Zelda admired Makeela's silver dress. There was something about it that was just ethereal. There were sparkles that danced in the light, and with every move she made, she shone out like the Goddess. Her hair was intricate, as usual. It wouldn't be Makeela if she hadn't done something elaborate to her hair. And sneakers. Never without sneakers.

Zelda was glad she already had Link and wasn't as worried about impressing someone, though she didn't slack for the occasion. She wore a two-toned dress, the top half a pale color that also sparkled from the gems that were sewn into the top. The bottom was emerald green, flowing and comfortable. She did wear heels, unlike Makeela, and her hair was up in a formally messy bun.

They both headed down the steps from Makeela's room, greeted by an aggressive amount of flashing from cameras.

Makeela's mother clicked the button until neither girl could see, and they suddenly remembered why they preferred to get ready at Zelda's house. And when the doorbell rang, Zelda cringed, knowing it meant more photos.

Their plan had been simple. Zelda was with Link. Easy. But Makeela kept attempting to invite half the world to the dance. Darunia agreed to hang out with them for a while, splitting his time between their group and Revali's. And while Ilia was planning to go anyway, the addition of Pipit to the group had her more excited than usual. Makeela patted herself on the back for that one.

And all of them except for Darunia would be staying over at Makeela's when the dance was over.

The three of them were waiting at the door when Makeela opened it. Ilia was driving them all, since her family had the largest van, and Makeela's mother had insisted they come inside for pictures.

Zelda gave them all a small wave, grinning at the way Link drank her in, though he politely avoided her so he could introduce himself to Makeela's mom. But once he did, he moved to the far side of the room and pulled Zelda into a kiss.

"You look beautiful," he whispered.

But not nearly as soft was Makeela, waving her phone wildly. "I got it! I finally got a picture of you two kissing!"

Zelda made a face, patting Link's chest. "If you wanted a picture so bad, you could have asked."

"No! I needed a candid!"

Ilia hung over Makeela's shoulder, and Pipit followed suit to get a glimpse of the elusively uncaptured shot up until this moment.

Link grumbled, letting Zelda fix his tie as the others crooned over the picture, as if it were some precious baby they were all trying to entertain.

Link's tie mostly matched Zelda's dress. The two greens were different shades, but the attempt was there, and that was more than Zelda asked for.

"You look more handsome than you normally do, Link," she whispered to him, hoping the others wouldn't jump on her words.

"Because standing beside you just makes me look better than usual. Because you're so gorgeous that people look at me and say, 'Damn, that bastard's lucky to have gotten such a perfect human being as his girlfriend; he must not be as bad as we think.'"

"What just came out of your mouth?" Zelda laughed, teasing him with the fastest kiss she could manage. "And please don't start insulting yourself again. I thought we were over that."

He nodded and took her outstretched hand, wrapping his fingers tihtly through hers as they watched Makeela's mom, smiling as necessary, posing in a number of pictures, and spending the rest of the time talking to Pipit and Ilia as Makeela begged her mother to let them leave.

The car ride revealed that Pipit had a smaller version of his whiteboard that he used to talk to Makeela. With Ilia driving, Makeela was the only one who needed the written translation when they wanted to converse.

Link turned around from the front seat to check out what was happening. Zelda was amusingly pressed against her door while Pipit and his borrowed suit took up a little too much room when combined with her and Makeela's puffy dresses. Ilia didn't have to worry; not only was she the driver and didn't need to share space, she was also in a short dress with comfortable shoes, so she'd have been less constricted anyway.

Arriving at the dance felt a little strange. For Link, he had always shown up with Ilia and hidden in the corner with her for the night, dancing alone and forgotten by the school. The last dance, he'd smoked outside with Zelda and spilled his guts about his past. Now, he was walking inside hand-in-hand with Zelda as his girlfriend, unabashed and unashamed who was watching.

Mr. Auru gave them a grin as they handed him their tickets. "How's it going?"

"Good," Zelda said quickly. If there was any teacher who could see through her, it was Mr. Auru, and she didn't want any adult to catch whiff of the fact that she wasn't living at home.

"I know I told you this in class, but well done in that show, Zelda. Well done."

"Thanks, Mr. Auru," she grinned, a genuinely soft smile on her face.

They stepped to the side, and Makeela, Ilia, and Pipit all handed in their tickets. Makeela, the chatterer of the group, indulged in a conversation with Mr. Auru for longer than anyone cared for before they all entered the decorated gym,

White streamers and snowflakes lined the walls, the dark room was lit by cheap, swiveling lights of blues and purples, casting a cold atmosphere across the room, despite the warmth so many bodies had provided.

"Can you see enough to sign or write?" Link asked Pipit.

He had to squint, but Pipit nodded.

Makeela had already begun to wildly throw her head back and forth to the beat of the song that was playing, grabbing Zelda's wrist and dragging her onto the dance floor and twisting her arms around in excitement, wasting no time.

Pipit moved beside Link and crossed his arms, shooting his friend an oh-too casual look.

Link scoffed. "Don't look at me. I have a girlfriend. I'm now out of practice being single."

"Ass."

Link just shrugged and pulled Ilia with him as they formed a little group on the edge of the designated dancing area. They stayed far from the tables, ensuring that there would be as few eyes on them as possible.

Link and Zelda made a conscious effort not to dance with each other, ensuring that they didn't accidently distance themselves from the rest of the group. It was only about an hour in when they finally managed to steal a moment alone on the dance floor.

Ilia, notorious for hating crowds, had taken to sitting at the tables, genuinely enjoying watching more than actual dancing. Makeela had followed her, urging Pipit to go with her. The three of them sat together at the brightest table, engaged in a frantic conversation that was a mix of poor sign language, fake sign language, slowed down words, and written ones. Somehow, the three of them could always manage to make a conversation work.

"Do we join them?" Link asked, finally grabbing Zelda's hand.

She tightened her grip and shook her head, dragging him with her at the start of a slow song. And while more people opted to sit down during those songs, neither of them noticed if any eyes were on them.

"How do we…" Link chuckled, realizing that, except for jokingly swaying in the corner with Ilia, and that one day in Zelda's kitchen, he'd never danced with a girl. Certainly, never in public.

Zelda's arms wrapped around Link's neck, pulling him closer to her. It left no room for his hands anywhere but on her waist. And after a few seconds of utter discomfort at the thought of being judged or watched, his arms relaxed, hugging her loosely, his hands almost dropping dangerously low for a public dance, though he consciously stopped them before they could fall.

Their foreheads were pressed together, moving back and forth to the music with no real intent or rhythm. Link's eyes closed, taking in every sensation.

She smelled like soap, but it wasn't the kind they kept at his house, so he knew she'd showered at Makeela's. He could feel her breath hit his face, warming his chin every few seconds. Her fingers were in her favorite resting spot: the short hairs at the back of his neck. She twisted the strands, her nail occasionally grazing the skin on his neck and sending a shiver through him. He thought it was unfair that his position in a slow dance had mostly kept him from touching her. It was only through their familiarity with each other that they didn't feel embarrassed brushing up against the other, taking their cues from others who weren't pressing their bodies against each other like sandwiches.

He heard her giggle.

"What?" he asked, finally opening his eyes and pulling away just enough so his eyes could focus on hers.

"Nothing. You just looked happy, or peaceful."

"I'm both," he admitted. "It's been a long time since I felt both."

"You deserve to be happy," Zelda whispered, ready to lean against him.

But Link pulled his shoulder out of reach so he could get her attention. His hand moved up to run along her jaw, stopping at her neck. "You deserve to be happy."

This time, he let her lean her head on his shoulder, adjusting so his hand had moved off her neck and taken hers. As she moved closer, their hands were trapped between them.

Link chuckled, freeing himself with an apology before they adjusted themselves again, finding a more comfortable way to stay close as they swayed.

It was only once she'd settled on his shoulder, her breath now hitting his neck with every word, that she finally responded to him.

"I'm happy with you. You make me happy. I'm… still working on the rest."

"I can't be the only thing that makes you happy, Zel."

"I know," she whispered again, "I am trying."

"I know you are."

Zelda took a deep breath. "Link, can I ask a favor?"

"Anything."

She smirked at his immediate response. "I want to stay at my house tomorrow. My parents are leaving tomorrow, and I just want one night there. And… I was wondering if you'd come too? At least for one night, if it's too weird."

"I'd stay there every night if that's what you want. Or I won't go at all if you want privacy or to be alone."

"I'd rather be alone with you," she laughed.

"Crafty," Link muttered, pressing a kiss into her hair.

"I love you." Zelda was still amazed at how easy it was to slip out, how often she wanted to let him know.

She could feel his vibrating throat—more than hear his voice—his contented sigh, pleased just with hearing her say that.

"I wish there was a different phrase," Link admitted. "I love you… but I love Pipit, Ilia, Gabe, Aryll. But I'm in love with you. There should be a stronger way to say it."

"Gods," Zelda breathed, pulling Link tighter. "You're so mushy sometimes. I love it."

His smile turned mischievous. "Want me to write you a poem?"

She snorted, but her head bobbed. "Yes."

He leaned closer to her ear so only she could hear, his breath warm and ticklish. "Want me to sing it to you while I play the guitar?"

"Yeah," she laughed.

"Shirtless under the moonlight?"

She pushed his chest back, a wide smile on her face, cheeks turning red even under the blue lights. "As tempting as that is, that moves away from mushy and into… a different category."

"Sexy?" he offered, playfully wriggling his eyebrow.

"Yes, actually," she breathed, pulling him to her for a kiss.

"Noted," he muttered against her lips, reveling in an indulgent moment. They knew it couldn't last long. The eyes of the chaperoning teachers were everywhere, watching, always watching.

He pulled away from her lips and just rested his head against hers, joking aside for the moment.

With Zelda in his arms, he could remember that there was something in this world more powerful than the pain he felt in his chest whenever he thought about the people who could have been in his life. He could be at the dance with Mikau, sitting in the corner as they watched Zelda dance with Revali, a girl he'd only ever fantasize about being with. And maybe Mikau would be with someone, but he would never have brought them to Link's high school dance. He could go home and tell his parents all about his night, and maybe mention Zelda if they asked if there was anyone he was interested in. He wouldn't tell Aryll because she'd have been living with Collin for years by that point, never putting her life on hold for him.

But he didn't have any of that. He had Zelda. And the realization that she was enough to make him forget all the pain was nerve-wracking. Because what would he do if he lost her?

What would he do if one day, he got a call some police officer who'd somehow gotten his number to let him know there had been a car accident? Car rolled upside down. Driver pinned inside. No sign of movement. No pulse.

What would he do if he was beside her, trapped and helpless, voice raw from calling her name? What would he do if he lost her too?

"Fuck," he muttered, not realizing he'd spoken out loud until Zelda looked curiously at him.

But her eyes widened when she saw him. "Link? Goddess, are you okay?"

He felt her warm hand on his cheek, feeling a tear being pushed along with her finger. He cleared his throat and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Link, what is it?" she pushed, gripping him tight with concern.

He let out a shaky breath. "Just… did you know that next week is the anniversary of the accident? I get…" he stopped to run his hand along his mouth, stressed as he tried to pull for the right words. "I get anxious."

"What are you anxious about?"

He let his fingers trace the lines of her face, something that calmed him. He expected her skin to feel cold, but the fiery warmth under her cheeks soothed his mind on a more subconscious level than he could admit.

"It's not a school topic," he noted, looking around.

"Okay. You know you have me if you want to talk later."

"I know. I might take you up on that." He ran his hands through her hair, not even noticing the music had changed at some point.

They made no move to change how they were dancing, enjoying the closeness and stillness of their simple dance. They watched the table of their friends, now joined by Darunia. He was talking to, of all people, Ilia. She was smiling at something he was saying, his hands gesturing around wildly as he told his story. And Pipit was scribbling something down, only to have Makeela take the marker straight out of his hands and erase his words so she could scribble her own.

Zelda chuckled and brought her attention back to Link, who was already looking at her. She wished she knew what he was thinking, what was going on in his head. "Want to go get some air?"

He shot a glance back at the table. "Do you think they'll miss us?"

"I know Makeela won't."

"Pip won't either. He likes her, you know?"

"I figured," Zelda laughed, taking Link's hand. "Does Ilia need saving, or is that genuine?"

Link pulled Zelda along with him, away from the table and toward their escape outside. "Genuine. They'll be fine."

It was only when the fresh air hit them that they both reached for the other at once and with so much enthusiasm that they nearly banged heads. It had them both laughing as they came back together, no longer worried about the prying eyes of chaperones or the ears of anyone else around them. Zelda used their brief distraction to push Link with her until they were against the side of the building.

It wasn't until they heard the door open sometime later when their lips were swollen and their mouths starting to go dry that they hastily broke away, breathless.

"Oh," said a familiar voice.

Zelda spun around to see Revali and Sidon watching them. She let out a deep sigh and stayed in front of Link, as if he needed some kind of protection.

For a time, neither pair said anything to each other, but a flash of understanding crept over Zelda's features, especially when she saw their clasped hands.

Revali and Sidon.

"Oh," Zelda muttered in return. She wanted to ask a thousand questions. She wanted to talk to him like he was her old friend, to ask when that happened, how, was it during the show, was it before? Had they gone on a date? Had was it fun? She wanted to, but when she looked at him, she still couldn't forget the things he'd done to her, and she couldn't bring herself to ask a single burning question. "Link and I were just going back inside," she finally said, uncomfortable in the silence.

She took Link's hand and dragged him to the door.

She pushed Link inside quickly and let the door close behind them. "Gods," she breathed. "It had to be Revali, of all people to show up outside."

Link smirked and headed back down the hall. "Could have been Ravio."

"Ugh. I wish it had been… I don't know… Makeela and Pipit who'd popped out there."

"That would not have been surprising."

Zelda chuckled as they made their way back to the gym and to the table.

Sitting down, Link banged the table enough to shake it to get Pipit's attention. "Where's Ilia?" he signed.

Pointing to the dance floor, Link craned his neck, surprised to see that Darunia had dragged her out there.

"Were they flirting?" Zelda asked Makeela.

"Not really; just talking. They were having a good time."

"Good for her," Link muttered, moving his hands as he spoke. But he reached across the table to grab the whiteboard and promptly erased what they'd written down, hiding the board as he scribbled.

Pipit watched patiently, but Makeela crossed her arms. "We were in the middle of a deep conversation, you know."

Link smirked, remembering the words he'd erased. "Oh yeah, sure you were."

"Okay, so not deep, but interesting."

"What?" Zelda asked.

Makeela pointed to the lights. "We were talking about how this place is so weird. Like, we can afford new lights for a school dance but not new computers? It makes no sense."

Zelda grinned. "Deep," she laughed, signing for Pipit. He chuckled and watched Link slide the board back.

There was a nonsensical cartoon drawing in place of the conversation they'd been having.

Pipit narrowed his eyes playfully. "This is what you wanted my board for?"

"Yes. Artists thrive on inspiration, and I had some."

With a scoff, Pipit slowly and deliberately wiped the board.

The night continued on like this; there were moments where they all sat together at the table, and others where they broke off with each other. Zelda had stolen Makeela, Pipit and Link were together in an amused conversation that Ilia joined. Darunia had found comfort with his old friends, spending more time with Zelda and Makeela than they were used to anymore, and it was a refreshing change of pace.

And all night, Zelda was able to ignore the looks from Revali, cautious and unsure; Ruto, perhaps jealous of her old crush's attention on them; and Ravio, spitefully watching from Ruto's arms.

That night, they stayed at Makeela's, curled up in a giant ball on the floor of her living room together. The marker had rolled from Makeela's hand, Pipit's palm smudging the last words they'd written, something about Moonlight Howl, before their eyes drifted shut. Ilia's hand was uncomfortably contorted against Link's back, but she was happily stretched out away from any of the furniture. Zelda, however, was pressed up against the couch, rolled over into the tight space just because it felt good for her feet to be free of her heels. Link wasn't far away, but there was a large gap between them that Zelda later rolled into in the middle of the night.

And for the first time in a long time, Zelda felt like a kid again, normal, on the floor at a friend's house without any worries. And it was that peaceful thought that sent her into a calm, dreamless sleep.


Reviews: Guest: Thank you! I've been excitedly holding on to his name for a while! Oracle: Honestly, snot sleeves are the purest signs of love! hahahha! ElenaGilbert24: That's so nice! I promise I won't make you wait that long for chapters though! But Zelda getting a job is her first step towards making a life she wants, not just following her parents, so I think it's good for everyone involved! And Link can't stop himself from being the biggest flirt around Zelda lol! James Birdsong: I feel like I might sound insincere saying thank you every time, but I really do mean it, I swear! Thank you! Queen Emily: MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! I'M SO EXCITED!