Rhett flinched. It was an unexpected question. Theyād fought over dinner. Something trivial to do with his tone when speaking to the waiter. Link had called Rhett ignorant and Rhett had called Link brainless. Apologies were exchanged but the silence that followed beckoned for their night to end. It had been one of the first times theyād agreed to go out together since graduating college and the break up. They really did want to remain just friendsā¦ but things were good until they werenāt, and Link was asking Rhett this stupid question just as he was pulling up to his house since driving him home, the rest of the drive having been spent silent.
Words: 1343, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English
Fandoms: Rhett & Link
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Categories: M/M
Characters: Rhett McLaughlin, Link Neal
Relationships: Rhett McLaughlin/Link Neal
Additional Tags: rhink, soft, Sadness, hopelessly in love, Broken Up, Angst, ish, Happy tho, I havenāt written in forever, bby boys, Getting Back Together, Feelsy, Drabble
I was checking Twitter out and I found someone who made a short clip of something Link said! It was around 3:55, its during the part where Rhett says they are like an old married couple, Link says,Ā āWe bicker a lot,ā Then he says,Ā āWe love each other.ā But Larry is talking over him. Its just like, so sweet :ā)
I wanted to share it XD (couldnāt figure out how to just copy the video alone so below is the link to the tweet.)
If anyone knows how to make clips feel free to make one if you cant view the tweet for some reason (or if you just want to make your own lol) XD Plz @ me so i can reblog that too XD
Guysā¦ Iāve just spent the last few hours binge-reading this series and oh wowā¦ if youāre a fan of teenage rhink then this is perfect for you! Conflicted feelings galore and hormones virtually ricocheting off the walls, plus smut so hot my eyebrows were singed.Ā
I donāt think Iāve EVER been so satisfied by a fic. Itās like the fic itself was one long orgasm. Fucking Christ that was an out of body experience. Hallelujah, praise Jesus.
āThere is a moment when you say to yourself - oh, there you are. Iāve been looking for you forever.āĀ Blaine Anderson, Glee.
After a long day of work Link walked into their office, intent on grabbing all of his stuff and getting out of there as soon as possible. Instead, heād stopped dead still near the doorway, staring at what Rhett had done.Ā
On his desk were a small bowl of mini wheats, a bunch of his favourite candies and a jacket heād been eyeing up at the store for ages. He must have spent the better part of an hour staring at that jacket in the store and now here it was, draped over his desk chair.Ā
āItās been a long day and I was passing by the store earlier.ā Rhett began. āSo I thought youād likeā¦.ā
CuttingĀ him off with a small squeeze to his shoulder,Ā Link turned to himĀ with a look of shock and awe on his face, staring at Rhett like heād never seen his best friend before.
In the split second it took Rhett to open his mouth to say something more, Link had reached up and pulled him in by his collar, crashing their lips together.
Rhett gasped in shock at the initial surprise of the feeling of Linkās lips on his, but melted into it as Linkās lips became more insistent and desperate.
A tingling hum fell over the air as they held each other, their lips locked like they never wanted them apart again.Ā
It was only when they needed to come up for breath that they drew away, although neither stepped back from where they were standing chest to chest.
āThat jacket is going to look so great on you.ā Rhett breathed.
So I was thinking about what would happen if there was a moment that made one of them snap and go in for the kiss. Then I saw the gif up top and this happened.
Tour Of Mythicality Weekend - WARNING: extremely long and sappy post ahead
When youāre coming down from a high like this itās so hard to think coherent thoughts or say words that actually make sense. Iām gonna do my best to recount everything and all my feelings in a sound way. Please forgive any mistakes or gaps of whatāll probably seem like missing information cause Iām honestly still processing Ā it all, too.
The weeks leading up to the last havenāt exactly... been the easiest for me. I wonāt lie, they have been some of the slowest and mentally draining weeks of my life. Just existing got real hard. A lot of things were hard. Donāt worry this blogpost wonāt turn into a weird rant about my life - lol - I just want to do my best to explain why the things that happened and the events that unfolded were really important to me. And I mean knowing that the week that I just experienced was just around the corner and anticipating it all, did what it could to ease some of the weight on my shoulders.
I hadnāt initially planned to go to the Melbourne show, I mean I had my VIP ticket for Sydney & that was the main priority for me. I also hadnāt thought that it was something Iād need to experience & given the information I have now, itās not needed but boy was I so glad I got to witness it twice. So when I decided to go to the Melbourne show I made a trip out of it. My best friend and I flew down from Sydney earlier in the week to take some time off from reality together & also to give myself time to mentally prepare for the weekend I had coming at me. I needed that time away to be ready so much more than I thought I did. I donāt know if the experience would have been the same had I not given myself time to break from the realities of my life & the time to reset my mind. It was worth it. So when Friday finally came and everything was starting to become real, excitement is too little of a word to explain the way I was feeling.
Meeting up with other Mythical Beasts was something so special and important to me. Itās knowing that the people Iāve been conversing with online over these two big dorks that we love are real too and having that connection with others who love and appreciate Rhett & Link as much as I do is a super invigorating experience. Being able to freak out with other mythical beasts made the experience IMO. And each and every one of the beasts I met were so super lovely and kind and I miss all of them so so much. Yāall know who you are and I love all of you and Iām so glad to have met each and every one of you. Planning meet ups prior to the show was a good idea and Iād do it a thousand times over in a heartbeat.
I had done a lot of mental prep before the Melbourne show but I still wasnāt ready. Seeing the show, first of all, was surreal. Knowing that these two men were actually there and actually singing and performing and laughing and talking to each other just metres away is a SUPER META feeling. Like oh yeah they exist outside of a screen! Theyāre existing - right now - in front of my eyeballs. What???? And god was the show good. Iād known mostly what to expect having already seen the livestream they did last year but god was it good. It was so funny. The Melbourne crowds energy was high and super infectious. I had officially, for the first time in months, smiled so hard my face hurt. Happy tears filled my eyes and I couldnāt believe I was able to witness something so magical for the first time. And knowing I was going to be seeing it again also gave me cause to really stop and appreciate the raw talent they resonate & warmth that their presence brings. And to stop and think and really appreciate how all the years Iāve spent as a mythical beast had led up to this one, irreplaceable moment. Being in the crowd with other beasts like myself and hearing laughter and witnessing this all together really made me appreciate all they do and who they are. My heart was full. (Still full).
But it wasnāt over then. We all separated (so so sadly) but the Sydney show was still to come. And so was my M&G experience. I left Melbourne after noon the next day so I had a bit of down time the night before the show to gather myself, put together a letter and my gift for Rhett & Link. I was mostly, numb. Excited, of course, but numb. Like it was still surreal. Seeing the show was surreal and experiencing all of that couldnāt have been real, and now I was going to see it again (closer this time) and I was going to meet them, too? I hardly had recovered (Iād say I didnāt recover at all) before the next day begun.
After meeting up with some lovely mythical beasts for lunch we made our way to Luna Park to line up for the show. The nerves were settling. But it still didnāt feel real. Didnāt feel real that I was gonna see the show again, that I was gonna line up in a line and get to the front, have the chance to meet them, hug them, thank them ?????? That surely wasnāt real?
When we got inside I was initially sitting alone, my gals Ren & Sims (@loudspeakr & @afangirlsplaylist) just three seats away. There was a spare seat beside them that I waited until the show started to take which Iām so glad I did - sorry whoeverās seat that was I guess? They didnāt actually show up to take it (I think)? So it all worked out in the end. And being able to experience the show this close and with my friends is an unmatched feeling cause we all know I desperately needed that friend to grab onto during the show (sorry Ren ā¤ļø). My family came to the show too, they were 2 rows in front of me to the far side of the stage. It meant a lot that they were able to come and see our boys too. Weāve all been on a journey of mythical beast-dom together so it was nice to share this moment with them (even if we didnāt sit together).
The show was just as good the second time over - I was literally grinning from ear to ear. Itās hard to describe how intense the warmth in my chest felt and how god damn happy I could get. And I owe it all to Rhett and Link. It takes less than as much out of them to have me feeling like Iām really on cloud nine. Itās literally a dream to witness what I witnessed. And I just had a million flashbacks of the times I would watch GMM and feel that same warmth in my chest, or wish I could have this moment watching over their live performances at VidCon or remembering the disappointment I had felt at not being able to go to the tour when they went around the States. And fulfilling that goal and dream is just so satisfying and itās hard to believe sometimes that I ever even deserved it. Itās almost too much to handle at once.
After laughing and getting way too overemotional throughout the show, they wrapped the Q&A it was time for the M&G. Our little group decided to hang back til the end of the line (a WHOLE ASS good idea, would do it again forever times over). After a little wait we made our way to the hall where the M&G was held, up a flight of stairs and to the right. I heard that during the Melbourne M&G you could see the boys throughout the whole wait. But I had pictured in my mind we would have to wait and theyād be around the corner or something once we had our turns. But when we stepped into the room, oh. They were right there.
Oh.
Being with my friends and being able to talk through (I use that term vaguely, we were more groaning and squealing) our feelings for the hour or so we waited was so much fun. Being in a room full of mythical beasts just as passionate about our boys as we are - even though we were the loudest group in line - is comforting. We all had the same nerves and jitters. We all had something special we wanted to share with Rhett and Link. But it didnāt do much to calm the nerves.
Everytime Rhett would laugh my stomach would swoop, everytime I caught a glimpse of them standing there I had to look away. It was almost hard to see them. To face the reality we were facing. It didnāt feel real. It didnāt feel real at all throughout the line to the front. Like I was still watching other people meet them. It wasnāt going to happen to me.
I have a hard time with reality, ya see?
Before I get to telling about my meet & greet I just want to take a moment to appreciate another time in my life I still believe to be unreal.
Not everyone knows this but in December 2016 I met Link. On vacation in the States. It was pure luck and coincidence and you can read about it here: https://t.co/JL7Xzq78jA?amp=1 . Iām not gonna go into detail about why that particular event in my life gets me so EMO because I can and will if Iām not stopped, but I will say that it meant a great deal to me at that particular time in my life.
I wanted to reiterate that to them when I spoke to them. I had written about it in my letter but I wanted to thank them with words and I really didnāt plan it well enough as I wanted butā¦
Well. Our group was now filing out to meet our boys. And my heart melted for them. And momentarily made me forget that I was supposed to do that, too.
So when it was my turn to go up I almost didnāt. But I forced myself to walk and braved the toughest āhelloā Iāve ever said in my life. Link cheered out a āwoohoo!ā Which was the most endearing shit (sorry for swearing) I ever heard in my life. I later realised itās because the gift bag I had given them had āWOO HOOā written on the front of it. LOL. Rhett smiled and said hey back and I handed them the gift before I literally fell over. āThis is for youā¦ā I said quietly. Like a goddamn child.
I was so afraid of being too loud or screaming at them or just being annoying in general that I kept my voice low, quieter than it already is. Iāve always been self conscious about my voice and I hate that I let it get in the way of my M&G but perhaps it seemed more intimate that way. Always trying to find the good in the bad I am. Lol.
They took the bag and pulled out the gift, a sequin cushion that when you swipe the sequins a certain way itāll reveal an image underneath. It was Barbara & Jade. I wanted to explain it to them but my voice was stuck in my throat and I just let them work it out for themselves. Jade & Barbara were already visible so it wasnāt hard to work it out, and I mean, Link saying āooh shiney shineyā over and over did a lot to stop my brain from working properly. Not that it was working to begin with.
āOh gosh, itās Jade and Barbara,ā Rhett said, holding the cushion up to the SKY, like the literal SKY, goddamnhessogoddamntall. āHow in the world did you do that?ā
At this point Iām supposed to respond right?
āOh...I- I got someone to do it, actually.ā
WHAT A LAME RESPONSE. I mean I wish i was creative enough to make that for you my boys, and I would have if I could have. But Iām glad they still liked it.
Link laughed at my response and I laughed too.
āYou commissioned it. Thatās awesome.ā
āYeahā¦ā SHEEPISH. IāM ACTUALLY DYING RIGHT NOW.
Link kept looking into the bag and pulled out a letter I had written for them. Turning it over.
āAnd you got a card; so weāll see that.ā Revealing my name written on it. āElyse.ā
āYeah, Elyseā¦ā
HOLY LORDT. I hadnāt even realised I was supposed to tell them my name. I forgot I had a name in all honesty.
Link moved to put the bag down without the cushion in it and Rhett said theyād hold it in a picture with me and I was like, well, ok. I mean I guess.
But I had to say what I needed to say. So when Link walked over again I was suddenly very emotional.
āUmā¦ā my voice broke. Both of them stepped in closer and Link grabbed my arm to what - ground me? Can he NOT? Does he not realise that that doesnāt help at all!!!!
āDo you remember me?ā
Good. One. Elyse. They literally looked at me like ???
But I was expecting this so I laughed it off, even though I really was dying.
āIt was a while ago. Um. My brothers and I were on vacation in LA, and we ran into you after a Clippers game, and they lostā¦ it was a while ago.ā
I kind of wanted to shove a foot into my mouth and make myself stop talking but Link made me laugh.
āBut you didnāt have the pillow.ā
āOh, I meanā¦ā *hand signals the pillow gift away* . I DIDNāT KNOW WHAT TO SAY. Rhett laughed too. I died a lot.
āI wipe away all memories when the Clippers lose,ā Link said. Ā Rhett laughed again - boi laughs so loud it makes my heart beat so fast lmao. āExcept for you.ā
OKAY. OKAY LINK. YOU DONāT HAVE TO LIE. YOU DONāT HAVE TO MAKE ME THIS EMOTIONAL WHEN IāM TRYING TO TELL YOU SOMETHING EMOTIONAL UHHHHHHHHHHH.
āWell, okay,ā I said, thinking those exact thoughts, thinking, okay, I need to not freak out on them right now, whatās the most normal thing to say? āWell, okay.ā
āSo you guys were visiting in town?ā
āYeah we were there for a week and we didnāt know what to do,ā I said. I looked at Rhett and realised I should say something to him so he realises he wasnāt actually there and I wasnāt creating a false memory in his mind????
āI donāt know where you were,ā I gestured at him. Iām so stupid l o l. Rhett BB I love you so much I just donāt know how to look your majestic beautiful ass in the eye because you were literally so hard to look at and believe that you were actually real. I promise I love you. You just made my heart race too fast. Which is why I struggled to say more to him.
āBut you were there,ā I say, looking at Link.
āWith my son?ā He asked.
Part of me got really excited like he was piecing together the memory, and maybe he was, but in retrospect he probably just goes to all Clippers games with his son. But me in the moment was very excited about it.
āYeah! Lincoln was there.ā
āBut...yeah. It was just a really intense time in my life...and I had to submit uni thingsā¦. I wrote it all in the letter, but. It just basically confirmed a lot of things for me,ā cue voice break. āSo I just wanted to say thanks for that.ā
Link grabbed my arm again. āWell thanks for sharing,ā he said.
āYeah,ā Rhett agreed.
āAnd good to see ya again.ā Link followed up.
I literally didnāt know what to say to that so I laughed so awkwardly but I was so in love. And just so relieved that I somehow got out what I needed to say. What an achievement.
We got into position for a photo and Link suggested holding the pillow in one photo, and then put it back in the bag to take one without it.
Before saying goodbye I had an internal struggle of whether or not I wanted to ask them to record a video message for my brother, and decided, god, I mean, will I ever get another chance? So I explained that my brother was a big mythical beast and if it was alright they record a message for him. They agreed with no hesitation. They are so lovely.
~ The video message:
āGood mythical morning Harry,ā said Link.
āYou got a pretty cool sister here.ā said Rhett.
(OKAY WHAT THE HECK RHETT. THANKS FOR RUINING ME GOD I LOVE HIM SO MUCH).
āWeāre sorry you couldnāt be here so we just wanted to say, hellooo!ā Link added.
āSo Iām just gonna say it,ā
āHellooo!ā they said in unison.
(Itās so cute. I keep watching that part over.)
āAnd thanks for being your mythical best.ā said Rhett.
(Meā¦. actually dead).
~
After they recorded it I thanked them. And asked if I could get a hug, which I did, and which were so warm and cuddly and great and felt so safe.
They thanked me for the pillow again and we said goodbye and thenā¦.that was it.
We hung around until everyone got through their meet and greets and we ended it with a group photo, which Iām sooo grateful we have. They seemed really endeared by the fact that we were all together as friends and I mean, of course. And Iām so grateful that they brought us all together.
So I mean I donāt know. Itās not hard for me to label this as the best experience of my life. It definitely, definitely is.
Iām just entirely grateful that I had the chance to do this at all. I really am not the most headstrong or wilful or strong person alive. But Rhett and Link have continued to inspire me over and over and give me reason to want to be more than who I am. And having the opportunity to convey some of that to them face to face (because really, thereās no way I would have been able to say it all no matter how much time I had) means worlds to me.
Meeting Link back in 2016 gave me a new perspective on life. I realised that the things that seem impossible can actually be possible. That good things can happen to people and luck can fall in the hands of people who donāt think they deserve it. Iām forever grateful to them for giving me something to believe in myself. Iām 100% unsure Iād be here today without them.
So thank you Rhett and Link. Iāll never forget this memory. Thank you for the friends and experiences Iāve had just because I decided to watch your videos one day. Iāll forever remain indebted to them for everything and every ounce of happiness theyāve given me.
How to Tell Your Friend That You Need a Break From Supporting Them
When I worked at a mental health crisis centre, I couldnāt believe how many people came to us, not because of their own problems, but because they were so lost in a friendās pain that they couldnāt take it anymore. I saw a lot of people who were so worn down from helping someone else that they couldnāt sleep, eat, socialize or focus at work or school. They were consumed with guilt every time they put down their phones, went to sleep, or dared to enjoy themselves and have a good time. All because they had no idea how to set boundaries.Ā
Helping your friends through a tough situation is a wonderful and noble thing to do, but it only works if youāre mentally in a place to do so. If youāre dealing with issues or mental illness of your own, youāre not always capable of being someone elseās shoulder to cry on 24/7. And thatās okay. Sometimes, you have to put yourself first. You canāt help someone else if youāre a mess yourself. You canāt save a drowning person with a sinking ship.Ā
Telling a friend that youāre overwhelmed and you need a break is one of the hardest things youāll ever have to do. Honesty is the best policy - donāt go radio silent on them, or avoid answering their messages. Be honest about how youāre feeling, and what you need from them. If youāre stuck on what to say and how to start the conversation, here are a few suggestions. Feel free to copy them exactly:
Itās really hard for me to admit this, but Iāve been feeling like Iām on the verge of a breakdown lately. I love you and I care about you, but I need to take some time to take care of myself for a while.Ā
Iām really concerned about you, but I honestly donāt know how to deal with this and Iām worried Iāll say the wrong thing. I really think that you should talk to a professional about this.Ā
This is hard for me to admit, but I have a lot going on in my life right now, and itās getting to be too much for me. Would it be okay if we talked about lighter stuff for the next little while?
You deserve more support than I can give you. I think you need to tell a close family member or professional about whatās going on.Ā
It seems like every time we talk about this, things are worse for you. Iām worried that my advice isnāt helping you at all, and I think you should talk to someone more qualified than me.Ā
Iām really worried for your safety, and it breaks my heart, but I canāt keep you safe all by myself. Would it be okay if we told someone else what was going on?Ā
Iām sorry, but I canāt answer my text messages 24 hours per day. I really want to make sure that you always have someone to turn to if Iām not available. Are there some other people you would trust with this? I can help you tell them, if youāre not comfortable doing it by yourself.Ā
I hope these suggestions are helpful - best of luck to all of you, and make sure to put your own mental health first when you have to.Ā
