Story Title: The History of Us
Disclaimer: If I owned Twilight Princess, you would've known. But I don't own it.
Author's Notes: Finally, after so many years of waiting, after so many revisions, and just forgetting this fic existed, this fic is completed at last. Again, it's more than likely not the fic everyone most wanted, but it was the one that was the closest to being finished, and I am overjoyed to cross one off the list. It's like taking a crumb off the pile, but progress is progress. It's done, and now I can clear it out of my mind, and make room for something else in its place.
I admit that I probably could have done better in this fic. Even with the rewrites, it's rough and messy in places, and sings off key at times, but it's done. The ending is mostly how I planned it, except for one big change that might leave a readers wondering what the point of this fic was then, but it's a choice I feel that Link would make until certain things changed for the better.
I suppose that I should add a small warning that there's some homophobia near the end. It's a minor insult that's dealt with quickly after. Thanks to everyone for reading and for keeping up with this all this time and also to anyone giving this a chance and reading after its completed.
-o-
Chapter Ten: Man of Our Dreams
-o-
The last two days consisted of nothing but reviewing everything and taking special note of where Link still needed to brush up on his studying. Link's knowledge of ancient history was actually quite on point, thanks to Shad's reenactments and retellings with his figurines. His modern history was a bit more blurry, though. Shad regretted recent events between them stealing three days of study sessions from them. Those days certainly could have made Link's understanding of modern events far clearer.
But those matters were water under the bridge, as the saying went. What was lost was lost, no need to dwell on those days one bit. At this point, it was rubbing salt in a wound, and Shad was over it anyway. The slate was clear now. There was work to be done, and not a lot of time left to complete it. Shad was far too old to let something as petty as hurt feelings get in the way of his work.
"Good. Now what were the two main goals of the occupation of the Eldin Mountains in 1942?" Their history textbook open in hand, Shad walked around the table perusing the pages for important details to quiz Link on.
"To reclaim the land for the Gorons," Link answered, gazing at the ceiling as he racked his brain to scrounge up the buried facts. "...And to capture General Volga, who had fled to the mountains."
Link looked relieved when Shad told him that he was correct. Apparently, he hadn't been entirely sure. "Was he a man or a dragon?" he asked Shad. "Because I keep seeing both."
Legends and history did overlap quite a bit in Hyrule. "It's confusing, isn't it? If the legends are correct, there was a dragon named Volga that lived in the Eldin Caverns. But we're talking about the man, who was also called "the Dragon of the Eldin Caverns", but I assure you that he was most certainly human."
Shad was never going to admit this around other history aficionados, but he found the modern era wars dreadfully boring to study, particularly anything regarding the War of Ages. Of course Shad knew the necessary facts and importance of those wars, but he also knew of folks who had built their entire personality around being an expert on these wars to an uncomfortable degree. Shad favored ancient history, blending in the legends and myths, when there were dragons and legendary Heroes, and magic was...well, magic and not some explainable scientific force or phenomena of their world.
"I don't understand this map," Link said. "What does it mean that this area was disputed land? Was this the land we took back for the Gorons or nobody owned it or what?"
Even going by the color code guide, it wasn't clear what the yellow and black patch of diagonal lines on the map indicated. If the blue was the land that Hyrule had taken back for the Gorons, then what was in dispute? Shad leaned over Link's shoulder for a better view of the fine print explanation. Which turned out to not be much of an explanation at all. The textbook itself glossed over the details regarding that bit of land. Shad knew some folks that could give him a too thorough explanation, but he doubted that Auru's test was going to dive that deeply into Link's historical knowledge.
Link was not looking at the book at all. He was staring at Shad. His sharp blue eyes lingering on his mouth, Link watched intently as Shad wet his bottom lip. If he was trying not to get caught, he wasn't doing a good job. The look in Link's eyes… He was captivated and lost in his thoughts. He seemed—Shad did not know if he could finish his thought. It was ridiculous and completely untruthful. Laughable, really. He really was projecting too much if he believed that Link was enamored by him.
Feeling warmth on his cheeks, Shad quickly stood up straight and returned to his seat. Now was not the time nor was it ever going to be. He didn't even know why he had wet his lip but he had done it, and for a second there had been a spark of longing in Link's eyes, or so he had imagined. Shad had imagined a lot of things between them, none of which were ever going to come true.
The hurt in Link's eyes was certainly not imagined. Shad cleared his throat. "I do not believe that Auru will cover this chapter in such depth. We can move on to the next page."
Link didn't feel the way he felt for him. Shad had thought that he had a chance when Link had admitted that he liked guys, but then Link had made it clear that he didn't like him. Which was fine. It was okay if Link didn't share his feelings. Just because they both liked guys didn't mean they had to go out with each other. There was more to compatibility than that, and they just didn't match. Shad was eventually going to find love. It just wasn't going to be with Link.
Shad wondered if this was the reason fleeting, one-sided love was called a "crush". He certainly felt as if every part of him were being pressed into the ground every moment he was reminded that Link was never going to return his feelings. Which was fine. It was fine if he didn't. It really didn't hurt that much, and what heartache was there was going to heal. Eventually.
Besides, that was all water under the bridge, right? They had agreed to put what had happened in the past, cleaned the slate, and moved on. There was work to be done, and a great big test to determine Link's history grade looming. Shad had no time to think about love, longing, and Link staring at him.
"Now where were we?" Shad asked, scanning the textbook. "...Ah, yes, war crimes."
-o-
Running through the mostly empty halls, Link was looking for Shad. He had to find him and show him his test results. He was gonna be so proud of him. Link was pretty sure that he was still at school, having said something about needing to do some research in the library after school. Link hoped he hadn't gone home already. His excitement was going to kill him if he had to wait to tell him all the way to Shad's apartment.
He found Shad in the back by the reference section. He was sitting alone, surrounded by books neatly gathered in short stacks and arranged for quick access according to importance.
"Shad!" Link shouted, making him and most of the library jump in their seats. He earned several glares and harsh hushes from other students trying to quietly study alone and together in small groups, as he thundered past them. "I did it! I passed!"
In his overwhelming enthusiasm to show him his grade, Link smacked Shad in the face with his test paper. Link apologized and then held his paper up at a distance that Shad could actually read what it said. Not that Link was able to wait that long. "I made a B!" he said. He couldn't believe it. He had just squeaked out with a B. Last time that he had earned a B was in sixth grade.
Shad smiled. "Congratulations, old boy."
"It's because of you I did it," Link said, his voice ringing with joy.
Shad shook his head. "No, you took the test, not I. You made the grade."
"Ah, but without you, none of it would have finally sunk in," Link replied, playfully rapping his knuckles against the side of his head.
Shad bashfully glanced down at the floor. "Well, I'm overjoyed for your success. Again, congratulations. You did marvelously."
"How about we go to Lon Lon Burger to celebrate?"
Shad made a sound that Link couldn't figure out what it was for. Disbelief maybe? Annoyance at being asked to drop what he was doing? Link realized that he was in the middle of his research, and that he might not want to go right now, but he could take a little break.
"No, old boy," Shad said, picking up his pencil and returning to his work. "I've fulfilled my duties and our arrangement has come to its inevitable end. There's no need for you to associate yourself with me."
Link furrowed his brow. "Our arrangement has ended? What are you talking about? We're friends. ...Aren't we?"
Scanning over the pages of an open book, Shad pretended to work. He pretended that this conversation wasn't as important as it was, that it didn't need his full attention. "I admit that in our time together we developed a bond of friendship," he said. "But that was mutually beneficial to our arrangement. Now that it is over, you no longer have to maintain said bond. You may return to your friends and associates and your regular social engagements that you were accustomed to, and I shall return to mine without hard feelings."
It was over? How? Why? Shad was acting so distant. Link had so many questions. "What about our watch party? We were going to hang out and watch movies."
Shad finally looked up at Link. He seemed taken aback. "You were serious?"
"Yes!"
More hushing hissed around them.
Shad swallowed his breath roughly. "Oh dear..." he said. "My apologies for the misunderstanding." Worry wrinkled his brow as he jotted down a few more notes.
Link was awash with hurt and anger. A gut punch from Goro would have hurt less. "How could—" Link was barely able to string together his sentences. "Why?"
"It's for the best," Shad assured.
"The hell it isn't!" Link was not going to be quiet. The school librarian could throw him out if he wanted to.
"Surely you jest," Shad scoffed. "Before our arrangement, you never even knew I existed."
"I also never made above a seven percent on a History test," Link smarted back. "Yeah, I didn't know you, but we got to know each other. We became friends. Now you want to throw all that away, and for what?"
His mouth pressed into a tight, thin line, Shad didn't say anything. He closed his spiral notebook and the open book, gathered the two in his arms, and hurried off into the reference stacks. Link followed him. It was easy to catch up to his brisk walking pace.
Shad slowed to slip around a large support pillar in the middle of the aisle, and Link grabbed Shad by the back of the dress shirt. He yanked him backwards, turned him around, and then pushed him up against the pillar all in one quick, smooth motion. Link held him there, his hands around Shad's upper arms. There was little force in his grip, but if Shad tried to break free, it was no trouble for Link to keep him there.
"What is it?" Link asked, concerned. "Tell me."
Shad stared into Link's eyes. His chest was pounding. Link didn't know if he was composing his answer or simply catching his breath from the shock of being snatched and pinned against the pillar.
There was such a sadness in Shad's expression. Link wanted to stop restraining him and give him a hug. "I don't know if I can be just friends with you," Shad said.
Link didn't know what to say, but he understood Shad's perspective. It wasn't easy to have to set aside his feelings for him every time they were around each another. Having to remind himself that everything Link said or did wasn't meant to be taken romantically sounded not only painful but exhausting. Not to mention that Link didn't want to accidentally send any mixed messages. He had sent Shad's questioning gears spinning, leaving doubts of how much he really wanted to be just friends enough already.
"Perhaps, with time and distance, yes," Shad said, trying to end things easily and gently and on a hopeful note. "However, right now, it's too difficult. Wouldn't you agree?"
Yes, things were certainly awkward between them. But how long would it be before things were back to the way things were between them? How much time and literal distance were they talking here? A few weeks? A whole summer? Graduation? Did Shad really expect him to ignore him at school and let him go home to an empty apartment? That sounded just as emotionally agonizing to Link, and he wasn't gonna let that happen.
He imagined the two of them sitting together on Shad's sofa. Link making a joke just to watch Shad laugh. Shad laughing so hard that he squeezed his eyes shut and the bridge of his nose wrinkled. The two of them catching each other's gaze. Both thinking that the only thing that could make this moment better was if they leaned in and kissed. Except they couldn't. Not without making a whole lot of hurt for a pair of "just friends". Link didn't want to put Shad through that. Shad was right. They couldn't be friends.
There was so much Link didn't know and so many messy feelings floating around. He didn't want to lose Shad's friendship, but he was unsure of his feelings. Was he attracted to Shad? Maybe. In their last study session, Link had kept admiring the shape of his lips and wondered if his lips were as soft as they looked. Link was done with wondering.
"Can I kiss you?" Link asked.
Shad's eyes widened. "What?"
"I need to," he said, stepping closer. 'Please give me permission."
Link knew that it was crazy to ask if he could kiss him after everything that had happened between them, and all the problems that had caused, but just once he wanted to know what it felt like to kiss Shad with all his heart. If he didn't ask him now, he would never know.
"Okay," Shad replied, to Link's surprise. He would have understood if Shad had told him no. It was the rational answer, which made Shad's agreement all the more surprising.
"Just so we're clear, I mean this one," Link said.
Link heard his own heartbeat in his ears as he rose up onto the tips of his toes. This was happening, and Link hardly believed it. He had never been so ecstatic, yet so nervous in his life. It was overwhelming. If he wanted to stop this, all he had to do was turn his head away. But why would he? It was time long overdue to put an end to the uncertainty.
Shad placed a hand on Link's lower back to brace him and bent down to meet him halfway. Their lips touched. Link and Shad stopped. Their lips had barely brushed against one another, but just this feeling had rushed through Link. Like a ninety mile hour fastball was coming toward him, and it was time for him to swing the bat. Link moved in closer, and their lips met completely.
Everything about this kiss was different. The feel, the reason, the emotions, nothing was alike their first two kisses. Link wasn't drunk. There was no pity behind it. No misguided attempt to comfort either of them. It was just their hearts laid bare to one another.
Removing his hand from Link's lower back, Shad cradled the back of Link's head and deepened the kiss, kissing him with every mote of passion he possessed. Link gripped his shirt tighter, pulling Shad closer to him. He smelled the powdery scent of his laundry detergent whiff in the air. He slipped his knee in between his legs and rubbed up against his thigh.
Link's heart raced. He had no idea what was going on around them. It was just him and Shad. His head was spinning. He felt drunker than drunk, and yet he was very sober of everything happening between him and Shad. His skin was burning. Adrenaline coursed through him. He felt like he had hit a winning home run and was racing around the bases as fast as he could, but even that was not a perfect comparison.
At long last, and yet not long enough, their mouths parted. Link's eyes flew open, and he stared into Shad's also wide open eyes. Neither one believed what had just happened.
"What do you have to say now, old boy? Am I your type?" Shad asked.
"Yeah." Link wished he had more to say, but that was the best his dazed and dazzled mind strung together. Link finally took notice of how deeply pressed up against Shad he was and where certain parts of him rubbed up against Shad. It was no wonder Shad was all flustered and red-faced. And cute, he was so cute. His heart was skipping beats. Link just wanted to kiss him again. Link had proposed inviting other people to their watch party but he kinda just wanted it to be the two of them now. They could snuggle on the couch together. "Will you go out with me?"
Never had Link seen someone's face plunge from pure happiness into worried disbelief in a matter of seconds. Link let Shad slip out to give him the space to process the matter. "This is ridiculous. I'm being ridiculous," Shad said, his hand covering his forehead, as he walked away a couple steps and then circled back. "We can't date."
"Why not?" Link asked matter-of-factly. "I don't care what anyone thinks."
"I'm not popular—"
"Don't care," Link replied.
"Your team—"
"I quit."
Shad looked absolutely gobsmacked. "You what?"
Link was quite pleased with himself about that. "I told the coach what happened to you, then I quit." The coach had promised him that everyone involved was going to be punished and begged Link to stay, but he had already made up his mind. Too many rotten apples were on the team to make his time worth staying for.
"Then what was the point of our arrangement?" Shad asked, his voice raised. Several voices hushed him.
That was a good question. Link had wondered that himself after he had left the coach's office, but it didn't take him long to figure out the answer. He had that one figured out before a lot of the questions on Auru's test. "My grade still needed to improve," Link said. "And I got to get to know you."
"Don't leave your team because of me," Shad pled.
They weren't his team. Not anymore. "They shouldn't have put their hands on you."
"But you love baseball. Why did you give it up for that?"
"Some things are more important," Link said, without hesitation. Link loved the sport, but it wasn't everything. Baseball wasn't his only interest. It wasn't his entire personality. His team had wanted it to be, but it wasn't. It didn't matter if Shad's wounds were healed or that Shad didn't want to make a big deal about it—if playing baseball meant playing on this team through the rest of high school, then Link was fine with quitting.
"It doesn't feel right..." Shad mumbled, his brow furrowed. He was such a worrier. Link was not.
"The only reason I was allowed to play anyway was because everyone but Auru gave me a pass. I don't want any more free passes. This head has gotta know more than baseball. What happens when I don't want to play anymore? What if an injury takes me out forever? Then what?"
"Well, if you've reached the Majors by then, you'll live out your days with your multi-millions as a celebrity, making paid public appearances, product endorsements, sports commentary," Shad replied.
Link blew out a blustery puff of air. "Me, a celebrity? Why can't I be a recluse that shows up to play?" He grinned.
Not one to think too far ahead, Link had never really thought about his future. Not in any definite or serious terms. He daydreamed about playing in the Majors, but he didn't know how to get there or what his plan was. Nothing was ever set in stone for him. Except for one thing: whatever his future was, how ever their relationship went, Shad was going to be a part of his life. Link was going to make sure of that.
"I'm not quitting forever, y'know. Just until next year. I'm sure there'll be a lot of openings on the roster by then."
"You don't deal in half measures, do you, old boy?" Shad said. "When you care about something, you put your whole heart into it."
"I swing the bat," Link said proudly.
-o-
Shad hadn't been to Lon Lon Burger since he was a kid, back when it was just a tiny stand that sold a basic burger with fries, soda by the can, and soft-serve ice cream in the summer. Now it was a regional fast food chain found all around Hyrule, with the one in Castle Town being the original. The restaurant's decor still held on to that little farmhouse out in Hyrule Field aesthetic from the very first stand.
Link was eager to celebrate his success on Auru's test, among other wonderful news. It still felt surreal to Shad. Him and Link. Dating. One of the most popular guys in school wanted to go out with him. He was waiting on Link to say that he was just joking. Shad was waiting to be the punchline—it wasn't the first time that he had been asked out as a cruel joke. But, no, Link wasn't like that. This was real. This was happening. What had started out as a silly crush had turned into a dream come true.
"So how done are you on your homework? Is the due date not tomorrow?" Link asked as he pushed open the second set of doors and headed on inside, the scent of hot fries greeting them. "'Cause there's an arcade—"
Someone shouted at Link.
Link and Shad looked in the direction from where the shout had came and saw a couple tables full of miserable faces and more than a few glares. Were it up to him, Shad would have left the restaurant, but Link did not flee from conflict. His team had something they wished to say to him, and Link was willing to hear them out.
The dining area wasn't too busy—most of the after-school rush had come and gone elsewhere by now. Link stopped close enough to talk but far enough that he was able to see anything coming their way if things got ugly. The last thing either of them wanted was to make a scene, but Link's former team no doubt had questions and a few choice words for him after he had decided to up and leave.
"So Coach right? You quit?" Goro asked, getting straight to the point. The team sat at what were actually two tables pushed together, and Goro sat in the middle where the two connected."You knew you weren't gonna pass the old coot's test so you quit." His glare slid over onto Shad."Some help you were."
Shad refused to hang his head. He wasn't going to stand back and say nothing when he had put so much time and effort in and succeeded. "Given that Link went from failing to a B in History, I believe I was quite helpful."
Shad was not sure if the shocked looks on their faces were from hearing Link's grade or the fact that he had taken up for himself. Maybe it was just the rush of finally putting his detractors in their place or having Link right beside him, but Shad felt different. He had wallowed in sadness and let other kids define who he was all these years, things that he wasn't, and he was tired of it. It wasn't going to be an easy change or an instant switch, but he wasn't alone. Not anymore. Not ever again.
"He was more help than you are right now," Ashei said. She sat two chairs down from Goro. The fellows sitting between them were already regretting their seat selections.
Goro's brow furrowed into a deep crevasse. "The heck's that supposed to mean, Ash?"
"Link passed and he still left. Insulting Shad isn't gonna tell us why Link quit, yeah?"
"It's his fault, ain't it?" Goro scrunched up his face in confusion. Insulting Shad was always allowed, no matter if it fit the occasion, so why was now any different?
Honestly, Shad was a bit taken aback himself. It had been forever since the last time Ashei had said anything at all to her teammates regarding their insults toward him. While her tone remained dull and abrasive, her words themselves sounded awfully supportive.
"That's not why I quit," Link said, his tone calm but far from friendly.
"Why then? We were playing a perfect season, and you're gonna tank it now," one of the other guys said. Shad was fairly sure his name was Fledge. He was a nice guy, a bit timid, and used to be lanky like him but put on a lot of muscle over the summer. He had never picked on Shad in the past, but he had never come to his defense either. Shad didn't think he had any idea about why Link might have quit.
"If the rest of the season is a bust, it's all your fault," Goro said. Shad wasn't sure which of them he was directing his words toward.
"My advice is that you hit the ball when the pitcher throws it at you. Half of you need to start carrying your weight anyway," Link said.
"You aren't that good. We don't need you that badly," Mido mouthed off from the far left end.
"I'd still be on the team if some of you hadn't put your hands on Shad," Link said, staring Mido down. Mido looked away and mouthed an insult in silence.
"You quit for him? You gonna throw everything away for that," Pipit said, tossing a nod toward Shad.
"Yea, I am. I'd burn my bat and gloves for that," Link said, flashes of anger slipping into his voice. "Speaking of which, he's not a that. He's a person. I know everyone's had a hell of a time insulting him, treating him like a punching bag all these years but party's over. Grow as a person. If you still feel the need to be a dick, let me know. I'm not afraid of what the school can dish out to punish me."
Link reached over and grabbed Shad's hand. The sudden touch gave Shad a mild start. He wasn't expecting Link to hold his hand. Not right now, not at this stage. He had figured that Link would want to be quiet about them at first, especially since they weren't even a "them" yet. They were barely anything at all. Holding hands felt nice though. It felt warm and right and made Shad immensely happy. He stifled his smile a bit just so he didn't look too much like a fool.
Several of his ex-team members raised their eyebrows at him taking Shad's hand. They all received the message Link was sending, but it didn't earn a positive response. Link turned around and led the two of them toward a table on the other side of the restaurant. Link refused to let go of Shad's hand. Shad didn't really want him to let go. He had never thought that he was ever going to be one half of that couple that held hands everywhere, but he was. Was he getting too ahead of himself? Maybe, but a lot had happened today, and he was still trying to believe and process it all. It was a lot to go from lonely loser longing for love to getting the guy of his dreams and suddenly not a social outcast.
"Screw that prick," Goro said. "I never would've thought that Link was a limp wrist."
Link and Shad both heard it. Neither of them were happy about it—Link's glower made it clear that he was thinking all the curse words. Shad was biting his tongue quite a bit himself. Even if it wasn't intentional, Goro was loud enough that everywhere was within earshot of him. Was the local Lon Lon Burger really the best place to escalate an argument? There were only two of them and many more of them. Link could handle himself marvelously, but Shad wasn't suited to fisticuffs, should everyone's tempers rise to such levels. Which they were certain to.
Link squeezed Shad's hand for reassurance, a reminder that he was there and all was fine, and they kept walking away.
"The rest of the season is gonna suck," Ashei said, her chair making a scraping sound across the floor as she pushed away from the table. "You guys gotta find a new star hitter and a pitcher."
"What the hell, Ash?" Goro said. "You're quitting too."
"Yeah," she said.
The guys voiced their protests all at once.
"I'm not sticking around to get roped in with y'all when you idiots implode," she said as she looped to the other side of the table. "Or perhaps I've got a limp wrist too, yeah?" She dangled her hand for a second and then flipped it back up and waved her middle finger at her former team.
Link and Shad both watched everything play out from their table. Link was surprised to see Ashei quit, but Shad was not. Ashei hadn't come out to the team and for good reason—she hadn't wanted to be the target of a joke or something worse, something like this. They had turned so quickly against Link. Her chances weren't any better.
Ashei seemed to be biting on the inside of her cheek as she made her way over to their table. She was comfortable with harsh words and verbal punches, but vulnerability didn't come so easy.
"Hey, if you're still tutoring, I'd like to know how to be a better friend," she said to Shad. "You see, I messed up a while back and had my head in the sand. I don't deserve his friendship right now, not yet, but there's this guy I'd like to make amends with. Think you could show me how, yeah?"
"I believe that is something that could be arranged, yes," Shad said. He scooted closer to the window. "Why don't you sit here so we may discuss this further?"
Ashei slid into the booth and sat next to Shad. Shad smiled. Ashei smiled back. It was tiny and unsure, but it was there and every bit of it was meant. Everything felt wonderful and right in ways Shad hadn't known in years.
"So you two been going out very long or is this recent?" Ashei asked.
"Technically, we haven't gone out," Shad replied.
"I asked him today. It's barely been a half hour," Link clarified. "Sorry if me holding your hand was too much back there. I just wanted the guys to see I was serious and that you mean a lot to me."
"It's fine," Shad said. "I know we're still figuring things out."
Sitting quietly, Ashei looked at the two of them and then raised an eyebrow.
"Link asked me out but he doesn't know if he's attracted to me yet," Shad explained.
"What?" Ashei said, staring at Link flatly.
"It's not…" Link said, pulling a face as he struggled to find the words to explain all that had went down clearly and concisely. "There's more to it. It's been a thing goin' on."
"Link, let me make things easy for you. If you've asked a guy out, you're probably attracted to him," Ashei said.
"Yes, I know that. But hear me out," Link said. "I've never actually dated anyone before. All I've ever had are crushes, and you know you imagine yourself with who you think is the perfect guy—"
"Not even once. Can't relate," Ashei said dryly.
"The point is—wait, you're a lesbian?"
"You didn't know?" Ashei and Shad said incredulously at the same time.
"No, but don't get me off track," Link said, waving his hands to clear out all other thoughts from reaching him and distracting him. "First of all, I want to make this clear: I am attracted to you."
"I'm delighted to hear that—"
Link shushed him. He had a point to make and he was determined to not lose his train of thought. "When I told you that you weren't my type, I didn't really know what that meant. I've always just thought that's what I wanted. Y'know, you get it in your head that you want a big, beefy giant, but it turns out you have a better time with the lanky nerd, and he shows you that there's more to you and him than everyone else believed, and you're excited to find out what else the two of you enjoy together."
"I understand, old boy, though I don't quite relate," he said, looking over at Ashei to confirm that he had used the word correctly. Shad grabbed one of Link's hands. "You see, the perfect guy I imagined did ask me out."
The answer dawning on him, Link grinned, his smile absolutely beaming and very bashful. It was remarkable that a popular fellow like him was shy when it came to romance and compliments. Link had to know that he was attractive. Most of the school wanted to go out with him—it was why they were so preoccupied with knowing who he was dating. And yet he was able to fluster him?
"Hylia, I need some extra salty fries to combat all this sweetness you're subjecting me to," Ashei groaned as she got out of the booth.
"Lemme order too," Link said, hurrying to catch up. Ashei was not waiting for him at all. "Do you want anything, Shad? I know you don't really like fast food, but they've got really good milkshakes."
Shad told Link that that was fine.
Ashei and Link walked no more than three steps away before Link turned around and said in an overly emotional voice, "I miss you already."
Shad covered his mouth with his hand to hide his smile. Link had said it mostly to annoy Ashei, a goal he had easily obtained.
Ashei rolled her eyes, grabbed Link by the back of his shirt, and dragged him toward the counter. "I will throw you in the fryer," she said, pretending to be more annoyed than she really was. Joking around like friends were prone to do. Shad caught her smirking as Link protested that she could not silence young love.
Things were going to be so different at school once everyone found out that Link had quit the baseball team and that he was dating Shad. Shad was nervous of the future, because that was his nature to be nervous, but he wasn't afraid. There was bound to be questions, and other students might have some misplaced anger toward him, but it was all bound to blow over quickly. Shad was certain that it was all going to turn out for the better. Link could focus on his studies and explore a whole host of hobbies and interests. Ashei gained friends she could be out and open with. Her and Link, really. And Shad was finally going to know what being sixteen was all about.