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Link stared at the price of the next dungeon item on Ravio's table. His eyelids slowly lost the fight against gravity the longer he stared. His legs were stiff and sore. He forced himself to remain upright just a bit longer. How many zeros were even on that sign? Not that it made an exact difference on his ability to buy it but the principle of the matter was there. Surely Ravio wasn’t that greedy or desperate.
Ravio leaned in and grinned. He was certain he was doing some wiggle with his eyebrows that he couldn't see.
“This is highway robbery.” Link finally concluded.
Ravio gasped, “You offend me sir! We're not even on a highway! This is premium merchandise I’ll have you know! Hand crafted! Historical artifacts! One of a kind powerful magic!”
“...Sorry” Link whispered, rubbing the back of his neck, “I can't buy it now regardless of how fancy it is.”
Ravio sighed, “Ah welI, I'll keep it on reserve for you when you can.”
“...Really?” That sounded weird, since this was a rental based business. “Okay….”
“Anything else I can do ya’ for Mr. Hero?” Ravio cheered, holding his hands together against his chest, “You seem a bit tired.” There was a worried lilt to his words.
“Nah.” Link said. He needed to rescue the sages sooner than later. He should go scrounge for rupees around town-
“Well I suppose you can take this price issue as a sign it's time to take a break from dungeon delving!” Ravio cheered. “Have you eaten?”
“Not all that hungry-” Link mumbled.
Ravio gasped lightly and rushed to the cabinets. “Well, allow me to remedy that.” He riffled through mostly empty cabinets, “Goodness Mr. Hero, where are your groceries?”
“I usually go to a restaurant or the Blacksmith's family gives me something-” Link said, leaning against the table, “I don't cook.”
“Absolutely absurd-” Ravio grumbled. “I’m going to have to take it out of my supplies.” he turned and looked at Link. “Alright. I'll share tonight.”
“You don't have to-”
“On me!” Ravio insisted, “As thanks for letting me stay and being such a lovely customer!”
Ravio fumbled and riffled through his bag, pulling out flatbread, thinly sliced jerky and cheese. Link frowned, biting his lip. Ravio waved some at Link and he huffed, snatching it out of his hands.
Link glanced around for his chairs. One was pushed into a hard to get to corner, the other, seemingly completely missing. Link sighed, awkwardly settling on the ground. It wouldn't be polite to sit on the table… even if they were actually just crates.
Ravio did the same, smiling as Link munched on bread and cheese.
“What is this meat?” Link muttered, looking at it tentatively. It didn't seem bad, just, difficult to recognize as anything from Hyrule.
“...Dried,” Ravio said awkwardly.
Link squinted.
He giggled uneasily, shrugging, “I found it.”
“...Where?”
“Er….a Kitchen?”
Link hummed curiously. The ache in his stomach and limbs could care less about the origin of the mystery jerky. It was there, it was food. He shrugged, nibbling at the jerky. With a nod of approval, Link rolled it into the bread with the cheese.
Ravio smiled, chewing into his own piece of bread, “Hungrier than you thought, huh?”
Link shrugged softly, struggling not to yawn either.
“Hunger sneaks up on you huh,” Ravio chuckled. He hummed, thoughtful, “... Is uh, the blacksmith part of your family?”
“No…” he mumbled, “I'm just an apprentice.” He tore into another piece of bread.
Ravio smiled oddly under the hood “Well, I'm glad you have that going for you at least! Apprenticeships are important! I'm sure it's nice to have someone supporting you through learning new skills. I think I would've liked something like that…” He shrugged and grinned, “But my rental business is booming regardless thanks to you! So it seems I didn't need one!”
Link nodded softly.
“It's quite an important skill, the craftsmanship of your tools. You been doing it long?”
He shook his head, slowly chewing the last bite of food.
“Oh, really? I wouldn't have guessed…” the genuine surprise in Ravio’s tone seemed odd, the length of his crafting career was a strange thing to be so sure about.
“I've always liked working with my hands and working out how to make things, but I only started smithing less than a year ago.” Link couldn't help the yawn punctuating his sentence.
“Ah I see…” Ravio was quiet for a soft moment, finishing his own food, watching him. “House looks like it just got finished being renovated, job is new… busy are you?”
“Something like that,” Link mumbled.
“You look dead on your feet. I mean. That's exactly why I'm not built for this adventure business but don’t you need some proper rest?”
“Mm wouldn't I get in the way of the shop?” He looked around awkwardly. His bed especially was hard to reach. He really just didn't want to deal with that right now.
“Absolutely. Which is why I can close up shop for now.” He whistled a sharp tune and Sheerow chirped, zipping over to one end of the bed and grabbing it with his talons. Ravio nodded to the bird creature, grabbing the other end, and the pair lifted the bed up and over the tables to the center of the room. Link blinked a few times, stumbling to get out of the way.
“Oh” Link uttered. That's how he managed to get it up against the wall like that.
Link rubbed his eyes, and wandered over to look for the sheets. He couldn't just not help. Ravio pointed, “Sheets are under the middle crate. Unless you're looking for something else.”
Link shook his head, looking over to take the item out, lifting them over his head to inspect. He nodded, and tossed the sheets out toward the bed. The blanket fell over Ravio with a “wumph.” He yelped, flailing under the confines. Link blinked, and stifled a laugh, hoping back over the crates to help free him.
“Sorry- sorry, didn't look-”
Ravio took in an exaggerated gasp of air as he was freed. He laughed, voice rich and boisterous, something about the sound familiar. “Rude! Here I am helping you and you go throwing things.”
“Sorry, Sorry,” Link whispered, grin small. He struggled to find the right corners of the sheets.
Ravio giggled and picked up another end. The pair fumbled and yanked specific corners away from each other, “That’s my side-”
“No,” Link said simply, tugging it back.
Finally, Sheerow simply yanked the edge, making them stumble over either corner of the edge. They took a twin glance at the bed, then the sheet, and turned it until it looked right. Link lifted the edge of the mattress up to put the sheet on. The sheet snapped out of Ravio's hands, making him squeak.
“Hey!” He exclaimed, practically falling over to catch the sheet, laughing. Link let the mattress drop, and Ravio flopped with it. “Disaster. This is a disaster.”
Link leaned against the bed slightly, looking at him with a raised brow. “You just gonna lay here?”
“You gonna stop throwing me around like a doll?” Ravio quipped, mimicking Link's intonation strangely perfectly.
“Mhm,” Link assured.
“Ahh a very respectful and thoughtful response. I'm extremely confident in the dedication to change your ways.” Ravio said, almost too cheerfully to be sarcastic as Link assumed he was aiming for. Regardless, he lifted himself back up, and fixed his corner of the bed into place.
They tucked in the blanket with slightly better coordination. Slightly.
“No no it goes this way!”
“It's my bed, it goes this way.”
“You're making this so complicated.” Ravio laughed, tucking in the edges of his side. Link didn't bother, it would get dragged to the floor more likely than not regardless. Link flopped on top of the blankets, closing his eyes with a sigh.
Ravio was quiet for a beat. “Mr. Hero… Why are you on top of the blanket and not in it?”
“Tired,” Link grumbled.
Ravio sighed heavily, and yanked Link's untucked corner out from under him. Link opened his eyes, laughing as Ravio tossed the blanket over him, and walked over to the other side. He rather aggressively tucked it in, securing Link firmly into blanketed confines. Link snorted, twisting his body a few times to loosen it back out.
Ravio shook his head, and sat on the bottom edge of the bed, “Settled, finally?”
Link nodded.
“You never changed your clothes, ya know.”
“Mm.” It was a bad habit, he supposed, often too tired to even think about pajamas.
Ravio shook his head, patting Link's calf once, “Alright, I'll let you sleep.” Ravio stood, seemingly planning on going elsewhere.
That…felt weird. Wrong, even. Link shifted to turn and grab Ravio's hand. He froze, turning to look at him. Those embroidered eyes looked so startled.
What should he even say here? Ask him to stay? To continue to exist close by, maybe to rest as well? Don’t leave me I don’t know if I can do it again- Link didn’t know what words to use. So he didn’t. He released Ravio's hand softly.
“Thank you.” Link whispered.
Ravio smiled and nodded, stepping away and turning out all lights but one to work.
Link’s eyes slipped closed without much thought, body heavy and exhausted. He sunk into a deep sleep in moments.
Ravio fiddled with random papers until he thought it might be safe. He turned to watch Link's slow gentle breaths for a moment. He lifted his hood, letting it fall behind his shoulders, eyes flickering over faded blond pink hair. He glanced at his hand. Devoid of the Triforce symbol. He glanced at Link again, squeezing his hands together.
He sighed softly, grabbing his spellbook. He needed to finish working on his spell to return home. He couldn't let Link fix everything for him. He would have to return eventually.…No matter how much he wanted to stay.
-
The sun was setting slowly on the horizon when Link pushed the door open with his shoulder. Ravio sat across from him, back against the wall. His arms were crossed over his bag. His head lulled against his chest far enough he couldn't see even a fraction of his face. Sherrow was hard to spot, curled into his scarf like it was a nest.
"Pst." Link whispered. Ravio didn't move. Link squinted,"...Did you fall asleep?" How could that jerk possibly fall asleep like that? The lamp was still going, he couldn't be that exhausted could he? All he did was run a shop. Alone. All day.
Link sighed, walking over and kneeling in front of him. Whatever notebook he was writing in was on the ground next to him. Link knelt down and picked it up, putting it on the nearest table.
Sheerow perked up at the movement, lifting Ravio's hood just enough to reveal a lock of dark hair. They stared at each other for a moment. Sheerow chirred and settled back into the scarf, watching him. He was such an unsettling creature…
Link glanced back at Ravio's heavily obscured face. He tilted his head. He could probably catch a glimpse of his whole face, for once. …But that was a breach of his trust. If he didn't even take the hood off while alone, there had to be a reason.
Link frowned. He just. Looked uncomfortable. He should move him. If he slept anything like him, he wouldn't wake up if he grabbed a spare pillow and placed it under him… he hovered awkwardly.
Ravio, apparently, was a much lighter sleeper than he was. He noticed the lingering presence with a twitch. Then he startled awake, flailing. He yelped and flattened himself against the wall. "NO! I-" he shouted, panic edged into his tone. He stilled. "ha- Oh, M- mr. Hero!" Ravio's voice was deeper than he usually kept it, familiar in an unfamiliar way. He laughed, nervous and awkward.
Link's eyes widened, ears flicked up in alert. He fumbled to hold his hands placatingly, gently, "Sorry, I didn't- I didn't mean to…" do whatever it was he was doing. Obviously being creepy enough to freak Ravio out.
Ravio slowly peeled himself from the wall, crossing his arms over his legs again. He smiled and just like that, the higher pitch was back. "Ah, it's fine Mr. Hero! I- I wasn't asleep long, was I?"
"Um. No. I…er…"
He waved a hand to dismiss the rest of what Link was stumbling to say. He accepted it, not sure what he was going to say anyway.
Link sighed. "You should probably get your own mattress soon. Something you can retire to easily."
Ravio looked down and his head moved, but Link wasn't sure if it indicated a nod or not. He stood up, a small smile under his hood. That was the real problem he had with that hood. He couldn't read his smiles without seeing his eyes. Couldn't be sure if they were genuine or not.
"I'll arrange something, don't worry. I don't mind sleeping like I was either, you know… I've slept in worse spots."
"I don’t want you to have to.” Link frowned. Link climbed over the counter to where his bed was crushed up to the wall.
Ravio and Sheerow both squawked. “Mr. Herooo, there’s no need to go doing that! I have the tables arranged so evenly!”
Link humphed, and grabbed and edge of the bed to start tilting it back down. Ravio yelped, scrambling to move the empty crates to make space for the furniture again. “You're a terrible negotiator!” Ravio complained, “Absolutely no sense of compromise.”
Link shrugged. The rabbit would likely con him into forgetting Ravio had been asleep on the floor…and probably had been doing that any time he slept. Compromise with Ravio is how he ended up with a shop in his house and no rent. Not that he asked for rent. And still won't. That part was definitely his own fault. He just couldn't bring himself to ask for it yet. Ravio needed help. It didn’t make sense to ask for something in return.
He stepped back and let the bed frame fall the rest of the way with a thunk. Ravio screeched, hands flying to his hood’s ears and yanking. Sheerow dragged out his blankets from where Ravio had stashed them. Link grabbed the blanket from the bird creature, and fluffed it out.
“I sure hope you are gentler with your rentals! I worked hard on those. Your equipment is important to maintain!”
“I know,” Link said with a shake of his head, “Come over here."
"Eh?" Ravio tilted his head, bunny ears flopping to one side.
"I'm sharing my bed. Come over here." Link took Ravio’s hand to drag him over to the edge of the bed and shuffled to get into the bed properly, squishing himself against the side to give Ravio enough space.
"I- You really don't have to, I'm fine!" He waved his hands frantically.
"I don't kick, promise." Link closed his eyes, "Come on. I don’t want you sleeping on the ground."
Ravio sighed heavily. Sherrow decided to twitter loudly in Ravio's ear at that moment, and he sighed heavier. A shuffle of dragged feet. The bed dipped. Ravio laid down, and one of the bunny ears flopped against Link's head. He shoved it blindly towards Ravio with a snort of a laugh.
"Could it kill you to wear something less massive to sleep?"
"Maybe. You don't know." He joked cheerily.
Link restrained an outright laugh, and turned his back to him, “Good night” he demanded with a giggle.
“It would be a good night if I had another rupee-”
Link faked a loud snore.
Ravio giggled, settling in, “Good night.”
He hummed softly, feeling the tug to sleep drag at his mind. Warm and calm with Ravio's shoulder brushed against his back. Link nearly drifted off when Ravio shuffled to sit up slightly again. Fabric rustled and he felt his gaze on him for a long moment. “Please be safe.” He whispered. Link swallowed, unsure if he should respond.
Ravio relaxed a little without it, the thought seemingly mostly needing said. Bit by bit he sunk into the bed properly. He burrowed his head into his back, an arm loosely wrapped around his waist.
He stiffened, eyes open and wide. He turned his head slightly, looking at a flurry of violet and a hint of dark hair curled into the nook between his shoulder blades.
Ravio’s breath hitched and exhaled shakily. He whispered, "Please."
Link sighed softly. Okay, he needed a response, if only to help whatever anxiety had randomly hit him. "I will."
"I'm sorry I-” he shook his head lightly against him “…I'm sorry."
"...For what?"
He was quiet for a moment. "Not being more helpful, I suppose."
"You've been incredibly helpful. Usually I'd have to fight my way to get the magic items you have."
Ravio nodded against his back.
Link sighed and reached back, blindly finding his ear and tucking some hair behind it. He took in a sudden sharp breath.
Abruptly, he shifted, pulling the hood further down. Link slipped his hand back, resting it against his shoulder in a facsimile of a self-hug.
"For the record, I could care less about what you look like."
Ravio humphed. "That's a lie."
"...Okay, fine, but hiding your face to these lengths? Who wouldn't wonder?"
"I could describe myself," he said with a laugh, "Would that be enough to satiate the curiosity?"
"If you're willing to describe yourself then absolutely not. You won't get to the detail you're hiding."
Ravio snorted a laugh. With a flourish of his hand, he scoffed, "What? Dark hair, green eyes isn't enough for you?"
"No. Is 'pink-blonde hair and purple eyes' enough for you?"
"Well yeah, that's rather distinctive."
"...Fuck you," Link laughed.
"I was pretty sure we were doing the normal kind of sleeping," Ravio whispered.
"Wha- …ack! Just shut up," Link swatted at the space where Ravio's head was.
He laughed and snuggled further into the blanket. His voice returned to that deeper tone, “I guess I should take a page or two from your book huh?” It seemed like both a serious thought and a joke all at once.
Link’s brows furrowed, “Nah, you’re good as is.”
Ravio was quiet for a moment. Link shifted to glance at him. “Thank you.” Ravio said softly.
“What you should be doing is actually sleeping,” he scolded.
He snorted, hugging Link tightly. “Yes, yes.”
-
Link hadn’t paid much attention to Ravio’s rambling until he uttered, “Yuga will be no match for you,” Ravio praised, “Especially if you have the Princess’s help.”
She nodded, brows furrowed. Link and Ravio pulled the blankets over the bed in unison. The bed was fixed so quickly Link was surprised by it. They had gotten better at working together on that. Link flopped onto the bed, looking up at the rafters. She would fight Yuga Ganon tomorrow. She knew it. She was ready. There was nothing else to do.
Ravio leaned against the headboard, smiling under the hood, “Get all the rest you can, okay?” he announced cheerfully. Then his tone went quieter, softer. It was almost a whisper, melancholic, "You're sure to need it before you reach the castle." He leaned back, going to write in that book he always did when Link forced him to close up shop to sleep. Store bookkeeping seemed exhausting. Ravio was still doing it even after selling everything to her. He must be keeping track of whatever remaining rentals he had going with others.
Link stared into the abyss of darkness that was the ceiling. Something ached in her chest, settling strangely. She shuffled a few times to find the right spot. Maybe the constant moving had made the mattress weird? Or something. She closed her eyes tightly.
Sleepless, she listened to Ravio shuffle around a little longer. The sound of paper rustling and pages turning. The scratch of a pen. She tossed and turned a few times. The quiet noise stopped. Link waited, and all she could hear was soft breaths. She sighed and turned to look at Ravio.
He was looking down at the notebook, his hand threaded in his hair. His hood was lifted halfway, but his dark hair was long enough and his hand was placed in such a way that it still obscured his face. He seemed tired and pensive over the book. Link’s eyes widened for a moment, and she closed them tightly and cleared her throat to alert him that she was in fact, still awake. She heard a quick intake of breath, and a shuffle of fabric and paper.
Link opened an eye, and the bunny hood was back over his face, turned to look at Link, leaning against the table he’d been writing on. He leaned to the right, and then to the left, looking Link over. "Trouble sleeping?" Ravio guessed.
Link sat up, sighing.
Ravio hummed, "Not a problem! I have some remedies for that…. For one rupee, a great deal, I promise." He smirked under the mask, making a ‘give me’ motion with his hand.
Link glared, "For what, exactly? I'm not paying you to knock me out or something."
"Why I'd never!" Ravio gasped in offense, raising a hand to his chest. "No, no. For just one little rupee, I can make some warm milk," Ravio laughed.
Link raised an eyebrow, "You have milk?"
"I'm the only one makin’ groceries here. We have milk."
Link sighed, "Alright, fine, sure." She leaned over the bed to pick up her wallet. She tossed Ravio a rupee and he fumbled to catch it with a cheer. He kissed the rupee, then put it away. Link smiled lightly, sitting on the bed.
Ravio flitted across the kitchen space, which Link was also happy to not be doing. It was making her a little sleepy just watching him. It was done quickly, faster than she expected. Ravio had two mugs, one assumedly for himself. Link took one, and cradled it in her hands. Ravio shuffled his feet awkwardly as he sipped the milk.
Link hummed, "You can sit." She patted a spot next to her on the bed.
"Oh, how generous of you," Ravio sat down next to her. He took his shoes off and tucked his legs against his chest.
"Your fault there's no other seating."
"You don't need chairs to run a business!"
Link laughed and shook her head. Ravio giggled softly, sipping some more milk.
They settled into a gentle quiet. Link closed her eyes to relish in it. The sound of their twin breaths. The warmth of the cup. The weight of Ravio settled nearby. His bouncing leg, a rhythm drummed into the bed.
She opened her eyes. "You're staying, right?" She whispered. Unsure why she asked. He wasn't connected to any of this adventure. At least not beyond helping her home after being knocked out, and giving her the tools she needed. Its anticipated close didn't mean anything for Ravio's whereabouts.
"Um… for- for what?" Ravio asked. Because of course he wouldn't catch the implied portion of the thought. He wasn't connected to it all.
"I- …Don't worry about it."
Ravio tilted his head, "I'm only in your hair as long as it takes to get my own space settled. I was pretty sure that was the agreement?"
Link nodded, brows furrowing. She dunked back the last of the milk down. She swallowed it down thickly and set the mug to the side.
Ravio looked down at his mug, lips forming a pensive line. "Do… you want me to stay?"
Link shrugged, "It… wouldn't be horrible. …I like having a roommate." She missed it. This house was too quiet without someone to come home to.
Ravio fiddled with the edges of the mug, fingernails tapping against the ceramic. Tap. Tap tap. Tap. His bouncing leg moved faster.
Link glanced at him. He looked like a ball of anxiety, using every fidget available to release the energy. "I- I don't mean to say you shouldn't find your own space. Or or anything. I… Forget I said anything."
Ravio uncurled and stood, taking Link's mug and his own to wash. "I know what you meant." Ravio said quietly. His back was to her. She couldn't read him. His body language was subdued compared to normal. Probably sleepy.
She yanked Ravio down to the mattress.
Ravio shrieked with a laugh, flailing. He grabbed his hood, instead of bracing for impact. “What are you doing?” He laughed.
“Sleeping.” Link said with a giggle of her own, rolling so she could wrap an arm around Ravio’s middle.
“Ay, I’m not a teddy bear!” Ravio whined, turning his body to look at Link. “Uh ’course not.. rabbit.” Link yawned. She closed her eyes, body heavy.
Ravio snorted, “Yeah, yeah. Okay, Mr. Hero, I did want to get some more things done for my shop though. I’ll be quiet, don’t worry, won’t even hear the squeak of my shoes-” Link’s arm remained heavy and snug around his waist. “...Mr. Hero?”
Link remained still, breathing slow and deep. Ravio shifted his hood to better look at her, sighing softly, “How in the heavens did you fall asleep while I was talking?” He shifted to slip out from under Link’s arm, but her grip strengthened just minutely, demanding him to stay.
Sherrow chirped from above, and flew to sit on Ravio’s chest. He glared down his nose at him. “You’re not helping, sir.”
Sherrow made a light laugh of a sound, and snuggled in, closing his red little eyes. Ravio sighed heavily, flopping his head back against the mattress, giving up. He closed his eyes. “Yeah, I love you too.”
-
The triforce glowed upon the Sacred Realm, its mirror image shining within the blue pool that made the sky seem endless.
“Go home, Link” Princess Zelda had bid, a hand on her shoulder as she directed him outside.
So of course, they had to.
It was understandable. She had spent at least a good half of a day trying to ensure the Princess was alright and safe and settled in the castle. Princess Zelda was likely tired of Link’s incessant concerns. They weren’t friends like she had been with her predecessor. This was a relationship born of necessity for a hero, she didn’t actually know Link.
She also told her that she seemed like she was about to fall on her feet… and, well, Link was exhausted. Her feet dragged across the road, snagging on the occasional rock. Zelda was right, though. Lorule's triforce should be fixed, and Zelda was safely back home. The Master Sword had been returned to its resting spot until it would be needed again. Link yawned, rubbing her sore shoulder. She could rest now. All was finally, finally, well… for now, at least.
She walked up to her house, its fresh wood inviting and warm. Ravio's storefront sign loomed over the building, but it was a welcoming symbol regardless. Despite the drama Ravio had brought, he'd become a bright spot in Link's commonly too-quiet house. She pushed open the door, tiredly expecting a cheery voice announcing her arrival…
Nothing came. The house was silent. Link's gaze wandered over the empty tables. One was off-center, pushed aside carelessly. As if Ravio had been in a rush to leave.
He probably had been, trying to get to Lorule in time to stop Hilda. …Because he was Link's Lorule counterpart. Because he knew Hilda well and knew Link well. He knew everything because her house was practically his house already… He had to have known how it would end without his final interference. That Link and Hilda would likely have destroyed each other without Ravio.
Link stared into empty space for a moment. Frozen as she listened to nothing. They shook their head. At least she wouldn't have to listen to Ravio ramble about which type of advertising was most effective before she could put her bed together.
Link shoved the tables together on one side of the room. Simpler and easier now that they were empty. Ravio couldn't protest. Link awkwardly, carefully, dragged her bedframe back to the floor. Alone. Her arms burned with over exertion. She groaned. They were exhausted enough already.
This was the part where Ravio's near squeaky voice would exclaim in a panic, "Well don't hurt yourself over it! Fine! Sit down, sit down, I'll find your sheets."
He was not there to find any sheets. Link leaned against one of the tables and looked at the bed.
This was the part where Uncle would scoop her up and sing in his deep, rumbling voice and tuck her in.
He was not there to drag her to sleep while she dragged her feet.
Link swallowed. She pushed off the table, stumbling a little to fall into the unmade bed. She didn't have the energy to do it… She didn't want to.
They stared at the white expanse of the mattress. It felt like hours. Finally her eyelids felt heavy enough to let them slip closed. She fell asleep, settled into inky darkness.
Link was not gently shoved awake by a purple clad arm. Link was not playfully admonished for sleeping for 10 hours while the world still turned outside, and "Don't you know customers don't like tiptoeing around you Mr. Hero?" There was no sudden dip in the bed. No one asked “Are you planning on getting up for breakfast anytime soon or do you plan on feeding it to the birds, boy?” No whisper of long red hairs falling against their face to tickle their nose. No beautiful face waiting for her to wake. There wasn’t even a child in green shouting their name and jumping on them. There was nothing to say and nobody said it.
Link felt horrible. Their limbs ached more than ever. Their head hurt, and their mouth was dry. Everything felt heavy and uncomfortable. She groaned, loudly. No one was there to notice.
She fell out of bed more than anything, crashing against the floor. There was no blanket to fight, which was fine. But there was no cushion either. She huffed and closed her eyes again. Maybe she should just stay there. Curled on the floor, with the house crowded with unused tables and an unused bed.
Idly, she realized she didn't have much to drag herself up for. There was nothing to save, explore or fight. There was no shop in her house to let Ravio open. The blacksmith had done just fine without her while she had gone saving two whole kingdoms. He had always been mad at her for being late anyway… The only reason to get up would be to find something to eat, maybe, and she didn't feel particularly hungry.
Link sighed, cheek pressed against wood. They closed their eyes again and let it fade to darkness.
-
Gulley looked around the smithy. Link wasn't there. Again. The kingdom had been set right, Gulley knew that. Link should be there. He tugged on his mother's dress.
"It's been days. I've let him rest plenty! Can I go see if Link is up today?"
His mother sighed, looking out the window. "He's had a long journey dear, I'm sure he'll come back to work when he's ready. It's not like Link to simply stop working, after all… Besides, I don't know if you should really be rushing off past where we can see you anymore..."
Gulley pouted, staring at her. She chuckled, "Oh you've mastered that one haven't you?"
"So you'll let me go?!"
She hummed, "We'll go together. But let's make him something to eat. He rarely had breakfast to begin with."
Gulley groaned dramatically, but dragged his feet to the kitchen. She chuckled, watching him go.
The pair walked over to the house. Gulley rushed the last straightaway to the door.
"Gulley, don't just barge in!" His mother admonished with a laugh.
"But I always do!"
"Please just be polite and knock," she giggled with a shake of her head, walking the rest of the way to the door.
Gulley whined lightly, rolling his eyes, "I tell you, he's not gonna answer."
"Knock," she said firmly.
Gulley huffed and knocked once.
There was no response.
"See?"
His mother sighed and knocked herself, "Link, dear, are you home?"
Quiet.
"SEE?" Gulley emphasized.
"If he's asleep we shouldn't bother him. Go ahead, open the door, we'll leave the food on the table."
Gulley pulled the door open. A table blocked the entryway. He blinked, then climbed over it.
"Gulley-" His mother huffed, setting the dish aside on the table to watch her son crawl inside.
"Link's bed isn't even made!" Gulley said, looking over the table obstacles towards his mother, "It's kinda dirty over here."
"What?" She looked at the pile of tables and huffed, awkwardly pulling herself up onto a table and going over to where Link's bed had been placed.
Link was curled on a single mattress, snoring through the day. Their hair was knotted in its ponytail. Hat on the floor. Their tunic itself was still dirty from all the worldly exploring. On the ground, a small gathering of cups and dishes.
She sighed, picking up the dishes. "Go ahead and wake him up. I'll get this done." She looked for the sink. It was blocked by a table. Ah, that explained the pile.
She set the dirty dishes aside, climbing back over the table, "Boys," She muttered under her breath.
Gulley jumped on Link's bed, "Hey Link wake up!"
Link whined, curling up further.
"Linnnkkk, you're laaaateee."
"F'r what?" They grumbled, "I don' need t'do anyth'n."
"Ohh momma his funny old timey accent is really strong now. He's really tired." Gulley dropped himself over Link, trying to worm over and look at their face.
"Don't tease him about the accent honey, it's not nice," she said, turning on the faucet.
Link squinted.
"Have you really slept straight through three whole days?" Gulley asked.
Link's squint turned into a glare. "Mn. No?"
Gulley kicked his legs over the side of Link's bed, "I think you did. It looks like it."
"Off," Link huffed. She put no effort into pushing Gulley away. Gulley did not listen, either.
"We made breakfast for you. Momma's cleaning your dishes too."
Link sighed, shifting to lay flat on the bed. Gulley remained laying across their chest. She swallowed, making a few movements with her mouth before attempting to speak again, "Thank… you," they mumbled haltingly, trying to get the modern version of the words out, "I was about to get to it."
"Link, sweet, I'm a little worried," Gulley's mother said, putting the cleaned dishes to the side. She shifted to climb back over the tables. "I know you needed some time to recoup but-" She gestured at the tables, "What is this?"
"...I was going to move them."
"And then what happened? Do you need help moving things?"
They shrugged, closing their eyes again. Gulley wiggled over to snuggle into Link's side.
"Link."
"Whattt?" she whined.
"It will do you some good to stretch. You can't just lay here forever."
Link sighed, "I'm not going to. I've just been tired."
She walked over and tapped their shoulder, "I know. Come on, sit up, I think you've rested enough."
She dramatically raised and dropped an arm. Letting the limb fall limp. "Your child is on me."
"You've never had a problem before!" Gulley chirped, giggling lightly.
"Gulley."
He pouted. He rolled over Link, making them grunt, and hopped off the bed. Link sighed and dragged against gravity to raise their upper body. She stared forward, hardly blinking.
Gulley's mother rubbed their shoulder, "Your hair's a mess. I could help you trim it later?"
Link blinked, "What? No, no I-" She raised a hand to tug the ponytail holder, wincing at the knots. She decided to leave it in. "I don't want to do that," she frowned and swallowed, "er…yet."
"Hm. Ok," She looked around, "How about we clear up some space and get you some food! Alright?"
Link nodded, shifting to stand up. She stumbled slightly, thrusting their hands out to grab the bed frame.
"Alright there?"
"He usually falls out of the bed," Gulley said, "I think that's the most coordinated he's been yet!"
Link squeezed their eyes shut and nodded, "Yeah, just fine." She stayed still for a moment, then nodded again. "Moving tables. Right."
Link and Gulley's mother were able to put the furniture into an order that left enough space to walk around. They found the chairs, and Link slumped onto one as soon as she placed it.
"I assume you haven't been eating enough," she said, pushing the food she brought at them, "especially since your cabinets were covered."
Link glanced to the side, face a little flush, "I've been fine, thank you. I appreciate it."
"Least I can do for the new hero of Hyrule, hm?"
Link's brows furrowed as she picked at the food, gaze distant. Even after it was over… She could never leave that destiny behind, could she?
"Is something wrong, dear?"
Link blinked and shook their head, "No, I think I'm just not awake yet." They smiled, "It's- this is all really too kind."
"You got our Gulley safe home, it's hardly anything."
Link glanced at Gulley, who grinned broadly at her. Gulley who was so young. Who should've never been brought into this just because Link had never been able to keep the world safe enough. Because she kept failing the goddesses in getting rid of Ganon once and for all- She nodded, putting on a smile.
"Um. How's the smithy?" They asked, hoping to create a distraction from themself. It worked. Gulley launched into describing the daily events, his mother interjecting with clarification or denial of more fantastical events. Link only half listened as she slowly ate.
"When are you coming back?" Gulley eventually asked.
Link looked up, fork frozen halfway to their mouth. The food fell off it. Link set it down. "Back …to work?"
"Yeah! It's boring without you!"
Link raised an eyebrow, because Gulley was far too animated to have just described a boring day.
"We are curious, Link. It's been some time. We missed you."
A dark tiredness curled around her mind and said, loud and clear: They only missed you because you just had to go be a hero. But. People needed her, what choice did she have? She couldn't ignore the gods. Ignore her destiny. …this was a punishment for pretending she was done, a trial, a granted restart. The world- worlds, needed a hero and it wanted her. Which meant. Which meant… no Uncle, no Zelda, no Rosa, no Marin, no Ravio.…
"Link?"
"Sorry, thinking about it. Um. I can go back to work tomorrow. I'll try and clean the house today."
"That sounds like a good idea hon."
No friends. No family. Link concluded, dully. She can be a worker, though. She knows how to do that without pain.
"Do you want some help with it?"
"No," Link halfway whispered, "No, I'll be good."