Good Old Days (Rhink)

10: First Kiss

He took a deep breath. He looked into Link's eyes.

"You alright man?" Link asked in barely a whisper.

Do it. Do it. C'mon there's no better time than now.

Rhett put his hand on Link's cheek. It looked huge on the side of Link's face. Link's hair felt so soft, even after swimming. His eyes looked shocked and uncertain. He pulled him close.

Euphoria. An explosion of heat filled Rhett's chest as he kissed Link. Everything felt so right. Nothing else existed in this very moment. Not school. Not family. Nothing but each other. Link grabbed the side of Rhett's face. And softly pulled away. Rhett's eyes slowly flicked up. Link swallowed, his throat suddenly feeling dry. Link stared at him for a brief moment. The moonlight making his features soft. Link brought Rhett back to him and slammed his face against his.

Life couldn't get any better. The water barely making any noise, nothing but cicadas soft hum filled the air. Rhett gently placed his hand on Link's lower back. Fire burned in his face. Link, now propped on Rhett's lap pulled away and hugged him so hard and with such a big grin that Rhett fell down. Link put his head on his chest. Rhett held him close and exhaled. He looked towards the heavens.

Thank you.

"All those times I was trying to tell you that I liked it."

"Really?" Rhett said in a slightly baffled on why he wouldn't shut his stupid mouth up for a second.

"I wanted to tell you, but you seemed like you didn't want to hear about it and I didn't want to make it weird. Besides I knew it was gonna be weird just for me to say it." Rhett hesitated.

"Yeah." Rhett's mind started racing. Things were never going to be the same. Will people find out? Oh god that could never happen.

"Link." He felt a little in his stomach. He didn't want to face reality right now, but he knew he had to.

"Yeah?"

"We can't be a thing. At least, not publicly."

Link got off of him. He sat down and paused for a moment, his brows furrowed as he pondered.

"Why?"

"Are you blind? Our friends, our families, the church! This can never get out."

He sighed. "I guess you're right. Man, this sucks."

"I know but...things need to be 'normal' for us to survive." Rhett paused. He wished he could trade lives with someone else, anyone else. He wanted freedom from all of the stupid ideologies of Buies Creek.

"but uh Link...I love you and I don't want that to change." The building pressure slipped off of his shoulders, physically washing Rhett with the satisfying feeling of finally telling Link after so many years of friendship.

"I, wow, I uh...I love you too Rhett." Link shocked with his boldness. "Let's just worry about what we've got goin on right now, and that means not worrying about a thing."

Rhett nodded as he returned his eyes to the scenery. It was beautiful. Trees hung in the humid air, the dark sky offering a shield of cover. Fireflies flew by, flickering on and off.

Maybe Link is right for once.

Soon again nothing mattered but the two of them, as their lives slipped beyond the moment.