Disclaimer: I do not own Legend of Zelda.

"You like her that much?" Sidon asks me as he drives through the rain.

I don't answer. I don't know how to explain it yet.

"Well, she's certainly different from Riju."

I flinch at the mention of her name. Riju was the girl I was sort of dating before. We met at a shoot and she was a nice girl. I mean that in the most basic sense of the word. She didn't seem crazy,—smiled a lot and was fun to talk to and work with. We've gone on two dates—I brought her out to dinner.

But after the second dinner, she insisted that I take her home. And… I wasn't ready for it. Hey—not that she's fucking ugly or anything—she wouldn't be a model if she was—but I wasn't attracted to her that way. Life as an actor and a model must sound so appealing to people. I like what I do but it gets lonely sometimes. I think I asked her out because I needed someone to talk to. It was evident after that second date the she wanted more. After that, I stopped returning her calls and she didn't like it.

Anyway. She's turned out to be a little stalker and now Sidon is pulling some strings to keep her away from me.

"Very different." I say. "I can't… get enough of her." I admit it. Saying it out loud feels good. I can't take it back because it's true. There's something about her that pulls me in. Like… she's a long-lost lover or someone I've met in a past life.

"So how was the sex?" Sidon smirks at me but I roll my eyes at him.

"Really?"

"You're in a good mood. Better than lately, anyway. And judging from the scene I've walked into yesterday—you got some, my little apprentice."

There are moments where I really have to think hard about why I ended up friends with this redhead. "Fucking amazing." I say.

Sidon laughs as he turns around the corner. I can't help but smile too. "Smitten. I think you are smitten!"

I nod helplessly. Yes. Yes, I am.

The shoot was for another clothing brand closely tied to Ziya. More of casual clothes rather than the high-powered suits. It was supposed to be in a Flower Park but they converted the warehouse we were in to resemble the scenery.

My co-model tonight is still Mipha. She gave me a brief hug before returning to Revali who shook my hand loosely. The atmosphere was hectic and we made it in good time for hair and makeup. So I took my seat while my stylist, Lila, takes care of me.

"I heard you have a new show coming up?" Revali makes an attempt at conversation. He's a pompous bastard but he tries. For Mipha.

I nod as I close my eyes. Lila sweeps in and smears cream under my eyes. "It's called Happiness."

"Have you started filming?"

I start to shake my head but then remember that Lila is on my face. "Maybe next week. I don't have the schedule yet."

"Mipha's getting offers to do cameos too but she keeps on rejecting them." He says after a while.

I knew that. Her life is hectic enough as it is for a model—she doesn't have enough time to act as well. "But isn't she considering them?"

"I tell her to at least think about it. She says she will."

"Why are you talking about me?"

I feel a squeeze on my shoulder. "Hey, Miph. You're back."

"I just went to get some drinks. Want one?"

I feel the cold touch of a can near my hand and I take it. I open it blindly and drink the cold coffee. "Thanks."

"Here you go, Hun."

"Thanks. I was just saying that you keep on rejecting the cameos they're offering you."

"You know the parts they're offering involves kissing someone else, right?"

"Yeah. But I wouldn't mind if its part of your job."

"Link, do you mind?" Mipha interjects.

I shrug as I think about it and smile a little as I remember the conversation I had with Zelda about this. About how kisses on set could be so unromantic it's like as simple as folding laundry. "I don't."

"Ahh. But that's because Link doesn't have a girlfriend." Revali says knowingly.

Shut up, you little shit. I have—okay. I don't. But I have Zelda. And she will be mine. Soon. I'll make sure of it.

"I said I will think about it. But not now. Not when I have so many shit to do." Mipha grumbled and Revali dropped the subject.

Lila is done with my face and starts to blow-dry my hair so I open my eyes to see Sidon coming over. He has my first costume change and I take it. "We start in about 5 minutes. Lila, wrap it up."

"Yepp." She says as she brushes my hair away from my face. She gives me a moment for me to remove my shirt and change into the one Sidon hands to me. But Mipha stops me, a hand on my arm.

I look at her. She's staring at a spot on my shoulder curiously. "Link… Is that… a hickey?"

I hurriedly cover the spot she was pointing to—and fuck I didn't believe I am capable of blushing as I faltered under Mipha's gaze. She was shaking with laughter. "Wait wait wait—Let me see!" She came up to me and tried to pry my hands away but I shake my head, "Ohhh no, you don't, missy!"

"Come on! Show me!" Her grip is vicelike on my wrist and I didn't want to hurt her as thoughts raced in my mind. Ugh. Defeated, I let my hands fall away as she inspects it.

"That's a hickey, all right." She planted her hands on her hips. "What the fuck have you been hiding from me?" She demands but her eyes are dancing with mischief. "Did you get a girlfriend without me knowing?"

I groan. "Uggh, Miph, pleaaaase."

"Oh come on, Link. Tell me! I've been waiting for some shit to go down ever since that thing with Riju! You just got laid!" She squealed.

"Shout about it some more, why don't you?" I tell her as Lila applies product to my hair. I see her trying to control her laughter. Even Revali is smiling.

But before Mipha could interrogate me some more, we hear our names being called. Lila applies the last of what she needs to do and I get up, pulling the shirt over my head to finish dressing. I see Mipha eyeing me before she left the room, "don't think you've gotten away with this, little man!"

I sigh. This is going to be a long night. I look at Lila pleadingly who smiles as she holds up a sponge and a bottle of what I hope to be concealer. We both check the rest of my neck and shoulders for any more marks that I miss before going out.

I open the door to my apartment. Sighing, I enter the premises and take off my shoes. I look around. I could see her lounging on my couch with those long legs that never knew when to quit. I see her blonde hair swaying as she washed dishes. I see her walking around my apartment like she lived here.

I shake my head to clear my thoughts. I have not felt this attracted to someone else before. And the feeling of familiarity is not going away. She's… Familiar in a way that… I've seen her before—maybe in a dream or in passing.

I undress and go to my room, trying not to imagine her naked on my bed. I try not to imagine her at all but when I enter the bathroom to wash up, I see the toothbrush she used.

Fuck.

I've been trying hard to control myself. To be honest, as soon as I left her apartment—I wanted to send her messages, drown her in calls. But… I'm going to fight like hell to keep her. I don't want to scare her away. I brush my teeth and wash my face and collapse on my bed.

The pillows still smell faintly of lavender and vanilla. It's not helping me right now as I take my phone and stare at her number.

Zelda…

Should I?

It's past two in the morning. She'll be sleeping. It's not a good idea to… call her right now. But you told her you'll call her.

A message.

I'll send her a fucking message.

If she replies then she's awake. If not, then I'll call her in the morning.

Fine.

Okay.

I start typing, *hey* but delete it immediately. 'Hey' does not cover the fucking multitude of emotions I am feeling right now. I want her beside me. I want her constantly beside me. I long for her.

I spend about ten godforsaken minutes trying to compose how the fuck I am going to say hi—and ultimately end up with…

*hey*.

Fucking loser.

I send it before I change my mind. I'm not expecting her to reply at all. But I stare at my phone waiting for a message to pop up until I fall asleep—her pillow in my arms.

I wake up and the first thing I do is find my phone as my hand wanders looking for it. My fingers touch something solid underneath the pillow and I blearily opened my eyes to check if I have any messages.

My heart leaps at the sight of one from Zelda.

*hey*.

Ohhh, you cheeky girl. I spent a sleepless night and I wake up to see my own message being sent back to me?!

*Just hey?* I type back and send it. The time is 7am. If I remember correctly, Sidon will be here within the hour to pick me up since my bike is still at her place. Which is convenient—because that means I have to go back and 'get' it. I'm already plotting my next move when my phone rings.

Excitedly—I grab it only to be disappointed by Sidon's name on the screen. "Hey." I yawn as I roll over. "Get your sorry ass out of bed. I'll be there in twenty." He ends the call immediately and I get up, groaning.

I take a quick shower and start getting dressed just in time to hear the doorbell ring. I rush as I button up my shirt to see Sidon holding two cups of coffee. He hands one to me and I nod gratefully. "Thank you."

"Morning." He says grumpily. We both lack in sleep since we extended the shoot last night—me more so because I spent most of it waiting for Zelda's reply.

"You're fully-booked today." He says as he plops down on my couch and starts checking my tablet. "We have another shoot for Ziya… Then you have an interview with Posh, the magazine. After that we need to meet up with the chairman of Hyrule Holdings and his assistant. Then it's off to another shoot."

"Hyrule Holdings? The chairman?" I ask. Hyrule Holdings is a large conglomerate headed by the old family Hyrule. It is one of the largest multi-industry and multi-national companies out there that is dabbling in everything from technology to food to clothing and other services.

"The chairman is very picky when it comes to marketing and he has his own little pet project."

I put on my pants as I still stare at Sidon blankly. "Pet project?"

"Remember that last time when I submitted your portfolio to HyHo because they're looking for their new model?" I shrugged. I don't really keep track as to where Sidon submits my photos. I leave that all up to him. "That was months ago. Anyway, they contacted me just this morning and requested for a meeting. The chairman's assistant called me himself so I couldn't really say no."

"They singled me out?" I don't know much about HyHo but I know that they own Ziya and most of the other brands I've already modelled for.

"I guess. I don't have the details about the pet project yet but we'll know more later when we see him. Take it as a compliment." Sidon claps me on the back as he gets up to get a drink. "Hurry up, we'll be late."

I nod and soon we were out of there.

The morning was spent in another photoshoot. I keep on checking my phone to see if Zelda has not replied yet but so far, there has been none. I'm getting antsy and worried and I know I'm overthinking stuff.

I'm come from: she's busy, to she's fucking pissed at me for not calling when I told her I will. Sidon senses the change in me as he approaches me after the Ziya shoot. "Chill." He reminds me, nodding off to my phone that I haven't let go as Lila removes my makeup and starts preparing me for my interview.

"She ain't replying?" He asks.

I shake my head in disgust and stuff the damn phone into my pocket.

"She might be busy, you know. She does have work."

"She works from home. Her phone is literally two inches from her hand." I snap, getting annoyed. To my surprise, Sidon laughs.

"How did you end up with her anyway?" Sidon sits across from me as I check my phone again.

I exhale deeply as I calm down at the empty notifications box. "We met at a bar. She just walked in all angry and cussing. Her boyfriend just broke up with her."

Sidon's eyes widen in alarm. "Wait—wait. You mean, she just broke up with her boyfriend the night you met?"

"Yeah. What about it?"

"You might be a rebound. A vulnerable girl like that—" he whistles low and I shake it off.

"You don't get it." I snap at him. But Sidon just shrugs. I cannot put into words the attraction and bond we have. We have chemistry. We are meant to be. "So yeah. We were at the bar and she got drunk and I took her home and the rest is… you know."

"You've got it hard, man." Sidon shakes his head in dismay. "But you should be careful. You don't know this girl."

"That's the thing! I do. At least… I feel like I do. I'm drawn to her and not just attracted because she's damn beautiful. But we just… click." I snap my fingers in demonstration but Sidon smiles as he stands up.

"You know I only want what's best for you. If you get dumped because her ex came back or something—I'll have a beer waiting." He leaves the room.

I settle back into my seat as Lila finishes cleaning me up. I see her looking at me curiously in the mirror. She rarely speaks but she's been my stylist ever since I started so I'm comfortable with her. "Ask." I say.

Her practiced fingers untangle my hair as she purses her lips. "I think it's romantic. I mean… time is irrelevant. When you meet someone that's meant for you… everything just falls into place. You've known her for two hours or two years—you just know."

I feel a warmth spread from my chest to my whole body at her words. Finally. Someone who understands.

"I mean, I met my husband at a party where we had mutual friends. It took us one night and the next week, we were a couple." She continues. "If your girl has just broken up—isn't that fate? Isn't that a sign?"

I nod. "Thanks, Lila."

She smiles at me warmly as she looks at me in the mirror to check if I'm presentable. "Anytime, Link. I say go for it."

I nod as she gathers up her stuff. "See you." I say as I leave the room.

Sidon is waiting for me outside so we could go to the interview together. He hands me a piece of paper with the fixed interview questions. I take it and review the list. It's all standard questions—where I'm from—how I started modelling, etc.

"Two hours—tops." He tells me. "What do you want for lunch?" He asks.

I shrug. Anything will do. I'm not particularly hungry. I just want to get the day over with so if it's early enough, I might stop by at Zelda's. The rain has been on and off lately and if I'm lucky, I'll be able to get there before she goes to sleep.

I don't know what time she goes to bed. But at this point right now, with her not returning my calls and me missing her so much I can't even concentrate at work, I don't give a flying fuck.

We head off to Sidon's car and speed off towards the interview.

The interview is in the Posh building. It's a high-class fashion magazine and they've been trying to get me for an interview for weeks. Sidon's been holding off due to my busy schedule. We park in front of the building where security is waiting.

Sidon gives me one last check before I get out. A group of fans are waiting behind a yellow line as security held them back. I look at Sidon who nods. "Of course, publicity is everything."

I nod and practice my smile. "Anything for my fans."

Sidon gets out of the car first and hurries to open my door. I take a deep breath as some security personnel come over holding up umbrellas. Even in the rain, lights are flashing from the cameras and I nod and wave. Sidon leads me towards the group of fans to sign and take pictures with them. I take my time and thank them for their continuous support amidst 'I love you, Link!' And some scattered screaming. Sidon halts the short fanmeet and I wave goodbye before entering the double doors.

A towel is handed to me as I brush off the stray raindrops. A woman, dressed corporately comes over and shakes Sidon's hand then mine. "Mr. Sidon, Mr. Link. It's an honour to have you here. My name is Michel and I will be escorting you today."

I nod as Sidon walks alongside me. I see the office workers looking at us through their office windows as we walk by. Finally, we reach a decked out conference room with the cameras all set up. Michel points to my seat.

The camera crew adjust the camera angles and I am momentarily blinded by the spotlight. I look at the list of questions again and try to remember my answers. The door opens to reveal a beaming woman in a frilly dress with cue cards. I stand up to shake her hand.

"Hi, Mr. Link. I'm Sarah, your interviewer for today."

I nod. "Hello. Call me Link."

"My pleasure. Please sit down so we can start." She gestures to the camera crew and the other people in the room to stay quiet.

Sidon is in a corner watching me intently.

"Whenever you're ready." I say.

Sarah smiles and looks at her questions. "Okay. So the video is mostly for recording purposes. Although we will be releasing a short teaser about the interview in our website, your answers to the interview questions will be used in an article in next month's issue."

I nod. "Sure. No problem."

She gives me a flashing smile. "Then, Link. Welcome to Posh. How are you feeling today?"

"I've just come from a photoshoot so… Schedule's been tight but otherwise I'm okay."

"You don't seem tired, though?"

I grin but shake my head. "Well, it's my job to look like this."

Sarah giggles almost a little bit too much but composes herself. "Very true, very true. But tell us, Link. What attracted you to the this career?"

I shift in my seat and glance at Sidon who always—always finds this particular question amusing. "I was scouted by my manager, Sidon, in a cafe. He gave me a very tempting offer—one that I couldn't refuse since I was unemployed at that time."

"Unemployed?"

I nodded. "I used to work for an advertising company."

"Then how did your manager ask you?"

I look at Sidon with a laugh. "He has the most cheesy line ever. He asked me, "has anyone ever told you that you look like a model?"

Everybody in the room laughs and Sidon grins at me. "It worked!" He said off-camera.

"It was a lucky thing that you've been spotted back then because we wouldn't have you as the biggest endorser of the year!" Sarah says.

I shake my head. "Naah… I don't think it was coincidence anyway."

I answer a few more questions about my background. They're aware not to ask too much about my family so we don't delve into that too much. I tell them more about the technicalities of shooting—the preparations needed—what are my routines at night—who my stylist is—the salons I go to. Soon we have reached the end of the list.

"Then, Link, we move on to some questions that your fans have submitted to us via the website. If you don't mind?"

I look at Sidon who leaps to his feet. "These questions were not submitted to me for review beforehand, yes?"

Sarah turns and looks unexpectedly. "Oh, Mr. Sidon. Then…" Clearly unsure of what to do, Sidon holds out a hand for the added questionnaire. "I'm really sorry about this, I am not aware that these questions were not included in the list before."

Sidon scans them quickly and looks over to me. He raises an eyebrow. "Up to you."

I shrug. "I can choose which ones to answer, yes?"

Sidon nods although hesitantly. "I guess." He hands Sarah back the cue cards who is still apologizing.

"Not to worry. Please go on." I say in an attempt to calm her down.

"Well. Uhmm… Here are the questions that your fans have submitted. They wanted to know if… you believe in Fate?"

At the word, 'fate'— I stopped and see her in my mind's eye. "Hmm. That's tough."

"Then let me rephrase the question. Everyone knows that right now you are single—as you have stressed so much yourself in previous interviews—do you believe that someone, somewhere out there, your soulmate is waiting?"

I see her humming while she's working—she's clearly not aware she's doing it. Her tongue is caught between her teeth as her fingers fly across the keyboard, the same little furrow in between her eyebrows. I see her shaking her hips while singing softly under her breath as she made breakfast—scrambling the eggs. I see her flushed, panting and moaning underneath me as I—

"Link?"

I snap out of my thoughts. "Sorry, I got distracted. Uhmmm… Fate. That's a big word. I don't know if that's the right term to call it but… I do believe that everything happens for a reason. That nothing happens by chance." I clear my throat as I try to shake away thoughts of her.

"Great. Then another question is… would you date a fan?"

Again, she comes worming her way into my thoughts at the word 'date'. But I try to shake it off. She didn't even know me when we first met… She's not my fan. "I don't see why not."

"Your fans are going to love that. Last would be… what is one message that you would give to your fans right now?"

She points to the camera and I take my cue, looking into it directly. "Hello, everyone. Thank you all for supporting me. I can never do this without you, guys."

That signalled the end of the interview finally and Sidon comes rushing to give me a bottle of water. I take it gratefully and shake Sarah's hand. "I'm really sorry about the interview questions, Link. I wasn't aware—"

"It's no problem, really." I assure her.

"Then, thank you. Michel will be escorting you again once you're out of the building. I hope to meet you again sometime." Her hand lingers long after the handshake but I pull away and give her a small bow. "Thank you for having me."

Michel comes back in and waits for me and Sidon to finish cleaning up. We follow her out the door. "Are the fans still outside?" Sidon asks.

Michel nods apologetically. "Unfortunately, yes. But no worries, security is taking care of them."

"I can go meet a few—I don't want them standing under the rain for nothing." I tell Sidon as we wait for the elevator.

"An impromptu fanmeet?" Sidon ponders on it for a while. Michel looks excited at the idea. "I can arrange a big conference hall. There's not much of them—around fifty or so."

"How's the schedule?" I ask Sidon, referring to the meeting with the Chairman.

Sidon looks at his watch. "We can spare a few hours or so. MIchel, all yours."

Michel, all smiles, leads us to a big hall with lots of seats and a little stage. It's more like a little auditorium. Sidon checks it out. "This will do." She leads us to a small room where we can wait and closes the door behind us.

"This will boost your followers. Great idea, Link!" Sidon says.

But I shrug. My fans are very important to me after all. Besides, standing in the rain just to get a glimpse of me—this is a small thing to do for them. "As long as we won't be late to the meeting with the Chairman."

Sidon waves it off. "I'll get us out of here in two hours."

I look at what I'm wearing. I'm in a polo shirt sponsored by Ziya with beige pants. "Shouldn't I change at least before the meeting?'

Sidon looks at me from head to toe. "Let's stop by your house before then."

I nod my assent and together we wait. I take out my phone but still… no messages. Sidon sees my impatience but does not comment.

Soon enough, we can hear the excited chatter outside the door and Michel speaking into a microphone. "We've all brought you here today because of a special request. As you all know, Link cares very much about his fans…"

I stand up and Sidon helps me straighten out my clothes. "Go on." He opens the door for me and I come out to screams. I wave and hop over to Michel who was introducing me. She hands me the mic and I wait for the screams to die down. I smile at them and they erupt in cheers all over again.

Sidon helps in calming them down. It's hard to see as the lights are all focused on me. A lot of them are holding up banners and pictures of me. I remember the first time this has happened—it was disconcerting and slightly frightening—but I've gotten used to it and am just grateful for their support.

"Hello, everybody!" I say into the mic. They all wave back. "So I… saw that you were standing in the rain. And I asked the wonderful people here at Posh if we could have an impromptu fanmeet. Maybe we can take some pictures—so nobody goes home empty-handed, yes?"

"Yes!" They all shout in unison.

"But first, let's thank Posh magazine for helping us organise this little get-together. I did an interview with them today so don't forget to check out next month's issue." One by one, Sidon, with the help of security and I would guess some of Michel's assistants, I take pictures with the squealing teenagers and send them on their way. Some of them ask for autographs and I sign as much as I could.

At long last, as the last group went out the door, I sigh and smile triumphantly at Sidon. "Good?"

He nods enthusiastically. "Good."

I turn to Michel and the staff, "thank you for lending us your auditorium."

"All in a day's work. Thank you for promoting our magazine as well." She leads the way out of the auditorium and finally, we reach Sidon's car that was still parked outside. The fans have all gone home and for the first time since the thunderstorm came, the rain has stopped and the sun is starting to come out.

We got into the car amidst final farewells and Sidon drives off towards my apartment.

"That was a great idea." Sidon comments as he turns left at an intersection.

"All in a day's work." I say, imitating Michel. I'm checking my phone—still no messages. I need to know. I'm getting antsy again and maybe… just a little bit annoyed. I need to know why she's not replying. But calling her now or sending another message seems too needy, right?

Right?

And I don't want to scare her away. But fuck. Come on, Zelda. Why aren't you replying to my texts? I try to think hard. But come up with nothing. I know she's not on any social media sites—it's not her thing. She even mentioned it in passing. So I can't stalk her on Facebook or Instagram or Twitter or Snapchat or whatever the hell they're doing these days.

Sidon answers a call and I leave him to it. I hear the word 'Happiness' and it's probably about my shoots next week. I continue staring out the window—wondering where in the hell she is and what she's doing right at this very moment.

And why she's not thinking of me.

We enter the building for HyHo and we are escorted by a formidable-looking man who introduced himself as the Chairman's personal assistant. We are led to a room on the top floor where there was a selection of cakes and coffee. "Please help yourself while I collect the Chairman." Mr. Butler—honestly, I don't remember his name—tells us and leaves.

Sidon picks up one of the pastries in its little cup and examines it before taking a huge bite. I pour myself a coffee and sip quietly as I straighten my suit. This will be my first time to meet a person of such importance and I can see Sidon fidgeting a little bit too.

"You don't have any rumours about the pet project?" I ask quietly.

Sidon shakes his head. "None. They're very tight-lipped about it tho."

I look around the room of opulence and understated grandeur. For a simple conference room, this is very fancy. Soon enough, the doors open and Mr. Butler comes back in followed by the Chairman himself.

I can tell it's him. He's dressed impeccably and the atmosphere in the room has shifted slightly. Despite his white hair and full beard, he strides into the room importantly and turns to shake my hand first then Sidon's. He has a regal air to him. As if he's someone you don't want to mess with.

"Welcome, welcome." His deep voice says. "Have a seat. Thank you for coming at such short notice. I am Rhoam Hyrule. You can call me Rhoam."

I watch as Sidon shifts uncomfortably in his chair but straightens up. "Allow me to introduce, this is Link. And I am Sidon."

"Welcome to HyHo." He says again and takes a seat across from us. His butler places a sheaf of papers in front of him and he studies them for a bit.

I take a deep breath and wait.

"Well. You were invited here today by my assistant, because I have a… let's call it a little pet project of my own." His eyes crinkle at the corners when he smiles. "I am currently looking for the new face of the company and it has not been easy."

Sidon nods and I exhale. So they want an endorser.

"But since this is a project that I'm heading myself, I wanted to take a look at you, Link, first. Before we proceed."

I give him a small bow, "It is an honour, Sir."

Rhoam laughs heartily. "I can tell that you'll be a good addition to my company. I have no doubt about that. But may I ask, young man, forgive me since I do not follow the entertainment news recently—where are you from?"

"I am half-German, sir. I grew up in Frankfurt." I say.

He nods. "Then that makes both of us Europeans. I come from England." He adds and returns to the paperwork. "That's good to know. Well… Aside from you endorsing our company, I would also like you to get a feel of what we do around here. Part of promoting the company is knowing what we do after all."

Both Sidon and I nod at this.

"This is the contract I am offering." He hands Sidon some documents. "If you agree, we will be doing a series of commercials plus a sizeable amount of photoshoots for all our pamphlets and other what-nots."

Sidon scans through the document, "Would it be alright, Mr. Chairman, if we have a moment to discuss the contract before we sign?"

But Rhoam laughs and waves it off. "Of course, of course. Take all the time you need. It is a lot to digest after all." He then stands up, "I apologise that this has been quite brief. But I have another meeting to attend to."

Both Sidon and I get up and we shake hands once again. "I am looking forward to you favourable response. If there are any questions—or problems with the contract, please contact my assistant."

They leave the room and Sidon and I are left in awe. I take a croissant and break it off into little pieces before eating. "Whoah." I say.

Sidon is still perusing the document. "Whoah is right. If you want to do this—we might have to cancel your part in Happiness."

"Why?" I ask.

"Well, one clause here states that you shouldn't be part of any shows or brands that are not associated with HyHo. Ziya is fine and all the other clothing brands we do… but mostly—they want you to stick with HyHo."

"But isn't 'Happiness' from RBS?" I ask, referring to Rito Broadcasting System—one of the largest television channels in the country.

"Hmm… I'm not sure if they're directly affiliated with HyHo. I'll check that." He turns to another page. "And here… you have to spend some time with the Chairman himself as he wants to see your progress… That's a little weird, I guess."

I nod. That is weird.

"But for the amount of money they're offering you per gig, they can ask for whatever they want." Sidon smirks as he shows me the figure.

That's about five times more than what I'm currently earning right now and my eyes widen. "Holy shit. Are they serious?"

"It's here in black and white so yeah, they're fucking serious."

I take a deep breath as I swallow the croissant and sip my coffee. "What else are they asking for?"

"Hmmm… You appearing in company events and dinners as the endorser… and a whole lot more. It also comes with a car of your choice and a security team."

I am stunned. "A security team?"

Sidon nods. "I like the car part." He smirks at me while I cringe.

"I don't like the security team part." I flex my fingers. I am quite capable of protecting myself. I made sure of that. That's also the reason why I refused the security team the agency has tried to force on me when I started getting more famous.

"Maybe we can make some amends to the contract. Tell you what, I'll review it and give you a summary. Then we can talk about it some more, yeah?" He stuffs the papers inside his bag and stands up.

I cram the last piece of croissant in my mouth and then follow him out.

The last shoot for the day was for an Athletics brand—a sister company of Ziya as well. We finish of way past dinner and I am beat.

Exhausted.

The whole day has been so packed tight that Lila herself had to come and get me some food just so I can eat in between takes while she styles and gets me ready.

"I'm going to get you an assistant." Sidon sighs dramatically as he collapses on the chair beside me. I hand him the Chinese carton I am eating. He takes it gratefully and eats.

"Why an assistant when you're already doing a good job?" I ask him with a smile.

"If we do that HyHo thing, I'm getting you your own van." He turns to Lila with a smile, "Lila would you like to have an assistant too?"

Lila just laughs as she sprays produce into my hair. "That would be great, I guess."

"Your own fucking glam team, Link." Sidon says in a loud voice and I cannot help but chuckle. "I am issuing this order as your manager and I know what's best for you. So shut up and thank me."

"I didn't ask for this." I remind him but begrudgingly agree. It would be a whole lot easier for everybody if I did have my own team. I've been putting it off for so long but the days are getting blurry and there are more and more projects now.

"Are you tired?" Sidon asks me as I stretch my arms over my head and twist my body left to right.

"A bit." I admitted. "We've been at it since this morning." I say. "But this will be the last right?"

Sidon nods. "I'm still yet to receive a confirmation about the 'Happiness' reading tomorrow. Damn director is pissing me off—not replying to my messages."

"How many more costume changes do I have left?" I ask Lila.

Lila looks at the rack behind me. "Around four."

I groan internally. It was already past 9. And I've given up on checking on my phone. She hasn't replied yet anyway.

I have also decided that I was going to her apartment right after the shoot to check—thoughts like her passing out or getting sick is running through my head. I'm getting to the savage end of the spectrum though, the only excuses I would accept is if she's in the hospital or something. And if she is—I have to go to her. But if I still have four costume changes… Ugh. These will take forever.

I won't have time to get to her apartment. Feeling a little pissed, I take out my phone and decide to text her again. Maybe… Just maybe… Just maybe it's the network's fault and she didn't get my message.

But before I could unlock my phone, I hear my name being called and Sidon is ushering me back out of the dressing room.

We finish past midnight and Sidon takes me back to my apartment. An assistant to the director of 'Happiness' arrived at the shoot to give me the script and I've been studying it so far. Now my head is swimming with lines and scenes and I am exhausted as I drag myself into the living room where I start to undress. I can see the paper bags that Sidon brought over yesterday. I need to clean them up tomorrow.

I wince. I can sense the incoming headache and I try to push it back—at least let me make it to bed.

My pants hit the floor with a dull thud and I remember my phone…

My phone…

In the pocket…

Messages… Something about waiting for messages?

Replies… Yes…

My mind is a bit hazy but my eyes widen as I suddenly remember. Zelda! I snap awake.

I pick up my phone and my heart leaps. There in the notifications—is one message. Just one. I open it excitedly and hold my breath. There it is… a message that made me bite my lip and almost whoop in fucking joy.

Hurriedly, I put my pants back on and grab my jacket—pocket my keys.

It's been so long since I've used the app and it takes some time while I stand there under the drizzle, waiting for the Uber to arrive. I hop in as soon as it stops in front of me and I give him the address.

Her address.

I need to get to her. She needs me. I cannot fucking wait. This cannot wait until tomorrow. I have to get there as soon as possible.

I open my phone again to stare at her message, her message that read: *And I miss you.*

It's almost 2am. I hesitate before I ring the doorbell. I've come here without knowing. But I can't… I cannot put this off. I need to see her.

I take a deep breath. And ring it. I try to imagine… If she's in her room, then she'll just be getting out of bed now with those sleepy eyes and bed-hair. She'll be in front of the kitchen, walking slowly—wondering if she misheard it—was that really the doorbell? I ring it again just in case. If I'm lucky she'll be in her underwear… and her legs will go on and on and on.

I've got a raging hard-on and I try to stay in place. Just imagining the way she looks is enough—enough to set me on edge. She probably won't appreciate—probably will think that this is a booty call or something—but no. I need her. I need to be inside her.

She'd be past the living room by now, maybe putting on a dressing gown on the way. Shuffling in her slippers, she'd be wondering who the fuck is at the door at this time. It's me, Zelda. It's just me.

My insides are tingly. My body remembers the touch of her skin and it cannot wait. I pace in front of her door restlessly. If my calculations are correct, she'd be checking the intercom. She'd be seeing me… right about… now…

"Link?" Her voice—her voice. I did not imagine it. I hear the click of a lock and she opens it.

And there she is in a tank top and underwear. Fuck, yes, I'm lucky. Her legs are going on and on. Her hair was in a loose bun on top of her head, tendrils around her face. Her mouth is open in a small O. She's barefoot and she's so sexy.

There she is.

There she is in front of me.

I don't stop. I don't say hi. I don't waste one more second. I step inside and wrap her in my arms. I lift her off her feet and she wraps her legs around my waist automatically as I kick the door close behind me. My searching lips find hers instantly and she gasps in my mouth as I kiss her—I kiss her.

She tastes just as sweet as I remember. She tastes the same—my Zelda.

I manage to kick my shoes off before I step into her apartment. I don't miss a beat. No. She's kissing me back fiercely but I take my time. I take my time—I waited long for this. I waited for her the whole day. I'm hard and it hurts as it hits the fly of my pants. I must take my time but… But I can't—

I put her on top of her kitchen counter—instantly reminded of how our first time was which just pushes me more over the edge. Her arms are around my neck as my mouth travels downward to her jaw. She's moaning—whispering my name. I am in love with the way she responded to my touch. I shrug off my jacket—it falls to the floor. Her fingers fumble with my shirt, pulling it over my head. I let her take it off and my mouth comes back to her lips.

She sighs. I taste it. "Link…" She says in between kisses. "You're wet." She's referring to my hair and wet clothes. I don't give a damn. I pick her up again and bring her to the bedroom where I lay her gently on the bed. She squirms underneath my gaze as I fumble with my pants.

My eyes must have been begging her because she nods and licks her lips. It makes me want her more. I take her panties off and give myself a few strokes before she takes me into her hands and guides me herself. I check her first—I don't want to hurt her. My fingers slip past her folds—and I'm instantly rewarded with wetness. I groan. Fuck, she's ready for me. Just for me.

I sink into her. I sink into her.

There are no words to describe this fucking feeling except it's like… coming home.

It doesn't take long. It doesn't take long for me to finish right after her. She's holding me against her chest as I pant against her. It's—disorienting—dizzying. This madness pulls me in and I release. I release everything inside her as she milked me for all I can offer.

As I catch my breath, her nipples in my mouth, she shudders beneath me briefly as I let go. I look up to her eyes.

"Hi." She whispers.

And I grasp the hilarity of the situation as I chuckle and kiss her slowly. "Hi." And for good measure, "I missed you too."

She smiles. "I know." She raises her eyebrows suggestively and I grin as I put her nipple back into my mouth and give it a good long suck before letting it go with a pop. I look at her—really look at her. Her face is flushed—her lips deliciously kissed. Her chest is heaving and she's looking into my eyes. She's beautiful—more than words can even describe. She's perfect.

"This is a nice surprise. Did you get caught in the rain?" She asks.

I detect a hint of worry in her voice as I shake my head and prop myself on my elbows, hovering over her. "I had to catch an Uber." I explain.

I feel her shifting under me and I pull out slowly. She hands me tissues from her bedside table and I clean myself up then her. Once done, I settle back on the sheets and she curls up against me. Her fingers are on my chest tracing little patterns I cannot decipher. "Long day?"

I sigh. "Yes… I was worried you didn't like me anymore."

"Why?"

"Because you weren't replying to my texts." I almost pout.

I see her fidgeting with her fingers. "I… didn't know what to say."

Fair enough. Earlier on I was debating about which excuses would be acceptable for me to take. It all seems inconsequential now. My annoyance at her absence has disappeared completely in her presence. And I find myself relaxing. For the first time since I woke up, I have calmed myself down. "Me too. How was your day?"

She exhales. "I had a production bug that kept me busy the whole day. It was a disaster. You?"

"I had a shoot in the morning, an interview… then I met with the Chairman of HyHo…. Then another shoot. We just finished."

She raises her head to look at me. "HyHo?"

I nod. "Hyrule Holdings. I met with the Chairman today. They're looking for an exclusive endorser. Why?"

She has this curious look on her face but I might have just imagined it as she smiles. "I've heard of them, that's all." She goes back to cuddling beside me.

"You should have. They're a very big company." I boasted slightly—waiting for her reaction. "If I take it… I'll be very busy."

"Ohhh… Even more so than now?" She asks in a small voice. She's so fucking adorable I can't help but kiss her again, her lips drawing me in.

I nod and she pouts. "Were you sleeping already?" I ask her.

"I was about to get into bed when the doorbell rang." She teases.

"Sorry for coming here so late at night. Do you mind?" I turn on my side and pull her closer to my chest. I feel her warm skin and I kiss her lightly on her nose, on her lips. She sighs. "I'm sorry, that was too rough. Did I hurt you?"

She shakes her head. We cuddle in silence and I almost drifted off to sleep in exhaustion when I hear her, "you just surprised me. I wasn't expecting you."

I smile against her hair. "I can go if you want me to." I make a move to let her go and get off the bed but I hear her wince and it makes me laugh. She pulls me back almost too harshly as I flop back on the bed. "I'm stayin'! I'm stayin'."

"Don't go." She whispers in my ear as she nuzzles against my neck. I feel all warm and fuzzy and comfortable. I relax considerably—thinking this is how it should be.

"I'm a crappy texter." She says after a while.

"Me too." I agree. "It took me ten minutes to text you: hey."

"It took me a whole day to reply back." She says with a giggle. "I actually spent the whole day missing you so that it'd be true."

"God, you're so fucking cute." I squeeze her tight and she squeaks. "I missed you. I couldn't concentrate at work."

"Even if you're surrounded by hot girls and models?"

"Even more so." I say honestly.

"Oh, Link. How are we going to fix this?" She sighs dramatically.

I know she's jesting. I know this is too fast. But… I think about it. I have an idea. But I'm not sure if she'd be on board with it. "I have a suggestion."

Her eyes snap back up to mine with a smile on her face. "Make it a good one."

I feel a bit threatened but I laugh, "Stay with me."

She looks a little bit confused. "Stay with you?"

I nod slowly. "Yes. Tomorrow I'm taking you back to my place."

Her eyes grow wide. "Uh-oh." She whispers.

A tiny bit alarmed, I look at her. "What?" Is something wrong? Did I do something? Fuck. Is this pushing her? Fuck. This is too fast. I shouldn't have said it. I'm about to take it back but she's staring at me with big emerald eyes and a ghost of a smile is on her face.

"We're skipping a lot of steps." She says in this mock horror voice. I realise she's kidding and I couldn't help but kiss her over and over again until she squeals in laughter. "Link! Stop, I can't breathe!"

I let her catch her breath as I cup her cheek and turn her to face me. "Listen… I had a talk with my stylist earlier today." She's looking at me intently. "She said that… time is irrelevant. That when you meet someone… you just know."

"Know?"

"That they're right for you."

"Is that what I am?" She asks me.

She's so beautiful I have to remind myself to breathe. I am a bit lost for words. But I decide to be honest. "I don't know yet. But you're close enough." She blushes at my words and I kiss her again. "All I know is that I don't want to be apart from you. And the only solution I can think of is you stay with me at my place or I stay here. I want to… explore this… thing between us."

"This thing… between us?"

I try to take a stab at it. "I told you… There's something about you that pulls me in. Ever since I met you, I can't forget you. You're on my mind 24/7. You've completely turned me inside and out. I want to spend every minute with you. I want to kiss you all day and…" My voice trails off. I look into her eyes, willing her to please say yes—hoping—praying. Do you feel the same? "Please, Zelda. Please. Come with me."

It takes her a minute. I almost lose hope. But it takes her a minute. And I forget to breathe as I wait for her to respond.

And finally she nods.

"Okay. I'll go with you."

I wonder what to put next? - Mackenziiee