Chapter Text
Rhett saw it coming, this built up moment of panic in his friend. Link paced in front of the teenager's bed, scuffed up sneakers occasionally catching on a crumbled throw rug propelling him forward.
"You're gonna hurt yourself" Rhett pointed out softly as Link caught himself from falling and threw his arms up in the air with a cry.
"You gotta promise me, bo. Promise me you won't let me graduate high school a virgin!" His blue eyes flashed wide as he met Rhett's concerned.
"That's like, like 2 years away" Rhett replied rubbing suddenly sweaty palms along the top of his sweatpants covered thighs.
"Promise me!"
Rhett gave a solemn nod, tearing his eyes away from Link's that kept searching his for something. He looked down at his barefeet and wiggled his toes into the carpet. He knew Link was looking to confess. Something he wasn't ready for.
Link had always been touchy, ever since Rhett could remember. He had asked if he could spend the night at Link's house when they met and the boy had slid his hand into the other's and beamed. He walked with his arm around Rhett's hips and leaned into his shoulder when they stopped to talk to friends in the hall at school. Link pressed himself into Rhett's side at lunch and sitting on the edge of his bed afterschool, foot always turned so his toes touched the tip of Rhett's sneaker. Link's moment of panic had broken the dam.
He grew sullen when girls walked past and eyed Rhett. He would reach out and link their pinkies, Rhett tugging Link's to remind him he had his full attention. They were RhettandLink, one whole. Everybody who was anybody knew that.
Each time Rhett shifted and Link moved beside with a soft content sigh, he remembered his promise. Each time he remembered he had a rush of butterflies course through his veins, making him dizzy.
Then Link got a girlfriend junior year. He was on the soccer team, and pulling away with new friends. They were loud and didn't worry about making sure Link buckled himself in or walked on the inside of the sidewalk away from the street. Link still found his way to Rhett's window late at night, eyes all pupil and smile crooked as he shifted on his feet to keep from swaying. "Lemme in, bo" he would coo "cmon, I'm cold".
He always drove him home a few hours later, before his mom got up for work, just in time to crawl into the shower and get ready for school.
Rhett thought he was in the clear. Until Link's girlfriend broke up with him via a note dropped off by another student. As quickly as she had entered the picture, she was gone. And the butterflies morphed into dirty dreams and Rhett pulling away when Link reached for him.
"What?" Link stumbled back, Rhett stepping away setting his balance askew "why are you being weird?"
They had driven down by the water like they always did, Rhett perched on a rock watching his best friend sun himself. Link always closed his eyes and soaked up the heat while Rhett took the chance to take him all in. The small waist and strong legs, the span of broad shoulders and dip in his throat Rhett found himself thinking about more than he cared to think about.
"You're sticky" Rhett answered quickly, "sticky and gross." He hadn't answered quick enough, jamming his hands into his pockets as his shoulders pressed up to his ears. He hated himself the second he found enough courage to meet Link's eyes. No one liked to say no to Link, the disappointment on his face was palpable. He looked like you had told him Santa Claus wasn't real and kicked his puppy all in the same breath.
He didn't make a move for Link. He slid into his seat and started up the car. He looked ahead as he waited for Link to get in.