See? Like I promised: however short it may be, I posted today.(I couldn't leave you guys like that for too long!)

I know you probably didn't pay much attention to the Sheikah boy, Vasmai, but believe it or not I'm going to develop his character a bit more later on. Link still has a quest, Zelda still has a kingdom, blah blah blah.

And I just want to say thank you to everyone! I honestly wouldn't take the time or put any effort into this if it wasn't for you guys.

As always,

Enjoy. :))

"I… Link, I... love you."

Yep. I can just feel the vomit.

He looks at me for a moment, confusion and realization passing his face. "You mean…" He starts, and:

I kiss him.

What the hell is wrong with me? Maybe I'm out of my mind. Maybe I'm out of my damn mind and I have absolutely no control over anything.

I lean over and kiss him lightly on the lips, not really knowing what reaction I'll get. Nothing happens for a moment and I pull away, not bearing to look at him. He had just… done nothing. Gone stiff. Obviously that meant rejection, so why was I even still there?

Suddenly his arms were around me, and his face was so close to mine it gave me chills. The electricity and heat intensified, and he pulled his lips to mine, gently tilting my chin up to meet him. I could feel my pounding heart, the press of fabric against my skin, the strength of his arms around me, one hand buried deep in my hair, the other at my back, pulling me closer. I had been kissed before, but nothing like this.

He leaned me against the back of the couch, his lips grazing my ear, my throat, my collarbone. "I love you too." The hum of the whisper sent fresh chills down my spine. His lips burned against my skin.

Aeris had been so cautious, so formal, so royal and perfect. Link was wild and beautiful and strong, and I loved him.

Eventually we fell to the couch cushions.

We laid there, enjoying each others' presence and being in each others embrace. I fell asleep peacefully with my head on his chest to the steady rising and falling of his breathing.

I woke to a shaft of sunlight falling through the window, gently touching the bookshelves. I expected that Link would be gone by now, but he was still there with me on the couch. My back was pressed comfortably against him, and I realized that his arms were slung around me. His left arm shifted and folded me into him even more.

"Link." I squirmed. "I can't breathe." I waited and listened, but his breathing patterns still told me he was asleep. "Link." I whispered louder and more firm, but a smile was plastered to my face. He snored a bit and closed his arm in tighter. I sighed exasperatedly, then freed an arm to shake him awake. Finally I got a response.

"Mphh." He groaned.

"Link. Wake up." I said.

"Mhmph."

"Link!"

"What..?" I turned and saw his sleepy blue eyes open and searching the room. He was obviously confused as to where he was. Then it hit him. "Oh." And he looked at me, trapped and deprived of oxygen in his arms. An amused and mischievous smirk played on his lips. "Morning." He said. I rolled my eyes. "Good morning. May I be released now?" He tapped his chin in mock thought. "Hmm…." He said. "No."

And he kissed me again, pressing me onto my back and deeper into the cushions. "Link!" With each kiss I thought I was going to explode. He pulled away, his face just inches above mine. Link smiled a small smile and brushed my hair from my face. He plopped down beside me and held me in his arms. I wanted to stay there with him forever.

"Link?" I said. He looked at me in response. "What's your last name?" An amused smile played across my hero's lips. "That's a strange question," He observed, then he frowned. "I actually don't know. I'll bet Rusl or Mayor Bo knows, but I never was curious enough to ask. I was just 'Link' and that was enough in Ordon."

He said it like it was enough in Ordon, but not here.

I personally never had a last name because.. well, everyone knew that Zelda was the princess. I didn't need proof of my line or further identification, and I realized that neither did Link.

"I should go." He said quietly and sat up, then planted a delicate kiss on my forehead. I nodded but stuck out my bottom lip. Link grinned and climbed over me, onto the floor. I watched as the light caught his tunic, igniting it as Farore's aura had to her.

I laid on the couch after he left, catnapping for a while.

"Princess." I heard a voice. "Mhm?" I answered pitifully. "You missed breakfast." I opened my eyes to slits, and wished I hadn't. Ealing stood over me. "Oh." I said, then sat up, rubbing my eyes. "Sorry. Fell asleep in the study last night." Which wasn't a lie, it just wasn't necessarily the complete truth.

"Ah," He said. "Your nose in your studies, as usual." I could tell he was being sarcastic due to my recent interests in things unrelated to studies, but I used to be in here all the time. I smiled politely. "Yes."

He narrowed his eyes at me and looked around the room nonchalantly. He was becoming more and more confident, like he was the one who could hold suspicions, like he was the one with authority. Perhaps it was time to put him in his place.

"Ealing," I said and yawned. "Fetch me some coffee, and could you please give me a selection of foods?" He looked at me suspiciously, then sighed. "Yes, Princess. Is there any way I could be of further service?"

I looked up in exaggerated thought. "No, thank you." He bit his bottom lip and began to exit the room. As he reached the door, a thought struck me. "Ealing," I called. He turned. "Where is the hero? I haven't seen him since last night." Yes, that was a lie, but what else was I going to say? He gave a sad shrug. "I believe he left earlier this morning. You could ask Heldei, she had his steed in the stables." I nodded. "Thank you." I said. Ealing simply turned away and left.

I had my coffee and a crescent roll in the study, then went down the many flights of stairs to the stables. I walked outside, smelling the scent of fresh grass and taking in the lingering golden Autumn light of morning. I crossed the adjacent field and went up to the small wooden building that makes up the stables. Cloud stood tall in her stall, her purple embroidery gleaming. I smiled at her and stroked the silky white mane that bandishes her neck. "Sorry I haven't been to you in a while, friend." I said softly. She whinnied in response. I turned away from the purebread steed and looked for the stablemaid. "Heldei?" I called. I waited for a few beats, and the silhouette of a woman appeared in the doorway. "Yes, Princess? How may I be of service to you this morning?" Heldei smiled. She was beautiful, with dark brown hair and bronze skin, and lovely hazel eyes. She was around middle-ages, but was still fit and lean due to working so hard and so often. Link and I used to go to the stables a lot, spending time in each others company and brushing our horses. Heldei would hold off any guard looking for me so that we could get some time together. I liked Heldei.

I smiled back. "What time did Link leave? Any information as to where he went?" Heldei laughed. "You two have an argument or something?"

"No. I just don't know where he is." I said simply. Heldei looked at me and furrowed her brow. "Something is different." She observed. I wondered if I should tell, and decided that if I could tell anyone, it would be her.

"Yes. It is different." I felt so weak and girly, feeling the blush rise to my cheeks. Heldei gasped. "You don't mean..?"

"Yeah."

The stablemaid practically squealed with excitement. I pressed a finger to my lips. She smiled at me and nodded vigorously. "I wont tell a soul. You have my word." I smiled back.

"Ah!" She remembered. "You wanted to know where he went." I nodded. "Not exactly sure of the destination, but…" She hesitated. "It was strange, he wore a hooded cloak and didn't take any supplies like he usually does. Sped away pretty quickly as well."

A few different thoughts occurred to me.

Maybe he was running. Running from kissing me, running from saying he loved me. Maybe he didn't love me at all, and he was simply out of his wits last night. He was embarrassed and needed time away, hoping I would forget about it. There was a lot of different 'maybe' answers in this situation, and none of them were particularly optimistic.

"Okay." I answered like a numbskull, then decided to go look for him.

I readied Cloud and rode from the stables with a brief farewell to Heldei, heading to the place of Link's strange ritual.

I arrived around noon, but the forest was so dark and eerily serene that it felt like dusk. I didn't bother dismounting, I just slowed her to a trot in the clearing.

Nothing was out of place, except the food that had presumably been eaten by animals.

Link wasn't there, and there were no signs that he ever was since last time. Same strange chalice, same cupboards, same ominous circle of dead grass. Disappointed, I reined Cloud back to Hyrule Field.

After some consideration, I decided to go to Ordon instead of returning to the castle. Nothing waited for me there, and I had no other use for my time.

Sorry for the short chapter, and you'll find out where he went in the next chapter, then all of this in Link's pov in the one after that.