AN: I know, I know, it's been a long time but this was a very difficult chapter for me to do and I have no idea why. But it's done. I also have 9 pages of the next chapter done so that will be out very very soon. Review and let me know that you haven't all abandoned me! And! Fair warning to anyone who doesn't want to see it, there is sex in this chapter. Which is also why I need reviews, doing a good sex scene ain't easy y'know.
So far, whenever he'd gotten a new mask, Link's first inclination had been to try it out. After all, one couldn't use a tool effectively unless they knew how it worked. Never mind the fact that it was an opportunity to play with a new toy, no, it was all business. Really.
There had been one exception to this rule and that had been the Great Fairy's Mask, partially due to the fact that there hadn't been any fairies to collect and partly because he knew that putting on that mask would make him look like a complete moron.
Still, Link could feel the latent power resonating within the wood as he slowly lifted the mask to his face. At first it just felt sticky, as though the rough wood wanted to adhere to his face. The magic spread, covering his body and expanding it. His insides swelled to the point of bursting out of his skin.
Link couldn't remember if he screamed or not, and all he could see in his mind was his stomach tearing open and spewing blood across the cave. Then it was over and instead of blood dripping down his front he felt rock; hard solid rock. And it wasn't just hard, it was round too. "Ugh... I feel fat," he groaned in a deep gravelly voice, stumbling around as his mind tried to get used to this new, unfamiliar body. One misstep and he stumbled into stone pillar in the middle of the room. The impact knocked the rock out of the way revealing a grate underneath that flooded the shallow domed floor with steaming hot water.
Back pressed against a wall, Dark witnessed both the transformation and the blood curdling scream that preceded it, as well as having his partner replaced with what looked like a rough statue of a Goron hewn of jagged bits of rock. A shell of earthen spikes covered his outer carapace while a mane of white hair and a spiky beard of the same color hung down towards his distended stomach. "Well... if it makes you feel any better, you are fat," Dark offered, though it didn't make the situation any less unpleasant for the new Goron. "And what's with the water?"
Standing silent for a moment, Link listened to the fading voice of Darmani in his head offer a few tips for using this new body, some things to know about the mountains as well as an idea of the foe that awaited them. "Apparently… there is a hot spring here," Link answered, then immediately covered his mouth, silently horrified that that low, gravelly voice was his
Tapping his chin for a few moments, Link dug the glass bottle that he'd gotten from the witches, Koume and Kotake. There wasn't anything in it but even had it held red potion, he'd have given it a second thought to dumping it out to bring hot water with. The thought of going out and facing the possibility of frostbite was not one the Hero particularly wanted to dwell on, especially knowing that, in the end, he'd never give up a precious potion for some simple water no matter how much he'd prefer the warmth. The fates had taught well the lesson that anything that could go wrong would go wrong. They'd also shown on several occasions that if he anticipated something to go wrong and planned to prevent it, that something totally unforeseen (and worse than what he'd planned for) would happen instead.
Fortunately, since the bottle was empty, there would be no such debate. Filling the bottle with water and pushing the cork into the opening, he hissed, tossing it between his hands. The heated glass on his freezing fingers made the hot water feel even hotter, scalding the numb flesh for just a few seconds before it disappeared into the pocket of his tunic. The several layers of cloth between the hot glass and his chest made the heat comfortable. Dark just eyed the little game of hot potato with a quiet snort of amusement
It was, of course, only the fact that they were not really in public that allowed the blonde to act in a more carefree way. Not for the first time, Dark reflected on the irony that Link would never do something so silly in the view of other people because it could damage his reputation. But then again... Perhaps the wall he'd built to hide from the rest of the world was slowly starting to come down. The simple blue ring hanging from Link's ear was evidence to that. Besides, he'd slipped a few times and forgotten not to smile, like that day in the rain...
"Ready to go?" Link asked hesitantly, pulling Dark from his daydream. Neither of them really wanted to go back outside but it had to be done. Squaring his shoulders, Dark marched back outside to peer over the edge of the cliff. After having rested in the cave, Link climbed over the edge, gripping the frosted metal bars set into the cliff side. Just three rungs down, Link looked up to see if Dark was following, and indeed he was. His heart nearly stopped as he watched his partner go sailing through the air until gravity got a hold of him, sending him hurtling towards the ground far below. "Dark!"
Link's fingers loosened and he dropped as well, but grabbed back onto the bottom rung of his ladder, moved over to stay on track and dropped another several feet, reaching the ground quickly in a series of short drops while his startled scream continued to rise to the highest icy peaks. He hit the snow running, jumping recklessly across the floating icebergs that made the icy lake traversable.
In the deep mound of snow near the Mountain Smithy lay a hole perfectly shaped like Dark's body. A moment later the indent collapsed in on itself when Dark climbed out in a cloud of fluffy white destruction and one quick shake divested the boy of his festive coating. "That was awesome!" Dark chirped, still hyped on the adrenaline rushing through his veins after the impromptu skydiving session. Grinning was perhaps the worst thing Dark could have done, for the fist smashing into his jaw sent him careening back into the snow pile to make a second human shaped hole.
"What in the names of the Three Golden Goddesses were you thinking!" Link growled, but the upcoming reprimand about his partner's recklessness was cut off but a sharp, resounding crack from the soaring peaks of the Snowhead mountain range. At first it started off as just a small, harmless shower of snow sliding down the slopes, but the boy's eyes widened as they witnessed just how quickly it gained speed and power. "I think it might be smart to-"
"Get the hell out of Dodge," Dark finished helpfully, turning and sprinting back towards Goron Village with the blond at his side. They exited out into the gorge, dashing across the swinging, ice crusted rope bridges, heedless of their surroundings. If the wind had been howling before, now it was in an all out snarl, slashing claws of wind at the boys running for dear life from the ever growing wall of snow rushing down the mountainside. They knew better than to look back but they could hear it coming closer, the deep grinding rumble growing ever louder.
The icy planks, the wind, the howling wolfos right behind them, none of it could be spared any attention. Link only managed to avoid the claws of one such lupine monster only because the red inside its mouth gave it away, giving enough warning to zigzag out of the way. And just when it seemed they'd make it to safety, the ground gave way beneath Link's left foot, his boot punching straight through a shell of snow and ice covering a hole in the ground. The shell of ice, disturbed by the force of his weight shifted sideways, effectively trapping his leg. "Dark!"
Hearing his name, Dark spun around to catch sight of Link's hopeless predicament. He also caught sight of the Wolfos advancing on the downed prey as well as the massive waves of snow rushing down into the ravine with frightening velocity. Rolling his eyes, Dark ran back across the bridge. The wolf already had its paw back, licking its chops hungrily when the heavy weight of Dark's boots impacting the side of its head sent the wolf skidding off the edge of the raised earthen mounds and into the moat-like below. "Link! You ok!"
"No. I'm stuck," he replied, surprisingly calm, considering the merciless avalanche just a moment behind them. "Thank Nayru I didn't have a red potion," he mumbled to himself, popping the cork out of his glass bottle and dumping the steaming water over the icy plate, wincing at the trails of heat running down and scalding his leg while the ice melted. Dark bit his lip nervously as the first bridge exploded, the wooden planks torn to shreds by the riot of a million snowflakes.
But the heat of the water had weakened the center of the slab of ice and a few sharp blows with the hilt of his sword cracked it in half, allowing Link to drop through the hole, vanishing underground with Dark right behind him and just seconds later, the tumultuous cascade of snow sealed the top of the hole over.
No matter how often it happened, a near death experience was always followed by a moment of silence to thank their goddesses as well as catch their breath, presuming of course that there wasn't another life threatening situation waiting right after said near death experience.
Despite the complete lack of light coming in from outside, the underground chamber still shone with a faint, ever present glow that cast flickering shadows, as though invisible torches dotted the walls. Through the faint, dusky atmosphere, a shallow pool of steaming water could be seen out in the middle of the room. The entire chamber lay under the bridged mound above so it wasn't very large. After a quick scan with his magically enhanced vision to ensure there were no hidden threats lurking in the small underground alcove, Link returned to what his train of thought had been before being rudely interrupted by the avalanche.
"You threw yourself off a cliff," Link pointed out coldly, the ice in his tone unaffected by the haze of steam rising off the waters. The run for dear life had tempered his anger somewhat but Dark could still see it smoldering behind those bright blue eyes and just one wrong word would set it alight once more.
"Yeah? And it was fun too. I know what I'm doing. Can't you have faith in me every once in a while?" Dark asked, strolling farther into the cavern, attempting to sound nonchalant.
It was immediately clear that this was the wrong thing to say from the way the other boy's eyes narrowed to dangerously thin lines, "Fun! You could have died and for what, a cheap adrenaline rush? What if something had gone wrong!"
An avalanche wracks the mountain and all Link could do was go into a lecture? Scowling, Dark scuffed his foot against the ground, trying and failing not to look like an insolent child who'd shirked his chores. "Then you play a song and we just have to do some hiking over again, no big deal."
"Sitting back and watching you die is no big deal? It doesn't matter if I can turn back time, it's horrible of you to even suggest such a thing!" Link yelled, fighting back the violent urge to swing another punch. "Need I remind you that I've had to go through that once already?" His voice took on an even harder edge and a thick coating of venom to boot. "I thought I would lose you and it tore me apart... but that doesn't matter to you, does it? I might as well be doing this alone, stuck up here alone in the middle of a blizzard with no food and no help to go combat some ancient evil that I don't even know where it is! In the condition I'm in, I certainly wouldn't make it. Do you want me to be the one to die just so you can get your kicks?
Dark's eyebrows climbed up into his hair. This wasn't like Link to lose his temper. He'd disapprove but to go flying off the handle like that… "What's really goin' on? What's really bothering you?" he asked quietly.
Link sighed, shoulders slumping forward. Maybe the stress was too much. Maybe it had to do with keeping the secret to himself but for some reason, the desire to let his partner in on the truth was not something he could fend off any longer. "I was afraid I'd lose you…"
Slowly, he began to explain what the Owl Sage had told him about the fate of Termina's people as well as the vision he'd had. When he was finished, Dark let off a low whistle, just trying to wrap his head around such a concept; realizing that his own death could be preordained.
"Well…" he began slowly, "First, I shoulda followed my first instinct to shoot that owl down and stuff it for a fireplace trophy.
Link allowed himself a small smile. "Dark, we don't have a fireplace."
Turning around, the boy unbelted his sword and tossed it to the side with a little more venom than necessary. "I will go out and buy us a house with a fireplace just so I can mount that fucking bird on the wall and then taunt it every day afterwards for being dumb enough to piss me off!" More than anything he just wanted to punch someone! Sadly, the only person available to punch at the moment would have been an extremely inappropriate choice, and so he settled for pulling his partner into a nearly crushing embrace.
"So let me get this straight… Not only is the fate of Termina on your shoulders but someone has to die and you have to choose who it is and if you don't, it'll end up being me?" Dark asked incredulously just for clarification and when he received a nod of acknowledgement, sighed. "S'not fair… Why does everyone always expect so much from you? And why didn't you tell me sooner?" He whispered softly, leaning back to look into the deep pools of sadness in Link's eyes. Whenever such a moment arose, it always fascinated him how quickly the blonde could go from being a mighty warrior to a sad, lonely boy looking for some small light of hope in the world.
For several minutes he just stared at the ground, nudging a pebble around with his foot before finally answering, "I guess… I felt like it was my duty to protect you. I'm the only one who can and ever since I met you, I've always felt… I don't know… responsible for you, "he ended, feeling pathetic.
Much as he wanted to say something to lighten the mood, the idea of his almost inexorably drawing closer to death was enough to somber even Dark's usually cheery demeanor. "Well… do you have a plan or something? Just tell me what you need and I'll follow you to the ends of the earth," he stated, voice calm and full of the surety that Link had come to count on when he couldn't find any of his own.
Staring into those deep red eyes and seeing the earnestness glowing behind them, the hesitancy and the obsessive need to rationalize everything simply faded away. Without the tension to hold him together, Link slumped back down into Dark's arms, feeling both vulnerable from the burden of his quest and protected in Dark's arms. "Just… don't scare me like that again."
Not for the first time, Dark felt like kicking himself. To see his partner bowed beneath the weight of his own responsibilities and knowing that this was all because of him had the shadow feeling pretty low. "I'm sorry… All this 'saving the world' crap, we've been here and done this all before. I knew it was hard on you but I didn't stop to think about that. Sorry… I guess I've been a pretty crummy partner, huh?"
"No, not at all, I just worry. I don't know what I'm going to do yet but I won't let you die. I like you too much for that," he added, a small smile gracing his face and that was all it took to ignite a beaming grin on Dark's. Those words were all it took to haul Dark's spirits back up to soaring heights.
For Link, though he could hide it with a smile, his feelings refused to be so cooperative. A feeling of dense apathy spread through the blond's chest as the implication behind Dark's last words sunk in. 'After everything he's done for me, he thinks he's not a good partner? What have I done?' Not for the first time, Link couldn't help but feel that he hadn't been treating Dark right. In spite of that, there were some things that he still just couldn't get past. 'This is Dark… My faithful partner, always standing at my side. I know I can count on him for anything so… what am I so afraid of?"
For that question, there was no answer. There never had been, at least not one that Link could find. "Link? What's wrong?" Dark asked, leaning forward. Link had been just sitting there, staring off into space for several minutes with a very serious look on his face. "What're you thinkin' about?"
Link took a slow, deep breath. "I'm thinking that I haven't been treating you well. I know I'm attracted to you and I know that I love you but I still..." He paused, looking for the right words. "I still have a hard time seeing you as more than a partner, even though I want to. I've decided though… this needs to stop. It's not enough for me just to save you, you deserve to be happy. You deserve better than what I've given you. That's why… I want to be the kind of boyfriend you can be proud of. I want to make you happy," he stated quietly, averting his eyes and cursing his inability to hold back a blush.
Shaking his head, Dark smiled again. It was the rare kind of moment that he didn't want to ruin with words, so he just settled for pulling his partner in for another hug. It was something he'd gotten used to doing when he needed some kind of attention because hugs at least didn't make the other boy get skittish.
Pausing, Link counted down the hours left until moon fall as nearly as he could estimate it, making sure that the timing was right, as well as mentally steadying himself for what he was about to do. "Well, as long as we're here, might as well make use of this conveniently placed spring," Link stated, shrugging off his over shirt and kicking off his boots, making Dark chuckle at the oh-so-typical behavior. As soon as the touching, heartfelt moment was over, it was back to work with no time wasted; Which was frustrating because time was one of the few luxuries they had in abundance (or so he thought). Still, Link was taking clothes off which was never a bad thing, except for one thing. "Hey, you're bleeding…"
Frowning, Link looked himself over a few times before finding the injury; several gashes marking the back of his right calf left trails of blood leaking down his foot. "How strange, I don't even feel it," he murmured, dropping his belt and stripping down to the dark green shorts he wore beneath his tunic. Fortunately, the ground was warm against his bare feet, though the rough, sometimes jagged stone kept him from walking too fast to the water's edge where the ground smoothed out. He settled down to wash the blood off his leg, soon finding that the wound looked worse than it actually was.
"You alright?" Dark asked, in the middle of undressing himself when he heard a surprised hiss.
"Yeah… the water is just a little hot," Link mumbled, trying not to look up when he caught himself, 'Alright, this is it…"
A moment later, Dark sat down beside him in a similar state of undress, though in his signature color. No sooner did he sit down then Link's lips were on his neck, nipping down towards his collarbone. The unexpected attention pulled a surprised moan from the pale teen. "Nnh… I thought you were… mad at me."
Link considered his answer quietly for a moment, then pointed towards the far wall. "Do you see people over there?"
Of course, aside from the two Hylians, the room was devoid of occupants, leaving Dark understandably confused. At first he thought that maybe Link was talking about some ghosts or perhaps invisible people that he wouldn't be able to see without the Lens of Truth. "Uhm… No? What people?"
"Exactly, there aren't any." Dark tilted his head to the side, prompting further explanation. "We're safe and no one is in danger. I believe I made you a deal under these conditions. I suppose I am still a little upset with you but you know why now and won't be doing anything reckless like that again… right?"
"Right."
"And I need you," Link continued, "I can't do this on my own so holding a grudge would be childish of me. I'd forgive you eventually anyways," he added with a shrug. "In the meantime, I realized that I haven't been a very good boyfriend and I might not have another chance to fix that. From here on, we fight with no regrets."
Biting his lip, Dark couldn't decide whether he was grinning more about Link's upturn in outlook or the fact that he was probably going to be getting laid within the next few minutes. In the end, getting laid won out.
Scooting up next to his partner, Dark twined his fingers through Link's hair, leaning in to catch his lips in a kiss. Responding with enthusiasm, the blond leaned back into the steaming shallows, gently sucking Dark's bottom lip into his mouth, trailing his tongue along the outside. 'It's warm,' he reflected, vaguely noting how he kind of enjoyed the taste of Dark's flesh. It was the only flavor he could put his tongue on (figuratively speaking).
One of Dark's calloused hands sliding down the front of his shorts put an end to any thinking that might have happened. Moaning quietly, he leaned back, letting his final article of clothing be stripped away leaving himself exposed to the steamy air and his lover's gaze. He was only at half mast but the rough calluses moving slowly over his sensitive flesh had him very quickly hardening. "Ahn… Yes…"
As soon as he was fully hard, Dark was on top of him, rubbing his clothed hips down and letting Link feel the hardness resting inside grinding against his own. A trail of heated kisses blazed its way from his chest up to his neck where a rough and very sexy whisper ordered him, "Roll over. Face down, ass up.
Rolling over onto his hands and knees, Link cast a smoldering glance over his shoulder. Of course, it was just an act. In reality, the boy had no such confidence, but Dark wanted this… and now that they were here, Link couldn't help but find it kind of thrilling. Bowing his head, the boy shut his eyes as a pair of warm, wet hands rubbed over his ass, gently pulling to reveal his hole. 'I hope this doesn't hurt too much,' he found himself thinking.
Of course he was expecting something to push into his body, but Dark's slick tongue wasn't it. The hot muscle worming its way deeper and deeper inside had him biting back moans. Pulling back, Dark kicked his shorts off, spitting into a hand and giving himself a few good strokes to slick his hardened length. "You're being too quiet," Dark stated, pressing two of his fingers against his partner's entrance and pushing them inside. "You gotta tell me what you like, hun. Does it feel good?"
Biting his lip, the other boy tried to relax his muscles as the fingers dragged in and out of him. "I-It's… It feels… interesting," he stammered, almost surprised to find the tingling sensations in his stomach making his cock twitch. Dark's fingers scissored apart a few times then pulled out, leaving his hand free to swing. The harsh slap against his ass made Link yelp and glare over his shoulder.
Setting his hard cock in position, Dark flashed a grin. "I asked if it feels good," he pointed out and pushed himself forward.
"Auuhh! Slow down," the blond gasped, tensing his muscles against the invading body.
Pushing himself up, Dark laid himself across Link's back to hug him from behind. "Relax… It is gonna hurt for a little while. Spit ain't exactly the best lube y'know," Dark murmured, sliding a hand down to start jerking the blond's dick. Slowly, Link started to relax, moaning and bucking into Dark's hand while Dark continued to push forward until he sat fully sheathed in warm, tight muscle. For a moment, he just waited, letting his partner adjust. "I'm gonna move now."
"Alright, just be –Nngh!" he gasped, choking on his words as Dark pulled halfway out and immediately pushed back in.
"You alright?" Dark asked, leaning down to press light kisses against Link's neck. Of course he hadn't thought that Link would want it rough. He expected Link to want it slow and gentle, which is why he was completely surprised with the response.
"That was good… harder!" he growled through grit teeth. Grinning, Dark pulled his hips back and thrust forward again, pulling another moan from the blond, giving him the go ahead to start moving in earnest.
Link pushed himself back to meet every thrust, panting, dripping sweat and moaning loudly. If he'd had any presence of mind, he might have been embarrassed but at the moment he couldn't summon the will to care. "Nhh, more! It hurts but it feels so good!" he gasped, feeling the raging heat in his belly, the steamy water frothing and swirling around his thighs and the hard cock pounding into his ass. It hadn't been too long but already his cock was hard, aching and leaking precum.
Up on top, Dark was having just as much fun, giving Link's hair a rough tug as he thrust harder. He never would have imagined his serious hero to be such a wild bottom but the boy's ass had greedily swallowed all of Dark's seven and a half inches while the blond begged for more. "Uhn… Fuck, you feel so good," Dark groaned, his balls tightening as they slapped against the blond's ass. "Not gonna last too long," he panted out, tightening his grip on Link's cock.
With the combination of his blushing, the physical activity and the hot water, Link's entire body was glowing red."Nhh… do it… fuck me harder!"
Hearing that, Dark actually slowed down, incredulous. Link had never been one to swear. But if he was… Flashing a mischievous grin, Dark pushed himself up, gripping Link's shoulders. "Wow, someone's quite the cockslut. If you want my cum, you'll have to ask nicely for it," Dark purred, pulling back to again slap the other boy's ass.
"Nngh! Please Dark… Please, fuck me harder. I'm so close!"
"Tell me you like it. Tell me you're my cockslut." Dark whispered, leaning in to bite gently at Link's ear.
"Wha… D-Do I really have…" Link stammered, blushing harder.
"Yes."
Link bit his lip, wondering if he was really ready to sacrifice his dignity like that. The raging hardon between his legs said yes. Sighing, he closed his eyes and gave up the last ofhis dignity. "Please finish pounding me. I'm your… cockslut… and I need your dick!"
"That's better." Fingers dug into Link's hips, holding him still as Dark slammed himself back into Link's body, using short, hard thrusts that were very quickly getting him off. Panting heavily, the blond grabbed his own cock, quickly jerking himself off until he just couldn't take it anymore.
Groaning, Dark lunged forward, sinking his teeth into Link's shoulder as the boy's muscles clamped down, practically ripping the orgasm from his body. Throwing his head back as a trail of blood ran down his shoulder, the blond finally got his release, shooting off his cum even as his partner flooded his ass with it.
Finally, with their adrenaline spent, the pair collapsed in the shallows of the water.
"So... Whatcha think?" Dark asked, pulled his sweat drenched bangs out of his face.
"It was... hot."
For the next ten minutes, they just lay there in the water, cuddled together to enjoy the heat, the companionship and the warmth of the afterglow. Sadly, the peace couldn't last.
A powerful rumbling shook the earth, showering the underground cavern with dust and pebbles. "That doesn't sound good," Dark noted, moving to sit up, but a hand on his chest pulled him back down.
"Don't worry. It's only the moon falling," Link mumbled, both the steamy heat of the hot spring and the recent climax making him sound sleepy. Of course he was tired, sex was exhausting! All the long wanted to do was pass out but, as always, duty called and she couldn't be ignored.
Off to the left, Dark propped himself up on his elbow to give his boyfriend a suspicious look. "What's up with that, huh? How come you're not being all uptight about the moon falling? You should be spazzing about how we have work to do."
"Because," Link replied though a yawn," I've been keeping track of the time. I knew the moon would be getting close soon while we were here. I highly doubt we could find and complete the Snowhead Temple in less than half an hour. Besides… I think this was important for us. I wanted to show you that I am trying." Pausing for a moment, he flashed a mischievous grin, something that was rarely seen on the boy's usually innocent face. "Also, this way, when I reset time, I'll actually be useful tomorrow. If we weren't going to die, I doubt I'd be doing much walking tomorrow, no thanks to you."
Dark's eyebrows rose in amazement, "Jeez, you really thought of everything. Hey wait a minute, I was fine with walking when you topped."
"That's because I was gentle with you," Link shot back, his face heating up, partially because not only having sex but discussing it afterwards just seemed… so embarrassing. The comment earned him a lecherous leer.
"Oh c'mon, you know you liked it. I mean, if you're asking for me to go harder, what am I supposed to do, say no?"
"Not leave bruises," Link muttered, and Dark laughed, rubbing one of the dark circles forming on his neck.
"Like these?"
"Yes, like those… and… lower…"
Smirking, Dark rubbed the back of his head, "I think you left some bruises on me when you topped."
Link shut his eyes, trying to hide the redness that threatened to engulf his entire face, "Th-that's different!"
Dark chuckled and got to his feet to head over and rifle through Link's pockets. Link couldn't help but stare. Much as he never would have admitted to staring, the opaque water dripping off Dark's hard toned abs and down his back to his… "Link."
"Yes?" the boy squeaked, glancing up quickly so as not to be caught admiring Dark's body.
"I think we ought to continue this conversation three days ago," he suggested, handing over the Ocarina of Time. Of course was in the last pocket he'd checked. Why wouldn't it make itself easy to locate? It wasn't like the fate of the world depended on it or anything. The sound of the Song of Time cut off his mildly irritated speculations of there being some malicious divine being whose sole purpose was to spread frustration, pulling them back to the dawn of the first day.