The Prince and the Daredevil

by andrhats

It's Friday night, and what better way to spend it for a socially anxious psych student than risking his life in a high-risk, no-stake battle on the road? Or watching one, for a certain clan heir. Screw the anxiety, it's time to kick ass and burn rubber!

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda, its characters and locations are all property of Nintendo. Any and all OCs and original locations belong to me unless specifically stated to belong to someone else.

---

The Prince and the Daredevil

---

"...and that is all the time we have for today, I'm afraid." The projector switched off with a dull whine, throwing the room into darkness for a few seconds before the automatic lights flickered into life, blinding everyone. Mr. Rauru cleared his throat. "Now, before you leave and spend the weekend doing everything that is bad for youngsters your age," he said, eyes flashing dangerously as he fixed a few students who were already packed and rearing to leave with a glare, "I would just like to remind you that your term papers are due in a scant three weeks. These papers will determine forty percent of your final grade in this class, and I cannot stress the importance of them enough."

Link swallowed nervously, ducking his head slightly when Rauru's eyes scanned across his seating row, pretending to fiddle with his laptop and notepad. He wasn't sure why he couldn't meet his teacher's gaze—Link had finished his paper earlier that week, and was well underway with proof-reading and polishing. If anything, he should have been able to meet Rauru's eyes squarely, and with confidence.

...then again, confidence and Link were virtual strangers in his day-to-day life. Frankly, it was a miracle he'd found it in himself to sit on the first row, clear and visible and in the line of fire of the professor's never-ending questions and quizzes. If it weren't for the fact that Rauru always seemed satisfied with his stuttered and quiet answers, Link would have sought refuge in the back row long ago.

"And if there are any aspiring psychiatrists among you," Rauru continued, "I dearly hope you've been paying attention, for your future patients' sakes."

Link had been paying rapt attention every day since he first started this class, and had no ambition of being a doctor of any sort. He still felt that he should have been doing better, however.

Rauru held their attention with a stern gaze for an additional five seconds of complete silence, before nodding and pointing to the door. "Now get out of my classroom, you little terrors, and have a good weekend! I don't want to see your faces again until Monday!"

His statement was met with cheers and a mad rush as the roomful of twenty-somethings (and a few thirty-somethings) all tried to leave the room as quickly as possible, desperate to start the usual Friday night shenanigans.

Link took his time to pack his things, meticulously stowing them away in his messenger bag. It wouldn't do for his notes to get out of order, or his laptop to end up at an awkward angle. He'd already lost one hard drive to improper storage of his computer, and that had nearly resulted in a nervous breakdown.

"I'd ask whether you've made good progress on your paper, Link, but I think that'd be a waste of time, both mine and yours," Rauru said, wandering up to Link and giving him a kind smile.

"Y-Yes, professor," Link said, nodding. "I've m-made progress, I m-mean. Finished it." He blushed. Eugh, why was his talking such a disaster whenever Rauru singled him out for conversation?

"Glad to hear it," Rauru said, smiling a little wider. "In most cases, my students don't bother getting started until the last minute, thinking the assignment will be easy, or that I will be lax in grading them. They're in for a rough surprise, I can tell you." His laugh was boisterous, echoing in the almost empty classroom.

Link nodded, slinging the bag over his shoulder. "Thanks again f-for the help w-with picking the subject, professor."

"Not at all," Rauru said. "It is a good subject for someone with your background to write about, because you have actual first-hand experience with the system. I'm looking forward to reading it. And your other classes are going well?"

Link was grateful for the subject change, abrupt as it was. He wasn't ashamed of his background per se, but it was difficult enough to write about the foster system, much less talk about it without ripping up old wounds. He nodded again. "I th-think so. Miss Nabooru s-says I sh-should consider a c-career in cognitive therapy."

Rauru nodded. "Nabooru knows her stuff, that is for certain, and if she thinks you'd do well in that field, you definitely would. But I think your heart is rather set on working in the system, if your previous assignments are any indication."

Link couldn't deny that. It had been his dream for...well, ever since he'd met Zelda, really, and she'd helped him realise he wanted to change the system from the inside. Who better to do that than someone who'd actually been through it once already? Besides, cognitive therapy involved a lot of talking...and that wasn't Link's strong suit. Not when he couldn't even have a conversation with one of his professors without his tongue tripping over itself.

"Ah, well, you're young, and more than able to adapt should you change your mind," Rauru said, patting Link's shoulder and steering him towards the door gently, but firmly. "Wherever you end up, I'm sure you'll thrive. Now go and have some fun, for goodness' sake!"

The shove into the corridor was expected, and not nearly as rough as Rauru made it look. It was all in good fun, really, and Link threw the older man another smile before going on his way.

He was definitely going to have fun tonight.

Checking his watch, he realised he had quite a few hours to kill before he was due to meet up with the others. He took his phone out of his pocket and sent off a quick text to Zelda, asking if it was all right if he came over. The big, grinning emoji he got in return was all the answer he needed, and he chuckled a little to himself, beginning another text to ask if he should bring something with him from the shops—

"Ooof!"

He collided with someone's back and was knocked off-balance, the person he'd bumped into steady as a rock. Trying to right his balance, Link swung out his arm...and lost the grip on his phone, which clattered to the floor. A hand shot out to land on his shoulder, steadying him.

"Oops, careful there," the boy—man, really—he'd run into said, chuckling. "You okay?"

"Ah...uh...y-yes, s-sorry about that," Link stuttered, looking slightly up at the man.

A few years older, his red eyes immediately gave him away as a Sheikah. His shoulder-length hair was dyed a dark purple (even his eyebrows!), and an easy smile was pulling at his lips. He wore what appeared to be an attempt at a suit, but the execution was somewhat lacking due to the rather scruffy condition of the jacket and trousers—and the less said about the horrendous, zebra-striped tie, which only hung loosely around his neck, the better.

"That's okay—was my fault anyway," the Sheikah said. "Should know better than to stand with my back turned to such a beauty."

Link felt his cheeks heating up, and he looked down at his feet. "Th-Thank you?" he said, not really sure how to respond to compliments like that. Or was it flirting? He never really knew unless someone told him outright—and it always provided Zelda with no small amount of entertainment.

Should he flirt back? The man was handsome enough, but Link had about as much skill with that as a hermit in a monastery. He opened his mouth, for what reason he knew not, but before he could say anything his phone was thrust into his face by a hand that did not belong to either of them.

"Here," the owner of the hand said, a slight scowl on his face. He, too, was a Sheikah, but younger than the first one. "Doesn't look damaged."

Link thanked him, gingerly plucking the device out of his hand, checking the screen and chassis for damage. Intact, he realised with a sigh of relief. His budget really couldn't handle another phone purchase. He'd lost enough of them this year already, and had bought this one specifically because it promised to be nearly unbreakable, and so far it was definitely living up to its advertisement.

"Really shouldn't text and walk," the second Sheikah said, giving Link a crooked smile (Or, tried to, at least. The corner of his lip barely moved at all). It was...surprisingly cute. And the way his hair (blonde, unlike his friend) had been braided into a ponytail, the patterns of which seemed to be a cultural thing for the Sheikah, was fascinating. Link had always been a sucker for boys with long hair, even if all he could do was admire them from afar. It didn't help that he was wearing a leather jacket either (another of Link's objects of fascination, apparently), faded but well-cared for. His stance and posture was easy and relaxed, a backpack that seemed close to falling apart hanging limply from his other hand. He must have been on his way out of a class, too.

"I'll k-keep that in m-mind," Link said, nodding. "Sorry t-to bother you!"

"No need to apologise, handsome!" the purple-haired Sheikah called after him.

Face burning, Link didn't stop moving until he'd turned a corner and was out of their sight, breathing a little heavier than normal. He wanted to slap himself silly, immediately regretting having run away. He could have stayed and talked a little bit more with them. The purple-haired one certainly seemed amenable to that...and the younger one was...well, if not entirely welcoming, at least seemed cool.

Cool? Link wrinkled his nose at his brain's choice. Goddess, he was such a dweeb...

As he walked away, mentally kicking himself, he heard their voices fading as they headed in the opposite direction.

"All right, little brother, let's go!"

"It's that way, idiot...and don't call me that! We're not brothers!"

"That hurts your big bro's feelings, you know!"

"Eugh..."

---

Sheik muttered under his breath as he led his goofy cousin through the hallways, heading for the faculty offices. Kafei really should have known the way himself by now, but since the amount of times his cousin had set foot in these halls could be counted on one hand, it couldn't be helped. The man in question was still smiling like an idiot, casting backward glances in the direction the blonde Hylian had gone.

"You have a girlfriend," Sheik stated pointedly. "Fiancé, even."

"Nothing wrong with looking," Kafei said unashamedly. "He was cute, don't you think?"

"I guess," Sheik said with a shrug. He hadn't paid the Hylian too much attention after picking up his phone and checking that it wasn't broken. He'd been too busy making sure his idiot cousin wasn't about to do something more than just "looking". Not that he was going to outright admit to Kafei that he was right—the other boy had been quite cute...

Kafei gave him a sidelong glance, eyes glittering in a way that spoke of mischief. "You know, I think he liked you—"

"I'm gonna stop you right there," Sheik interrupted. "No."

"But Sheiky—!"

"No!"

"Fine," Kafei said, pouting. "You'll die an old spinster at this rate, you know. Nineteen years old, and still unattached. What will the elders think?"

"Not a damn thing since they're on the other side of the country and can't spy on me anymore," Sheik replied, scowling. And if they found out he liked guys... "And since when did you care what they think?"

"I don't," Kafei said shortly, giving him a serious look. "But I'm not the heir apparent to the clan leadership, so—"

Sheik's scowl deepened, and he pulled out his earphones.

"All right, all right, I'm sorry, okay?" Kafei said, waving his hands, very careful not to actually touch the earphones. "Don't shut me out?"

Sheik slowly put them away. "Why do you need to see your professor, anyway?" he asked. "Close to failing and getting kicked out, or something?"

"Hah, in your dreams, little brother," Kafei said with a shit-eating grin. "I'm well above average—"

"But you never actually show up for class. Elenwe keeps complaining to me about it."

"I'm a self-sufficient student, thank you very much," Kafei sniffed. "Why would I want to hang out in a classroom and waste my time getting textbooks vomited at me when I already know the material inside and out? I just show up for the tests and exams and other required stuff, and I do pretty good."

The worst part was that he was right, as far as Sheik knew. Kafei had always been a smart bastard, and he had never brought home a bad report card, even when he was close to failing due to poor attendance. It'd taken him a while to actually get into higher learning, but that had been his own choice entirely...and, well, the financial bit was a something of a factor, too, but a partial scholarship had helped a great deal with that. Hell, half, if not the entire reason Kafei had even chosen this school was because of Sheik.

"So why are you seeing him, then?" Sheik said.

"Just need to talk to him about my thesis," Kafei replied. "Get it approved, that sort of thing."

"Decided on a subject?"

"Nearly—this meeting will determine it."

"I see..."

The rest of the walk was spent in comfortable silence as they ducked and weaved their way through the throngs of students, eventually ending up outside the faculty section of the university.

"I assume you can find the rest of the way yourself?" Sheik drawled as he stopped outside the double-doors leading to the teachers' offices. "Remember, the doors have names on them, in big letters. Get an adult to read them for you if you're having trouble."

"Someone's feeling sassy today," Kafei said with a disapproving click of his tongue. "Don't worry, I think I can hunt down the old man by myself."

"All right, then," Sheik said, spinning on his heels and hitching the backpack containing his laptop onto his shoulder. "I'll see you Monday."

"Wait a minute," Kafei said. "Got any plans tonight?"

"Homework," Sheik said. "Got an assignment to hand in on Tuesday—"

"I thought you'd finished that?"

He paused. "I have, but I still want to go through it a few more times, polish it up, do some optimisation, that sort of thing."

"And I thought Impa was a perfectionist," the older Sheikah said, rolling his eyes. "Knowing you, you've already done that twenty times by now."

"There're always improvements to be made—"

"And they can wait until Sunday, or even Monday—you'll still pass with flying colours! So, since you're not busy tonight, why don't you come hang out with us?"

"No thanks," Sheik said. "I'd rather not spend the night watching you and E try to devour each other to the backdrop of bad musicals. One night of that was enough."

The slurping sounds still made unwelcome appearances in his nightmares.

"We're going out, though," Kafei said, his voice taking on a seductive tone that in every way failed to ensnare Sheik in its grasp.

"Even worse."

"Come on, please? Impa sent me out here to look after you, and that means making sure you don't turn yourself into a hermit with no social skills whatsoever." Kafei stepped forward and put his hands on both of Sheik's shoulders. "I'm worried about you, little brother."

"My social skills are fine. And somehow, I don't think Impa meant for you to take me out drinking," Sheik said, unimpressed. Knowing his aunt, Impa would kill Kafei if she found out he'd been corrupting Sheik.

"Oh, sure, you say that now, but just wait a few months and you'll be communicating exclusively by text, only order food in, do your classes online," Kafei said, shuddering with each example. "No, you are far too young to suffer such a fate just yet, little brother, and I intend to stave it off for as long as I can."

"I politely decline."

"You don't have to drink if you don't want to," Kafei pleaded. "That's not the only thing happening where we're going."

"Pass."

"Paya will be there!"

Sheik blinked at the mention of his other cousin, from yet another distant branch of the family. "And?" he asked. "I see her almost every day."

"I'm pretty sure she said she was going to bring snacks..." Kafei said, trailing off when Sheik's eyes glazed over a little. "And was baking when I talked to her earlier today," he added, grinning wickedly.

Damn him! If there was one thing that would always throw a wrench in the works, it was Sheik's sweet tooth. Especially when Paya's baking was involved. He'd agree to anything if one of her cookies was on the line.

He sighed, stamping his foot. "Fine," he said, "but I'm not drinking!"

"Great," Kafei said, already halfway through the doors to the faculty offices, annoyingly smug. "We'll pick you up at nine. Wear something comfortable, but also cool. And for Din's sake, leave the spinner at home!"

"Yeah, yeah," Sheik said, trying to ignore the small, broken shard of glass that had suddenly settled in his chest. Whatever Kafei planned to bring him to surely involved a lot of people...and he couldn't even bring his fidget toy to ward off the anxiety that gnawed at the back of his mind.

"Oh, and remember to take your meds!"

"Yes, mother!" he nearly shouted, but only nearly. He wasn't really the type to draw attention to himself like that. Deathly afraid of it, really.

"Love you too, kiddo!"

"Go get your failing grade already!"

"Excuse you, that's my failing thesis!"

He didn't dignify that with an answer, walking away. Putting on his headphones, he activated the noise-cancelling function and focused on the steady, pounding rhythm of his playlist, hands in his pockets. He needed to get back to his apartment and get ready for whatever fresh hell Kafei intended to bring him to. Four hours wasn't nearly enough time for that!

---

"Come on in, the door's unlocked!"

Zelda's voice was happy and carefree, almost singing over the intercom as she buzzed him in. He climbed the four sets of stairs, taking two steps at a time, and quickly found himself at her door. An obnoxiously colourful doormat with puppies on it welcomed him in. He knocked on the door before letting himself in, wincing a little at the loud music his sister was filling her apartment with. The singer sounded so angry.

The volume was lowered considerably as he entered, to his relief, and he quickly found himself with an armful of Zelda, who squeezed him tight.

"You know you don't have to knock when coming in, right?" she asked, bopping him on the head. "I even said it was open."

"It's just polite," Link said, hugging her back. "Besides, you never know when you're about to walk in on something...unfortunate."

"Pfft," she snorted. "Like you haven't seen it all before."

"Please, I'm still trying to forget that ever happened." Turns out it was quite difficult to purge his mind of the images. He hadn't meant to walk in on her that time, but there they were. He'd adopted his door-knocking policy that day, and would never deviate from it. "I'm pretty sure it counts as a traumatic memory."

Zelda let him go, rolling her eyes. Blue, like his. "No, a traumatic memory would be what would have happened if dad found out you saw me naked."

Link groaned. "Please don't contribute to my mental anguish!"

"All right, you big baby," she said, scoffing. "How was your day? Want something to drink?"

"Milk?" Link asked hopefully.

"Baby," Zelda repeated pointedly as she went into the small kitchen. She could afford a much bigger place, Link knew, but she preferred the small, cosy one-bedroom just off-campus. Anything bigger, and she'd either have to move further downtown, or out to the suburbs, which wasn't acceptable. She wouldn't say why, but Link knew it was because it'd mean the two of them wouldn't be living close to each other anymore.

Link himself was renting a similar apartment a few blocks away, glad not to have to put up with a roommate. Not that he minded people per se, but it was always awkward meeting strangers...and then having to live with one? No thanks! The stipend from Zelda's father was quite generous, and he preferred the semi-central location.

He followed her into the kitchen and gratefully accepted the glass of milk. She opened a can of hard cider for herself, leaning against the counter and studying him. "So," she asked, "you ready for tonight?"

"More or less," he said, shrugging. "I never really know until I'm there, you know?"

"No one knows," she deadpanned. "Your thought processes are a goddamn mystery to anyone but yourself. You're lucky your sister is patient enough to deal with you."

He stuck his tongue out at her. It was all in jest, he knew. "My sister has the patience of a gnat," he countered.

"...that was really bad," she said, shaking her head. "You need to work on your similes."

"I'll take it under consideration," he said, sipping at the milk. She kept her fridge stocked just for his sake—as far as he knew, she didn't use milk for anything else. "And you? Will you be there?" he asked.

"What do you take me for? Of course I will," she said. "I'm not sure how much time I'll be able to spend with you after, though."

"Oh?"

She smiled apologetically. "I've got a date."

He grinned. "Oh, I see," he snickered. "Who's the unfortunate soul to be dragged into your maw this time?"

"This girl I met at the gym last week," Zelda said offhandedly. "She needed a spotter, and...well, you know my brain goes stupid around women who lift. I tried to be smooth, but ended up blurting out that I thought she was cute and if she'd go out with me in the middle of her set."

Link laughed. That was his sister in a nutshell, all right. "And she said?"

"She didn't say it as much as shout her agreement," Zelda said, grinning. "Her face was red like a tomato, Link, she was so cute! Then she ran away, but left me her phone number—we're meeting up later. She's even bringing friends."

"Was that why you suddenly asked me for five front-row tickets for tonight?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at her. He'd thought she was bringing friends from her class, who were some of the driest, least easy-going people he'd ever met.

"Yes?" she said, eyes innocently wide.

"Telma was absolutely pissed at me for telling her so late, you know. I owe her a favour now!"

"Oh, what's the worst she can do?" Zelda asked. "You're one of her prime money makers!"

Link shook his head, wondering how many times he'd told Zelda by now that the pay he got from Telma wasn't even close to good compared to what he earned for her. It barely covered the upkeep for Epona. He certainly wasn't willing to even entertain thoughts of what Telma would make him do to pay her back for this last-minute request.

"Anyway, good for you," he said genuinely, hoping to change the subject as well. He was always happy when Zelda found someone she actually liked...if for somewhat dubious reasons. Not that a strong pair of arms was anything to be scoffed at, of course. "So you're abandoning me for some skirt," he added, making himself look properly deflated.

"Like you ever stick around after you're done anyway," she said, punching him in the shoulder. "You'd be up to your elbows in skirts and...and jeans if you bothered to mingle!"

Link hesitated. "Jeans?"

"Had to come up with something for boys," she offered with a shrug. "Gender stuff is hard. And stupid. Everyone should wear skirts—much more comfortable."

He glanced pointedly down at her jeans. "You haven't worn a skirt for as long as I've known you," he said. Seven years and going strong.

"I meant everyone else," she corrected. "I wear jeans because they make my ass look fantastic. And don't think you're getting away with changing the subject—you'd find yourself swarmed by admirers if you didn't sneak off right away."

Link shuddered. "That's exactly why I do sneak away," he said. He never was good with large crowds, especially if their attention was focused on him, except for in certain contexts. It was why he never did well with presentations.

Zelda finished her cider and rinsed out the can before tossing it into the recycling bin.

"You're going to end up as a crazy cat person, aren't you?" she asked. "Dad keeps telling me to make sure you get out more, but it's not like I can force you at gunpoint."

"I like cats," Link said, staring at his feet. It wasn't like he was trying to disappoint Zelda and her father, Rhoam Hyrule, but there were limits to how much attention he could handle before something snapped inside him.

"So do I, but I still don't feel the need to surround myself with them."

That's because you've never been in the middle of the heaven known as a kitty cuddle pile, Link wanted to say, but kept it to himself.

"Speaking of dad, he'll be in town a couple of weeks from now," Zelda continued, aware that she'd met a dead end with the topic of socialising Link. "Wants to have dinner."

"I'll make a note in my very busy schedule," Link snarked, earning himself another bop on the head. "No, but really, I'm looking forward to it. Haven't seen your dad since New Year's."

"He's your dad too, you know," she said, her tone betraying her exasperation. "It wouldn't kill you to call him that. He'd be thrilled, even. Pretty sure he's got the papers ready on standby."

He nodded guiltily. "I know," he said. "It's just..."

"Hard, I know," she finished for him. "Just...keep at it, yeah? It'd mean the world to him."

"I'll keep trying," Link promised. He owed Zelda's father so much more than just that, but he wasn't sure how he'd ever be able to repay the man. He knew his way of thinking wasn't healthy (didn't even need to be a psychology student to realise that), but some habits and thought patterns were just too damn hard to break. "Anyway, I'm looking forward to dinner."

"Speaking of," Zelda said, swerving away from the unhappy topic, "I take it your studious ass hasn't grabbed anything to eat since lunch. I was about to order in—care to join me?"

He nodded. "Sure, as long as you don't ask for the cutest delivery guy so you can make me flirt with him again."

"Aw, but Sidon looked like a nice boy," she pouted. "And he definitely liked you."

Link recalled the tall redhead that had brought them pizza last week, all smiles and enthusiasm, a smile so wide and white his teeth practically twinkled. Charming, definitely, but Link had felt awkward, pinned between a rock (Zelda) and a hard place (Sidon) as he tried to flirt with a guy who was probably harassed more often than not on the job. He'd even quietly apologised to him after they'd paid for the food and Sidon had gone on his merry way. There'd been no need to, according to Sidon, who'd struck a dramatic pose (pizza bag under one arm) and said he was looking forward to meeting again.

Cute, but a little too boisterous for Link. He'd be exhausted trying to keep up with him, he was sure, in more than one way.

"What am I to do with you, little brother?" Zelda said, sighing.

"We're the same age," Link said flatly. "I'm two months older than you, even."

"And yet, you will always be my little brother," she chuckled, taking his now empty glass from him, sticking it in the dishwasher. "Come on, let's find something wildly unhealthy to eat!"

---

It was ten minutes to nine, and Sheik was staring unhappily at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. Kafei had said to wear something comfortable, but cool. Sheik had no idea what that meant, and he found himself defaulting to his usual dark jeans, ruby hoodie, and the leather jacket left to him by his father. Whether it was cool enough for Kafei's standards he had no idea, but if his cousin said it wasn't, he wouldn't bother going.

What was the point, anyway? Sheik would just stuff himself into a corner with his phone and wait until it was time to leave, like he always did when Kafei dragged him to a party. Elenwe always tried to keep him company, but would inevitably get dragged off somewhere by Kafei. Paya, too, wasn't the most comfortable in social settings, but she usually managed to find someone to talk to, at least, and he wasn't about to resent her for making friends.

Especially not if she was bringing him cookies. She could do whatever she wanted as long she left him with a batch of those little bits of heaven.

He sighed, and began fiddling with his contact lenses, making sure that his hands were clean before opening the little blister packets. He didn't really like wearing them, but if he was going somewhere unfamiliar he at least wanted to be able to see properly, and he didn't want to risk breaking his glasses. Impa would give him such a lecture about not looking after his things before wiring the money to buy new ones. He loved his aunt, he really did, but she was scary when in her disciplinarian mode. At least he didn't have the elders breathing down his neck here...

He blinked until the slight burning sensation in his eyes ceased, moving his eyes until he was confident the contacts were properly stuck and in the correct positions. He briefly considered doing something with his hair, but undoing the braids Elenwe had fixed for him would be far too much work at the moment, so he let it be.

As good as it was going to get, he surmised, and left the bathroom, careful not to trip over the power cables haphazardly stretching from one end of his small apartment to his desk at the other end, where his desktop computer was humming away, along with several smaller single-card machines. Not the most optimal way to distribute power, but there were limits to how much effort he'd put in for the sake of a temporary domicile. Besides, who expected neatness from a one-room student apartment? He kept it clean to the point of sterility, sure, but a little clutter never killed anyone.

As if to prove him wrong, his foot chose that moment to snag on a stray network cable and send him crashing face-first into his computer chair, cheek bouncing off the hard metal.

Groaning, he pushed himself off the floor, glaring at the cable in question. You're getting stripped and cut, he thought vengefully. His cheek was pulsing in time with his heartbeat, and it felt hot to the touch. Eugh, that was definitely going to bruise. As if people didn't consider him off-putting to begin with, now he'd look like a delinquent on top of it. Typical.

Maybe he could ask Elenwe or Paya for some concealer, or something, just to stave off the inevitable questions—

A car horn went off in three short bursts outside. Sheik went to his window and looked out into the street. Below, outside the door to the apartment complex, an old, beat-up van was idling, a red-haired, dark-skinned woman leaning against the side. Elenwe. Kafei's fiancé. She looked bored, and seemed to be searching the building façade for something. Her gaze caught his, and she waved, smiling.

Shit, out of time. He fought the urge to shove his spinner (or any of his other fidget toys) into his pocket, and mournfully shoved his feet into his sneakers. He'd been looking forward to a quiet night to himself...which, to be honest, wasn't all that different from most of his other nights. Not different at all, really, but Kafei was always conspiring with the others to make him leave the safety of his apartment.

Locking the door, he descended the stairs, deliberately taking his time. By the time he was outside and in front of the van, Kafei had climbed out of the driver's seat and was practically bouncing in place.

"There you are!" he exclaimed. "Took you long enough, what were you...doing..." he trailed off, stalking right up to Sheik and grabbing his jaw (albeit gently). "What happened?" he demanded, all good cheer gone.

Sheik tried to dislodge himself from his cousin's grasp, but Kafei was a lot stronger than his skinny frame implied, and his fingers were like a vice. Sheik tried looking to Elenwe for help, but the Gerudo's face was like a mirror of Kafei's, intense and protective.

"Did someone do this to you?" she asked, stepping closer and lightly brushing a cold knuckle against the heated skin of his cheek. He hissed. "Sheik?" she asked, a little softer.

"Tripped over a cable," Sheik huffed. "Slammed my head into my chair for good measure. Seemed like a good bit of fun."

Elenwe snorted, but Kafei did not look amused, his eyes searching Sheik's for something for several seconds before he let go. "Only you, little brother," he said, "could get into a fight with a chair and lose."

"I was ambushed," Sheik sniffed. "And stop calling me that."

"You're okay, though?"

Kafei was a fool, and thought he was a lot cooler than he would ever be, but at least he was a caring fool. Sheik nodded.

"I'm fine," he said. "Mostly embarrassed."

"And since that's your default state of being, I'd say we're good," Elenwe said, chuckling. "We can get you a band aid or something for tonight, and concealer for Monday."

"Already bruising, huh?" Sheik asked.

"Looks a bit like you were in an actual fight," Kafei confirmed. "Only enhances your image, in my opinion."

"Because that is definitely my number one priority in this world," the younger Sheikah said with a snort. "We leaving, or what?"

"Oh, sure, get in!" Kafei announced, hurling himself back into the driver's seat, while Elenwe opened the sliding door before settling into the passenger's seat. Sheik climbed into the back and slid the door shut behind him.

"Hi, Sh-Sheik," Paya said, smiling at him from one of the backseats. Her eyes landed on his bruised cheek, and her face tensed considerably. "Wh-What happ—"

"It's okay, Paya," Elenwe said, leaning around her seat to look back at them. "Sheik was just a little clumsy."

"Tripped and fell on my chair," Sheik confirmed. While Kafei and Elenwe could be a little intense at times, it was Paya who could truly scare the living daylights out of him whenever she got mad...or someone picked on her family.

She didn't look very convinced, but eventually nodded and handed him a small plastic bag. He didn't even need to look at the contents before he smiled.

"I m-made too m-many again," she murmured, face growing a little red.

"Thanks, Paya," he said genuinely, already untying the knot keeping the bag closed. It was the opposite of grace, the way he stuffed the first cookie into his face, but he didn't care. Paya's baking (and cooking in general) was like ambrosia, and he was quite sure he'd gladly die for her as long as she kept feeding him until then. Paya giggled a little at his eagerness.

"Did you eat anything before we got here?" Elenwe asked, her voice taking on the stern tone that left no room for anything but the truth.

Sheik briefly considered lying. He'd been too nervous to eat. Elenwe wasn't easy to fool, though, and when his stomach decided to growl like a monster, he knew the jig was up. "No," he admitted. A plastic-wrapped sandwich landed in his lap a moment later.

"Eat up, kiddo, and no dessert until it's all gone," she said. "And buckle up. We're already over our injury quota for the night."

"You're only three years older than me," Sheik muttered, but did as he was told anyway, unwrapping the sandwich and biting into it. Perfect. Unfairly so, and his stomach was immediately soothed.

They were all older than him, actually. Kafei and Elenwe were both twenty-two, while Paya was twenty-one. His cousins claimed it was a coincidence that they'd gotten into the same school as Sheik, but he knew that was a lie...and a pretty bad one at that. Impa didn't like the idea of him being all alone on the other side of the country, but didn't want to send bodyguards with him either, because it'd ruin his cover and any chance of a normal college life.

So his idiot cousins had volunteered to go with him instead...and ruined their respective dreams for the future in the process. Sure, Kafei and Paya's majors were offered at the university, which made the transfer process rather easy, but there were far better programs at other schools.

Kafei had met Elenwe within weeks of moving here, and the relationship had progressed...quickly. Not surprising, really. They were both very impulsive...and annoyingly fussy when it came to the youngest member of the group.

"Where are we going, anyway?" Sheik asked.

"Hi-mi-tsu," Kafei said, gleefully elongating the syllables out the Sheikah word for secret. Din above, he was beyond annoying sometimes!

"Difficult t-tonight, isn't h-he?," Paya said, shaking her head in annoyance. Her hair was loose tonight, unlike the usual bun she kept it in, and she was wearing a skirt that was quite a bit shorter than what he was used to seeing her in, which showed off her toned calves and lower thighs. She hadn't skipped leg day at the gym, that was for sure. "Did y-you remember your m-meds?" she asked quietly as Kafei stepped on the gas, moving them into traffic.

"Yeah," Sheik said just as quietly. Had almost doubled the usual dose, even. He could tolerate Paya asking about it—she took them too. "You?" he asked in return.

Paya nodded. "C-Can't be too s-sure, right?"

"Yeah..."

---

There was a special, electric quality to the air whenever Link set foot inside the garage. The air smelled of oil, gasoline, burned rubber—scents that in no way should have been as pleasant to him as they were. He breathed in deeply through his nose, relishing the mix of smells that to anyone else was probably disgusting. But who cared what others thought? This moment was for him.

Outside, he heard the mixed sounds of the crowds, the engines, the loud music, announcers competing with each other for the most attention. It really wasn't the sort of place Link would enjoy on his normal days, but here, now, he found it exhilarating. The garage was mostly quiet, though, as it always right before the main event.

He tightened up the screws he'd loosened, making sure everything was in tip-top shape. Fuel line was clear, brakes good, tires had proper pressure, tank was full, the engine purring like a cat. He ran his fingers along the seat, appreciating the well-worn texture.

Yes, Epona was ready for a ride.

Shutting her down, Link packed up his tool kit, stuffed it back into his locker, and withdrew his leathers. Blue and green, his signature colours.

"Avert your eyes, ladies and gentlemen!" Revali's slightly mocking voice echoed throughout the garage. "Courage is getting naked!"

Link rolled his eyes, pulling up the modesty curtain, shielding everything from his neck and down from view, and began to strip. "I know you want a peek, featherbrain," he called back. "You should focus on your ride, though, I can hear Medoh coughing all the way over here!"

"That's Falco to you! And it shows what you know, kid," the older man said, flicking his blue-dyed hair over his shoulder. "Medoh's supposed to sound like this!"

"Like he's choking?" Daruk bellowed from the other side of the garage, elbow-deep in the guts of his own bike, Rudania. All Link could see was his massive back, and the tufts of his unruly hair, white as snow. "Rev, if you break down in the middle of the field again, I'm gonna break you down!"

"You'd have to catch me first, big guy," Revali said. "I'd like to see you try!"

"I'll do more than try," Daruk said darkly.

There was the slamming sound of metal against metal that made Link blink involuntarily. "That's enough!" Urbosa yelled. "Save it for the enemy!" The Gerudo appeared from behind her own curtain, dressed in a blue and red one-piece, helmet carried under her arm. "We're protecting our title tonight, and I won't have us lose because you two spent all your energy on each other! Is that understood!"

"You got it, Boss," Daruk said obediently, while Revali just huffed and continued tending to his bike.

"Good," Urbosa said, scanning the garage for their fifth member, realising a voice was missing. "Where's Mipha?" she asked.

"Went to get coffee," Link said, zipping up his own one-piece and retrieving his helmet from his locker. Goddess, it felt good to be back in his suit. The sheer anticipation of the night ahead had him feeling giddy, every sense balancing on a knife-sharp edge. He felt alive, in a way no other situation could make him. Letting down the curtain, he went back to Epona, leaving the helmet on the floor next to her. "Ready, girl?" he asked, stroking the handlebars.

"I am, thanks for asking," Urbosa said jokingly as she passed him by, patting his shoulder with, honestly, more strength than strictly necessary. An argument could be made for her not knowing her own strength, but Link had seen Urbosa lift engine blocks one-handed without struggling, so she had to know, right? "Though I think I'm a little old for you, Courage, don't you?"

Link blushed, shaking his head. "Not answering that," he said.

"Good boy," she said, winking. "I've taught you well."

It had only taken one look at Revali's broken nose after he'd made a quip about Urbosa's age to convince Link to never bring up the subject. She was only in her thirties from the look of her, but still...she reacted explosively. It was just about the only thing to get a rise out of her, too. Otherwise she was as calm as a cucumber.

Weird expression, that, but Link supposed you couldn't get much calmer than a cucumber...or blander. Not that Urbosa was bland. Link fought the urge to slam his head into Epona's engine. Why was he even thinking about this?

The side door of the garage was opened, and all eyes in the room was drawn to Mipha as she came inside, carrying a cup of coffee, and a cardboard tray with four more cups balancing on it.

"Sorry I'm late," she said apologetically. "There was a line, and guys kept trying to flirt with me."

"What did you do?" Urbosa asked.

"Punched one of them in the face," she said proudly, going to each of the others and offering them a cup, which they took gratefully.

"Attagirl," Urbosa said, grinning at the younger woman.

She saved Link's for last, holding it out for him. "Hot chocolate," she said when Link gave the cup a dubious look. "Special order."

He grinned and took it. "Thanks, Miph," he said. He'd never acquired the taste for coffee Zelda had, and always felt slightly ridiculous when he ordered what Revali said were kiddie drinks when he was with others.

"You're welcome," she said with a kind smile, throwing away the cardboard tray. "How're your classes going?"

"Pretty well, I think," he replied. "Finished my term paper in Rauru's class the other day. Nabooru's really enthusiastic about changing my mind about my career—"

"Tell her to shut the fuck up if she gets annoying!" Urbosa announced. "And if you do, tell her I told you to do it! She'll back off, I promise!" Anyone else would have blanched at her tone, but they all knew Urbosa had named her ride, Naboris, after her precious cousin. It was a complicated relationship Link had no desire to untangle.

"Duly noted," Link said, raising his cup to her in a toast. Turning his attention back to Mipha, who was tying her salmon-coloured hair into a tight ponytail, he said, "And you? Med school still a pain?"

Mipha sighed. "If I knew how much bureaucratic crap I'd have to put up with, I would have considered a different path," she said. "And I miss sleep. This is the only night off I have this week."

"And you choose to spend it risking your life with the four of us," Link said, laughing.

"There's nowhere else I'd rather be," she said. "Where else would I get to push Ruta to her limits?"

"And here I thought it was because you liked us," Daruk said, sounding hurt.

"That's definitely a huge bonus, Daruk," she assured him. Glancing around, she seemed to notice the distinct lack of a certain presence. "Isn't Zelda here tonight?" she asked.

"She's around somewhere," Link said with a shrug. "On a date."

"Oh, how lovely. Who with?"

"No idea—some girl she met at the gym."

"I'm not surprised," Revali snorted.

"Shush, you!" Urbosa said, having grown very interested in the conversation. "She didn't say anything else?"

"Nope," Link replied. "And I didn't start digging either—she really clams up when she's nervous about something. Deflects like a champ."

"You should have called Riju," Mipha said, smiling. "She always gets her to open up."

Link shuddered. "No thanks. The less time those two spend together, the better."

"Agreed!" Urbosa announced. "They'll tear the university apart with their combined efforts, I'm sure."

Not that there was anything wrong with Riju per se. There was just...so much of her. Pint-sized as she was, she could take up a whole room by herself. The exact kind of personality Zelda was fired up by, resulting in collateral damage and mental trauma for everyone else. They tried to limit the two of them meeting to no more than once a month.

"Hm, perhaps," Mipha said, nodding in agreement. "I don't dare imagine what would happen if we added my brother to the mix."

"He's like Riju?" Revali asked.

"To say the least," Mipha confirmed. "Sidon's very...excitable. Enthusiastic. I've been wanting to invite him down here, but I think he'd go hyperactive and try to race himself. He gets wound up enough from delivering pizza. I'd rather not he put himself at such risk. One daredevil in the family is enough."

Link drank from his cup, deciding not to tell Mipha that he'd awkwardly tried to flirt with her little brother at Zelda's urging. Had Zelda known? She had to have. Link certainly hadn't. It'd be too much of a coincidence otherwise. If he'd known Sidon was Mipha's brother, he'd have fought harder against Zelda's urging.

Mipha, not one to miss details, gave Link a sly smile. "He says hello, by way," she added in a whisper. "And that you're cute when you blush."

Finishing his hot chocolate in one go, he abruptly thanked her and shoved the helmet onto his head, trying to hide his blush. "S-Say hi back for m-me," he stuttered. "And s-sorry!"

"It was Zelda's idea," Mipha said, giggling.

"She's such a traitor!" he hissed. "I will never forgive her for this!"

Finishing her own beverage, Mipha went over to her own spot in the garage, finishing her last-minute checks on Ruta, ensuring she was ready for action.

The side entrance opened up once more, and a woman came marching in, her sharp eyes raking over the gathered team. "All right, Beasts, you're up in ten! Finish up and get ready! It's the obstacle course tonight, so be fucking careful! And for the love of Hylia, don't embarrass us, you hear?! I will not have the local team wiped out by out-of-town upstarts!"

"Got it, Telma," Urbosa said, snapping off the most over-the-top, sarcastic salute Link had ever seen. Naturally, the rest of the team followed suit. "Thanks for the pep-talk!"

Groaning exasperatedly, Telma slammed the door shut behind her, leaving the team roaring with laughter.

"All right, all right," Urbosa said as the laughter slowly died down. "You heard the lady, let's get ready. Radio check—helmets on!"

The others did as she said, putting on their helmets and flicking their in-helmet radios to their active positions.

"All right, Boss checking in," Urbosa's slightly tinny, distorted voice spoke into Link's ear. "Courage, you read me?"

"Loud and clear, Boss," he spoke into the microphone near his mouth.

"Good. Falco, you read?"

"Sharp and shrill as usual, Boss, with a side of minor static." There was a slightly unpleasant buzz to Revali's signal.

"Watch it, birdbrain. Tank, you hear me?"

"Got you in my ear, Boss." Daruk's voice was a bass-y boom, even over the radio.

"Roger. Healer, you read?"

"A little static on my end too, but otherwise clear, Boss," Mipha replied, her voice a little less clear than the others'.

"I'm getting a little static from the two of you as well, Rev, Mipha," Urbosa said. "Let me know if it gets too bad. Might have to switch out your units."

"Understood."

"Got it."

"Okay, radios are good-ish," Urbosa said. "Everybody do their ignition checks, make sure everything's all right. Last thing we need is a repeat of last time, right Falco?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, got it," Revali muttered. "Geez, you stall once and they never let you forget it..."

"You did almost cost us the win, Rev," Daruk said good-naturedly. "We're just making sure you don't make the same mistake again."

"Such supportive friends I have. To think I transferred schools for this."

"We'll pick up the slack either way, don't worry," Link said as he straddled Epona and flicked the ignition key, causing the display and headlight to flicker to life. He shifted her into neutral, and pressed the starter. Epona roared for a moment as her engine kicked into action, then settled into a low purr. She sounded perfect, and responded well when he tried revving her.

"If anything, it's your slack we'll be picking up, brat," Revali replied, firing up Medoh. To the credit of Revali's mechanical skills, Medoh didn't sound like he was coughing this time. "I remember your first bout."

Link didn't dignify that with a response. "All good on my end, Boss. Epona's ready," he spoke into the radio.

"Medoh's good, too."

"Rudania's ready to kick some ass!"

"Ruta's eager."

"And Naboris can't wait to get out there."

There was a moment of silence on the radio, where all they could hear were the combined roars of their engines as they revved. The air smelled like exhaust and gasoline. Link lowered his tinted visor, hiding his face from view, grinning like a maniac. Oh, he was going to have fun indeed!

As if on cue, the garage door began to roll open, showering them in lights from the street outside, and the roar of the excited onlookers nearly overwhelmed the sound of the engines.

"All right, guys," Urbosa's voice spoke over the radio, her voice tense with excitement, "let's give 'em a show!"

---

Of all the places Kafei could have brought him, Sheik wondered why he'd decided on a street racing event. And a highly illegal one, at that. Sure, it was taking place in one of the many abandoned industrial areas only frequented by...well, people who had nowhere else to go, and not somewhere with regular traffic, but still...

The place was absolutely packed with people of all ages, from teenagers to adults. There were car displays, drag races, food stalls, roaming bars on the backs of trucks...just like a normal auto show, really, save for the fact that this was definitely not sanctioned by the city.

He wondered how much money was spent on bribing the local police to look the other way. Quite a bit, probably, judging by the size of the event.

"Come on, little brother, keep up," Kafei said cheerfully as he shepherded them through the throngs of people, many of whom were already dead drunk, despite the early hour.

Sheik glanced down at his wrists, where large Xs had been drawn onto his skin with a marker at the entrance, marking him as underage, meaning the bars couldn't sell him any alcohol. Just as well, since Sheik didn't plan on trying to acquire any. He supposed it was a good thing, that even an illegal venue such as this didn't sell to those who weren't old enough.

Paya was staying close to Sheik, making sure he didn't get lost in the crowd...which was, honestly, a little annoying, but he knew why. She did it for herself just as much as for him—neither of them were particularly comfortable in large crowds, which was why he didn't understand why Kafei had dragged them here in the first place. His fingers were positively itching for something to do, for something he could focus his attention on, but a certain someone had told him not to bring anything like that, in the interest of "looking cool". She seemed to be extra vigilant tonight, her head craning around wherever they went, as if she were looking for someone.

They reached what appeared to be the stage for the main event of the night, judging by the haphazardly built stands surrounding quite a large stretch of road that were littered with various objects, like shipping containers, ramps, swinging club-like objects...all in all, it looked like an obstacle course from hell.

Kafei continued leading them to the very front-most row of the main stand, where an annoyed-looking woman with long, black hair was tapping her foot impatiently, waving them over.

"Paya and group?" she asked. "Took you long enough," she said when they got close enough to speak over the noise of the crowd. She deliberately ignored Kafei, turning her head away from him. Sheik wondered what he'd done to offend her. Probably a lot. "Five seats." She gestured to the bottom-most rung of the stand. "As requested."

"Thanks, Ashei," Kafei said, grinning at her. "Appreciate it!"

"Don't thank me," the woman said, scowling at him, clearly annoyed at being forced to interact with him. "Thank Telma for even letting you back in here, if she doesn't kill you when she sees you."

"What?" Kafei gaped, but Sheik saw no genuine surprise or shock on his cousin's face. "Why?!" he wailed.

"You know what you did," Ashei growled. "Now, if you will excuse me, I have more important things to do than act as an usher for you. Enjoy the show." The last bit was a bit more genuine, aimed towards Elenwe, Paya, and Sheik. All Kafei got was another glare, and then she was gone.

"What was that about?" Sheik asked as they took their seats, noting he was being sandwiched between Elenwe and Paya, with Kafei next to Elenwe. Typical. He appreciated it, though, having something of a buffer between himself and the rest of the crowd. It made the itch abate a little. "And why five?" There was a conspicuous gap between himself and Paya, clearly free space reserved for the phantom fifth person.

"Good question," Kafei said, looking pointedly at Paya. "You're the one who scored us the tickets, P. What's up?"

It was a pretty smooth way to dodge Sheik's first question. He filed it away for later interrogations instead, not interested in playing mind games with his cousin tonight. Somehow, he had a feeling he already knew what the story was. Alcohol, a party, Kafei being his usual, unnecessarily sociable self.

Maybe he wandered into this place and started trouble. Kafei wasn't a particularly aggressive person, preferring to talk (or drink) his way out of unfortunate situations, but sometimes he just encountered someone "Badly in need of a fist to the face", as he described it.

Sheik had no idea who Telma was, but he had no doubt she was someone important. He sighed. Leave it to Kafei to piss off the big shots wherever he went. He'd been the same way with the elders...

"W-We're meeting s-someone," Paya replied, blushing a little. Elenwe's eyes widened, and then she cackled.

"You mean you're meeting someone!" she exclaimed, leaning over Sheik and punching Paya playfully in the shoulder. "You dog! Who is it?!"

Her cheeks fully red now, Paya hid her face in her hands. "S-Someone I m-met at the g-gym! Sh-She asked m-me out!"

Kafei laughed. "And this is the place you chose for a date? With a bunch of tagalongs, two of whom are related to you by blood? Paya, you really need to ask Elenwe for some dating tips!"

"It w-was her idea!" Paya protested. "Sh-She got us th-the tickets! And sh-she asked m-me to b-bring friends if I w-wanted to! I d-didn't even know wh-what sort of p-place this w-was until you told m-me!"

"Honey, I don't think she really meant that you should bring a bunch of people who'll be listening in and watching the two of you be all lovey-dovey," Elenwe said, giving the younger girl a soft smile. "That was just something she said to be polite, and to not seem like a predator who chases after cute girls at the gym. How old is she?"

"I d-don't know," Paya said, still hiding her face. "Our age, m-maybe?"

"I'm twenty, to be exact!"

As one, all four of them jumped in their seats, realising a blonde Hylian girl had been standing there for...geez, how long had she been standing there? And more importantly, how much had she heard?

They must have been gaping like fish (Sheik knew for certain he was), because the girl giggled, giving them a bright smile.

"And for the record, I don't chase after cute girls at the gym," she continued, looking particularly at Paya. "Just the really cute ones." That had the Sheikah hiding again, while Elenwe and Kafei guffawed. "It's nice to see you again, Paya, and I'm actually glad you brought someone with you. I always like to get to know new people." She turned to them with another brilliant smile (did she ever stop smiling?). "Hi everyone, my name is Zelda!"

One by one, they shook their hands and introduced themselves. Her hand was really warm. She'd hesitated upon seeing the bruise on Sheik's cheek, but the explanation for it put her at ease.

"So," she continued, "Paya told me you all go to the university, but none of you study the same thing? So how do you all know each other?" She looked positively eager to learn about them, and all their sordid secrets. A nosy one, Sheik could tell, but not of the malicious sort.

"Well," Kafei said, taking the lead, "Paya, Sheik, and me are all cousins, and Elenwe is my fiancé."

"Oh, how wonderful!" Zelda exclaimed, clapping her hands. "Congratulations—when's the wedding?"

"Thank you," Elenwe said, smiling back, clearly taken in by the girl's enthusiasm. "We haven't set a date yet—probably won't tie the knot until we've finished school. Right, K?"

"Pretty much," Kafei said with a nod, his lips curving into that stupid smile he always had on whenever he was being disgustingly in love with Elenwe, like he thought she'd hung the moon and stars. "We're in no rush, but I still wanted to make a statement."

"And what a statement it was," Sheik muttered. "Drunk and standing on a table in the middle of the party."

"Oh my," Zelda said, looking at him.

"More impressive still was the backwards somersault he tried to do as a punctuation to the proposal," Elenwe drawled. "It failed, of course. He planted his face in the carpet and passed out, but still...I appreciated the effort."

"You were just as drunk," Sheik pointed out. "You passed out next to him while trying to help him up."

"A proper match, in other words," the Gerudo said, grinning.

"I'm just glad no one was filming him at the time," Sheik said, shaking his head. "People back home would be furious if they found out..." he trailed off, grimacing when he noticed Kafei glaring at him.

"Oh? Why's that?" Zelda asked.

"Eh, long story, and not at all interesting," Kafei said hurriedly, pointing at Paya. "Anyway, there a particular reason why you decided to meet Paya in this place?"

"Oh, sorry, must have seemed a bit weird, huh?" Zelda said, standing a little closer to Paya. "Not very romantic, is it? Sorry..."

"It's o-okay," Paya said, smiling up at her. Absolutely smitten, from what Sheik could see. She shifted in her seat, causing the muscles in her legs to ripple a little. "I w-wouldn't know r-romantic if it hit m-me in the f-face!"

"Still, I should've given it more thought," Zelda said, eyes drawn like a moth to a flame to Paya's legs. "Uh...what was I saying?"

"The reason we're here?" Sheik asked.

"Oh! Right! Well, my brother is in the next competition!" Zelda said, gesturing to the obstacle course. "I make it a point to attend every one of his shows! He's the one who got us the tickets, by the way. He wasn't happy about the last-minute request, but he came through. He always does."

"What kind of show is it? Stunts?"

"Oh, you'll see," she said, winking at him. "Anyway, I—"

"Laaaaaaadieeeeeeeeeeees and geeeeentlemeeeeeeeeen," an exceptionally obnoxious announcer said over the loudspeakers lined up around the arena, interrupting her."Welcome to yet another display of ferocious speed and daring skill! It is finally here, the moment you've all been waiting for! Tonight, our reigning champions, the Divine Beasts, will be defending their title against the up and coming, would-be contenders, the Usurpers! Not a very subtle name, but it certainly makes their goal clear, and that's why I like it!"

Sheik rolled his eyes at that, but the crowd certainly went wild, cheering ferociously at the mention of the champions, while the contenders were mostly booed. Over the din of the crowd, he heard the sound of gunning engines, and a door at the end of the arena slid open, allowing five motorcycles to slowly roll out of what appeared to be a garage.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I give you: The Divine Beasts!"

They circle the arena once in a tight formation, waving at the crowd, before lining up at one end of the arena.

"Our champions stand ready to defend their home turf! Courage, Healer, Falco, Tank, and team captain Boss! Please show them your support!"

Each of the riders raised their hand in acknowledgement of their names, faces hidden by helmets and tinted visors.

Zelda, sitting next to Paya by now, was chanting Courage's name. So that was her brother, then?

Clad in green and blue (each team member was wearing some blue, actually), and riding a sleek-looking cycle of the sports variety, Courage looked perfectly at ease and content in the spotlight, assaulted by the sort of attention that would have Sheik running for the hills. Sheik could do little but wonder what his real name was...though Courage was certainly fitting.

"That hardware ain't cheap," Elenwe said, studying Courage's bike. Since when was she an expert on all things motorcycles? "Wonder what he does for a living..."

"And their opponents for this showdown!"

Another garage door opened on the other side of the arena, and another group of five riders rolled out, and their appearance made Sheik feel second-hand embarrassment on their behalf.

The Divine Beasts had brightly coloured suits and a mishmash of different bikes. Tank and Boss were riding cruiser-type bikes, for example, unlike the sport-types of Courage and Healer. Falco's looked a little different, but Sheik didn't know nearly enough about motorcycles to tell what kind it was. They all stood out in unique ways, was the point.

The Usurpers, on the other hand, were neither diverse nor subtle in neither their suits nor their bikes. All black leather, with red details, and sleek and shiny sport types with flame decals. It was almost a parody, really.

The Usurpers also rode a lap around the arena, though their formation wasn't nearly as tight as the Beasts', finding it more important to mug for the crowd, blowing kisses and the like, shaking their fists about. Sheik dearly hoped they were aware of how cheesy and stupid they all looked.

"The Usurpers!" the announcer told the crowd as they lined up next to the Beasts. "Zant, Vaati, Cia, Ghira, led by team captain Ganon!"

The crowd still booed, but there were some cheers, as well. Sheik crossed his arms, decidedly unimpressed. There was barely a glance exchanged between the teams, the tension between them clear.

"This is a pretty big deal," he heard Zelda tell Paya. "The Usurpers have been taunting them for months! I think the Beasts only accepted the challenge so they could crush them so thoroughly they'll never want to ride again!"

"I'll b-be cheering for th-them, th-then!" Paya said, apparently finding it hard to take her eyes off Zelda.

Sheik nodded to himself. So would he.

---

In any other situation, Link would have been a nervous mess at being at the centre of attention, surrounded by so many people. Astride Epona, however, safely ensconced in his leathers and his helmet, the sound of the other Beasts' breathing in his ears, and their chuckles at the ridiculous posturing by the Usurpers, he was just...anxious to get started. To kick their asses!

"Wow, they look even stupider in real life," Daruk commented over the radio. "Bet they thought they were being so cool when they came up with the idea."

"How do they even tell each other apart? They don't have numbers or anything," Revali said. "I can appreciate wanting a uniform aesthetic, but this is just confusing."

"You can bet your ass it was the captain's idea," Urbosa added. "He seems exactly like the kind of pretentious douche who'd want his team to look like fascist stormtroopers or something."

"Well, we're putting an end to them here, tonight," Link said. "Can't wait to see them all slink away once we beat 'em."

"Just be careful, all of you," Mipha said. "They play rough; remember the videos?"

"Let 'em try," Link growled.

"If they do, give as good as you get," Urbosa ordered. "In fact, give even more. Let them see what it means to fuck with us!"

There was a chorus of answering shouts, and Link added his own. Nothing could beat this feeling, being part of a team, about to absolutely smite the competition. The announcer was speaking again, explaining the arena to the newcomers in the crowd.

The event was divided into five different challenges, each with focus on a different aspect of riding. One member from each team would take on each other in the various challenges. These were aspects like speed, precision, power, or sometimes a mix. Victory went to the first team to reach three victories.

Each member of the Beasts had something of a speciality. Mipha, for example, had precision, while Revali had speed. Link's speciality was...well, he didn't have one in particular. He felt he was fairly balanced in all these areas...but he had earned his moniker for a reason.

The first challenge was precision. A series of poles and stacked tyres, meant to be weaved through like a high-octane version of slalom, all odd angles and tight turns, where even a single mistake meant either crashing into something or the bike slipping out from underneath you, sending you skidding along the ground and looking a right fool.

"Well, I don't think we even have to discuss who's taking this one," Urbosa said, chuckling. "Healer, you in?"

"I'll do my best," Mipha replied, rolling forward to the starting line, next to her opponent, Cia. They seemed equally matched in terms of weight, but since the round wasn't about speed, it wouldn't matter very much anyway. "Watch me scrape her stupid paint and decals all over the ground."

"I like it when you get aggressive, girl," Daruk said, laughing.

"Just goes to show you have to look out for the quiet ones," Revali said. "Kick her ass, Healer."

"No mercy," Link added.

"I don't even know the meaning of the word," Mipha replied, laughing.

The announcer was finally done explaining the challenge, now focusing on the riders taking part.

"Ah, it's a real catfight we've got on our hands for our first challenge of the evening! The lovely Healer versus the alluring Cia. A ferocious battle to be sure, but no matter who wins or loses, we, the spectators, will be the true victors for getting to witness such a spectacle! Riders, are you ready?"

Mipha and Cia raised their hands, signalling that they were ready.

"Very good! At the drop of the flag, you may begin!"

A girl wearing a tight dress was approaching the riders, stopping some feet away, clearly in view of both of them, positioning herself so she'd be between them once they began moving. She carried a chequered flag, giving them both a bright smile as she shouted,

"On your marks! Get set! Go!"

Their reaction was instant. The moment the woman dropped the flag, Mipha and Cia were already moving, wheels spinning, squeaking and smoking as their bikes hurled forwards, leaving the flagger coughing in a cloud of burned rubber.

Link felt the muscles in his back tightening as he watched Mipha take the first of the super-sharp turns. It wasn't out of fear that she wouldn't make it, but anticipation. He wasn't disappointed. Mipha wrenched Ruta's handlebars to the side at just the right moment, braking shifting her bodyweight just enough for her boot to touch the ground, to aid with balance and pivot, then shifting again and accelerating through at great speed, only to repeat the process a few yards later, again and again.

Close by, Cia was doing the same thing, almost just as well as Mipha was, nearly matching her move for move.

Link's breath hitched as he watched the display, the sheer grace of it blowing him away, just like every other time he'd seen Mipha doing her acrobatics.

He had to admit, Cia was no slouch in this area, easily keeping up with Mipha, even during the hairpin sections where even going a fraction too fast or too slow would result in a massive loss of control...and at the skill level the two were showing, even a minor mistake would result in a loss.

The final obstacle was a pair of gaps, one for each of the riders, between a pair of tyre towers so narrow there was barely room for the bike itself. The finish line waited on the other side. Going through was meant to be as close to impossible as it could get. There was an alternate route around the gaps on either side, but choosing it would cost the rider precious seconds.

Mipha and Cia both tore out of the course at breakneck speed, both heading straight for their respective gaps, neither of them willing to back down as they came closer and closer. Any idiot with eyes could see that with their legs sticking out at the sides, they were both too wide to pass through the gap. Cia was wavering, clearly torn on whether she should follow Mipha's suit and keep speeding right towards it, or take the long way around. When Mipha showed no signs of slowing down, however, she gunned her own bike, furthering the game of chicken.

But Mipha wasn't playing chicken. She knew Ruta far better than Cia seemed to know her own ride. At the last possible second, Mipha shifted her weight forward, laying herself flat atop the length of the bike, her profile suddenly razor-thin...and just narrow enough to pass through the gap.

Cia realised what was happening too late, and tried to imitate the trick...but her reaction was too slow, and with no time to actually shift like Mipha had, she tried to brake to throw herself along the alternate route instead. Unfortunately, it was too late, and her braking too rough, causing her bike to wobble. Losing control, she threw herself off the bike, which crashed into the tyres while she herself rolled along the ground, coming to a gentler stop.

Link heard his team whooping, celebrating Mipha's victory with loud calls and congratulations, not even sure what he himself was shouting into his radio's mouthpiece.

"And there we have it, ladies and gentlemen! Our first round goes to the lovely Healer and the Divine Beasts!"

---

Sheik found himself cheering along with the rest of the crowd when the Beasts' victory in the round was announced. He wasn't sure why, but he really didn't want to see the Usurpers win a tournament he'd only recently learned of. His heart had skipped a beat when Cia had thrown herself off the bike to avoid the crash, but continued to beat normally when he saw that she was all right...and absolutely pissed she'd lost the round, kicking her bike repeatedly before a group of crew members came to help her haul it away, the sleek black paint scratched to hell and back.

"Hell yeah, Healer! Show her who's boss!" Zelda was shouting to his left.

Out on the field, Healer was coming back around the course, slowing to a stop beside Cia and offering her hand to shake as thanks for the bout, but Cia responded by giving Healer the finger and stomping off in a huff, tearing her helmet off and hurling it away when the crowd began to boo her off the field.

"Oof, bad sportsmanship," Kafei said, shaking his head.

"She's certainly not winning her team any friends," Elenwe agreed.

The rest of her team seemed to have similar feelings, making angry gestures since she could no longer hear them. She gave them the finger too, stalking over to where the crew was assessing her bike.

"We will be taking a short break to let our excellent crew set up the next challenge, where, above all else, speed will be key. Teams, please use this time to choose your next contestant."

As the announcer spoke, crew members began to swarm the arena, removing the tyre piles and other obstacles not deemed necessary for the next round. They didn't bring out any new ones, but left large swathes of the arena bare, setting up a proper racing track.

"Speed, huh?" Zelda said, drawing their attention. "I bet they're gonna send in Falco for that—he's the fastest of them."

"H-He is?" Paya asked. Sheik wasn't sure his cousin had taken her eyes off Zelda the entire round.

"Oh yeah," Zelda replied, nodding. "Like, it's his whole shtick. It's annoying to hear him boasting about being the fastest all the time, actually. The one time his engine stalled in the middle of a race is something he'll never live down."

"You know all of them?" Sheik asked.

While the bout between Healer and Cia had kept his attention the entire time, his anxiety was starting to return now that he was suddenly aware of the crowd around him again, and his fingers were twitching in desperation for something to do. Having nothing with which to occupy them, and not wanting to be rude by taking out his phone, Sheik folded his arms across his chest instead, trapping them beneath his arms. It looked a little weird, maybe, but it was better than being a twitching mess.

"The Beasts, I mean?" he continued, hoping his change in pose wasn't too conspicuous.

Elenwe's hand was suddenly at his lower back, rubbing gently in a soothing manner. Damn, she must have noticed his nervousness. At least her gesture helped a little.

Neither of them said anything. It wasn't the first time it had happened.

"I do," Zelda said brightly, looking at him with more cheer than he thought possible. "We hang out all the time after races and stuff." She paused, looking at them all. "You want to meet them?" she asked.

"We can?" Kafei asked, looking excited.

"Sure, they love meeting fans, especially ones vetted by me," Zelda said, winking...and then she hesitated, giving Paya a worried glance. "That is...if you don't mind? This really is supposed to be a date, but..."

"It's f-fine," Paya said, smiling reassuringly. "I'd like t-to m-meet them t-too!"

"Well, at least let me buy you a drink?" Zelda asked, standing up and offering Paya her arm. "It'll take them a while to get the track set up, we should be back in time for Falco's turn."

Paya looked uncertain, and looked to Kafei, who sputtered.

"What are you looking at me for?" he asked. "Go! Have fun!"

"We'll be all right, P," Elenwe added. "We'll keep your seats safe."

When her eyes landed on him, Sheik nodded.

"I'll have her back in a jiffy," Zelda promised, pulling Paya with her and disappearing in the direction of one of the bars.

"Well, Paya's in love," Kafei announced once they were out of earshot. "Wanna start making wedding plans?"

"Don't you have a different wedding to focus on first, idiot?" Elenwe asked, flicking his ear. "I'm warning you, it'd better be spectacular!"

"I thought you wanted something simple," Kafei said, yelping and covering his ear with his hand to protect it from further assault. "Like, just a visit to the courthouse, in and out, no fuss no muss?!"

"Hah, that was just to lull you into a false sense of security when we were dating!"

Kafei gasped, looking to Sheik with wide eyes. "I've been bamboozled! Sheik, save me!"

"You got yourself into this mess, you can get yourself out of it," Sheik said, washing his hands of the whole thing. "I'll be there to pick up the pieces left of you once she's done punishing you for leaving her at the altar."

"See?" Elenwe asked. "Even your own cousin won't pull your ass out of the fire you started! You're mine!"

"Ah, well, I concede defeat...suffered at the hands of treacherous cousins," Kafei said, glaring at Sheik. "But as far as fires go, there are far worse ones to be in, I think. C'mere, you..."

He pulled Elenwe in for a quick kiss, earning himself a slightly deeper one immediately after. Sheik ignored the gross public display of affection and looked to the riders waiting for the track to get ready. Ignoring the Usurpers, he focused on the Beasts, who seemed to be deep in conversation (he had no idea how they could all talk to each other with their helmets on, probably some sort of radio?), except for...

Courage appeared to have been staring at Sheik and his group? It was hard to tell because of the visor, of course, but the way Courage immediately turned his head away when Sheik noticed it was...suspicious. Almost like he'd been staring directly at Sheik, and was embarrassed by getting caught. Impossible, of course. He'd probably been trying to find Zelda in the crowd, surely aware of which seats they'd gotten. Courage then seemed to join in on the conversation with his teammates, the moment gone.

There was a sucking sound as his cousin and his fiancé came up for air, and Sheik repressed a shudder at the sound. Elenwe turned to him, grinning a little. "So, Zelda's pretty cute, huh?" she said.

"Yes?" Sheik said, shrugging. There was no denying it, but Elenwe knew his preferences so why would she be asking about Zelda if...oh no...

"I wonder if her brother is the same?"

In protest, Sheik fished his phone out of his pocket, aiming to ignore her for the rest of the evening.

They never stopped, either of them, in trying to fix him up with someone. At school, at parties, hell, even randomly on the street sometimes. And now, apparently, at a daredevil show, with a complete stranger whose sister they'd known for a grand total of an hour. What was next? Mail-order husbands? He grimaced. They probably would, if they got desperate enough. Never mind that he couldn't actually get together with someone—the elders would kill him if they found out.

"Aw, look, you scared him back into his shell," Kafei cooed. "Don't think I didn't notice you staring at him, Sheik."

"How could you, with your face being eaten?" Sheik growled, realising his mistake too late—

"Oh, so you were staring," Kafei exclaimed, cackling like a madman. "I knew it!"

"I was curious about his speciality!" Sheik protested, lying through his teeth.

"Sure you were," his cousin said, waggling his eyebrows lecherously. "Curious about how easy it'd be to get him out of those leathers, I bet—"

"Down, boy!" Elenwe said, placing her hand on Kafei's face and pushing him away. "Coming on a little strong, there."

Sheik groaned, hiding his face in his hands, quite a bit like Paya had a little earlier, though for an entirely different reason. Why did his family have to be such freaks?! Elenwe was patting his arm in apology, but it didn't really help.

"Never mind him, Sheik," she said. "He's just an idiot who gets carried away far too easily by his stupid ideas. Want me to punch him for you?"

"Hey!"

"No, that's okay," Sheik said, voice muffled by his hiding place. "Just poison him in his sleep."

"I'll see what I can do."

"Again I find myself stabbed in the back by those I trust with my life!" Kafei wailed. "My fortune teller was right—I will die by the hands of my loved ones!"

"Anyway, if it's okay with Zelda," Elenwe continued in a lower tone of voice that only Sheik could hear, ignoring her increasingly upset fiancé next to her, "think you're up for meeting them?"

Was he? Sheik's anxiety tended to flare up whenever he was surrounded by people, or forced into close proximity with strangers. It usually helped having someone he knew closely nearby, but the Beasts looked like an intimidating group—the sort Sheik would never get close to out of nervousness. But...well, his therapist kept telling him he'd never get better if he didn't actually challenge himself, and what could be more challenging than hanging out with people like that? Plus, now he was actually curious about what Courage looked like behind that visor.

"Yeah," he said, nodding. "I think so."

"We'll have an escape route prepared, just in case," she added with a wink. "I'm not drinking tonight, so I can drive you home if it's too much."

"Thanks," he said, giving her a real smile. Any elder who stood in the way of her and Kafei's union would have to deal with him first!

---

The Sheikah were here! Both of them! Link had no idea they were the ones Zelda had requested the extra tickets for. He'd looked towards the stands to see if his sister had made it with her date, only to find her conspicuously absent (presumably along with said date), and three strangers occupying the seats reserved for her guests. He'd immediately recognised the pair of Sheikah he'd run into (literally!) earlier that day, but not the Gerudo woman...but who she was in relation to the other two became clear when she immediately began sucking face with the purple-haired one.

So, the flirting had just been for fun, then.

In a way, Link was relieved...but also disappointed. The disappointment disappeared soon enough, when he noticed the other Sheikah staring directly at him with a look so intense Link felt himself heating up underneath the leather of his suit. There was just something about those red eyes of his. The discoloured bruise under his eye (when had that happened?) only further contributed to the image...it made him look dangerous.

He quickly looked away, only giving half his attention to the conversation his team was having over their radios, the rest being devoted to calming himself down. Hopefully, the Sheikah hadn't noticed him staring. How could he, with a tinted visor and the distance between them preventing any eye contact from being made?

"...rage...hey, Courage, you paying attention?"

He shook his head, realising Urbosa was talking directly to him. "Y-Yeah, I'm with you, Boss," he said quickly.

"Yeah, I believe you," Urbosa said drily. "We were just discussing the line-up. If the matches follow the regular progression, The Gates will be the last challenge. You up for that?"

"Sure," Link said, already grinning. He loved The Gates. They combined speed and sheer guts. He could already feel his heart beating faster from the anticipation. It wasn't even a guarantee that he would get to ride, if the Beasts won all three of the first challenges. That'd be sad...but at the same time, as long as it meant the Usurpers would be sent slinking home with their tails between their legs, he was all for it.

"Not that your participation will be necessary," Revali's needling voice spoke into his ear. "My victory's already a foregone conclusion, and Tank will surely decimate whoever faces him in the power challenge."

"Wow, way to jinx us, Falco," Link said sourly.

"Superstitious drivel," came the annoyed reply.

"Knock it off, you two," Daruk grumbled. "Don't make me put your asses in opposite corners!"

"I'll help you," Mipha added, a hint of steel in her otherwise calm and gentle voice. She'd always had a bit of an edge to her, but it was rare for it to show. Frankly, it scared the crap out of Link whenever she did. He gulped.

"S-Sorry," he said. "Consider it knocked off."

"Good," Daruk said. "Falco, better get your ass ready. Ghira or whatever he's called looks like he could pose a challenge."

"Weight certainly seems to be on his side," Urbosa mused. "Looks like a mild breeze would knock him over."

"Bet you're regretting those muffins now, Falco," Link quipped, unable to resist the temptation.

"Sh-Shut up!" Revali squawked, always easily riled up whenever his weight was called into question. "It's not about weight, it's about aerodynamics! I'm slimmer than any of you fuckers! You can't even hope to beat me in sheer speed!"

"No kidding," Urbosa said. "You're not exactly heavy, though. When I picked you up the other day I could've sworn your bones were hollow, or something."

Before Link could ask why Urbosa was picking up random team members (literally, he hoped, or his mind would forever be plagued by horrid mental images of those two going at it), there was a loud cheer as the flag girl appeared again, waving the contestants forward.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are now ready for the second challenge," boomed the announcer's voice. "This is a test of speed, to see which of our brave challengers are able to get to the cul-de-sac at the end of the road, and then back to the starting line the fastest. There are no obstacles other than the distance they both have to cross!"

The arena had been opened at one end, revealing a long stretch of completely straight road heading through the industrial area, terminating in a cul-de-sac where the riders would turn and then head straight back. Between the five of them, Revali and Link were the fastest, but Revali did have an advantage in terms of weight, making him the better option for this challenge, especially when facing the Usurpers' Ghira, who did look like he didn't weight much more than a piece of paper, his limbs long and skinny.

"Teams, please send out your chosen riders!"

Revali revved Medoh's engine as he rolled forward to the starting line, giving the Beasts a lazy salute. Ghira did the same, but not before Ganon put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing harshly enough to make him wince. Link almost felt the pain in sympathy. It was a warning not to fuck up. They'd already lost one challenge; any more and they would look like absolute idiots after all the boasting they'd done in their videos, taunting the Divine Beasts in particular.

"We're in for a treat tonight, ladies and gentlemen! It's a duel between the speedsters Falco and Ghira!" the announcer said. "Riders, are you ready?!"

---

"Told you they'd go with Falco," Zelda said as she and Paya reappeared, just in time for the challenge to start. They were carrying drinks for everybody, passing them up the line. They'd gotten Sheik a soda, which he took with thanks. Elenwe, too, who was the night's designated driver. Sheik decided not to comment on the flushed appearances of Zelda and Paya, or the way their lips were a little redder than before. They were clearly getting along well.

Good for them, he decided. Paya needed to have some fun.

"Looked like he and Courage had a bit of argument just before now," Kafei said, sipping at his beer.

"Ah, those two are always at each other's throats," Zelda said dismissively, practically glued to Paya's side. Paya didn't look like she minded this at all, which was a good sign. She tended to be a bit on the passive side if she didn't really like being in physical contact with someone. "Nothing to worry about. Just normal rival bullshit, as Link calls it."

"Link?" Sheik asked.

"Courage," Zelda said, grimacing. "I'm not supposed to give out their real names. Could you please forget that until he introduces himself?"

"Sure." Not that Sheik was going to be at the forefront of the meet'n'greet. He wasn't really ready for that. He'd hang around in the background, like he preferred.

Any further conversation was interrupted by the drop of the flag, and the screech of the riders' tuned engines firing up and sending them hurtling down the track, so fast Sheik could barely keep up.

There were buildings and other obstacles blocking the view from the stands, so large screens had been rigged up, showing live feeds of cameras following Falco and Ghira as they rode, pressing themselves as close to the bodies of their bikes as physically possible, trying to minimise air resistance and attain that little bit of extra speed.

It was close, very close, but Falco was pulling ahead, little by little, by virtue of his ride or weight, or whatever. Sheik had no idea what the deciding factor in this case was, only that the Beast was inching himself into the lead. Sheik wasn't good at gauging speed from sight alone, but he could easily tell that the speed at which they were going was not the sort that'd be forgiving of mistakes, even tiny ones. Falco didn't seem worried, keeping a firm control of his ride, not a single hint of wobbling or unsteadiness.

Not that the Usurper was a slouch either, exhibiting the same steely resolve as Falco, but growing frustrated at his opponent pulling ahead, slow as the progress was. He kept himself tightly attached to Falco's side, though, a mere foot of air separating the two, keeping them from crashing into each other.

They reached the cul-de-sac in a matter of minutes, and they had to slow down a great deal in order to turn around. Falco was first in, taking his ride in a tight circle along the edge of the road, closely followed by Ghira, who took advantage of the inner turn to shorten Falco's lead just a little, bringing him back into his previous neck and neck position. They both gunned it out of the cul-de-sac and into the straight line that would take them to the finish line.

Ghira was actually keeping up this time, clearly having saved his best for last, for the final push. Falco seemed to notice, shifting his position on the bike, trying to improve the air resistance even more. And little by little, he was slowly pulling ahead of Ghira again. They were halfway to finish line.

Then it happened.

Just as Falco was about to gain a firm lead over Ghira, leaving him no chance to catch up, Ghira struck out. A vicious kick to the side of Falco's bike sent Falco off-balance, his bike wobbling and shaking as he fought to regain control.

Sheik's breath caught in his throat, the crowd gasping at what was happening.

"What the fuck?!" Kafei shouted.

"That's gotta be against the rules!" Elenwe said. "What the hell!"

Sheik couldn't take his eyes off the screens, where Falco was still desperately trying to pull back and regain control somehow, while Ghira had taken the opportunity to pull ahead of him, the cheating bastard! In the corner of his eye, he could see Zelda sitting up ramrod straight in her seat.

"Oh, that is an ugly move to make!" the announcer said. "You hate to see that sort of bad sportsmanship, but since there technically aren't any rules here..."

What the fuck kind of tournament was this?

---

"Shit...shit!" Link heard Revali's voice over the radio, breathing heavily and panicking. "I can't...can't stop it!"

"Bail out, Rev, bail out!" Urbosa was shouting. "Don't bother!"

"No, I can, I've got it, I—gaaahh!"

Revali's bike the curb at an angle, his bike angled diagonally as it scraped against the concrete barrier, a shower of sparks erupting like burning rain. Revali, unable to hold on, was thrown off the bike, slamming into one of the many tyre stacks lining the course, his body thrown about like a rag doll.

"Fuck!" Daruk was already moving, taking off towards the accident spot, Mipha hot on his heels. Link went to follow them, but Urbosa came to a stop next to him, grabbing his shoulder before he could.

"We'll just get in the way," Urbosa said, her voice trembling with barely contained anger. "Mipha'll take care of him."

Link clenched his jaw, gripping Epona's throttle tightly, watching the spot where Revali had come to a stop, the camera trained on his body as he lay curled up on the ground. Link could hear his pained breathing on the radio. He was cursing under his breath, which was a good sign, but it was impossible to know until Mipha had taken a look.

There was a smattering of cheers as Ghira crossed the finish line, the announcer declaring him the winner, but most of the audience were booing him, which he only seemed to relish, his arms raised in a triumphant pose, even motioning for them to boo even louder. His team seemed enthusiastic about his return, clapping his shoulder as he came close, not a hint of concern for Revali, barely even glancing up at the screen, where Daruk and Mipha had reached Revali and was helping him up.

Ganon didn't join in on his team's celebration, his arms crossed as calmly watched the screen.

"You with us, Rev?" Daruk was asking, gently removing Revali's helmet at Mipha's request.

"Watch his neck, careful," she was muttering. "Rev, can you hear me?"

Revali's mouth was moving on the screen, but without the helmet radio only Daruk and Mipha could hear him. His hands were waving, almost pushing them away, so Link could only hope he was trying to avert them fussing about him.

"That's one for us, Beasts!" one of the Usurpers called out to them. Link had no idea who was who. It didn't matter. The taunt struck something deep within him, igniting a fire unlike anything he'd ever felt before...and wanted to direct it at them. At Ghira, for almost killing Revali!

He thought he was going to have to ask Urbosa to stop him, but the Beasts' leader had abandoned him, halfway to the Usurpers already, tearing her helmet off.

The Usurpers straightened up warily as she approached them, the second-largest of them stepping forward and removing his own. Dull eyes in an equally dull face watched her closely as he slowly pushed Ghira to stand behind him. He was quite tall, but Urbosa was hardly on the shorter end of the spectrum herself—hell, it even looked like she had an inch or two on him.

"What the fuck was that?!" Urbosa demanded, gesturing to the screen. "Are you trying to kill someone?!"

"All's fair in love and war," was the man's response. He never saw her fist coming. One moment he was standing, the other he was flat on the ground, thoroughly decked. The rest of his team stepped forward, fists at the ready, but Link was on the move, gunning Epona's engine and placing himself between Urbosa and the Usurpers, inches away from striking the biggest member of the team, and their captain, Ganon. He revved the engine pointedly, twice, and they seemed to back off.

All except Ganon, who slowly lifted his visor, revealing a pair of golden eyes in a dark-skinned face. This close, Link could see the man's fiery, orange hair spilling out from beneath his helmet. The skin of Ganon's cheeks twitched, like he was snarling...or grinning. Hard to say. Why he'd be grinning at Urbosa decking one of his teammates was hard to tell, though.

"Tensions are running high among our contestants, it seems," the announcer said. "That is...yes?" he paused, and there was a second voice in the background, speaking to him. Link's eyes never left Ganon's, refusing to back down. His heart was beating wildly in his chest, a stone having dropped in the pit of his stomach, worry for Revali mixing with adrenaline and anger, sheer rage directed at the Usurpers. "And now," the announcer continued, "a word from the boss herself, Telma."

The woman herself was striding across the arena, straight towards them, a scowl on her face. Ashei was close on her heels, throwing a dark glare at the Usurpers. She handed Telma a microphone. Tapping it, satisfied to hear the thumping in the loudspeakers, the older woman lifted it to her mouth and spoke.

"Thank you," Telma's voice reverberated across the arena, her commanding tone forcing everyone's attention on her words. "We all know that there aren't any real rules to these races. Makes them more exciting, that way. But if there's one thing I'll always emphasise, it's sportsmanship, and I can't condone that sort of behaviour! Usurpers, you're on strike one. You only get one. Any more, and you're out."

"Beasts," she continued, "in light of what just happened, you may challenge the Usurpers to sudden death. One more challenge, winner takes all. What do you say?"

"Rev's okay," Mipha's relieved voice suddenly sounded in Link's ear. "A little rattled, and he's got a wicked road rash and a twisted ankle, but nothing's broken, and his helmet protected his head. Medoh's totalled, though, so he's out for the night. I want to take him to the hospital, just to be sure, and to clean out that rash."

"All right, thanks Miph," Link answered her, releasing his breath deeply in relief before tapping Urbosa's shoulder and opening his visor, relaying the information to her.

Urbosa relaxed significantly at being told Revali was okay, but her eyes remained narrowed as she took the microphone from Telma's offering hand, giving Link a glance. A silent question.

He nodded.

"We accept," Urbosa said. "We challenge the Usurpers to sudden death. Our arena of choice is The Gates!"

---

The entire arena erupted into loud cheers when the Beasts' leader, Boss, issued her challenge. Sheik had no idea what that meant, other than something positive. And probably very dangerous, he assumed. He looked to Zelda for answers...as did everyone else in their group. Zelda had a wicked-looking smile on her face.

"What's g-going on?" Paya asked. "What're The G-Gates?"

"Courage's speciality," Zelda said. "The Usurpers just dug their own grave."

"And your champion for this round?" Telma asked.

"That'll be Courage," Boss said, patting Courage's shoulder. The man hadn't moved an inch since he'd positioned his bike between Boss and the Usurpers. The one she'd knocked down was slowly getting back up, rubbing his jaw. She clearly had a nasty right hook on her.

The arena exploded into activity as the crew once more began to move obstacles into the track, leaving the long stretch used by Falco and Ghira open.

On the screen, Falco was seen being helped his feet by his teammates, looking quite all right given the circumstances. Sheik hadn't expected blue hair...or such a vibrant shade of it. It matched his suit.

"Hey, it's me," Zelda's voice said. She was on her phone, looking straight at Boss, who was talking on a phone of her own. Their eyes seemed to meet, and Boss gave a short wave. "Is Falco okay?" A short pause as Boss responded. "Ah, that's good to hear. Healer's taking him to the hospital? Tank too? So it's just the two of you left...will you be okay?" Her eyes widened, and she shook her head. "No, no, I'm not doubting you at all, sorry!"

Boss looked amused.

"Well, tell Courage to break a leg. We're all watching. Yeah. Yeah, I'll see you after the show. I'm bringing some friends, so make sure he doesn't run away."

Boss gave them an exasperated look as she spoke, gesturing to Courage, who had pulled away and was getting ready for his round.

"I don't fucking know," Zelda hissed, "tie him up or something, I don't care! Just make sure he doesn't leave! I'm invoking my big sister privileges to place him under arrest."

So, Courage was younger than Zelda? How old was he, then? Sheik's age? Younger? Surely not—not even an illegal event like this would be stupid enough to let someone younger than eighteen compete in such a tournament?

And he was prone to run away after shows? Sheik almost felt guilty, trying to soak up any information about her brother as he could. Why would he run, though? Surely he'd want to stick around to soak up the audience's adoration?

...also, Zelda was scary.

Next to him, Kafei relaxed a bit as Telma walked off the field. "Ah, she didn't see me," he said, sighing with relief.

"What's the deal there, anyway?" Elenwe asked, refusing to let her fiancé get away with keeping secrets. "You turned a little green when that Ashei girl mentioned her..."

"Ah, well..." Kafei said, trailing off a bit. "It's a long story, but I...kinda...set her on fire?"

Sheik's jaw dropped. "What?!"

Elenwe punched Kafei's shoulder. "What the fuck, K?!"

"It was an accident!" he wailed. "I swear! I'd just found this place after we moved here and was hanging out at one of the bars, and she sauntered up and bought the whole place a round of shots. We were all pretty boozed up when she asked for a light, and I pulled out my lighter. Next thing I knew, my fingers were fumbling, I dropped the lighter and...well...there was a lot of spilled whiskey on the counter..." He shrank a little in on himself. "And her hair was just kind of...there. We put it out quickly, though!" he added hastily. "Anyway, she wasn't particularly happy, so she told me to get out and not to come back. And I didn't! Until now..."

"And Ashei?" Elenwe asked, rolling her eyes.

"She's sort of Telma's right hand, slash adopted daughter, slash I don't even want to know? She handles security, at least. We had a very long, very unpleasant conversation after the fire incident." He grimaced. "She really knows how to put the fear of the gods in a man."

"Huh, idiot," Elenwe huffed, turning her attention back to the arena.

Sheik, however, was still staring hard at his cousin. Kafei noticed, looking back with trepidation, a solitary bead of sweat running down his brow. He knew what was coming, knew what he'd accidentally revealed.

"You smoke?" Sheik asked.

Nervous, Kafei scratched his neck. "Ehehehe, kinda? A little?" he laughed. "Before you say anything, I haven't lied to you!" he exclaimed. "I've just...left out...certain parts of the truth?"

Sheik unclenched his fist, keeping his eyes locked with his cousin's for a long moment. "I'm telling Impa," he said, and then turned his eyes back to the arena.

"Ehehehe," Kafei laughed nervously again. "You tell such good jokes, cousin...right? 'Cause you were joking, right? Right?!" His voice took on a hint of desperation. "You're not actually going to tell her, right? Sheik? Sheik!"

Sheik continued to ignore him, content to have yet another thing with which to blackmail his cousin into oblivion.

---

"Fucking hell, Zant's got a hard head," Urbosa said over the radio. "Pretty sure I bruised my knuckles, even through the gloves."

Link chuckled. "Then I think he should be worried about a broken jaw," he replied, shifting his weight astride Epona as he waited for the flag girl to get back in position. The track was ready, and he felt jittery with excitement.

"No such luck," Urbosa said, laughing a little. "Could hear him talking to his teammates afterwards. Shouldn't have worn the gloves, could have had him spitting out a few teeth that way. Anyway, how're you feeling? You ready for this?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." He waved at her leisurely. "This is my track, remember?"

"I just want to see their smug faces rubbed so hard into the dirt," Urbosa muttered. "Rev could have been hurt, you know. Bad. We're lucky he decided to land on that thick head of his so the helmet took the brunt of it."

"He'll be back to criticise our fashion choices soon enough," Link assured her. "But yeah, I'll kick their asses for his sake, don't worry."

"Good boy." She laughed."Man, he'd be so pissed if he heard you say that."

"I wish he was here so he could hear it," he said. "So I could rub my victory in his face."

"I'll be sure to send him a photo of your finish. Give him a reason to get out of the hospital bed as quickly as possible."

"Can't wait to hear him yell at me again."

"Me neither. Now kick Ganon's ass so we can start celebrating already. Your sister's here with some friends she wants you to meet—and no, you're not allowed to leave early. You're toughing it out with us tonight."

Link shook his head. "Zelda tell you to say that?"

"She wanted me to tie you up."

Goddess, his sister was such a nuisance! But it came from a good place. He hoped. Besides, if the Sheikah were going to be there...well, he would like to get to know him—er, them—better!

But those were thoughts for later. He had a competition to win first.

He closed one eye and sighted his way down the track, where a series of fifteen gates fashioned from scrap metal welded together were set up along the road. The goal was for each rider to pass through each of them all the way to the end of the track, at the same time.

The challenge was that each gate narrowed considerably, both in width and height, until there was only room for one rider to pass through...or not even that. That last gate at the very end of the track looked awfully low...definitely not tall enough for a rider sitting up. Hell, from here Link was fairly certain it was too low for just the bike.

This was, essentially, a game of high-stakes chicken. The first to duck out of passing through a gate was the loser. Link had never lost this game. It was what earned him his title. No one was gutsy enough to pass through as many gates as him.

Or stupid enough, as Zelda preferred to label it.

It was a bit of both, really. Link liked to consider himself a rather healthy mix of gutsy and stupid. Not stupid enough to pass through the final gate, though. He'd never had to, luckily, since everyone else he'd competed against had always been the first to break off long before they reached it.

This was just about the only area in his life where he was that wonderful mix of brave and stupid. Everywhere else, he played it safe. Too safe. This place...these people...they all helped him feel so alive. He breathed in deeply. Oil, gasoline, burned rubber...nope, there just was no replacing that smell, or the feeling it caused to blossom in his chest.

"We have reached our grand finale earlier than we anticipated tonight, ladies and gentlemen. The Usurpers accepted the challenge, and we are now witnessing sudden death, where the winner decides if the Divine Beasts keep their title, or if they are to be, heh, usurped by the newcomers. Regardless of the outcome, I believe we are in for one hell of a treat, and I pity whoever isn't here tonight to enjoy it with us!"

"Telma really needs to get rid of Purlo," Urbosa muttered. "He's not even good at firing up the crowd."

Not that the crowd needed to be fired up. The confrontation between the Beasts and Usurpers had made the entire place go crazy. There were shouts in support of the Beasts, of the Usurpers, of just mayhem in general.

Link glanced at his opponent, just a few feet away. Big was a good description for the man. Definitely taller than Urbosa, who was just about the tallest person Link knew. But he didn't seem big, in that the form-fitting biker leathers hugged his body and squeezed it into something sleek and deadly, looking perfectly natural on his bike...with the stupid flame decals.

If nothing else, at least they matched his hair.

He still felt a spark of anger lighting up in his chest when he looked at the Usurpers' leader. He may not have been the one to kick Revali, but he'd still condoned it...possibly even told Ghira to do so. Link intended to make him pay for that. Dearly.

Oh yes, there would be mayhem, all right.

"This challenge is all about daring, about conquering that most primal of feelings, namely fear itself! On the field, you will see several gates, many of which present the riders with some difficulty when passing through. Our brave contestants will attempt to do this at the same time, until one—or possibly both—either choose to duck out, or suffer the consequences of overconfidence.

"Those of you who are familiar with our local champs will know that Courage and his mighty Epona have never lost a bout of The Gates. The sheer balls on this kid are staggering! Let us see if Ganon has a set to match, or if he too will join his predecessors on the junk pile!"

Link tried not to chuckle at the comment on his balls. If only they knew what he was like in his day-to-day life. They certainly wouldn't expect him to be a quiet psych student, that was for sure.

"He doesn't," Urbosa saw fit to add over the radio. "A matching set," she clarified a moment later. "Jury's still out on whether or not he matches your suicidal recklessness, though."

"My 'suicidal recklessness' is what's going to get us the win, though," Link reminded her.

"Never said it was a bad thing. In fact, I'm counting on it."

"Just watch me," he said.

"I will."

"Riders!" the announcer called. "Are you ready?!"

Link raised his hand. Ganon did the same. They shared a glance at each other, and Ganon seemed to be searching for something. Not that he'd see a damn thing thanks to the visor.

"You know the drill, then. At the drop of the flag. Remember, last man standing wins."

---

Sheik held his breath as the flag girl was brought out once more, and Courage and Ganon began revving their bikes in anticipation of the drop. He had never wanted to see someone at something sports-related in his life, and he couldn't wait to see Courage crushing Ganon and his team of pretenders like the worms they were!

"Someone's getting excited," he heard Kafei mutter to Elenwe.

"Can't blame him," Elenwe replied.

"W-Will he be a-all right?" Paya asked Zelda, the pair of them huddled closely together. "They l-look so n-narrow..."

"Hell yeah, he will," Zelda said confidently. "He's the best!"

The best...Sheik felt his chest growing tight with anticipation...or oxygen deprivation.

Either or, really.

The flag dropped.

---

Link's reaction was near-instant. He shifted Epona into first gear with a flick of his ankle, revving and releasing the clutch. She was moving within fractions of a second, the flag barely dropped. At his side, Ganon was just as fast, his own bike practically roaring with barely contained power. At least, Link was relieved to find, Ganon wasn't some nobody with more money than sense—he knew what he was doing. That meant Link could go all-out.

The first two gates were simple, and they were both through in seconds. They were more for steering the riders into the correct paths, and allow them to gain speed. Link shifted into second, then third. Ganon kept perfect pace with him.

He glanced down at his display, instantly gleaning the information he needed, adjusting his throttle accordingly. He shifted into fourth. As he did so, they passed through the third and fourth gates. These had begun to narrow length-wise. Fifth and Six gates passed by, narrowing even further, forcing Link and Ganon closer together.

Link felt his breathing grow faster and faster, adrenaline kicking in as he watched the approaching seventh and eighth gates, which continued narrowing, as well as lowering the beams. At the ninth, they were forced to hug the bodies of their bikes to avoid having their heads taken off.

Ganon had no trouble keeping up so far, and Link had to admit he was impressed. The ninth or tenth were usually where most of his opponents had to give up for fear of either crashing into him, or getting decapitated.

Not that anyone had ever actually had their heads taken off during the advanced game of chicken. Link doubted the gates were solid enough for that. Getting one's trachea smashed in, however, was still a very real danger.

All right, let's kick it up a notch, Link thought, shifting Epona into fifth gear. At his side, mere feet away, Ganon did the same. They passed through the tenth gate, and were forced even closer together. Link couldn't even hear the sound of their bikes anymore—just his heartbeat thumping in his ear.

Eleventh gate, and the bar was lowered to the point where they had to bend their heads down, skewing their views of the obstacles ahead. Forced even close together, Link could practically feel Ganon's knees brushing against his own. His breath hitched slightly in his throat. He'd never been past the eleventh gate—everyone had always given up before that.

Whatever else he was, Ganon was not a coward. Suicidally reckless, definitely. Link's cheeks were hurting from the wild grin he knew was pulling at them.

The twelfth and thirteenth gates did not offer any further constriction of space—instead they were meant to see how long the riders were willing to cluster together. Link's knees were touching Ganon's now, and neither of them were willing to back down. Link had no intention of giving up his title, the Usurpers would not get away with getting Revali hurt!

The fourteenth gate was a nightmare, forcing them so close together their bikes' handlebars were threatening to tangle together. Link lost sight of anything but his path ahead, Ganon a mere flickering shape at his side, the rest obscured by his helmet. They were going too fast, too far. He felt the gate as they passed through it, a mere graze, just enough to remind him that a quarter of an inch too to the left, and he'd be a wet smear on the asphalt. There was noise in his ear, but he couldn't hear what it was over the aural assault of his own pulse, his heart beating a rhythm that was surely taking several years of his life.

The fifteenth gate loomed ahead of them, and Link's heart skipped a beat at the sight of it, his chest clenching uncomfortably, his stomach dropping. It was low. Too low. There was no way in hell a rider could pass through, especially not two of them at the same time. It was lower to the ground than the top of Epona—there was no room for either him or his bike!

He glanced at Ganon.

Neither of them backed down. They were getting closer and closer, everything around them a blur. Every instinct in Link's body was calling out to him, demanding that he abort, slow down, throw himself off the bike—anything that didn't involve going through the metal monstrosity ahead of them.

I won't lose, Link thought. I won't lose.

Ganon was wavering, his fingers skimming the top of the brakes, thumb flicking over the kill switch to his engine. As long as Ganon backed off first, Link would win. He didn't have to pass through, he just had to wait until Ganon gave up, until Ganon didn't consider the challenge worth a possibly fatal accident, until—

Ganon hit his brakes, falling behind immediately and wrenching his steering wheel to the side so he and his bike passed by the gate. Link felt triumphant for a single heartbeat...and then he realised it was too late to stop. Ganon had waited until the last possible moment to give up...and Link had gone right past the point of no return.

He was going through the gate, whether he wanted to or not. The gate that was too low for even Epona to pass through on her own. The gate that wouldn't take his head off in an instant for a quick, merciful death. No, this was going to be messy, and painful beyond imagination.

Unless...

Suicidally reckless.

Gutsy and stupid.

Link in a nutshell.

It was a dumb idea, one he'd only ever seen work in movies, and even then only barely. The sort of idea that would definitely leave him a broken and bloody piece of meat if he failed.

But then again, so would crashing into the gate.

Those were the thoughts that'd pass through his head, had he the time. As it were, he didn't, so his body simply acted on his own, out of instinct, out of a desperate attempt to not get killed by its stupid brain's stupid hesitation.

His weight shifted.

---

It felt like time had slowed down the moment Ganon had pulled away from the race, bailing out in a less-than-successful manner that had him bumping into the railing and go spilling onto the road, unhurt but with pride that had definitely taken a beating.

But Sheik's attention wasn't on Ganon. It was on Courage, who didn't pull away in time. It was far too late, and he continued heading straight for the last gate, which was far too small.

He was going to get himself killed!

Then he did something unexpected. Already practically clinging to the side of his bike, Courage shifted his weight even further down, while also pulling at the handlebars, wrenching it sideways.

Was he...? No way! He wouldn't be stupid enough to try—

Sheik was proven to be very wrong as Courage tipped his bike sideways and throttled, throwing the back of the bike out. Tucking his body as close to the side of the bike as possible, a shower of sparks erupted as the bike's coat scraped along the asphalt, the wheels screaming while they were stripped by the rough surface.

It was the sort of manoeuvre that got people killed. Sheik gasped, knowing he should look away lest he be witness to someone's death, but unable to tear his gaze from the sight.

But then it happened. Courage passed beneath the bar of the gate safely, coming to a step some distance further away, the friction of the wheels and the bike's body doing a better job of slowing the vehicle down than brakes ever could.

Courage flopped to the ground once his bike came to a complete stop, breathing so heavily Sheik could see his chest rise and fall even on the screen. The crowd had fallen silent, watching and waiting for something, anything...

Courage thrust a triumphant fist into the air, still prone on the ground, half-covered by his bike. The crowd exploded into a sheer wall of noise, of roars and cheers and pure elation at what they'd just witnessed. Sheik felt his throat go sore as he screamed right along with them. Zelda was jumping up and down with Paya, their arms around each other, while Kafei and Elenwe's faces were red from the strain of excited shouting.

"Courage takes the win with a magnificent move!" the announcer screamed over the speakers, voice breaking. "The Divine Beasts' reign as champions continues!"

---

On the ground, Link found that he didn't have the strength to do much more than keep his fist in the air after sliding the ground, having hit Epona's kill switch, listening to the sound of the audience, which was growing louder and louder as his pulse began to slow. He hadn't expected the power slide to work. It had been a last-ditch effort to avoid a grievous accident...and it had worked! He didn't even care that Zelda was going to kill him for doing something so stupid later. Laughter was bubbling in his throat before he knew it, and he felt slightly hysterical as the deranged sound of it bounced around inside his helmet.

He didn't even notice the sound of an engine approaching until Urbosa's strong hands were pulling him out from underneath Epona, her worried face coming into view as she almost ripped his visor open.

"Link!" she exclaimed. "Link! Are you okay?! Are you hurt?!"

"I'm fine!" he laughed. "I think I've gone insane, but I'm okay!"

"You fucking idiot!" she shouted, punching him in the shoulder. Hard. He barely felt it thanks to the pain-numbing cocktail of chemicals his brain was currently bathing in. "I told you to break off! I told you it wasn't worth it!"

So that was what the sound in his ear had been.

"Sorry, didn't hear you," he said, laughter subsiding a little. Her fingers were twitching, and he knew she was tempted to remove his helmet. She didn't, luckily. "But I thought we were counting on me being stupid and reckless?"

"Not that stupid!" She protested, punching him again. "If you'd been just a millisecond too late, you'd—"

"But I wasn't! I'm perfectly fine!"

"Oh yeah?" she asked, pointing down, directing his gaze to his side...where a deep tear in the leather of his suit revealed torn, bleeding skin. "That look perfectly fine to you?"

"Huh, I didn't even feel that," he said airily, poking at the road rash, blinking when he didn't feel it at all. The body really was quite amazing at issuing its own painkillers.

"No surprise there," Urbosa said with a scoff. "You've probably got enough endorphins in your system to shrug off a bullet wound right now! It's gonna hurt like a bitch later, though."

"Later is later," Link said dismissively, knowing he was acting more than a little loopy. He blamed it on the natural drugs. "I won, right?"

Urbosa paused, eyes widening a little before a disbelieving grin forced itself on face. "Yeah, you idiot, you won," she said, punching him for the third time, but this was far softer than the other two. Fond, almost. "Think you can stand up?"

"Only one way to find out," Link said, taking her offered hand and letting her pull him to his feet. His legs wobbled a little, so Urbosa stepped closer, letting him lean on her. "That feels weird," he said, a little dizzy. "Is this what being drunk normally feels like?" he asked.

"More or less," Urbosa said. "Come on, let's get you to—hang on."

Another bike was approaching. Ganon stopped a few feet away from them and climbed off, barely noticing that his kickstand was hilariously bent, leaving the bike standing at an angle so low it was touching the ground. His leathers were scuffed and torn here and there, but he didn't seem any worse for wear after his little spill.

"What does he want?" Urbosa asked.

"An autograph?" Link asked, giggling.

"Geez," the Gerudo said, rolling her eyes. "I'd hate to see what you're like on drugs."

"Couldn't do those," Link said, wondering why sounded mournful at that. "Zelly would kill me. And then her dad would kill me."

"Not before I killed you for doing that shit," Urbosa said darkly, positioning herself slightly in front of Link, as if expecting Ganon to attack.

All the Usurpers' leader did, however, was remove his helmet, brushing his long, orange locks out of his face. A Gerudo, then, judging by his dark skin and golden eyes. Not much older than Link, either, his face youthful. Link had expected a look of anger, or something, but Ganon's face was...concerned?

"Is he okay?" he asked, his voice surprisingly deep.

"His brain's all kinds of stupid, but that was a pre-existing condition," Urbosa replied on Link's behalf. "Got a nasty rash, though."

"I've never seen anything like that before," Ganon said, eyes studying Link closely. "You're either very brave, or very stupid."

"Mix of both," Link said, hoping Ganon could see his shit-eating grin despite the helmet.

"Mostly the latter," Urbosa added helpfully. "What do you want?"

"I just wanted to apologise," Ganon said, which caught them by surprise. "About Falco, I mean. It shouldn't have gone that far—"

"Maybe shouldn't have had your friend kick him, then," Urbosa said, glaring at him so fiercely Ganon actually backed away a little, raising his hands.

"I didn't!" he protested. "He did on his own accord, and believe me, we're going to have words about that."

"Your team didn't seem to mind," Link noted.

"They're idiots," Ganon said, jaw clenching. "And only think about their own egos. The only reason I ride with them is because they're good at what they do—"

"Can't be that good if they resort to cheating."

"Hard to cheat at a game with no rules," Ganon said, one corner of his mouth curling in a crooked smile. "But I take your point, and again, we'll be having some serious words about it all. Again, I'm sorry about Falco."

"Grudgingly accepted," Urbosa said. "I suggest you leave now."

Ganon looked ready to argue, but Urbosa was damn scary when she was pissed, and he quickly saw reason, giving Link another nod.

"I hope we can ride together again sometime," he said before putting his helmet back on and riding back to the centre of the arena, where his team was waiting.

"I hope he takes a long walk off a short pier," Urbosa muttered.

"He doesn't seem that bad," Link said, finally able to stand on his own. "He apologised, at least."

"Crocodile tears." Urbosa paused, and took out her cell phone, which was ringing. "Your sister," she said, holding the phone out to him.

"Could you?" Link asked, tapping his helmet. "The gear..."

"Coward," the Gerudo said, answering it. "Hey, Zel. Yeah, he's okay, just a terminal case of stupid. Got a few scratches, though, so we're gonna get him cleaned up first. Hm? Yeah, sure, no problem. You just bring 'em to the garage when you're ready, tell Ashei you're good. See you in a bit." She ended the call and replaced her phone.

"Was she mad?" Link asked, terrified of the answer. The grin on Urbosa's face certainly didn't help.

"Mad doesn't even begin to describe what she is right now," she said, gesturing to Naboris. "Hop on. Let's get you out of that suit so we can assess the damage."

Her grin didn't falter, which meant Link was in for a world of hurt in the imminent future. He hesitated.

"Epona—"

"Telma's sending someone to bring her in. I don't think you're in any shape to drive right now."

As if to prove her point, she gave Link a light shove, which nearly sent him to the ground. It was hard to argue against her after that, and he climbed onto the back of Naboris, clinging to Urbosa's middle as they headed back to the garage.

Amidst worries about how painfully Zelda was going to kill him for risking his life like that, and how long it'd be before she'd let him ride anything faster than a scooter again, he couldn't help but feel jealous of how solid Urbosa's abs were.

Wow, he was loopy!

---

"...yeah, we'll head there as soon as we can. Thanks, Boss."

Sheik studied Zelda closely as she finished her talk with Boss, noting that a lot of the tension in her shoulders had faded as she'd spoken. So, Courage—or Link—was okay? He seemed fine enough on the screen, albeit a little shaky, as Boss took him back to their garage. Both waved to the crowd as best they could. The announcer was prattling on about the amazing achievement Courage had pulled off, and while Sheik was inclined to agree that it had been an amazing sight, he also wished Courage hadn't been stupid enough to do it.

How much was victory worth to him, if he was willing to risk his life for a meaningless championship title in an illegal tournament that, apparently, did not win them anything other than bragging rights?

"Is he okay?" Sheik found his mouth asking without any input from his brain, to which Zelda smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, just a scrape or two," she said. "Nothing compared to what I'll do to him for pulling a stunt like that." She looked at Paya. "Want to head over and meet him? Boss said we could hang out in the garage until they get back."

"S-Sure," Paya said, smiling and looking to the others.

"Sounds good to me," Kafei announced, slapping Sheik's shoulder. "I'm sure Sheik would appreciate an opportunity to yell at him a little for nearly giving us all a heart attack."

"Wh-What?!" Sheik sputtered. "What're you—I didn't...!"

"I saw the look on your face," his cousin continued mercilessly. "You were pissed!"

"It was a stupid thing to do!" Sheik shouted. Why was it so weird to be angry about that? Sure, he didn't know Courage, had never met the guy, but he still clearly needed an earful Sheik was more than happy to provide.

"On that, we agree," Zelda said, patting his shoulder. "As his sister, I get first dibs on killing him, but you can have a go once I'm done, yeah?"

Sheik nodded, only to realise a second too late what he was agreeing to...and by then it was too late to back out.

"Come on," Zelda announced, taking Paya by the hand, paying no heed to how the other girl's face had turned into a tomato again. Honestly, they were very cute together. "Let's go!"

Sheik followed them closely, while Kafei and Elenwe took up rear guard. Sheik missed the significant look that passed between his eldest cousin and his fiancé. A plan was beginning to form.

---

"Ah!"

Link hissed as a cloth soaked in water and anti-bacterial soap was used to thoroughly scrub the large scrape on his side. It went from his hip to just below his armpit, and while it wasn't bleeding very heavily, he could tell it was going to be a pain in the ass for the next week.

"Don't be such a baby," Urbosa said as she cleaned the wound. "You're lucky it's not full of debris, or I'd really have you screaming."

They were in a small side room of the garage, which contained a set of showers and a bench (on which Link was currently lying on his non-injured side, leather suit pulled down to his waist, the ripped T-shirt he'd worn underneath discarded in the trash, only useful as a rag now). Urbosa had the team's medical kit, put together by Mipha, open on the floor next to her.

The natural painkillers his brain had taken a soak in were starting to dry up, and the burning, stinging pain in his side was flaring up, slowly but surely growing worse. Moving around was going to be a miserable experience for the next few days, until the road rash started to heal.

"This could have been a lot worse, you know," the Beasts' leader said, discarding the cloth and retrieving another, sterile one which she soaked in more water and soap. "Could have broken your neck on the beam, gotten crushed by Epona, de-gloved something...I could go on all night."

"I know," Link said, trying not to move too much as Urbosa continued cleaning the wound. "I'm sorry."

He really was. Proud as he was of his victory, he regretted how much he'd scared his friends for it. He considered himself lucky Mipha hadn't been there, or Daruk. Or Revali, for that matter. They'd have killed him themselves for being so stupid. Of course, he would have taken any of them over Zelda, because at least his death at their hands would have been quick, as opposed to the slow torture Zelda surely had in store for him.

"I know I make a big deal about winning most of the time," Urbosa said quietly, "but that doesn't mean I want people getting hurt for the sake of it."

"I know."

"You'd better," she said. "And even if you don't, you'll have a month to get it into that thick skull of yours."

"A month?!" Link exclaimed, trying to sit up, but Urbosa's firm hand on his hip kept him still. "What're you—"

"Consider it a suspension," she said cheerfully, finally satisfied with the cleaning, discarding the second cloth and taking a tube of antibacterial ointment out of the kit, which she began to carefully apply to the scrapes. "You can hang out in the garage and do mechanical work, but you're not riding Epona again anytime soon."

"But—"

"But nothing," she said, poking his side a little harsher than necessary, making him yelp. "That's my decision as team leader, and you will accept it, or find someone else to ride with. Got it?"

He sighed. There really was no arguing with her. Urbosa was as unmoving as a mountain when it came to Beast-related decisions. She was notoriously tight-lipped about what she'd done for a living in the past, at least around her teammates, but they'd managed to drag out of her that she'd been a cop at some point (which was hilarious given what she did for a hobby), and in some sort of leadership position.

Nodding, he uttered a meek "Got it."

"Good boy," she said, finishing applying the salve and handing him the tube. "Gonna have to keep reapplying this after cleaning it for the next few days. We'll have Mipha take a look when she gets back, just to be sure."

"Heard anything about Rev?" he asked.

"Got a text from Daruk while getting the kit. They're keeping Rev overnight for observation, but he and Miph are on their way back. They want a piece of you too, I think."

"Shit."

"You said it." She finished applying a large strip of bandage over the wound, taping it securely. "I'm sure Miph will give you a whole spiel about it, but you know the drill: keep it dry, clean the wound at least once a day, apply the salve, cover it with clean bandages."

"Duly noted."

They both became aware of other voices in the garage. Some familiar, some not. Zelda had arrived. He gulped. Urbosa laughed and crouched down to the kit. She handed him a couple of painkillers and a bottle of water.

"Take those and just...relax for a bit. Regain your bearings. I'm gonna go greet our guests," she said.

"You're leaving me alone?" Link asked fearfully, knowing exactly what would happen if he didn't have any sort of buffer between himself and his sister.

"I'm not getting caught in the crossfire, kid," she said, patting his cheek none-too-gently. "You brought this on yourself. See you in a bit."

The door slammed shut behind her with a sound that reminded him of gunshot, or the impact of a guillotine. He certainly felt like a dead man walking, knowing it was just a matter of time before he found himself meeting his maker. He hoped it was Hylia. The Three Sisters had always struck him as slightly terrifying, especially if Din was the one to greet the fallen. Hylia, at least, seemed somewhat balanced in her temperament.

There was a cheer from the garage, probably a celebration of their victory. One voice in particular stood out to him, and he felt dread pooling in his stomach. It was getting closer. Then the door opened, and Zelda marched in, closing it behind her. Her mouth was smiling, but it didn't reach her eyes, and he could see one of them twitching. She opened her mouth—

"Hey," he said a bit too loudly. "How's your date going?!"

She didn't even pause. "It was going well up until the moment my little brother nearly got himself killed doing something immeasurably stupid," she said, slowly approaching the bench. He wanted desperately to jump off it and run away, but his side had started to feel like it was on fire, and he knew he wouldn't get very far anyway. "What were you thinking?"

He briefly considered telling her he hadn't been thinking at all (which was sort of the truth, his brain tended to shut down any higher mental processes so he could fully focus on riding), but that wasn't the way to go.

"I wanted to win?" he tried, smiling hopefully.

He deserved the slap. He really did. His cheek stung, which gratefully took some of his attention away from his road rash...and then found himself being pulled into a bone-crushing hug, her arm carefully avoiding his bandaged side.

"You could have died," she said quietly into his neck, voice trembling. "You could have died out there, and I'd be forced to sit there and watch. Why? Why would you do that?"

He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her tighter to him. "I'm sorry," he said. "I wasn't thinking. I was angry about Rev, and...and I just wanted to beat them so badly. I didn't think Ganon would last that long and...well..."

"Stupid," she muttered. "You're so stupid."

"I know," he said, gently stroking her back. "Forgive me?"

"You know I already have," she said, drawing back a little but refusing to let go. "Don't you ever do that again, you understand? I don't care if I have to sic dad on you. Can you imagine how disappointed he'll be? It'll be worse than when you told him you didn't want to go into engineering or business."

Link winced. Rhoam's face had been absolutely devastated when Link revealed that he wanted to study psychology instead of something that'd be useful for getting into the family business. Link loved engines and mechanics, but he didn't want to do it for a living. Hyrule Motors would simply have to rely on Zelda in the future.

"Please don't?" he said feebly. "I don't think I could handle that."

"I won't, as long as you don't do something this stupid ever again."

A hand was presented for him to shake, and he took it. "Deal," he said.

"Good," she said, leaning back, all smiles again, though her eyes were slightly red. "It's good to know threatening you with dad still works."

He shook his head, easing himself down so he was lying a bit more comfortably. "It always will," he said. "But enough about me and my agonising pain—"

"How bad is it? Urbosa said it wasn't deep, but—"

"Just a scratch," he said, waving her hands away from poking at his bandages. "Your date?"

"She's outside," Zelda said, nodding to the door. "With her friends. Well, cousins, really, and one friend."

"Cousins?"

"Yeah," she said with a smile. "They're really nice, actually. One's a bit quiet most of the time, but he was cheering quite loudly for you at the end. I think he got a bit carried away—his face was so red when he realised what he was doing. So cute!"

She must have been talking about the blonde one, right? His older cousin with the purple hair had been anything but quiet. Quite the opposite, he seemed more like a blabbermouth than anything else. He wondered what the quiet one looked like when blushing...

"You feeling okay?" Zelda asked, suddenly concerned.

"Y-Yeah," he stuttered. "Just...thinking."

Zelda scowled. "No, nope, uh-uh, you're not getting out of this meet'n'greet," she said. "I've already promised them they'd get to meet you, and you are not going to make me a liar in front of my future wife's family!"

Link sputtered. "Future wife?!"

"Link, she is so cute it's not even funny," Zelda said, not a hint of a joke on her face. "She is so pretty, and smart, and fit, and strong...I pulled her into a corner to make out, and she lifted me up and pinned me against the wall! I'm in love!"

"Uh-huh," Link said slowly, really wishing his sister didn't see fit to share details of her, er, intimate life. There were some limits brothers and sisters were never meant to cross, in his opinion, even if they weren't blood-related.

Not that people believed him when he told them they weren't—blonde hair and blue eyes aside, they did look quite similar. Could almost have passed for twins, if they coordinated their outfits a little.

"And that tongue..." she continued, and that was Link's breaking point.

"Okay, okay, I get it, you like her," he said. "I'll play nice!"

"I'll be satisfied as long as you just play," she said, sticking her tongue out at him. "Just...stick around, talk to them, have a few beers. If it gets too much, just let me know and I'll tell them to back off a little."

It was hard to say no to Zelda at the best of times. It was damn near impossible when she turned that pleading expression on him. He really did want her date to go well, and...to be quite frank, he did also want to get to know the other guests. At least one in particular. It was just his stupid, non-cooperative, over-analysing brain that was resisting.

"I don't even know what to say," he said. "You know me, Zelda, my brain shuts down around strangers."

"That's what the beer is for," she said, clapping her hands. In the garage, music had been put on, a muffled, thudding rhythm beginning to play. "Come on, get dressed so we can get back to the party!"

"I don't even like beer..."

Sighing, he let Zelda pull him off the bench and onto his feet, feeling a little feeble as she helped him put on a clean, black, basic T-shirt, then get back into his suit, zipping it up for him. He poked at the large hole where the seam had ripped with a frown.

"Gonna cost me a fortune to get this fixed," he said. "It's all custom-work."

"You deserve a smack to the wallet," she said unsympathetically, pushing him towards the door. "Let's socialise!"

---

Sheik was standing between Kafei and Elenwe, feeling slightly ridiculous but also unwilling to leave the safety of their shelter as more and more people wandered into the garage. They seemed to be employees or otherwise associated with the illegal racing ring, judging by how familiar Boss—or Urbosa, as her real name turned out to be—acted when greeting them.

The newcomers seemed respectful of Urbosa and her guests, taking up positions around the garage instead of swarming them as music started to play over the speakers in the ceiling. Beer kegs appeared seemingly out of nowhere, and before Sheik knew it he was in the middle of a party. In a garage.

The strange turns his life took because of his cousins. And to think he'd planned on spending the evening in front of his computer screen.

"You okay?" Kafei asked while Urbosa was deep in conversation with Elenwe and Paya.

Paya, bless her soul, kept glancing towards the door Zelda had gone through. Courage was in there, apparently. Sheik had seen Paya interested in someone before, but he had never seen this smitten. What was it about Zelda that was so different from the other girls she'd dated?

"Yeah," Sheik half-lied. The amount of people who were starting to fill up the room was beginning to make him nervous, but he could handle it so far. He wasn't sure if he could take a much larger crowd than this, though. "Fine. For now."

"You know the drill," Kafei said. "If it gets bad—"

"Come find you, I know," Sheik said, having no intention whatsoever of leaving his cousin's side for the moment. How was he supposed to mingle in a place like this? He had nothing in common with these people. He didn't know a damn thing about engines or motorcycles or racing or...or anything a crowd like this would deem "cool".

"You did take your meds, right?"

He rolled his eyes. "Like I told Paya, yes, I did take my meds."

Not that the anti-anxiety medication could do much in the face of panic that was already taking root. The only thing they really did was to make his threshold for panicking higher than it usually was (which was damn low).

"Good, good, just checking," Kafei said innocently, which meant he was lying through his teeth. As if he didn't keep as close an eye on Sheik's schedule as he himself did. Almost closer, actually. It'd be heart-warming if his cousin wasn't so obvious and shameless about it. Kafei looked towards the kegs, licking his lips. "Hey, want a beer?" he asked.

Sheik rolled up one sleeve of his jacket and glanced pointedly at his wrists, the big X still easily visible. "No thanks," he said.

"Let me know if you change your mind," Kafei said, stopping briefly by the others to ask if they wanted something before disappearing towards the kegs.

Sheik shuffled a little closer to Elenwe, who moved aside to let him into their huddle.

"...so after quitting the force I found myself in the bodyguard business," Urbosa was saying.

"Sounds exciting," Elenwe said. "You ever have to do the whole, throwing yourself in the line of fire to take a bullet for someone? Going 'Noooooooo!'?"

"Nah," Urbosa said, laughing. "Believe it or not, most people who hire bodyguards aren't the sort anyone would be stupid enough to attack in the first place. I'm just there to intimidate their business partners during meetings and such. Quite dull, but it pays well."

"S-So you d-do this for fun?" Paya asked.

"Gotta get my adrenaline kick somewhere, right?" Urbosa said. "This is just the right kind of dangerous for me. Telma runs a tight ship and keeps us from getting into trouble...most of the time, at least." She looked pointedly to the door hiding Courage from the rest of them. "He'll get an earful from her too, at some point."

"Is he okay?" Sheik asked. Once again, his mouth had taken point without letting anyone else know.

"Eh, just a scratch," Urbosa said. "He'll be sore for a few days; that's about it." She looked at the door again. "Well, speak of the devil..."

Sheik turned his head, eyes widening when he caught sight of the person following Zelda, gingerly holding his side with one hand, the other tightly grasped by his sister, who was pulling him...straight for them!

It was him. Him. The blonde student who'd run into Kafei earlier that day. The one whose face had gone red at his cousin's flirting. The one who'd thanked Sheik so carefully for handing him his phone. It was...hard to reconcile that impression with the confident biker they'd been watching all night. If he weren't wearing the same leathers, Sheik would not have believed that guy and Courage was one and the same...but there he was.

The rest of the garage seemed to notice his presence too, and loud whoops and claps caused the noise level to rise to unbearable levels. Sheik steeled himself and bore with it. It wouldn't do to be rude and run away, not when Zelda seemed so keen on introducing him. He seemed a little uncomfortable at all the attention, waving shyly back and exchanging a few words with the odd person who came up to them.

As if by magic, Kafei appeared at Sheik's side, handing the others cups of beer. "What'd I miss? What's everyone cheering about?" he asked.

Sheik simply pointed.

It took Kafei a moment to catch on, and then recognise who he was looking at. "Oh shit!"

"Hm?" Elenwe said. "You know him?"

"Er..."

"We ran into him at school earlier today," Sheik said, giving his cousin the most sadistic grin he could muster. It was so rare for him to gain an opportunity like this.

"That so?"

"Y-Yeah," Kafei said, trying not to seem too pleading.

"He dropped his phone, and we handed it back to him," Sheik said after delaying for as long as he could. "Barely spoke for more than a minute, if even that."

"Hell of a coincidence," Elenwe said, giving Kafei a look that told him he wasn't off the hook, and that a conversation would be had later.

"I tried," Sheik whispered apologetically.

"Not very hard," Kafei hissed.

"And here's the suicidal idiot of the hour!" Urbosa said loudly, raising her cup when Zelda and Link finally reached them. "I'd yell some more at you, but I think Zelda's done enough of that by now."

"Y-Yeah," Link said, nodding.

"All right," Zelda said, pushing him forward so he was standing in the middle of their circle. "Everyone, this is my little brother, Link. Link, this is Paya, Elenwe, Kafei, and Sheik."

"I'm older than you," Link said, wrinkling his nose in an offended way before shaking their hands one by one. He paused slightly when he reached Kafei, his cheeks growing a little red. "Hello again," he said.

"Hey," Kafei said nervously, aware of his fiancé's eyes examining their interaction very closely.

"Huh? You know each other?" Zelda asked, confused.

"We've met," Kafei said carefully. "Ran into each other this afternoon, right?"

"Yeah," Link agreed.

Elenwe's eyes narrowed.

She wasn't a particularly jealous woman as far as Sheik knew. She had no problem with past liaisons, apparently, but she clearly suspected something here. He made a note to himself to clarify the situation to her later, that Kafei had just been playing around like his idiot self was wont to do.

When it was his turn to shake Link's hand, he froze slightly, because Link's eyes immediately zeroed in on his bruised cheek. "H-Hi, I'm Link," the biker said stuttering a little. "Sheik, right? Er...what happened?" He gestured to his cheek.

"Er...accident," Sheik said, suddenly feeling very stupid. His mouth had gone dry the moment Link had spoken to him. "Tripped. Fell."

"Oh," Link said, as if that explanation had been satisfactory in any sense of the word (which it hadn't been!). "Does it hurt?"

It was still throbbing a bit, but male pride was adamantly against admitting that, so he shrugged instead. "It's fine," he said. He gestured to Link's side, where his suit was torn. "Does...that hurt?"

Fucking hell, why couldn't he talk? This was so much worse than usual!

"Stings a bit," Link said, smiling a little.

"A bit, huh?" Zelda asked with a grimace, poking Link firmly in his side, causing her brother to yelp and jump away from her...which happened to put him next to Sheik. Turning his side away from Zelda's threatening index finger, he focused on Sheik.

"M-More than a bit," he admitted. "Be right as rain in a few days, though."

"Shouldn't you be in a hospital?" Sheik asked.

"Just a little road rash," Link said, looking down at his boots. "I've been dealing with those for years. Occupational hazard, really." He blinked when a bright red cup of beer was shoved into his hands by Zelda.

"Drink," was the brusque order from his sister, before she hovered back to Paya's side, joining in on her conversation with Urbosa. Kafei and Elenwe had separated a little from the group, and were having that conversation a little earlier than expected. Sheik gulped, hoping Kafei would be able to explain himself properly on his own. He should probably have joined them, but he couldn't quite tear himself away from Link, who was fidgeting with the cup in his hands.

"That was...forceful," he said carefully.

"She does that," Link said, grinning a little before taking a sip of his drink. "I need it, though. Otherwise I'd never get out or do anything worthwhile."

Sheik found that hard to believe. "You're a student, right?"

"Mhm," Link said, nodding. "Psychology major. You?"

Well, he certainly hadn't expected that. What sort of psych major ended up doing dangerous motorcycle stunts at an illegal racing ring on the weekends? Weren't they the sort of people who were well-adjusted enough not to indulge in dangerous behaviour? He hadn't expected a daredevil to immerse himself in analysing the human mind, at least...

Still, analysing and understanding the quirks of the human mind was a lot cooler than what Sheik was studying. It was just about the least exciting thing he could imagine in comparison, especially given Link's past-time proclivities.

He could lie. He knew that. He could pretend to study something much cooler, like...marine biology! Or maybe something to do with sports! (That wouldn't work, Sheik didn't know a damn thing about any sports). Or...or...engineering?

Shit, that was even worse.

Come on, say something! There's been too much silence for this to sound natural anyway! Say it! We're past the point of getting out of this conversation with our dignity intact, so just get it over with!

Well...he'd never considered himself cool in the first place, so...

---

"Er...computer science," Sheik said, scratching his neck with one hand while the other twitched considerably, visible even through the pocket of his leather jacket.

Link found himself blinking. Huh. He hadn't expected that. He'd thought Sheik studied something typically super cool, like...like marine biology, or astronomy (space was always cool!) or something! But computer science?

...though the more he thought about it, he could imagine it. Sheik looked like the type who could immerse himself so fully into something very complicated (like computers, Link had no idea how they worked on even the most basic level. It was a miracle he managed to use his laptop most of the time) and just...excel at it!

And that, alone, was definitely cool!

Engines were easy. They needed a specific set of parts to work as they should, and the surrounding vehicle frame had to be connected at certain points in order to be propelled forward.

Computers were fucking magic, as far as Link was concerned.

Sheik did seem a bit uncomfortable, though, talking to Link. Was it something he was doing? Did he put Sheik off? Damn it. This always happened. Link acted like his usual, weird self and scared people away. He couldn't help it, but he really, really wished he could be a little braver sometimes.

He took second, longer sip of his beer. Alcohol usually helped him feel more at ease, but he hated having to use it as a crutch to get himself through something as basic as a first conversation with a stranger...whom he found himself inexplicably drawn to. He wanted to get to know Sheik better.

---

Link looked uncomfortable. Typical. The one time Sheik actually wanted to engage in conversation with someone unknown, and he was putting out his typical weirdo-vibes that drove them off. Fucking anxiety. It was a wonder Sheik had any friends at all, like this.

...well, he had three. Two of them were his cousins.

Fuck, his life was sad.

"That's so cool!"

...what?

"P-Pardon?" he asked.

"I said it's cool," Link said a little more softly compared to his earlier exclamation, still fiddling with his cup.

Sheik wished he had a cup to fiddle with. Something at all. As of right now, one hand was busy scratching deep grooves into his neck, while the other was awkwardly resting in his pocket...for a given value of the word "resting", since it seemed to be rebelling along with its brother.

"Computers, I mean," Link continued. "Studying them. I don't really understand them. Can barely work my Pear one, which I've been told is supposed to be idiot-proof. Perfect for the likes of me, and even then I fail more often than not."

Sheik couldn't believe his ears. Surely Link was just humouring him, pretending to think the nerdiest of the nerdy of university majors was something that even approached the possibility of being cool?

Sheik literally spent all day in front of a computer screen, writing code or managing databases, or trying to get a series of servers to talk to each other without breaking down. There was nothing cool about that! Even Sheik didn't find it be a cool experience...he just found it fun. He found it interesting, and wanted to do something involving them for a career. And Link though that was cool?

Nah, he had to be humouring Sheik for fear of offending him. Which, to be honest, was a little endearing, but also annoying. What reason did this ridiculously handsome daredevil have for not telling him just how much a nerdy dweeb he was?

...wait, handsome?

...well, there was no denying that. Link and Zelda had clearly won the genetic lottery. Blonde, golden hair, blue eyes likes the ocean, absolutely gorgeous smiles...though Link's smiles appeared to be a little rarer than his sister's. That just made them all the more precious, though.

Precious? What the fuck?! This was not the time for his brain to start having delusions. He wasn't even drunk!

"Can I have a sip?" he asked, pointing to Link's cup.

Oh goddess! What was he doing?! Was his body rebelling by trying to get him drunk?

Thankfully, Link noticed the black marker staining his skin, and hesitated.

"How old are you?" he asked dubiously, as if this stranger he was speaking to hadn't just asked something completely inappropriate. Why didn't he just tell Sheik to go get his own? Eugh, this was already turning into a mess. He should just apologise...

"Nineteen," his mouth spoke, his tone a little obstinate. "And my birthday is in, like, two months."

Link's eyes narrowed as they searched Sheik's face, which started to heat up a little from the intense gaze, but it soon relented, and Link handed him the cup.

He tried not to grimace too badly as he sipped at the beer, wondering how people could drink this for the taste. It was so bitter! Then again, he didn't like coffee either, which apparently people his age were supposed to start downing by the pot when starting university, ostensibly to keep themselves awake and alert for their studies...though as far as Sheik could tell, it was mostly to recover from hangovers. Well, to each their own, he supposed. He'd stick with sweets and energy drinks to keep alert.

...gods, he was such a stereotype!

---

Link hid his smile behind a cough when he saw Sheik desperately trying not to grimace as he drank from the cup. He wasn't sure if the other boy was trying not to seem childish, or something, but it was kind of cute. Based on Sheik's free hand kept fidgeting, however, he strongly suspected there was something else to it as well.

Not that he knew the Sheikah well enough to do any sort of proper analysis, but he himself was familiar enough with anxiety to spot certain...signs of it. Maybe he and Sheik had something in common, there.

"You don't like it either, huh?" he asked, grinning in commiseration.

Sheik hesitated, and eventually nodded sharply. "It's awful," he confirmed, handing the cup back. "But it's apparently the thing to drink in these situations, so..."

"Social lubricant," Link said, punctuating his sentence with a sip of his own, and an exaggerated wrinkle of his nose and curl of his lip. "Disgusting!"

That made Sheik laugh, and it was...lovely. It caused something like a tickle in Link's chest. He wanted to hear more of it...but that was about the extent of his humorous repertoire. He drank another gulp, this one more for strength than anything else.

There was a loud bang at the other end of the garage, causing them both to jump. Someone had knocked over a tool rack.

"Hey! Careful over there!" Urbosa shouted, stomping over there. "That shit's expensive!"

As he watched the clumsy partygoers get new ones torn by Urbosa, Link's eyes happened to catch Zelda's. She was standing with Kafei and the others, arm wrapped firmly around Paya's waist. She glanced pointedly at Sheik, who was still enraptured by the, admittedly, awesome sight of the Divine Beasts' leader chewing someone out, and (to Link's horror) waggled her eyebrows.

The gesture itself was ridiculous coming from her, but the worst part was that she'd clearly noticed Link's attraction to the shorter student. All from a few minutes of interaction. Sometimes he really wished she didn't him know as well as she did. He gave a slight shake of his head. It was too soon.

She scowled, shaking her head as well. No it fucking wasn't.

He frowned in return. They'd talked about this.

She curled the hand of the arm that was around Paya's waist into a fist, thrusting slightly forward. The meaning was obvious, and Link blushed, shaking his head again.

Paya noticed the silent exchange going on, giving Zelda a confused look. Link watched with mounting despair as Zelda smiled and leaned in close, whispering into Paya's ear. The Sheikah's eyes widened slightly, and she was suddenly studying them a little closer.

Great, he thought. Let's get Sheik's family involved in this nonsense too!

As if this wasn't ridiculous enough already! He could only imagine how Kafei and Elenwe would react to the lecherous daredevil making moves on their youngest. Paya's reaction alone would be nightmarish—he was fairly certain she could easily pick him up and break him in half over her knee.

To his surprise, Paya only smiled at him, nodding.

A blessing?

Fucking hell, was the universe conspiring against him?

Meeting Zelda's gaze again, he found nothing but steely-eyed determination staring back at him. That is, determination to make his life hell if he didn't at least try to flirt. She'd do it, too. She'd needled him for hours after the failure with Kass at the gym...though she'd bought him pie later to make up for it. Still, he wasn't in any mood for a repeat of that experience.

Eugh, what was the worst that could happen?

Actually, scratch that. He knew exactly what sort of shit storm of negative thoughts opening that particular can of worms would unleash. Irrational fear, compounded by an overactive imagination that did its best to predict all the horrible outcomes of any given situation, was something he'd always struggled with, but he had been getting better at ignoring it over the years...but the whole dating scene still gave him the jitters.

And above all else, he had no idea if Sheik even liked guys. Paya's reaction seemed to indicate so, but still...

"You okay?"

Sheik's question drew him out of the mental pit he was digging himself into, and he turned back to the other boy, nodding. "Y-Yeah," he said, feeling a little guilty. It was rude to talk about someone behind their back, silent as the conversation had been. "Sorry, I got distracted."

Sheik glanced behind him. "Ah...Paya certainly seems to get along with your sister pretty well."

"Zelda's ready to elope, I think."

Sheik's brows shot up a little. "That was quick."

"She's like that," he explained. "High passions, and all that. Gets it from her dad."

Sheik looked confused. "I thought you were siblings?"

Suppressing a groan, Link took another big gulp of beer. "Long story," he said. "But we're not actually related."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Sheik said, looking supremely uncomfortable as he drew back a little. "I thought...with your resemblance and all..."

"Don't apologise," Link said hurriedly, wanting to step forward to close that gulf. "I mean, we keep calling each other brother and sister, and we pretty much are in everything but blood, so..."

He breathed out, realising he was starting to ramble, heart thudding uncomfortably in his chest. There were too many people around, the garage rapidly running out of space as more and more guests arrived. The temperature was rising, the music growing louder. This wasn't good. It was getting hard to focus.

"Link?"

Sheik was looking up at him.

When had they gotten so close? And had Sheik always been shorter than him? Link wasn't exactly the tallest guy in the room, so Sheik was...well, not tiny, but...

"Hm?" Link asked distractedly.

"Can we get some air?" Sheik asked, both of his hands shoved into his pockets. Link could see the tension in his shoulders, and he quickly realised he wasn't the only one feeling the sudden crowding of the room.

"Ah...sure," Link said, pointing to the side door. It led into a small alley between the garage and the next building. "Over there," he said, leading the way. He tried not to seem too obvious as they passed the others, but Zelda and her infuriatingly over-developed brother radar was in rare form tonight. As he brushed past her, he felt her lean up and whisper into his ear:

"Attaboy."

He didn't acknowledge her, nor the badly-aimed ass-slap. She was already pretty drunk, it seemed. She always got handsy when she was. Well, he trusted Paya to remind his sister to keep her hands to herself if they weren't welcome. He did take offered cup out of her hand, though, replacing the almost empty one he'd shared with Sheik. Just in case.

In the corner of his eye, he saw Kafei touch Sheik's shoulder and say something, which had the younger Sheikah scowling and shoving him away. Kafei grinned wildly, thrusting a cup of his own into Sheik's hand.

What was that shove about?

---

Sheik sighed in relief as they finally reached the door and stepped outside, the air almost freezing compared to that inside the garage. The summer temperatures were slow to rise this year, and Sheik was glad he'd chosen the hoodie. As they stepped into the alley, he felt the phantom fist clenching around his heart slowly letting go, his breathing gradually calming down. He was so glad he'd taught himself to hide the symptoms.

Compared to the inside, it was practically dead silent in the alley, and that alone was worth it. His eardrums were thanking him already.

"S'up, Courage?"

They weren't alone. One of the crew members, a young Gerudo woman, was leaning against the brick wall of the opposite building, half-smoked cigarette hanging from her lips. Her hand was raised in a lazy greeting, giving Link a once-over that was, in Sheik's opinion, a little too appreciative.

"Hey, Aveil," Link said, looking less tense than before.

Sheik wasn't a fool. He could tell Link had been just as uncomfortable in the garage as Sheik. He'd experienced enough anxiety to spot it a mile away. He wondered if Link had some sort of diagnosis as well, or if this was a special case. Either way, his suggestion to get some air had been just as much for himself as it'd been for the daredevil. Usually, when he started to feel that edge of discomfort beginning to grow in his chest, he'd go to Kafei, Elenwe, or Paya, and ask if they could give him a ride home.

But now...well, he didn't want to leave. At least not without Link.

Whoa, clingy much? Sheesh, what was wrong with him? Was a pretty boy on a motorcycle all it took for him to get all...eugh, he wasn't even sure what he was being.

...Link was pretty, though.

"Hell of a party, huh?" Aveil asked, golden eyes flitting between the two of them, a smirk tugging at the corners of her mouth. Sheik hoped she wasn't reading anything into this.

"Yeah, yeah," Link said. "Just needed some air." He pointed between them quickly. "Sheik, this is Aveil. Aveil, Sheik."

"Nice to meetcha," Aveil said, making no move to shake his hand. Sheik didn't mind that at all. She tossed her cigarette down and ground it under the heel of a steel-toed boot. "Well, back to the meat market for me, I guess. Nice win, by the way," she said, bumping Link's shoulder with her as she went for the door, smirking. "Have fun, you two."

Link groaned as the door slammed shut behind her. "Ignore her," he said, looking at his boots sullenly, drinking from his cup. "She's like that with everyone."

"A-Ah," Sheik grunted, not really sure what to say. To fill the silence, he took a sip himself.

"S-So...you weren't comfortable in there?" the daredevil asked, zeroing in on the issue like it was nothing. Not surprising, really. If he were a psych student he probably knew the signs of anxiety very well...especially if he had it himself.

"Not...not really," Sheik admitted. "I'm not very good with parties...or large gatherings of people in general. They make me nervous."

"Heh, you and me both," Link said, chuckling, leaning back against the wall near the spot Aveil had been standing. Sheik joined him, feeling much better already.

"Really?" Sheik said. "You didn't seem nervous during the race..."

"Just about the only time I'm not some flavour of nervous," the Hylian said with a self-deprecating grin. "When I'm riding, it's like I can...compartmentalise everything else away, so the only thing I'm focusing on is the bike, and the road ahead. Can't really do that with anything else. I'm actually really lame, that way."

"You're not lame," Sheik protested. "You're...awesome."

Way to go, he thought. Such a sweet-talker, you are!

"Thanks," Link said, his lips quirking and making his smile less...fake. "You're pretty awesome too."

As far as flirting went, this was some of the worst Sheik had ever witnessed—both his and Link's. And yet, Link telling him that he was awesome had his cheeks burning and his stomach doing weird little flips. Link thought he was awesome?

"I stand by what I said about computers," Link said hurriedly, as if trying to explain away the compliment. "I think it's really cool you know how to do all that advanced stuff, like...coding?"

"I do that, yeah," Sheik said, suddenly finding his sneakers exceptionally interesting. They were black, with dark red details, and so comfortable they sometimes felt like slippers. His beer was starting to taste better too, it seemed. "I think it's pretty cool you study the human mind," he muttered quietly.

Link looked pleased by the compliment. "Thanks..."

The conversation trailed off.

---

Fuck, fuck, fuck! Pull up! Engines are stalling!

Link desperately searched his stupid, uncooperative mind for something they could talk about without ending up with these awkward pauses where Link tried (and failed miserably) to flirt, and getting responses that had him confused about whether or not Sheik was responding favourably, or just humouring Link until he found an opening to bail out.

"I was fostered," he found himself saying in a most awkward conversational segue. "By Zelda's father." Sure, start off with the life story. Seems like a good approach. School? Nah, too cookie-cutter. Hobbies? Please. Favourite fucking band? Pfft! Deep emotional shit was definitely the best option here!

"Oh?" Sheik said, perking up a little. That was good. He didn't want Sheik to feel uncomfortable because of his horrible flirting. If Zelda were there, she'd be banging her head against the wall in frustration. "H-How long?"

"I was taken in by them when I was thirteen," Link continued. "I was in and out of the system for a while before that. I was...a lot worse, back then. Most families they tried to put me with weren't prepared for dealing with a kid with the sort of...problems I had."

"Problems?"

"Anxiety, excessive shyness, involuntary selective mutism, that sort of thing," he said, waving his hand. "The sort that prevents a kid from fitting into new and unfamiliar environments, or getting along with strangers who are supposed to be their new family."

He could still remember some of the first homes they'd stuck him in. They'd tried their hardest, but Link had been a wreck. He couldn't remember a single time in his life he hadn't been. The longest he'd lasted with a single family was three months, and even that had been a stretch.

"There weren't people who could help?" Sheik asked.

"Good mental health resources are very scarce in the system," Link said, "and more...pressing issues are prioritised, like PTSD, or if a kid is showing sociopathic tendencies. A boy with a ridiculous case of shyness just...didn't measure up, I guess. Understandable, really, but I can't help but wonder if I'd be a little less like this if I'd had a more stable childhood, or at least gotten some sort help." He sighed, finishing his beer (how fast had he been drinking?).

"Things got better, though," Sheik tried, his eyes firmly focused on Link. "Right?"

"They did, yeah," Link said, nodding. "The moment I set foot in Zelda's house she was...well, she was determined to help. I think my case worker had informed them of my issues before I arrived, and she made it her goal to make me comfortable...mostly by talking my ears off about everything and nothing." He laughed. "It worked pretty well—she kept me distracted. Her dad was understanding too, giving me the space I needed whenever things got overwhelming. He found me a therapist, too, who actually listened to me instead of following a script. I still see her from time to time, actually."

Sheik smiled. "That's good..."

"And the result is the incredibly well-adjusted psych student slash suicidal daredevil I am today," he finished, doing a little pose because why the hell not? His head was spinning a little. Goddess, he was such a lightweight!

"I've seen worse," Sheik said, reaching out to steady him a little. "And while I agree with your sister in that what you did earlier during the race was incredibly stupid, the daredevil thing seems to work for you. And you ended up in a good home."

"I did, yeah..."

---

Sheik was glad to see Link smiling genuinely again. He hadn't, before. Not so strange, given his story. Sheik wasn't personally familiar with the foster system, but what he'd heard wasn't all that good. Link was lucky to have found his place with Zelda and her father, as far as he could tell. He didn't quite like the tone with which Link described the end result, but he knew how difficult it was to not think of oneself in that way. It was almost like a self-defence mechanism, really, but one that only made things worse the longer it worked.

He hadn't expected Link to suddenly open up like that. It wasn't really the sort of story one offered up out of nowhere to (let's face it) a complete stranger, but hey, who didn't say some weird stuff whenever they were nervous? Plus, the beer was probably loosening Link up quite a bit. It was certainly helping Sheik feel more at ease, even if the taste of it made him shudder with every sip. He couldn't have imagined standing here and having a conversation like this with a stranger earlier that day, for example.

Well, it wasn't fair for only Link to open himself up like that, was it? But...did Link even want to know about him? His story wasn't nearly as...it felt wrong to say interesting, but it was the only word he could find.

Luckily, Link made that decision for him.

"So, how about you?" the daredevil asked.

"M-Me?" Sheik stuttered.

"Since I just embarrassed myself, would you like to do the same?" Link grinned. "You don't have to—"

"I do!" Sheik protested. "I just...don't know where to start..."

"Well...where're you from?" Link said. "I can tell by your accent you didn't come from these parts."

"You've got me there," Sheik said, nodding. "I'm from out west...then again, most Sheikah are, so it's not a hard guess."

"Heh, yeah," Link said, scratching his neck. "Dumb question, my bad."

"There are no stupid questions," Sheik said, reciting something Impa had told him as a kid. "Only stupid answers."

"Oh, I think I'm able to prove that saying wrong," Link asked. "I'll admit, I don't know much about the Sheikah as a people. You from a big family? I mean, you've got Paya and Kafei, so I guess it is, but..."

"The three of us aren't very closely related," Sheik said. "Very distant branches of the family tree." He furrowed his brows a little as he tried to think of the easiest way to explain the hideously complicated Sheikah clan system to Link without seeming condescending. "All Sheikah are related in some way or another, and our people are divided into various clans, all with various positions and importance in our culture."

Link looked totally blank as Sheik spoke, but he nodded in what Sheik hoped was understanding.

"I'm from the main branch," he said, pointing at himself. "The central family from which the other clans branched off at various points throughout our history. Back in ancient times, when we were still in the old feudal system, we were like a nation, and my family was like...royalty. Or, not royalty," he corrected himself hastily when Link's eyes widened. "More like...warlords? Basically, we just told everyone else what to do." He scratched his chin. "This is a horrible explanation," he muttered.

"No, no, go on," Link said quickly, stepping a little closer, eyes shining with curiosity. "This is really interesting. So, you're from the main branch, but Paya and Kafei aren't?"

"Exactly," Sheik replied. "Kafei and I are third cousins, while Paya and I are...fourth, I think? Something like that. We haven't really bothered checking that thoroughly—we're just happy with being cousins."

"That's nice," Link said. "So...you're like a prince?" The streetlight was catching his eyes in a very particular way at the moment, and Sheik found it a little difficult to focus on anything but them. He still faltered at being called a prince, because Link had sounded...wondrous while saying the word.

"Ah, hah, in a way?" Sheik said, scratching his neck. This was embarrassing. "Except not? The clan system isn't really...important these days. Most Sheikah outside Kakariko don't acknowledge it except the old guard. I am the heir to the clan leadership, but it is a symbolic title at best only acknowledged by the Sheikah, and certain groups." Those who did acknowledge it, however...well, they were pretty scary. "It's not like I'll have any real power. It's pretty stupid, really...and part of the reason why I moved out here for school, instead of staying in Kakariko."

Link fiddled with his cup. "What do your parents think about that? Or haven't you told them why you moved here?"

Sheik sighed. He hated telling people this part. "I...wouldn't know. My parents are gone. I was raised by my aunt, Impa, who's the current clan leader. She never had a family of her own, so she made me her heir."

"Oh...I'm sorry."

That sad expression really didn't belong on Link's face, so Sheik touched his arm, hoping to cheer him up.

"It's all right," he said. "They died in a car accident just after I was born, so I never knew them..."

Wow, way to ruin the mood, Sheik, he thought. You really know how to salvage a conversation spiralling to the ground.

"I didn't know mine, either," the Hylian offered.

An uncomfortable silence descended on them, only interrupted by the muffled sounds of the party inside; loud thumping bass beats and voices shouting to be heard over the music. Sheik felt like an idiot. He'd just wanted to repay Link for opening up like he had, and now he'd ruined everything.

"Sorry," he muttered.

"For what?"

"Talking, in general."

"Huh?"

"I never know what to say, and when I do decide on something, it's usually the exact wrong thing. I just..." he trailed off, occupying himself with downing the rest of his own beer, clenching his jaw at the bitter taste. "I'm stupid," he finished.

"You're not stupid," Link said gently, shuffling a little closer so their shoulders were touching. "I know exactly how you feel. I didn't mean to bring the mood down with my story, or for you to feel pressured to share yours..."

"I wanted to, though..."

"Well...could you tell me the other reasons?"

"Reasons?"

Link smiled. "For moving out here?"

"Well..."

In for a penny, in for a pound. Wasn't that the expression? He hadn't outright told anyone—his cousins and Elenwe had learned it from watching him, or asking strategic questions, and then just decided to try and set him up with someone with...well, negative results. Maybe he could...well, Link didn't seem the type to reject someone for such a stupid reason.

"As clan heir, I'm expected to...act a certain way," he said carefully. "Conform to certain standards. Do certain things that are considered appropriate and traditional. The elders are...very strict and conservative, and being under their thumbs was...it felt like I was suffocating. I had to get away, before I...because I'm..."

His tongue was tripping over itself. Why was it so hard just to get it out? He stared angrily at the ground, fists clenched, his cup long since dropped.

"Sheik," Link said slowly, waiting until red eyes met blue. "Are you gay?"

Sheik nodded.

"So am I."

---

Link couldn't help but feel happy when Sheik let out a shaky breath, his whole body visibly relaxing after having wound itself tighter and tighter as he'd tried to tell Link about...well, something that shouldn't have been an issue to talk about in the first place. And then he felt angry, at these 'clan elders', for being a bunch of assholes who refused to let go of the old ways. He'd had no idea what Sheikah culture was like, other than the traditional braids and colours and whatnot, but this was definitely a part of it he didn't like.

...the braids, though...well, Sheik looked very good with them.

Eugh, way to go. Start perving on the poor guy right after he's come out of the closet, and from such a strict background, too. The shy, slightly crooked smile Sheik sent him right after certainly didn't help. His lips looked soft...

"I had a feeling," Sheik said, snickering a bit. "Your reaction to Kafei..."

"Don't remind me," Link said with a groan. "I'm not really used to being flirted with—"

"Really?" Sheik asked disbelievingly.

"Huh?"

"N-Nothing..."

Face burning, Link cleared his throat. "Well, maybe people flirt with me sometimes, but I never really know how to react." He cleared his throat again, trying to prevent there was actually something there to cough about. "But uh...do your cousins know?"

"They, ah...figured it out," Sheik replied. "And have been insufferable about it ever since, trying to hook me up with someone. Anyone. Impa probably knows, too, and I think that's why she agreed to me studying here in the first place."

Link was aware that Sheik had spoken a little more, but his mind had gotten stuck on Paya and Kafei trying to hook their cousin up with someone. Meaning Sheik was single. Meaning, there was a slight possibility of...of...

Gods damn it, the one time he'd appreciate Zelda's help, and she wasn't there.

"That..." he said slowly, brain finally catching up. "That was...nice of her."

"She has her moments."

Link noticed that Sheik had turned towards him, facing him. Slowly, he did the same. The distance between them had slowly but surely been eliminated. Here, standing like this, with the grounding feeling of the brick wall against his right shoulder, and Sheik's warm breath ghosting over his face...it felt...nice.

Sheik was leaning a little closer, his eyes unable to stay in one spot, but making regular stops at a certain spot below Link's nose. Was he...? Did he want Link to...?

"Hey!"

Link jumped back, hissing in pain, the movement tugging at his wounds. For a moment, he feared Sheik's cousins had found them, not appreciative of what he'd been about to do, but the door to the garage hadn't opened. The voice had come from the other end of the alley. A person clad in biker leathers was coming towards them.

...or stomping towards them, more like, looking beyond furious.

"Who's that?" Sheik asked.

"No idea," Link said, watching the stranger as they entered the halo of a streetlight.

Tall, with a slight build, almost androgynous save for a very revealing bulge in a certain spot, and a pale face, with long, silvery grey hair kept in a tight ponytail. His eyes were wide, with large, pitch-black pupils staring directly at Link, a scowl twisting his expression into something supremely ugly. Link could have sworn he recognised the guy from somewhere.

"You!" the newcomer said, stopping a few yards away, pointing an accusing finger at Link. "Beast!"

Link blinked. "Er...yeah?"

"You think you were just going to walk away from humiliating us like that?!" he demanded, his voice surprisingly deep for such a delicate-looking person. "Huh?! We were winning, but you just couldn't let that happen, could you?!"

He was clearly drunk, swaying where he stood, liquor bottle gripped in his left hand.

"Are you...one of the Usurpers?" Link asked, placing himself between the stranger and Sheik. Who else would be complaining about being humiliated? Link couldn't recall doing that to anyone else lately—at least not on purpose.

The stranger blinked, eyes going even wider for a moment, before the scowl returned, clearly offended by Link's lack of recognition. "You...you don't know who I am?!" he shouted, before pausing, a small grin replacing the scowl. "Well...maybe you should ask your friend, Falco."

Link barely noticed taking a step forward, fists clenching. This was the bastard who'd caused Rev's crash, Ghira. "You put my friend in the hospital!" he growled.

"He should have paid closer attention," Ghira said, shrugging, looking immensely pleased at finally being recognised. Preening like a cat, almost. "Hm?" he looked at Link. "Why so angry? There aren't any rules against a little roughhousing, are there?"

"A little—"Link began, but a hand was tugging at his elbow.

"Link," Sheik murmured. "Maybe we should go back inside..."

"Yeah," Link agreed with a nod. He didn't know how to fight, and Ghira was clearly looking for one. "Come on—"

The bottle smashed into the door, inches away from Sheik's hand, sending broken pieces of glass flying everywhere.

"Where the fuck do you think you're going?!" Ghira screeched, suddenly mere feet away. "You're not going anywhere, Courage! We're settling this, right here, right now!"

"What, you wanna race again?" Link asked, pulling Sheik behind him, in case the fucker had more projectiles to throw. Fuck, why did this have to happen now, without Urbosa anywhere nearby? She always knew how to shut down fights before they started.

"Race? Nah, nah," Ghira said, shaking his head, stalking closer and closer. "All's fair in love and war," he sing-songed, echoing his other teammate's words from earlier that night. "So, I figured I'll just beat you within an inch of your life," he said, flicking his tongue out in an obscene manner. "Shouldn't be too hard—you took a pretty nasty spill, didn't you?"

Fuck, it was too late to go for the door, and he couldn't even try fighting because of his wound.

"Be a good boy and c'mere..." Ghira said, reaching out to him—

Link pulled back, just as Sheik ducked out from under his arm, closing the distance between himself and Ghira in a heartbeat. Link tried to yell out, to tell Sheik to stop, but it was too late. Ghira was grinning sadistically, right fist already moving through the air, aiming for Sheik's bruised cheek. Time seemed to slow down, and all Link could do was watch the inevitable disaster as—

Sheik ducked under Ghira's blow, quick and elegant like it was nothing, and countered with a knee to Ghira's middle, which knocked the air out of the Usurper and forced him back. Ghira screamed and tried to lash out, but Sheik was too quick, avoiding every single blow, moving like a dancer. Every now and then, he struck out as well. The hits weren't hard or crushing, but fast and precise, going for vulnerable spots. The solar plexus, the eyes, the throat, anywhere Ghira was too busy to defend.

Link stared, transfixed, as the shy, anxious Sheik became a whirlwind of snarls and claws, not only holding Ghira at bay, but pushing him back. It was...amazing. Sheik's face throughout the entire ordeal was perfectly calm, as if he'd gone through such a thing a thousand times before, sneakers sliding across the asphalt like he was moving on ice.

But then Ghira got lucky, and his fist made contact with Sheik's cheek, where he'd aimed before. Sheik gasped and stumbled, and Ghira was on him, punching and kicking where he could, screaming in rage.

Link acted without thinking, running over and slamming his shoulder into Ghira's side, forcing him away from Sheik. Before he could recover, Link reared his leg back, ignoring the screaming pain in his side and the feel of skin tearing, and delivered a knee directly to the junction of Ghira's legs.

The pale man gave a high-pitched squeal as he stumbled away, gingerly holding his family jewels.

"You...you fucker!" Ghira shrieked, his face going a little green. "I'll get you for this! You're fucking dead! I'll—"

His charge was interrupted by a gloved hand on his shoulder, and he was jerked backwards. Whirling around to face his new opponent, he paused. "Gan?" he asked.

Ganon's fist crashed into Ghira's jaw, the sound of the impact reminding Link of the cracking of a rifle. The Usurper stumbled back and fell flat on his ass, looking up at his captain in shock before his eyes rolled back in his head, and he passed out.

Breathing heavily (from the exertion or the pain, he wasn't sure), Link stumbled backwards, only to find the surprisingly solid presence of Sheik at his back, supporting him.

"Link, you're bleeding!" Sheik said, fingers prodding at the hole in Link's suit. The T-shirt beneath felt wet and warm, and Link was a little light-headed from the pain, but he couldn't take his eyes off the two Usurpers.

"Fucking idiot!" Ganon shouted at his unconscious teammate, turning to them. "I'm sorry about this, Courage," he said with a grimace. "I told them all to stay the hell away from you, that we'd been beaten fair and square, but it seems someone has problems with following orders." He kicked the unconscious Ghira's boot. His face went from angry to concerned when he realised what Sheik had said. "Are you all right?!"

"I'm fine," Link said. "Just tore the rash, I guess." But why the fuck was that important, when... He turned to Sheik, reaching out unthinkingly to touch the Sheikah's bruised cheek. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine, Link," Sheik said, pushing his hand away, immediately focusing his attention on Link's side. "He didn't hit me that hard—he was too drunk to do that. Barely felt it, even."

"But you—"

The door to the garage slammed open, and the entirety of the Divine Beasts, Zelda, Kafei, Elenwe, and Paya spilled out of the opening, followed by several of the other partygoers. They saw the unconscious Ghira, the scowling Ganon, and Link and Sheik fussing with Link's bleeding side. The reaction was...not unexpected.

"You!" Urbosa shouted at Ganon. "What the fuck are you doing here?!" Her words were a little slurred, but her eyes were as sharp as ever. She took a threatening step forward, quickly joined by Daruk, who was massive even when compared to his captain. An intimidating sight, for sure, and one to run away from.

"Link!"

Mipha was suddenly beside him, gently pulling Sheik's hands away from Link's side, examining the bloody T-shirt and the bandages beneath, Zelda hovering worriedly right next to her.

Link groaned at her touches, and she immediately eased up, being more careful as she pulled the bloody cloth aside.

He couldn't see Sheik, he realised. Where was—

Ah, there.

Safely cloistered with Elenwe, with Kafei and Paya taking up what appeared to be defensive positions in front of them, placing themselves between the perceived threats. They were standing in a very particular manner, legs planted firmly, hands flat and held out like...like some sort of martial arts pose.

They were like bodyguards, almost.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Link immediately started to think of Sheik as a prince again. He was definitely pretty enough to be one.

...okay, alcohol plus painkillers plus blood loss was probably not a good combination for his higher mental faculties.

"The race is over," Urbosa snarled to Ganon, who looked slightly panicked. "But you couldn't take defeat lying down, could you? So you're attacking an already injured opponent in a back alley?! Fuck, I knew you guys were psychos—"

"Boss, wait," Link forced himself to say. "Stop!"

"Li—Courage, go sit down, you're bleeding," Daruk said. "We'll handle this."

"No, you don't get it," he tried again. "Ganon helped us!"

"It's true!" Sheik shouted from behind his defensive wall. "It's the guy on the ground who started it!"

"Yeah!" Link intoned, trying to stop forward, hoping to shield Ganon from the wrath of his friends and teammates, but he was held back by Mipha and Zelda. "Boss, it's okay. He's okay!"

Urbosa hesitated, clearly fighting the desire to lay down the law on Ganon like a sledgehammer, jaw drawn tight. "Is that true?" she forced out between clenched teeth.

"Yes, it is!" Ganon said, stepping back from the sheer wall that Urbosa and Daruk became when standing side by side. "Look, I told them all to stay away, to go home, but Ghira...he wasn't done. I should have kept a closer eye on him, but I lost track and..." He sighed. "I apologise."

"He knocked him out with one punch," Link said, feeling a little loopy again as Zelda and Mipha helped him sit down on the ground, before the med student began unzipping his suit. In the corner of his eye, he saw Sheik trying to join them, but Kafei and the others refused to budge. "It was incredible!"

"Damn it, Link," Mipha muttered under her breath as she finally got a proper view of his wound. "You've torn it all open."

"Oops?" he said.

"Idiot," Zelda hissed.

Urbosa watched Ganon closely for what felt like an eternity before relaxing, giving Ganon a nod. "All right, then, I believe you." She glanced at Ghira, who was moaning quietly as he began coming to. "Is he gonna be all right?"

"Probably," Ganon said. "Unfortunately. I'll take him to the emergency room—he could use a head examination either way." He aimed the last remark at Ghira, giving his legs another kick. "Hear that, asshole?"

"G-Gan..." Ghira groaned.

"Shut up and stay down if you know what's good for you," Ganon snarled, turning back to Urbosa. "Again, I'm sorry about this. About...everything, really. I wanted good, clean races." His golden eyes found Link's. "I really did."

"You should find yourself a new team," Daruk said, staring down the Gerudo. "Before they do something really stupid."

"They've done plenty stupid already," Ganon said, meeting Daruk's gaze calmly. "But you're right...I think the Usurpers are due for a turnover." He glared down at Ghira for a moment, and then reached down, pulling his teammate up and slinging him over his shoulder with ease, like he weighed nothing. He probably didn't. "I'm sorry again, for the trouble."

"Just get out of here," Urbosa said, not a shred of sympathy in her.

Ganon nodded, and then looked at Link. "Next time we race, Courage, I won't lose," he said.

"Looking forward to it," Link replied, waving him away, forgetting it was his right arm and causing his side to erupt with pain again. "Argh!"

"Stop moving, Link, you're just making it worse," Mipha scolded. "Come on, let's get you inside..."

"All right, folks, show's over!" Urbosa called, ushering the other guests back inside the garage. "Get back to partying, or else!"

---

"Now, stay still, all right?" Zelda said seriously, glaring down at Link, who was sitting on the bench in the Beasts' shower room again, fresh bandages wrapped around his side and a new T-shirt preserving his dignity. Thank the Goddess they kept a nearly unlimited supply of those around the garage. The leathers were bunched up around his waist, deciding it wasn't worth the effort to pull them back up. "Mipha's pulling her car around, and she'll take us home."

"All right, all right," Link said, glaring back. "I'm not made of porcelain, you know. I'm not gonna break."

"No, despite your best efforts," Zelda said, crossing her arms. "Honestly, fighting? Consider yourself lucky I can't tell Dad about any of this, or he'll be furious with us both!"

"I'm not apologising for defending myself or Sheik," Link said stubbornly. "What was I supposed to do, let him beat the shit out of us?"

"You were supposed to come back inside when he showed up so we all could chase him off," she countered.

"It was too late for that! He was on us before we knew it!"

His sister rubbed her eyes tiredly. "Bad enough you got hurt, but Sheik too? Paya was so angry when they took Sheik home! I'll probably never see her again because of this."

"I'm sorry, okay?!"

"Yeah, sure," Zelda said, sighing, crouching down so their eyes were level, her eyes growing softer. "We can talk about this more later, okay? Right now, I just want to get you home safely, and then go to bed."

Link snorted. As if Zelda was going back to her own place with him in this state. She'd crash on his couch, like she always did when he got himself even slightly injured.

"Sure," he said. He wanted to see Sheik, to apologise to his cousins for the trouble he'd caused, but they'd just disappeared among the bustle of the crowd the moment they'd come back inside, and Link was taken to the shower room to be looked at by Mipha, who'd been just a little rougher than usual.

Why was it that he was being punished for getting attacked?

Easy, he told himself. They're just worried, and lashing out is easy.

"I'm gonna go see if Miph's here with the car yet," Zelda said, standing up and heading for the door. "You just sit there and relax, okay?" She turned the handle and opened the door, stopping halfway through it, apparently almost running into someone. "Ah...I thought you'd...huh? Yeah, he's in there. Should you be...? They are? Oh, okay. Thanks!"

Link closed his eyes, appreciating the silence that fell over the shower room at the closing of the door. Just him, his breathing, and...someone else? He opened his eyes, and choked a little on his own breath when he found Sheik lingering by the door, looking nervous.

"Bwuh?" Link asked, intelligently, which seemed to amuse Sheik. He cleared his throat and tried again. "I thought you'd gone home," he said, proud of his rediscovered ability to speak.

"Kafei was eager to get me there, yeah," Sheik said, slowly coming closer, wringing his hands a little. "But I ran away, and just now I told your sister where she could find Paya. Should keep them distracted for a while, and ought to buy me a little time. I didn't want to go without saying...you know..." he shrugged. "Thanks."

"For?"

"Saving me?" Sheik suggested.

"I think you saved me, actually," Link said. He'd been given more painkillers by Mipha—stronger ones—and he was only about seventy percent certain Sheik was actually in the room with him. "Where'd you learn to fight like that?"

"Saved each other, then," Sheik said, huffing. "And as a Sheikah, I'm expected to be able to defend myself. We're taught how to as soon as we're able to walk. Not that it did me any good—I'm out of practice..."

He came to a stop in front of Link, his face an absolutely lovely shade of red. One of his braids had come loose during the fight, and he absolutely rocked that slightly tousled look.

"I thought you did great," Link said, grinning up at him. "We took him down together...or, well, Ganon took him down, but we softened Ghira up so he could deliver that last punch."

"I think I'll remember that sound till the day I die," Sheik said. "It was quite a punch."

"Heh, yeah..."

They were both quiet for a moment. Then Link sighed. It was just his luck for things to turn out this way.

"What's wrong?" Sheik asked.

"I'm annoyed," Link said.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I was having a perfectly nice evening until that asshole showed up and ruined something I didn't realise I'd been wanting to do all night." He looked at Sheik's lips. They quivered slightly in amusement.

"Is...that so?" Sheik asked, crouching down in front of him. "And what, pray tell, was that?"

"It's kind of hard to explain," Link said, his face heating up to match Sheik's as he leaned a little forward, closing the distance between them slowly. He didn't want to make things awkward, to have misinterpreted signals that he, admittedly, had little experience with, but...

"W-Well," Sheik said, also leaning forward, "maybe you can sh-show me?"

Link couldn't take it anymore, closing the distance immediately, their lips meeting in...well, a slightly painful bump that caused them to draw back, but Sheik was quick to pull Link back in, gentler this time. It was...hard to describe. Sheik's lips were just as soft as they'd looked in the alley, and the quiet moan the Sheik let out at the sensation was absolutely divine, and he wanted to hear it more.

They withdrew a minute or so later, both slightly out of breath, cheeks burning. Sheik was smiling that crooked smile again, and Link knew he was smiling like an idiot right back at him.

"That was...my first," Sheik admitted shyly, suddenly unable to meet Link's gaze.

"I thought it was nice," Link said, meaning it. He'd kissed before, but it had always been an awkward affair because his anxiety had made him hyper-aware of what he was doing, ruining any chance of it being natural. With Sheik, it was just that. Natural. And it was the best feeling he'd ever experienced. It made him want to kiss Sheik again...and possibly do something else.

But he held himself back. He didn't want to overwhelm Sheik, and he was more than familiar enough with his own anxiety to know that Sheik's internal alarm was probably close to blaring right about now, so he leaned back slightly, but not before reaching out to take one of Sheik's hands with both his own, rubbing his thumbs over the soft skin of Sheik's palm.

"I realise," Link said slowly, "that this probably isn't the way you wanted your evening to go."

Sheik blinked, confused as his eyes met Link's once more, not making a move to take his hand back.

"And that I'm probably the last person you imagined would ask you this by the end of it," Link continued, smiling, "but...can I have your number?"

Sheik laughed. It was a little high-pitched, and he looked offended to have produced such a sound. Finally, after calming down, he nodded.

"Definitely," he said, smiling brightly.

---

The End

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Before you ask: No, I do not know a damn thing about motorcycles, driving them, or racing them. This story is based on a prompt made by a very dear friend of mine, and it is also dedicated to her, so you can all thank Mal for this!

Merry Christmas, everybody!