Chapter Text
In three years, a lot of things had changed.
Link had moved from his stupidly large house, sold his beach house and moved into a smaller, 2-bed home in the mountains. He was happier, the view was beautiful and serene, the walls were panelled with redwood boards and open-beamed ceilings, marble-topped kitchen counters that looked out onto the lavender plants that lined the patio. Everything he wanted in a house he had found, it was cosy and private and away from the real world.
It was peaceful, it was everything he could’ve, should’ve wanted.
It was lonely, though.
Selling his fathers business had hurt, he felt like he had betrayed his family by doing so - but he had to do it. For his own sake, he had to do it.
Stevie slamming a business card onto his desk a week after Rhett had left hurt, “ Call. Her .” She had hissed, stabbing at the card holding the details for his old therapist.
Punching the numbers into his phone two years later had hurt, the lump in his throat as he croaked out his request to book an appointment had hurt.
Packing up his old life, moving away, had hurt.
But nothing hurt as much as doing it all without Rhett.
It had been 1025 days since they had last spoken, the last text he had received from the younger man was three weeks after he had left, to let Link know that he was moving out of the apartment. He had thanked Link for finding him the place, for being so generous to pay his rent, but it was time to move on. He had no idea where Rhett was now, what he was doing or how he was, he just prayed that he was happier without Link.
Therapy had done wonders, he managed to let go of most of the past. Just about. He still had nightmares sometimes, but he worked through it. They seemed to be less frequent now. Instead, he mostly dreams about Rhett about how things could’ve been so different if it wasn’t for his tumultuous baggage. But he refused to dwell on it, he’d made his choice long ago and was now living with the fallout.
Now, he was lounging on his couch, watching the sunset through the large patio doors, casting a golden glow over the surrounding trees. He swirls the scotch that rests in his left hand, ice cubes clinking together before he takes another swig.
He momentarily considers loading up Grindr, hoping to find someone available to come over for the evening - he’s lonely and yearning to fuck somebody, it’s been over 8 months since he last took someone home, he deserves to have some fun, right? His therapist strongly advised against it, she lectured him many times on how using meaningless sex to patch over his wounds would only end in disaster - but he was desperate.
Before he can strategize his self-destruction any further, his phone chimes in his back pocket.
RJMxXx is going live!
He knows he shouldn’t click on it, not now that he’s resisted for so long. Every time the damn notification pops up on his screen, he swipes it away on reflex, not allowing himself to give it a second thought.
But he’s feeling reckless tonight.
Horny and reckless.
So he clicks, instantly loading up the live stream. Before the video has even loaded, he can feel the space in his briefs constricting, like a pavlovian response. He’s denied himself Rhett’s face, Rhett’s body, Rhett, for three years now. He’s an addict, even the thought of his name has sweat beading at his temples. He doesn’t want to relapse, not now he’s finally clean - 1025 days to be exact.
He’s only human though.
The video loads and it’s Rhett.
His Rhett.
He looks older now, his beard has doubled in thickness and sits neatly trimmed on his chin. Link remembers how the patchy, stubbled mess Rhett had before scraped so beautifully against his throat and his cock twitches against his jeans - he tries not to think about what it would feel like now. His hair is still blonde and messy, curly and unruly and so perfectly Rhett, he used to love tangling his fingers through the knots and guiding Rhett’s mouth over his cock - he tries not to think about how much he loved to massage a fruity shampoo into the golden strands, listening to Rhett softly mewl under the warm water of their shared showers.
His face has filled out a little more now but his cheeks are still round and tainted a beautiful rosy shade. Link smiles fondly at the familiar sight, he used to love being the cause of the younger man’s blushed complexion. He’s so busy taking in the new features of Rhett’s face that he hasn’t even clocked that the man is already naked.
Comments and tips are pouring in at an alarming rate, Link can barely keep up with the chat as Rhett picks a few of the messages to read out loud. The man was popular before, he earned a fair amount from his shows before Link came along, but his audience must have tripled now.
Is it a full-time job for Rhett? Or is it still just something on the side? Does he still do private shows? Has anyone ever tipped more than Link? Does he wish Link was still in the audience?
Before he can dwell any further, a buzzing noise vibrates through the speaker on his phone and he’s sent tumbling back to reality. A small, matte black device sits snuggly between Rhett’s fingers on the screen, teasing the space just below his belly button until the tips go high enough for him to move it down. Link recognises it instantly, it’s one of the vibrators he had sent Rhett in his housewarming package. Rhett had expressed how much he loved it numerous times and demonstrated just how good it was in one of their private shows - it had him coming in his fist in under five minutes.
The chat goes wild for it, begging him to move it down, begging him not to be such a tease - but that’s what he does best, that’s how he always gets people coming back to him.
Link prickles with jealousy, it comes from nowhere but it sits heavy in his gut. He hates every single person who is sat in front of their screen right now, admiring Rhett’s beautiful form and beautiful presence because it should only be Link who gets to watch him like this. He swallows the bitter taste the thought leaves in his mouth and fumbles with the zipper on his jeans instead, hoping that a steady hand around his dick will quell the thoughts racing around his mind.
“Y’all are feeling generous tonight,” Rhett chuckles, his tongue sensually painting the words into existence as the smirk widens under his beard.
He’s not wrong - the tip counter shows way over a thousand dollars already, and Rhett rewards the generosity by slowly dragging the toy down to his inner thigh, panning the camera down at the same time. Link has such a visceral reaction to seeing the most intimate areas of Rhett again that he almost swears he’s having an out-of-body experience - it takes every part of him not to come then and there. The younger man is already hard, he’s just as thick and ruggedly gorgeous as before and the contrast of the smooth, black bullet against the pink tip of his cock is so heavenly, Link swears it’ll be brandished into his mind for the rest of his life.
The next few minutes mould into a soupy, euphoric blur - The fist encasing Link’s cock moves quickly. The toy works against the blunt head of Rhett’s cock, it’s weeping mercilessly which only drives his audience crazier. Link chokes out a sob, his legs sprawled wildly over the couch as he works himself faster, harder, the pure contentment of seeing Rhett again makes it almost impossible to hold off his release - but he wants Rhett to get there first.
A generous viewer tips another $150 and in thanks, Rhett spreads his legs even wider and navigates the toy between his cheeks, teasing at his twitching hole to speed things up.
Link thinks this is as close to heaven as he will ever reach.
Memories of his head buried between those thighs for the first time flood his mind, how Rhett squeezed his legs tightly and begged Link not to stop, don’t ever stop, and in hindsight, Link should have never stopped because that was where he was supposed to be.
Rhett whimpers, his mouth parted slightly as he throws his head back, one hand wrapped tightly around his cock whilst the other continues to press the vibrators against his hole - his thighs twitch under the sensation and his hips buck frantically towards his fist and Link knows that he’s only seconds away from coming, he recognises the flexing of Rhett’s legs and the way he’s biting down on his bottom lip, that hasn’t changed.
Link closes his eyes and works himself faster, with his eyes shut he can listen to Rhett muttering filthy things to his audience and pretend it’s all for him, that Rhett is here with him and he’s putting on a show just for Link - maybe for the right price, he would do that for Link - would Rhett turn down thousands of dollars just to keep avoiding Link?
Before he has a chance to consider it any further, he hears Rhett crying out and instantly opens his eyes. The younger man is writhing on the other side of the screen, whining desperately as he reaches the precipice of his orgasm. There’s cum painting his chest, neck, fist and the soft fat of his belly and it’s beautiful. One of Link’s favourite sights has always been Rhett sated and blissful, covered in his (or Link’s) release.
Without warning, Link follows and spills messily over his fist, almost screaming as the feeling violently washes over him. He watches as Rhett sucks his painted fingers into his mouth, curling his tongue around his fingertips and making a show of licking his fingers clean.
Link slumps back onto the couch, his phone falling through his shaking fingers in the process and he thinks he hears the woosh of a message sending into the chat, but there’s so much happening right now that he can’t be sure - he’s probably just paranoid - besides, there are so many messages flooding the chat that he couldn’t check, even if he wanted to. He hears Rhett finishing up the stream, thanking everyone for watching and donating as Link slips into a post-orgasm daze.
He doesn’t know how long he lays there, 2,3,4 minutes perhaps, it could have been hours for all he knows, but he’s rudely disturbed by the shrill noise of his ringtone.
He picks up his phone, expecting to see Stevie’s contact calling him, but it’s the photo of Rhett laying on his back, bathing in the sun by the pool at Link’s old beach house, the weekend Link took him away for his birthday. He looks happy there, relaxed and taken care of. He smiles fondly at the photo until he realises that it’s only on his screen because Rhett is calling him.
Shit.
He considers not answering, he considers turning his phone off and burying it somewhere he can never find it again - but the desperate curiosity is too much for him, so he taps the green button.
For the second time that evening, Rhett materialises on his screen, this time he’s got a grey tee covering his torso, but his face is still glowing from the aftermath of his live show.
Before Link has a chance to speak, Rhett asks, “So, what did you think?”
“Wh-“ Link baulked, blinking owlishly.
“I saw you watched tonight, you haven’t done that for a while.”
“I- I just-“ Link stammered, his face burning red, maybe he had accidentally sent something in the chat after all.
Rhett snorted playfully, his familiar appled cheeks round on his face. “It’s fine that you did, Link.”
“Yeah?” Link asks quietly, fidgeting nervously. It’s not lost on him that it used to be the other way around, Rhett used to be the nervous one where Link had the upper hand.
Rhett can’t keep the smirk from his mouth, probably having the same thought as Link. “Yeah, it is.”
After a moment to compose himself, Link nudges his glasses back onto his nose. “You look good.”
“I know.” Rhett teases, pushing his hair back from his face.
Link huffs out a laugh, “I’ve missed you.”
“I know that too.”
“No, you don’t” Link grumbles, feeling like he’s being mocked by the younger man.
“I did, I’ve been talking to Stevie.”
“Wh-“
“Yeah,” Rhett chuckles sheepishly, running his fingers through his hair for a second time. “Sorry… I was worried about you and she’s been a good friend, she misses you too y’know.”
“I don’t-“ Link stumbles over his words, positively dumbfounded by the new information he’s been given.
“Hey, uh, do you want a show?”
“A show?” Link almost chokes, eyes darting around the room like someone is about to jump out on him and tell him this is all just one huge prank.
“Yeah, you seem a little tense,” Rhett teases, his eyes flickering over Link’s rapidly rising and falling chest. “I’m gonna need a few minutes to recharge but… I’m in Cali for a few weeks, a work thing, I could get an Uber over?”
Link almost sobs at the thought of having Rhett back in his space, he’s scared if he opens his mouth Rhett will realise what he’s offered and will run again. “You really want to do that?”
“I really do.”
“I moved,” Link suddenly blurts out.
“So send me the new address?” Rhett shakes his head playfully, probably wondering if Link had been hit over the head recently - why was he making this so complicated all of a sudden?
“Is this a good idea?”
“Yes, I want to talk to you.”
Feeling brave, and possibly so horny it’s making him stupid, Link quirks an eyebrow and says - “Just talk?”
“Don’t push it, Sir ,” Rhett teases, his tongue dragging over his top teeth as he stares back at the older man.
“Oh god,” Link whimpers, the word like a burning poker to his chest and his cock makes a desperate attempt to rally in his boxers.
“Maybe more than talk, if you’re lucky.”
Then, all of a sudden, it’s too much - Rhett is talking to him, not an audience, just him and Link is still terrified that it’s all a sick, twisted joke.
“Rhett,” he barks out a sob, face twisted and wounded. “I’m sorry.”
“I know,” Rhett says softly, “It’s okay Link, we both had a lot of growing up… And uh… Healing... to do first, I’m sorry I didn’t realise that before.”
Link shakes his head frantically, “You have nothing to apologise for.”
“Listen, if I come over… I don’t want this to just be a sex thing, it can’t just be a sex thing.”
Link swallows thickly, shifting nervously in his seat. “Why?”
“Because I still love you, idiot,” Rhett says, almost a whisper. “But I don’t want to get caught up in this again if you still don’t feel the same way about me.”
He can’t help it, but Link barks out a nervous laugh. “Of course I love you, Rhett. I always did, probably always will.” It falls from his tongue easier than any sentence he’s spoken in the last three years.
He feels a piece of him slot back into place when Rhett flushes that beautiful pink, his cheeks filling out as he smiles. “Really?” He asks.
“Really.”
“Alright,” Rhett whispers, his eyes still crinkled in a smile. “I’ll be over soon.”