The first few days went almost completely smoothly. Zelda managed to worm her way into Link's heart, constantly knocking at his door to get him to do stuff, and he'd be helpless to stop himself from trailing after her. She'd started doing his hair everyday, to both of their pleasure. Sometimes, when Link would tip toe hesitantly downstairs to look for her, he'd find her studying for a test of some sort, and he would join her. She'd teach him what she'd been learning, which both helped her study and delighted the young boy, who had been pulled from his education in his last few foster homes, for financial reasons.

He slowly began to get a picture of the daily routines of everyone. Gaepora would get up earlier than the rest of the family: Link could hear the floorboards creaking downstairs as he shuffled around as quietly as he could. He would start the coffee machine, open the morning paper, and make a small breakfast of usually cereal, from what Link could tell. Twenty minutes later, the door to the garage would open and an engine would start, slowly fading away as the man left for work. It would be a few hours until Zelda's door would open from across the hall, her soft footsteps descending down the stairs as she started to get ready for school. Sometimes, Ghirahim's door would open and join her, but mostly, he and Zant would leave a little later than Zelda. Usually, Zant would come back alone, and Link would wonder where Ghirahim had gone.

At first, Link was never left alone in the house. Gaepora would take time off of work to stay and watch him, or Zant would be left in charge with instructions to keep an eye on the young boy and try to get him to eat. But as the days went by, he was slowly trusted to be alone for short amounts of time. Normally, Link would be awake late into the night and up early in the morning, so he would hear what Gaepora would decide for each day. The house was usually quiet during the afternoon, with most of the family gone. Zelda would get back home around 4:00, usually alone. She would shuffle around the kitchen and then skip upstairs to check on him. They'd spend a few hours together before she had to leave, complaining about homework. At 6:00ish, Gaepora would get home and start supper. He, Zelda and Link would sit around the table, where the small boy would push food around and listen to conversation.

Around 10:00, Zelda and Gaepora would already be in their bedrooms, asleep, when Link would sometimes hear Zant's door opening, and his footsteps hurrying down the stairs. The door to the garage would open and he'd hear the boy driving away. There would usually be hours of silence, inwhere Link would drift into an uneasy sleep. The sound of two footsteps climbing the stairs would jerk him awake early in the morning, and he'd be awake again until he heard Gaepora waking up downstairs. And it would begin again.

One Friday night, he'd come downstairs, unable to sleep, to find Zelda sitting on the couch with a blanket wrapped around her and a bowl of popcorn on her lap, her eyes glued to the T.V. The moment that she noticed Link standing there, unsure of what to do, she pulled him into her arms and tucked the blanket around him, too. They had binge watched an entire season of "How I Met Your Mother" that night, staying up until 3:00 am. They probably would have kept going, but they were both falling asleep, and when Gaepora had gotten up to use the bathroom and noticed them still there, he had ushered them up to their bedrooms for the night. Link hadn't noticed the soft smile aimed his way from the large man, too busy trying to keep himself from tripping and falling flat on his face in his sleepy state.

Link hadn't seen much of Zant since that first day, the older boy seeming to enjoy time to himself. When he did catch glimpses of the tall boy, he was always with Ghirahim, so Link kept his distance. So far, Ghirahim more or less left him alone. Sometimes, he would give him a shove, or tease him about things, like the way that he ate, or his silence. Mostly, Link could avoid him, and that would be that.

Whenever he saw Gaepora, who would greet him with a friendly smile and a few words of welcome, Link's stomach would twist painfully and he'd begin to feel sick. Every day, he expected the older man to call him over and inform him that social services had been called and that he would be picked up the next day. But it never happened, and he was left struggling to calm down, thoroughly confused.

Once again, Link found himself creeping down the stairs during the dark hours of the night, wanting to grab something to eat in solitude. He had quickly become uncomfortable with eating in front of the others once Ghirahim had started to taunt him about the way that he ate. His alternative was to eat only when he was alone, in peace, where nobody could laugh at him.

He had just finished whipping himself up a bowl of Lucky Charms cereal, and was in the process of eating it, when he heard the garage door open and shut. He froze, sliding down in his chair as he prayed that the person would just walk past the kitchen and not notice him. When he heard a set of footsteps pass the entrance to the room and head up the stairs, Link was about to relax, but his relief was short lived as a second pair of footsteps tapped towards him. The small boy swung around, coming face to face with...

Zant.

Link relaxed slightly, unsure of how he felt about Zant, or what the older boy thought of him. He swallowed nervously, but Zant just gave him a friendly smile. "Hi, Link," He greeted, voice soft as he headed for the fridge. Link watched him warily as he grabbed a carton of orange juice and poured himself a glass. Taking a gulp, he wandered and sat down across from Link. "...how are you? ..Settling in, I mean," he mumbled kindly. Link gave him a nod and a shrug, looking down at his half finished bowl of cereal. He couldn't eat in front of Zant, especially when the older boy was just sitting there, watching him.

"Good. I hope that you end up liking it. Here, I mean.. " He smiled, adding in a mumbling, "It's nice having somebody else at home." This caused Link to blink in surprise and glance over at the taller boy. He hadn't known if Zant had liked him or not until now, so it was nice to hear that the older boy was genuinely pleased to have him here. "You don't talk... Dad explained to us. We won't make you, if you were worried," he went on, taking another sip of juice. "Zelda is worried about your eating, though. You should listen to her, she only wants you to be healthy.." Link nods that that. He didn't want Zelda to worry. The two of them had grown incredibly close in the past few weeks, and it meant much more to him than he could express to her. He'd always wanted siblings, but his parents hadn't wanted another child, and while the other foster homes had usually had other children, they had never been interested in forming a relationship with Link, preferring to ignore him. So Link would do anything to keep Zelda's affections with him. He privately promised himself that he would eat a little more the next time he was with her.

He slid a look over to Zant, pushing down feelings of longing. Zelda was amazing, clearly, but Link had always secretly wanted an older brother more than anything. He had to force himself not to get too excited: just because Zant had talked to him once, did not mean that he wanted Link around longer than he had to be.

The taller boy got to his feet, his glass now empty, and went to put it in the sink. "If you need to talk... or to just be around somebody, you can come to me." The words were a gentle offering, and Link was touched, looking down at his cereal and trying to hold back a blush. He nearly jumps out of his skin when a hand ruffles his hair affectionately, but when he twisted around to give Zant a curious look, the older boy was gone.

After that night, Ghirahim had seemed hell-bet on making Link's life miserable. One weekday, Ghirahim had come back earlier than anybody else, and had caught Link lounging on the couch and writing in his diary. He had jumped at the chance to taunt the boy.

"What's wrong with you?" he asked, voice casual as he jumped on the couch, causing Link to flinch and scramble away from him. He gave the small boy an annoyed look, stretching out without any consideration for him. "Were you always this useless? Is that why your parents gave you up?" he grinned as Link immediately grew tense, curling into himself as if he could block out Ghirahim's words. The boy snickered, realizing that he had found a sore spot. "Where are they now? Probably enjoying their life without you..." he sighed, giving Link a nasty look. "I know that I was. Ugh. I see why the other foster homes kept kicking you out, and I wish Gaepora would come to his sense and do the same. You're not welcome here, you idiot. Get a hint. They just pity you. What, did you think that they cared about some kid like you?" Link bolts off of the couch and up the stairs, in tears and trembling, before Ghirahim could say anything else that would worsen his insecurities and fears.

It didn't stop there, either. If the two boys were passing each other in the hallways, Ghirahim would shove against him roughly. Every time, the lighter boy would fall into the wall with a silent grunt. If Zelda did his hair, Ghirahim would wait until the older girl had left the room before tugging on the boy's hairdo, taunting him. There was a day when Zelda had a big test coming up, and Link was sitting with her while she studied. Ghirahim had come out of the kitchen and quickly noticed the two sprawled together, relaxed, on the couch, and crept over to the bookshelf behind them. Pulling a heavy book out, he tossed it hard onto the ground, cackling with satisfaction as Link jumped ten feet into the air from the loud bang. He scurried away when Zelda had given him a dirty look, but it didn't stop him from knocking things over frequently when the young boy least expected it.

So it was with a rush of relief when Gaepora announced that the family would be going on a shopping trip to get Link some new clothing. Without Ghirahim. The small boy was over the moon at the thought of a peaceful outing without having to worry about being pushed around every minute of the day.

The drive was a short one, taking no longer than 20 minutes, but by the way that Zelda jumped out of the car to pull Link into the star, one would think that they had been stuck in the moving vehicle for days. He tried to dig his heels into the ground, shooting desperate looks back at Gaepora and Zant, but the older girl was having none of it. Within minutes, a pile of clothes were getting dumped into Link's arms, growing steadily by the minute. Blue jeans, a green t-shirt, brown jacket, green beanie, blue scarf, boots, graphic t's, pajamas... the small boy was soon struggling to hold them all, almost disappearing under them.

Gaepora chuckled, placing a hand on Zelda's shoulder to stop her. Zant gave Link a thumbs up, holding back laughter as he wishes him luck and then wanders off. "Alright, alright, sweetie, let's let Link try on what he has now and go from there." Link nodded vigorously in his agreement, giving Zelda a pleading look as she pouted. Eventually, she gave in, steering him towards the changing rooms.

"Fine, fine, but you have to try them all out," she instructed, gently shoving him into a stall. "Tell me when you're done, okay? I bet you're going to look so cute!" she squealed, leaving him to it. The moment the door clicked shut, Link sagged against it, puffing and looking at the pile of clothes on the chair across from him. Reaching back to tighten his pony tail, he tried to figure out how much everything would add up too. Guilt rose in him, and he knew that he needed new clothing, but he hated that Gaepora would have to spend money on some kid that wasn't even his own child.

When Zelda didn't hear any sounds of shuffling coming from his stall, she knocked on his door, threatening to go in there and dress him herself. She didn't sound like she was joking, and Link wasn't about to test her words. He quickly begins to pull off his own clothes and digging through the pile. The numerous pairs of jeans as well as the boots fit him well, as does the jacket. What Link immediately falls in love with, though, is a green sweater that seemed to cascade off of his thin frame, enveloping him in warmth like a blanket.

In the end, he left the changing room with almost everything still in his arms, which pleased Zelda. To his relief, she seemed satisfied, and Gaepora gave the tired looking boy a bright smile, suggesting that they find Zant and check out. When the four of them arrived at the cash register, Link had to look away so that he couldn't see the price flashing up on the screen as each item was scanned. He'd rather not know.

The drive home was more or less quiet, with Gaepora concentrating on the road because of the rain pounding down hard, having seemed to come out of nowhere. Zelda had the radio on low, and Link was resting his head against the car window, lightly dozing. Zant seemed to be watching the rain falling and the scenery going by from his own window.

The peace was shattered, however, when they began to pull into the driveway, and they noticed a figure standing on the front deck, dripping wet. With a gasp, Zant climbed out of the car, quickly followed by everybody else. Lnk struggled to stay beside Zant as the older boy asked Ghirahim what was wrong, wondering why he would stand outside in the rain for so long instead of trying to find shelter.

The small boy doesnt have the chance to ponder for long, though, because without warning, Ghirahim's hands were on his shoulders, shoving him roughly into the mud. Link winced, mouth opening in a silent screech as the wet dirt folded over him, splattering his face and encasing his entire lower half.

"This idiot is what's wrong!" The older boy shouted. "He arrives, and suddenly, he's your precious, perfect golden boy! Well I've had enough of you and your traumatized, pretty boy act! Get over it!" he snarled. "I don't know what happened to your family, and I don't care, but stop acting like you don't have one anymore! At least you have one, you idiot deadbeat! You've taken away the only thing resembling family that I've ever had!"

Link stares with wide eyes at Ghirahim, who is shaking and trying not to cry. The other boy glares back at him, looking as though he wanted to do worse things to Link, but he just whips around and runs off into the rainy night.

"Ghirahim!" Zant shouts, running after his best friend.

Link sits in the mud, trembling as he watched Zant disappear from sight. He was caked in mud, drenched from the rain that pounded harshly down, and holding back tears. Eyes wide, he felt a suffocating guilt churn inside of him, mixing with his fear for the two boys. Ghirahim had never been welcoming of him, but after hearing him explode, Link thought that he was finally beginning to understand a little where that mean streak is coming from.

This was all his fault. He wasn't sure exactly what Ghirahim's family life looked like, but he had been there first, and then Link had just waltzed in and seemed to snatch everything away from the older boy, threatening his place in the family.

Zelda kneeled on the ground beside him, her skirt soaked with mud, trying to wipe the dirt from the smaller boy's face. Gaepora stood and watched the tree-line, his face taunt with worry, and Link felt his guilt soar, overwhelming him and making him feel sick. The three of them stayed frozen where they were, waiting, until they finally flimpsed Zant slowly trudging back towards them.

Alone.

The tall boy didn't say anything, just shook his head in defeat. When he reached them, his eyes were red, and he was panting from the effort of running, but it had been clear from the start that Ghirahim was going to outrun him, and that he didn't intend to come back.

Seeing it confirmed, though, lit a fire of panic inside of Link. He stared at Zant for a moment before letting his gaze flicker around him to the worried faces of the others. He didn't understand exactly what was going on, only that Ghirahim leaving was affecting everybody immensely, and that Link had fucked everything up.

He pushed himself to his feet and began to desperately run the way that Ghirahim had gone. He had to fix this somehow. this famiyl had been so nice to him, and he realized that he loved it here and didn't want to be sent away, which was sure to happen if he didn't get the older boy back. Link figured that Zant hated him now and would go to Gaepora to insist that the boy who had driven his best friend away be sent back into the foster system. Tears are barely contained in his eyes as he bolted, and he was slipping in the mud, but he couldn't face the Skyward family again until he had Ghirahim behind him. He didn't want to go.

Zelda and Gaepora called after him, but it didn't register in his panic stricken mind until he felt hands grabbing him, pulling him to a stop. Zant's arms encircled him, gently so as not to hurt him, as he restrained the smaller boy against his chest. "You can't go after him," he puffed as Link squirmed desperately in his hold. "Ghirahim's gone back to his father's house, and he doesn't want anybody to follow him there." The boy in question is trying really hard not to cry as his heart pounds fearfully against his ribcage. He didn't want to get sent back, he can't go back, he can't... "His father is violent and drinks too much. You can't follow him, Link."

That confession shook Link to the core and he finally broke and fell limp, beginning to cry. That was even worse. Ghirahim was probably going to get hurt and then everybody would hate him and he'd be shipped off to the next house where nobody would want him, either.

Zant justs hugged him tightly, and the four of them slowly shuffled inside the house to dry off. Once they were inside, Gaepora left the room, returning with a small sack of towels. He passed one to Zelda before turning to hold one out to Link.

"Here, son," he offered, voice soft: no doubt in order to avoid further scaring the already frightened boy. "Come dry off and I'll get you a change of clothes."

Link's eyes immediately widened, and he was quick to shake his head and press closer to Zant. He refused to leave the side of the older boy: he felt guilty and somehow had to show him how sorry he was: he hadn't meant to drive his best friend away and into danger. The only thing that managed to keep the fragile boy from dipping into hysterics was his proximity to Zant.

The boy in question nudged him. "Come on," he coaxed, his voice a murmur. "You need to get dry." In a fit of panic, he threw his arms around Zant and held on to him tightly, shaking his head vehemently. He tried a few more times to get Link to let go of him, but when he wasn't making any progress, he just sighed and gave up. Taking the towel from Gaepora, he busied himself with silently drying off the smaller boys' hair. Link let him, embarrassed and scared that Zant was angry with him. He realized that, if he was, clinging to him was probably only making it worse. He had just began to pull away from the boy when Zant's tired interrupted him.

"It's okay, Link. You didn't do anything wrong. Ghirahim's... difficult. But once he trusts you... he's the best friend that you'll ever have."

Immediately, Link let himself fall back into Zant's side, tense but slightly reassured. Slowly, they managed to get him dry, even managing to persuade him away from Zant long enough for both boys to change clothes. He was quickly glued back to the tall boy's hip when they were done, though, his presence like an anchor: strong and steady, even though Link knew that he was worried sick, too.

Gaepora had disappeared again, this time to start supper, and the three teenagers settled themselves on the couch. Link tucked himself comfortably in Zant's side, his face turned into the older boys' warmth while Zelda quickly fetched a hairbrush and began to gently comb the mud and knots out of his hair. If Link wasn't so stressed and on the verge of tears, he would have probably fallen asleep.

When a voice announced that the food was ready, Link tagged along behind the others as they made their way into the kitchen, though he didn't even grab a plate for himself, knowing full well that he wasn't going to be able to stomach any amount of food right now. The entire dinner is tense, the only sounds being the clink of the forks against the plates. Link caught Zelda looking at him with pity, but she didn't urge him to eat anything. His chair was pushed up against Zant's, as close as it could possibly be without overlapping, and he was leaning against the taller boy, caught up in his own tumbling, crushing thoughts.

The sound of Gaepora clearing his throat pulled Link back into awareness, and he shifted nervously. "Link?... I wanted to talk about something with you. I know that... this isn't the proper time and place, but I feel that you deserve honesty."

Link flinched, his heart stopping as he went as white as a ghost. He immediately dropped his head and dug his nails into his palms to stop himself from crying, because he knew already where this was going and it hurt so much more this time. he'd been here so much longer than the other foster homes, and he'd actually gotten close to Zelda, even starting to form a relationship with Zant, and now it was about to be snatched from his hands. He couldn't look up at any of them, feelings of betrayal and heartbreak pulsing through him. They were sending him away because he had fucked up, and he didn't know how to fix this. His breathing had picked up as his panic slowly climbed, consuming him. He had known that this was too good to be true: that it wouldn't last because it never did, and he was always thrown away in the end. But he wasn't ready.

"...We want to adopt you into our home. If you want that, of course. I know that Ghirahim has been making you feel as if you don't belong here, but...if you will have us, we want to officially welcome you to stay." Gaepora smiled softly, as though he'd been holding onto that for awhile, but Link was frozen as he slowly processed the words. He waited for the punchline, for somebody to jump up and say "haha, got you!", but nobody moved. The silence stretched on and Link's eyes filled with tears as he struggled to figure it out.

Why would them want him? He was terrible: he didn't speak, barely slept or ate, he was boring and he has done nothing but burden them and drive Ghirahim away. NOBODY wanted him, he was broken! But, God, he couldn't say no, could he? He was incredibly selfish and wanted this so badly. He ached for a family that could make him feel as happy as he had been when mom and dad had been alive. He didn't understand why this family had offered their home to him, but he wasn't sure anymore if it mattered

He opened his mouth, wishing that he could speak and give them his words in gratitude for everything they've done for him, and everything that they are doing, but no sound falls out and he eventually just closes it again and nods. Looking down nervously, he hoped with his entire being that this wasn't a joke.

Gaepora smiled wider. "You do?!" He heaves a sigh of relief when Link gives another hesitant nod. "Thank goodness. I was worried that you wouldn't want to stay because of Ghirahim or any number of things... but I'[m so glad. I asked Zelda and Zant a month ago, and it was an enthusiastic yes; we just want you to be happy here."

Link flushed at the confession pouring off of the man, looking instead up at the two other teenagers. Zelda was smiling and Zant had reached over to softly ruffle Link's hair. The small boy felt overwhelmed with the warmth and affection, but it was a welcomed feeling. A genuine smile lit up his face as he leaned into Zant, trying to wrap his head around everything.

He would have a family again, this time with two older siblings. Maybe everything would be okay again. Maybe he would be able to find his words. Maybe he'd be allowed to go back to school.

"Now, I haven't talked to Ghirahim about this. I know that things have been tense, especially after tonight, but I hope that we can speak to him soon... I feel quite sorry for how we've ignored him. I just hope that he's not hurt."

Zant nodded slowly at his father's words. "...He hasn't seen his dad for a week," he added, wringing his hands in worry. "Demise wont be expecting him... I'm worried." Zelda stared at her plate, picking at her macaroni. Link stared down at his hands, his thoughts whirling heavily as his excitement dropped suddenly. Ghirahim was not going to be happy when he was told about the adoption. Nonetheless, Link hoped that the older boy wouldn't be hurt. He didnt know anything about Demise, but judging by the serious and worried mood that blanketed the table, he figured that the man was not exactly gentle.

Alarm shot through him. If Ghirahim came back hurt, would Link be blamed? Would everybody change their minds about adopting him? His stomach flipped and he began to feel sick at the thought.

Almost as if sensing his unease, Zant held him tighter. "But no matter what... we want you to stay." Both Zelda and Gaepora nodded firmly. "He's my best friend, but... he's bullying you. It's not your fault. We've been letting him down... and we're sorry."

Tears filled Link's eyes at Zant's words, and Zelda got up and ran to hug both of them. They tell him that they're sorry and that when they see Ghirahim again. they'll make things right.

The rest of the supper went by in a relatively relaxed manner. When they all finally disperse to go to bed for the night, it is with mixed feelings. On one hand, they were happy and excited for Link's adoption, but on the other, they battled with the stress and worry over Ghirahim's well being. When Link has to go to his own bed and unglue himself from Zant for good, he almost feels naked, but the older boy promised that he'd be there at breakfast the next morning.

The soothes Link slightly, but he's still uneasy as he turned, alone, into his own room. He didn't fight or insist that Zant come with him, despite how much he might want to, because he didn't want to cause trouble.

When Link lays down and manages to fall asleep, he is plagued with a violent nightmare that jerks him awake again, eyes glimmering with tears. It's too much for the small boy and he bolts out of his room, skidding to a stop in front of Zant's door and forcing himself to timidly knock. Trembling, he's scared that he isn't supposed to be doing this, but the fear of being alone is worse. He's able to work himself into a fit by the time that Zant opens the door and sees him.

Without a word, he guides Link inside, no questions asked. He just brought the boy to his bed and gently coaxed him to lay down before fetching extra blankets from his closet, in order to ward off the particularly cold night. He laid down beside the shaking boy, not demanding any type of explanation. He just offers the comfort of his presence as the younger boy buried himself into Zant's body and cried himself back to sleep, too tired drained from the day's events and the nightmare to keep himself awake.