"So, darling," Arina Harkinian said as she did her makeup for the day. "I didn't really see you last night. How was Revali's party?"

"Darunia's," Zelda corrected, sitting on her parents' bed. She was ready to go, but figured she'd take the opportunity to talk to her mom before she bolted back to work. "It was fine. Nothing… noteworthy."

"Oh, too bad. I knew you were looking forward to it. Was there alcohol there?"

Zelda sighed as she watched her mom reach for the mascara. "If there was, I didn't drink it."

"Good. And you slept well?"

Zelda blushed, grateful that her mother was too preoccupied to notice. She thought of Link's arms around her, of their awkward—though by no means unpleasant—realization that Link had spent the night. She thought of how they'd laughed and ate cereal together before she'd given him back his sweatshirt and the strange feeling she felt when he pulled it back over his head. And though he'd left without staying much later, they'd spent the next several hours on the phone until her parents had both returned, exhausted and heading straight for bed.

But all she did for her mother was nod. "I slept very well."

"Well, that's good at least." She capped her eye makeup and grabbed her lipstick. "Listen, darling, your father and I have to go away for your break next month. We'll both be travelling for work. It's a full week, so I want you to stay with Makeela, or have her come over. Don't stay alone that whole time."

"What?" Zelda balked. "A week? Where are you going? Holodrum?"

Arina glanced guiltily at her daughter in the mirror before returning her attention.

"No, let me come, Mom! I can help! I can sort all of your stuff! I'll clean the hotel room! I'll take you and dad's calls. I can do something. Please, let me come with you if you can't stay!"

"I'm sorry, Zelda. It's a business meeting. We can't take you, no matter how much we want you to come."

"Well, are you at least going to be home more until then?"

Arina set her things down and turned. "Your father and I have very important jobs. We don't get to choose our schedules, you know that. We work when it's convenient for our clients. And our clients are not on the same schedule that we are. I'm so sorry, Zelda. I don't know the answer to that question."

"Fine," Zelda muttered. "Is there anything I can help you with while you're here?"

Arina, admittedly, gave it her best effort. Her forehead crinkled with the focus she was using to try and conjure up some kind of task she could give Zelda. But they'd gotten a new secretary, and Zelda's presence was just unprofessional.

"You… could… do some research here? Find out a little bit about one of our clients for us: Telma's. Big distributer in spirits. Can you do that?"

But Zelda was no child. She knew it was busy work to make her feel better. "Yeah, sure."

"Okay, thank you."

With a heavy sigh, Zelda stood up and leaned on the doorframe. "I'm going to go. Are you going to be here for dinner?"

"Yes, tonight I can be here. I promise."

"Okay. See you then."

And as Zelda sat in her car, she had a terrible feeling that promise would be broken again. But there was little she could do except just go to school, like usual.

She parked beside Link and headed in.

As usual, he was sitting on the ground in front of his locker with a book in his lap. When he saw her, he pulled out one of his earbuds. "Hey."

"Hey," she smiled, opening her locker and shoving most of her things inside. She was feeling a little flirty, and the way Link looked at her usually made her feel it hard. "Sleep well?"

But apparently, Link was feeling it more. "Yeah. But I slept better the night before."

Zelda bit her lip as she watched him smirk, his chest bouncing with restrained laughter. He'd turned red, but she was far worse.

After taking several needed breaths and—since they were at school—trying not to remember waking up in Link's arms yesterday morning, she managed to change the subject. "No Ilia today?"

"She has a headache. She's not coming in."

"Oh, I hope she feels better."

He nodded and watched Zelda pull her textbook for her first class out and tuck it under her arm.

"Link," she said, looking down the hall quickly. "Can I test your resolve?"

"Why?" he asked sheepishly, the question catching him way off guard. "What are you going to do?"

"Can I sit with you?"

He almost seemed somewhat relieved, like he'd been expecting something else. But he looked down the lightly occupied hallway. "You sure?"

"Yes."

He let out a breath and patted the spot beside him. She took it and felt a simultaneous feeling of immense comfort and discomfort at the same time. It was strange to even be near Link at school, let alone sit beside him, their crossed legs touching at the knee.

Link's other leg was bouncing, and Zelda boldly placed her hand on his leg nearest her. "Just breathe, Link."

He flinched at the surprise contact, but hesitantly, his hand moved over hers and he looked at her. She didn't seem appalled or ready to pull away, so he wrapped his fingers around her hand, his thumb resting near her wrist in a way that sent several sparks through them both at the new point of contact.

If ever there was a time Zelda needed to take her own advice, it was now.

She could not breathe.

And when his thumb ran a small pattern over her skin, his eyes on hers the entire time—like he was testing her, or at least gauging her reaction—she thought it was entirely possible she might just pass out from lack of air, dizzy under his attention. Her mouth dropped a bit, surprised by him, and it had Link smirking once again.

"Zelda?" a voice called.

Link pulled his hand back and he reached for his textbook.

"Hi!" Zelda choked, still trying to compose herself.

Mr. Auru was walking by, no express purpose. He looked between the two. "Oh, I didn't know you two were friends. Well, if you're not in my class together causing mayhem like you and Makeela, I wouldn't know, would I?"

"I maintain that we aren't as bad as you think we are."

Link scoffed, and Zelda turned on him, her mouth wide with playful accusation.

"He's right," Mr. Auru laughed. "Link?"

He looked up.

"Are you staying safe?"

Zelda looked between them, figuring Mr. Auru was referring to Link and Revali's near fight.

"I am, Sir."

Mr. Auru grinned. "I always knew there was an extra reason I liked you. Do you know how many students here call me 'sir'? One. Thank you, Sir," he laughed. "Well, you two can keep doing what you were doing. I'll see you both in your classes later."

He headed back down the hall and Zelda glanced at Link, still reeling from him. "What are you listening to today?" she tried, hopeful that the light subject would let her chill out.

"Not the Indigo-Go's, sorry. The Gorman Brothers."

"Are they good?"

"I think you'll like them." He offered her his earbud, which she took. And for a while, they stayed together, just listening as the hallway began to crowd up and eyes began to wander in their direction.

Zelda had anticipated feeling awkward, but the level of discomfort she felt at the prying eyes and hushed whispers had her genuinely squirming. Link too. There were stretches of time where they just made eye contact with each other, a silent conversation about splitting apart or staying together.

But like Zelda had said, this decision had to be made together. And neither of them moved.

"So, this is who you were doing the other night when you left Darunia's party."

Zelda felt Link tense next to her, but Revali's appearance and his words had her on her feet immediately, Link following suit.

"What's it matter to you what I do, Revali? You have never been such an asshole in all the years I've known you."

"When you decided to hang with the wrong people, I started losing respect that you knew what good choices were." Revali's eyes darted to Link. "And you? You've turned her against us. She was a good person with good friends until you came into her life and starting talking shit about us."

Zelda could see Link about to say something, but she grabbed his arm, stopping him. The gesture was not unmissed by Revali, and she knew it.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "I was a good person? Because I didn't want you to kiss me, that's what makes me a bad person? Because you have no control over yourself?"

Revali's eyes darted to Link's, expecting him to have some reaction, but he was disappointed to realize that Link already knew what Revali had tied to do. "Me?" Revali spat. "At least I won't go to juvie if I lose control and hit your new boyfriend. If he hits me, he'll go straight to the big leagues, right? Because he's already got a record."

Zelda turned to Link apologetically. It was the easiest jab, and one that didn't hit hard, but Zelda felt for Link all the same.

He just shook his head dismissively. Taunts against himself were things he'd grown used to. It was hearing them against Zelda that had him fighting back old instincts.

"Scared to let him fight me, Zelda? Ravio was right about you after all, I guess. You are just a coward. I can see why he broke up with you."

Link moved first, but he stopped himself when he saw Zelda taking a quick step forward, and instead, he went for Zelda. She crashed hard into Link, and he grunted from the impact, but when she realized she wasn't on Revali, she let herself stop fighting. Link had her too tight, and she was going nowhere.

"Fuck off, Revali! Outside of our lines in the play, just don't speak to me."

"Hey!" Makeela said, running over as she saw the commotion. "What's happening? Revali, back up!"

Link loosened his hold on Zelda and looked at her questioningly. He could see that there was something like a burning betrayal in her while she looked at her friend… or… former friend, he supposed.

Makeela and Revali's arguing started to fade from his ears as he brushed the back of his hand against Zelda to get her attention.

She turned to him, softening immediately but looking defeated by something. This was one of the things he'd tried to warn her about. That he wasn't the only one who'd get attacked, but that Zelda would too.

Though he didn't speak, Zelda could hear his voice just from the look he gave her: "I'm not worth losing the rest of your friends."

Zelda grabbed Link's hand, threading her fingers through his.

"Makeela!" Zelda said, not letting go of Link. "Leave it alone. It's fine. Let's just drop this."

Revali's eyes locked on Zelda and Link's hands, and he puffed out his chest, turning away.

Zelda adjusted her clammy grip and watched him go before glancing back at Link. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't be." He tightened his hand.

Zelda took a breath. For the first time since she'd been at Daphnes Rhoam Hyrule High, everyone in the hallway turned to look at her and Link, judging her like she'd done something terribly wrong for standing beside the 'wrong' boy in the hallway.

She pulled Link with her to the empty stairwell, away from prying eyes, even Makeela's. "Link, is this okay with you?" she asked, gesturing to the hall.

"What part? You being harassed by that fucking vulture? No."

She made a face and held up their still-clasped hands. "This, Link," she laughed, relieved she could still feel humor after all that.

"Oh," he snorted, feeling slightly stupid. "Yes. If you are."

"I am."

Link nodded and felt himself going red as they both headed for homeroom, trying to change the subject. "Want to be chemistry partners today, too?"

But that had Zelda laughing, playfully grabbing his arm and unable to let that one go. "Sure, Link, but I think we already are."

"Gods," he choked out, looking at her leaning against him. His heart had to stop for a moment as he took in her face, happy, like the earlier incident had been forgotten, or at least pushed aside. "Yeah, we are."

Reviews: St4tic sh0ck: Yea, I really didn't want them to fall into that trope where he finds out and there's a problem. I feel like their relationship right now is based on trust anyway. AndrewPixelKnight: BAHAHAHA I'm honored to be a 4am fic! I can't judge you because I've done that though so I stan! Queen Emily: he's spiraling lol! Nyannyan4826: Lol the closer they get, the more opportunities for fluff! Chicwa88: Here you go!