Pipit took Link's shift Tuesday as well, the final day of his 'thank you' to Link. So, to make the most of it, Link invited Zelda over to his house before they both had to go to her rehearsal later that night. It was one of the final days of set construction, and Link had to admit he had mixed feelings about it.

On one hand, he really enjoyed seeing Zelda, even if it was mostly just watching her rehearse or talk to other people who were in the show. Though he wasn't sure who she'd talk to now if not Ruto, Darunia, Sidon, and Revali.

Revali. The other hand. The reason he would be so excited to leave. He would no longer need to spend any extra part of his day watching that prick, and he especially wouldn't have to watch the scenes where he and Zelda had to kiss.

And as much as he liked seeing Zelda, he had to admit he didn't hate that he'd be getting to sleep a bit earlier.

Zelda followed Link home after school on Tuesday and he directed her where to park on the crowded street and grabbed her hand as they walked back to the house. Aryll's car was on the street, so they weren't surprised to see her sitting on the couch with a textbook and a pair of glasses halfway down her nose.

"Hi Zelda," she said cheerfully, though her attention was divided. "You eating with us tonight?"

"If it's not too much trouble."

"It's Link's turn to cook, so if he invited you, it's not too much trouble."

Zelda crossed her arms and grinned at Link. "And you didn't even tell me?"

"He's good at conveniently leaving things out just to make himself look worse," Aryll chimed in.

Zelda looked over at her, feeling comfortable enough at their house now that she just sat down on the opposite side of the couch, getting comfy. "I didn't know you had glasses."

Aryll looked up again and took them off, looking them over. "They're those cheap ones that just magnify the words. Link has some too that he uses."

Zelda's mouth dropped. "Show me your glasses, Link!"

Link scoffed, though he smiled at her while he went around them to toss his bag into his room. "I'm going to change. Do you want a sweatshirt or something?" he asked, looking her over.

She was stuck in her uniform without a change of clothes. And admittedly, it was a bit chilly. "Sure."

"You can borrow a pair of my sweatpants," Aryll said. But she made a face. "Actually, you're too tall. Never mind."

"It's okay. I'm in leggings under my skirt. I'm cheating a bit until Mrs. Joy notices and calls me out on it." Zelda's eyes wandered to Aryll's other textbook on the table, and she reached for it. "Is this a fun class? Child behavior?" But Zelda put the book down and reached for something else, losing her train of thought.

Aryll looked over and took off her glasses. "Judging from your face right now, I'm guessing he didn't tell you he was quitting?"

Zelda was holding a pack of gum. "No, he didn't. What made him want to stop smoking?"

"Probably you, to be honest."

Zelda's mouth fell open. "I… I never asked him to."

"Yeah. That's probably why he did it now. You didn't pressure him into it. He didn't tell me either until I found some patches in his room. Hang on," she said, grabbing a thick eraser and hucking it at the door behind her, creaking it open a bit. "Hey! Link!"

"What?" he asked, pulling his arms through his own sweatshirt and coming out to hand Zelda one.

"You didn't even tell your girlfriend you're trying to quit smoking?"

Zelda leaned forward on her arm and flashed the pack of gum in her hand. "Sorry. I just found it here."

Link swallowed and gestured to his door, urging Zelda inside. She followed him and wasted no time getting comfortable on his bed as she pulled her arms into her/his sweatshirt. "I really wasn't snooping on you."

"No, I know," he said, joining her after pacing for a moment. "I was going to tell people after I knew I was definitely going to stick with it."

"Is it what you want to do? You want to quit?"

"Yeah, I do. I mean… yes. I do. It's just hard because I don't hate smoking. But I know Aryll does, and I know how bad it can be. And I'm young, so I really shouldn't be. It's just, I don't know… I don't hate it, which makes it a little harder. But like… I want to be healthy for the people I care about." He paused and shook his head, not wanting to be too much. "Like Aryll."

"Well, whether you decide to stick with it or not, I'm proud of you for trying, if it's what you want to do."

He smirked, lolling his head in her direction. "Yeah. Thanks."

Zelda watched him fiddle with his fingernail. "She said you have a patch?"

"Yep. It's on my arm now. I splurged."

Zelda reached out to stop his fidgeting, taking his hand in hers and scooting closer. "It's making a little sense now. You went running all day yesterday. You said you went to work early this morning to use the machines? And you've been acting odd about some things."

Link snorted. "Fighting the inner demons, a little harder than usual. I'm just trying to keep myself from being stupid. I started Thursday, so it hasn't been a week, but exercising is my mind-numbing place. It helps."

"Can I do anything?"

He shrugged. "You can come closer. Closer…" he whispered dramatically and in a raspy voice. "Closer…"

She made a face, stifling a laugh, but moving so she was pressed up against him, his arm around her.

"Hey," he said quickly, back to his serious voice. "You know, what Aryll called you out there? I've never said anything."

"When she called me your girlfriend?" Zelda laughed, using the word Link was carefully dancing around.

"Right."

"It's okay, Link. I don't mind."

Link froze. "Don't mind… her calling you that or… the… concept?"

Zelda debated for a moment. "Either, if that's not too weird to say. I mean, it's not like I am interested in anyone else, and I'm not playing the field, and I really only want to date you, so… it's not the worst thing for someone to call me. But that's weird… isn't it? We've only been on one date."

Link shifted and readjusted his arm behind Zelda. "You and I have spent multiple days and nights together. You know things about me that Ilia and Pipit don't even know. I don't think it's that weird. I don't want to date other people either, so… if you want a term to introduce us to people, I'm not objecting."

"'People?' Like how you'll have to officially meet my parents?"

"I've met them once."

Zelda turned into him, dangerously close to his lips now. "What did you say to my father when you met him, by the way?"

Link hummed and grinned at her. "I told him it was a pleasure to meet him." He grabbed her neck, letting his fingers lightly run along the side before he kissed her lips quickly. "I told him he had a lovely daughter." He kissed her again, this time, wrapping his other arm around her waist so he could spin them both out of a sitting position. Zelda was lying flat on the bed, under Link. "I also said he had a lovely home." Another quick kiss. "And I thanked him for allowing us to stay over. He said it was good to meet me and then I said something very similar to your mom."

"Sounds like Ilia might have helped you out there," Zelda laughed, pulling him back to her.

"Mhmm," he muttered against her lips. "Maybe," he said when they pulled away, both laughing. "I might have been nervous, and she might have suggested a few things that I stole word-for-word."

"Good call. My parents liked everyone." But a different thought dawned on her, and Zelda sat up a little and glanced at his closed door. "Is this the first time we've been alone together in weeks? Like, in private with no one watching us and no grandparents to yell at us?"

Link tried to think, but the last thing he could remember doing with Zelda without some kind of audience had been the first time he'd stayed over at her house. "It just might be?"

Zelda laid back and made a face, challenging him to act on their newfound revelation. Link just laughed and met her lips again, his hands clinging to her waist, to the fabric of his own sweatshirt on her.

Zelda learned very quickly that she loved kissing Link. Not only did her heart clench in the best possible way, but she very literally loved what he'd do. He was a mixed bag, often switching between light, teasing kisses that had her involuntarily arching into him, leaving her body wanting more than a simple brush of his lips, and something that she could only describe to herself as far more substantial. She couldn't help but sigh as his lips trailed lightly over the skin of her neck, teasing her with minimal pressure before actually kissing her. It was infuriating and intoxicating all at once.

At the same time, Link learned he could kiss Zelda all day. He loved feeling her react, to feel her hands pull him closer or run through his hair, her nails teasing him with a ticklish sort of pressure. But he loved when her lips made their way up his jaw and to his ear, taunting him with her breath, making his neck crane just so she could better play with that area.

Both their hands explored whatever exposed skin they had: necks, faces, hands. But after a breathless while, realizing that—while they could do this all day—they were tired from everything else, and it was catching up to them once they began lazily pressing kisses to the other simply because they could.

Zelda was curled up against his shoulder, swollen lips, tingling skin. His arm was bent so he could play with her hair as he looked over at her. His eyes were tired, baggy, heavy. She hummed out a laugh. "What?"

"How did we get here?" he asked, never stopping his fingers as they threaded her locks again and again.

"What do you mean?"

"I just mean… I'm glad we argued. In class."

"Yeah, me too," Zelda laughed, throwing her arm across his stomach. "We probably never would have spoken if you'd been nice or if I'd ignored your comment."

"Strange things lead to big moments. I never knew how much I wanted you in my life until I realized you weren't in it."

"Is that why you gave me your jacket that day?" She tugged the sleeves of her sweatshirt tighter.

"Yeah, maybe," he admitted.

"I'm glad you're in my life too, Link."

Link closed his eyes, resting against her, too tired from his ungodly early morning. Zelda spun away from Link, grabbing her phone to check the time. "Nope! We have to be at rehearsal in a few hours. We can't sleep."

"Set an alarm. I still have to cook something for the three of us. I just really want to close my eyes."

Zelda scoffed but didn't argue, not hating the idea herself. She set one for thirty minutes and hit start, putting it down for a moment before picking it back up and aiming the camera at her and Link, catching a shot with his arm around her and his closed eyes.

"Zelda," he muttered, chuckling as he heard the click of the camera.

"What? I wanted a picture of us."

He opened one eye and saw her aiming the camera at them again, scooting forward into the shot to kiss her neck just before the next click.

"Link!" she exclaimed, laughing as she looked back at the picture. "Actually, not a bad picture."

"Send it to me," he mumbled, closing his eyes again, too tired after waking up earlier than usual that morning.

"You owe me a picture of you in your glasses," Zelda mumbled as she settled against Link, and this time, Zelda's eyes closed as well.

Mr. Ezlo was sitting in the front row, hand over his mouth as he watched the scene play out in front of him. And he was horrified.

"Revali, Zelda, are you both okay? What's happening with you today?"

Zelda crossed her arms and looked at Revali, letting him answer.

He smirked at her, though there was nothing kind about it. "I don't know what you mean, Mr. Ezlo. We're fine."

"You and Ruto are fine, but Zelda, come on. Your character is in a romantic entanglement with Mr. Hyde. Act like it."

"Sorry," she said, never more apathetic in her life as she grabbed Revali's hand. "I almost forgot that I was supposed to actually like him. I've been channeling her hate and fear of him instead."

Revali glared at her as she used part of her character's plot to talk blatantly about him.

Mr. Ezlo sighed. "That's good, keep channeling that, but add the attraction, please. It's… well, you have no chemistry today."

"I'm not sure why," Zelda mumbled, glaring at Revali as she moved back into place.

"What could have caused that, I wonder?" he asked as she passed. And his head swiveled over to the wings where Link, Ilia, and a few others were painting.

"Just do the scene, Revali," she hissed at him, rolling her eyes.

"Let's go!" Mr. Ezlo called, urging them to start back up again.

Link looked up, watching Zelda for a moment before returning to what he was aimlessly painting, glad that he had to cover everything in the same black color, because he wasn't paying enough attention to be avoiding any spots that had already been painted.

He had one earbud in, listening to his own music to drown out the constant restarting of the song in the play. He loved listening to Zelda sing, but today was mostly Revali, and he was beyond glad he could ignore his stupid squawking. He only didn't use the other earbud to drown him out so that Link could still hear Ilia.

"Are we done yet?" Ilia whispered to Link, slapping the brush down haphazardly, splashing some droplets at everyone. "Sorry," she added before smoothing the blob down.

Link ran his hand along his ruined pants, ones he wore to work often and had already been splattered with old oil and paint stains. Black smeared off his palm, and he gave Ilia a bland look.

She stifled a laugh and watched the show for a moment, cringing at just how difficult it looked for Zelda to share the same space with Revali. Link followed her gaze and watched as the two of them kissed. It was forced, and looked physically painful for both of them. And when they broke apart, they both angrily started whispering to each other.

"Is that supposed to happen?" Ilia asked, unable to hear anything they were saying, unlike when they projected out their lines.

Link shook his head when he noticed the audience that had come out of the wings to see what was happening. "I don't think so?"

Ruto burst on stage, waving her arms wildly as she stalked towards Zelda, screaming something unintelligible at Zelda.

"Shit," Ilia muttered, hitting Link's arm. "Get up! This isn't part of the play!"

Ilia had less stuff around her and was faster than Link in getting to Zelda. She reached them just as Ruto got into Zelda's space, muttering something too low to hear, Link only about a second behind her.

Link and Ilia grabbed Zelda just as she was about to physically push Ruto away from her.

"You told her?" she balked at Revali.

Ilia moved between Zelda and Ruto, carefully urging Zelda to follow where Link was leading her away. "Don't get yourself suspended or expelled for fighting, Zelda."

"It's worth it," she muttered, giving an experimental tug on her own arm, but they had her too securely.

Revali had his arms crossed, watching with a triumphant smile. "She needed to know who we've been hanging around with."

Darunia had moved in to grab Ruto, who was trying to follow.

"What?" Zelda shot back. "What are you even talking about?"

"What you did to Rav," Revali shrugged, casual, like it was a fact of life he was telling her. "You know what I'm talking about."

Zelda's mouth dropped. "What I did?"

"Hey!" Mr. Ezlo screamed, standing between everyone. It was clear it hadn't been his first time trying to get their attention. "Revali! Take a walk! Ruto, Darunia, you too!"

When they'd gone up the aisle and into the foyer of the school, Mr. Ezlo led Zelda back towards the empty wings. "What just happened?"

"I don't know," Zelda lied, not wanting to bring a teacher into their private lives. "We just haven't been on the same page this past week."

"That's not what that was," he said, glancing behind him. "Tell me so I can help, please."

"There's nothing to tell, I promise. We're just fighting right now. It's something stupid. It'll pass."

He shook his head, unsure if he should believe her. Her words sounded sincere. She put her best acting voice into it, but he also knew that she, Ruto, and Revali were close. Perhaps it was just a little fight that tipped over the edge tonight?

"I'm going to talk to Revali. Go get some air, okay?"

She nodded, keeping her face impassive until the three of them reach the door leading outside. And then her composure cracked.

Her hand swipes under her nose, trying to stop herself from crying. "I think I need to call Makeela," she said, reaching for her phone. Her hand shook as she held it.

"Zelda?" Link finally asked.

"I think," she started, unable to type her password in. "There might be a rumor about me and Ravio going around school soon. I don't know. Maybe Revali is just trying to rattle me, or maybe he's going to start a rumor. I don't know. I don't know."

"Is there something we can do?" Link asked as he took her phone, typing her password for her before handing it back.

"Yeah, don't believe it."

"Okay, that's easy enough," he said. He wanted to reach over and comfort her, but she'd tightened up, holding her arms in close to herself in a way that basically screamed that she wanted some space. He looked up at Ilia. She didn't seem to know what else to do either.

"Actually," Zelda said, sitting in the grass and letting her phone fall from her fingers. "Can you distract me?"

Link and Ilia joined her. "What do you want to do for your birthday?"

Zelda laughed softly. "What do you want to do for yours?" Their birthdays were only two weeks apart, with Zelda's coming up first. Ilia listened carefully, resting her chin on her knees as the three of them spoke, waiting for Mr. Ezlo to come back.

And for a few minutes, Zelda was able to forget Revali, and the trust he'd broken. And the realization hit her hard that she never wanted him to try to win it back.

A/N: Not back for daily updates yet, but I was able to get a chapter done this weekend. I imagine I might have another done by Tuesday, too! When I'm ready to do them daily again, I'll let you know!

Reviews: Djfede310: Hahahahah she's been waiting and she missed it! AndrewPixelKnight: Wellllll I do like torturing everyone, so that's totally possible! And who knows? Moonlight Howl could be the key to this whole fic! matteo: Thank you! I appreciate that! st4t1c sh0ck: Thank you! Weekends are still free, so I had time for this chapter! Queen Emily: I know this isn't the chapter you commented on, but hopefully you'll see this! Thank you! It makes me very glad to know you get hooked early! Honestly, good to hear!