Sleepy prompt 41! With whoever you'd like. <3
THIS GOT A LOT A LOT LONGER THAN I EXPECTED. I had a lot of fun writing it tho. Hope it is fun to read. :)
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41. “Sleep. I’ll keep you safe.”
Legend sat with his head on his palm, propped up by his knee, and watched the same child run through the plaza for what had to be the fifth time since he started watching. There were several kids wearing the same 'hero's costume' running about, it seemed to be a festival of sorts, but this one kid kept coming through the same gap between bushes and running the same path so steadily it wouldn't be a surprise if a divot was worn into the street.
If he didn't know better, he'd worry it was some sort of time loop. But no, the air seemed stable enough, there was no other odd tang of magic. Just the same kid, running the same path, through the same plaza.
Though, Gods and Goddesses alike did enjoy their entertainment too. Why else would he be on yet another adventure, and now split from the group too? Why not add weird time shit to it.
Just as he sighed at the though, the little blond streak turned to rush through the plaza again, but tripped and skidded a few feet forward on hands and knees.
Before he registered the movement, Legend jumped up- twisted knee grumbling and causing a pronounced limp- and rushed over.
"Hold on, kid," he crouched and kept his face and tone deadpan at the small scowling face and watery eyes glaring at him, "pretty bad fall. You okay?"
Bright eyes scrunched up around the sharp little nose with only a huff. A second passed before the little one turned up their palms to show off the newly reddened scrapes crisscrossing half-healed ones. Legend guessed their knees would be the same.
"C'mon, my knee is busted up too. Let's sit over there in the shade, and I'll help you out," Lege gestured back to the bench under the tree off to the side. "I've got lots of experience with patching up all kinds of hurts."
He held out his hand, unthinking, and was surprised when the smaller hand slipped into his. They both limped over to the bench and Legend helped the kid shift his legs up to rest on the bench.
"Quite the speedster, you are. You could probably power a windmill all on your own like that. Did you lose somebody, or just have a real zest for life?" Legend chattered while looking for his health kit.
The kid tensed a moment.
"I'll be careful, don't worry. I can't promise it won't sting to clean out the scrape- but it won't hurt as much as the fall. You took that-"
"'vi's lost...." the kid's eyes screwed up again, and they were swiping at them.
"Hey, if you're lost, it's okay-" Legend dropped the wrapped bottle of his wound solution to the bench.
Legend dragged his hands down his face while the kid had their eyes covered, now what?! How do I end up in these situations, I am not the guy for this.
"I'm lost too," Legend ventured, "maybe you just got lucky but found the wrong person first."
The kid looked up. Legend tried to give a reassuring smile, but it felt more like a lop-sided grimace. The poor kid looked exhausted.
"I'm with my... brothers. I fell too, and hurt my knee. So now I'm going to sit still and wait for them instead of running around and getting more lost."
A chubby little fist rubbed up under the kid's nose and eyes again. It almost looked like they bit back a yawn.
"Your turn. I'm going to clean your knee and palms, if you talk it won't sting as much," Legend tried. Maybe he could at least help the kid find whoever is supposed to be watching them.
"Missing... um," they stared at the cloth Legend doused with the solution.
Legend hid it behind a curved hand so the kid couldn't see it when he went to dab the scrape.
"Ow..." they pouted, but let Legend keep working and kept talking, "missing um. My friends. I didn't mean to hurt one, but he put on a mask, and now I don't know where he went. And- and-"
"Breathe, kid."
"I don't know where my other friend's house is anymore. And- and I miss home. But I- I think I got really lost. I don't remember how to get back-" They cut themself off with a yawn before jolting and looking around frantically.
"Tired?" The kid shook their head side to side so hard the back of the hat and the tufts of hair sticking out from under it whipped their face.
"Sure. Well. Waiting in one place can help if you're lost, your friends might be able to find you easier. And you should probably stop running around for a little bit to let yourself heal."
Legend tied off the last bandage around the kid's hand and was met with very slow, confused blinking.
"If you want, when my brothers show up, we can help you look for them or try and help you get home."
Legend busied himself with packing away the kit and giving the kid a minute to think. After another minute with no answer, Legend looked over to see the smaller hylian's head nodding while they methodically ran their finger over the newly applied bandages.
"Sleep. I'll keep you safe," Legend offered.
The kid jolted up again, but let themself relax and lean back with a little nod. Legend offered out his pack for the kid to lean against. They took the offer, quickly tucking it under their head and curling up on the bench. Legend watched the small kid trace their running path across the plaza with their eyes while keeping up their methodical brushing across the bandage.
Legend leaned forward onto his palm again, searching the plaza for any other stray kid with a festival mask, or a parent looking for their child.
An hour quickly passed, the kid snoozed on, and Legend had no luck finding anyone who the kid may belong to. At one point, two little heads poked around the tree that was providing shade, but by the time Legend turned, all he caught was the sight of a parting swish of a grass skirt and a giggle.
He groaned and rubbed at his face again. It was starting to feel like nobody was even looking for either of them.
After another long wait, Legend himself starting to doze, a small finger poked him in the side. He jumped to awareness and whipped his head to glare at a young boy dressed up like a sheikah stealth agent to his side.
"Who are you? Why do you have my friend with you?" Blond eyebrows creased dramatically and arms held akimbo as the boy spoke.
"You're their friend with the mask? Kid's been running all over, looking for you, you know. Fell down 'n everything. Thats kind of a crap way to treat your friend- they were worried."
The boy tilted his head and pulled down the cloth over his chin. Yeesh, these kids are way too young to be running amok alone, Legend thought when he was met with another round face of baby fat and youth.
"That's not me, but he is my friend too, why do you have them?"
"I don't have anyone," Legend balked. What a weird way to talk, it must be one of those things that doesn't translate well from era to era. "I am watching them because they were alone and hurt."
"Hurt?! How!"
"Zea?" The kid woke up, great.
"Yeah! You were gone for so long! My dad was gonna- got all- psssh bust a top! 'Cause the - Wait, how did you get hurt?"
"I fell, see. It's okay," they showed off their bandages like a badge of honour.
"You know this guy, kid?" Legend asked, on the border of relieved and suspicious.
"Yeah, I know Zea. He's my friend too," the kid rolled their eyes with another yawn. "Her dad lets me sleep over when I visit."
"OH- Yeah, dad said to find you because it's time for the play on the stage! C'mon!"
"Bye, I like your skirt." And with that, the two kids held each other's hand and ran off, back through the gap in the bushes.
"LEGE!"
"Finally-" Legend looked to the sky before pushing himself to standing and carefully turning, "TOOK YOU LONG ENOUGH!"
"Relax, we found you eventually - why do you look so tired?"
"I've been playing babysitter to some random kid who ate shit on the plaza. Do we know whose era we're in yet? Full of weirdos."
"Pffft, says you. Everyone we've met has been delightful! Even met the King of Hyrule and his kid for a little bit. Apparently we're just outside of this era's Hyrule, and the King and Princess- er, Princx I think was how they said it, are here on a visit for the festival. Looks like this is a good place to end up while you wait for our busted up selves to heal."
"Great," Legend hopped over to grab Time's offered arm and began hobbling along with the group, "please tell me we have a room somewhere, I feel like I could sleep for a week."
Time paused, and Legend caught the smirk and shift of his good eye right before he went into action.
"No- NO! Time I- uhf!"
"I'll keep you safe," Time laughed, "I promise I won't drop you. Sleep, and this'll help keep the weight off that leg. Can't have you running around on it if you expect it to heal. We haven't gotten accommodation yet, but Warriors is working on it."
Legend paused for a moment, glancing at the bush and plaza falling rapidly behind.
"You cryptic bastard." He let his chin fall to Time's shoulder and yawned.
