Disclaimer: I do not own Legend of Zelda.
I wake up to the searing heat of Link's skin. He's curled up on his side with his arms around me but I awoke to him feverishly stirring in his sleep. I check the time—6am.
"Link?" I ask, worried. I'm sure he has a fever.
He opens his eyes blearily with a small smile on his face. "Hey." He says hoarsely.
I touch his forehead with my palm and then his neck. "You're sick." I say. Stubborn as he is, he shakes his head, of course. But I am no fool.
"I'm okay." He slurs. And as if to prove a point, he tries to get up. But slumps back on the bed, groaning.
"Stay here. I'll get you some water." I make to get off the bed but his hands curl around my waist and pulls me back in. His skin is very warm and he nuzzles me, wincing.
"I'm sick." He whispers.
"I know. This is what you get for being in the rain and overworking yourself." I try to scold him but I can't… Even in sickness, he's so fucking cute.
He pouts at me as I pull away to look at him. He's flushed and almost sweating. He tries to reach for me again but I'm too fast and he's weak. I take a shirt from the closet and pull it over my head first. I can feel his eyes on me.
"Where are you going?" He asks in a small voice.
I lean over him and give him a quick kiss on the lips—pulling away before he can pull me down in bed with him again. "I'll be back. I'll get you some medicine."
He winces and tries to get up again. I push him back down on the bed with a stern look. "Be a good boy and listen to mommy."
At the mention of the word 'mommy', his mouth splits into a wide smile and he grins at me. "Okay."
I blush furiously—not expecting that kind of reaction from him. I hurry out of the room to the kitchen.
Yesterday was a disaster. My client called me in the morning to report a system failure to the whole pipeline that supports our application. I had to redo all our configurations from the start and it was mind-boggling, tedious and complicated. It was very tiring and missing Link was no help at all.
He's been on my mind ever since he left… At first, I was a bit pissed that he didn't call even though he said he would. But when I read his message early in the morning—I was at a loss for words. I didn't know what to reply to him. The production issue kept me busy but the thought of him sneaks up on me at random times and I have to fight hard to focus back on my work.
I finally snapped though. When I fixed the production issue as soon as I can, I replied to him immediately about missing him.
I didn't expect him to arrive at my door twenty minutes later.
He's a whirlwind.
I was on my way to bed, not expecting him to reply anymore since it was very late. When I heard the doorbell ring, my first thought was him. And when I saw him on the intercom video… my heart leaped. It fucking leaped. I opened the door just to be ravished by him immediately.
Memories of last night flooded my thoughts as I got him a glass of water and a paracetamol. I also took the thermometer from the medicine cabinet in the bathroom and I went back to the room to see him sitting up. When I entered, he looked up at me with a tired smile, his phone in his hands.
"Hey." I whisper as I hand him the water.
He takes it gratefully and I take the thermometer from the box to put it into his mouth. He opens up for me gratefully but pulls me into his lap just the same. I thought I'm already immune to his tender ministrations but he never fails to make me blush no matter how many times he makes my heart flutter. He hums deeply—a low rumble in his throat as he strokes my hair and secures me against his hip.
"Do you have a lot to do today?" I ask him.
His head droops to my chest and he nods slowly.
But… But he's sick. He's allowed to take a day off work, right?
His phone hangs limply from his hand and it lights up. He looks at it and I see the flash of exhaustion on his face. The thermometer beeps and I take it from his mouth. He looks up at me. "Is it bad, mommy?" He asks this with a straight face and I take a deep breath.
It reads 38.7. I purse my lips at him. "Not that bad. But not good either."
His phone rings and I see the flash of Sidon's name before he answers. I make to get off his lap but he doesn't let me go.
"Hey. Yeah… Zelda says I have a fever… Hmmm, yep. I'm here. Just the one? Okay…" He ends the call and I see him hesitating.
I am getting the strong feeling that he'll still be going to work despite his illness. I squint my eyes and he smiles at me apologetically. "Where do you think you're going?"
"I have a reading with the cast of Happiness…" He says in a soft voice as he drinks some more water. He takes the medicine from my hands and pops it in his mouth. "It can't be moved."
"But… You're sick? How are you supposed—"
"This is not a big deal." He says off-handedly.
And I am not amused. "No, it's not?" I make him look at me. "You're sick. You need rest and sleep."
He looks up at me. "I really want to kiss you right now but I don't want you getting sick too."
His fingers trace my cheek and I am momentarily distracted. "Don't change the subject."
He smiles at me, "Okay. I won't. But I can't skip this reading. Everyone will be there—the main cast and the director too. They can't postpone it just because of me." His fingers are tracing my collarbone and I fight to stay focused on the topic.
"Link…"
"Zelda. I've been through this before. But I really can't say no to this. If I refuse, they might as well pick someone else." He explains softly.
I get it. I get that. But still… He's burned out.
"You're worried about me." It is not a question. I'm sure it's all over my face anyway. So I nod. "Thank you."
I know I can't force him to not go to work. "What time do you need to be there?" I ask him.
He nuzzles against my neck and I feel his butterfly kisses. I melt in his arms as he does—his lips warmer than usual. "Sidon is on his way."
I made a noise of annoyance but he keeps on kissing my neck. He's probably doing it to distract me. And so far… I'm still winning. "But you have to take your medicine." I remind him.
He nods as he shifts to the other side of my neck. "Yes, mommy." I flush at his endearment. I meant it as a joke but… still… it warms me to hear him say it. "Come with me."
"What?" I ask him confusedly as his warm fingers trace my spine from underneath my shirt.
"Come with me." He murmurs against my collarbone.
Did he just—what? Come with him where? "To?"
"To the reading. I know you're worried. And the only way you won't be is if you're there with me." He looks up at me.
I am stunned. I mean… what the actual fuck. He wants me to go to the reading with him. But that will… there'll be people there. And maybe some paparazzi. People… will see. He's a model—an actor. If they see us together, then…
"You're overthinking." He whispers. His fingers dancing on my spine is distracting.
I shake my head slowly. "Did you just ask me to go with you to work?"
He nods with a lazy grin. "Yes. If you want to."
Is he not even worried about what would people think? Like, for fuck's sake—the rumours itself! There's a part of me that's excited about it… Like… I'll be making my mark on him. And no one else will be able to claim him. But still… Am I ready for that?
Okay. Yes. I'm fucking overthinking. I could easily be his stylist or someone on his team who works for him.
"But…"
"I don't mind being seen with you. Do you?" He asks confidently. His hand cups my cheeks and he adds as an afterthought, "what I wouldn't give to kiss you right now…"
I gulp. "I don't… mind…"
His smile is contagious as he presses his forehead against mine. "Then, go get ready before Sidon catches you without your underwear on." To prove his point, his hand that was tracing my spine grabbed my ass and squeezed it heartily. I squeaked in surprise and he laughs softly.
Okay. Fuck. I don't know what came over me. But here I am at the backseat of Sidon's car as he drove us off to the location.
I got Link to take a quick shower with me. He was slow in his movements but the medicine worked a little as his temperature went down. Sidon arrived just in time with clothes. He was a bit surprised when Link informed him that I was coming too. But he recovered quickly and welcomed me with a big hug that made me squeak and earned him one of Link's disapproving stares. He also questioned if I was coerced into coming but I managed to convince him that I wasn't.
I called the office and told them I won't be in today. So there's no going back on my word.
I still have no idea how he managed to convince me—not that I was putting up much fight. To be honest… what he said was true. Sidon is his manager. Technically, he works for Link. So if Link refuses to the day off—Sidon really can't stop hm. At least, that's how I think it works.
I am worried about him. This way, I can keep an eye on him. And of course… To see how he works.
I haven't told him yet… Not everything about me. Even in my drunken state… I can gloss over the parts that I've hidden deep within myself. And I am curious to see the life I left behind years ago—the life of glamour and fame and…
Link was sitting beside me. He's reading a script in his hands and there is this furrow between his eyebrows. He catches me staring and he smiles at me. "You hungry?"
I shake my head. He's… so focused on his work and it's attractive. I know he's feeling sick but his determination to fight through the dizziness and fatigue… I can tell that he loves what he does—just like how I love mine. And I'm determined to support him on this. I lean over to look at the script in his hands. He angles it to show me. "That's for 'Happiness'?" I ask.
He nods. "Yeah. It reads like German. But I think I've got most of the lines memorised already from last night."
"Who will be the lead actress?" I ask.
He shrugs and looks to Sidon at the rearview mirror. Sidon purses his lips, "Nicole. Nicole Masaki."
Although I don't watch that much movies—I know Nicole Misaki. She's that Japanese-American that started off as a childhood star. She's beyond beautiful and always gets lead roles.
So Link… And Nicole will… be together.
Well… They'll certainly look good together. I am not stupid. I know I'm feeling jealous. She's more beautiful than me. I'm already struggling like hell to keep Link as it is. What if… What if this show brings them together? What if he likes her more than me? Will he get tired of me and drop me like yesterday's fuck? "Oh. She's… very pretty." I say in response.
"She can be a bitch." Link says from beside me.
I look at him—slightly elated at his response. "Why?"
"Fame is going to her head. She's demanding and annoying. Link was in a shoot with her once—such a fucking diva." Sidon answers from the front.
"But… will you be okay acting alongside her?" I ask. I mean… If she's a handful… then, wouldn't it be hard?
He shrugs. "Work is work."
I nod slowly. If you put it like that… It does make sense.
We arrive soon at the location—a plain-looking building. Thankfully, Sidon didn't spot any paparazzi around and we meet up with someone from crew who leads us to a huge conference room where there are several other people already inside. A huge table is in the middle with several chairs littering the room. There is a small table at the corner with food and drinks.
I can see a change in Link. Earlier on, I know he's still feeling weak. But now, he's smiling confidently. I know he's putting on a show—determined not to let anyone know he's sick at all.
Link is holding my hand tightly—he refused to let go even when we entered the building. I am fucking positive that I am blushing like hell—but I feel so warm at the thought that he's not embarrassed to show me off.
The director comes up to his—I see his eyes flash in the direction of our intertwined hands. He raises an eyebrow. "Link, welcome. I am looking forward to working with you."
"Director Nolan. Thank you for thinking of me for this project. This is Sidon, my manager." He gestures to Sidon who shakes his hand. He doesn't introduce me.
This is not missed at the director who sneaks a glance at me. I give him a small smile. Before he could ask, someone comes up to him and takes his attention from us.
I feel Sidon's hand on my shoulder and we are steered to a corner of the room. Eyes are on us—mainly on our handholding. I am blushing furiously but when I glance at Link—he's shaking hands with them and waving to the others who are on the other side of the room.
Sidon shows me to my chair and Link sits down beside me. Sidon sits on my other side. He's busy on his tablet—I see a calendar and I'm pretty sure that's Link's schedule. I look around the room and I see a few actors whom I do not remember the names. They look totally different from the normal people—their skin is glowing and they're all poised and coiffed and manicured and—it's just a whole different level of grooming.
People are milling about—the reading has not started yet and they are walking around munching on croissants and drinking coffee. Everyone seems to be in a good mood—excited to start a new project.
I nearly jump out of my skin at the feel of Link's breath in my ear. He leans closer to me and he gives me a non-existent kiss on my cheek. I hold my breath as I try to keep calm—looking frantically around should anyone be looking at us. So far—they're busy talking to each other.
"Relax." He whispers.
His hand that was holding mine squeezes gently and I—for the life of me—cannot relax. Thoughts are running around in my head—what the fuck does this mean. He's showing me off like I'm his girlfriend. People are bound to get ideas!
"Relax." He whispers again and I look at him, eyes squinting. He smiles at me. "You're so tense." I look at our intertwined hands pointedly to make my point. Then I look at the people around us. He chuckles. But this stubborn gorgeous work of art—instead of letting my hand go—brings our hands close to his lips and kisses my knuckles.
I splutter and try to wrench it away but it only makes him grin. "If I can't kiss you—at least let me have this."
"People might get the wrong ide—"
"About us?" He cocks his head to the side. "Let them. I'm making a statement. You're mine."
His words make me lose my train of thought as he picks up the script from his lap and starts reading again. 'Mine'… I'm… his…
I feel Sidon shift beside me. "Is he annoying you?"
I look up at him and I can tell he's amused. "Uhmm…"
"Link—you're making Zelda uncomfortable." He takes his copy of the rolled-up script and leans over to smack Link on the head who winces.
I shake my head hurriedly, "no, it's fine!"
Sidon is laughing now. But before he could say something—a small commotion in the form of Nicole Masaki enters the room. I feel Link flinch a little as he squeezes my hand tighter.
The crew makes way for her as she strides into the room with importance. "Good morning, everyone! Sorry, I am late." She says loudly. She looks around the room and breams when she spots our corner. She walks towards us instead—her manager, presumably—close behind.
"Link! It's been so long!" She says. Her voice is high-pitched and loud—somewhat annoying. Her long black hair that comes down to her waist, curled slightly at the ends—swishes when she flicks it away from her face. She's dressed in a body-fitting dress that shows off her curves—the neckline low.
Link stands up beside me but he still doesn't let me go so I am forced to stand up beside him. I watch as Nicole throws her arms around him and kisses him twice on each cheek.
Bitch.
Link, ever the professional, doesn't show his annoyance despite his comment in the car earlier. He pats her on the back and pulls away. "Nicole! How are you?"
She's eyeing him hungrily. I can tell because I'm not an idiot. She's smiling provocatively and her fingers linger on his arm. "A little tired from all the shows I've been doing. Otherwise, still golden." She flashes him a smile and studies him from head to toe.
I hold on Link's hand tighter. And that's when she sees it.
I see the considerable drop in her enthusiasm that is quickly replaced with annoyance at she looks at me square in the face. "And you are?" She asks me directly.
Oh no, you don't. Back off, bitch. I take a deep breath at this rude woman in front of me and start to open my mouth—but Link answers as he holds up our hands together. "This is Ze—"
"You're…" Her eyes study me, giving me the once-over. "his… girlfriend?"
Feeling protective of my man—and if this is what it takes for her to back off—I give her my sweetest smile and nod. "Yes, I am. Hi, nice to meet you. I'm Zelda."
The shock on her face is apparent but as a trained actress, she recovers quickly. She doesn't look happy and that makes me happy. "Charmed." Her voice is dripping with sarcasm.
I see the cogs working in her brain underneath her made-up face. She's drop-dead gorgeous but I feel competitive and right now, introduced as Link's girlfriend, she doesn't have anything over me. I'm a fucking goddess.
Unsurprisingly, she decides to ignore me. She looks over at Link again, her hand on his arm. "Time to practice our scene, yes?" She tugs on it and pulls him away from me.
Link nods as he takes his script. I feel a pang of jealousy but before he goes with her, he faces me and places a lingering kiss on my cheek. I am on fire at the sight of Nicole's annoyed face. "I'll be back. Stay here with Sidon, okay?" He tells me with a smile. I can't tell what's behind his eyes as he looks at me and kisses me again on the same spot. Reluctantly, he lets my hand go and leaves with Nicole to sit at the table where the director is and all the other actors.
I take my seat back beside Sidon who is watching me curiously. "Well-played." He smirks.
Feeling confident, I shrug. "I see what you mean now."
"You put her in her place though." Sidon whispers to me.
Damn right, I did.
The first half of the reading is over. They're going over the most important parts of the script and it's almost lunchtime when they stopped.
As much as I don't want to admit it, the chemistry between Link and Nicole is undeniable. They're not even acting out their roles—just reading their lines in front of everybody—and they're doing so well. If I close my eyes and listen, it's all believable. I can imagine the scenes playing out in my head. Of course, I have to remind myself constantly that this is just them acting. This is his job. Link… His voice is so expressive, full of emotion. The director is full of praise for him and admiration at how he is able to deliver his lines perfectly. His performance is pulling on everyone else's energy and soon enough, the whole room is buzzing with excitement and passion is pouring into the reading.
But as soon as a break has been announced, I see him turn off. It's like a switch. He's been taking longer drinks of water. Sidon noticed it too and has commented about it to me. So when they all filed out of the room to get lunch—I stand up from my seat while Sidon goes to get him.
Nicole is talking to him animatedly and he is smiling politely. Her fingers are 'casually' draped over his arm but he pulls away slowly and apologizes to her when Sidon whispers in his ear.
He gets up and finds my eyes. I see him breathe a sigh of relief and he makes his way towards me. The room is mostly empty by now and I unconsciously open my arms to him. His hands circle my waist before he rests his chin on my head and I am flushed against his chest.
He's warm—hot. Literally. His fever is back. I look up at him and I can tell he's tired. "Hey." He says, his voice low and slightly hoarse from all the reading.
I make him sit beside me which he does with a loud sigh of relief.
"I'll go get you guys some lunch. Any preferences?" Sidon asks me.
Link is lounging against the chair, his hand covering his eyes as he takes deep breaths. I shrug, "anything is fine." I take the pack of medicine I brought with me from my bag and take one.
Sidon nods and claps a hand to my shoulder, "then I leave him to you. I'll be back. Thanks, Zelda."
I nod and Sidon leaves us alone in the conference room, closing the door behind him. I look at Link who shifts in his seat.
"You okay?" I ask as I hand him the tablet and give him some water.
He takes it gratefully and drinks. He nods slowly. "Tired. And dizzy." He does look sickly—a stark contrast to when he was still reading earlier. With no one else around, he has dropped his guard.
"I asked Sidon earlier and he says that after this, he's cancelled all of your other appointments until you're all better." I tell him as he leans closer to me and he nuzzles against my neck, resting his head on my shoulder.
"We're going home?" He asks in a soft voice.
My heart leaps at the mention of home as I suddenly remember what I agreed to last night. Last night… I agreed to live with him. We haven't talked about the details yet—whether we'll be staying at my place or his—but bottom line is… right now, his home is my home and vice versa. My cheeks burn at this information. Adding to that is the fact that I just pretended to be his girlfriend in front of everybody. And he let me.
"Yes. Do you uhmm… where do you want to stay? Your place or mine?"
He pulls away and looks at me with a small smile on his face. "You'll be more comfortable at your place."
He does have a point. But still… my place is small compared to his. Also, his place is nearer to the city, nearer to his work place. I work remotely so it doesn't really matter where I am.
"I think… your place is more convenient." I answer.
His fingers are tracing my jaw absent-mindedly and he snaps to attention. He nods. "I don't mind which one. As long as I'm with you."
Fuck. How can I concentrate and think about this logically if he keeps on distracting me with his lines? I'm already confused as to the state of our relationship. I gulp and try to stay focused. "Your place it is then. I'll just… pack some stuff then we can go."
He hums low in his throat as he kisses me on the cheek. "Okay." He kisses me again. "I hate being sick." He winces and straightens up in his chair.
"The medicine should work soon." I tell him.
"I'm sorry you had to skip work because of me." He said.
I shake my head. "It's fine. They did make me work overtime last night."
"Still. I feel guilty that I dragged you here with me today."
"I wouldn't be able to concentrate anyway, knowing that you're sick and working." I countered.
He smirks at me and his hand catches mine affectionately. "Thanks. For taking care of me. And for… earlier." He looks away from me pointedly.
"Earlier?"
He nods. "You said you were my girlfriend."
My heart skips a beat as I try to get some words out—"That's—because we were holding hands and—fuck, shit uhmm…—she was all up in my face and—rude!"
He's laughing at my attempts to explain so I just shut up and look at my lap. But his finger comes up to my chin and lifts my gaze up. "Breathe."
I remember the way he kissed me right before he went off with Nicole. It's obvious that he did. But still… Him saying it out loud is different. "Sorry."
But he shakes his head. "Why are you apologising for?"
I take a deep breath. "Because now everybody thinks I'm your girlfriend."
He sits back and leans heavily on the chair. "Lucky for me, I rarely give a fuck about what everybody thinks."
"But wouldn't it be… bad for your reputation? I mean, what if someone says something and the paparazzi gets a hold of it?" I ask him.
"Then you'll have to stop pretending and just be my girlfriend for real, right?" He asks as he looks at me directly, his eyes full of mischief.
I think my world just stopped fucking spinning or I think it's just me. I'm not sure. I am also aware that I am holding my breath and I look real stupid right now. Did he just…
Did he just…
Wait.
Hold the fuck up, world.
Did he just say that I should be his girlfriend for real?
Well… not exactly.
"You okay?" He asks me, leaning closer.
I nod slowly. "I think… so."
He takes my hands in his and he looks into my eyes. "Sorry, I just teased you again." I shake my head but he continues, "but, I'm serious."
Okay. I said hold the fuck up.
"I don't want to rush you into anything. But I promise you, I am not going to stop until you're mine." All the pieces of this fucking fairy tale is falling into place. The next thing I know, I am in his arms and he's hugging my tightly. "Don't run away, okay?"
And here, at the corner of an empty conference room, I feel a rush of emotions and I am spiralling down the fucking rabbit hole with no intention of stopping or slowing down.
"I will make you fall in love with me." He says it like a warning.
I hear it as an invitation.
The reading has wrapped up at around three in the afternoon. A collective sigh from the whole room erupts at the signal of the director and a lot of thank-you's are passed around.
I get up from my seat and help Sidon gather some of his stuff. He looks up at me. "Were you bored?"
I shake my head. "Link's really good. Plus the story is also interesting."
Sidon nods as he gathers his papers and checks his tablet again. "We're supposed to have a meeting with the chairman of HyHo after this. Luckily, he agreed to postpone to a later date."
The mention of HyHo makes me flinch but I hope Sidon doesn't notice it. "Oh. Link did say something about… an exclusive endorser deal he was offered?"
Sidon nods thoughtfully. "Yeah. Just a few kinks with the contract then it'll be smooth sailing from there."
I feel hands wrap around my waist and I know it's Link as he rests his chin on my shoulder and his chest is pressed against my back. He holds me tight. If he did this earlier, I would be jumping out of skin at embarrassment. But since our conversation during lunch… I just let it happen. I smile as I look at him. "Hey, you."
"You guys are so sweet it's making me jealous." Sidon scoffs as he rolls his eyes.
"I can't tell if that's a compliment or you're being sarcastic." Link counters as he pulls away and exhales heavily. I reach up to touch the back of my hand to his forehead while checking if anyone is looking. Most of them have left and only the director remained.
Director Nolan approaches us. "Thank you for today, Link."
"Thank you as well, Director Nolan."
"Sidon! We will expose Link to the world. Once 'Happiness' gets out, you'll have so much work you'll need three assistants!"
Sidon laughs and they engage in conversation as I help Link into his jacket. His breathing is slowly becoming more labored as I hand him some more water.
"We haven't been properly introduced." Director Nolan faces me, extending a hand to me.
I face him and shake his hand. "Nice to meet you, I'm Zelda."
But Director Nolan is smiling at me and Link. "So… a girlfriend, huh?"
Link shrugs.
"I guess we won't be able to use the old trick to promote the show, ne?"
I look up at Link but he just shakes his head. "Nah… Wouldn't work. Sorry."
"No worries. But you, young lady." He looks back at me. "You should be an actress. Have I seen you before?"
I shake my head vigorously. "Oh no."
"Give up, Nolan. I tried." Sidon says in defeat.
But Director Nolan is looking at me intently and I feel slightly uncomfortable underneath his gaze. I don't now if he's doing this on purpose, but Link steps in front of me and thanks him again. "Thanks again. But we need to go."
"Oh. Don't think I haven't noticed, Link. You're under the weather. Don't forget to rest up since we start shooting next week."
"Can't put anything past you, huh?" Link chuckles and he leads me out the door with Sidon saying his goodbyes and following us out of the room.
"He likes you. I don't like it." Link says quickly to me as we reach the elevator. I look up at him to see him smiling at me but I can detect a hint of annoyance in his voice.
"What did you expect?" Sidon asks. "He probably wants to scout you, Zelda."
I shudder at the thought and gulp. "No, thank you." We enter the elevator. Link's arm is around my shoulders and I can feel him leaning heavily on me. "How do you feel now?" I ask him.
He just shakes his head.
"Where should I drop you guys off?" Sidon asks.
"My place?" I say it more like a question but Sidon just nods. "I cleared everything for the rest of the week. You better get some rest, Link. And don't bother Zelda too much."
"Really, Sidon. He's not a bother." I say but Sidon raises his eyebrows. "You're being too nice. But thank you. For taking care of this stubborn little butt."
"Not a butt, Sidon." Link drawls as the elevator pings and we all step out into the underground parking lot where Sidon leads the way to his car.
"We'll stay here until you get better. Then we can go to your place, okay?" I ask Link. He settles back into bed. His fever is back full-blown. He's trying to play it off but I know he's in pain as he screws up his eyes against the sunlight flooding into the room. I rush to close the curtains.
"Thanks." He mumbles feebly.
"Sidon will be stopping by with some of your clothes so I'll help you get changed later okay?" I tell him. He nods as he attempts to sit up. I push him back down. He really is stubborn. "Stay in bed."
I can't tell if he's flushed from the fever or if he's blushing but he avoids my eyes. I think… he's embarrassed. "Are you embarrassed?" I ask him directly.
He still doesn't meet my eyes but he nods slowly. "I've never been… taken care of like this before."
I am not… that surprised to hear that. I know the feeling and I do not ask for more information. I keep his hair away from his face in silence and finally, he looks at me. "Thank you." He says under his breath I almost did't catch it. I smile at him. "Think you can eat something? You haven't eaten much." I remember earlier at lunch where he mostly picked at his food.
But he shakes his head. "I don't think I can handle a lot of food…"
"Maybe some soup then. I can't give you your medicine on an empty stomach." I suggest.
He nods like a little boy and I almost kiss him. He's so adorable that I can't even— Okay. Fine. I'm milking this for all his worth. Hearing him say that no one has taken care of him before, I puff up my chest and resolutely decide—I'm going to do just that. So he better get on with the program. "Soup, it is. Any preference?"
He shakes his head with a small smile. "You're so nice to me."
"I plan to make you pay when you're all better." I say. But he raises his eyebrows suggestively and I couldn't help but burst out laughing. "I didn't mean in that way!"
His face falls and he pouts. "Too bad."
Just then, I hear the doorbell ring. Hmm… Must be Sidon. "I'll be back, okay?" I rush out of the room and open the door to see Sidon with a middle-aged man behind him.
"Hey, Zelda. This is Doctor Daruk." I lead them inside.
"Hi, Doctor. Nice to meet you."
"Heyo." He says in a deep rumbling voice. He doesn't look like a typical doctor—but that's because of his full beard. He's an even bigger man than Sidon but he has a good-natured face. "Name's Daruk. Nice to meet to you."
I shook his huge hand and led them to the bedroom where Link was sitting up, expecting us.
"Hey, Doc." He calls out.
"Ohhh, Link. I thought I told you I didn't want to see your face anymore." Daruk starts. I stay behind as they swarm around the bed. I leave them to go to the kitchen and prepare drinks.
Daruk's voice is so loud I can hear him from here as I prepare them some iced tea.
"So, Link. That little princess outside, she your girlfriend?"
Me? A Princess? I scoff at the thought. Not anymore, Daruk. Not anymore.
I strain to hear Link's reply but I don't hear anything over Daruk's and Sidon's laugh. I put the drinks on the counter and wait for them to come out.
A few minutes later, Daruk and Sidon come out. I wait for them by the kitchen counter and gesture to the drinks. "How is he?"
Sidon sits down on a stool but Daruk is stroking his beard after putting his glass down. "Just fatigue. Is he overworking himself?"
Sidon looks a little bit guilty. "Well… his schedule is a bit more packed than lately."
"The fever will go down. The medicine you're giving helps." Daruk nods at me. "But he should take the rest of the week off—start work again on Monday, yeah?"
Sidon nods and exhales. I can tell that a lot of shoots will be moved but it can't be helped. "I'll handle that. Is it okay for him to stay here, Zelda? I offered to take him back to his apartment and hire a nurse but that stubborn butt won't budge."
I shake my head. "I don't mind taking care of him."
"But your work?"
"I can work from home. So it doesn't really matter." I say. So… Sidon is not yet aware of our plan to move in together.
Sidon heaves himself off the stool and gestures to the doctor. "Well, I'm sure glad that it's you he met at that bar and not some weird psycho. I'll be back with some more of his clothes—if not, I'll send someone to bring them."
I nod. "Okay, Sidon. Thank you."
"As for me, here is my number. If the fever is still not gone by tomorrow, call me and I'll be here in a jiffy." I am handed his personal business card and I shake his hand.
"Sure thing, doc. Thank you for stopping by." I lead them out the door. Finally, the house seems quiet and I go to the bedroom to see Link getting undressed, naked from the waist up. "Hey you."
He looks at me with a sheepish smile. "Hey."
"Need help?" I ask him.
He lets go of his pants and he nods. "Yes, please."
I come closer and help him out. I reach for the waistband of his boxers but he stops me and I flinch away. "What?! What?!"
He grabs hold of his boxers and turns away from me. "I'll take care of this."
I put my hands on my hips. "And why? What's the difference?" I demand.
But he walks towards the bathroom and ignores me. I follow him before he could close the door. "Zeldaaa…" He groans almost painfully when he turned around to see me behind him.
"Why? I've done more than see." I told him.
But he prods my forehead with his finger. "Not like this."
"What do you mean not like—"
"He is not ready." His tone is clipped.
Realization dawns on me as I try to stifle my laughter. This morning… he had one because he just woke up. But now… he refuses to show me his…
"Do not even think about imagining it." He warns me.
I laugh but quickly stop. "Okay, I won't." But I still have this absurd smile on my face that he's quickly getting annoyed about. But I see him smiling too. "To be honest, after all… that we've done… I haven't really seen… it. So… I'll leave you to your bath. Please call me when you're ready." I turned to left the bathroom quickly.
"I'll have you know that when you see him in full glory, you will be on your knees, woman!" He calls after me but I burst out laughing and close the door behind me.
We are on the sofa, watching tv. He's curled up in a blanket at the end of the sofa and I was on the other end, my feet on his lap. He's in a sour mood.
Mainly because he's sick and can't really do anything. I insisted helping him eat his chicken soup earlier. Frankly, I fucking enjoyed it. It was… romantic. I've never had to do that before. But he's blubbering about not needing help and 'feeling weak'.
And also because I refused to kiss him since I might get sick now. I ended the argument with, "if we are both sick, then who will take care of us?"—he begrudgingly agreed although was in a temper for a moment. Even when Sidon arrived with a trunkful of his clothes, he has not budged from his spot on the sofa.
We're watching an action movie and he's engrossed in it. His warm hands are comfortably tracing patterns on my legs.
"If I am better by tomorrow, does it mean I get to kiss you?" He asks suddenly. He seems to be over his little tantrum.
I nod. "Of course."
"Then what else is off-limits?" He asks.
I look at him. "Sex, of course."
He rolls his eyes. "Ugh."
"Doctor says you need rest. Sex is not exactly… rest." I remind him.
I feel a tug on my right leg as he tries to pull me closer. "Then can I hold you?"
I debate whether I should tease him or not. But the look in his eyes has me melting. "Yes." I get on my knees and crawl over to his spot where he puts me on his lap and nuzzles my neck. "Hmm… You're very warm." I whisper.
He chuckles. "Perks of having a fever, I guess."
I settle comfortably against him. His warmth emanates from his skin as he holds me close. "Comfy?" He asks. I nod.
"Daruk called you a princess." He says after a while.
I scoff at the idea. "I'm not."
He takes a lock of hair that has spilled from the bun on top of my head. He twirls it around his finger. "You very well could be. Maybe you were, in another life or something."
"Do you believe in that?" I ask him curiously.
"Believe what?"
"That we are reincarnations of our past selves." I say randomly.
It takes him a while to answer as he thinks about it. "I've had a recurring dream since I was young." He scratches the back of his head awkwardly. "It's fucking childish. But… In that dream, I was a knight. Like the old times, you know? I was a knight for the royal family and I had this sword and I had to fight lots of monsters with different weapons. I even had a horse!"
"Hey! For all we know, it could be true?"
"Yeah. But that would be… weird." He sighs. "Come to think of it, it's been a while since I've had that dream. Hmmm. How about you? Do you believe that we are reincarnations?"
I shrug, "I haven't really thought of it before. It's just a random question."
"But do you have recurring dreams like that?" There is a curious expression on his face.
"Yeah…" I admit hesitantly. "A lot actually. But there's one that I specifically remember… I'm in the middle of this… pool. And it's dark all around me. I'm wearing a white dress and I'm sort of… praying? To this big old statue."
"Ohhh, creepy." He teases me and I giggle.
"Yeah. If that was my old life, I must have been part of a cult or something."
"Come to think of it… I started having those dreams when I got into the martial arts thing and archery." He says.
"I can't remember when mine started though. It's just… always there. Sometimes I still have them but I'm so stressed out from work I can't remember my dreams when I wake up."
I feel him nod behind me. "Ditto."
We watch a few more minutes of the movie when I feel him kissing me behind the ear. "Link." I whisper.
"Hmm?" He feigns innocence just like that but I smile as he continues and eventually stops when he reaches my neck—exhaling heavily. "Sorry." He says.
I look up at him. "For what?"
"Because I can't perform." He says glumly.
I giggle. "I'm not keeping you here just for that, you know."
But he shifts underneath me and grunts. "You might throw me out. I'm just preempting it." His arms curl around my waist. "When will you fall in love with me?" He whispers.
The sound of Captain America's shield bouncing off laser attacks is the only sound in the background as I sit there stunned. He manages to sweep me off my feet just like that. I pull myself together though—I recover quickly.
"When will you make me?" I ask him.
"You just wait. I'll treat you so nice you'll have no choice." His husky voice whispers in my ear.
For a split second, I am in fear. I am not actively guarding myself from falling… But to fall head over heels this fast… I have not even known him for a week. Although I have decided to just go with flow—let things fall into place—there's a small part of me that's still waiting for the other shoe to drop.
The next morning, I wake up to Link who is on his stomach, an arm flung across my waist. It reminds me of the first time—that first night. I feel the sudden urge to pee and carefully as not to wake him up, I remove his arm from me and quietly get off the bed. But I haven't even moved two steps when I hear the sheets rustling.
"Where you goin'?" He drawls.
"Bathroom." I tell him with a smile. He nods and rolls over on his back. "Hurry back to me."
God. He's dishing out the lines as early as this?!
But I do hurry back and I find him sitting up on the bed, checking his temperature. "How is it? You back to normal?"
He nods and beams happily, spreading his arms to welcome me. "Let me kiss you." I get back on the bed and he deposits me on his lap, holding me close as he kisses me lightly on the nose then briefly on the lips. "I missed you." He murmurs. I blush. I mean, who wakes up armed and ready like this?! He takes his time kissing me slowly and I let him.
He pulls away to stroke my hair away from my face. "Morning."
I smile at him. "Morning. What would you like for breakfast?" I feel his hands cup my ass but I squeak and add hurriedly, "food! I meant food!"
He winces in annoyance but he chuckles. "Anything is fine. Are you working today?"
I nod but I see his face fall just a tiny bit. "Just a little. Production is up and running when I fixed it so they'll be testing the application first. That gives me some downtime before we have to start fixing the defects they raise."
We both get off the bed and he traipsed off to the bathroom. "I can make breakfast. You can go start working." He says.
But before I can say something else, my phone started ringing. I grabbed it from the bedside table. It's an unknown number. Usually, I don't answer unknown calls but my fingers automatically pressed the button before I could stop myself. Resigned, I put the phone to my ear. "Hello?"
"Zelda." I would know that voice from anywhere. Anywhere. Shit.
I am immediately in defensive mode. "What do you want?" I had to restrain myself from adding 'fucking' to that question.
"We need to talk."
I move out of the bedroom lest Link comes out and hears. I move quickly to my office. "There is nothing to talk about."
"Zelda, I am tired of this. I promised… I promised not to make you do anything you don't want to."
"Yeah and you broke it to make a fucking marriage deal out of it." I snapped in a hissing voice. I try to remain calm but it's hard.
"That was ten years ago… That's over now."
"I was sixteen! Who marries off a sixteen year-old?! This isn't the ancient times!"
There is silence at the other end and I know he is trying to retrace his steps—anything to keep me on the phone. I haven't talked to this man in five years. There are moments when I almost forget. And those moments are great. Then he tries to sneak back into my life. Like when… he still sends me birthday cards. Or when I got a promotion and he sent me flowers. Or like right now, when he found out my number again.
I hear him sigh. "We need to talk. It's about the company."
A new angle. Same bullshit. Nice try. "I am not interested."
"You are my only heir. You should be."
"Unfortunately for you, I am not. Go get a new heir."
"Zelda, please. At least let's meet and talk. I've found him and—"
"Him?" I interrupt.
There is a pregnant pause. "Yes… Him."
"Is this the same bullshit crap that you've fed me since I was a child? That I am meant for someone? You planning to marry me off again?"
He sighs heavily. But I am getting angry and annoyed and I want out. "Zelda…"
I try to stifle my groan but fail miserably. "Bullshit."
"Zelda. Do not use that tone with me." He warns.
"You cannot control my life. Do not call me again. Ever." I put the phone down and turned around to see Link.
I've left the office door open.
He's… here.
"Zelda?" He asks as he steps forward hesitantly—as if deciding if approaching me is safe. But he does—he does and he wraps me in his arms, holding me close to his chest. I feel his lips on my hair. "You were angry. What happened?"
"How much… did you hear?" I ask him.
"A lot." He admits thickly. "Want to tell me what happened?" He asks, lifting my chin to look at me.
I don't know how and I don't know why. But I feel wetness on my cheeks and I realize that I am crying. Out of frustration, maybe? Or just downright angry? He wipes away my tears and he kisses me slowly. Coaxing me to calm down and he's so fucking gentle and… "If you don't want to tell me, it's okay. I won't push you."
Link. He's… the real deal.
He asked me when I would fall in love with him.
And I have his answer. I think I've had it for a while now. I'm just denying it to myself for the suddenness of our relationship. We didn't need weeks or months to get to know each other and 'fall' in love. It was a fucking switch. Fate was playing a game. This person. This guy in front of me—he's the one.
Not the soulmate crap that my father has been feeding me my whole childhood. Look, Dad. I've found him on my own. I don't need your fucking help.
"You can tell me anything. You know that, right?" He asks.
I nod. There's a lump in my throat. And I think it's time I tell him.
I've told him everything else. What's a few more?
There is an unnatural pull between the two of us. And if I want to start this right—start, huh! We've already started this off with sex—it's time to be honest.
"You hungry?" He asks after a while.
But I shake my head. I take his hand and I lead him to the sofa where I sit across from him. I know he knows that I'm about to say something big because he sits still. But changes his mind and reaches for my hand. In his blue eyes, I see concern and worry.
"Link."
"Zelda."
"How much do you know about my past?" I ask him.
He shrugs. "Not much. I figured that if you haven't told me, it's something you're uncomfortable discussing." He shifts in his position. "I don't talk about mine a lot either." He exhales slowly. "You sure you want to tell me this?"
I nod.
"I don't want to pressure you. I just don't like seeing you this worked up and angry." He reaches for my cheek and caresses it with his thumb.
For a moment, I falter. But no. No. Enough hiding. "I'm ready."
He nods and straightens up, "Okay. Hit me with it."
I clear my throat and take a deep breath. "My full name… is Zelda Euphegenia Fitzgerald—"
He nods slowly.
"—Hyrule."
His eyes are wide as he gulps. "Wait… You're…"
"You've met the chairman of Hyrule Holdings?" I ask him softly.
He nods again.
"Rhoam is my father."
If this was Youtube, I'd say like and subscribe. —Mackenziiee