Words aren't needed
He was her next door neighbor, he was with her throughout her childhood, and yet, she didn't know a thing about him. However, that didn't mean he didn't know anything about her.
Genre: AU, Slice of Life, Romance ('Course), Angst
Notice: For PitFTW and Foxpilot's AU Romance Contest!
Pairing (s): RoyZelda
Childhood days
Age five.
There was a new family who moved next door. The mother was deceased, but the father was a wealthy and friendly gentleman who wasn't afraid to take the initiative and introduce himself and his son. He had a five year old son with fiery red hair and was upbeat, yet undeniably quiet. The son knew when to nod, bow and answer obediently, which made all of the adults love his respectful and charming nature. His dark blue eyes wouldn't leave the face of the person talking to him and his posture was near perfect. It was like he was more of a robot than a child.
The first time they met was when the silent treatment began.
The little girl who entered the room wore an adorable white Lolita dress with a big rose adjusted at the collar. White stockings wrapped around her skinny legs, polished white dress shoes and a pretty white hairband with a blooming rose. Her short blonde hair bounced on her shoulders as she politely bowed and introduced herself to the boy.
"Hello, my name's Zelda!" she chirped happily, striking her hand out and waiting for him to hold it and shake it.
He didn't, however; he nodded in her direction and gave her a stone-cold gaze. "My name's Roy."
She lowered her hand and watched him walk back to his father's side and receive more compliments from the adults in the living room. She scowled and crossed her arms, not liking the boy one bit.
Age six.
It was Zelda's birthday and she was obligated to invite the red-headed boy from next door. There was a bad taste in her mouth when his name was mentioned by her parents, but she had to play the good girl and faked her happiness. When he stepped through that door, she greeted him with a warm smile and a wave only to have him nod his head and walk past her. A wave of displeasure splashed on her, and she frowned at his anti-social nature, only to be pulled to the side by Malon and play with the others.
Throughout the entire party, the red-head known as Roy stayed by his father's side and barely uttered a word.
When the cake was being served, Zelda plopped herself on the head chair of the dining room and the invitees began to sing cheerfully. She looked around, not knowing what to do, but was mentally counting the seconds and remembering her wish. However, when she locked eyes with Roy, she forgot all about the time ticking away and snapped out of her uneasy trance to blow out the candles.
Malon asked what she wished for, only to have the blond shush her and remind her that wishes don't come true if she revealed its secret. The others came up to her, whining that they wanted to know the secret as well, but she just brushed them away, giggling at their expense. Amongst the pack, there was only one child missing and that was her annoyingly quiet next door neighbor, Roy Pherea.
Their eyes locked again, but this time he flashed her a small smile and a wave. He whispered something to his father and ran up to her, carrying a poorly wrapped gift with golden triangles imprinted on it. The background was purple and it was pulled together with a white ribbon. Roy clumsily pushed through the crowd, muttering apologies and pardons and finally landed in front of the birthday girl.
It grew silent around them, besides the loud music and casual conversations the parents had around them. The group of five to seven-year-olds were watching the scene and were eager to find out what was in the unsuccessfully wrapped bundle in the five-year-old boy's arms. He smiled warmly at the girl and handed it to her, prepping for her to open it since the birthday cake was currently getting sliced into cubed pieces. She glanced to her caretaker, Impa, to see if she could open the present and was presented with a yes. Eagerly, the girl pulled the ends of the ribbon, making a note to wearing it later, and pulled apart the wrapping paper.
There in the middle of the pile of paper was a Deku Scrub plushie with fluffy leaves all around the furry body. Its red eyes gazed at her and she couldn't help but pet it for a bit to feel its soft and cuddly exterior. She nodded and smiled at the boy who shifted a bit to the side and ran off to his father, and clung to his side. The children around Zelda all cooed at the plushie, wanting to grasp it and play with it.
"It's time for the other gifts, children," Impa informed, clapping her hands as she gathered the pile of presents near the little girl.
Slowly, but surely, she progressed in opening them and made sure to thank all of her friends for their kind gestures. The Deku Scrub plushie was lying at her feet, becoming surrounded by the other toys and materials the girl herself was becoming showered in.
Until the end of the party, Roy had not said a single word to Zelda, making her wonder if he was mad at her.
Age seven.
It was another day at school, and as usual Zelda and Roy would be the last ones left waiting for Impa to pick them up. Roy had been very popular on his first few days of school, attracting throngs of school children to his presence even though he would find a corner to sit and read in. That popularity dwindled when he wouldn't speak more than less than a handful of words to anyone who tried making a conversation with him. The teacher told his father, Eliwood, about it, but the man merely brushed off the comment, saying that's how Roy wants to live.
It was just a phase anyway.
Zelda tried making conversation with the red-headed boy; they come and leave school together after all. Unfortunately, her attempts would falter and soon they all died down like moths in a fire. Every conversation with Roy was either a nod or a smile or the shake of the head and it annoyed her to no end to find that he wouldn't give her a single word. It baffled the poor girl greatly; she even mused the thought of him being deaf or mute, but she remembered that he had talked to other people before-well, adults before.
"Do you hate me?" she asked with a whimpering voice, feeling tears welling up in her sapphire eyes.
He looked surprised, his dark blue eyes widening and his mouth gaping wide open. She was excited to see a different face of emotion this time, but when his lips zipped to a close, her hope fell. Roy shook his head and gave her a sympathetic look in his eyes until Impa came and picked them up. The two sat at the back of the car, both on the ends of their seat.
Zelda didn't attempt to push the conversation any longer and waited until she was back in her room to cry on her bed.
Ages eight to twelve.
Ever since that conversation, the girl avoided the red-head as much as possible. She befriended many people and gained the reputation of being called a princess because of her rich family lineage. Every year, she was in a different class from the red-head, furthering her avoidance and making her feel better at the same time. It'd be awkward being in the same room, let alone being in the same class where they could get paired up at any time for a project.
It was difficult at home to avoid her next door neighbor, solely because of how their parents were growing closer as friends and soon they would alternate dinner plans. One night they'd have dinner with the Pheraes, then the next would be dinner with the Harkinians, then it'd be out to eat to experiment with different cultures. Of course they would all group together, grown ups creating a storm of conversation while the children sat in a familiar, awkward atmosphere. Dinner between these two were filled with nothing but the clattering of silverware and munching of food.
When the Pheraes weren't around, Zelda's parents would always question why the girl wouldn't interact with their friend's son. It was a simple question with a simple answer.
"I think he hates me."
Of course, the inevitable came and the parents would pick bits and pieces of facts as to why the red head didn't hate their daughter. Everything bounced off and when they brought Roy over to confirm it, he still said nothing, but shook his head when they asked him if he did hate the girl.
"Then why don't you ever say anything?" Zelda cried out, pouncing to her feet.
She outgrew the fancy, puffy dresses and wore skirts and tunics. Her blond hair was growing to a feat below her shoulders and she was becoming a beautiful young woman.
Roy, on the other hand, was faring well in the looks department as well, but he kept his ruffled, fiery hair in its usual fashion and sported out baggy jeans and hoodies. His sense of style must've changed during the years because he used to wear fancy clothing as well, wearing a suit when the two families went out to dinner.
He glanced at the clock, and stood up, bowing to the parents and giving an apologetic look to Zelda. Then he turned tail and walked out of the house, not answering her question at all. She grew infuriated with the silent treatment and stormed upstairs to her room, slamming the door and not coming out until dinner.
The parents looked at each other, baffled as to why a gentleman in the making like Roy would refuse to answer another simple question. They still tried over and over, only to faintly see Zelda's growing dislike of their actions and her rebellious attitude towards them. Both family guardians sighed in defeat, finally figuring that Zelda's obdurate nature wouldn't allow their persistent actions transcend.
"It's like a lover's quarrel," Impa stated one day as she was doing the dishes with cookies in the oven. She turned off the sink and dried her hands with the green towel, with a chuckle following her observation. The gray-haired woman flashed a smile at the confused, but amused parents. "You have to remember that they're children-every little thing is a problem to them. They'll grow out of this habit, I assure you."
They grasped this idea and allowed their children to do what they pleased with how they interacted with one another. However, it bothered them when they got to high school…
Author Notes:
Ah this was pretty short and didn't really get into the plot, but it's like a prologue I guess.
I haven't been on the Smash section, so if anyone could, could you direct me, and or list out some common cliches other than the Tournament and Smash Mansion? That'd be great and a thank you in advance to anyone who does!
I haven't been part of a contest in while, so I'm glad that I stumbled onto the contest while scrolling on the fic page. Also, I was very disheartened when I didn't see any new RoyZelda fics so I was debating on PitZelda or some other pairing, but I decided on this. Anyway, enough rambling, thank you for reading!
~Ventus