Author's notes: Thanks for all of your reviews, everyone.

"Silhouette"
Theme: #20 - the road home
Rating: M
Summary: Dark gets knighted. Then he gets something else.

There aren't many people here -- a few higher-ranking knights, a couple of priests, the princess, Link, and me. One of the knights is sharing the story of how I saved the princess' life a couple of days ago. Yeah, well, maybe I did, but it was luck. Besides, Link was there, so even if things hadn't happened so perfectly, he would've stopped the man with the knife. Not to mention the question I want answered: if the guards were supposed to be checking on all those allowed into the castle and Council chambers, how did someone get a knife past them?

Then again, I'm expecting Hyrule Castle guards to be competent. Yeah, Link gives them the benefit of the doubt, because there were plenty of people there. Like that would matter if the princess got hurt.

I rock my shoulders back just to move. Can we all just stop talking and get this over with now?

"Will anyone else testify why this man deserves to be granted this title?" Zelda asks.

No. Knight me. I want out of this room.

"I shall," Link says softly. He stands on the dais, barely out of Zelda's reach. "He helped wage the war against Ganondorf."

Thanks a lot, Link. I shift my gaze from the carpet to him and narrow my eyes. Why tell her something she already knows? He stares back at me and smiles faintly.

Zelda moves, taking a sword that one of the priests offers and drawing it. This is like the night at the Temple, only this time, I'm the one without a sword. She points the sword at my chest.

And I wish I'd paid more attention to the ceremony when Link got knighted. Did she point a sword at him, or is this just an excuse to threaten me? Or maybe it's some kind of payback for when I did this to her. No, this must be something normal; Link looks calm.

Normal or not, I don't have to like it. I raise my head and meet Zelda's gaze, challenging her with my eyes. Stab me. Cut me. A little higher, and you can slit my throat, Princess.

She challenges me back, giving me an amused look. I get the meaning; she's daring me to move, to snatch at the sword. I hope she realizes how lucky she is that she's the one holding the sword; there are only about two people I'm willing to tolerate pointing swords at me.

The sword presses gently against my chest, just hard enough to get my attention. I narrow my eyes at her. What is it now?

She gives me a little smile before speaking. "'Tis better to throw yourself upon this blade than to swear an empty oath before the Goddesses." Pretty words. "With that in mind, do you swear your life in service and defense of Hyrule?"

"After everything that's happened, you have to ask?" I reply. Really, my answer should be obvious.

Zelda gives me a stern look; I hear Link sigh. What? She asked; I answered. No one said anything about having to repeat some special phrase.

"Do you swear?" she repeats.

Damned stupid ceremony! Fine, fine; I'll play along. I want this over with already.

"I swear."

Zelda nods and raises the sword. She taps it against one of my shoulders and then the other, and then she holds the sword out to me with both hands. "Rise, Sir Dark of Hyrule."

Finally! I climb to my feet before reaching out and taking the sword she offers. It's a well-made sword, but I'm not surprised. Link probably picked it out; it looks a lot like the one he carries. I slide it into the empty sheath on my hip, wishing I could wear it across my back.

"So, is that it? Can I go now?"

Zelda smiles at me. "Yes, we are finished."

Well, then, if that's true... "Anything else you need me to do?"

"Not today. I don't believe I will need additional guard this evening." She gives me a look that says she knows why I'm asking. Now if she'd just teach Link that trick.

Wait, what is she talking about? "Are you saying I'm supposed to guard you?"

"Is that a problem?"

"Well, you know... it would be nice if you asked me instead of deciding for me."

"Dark..." Link sighs.

I yank the tie out of my hair; I like it loose. "Don't start, you. Did she ask you if you wanted to be her personal guard?"

Link looks at me and raises an eyebrow. "No, but I am more than willing to do so, if that is what she wishes."

I groan. Why did I even ask? Of course he isn't complaining. He never does. He'll do damned near anything she asks him to do.

Zelda giggles.

"Okay, I'm going to pretend I didn't ask that," I say, crossing my arms. "Anyway, Princess, wouldn't it be nice to ask if I'm willing to do whatever task it is you expect me to perform?"

"Very well," she replies. "Would you be willing to serve as a member of my personal guard, Sir Dark?"

I could say no. Maybe I should. I can; I haven't sworn anything to her, only to Hyrule. Then again, Link's one of her guard, so he's going to be staying near her... damn it. I'm not so much getting to choose between serving her or not; the real choice is between working with Link and working away from him.

"Dark, I don't require an answer right now," Zelda says. "The three of us can discuss this tomorrow. I do not mean to pressure you, but I would be honored to have the two of you as members of my personal guard. Yet, I realize that you no doubt have your own plans for Hyrule's defense, and I trust your judgment. I shall see you two tomorrow, then?"

"Aye, Princess," Link says.

I grab his arm and pull him out into the hallway and around the first corner I see. "What was that about?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why would she ask me something like that?"

Link shrugs. "I'm not her; I wouldn't know."

"Okay, let me ask you something you would know: if you're a member of her personal guard, shouldn't you be escorting her back to her quarters?"

"I would gladly escort her if she wished, but I'm not a member of her personal guard, Dark. I'm merely a friend."

"You're not?" But didn't Zelda just say he was?

He shakes his head. "No, I'm not. She has mentioned it before, but she knows that I would much rather be free to go where I wish instead of being trapped in one place."

Well, that makes things more interesting, doesn't it? I suppose this is what she wants to talk about tomorrow. Fine. It can wait until tomorrow. I stretch and look down at my coat.

"So, then... we've got the rest of the evening free, it seems."

"So it seems," Link replies.

I reach over and yank the tie out of his hair, then hold it up. "How about we get out of these hot uniforms?"

He gives me a flat look. "Must everything revolve around being naked?"

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

He starts to say something, but then he turns and starts walking down the hall. I follow. For the most part, the guards we pass ignore us. Why should they pay attention? We're clearly both knights; we're not causing trouble. At least, not the kind of trouble the guards are keeping an eye out for.

Once we get inside our quarters, I take off my belt; I just can't get used to having the weight on my hip. Link watches me as I set the sheath and belt down on the desk. I wait to see if he says anything, but he stays silent. So I decide that I've spent long enough in this hot and stuffy uniform for today and take it off. Then I put my surcoat back on.

Ah, good; mine feels the same way Link's does. I walk over to the bed and lay down. Much better.

"What are you doing?"

"Making myself comfortable," I reply, grinning.

Link shakes his head. "What is it about being naked that you enjoy so much?"

"It's comfy. And I'm not naked right now. See?"

"A surcoat hardly counts as clothing, Dark."

"Hey, I don't have to be very dressed to not be naked, now do I? Are we going to spend the entire evening arguing over whether or not I'm naked?" Details, details.

He looks like he doesn't know what to say. I'm got him flustered. I stretch out, closing my eyes. I'm already so much cooler.

"Mayhap I should just let you sleep; you look rather tired."

"I'm not. I'm just bored."

"It seems you are easily bored most days."

"Well, can you blame me? We stay around this castle and nothing ever happens."

He sighs. "There are many things that happen here, Dark. They may not interest you, but they still happen."

"Okay, then, nothing interesting ever happens." I wave a hand in the air. "You go around doing your knightly duties, and I get to sit around and 'stay out of trouble'."

"Dark..."

I sit up and glare at him. "What?"

Link shakes his head and walks over to the window. "I cannot guarantee that things will improve now."

So? Now I'm a knight, too, so I can go anywhere Link goes.

"I would think that you would be in a slightly better mood," he continues. "Being knighted is a great honor, and yet you sit in here complaining about being bored."

"You know how I feel about ceremony," I reply.

He nods. "To be honest, Dark... I am surprised you consented."

"Yeah, well... I've been doing a knight's work for as long as I've known you. I think it's about time I get some of the reward for it."

"I suppose you're right."

He turns around to look at me. The moonlight streaming in through the window gleams off his golden hair and white coat, casting dark shadows over his face. I can see through the shadows just fine, which is how I see the odd look -- possessive, predatory, everything that Link normally isn't -- flash across his face for an instant.

And that's when I notice that he's not wearing anything besides his surcoat.

I grin. "I thought a surcoat hardly counted as clothing?"

"That is true; I don't require much clothing right now."

"Oh?" I lean forward. "And what are you doing that requires so little clothing?"

"I am no more or less dressed than you are, so I presume we're doing the same thing." The strange grin crosses his face again. Does he think I can't see him?

I flop back down onto my back. "I'm just trying to get some rest," I say.

"Very well; if all you wish to do is rest..."

I grit my teeth. Nayru, he shouldn't be this damned naive anymore, should he? I sit up; he's leaning against the windowsill watching me while playing with the embroidery on his coat.

I give up and lay back down. He's too flustered to do much of anything right now.

Or maybe he's not. I hear him moving around, then I feel him climb onto the bed with me. Is he laying down? No; he's moving too much for that. He takes a deep breath and then another.

I'm about to ask him what he thinks he's doing when I feel something pulling up the bottom of my coat. The air is cool but not cold against my skin. I fight the urge to open my eyes.

"What are you doing?"

No answer. He's leaning in close; I can feel the warmth of his body. He takes another deep breath --

-- and wet warmth wraps itself around my cock. I hiss in surprise.

The warmth moves away. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine!" I can't believe he just did that.

I wait, expecting him to take me back into his mouth. But he doesn't. Instead, he starts licking me, running his tongue up and down and around my cock.

I raise my head and look down at him. I can't see much, just his hair gleaming gold in the moonlight and his closed eyes. No, they're not closed; they're barely open. He's -- damn, how does he know what to do? His tongue keeps moving, pressing harder then gentler, over and around.

And then he stops. He doesn't move away; he's just staring down at my cock like he's waiting for it to do something.

"I hope you don't think you're done," I hiss, trying to ignore the way his hot breath tickles against me.

Link looks up at me and then back down. "I'm merely thinking."

No, I think. He isn't thinking; he's stalling. I swear he likes seeing me hard.

He leans back down, reaching up to pull the edge of my coat down over his head. That's not very fair. What if I want to see him?

And then he starts using his tongue again, and it's hard to think. Up and around and down, and he's caressing my balls and -- damn, this is good. And the whole time, all I can see is the fabric moving with his breathing, up and down.

He's probably got his eyes closed, doing what he's doing by feel. I don't know; my thoughts are all jumbling up because that tongue of his feels good. I reach down and bury my hands in fabric and the hair I can feel beneath it.

He takes my cock into his mouth and starts sucking gently, flicking his tongue against the tip. For a moment, all I can feel is his tongue. All I can see is my hands against my coat, dark on light.

I grip the coat and his hair tighter, and I come.

Then I fall back against the bed and stare up at the ceiling while I catch my breath.

"Are you all right?" Link asks; he's sitting next to me now, watching.

"Let me do that to you, and then you can tell me." I grin. "Now where'd you learn that little trick?"

He looks embarrassed. "I... ah... just thought of it."

Oh, really? I'm supposed to believe that Link actually came up with that himself. I don't, but I guess if he's too embarrassed to say who told him about that, I won't force him. Right now, anyway.

I stand up slowly and stretch. Ah, I feel pretty good now. "So, what do you have planned now?"

"Ah... nothing."

"Nothing at all?" I chuckle. "That's shortsighted of you."

"I wasn't certain what you would think," he says softly. When I turn around, he's picking at the embroidery again. He's trying to come up with a real answer, but he doesn't have the slightest clue what to say.

I grin. "Then I take it that it's my turn?"

He takes a deep breath. "I suppose it is."

I laugh and walk around the bed, leaning in towards him. "All right, then... Let's see what you think of this..." I slide his surcoat up and kneel down.

"Dark, what are you --?" His breath seems to catch in his throat as I take his cock into my mouth.

He was gentle and teasing; I'm teasing, but not as gentle. He moans my name and grips the blanket. I can see enough of him to see his face, one eye closed, the other narrow; his barely-open mouth forms words I don't hear.

I don't stop. I just stare at him while I keep moving my tongue and my lips. At some point, he leans forward and grabs my head with one hand, pulling at my hair. I use that as an excuse to suck a little harder. He moans again, and his hand tightens in my hair.

Then he sucks in a loud breath and comes, sighing my name when he's done.

"Are you all right, Link?" I have to ask, wiping my mouth with the back of one hand.

He doesn't say anything. Of course he doesn't -- he's still trying to catch his breath. But he smiles; that's all the answer I need. I sit beside him on the bed and chuckle when he decides to use me as support.

"Should I go close the window?"

He groans. "Don't want to move..."

I don't want to either -- there's something right about the way we are right now. I can hear him breathing. I'm alive; he's alive: he and I, Link and Dark, light and shadow. This is enough. I don't think I even care if we stay in this castle or if we wander Hyrule and beyond until the day we die, as long as I can keep having this.

I fall back against the bed, bringing Link with me. He gasps as we move, but once we stop, he wraps an arm around my waist and makes my shoulder his pillow. His hair is cool, as is his coat. His skin is warm, his breath hot.

This is more than enough.