Not that he really minded.

“Come on, Link,” Rhett instructed, leading the way and gesturing with his head as he made his way further into the meadow and cut through part of the river brush before disappearing. Link followed him unconditionally, trusting Rhett to take them where they had planned to go. As younger kids, from middle school and onward, they would come to the river each day after class and spend the remainder of the daylight together. They would find somewhere to sit, preferably some place dry and absent of insects, and talk about everything they could think of. It was during these times that both boys had become so close, learning things about one another that nobody else knew. Things that Link would take with him to the grave, if Rhett wanted him to.

Link had opened up to Rhett about his family, and about the difficulties of having separated parents and the toll it took on him for a while, and Rhett told Link about what it was like to have an insufferably strict father and the self deprecation that accompanied it. Such discussions led to them making a blood oath—something that only kids would do, which didn't diminish the significance of the bond, not at all—which linked them together until the end of time. Link still had the piece of paper with the oath written on it, but he was aware the taller boy had misplaced his own. Not that it mattered much. Link kept it tucked away in his gym bag in case he needed it. For what, he wasn't sure.

“We've still got a couple hours of daylight left, Link,” Rhett announced once they had made their way out of the brush and onto the river's edge. The water looked freezing, colder than Link could imagine, and the rapids looked more ferocious than he'd ever seen them. There was no way they were crossing it today. Rhett appeared to have a similar thought process to Link, flopping down onto a large fallen branch from an overhead tree with a pained grunt.

“Your back acting up again?” Link asked.

“Yeah.”

Link brushed away some snow with his sleeve so he wouldn't get his jeans wet and took a seat adjacent to Rhett on another piece of broken tree, much smaller than the other boy's. Link was much smaller, after all, but what he lacked in stature, he made up for in....something he would think of at a later date, when Rhett decided to poke fun at Link's height yet again. “You gotta take it easy, man. You'll hurt yourself real bad if you don't.”

“Yeah, mom,” Rhett rolled his eyes, prompting Link to do the same before averting his gaze towards the rapids. He could picture it being summer, and the river being much slower and a lot more safe to swim in. Both he and Rhett had perfected the technique of crossing it, going feet first against the jagged rocks and letting the current take them downstream. Part of Link wished they could do that now, because swimming with Rhett was one of his favorite pass times, but not on a day as cold as this one. As if on cue, Rhett shivered and rubbed his hands together, murmuring, “S'freezing today.”

“Do you want my gloves?” Link offered, holding out his hands for Rhett to weigh his offer. As expected, Rhett shied away from the offer and raised a prominent brow. “They're finger-less, I know. Kinda impractical.”

“Kinda.”

“Don't say I didn't offer when your fingers fall off from frostbite.”

“It's nowhere near cold enough for me to get frostbite, Link,” Rhett stated informatively, looking for any opportunity to show off his knowledge. Sometimes Link was positive he did it just to tick him off because, boy, did it work. “It's gotta be colder than 32°F for that to even be possible. We can't even get frost-nip at this rate.”

“Frost-nip?” Link asked, curious.

Rhett exhaled hot air and tried to create smoke rings with his breath. After failing to do so, and suffering through Link laughing at him, he continued, “It's the first stage of frostbite. No permanent damage, just some redness and itching. I read it in the newspaper.”

“You read the newspaper?”

“I'm no bookworm like you, Link, but I do have the capacity to read the paper.”

Promptly, Link kicked some snow in Rhett's direction. The other boy's black boots were covered in a thin layer of it afterwards, some of it crusted around his toes from their trek there. Rhett shook his head and laughed, seemingly enjoying poking fun at Link. That was Rhett's thing. Making fun of his best friend was his specialty, no matter how much it agitated Link.

They sat in comfortable silence, enjoying each others company for a while until Rhett cleared his throat and wiggled his body around, as if trying to untangle himself from an invisible web.

“What the heck are you doing?” Link asked, bewildered.

“Trying to warm up.”

“By wiggling like a worm?”

Rhett shot Link a look, opened his mouth to make a smart ass-ed retort, but then closed it. Maybe he thought the better of it, or maybe he realized he really did look like a worm. Rubbing his hands together, he said, “So, what'd you wanna talk about?”

“I don't know,” Link replied honestly as he watched Rhett's hands. He tucked his own into his jacket pockets and hunched his shoulders forward, attempting to stay relatively warm. “What'd you get for Christmas?”

Rhett blinked in response. “Oh, I forgot we haven't seen each other in so long. I had it in my head that I'd told you already.”

Link felt a pang of hurt in his chest, knowing full well that he'd been doing everything but counting the days he hadn't been able to spend time with his best friend. And to hear that Rhett hadn't really paid him any mind during the winter break really upset Link, but he didn't show it. At least, he tried not to, and the older boy didn't show any signs of noticing.

“I got cash from my parents, so we can finally go see a movie in Cary or something,” Rhett told him, beaming with excitement and trying his hardest to hide it. Link saw right through him, and it lifted his spirits ever so slightly. “Cole got me some stuff for the Omega. Kinda lame, since he uses the car too, but whatever.”

“Sounds like you did good this year,” Link commented, “How much money did you get?”

“I don't remember,” Rhett told him, “I spend some of it already on food for Christmas Day. But there's enough for us to go see some movies in the new year.”

Just us? Link looked down at the ground, making shapes in the snow with his boots and attempting to refocus his attention on something else and not the idea of Rhett paying for Link to see a movie. That seemed a little too much like a date. “You can't spend your Christmas money on us seeing movies, Rhett.”

“It's mine. I can do what I want with it.” Rhett boasted, but there was determination on his face when Link glanced up at him, “And I want to use it to spend time with you. Movies or not. We could take a road trip or somethin'.”

Link's eyes lit up. “Really?”

“Yeah!” Rhett matched Link's enthusiasm, obviously pleased that the smaller boy had agreed with him so quickly, “I can cover the gas money, you can cover the food or whatever.”

“Dude, that's a great idea,” Link grinned, “Seriously, man. We should do that.”

“We can sort it out after my family leave next year.”

Link deflated slightly at the thought of not being able to see Rhett for the next week and a bit. “Yeah.”

“My cousins and I played this game at Christmas, actually,” Rhett continued, apparently not noticing Link's lowering mood. The wind picked up momentarily and collided with Link's stinging cheeks, making both boys shiver in unison. After a short moment, after the wind had passed and Rhett had wiped the snow from his shoulders, he continued, “It's called 'Real or Not Real'. It's kinda like a fact game, except it's about each other. You wanna try?”

Link looked skeptical. He adjusted his beanie and pulled it further down at the sides so it'd cover his entire ears as opposed to just the top of them. “What are the rules?”

“There aren't any,” Rhett told him, bouncing one of his legs against the ground in anticipation. The older boy was always so full of energy, and that had a positive effect on Link, who became more energized simply being in his friend's presence. “Uh, wait. I don't think you can reuse things other people have said. You'll learn as we play. Come on, Link! It'll be fun.”

“I dunno.”

“We're losing daylight, Link.” Rhett frowned, knowing exactly what he was doing. A few years prior, Rhett had learned that he could guilt trip Link into doing pretty much anything if he gave him 'the look'—a facial expression which consisted of Rhett knitting his eyebrows together and sticking out his bottom lip comically—which prompted Link to give in and agree to whatever goofy and outrageous thing Rhett wanted to do. Now was no different.

“Okay, fine. You go first.”

“Alright,” Rhett shifted his position until he was leaning his elbows on his knees, the sleeves of his hoodie held up by his hands, tucked under his chin. “Okay. You're freezing, real or not real?”

“What?” Link blinked, “Yeah, it's freezing, Rhett.”

The taller boy shook his head, reaching up to adjust his beanie as he spoke, “No, Link. You gotta either say real or not real. That's how the game works. I started off easy.”

“Oh. Right.” Link stammered, looking off towards the river. “Okay, real. I'm freezing.”

“You look it,” Rhett commented, then prompted Link to take his turn. The smaller man deliberated, not fully understanding how the game worked but taking a shot anyway.

“You had a good Christmas, real or not real?”

“Real,” Rhett confirmed with a short smile, “It was pretty great. Cole was irritating, as usual, but that's sorta his job.”

“I ain't seen him in a while.” Link commented for lack of something to say.

Rhett furrowed his brow slightly. “You got everything you wanted for Christmas, real or not real?”

“Not real,” Link replied, because he didn't, not really. Ideally, he would have been able to see Rhett on Christmas Day, but he couldn't. He'd never seen his friend on Christmas before given that their families were always busy with their own relatives. Both boys' families interacted often, given that Rhett and Link hung out with each other every other day, so that wasn't the issue. But Link wasn't about to reveal the truth behind his answer any time soon, so he quickly thought of something else to ask before the other boy questioned him. “You totally pigged out on Christmas Day, real or not real?”

Rhett barked a laugh and nodded, “Real. Of course. I pig out every chance I get, and my aunt was real impressed with how much I could keep down.”

“No throwing up this year, I take it?” Link laughed along with Rhett, recalling the year prior that the other boy had told him he'd thrown up his entire dinner and then some after eating too much pudding. A memorable event, and one that Link wished he could have seen.

“Nope, but there's always next year,” Rhett huffed out another laugh and Link watched the vapor in the air dissipate into nothing. “You're excited to go see a movie in Cary, real or not real?”

Link hesitated before answering. “Real.”

“Sweet.”

“You planned on asking the other guys to come with us to Cary, real or not real?”

Now was Rhett's turn to hesitate. “Not real. I hadn't thought about it.”

“Oh.” Link looked away once more, and this time kept his gaze glued to his feet despite feeling Rhett's eyes on him. “That's cool. More popcorn for us, I guess.”

“You want me to invite the guys from school to the movies with us, real or not real?” Rhett asked, evidently having caught onto Link's questioning. The smaller man's jaw clenched upon hearing the question, and he deliberated whether to tell the truth or not, but decidedly went with honesty. He was never very good at lying to Rhett, anyway.

“Not real.” Link admitted, then speedily changed the topic of the game, “You're not looking toward to going back to class next year, real or not real?”

“Real,” Rhett answered easily, though there was a look on his face that gave Link the impression he was thinking really hard about something. “You have feelings for Heather, real or not real?”

“What the heck, man? No, not real,” Link shook his head a couple of times, weirded out by Rhett's sudden questioning. “Why're you asking me that?”

“Why not?” Rhett replied, licking his lips. Link had half the mind to tell him that doing so would only make his chapped lips worse, but he refrained, because talking about Rhett's lips wasn't exactly something he wanted to do. It wasn't something he could handle right now. “It's just a game, Link. We can stop if you want.”

Oh, so it was like that. Two could play at this game.

“No, we can keep playing,” Link replied, then mirrored the other boy's position, elbows on his knees and hands supporting his chin, “You still have feelings for Amber, real or not real?”

Rhett took his time responding, as if he really had to think about it. Something about the bearded boy's hesitation made Link's stomach hurt, like he was about to throw up or something, and he didn't know why. “Not real.”

Link blinked in surprise. He'd expected the other boy to still have feelings for the girl, because he sure acted like he did. Maybe he was lying, or maybe Link had read the signals wrong. He wasn't very good at reading Rhett.

“You're glad I don't have feelings for Amber, real or not real?”

Link remained silent for a long moment, long enough that Rhett had began to fidget where he sat, tapping his leg on the ground whilst he waited. Link wasn't sure what to say, exactly. He was relieved to hear that Rhett didn't have feelings for Amber, sure, but he didn't know if he wanted Rhett to know about it. Link had been noticing some things recently—not so recently, since he'd noticed the shift in his feelings this time last year—regarding how he felt about Rhett. He had discarded them for the longest time as a simple crush, just like when you get to know anyone as intimately as the two boys knew each other. People got crushes and then got over them, pure and simple. Except this crush on Rhett had done nothing but linger and grow larger day by day, given that Link spent most of his free time with Rhett on a daily basis, growing and molding itself into something Link wasn't ready to admit. He cared about Rhett; he cared about his best friend more than what was normal for friends to care about one another.

And the affection Link felt towards his friend meant that when he had feelings for someone else, it was like being kicked in the chest.

“Real.” Link told him, averting his gaze. It donned on him why Rhett would be asking that question, so Link asked one similar. “You think I have feelings for Amber, real or not real?”

“Real.” Rhett told him, looking marginally awkward. It must have been uncomfortable balancing his lanky frame onto a small log. “If you wanna act on them, go for it. It doesn't bother me anymore.”

“Uh,” Link cleared his throat, “I don't have feelings for Amber, Rhett. It's cool.”

“The way you act with her—”

“—is the same way you act with her, man.” Link finished Rhett's sentence with one of his own, slightly irritated. He liked Amber, he did, but not like that. It bugged him that Rhett didn't seem to be letting the subject go. “If I did, I would'a done something about it by now.”

Which was a lie—Link wasn't very good at acting on his feelings.

The look Rhett gave him confirmed that he had seen straight through Link's lie, too. Instead of calling him out on it, the taller boy shifted position and tucked his hands into his hoodie pocket, shivering. “You have feelings for someone then, real or not real?”

Link cursed internally. Suddenly agreeing to this game was a very bad idea, as nothing was turning out in his favor. Quietly, he said, “Real.”

Rhett's face contorted slightly, as if the idea of Link liking someone pained him. He was probably uncomfortable with how personal a conversation they were having but, hey, he started it. Link was finishing it.

“Who is it?” Rhett asked.

Link shook his head, a small smirk on his face to hide his awkwardness. “Not telling. You were looking forward to spending time with me today, real or not real?”

“Real, man.” Rhett confirmed, confused, “I already told you that.”

“Humor me.”

“Fine,” The taller of the two boys huffed in response, then asked, “You won't tell me who you like 'cause you're worried I like 'em too, real or not real?”

“Not real. You won't drop this topic 'cause it frustrates you when I don't tell you things, real or not real?”

“You know that's real, Link. Stop bein' a turd.”

Link laughed shortly at his friend's response, but deep down he was feeling extremely unsettled over the entire conversation. Why couldn't Rhett just drop it? What was in it for him? “Fine,” Link continued, “I'll redo. You won't drop this topic 'cause me liking somebody bothers you, real or not real?”

Rhett appeared to freeze in response, his jaw going slack and his eyes hard. After a few moments hesitation, Rhett said, “Define 'bothers'.”

“Real, then.” Link took the victory where he could, and if it were to tick Rhett off, then he'd do it. Anything to change the topic of the damned game. The questions were going to come back to bite Link and he knew it. “Maybe we should call it quits.”

“Not so fast, Link!” Rhett reached forward and, surprisingly, put his hand on Link's knee to stop him from shifting. Link raised an eyebrow at the other boy, prompting him to retract his hand after realizing what he'd done. It wasn't often Rhett initiated physical contact—his typical 'not a hugger' persona growing stronger with age—so when he did, Link figured either something was wrong or either of them were in trouble. He figured it was the former right now.

The skin underneath the fabric of Link's jeans tingled from where the other boy had touched him, and it sent a spark of electricity up his leg which settled in his stomach. His feelings for Rhett were definitely real and the thought of them alone was alarming, as well as frightening. He had to deal with it, and he had to deal with it privately. He couldn't allow Rhett to become aware of the raw and intense affection Link felt for him. He couldn't handle the rejection.

So, he hid it behind a mask. He dated people, he went out with friends, he acted like everything was normal at sleepovers between the two boys. When in reality it wasn't okay—nothing was okay, nothing at all.

“It's getting' dark, man,” Link attempted to reason with Rhett, but it was obvious the older boy could see right through him. Rhett glanced toward the sky and prompted Link to do the same. Dark clouds were hovering above them, the light from the winter sun breaking its way through wherever it could, leading to Link feeling more cold than before. He refused to attribute his decreasing temperature to his negative mood. “You were so late in picking me up that it got too dark.”

“Come on, Link,” Rhett sounded disappointed, “Just stay for, like, thirty more minutes, then we'll go. Deal?”

Link hesitated, looking Rhett in the eye for as long as he could manage. Eventually, he looked away towards the ferocious rapids and exhaled heavily. “Fine, deal. It's your turn.”

Rhett paused for a short moment, thinking of his next question. “You're scared to tell me who you like, real or not real?”

Link sighed to himself, then rubbed his face with his cold hands. “Rhett, can you drop this, man?”

“Why?”

“Because it's getting' old. I want to spend time with you before I can't see you over the next few weeks, not debate over who likes who.”

Rhett's facial expression changed suddenly, and Link realized he'd probably revealed too much. The taller boy watched Link with an intensity that he didn't understand, prompting Link to gnaw his bottom lip and try not to break eye contact. Rhett's eyes stood out, contrasting against the harsh white of the snow glittered around them, falling on their shoulders. The taller boy's beanie was covered in a thin layer of snowflakes, some having melted and creating dark, wet patches on the fabric. His head must have been freezing, Link thought.

“Real, then,” Rhett answered for Link after a long moment of silence, both boys simply looking at each other from where they were sitting. Link's heart deflated, and he wished he hadn't said anything. He was going to get into hot water at this rate—not only with Rhett, but likely with both of their parents, too. What if Rhett found out Link liked him and told their parents? Link shook his head, imagining the reactions he would receive. Their neighborhood—no, the state they lived in—would not be accepting of such a relationship. It was one reason of the hundred Link could think of not to tell Rhett about what was going on inside his head.

The crush, or affection, or whatever the heck it was, would pass and everything would go back to normal. Link could only look forward.

“Why are you scared?” Rhett asked as a follow up once Link didn't respond.

“Because I'm not even sure if I like them or not, man!” Link blurted, growing more and more agitated with himself as the conversation progressed. The taller boy raised his eyebrows in response, surprised and taken back by Link's sudden raised voice.

“How long've you liked them?”

“For a while.”

“Come on, Link!”

“I don't know, man,” Link huffed, but really he did know—he knew all too well how long he'd been falling for his best friend, “About a year.”

Rhett blinked in surprise. “An entire year?”

“That's what I said, Rhett.”

“You just said you didn't know if you liked them,” Rhett told him, furrowing his brow and making Link want to punch a hole in a nearby tree, “But y'just said you've liked them for a year. So, which is it, Link?”

“What is this?” Link grunted, rising to his feet and shaking his head wildly, “An interrogation?”

Rhett rose to his feet at the same time Link did, towering over him a good few inches and making the smaller of the two boys feel a lot more intimidated by him. Rhett was always the taller one; he'd been tall since they'd met, towering over the other children in first grade. Now was no different. Rhett was the second tallest player in the basketball team at school, and Link had yet to meet the taller player. He wasn't sure if he wanted to. Rhett being the tallest person in his life was enough for him.

The taller of both boys looked slightly hurt at Link's outrage. “It's not an interrogation. We're just playing.”

“It doesn't feel like we're playing a game anymore, Rhett.” Link told his friend, then waited for a response he knew he wasn't going to get. After a tense moment of silence where both boys stared one another down, Link gave up and marched off in the direction they'd came. He'd drive home in Rhett's car alone if he had to. He'd even walk back to his own house if he had to. Anything to get away from whatever this was—whatever Rhett wanted from him. Link wasn't about to destroy their friendship over something as trivial as a meager crush.

But it wasn't a crush, was it? Link knew the truth; he'd known it for a while. He had fallen hard and fast for his best friend, and that was equally as frightening as it was alleviating. Putting a name to his feelings was a step in the right direction for Link. Now that he knew he had fallen for his best friend, he could start doing something about it. Wasn't the first step in overcoming a problem admitting you had one? Essentially, that's what Link's feelings were. A problem.

“Link! Wait up!”

And Rhett was another problem entirely.

His best friend just wouldn't drop it. Why did he care so much about who Link had feelings for? Maybe he should just lie and say he did have feelings for Amber, after all. Rhett would probably see right through him. Link was as transparent as glass when it came to his best friend. It was both a blessing and a curse, since no relationship could be built on dishonesty, but it made situations like this one difficult to deal with.

Link shook his head and continued through the brush, taking care with his footing and using his arm to shield his face from stray branches on his way back to the meadow where the Omega was parked. His feet squelched against the mud, mingling with melted snow now turned to slush. It made walking a chore, the small muscles of his calves screaming in protest with every step, but Link persevered. He could hear his friend behind him, calling to him, but he ignored it and kept pushing forward until he reached the clearing. By then, the cloud cover had become so immense that the sun was nowhere to be seen in the sky. There was a dark hue cast over the scenery, making the trees seem much more menacing as they towered over Link in the bitter wind.

Pulling his scarf further up his face to cover his mouth, Link made his way to the Omega and clambered inside. His fingers were slow to move and partially unresponsive from the cold, but he managed to close the door behind him after multiple failed attempts. Once inside the safety of his friend's car, Link hunched forward and brought his hands to his face, blowing into them to heat them up. The iciness of his extremities contrasted against the fire in his gut, the bubbling in his belly from his and Rhett's conversation. He couldn't get it out of his head. He couldn't rid himself of his feelings.

A small piece of Link didn't really want to get rid of those feelings, because the idea of doting on someone he was sure would never leave him was comforting. And possibly painful, too, but Link knew he could handle it. What was a little heartbreak as opposed to losing Rhett entirely? Nothing. He could handle it.

It took five minutes for Rhett to reach the clearing after Link, and a further few minutes for him to open the door to the car with his freezing fingers. The taller boy didn't have gloves, Link remembered with a furrow of his brow. Without thinking, he shed himself of his own gloves—albeit finger-less, and a little pointless—and handed them to his friend once he had climbed inside the car.

“Take these,” Link told him, “You need them.”

Rhett waved his offer away with his own hand, their fingers bumping together painfully. “Don't be stupid.”

“Rhett, take them. Y'can't drive with icicles for fingers.”

“They're finger-less, Link.”

“Humor me.” Link shook the pair of gloves in front of Rhett's face, sure to annoy him, until the taller boy took them from Link's grasp with a short nod in thanks. Link watched as his friend put on his gloves, a pleased look on his face once they were secured on his hands.

“They're warm,” Rhett commented, a little vacantly, “Your hands are warm, huh?”

Link shrugged and returned his gaze forward, looking out the windshield towards the shaking trees ahead of them. “I guess my palms are pretty warm, yeah. I can't say the same for my fingers.”

Rhett exhaled heavily, releasing a warm cloud of vapor into the tight space of the car. Link watched it disappear into nothing, and felt himself wishing his feelings for his best friend would do the same. The two sat in silence for a couple of minutes, both trying to heat up before they took off. Link found himself feeling guilty over his outburst at Rhett. His friend was most likely just being his usual curious self and Link had only taken it personally given his confusing feelings. Rhett didn't deserve being yelled at like that.

“Rhett, I'm—” Link begun apologizing, but Rhett turned to him, swiveling his body in the small space of the car and looking at Link intensely, and interrupted him.

“Give me your hands.” He said.

“My hands?” Link asked, blinking in surprise, doing his best not to back away slightly from Rhett's sudden advance. What did the other boy want with his hands, exactly? “Why?”

Rhett held out his own hands, palm upwards for Link to place is own against them. “Come on, Link.”

Hesitantly, Link put his hands in Rhett's awaiting ones and watched as the other boy closed his fingers around them. Rhett's hands were cold but not unpleasant, his fingers a little rough from playing basketball. But not unpleasant. Had Link said that already? There was nothing unpleasant about Rhett touching him. Nothing.

“Body heat. Warms us both up.” Rhett told Link shortly, taking small breaks between each sentence as if he was having trouble speaking. “Saw it on TV.”

“Oh, uh. Yeah, okay.” Link nodded in response, feeling incredibly awkward about the entire thing. What his friend had said was true, though, because sharing body heat was sure to warm them up quicker than their bodies would manage on their own. The only thing concerning about the situation was the tingling of Link's fingertips against Rhett's own, and the swelling of his heart inside his chest.

The inside windows of the car became foggy with condensation, the body heat radiating from both boys as well as their warm breath doing a good job of warming up the car. Link could hear his heartbeat hammer a tune in his ears that only Rhett could play. He let out a shaky breath, just realizing he'd been holding it for who knows how long. The taller of both boys was watching their hands intensely, like they held some kind of answer he was searching for.

“My hands feel gross,” Rhett said suddenly, making Link furrow his brow, “real or not real?”

“Not real,” Link replied instantly, then caught himself. Rhett's hands didn't feel gross. Quite the opposite. “Why'd you think that?”

Rhett shrugged, the motion causing their hands to shift and rub against one another momentarily. Link felt his cheeks heat up and prayed he could pass it off as the cold and not his own embarrassment. “Playing basketball really messes up your fingers. I got callouses comin' outta my ears.”

“You don't play basketball with your ears.”

“With ears my size, I might as well.”

Link laughed, easing some of the tension in his shoulders as he did so. Rhett was smiling back at him, their hands conjoined between them. Link turned his body so it was facing Rhett, now mirroring his friend's position. “They're rough, sure. Not gross. It's fine.”

“Sweet.”

Link deliberated for a moment, before continuing, “You're self conscious about your hands, real or not real?”

Rhett didn't respond for a short moment, his thumb brushing against Link's in what appeared to be an accidental contact. It didn't stop Link's heart from skipping a beat. “Real, I think. Right now, yeah. I'm self-conscious because you're holdin' 'em.”

The reality of the situation hit Link all at once. He and Rhett were holding hands. His best friend for years, the boy he'd spent most of his short life with, was cradling Link's hands in his like they were sacred. Link's stomach felt like it had been taken over by butterflies, his face feeling like it was turning a different shade.

“Actually, you're holding my hands. I'm not holding yours.” Link told him, trying to be a smart-ass about it to divert Rhett's attention from his embarrassment. The other boy didn't look fazed by Link's words.

“True, I am holding your hands,” Rhett told him, voice tight, and Link knew he was having trouble with the intimacy of the situation. Which led to the question: why did Rhett put himself in this situation to begin with? The thought truly perplexed Link, but he wasn't complaining. If he'd have known touching Rhett like this—nothing but a simple and innocent skin-to-skin contact—could make him feel so lightweight and satisfied, he'd have been doing it for a long time to coax Rhett into the idea.

But that wouldn't really be fair, would it? It would be taking advantage of Rhett's ignorance to Link's feelings, which didn't settle well in the bottom of Link's stomach. He couldn't manipulate his friend like that.

“You're cross with me, real or not real?”

“Not real,” Link was quick to respond, finding it difficult to maintain eye contact with Rhett, “I'm sorry I freaked out like that, man. I didn't wanna talk about it. I just want to spend some time with you before the new year.”

“Yeah, the holidays are pretty much the only time of year where we don't see each other,” Rhett commented, then furrowed his brow and added, “Well, apart from when my folks go on vacation.”

“Yeah, I know,” Link inhaled deeply, doing his best to ignore the way Rhett's thumb brushed against his own once more, “Your hands are warmed up now, real or not real?”

Rhett hesitated uncharacteristically, and prompted Link to look up at him. His friend's gaze was focused on their conjoined hands before him, like he was having trouble accepting they were really there. Link understood the sentiment.

“Real.”

Link blinked in response. If Rhett's hands were fine now, then he could drive without complaint, and they could start heading home. But he hadn't moved, and he hadn't let go of Link's hands. Why?

“Then why—?”

“You want me to let go of your hands,” Rhett interrupted him, and Link felt dread rise in his stomach, his throat burning, “real or not real?”

Link froze, tense and unsure of how to proceed. The true answer was no, of course, he didn't want Rhett to let go. He didn't want his friend to let go of him ever, both literally and figuratively. They had so many things to do and see; things they had planned together that Link wanted to experience. He couldn't mess that up with whatever he was going through. It wasn't fair on Rhett; it wasn't fair on either of them.

So, he lied. “Yeah, man, if you're warm enough.”

Rhett didn't miss a beat. “You're lying.”

“What?” Link stammered, “No, I'm not.”

“You are, Link,” Rhett replied, then brushed his thumb against Link's. This time it was definitely no accident. Link felt incredibly warm, like by some sudden cruel twist of fate, the Omega's heater had decided to work right when Link really didn't need it. But it hadn't, and Link knew he was only freaking out. His jaw tensed in response to his friend's words, feeling the urge to defend himself and deny it until Rhett dropped the subject, but it felt like he was in too deep to do anything about it at this point.

So, instead, he shot back with a question of his own. “You like holding my hands, real or not real?”

Rhett's reply was instantaneous like he had been counting on Link's question. “Real. You like it when I do this,” The taller boy proceeded to rub his thumb over Link's, delicately brushing his skin and sending tingles along his friend's forearm, “real or not real?”

With nothing left to lose, Link replied, “Real. You want me to do it in return, real or not real?”

Rhett looked up at Link, a small smirk on his face in challenge. “Real.”

So Link did it. He shifted one of his hands in Rhett's, then proceeded to caress a gentle circle on the inside of the other boy's palm, over the fabric of his gloves, enjoying the way his friend's eyes became half lidded in response. Link's heart felt like it was about to vacate his chest. He couldn't take much more of this. Whatever this was. Rhett's cheeks were tinged pink from the cold, or something more, but Link couldn't tell. It was getting unbearably warm inside the car.

“You like doing that, real or not real?”

Link thought that much was obvious. “Real.”

Rhett's eyes fell down to watch Link's lips as he spoke, monitoring their movements and not breaking eye contact even once he'd finished speaking. After a few seconds of silence passed, Link broke it, his voice shaking. “You're thinking about my lips, real or not real?”

“Real,” Rhett confirmed what Link was thinking, prompting his own eyes to flicker down to his friend's lips in return, “You're thinking about me kissing you, real or not real?”

Link's face felt like it was on fire, his hands and feet tingling all the way to his mid-section where his stomach bubbled uncontrollably. “Real,” His fingers twitched against Rhett's own when the other boy leaned closer to him, “You want to kiss me, real or not real?”

“Real.” Rhett responded, moments before he touched his lips to Link's own.

Link closed his eyes automatically, completely stunned. He'd kissed people before, sure, but he'd only ever kissed girls. And he'd certainly never kissed his best friend before. Rhett's beard created a friction against Link's chin that added to the unprecedented act of kissing him, enhancing the feeling of their lips moving together. This certainly wasn't how Link planned his day to go when he'd flopped down on his front doorstep and waited for his best friend to arrive, no. Yet here he was, holding hands with Rhett and making out with him in the Omega. Stranger things had never happened, that was for sure.

But for how strange it felt, and how odd the sensation of chapped lips against his own was—contrasting against the soft, female lips Link was accustomed to—it didn't make Link want to stop. It felt right, and it felt like he should have been kissing Rhett for years. But, what was happening? What was his friend doing? Was this another one of his elaborate pranks gone too far? Rhett was infamous for pulling those on Link, but it didn't feel like that this time.

The shorter boy was the first one to pull back, but he enjoyed the way Rhett's lips chased his own before he caught himself. The necessity of breathing had become an issue and Link had to separate from his friend before he did something stupid like pass out. That would have been an interesting one for Rhett to explain to his mom. Hey, sorry Mrs. Neal, I kissed Link and, ah, well... Link shook his head just thinking about it.

Rhett's eyes were unfocused and brighter than Link had ever seen them. Then again, he hadn't exactly witnessed his best friend up this close before. His friend's lips were tinged pink and wet from having Link's own covering them. The thought alone made Link's stomach do a somersault, like he was in some kind of movie. Or maybe it was a dream. Maybe Link was about to wake up and kick himself.

But Rhett's gentle caress of the back of his palm reassured Link that this was reality. He wasn't dreaming, not this time.

“You like me,” Rhett breathed against Link's face, “real or not real?”

Link squeezed his eyes closed, fearful of his friend's reaction. This was it. It was now or never. “Real.”

“Why're you closing your eyes?”

“I don't wanna see your reaction.” Link told him honestly. Rhett let go of Link's hands, and for a brief moment Link felt dread course through him that he'd said the wrong thing and now his friend hated him, but Rhett placed both hands on either side of Link's face.

“Link, look at me.”

Link opened his eyes and obeyed, a little overwhelmed with Rhett's proximity. He could taste his friend's breath up this close. Without a further word, Rhett kissed him gently but with intent. Through it, Link felt an intensity flowing through his friend's hands and fingers, enhanced by their lip lock. After a long moment, Rhett pulled away and focused his eyes on Link's glazed over ones. “This is my reaction.”

Suddenly, something donned on Link. “You knew I liked you, real or not real?”

“We don't have to play anymore, Link,” Rhett told him, cradling Link's face in his hands, “But I knew. I knew for a while.”

“How?”

“You ain't exactly been good at keepin' things from me.”

“How long have you known?” Link asked, wondering how long he'd been so transparent. It was worrying, to say the least. Was he that obvious? What if his mom had noticed something too?

“About a month, maybe?” Rhett thought about it, but his answer sounded more like a question. He sounded unsure of himself, and it made Link feel better. So he'd only been obvious in the past month, as opposed to when the feelings started, around this time last year. “Although, apparently you've liked me for a lot longer.”

“And it doesn't weird you out?” Link asked.

“No,” Rhett replied honestly, “I mean, it did a little bit at first. Not the idea that you liked me, just, I wasn't sure what I felt about you. I was confused.”

“But?” Link prompted once Rhett didn't continue, because he felt like there was more to be said. The other boy let go of Link's face and sat back a bit, and immediately Link missed the contact.

“But I have been wanting to kiss you for weeks now.”

“Oh.”

“Pretty much since the last day of school, I had this urge to kiss you goodbye,” Rhett continued, embarrassing Link like he did best. The smaller boy's eyes widened, and he felt his ears heat up. He was blushing like a child. “Standing at your truck, you remember?”

Link nodded. He and Rhett had said their goodbyes and exchanged an awkward, one-armed hug before parting ways for the Christmas break.

“'Cause I knew I wouldn't be seein' you for a bit. I dunno. I just wanted to.” Rhett told him sincerely, “Then durin' the holidays I couldn't get you outta my head. Seein' you today is seriously the highlight of my Christmas break.”

Link laughed, or more choked, in response, unable to keep it at bay. Truthfully he hadn't the slightest idea how to react to Rhett's words, or how to tell his friend he felt exactly the same. The relief that coursed through Link's veins was indescribable; the idea that his best friend had been having the same conflicting feelings throughout the break only cemented Link's own feelings. He had definitely fallen hard and fast for his best friend, and suddenly there was nothing wrong with that. Nothing at all.

Going back on his own word that they could stop playing, Rhett asked, “You feel the same about me, real or not real?”

“Real,” Link confirmed before Rhett could even finish his sentence. The grin that broke out on his friend's face was worth it.

“I can't see you again until a week or so, maybe at the weekend,” Rhett continued, a little sadly, and Link reached forward automatically to touch the back of his friend's hand, “We can go see a movie in Cary then. You wanna?”

“Like a date?”

“Well,” Rhett hesitated visibly, “Not officially, 'cause, you know.”

“Yeah.” Link replied, thinking of their family's reactions to this new development, then cleared his throat as Rhett entwined their hands once more. He wasn't sure he'd ever get used to that. “I mean, sounds good, man.”

“Sweet.”

“You want to kiss me again, real or not real?”

Rhett smirked in response, then leaned forward and said, “You know the answer.”

Without further interruption, Link kissed his friend softly and shyly, because kissing Rhett was entirely new territory and he wasn't sure he would ever get used to it. Maybe he would. If he had the opportunity to kiss Rhett often, then Link couldn't complain about that. His friend was solid and rough against him, nothing compared to what Link was used to, but he loved it. He loved Rhett, more than a friend. More than a best friend. But he wasn't ready to reveal such a thing yet. Not yet, not now.

Not when they had so much to lose. They had to remain a secret.

“I guess this can be our New Year's kiss,” Rhett joked, but Link could see some truth behind his words when they pulled back from one another. Rhett's cheeks were tinged pink, his lips swollen and red, and he looked more attractive than Link ever thought he could. It wasn't fair.

“Come on, man,” Link shook his head and gestured with his hand to the impending darkness that surrounded them. It was getting late. “It's dark out. My mom'll be wondering where we're at.”

“You're right,” Rhett nodded and let go of Link a little hesitantly, proceeding to straighten his position and start the engine. He placed both hands on the steering wheel and peered out of the windshield at the somber clouds overhead. It was going to snow.

They drove to Link's house in comfortable silence, Link's lips tingling from where Rhett had kissed him. If this was how the new year was going to play out, then he was in for a wild ride. But, as he sat looking over at his friend when they rolled to a stop outside of Link's home, he figured he was okay with that. More than okay.

“I'll see you around, Link,” Rhett said, keeping both hands firmly on the steering wheel as he peered over Link's shoulder at the house. The kitchen light was on, where Link's mother was probably preparing dinner. On cue, the smaller boy's stomach grumbled at the thought of food.

“See you next year.” Link joked, knowing better than to expect a goodbye anything different from usual from his friend, given the possible witnesses. They had to be careful, but it didn't bother Link. They knew there was something between them, a bond stronger than friendship, and that was enough. For now. When his friend started to remove Link's gloves from his hands, Link said, “Keep them.”

“See you next year.” Rhett responded, a smirk on his face as he shook his head at the stupidity of the joke whilst Link climbed out of the Omega and closed the door behind him. He hesitated for a short moment, looking around himself for anyone on the road. Empty, like it had been hours prior. Quickly, and sneakily, he pressed his palm flat against the glass and waited for the condensation to accumulate around his hand-print before removing it with a grin. On the passenger side window of the Omega was the outline of Link's hand, temporarily decorating his friend's car until it became cold enough to disappear.

Rhett grinned in response. “Go inside, moron. You'll get frostbite.”

“It ain't cold enough for that,” Link told him, but did as Rhett asked and jogged up his front yard and into the house, closing the door behind him to the sound of the Omega pulling away, the distinct shudder of the engine fading slowly into the distance.

The new year would certainly be a better one, that was for sure.

fin