#link mainstream

Because of him. He was the reason a girl was dead.

“Alex.” A nurse's voice rang out through the white, cold halls of the hospital.

Evansport Long-Term Psychiatric Care Facility in LA was a cold place, even with its blue and yellow painted walls. This had been home for the last two years, and this time it was different. He swiped at his nose standing up nervously, shoving his sweaty hands into his pockets as he approached the older woman. Counting the tiles as he walked, this was it- he was finally getting to leave. He was ready, he was different- he hoped.

“Mr. Goodrich, can’t say I’m not sad to see you go.” Dorothy says, passing the bag of his belongings off to him. Alex nodded, giving her a grateful smile; he tucked the clear bag under his arm hugging the older woman. This was something he had been working on since his diagnosis. Alex had always known there was something going on with him, something much bigger than himself- that made him act how he did. It’s not that he didn’t want to be good, he did. Alex always wanted to be good, no matter what the child psychologists would say. He just didn’t know what exactly being good meant, he had always had these…urges. Whether it was to knock his peers off the swingset, beat that kid from gym classes head in if he stared for too long. Alex had no impulse control, he struggled to relate to his peers. But, mom and dad said he’d grow out of it; he never did. He tried, god he tried but he could never find a good way to help himself.

He was not a good person. But he was trying.

“Thank you Dottie.” Alex said, dropping his arms, patting his bag. “Do you think there will be people out there?” He asked after a minute, his head nodding towards the door. His voice flattered for a second, there were still people curious about him and it made him sick. Before it would have thrilled him, but now..he didn’t even want to see one camera in his face. The flash alone would send him into a spiral he feared.

“No, no they never guess dismissal right from those silly sources. Besides, you look a little different now huh? Wouldn’t notice you unless they stared at ya to hard.”

He did. Link, now Alex, had changed since his check in date. His blonde hair had grown out past his shoulders into his natural brown at one point. Dorothy took it upon herself to cut it for him when he’d max out on reward points. He now dawned a bit more stubble, and perfect brown hair, with a hat and sunglasses no one would notice him- hopefully.

Alex checked everything one last time, before giving Dorothy a tight-lipped smile and turned on his heel heading for the door. It felt like a threat, a gun pointed to his head. He always thought what this day would be like, what he would do when he got out. Link, that’s who he was when he checked in, thought he would be here two months before he got sick of it. He would check out, cut his hair and run away again, but then the therapy, the medication- it all started to help.

Admitting there was a problem, admitting that he was the problem and that a young girl had died because of what he did. Alex realized he had to change, that it was finally time to help himself.

No more lies.

He gave Isbelle’s family the requested money in court before there was even an opening testament, only requesting to return back to the psychiatric facility with what he had left to pay for it. Now here he was about to throw up, as he crossed the threshold into his new life.

His face flushed at the sunlight, he silently shut the door and started walking up the long driveway towards the gate. He sniffled and cleared his throat, sitting on a bench he’d claim as his own on his daily walks, he wasn’t quite ready to take those last few steps out of the gate. Digging in the bag, he pulled everything out: a black button up and slacks he had worn to court, a hoodie, his wallet, his phone.

His phone, he tossed it between his hands- the weight felt sickening in his hand.

“If it hadn’t been for the phone- no the phone didn’t cause this.” He reminded himself, he turned it on. Not knowing why, or what he thought he was gonna get out of it. The biggest part of him hoped it wouldn’t turn on, in the two years it had been shut off that it just magically died.

The ping of it turning on made him irrationally angry, wanting to just shut it off. Floods of text messages washed over his screen. No twitter, no instagram- he had deleted them on their way back from court.

For a minute everything stopped, no more text messages- till a final ding.

Frankie - Today 8:06 am.

“twitter source says your stay ends today. we should talk.”

His brother must have been paying on his phone bill somehow, he never mentioned it in their phone conversations. His thumbs danced over the keyboard, typing and erasing a replay- what did he say? Three dots popped up, soon replaced by a message.

Frankie - Today 8:15 am.

“you know where to find me.”

He closed his phone, shoving it into the pocket of his sweatpants, finally standing and pushing the gate open.

-

The old magic bar was in the middle of town, it was a bit of a walk but it did him good. The sun felt nice, it was finally fall, which meant the wind blew through here and there. As he reached the now abandoned building he halted, looking around. What if this was some sort of ambush- and the minute he walked down that alley his face would be everywhere in the next couple hours. His heart-rate increased, it felt like it was stuck in his throat.

Alex’s feet carried him forward with hesitant, quiet steps. If someone was waiting for him they wouldn’t hear him coming.

“Frankie is good, too good. She wouldn’t do that. Even if that’s what you deserved.”

He thought to himself as he looked around. He shoved his hands into his sweatpants, picking at the lint twirling it around between his fingers. Footsteps carefully found their way up the steps, he turned his head automatically.

Frankie looked older now, more mature. Her hair was longer, tucked behind her ear showing her scar off proudly. He always liked when she was confident. Her clothes are no longer ill fitted, but tailored and comforting. She’s come into her own.

“Hope you’re not here to ambush me.” He says quietly, taking in the woman before him. Frankie shook her head, her fingers dancing on the metal railing.

“No, no. I should but-” She stopped herself, looking around. “I’ve gotten out of the habit of picking out others' to feel better about myself. You should try it.”

Alex laughed, well, he blew air out of his nostrils and let his lips curl up into a bitter smile. “Yeah, me too. Never made me feel better about myself.”

“Could have shocked me.”

It was a silence for a moment, it was an unpleasant memory sitting here with her like this. There was a unpleasant lingering in the air like a bomb was going to drop.

“Did you love me? Or even like me?”

There it was.

What a weighted question, he gripped the metal railing swaying back and forth on his feet. “No.” He admitted, looking Frankie in her eye. “I didn’t love you- I don’t love I haven’t since..well in a really long time. I think..” He stopped himself, thinking about his next few words carefully. “I was infatuated with you. I tricked myself into thinking I loved you. I hurt you and I’m sorry it had to happen for me to be here now.”

Frankie stared at Link, Alex- whoever this new man in front of her was. “So who was she? There’s always a ‘she’ in these situations isn’t there?”

Alex laughed, rolling a rock under the sole of his shoe. “Was she one of the girls who fooled around with while we-”

“No, no..no. She was a girl I had known a long time ago, in high school. I think she was the last person who had ever tried to understand me. She didn’t look at me like a project.”

Alex’s heart twisted into a knot thinking about the girl who had up and left him, their hometown, everything. It had been the catalyst- the incident that sent him over the edge. Where was she now?

It wasn’t a jab to Frankie, however the twitch of her nose let him know he had offended her. “Sorry, sorry I shouldn’t have said that” It was sincere, Frankie shrugged her shoulders.

“No it’s true. We just got caught up in each other, the game. We weren’t good people.”

“No we weren’t but, hey, I was worse. Clearly.”

Frankie laughed, then the silence grew again. His mind wondered before looking back at the blonde in front of him.

“You should find her again, when you leave LA.”

“How’d you know I’d leave?” He laughed, tilting his head back. “It’s what I do huh?”

“Kind of.” Frankie says resting her forearms on the railing. “But I’m serious. If you’re on this righteous road of washed up celebrity maybe you should find the one person who made you feel-”

“Like a human?”

“Your words not mine.” Frankie says, pointing a boney finger at him. Alex tilted his head forward and let out a sigh. It had been almost a decade since he had disappeared from his home state, was there any point in returning. He was dead to them, a ghost. Did (Y/N) think he was dead too?

“Yeah, yeah maybe I will.”

Frankie nodded at him, waiting for a minute before taking a step back. “You look good, Link. I am happy for you, but don't think I can forgive you though. Maybe in time.” The man nodded at her, he understood- he didn’t want her forgiveness he just wanted her to know.

“I respect that.” He started, pushing himself off the steel railing with his hands in his hoodie pocket. “It’s Alex now by the way.”

Frankie shoved her hands in her pockets looking at him, her eyes raked over his face trying to read him- it still wasn’t easy to manage. “Well, Alex, I hope to see you doing good in the future.”

“You won't see anything about me. I’m done gonna head back to Connecticut, disappear and become a hermit on the coast.”

“Well, maybe you could keep me updated.” She says as she walks away.

“Are you like my sponsor or something?” He laughs as he stands straight. Frankie shrugged, turning to face him stopping in her tracks.

“Maybe. Go find that girl..have a human experience. Leave everyone alone.”

Alex raised his eyebrows holding back a laugh, he wouldn’t know a human experience if it bit him in the ass. He watched her leave, the two raising their hands in an unspoken goodbye. Alex walked out of the alley and into the sun of Los Angeles, breathing in the toxins of the city one last time before heading towards the nearest city.

Come tomorrow, he would be gone again.

One Year Later

You pull into the Crescent Lake Summer Camp parking lot, looking aimlessly for Link's vehicle. A frown comes to your lips when you don't see it, wondering if he backed out of his promise.

"You're going to come back next summer, right?" You ask Link as the two of you stand next to your vehicle.

The dirty blonde sighs and runs a hand through his hair. "Oh, Y/N, I don't know-"

"Oh, come on! You changed so much over the four weeks," you playfully pout, resting your hands on his forearms. "Plus, I don't want to think I'll never see you again."

Link chuckles and wets his lips. "I have your number. I'm pretty sure you'll see me," he reminds you with a smirk.

You roll your eyes and lean against your car door. "Can't you just humor me," you sigh, crossing your arms over your chest.

Jack walks past your car and both you and Link glance in his direction. Link finds himself leaning forward, his chest inches from yours.

You shift your gaze to Link, your cheeks blushing at how close he is. The cologne he's wearing fills your nose and you find yourself leaning closer to him.

"I'll come next year if he's here," he whispers into your ear, one of his hands moving to your hips.

"Yeah?" You whisper back. "You promise?" 

Link pulls back from you and smiles down at you. "I promise," he laughs.

You turn your vehicle off after parking your car. You exit the vehicle before grabbing the backpack from your passenger seat. You release a huff of breath and glance toward the group of counselors.

This year there are ten counselors, the most this summer camp has ever had. Thankfully, there's a good assortment of male and female counselors. You grab your luggage from your trunk before grouping up with everyone else.

Leia notices you first and you're shocked when she doesn't run to you. Your brows furrow and you wonder if you've done something wrong.

Jack suddenly walks up to the group, causing your back to stiffen. You reach for the phone in your pocket when you notice him walking towards Leia. What the hell? You think to yourself as he wraps an arm around her shoulders.

The meeting doesn't last very long before everyone disperses. You travel to the cabin you'll be staying in, glad to have the one that houses only one person. You plop down onto the bed and run a hand through your hair.

"Well, this year is going to suck," you sigh loudly and glance towards your luggage.

A knock rattles against your cabin door, snapping you from your daze. You stand up from your spot before walking over to the screen door. Kathleen stands on the tiny porch and gives you a wave.

"Hi, Y/N," she smiles at you. You smile back at her and invite her into the cabin.

"Hey, Kat. Nice job getting a good amount of counselors," you plaster on a fake smile while sitting back down on the full-size bed.

Kathleen laughs and nods her head. "Yeah! I'm very surprised at the turnout this year. Although, I was hoping Link would've come back," she mentions with a sigh.

"You and me both," you mumble while fiddling with the ends of your hair.

"If things become too much just let me know, okay?" She reassures you.

She must've noticed how close Jack and Leia were as well.

"Yeah, sure," you give her a smile and a firm nod.

Kathleen claps her hands together and releases a deep breath. "Alright. I'll leave you be. See you in the morning," she smiles down at you before making her way towards the door.

You bid her goodbye as she leaves your cabin. You tuck your hair behind your ears before getting up, deciding to unpack.

Hopefully, these next four weeks fly by.

-

Night falls at Crescent Lake Summer Camp and you look out the screen door. The cicadas are as loud as ever. You tuck your beach towel under your arm before walking out of the cabin.

You trek along the wooden trail that leads towards the small beach. The flashlight on your phone shines against the stained wood as a thousand scenarios run through your head of how this summer will play out.

You shake your head when you reach the private beach and you decide to turn on some music to distract you. You set your towel onto the sand and place your phone on top of it. You strip your tank top and shorts off before making your way into the water.

The tips of your fingers glide against the surface, a little relieved that the water isn't too cold. You walk out far enough before lowering yourself into the lake. You float on your back and look up at the stars.

Why would Leia hang around him? She knows what you went through… Your brows furrow as you try to figure out what possibly could have happened.

"Haven't I told you that you shouldn't be out here alone?" A familiar voice startles you, causing your limbs to flail in the water.

You quickly pick yourself up and glance towards the shore, seeing Link standing beside your stuff. "Link!" You gasp and rush towards the dirty blonde.

Your body crashes into his, wrapping your arms around his neck. Link circles his arms around your waist and lifts you off your feet. You nuzzle your face into his neck, your fingers combing through his hair.

"I'm so glad you're here," you mumble against his skin.

"I promised, didn't I?" He mentions and you pull away from him. Link smiles down at you and moves the wet hair out of your face.

You smile at him as your hands rest on his shoulders. Butterflies swarm around your stomach, not surprised that he still makes you giddy and nervous.

"Where are you staying? Does Kat know you arrived?" You fire off a couple of questions. Your gaze moves to the shirt he's wearing, noticing the large wet spot. "Shit, I'm sorry about your shirt."

Link laughs and glances down at his shirt. "It's fine. By the time I arrived everyone was asleep, so I came right here," he informs you.

You're quickly getting dressed as he explains his situation to you. The two of you start to walk back towards the cabins when you finally say something. "I-If you want, you can stay with me tonight. I don't have any roommates and I have a full-size bed," you offer him while jabbing your thumb in the direction of the cabins.

He smirks and casts his gaze towards the sandy ground. "You want me to sleep with you?" Link teases you.

Your eyes widen and your cheeks blush. "I-I- No, t-that's-"

"I'm kidding," he cuts you off with a chuckle, bringing his hand to your shoulder. "I know what you mean, and I will gladly take you up on your offer."

You roll your eyes at the dirty blonde before releasing a scoff. "I hate you," you laugh and smack his chest.

Link catches your hand and pulls you into his chest. A gasp leaves your lips as you fall into him, your free hand moving to his torso. "C'mon, you don't hate me," he grins, "who else would you hang out with this summer?"

A tinge of hurt spreads throughout your body at his words, remembering that Leia hasn't spoken to you since you arrived. "Yeah, you're right about that one," you sigh before removing yourself from his grip.

He catches onto your sadness and a frown replaces the smile on his lips. "Hey, what happened?" Link asks and lifts your chin.

You meet his honey-brown eyes and feel his hands gently rubbing your forearms. "I-I think Jack and Leia are together," you tell him your suspicions before giving him a fake smile. "She hasn't said a single word to me since I arrived earlier."

"Shit, really?" He mutters with furrowed brows. You hum in response as the two of you begin to make your way back towards your cabin. "I thought Leia wasn't a fan of him?"

"Yeah," you snort while shaking your head, looking down at your feet as you walk, "I thought so too. People change, I guess."

Link keeps his eyes on you. He wets his lips as your last sentence sticks with him. People change. You changed me… He wraps his arm around your shoulders, bringing you into his chest.

You wrap your arms around his waist before nuzzling your face into the shirt he's wearing, his steps begin to slow and the two of you come to a stop. "I brought something that could take the edge off," he mumbles before glancing down at you.

"Oh?" You ask while taking a step back. Link slips his hand into his pocket before pulling a small zip lock bag out. Your eyes widen, seeing the perfectly rolled joint sitting in the plastic bag. "You brought drugs to a kid's summer camp?!"

You slap his arm and Link moves away from you, avoiding your slaps. "Hey! It's only one!" He defends himself with a laugh. "I forgot to take it out before I left."

Link slips his free hand into yours, lacing your fingers together before leading you away from the camp. "Link!" You hiss, stumbling after him. "You can't be serious!"

He looks back at you, a smirk on his lips. "Oh, I'm one hundred percent serious, baby," Link winks, causing your cheeks to blush.

The two of you stop after walking for two minutes. The moon shines brightly in the sky as you watch him remove the joint from his baggie.

You grow nervous, having never smoked weed before. You chew on your top lip as Link places the joint between his lips before lighting it.

He blows the smoke past his lips and makes eye contact with you. That's… attractive. You think to yourself as he passes it to you. You stare at it for a good minute before lifting your gaze to meet him.

"This is gonna sound so stupid but I-I don't really know what to do," you mutter, stuttering over a couple of words.

Link chuckles and lets out a hum. "That's cute," he says while stepping closer to you. The blush on your cheeks darkens, feeling the embarrassment run up your spine. He points to the filter at the end. "Place this between your lips and suck in."

You take the joint from his hand, holding it between your thumb and index finger. Link's free hand rests on your waist, gently stroking your clothed side. You take a hit from the joint, the smell of it filling your nostrils.

"Suck in again before blowing out," he whispers with a soft smile.

You do what he says, feeling the burning in your throat as the smoke blows in his face. A smug smile comes to Link's lips, and you start to cough.

You cough into the crook of your elbow, handing the joint back to Link. "Jesus," you mutter, your eyes watering. "You do this a lot?"

Link shrugs his shoulders and takes another hit. "Eh, mainly if I stressed," he mentions and holds the joint towards you.

"I don't think I could do that again," you laugh while tucking your hair behind your ear.

"How about this-" he cuts himself off and takes a long hit. He brings his free hand up to your neck before pulling you closer.

Your breath hitches, not really knowing what he's doing, as his lips get closer to yours. Link blows the smoke past your lips and whispers for you to inhale. You suck in until your lungs start to scream, blowing out immediately after.

His tongue pokes through his lips, wetting them before smirking. "You blow my mind every time I see you," he whispers to you, his gaze dropping to your lips.

A soft chuckle leaves your lips, your body slowly growing heavier. "H-How?" You stumble over your words, feeling his breath fanning the lower half of your face.

"I never would have guessed that you'd be here, sharing a joint with me," Link elaborates.

"I certainly didn't think I would either, to be honest," you mention while fumbling with the hem of your shirt. "There's probably a lot of stuff I wouldn't have done if I hadn't met you."

The dirty blonde's fingers make their way to your cheek, stroking it gently. "Is that a good or bad thing?" He asks in a hushed whisper.

"I don't think it's a bad thing," you shrug your shoulders. Your cheeks warm up under his touch as you find yourselves getting closer.

"I really, really want to kiss you," Link mumbles loud enough for you to hear.

Your heart pounds against your chest as your body begins to feel lighter. "You want to kiss me?" You ask in disbelief.

Link wets his lips and he nods his head in reply. "Of course I do. I have for about a year," he confesses to you.

You bring your hands to his face, gently trailing your fingertips along his skin. "You can kiss me if you want," you whisper while staring at his lips.

"Yeah?"

You nod as Link pulls you onto his lap. You straddle his hips, moving one of your hands into his hair. Link slides his hands up your back, feeling his nails dig lightly into you.

His hand rests on the back of your neck before pulling you in. You tug on his hair when his lips meet yours, and you moan into the kiss.

The kiss doesn't last very long before Link pulls back from you. You follow his movements, not wanting to stop just yet. A chuckle leaves his lips and one of his hands cups your cheek.

"So eager," he hums, placing a quick kiss on your lips. He smirks at you while stroking your skin, his eyes shifting from your lips and meeting your gaze.

"We should head back," you mumble to him before attempting to get up from his lap.

His honey-brown eyes stay on your figure the entire time, a sloppy grin sitting on his lips. You wipe the grass and dirt off of your knees before meeting his gaze.

"Do you need help?" You giggle while holding out your hand.

Link grabs your hand and you help him off the ground. He stumbles a bit and you move your hands to his waist, steadying him as best as you can. "Thanks, cutie," he grins, pressing a sloppy kiss to your cheek.

Your heart feels like it's beating a million miles per minute as the two of you begin your trek back towards camp. You glance towards him during the walk, your hands brushing against one another every few seconds.

"I'm really glad you're here," you whisper loud enough for him to hear, your pinky finger hooking with his.

The dirty blonde looks down at your hands for a few seconds before he laces his fingers with yours. Your heart flutters in your chest and you squeeze his hand.

"You're truly a miracle, Y/N," Link sighs, the corner of his lips tugging upward.

A smile graces your lips and you lean your head against his bicep. "Would you wanna grab dinner after summer camp is over?" You ask him shyly, tilting your head to look up at him.

Link shifts his gaze towards you and smiles. "Yeah, I'd love to," he mentions while dragging his thumb across your bottom lip. "As long as I get to pay."

You scoff, shaking your head. "Fine, but I'm paying next time."

-

We know Link would be looking for that kind of stuff: what the fans say about him, what they post. He loves seeing pictures of him. And if fanfiction were weird the first time, he kinda loves the idea that people love him so much they imagine themselves with them

So it's not a surprise that one day he ended up reading a smut you, a fan, wrote, imagining yourself doing things with Link that even himself didn't think of

And to say he was excited about this was an understatement. He wanted to find the person who wrote that please her fantasy. So she could go on the internet and say how good Link was for real.

It wasn't too difficult for Link to contact you, he found a way to your instagram from your blog. He sent you a message there. A quote, more exactly. "He came down on me, his blonde hair brushing my thighs while his tongue was started to discover my body." "Is that what you want, love?"

You were shocked to see that. You knew it could happen but you never thought Link would be acknowledged those stories. What could you say? You were way too attracted to Link to say no.

So you replied to his message and you started having some sexual conversations. It wasn't a surprise how creative that man could be to make you horny.

For him, it was of way to see if you were really interested in discovering what he could do with you. He didn't want to meet someone that was too scared of playing the game once in front of him. He quickly understood that you were not a small player.

He finally offered you to come to the show "but only if you're really ready to see what I can do to you." and you were more than ready.