Hello fabulous people! Sorry, these past few days have been a bit ridiculous on the busy scale.
But here you go! Chapter 14.
Sidenote-this is one of the longest stories I have ever done. I love how it shapes and forms from an original idea to the final product in a document. The process is thoroughly enjoyable.
Also, I would like to thank those who have either just jumped on the bandwagon, or have been along for the ride from the beginning. I don't thank you all enough, and I just want you to know that I truly do appreciate it. So thank you!
Now, without further ado, words for consumption!
"Whoa, Epona," I say, comforting the excited horse. She hasn't seen me since the beginning of school, and it is completely within reason she is happy to see me. I can't say any different. I stroke her nose, calming her so I could put her in her stall for the night. I turn to see Link doing the same with Kai in the neighboring stall. I smile; turning back to Epona's reigns and slowly taking them off. I place her reigns on the hook in the wood pillar nearby and gather some food to put into her trough. Once Epona had food, I gave her a good brushing. I notice Ilia has taken really good care of her while I was gone. I make a mental note to pay her back someday.
I look over Epona's back to the entrance to her stall and see Link casually leaning against the door, his arms folded and most of his weight on one foot. I turn my attention back to my work but, admittedly, I somehow became distracted a bit. Especially when he starts walking over. I continue brushing Epona slowly, making sure to get all the loose hair, and felt his gaze on me.
"Yes?" I bend down to get a lower section of Epona's stomach.
"You really care for her, don't you?" He asks.
"Of course I do," I respond almost absentmindedly, continuing brushing. Then I get an idea. "Would you like to try?" I stop brushing and hold it out to him. He smiles.
"Sure," he says excitedly, holding out his hand. I hand him the brush and guide him to Epona.
"Now brush downward, like this," I place my hand on his and guide the brush. Epona snorts, causing Link to jump. I laugh.
"Don't worry," I continue laughing, "you get used to that."
He laughs, too.
We continue brushing Epona until the job is complete. We work up quite the appetites. Closing up the barn for the night, we head inside to find some food.
"It's lucky you remembered that your family was going to be gone this week, Zel," I hear Link say from the main room. "This works out perfectly for us."
I take off my shoes and place them on the mat in the entrance. I then walk into the main room and turn on the light.
"Yeah, no kidding," I say.
Nothing has changed. The table still sits in the middle of the room with the chandelier hanging over it, the kitchen off to the left and the living room to the right. Straight back from the entrance is the stairs leading up to the second level and there is a door right next to the stairs leading to the rest of the rooms on this level, and a door leading to the basement. The deep navy blue walls with splashes of yellows and greens bring be back to when I was a kid. It makes me wish for simpler times. I smile softly, and head toward the kitchen, turning on the light so I can make us some food. I start rummaging through the cupboards and try to find something we can scrape together. I don't find much, just some ingredients to make soup. I shrug and pull the ingredients out one by one from the cupboard. It would have to do.
Once I throw all the ingredients into a pot to put over the stove, I go out to the living room and find Link sitting down on the couch, head leaning back and arms splayed to his sides. I smile and sneak up behind him. Once I make it to the couch, I trail my hands over his shoulders, around his neck and give him a kiss on his temple. He heaves a sigh and smiles crookedly.
I can't help but notice how normal this feels. Cooking for Link and me in my own home. I could see myself enjoying this. For the long run. I blush.
He doesn't think we'll—
"Zel," he says, interrupting my thoughts, "while dinner cooks, can you give me a tour of your home?"
I unwind my arms and squeeze my hands on his shoulders.
"Come on," I say. He gets up and we walk to the door leading to the hall. I show him the main level bedrooms and bathroom first, then the basement which is basically just a wine cellar, then bring him up to the second level to show him mine and Ilia's rooms.
I suddenly get nervous. He's about to see my childhood room. I don't know why I get nervous, maybe the fact that I grew up in this room since I was born and he's my boyfriend of half a year. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I don't have the safety net of a child anymore, that I'm now an adult and make my own decisions.
That I have significantly more responsibilities than even this past summer, so much more on my shoulders. So many burdens.
Link doesn't notice my hesitancy, and as I lead him into my room he simply smiles.
"Your room?" He confirms.
"Yeah," I say, taking it in again. I haven't been here in months. Every time I come back, I fall in love with it again. The forest green walls and purple bedding, along with the gold detailing, has always been one of my favorite color combinations. The green reminded me of the woods that lay just outside my window, like it is reaching in. That's why I picked it. I would much rather be outside than indoors, and if the indoors felt like outside, it wasn't so bad when I was stuck in my room in the middle of winter.
I look around my room. My bed is on one side and my desk on the other, a rug lay in the middle of the wood floor with a Triforce embroidered in the center, and the small wooden chandelier in the center of the room gives off a dim light—not too dim to hinder seeing properly, but not enough to blind you. I also have a small fireplace in the corner by the foot of my bed. I love my room.
"I like it," Link says quietly next to me. "It's very you," he turns to me and gives me his crooked smile. It makes me feel warm inside. He grabs my hand and leads me out of my room, shutting off the lights.
"Thanks for the tour," he says, "but I think our dinner is just about finished. And I'm famished," he turns to smile at me.
"Let's eat, then," I say, following him down to the kitchen.
I wash the dishes and place them on the drying rack while Link leans on the counter, looking around. I find a Tupperware to put the soup into and place it in the fridge. Link walks into the living room to leave me to my work. He stayed abnormally silent throughout dinner. I don't know why. It's just my home.
I finish the work in the kitchen and drain the sink when I spot the teapot on top of the cabinet.
"Link?" I call, he comes to the doorway.
"Yeah?"
"Would you like some tea?" I ask, pointing to the pot.
"Sure, thanks," he says unenthusiastically, turning back to the living room. I frown, but set to work, filling the pot with water and setting it on the stove. I sit on the counter as the water boils.
What is up with Link? He's been quiet ever since the tour of my house, almost distant. I look over to his shadow being cast from the fire in the living room and sigh. Furrowing my eyebrows, I try to think about what changed between the meadow and now. Coming up with nothing, I turn back to the teapot and wait for it to boil.
Once the water is ready, I pull it off the stove and prepare two mugs of tea, pouring the hot water, the steam warming my cold hands. I grab the mugs and bring them out with me to the living room. I walk in to Link looking at my family photos placed above the hearth on a shelf. I set the mugs down on the end table and walk over to him, wrapping my arms around his waist and pulling him close. Link sighs and places his hands on top of mine; his thumbs rub circles into my skin.
"Link," I start, but am cut off by him turning around and wrapping his arms around me.
"Sorry, Zel," he says quietly, "I know I've been weird the past few hours, but," he turns his head back to the photos, hesitating.
"What is it?" I ask, placing a hand on his chest, urging him to continue.
"I guess I'm a little sad," he admits. I look up to him and he gives me a small smile. "You grew up with what seems like a really close knit family, even if it wasn't family by blood. When my parents died, I went straight to the academy and never really got a home to grow up in."
I walk him toward the couch as he speaks. I sit him down and grab the blanket from over the backrest and sit down next to him, draping it over us. I lean into him as he wraps an arm around me, leaning back into the armrest.
"Don't get me wrong," he continues, "the staff at the academy are great—or were before this whole Ghirahim mess—but there's just something about the thought of a home that I could return to with a family who loves me waiting there that makes me extremely happy." He finishes. "Sure, I might be a bit introverted, but don't get me wrong, I love good company. And if I gain a family along the way, that would be even better. I guess looking at your family photos made me feel this way."
"I'm sorry," I say quietly.
"What are you sorry for?" Link sits up a bit and looks at me. "Zel, I'm thankful. Those pictures made me realize that, I don't want to be alone in this big world full of emptiness."
I take him in. His expression is complex, yet that of a child. Sad, confused, happy.
Hopeful.
I smile and close the distance between us with a soft kiss. He responds slowly, trailing both hands around me and resting them at my lower back, laying us back down on the couch. Pulling back and leaning over him, I see his expression change.
Curiosity now stands most prominent.
"Link," I whisper, touching my forehead to his, "you won't be alone out here. Yes, the world is big, but you will not be alone. I'll be there with you. I'll be your family."
He brings his hand to the back of my head, grasping my hair and gently tugging, pulling my face back to look at me.
"Really?" he sounds relieved. More than relieved. Like he has taken on the world since he was ten, and finally doesn't have to do it alone. And he probably did. Before he lost his parents, apparently he was a very outgoing kid. Significantly more bold. When talking with Karane a while back, she said that she thinks with the loss of his parents, the world dulled his senses to the things around him. Dulled his efforts to try and stand on his own again. It completely sucked his emotions dry.
It pushed him down and held him there for the longest time. Slowly he began to fight back. He is breaking out of his emotional shell. Karane said she noticed a major difference since I started there. I couldn't believe that someone as plain as me could make that much of a change in someone else.
"Really," I whisper. He pulls me in for a fierce kiss, with the most emotion he has displayed all night. I'm just glad he turned back around. We stay like that for a while, holding each other, kissing occasionally, and completely forgetting the tea that sits two feet away from us.
I feel a gentle sway slowly bring me back to consciousness. But before I could figure out why I suddenly feel as if I am on a gently rocking boat, I am being set down on my bed and tucked in. I open my eyes to see Link looking down at me. He smiles and runs his hand through my hair.
"Sleep," he says, "I'll see you in the morning." He turns to back away, but not before I catch his wrist. He turns back to me, a soft smile breaks out over his features.
"Stay with me?" I say, voice hoarse.
His smile brightens, and he nods. I drop my hand onto my bed and watch as he takes off his shirt. Only after he is already done taking it off do I remember that he sleeps shirtless. I blush, remembering the Lumpy Pumpkin. He pulls the covers back and I scoot over to make room for him. He moves close to me and places an arm protectively around me.
"Thanks," I whisper.
"No," he shakes his head. I look at him, confused. "Thank you," he whispers back, kissing my forehead. He pulls me close and places his chin so it touches the top of my head. I smile, wrapping an arm around him as I fall into the world of dreams.
With the man of my dreams lying next to me.