Disclaimer: These characters are property of Nintendo and I mean no harm by writing this story.

Notes: This story was written in direct repsonse to some nasty homophobic jokes I was finding on Zelda fansites. It's not wrong or evil to be gay, and although I don't believe Link has been presented to us as such in the games, it's fun to speculate. I am in no way ridiculing Link, only elaborating on a possiblity.

Link sat his shield down with a sigh. Here he was, stuck in the hellish level of Ganon's castle, surrounded by dead skull soldiers, and all he could think about was Shiek. A man he had recently learned was no man at all, but Zelda in disguise.

It was odd how he felt. Disappointed, was that the word for it? He was happy to see Zelda alive, surely. But to learn that she was Sheik? That the intriguing, mysterious man who had helped him so many times was a woman? He felt strangely empty, as if an opportunity had been lost.

He'd liked Sheik. As well he should have , since Sheik always seemed to show up right in the nick of time with a new song or item. And he'd been so understanding, so noble. All the qualities that Link hoped to develop within himself. He had looked up to the self-reassured man desperately.

He had..had he been...attracted to Sheik? He tried to evaluate his feelings. Women certainly seemed to like him, wherever he had gone on his journey there had been a woman who had let him know, whether subtly or unsubtly, that she liked him. Link had shrugged it off. All of these women were people he loved and admired for their courage, but he could never return their love. There was no interest for him there.

Sheik, on the other hand. His heart had skipped a beat every time he had heard Sheik's gravelly voice, seen the tall, strong figure. When Shiek...Zelda had reached up to unwrap his...her face mask, he had been anxious to see if he was as handsome as he'd imagined. When he'd seen Zelda's face instead, he'd felt like he'd been kicked in the stomach. For just a split-second, then happiness at seeing Zelda alive and well had rushed in.

Still...he couldn't stop feeling that opportunities had been lost. Taking up his shield again, Link shook off the disconcerting thoughts and resumed his quest.