Sheik had definitely not slept for long the majority of the time they were out. When they got home he showered instantly, cooked a few potions and took two of them before collapsing in the bed. He hadn't even dried his hair fully or brushed it, just braided it partly wet and left it like that. While he slept against the wall beneath the window Link took his right arm and looked it over carefully. There was a bright red mark that was welting where the metal from his shield had heated up because of the laser and burned his skin. A similar mark was on Link's shoulder from where he got hit indirectly with it.
There were still the potions Sheik made him sitting on the bedside table. He would have to take one himself before sleeping. Link had cleaned and bandaged his own wound, since it was just a graze, but Sheik seemed like he damaged muscles inside his arm. He ran the tips of his fingers over Sheik's forearm and felt him shiver on the bed, goosebumps rising against his skin. He hadn't stirred though and Link wondered if those potions had something extra in it to help him sleep. Setting his arm back down Link stood and went to shower himself. He changed into a simple shirt and pants before joining Sheik back upstairs in bed.
He slept better himself than he had in a long while, not having to worry about getting too close to Sheik at night.
For once when he woke up he wasn't alone. Link rubbed his face against what he was pillowed on top of, yawned and wiggled a bit closer. When he opened his eyes he found himself blinking down into the thin blue fabric of a shirt with the Sheikah Eye on it. He turned his head a bit and looked up at Sheik, the other still fast asleep. When he tried to move he found that Sheik had actually grabbed hold of Link's shirt, the fabric twisted tightly in his grip. Gently he took the others hand and removed it from his shirt to leave the bed.
He spent the first half of the morning getting dressed and cooking them a good breakfast, undoubtedly needed after what they experienced yesterday. When he set the table Sheik finally came downstairs, fully dressed in his uniform and mask around his neck. He took a seat at the table and Link sat across from him, gaze searching his body for any sign of pain. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, the potions fixed the worst of the damage." He flexed his arm and rotated his wrist. "In a few days I'll have proper strength and control again."
"That was dangerous. I would really prefer it if you didn't do it again." Link was also determined to not give him the chance to do it again. Even if it meant he had to cover Sheik instead.
Sheik signed and nudged at his plate, only taking small bites of his food. "I don't intend to, but if I hadn't we would have died." Probably, he wasn't doubting that. But the risk being Sheik wasn't worth it. Link messed up and the fault laid with him, it wasn't Sheik's job to cover for him. "I know you worry though, so I'll try to be more careful." That was more than he could hope for so he would take it. Smiling, he nodded his head and ate his breakfast.
Sheik cleared the table once they were done, washed the dishes and putting them up to dry. Link hung up Revali's bow, now on the weapon rack like the Mipha's spear. When Sheik joined him at his side he looked over to him. "What are we doing today?"
"I was hoping you would go somewhere with me."
Sheik wasn't from here, where could he possibly know to go? "Where?" He questioned, turning fully as Sheik's red gaze bore into his own.
"The Lost Woods."
It had been a long time, probably even two months at this point, since he was last there. It was weird to think that he felt so close to Sheik and yet he had only been with him for a few months at most. The Lost Woods were their starting point and he hoped it wouldn't be their ending. But, apart from the Hero of Time's grave, he wasn't white sure what else would be there for them. But, Link would go anywhere that Sheik wanted, and he didn't even have to ask honestly. "Sure, did you want to leave now? We can teleport to the Shrine near there outside Woodland Stables."
"There is no better time than now while we still have daylight." Sheik reached to his neck and tugged his mask up over his face, securing it properly. He did a quick once over of himself and Link before locking their house and moving back to his side. Link took the slate, felt Sheik slip his arm through his own, and pulled up Woodland Stables.
The weather was cloudy and dreary but it wasn't raining yet even if it looked like it was going to. Sheik stepped away from him and Link quickly moved after, keeping close to his side as they started up the pathway toward the forest. He chanced a look over at his friend and noticed his gaze was firmly set forward, an odd determination to him that Link couldn't quite understand. The closer they got to the forest the more tense he seemed to become but didn't lessen his pace at all.
"I haven't gotten far in the Lost Woods." Link said suddenly, anything to try and loosen the tension in Sheik's body. He was sure asking what was on the man's mind would get him nowhere, at the very least though they could have a conversation. And, sure enough, at his avoidance of the obvious subject some of the stiffness to his body seemed to relax. Not enough, but Link would take what he could get.
"It's hard if you don't know your way around. Or, are unfamiliar with the Kokiri." He smiles but it's not the kind Link's used to, this one doesn't reach his eyes and it's hard for him to even tell if it's a smile. The movement beneath his mask is the only clue he gets to if it might be one. "Luckily, I'm one of the former." So he knew his way around the Lost Woods, but was unfamiliar with the Korok?
They reached the forest, dense fog already curling at their feet as they made their way in. Sheik stopped at the torches, seemed to listen, and then instead of grabbing the fire like Link had tried to do at one point-he turned left. Blindly and in the dark Link would think but Sheik seemed to have no problem at all. He was quiet as he moved and Link felt like it was wrong of him to talk now. Whatever Sheik was doing he seemed to be following something that Link could neither see nor hear. But he wasn't lost, his moves were confident even in the dark and fog covered forward.
He stopped near a light and Link caught up, standing closely by Sheik's side. His eyes were closed, hands wrapped around the Lyre that Link had never seen him pull out, and suddenly he plucked a few notes on it. The song he played Link had heard before, which shocked him for a moment. It matched the one he had heard play at the Hero's grave. It was perfect, not a note out of place, and when he stopped he seemed to listen to the forest. This time Link heard it, the faint notes in the forest that carried through the trees. Sheik tucked the Lyre back behind his back and moved through the trees again.
"It's called the Minuet of the Forest." That… was so oddly fitting he couldn't even find words for it. Not that he had to, Sheik didn't seem particularly interested in continuing the conversation. Especially when they reached an opening in the trees, where the fog didn't seem to touch. He stopped right by a tree and motioned for Link to go first.
He hesitated. He didn't even know why but he did, his gaze focused on the tunnel that led deeper into the forest. Managing another step forward he paused again and looked to Sheik. "Everything's alright, isn't it?"
This time the smile he gets is one he's used to and Sheik nods his head. "Consider it me… confirming a theory." But, he wouldn't tell Link what that theory was. What if it was a question he could answer? "Link." He blinked and looked back to Sheik. "Stop thinking. The person I'm introducing you too was a friend of mine… and the Hero of Time." Oh, that seemed marginally better yet his heart still pounded away in his chest. Giving a single nod he continued forward with the courage that he had, the courage that drove him at the Divine Beasts and to the tasks asked of him. The courage he hadn't even realized he had when staring a Guardian in the face, inches away and laser focused on his chest.
As he stepped through the grove the forest lit up brightly, fog vanished and the shrubbery seeming to overtake everything else. The further he went the more things became clear and he could hear Sheik several paces away. He reached the base of a pedestal, where a sword rested partly in. Weirdly, he had the urge to grab it, and resisting that desire was harder than it seemed. Swallowing he put some much needed distance between it and him which was when the giant tree just beyond the resting place of the sword, moved.
"Who is that...? Did I doze off again? Hrm? Well, well... it's you. You finally decided to return. Better late than never. After 100 years, I'd nearly given up hope on seeing you again. Even my patience has limits, you know… and yet. I sense you're not alone."
The tree, how it saw Link had no idea, it didn't seem to have normal eyes. Whatever it did though, it found Sheik back near a different smaller tree and called out. "Well, isn't this a surprise. The Korok told me and yet… I had dare not believe it. So you have returned to us as well, Sheikah?"
Startled Sheik stood up straight and snapped his head to the old tree. "You remember me?"
It laughed, a soft and wooden sound that was odd to Link's ears. "The look on the boy's face tells me that he has no recollection of me, so I shall introduce myself to you both once. I have watched over Hyrule since time immemorial, I remember every age and every event. Even those that do not come to pass. Many have referred to me over the ages as the Deku Tree." This was the friend that Sheik was referring to? Well, it was probably best he hadn't said so. Link's not sure he would have believed him. "I heard the song you played, Sheik, is it you who guided Link here?"
"It was. It thought-" he drifts off and whatever he was going to fill it with fell only to the understanding of the Great Deku Tree.
"You who has looked the Hero of Time in the eyes, who has seen Ganon through years of rule and defeat. You who has personally guided the Hero to his destiny. Do you truly believe this one ready?"
"It's his. If I'm wrong I don't deserve the titles given to me." Sheik moved and stepped up beside Link, standing beside the sword that had seemed to call to him. He looked Link in the eyes and then reached his hand out, settling the palm over the hilt of the sword and gently curling his fingers around it. "Link, listen to me. This sword carries many names. The Blade of Evil's Bane, the Legendary Sword, the Sword that Seals the Darkness-whatever its name it's come to be called primarily; The Master Sword. And it's been wielded by every Hero before you that has taken on Ganon regardless of his form."
The Deku Tree cleared his throat. "Believe it or not...it was actually you who wielded that sword 100 years ago." Neither of them had known that but only Link could see the shock that flickered across Sheik's face at that.
"Then this just furthers my point." Shaking his head he let the sword go and stepped away. "Only the Hero destined to defeat Ganon can remove the sword from its resting place. Not I, nor the Princess, would be able to. Link, I brought you here to test a theory, one that's already been proven by the Deku Tree's words. I want you to pull the Master Sword."
He'd already figured that. Sheik was wanting to see if he truly was the Hero of this time, this existence, this Ganon's resurrection. It was his task to defeat him, the world had already deemed him a Hero, and this sword was apparently part of a history that had done this hundreds of times over. The swords primary job was to seal Calamity Ganon. Pull the sword, be the Hero.
He took a few steps forward. "I must warn you to take extreme caution. The sword stands as a test to anyone who would dare attempt to possess it. As you are now, I cannot say whether you are worthy or not. If you sought to free the sword in any sort of weakened state, you would surely lose your life where you stand." Link froze and looked up to the Deku Tree. "Best of luck, young one."
That was perhaps the least reassuring advice anyone could have given him. Link tensed, looked to the sword, and questioned for the first time if he could pull it. What was a weakened state? Was it a weakened sense of mind? Body? The temptation to back away was starting to override the call of the sword. Hands settled along his shoulders and Link snapped his eyes up to the intense red gaze of a maskless Sheik. He'd pulled it down, baring his entire face to Link. It was something he typically only got when they were alone in their home.
"Link. Remember when I said I wanted to take you somewhere, but I didn't think you were ready?" He did, he remembered that conversation well because it was one of the many that confused him. "You weren't ready then. But now, I know you are." Dropping his hands he slid his finger tips over the others arm to his hands and curled his fingers around Link's hands. He held them gently and Link felt the calloused tips from years of playing the Lyre.
"Do you think every Hero before you who pulled the sword out was confident? They weren't. When the Hero of Time pulled this sword he was only twelve years old, the last thing he had to be was confident." A light squeeze to his hands and Sheik smiled at him. It was nice to actually be able to see it, he wanted to see it forever. "You don't need to be strong in the mind, you don't need to be confident, and you don't even need to believe in yourself. You need to be strong here." Letting go of the right hand he lifted it up and placed his palm flat over Link's heart. "And I already know you are. I believe in you."
His heart skipped in his chest and sped up, his eyes widening as he looked into Sheik's unyielding gaze. Even with his memory's being gone, Link was sure that no one had looked at him and believed in him so much as Sheik did in this very moment. There were so many emotions running through him in that moment Link felt overloaded with them. He squeezed the hand that he still held back and gave a nod of his head, hating that to do this Sheik had to move away from him. Of all the things he wanted right now, they could all be summed up as Sheik. He wanted him closer, he wanted to wrap his arms around him, he wanted to take him home.
And that was when it dawned on him. He liked Sheik. He really liked Sheik.
Sheik moved back and their hands separated, the other pulling his mask back up and leaving Link standing in front of the sword once more. He stepped up to it, moved both his hands to grasp the hilt, and started to pull. It slipped a bit from the pedestal, inch by inch, until finally it slipped free from the rock completely. The sword seemed to connect to his mind as it threw him into visions of what had to be a memory of the swords, the last few minutes it was with him and the Princess. It showed him when he fell, when he failed Hyrule, and the Princess returning it to the resting place in the woods.
Snapping back to the present he swung the sword around, getting a feel for it and took the scabbard that Sheik held out to him. He slipped it into place and settled the sword along his back with the others he'd collected. "What you just saw happened where you stand 100 years ago... After you were separated from the sword, the princess thought to bring it here, where she knew that it would be safe under my watch. She continues to fight, trapped deep within the confines of Hyrule Castle. Her heart cascades with faith that you will return. She has a smile like the sun. I would do much to feel its warmth upon me once again."
He nodded, already set in helping the Princess especially with Sheik so determined to fight along with him. "When used against Calamity Ganon or those tainted by his Malice, the Master Sword will become suffused with holy light. At such times, the true power of the sword will manifest, but be warned. Do not rely too much on its power. If you wield it without need, its power will exhaust and it will no longer be of use to you. Should this happen, you must wait for the sword to recover. It was your partner a century ago, use it with care and wield it bravely for the ones who wait for you."
That wasn't the most convenient but at the very least it wouldn't break on him like the others. Giving a nod of his head that he understood Link glanced back to the sword and then looked to Sheik. "Young Sheikah Warrior." The both of them turned and looked up to the Deku Tree, listening. "You've done well to guide this one as you had the Hero of Time. We are indebted to you once again. If there is anything you need or wish for, if it is within my power I will assist you."
Sheik nods and gives the Deku Tree a bow the same as he does for Impa. "Thank you, Great Deku Tree. However, I'm assisting Link because I want to... and because the Hero of Time asked me to."
"Hmm… I wonder now if one of those reasons outweighs the other. Regardless I am pleased to hear this, my only wish for you is that you find peace within this life."
"I-I had, before-" There was a crease between his brows, confusion settling across his face.
The Deku Tree hums, a disbelieving sound. "Of course, you and the Hero of Time." Link got the distinct impression that the Deku Tree was laughing at him.
Sheik was not as amused as him apparently. "The Hero got the short end of everything. He achieved remarkable things while we used him and lost all of it. He died sad, miserable… and alone."
"He came back to me once, you know, near the end." Sheik didn't look up, his gaze focused on a spot on the ground. "He was old, tired and as you mentioned… defeated." That didn't improve Sheik's mood at all and Link's hand twitched to reach out to him. Either remove him from this conversation or just hold him, he's unsure which he truly wanted to do. "He asked about you, and when I told him what you did he only seemed to grow more despaired." Sheik's head lifted at this to look at the Deku Tree. "He hadn't known you remembered. Perhaps, if he did, it would have changed something. He had hoped you would have lived a happy and peaceful life. To know you gave yours up in exchange for the Princess's protector, he saw it as yet another failure on his part."
"That's not-!"
"I tried to explain to him it was your choice to make. A bargain with the Goddesses. It did little to appease him." Sheik's hands clenched at his side and he dropped his gaze away again. "His last wish was to be buried here, where he had grown, a place he considered home. The Kokiri agreed to his wish. He made peace with himself as must you, he only wished for you to live your best life."
"I did what I did because the Princess needed Impa more." Sheik had said something similar to him too but this was the first time he honed in on that last word.
The Deku Tree caught it too. "You value your life so little. I fear it's a trait of your Tribe. Even your mother threw herself before everything that threatened the Princess and she taught you that."
"Perhaps. But is that not the mindset that kept the Hero alive?"
A soft hum, neither agreement nor denial. "Even now... you still won't call his name?"
Sheik turned away from the Deku Tree this time and stepped off of the podium. "If you're finished with Link we have things to do. Thank you for safeguarding the Master Sword, it'll aid Link well against the final battles." Finished with the conversation apparently Sheik wandered into the forest and left Link standing on top of the podium with the Deku Tree. He watched him go, finding Hetsu off to the side as Korok wandered out from hiding. They seemed at ease around him though they still watched Link a bit wairily.
He was wondering if he should follow Sheik or not when the Deku Tree spoke again. "Young one, should you need the guidance of the Hero of Time again the Korok will lead you willingly to his grave once more. The Master Sword serves as a connection between you, with it at your side once again you may find things easier with him."
Oh, that was interesting. "Can I ask-is his spirit not at rest?"
A brief moment of silence, long enough he wondered if he overstepped, but eventually the Deku Tree spoke. "He cannot find peace until his last worry is settled." He didn't need to elaborate, they both knew what that was.
"I promise to take care of Sheik."
"I do not doubt that. Now go, before he gets annoyed."
A grin and Link nodded his head before rushing off to where Sheik had gotten himself distracted with a Shrine. Link activated it and quickly did the task inside while Sheik waited. When he returned Sheik guided him over to Hetsu to turn the Korok seeds in much to Hetsu's appreciation. It was the last thing they could seem to do in the Sacred Grove but more than enough for Link. It was decided after dancing with Hetsu they'd return home and rest for a bit before setting off to the Goron's in Death Mountain.
Link took them back to Hateno Village and Sheik unlocked the house leading Link inside. They hung their weapons and outdoor gear up before cooking something quick to eat for dinner. Afterward they settled in for the night, Sheik behind the desk upstairs and Link on the bed with the Master Sword across his lap. As the Sheikah lost himself in whatever be was reading Link took the time to explore the Master Sword. Out of all the weapons he had collected this one had to be the sharpest and the oldest, a very odd combination for him to think. Did the magic it clearly had be whatever kept it sharp and working? Gave it the power to move time? It just seemed like a sword to him. Was it alive?
The thought crossed his mind to see what else Sheik knew, since clearly it was more than him when it came to the sword. So he pulled the item closer to him and lifted his head. All thoughts left him. In the time he had lost himself to his ponderings Sheik had let his hair down, the wraps on the desk beside him and had borrowed one of Link's shirts. He hadn't even noticed when the Sheikah moved but his uniform was gone and in exchange was one of Link's old T-Shirts. Since he was broader in the shoulders this one hung looser on him than his own gifted by Impa did. It showed a bit of his collarbone and settled loosely around his hips. The end of the quill he was using pressed against his bottom lip and slowly Sheik blinked at the paper before him. He couldn't understand what Sheik was writing but clearly it held all of his concentration.
He made expressions like this in the Divine Beasts, when met with the puzzles they had, but they were always hidden by the mask that he wore. Getting to see the emotions he was sure he knew were there without the barrier was a treat for sure. It made him loath the mask a bit more but at the same time he didn't want anyone else to see these expressions. To see Sheik with his hair down and dressed so simply. It was a very selfish part of him, the same part that wondered how close Sheik was to the Hero of Time and what Sheik felt for him.
There was so much he wanted to know but feared asking. Either for the answer or the reaction Sheik would give to being asked. All the information he got on the Hero of Time always seemed like facts, the bit he had in regards to emotions Sheik felt for him he had to drag out on top of a Tower. It wasn't enough.
But it was cruel of him to expect more than Sheik was willing or capable of giving.
He should just be thankful for the fact he had Sheik here, now, and to himself. And he was... so incredibly glad. Having Sheik with him was sometimes the only thing that kept him going. Kept him alive.
And now, as he realized his feelings for Sheik were passing more than that of friendship, he wanted to keep Sheik happy but more importantly-with him. He didn't want Sheik to go anywhere or to lose him to anyone else, even a dead Hero.
Slowly and gently he sat the Master Sword aside and moved closer to Sheik, more aware than ever how his body touched the others. His right hand gripped the desk and as he leaned over Sheik, his chest pressed into the others shoulder and head dipped down beside Sheik's cheek. "Can I ask what you're working on?" He questioned, looking the random weird lines over and Sheikah language that was more like drawings to him than words. Sheik gave a quiet hum, the sound reverberating through Link's chest and body. "You're very distracted." He added, trying to pay little attention to how the end of the quill slipped just a bit between the Sheikah's lips.
"You remember my songs, right?"
"The ones you played for me?" Sheik nodded his head and pulled the end of the pen from his lips. "Mm. The Minuet of the Forest worked, it didn't do entirely what it's supposed to do, but I didn't play it to teleport, I played it to find my way." So that was what he was doing when he listened, Link should have realized that but he was a bit distracted. "I was writing out the others, and thinking of testing them. I just wanted to see if I remember all of them." There were many pages here, all spread out with drying ink on them.
"You said they took you to temples before, right? If the temples don't exist, where will they take you?"
Sheik shook his head and leaned back in the chair, pulling his hair over his shoulder to drape across his chest. It was very distracting, was Sheik always this distracting? "The temples can't just… not exist." Link frowned and Sheik moved to explain. "The temples support the Sacred Realm, the Sacred Realm protects the Triforce. So the temples exist, they might just be buried. In which case, the songs should take me as close to them as they can. It's just a matter of if the magic in the temple still exists, if the Sage's are still praying."
"You were a Sage, wouldn't you know that?"
"You would think. Oddly enough my time in the Shadow Temple is a bit of a blur. And it seems to get harder to remember the longer I'm… alive? Awake?" He seemed to struggle for the right word and let his gaze fall to the papers once more. "The safest one to test would be the Prelude of Light." He grabbed a random sheet of paper and sat it in front of him. "This one. It's the first song I taught the Hero of Time too."
Link tried his best to read it and failed. Something's telling him he didn't even have any musical talent before he lost his memories. "Where does it take you?"
"The Temple of Time, I saw it on the Sheikah Slate map though it's nowhere near where I remember it being." Link must have made some sort of face because Sheik elaborated. "Hyrule Castle used to be bordered by something called Castle Town. It was exactly what it sounds like. And within Castle Town was the Temple of Time. I suppose Castle Town could have existed a hundred years ago, considering the map has a place called Castle Town Ruins... but the Temple of Time is still weirdly placed to me." He's right, now that Link thinks about it there didn't seem to be anything around it. "Not that placement matters, it's the energy that does. If the Temple of Time is the same as the one the song was written for, it should take me there."
"Nothing bad will happen if it's not, right?" Like Sheik won't get trapped in a mountain or dropped into a volcano, right?
Much to Link's relief he shook his head. "No. It just won't work. If the place doesn't exist, isn't accessible or is unsafe, it just won't take me there." A smile flickers across his face here and Sheik looks up to Link. "Not that it matters if they do, I have you and the Sheikah Slate. We're getting good with those shrines. I was just curious."
Link himself smiles at this and nods his head. "Yeah, I'm here for you. Though my musical experience is next to nothing and this is a bunch of pictures to me, just so you know."
The other chuckles and places his hand over the Lyre on the corner of the desk. "I could teach you. If you're ever curious. Just take it under consideration." He pushes away from the desk and stands, collecting the papers and stacking them together. He tucks them inside one of the books on the desk and centers his Lyre on top. "Did you want to head to bed?"
It seemed so domestic. Not in a way Link ever considered himself being. Sure, he could see himself living in this very house, in Hateno. But he had never imagined himself living with someone else. Much less someone who was his friend that he just realized he likes. And yet he owned a house with that friend and was sharing a bed. He lets out a quick short breath and nods. "Sure."
Sheik pulles the ties off of the table and sits on the edge of the bed, expert and elegant fingers putting the braid back in his hair as if it had never left. Link tried to learn how to do it by watching his fingers move but it was far too quick for him to figure out what placement went where and in what order. He didn't put the weight on, Link noticed, was it hard to sleep with? Rolling over onto it surely had to be rather painful and having your head weighed down to sleep probably wasn't ideal. Finished fixing his hair Sheik moved back on the bed and sat in his usual place by the window. After the first night they usually kept it open, he wondered if Sheik liked watching the sky or sitting where someone could sneak in. Was it a him thing or a Warriors instinct? He imagined it was more a Sheik thing. Despite all he said about how difficult it was to sleep outside, he did seem more comfortable in the dark.
Link got into the bed beside Sheik and laid down, propping his upper body against the headboard with a pillow. The blanket was dragged over their laps and they fell into a comfortable silence. Then Sheik moved and Link turned his head to the side to see the other grab the Master Sword from the end of the bed, where Link had accidentally left it. He settled the blade in his lap, looking the scabbard over and the hilt to where the gold triangle shaped gem rested. He ran his finger tips over the hilt of the blade and then offered the weapon to Link. Gently he took it and placed it next to the bed, close enough to grab it if need be.
"Can I ask a question?" He always started with this, and someday he was sure Sheik was going to tell him to stop asking that and just ask. Sheik hummed in response. He took the time to gather his courage and then voiced his question. "The Deku Tree, he said that you still wouldn't call the Hero by his name. And I realized that even when talking to me, you never say it. I was just wondering why?"
Sheik was quiet and Link turned his head to look over at the other, finding him still against the wall, blanket over his lap and watching the sky. He wondered if the other was gathering his courage too, like Link had to. When he finally spoke his voice was quiet and soft, vastly different from the usual monoton he used when talking about stuff like this. "When Impa was training me she taught me that the relationship with the Hero had to be strictly professional. I was to be his guide and nothing else. I couldn't be his friend. She said I was to refer to him by his title and nothing else." That seemed so bizarre to him, he couldn't even imagine how difficult that was. To watch someone so much, help and protect them, to only have to keep it all at a distance. If it was him, in the Hero's place, he would have hated it. "So I suppose, it just never felt right to say his name."
Even now, the Deku Tree had said. So even after everything, after watching the Hero to the end, after knowing he considered Sheik a friend and cared for him. Even after the Hero was dead. Sheik still refused to say his name. He let the silence lapse over them, watching the blankets and searched for the words to say. Evidently he didn't need to as Sheik spoke again, quieter to the point Link had to lean closer to hear him. "I suppose too, that a part of it was me wanting him to know he was a hero from beginning to end. Even if he failed."
"Even if he failed?" He might be projecting, but a part of him couldn't help but remember the scene the Master Sword showed him and the Zora adviser Muzu's cruel words.
Sheik hummed in acknowledgement, gaze still focused on the stars. "A hero to me isn't determined by his success, but the courage in his heart that drives him with the willingness to help others. To attempt to win. There were so many people he helped along the way, at a risk to himself, that makes him a hero to me. Even if he failed in the overall end."
That would be like Sheik, to see the good in something even if there was failure. The Hero had given everything from the sounds of it and the only person Sheik thought who didn't do enough, was himself. Though Link and probably even the Hero himself would have objected to that. He was starting to think there was little Sheik could find fault in, unless it himself. Which was something he did have a problem with, if he was honest. Link didn't want Sheik to find nothing but faults within himself. Everyone had faults of course, Link could think of several alone in himself and one glaring obvious one with Sheik, but there were positives to him too. And those positives he should be able to see easily.
Link let out a breath and closed his eyes, letting Sheik get comfortable with all the personal questions that he was asking. After the moment settled and he felt Sheik move in the bed to get more comfortable, he opened his eyes again and looked up at Sheik once more. "So, then can I ask what his name was?"
Silence settled over them once more and Link wondered this time if he had overstepped in some way. It was just a name, he was sure, it wasn't that personal. He heard Sheik let out a small breath and the other finally turned his head from the stars to look down at Link. The red eyes of the Sheikah seemed brighter under the light of the moon as he gazed down at him from under the window. "Are you sure you want to know?"
Something about that gave him pause, it seemed like such a weird question to Link. But the fact that Sheik asked it was what gave him pause for it. He took a few seconds to think it through and then nodded his head once, determined.
Sheik answered without pause then. "His name was Link."
Oh. That was why Sheik asked if he was sure. The confusion that hit Link over that was more than he could even explain. It was as if his head stopped thinking and then kicked into overdrive to try and explain all of this. How could they share the same name? Link didn't know who named him or where it came from, but he doubted his parents named him after some Hero who was only remembered from books in the castle by a single Princess Millenniums ago.
The question clearly presented itself on his face because Sheik started explaining. "The legend of the Hero always describes the Hero as the same. A blonde haired and blue eyed Hylian cloaked in green wielding the Master Sword." Link indeed had blonde hair and blue eyes, something that seemed so common to the other Hylians he had met. "You lacked the Master Sword and the Hero's Tunic but I was sure when I met you that you were the hero. You look a lot like he did." He's not sure how that made him feel but he was sure it wasn't a good feeling. Not with how Sheik talked about the Hero and made him wonder of the Sheikah's feelings toward him. More and more questions filled his mind but again Sheik spoke before he had the chance to truly think of a specific one. "There are a lot of differences though, it's not as if you're an exact clone of him too. It's-take Impa and the Princess for example."
That's right, Sheik's mother was the Great Impa and the current leader of the Sheikah was named Impa too. He assumed it was a legacy thing. "Every female in the Sheikah tribe born to the current clan leader is named Impa. In the expectant chance that one of them will carry the same blood and destiny as the original. The one that guarded the Princess, just as my mother did. It's their destiny, as yours is to defeat Ganon." So he was right, then. "And the Princess of my time was named Zelda too. Because the Royal Family does the same thing the Sheikah do. The eldest daughter born to the King is named Zelda in the hopes of carrying the Princess of Destiny's abilities. But, if you track the Royal Family's daughters named Zelda in the archives, none of them will look identical. Similar, of course, but not identical."
So, if Link was following this right, somehow or some way he might be related to the Hero of Time. That was slightly less horrifying than what he was thinking and where his mind was taking this. Even though Sheik hadn't in the slightest focused on his looks or treated him like the Hero of Time there was that slight concern… that single word echoing in his head. A replacement. Knowing there were differences between them made him less worried about that.
"Would you tell me how we're different?" He can't help it, now that he's heard it he wants to know. Wants to hear from Sheik's own mouth that he sees two different people. It's selfish, he's always selfish when it comes to Sheik. Pushing for more and more from someone who already gives him so much. But he needs to hear it.
It's nice watching his mouth move without the mask, the slightest press of his lips and the dart of his tongue between them. Sheik presses them together a lot when he thinks, like before when he was hovering over the papers he was writing on. His gaze drags over Link's face and body a few times before settling finally on his eyes. He reaches his hand out and pushes his fingers through Link's hair, tugging the leather tie out from the back.
"Your hair's longer and a darker shade of blonde." He starts with and Link instantly finds himself distracted with the way the other touched him. "Your taller than him, I know because I was actually taller than the Hero of Time and you're just barely taller than me." It had been one of the first things Link himself noted, how they were practically the same height. When Link took his boots off they probably were the same height actually. "But he was more wider than you in build. Though admittedly that could just be the armor, the Kokiri tunic didn't have much defense." He seems to lose himself in thought here and Link wondered if it was actually hard for Sheik to remember all these details. "I saw him from a distance a lot." He blinks and the hand that was still playing with Link's hair suddenly moved. Sheik brushed the backs of his fingers beneath Link's right eye. "Your eyes are a lighter blue than his were though."
The hand was suddenly gone and Sheik was once more looking out the window. Link had to force himself to take a breath, body still not daring to make a single move. He waited long enough to see if Sheik would add anything else but it eventually became clear he'd reached the end of his willingness to talk. Link dragged the blankets up over his shoulders and the other settled down onto his back, closer to Link than he had any night before.
Knowing Sheik didn't mind the closeness he let himself get comfortable against the Sheikah's side and soon fell into a deep sleep.
Waking before Sheik was a rare occurrence but considering how well he slept in Hateno compared to their adventures he was starting to think it was only rare if Sheik doesn't sleep. He dragged himself from the bed and Sheik's arms and moved to the desk, leaving a note about collecting supplies for the trip before leaving. It wasn't a complete lie but he still felt bad for doing it, but what he was intending on doing he needed to do without Sheik by his side.
The Korok Forest in the early morning light was a lot different than mid day. The light from the sun shined down and seemed to brighten the entire place, adding to the ethereal feeling it seemed to have. The Korok themselves were already awake, running around and playing with each other. Link made his way through the forest to the Great Deku Tree, stepping up to where the Master Sword used to rest. When he was there the Deku Tree made a contemplating sound and spoke.
"So you've returned again. Did you have more questions, young one?"
He nodded his head once. "You said the Master Sword would allow me to talk to the Hero of Time more clearly, I want to know how."
"Hm… so you have questions and I assume the young Sheikah couldn't provide answers?"
"No… no Sheik did. But I-feel bad asking for more than he is comfortable giving. If I can find my answers from the Hero of Time himself, I feel I should." Getting things from the other person's perspective might shine light onto it too. An aspect of it that neither Sheik nor himself considered.
"If that is how you feel I will not try to change your mind. If you wish to speak to the Hero of Time I will tell you how. Return to the place where the Hero of Time's grave resides and strike the Master Sword into the ground over it. From here, the Master Sword will be your connection to them. This will drain the Master Sword of its power, without all the Sages praying to keep power to the Sacred Realm and the Master Sword it's power is limited. And this... takes more than normal fighting with it."
"I understand." He won't do this often then, not that he intended to anyway. Link gave the Deku tree a nod. "I will use my time with him wisely."
"Hm. Follow the sound of the forest as you had once before. It'll lead you to the grave."
Link left and headed out into the lost woods. This time knowing he was looking for the music to follow he heard it instantly and rushed toward it as it increased in volume. The Korok led him right to the same grove with the tree and tombstone at the base, the offerings he had left last time still right there. Though they had clearly been tidied up by the Korok.
Taking careful steps forward he reached behind his back and grasped the hilt of the Master Sword, pulling it from the scabbard and lowering it down to his side. Stepping on top of the grave he looked to the blank tombstone and took a deep breath. Swinging the sword around he grabbed the hilt with his other hand too, lifted the sword up and then drove the blade straight down into the ground as if he was returning it to the pedestal. There was a light from the triangle gem on the Master Sword and Link felt his consciousness leave him.
The place he opened his eyes to was white, bright white and with a thin layer of water over the top of the ground. Link could see his own reflection in it and heard the sound of a water drop hitting a puddle. He lifted his head up and standing in front of him where nothing had been before was what could have been considered a mirror reflection of himself. Light blonde hair, blue eyes and clothes as green as the forest. He blinked, startled, and then took a step back.
He knew who he was looking at and yet it still startled him to see something so close to his own reflection. Sheik was right, they were different and yet so similar... and Link was taller than him.
"You've returned… and with the Master Sword too." His gaze seemed to focus on that for several moments before it began wandering over Link's body. He felt a bit like he was being observed, judged. Their gaze snapped back to Link's eyes. "Tell me, was Sheik helpful?"
He nodded his head, the shock slowly leaving him and reached to his hip for the Sheikah Slate. It wasn't there. Apparently wherever his consciousness took him the only thing that came with him was the Master Sword and the clothes on his back. "He figured out how to fix my problem in less time than it took me to make even a dent in my journey."
The Hero of Time laughed softly, turning his head up toward the-ceiling? sky? and smiled. "Yeah, he does that. Sheik was always good at knowing the answer before you even had a question. Yet, the answers he gives you are never personal in nature."
"He's gotten better at opening up to me. Sometimes it was as hard as throwing a boulder down an exact path but he did get there." They tried and that was what mattered to Link, that they could talk. "I wanted to ask you about what happened with him. He seems… very resigned about the entire thing and I struggle to get detailed answers out of him about his journey with you."
The Hero watches him and Link gets the distinct impression that he's judging him again but for an entirely different reason. When he speaks again he shakes his head at the same time. "With some of the Sage's missing you won't have enough power in the Master Sword for the entire story, but I'll tell you what I can." And then he began the tale of the Hero of Time.
Most of what he was told from the beginning Link had gotten from Sheik already. How the Hero grew up among the Kokiri but knew from the start he was different then the others. The lack of a fairy, the adventure to save the Deku Tree and the inevitable failure. The journey to the Castle and seeing the Princess. He told Link the first time he had met Sheik in the future he had thought the man was an enemy and then later wondered if he was a spy for Ganon. That part surprised Link especially when Sheik had admitted to him to being a spy against Ganon for the Princess. He wondered if the Hero knew that, probably.
The Hero told him how he tried hard to get close to Sheik and that he was avoided every single time. He admitted to feeling lonely and wishing more than anything to just have Sheik sit down and have a conversation with him. He got close, once apparently, after the Water Temple but Sheik ran the moment his back was turned.
"I was a child in an adults body, confused and just doing my best to help people. The only thing I wanted was a friend."
He couldn't imagine the struggle, the pain, the feeling of loss and foreignness in your own body they had to experience. He could just hear the pain in his voice as he spoke and shared his experience with Link. He said he came to terms with it but Link wondered how true that was. When he reached the end of the story, Sheik bringing Zelda to him in the Temple of Time, losing her and then his victory, he did seem pleased with himself. The fight was long and hard and at the end of it he had been heavily wounded but still won. And Sheik had vanished. He had thought, apparently, Sheik had died but never found the answer.
Zelda and him returned the Master Sword to its resting place and with that came the reset of time. That was his journey as a Hero though he had left many of the details out. There were parts he wanted to know, how many meetings he and Sheik had, what he learned of the Sheikah in general. But he knew they didn't have time for details, as much as he wanted them. Though that was the journey of a forgotten Hero that had saved Hyrule in a time that no longer existed now. At the end of his tale he looked more heartbroken than when it began but he held himself together well. Definitely better than Link would have.
He waited until he was sure that the Hero had reached the end of his story and held the others gaze as he asked his final question. "Can I ask what Sheik was to you?"
The Hero frowned and thought the question over, his blue gaze falling to the ground as he searched for the answer. "I don't know. I had considered him my best friend in that lifetime. But clearly he didn't think the same. You know, he only called me by my name once. Once in the entire time I knew him. And it was out of fear when he was trying to protect me from the monster in the well." No, he hadn't know that. He thought Sheik never called him by his name. He wondered if Sheik even remembered doing it. "I wanted him to live a good life, and even then I couldn't get that. It is one of the only regrets I have left." He picks his head up and looks to Link. "So now, I reverse the question to you. What is Sheik to you, Hero of the Wilds?"
Oh, he didn't like that title. But his answer is far more confident than the others had been. "My friend." The smile he feels on his face is soft and pleased, the same warm feeling he gets every time he thinks about the Sheikah. "But… I think I'd like for him to… be more than a friend."
A look of surprise crossed the Hero of Time's face before it changed into something softer, an understanding showing in his eyes. "I wish you luck in that, Sheik is rather hard to understand. From the sounds of it though you've already done better than me. Perhaps, there is at least something else I can offer you from this meeting besides my blessing." He turned away from Link and took several steps away, a sword appearing in his right hand that mirrored the Master Sword in appearance. "A sword wields no strength unless the hand that holds it has courage. You who are destined to become the Hero, who carries the blood of the Hero of Legend in him, allow me to pass to you the teachings of the sword." The Hero turned suddenly to face Link and held his sword up. "Now come at me."
The Master Sword didn't have much power left in it but he taught Link at the very least how to properly wield a sword so it didn't break on him after every single enemy. He seemed pleased with Link's progress at the end of it and as a final parting he made Link promise to return at some point for more lessons to better his control over the Master Sword.
When he jerked back to his body, only partly coherent and head pounding, he realized not only did this take power from the sword it took power from himself as well. When he pulled his sword from the ground it nearly knocked him to his feet in exhaustion. He took a breath, slowly stood up and checked the sky. Well, Sheik was going to be pissed, it was already dark out he'd spent an entire day talking with the Hero of Time. But, he'd learned a great deal. Sliding the Master Sword into the sheath he grabbed the slate and teleported himself back to Hateno Village.
Link walked the dark path back to their house and only made it across the bridge before he spotted Sheik. The Warrior had seated himself on the roof of their house, staring up at the sky but clearly listening for him. The moment he was within range Sheik turned his head downward and blinked at Link before swinging himself off of the roof. "You're late. I was worried." He hadn't considered that was a possibility, he definitely should have. "I went looking for you but no one saw you. I even dragged myself to Purah's Lab. I lost most of my morning in there trapped by her." Link smiles, wide and amused. He was just far too pleased to be back here and with Sheik at his side. "Where were you? You look exhausted."
"Sorry. I intended to get supplies for Death Mountain but I got distracted." Sheik was frowning, Link could see it by the crease of his brows even with the mask on. "I went back to the Kokiri Forest. I can tell you more-" Sheik grabbed his arm and pulled Link forward, his hand void of his glove pressing against his forehead.
"You have a fever. Whatever you were doing, you shouldn't do again." Perhaps that was why he felt as tired as he did? Sheik started pulling him inside the small house and Link willingly followed him. "Has anyone not taught you how to pace yourself? One day with the Master Sword and you're already physically exhausting yourself to the point you're ill."
"I learned something about that, if it helps?" Apparently it didn't because Sheik seemed even less amused as he led him upstairs to the bed. "Sit." Link sat and Sheik knelt down to remove his boots. He tried to argue he was more than capable of doing that himself but the moment he tried to move away and opened his mouth to argue Sheik shot him a glare. "The Master Sword is an extension of yourself, it relies on your strength and courage for power as much as it does the power of the Sage's. Using it the way that you did, whatever you were doing, drained your spiritual energy. Which is very dangerous if you were curious. That's why the Deku Tree expressed so intently limiting yourself when using the Master Sword."
"I know, most of that anyway. I was told some of the Sage's were gone." At that Sheik did pause, his hands frozen on Link's ankle from when he had removed one of his boots. He started again after a moment, untying the other one and slipping it off.
"I suppose that makes sense. With the Temples being lost to Time they'd lose some of their purpose and strength. Which would lead to the loss of the Sage's. And with me being removed from my place as the Sage of the Shadow Temple that also decreases the Master Swords power." He sighed and stood back up, moving to grab Link's shirt he wears to bed from the top of the dresser. "I should have stayed there, but-" he pauses and picks the shirt up letting out a sigh. "I'm happy, being here with you, as selfish as that is."
"That's not selfish." Standing up Link reached for Sheik's arm but the other moved quicker, grasping his elbow and pushing him back onto the bed. "It's not. What you did was selfless. You were never supposed to be the sage of the Shadow Temple, but you gave your life away to do it. You're selfless and you deserve to do something that for once makes you happy."
"I suppose… the Sage's aren't meant to be there forever. Eventually, a new one is chosen." That was something Link assumed, that a new Sage would be born among the Tribes. He wasn't sure how that worked, if Ganon needed to return for them too as well, like with the Hero and the Princess of Destiny. "Lay down, I'll get a cold cloth and make you some soup."
Listening to Sheik just to please him Link scooted back on the bed and laid down, the blanket getting dragged over his body as he relaxed down. He fully intended to stay awake, he wasn't sick just fatigued, but apparently that exhaustion was enough to push him into a quick and easy slumber.
He woke a few hours later with his head pillowed on a warm and comfortable surface. Rolling a bit he buried his face further into it and opened his eyes a bit. The position was familiar but different from normal, considering he was inside his house and on his bed. Sheik sat beneath the window, one of his favorite places to be with his head rested against the wall. Link had buried his head in Sheik's lap, laying sideways across the bed and the blankets thrown about. Sheik had his left hand in Link's hair and the right draped across his waist. It was a comfortable position for him but Sheik looked like he'd wake with a horrible cramp in his body. Beside him resting on the window sill was a bowl that clearly had water in it and a wet rag draped over the side of it.
Sheik had stayed up all night to take care of him and Link can taste the lingering bits of potion on his lips. Whatever he had given him had worked, that bone crushing exhaustion he had felt was gone now and he felt well enough to do just about anything. Though he would definitely take Sheik's advice to pace himself. Even if it was tempting to talk to the Hero of Time again.
Link rolled onto his back carefully, trying not to disturb Sheik, and looked up at him. He looked so soft in his sleep, mask gone and face lax. There was a gentleness to him that wasn't always noticeable when he was awake. Link reached his hand up and ran his fingers across Sheik's cheek, cuping it in his palm and tracing the corner of his mouth with his thumb. Sheik twitched and Link knew he had woken him up before seeing that red gaze focus down on him.
"You're awake."
He was and he should say something, anything, but all he could focus on was the look in Sheik's eyes and the feeling of his skin against his palm. He moved completely on instinct and determination. Link leaned up and pressed his lips against the others. Feeling Sheik tense above him was certainly not ideal, but he didn't push Link away either. Taking some of that as a good sign he slipped his hand from Sheik's cheek to the back of his head and pulled him closer. The angle wasn't great and he didn't have enough upper body strength to keep this up. He tumbled back down into Sheik's lap and blinked at wide and startled red eyes. Those eyes darted around his face, looking for something and though Link was sure it would be better to apologize for the sudden kiss he couldn't find it in him to do that. Because he wasn't sorry. He had wanted to do that and he still wanted to do it again.
He watched Sheik blink, seem to silently consider something, and then leaned down over him. Unlike when Link had thrown himself up at the other this kiss was far softer and hesitant. Sheik supported himself with his right hand on the bed beside Link's head while the left settled in his hair. It was an incredibly intimate position that made his heart rate skyrocket and body warm. But a content warmth that made him want more of this, wanted Sheik closer.
But Sheik was moving back, still looking down at him, and Link really didn't want any of that right now. He reached his own arms up, looped them around his neck and yanked him back down. He went for a harder kiss this time, dragging his teeth across the bottom of Sheik's lower lip and pressing his tongue into the other's mouth. He could feel the shuddering intake of breath Sheik took, the way he pressed closer seeking more of the contact. He gave him what he wanted, sucking Sheik's lower lip into his mouth and tracing it with his tongue. It pulled a sound from him, something close to a suppressed moan and Sheik's hand curled around his hair, fisting it.
He suddenly pulled back, breathing quickly and cheeks lightly blushed pink. He looked good like that and Link really wanted to drag him back down and see what other expressions he could pull from him.
"Link…" his voice was hoarse sounding and Sheik realized it just as Link did, his gaze averting away. "We should-" he moved to attempt to get up from the bed and Link in a desperate move to keep him there tightened his arms around the others neck. Sheik startled and snapped his head back to Link who took advantage of the moment to press their lips back together.
"Link!" He didn't want to talk, because he was sure talking about this would make it stop. Sheik clearly seemed very willing to be a part of this, he just needed him to stop thinking.
Pushing himself upward he guided Sheik back away from him. Maneuver himself a bit he managed to get to a position where he could instead slide himself into Sheik's lap. He sat with his thighs on either side of Sheik's body, arms draped around his shoulders. Link took hold of Sheik's braid and started working the tie in it out. He could feel hands Sheik twitch, blindly searching out until they eventually settled along Link's hips for lack of a better place to put them.
"Link," a third try, lips moving against his. "What are we doing?" Honestly, he thought that was fairly obvious, especially as he slowly worked Sheik's braid out.
"I'm kissing you." He could feel how unamused Sheik was with that answer. "And I would very much like to continue doing so." He gets a sigh but Sheik doesn't bother fighting him for a different reply, and easily goes when Link pulls him closer again for another kiss. Their lips meet and Link presses his body tightly to the others, his fingers now easily sinking into Sheik's thick hair that was as soft as he assumed. He curled it around his fingers, tugged, and felt Sheik gasp into their kiss. It was a very pleasant feeling.
It was the sound of Link's stomach rolling in hunger that broke them apart, Sheik seeming to come to his senses at the sound. He used his grip on Link's hips to push him back and started to again climb off of the bed. "You haven't eaten since the day before yesterday, I'll get you some food. The soup I made is still down there, it should be fine to heat up." He sat himself in the middle of the bed, telling himself he wasn't sulking as he watched Sheik head downstairs. Betrayed by his own body, that's how he felt.
This wasn't bad. Sheik had returned his kiss, eagerly at that too, clearly he was interested in Link even if it was a little bit, right? That was what it seemed like to Link. They had thoroughly and eagerly explored each other even if it was only for a few minutes, that had to mean something to Sheik. Link clutched at his shirt over his stomach and looked to the blanket beneath him. It went better than he could have hoped it would. He honestly didn't think he would have had the courage to do it. But he had and he can't bring himself to regret it, even if Sheik does tell him not to do it again.