A/N: my god, I did NOT mean for this to take over 3 months D: writer's block and Life Stuff kinda derailed me, oof. But it's here at last, and it's a long one, and a fun one! In which the characters get to take a break from the relentless PLOT and just get to be themselves! Kinda!
Chapter 22: Close Encounters
Saturday 11-26, 9:13am
Location: Nohansen Library
Working on Mythology final with Link and Zelda
"Aw, why do I gotta do this? It's not like my grades even matter," Link whined, dropping his head on his laptop keyboard, causing it to beep almost as though in alarm. He looked up and sighed at the error message flashing on the screen.
Vaati continued typing on his own laptop. "Ours do, and this is a group project you signed up for." He reached over to Link's computer and pressed a few keys, clearing the error message.
"Can't you just do my parts for me?" the blond continued to complain.
"No."
He sighed dramatically, sliding down his chair and staring glumly at his computer. Then he straightened up, grinning slightly, and looked at Zelda, who was sitting across from the two of them. "...Zelda, could you—?"
"Don't listen to him," Vaati cut him off. He looked up at the girl. "How's your section going?"
She was smiling, chuckling softly at the two bickering roommates. At his question, she met his gaze. "I think I am almost finished, actually!"
Vaati nodded. The three of them had grouped together for their Mythology class's final presentation, an arrangement he had not been too keen on at the time, seeing as Zelda had a hard time staying around him for long periods of time without trying to literally flee, and Link's notorious work ethic when it came to schoolwork. But since things with Link had cleared up, and Impa had told them all to focus on finishing the semester, all three had become more relaxed. Sure, Link didn't seem committed to finishing much of his work, but that was on him. Zelda, for her part, didn't seem quite so nervous around Vaati. He was actually impressed by the difference. No more stammering, and she met his gaze occasionally. All things considered, it seemed Vaati would actually be able to finish the semester like any other student—cramming at the last minute, yes, but at least not plagued by any Yiga agents or Sheikah ultimatums.
Next to him, Link gave another sigh. "...maybe I'll just tell Paya my identity and she'll give us an automatic A-plus," he mused.
Vaati raised one eyebrow. "I didn't take you for the intimidation-type. Pulling the secret-agent card on your teacher just for a grade is pretty low."
For some reason, his roommate found that funny. He chuckled and punched Vaati lightly in the shoulder. "Pff, 'course I wouldn't intimidate her! She's my sister! I'm sure she'd do me a favor just cuz!"
"Wait, she's—? For the love of Hylia, how many Sheikah agents are at this school?!" Now that he thought about it, Paya did share the same white hair and red eyes as Impa; why hadn't he noticed it before?
Link seemed to find that even funnier than the first one. He started laughing, covering his mouth and laughing into his hand so as to not be too loud in the library. "Oh, no, she's not an agent!" he managed. "C'mon, you know how timid she is. Imagine Paya fighting a Yiga agent... she can barely kill spiders! Nah, Impa let her go to school to become a teacher instead of joining the force. And as smart as she is book-wise, she's also a little slow in other areas... such as recognizing her own si—ah, sibling!"
Vaati frowned at the odd slip of the tongue. He found it hard to believe someone could be that dense and totally unaware their own relative was one of their students. Unless Link didn't look the way he normally did... The Mage leaned over and tugged hard at Link's hair.
"Ow! What was that for?!"
"Making sure you're not wearing a wig," he leaned back. Honestly, he'd wondered before if this was Link's true appearance. Ignoring his roommate's sulky expression, Vaati turned back to his computer. "Whatever. We're not using your sister to cheat, Link. So hurry up and do your section so we can finish this presentation."
Thankfully, Link gave up trying to worm his way out of working, slumping down in his chair again but focusing on his computer and typing. The three shared notes, making sure the presentation fit in a cohesive flow, practicing reading their parts aloud; mostly, though, their table was quiet save for their fingers tapping their keyboards.
An hour or so passed. Then Link broke the studious quiet with an obnoxiously loud yawn, stretching his arms above his head. "I need a nap break," he announced, and, without another word, promptly scooted his chair closer to Vaati's, leaned his head on his roommate's shoulder, and closed his eyes.
Vaati sighed but did not protest. He knew the blond hadn't been getting much sleep, and he was partly to blame for that. The Mage's nightmares had been plaguing him practically every night, ruining his own sleep, of course, but also waking up his roommate. Whenever that happened, Link would gently shake his shoulder to wake him up from it. Then the two would go back to sleep, but Vaati sometimes wondered if Link stayed awake for a while longer, perhaps to make sure he didn't fall back into the nightmare. The shadows under the blond's eyes and his constant need for naps reinforced this theory.
And so he endured being Link's pillow. For now.
Zelda had watched the situation unfolding without comment, though when Vaati looked over, she hurriedly went back to staring at her computer. He saw her keep glancing at them, though.
He ignored it, until she stammered, "Y-you guys are... are getting along well n-now, I see."
"Yeah?" he responded, quirking an eyebrow. Oh Hylia, the stutter was back.
"I just—I'm surprised you—that you let him do that, th-that's all."
"Only because I know it means he'll be quiet for a while."
"I-I suppose that is true..." Zelda gazed at the two a moment longer, then went back to work, a small frown just creasing her brow.
Vaati likewise returned to typing, being careful not to move his arm too much for fear of disturbing Link. It wasn't particularly comfortable, to be honest. Link's head was heavy and Vaati's shoulder was probably pressing right into his temple. Almost as though hearing Vaati's thoughts, his roommate shifted, moving his head to rest more in the nook between his shoulder and neck. Blond hair brushed Vaati's cheek.
And suddenly, he couldn't concentrate at all, not with Link so close, his hair smelling gently of shampoo—was that the same shampoo he used? He turned his head slightly and sniffed at Link's head. No, it was a bit different—
What was he doing?!
Flustered, Vaati pushed Link away, startling the blond awake. "Heeey, what'd I do?!" Link whined. He blinked sleepily a few times, pouting. "I was just getting comfy..."
"You were starting to drool," Vaati lied, unable to meet his friend's gaze. He also didn't look over at Zelda, praying to Hylia that she hadn't seen him sniffing at Link.
Thankfully, neither of them made further comment; Link sulkily went back to his own bubble of space, and Zelda kept her eyes on her computer. Still, Vaati's burning ears served as a reminder for a little too long.
Seriously, what was that about?!
Sunday 12-4, 6:17pm
Location: Farore Dorms
"For the last time, where are we going?" It was Vaati's turn to plead. He was sitting on his bed, watching Link as the blond tied his shoes.
Link tugged the laces emphatically and straightened, turning to look at his roommate with his hands on his hips. "And for the last time, it's a surprise!" Throwing on the same hoodie he always wore, he waved for Vaati to follow him with a bright grin. "I promise it's a good surprise, really! Just something to celebrate finally finishing the semester. Now, are you coming or not?"
It wasn't like Vaati was totally opposed to the idea; they'd definitely earned a decent break from the constant studies and overwhelming myths-come-to-life situation. He just hoped that Link's idea of a 'good surprise' involved more... normal activities. Well, it beat sitting in his room all evening and then Link going off on him about all the cools things he missed out on later.
"Yeah, yeah."
Their mystery destination was in the same district as Karusa Pawn, and they actually passed by the shop as they walked. Vaati glanced in the windows, only to see a dark, empty building, the shelves that had previously been overflowing with paraphernalia now bare. It occurred to him that the Sheikah had probably shut the store down; the Yiga had been operating there, after all.
The memory of Link being held against the shelf, forehead trickling blood and eyes steely, flashed in his head. He glanced at his friend walking next to him. Link was humming, a small smile on his face, eyes bright with energy. Again, he was struck by how different Link looked around his friends versus his enemies. He wondered if Link had any other sides to him; how did he act around other Sheikah agents—super formally?; or what about someone he liked—was he the nervous-wreck-type, or the type to boldly declare his feelings? He snorted softly at both mental images. No, he didn't really want to see that; Link's annoying factor was already more than he could handle most days.
Link caught him staring and raised his eyebrows questioningly.
"Aren't you cold?" Vaati quickly asked, disguising the thoughts going through his head, and gesturing at Link's simple hoodie.
"Nah! Walking keeps me warm enough." The redness of his cheeks, nose, and ears, and the way he held his arms so stiffly, close to his body, contradicted his words.
Vaati sighed. The blond was stubborn about the oddest things. He wasn't sure if it was a tough-guy act, or maybe he just didn't have a heavy coat and didn't want to make a big deal out of it. Either way, if he insisted on suffering from the cold, that was his problem.
After another moment, however, Link gave a pronounced shiver, causing Vaati to slow to a stop. His roommate noticed and halted, sniffling. An idea formed in the Mage's mind as he frowned at the shivering Hylian.
"Go into that alley over there."
Link turned to look and frowned. "Uhhhh, yeah, sure, let's just go into the dark alley at night! I like danger and all, just maybe not right now?"
"It's not—I just need to use my magic real quick but we can't let anyone see, genius." The streets were busy with other students likewise out enjoying their end-of-semester freedom, some already wobbly from 'celebrating' too much, groups of them passing by laughing; though it was already dark out and the passersby were focused on other things, there were too many possible witnesses for Vaati to casually do any magic. He pushed Link into the alley before he could protest anymore. It was only going to be a moment—
Link stumbled as he was pushed backward, and Vaati instinctively caught him, one arm grabbing his shoulder, the other his waist, while the blond's hands clutched at his coat. They both froze. Then Link tried to stand at the same time that Vaati attempted to shift his footing. That only made them both stagger more; now he was practically hugging Link in an attempt to keep them both off the ground. His roommate's blue eyes were wide as they stared at each other.
This was... awkward.
Somehow they managed to right themselves without either one being unceremoniously dropped. Vaati was grateful that his face was already pink from the cold; once again, Link's close proximity had thrown him off-guard, and he couldn't name or handle the odd sensation in his gut. Rather than allow a further awkward silence to develop, he cleared his throat loudly. "Here."
The mage snapped his fingers, and a hazy wind swirled around Link's torso. It quickly cleared, leaving behind a new bulky green coat.
Link ogled at the magically created coat and patted the arms and front like he wasn't quite sure it was real. He flipped up the hood experimentally, then grinned widely at Vaati. "Sweet! I never thought about using your magic for clothes...! Thanks!"
That genuine smile was contagious, and Vaati found himself smiling in return. He coughed and disguised the unexpectedly warm feeling with a dismissive, "Your shivering was getting annoying, that's all. Are we almost there yet?"
"Yep! Just around this corner!" Link grabbed his hand, dragging him out of the alley and back down the street. Soon, they halted. "We're here!" his companion proclaimed proudly.
Vaati's eyes were assaulted by a patchwork sign of reds, greens, and purples, and yellow neon words reading "Fang And Bone." The letter 'd' kept flickering. Depictions of monsters, looking like they were drawn by a two-year-old, decorated the windows.
"...This is your surprise?"
"Hey, don't sound so disappointed! We haven't even gone in yet! C'mon!" The blond was still dragging him by the hand, pulling him inside the creaky door into the equally hideously decorated interior. The clashing red, green, and purple theme continued: the wallpaper was a patchwork of different colors and patterns; for some reason, chains were hung like bunting along the ceiling; mismatched tables and chairs were scattered haphazardly in the dining area, with only a few customers seated in them; and there was the smell of something strange cooking. It wasn't a bad smell, just... strange. Vaati couldn't identify it.
His roommate was watching his face expectantly. "It's... eccentric," Vaati said.
That seemed to be good enough for Link. "This place has the craziest stuff," he enthused. He waved Vaati to follow him to the bar area. "I'll get you something to drink! Hey, Kilton!"
Vaati startled when a short man's head suddenly shot up from behind the bar counter when Link called him. He was dark-skinned and ashen, mostly bald aside from a wisp of white hair above his forehead, and his sunken eyes were those of a man who had not slept, probably ever. "Ohhhh, Link!" Kilton squeaked. "Ohhh, it's been a long time!" He paused, pulling himself up slightly and sniffing loudly. "You smell stronger than before. What is that I smell...?"
"Eh, I had a run-in with a demon, that might be it," Link replied casually, unfazed by the bartender's behavior. Vaati, however, was reluctant to approach, watching from a safe distance. He didn't want some stranger sniffing at him. "Hey, can you get a Monster Cake Shake for both of us?"
Kilton's round eyes slid over to Vaati. Then he grinned toothily at the blond sitting in front of him. "Ohhh. Hehehe, I see. Good for you, good for you." With that, his head disappeared from sight as he ducked below the counter.
The strange little man finally gone, Vaati cautiously slid into the seat next to his friend. "What was that about...?" he murmured.
"Oh, Kilton's just an interesting guy. He's really into in monsters—if you haven't noticed—and he runs this restaurant to fund his research into finding them. He's got this weird ability to sniff out almost anything. Aveil brought me here a few years ago; Kilton owed her some favors and I convinced her to spend it on unlimited milkshakes for life."
"..." Vaati just sighed. Of course it was unlimited milkshakes. "Why'd you bring me here, though?"
"So impatient!" Elbowing him, Link grinned. "Just wait, I promise it's worth it."
Kilton's bald head popped up suddenly from behind the counter. "One Monster Cake Shake for the both of you!" he announced, holding up a large glass filled with a dark chocolate mix decorated with purple syrup, light brown whip cream, and purple sprinkles. Two straws stuck out on either side. "Enjoy! Hehehe!" Setting it on the counter between the two, he disappeared again.
"Wait, Kilton, that's not—!" Link called out, but it seemed the bartender had truly disappeared this time. The blond stared helplessly at the shake, and then at his roommate. "I meant one for each of us..." he explained. He pushed the shake over to Vaati. "Um, you can just have it, then!"
Vaati pushed down the mixture of emotions this innocent shake was causing him. So that's what Kilton's "good for you" had meant—he'd taken one look at Vaati and assumed the two were on a date, and set them up accordingly. For the love of Hylia, why did people keep—even Link was embarrassed, nervously avoiding his friend's gaze. He cleared his throat. "I'm not drinking this whole thing by myself. Just take turns." Saying so, he grabbed the straw facing him and took a long drink.
The flavors that hit his mouth matched the smell of the restaurant—strange, but not bad. It was chocolate, but spicy, accented with some sort of berry flavor. He leaned back and mulled over the taste.
"Do you like it?" Link was leaning forward, that expectant look on his face again.
"...I don't hate it. I don't know if I like it, either."
Still pondering, he leaned forward to take another sip, but Link went to take a drink at the same time, and they both froze when they realized how close their faces were. Link hesitated, then grinned and grabbed his straw, keeping eye contact as he took a good, long drink, eyebrows raised. When he was done, he teased, "You're the one who said take turns."
Vaati realized he'd been staring the whole time, and shook his head forcefully. Seriously, something was wrong with him. Every time he had a close encounter with Link lately, he'd freeze up, and his stomach started acting up, and it was getting really, really bothersome.
They took their time finishing the shake, dutifully taking turns. He could pick out a nutty flavor in the chocolate as well. Not a combination he'd normally choose. But by the end, Vaati decided that he liked it enough to have one again. Link seemed to consider this a victory.
Almost as though he'd been waiting for the moment the last drop of the shake was gone, Kilton's head popped up from behind the counter right as they finished. "You enjoyed? Hehehe. Everything is made with my signature Monster Extract, for an extra punch! Would you like another?"
"Nah, we're good, Kilton," Link replied. "Actually, I wanted to check out what you have in the back."
Kilton's eyes darted to the other people in the dining room, but they were too far away to hear anything. "Ohhh, yes, I can take you there. I do not have much new, though. My trips lately have been... disappointing." His head ducked out of sight, but his voice called out to the two, "Come, come, then!"
Vaati kept behind Link as the blond led him past the bar counter to the single restroom in the back of the restaurant. A yellowed 'Out of Order' sign was taped crookedly on the door, but Link pushed it open anyway, waving for Vaati to follow. He locked it behind them. "I know, hiding a secret door in the bathroom is kinda lame, but Kilton's ideas of what's cool are... different."
"I noticed," the mage replied dryly.
There was a grinding sound from one of the urinals, and Vaati backed away in concern. But it just rotated, the wall opening up to reveal a room behind it where Kilton was waiting for them. Link and Vaati stepped through.
This room was a mess, but in a different way than the rest of the restaurant. It reminded him of Karusa Pawn, the walls dark, with little lighting, close shelves filled to overflowing. But instead of rusty mirrors and dusty teacups, the shelves held jars of strange liquids, mildewy books, skeletal models of unknown creatures, and, on one shelf, a taxidermied Keese. Monster research, indeed. Vaati kept his hands close to his sides. Who knew what was in some of those jars?
Link was already browsing, Kilton chattering at his side about this close encounter and that monster he had seen and how he was running low on Monster Extract. Vaati had decided not to browse and was standing stiffly in the same place they had entered. The two others disappeared into the crowded storage room. He could still hear their voices every so often, though, so he was content to wait.
He was in the middle of a staring contest with the taxidermied Keese (which he had started to suspect wasn't actually dead; its eyes were just a little too real) when Link came back, resting his arm on his shoulder. "You didn't want to take a look around? I thought you'd wanna see all the monsters and relics Kilton's collected."
"Not if I have to dig everything out of cobwebs and goo," Vaati replied, glancing meaningfully at a jar that had cracked, the liquid that had oozed out long ago congealed around the base of a nearby book.
Link shrugged. "Well, I got you something anyway!" He held up a small paper bag, waving it in front of Vaati's face. "But you can't open it til tomorrow. So... Ready to head back?"
2:38am
Vaati woke with a gasp, heart racing. It took him several moments for his mind to catch up to where he was and for his breathing to steady. He was in his room. He was awake. He was alone. This was reality, and that dream was just—
Something tapped his shoulder, and he nearly swore aloud.
"Hey, you okay?" came a whisper from his side.
Rubbing his forehead, Vaati sighed. Not the person he wanted to see right now. "I'm fine, Link. It wasn't... a nightmare this time," he muttered, voice hoarse, not turning to look at him.
"Oh, good, that means it worked!" Link whispered excitedly. Vaati squinted at him, to see him pointing above his head.
He craned his head back. Pinned to his headboard was a dreamcatcher. It was messy, with string trailing down and feathers sticking out everywhere. There wasn't much light in the room, but he could guess that it was primarily red. The handiwork of a certain small man, for sure.
"...that's what you got from Kilton?"
Link nodded proudly, grinning. "Yep, a dreamcatcher! I thought it might help with your nightmares, and it did! I waited til you were in the middle of one, and then I put it up, and immediately it looked like you left the nightmare."
"Great. Good job. Now we can sleep," Vaati said curtly. He pulled the covers up over him and turned to face away from Link, ignoring his complaints.
It wasn't that he was mad at Link—the fact that he'd found a way to get rid of his nightmares was something Vaati was extremely grateful for, and he would probably say so later. He'd wished to be free of that nightmare since the first time he'd had it. The problem, however, was that the dreamcatcher hadn't taken simply away the nightmare and left him dreamless. Instead...
The oppressive, consuming darkness had just lifted, dropping him into the scene of his face-off with the Link of the past. He hated that gaze of his. How could a child have such determination in their small body, looking at him without any kindness, without fear? He hated it because, although much younger than the one he was used to, this face was supposed to smile at him. He was supposed to be the one person who was always genuinely happy to see him. So to see him now, with an expression that clearly declared enmity...
He hoped he would never have to see that in real life.
The child Link took a step forward, and Vaati shuddered, knowing his fate. But then Link hesitated. His expression suddenly became uncertain.
...This wasn't part of the nightmare.
Link blinked slowly, staring at Vaati. Gradually, his eyes lowered, the fierceness dissipating, replaced with... sadness? All Vaati could do was watch. He watched as the child raised his head again and approached, slowly, carefully, as though not wanting to startle the mage. When he was a few steps away, he offered Vaati a hand.
"I didn't mean to scare you."
This was definitely not part of the nightmare. Link never spoke. But Vaati wasn't scared anymore. He took the hand that was offered.
The smile that filled the child's face lit up the dream, dispelling any shadows. He pulled Vaati along with him, out of the clearing, into a vague, bright land. It was the opposite of the darkness—whereas it was hard to breathe in the darkness, the air here felt like pure life entering his lungs, the light illuminating his body and filling him with energy.
When the mage turned to look at his companion, wanting to ask where they were, Link had transformed into his modern counterpart.
"I didn't mean to scare you," he said again.
"I know. But I'm still scared," Vaati found himself replying.
Link took the mage's other hand and leaned forward, kissing him so gently that Vaati felt all his fears melt away.
"I'll never be your enemy."
They walked hand in hand in the light, until the dream gradually faded, and Vaati awoke.
Oh, Hylia. He knew it was just a dream, but... Now even his unconscious mind was putting him and Link together! Vaati silently cursed Aveil and Zelda. They were the ones who had first suggested that there was something more between him and Link. It wasn't his fault he'd been more nervous around Link lately. And certainly not his fault for having dreams like... that. They were friends! Just friends! He would wind-slap the next person who insinuated otherwise.
Above all, he could not let Link have any clue about any of this. He'd sooner seal himself back in the Four Sword than face that.
