Open Case File [COMPLETED]

Coming To Terms

Someone asked for a Mason and Link moment and I decided to deliver because I'm awesome the way! 💁‍♀️

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Link thought he was going to throw up. Whether it was because of nerves or excitement, he didn't know. He stood at the bathroom mirror, gripping the edges of the sink willing his breakfast to stay down. As he thought he wasn't going to be able to hold on to it, someone knocked on the door.

"Link, are you ready to go?" Donovan asked.

Link let out a slow breath, forcing nausea away.

"Yeah," he said.

Combing his hair one last time, he left the bathroom. Donovan inspected him as he walked into the living room. The slight narrowing of his eyes told Link that he must still look a little ill.

"I'm fine," he said.

Thankfully, Donovan didn't point out the lie, merely nodded and led him to the door. All through the car ride, Link bounced his leg and stared out the window. Donovan might have said something to him on and off but Link didn't hear it. When they pulled up to the front of a lavish hotel, Link swallowed hard and wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans.

After handing off the car to a valet, they ignored the front desk and walked directly to the elevators, taking it to the very top. In a hallway between two penthouse suites, two large men talked with each other, holding a phone. They wore plain clothes and appeared to be sharing videos, but Link knew exactly who they were and what they were doing: Secret Service agents with a camera directed at the elevator.

Donovan nodded to them. After a quick pat-down and the confiscation of their phones, one of the agents opened the door to one of the suites. A small foyer was circled with three sets of doors and held a second set of Secret Service agents.

"Do you want me there?" Donovan asked.

Link shook his head, he knew this meeting was already going to be hard enough, he wanted privacy.

"I'll be here," Donovan said, then joined the two agents.

Wiping his hands again, Link crossed the foyer and opened the door to the living room. As he entered, his father, in plain clothes, spun away from the wall of one-sided glass windows. His father broke into a wide happy grin and hurried over to Link. Link accepted his father's hug without hesitation. No matter how many times his mother hugged him, it wasn't the same.

His father was still smiling when he pulled back and placed his hands on Link's shoulders, surveying him.

"I think you've gotten taller." His smile softened into something gentle. It was a look Link knew well, like his father was seeing the gap of time between meetings. He hugged Link again.

"Okay, tell me how you've been," his father said, leading him to a couch. "You're still dating Maddy, right? How's that going?"

All of Link's nerves were forgotten in the presence of his father, all he felt was happiness at getting to see him, talk to him.

"Good, really good. I have pictures of her but they're on my phone. Honestly, I don't know why she's still with me."

His father squeezed Link's shoulder affectionately. "I do. Because you are a smart, amazing young man."

Link ducked his head, embarrassed and gratified all at once. "Thanks. So...uh...how is Mason?" he said, needing to change topics before he got too uncomfortable with the praise.

Sighing, his father drew back.

"Mason hasn't been talking to me since the attack. I've tried to talk to him but he either walks away or tells me...well he's very colorful in what actions I should take. Have you two talked?"