Schooled

by Moon Prynces

AU From learning Sex Ed at age five to understanding the difference between being lonely and being alone, Link is taught more than one possibly should from his best friend – Zelda. Life's a classroom: always teaching and being taught. friendship/romance

7. Right Under Your Nose

Summary–AU There are those moments in life where a few words or one sentence changes your entire view on everything you thought you knew. Most often for me they came from my best friend.LinkZelda friendship/romance

Disclaimer–I do not own Legend of Zelda, which belongs to its respective owner(s) and is only being used in a fan-made, fictional story.

xoxo

Title–Schooled

By–Moon Prynces

xoxo

Age 22 – It's always right under your nose

We didn't bring up that drunken conversation ever again. A day passed. Then a week. Then it was almost a month.

Link was busy with school and work so I stopped dropping by as much or bothering him between classes. Malon and Sheik asked if something was wrong with us – did we have a fight or something.

I laughed and brushed it off like they were crazy because Link and I rarely, maybe even never, fought for real.

But to be honest, I was a little off since we had that talk about dating our best friend, i.e. each other. I'm guessing Link never would have brought it up otherwise. Sometimes he's too smart for me to figure out.

When Professor Darunia wasn't looking I dropped my head onto my desk and closed my eyes. Still an hour of class left and I didn't need to hear the lecture to know I had twenty pages to write when I got home.

The girl on my left looked at me with a questioning gaze. I half shrugged. Before I could fall asleep I sat up suddenly and grabbed my books to shove into my bag.

No way was I going to sit there another minute when I could just leave and actually get started on that paper. I could get more done out of the classroom than in it.

So I left with Darunia only giving me a short glance. I was glad he wasn't one of those professors that would try to confront students in front of the whole class.

I made quick strides down the hallway. The exit was only a few meters out of reach but there were always people milling around the halls and near classroom doors.

With my luck (and idiocy) I wasn't paying enough attention and someone came walking out of a room just as I ducked around a group of people so I knocked right into him.

"Zelda?" he asked while leaning down to pick up his things.

"Link," I said, straightening up. "Um, hey. What're you doing..." My question trailed off as I realized how stupid I sounded. I know for sure I looked stupid.

"I just got out of class," he said while grabbing the last piece of paper and standing.

We stood there for a minute until it became clear that people were dodging around us awkwardly.

"So...you headed home?" I asked him while subtly making my way to the exit. He got the idea and followed along.

"Oh, yeah! I'm done for the day. What about you?" he questioned with a quick glance that I barely caught.

"Mmhmm," I responded shortly.

This is what we had turned into: cardboard cutouts with simple phrases and multifunctional responses.

I sighed as we passed through the doorway.

"So you–" I turned abruptly as Link stopped himself from saying something.

"What?" I said right after.

He looked at me a second. "Oh, I was gonna ask if you wanted to come over but..."

But things were way too awkward between us right now? But you regret suggesting we should date? But you're hoping I forget about you suggesting we date? Or maybe he meant–

"But I'm guessing you still have that paper to finish," he picked up where he left off.

I stopped walking and blinked. "Oh." I shifted the bag on my shoulder. "Wait, how did you know about that paper?"

Link shrugged. "Mido was texting me the other day while you guys were in the library. He was telling me about how you were moaning over unopened books." He chuckled as the image came to mind.

I smiled. "Well...yeah, I haven't actually started it yet. How very considerate of you."

His eyes laughed with him. "Actually I'm out of food too. And although I can survive on water and crackers...it isn't the best thing to entertain guests with."

"Now I'm a guest?" I asked jokingly. "What happened to us getting married?"

The comfortable atmosphere dried up quicker than a puddle in the desert.

We stood around quietly as our smiles faded.

"Um, ok, gotta go, Link! Bye!" I said while turning and practically jogged to my car.

xoxo

So maybe I spent two hours half-heartedly taking a stab at my paper. And then maybe I got bored and lonely and there was nothing on TV. And who could blame me for grabbing my bag and keys and deciding I should go out and get something to eat?

But honestly, I can't give a reason why I was suddenly traipsing up the stairs to get to Link's apartment holding plastic bags. Yup, no excuse there.

"Zelda?" he asked in surprise after opening the door.

I smiled sheepishly. "Hi, Link. Hungry?" I questioned and held up a bag for him to see.

He stared blankly a few moments before a slow smile spread across his lips and he shook his head to himself. "Of course." And then he moved aside so I could walk in. "Though I'm surprised you didn't just use your own key to get in."

I didn't respond because I definitely remembered what happened the last time I let myself in.

I dropped the bags onto the counter and Link closed the textbook that was at the kitchen table.

"Sorry, did I interrupt you?" I asked while looking into a bag to avoid his gaze.

"Nah, it's okay," he said and got some plates. "Takeout? Really?" Link said with a grin. "Not going to cook me anything?"

I shot him a look. Everyone knew cooking wasn't my strong point. I could only prepare things that came with direct instructions. Except for baking. Baking was kind of easy. Just mix it together and shove it in the oven.

As we methodically emptied all the containers and took our own portions onto our plates I started wondering... Why was I acting so weird around Link anyway? It wasn't like I liked him or something! This whole thing was ridiculous! And he didn't like me either – he'd told me so!

Maybe I should just talk to him about it, clear the air and whatever. Then we could go back to hanging out like normal.

"You mind watching this show while we eat?" Link asked as he picked up his plate and glass of water from the counter and walked towards the sofa.

"Mmgh," I said through a mouthful of food.

He shot me a grin over his shoulder and sat down.

I opened the fridge to get myself something to drink and spotted a few bottles of beer sitting around innocently. I shuddered at the sight and then grabbed a can of soda.

"What are we watching?" I asked after I got comfortable next to him on the sofa. I pulled up my feet and then resumed eating.

Link was too engrossed to even attempt a proper description so I tried to get interested in it.

After a few minutes I said, "Link. They're fishing."

He only nodded next to me.

I turned back to the TV. Ten minutes went by.

I shrieked in surprise and almost dumped my plate of food onto my lap. "Link, that was–"

"Shh," he said without looking at me.

I had to calm myself down while trying to ignore the television altogether. But after seeing a shark almost pull off someone's arm I wasn't sure I could finish eating so I got up and dumped the rest of my food. I was almost done anyway.

When I sat back down Link moved from resting his elbows on his knees to lean back into the couch. I sunk in closer to him as a result. I stopped fighting it and placed my head on his shoulder. I knew I shouldn't stay the night. I still had to get more done on that paper. The night was still young.

But I closed my eyes for a quick nap. Link let me sleep on him until the show ended, which only took another fifteen minutes.

I shrugged awake when he reached for the remote control on the coffee table.

"Hey..." I yawned, causing the word to drag out.

"Hey, yourself. What happened to starting that paper?" he questioned while getting up with his plate and glass.

I watched as Link started doing the dishes. I waited, because I really thought it was time we had a conversation about what had happened the last time I was here. But Link seemed to be taking his time and I realized I was chicken when I didn't do a thing to speed up the process.

I laid my arms and chin on top of the sofa to watch as he went the extra mile to dry every drop of water from every plate, cup and fork.

"How's Aryll?" I asked in an attempt to break the silence.

Link shrugged. "She'll be graduating in a few months. But she's going to university in another city. They have a really good program on archeology, or so she said."

"Aw, your baby sister's like seriously all grown up," I smiled. "How far away will she be?"

"Just two hours."

"Worlds away."

"Exactly."

I thought a moment. "But she probably took it hard when you moved out, right? She's already used to you being far away enough that phones are necessary."

"Yeah, and she makes really good use of those phone calls," he grumbled.

I laughed out loud. It was true that when Link moved out at eighteen Aryll – thirteen at the time – used any excuse possible to call her only sibling. She used to call about homework instead of just asking their parents. Then she called to talk about movies and music and TV shows. Nowadays she called to bother him about not having a girlfriend and complain about her last year of high school. Oh the circle of life.

I sighed to myself as I remembered high school.

Link shot a look over his shoulder when he heard me. I straightened up when I saw he was finally done with the dishes and was trying to occupy his time with tidying up. When there was finally nothing in the kitchen to be done he glanced around again.

"Are you trying to avoid me?" I asked suddenly. "Because I gotta tell ya...it's hard to do when I'm actually within five feet and in your own apartment."

He sighed and threw the dish towel onto the counter before making his way back to the sofa I sat on. After plopping down at the other end of it he looked at me.

"I wasn't avoiding you," he said with a straight face.

I rolled my eyes as I turned to face him. "Link, we both know why we can barely look at each other. Why don't we just talk about it like adults and then move on?" And before I could utter another word he jumped right in.

"Zelda, I'm sorry," Link said seriously and leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees in the typical guy pose.

I blinked. "For what exactly?" I asked carefully.

"For everything," he sighed, placing his chin atop his knuckles and staring at the blank TV.

"Like...?" I probed, leaning in to try and get eye contact.

He turned to stare down at his hands. "For not–" I could see his face twist up with emotion. "Not being a good enough friend to you."

Now I was staring blankly. "What?"

"I mean, after all those years, after everything that happened...I just could never help you through things or just be there for you. Your parents getting divorced? All the random guys you've dated that didn't deserve it? And every time I just looked at it and backed away, telling myself it wasn't my business to tell you what to do. I should have given my input, told you when I didn't think you were doing the right things." He paused. "I should have seen you were so hurt when your parents–" He stopped himself, as if just realizing the sensitive issues he'd trekked upon.

I was still staring with my mouth slightly agape. What was he talking about? I was so confused.

He still wouldn't look up at me, and instead glared harder down at the floor and his hands that now hung between his legs. "I feel like..." I waited for him to go on but the pause felt so long. Almost a minute went by and he kept struggling with what to say exactly, if the moving of his lips was any indication. "Sometimes I think maybe I'm partly the reason you're so messed up."

I blinked, taken aback. Well wasn't that a nice way to put it?

"You don't exactly have a healthy relationship with your parents. Or with the guys you go out with. You don't even confide in me or the rest of the gang like we wish you would." He sighed in a depressed way. "And maybe it's kind of my fault. I'm the best friend and I've known you for forever. Even though I knew things were never stable at home or that you got the best grades because you were secretly hoping to impress your parents I never brought it up."

Now my mouth really dropped open. How in the world did he know these things? Then again, he wasn't my best friend for nothing. Even though he seemed to think–

"I'm pretty much a failure," he said with a shrug and then slouched back into the sofa.

I was facing him completely after having brought my legs onto the sofa earlier in his speech.

Link thought it was his fault I was messed up? And let's face it, I am. He's right about that one thing. But seriously, how could he think he wasn't a good friend to me? He was my best friend for a reason!

"What...are you talking about?!" I shrieked, startling us both. "Link, how long have you felt like this?" I asked, pressing one hand into the cushion between us so I could lean towards him. "Why would you think any of that?"

He shrugged half-heartedly and didn't say anything, still wouldn't even look at me.

I watched him carefully and tried to gather my words. It didn't look like I could just yell at him that he was wrong and everything would be okay from there.

"Link," I started slowly, and then smiled as I spoke again. "You're my best friend for a reason." I wanted to laugh but he looked so sad and it was making me sad too. "And...you didn't do anything wrong. You were always there for me."

He was barely listening to a word I said.

"Like..." A light bulb went off. "Like when you came over to my house that day and caught me making out with whatshisname! You got all angry and looked like you were going to throw him out the door yourself if he wouldn't just leave. You tried to talk some sense into me and–"

"Yeah, after watching you date half a dozen guys in two months and seeing you run off to hang out with these new crowds of people I finally decided to try and talk to you. I should have said something earlier. I should have asked more about what was going on with your parents," he muttered and folded his arms solemnly.

I sighed. "You did things for me that you didn't need to. Things that most friends would just turn away from. Remember that day a few weeks before we graduated high school?" And I imagined we both had that look in our eyes as we remembered, but I didn't wait for an answer. "You cut school with me even though you still had a paper to do."

He looked surprised and his arms loosened. "How'd you know about that?" he asked with only a quick glance at me.

I smiled. "Malon tried to scold me a few days later. She said you were staying up late those two nights after our adventure just to get it done on time," I shrugged, though still feeling guilty. "I just never told you because...I knew you'd deny it and wouldn't let me feel bad. You would just say it wasn't my fault; that you had chosen to come with me." I grinned at him even though he wouldn't look. "It's amazing to have a friend that would do that! But I know I was immature to drag you along and waste your time."

I knew he wanted to protest the last point by the way his lips twitched but he didn't bother and shrugged again.

I stared down and moved back into the armrest. "But you know what? Maybe those are just trivial things that don't mean much in friendships. Lots of great friendships don't have people doing outrageous stunts for each other or dramatic talks over who's dating who." I looked at the television thoughtfully as he sulked. "But bad things happen to everyone. And just about everyone wants someone there to comfort them. And you were there."

My gaze went back to him and I stared hard, hoping he would finally just look at me. And stop feeling so bad about this. I was not a messed up person because of him.

I sighed. "Remember that night when I came back after my last date?" I questioned and it was obvious he did with the way he stiffened for a moment. "You were there," I said again. "And not just because I happened to come to your apartment but...Link?"

I stopped trying to get him to look at me and just got up and moved to sit on the coffee table right in front of him. I grabbed his hands so he'd stop being all twitchy. I may have also pulled his arms out of their sockets a little just to get him to finally look at me. But it worked. He was staring at me like someone had just died and he didn't know what to do.

"You didn't have to say anything. You could have just sat with me the whole night on the floor while I cried like a complete idiot. Just being there was comfort enough," I said seriously. "But then you even went further than that. You managed to say something that cheered me up, even got me to smile. You are so much better at that than you realize."

We stared each other down – no smiles, no twitches. Then I got up and moved onto the sofa to give him a hug to try and reassure him.

"Zelda, I'm so sorry," he still whispered into my hair as he half turned to wrap his arms around me too. "I'm just so sorry that things turned out this way for you and that you think things won't ever work out for you in the future."

I realized he did start crying. I tried not to let his words cut through me at first. What good would it do to start getting sad over my pathetic behavior and life? But I was trying way too hard to hold it in and I still wasn't completely over my last failed relationship. I managed to keep the sobs out of my voice when I replied.

"You're not the reason I'm 'messed up', Link. It was all me. Okay?" I asked. "Please stop worrying about it. I'll find a way out. Don't worry." I was trying to convince him when even I wasn't convinced.

We sat like that for a while until he stopped crying and I stopped crying. I even tried to discreetly dry my damp cheeks on the sleeve of my shirt.

"I'll be okay, Link. I will," I said after all those moments passed. "You are a really good friend. You proved it just now. You hurt just because I hurt. But I don't want things to be like that," I said while he listened.

His view was way too skewed. Link was an amazing person. He was there when you wanted and there when you needed. He didn't ask for favors or panic in stressful situations.

And after having to try and convince him of what a great person and friend he was...it made me realize it too. I guess I took a lot of things for granted, especially him and the rest of our circle.

I was always too busy looking for something out there that I didn't quite notice and appreciate what I had. Link was so loyal to me, almost childishly. So maybe Alfonzo was right...

"Sometimes best friends are exactly what you need," I mumbled to myself as I stared down at Link's shirt.

"What?" he asked immediately, though he probably heard it.

I pulled back and placed a soft kiss on his cheek that meant more than I could say. "I should get home and finish that paper," I said while slowly rising to my feet. I was thankful the room was dim from when we had been watching TV. The only lights on were from the kitchen and a lamp on an end table.

I swiped at my face a few times while grabbing my bag off the kitchen table.

"I'll see you later, Link," I said while walking to the door.

"Yeah. See you," he responded without getting up.

xoxo

To be quite honest, I used to be that friend. I know exactly how Link feels. When it hurt you, it hurt me. Enough to make me cry over it. I was such a sensitive person.

Zelda needed to grow up a bit. In this story she was so immature and careless, mostly since the problems with her parents started getting worse. I needed her to open her eyes to the possibility of Link being more than a friend but I'm not a fan of rushing or forcing things. It usually puts me in a dilemma because real people rarely ever change after a certain point in their life and I guess I aim too high for realism sometimes.

Anyway I'll be updating this chapter soon. And unfortunately this is the last finished chapter I have right now. I was working on chapter 8 but had to put it on pause while I sorted through some personal projects but I'll be back to writing fanfiction and just whatever fiction by Saturday. Hopefully I'll have chapter eight (which I also hope is the last chapter) out in a week just as well.

Thanks for reading, reviewing and any support you can give!

7-15-10

1:13pm

Time to post. I've held off long enough.

7-16-10

3:09am