A/N: So this is just a fluffy little oneshot that I wrote. Not much else to it. Originally I had wanted to do something that wasn't at all Zelda related, but...that didn't happen. So I just wrote about someone whom I've never written about before. And it was rather fun, although I wouldn't mind writing one where his evil nature actually appears. Edit: And I never did mention this when I first published, but in my mind, Vaati is a lot older than Link and Zelda in the game. How much older is questionable, but I think of him having the body of an older teen. So that's what he is in this story. Acting kind of like an older brother to Zelda.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Zelda.
Vaati dragged himself into his bedroom and pushed the door shut behind him. Sighing, he took off his cape and dropped it on the floor. It had been a long day of trying to rid himself of pesky heroes and hats, and Vaati wanted nothing more than to bury himself under the thick, comforting warmth of his many quilts. But upon looking at his bed, he noticed quite a sizable lump that was spreading out from the middle of his bed. He sighed again.
"Zelda…." The lump squired and wiggled until a small, blonde head poked out from under the violet blanket.
"Yes, Vaati?" Her voice was sweet, like rich honey. Her golden hair was tousled from being under the covers, and it partially hid her sparkling eyes.
Vaati wanted to laugh at the child's disheveled appearance, but he was too exhausted. "Don't you have your own bedroom to sleep in?"
"I do." Zelda grinned.
"Then why are you in my bed?"
"Your bed is more fun to be in." She laughed, "It's bigger than mine."
Vaati dragged his hand down his face in exasperation. Why he removed the stone curse from her he never knew, but he was regretting it more and more with each day that passed. First she had tried to attack him on sight with her little fists, and then she had stopped the physical abuse and called him names. After that, she had given him a glorious three weeks of silence. Now, she had taken to treating him as if he were an older brother and was constantly getting into things that she shouldn't. Vaati almost couldn't stand it. Almost.
"Zelda…" Vaati pinched the bridge of his nose. "Do you suppose that you could not be difficult, just for one night?"
Zelda looked at Vaati with her round, pale blue eyes. They seemed to hold such innocence, but Vaati knew better than to fall for that.
"No." She giggled again.
Vaati let out a long sigh. He was much too tired to deal with her tonight, he decided. He pulled back the covers, which caused Zelda to scream and scramble to the far side of the bed. Wincing at the high pitch of her voice, Vaati settled himself under the rich purple quilt. He lay on his side, facing away from Zelda, hoping that she would go away if he ignored him. But much to his dismay, she did quite the opposite.
"You can't sleep here."
Vaati groaned. "Do tell me just why I am not allowed to sleep in my own bed."
Zelda crawled over to him and placed her hand upon his shoulder. "Boys aren't allowed to sleep with girls. Not until they're older and married. My father told me so." Vaati could have laughed had he not been quite so frustrated. Or tired. He just wasn't in a laughing mood. But the princess really was quite amusing, he would admit to that.
"Then maybe you should move to your own bed, because I'm not going to move. And you cannot make me." Vaati's words had plenty of irritation in them, and Zelda seemed to have caught it, for she was silent for the next few seconds. He felt the bed shift, and he silently celebrated that she would be leaving him alone. Yet once again, he was very wrong.
"What are you doing?" He rolled over to face the young princess. She had pressed herself against him and was holding three strands of his violet hair. She said nothing, and he pressed her again for a response.
"I'm braiding your hair. It's a pretty color, and I want to see what it would look like." She continued to twist the hair around itself, her delicate hands moving swiftly and accurately for someone her age. Too tired and irritated to do anything about it, Vaati just sat there and allowed her to play with his hair. He wouldn't have ever told her, but…it did feel rather nice. The gentle tugs on his scalp helped to relax him, and he felt his eyelids growing heavier and heavier by the minute.
He barely noticed when she was done. If she hadn't said anything, he would have just continued to drift off into sleep. "Vaati?" She asked. He grunted in response. "…do you think that it would be alright if I slept here just one night? Or…" She trailed off, and it was obvious to Vaati that she truly didn't want to go. He mulled it over for what seemed like too long a time. Finally, he looked into her eyes and said something that astounded himself more than it did her.
"I guess just one night wouldn't hurt at all…" That did it. Zelda's face broke out into a gigantic grin. She flung herself against Vaati's chest, wrapping her arms around his firm torso.
"Thank you, thank you Vaati! I won't move a muscle all night, I promise." Vaati sat there, stunned at her reaction. Although he should have, when he said what he did. With the way the she acted at any other given time, it should have been obvious for him to foresee her reaction.
Untrue to her word, she wriggled, twisted and squirmed until she eventually found a position comfortable enough to stay in for a minute. Unfortunately for the wind mage, that involved his chest becoming her personal pillow. Her hand gripped the nightshirt that he wore, and she snuggled closer against him. His cheeks turned a very slight shade of pink at the way they were arranged, and he started to wonder if he should tell her that he changed his mind.
But before he could say anything, Zelda yawned. "Goodnight, Vaati..."
"…goodnight, princess."
