On the ninth day of Christmas my True Love gave to me…
…Nine ladies dancing.
Link smiled at Zelda as they walked out onto the ballroom floor.
"You look strained." He shook his head at the comment.
"I'm fine." Zelda, in contrast looked resplendent in white silk. He only hoped his red dress tunic lined with gold didn't look horrible.
"How many dances have you had?" Zelda asked.
"Nine, including you."
"All ladies?"
"Yes." They both knew he wasn't so inclined, but this was mostly a publicity event for the end of the tournament. Ike was the champion, following Link himself and before him Samus.
"What about you?"
"Eleven, but I get to switch with Sheik."
"What's Sheik's count? Men and women?" She smirked at him, her eyes mischievous.
"Four women one man. I almost thought the man would ask to dance with male Sheik but he was just nervous that Sheik might not be female."
Link rolled his eyes. "You didn't enlighten him did you?" It was more a statement than a question.
"He figured it out when the next partner I had wanted a male Sheik."
They danced for a bit longer, but the song was coming to a close. "Tell you what," Zelda started. "I'll go and ask Samus to dance, like you've been wanting me to, if you go over there and ask Red."
He gaped at her, flushing slightly. "But-I-how?"
She shrugged. "I guessed. You up for it?"
His eyes narrowed as he contemplated her. "Fine."
She smiled deviously.
"But only because you've been crushing on her since the last tournament."
Finding a place on the wall was hard, more so as he refused six offers to dance, claiming tiredness. His eyes followed Zelda, who frowned at him and also chose to abstain from the next dance, not ready to make a move unless he was as well.
Slightly irked, he made his way over to Red as the song finished up.
"No partners?" He asked the shorter boy.
"Ah, no," Red replied, startled. "I'm resting." A slow song started, for which Link was infinitely grateful.
"Not up for a slow dance even?" Red pushed away from the wall, scanning the crowd.
"Maybe. I should find someone who hasn't been asked." Charitable, but not what Link was going for.
He reached out and grabbed the arm of Red's white dress shirt and tugged. Red turned to look at him, confused.
"I was asking you to dance."
Red turned, well, red. "Oh." And then. "Um."
Link let him stutter adorably and he wound his arms around the boy's waist and buried his nose in Red's for once uncovered hair.
Red promptly shut up and slowly placed his hands on Links shoulders.
Across the room from them Samus, who was wearing a very pleased expression besides her somewhat masculine dress suit, was doing much the same with Zelda.