Hello everyone! I've got a late Christmas fic for you!
I meant to post it closer to Christmas and New Year's so it would line up more, but at least I'm getting it posted within the first week January, even if just barely! Anyway, I hope you all like this little fic of mine!
Enjoy!~
It was cold.
Freezing cold.
And so unbelievably windy, that not a single one of the extra layers of clothing she wore could stop the cold from making her shiver.
The snow wasn't helping, either.
Zelda released a shuddering breath as she walked through the dimly lit streets of downtown Faronia, blue eyes watching in mild annoyance as it turned to mist in the frozen air, and vanished. Pulling her scarf up to her nose in an effort to further shield herself from the unpleasant weather, she couldn't help a slight groan of frustration. She'd ended up having to work late again, despite her valiant attempts to finish earlier than the day before, which meant another long trip home in the dead of night. While Faronia was one of the larger cities in Hyrule, the people here tended to close up shop and head home sooner than most places, save for a few gas stations and corner stores; leaving the sidewalks and streets fairly empty. Now, Faronia's crime rate was rather low, (that being one of the main reasons she had moved here to begin with) and she wasn't defenseless, but if there was one thing she never liked doing no matter where she was, it was walking outside late at night.
Even more so in the middle of winter.
And to make things worse, if she didn't get to the bus stop on time, she'd miss the next bus, an earlier ride home; which was at least five miles out of town. If only for the moment, she somewhat disliked her preference for quieter areas. But checking her wrist watch, she saw that she should get there in about ten minutes; right on time. Feeling relief come over her, she kept pace and continued the walk to the bus stop in silence, though she did take a moment to admire all of the Christmas decorations as she passed.
Yes, the most wonderful time of year had already come and gone, though it seemed that Santa had forgotten to take the season's chilly air back with him. And in the same fashion, the stores and street lamps had yet to see the removal of their delightful snowmen, candy canes and gingerbread houses, though she and her coworkers had already spent a good portion of the evening taking down the last of their own holiday office décor. She'd admit that it was always a little disappointing to remove the decorations, as she enjoyed the festivities, and it was a reminder that another year had passed by in one fell swoop.
But it didn't matter now. The biggest concern on her mind was getting home and enjoying a good night's rest to start off her weekend. She could hear the running bus engine now as she approached the street corner, and she couldn't be happier. Walking a little faster, she quickly rounded the corner, eager to reach her cozy abode and the warmth that came with it.
That simple light of hope flickered out as she watched the bus start to roll away, right as it came into view.
"No no no, wait!" she called as she started to run, though she wasn't sure why. Her only hope was that the driver would see her in the rear-view mirror, or that someone on board caught a glimpse of her, but as the bus drove onward with no signs of stopping, she knew it was futile. Coming to a halt, she growled in exasperation, and pulled back her sleeve to check her watch again. Seeing that it was only ten o' clock, she knew it wouldn't be closing time for another half hour, which meant there was at least one more bus coming. Again sighing in relief, she let her shoulders drop as she walked the rest of the way to the bus stop. "Oh well," she mumbled to herself. "I'd rather catch the last one than be stuck here all night."
"You're out of luck then, miss."
She jumped at the sudden deep baritone that addressed her from somewhere close by. Whirling around to face the direction it came from, she couldn't help feeling like a deer caught in the headlights, especially with how fast her heart was beating. She knew that it wasn't always the case, but that voice sounded like it belonged to a man much larger, and definitely stronger than her. Was he a thug? Would he try to rob her? Kill her? Or...
She couldn't bear to think it. But no matter his intentions, she wasn't going down that easily. Gearing up for a fight, her gaze readily sought the threat.
But upon spotting the nearest person, she paused in confusion.
Standing a little ways down the street from her was a horse drawn carriage, and a man beside it, facing away from her as he tended to the animal. She was correct in that he was close by, but surely not close enough to have heard her. Perhaps someone else had spoken to her? She quickly glanced around, but there wasn't a single soul besides the two of them in sight, so it had to be him. That, or she was losing her mind from all the late nights spent at the office.
Regardless, she couldn't be certain that he meant her no harm.
Cautiously taking a few steps towards him, she replied. "I'm sorry?"
"That wasthe last bus," he said, though he hadn't, even slightly, turned to face her.
"What?" she asked, panic starting to rise again as she quickly made her way to him, every ounce of caution leaving her as his words sank in. "What do you mean that was the last one? It's only ten, there should be one more!" she added as she came to stand beside him and the animal.
Upon closer inspection, she realized she was also correct in her assumption that he was a larger man. He was at least a head taller than she, and though she couldn't tell much from his clothing, she could definitely see that he didn't have a light build. She also noted that while his shoulders sagged as he sighed, he still didn't turn to face her as he diligently worked on the horse's gear.
"It's eleven thirty. Check those clocks there," he replied, sounding just as tired and exasperated as she was while pointing to a store window. "Public transport is finished for the night."
She paused, resisting the urge to check her watch for the third time. Surely this man was joking? Though he didn't come across as the comedic type with the way he spoke and the tiredness in his voice. Doing as he suggested, she walked to the store window, which of course belonged to a clock shop, seeing as it featured a multitude of little alarm, digital and even grandfather styled clocks.
Each and every one of them read eleven thirty-two.
'But how?!' she thought, checking each of them again, only to find the answer remained the same. 'I know my watch is right! Otherwise I would've been reprimanded for coming in late! What could possibly have hap-'
She paused, recalling a moment from earlier in the day.
'Oh nooooo,' she thought with yet another groan. 'I knocked it into the bathroom sink not long before I left! And this one isn't waterproof...'
She'd completely forgotten about that in her rush to finish up, and now, if she didn't come up with something fast, she really was stuck out here...
She quickly glanced back at the carriage driver as she pondered her very limited options. She only had enough rupees for the bus fare, so it wasn't like she could pay a cab. But then, the logo on the carriage door suddenly caught her eye from the new angle.
"Faronia Transportation Service: Equine Division"
At first, this struck her as odd; until she remembered that Faronia originally started as a small farming community. Taking pride in its origins and hoping to add a little something extra for the sake of tourism, city officials decided to add horse drawn carriages as part of public transportation. And here, only a few feet from her, was the man who had very likely just finished the last shift.
And probably the only chance she had of getting home in one piece.
Praying to the goddesses, she slowly walked back towards him in the hopes that this last ditch effort, before she chose between an hour and a half walk or questionable shelter, worked.
He was still fiddling with the gear as she neared him, and the closer she got, the more she wanted to turn back. She normally wasn't so hesitant, but he hadn't given the impression of having a laid back attitude, which was probably because he was exhausted; not to mention that, while she'd never admit it to anyone else, his height was intimidating. The fairly dark clothing he wore only added to this.
She could only hope he wasn't tired enough to completely ignore her. Maybe he'd relaxed a bit?
"Um, excuse me, sir?" she asked, watching him carefully.
"What?" he growled back.
Or not...
She really hated to ask him now.
"I'm really sorry to bother you but, uh, you see..." she began, lightly wringing her hands. "I was wondering if there was any chance that you... might be able... to... take me home?" she finished with a light grimace.
His head snapped around so fast she jumped, craning her neck to look up at him as she was suddenly rooted to the spot by a green, cat-eyed glare. In all honesty, it was very strange, she'd never seen eyes like that before. He had a rugged look about him too; and, now that she could see his face clearly, she also noted that he had a large, black marking that stretched all the way from one side of his face to the other, coming down into pointed stripes below each eye. Likely a tattoo, but she supposed it could be face paint, since it was commonly seen in other areas.
But not Faronia. Which probably meant he'd moved here from another region, just like she had.
"You're joking?!"
Right, she'd just asked something from him that, to someone who had just gotten off work and was just as eager to get home as she, was incredibly unreasonable.
He hadn't raised his voice, but his glare spoke volumes of just how much he didn't want to deal with her at the moment. "I know it's a lot to ask, but I don't have any other options," she replied gently, trying to calm herself a bit.
Turning to face her fully, he crossed his arms with an aggravated huff. "Call a cab."
She gave him a blank look.
He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Fair enough. But surely you can still get a hotel room," he stated, looking at her again.
"I only have enough for the bus fare. There's no way anyone in downtown Faronia will take that when they charge almost a hundred per night."
Silence.
"Real estate office?"
"Doors are locked by now."
"Ah..."
"How did you know I worked real estate anyway?"
"Your tag."
"Oh..."
They stared at each other for a moment, until he sighed.
"There's no one you can call? No friends or coworkers who just happen to be night owls?" he asked, his voice lightly pleading.
She shook her head. "I just finished moving in a few days ago, so I could start working here. It's just me, and no one but my boss has my phone number."
Thankfully, that last part was self-explanatory. The last thing anyone wanted to do was call their new boss, just before midnight, to ask them for a ride home from work.
"And you don't have a car?" he questioned further, shoulders starting to sag again.
"The trip was too far to drive," she answered, starting to feel hopeful.
Looking as if he was about to make one last attempt at freedom, he said, "I assume you can't just walk home, either?"
"I live five miles out of town..." she replied sheepishly.
"Right..."
He went quiet again, likely trying to think of anything else she could do that would let him go home in peace. She couldn't really blame him, since he still had to get the carriage and horse put up for the night. She briefly wondered if he had to drop them off at different places, or if he kept them at home. She wasn't able to think on it long, as within a few moments he looked straight up to the sky, and with a look of resignation, sighed deeply.
Turning around, he fixed the animal's gear one last time before walking around to the other side of the carriage and climbing into the driver's seat. She worried for a moment that he'd decided to just leave her there to figure something else out. But then he settled into the seat, grabbing the reins as he turned to look at her again.
"Come on then. The sooner we get going, the sooner we get this over with," he said, in a tone that belied the acceptance of his fate.
"Oh, my gosh, thank you so much!" she said. Smiling in relief, she eagerly took shotgun.
An eyebrow raised at her. "You know, it'll be warmer if you actually get in the carriage," he stated simply, sounding slightly confused.
She grinned back at him. "Nonsense. You and your friend are going to freeze out here much longer than you should have to, all because I forgot my watch is waterlogged," she said matter-of-factly. "You're really helping me out. The least I can do is bear the cold with you, until I can pay you back."
"If you insist," he replied, snapping the reins as he did so.
The carriage lurched forward, jostling the two of them as the black steed pulled them along with a proud snort, the clacking of hoofbeats on asphalt somehow soothing to her ears. Easing back into her seat, she looked over to her temporary companion. "So what's your name?"
"Now you ask me," he said in bemusement, looking far more at ease than when she'd first spoken to him.
"Better late than never?" she asked with a grin, as she extended her right hand. "I'm Zelda."
Gathering the reins in one hand, he took her far smaller one in the other, giving a firm shake. "Volga."
"And your horse here?" she questioned further, sitting back to see the animal's ears flicking in each direction.
Situating the reins again, he replied, "Deza."
Zelda smiled. "Well, it's nice to meet both of you. Though I'm sorry the circumstances aren't exactly ideal," she finished with a nervous laugh.
He shook his head with a light sigh. "Doesn't matter now," he said, then leaned back into his seat. "Which way we headed?"
"That way," she said, pointing to the left. "Just on the other side of Hylia Bridge."
Nodding, Volga snapped the reins again, prompting Deza into an easy trot before guiding him in the right direction. She wasn't sure, but it seemed that there was a little bounce in the horse's gait; perhaps he knew they were going home soon. If that was the case, she could understand all too well.
Despite the cold weather and the time now being just past midnight, it was nice to sit back and take a break with one other tired person, rather than a whole bus full of exhausted people. Though, Volga wasn't really getting a break...
She felt bad for making him do all of this when he was supposed to be on his way home, but surely she could find something to give him in return? A simple tip didn't seem like enough, so maybe she should get him some kind of gift-card instead, when she had the chance. But she didn't know what his preference would be... sure, she could get him a card for a nice restaurant, but it might be a place he doesn't like. A safer option would be a shopping card, but whatstore exactly? Super store, online store, home and appliance, arts and crafts...?
Okay, scratch the gift-card idea...
Should she offer to treat him to dinner? But how could she do that in a friendly way that wouldn't make him uncomfortable? They had barely introduced themselves to each other just a second ago, and the last thing she wanted to do was weird him out. Maybe she could just say 'I want to thank you for helping me out, let me buy you lunch'; but she wasn't sure that even putting emphasis on just wanting to thank him could be done without being seen as a front, even if what it might imply wasn't a bad thing. She supposed she could go back to square one and just give him a really nice tip; but that just seemed so shallow, considering he was going out of his way to get her home when it's late, he's tired, and he's just gotten off of work.
She could just ask him outright, and avoid any potential embarrassment... at least then she'd have a far lower chance of putting them both in an awkward situation. But, there was a chance he would decline, no matter how she tried to repay him. She just hated to let this go without proper thanks, not when her parents had always insisted that a debt of gratitude ought to be paid in full, as soon as possible. At least she had a little time to figure something out-
"So, why are you out so late anyway?"
-later. She'd figure it out later.
Her head snapped in his direction at the sound of his voice, and she turned to face him. "Ah, I had to work late. I thought I could finish my current project in time, but I was quickly proven wrong," she replied with a sheepish grin. "I'm hoping to finish it tomorrow though."
He gave her a curious look. "What kind of project would a real estate agent have?" His tone wasn't mocking, just unsure. It was understandable, really.
"Well, we've recently been contacted by a few clients from the same neighborhood looking to sell their homes, and it's my job to research their background. Previous owners, when and how they were built, that sort of thing," she answered, shrugging lightly.
"I see. Is this for your bosses, or your clients?" he inquired further. She was glad that he was relaxed now, considering how irritated he'd been at first; and since they had a ways to go before reaching her house, she didn't mind having some conversation to pass the time. Though she'd expected that she'd be the one having to start it...
"Both. While most agencies provide a summary of the houses they're selling, my father believes that every customer should be able to review everything we find if they want to. Because of that simple rule, our reputation is growing rapidly," she beamed.
"I can't tell if that was an advertisement or just pride in your work," he replied in amusement. "That's not a bad thing though."
"Oh, well..." she started, a little embarrassed, "it took a long time to get where we are now, so I tend to get carried away…"
He nodded in agreement. "Of course," he said, then paused for a moment. "You mentioned your father... is it a family business?"
"Yes. Well, that's how it started at least. We've branched out to different areas in the last couple of years, the building here in Faronia being the newest one; but it's turned out to be the right move so far. Dad's been swamped with all the work, but he's glad to see the business thriving," she answered.
"The newest...? Ah, that's right, you said they just started branching out, and you've just finished getting moved in," he replied with a thoughtful expression.
She laughed. "Yep. I'm from Central Hyrule, but when Dad was told the Faronia office needed a new research manager, he suggested I take the job and move here. Well, that, and the low crime rate... anyway, I've thankfully been here with him on a couple of business trips before, so I at least know a little bit about the area," she said, then gave him a curious glance. "What about you? You don't look like you're from around here."
She received another bemused look. "And what makes you say that?" he asked, seeming curious to hear her answer.
"I may be somewhat new around here, but I know that I haven't seen one other person with face paint like yours," she explained, then added with an amused look of her own. "So, either you're trying to start a fad, or you're new here too."
"I'll leave the trendsetting to the teenagers," he scoffed, shaking his head. "But you're right, I'm not from here. This isn't face paint, though."
She blinked. "A tattoo, then?"
"Nope," he stated as a smirk started to form.
"But if it isn't face paint or a tattoo, then what is it?" she asked. She probably should've made sure he didn't mind her asking about it; but since he hadn't thrown her off the carriage yet, she assumed it wasn't a big deal to him.
"It's a birthmark," he answered simply, his expression becoming neutral again.
"Wait, really?" she asked in disbelief, leaning forward slightly. "How did you get a birthmark like that?"
"There are... certain traits that run in my family," he replied with a light grimace.
She leaned back, wondering what he could mean by that. "What region are you from?"
"Eldin, just past the Death Mountain monument."
"Wow, that's pretty far... are marks like that common there?"
"Very," he answered with a nod, then chuckled lightly. "The people here don't seem to question it though. It throws me off sometimes."
"Well, maybe they know more about Eldin than I do. Faronia is closer to it, and I'm not from here," Zelda suggested with a grin, glancing around as they passed numerous buildings.
"That would explain it..." he agreed, looking around as they turned onto the road that would take them to Hylia Bridge. "How far do we go from here?"
"About three miles, then we'll turn right," she replied, folding her arms in an effort to conserve warmth. It would take some time to get there yet, but her companions were proving to be decent company, and the cold weather wasn't quite as harsh with another person close by.
He nodded in reply and relaxed into his seat, leaving nothing but hoofbeats to fill the air as a comfortable silence settled between them. As they neared the bridge, the city lights began to reach their limit, entrusting them to the streetlights that lined the road ahead. She watched, half lost in thought, as the snow continued to make its descent around them. Briefly, she wondered if her parents were getting nearly as much of it this year; she hoped they were, since snow days were her mother's favorite part of a Hyrule winter. She'd have to call and check in on them in the morning... but for now, as she watched the stilled world go by, she was content to enjoy the light snowfall, the only thing other than themselves serving as proof that time hadn't stopped.
They went on for quite awhile, moving from one subject to another, both of them tired and lost in thought, while Deza showed almost no signs of fatigue. They had gone the three miles past the bridge, and had already turned onto the next road. All they had to do now was take one last turn in about a mile to reach her driveway, and then she could walk the rest of the way.
'Then I can get back to my warm house, take a quick shower, and head to bed. It's a good thing all of this happened tonight, since I can sleep in tomorrow,' she thought, grateful that she didn't have to wake up early for work. After the way the past week had gone, the only thing she wanted was a break.
It was almost as if the goddesses had decided that she just needed some bad luck, for whatever reason. She'd done her best from start to finish, and despite that things still went wrong, though perhaps she was too wrapped up in feeling sorry for herself. It just seemed so out of the blue, that day especially. Once again, she'd been unable to finish her project, due to a roadblock and putting away decorations; she'd stayed late to remedy that and ultimately failed, knocked her new watch into the bathroom sink just before leaving, missed the last bus, and resorted to asking a total stranger to take her home in the middle of the night, so she wouldn't have to sleep under a bridge or possibly get mugged on the walk home.
None of those things were all that hard to avoid in the first place. Especially her project, but… well, things had gone haywire since she had almost overslept that morning, and hadn't been able to get a hold of Link, who'd been helping her with the project. But he'd recently become a father, so she was in no way upset with him, since he'd taken the time to help her out despite that.
And since he'd never gotten back to her, she would just have to finish the project in the morning, if she could.
For now, she was content to watch the white-topped trees roll by as they neared her stop, pondering just how strange her evening had been. Volga had turned out to be pretty good company for such a quiet night, whether they were talking about life in general or just sitting in silence; and she couldn't be more grateful that he'd agreed to bring her all the way out here, even though he was off the job, had no clue who she was and only knew that she couldn't pay him fully.
At least, in that way, the goddesses had shown some mercy after her terrible week of late nights.
When her driveway finally came into view, she pointed it out to him and patiently waited as he pulled back on Deza's reins, causing the carriage to roll to a thankfully gentle stop. Then she turned, and pulled out what few rupees she had to offer them to him.
"I know it's not much right now, but I also know you're ready to get home. I'll bring you the rest of it tomorrow, once I leave work," she stated, hoping that would suffice.
He shook his head. "Keep it. I'm off the clock."
She frowned slightly, retracting her hand. "I appreciate it, but I have to pay you back somehow… oh!" she said, quickly digging into her other pocket. Finding the item she'd brought back with her from work, she held it out to him. "Why don't you take this?"
He stared owlishly at the mistletoe laying in her palm for a moment, before looking back to her with a nervous, uncertain gaze.
After realizing why he hesitated, she could feel heat rushing to cheeks. "J-just so you don't go back empty handed, you could save it for your girlfriend or a future girlfriend." That sounded worse! "I promise I'll pay you back properly, it's just this is the only other thing I can give you right now…" she finished sheepishly.
Just her luck, she'd decided against taking him to dinner for fear of giving him the wrong impression, and yet here she is a few minutes later doing exactly that, with an item that held way more obvious implications than going out to eat! Now he would probably politely decline, and scramble off as fast as Deza could take them…
But to her surprise, he carefully picked up the item and inspected it more closely. It really was a pretty decoration, one of many made with real mistletoe by one of her coworkers. The woman loved to make holiday decorations, and she always carefully added something extra to them, such as the little golden string that she threaded through a hole cut into one end of the stem with great care, as well as adding another touch of gold by painting a thin line of the color on the edges of the leaves.
"You're sure? You really don't have to pay me back at all, and it looks carefully made," he stated, intrigued by the small item.
"Absolutely! And I intend to pay you back fully, so consider this insurance of that," she replied vigorously.
"Very well," he nodded, pocketing it with an amused look. "Thank you."
She shook her head in return. "No, thank you. You really went out of your way to help me out, and I can't tell you how grateful I am that you did."
For the first time that night, he gave her a small, but genuine smile. "Are you sure you don't want me to take you the rest of the way? That seems like a long walk in the dark." He asked, noting that her house was still a decent distance away.
"I'll be alright. The gate's not far, and I have a dog that'll come running as soon as I get there," she replied with a grin. "I appreciate the offer, though."
"Alright then," he said, straightening back into his seat. "Have a good night, Miss Zelda," he added, nodding to her.
"Goodnight, Volga," she replied with a grin as she gingerly waved. Turning to head for the house, she listened to the sounds of Deza's hoofbeats and the carriage starting to roll again. It wasn't until she'd reached the gate and looked back that she realized he'd turned the carriage around and stopped to make sure she'd reached it. Hearing the excited bounding of her dog approaching from the house, she waved to him one last time, and smiled when she received one in return. Soon enough, the carriage had rolled out of view, leaving her to grin to herself as she happily recounted the tale of her little journey home to the fluffy, uncomprehending ears of her pet, who eagerly bounded beside her.
After they had gotten inside, and more importantly, gotten warm, her thoughts drifted once more towards the question of how to repay Volga for his kindness, however reluctant he might have been. Plus, the mistletoe had caught him off guard, and he was probably still doubting that her intentions had been exactly what she'd said they were...
As she pondered this, she stepped into the kitchen to rummage for a snack before heading to bed. But upon glancing at the countertop, an idea began to form.
Every year at Christmas, she would bake some gingerbread men for the family celebrations, making sure to buy plenty of ingredients considering her large family. It had already been awhile since she'd made the holiday batches, but she noticed that she still had enough ingredients left to make one more. It would be a smaller one, but that wouldn't be a problem.
Making up her mind, she went to set her alarm for the next day, so she could get a head start and give them to Volga as soon as she was able. She just hoped he liked sweets...
And luckily for her, he did.