Sunlight twinkled cheerily off the pointed kunai at the end of Sheik's hair, Link, ever the slacker, lounged under the shade of a nearby tree, munching on some wild herbs and berries found nearby. His blue eyes followed every move the other man made while he trained. He didn't know what it was, but something about this guy drew his gaze (his thoughts, his dreams) and held it with greedy claws. He couldn't look away even if he wanted to.
At first, he thought maybe it was because of how attractive the Sheikah was; golden hair usually kept neatly in a thick braid (he always loved watching how it fell in thick waves when it was down) crimson eyes that rolled in annoyance, or pinned him with a glare anytime the hero came too close. The rest of his body was tight and toned, hidden under armor and a tight bodysuit. Link was constantly imagining Sheik in various stages of undress, many of his nightly fantasies involving the warrior showing him just how easily he could remove his own armor. Due to recent events (a certain Sheikah being too stubborn to get adequately healed), he had gotten more than a good view of everything the other man's body had to offer, only fueling his nightly fantasies and making it even harder to ignore the man.
Link would wager a guess that the mystery aspect played another factor in why he couldn't keep away. Ever since he was just a boy, he had loved puzzles, and always took great pride in being able to solve them. Hand him a man with walls higher than Castle Towns and tell him to break those down, he'd do everything he could to do just that. So, when given the order to at least keep an eye on the man, he didn't mind playing buddy just in case the guy had any information. The hero was usually good at getting others to warm up to him, but the prickly Sheik posed a fun new challenge.
Thirdly, Impa had ordered him to keep an eye on the strange man the group picked up in the Eldin Mines, so being unable to look away was technically a good thing, right? This was the excuse he offered anytime he was caught ogling his charge and so far, it had worked (or at least, that's what he kept telling himself).
Slowly bringing another berry up to his mouth, Link's eyes widened as the musician spun in a full circle, a flurry of shadows and dark magic surrounding him. For the briefest of moments, he thought the man was dancing, and the beauty of it took his breath away. Dropping the berry back onto the pile, the hero raked a shaking hand through his hair, muttering a soft curse under his breath.
"Fuck."
Pushing himself up and out of his stupor, the Hylian stalked away from their shared training grounds, frustration tickling the back of his brain and making him gnash his teeth. Surely it hadn't been so long since he had been laid that he was lusting after that fucking prick. Maybe a fight would help ease his frustrations.
When Sheik finishes his newly acquired spell, sweat pours down the sides of his face, body unused to the amount of magic the Nocturne of Shadows required. Feeling the dreadful cold settling in his bones, he took a deep breath, letting the afternoon sun warm the chill that had settled over him. The old magicks always seemed to seep under his skin like this. Turning towards Link's chosen napping spot, his brow furrows at the lack of said hero.
'Maybe the berries weren't enough to quell the monster's appetite.' he muses as he cleans up the remains of their lunch.
Taking the time alone to wander camp, the Sheikah's ears perked at the sounds of soldiers tussling around the campfire, the usual logs where people sat to tell stories pushed to the side. Fists flew and curses were shouted across the camp, some people even getting dragged in from outside the fight. It's an odd place for a spar in his opinion, but as long as nothing of value was set ablaze he couldn't care less where the frustrated knights chose to settle their disputes.
Deciding to take his chances looking for the hero elsewhere, he turns away from the still-growing brawl just in time for someone to go flying, accidentally aimed right at his back. As the young knight collided with the Sheikah's back, the two were sent toppling to the ground, winded and wheezing. Giving a heaving push, Sheik lifts the stupified man off of him and takes in a gulp of air, almost offering a prayer of relief when the knight was plucked off of him. Blue eyes focused down on him, the mocking laughter in them giving him enough anger to stand back up. God the hero was such a fucking ass.
Upon seeing Sheik rise, the knight dangling from Link's grip on his trousers perks up, looking owlishly between the two. Rubbing the back of his head, the Hylian offers him a sheepish smile as the hero gives him a gentle shake.
"Many parduns, Mister Sheik. If I had known Link's special somebuddy was walking by I woulda' made sure ta duck so I woodn't hit yuh." his accent was thick and his freckled face and tooth gap made quick work of the Sheikah's legendary resolve. Maybe he could offer mercy just this once.
He (totally wasn't) smiling under his mask as he waves off the man's apology, the genuine sincerity rolling off of him more than enough to settle his growing frustrations. "Truly it's nothing young Remus." the name rolls off his tongue easily as he recognizes the familiar face of one of the many apprentice knights. "And besides, just because I'm Link's special-" Cutting himself off, he shoots a heated glare up at the hero, head angled back to get a good look at the bastard's face.
"Your special what?" he questions, voice just loud enough for other knights to notice and listen.
Dropping Remus back onto the ground, Link raises his hands in defense. "Hey! Hey! I helped you out just now why are you suddenly mad at me?!" he demands, ears red at the hoots and hollers from his comrades.
"I'm your special what, Link?" Clenching his fists, the shorter man thrusts a finger against the hero's chest "Do I look like I'm playing?" he hisses.
"It's nothing like that Sheik! Honest! I was just-" Link was caught off guard by Remus' cozy voice joining the argument.
"Yeah, Mister Sheik! Link means the best, really honestly! He knows ya like to be alone so he makes sure tha rest of us don' bother ya! Or like that one time Link and Terus were talken' and Terus ran his lip about wanting to see if Sheikah dog really worshiped Hylian…" the young man's face turns red as he realized he'd have to say inappropriate words to finish the story. "Ahem, bits, and wondered if yer face was pretty or all mangled up and Link, bein and hero and all that, punched the snot out of him, shoutin' "Don't talk about my man like that!"
The young knight's jaw clamps shut as Sheik's fist collides with Link's face, cutting his story short. The hero stumbled back, landing on the ground and cupping his bloodied nose, a fierce glare aimed at the red-eyed man. Dropping down, the Sheikah jams his knee between the Hylian's splayed thighs, tugging him up close by the front of his tunic.
"If I ever hear of you laying claim to me again, I will kill you, hero." It didn't take a moron to figure out that he wasn't bluffing.
Angrily snatching Sheik's wrists, he opens his mouth to argue. Pressing a firm hand to the man's back, his jaw snaps shut at feeling muscles tense as instinctive fear caused the smaller warrior to coil in preparation for an attack. Cursing at the idea of making the other man panic, he loosens his grip, a frustrated sigh leaving his lips. Holding the Sheikah against him just tight enough to keep him there, he looks down, hoping he was able to convey just how serious he was.
"Sheik, I mean it. It wasn't anything like that. I wouldn't…I may hook up a lot but I'm not the kinda guy into the idea of owning somebody." he grumbles.
Kneeling between the hero's legs, Sheik lets his head sag, embarrassed at the warm clarity radiating from Link's hold on him. Like warm sunshine, it breaks through the angry clouds in his mind. "Then what does it mean, Link?"
Link hates how tired the usually snarky man sounds. Feeling anxiety twist around his gut as memories of that night flash behind his eyelids, he looks around, their onlookers wide-eyed. "Oi! Could we get some privacy so I can clean up the mess you lot made?"
Though worded like a question, the order rang through the camp, and suddenly everyone had some important matters they forgot to do. Once the area around the campfire was clear, Link stood, groaning as he held his throbbing nose, the bleeding finally slowing considerably.
"I think you fucking broke my nose," he complains, sinking tiredly onto a log near the cooking fire, an unspoken invitation drawing Sheik to join him.
"You should have thought about stopping your friend before he finished his story then, hero." the taunt rolls easily off his tongue, and he didn't know what irked him more; the fact that he might have been wrong in breaking Link's annoyingly perfect hooked nose, or the fact that simply sitting near him relaxed him enough to see the error of his ways.
"I thought I told you already. It wasn't like that."
Sighing again, he turns, leaning close to Link, one arm supporting him on the log, the other raised in offering. "Go ahead and explain then, while I prepare a healing spell."
Blue eyes widened a fraction, and he couldn't help but smile down at the Sheikah.
"Stop it or I won't fix it and you'll be stuck with a crooked nose for the rest of your miserable life." Sheik scolds, hands raising as golden light dances around his fingers.
Closing his eyes, Link barely fights the urge to lean into the fingers that taunt his dreams. "Oh no. What ever shall I do if my handsome face is tarnished by a crooked nose?" the smaller man only offers a soft hum in response.
For a moment, the silence between them was peaceful. Too often, the two were at each other's throats, insulting each other for silly mistakes and taunting or jabbing each other just to piss the other off. Link almost wasn't ashamed to say he liked moments like these better. Healing light slowly faces away as thin fingers gingerly guide his nose into its straightened position once more.
"There. And look, it's not even crooked." It seemed as if Sheik was always the first to know what he wanted to say, to know what to say to get Link's stiff tongue to loosen. "Now, I believe you owe me a story, hero."
Though sounding like a jabbing demand, something small in him whispered softly. "Look deeper…"
Furrowing his brow, Link lets his eyes close for a moment, shaking off the sudden fog in his mind. "Sorry…It's just…" letting out a frustrated breath through his nose, he rests his elbows on his knees, trying to find a way to word his story delicately; someone with Sheik's background would probably be terrified of the things he had to say "It's not exactly a pretty story Sheik," the warns gravely, the memory of that night more than enough to wake the familiar thrum of anger in his blood, the same vicious pulse thrumming through his Triforce anytime something involved the Sheikah beside him.
The only response was a single raised brow as if asking why that mattered. Swallowing the angry muk clogging his throat, he refuses to meet the ruby gaze of his companion, eyes instead focused on the small ant-like insects walking across the ground.
(Content Warning starts here. Past this point, there is mention of attempted drugging and eluded consequences. It isn't graphic but I wanted to warn you all! )
"It was sometime right after we met Lana…after I tended to your Deku Baba bite…" his eyes flick over, catching Sheik as the man rubs his left rib, his body shuddering at the memory. Clearing his throat, Link continues. "Terus, the rotten bastard, had suggested a drink and gotten the rest of the army riled up. It was pretty much a full-blown party."
Link could remember it so clearly it almost surprised him. The smell of that night's dinner cooking over the camp cook's personal pit, the loud, echoing laughter of the men, eager Skull Kids, Koroks, and Fairies watching as the Hyrulean army sang songs and danced. He remembered Sheik's voice, lilted and laughing along with someone, immediately dragging the hero's attention away from his own conversation with Impa.
Three steins into his own merriment, Link didn't hear Impa trying to get his attention as he makes his way towards the light of his life. Too far into his own drink, he doesn't think much of that fleeting thought, choosing instead to go to Sheik and wait for his conversation to finish.
Unfortunately, right as he opened his mouth to get the other man's attention, Lana's all-too-familiar rang through camp. "Sheik!"
The sorceress, eyes finally locked on her target, rushed past Link, nearly knocking him over in her path to the Sheikah. Wrapping her arm around the startled man's shoulders, she steers him away from his conversation, nodding her head in the direction of her own tent in hopes Link would understand what she was doing.
"I had some more questions about your magic. You wouldn't mind humoring me for the evening, would you?"
At the sorceress' wide-eyed stare, Link truly noticed it; Sheik's eyes, usually so sharp and clear, were heavily glazed, almost looking clouded. Every so often, he would turn his head, confused at the sights around him, leaning heavily into Lana's hold. The man was good and shit-faced. Unable to hide his own chuckle, the hero nods his head, holding his stein to his chest as warmth bloomed through him. He'd have to thank the woman later for stepping in and rescuing his charge when she did.
But, nothing good ever lasts long in his experience. Turning his gaze toward the knight Sheik had been talking to, he offers a sincere smile, an apology on his lips, only to grow silent at the sight of a lone glass next to the log the retiring musician had been at. Only half of the drink had been touched, the lack of any other mugs littering the ground more than enough to raise his suspicions. Blue eyes focus on the smug grin of Terus, a distant cousin of the Princess who mostly paraded his family colors on the battlefield instead of doing anything of great help or importance. All of that aside, the man got along well with others, often giving support and morale to the men in need. He seemed like a nice enough guy in his opinion.
But tonight, a dark gloom was in the man's eye as he waved off Link's apology, rising from the log. "It's quite alright, hero I assure you." With a fake smile plastered on his face, he stretches and yawns. "I think I'll go check on dinner. This much drinking sure does work up an appetite and I plan on turning in before long."
Something didn't add up. Link, watching the man start to turn, focused on the mug again. Then, he looked at Terus. Terus' hands were empty. There was only one mug at the log. Sheik was drinking. The memories played in his mind, almost like pictures in an album. Terus' empty hands, Sheik's unfinished drink, Lana pulling the stupified man away, Terus' empty hands. Sheik takes a small drink through his mask. It had made him chuckle at the time. A single image of Sheik, showing the knight his harp, flashed behind his eyes. In it, Terus' hands weren't empty…
(Flashback is over! Other than Link yelling everything should be hunky dory past this point. If I missed anything I will fix it no worries!)
Link shakes his head back in the present, swallowing the lump of rage that chokes off his story. "Please don't ask me to finish the rest."
Sheik, having kept his eyes on the Hylain through the story, slowly reached out and gently laid his hand over the hero's balled-up fist on the log. "Thank you, Link, for telling me. And for defending my honor." Link felt his heart flutter as he watched Sheik's eyes crinkle warmly at the corners. "Looks like I owe you and Lana a great debt."
Giving his hand another firm squeeze, "I think that it'd be best if I turned in a little early tonight…Listen Link, I'm sorry for breaking your nose." Leaning slightly, the Sheikah tilts his head, trying to lighten the dark air around the hero. "And don't think you can hold me being wrong this one time against me, alright?"
Standing to leave, he takes a careful step forward, startled as a warm grip around his wrist yanked him back into place beside the hero. "Alright Link it's not cute, knock it-"
Turning, his eyes were met with the top of the other man's head, the Hylian's arm shaking, his left hand pulsing a soft golden glow. Unknowingly pushing his anger through their shared bond (truly the Sheikah wished it weren't so, wished he didn't have to bear the Triforce of wisdom and be forced to share an emotional connection with the volatile Hylian triforce bearer). Gently grabbing Link's wrist, he sits back down.
"Link?" he asks, unsure of how to address the strange air around the man.
"How?" Link's voice is barely a murmur, even the Sheikah's heightened sense of hearing is unable to make out most of the words.
"I'm…sorry?" he offers, flinching lightly as Link's grip tightens, still not enough to hurt, but firm, keeping the smaller man in place.
"How are you so fucking calm right now?" the Hylian demands, jerking his head up, red-rimmed eyes wild with anger. "I just told you that that monster fucking drugged you, Sheik! He wanted…he said…" dropping his head back down, his larger fingers trembled as he slid the smaller man's hands into his own. "He said we wouldn't find you once he was finished…If Lana hadn't noticed…if she hadn't gotten you out of there when she did… you would have been gone, Sheik! I wouldn't have-"
Cutting himself off, Link lets the unspoken words hang between them. Watching the hero for a moment, Sheik's eyes eventually turn skyward, watching as the stars slowly blink to life in the fading blush of twilight.
"Well, I'm not actually supposed to be here," the response has Link's head snapping up, watery blue eyes scrunched in confusion.
"What?"
"I escaped." The Sheikah says it so simple as if the words held all the answers they needed. Bringing a hand up to his covered neck, both can easily picture the brand there. "The people I'm running from, Link…they are more terrifying than anything Terus could do in my next three lifetimes. And besides," Leaning over, the warrior playfully bumped shoulders with the Hylian. "I've got a big handsome hero who will come to my rescue, right?" Even adding a playful wink, Sheik was wholly unaware of the damage he had just caused.
Tugging his hand out from under the Sheikah's, he tried to ignore the way magic coursed through his blood, his triforce resonating through their fingers as he tangles them together. Leaning forward, he rests his forehead against a furrowed brow, his own eyes closing. The ringing in his blood filled his ears as he rested there, their contact soothing his frayed nerves.
"Goddesses I don't know what to do." He murmurs, ignoring the concerned pokes against his ribs. "Sheik. I'm going to kiss you."
Even with the warning, Sheik goes still at the feeling of Link's lips pressing to his through his mask. The larger man's fingers grip his tightly before teeth graze thin, clothed lips, ripping a small shudder from the other man. Unable to suppress a possessive grin, the Hylian hero takes things a step further, cupping the back of his companion's neck, pulling him closer, and kissing him passionately. He had never kissed someone through a mask before, and often imagined it to be an unpleasant experience, but the way he could feel Sheik panting and whimpering against him, contained just out of reach drove him wild.
A firm hand on his chest pushes him back, the top of a loosening cowl replacing the Sheikah's lips. With a small chuckle, Link is more than comfortable to sit by the fire and hold the smaller man against him, murmuring soft nothings into the fabric against his lips.
"You're insufferable, do you know that?" Sheik's voice is soft, with very little bite to the harsh words.
Only humming in response, Link rubbed his thumb up and down the smaller man's arm, holding him close as they watched the fire. "I like you too, Sheik. I like you too."
And if the words bring a smile to Sheik's face he would be the last to admit it.