Work Text:
Link snuggles into the warmth beside him, slowly waking up. It's when the warmth moves that he opens his eyes and his senses are overloaded with the red and blue surrounding him. With a yelp, he scrambles away from Rhett, who he'd been snuggling. His movements wake the other man, who rolls over groggily before realizing what is going on and also scrambles out of bed.
"What the..." Link starts, looking around at their joined rooms that were separate the day before. They weren't supposed to actually fall asleep, but Link supposes that they spent so long trying to get the angles and lighting right that they fell asleep anyway.
He looks around at the merged rooms and joined bed, wondering how on earth the crew managed this without waking them. He tries not to think about the fact that he just had the best sleep he’d gotten in years. "What the hell," Rhett mumbles, also looking around.
Just before Rhett lifts his hand to rub his neck, Link sees it: the smear of blue on Rhett's otherwise perfectly red person. "You blue-d on me?!" Rhett says, rubbing at the spot. Link feels like he should be defensive or embarrassed, but he doesn't remember what he might have done to get blue paint on Rhett's neck.
Link shrugs, "I don't know."
"Didya kiss me or something?" Rhett asks, rubbing the blue, and subsequently red, off. Usually, Rhett would calm down and evaluate something like this. Usually, he wouldn't be so quick to get angry. Usually, he's the most patient person in the world with Link. But the room and the red and the stress has him riled up. Part of Link wants to get out of here. But a bigger part wants to stay and see what improv they can get for the cameras.
"Don't you think this is a bigger problem?" Link asks, gesturing to the merged room that was not like this when they fell asleep.
Rhett studies the situation for a moment. “This isn’t what we planned, but maybe we can get something from it.”
Link sinks down onto the bed on the blue side of the room, “I guess we’ll just wait for the disembodied voice.”
Rhett also sits and they both look up at the ceiling expectantly. Silence stretches out between them, not even the sounds of the crew outside the walls disturbing it. Link says, “Hello? Lady? Anybody?”
No one answers. Rhett stands and climbs up to look at one of the cameras in the corner, “I don’t think this is on.” He shoves his weight against both of the doors, becoming more agitated. “We’re trapped in here.”
“I’m sure it’s fine, Rhett,” Link says, pulling his glasses off to clean them.
“Obviously something is wrong,” he snaps, gesturing to the walls. “How are you not worried about this?”
“I don’t know, I mean, it’s probably for footage or a bit or something. Let’s just roll with it,” he says, replacing his glasses.
Rhett huffs and lays down on his side of the bed, back turned to Link. The man in blue slowly lays down too, wondering how they should pass the time without instructions.
Several minutes tick by and Link is starting to get sleepy again when Rhett jumps up and starts to pace, hands fidgety, everything about him restless. Link watches him walk back and forth in silence.
“I need to do something. I want to break something.”
“Have at it, man. Just don’t put your eye out,” Link says, glancing around for what Rhett might decide to break. At least it will make for good content.
“I won’t hurt myself,” Rhett says, grabbing up chess pieces to try and snap, “You’re the one always doing that.”
Link stares at the ceiling, all of the negative comments they listened to coming back to him with Rhett’s jab. The “valid criticism” line had been written to show the effect of the blue room. In reality, he couldn’t disagree more. The comments hurt, no matter how long he’s been making videos on the internet and no matter how thick of skin he grows. He’s human and people are mean. And he can’t help but feel like the comments about him are meaner than the ones about Rhett.
Upon failing to break the chess pieces, Rhett starts chucking them at the wall. Link turns his back to avoid any that might rebound at his face. When he runs out of pieces, Rhett elects to snap the chess board in half. That done, he goes back to pacing.
“If you’re gonna be like this, we might as well be done,” Link says.
“We can’t be done, Link. We are locked in here!” Rhett nearly shouts.
Link sighs, not wanting to believe him, not wanting to fight, holding on to the idea that the crew is outside these walls, silently laughing at them. “Whatever, man.”
“Don’t be stupid,” Rhett groans. Link can hear the eye roll in his voice even though he’s not looking at him.
The words make him stiffen. Maybe it’s their predicament. Maybe it’s the colors. Maybe it’s the comments they listened to earlier. But the statement he would usually let roll off his back sticks this time.
“Do you think I’m stupid, Rhett?” he asks, staying still and staring at the wall. When the other man doesn’t say anything, he sits up and turns to look at the red side of the room. Rhett is sitting in the chair in the corner, staring at the floor. “You do, don’t you?”
He still doesn’t answer. Link sits up more, “You think you’re smarter than me, at least. You always have.”
Rhett finally looks up and Link has trouble meeting his eyes because of the red contacts. But he knows him well enough, knows him too well. “And you aren’t disagreeing with me. You’re such a fucking asshole, man.” Link lets out a breath and falls back onto the bed.
“Hey!” Rhett stands, taking a step towards the bed, “I’m not an asshole.”
Link throws his hands up, “Sometimes you’re an asshole!”
“And sometimes you’re stupid!”
Rhett freezes in place and Link shoves up onto his elbows, glaring at his best friend, trying not to show him how much that hurt, but his voice wavers, “One of those is worse than the other.”
“Look-” Rhett says, putting a knee on the bed.
“No, I don’t want to hear you out right now. Not when you’ve been such a jerk for the past thirty minutes and when we just listened to all those nasty comments.” Rhett crawls toward him on the bed. “You’re so full of it-”
Link stops when Rhett’s face appears directly above his own. “I’m sorry,” he says, real sincerity coming through. Before Link can even come up with something to say, Rhett is leaning down and their lips meet. All of the blood rushes to Link’s head and even with his eyes closed, he’s seeing red.
Just as Rhett is breaking away, Link places a hand on his chest and shoves him back, lifting his other hand to wipe his mouth. “What the fuck.”
Rhett sits back on his heels, fingers hovering over his own lips.
“I don’t even-” Link starts, standing and threading his fingers into his hair. “What do you…” He sighs, turning back to look at Rhett who is frustratingly undisturbed. “Why did you do that? And at that moment of all moments?”
“I don’t know,” Rhett says defensively, slowly standing, “I don’t know, I just…” Link raises his eyebrows expectantly. “I’m sorry. I don’t think you’re stupid.” Link walks towards him and he steps back. “And I know I think too highly of myself sometimes.” Rhett’s back hits the wall. “And this room makes me feel crazy.”
They’re inches apart, both breathing heavily. Link feels like he’s about to explode. “Let’s get this straight: You’re an asshole sometimes. I’m not stupid. Don’t ever kiss me again when I’m in the middle of a sentence.” Without letting Rhett say anything, Link leans in and kisses him hard. Rhett’s hand comes to rest on his chest, but it doesn’t push him away. It twists in his shirt and pulls him in.
When they break apart this time, they’re both panting. Their gazes lock and Link is simultaneously glad and irritated that Rhett is wearing those red contacts at this moment.
They both jump when the disembodied voice says, “Your twenty-four hours are over.” They hear the click of the locks.
Rhett’s hand slowly releases Link’s shirt. Their paint had mixed during the kiss making Rhett’s beard a purple color. Link assumes his face looks the same.
Slowly, they both go to their respective doors. With one last glance back at each other, they exit the room.