He couldn't feel his legs beneath him, but surely they were moving. He couldn't hear anything except the sound of his heart pulsating rapidly in his ears, but the car certainly still hummed behind him, and the dirt underneath his feet crunched with every step. His entire body tingled with a lightness that he had never felt before, and his stomach wrestled against the butterflies to the point where he was sure he was either going to puke or pass out.

Her hands had touched him in ways he had forgotten he could be touched. Her hands—her soft, sweaty hands—had caressed his own. They had moved against his smoothly, as if were the most natural thing in the world. Her hands.

Link shoved his own into his coat pockets, a sad attempt to hide how much he was shaking. As a strong gust of wind blew over him, he felt the chill against his teeth; a wide, stupid, and unerasable grin sat on his lips. Did she know the effect she had on him? Did she relish in making his cheeks burn and his belly twist into knots? Did it mean as much to her as it did to him?

Maybe.

That hopeful thought made his stomach lurch. Puke, it was definitely going to be puke.

He reached the mailbox at the front of his home, opening the small door and snatching the few letters inside, before continuing towards the porch. Every step closer filled Link with dread as the smile dwindled from his features, the joyfulness being replaced with a mask of indifference and apathy. He had to pretend to be the same miserable boy his grandparents knew, the one who was coming home from detention and definitely not the one who was just holding hands with one of the prettiest girls in all of Hyrule.

The less suspicious they were, the better.

The stairs groaned beneath his feet, and the front door seemed impossibly heavy as he pushed it open. His body had stopped its jittery movements, and his breathing was even again. He tossed the mail onto the kitchen counter into the pile of other letters and slipped out of his boots. He walked through the archway separating the living room and kitchen to the sight of his grandparents silently watching TV. His fingers grabbed onto the light switch and signaled them to his presence—off, on, off, on, off, on. They didn't look up.

He casually strolled through the room to his bedroom door. As he inched it open, his grandfather coughed. Link lifted his head, turning it behind him slowly.

"Late," his grandfather signed. He nodded in agreement.

"Detention."

His expression stayed neutral, and his body was calm; it was almost terrifying how good he was at lying. His grandfather waved his hand dismissively, turning his attention back to the small screen. Link nodded, almost to himself, as he turned back around and entered his bedroom.

He leaned back against the door once he closed it, bringing the collar of the jacket to his nose and taking in Zelda's scent. It was still sweet and clean and her. The stupid grin returned to his lips.

He pushed himself off the door and hastily grabbed his journal from his backpack. He nestled into his bed, tucking his knees up, and filling two pages with details of the day's events, taking a number of breaks to lean into the cloth and reminisce about her. At the bottom of the second page, he sketched her hand embracing his knee and then their hands intertwined. By the time he finished, his were trembling again, remembering what it felt like to hold her and how much anxiety it caused him, but in an almost good way.

His fatigue suddenly overwhelmed him as his eyes strained to stay open. He figured a short 30-minute nap would suffice as he hid the journal back into its pocket. He laid down against the mattress and set the alarm clock. As he lifted the blanket to his shoulder, the smell of her radiated up with it. He nuzzled against his jacket as his eyes closed, that unerasable grin back on his lips. For the first time in a long while, he slept peacefully—even if it were only for a few minutes.

oO0Oo

The rhythmic buzzing of a cell phone awoke Zelda the next morning. Her fingers fumbled blindly around the sheets, looking for the menace. Her eyes scrunched together as the brightness from the screen hurt to stare at.

"Hello?" Her voice was husky and filled with sleep. The girl on the other end laughed.

"Good morning, sunshine," Midna mocked. Zelda cleared her throat as she sat up. "Did I wake you?"

She looked over at the clock on her desk. It was already 11:30. Midna didn't wait for a reply.

"Didn't you hear the doorbell?"

No, she hadn't. Her sleeping pill had knocked her out cold, but she felt groggier than normal, and the room spun around with her as its axis. She flopped back against the pillows, the queasiness bubbling in her stomach.

"No. I just—"

"Get dressed. We need to talk."

The call ended. Zelda groaned loudly as her feet slid across the bed sheets to the floor. She lifted her torso and stood, leaning a hand back down on her end table to balance herself. She scooped up her water bottle with the other and brought it to her lips. The water was warm and stale, but it slightly calmed the uneasiness in her belly. Putting on her glasses set the room into focus, which she imagined also helped. She snatched a hoodie off the back of her desk chair, slipping inside it, and then shuffled towards the hallway.

Midna rang the doorbell a few more times as she descended the stairs slowly. When Zelda finally opened the door, her short friend had an ornery, shit-eating grin on her face.

"Took you long enough." Her arms were folded in a pout across her chest. Zelda placed a hand against the doorframe to keep herself balanced. Midna noticed the slight sway to her body, the paleness of her face, and the unmistakable look of someone who was about to vomit. "That doctor's giving you the good stuff, huh?"

She could only nod.

"Put your shoes on. The fresh air from our walk will help."

She hadn't agreed to take a walk, but knowing that Midna wasn't one to argue with, she relented, slipping into a pair of flats and pulling the hood over her head, as she closed the door behind her.

Silence hung between the girls with Midna acting uncharacteristically quiet as they strolled through the neighborhood. The cold air helped Zelda's nausea more than she had anticipated, though she still felt dizzy. As they rounded the second block, the short girl finally spoke.

"I know I joke a lot, but how are you doing?" Then after a beat, "Honestly."

With her stomach mostly settled, Zelda responded, "I'm okay for the most part. Some days are harder than others, but I'm just trying to stay positive and do things that make me feel good."

"Like what?"

Midna absentmindedly kicked a pebble along as they walked.

"I've been reading a lot of poetry and cooking dinner with my dad. Doing homework feels good—" and as her friend shot her a disapproving look, "—oddly good. I feel like I'm getting back on track with everything."

Maybe it was a slight lie, but Midna didn't seem to notice.

"Feels good to hear that. We've all been worried about you," she admitted sort of sheepishly. Zelda nodded.

"I know. I'm sorry."

Midna stopped walking, staring directly into Zelda's eyes.

"Don't say that." She glanced down from the intense gaze, shrugging her shoulders. "What happened to you is not your fault."

"I know that." Her fingers picked at the scabs around her nail beds. "But I've still been distant and kind of shitty towards you guys."

Midna kicked the pebble again, following after it with a shrug of her own.

"I can't blame you. We're kinda assholes." She flashed a teasing smile up to her friend, though Zelda didn't have the heart to return it.

As they reached the community center, an elderly man jogged passed, allowing a brief break in their words. The three waved to each other respectively and then continued onward. Zelda thought carefully about how to shift the conversation to something lighter.

"You find a prom date yet?"

"No. Guys are garbage." They both giggled in agreement. "You?"

Zelda thought about Link, all dressed up in a suit and tie. He'd look ridiculous. "God, no. I don't think I'm even going."

"Fuck boys. Let's go together." Both erupted into laughter. "That's one way to kill those rumors about you dating that weirdo."

Zelda's breath hitched in her throat. Judging from the way Midna involuntarily winced, she hadn't meant to say those words aloud. They had stopped walking, standing now beside the gate to the neighborhood. Silence filled the air; neither girl wanted to speak first. The short one laced her fingers around the black bars and sighed, giving into the pressure.

"I saw you yesterday, leaving your house with him."

"Yeah. And?" Her voice came out meaner than she intended.

"What're you doing, Zelda?"

"Nothing?" Then adding, "He lent me his jacket, and I returned it." When the uncomfortable silence persisted, she crossed her arms over her chest. "We ate some pears in the kitchen, and then I drove him home. I don't see the big deal."

"Eating pears? Is that what the kids are calling it these days? God, that's not even a good euphemism. And in the kitchen? You're ballsy." Midna's tone conveyed humor, an attempt to lighten the mood, but Zelda wasn't laughing.

"It's not like that."

"Then what is it?"

"We're just friends."

"Yeah, and I'm 6'5". What other lies are you going to tell me?" Her tone grew more serious.

"I'm not lying."

"So it's all just a big coincidence? Skipping class with him? Wearing his jacket? Driving him home every other day?"

She rolled her eyes. "We're. Friends."

"Listen, I may be failing English, but I'm not an idiot."

"Okay!" Zelda shouted, losing control of her temper. A car approached the gate to leave, and the girls continued walking again. The woman inside waved to the girls, and they waved back. As the gate closed behind the car, she mumbled, "So what? Who cares?"

"Me. Your friends. Everyone."

"Why?"

"He's… different," Midna stated as if the word itself were slimy.

"I'm different now too."

"Not like him." Midna's shoe toyed with the little rock, which kept her focus away from her friend's face. "No one has heard him say a single word in the last four years. How is that not weird to you?"

Zelda snapped back instantly, "There are non-verbal ways to communicate."

"He's always by himself."

"So having a friend would be good for him."

Midna launched the pebble in a frustrated kick towards a sewer drain. Exasperated, she yelled, "Do you have an excuse for every red flag?"

"They aren't red flags! Link is one of the nicest people I have ever met. You'd know that if you still hung out with me." It was Zelda's turn to wince as the words came out. Her friend wasn't to blame for the growing distance in their relationship, and they both knew that. "I didn't mean that."

She ignored her, crossing her arms over her chest. "Is it really the smartest thing to bring random boys to your house when everyone is keeping an eye on you?"

She laughed dryly. "Oh, I just thought everyone was being nosy. Glad to know it's for my benefit."

"Yeah, don't want you going missing again."

With a sharp intake of breath, Zelda's heart constricted in her chest. The pain burned harshly as her stomach knotted again. She couldn't believe those words had come from someone she considered a friend, someone who knew all of the horrible shit that had happened to her. It hurt worse than she could have imagined. Midna placed a hand over her mouth, shocked by even her own words.

"I wasn't— I didn't—"

"I don't need this." Her pace quickened as tears pricked her eyes.

"Wait! Please, just… wait." She halted a few feet away, keeping her back towards her friend, as she cried. She heard Midna's footsteps approaching. "God, what are we doing? I didn't plan on fighting with you."

The short girl sighed deeply as she placed a hand on Zelda's shoulder. "I just wanted to talk because I'm worried about you. I want to know what's going on with you, not 'cause I'm nosy, but because I care about you. I miss you."

There was a soft cry in Midna's voice, her own eyes betraying her, as her fingers squeezed harder. "I just want my best friend back."

Zelda bit back a half-chuckle, half-sob as she shrugged the hand from her shoulder and continued walking away. "She's still missing."

oO0Oo

The car veered left into an open patch of dirt in front of the small farmhouse where Zelda parked and held her breath for a moment before releasing it again. There was no turning back now. Her morning conversation with Midna had only invigorated her desire to see Link again, and she wasn't going to let anything stop her, despite the anxiety pumping through her veins.

She shut off the engine and lifted Link's presents into her arms, exiting the vehicle and looking around the area for a sign of anyone. With no one around, her feet slowly crept up the porch stairs, which creaked and bowed underneath her weight, until she reached the front door. Her hand hesitated before quickly rapping against the wooden door in three staccato knocks.

No answer.

She took another shaky breath and peered into the window by the door, her hand covering her brow as it pressed against the glass. A sheer curtain covered the room, but she could faintly make out a dining table and an archway behind it. No movement inside indicated that her search would have to continue elsewhere. Behind her, Rosa meowed.

Zelda jumped, leaping back from the window with a frightened gasp. She clutched onto the gifts and felt her heart in her ears. When she looked down to see the white cat, she couldn't help but chuckle. She shook her head at herself as the cat pawed at her calves. She bent down to give her a pat.

"Hi, sweetheart," she cooed in a baby voice, rubbing gently around her ears. Link was right; she looked a lot like Royal, but sweeter. "You're a good girl, aren't you?"

She meowed again, slightly louder, as Zelda's fingers moved from her ears to her chin.

"Where's Link, huh? Do you know where your daddy is?"

Rosa flopped onto her back, exposing her belly as she purred. Zelda smiled and ran her fingers over her soft tummy, knowing that the cat was only interested in some cuddles and wouldn't lead her to Link. She gave her one more scratch on her chin and then stood back up to her full height.

In the distance, she vaguely heard the sound of fabric slapping against the wind, then again. Someone was home. She stepped off the porch, following the sound as it grew louder around the side of the house and into the back.

An older woman stood in front of a clothes line, whipping laundry out into the air before clipping it to the line. Her grey hair was tied back into a disheveled bun at the nape of her neck, and she wore a dingy, discolored apron around her stout waist. She bent over the laundry basket with some difficulty, wobbling slightly as she stood back up.

"Hello?" Zelda called out to the woman softly, fearfully. She did not respond, continuing with her laundry. Zelda walked closer and approached from the side, not wanting to scare her. She tried again, louder. "Ma'am?"

With no response, she awkwardly waved her arm in an exaggerated manner to grab her attention. The movement caught the woman's eye and she turned just as Zelda reached the left end of the clothes line. She smiled as the woman looked her up and down with confusion.

"Hi. I don't mean to be rude. I knocked on the door, but no one answered. I'm looking for Link? He lives here, right? I thought he'd be home, but if he's not, I can leave. He doesn't know I planned on coming here. It's okay if he isn't home. I just know it's his birthday so I brought him some presents and I—" She rambled before stopping herself, her nerves getting the better of her. She took a breath, smiling wider at the woman, and extended her hand. "Sorry. I'm Zelda, Link's friend."

The woman stared at her hand for a moment, then to the gifts in her other. She looked back into Zelda's eyes briefly with her eyebrows scrunched together and a squint to her eyes before shaking her head, shooing Zelda away, and turning back to her laundry. Zelda slowly brought her hand back to herself, sighing. Why had she assumed that Link's grandparents would be any different from him? Of course they were going to be just as quiet; he had to get that trait from somewhere.

The woman struggled as she bent over the basket again. Zelda wanted to help her remain balanced, but felt uncomfortable placing her hands on her. Instead, she placed the presents on the ground and stepped closer. "Would you like some assistance?"

Her hands timidly reached into the basket, grabbing onto a shirt. Before she could even pull the garment out of the basket, the woman took a clothespin and snapped it against the back of her hand, pinching the thin skin sharply. She yelped, releasing the shirt and jumping back. She rubbed the sensitive spot gingerly as the woman glared at her.

"I'm sorry. I only wanted to help," Zelda stated calmly though her anxiety had gathered in her chest and her hands became uncontrollably shaky. She took a few steps back, tripping over the bundle she had placed on the grass. She regained her balance and spoke softly, "I think I should go."

As she bent over to pick them up, she heard footsteps against the wooden planks of the back porch behind her. She whirled around to an older gentleman with a break-action shotgun in one hand and a cane in the other. She stood up straight, lifting her hands innocently to prove she wasn't a threat. He leaned the cane against the house, clicking open the double-barreled shotgun and slowly loading it with two shells, his eyes never leaving Zelda as he did so.

"I didn't mean to cause any trouble. Honestly. I promise I'm leaving." She walked backwards with her hands up, discarding Link's gifts on the ground. She just wanted to get out of here unharmed.

The man flicked his wrist up and the shotgun clicked back into place, fully loaded. He walked off the back porch, limping with the cane abandoned against the house. It took everything in Zelda not to break into a sprint, dashing to her car and escaping down the dirt roads as fast as she could. A sudden movement like that would get her shot. She kept her slow pace backwards, realizing now the reason Link never wanted her to drive past the four-way intersection.

The man lifted the gun, aiming it towards Zelda. She stopped in her tracks.

"Please," she begged, dropping to her knees with her hands still raised. "I'm not—"

Her words were cut short as the man fired his weapon. Her arms wrapped protectively around her head as it ducked to the ground, her torso slamming into her knees. A heavy drumming of her heartbeat pounded in her ears, drowning out anything else for a few seconds, until the sound of her own scream pierced through. Adrenaline coursed over her trembling frame and she swore this was what it felt like to die.

Yet she hadn't felt anything. No burning sensation of pain. Nothing grazed against her flesh nor torn it apart. The only thing that felt wrong was the now scratchiness to her throat and the dull ache in her sternum from the force which she threw herself to the ground.

She hesitantly unraveled her arms from the top of her head and peeked up through her eyelashes at the man. He had pointed the gun up to the sky, firing into the air. A warning shot, she thought.

As the man lowered the shotgun back towards Zelda, a thunderous gallop of hooves against dirt sounded to her left before a hard thud and the rushing noise of boots against grass met her ears. Her eyes flashed to see Link running, putting himself between his grandparents and her. His chest heaved, nearly out of breath, as he stood in front of her, the gun now aimed at him.

Immediately, his hands moved in succinct motions, clean and forceful. The woman met his intensity with her own hands moving in a specific manner. Zelda felt the heat spreading over her cheeks and darkening her ears, realizing now why her attempts at communication had failed.

She couldn't understand what they were saying, but from the way they signed over each other with amplified movements and strong expressions, it wasn't pretty. The man joined in, laying the gun down to do so. Link's hands momentarily fell to his sides as his grandfather berated him.

Zelda felt helpless as she remained motionless on the ground. What have I done?

Link huffed heavily. His hands almost defeatedly signing something that caused both his grandparents to freeze, dropping their hands in unison. They both glared at him and then at Zelda. She averted her gaze, burying her face back into the ground. She could feel tears welling up in her eyes, but held them back.

His grandfather limped over to his grandmother. He signed something to Link, who responded with a single stern nod, and then offered the woman his arm. She placed her hand into the crook of his elbow to keep herself steady and they slowly made their way back to the house. Link took a deep breath, holding for a few seconds before releasing in a shaky stream.

He kept his distance for a moment, remaining in place with his back towards Zelda. She awaited his movement, dreading the confrontation. Surely this was it; their blossoming friendship was over. Any moment now, he'd turn around and tell her to leave, to never talk to him again. There would be no more good morning smiles at their lockers, no more stop sign small talks, no more peaceful nights wrapped in his jacket. She'd no longer have the pleasure of seeing that glow of happiness in his eyes when he laughed out loud at her stupid jokes or feeling the comfort of being understood that only he could offer her. She'd be alone again.

She could feel her heart shattering in her chest as he finally turned to her.

Zelda kept her face down, tensely listening as he approached. Tears gathered in her eyes with every scuff against the grass growing louder. He sighed heavily as he knelt down onto one knee in front of her balled up form. She couldn't look up at him, couldn't face the reality of what she had done, what she had ruined.

An eternity passed where nothing happened. His eyes stared straight into the top of her head, and she wondered what he was thinking. As a gentle nudge graced the back of her hand, she no longer had to guess. It was that dichotomy of soft and rough that she had first felt from his palm days ago when they skipped class together and again yesterday when she held onto him. Her nerve endings danced underneath his skin, unknowingly grateful for his touch.

It gave her just enough courage to speak.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, lifting her eyes back up. "I just—"

Her words caught in her throat as she took him in. His hair clung to his forehead, drenched in sweat, with lips slightly pursed and brow cinched at the bridge of his nose. The blue of his eyes seemed deeper in hue as his anger burned harshly within them. Unlike the anger filled with hatred that he had shown Groose, this came from a more wounded and vulnerable place, a fearful anger like that of an ensnared animal desperate to escape its capture.

But it wasn't the only emotion his eyes harbored. Despite her actions, he stared at her with a tenderness of concern that she hadn't expected. He still cared about her.

Instantly, the tears she had managed to keep at bay poured from her eyes. She lunged forward, wrapping her arms around him tightly. One snaked around his waist as the other ran up his back, hand cupping his shoulder blade. Her wet face buried itself against his collarbone and neck as his entire body stiffened with a sharp inhale. He remained still as a statue as she clung to him, profusely apologizing through her cries.

Link's hands froze in mid-air behind her back, unsure of what to do, as her tears dampened his shirt. He had seen her cry before, but it hadn't been his fault, and her pained expression before she had crashed into him tugged at his heart, even if he was furious with her. He sighed again.

His eyes traveled down, catching just the edges of her face as she hid it against him. A glimmer in his peripherals caught his attention and his head turned away from her. A short distance away left abandoned in the grass laid a bundle of gifts: a beautifully wrapped present and a small white pastry box. His heart sank.

My birthday.

Zelda felt his body soften, hands falling back to his sides, prompting her to turn her head to look up at him through glassy eyes. He stared off into the distance, an unreadable expression on his face. She lifted her head slightly to gaze in the same direction. His presents. Suddenly feeling embarrassed by her proximity to him, she brought her arms back towards herself and pulled away. His head snapped back to her at the quick movement.

"I should go," she said, bringing a hand to her eyes and wiping tears that had no intention of slowing.

He remained motionless, his mind still unable to comprehend everything that was happening. Zelda stood up and traveled to the presents, lifting them into her arms before walking back to Link. He remained kneeling, gazing up at her.

"Here." Her arms stretched out to hand off the gifts. "I shouldn't have come here."

Link disagreed. He wanted her to stay despite whatever punishment he'd receive for it; he figured he was already in deep shit anyway.

Her breathing hitched in her throat as she tried to stop her crying. In her blurry vision, she noticed the guilt in his eyes now, the guilt that he had no reason to bare. It only amplified her own.

"I should go," she repeated with an uneven breath.

His fingers reached around hers beneath the presents, giving her a tender squeeze of reassurance, as he purposefully stared into her watery eyes and shook his head. With his hands still around hers, he awkwardly stood, glancing around the farm to see that they were alone. His eyes met hers again as he cocked his head to the side and lifted his eyebrows, asking her to follow him in that direction. She agreed, their fingers detangling.

Link led her to an old red metal gate that separated the house from the fenced-in farmlands. The hinges grated against each other unpleasantly as he opened it just enough for them both to squeeze through. Epona stood in the open field in the distance. He brought his thumb and forefinger to his lips, whistling loudly. She immediately trotted over to his side as he relocked the gate. He grabbed hold of her reins and then used his chin to point Zelda towards the direction of the barn. She could only nod, still too embarrassed to speak though her tears had now subsided.

She remained a few steps behind Link as they silently walked to the barn together, their shoes rustling through the grass the only sound heard between them. She watched his hand absentmindedly, but lovingly, stroke Epona's neck as they walked, not knowing if it was to calm down the horse or himself. There was still a tension wound tight within him, whether he acknowledged it or not.

He swung open the barn door and immediately the scent of animals and hay wafted through the air. It wasn't pleasant, but it wasn't stomach-churning either. Link looked over at her to see her nose involuntarily wrinkled in disgust and couldn't help the tiny smirk on his face. Princess.

He led Epona to her stall and removed the bridle, hanging it from a nail jutting out of a support beam, before taking off the saddle. He grabbed his jacket from a different nail and hoisted it onto his shoulders, the cool air finally mixing with the sweat on his body and bringing a chill to his flesh. He finally turned his attention back to Zelda, pointing to the ladder by the barn door.

She gazed at it before looking down at the bundle in her arms with apprehension. Link read her thoughts and motioned to hold the gifts while she climbed. She nodded, handing them over. Her hands securely wrapped around the wooden rungs as she ascended to the hayloft. He watched her as she climbed, still in disbelief that she was here at his home. If it were under different circumstances, he'd be thrilled. He took a shaky breath and climbed the ladder one-handed behind her.

They shuffled awkwardly against the wooden slats, unsure of what to do with themselves for a moment, until Link sat down on top of a hay bale. She joined him. He offered her to take the gifts back from his grip.

"No, go ahead. They're yours," she encouraged, her voice just a shy whisper. Instead of ripping into the paper like she wanted, he set them aside, his now free hands digging into his jacket pockets to retrieve his notebook. Her mouth felt like cotton as he wrote.

"Why?"

"You know why."

He lifted his eyebrows in agreement with a slight shrug of his shoulders. Yeah, he did. His pencil was back on the page.

"I said 'no.'"

"That you did." She nodded forlornly, exhaling a heavy breath as she stared off into the distance. "I am sorry that I broke your trust and overstepped a boundary. My hope is that you can forgive me and know that I will make it up to you in anyway that I can."

Her hands wrung together in her lap, shifting her gaze to him, though his eyes focused on the toe of his boot rubbing against the wooden floor. She talked in that really sincere way, he noticed, that meant she was serious.

"I know you think differently, but this is important." He shook his head, affirming her words. "I couldn't stand the idea of you being alone today. I thought that you should have at least one memory of a good birthday—but I definitely ruined that, huh?" She laughed without humor.

"Yes, I could have waited until Monday, but where would we have gone? To your hideout?" She shrugged, her fingers picking at the skin around her nails. "I thought you deserved better than eating your cake next to a dumpster."

"I didn't want anything." He slid the notebook into her lap and she nodded.

"I know."

If there was one thing Link both liked and hated about her, it was her persistence. When she knew what she wanted, she wouldn't give in until she got it. Weeks ago, she had forced him into her car because she had wanted to thank him for protecting her. If she hadn't, they wouldn't be friends now, but sometimes, she didn't know when to quit.

He wanted to still be mad with her, but couldn't find it in his heart to be. She had come here only because she wanted to make him happy. That lurching feeling in his stomach returned and he swallowed it down hard.

He sighed deeply as he brought the present into his lap to finally admire it. A dark royal blue paper enveloped the package, accented by golden ribbons. Her anxiety eased, seeing that all of his anger had vanished.

"I hope it's okay. I wasn't sure what to get you."

He lifted his gaze to her and nodded, knowing that he would be an impossible person to shop for. He wrapped his finger around one of the ribbons, giving it a soft tug until it unraveled. A finger slid underneath the folded paper and gingerly sliced through the tape holding it together.

Inside was a casebound sketchbook with a dark, forest green cover. His fingers traced along the front of it, slowly taking it in, as a tiny grin formed on his lips. She had remembered from their talks the things he had said he liked; she had listened to him. A tight squeeze wound its way around his heart as he thumbed the pages, feeling the quality and thickness of them.

Zelda eyed him curiously, watching as his expression changed. It was the happiest he had ever looked, yet the smallest smile she had ever seen.

"Do you like it?"

An overwhelming wave of emotions flowed through him as she gazed at him with the softest eyes. She cared so much about him, and that simultaneously inflamed and broke his heart. There was nothing he desired more than to wrap her into his arms and embrace her as tightly as his chest felt. He wanted to kiss her neck, her cheek, her lips—hell, anywhere that was her. He wanted to know the feeling of tracing his fingers along her smooth face or against her blonde hair. But—

He couldn't allow himself that kind of pleasure if it meant breaking her heart. His remaining time with her was limited, and she didn't have a clue.

It had been at least five years since he had cried, but in that moment—wrestling with the conflicting emotions of joy and pain—that unfamiliar stinging sensation in the back of his eyes hit him hard, his vision blurring. He fought the urge, taking a quivering breath and closing his eyes.

'Thank you,' he mouthed with a few nods to answer her question. She noticed the moisture gathered in his eyes and grinned wider, happy that she had gotten him a gift good enough to make him sort of emotional.

"You're welcome." Her voice was calming as she scooted a little closer to him. The heat from their bodies just mingling, though they weren't touching. "You okay?"

He held up his pointer finger, signifying that he needed a second to breathe, to focus, to gain control of himself. He inhaled deeply a few more times, each one releasing that desire to cry, until it vanished and he was alright again. He opened his eyes to her peering at him with all the happiness in the world.

"Cake?" He nodded, his small grin returning.

She lifted the white pastry box into her lap and unveiled a personal-sized yellow cake with chocolate icing and rainbow sprinkles, a quintessential birthday cake. It had been slightly squashed against the box on one side from when Zelda had tripped over it, which disappointed her, but Link couldn't have cared less. From her pocket, she pulled a couple slender, multi-colored candles and placed them into the top. "Do you have your lighter on you?"

He nodded, sticking it out for her to grab.

"I've never used one before," she confessed in a laugh. He spun the spark wheel twice before the flame came to life, dragging it across the candles until each one was lit. The soft orange glow illuminated their faces.

"Happy birthday to you." His eyes darted to her face, watching her as she stared into the cake and sang, her voice sweeter than any bird's dawn chorus. "Happy birthday to you." The flames danced in her eyes and he thought she'd never look prettier. "Happy birthday, dear Link. Happy birthday to you." She gazed back up at him, an expectant expression on her face. "Go on, make a wish."

He inhaled.

I wish to never hurt you.

He blew in a steady stream, extinguishing each candle until the air around them filled with the smell of burning wax and sugar. They stared at each other for a moment as the smoke dissipated, grinning like idiots.

"What'd you wish for?"

"Won't come true if I tell you."

"What? You don't trust me?" Her tone was filled with faux outrage. His face jokingly scrunched together and his head bobbed left and right. She elbowed him gently. "Well, I wish for it to come true."

As she plucked the cooled candles out of the top, a realization dawned on her and she frowned. "I didn't bring any forks."

Link shrugged, dipping his thumb and forefinger directly into the cake like a toddler on their first birthday, pinching off a piece. As he brought it to his lips, Zelda laughed while rolling her eyes. Enjoying the sweetness on his taste buds, he just shrugged again.

"Is that good?" she teased. He gave her a chocolate-covered thumbs-up, before diving in for another piece. It only made her laugh harder. She sighed defeatedly, mimicking his movements and taking a section of her own. Had she done this around any other boy, she'd have been mortified, but it was just Link—who seemed incapable of judging her—and he was already smiling at her for it anyway.

"Have you had a Kinstone cake before?" His head shook. "It's this little diner hidden in central Hyrule run by the cutest couple, Wheaton and Pita. Best baked goods in town, hands down." She grabbed another piece, her molars crunching on a sprinkle. "We'll have to go sometime. They have really good breakfast food."

He hummed contently at the thought, swallowing his bite before going in for another.

"I have a question," she stated after a few minutes of sitting in a comfortable silence. He lifted his eyebrows, prompting her to continue. "Do you prefer sign language or your notebook?"

He shrugged, grabbing his notebook with his clean hand. "Doesn't matter."

"I know a little," she signed. "Summer camp." Link smiled gently as he chewed. It was kind of cute when she signed for some reason. Maybe because she was unsure of herself, not wanting to say something wrong. She continued with her voice, "I've always wanted to learn more. I just haven't."

"I could teach you," he offered. Her grin widened.

"Would you?" He nodded enthusiastically, swallowing his piece. "Show me your name."

His fingers moved slowly as she mirrored him, getting a feel for the motion. She practiced between bites and his heart tugged slightly watching her spell his name.

"And mine?" She spent less time practicing her own. He taught her a few basic conversational phrases— yes, no, thank you— to make it easier to talk to each other without Link having to write everything down. Now that she knew this type of communication was an option, she was excited to learn.

"Okay, you have to teach me at least one swear word today," she said in a giggle. He knew the perfect one, writing it down instantly.

"Bastard," he signed, flashing the notebook for her to read as his shoulders vibrated from the chuckle in his nose. Zelda laughed, mimicking the movement. He imagined her going home and immediately signing it to Royal, who'd be none the wiser. He couldn't fight the giggle in his throat.

"God, she's gonna love that." Link's nose crinkled at the bridge as he agreed with her. She signed, "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Back to eating in a comfortable silence, their fingers avoided meeting the other against the chocolate icing. He'd take his, then she'd take hers. A single bite remained and he offered it to her with a flick of his chin. She shook her head, picking up the box and placing it directly into his lap. He popped the last of it into his mouth happily. With the cake reduced to crumbs, she pointed to his new sketchbook and asked, "So how long have you been drawing?"

"Forever."

"Really? Do you do it everyday?"

She pulled a couple napkins from her jacket pocket, handing one to Link who set the pastry box aside and wiped his hands clean before replying.

"Pretty much."

It had always been a tool he used to either escape reality when it was too stressful or ground himself to it when he felt like he was floating away. In the past, he had mostly drawn the animals on the farm when he needed a break from his work. More recently—and embarrassingly—he had a new subject that he had a lot of practice sketching.

"I'd love to see some of it sometime." During one of their first car rides, she had said something to a similar effect and Link had been too self-conscious to even entertain the idea. Now that she had gifted him a sketchbook, he wanted to fill it for her so she could see how much he appreciated it. He agreed with a head nod, and her heart fluttered. "Now?"

"It's all inside." He pointed in the direction of the farmhouse. She gazed down at her present to him, taking it into her hands.

"You could draw something to break it in? Something small?"

His chest constricted. There was only one thing he wanted to draw and it was sitting right in front of him. He barely lifted his shoulders as he took the book from her hand, opening it to the first page and running his along the paper as if to smooth it. He lifted one leg up onto the hay bale, bending his knee and letting his foot dangle off, as he shifted his body to face hers fully.

It didn't take him long to do a small sketch of her face, smile wide and eyes gleaming. His eyes darted from the book to her as the pencil etched against the page, and her face flushed when she realized he was drawing her; he made sure to add that too. It took him a few minutes, but she watched him the entire time, loving how concentrated and serious he appeared. He seemed confident, and it felt good to see him like that for once. To finish it off, he decided to make fun of her, drawing a little speech bubble that stated, 'My favorite fruit is an avocado.'

As he revealed his work to her, she inched closer, their knees touching.

"Oh!" She exclaimed, bringing her hand to her mouth as she giggled. Her heart felt warm looking at the illustration of herself, even if he was teasing her in it. "Wow, you're really good."

He shrugged sheepishly, more focused on the little distance between their bodies and the jolts of electricity that pulsed through his knee when she moved. She lifted the sketchbook from his hand and gingerly ran her fingers across the picture of herself.

"I mean it, Link. You're good."

He just lifted his shoulders, glancing away from her while fighting the blush creeping onto his face. He couldn't handle her complimenting him. It was all a bit much: her knee against his, her words of encouragement, her beaming expression.

"Thanks for showing me." He nodded, taking the book back from her and setting it aside. It was getting late. The tips of their noses and ears had turned pink and goosebumps puckered up against their skin from the air dropping in temperature. The last remaining flecks of sunlight peeked above the horizon, fighting against the soft dusk of twilight. "I should probably get going, huh?"

He let her climb down the ladder first and then led them back out into the fields, locking the barn door behind them. They walked in silence like they had earlier, but there was no tension now, just sadness. Neither wanted today to end. It had felt right sitting in the hayloft, eating cake, and laughing together as if the entire world had melted away for an hour around them. It would be far too long for it to happen again.

They reached her car, where he opened the door for her and leaned his hand against the top of it. She stood between him and the driver's seat, unsure how to say goodbye appropriately. She knew she wanted to hug him again—this time under better circumstances—but would he let her?

"So, Monday?"

Her words echoed those from yesterday's departure, an attempt at humor to distract from her nervousness. Link's lips lifted lopsidedly. He nodded. Monday.

She took a deep breath, taking a step closer to him. His eyes widened.

"Can I—?" Without finishing her question, she wrapped one arm around his shoulders as the other encompassed his waist. He stiffened, remaining completely still as she embraced him. His baggy clothes usually hid how skinny and small he was, but with her body fully against his, she noticed just how tiny he felt in her arms. She had a few inches on him, his head only reaching the top of her ear, and there was no way he weighed more than 110 pounds.

His chest barely expanded and she was unsure if he was even breathing. Maybe he wasn't. His entire body tingled with that electricity of lightness that caused his head to swim and his stomach to swirl. It had been years since anyone had held him as tenderly as Zelda was, and it felt overwhelming to be touched all over again, resulting in his nerve endings feeling both pleasure and pain. His arms finally snaked around her, squeezing back just barely.

The wind blew her hair into his face and it didn't matter. Her collarbone dug into his chin and it didn't matter. If he didn't only have nightmares, he'd swear he was dreaming.

Over Link's shoulder, Zelda spied a little orange circle lightened against the encroaching darkness of night on the porch, a reminder of what was waiting for him when she let go. Her eyes remained focused on that flame, fading in and out with each puff. She hugged him harder, all the guilt from earlier settling in her stomach, as she leaned as close to his ear as she could and whispered, "I'm still sorry for whatever trouble I've gotten you into. I owe you. Big time. Whatever you want, whenever you want."

Link nodded, their hair rustling against each other's. Her breath warmed his cold ears and a sadness tainted her voice again. He already knew what he wanted from her, but felt too lightheaded from their contact to even bother reaching for his notebook. His stiff arms pressed more firmly into her.

"Happy birthday, Link." She could feel his smile against her shoulder.

They detangled with a heavy sigh. She sat down in the driver's seat and he closed the door for her. The engine came to life and the headlights shone through the fields to the trees along the edge of the property. Zelda looked over to him one last time and gave a small wave with just her fingers. He returned it, stepping back away from the car. He listened to the wheels turning against the dirt as he faced the farm house and that orange circle of a cigarette burning awaited him.

He inhaled, her car retreated down the road, and then he exhaled, finally stepping towards the house. His grandmother rocked back and forth in a chair as she smoked, watching Link intently as he climbed the stairs. He stood beside her, a mask of indifference painted on his features. He wanted her to speak first, but after a few seconds of her just staring at him expectantly, he decided to bite the bullet.

"I'm sorry."

She snorted, releasing a cloud from her lungs. She brought the cigarette back to her lips to make her hands free.

"No, you aren't."

She wasn't wrong.

He swallowed hard, not knowing what else to say. She dabbed the cigarette out into an ashtray while shaking her head.

"Stupid boy."

"Yes, ma'am," he returned, keeping himself calm.

"You're just like your mother, falling in love with the first pretty thing that gives you attention." Any mention of his mother always felt like a rip through his heart, but the ill-intentioned words that came from his grandparents caused more anger in him than pain, and they constantly used that against him. His jaw clenched as he felt his teeth grind. His hands vibrated with a violent urge. "We thought we did a better job with you."

"She'll help on the farm for free." His movements were rigid and serious, an attempt to hide his temper and end this conversation, but she read right through him, spitting back an ire of her own.

"It's not for free if she's fucking you." Link's hands folded into fists at his sides, and he squeezed his thumbs so hard the knuckles felt like they were going to pop out of place. It's like somehow she knew that the only two things that got under his skin were malicious comments about his mother and sexual ones about Zelda. She almost had a smile on her face. "Sensitive topic?"

He inhaled through his nose, releasing the tension built up in his hands as he exhaled. They were still shaking as he signed, "No, ma'am."

She snorted again. "Don't get any ideas about her. The last thing we need is another mistake running around here."

He could only nod. She placed her hands into her jacket pockets, staring off into the distance as the sun fully set beyond the horizon. His brow wrinkled in confusion. Her putting her hands away signaled that she no longer wished to communicate, and while Link was content with that, he hadn't been punished. She hadn't given him a firm slap on the face or even asked for his house keys. He froze beside her, not knowing what else to do. After a moment, her head swiveled to look at him.

"You're still here?" He shrugged. She rolled her eyes, shooing him away dismissively.

He nodded once, heading inside. He knew that his actions today wouldn't go unpunished; they just didn't know what they were going to do to him yet, he decided. But it wouldn't matter, none of it would matter. Zelda had given him the best birthday in his entire life and nothing could take that away from him. Not more chores around the farm. Not sleeping in the hayloft for a week. Not even himself.

God, this chapter was a beast: both emotionally and in size.

I do want to say that this scene of Zelda coming to Link's house was one of the first ideas I had when thinking of starting this story, and it turned out way better than I had originally imagined. I am so happy with this chapter, it's almost disgusting lol.

Thank you all for your continued support and I hope you enjoyed this one as much as I did. :)