Disclaimer: I do not own Legend of Zelda.

I spot Link inside the cafe at the very back. The place is not packed although most customers are hidden behind newspapers and laptops and smartphones. His long legs were stretched and crossed in front of him. I walk slowly towards him. His cap is pulled low over his head and he's wearing his glasses. His long slim fingers are around a mug. He's reading something on his phone but when I come close enough, he looks up at me, smiling.

I must look shocked or surprised or whatever because he stands immediately and wraps me in his arms. I feel his lips on my hair and his hands caressing my back. He ignores the other customers in the cafe as he pushes me into a chair and crouches down in front of me.

"You okay? What happened?" His voice is laced with worry, his blue eyes wide and searching.

There is a lump in my throat as I take a deep breath.

He returns to his seat that he pulls closer to mine. He takes my hands into his.

"He's sick. And I… I have to take over."

He nods slowly. "Do you want to go home? Let's go home." He makes a move to get up but I stop him. No. I don't want to go home yet. Not yet. I shake my head. "It's fine. I'm okay."

"Are you sure?" His fingers are tracing patterns on my palm. I find it comforting. His voice is low but it wraps me up like a fucking blanket. I nod slowly. "Tell me more."

And I do. I tell him everything from the sickness… to taking over… to having to resign then meeting my new assistant. The weight of everything that I would have to do moving forward is finally descending.

"Okay. We can do this." He tells me softly with a small smile. I know he is trying to reassure me and I am grateful for it. "I love you. And if this is what you need to do, I will do it with you."

I nod slowly. "Thank you, Link."

"Want something to drink? Anything?"

"Coffee." I say with a smile. He squeezes my hand and leaves me for a moment. I'm finally absorbing everything. I hear my phone ring and I take it out of my purse. I see Urbosa's name flash across the screen. Perfect timing.

Link comes back while I am in the middle of telling Urbosa everything. He kisses me on the forehead and sits back down, taking my hand in his. His touch is warm. I finish updating Urbosa with the events. She promises to see me as soon as she's free. I end the call to see Link looking at me with soft eyes.

"I am so proud of you." He says softly.

I feel a warmth in my chest spread throughout my whole body as I stare into his endless blue eyes. "I haven't done anything yet."

"You talked to your dad. You're going to take over the company. You're going to be my boss." He raises his eyebrows and I giggle. "To be honest, that gives me ideas." I slap him playfully across the arm and he lets me as he chuckles wryly. "Oh… You mentioned you had an assistant?"

I nod. "Yeah. He's this guy that I ran into before at a cafe when we went shopping with Mipha. I didn't know him back then."

"Oh. Did he try anything with you?" He looks a little stern.

I shake my head. "Naah. He bumped into me. Paid for our drinks even though I said no. Then he asked if I was a model or something. What is it with people mistaking me for a model or an actress?!"

He smirks at me. "That was my first guess too, remember?"

I remember the night at the bar vividly. It brings a smile to my lips. I nod. "Yeah."

"You're beautiful. Too beautiful. Sometimes, I want to put you in my pocket so that no one else would look at you." He says.

"You're making me blush." I say.

"You have 'kiss-me' eyes." He says as he leans forward and I feel his lips on my forehead. "You turn me on so much." He growls softly and whispers in my ear.

I feel my cheeks burn hot at his comment. "Link!" I tell him off.

But he just smirks at me and leans back on his chair. "Sorry."

I know he's not. He's smiling at me as he drinks his coffee and I drink mine. "You'll be busier once you start at HyHo."

I nod slowly. "Yeah."

"But you'll be my boss. So I'll see you at work… And then I'll see you at home too. I got all these perks." He smirks.

"I am going to take over father's pet project. So I'll have your schedule. I'll make sure you have a lot of projects to do." I say cheekily.

But he chuckles under his breath. "I think that's abuse of power."

And I cannot help but laugh. "What's the point of being interim Chairwoman if I can't have what I want?" He intertwines his fingers with mine and brings it to his lips, kissing it lightly. His breath is warm on my skin as he breathes. "Link…" I whisper.

But he hums and closes his eyes, brushing my knuckles against his lips. I feel a flutter in my stomach as I let him. "Hmm?" He asks.

"This is nice." I say softly. I mean the ambience. I mean the environment. I mean this date. I mean being out here… in public. His disguise doesn't do anything to hide his handsomeness. Even with his darker blonde hair in a messy ponytail, strands escaping, he still attracts a lot of second looks.

He's more famous now that Happiness has come out. But here in this cafe, we got lucky. People are busy with their electronics. Nobody is paying attention to the two blondes in the corner. Here in the middle of the city, we don't stand out too much.

I study the line of his jaw. I study the way the sunlight hits his shoulders. I stare at his pierced ears and the way he bites his lip. I run my eyes down his body, the way he carries himself is so elegant and poised yet casual. Being a model has taught him how to carry himself and I am in awe. I am in awe at this man. I cannot believe he is mine and he loves me.

"You're staring." He whispers.

I do not look away as I cup my cheek and look at him some more. "Sometimes, the fact that you're a celebrity throws me off."

He squeezes my hand. "Hmmm. Now I feel like I am really handsome."

"You are. That morning… after the first night. All I could think of was that you are too perfect to be in bed with me." I giggle nervously.

"I was thinking the exact same thing." His eyes are crinkled at the corners as he grins.

"Lady Zelda." A voice from behind us makes me flinch as I turn around to see mine assistant, Ganon behind me. He's holding on to a coffee carrier and a paper bag of pastries.

I instantly feel nervous. "Ganon!" I try to hide the surprise in my voice.

He gives me a small bow. "I thought it was you. I was right. I am out to buy coffee for Numar and the Chairman." He gestures to what he's carrying.

I stand up. I'm not sure how to… greet him. Link stands up beside me. When he does, Ganon looks taken aback. "Apologies, Lady Zelda. I didn't know you have company."

My boyfriend removes his cap and flashes Ganon a smile. He extends his hand and introduces himself to Ganon. "Hi, I'm Link."

"Ahh! Link, the celebrity. You are the private endorser for HyHo." They shake hands. "I was not aware that you two knew each other. Is this a meeting regarding the Chairman's pet project?"

I shake my head. Saying yes to that would be stupid. Do I… Well… Fuck. Now, I'm in a predicament. But Ganon… is my assistant. We would be spending a lot of time together. He will find out… eventually. I should… say it now.

"Ganon." I say in a steady voice. I feel Link look at me. But I look at my assistant. I am his boss. I am his boss. He cannot disobey me.

"Yes, Lady Zelda?" He says. Even though he's much older than me—I do not care.

"Drop the 'lady'." I say. I've had this conversation before I left the office earlier but apparently—it's a hard habit to drop—even for Numar.

"Then Miss Zelda." He inclines his head.

I let it go. "This is not a meeting about the pet project."

"Oh. Apologies for my assumptions. I was not aware that you are friends. The Chairman has not mentioned anything of the sort to me." He gives Link a bow.

I should tell him now. As I take a deep breath, Ganon's phone rings and he looks at me for some sort of permission. I nod. He takes a few steps back and answers the phone. Link shifts beside me and holds the small of my back. "You don't have to reveal it now." He says with a smile.

I exhale and nod. "Okay…"

Ganon has returned and looks at us apologetically. "I am afraid that Numar needs me back at the office. I have to leave first. I look forward to tomorrow, Miss Zelda." He gives us another bow. "And it was nice to meet you, Link."

We wave at him goodbye and he leaves the cafe. Link looks at him as he leaves. Once he was gone, he turns to me. "So he's your assistant, huh?"

I nod as I sigh. "He's like… probably twice my age."

"Well, he does look experienced. He'll be able to help you with management." He says, tapping a finger to his chin.

I shrug. "I'm just… not used to bossing someone around who is so much older than me."

"I'm confident that you'll do this fine." Link assures me.

The sudden arrival of Ganon has me quite shaken. We finish our drinks and we leave the cafe to go to the mall where Link insists that we watch a movie. Inside the cinema, I manage to hold his hands in mine firmly to halt his attempts at getting past my skirt. He's scowling against my temple as he licks my earlobe and growls under his breath.

"Why won't you let me?" He whispers.

But I shake my head resolutely and look at him pointedly. "Really?" I nod my head off to the other people inside the cinema. It wasn't as deserted as the first one we've been in and there's another couple sitting very close on the same row as us.

He pouts and I relent… a bit. I lean in close to kiss him. But before I can move away, his fingers thread through my hair and he pulls me closer. Really? Really? He acts like a fucking teenager in heat sometimes. The rest of the movie is spent with him stealing kisses and me letting him take as many as he wants. By the time the movie is over, I think we've spent more than half of it making out instead of actually watching it. The feel of his lips brushing against mine has my knees pressed together and my hands desperately clutching the front of his shirt. He does not move further past my waist but he does take a few swipes at my breasts. I feel hot and tingly all over as he sucks lightly at my skin, careful not to leave any marks.

It's like I'm seriously making up for all the making out I wasn't able to do in my previous relationship. As I'm pretty sure he is as well. We wait for everyone to leave first before we get out, laughing together.

"I think they were actually staring at us at one point." I say giggling.

"The audacity of this couple—making out during a movie?!" He scoffs and laughs as he wraps an arm around me and we exit. He adjusts his cap low on his forehead, keeping a mindful eye on the other people in the mall. No one seems to be paying attention to us.

"I swear. I'm getting the feeling you're bringing me to cinemas just to make out with me." I tell him off.

"That's actually for your benefit. I can make out with you anywhere just fine." He winks at me and pulls me in closer. Before I could protest—not that I would—he brushes his lips against mine briefly to make a point.

I'm pretty sure I fucking erupt into another round of blushing as he smirks and kisses my forehead. He leads the way to the escalator where he stays at the step in front of me. Even at that step difference, he's still quite a bit taller than me. He takes my wrists and wrap them around his neck, nuzzling me close.

Right now, I don't give a fuck if anybody is looking. I stare into his eyes that are looking at me intently. He lights up with a smile. "You're perfect."

I hold him closer until we're nose to nose. "You're perfect." I say it back to him.

He chuckles lowly and I feel his arms around my waist, hugging me tightly. And when we get off the escalator, I regret a little bit at the fact that I have to let him go. But he takes my hand with a smile. "Dinner?"

I purse my lips at the thought of the previous incident happening once again. But I drive that far away from my mind. He must have sensed my brief hesitation but any doubt disappears from his face when I smile at him. At the rate of how perfect things are going, I don't think I will care much if people find out we're dating. I feel a little bit reckless. "Sure. Where do we go?"

He looks around at the restaurants around us and shrugs. "I honestly don't know where to go. Let's just pick one that looks good."

We have a quick pizza and pasta at a restaurant—successfully staying out of sight. Even on a weekday with a lot people, it was mostly families who are bent on making the most out of unwinding. Link still gets a lot of double-takes just like Mipha but he's quick to pull me close to him and move away.

The drive back was quick—as we're both anxious to get home and rest. But once inside, I go off to take a quick shower with him following close behind me. "Coming?" I ask with a smile as I enter the bathroom and start to undress.

"Hmmm. Do you mind?" He plants open-mouthed kisses on my shoulder as his deft fingers help me remove my clothes. His chest is pressed flush against my back as I hear him breathe in my ear.

I shake my head as I feel the familiar shiver run up and down my spine. I lean back and he traces the side of my neck with his tongue. "Link…"

"It kinda feels like I haven't touched you in a long time." He whispers huskily.

I cannot help but blush. Not true. We just had fucking amazing sex this morning right here in this very bathroom. But I don't remind him. He's insatiable anyway.

"I want you now." He presses me closer to him and I can feel his evident arousal against my ass. My mind feels hazy and delirious. I bite my lower lip in anticipation. His hand cups my breast over my shirt and holds me upright as my knees start to grow weak. His other hand travels down to the apex of my thighs as he rubs me over my skirt. "You wouldn't let me touch you back there."

"Maybe because—there are people around." I say softly. I am trying to find the words as his skilful fingers render me helpless but all I can do is gasp as he presses into my core hard. "Link…."

My whole weight is now resting against him. He drags me back until he hits the counter behind. His hand hikes up my skirt and he slips between my legs. He teases me slowly and I take a deep breath. "I want to hear you moan." He growls against my ear.

I'm wet. Very. Fucking wet. He has this power over me that I am willing to submit to anytime. He dragged the crotch of my panties aside and he's stroking me now, his fingers fondling me. I bite my lower lip as he nibbles on my ear. "Go on." He urges me. He slips inside me.

I feel a lump in my throat threatening to come out. But I can't—Fuck. He adds another digit and my legs go slack as he curls them just so. "Link…" I breathe out. His other hand is on my breast, cupping it, his thumb on my nipple. Even through the fabric of my bra and clothes, he knows just where it is. The slight sensation makes me hyper-aware until I am reduced to nothing but emotions and sensations.

He thrusts his fingers in and out of me expertly—making lewd noises that echoed throughout the bathroom. My skirt has ridden up and bunched around my waist as I throw my arm back and hold him pressed against my neck.

"Lin—nggh!" I whimper helplessly as he continues to fuck me with his fingers.

My moans are fuelling his desire and his breathing has changed. Easily against my skin, he's biting me not gently. It's almost painful—almost. Bordering between pain and pleasure, I feel him squeeze me almost harshly. He's rubbing himself against my ass and I moan desperately. I feel the coil in my belly tightening—waiting for release. The hand on my chest has traveled down to my thighs and with a grunt, he hooks my knee and lifts it up.

I inhale sharply and gasp as I teeter precariously on my heel. With my leg over his arm, he proceeds to fuck me with his hand. HIs ragged breathing and the sound of skin slapping mixed with my incoherent moaning echoes loudly against the tiled walls. "Come for me." He urges—orders me to. And to prove his point, he hits that spot over and over and over until fuck—I fall apart and release in his palm. My legs go weak and slack and he puts me down gently.

I try to catch my breath as I shake in his arms. He turns me around to face him and I want to kick off my heels. But he doesn't let me. Leaning against the marbled counter top, he unzips his pants and pushes them down.

I see him flushed and erect against his shirt but he just smirks at me—is eyes smouldering. I lick my lips as I take him into my hands. The velvety skin of his cock pulses against my palm and he inhales sharply. "Love, I won't last." He grunts. I want him in my mouth but he holds me by the waist and we exchange position until I am facing the bathroom mirror. I see his reflection behind me, With a hand, he pushes me to lean forward slowly and what he wants to do hits me.

Our sex escapades in the bathroom typically ends up with him pushing me against the wall in the shower or me riding him in the tub. But this… This is erotic and different and I moan in anticipation as I lean forward. The marble is cold against my skin as I stare at myself in the mirror. His bangs covered half of his face as he grips himself and rubs against the wetness between my legs.

I watch myself bite my lip—my eyes almost half-closed. My face is pink and my fringe is almost plastered. I am wanton—pleasure personified.

He caresses my folds, prepping me. He hits my clit and I automatically moan. I feel him inhale sharply behind me as we lock eyes in the mirror's reflection. He's biting his lip and I almost squirm. But I stay still with bated breath. He guides and sinks into me slowly as I throw my head back and whimper in pleasure. "Link—nghh."

"Ahh—Zelda." He chokes out. He buries himself to the hilt and I feel full—complete. With his foot, he nudges my legs apart and I am bent over the counter in my heels. He grips me by the waist. In contrast to how slow and gentle he was when he entered me, he starts to thrust into me hard.

And I hang on for dear life.

"Too much?" He asks huskily. The sounds of our fucking echoes and bounces off the walls. This is too erotic—too romantic. His shirt is open halfway and I can see his tensed abs as he thrusts into me repeatedly. Each force pushes me forward but his hands grip my hips so hard and pulls me back in. I barely keep my balance and my legs are starting to ache but he holds my gaze and I am entranced. Too much? I shake my head and bite my lip. He looks at me and smirks. "More." I whisper under my breath.

He raises an eyebrow and smiles widely. With a grunt, he fucks me faster—harder—deeper. "Aahhmm—Link!" My knees almost buckle but I can feel him smiling. His hands are burying themselves in my skin almost painfully.

"Almost—there!" He says hoarsely.

His hand curls up over my waist and under my groin. He reaches for my clit and he teases me into the climax I was very much ready for. I clench around him as his name comes out of my mouth in tumbles. HIs thrusts are needy—less defined and more erratic—he's near. I know he's close. My orgasm feeds his. His head falls back and he's breathless as he thrusts into me hard and then stills deep inside. I gasp as I feel him twitch.

"Fuck. Fuck, Zelda—ngghh." He shudders behind me as his voice breaks. He starts to move again slowly—riding it out before finally… finally… pulling out.

I whimper unconsciously at the loss but as soon as he does, it occurs just how weak my legs have become. Smiling lazily, he helps me up and I kick off my heels. He lets me rest my whole weight against him. His cock—still half-erect—is pressed between us, all sticky.

"Sorry." He says. But I look up at him and I know he's not.

"You're impossible." I giggle tiredly.

Chuckling, he helps me out of the rest of my clothes and he strips too. I lean heavily against the counter that I was just bent over earlier. I watch him as he turns on the tap in the tub and tests the temperature. He comes back to me and kisses me languidly. His firm lips taste me and his tongue demands entry. The steady rush of water fills the background.

"That mirror is fucking awesome." He grins. "I could see every face you made."

I hum in agreement. "I could see you too." My knees go weak and I stumble a little. But he catches me and there's a look of worry in his face. "Fuck. I shouldn't have been too rough with you."

I shake my head. "I liked it."

"Still." He admonishes me.

But I shake my head. "I'm okay." I insist.

Kissing me again, he lifts me up in his arms and takes me to the tub where he lowers me into the water. He enters right after me and settles with either leg beside me. I lean back and I feel his lips on my temple. "Gods… I love you." He whispers.

I smile as I let my fingers skim over the water's surface. "I love you too."

Ganon meets me at the lobby the next day with a smile. The building is full of employees now and we get a few looks. But I don't pay attention. I am anxious to start work—a bit nervous but otherwise ready.

Link was such a dear this morning. I woke up to the smell of bacon and pancakes and freshly made coffee. He has a shoot later this afternoon here in HyHo itself and I am excited at the prospect of seeing him later when I have a chance. I file an initial leave of absence at work and then I get ready for my first day. Armed with my new work clothes and heels—Mipha would be so proud—he takes me to work and drops me off in front of HyHo building with a kiss.

Ganon leads me to my temporary office while my father still uses his. It is modest—too big for my liking but is surrounded by full windows so I can see the view outside. I am unused to such space especially with Ganon hanging around me. He shows me the basic ropes and presented me with my new company laptop and phone. The phone feels heavy in my hand but I hold on to it. I sit behind my desk where there are already several binders of documents waiting to be reviewed.

"Your administration access is already set up. The phone and laptop too. I am currently working on transcribing all documents on your desk to digital files so you need not to carry them around everywhere." Ganon says from beside the desk. "You have a meeting with the Chairman in an hour. The documents are on your desk." He points to the sad pile in front of me. "This afternoon, we have a workers' council to attend to and then we can go over some of the other reports—" he stops immediately.

I look up at him. "Why did you stop?"

He shakes his head with a smile. "Apologies, Lady Zelda. Then let me continue, after the worker's council, if we have some time left, we can go over the reports about the upcoming merger with Yiga Inc."

Yiga Inc. I have not heard of it before. But I'm pretty sure that after going through these files, I'll know it like the back of my hand. "Thank you."

"That is all for now, Lady Zelda. I will be right outside if you need anything." Ganon says in a deep voice.

I look over the room. Its opulence and vastness feels like a prison. The frosted walls of my office let me see a silhouette of the outside and I see people milling about. It seems funny that I have evaded this life… for so long… I ran away from it and… this is still where I end up. Fucking fate has a funny way of turning things around. Steeling myself, I shake my head and take a deep breath. "Yes. Thank you, Ganon. And please don't call me 'lady'." He doesn't answer but instead gives me a small bow and leaves the room. With the close of the door, I feel the nervousness ebb away a little.

Just another job. You can do this. You know how to do this. You're prepared for this. I keep telling myself over and over. With a huge sigh… I pick up the first blue binder and open it.

Graphs and tables hit me immediately. Statistics and reports pop out from every page as I flip and scan through it. Returning to the first page, I will myself to read it from the start.

And so it begins.

Lunch is a hasty sushi on my desk. I've been working for only a morning and I already feel a month's worth of exhaustion. My meeting with my Father consisted of more graphs enough to last me a lifetime. He's explained the steady rise of the company's stocks over the last few years and he's presented me with the merger for Yiga Inc.

Yiga Inc. turns out to be a relatively small law firm. HyHo is a conglomerate and we deal with everything from shopping districts to law firms to technology and even agriculture. It is not a surprise that Yiga Inc. is a company of interest. What I am more surprised is to learn the Ganon is from there. He used to be a lawyer but has left the legal world to be more inclined to business. Apparently, he's been training under Numar for the last five years.

With Yiga Inc. absorbed by HyHo, we will have an even larger legal team for all future dealings. The acquisition is more or less smooth sailing and will take place in a few days. I just need to be there to oversee the contract signing.

I eat another piece of sashimi that I forget to dip in soy sauce with my nose buried in another file. The pile on my desk has not diminished in the slightest and I stifle a yawn. I continue walking behind my desk to keep myself awake and motivated. I hear my phone ring and I grab it from my desk. I feel a surge of relief to see Link's name flash across the screen.

"How's work?"

I sigh and drop heavily in my chair.

"Sounds tiring. I miss you." He says from the other end of the line.

"Heyy…" I say. "I miss you too. And yes. I already feel tired next month."

"Will you have time to meet me later though? I am on my way." He asks with his voice laced with concern.

"I'm not sure yet." I admit. The pile of documents waiting to be read is foreboding and restrictive.

"No worries, my love. I'll still be here to pick you up after work, don't worry."

His term of endearment for me makes my heart flutter. He rarely uses it but disarms me all the time. "I don't know how late that would be though."

"I don't care. Just tell me when you're ready."

I hear a knock from my door and I look up to see Ganon entering the room slowly.

"I have to go…" I tell Link.

"No worries. See you very soon." The call ends and I look up at Ganon who is waiting for me to finish my call at a respectable distance. When I put the phone down though, he comes forward again.

"Lady Zelda. The worker's council will start in fifteen minutes. It is best if we set out now."

My feet are already aching—not used to being in heels all the time. My pencil skirt and blouse is tight against my skin and I miss Link's shirts and my sweats. I miss my fluffy socks and slippers and slightly cold coffee that I've forgotten to drink in time. But I take a deep breath and nod. "Yes. Please lead the way."

But Ganon does not move. He looks at the half-eaten plate of sushi and sashimi that he'd bought for me earlier. "But you have not finished lunch, Lady Zelda."

I shake my head and take a swig of my now-cold coffee. I take my phones and my slim laptop under my arm. He offers his hand for them and I hand it over, knowing that he won't take no for an answer. "Where is it?"

"The auditorium in the fifth floor." He says. I nod and follow him out of the door.

We reach the place. It was packed with a lot of employees. The Workers' Council is a meeting to discuss the different concerns that tends to the welfare of the workers. It has started by the time we arrive and Ganon leads me to a seat at the very back. I do not mind. Father makes sure to attend the Workers' Council as much as he can. It is one of his few redeeming qualities. He cares for his employees. He makes sure they have enough budget for team buildings, dinners, equipment—game rooms, gyms, saunas—everything to keep them entertained and motivated.

They are now discussing the harmful effects of working overtime and how each employee should only be allowed a maximum of two hours per day but no more than 20 hours a month. Burn-outs are more common than ever and I am all too familiar with that. A few hands shoot up from the audience and I hold my hand out for my laptop which Ganon hands to me. I flip it open and take down notes.

I don't know how long I've been napping. But I wake up abruptly at the feel of Ganon's heavy hand on my shoulder. I snap at attention with eyes wide open. "Wha—"

"Lady Zelda, you've been snoring."

"Snoring?" I wipe the corners of my mouth—thankfully there is no saliva. I sit up straight. "How long have I been out?"

"An hour or so." Ganon says in a low voice beside me. The council is still ongoing. Nobody has been paying attention to our spot so far in the back.

"Why didn't you wake me up?" I ask. My laptop is now with him and I lean over to see several notes he'd taken for me.

"It's alright. You must be exhausted. It's your first day and you haven't had a pause at all today." He says.

I lean back on my seat and sigh. "Thanks."

"No problem. Your friend, Link, will be here shortly." He says.

The mention of Link catches my attention. "What?"

"He will drop by the council meeting—boost everyone's morale and encourage the employees." He looks at me sideways. "I apologise for barging in on your date yesterday too."

"Date?" My heart skips a beat. So… he knew?

He chuckles lowly. "I was not born yesterday, Lady Zelda. I assume that the Chairman does not know, thus your desire to keep it under wraps."

I squirm uncomfortably in my seat. "Yes."

"Secret is safe with me, Lady Zelda."

"Thank you." I feel a little bit of relief but still feel a little bit nervous still.

Our attention is snatched by a loud applause from the audience. I look towards the stage to see flaming red hair and my favourite shade of blonde. I smile to myself as I sit up straighter. Link is wearing a white pullover over beige pants and loafers. He looks business smart and his ponytail is low at the back of his head. Even at this distance, I can see how blue his eyes are. He's beaming at the audience and waving at everybody. Some female employees are now squealing and clutching each other as they stand up and cheer.

I see some older women jumping to their feet as well and I am fucking amused. I know he has fans. And my boyfriend is drop-dead gorgeous with lick-me abs and a thousand mega-watt smile. I feel a slight twinge of jealousy at how everyone is gushing over his presence. Hundreds of smartphones are now focused on him and he waves at the crowd shyly and yet confidently.

"Hi, I'm Link! It's nice to meet everyone." I watch with continued amusement as he greets everyone and introduces Sidon as well. "This is my manager, Sidon. And we are happy to be here in HyHo today."

The emcee of the Council meeting has now directed them to chairs that were brought out in the middle of the stage. Sidon and Link take their seats and were handed their own mics. The audience is now restless in their seats as Link gets ready to answer some questions.

"It has suddenly turned into a fan meeting." Ganon comments beside me. I almost forget that he's here.

"Link likes to care for his fans." I say.

A woman—maybe my age—is now holding the mic. She's asking Link about his current projects now. "As of now, I am the exclusive endorser for HyHo. I did have a part in Happiness which is currently airing."

The next question is directed to Sidon who is quickly gaining popularity and favor. "I used to be a model when I was younger. But I like managing this dumbass." Laughter erupts from the crowd and the banter erupts between the two of them.

The next question is back to Link and it's about his relationship—if he has a girlfriend.

I am curious. And tense. What will he say? I take deep breaths and try to stay calm as Link lifts the mic to his lips and laughs nervously.

"It's because we've been seeing you and Nicole a lot lately. Is she your girlfriend?"

The mention of that bitch's name makes my heart skip a beat but I ignore it. Link laughs and shakes his head. "Nicole and I are just friends hanging out. We became friends because we were together in Happiness."

Sidon comments, "you guys are sharper than reporters, huh?"

A nervous laughter ripples across the audience. The woman who asked the original question has a follow-up though. "But… do you have a girlfriend?" She asks boldly.

"I do have one." Link says simply. "But she is not part of this industry so… I keep her out of the public eye. I hope you guys will respect that part of me."

The girls squeal in delight and I feel warm inside. Well said. The questioning continues until I feel Ganon shift beside me and answer his phone. I am still entranced by Link interacting with his fans but my assistant taps my shoulder. I look at him distractedly. "Hmm?"

"That was Numar." He says.

"What did he want?"

"He knows we're here at the council and he's asking if you'd like to make an appearance?"

I balk. "What?"

"An appearance. While Link is onstage—to show camaraderie and stuff. Also—like a pre-introduction so the workers will know who you are before the official handover ceremony."

My eyes are wide but Ganon gets me up on my feet amidst my protests of "What do I say?" and "hold up—I'm not good with crowds!" and leads me down the centre aisle. I take a deep breath. Fuck. Eyes are on me. I'm not that good with crowds… But soon enough, people are turning in their seats to look at me. Link—who's in the middle of answering a question—stops in the middle. His face splits into a wide smile at the sight of me.

And I cannot help but smile back. I follow Ganon up the stairs at the side and fuck this stage is long. My heels click against the wooden floor and I am vaguely aware of the emcee announcing my name.

"We are very lucky to have Lady Zelda Euphegenia Fitzgerald Hyrule, only daughter of our Chairman, joining us for the first time in HyHo today."

A round of applause rings around the room and I do an awkward wave. I reach the bromance in the middle where Sidon gets up and gives me a hug. Link—still grinning at me—hugs me too and gives me a secret kiss on my cheek away from the audience's view. "Hey, beautiful." He murmurs as he hugs me a little too long than normal.

I erupt into redness but thankfully, the lights are bright and I remain standing while the emcee hands me a mic. Sidon stands and gives up his seat for me while they bring a new one out.

"Good afternoon, everyone. I am… elated to see everyone in high hopes today."

I feel like I'm in a fucking talkshow. The sea of faces who were mostly excited about Link and Sidon are now looking at me curiously. They're probably wondering who the fuck I am right now—a twenty-something who is interim Chairwoman who probably has no experience at all.

But the presence of Link calms me down.

"Is it alright, if the audience asks you some questions as well, Lady Zelda?" The emcee asks.

I nod slowly. "Yes, I am fine with that. But please don't call my 'lady.'"

Sidon leans over and whispers, "Lady? I prefer Princess."

"Shut up." I hiss at him.

There are not a lot of questions for me—more for Link and Sidon. Though I do get asked where I was all these time. I do admit that I was working as an application developer—much to their surprise. I tell them it was to explore my options.

There are more questions about Link's future projects and plans—if he's transitioning more as an actor instead of a model. Sidon gets asked about his love life which he denies vehemently as it is virtually nonexistent. I think most of the employees are intimidated by me and are reluctant to ask me personal questions.

Which I don't mind. I am perfectly content to sit back and listen to Sidon and Link tease each other. I spy Ganon at the corner of the room near the doors and he gives me a thumbs up. Soon enough—the council meeting ends with a few lucky fans coming up the stage to get pictures with Link. I move to the side with Sidon who gives me another of his bone-crushing hugs and shakes hands with Ganon.

"We didn't know you'll be dropping by."

"I didn't know that too." I say with a laugh. We all watch Link who has his hands behind his back, smiling at selfies and videos that will probably end up in Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook and every other social networking site out there.

"Are the employees normally this giddy?" I ask Ganon who shakes his head. "With the help of some celebrities—yes."

Soon—the employees file excitedly one by one out the doors. And we are all that's left. Link holds my hand while Sidon and Ganon talk. He steals kisses but I tell him that Ganon knows about our relationship. He smirks and then leans forward to steal another kiss. "Hmmm. Seeing you at work gives me ideas."

I slap him playfully across the arm but he yelps dramatically.

"Did you like my answer earlier?" He asks.

I know he means the question about him having a girlfriend. I nod slowly. "Your fans would be frustrated that you've finally confirmed about you having a relationship."

But he shrugs and shakes his head. "That's better instead of them thinking that the B and I are an item."

"Lady Zelda?" Ganon calls out.

I look over my shoulder to see Ganon and Sidon gesturing to both of us. Still holding on tightly to my hand, Link leads the way. "Yes, Ganon?"

"The Chairman wants a quick meeting in ten minutes to discuss the Worker's Council proceedings before we discuss the reports about the Yiga Inc. merger."

"And you—" Sidon points at Link. "Your shoot is in twenty. Lila is already waiting for you there."

I nod and Link does too. He lets my hand go but before parting ways—he gives me a swift kiss on the cheek with a pointed look at Ganon and Sidon. "See you later."

I watch them leave through the other side of the auditorium with Link waving just at the last moment. Ganon does not comment but I see him with a ghost of a smile as he leads the way back to the elevators.

It has been a week and finally… finally… a weekend. Just one week and I am exhausted. My earlier filing of leave of absence has turned into a full-blown resignation where I had to spend a day to hand over all of the recent projects I am working on. The management is not happy about the fact that I am leaving immediately but the way things are progressing in HyHo… everything is happening too fast.

Father has already left. We had a quick dinner which was more business-like where he finished off handing over every bit of each project he was involved in. Numar has already left with him after the dinner but I had to go back to the office to finish work. The announcement of my thing over was done yesterday via a big press conference. There were a lot of reporters and questions that were mostly probing into why my father was leaving quite abruptly. But we did manage to skirt them off with a well-rehearsed 'my father will be coming back home to settle some business there while I take care of things here.'

Link has been such a sweetheart. He's been picking me up from work every day no matter how late it is. I'm so tired all the time that as soon as I get home, he takes me into bed and tucks me in. In the mornings, he takes me to work even when he doesn't have a shoot. This is the most exhausted week of my entire life.

Which is why now, I'm lying still in bed—my phone is ringing and I can hear it but I'm staring at the dark grey ceiling above me. Link stirs, an arm around my waist. He pulls me closer and I feel his lips searching. I feel his kisses on my temple and he smells my hair.

"You awake?"

I nod slowly. My phone has stopped ringing but it starts again. I'm guessing it's Ganon calling about the Chinese investors we have for a new annex to the biggest shopping mall in the city. This was the last deal I was reading before I went home last night. I feel his hand on my face and I turn to him. He kisses me briefly with half-lidded eyes. "You going to answer that?"

"It's work." I sigh heavily and I bury myself in his neck. He pulls me close and his chest is pressed against mine. He's naked from the waist up and his skin is warm under my fingers and palm. He breathes heavily and steadily.

"I miss you" He whispers against my hair. I know he's not complaining. He supports what I'm doing and doesn't fail to tell me every morning before I leave for work. But his hands feel good around my waist.

"Me too." I say back. My phone has finally stopped ringing. I know it'll start again in a few minutes. But it's a Saturday and looking at the clock on the wall, it's ten and this is the latest I've woken up in a week. I know Link is tired beside me too. He fetched me at almost midnight and he's been with Sidon all day—at an ocular three hours outside of town to check locations for a whole new spread for Ziya.

"Breakfast?" He asks in a small voice. His fingers are tracing the small of my back. I hike my leg up his and accidentally nudge the bulge in his boxers. He chuckles but does not make a move.

"I can make breakfast." I say with a smile as I look up at him.

He smiles down at me and his eyes are so blue I can never get tired of looking in them. "We can make it together." He suggests.

We get out of bed together and wash up—giggling and laughing together. On the way out though, I grab my phone—the work one—the one who's been ringing the whole time—the one that I've been ignoring—and follow Link to the kitchen. He starts putting in some coffee and I take the eggs out of the fridge while I dial Ganon's number and return his seven missed calls.

"Lady Zelda, good morning."

"Yes?"

"I was just calling that the Chinese investors has requested amendments to clauses seventy-six thru eighty-three of the contract. I need you to do a quick check before I bring it up to our lawyers and then send the contract back to them to sign."

I sigh. But I feel Link's kiss on my shoulder and he gives me a nudge to the living room as he takes the eggs off my hands. With tired feet, I go to the living room where my laptop and my bag from last night was. A bunch of folders are on the table as well.

Ganon is still talking. "I've sent it to your email and I've highlighted the parts that need reviewing."

"When do you need it back?" I ask. I flip my laptop open and the email is booting up. I bring the thing back to the kitchen counter.

"I know it's the weekend, but is noon too early?"

I open the attachment and I see the file. He's already marked the related clauses in yellow and I start scanning. "Noon is fine."

"Thank you. I will be on standby."

I hung up the phone and Link has already put some oil on the pan for the eggs. He's mixing batter now with a smile. He's still naked from the waist up and I've got a full view of his abs as he smirks at me while he mixes the pancake batter at the same time.

The sounds and smells of his cooking fills the kitchen and I feel a little guilty at the fact that he's doing it by himself even though I told him I'll help. But he hands me some coffee and kisses the top of my head before going back to flipping pancakes. Soon—bacon smells hang in the air.

I finish scanning the document and send back the email with my notes just in time for Link to give me a plate piled high with pancakes and eggs and bacon. He sits beside me and I push the laptop away. "I wanted to take you out today." He says after a little while.

My ears perk up and I cheer up. "Where?"

He shrugs. "Where do you want to go?"

I take a forkful of food and chew slowly—thinking. The idea of going out that's not work-related is enticing and I am eager to do something else aside from reading documents and meetings and talking to Ganon and wearing heels.

"We have to stop by my apartment first. I need to get the rest of my stuff and Sidon will be there too, right?" I say.

For the past week, I've been having some of my stuff delivered from my old place to Link's. Mipha has come through and is now taking over my apartment. She's excited at the prospect of having her own flat—something which Sidon is not as ecstatic about.

Link twirls a strand of my long air around his finger as he stares at me while taking bites in between. He does this a lot. I don't mind. "You're staring."

"You're beautiful."

I blush instantly. We finish breakfast and I offer to wash the dishes much to his displeasure. But I beat him to it and he trudges off to the living room to turn on the TV. The mindless task of washing and scrubbing the plates and pans give me this dead air of silence that feels good. After the hustle and bustle of an entire week, it is very much welcomed.

Done with the dishes, I dry my hands on a kitchen towel. I hear the sound of the news on the TV and I come over in my fluffy socked feet with coffee. He turns when he hears me coming and taps the space next to him.

"We can leave around lunch, yeah?" He asks as he traces a spot on my shoulder. I nod as I sip my coffee. This is a perfectly normal Saturday morning and I can get used to this. After the news—featuring a small spiel of me taking over HyHo, we get a quick shower and leave the house.

Link is driving. And he's fucking handsome and such a sight to watch.

"You're distracting me." He comments with a smirk as he turns left at an intersection when the light turned green.

"I got a celebrity driving for me."

"I've got a president slash CEO slash Chairwoman with me though." He answers back.

His phone rings and he hands it to me to answer. Sidon's name flashes across the screen. "Hey, Sidon."

"Hey, Princess. You guys on your way?"

"Yeah. You with Mipha already?"

"Little shit is late. But can you stop by the store to get some trash bags though? I forgot to buy some."

I think about the little convenience store near my apartment. "Yepp, sure. Need anything else?"

"I'll take care of lunch. Laters."

"See you." I hung up the phone and turn to Link. "Sidon needs us to stop by the store to buy some trash bags."

"Sure. There's one near your place, right?"

"Yepp. Around the corner."

"Okay. Got it." With long slim fingers, he manoeuvres around cars and then we continue on the familiar ride home. We reach the building and then come up. Link is back with his disguise and is wearing a simple shirt and jeans. His blonde hair shines in the sun though and still catches attention. Thankfully though, we don't get any other people in the elevator and don't meet anyone else in the corridors. Letting ourselves in, I spot Sidon in the living room, watching TV with a carton of ice cream between his legs and pile of empty cardboard boxes at his feet.

"Took you guys long enough." He gets up and hugs me tightly. Link hands him the trash bags and I wander off to the kitchen to get some water. As I do, I look over the my things. A sense of nostalgia washes over me. The furnishings including appliances, TV, the couch—Mipha has bought them all so she wouldn't have to start from scratch. These things are unnecessary for Link's place anyway. What I need to take today are the rest of my clothes and books. I'll be looking over some stuff as well to check which can be thrown out.

I wander off to my previous office and start checking out the books—choosing which ones I'm going to take home with me. Link had bookshelves placed in the living room and in my office, thankfully, so I can take home my mini library. I scan the titles immediately and soon enough, I have two piles before me. One I can donate to the library or wherever and the other to be taken back to our place. I don't notice how long I've been inside my office but soon enough, Sidon peeks through the doorway and waves at me. "I'm going out to get lunch. Anything you prefer?"

I shake my head with a smile. "Anything is fine."

"Link is asleep on the couch." Sidon says and then leaves me alone.

No wonder it's been quiet. I expected him to come after me. But it's okay. I don't mind. He's really tired anyway. I continue dividing the books. I am done soon and I come out of the office. Sidon has not come back yet and Link is on the couch. His arm thrown casually across his face, shielding his eyes from the sunlight streaming through the window.

Silently, I make three trips from the office to the living room, carrying piles of books that I put on the coffee table. Link doesn't stir. The news is still on but the volume just enough. I sit down on the carpet and start putting the books I'm keeping inside one of the empty boxes. I pile them neatly and half-heartedly listen to the news that has shifted to its entertainment segment.

"Juicy celebrity news for you guys out there!" A cheerful voice sounded out from the TV, catching my attention. Frozen on the spot with a book of poetry on my hand, I stare at the screen to the host wearing a skin-tight red dress grinning with her co-host to the side. "Number one trending topic nowadays is the upcoming and rising star, Link!" A smile comes up to my face as I put the book down and watch. Link is still asleep at the corner of my eye. I rarely watch television, let alone entertainment news and gossip channels but since my boyfriend is the number one trending topic—might as well keep up with the times.

"Rumor has it that he has been dating! If y'all remember, he was caught in the mall a long time ago with an unknown woman whom he was soooo adamant about hiding. Statement from his agency, Zorans, released by his manager, the hunkdom that is Sidon—says that he was out with a close friend." She wiggles her eyebrows as the picture from way back flashed on the screen. That's me—in the jacket with the cap as I bury my face in his chest. I hug my knees as I watch the news intently. It seems so long ago.

"We all know what that means! Naturally… naturally… We just had to investigate! Of course—the sizzling young star has been laying low ever since his career started but but but, ladies and gentlemen! We just had to find someone—someone who'd talk and trust me—FINALLY—we did. Reports confirm that as the new private endorser of HyHo, Link—our delectable little cinnamon—has confirmed he IS dating!"

My heart skips a beat. Fuck. We've been careful… but wait—the last one… He was all over me at the mall—kissing and hugging—

"Ohhhh! Tell me more tell me more!"

"Soooo our baby boy went to HyHo for a photoshoot aaaaaand there was some sort of fan meet before where Link answered some questions! He haaaas admitted to dating! AND WE KNOW WHO THE LUCKY LUCKY LUCKY WOMAN IS!"

Fuck. Does Sidon knows about this? News like these—they should be asking for statements—my hand itches towards my phone and I have half a mind to call Ganon to put a stop to this—

"She's famous too, yes?" The other host perks up excitedly.

"Yes! And this is exclusive news, my dear viewers! PREPARE YOUR HEARTS TO BE BROKEN BECAUSE WE HAVE MORE. Do we heeaaaar wedding bells in the air?!" A blown-up picture of a hand with a massive diamond appears across the screen and I start to get confused more than pissed. "She's been wearing it for at least a month now!"

Huh?

I look at my bare fingers. I don't wear rings. And that…

"There has been several sightings of our dear Link going out with her! We are very pleased to announce—that our baby boy is now grown and is with none other than—the rich—"

"—and famous!"

"—and beyond beautiful"

"—and did I mention, rich?"

"Nicole Masaki!" They say together.

A picture of them both with Link leaning over close to her—with his back to the camera—they look like they're kissing—are they kissing—fuck wait wait is this from Happiness? But no this is outside—that's outside some house on a street whatever—they're holding hands—wait hold up

I need to breathe.

I know that shirt he's wearing—he's wearing the same shirt he had when Mipha and I went shopping that one time. Sidon. Where is Sidon?

But he said lunch was cancelled by her that day—

Wait—what's happening. I'm confused—

My chest hurts and the television screen goes dark. In a daze—I see Link sitting up, the remote in his hand, surprise on his face. My mind feels strangely blank and I need air. I feel his arms around me and I am pulled onto his lap as he holds me close.

"Zelda. That's not true. You know that's not true." He whispers in my ear.

My hands are cold and I'm shaking and did I leave the window open? Is the air-conditioning on? It's too cold—I'm shivering—its… coming from the inside. I'm shaking like a leaf. I feel his lips over mine—as if willing me to come back to life—to feel something—anything. I look into his ocean eyes that are wide with worry. "You know that's not true. That's gossip. Trust me."

I nod slowly. I know. I know. I know I promised not to run anymore. I know I promised not to walk out. But all I want to do right now is to get out of his embrace, off of his lap—and out. Out there—anywhere. But I promised and I swore and I am staying.

I am staying. I know all of this is ridiculous. Link would never cheat on me. That is obvious. But I can still feel the pounding in my chest and the pounding in my head and the air—I need air.

It's not true. I repeat to myself over and over again.

Flashes of Scene 82 run across my mind's eye and I try to push them away. His voice in my ear pulls me in—"It's not true, love. It's just gossip. It's not true. None of that is true. You know this."

I nod.

I want to run. But I'm staying. Because I promised.

—Mackenziiee