#zelink thought filling my brains

[akibarayuri]

A Link To The Past zelink either haven't seen each other for years or have these cute meet up-catch up at least once a year, there is no in between.

[heynikkiyousofine]

12 Days of Smutmas: InuKag Edition

Chapter Ten: On the Tenth Day of Smutmas, My True Love Gave to Me: Ten Dozen Cookies

Every surface in her spacious kitchen was covered with random objects, each section showing off the various stages of her baking process. While the table held the rapidly cooling peanut butter cookies and sugar ones that she would be decorating later, the counter to her left was filled with scooped chocolate chip cookies, the trays ready to go in the oven. Her counter to the right had packages of cookie mix that had yet to be made and Kagome herself? If she had glanced in the middle, she would have thought she saw a ghost with how much flour and sugar covered her clothing.

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[margindoodles2407]

okay so you know how a few days ago i went on a rant about how "fair" by the amazing devil is just hyrule warriors zelink set to music

well "listen when you miss me" by naethan apollo is the same thing but *specifically* child timeline oot/mm zelink set around the time of mm

allow me to demonstrate

Lyrics in green are not the whole song but the lyrics that stick out the MOST to me

Hello I wrote this for you to listen to when you miss me So I could let you know that I miss you too

'Cause when you're around, music has a brighter sound/You show me the little things, I smile when you point them out/And when you're by my side, the sunset and sunrise has way more colors/Than my brain can comprehend, you've shown again you're like no other

You are the one I think about when I'm without a happy day/You're the one who fills the silence when I've got nothing to say

So far away/I wish we weren't so far away/But it's okay Nobody thought this would work, but when there's a will there's a way You're the only one who ever got me to open up

'Cause my heart has a lock, but your hand has the key

And I know that this life sucks sometimes/I know you wish you could give up sometimes/But hold on one more day

Soon we won't be so far away

I, I can't wait

@whyoneartheven

[telemna-hyelle]

FINALLY

I HAVE MARSHALLED MY BRAINS AFTER MY TRIP LAST WEEK AND HAVE FINALLY FINISHED SOMETHING

HW Zelink, anyone?

Zelink Week Day 4: Sparring

...

The night was dark but pleasant, with a clear sky full of scattered stars and hosting a half-moon which cast subtle patterns of light and shadow on the ground. There was a gentle breeze that was just the faintest touch of cool which ruffled the trees in a soft hushing sound, like a lullaby the night was singing to the world. The overall aura in the air was soft and drowsy; a night made for sleep and rest.

All of this was salt rubbed into the wound of the fact that Link was awake, and couldn’t manage to fall asleep again.

He wasn’t quite sure what it was—stress, probably, but there was no way to prove that—but no matter what he did, sleep eluded him like a particularly evasive enemy. Finally, instead of lying on his cot, staring at the ceiling, and listening to Mask and Proxi snore, he’d fled, hoping the night air would help.

It had not, and so Link was stuck, wandering the edges of the camp like a lanternless poe. Maybe that’s what poes are, he thought, idly kicking at a rock, poor insomniacs who die from lack of sleep and are forced to wander the night.

The thought, once finished, was less amusing that he expected, and certainly not comforting at all, so Link kicked another rock even harder. He hit it harder than he realized, because the rock flew through the air into the nearby bushes.

A yelp ran though the night.

Link jumped, his blade slipping free from it’s sheath and swinging towards the bush—only to halt when a familiar figure rose out of the bush, red eyes glaring so fiercely that Link thought for a moment they were glowing in the dark.

Sheik.

“Oops.”

“Yes,” Sheik said, her words dangling icicles. “Oops.”

Link gulped, feet shifting, his free hand going to rub the back of his neck. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean—I had no idea you were… why were you in a bush, anyway?"

Sheik sniffed haughtily. “Because I didn’t wish to be disturbed,” She narrowed her eyes at him, “by flying rocks or otherwise.”

Link gulped again, before sending the bush another look. “Why didn’t you just stay in your tent?”

There was a moment of long silence, before Sheik climbed out of the bush and brushed past Link. “My business, hero,” she said icily, “Is my own, so I will take my leave—”

At that moment, Link realized he much preferred Sheik’s company to wandering the night alone, even if she wanted to skewer him. “Wait!” He said, spinning around with wide eyes.

Sheik halted, turning slightly to look at him. At this angle the moonlight fell on her face, softening lines and filling spaces with deeper shadows. Her eyes stared back at him sharply, crimson illuminated with silver, and Link suddenly felt unsettled for more reasons than just guilt for beaning her with a rock.

“I’m sorry for bothering you, but… if you can’t sleep either, why don’t we spar?”

Sheik arched an eyebrow, turning more fully to face him. "You wish to spar with me?" Her tone was both sharp and faintly incredulous, causing Link to blink at her.

"Yes?" He gestured slightly with his blade. "I can't sleep, and it seems like you can't either, right?"

"I might have found it easier to fall asleep if I hadn't been hit with a rock," the sheikah said pointedly, "... but yes."

Link coughed. "Well, if neither of us can sleep, why don't we spar? It'll keep us busy, and if we're lucky, tire us out so we can sleep."

Sheik staed at him for a long moment. Finally, she tipped her head in an elegant nod.

"Very well, hero."

.×.×.×.×.×.

There was an open space next to the encampment used as training grounds; it was there that Link and Sheik faced each other.

Sheik made the first move, darting forward with the swiftness of a striking snake. Link barely managed to avoid her, caught off guard by the suddenness and speed of her attack. He sidestepped and managed to fend off her dagger with the flat of his blunt sparring sword, sending it spinning into the night.

He seized the opportunity and swung at the opening, but a new blade was already in her hand.

Metal clashed, and Link grinned. Now this was sparring indeed. There weren't many who could fight on a level with him, so the joyful rush that came from matching blades with a trusted ally was rare.

Sheik was lithe and graceful, swift and slippery as a snake, or a cat sliding through shadow. Every time Link managed to break through her defenses with his superior strength, she'd slip under his attack and move to strike from another angle, forcing Link to whirl around and fend her off again.

He felt the tip of her dagger whizz past his ear a second after he jerked his head to one side, and he couldn't help it. He laughed in delight.

Sheik's eyes widened, startled by the sound and the emotions within it, before letting out her own peal of laughter.

Link grinned fiercely at the sound, his heart riding high from the fight, from Shiek's laughter, from her simple presence. With a shout, he renewed his offense, and shiek met him just as fiercely, steel striking steel, ringing into the night.

They darted back and forth like a dance, first one gaining an upper hand, then the other. As they fight continued on, Link began to notice a certain pattern in Shiek's movements.

He pressed forward, trying to slip past her offenses, but Shiek slipped under his attack and darted to one side.

Link was ready for her. He was already turning, his sword rising to her neck, his free hand snapping out to grab her wrist.

Link felt as if everything froze; the air, the moment, his breath, everything except the wildly pounding heart behind his ribs.

"So it's a draw?" He asked grinned at the feel of the knife pressed against his arm.

"Not quite," Shiek hummed thoughtfully. "You could kill me first, but," there was a dangerous glint in her red eyes, a look that made Link's blood rush with heat, "I'd make you regret it." She wiggled her knife against his arm for emphasis.

Link lowered his sword, stepping back with a refuel shake of his head. "That was amazing, we should have sparred before now."

Sheik stiffened , and when Link glanced up to meet her gaze, she speared him with a glare that froze his blood.

"Should we have?" Her voice was even colder than her glare. "I thought I was too much of an unknown to risk having the hero face me in combat."

Link nearly dropped the blunt in shock.

"You--what are you talking about?"

Sheik stepped back, drawing her whole body up stiffly. "General Impa informed me that I was unauthorized to bear weapons against the hero while sparring." She swallowed hard, and the faintest warbling could be heard in her voice. "I was... unconfirmed to be trustworthy."

She glanced at Link, taking in his bewildered expression.

"You didn't know."

Link shook his head, slowly sheathing his sword. "No, I... I had no idea."

"I see." Sheik looked away, her arms coming up to wrap around her middle.

"So, General Impa hasn't... she still thinks..."

Her voice broke.

Link hesitantly stepped closer, swallowing hard. "...she has never said anything to me about this, so I don't know." He lifted his hand to touch her shoulder, bit his lip, and let it fall again.

"Which means she hasn't." Shiek said, her tone harsh.

But her tone was only a front, because even in the soft and fitful moonlight, Link could see her shoulders shake.

"Shiek--" this time, he did reach out, his hand coming to rest on her shoulder. She looked up at the touch, eyes wide, and Link's heart broke at the silver droplets glittering on her lashes.

"I don't care what Impa thinks or says," he said, fiercely, hoping to chase away the tears that were still slipping down her cheeks, soaking into her veil.

"I sparred with you because I trust you, and I would have done so before now if I'd had the opportunity."

He smiled gently at her, only for it to drop when Shiek's head drooped and she let out a shuddering sob.

Panicking, he fell back on something his mother had done when he cried.

He reached up and laid his hand against her temple, brushing her bangs to the side with his thumb, and gently pressed a kiss against her forehead.

Shiek's breath slipped out in a shuddering sigh, and she slumped against him, arms clinging to him fiercely. "Thank you," she gasped out, "it--to not be trusted by your own people, it hurts--"

Link brought his arms up around her, closing his eyes against the image of the suspicious glares of his soldiers, the angry whispers of his fault echoing in his mind.

"I can imagine," he whispered softly.

For a long moment after that they just held each other, letting the silence of the night surround them. Finally, Shiek sucked in a deep breath and slipped out of his arms, taking one step back. She lifted her chin high and said steadily, "If General Impa finds out, she won't be pleased."

"General Impa needs to acknowledge that I need to spar with my equal if I'm going to keep my skills honed." Link said calmly. "If she wants me to win this war, she's going to have to let us spar. And if she still says no--" He shot the sheikah a grin, "then I'll just have to knock some sense into her."

Sheik arched an eyebrow. "You're either incredibly brave or an idiot, and I can't tell which."

He waved his left hand in the air. "Triforce of Courage, right?"

"I wonder," she said dryly, and turned to go. She took one step, and glanced over her shoulder.

"...thank you, Link."

Her voice was gentle and warm, sending Link's heart skipping nervously. Then she took a step into the shadows and vanished.

Link stated after her, his heart still stuttering unsteadily, chest full of the nights confused cocktail of emotions.

He turned and headed back to his tent, thoughts of both sleep and unleashing Mask on Impa whirling around in his mind.

Neither he nor Shiek got any sleep that night.

[pastelsandpining]

✨ Hey ✨ Can I order a . . . 5, 27, and 33? 👀 With a Zelink as the main course? (TP) <3

this is not my best work and it's incredibly over due but!!

Solace

words: 1526

warnings: as always read with caution; mentions of grief, homesickness

Masterlist | Prompt List | Touch Prompts

------

The Princess of Hyrule was regal and elegant, and everything that any other aspiring queen could only hope to be. Refined, proper, just, and wise beyond her years, and yet, he could see the silent struggle she carried. He did not pretend to know her; he was nothing but a farmhand who’d been given the sword of destiny and knew nothing about running a kingdom, pulling it from ruin, balancing personal trauma atop the trauma of thousands, repairing diplomatic relationships and boundaries, or governing a people that stretched from icy mountains to scalding deserts. The inability to belong in Ordon, to fit in with those who loved him enough to mourn him instead of adapt to who he’d become, did not mean he could insert himself into the life of castles and crowns.

And still, Link found himself keeping an eye on her. The first time he noticed her grabbing her wrist was during a meeting with the general in the early days of his recruitment. He’d pray for forgiveness every night for how he looked at her, studying her as if she could give him whatever it was that he was looking for, and he chastised himself for the needless concern. She was royalty, a goddess reincarnate. She probably had hundreds of people waiting on her constantly, attending to her every need and taking notice of every little sign of distress or trouble. He said nothing to anyone about it, but he still found it odd she’d done it multiple times in what was only a half-hour time frame.

The next time he was close enough to see her repeat the action, a fair amount of time had passed. Princess Zelda had warned him that, should he accept her invitation to join the knights of the castle and teach them what he knew, he would have to undergo months of training before he was deemed of high enough rank to offer any sort of knowledge that could be considered useful. The training was intensive, but it was easy compared to holding the weight of the world on his shoulders.

It was during the knighting ceremony, when he was watching her instead of listening to the speech of the general, when he saw her grab her wrist. No, not her entire wrist. Two fingers were pressed to one small, specific area—her pulse point. She was checking her pulse.

Such an innocent action made him feel dirty, as if it was something he shouldn’t have noticed. Maybe if he was anyone else, he wouldn’t. But Link had grown very observant of people and their actions within the last few years. If only he knew what it meant, but he didn’t.

For all of the courage he possessed, it took a little bit of liquid luck to get him to ask. She’d cordially invited him to a small celebration (why specifically for him, he would never know) that same night, and maybe both of them were drinking for some sort of anesthetic relief.

“It reminds me that I’m alive,” she answered, lifting her fingers to the pulse point in her wrist again, “at times my body no longer feels like myself, or when I remember what it looked like, limp and lifeless.”

“Is it comforting?” he asked curiously.

“I don’t know.”

A beat of awkward silence hovered in the air between them. Then, Zelda held her wrist out towards him. An invitation, maybe--or at least, that’s what he took it as, cupping her hand in one of his own to support it while the other settled two of its fingers against the artery in her wrist. The beat was steady and strong. The feeling was visceral, and he didn’t know why. What was it about the steady beat of blood traveling to and from the heart that set him off, had him thinking about her, and of Midna, and of Ilia, and of home? All things he’d lost to the twisted strings of fate, left only with a princess he wanted so desperately to but couldn’t reach. That was the cost no one ever spoke of, and he knew she felt it too. Maybe it was his offer of help, or maybe it was the one selfish thing he’d done since he left Ordon, but he lifted her hand just high enough to brush his lips against her pulse.

Link did not see the princess again for another month. He was whisked away to some outpost to keep a careful eye on the activity of a bokoblin pack, something boring that left him feeling limp and drained and longing for any sort of companionship. Sure, he got along well enough with other knights, particularly those he’d been training with, but it wasn’t the same. It wasn’t like the relationship he’d had with Ilia, or the closeness he had with Midna, or whatever he craved from Zelda.

When he did return, a too many, thirty-something days later, he wasn’t sure what he expected. He didn’t think he was fit for anything with the princess, but here she was, a mere few hours after his arrival, at the brink of tears as she asked, in a voice too small to fit the big role she filled, to speak with him.

Maybe the lack of company had gotten to her, too. He didn’t pretend to know her enough to make the assumption.

The garden was the most secluded place outside of her bedroom and as soon as she deemed they were far enough, she broke into a fit of sobs. Link had never seen the composed princess fall apart before. He couldn’t even ask what was wrong. All he could do was watch her in surprise, wracking his brain for what he was supposed to do when his superior in every way of existence cried.

Without a word, she held up a reflective shard that took no time to recognize as he took it from her hands. The weight shifted immediately, making him feel homesick for something he no longer had.

“Why do you have this?” he asked softly, fighting to look at Zelda instead of the Mirror of Twilight piece that he wasn’t sure he could trust his reflection with.

“It reminds me of… a dear friend,” she replied in the breaks between her gasps for breath. “I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t have it. I should’ve given it to you sooner.”

She looked so...guilty over something. He didn’t understand where it was coming from, or why she was so sorry over something so trivial.

“It’s yours,” he argued. “Why give it to me?”

“You were close to her in a way I never could be.”

Link frowned, lowering the shard in favor of looking at her. She looked a mess. How long had she given herself to the effects of the mirror?

“That’s ridiculous,” he whispered as he placed the shard down on a bench, as far away from her as it could possibly get at that moment. “She loved you.”

“Why do we talk about her like she’s dead?”

Hylia above, he was so useless. He reached for her, circling his hand around hers, and searched for her pulse point. It seemed to ground her enough to where she could breathe again. When the gasps finally stopped, he pulled her towards him and wrapped her in a hug. It was all he could do as he whispered back, “It’s easier to let go that way.”

And just like that, the people of Ordon made sense to him. Just like that, Zelda dug her fingers into the back of his shirt and held him a little tighter. Just like that, whatever barrier was holding him back from pursuing a friendship, from being selfish just a little bit more, was broken.

Months of conversations between meals, or on night walks, brought them closer than he ever thought he’d get to be. Maybe, finally, Link was starting to heal from all he’d faced. Maybe she was starting too, as well. The dark circles were fading and she was gaining some well needed weight. She looked healthier, smiled easier, and he knew her well enough to make that assumption.

The turning point was the night of her coronation. Zelda felt well enough to pursue her crown, and they celebrated on their own after the grand ceremony, sipping wine and twirling each other about in her bedroom.

She was laughing. Her smile was beautiful and he couldn’t help grinning right back. Link hadn’t felt this warm, this complete in a long time. Maybe she felt it too, because she tugged him closer by the hands and covered his smile with her lips.

This was what he was looking for, he was sure. A sense of belonging, and never had he expected to find it with the queen of Hyrule, who was so far out of his league. She’d never hear it of course, which would lead to many playful arguments in the future, but for now, he was happy to kiss her, feel her pulse, and hug her close enough to restore the warmth he lost when he had to be away.

[itcantbe]

Zelink Week 2021: Day 4

Hello and welcome to day 4 of @zelinkweek2021 (I remembered to tag it this time!). Today's prompt is "Trust: Broken/Forged." I tried to address both aspects in this chapter of "Under the Boardwalk." Just a reminder this story is rated M and will shift to E with the last chapter (but the E bit can be skipped if you want). This chapter takes place the night of the first chapter, if you're getting confused with the timeline. Yesterday's chapter took place sometime in the future. Enjoy!

chapter 1 | chapter 2 | Read chapter 3 on ao3

Under the Boardwalk: We'll be Fallin' in Love

Ice cream. Coffee. A movie.

“What’s in here?”

Dinner. Ice skating. Mini golf.

Link can’t help thinking of better date ideas than sneaking around the amusement park he works at after hours. He had hoped they might walk around a bit, Zelda would get her fill of the empty park and they could leave and go do something else. Though he holds out some hope that she might get a little scared, and maybe clutch his arm to her chest, crushing it between her breasts as she clings to him. He’s distracted by the idea for a moment, until he hears the rattle of a doorknob.

“Don’t — ! That’s an electrical room, it supplies power to some of the lights. It’s dangerous.”

“Then why isn’t the door locked?”

Link takes Zelda’s arm, hoping he can pull her away from the door plastered in signs that say WARNING! and DANGER! with pictures of little sad people surrounded by lightning bolts. He attempts a distraction.

“Why don’t we go look at The Molduga? We can sneak into the part in the middle where it’s like a little forest.”

He hears a little click before Zelda turns to him, flashing a brilliant smile that makes his insides go watery.

“Ooh yes! Let’s go!”

And then she does take his hand, and he feels a thrill, glad she can’t see the goofy grin that crosses his face as he turns to lead her into the park.

******

Link knew where there was an opening in part of the fence that surrounds The Molduga, the giant wooden roller coaster that’s the main attraction of Hyrule Castle Amusement Park. The Molduga has been the highlight of the park for decades, and over the years a mini-forest grew inside each of the loops and curves the ride takes as it sprawls around the north side of the park. Of course, they don’t want people going in there when the ride is open, so they put up a fence that surrounds the ride on all sides.

But the fence is nearly as old as the ride, and hasn’t been well maintained in all of its years of existence. Much like everything else at the park, regular maintenance was allowed to slide in the name of maximizing profits. The fence has developed several gaps and holes over time, and the wooded areas of the interior are a favorite place for park employees to hide out while on break, to have a smoke or a nip or just enjoy nature for a minute before you have to submerge yourself in the tourist hordes again. Link knows of a gap in the fence hidden in the backside of the ride, where the track runs by the main fence between the park and the parking lot.

Maybe she’ll get bored and we can leave, Link thinks as he leads Zelda there. Surely by now she has been satisfied with the relative spookiness of the park after closing and is willing to head off and do something that’s actually fun. He can barely see her in the darkness of this part of the park, the black ball cap she put on covering her golden hair, her dark shirt and pants hiding the rest of her. He had to admit he’d been hoping she would wear some night-time version of what she wore each time he saw her at the park, the little dresses that left her shoulders bare and showed off a lot of thigh. The dresses that often came to mind when he had some time to himself at night before bed.

He had been surprised when she arrived to meet him that night.

“You look … uh, you look nice,” he said, rather stupidly. She always made him kind of stupid.

Zelda saw right through him, smirking as he scrambled to seem gentlemanly despite his obvious disappointment.

“Well I don’t think strappy platform sandals would have been very practical for sneaking around, do you?”

No, but they did nice things for her legs and he liked the pretty pink nail polish she wore on her toes.

“I … uh … I guess not.”

He wasn’t an eloquent guy on the best day but this was getting pathetic. He was nervous, and she made him feel so flustered.

“Besides, this way I can blend into the shadows so we don’t get caught!”

She brought out a black ball cap with a flourish and put it on her head in one smooth motion before turning to him and winking.

“So let’s go!”

Link’s brain shut down when she winked at him, nothing but white noise for a moment, only coming back online once he saw her head off into the dark, and he scrambled to catch up with her.

Despite him being the supposed tour leader, it was Zelda who led him about the park, asking questions and taking off with “Ooh, what’s over there?!” so often that he felt like he was constantly just trying to keep up. He should be used to the feeling by now, he thinks. He’s always attempting to keep up, and never quite making it.

But this time he led her, pulling the fence open so that she could go in.

“Are there a lot of gaps in the fence like this?”

“Um … yeah. I only know about this one but there’s gaps all over. I don’t think they do a lot of inspections.”

“Isn’t that dangerous?”

“I guess.”

“Hmm.”

He followed her through, then took the lead again, hoping he remembered where the little clearing was that had the least amount of trash in it and had a fallen log they could sit on. It was a nice area, a little further in than most employees were willing to go, and so it was relatively clean and untouched. Maybe they could sit for a while. Maybe she would let him kiss her. Maybe she would kiss him. Maybe they could do a lot of kissing. Maybe she would push him down into the grass and let him run his hands up the inside of her shirt … Lost in his daydream, it was a minute before he realized she wasn’t behind him, and turned to see her jogging up to him.

“I stopped to tie my shoe,” she said by way of explanation.

“Oh,” Link said, confused. Why hadn’t she said anything? He would have waited for her.

“Just a bit more,” he told her.

He took a right where the tracks crossed each other, soaring a hundred feet over their heads, and followed the wooden framework that criss-crossed in a huge lattice to support the ride in the air around … and there they were. He stepped over a piece of the wooden framework that had fallen; there were a few of those around, pieces dropped off the antique ride frequently. Link realized what he’d thought was a log was actually one of the giant cross beams from the ride that had fallen who knows when and had grown soft and green with moss.

“Is this part of the ride?” Zelda asked as she sat next to him.

“Yeah, this ride is pretty old and parts fall off a lot.”

“That doesn’t seem safe!”

“Well, I’m sure they replace them.”

“When?”

How was he supposed to know?

“I dunno. I’m just. Sure they do.”

“Do they ever shut the ride down for any reason? Like for safety? Or if someone gets hurt?”

Link laughed.

“No, they never shut down the Molduga. It makes them too much money.”

She hummed thoughtfully at that.

It was a lovely night, the heat of the day having dissipated, a cool breeze soughing through the trees. Without the crowds of people, the noise of the cars and the roar of the rides, it was peaceful, the noise of the city distant and muted. It was, dare Link think it, almost romantic.

“Oh!” he heard Zelda exclaim next to him. “You can see all the stars!”

Link looked up. She was right, the sky twinkled with a number of stars that couldn’t be seen normally with the light pollution of the park and the city. He leaned in a bit closer to her. He could smell her perfume, the one she wore every time he saw her, the one that had rooted itself in his brain, that he thought he could smell every time he thought of her. Which was a lot. The scent pulled his attention away from the sparkling wash of the stars and back to Zelda, and he resisted the impulse to bury his nose into her neck and breathe her in.

“Zelda, can I k—“

“Do they ever shut down any of the other rides for repairs?”

They spoke at the same time.

“I’m sorry, did you say something?”

“Ah, forget it,” he mumbled, the moment gone. “Um, I don’t think so … Can’t we … can’t we talk about something else? Why do you even want to know?”

He could see her eyes widen in the dark as she looked at him.

“Oh … I was just curious!”

He’s struck with the realization that they rarely talk about anything else. Even before, when she would come and talk to him at his booth. Questions about the security at the park. About the rides. About the money. About Mr. Ganondorf, like Link would know anything about that. An icy tendril of dread began to worm its way through his middle, wrapping around his stomach and snaking its way up to his heart.

He stared at his hands, not really seeing them, but unable to look at her, either.

“You’ve been asking me a lot of weird questions. And wanting to look at a lot of weird stuff.”

Link began to feel very, very foolish. Foolish for ever thinking someone like Zelda would actually be interested in him. He should have known.

He squeezed his eyes shut tightly.

“What is this really about?”

Because it's not about me, is it, he thought.

He heard Zelda sigh.

“Link … I’m so sorry.”

He couldn’t help the groan of dismay that crawled out of his throat at her words, pushing his hands into his hair as he dropped his head onto his knees. He laced his fingers over the back of his head as if shielding himself from more disappointment.

It had been such a shitty year. After struggling through a few semesters of college, anxiety had finally gotten the better of him, and he dropped out when his grades slipped and he was in danger of failing. He had taken the amusement park job because it was easy, and he thought it might be fun, and it would keep his dad off his back. But it turned out standing in a game booth all day was really boring, yet also exhausting, leaving him with just enough energy to get on the bus home and collapse in his bed. Of course once he dropped out his student loans had come due, and all of his income went right into the payments. He had no degree, no goal in life, no energy, and no money. And no Zelda.

His voice was hollow and muffled as he spoke into his knees.

“Do you even have a sister?”

Her silence told him all he needed to know. Zelda had told him that her family had a season pass to the park and she was chaperoning her sister while she ran around the park, which is why she was there so much.

“No,” she whispered. “I’m an only child.”

Link sat up, covering his face with his hands as if he could hide from the truth. Zelda had been the bright spot of the summer, appearing at his booth one day like some gift from the goddess. She was so beautiful, and he couldn’t believe it when she came up to talk with him one morning, not long after he started working at the park. He had mumbled and stuttered, and yet, a couple of days later, she’d come back and talked with him some more. And then a few days later, again. Soon he was jumping at every blonde head of hair he saw, scenting the breeze like a dog seeking her perfume. It made coming into work bearable, almost exciting, the hope he might see her enough to get him through the day.

She had played him. She’d used her short dresses and big green eyes and played him for the horny idiot he was. Link felt like his heart was going to crack in half.

“Why?”

He jerked his hands away from his face and looked over to her. Zelda sat on the log next to him, shredding a dead leaf in her fingers. She continued to stare at her hands as she spoke, as if she couldn’t bring herself to meet his eyes.

“I’m a reporter with the Hyrule Star Fragment. I think something bad is going on in the park. I needed some way to get access to the inner workings of the park so I could gather evidence.”

“And I was that access.”

Link gave a bitter laugh.

“I should have known,” he said, as much to himself as to her. “I should have known someone like you wouldn’t really want someone like me. Well, I hope you got all the information you needed. I hope it was worth it.”

Link stood up to leave. He didn’t need to sit here and continue to be humiliated.

“Come on, I’ll show you back to your car.”

“Link, wait! Please, let me explain.”

He stopped, arms wrapped around his middle like he could hold all of his heartache inside of him. He turned around to look back at her, still seated on the log, face just a light blur in the deep shadows of the trees.

“Mr. Ganondorf is not a good person. This park is dangerous, and people are getting hurt.”

“So? What does that have to do with me?”

Zelda huffed in exasperation, then stood and came over to him. She stood close to him, so close he could feel the heat of her body. It seemed so intimate, like they were the only ones in the whole world, and he felt the stupid animal part of him react to it. He squashed it down and took a step back.

“People’s lives are ruined because they get hurt here and Ganondorf just covers it up. They are injured and he makes it out to be their fault and then they lose their jobs and their homes because of their medical expenses. That he should have paid for! The rides are dangerous and are in disrepair and it won’t be long before someone is killed!”

Link really didn’t want to listen. He didn’t want her to make him care. But the park employees talked. He’d heard some stories, stories about people getting injured, employees disappearing. He’d chalked it up to gossip, but maybe there was truth to it. Maybe it wouldn’t be long until he was next.

“I’m trying to gather evidence so I can write an exposé for the paper. Help people to learn the truth about this park and what happens here. But I can’t do it alone. I’m sorry I misled you—”

“Lied to me.”

Zelda sighed.

“I’m sorry I lied to you. I didn’t think … I didn’t think you’d want to help me. So I did what I thought would work. I didn’t think I’d …”

She dropped off there, leaving whatever she thought he’d do unsaid.

“You didn't think you'd what? You used me. How far would you have gone to keep me on a leash, telling you whatever you wanted? Would you have kissed me? Would you have fucked me? And then what, just dropped me once you got what you wanted?”

Link’s hurt and anger had boiled up so hot in him it made him nasty. He never talked like this to anyone, but it was as if all of his pent up rage at failing out of college, having to move back home, having his dad on his case at all times, had come pouring out. He hated himself more in this moment than he had all year. And he already hated himself quite a bit. But the words had been said and there was no taking them back now.

“No! I’d never!”

Link suddenly felt very weary, the rage flooding out of him almost as soon as it had filled him up.

“Then what?!”

Link had wanted to shout at her, but instead, his question came out as a quiet plea. His anger was quickly replaced with desperation. He just wanted to know how he fit into her grand scheme before they left the park and he never saw her again.

Zelda was silent for a moment, as if she battled over what to say to him. Or maybe she was just cooking up more lies to string him along some more.

“I didn’t think I’d actually like you,” she said, sounding defeated. “I thought I’d … I thought I’d just flirt with you, and ask you some questions, and maybe you’d show me around the park like you did. And once I knew where to go to get the answers I needed, I could disappear from your life and do what I needed to do.”

Link scoffed. He didn’t think his self loathing could get any worse but the way his heart lifted when she said she liked him proved him wrong. He just wanted so badly to have one right thing in his life.

“I hated lying to you, but by this time I didn’t think I could tell you the truth. I had planned to do as much as I could tonight and then …”

“And then drop me after that, right when I thought I had a chance.”

The fact that she wouldn’t meet his eyes confirmed that theory.

“Let’s just go,” he sighed, and started to walk away.

“Link, please!” she cried, and grabbed his hand. In his mind he yanked his hand out of her grasp and stalked away, indignant. In reality, he stopped, once again relishing the feeling of her hand in his.

“I promise, no more lies,” Zelda said, quietly and urgently. “But I do need your help. I need employee access into the park. Ganondorf cannot be allowed to continue to ruin people’s lives just to make himself richer. And I’ll try to make it up to you.”

He huffed a disbelieving laugh.

“How?”

“Let me at least buy you dinner, and I’ll answer any of your questions. And if you want to part ways after that, then fine. And if not … maybe we can do this together.”

He looked at her, her hopeful face bathed in the light of the newly risen moon. Despite the lies, despite all of the deception, he believed her. He still felt like he should say no, remain on his high horse and leave her behind, drop her just as she had planned to drop him, but as usual, he was weak to anything she asked from him. It was just one night, Link reminded himself. He wouldn’t have to see her again if he didn’t want to.

“Fine,” he said with a sigh. “But I pick the restaurant.”

Zelda exhaled in relief.

“Oh thank you, Link! I promise you won’t regret it!”

Before he knew what was happening, she’d leaned in and kissed him on the cheek before yanking on his arm and dragging him out of the trees, through the gap in the fence, and out of the park, all without being spotted by security, just as he’d said.

Link thought he probably would regret it. But in the end, he decided he didn’t care.

[nooneshome12]

WiP Wednesday Pt.2

Posting two wips today? Yup that’s me! I missed the past two so I think I’m making up for lost time by posting more than one today. And where as earlier I posted some of the next chapter for Silent Ranger, this will be for my Cowboy Bebop inspired zelink au that I had posted about in previous weeks. While the other two are in the beginning, this is a bit later on while meeting with our favorite bird brain.

-----------------------------------

Now, Link was new to the bodyguard business. But even someone as out of place as him would have thought that being an effective body guard, meaning keeping the person you were protecting alive, was to be in the same room as that person. Not stuck in the waiting room, with the only noise being the receptionists feather like hands clacking on the computers keyboard, filling out whatever it was receptionists did. 

While most bodyguards would have been worried about their client, or atleast he assumed they would have been, Link as getting bored. Sure, he made a big fuss when Ms. Hyrule asked him to leave her and the smug looking Rito alone, but he was one to bore easily so being stuck in a room hearing nothing but the quarterly reports of their corporation or where the RND team should focus next year would have made him jump out the window.

But then again, even though he wasn’t stuck in there he was getting bored enough on his own. 

Of course, that was before the Rito he saw earlier came busting out of his office, the same smug look on his face. Link had met alot of Rito in his life, and he knew how a beak could only show so many emotions as opposed to a Hylain, Gerudo, Zora or even a Goron mouth, usually inly limited to small smiles or frowns. But this one, even in such a small smile he looked as smug as he had seen any Hylian. 

“Oh, you’re still here? I thought your charge sent you away?” He asked as the doors shut behind him. 

Link made no move to sit up, only leaning back in his chair and reaching in his suit coat for his pack of smokes. “Nope, she told me to leave you two alone for the rest of the afternoon as you discussed business. She never mentioned where i was supposed to wait, so I assumed what place better than the waiting room,” When he finally got it out, he took the last one and placed it in his mouth.

“This isn’t a bar, go smoke and be a degenerate somewhere else.” The feathered man said, pulling his slate out. 

Flick, flick. 

He took a deep drag of the cigarette, shooting the man a smile. “I wouldn’t wanna be a degenerate anywhere else, birdbrain.”

[queakenstein]

You , miss , are by far my favorite zelink writer ever. I have 2 requests for ya... ugh I need to stop being greedy XD it’s fine if you do one. - Link getting Impa’s approval for courting Zelda - Drunk Link spilling his feelings for Zelda to everyone who can hear.

Thank you so much!!

Hope ya like!

He knew from experience that he really shouldn’t challenge a Gerudo to a drinking match. However, Link was not the type of man to back down from a difficult task. The woman, a dignitary from the desert region, slaps him on the back and laughs. “I’s alright, ya can stop now.” Her words are slurred and her fingers rest, lazily, on her small glass. She’s turned it upside down. A classic sign of defeat.

Link grins. His blue eyes sparkling with assured victory and blows his bangs away from his face. He snaps his own drink to his lips and takes the shot with as much grace as he can given he can’t quite remember what number he’s at. “Do ya give?”

She snorts, raises her hands and nods. “ ‘M callin’ it quits.” She latches on to a passing guards arm and points in a general direction of the guest rooms. “Help a lady, would ya?” The man raises a questioning look at Link who waves him off with a smirk. The Gerudo throws an arm around his shoulders and leans against the man like crutch. “G’night.”

“Night.” The Hero stands and keeps to the walls. It’s safer that way especially since he knows straight lines are dangerous right now. Eventually, he finds the woman he’s looking for. Back rigid and red eyes scanning the crowd for any sign of disturbance. She should know that few would dare to attack the castle with some of the country’s strongest warriors present. He can appreciate her vigilance. She’s the only reason he was able to let himself loose.

“You won.” She glances at him from the corner of her eye. Her lips hold some small trace of amusement. “Impressive.” He notes that she doesn’t sound impressed.

He ignores her tone and steadies himself by leaning back against the wall. He watches the crowd with her for a moment. Sages, nobles, great knights and famed heroes all move about the celebration. No one is treated any better than the others. Tonight is a night to enjoy the peace brought forth by all the hard work each of these individuals have done. Either by pen or sword. This was the third annual gala created by Princess Zelda. Link smiles at the thought of her.

“This is the third time you’ve refused to accept any honor or award.” Impa takes a step back so that she stands a bit closer to him. “Why do you refuse?”

Link shrugs. He’s dizzy and all the colors are honestly making him sick. “Uh.” He swallows and tries to carefully scan the area for anything he could safely vomit in. “I don’t…” He stops and decides standing is making all of it worse and let’s his body slide down until he sits on the floor. “I didn’t do it for medals.”

“As chivalrous as that sounds, it would not hurt to receive some accolade.” Impa either pulls on of her shadow walking stunts or his eyes close for longer than he thought. Either way, Link finds a piece of bread in his hand. She’s crouched before him and peering into his eyes. “She would, happily, give you any thing you would desire.”Her eyes squint. “Land. Gold, A title.”

He doesn’t like this interrogation nor the fact that she’s using his inebriated state to gain some sort of leverage or answers. Rather than spit the foul mouthed retort gathering on his tongue, he merely chomps a large piece off the bread and munches, angrily, at her. They sit there in a silence while he contemplates her queries. The titles and land would do him well. Gold would not be a bad prize either. He falls asleep for a time but wakes up feeling less dizzy but knows he isn’t sober. Impa stands guard next time him. “How long’ve I been out?”

“Two hours.”

“Shit.” The wall, ever his friend, helps him to stand. “That’s embarrassing.”

“You snore.”

He flinches. “Yer jokin’?”

“Not in the slightest.” Impa turns to points at the bread in his hand with a nod of her chin. “You should eat more.”

“Fine but this needs something.” He moves toward the table where a majority of the food has thinned out. He’s a little surprised to see that the party hasn’t dwindled much considering it is getting in the early hours of morning. A brief scan of the room reveals no trace of Zelda. He tries not to think about the possibility of her being swept off into a more private setting. A slice of cheese, butter and with an apple in hand, Link returns to Impa’s post. He drags a chair away from a table and sits next to her. “Thanks.”

“For?”

“The bread… earlier.”

She shrugs and makes no further comment for several minutes. “Who were you looking for?”

“You stalking me?” He asks, frowning. 

“Merely noticed is all.” 

Link sighs and answers her with exasperation. “Zelda.” He takes a bite out of the apple and makes a noise of delight before he continues. “She mentioned she wanted to dance.” He makes quick work of the fruit and starts on the cheese. “Why so many questions?”

“I’m bored and you’re the only one around… and you intrigue me.”

“How?” He rolls his eyes. “I’m not exactly a puzzle.”

“You say that yet none of your actions seem to add up.” She turns to meet his gaze and he feels very dizzy again. “You waged a war with a Evil reincarnated to fight for the peaceful life you had before. Yet, do not return to. So, perhaps it is knighthood that you long for but you refuse to accept any offer of ranks. Gold seems not to appeal to you nor does any lordly right or land…” She glares. “Still, you remain close by and accepted one final job offer… that of personal guard to the Princess herself.”

Link meets her stare and smirks. “You don’t trust me.”

She frowns and the hardness he sees softens some. “Wrong. I trust you.” Her admission shocks him but she doesn’t acknowledge the expression he makes. “The point that I would like to make is… If you are waiting for a sign, for some sort of permission, or approval then you have it.” Impa spares him one, small, sliver of a smile. “We have many ghosts that walk these halls. All of them filled with regret. Do not make that same mistake.” She turns away from him. “She pressures you to take all of her gifts because she thinks you are unhappy… but, also, because it might make the process easier.”

Link’s brain misfires for a brief second before he stands, quickly, and causes his chair to topple with a clatter. “Easier?” His voice is a little louder than he expects so he clears his throat. “Are you telling me… that she’s…?”

Impa nods. “Are you not in love with her?”

“I-I–” He knows he’s losing composure. He’s still to drunk to deal with this. There’s too many people but calculated steps are far from his mind. “Of course, I do but– It’s— Complicated.”

“You make it so.”

Link shakes his head and growls with frustration. “No. The fact that she is a Princess and I’m just some man with a sword makes that complicated.” Link’s voice is a harsh whisper and he moves to stand in front of her. Talking to the Sheikah’s back is making the situation all the more uncomfortable. 

“You slaughtered Ganon.” Her face is impassive and her voice resumes it’s unimpressed tone from earlier in the night. “You are the one making this complicated.”

He pinches the bridge of his nose and can feel a headache coming on. His voice rises but he’s too worked up to notice. His heart is pounding and he’s sweating. He can’t understand why he’s sweating. All he knows is that Zelda is in love with him and, apparently, it’s his fault that they aren’t…married? Courting? He shakes his head and settles on together. “You’re telling me…” He ignores the way that Impa’s eyebrows rise. “That I… could just waltz up to Zelda.” He takes a deep breath. Air. Air is hard. “Princess Zelda. Who, by all rights, is Queen.” His gestures are wild and his legs have begun to pace. “A-And just tell her that… what? I love you?! And she would be okay with it?!”

He realizes his mistake when he recognizes the voice bouncing back at him is his own. Impa’s mouth is open slightly and she holds the first truly shocked expression Link has ever seen… There’s a small voice in the back of his head that tells him if he just drops to the floor hard enough that he would probably knock himself out and spares himself a few hours of whatever the hell awaits him behind his back. 

The grand hall is deadly silent. Clearly, one’s drunk love confession to your regent who may or may not be in the room is serious.Sounds of feet shuffling around reaches his ears as Link glares at Impa and half-scream, half-whispers to her. “You’re dead to me. Now, I have to go kill myself. Hope you like your ghosts filled with embarrassment too!”

“Now, now.” A soft voice admonishes. He’d recognize it anywhere. He can picture her dressed in the pink gown he saw her in with her pale, blonde locks cascading behind her. Light blue eyes that would peer up at him should he turn around. “You promised a dance and, since you mentioned waltzing, I would like to take you up on it now.”

“Or.” Link swallows. “I could throw myself off the balcony.”

“You’re very drunk.” She giggles and he can’t help the smirk that crawls across his face because he knows she is too. She only giggles like that after drinking too much wine. “Could you make it that far?” Her hand, gloved in silk, reaches out to pull at his. “Dance with me.” He turns to her with just a small tug from her fingers and keeps his eyes to the ground. Zelda steps forward to wrap her arms around him. Her fingers clench his shoulder blades and his arms encircle her shoulders in a tight embrace. He closes his eyes to the many gazes on them and rests his chin on her hair. “Hi.” She giggles and he feels her shift to look up at him.

He musters up the courage to finally look her in the eye and he smiles, ever-so softly. “Hey.”

[ashleyswrittenwords]

The Homecoming Formal [ZeLink College AU]

Note: Hi hello it’s me, Ashley. I know this isn’t HTBAQ, but I’ve been drabbling on the side and I very much like this idea. Also there’s a hot fraternity president that I happen to know and anyway, thought it was topical. This is kind of mature rated? Kinda? If you don’t like reading about sexual mentions and stuff or if you’re uncomfy. This will be a couple chapters and then I’m retiring the idea lol. It’ll be cute, promise.

Summary:  [Zelink College AU][Greek Life] Zelda had a one-night stand months ago and finally got over a big break up, but the shame of it happening weighs down on her. To make matters worse, her best friend keeps pushing her to go to formal with a fraternity boy. What happens when she meets their homecoming fraternity's president and her past mistake comes back to haunt her? Can I make this sound any more like a Wattpad book? Can this be anymore cliche? Yes, probably.

Warning: Mentions of the sex.

The Homecoming Formal

The bass seeped from the floor and through her wedges. She was completely off beat but she finally felt comfortable dancing. Dancing wasn't really the word for it, it was more or less being very low and bobbing with the music. There was lots of alcohol and none going on Zelda's tab. She was happy, shouting to the music that the club provided and danced with her girlfriends without a care in the world.

Maybe Midna was right and she should get out more.

It helped when she was paying the bill.

Men had come around every now and again, asking to dance with them and offering drinks. Midna was very staunch about the sudden arrival of testosterone and manhandled them away. Zelda had grinned wryly repeating how much she loved everyone. More jelly shots please.

Countdown and shots. It was a cycle.

How many did she have? It didn't matter. Nothing mattered right now. Zelda wanted to have fun.

She turned around and didn't see her friends. They were on the dance floor. She felt wobbly and a steady sense of vertigo washed in. Okay, the bar is nice now anyway. The bar stool was cozy and gave her relief to the balls of her feet. Someone brushed against her, slurring to the bartender. Zelda didn't recall what was said, but the nice drink lady was reluctant to give him more. Oh, it was a man. She had looked at him and he had looked at her.

Fun had found her.

Daren ΚΗΣ : Yo me and the boys are tailgating across the street from the stadium. You going to the game tmrw?

Zelda's eyes flicked up to her phone, which dinged, and pulled her from her glazed over stare. She sighed and stretched before grabbing the phone.

Me: Yea

A beat passed before the phone buzzed again.

Daren ΚΗΣ: Ahahah slideeee

She squinted at the phone screen and opted to stare off into the corner of the library. The calculus homework that glared at her from her computer screen seemed to hate her more than she hated it. A woman bounced through the door and immediately locked eyes with her. Her stare was piercing and Zelda felt like crawling under the table.

"Zelda Harkinian, what are you still doing here?" Midna said, accusatory.

"I…" Zelda paused, her brain not giving her a snarky reply, "I needed a couple more hours before the test." The woman picked up the cup of coffee that sat under Zelda's chin. It was still half full and hours old. The scent was comforting, at least.

"Cold coffee again?" The scary woman dumped it into a trashcan without another word, drawing attention from the people around them.

Zelda wined, mourning the lost cup, "Midna! You know that coffee here is expensive!"

"Only because you're too lazy to get off campus for a fix, besides you're addicted. Look at those eye bags! You know we have a social this weekend and you still insist on torturing your skin. What have I told you about at least using eye cream?" She went on, the blonde zoning out. She wondered how she would get out of this one. Midna was obsessed with socials. Especially this year, being that their homecoming fraternity was Kappa Eta, also known as Kappa Eta Sigma. It didn't make complete sense to Zelda, she wasn't the one for Greek drama, but if it made Midna happy she would be happy for her. In all honesty, a lot about being in a sorority confused her. It took a lot of pressure from her friends to rush with them two summers ago.

It was quite possibly the worst experience she'd ever faced. Standing outside sorority houses for fifteen minutes in the hottest days of summer weren't exactly what the movies depicted. The feeling of an hour's worth of makeup melting off her face made her shiver to this day. But to her friends it was something worth doing and Zelda couldn't complain. She met amazing people in her house and having Midna joining her made it even better.

"Anyway, tomorrow before the game we're going by their tailgate."

Zelda groaned, "Are you serious? Why? I'm trying to pull a disappearing act on one of their brothers."

"Because they're our homecoming frat and Paya said everyone has to stop by at least once if we're going to the game. And free drinks and free boys," Midna pulled her phone out, typing something in it was a grin. "Is it Daren again?"

"Yes," Zelda said breathlessly, shutting her laptop closed, "He's been either texting or snapchatting me everyday since the date party." She flung her backpack on and followed her tall friend out, looking around shortly for any of Daren's frat brothers. Believe it or not, fraternities were more invested in drama than any top-tier sorority. They always played that bad boy persona, but could never dish it. Of course, in Zelda's opinion. If anything, they were middle schoolers in snapbacks… just barely old enough to drink cheap liquor.

"Hey, I told you to get that other guy on their list. The blond one with the tan."

Zelda huffed, "I didn't know I was being catfished, Mid. Not my fault."

"Just, you know, make out with some other guy in front of him. He'll get the message."

"I'd rather die."

Midna looked up from her phone with another striking stare. How does she get her winged eyeliner so perfect everyday? "Don't give me that, Zel. You try pulling that perfect scholar attitude on me all the time, but I know you can get some if you really wanted to."

Zelda rolled her eyes, "I've no clue what you're on about."

"Really? After that last boy? When we went clubbing and you wore that skimpy black dress and we lost you. I thought you were kidnapped, but you just ran off with a boy."

"Okay, okay, I get it!" Zelda felt heated, "It was one night and I regret it." And she did truthfully regret it. That night haunted her as much as it did thrill her. She couldn't remember his face or name but he sure was good at-

"OMG you're so thinking about it."

"No!" Zelda fumbled as they descended down the hill, almost tripping in front of a man on a longboard, "I'm not!"

"Oh, my Zelda. Growing up so fast! Having one-night stands with hot men! I'm so proud," Midna pretended to wipe a tear. Some random girls caught wind and looked at the duo in a strange manner.

The blonde girl fumed, crossing her arms and pulling her math notebook close. She thanked her stars for the leggings she decided to wear. The days were getting cooler, but she couldn't bear to turn to jeans just yet. The oversized shirt she wore displayed her universities name: North Hyrule University.

"When is your calc exam?"

Zelda looked at her phone, "At 2. So, I have a couple hours to kill."

Midna looked at her with that look that made Zelda worried.

"Midna what are you planning?"

Silence.

"Midna."

A smile was being wrestled with on her red lips.

"Oh, Hylia above help me."

The accused girl gasped dramatically, "My stars! Would you look at that! Kappa Eta has a tent put up just down the sidewalk. What a coincidence!" Zelda's eyes were immediately pulled towards a row of tents in the common area. Damn it, of course she would lead us here. It was still early in the semester so clubs and chapters were scouting for freshmen. There was an outlandish difference between sorority and fraternity recruiting, the latter going through recruitment events throughout the semester. Sorority rush however was a week filled with suffering. It wasn't fun for anyone involved.

"I really don't want to go," Zelda whined.

"You are," Midna looped her arm around Zelda's as a move to take her as captive. She was evil. "We should at least meet some before the social. Maybe we can get you a new formal buddy! Wouldn't that be peachy?"

"Oh, yes. I'm sure any man would want to see me in no makeup and hellish looking. Perhaps I should tell them that this horrible hair bun is Vogue," the blonde groveled, trailing behind Midna who looked positively radiant.

"That may work," Midna said absently, responding to a yell with her name. She had already put on that dazzling smile, while Zelda was trying to remember if she brushed her teeth that morning. Kappa Eta's tent was loud to sum it up. Loud and obnoxious. Several were talking to nervous freshmen and showing off their acts of good deeds. Or whatever frats boasted about. Midna was talking to Kafei, a man she loosely knew from a friend. He seemed nice enough, but Zelda ended up zoning out on the background. Why did frat boys tend to wear the same outfit 8-year-olds wear to their grandma's for Easter? The bright shorts were killing her. At least some of them took the decency of wearing long khakis and a normal tee shirt with their letters. That makes sense.

A hard nudge to the side sent Zelda into the real world again.

"-and Zelda here is our Academics Chairwoman, as you can see she's clearly been wrapped up in it. She's in Calculus 2, you know?"

"Are you finished with the dossier on me?" The accused woman glanced at who Midna was talking to. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name." The man was looking at her odd and his expectant gaze caused her to stop thinking for a moment. His hair was longer than what she usually saw with typical frat boys, shaggy and blond. His eyes contrasted greatly to his skin. He was tan and she wondered if maybe he was on the football team. He seemed like he could be built for that; a linebacker? It occurred to her that this was the same guy that Midna had recommended before for the date party. Zelda mentally kicked herself for not taking more care of her appearance today.

"Link," he finished his weird stare and smiled. Almost hesitantly. It made her wonder if she looked worse than Midna described. Had she actually spared her feelings this time?

No, probably not.

He held out his hand and she took it, shocked for a moment by his delicate grasp. She thought he'd be more firm.

"Zelda, this is Link Forester. He's the president of Kappa Eta Sigma." Now it made sense why Midna sounded so professional. She was the Social Chairwoman after all. She had to be diplomatic in some way. A hot flush crept up Zelda's neck, "Oh, I'm sorry. I probably should have known that."

He kept hold on her hand and laughed, "It's fine. I don't expect people to know me. Why should I?"

"Isn't that Zelda?" A sly voice crept in and it took a lot for the named woman to not roll her eyes. Link dropped her hand as another man approached them. He was shorter by a fraction and everything she didn't want to deal with at the moment.

"Hi Daren," she said, trying not to sound lame.

"'Hi Daren'? That's all I get?" It sounded like he was talking to a child. He glanced at Link, "Excuse me, Mr. President. This is my date to formal."

"Formal buddy, but okay," Midna interjected. To be fair, there was a stark difference. Date suggested… other things. Buddy, of course, was a more amicable form of date and Zelda hoped perhaps her own would change before formal. Daren only gave Midna's comment a side glance. "Where's my hug, Zelda?" He was going in for it and Zelda raised her eyebrow in question. Was he really trying to hug her? She had met him a total of one time.

Link pulled him back by the collar and Daren stumbled back. "Yeah, no. We're not doing that here. I told you and the rest of the guys that it's a bad look on the chapter, but I'm honestly not too surprised that you forgot so quickly." Daren mumbled something but complied.

"I apologize, ladies," Link again was looking at us, softer than he was before with Daren. "It was good to see you again Midna," he said, nodding at her and then looked to me. The same smile from before was playing on his lips. "And it was wonderful to meet you, Zelda."

He turned away, said something else to Daren and went to help his brothers with recruitment. Midna was easy to turn Zelda and herself away and begin surveying the rest of the booths as they walked. Zelda hummed, "I do believe I should have followed your advice."

Her companion scoffed, "Please. I should have followed my own advice."