IS92: HI AGAIN!!! Here's Chapter 4! I'm really surprised that this story has made it so far. I've pretty much run out of ideas for this section of the story so I guess I'm just going to have to use fluff to fill in the gaps. Yay fluff! Anyway, on with the story!
Sheik: IS92 tends to be a little scatterbrained, so she doesn't even know if she did the disclaimer last time. So I'm going to say this for her this time. She doesn't own me or anything Zelda-related. Except for Val. She does own him.
Val: She does not! I'm my own man!
IS92: Keep telling yourself that. You'll still end up the way I choose. MUAHAHAHA!!!
Ch. 4
I tried to ignore Val. But somehow he kept popping into my mind. It frustrated me to no end. The way he would tease me, the way he would make it so that I couldn't stay angry at him, no matter how hard I tried. I'd wake up early and walk past his room. Sometimes, I'd just stop in his doorway and watch him. His white-blonde hair would glisten in the new light. He caught me once. The look on his face as he realized I was staring at him was priceless.
"Sheik?" he asked, pulling me out of whatever forgotten fantasy world I was in, "What are you doing?" I felt my face grow uncomfortably hot at his question.
"That's none of your business." I replied curtly. I turned to leave buy he caught me by the shoulder. I vaguely wondered here my mind was. I hadn't even known he had stood up, let alone walked over to the doorway.
"Actually, I think it is my business." He said, turning me to face him, "You were staring at me." I made a mental note to be more careful about when I stared at him. "I'd like to know why." I felt that familiar, uncomfortable heat conquer my face again with a vengeance. I couldn't tell him the truth. I was too proud. Perhaps if I'd swallowed my pride, what happened later wouldn't have happened. Maybe I could have saved him. But I just stood there in silence.
His hands slid from my shoulders up to my face, one resting on my cheek as the other worked to remove my cowl. The fabric slid down easily, and I flushed a harsher pink as I began to feel self-conscious. My face was and is still very effeminate, and it was one of the things I didn't like about myself. Ordinarily I would have at least fought against such an action, but I was so caught by his eyes I could barely breathe. My heart pounded as adrenaline rushed through my veins.
"Why do you keep yourself hidden?" he asked, a faint smile softening his features, "you have a very nice face. The way you constantly hide, it's like you're embarrassed."
I was stunned. He had no idea how right he was. Maybe it showed on my face, because that faint smile grew for a moment. His hand fell to the small of my back, pulling me closer. His other hand slid to the back of my head, entangling itself in my hair. Any remaining mental capacity left me. My heart thundered louder than before; so loudly that I thought it could burst from my chest. Our lips met. I melted. My arms gained a mind of their own and wrapped themselves around his torso, one hand coming to rest on his shoulder, the other entangling itself in his hair. His tongue forced its way through my lips, playing against my teeth until my jaw slackened enough for it to attack my own wet muscle. I leaned into the kiss. Suddenly, something caught my eye. I could have sworn that there had been nothing there a moment before. Then I realized what it was.
Aunt Impa had come home for some reason.
And she had been watching at least part of that exchange.
I broke away from Val almost reluctantly, turning my head to stare at my aunt. She didn't seem angry. The look on her face was almost… amused. She raised an eyebrow at me as if to say, "And what were you doing?" It felt as if time, which had seemed to stop a while ago, had suddenly started its course forward again.
I regained control of myself and tried to shove Val away from me. Really, I barely moved him. More I managed to push myself away from him than vice-versa.
Which resulted in me slamming the back of my head into the doorframe behind me.
It was the single most klutzy thing I'd ever done, and I'd managed to do it in front of not only my aunt, but Val as well.
I crumpled, clutching the back of my head in pain.
"Are you alright?!" Val asked, his hand coming to my shoulder once again.
"I'm fine." I retorted, embarrassed. I pushed his hand away and retreated to my room.
WHAT had just HAPPENED?! I silently pondered if it was normal in any way at all for me to have kissed another guy. It wasn't. I had liked it. I was some sort of freak. There was something wrong with me. There had to be. I wasn't supposed to fall in love at all in the first place! But I'd fallen for Val. And I couldn't deny it.
Footsteps broke me out of my thoughts.
"Are you alright, Sheik?" Impa's voice asked from the doorway. I looked up at her, then back down at the floor.
"What was going on back there?" She asked, sitting next to me on my bed, "He didn't force anything on you, did he?"
I shook my head. A long pause followed, making me more and more uncomfortable.
"… Is it normal for me to have these feelings for a guy?" I asked hesitantly. One of my aunt's rare smiles faintly flashed across her face.
"It may not be the most common thing, but what's more important is if he makes you happy." She replied. I bit my lip.
"Does being with him make you happy?" She prompted. I smiled.
"Yeah. I like being around him." I said.
"That's what I thought." She said, "Although you don't always seem like you do." I looked at her, confused.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"Half the time when he talks to you, you snap at him." She said, "either you're annoyed by him…" She paused.
"Or it's got nothing to do with him." She finished, getting up.
"Why did you come home so early, anyway?" I asked.
"As you know, the princess was given into my care just before Ganondorf took over. Things have gotten to a point where it's too dangerous where she is. We're going to have to leave Hyrule proper for a time." She replied, "We're going down into the southern territory. And I need you to do me a favor."
"What?" I asked. What would she need me to do? Nothing came to mind.
"You are to act as the princess' double." She replied, so nonchalantly that I paused for a moment to take in what she'd said.
"WHAT?!" No. No way. There was no way in the Golden Realm I'd ever dress as a girl. Impa chuckled.
"Don't worry." She said, "You won't have to dress as her most of the time. Actually, it's more like she's going to be your double." I gasped as a figure stepped into my room. It was like looking in a mirror. She wore the same armor-like outfit, her blonde hair tucked into the cowl she wore over her face.
"Hello!" She said in a cheery voice several pitches higher than my own, "I'm Zelda. You must be Sheik. Nice to meet you!" I could do nothing but stare at the girl in shock at first.
"It's nice to meet you as well, your highness." I recovered.
I was stunned. The princess royal of Hyrule was in front of me, dressed like me, about to pretty much take over my life.
"Wait a minute." I said, "You said I wouldn't have to dress like her most of the time. What about the other part of that time?" Impa sighed. She clearly didn't like this part.
"I will explain." The princess stated, "This is hopefully only going to happen once. You will be dressed as a noblewoman about my age, one of several doubles I have sent across the kingdom. I feel I should warn you that you are in the most danger, as you will look like me. However, we will be safe as Impa will be shadowing us. I shall come along as you, and, if he so wishes, your boyfriend can come too." I flushed.
"He's not my boyfriend!" I shouted, then, remembering the scene in the doorway, added, "Whether I wish he were or not."
"Either way, he's welcome to join us. Now, we need to get you dressed." She said, subtly trying to learn what she could about me by chattering away at me. I sighed. This was going to be a long trip.
"I feel ridiculous!" I groaned as I was finally coaxed out of my room.
"You look fine, and it's just that you look like me that matters." The princess stated, "Now, take smaller steps. You can't show the fact that you're a warrior." I complied as Val came into view. He looked at the princess almost frantically.
"Sheik!" He said, jumping half a foot into the air and then coming within half a foot of the startled princess, "I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have forced you into that. I guess I was just trying to figure out if you felt the same way and I didn't think about if you were ready for something like that or not, please forgive me!" He slumped to the ground in front of her, which might have made me laugh had I not been so embarrassed and just utterly mortified that this little girl could pull off being me very well.
"Val," I said, my voice filled with irritation, "I'm Sheik."
"What?" the forlorn boy asked. He looked at me. Then at the princess and back at me, switching his gaze so quickly I thought he might get whiplash. "EH?!?!"
"We're heading into the southern territory. I'm acting as the princess' double." I said, attempting to explain in the least embarrassing way possible, "Do you want to come?"
"S-sure." He replied. He was either surprised that I'd asked him, or… I'd have to beat him within an inch of his life soon.
Within the first day of travel, we came to Lake Hylia. We set up camp on the shore. I changed and came outside to gaze at the stars when the princess went to bed.
"It's beautiful out, isn't it?"
Val's voice startled me at first, but as he came to sit beside me at the water's edge, I calmed myself.
"Yes, it is." I replied.
"Seems like there are stars everywhere when the lake is still." He said smiling. I nodded in agreement.
"I hope you know I'm not angry with you." I said, breaking the silence.
"What?" Val replied.
"I'm not angry about earlier. You seemed to think I was, so I just thought…" I blushed as the memory of that moment came into my mind. Val smiled softly.
"I'm glad you're not." He said, "Was I right, though? Do you feel the same?"
"I… I don't know." I replied, "I don't know how you feel anyway. And as far as what I feel, I'm kind of confused. I like being around you and all, and I'm glad to have you as a friend, but I just don't know if it's more than that…"
"Friends don't kiss, Sheik." He said sadly.
For whatever reason, things just seemed to suddenly shift into place. It didn't matter that it wasn't normal. I no longer cared about any of the things that had clouded my mind before. All I knew was that I wanted to remove that sad look from his eyes.
"Then let's not be friends." I said almost mischievously, and I leaned over, gently turning his head so that our lips could touch. The jolt of electricity that had melted me the first time traveled through me again. I felt the corners of his mouth turn upwards in a smile. This was what we'd both been waiting for. He was mine and I was his, and all was right with the world in that infinitesimal moment.
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IS92: Dang, that was a long chapter. Now before I pass out from exhaustion, I'm going to ask that you review. I know what happens next now (thank the powers that be) But if anyone has some kind of scene they want to see, they're running out of time. If you want to know what I mean by "running out of time", go re-read chapter one. (sorry if I sound a bit grumpy; It's a few hours after I usually go to sleep and I'm about ready to fall asleep on the keyboard….)
Sheik: if you could review, that would be helpful… When she's upset she usually inadvertently (or maybe purposefully) takes it out on her characters, and she's been depressed lately…
Val: SO PLEASE! FOR ALL THAT IS GOOD IN THE WORLD, REVIEW!
IS92: *oblivious to what the guys are saying* Time to sleep… Zzzzzzzz…
