Turn to Me: Chapter 17
Even Link’s hair felt cold. Rhett pressed his face into it, smelling faint shampoo and woodsmoke and Link himself. He splayed his hand between Link’s shoulder blades and breathed into his hair, thinking warm thoughts, holding the other man as close as possible.Rhett had started to doze off again by the time Link stirred. He spoke against Rhett’s chest, sounding more like himself. “You’re always rescuing me.”
“It’s my job, man.” The conversation felt strangely intimate, given how Link was pressed up against him.
Link shook his head. “You shouldn’t have to. I’m a grown man.”
“Maybe, but you can count on me. You know that.”
There was a long pause, then Link said, “I do.”
They lay in silence for a few more minutes, breathing in sync. Link’s bandaged hand up by Rhett’s face fell casually, his fingertips brushing Rhett’s cheek. Rather than take it away, he moved it more deliberately, stroking a finger down the back of Rhett’s ear and into his hair, where it stayed. Rhett barely thought of it until Link began to trace small spirals along his hairline, a sensation Rhett found confusingly pleasant. Confusing, in that it was Link’s fingers in his hair. Pleasant, because, well, it wasEventually Link spoke again, face still pressed to Rhett’s chest. “I feel like my muscles are going to lock up if I lie here much longer.”
“Mmm?” Rhett responded.
“I want to stand in front of the stove, but… can you stand with me? I don’t want to fall over again.”
“Sure, Link.” Rhett pulled the blanket off them and helped Link to his feet. He seemed slightly unsteady, but significantly improved from how he had been, and no longer shivering. They both moved to within a few feet of the stove, standing hip to hip.
Rhett put his arm around Link’s shoulders and Link put his arm around Rhett’s waist, leaning into him with a sigh. “This is nice,” he said. “Warm.”
They contemplated the flames through the stove window for a few minutes. Rhett looked down at Link’s profile and was momentarily struck by his otherworldly appearance in the firelight. His cheeks and chin glowed copper and his long eyelashes seemed lined in gold. His hair curled around his jaw in a dark veil.
As if feeling Rhett’s gaze, Link turned his head and looked up at him. His eyes were deep pools, dilated wide in the darkness. The flickering light now caressed the curve of his lips, drawing Rhett’s eye to their fullness. The confusion Rhett had felt moments ago returned, more insistent this time. He tried to cover it up by smiling down at his friend.
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