MAJOR APOLOGIES FOR DELAYS IN EVERY SINGLE STORY OF MINE!

I know I am late in updating NActivities, and I know just about everything else is on hold, but I have been busier than ever before in my life recently, and so I'll have to give this as a peace offering for the time being.

It struck me, and I had to write it, and hopefully my long delays will be forgiven.

I don't know when new updates will come up. I am extremely busy right now, and I work hard at so many things that I hope you'll understand that my love for fanfics comes in after other things.

But believe me, nothing has been dropped yet. Simply put on hold until things calm down. My sincerest hope is that such a time comes, eventually.

In the meantime, please enjoy this short oneshot. It is not, by all means, high literature, but I find it amusing.

It goes without saying that it is through Zelda's point of view, but you would have figured it out yourselves, smart as you are.

Yes, it is an AU. I am quite fond of them. And yes, it is a wink to Twilight Princess, in which Link is said to be very close to animals.

But enough of this. Please read.

So Like Link

By CM

It was so like Link to bring home a stray animal.

In fact, if I hadn't known any better, I'd have thought he'd been out looking for the thing. But of course, he'd swear otherwise, and beg me with those dark blue eyes of his, which he knew bent all my heartstrings the right way, that we keep it until it stopped raining.

Or until it got warmer.

Or until its leg healed.

And then, he'd thrust the thing in my face, and of course all the sweetest little creatures would look at me and finish what Link's laughing and handsome face had started: my acceptance.

It was so like him to make me feel all fuzzy inside with his spontaneity.

And yet, from looking at him at first glance, he didn't seem the kind to give a care. He lounged about when he wasn't working. He seemed to get everything without effort –he was no simpleton—, and he only complied to my demands if I asked him many times.

I saw him that day, however, running towards the door, bent over something he'd hidden in his jacket to protect it from the rain, and I knew. He'd found another one.

He opened the door, and I could hear him mumbling something under his breath. I could also hear him smiling cheerfully as he spoke to whatever it is he'd found. When he came into view, I had already put my magazine down and was looking at him like a mother about to scold a child. He looked up then and grinned boyishly.

I could have sworn he knew what effect that had on me. It was a cruel way to get me. Especially since his dirty blonde hair, wet and matted, sticking to his forehead, and the water dripping from his clothes and the almost sexy smile that played on his handsome features only accentuated the fact that Link, of all the young men I knew, looked particularly fine.

"Zelda," he started, coming towards me after clumsily slipping out of his shoes, "I know what you're going to say." He fell to his knees in front of me, still holding onto the small creature in the crook of his arm. I crossed my arms, but I had already melted. He didn't have to know that. "But you have to see it. It looked so cold and wet behind those crates, I couldn't leave it there!"

And Link showed me, finally, what it was that had caught his attention.

I couldn't help it. I smiled.

It was so like Link to find adorable creatures.

The cat was young. It was small. Its fur was wet, but it looked healthy. It was rolled comfortably in Link's strong arms, tail curled and paws playing with one of Link's coat zippers. Its eyes, light green, were entranced by the game.

I reached out to stroke it, almost envying its position. Link grinned up at me, and I couldn't help but notice again.

Gods, my housemate was good-looking.

"I take it," Link said with no small amusement, "that you're willing to keep it for now?"

I sighed. "I can't stop you, now, can I?"

"Of course not. I'm so strong and perfect, you'd never stand a chance," he said, standing again and walking towards the small kitchen. He put the kitten on the floor, and it followed him adoringly as Link shrugged his coat off and hung it up on a hook.

I wish I were a kitten.

"Hey, Zellie?" I love it when he calls me that. But he's not supposed to know it.

"What, Linkie-poo?"

I saw him look out the kitchen doorway with a scowl. He shot me a childish glare. "Not that again."

I laughed. "Wanna know how many messages Ruto left for you today, Linkie-poo?"

"Not really." He had returned into the kitchen and I could hear him looking around for the bowl and tuna we always had extra cans of. Link's fancies were quite regular. "But say it anyway."

I looked at the answering machine. The number glowed, ominously bright on the tiny display screen. "Twenty-three. And that's not counting the two that actually said something halfway through relevant."

"Twenty-five messages!" Link was, I could hear, astonished. "What is wrong with that woman?"

I didn't answer him. If I hadn't shared a house with him already, I may have been as insisting as she was. Despite how insane, frightening or psychotic that may seem.

So instead, I said, "How was your day?"

He re-emerged from the kitchen, eating crackers right out of the box. Shrugging, he finished his bite before saying, "It was fine. Profs saw me drawing on my pad again and was shocked."

"But?"

At this, Link grinned again, popping another cracker into his mouth. "But since I'm his top student, he took it as a compliment. He probably thought it was because he was so inspiring or something."

It was so like him to be lucky and well-liked.

"I envy you," I mumbled. "If a teacher ever saw me doodling, they'd be insulted."

"Heh, as I already established," Link shrugged and fell heavily beside me on the couch, making the couch give way and me fall a bit towards him, "I'm perfect."

I know.

"Wow, thank Gods your head isn't too big. We'd have to enlarge the doorways," I said, as wryly as I could manage under the circumstances. He'd moved so he was lying with his head in my lap. His hair was practically begging for me to run my fingers through it.

And damn the warm feeling all over.

"I know. My head is the exact perfect size," Link joked, eyes closed. He was grinning again. "As is every other part of my anatomy."

"That is too much information, Link." Dear hell no, it wasn't too much. From what I'd seen, he was right. I had missed seeing every single part of him by little, but if the rest of him was to be judged, he was absolutely right. Though he probably thought it a joke, it was fact.

Ooh, Ruto would be so jealous. He was currently loosening his uniform tie and was unbuttoning his shirt collar. I got a glimpse of the golden skin there.

Why was it so hot in here?

"How was your day?" Link asked, finally stopping all movement and calmly waiting for my response.

"Fine. I only had chemistry today, so I came home pretty early."

Link smirked. "Want me to help you review your chemistry?"

The way he said it almost made me shiver. But if I had, I knew he'd notice. So I tensed for a second. And gave him a small punch. "Idiot."

"Well, seriously. What have you been up to?"

"I spoke with Malon."

"She's still pining after Sheik, I presume?"

I laughed. "Yeah."

We lapsed into silence. I, because I'd remembered of the last time we'd spoken about people's love lives, Link had been half-naked, dripping from his shower, rivulets of water trailing over his abs and quite literally looking steamy hot.

It was so like Link to not realise how delicious he looked with only a towel slung around his waist. We'd spoken for barely two minutes before he realized where my gaze kept returning—his defined abs—and he hastened to retreat. To my chagrin.

But right now, well, I suspected Link's silence was due to the fact that he'd fallen asleep. At least, he looked like it.

Which was why I nearly jumped a foot high when he spoke again.

"I like this girl."

Dread suddenly filled my gut like a flood in a street. Oh Gods. No.

"Oh?" I hoped I hadn't sounded too strangled.

"She's really great, and sexy and smart and funny, but I think she thinks I'm a dork."

Oh Gods. My stomach was twisting inside of me. It was a miracle I still had enough breath to talk, or rather, choke my next words.

"Why would she think that?"

Link shrugged. His eyes were closed. I couldn't gauge his feelings, but at least he couldn't see my distress.

"Because I turn into a dork whenever she's around."

All my hopes shattered. I was not sexy, not right now, at least, in sweat pants and tee, nor was I smart—at least, not compared to him, the local genius—, nor was I funny, not the subtle and/or sarcastic and/or suggestive way he was.

And Link certainly did not turn into a dork when he was with me.

"Oh?"

Wait. Not good. I said 'oh?' twice. Not good. Can't do it again. Can't, or will kill self on spot.

"I don't know if I should tell her."

I didn't know if I wanted him to either.

"Why wouldn't you?" I said instead. "I mean, you're cute…" No, HANDSOME, SEXY! "… You're funny. You're brilliant. Why would she think you're a dork?"

Link laughed, but it was not humoured. "I keep doing all these dorky things. I give her stupid pet names—"

Pet names? Okay. That's it. I'm definitely killing myself.

"—and I always make these lame jokes around her, without any form of that so-called brilliance—"

Why, oh why, was this happening to me?

"—and I always—… No, nevermind."

"Go on." Oh my gods, what was wrong with me? Was I masochistic or something?

"No, this is really the worst."

"Link." Why was I insisting? This was so bad. It stung so much.

He opened his eyes, and I gave him the best no-nonsense look I could manage with no stomach, shards of my heart exploding inside my chest and all the blood twirling in my head.

"You can tell me." Maybe it was best if I just made sure. I had to know. "Who is she?"

He was silent so long, I thought he was considering the best way to tell me off. What if he liked Ruto?

Oh no. I would DIE if he loved Ruto. Ruto was just about the worst, right after Madame Aroma, the psycho stalker landlady.

But what if, instead, he liked Malon? Or Anju?

Or Nabooru?

Oh no. It was Nabooru. I was sure of it. Nabooru was everything he'd said. Sexy, smart, funny. Every guy had had, at least once, a fantasy about Nabooru.

But had Link fallen for her as well?

Oh no. Oh no, this was so not funny.

It would be so like Link to aim for the ideal girl and actually get her.

"I can't tell you who she is," Link mumbled, going red in the face.

I had never seen Link blush before. This was bad.

He wouldn't tell me because Nabooru was my friend. He was probably concerned that I would spill the beans.

My eyes prickled. I stared ahead, hard, taking deep breaths as calmly as I could. Oh man, my insides were crushed and were bleeding liquid pain.

Not cool.

"Why not?" Couldn't he just get my torment overwith?

Link looked up at me and noticed that I was not feeling well. He sat up suddenly.

"Zellie?"

He reached out to touch my cheek worriedly. That was all it took. My tears came right out, though I didn't break down in sobs, thank Gods.

"Why are you crying?" He looked the picture of concern.

I smiled the best I could and said, my voice wavering. "It's nothing, I'm just emotional. Huh. You're all grown-up now."

He didn't look convinced, and furrowed a suspicious brow. I looked down at my lap.

"Zelda." This time, he was the one using the no-nonsense tone. Oh no.

"It's just," I said, my voice breaking, "I thought you trusted me and now—now you don't feel I'm able to keep your secrets and—"

"Zellie," Link interrupted, "Zellie, look at me."

I obeyed, but it was just because of his abnormally soft tone. He was completely serious.

"Zel, if I told you," he took a shuddering breath, "it would be like telling her."

"But I can keep a secret, Gods, Link, you can trust me! I won't say a thing! I—"

"You wouldn't have to," Link cut me. His eyes were hard, pressing, as though he was trying to get me to think. "You wouldn't have to, because if I told you, she would know instantly."

"But how is that even possible? Are you implying that I can't keep a secret for—"

"You know what?" Link said with annoyance, but also, and this I was sure, certain amusement, "Maybe I was wrong. Maybe she's not that smart after all."

And he winked at me.

Suddenly, my heart started beating. Wildly. Painfully. Rapidly.

I felt all the blood that had drained from my face return to it with reinforcements.

"Link…"

It was so like him to smile now, embarrassed and look amused at the same time.

"I have this dorky habit of taking home stray animals."

Then, the most astonishing thing happened.

All in a fraction of a second, Link leant over, brushed my hair aside, put a knee between my legs so he didn't fall, brought his hands up to cup my face, and pressed his lips to mine.

And it felt good.

So good, in fact, that I realized that if I didn't get away from there very soon, I'd lose it.

Or find out that every perfect part of Link's anatomy was enjoying the kiss as much as I was.

Which was, of course, a lot.

"Link…" Was that a moan? On my part?

"Gods, Zelda," Link mumbled as he started trailing kisses down my throat. Oh Gods. Oh Gods, this was good.

"Link, we have to stop." Ooh, major heartbreak right there.

He raised his face, and his eyes were dark. He frowned, sexy, looking like he'd just awoken from a night of passion. "What…?" He mumbled, voice raspy.

"We have to stop." He'd managed to make me breathless. A feat, surely, considering the fact that I was quite in shape.

"Why?" His eyes started looking worried, as though he'd started doubting my feelings.

"Because if we don't," I said, trying to catch my breath, "I'm gonna tell exactly how I feel about you."

"Which would be?" Link pressed, uncertainly. He looked so adorable then, and I remembered he was the same guy who took care of stray cats like the one currently feasting in our kitchen, the guy who helped me with my studies, who looked so hot no matter what he wore or didn't wear…

So what was wrong with me that I'd interrupt our kiss? What was wrong with telling him I loved him?

I blinked. Alright.

"You know what? Nevermind."

And I brought his face down and kissed him. He seemed to find this satisfactory.

It was so like Link to make me fall in love.

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R&R if you want!

Love,

CM