Shugga chugga choo choo

by DrBadassPhD

Four years after saving New Hyrule, Link is a blossoming teen struggling to understand his own maturing thoughts and feelings. Ferrus is a lonely, misunderstood young man with a painful past. When a fun outing leads to a heartfelt attempt to understand one another, these close friends learn something both about each other and themselves. (Warnings: child abuse and homophobia)

1. Chapter 1

16 sure is a troubling age to be, the baby-faced blond boy reflected as he lounged on the grass. Maybe one of those wacko portal things can take me somewhere where I'm 12 again. "Hehehe, choo-choo time travel," he chanted aloud in a sing-song voice, giggling and pumping his fist as if pulling on his train's whistle. But seriously though, when the heck did everything start going all weird? He plopped on his back and pulled his red engineer's cap with the neato dove logo over his face, lying spread eagle. Normally when he did this it was simply to enjoy a nap in the soft grass and warm sunshine, but today was a day for contemplating. Contemperlating. Contemperponderlating.

Did it begin at that dinner party? Or the day in her bedroom? Was it that time when they snuck out the back tunnel behind the castle to play hide and seek in the Tower of Spirits? All he knew was that at some point Zelda had started acting all weirdo-like. It was little stuff at first, small gestures of affection he enjoyed. A pat on the head, a one-armed hug, a kind compliment. "Link, you have such a sweet smile!" or "It isn't fair how your hair is always so soft, Link! What shampoo do you use?" Things that made him feel warm inside, grateful to have such an awesome best friend. Best friend. Sister. Best sister friend. His cherished teammate and favorite buddy.

And then she started doing other stuff. Things he didn't dislike, per se, but that certainly made him feel uncomfortable. Kisses on his cheek, placing an arm around his waist. And that totally weirdo out-there look she gave him. What the heckin' heck was that look? Like she was looking at him super duper extra hard. Like he was a delicious sundae with three flavors of ice cream, topped with fruit and whipped cream and drizzled with strawberry and chocolate syrups. "With lots of rainbow sprinkles," he added, licking his lips as he visualized the succulent dessert. He fantasized for a moment longer before remembering what he had originally been thinking about. Oh yeah, Zelda was looking at him in a different way nowadays. He liked the old way better.

He had talked to Alfonzo about it. Big ol' grown-up Alfonzo who knew stuff about things. Things that didn't make sense to Link. Like how Zelda probably had a crush on him.
"What the heckin' heck, Zelda wants to crush me?" "No, Link, I meant that she likes you." "Well duh she likes me, she's my most awesomest best friend!" "Darn it boy, do you have whipped cream for brains? I mean like she wants to like… geez, look son, once people reach a certain age they start thinking about doing romantic stuff together." "You mean like kissin' and whatever? And that wacko naked thing you told me about, the one that makes babies?" "... Yeah, that. Link, I'm saying Zelda is probably thinking about doing mushy stuff. Like being your girlfriend." "You mean like… WHAT THE HECKIN' HECK."

No no no no no no no. Heckin' no. Double heckin' no. Super extra double top secret heckin' no. Zelda is, like, his most favoritest friend. Like the sister he had never had. Not girlfriend. It isn't that he thought she was ugly or hated her. I mean are you kidding? Zelda was feisty, funny, and totally sweet. She was flippin' cute, like extra pretty. He had even told her so one time, although thinking back he almost wished he hadn't. Zelda was his totally rad flippin' cute best sister friend, like the one person he could talk to about anything, and he didn't want any kind of weirdo adult stuff getting in the way of that because he just didn't think about her that way. Heck, he had tried, after his little talk with Alfonzo. But whenever he tried to imagine kissing her or even holding her hand, he instead found himself thinking of them giggling as they hid Teacher's notes for that day's lesson, or playing endless rounds of chess as they jabbered about happenings around the kingdom and plotted their next crazy adventure together.

And then there was that other thing. Maybe times had just been a'changin' real quick, but it seems like nowadays every time he talked to Joe or even random soldiers, the number one topic was freakin' girls. Girls, women, which one they'd like to kiss, who looked good, whatever they were talkin' about. Link didn't get it. As far as he was concerned, every girl was flippin' cute, but what mattered most was that they were nice. So when Joe kept asking him "Hey Link, what do you think of that girl? Think I have a chance?" he mostly just said "Uhh.. yeah, she's pretty. I dunno." Because he appreciated the female aesthetic but he had never felt any personal attraction to a girl. While other men were discussing what they liked about this woman or that woman, he found himself thinking stuff like "Dude, Joe's freckles are flippin' cute" or "Holy cow, that soldier has some heckin' nice shoulders." Recently, it had occurred to him that maybe he just wasn't attracted to girls at all. Geez, everything felt so confusing to him. "Didn't have to worry about this load of Chu jelly when I was 12…" Link grumbled, stretching his sturdy arms. Zelda had a crush on him, but he didn't want to lose his best friend, and he probably didn't even like girls like that in the first place.

So what the heck was a flippin' cute engineer dude to do? Link thought as he sighed aloud. He had gone to both Alfonzo and Niko for advice. Alfonzo just grumbled that he was "not the one for relationship advice." Niko was quiet for a long time (totally unlike him), but finally said "Look son, most of these teen loves blow over in a few months top. So how about you just give Zelda some space for a while, let her feelings simmer down, and then maybe when you see her next everything will be back to normal?" That meant no more spending, like, every day at the castle. He had thought about it for a while, and realized that it probably didn't feel good to like somebody who didn't like you back, and that it probably just made it worse to see that person all the time. So following Niko's advice would probably be the best way to get his best friend back without breaking her heart.

That had been a month ago, and he had only gone up to see Zelda twice since then. She didn't ask him why he suddenly stopped coming by, but she seemed a little sad. Link just couldn't wait for this whole thing to be over with. He really didn't like the idea that he was causing Zelda any kind of pain, although he didn't see any way around it. He had spent a lot of time working on his train, collecting rare treasures and taking them to Linebeck III to trade in for new train cars. In just two weeks he had a complete Sweet Train. When Alfonzo asked him, "Link, why did you replace the sacred Spirit Train with a mobile dessert bar?" he just rolled his eyes and replied "Becaaauuuse, Alfonzo, it's flippin' cute. Just like me. I'm cute."

Bereft of his best friend and longing for company, he had been driving passengers around. A lot. He didn't get Force Gems for it anymore, now that the Spirit Tracks were completely restored, but he still didn't like taking rupees unless they absolutely insisted. I mean dude, did they not know how fun it was just to drive his train around, feeling the wind whipping around him, hearing the train's loud shugga chugga and clear whistle, seeing the landscape whizzing past? He made plenty of rupees selling treasure to Linebeck III; why take even more money for doing what he would probably be doing anyway, whether he gave someone a ride while he was at it or not? And there were a lot of passengers that he really liked. Like that one guy.

He and Link had always gotten along well anyway, although admittedly he was a bit of an oddball, and, like, a total dork. But over the past month they had been seeing quite a bit of each other, and Link had found that he had just the easiest, funnest time talking with this rad dude. It had gotten to where every time Link saw the Postman running towards him, letter in hand, he just filled up in anticipation, hoping it was that guy asking for a ride. Speaking of which, he hadn't even checked the mail today…

In an instant the blond teen was on his feet and bounding across Aboda Village. "Hiya Link!" a redheaded little girl in a pink sundress called to him as he dashed past. He turned around, still jogging in place, and flashed her a grin that showed the rather becoming gap between his top two incisors. "CHOO CHOO Rei! Gotta shugga chugga to the mailbox!" he hollered, waving his hat, before turning around and sprinting towards the mailbox by the station platform. He was filled with excitement as he saw the red mailbox bouncing out of control. "WOO HOO FOR BOUNCY MAILBOX! HOW THE HECK DOES A MAILBOX BOUNCE ANYWAY?!" he happily roared to nobody in particular. He skid to a halt and touched the mailslot, and within seconds heard a familiar voice calling "CHOO CHOO!"

The Postman's big red hat was bobbing as he ran up to Link. He halted and stood at attention as he handed Link an envelope and said rather stiffly, "One letter for a Mr. Link!" Link's heart skipped a beat. "From Mr. Ferrus! Thank you ver-" "WOO HOO SKIPPY DOO!" Link hollered and jumped up in a wild happy dance, chaotically waving about both his hat and the envelope. "Like neato, dude!" "Ah yes, sir," the Postman said awkwardly as he attempted to maintain his poise demeanor, "Well, if that concludes our business-" Link cheerily clapped his back, knocking him a few inches forward, "Totally dude! You're like, the best!" "Yes, thanks sir…" the Postman started, before totally dropping his stiff attitude and saying, "Oh heck with this, you make it too hard!" "What?" Link asked, bewildered but not really paying attention. "Well like, my bosses told me I have to act professional and stop being so chatty, but it's boring. Just because they're a bunch of stiffs doesn't mean I have to be! Anyway, so Ferrus was looking super bored too, so maybe he wants you to give him a lift somewhere. Does he still do nothing but photograph trains all day? What a weirdo." "What?" This caught Link's attention. "Nah dude, Ferrus is like the coolest! Time to shugga chugga away!" And Link zoomed off, shoving his engineer's cap on lopsided and leaving the somewhat stunned Postman behind. "What a fruitcake," he mumbled under his breath as he watched Link jump over the stairs onto the platform.

The over-excited teen was already pulling levers and getting the train's gears in motion before he realized that he ought to actually read Ferrus' letter before just taking off. He ripped open the envelope and removed the neatly folded parchment. His hands trembled as he read: "Hey there buddy! So remember a couple of weeks ago we were talking about those wacko portals? I was thinking it'd be totally awesome if you could drive me through a few of them. I mean this is like some serious spacetime craziness going on here, making trains teleport. I just gotta see it in action! Anyway, here's a map showing where you can find me. -Ferrus" At the bottom of the letter Link saw a neatly hand-drawn map of the southeastern region of Forest Realm, with a small X near the crossroads just west of the Trading Post.

Ferrus was a lonely dude. Like sure, it was he who elected to live out in the sticks and chase trains all day, but that didn't mean he hated human contact. It was just that nobody really got him. He was weird, and he knew it, and he had decided he couldn't and shouldn't have to change himself. He loved trains, he loved photography, he loved archaeology. And when Ferrus loved something, he was totally gung-ho into it, no casual interest allowed. Years ago, when he left (or more like ran away from) home, he decided to throw himself wholeheartedly into his passions. He had been photographing trains and occasionally ruins ever since.

But it hadn't taken him long to realize something important was missing from his new life; he didn't have a single friend in all of New Hyrule. Even so, he traveled around so much that almost everybody knew who he was, kind of like a local celebrity. Or more like a tourist attraction. Like "Oh look, there's that weird guy who goes gaga over trains! What's his name again? Ferrin? Ferrell?" It was Ferrus. Like ferrous, from the Latin word ferrum, as in iron, which makes machines, such as trains. Ferrus. It was a cool name, he had always thought. Despite so many people knowing of him, pretty much nobody knew him. People rarely stopped to talk to him, and when they did all he had to talk about was trains, photography, and ruins. But clearly those are the three coolest topics in the world, so why did his over-the-top enthusiasm for them seem to chase everyone away?

Well, everyone except this one guy. Link, the cute little engineer hero dude. Link was the only person he knew who loved trains as much as he did, leading Ferrus to graciously bestow upon him the honorary title of "traniac." Link was always happy to stop by for a chat, and had even given him a lift to some totally awesome spots for taking photographs. And he drove THE Spirit Train for Hylia's sake! THE ACTUAL SPIRIT TRAIN. And he even let him ride in it. One of his favorite memories was of the time Link took him on the underwater tracks to see the Ocean Temple. He got to ride on the best train to a beautiful ancient temple where he took dozens of stunning photographs. Now that's what Ferrus called a perfect day. It was so awesome he even gave Link an artifact he found, this totally cool ancient gold coin, as a thank you gift.

This past month Ferrus had been seeing even more of Link than usual for some reason. Fine by him; he liked talking to the little dude, and they always did something awesome together. For example, at the moment he was in the engineer's box of a train that looked like a dessert buffet, clinging onto Link and yelling over the train's rhythmic cacophony into his pointy ear, "Dude, like, are you sure this is okay?"

Link just let out a jolly laugh and said "Come on dude, it's not like you can observe the wacko portals from the passenger car! Just don't touch anything!" The wind was whipping Ferrus' dark blue hair and lengthy bangs all around, threatening to steal his red conductor's hat. He was dressed almost identically to Link, except his engineer's uniform was aqua rather than navy blue, he wore brown loafers instead of boots, and he wore a yellow ascot. The ascot was necessary with the uniform's deep v-neck; he just couldn't pull off that open chest look as well as Link. Also, Link kept the sleeves of his uniform rolled up past his elbows, complementing the distinct air of mischief he gave off. "CHOO CHOO!" Link roared merrily as he pulled the train's whistle, and glanced over his shoulder at Ferrus. "For a so-called traniac, you're acting like a big heckin' baby! How old are you anyway?!" "19," Ferrus responded, calming down as he became accustomed to the wind and rocking of the train. They turned south. "Woah, dude!" Link exclaimed, "You look, like, way older! I thought you were like 25 or something!" "Gee, thanks," Ferrus grumbled, "I get that a lot." Link's eyes widened a bit and he became flustered. "No dude, that's, like, a good thing! I have the opposite problem! I'm already 16, and I know I'm flippin' cute, but everybody still thinks I'm 12 or something! And I'm not even as short as I used to be!" They turned east, now on tracks running over shallow, pristine ocean water. "So wait, you're not 12?" Ferrus sounded genuinely surprised. "NO, YA DING-DONG!" Link hollered, "I'm 16 I tell ya! It even says so on my specially certified engineer's certificate with Zelda's autograph and everything!" "Calm down little dude, I believe you," Ferrus yelled back, and then gasped. "HOLY SMOKIN' AXLES, I see a wacko portal!" he squealed in uncontained excitement.

"CHOO CHOO," Link roared joyously, "Time to blow my whistle! Dude, watch this crazy thing! TO THE SNOW REALM!" He did indeed give the whistle a strong left-handed yank, sounding a high pitched choo choo and tinkling melody. Ferrus watched in dumbfounded amazement as a circle of yellow light opened in the stone gate and expanded into a swirling portal. "Dude!" Ferrus ejaculated, thrilled beyond description. The train was heading closer to the light, not slowing its pace… and they passed through it.

Ferrus opened his eyes, as he had closed them without meaning to, and saw that he was surrounded by a familiar mountainous landscape and grass lightly powdered by snow. Link was grinning over his shoulder at Ferrus' speechless expression, and asked "So? Aren't the wacko portals like the coolest?" "DUUUUDE," Ferrus gasped, "That was awesome." They simultaneously burst into jolly laughter. "I know right!" Link happily agreed, "Dude, like, I'm gonna take you all around New Hyrule today! Let's give a big CHOO CHOO for wacko portals!" He yanked the whistle, drawing another round of giggles from the both of them.

Link was true to his word. Ferrus was having the time of his life as he and Link laughed, geeked out, and hollered out crazy ideas on how the portals work while teleporting first to the Fire Realm, then back to the Forest Realm. They took on pirates in the Ocean Realm, and admired the massive statues in the Sand Realm. They battled weirdo bug monsters in a cave in the Fire Realm, and finally as the evening closed in teleported back to the Snow Realm, where Link brought the train to a gentle halt at Wellspring Station. Ferrus thought to himself that today had somehow been even better than the day Link drove him to the Ocean Temple. In trying to figure out why, he recalled the sensation of clinging onto Link's back as they geeked out and cut up, struggling to hear each other over the shugga chugga of the Sweet Train. Today was a great day, a small, truthful voice spoke in the back of Ferrus' mind, because you spent it with Link.

"Yo, like, you in there Ferrus?" Link called, waving his hand in front of Ferrus' freckled face. Ferrus blinked his dark eyes several times and said in a dazed tone, "What? Oh, yeah. Dude, that was an awesome ride." Link grinned happily and stretched. "No kiddin'. I'm like totally bushed though. Can I hang out for a bit before rolling on home?" Ferrus was a little surprised by Link's directness, but hey, the little dude had just given him the time of his life. He could at least treat him to cookies and milk. "Uh, yeah, sure," he finally replied, "Feel free to stay as long as you want." Ferrus' heart skipped a beat. Where the heck did that last part come from? Stay as long as you want? Ferrus thought as he felt his cheeks flush.

Meanwhile, the oblivious Link had jumped up and cheered "WOOT WOOT, PARTY AT FERRUS' HOUSE," dashing off into Ferrus' "house" (okay, it was really an abandoned train car, but to him it was home) before his host could even invite him in. Ferrus snorted and called out "Geez dude, do you like never run out of energy, even when you're tired?" as he stepped over the doorframe. Link was lying facedown on the floor next to the roughly-made wooden chabudai. He picked his head up and propped it in his hands, looking up at Ferrus with startlingly bright blue eyes. "Well duh dumb diddly I do," he said matter-of-factly, "That's why I'm resting here!" "Yeah, yeah, of course," Ferrus replied, grinning happily as he reached in a cabinet beneath his combined workbench/desk and pulled out a tin of chocolate chip cookies, a jug of milk, and two glasses. It wasn't much, but it was pretty much all the food he had. He placed them unceremoniously on the chabudai, where a faded, wrinkled map heavily marked with old scribbles and annotations served as the tablecloth. "Here, have a snack. I made these cookies yesterday," he offered to Link, who was observing him with a certain adorable, childlike look of anticipation on his face. Adorable.

"Gee, thanks!" Link happily exclaimed and sat up. "I feel like I could eat like two big feasts at the castle in a row PLUS dessert!" He didn't hesitate to reach into the tin and pull out three small, soft cookies. "Plus dessert?" Ferrus asked as he raised an eyebrow and grinned yet again. Link looked at him quite seriously. "Yeah. Don't you know, I have, like, two stomachs," he explained, "My regular food stomach and my dessert stomach. That way when I finish the savory stuff I always have room for sweets, 'cuz that's the real most important meal of the day." Ferrus broke into a hearty laugh and said, "Gee, you're like a little kid! Anyway, how's the cookie?" Link had bitten into one, and his eyes were as round and wide as saucers. He looked up at Ferrus with the same astonished expression, and swallowed. "Bro," he said slowly, "these are terrible." "What?" Ferrus raised a hand to his mouth, horrified. "Yeah, like," Link continued in the same slow, monotone voice, "They're so terrible I'm going to have to eat them all. To spare you the experience." Suddenly he shoved the remaining two cookies in his hand into his mouth and melodramatically collapsed on his back. "Ferrus," he moaned in ecstasy through a mouth full of food, "these are abso-tootin'-lutely stellar. Like the actual best thing I've ever eaten."

Ferrus burst into laughter. "Don't do that, little dude!" he jokingly scolded, clapping Link on the shoulder and helping himself to a cookie, "I thought I had accidentally poisoned you or something!" "Nah bro, but like, these are so good I'd eat them even if they were poisonous. Like that one time Gage made- oh whatever, you probably don't wanna hear about that. It wasn't pretty." "Oh," Ferrus blushed again, "Thanks. Uhh…" A silence fell between them. Link seemed perfectly relaxed, happily chowing down on one cookie after another. Was he even chewing, or just vacuuming them down? But Ferrus felt a little uncomfortable. Shouldn't I make conversation with him or something, he thought, be a good host and all that? Geez Louise he's cute. He cast around in his head for topics. They had already spent all day talking about trains. Normally he'd happily keep jabbering on about his favorite machinery, but something about being around Link made him feel… self-conscious? No, not quite that. It was more like… more like…

This is the feeling, the small voice in the back of Ferrus' mind spoke up again, of liking someone. Of liking someone and wanting to be liked back. Of worrying over whether they approve of you. Is it selfish to desire reciprocation when we like somebody? Or is it only natural? How would you know; you've never been accepted by anyone. You got used to being the odd one out. The black sheep. And now you've gotten to know someone with whom you mesh like two peas in a pod. Now that someone liking you at all is within the realm of possibility, you have the luxury of worrying what they think of you. Staying true to yourself is important, but isn't it something of a blessing to not have to assume that being yourself will push people away?

"So, like," Link interrupted Ferrus' inner musings, "Is getting lost in your thoughts like your fourth hobby?" Ferrus snapped his head in Link's direction, startled out of his reflections. Link was lying on his side now, propping his head up on his right elbow and holding a half-eaten cookie in his other hand. "My fourth hobby?" Ferrus asked quizzically, deciding not to discuss what he had been thinking about. "Yeah, you know, like I basically only know three things that you like," Link explained, "Number one, you like trains. Duh. Number two, you like photography. Double duh. Number three, you like old stuff, and thinking about the people who made the old stuff. Like ruins and old whatchamacallits, uh, artifacts. What's the word for that? Anthro- wait no, it's a kind of anthropology, acro… err, archaeology?" "Yeah, that," Ferrus confirmed. He was surprised; everyone knew he liked trains, but nobody else had ever picked up on his fascination with ancient people. "Yeah," Link grinned cheerfully, "Ya know I still have that old coin you got me from the Ocean Temple? I used to put it in my treasure bag, but I was afraid I'd accidentally sell it to Linebeck III, so now I keep it in the super top secret inside pocket of my uniform." He reached inside the breast of his shirt and removed a rustic gold coin, tossing it up and catching it before putting it away again. "I like to pretend it's a good luck charm!" Link shot Ferrus a big toothy grin.

"Uhh… yeah, uh, err…" Ferrus halfway acknowledged. Sure, it was a little weird, but Ferrus found it touching that Link had held onto his gift. Frankly, however, he wasn't sure how to express this sentiment or what would be a proper response to Link being so… well, yeah. Link seemed to pick up on Ferrus' feeling of awkwardness, and hurriedly rambled on. "I mean like I said, I didn't want to accidentally sell it," he explained, gesticulating with his left hand, "I legit bring home the bacon by selling treasure. And like, dude, the Ocean Temple is no joke, flippin' monsters everywhere. You went through lots of trouble to get the coin, and then you turned around and gave it to me. So like, I wanted to hold onto it." Link paused for a moment before continuing. "Besides, it is an archaeological artifact. I'm surprised you didn't wanna keep it in your own collection."

"Err, yeah," Ferrus stumbled before stiffening his expression and asking, "But how did you know I'm into archaeology, anyway?" He spoke quickly, as if determined to get the question out before deciding not to ask it. Link responded blandly, "One time I tried to visit you and you weren't home, but I found a big ol' long ol' note where you were talking about how you wondered who made the wacko portals and why." "What?" Ferrus interjected. Link plowed on, "And then you like totally geeked out about exploring old temples, and then you got me the coin and stuff. I mean it just kind of made sense, ya know. Why does it surprise you that I figured that out?" "Oh, well, umm…" Ferrus hesitated again, "I guess… I don't know." He breathed in deeply, and spoke. "I'm gonna level with you pal, I don't exactly have any friends. And everyone I'm at least acquainted with just knows me as the train photographer. I guess it's just that nobody really knows what my other hobbies and interests are, or anything else about me for that matter. Or cares to take the time to find out. Like, nobody really knows me, if that makes a bit of sense."

As Ferrus spoke, Link's brow furrowed into a thoughtful expression. He sat up and rested his chin in his hand, listening carefully. When Ferrus finished he looked up and locked eyes with the teen's intense sapphire orbs. They seemed… sad? Concerned? Meditative? They were carefully observing Ferrus; he realized that these weren't the eyes of someone who failed to notice much. He wondered if Link had really been so oblivious to his blushing earlier, or if he simply ignored it for the sake of being tactful. Or because he didn't care. When Link spoke, it was in a tone Ferrus had never heard him use before. It was slightly sad, but above all serious, slow, and measured, as if he were carefully reflecting on each word as he spoke. He said, "Maybe… I don't really know you either. I know about things that you like. But I don't really know a lot about who you are. Thought processes, behavioral patterns, little habits and quirks… things that make us individuals. It's sad, really. I've… been acquainted with you for four years now. And it's really great that we have so many mutual interests, because it makes it super easy to talk to you, but… Geez, I don't know what I'm trying to say. I have a ton of fun whenever we're together. You're really great, ya know? So I guess I'm saying that I'd like to get to know you better… Sorry, was that, like, a super weird thing to say or just plain corny?" Ferrus was staring at him with an unreadable expression, mouth slightly agape.

Ferrus shook himself a little and stuttered, "Oh n-n-no, I just… oh geez Louise, umm… Chu jelly." His heart had slammed into his chest and rose in his throat as Link spoke. Nobody had ever said anything to him even remotely close to the words he was hearing. He had no idea how he was supposed to react, so he remained frozen, stunned and intensely aware of his racing heart. "Yeah, I'll take it I was just super weird. Sorry," Link said. He took his cap off, looking down with closed eyes and vigorously shaking his head like a wet dog. His blond hat hair was fluffed into a dishevelled mess. One slightly curling lock at the peak his crown stuck almost straight up. Ferrus' heart leapt again as he thought, unbidden, that Link was beyond adorable. Link hugged his knees to his chest and rest his head on them, looking down with a pained expression and slight frown. Ferrus felt himself panic as he realized the precious boy was feeling incredibly embarrassed. He had just earnestly expressed his desire to become close friends with someone, and now mistakenly believed those feelings had been rejected. That Ferrus thought he was "super weird." Oh damn, no no no no. That wasn't it at all. Dammit Ferrus, pull yourself together and just say what you're really thinking, he thought furiously.

Ferrus smacked himself in the forehead with a firm, open palm, startling Link into looking up. "Link, what you said was on the strange side, but I wasn't weirded out at all. Not in that way," he spoke swiftly, as if determined to get his thoughts out before clamming up again. He kept the hand he had hit himself with over his eyes, as if shielding himself from the sight of any twitch of the mouth, any subtle reaction from Link that may steal his voice away. "It's just that I really had no idea how to react to that. I mean like I said, nobody has ever cared to get to know me before. I just… damn, I'm just really touched, okay?" He finally lowered his hand and batted his long eyelashes open. In front of him he saw a sweet, unaffected teen with hopeful eyes, wearing an expression of innocent surprise. The look on Link's face was rather like that of a puppy who had expected to be scolded but instead found himself receiving a treat and affectionate head rub, and still didn't quite believe he wasn't in hot water. It spurred Ferrus on, who wanted to confirm to Link that he felt happy to have heard someone so honestly state that they enjoyed being around him. "And you know what? I think you're totally awesome too. First of all, you're an engineering hero. I mean, you and that butt-kicking princess taking on the actual Demon Train? Putting the smack down on Malladus and saving New Hyrule? And you did it using your skills as both an engineer and a swordsman. Dude, that's the stuff of legends. I mean seriously, your story is going down in history." Ferrus paused and smiled warmly. Link was looking at him with a strange expression. "And it isn't just what you did, it's also who you are. You've got a big, kind heart and are always so friendly to everybody you meet. You just have this innocent, earnest aura about you that… well, for me anyway, it makes me happy, like it's impossible to have bad thoughts when you're around. You're clever, too. Super thoughtful and observant."

Ferrus inhaled and exhaled, and looked at Link. The lad was blushing deeply. It wasn't just his cheeks; his whole face was a glowing red split open by a wide grin. He was sitting up stiffly, but his posture was slightly concave and he was discreetly wringing his hands beneath the table. His spoke shyly, his bright blue eyes sparkling, and said "You forgot to add that I'm flippin' cute." Ferrus, who had been awaiting Link's response in nervous anticipation, burst into laughter. "Okay, you're that too!" he chortled, causing Link to giggle in unison.

Link's giggling subsided and his blush faded to a rosy hue coloring his smooth cheeks. They look so soft; he must not even have to shave yet, Ferrus thought. A happy smile pervaded on Link's face as he warmly said, "Thank you, Ferrus… It really means a lot." But then his face dropped in a trouble expression. Ferrus eyed him anxiously. "That stuff about being a hero though..." Link began, looking down and speaking seriously. "Like, yeah, going on a big adventure was fun, and I met a lot of great people and got to see lotsa amazing places… But, like, people only ever think about the cool parts, and because of what I did they expect me to be this fearless, badass hero type. Nobody considers how terrifying it is when you got nothing but a sword between yourself and a giant monster, but you gotta force yourself to keep your head because if you don't figure out its weakness that's lights out. It's so scary, like everything inside you is telling you to run away or just curl up and cry, but you know you don't have any option but to keep fighting. I'd like to say that in those moments it was something noble that kept me going, like knowing that New Hyrule would be destroyed if I failed, or at least thoughts of my friends. But truthfully, I just didn't want to die. There were so many times I seriously thought I was gonna get myself done in. I've never been so scared… And it was even worse at times when the action slowed down, and I had time to think about the fights I still had ahead and whether I'd survive them, and what would happen if I didn't. Honestly, I think the only reason I didn't break down was that I didn't want Zelda to see me like that. I don't know, dude… nobody ever asked me if I was ready to be a hero. I just had to do it. It's a miracle I lived and can even be sitting here talking to you about it at all. Mostly nowadays, I just think every moment I have is a blessing."

Ferrus simply stared at Link, speechless. He had never even considered… not once thought… It seemed so obvious now, so why had he never considered Link's story in that light? He had only been 12 years old, already considering the finality and consequences of death. That was just too much, too young… Link exhaled, closed his eyes and blinked them open, now smiling softly. "It feels kind of nice to finally be able to say that," he added thoughtfully, "I've never even told Zelda how I feel about the whole hero thing, and she's my bestest friend." He laughed a little and scratched the back of his head. "I can just imagine what she'd say if I did, seeing how she was my partner in battle and all." "Hmm…" Ferrus said, finally finding his voice. "I don't know, dude. That's heavy stuff, right there. Heavy, heavy stuff. I guess people just don't consider it from that angle because it's not something they have personally experienced, especially since New Hyrule has been peaceful for so long. We're like innocent fools, really. But ya know, you said Zelda was your best friend and partner in battle, right?" "Yeah. Like, I did most of the heavy lifting going through the temples and stuff, but we worked together to get the rail maps from the Tower of Spirits, and we both fought Byrne and Malladus. I definitely couldn't have won either battle without her." "Mhmm," Ferrus acknowledged thoughtfully, "So I'd say that if anyone would understand how you felt, it would be Princess Zelda. I imagine she felt just as frightened as you did." At this Link grinned cheerfully. "Maybe so, but then again that girl has more guts than every soldier New Hyrule has ever known put together, and then some. Ya know, one time I did ask her if she ever got scared during our quest. She just shrugged and said, 'Princesses don't have the luxury of being scared for themselves. I have a kingdom to be responsible for.' I thought that was sad and a bit lonely, but also kinda admirable in a way."

Ferrus smiled strangely (so Link thought), and asked, "You really think a lot of her, don't you?" Link's face lit up. "Yeah, like, she's the greatest!" he exclaimed happily. But then his face dropped. He leaned on the chabudai and propped his head up on one elbow. "Things have been real weird between us lately, though," he said dejectedly. "Huh? Why's that?" Ferrus asked in concern, with just a drop of plain curiosity in his voice. "Well, it's like…" Link began, but then paused and fixed his eyes on Ferrus with a serious expression. "You promise you won't tell?" he asked, sounding like a child trying to keep what was only in their mind some all-important secret. "Uhh, yeah, sure," Ferrus replied, put off. Link eyed him suspiciously. "Okay then, for real. I promise I won't tell," Ferrus reaffirmed in a more genuine tone, smiling, "Cross my heart and hope to die." "Okay," Link approved, apparently satisfied. "Well, thing is, for a couple months now Zelda's been acting all kinds of weird around me. Things like… I don't know, saying and doing a lot of weird stuff. So I talked to Alfonzo about it, and it turns out Zelda probably has the hots for me or whatever! Like, can you even believe that?" "Oh!" Ferrus exclaimed, "Uhh… well, I just finished saying that you're a great guy. So yeah, I guess I can believe that." Especially since I have the hots for you too, he thought. Startled at this revelation, his heart panged and pounded into his sternum again, and he felt his cheeks turn hot.

Link's eyes twitched a little but he jabbered on. "Well anyway, I just don't feel the same way towards her. She's my best pal and confidante. I tried liking her in a different way, and I just can't. Thing is, that puts me in a tight spot because I really don't want to hurt her feelings by rejecting her. But I also sure ain't about to date her out of pity, 'cause lying like that is just plain wrong. You get what I mean?" "Yeah… yeah, definitely," Ferrus replied breathlessly, still a little dazed but quietly rejoicing to hear that Link was single. He then felt a stab of guilt. Come on Ferrus, the guy is in a tight spot with his best friend and all you can think about his how it benefits you, he scolded himself, How could you have such selfish thoughts when you should be lending a friendly ear, comfort, and advice? A guy like you doesn't even deserve Link's friendship, much less his love. Chastised and dejected, he refocused his attention on hearing out Link's predicament. "Right," Link was saying, "So I asked Niko what I should do because old guys just know stuff, and he said to just give Zelda space until she gets over me or whatever. So now I've only seen my best friend like two times over this past, like, forever. Okay, it's only been a month, but it's been a lonely one. It sucks. But Zelda's a smart cookie, so I'm sure she'll understand I stopped hanging out with her 'cause I wanted to spare her feelings... And I can't say it would have turned out any better if I had just directly confronted her about it. She's a holy flippin' terror when she's upset, and I'm not much better."

"And there's definitely no way you like her back?" Ferrus inquired, now feeling genuinely sorry for his friend and wanting to find a solution that would minimize Link's heartache. Link shook his head sadly, and replied, "Nope, not a chance. See, there's this other thing." Ferrus furrowed his brow and tilted his head slightly, curious as to what else could be causing Link grief. Link inhaled deeply, and once again fixed Ferrus with an intense stare. "This part really is super top secret. Nobody else knows about this," he said seriously, "So you have to promise not to breathe a word, not even to the trees. Or snowflakes." "Of course," Ferrus replied, wondering what kind of secret could possibly be so troubling to Link. "I won't even think about it if you don't want me to." Link smiled gratefully and said, "Nah, I can't ask you to not think about stuff that I tell you. But anyway, here it goes." He inhaled deeply and hesitated. Ferrus patiently waited, sensing that it was one of those things that require a great gathering of courage before they can be spoken. Steeling himself, Link finally continued, "I… I don't even think I like girls at all. Not just Zelda, but any girls. Not in that way. I'm just not attracted to girls. Every guy I know wants to yammer on and on about girls they think are pretty, but I… well, I'd rather talk about guys that I think are pretty. Or handsome. Whatever, there's a lot of guys out there. Anyway, I'm pretty sure I'm only attracted to men." Feeling slightly panic-stricken, Link paused to observe Ferrus, hoping to gauge his reaction. All he saw was shock in the young man's deep, dark eyes and slightly agape mouth. He wasn't sure why he felt tears welling up in his own eyes, and struggled to suppress them as he plowed on desperately. "I mean, I don't think it's a bad thing, right? But doesn't it make me a bit weird? The way everybody talks, you'd think it was just guys are supposed to like girls and girls are supposed to like guys, and that's it. I never met another guy who also likes guys, unless they were just hiding it. Is something wrong with me? It feels so confusing to me, like I don't even know why I'm spilling my guts to you right now. Heck, is there even a word for guys liking guys?"

"Yeah," Ferrus replied faintly, "It's called being gay. Or homosexual. Whichever term you like." Ferrus felt his heart ache in sympathy, staring into the watery-eyed, blushing face of the teenage boy. He longed to say something kind, something reassuring, but as usual his words stuck. Looking deep into Link's beautiful, shining blue eyes… Ferrus saw himself.

Ferrus was a plump, happy boy of 14, living in a quaint, idyllic island village far outside of New Hyrule. It had been an exceptionally good day for fishing, and Ferrus had worked extra hard to finish balancing his father's accounts early so he could help weigh and filet the day's catch. It was imperative that he put his father in a good mood, because he had decided that today was going to be the day… He approached the burly old man, who was merrily whistling an old sea shanty as he loaded a cart of grouper. His father's kind but stern face was often difficult to read, but today he was clearly cheerful. As Ferrus approached him, he boomed, "Ferrus, m'boy! Already done with the ol' number books, are ya? Come to lend your old man a hand with the heavy lifting?" "Right-o, daddy-o! Err… well, actually, there's something I want to talk to you about." "Well then fire away, son! Haha, have you given up on those trains, then? Decided to study something more useful?" His father chuckled to himself and muttered, "Trains on an island, I ask you…" "Sorry Pops, I haven't let that one go yet," Ferrus said genially as he hoisted up a large slippery fish. "You remember that friend I had over for dinner last week? Pipit?" "Ah yes, ol' Groose's son. Fine lad, strong lad... You could take a few pointers from him, eh, son? Haha, I'm just yankin' yer chain, this family couldn't get by without your brains. Anyway, what about him?" "Err, well thing is dad, he's not actually my friend. He's… Pipit's my boyfriend." "Eh?" "Pipit's my boyfriend, Pops. I'm into guys." Pops grumbled, "You know your mother and I didn't raise you up to that." Ferrus felt he should have known to quit then, but instead he opened his big mouth again. "Well yeah, but that's how it is. This is just how I am. You can either live with it or-" SMACK. Ferrus was on the ground, right cheek throbbing. He spat out a mouthful of blood and a premolar. "I'M NOT HAVING NO FRUITCAKE FAIRY QUEEN FOR A SON," his father roared, towering over the terrified boy, "The train nonsense was bad enough, now this?! Do you get your kicks out of putting your father to shame, you little ingrate?! I'll beat that nonsense out of you if it kills you, mark my words, boy! Now get out of my sight! OUT!" That night, Ferrus stowed away, hiding amongst the stacked crates of a container vessel moored in the harbor. It left the next morning, leaving Ferrus' old world behind him.

Ferrus was looking across at a beautiful boy who, for whatever reason, had chosen to expose to him a part of himself that he knew all too well would be tragically easy for the wrong person to hurt. He subconsciously felt the gap once occupied by his missing tooth with his tongue. What had he wanted to hear from his father that day, what had he hoped would come of their talk…? "There's not a thing wrong with you, Link," Ferrus spoke kindly, softly, because although he was talking mostly to Link, he was also talking himself. "Guys can be attracted to guys, too, no sweat. Just because something is less common doesn't mean it's not "normal." It just means that it's normal to different people. And I promise you that you're not the first and only guy in New Hyrule to struggle with all the confusion that comes with people telling you something that contradicts with what you personally feel… I know that for sure, because, well… I only like guys too."

"Woah!" Link exclaimed, eyes wide. "No way!" Ferrus smiled slightly. "Yes way." "Oh, wow! So, like, that means that like… aggh," Link groaned and ruffled his hair, but he was evidently pleased. Hehe, way to go, you flippin' cute engineer dude, that means you might have a chance with this guy, he was thinking to himself. "Well gee, that's a load off my shoulders," he said cheerfully, "Gay… gay… say, how come I've never heard that word before? Why do people assume that guys only like girls and vice versa?" "I don't know, man," Ferrus shrugged. There's no need to expose this young lad to that particular bit of humanity's nastiness, he thought, not just yet, at least. "People are just weird," Ferrus concluded aloud. "Is it because of the sex thing?" Link asked bluntly, causing Ferrus to turn beet red and choke on nothing. "How does that even work with two guys anyway?"

"W-w-well, it's like, umm, I g-g-guess, I mean, I dunno, n-n-not to say that I'm any kind of expert but, ah, oh creaking cabin cars that's awkward, uh," Ferrus stammered, now flushed up to the tips of his long ears. "Woah, woah, dude, it's okay," Link cut him off and grinned sheepishly, waving his hands in a halting gesture, "Like, you don't have to tell if you don't want to. Alfonzo said people are mighty secretive about naked stuff, after all. Don't go and bust an axle on me." Ferrus smiled gratefully, but was still a little thrown off kilter. "Yeah, thanks. Just… ah like," he said, somewhat embarrassed, "just trust me, dude. There are ways." Link laughed genially and said, "Understood, understood. No details necessary. Not right now, anyway." He giggled again, then stood up and stretched, shoving his red engineer's cap over his head of playfully tousled blond locks.

Sounding positively cheerful, Link said "Well Ferrus, I reckon it's about time for me to shugga chugga on home." He bounced over to the still seated young man and flashed him a big toothy grin. "Thanks for the snack and stuff! I had lotsa fun today." He bent down slightly and offered his right hand to Ferrus, who clasped it in a firm handshake despite the sinking feeling in his heart. Putting up a merry facade, Ferrus replied "You're very welcome, Link! Thank you for the ride today; those wacko portals really were the coolest." He attempted to draw his hand away. Link didn't let go. Ferrus' heart skipped a beat, and he snapped his gaze up.

Link's grin had softened into a sweet, slightly crooked smile. There were faint roses in his cheeks, and he was gazing at Ferrus with… warmth? His eyes were so round, so bright blue, so vibrant. "Yeah, sure dude. Always happy to give you a lift. Also, by the way, thanks a lot for talking to me," Link said softly, "You really helped clear up a lot of exhaust in my head. So, uhh… say, can I tell you one more secret?" "Yeah, whatever you like," Ferrus replied breathlessly, taking in the texture of Link's small but rough hand. "See, I told you I like guys," Link whispered, leaning in closer, "But there's one guy I especially like. Like I got a crush on him." "Oh," was all Ferrus could say. His heart sank in agony. What did you think would happen, you outcast freak, he rebuked himself, Of course there's somebody else! I'd call him a moron if he wanted you of all people. Sheesh dude, get over yourself. Link went on in the same gentle whisper, carefully observing the pain he saw in Ferrus' eyes. "You see, I had kind of suspected it for a while, but I guess I was too caught up trying to figure out this whole gay thing to really think about it. But you've gone and helped me not feel so wishy-washy, so now I know what I want. This guy's really special to me, ya know, and maybe now that I got a handle on my feelings something can happen between us, if that's what he wants too. And I got you to thank for that. You're a true friend, really…" Link was leaning closer down as he spoke, still gently but firmly clutching Ferrus limp hand. Ferrus could barely hear him speak over the thunder of his own heart. Their faces were only centimeters apart now, their locked hands nestled between their bodies. Link lifted his left hand and sweetly, gently caressed Ferrus' cheek with his fingertips. Hehe, his skin's prickly like a grown-up. But I sure do like it, Link blissfully thought. He quietly purred, "Like, you're one amazing dude, Ferrus. I really like you. I like you a lot." His adorably upturned nose slid past Ferrus' round conk, and at long last their lips met.

Ferrus' chest exploded. He closed his eyes in joyous rapture, but no other muscle in his body would respond to his command to move. Link's gentle touch, his delicate lips, and a delicious scent Ferrus was now taking in for first time had seemingly sucked the life out of him. He was limp yet frozen, unable even to press back against Link's soft, cookies-and-milk flavored lips. The wind, Ferrus thought vaguely as he inhaled, he smells like the wind… and a smokestack. Link adjusted his lips with a minor smack, now fitting them perfectly, snugly, securely against Ferrus' and gently rubbing their noses as their lips moved against one another, making soft, pleasing bilabial pops. His thoughts went into overdrive as Link slid his left hand around to his hairline at the back of his neck, and used the newfound leverage to kiss him more firmly, more sweetly, more sensually. Oh my dear Valoo, where in New Hyrule did he learn to kiss like this? My goodness, he's so soft. His lips are so soft. His heart is so soft. Is he really kissing me? Oh, why can't I kiss him back? Please don't stop Link. I'm so sorry I can't return your kiss, but please don't stop.

Link didn't want to stop either. It was okay that Ferrus wasn't kissing him back; he felt sure he had simply shocked the older boy. He had always thought that surely people must be a little grossed out when they put their mouths together, but was pleasantly surprised to find that it didn't feel the least bit disgusting. Rather, it was quite the opposite. He was revelling in this new experience, pouring out his overflowing young heart through that kiss, trying to convey something he knew he could never speak. He loved the way Ferrus lips felt, surprisingly full and a little squishy, with smooth skin and a luscious shape. He was overjoyed to taste those cookies and milk again, and felt that this time around they were somehow even more delicious. At a time when everything and everybody else felt so mixed up to the blossoming teen, being with Ferrus was pure clarity, peace, and happiness… why had it taken him so long to realize that? He would have turned in his engineer's certificate if doing so would make that kiss last forever, but he now felt that instinctive moment when one knows it's time to end it. Not questioning it, he gently detached his lips from Ferrus' with one last soft smack.

"Hehe," Link giggled warmly, "Sorry, I've never done that before. Was that, like, okay?" He nervously bit down on his lower lip, feeling a rush as he caught a residual taste of Ferrus. Okay? Okay?! It wasn't just okay; it was wonderful. It was beautiful. You're beautiful, Ferrus thought back in unabated disbelief. He tried to speak, opening and closing his mouth like a fish out of water. All he managed to produce was a low croaking noise. Are you absolutely sure you've never done that before, Link? Or at least watched somebody, read about it, studied it in a special degree program? Dear, precious Link… I have no idea why you kissed me. I don't really care though. Not right now. Would you please do it again, if I may ask so much?

Link's expression changed. His nervous smile dropped into a slightly panicked frown, his eyes grew wide, and his cheeks flushed from a pleasant rosiness to a blotchy red. Fiddlesticks, ol' boy, you done goofed it all up, a nasty voice was telling his tender heart, he didn't kiss you back because he doesn't like you back, duh. And now you just done made things weird and probably lost yourself another friend. You'd best skedaddle now, before you make things worse. Link dropped Ferrus' hand and stood up, trembling from head to toe. He spoke hoarsely as tears filled his troubled eyes. "Geez Ferrus, I'm sorry. That wasn't okay at all, was it? I shoulda asked first or… I don't know. I goofed up bad. I got whipped cream for brains. Sorry about that. I… I gotta shugga chugga home now." He fled out the door, a small sob escaping him as he slammed it behind him and dashed for the platform.

Now it was Ferrus' turn to panic. "No," he whispered aloud, finally finding his voice. But it was too quiet, too late. Flaming freight cars, what to do? He's leaving. I hurt him. Why couldn't I just tell him what I felt? Oh Hylia, what should I do? He put his head down and clutched his dark blue locks in desperation. Suddenly, his old Pops' rough voice piped up in his head. "See Ferrus, the second you feel the catch- not just a nibble, but a real catch- you gotta set the hook. Snag 'em good before you reel 'em in, else they're gone forever. You miss that moment, an' ya might never catch that same fish again. Ya listenin', son? This part's important. It's the same deal with women, yer gonna find out one day. Feel the bite, set the hook, reel 'em in." Mostly Ferrus thought his father's words were ridiculous; people weren't "fish" to be "caught." But now he saw one inkling of truth in the metaphor. Link had bit, and if he didn't set the hook now, he might be gone forever. Ferrus sprang to his feet and threw the door open.

"LINK!" he roared into the frigid night. In the dim light of the waxing crescent moon, he saw the small, dark figure hopping onto the engineer's box. The platform was no more than 20 yards away, but Link didn't hear him. Snow absorbs sound, Ferrus frantically thought. He dashed over the stone pavers that made a path through his yard, making a beeline for the platform. He ignored the cold stinging of his feet as he sprinted through the several inches of snow coating the ground; he had left his shoes inside. "LINK! WAIT!" he cried again as he approached the ledge of the platform. Link, who had been blindly fumbling with the train's various levers, jerked around in the direction of Ferrus' voice. He felt a pang of hope as he saw the frantic young man hoist himself onto the platform, using one hand to pop himself over the ledge with surprising agility. Ferrus' hat was gone, freeing his long blue bangs to whip around him as he bolted barefoot toward the bewildered teen.

Ferrus bounded onto the engineer's box with a gasp and halted himself by nearly colliding with the dashboard. In doing so, he caught a very shocked Link between his arms, pinning the small lad. Ferrus let out a great wheeze. "Link…" he exhaled as he struggled to catch his breath. He was huffing, head hung down over Link's shoulder. "I… I-I," Ferrus stammered as his racing heartbeat steadied and his breathing became less labored. "I… Sorry. I don't run often." Link replied in a small voice, unable to think clearly, "I guess not, dude." Ferrus ignored him. Link didn't blame him. Inhaling deeply, Ferrus turned his head and determinedly whispered in Link's ear. "Don't leave yet. I gotta set the hook." "Set the…? What, am I a fishy now?" "Something like that…"

Ferrus took the somewhat shorter teen up in his arms, blissfully acquainting himself with Link's small but sturdy body, and rather aggressively slammed their lips together. He was so lost in Link's delightful softness that he didn't immediately register that he was pressing every inch of his body against the teen, sandwiching him between the dashboard and himself. Feeling a pang in his chest, Ferrus backed off slightly; he hadn't meant to use that much force, but had gotten carried away by his own momentum. His cheeks were burning with shame at the tent he felt rising against his will; Link was teenager just learning to grapple with his maturing thoughts and emotions, and Ferrus was frightened by the thought that he had pushed Link beyond his comfort zone. He didn't want to hurt him…

Ferrus took a small step back, bringing Link with him, so that the teen could stand freely while Ferrus gently pressed their lips together. Link let out a slight heart-melting whimper as he ever so gently drew his arms around Ferrus, resting his shaking hands on the taller young man's sides… and he returned Ferrus' kiss, blissfully feeling his luscious lips once again. They both felt they were melting inside, and it wasn't until he felt a sharp pain in his frosted bare feet that Ferrus at last broke away. Nonetheless, he took a moment to look down at the precious engineer's weepy face, drinking him in with kind, loving eyes before hugging him gently. He heard Link's tiny, muffled voice whisper from his shoulder, "choo choo…" Ferrus giggled and concurred with his own "Choo choo…" He then softly spoke. "Listen, Mr. Engineer. You sure surprised me back there, but don't go apologizing and running off before I get a chance to say how I feel. I'm kinda bad at doing that, so you gotta be patient with me. Anyway, here I go." Ferrus let go of Link, and rested his hands on the teen's muscular shoulders. "I like you too, Link," he said simply, his dark eyes sparkling, "I like you a lot."

Link blinked his reddened eyes several times and raised his eyebrows in an expression of innocent uncertainty. "Like, for reals?" he asked frankly. Ferrus smiled. It was this exact behavior that made Link so endearing. "For reals," he confirmed, still grinning warmly. Link's face broke into a glowing, genuine smile of unaffected joy. Oh my, Ferris internally swooned as he too was filled with a rush of happiness, he really is beautiful, isn't he? What an angelic expression… I wanna make him smile like that more. And he resolved then and there that he would do everything in his power to make Link the happiest being in the known universe. And that would start with…

"Hey, Link," he began, taking his hands off the angelic lad's shoulders and feeling somewhat nervous. "It's pretty late, and there isn't much moonlight tonight. Not good driving conditions. So how about you spend the night at my place? I got an extra futon, and for once my heater isn't broken." Link's angelic smile widened into an excited grin, and as if no longer able to keep his energy under wraps, he joyfully exploded. "CHOO CHOO! TRANIAC EXCLUSIVE SLEEPOVER, WACKO LOVEBIRDS ONLY," he hollered at the top of his lungs, leaping onto the platform and spinning to face a guffawing Ferrus and waving his arms. "HAHA! TRANIAC #1, TRANIAC #2 HEREBY CHALLENGES YOU TO A RACE TO THE TRAIN CAR HOUSE, STAKING RIGHTS TO THE SQUISHERIEST FUTON!" "Wait, what?" "On your mark, shugga chugga, CHOO CHOO!" And Link zoomed away, flying over the platform ledge while laughing maniacally. "WOAH DUDE, NO HEAD STARTS!" Ferrus yelled in glee as he too took off, much slower and already far behind. Tonight's going to be the start of some happy, happy times, he thought.