Below the Mythical Surface (Completed)

Watching the Dust Settle

It's amazing how fixing one little broken piece of your life can bring all of the others back together. Link was relieved to arrive back home and settle into his bed, falling asleep quickly and effortlessly. Rhett wasn't quite as lucky in the sleep department, but then again, he never was. He was too busy thinking of how he'd be able to get his hands back on Link in just a few hours. All was right with the world.

Morning came slowly, with Rhett dozing and waking often, but he couldn't bring himself to feel tired. Excited energy pumped through him, showing itself in the form of jittery fingers and fast pacing. He left his house a full thirty minutes early, not even caring that Link most likely wouldn't be ready, he was happy to sit in his driveway for as long as he needed to.

Link must have had the same idea, though, bouncing out of his house as soon as Rhett shifted into park and slamming the car door behind him.

"Jeez, settle down there muscles," Rhett laughed, and Link reciprocated.

"I'm sorry, I guess I don't know my own strength," he replied with an exaggerated flex.

"Now, you be careful with those guns. I don't wanna get pulled over."

Link beamed up at him, but didn't feel the need to say anything else. He was happy with their teasing, it let him know that things were getting back to a relative normal for them.

"Hey, Rhett? Can I... can I hold you hand?"

The shyness in his voice was sweet, Rhett thought. The pleading in the eyes was adorable, and even if they hadn't already made up it would have been enough to bring him to his knees and beg for forgiveness.

"You know you don't have to ask, baby," he told him softly and held out his hand for the taking. Link laced their fingers together and hummed happily, nearly bouncing in his seat.

"You know I love you, right?" Was Link's next question, just when Rhett thought his day couldn't get any better. He was wrong.

"I know. And you know I love you, too, right?"

"I know... I'm happy."

Link's smile was infectious, toothy and bright. The sparkle in his eyes was unmatched, and he'd never looked better. The ride to the studio was full of singing off tune to songs on the radio. Rhett spent most of the time laughing at how loud Link could be, and Link doing as much as he could to make every note more silly and high pitched than the last. His blue eyes narrowed in slight suspicion when they passed their exit to the studio, and instead headed a little further down the highway to a small restaurant with a small neon sign in the window.

"Just a little breakfast detour I had," Rhett smirked as Link looked out of the car window. "It's a little hole in the wall that I go from time to time. Have some of the best waffles in the state. Reminds me of home in North Carolina."

Link turned to give Rhet a very incredulous look, and Rhett just chuckled again.

"I know I should have told you about it earlier on," Rhett admitted. "Just liked to keep a secret or two of my own now and again. Come on, let's head inside."

The small diner was decorated in early 1950's nostalgia, and Link was reminded of those little novelty diners from when Rhett and he were children. There was a sweet little old lady who gave Rhett a cheery wave from the front counter, and another woman, slightly younger, walked the two men to a small table in the back.

"Your usual, Rhett," the lady asked, with a hint of a southern twang to her voice.

"That's right, Donna," Rhett answered with a small smile. "And give the same to my best friend, here."

Donna's face broke into look of sudden recognition, and she gave a small giggle as she placed a manicured hand on the taller man's shoulder.

"Hold up. Is this that Link you've been telling me about after all this time," she sighed. She turned to the smaller man whose ears had turned bright red at the grandmotherly attention. "Why, Rhett talks about you like crazy. You're much cuter than I imagined, though."

Rhett chuckled at Link again, as his face turned even more impossibly red.

"Thank you, ma'am," Link muttered back, his smile huge.