
Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/
works/12179721.
  Rating:
      Explicit
  Archive Warning:
      Rape/Non-Con, Underage
  Category:
      M/M
  Fandom:
      Rhett_&_Link
  Relationship:
      Rhett_McLaughlin/Link_Neal
  Character:
      Rhett_McLaughlin, Link_Neal
  Additional Tags:
      Dark, Rape/Non-con_Elements, Abuse, Implied/Referenced_Rape/Non-con,
      Implied/Referenced_Child_Abuse, Anal_Sex, Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Minor
      Character_Death, Sexual_Violence, Blow_Jobs, Disturbing_Themes, Rough
      Sex, Friends_to_Lovers, Masturbation
  Stats:
      Published: 2017-09-28 Chapters: 1/? Words: 4005
****** You're My Salvation ******
by Be_My_Lost_Boy
Summary
     After spending the day with Rhett, Link walks home in tears, for he
     knows the horrors that await him. Every night, the brunette must come
     home to his highly intoxicated, perverted step father while never
     muttering a word of the abuse to his best friend. Link wears the mask
     of a happy child but Rhett can see right though the smoke and
     mirrors, he knows something is wrong but he is not sure what.
Notes
     *Trigger Warning*
See the end of the work for more notes
“C’mon, Link!” The blonde laughed while his hand was intertwined with Link’s.
The two best friends ran as fast as they could to the woods behind their
school, hand in hand to keep one another from falling. The tall trees and aroma
of moss acted as salvation for the two boys, for it was the only time they
could be alone without any judgement. Almost daily, they were called faggots by
their peers, but to them, they were nothing more than, Rhett and Link. The
couple spent too much time enjoying life and having fun to be bothered with
proper gender roles or whether they were gay, straight, or somewhere in
between. Though the two were too young to put their feelings into words, it was
obvious that neither one of them wanted to be without the other nor did they
crave personal space. Rhett took it upon himself to act as the leader of the
group, always looking after the brunette, being his brother and often times
hero.
Once the pair came to the familiar clearing, they stopped to catch their
breath. While Link was distracted, Rhett decided it was the best time to move
in. Slowly, so to not make any noise, he snuck up behind his best friend,
mentally counting down from three. “Raaa!” Rhett pounced on the unsuspecting
brunette, wrapping his arms around the boy’s small waist, pulling him to the
ground. Rhett’s eyes lit up once he heard the boy’s yelp of fear turn into
giggles of excitement as they wrestled for dominance. After Link’s mom passed
away, Rhett feared he would never see his friend smile or laugh again. He
remembers that day, the day the world became a lot darker, it was the first
“adult situation” they ever had to face and neither one of them truly knew how
to do so.
===============================================================================
 
 “Rhett, sweetie?” Ms. McLaughlin stood at the doorway to her son’s room, her
phone pressed to her breast. She fought to keep her lip from quivering but her
watery eyes gave way that something horrible had happened. Rhett paused his
video game and stared intently at his mother, the tone in the woman’s voice was
one that he had never heard before, peaking his curiosity. 
“Yeah, mom, what’s up?” The casual tone in the boy's vice broke the older
woman’s heart even further, knowing that, within a matter of moments, she would
destroy her son’s innocence and the illusion that people, especially parents,
live forever.

“Ms. Neal…” She paused, making her way across the threshold, kneeling down
before her son, taking the boy into her arms. “I just received a call, Ms. Neal
has passed away.” Rhett froze in his mother’s arms, he wanted to comfort his
mother but he knew Link needed him more.

“M-Mom, is it okay if I-”

“Go.”

Rhett kissed his mother goodbye before sprinting out the front door, nearly
knocking over Cole in the process. Link only lived a few blocks away but it
seemed like no matter how fast Rhett ran, his destination kept creeping away
from him, like a never ending hallway in a cheesy horror film. “Link! Link, I’m
comin’ brother!” He yelled down the street, hoping that his voice would find
his way to his friend. “Damn, legs!” Rhett cursed, regretting not taking his
bike. “Just hang in there, Link! I’m comin’! The blonde’s mind was filled with
nothing but self discipline, telling himself to run faster, calling himself
weak when he still was not at Link’s house. Ironically, once the Neal residence
came into view, Rhett slowed his running to a walking pace. Being here,
approaching the only blue house on the block made everything seem so
overwhelming. “I’m here because...Because Link’s mom is...Because she…” There
was a moment where Rhett debating on going home, he was scared to enter Link’s
house. ‘What if she is still in there?’ Rhett thought to himself, but was
already on the front porch, too late to back out now. He thought about
knocking, he never did before, but this time things were different. For once in
Rhett’s life, he felt it was rude to just barge in unannounced, but there he
was, turning the brass colored doorknob, letting himself in as usual.

It was so strange, everything seemed to be just as it was the last time he was
there, giving the appearance that this was just a regular day. Given the
drastic lighting difference, it took a minute for Rhett’s eyes to focus, having
the most heartbreaking scene come into crystal clear view, one that he knew
would surely haunt him for the rest of his life. Link was sitting on the couch
alone, one roll of toilet paper grasped tightly in his hand while another empty
role laid dormant on the floor while balled up tissues littered the surrounding
area. He made no attempt to keep quiet, his distraught voice rang out through
the empty house. “Link…” Rhett hurried over to his friend, planting himself
onto the seat next to the crying boy.

“Rhett!” Link dove into his friend’s arms, hugging him tightly, fearing that if
he were to let go, Rhett too would leave him.

“It’s alright, Bo. I’m here now.” Rhett held the boy tightly in his arms,
rubbing the small of his back, allowing Link to soak his shirt. The blonde felt
guilty for what he had just said, Link’s mother had died and his step father
wasn’t even there to comfort him, of course everything wasn’t okay, nor was it
ever going to be okay from here on out. But one thing for sure is Rhett was
there for Link and come Hell or high water, he wasn’t going anywhere.

===============================================================================
 
 
“Rhett? What ya starin’ at brother?”

“Huh?” Rhett snapped out of his flashback only to see that he was straddling
the younger boy, pinning both hands above his head. His face felt immensely
warm. “O-Oh, gosh, Link. I-I’m sorry, I-” Immediately, Rhett scrambled to the
side, allowing Link to sit up onto his forearms.

“No sweat it, man.” The blue eyed boy flashed his goofy grin, ending his
sentence with a light hearted giggle that killed Rhett inside.

I know you're hurting, please, just let me in. I can help you, Bo. I’ll hold
you, cook for ya, listen to ya vent, anything to make you feel alright.Rhett
was unaware what the feelings he had for the other boy meant, he never gave it
much thought or cared to tag along a definition. He knew he wasn’t gay, but the
thought of spending his life with Link made his heart flutter.

“I don’t mind ya on top of me, as long as you’re not pulling the I’m dead,
move.”

Rhett felt his face heat up once more. The innocence in Link’s words, the fact
that the boy spoke something so perverted yet had no idea made Rhett hot. He
has always felt this way whenever Link would cluelessly say something naughty
or show a bit of skin. That was completely normal for a boy to feel this way
right, especially with hormones and such? “Yeah, well I like bein’ on top of
ya.” He replied with a wink. Rhett couldn’t describe it, but the feeling of
Link’s soft skin against his own and the body heat that radiated off of the
younger boy made Rhett feel at peace in some way.

Rising to his feet, Link suggested that the two boys do something fun. “I’ll
finally show ya how to skip rocks! Better yet, I’ll race ya there!” And with
that, the brunette boy was off, dodging trees, his laughter echoed through the
brush. Rhett watched as the boy ran from him, admiring his slim figure, nearly
salivating as he did.

“H-Hey, no fair!” Rhett sprinted off after Link, never taking his eyes off the
boy, partly because he couldn’t but also because he always watched the brunette
like a hawk, making sure he was out of harm's way. “Shit, Link!” the sight of
Link faced down in the dirt made Rhett’s heart stop, giving him deja vu of the
day he couldn’t seem to run fast enough when Link needed him most. “Link, Bo,
answer me, you okay?” Within seconds, the blonde was by Link’s side, helping
him up.

“Yeah, I’m good.”

“No you’re not, you’re bleedin’, brother. Here, let me carry you home.” Rhett
held his arms out.

Link looked down at his bloodied knees. “Nah man, it’s only a couple scratches,
I’ll be fine.” He snorted at Rhett’s ridiculousness. Besides, I have had worse…
“Grab some flat rocks, I’ll teach ya how to throw ‘em.” Link pulled his shirt
up into a basket formation, gathering as many flat rocks as he could, dumping
them all into one pile near the lake’s shore. “It sounds corny but it’s all in
the wrist.” He explained before demonstrating.

“Wow, Link! That was five skips, you’re so good at everything you do.” The
compliment made the younger of the two blush. Only I can make Link blush like
that, shoot, I don’t think I’ve ever seen ‘em blush with anyone else other than
me.The realization caused Rhett to stick his chest out with pride. The boy
watched closely as Link threw the rocks, noticing faint marks on his wrist that
appeared to be old black and blues. It was almost as if he was grabbed by
someone who didn’t know their own strength. Though Rhett could make out what
appeared to be finger prints, he shook it off, believing that it had to be dirt
and trusting that ifsomething was going on behind the scenes, Link would surely
tell him.

“Man, I wish we could stay like this all night. I wish I could stay with you.”
Link said with a sigh, letting his smile drop, something he always did when he
thought Rhett wasn’t looking. Unfortunately, the blonde was always looking,
making note of every micro expression he made, finding the deepest meaning in
every word he spoke, capturing the raw beauty that was Charles Lincoln Neal
III.

“Then marry me one day.”

“Rhett…”

“I’m serious. They always say to marry your best friend ,well, you aremy best
friend. Think about it, we spend all our time together anyway, what difference
does it make?”

“That’s true. M-Maybe one day. I just...I just don’t want this night to end, ya
know?”

“I know, Buddy Roll, I know.” Rhett couldn’t imagine what it would be like to
go home, knowing that someone you love wasn’t there and that they were never
coming back. He couldn’t put himself into Link’s shoes without getting teary
eyed so he didn’t blame Link for wanting to stay out all night or always ask to
sleep over. Rhett pulled Link into a tight hug, the couple stood there, pressed
against each other for a few minutes. Link’s head rested onto Rhett’s chest as
the older boy ran his fingers through the soft, dark locks. “I love you, Link,
don’t cry, you’re too pretty to cry.” Rhett would do anything, anything, to
take all the pain away from his best friend. Since that dreadful day, he has
prayed for nothing more than to transfer all of Link’s pain onto himself. One
day I’ll make everything better. “Oh, before I forget.” The blonde boy reached
into his bag, pulling out a water bottle. “Sit.” Silently, Link obeyed, sitting
on the ground once more, this time with his knees bent, sighing when the cold
water made contact with his open wounds.

Once the cap was screwed back onto the bottle, Link laid down, tucking his
hands behind his head and closed his eyes. Rhett couldn’t help but stare at the
masterpiece before him, the way the sun danced along Link’s pale skin, his hair
showing glimmers of various brown shades. He took a seat besides his friend,
resisting the urge to curl up besides him, pulling the smaller body close,
breathing in the heavenly scent. One day, one day when we’re married.The blonde
assured himself. The sun had begun to bleed into orange, signalling that it was
almost time for the two boys to be heading home, something they both hated, but
Link more than Rhett. They knew the time was drawing near yet neither one of
them said anyway thing, trying to hold on to the minutes they had left.
Eventually, it was Rhett who broke the silence.

“Wanna take the long way home?”

“Yeah, yeah I do.” Even though it was decided, it took the boys awhile before
they found the motivation to move. Rhett tried to remain a positive attitude,
making light hearted jokes, he did it more so for Link’s sake than his own. The
two best friends walked home, making sure to take the long way, trying to savor
their remaining time together. Once the two became engrossed in their
conversation, even the longest way home seemed to be the shortest. Before they
knew it, they were turning onto Link’s street, that is when Rhett heard the all
too familiar sound of sniffling.

“Bo, don’t cry. We’re gonna see each other tomorrow.” Whipping the smaller
boy’s tears, Rhett pulled his best friend into another tight embrace, this time
even longer than before, hoping that his hug will somehow mend all of Link’s
broken pieces.

“I-I know, but...C-Can I come home with you, please?” Link has begged for
things in the past but never like this, never so desperate and broken, it tore
Rhett’s heart from his chest.

“I would love for you to, and you know my folks won’t mind but you know your
stepdad would never go for it.” Just the mention of the older man made Link’s
eyes grow wide and body to become tense, unsure if he wanted to pull away and
run or cling to the blonde for protection. “Link, you okay, buddy?” The
brunette stood motionless, he did not hear his friends words nor did he see the
boy standing before him, waving his hand infront of his face and snapping his
fingers. No, Link couldn’t see or hear anything, he was paralyzed with fear,
anxiety working as chains, holding him in place, the moonlight burned holes
into his skin, daring to expose the truth. Mistaking the younger boy’s
quivering for being cold, Rhett kissed the top of his head and sent him on his
way. Little did he know that he was sending Link to the place he feared most,
the place that made him quiver in the first place. Having too much respect for
his friend, Link obeyed, not wanting to disrespect the older boy nor did he
want to make a scene, raising any more questions the blonde may have. As
always, Rhett stood at the porch steps, watching as Link entered his house,
shutting it behind him. Once the porch light was off, he took that as he cue to
leave, heading back to his own home, unable to shake the disturbing look Link
had on his face.
===============================================================================


Quietly, Link locked the front door, wishing to peacefully make his way to his
bedroom, but he knew damn well that wasn’t going to happen. Not when his step
dad, Jimmy was still awake and that man was alwaysawake.

“You’re late.” The man said, remaining seated in his chair, eyes still focused
on the television, Link was able to smell the whiskey emanating off of him.

“I’m sorry, I-”

“I don’t want to hear it, just go to bed.” He shooed, Link wasted no time, he
bolted up the stairs as if his life depending on it ( and as far as he was
concerned, his life diddepend on it.) “Stupid kid.” Once Link was “home free”
in the confines of his own room, he immediately stripped down to a pair of
basketball shorts that Rhett had told him he could keep along with a loose
fitted shirt that hung off his narrow shoulders. From there, he brushed his
teeth and washed his face, making sure to pay close attention to the T-zone, as
his mother used to call the area where the forehead and bridge of the nose
meet. Even after she had passed, her son continued to carry out the lessons she
taught, keeping her memory alive in any way he could. He did everything from
keeping her picture on his nightstand to washing his face with rubbing alcohol.

“I miss you so much mom, why did you have to go? Why did you leave me here?”
The boy muttered to himself, blinking away the tears. Link didn’t waste time
dwelling on questions that he knew would never be answered, he had such an
amazing day with Rhett that he didn’t want to end it by crying himself to
sleep. Besides, he has done that enough times for more than one lifetime.

Link sat in his bed, his knees pulled up to his chest, scrolling through his
phone.

Hey Bo, I miss ya already. <3

The text from Rhett made Link’s heart flutter, the feeling of being wanted was
all he ever cared for, especially if it was by a certain tall blonde with
gorgeous green eyes. He too never analyzed in depth his feelings for his best
friend, he loved the older boy and wanted to always be with him, but what did
it all mean? Link was unsure if the thought of marrying Rhett made him so happy
because it was Rhett or because someone, anyone loved him enough to the point
they wanted to spend their life with him. Maybe the older boy was onto
something, maybe being married to your best friend wasn’t such a bad idea.
After all, who better to spend every day with other than the person you’ve
known all your life?

“Hey boy.” Came an all too familiar voice, causing Link’s blood to run cold.
Jimmy, his stepdad, stood in the doorway of his bedroom, holding a bottle of
half empty whiskey in his hand while his other hand grasped the door frame,
supporting himself. The man with a leather-like complexion stared him up and
down, smirking as he did so. The closer he got to Link, the stronger the smell
of body odor and alcohol became. “Ain’t you just the prettiest little thing.”

Link was unsure of where this new found courage came from, but without
hesitation, he slapped the man’s hand away from him. He felt the touch of
someone who truly loves him, the touch of someone who cares and Link was no
longer going to settle for anything less. “Don’t touch me.” His mom always told
him to never hate, that it was disgusting, but the man who staggered towards
him was vile and deserved to be hated, deserved to be taken out back and shot.
Bloodshot eyes looked the boy over once more, pausing when he saw the fresh
scabs.

“Ya been on ya knees again, boy?” He mocked, taking another swig of poison.
“What, been runnin’ ‘round with that blonde fella? Been doin’ tricks for him or
somethin’?” The man’s words were slurred but Link has heard it all before,
every time he goes out with Rhett he hears the same lines. “I always knew you
were a God damn whore. I could tell the moment I first saw you.”

“I’m not a whore.” He said bluntly, the verbal abuse no longer fazed him, it
was nothing new, none of this was. This Hell he lived in was his home and the
man who snuck into his bed every night was his caretaker, the man he was
supposed to run towards instead of away from.  

“Yeah? Well, the way you slobber all over my cock tells me otherwise. You’re
pretty ballsy tonight, what gotten into ya? Or should I say, who.Come here!”
With one swift move, the man’s hand tangled in Link’s hair, pulling him out of
bed, slamming his body to the floor with a loud thumb.

“Ahh! Get off me, you drunk piece of shit!” Never has Link raised his voice or
talked back to the drunk, he wasn’t even sure where this was coming from.
Little did he know, this new side of him would be short lived.

“Let’s see how ya can keep talkin’ with ya mouth full.” Tightening his grip,
the man pushed Link’s face into his  crotch, scraping him against the zipper.
“Come on now, you know what to do.” Link could feel the tears forming in his
eyes yet again, cursing himself for being so stupid, for thinking he actually
stood a chance against this monster. Fighting back tears, he unzipped the man’s
pants,feeling his stomach turn at the sight of the half hardened cock. “Go on,
get it nice and wet, if ya don’t, it’s gonna hurt like a bitch.”
===============================================================================


Rhett walked home, kicking a rock along the way. He hated going home without
Link but seeing the boy so distraught hurt even more. Now that he was alone,
Rhett allowed his mind to drift to a future when he and Link will be together
and have all they ever wanted. He was unsure of exactly where he would like to
settle down but had a rough idea of what style house and decor he wanted. The
blonde has always been obsessed with old style rustic homes, believing that it
would be the perfect scenery for when they snuggled on the couch together
watching movies after a long day at work.

Rhett walked into his home, greeting both his parents, making small talk,
catching up on that day’s events the way most families do when they come
together.

“Are you hungry, dear?” Mrs. McLaughlin asked.

“Not really.” The butterflies still fluttered inside his stomach, making him
feel full. As always, his mother prepared a plate just for Rhett, wrapping it
in tin foil and placing it in the fridge. “Just incase you get hungry later
on.” She would often say. On his way to his room, he was met with his brother,
Cole who was exiting the bathroom, causing the them to almost collide with each
other. “Oh, hey, sorry man.” The younger of the two said, moving past his
brother, unaware that the older boy followed closely behind him.

“You’re out pretty late, what ya been up to?” Cole closed Rhett’s bedroom door,
taking it upon himself to be seated in the small, swivel computer chair located
across the room.

“Nothing new, just been out with Link.”

“Again? Man, why don’t ya just marry him.” The boy snorted at his own joke,
doing what big brothers do best: tease their sibling.

“I’m gonna.” The security in Rhett’s voice allowed Cole to know that his
brother was serious, causing him to fall silent. Neither one of them spoke, the
silence didn’t bother Rhett, in fact, as Cole fought to gather his words, the
younger boy picked out his outfit for tomorrow.

“Gonna what, marry Link? Rhett, a-are you...Gay?”

“No, I’m not gay, being gay is when you like dudes. I don’t like guys I just
like Link, always have.” He shrugged, unable to fully express his feelings
towards the cute brunette. “I’ve never liked anyone the way I do him, I love
him.” There wasn’t any strain in Rhett’s voice, he was not ashamed to openly
admit his feelings for Link whether it be to his brother, Link himself or even
the world. “It sounds dumb but Link is the only exception. The thought of
kissing a guy is a big Hell nofor me but I don’t know, Link is just different.”

“How…” Cole searched for a way to string his thoughts together but words kept
escaping him. “How can you know that years down the line you’re gonna still
want to be with Link? How can you say you want to marry him when you have your
entire life ahead of you?”

“Because I have never wanted anything more in my life.”  
End Notes
     If you've made it to the end I am extremely impressed and thank you
     very much for doing so! Comments and kudos are always appreciated,
     I'd love to hear what you have to say! <3 :)
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