Below the Mythical Surface (Completed)

What the Heart Wants

Rhett's never been one to be glued to a phone, preferring instead to take in the outdoors, his kids laughter, his wife's beautiful hair. Sure, he was a picture taker. And sure, if there wasn't anything particularly exciting going on he might scroll through a few apps, but he didn't usually keep it grounded in his hand so harshly that it would leave indents in his skin. He also wasn't usually pouring over message after message from Link.

L (9:34am): Come back to work. At least for the show.

L (9:36am): Well for me too.

L (10:02am): Come on. Answer the phone Rhett.

With his boys at school and his wife busy, he passed a little time with the television. And then his computer. And then cleaning out his car. But still his phone continued its clatter.

L (11:45am): Can we get lunch?

L (11:53am): You can't keep ignoring me forever. We need to talk about the show. We're gonna be out of town. We need to make arrangements.

Rhett rolled his eyes, convinced that underneath the shell of a forty one year old man, inside Link lived a sixteen year old girl. One that was having a spat with her first boyfriend and was over doing it to try and get him back. Maybe not so different from the actual situation.

R (11:55am): I'll book us separate rooms. In different hotels. There you go. It's taken care of. Stop texting me. Stop calling me. We don't have anything to talk about right now.

He pocketed the noise maker with a satisfied sigh, sure that he'd made his point. But then instead of a text tone, it was his ring tone, and sure enough it was Link.

"Are you that fucking dense, Link?" He didn't bother with a hello. He didn't think any pretense was needed. He was pissed, and Link was only worsening it.

Link moved his own phone away from his ear wishing he had checked the volume settings before he had made the phone call. Then gingerly he pressed the recover back and snapped back just as loudly.

"You're part of a duo," Link started. "I can't just sit here and the office and make decisions without you. We're business partners as well as...you know."

Rhett snorted in laughter, but there was no actual humor in his tone.

"I know?" He asked, sarcasm dripping in every syllable. "Do I know, Link? Think that conversation has been finished a while ago about us bein' anything more than business partners. And as far as the office goes, I'll be there tomorrow like usual to tape the episode. Other than that there's nothing for us to talk about."

The taller man could tell that Link was pacing back and forth. Link was always stomped when he was upset which did nothing to help with the whole acting like a hormonal teenager thing he was doing. Rhett could just imagine him in their shared office now. Hands on his hips and pouting. It would be hot if Rhett wasn't so angry.

"You're not gonna let our love life screw up our show," Link countered. "We have people counting on us. Plus like I said before, we're going out of town for that charity event and we gotta book - "

"If you would freakin' read your texts you would have read that I'll take care of the rooms for next week. I'll take care of it!"

It might have been the fact that Rhett shouted the last part to him that got Link at the point of tears, but there he was. Sitting in their office falling to pieces over the phone to his...boyfriend? Was that even what Rhett was? Link couldn't tell anymore.

"What...what about us?" Link pressed as softly as he dared. "I love you, Rhett. Please..."

"Link," he let out a shaky breath. There were too many emotions. Anger, namely, but the voice on the other end of the line was sad, scared, worried. And Rhett was never one to let Link go through something alone. Call it years of being close, too close, but Link leached into Rhett whether he wanted him to or not. So, call it years of friendship, or call it something else, but he felt what Link felt, and it made the conversation all that much harder.

"I already named my terms, man. If you don't wanna tell her, then don't tell her. You're a grown man, you get to make decisions for yourself. And I'm a grown man too, so I'll respect them. But," His voice caught, and mentally he yelled at himself. Get it together! "But you have to respect mine, too. And I'm tellin' you that I don't want this. Not like this."

The shuffling on the other end had Rhett envisioning Link dropping the phone to his chest. His eyes were probably closed and his jaw was probably tight. Would he have taken his glasses off before he called? Would he still have his jacket on? Rhett tried to picture each scenario before Link spoke again.

"So you don't want me, then?" His voice came out in only what could be described as little, and not for the first time, Rhett considered sending this whole deal straight to Hell and hopping back in his car and speeding toward the office. But he couldn't. There was too much at stake.

"That's not what I'm sayin' and you know it."

"No, it is what you're sayin'. Your tellin' me that you wanna throw this whole thing away!" Links voice was getting a little steadier. A little louder. And Rhett's answered in kind.

"I'm tellin' you, dumbass, that I want you! And only you! That I want to be the only one that gets to have you. Cause I had you first and this ain't fair!" His breathing was ragged and labored, and he was a little worried at how much his chest was rising and falling. It was making him light headed in the worst way, and he needed to end the call before he passed out.

"You wanna talk about not being fair, Rhett?" The voice was smooth again, steady and level in a way that was very un-Link. "Not being fair is pushin' somebody in to lovin' you when they had no intention of doing so. Not bein' fair is makin' me 'see what we like' so we knew if we should keep it goin'. Not bein' fair is takin' away someone's right to decide when they should tell their wife that they're head over heels for a man. A fuckin' man, Rhett. So not only are you pushin' me to break up my family, you're pushin' me to come out, and I'm just not ready yet. I love you. God, do I ever love you. But fuck you, Rhett. Fuck. You."

Rhett knew that words were powerful. That they could make or break a man not only by the actual words themselves, but the tone and cadence of each and every syllable. Now more than ever did the words burn as they traveled up through his right ear and settle into his heart like a chemical spill, and what made it worse was how right some of it sounded. Link was making - no, forcing himself to think and rethink all of his actions before even that first kiss.

Link waited on the other line for something. Anything at this point. Yelling, cursing, begging. They were all equally welcomed at this point, but silence was never part of any strategy.

"I..." Link started, but instead of continuing he swallowed hard. He knew that Rhett was still on the other line. Could hear his breathing, rough and unsteady. Almost clinging onto the air around them.

"Pressuring you into this was never any part of my heart," Rhett rasped. "I'll take a lot of what you said as gospel, Link, but...I really thought that you wanted this as much as me."

Link sat down on the floor, not thinking that he could get to a proper chair without falling over. Every bit of his energy and focus on the man he was talking to.

"You...it's more complicated than we ever thought it would be," Link admitted. "I don't...I don't really think that you meant to push me, and honestly, I pulled you just as much. I just..."

Link inhaled deeply, trying it unravel his thoughts. They were moving too quickly for him to catch.

"I just need to know that this is really real. Need to not be stepping out naked into the same world with a whole new wardrobe to wear without knowing if it fits. Does..does that make sense?"

"Yes, it does," Rhett muttered back. "Makes a hell of a lot of sense."

Silence again, and this time it was so much longer.

"Link?"

Rhett whispered his name so softly that Link barely registered he has been called, but there it was. His name hushed like the first time they woke up together the morning after.

"Yeah?"

"If I could marry you tomorrow I would do it in a heartbeat. Is that real enough for you?"

There was a gasp, the sound of a strangled sob on the other line, and then Rhett realized Link disconnected their phone call.