Two chapters in two days? What is this madness?

~Chapter Ten~

Dark sat in his hanging basket seat, staring at the TV but not really watching. He was dressed for the day, minus shoes and a coat, but now had nowhere to go. He'd gone down to work, despite it being a day the shop was normally closed, but Link had been there waiting for him.

"Aren't you supposed to be in class?" he'd grumbled when he found his blonde counter part sitting out front.

Link smiled up at him, the picture of pleasantry. "Finals start today, so class starts later. Give me your keys," he said, holding out an open palm.

Dark held the keys behind his back defensively. "Why?"

"Because you're not supposed to be here today. There's nothing for you to do, we have enough potions. So go home. You need a day off." For a moment Dark considered say no, but then Link pulled the manager card. "You said I'm supposed to manage you, so that's what I'm doing. Come on," he said, pushing his hand out a little further.

He made a frustrated noise in the back of his throat, barely resisting the urge to stomp his foot, but handed over the keys anyway. Link fiddled around and removed the shop key before handing them back. "I'll come over tonight to give it back. We'll talk then."

Dark had agreed and they parted ways, and now Dark was in his basket, one leg folded under and the other hanging down so he could push himself back and forth. He was trying to think of something to do with his day, but it really was shocking how few hobbies he had. His work had turned into his hobby, or vice versa. And his days off normally matched up with Ganon's, so he managed to keep busy. Did sex count as a hobby?

Eventually he picked a program to watch that would be distracting enough and moved to the couch. It was one of those educational shows that didn't really teach you anything but had a lot of cool computer animated dinosaurs eating each other.

He was laying on his stomach, smiling because a pterodactyl had tried to steal an egg and gotten attacked by a t-rex, when there was a knock at the front door. He frowned and pushed himself up enough to grab his phone and check the time. It was just before noon, and there was only one person he could think of that would be knocking on his door in the middle of the day.

So he pushed himself off the couch, flipping over and thudding to the ground on his butt before standing up properly. He checked the peephole and found he'd guessed correctly, then put on a deliberately impatient face and answered the door. "What?" he asked, sure to emphasize the lack of enthusiasm he felt. Ganondorf scoffed and pushed past him without saying anything, going to sit on the couch. Dark gave him an indignant look. "No, please, come in. Make yourself at home," he snapped, closing the door with a sharp flick of the wrist. "What the hell do you want?"

Ganon was staring at the television, watching the dinosaur show. "You watch these things?"

Dark ignored the attempt at casual conversation. "Yeah, I do. Now what do you want?"

Ganon groaned and leaned forward on the couch, running fingers through wavy red hair before putting his elbows on his knees and resting his cheek on his palm. His expression wasn't entirely pleased. "This is stupid, you know," he stated. Dark glanced at the TV, but the other continued. "Not the show, this fighting, the misunderstandings. These things that seem to be standard with dating these days. I don't like any of it. In fact, I fucking hate it. Its why I only go for the sex. I don't get why everything has to be so damn dramatic anymore."

Dark glared at him, arms crossed tightly across his chest. "You do realize you brought up this dramatic shit right? I was fine with letting everything lie. You weren't."

The red head almost looked pained by the observation. "I know."

"So why'd you have to poke holes?"

"I don't know. I hadn't gotten enough sleep and wasn't thinking straight?"

Dark made a small scoffing noise. "So what, for you not thinking straight equates to acting like a caring person?"

"Apparently," he huffed. "I seem to care, at least subconsciously."

Dark rolled his eyes."I have a hard time believing that. It took you, what, five days to start dating someone new, maybe less. That just screams caring doesn't it?"

Ganon's temper flared suddenly and he stood, no longer trying to act casual. "Okay, we need to get something straight here. We're either dating or we're not. You can't be my fuck buddy in one breath and a jealous boyfriend in the next. Either you answer me when I ask you what's wrong, or I'm allowed to date whoever the hell I want without you getting pissy. You can't have both Dark."

"I think you're forgetting a third option," he snapped, already volatile mood elevated by the other man's anger.

"Enlighten me then," Ganon snapped.

"I can be nothing."

For an impossibly long moment red and gold eyes weighed one another, both trying to see past whatever anger and grasp at something more. But in the end Ganon looked away, taking a deep breath through his nose. "I don't know what I want, but I know that's not it."

Dark was finally exhausted. "Then I don't know what to do here. The problem lies with you. How I act depends on what we are, and I can go either way. So decide what it is you want, and get back to me when you finally do."

With that Dark walked around the statuesque Gerudo and to his room. Ganon spoke just before he managed to close the door though. "By the way, Nabooru and I, we only pretend to date to keep our parents happy. She likes girls, and I like guys. We're just friends. You never really gave me a chance to explain that."

He nodded. He'd known for a while that Ganon wasn't out to his family, it was part of the reason they kept things toned down publicly. But the knowledge didn't help. His chest still ached. "Its good to know, but it doesn't really change anything." The door closed behind him with a soft click.

Ganon sighed into the empty living room. "I know it doesn't."

Author's Note: I'm nearly done with chapter eleven, just to give you guys a heads up. And its nice and fluffy happy, unlike these last two bits. Not to mention its LinkxSheik focused. I've been on a freaking roll the last week. But I don't want to post it terribly soon, because I'm hoping to get a chapter or two ahead. However, a nice review or two might change my mind about that. This has been a-not-so-subtle-hint.