Chapter 3:

The Water Temple

I had underestimated Ruto, she was creepier than I was, and she knew I would be watching. She waited for Link and then spied me out of the shadows to wink teasingly at me. Ruto had now officially replaced Malon on my list of 'girls who annoy me'. Ruto puts the 'tit' in competition. Worst of all, she knew that I was a woman. It made me shake in my shoes to know that this air headed fish-girl had chipped away my cover just by smelling my breath. The commotion was followed by the presence of Link, with a shell blade hanging precariously from his sleeve. He shook it off and shivered with disgust.

"I hate wet places…" He moaned before entering the room. Ruto was ready, and he looked at her agape.

"Link!" She squealed. She knew she had made an impression on him and she ran towards him to jump up and kiss his cheek, pressing her chest to his. His arms splayed wide with surprise and he patted her uncomfortably on the back.

"Hey, Ruto…" He said shakily.

"I haven't forgotten your promise to me, Link." She said teasingly. "You proposed to me, you know? Seven long years I've waited for you." She leaned to whisper in his ear. "You're such an awful man for making me wait so long…"

Link treated her with almost the same repulsion as the shell blade as her tried to gracefully shake himself from her presence.

"You know I don't want to marry you, Ruto. It was just a rock! Don't look into it." She smiled and put her hand on his chest.

"Well, we don't have to be married to have fun, Link. I'll give whatever you want from me, take it as thanks for saving my home, Hero." She said silkily, moving her hand down his front. He understandingly could not take his eyes off of her chest, and maybe, just maybe he could ignore the weird flapping fins that surrounded her body, but in the end, it was all too fishy for him. He shimmied away from her, stammering over words.

"I- I can't. Very busy with… World saving. Um…" He said clumsily as he unraveled himself. She smelled his breath and replied in shock.

"You naughty boy!" She exclaimed. "You're in love with someone else?!" Link scrunched up his face in disgust. My heart leapt into my throat as I considered who Link could be in love with. I entertained the thought of him loving me, but I shook that thought away, as it was foolishly optimistic.

"You can tell that from my breath?" He exclaimed. Ruto laughed.

"Well at least you're not denying it. I wouldn't expect any less from the one with courage. Who is it?" She said, giggling. To my horror she looked quickly at me. Fish People. Ugh. Link fell silent and I longed for him to reveal who he was in love with, but he said nothing. Ruto paced around him slyly.

"How about we make a deal, Link? I will tell you a secret, if you tell me who you're in love with?" She offered.

"I'm sure you have many secrets, Ruto, but I don't know if any of them are worth the name of the one I love." He said. He spoke so gallantly, so sure of himself. I was awed by him and Ruto laughed again.

"Alright, how about this. I will tell you a secret regardless, but if it is good enough, you will share your heart's desire with me." She said, all the while her eyes darting to glance in my direction. He contemplated her and his curiosity won out.

"Alright…" He said. She giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck to whisper in his ear. To my horror he held her torso close to his as she whispered her secret. My skin burned. What secret could she possibly be telling him? I shrunk in the shadows in shame as I knew that if she told him I was a girl, it would all be over. I strained my ears to make out her wispy giggles. Link scoffed.

"Oh I could have guessed that!" He exclaimed. Ruto seemed legitimately surprised. I breathed a sigh of relief. I was safe, for now.

"Oh? You knew?" She said. Link shrugged.

"Yeah, pretty much." He said. Ruto crossed her arms, and was actually truly annoyed because her secret was no news to Link. "But I will tell you who I love anyways, because it's not really a secret, you're just being nosy." He said. She bounced with joy and Link leaned in to whisper to her. When he whispered the mystery name, her eyes rolled in her head and she shook her head apologetically at me. When he pulled away, she huffed.

"That wasn't a secret, Link." She said.

"I know!" He said, amused. Ruto did not like his amusement and suddenly found no fun in teasing him.

"Well, I guess we should get to the subject at hand, then?" She said, as if suddenly bored. It was becoming clear what kind of person Ruto was, and I hated to admit it, but I did not wholly dislike her, save for her endless flirting.

"Oh…" Ruto added. "Tell Sheik, I said hi."

"Oh, no. Not Sheik too, Ruto?" Added Link teasingly.

They went deeper into the temple together, and I was left to wait and think about what had happened.

I left to ponder my feelings about Link on one of the islands in the Lake. Since I could obviously not skip any stones, I just threw them into the shallow pools below. I thought about… him. I thought about who he loved? As much as I could wish it were me, there were other very significant people in his life. The Forest girl, who was his best friend since they were kids, the bored shop keeper, the lady with the dogs the- wait, no. I was being ridiculous. I shrank as I contemplated what to do. My heart rushed as I thought about my feelings being reciprocated. I had asked myself before, when was this relationship, as is, not going to be enough? I realized very quickly that it already wasn't, and I burned for him to know. I yearned to reveal myself, to see the way he looked at me seven years ago. As if I were the most amazing and mysterious thing he had ever laid eyes on. I fought to reason with myself. How could I… make him see? Thoughts raced through my mind and I wrung the bandages in my hands in indecision.

Suddenly the lake began to fill and my eyes began to sting as the home I once loved started to come back to life. Behind me, I could hear the familiar sound of the way Link sheathed his sword. I turned to see him, returned from his perilous task. He looked magnificent. His hair shone in the setting sun and the water of the lake twinkled about him like stars. I could not ignore the graceful build of his body. The wide shoulders, lean frame, and strong hands. His face was sharpened with adulthood, but retained the childish demeanor in his features. His elfish ears stuck clumsily out from his hair, and his eyes widened in my stare. I was horrified to find that I had been staring at him, and had been caught. But I was puzzled to realize he was looking at me in quite the same way. I shook my head to rearrange my thoughts.

"You did it." I breathed, overwhelmed with emotion. He smiled a small smile and opened his arms in invitation. I was too smitten and glad that I couldn't help but run to him and hold him tightly. He held me there for a while, and I did not know why he did not break the embrace. I had never held him before and I relished in the heat of him. I was comforted by him. Too comforted. His hand flattened on my back and he began to rub small circles there. He sighed loudly, as if relieving himself of a great weight. I sighed in return, melting in his touch.

"I had to fight my own shadow in there." He said, disturbed. His demeanor hardened and his hand left my back, leaving a cooing spot which burned for more of his touch. I was revulsed at myself. I inwardly checked to see if I was showing any sign of love-stricken girl on the outside. My mind was so fuzzy I couldn't come up with a conclusion and I was left hoping that I was doing a decent job of remaining mysterious and safe. He pulled me away to look into my face and smiled. "It was really fucked up." I smiled too, although I couldn't imagine the hardships he had endured, and I could tell his smile did not wholly reach his eyes. Without thinking I moved my hands to cup his face, and his eyes softened.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that." I said sincerely. His face formed a mysterious emotion that I couldn't quite put my finger on. He brought his hands to my face, and I realized how intimately I was holding him there. I quickly released his face and brought my hands to my sides but he did not remove his. He pulled me closer, and I didn't stop him. There was not a fiber in my being that did not want to be closer to him. I closed my eyes in suspended anticipation, and my heart cajoled in a rapid tattoo. I found I could not move, and I could not resist. I was at his will, his mercy. My heart, weak with loving and want, was at his feet. And he knew it. Slowly he pulled the bandage down from my face to reveal my lips, and brush them with his finger. I looked at him lazily, softly muffling the part of me that was screaming not to let him do what I knew he was going to do. I saw him stare at my mouth, and licked his lips contemplatively. Slowly, softly, he placed his lips on mine, and my soul was set on fire. His kiss burned into my cheeks, and my knees forgot to hold onto my weight. He held me close to him and he lifted his lips from mine, only to bring them back down in a deeper, longer kiss. I heard him inhale sharply, and I breathed him in. He held me close to him now, as I was obviously negligent of holding up my own weight.

He broke the kiss and held me gently, firmly to him. I returned the embrace and sighed deeply.

"Sheik…" He whispered. "I have to know…" I groaned, being shaken from his blissful kiss. I know he needed to know, and he needed to know from me. I shut my eyes at what my foolish girly desires whispered back.

"Meet me at the fairy fountain where we last met." I whispered. He pulled back to look at me, and nodded slowly with dawning understanding. With wobbling knees and a deadly blush raging under my skin, I threw a Deku nut at his feet, disappearing before his very eyes.