It hadn't been long after Link woke up that one of the villagers in charge of the casualties from the fire came into the room, summoned by the sound of their stilted conversation. They were both thoroughly scolded for exerting themselves unnecessarily and Sheik was escorted back to his room. The next morning Link was given a once over, and save for his headache and an impressive lump on the back of his head, he was deemed healthy. After collecting his belongings together he went to find Sheik. It wasn't particularly difficult, the largely undamaged inn had been transformed into a make shift hospital for those hurt during the fire. All Link had to do was poke his head into the various rooms until he found the right one.

Sheik's attic room had, until a few days ago, been used as the inn's linen storage. It was light and airy and smelt like clean washing. Much to the consternation of the nurse he'd moved his bed so that it was directly under the window, giving him much better light for reading. It had been a long time since he'd any time to even think about picking up a book, as a child he'd rarely been without one. Zelda used to tease him for reading so much fiction but slipping into worlds described on pages helped him set aside his feelings that he was missing something. The way that the legends and stories spoke about destiny and fate and people born with purposes so much bigger than they could image appealed to him. Perhaps his emptiness was a sign that he was meant for something great, the marker of his destiny like the story characters had prophecies or were born with magical symbols on their bodies. He wondered what the young Sheik would have made of his life now. Here he was, being a part of the saving of Hyrule, carrying out his duty as guide to The Hero, getting barely any sleep, living off whatever he could find and constantly nursing injuries. It was hardly glamourous, but it was his life, and there were definitely good things about it. The door creaked open and one of the good things poked his head through the opening gap.

`Sheik?'

Sheik smiled, `Hello Hero.'

Link stepped into the room, shutting the door behind him.

`We're,' Link exhaled awkwardly, ` we're not back to me being Hero are we? I . . . I like you calling me Link.'

`No, well maybe sometimes, but it's not a formality, not anymore.'

Link grinned and oh Goddesses it wasn't fair. It had never occurred to Sheik, as he waited for The Hero to wake from his seven year stasis, that Link would emerge so beautiful. His internal organs had hit the deck in the most unsettling way they could the first time he'd seen Link. Initially the way Link made him feel made Sheik incredibly uncomfortable and he kept his cold wall of Sheikah calm firmly in place. But it didn't last, and the more he saw Link the more he wanted to see Link. The day he realised that being in The Hero's presence made the empty ache fade was the day he gave up trying to keep his distance. He was in deep and he didn't honestly care. Still, he kept his feelings to himself; there were more important things at stake than one young man's heart.

`So, to what do I owe the pleasure then Link?'

Link set down his pack and settled on top of one of the remaining linen chests.

`I wanted to see if you were alright, and, to ask what was that thing?'

Sheik bit his lip, pausing to think through his answer,

`I'm fine, or they say I would be if I stopped wondering about and let myself heal.' Sheik smiled, flippant, Link frowned, disapproving. `As for the thing in the well, it's an evil spirit that Impa sealed away down there years ago. But, over the years, it must have gotten stronger, strong enough to break the wards.' Sheik shook his head, `We're . . . well, we're very lucky we're not dead. Impa's gone into the Shadow Temple to try and seal it again but,' there was a pause, more lip chewing went on, `I'm worried about her, which is insane, Impa can handle pretty much anything, it's just, well, she's a sage and if. . . if she dies. . .'

Sheik didn't finish the sentence, he didn't have to, they both knew how bad things would get if one of the Sages was killed.

`Where's the temple? I'll go there now.'

`In the graveyard, but Link, you were unconscious yesterday, is this a good idea?'

`I don't think I've got a choice, Impa has already been in there alone long enough.'

Sheik swore, this wasn't fair on Link, it was never fair on Link and it was maddening. It wasn't fair for him either. He didn't think he could take another round of waiting. He let out a grunt of frustration and punched his pillow for good measure before holding out a hand.

`Pass me my lyre please.'

Link climbed off the linen chest and handed Sheik his instrument before fishing his ocarina out of the pouch it lived in. Sheik plucked a few strings, checking the tuning was still good,

`It's time for you to learn the Nocturne of Shadows.'

Sheik began to play and it wasn't long before Link joined in. Sheik was always amazed at Links' ability to play by ear, especially as it had taken Sheik several years to learn all the pieces by heart. It seemed like Link had a natural proficiency for music that Sheik did not. His abilities were the product of years of practicing until his fingers would bleed. His tenacity in learning to play had surprised Impa who didn't know it stemmed from Sheik's desire to be like the people in his books. The day Impa had told him that he had a purpose, a task, a destiny, he'd seized it and promised himself he'd never let it go. He had to learn to play to fulfil his purpose and over time, he'd come to love the music for what it was as well as what it represented.

The piece came to an end. Sheik looked at the lyre in his hands, the instrument that had helped him save Link's life, he loved it and the sounds it made but he wished they didn't send Link into the dark places they did. He looked up meeting Link's gaze. Sheik looked away again. There was no way he could hide how much this hurt with a convenient deku nut explosion.

`Good luck Link. I'll be waiting.'

`I'll be as quick as I can.'

Link turned to go, picking up his pack again. Sheik's nerves were already beginning to turn his insides to knots. He was just sitting there as Link left to literally plunge himself into the shadows. There had to be something he could do to stop the darkness swallowing the other boy whole. Some way that he could make sure Link would always have light when he needed it. Light. Of course, light!

`Wait' Sheik threw himself over the side of the bed, fumbling through his belongings, `take these.'

He pulled a small roll of cloth from his things. It looked like a weird scroll, with each end rolled in to meet the other in the middle, and tied around the middle with a wide strip of ribbon. Sheik untied the strap and unrolled the cloth on the bed before gently picking it up, contents and all. Link turned, stepping back towards the bed, and away from the door. When he was beside Sheik he could see what it was cradled in the cloth wrapping. It was the pair of crystals that had brought light to the cave.

`Take these with you, that way, no matter how dark it gets you'll always have light.'

Sheik didn't look at Link as he held the crystals out to him. He couldn't stop the voice in the back of his mind from reminding him what it meant to offer them to someone. He desperately hoped that Link had forgotten that bit of his explanation about the crystals. Link looked down at the items held out for him. His heart was beating faster than he felt it reasonably should. He kept hearing Sheik's voice in his head, telling him about the crystals. Surely Sheik was just offering them as a gift, or a loan, like a friend. But what if, what if that wasn't how he wanted it to be, what if, for once, he had to chance to get what he wanted? And what was it that he wanted? He wanted more time with Sheik, he wanted to know that he would be there whenever Link needed him, and he wanted them to be able to be together without worrying about the things they had to do. He wanted Sheik.

Link reached out, picking up a single crystal. Sheik's gaze had followed his hand, but as soon as he'd only taken one crystal it shot up to Link's face. Very, very wide red eyes met uncertain blue ones.

`I'll take this one so that,' Link took a breath, unsure where the words were coming from, but comforted by the honesty of them 'so that whenever I find myself lost in the dark you can be the one who brings me the light.'

Sheik's brain stopped, but his heart thundered. His mouth moved like there should be words coming out but there were none. The silence started to make itself obvious. Link's gaze dropped to the floor and Sheik began to panic. His body saved him. He launched himself from the bed at Link, his bruised and broken bones telling him he'd regret it later. His good arm hooked itself around Link's neck and he brought their lips together. It was not a well-executed kiss, sloppy and desperate with a little too much tongue and tooth, but the message it carried was clear. The broke apart to take a few much needed gasps of air. Sheik rested his forehead against Link's,

`I promise, I promise that whenever you need me I will come. No matter how dark, I will bring you light.'

Link smiled, 'and I you, Sheik, and I you.'

They kissed again, this time with more finesse. Sheik's hand twisted into Link's hair, dislodging his hat. Link wrapped his arms around Sheik, who broke the kiss by hissing violently in pain.

`Goddesses, Sheik, I'm sorry, your ribs.'

Sheik grimaced, crumpling back down onto the bed,

`It's alright, I'll be fine, I probably shouldn't have thrown myself on you like that.'

Link blushed a little, `probably not, but I'm glad you did.'

Sheik laughed before he could stop himself, wincing as it made the pain worse. Link knelt at the side of the bed and took hold of Sheik's hand,

`Will you be alright? I don't . . . I don't want to leave but, well . . .'

Sheik squeezed the hand that held his, `I'll be fine, I just need to be patient and let it heal, and I know, I don't want you to go either but, this time, I don't think things will wait. Just promise me you'll come back.'

`I will, I promise.'

They held hands for a little while longer before Link stood, retrieved his hat and gently kissed Sheik goodbye. Sheik braced himself for the waiting, it would be terrible, with so much more on the line now than ever before, but this new thing, this new love they were risking made the entire world seem brighter.