Thanks to the folks of DeviantArt whose fantastic images I stole and used as my desktop background, as well as the ones that gave me inspiration for this story. Seriously, kudos to all the great artists out there; writers and painters and crazy people who vomit rainbows and sparkles onto a canvas and call it art. You guys give me heaps of inspiration and the strength to read another two dozen GhiraLink fics, as well as ones of Kuroko no Basuke (guilty pleasure, I'm sorry). And thanks to my reviewers, you guys are also awesome. Fuck society, I love my internet life. Xoxo Matty-cchi and his clicky-thing
And sorry if Link seems a little OOC. He doesn't speak in the game, so I kinda made him a bit snarky. Ghirahim too.
Link had stayed silent and incredibly awkward as they had bathed in the hot spring, keeping himself at a distance. He hadn't enjoyed the teleportation. He had, however, enjoyed their time in the grove. It was strange. He'd been too busy adventuring or exploring or whatever to think about sex, and anything that went with it.
Zelda was pretty, but he couldn't imagine sleeping with her. They were just friends, weren't they? A thought occurred to him and he made a solemn vow never to let Ghirahim and Groose be in the same room together. Any credibility he had would go down the drain and be buried forever, along with his virginity and his self-esteem.
Somehow, he knew that Ghirahim would take every opportunity to let everyone know that he had taken the boy, marked him as his property. And obviously, that would be bad. Pushing those horrible, nightmare-inducing thoughts out of his head, he quickly began to get dressed.
I didn't do it because I wanted to, he thought grumpily, I did it because I had to. It's not like I enjoyed it or anything. The whole time he was getting dressed and denying reality, he felt eyes on his back. I have to face him eventually. Oh well... He was about to turn around when a strong, muscular arm encircled his waist.
"Once I'm bound to a sword, we'll be able to spend much more time together, sky child." the demon whispered, his breath ghosting over the boy's ear. "I'll show you the kind of life I enjoy. You, me, a dozen soft pillows, the best wine in all the lands; all the finest things in life shall be ours. And a touch of excitement and adventure to keep your hero urges at bay."
His words were tempting. With Demise vanquished, he was allowed to choose his own path. And if that path gave him a comfortable bed and the warm embrace of the demon he totally wasn't fanboying over, then who was he to deny himself that pleasure? He'd earned it, after all. He found his shoulders relaxing, a contented sigh escaping him.
"We'll see." he murmured, his eyes lidded as another wave of exhaustion hit him. "I'm not promising anything." he felt the demon's lips against his neck, nipping and biting at the flesh. He could sense the smile on the other's lips as he leaned back against him.
Ghirahim hummed softly and slipped his hand into one of the pouches on the boy's belt, the blue diamond earring pinched between two slender fingers. "I couldn't help but notice this, sky child. I didn't know you felt that way about me." he purred, his other hand lifting to touch the hero's ear. Before Link could say anything, the demon had pressed the hook through the soft skin of his ear, earning a small cry of pain. "You did want to wear it, didn't you?" he teased, licking up the drop of blood that oozed from the hole.
The blonde turned his head slightly and looked up at him, wincing from the ache in his earlobe. "My ears are already pierced. You could have just taken out one of my earrings." he grumbled, forcing himself to pull away from the demon. "Just do your clicky-thing so we can go." The Demon Lord laughed and wrapped his arm around the boy again, holding him close.
Link would never willingly admit it, but he found himself liking the demon. They were similar, and the pain the demon brought wasn't entirely unwelcome. So when the male snapped his fingers, he was smiling faintly and touching the new earring.
They arrived almost instantly, the hero's face pale from the strange sensation. His companion released him and stepped ahead of him, hiding the tired expression he wore. "Don't call it a 'clicky-thing' again, or I'll teleport you into the middle of the desert and leave you there." he huffed, folding his arms over his chest.
Once the boy had calmed down enough to notice his surroundings, he lifted his head. Before them was a structure seemingly built into a cliff side, concealed from above by the treetops and jutting formations of pale rock. A young woman was leaning against the cloth door, crimson hair hanging down over her eyes.
Link straightened up and met her brilliant red gaze, blinking a little. She smiled at him, revealing pointed fangs. Somehow, the gesture wasn't reassuring at all. "So, Ghirahim. It's been a long time since we last spoke." her voice was soft, yet loud enough to easily be heard. It was almost like a blade wrapped in silk.
"Zero, this is Link. He will be the one to wield the blade." the demon gestured towards his companion, the woman's eyes following every movement. "While we're on the topic, what happened to that pet of yours?"
"We weren't on the topic." she sighed, turning to inspect Link. She moved towards him, lifting his arms and feeling the muscles, studying him like he was a bug. "But Icarus is inside the workshop. I had him learn how to forge, seeing as the time spent in the demon realm has had a... profound reaction upon him."
Link grimaced as she turned away, retrieving two simple blades from the building and throwing one towards the boy. "Fight me." she commanded, holding her sword in her left hand. With an annoyed look at Ghirahim, he caught the blade by the hilt and swung it experimentally, his eyes fixed on the demon woman.
Zero's lips spread in a wide grin, her pointed teeth seeming even sharper than before as she lunged towards him. Their blades met in a shower of sparks, blue eyes meeting crimson. She spun quickly, the weapon arcing towards him again. He barely had enough time to block the blade with his own, his arms quivering from the strength of the blow.
A soft chuckle sounded from the side as the two separated, facing each other. Link clenched his teeth and feinted at her left side before changing the angle of the blade, cutting a long gash in her upper arm. She didn't seem bothered by the wound as she stepped back, tilting her head curiously as blood dripped down onto the blade.
He blinked in surprise as she changed the blade to her right hand, slashing at him the moment her fingers closed around the hilt. He cursed internally and dodged back, the tip of the blade missing his stomach by mere inches. She twirled her sword in small circles by her side, watching him coolly.
Suddenly, she stepped back. "I see. A hand and a half longsword will be perfect for you. Any particular designs you want on the blade?" at that she shot an odd look at Ghirahim, who stepped forward and took the blades before clearing his throat.
Link wiped the sweat from his brow with shaking hands, tired from the fight, as well as the teleportation and the strength Ghirahim had taken from him. He opened his mouth to reply, when she snapped her fingers. "Never mind, I have the perfect idea!" she turned and practically bounded into the building, yelling loudly.
The boy looked towards his companion, his eyes wide. "Is she always this... crazy?" he asked in a hushed voice, still panting softly.
Ghirahim laughed and leaned back against a tree, gazing at him with an expression that barely concealed his amusement. "Yes. She's been like that ever since we met. You kind of get used to it eventually." he smirked. "But she still surprises me sometimes. She likes to keep people on their toes."
"Just like another demon I know."
"You be quiet, sky child."
A pair of muscular, scarred arms wrapped around the boy's middle, startling him. A boy a little older than him was grinning at him crookedly, short black hair swept back from his face. "Zero's all worked up over this blade she has to make you. I didn't think you'd be strong enough to bond with that sword spirit." the boy leaned closer, sniffing at his neck. "You smell like him too... I didn't know he had that much of a hold on you." he whispered, smirking dangerously.
Ghirahim waved a hand at the boy, several red daggers whipping through the air towards the stranger. He leapt aside, the daggers burying themselves in the dirt, narrowly missing Link. The boy was crouched in the grass, his teeth bared like a startled wolf. "Don't waste your power, Ghirahim." he growled.
The Demon Lord walked towards him ever so slowly, a move he had used against Link during their battles. It made him seem as if he was far more powerful than he actually was, a technique used to intimidate his opponent. But the boy didn't even flinch, just turning a derisive glare upon the demon.
"I can tell how much power you have." he taunted, a pair of silver gauntlets forming around his hands and wrists, the fingers tipped with claws. "Zero won't appreciate you attacking me, you know. She's making the sword because she likes you and because she owes you. She won't make it if you hurt me." he said confidently, his golden eyes daring the demon to strike him.
When the demon turned and moved to Link's side, the younger male snorted in disgust. "If you were at full power, I'd fight you here and now and take that boy for myself. It'd be a waste to destroy you while you're this weak." he laughed and straightened up, walking inside the building.
"And that is why I will never take you to the demon realm." the demon muttered in the hero's ear, wrapping his arms around his waist. "That realm has the ability to slowly turn even the purest of heart into demonic creatures. Only the strongest can withstand it; the weak become mindless monsters."
Link stiffened and looked up at him, a frown tugging at his lips. "There's plenty to explore on the surface." he murmured in response, pulling out of the demon's arms as Zero ran back out of the building.
"You two can make yourselves at home. There are a few spare bedrooms you can use, and anything in the garden is edible." she gestured to the left of the building, turning back to the door. "And if you plan on sleeping with the boy again, Ghirahim, you'd better make sure he's quiet. I don't want any distractions while I make this sword." she said sternly, looking at them over her shoulder.
They both nodded meekly; even Ghirahim seemed cowed by her fierce glare. She laughed and vanished back into the structure. With a look of mutual agreement passing between the two, they began to explore the building.
At least two hours later, the duo had explored the gardens and every room except for the forge; Ghirahim had strongly advised against it. This place is huge, too huge for two people. Link thought to himself as he set his belt and pouch on the bedside table.
The room he had chosen was elegant yet simple, containing an extravagant bed with crisp black sheets and pillows, a mound of cushions and blankets beneath the window that served as a nest of sorts, a bookcase filled with books of all kinds, and an attached bathroom with a washbasin and a bathtub. It would be enough until Zero had made the sword.
Crawling onto the bed and untying the black curtains that hung down around it, he kicked off his boots and buried himself under the mass of pillows and blankets, sighing contentedly. Ghirahim was around... somewhere. He didn't know. He vaguely remembered the demon telling him something about staying on guard, but he was too tired to think, let alone stay alert.
The door is locked... I'll be fine... his sleepy mind whispered, luring him deeper into the blankets with promises of sleep and warmth. He hummed softly and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and letting it out as he began to relax.
Visions assaulted his mind rapidly, invading his senses. He saw himself, a black blade across his back and a black outfit that replaced his usual green one. He wore a smirk on his lips, his blue eyes confident in his own power. The vision changed, showing himself sprawled across Ghirahim's lap, his hands tangled in the other's white hair and the demon's hand on the boy's hips. He wore nothing but his trousers and a pair of gloves, looking more regal than ever before, yet looking more like a pet with each passing second. Another image revealed him held loosely in Ghirahim's arms, the citizens of Skyloft bowing their heads in mourning as the demon walked past, the still boy hanging limply. Zelda tried to run after the demon, but was held back by a young man with red hair, his pompadour mysteriously absent. Tears streamed down her face as the man murmured something to her, trying to console her. Finally, the last image was of Ghirahim stepping in the way of an attack aimed at his sky child, his arms thrown wide with a snarl as he shielded the boy with his own body. He turned his head and looked Link in the eye, a pained smile on his white lips. "We are bound by a red string of fate, you and I... one that will be stained crimson with your blood!" he whispered.
The dream faded as quickly as it had come, leaving the sky child panting and shaking from the deluge of images. Zelda's mournful cries still rang in his ears, making the boy curl up tighter. His skin was drenched in sweat, his breath coming in ragged gasps that betrayed his fear. Sitting up on the bed, he wiped his face with the back of his hand, trying to calm himself.
It was just a dream, he thought, it can't harm me.
He stood and made his way to the bedroom door, was in the process of unlocking it when he heard a snap behind him. He had never been more relieved to see the demon as he turned and bolted towards him, concealing his face against the man's muscled chest.
"Such an odd place to seek comfort, sky child." Ghirahim murmured, scooping the boy up into his arms and carrying him to the bed. "I heard your cries from the hallway, and as heart-warming as they are to my ears, I don't want my master to become a broken husk of a hero."
Link looked up at him in surprise, his hands clutching the red cape around the man's shoulders. "I'm not your master." he frowned despite himself, lowering his head again.
The Demon Lord sighed and lay down on the bed, the boy resting between his legs. "I don't particularly want to have a master at all, but by all rights, my master is the one that wields the blade I'm bound to." his hand stroked over the boy's hair, firm and warm, yet astonishingly soft.
The shaken hero looked up at him, his eyes widening as he noticed the black lines marring the pale skin. "You could have opened the door, you know." he mumbled, hiding the tremor in his voice. The nightmare was all too real and fresh in his mind, effectively demolishing the barriers he had constructed to shield himself from the demon. I won't tell him what I saw, he whispered in the back of his mind.
Ghirahim watched the boy calm down and slowly drift off to sleep again, his own eyes hooded. I certainly don't feel for the boy... but the things he said earlier won't stop repeating itself in my mind. I suppose we are similar, to a certain degree. We're terribly weak when we should be strong, and we are both plagued by nightmares whenever we sleep. He chuckled in his mind. I never thought that I would want to be bound to this sky child. All things are susceptible to change, in the end.
He ran his fingers over the tip of the boy's ear, his head resting against the headboard. I don't know what he dreamt of, but if it had this much of an effect on him... I know it wasn't anything pretty. I don't think I've ever seen him this distraught... he mused, twisting a lock of golden hair between his fingertips.
I have been concerned for my own safety and well-being on occasion; this might just be the first time I've cared about someone other than myself. What a strange thought. A demon falling for a human boy. I suppose it could be worse. I could have been bound to that annoying, red-haired boy with the atrociously-styled pompadour. He thought wryly.
Link mumbled something in his sleep and shifted against the demon's chest, nuzzling him. Something in his vulnerable expression made the Demon Lord's gaze soften. When the boy was awake, he kept the majority of his emotions behind a wall of courage and sarcastic comments, but when he slept... that barrier was gone, leaving every thought and feeling exposed.
It brought a smile to the weary demon's lips.