A/N: Another quick thank you to my latest reviewers!

jezboo
PrincessNakira
Kafei Indigo
James Birdsong

...

Chapter 7

Link woke up the next morning, tired and grouchy. He had barely gotten any sleep last night. It had, indeed, stormed last night. And under any other circumstances, Link would've loved it. But Anju and Kafei had spent half the night yelling at each other, and then Link had to deal with the upstairs stomping and the slamming of doors. Kafei and Anju had gone at it. He wished he could've heard what they said but the few walls separating them muffled the words.

He suddenly sat up, realizing he needed to check on Kafei right at that moment. He pulled his hair into a messy ponytail and threw on a shirt. He left his room and walked down the hall to the room he remembered hearing the second and last slam from. Anju must have kicked him out after the fight had ended. He walked up and timidly knocked on the door. No answer. "Kafei…are you in there?" he softly asked. Link desperately hoped he wasn't knocking on some random occupants door. Luckily he heard the lock turn and a hoarse voice tell him to come in.

Link did, shutting and locking the door behind him before turning to look at Kafei who was seated on the bed. Link bit back the gasp that crept onto his throat at the sight of his friend. Kafei's eyes were dull and sad, his hair was all over the place, his clothes were all wrinkly, and he looked like he hadn't slept at all last night.

Link walked over to him and sat down beside him. "Kafei…what happened?"

Kafei didn't look up at first and just stared at his hands as if they were the most interesting things he'd ever seen. Link put his hand in one of them and waited patiently for an answer, just like he had done so many years ago. Kafei finally looked up a few moments later. "At first she didn't speak to me. She just went around the room picking things up and muttering darkly under her breath. Then finally she turned to me and said…"

"Kafei, what's going on with you and Link?" Anju asked.

Kafei inwardly winced. Why hadn't he and Link hid it better? Although he had to admit, he couldn't blame either of them, what with all the time they spent apart practically dying without the other. The need to touch and be near each other was so great; they couldn't help but take advantage of it.

"I don't know what you mean, Anju," Kafei replied as nonchalantly as he could.

Anju took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Yes you do. I know you do, I can see it in your eyes." She came over to him. "Tell me truthfully…is there something going on between the two of you?"

Kafei hated lying to Anju but he wasn't sure what he should say. Although he wished he could tell her nothing was going on, that was the farthest thing from the truth. He thought for a moment before deciding on what to tell Anju.

"Anju darling, please don't concern yourself with such things."

Apparently that wasn't the right thing to say.

"KAFEI! YOU TELL ME RIGHT NOW IF YOU AND LINK ARE –" Anju gasped and put her hand over her mouth.

Kafei glared. "Are what, Anju?"

She glared right back but lowered her voice. "Kafei, you're not a good liar."

"I'm not lying. There's nothing for you to worry about." It was true. The relationship was so perfect between he and Link, Anju needn't worry about that.

"If it has to do with my husband," she growled out, trying to control her temper, "then it's something to worry about."

"You shouldn't get worked up, Anju. Think of the baby."

Again, not the best thing to say.

"THE BABY? YOU WOULD DARE BRING UP THE BABY RIGHT NOW? YOU'RE OFF HAVING AN AFFAIR WITH A MAN WHILE I'M CARRYING YOUR CHILD, AND YOU DARE BRING THAT UP?"

"An affair, Anju? That's putting it pretty bluntly. And what evidence do you have in this?"

Anju became a bit tearful at that. "You think I don't see the looks you two share?" she cried, trying to keep her temper in check once more. " Kafei, you gave me those looks once! Just recently, I was the one at the other end, getting those looks that are filled with devotion and love. And then Link came back and…and it's like I don't exist anymore! I'm not blind, Kafei. I can tell when the love of my life's love for me is faltering.

"Oh I feel so stupid!" It seemed Anju was talking more to herself now. "The way you always spoke so highly of him, the dreamy look that came into your eyes anytime his name was uttered, the fact that you always wanted him to visit, to see him again… And here I was simply thinking it was so you could thank him properly for what he did for us!" She chuckled without humor before collapsing onto the bed, her head in her hands.

Kafei, shocked by what she said, rushed over to her and took her hands. "Anju, please, I –"

She jerked back and glared, daggers positively chucking themselves from her eyes. "Don't you dare touch me, Kafei." She turned away from him. "I want nothing more to do with you tonight. Leave."

Kafei stepped back, hurt. "But Anju –"

"GO!" she screamed.

Kafei, finally allowing his anger to peak, turned and marched from the room, slamming the door behind him.

"Oh, Kafei…she really does know, doesn't she?"

Kafei nodded, staring at his hands once more. "I just don't know what to do. I mean…how should I handle this?"

Link grew quiet as well. He had a terrible feeling this would end in him leaving Kafei forever. And he was almost one hundred percent sure he didn't have the strength for that, not again. But...if it were the best thing for Kafei...

"Look Kafei," he said, turning his body towards the other man, "we'll figure this out, okay? Everything will turn out for the best, I promise. Even if I…" he took a deep breath, "even if I have to leave."

Kafei inhaled sharply and turned to Link. "No. You're not leaving. I won't let you."

"Kafei, Anju is carrying your child. She is ultimately more important than me now. This, us, we cannot allow it to interrupt the love you must have for her. I mean, this was just a fling all those years back. We should've let go. Especially when we knew we met the women we planned on marrying." Link tried desperately to hide the pain from his voice and eyes.

Kafei shook his head. "Link, I know what you're doing and you can stop right now. I'm telling you, you're not leaving, not because of this. She is no more important than you. And…this" (he gestured between himself and Link) "is not just some fling. If it was Link, I would've been able to leave it behind all those years ago. But I couldn't. I was miserable without you. I hadn't smiled a real smile in years. And then you came back and I don't think I've ever been happier.

"And Link, you know that if things had been any different, the circumstances, I mean, I would've left Anju immediately for you. But as I said before, you had such a life to live and I couldn't bring myself to be that selfish and hold you back. And…by the way you just relinquished our affection to help me that night, I thought perhaps you didn't want me anymore."

Link started. "Kafei…are you mad? Do you not remember the fit I practically threw when you wanted me to help you with Anju? Could you not see the misery it caused, the way I begged for you to change your mind? I mean…you were there! And I tried to get you to come with me. I told you all about Hyrule and how the people would accept us no matter what. It couldn't have been clearer just how much I wanted you."

"I know. And I realized that, only it was too late. I told you this earlier. Look…there's nothing we can do about the past. We need to think about now. How are we going to deal with Anju? I mean, I guess she doesn't technically know that we're together, just has a pretty good inkling. And if she sees us together like this, she'll definitely know. So what do you presume –"

Both men started as they heard the sound of Anju's shoes on the stairs. Quick as a flash Link rushed from Kafei's room into his own before hearing Anju's footsteps outside his room. But instead of passing it she stopped. Link held his breath, thinking maybe she heard or saw him rushing back. A faint "knock, knock" was heard and he cursed silently. He ripped his ribbon out and tousled his hair a bit, trying to make it look like he had just woken up.

He walked over to the door and opened it. "Oh, Anju. Good morning."

She smiled (obviously forced). "Good morning to you too, Link. I was wondering, might I have a word?"

Link bit back a sigh and moved out of the doorway. "Of course, please come in."

Anju frowned. "Actually, I was thinking we could perhaps talk downstairs. It's rather important and I'd like us not to be overheard."

"Sure, I'll be down momentarily."

"Good. I'll be waiting in the lounge. It's beside the kitchen, my grandmother's old room." Anju turned and briskly walked away.

He shut the door and walked over to his bed, plopping on it. He was going to have to leave now. Anju was going to force him out of Clock Town, even if she had to send the guards after him. He sighed and steeled himself for the conversation as he opened the door. "Kafei!" he gasped. Kafei had been standing directly outside the door. "What were you doing just standing there?"

"I'm sorry I startled you," Kafei said. "I need to know what Anju wanted."

"Oh…she said she wanted to talk to me, that's all. So I'm going to talk to her."

Kafei nodded after a moment. "Want me to go with you?"

Link thought about that a moment and shook his head. "No, it would be best if I went alone. I'm sure this is going to be her asking me if we're together or something similar. But don't worry; I'll be as discrete as I can. But don't expect me to lie."

"You never do, Link," Kafei replied, leaning forward and kissing him gently. "Good luck. May I know what you talked about when you get back?"

"Of course." Link squeezed Kafei's hand. "Be back in a bit I suppose."