Disclaimer: I don't own any part of the Legend of Zelda. All other original characters belong to me.

The Good Fall Harder From Grace

Chapter 31 - Allies

Sheik and Link had crossed out of the forest in which they had encountered the phantom a day and a half ago, and there still had been no sign of Zelda, William, or any of the others. Unfortunately, all of their supplies—blankets and bedrolls—had disappeared with their horses, and so they had slept against the trunk of a lone tree a few hours after leaving the woods, huddled close for warmth. They'd woken not four hours later and continued on south, chilled to the bone and clothes damp with the freezing dew that had settled over Hyrule Field in the night.

Neither of them had said much to each other since they'd left the forest, either. Sheik knew that Link was extremely worried about his sister and the others, but as for himself? He was silent and moody for a completely different reason. He couldn't shake the disappointment that had been tossing around in his mind ever since Nayru had told him that she didn't truly belong with him. He was inwardly distraught—the deep scowl he'd been wearing since the forest was indication enough of that, and he knew Link could see it on him. Link had a way of seeing everything.

It's just… he had thought—stupidly, so stupidly—that Nayru had somehow been healing him, from the inside out. Her presence within him made him feel powerful, and in control of himself for once. It was because of her that he'd escaped and murdered Dack, and he'd felt so fucking validated since that day. Finally, one of the people who had caused him so much pain in his life had come to meet a painful end themselves. It had felt great, like the imbalance of completely shit luck in his life was righting itself. Hell, he wouldn't have even gotten Link back from Ganon's clutches if it hadn't been for the sharp-tongued goddess. And Link was… Well, Sheik didn't really have a word for what they were to one another, but Link had changed so much. Link loved him, and he still couldn't wrap his head around that.

But it wasn't real. None of it was, it was like some cruel joke, and none of it would have happened if not for Nayru. He felt like a ridiculous fool for going on believing any different. That was why he hadn't said anything to Link, because he didn't know how to explain it. He'd never even told Link about Dack. How could Link ever understand why he felt so torn up over Nayru's confession without knowing about that particular bit of history? Killing that monster had been such an integral moment in his life, but he hadn't done any healing after all. Any progress he'd thought he'd made had been based on a lie, and so in the end it meant nothing. He was the same as he'd ever been: bitter, edgy, and wounded. He'd been believing in a false hope all this time.

Sheik knew that Link was on to the disturbance in him as well—he could feel the constant heat of his gaze on his back—but the Prince hadn't said anything, and Sheik couldn't find his way out of it on his own.

It was beyond cold that morning—the sky was a dull and lifeless gray, threatening rain or perhaps even snow. It made Sheik grateful for his heavy greatcoat, for he was able to pull the collar up against the wet chill. He was glad they'd gotten Link a proper coat back in that city they'd seen Sorren outside of as well. Winter in Hyrule could be an unforgiving mistress. He knew that well enough from time starving with his mother back in their home in the south as well as from his years shivering in a drafty prison cell watching frost creep up the walls. He hoped they could get to Sol's before the real chill set in.

"Sheik?" Link called from behind him, shattering the silence.

He inwardly groaned, dreading this conversation. "What?" he muttered gruffly, inwardly wincing at the sharpness to his tone. He hadn't meant to sound so irritable, but the turmoil of his thoughts had leeched into his words. When no answer came, he stopped walking, turning back to meet Link's weary gaze, his mouth set in a hard line.

"Sheik…" Link repeated slowly, frowning. The boy looked like he was barely holding it together himself. His soft blue eyes moved over him as he let out a sharp exhale, giving Sheik the distinct feeling that he was in trouble. He would have found this amusing if he weren't in such a foul mood already.

Sheik averted his eyes to the ground, crossing his arms. "Sorry…" he muttered, biting his lip for the hundredth time; and while he was aware of it, he didn't know how to stop.

Link wrinkled his nose in distaste, something Sheik had seen him do often when they were arguing. "Look, Sheik. I'm going to level with you."

Sheik's expression remained stony. "Should I prepare myself?" he jibed.

The boy shot him a dirty look, furrowing his brow. "Goddesses, would you shut up? I've been watching you trudge through this frost for hours now! I've been watching you brood and huff and goddesses know what else, and I haven't said a word!"

Sheik almost made a quip about how it was nice to finally get some peace and quiet, but he thought it better not to.

"And would you believe it—after all this time—the very first time I so much as open up my mouth, you snap at me?!" The prince shook his head. "I've never met a man who can brood the way you can."

Sheik bristled. "Then why do you like me? Explain why you're bothering with me if you don't like the way I am?!"

A look of fury crossed the smaller boy's face. "That's not what I said, Sheik, and you know it! Look—just stop! Why are we fighting?!"

Sheik didn't answer right away. He honestly had no idea. After a few more moments, he let out a large, weary sigh, running his hand back through his messy, dirty hair. "Look, I'm sorry, alright? But there's no need—"

"Hah, oh no," Link interrupted, taking a step towards him, bringing them chest to chest. Link had to look up just to meet Sheik's eyes, but he was holding his ground well. "I won't have you telling me what there is or isn't need for right now," the boy hissed. "I love you, Sheik. Remember that—just think about that for a moment—and the next time you speak to me, please let it be with a touch less venom. You don't have to fucking keep everything to yourself! Don't shut yourself off from me. We need each other now more than ever!"

With some effort, Sheik schooled his expression back from a scowl into a blank mask. His body felt like it needed to shake, to release some of the tension he'd been holding himself under. Link being angry with him just seemed… wrong. He'd always been fond of hearing Link speak in that commanding, princely tone, but when it was directed at him, it was difficult to bear. He flicked his eyes up, meeting Link's steely gaze from under his lashes, his heart thudding in his chest and his ears going hot. "Link," he said through his teeth, straining to keep his voice even and smooth. "I'm sorry. I am. You know it's difficult."

Link blinked once, cocking his head. "I know. And I understand." He reached up, touching Sheik's face, his fingers as cold as ice. Sheik tried not to recoil, but it was a challenge. A few solid hours of self-loathing had done some considerable damage to his already fractured psyche. "Do you want to talk about it?" Link asked gently.

Did he? Sheik wasn't sure. Part of him did—wanted to be freed of the burden of his guilt and disappointment—but another part of him wanted very much to be left alone.

Sheik didn't answer; he instead reached up and brushed Link's hand off his face, turning and resuming their trek through the frosted grass. He heard Link let out a defeated sigh, but he waited until the Prince fell back into step beside him to speak.

"You know by now you have to be patient with me," he began. "The truth is, I'm not sure where to begin. I've already made such a mess of it in my head."

"That sounds about normal," Link answered, earning him a shove. The Prince laughed.

"Nayru told me something, back in the forest," Sheik went on, watching his boots as they walked. "She said… well, I was yelling at her, mocking her—something like that. She said that I'm… I'm not…" Sheik sighed, angry with himself for not being able to spit it out. "I'm not her true host. She just… picked me, pretty much at random because she thought it would give her a good chance at being close to you."

"Oh," Link said simply, sounding surprised. "That's—"

"She'll leave me, as well," he murmured, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his greatcoat. "When she finds who she belong with."

Link was quiet for a while before he spoke again. "Okay. Thank you for telling me, but there's something I don't understand."

"And that is?" Sheik prompted, squinting ahead at the horizon. The shape of a city in the distance was becoming more prominent.

"I don't understand why that would matter to you," Link admitted. "The goddesses… they've helped us fight Ganon, granted, but… They're sort of the reason we're all so wound up in this mess." Sheik glanced over at the boy to find him looking thoughtfully at the ground, his lips twisted up into a moue. When he felt Sheik's gaze though, he looked up at him, a puzzled expression set on his face. "I mean… it doesn't seem like a bad thing, not being tied to them. They've sort of been burdens on us, not blessings. If Farore left me tomorrow, I think it would be a bit of a relief."

"I…" Sheik looked away again, hanging his head. "You're right, but it's not so simple. There's… something I haven't told you." He laughed bitterly. "Truth be told, I don't really know how to say it."

"You know you can tell me anything," Link urged gently. "We said it, a few days ago, there's nothing worth keeping from each other anymore."

"I know," Sheik sighed, still struggling to collect the right words. "Look, just be quiet a minute so I can get this out. I um…" Sheik cleared his throat. He felt like his skin was crawling, having to say this out loud. "The prisons. In the prisons, I… There was—there was a man. A lot of people hurt me in that place, Link, more than I can even remember, but this man in particular, his name was Dack." Sheik swallowed. "He was always the worst. He had this… this dark need to possess me, and he enjoyed it. I was his plaything in that place for a very, very long time. He was bigger than me, a grown man—he could have me any way he wanted me, any time, and he knew it. It was a living nightmare." He paused, not entirely sure how to continue, hardly believing he was saying any of this at all. Link hadn't said a word.

"When, um… when Ganon had me sent back into the prisons, I—this man, Dack—he attacked me again, but I was able to fight him off, something I'd never been able to do. After that, he became obsessed with me all over again. It must have driven him mad, the fact that he couldn't have me. He was sick." Sheik swallowed. "F-Forgive me. This is… difficult to talk about. One day—the same day I escaped and met your sister and William—I was sitting out in the yard with Jack and Ben, and well, it doesn't really matter how, but I was tricked. Dack got me on my own, and he had me on my knees in front of him. I was seconds away from him doing whatever he wanted with me."

Sheik looked at Link, their eyes meeting. "It's important you understand that that is the moment Nayru revealed herself to me. That is when I felt her power, and she's the only reason I was able to save myself. If it hadn't been for Nayru, Dack would have raped me again, I know it. Maybe even killed me."

"Sheik," Link murmured, his voice quiet. "I'm… I don't know what else to say other than I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

"It's alright," Sheik said, sucking in a deep breath. He was more afraid to tell Link this next part—he was afraid of what Link might think of him.

"I killed him," he said, instantly filling the quiet with the heavy weight of his words.

"Who? Dack?" Link asked, his voice sounding pensive.

Sheik nodded. "I murdered him. I used Nayru's power to choke the life out of him because I wanted him to die."

"Well he deserved to die," Link said plainly. Sheik would have smiled, were it not for the pain in his chest that came from recalling all of this.

"He did, Link. He really, really did. But what I can't get past is that I wouldn't have been able to do it without Nayru," he explained wearily. "I would still be in there with him, trussed up, or bent over, or—" He bit his tongue, the words tasting foul in his mouth. "When Nayru told me that she didn't belong with me, it just… it made me feel so foolish, Link. I feel like an idiot. Killing Dack gave me a confidence I've never felt before. It made me feel powerful—Nayru made me feel powerful—like for the first time I could try and start living my life instead of just trying to survive it. For once, one of the people who had hurt me had gotten hurt back. But it wasn't me who did it," he spat. "I'm not special, and if it wasn't for the whim of a fucking goddess, nothing in my life would be any different, and I'd still be in that hell hole wishing that I were dead. I just…" he closed his eyes for a moment. "I don't know how to stop feeling like a useless fool."

"But Sheik." Link grabbed his arm, stopping them and pulling him until they were facing one another. His brow was pinched together on his forehead. "It was you who did those things, don't you see that? Nayru doesn't change anything. You did them. You took control and made those decisions, not her."

Sheik blinked, staring back at the boy with his fervent expression—flushed cheeks and bright eyes. It really struck him then how invested Link was in him. He seriously couldn't understand why—he was little better than a broken down, beaten dog—but Link loved him. Link saw something in him.

He wasn't sure yet, but it was starting to feel like that could be enough to carry him through. With just a few of the Prince's words, he was starting to feel better and let go of the hours of self-loathing he'd inflicted on himself. Link had such a positive power and influence over him, it was making him want to heal.

"Thank you," he said gently, giving the boy a soft, weak smile. He reached up and squeezed his shoulder, his hand trailing down until he held Link's.

Link was watching him steadily, the faintest hint of a smile on his lips. "Of course, Sheik. You know I…" His eyes fell, a troubled look clouding his features momentarily, but it was gone again in an instant.

"It's okay," Sheik cut him off gently, his smile a little more genuine this time. He knew what the boy had been trying to say. Keeping Link's hand held firmly in his, he turned them around. "See that city on the horizon?"

"Is that it?" Link asked, his tone excited. "Is that Sol's city?"

Sheik nodded. "It is indeed. We're nearly there."

Link let go of his hand, walking past him a few paces. He stood on his tiptoes, as if that would help him see any better. Sheik found it incredibly amusing, smirking to himself. "Will we reach it tomorrow?" the prince asked.

"Late tomorrow," Sheik answered, moving forward again. "Probably a couple hours after sundown."

"Do you think Zelda will be there?"

Sheik licked his lips, narrowing his eyes at the horizon. "Let's hope Rowan had enough sense to lead them there in one piece."

"I thought they would have been here by today," Zelda fretted, standing near the large window in the sitting room, wringing her hands together as she gazed at the cobbled street outside.

"It's not going to do you any good to stand there agonizing, Zelda," William called. He was sitting in one of the two stuffed arm chairs that were arranged before the fireplace. It was a cozy little room, Zelda had to admit. It was close, and cramped, but with the large brick fireplace and furs carpeting the old wooden floor, it was a cozy little home. It was no wonder, she supposed, that Sheik had wanted to bring them there. But the man Sheik had mentioned—Sol—he wasn't anywhere to be found. When they'd arrived in the city, Rowan had led them along to this street and this house, and swore up and down that this was the place. But it had been locked up tight and was dark inside—a few weeds were sprouting in the small but otherwise pristine front garden. It looked as if no one had been home for a couple of weeks.

Rowan had disappeared then, saying he knew someone else in the city who could help them, and came scurrying back with an elderly and dare she say eccentric-looking woman who had told them quite a few pieces of information. Her name was Nalara, apparently, and she was an old friend of Sol's, and she seemed to know much about Sheik and their situation. William had been scowling at the poor old woman nearly the whole time she was there, but Zelda could hardly blame him. What with her bright blue tunic tucked up into a pair of old threadbare leggings, and long thick braid running down her shoulder, she was certainly a… peculiarity.

Nalara explained that Sol had fled when Ganon's soldiers had come calling on him. They'd nearly banged his door down, and he had left the very same night after having to—in her words—practically sell his soul to them to convince them Sheik and Link weren't there. She'd flat out refused to tell them where he was, though, saying something about a letter meant for Sheik and Sheik alone, somewhere in the house.

That had all been three days ago. Three days of sitting in the empty little house staring out the window at the little street and wondering if her brother was dead.

Needless to say, she was anxious.

"Well there's not much more to do, is there?" she snapped back, crossing her arms over her chest and turning away from the window. She walked over and plopped herself into the second armchair with a huff, glaring at the empty fireplace. "We've been sitting here for two days doing nothing, without a plan, without any idea if they're hurt or not! Without anything!"

"I know," he answered softly. Zelda glanced over at him to see him brushing a strand of wavy hair from his eyes. He was reading some tome he'd found on a bookshelf somewhere, looking calm and completely unconcerned by any of this. But why should he be? He hated Sheik, and it wasn't his brother who was missing, was it? Zelda knew she was being unfair, but she still wanted to smack him.

But she let out a great sigh instead, melting into the chair. "Well we can't just stay here forever," she said. "What if they never come?"

William sighed again, lowering his book. "Look, we'll make a plan, I promise. But it's kind of hard to strategize what we're to do next with so many pieces of the puzzle missing. Lord Ganon is in the castle, we're here in some morally questionable stranger's house, and Rowan and Jack are over at that weird sorceress's house. All of the pieces are scattered, and we have no information." He raised an eyebrow at her when she didn't respond. "Listen—so far, this place seems safe enough. We might as well wait—at least a few more days—and see if we can't get a bit more of the puzzle in place before we start making rash decisions based on nothing but fear."

Zelda remained silent. She didn't know what to say. Her entire life had absolutely fallen to pieces, and she didn't know where to even begin picking them up again. With Link's whereabouts unknown and her father still at the castle with Ganon, she was alone. If Link were dead, she didn't know if she could carry on from that.

But Link had the power of a goddess at his beck and call. Sheik did as well. If that couldn't save them, then—

Her thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock at the door.

She and William shared a look of confusion, his face sinking into a suspicious scowl.

"Jack and Rowan weren't due back until morning," she said softly.

Slowly, William rose from the chair, his hand going to the pommel of the sword, which he hadn't taken off since they'd arrive, except to sleep. Zelda stood to her feet and watched as he went over to the bay window, leaning around and peering out at the doorstep. "What in the—" He glanced back at Zelda. "It's a Zora."

What? Zelda's mind went blank for a moment, just from pure shock. She shook her head, mirroring the confusion she saw in Will's eyes as he left the window and moved slowly for the door. Zora were scarcely seen outside of their domain these days, located far to the north. They had withdrawn from most of Hyrule in response to the contention created by her father's high taxes. A few of their nobles still showed up to royal events and such—she remembered seeing a few at her party all those months ago—but for the most part, seeing one was rare indeed. When she had been studying trade laws in her schooling, with the way things had been going lately, it had looked almost as if trade with them would be phased out completely in the coming years.

So what in the name of the goddesses was a Zora doing knocking on Sol's door?

Link and Sheik came into the city just before dusk, moments before the city's guards lowered the portcullis for the long night. Luckily, the soldiers seemed eager to call it a day, not checking them very thoroughly, and so they hadn't been recognized.

They were exhausted after their journey—it felt like it had been endless days of walking on foot after a hard battle. All Link wanted to do was reach Sol's house, go to Sheik's room, and curl up together on his old bed. In all likelihood, though, they'd be caught up talking with everyone for quite a while after they arrived if everyone was there, safe and accounted for.

Sheik was confident in where he was going, leading Link along what to him must be familiar streets. They passed townspeople here and there who were rushing home in the dark, crossed alleys, and took may twists and turns through the winding thoroughfare. Link kept close to Sheik's side the whole time, and he could feel Sheik keeping a watchful eye on him as well. They kept their heads down, lest someone happen to recognize either of them—especially Link—and give them trouble. Goddesses knew that the slain spell caster in the forest wasn't the only one Ganon had out looking for them.

It wasn't long before he was following in Sheik's footsteps up the steps of the very familiar stone porch that lead to the big, white door of Sol's home. The curtains on the window looking in on the sitting room were closed, and there was neither lamplight flickering behind the curtain nor smoke rising up from the chimney. It looked empty.

"It doesn't look promising, does it?" Link said, watching as Sheik raised a hand to knock.

Sheik paused, glancing back at him, his red eyes leaving Link with a sensation that made his heart quicken just a bit. The Sheikah stared at him for a few seconds before licking his lips and answering. "Sol is clever," he said, though Link couldn't say he sounded exactly confident. "Even if he's not here, he'll be alright." Sheik's eyes moved away from his, glancing around the empty stone street.

"It's not Sol I'm worried about—I've met the man, remember. I don't think there's a soul alive who can get the best of him. It's just…" Link turned around as well, glancing out into the street. "There's no sign of Ganon's soldiers, everything is calm and quiet… It seems a little too good to be true."

"Perhaps," Sheik answered. "There's certainly no guarantee, but we've been over it this way and that, and we really don't have any better options."

Link sighed. "I know."

Sheik raised an eyebrow. "Maybe they're all asleep. It is late, after all."

Link snorted, shaking his head. "You're just saying that to make me feel better."

"Yes, I am," Sheik agreed, his answer making Link feel even more anxious.

"Just knock," he said with a sigh, his eyes resting once again on the painted white door, wondering at all the things that could be awaiting them in there—danger, salvation, damnation…

Sheik turned back around then, rapping his knuckles on the wood. Link watched as he moved back a bit and waited, fingers fiddling with the cuff of his heavy coat. At first there was nothing, for what felt like an eternity. No lights flicked on, no sign of any life whatsoever. If Zelda and the others hadn't come there, where could they have gone?

Sheik glanced back at him again, his brow lowering. "We could climb the garden wall and try around the back. I used to sneak in that way, sometimes."

Link pursed his lips, about to answer when the sound of footsteps inside the house stopped him. They were quiet at first, but they grew louder as their owner drew nearer to the opposite side of the door. Before either of them could say another word to each other, the lock turned in the door and it opened slowly, revealing William standing there in his underclothes and a nightshirt, looking slightly disheveled.

"Good goddesses," he said, opening the door wider. "Thank the Three you finally showed up! We weren't sure how many more days we could wait without having to start to question whether the worst had happened." The soldier peered around Sheik, his gaze softening as soon as it fell on Link. "It's wonderful you're safe. Zelda will be—"

"Will, is it them?" It was unmistakably Zelda's voice. She carried a candle, the warm glow of its flame casting shadows on them all as she popped into view. She was dressed in an oversized nightshirt that she seemed to be wearing as a sleeping gown, her long golden hair slung up on her head in a messy bun, wire spectacles perched on the bridge of her nose just like Link remembered from their childhood.

She beamed when she met Link's eyes. "I told Will that if Ganon killed my baby brother, I'd come for his head. Come in here and give me a hug, you little scamp."

Link pushed past William and fell into Zelda's open arms, breathing in a slow sigh of relief as he smelled her familiar scent, squeezing her as tight as he could in his weakened state. They parted after a few more moments, giving Sheik room to come inside as well. Link remembered the layout of the darkened sitting room very well from their last stay with Sol. It was small, yet cozy, and smelled of wood-smoke. Two stuffed and well-worn arm chairs sat facing the fireplace, which sat cold and dark. Curtains were drawn over a large window that looked out onto the street outside. He could hardly believe they'd made it back there again.

Sheik immediately walked around to one of the armchairs, heaving his pack off with a sigh and sinking into it like he hadn't rested for a year. Link almost smiled—he probably would have if he wasn't so tired. It was the same chair that Sheik had sat in before—he remembered perching on the arm of it next to him, listening to Nalara spout her prophecies and theories all those months ago.

Sheik turned back and raised his eyebrows at him, and Link realizing he had been staring. He gave a weak smile and Sheik returned it, which warmed him just a bit.

He walked over to the other armchair and plopped into it was a huff, feeling like he could fall asleep right then and there. It was late, after all. He was still recovering from Ganon's torture, it was well after dark, and they'd been on foot for so long…

"Link." Link's eyes opened with a startle as he realized he'd nodded off. Zelda and William were standing in front of the fireplace, facing the two of them. Zelda's arms were folded across her chest, and she looked a bit impatient. "I realize you both must be so tired, but please—you must give us your account of what happened."

"As for us, we rode out of the forest and came straight here," William said, glancing at Link. "Rowan led us, and we didn't run into any trouble, although a soldier nearly recognized Zelda. Rowan had to cast some sort of spell on him to get us away."

"We, um…" Link cast a sidelong glance at Sheik, but Sheik wasn't looking at him. He wasn't looking at anything, really, staring off into space with pensive red eyes. Link sighed, realizing it was going to be on him to tell most of the story. He explained about the Phantom Ganon and the spell caster they'd found dead. He told them of how they'd had to battle magic on magic, and how they nearly had been overpowered.

"I worry Ganon has grown too powerful for us to have any hope of driving him from our home," Link went on, pausing to rub his tired eyes. "It seemed as though Farore and Nayru were… challenged by him."

Through the ages, he's been our greatest adversary, Nayru's sweet voice chimed in his head. He didn't quite understand what she meant, but he let it go.

"And to be so challeneged by a mere shadow of him…" Zelda finished for him. She met his eyes. "I can't see any way to help father. It's hard not to fear the worst has happened to him, but we—"

"But you'll have to get used to being on the run for the rest of your Royal lives," Sheik interrupted. They all turned to look at him—he wore a thoughtful expression, his fingers tented in front of his lips. He looked at each of them in turn, ending with Link. "I take it Sol's not here, then?" he asked, the question directed at the other two, though he kept his gaze on Link, his eyes narrowing.

Link blinked, somehow finding Sheik's stare too difficult to maintain. He turned away to see Zelda and William giving each other their own sort of loaded look. Something passed between his sister and William, there was no mistaking that, but Link hadn't understood any of it. Finally, Zelda turned to look at Sheik.

"There was no sign of him, I'm afraid," she answered carefully. "But he did leave a letter. It's addressed to you."

"Fuck," Sheik muttered under his breath, quiet enough that Link wasn't sure if he was the only one who'd heard it.

William turned to the mantle, grabbing a piece of parchment that had been left there, handing it over to Sheik. Sheik took the letter, turning it over in his hands. When he saw the back of the parchment, however, his eyes slid up to William's, a terrible scowl set on his face. "The seal is broken?" he asked, irritation evident in his tone.

Zelda looked terribly uncomfortable. "We didn't know—"

"We didn't know if we'd ever see you again," William cut in. "You have our apologies for invading your privacy, or whatever, but we had to know."

Sheik let out a weary sigh, but he didn't argue, deflating a bit as he unfolded the parchment. Link studied him as he read it, but Sheik gave no indication of whether it was good or bad news. Finally, when he was finished, he handed the letter to Link.

Sheik,

I knew too well the day would come when your problems would once again come knocking on my front door. I knew it from the moment I picked you up off the streets, and you only confirmed it when you showed up with the Prince in tow all those months ago. I knew the safety of this home I had built wouldn't last forever—not Nalara's magic, my own resources, nor could even the inverted Triforce carved on my door could protect me from what is chasing you. And so, you understand, it became time to leave.

If you find this note then I've already fled. More of the dark-skinned female soldiers appeared in the city, spouting news of their leader becoming King. They call themselves the Gerudo. They came to my door. I knew they were watching me, waiting for you. Word of the destruction of the prisons and your re-kidnapping of the prince has reached many ears, or so it would seem. Be careful, for there are many eyes on you just now.

Know that I am safe, and with friends. I cannot tell you my location, but a friend of mine has agreed to keep watch out over the house, awaiting your arrival. They will show themselves to you when the time is right, and fill you in on where in Hyrule you can find me.

Lord Ganon of the Gerudo Desert is no king of mine. Find me, and let's see what the free people of Hyrule can't do about that.

And please—you insolent, stubborn little Sheikah—keep yourself safe and keep your wits about you. It's a dangerous game we find ourselves in.

-Sol

"About that… friend that's mentioned?" Zelda began carefully after Link had set down the letter.

"I've never met any of Sol's friends," Sheik said quietly. "Aside from Nalara, he kept all of that business—his Hyrule's Underground business—to himself."

"I still don't understand what this 'Hyrule's Underground' business means," William muttered to himself.

"I thought he taught you how to fight?" Link asked.

Sheik looked at him, shrugging. "He did. He taught me how to fight, kill, steal, and basically do whatever I needed to do to stay alive and free in this kingdom. He also taught me how to look for the network of underground locations so I would be as safe as I could be out there, but I always knew there were things he was keeping from me."

Zelda cleared her throat, and they both paused to look up at her. "We know who the friend is," she said. She pushed her spectacles up her nose, sniffing. "We've been here for days, you see. Everyone, including this… individual… well, we just weren't sure if you'd be turning up or not, and—"

"She's here," William interrupted, Zelda casting him a quick, meaningful glance.

Sheik sat up. "Where?"

"In the bathtub." Zelda crossed her arms over her chest, her loose night shirt rising a little higher over her bare legs. It completely distracted Link from the oddity of what she'd just said. He wasn't used to seeing her like that. Standard castle attire for Zelda at bedtime would be a long nightgown and robe—something that had been the same since they were kids. He wondered idly as he watched her just how comfortable her and Will were becoming with one another. Were they sharing a bed there? Link looked at William, who was looking at Zelda, but his train of thought was interrupted when Sheik stood from his chair.

"In the bath," Sheik repeated incredulously.

"Yes." Zelda answered, nodding once in affirmation. "The bath."

Sheik stood. "She's having a bath… in Sol's house… at this hour?"

Link got to his feet as well, swaying a bit in his exhaustion. Sheik gave him a cursory glance.

"She's not taking a bath," William explained, stepping away from the fireplace, towards the hallway. "Come on, she'll want to see you. She's… how would you put it?" he asked, looking at Zelda.

Zelda shrugged. "Hydrating?" she offered, following behind.

"Hydrating?" Sheik echoed, and Link noted a spark of irritation in his tone. He didn't blame him, because none of this made sense.

"That was the word she used," Zelda said with a nod, passing out William in the hall. "Better let me go in first, I don't want to startle her."

Sheik looked at him once more before following the other two down the hall. Link paused for a moment, staring down the short corridor, remembering the night he had frightened Sheik with a kiss; remembering sitting together against the wall, and Sol coming in to find them and warning him that Sheik would never really be able for such things…

That seemed like such a lifetime ago. Sheik had been arrested again, the castle overtaken, and Link had been tortured, all since that night. Everything had been such a blur, though moments like that—in the early days with Sheik—those moments stuck out to him like precious jewels in the sand. They were worth remembering.

Coming to stand behind the other three, Link watched and waited as Zelda rapped her knuckles three times against the washroom door, and they all waited several seconds in silence until a light, musical voice answered the knock.

"You may all enter," the female's voice called.

Zelda stood aside, reaching out and pulling William back as well, holding onto his arm in a very familiar way. "You two go on ahead," she said, nodding them forward. "She's been waiting to talk to you."

Sheik paused a moment, hand on the door, his shoulders hunched tight. Link heard him mutter a small curse before turning the knob and pushing through into the washroom.

Link followed behind him, blinking in the dim lamplight, trying to see.

"I beg your forgiveness," the woman's voice spoke again. "I heard you come in, and I would have come to greet you in a proper fashion, but I'm afraid I'm unused to being away from the river for so long." Link furrowed his brow, confused, as he peered around the open door to see a large wooden tub filled with water, and sitting cross-legged in it, a Zora.

She blinked her large yellow eyes at them, looking from Sheik to Link, a smile pulling at the corner of her tiny blue lips. "Hello, boys."

Link had seen Zora before, a few times. Whether it was at boring state meetings he was forced to sit in on, or grand balls thrown in the castle courtyard. A few of the Zora Nobles were always invited out of obligation, or at least that's what his father said. Zora were, just as anyone else, residents of the Kingdom of Hyrule; and as such, they had been equally subject to the harsh taxes his father had implemented on the people when he was being blackmailed by Ganon. The Zora had their own monarchy, though, and had pulled away tremendously from any Hylian royal events or functions they were summoned to, often sending only one or two emissaries who would stay only a minimum amount of time. Before Link had met Sheik, there had been serious talk of the Zora's staging a rebellion against the crown. It had troubled his father for weeks leading up to Zelda's party.

Because of all this, it had been a good long while since Link had seen a Zora, and even longer since he'd seen one of their females. He would never not be caught off guard by their magnificence, this one especially. She had huge yellow sparkling eyes that hinted at a wicked and clever intellect, and small features for her kind. Her scales, though dimmed by the lamplight were a deep shade of turquoise, and the fin on the back of her head fell down her back and ended in a spray of soft, delicate yellow dorsal fins.

Link was so busy taking in the sight of her that he forgot he was being rude by staring. It seemed Sheik was doing the same, for he hadn't said a word. Link glanced at him to see his brow pinched and an enigmatic but dark expression clouding his face as he stared at the Zora girl.

"Zora don't venture out of the domain much anymore," the girl said, rising to her feet, water beading off of her scales. She had a thick accent, different to either of theirs. "Well, we do, actually, but we keep to the rivers, where Hylians can't see us. We have to have our spies keeping a watch on you all, after all, don't we?" She offered them a webbed hand to shake. Sheik took it, seemingly in less of a reverie than Link was.

Link shook her hand as well, when it was offered, surprised a bit by how smooth and cold it was. "Forgive our rudeness," he said politely, mustering a gentle smile. "I cannot speak for Sheik, of course, but no matter how many times I see a Zora, I'm always taken aback by your kind's magnificence."

Sheik fixed him with an annoyed expression, which made the Zora girl laugh, smiling and showing off two rows of pointy, pearly-white teeth. "I'd expect nothing less than the most exquisitely spoken diplomacy from the Crown Prince of Hyrule, of course," she said.

Sheik's face turned down into a scowl. "He can be awfully polite when he wants to be," he scoffed. "Calls you magnificent the minute he catches sight of you. I can't exactly remember the string of curses that I got when we met, but they weren't pretty."

Link blushed, ducking his head. "Old habits die hard, I suppose," he mumbled. "And may I remind you that you and I met under much different circumstances."

"Doesn't mean I didn't still get cursed even when I was kind to you," Sheik retorted.

"You tried to murder me, and then you kidnapped me!" Link protested, his eyes flicking to the Zora girl when she raised her webbed hand to her mouth to hide a giggle.

"It feels like we've had this argument before," Sheik said carefully, raising his eyebrows at Link. "Can we get back to the task at hand?"

Link bristled, crossing his arms over his chest. "Sheik, you literally started it!"

Sheik let out a small huff, turning back to the Zora. "Care to explain what you're doing sitting in Sol's bathtub?"

"You bicker as enemies, but even the blindest could see the affection between the two of you," the Zora girl said with a smirk, shrugging her slender shoulders when Link and Sheik shared a tense look. "As for your question… My family have known Sol for years. He asked me to come." She put up both of her four-fingered hands, making air quotes. "We met at our usual spot and he said 'Avun, I need a favor.'" She put down her hands. "My people have been watching the discourse in Hyrule very closely, naturally. We all do share this land, after all. Sol has been a friend of my people for quite some time now."

"The favor being to come and meet me here," Sheik finished. "Your name was Avun, then? Did I catch that right?"

She nodded. "Yes, Sheikah, and you are—as I've learned—to be called Sheik."

"You don't need to call me Sheikah," he murmured. "Whatever blood I have is probably so diluted that I'm more Hylian than I am Sheikah. My father always took great pride in it, but it's never brought me anything but trouble."

Avun pursed her thin lips again before she spoke. "I think the makeup of your blood would surprise you, Sheik."

"I beg your pardon, but..." Link trailed off when both Sheik and Avun turned to look at him. "You probably know how much trouble we're finding ourselves in, and... well, we were sort of hoping Sol would be able to help us. Do you know where he is?"

Avun nodded, her head fin swishing with the movement. "Last I have heard is he staying with my people, Prince."

"Sol is with the Zora?"

Avun nodded. "It's one of the only safe places left in the Kingdom. Ganon has spies everywhere, now that he is King."

"He isn't King," Link spat, a raw and white-hot spike of anger rising in him. "The Zora may have no great love for my father, but he is still alive, and no matter what Ganon made him say, he is still the true King of Hyrule."

Avun gave him a sad look. "We don't know that," she said gently, and Link's heart stuttered in his chest, another pang of irritation hitting him. "Our spies have not heard or seen anything from him in weeks, not since the announcement of Ganon's ascension."

"Because he's fucking locked up under the castle, being tortured like I was!" Link shouted, taking a step forward. "We were all alone down there, and the things he did to us—to me—would have broken most! And no one—no one but my own bloody sister and him—" Link jerked his thumb back in Sheik's direction. "Lifted a finger to do anything about it. The Royal Guard have deserted us, the people have deserted us, and if I didn't have the goddesses of courage inhabiting me right now, I would swear up and down that the Three had deserted us as well!" Link shook with rage. It felt like no one cared about the severity of their situation. Everyone was acting like they had loads of time to figure this out—to get back to the castle, but they were already running on borrowed days. Every minute that passed could be the last one that any of them breathed. Link hadn't felt like this since he was locked down in Ganon's cell, fighting to keep his eyes open after another beating was inflicted upon him.

That thought sent him careening into another angry outburst. "You don't understand. You don't know! Ganon won't just kill my father, or any of us! He'll think of something worse, and—"

He lost the traction of his anger when he felt Sheik's arm around snake his tense shoulders, trying to calm him. Link was grateful for the small touch—it was so grounding, and it allowed him the chance to take a slow, seep breath, deflating in an instant. If he'd been exhausted before, he barely had the will to stay on his own two feet now.

"Hey," Sheik said quietly. Link looked up at him, feeling miserable. Sheik's burning red eyes searched his, and just like that, the last trickles of his anger left him. It made him want to lie down and weep because he couldn't handle the confusion or the fear anymore. He was shattered. Perhaps this was what Sheik had been talking about when he'd warned him that not trying to sort through what had happened to him in those dungeons would only hurt him worse in the end.

Sheik looked back up at Avun. "We can finish this in the morning," he said in a hard voice, nodding to Link. "We've been on foot for days, after nearly losing our lives. I need to take him to bed."

Avun nodded slowly, but Link thought she looked the slightest bit perturbed, pursing her thin lips once again. "Very well," she said softly. "First thing in the morning, we need to speak." She locked eyes with Sheik. "There are a lot of things that need to be said. Agreements need to be made."

Sheik didn't answer. He simply nodded, pulling Link by the arm out of the washroom, and shutting the door behind them with a soft click. Finally, they were alone, and Link was extremely grateful for the relief it gave him.

"Losing your temper right now isn't going to help," Sheik said into the silence, after a moment. "I know you're hurting, believe me, I know what that feels like, but this may be our only chance of help."

Link bristled at that, pulling his arm out of Sheik's grip. "I can't believe you're saying that to me," he spat.

Sheik stared down at him, searching his face for something. When he didn't find it, he sighed, looking away. "I'm sorry," was all he said. "Link, you know I'm the last person in this entire kingdom who would tell you to stop being angry. You deserve to be angry. None of this makes sense, or is fair, or…" he trailed off, seemingly lost in a thought.

Link softened, stepping closer and putting a hand on Sheik's chest. "You don't have to be sorry either," he murmured, feeling even more energy sap out of him. He was so goddesses damn tired. "I'm guess I'm just more used to being the calm, collected one. I'm not good at outbursts. I'm not good at being angry. I go too far, and then I can't stop myself and—"

"It's not really something you get good at," Sheik interrupted, sounding almost amused. "Let's just go to bed. We—"

They both looked up suddenly, Sheik taking a step back from him when William appeared from the darkness at the sitting room side of the corridor. The lamps in the sitting room had been snuffed out, so Link honestly had no idea how long he'd been standing there, listening.

"Did she tell you everything, then?" William asked, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall. He looked not at Link, but expectantly at Sheik. There was something about that that Link didn't like.

"There's too much to say tonight," Sheik answered in a flat tone. "We can all discuss everything in the morning, but I'm taking Link to bed now. He's practically dead on his feet and I'm not much better."

Link kept his head down, staring at the floorboard, and he wasn't even sure why. He was irritated, feeling like William once again had interrupted something.

"I had Zelda go back to bed as well. She's been worrying herself frantic over Link, exhausting herself."

"Is she in Sol's bed then?" Link heard Sheik ask.

"The big bed, in the first room, yes."

"Are Jack and Ben in the small room, then?"

"No, they and Rowan are at his teacher's—the witch's house. Rowan said this afternoon that she had been watching and waiting for us all to arrive as well. He said she's really good with Ben and all."

"Nalara would be weird enough to entertain the little guy," Sheik replied, and Link thought he could hear coolness seeping into his tone. "We'll take my old room, then."

"It's a really small bed," William replied.

Link looked up at him then, frowning. What the hell was William doing? "We'll be fine," Link snapped. "Go to bed, Will."

William raised his brow, crossing his arms. "Link, I mean no—"

"Are you sleeping with Zelda, then?" Link interrupted again, completely aware of the double entendre.

William had the decency to look a tad bit flustered at that. He shrugged. "Well, yes. I'm going to stay up for a bit, though. Keep a look out for anything."

Link bit his lip, trying to read Will's expression. He knew the soldier and his sister had been growing close, but perhaps their days living in Sol's house alone had escalated that? Link wasn't jealous, far from it. At that moment, he couldn't even remember how long he and William had been sleeping together, and he knew they had both known him for most of their childhood. This was just… new territory, was all. His only concern was for Zelda. He just hoped Will knew what he was doing.

"Well…" Link began, but he didn't quite know what he wanted to say. "Then behave yourself, and never mind how big Sheik's bed is. We'll be fine. Goodnight."

He turned then, pulling Sheik along behind him, down to the end of the hall, and into the last door on the right.

Sheik almost wanted to laugh at Link's behavior, and he probably would have poked some fun at it if it weren't for their exhaustion. He watched Link cross the dim, lamp-lit room and sit on the bed with a huff.

Link looked up at him with his dopey, tired blue eyes, frowning. "I can't even think straight," he admitted softly, reaching down to undo the buckles on his boots, kicking them off. He glanced up at Sheik again, feeling his eyes on him. "How are you so calm?"

Sheik bit back a sharp laugh. "I don't even know what calm is, Link."

Link sniffed at that, a hint of a smile pulling at his lips as he went back to undressing for the night.

Sheik followed suit, bracing himself on the door and leaning down, kicking off is boots as well. He undid the buttons on his greatcoat, laying it over a chair near the door. After a moment, he could feel Link watching him, but he allowed it, only half-minding. Their dynamic was shifting, he could feel it. Ever since the other night in the forest, before the Phantom had attacked, they had had this… odd, electric energy feeding between the two of them, and it felt like glass. It felt like one wrong word or one glance that lasted too long would break it, and then Sheik would be drowning.

But then again, lately it seemed like the Prince was drowning too.

Link was different now, vastly different from the boy Sheik had been paid to murder so long ago. He was quieter, darker, and often had a pained look in his eye. Honestly, sometimes Sheik felt like he was looking into a mirror when he looked at Link. He recognized the pain there all too well for what it was. It was a different pain to Sheik's, but it was still very well enough to break a person.

Sheik looked down and started undoing the lacings on his trousers, wishing to be free of them as the bottoms were caked with mud and they were soiled from days of hard travel. Pulling them down over his hips, he stepped out of them and folded them as well, placing them on top of the greatcoat.

The room was a bit chilly, and he was left standing vulnerable in his undershorts, but he swallowed and crossed the room, not daring to meet Link's eyes. He went over to the dresser across from the small bed and opened one of the drawers, searching through the few folded garments that still remained from his time living there. When he found the clean tunic he was looking for, he stood up and pulled the hem of his shirt over his head, tossing it into the corner near his other folded clothes. His skin prickled because he knew the boy still watched him. He honestly had no idea where this bravery had come from.

"Sheik?" Link called from the bed, and Sheik's shoulders tensed in response. He turned around and met the Prince's eyes, fighting the urge to cross his arms over his chest and hide his bare skin. He felt beyond vulnerable as he felt Link's gaze drop down and back up his body, but also somehow exhilarated. This was new, and scary. There was no darkness or fear in his mind, but there was a sharp and painful sort of nervousness in his chest as he gazed right back at Link with as much courage as he could muster. The mood in the room had changed quickly.

"Yes?" he asked quietly.

A touch of color bloomed across Link's face. "You're…"

"I seriously don't think you expected me to sleep in dirty travelling clothes?" Sheik asked quietly, raising an eyebrow. His skin prickled more and more the longer he left it uncovered.

Link gave him an odd look—it was half a smirk, half… something else, but he didn't explain yourself. "I don't suppose you've anything clean in that drawer for me?"

Sheik let out a pent-up breath, grateful Link had shifted his attention. "Everything in there would have been big on you before you spent weeks being starved in a cell," he answered. "You're welcome to them, but you're going to look like you're wearing sheets."

"You're not that much bigger than me, Sheik," Link grumbled. "And just as long as they're comfy sheets."

Sheik pulled out another clean tunic from the drawer and tossed it at the boy. "I am now. Prison food may be questionable, but it's still food, and it's more than you got." He pulled his own tunic on and then busied himself with walking over and grabbing a canteen from his pack, swallowing down some water, enjoying the feeling of it on his dry throat. When he turned back around, he faltered.

Link was sitting on the edge of the bed, chest bare as he straightened out Sheik's tunic in his lap, trying to find the bottom hem. It wasn't the fact that Link was bare that made him gasp, though; it was his skin. Specifically, the dozens of scars marring his skin. Some were as simple as fading bruises, some looked like deep, dark welts. There were too many to count.

Link noticed his stare, and seemed to shrink a bit, his shoulders hunching defensively. "Don't worry about me, Sheik. They're healing, and I'm fine."

Sheik walked over to him, seeing more the closer he got. "If I didn't have enough incentive to stab that forsaken coward through the heart before, I have all I need now."

Link blinked, looking away. "Sheik…"

Sheik then did something he never had done before. He stepped in between Link's legs, bringing them impossibly close together. Link's eye line was at his navel, and the boy blinked up at him with wide blue eyes, looking a little startled as Sheik rested his hands on his shoulders, anchoring them together.

"I thought Ganon's method of torture had been sleep deprivation?" he asked quietly. He had a bit of an urge to stroke his fingers through Link's soft golden hair, but he didn't act on it. "How did you come by all of these marks?"

Link shrugged his shoulders underneath Sheik's hands. "They had to keep me awake somehow, Sheik. Their preferred method was beating me."

"And cutting off your finger," Sheik added with a growl, eyes dropping to the bandaged hand in Link's lap.

"That wasn't to keep me awake," Link replied, voice hollow and eyes unfocused, looking like he was a world away. "That was to teach me a lesson."

Sheik frowned. "Did you learn it?"

The boy's eyes flicked back up to him sharply. "I'm not fucking interested in anything that bastard has to teach," he spat, his handsome face all fury. "He swoops into my home with civility and intelligence, playing at being a gentleman, and then he rips my fucking family apart. He killed my mother, Sheik! And he's probably killed my father as well by now! All for access to the stupid fucking temple!"

Sheik blinked, a little surprised by the outburst. Link hadn't said much about his mother in the past, but something else Link had said was far more pressing. "Ganon wanted access to a temple?"

Link nodded, his jaw working. "The Temple of Time. He asked my father in a letter years ago, but my father said no, that the Temple was too sacred for an outsider. The place is heavily guarded, and so he must have thought there was no risk in the fallout of denying the request. Hyrule was strong at that point, and I was only a boy at the time. Ganon sent an emissary then, but my father had her killed. He sent another, and she was put to death as well. Link swallowed. "We started to receive threats. My father ignored them, and then my mother took sick, and she died. We received more threats, and then blackmail, and so my father started to pay into it. He paid the blackmail, and Hyrule grew poor, and the people grew to hate us. My father remarried Marguerite then."

"The new queen," Sheik said softly, Link nodding in response.

"She was the daughter of a rich Lord from the south, or so we thought. My father probably hoped marrying her would bring rupees that would ease the burden of the blackmail on the kingdom, but I now believe she was just another plant by Ganon."

"I had my suspicions that she was the one who'd paid for my hire," Sheik said. "I don't come cheap, after all. Especially not when it comes to murdering princes."

Link gave him a weak smile. "I thought that too, but for a different reason. She's pregnant with my father's son, and she'd never shown much love for Zelda or me." He let out a great big sigh, hanging his head. Sheik hesitated, but then let his fingers trail though his soft golden hair, feeling Link give a light shudder at the touch. He put his hands on Sheik's legs, sliding them up and around to the back of his thighs, squeezing them. Sheik suspected he was just holding on for comfort, but the touch alarmed him and made him falter. It was a forward touch, after all. A lot more forward then what they'd been doing so far.

Sheik swallowed down a big lump, not sure if he wanted to move away or not. "It's not the scars on your back that I'm worried about," he said softly, dropping his hand from Link's head. Link looked back up at him, squeezing his legs again. "He scarred you other places. You're not the same as before."

Link suddenly looked like he was going to cry. "It's so hard to put on a brave face when it feels like the strength that was inside of me is gone. Is this how you feel all the time?"

Sheik nodded, the sentiment all too familiar. All he wanted in that moment was to make Link feel better; and so gently, without words, he pushed Link back onto the bed, climbing over him. For a moment he didn't know what to do. His heart was hammering and his throat felt dry, and cloying sickness clawed at his belly, making it turn and flop in somersaults. He looked down at Link and Link looked back up at him, and they existed like this for several moments.

"It gets easier," he murmured finally, letting his hand trail down Link's bare chest. "Easier to ignore the panic. Unless you end up like me, being trailed by a triggering little snipe who insists he's doing it out of love."

"But I do love you," Link said softly, barely above a whisper. His brow was knotted and an intense flush was coloring his cheeks. "I'm just still trying to learn how you need to be loved. Romantically? Physically? Obviosuly I want those things, but what I didn't understand before is that they may not be right for you. Ever."

Sheik sat back on his hips, frowning.

"Physical intimacy isn't something I can work you up to or… or get you ready for, or whatever it is I thought I could do before. I don't know what that means for us, but I…" The boy blinked, looking away. "I know that I love being close to you. I know that your safety and wellbeing are things I would probably give my life for."

"I don't think I deserve you," Sheik said quietly. "Not before, not now." Link looked like he was going to protest, but Sheik shook his head sharply to cut him off. He needed to get these thoughts out of his head and into the air between them. "That doesn't mean that I don't want you, though. It doesn't mean that I don't wish those things with you came easier."

"Do you wish that?" the prince asked quietly, sitting up on his elbows beneath Sheik. "Answer me honestly. I want to be with you—so badly. I want you, Sheik, but more than that I just want your trust. I want to make you feel like you don't have to hide. If that means a future of quiet evenings in front of the fire, then sign me the fuck up. Do you believe me?"

Sheik could feel his own face filing with heat. He fiddled with the hem of his tunic. "Am I not currently sitting on you?"

Link blinked at him, looking lost. "You are. What does that mean?"

"I… I don't know." And that was it. That was the answer. Sheik knew what he wanted and what he wished for, and what he hoped the future could bring, but that was the ugly truth of it. He didn't know. He didn't know whether he could have Link in the way he wanted to have him. He wanted more than just sex—he wanted physical intimacy and familiarity and knowing looks and soft smiles, and… companionship. He wanted to be loved.

He wanted to fight for it. No one, not ever, accepted Sheik the way Link did. No one had been this patient with him, no one willing to put his needs first. It was beginning to make him think he could do this—could be in love with Link, and be loved in return. It made him care less about the horrors he'd endured, because he could finally recognize that they were not much more than a piece of his ugly past. He was ready to move on; which was great in theory, but oh so much harder in practice.

But that was just it—this was going to take practice.

After all, the Sheik of six months ago would balk at the thought of straddling Link in this way. The Sheik he was now was relishing in the closeness, feeling steady and confident that he could make it all stop if it became more than he could deal with. This wasn't the night for such things—they were both tired—but it was a tempting thought.

"Would you be uncomfortable if I kissed you right now?" Link asked into the quiet.

Sheik blinked, startled by the question. His heart immediately began thudding anew in his chest, but it was more of a thrill than a panic. He licked his dry lips, holding Link's now-heady gaze. "I—" he began, but faltered. "Are you not tired?"

Link reached out and took Sheik's four-fingered hand, stopping his fiddling. "No, I am. I just wanted to ask. Being close to you sounds like just about the best thing in the world right now, but there's no pressure."

Sheik was unsure, so he slid off of Link, falling back into the pillows at the head of the bed. Link sat up and regarded him with a carefully raised brow. "That's not an answer, Sheik," he reminded gently.

"Come lay with me instead," Sheik said quietly, motioning him over, eyes watching his every movement as the boy crawled up the small bed and settled down beside him, propping his head on his elbow.

After a few more minutes of quietness, Link spoke again. "I think William and Zelda may be sleeping together. Like… actually sleeping together."

Sheik—who had closed his eyes—opened them, blinking as he processed the statement. "Does… does that bother you?"

"Not exactly," Link sighed. "It's just… complicated."

"Complicated?" Sheik repeated, furrowing his brow.

"She's my sister, and he's—"

"Your ex-lover?"

"No," Link muttered. "No, you should know by now I don't care about that. But it's only happening because of the situation we're in. Their coupling would never be allowed normally, and if everything is mended in time, and we all go back to the Castle…"

"Our coupling wouldn't be allowed either," Sheik reminded him, watching Link bite at his lip in the low lamplight.

"Is that what we are?" Link snickered. "A coupling?"

"Don't be bold," Sheik said with a chuckle. "Back on topic."

"It's just a little bit different."

"Because she's a woman?"

Link let out a huge sigh, scrubbing his hand over his face. "It sounds awful, I know, but yes. Not unless I become King is she going to be allowed to continue something like that. It's sexist, but boys are just given more leniency when it comes to promiscuity."

"She's not being promiscuous," Sheik reminded him. "You said they've had crushes on each other for years. It's just the natural course of things. William sleeping with you to get her attention was the unnatural part."

Link chuckled. "Well, when you say it that way, you're right. I was such a little fool back then. But…"

"Something is still bothering you?" Sheik guessed.

Link sighed, meeting Sheik's gaze. "I just want her to be happy."

Sheik reached out and brushed a strand of hair out of the boy's eyes. "Then let her be happy," he said gently. "Don't worry about tomorrow's problems tonight."

"You're right, of course," Link said, searching his eyes. He reached out and touched Sheik's arm, his hand running up to his shoulder and across his chest, resting there. Sheik shivered under his fingers. Not in all his five years since the prisons had he imagined he would be okay with this.

He nestled in closer to Link, pressing their foreheads together. It felt so nice, lying there with him. It felt safe. "I—I think I'm going to kiss you now," he said in a low voice, their lips inches apart. "I would like to, that is. I think I really want to, actually."

Link blinked at him, his long lashes casting shadows on his cheeks in the lamplight. "Then kiss me," he whispered, and oh, his voice was dark and sultry and low. It made Sheik's belly squirm.

Slowly, Sheik closed the inches between them, ghosting his lips over Link's in a movement that was barely even a touch, but it did things to him. It did things to Link too, apparently, as the boy instantly let out a small, pleading noise and chased his lips, folding his over Sheik's in a languid, slow kiss.

Sheik liked this. After what they'd been through the past few days, emotionally and physically, this felt better then he could have ever hoped for. Link was warm, and close, and pressing closer to him like he needed Sheik, which sent a pang of longing straight down into his core.

He took Link's face in his hand, cupping his cheek, his fingers grazing delicately over the pointed shell of his ear.

If he could get used to this, find pleasure and need in Link like this, then maybe all the suffering before had been worth it. His heart was still thudding madly in his chest, and he knew the panting, snarling beast still padded at his heals, reminding him that pain and darkness were still lurking in the background. But just then, he didn't care.

Sheik broke off this kiss, earning a small whine from Link, whose eyes had fluttered shut during the exchange. He looked flush beyond belief, intoxicated with desire, but his eyes held a sharpness to them that told Sheik that through all this, the boy had been just as aware of Sheik's needs as his own.

Goddesses, that meant so much to him.

"I need us to be slow," Sheik said gently. "I want to, some day, but not tonight."

"Of course," Link breathed, his eyes faltering to Sheik's lips again for a second, but back up again just as quick. "Anything you need."

Sheik smiled, feeling warm and heady. "What I need is what you need, and that is to sleep." He settled back down on the pillows, waiting for Link to reach down and pull the covers over them both. Their hands found each other under the blankets, no more contact then that, but it felt nice. It felt like what Sheik needed—something grounding, but not expectant.

The last thing he saw before he reached over and turned the flame in the lamp down were Link's bright eyes on him.

AN-

Hi, it's me again, slipping out of the shadows to set this chapter here before you months later and then slink away again. Writing is hard. Hope you enjoyed reading!

Rush edit, so please let me know if there are any typos or other mistakes you catch. :)

Also, thank you so very, very much to all who welcomed me back last chapter with your lovely messages and reviews. I'm still clinging to the garbage fire that is tumblr, so come find me if you want under the-wind-song, or leave me a review or PM here if you want to chat about the story. I'm still, at 24 years of age, Shink trash.

Come be trash with me.