#writer: sass-and-panache

[rhinkthreeways]

“I’ve waited for this moment for a long time.” (Fluffy Version)

Rhett crept silently to the front door, unlocking it and throwing one last look behind him. Everyone was still asleep.

Success, Rhett thought as he slinked out the door. 

Getting into the car, he sighed in relief before he noticed it. Sitting on the passenger seat was a basket with his big blanket he got for Christmas on top. A note in his wife’s familiar handwriting was delicately perched in the middle, as if it were a bow. Hesitantly, he picked up the paper and smiled after absorbing what it said.

Good luck! Love you. -J

A different kind of breath that he had been holding seemed to evaporate as he placed the paper back down and started the car. He backed his car out and began the drive.

Rhett was surprised at just how excited he was. It had become common for him and Link to sneak away in the early mornings, stealing away quiet time with one another before the realities of adult responsibilities settled in. But this morning was different. Full of promise.

Before he knew it, he pulled into the parking lot of the beach close to their house, and gave a wave to the driver in the car next to him. The driver smiled and gave a quick wave as he turned off his car and got out. Rhett grabbed the basket and blanket as he met the man.

“Hey,” Link said. 

“Hey,” Rhett said, feeling awkward all of a sudden. Link pointed at the basket.

“What’s that?” 

Rhett looked down at the items in his hands before shrugging. 

“Picnic?”

“Well, that explains what was waiting for me this morning,” Link said, holding up his camping thermos and mugs.

“What’s that?”

“Dunno. It was on the counter next to my car keys with a note.” Link blushed at the admission. 

“All good?” Rhett asked nervously. All four of them had discussed the new arrangement, but any of them could easily have called it off.

“Oh! Yeah, no, it was...an enthusiastic note,” Link said, his blush deepening.

“Good!” Rhett blurted before calming. “Good. I got an...excited note too.”

Link smiled at this and Rhett started feeling more at ease. 

“Shall we?” Link said, pointing toward the beach.

Both men walked out to the beach as the sun was peeking over the horizon. They set up the blanket as if it were a cocoon, laying it out and then bringing the sides up around them. The basket sat to the side of Rhett as Link cracked open the thermos and took a sniff. 

“Ooh, hot chocolate,” Link said as he poured some in the mugs for each of them, handing one off.

“Thanks,” said Rhett. “Want any food?” 

“Mm, not yet,” Link said. Rhett took a deep sniff of the hot chocolate, as Link bumped his arm lightly.

“2021.”

“It’s finally here.”

They clinked their mugs together as they looked out at the sunrise. 

As Link took a sip, he shivered. Without a word, Rhett wrapped an arm around his shoulders, pulling him closer. Link’s head came down on Rhett’s shoulder in response. It seemed as though he was meant to fit there. The way Rhett felt this close to him made his heart ache.

“You okay?” Rhett whispered, his fingers grazing the top of Link’s collarbone. 

“Yeah,” Link whispered, his fingers nudging his glasses up his nose. “I’ve just...I’ve waited for this moment for a long time.”

Rhett smiled as he pulled his arm from their cocoon, pushing his cup in the sand. Turning in toward Link, he brought his now free hand up to cup Link’s jaw, nudging him gently to look into crystalline blue eyes he dreamt about often.

A faint blush only added to Link’s devastatingly handsome looks and Rhett felt his heart lurch up into his throat. They had danced on this precipice for so long. Always being there—through the joy, through the pain. Now, 2021 was bringing a brand new adventure he couldn’t wait to take with the man in his arms.

“Me too,” he whispered, as he leaned forward, jumping off the edge into the incredible, indescribable unknown, pressing his lips to Link’s. But he wasn’t scared as he could feel Link lean in and respond with equal fervor.

Link was right there with him. As he always was.

[lallyloo]

what rhink fic do you recommend that’s not the same few Everytime

I don't know, I tend to repeat myself, but here's a list of Rhink writers who were writing back when I joined the fandom so maybe there are some here you haven't read yet..? @criminalmind1927 @soho-x @pinecontents @mythical-ross @trr3rr @lovelyrhink @cerealbath @fanbabble @likeaswitchinheat @likestrawberrywhine @fotheringhay @erry @sass-and-panache @harper44 @rhinkthreeways

If anyone wants to reblog with other/specific recs feel free!

[enterthetadpole]

The Rhink Fandom: Why I Took a Break and the Trail Back...

Hi everyone,

As some of you who follow my little Tumblr know, I wrote a lot in the Rhink fandom in the last couple of years largely due to my writing wife @whatsastory. However, I slowed down to a full stop completely in 2020. 

I won’t go into a huge amount of detail, but I will explain some of the back story as to what happened because I think that I owe a that to any of you all who read and enjoyed my Rhink solos and collaborations. 

In early 2020 a friend of mine, who for this I will refer to as Mindy (not anywhere close to her actual name) began to beta read for me for a couple of Rhink stories that were 100% offline. Mindy, just for full clarification is NOT any of the beta readers who have beta read for any of my published stories. 

I considered Mindy to be a very good friend, and in the beginning she was kind and constructive with her beta reading and overall view of my writing. In general I agree with my beta readers say regarding changes/adjustments to what I write. I am a HORRIBLE editor of my own work and I absolutely know that. In Mindy’s case though, her comments and critiques got a lot darker and more abrasive. They were still accurate, but there was a bitter and angry edge to them that called my actual talent and abilities into question in a very passive aggressive way. 

In hindsight, I realize that she had always been toxic. However, I have a tendency to already internalize my own faults as a writer and because of that I put a large amount of blame on myself. She may have planted the seed of my worth, but it was I who watered it and let it grow to a level that I would practically freeze up whenever trying to write for the Rhink fandom. I missed deadlines, cancelled collabs with incredibly kind and talented people, and all because I let someone else get into my head that I was a shitty writer in the fandom. 

For that I am sorry. I truly am. 

With the continued support and kind words from readers and writers alike, I kept on the edge of the fandom until I was able to fully excise Mindy from my life (which had been done months and months before) and out of my mind (which took unfortunately a whole lot longer to do.)

The awesomeness of people like @whatsastory, @outofnowhere82, @its-mike-kapufty, @thinkanddoodle-rhink, @sass-and-panache, @fanbabble, @your-borderline-babe ,@apparentlynotreallyfinnish and others in the Rhink fandom too numerous to name kept me within the inner circle until I was ready to return to writing. The posting of my RandL’s gift in the Creative House was just the icing on the cake that I needed for that extra boost of confidence. 

I have a long way to go to get back to where I was within writing in the fandom. The wounds are healing but the scars are there. I try not to be so “extra” with my metaphors, but I think that says it best for now. 

I will make a point of only posting updates here on tumblr and to my twitter (TadpoleNinja) when chapters have already been beta read and posted. I also promise to reach out next time to the same people and fandom that have been so kind to me. I have a shitty habit of dealing with overwhelming things on my own because I feel like I am bothering other people. I am aware more than ever that practice isn’t good. 

Thank you for coming to my Ted (Tad) Talk.

Yours in future Rhinkiness, 

Tad <3

[archervale]

Tagged by @acklesy​ , thank you!! ✨

Rules: It’s time to love yourselves! Choose your 8 (ish) favorite works you created in the past year (fics, art, edits, etc.) and link them below to reflect on the amazing things you brought into the world in 2020. Tag as many writers/artists/etc. as you want (fan or original) so we can spread the love and link each other to awesome work!

(This year was a disaster lol but I have a few things I really liked so here we go!) 

Team Free Will

 The First Destiel back in this fandom lol 

Dean rescues Cas from The Empty

Cas 

RandL laughing boys

RandL - 😜✌️

Friends -Some things never change

Friends - Boyfriend Material

I tag: @picnokinesis @chaoticacecryptid @novantinuum @endae @0rangine @jamiealways-gmm @sass-and-panache @eleniux trying to tag a lot of people cause I wanna see your things haha! please if you wanna do this, go ahead! Tag me! (feel free to ignore too! :) ) 

[apparentlynotreallyfinnish]

Five Faves

I was tagged by the lovely and talented @thinkanddoodle-batch who keeps my DMs filled with smutty headcanons and gifs of our boys! 😘 (Btw, if Johnlock is even a little bit your thing go give love to Inky’s amazing inktober comic, starting from here)! 

rules: it’s time to love yourselves! choose your 5 favourite works you created in the past year (fics, art, edits, etc) and link them below to reflect on the amazing things you’ve brought into the world. tag as many writers/artists/etc as you want (fan or original) so we can spread the love and link each other to awesome works!

No Such Thing

This might be my favorite chaptered fic I’ve written. I loved playing with the epistolary format and I have so many headcanons about this au’s Rhett and Link and their lives apart and together. I go back and read this often. 

Experiments

Something I never thought I would write. The whole fic started from an errant thought that wouldn’t leave me (of Rhett being horrified of Link asking him if he could give Rhett a bj). I had no clear plot plan, but I managed to cobble together a decent fic that I am quite proud of.

Playthings

The most fun I’ve ever had writing a fic. This thing flew out of me! I have a soft spot for college!rhink and dumb boys secretly in love with each other. I go back to this often too. 

Professions of Love and Lust

From the moment I started writing this, I saw these versions of Rhett and Link so very clearly and I adore them. Loved writing this for my wifey and I’m actually itching a bit to go back to these two and see what they are up to...

Let Me Be Your Light

I had to choose LMBYL. My first planned and researched fic. I poured my soul into this story and writing helped me through a really dark time. I still think I might have peaked right at the start and it’s all been downhill after this one. This is the AU that lives in my heart. This fic is the reason I now own lighthouse art, a stone collection and a plushie puffin. This fic is also what brought Mick to me.💜  

I could tag like fifty people so I’m gonna limit myself to five ( @sass-and-panache​, @mythical-ross, @jamiealways-rhink, @likeaswitchinheat​ and @soho-x​) and everyone who sees this post can consider themselves tagged by me as well! 

[komodoclassic]

(Endgame spoilers)

So one of the coolest things about Endgame is how it showcases the growth of the franchise as a whole, and I don’t mean just in terms of character numbers (although that was also pretty cool, especially in the big shot). I mean growth in the way directors and writers approached making the movies, in tone and what they show onscreen. And the best example of this is when the Avengers go back in time to 2012, where we see the current Avengers alongside the events of the original Avengers movie.

Avengers is cool. It’s dramatic, it’s visually interesting, it plays to the strengths of having these characters together on the big screen for the first time and sets the foundation for everything else. Characters can make mistakes, but they are very cool throughout the entire movie. Snappy one-liners abound. The least dignified thing to happen to a character is Hulk slamming Loki around, and that’s a very noticeable departure from the overall tone of the movie. Avengers is an excellent first ensemble movie for the franchise. It does everything it needs to do, and--and this is the key--it takes itself pretty seriously.

The later movies don’t do that.

There’s a fairly distinct turning point here, and it’s in 2014. Winter Soldier is pretty serious. Sure, it’s funny, it experiments a little with the characters, and yeah, the good guys get banged up, but it’s all in the interest of furthering the plot with a serious tone and an eye toward drama. But what else came out in 2014? Guardians of the Galaxy. And that’s the turning point. Because Guardians was absolutely crazy when it came out. It’s unabashedly fun, it’s not dignified, the Guardians are not cool. They’re dorks. They’re dysfunctional. The movie is telling a story about heroes who do dumb shit and trip on things and make jokes that don’t land. The approach is different. It takes itself less seriously, and it was a smash success. People loved it. Guardians was a huge hit, and Marvel saw that that worked. That they could make their heroes less heroic and more human without compromising the badassery or the story.

That’s where it starts. Guardians was hugely different in approach when it was released. Then the tone shift starts to creep into the rest of the series. First it’s Ant-Man, which is much sillier. Then a few lines in Civil War, a little here and there in Doctor Strange, a ton in the high school setting of Homecoming. Ragnarok is a riot. Black Panther lets undignified shit happen to its hero in the first ten minutes. The movies don’t take themselves quite so seriously anymore, and the stories they tell are more believable for it.

By the time we get to Endgame, these are very different movies. And when the Avengers go back to 2012 and we see New York from a different perspective, there are two distinct faces to it. One, Avengers canon, with the original six standing in a circle as the camera whirls dramatically around them, sassing Loki and saving the day with all the panache you could ask for. And two, the scenes added to the original timeline for Endgame, where they have to do shit like put up with Loki’s Cap mimicry and make Hulk take the stairs. In 2012, Hulk taking the stairs would never have been added to an MCU movie. It’s not cool enough. It’s silly. It’s almost embarrassing. In Endgame, it’s hilarious.

And yeah, I just think that it’s a really good illustration of how how far the franchise has come and how much it and the fanbase have grown, and part of me was sitting in the theater going crazy over how great the juxtaposition of the original tone and the current tone was. When they got back to 2012 and I realized exactly what this movie was going to do, I was absolutely delighted. Endgame is the culmination of everything the MCU has been building toward since 2008, and it’s just about the best conclusion I could have asked for.

[karsata]

omg, this is so interesting!

just gonna tag my writer friends, guys you might find this useful @its-mike-kapufty @apparentlynotreallyfinnish @sass-and-panache

Depending on how you die, you experience a different afterlife. For example, if you’re stabbed, you become a grim reaper, if you die peacefully you become someone’s guardian angel, if you’re poisoned you become someone’s “imaginary” friend, if you die of suffocation you become a ghost… Now, you’re the first human who has ever died because of magic, what’s your afterlife like?

[rhinkthreeways]

Surprise (Fluffy Version)

“What’s wrong, Link?”

Link sighed, his hand rubbing his face. He looked over at Rhett who was sitting on his bed in their shared dorm room.

“I have a secret admirer.”

Rhett snorted. “What?”

“I have a secret admirer.”

“Are you serious?”

“Yeah. I’ve gotten small little gifts outside our door and mailed to me.”

“Like what?”

“A mixtape with no track listing, but chock full of country music. A little stuffed unicorn. Typed notes.”

“Typed?”

“Yeah. I don’t even have handwriting to analyze. I’m at a loss.”

“Are you sure?”

Link narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean?”

“Well, what do the notes say?”

Link blushed. “They’re personal. They definitely see somethin’ in me.”

Rhett hummed. “Not surprised. Is there anyone who you think could have done all this for you?”

Link shrugged. “No. Not really.”

Rhett scoffed. “Wow.”

“What?”

“Not one person?”

“Only wishful thinking.”

“Wait. You got your eye on someone?”

Link squirmed in his seat. 

“Spill it,” Rhett demanded.

“No,” Link said quickly.

“Do I know them?”

Link fidgeted with his hands. 

“Link?”

“Yeah, Rhett. You do. But it won’t happen.”

“How do you know?”

“I just know.”

“How do you know?” Rhett asked a little more forcefully.

“I just do.”

“How?”

“Because!”

“Because why?”

“Because it’s you!” Link’s eyes went wide as his hand flew to cover his mouth as if to shove the words back in. But he said them and Rhett heard them.

Rhett sat back against his wall, still staring at Link. His face was surprisingly neutral as he twirled his pencil in his hand.

“Rhett. I’m—“ Link started weakly but Rhett held up his hand to stop him. 

“Link,” Rhett said calmly. “Could you go into my bag and grab the blue envelope in there?”

Link’s heart skipped as he stood. His secret admirer used blue envelopes to send him the notes. Said they reminded them of Link’s eyes.

He slowly walked to Rhett’s bag, pulling the zipper to open the bag. The flash of blue stood out amongst the other books, the same hue as the envelopes that sat in Link’s desk drawer. He pulled it out and turned to look at Rhett.

“That’s for you. You’ll save me some postage now,” Rhett said, a small smile playing on his lips. “Surprise.”

[newsever24-blog]

'Bright Star' at the Ahmanson: Bluegrass, tears and a big, vacuous smile

New Post has been published on http://newsever24.com/bright-star-at-the-ahmanson-bluegrass-tears-and-a-big-vacuous-smile/

'Bright Star' at the Ahmanson: Bluegrass, tears and a big, vacuous smile

‘Bright Star’

‘Bright Star’ at the Ahmanson: Bluegrass, tears and a big, vacuous smile. As one theatergoer’s bliss is another theatergoer’s cornball, let’s accentuate the positive before delving into the negative of a show that reveals just how thin the line is between hokey and charming.

“Bright Star,” the eager-to-please country musical by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell that had its world premiere at San Diego’s Old Globe in 2014 before landing on Broadway for a few months last year, seems perfectly at home at the Ahmanson Theatre, where the show opened on Friday.

So often Broadway musicals coming through the Ahmanson are loaded in on such a dizzying schedule that microphones are popping on opening night as sound technicians are still getting up to acoustical speed.

In the case of “Bright Star,” Center Theatre Group is producing this first stop before sending the show off on a national tour. The difference is immediately apparent. The production, directed by Walter Bobbie, seems custom-tailored to the Ahmanson’s stage.

Eugene Lee’s scenic design, which includes a movable wooden cabin that helps establish some of the musical’s North Carolina locales while conveniently housing the band, is fluid and sharp. Japhy Weideman’s gorgeous lighting converts stage pictures into dreams.

Martin first made a name for himself as an audacious comic, but he’s become something of Renaissance man, and here he gets to showcase the strides he’s taken as a composer of bluegrass. “Love Has Come for You,” the Grammy-winning album he collaborated on with Brickell, inspired the duo’s foray into musical theater, and the show’s score, seasoned generously with banjo and fiddle, will have you doing a jig in your seat.

Anchoring the musical with top-drawer panache is Carmen Cusack, reprising her Tony-nominated performance as Alice Murphy, whose tall tale the musical unfurls. Overflowing with charm, crackling with wit and containing just the right amount of vinegar, Cusack entrances as much with her vocal beauty as with her pungent smart talk.

Sounds like a musical you won’t want to miss, right? Not so fast. “Bright Star” has a few flaws that are impossible to overlook. Let’s start with the storytelling, which is so far-fetched it could make “Oklahoma!” seem like a work of documentary drama. Not to give too much away, but Alice’s romantic impetuosity in her youth has fateful consequences that only a show as sentimentally over the top as this could happily resolve.

Martin and Brickell’s book bisects the story into two time periods, one set in the 1940s at the end of World War II, the other 20 years earlier in the Jazz Age, which is still only a rumor in the rural South. The link that connects the past to the present is one that only the most old-fashioned of fictional imaginations would dare to contrive.

Billy Cane (A.J. Shively) has returned from war to discover that his mother died when he was away. An aspiring writer who wants to be part of the burgeoning Southern school, he is determined to follow his own bright star, as he earnestly sings in the show’s title number. He leaves hillbilly country for Asheville, N.C., where he marches into the office of the Asheville Southern Journal, a leading literary magazine where Cusack’s character, Alice, is the formidable editorial gatekeeper.

At the top of the show Alice sings, “If you knew my story / You’d have a hard time / Believing me.” As her cockamamie tale comes out, you might have an even harder time accepting that an important literary editor would have any tolerance for such preposterous fiction. The flashbacks that fill us in on Alice’s past are so melodramatic there were times when I wondered whether the musical might actually be set in the 1800s, when cries of “You can’t take my baby boy!” were perhaps more commonplace.

Mistaken identity, reunited families and losses restored are, of course, the stuff of Shakespearean romance. Audiences love an emotional roller coaster. But before we can make peace with a story’s many improbabilities, we must feel some degree of experiential truth in what we’re watching.

Fiction, to put it another way, can do whatever it likes. It’s not a question of what occurs but how it unfolds. As dramatists, Martin and Brickell fall readily into clichés. Plot overrules character, and change occurs by fiat. “Bright Star” insists that a disastrous moment can brighten if the lyric “sun is gonna shine” is repeated often enough.

The songs work best when the sentiment is simple. “Always Will,” the love duet between Billy and Margo (Maddie Shea Baldwin), the childhood friend he no longer sees as a child anymore, won’t win any awards for its lyrics, but it accomplishes its romantic task with mellifluous ardency.

Too often, however, the songwriting reveals Martin and Brickell’s standing as musical theater novices. The setups are clumsy and lyrical subtlety is effectively banished. And while a few numbers (such as the lively “Another Round”) serve a little narrative purpose, others (such as the stupefyingly tiresome “A Man’s Gotta Do”) are embarrassingly direct in their contribution to the story.

Shall I bother to mention Josh Rhodes’ choreography, which turns the leaping chorus of town folk into a cloud of tadpoles hatched in some Agnes de Mille fishery? Let me instead praise the performers for being such agreeable company.

If the women outshine the men, it’s partly because their characters are a good deal smarter. As Jimmy Ray, the handsome scion of well-to-do family who brings out the temptress in Alice in the flashback scenes, Patrick Cummings at least seems likes a worthy enough fellow for a bright young woman to upturn her teenage life over. Shively’s Billy matches Baldwin’s Margo in sweetness, though if you were going to place bets on who had the better chance of becoming a notable writer, the safe money would be on her.

As Daryl, one of Alice’s kooky underlings at the journal, Jeff Blumenkrantz reels off his character’s campy wisecracks with delicious sass. Kaitlyn Davidson, playing another Asheville Southern Journal employee, stalks Billy like a lioness who wants what she wants when she wants it. Bobbie directs the supporting cast to be vivid, innocuous fun.

A few theatergoers in my vicinity seemed to get misty at the end when the secrets of the characters are all sorted out. My eyes were as dry as Death Valley. “Bright Star” would be completely winning if we could unplug that part of our brain responsible for critical sentience. But the vacuous smile this throwback musical leaves with you is hardly a crime.

[rhinkthreeways]

Miracle (Angst Version)

The words reverberated through Rhett as his body responded physically, seemingly shutting down as his knees buckled and he collapsed to the floor.

“Sir, Mr. Neal was in an accident. We were unable to save him.”

The voice became a concerned muffle as the room swam in his vision before he passed out. 

The first thing that Rhett noticed when he came to later was how dull everything seemed to be. It was a hospital, it was kind of naturally dull, but...this seemed even more drab. Then, he heard a voice. The nurse who happened to be in the room told him to keep laying in the bed while she got the doctor, but for him, the words bounced off of him. 

He felt hollow, save for a throbbing, crawling pain that was inhabiting his skin that felt like it was stretched too thin. The person he was eviscerated by six words. His entire life, Link was there. And now…

What would it be like telling his parents? The crew? Link was always there to help shoulder the brunt of bad news, to provide support when things got hard. But now…

Rhett gasped for air that felt thin. In a way, he wished he were unconscious again. Easier to breathe, easier to not face the blistering truth. 

Link was gone.

Something clenched at Rhett’s heart, wrenching nothing but pain and tears from him as he gasped for breath. 

“How—how could you?” he whispered to the air. “Why? For what purpose?”

He gulped large mouthfuls of air, willing himself to go on. In the midst of his religious deconstruction, talking to God in times of pain and worry was still one habit he couldn’t seem to break.

“This can’t be real. Why would you do this? He was…” Rhett stumbled on the words. He never said them aloud before, letting them sit in a box, tucked away in his heart. But in the ruins of his heart was the box, cracked open and demanding to be known.

“He was everything.”

Rhett sobbed as he wrapped his arms around himself, squeezing himself tightly and desperately wishing the arms were Link’s.

“I know we don’t talk much. I don’t even know if I really believe in you. And I know you owe me nothing. But I need a miracle. I need this to not be real. Please. Let this be a nightmare, a mistake—anything.”

He brought his knees up and placed his elbows against them, burying his face in his hands. He knew it was a futile request. A man can’t be brought back from the dead. Besides, he already had been blessed with one miracle in his life. How selfish could be to ask for that miracle back?

Rhett stayed motionless, trying to figure out in his mind what he could, should, would do to begin living this new normal.

“Rhett?”

His mind was playing tricks on him. A voice silenced forever ringing in his ears. He sensed someone walking into the room, making their presence known beside him. Rhett slowly pulled his hands away to face the doctor. Instead, he saw vibrant blue eyes filled with worry and concern.

“Rhett. Oh, my gosh.”

Link threw his arms around Rhett’s shoulders, pulling him in for a desperate hug. Rhett, for his part, was concerned that his gut feeling he couldn’t live without Link was prophetic and he was in Heaven. But the sudden wetness on his neck and the warmth of Link’s arms seemed to burrow into his body, restarting his brain and churning his senses back into roaring existence. His arms flew around Link’s waist, heaving the smaller man into his lap. Link twisted himself around, allowing his legs to straddle Rhett’s and bringing the two even closer together.

Without thinking, Rhett pulled back, grabbed Link’s face in his hands and kissed him, pouring everything he could into it and feeling the grief that had taken over replaced with a warm, molten feeling of happiness as Link kissed back with equal fervor. 

Eventually their kisses slowed and Rhett pulled back again, his eyes roaming Link’s very alive face.

“How? Wha—?”

“My car was stolen,” Link said, sniffling, as he twirled the ends of Rhett’s hair in his fingers. “I was surfing and didn’t realize it until about an hour and a half ago. The cops told me the guy who stole my car, got into an accident and died. I left my wallet and phone in the center console so they assumed it belonged to him. He apparently looks like me. But then one of the cops here told the cops helping me what happened and that you had been notified and passed out as a result. They drove me here.”

“You’re alive.” Rhett whispered, awe flooding his voice as he stroked Link’s cheek.

“I’m alive. And you kissed me.”

Rhett could feel warmth in his cheeks, but he wasn’t embarrassed. 

“I thought I lost you. So many things I never told you because it felt like we had so much time. To have my future—our future—gone in an instant like that...it tore me apart.”

“So what haven’t you told me?”

“That I love you. I’ve loved you forever.”

Link smiled. “I love you too, Rhett. So much,” he said before diving into another kiss. 

Rhett savored the moment he thought he’d never have and the miracle that was Link Neal.

[rhinkthreeways]

“I’m right where I belong.” (Smutty version)

Link was sprawled out on the bed, silent tears spilling from the corners of his eyes as the Merle mixtape played softly through his boombox speakers. In the morning, Rhett would be on a flight to Slovakia. The thought of being so far away from Rhett broke his heart more than words could say.

He startled when he heard the pounding on the front door, loud enough to reach through his closed door. He walked down the hallway, peeking out the window furtively. As he saw who was knocking, he rushed to the door, flinging it open. 

Rhett stood before him, his chest heaving with deep, panting breaths. Link stood wide eyed wondering what happened, if Rhett was okay.

“I can’t leave,” Rhett gasped, his arms moving as his hands tried to figure out where to land. “I can’t leave. I don’t know what I was thinking, but I can’t do it. I can’t go to Slovakia.”

“But, Rhett,” Link said, coaxing Rhett into the house and closing the door behind him. He was grateful that his mom was visiting family and wasn’t home. “You said Slovakia would be good.”

“I was wrong. I can’t…” Rhett sighed as he started pacing in the living room. 

“What?”

“I can’t leave you. I don’t want to leave you.”

“It’ll be okay, Rhett.”

“No. It won’t. I can’t—I love you, Link.”

Link drew a sharp breath. “What?”

“I know, I know it’s not...but…” Rhett seemed at a loss for words as Link strode across the living room, pulling Rhett to him. The confession of feelings long harbored slipping off Rhett’s tongue were quickly supplanted by Link’s questing mouth, pouring forth his own unspoken secrets. Rhett’s heart jump started his brain to realize his dreams were coming true.

Once the floodgates opened, there was no looking back. 

They pawed feverishly at each other, the ability to touch what seemed so forbidden taking each man to dizzying heights. It seemed as though it were a distant memory now and fading quickly with every squeeze and graze.

Rhett broke the kiss as Link chased the feeling. Link gazed at Rhett with hooded eyes, noting the breathlessness was for a completely different reason.

“Be—bedroom?” Rhett asked hesitantly. Link, determined to drive any concern out of Rhett’s mind, smiled and grabbed his hand, pulling him to his room.

Rhett, emboldened by Link’s confidence, spun Link against the door as it closed. He mouthed at Link’s neck, slotting his thigh between Link’s legs. Feeling the solid, firm presence of Link’s desire coupled with the desperate moans he was eliciting from the smaller man drove Rhett’s desire to dizzying heights. He could feel Link pulling at his shirt and he reached to take it off as Link shed his own shirt. 

The feeling of Rhett’s chest against Link’s own felt like they could generate enough electricity to power Buies Creek. Link craved this and now that it was here, he had no intention of going back. He needed more as his hand went down, palming Rhett through his sweatpants. A flash of fear hit as Rhett gasped sharply, but the moan and thrust that followed melted away all apprehension. He was grateful for the fact he was only in boxers as Rhett returned the favor. He pushed Rhett back and walked around him. 

Rhett was in a daze, distantly aware of Merle playing. He turned in time to see Link shimmying out of his boxers, and sitting on the bed. He reached for Rhett, beckoning him like a silent siren. Rhett had no choice but to follow. Dropping his own pants, Rhett stepped forward, pushing Link down and covering him with his own body.

The kisses and caresses this time were slow and deliberate, each of them taking their time and basking in the promise of what would happen. Rhett’s hand drifted to Link’s cock, pumping torturously slowly as Link’s eyes rolled back. Link’s hand fumbled to the nightstand, pulling the drawer open. Rhett lifted his head and, removing his hand to the sound of Link’s protest, retrieved the lube shoved into the back.

He squirted some onto his fingers and rubbed them together to warm it a little. He could feel Link’s anticipation roiling off of him even as he nuzzled and sucked marks into Rhett’s neck. Rhett smiled as he firmly grasped Link once more, drinking in the sound of Link’s wrecked moan as if it were water and he was the most parched man on Earth.

Rhett kept pumping his hand, driving Link to near delirium. But he knew he needed more. Drawing his knee up, Link reached down and guided Rhett’s hand down. Rhett looked at him with wide eyes, and Link looked away, a little embarrassed.

“If it’s too much—“ 

“I don’t want to hurt you,” Rhett said quickly, his head straining to get Link to look at him again. Link did, his hand coming up to caress Rhett’s cheek.

“You won’t. Go slow. Start with one.”

Rhett breathed deeply as he toyed with Link’s rim before slowly pushing in. Link felt the delicious burn he had felt with his own fingers, but Rhett’s fingers were different. They felt like more. 

Soon, Rhett’s finger was joined by another, moving in and out a little easier with each pass. The moment his fingertip hit something he hadn’t felt yet, Rhett knew it was everything as Link’s back arched in pleasure. He needed more. 

“Link, can I...?”

“Yes, please, yes.”

Rhett maneuvered himself on his knees, pressing Link’s legs back to see the pucker that his fingers had become intimately acquainted with. Lining up, he moved gently forward, pressing in.

Both men gasped, senses overwhelmed, as Rhett worked his way in. Fully joined with Link, Rhett could feel his chest fill with joy, love, and desire. He could see the same in Link’s eyes. He felt complete. A small chuckle escaped his lips.

“What?” Link breathed.

Rhett smiled. “I’m right where I belong.”

[rhinkthreeways]

Lights (Angsty Version)

Listen, there’s a “keep reading” going in from the jump because there are major character deaths. The deaths are not depicted; this deals with the aftermath of losing someone. And we’re also talking grandpa age in this. But I know there are folks not into this, and that’s cool. This pained me to write, but I hope you enjoy it.

Again: major character deaths are referenced. You have been warned.

Link sighed, pulling on his jacket. He silently grumbled to himself, but he promised Rhett he’d see the lights.

Grabbing his keys, Link walked slowly out the door, going over everything in his head. He gave a small wave to Lily, who was standing by the car. 

“Hey, Dad. Ready?” Lily said as she wrapped her arms around Link in a tight hug. Lily had grown to be a strong, beautiful, empathetic woman��much like her mother. He smiled softly at both his daughter and her mother’s memory. 

“Yeah, Lil. Ready.”

He climbed in the passenger seat, slightly grateful for the empty car seats in the back. He loved his grandkids, but wasn’t sure if they would have behaved or understood. He flexed his hands, pushing out the arthritis as Lily got into the driver’s seat, fastened her seatbelt and started the car.

“So, how’re things at home?”

“Good, Dad,” Lily said, her smile tight. She hesitated before finally speaking again. “I talked to Jessie a bit ago. She’s settling in nicely at Locke’s. Said to say hi.”

“Oh. That’s good.”

They drove in silence after that. Link’s head was filled with other thoughts and memories, crushing down on him like a lead weight.

Soon, Lily turned down the street that was their destination. Every house down this stretch of road had committed to incredible Christmas light displays every year since Link had been in L.A.

It was down this stretch that he drove with Rhett, before they officially moved out to L.A., before their families joined them. The weather wasn’t what they expected and, in search of a little Christmas spirit to make them feel like they were back in North Carolina, they stumbled on this road.

As he stared out the window, he remembered.

“Look at the lights, Link! These are some crazy displays,” Rhett said as he crept along behind the car in front of them, everyone going at a snail’s pace.

“I don’t think anyone in Buies Creek could or should top this. They’d bust the power system.”

“This feels like Christmas, doesn’t it?”

“Sure. A bit.” Link couldn’t keep the hesitancy out of his voice despite his best intentions.

Rhett sighed. “Link, I know you’re worried. But the girls will love L.A. But any place with lights like these and family around feels like Christmas.”

A look of confusion crossed Link’s face. “I don’t think our parents will come out for Christmas every year.”

Rhett tapped his thumb on the steering wheel. “No, I didn’t mean them. I meant us. You, me, Jess, and Christy. We’re family. And the feeling of Christmas will always be around as long as we have each other. And lights.”

Link was lost in the memory of the warm feeling wrapping around his heart at Rhett’s words at the time when he could feel Lily take his hand. He gasped, grounding himself back into present day with the familiar touch. Grounding himself back into the reality where he lost his best friend only a few months ago.

Looking over at Lily, she was blurred as he realized tears were streaming down his face. 

“Dad, do you need me to pull over?”

Link sniffled, the tears continuing to come from the unfathomable depths of his grief. 

“No. You can keep driving. I want to see the lights. It always feels like Christmas with lights.”

[rhinkthreeways]

Present (Angsty Version)

“Welcome, Mr. McLaughlin. Right this way.”

Rhett smiled and stood as he walked back into the exam room. He was cashing in his present from his wife—a look into the Multiverse. 

The technology had developed by an accident and, for a nominal fee, anyone could look into a different dimension. Some people simply wanted glimpses into a parallel world, but others, like Rhett, wanted to see their counterparts. 

He was curious to see who was the most content Rhett. Despite having a successful career with his best friend, being married to a beautiful wife and raising good kids, Rhett still felt like something wasn’t quite right.

Rhett sat in the exam chair and the practitioner fitted the strange looking helmet onto his head. Attaching nodes to his head and chest, she flipped a few switches and walked around to a computer as the helmet hummed to life.

“Okay, Mr. McLaughlin. Per your request on your application, the mapping helmet is going to study your attributes and qualities that make you who you are as the electrodes jolt your body into a different vibrating frequency so you can see into the alternate universe. Then, we’ll fire up the VisionQuest and check in on how—quote unquote—you’re doing,” she said.

“Sounds good. How long will it take?”

“The whole process is around 10 minutes, start to finish. Are you ready?”

Rhett nodded, settling back as comfortably as he could. The practitioner typed a few keys. Rhett seemed to feel a heavy thrumming pulse sink beneath his skin as he closed his eyes against the sensation. He thought about his life as he knew it and wondered how it might be different. Would he still be with Jessie? Would he have more kids? Fewer? Would they still be living in L.A.? But the question on his mind that worried him the most loomed large as they got closer to the big moment.

Was Link in his life?

After a few minutes, the heavy thrumming subsided and Rhett cracked his eyes open. His entire body still felt like an exposed wire and his brain felt unable to process all the energy.

“Mr. McLaughlin, you doing okay?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay, firing up the VisionQuest.”

Rhett forced his eyes open fully so he could see completely what Alternate Rhett was doing. He knew that the practitioner couldn’t see it—it was for his eyes only—so he wanted to take it all in.

As the picture came into focus, everything looked...about the same. He could sense this was Burbank, but he was just outside a slightly larger building than Mythical. A car pulled into the parking lot, pulling into a spot next to him and Rhett watched as his counterpart got out of the driver’s seat. AlterRhett had shorter hair, though still long enough to have curl to it. This Rhett was also wise enough to have a beard, albeit shorter. The thing that struck him most though was how young AlterRhett seemed to look. As he had gotten out of the car, he was laughing. Pure, unadulterated joy on his face. Rhett wondered what AlterRhett might have been doing or listening to until he saw Link walk around from the passenger side, a big, boyish smile on his face. 

Rhett wasn’t sure if it was the sight of Link or the different frequency he was vibrating at that made his heart skip a beat. 

AlterRhett slung his backpack over his shoulder as AlterLink came to a stop before him. Rhett watched, rapt.

“I appreciated the thought, but I’m completely fine with cooking all the time. But, man...your face was one for the ages. I will be on my deathbed and will die laughing because I will remember that face,” AlterRhett said, squaring up to AlterLink.

AlterLink pouted, though the hint of a smile remained. He crossed his arms. “I just wanted to surprise you with a home cooked meal.” 

AlterRhett put his hands on AlterLink’s shoulders. Rhett noticed the wedding bands on each of them, both slightly different from the ones they wore in this dimension. “Baby,” AlterRhett said and Rhett’s breath hitched. “After 40 years, you constantly surprise me. You don’t even have to try.” Suddenly, AlterRhett’s smile turned almost wolffish. “Besides, your particular dessert more than made up for the mess.” With that, AlterRhett leaned forward, placing a heated kiss on AlterLink’s lips which was reciprocated fully.

Breaking away, AlterLink smiled. “Come on. We’ve got a movie to make.” AlterLink took AlterRhett’s hand and walked into the studio, both men buoyant with happiness to any outsider.

Including Rhett. 

Suddenly, the vision was ripped from Rhett as hands braced his body. He reached out, but the hands held him firmly in place. Something pressed against his nose as the practitioner’s words broke through.

“Breathe, Mr. McLaughlin. Breathe.”

The awareness came to Rhett in waves. It was the practitioner’s arms bracing against him. He was gasping for breath, a mask over his nose and mouth ostensibly pumping oxygen. His face was wet and his eyes burned. And his heart ached.

He crumpled forward, sobbing into this stranger’s arms for a world he didn’t realize he missed until now.

[rhinkthreeways]

Miracle (Fluffy Version)

It was easy for Link to believe in miracles. He was one of a few that made them happen after all.

Ever since he was blinked into existence millennia ago, Link loved to grant miracles. The smiles of satisfaction, of joy on humans’ faces when they received one was an exhilarating high each and every time. He had been responsible for some big miracles—ones that had gained notoriety with humans. Some of his miracles had faded from the stories told over time. But his absolute favorite miracles were the little ones.

$20 found. Catching the bus before it takes off. Sunsets and sunrises. A simple smile.

The beauty of being him meant you could easily go about your day unnoticed. It was easier this way, he told himself. He had loved humans before, but was bereft when his friends would pass, leaving him alone once more. Being alive for as long as he was, he perfected the art of blending in. 

But Rhett saw him.

It started on the crowded subway train, finagling someone to spontaneously get up to allow the pregnant woman burdened with bags to sit down. Link smiled to himself, satisfaction settling in his heart when he locked eyes with a mountain of a man, a small, playful smirk on his face. Link coughed, but he could feel the same piercing green eyes on him through the whole ride. The suspicion this man could be a temptation was high, but as Link got off at his stop, the man followed and stopped him on the platform.

“I’m sorry...I never do this, but. I’m Rhett,” he said, sticking out his hand. “Would you like to grab coffee with me?”

Link looked between Rhett’s hand and the warm, gentle smile on his face and took the proffered hand. The thought in the back of his mind that this would end disastrously manifested, small and mighty, but Link felt compelled to ignore it.

“Sure. I’m Link.”

From that point on, Link felt more than alive again as he spent more time and learned more about Rhett. Rhett was an archeologist, and a tenured professor at Columbia. He was on a team that had unearthed one of Link’s most favorite achievements. He liked tea more than coffee, wasn’t afraid to try new foods, and a smile that could light up a room. Their first kiss, given at the ice rink in Rockefeller Center, was a textbook miracle that Link had granted over and over again to others.

Link had many relationships in his long life, but Rhett was the first that made him feel like the humans did when they were given a miracle.

Link gave miracles. Miracles were never given to Link.

Until Rhett.

[rhinkthreeways]

Present (Fluffy Version)

Rhett pulled off the elf hat, placing it beside him on the bench. Scratching at his beard, he sighed. 

He hadn’t expected to work at Santa’s Village for Christmas, but his uncle needed a photographer and Rhett needed the cash. 

The gig wasn’t too bad. The kids were fairly well behaved and the parents were overwhelmingly kind to him. But it was Santa that really made it all worthwhile.

The guy who was playing Santa—Link—was incredible. He was patient with every child, listening to their requests and soothing even the fussiest kid. The parents seemed to light up at the care and approach he took with their children, helping them feed into the Santa story. And he had a smile that lit up every single photo Rhett took. 

Rhett was lucky enough to see the man beyond the beard. He seemed young—the sparkle in his beautiful blue eyes was captivating—but silver flecked his hair at the roots. The ease of talking to him wasn’t limited to kids as Rhett found himself talking about his screenwriting aspirations and what it felt like to not be able to go home for Christmas. In turn, the more he learned about Link, the more he liked him. And they had a lot in common. Both were from North Carolina, both of them loved Merle Haggard, both of them wanted to break into the film industry. Link was funny, charming and handsome. In short, he was perfect.

But tonight was the last night of Santa’s Village and Link was nowhere to be found. Rhett had been disappointed. He at least wanted to say goodbye.

Standing, Rhett shrugged the elf coat off his shoulders and replaced it with a button down shirt from his locker. Grateful for the baggy elf pants that fit over his jeans, he shed the rest of the outfit, tossing it into the bin for cleaning. Grabbing the rest of his stuff, he turned and walked out of the locker room. 

The village still had its lights on as he walked through the fake snow and lollipop trees. He glanced up for one last look and stopped short.

Link was sitting on Santa’s seat, one leg under him while the other dangled down. He had a grin on his face. The wire frame glasses he wore as Santa were replaced with thick two tone rims, making him look even younger.

“Hey, Rhett.”

“Link. I thought you left.”

“Oh, no, I had to go get cleaned up and return the suit to your uncle. Then I sat here, waiting for you.”

Rhett’s heartbeat picked up a bit. “Yeah?”

“Yeah. Did you ever tell Santa what you wanted for Christmas?”

“No…?”

“Well, I think I might have a little magic left. Wanna tell me?”

Rhett gulped as he dropped his bag, walking closer. He couldn’t help but feel the pull to Link, and he was tired of resisting. But as he got closer, he noticed something odd.

“Link? What happened to your face?”

A flash of confusion graced Link’s boyish face.

“What do you mean?”

“The...your face...it’s not...old?” Rhett said meekly.

Link’s eyes narrowed before realization dawned and he burst into laughter. Rhett was still confused as Link held his sides. 

“Oh, gracious. Rhett. You’re too cute.”

Rhett stayed silent as Link’s laughter subsided.

“Rhett, do you remember me talking about my friend, Emily? The makeup artist? She’d do my makeup before every shift. I’ll be sure to pass along your stunning compliment of her skills.”

Rhett’s eyes went wide as he flushed crimson in embarrassment. 

“I, uh, I don’t know why…”

“Hey, it’s okay,” Link leaned forward, his leg dropped to join the other as he took Rhett’s hand. “I promise. That was cute. And flattering. It’s good to know a 22-year-old can play a convincing Santa.”

Rhett seemed stuck in place as he watched Link turn his hand over in his, seemingly studying it before lacing their fingers together. Rhett’s brain was working in overdrive processing the knowledge that Link was a year younger than he was, was drop dead gorgeous and was holding his hand.

“So, uh, I might end up matching you in the embarrassment department if you wanted a pony for Christmas or something, but I did want to give you a present. 

“Oh?” Rhett said, his brain finally finishing its download and processing. “What’d you get me?”

Link blushed a little as he pointed up. Rhett looked and saw a sprig of mistletoe that wasn’t there before hanging over Santa’s chair. He smiled as he looked down at Link, shifting uncomfortably in wait.

“I hope it’s what you wanted.”

Without a word, Rhett eased himself down on Link’s lap, straddling his legs and cupping his face in a chaste kiss. 

“It’s exactly what I wanted. But I don’t know how much longer I’ll be nice.”

“Nice is overrated,” Link growled before deeply kissing Rhett, seizing his chance to be naughty himself.

[rhinkthreeways]

Lights (Fluffy Version)

It had been on Rhett’s bucket list for the longest time.

See the Aurora Borealis.

He had resigned himself as one of those things he’d do eventually, when he and Link weren’t so busy with everything. But Link apparently had different plans which is how Rhett found himself standing in a beautiful room with massive windows staring out at the Norwegian landscape.

They had just landed a few hours prior and made their way to the resort and room, both exhausted from the long trip. Link was on the phone with room service ordering up some food as Rhett stood in front of the windows.

He could hear the click of the phone hanging up and Link getting up and padding over. Arms wrapped around his waist and Link’s head settled between his shoulder blades as the feeling of contentment settled into his bones.

“How did you pull this off?” Rhett whispered, in awe of the fact he was standing there, hours away from seeing the Aurora Borealis for the first time.

He could feel Link shrug. “Lots of planning. Jenna helped a lot, but I wanted to make sure we were getting the best light show out there.”

“This is incredible,” Rhett whispered. “Thank you.”

Link chuckled. “Don’t thank me yet. We haven’t seen the lights and you haven’t been in the hot tub yet.”

“There’s a hot tub?”

“Yep. But first, a nap. Dinner will come up in a couple of hours.”

Both men ambled to the bed, curling up together and passing out quickly. 

A long nap and dinner later, both men were feeling refreshed and satisfied as the sun was setting.

“So, do you want to see the lights from the hot tub or from the room here?” Link asked.

“Let’s get into the hot tub.”

They got settled in the hot tub quickly and passed the precious minutes they had with easy conversation until, suddenly, Link gasped.

Rhett looked from Link’s awestruck face to the sky to see swirling greens, blues, and purples paint the night sky. It was even more magnificent than Rhett had imagined. 

He snuck a glance over at Link. Rhett was always struck at how young Link looked despite his age, but the lights seemed to dance across his face, looking almost childlike in wonder. The color of Link’s eyes seemed to fit right in with the hues of the lights.

In that moment, Rhett felt like he was in heaven.