All LOZ characters/settings are property of Nintendo.

Chapter 5

The world was passing him by in a what felt like a blur. Link knew he wasn't walking that fast, but his head was buzzing softly to the sweet thumping in his chest. He let his fingers unlock his phone again, and chuckled at the photo he was looking at. Link's eye glanced over himself in the photo and focused on Sheik.

He could tell the Sheikah was surprised at the quick selfie by the way his eyes were a bit wider than usual. His cheeks were also the slightest tinge of pink which released another swarm of butterflies into Link's belly. His favorite part of the photo was the way Sheik's red eyes were focused on him. Link inhaled deeply and quickly locked his phone before pushing it deeply into his pocket.

Link looked around before jogging quickly up the driveway in front of him. He couldn't believe how quick he made it home. Link knew it was due to the fact that he had walked the entire way without paying attention. Zelda would have definitely scolded him for not watching where he was going.

Link reached the front door and stopped. He straightened his clothes and ran his fingers through his bangs to make himself look a bit more presentable before he opened the door. He felt a bit nervous to come home. He hadn't done anything wrong, but the internet fear he had of disappointing his father hung heavy in his chest. With another quick breath, Link pushed the door open, and quickly shut the door before trying to calmly walk into the foyer.

Link peeked into the dining room, and sighed with relief at the dark empty room. His father had frequently ambushed him at that table for coming home past curfew. Link relaxed a bit as he made his way up the stairs. He was nearly in his room when his father's voice startled him.

"Link." His father was in his office with the door slightly ajar. Link stepped forward and pushed into the room before standing at attention with his arms behind his back. He stiffened his position as he waited for his father to look up. "Ah. Welcome home. How was Zelda?"

Link noticed that his father's face looked a bit more tired than usual. His desk was strewn with varying stacks of papers and scrolls. Some of the pages looked quite ancient, especially when next to his father's computer. Link cleared his throat and walked a bit closer to his father's desk.

"Zelda is her usual exuberant self. I told her about dinner this week." Link watched as his father nodded his head. "I, uh, met her roommate, too."

"The Sheikah boy," Rhoam nodded again, and finally looked up to meet Link's gaze. "He's the heir to the Sheikah. A child of destiny. He's a good companion for Zelda."

Link knew the phrasing his father was using. He had often referred to Zelda as a "child of destiny." It was nearly always a catalyst to an argument. Zelda shunned anything to do with the old legends, and vehemently disagreed with the old practices.

Hearing his father speak of his sister, and Sheik as tools to the legends made his chest burn with anger. Link usually prided himself on being able to contain his emotions around his father. He had seen his father's hand raised against him one too many times as a child to learn his lesson. The disregard in his father's voice had sent him over the edge.

Link felt the anger boiling over, but kept his voice low and level. "You speak of destiny as if it means something."

Rhoam slapped his hands down upon his desk and stood to his full height. Link was still a bit shorter than his father. It made him feel so small as his father's presence towered over him.

"The time of legends may be in the past, but since the dawn of time these prophecies have held true." Link went rigid as his father approached him. "We may not be kings in this lifetime, Boy, but our blood is the same." Link heard his father sigh deeply as he walked into his room and slammed the door. He took a moment to stare before turning the corner and quietly going into his own bedroom.

"You don't always need to cook for me, you know? I lived alone for 10 years before I moved here." Sheik rested his face in the palm of his hand as he watched Zelda making a mess in the kitchen. He always tried whatever Zelda made for him to eat. Truth be told, it wasn't always edible. She was always experimenting with different ingredients, so sometimes the dishes she made were….questionable.

"Can you just let me do this one thing for you? You do almost all the cleaning around here. Let me cook for you. Please?" Zelda's wide green eyes were hard to resist. Sheik just rolled his own crimson eyes and waved his hand in consent. He had other pressing things to think about.

Mostly Link.

Sheik pulled his phone out and looked at the text that he hadn't gotten the nerve to send yet. He only needed to press send, but his thumb was hesitant. That and he kept deleting and retyping a few different messages. One was saying thanks for a good weekend. One message said how fun Sheik thought Link was. The next mentioned how excited Sheik was to see the other again.

Sheik sighed deeply before shoving his phone back into his pocket. He looked up and saw Zelda examining a pepper from the fridge. He was about to tell her how hot it would make the dish when a loud vibrating rang out against the counter.

"Hey, can you get that for me? My hands are contaminated." Sheik sighed and reached over to grab Zelda's glowing phone. His eyes widened when he saw a younger looking picture of Link smiling up at him. He quickly ignored Zelda's questioning eyes and hit the answer button.

"Hello?"

"Sheik? Hi! Uh, I thought I called Zelda…"

Sheik felt his cheeks tingle at the sound of Link's voice over the phone. "You did. She's cooking right now, and asked me to answer for her."

Link let out a small chuckle. "She's cooking? Like something to eat?"

"Maybe attempting to cook is the right description." Zelda let up an inappropriate finger in Sheik's direction, but continued chopping away at her pepper. "Did you need to speak to her?"

"Oh, uh, it's not terribly important. I just wanted to warn her that our father is going extra prophecy crazy this week." Link cleared his throat before he continued. "She's having dinner with him later this week so she should prepare herself."

"Do…you want me to tell her that or…" Sheik felt a bit awkward hearing these things about Zelda's father.

"Oh, no. Sorry. I'll text her about it later."

"Alright." A heavy silence hung over the phone. "Well, I'll talk to you later, I guess."

"Wait!" Link's voice sounded a bit frantic but he chuckled to himself again and continued a bit quieter. "Can I call you? I wanted to ask you something. You can say no. I mean we just saw each other, and maybe it's weird or-"

"It's fine. Yes. Now would work." Sheik eyed Zelda dumping more peppers into her stew and shuddered.

"Okay. I will. Hang on!" The call ended with a click and Sheik quickly stood up.

"He's going to call you back later." Sheik slowly started to edge towards his room. "I'm feeling a bit tired. So. You can save me a plate for later."

Zelda turned quickly and gave Sheik a weak glare before she nodded and turned back to the stove. "I'll save you a large helping. I feel like this is my best dish yet!"

"Fantastic." Sheik felt his phone vibrating in his pocket and quickly shut his door behind him. He took a deep breath and answered his phone.

"Thank you for saving me." Link let out a hearty laugh that brought a smile to Sheik's face. He quickly threw himself back on his bed and stared at his white ceiling.

"No problem. I'm so sorry about her cooking. I've tried teaching her, but she is so sure she can figure it out on her own."

"She enjoys it, so I don't want to spoil her fun." Sheik sat himself up and leaned comfortably against his pillows. "She likes taking care of others."

Link hummed in agreement before letting out a small sigh. He sounded sad. Sheik wasn't sure if he should question it. He wasn't sure where their boundaries were. They had shared a bed, but Sheik didn't want to feel pushy. His thoughts were cut off as Link spoke up instead.

"Is it okay if I ask you something kind of personal, Sheik?"

"Oh. That's fine. What do you want to know?" Sheik felt his forehead crease in worry and felt his shoulders grow even more tense as another sigh left Link.

"My father mentioned that you are the next head of the Sheikah."

Sheik chuckled a bit as he felt his anxiety leave him. "Technically, yes, I am. Was that your question?"

"Sorry, I was just surprised when he told me. You don't really seem…"

"The type?" Sheik laughed again and pulled his knees up to his chest. He could tell Link felt awkward discussing 'politics,' but Sheik didn't mind indulging his curiosity. "I was brought up training and studying under my aunt. I would be ready to accept my place if I needed. There are a lot of moving parts to it. My second cousin is also an heir as well. It's a… bit complicated over the phone."

"I didn't mean anything by it! I'm sure you will be a wonderful leader. I-I just…" Link took a deep breath and cleared his throat. "Don't you think the days of heirs and legends are over?"

Sheik blinked his eyes a few times. It was a loaded question. One he had also struggled with in his youth. Especially since his people never held a memorable place in the histories. It had always seemed pointless to prepare to blend into the shadows for an unnamed girl of destiny.

"Of course I do. I have had so many fights about ignoring old traditions. Obviously I had some good points since I'm here playing piano, and not sitting through boring council meetings."

Link was quiet for a few seconds. Sheik could hear his gentle breathing if he held his own breath. "I'm glad I'm not the only one."

"I…wish you could have comprised with your father. I know you can respect your traditions while also living your own life." The depth of his words sent his heart racing. He hoped Link didn't find him intrusive.

Link's silence made Sheik tense up. The sound of a small, relieved chuckle, however, drew a sigh from him.

"I wish that, too. Sometimes I wish I had found my voice enough to stand up to him then. For myself and for Zelda."

"I think you still can." Sheik could feel the burn of support and resistance in his body. He knew how important it was to be your true self, and follow your heart. He wanted that for Link. "You have me and Zelda. We'll support you if you need it."

"Thanks, Sheik. That… means a lot. More than I can tell you."

Sheik let his free hand rest over his thumping heart. "Anytime, Link. Honestly. Call me of you need anything."

"Same to you. I'll talk to you later." A soft click signaled that their connection was gone. Sheik closed his eyes tightly and pressed his phone into the place where his hand had been resting.

The phone felt warm from the heat of his cheek, which was absolutely burning. Sheik had never felt like this before. He almost wondered if he was moving too fast. Maybe he was imagining this chemistry.

He tried to tell himself to slow down, and have some perspective, but he couldn't. It felt as if his soul was connected to Link's. It all seemed so new and exciting while being so easy and natural at the same time.

The vibration of his phone interrupted his dramatic pining. Sheik tapped his phone, and his eyes widened when Link's name appeared on the screen. He quickly fumbled to sit up, and unlock his phone. With a quick breath he opened the message and smiled at the contents.

Link had sent him the photo they had taken that day. Link's cheeks were rosy from the wide smile on his handsome face. Sheik examined the expression, and determined that it was one of genuine happiness. When he looked at his own expression in the picture, he could also see the happiness beneath the surprise. The text that accompanied the photo sent a rush of excitement and blood to Sheik's face. He could hear himself giggling, and even the mortifying thought of Zelda hearing him couldn't contain his giddiness.

I loved this pic so much I had to send it to you. I miss you already.

A short chapter because I need to get something up! I'm so sorry for the wait. Honestly, I have been planning so much for this fic. I keep forgetting I need to actually write to get it where i want it! Thank you for your support!