The Legend of Zelda, its characters and locations are all property of Nintendo. Any and all OCs and original locations belong to me unless specifically stated to belong to someone else.
Conjecture
Chapter 6
From a distance, a passer-by would see something strikingly normal. A group of young Sheikah girls, nine of them, all dressed up in their finest kimonos, talking and giggling amongst themselves as they followed the path up to the village guest house. Every now and then one of the girls said something that had the others gasp in horror at the audacity or blushing and giggling even louder.
A passer-by would assume they were on their way to see a visitor staying at the guest house. They would not be surprised to hear they were there because one of the visitors was an exceedingly handsome young man who already had half the village wrapped around his little finger with his dashing smile and incredibly polite demeanour, as well as a very inquisitive mind, taking an interesting in everyone he met.
The girls were at that age, the passer-by would think, maybe chuckling a little to themselves, remembering their own youthful adventures. They'd wish the girls well and good luck, hoping their night would be a pleasant and memorable one.
They would not notice that one of the girls, the one in the very middle of the group, was not nearly as chatty as the others. That girl kept her head down, only responding with single syllable responses when prompted by the others, doing her best not to draw attention to herself.
Coincidentally, she also happened to be the prettiest of them all. Perhaps that was why she was at the very centre of a cluster of already very beautiful girls. Like a singularity, she drew more beauty to herself, but remained the most breath-taking.
Sheik was not happy to be that girl.
He kept his head down, mostly because he had a feeling the vicious scowl on his face would ruin the disguise.
He was wearing an admittedly very beautiful kimono, made mostly of white fabric with red details and embroidered Sheikah eyes on the long, flowing sleeves. Granted, they were handy for hiding weapons in, which was more than could be said for his own kimono, which was a drab, boring and practical thing.
That said, these things prevented him (all of them, really) from taking very large steps, so their walk was more of a shuffle that the girls managed to make look very elegant and graceful while Sheik felt more like a drunken horse. Combined with the geta on his feet that were taller than his usual sandals, he was amazed he hadn't tripped and fallen yet.
"Don't grimace so much," Paya said quietly from directly behind him, having taken the position of his rear-guard. "You'll ruin the makeup."
"Can't believe I let you talk me into this," he hissed through lips painted bright red. His cheeks had been coloured to a pleasing (according to the girls) blush, as well. His eyes were shadowed red and lined with black to make them stand out.
"Please, this is nothing but an improvement," Paya said, sounding smug. "How's the wig?"
"Hot," he replied, fighting the urge to reach up and scratch where the silver-coloured fake hair felt like it had been glued to his head to cover up his unique, blonde tresses. He didn't much like wearing the braided wig, but deep inside he had to admit it felt nice to not stick out of a group of fellow Sheikah like a sore thumb.
His hand rose unbidden to scratch. Paya slapped it away.
"Don't," she warned. "You'll make it crooked."
"Could be a new-fangled style?" he tried.
"A new-fangled style that gets you placed under house arrest for the rest of your life."
"Hn," he grunted. He couldn't stand another week being confined to the house, much less a lifetime. He gritted his teeth and bore with the hot and itchy wig.
Instead, he smoothed the front of his kimono and straightened the sleeves. Wouldn't do to look dishevelled.
Not that he cared.
He didn't.
As he smoothed the front of the kimono once more, he recalled the very serious discussion about his assets. Or lack thereof, as it were. There had been a very passionate argument about how some men liked small chests, and that wasting time trying to create a bust for Sheik was pointless. Others had argued that being small was one thing, but downright flat would surely draw suspicion.
"If I catch any guards looking at my chest, I'll kill them," Sheik had said, patiently letting one of the girls—Riza, he believed—paint his nails as bright a red as his lips.
That had been as good a solution as any, they had supposed. Besides, it would be the correct thing to do. Impa tolerated no indecency among the village guards. They would keep their eyes to themselves and away from the bosoms of maidens.
"We're coming up on the guest house," Mana, the vanguard of this little endeavour, said from the head of the group. "Sheik, be quiet."
"Why?" he asked.
She gave him a look of disbelief. "They'll recognise your voice, idiot."
"What if I talk like this?" he said, raising the pitch of his voice to what he thought he might sound like as a girl. Based on the grimaces and looks of horror he got in return, it was probably not a very pleasant voice.
"Sheik, for all that is good and holy in this world, never speak like that again," Paya said gravely. "Just...shut up for five minutes, please."
Might as well tell me to take a vow of silence, Sheik thought, but did his best to clamp his mouth shut anyway. This really was his only chance, and while he wasn't happy about this method of infiltration (mostly anyway), he'd do his best to make it work.
"Remember, just act all shy and virginal," Riza said. "Like the thought of just seeing his smile makes you feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside, and makes you want to kiss him."
It did make him feel warm and fuzzy, thinking of Link's smile, but fuck if he was about to admit to that. He had a friendship to create here!
How the hell had she even known?
Eugh, and that part about the kiss...
Ridiculous.
Friends didn't kiss, especially not friends appointed by destiny and a Goddess.
However, as they reached the steps up to the guest house, Sheik did realise he was suddenly wondering what kissing Link would be like. Unbidden, something Kiro once told him came to mind.
"Everyone's lips are different," Kiro had said. "They're like a fingerprint. Wonderful and unique."
What would Link's be like?
Damned Kiro.
And damned Riza and her mind infiltration abilities! She always did this—planted little seeds of distraction in people's heads and walked away laughing as they tore themselves to pieces over that one little thing they couldn't get off their minds.
He was about to tell her just where she could stick her virginal act when Paya jabbed him in the lower back, hissing. They were within earshot of the guards, now.
"Halt," one of the guards said, holding out his hand. As if it'd help if the girls—all trained—decided to rush him. He'd be dead in seconds. "What are you all doing here?" he asked.
As one, like a practised routine, the girls all giggled and looked away, leaving Mana (as the oldest and most composed) to speak for them.
"We heard Link-san is feeling a little lonely," she said, pausing and hesitating at all the right points. Sheik couldn't see her face, but he knew she was faking a blush. A superb actress. "We thought we'd see if he wanted some company."
The girls giggled coquettishly again, hiding their faces behind their sleeves or the delicate fans they carried.
Well, they appeared delicate, anyway. Sheik knew for a fact that a few of them were lined with razor-sharp blades. One never knew when a target needed to be seduced and then eliminated.
He ducked his face behind his own fan, cheeks burning from the sheer embarrassment he was feeling at being caught up in this act.
The guard looked doubtful. "Ravio-san has been turning away visitors all week," he said. "I'm not sure he will make an exception for you, either."
Sheik blinked. Turning away people? All week? Why? Was Link feeling poorly?
"Then there is no harm in trying, is there?" Mana said, jutting her hip just a little out to the side that caught the guard's attention immediately. "At least let us go say hello..."
"I don't know," the guard said, looking to his fellows (four in all), who looked equally flustered in the face of some of the most beautiful girls in the village, dressed up to the nines.
Only a moment or so later did Sheik realise he'd just counted himself among them.
He'd have to examine that thought later.
"It's all right, Borin," Paya said, stepping out from among the group. Her cheeks were bright red, and not just from the make-up. Sheik couldn't help but gape a little. Since when had his sister gotten so good at pretending to be a blushing maiden? "I will take full responsibility if something goes wrong. Please, let us see Ravio-san and have him decide."
She even bowed.
Poor Borin didn't know what to do with himself, having a village heir bowing to him like this...especially not when dressed in the most beautiful kimono she owned.
"I...er...very well, P-Paya-dono," he said, bowing his head in deference, but his tone speaking volumes. She was supposed to be an example, not an accomplice.
"Thank you, Borin," she said with a brilliant smile. "Oh, and my mother doesn't need to know about this, yes?"
She gave him no time to answer, ushering the girls (and Sheik, because he was not a girl, not in any way) past the guards who could only look dumbfounded as they trotted up to the guest house doors.
Sheik swore he could hear one of the guards mutter under his breath, "Lucky bastard..."
"One obstacle down," Riza muttered.
They climbed the steps to the doors, and Mana stepped forward to knock loudly on the frame before sliding the doors open, allowing them to enter the main hall.
The lanterns were lit, but otherwise the place looked dead, the silence nearly oppressive. Paya shut the doors behind them, adding another rapid series of knocks in case the first hadn't been heard.
Sheik's eyes narrowed as he heard shuffling footsteps quickly approaching them from the wing that house the two brothers, the form of Ravio appearing from the darkened hall. He was dressed in Sheikah robes, his hair—which was usually hidden by that strange green hat of his—pulled up into a high ponytail in the fashion that the children of the village usually did.
It was indescribably cute, the only thing marring the sight being the suspicious frown on the boy's face as he regarded the group, though it lessened somewhat when he spotted Paya.
"Paya-dono," he said, bowing. The chibi got it perfect. "What can I do for you?"
"Ravio-san, good evening," Paya said, smiling at him. Around him, there were the sounds of delighted cooing at the sight of Ravio dressed in Sheikah garb, so Sheik clearly wasn't alone in finding him adorable. "How are you?"
"I'm good," Ravio said, scanning the faces of each of the girls. He paused when his gaze landed on Sheik.
For a moment. For one glorious moment, Sheik thought Ravio wouldn't notice.
The slight twitch in the corner of his eye was all Sheik needed to see to know he'd been caught.
"Sheik-dono," Ravio said, his voice just a little bit colder, "I thought you were grounded?"
Sheik's face fell, looking down at his kimono, his fan, his whole disguise. He'd been so elegant, damn it! Next time he'd do an even better job!
"How the hell did you know?" he asked.
Which was apparently hilarious enough for the girls to start laughing around him. Ravio looked somewhat amused, but his eyes never left Sheik's, who felt like he was being carefully analysed and judged.
"I always know," Ravio said after a moment, the corners his lips lifting in what appeared to be a smile, but for all Sheik knew could be the mask of Death itself. It was terrifying to behold, and Ravio only took mercy on him after a few seconds, gesturing to his face. "I recognised your eyes."
Oh.
Well, that was better than Ravio being some sort of shinigami, Sheik supposed, but...
"What are you doing here?" Ravio asked, with no small amount of challenge in his voice. The question was meant for Sheik, and only Sheik. The girls had withdrawn, pulling back a little.
"I came to apologise to Link-san," Sheik said, putting as much honesty as he possibly could behind it. Because it was the truth. "My behaviour in the dojo was dishonourable. Your brother did not deserve the abuse I hurled at him."
"No, he didn't," Ravio said, nodding. "I don't think my brother wants to see you right now, Sheik-san."
"Please," Sheik said, stepping forward...with small steps, because damn these kimonos were not very practical when it came to movement. "I only need a moment of his time. Let me apologise, and if he still wants me gone, I'll leave."
Ravio crossed his arms, giving it some thought with an expression that looked just a little too mature to belong on the face of a child. It disappeared as soon as it appeared, the boy nodding slowly.
"You'll leave him alone if he says to?" Ravio asked. "No more following him around? No more spying? No more peeking?"
The last part was said with a very deliberate emphasis, and Sheik was suddenly very glad for the make-up concealing the blush which immediately rose to his cheeks, knowing exactly what Ravio was referring to. The hot spring incident and what Sheik had seen during it had haunted his dreams to no small degree in the past week.
Behind him, he heard Paya make a confused noise, which he firmly ignored. She could never know he'd peeked on the bath. It didn't matter that it had been the men's side. He'd never live it down, and she'd use the ammunition viciously.
"None of that," Sheik confirmed, his face growing hotter still. "I promise."
"Do you swear?" Ravio asked.
"On my honour as a Sheikah, and my very life," Sheik said immediately, a little surprised at how effortlessly the words had come to him.
The Hylian frowned a little deeper, but eventually nodded slowly. "Fine, you can see him. But you'd better keep your promise. Or I'll deal with you myself."
Why did that sound so ominous? It was like a death threat.
Then again, there was clearly more to Ravio than met the eye, under the innocent exterior. Nothing malicious, as far as Sheik could tell—when it wasn't aimed at him, at least.
Looking back, honestly, perhaps Sheik's suspicions should've been directed at Ravio this whole time.
"Thank you, Ravio-san," Sheik said, giving the kid a smile he knew was at least half-crooked from the mortal fear he'd felt just now.
"You know where his room is," Ravio said, stepping out of Sheik's way.
Sheik nodded, heading for the corridor. As he walked past Ravio, the kid hummed, and muttered quietly so only Sheik could hear:
"Don't do anything gross."
Sheik paused, intending to ask Ravio what the hell that meant, but the kid was already surrounded by the girls, who were asking him if he wanted to play. He enthusiastically agreed, no trace of his earlier seriousness remaining.
Were all Hylians like this? Mysteries wrapped in enigmas, with more layers than an onion?
Nah, couldn't be. Other Hylian visitors (traders for the most part) had been anything but complex. Sheik had sussed out their motives right away. Greed, mostly. Some of them came to the Sheikah villages under the assumption the red-eyed folk were savages with no understanding for the finer points of commerce.
They usually left very humbled.
Or tied up and thrown over the back of their horse, gently led down to the foot of the mountain and told in no uncertain terms never to return.
Sheik found himself outside the door to Link's room much sooner than he'd wanted. He could see the Hylian's shadow through the shoji door, cast by a lit lantern inside his room. He was reading, apparently, if the hunched over position was any indication.
Sheik's heart was thumping faster and faster in his chest as he stared at the door—a wafer thin sheet of wax paper and brittle wood—that separated him from Link.
He raised a hand and curled it into a fist, intending to knock on the door frame. He hesitated.
What was he even going to say? He hadn't thought this far ahead, assuming his disguise would be seen through by the guards. They'd fallen for it easily, and after that had been the unnerving conversation with Ravio, and now Sheik found himself without a prepared script. Link might not even be interested in hearing him out in the first place, and that would probably not change if all Sheik had to offer were half-muttered and hesitant words that conveyed no meaning whatsoever.
"Shit," he whispered.
A little too loud, unfortunately, as Link's shadow immediately shifted, his head lifting.
"Ravio?" he asked. "Is that you? What's wrong?"
"Uh..." Sheik wanted to run. Knew this was the time to do so. But his body refused to move, even as Link's shadow stood up and grew smaller and clearer as he got closer to the door.
Now was the time to act. To do...anything, really. But no, Sheik could only stand there, dumbfounded and stupefied as the door slid open, revealing Link, who was also dressed in Sheikah robes. His hair was loose, the shockingly blonde tresses almost reaching his shoulders in length. It made him look a little younger, more vulnerable.
He'd almost look peaceful, even, if it weren't for the bags under his eyes, suggesting a lack of sleep.
"Um..." Link said, looking Sheik up and down. The gaze felt like it penetrated every layer Sheik was wearing, and it was a good thing the kimono hid his legs from view, otherwise Link might have spotted the minute shaking in his knees.
What was he even supposed to say?
"Hey, I dressed up like a girl to come see you and apologise for being such a tit. Mind if I come in?"
Nah, that wouldn't work. He was about to improvise a greeting when Link beat him to it.
"I'm sorry, miss," he said, blushing a little as his gaze kept dipping away from Sheik's face. "I'm afraid you have the wrong roo—"
Link's words caught up with Sheik's brain.
Hell no!
"Miss?!" he exclaimed, surprising Link and making the Hylian take a step back, holding the book he'd been reading up as a shield. "Who the hell are you calling miss, you bastard?!"
Link's eyes were wide, his face utterly confused. "Sh-Sheik?" he asked incredulously.
"Damn right it's me!" Sheik said, shuffling over (fucking kimono!) over to stand directly in front of Link, glaring slightly up at him (taller bastard Hylian!). "Call me miss again! I dare you!"
Link held his book higher, as if it would protect him from the red-hot fury Sheik felt blazing in his chest. How dare this bastard assume that he was a—
"I'm sorry!" Link shouted. "It's just...you're...you're so pretty!"
Sheik paused, the red-hot furnace in his chest extinguished in a moment, replaced a smouldering glow in the pit of his stomach.
I'm...pretty? he wondered. Hmph, well, of course he was pretty. That was the whole point of this disguise! And it was only natural Link would think he was a girl—because Sheik was a damned master of disguise!
"Hmph, well," he said, stepping back and trying to keep a small, pleased smile off his face. "That was the whole point of this thing," he said, gesturing to his clothes. "And this," he added, pointing at his face.
"And the wig?"
"Yeah, that too."
Link took in the sight of him once more. Again, it was like his eyes sliced right through the heavy fabric of his kimono, exposing him.
"Well...it's a very good disguise," Link said, cheeks red. "I thought for sure you were someone else. I have to say, though, I prefer you with your natural hair."
Caught off-guard by the praise, Sheik looked away, unconsciously adjusting the sleeve of the kimono. "Yeah, well...thank you," he said finally.
Link liked his hair?
"Not to be rude," Link said, breaking him out of his thoughts, "but...why are you here? Dressed like this?"
Shit, he was here for a reason, wasn't he?
"Was the only way to get inside the guest house," he said, gesturing in the vague direction of the entrance. "I'm under house arrest and strict orders not to go near you, so the guards would've stopped me. This was Paya's idea." Again, he gestured to his outfit.
"Huh," Link said, taking the sight of Sheik in for the third time, still blushing like a fool. The fire in Sheik's stomach grew a little hotter, but this wasn't rage. He wasn't sure what it was, actually. "And...you're here because...?"
"To apologise," Sheik said, clearing his throat and shaking his head in an attempt to make the strange feeling go away. It didn't work. "For what I said in the dojo."
"O-Oh," Link said, nodding. "I see. Well, I forgive you."
Sheik, about to launch into a tirade that he hoped at some point, in a flurry of words and half-baked metaphors, would convince Link to give him another chance at that divine friendship, was thrown entirely off his track.
"Huh?" he asked.
"I, er, forgive you?" Link said again, hesitantly. "That's...what you want me to do, right?"
"Well, yeah," Sheik said. "Wait, no! Not like that! You're supposed to be angry and pissy with me, and then I talk all eloquently and shit and convince you to give me another chance! Come on, you're supposed to scream at me, to tell me to get the fuck out of your sight!"
This was a trap. It had to be. No one was that easily forgiving of being accused of theft, conspiracy, and murder! No one! Not even the handsome Hylian in front of him!
...wait, handsome?
Link had stepped back again, once more raising his book shield to protect himself from a few flecks of spittle that flew from Sheik's lips as he shouted.
"I...don't know what to tell you?" Link said. "I'm not angry, and I don't really want to shout at you."
"Sad then!" Sheik tried desperately, waving at the door. "Your brother's been refusing visitors for you all week! You refused to see anyone! You were sad, right? Sad and angry about what I did!"
Link's expression became a little more withdrawn, but he gave Sheik the tiniest of smiles. "I...yeah, I was a little sad. At first. I didn't understand what I'd done to offend you so much, but I've been thinking about it this past week, and...you know, I don't blame you for thinking I was up to something."
Sheik's outrage deflated faster than a punctured octorok.
"What?"
Link lowered his book, and then himself to sit on the floor pillow, looking up at Sheik, purposefully putting himself in a disadvantageous position.
"Two Hylians show up at your village out of nowhere, are accepted as guests by your chief, and one of them spends most of time asking everyone he meets questions about you?" Link said, shrugging. "That's a bit weird. I'd be wondering too, honestly. And...I guess I came on a little strong when I chased you around."
More than a little discombobulated by the completely unexpected turn this meeting had taken, Sheik sank to the floor himself. This was going to be an equal thing, damn it!
Link looked closely at him as he carefully sat down on his knees, trying to avoid folding the kimono too much. Sheik pretended not to notice.
"I'd been spying on you all day," Sheik said before Link could continue. "Wasn't surprised you ran after me. Didn't expect you to catch up, though."
Link chuckled. "It's not the first time I've chased someone through a town," he said. "Or the first time I've been blinded by a deku nut, either."
"I'm sorry—"
"Don't worry about it," Link cut him off, waving a hand. "If anything, it made me feel a little nostalgic."
"Nostalgic?" Sheik asked.
"It's not really important," Link dodged. "Anyway, I'm not angry about that. And while I was a little upset about the things you shouted in the dojo, everyone was quick to assure me that they didn't believe any of it, so..."
Ah, so they'd immediately thrown Sheik to the lions, then. Fucking traitors.
"And, like I said, thinking about it some more gave me a little perspective," Link continued. "So, if anything, I should apologise to you for unduly causing you to worry about the safety of your village and clan. I thought asking Impa-sama to keep our secret would be for the best...but I was wrong."
What the fuck was going on here? Link wasn't supposed to apologise. Sheik was! But what he'd said had him leaning forward, giving Link a small grin.
"Ah, so there is a secret?" he asked, feeling a little triumph. The smile on Link's face only made the furnace in his stomach grow hotter, though, as well as that damned blush that just wouldn't disappear from the bastard's face.
"Yeah," Link said, scratching his neck. "Just not the sort you'd think."
"I don't know," Sheik said, grinning a little wider at the thought of finally getting to the bottom of this farce. "I can think of a lot of things."
"Well, I can tell you, if you want?" Link said, a teasing lilt to his tone.
"You're not going to let me guess?"
"I think you could guess all night and still not get it right, I'm afraid."
"Hmph, and what makes you so sure of that?"
"Gut feeling," Link said. "I suppose the easiest way to sum it up is that...well, my brother and me...we're not from here."
Sheik raised an eyebrow. "No shit," he said before he could even think. "In case you haven't noticed, there aren't exactly an abundance of blonde-haired, blue-eyed Hylians around here."
Link laughed. "That's true," he conceded. "But that's quite what I meant."
"Do elaborate, please," Sheik said, now actually curious. The way he'd phrased it suggested they weren't from anywhere nearby, which could possible exclude Hyrule.
Link cleared his throat, his face turning oddly serious. "When I say that, I mean that me and my brother are...we're not from this time."
Sheik stared at him. "This...time?" he repeated slowly. "What does that mean?"
"Er," Link made a slightly frustrated sound, his eyes roaming around the room, ending up on his bag. They lit up as an idea came to him. "How much do you know about time travel?" he asked.
"It's physically impossible," Sheik said immediately, recalling the lessons. "And even if it weren't, it's not worth doing on account of the innumerable unknown variables and unpredictable shit that can happen." He paused. "Well, fucking magic could maybe make it happen, but why take the chance?"
Link looked surprised. "That was quick," he said.
"We enjoy theorising," Sheik said. "We're curious by nature. Spies and all that, you know?" He looked at Link's hands, which were fidgeting nervously. "Why do you ask?"
"Oh, uh...nothing, just a random thought, really," Link said, looking away.
Sheik gave him an unimpressed stare and frown. "You're the worst liar I have ever met," he said evenly. "Explain. Now."
Link sighed, looking immensely uncomfortable. "It's going to sound crazy," he said.
"I'm going to go crazy if you don't tell me right now!"
"Okay, okay!" Link stopped fidgeting with his hands, only to start running his fingers through his hair, evidently needing something to do with his hands. "We're...we're not from around here. This place. Or this time."
Sheik gazed quietly at Link for several seconds as he tried to process what the Hylian had just said. Then he laughed.
"Are you...fucking...kidding me?" he said between wild snorts and chortles. "That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard!"
Link looked offended, glaring at him. "It's true! Me and Ravio, we're...we're not from this time! We're from somewhere completely different! Well, the same, really, but different!"
Sheik forced himself to stop laughing, realising Link was being serious. This was bad. The guy was delusional. Or just very committed to lying badly.
"Okay, fun's over," he said. "The truth now, please."
"It is the truth!" Link shouted, surprising Sheik with his volume. "Why won't you believe me?!"
"Because it's impossible!" Sheik shouted back. "And I just told you why!"
"Well, you're wrong!"
"I'm never wrong!"
"The hell you're not!"
"Prove it!"
Without realising it, Sheik had shuffled closer to Link as they'd shouted at each other. And so had Link. Their faces were inches apart now, as they glared into each other's eyes. The light of the lantern made Link's eyes sparkle, the rage giving them a smouldering quality.
Sheik was too annoyed to notice, though.
"What?" Link said.
"Prove it," Sheik repeated.
"How would I do that?"
"You tell me," Sheik said, shrugging. "You're the one making the claim—burden of evidence lies with you."
Link looked furious, but an idea seemed to strike him after a moment. He shuffled away from Sheik slowly, grimacing before turning to his pack. No, not his pack. Ravio's. He opened it and reached a hand inside.
Sheik tensed up, suddenly very glad he'd stashed a kunai up one of the kimono's sleeves. Anything could happen now.
"I can prove it," Link said, still facing away from him. "I'm going to pull something out of the pack, all right? It's not a weapon."
"Hmph," Sheik harrumphed. "Get on with it. Slowly."
Link nodded and withdrew an object from Ravio's pack. It was about the size of Link's hand; a bulbous shape coloured a pale blue. Sheik recognised it right away.
"An ocarina?" Sheik asked, the tension releasing from his shoulders. "How is that proof?"
Wordlessly, Link handed it to him, tapping the base of the mouthpiece. Sheik narrowed his eyes at the Hylian, letting his gaze dart down to the gold-coloured detail and then back up to Link's eyes.
Wait a minute...
He looked down again, letting his gaze linger a little longer this time.
What.
The.
Fuck.
His jaw dropped as he stared at the perfectly moulded little band of gold around the mouthpiece, on which the Triforce had been emblazoned.
It took him several tried to get his mouth, lungs, and vocal cords to start cooperating again.
"This," he said, looking to Link for confirmation, who nodded.
"Yes," he said.
"This," Sheik repeated, more insistently, the palms of his hands growing sweaty at the thought of what he was holding.
"Yup," Link said.
Sheik took a deep breath.
"This is—!"
"Mmhm," Link hummed.
This was going nowhere very fast. Sheik carefully put the damned thing on the floor between them, scooting back a bit.
"Why..." he said slowly. "Why do you have this?"
Was a certain someone missing something very valuable in Hyrule at this very minute?
"It's not mine," Link said. "It's Ravio's."
Sheik considered that for a moment. "You know, that doesn't explain a damn thing," he said.
"Think about it for a moment," Link said placatingly. "Just...think."
Sheik did. The more he thought about it, the more his head began to hurt. But...slowly, he started putting the pieces of the puzzle together. And, frankly, it started to make a lot of sense. More sense than his own theories, shockingly.
Frowning, he asked, "Does my mother know?"
"She does," Link confirmed. "We asked her to keep it quiet because...well, you know."
No wonder she'd been so tight-lipped about it all. It was a hell of a thing to explain, that was for damn sure. And now Sheik felt like a complete idiot. Sure, he'd been right about something being off about these two, but he'd never dared imagine anything beyond his petty theories.
Wow, maybe I am an asshole, he realised.
Then a thought struck him. "Does Paya know?"
If his sister had been told, and not shared it with him, he was going to be so pissed! Or maybe she'd been told and then ordered to keep quiet about it? But then, why hadn't Sheik been included? He was the clan heir too, damn it!
Link's cheeks turned red. "Uh, no, not as far as I know," he said.
"But..." Sheik frowned. "That doesn't explain why she was so cagey the day after you arrived! When we gave you the tour! She came back and wouldn't talk to me for days!" His eyes narrowed at the Hylian. "What did you do?" he demanded.
If he'd hurt Paya somehow...
"Nothing, nothing!" Link exclaimed, waving his hands, now the one scuttling away from Sheik until his back hit the wall. "I swear!"
"I have a knife, Link."
Blue eyes wide with panic, Link exclaimed, "I had to turn her down!"
Sheik paused, confused. "Turn her down?" he asked. "What're you—" He got it, grimacing. "Oh, Din above, no!"
Never had he felt a more visceral reaction of disgust. A full-body shudder went through him at the thought.
"I couldn't help it, okay?!" Link said. "It came out of nowhere and I didn't know how to handle it, so I just told her the truth! I didn't mean for her to get upset!"
Something snapped inside Sheik at the sound of that word.
"The truth?" Sheik said, the kunai dropping from his sleeve to his hand, fingers closing around the handle as if it were a lifeline.
"What truth? Does that word even mean anything anymore?!" he asked, voice rising to a hysterical pitch.
He waved the knife around, his breathing growing rapid.
It was too much. Too much information, too many horrible things to consider and imagine. This wasn't supposed to be possible! But it was! The proof was right there on the floor!
His vision was tunnelling, growing blurry.
"Hey," Link said, suddenly close, too close. "Calm down," he said quietly. "It's okay."
"It's not okay," Sheik growled at him. "Nothing's okay! Nothing will ever be okay!"
"Sheik, calm down," Link said, his voice even and steady as he came closer. "You're panicking."
"You're panicking!" Sheik retorted.
Link was almost in his face now. Sheik's arm moved without his input, but Link was ready, catching Sheik's wrist with a firm but gentle grip. "Easy," he said. "You could hurt yourself."
Sheik glared at him but didn't struggle as Link carefully pried the kunai out of his hand, putting it on the floor and out of reach. Didn't really matter if Link had his knife or not. With the way things were going, nothing did matter, apparently.
"The truth," Link said evenly, making sure to hold Sheik's gaze. "Is that there's someone else."
Sheik's heart grew tight. Why, he didn't know.
"Oh yeah?" he asked. "Who?"
Link smiled. "Guess," he said.
He didn't really give Sheik a chance to, his hand suddenly on Sheik's cheek. It was warm. Really warm. Or was that Sheik's face?
It was.
This was...unexpected. But not unwelcome, he realised.
So that's why his chest had gone tight.
"But...why?" Sheik said, the heat spreading from his cheek, to his chest, to the pit of his stomach where the furnace from before turned into a roaring crucible. "I'm...I'm a—"
"I don't care," Link said, smiling and leaning closer, his breath ghosting over Sheik's face. "I like you. So much." His hand reached up, pushing the wig off Sheik's head, revealing his blonde tresses. "You're so beautiful...perfect..."
He couldn't really fight it anymore. The strange feelings from earlier returned ten, fifty, a hundredfold. He felt unsteady, and the only thing that would help was...
Was...
He was the one to close the distance. Link's lips were soft and warm, and a little wet. The Hylian made a surprised noise, but quickly and eagerly returned the kiss. His movements were awkward, little more than pushing against Sheik's face, which spoke of a lack of experience.
Sheik reached up and put his hand on the back of Link's neck, pinching the skin lightly to draw his attention, then adjusting the pressure to a more comfortable level. He hummed in encouragement, urging Link to be a little gentler. Link eagerly accepted the correction, his other hand dropping the kunai to cradle Sheik's face, his thumb rubbing Sheik's cheekbone in an almost reverent way.
They separated, both breathless, but dove right back into it, humming and moaning quietly. Sheik opened his mouth, licking Link's upper lip quickly, causing the Hylian's breath to hitch at the unexpected and—hopefully—pleasant sensation. The sound as they separated was an obscene, wet pop, the Hylian leaning back to look at Sheik with wonder.
"You can...do that?" he asked, panting.
"It's...rather...encouraged," Sheik said with a loopy grin, eager to continue.
However, they were rudely forced back into the reality by the sound of stomping across wooden floors, and Ravio's angry voice from the corridors outside.
"Paya-nee! Can we go outside for a bit?!" Ravio's voice called out pointedly. "I'd like to play outside!"
Sheik supposed he'd failed the one condition Ravio had set.
They heard the girls' voices and their footsteps, and then the opening and shutting of the front doors shortly after, confirming that they were alone in the building.
Link's face was a very pleasant shade of red as his brother's voice brought them back to reality...whatever that had become.
A thought struck Sheik, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to know the answer. His mouth moved before he could stop it, though.
"Is he even your brother?" he asked.
Link hesitated. "No," he answered.
Sheik laughed, feeling strangely giddy. The lack of oxygen was messing with him, clearly.
"Why am I not surprised? Nothing's simple with you two, is it?"
Link laughed too. "Guess not," he admitted. "Sorry."
"That's okay," Sheik said, huffing and putting his forehead against Link's. "I'll just have to take my time and figure out your secrets."
Like the contours of his shoulders, which Sheik's hands had come to grip. With a start, he realised he'd somehow ended up in Link's lap, straddling the Hylian. He made to move away, but Link's arms were suddenly around him, holding him in place.
"Please don't go," Link said pleadingly. "I've...wanted this."
Sheik couldn't help but laugh. "I was just trying to make you more comfortable."
"This is very comfortable," the Hylian said, almost pouting. "And...we're alone now." His hand slid down Sheik's sides, one stopping at his hip, the other drifting lower, lifting the hem of Sheik's kimono, carefully landing on his thigh. "Can I...?" he asked.
Sheik wasn't entirely sure that this was even real. All he knew was that he definitely wanted Link's hand there. It felt like it belonged. Each touch made more heat spread through him.
"Yeah," he said breathily. "Please."
Link smiled and kissed him again before carefully shifting his weight forward, laying Sheik on the floor.
"Are you sure?" Link asked, suddenly looking a little afraid. Inexperience was a scary thing.
Sheik smiled, leaning up and grabbing Link's collar to pull him down. "I insist," he said, before crushing his lips against Link's.
Morning came too quickly. Link was an early riser by choice, it seemed, unlike Sheik, and he was altogether too chirpy as they sat in the guest house garden, watching the sky grow brighter as the sun began to rise.
Too soon, however, the quiet serenity was broken by someone blowing a horn in the distance. Link looked worried, but Sheik shook his head.
"It's the signal for returning riders," he explained. Then he realised what that meant, and now he was the one to worry. "Shit, mother's back."
And much earlier than Sheik had expected. They must have left Hateno last night and camped out in the woods despite the danger it posed.
Eager to get back home, apparently.
Link swallowed heavily. "Does she...would she...?" he tried. "What do we...?"
"She'll figure it out on her own anyway," Sheik said, fighting down the dread. His mother was a fair person. Strict, but fair. Sheik had never heard her give an opinion on this, however. But, of all things, she appreciated honesty. "Might as well tell her," he added. "Worst case, she'll yell at me."
Link grimaced but nodded. "Okay, then. If you're sure."
Sheik nodded. "I am," he said. Then he hesitated. "Um...I really should apologise to your brother...Ravio...whatever he is to you, as well. He got caught up in my theories as well."
"Ravio's not mad," Link assured him. "Well, not anymore, at least."
That was a relief, at least.
The guards' eyes widened upon spotting Sheik emerging from the guest house, but Link's friendly wave stopped them from doing anything.
Frankly, Sheik's dishevelled appearance in his rumpled and inexpertly tied kimono, hair sticking out at odd angles and what he knew to be a very prominent hickey on his neck was probably the biggest reason for their worry.
And Sheik couldn't care less that it was visible.
"I'll be greeting my mother at the gate," He said simply as he passed the guards with Link in tow.
"Y-Yes, Sheik-dono," the lead guard said, looking to his fellows for help but only getting helpless shrugs in return.
"They're not going to get in trouble, are they?" Link asked worriedly.
"I'll try explaining it to mother," Sheik said. "Hopefully she'll focus on me and Paya working together on a brilliant disguise."
Then maybe his sister could take some of the heat too.
"It really was," Link said happily, his cheeks growing a little red again at the memory of the night before.
"I could tell," Sheik replied, cheeks equally warm.
They reached the gate just as they were opened, letting in the column of riders with Impa at its head. If Impa was surprised to see Sheik and Link standing together (and, honestly, Sheik's general appearance), she didn't let it show on her face.
She dismounted, handing the reins to a stable boy, and greeted the guards manning the gate, as she usually did after returning from a trip. Then, and only then, did she approach Link and Sheik. She definitely took in their appearances this time, but again her face revealed nothing.
"Link-san, good morning," she said. "I must say I am surprised to see the two of you together. Especially since I very clearly recall putting Sheik under house arrest and forbidding him from going near you."
Link looked like he'd been caught doing something he definitely wasn't supposed to, but nevertheless nodded and tried to give her an innocent smile.
The least convincing one Sheik had seen, honestly.
"Good morning, Impa-sama," he said, bowing his head. "Sheik-dono and I have...talked and settled our differences."
Impa's mask-like expression remained, but Sheik could tell she didn't believe that for a second. Any sane person would, honestly.
"I see," she said. "And I assume you have agreed to let bygones be bygones and begin anew?"
"More or less," Sheik confirmed, nodding.
Silence fell over the gate area as everyone held their breaths in anticipation of their chief's reaction to such a blatant lie being told to her face.
"Hmph," she harrumphed and marched past them, heading straight for her house. They watcher her until she'd disappeared among the houses.
"Well," Sheik said, turning to Link, "that went well."
Link gaped at him. "That was this going well?"
"Neither of us are dead, so yes," Sheik confirmed. "Now come on, I'm hungry."
Impa didn't emerge from her house until late that afternoon, wasting no time in summoning Link and Sheik, who'd found Paya and the others.
They hadn't explained everything that had happened, but it didn't take a genius to figure it out, apparently. Ravio had given Link a smile, and, while it hadn't been quite as warm, Sheik had also received one.
Almost felt like a blessing.
Almost.
There was still a hint of warning there too.
The two of them found Impa in the main room, dressed in a pair of her formal robes, gesturing to sit in front of her.
"I have taken some time to think," Impa said, looking between the two of them. "And while I certainly did not expect to come back to this, I find myself not entirely opposed to it. If anything, it saves me quite a bit of work."
She didn't have to specify what it meant.
"Sheik," she said, focusing on him, "you defied my orders by leaving the house. You defied them further by seeking out Link-san. I cannot let such blatant disregard for my authority go unpunished. As of tonight, until I deem otherwise, you have a curfew. You may not stay out longer than till eight in the evening."
Sheik nodded. He'd expected something like this. He was the clan heir, but even he had to be made an example of in certain cases. He was lucky he was allowed to leave the house at all.
"Link-san," Impa continued, now turning to the Hylian, who gulped and straightened his posture. "Am I to understand that my son is now aware of the circumstances that led to you and your brother's appearance here?"
"He is, Impa-sama," Link said, nodding.
"And you are fine with this?"
"I trust him."
Impa nodded. "Good. Then I am happy to say that I have no objections. However, there are rules I expect you to follow. It may not be a traditional union as such, but the courtship will be. Is that understood?"
Sheik held back a snort at the sight of Link's face going from confused, to panicked, back to confused, and then to horror all in the span of a second or two. He'd clearly underestimated Impa's ability to take things in stride.
"Link-san, I need a verbal confirmation that you understand what is required of you," she said insistently.
"I...uh...I don't know how..." Link said, failing to find the words.
"I will teach you the steps personally," Impa said. "Have no fear on that account." She looked between them again, the smallest of smiles tugging at her lips. "He is my son, Link-san, and heir to this clan. You will treat him as such."
Link nodded quickly. "I w-will!"
"Good. Then I shall see you here tomorrow after breakfast. There is much to cover. You may go."
Sheik rose to his feet, pulling Link with him when he hesitated at the dismissal, and back outside.
"What did I just agree to?" Link asked, looking a little shocked.
"Lessons with my mother," Sheik explained. "You're going to have a great time. She's a very kind teacher."
"Really?" Link asked hopefully.
"Nope," Sheik said, grinning, pushing him so suddenly he nearly fell into a ditch.
"Hey!" Link cried as Sheik began to laugh, jogging away from him. "Get back here!"
"Gotta catch me first," Sheik called back as he headed for the nearest roof.
It was time for another chase.
The End