a primarily 'zelink' chapter

Shad wasn't usually one to get angry. He was a mellow individual, and didn't have issues with many people. Even with Pipit and Link, two guys who were completely different from him - they all somehow managed to strike a friendship with each other, and become roommates. Now, Shad's friendship with Pipit was tearing at the seams. They had both fallen for the same girl, and apparently that girl had fallen for Pipit too - and decided Shad didn't need to get the memo. Which, of course, the handsome intellectual disagreed with. He made his feelings clear - even before Pipit and Zelda had formally met. And to have those feelings so blatantly disrespected… It felt like a blow to the chest, with twice the pain since it was from two people he had trusted. One of the things Shad hated most was confrontation, but he was willing to put aside his discomfort to figure out why the hell Zelda and Pipit would lie to him. He called both of them to have a 'talk.' He wanted to see the looks on their faces when he let them know that he knew what they were doing behind his back.

The screenshots had been sent to him from an unknown contact. When he tried to call the number, it went straight to voicemail. The sender, whoever it might have been, must have blocked his number once they were sure Shad saw them. He knew for certain, however, that the texts did belong to Zelda. Her text background and custom font was the same. And the subject matter was too specific for someone else to emulate…

Pipit got home first. He was drenched in sweat from practice, and had a huge grin on his face. Even seeing Shad's cold scowl didn't deter him from looking happy.

"You seem chipper." Shad commented, crossing his arms.

Pipit wiped his face with a towel.

"I had a good practice. So what did you want to talk about? And what's up with that look? Are you practicing your Link impression?" He joked, but soon realized that Shad was actually being quite serious. "...Is something wrong?"

Shad said nothing, looking past him at the door. On cue, Zelda entered, licking chunks of blue jelly from her fingers. Either the two of them walked home together and decided to wait a few minutes before entering to not seem too suspicious, or they left straight from their respective campus activities. He wasn't sure which was which. He didn't know if he could even take their word for anything, at all.

"Oh, hi!" The pretty blonde said, putting her hands down embarrassedly. "I didn't realize there would be a full house. Shad, what did you want to talk about?"

She studied Shad's expression, saw his phone in his hand, and noted quickly that Pipit was with them. She already knew what the conversation would entail, and it wasn't going to be pretty.

Shad unlocked his phone, opening up the screenshots he had. He walked over to Pipit and Zelda, handing them his phone wordlessly and walking back to the couch to sit down. As soon as he looked at the contents, Pipit blanched immediately. He looked over at Zelda with a conflicted expression.

"Did you send these to him?" He whispered.

"No, of course not." Zelda said, even though she knew exactly who had sent them. She didn't want to say anything else on the matter, because it would make the situation a lot more complicated.

"Of course not." Shad repeated in a monotone voice, his eyes narrowed at both of them. "Why the hell are you two still whispering to each other, or trying to keep things from me? What's the point? I know for a fact that you two are dating!"

"Not officially…" Zelda corrected, putting a hand to her temple. "We knew it was too soon -"

"Just shut up, Zelda." Shad sighed, waving her off.

"Whoa," Pipit stepped forward, glaring at Shad. "Don't talk to her like that."

"You should shut up too!"

"If that's how you feel, why did you bring us here? To talk to us or yell at us!?" Pipit snapped, stepping towards him.

Shad stood up.

"Fine. Tell me why. I just need to know… why?"

"I like her. I like her a lot." Pipit shrugged, looking down at his feet.

"I know. I heard you telling Karane that you liked her. And when I confronted you, you made me feel like an idiot for thinking you would do that to me. And I thought… maybe now that he knows I'm suspicious, he'll back off."

"Shad…" Pipit said, looking at his friend guiltily. "I'm sorry…"

"No, you aren't." He shook his head, "You're sorry you got caught."

He had no response.

"And you." He walked to Zelda, eyes murky with pain, "You know how I felt… Exactly how I felt. From the beginning."

"I did." Zelda rubbed her arm lamely.

"Is that all you have to say for yourself?"

"I didn't want to reject you outright… And I knew you wouldn't be happy about me dating Pipit…"

"You want to date Pipit? Fine! Go ahead! I don't give a flying fuck anymore! But I gave you a chance to be honest with me. You told me to my face you two weren't trying to do anything! You told me you guys were just friends!"

"I didn't want to hurt your feelings!" Zelda said defensively. "I don't feel that way about you Shad. I never have, and I don't think I ever will! And I'm not going to apologize for that!"

"I don't want you to!" He retorted, "You don't like me, and it is what it is. I don't feel entitled to dating you because of how I feel! But I feel entitled to knowing the truth! Yes, it hurts that you like Pipit instead of me, but it hurts even more that you would lie to me. Pipit, you're one of my best fucking friends. You're supposed to have my fucking back, not stab it! Zelda, I thought you were a sweet girl, who was as beautiful on the inside as you are on the outside. I guess I was wrong."

"Shad, I can't begin to express how sorry I am." She said, reaching out towards him. "Your friendship means the world to me."

"Heh. I'm sure it did." He replied bitterly. "I'm not fucking stupid, okay? In fact, I'm too smart for my own good. Sure, on my own, I can get a girlfriend. Easily. But standing next to Pipit? Who would want to be with me, when they could be with him? He's good-looking, great at sports, a lot stronger and buffer than I'll ever be…" He trailed off, shaking his head.

"On second thought, maybe I am stupid." Shad said, biting his lip. "I never had a chance. And I knew that. But you still should have told me…" He turned heel and stormed off into his room, which unfortunately was the room he shared with Pipit. Zelda and Pipit stared at him hopelessly before turning to each other. Pipit could tell Zelda was devastated by Shad's reaction.

"Princess…" Pipit said, pulling Zelda into a comforting hug. She buried her face into his shoulder.

"Does this mean I have to move out?" She asked fearfully.

"Never. I won't let that happen." He said adamantly. "Shad will get over it soon."

"I can't stay here." She said, "I can't live here with you guys, not after this. It's a terrible situation."

"It isn't ideal. But he knows how we feel about each other. We can make it work without you having to go anywhere." He pulled away from their embrace and leaned in to give her a long, comforting kiss. She reveled in his touch.

"I'm going to go talk to him." He whispered.

"You should take a shower while you're at it. You stink." Zelda said jokingly.

He feigned a wounded expression.

"Ouch…" He said jokingly, before walking off.

"Should I come too?" She called out after him.

"No," he said, his tone becoming serious once more, "This conversation should be between me and him."

»°«

Right after he cleaned up the dorms, Link had a late night shift to cover at a bar. He would have called in sick and gone home straight away, but he needed the rupees desperately. Even if it meant working himself to exhaustion and the point of having a mental breakdown, he would do anything to have more rupees, since it helped his financial situation and his mother.

It was past midnight. Darkness shrouded over Castle Town, the streets illuminated by the moon and a few scattered street lights. Once Link was home, he tried his best to be quiet, assuming his roommates would be asleep. He unlocked the door to the apartment and opened it carefully, tiptoeing inside. To his surprise, the lights in the living room were on, and his least favorite cohabitant was wide awake, staring at him blankly.

"Why the hell are you awake?" He asked as he closed the door.

He studied her face carefully. Her cheeks were red but her eyes looked dry. He couldn't read her expression at all.

"I don't want to talk about it." She said flatly. She was sitting upright, wrapped up in her blanket on the couch.

He walked over and sat down next to her.

"Why not?"

"Do you care?"

"I don't." He said, "But I just got home from an eight hour shift, and I'm not as tired as I would like to be. So I could use a form of entertainment. Entertain me."

"My life is not a form of entertainment."

"Not for you." He corrected.

"I'm not in the mood, Link." She turned away.

He arched an eyebrow, finding himself genuinely curious as to what happened.

"Okay, you've really got my attention now. What's up?"

"Nothing is 'up.'"

"Can I ask some questions?"

"No."

"Are you tired?"

"No."

"Are you hungry?"

"No."

"Are you just saying no to me because you're upset?"

"...Maybe."

Link rolled his eyes, standing up. He pulled out his car keys and jingled them in front of her.

"Let's go eat."

"...What?" She looked up at him curiously.

"I haven't eaten anything and I'm hungry. And you've got a lot on your mind."

"Why would you care about how I'm feeling?"

"Why do you always assume the worst of me?" Link snapped back, aggravated with her attitude. "What the hell is your problem?"

"You haven't given me many reasons to trust you, if any at all!" Zelda fired back. "And I know that if I tell you, you're just going to rub it in my face."

"You think you know me so damn well, don't you?"

"I know you're not a nice guy."

"Try me." He crossed his arms.

"I don't want to talk about it here." She glanced at the door to Pipit and Shad's room.

"Come on then." He nodded towards the door.

She sighed in defeat, her tummy letting out a low rumble to let her know that she was indeed hungry. Zelda stood up, stretching her legs which had grown accustomed to her position on the couch. She had stayed there for a few hours, not able to sleep, her mind stuck on Shad, Pipit and their not-so friendly confrontation. It would be nice to get away for a moment, staying in the apartment would feel a bit uncomfortable for her for an indefinite amount of time moving forward. As for the company… it wasn't ideal, but she wasn't necessarily in the position to be picky. Zelda let the blanket fall to her feet, exposing her body which had been covered by a silky and rather revealing nightgown.

"Oh…" Link said lowly, a blush teasing his cheeks. His eyes grazed over her body quickly before he turned away. "You should probably change." He said.

"You're right…" She mumbled, grabbing some clothes and running to Link's room to change. She emerged in a floral, light pink sundress. It was simple and he could tell she put it on hastily, but she still looked ridiculously beautiful, as though she had put more time and effort into her outfit.

He scratched his head, trying to push those thoughts away.

"You ready?"

She nodded, following him out the door and to his car.

"It's been awhile since you've been in here, hasn't it?" He asked, putting his seatbelt on.

Zelda looked around, cracking a half-smile. She remembered that night, how Pipit stood her up and Link took her home in the pouring rain. It was only her second time being in his car, but she found that it was quickly becoming a spot of anguish and heartache for her, and its owner was the one who was able to bring about a strange sense of comfort.

"Where are we going?" She asked curiously. "Not many places are open past midnight."

"Malo's." He replied, backing out and speeding off onto the road. He whizzed down Castle Town, passing by all the shops and more popular areas.

"Where?" She looked out the window, studying their surroundings as he drove.

"I'm feeling homesick. So we're going to have some authentic Ordonian food."

"And we can get that at one in the morning?"

"Yes ma'am. Malo's is open 24/7. Perfect place to go when you're shitfaced at midnight, or feel like your heart is in turmoil."

"Oh…" She said, leaning back into her seat and remaining silent for the duration of the drive. After ten minutes, they arrived at their destination.

It was… quaint. It reminded Zelda of Telma's, except there was a large, lit-up sign showcasing the face of what looked like… a baby?

Link opened the door, holding it open for Zelda.

She walked past him, giving him a playful smile.

"What a gentleman." She commented.

"Don't get used to it, princess." He replied.

She rolled her eyes, focusing her attention on the interior with fascination. It had a rustic look to it, so unlike Castle Town's urban aesthetic. The wall was adorned with goat horns and cucco feathers. She was about to continue walking forward when she tripped over something beneath her. Link moved forward swiftly, catching her just before she fell. She looked up at him, their faces in close proximity to each other, before moving away quickly.

"Oh, uh… Thank you."

"No problem…" He said softly, moving away carefully, after making sure she was okay.

"Ahem!" A tiny voice huffed.

Zelda looked down to see a small child standing before her with his arms crossed. He was absolutely adorable, and she quickly recognized that he was the child whose face was plastered outside of the diner. And… all over the inside as well when she gave another look...

"Hello!" She said kindly.

"You should watch your step. You almost tripped over me, miss."

"My bad…" She mumbled.

"It is your bad. Hello Link." He then shifted his attention away from her completely. Zelda flinched at his bluntness, noticing Link's pleased expression.

Link grinned.

"Hi Malo. It is so great to see you again. How's the diner biz?"

"Excellent, as usual. But my mart downtown is still my pride and joy. Have you been back to the village recently?"

"It's been a minute…" He admitted, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

Malo nodded, stopping before he delved into something a bit more personal.

"Beth, go get them some menus."

A young girl with red hair grabbed a couple of menus and led them to a quaint a booth.

"So Link, is this your girlfriend?" She asked, grabbing some plate settings and placing them on the table.

"No." He said defiantly.

"Oh. My bad. You're very pretty though!" Beth said, smiling at Zelda shyly.

Zelda smiled goodnaturedly.

"Thank you."

"It's probably for the best, anyways. Link is kind of a snotball. And I'm sure Ilia would be jealous too…"

"Hey, Beth, can you get us some waters?"

"Oh, okay, but -"

"Now?" He asked, silently gesturing her to stop pressing the subject.

She sighed and nodded compliantly, walking back to behind the counter to fulfill his request.

"Who is Ilia?" Zelda looked back at Link. Other than Ashei, he hadn't shown any real interest in women. But she knew, from one of their conversations in the dorms, that he had been… intimate before.

"None of your business. We're not here to talk about my life." He glared at her, a silent request to drop the subject matter.

She held her hands up defensively.

"Okay, okay." She opened her menu and skimmed through the contents. "...Do I get to ask how you know those people, at least?"

"We all lived in the same village. Ordon."

"I hear it's a very small area."

"Everyone knows everyone. Living in the city is a nice contrast to that."

"I never pegged you for a country boy, but now that I think about it, the rustic life goes well with your grumpy personality."

"I get that a lot." He sighed, his eyes falling on the young girl who joined them again with two glasses of water.

"Here you two go. And…" She pulled out two straws, a pen, and a pad of paper, "Are you guys ready to order?"

"I didn't get a good look at the menu." Zelda looked down quickly, but Link spoke up before she could make a decision.

"We'll have the goat stew with a side of Hylian rice, and a goat burger."

"Two of each?" Beth asked.

"Two of each." He confirmed, slamming his menu shut and grabbing Zelda's, handing it over to her and smiling as she left again.

"What the hell? What if I wanted to get a breakfast plate?"

"Too bad, so sad."

"I don't even like goat!"

"Have you ever tried it?"

"No!"

"Then how do you know if you like it or not?"

"Why would you order it for me?"

"Because it's an Ordonian delicacy. And I'm the one who brought us here, and I'm paying for the meal, and I'm your ride, so if you -"

"Ugh!" She cut him off, crossing her arms. "I get it. But that shouldn't mean you get to choose the food."

"Wanna argue about it some more?"

"..." She ignored the question, knowing it wouldn't go well. After Shad, she wasn't in the mood for any bickering.

"Are you ready to tell me what's on your mind?" He leaned forward, clasping his hands together. She studied his face. His piercing blue eyes were inquisitive, and yet they held some sort of warmth.

She knew he would find out about it sooner or later, since they all lived together. Why wait? She'd rather have him learn it from her, and get the lecture out of the way.

"Groose sent the screenshots of my texts with Pipit to Shad. He knows everything now. And he isn't happy."

"Really…" Link mused, "I thought he'd be fucking ecstatic."

"Shut up."

"No, you shut up."

She glared at him.

"You're so immature."

"And you're naive."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm just waiting."

"Waiting for what?"

"For you to say 'I told you so.'"

Link leaned back, with a sparkle in his eye.

"Is that what you're expecting?"

"Yes, it is."

"Okay. Well I told you so."

"Link!" She scolded him.

He burst out in laughter, and even though Zelda wanted to be angry with him, it was nice to see him smile as opposed to being moody all the time.

"What?" He asked innocently, "I did. And you asked for it."

"Fine. Anything else you want to tell me?"

"I already said everything. You knew how I felt, and you knew how things would end if you got caught. Is there anything else I can say, other than to not be an idiot next time?"

Zelda sighed, looking down at her nails and picking at them awkwardly.

"I guess not." She confessed, feeling even worse about herself.

Link reached out and grabbed her hand, causing Zelda's head to jolt back up and stare at him with a startled expression.

"I know you're upset." He said sympathetically. "And being an asshole about it is very tempting. But for now, I'll ease off. I know Pipit and Shad a lot better than you. And if there's anything I've learned about Shad, it's that he can't hold a grudge against anyone. He'll come around, maybe even sooner than you think."

"I don't think so." Zelda shook her head. "I lied to him. It feels like he's never gonna let it go."

"For now. You'll see." He reassured her.

Her lips twitched into a light smile, and she entwined their fingers together to give his hand a thoughtful squeeze.

"You're not the worst, you know?"

"I suppose." He shrugged.

"Wow… Are you sure she isn't your girlfriend?" Beth said, her arms laden with hot food.

Zelda and Link, both startled by her sudden reappearance, snatched their hands away from each other.

"Yes I am." He said.

Zelda bit her lip to keep it from wobbling in embarrassment while Beth skillfully set down the plates before them.

While she hated to admit Link was right, the food smelled really good, and she was more than ready to try some.

"Here you two go. Enjoy!" She winked at them.

"So…" Zelda said awkwardly once she left. "...What should I try first?"

Link gazed at her intently, then pushed the bowl of stew to her.

"Try that first."

"Hmm…" She looked down at the stew. She could see chunks of goat meat swirling around in dark brown liquid. There were some herbs and a bright green garnish on top to make it look appetizing.

"It's best to eat it with rice." He said, wasting no time in digging in to the food.

"Oh… Okay." She took some of the stew and paired it with the rice. The moment it hit her tastebuds she closed her eyes immediately, savoring the flavors and the tenderness of the meat. "Mmm… Holy shit this is amazing!"

Link smiled at her reaction, and the two of them ate in amiable silence. It wasn't until she had all this food in front of her that Zelda realized just how hungry she had been. She was in low spirits when Link came home, and now that they were out, eating her problems away proved to be extremely therapeutic.

"This broth is amazing…" She commented.

"It is." He agreed.

"Is there a secret ingredient?"

"It isn't really a secret…"

"What is it?" Zelda stopped eating and looked at Link curiously.

"...Goat's blood…"

She paused, sitting forward and wiping her face. She finished chewing and looked at Link for the longest time to see if he was joking. But his face was blank.

"Wait, seriously!?"

"It isn't just goat's blood. But that IS the main component, yes."

"And you didn't plan on telling me this?"

"If I told you, you wouldn't have tried it."

"Link!"

"What?" He threw his hands up innocently. "You like it, don't you?"

"Yes, it's delicious, but it would have been nice to know what I was eating…"

She sighed, deciding not to let it get to her. She finished up the stew and sat back, satisfied.

"I hope you aren't too full, we still have to eat these burgers." He said.

She smiled and grabbed hers, turning it over in her hand.

"Those are blood free, if that's what you're worried about."

"And huge!" She commented, but still stuffed it into her mouth.

Link chuckled, shaking his head.

"You're such a pig."

Zelda smiled, trying not to laugh with her mouth full, unfortunately she failed. She tried her best to chew and swallow but couldn't stop herself from giggling, even letting out a little snort.

"Now you're just proving my point!" Link said as he laughed with her, doubled over while she tried to compose herself.

Eventually she sat up, cleared her throat and looked back to see Beth and Malo staring at them, slightly annoyed with how loud they were being.

"Sorry!" She called out before taking another bite of her burger.

"Um…" Link tried to keep himself from laughing again. "How is it?"

"It's great." She said, in good spirits but a bit annoyed when Link started snickering at her. "What is it!? Stop laughing at me!"

"I don't know. You look silly trying to eat that thing."

"It IS pretty big."

"That's what she said."

"Link!" She was laughing again, surprised yet amused at how silly he was being. They ate their burgers, both absolutely full afterwards and ready to head home.

Link handed Zelda the keys and she walked to his car while he paid for their meal and had a brief chat with Beth and Malo. He caught up with her quickly, and once they were both in the car she handed him the keys.

He drove off, heading back to the apartment. It was a quarter till 2AM, but neither of them were tired. Zelda looked out the window, then back at Link thoughtfully.

"What's on your mind, princess?" He asked, his eyes never leaving the road. He could feel her stare and didn't want to risk returning it, because a small part of him knew he'd have trouble looking away.

She cringed at the nickname but held her tongue on it.

"I don't know. I just… This was nice."

He smiled.

"It was, wasn't it?"

Zelda sighed, feeling her heart flutter whenever she looked at Link. She quelled the feeling, reminding herself that - according to him - they were not friends, and that she and Pipit were pursuing a relationship with each other. But it was still a nice feeling. She felt like she was seeing the side to Link she heard so much about.

"I don't want it to end…" She admitted. "Things are so damn complicated. This was a nice distraction."

"You have a boyfriend now. It'll be his job to distract you."

She frowned.

"Pipit isn't my boyfriend. We haven't 'defined' our relationship yet."

"Well, what are you waiting for? Shad knows about it now, so you can't really hide it."

"It all came to light tonight. We'll probably talk about it tomorrow."

"It is tomorrow."

"Ha. You know what I meant."

Link continued to drive, his mood shifting slightly as they neared the complex. Zelda could tell he was a little bitter about the subject matter. She assumed there would be no more words exchanged between the two of them, but he spoke up again eventually.

"...I don't want this night to end either."

She smiled to herself.

"Then… maybe it shouldn't."

"What did you have in mind?"

"I don't know…"

Link tapped his fingers against the driving wheel, his eyes lighting up once they were home.

"How about a drinking game?"

»°«

It was long past midnight, and Nabooru was not home like she initially anticipated she would be. She wasn't sure of how it happened, or how she had done it, but she was in bed with her star-crossed lover. Hyrule University's benevolent dean, Ganondorf Dragmire. His arms were wrapped around her naked body and though his eyes were closed, she knew he was awake. The two of them agreed to meet under the pretense of business, but all it took was a couple of glasses of wine and some strongly repressed emotions for both of them to cave into temptation.

"Ganondorf…" She mumbled, nudging him.

He opened his eyes, looking down at her drowsily.

"What?"

"We need to talk…"

"Haven't we done enough tonight?" He asked, shifting underneath her to get a bit more comfortable. "Just go to bed so you can leave in the morning."

She glared at him.

"Seriously?"

He sighed, his eyes softening as he pulled her closer to him.

"We can't do this…"

"We've done it before." She replied, before leaning in to give him a kiss.

He pulled away.

"Nabooru."

"Yes?"

"Don't."

She cupped his cheek, "But I want to. And so do you."

He shook his head, looking around his bedroom as though there were hidden cameras on them.

"Did you speak with Riju?" She asked, knowing it would be best to focus on their other ventures rather than discuss the intimate act they had committed. The act Nabooru would be content on doing with him over and over and over…

"I did." He replied, breaking her train of thought. "The gala will have plenty of donors to appeal to. I think we may have a shot at winning them over."

"You mean we'll have to dance and act fancy with a bunch of aristocrats?" She asked, disheartened at the thought.

"Yes, but it isn't necessarily a bad thing." He said, trying to look at the positive side. "It will be held in Gerudo Valley. So everyone will be on our home turf."

"That's fine and dandy, but what am I going to say, exactly? Negotiating isn't my thing. You know how I conduct my business, and it doesn't involve a lot of talking…"

"Which is why I'll be there." He narrowed his eyes at her and his grip on her body tightened. "The men and women that will be attending are much older and not apt to giving into their bodily instincts. So don't even think about opening your legs."

"Careful, you almost sound jealous." She purred, dragging her fingers across his upper body, admiring the feel of his muscles. "You know, after bedding so many college boys it's nice to get back in bed with a man…" She gave him a kiss on the neck.

"Anyway…" He tried to steer the topic back. "I hope you haven't gotten too attached here. If we pull this off, we'll need to leave Castle Town immediately."

"If? Don't you mean when?" Nabooru corrected him. She stopped playing with his chest and gave him an intense stare.

"Maybe at some point I did… But not anymore."

She sighed shakily.

"Will I be able to graduate with my degree?" She asked worriedly.

Ganondorf took a moment to think about her question. It was a valid concern, and he knew how serious she was about her studies. It was why she was able to get into such a prestigious school. It was also one of the many things about her that he admired.

"Yes. I'll be sure of it. For now, what we need to focus on is securing that money. Millions of rupees are at stake. And as you know… The dorm incident has given us a bad rep already."

"The little volunteer group has already made a considerable amount of progress on cleaning it. They're almost done. Do you think that'll have an impact on our plan?"

"It might." Ganondorf fell silent, his eyes narrowing as he thought carefully through their options. "Link is not what many people think he is. He's guarded, yet simple. Zelda is intuitive, book smart but also knows how to use her analytical skills to her advantage. Lana and Ashei are ambitious, and very loyal. If you can convince them to help you, they'll be valuable assets to our team. Cawlin is trouble, but since we have Strich we don't need to worry about him too much."

"I've observed them far more than you have, and you already know them so well?" Nabooru asked, a hint of skepticism in her voice.

"You've flirted far more than I have. And yes, I'm a very good judge of character." He shrugged, looking down at the beautiful woman nestled in his arms.

"And me? You know me quite well, don't you?"

"Perhaps even better than you know yourself…"

"Is that so?" She smiled, "What do you have to say about me, then?"

"You're selfish and reckless. You don't like to play the rules, because there's a certain thrill in acting naughty. But deep down, you have a heart. You care about everything you do, and everyone around you. It's your virtue and your vice, at the same time."

"And who do I care about most?" She asked, her eyes drifted to his lips.

"...Someone you can't have." He replied, looking away.

"Don't I have him now?"

…

Ganondorf didn't know what to say, but she didn't want him to answer her with words. Instead she leaned in and turned his face towards her, capturing his lips in another kiss. This time he returned it and held onto her body as though she might disappear the moment he let go.

"We should go to sleep…" He whispered the moment she pulled away.

"Goodnight, Ganondorf." She smiled at him lovingly, nuzzling herself into the warmth of his bare chest.

"Goodnight Nabooru…" He murmured as he closed his eyes.

»°«

"A drinking game?" Zelda asked, following Link inside. He grabbed a couple of water bottles out of the refrigerator and then led her into his room. Now that she thought about it, she had been spending a lot of time in there…

"Why not? You're stressed, I'm stressed, let's get drunk."

"You're stressed? About what?"

"Don't worry about it." He said dismissively, closing his door.

He pulled a flask out from beneath the foot of his bed.

"What is that?"

"...Whiskey?" He responded, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Oh, well…"

"You've never gotten drunk, have you?"

"No, not really."

"Never had so much as a sip of alcohol?"

"My parents let me take sips of wine from their wine glasses. Does that count?"

"Nope."

"Fine then. I guess I have zero experience with liquor."

"Sounds about right." He nodded, setting the flask between them. They sat cross-legged across from each other on his bed. Zelda looked nervous, not sure of what to expect from this 'game.' She had never been drunk, but one of her biggest fears about getting drunk was saying something she would regret later. Link looked indifferent, but he noticed her unease and leaned back with an amused smirk.

"We don't have to play if you don't want to. You look a little scared…"

"I'm not backing down, so don't get any ideas." Zelda said pointedly.

"Fine, fine. But we had a hefty meal. And I brought some water. So don't worry too much, okay?"

Zelda smiled and nodded, grateful for his reassurance.

"So what are the rules?"

"We'll ask each other questions. We both have to answer each question honestly, and if we don't want to answer, we'll take a sip."

"Before we start, I just have to know, where did you get the alcohol?"

"I'm a bartender."

"What? Really? Where?"

"Why? You wanna get me fired from there too?"

Zelda glared.

"Nevermind. I just… I didn't even know you drank."

"It helps put my mind at ease."

"What's putting your mind at unease?" Zelda watched him, her eyes filled with wonder. There were so many things she didn't know about Link, but she was eager to learn.

"Save the questions for the game. I'll start." He pushed his flask towards her, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

She bit her lip, taking it slowly.

"What's your greatest fear?" He asked, after pondering over a question for a minute or so.

"Wow, going straight for the deep questions."

"There's no other way to play."

"Um…" She thought for a moment before answering. "Not living up to my potential, I guess. I was class president at my high school, number two in my graduating class, I went to nationals for the spelling bee three years in a row, and I got a full ride to the best school in Hyrule. I'm proud of everything I've accomplished, but I can't help thinking… What if these are my best years? What if this right now, is the best that I'm going to be?"

Link stared at her for the longest time. Zelda wasn't sure of what he was thinking, but she quickly felt self-conscious. Perhaps her answer had been too much?

"Did I sound stupid?"

"No, no." He shook his head, "I never would have guessed you worried about something like that."

"Why?"

"It seems easy for you. And Shad. School's never been easy for me."

"You go to the top university."

"That doesn't mean anything."

"Clearly it does." She said. They smiled at each other kindly, until Zelda broke the eye contact and pushed his flask towards him. "I believe it's my turn to ask you a question…"

"Shoot."

"What was it like, growing up in Ordon?"

"It was nice. We were a close-knit village. But it's a place for simple-minded people. If I stayed, I would have spent the rest of my life being a goat herder. And I want more than that."

Zelda nodded, "Fair enough."

He gave her the flask.

"Okay. How many guys have you had sex with?"

"Excuse me!?"

"I play to win, princess."

"Is there a way to win in this game!?"

"Either I get to see you get wasted, or learn all of your secrets. Is there a way to lose?"

Zelda sighed.

"Well I am NOT answering that question."

She popped open the flask, cringing at the scent of the hard liquor before pressing her pretty pink lips to it and throwing her head back. She took a generous sip, and it took everything in her willpower not to spit it all out.

"Goddesses!" She said after swallowing.

"You okay?" Link chuckled, reaching back for a water bottle and handing it to her.

"That… is so bad…" She gagged.

"It's an acquired taste. But once you acquire it, there's no going back."

"I call bullshit." Zelda drank her water greedily, going through nearly half of it in one chug. "Why… is the aftertaste… still there!?"

"Don't drink it all too fast." Link rolled his eyes.

"You need to drink some now."

"That's not how the game works."

"Fine. Tell me who Ilia is."

Link tensed up, but pointed a finger at her stubbornly.

"That wasn't a questio -"

"WHO'S ILIA!?" She yelled at him.

"Keep your voice down! Are you fucking crazy?" He asked, "You're so dramatic. One sip of alcohol and you think you're going to fucking die." He rolled his eyes, snatching the flask out of her hands and taking a sip. "Happy?"

"Very." She rolled her eyes.

"Are you a virgin?"

"How is this any different than the last question!?"

"You can't answer a question with a question, it's against the rules."

"You never specified that."

"Answer the damn question."

"Why are you so concerned with my sex life?"

"I'm only asking the juicy questions."

"...No."

Link arched an eyebrow, clearly surprised.

"Really?"

"Really." Zelda nodded. "And that's all you need to know on the matter."

"Until the next round." He smirked.

"We'll see." She shifted, changing her position on the bed. She glanced at Link's alarm clock. It was almost four in the morning, but she couldn't even think about going to sleep now. She was actually having fun, and getting to know Link. "What are your career goals?"

"I've gone back and forth on what I want to do. I mean, I know what my long term goal is, but I swapped my majors one too many times last year. I finally decided on linguistics."

"Let me guess. Diplomacy?"

"Smart girl." He smiled, "Yes."

"I can't imagine that. Don't you have to be a likeable person at least?"

"I am likeable."

"You should at least be approachable."

"I would say I'm approachable too."

"Uh huh, sure… But, why diplomacy?"

"You're only limited to one question per round. But I suppose I can let it slide. I think that establishing formidable relationships with the different provinces in Hyrule is important. I could have studied economics, law, education, communications… But I've always liked language. It entails culture and history. It's how we understand each other."

"That's… That's beautiful." Zelda murmured.

"Yeah, yeah. What about you? What do you want to study?" He handed her the flask.

She turned it around in her hands.

"I have no idea…" She confessed with a sigh.

"No idea? At all?"

"Nope…" She looked somber for a moment. "I guess this goes back to my fear of not living up to my full potential. I don't even know what I want to study, what I want to be. My parents are pushing me towards med school. But I'm not interested. I just don't know."

"It's okay not to know."

"Not really."

"It's not like they have to pay for your tuition." He said pointedly. "You don't need to rush into a decision."

"I guess…" Her sad expression turned into a bittersweet one. "Can I tell you something?"

"Sure."

"I wanted… I wanted to take a gap year."

"A gap year?"

"Yeah. Take some time, find myself. I don't know. Climb to the top of Death Mountain, maybe?"

"You DO know why it's called Death Mountain, right?"

"Shut up." Zelda laughed to herself. "I know it sounds ridiculous. I guess I just… I really liked high school. And making the transition to college hasn't been easy. Especially after getting kicked out of the dorms."

"Well, I believe it's time for you to ask me a question."

"Hmm…" Zelda thought about Malo's. "About that goat stew… Is that one of your favorite foods?"

"Yep." He nodded, "My mom used to make it for me and my little sister before she went ill. Malo can't make it as good as she can, but still, it's incredible no matter who makes it."

She smiled.

"And you? Do you have any childhood food favorites?"

"Crab risotto. It was my ultimate comfort food. My mom made it for me whenever I had a rough week at school."

"Sounds delicious."

"It's very delicious." She confirmed, a nostalgic feeling overwhelming her momentarily.

The two of them continued their game, asking each other questions and taking sips when they didn't feel like answering. Soon, rays of light from the sun began to snake their way through the blinds of Link's curtains. They had lost track of time, and were several hours into their game. After a few more sips, Link's whiskey started to take full effect on Zelda. She was swaying, having trouble staying in place on his bed without falling over. Link wasn't nearly as drunk, but he was certainly getting there.

"You're terrible at holding your liquor." He commented, shaking his head woefully, though there was a playful undertone to his voice.

"Nuh uh."

"Uh huh."

"Nuh uh."

"Uh huh."

"Nuh - hic - uh!"

Link took the flask.

"Ask me a question."

"Huh… buh…" Zelda chewed on her bottom lip, rubbing her forehead.

"Any day now…" He said sarcastically.

"Why are you so hot?"

He certainly wasn't expecting that.

"Pardon?"

"I s-said it!" Zelda jabbed her finger into his rock hard chest. "Answer me!"

"I don't even know how to answer that. Genetics, I guess?"

"Not a good enough answer, but it'll have to suffice."

"If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were flirting with me."

"Nope, no siree." She denied hotly, "I'm with Pipit. I'm Pipit's girl. And I'm also drunk. Very, very drunk."

"You know what they say: a drunk mouth speaks a sober mind."

"So? It doesn't mean I'm flirting… It just means you're nice to look at… But don't get any ideas."

"I would never."

"Okay, now you have to ask me a question."

He sighed. His head was pounding, and part of him was thinking maybe it would be time to stop. He learned a lot about her that night. About her childhood, former romantic ventures, her passions, her fears... But then he looked at her, studied her face, the way that dress fit her body so well, how beautiful she looked at seven in the morning after a sleepless night, while also being completely wasted…

And he felt… frustrated.

"What the hell do you see in him?" He blurted out.

She stopped swaying on the bed and looked at Link blankly.

"Huh?"

"Pipit. Why do you like him so much?"

"I mean, where do I start? He's nice, funny, charismatic…"

"You don't even know him!" Link said critically.

"Yes I do!" Zelda said defensively, "He's going to be my boyfriend… Of course I know him…"

"What's his major?" Link asked.

"I- well… We never talked about it…"

"What's his favorite color? Or favorite food?"

"I don't know…"

"What are his greatest fears? Can you answer that?"

"N-No!" She admitted, not liking the sudden turn in conversation.

"He doesn't know you either." Link muttered bitterly.

"He knows enough." Zelda replied.

"Ohhh?" Link asked challengingly, "He does?"

"Yes, he does…"

"I bet he's an expert on everything Zelda…"

"What the hell is your problem!?"

"Does he know that you love chu jelly and deku nut sandwiches? Or that your eyes switch colors, between blue and green? Does he know that your shoulders tense when you're about to tell a lie? That strands of your blonde hair darken underneath the sun?"

Zelda's mouth formed into a tiny 'o,' she was speechless at everything he had just said.

"I didn't even know most of those things about myself…" She whispered, clutching the sheets of his bed. Link moved away, his cheeks turning redder by the second.

"We… should stop now." He said after a tense silence.

"One more question." She handed him the flask.

"No." He said stubbornly.

"Please." She insisted.

He sighed heavily, a disapproving expression on his face, but gestured for her to continue.

"I don't understand you at all. It's like you hate me, but then there's this other side to you… This side that opens up to me. You're so vicious, but at the same time, you're not. You say you hate me, and that we aren't friends, and yet you're there for me. In a way that Pipit and Shad just aren't… And I just don't get it… Do you care about me? Or not?" She felt her resolve break as the question escaped her lips.

Link looked conflicted, as if he himself wasn't sure of the answer. He bit his lip, looking down at the flask in his hand. Then he popped it open, and took the final sip.

A/N: Holy crap, this chapter was long. In fact, I feel like the length of these chapters are getting longer and longer each time I update. I used to average around 3 to 4 thousand words. This one was over 7000. I'm giving you guys a quick update because I love you. Thanks for the favorites and follows, but please, your girl is dying here. And the only way I can be revived is through REVIEWS. (wink, wink, nudge nudge) Anyways, this chapter was mostly ZeLink. It looks like things are about to get complicated for Zelda and Pipit, and they haven't even made it official yet. How long will they last? I have no idea… And now we know a little more about Ganondorf and Nabooru. Good ole HU is losing some money. Uh oh.

The goat stew mentioned in this chapter is based off of dinuguan, a Filipino pork blood stew. I've been craving it for weeks so I decided to write about it. It's SO good. I've never tried goat, so I honestly don't know what it tastes like or what an actual stew of the sort would taste like, but I'm assuming it would be delicious. 13 chapters in, and Zelda and Link's (friendship?) seems to be coming along… But for those of you who know me, I'm not going to make this relationship *easy* for them at all. So don't get your hopes of just yet…