So I guess it's about time I put a proper introduction up here. Well this story is about Like and Pipit and I'm writing it off the top of my head. It seems that it's very Pipit focused. I do have a few plans for it, lose ideas really, but for the most part I'm just taking a stab at it. So enjoy as I bend and break my littles lovelies.
Pipit stared out across Skyloft. You could see everything from up on the academy's roof. He sighed and fell back against the cool tiles. It's so dull around here without Link. I wonder when he'll be back again.….The sky is growing a bit dark over here, he thought. Only a moment later, raindrops started to fall against his face. I better get down before it's too slick. Carefully he walked over to the edge. The rain was quickly picking up and he could feel his feet sliding across the shingles. It was as if it all happened in slow motion. A gust of wind pushed him. His feet gave out from under him, and the air left his lungs as he landed square on his back. He attempted to right himself, but failed and with horror he realized he was going to fall. With a sickening crack and a heavy thud, his world went black.
Link jumped from his loftwing, eager to escape the rain. As he sailed down, something caught his eye. A yellow shape against the blue shingles of the academy. The yellow shape moved and it became clear to Link that it was Pipit. He should know better than to be on the roof in the rain. As if on cue, Pipit slipped and began his descent. Link's eyes went wide and he let go of the cloth that floated him down slowly. He was close enough to the ground and time was of the essence. "Pipit!" he yelled as he sprinted to where the other had landed. Link skidded to kneel at his side and called his name once more, but the boy was out cold. Link quickly ran his fingers along the boy's neck in search of a pulse. Relief washed over him when he found it, but quickly vanished when he noticed Pipit wasn't breathing.
Pipit slowly regained consciousness. He felt something heavy on his chest pressing down. Then hands forcing open his mouth and blocking his nose. Lips met his and a rush of air filled his starved lungs. The boy stirred and coughed directly into Link's mouth. He shook as he coughed and gasped desperately trying to regain control of his respiratory system. Once his breath returned to him, albeit a bit ragged, he tried to sit up and was greeted by a world of pain.
Link grabbed the other boy's shoulders and gently eased him back to the ground. "Pipit, are you alright?" he asked frantically. The boy didn't answer. Only a groan escaped his lips as his eyes slowly fell shut before slowly opening again. "Link?" he asked, his voice quiet and slightly hoarse. Pipit winced and placed his hand on his forehead. Unfocused eyes look up at Link. The yellow clad boy swatted the space to the left of Links head "I can't see straight". He let his hand fall and another wave of pain came over him. "It hurts. What happened? ". Link looked over the boy, no blood; it was a good sign. Carefully Link picked him up, cradling him to his chest to help keep the boy's head steady. Hands grabbed at his tunic tightly as he made his way inside. The infirmary door was shut, but Link wasn't about to let go of the yellow clad mess in his arms. Loudly he kicked at the door until the handle jiggled. "What's all the racket do you- oh my" The doctor quickly opened the door and ushered Link in.
Warm sheets met his body as Pipit found himself being laid on a bed. They were a bitter sweet relief. He cried out in pain as his leg was jostled. The world was a foggy blur. Someone was talking to him. A finger panned back and forth before his eyes, but he couldn't follow it. Immense pain flowed up his body as he felt his shoes being removed and his pant legs slit open. Where am I? Whats going on? Why are people yelling? Time didn't seem to flow right. He was tired and was almost positive he kept falling asleep. Someone kept telling him to open his eyes. Suddenly he became very awake as pain shot through every fiber of his being. His world momentarily went black again. He came to as the bitter taste of potion was being forced down his throat. He coughed and tried to push away, but a soft soothing voice told him not to struggle.
"Shh, it's ok Pipit. Calm down, drink this." Link said, massaging the other boy's throat to encourage him to swallow. Link pulled the glass bottle away once half of it had been drained. Even in the boy's semi-conscious state Link could see the vast pain he was in. "Link" The doctor said dragging his attention back "Hold him still, He's not going to enjoy having this leg reset". Link nodded and held down the other by his arms. As the doctor worked to stabilize the awkwardly bent leg, it became very apparent that he was correct in his assumptions.
Link volunteered to watch over Pipit for the night. The doctor had provided him with strict instructions as he was still wary of the idea. However, his assistant was late and the man was rather tuckered out. "You wake me if anything happens" He said before trotting off to a cot in the back room. For awhile Link sat in the deafening silence. Pipit looked so tired and weak. It was a far cry from the strong, optimistic knight he knew. His thoughts drifted to what had just transpired. Had I only been here sooner, had I only landed closer, I could have caught him. Hands reach up to weakly pull their owner into sitting position. Link steadied him before he could fall back down. "Link, what's going on? Where am I," Pipit's strength further dwindled and he collapsed into Link. He stroked the confused boy's hair in an attempt to sooth his panic. "It's alright. You're in the infirmary. You fell off the roof, but I brought you here quickly".
A choked sob left Pipit. He felt dizzy and off kilter. Sound was loud and distorted, and time was irrelevant. Everything hurt and the pain throbbing in his skull was unlike that which he had ever felt. Links voice cut through the haze "Are you ok?". He almost shook his head, but thought better of it. "Going to," he drew in a deep breath, "be sick". He held his breath, trying to suppressed the bile building at the back of his throat. He felt himself being eased to lean over the side of the bed. An arm braced his chest while he retched. Each heave only made his head feel worse. At some point it subsided and he was propped up into sitting position.
Link stared at the other. If he was throwing up he needed to be on his side, but moving him now might not be good for his leg. "Pipit, can you hear me?" he asked. "Yeah," the other whispered. "You need to stay awake. If you throw up in your sleep, you could choke". The boy opened his eyes "Your voice is so loud" Pipit said squinting his eyes. It was like he was trying to block out the sound as if it were the sun. "Sorry," Link uttered sheepishly " If you head still hurts that much, I was told I could give you more potion". He passed the bottle to the boy who swallowed it greedily. "Tomorrow I'll be heading to the bizarre to get you something stronger. Red potion doesn't mend bones quickly". The bottle was handed back to him with a curious look, "Mend bones?". A smirk crossed Link's face. "Pipit, you broke your leg and rolled your ankle. You didn't notice?". Pipit held his head as the potion worked it's magic "I only knew it hurt. I assume I hit my head, because everything is..." he gesticulated, not knowing what word to use. "Yeah, you landed on your right, it took most of the impact, but you smacked your head on the overhang," Link stared at his hands in thought "It's probably what kept you from landing on your back".
Pipit stared at the other through blurred sight. "It's been so boring without you here" he blurted out. He wasn't sure why he said it. He was only half sure he had said it. The other picked his head up and smiled "Is that so?" the green clad boy replied. "Yeah, I've missed you," his voice sounded far away and foggy even to himself . "Every time you leave I worry you won't come back" Pipit confessed. Did I say that out loud? A muffled chuckle hid behind the other's lips "It's nice to know I'm not taken for granted". It was as if his body moved all on his own. He didn't quite remember initiating the movement but he found himself grasping the other's hand. Link raised his eyebrows in surprise. Pipit closed his eyes and let his head loll back against the pillows. His shoulder was shaken lightly and he remembered to keep his eyes open. Links face was so close to his. He was saying something, but by the time it reached Pipits ears it was a garbled mess.
Link shook the other urging him to stay awake. "Pipit, hey, come on, stay awake". The other slowly opened his eyes. An unintelligible groan escaped him. "Pipit, do you know where you are?". The other lean closer "With you," he whispered before closing the gap between them and clumsily pressing his lips against Link's. Link froze. He put his hands up and gently removed the fatigued boy, who was seemingly unconscious again. Does he know what he just did? He set the other back down just as the door opened. The assistant came bustling in and relieved Link of his duties. Thank goddess, I- I need to get out of here. I need to think.
Link made sure to leave as casually as he could, but once he was outside he dashed to the closest platform and called for his loftwing. Where should I go? His bird turned and nuzzled his face. "You can read me like a book, Red". The bird cooed and changed course. "Alright boy, you take me where you think I should go". They soared high in the sky, clearly taking the scenic rout to catch the sunrise. Slowly the Lumpy Pumpkin came into view and Red fluttered gently to the ground. Link petted Red's back and received an affectionate nudge before the bird took off into the sky. Some pumpkin soup probably would do him some good. He took a seat and shortly after a bowl of hot soup was in front of him. He poked at it, taking the occasional bite. "What's got you down, Link?". Link picked his head up; he realized he wasn't alone. Keet stared back at him. Was he here when I sat down? "Hey, Keet" Link sighed "Just have some stuff on my mind". Keet crossed his legs and propped his head up on his hand "I'm all ears". Link looked hesitant. Keet was his friend, sure but, they had never been especially close. Maybe that was a good thing. Maybe it would be easier to talk to him. "Alright, but not here." Link said with an air of defeat. He bottled the rest of his soup and the two headed outside. They sat at the end of the pier, hanging their feat over the edge.
"So whats bothering you?" Keet started, breaking the silence that hung between them. Link kept his head down "Well...um..a, goddess, where do I start?". A hand fell briefly on his shoulder "The beginning would be nice" Keet said with a small laugh to break the tension. "So..this person was injured..pretty badly and- shit,.. that alone is enough to figure out who it is," Link turned his head to look at the other "Promise you won't tell anyone". Keet motioned as if closing a zipper on his mouth. Another sigh came from the boy's mouth "I was coming back up here and had just gotten off my loftwing. It was raining and I saw Pipit climbing down from the roof. He slipped and fell. Hit his head and broke his leg. I brought him to the infirmary and stuck around to make sure he was alright. That and the doctor's assistant hadn't arrived yet. Since Pipit hit his head I had to keep him awake". Link paused to collect his thoughts. "Thats not what's eating at you is it?" Keet pried. "It is bothering me but...well..He started talking about how he missed me and then He started to fall asleep again so, I..I shook his shoulder and- and...he kissed me," it felt good to get it off his mind. He waited for Keet to be disgusted, or angry, but all that came was a hmmm sound. "Well, why exactly does that bother you?" Keet thoughtfully questioned. Link blinked twice. He hadn't really thought about it quite like that. "What do you mean?" Link asked hesitantly. "Well, does it bother you because a boy kissed you, because Pipit kissed you, or because he did it with a head injury? There is quite a big difference" a silence over came the two again. This is Pipit. My friend. My best friend. Why am I taking so long to answer? This should be an easy question. "Your silence speaks for itself, you know. It means you're considering the notion," Keet said kindly. This seemed to dawn on Link as well. Sure I admire him, but this is completely different. Right? "Every now and then loftwings take up a mate of the same gender," Keet said looking out toward the sky. "It's nothing to be ashamed of, Link". It was true. Their birds were known to do so. They even helped raise the hatchlings in the spring. "Thanks, Keet. You've given me some things to consider."
Keet smiled as he stood up and offered a hand to Link "Any time. Send Pipit my best wishes".
The world was a little less foggy the next time Pipit woke up. He looked around for Link but the boy was nowhere in sight. He didn't remember much, but he knew Link had been there at some point. In fact, wasn't he the one who brought me here? Lost in thought he barely noticed the flash of green walking past him. Muffled voices spoke in the other room and soon both the doctor and Link emerged. The doctor handed him the bottle of potion and told him to drink it after he had eaten. "Link, make sure he eats enough of that. We can't have him throwing it back up. Now if you'll excuse me I have to make a house call. My assistant is in the back if you need anything." the doctor said as he left. Link sat in a chair at the side of his bed. Pipit stared, Link's eyebrows were knit together and his usual smile was missing; something seemed to worry the blonde haired boy. Pipit was handed a bowl of pumpkin soup "Thanks" he said "for the potion and the soup," he paused "and for saving me". Link blushed at the gratitude.
"If I had saved you, I would have caught you. I only found you,"
"No one else would have found me with it raining so hard,"
"I guess so." he fiddle with his gauntlets "How much of yesterday do you remember?"
"Not much but- " his eyes went wide and he dropped the spoon. The sudden realization hit him like a ton of bricks "oh shit," he said under his breath. He ran a hand through his hair. "I'm so sorry. Goddess, what you must think of me now. I shouldn't have. I..I mean, I don't even know if you're like that t-" he put his hand over his mouth to stop saying things he shouldn't. He turned his eyes away. Tenderly he felt his hand being pulled away from his mouth. Fingers laced his own, catching him off guard. "It's ok, Pip. I don't think any less of you". Pipit turned his head back toward link. His eyes welled with tears that threatened to fall at any moment. "I'm sorry," he choked, trying to keep the tears at bay "Please, don't tell anyone". He hid his eyes again. He didn't want Link to see him like this, like such a disoriented mess. "It's a little late for that". Pipit turned quickly, a bit too quickly, back to the other. Link steadied him as Pipit held his head "I don't mean it like that. I needed someone to talk to and Keet was there, thats all." Pipit felt better knowing it was Keet. It was pretty well assumed that the boy was at least bisexual and regardless of that, Keet was pretty laid back about most things.
Link watched the emotions that ran through the still disoriented boy. The wheels in his head were visibly turning as he tried to think straight. "Link," Pipit looked back up at him. "why did you need to talk to someone?". Link smirked; the boy was catching on. With a half lidded gaze and a kind smile, he gently brushed away the tears that had begun to slowly stream down the other's face. "You gave me a lot to think about."
Pipit could barely believe his ears. His mouth hung slightly a gape as he tried to process it.
"I didn't just imagine that, did I?"
"Imagine what?"
"what you said,"
"What did I say?"
Pipit was rather discouraged until he saw that playful smile he adored plastered on the other's face. "You jerk," a smile crept across his own face and he playfully punched the other. Link laughed. "That wasn't very nice. I still have a concussion you know" he tried to pout, but the smiled still graced his face. "Yeah, it was kind of mean" Link chuckled "But I did get you to smile". Pipit pondered what to say next and realized that the other still held his hand. He gave it a weak squeeze and received one back. "So…" his sentence trailed off.
"So…" Link mimicked. He could feel the other's pulse quickening. "Go on, ask it. I promise I won't be mad" he reassured the other. Pipit looked away "Do you..Are you..". Even with his head turned away, Link could see a blush creeping up to the boy's ears. He could see he was going to have to be rather blunt with his friend. "Pip, if you don't ask, you'll never know if you have a chance with me or not".
Pipit's breath caught in his throat. What did he just say? He turned slowly, remembering the last time he whipped his head around. "You're serious?" he said doubtfully. The other sighed "You're so prideful". Before he knew what was happening, lips brushed against his gently. His brain screamed at him to do something, but his mouth was being uncooperative. Hesitantly he began to respond. Still rather dazed he let the other take control and merely followed Link's lead. The quick kissed seemed to last an eternity to Pipit. When it finally broke, Link still lingered close to the other. "Er...Link, are you.. I mean, does this mean you..um feel the same way I do?".
He can be so dense sometimes. It's rather endearing. "I was shocked when you kissed me. I wasn't sure what to think. But after talking to Keet, I realized I wasn't shocked for the reason I thought I was. Had you not done it, I may have never realized how much I care about you or how I care about you". Link steadied the bowl slipping from the other's hands. Pipit immediately re gripped it "Truly?" he asked. Link smiled, "Mhm. Now eat up. You need to take your medicine". He ruffled Pipit's hair, earning himself a smirk from the other.