Chapter Text
“You know..” Link said dreamily, as he stared out past the cameras for a moment before he refocused.
In the silence, Rhett calmly examined his hands, patiently waiting for Link to find his thought. A subtle smile crept in at the corner of his mouth.
“I just wish we were better at this sometimes!”
Rhett shot a look at the crew as they erupted with laughter off camera.
“I mean, were you happy with that Ten Word Story, Rhett?”
“I… I actually think it’s probably one of the worst ones we’ve ever done.” Rhett managed to get the words out before he dissolved into giggles.
“They’re all the worst one!”
There was more cackling off camera. It was easy for Rhett to laugh with the crew, as he knew that he wasn’t the one that had sunk this particular Ten Word Story. He usually wasn’t. Link never failed to get lost in his own thoughts: focused on what he was going to say next, losing count of how many words were left in the story, trying not to overthink it and blurting out an emotion rather than a word that made sense in whatever loosely held together context they’d strung together up to that point. Rhett tried to compose himself as Link continued.
“It just seems like we gotta— We just gotta keep practicing, right?”
“Yeah, right,” Rhett lightly added his throwaway agreement.
“Well, I mean. We can practice it on our own time, and just.. get on with the taste test?”
“Sure.”
Link immediately gave up on his own suggestion of moving on and abruptly dove back in, gesturing wildly with his hands. “But we do need to workshop it, me and you.”
Rhett just looked up at the ceiling, letting his eyes wander the light fixtures. And then alternately, looked down at the GMM desk and examined the wood grain; tracing the lines with a fingertip.
Link stared into the monitor, drawing Rhett’s indirect eye contact with the ease that only decades of experience immersed in one another’s body language can bring. Link steepled his fingers together with so much intensity that Rhett could see the pressure turning his fingertips white.
“We need to rent a beach house.”
Link certainly had Rhett’s attention now. Rhett had just spent some time at a beach house with his brothers and his family when he and Link had taken a vacation a couple months ago. The only interest that Rhett showed in Link’s comedic suggestion was a small smile.
“And we need to do nothing but Ten Word Stories.”
Rhett’s eyes went wide.
“Think about it, we’ll come back, we’ll be good at it!”
Rhett looked as skeptical as Link looked casually confident.
“Imagine— What if we just did 24 hours of Ten Word Stories? We’d get really good. And then we’d probably get really bad. From fatigue. But! Then we’d get really good again! We’d come back here. We’d be flawless.”
Link closed his persuasive argument with and sly, near imperceptible wink. And Rhett’s cheeks reddened and rose against his will, out of sheer fondness.
“All right, Link. We’ll definitely do that, but first - as you’d said, let’s get on with this taste test.”
“So, how bout that beach house, huh?” Link said with a huge grin on his face, plopping down onto the sofa in their office.
“You really are in some kinda mood today..”
“I need a vacation, brother!” Link lifted his glasses enough to rub his eyes, and left them propped on the top of his head.
Rhett shook his head, “We just had a vacation.”
“Yeah, but mine sucked! I had to make up crap on Ear Biscuits just so people didn’t feel sorry for me.”
Rhett’s smile fell a little. The way Link was saying it injected a lot of levity; but the truth behind the self deprecating humor was there all the same. Link hadn’t had a very relaxing break.
Rhett’s had been decent. He reflected again on how he’d gone back to North Carolina, and rented a little beach house with his brother and his family. His nephews were getting older, and were finally becoming good company on these family trips, instead of just additional responsibility. They were learning to surf and everything! Rhett had got to spend quality time with his brother, talking together about life as they never seemed to do as kids. He had plenty of private time most evenings, when his brother was spending time with his wife and children, which Rhett valued for introspection. And Rhett felt like he’d truly seized the opportunity to commune with nature. The pinnacle being when he had been surfing one day, caught a wave, and looked over to see that a freakin’ dolphin had caught the same wave - and they were riding it out together. He may not have believed in a Christian god anymore, but that right there had been a spiritual experience to him.
Link’s trip home hadn’t been filled with natural wonders or peaceful moments. There definitely hadn’t been anyone that was wanting to go surfing with him. His mom and Louis were having a rough time of it. Rhett knew that Link did find fulfillment and a sense of purpose and gratitude in being able to physically be there for them. It had been difficult for Link, being on the other side of the country while they were navigating Louis’s health issues. Link knew his momma needed support, and there was only so much that Link could do from a distance. So it wasn’t that Link regretted his time at home. And surely there was an element of deep, spiritual growth in walking with someone through this part of life. It simply wasn’t.. the stuff that vacations should be.
“I know, I know, man,” Rhett offered, trying to project a balance of sincerity that didn’t tip too close to pity - something that would make Link uncomfortable. “I’m sorry.”
“It ain’t your fault. It is what it is. But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t jealous.”
“Jealous?”
“You know. You had all these moments. I had some meaningful moments with my folks, I suppose. But nothing that helped me, like… feel something new about myself. I mean, I didn’t lock eyes with a dolphin, or ‘interact with the ocean’, or however it was that you’d phrased it.”
“I just got wrapped up in the story, man. I don’t even know if it was all really that deep.”
“You don’t have to downplay it for me, Rhett. I’m happy for you! That you had that. I’m just owning the fact that I’m experiencing a bit of envy. And maybe nostalgia. I feel like we always used to have all these new life experiences, adventures, and.. life discoveries together. And now, I guess we’re just on different pages? Which… makes sense. We’re not kids anymore,” Link chuckled softly. “Not by a long shot.”
It took everything within Rhett not to reach out to take Link’s hand. He wanted so badly to ground him, and reassure him.
To reassure himself even.
Rhett felt like he could identify the exact moment in time when there was a metaphorical page break. He often fantasized about going back and doing things differently. And often convinced himself that since it was nothing that they ever discussed, that maybe it was something that could be corrected without being directly addressed.
“It’s still the same book, bo.” Rhett wanted that to be true, with every fiber of his being. The same book, the same page. Maybe even the same paragraph - just separate sentences.
That sentiment earned Rhett a small smile from Link.
“I know it is. It’s just that sometimes I get to feeling disconnected like this, and then something silly will happen. Like a Ten Word Story implodes, and not for the first time! Makes me feel like we really are on different wavelengths.”
“The wheel ending wouldn’t be entertaining if we were just.. good at it. The humor is in the struggle.”
“I get it, man. I totally get it. But after a while, and ‘specially when I get into a certain headspace. Well, it winds up just feeling like a struggle. And a struggle to find the humor on top of that.”
“Then we’ll take it off!” Rhett responded automatically, hating to hear the way that Link had been feeling. And flirting with the awareness that the wheel ending wasn’t the problem, and that removing it wasn’t addressing the root cause.
Link just laughed. “People would lose their minds. Contrary to certain.. discourse, I’m actually not trying to troll our own fans.”
Rhett was relieved to hear Link laughing, but he couldn’t bring himself to laugh along with him just yet. His own wheels were still turning. Turning until a thought that had been bouncing around in there since they recorded the episode finally landed.
“Link,” Rhett announced. “We need to rent a beach house.”