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?"

Link nodded. "Yeah, a week ago we finally met in an empty classroom. But that was it. Do you know why he wanted today-"

The door to the living burst open and Mason strode in cutting Link off. Instantly, all the reasons Link felt like throwing up earlier came crashing back.

"Great," Mason said. "We already started the family reunion, this is fantastic."

He dropped into a chair, one leg dangling over the edge. Instantly the easy atmosphere of before evaporated. Their father straightened and Link pressed his hands down his jeans.

"I say we start with stories," Mason said, in a breezy manner. "We could always go with the classic of how my father had an affair with your mother."

"Mason," President Douglas said in warning, but Mason didn't care.

"Or we could go with the story of where you, Mr. President...wait sorry we're all family here, I can call you father. Where you father, lied to both me and Link for our entire lives."

Beneath the mocking tone, Link saw the anger simmering in Mason. Anger over the lies and betrayal.

"Mason," Douglas said in a low, calming tone.

Mason leaped to his feet and jabbed a finger at his father. "Don't! Don't play the politician with me! I'm so sick of your crap! This entire time you knew I had a brother and you never told me. This entire time you've known you're a terrible human being but convinced the country you're not."

Link wanted to hide behind the couch. Mason's fury felt like a physical force barreling into him, even though he knew he wasn't the target. Beside him, his father took all the anger in without a response. Though he knew Mason couldn't see it, Link saw the regret in his father's eyes, the pain that he hid.

"Are you done?" President Douglas asked.

"NO!" Mason snapped. "You are a scumbag and I hate you." He flicked a hand towards Link. "And I hate your mother too since this wasn't one-sided."

Link blinked surprised at the admission though didn't deny it. How could he when he'd been mad at his mother as well?

"We can talk this over," Douglas said.

Mason barked out a sharp mocking laugh. "You'd love that. The smooth talker wants to talk it over. Guess what, I don't want to hear it! Your word means nothing to me! You hear that, nothing!" He spun towards Link. "And you, I don't understand how you can stand to be around him after all he's done for you! You didn't even know about him until six years ago, but now you're best friends? How pathetic are you!"

Douglas jumped to his feet. "Don't you dare take your anger out on Link."

"Oh look at you acting the caring father, who knew you had it in you."

"I've always cared, Mason."

"Liar. You've never cared because if you did you wouldn't constantly be lying to my mom!"

Mason stormed out of the living room and into one of the bedrooms, slamming the door shut. The silence that followed rang with the thud of the door and the last words. Douglas released a breath and dragged his hand down his face. Despite wanting to walk out to Donovan and leave, Link rose and crossed to the bedroom door.

"It might be best to let him be," Douglas said.

Link paused. "No, cause he's hurting and I think that's the last thing he needs. I would know."

When Link slipped inside the bedroom, he found Mason sitting on the edge of the bed, his back to Link, his head in his hands.

"Go away," Mason said, his voice choked. "I thought I made it clear that I hate you, Mr. President."

"I don't plan on being President," Link said. "I hate politics."

Mason straightened but didn't turn around, instead he wiped his face.

Slowly, Link joined Mason, pretending to not see that he had been crying.

"I don't know how my mom has stayed with him, he is such an a-"

"People are strange. They do weird things for people they love."

Mason grunted. "She's an idiot for loving him. Then again she doesn't know so I guess I can't fault her."

Link didn't say anything. They sat there for a long while saying nothing.

"How are you okay with this?" Mason finally asked.

"Because I lived most of my life without a dad and I wanted one."

"And so he waltzed into your life and you were all 'hey I have a dad now, this is great! Yay me'?"

Link snorted. "No, I hated him. The first time we met I almost punched him."

"What?"

"Yeah, but a Secret Service agent stopped me. I even think it was Carter's father."

Mason shook his head, almost smiling. "I've wanted to hit him so many times." He sighed. "You're really calm about this. I don't like you for that."

For some reason, Link found himself liking Mason more and more for his blunt honesty. At least here was one person who wouldn't lie to him.

"You forget," Link said. "That I've had years to come to terms with all of this."

"So you're saying that I should come to terms with all this?"

Link shrugged. "I don't know. You're different than me, you might not want to. But if you hear him out then at least you can decide with all the facts."

Mason stood abruptly. "Fine, let's get this over with."

Startled by the sudden decision, it took Link a second to follow Mason back to the living room. Like a petulant child, Mason sank into a chair, glaring at his father. Link hovered in the doorway, unsure where he wanted to sit. Finally, he decided to take the second armchair so they all sat separately.

"Alright," Mason said. "I'm going to ask you questions and you're going to tell me the truth. As impossible as that sounds to you as a politician, I'm sure you'll manage it."

Douglas dipped his head. "Go ahead."

"Why?" Mason asked. "Why did you cheat on my mom?"

Douglas clasped his hands together. "It was the biggest mistake of my life."

Despite knowing that it wasn't a statement against himself, Link felt the sting of the words. He dropped his eyes, hating that besides the title of 'bastard', he had 'mistake' as well.

"Link," his father said. "Look at me, son." Link lifted his gaze to see his father staring at him with intense eyes. "That does not mean I regret having you in my life, you hear that? You are the one good thing to come of my mistake."

Link nodded, but still felt the weight of who he was. His father waited for Link to speak but when he didn't, he went on.

"I knew Monica from college," Douglas said. "We were working on a case together right before I became a senator. We'd been working together for months. The day we won the case we celebrated and got drunk..." He ran a hand through his hair.

"How long did the affair last?" Mason asked.

Link watched his father, he'd wanted to know this for a long time but never wanted to break what connection they'd created together.

"It was only that one night. We both woke up realizing how we'd messed up. From that point on we never worked together and broke all contact."

Mason grunted. "I see, it was the easiest way for my mom to never find out. Nice plan."

"Mason," Douglas said. "I told your mother what I did and asked her to do the unimaginable and forgive me."

"And she did?" Mason almost sneered.

"Yes, for some reason she did. Though it was a long road to her trusting me again."

"Yeah, and what did she think about you having another son?"

Douglas dropped his head. "She found out when I found out; when I talked of running for President and Link was about twelve."

Link felt like he'd been punched by the news. All those years when he was little, his father hadn't known he existed? All those years he had hated his father when he thought he'd known but never wanted to see him?

"You didn't know?" Link asked, barely breathing.

His father shook his head. "No. Your mother kept you a secret. She thought it was better that way. Only when she heard I planned to run for President did she get in contact with me. Both me and my wife. She told us both, wanting to be upfront." He swallowed like something was stuck in his throat. "I hated having to hear I had another son all those years and never knew."

He met Link's eyes. "I wanted to meet you right away but she said she'd have to break the news to you. I'm so sorry that I didn't know. I should have known."

Link didn't know what to say. Though he didn't blame his father for not knowing, he now hated his mother for never telling either of them. Part of him could see how it was better growing up not knowing that he was missing out on a different type of life. But the other part of him hurt for all the years he felt like there was a father out there who'd left him. Hadn't wanted him at all.

Mason swore. "How screwed up can this get?"

Link wanted to laugh and cry all at once.

"Look," his father said, glancing between Mason and Link. "Neither of you ever have to forgive me, what I did was selfish and hurtful on so many levels. I've failed you both. But I still want to ask for your forgiveness. And I need you to know that I love you both and I'm so grateful I can have you in my life." He focused on Mason. "However that looks."

The sincerity and conviction in his voice seemed to steal the last traces of anger from the room. Mason stood.

"I need to leave," he said.

Douglas nodded. "I understand."

As Mason headed for the room, Link went after him.

"Hey," Link said. He paused suddenly unsure how to proceed. He'd forgiven his father years ago, but it had taken years. He didn't know if Mason ever would, but he didn't want him to feel alone. "Uh...if you, I don't know...want to...yeah, I'm here."

Mason scuffed his shoe on the ground, frowning and looking unlike the hostile boy that had entered the room earlier.

"Thanks," he said. "I guess I can't really hate him."

"Why?"

Mason met Link's eyes. "Cause I'm starting to like having you as a brother."

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*hits you with emotional feels*

(That's right struggle with your love of Mason! You deny it, but it's true!)

Alright, after you wipe your tears and stop mentally strangling Mason with the hug, he definitely needs, tell me what you thought! 💬🗯💭

Not gonna lie, I didn't see half the things with their father coming. I knew he's had an affair but that was about it. All the details popped up while I was writing this.

Kinda crazy, but he seems to be a more caring guy than the butt head we thought he was in the book. Who knew!

Vote, comment, follow or you know do your own thing.

If you want to be a part or watch the Unboxing of A Secret Service then find me on Instagram: joymoment

(I will be live at 1pm EST or you can watch it once I've posted it to my IGTV)

Yup, that's Link and Mason