Disclaimer: I do not own Legend of Zelda.
"Our family is… very old. My mom got sick and she died when I was young. Back in England, we are a 'very old' family. And we are as famous as the queen herself. We moved here when she got sick—saying she wanted to be back home. But when she died, I stayed because I was already starting school and I've already made some friends. My father went back and managed the business."
"But why… aren't you in good terms?" He asks.
I shrug. "We aren't close. He was almost always not around. And when I was sixteen… I overheard him talking with his advisors. Well… with old families like that and big companies… I overheard him saying that he was taking me back to Europe for an arranged marriage deal."
He doesn't look shocked. He just nods at me to continue.
"So I ran away. He always manages to find me in the end. But I'm tired of him controlling my life. I learned to live on my own. And I got a job. And… This is actually the first time I've talked to him in years."
He seems to be thinking long and hard. "If you are estranged from your father… why hasn't this been reported in the media yet?"
I shrug. "He probably doesn't want the news to get out. But he's always trying to get me to marry someone else to acquire their companies and shit."
He sighs heavily and holds out his arms. I crawl over to his lap and he hugs me tight. "I get what you mean. When I was 17, I was also offered up as part of a marriage deal. I didn't like it. But there were some complications at the other end so it never pushed through."
"Then whose son are you?" I ask curiously. Things like that happen in rich families—those who see marriage as part of a business deal.
"Actually. I'm not… really the son. My father got my mother pregnant. But she died at childbirth. My stepmother, who didn't have any children of her own took me in. Although my father is not… as distant as yours, we are still not that close."
"If the media sees us, they'll start digging. Then they'll find out who I am." I say a bit worried.
But he shakes his head. "I will protect you from all of that."
I am not entirely comforted but he plants feathery kisses on my forehead—on my closed lids—on my lips. I know he is assuring me. I know it is not foolproof. But at least… the knowledge that he's going to try… for now it is enough.
I nod slowly. "So we're both heirs." I giggle as he kisses me again.
"You are more an heir than me." He teases. "Is this why you had that weird look when I told you last time that I met up with the chairman of HyHo?"
I nod. "And probably why… we should not date." I say softly.
But he shakes his head. "Why the fuck not?"
"Because you'll be working for him… And he'll find out… And you're famous. I'm trying to keep a low profile." I say softly.
But he adamantly refuses and shakes his head vigorously. His hold on me is tight—leaving me breathless. "No. I refuse to let you go. Don't do this, Zelda." He rains kisses on my face. "No. We're both adults. We're both independent. Even your father cannot pull us apart. What we have is a business deal. He doesn't need to learn about my personal life."
I smile at his words as I nod. "Okay."
"If he comes at you with marriage proposals—I will marry you myself so he won't have anything to say about it."
His declaration stuns me. But I touched by his… determination. He doesn't have to try… so hard.
"I promise not to let you go." He says seriously, pressing his forehead against mine. "I promise to make you mine. You will fall in love with me, Zelda with the weird-ass long name." We laugh together at this but he clears his throat and continues. "You will love me, Zelda."
Fuck. Link… I think I'm already there.
Work was fine. I didn't have much to do so I get out of my office just as I finished. I see Link who's just coming out of the shower. He comes over to kiss me quickly. "You done?"
I nod as I go to the kitchen and get some water. He follows me around in his towel. "Yes? You need something from me?" I ask. He's naked from the waist up as he rubs his hair dry with a towel. "Are you seducing me?"
He smirks at me. "Depends. Is it working?" He comes up and holds me by the waist as I drink my water. I smack him across the arm and he laughs. "I can't seem to stop myself from touching you." He whispers as he traces the column of my neck. "I was thinking that we should go out." He says.
"Out? To where? You're too famous to go out." I tell him.
"I'll wear a disguise." He says playfully as he lets me go and goes to the bedroom to get dressed. I follow after him and see him getting some clothes from his bag.
Hmmm… He shouldn't be living out of a bag. I open the closet and move some of my stuff around. "You can put your clothes here." I tell him.
He straightens up and a slow sexy smile appears. "Is this it? Am I moving in?" He teases.
"But I thought we were going to your place?" I ask.
He shrugs and brings his bag over. "I told you, I don't mind wherever. We can always go to my place if you want to."
Fuck. Okay. Then if that's how he wants to play it… Then yes. Then yes… This is it. This is him moving in. This is all surreal. We're going at this backwards.
He puts all his folded clothes at the spot I made for him. At the same time, I clear out a drawer as well. He puts his boxers and socks in it. "This feels nice." He says as we both organise our stuff.
"I'll clear out a shelf in the bathroom for you too." I tell him—just slightly embarrassed about the whole situation.
When we were done, he's dressed in a pullover and pants, his jacket slung over one shoulder. I am in a dress—a dress that he'd spotted in my cabinet and insisted that I wear. I am just in front of the bathroom mirror, combing my hair when he comes up behind me, his hands on my waist.
"So… where do you want to go?" He asks.
I've thought about it… My relationship with my ex feels like it's been years. I can't even remember the last time he took me out. Save for that dinner where he broke up with me. When I didn't answer, he is smiling.
"Humor me, there's somewhere I want to go." He says.
"Where?"
"The mall." He says simply as he looks at himself in the mirror and reties his ponytail.
"The mall?" I ask him—a bit surprised.
"I haven't… been to the mall like a normal person ever since I started working." He says sheepishly.
But I nod in excitement. "Yes. Let's go to the mall."
He beams at me and smiles. "Okay. Then we should probably drive. Let's take your car and then after that, I'll take you out to dinner."
I am positive that I am fucking blushing. I'm going out. On a date. With Link. I lead the way out of the house and we take the elevator to the parking lot. I see his bike parked in a corner and he gazes longingly at it. We reach my car that's parked at my spot but he holds out his hand.
"For?"
"Keys. I'm driving." He says.
"But… I thought—"
"Just because I prefer bikes doesn't mean I can't drive." He smirks at me and takes the keys from my hand. He opens my door for me—fucking gentleman—and I slide in with my heart fluttering.
He gets in the driver's seat so gracefully—naturally that I am in awe. The sleeves of his pullover are rolled up until his elbows and his sinewy forearms are distracting. His practiced hands —is there anything he can't fucking do?—start the car and takes the steering wheel. He drives out of the parking lot.
"You're staring at me." He says after a while, throwing a grin my way.
I close my agape mouth. "You're sexy."
"You're distracting me. I don't want to run a red light." He chuckles as he reaches over and takes my hand in his. He intertwines our fingers.
I try to look straight. But I watch him out of the corner of my eye. We get to the mall in about half an hour—the sky has just started to darken. Like a true gentleman, he helps me out of the car. But as soon as I straighten up, he takes me by the waist and kisses me.
"Dammit, Zelda." He groans against my mouth as he almost—almost bruises my lips. Breathing hard, he pulls away.
"What is it?" I ask a little bit worried but also winded. The kiss was unexpected but otherwise welcome. It's a good thing that there's no one else around.
"You in that dress." He bites his lower lip and looks at me. I mean, looks at me. I know that look.
"You're the one who told me to wear it."
He takes a deep breath and takes my hand, kissing my knuckles. "I know… Let's go before I eat you." He leads the way to the mall entrance.
"Eat me?" I ask. I know what he means. And my insides are tingling in anticipation.
But he just laughs.
So far, no one has noticed him yet. He's wearing a cap we bought earlier, the shades he was wearing earlier is not hanging at the neckline of his shirt. Now he looks like… a very handsome foreigner with his blonde hair and blue eyes. His height attracts attention but not so much.
And ever since we left the parking lot, he has not let go of my hand as much as he could. We walk around—looking at utterly pointless stuff and laughing. As we rounded on a corner, I see Ziya in front of me. I pointed to it excitedly but he groans and shakes his head. "Ohhh no no no."
But I don't take no for an answer and he unwillingly went inside with me.
We were immediately greeted by the salesperson who does a double-take at the sight of him. "Welcome to Ziya! Mr…—"
He drops his head and looks away pointedly but I catch her attention and shake my head at her. "He's shy. We're just looking around."
The salesperson nods and hesitantly moves away—still watching us carefully.
I lead him behind a coat rack but I'm really just looking around. His face is staring at me from all directions and I can see him blushing as he pulls the cap lower on his forehead. "You're teasing me." He growls under his breath as under the pretence of looking around—I take a shirt off the rack that is exactly the same as the one he's wearing and hold it up under his chin.
"I haven't been inside Ziya before. If I had, I would have known you earlier." I giggle as I put it back on the rack.
He looks at me pointedly. "Obviously, I don't go inside Ziya."
I giggle some more but then I catch a poster of him lounging casually on an armchair. I stare at it in awe. He looks so... different—in character. He's fucking handsome and I cannot believe that I am holding the hand of the same guy. I snap back to my senses as I feel him pull on my hand and start to drag me out of the store.
But I try to pull back and he's almost laughing. "What's up now?"
I point to the poster on our way out. "That one! You're so handsome in that one!"
But I feel his arm close around my waist and he pulls me to his chest. "You have the real thing right here." He whispers before kissing me briefly.
I nod—just a little bit stunned. He lets me go reluctantly with a backward glance at the store. "We need to go. I think she's recognised me." We both hurry out of the store and up the escalator. I am giggling all the way and at the same time blushing as being kissed right in the middle of the mall—in public.
I take a step higher than him and just because I can—also to hide his face—but mostly just because I can and I want to and I want him close to me—I put my arms around his neck. He looks up at me with a smile and kisses me again.
"We're in public." I remind him even though I want more.
But he scoffs and shrugs. "So? Let them look."
"But if they do—they'll start to recognise you." I say.
He pouts as he realise that what I'm saying makes sense. But I give him another quick kiss to pacify him. He grins and goes back to holding my hand as we get off the escalator. We walk around some more but he drags me out of the way when we pass by a store he has modelled for before.
We end up at the topmost floor, where the cinemas are. "You hungry? Or want to watch a movie?" He has his arm around my shoulders as we look at the board where the list is.
"We can watch something." I say as I go through the list. But nothing seems to be worth watching.
"We can just pick anything." He suggests.
I shrug okay as he goes to the cashier and gets tickets for us. He beckons to me and I follow him into the cinema. "I chose the one that will start soon."
"Is it good?" I ask him as we enter the dark room. His hand is closed around mine as he leads the way to the back of the cinema to a loveseat. There are only about seven people around—nobody paid any attention to us.
"Who cares?" He whispers as we take our seats. As soon as I do, he wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me close to him.
"Cold?" He asks.
I nod slowly as he helps me into his jacket. I take a whiff—cigarettes and cinnamon. I settle back on his side as he pulls me closer. "Link—" I whisper quickly but my words are cut short by his lips pressed upon mine.
And in the back of that dark cinema, he kisses me slowly. His tongue traces mine as his fingers dance on the exposed part of my thighs. The trailers are playing in the background and I don't care.
"I've never been on a movie date before." He whispers as we pull back briefly to breathe.
"I think the whole point is watching a movie—and not making out." I say.
But he shakes his head. "I kind of like the making out part." He whispers huskily in my ear that sends electric tendrils all throughout my body.
His hand travels up my thigh—and it's making me fucking aroused as he starts to kiss me again. Suddenly—all the other lights in the cinema go out as the movie starts. I hear him chuckle against my lips as he traces them with the tip of his tongue.
"Link!" I gasp as I feel him travel upwards. "Someone will see—"
"It's dark." He answers under his breath.
"But—"
"Stay quiet." He whispers as he... slips his hand under my skirt and pries my legs apart. I take a deep breath. I know what's he's trying to do. I know what's coming. "Watch the movie." He orders in a low voice. All my senses are heightened with what he's doing. His hand reaches the edge of my panties. I focus on the screen—not really seeing anything.
He doesn't even have to do anything and I'm already ready. He pushes my panties aside just to touch me and I feel him sigh in satisfaction at my ear. "You're ready for me so quickly?" He teases.
And I flinch a bit as I grab his arm—"your fault." I hiss at him.
He comes close to my that my vision is blurred. I feel his firm lips over mine as he strokes me—drinking in my moans. "Shh…" He whispers hastily—trying to shut me up.
But I can't—I fucking can't. His fingers are skilfully working me—I can only concentrate at that spot and he hovers over me as I bury my face against his neck, biting my lip.
"May I?" He asks. He has the nerve to fucking ask when I'm practically melting in his hands. He circles my entrance. I stifle my moans as I press my lips agains this neck. My hands are gripping his arm, my nails digging into the sleeves of his shirt.
"Link—" There's a lump in my throat. I am breathing hard at the things he's doing to me.
"Shhh." He says again. Taking his time, he enters me.
It takes all of my self-control not to moan aloud and writhe under his ministrations. I concentrate instead on the other people inside the cinema—making sure none of them look back at us. He inserts another digit and my legs go slack on either side of his arm. His other arm is around my shoulders, holding me close to him as I clutch at the neckline of his shirt helplessly. "Link—ngh—"
I am literally at the mercy of his fingers. The mood—that fact that I have to restrain from moaning—his fingers—the shrill thrill of it all turns me on that I can't—I just can't—take—it—anymore! He must have felt me pulsing around him as I take deep breaths rapidly. "Link—fuck—"
"Shhh…" He coaxes me gently as I fall apart.
As silently as I could—I am shaking. He holds me close as I gather up my scattered pieces and get my breath back. My heart is beating madly against my chest and I feel light.
But as he removes his hand from between my legs, I am aware of the mess that I made on myself. My panties are soaked and my skirt should be too. Annoyed, I hit his arm. He yelps but I stare at him—this stubborn—I can't believe he just—I just got fingered in a cinema like a fucking high school kid! Not that I've had it done to me before.
He's smirking as he takes out a handkerchief from his pocket and starts to wipe his fingers. Before I could protest, he deftly reaches under my skirt again to clean me up. He tucks it back into his pocket as he reaches for me again. I do not stop him nor do I settle into his side.
"Are you mad at me?" He whispers.
I am looking straight ahead at the screen but since I didn't get to watch any of the opening, of course I couldn't understand a damn thing. "No. I'm not mad. Just… What if someone saw?" I cannot even imagine the humiliation and embarrassment if we've been caught by an usher.
"That would make a headline." He lets out a low whistle. "Model/Actor Link Caught Doing Sexual Deeds In Cinema." He states.
I giggle involuntarily and he smiles at me. "I'm sorry." He says. I can see him better now as my eyes have adjusted to the dark. He does not look sorry. I cannot resist him. So I lean on his side and snuggle closer.
I could barely understand the rest of the movie and by the end of it, we were just anxious to leave. We exited the cinema quickly. After a brief inspection of my behind—making sure that I did not have any… spots—he takes my hand again and we go in search of dinner.
Dinner was at a restaurant that was not too fancy. And because I requested it, we get to sit side by side instead of across from each other. And because he requested it, we got a table at the very back to avoid prying eyes.
"Why?" He asked quickly as we settled in our chairs.
"Because my left side looks better than my right side." I answer.
But he laughs in bewilderment. "You're beautiful from all sides."
"Bullshit." I reply haughtily as I take a bite of a breadstick. The menus arrive and we approach it like researchers.
"The steak sounds good." He tells me after a while. "Look. They give you a hot stone and you cook it yourself." He points to the item on the list and I purse my lips.
"I think the whole point of eating out means… you don't have to cook yourself." I say.
He nods slowly. "Fair point."
"This seafood thing…"
"Which seafood thing?"
"This one." I reach over and point to his menu.
"Tiger prawns." He reads aloud. He raises his eyebrows and grins at me. "Okaaay, interesting."
I nod in assent. "And I also want a steak. But let them cook it. And you order that."
"Anything else?" He asks as he waves the waiter over.
I shrug. "Hmmm." I look through the menu again but I think I may be good for dinner. I check the drinks instead.
"Medium rare steak. And the Tiger prawns please." Link says to the waiter.
"And for your drinks? Wine, maybe?"
Link looks at me. "I'm driving. I can't drink. But do you want some?"
I nod. "Okay."
"Red or white?"
"Red. Red goes well with steak." I say, smacking my lips together.
"And for dessert? Would you like to order now and we will serve it later?"
I nod vigorously—I am not fucking passing on any cake. "Chocolate mousse cake please. And this brownie thingy." I see Link smiling at me from the corner of my eyes but I don't give a damn. Cake is cake.
"Very good, Ma'am. Then I'll be back with your orders."
"Cake, huh? This date is not sweet enough for you?" He whispers huskily.
But I bat him away much to his amusement. "If I get fatter, it'll be harder for me to get kidnapped. Just to be safe, I am eating cake."
"I can still carry you though." He counters.
But I raise a finger at him. "But you wouldn't have to kidnap me. I'll be going with you willingly."
"That makes things easier." He assents.
Soon, the food arrives and I take a bite immediately. He watches me as I hum in delicious ecstasy. He chuckles at me as he cuts up his steak and offers it to me. I take it and close my eyes as I chew and it melts in my mouth.
"Good?" He asks.
My eyes are wide as I swoon. "Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes."
For a few minutes, we eat in silence and once my immediate hunger was sated, I sit back and take a sip of my wine. He sighs heavily beside me and drinks his soda.
"Want some wine?"
"I shouldn't. I'm driving remember?" He says.
"But you were drinking that first night." I remind him.
And he smirks. "Not really a good example. But a sip will do." I hold it out to him.
I catch another whiff of his jacket. Cigarettes and cinnamon. "I've been meaning to ask… I don't see you smoking… anymore."
He shrugs. "It's a bad habit. I figured… that you didn't want me to."
I raise my eyebrows. I don't think I remember saying something like that. "I don't really mind."
He looks at me carefully. "Sure?"
I nod. "It's not like… I used to do it too." I admit.
He smiles. "Since when and why did you stop?"
I lean back and think about it. "I think… around college? I had a rebellious streak. But after that… I just gradually stopped doing it."
"And now?"
"I don't mind." I answer.
He grins at me. "Then… Okay. Though Sidon is always telling me to quit anyway. Maybe not as often as before."
I remember that moment at the bench… I thought it was sexy.
"Sexy, huh?"
I clap a hand to my mouth in alarm—"was I thinking out loud?"
He laughs and nods. "It's been a while since you've done that." I groan as he kisses me lightly on my cheek. "It's very cute."
I wince some more as he continues to laugh at me. Just then, there is a slight commotion from outside of the restaurant and a bunch of waiters rushing out. There are squeals and screams coming from the outside. Protectively, Link's hand wrapped around mine. "I have a bad feeling about this."
Now the other diners are getting up to look at what's the fuss is about.
"Link! Link! Link!" The shouts were getting louder as the manager of the restaurant approached us.
"Mr. Link, apologies. Some of your… fans… have seen you and are now demanding entrance to the restaurant. I assume that you do not want to be disturbed?" He looks at us and me—stunned by what is happening—suddenly realise that I'm exposed. Fuck. I immediately bow my head as I see some of the diners looking over at our table.
"Yes. Do you have a back door we could use?" I look at him as he handles the situation. He takes the cap he was wearing earlier and puts it on me, the front low over my face.
"Unfortunately, there is only one entrance. But I have called security so they can escort you out safely. If the fans are here, it's only a matter of time until the reporters arrive."
Link sighs heavily but I squeeze his hand tight. I remember our previous conversation—how I didn't want to be found out. Not like this. Just then, his phone rings and the manager retreats to a safe distance. The chanting of his name is still ongoing. He answers it quickly. "Sidon." His curt tone is so different from how we were talking to each other earlier. "Yes. Five minutes? Okay. We'll be outside."
I gather my stuff and drink the rest of my wine. I pull the cap even lower down my forehead as Link puts his jacket around me again, making sure I am covered. He waves the manager back and takes out his card.
A few more minutes and the manager comes back with his card and a paper bag. "Your desserts, Ma'am."
I take them gingerly as Link stands up, pulling me close beside him. "I appreciate the help. Thank you." But the manager just nods and he waves his hand to one of the waiters. "Security is here, Mr. Link. They will escort you safely out of the mall. I'm afraid the reporters are here now as well."
"Damn. That was fast." Link mutters.
I feel his fingers on my cheeks as he puts his shades on me. "Do you have a hair tie?"
I nod as I take one out of my purse, my fingers shaking. He takes it from me and ties my hair, tucking the end of the ponytail inside the jacket so it won't be visible. "Just keep your head down. I'll hold you close."
I nod again, my fingers tight around the handles of the paper bag. I am uncomfortable. But I decide to trust him. My heart is pounding in my chest.
His phone rings again. "Sidon. Yes. You're outside? Okay. We'll be down in a bit. Security is with me. Give me the keys. We took her car. Okay. Yes. See you." He turns back to me and whispers, "there'll be reporters and cameras. Don't look."
I nod weakly. His arm around my shoulders is tight and comforting as I take a deep breath. The next thing I know, we're surrounded by security personnel provided by the mall and slowly, he helps me out of the restaurant.
It was pandemonium. I have no fucking idea how a crowd this large has gathered so fast. I am being squeezed from all sides as we made our way downwards. Link—he has me pressed against his chest, my face buried in his neck. Shouts of his name and the reporters shooting him questions like, "who is she?!" And "Are you on a date?" Bombarded us from each angle.
But he had his hands covering my face and he made sure my hair is not that visible—making me unrecognisable. He kept on whispering in my ear, "just a little bit more. It'll be over soon. I'm sorry." Over and over again. I follow him blindly—almost stumbling over my own feet.
At last, the cold night air hits us and I feel a set of gruff hands catch me. "Got you." It was Sidon.
Dazed and just a little bit confused from all the flashing lights, I am pushed into a car seat and the door is closed behind me. Peering over the edge of my shades, I see Link waving to the cameras as Sidon hands him the car keys.
A crowd has gathered outside of the mall as well and the reporters are in full force. Security has formed a line, pushing them back. I watch Link and Sidon exchange a few words and see him hurry over to the other side of the car.
He gets into the driver's seat and we are out of there.
A minute passed.
Then another.
He reaches out to take my clammy hand from my lap and he squeezed it. He was driving fast—so fast. And I know it's to throw off any reporters if there are any following. He narrowly missed stop lights at intersections, making sharp turns.
Another passed.
"I'm sorry." He whispers.
I am still a bit stunned. I find it hard to believe… that one minute—we were having dinner. The next, we were being whisked off by security. I find the words to tell him that it's okay. That it's not his fault. But I can't say anything.
The road he's taking is not the way back to my place. But it's oddly familiar. He stops at a convenience store and I feel like I've been here before. He gives me a swift kiss as he gets out and hurries inside the store.
He comes out with a plastic bag. And it jolts my memory. This is the same place…
He gets in and takes my hand again.
This is the same place he took me before. I wait for the bend in the road. I wait for the left turn and the right turn. And soon enough… He parks at the clearing.
He opens the door for me and I step out, hugging his jacket close to my body as its cold. He puts me down on the grass and he grabs the bag, handing me some water.
"Zelda… talk to me." He pleads.
I realize that I haven't said anything since we left. But I really am okay. I'm just… winded. I take a drink of water and he takes it back. He's so close to me and I feel his warm breath on my collarbone as he drops his forehead on my shoulder.
"Talk to me, please." He says again—his voice needy.
"Link." I whisper.
He raises his head and kisses me immediately. His kiss is immediately hungry—searching. His lips, warm and firm against mine are wonderful and it warms me up.
"Are you mad?" He pulls back to ask me.
But I shake my head. I am not. I'm really not.
"Thank God." He exhales and sighs in relief.
I snap myself back to the present. The feeling of being half-carried out of the mall is certainly… an experience. One that I did not expect to happen to me.
"I'm sorry I ruined our date." He whispers after a while.
I shake my head no. "It wasn't ruined." I say with a smile.
I see the relief in his face as he looks at me. "I thought I lost you back there. You weren't speaking to me."
I take a deep breath. "Well… being hounded by fans wasn't really on my list of things to do today."
"I did manage to cover your face. So even if pictures come out—no one would be able to recognise you." He says.
I nod gratefully. "Thank you."
"And Sidon will be making a statement."
"Statement?" I ask.
He chuckles though. "He was saying 'Fuck you, Link' in my ear earlier."
I giggle a lot. It's just like Sidon to react that way.
"But he'll take care of it. Even the people at the restaurant. So don't worry. It'll be a 'no comment' thing."
"How did he find out where we are?"
"Hashtags. And he's nearby." He says.
The thrill has somewhat died down... and I remember my cake. The chocolate mousse cake—I take it from the paper bag that he placed by my feet and see that the manager was kind enough to add a wooden fork. I pry the container open and take a bite.
"Good?" He asks.
I nod and feed him some.
"This is so you—eating when stressed." He chuckles but stops when I get all defensive and try to move away from him. Though I am already giggling when he put his arm around my waist and dragged me back down. We eat the dessert together in silence, watching the city twinkle beneath us.
"I got scared for a while." He says.
I turn to him as I lick my lips and put the empty container in the bag. "Of?"
"I remember… what you said. About you not being found out by the reporters… And the first date we go to—they find us." He sighs as he plucks a couple of blades of grass and tears them apart in his fingers. "I got scared… I am scared… That you wouldn't want to be with me after this. I'm scared… that you'll run away before we even get the chance… to be."
"Because I got a taste of what it's like to be with you?" I ask softly.
He nods—still looking resolutely at the view below us.
The night is silent around us save for the distant sounds of cars. I look up at the sky and can almost hear the stars sing. They look so close.
I know he's waiting for my answer. And I remember him whispering that he's going to do everything to make me fall in love. I want to explore this too, Link. I want to.
And if being hounded by fans is a constant thing—then we'll just have to get better at disguising and hiding and looking for places where no one would recognise you.
There's a part of me that's worried about tomorrow. Pictures of us would be appearing—the internet is probably blowing up already with the fact that Link was caught in a date. But I trust him. My hair was tucked in and he had his hand covering my face the whole time… No one would recognise me.
"I am not running away." I say—more to myself than him.
I feel his hand on mine as I look at him. He leans over and kisses me again—hungrily. "Zelda…" He whispers huskily.
I am being swept up into his kiss. And is that just me or is the night getting warmer? His tongue seeks entry and I give it to him. I give it all to him as he tastes me, murmuring 'chocolate' as I feel him smile in between kisses.
He pulls way briefly to look at me. "I'm so lucky." He whispers as he traces a finger down my jaw to my collarbone.
"Lucky?" I ask—his finger is distracting.
"I have you." He says simply. And he slips his hand at the back of my neck to kiss me hard again.
We get home around midnight—laughing now at the absurdity of just how the night had turned out. I'm full of cake and brownie and ice cream that I made him buy for me at the store on our way back.
We slip inside the door as fast as we could lest our laughters wake the neighbours and they come investigating. Once inside—it was pitch-black.
"I forgot to leave a light on." I whisper as my hand comes up to the switch.
But he stops me.
There is a pregnant pause and I instantly know what he wants.
I feel his breath on my nape as he whispers, "leave it off."
Fuck.
I am getting fucked tonight.
He takes the jacket from my hands and I hear it drop on the floor. I am stumbling in the dark but he pulls me into his chest and his lips are on my neck. "I waited all night for this."
"I… don't sleep with guys… on the first date." My whisper turns into a moan as he sucks at a spot on my neck and my legs go weak.
I feel him chuckle as his tongue—that's his tongue, right?—traces the shell of my ear. "Oh, really?"
"Yes…" I say in a breathy moan.
"I can stop." He says in a husky voice that makes me feel like he's undressing me. My skin explodes in goosebumps as his hands—his fucking hands gather my skirt. He raises the hem and he slips underneath. "Do you want me to?"
Traces… traces on my inner thighs render me speechless and so I shake my head.
One hand brushes over my stomach, up to my breast—he lingers—cupping it for a moment, before traveling up to the column of my neck. He tilts my head backward as he licks me. I know I am leaning heavily on him. His fingers have found my panties and they're pulling them down. They drop to my feet and my heels are on and my feet hurt and my legs are weak.
A contrast to his order earlier at the cinema—he whispers, "moan for me."
"Link…" It just comes out. His name comes out as his fingers come into contact with my clit. He slides between my folds as I whimper in his arms. I am a fucking bundle of nerves. His mouth on my neck, his fingers between my legs, his other hand cupping my breast—teasing my nipple into a peak.
"I like how you're so responsive." He says huskily.
I am breathing hard. Fuck. We've been home a minute and I'm about to come right at my doorstep.
"Lin—nggh…" I writhe in his arms as he holds me upright. My legs are pressed together and his hand is trapped between. I feel him enter me with his fingers. And I bite my lip, my eyes shut tight, as he worked at me with such precision I wonder if he's already memorised me.
And he enters another and I breathe heavily. "More—" it tumbles out of my mouth like I'm begging. But he increases the pressure and intensity of his thrusting. I am flushed against his chest and I feel him prodding me from behind—I want to touch him. I want to touch him—but I can't—one thrown at the back of his neck—the other flat against the wall, trying to keep myself upright.
I am throbbing with need. And I need more. And I want him. I need him buried inside me.
It felt like hours but it didn't take long—I clenched hard around his fingers and gritted my teeth—whimpering as he held me close. By the time I got down from my high—I couldn't even support myself—my whole body was tingling and I am trying to catch my breath.
But he is not done.
Pulling out of me, he licks his fingers clean as I watch him—in awe. It's fucking sexy when he does that. Then he kisses me and I swear to God it is fucking hot and I just find myself wanting more. He lifts me up and carries me to the bedroom. "Tired?" He asks huskily.
I feel him between my legs as he puts me down on the bed. I shake my head. "No."
It's dark. But the moonlight is streaming in from the open gaps in the curtains. I see him as he pulls away, kissing my neck, down to my cleavage. I want out—I want out of my dress and he chuckles at my feeble attempts to take it off.
He helps me and he takes my bra off too. I feel desired and wanted under his gaze as he pulls back and undresses himself. Naked—he hovers over me and he brushes against the tops of my thighs as he kisses me—hungrily and needy—like he can't get enough.
"Mmhnn.." I wince as he bites me a little forcefully. He traces a path down my neck and he lavishly puts my nipples in his mouth.
Oh God.
I have no fucking words for how good he is at undoing me. It is maddening and it takes me a second to realise that he's positioned himself between my legs, propped up on his elbows. I look at him. He lowers himself slowly.
I squirm. But he grabs my ass and hauls me up to his face and I squeak. "Link…" I gulp.
And he raises his eyebrows at me. Even in the dark I know how blue his eyes are. I breathe hard. "Hmm?" He asks like he's taking a walk in the park. His finger is tracing me again and I'm still a little bit sensitive. I flinch—just a little.
"I've never…" I hold my breath as he blows into it. The rush of cold air is an entirely new sensation and I'm fucking reeling.
"Never?" He motions for me to continue.
"What—are you doing there?" I try to move away but he takes my hips and pulls me down again. He's… close. I can feel his breath.
"Tasting you." He looks into my eyes as he licks and I swoon.
My head falls back on the bed and he grasps my thighs—trying to keep my legs open as I shudder beneath his mouth. I am at his mercy—a tight-spun ball of fucking nerves that is waiting to be released.
I grab the sheets as I try—I try to grasp at anything that can keep me grounded. I fear that if I let go, I'll just fucking float away and I can't catch my breathe as I almost weep at the sensations he's triggering and doing to me. "Link—please!"
I don't even know what the fuck I'm begging for but he does. Yes… he does. HIs mouth on me is licking and sucking and it's… He gives it to me amidst my broken sobs and whimpers. He gives it to me once again as I whimper helplessly and just… let… go…
White-hot heat spreads throughout my whole body and I writhe and squirm as he holds me down. It takes a while for me to come back to earth as I feel him slide up my body and his kisses are on my neck, traveling upwards.
He kisses me. I taste myself on him, slightly salty and sweet. He's smiling and I think I am too. "Zelda." He whispers.
I am incoherent so I just murmur agains this lips. "Hmm?"
"I want to be buried deep inside you." He whispers. His hand is back on my thigh, spreading my legs as he positions against my entrance.
"Please…" I say in a breathy moan that's almost inaudible.
It was fucking easy. I was so ready—dripping, even—and he just exhales slowly as he buries himself inside me. I wrap my legs around his waist and he wasn't going fast but he wasn't going slow either. His hand is knotted in my hair and his weight is on me but I don't mind as he kisses me.
The rhythm.
His touch.
His lips.
His eyes as they made contact.
Our heavy breathing.
The way he cups my breasts and the feel of his tongue on my bare skin.
It's perfect.
Every moment is perfect.
We lay on my bed. He hasn't moved. He's still inside me and I am exhausted. Our breathing has come to a steady pace and his forehead is on my shoulder.
"Am I heavy?" He asks after a while.
I shake my head as I wrap my arms around his neck. "No."
"We should get cleaned up." He whispers as he pulls back and looks me in the eyes. Neither one of us moves.
We just had sex. And I'm flushed. "You are insatiable."
A slow, sexy grin as he kisses me lightly. "You undo me."
I beg to differ. But I've come apart so many times today, 'undo' doesn't even cover it.
"Don't leave me." He says, his fingers trace the contours of my jaw. I see need in his eyes. "Please, Zelda. Don't."
I have no plans to do just that. I'm hooked. I am smitten by him. It's not just the sex. He makes me feel loved. And he makes me feel good and wanted and desired.
"I haven't known you for a long time." He starts. "But I don't need to."
I nod slowly. I feel exactly the same. He's taking the words right out of my mouth.
Slowly, he pulls out of me and I whimper at his absence. But he smiles and pulls me up with him. I follow him to the bathroom where he starts to fill the tub, testing the water's temperature—making sure it's just right. We both get in, him behind me as I lean back and we wait for the water to fill up.
We do this in silence as he takes a bath towel and starts to soap me clean. I am drowsy and the bath is comfortable and I can hear him chuckling behind me.
"I think I wore you out." He laughs.
I sigh heavily as he rubs my shoulders. Bubbles are starting to form around us as the water fills and I am content.
"What was that you're saying?" He asks after a while.
"About what?"
"You said you've never…"
I blush at the thought. "I've never… had someone go down on me before." I say.
"Why not?"
I shrug. "I just… I'm too embarrassed. I don't know what it tastes like—if its even good."
I feel him nibbling my ear as he pulls me close. "You taste good. If you'd let me, I'd like to do it more often."
I remember how good it felt and I nod. "Yes, please."
But a thought strikes me. "But I don't know… how to…" I struggle to find the word but he helps me.
"Reciprocate." He says.
I nod.
"Do you want to?" He asks.
God bless this man. "Yes… I want to try. I want to make you feel good too."
He's laughing softly behind me as he pulls me close and kisses me over and over again. "You are so cute."
I feel a little bit offended but I giggle at his antics. "Will you teach me?"
He takes a deep breath. "Yes. We can work on that." I look over my shoulder and he's grinning at me.
"You've been in a relationship for a long time. It's a surprise that there are… some things you still haven't tried."
"Sex with my ex was boring." I complain.
He's chuckling behind me as he continues to rub the towel down my back. "No pushing you up against the wall or feeling you up in cinemas? No sex on the kitchen counter and in the shower?"
I nod vigorously. "Yes! I thought that was there is to it but you—"
I stop myself but he cups my cheek and kisses me slowly. "Go on."
I gulp and I dare to continue. "You make it so exciting. So… different."
He nibbles on my lower lip. "Thank you."
"Was that a compliment?"
"Oh, you have no idea." He laughs as he grabs the shampoo bottle and then proceeds to wash my hair.
I wake up in the morning to the sound of Link talking. I open my eyes and he's extricating himself from my arms. I watch him get out of bed—his naked butt in full view.
I smile at the thought of last night. I am deliciously sore everywhere. I yawn widely and he looks at me with a smile, raising a finger—telling me to wait. I roll around in bed and stretch.
"Thanks, Sidon. Okay. I'll open the door for you." He ends the call and reaches over to give me a quick kiss on the forehead. "Sidon is coming to return your car. Get dressed."
I nod and get out of bed. He takes a pair of drawstring pants from the closet and pulls them on. Just then, the doorbell rings and he rushes out of the room.
I get dressed and washed. I come out to the sight of Sidon and Link sitting around the kitchen counter that is heavy with breakfast food. Link beckons for me to come and I stand beside him as he takes me by the waist and kisses me on my temple.
"Morning, Zelda." Sidon says with a wicked smile. He takes a croissant and bites almost half of it in one. He hands me coffee and I take it from across the counter.
"Morning, Sidon." I say a little bit sleepily.
Link was on his stool but he pulls me closer so I am standing between his legs. He drops his chin on my shoulder and sighs. But Sidon rolls his eyes. "Do you have work today?" He asks me.
I nod as I take a welcome sip of my coffee. "Yeah. I was out yesterday remember?"
He groans as he kisses my neck and I avoid Sidon's eyes who is watching us out of the corner of his eye. But I do not move away. Link doesn't seem to be embarrassed and… Sidon is Sidon.
"Maybe you should go back to work." Sidon interrupts.
But Link straightens up and scoffs. "Daruk gave me until Monday next week."
Sidon sighs. "Lucky bastard."
I look at Sidon squarely and give him a small bow. "Sidon, thank you for last night."
But Sidon laughs and waves it off. "No need for thanks, Zelda. Honestly—it was fun to deal with that when it comes to Link." I look at him a bit confused. Sidon ignores Link who was making a face and continues. "He rarely gets scandals. He's a late bloomer in that way so… I don't really mind."
"You were cussing me though." Link interrupts him.
"Well, fuck you, Link. You need to get a better disguise if you want to go out in public. Especially now that the new endorsements are out." Sidon gives him the finger. He turns back to me. "Your car is back and parked in its spot."
"Thank you." I give him a smile and he just waves it off. Sidon is really nice. He feels like a big brother.
Sidon hands me a newspaper while clearing his throat. Link takes it and hands it back to me. "Told you, Sidon will handle it."
I take the paper and look at the front page. Headline reads: 'Who is Link's mystery girl?'. Under the headline, there is a big picture of Link. I recognize myself only because I know it's me. But otherwise… from an outsider's perspective… Link is covering my face with his hand as I bury myself in his chest. The jacket covers me perfectly and so does the cap. My hair, safely tucked away inside, is not visible. I scan the article but there was no concrete description of my features. It seems that I really was well-hidden. There's a mention from Sidon... about how the girl who was with Link is a 'close friend' he was taking out for a friendly dinner.
"You could have been mistaken as his sister." Sidon says as I look up. "Since you're both blonde and all. I thought about it but I don't think you'd appreciate incest and all." He laughs while Link pelts him with bits of croissant. He dodges them easily.
I look at the article again and I am relieved. I feel Link's fingers caress my lower back as he kisses me on the temple again. "Thank you, Sidon."
"No worries."
"How are things with Mipha?" My ears pick up her name so I look at him. He smiles down at me and pinches my cheeks. "Mipha is Sidon's sister."
My mouth is in a small O as I nod and blush sheepishly. He nuzzles me below my ear as I take another sip. "Jealous much?" He whispers.
I shake my head. "No…"
"Mipha is being unbearable. But at least Revali is proving to be useful. He's been the one driving her around to her shoots. And she's been asking for you." Sidon says. He reached into his bag that was at the corner of the table and he pulls out a sheaf of papers. "Which reminds me, can we go over the contract now?"
Link gives me a look and I know that the contract they're talking about is the one for HyHo. Sidon obviously doesn't know. I just nod at him. "You can do it here. I'll just be in my office. I need to get to work." I tell him with a small smile.
"But you haven't had breakfast yet." He says with a furrow in his brow as he tucks a long of escaped hair into my ear.
I take a croissant from the bag and I take a bite. "I'll come out. I just have a conference call in five minutes."
Reluctantly, he lets me go and I go to my office. "See you in a bit, Sidon."
I come out of my office to the sight of Link and Sidon hanging out in the living room. They're watching a movie. Link waves me over as I appear.
"Heya, Zelda." Sidon says as he munches on some chips.
I look at them in awe—"so this is what a manager and a model does on a day off?"
But Sidon laughs. "It's just thanks to Link here that I don't have much to do. But I'll be out of your hair soon."
I shake my head as I sit down beside Link who wraps his arms around me automatically. He inhales the scent of my hair and kisses me briefly—not caring that Sidon is around. But I don't think Sidon minds in the first place. "Busy?" He asks.
I sigh and lean on his shoulder. "Just a bit. But I'll be done soon. What do you want for lunch?" I ask him.
He shakes his head. "We would have to go grocery shopping." He says to me.
"We don't have any food left?"
He nods gravely. "I checked. I was about to make lunch but I wanted to do groceries with you."
I nod. "Okay then. Now or a little bit later."
"Sidon, you hungry?" Link asks.
Sidon grunts in response. "Depends. What's for lunch?"
"Ass. Coming here and then demanding food."
"You asked. Duh."
"I can make curry?" I offer. Sidon's eyes light up as well as Link who looks and grins at me. "Curry it is, then. Let me just get dressed then we can go out."
"Don't you have work?" He asks, holding on to my hand as I get off the couch.
"Not for another two hours or so." I was about to go back to my room when I remember… "Should you be going out?" I ask him.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean… Someone might recognise you again." I say.
Sidon laughs. "Go get surgery. Turn ugly and all."
But Link shakes his head. "I have the cap and the shades and we'll be quick, right?"
The days passed by quickly. I didn't even notice them as they blurred together. Sent to rest, every time I go out of my office, I see Link either reading a book or lounging on the sofa as he caught up with all the shows. I try my hardest to work. His presence in my apartment is very distracting but I have to give him credit—he doesn't bother me… much. Only when he brings me coffee or snacks or when he 'needs a kiss' which is almost every hour.
Spending time and living with him—it has become second nature. I am so used to being on my own ever since my roommate moved out. But somehow… he hasn't made any major changes—well, except for his bath products lined up in my shower, an extra toothbrush in the cup, another set of towels on the rack, his jacket behind the door and his shoes in the cabinet—which is okay, a fucking lot. But the point is… I like it. I like the changes.
We haven't talked about the status of our relationship.
I think it's mostly because we don't want to jinx anything. At least… on my part. This is a fucking fairy tale that I don't want to end. His clinginess and sweetness—beyond words. And besides, I feel myself falling for him more every day.
And I know he is too.
We don't say say it out loud… but we don't need words. Not yet... Maybe.
In the mornings, he usually wakes up earlier than me. On those occasions, he makes breakfast and I wake up to the smell of bacon and pancakes. He also helps me with the laundry—something I did not expect him to know how to do. We try to alternate cooking but mostly he ends up doing it because I like eating his food.
And we have lots of sex.
He is insatiable. And the man—fucking irresistible.
There was this one moment that I was dazed after my too-hot bath and I walked in on the kitchen naked as he was cooking… Needless to say the pancakes burned… along with the bacon. And the smoke detector went off.
But it all changed when he started going back to work, going to shoots for Happiness which is almost everyday. To make up for the time he was sick, Sidon has scheduled work every day of the week. Although, I have to remind Link to not overwork himself.
But it still ends up that way. And for the rest of the week since he started shooting, he comes home past midnight, too tired for anything else. I feel like I haven't seen him. There are traces… but he's absent. He sometimes drops in the afternoons to change—take a quick shower—but those moments are brief.
I miss him terribly. After days of being together and him always begging for kisses and touching me as much as he can… it's like I am going through withdrawal and Link is my addiction. I do not deny that I am lonely. I miss him. So tonight, I am determined to wait up for him.
"Hey, you." I say quietly as he enters from the front door.
He looks so tired as he hangs my car keys up on the wall. He shrugs off his jacket and hangs that too. At the sound of my voice, he looks up and there it is… the smile I've been missing all week.
"Nice of you to drop by." I say with a smile as he comes up to me and hugs me tight. I feel relief wash through my whole body as I feel him and his muscles underneath my touch. He's home and he's here.
"I'm sorry. You didn't have to wait up for me." He murmurs against my skin.
I guess he's talking about me falling asleep on the couch as I wait for him to come home every night. Which I told myself I shouldn't do—but I still end up doing. He carries me to bed and I just wake up in the morning to a note that says he had an early shoot.
"I missed you." He whispers as he kisses me. He tastes of coffee and something sweet. He still smells of cigarettes and cinnamon.
I feel a pang of longing as I hug him back. He's leaning quite heavily on me and I stroke his back. I missed him. It feels like the past week has just gone by without me seeing him that much. "As I missed you."
His kisses are soft—oh fuck how I missed this. He pulls back and takes a deep breath. He has bags under his eyes. "How was the shoot?" I ask him.
He sighs heavily as I help him out of his shirt. "Annoying as hell. I would have been done half the time if Nicole wasn't late."
"Late?"
He nods. "Excuses like traffic—another shoot—whatever. She was late for almost two hours. Fucking diva."
I lead the way to the bathroom where he goes in. "It's past midnight. You should be sleeping." He says before he closed the door.
"I was reading something anyway. And it's Saturday tomorrow." I say with a smile.
I see his face fall. And I know… something's up.
"Do you have work tomorrow too?" I ask.
He nods albeit reluctantly. "the HyHo thing starts tomorrow."
"Oh."
And here I thought we'll be able to spend some more time together. But being an actor and model doesn't really have a concrete schedule like my desk job. I just… I can't help feeling a little disappointed.
"Zelda, I'm sorry. I'll talk to Sido—"
But I don't want him to skip work because of me. "No, it's okay." I say with a smile. "Go shower."
Before he could say anything else, I turned and left.
I hear him call my name softly but I pretend not to hear.
What is wrong with me? I should be supporting him. I shouldn't be… like this.
You miss him. You're from two different worlds… This is what you signed up for.
I am getting greedy. I want Link all the time.
Do something about it.
Like fucking what, huh?
I don't know. Figure it out.
I hear the distant sound of running water. And I flop down on the bed. I try to stay awake… to wait for him. But the last thing I remember is the mattress sinking beside me and a kiss on my forehead as I succumb to darkness.
—Mackenziiee.