Whoa, is it an update from the worst updater in the world?

It is! Huzzah!

So… Sorry for the delay? I honestly love how there's a literal pandemic raging around the world, we're supposed to be inside, and I STILL can't keep a proper writing schedule. Sorry I suck, all! But here's the long-delayed part two to the previous chapter: the Link/Linebeck hangout! So I've mentioned Jolene and Linebeck being the cool aunt/uncle, but Jolene is more-so the 'cool' part. Linebeck is the one with questionably good advice and absolutely no boundaries. Enjoy!


Companion

"What a turn of events, huh?" Linebeck called excitedly from across the room. "There's treasure right here off the bay where I decide to stop and send a letter, and the very people I send a letter to happen to have a chart to it! It's like we were all fated to meet here!" His long coat obscured whatever he was doing at the counter, but his hands moved animatedly. Link chuckled to himself as he leaned back in his chair, lounging out at the table where he'd taken a seat. He wasn't really sure what he believed in these days, especially after everything he'd gone through in the last year or so. But he couldn't deny that it was an interesting coincidence.

He heard a clink from Linebeck's position as the man continued. "And since that fate, or its ever-humble servant, happened to lead you here, I'm sure you'd have no problem sharing that wonderful sum. Say, if it happens to be of higher value?"

He rolled his eyes with an amused sigh. Time with his former/current partner had clearly tempered some of Linebeck's more… egregious habits, which he could only guess was a plus. The interior of the S.S. Linebeck was looking neater than he'd ever remembered seeing it, and even the captain himself was looking a little cleaned-up, his 'stylish' facial hair notwithstanding. Even so, it seemed that there were some things about the sailor that would never change. Not that he could really be surprised, at this point.

"You'll have to take that up with Tetra," he said lightly as Linebeck strode towards the table with two cups in hand. "She's the boss, not me. And I don't envy you; she isn't much one for sharing when it comes to valuables."

"Oh, I'm sure I can persuade her," Linebeck said with a mischievous wink. "After all, I don't know how easy it is to say 'no' to someone who helped saved your life."

His brow furrowed as he reached to take a cup from the sailor. "Really? Your plan is to guilt her?"

"Of course not!" Linebeck replied with a look of mock surprise as he planted himself across the table. "My plan is to ask nicely, and only use guilt as a last resort. I'm hardly a bastard!"

Link snorted as he lifted his drink to his lips. "Hardly."

Immediately his throat was burning, and he barked out a haggard cough as the liquid forced its way down. He bent over his knees and coughed until his throat felt raw, finally leaning back against his chair and sucking in deep breaths.

Across the table, Linebeck was watching him with a half-cocked brow, his own cup sitting near his mouth. "All good?" he asked with a smirk, clearly amused with the display.

He lifted the cup again and took a cautious sniff. His nostrils flared as the intense aroma met him. "What's in here?" he asked slowly, taking another, more cautious, sip.

Linebeck shrugged. "Water," he answered simply as Link managed a more graceful swallow. "Rum," he added with a wave of his hand.

He glanced down at his beverage and then back at the sailor. "It's the middle of the afternoon," he spoke, his turn to raise a brow at the man. "Wouldn't something like tea have been better?"

"Tea?!" Linebeck exclaimed, spreading his arms wide and sloshing his drink around. "What do I look like, a woman?"

Oh, for… "Linebeck, men can like tea, too. I drink tea."

"Bah!" Linebeck waved a hand away. "You're a sailor, kid. You should be used to drinking like one! Or do I have to help you practice?" He took a big gulp of his drink and slammed the cup onto the table. "What other sailor habits are you lacking? Do you have a tattoo?"

Link couldn't help but chuckle as he took another sip. The burn was lessening each time – this wasn't as bad as he'd first thought.

"No, but I've actually been considering it. Just haven't been at port lately to find someone to do it. But I'm not in a rush. It'll get done when it gets done."

"Ah, there you go!" Linebeck clinked his glass against Link's and emptied its contents. With a loud smack of his lips, he stood from the table and strode back across the room, only to return a moment later with a bottle in hand. Quickly uncorking it, he refilled his cup and then topped up Link's before he could object. "So that means you have something in mind already, then?"

"Yeah, I think so," he answered softly as an image of Tetra flashed through his mind. "Tetra got a tattoo a while back while we were apart. Something personal about the two of us. I was thinking of getting the same."

Linebeck laughed and shook his head. "That's not really what I meant, but that's just so you. But I guess you've never quite been normal, huh?"

The man seemed lost in memory for a brief moment before blinking back into focus. "Anyway, catch me up! What's hero life been like since we parted ways? Grand adventure? Massive baddies? Grateful citizens?"

Link tried to smile, but it didn't reach far. He wanted to say that he'd been productive since they'd last seen each other, but…

"I haven't been too much of a hero lately, actually," he said quietly, and the smile slipped from his lips. "I haven't done too much of anything other than just the usual day-to-day stuff. I've meant to, I mean, I hear rumours here and there about local problems that I could easily solve. There's work I could be doing, but every time I try I just…"

His voice died as his thoughts collected in his head. These were things he'd never said aloud before. Hell, he wasn't even sure if they'd ever been coherent thoughts before now. They were more like impressions, feelings that he'd kept secret in his heart, locked away so that not even he knew of them. A fear that had been lingering in the shadows of his mind for months, never drawing attention but always whispering its doubts. And now he knew exactly how to articulate it.

"I don't know if I want to do it," he said, his pulse hammering in his ears. "I can't bring myself to go out and 'be a hero'."

He sat there for a moment, letting the silence hang in the air. Linebeck was regarding him curiously, but made no move to interrupt.

"I don't know what's wrong with me," he said, gripping his cup tightly as he took a big swig. "I used to do it all the time. Go out and help locals with bandits or thieves or whatever their plague is. But ever since… Bellum, I haven't left the ship. Everywhere we go there's something I could do for the locals. But I keep making excuses not to." He was growing rather fond of this drink. He realized his cup was empty and held it out to Linebeck. "Tetra keeps getting us into trouble, so it's not like I'm totally rusty," he added lightly as Linebeck poured. "But I'm not as active, or, I don't know… heroic as I used to be. I don't know why I can't get back into things."

He felt surprise and a small flare of anger as Linebeck rolled his eyes. "Honestly, kid, you are the most dramatic person I've ever known." He chuckled to himself as Link glared from across the table. "For the love of Hylia, you're a kid! You've seen and done more hellish things than most people do in their whole lives! And whale-god knows what kind of state you're in after what we went through together. I mean, shit, kid! You almost worked yourself to death trying to rescue your daring lady! Frankly, it would've been a miracle if you had just gone back to normal. But I imagine that there's quite a bit of healing that needs to be done first." He frowned as he stared into his drink for a moment. "And how have you been, since we parted?" he asked quietly. "How have you been?"

He sighed as his eyes fell to the table. His head felt hazy, and he was fairly certain the room was moving slightly. How many times had he seen the men in states like this, or worse? Never once had he wondered what it actually felt like.

"I think I'm getting better," he finally mumbled. "It was… hard, at first. It was hard to believe that it was all over. I wasn't sleeping for a while, or I was dealing with nightmares when I was. Mako called me jumpy one day. Maybe I was. I don't remember what I used to be like, honestly. But things have slowly gotten easier. Tetra's helped a lot with that. Being with her keeps my mind in the present." He took a breath and rubbed his eyes. "Things are feeling more normal nowadays. I just haven't gotten back into my community service practices yet."

"Oh, woe is the fisherman who can't tie his own net," Linebeck moaned, laying a hand dramatically upon his brow. "Kid, relax. You've already saved the world from two evils. You're not beholden to anyone. Yes, having a hero to save the day is great, but if people can't even help themselves, then they don't deserve a hero assisting them. If you want to help, then great! But you shouldn't be expected to. And you definitely shouldn't feel guilty because you need some down time. You're human too, just like them. Everyone has limits. Look after yourself before you look after them, otherwise they won't have a hero at all."

He uncorked the bottle and refilled the cups as he spoke. Link took the drink without a thought and drank, mulling over the sailor's words. That was a fair view, he had to admit. He'd always felt that being a hero meant living a selfless life, but Tetra had always disagreed with that. And now Linebeck, one of the most arguably-practical people he knew, was saying exactly the same. His first concern was to be himself if he was to take care of others. That made sense.

"Honestly, I was worried Bellum had beaten me," he said quietly, glancing aside. "If I was too scared to risk myself and protect others, I'd have failed as a hero. I'd have let him win."

"Bullshit," Linebeck snorted. "It takes time to heal. And you don't get to decide how long it takes. Jo and I have talked a lot about our time apart, and I know how much she was hurting over the years. We've come a long way, but there's still a way to go. Trust me, it takes time." He finished his drink, grabbed the bottle, glanced at how much had been emptied, sighed, and placed it back down. "Probably not a good idea. Anyway, maybe you're not done healing yet. And this takes longer to recover," he added, tapping his head.

He nodded, feeling a sense of peace wash over him. The man's words were swaying him. Or something was, at least. Whatever the case, he wasn't complaining.

"You're wiser than you let on," he said with a grin, and Linebeck's eyebrows flew to his hair.

"Hey, smartass! Just because I've made mistakes doesn't mean I haven't learned anything! I'm a great student!" He paused, his eyes glazing over. "I mean, I was a decent student." A moment later he was laughing. "Man, I bet my schoolteacher hated me."

Link laughed with the man, feeling all his tension wash away. This was nice. He was glad they'd arranged to do this. Perhaps this could become more of a habit? Linebeck was a surprisingly good outlet for him.

"Damn, we've been so wrapped up in your drama that I've barely heard about the lady!" the captain exclaimed, settling back in his chair. "How're things with her?"

Link smiled as a warm feeling spread throughout his body. Thoughts of his snarky, smirking girlfriend filled his thoughts, and he grinned.

"She's great," he mumbled fondly. "Things were hard at first for her too, but she's been doing a lot better lately. We got lost in a jungle a while back. I don't know why that popped into my head just now, but it was fun. We had to camp out under a canopy of trees for the night."

"Ooh!" Linebeck leaned forward and planted his elbows on the table, his chin on his palms. "How romantic! Exciting night?"

"Yeah, I guess," he nodded gently, still smiling at the memory. "We talked through most of the night. Hadn't done that in a while. It was nice."

"Oh, that's all?" Linebeck asked, eyebrow cocked. "You just talked?"

He felt his smile disappear as his brow furrowed in confusion. "Yeah?"

"You two didn't…?" He gestured with his hands. "Shake the sheets?"

"Huh?"

"Go for a ride?"

"…Huh?"

"Oh, for- Fly with the fish? Flick the ChuChu? Rock the Octo?"

The connection clicked in his fuzzy mind. "Are you trying to say sex?"

"No, I was trying not to say it. That's what all the great euphemisms were for!"

He stared in amazement for a moment before collapsing back into his chair. "No, we didn't do any of those stupid things you said. We were lost in a jungle."

"That's the best time to do it!" the man exclaimed. "You were all alone in a jungle! Kids your age, I can't believe you didn't!" He sat back in his chair, disbelief evident on his face. "What's your usual excuse, then? Or do you just wait till everyone's asleep and sneak into her cabin?"

He became aware of how warm he felt, but the caution he typically used when approaching thoughts like this was nowhere to be found. "We haven't had-" His throat constricted, and he felt his face burning. Alright, so maybe he couldn't quite say it out loud yet. "We haven't… gotten that far."

He'd thought Linebeck was exaggerating his disbelief before, but there was definitely no pretending now. The man was staring at him as if he'd grown a second head.

"How is that possible?!" he exploded. "The two of you, obsessed with each other, pining after each other, finally reuniting after moments of certain death…! How was there not a passionate night of love as soon as you were back?"

He snorted in amusement. That, at least, was an easy question. "We were exhausted when we got home. I slept off and on for three days. Tetra slept even longer because she wasn't sleeping at all the first day or two. We barely even talked about things between us until both of us could actually make it a day without a nap."

He glanced up, and Linebeck was watching expectantly. "And then…?"

He blinked. "And then what? We've been going slowly, I guess. I've been enjoying where we're at. It's more than I could've ever hoped for." He shrugged helplessly. "She makes me happy. What more can I say?"

Linebeck sighed, grabbed the bottle and yanked out the cork. "She could make you a lot happier," he muttered before taking a swig straight from the bottle.

He flushed at the implication and crossed his arms. "Look, it's not like I haven't thought about it," he admitted, albeit defiantly. "And sometimes, things seem like they're going to… move forward, but then something will come up or someone will almost catch us, and then the moment's gone and we both back off."

He glanced at the man, only to groan at the sight of him with his face planted in his hands. After a moment Linebeck rubbed his eyes and looked up, his eyes bloodshot.

"You two are the worst."

"Oh shut up." Link glanced away, but couldn't fight the grin that rose to his lips. This really wasn't something he'd wanted to talk about with Linebeck, but damn if he didn't feel better. How did the guy keep doing that?

"Well, I can't say anything except keep trying, I guess." Linebeck shrugged. "Can't say much more than that, I'm afraid. Sounds like she's into it. Just pick a night, lock the door, and have fun!"

As much as he wanted to deny it, the very thought drove him crazy. The idea of finally letting loose and just having her the way he secretly craved to. The way he could see in her eyes, in those rare heated moments, exactly how she felt the same. How badly he wished they could throw away all of their worries and just let them indulge themselves!

It was so tempting that he considered whether to just go find Tetra and ask her bluntly if she was interested in moving forward. And it didn't have to be soon, or even a sure thing. But at least something to get the conversation on the table. He was halfway out of his chair when reason finally pierced the haze of his distracted mind.

And the more he thought about it, the more he realized that it likely wasn't the best way to approach the topic. And no doubt his decisions were being influenced by extenuating factors at the moment, so acting rashly may not be the wisest course of action. He took a deep breath and sank back into his seat, massaging his face and collecting himself.

"We'll get there when we get there," he finally said when he felt composed. "I've been patient so far. I can wait till we're ready. Until then, I'm going to enjoy things as they are. No stressing about the future, no worrying about rushing back to hero work. I'm going to focus on being me, and enjoy my time with her."

Linebeck regarded him for a moment before chuckling and corking the bottle. "You really are something else," he said with a grin, standing from his chair and stumbling. "Ah, shit," he mumbled. "Maybe I wasn't counting right."

He grabbed the table to steady himself and stretched out a hand to Link. "C'mere and help me to the deck. Some fresh air would help both of us." As he took the sailor's arm and led him to the stairs, Linebeck added, "Then we should probably see how the ladies are getting on. But let's take a minute first."

Link shook his head with a grin as they began to climb the steps. An interesting afternoon, no doubt. And one of which he definitely wasn't going into the details with Tetra. But he couldn't deny how he felt. Linebeck had helped him find some peace. He had that to thank the man for, at least.

"Y'know, if you want, I could put in a word with Jo, and she could have a chat with Tetra…"

"Don't you dare."

"I'm just saying. If you need a stress-reliever, I know an effective method…"

"Linebeck!"

"For Hylia's sake, you're lovey-dovey teenagers! I'm just trying to help!"