Prompt: "You can't say that."
They’re at a friend’s retirement party when Rhett ruins the whole night.
In his defense, he’s pretty drunk. And the night’s been fun. Their friends are lovely people, and when one of them notices that Rhett’s three sheets to the wind, they guide him away from the crowd and sit him down on the couch with a bottle of water. He’s grateful. From here, he can observe the festivities without being expected to participate.
He’s sipping water with exaggerated care when Link comes to sit beside him. He’s comparatively sober, still nursing his first drink.
“Hey,” he says. “You doing alright?”
Rhett mutters that he’s doing fine. Link grins and throws an arm across the back of the couch, says something about what the others are planning to do. His fingers barely graze Rhett’s shoulder, but it’s just enough to derail Rhett’s feeble train of thought. Just enough that he feels safe to vocalize the thoughts that caused him to drink too much in the first place, ever since he walked in the door and saw Link in those slim-fit jeans and that soft shirt that matched his eyes.
“I think I’ve been in love with you,” he says. “All this time.”
Link’s eyes go wide, a corner of his mouth tilting upward. He gives Rhett’s shoulder a lingering pat.
“No.” Rhett squeezes the water bottle so hard that the plastic crackles. “In love. With you.”
He’s not sure what he expected Link to do, but he gets a slow head shake in response.
“What did you have to say that for?” Link murmurs, so quietly that Rhett almost misses the words.
“What am I supposed to say to that, Rhett?”
Regret immediately set in. Rhett hadn’t thought this far. For a brief moment, it had been vitally important that he say how he felt. Now, he just felt foolish.
“Well, it would be nice if you felt the same.”
Link withdraws his hand from Rhett’s shoulder, folds both hands in his lap. “I love you, Rhett. I’m not in love.”
Link’s nostrils flare; Rhett’s touched a nerve. “I don’t want to talk about this. Not here, not now. You’re drunk.”
“I’m not gonna feel any different when I’m sober, man.” Rhett’s voice bursts out louder than intended. He clenches his jaw, wills himself to speak more quietly. “I’m in love with you.”
Link sighs. “I know you’re serious, but this isn’t a conversation I want to have in the middle of a party.” He gives Rhett a strained smile. “We’ll talk about this tomorrow, okay?”
He looks so hurt and uncomfortable and Rhett isn’t sober enough to argue, so there’s nothing he can do but say, “Okay.”
And Link gets up from the couch and leaves him alone again.
Rhett takes another sip of water.
He’s not sure why he thought that was a good idea.
