Link to a Shadow

Chapter 1

-Link's P.O.V.-

"Shadow, let me borrow some socks." I ask of my stoic twin, calling him by his self-given name. However, he completely ignores me and continues to shift through his drawers for decent school clothes.

'Maybe he didn't hear me?' I thought, but that idea was bashed away in a split second. I knew he heard me. He just wants to be moody and annoying.

Well, two can play that game… "Shadow, I-" my thoughts started to vocalize, but I was abruptly cut off by one of my twin's stern "No!"s

"Why noooooooot?" I whine. I only wanted some socks… but Shadow's always such a selfish prick in the mornings… so "No Touchy" with his belongings.

"Get your own socks, Link." he hissed, his back still towards me. "I know better than you that by the time I get them back, I would have found them under your bed and they'd be all crusty with sweat and various foot-oriented fungi…"

A little impish grin tugged at the corners of my lips. I know my brother's hard exterior's about to crumble, me knowing well that he only gives somewhat lengthy explanations when he knows he's about to lose to my… "Charm"? I guess you could call it that… but I do know that he's about to break… all he needs is a little "push".

"Pleeeeeeeeeassssee, Shadow-niichan?" I whimper spuriously, adding on the extra bonus of referring to him as the older twin.

"No, Link." he stresses my name in clear irritation. This is getting fun.

"Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaasssssse?"

"Link…" he grits out.

Then, silence.

I could hear the frustration knelling in his last grunt of my name. My impish little grin stretched into more of a devious smirk. I know he's at his limit… this little prolonged silence is just time for the guilt of denying me to soak and settle into his brain, torturing him like talons on a chalkboard.

He'll raise his white flag in… five… four… three… two…

"Link."

I perk up like an innocent, yet attentive puppy at the sound of my name. Oddly, it sounded kinda affectionate… well, it usually did, but a little more… "Sweet" than usual… plus, he surrendered faster than I figured he would.

I best stay on my guard.

Shadow whips around and literally hurls some balled-up fabric directly at my head, an obvious ill-attempt to get revenge for making him break so easily. Not my fault I've grown to know his weaknesses… and how to manipulate him with them.

Unfortunately for him, my quick and nimble hands snatched the article of clothing out of mid-air (at least a good two feet from my face) in his fruitless attempt of having it make contact with my skull. I give my brother another smirk, whispering out of the side of my mouth "Catch-Max!"

I laugh at myself… and at Shadow. Heck, who am I kidding. I'm feeling pretty high and mighty right about now, and I sure know that I'm not hiding it. I glance to Shadow… but he has this weird, "knowing" look on his face, dawning a smug smirk of his own as if saying 'This war's not over yet, Link'. He gave me one last intense look that penetrated through me before resuming his search for clothes. Oddly, my hand reached up to my cheek, touching it lightly, only to identify a warm, tingly sensation.

Anyway, I proceed to thank him in a cloy, sugary manner to remind him who the true victor is as I start to unravel the ball. "You know, you should learn to be nicer to your one and only sibl-" I stop suddenly, my "responsible twin" lecture getting cut short as my face instantaneously heats.

"Th-These are briefs!"

Shadow glanced back over his shoulder at my exclamation with an expression that read 'No shit, Sherlock'. He smirked triumphantly. "Actually, they're boxer-briefs."

Screw you too, Shadow.

"I don't care what they are!" I yelled, flustered, as I try to throw the 'boxer'-briefs back at him, but they only got so far before they fluttered to the ground in defeat. "I just want some socks!"

"Sorry, sorry." he apologized, with apparent mock-empathy coating his voice. He waved off the apology as if it were no big deal… well… it really was, but I'm not admitting to that.

"Here." He tosses another clothes ball at me without checking it, but I immediately sidestep it, letting it hit our wooden bedroom floor with a soft bounce and a "poumph".

"What's wrong?" he frowned at me as if I weren't in my right mind. "Do you want socks or not?"

I roll my eyes. "Like those are really socks."

He glared at me, commanding me to pick up his precious 'boxer'-briefs with his blood-red eyes…

… those stupid contacts of his weren't helping to make his look any less agonizing.

I bend over to retrieve the balled-up fabric off of the floor before it makes itself a permanent stop where it laid and unwrap it, only to have my point proven and for my blush to creep back into my features.

"Does THIS answer you question!?" I exclaim again, holding another pair of crispy clean tighty-whities high above my head for the whole room to behold in their bleached glory. Shadow's SO lucky we aren't in public.

A fairly light blush graced my twin's cheeks as he stumbled slightly. He quickly looked from his haughty undies to his drawer and back, shock clearly etched in his features at his blunder. He held out his hand, as if asking me to toss back his undergarments. So, I did.

"Sorry. I keep my underwear and socks in the same drawer."

"Really?" I think aloud as my blush softens. That's kinda interesting… I've lived here all these years with him and I never- WAIT! Why am I actually thinking the guy's undies!?

"Here, try this one." He spoke, bringing me out of my thoughts. Then I realized the "operative" word of the sentence.

"'TRY'!? Can't you check it first!?" I shriek, but it was too late. A tightly packed ball of clothing was already being tossed to me, expecting to be caught.

This is stupid. How can you not tell the difference between socks and underwear!? And who actually takes time to fold underwear anyway!? It's too small and-

"Ow." Crap. I wasn't paying attention.

"Link. They are socks. That didn't hurt." Shadow comments dully.

"It's a reflex." I spat back, scooping up the fabric and unballing it. Luckily, they were socks. I don't think I could bear to have another episode involving flesh-contact with another pair of… I WASN'T ENJOYING IT!

Finally, Shadow managed to procure an outfit that tickled his fancy and made haste to strip and dress, me making sure to keep my gaze astray out of respect… and probably mild bashfulness…. Where that'd come from, I don't know, but I do know that I'm already having a problem seeing his undergarments… I don't want to see them on his mostly naked body…

I DON'T!

Anyway, I snatched up my checkered Canvases and slipped them over my FINALLY socked feet and joined my twin in front of our Hylian aspen, body-length mirror, following suit and giving myself the once-over as he was.

I noticed how ruffled and mussed my hair was looking, so I started combing my fingers through the golden strands in an attempt to get rid of its bed-head look. I took a glimpse at Shadow's obsidian locks when I noticed his silvery-pearl new-growths making themselves visible.

"Hey, Shadow…" I poke my twin in the side after detangling my fingers from my blond mop. He cuts me a sideways glance, as I saw reflected in the mirror, that appeared to say 'Yes, Link?'

I grin slightly, think it'd be fun to talk with our twin telepathy instead of with words.

And as expected, Shadow's able to read my thoughts crystal clearly as I noticed when he started o reach for my green sockhat.

"And as for the part about my hair…" he speaks, flattening his hair with his hands to even further perfect perfection. "I'm not going to dye it again… or at least not yet…"

"Well, don't let your hair grow out too much" I voice in a teasing manner, knowing well that it'd probably annoy him.

"Just because one person thought I was albino that ONE time doesn't mean anything, Link."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever helps you sleep at niigghhhhhhttttttt!" I scamper away from Shadow before he decides that a beating session's in order, snatching up my backpack from beside the door. "Come Shadow, we're gonna be late!"