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pennylanewrites · 2 years ago

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sur le fil [levi ackerman x f!reader]

chapter 1: la vie en rose

moving to paris, you get to meet a set of interesting neighbours; one talkative, bubbly, exciting and kind. one reserved, serious and tortured. the first will be your guide through life in paris; the latter, you soon find out is your colleague.

a/n: reader, hange, moblit and petra are 24-25 years old. erwin and levi are both 28 in this fic. erwin gets introduced soon so dw heheh

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packing up your whole life and moving to paris was sort of on a whim. you really only realized it when you were on the plane, and you could spot the eiffel tower, the arc de triomphe, the notre dame. oh, you were going to have so much fun.

it wasn't hard to find your new home -after taking a taxi and two buses from the airport. you had booked a room from an old lady living in a haussmannian building. three rooms were already occupied, and a kitchen, common room, library and terrace were included in the low price of 250€ per month. you assumed that the old lady simply wanted company; it wasn't easy to find something that cheap, right in the heart of paris.

"madame dubois, so nice to meet you!" you greeted the lady rushing out of the building with a handshake, but she opted for a hug and a kiss on each cheek instead. how european.

"call me paulette, darling, please." paulette was pushing 70, tall, slim and stylish. she held a slim cigarette between fingers decorated with gold rings; she wore a long linen shirt over matching pants and ballerina shoes. very french, you thought, as you followed her inside.

as you stepped inside, you were greeted by high ceilings, ornate moldings, and large windows that allow an abundance of natural light to fill the rooms. the kitchen, located at the heart of the house, had marble countertops, state-of-the-art appliances, and custom-made sage-coloured cabinets. you could tell you would have a lot of fun in this kitchen. as you left the room, you noticed a wide selection of teas, a whole countertop in fact, dedicated to them. adjacent to the kitchen was the common room, knick-knacks and books filling every surface and empty corner. The baby-blue coloured room was adorned with plush beige and off-white furniture, intricate chandeliers, and a majestic fireplace, creating a cozy and sophisticated atmosphere. the library, opposite to the living room, housed an extensive collection of books, with floor-to-ceiling shelves that exuded an air of intellectual refinement. a cozy reading nook by the window invited you to spend many afternoons with a cup of coffee and your nose in a book.

"your room is on the first floor, along with two more. then there’s mine and one more on the third, and of course the terrace, that you’re free to use whenever.” you were admiring the paintings on the walls as paulette guided you to the first floor and to the second door on the left. you wondered who the other two rooms were occupied from, but you guessed you would find out soon.

paulette unlocked the white door and handed you the key. you entered into a mainly beige and lavender-coloured room, small but efficient; the boxes you had packed were sitting in front of the bed, arriving just before you. a double bed with two nightstands stood in the middle, a large wooden dresser on the side, with intricate golden details. two wicker sitting chairs by the window and an empty desk and small bookcase. paulette was showing you the bathroom, but you were too busy admiring the notre dame from your dusty window. despite it being half-burnt, it remained beautiful.

“my room is on the top floor to the right. anything you want, i’m just a knock away.”

“thank you. you said something about other people leaving here?”

“oh, yes! moblit lives on the third floor, he’s a nice and quiet guy. zoe lives right across from you, she’s a little feisty, i guess.”

“and next door?”

you swore paulette’s face dropped when you asked.

“oh, that would be levi, my nephew. he’s a bit…reserved.” was all paulette said about your mysterious neighbour before leaving you to unpack.

you fell on the bouncy mattress and let out a content sigh. the ceiling above you had a cracked lavender and lilac tapestry with golden swirls. the walls matched it perfectly, and the curtains, though faded, were a beige to match the wood of the furniture.

why unpack now? the sun was setting and a deep purple hue played on your stretched legs. you grabbed your purse and headed for the terrace, but your journey was cut short by a loud screech.

“levi, give me my key!”

“i don’t have your key, you lost it, you idiot.” the manly voice came from next door, you noticed. you decided to step out carefully.

a tall woman turned to look at you through round glasses.

“bonsoir! we didn’t know you were coming tonight!”

“hi! zoe, right? i’m y/n.” you took a few steps back when the brunette attacked you with a warm, tight hug.

“pleasure! are you heading for the terrace? that’s the first thing i did when i came here too.”

“seems like a cozy place for a cigarette.”

“you read my mind.” she turned to your other neighbour’s door again. “levi, sors de ta chambre!” come out of your room, your high school french classes came to your rescue.

as you waited for the mysterious neighbour, you inspected zoe. her rich, chocolate-brown hair cascading down her shoulders, framed her face and round golden glasses. she wore a flowing, forest green and brown maxi dress with intricate patterns that catch the eye. completing her ensemble, she adorned herself with eclectic accessories. a collection of beaded bracelets adorned her wrists, each one telling a story of its own. around her neck hung two pendants, a round blue evil eye, and a wooden symbol of piece. her ears were filled with gold studs and the picture ended with pink delicate feather-shaped earrings, whispering a hint of whimsy.

“hange, i just came home. what could you possibly-”

“we have a new neighbour, levi. remember?” zoe motioned at you with her head and a smile, obviously not caring that she was interrupting the man’s personal time.

“okay?”

wow. rude.

“so, you should come to the terrace for a smoke. maintenant.” now.

you expected the man to slam the door in her face, but he stepped back in to grab his jacket, and came back out.

levi stood at average height, with sleek black hair reaching his nape, a fresh undercut showing underneath and a few strands shaping his face and accentuating his piercing gray eyes. he was wearing a fitted maroon t-shirt and dark gray jeans, the look finishing with all black vans and the black leather jacket in his hand. you noticed a tattoo hiding under the sleeve of his shirt. interesting.

“hi, i’m y/n. it's so nice to-”

“levi. pleasure.”

“for fuck’s sake.”

“what? i said pleasure.”

"okay,sure. go make us some tea. y/n, how do you drink yours?" you looked between the pair. why did it feel like they were about to judge whatever you said next?

"oh, i don't really like..." you trailed off because levi had only rolled his eyes at you before storming down the stairs, mumbling in french. you followed zoe to the top floor. a pair of white french doors opened to a spacious terrace, with a set of wicker couches, cozy floor pillows and a tarp-covered bar. all kinds of flowers filled the corners and a vegetable garden took up most of the space on the left.

"you'll have to forgive levi. he's a bit..."

"uptight?" zoe snorted at your comment, and you had a feeling she agreed.

"passionate about tea. he's going to bring you a cup anyway. levi has a recipe for every kind of person, and he's certain he can make everyone like it."

you took out a pack of marlboro golds and offered one to zoe. she politely declined, opening a leather pocket of tobacco to roll her own cigarette.

"so, what brings you to paris?"

i had to run away from everything and everyone in my life.

"oh, it was just time for a change. i had enough money saved up, so i thought why not?" zoe lied down on the couch opposite you and nodded in acknowledgement. "what about you? have you lived here long?"

"levi and i were born and raised in lyon. we moved here around seven years ago, for college."

"what did you study?"

architecture.

"the plan was liberal arts, but i changed to architecture my second year."

bingo.

"i never finished college. i was a history and archaeology major, but it never really...spoke to me, you know?" you put the cigarette out on the clay ashtray on the table, "so, i attended a few barista and bartending seminars, and i actually fell in love with it."

"you don't say...have you got a job yet? i'm pretty sure the café down the street is looking for someone." you could faintly see the shop zoe was talking about in the distance.

"oh, i already found something nearby. i'm starting tomorrow."

"thats brilliant, i'll have to-oh, levi, you're here!" levi stepped out to the terrace, skillfully holding up a tray with three cups. he placed an intricate one in front of you; it was a midnight purple, square mug with engraved golden stars and constellations all over. you held the steaming mug and smiled gratefully at levi. you could smell raspberry, apple and-

"tell her what it is!" zoe jumped up and down excitedly, spilling some of the hot liquid on her dress and phone. "putain." she exclaimed and wiped her phone screen on the couch pillow.

"it's black tea with raspberry syrup, apple, lemon and rhubarb."

"excellent choice of a cup too." zoe poked his side with her elbow. "what's mine, shortie?"

"it's piss." you snorted into your cup, blowing some of the liquid on your lap. you hissed and wiped it away quickly, looking up at the bickering pair.

you brought the cup to your lips, tasting it carefully. you almost winced; it was the sourest tea imaginable, and if not for the syrup, it would be bitter too. you had to admit, you got used to it after a couple of sips, and you liked it enough to keep drinking.

"did levi magically change your opinion on tea?"

"this is really nice," you looked up at levi. his gray eyes didn't leave yours as he took a sip of his own tea, "but i'm a coffee person. sorry." you smiled softly.

"if you like bean water, sure." he scoffed.

"as opposed to leaf water?" you retorted.

why the fuck is he holding the cup like that? show-off.

zoe looked between the two of you, grinning. the comfortable silence was cut short by two message notifications. you and levi took your phones out at the same time.

-you have been added to Le Café Belle Époque’s group chat

-unknown number has been added to Le Café Belle Époque’s group chat

you and levi slowly looked up at each other.

“you’re the new barista?” he scoffed.

“you…work there too?” you looked at the members of the group chat. indeed, a picture of levi sat by an unsaved number on your phone. zoe peeked over levi’s shoulder to look at his texts.

"aha! this is very exciting, n'est-ce pas?"

you had seven different words in mind to describe this, and exciting was not one of them.

waking up in your new bed, in your little room in the heart of paris, felt like waking up in a disney movie. birds were chirping outside of your window, and a few stray sunrays hit the wooden floor. with a stretch of your arms and a yawn, you looked around at the sea of boxes and suitcases. you really needed to unpack.

after searching for your summer clothes, you finally opted for a pair of white jean shorts, a flowy muted-olive shirt with thin straps and your favorite brown sandals, that strapped around your feet and ankles. you brushed your teeth and hair, and placed mascara on your eyelashes carefully. a warm-toned lipstick finished your look, and you started your voyage to the kitchen with a box in your hands.

damn you paris, with your steep staircases, you tried looking over the box to watch your step, but it was impossible.

"woah, let me help with that." you were met with a pair of dark brown eyes behind rectange glasses.

"thanks." you accepted the offer and walked behind the strange man.

"where are we heading?"

"kitchen."

the man finally set the box down on the round kitchen table, slapping the top of it.

"moblit berner. it's nice to meet you, y/n."

"how did you...?" you shook his hand with furrowed brows. moblit was wearing a well-pressed, tailored navy blue suit, a light blue dress shirt underneath and leather oxfords.

"zoe told me all about you last night. i apologize for the late introduction, but i came home after midnight." he watched as you took a polished red, vintage looking espresso machine out, placing it on the counter right by the outlet. "retro. does, uh, does levi know about the new addition to the kitchen?" moblit laughed awkwardly. you unrolled the cups you had wrapped in paper in your box and gave them a quick rinse, before setting them on top of the machine.

"i couldn't care less. paulette told me i can keep this here." you shrugged and filled the water tank. "want some coffee?"

"yes, please. the only drinks in this house all these years have been tea and alcohol." you pressed ground-up espresso in the group, and waited for the machine to warm up.

"what kind of coffee?"

"surprise me. i like it sweet, with a lot of milk. there's some almond milk in the fridge, so please use that." moblit sat down and lit a cigarette. you inspected levi's selection of syrups, powders and leaves.

"you don't think he'll mind, do you?" you held up a bottle of lavender syrup.

"it will be our little secret. better safe than sorry." you nodded and poured the syrup in the milk, frothing it while the espresso poured into a cup.

"so, where do you work, moblit?"

"i'm a reporter for libération, a news-"

"left-leaning newspaper, i know. i loved that piece on macron, the one comparing the marches to the french revolution?" you placed the cup in front of moblit, who accepted with a grateful smile.

"i wrote that one."

"of course! i thought your name sounded familiar." you chuckled and turned to make your own iced coffee.

"will we be seeing you at the café tonight?"

“i don’t know if i’m working a full shift yet. i’m only going to meet the managers and get an idea of the bar.”

“well, you’ve met one of them already.”

“levi’s a manager?” you rolled your eyes and sipped on your coffee.

“assistant. but he basically runs the place, he’s in charge of the menu, prices, schedule…” moblit grinned. “except for the new hires.”

“guess that’s why he was so surprised yesterday.”

“surprised is an understatement.”

“huh? wait, what did he say?” your eyebrow perked up. moblit just shook his head and got up to leave.

“thanks for the coffee, y/n. see you tonight!” defeated, you sat back on your chair. you slid it closer to the window and opened it wide. a warm breeze hit your face, and you smiled contently.

the rest of your day was spent unpacking, finding a space for every one of your knick-knacks and clutter. you managed to fit all of your books on the three shelves, finishing the image with some fairy lights hanging over them. most of your clothes fit in the dresser, but the rest were left in the suitcase. you really needed to buy some storage boxes soon.

it was now 2:30 in the afternoon, and after taking a warm shower, you desperately needed to eat. you sat on your bed, a towel wrapped around your hair, and pulled your phone out to search for a place to eat.

knock knock.

“come in.” you yelled out and looked behind your phone. zoe came in, looking around your room. she looked different; a tight bun sat at the bottom of her head and a classy white pantsuit hugged her body, before flaring down her calves.

“wow, nicely done. it took me two years to unpack when i got here…hey, what time do you leave for work?”

“i have to be there at six.”

“great! want to grab a bite with me? i’ll even throw in a little tour of our neighbourhood if you make me some coffee later.”

“deal.”

zoe brought you to a small, family owned restaurant cornering a main street. you watched as people walked, playing a guessing game of who was coming back from work, who was late for lunch, who had just had a fight with their partner. people-watching was a favourite of yours. it made you remember you weren’t alone in the world, that other people too had issues and feelings.

“do you eat meat, y/n? they make killer steaks here.”

“oh, i love a good steak.”

“excellent! how about i order for you?”

“yes, please.”

the waiter came to the table soon after, leaving a complimentary basket of warm bread and a butter spread.

“we’ll have two of your bavette à l’échalote, a portion of fries for the table and…two glasses of malbec please.” zoe handed the menu to the waiter and quickly attacked the bread.

“this is my favourite restaurant. it has been in the renard family for almost a century, and their recipes are practically unchanged. now, if you kindly look up, you will see my office on the top floor. i have a kicking view of the notre dame, which is…five minutes from here.” she pointed down the main road. you listened as she explained the secrets of the neighbourhood, the quirky owner of the office building, the drama between the two restaurants opposite each other.

you were so hungry when the dishes finally arrived in front of you, but you let hange do a demonstration of the dish.

“so, skirt steak. they cut it up in pieces so you can pour the sauce between them,” she spooned the golden, buttery sauce over your steak, “and i like to add it to the roasted vegetables too.” she poured the rest of it over the vegetables on the side. “and the rest you use to dip your fries!” she said excitedly, leaving the dip bowl next to the warm salted fries.

“bon appétit.” you raised the glass of red wine, clinking it with zoe’s.

after the delightful lunch, you leaned back on your chair, full and ready to go. you and zoe smoked two cigarettes each over one more glass of wine, before leaving for the café.

“are you nervous?”

“not really, i’ve done this too many times.”

“i would be. levi hates training new people.”

“good thing i don’t need training then.” you giggled and entered the café. a warm smell of cinnamon hit you, and the jazz music created a warm atmosphere around vintage furniture, a sleek dark blue bar with a marble top and the alcohol selection of your dreams.

“you’re late.” levi appeared behind the counter, startling you. you checked the clock on your phone.

“i’m 15 minutes early.”

“that’s still 5 minutes late.” he crossed his arms over his chest and stared back at you. “are you coming in here or what?”

you sighed and walked around the counter. the first thing you did was wash your hands thoroughly. levi appreciated that, but only gave a nod of approval as he walked you through the bar.

“you will be on evening shift for the time being, so here’s the old drinks menu. you’re free to change everything, except for the classic cocktails.”

“great! the last bar i was working, i experimented with tea-based cocktails, so i would like to add that. am i okay to stay after closing and use the bar for practice?”

“tea-based!” zoe exclaimed. you had almost forgotten she was there.

“tea-based.” levi repeated and you had a feeling he would explode then and there.

“ha! his eye is twitching! good one, y/n.”

“anyway, i’m adding that. i also want to make some additions to the coffee menu.” you looked over to the tea corner. “can i use the powders and syrups?”

“you’re going to add flowers and fruit in coffee?”

“is there a problem?” you didn’t even turn around to look at levi. instead, you took a pen and paper and noted down changes for the coffee menu.

“anyway. you can check the prices here, since it’s still the start. the waitresses will help you with anything else, so…”

“so?”

“show me what you got, rookie.” levi leaned back on the counter, with a challenging grin. rookie my ass, who does this guy think he is?

“ooh, ooh! make me an iced coffee, and use like, all the syrups you can.” zoe slammed her hand on the counter.

“you got it.” you prepared two shots of espresso. while that was pouring, you took a shaker, pouring coconut milk, a tablespoon of elderflower syrup and one of vanilla syrup over ice. you shook it around masterfully, making a show for zoe and levi. when the espresso was done, you mixed in a teaspoon of sugar. taking a tall glass, you filled it to the middle with ice and added the milk mixture. you poured the espresso over it, mixing it with a tall spoon carefully.

“whipped cream?” you asked and levi pointed at the fridge under the sink. you spotted a bowl of edible flowers and grabbed it as well. you placed a coaster in front of hange and the glass, spooning some of the handmade cream on top. you took the pinching tool and added three small flowers over the cream.

“et voilà!”

zoe clapped excitedly, accepting the long straw you handed her. she took a big sip, closing her eyes in delight.

“y/n, this is the best thing that has ever been in my mouth.” she wiggled around on the stool.

“i feel offended.” moblit appeared out of nowhere, wrapping his arms around zoe and leaving a kiss on her temple.

huh, i guess they’re dating, you thought.

the café wasn’t really busy, so you spent the next hour making different coffees and teas, for levi to ensure you know what you’re doing. zoe had insisted to drink all of them, so you wouldn’t have to throw them away.

“hange, you’ll spend a week in the toilet if you drink all of those.” levi tried taking the cups away, but zoe guarded them in front of her.

“the toilet happens to be my happy place. maybe i want to stay there for a week.” she made sure to drink a sip from all of them, just to spite levi.

“if you cleaned once in a while, it would be a safe place too.” you chuckled at levi’s remark.

a wave of customers rushed in, and the waiters sent order after order. it was a hectic hour and a half, but by nine o’clock, you had time to clean up the machine and your counter.

“okay, welcome to the team, i guess.” levi shoved a golden name tag and a black half-apron in your arms.

“wow, warm welcome.”

“watch it.” levi grabbed his stuff and walked around the bar. he turned to zoe. “i have to pick petra up from work, do you guys want to do something later?”

“just come back here! we can all try the new cocktail menu.” hange pushed him to the door before he could decline and came back to the bar.

“can i take these away now?” you pointed at the sea of cups and glasses in front of her.

“please do. i feel like i’m going to explode.”

“you really like to get on his nerves, don’t you?” you laughed as she nodded furiously.

“zoe has to make levi have a nervous breakdown at least once a week.” moblit commented. after everything was cleaned, you could finally calm down and work on the cocktail menu. you spotted a small blackboard sitting behind the fridge. you grabbed it and the packet of chalks and handed it to moblit.

“you look like you have nice handwriting. please write these names down for me.”

“what’s in it for me?”

“pick one and i’ll make it for you. on the house.” you grinned as moblit wrote the menu down. zoe made sure to include a few doodles of flowers and a smiley face before setting it on top of the bar, where everyone could spot it.

it was midnight when you had to cut zoe off alcohol and levi walked in, hand in hand with a petite brunette. the girl had a sleek bob with short bangs, and wore a silk pink dress that hugged her waist and thighs. an oversized brown leather jacket, a pink leather crossbody bag and brown combat boots finished the look. her makeup was the perfect mix of edgy and sweet, with a smoky eye, red cheeks and a nude lipstick. the girl greeted zoe with a hug, wincing when the strong smell of gin hit her.

“control your woman, moblit.” she joked and kissed both his cheeks before sitting down. levi took her jacket along with his and handed them to you to place behind the counter. “so, you’re y/n. a beautiful name for a beautiful girl. i’m petra.”

“pleasure.” you smiled as you served two drinks on the sidebar.

“see, she looks just fine.” levi rolled his eyes at the girl. “levi was under the impression that you would crack under the pressure and run off.”

“levi should know that i have been doing this for four years. i’m not that easy to crack.” you placed two coasters and two glasses of water in front of them.

“what are you having?”

“i want…to try one of those famous cocktails.” she pointed at the blackboard.

“famous?” you furrowed your brows.

“oh, levi talked my ear off for hours about them. you’ll have to forgive him. his old age won’t let him accept change and evolution.” she kissed his cheek after the comment, but he only sighed. “anyway, i’ll have the earl grey martini. amour?” she turned to levi, who barely looked at her.

“whiskey sour.”

“one chamomile whiskey sour coming up!”

“i said, whiskey sour.” zoe, moblit and petra were stuck looking between the two of you. you guessed levi wasn’t known for his temper. but, oh, you wanted to crack him so bad. it was so satisfying seeing his neck and ears turn red with annoyance.

“i heard you.” you hummed as you made the brunette’s cocktail in a dainty martini glass.

“so, make that.”

“but i already steeped the chamomile. it would be a waste of perfect tea.” you pouted as you poured the tea over ice. you flipped a short glass over and placed it on the bartop. a strainer on top, you poured the contents in, sliding it to the ravenette.

“just try it, cheri.”

levi brought the glass to his lips in the same stupid way he held onto that cup of tea yesterday. his gray piercing eyes never left yours, and you grinned when his expression fell. he liked it. the fucker liked it, because he took another, full sip, before sliding the glass back to you.

"i asked for a whiskey sour.” this was revenge because you didn’t like his stupid tea. you mumbled something he couldn’t hear over the music, as you made a new cocktail for him.

despite levi's eyes burning holes in you for what felt like hours, the night was going well. you got to know petra and moblit better, work was flowing nicely and a full jar of tips sat on the counter. guess people liked the new, not grumpy, bartender.

taglist: @belovedackerman @bibemiiu @thisisketchy @ch-4-s-3 @kingfleury

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linkedspirit-fanartfunart · 6 months ago

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Between Dreams

Summery: Rinku and Ravio have strangely similar issues with sleeping and being alone, it seems. They figure out how to help each other... until they can't. (yea it's another Rinku backstory. Look. She has a lot of backstory ok?)

Warnings: Angst that's only like, half resolved? (If you wanna get the most 'fluff-like' end, just stop reading after you read "Yea, I love you too") Depression, sleeplessness & oversleeping, Rinku is trans and uses he/him for the first half and gets misgendered in the second half because she hasn't told anybody (she doesn't really care/notice at that point tho), oh also 1 (one) explicit innuendo, let me know if I need any other warnings.

---

Link stared at the price of the next dungeon item on Ravio's table. His eyelids slowly lost the fight against gravity the longer he stared. His legs were stiff and sore. He forced himself to remain upright just a bit longer. How many zeros were even on that sign? Not that it made an exact difference on his ability to buy it but the principle of the matter was there. Surely Ravio wasn’t that greedy or desperate.

Ravio leaned in and grinned. He was certain he was doing some wiggle with his eyebrows that he couldn't see.

“This is highway robbery.” Link finally concluded.

Ravio gasped, “You offend me sir! We're not even on a highway! This is premium merchandise I’ll have you know! Hand crafted! Historical artifacts! One of a kind powerful magic!”

“...Sorry” Link whispered, rubbing the back of his neck, “I can't buy it now regardless of how fancy it is.”

Ravio sighed, “Ah welI, I'll keep it on reserve for you when you can.”

“...Really?” That sounded weird, since this was a rental based business. “Okay….”

“Anything else I can do ya’ for Mr. Hero?” Ravio cheered, holding his hands together against his chest, “You seem a bit tired.” There was a worried lilt to his words.

“Nah.” Link said. He needed to rescue the sages sooner than later. He should go scrounge for rupees around town-

“Well I suppose you can take this price issue as a sign it's time to take a break from dungeon delving!” Ravio cheered. “Have you eaten?”

“Not all that hungry-” Link mumbled.

Ravio gasped lightly and rushed to the cabinets. “Well, allow me to remedy that.” He riffled through mostly empty cabinets, “Goodness Mr. Hero, where are your groceries?”

“I usually go to a restaurant or the Blacksmith's family gives me something-” Link said, leaning against the table, “I don't cook.”

“Absolutely absurd-” Ravio grumbled. “I’m going to have to take it out of my supplies.” he turned and looked at Link. “Alright. I'll share tonight.”

“You don't have to-”

“On me!” Ravio insisted, “As thanks for letting me stay and being such a lovely customer!”

Ravio fumbled and riffled through his bag, pulling out flatbread, thinly sliced jerky and cheese. Link frowned, biting his lip. Ravio waved some at Link and he huffed, snatching it out of his hands.

Link glanced around for his chairs. One was pushed into a hard to get to corner, the other, seemingly completely missing. Link sighed, awkwardly settling on the ground. It wouldn't be polite to sit on the table… even if they were actually just crates.

Ravio did the same, smiling as Link munched on bread and cheese.

“What is this meat?” Link muttered, looking at it tentatively. It didn't seem bad, just, difficult to recognize as anything from Hyrule.

“...Dried,” Ravio said awkwardly.

Link squinted.

He giggled uneasily, shrugging, “I found it.”

“...Where?”

“Er….a Kitchen?”

Link hummed curiously. The ache in his stomach and limbs could care less about the origin of the mystery jerky. It was there, it was food. He shrugged, nibbling at the jerky. With a nod of approval, Link rolled it into the bread with the cheese.

Ravio smiled, chewing into his own piece of bread, “Hungrier than you thought, huh?”

Link shrugged softly, struggling not to yawn either.

“Hunger sneaks up on you huh,” Ravio chuckled. He hummed, thoughtful, “... Is uh, the blacksmith part of your family?”

“No…” he mumbled, “I'm just an apprentice.” He tore into another piece of bread.

Ravio smiled oddly under the hood “Well, I'm glad you have that going for you at least! Apprenticeships are important! I'm sure it's nice to have someone supporting you through learning new skills. I think I would've liked something like that…” He shrugged and grinned, “But my rental business is booming regardless thanks to you! So it seems I didn't need one!”

Link nodded softly.

“It's quite an important skill, the craftsmanship of your tools. You been doing it long?”

He shook his head, slowly chewing the last bite of food.

“Oh, really? I wouldn't have guessed…” the genuine surprise in Ravio’s tone seemed odd, the length of his crafting career was a strange thing to be so sure about.

“I've always liked working with my hands and working out how to make things, but I only started smithing less than a year ago.” Link couldn't help the yawn punctuating his sentence.

“Ah I see…” Ravio was quiet for a soft moment, finishing his own food, watching him. “House looks like it just got finished being renovated, job is new… busy are you?”

“Something like that,” Link mumbled.

“You look dead on your feet. I mean. That's exactly why I'm not built for this adventure business but don’t you need some proper rest?”

“Mm wouldn't I get in the way of the shop?” He looked around awkwardly. His bed especially was hard to reach. He really just didn't want to deal with that right now.

“Absolutely. Which is why I can close up shop for now.” He whistled a sharp tune and Sheerow chirped, zipping over to one end of the bed and grabbing it with his talons. Ravio nodded to the bird creature, grabbing the other end, and the pair lifted the bed up and over the tables to the center of the room. Link blinked a few times, stumbling to get out of the way.

“Oh” Link uttered. That's how he managed to get it up against the wall like that.

Link rubbed his eyes, and wandered over to look for the sheets. He couldn't just not help. Ravio pointed, “Sheets are under the middle crate. Unless you're looking for something else.”

Link shook his head, looking over to take the item out, lifting them over his head to inspect. He nodded, and tossed the sheets out toward the bed. The blanket fell over Ravio with a “wumph.” He yelped, flailing under the confines. Link blinked, and stifled a laugh, hoping back over the crates to help free him.

“Sorry- sorry, didn't look-”

Ravio took in an exaggerated gasp of air as he was freed. He laughed, voice rich and boisterous, something about the sound familiar. “Rude! Here I am helping you and you go throwing things.”

“Sorry, Sorry,” Link whispered, grin small. He struggled to find the right corners of the sheets.

Ravio giggled and picked up another end. The pair fumbled and yanked specific corners away from each other, “That’s my side-”

“No,” Link said simply, tugging it back.

Finally, Sheerow simply yanked the edge, making them stumble over either corner of the edge. They took a twin glance at the bed, then the sheet, and turned it until it looked right. Link lifted the edge of the mattress up to put the sheet on. The sheet snapped out of Ravio's hands, making him squeak.

“Hey!” He exclaimed, practically falling over to catch the sheet, laughing. Link let the mattress drop, and Ravio flopped with it. “Disaster. This is a disaster.”

Link leaned against the bed slightly, looking at him with a raised brow. “You just gonna lay here?”

“You gonna stop throwing me around like a doll?” Ravio quipped, mimicking Link's intonation strangely perfectly.

“Mhm,” Link assured.

“Ahh a very respectful and thoughtful response. I'm extremely confident in the dedication to change your ways.” Ravio said, almost too cheerfully to be sarcastic as Link assumed he was aiming for. Regardless, he lifted himself back up, and fixed his corner of the bed into place.

They tucked in the blanket with slightly better coordination. Slightly.

“No no it goes this way!”

“It's my bed, it goes this way.”

“You're making this so complicated.” Ravio laughed, tucking in the edges of his side. Link didn't bother, it would get dragged to the floor more likely than not regardless. Link flopped on top of the blankets, closing his eyes with a sigh.

Ravio was quiet for a beat. “Mr. Hero… Why are you on top of the blanket and not in it?”

“Tired,” Link grumbled.

Ravio sighed heavily, and yanked Link's untucked corner out from under him. Link opened his eyes, laughing as Ravio tossed the blanket over him, and walked over to the other side. He rather aggressively tucked it in, securing Link firmly into blanketed confines. Link snorted, twisting his body a few times to loosen it back out.

Ravio shook his head, and sat on the bottom edge of the bed, “Settled, finally?”

Link nodded.

“You never changed your clothes, ya know.”

“Mm.” It was a bad habit, he supposed, often too tired to even think about pajamas.

Ravio shook his head, patting Link's calf once, “Alright, I'll let you sleep.” Ravio stood, seemingly planning on going elsewhere.

That…felt weird. Wrong, even. Link shifted to turn and grab Ravio's hand. He froze, turning to look at him. Those embroidered eyes looked so startled.

What should he even say here? Ask him to stay? To continue to exist close by, maybe to rest as well? Don’t leave me I don’t know if I can do it again- Link didn’t know what words to use. So he didn’t. He released Ravio's hand softly.

“Thank you.” Link whispered.

Ravio smiled and nodded, stepping away and turning out all lights but one to work.

Link’s eyes slipped closed without much thought, body heavy and exhausted. He sunk into a deep sleep in moments.

Ravio fiddled with random papers until he thought it might be safe. He turned to watch Link's slow gentle breaths for a moment. He lifted his hood, letting it fall behind his shoulders, eyes flickering over faded blond pink hair. He glanced at his hand. Devoid of the Triforce symbol. He glanced at Link again, squeezing his hands together.

He sighed softly, grabbing his spellbook. He needed to finish working on his spell to return home. He couldn't let Link fix everything for him. He would have to return eventually.…No matter how much he wanted to stay.

The sun was setting slowly on the horizon when Link pushed the door open with his shoulder. Ravio sat across from him, back against the wall. His arms were crossed over his bag. His head lulled against his chest far enough he couldn't see even a fraction of his face. Sherrow was hard to spot, curled into his scarf like it was a nest.

"Pst." Link whispered. Ravio didn't move. Link squinted,"...Did you fall asleep?" How could that jerk possibly fall asleep like that? The lamp was still going, he couldn't be that exhausted could he? All he did was run a shop. Alone. All day.

Link sighed, walking over and kneeling in front of him. Whatever notebook he was writing in was on the ground next to him. Link knelt down and picked it up, putting it on the nearest table.

Sheerow perked up at the movement, lifting Ravio's hood just enough to reveal a lock of dark hair. They stared at each other for a moment. Sheerow chirred and settled back into the scarf, watching him. He was such an unsettling creature…

Link glanced back at Ravio's heavily obscured face. He tilted his head. He could probably catch a glimpse of his whole face, for once. …But that was a breach of his trust. If he didn't even take the hood off while alone, there had to be a reason.

Link frowned. He just. Looked uncomfortable. He should move him. If he slept anything like him, he wouldn't wake up if he grabbed a spare pillow and placed it under him… he hovered awkwardly.

Ravio, apparently, was a much lighter sleeper than he was. He noticed the lingering presence with a twitch. Then he startled awake, flailing. He yelped and flattened himself against the wall. "NO! I-" he shouted, panic edged into his tone. He stilled. "ha- Oh, M- mr. Hero!" Ravio's voice was deeper than he usually kept it, familiar in an unfamiliar way. He laughed, nervous and awkward.

Link's eyes widened, ears flicked up in alert. He fumbled to hold his hands placatingly, gently, "Sorry, I didn't- I didn't mean to…" do whatever it was he was doing. Obviously being creepy enough to freak Ravio out.

Ravio slowly peeled himself from the wall, crossing his arms over his legs again. He smiled and just like that, the higher pitch was back. "Ah, it's fine Mr. Hero! I- I wasn't asleep long, was I?"

"Um. No. I…er…"

He waved a hand to dismiss the rest of what Link was stumbling to say. He accepted it, not sure what he was going to say anyway.

Link sighed. "You should probably get your own mattress soon. Something you can retire to easily."

Ravio looked down and his head moved, but Link wasn't sure if it indicated a nod or not. He stood up, a small smile under his hood. That was the real problem he had with that hood. He couldn't read his smiles without seeing his eyes. Couldn't be sure if they were genuine or not.

"I'll arrange something, don't worry. I don't mind sleeping like I was either, you know… I've slept in worse spots."

"I don’t want you to have to.” Link frowned. Link climbed over the counter to where his bed was crushed up to the wall.

Ravio and Sheerow both squawked. “Mr. Herooo, there’s no need to go doing that! I have the tables arranged so evenly!”

Link humphed, and grabbed and edge of the bed to start tilting it back down. Ravio yelped, scrambling to move the empty crates to make space for the furniture again. “You're a terrible negotiator!” Ravio complained, “Absolutely no sense of compromise.”

Link shrugged. The rabbit would likely con him into forgetting Ravio had been asleep on the floor…and probably had been doing that any time he slept. Compromise with Ravio is how he ended up with a shop in his house and no rent. Not that he asked for rent. And still won't. That part was definitely his own fault. He just couldn't bring himself to ask for it yet. Ravio needed help. It didn’t make sense to ask for something in return.

He stepped back and let the bed frame fall the rest of the way with a thunk. Ravio screeched, hands flying to his hood’s ears and yanking. Sheerow dragged out his blankets from where Ravio had stashed them. Link grabbed the blanket from the bird creature, and fluffed it out.

“I sure hope you are gentler with your rentals! I worked hard on those. Your equipment is important to maintain!”

“I know,” Link said with a shake of his head, “Come over here."

"Eh?" Ravio tilted his head, bunny ears flopping to one side.

"I'm sharing my bed. Come over here." Link took Ravio’s hand to drag him over to the edge of the bed and shuffled to get into the bed properly, squishing himself against the side to give Ravio enough space.

"I- You really don't have to, I'm fine!" He waved his hands frantically.

"I don't kick, promise." Link closed his eyes, "Come on. I don’t want you sleeping on the ground."

Ravio sighed heavily. Sherrow decided to twitter loudly in Ravio's ear at that moment, and he sighed heavier. A shuffle of dragged feet. The bed dipped. Ravio laid down, and one of the bunny ears flopped against Link's head. He shoved it blindly towards Ravio with a snort of a laugh.

"Could it kill you to wear something less massive to sleep?"

"Maybe. You don't know." He joked cheerily.

Link restrained an outright laugh, and turned his back to him, “Good night” he demanded with a giggle.

“It would be a good night if I had another rupee-”

Link faked a loud snore.

Ravio giggled, settling in, “Good night.”

He hummed softly, feeling the tug to sleep drag at his mind. Warm and calm with Ravio's shoulder brushed against his back. Link nearly drifted off when Ravio shuffled to sit up slightly again. Fabric rustled and he felt his gaze on him for a long moment. “Please be safe.” He whispered. Link swallowed, unsure if he should respond.

Ravio relaxed a little without it, the thought seemingly mostly needing said. Bit by bit he sunk into the bed properly. He burrowed his head into his back, an arm loosely wrapped around his waist.

He stiffened, eyes open and wide. He turned his head slightly, looking at a flurry of violet and a hint of dark hair curled into the nook between his shoulder blades.

Ravio’s breath hitched and exhaled shakily. He whispered, "Please."

Link sighed softly. Okay, he needed a response, if only to help whatever anxiety had randomly hit him. "I will."

"I'm sorry I-” he shook his head lightly against him “…I'm sorry."

"...For what?"

He was quiet for a moment. "Not being more helpful, I suppose."

"You've been incredibly helpful. Usually I'd have to fight my way to get the magic items you have."

Ravio nodded against his back.

Link sighed and reached back, blindly finding his ear and tucking some hair behind it. He took in a sudden sharp breath.

Abruptly, he shifted, pulling the hood further down. Link slipped his hand back, resting it against his shoulder in a facsimile of a self-hug.

"For the record, I could care less about what you look like."

Ravio humphed. "That's a lie."

"...Okay, fine, but hiding your face to these lengths? Who wouldn't wonder?"

"I could describe myself," he said with a laugh, "Would that be enough to satiate the curiosity?"

"If you're willing to describe yourself then absolutely not. You won't get to the detail you're hiding."

Ravio snorted a laugh. With a flourish of his hand, he scoffed, "What? Dark hair, green eyes isn't enough for you?"

"No. Is 'pink-blonde hair and purple eyes' enough for you?"

"Well yeah, that's rather distinctive."

"...Fuck you," Link laughed.

"I was pretty sure we were doing the normal kind of sleeping," Ravio whispered.

"Wha- …ack! Just shut up," Link swatted at the space where Ravio's head was.

He laughed and snuggled further into the blanket. His voice returned to that deeper tone, “I guess I should take a page or two from your book huh?” It seemed like both a serious thought and a joke all at once.

Link’s brows furrowed, “Nah, you’re good as is.”

Ravio was quiet for a moment. Link shifted to glance at him. “Thank you.” Ravio said softly.

“What you should be doing is actually sleeping,” he scolded.

He snorted, hugging Link tightly. “Yes, yes.”

Link hadn’t paid much attention to Ravio’s rambling until he uttered, “Yuga will be no match for you,” Ravio praised, “Especially if you have the Princess’s help.”

She nodded, brows furrowed. Link and Ravio pulled the blankets over the bed in unison. The bed was fixed so quickly Link was surprised by it. They had gotten better at working together on that. Link flopped onto the bed, looking up at the rafters. She would fight Yuga Ganon tomorrow. She knew it. She was ready. There was nothing else to do.

Ravio leaned against the headboard, smiling under the hood, “Get all the rest you can, okay?” he announced cheerfully. Then his tone went quieter, softer. It was almost a whisper, melancholic, "You're sure to need it before you reach the castle." He leaned back, going to write in that book he always did when Link forced him to close up shop to sleep. Store bookkeeping seemed exhausting. Ravio was still doing it even after selling everything to her. He must be keeping track of whatever remaining rentals he had going with others.

Link stared into the abyss of darkness that was the ceiling. Something ached in her chest, settling strangely. She shuffled a few times to find the right spot. Maybe the constant moving had made the mattress weird? Or something. She closed her eyes tightly.

Sleepless, she listened to Ravio shuffle around a little longer. The sound of paper rustling and pages turning. The scratch of a pen. She tossed and turned a few times. The quiet noise stopped. Link waited, and all she could hear was soft breaths. She sighed and turned to look at Ravio.

He was looking down at the notebook, his hand threaded in his hair. His hood was lifted halfway, but his dark hair was long enough and his hand was placed in such a way that it still obscured his face. He seemed tired and pensive over the book. Link’s eyes widened for a moment, and she closed them tightly and cleared her throat to alert him that she was in fact, still awake. She heard a quick intake of breath, and a shuffle of fabric and paper.

Link opened an eye, and the bunny hood was back over his face, turned to look at Link, leaning against the table he’d been writing on. He leaned to the right, and then to the left, looking Link over. "Trouble sleeping?" Ravio guessed.

Link sat up, sighing.

Ravio hummed, "Not a problem! I have some remedies for that…. For one rupee, a great deal, I promise." He smirked under the mask, making a ‘give me’ motion with his hand.

Link glared, "For what, exactly? I'm not paying you to knock me out or something."

"Why I'd never!" Ravio gasped in offense, raising a hand to his chest. "No, no. For just one little rupee, I can make some warm milk," Ravio laughed.

Link raised an eyebrow, "You have milk?"

"I'm the only one makin’ groceries here. We have milk."

Link sighed, "Alright, fine, sure." She leaned over the bed to pick up her wallet. She tossed Ravio a rupee and he fumbled to catch it with a cheer. He kissed the rupee, then put it away. Link smiled lightly, sitting on the bed.

Ravio flitted across the kitchen space, which Link was also happy to not be doing. It was making her a little sleepy just watching him. It was done quickly, faster than she expected. Ravio had two mugs, one assumedly for himself. Link took one, and cradled it in her hands. Ravio shuffled his feet awkwardly as he sipped the milk.

Link hummed, "You can sit." She patted a spot next to her on the bed.

"Oh, how generous of you," Ravio sat down next to her. He took his shoes off and tucked his legs against his chest.

"Your fault there's no other seating."

"You don't need chairs to run a business!"

Link laughed and shook her head. Ravio giggled softly, sipping some more milk.

They settled into a gentle quiet. Link closed her eyes to relish in it. The sound of their twin breaths. The warmth of the cup. The weight of Ravio settled nearby. His bouncing leg, a rhythm drummed into the bed.

She opened her eyes. "You're staying, right?" She whispered. Unsure why she asked. He wasn't connected to any of this adventure. At least not beyond helping her home after being knocked out, and giving her the tools she needed. Its anticipated close didn't mean anything for Ravio's whereabouts.

"Um… for- for what?" Ravio asked. Because of course he wouldn't catch the implied portion of the thought. He wasn't connected to it all.

"I- …Don't worry about it."

Ravio tilted his head, "I'm only in your hair as long as it takes to get my own space settled. I was pretty sure that was the agreement?"

Link nodded, brows furrowing. She dunked back the last of the milk down. She swallowed it down thickly and set the mug to the side.

Ravio looked down at his mug, lips forming a pensive line. "Do… you want me to stay?"

Link shrugged, "It… wouldn't be horrible. …I like having a roommate." She missed it. This house was too quiet without someone to come home to.

Ravio fiddled with the edges of the mug, fingernails tapping against the ceramic. Tap. Tap tap. Tap. His bouncing leg moved faster.

Link glanced at him. He looked like a ball of anxiety, using every fidget available to release the energy. "I- I don't mean to say you shouldn't find your own space. Or or anything. I… Forget I said anything."

Ravio uncurled and stood, taking Link's mug and his own to wash. "I know what you meant." Ravio said quietly. His back was to her. She couldn't read him. His body language was subdued compared to normal. Probably sleepy.

She yanked Ravio down to the mattress.

Ravio shrieked with a laugh, flailing. He grabbed his hood, instead of bracing for impact. “What are you doing?” He laughed.

“Sleeping.” Link said with a giggle of her own, rolling so she could wrap an arm around Ravio’s middle.

“Ay, I’m not a teddy bear!” Ravio whined, turning his body to look at Link. “Uh ’course not.. rabbit.” Link yawned. She closed her eyes, body heavy.

Ravio snorted, “Yeah, yeah. Okay, Mr. Hero, I did want to get some more things done for my shop though. I’ll be quiet, don’t worry, won’t even hear the squeak of my shoes-” Link’s arm remained heavy and snug around his waist. “...Mr. Hero?”

Link remained still, breathing slow and deep. Ravio shifted his hood to better look at her, sighing softly, “How in the heavens did you fall asleep while I was talking?” He shifted to slip out from under Link’s arm, but her grip strengthened just minutely, demanding him to stay.

Sherrow chirped from above, and flew to sit on Ravio’s chest. He glared down his nose at him. “You’re not helping, sir.”

Sherrow made a light laugh of a sound, and snuggled in, closing his red little eyes. Ravio sighed heavily, flopping his head back against the mattress, giving up. He closed his eyes. “Yeah, I love you too.”

The triforce glowed upon the Sacred Realm, its mirror image shining within the blue pool that made the sky seem endless.

“Go home, Link” Princess Zelda had bid, a hand on her shoulder as she directed him outside.

So of course, they had to.

It was understandable. She had spent at least a good half of a day trying to ensure the Princess was alright and safe and settled in the castle. Princess Zelda was likely tired of Link’s incessant concerns. They weren’t friends like she had been with her predecessor. This was a relationship born of necessity for a hero, she didn’t actually know Link.

She also told her that she seemed like she was about to fall on her feet… and, well, Link was exhausted. Her feet dragged across the road, snagging on the occasional rock. Zelda was right, though. Lorule's triforce should be fixed, and Zelda was safely back home. The Master Sword had been returned to its resting spot until it would be needed again. Link yawned, rubbing her sore shoulder. She could rest now. All was finally, finally, well… for now, at least.

She walked up to her house, its fresh wood inviting and warm. Ravio's storefront sign loomed over the building, but it was a welcoming symbol regardless. Despite the drama Ravio had brought, he'd become a bright spot in Link's commonly too-quiet house. She pushed open the door, tiredly expecting a cheery voice announcing her arrival…

Nothing came. The house was silent. Link's gaze wandered over the empty tables. One was off-center, pushed aside carelessly. As if Ravio had been in a rush to leave.

He probably had been, trying to get to Lorule in time to stop Hilda. …Because he was Link's Lorule counterpart. Because he knew Hilda well and knew Link well. He knew everything because her house was practically his house already… He had to have known how it would end without his final interference. That Link and Hilda would likely have destroyed each other without Ravio.

Link stared into empty space for a moment. Frozen as she listened to nothing. They shook their head. At least she wouldn't have to listen to Ravio ramble about which type of advertising was most effective before she could put her bed together.

Link shoved the tables together on one side of the room. Simpler and easier now that they were empty. Ravio couldn't protest. Link awkwardly, carefully, dragged her bedframe back to the floor. Alone. Her arms burned with over exertion. She groaned. They were exhausted enough already.

This was the part where Ravio's near squeaky voice would exclaim in a panic, "Well don't hurt yourself over it! Fine! Sit down, sit down, I'll find your sheets."

He was not there to find any sheets. Link leaned against one of the tables and looked at the bed.

This was the part where Uncle would scoop her up and sing in his deep, rumbling voice and tuck her in.

He was not there to drag her to sleep while she dragged her feet.

Link swallowed. She pushed off the table, stumbling a little to fall into the unmade bed. She didn't have the energy to do it… She didn't want to.

They stared at the white expanse of the mattress. It felt like hours. Finally her eyelids felt heavy enough to let them slip closed. She fell asleep, settled into inky darkness.

Link was not gently shoved awake by a purple clad arm. Link was not playfully admonished for sleeping for 10 hours while the world still turned outside, and "Don't you know customers don't like tiptoeing around you Mr. Hero?" There was no sudden dip in the bed. No one asked “Are you planning on getting up for breakfast anytime soon or do you plan on feeding it to the birds, boy?” No whisper of long red hairs falling against their face to tickle their nose. No beautiful face waiting for her to wake. There wasn’t even a child in green shouting their name and jumping on them. There was nothing to say and nobody said it.

Link felt horrible. Their limbs ached more than ever. Their head hurt, and their mouth was dry. Everything felt heavy and uncomfortable. She groaned, loudly. No one was there to notice.

She fell out of bed more than anything, crashing against the floor. There was no blanket to fight, which was fine. But there was no cushion either. She huffed and closed her eyes again. Maybe she should just stay there. Curled on the floor, with the house crowded with unused tables and an unused bed.

Idly, she realized she didn't have much to drag herself up for. There was nothing to save, explore or fight. There was no shop in her house to let Ravio open. The blacksmith had done just fine without her while she had gone saving two whole kingdoms. He had always been mad at her for being late anyway… The only reason to get up would be to find something to eat, maybe, and she didn't feel particularly hungry.

Link sighed, cheek pressed against wood. They closed their eyes again and let it fade to darkness.

Gulley looked around the smithy. Link wasn't there. Again. The kingdom had been set right, Gulley knew that. Link should be there. He tugged on his mother's dress.

"It's been days. I've let him rest plenty! Can I go see if Link is up today?"

His mother sighed, looking out the window. "He's had a long journey dear, I'm sure he'll come back to work when he's ready. It's not like Link to simply stop working, after all… Besides, I don't know if you should really be rushing off past where we can see you anymore..."

Gulley pouted, staring at her. She chuckled, "Oh you've mastered that one haven't you?"

"So you'll let me go?!"

She hummed, "We'll go together. But let's make him something to eat. He rarely had breakfast to begin with."

Gulley groaned dramatically, but dragged his feet to the kitchen. She chuckled, watching him go.

The pair walked over to the house. Gulley rushed the last straightaway to the door.

"Gulley, don't just barge in!" His mother admonished with a laugh.

"But I always do!"

"Please just be polite and knock," she giggled with a shake of her head, walking the rest of the way to the door.

Gulley whined lightly, rolling his eyes, "I tell you, he's not gonna answer."

"Knock," she said firmly.

Gulley huffed and knocked once.

There was no response.

"See?"

His mother sighed and knocked herself, "Link, dear, are you home?"

Quiet.

"SEE?" Gulley emphasized.

"If he's asleep we shouldn't bother him. Go ahead, open the door, we'll leave the food on the table."

Gulley pulled the door open. A table blocked the entryway. He blinked, then climbed over it.

"Gulley-" His mother huffed, setting the dish aside on the table to watch her son crawl inside.

"Link's bed isn't even made!" Gulley said, looking over the table obstacles towards his mother, "It's kinda dirty over here."

"What?" She looked at the pile of tables and huffed, awkwardly pulling herself up onto a table and going over to where Link's bed had been placed.

Link was curled on a single mattress, snoring through the day. Their hair was knotted in its ponytail. Hat on the floor. Their tunic itself was still dirty from all the worldly exploring. On the ground, a small gathering of cups and dishes.

She sighed, picking up the dishes. "Go ahead and wake him up. I'll get this done." She looked for the sink. It was blocked by a table. Ah, that explained the pile.

She set the dirty dishes aside, climbing back over the table, "Boys," She muttered under her breath.

Gulley jumped on Link's bed, "Hey Link wake up!"

Link whined, curling up further.

"Linnnkkk, you're laaaateee."

"F'r what?" They grumbled, "I don' need t'do anyth'n."

"Ohh momma his funny old timey accent is really strong now. He's really tired." Gulley dropped himself over Link, trying to worm over and look at their face.

"Don't tease him about the accent honey, it's not nice," she said, turning on the faucet.

Link squinted.

"Have you really slept straight through three whole days?" Gulley asked.

Link's squint turned into a glare. "Mn. No?"

Gulley kicked his legs over the side of Link's bed, "I think you did. It looks like it."

"Off," Link huffed. She put no effort into pushing Gulley away. Gulley did not listen, either.

"We made breakfast for you. Momma's cleaning your dishes too."

Link sighed, shifting to lay flat on the bed. Gulley remained laying across their chest. She swallowed, making a few movements with her mouth before attempting to speak again, "Thank… you," they mumbled haltingly, trying to get the modern version of the words out, "I was about to get to it."

"Link, sweet, I'm a little worried," Gulley's mother said, putting the cleaned dishes to the side. She shifted to climb back over the tables. "I know you needed some time to recoup but-" She gestured at the tables, "What is this?"

"...I was going to move them."

"And then what happened? Do you need help moving things?"

They shrugged, closing their eyes again. Gulley wiggled over to snuggle into Link's side.

"Link."

"Whattt?" she whined.

"It will do you some good to stretch. You can't just lay here forever."

Link sighed, "I'm not going to. I've just been tired."

She walked over and tapped their shoulder, "I know. Come on, sit up, I think you've rested enough."

She dramatically raised and dropped an arm. Letting the limb fall limp. "Your child is on me."

"You've never had a problem before!" Gulley chirped, giggling lightly.

"Gulley."

He pouted. He rolled over Link, making them grunt, and hopped off the bed. Link sighed and dragged against gravity to raise their upper body. She stared forward, hardly blinking.

Gulley's mother rubbed their shoulder, "Your hair's a mess. I could help you trim it later?"

Link blinked, "What? No, no I-" She raised a hand to tug the ponytail holder, wincing at the knots. She decided to leave it in. "I don't want to do that," she frowned and swallowed, "er…yet."

"Hm. Ok," She looked around, "How about we clear up some space and get you some food! Alright?"

Link nodded, shifting to stand up. She stumbled slightly, thrusting their hands out to grab the bed frame.

"Alright there?"

"He usually falls out of the bed," Gulley said, "I think that's the most coordinated he's been yet!"

Link squeezed their eyes shut and nodded, "Yeah, just fine." She stayed still for a moment, then nodded again. "Moving tables. Right."

Link and Gulley's mother were able to put the furniture into an order that left enough space to walk around. They found the chairs, and Link slumped onto one as soon as she placed it.

"I assume you haven't been eating enough," she said, pushing the food she brought at them, "especially since your cabinets were covered."

Link glanced to the side, face a little flush, "I've been fine, thank you. I appreciate it."

"Least I can do for the new hero of Hyrule, hm?"

Link's brows furrowed as she picked at the food, gaze distant. Even after it was over… She could never leave that destiny behind, could she?

"Is something wrong, dear?"

Link blinked and shook their head, "No, I think I'm just not awake yet." They smiled, "It's- this is all really too kind."

"You got our Gulley safe home, it's hardly anything."

Link glanced at Gulley, who grinned broadly at her. Gulley who was so young. Who should've never been brought into this just because Link had never been able to keep the world safe enough. Because she kept failing the goddesses in getting rid of Ganon once and for all- She nodded, putting on a smile.

"Um. How's the smithy?" They asked, hoping to create a distraction from themself. It worked. Gulley launched into describing the daily events, his mother interjecting with clarification or denial of more fantastical events. Link only half listened as she slowly ate.

"When are you coming back?" Gulley eventually asked.

Link looked up, fork frozen halfway to their mouth. The food fell off it. Link set it down. "Back …to work?"

"Yeah! It's boring without you!"

Link raised an eyebrow, because Gulley was far too animated to have just described a boring day.

"We are curious, Link. It's been some time. We missed you."

A dark tiredness curled around her mind and said, loud and clear: They only missed you because you just had to go be a hero. But. People needed her, what choice did she have? She couldn't ignore the gods. Ignore her destiny. …this was a punishment for pretending she was done, a trial, a granted restart. The world- worlds, needed a hero and it wanted her. Which meant. Which meant… no Uncle, no Zelda, no Rosa, no Marin, no Ravio.…

"Link?"

"Sorry, thinking about it. Um. I can go back to work tomorrow. I'll try and clean the house today."

"That sounds like a good idea hon."

No friends. No family. Link concluded, dully. She can be a worker, though. She knows how to do that without pain.

"Do you want some help with it?"

"No," Link halfway whispered, "No, I'll be good."

#linked spirit #loz au #legend of zelda #loz #linked spirit au #ls rinku #ls ravio #ls gulley #ls angst #sleeplessness tw #depression depiction tw #yea this is the Rinku the group will get to meet: depressed af #I started with the bottom half and I wanted to get more Ravio and Ravio just started taking over the fic #I almost want to separate it into two fics but I also do not at all #innuendo

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blimbosworlddd · 1 year ago

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Nirvana: A Rock Lee Tale (Chapter 4)

Summary: Your dating life is terrible. Your friends’ marriage is fantastic. Your career as a medic is doing great, though. But you aren’t happy. However, after one quick trip to the Mighty Rock Dojo, you stumble upon the most magnificent man you’ve ever met- the taijutsu master- Rock Lee.

Notes: slow burn fic, afab/fem/black reader.

Warnings: Mentions of sex, (light) descriptions of blood and violence, usage of the N word. The reader and Lee are in their 20s but virtually any age group that is 18 and up can enjoy this story. Again 18+, minors do not interact… pls.

Word count: 6.3k

Masterlist

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Shikamaru loves his late father’s lighter. At the tender age of seventeen, he found it in one of his coat pockets in the closet after his funeral. It’s one of those old school classic lighters that you flick open and to this day, it’s the only one he uses to smoke. A morning glory flower is engraved into the sleek silver, and it’s the same flower that Shikamaru orders in his wife’s bouquets. Sometimes he doesn’t even use his lighter for smoking. He’ll just stare at it or keep it in his fist, rubbing the smooth round edges to ground him when logic and practicality no longer pay for his taxing burdens.

This is exactly what he’s doing now: one hand caging the lighter in his pocket while using the other to emphasize important phrases with gestures,as he tries to convince the couple why they need to buy this mansion. The words he finesses them with make up for almost any preconceived concern that they may have with the property, his gravelly tone carrying the undeniable confidence necessary to sell it.

The three stroll through the hallways, and the couple takes in the interior that they imagine looking at for the rest of their lives. The wife is beaming, running her fingers across the lustrous wallpaper while also investing her attention on the little history lesson Shikamaru teaches them about the house. The husband nods along to the story wordlessly, grabbing his woman’s hand as they follow the real estate agent into the kitchen.

He’s not really feeling how loudly the wood creaks beneath his feet, or how the cabinets in the kitchen are wooden despite the variety of building materials that adorn this establishment. However, Shikamaru ain’t paid to do nothing. So he turns around, releases the lighter in his pocket and raises both his hands to stop the customers.

“The intramural design of this house is pretty old, I’ll admit. But one of our most trusted general contractors is already drafting the modern upgrade of the interior.”

The husband raises a brow. “Such as?”

“Glad you asked.” He walks by the marble counters and opens one of the cabinets. “Why have wooden cabinets when there are significantly more durable options? Our contractor can laminate a sheet of acrylic or stainless steel over the medium-density fiberboard.”

Shikamaru leans on the countertop. “It's your choice, of course, but acrylic is susceptible to scratches.”

The wife hums in thought, realizing she hadn’t noticed the material of the cabinets until now. She feels her man let go of her hand, the chill air hitting her moistened palm. He clears his throat.

“Okay, but-“

Shika’s coldly sharp eyes quietly welcome the man with his full attention.

“How much will the installment cost? And what can we do about these creaky wooden floors? Will that also add to the price?”

“Nope.” Shika doesn’t miss a beat, lightly pushing himself off the marble. “Since our contractor has been working on this project before you found it, you won’t be paying for any upgrades on their behalf. S’just how we do business.”

The wife’s eyes crinkle in relief, hooking her elbow with her husband’s so she can rest her cheek on his shoulder.

“Does this apply to ordering a security system?” The husband continues.

“Well… no. You’ll hafta pay for that since it’s not a part of-“

Shika’s phone vibrates in his back pocket like a war cry in a distant battle zone. It’s on Do Not Disturb for obvious reasons, but his intuition tells him it’s a call he shouldn’t ignore. And he never ignores his gut. So, he excuses himself for a millisecond only to check who could be calling.

It’s his own wife.

What does this woman want? He thinks. I’m about to sell this house in fifteen minutes anyway. She can wait.

He turns off his phone, facing the couple whispering lowly to each other with approving nods and content-laced grins.

“Sorry about that.” He sighs. “Where were we?”

>>Your call has been forwarded to an au-

Temari shuts off her phone, eyebrows pinching into a soft cringe as she glares at the black screen.

This is the third time her husband hasn’t answered her calls, what’s worse is that they’ve barely seen or even interacted with each other in the last couple weeks. He always excused it with ‘gotta sell another house” or “too tired, we’ll talk later” or toe curling sex like that’s enough justification to shut her up. But Temari shuts up when Temari wants to shut up, and Temari once again may hafta spend another day sleeping on their shared california king bed without Temari’s man.

The exhausted woman scoffs, tossing her device on the couch as she slouches to reach the TV remote. The screen illuminates with the press of a button, and the channel displays a reality show. Images of a bunch of older women are raising their drinks in a toast to celebrate whatever the fuck, and it made Temari think of you.

Y’all haven’t had a proper hang out since she and Shika took you to the dojo, maybe some girl time could give her a less jaded outlook on the situation.

I’ll reach out later, she thinks.

Today is Veteran’s Day. Lee is at a restaurant eating with his sensei, Might Guy, and Neji. They’re celebrating Guy’s survival of the Fourth Great War, so it’s not surprising that he and Neji have downed a couple shots of whiskey. Lee, on the other hand, contently sips on his humble glass of cranberry juice from a squiggly straw.

“And so get this,” Neji chuckles, talking as if his face isn't beet red with liquor. “He puts slippers on her feet like she's Cinderella, and then she thanks him with the most unamused tone possible and walks away with a face so lifeless you could mistake her for a zombie.”

Guy Sensei cackles and slaps an open palm on the table. Lee pouts, shooting Neji the sassiest side-eye he can muster at his stupid humor, but his friend just ignores him while slurping on some ramen. Lee hums, gently placing his glass cup down before resting his chin on his folded hands.

“And yet she's the same woman who agreed to go on a date with me tomorrow.”

Guy Sensei drops his jaw with a gasp and Neji drops his chopsticks.

“And you're telling us this now?” Neji glares at him, but there's no real irritation in his tone. His eyes glow with pride for his friend.

Guy Sensei grips his shoulder lovingly, a serious expression adorns his face.

“I know I never really bothered teaching you how to love a woman.” The thrumming bass in his demanding voice carried subtle waves of regret and faith. “But despite all that you've been through, you taught yourself how to do it. That's how I know you've always had it in you. I'm proud of you, my boy.”

Lee feels his lips wobble with joy and turns to Neji who closes his eyes with his own knowing smile.

“Th-thanks Guy Sensei. I think I hit the jackpot with this one!”

Guy leans his back into his wheelchair with a hand rubbing his chin.

“I’m glad,” he grumbles. “Tenten’s lost her choke hold on you, I see.”

Neji’s eyes rip open and his smile melts away. He snaps his head to Lee, who’s already frowning while his eyes stare a thousand yards ahead of him. Guy catches onto the shift in the aura and watches his student’s depressing reaction with subtle horror.

“I’m sorry Lee,” Guy sighs guiltily. “I thought you were over her.”

Lee lowers his unfolding hands from his chin. No one’s mentioned my ex-fiance in years, he thinks. I thought I was over her too. He inhales deeply and takes a swig from his cranberry juice.

“Her memory still brings me pain,” he prompts reluctantly.

Neji side-eyes Guy before looking down at his now-cold ramen. He's losing his appetite, and it's not even about him, all because Sensei couldn't watch his mouth.

Suddenly, images of your tear-stained face, your beautiful smile, and your relentless kindness replaces the void in his chest with a warmth only you can provide. And he can't help but smile, more tenderly, this time.

“But not only have I grown stronger, I have another chance with an amazing woman.” he turns to the window beside him and gazes up at the blue sky, hope twinkling in his eyes.

“For the first time in a long time,” he turns his gaze back to Guy. “I look forward to loving again.”

Neji and Guy silently marvel at his growth and maturity. It’s now Guy’s turn to make a wobbly smile, quietly sniffling as he reaches to hold Lee’s hand. He offers his hand to his other student as well, and Neji hesitantly accepts it with a hopeless sigh. But he's also smiling again, nonetheless.

Today is the day you go out with Lee! You both decided he’d pick you up at your place at 7 pm, so you have the whole day to pamper yourself. You’re with your best friend Bria, and both of you are getting your nails done by her nail tech. Bria is another childhood friend of yours, y’all met in elementary school. She had to move to a neighboring state for college, but y’all always kept in touch when you could.

You sigh happily against the massage chair, feeling the tension around your shoulder blades erode while watching the color on your nails blossom with each stroke of the tiny brush.

“Bri, this is the best,” you groan softly. “Thank you.”

“Girl don’t even stress it, you know I missed you.” She rolls her eyes lovingly.

You chuckle sweetly. Bria always showed her affection by spoiling the people who have their own little place in her big heart. You understood why, you just didn’t feel comfortable having money spent on you. However, as years passed, Bria helped you realize that you rejected the way she loved because you felt like a burden - like if she burned some cash for you it'd ultimately be a waste.

But ever since y’all met, you’ve supported her through many trials and tribulations. You were her strength when she was weak, especially after she was homeless for a period after being kicked out by her abusive grandmother. You and your father took her in when no one else would, and helped her get back on her feet. You made her feel like a normal teen amidst all the chaos. Without you, she would've never been able to blossom into the highly successful woman she is today, finally having her own home and even owning two businesses. From Bria’s point of view, the very least she can do is prepare you for your highly anticipated date.

Your nails are finished and they’re so you: stiletto shaped with a French, purple chrome tip. Bria’s nails are long and Spongbob themed which makes you giggle uncontrollably but at the same time they look dumb good. All this pretty art and not a single dent in your pockets - as it should be.

Next up is a shopping spree, but y’all only buy from one store. It’s a small thrift boutique with tons of vintage brands, Bria knows you love your 20 plus year old classics. God, it’s like a hidden museum riddled with ancient yet modernized pieces here. You feel like you’re time traveling as you scan through so many garments; some premiered in 90s runways from Paco Rabanne to Mugler. Where the fuck did the store owner get these?? Your brain ponders in a fashion-crazed frenzy.

While remaining hyper vigilant, you make sure to find something that doesn’t stand out but still screams classy. Simple yet effective.

“Ayo Bri,” you call out, unable to see your friend anywhere.

“Yeah, hun?” She responds from the other side of the boutique. Predicting her exact location, you put your items in a cart and follow her voice. You show her your selection. Her eyes and fingers silently run over every ridge, every crease, every edge. The cotton is smoothly refined, beautifully dyed and feels amazing. Your bestie nods affirmingly with a sharp grin.

“…You gon drive him crazy.”

“Like I don’t already.” You scoff.

Bria guffaws as you eagerly throw your arms around her shoulders, swaying you both side to side.

It’s 4pm, and y’all finally make it back to your apartment. Luckily, you have a few hours to settle in so you won’t hafta rush to get ready. Both of you sit on your couch while watching Bernie Mac. Bria pours two glasses of Pinot Noir while you take down your twists. You feel the cushion drain your energy from beneath you, but the idea of missing Lee’s inevitable call straightens your back and forces you awake.

“Pookieee, you never showed me a pic of your lover boyyy,” Bria whines before taking a sip of some wine. Her brow raises unexpectedly at its richness.

You cease your twist out and reach for your phone. You never caught a proper portrait of Lee’s face, but you would sneak a few pics of him sparring with multiple fighters at once. So you show her those. She brings the screen closer to her face, and her eyes bulge out of her sockets.

“DAMN,” She barks. “Bruce Lee who?”

Your jaw drops, gently slapping her thigh at her boldness.

“Don’t disrespect Bruce’s legacy like tha-

“I’M NOT! LOOK,” Bria scrunches her eyes and zooms in on his body. “You can see his muscles through the clothes. THROUGH THE CLOTHES!”

You feel yourself wheezing, a hand over your clenching abdomen to ease the burn of laughter. But you can’t disagree, Lee’s stunning like that.

“Bri… I can’t with you,” you huff with a weak smile.

“Sure ya can!” Bria chirps, framing her words with a fake southern accent. She stay playing.

It’s 6:45 pm and you’re all dolled up; hair done, makeup done, outfit on, perfume spritzed. Bria takes a bunch of pics, squealing in delight at how much you ate up this look. She’s proud, so proud of the queen you’ve become.

“Bitch, ya lover boy lucky I’m straight.”

You smile goofily, about to respond to her joke until you feel your phone vibrate in your hand.

You take it out and Lee’s contact brightens your screen. Bria slaps a palm over her mouth when you answer the call.

“H-Hello?”

Lee closes his eyes, reveling in how sweet and lovely you sound.

“Hi angel,” he chuckles gently. “I’m downstairs.”

You press your thighs together. That voice of his; a deep raspiness thrumming with a tone so sensual, it caresses every nerve in your body. To top it off with a pet name, and he arrives early?? Wheww.

“Okay. C-coming down.”

You hang up and turn to face your friend. She hugs your shoulders and wishes you the best night ever.

“You can spend the night here if you want, ‘kay?” You coo. Bria nods appreciatively against your neck.

“I’ll save some wine for you,” she whispers.

“No you won’t.” She snorts at how well you know her.

You take your keys, purse and blow Bria a kiss before locking the door behind you.

Lee stands outside, leaning against the door of his car as he waits patiently for you. He tugs at his gray slacks, wondering if he should have entrusted his suit to Neji’s personal tailor. He snaps his head up when he hears your door unlock. Your black stiletto pumps clack as you descend down the steps like a goddess from her shrine. He couldn’t look away. He just physically couldn’t.

“Oh my god…” he mumbles, staring hopelessly at your figure; a royal purple sweater dress that reaches your mid-calf, fitting you like a glove as the soft fabric hugs every curve, crease and roll that adorns your body; smoky eyes and a glossy lip accentuate your soft glow; pretty round face framed with an afro- the radiant moonlight illuminating your fluffy coils. You watch your step while gracefully lifting the bottom of the black vintage mink coat draped over your shoulders. He feels like falling to his knees at the sight of you.

After approaching him, you stop at arm’s length so you can take him in. Calling Lee sexy would be a disserving understatement; the gray suit he’s wearing clings to his body with tasteful minimalism; it’s not too baggy, nor is it too tight; the fabric’s at peak quality, smoothly pressed, but not too shiny; you could see the bulk of his thighs slightly stretch his pants (the hems are cropped to perfection); the top four buttons on his black shirt are undone, so you can see his sternum and a delicious peak of his pecs. This fit frames his build with such majestic subtlety, you can't help but undress him with your eyes from head to polished boot.

“Lee! You… you look so handsome,” there’s that familiar lilt of humble adoration in your voice he loves oh so much. It boosts his ego, yet doesn’t soar it to great heights- he’s used to not getting any compliments on his appearance besides his impeccable physique. The rosiness that blooms on his cheeks is evident enough of that.

“Thank you,” he smiles softly. “I know you’re always beautiful no matter what you wear. It- it’s just..”

He nibbles on his bottom lip without ceasing eye contact, the sight urges you to look down shyly but you’re too mesmerized by him to tear your gaze.

“Seeing you tonight has confirmed to me that you’re the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever met.”

Gravity wins the battle and you finally look down, feeling like you’ll melt into a puddle if he gives you any more sweet praises.

“Th-thank you, Lee. That means a lot.”

“Of course,” There’s a reassurance in his tone that boosts your ego as well, making you feel like his flattery isn’t just flattery. He makes it feel like a widely accepted fact amongst the masses of an entire nation. No man has ever made you feel that way, you couldn’t depend on them to do that. It took your whole life up until now to realize yourself that you’re the shit, you were always the shit, and forever will be the shit.

He turns to open the door for you, making sure the ends of your fur don’t graze the pavement as you step inside the vehicle.

The ride to the restaurant is quiet, words have yet to be exchanged between you two.This kinda baffles Lee because he’s been on plenty of dates; but there’s something about your aura, the way you carry yourself with such poise, from how you speak to how you sit- his face just won’t stop heating up- he's terrifed of messing this up.

You on the other hand are just chilling; basking in the woody scent of his car that mixes with the expensive cologne radiating from Lee in small, balanced whiffs. He smells like cinnamon, sweet and warm while trailing a sharp spiciness. You sense his hesitation, but you don’t know what to say either. And date or not, you refuse to force small talk. It makes you feel icky. So you just enjoy his presence silently.

You’re both halfway to your destination and Lee decides to restart his brain a little. He turns on the radio, making sure the music is only loud enough for both of you to listen casually. Barbra Streisand’s The Way We Were plays in the background. I loved this song as a teen, you think. Gosh I was a hopeless romantic… still am. You ponder if that was ever a bad thing. Or if you were just scared of the fact that you either love passionately, or don’t at all.

You ponder if that even matters right now.

Lee hums every note Barbra sings with attentive effort, his finger tapping against the wheel to match the feather-light percussion’s rhythm.

“Smiles we gave to one another,” you turn your head to him, not expecting his singing to enchant you the way it does. “For the way we were…”

He sounds so invested in the moment, simply appreciating the song by singing along. Your heart skips a beat when he shifts his gaze to you, a silly smile raising his cheeks before returning his focus on the road ahead. It makes you strangely jealous, the way he so easily erased the growing tension between you two.

You want to do that. You want to do that for yourself, for the people around you, for your patients. Maybe you already do, but you don’t think anyone can do it quite like Lee does.

“SO IT’S THE LAUGHTER WE WILL REMEMBER. WHENEVER WE REMEMBER..” your mouths hang low as you both shout the sentimental lyrics at the top of your lungs. Your bodies sway to the music with fervent enthusiasm like you’re in a soap opera, like it’s the last song you both will ever sing. You feel so free. You both don’t mind how crazy y’all might sound belting notes slightly beyond your registers, for your hearts called out to Streisand’s magnificent delivery of an undeniably nostalgic message. You both feel so free.

“The way we were. The way we… were.” The song concludes with the introductory hums from earlier, and you feel yourself sink back into your seat.

“Damn!” You exclaim. “You got some pipes, Lee.”

Laughter erupts from Lee’s chest. “I can say the same for you too, y/n.”

You finally make it to the restaurant and the exterior design is sleek and well illuminated. Lee walks ahead to open the door for you, and you thank him before entering the establishment. You’d expect the interior to have a modern style similar to other restaurants you’ve dined at. To your delightful surprise it’s very old-school. The lights are dimmed to increase the intimacy but not to the point where it’s hard to see. Shika and Temari would love this place, you think. Speaking of that, I wonder if everything’s okay between those two.

A waiter approaches the two of you.

“Good evening, my name is Jeremy,” he prompts. “Do you have a reservation?”

“Yes,” Lee verifies. “Under the name Rock Lee.”

“Right this way.” Jeremy smiles politely and leads you both to a booth in a secluded corner.

The round table is draped in a black cloth and decorated with silver utensils, two Riesling wine glasses and burgundy twin candles. Even the seats are adorned in red velvet fabric. Is this how royalty dines everyday?

Before stopping yourself, you tug on the hem of Lee’s sleeve. He looks down at you and the concern in his expression almost makes your incoming words clog up your throat. It’s too all too much. He’s just too much.

“Lee… you didn’t hafta do all this.” You protest weakly.

Lee blinks at you, big eyes widening as he processes your remark.

“ ‘Course I did,” he says matter-of-factly. “You deserve it, princess. Now, let’s eat!”

He waits for you to release your hold. You let go of him, feeling your cheeks puff up in a small grin. He pulls back a chair, offering you your seat. You thank him once more as he steadily pushes your chair forward so you’re close enough to the table. He sits across from you while you shrug off your coat.

After taking off his own jacket, he rolls up his sleeves and his forearms look delectable; the way his veins protrude as his muscles flex makes you imagine how they’d feel wrapped around your neck from behind as he p-

“Here are your menus,” Jeremy gives you each a fancy pamphlet listing all the available dishes and beverages. You both make sure to receive them with verbal gratitude and scan your options.

You want to pull out your phone so you can look up these Italian words, but you don’t want to violate the etiquette so you read the ingredients of each meal from the menu instead. Your eyes follow Lee’s confused ones, and hide a snort with your pamphlet when he asks the waiter what a certain meal is and completely butchers the pronunciation of the dish’s name.

After requesting your appetizers, you both wait patiently with a glass of wine in your hand and a glass of orange juice in Lee’s.

You raise your glass to the crease of your mouth, but something about Lee sitting prim and content with his orange juice peaks an interest within that urges you to indulge it.

“Not a fan of drinking?”

Lee lowers his glass at your question, swallowing a glob of spit to brace himself. Yes, he’s not obligated to answer that question and could just manage a way to politely change the subject. Or, he could tell the truth no matter how mercilessly his shame is clawing at his back. However, the sincerity behind the bleakness of his past sprouts in the form of a relaxed smile embellishing his features.

“I was an alcoholic,” Lee makes sure he’s loud enough so you can’t misconstrue the truth in his words. “Been sober for five years… going on six.”

Lee stares at you and waits. He waits for your reaction, your character, the potential volume of your heart. He sits and stares, looking for any judgment in your eyes. He knows how mature and grounded you are, Neji and Guy Sensei have helped him see those traits in admirable people. But you’re going to have to accept all of him if he’s going to give you all of him.

You turn your head, scanning the area for the nearest waiter. Luckily there’s one who’s an earshot away from you. To Lee’s confusion, you summon them for assistance.

“Hi, how can I help you?” Inquires the waiter.

“May I have a glass of orange juice, please? I’d like to return the wine.”

Lee’s eyes widen, wondering why his lungs no longer feel like they’re being buried by dumbbells. But rather, they feel like an inflated balloon, like a sky lantern floating gracefully into the atmosphere until they look like one of the infinite stars so impossibly far away. Except, you’re right in front of him.

“Yes, of course.” The waiter grabs the glass and bottle of Riesling, retreating to the kitchen.

“Thank you,” you mumble, mindlessly watching them walk away.

A heavy sigh pulls you from your trance. You turn your attention to the man before you, his chin resting on his palm while dreamily gazing at you.

“Why did you do that?” He blinks slowly, and the nonchalance of his grin almost perfectly masks his bewilderedness.

“Because I'm proud of you! Five years is no easy milestone.”

Lee leans back against his seat, carefully drinking in the subtle meekness in your eyes. Yes, you were a bit nervous, twiddling with your nails while wondering if the gesture you just pulled was really necessary.

“No one’s ever done something like that for me before. Thank you, angel.”

Lee raises his chin, briefly facing the decorated ceiling with his eyes closed while reveling in this moment you’ve blessed him with.

“Of course…!” You lean a tad bit forward, folding your hands on the dining table. “ You’re one of the strongest people I’ve ever met. In body and spirit.”

A hearty chuckle slips through Lee’s lips, and the sound rumbles through your brain.

The waiter comes back with the orange juice and pours you a new drink. You thank them as they leave and raise your glass towards the man before you.

“To five years?” You prompt with a shy smile stretching your thick lips.

Lee straightens his posture, and reaches for his drink. He ascends the glass and clinks it gently against yours, the look on his face so relaxed and at peace. A quiet sombreness radiates from the satisfaction of this precious moment because of the unbearable days he had to bear just to experience it. And yet, that resentful trail of suffering led him to share an intimacy with someone he never ever thought he’d encounter. You are invaluable, and he’s gonna make sure you enjoy every second you spend with him.

“To five years.”

The ride back to your place is a bit noisier, y’all don’t sing this time but rather continue the intellectually fruitful and deeply polarizing conversations you shared back at the restaurant. So much depth:

“Fave powerpuff girl?”

Lee takes a shallow breath at your question, pondering on how to answer most truthfully.

“Y’know, quite a few people thought I liked Buttercup because we both have short black hair and our color is green but…” Lee kisses his teeth in thought while steadily swerving onto the next block..

“Bubble’s innocent naivety and relentless bliss always resonated with me,” he shrugs while looking ahead. “I wanted to be the ‘happiest citizen of Townsville’ for the sixth year in a row when I was a toddler.”

You snort, resting your elbow below the passenger window. “You know, she gets extremely aggressive when she’s mad though.”

“Another reason why I love her! She’s so underestimated as a fighter but is the most feared by Mojo Jojo himself.”

You loll your head in Lee’s direction. “Jojo is not a very impressive villain. I mean, you didn’t forget about HIM, did you?”

Lee catches a glimpse of how your pretty eyes slant a bit when you playfully smirk at him, an image he snapshots with his brain.

“Who can forget the most manipulative, morally inept character in that show? S’why he’s so interesting!”

“His fashion sense is interesting too,” you remark while recollecting the character’s iconic design. “Wanted to dress up as him for Halloween back in kindergarten.”

Lee bellows at the thought of a tiny version of you embellished in red crab hands and a pointy chin beard. Shameless laughter has never sounded sexy to you. But after seeing his cheeks rise and eyes crinkle shut in hopeless glee; after seeing the way his sharp jaw falls open to let out that deep bass rumbling through the car. You want to make him do it again. You want to drink it in, to feel him do it again.

“You’d look so adorable,” he wheezes while resting his forehead against the wheel.

You try to ignore the effect he has on you. You try to ignore how contagious he is, but a few sniggers escape your lips in merry futility.

“Thank you…” you turn to look through your passenger window, taking in the streets and architecture that look more and more similar to your home as Lee drives by.

“Your Bubbles cosplay would be quite convincing, if I do say so myself.” You add.

“Don't tempt me, princess.” Lee continues to look ahead, but you can see a sneer creep up his handsome features in a way that makes you cackle unabashedly.

“This is you, right?”

“Yep!”

Your date pulls up right in front of your apartment, and you reflect on your time with him while he unplugs the key from his car. You had so much fun; didn’t feel stressed in any way, you ate good, you learned so much more about Lee than you ever expected to; you secretly hope he knows more about you too.

Lee steps out of the car and opens your side of the door. He offers his hand for you to balance yourself as you step onto the jagged pavement. While nodding your head in gratitude, you feel your pores prick open at the rough texture of his palm. His fingers are solid and scarred, yet so soothingly warm just for you.

Before you take out your keys to unlock the gate, you turn to face the man’s chest before you. You look up to find those big eyes, and his gaze consumes you; he tucks his hands in his pockets, sighing as he stares lovingly at you; lidded eyes and a lazy smile, you got him on cloud nine. It gives you the urge to cower, but you don’t want to. The way he is looking at you right now, with such an undeniable bliss, urges you to face the fear. To judge yourself a little less. It’s quiet for a few moments, the both of you kinda just stare at each other but it’s comfortable. Not awkward, just the both of you. No one else.

“I don’t want this night to end.” You pout, a little whine erupting in your throat.

Lee chuckles lowly at the adorable sight, quietly grateful that you show this side of yourself to him.

“It doesn’t have to,” his tender tone sugarcoats the fearless conviction in his words.

You briefly shut your eyes in a frown and take a deep breath. “Yes… yes it does.”

Lee’s smile doesn’t even falter, he’s simply grateful that you blessed him with your precious time and presence.

“Well,” he sighs. “I had a wonderful time with you. You’re wonderful, y’know that?” The bass in his voice rasps you away into the air while simultaneously grounding you. Your eyes drop to your heels so you can hide your silly grin.

Lee takes a step closer, and he can smell the vanilla and honey wafting from your shiny coils. The warm cologne radiating from his body starts to insulate your own. His throat bobs with every subtle gulp, and you feel like taking a step back because it’s so much but not even close to enough.

A tiny gasp escapes your lips when Lee gently cups your chin with his hand, slowly tilting your head up so you can look him in the eyes. He tightens his grip on your cheeks, just enough to watch your lips squish cutely together.

“You know that, right sweetheart?”

Oh. So it’s like that.

Didn’t take him for a fucking tease, you think.

“Right,” you whisper mindlessly. ”But if I’m so wonderful…”

You gulp, “Then why don’t you kiss me already?”

Lee’s smirk grows back. There you go, he thinks. Demand what’s yours.

The man before you swipes a careful thumb over your bottom lip before dragging his other fingertips across your cheek. He caresses the smooth skin before gripping the back of your neck, and pulls you in.

Your hands instinctively find their place on his chest to brace yourself.

His mouth hovers just a stray hair from yours, and you can feel his minty breath set your goosebumps aflame. He languidly plants his lips onto your plush ones, groaning at how pillowy they are. Lee shamelessly expressing how good you make him feel makes you squirm slightly against his hold. He slowly snakes an arm around the small of your back, tugging you closer until your torsos press together. His hands massage your waist and upper back while holding you, appreciating as much of your body as he can. The print of his abs poke your soft tummy through his shirt and you melt against him, letting your shaky hands run up his chest until they grasp onto the junction between his neck and shoulders. Lee angles his head to deepen the kiss, your breaths get heavier and you start panting at how overwhelming he’s being.

He loosens his jaw to lick a teasing stripe up the corner of your lips, silently requesting more access which goes straight to your poor pussy. Your tongues mold together, muffling the pathetic whimpers that escape your mouth and Lee swallows the delectable sound. It’s filthy... You love it so much.

You haven’t been kissed like this in at least three years, don’t even know what to do with yourself anymore. You feel like this man’s delving into your soul, peeling you layer by layer with just his mouth. You can only imagine a pleasure that the rest of his body would drown you in.

You start feeling antsy, like if you don’t stop now Lee will take you to a corner store for some plan b. You scream inwardly, knowing you’ll be fucking your toy until its battery dies instead when you go upstairs. So you gently shove him away, causing your spit-slicked lips to separate with a lewd ‘pop’. Lee releases your waist, watching you inhale deeply as you awkwardly button his suit jacket.

“See you at the dojo. And get home safely,” you whisper with a tight smile, patting his chest conclusively before walking to your gate. The jingling of your keys snaps Lee out of his trance, a meek little “I will” tumbling from his lips before he retreats back into his vehicle.

Lee runs a tired hand through his black strands, lazily holding some hair in his fist while replaying his new three months worth of daydreaming fantasies. God you’re so divine to him; your lips are divine, the way your eyebrows scrunched together when he tongue-fucked your mouth was divine, how your tits pressed against him when he held you was divine, your needy voice when he french kissed you just how you like was divine. And the way Lee looks down to see a tent in his pants- beads of precum seeping into the fabric- harbors peak divinity.

You open your apartment door, catching Bria snuggling with your Kuromi in a blissful slumber. After closing the door behind you, you kick off your heels and pad your way to your bedroom. You decide to sleep naked tonight, chilling under your comforter while scrolling through Instagram.

Your phone vibrates and Temari’s caller ID pops up on your screen.

I haven’t heard from her in a while, you wonder. How’s she been doing?

You answer.

This work belongs solely to ©️ blimbosworlddd. Do not plagiarize, steal, copy or repost. I worked very hard on this; reblogs, comments, and likes are appreciated.

#Naruto #rock lee #black reader #black fem reader #rock lee x black reader #the moment we’ve all been waiting for😌#rock lee x y/n #naruto x y/n #naruto x reader #naruto x black reader #slow burn romance #slow burn

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