♞: リンク。

“Oh, I can help with that, too!” Steven knew not everyone was familiar with technology around here. Some people were literally waking up here having never seen phones or even cars. Steven had helped people work their phones tons of times. He was happy to do it.

“Just click here…and here…” Steven leaned over Link’s shoulder, tapping the screen. “Ta-da!” He grinned, the picture of Link and the bird now saved as the background. “Now everyone will know you’re a hero! And hero’s get treated to… ice cream!” He turned and pointed to the ice cream truck that was stopped at the curb.

link follows along with what steven does, paying close attention to where he clicks to do it exactly. he doesn't imagine he'll change the picture later or anything, but it'd be good to memorize nonetheless. when it's set, link smiles - wide, like it's the best thing he's ever seen.

being called a hero though is kind of embarrassing - even if it's what he was commonly called in hyrule. so he focuses more on the offer of ice cream, nodding in response. pocketing his phone, he follows after steven. he doesn’t normally stop for these.. though he’s used to smaller shops and approaching them, these seemed different. he opts to pick... the one that seems to be in the likeness of a person, with bubblegum balls for eyes. but he doesn’t entirely know how to eat it - so he takes a moment to pry one of the bubblegums out from it and pops that into his mouth.

sent by @spiderstaff​. › When Link next checks his mailbox, he’ll find a small silver-wrapped box inside. The note reads: ‘Dear Mr. Link—Happy Midwinter!! I hope you like the gift, I made it all by myself. (Not the cookies though, I had help with those. Apparently I can’t be ‘trusted’ with the oven.) Let’s go exploring again sometime, OK? Sincerely, Kay’. Inside is a blue and gold braided bracelet, and a container of cookies!

If only he knew what his words meant to you–how they still made your heart flutter with nervous anticipation, with adoration reserved for him and him alone. You couldn’t even find yourself feeling embarrassed about it, reveling in the giddiness that came with his sweet tone. Who would have known that your feelings would’ve ever deepened with each passing moment here in Spirale? You could’ve only ever dreamed of something like this back in Hyrule and yet, you got to experience it. Quietly, without ever imposing yourself on him, always making sure that your presence wasn’t a burden even as he said many times he wanted you around.

Even now, he still wants you around…so why was there also that twinge of guilt again? You’ve contemplated it long enough. The feelings that you felt for him could only truly be described as love, right? You loved him, dearly, in a way you doubted you could feel for anyone else. Your time together only deepened that sentiment and with each passing moment, that feeling only ever grew and grew but…

…but it wasn’t fair to him to feel this all on your own. To daydream and hope for more when he finally had his chance to move on. That’s what you thought, anyway. You had to believe that or else you couldn’t move on. It’s better this way, you think. Better if you finally stopped holding him back, once and for all. You knew he might never feel the same way towards you, knew that he’d always put others before him and if ever the princess were to return here–that he’d faithfully tend to her side, keeping her safe from the perils of this world. 

Keep reading

he notices the quiet glint of sadness buried within her tone, but he doesn't look away from her. he knows how it must feel. no, he knows how it does. losing everything, from her home, to her people, to her own life. though he was sworn to protect the princess, he still felt like he should have done more. that he could have done more. he was supposed to be a prodigy, he was supposed to live up to their expectations of them. the very expectations that sealed him within himself; what was the point, if he couldn't even live up to them? but this isn't about him right now.

     ❦ With his quiet remark and how quickly he begins to get to work, Fiona and Hewie can only look at each other in awe and curiosity. He’s… Really determined, isn’t he? It’s very endearing, Fiona thinks, of how much he wants to make both Hewie and herself happy… And frankly, she’s very touched, too. Having been through so much horror, seeing someone be so genuinely kind to her is definitely more than welcome.

     ❝ Er, do you… Need some help? ❞ holding out her arms in worry of the other dropping the various items, she quickly follows after Link as he speeds off outside. Watching from the doorway, both she and Hewie watch in amazement as he gets to cooking… And so quickly, too! Truly she has never seen anyone cook with such haste using a pot before…

     A gasp is soon uttered as she snaps out of her thoughts, moving quickly for Link to be able to enter the house once more. Sparing a surprised glance to her canine companion once more, the two of them follow the other once more (after Fiona closes the door, of course). As she enters the room, the blonde offers a few surprised blinks at not only the look of the food (it seems quite tasty!), but also the setup at the table, as well.

     ❝ Wow! You cook so quickly… And everything smells great, too! ❞ she soon says with a smile, taking a seat across from Link now.

     ❝ Thank you so much…! ❞

he.. does cook rather quickly, doesn't he? he knows how to, at least. how to work efficiently, make something that tastes nice when he often only had a shorter amount of time to spare. there are recipes he's been messing with that call for longer cooking times, and the few instances where he's followed those recipes provided nice results. he's not opposed to trying it again.

maybe he could make something like that for her, if she comes over again?

but, he's also glad that it smells good. link enjoys his own cooking, and other people also seemed to — he's thankful for something that can connect him to other people. even if some of these instances are less often than he'd like, he's not entirely used to being.. more alone, more often than he really likes.

and despite most of the food he makes requiring little utensils to eat, this kind of does. he has no doubt that her hands are clean, either, if she wanted to use them? it doesn't really matter to him, as long as she's eating. so he grabs a bite of his own food—and then realizes, maybe she'd want a drink? he chews and swallows down the bite, before he opens his mouth again.

You don’t pull away as he continues to hug you and when he begins to speak, you pull away only slightly as to look at him. Seeing tears streak across his face gives you mixed emotions, primarily one to comfort him even if he didn’t particularly seem sad. It doesn’t take much to imagine the sort of emotions he might be feeling in this moment–because anything he felt, you were certain you also felt the same way. The absence, the return…even before, when you first began growing accustomed to this place, you wondered how much heartache he suffered when someone left him.

Without careful thought, you reach up to wipe his tears away as they fell, returning his shaky laugh with a reassuring smile of your own. He promises to always wait and your heart skips yet another beat, but at the mention to his apartment…you blink in surprise. He didn’t live there anymore? If that was the case then what was he doing here…? You were so caught off guard by just how bizarre the sight was that you couldn’t help but cover your giggle, turning you face away to hide your amusement.

Had he always been this endearing?

(You know he has, of course he has, but you never thought you’d ever see it again.) 

“ I have no reason to believe you were doing any nefarious but…ehehe. I’m just glad I was the one that saw instead of anyone on patrol.” You muse playfully before reluctantly pulling away, knowing that you’d have to break your embrace eventually. 

 “If you don’t live here anymore, where do you live then?” 

he finds more comfort in her wiping away his tears than he expected to — even leaning a little bit into her hand. he knows it’s just because - well, the notion felt nice. it felt even nicer because it was coming from her. it’s almost as if he wants to entirely soak up every bit of her touch as he can. 

and her belief in him was.. relieving. though he doesn’t make it a point to run around doing things that were frowned upon, sometimes he does because it’s the only way to carry out what he needs to do. regardless, he’s still embarrassed about it. even if it were mipha who caught him, and not someone who’d definitely have more of a problem with it. when she pulls away, he doesn’t hold his grip to keep her from doing so. 

“I live in the Mistwood.” how long has he now...? about half a year? a little over half a year, give or take? the home is comfortable, although he does honestly miss having roommates like in his prior living quarters. it was nice seeing people in that kind of setting. living with other people. but it’s also nice to have a place to himself, during the moments where he needs to be left alone.

     ❦ ❝ Oh, you absolutely have! You are very kind but I really need to repay you somehow for all you’ve done for me… ❞ and as Link thinks for a moment, Fiona does, too. What exactly could she do for him…? Maybe cook something?

     ❝ Well… If you’re so adamant about it, then I’m coming, too! We can look for a book club or something like that together. How’s that sound? ❞

“Repay me...? N-no, you don’t have to.” he’s a little embarrassed that someone would even want to return the gesture.

“Sure, bud!” Steven scrolled through the abundant list of contacts and found Link’s name. “It’s really cool of you to help that little guy.” Tiny flapping earthling, as some unfamiliar being might call it. Steven didn’t need some huge thing to determine if someone was good or not. Helping a little animal was actually a huge indicator on its own. This guy was like a hero. “Not everyone would. I wonder if he’s going back to his tree?”

Steven heard the woosh sound indicating the picture was sent. “There! Now you can make it your background!”

“I wish they would, but... I’m glad you were there.” he doesn’t do things out of obligation, but rather the desire to help, and he’s grateful that it seems to be the case for this person, too. even if no one else would — he still had the hope that they would want to try. “I couldn’t... leave it alone.” 

     ❦ ❝ –Oh, Link! ❞ snapping out of her thoughts, Fiona’s widened gaze focuses on the familiar face before her now.

     ❝ No, that’s alright; you don’t have to do that. I was just… Curious, is all. Besides, I think you’ve already done far too much for me… ❞

oh, he startled her. ... he should do something, though, right? 

“Really? Maybe we’re neighbors, then!” It’s exciting that he lives out there too– maybe they can visit more often!!

“Your food’s the best, Mr. Link! We can eat snacks and have a movie night. This is going to be so fun!”

neighbors.. would the others back in hateno count as neighbors? he wonders just how close they may be.

“Sure! I live in the Mistwood, with Shadow and Link! Well, other Link.” Jeez, why hadn’t she realized before now that there were so many people with the same name?

“This movie’s got pretty dresses, and magic, and princesses… it’s the best!”

!!!

“Really??” she seems so excited by this! “You’re gonna like it, i promise, Mr. Link!”

“Yes, I.. don’t regularly watch them.” he doesn’t honestly even have a television in his home.

      ❦ It is with a light, endeared giggle that the blonde regards the other’s rather comical actions, a hand being brought up to her mouth in attempts to stifle her chuckles. Due to the nature of this odd forest and how she has never been within this particular area before, Fiona is grateful that Link came over to her ward and picked her up… But she’s even more grateful that he even invited her over in the first place.

     Friends, even back home, were few and far between… So admittedly, the young woman finds this to be a very welcome change of pace. Even better that it’s with someone that even Hewie can relax a bit around, as evidenced by his now wagging tail.

      ❝ Oh, me? ❞ she finds herself asking for reassurance, glancing behind at the other as both she and Hewie make their way inside. Though she’s currently only spared a few glances, it’s clear to her that Link lives alone in this place… And it makes her feel a little sad and she begins to wonder; does he get lonely?

      ❝ I’m not terribly picky… Though, I don’t eat meat if that is something you’re planning to share with me, ❞

"No meat... okay, I got it." he can work with that. there's a lot of dishes he knows how to make without the use of meat, what would be the best for now...? whenever he makes food, he always leans towards whatever he feels like eating in that particular moment, regardless of if the food is necessarily appropriate or not for the time of day. he does, at least, want to try to stick to something if it's for the sake of another person, and since it's relatively early in the morning... he could make.... wildberry crepes? he used to make those for breakfast, before he came to the conclusion of i can make these whenever i want, actually.

so he pulls out the ingredients he needs. fresh milk, cane sugar, bird eggs, tabantha wheat, and of course, wildberries. he's never stopped being grateful that he can get ingredients from hyrule in the star trail. this, though... may actually be easiest for him to cook in the pot. he's not entirely used to making them with the other equipment he bought, and he does not want to mess up, imagine scaring someone off like that. he wants to just dash out the door and get to this right away, but he's fortunately an expert at multitasking, and sets some meat to steam within the home — for hewie, which should be ready by the time he finishes up outside. hopefully... hewie eats meat. maybe he doesn't either?

"I'll... one sec." and he scoops all of the ingredients up and into his arms, adjusts so he can exit the door ( —he leaves it open this time, though, ) and gets to cookin'. it doesn't take so long, the pot always heats up relatively quickly, though why that is is his guess. because of it's particular shape? because of the material it's made out of? who can say. as soon as it finishes up, he is back inside. he's always confident in his cooking, but he's also always nervous when it comes to cooking for people for the first time. getting everything setup is more exciting than it should be, but he hasn't had a meal with anyone in awhile either. he finds his own seat at the table, and he's... nervous. nervous.

he knows better, by now. with where he lives, he knows it's not exactly one of the safest trips to make. so when she accepts his offer to eating over at his place, he doesn't leave it at a ' i'll see you there, ' instead, he visits her first and leads the way, just in case. on arriving, he runs ahead of them both, spinning quickly and raising his arms — he's posing. it's been a bit since anyone's been over.

and normally... he would be kind of embarrassed, but maybe it's that she has a dog, so being a little goofy isn't embarrassing. regardless, he turns so he can grab the handle of the door and push it open. he doesn't run on ahead this time, instead waits for them both to enter before he closes. he doesn't have anything prepared, really, and the pot he actually uses to cook is placed outside but he did buy a couple items for his stay here, so he can cook inside. he doesn't mind the cold, but knows some people like to watch him while he does it. maybe they would too?