Link fidgeted slightly in the saddle. The heat from the desert had been beating down on them since they began their journey a few hours ago, and it was starting to get on the Hero of Time's nerves. Not only that, but Sheik had decided to sit further up on Epona, with his side pressed rather closely to Link's back. Link didn't mind the head resting on his shoulder, or even the lithe, muscular form rubbing against his back, but the red tint on his face spoke for itself. Hopefully if Sheik saw it he would just write it off as a tinge from the sun.

He had been wracking his mind the entire trip for another way to confess to Sheik, but so far, the hero was drawing a blank. The last idea he had thought up had taken him a few weeks to concoct, and that had worked just splendidly. The other few ideas he had thought up so far made him cringe; Link shuddered as he recalled the mental image of serenading the Sheikah. He could play the ocarina, but he couldn't sing to save his life. He wouldn't want to put the man he was in love with through that.

Sheik stirred slightly behind him, and Link stiffened, hoping he hadn't awoken the slumbering man. It was rare for Sheik to sleep on a journey, and Link wanted to let him rest. Link sighed as the slumbering warrior resettled himself, this time with his chest pressed against his back, his head still resting on Link's shoulder. Link's breath stopped as he was able to feel every contour of the Sheikah's well-toned stomach against his back. He turned his head slightly to look down at the blonde warrior, his blue eyes softening.

He couldn't imagine how such a beautiful man had come into being. To Link, Sheik was the ultimate example of beauty. Not a feminine beauty per-se, but a definite masculine beauty that drew all eyes to him. As if the warrior's impressive combat skills and physique weren't enough, he still wore the tightest piece of clothing known to man.

When Link wasn't distracted by the flexible, sinewy body fighting next to him, he was looking at the angular, yet still soft face hidden beneath the traditional Sheikah cowl. Link had only ever seen bits and pieces of Sheik's face, when he had gotten the occasional cut or scrape, but never all of it. He could tell the warrior was a handsome man beneath the mask, and the added mystery was driving him crazy.

Sheik's soft blond hair rubbed against his neck, and he was sorely tempted to reach back and stroke it. The Sheikah warrior's hair had always appeared unbelievably soft, and Link found his hand leaving Epona's mane, before realizing what he was doing and pulling it back. Link found it increasingly hard to concentrate on the path ahead of him as Sheik continued to breathe in and out, the warm air puffing against his neck. All he wanted to do at that moment was pull down the accursed cowl and ravish the lips he knew would be so soft.

The Hero of Time abruptly turned forward, knowing he wouldn't be able to stop himself if he continued to gaze at the tantalizing man leaning against him. As his eyes locked back onto the road, he noticed the desert had begun to break out into a small multitude of scattered shrubs. He gazed to the horizon and saw a layer of trees looming about a mile away.

With a relieved sigh, he added pressure to Epona's right side with his knee, steering her left in the direction of the distant foliage. He had never liked the idea of reigns, and Epona obviously agreed with him. The hollow sound of her hooves crunching through the sand was lost in the vastness of the desert. After a while of traveling, with Link doing his best to ignore Sheik's slight movements and sighs behind him, they reached the cover of the forest.

Link had thought the addition of trees to the scenery around him would help to distract him from the sensations Sheik was unconsciously making him feel, but the added cold of the forest landscape just served to make the man behind him huddle closer. Link sighed in frustration. Sure he loved every moment when he and Sheik touched, but the temptation to turn around and do more, he was sure, was irresponsible and irrational. He had no idea whether the other man reciprocated his feelings, but he didn't think he would appreciate being half-molested out of the blue.

The Hero's mind wasn't on the journey any longer, as it was dwelling solely on the tempting man behind him. He sighed; this was going to drive him crazy. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with the warrior now pressed practically flush against his back, and he didn't even have to courage to make a move while he was sleeping. If he could by any more in love with the Sheikah, he was sure his heart would burst. How could Zelda possibly have thought he would be prepared for this? Not just confessing his undying love to Sheik, but going into battle with his mind so preoccupied!

And he was indeed preoccupied, he noticed, when he hadn't even realized how tired he was until just that moment. His eyes felt heavy, and he had wondered when he had become so weary. His eyes drooped, and his head fell forward slightly, before he caught it and jerked it upwards. The ensuing whiplash was not at all pleasant.

"You seem tired; we should rest for the night."

Link jumped as the quiet words, so accustomed to the silence of his own thoughts. He turned his head to see two red irises looking up at him from their spot on his shoulder, and he swore his heart skipped a beat. Sheik obviously didn't mind the close proximity as much as the Hero of Time did, as he seemed perfectly comfortable with staying exactly as he was. Link's insides melted at the idea, and he almost didn't want to answer, just so Sheik would stay there a moment longer. His heavy lids, and a sudden yawn that tried to project itself out of his throat reminded him of how tired he was, and he nodded.

He shivered as Sheik slid off Epona and away from him, leaving his entire back feeling cold and chilled. He slid off of Epona as well, grabbing the sleeping mats as Sheik crept away into the darkness to get firewood. The journey would only take two more days, and after tomorrow, they wouldn't be allowed to light any more fires for fear of giving away their position.

By the time Sheik returned with a bundle of wood and branches nestled securely in his arms, Link had already laid out the bedrolls, and tended to Epona. The two soon had a comfortable fire blazing. Link glanced towards Sheik, who was now sitting next to the fire, simply staring into the embers, apparently with something on his mind. The orange glow of the fire danced softly over his face, and reflected off of his hair, mesmerizing Link. If he ever found the courage to confess his undying love to the Adonis in front of him, he would consider it a miracle. He mused that now would be the perfect time to say something, but it felt as if his jaw was wired shut.

The magic of the moment was broken as Sheik's eyes shifted to him, and Link had to resist the blush that fought its way onto his face at being discovered staring. "You look weary, you should sleep now Link. I will keep watch." Link nodded, all his courage for a confession drained away as he looked into Sheik's eyes. He crawled beneath the covers of the small bedroll, his consciousness slipping away almost as soon as his head fell upon the pillow. That night, he dreamed of red eyes, honey soft hair, and a beautiful face hidden by a mask.

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Sheik cursed himself in his head, not wanting to awaken the now slumbering Hero of Time. He felt ridiculous; what kind of warrior was he? He had nearly died of mortification when he awoke to find himself nearly wrapped around Link's form, pressed so tightly to his back he could feel the slight vibrations in his frame when he inhaled. Sheik had done his best to act like there was nothing out of the ordinary, but the glances Link had continued to cast him spoke volumes.

Sure, Sheik had slept better that day than he had in several years, but now Link would probably be uncomfortable around him for a while. Again he cursed his own stupidity. Stupid subconscious mind! He had simply fallen asleep with his head resting on the hero's shoulder, which was well within the boundaries of their friendship, but he doubted Link would take what had just happened as simply a gesture of friendship. He sighed, looking once again over to Link's form. As much as he had wished the incident hadn't happened, he had loved the feeling of being so close to Link.

It wasn't a fun feeling really, pining after someone you doubted would ever love you back. The Hero of Time had won a multitude of hearts already, be it for his bravery, his looks, or even just his title as the Hero of Time. But Sheik knew he would have never chosen anyone else to give his heart to. He knew this love was real; that it wasn't just a form of infatuation or hero worship. He loved Link because of his heart, because of who he was as a person. He didn't love him for his bravery or stunning physique, though they were both plusses in Sheik's mind, and he certainly didn't love him for his title.

He was at least glad he had gotten a good amount of sleep that day. He didn't think he had ever felt so alert when on watch duty before. Sighing, he settled in more comfortably, preparing for a long night.

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Sheik's eyes opened from his feigned slumber as he heard a twig snap sharply somewhere over to the left, further into the woods. He had been hearing slight sounds for a good few minutes, and he knew it was no furry woodland creature. Using the breaking undergrowth as a judge, he had mapped out where the so called predator now was. It was still several yards away from camp, but moving steadily closer. Judging by the volume of the noises, whoever it was would most likely not be a match for the trained Sheikah warrior. However, he wasn't taking any chances.

He slowly rose from his seated position on the ground, creeping on all fours over to Link's bedroll. He gently shook Link's shoulder, hoping the hero wouldn't make any noise when he woke up. When he didn't budge, Sheik removed his hand. Link was already awake, and knowing him, had been for a while. Sheik pulled out his small throwing knives, crouching for battle as Link quickly pulled on his boots. It was obvious to them both that there was more than just one assailant nearing their camp.

As Link drew his sword, crouching in preparation for battle, the forest suddenly went completely silent. The crackling of the now dwindling fire was the only noise that could be heard, echoing eerily between the trees. Sheik had only pinpointed where about three of them were in his mind, though he knew there were more. He kept his eyes on the areas he knew concealed their attackers. Everything was a blur after that.

Neither of the Hylian warriors expected the number of men that rushed forth from the foliage. A good twenty or so men emerged from the trees, leaping from above or rolling from the underbrush, red cloaks billowing behind then. An odd symbol was emblazoned upon their red tunics; something Sheik could only assume was a hammer of some kind. Sheik quickly crouched to the ground, knocking the first wave of them off their feet with one sweep of his foot. Sheik noted the enemy was rather clumsy as a few more tripped over the men struggling to get up off the ground. Link was holding his own rather well, he had managed to slash a good number down, and they were now giving him a wider birth, shying away from the dead bodies of their comrades lying on the ground.

They continued to stream from the forest, and Sheik realized they must have camped rather close to the enemy's army encampment. As he fought tirelessly against the wave of red-clad men, he suddenly felt a sting of pain in his left arm. He quickly glanced down to see a miniscule needle protruding from his bicep, noting the odd numbing sensation.

"Link! Darts!" He called out in warning. His left arm was quickly becoming useless, and he found it rather hard to fight off five men at once with just one arm. He jumped over the swing of one man's saber, twisting to the side to avoid another. Sheik grabbed the handle of the curved weapon as it flew past him, twisting it to the side. He heard a satisfying crack, and the man yelled out in pain, dropping the blade as he cradles his now broken arm. He looked over once more to Link, to see that three of the foreign warriors had anchored themselves to the Hero of Time's arms.

Sheik's momentary lapse of attention allowed a blow to slip past his defenses, and the butt of a weapon was rammed into the underside of his jaw. His teeth gnashed together, and he heard a distinct cracking noise ring through his head as pain laced through his jawbone. A fist buried itself in his gut, and Sheik had one last glance of Link being wrestled to the ground before a sound blow over the head knocked him into unconsciousness.

-----------------------

Link groaned as he awoke. His head pounded as blood flowed through his cranial wounds. He vaguely noted a pain in his wrists, and opened his eyes groggily. His slightly blurred vision took in the dank walls and wretched smell of a prison. Chain's and clasps hung on the walls, none set in any particular pattern. Link groaned, his mind finally coming into focus properly, and he looked up to see that the pain in his wrists was caused by restricting manacles binding him to the wall. His feet dangled about two feet above the slimy ground, his ankles also chained to the wall.

He began to panic as his mind recalled how he had gotten into this predicament, and he wondered what had happened to Sheik. A slight jingling over to his left caused his head to snap towards the noise, and he felt a sigh of relief escape as Sheik's slim form came into his vision. Sheik's crimson eyes looked towards him in silent apology at their predicament. Link didn't care about the situation; they would find a way out of it. What he was truly worried about was Sheik's safety. But the Sheikah warrior beat him to it.

"Are you alright Link?"

Link nodded, wincing slightly as the pounding in his head escalated due to his actions. "A little sore but otherwise fine. And you?" Sheik fidgeted slightly in his manacles as the rusted metal dug slightly into his skin. "The only injury I sustained was to my jaw, I don't think it's broken." Link nodded, glad Sheik was alright, and resumed his scrutiny of the dank chamber. "A fine mess we've gotten ourselves into."

Sheik grunted in agreement, "There was an enemy encampment near us; they must have seen our fire." Link nodded. He couldn't believe they had gotten caught, let alone so quickly. He had only ever been imprisoned about two times in his travels. Well, he mused, he could add a third mark on his record. "I guess that proves Zelda's suspicions about the amassing army then." Sheik grunted slightly, both in agreement and discomfort as the slightly-rusted manacles dug into his wrists.

"I see no other reason for such a large army encampment to be positioned so far away from their homeland." A thought occurred to Link, and his heart began to race at an uncomfortable pace. "How close to Hyrule were they positioned?" Sheik answered with a grave look, clearly already having calculated everything in his mind. "About three days hike, maybe four if they moved quickly enough; they did not have horses." Link began to panic slightly, "And how long have we been out?" Sheik looked through the bars of the door positioned in front of them, judging the time by the slight amount of light. "About half a day."

Link sighed in relief, though still on edge. At least they had a few days. They couldn't overtake the army, unless they ran full out, and even if they did, they would either be killed before they could warn Zelda, or the kingdom wouldn't have a chance to form a proper defense before the army got there. Sheik spoke up again, "They weren't moving for an attack when we came upon them. My guess is they're awaiting orders from their king before making a move. Our only choice at this point is to reach him, and force him to recall his forces before they begin their attack."

Link nodded, glad Sheik had been up and thinking about this for a while; his head hurt too much to formulate strategic plans. "Now we just need to figure out how to get out of this damned place."

"Leave it to me." Link raised an eyebrow at Sheik's words, but nodded nonetheless. Sheik has obviously already concocted what Link could only assume would be a rather intricate escape plan. He never doubted Sheik's plans; the man was a genius when it came to strategy. With that thought in mind, he kept his mouth shut as Sheik closed his eyes, and sat perfectly still. Link noticed Sheik's cowl moving slightly, and lifted an eyebrow. After a few minutes of this, Link stopped staring; realizing whatever Sheik was working on would take a while.

A good half hour passed, and Link looked up from his vain attempt to readjust the manacles on his wrists as he heard a door slam outside their cell, and lumbering footsteps began to make their way towards to two imprisoned heroes. Link quickly looked over to Sheik, ignoring the pain that began to creep back over his skin as his weight resettled on the rusty metal handcuffs. "Sheik!" he whispered in warning, when he received no answer, he tried again, "Sheik! Someone's coming!" Sheik's eyelids didn't so much as twitch, but his mouth stopped moving beneath the cowl, so Link assumed he had heard him.

His head whipped back around as the door squeaked open rather loudly, and a large behemoth of a man lumbered into the cell, keys jingling on his hip all the way. Link felt slightly repulsed looking at him, and the man didn't by any means look friendly. He pulled out a rather mean looking device; it was pointed, with a lower prong jutting out crookedly from the side. Link mused that it looked like a mutated fork with only two prongs on it; needless to say, he didn't want it anywhere near him. The large man walked right up to Link, pointing the odd object in his face.

"Think you can just barge in on us aye? Well, we aint as stupid as you might think." He spoke with a heavy slur, and Link noticed a foul odor on his breath. 'I don't know; coming to interrogate a prisoner drunk seems pretty stupid to me.' He didn't say this out loud of course; no use angering a drunken warrior who already seemed angered enough by his presence. The man's heavily lidded eyes switched over to Sheik, and began to strut over in his direction, "Hey! Wake up you good fer nothing"- But he never got to finish his sentence.

Sheik's red eyes snapped open, ablaze with anger and the challenge of battle. Link had seen that look many times, and it never failed to floor him…or, as close to the floor as he could get while chained a few feet off the wall. The guard had a split second to look surprised as Sheik kicked up with both of his legs, successfully breaking through the chains holding his ankles to the wall, before a heel lashed out and delivered a swift outward kick to his massive stomach. The force of the blow pushed the air from the drunken man's lungs while simultaneously twisting him around so his back was towards the Sheikah warrior.

The same muscular legs wrapped around the man's meaty neck, squeezing hard and flexing, effectively cutting off the man's dwindling air supply. The man was too shocked to at first react, and by the time his mind caught up with the situation, he was already losing consciousness. Sheik held him there for a few seconds, shaking from the output of so much energy into the task of keeping the windpipe closed, before the body sagged limply. As he fell, Sheik slipped one of his now free feet into the ring of keys, easily pulling them off the clip on the large belt and the guard's colossal weight pulled him to the grimy floor.

Using his other foot, Sheik flipped the keys around, using both his feet to hold the small metal object in place. Demonstrating amazing flexibility, the Sheikah warrior craned his legs above his head, using his feet to place the keys in the lock of the manacles. His legs were perfectly parallel to his body, and Link winced at the thought of trying to bend that way himself.

If the Hero of Time had one weakness, it was the effect Sheik had on him. And right then, Link couldn't look away. He didn't know why, but he found the positions the Sheikah could bend into rather erotic and right then, his mind was on anything but escaping. Sheik's defined muscles strained against the skin on the underside of his legs, and Link's blue gaze lingered on the firm muscles of Sheik's posterior before he blushed and looked away. Through all of this, Sheik continued his attempts at freedom.

He had difficulty finding the keyhole without being able to see it, and he had to try several different keys, but there was an eventual click, and the rusted device swung open. As he fell, Sheik thrust his now free hand out and snatched the keys from the air. He landed gracefully on the ground, looking oddly feline as his back arched slightly on impact.

Needless to say, Link was extremely turned on at this point.

Sheik unlatched the broken manacles that were still on his ankles, and then walked over to where Link was held. Link really hoped his excitement wasn't that obvious from his vantage point. Luckily for him, Sheik seemed rather focused on what he was doing, probably still acting upon his earlier adrenalin rush. "How did you break the chains?"

Sheik looked up from what he was doing, and Link shivered from the razor sharp look that still lingered in his gaze. He felt like Sheik's eyes could stab through a person and see into their soul, and yet he didn't look away. There were so many aspects of Sheik that still amazed the hero, even after traveling with him for so long. Sheik looked back down, focusing on the keys once more, "This entire place is coated in water, I simply used a spell that gradually changed the liquid into a rather potent acid." As he said this, Link eyed the burns and eaten away material where the Sheikah had been chained, marveling what he would go through to escape.

There was a click, and Link suddenly felt a draft of cold air on his sore, sweaty ankle. "I never knew you knew spells like that." Sheik shrugged, fitting the key into the other manacle and effectively liberating Link's other foot from its confines. "I hardly find purpose for such small spells, but they have their uses." Link nodded, even though he knew Sheik couldn't see the action, and flexed his now free legs.

There was so much he still didn't know about the warrior, and Link was surprised at how much this fact bothered him. The red eyed man then gauged the wall above Link, and before the Hero of Time knew what was happening, Sheik had jumped into the air. He sprang towards the wall opposite Link, rebounded off, and grabbed onto two hooks on either side of Link's head, anchoring himself to the slimey wall.

Link gulped at Sheik's close proximity; The Sheikah had positioned himself with his legs on either side of Link's hips, his feet bracing himself away from the wall. His torso was aligned with Link's, his face mere inches away from the now blushing Hero of Time. Link had trouble keeping his imagination in check. A myriad of mental images popped into his head, none of which were very innocent, and he found the blush on his cheeks deepening.

There were a few moments of Sheik shifting his weight, juggling the keys around in his grasp, before Link heard a telltale click above his head, and a slight moment of freefall. His landing was a little jerkier than Sheik's, but he still managed a sense of grace. He rubbed at his sore wrists, wincing as the blood began to circulate through his veins regularly again. He turned a grateful gaze to Sheik, who was likewise rubbing his wrists and ankles.

"Thanks." Sheik simply nodded in return, and stood to his full height. "We should hurry, who knows how many guards they had stationed." Link nodded, walking over to his gauntlets and shoes that had been haphazardly discarded into a corner; yet another testament to the guard's stupidity. The golden gauntlets slid onto his hands easily, the leather covering up the angry red and purple rings that now adorned his wrists.

"We'll need to find our way to the throne room, and be quick about it." Link grunted in agreement, pulling on his left boot. Sheik pocketed the keys as they moved out the door. The remainder of their things lay right out side the door, and Link couldn't hold back an exasperated laugh, "They either have no idea what they're doing, or they just aren't giving us enough credit." Sheik shrugged as they picked up their scattered gear. "Maybe a little of both."

Link rummaged in his pack, grateful at the apparent lack of experience of the guards on duty. He pulled out a bottle of red potion, eyeing Sheik's cuts and burns critically as he did so. Sheik accepted the potion with obvious gratitude, and Link smiled as he downed most of the red concoction. He finished it off, not needing as much as Sheik, and then they started off down the dark hallway.

As they ran, a tingling sensation reminded Link that the potion was working. Skin knitted back together and the throbbing in his head and wrists subsided. He took a quick moment to thank the goddesses for magic. They made their way up out of the dungeons, not a hard feat considering there weren't any guards around. The Hero of Time mused that this was the easiest dungeon he had ever had to escape from. They turned down another hallway, stopping as they heard a large group of footsteps.

Link saw the shadows around the corner just in time, and pulled Sheik against his chest, ducking into a shadowy alcove in the wall. A suit of armor shielded them from view as a troupe of soldiers clad in the same red garb from earlier walked past their position. As they passed, Link noticed the position he and Sheik were in due to his earlier haste. Sheik was pulled flush against him, his head resting against his collar bone, where the Sheikah was lightly clutching his tunic. Link's hands were placed lower on his torso, one on his lower back, the other alighted on his hip.

In the rush of the moment, he doubted Sheik would notice their position, and so he left his hands where they were. As the men marched past, talking and chortling to each other, Link realized another regiment must have been preparing to leave. He sighed, focusing on the sensation of the leaner body now pressed against him. If he proposed to Sheik, he could hold him like this all the time.

That was, if he accepted.

A voice from the depths of his subconscious mocked him; Sheik would have been able to think of a romantic way to propose. Then again, if he was Sheik, he wouldn't need to think of a way to propose to himself…

He stopped his mind there, treading a little to close to a thought pattern that would get him nowhere. Sheik shifted slightly in his arms, and his mind was ripped back into the present. He looked down to see the red eyes that were so cutting before looking up at him in soft wonder. Sheik grasped Link's tunic tighter as Link matched his stare, and then quickly looked away.

Link blinked, confused by the reaction as Sheik pulled away from him to inspect the hallway. His chest felt suddenly cold where the smaller man had just been standing. He was just readjusting his tunic as Sheik turned back to him, "They've all gone." Link nodded, following Sheik closely as they once again made their way down the stone corridor.

The rhythm of Sheik's barely audible footfalls on the floor beat out a steady rhythm as Link thought about the usually stoic warrior's reaction. He surely hadn't been angered at Link's actions, if anything he seemed almost embarrassed. Link's eyebrows scrunched in confusion; they had been in similar situations before, what was so different about this time? Sure his hands had been a little lower than usual, and he had probably looked into his eyes a little too long but…

Wait…

Link's gaze snapped back up to Sheik as they turned another corner, noticing a slight blush still staining the man's tan cheeks. And suddenly it hit him. He didn't have to think of a new way to propose to Sheik, he could just elaborate on his earlier plan! It seemed Sheik remembered what he had said better than he could have hoped. Link had looked into his eyes and avoided touching his shoulders subconsciously, having completely forgotten about the little speech he had given in his last attempt at romance due to the less than successful outcome. He was still surprised it affected Sheik so much… perhaps he had a chance after all?

Link smiled; his heart swelling ten times just at the thought of the man in front of him reciprocating his feelings. Warmth pooled in the pit of his stomach and spread throughout his veins, and he felt a sudden wave of courage course over him. The thought had never occurred to him that Sheik could love him back. He had always been so regal and composed; the thought of such a beautiful person loving him seemed absurd. Courage took the form of determination, and his mind was made up in that instant.

He would confess his feelings to Sheik. If the man didn't reciprocate his feelings, he would win him over one way or another.

His smile only widened as a plan began to formulate in his mind, feeling practically giddy as he plotted ways of wooing the red-eyed man in front of him. The two men turned one last corner and slid into the darkness, each with a different quest on their mind.