Author's Note: I feel bad for leaving you at that cliffhanger… Sorry. I never actually planned for Link to have a brother, but I felt like I needed an anti-Link, but I didn't want to name him Dark. I'm going with The Hero Shade from Twilight Princess, since he is the spirit of the Hero of Time (aka, Link in OoT and MM).

Internet is still out, so… On with this ish!

XXXXXXX

One Year's Eternity

Chapter 7

September 7, 11:34 A.M.

Was Shade following me? Did he really like me that much? Or did he just miss his brother?

Link invited Shade to lunch at Lon Lon Cafe with the group. He accepted.

Let's see how awkward this can get, shall we?

We wouldn't all fit in Link's car, since it only fit five people. Shade brought his tan, beat-up Jeep from Labrynna, so he said he would drive it.

"You're going alone?" Link asked before we got to the parking lot.

"I guess," Shade replied. "Unless, any of you want to go with me?"

"Rie wen," I said. "I'll go with you." (AN: "I will.")

"Thanks," he said with a crooked smile. Link looked suspicious.

"Okay," Mikau said, hopping into Link's car. "See you two there!"

We waved as they drove off. I turned to see the all too familiar tan truck. I started limping to the side of it.

"Zelda," Shade said, opening my door, "is this why you broke up with me?"

"I had to," I said, laying my crutches on the slightly torn seat. "I didn't think you would follow me!"

"I understand that," he said, walking around to get to the driver's seat. "But now that I'm here, will you take me back?"

And now the awkward has started.

"Maybe," I said, buckling up. "I want to see how this goes first."

"Good enough for me," he said, his crooked smile turning into a full one. He got the car started and followed Link's car, which was waiting for us. We drove to a nearby, small restaurant. Even by the size, the place was packed with people. We were waiting for about fifteen minutes before there was an open table that was big enough for our group.

"Hello, my name is Malon," our waitress said. "I'll be your server… Wait. Do you guys go to the college?"

We all nodded our heads except for Shade.

"I thought I recognized you!" Malon sqeaked. "I'll be right back to get your drinks."

We were sitting at a table for four with two chairs pulled up. Mikau and Beck were on one side, Shade and I on the other. Midna and Link had pulled up some chairs to the ends. As our conversation sparked and grew, I found that Shade fit in very well. He and I told stories of Labrynna and, while he seemed interested, I felt as though Link was irritated by the fact that Shade and I were so close.

It was the most awkward lunch of my life.

.

September 8, 5:00 A.M.

My phone started playing Crazy Train.

ALL ABOOOOOOOARD! HAHAHAHAHA-

I pushed the button to turn it off while Midna lay in her bed snickering. I pulled my pillow out from under my head and threw it at her.

"How did you get into my phone?" I asked groggily.

"Your password is easy; seriously? 1986?" Midna asked with a snicker. "Like, the year this school was founded?"

I turned back over and went to sleep. I had a feeling this was going to be a long Sunday.

"How's Shade?" Midna asked in a childish voice.

"I don't know," I mumbled into my pillow. "I haven't seen him since last night."

"Right," she smirked. "When he served your butt on a platter playing Smash?"

I grabbed one of my Converse from off the floor and chucked it at her. (AN: Get it? 'Chuck'ed?)

"You missed!" she taunted from the opposite side of the room.

I fell back asleep. I woke up at 8:42 A.M. with Midna shaking me as she had the night before.

"Zelda!" she screamed in my ear, "I think I know what's going on!"

"I do, too," I croaked. "I think you're disturbing my sleep."

"Oh, grow up," she scolded. "I know Link likes you, and he's jealous of Shade!"

It really took you that long to figure it out?

"Congrats," I mumbled sarcastically. "You're a natural detective."

"Shut up," she said, smacking the back of my head lightly.

I couldn't go back to sleep after that. She decided to unplug the Wii U and turned on the PlayStation4. She started playing something she said was called 'Watchdogs'. It was a game that you played a criminal that had the ability to hack the city and make it their weapon. I half-watched as she played. I grabbed my 3DS and started watching YouTube. I was currently watching the Smosh Games series, 'Maricraft'. It was endless yet inappropriate entertainment. I finished and started watching 'Game Bang'. I was on their 'Just Dance 4' rematch episode.

"Are you even paying attention?" Midna asked. "I'm trying to teach you how to be a Watchdog!"

"What if I don't want to learn?" I retorted.

She snorted and turned back to her game. We stayed like that until I got a text from Link.

Meet us at the elevator. Bring Mid.

"Midna," I said, pausing my video, "we have been called."

"Are you sure I've been called, too?" she asked, doing the same to her game.

I nodded and we got dressed and left the room. As we walked down the hallway, I saw that Link wasn't alone, but he wasn't with Mikau and Beck either. He was with Shade.

"What's up?" Midna asked when we walked up. "And why did I have to come?"

Link said something in a language that I had never heard, but Midna understood and turned back to go to our room.

"What was that all about?" I asked, a little panicked.

"I told her to go," he said. "I knew you wouldn't have come if I told you to come alone."

Crap. He knows me.

Shade got behind me and grabbed onto my shoulder. "Link has something he wants to tell you."

Link sighed. His blonde hair draped over his face, but I could see he was blushing.

"Zelda, I-" he stuttered, "I know about you and Shade."

Apparently, I'm not the only one that Shade tells everything to.

"And," he continued, "I wanted to tell you that…" he stopped.

"Link?" Shade asked. "Do you like Zelda?"

I felt my eyes bulge out of my skull when I saw Link's head nod slightly. I didn't know what to do.

I turned to Shade. "Did you put him up to this?"

"Yes," he said openly, "because I knew already. It was obvious."

Idk… crush maybe? Jk

Not maybe anymore. Definitely.

.

September 22

Two weeks had passed since Shade had come. Two weeks since Link told me and Shade that he liked me. Two weeks since Groose came. The weeks in between seemed to blur.

Midna, Mikau, Beck, and Lulu all now knew that Link liked me. Link hadn't spoken to me since that day. My cast was coming off a week and four days. But that was the least of my problems.

I had gone over the situation at least a million times. Do I stay with Shade or go with Link?

They were both so similar I could hardly tell the difference. The only thing different seemed to be that Shade was a slight bit tougher. Link was more open to people, while Shade left the talking to others most of the time. I was just afraid of what I had been warned about Din, Nayru, and Farore.

"They've cheated on every boy they've ever dated."

I didn't want that to happen to Shade. I didn't want Link to go through that again. Midna had proposed finding someone else for Link, but I knew he would refuse.

Around 6:25 P.M., I was in my room alone thinking about this. It was a Sunday, so most people weren't on campus.

There was a knock at the door.

"Who is it?" I called to the hallway.

"Shade," the hall called back.

I hobbled over and opened the door. It wasn't Shade.

"Link? What are you doing here?" I asked. "And now?"

"I wanted to talk to you," he said, urgency in his voice.

He's not giving up, is he?

"Well, c'mon in, then," I said, gesturing to my room. He walked in quickly.

"Zelda, I know something you don't," he started. "Din, Nayru, and Farore are already planning to get Shade."

Why was he helping me?

"I wanted to tell you because no guy has ever turned them down in the four years they've been here."

"Oh," I said, hopping back to sit on my bed. "That's unfortunate. What can I do?"

"Not much," he said, sitting down next to me. "You could ask Mid to do something. She's always got a plan."

"True, but they know all her tricks by now," I said. I rested my hands on my head in distress.

He wrapped his arm around my shoulders. His warm touch sent chills down my spine.

Shade's never done this. He's always been more distant.

"I bet she can come up with something," he said, comforting me.

"You're right," I said sitting back up. I hugged him, and he responded immediately. When I let go, we sat there, staring at each other, for what seemed like forever. I blinked for a split second. When I opened my eyes, I found Link.

He was kissing me.