Once In A Lifetime • Link Neal

fifteen.

"Alright guys, here we go. Three, two, one-" Stevie spoke up, before pointing at the duo infront of the camera. Link quickly tore his gaze away,

"Today we ask the age old question."

"Will it Nacho?" Rhett spoke up.

"Let's talk about that."

_____

Link sat alone in the shared office, Rhett gone to meet up with Jesse for lunch, and to probably let her in on the situation. Link was ambivalent at first, not wanting his personal life on display, but Jesse was one of the few people who should know, considering how close she was to his family. He sat at his desk, absentmindedly going through the pictures on his phone. It was mainly family pictures, the kids, Christy...A series of knocks at the door startled him out of his trance, his eyes darting upwards as he called,

"Come in."

Lucy opened the door slowly, peeking her head in first. Their eyes connected, and he found himself smiling softly at the sight of her. She was like his lighthouse during the storm.

"Hey, Lu." She smiled in response, before slipping in the office with a bag of food in her hand. Link quirked a brow as she approached him,

"Hungry?" He didn't realize it until the aroma of Chinese food filled his senses, but he was starving, having skipped breakfast all together that day.

"Yeah...Thanks."

They found themselves seated on the sofa, Lucy on one end with her legs crossed, while Link sat on the other end, one leg tucked underneath himself as he dug into the food. The silence that fell between them was comfortable, despite everything that hung between them. As though she couldn't hold in her curiosity, she finally spoke up.

"How are you doing?" She asked. Link had to chuckle dryly at the question, and she found herself slightly embarrassed for asking at all. Of course, he wasn't doing well.

"I'm not gonna lie, I've had better days...But havin' you here made it better." He said. Heat crawled across her cheeks at the words, and she found herself wanting to touch him. Kissing would be preferable, but even just holding him sounded great.

"Rhett knows about us. I told him this mornin." He added on, so casually it took her a second to register what he said. She was shocked that he told him at all, what with everything going on. Link noticed her speechlessness, a crooked smile pulling on his lips at the sight. She missed that smile, these past few days was nothing but emotional turmoil for the man.

"It's okay, Lu. He understands, and he's not gonna treat you any differently." He assured her, instinctively leaning forward to place a large hand against her knee.

"O-Okay..." She was blushing furiously now, momentarily distracted by his hand on her. She was wearing a pair of jean shorts, his touch warm and weighted on her fair skin. It brought goosebumps to rise, and Link would be a fool if he didn't notice. She swallowed thickly, trying to sway the conversation into something that didn't totally fluster her.

"Y-you forgot to pick me up this morning." She blurted out. Link's expression flipped like a switch, realization gracing his handsome face as he quickly brought his hand up to his face, essentially face palming himself.

"Shit!" He cursed. Lucy found herself pulling her lower lip between her teeth, one part holding back laughter, the other part oddly aroused by the swear that left his mouth. It wasn't the first time he cussed around her, but it caught her off guard every time. Link was also a full grown man, and the aspect of swearing shouldn't surprise her, but for some odd reason, it was endearing when he did.

"I am so sorry, Lu! I've been all over the place. I crashed here last night, must've slept through my alarm clock. And with Rhett, I totally forg-" Link was cut short when her lips crashed against his, effectively shutting him up. He made a surprised hum as she reached out to grasp the hair on the back of his head, pulling him down to gain better access. It was as though her touch ignited something inside him, something Link couldn't quite put his finger on. He was desperate for her, quickly relaxing into the embrace of her full lips against his own while hastily and blindly closing the food that sat in his lap, tossing it haphazardly to the floor.

She felt him wrap his arms around her slight waist, and she could feel his muscles flex against her body as he pulled her toward him with ease, for some reason she seemed to have forgotten that Link was actually very strong. The way he easily maneuvered her atop his lap was a pleasant reminder, and a wonderful distraction to the fact that they should definitely not be doing this.

Her knees fit perfectly on either side of his waist, and she didn't fail to notice the obvious erection that had formed beneath her. Link didn't care, though. He was lost with her, his hands roaming across her body greedily as he slipped his tongue along the seam of her lips. One large hand roamed up between her shoulder blades, while the other ventured toward her ass, not missing a beat before grasping the denim clad flesh in an iron grip. A whimper escaped her lips, coupled with an involuntary roll of her hips, and Link found himself moaning lightly against her mouth.

Their embrace was escalating rapidly, the burning desire to just touch each other overwhelming, before Link's phone rang on the other side of the room. As though broken from her trance, Lucy quickly pulled herself away from Link, her eyes wide as she took in the alluring expression on Link's face. He was flustered, lips swollen from her kiss with eyes darker than she's ever seen. He looked absolutely ravishing.

"You should get that." She breathed out, her face growing beet red as she took in their situation. She could still feel him underneath her, his hand was still cradling her ass, and she wanted nothing more than to pull him against her yet again. But they agreed, Link needs to take care of his own life before anything. As though Link was coming to the same conclusion, he reluctantly loosened his grip around her, his eyes hooded with residual lust as he watched her clamber off his lap to stand. Link followed suit, subtly adjusting his jeans with a blush of his own.

"Here." Lucy grabbed Link's phone from the desk, which had stopped ringing now. "Sorry for-uh-yeah, sorry." She stammered, unsure of what to say. Link took it from her, a reassuring smile gracing his lips. He reached a hand out to cradle her angled face, and she found herself leaning into his touch.

"Don't be, Lu."

_____

Link went through the remainder of his day bracing himself for what was to come, and how he was going to face her. It had been three days since he's talked to Christy, he hadn't stayed to listen to her explanation, or her pleas of forgiveness, opting to simply leave before she could speak. He knew it wasn't right of him to do, but the thought of her being with another man made his blood boil, and his chest to ache. What was even worse, was that Link was just as guilty as she was.

-wooo now we're gettin' somewhere! Feedback is great appreciated! xoxo