Hero and Shadow / Proximity [Final Version]
Since I occasionally get requests to expand certain scenes, I decided to revise this fic to expand on the middle section. As it turns out, it got about half rewritten. Also, despite having the same rating as the first version, this one, obviously, is more explicit.
Title: Proximity
Fandom: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Characters: Dark Link, Link
Prompt: 038 - touch
Word Count: 3978 words
Rating: R/16+ [see above]
Summary: Back where it all began and yet so faraway; take it slow. Or don't.
Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda is property of Nintendo.
Warnings: Vague Twilight Princess spoilers.
Notes: Sequel to Howl in the Night and Forward Motion.
Table Link
"Y'know, I've always wondered... why's your house out here away from the village?"
"It's not that far from the village," Link replies, easing the door closed behind us.
"Not that far? So? It's not in the village. Everyone else lives in Ordon. You live out here." It just seems odd to me. He's part of the village, but he's not part of the village.
Ah, well. At the same time, there are definite advantages to living up the hill. For one, there's no one living right next door, just trees and squirrels and lots of other things that don't care about what goes on in here. In the village, if someone gets loud for whatever reason, half the village hears it.
"Should we light a fire?" I ask. I'm not sure if he wants to risk people knowing he's here or not. I hope the answer's yes, though. A fire would be nice, though, especially since we've got more tools to cook with in here than we would out by a campfire.
"Not much point being inside if we don't."
He doesn't have to tell me twice. I get a fire started and then decide that I feel like trying to relax a bit. I kick off my boots and work off my gauntlets, tossing them all towards the wall I propped my sword and shield against earlier.
Link's not here; when did he leave? I sigh. His sword and shield are next to mine, so I know he's not going far, but... oh, whatever. He'll be back at some point, so I'll just do what I want until he decides to come back.
I start by shedding some of my clothing, mostly just so I can take off my chain shirt, and then I stretch, trying to work a couple of kinks out of my back. Wonder how long Link plans on staying. Yesterday, he didn't seem to want to come anywhere near here, but today... He can't make his mind up, can he?
Maybe it's less that he's having trouble making up his mind and more that he just doesn't know what to do. He has been pretty lost the last couple of days, not that I really have any room to talk there. I'm not sure if I should hit him again or just grab him and not let go.
Din, Nayru, and Farore, this isn't me. I growl.
What, exactly, was the reason I ended up here, anyway? It can't be to help the hero; Link got along just fine with Midna around. There hasn't really been a damned thing I've done myself that has any lasting importance.
I climb up to the little window high on the wall and peer out. I still don't see him.
"Dark?"
I turn around and peer down towards his voice. Link is over by the ladder to the cellar; he looks tired and confused, more than he should be.
"Up here."
"What are you doing up there?"
What does it look like, Link? "I was looking for you."
"Oh. I was just checking the cellar."
He's nervous; I can tell. "What are you so nervous about?"
"I don't know if I should be here. I don't..." He waves one hand in the air like he's trying to find the right word. "I don't know if I want anyone knowing that I'm here."
"Why not?" I climb down, mostly just so I don't have to keep raising my voice to talk to him.
Link sighs. "This doesn't feel like home anymore."
"Too much time chasing your dreams?"
"I didn't say that," he says, scowling. For a bit, that's all he says. He walks over to the fire and tends it, looking over our supplies like he's trying to decide what to cook.
I just watch him; there's something he wants to say, and I'm not going to force it out of him this time. He'll either tell me, or he won't. I climb back up to the little window and peer out; Epona and Rhiannon are contently grazing on the grass.
How long do we have until someone notices the horses and comes running to investigate? Maybe that's what his problem is. If that's such a terrible thing, though, why'd he come here in the first place? This was his idea, after all.
"Do you think I'm still welcome here?" Link finally asks.
"How would I know? I'm not from Ordon." I haven't even really been to the village; has he forgotten that?
He stares down at the flames. "I don't feel like I belong."
"Maybe you don't. Is that such a terrible thing?"
"Where am I supposed to go? I always thought... I never really thought about the future before. I was going to work the ranch, just like always, get married, eventually have children of my own. It's funny. I never really thought about the rest of the world until now. Does that make me selfish?"
I shrug. "You grew up here; how's it a bad thing to want to stay?"
"I'm not the same person I was then."
"Honestly, considering what all of you Ordon kids have seen, I doubt any of you are the kids who used to live here. You've all seen things that you never knew before." I give him a pointed look as I climb down and find a place to sit near the fire. "I mean, look. Colin wore a sword and shield back, remember? He actually stood guard, too. I bet he still does."
Link doesn't answer at first, but then he nods slowly. "He'll be a good swordsman. Rusl will teach him."
"He grew up." It's the truth. Granted, I didn't know the kid before all this happened, but just from what Link's said about him, Colin's grown. Then again, so has Link. "You should show him your techniques."
He frowns at that. "I can't. The shade said that they... they don't leave our bloodline. It wouldn't be right."
"You've shown them to me."
"You say that you're my shadow. I think that means you count as kin. I don't think he'd mind."
"Probably not." I wish I'd been able to meet this shade, but no. Link was the one the golden wolf always leapt at, the one the spirit wanted to talk to. Never me.
I shake my head. It's not like it would be him, anyway. "All right, if you aren't who you used to be, who are you now?"
"I don't know. I'm not sure what to think. I saw two worlds, one I didn't even know existed, defeated two evil kings, saw things no one should ever have to see... And I lost her." He takes a long, slow breath and blows it out. "Dark, what does it mean?"
"What does what mean?"
He sighs and sits down next to me. "Did I really love either of them, or was it just me being stupid and mistaking something else for love?"
I sigh; of course, he has to ask the hard questions. "If you think you loved them, then you loved them. Whether you still do or not, well, only you can answer that."
"I didn't..." He stops, biting his lip and looking away. "I never felt like this for Ilia..."
"Did you feel like this for Midna?"
He blushes; well, there's my answer, and it's also a pretty good indicator of what he means by "like this". "A little, I think."
"Then who do you feel 'like this' for, if not them?"
Link blushes more, hanging his head so his hair shields his face. "You," he finally says, his voice low.
I don't know if I should like the sound of that or not. "And just what is 'like this'?"
"I don't really know..." He turns towards me and then leans in close; he looks confused. "How do I describe it? I - I want something."
"Something?" He knows what he wants; he's just not willing to say it. Unfortunately for you, Link, I think, I've got practice dealing with this kind of thing.
He bites his lip again and nods.
"What kind of something?"
He rests his head on my shoulder, pulling himself in close, but doesn't say anything. His breath is hot against my neck, and I can feel his heart pounding in his chest. He takes another deep breath, a shaky one, and then he reaches up and puts one hand on my other shoulder.
"Dark, I..."
"You what?"
Link makes a soft noise that sounds almost like a whimper and then moves, climbing onto my lap, his head still on my shoulder.
"What's the matter?" I have to ask. "Can't find the words?"
"I can't say it," he mumbles; I barely hear him.
"I can't read your mind, Link. If you want me to do something, you have to ask me." No, I know what he wants; it's kind of obvious. Still, I can't shake that nagging little doubt that says I'm just her replacement. If he wants me, he's going to have to admit it.
He makes another almost-whimper and shifts against me. "I don't know what to --"
"What do you want?"
He looks up at me, and I can see exactly what he's feeling reflected in his eyes: he's nervous and confused and proud and vulnerable and needy all at once.
"Well?"
"I want... I want us, Dark. You and me."
"Isn't that what you have?" I ask, wrapping my arms around his back.
He apparently has to think about that. Or maybe I just caught him off guard; it's hard to tell. When he finally speaks, his voice is so soft I can barely make out the words. "I want more than that, though."
"Aren't we being selfish?" I say, grinning.
He glares at me for that and moves in, resting his forehead against mine. "I think I... You want me to take care of myself, right? To worry about myself for once? I think that means I can be a little selfish for once."
I smirk. "All right, then, if you're being selfish, what do you want?"
"Why do you keep asking me that?" He's getting flustered.
"Sooner or later, you have to answer."
He meets my gaze; he still has that feral gleam in his eyes, though I bet he'll never lose it. "Why do you keep trying to get an answer out of me?" he growls.
"Because I know you won't admit it to yourself if I don't drag it out of you." It's a bit of an exaggeration, but I don't think I care. "Come on, it's easy. What do you want?"
Link growls again and then starts kissing me. It's a rough kiss, wild and hungry. I can't hold back a soft, quick chuckle as I give in. No, that wild streak is still here, all right.
"What do you want?" I ask when he pulls back.
"I already said... I want us."
I grin at that. "Then aren't you forgetting something?" I reach down and start toying with the ties to his breeches. "Unless I'm misunderstanding you..."
He blushes, putting his hands on mine. He's going to tell me to stop, yell that I'm going too far, all of that. Yeah, I can take it.
But then he starts gently massaging my hands. "You... don't mind?"
"Do I look like I mind?"
He bites his lip again, glancing down and blushing slightly. Then he looks back up at me with that half-wild look in his eyes, and he lunges at me.
I start laughing before my back even hits the floor.
Link kisses me again, pressing himself against me. He's starting to get into it; this makes me wonder how long he's been trying to find the words for this.
"You're still forgetting something," I say softly, not bothering to hide my smirk. "There's only so much we can do with these clothes in the way."
He growls in frustration and pulls back, sitting on my thighs and yanking at his shirts. I have to laugh, because it's fun seeing him so frantic. He doesn't seem to have the slightest idea what he's doing.
I slide out from under him and start taking off my clothes, tossing them to the side. "And here I thought you knew how to undress yourself."
"You're doing this on purpose!" he snaps back.
"I'm not doing anything, remember? Besides, you're the one who wants this, right? Are you scared?" I shouldn't be teasing him like this, but all things considered... I think I deserve to make him sweat a little.
"I'm not scared! I just didn't know how to say it!"
I sit back down and look up at him. "Then why are you having so much trouble?"
He finally kicks off his breeches and then walks over to kneel beside me. He doesn't say a word; he just leans in and stares at me.
I lean in to meet him and nip at the tip of his nose. "I thought you wanted me."
"I do..." his voice is soft.
I reach up and put one hand on his side, tracing the curve of his ribs. He's muscular, of course, and I never realized until now that he has a bit of a tan. It's not much, but I can tell he spends a lot of time in the sun. He's still nowhere near as dark as me. His breath catches slightly when I let my hand slide down his side. Is he ticklish? I need to remember that for the future.
"Is it okay?" he asks.
"Of course, it is."
He looks me up and down; is he blushing again? After a moment, I feel his hands on my sides, his touch gentle.
"I'm not going to break, Link."
"I know. I'm just..."
I chuckle. "You were in a hurry earlier."
"I know." Link bites his lip again. "I'm not sure what to do."
"What were you going to do before we stripped? Do that."
"I wasn't really thinking. I just wanted to..." He leans his head against my shoulder again; his cheeks are hot. At the same time, his hands are still moving, up and down and around, calloused and rough against my skin. He's working his way downwards, too, lower and lower.
I laugh softly and slide my hands up his back. "I've got an idea: stop trying to answer me with words."
He sighs; for whatever reason, his breath feels even hotter now. He doesn't speak. He just continues to slide his hands lower. His fingers are cold against me, his touch faint and more gentle than I expected. He strokes me a couple of times before one hand slides further back.
Well, isn't this a surprise? I have to fight the urge to laugh as he tests me, or maybe he's testing himself.
He apparently mistakes the sound I make for a grunt, as he turns his head sideways and starts kissing my neck. He's trying to be tender, I can tell, but he's not entirely succeeding; there's a roughness to it that he can't entirely hide.
Not that I care. Bring on the rough; I can take it.
Link makes a soft noise -- I think he's saying something -- and then he coaxes me down onto my back. I just grin up at him. He licks his lips and leans in towards me.
"Is it all right?"
"Of course it is." Why wouldn't it be?
He nods and kisses me, gently at first but quickly getting rougher and more needy. Then he stops and pulls back. "Dark, I..."
"Don't talk," I reply, pulling him back down. "Just do."
Link nods and shifts. I'm not sure if he's fumbling or uncertain or what, but I can feel him against me, trying to position himself. It's kind of cute, I think. Can he just not decide what he wants, or is he that nervous about actually doing it?
He leans in for another kiss, sliding another finger into me while his other hand rubs my thigh. It's a little awkward, but it's good enough. He makes a soft noise and pulls back enough to look at me.
"Dark..."
"Change your mind?"
"No, I... I just..." He looks at me and just looks down at me for a moment. I could complain about him being slow, but if he keeps looking at me like this, like there's nothing else in the world but us, I won't care. I like this. Now if only he didn't look so damned confused about it.
"You just what?" I ask, keeping my voice quiet.
He opens his mouth like he's going to say something, but then he just shakes his head and looks down. I close my eyes. What is his problem, really? I wish I could say he's just stalling, but no; he's just that damned awkward.
I can't hold back a growl of irritation.
Link growls back.
"What are you growling about?" I ask, trying to keep the irritation out of my voice. "This shouldn't be hard."
"If you know so much about this, you do it," he snaps, leaning in close.
Oh, he should know better than to challenge me. "You mean that?"
He sighs and sits down next to me. "Yes, I do. I don't really know if I can."
"So, the great and mighty Hero of Twilight has met his match." I smirk. All right, if he insists... I grab him by the shoulders and shove him down onto his back, smirking wider at his gasp of surprise.
I straddle his thighs and grin down at him. "Do you want this?"
His face turns crimson; he just stares up at me. He's not just embarrassed, though. If I'm reading him right -- and I know I am -- he's turned on, too.
I put one hand on his chest; his heart's racing. "Do you want me?" I rake my nails down his chest, down his stomach, down until I hear him suck in a quick breath. He doesn't answer me.
That's all right with me. I move my hand back up to his chest and repeat the motion, harder this time. Then I do it a third time, and then a fourth, going a little slower and a little lower each time. He's breathing hard, grabbing at the floor.
"Are you going to answer me?" I ask.
"Dark...!" It's soft, and it's a little strained, and that's exactly how I like it.
I laugh. Okay, that counts as an answer. It takes little convincing to get him to wrap his legs around my waist; good, that makes it easier to reach down and test him. "It's easier if you relax."
"I - I'm trying."
I shift position so I can nip at his jaw, and I kiss a line down his neck; it's hopefully something calming. Why's he so tense now? I'm not doing this to hurt him, and he damned well wanted this a few moments ago.
"I can stop."
"No, don't..." He grabs my hands with his own. "I just..."
I lean in close. "You just what?"
"I don't know what to do..." He nuzzles my shoulder, tightening his hands around mine. "I feel like I'm going to lose control of myself."
Now I see why he keeps hesitating. I nip at his neck. "Then lose control."
"But --"
I pull one of my hands loose so I can twine our fingers together. "You heard me, Link. In fact, I want you to."
He has just enough time to look up at me all confused and aroused before I slide into him, and then he just closes his eyes and squeezes my hands.
"See?" I whisper in his ear. "It's fun this way." I move my hands to his hips and start moving. Damn; I'd almost forgotten just how good this could feel. Link just grabs at my shoulders and groans deep in his throat. I don't stop, not even when I feel teeth on my shoulder. I try to laugh, but I'm too out of breath for that. So instead I just close my eyes and focus on how everything feels until I can't feel anymore.
Then it's just him and me, gasping for breath. I lower him to the floor, but he's still clinging to me, so I just lay half-on, half-off of him. It lets me catch my breath, after all.
Once I get my voice back, I have to ask, "Was that what you wanted?"
"Uh-huh." He nods as he says it, letting my shoulders go and laying back. He's staring up at me, his gaze half-focused. I bet he needed that. I know I did.
As much as I don't want to, I make myself get up and wash off. The room seems cold now that I'm not pressed against him.
"Dark?"
"What is it?"
When I turn back to him, Link has his head craned sideways so he can see me. It looks kind of awkward. "You just got up."
"I'm cleaning off."
"Oh, okay." He closes his eyes.
I snicker; he looks tired. "You should, too. You'll get sticky."
"I'm used to being dirty."
"Not like this, you aren't. Come on; wash off before I do it."
He doesn't. He just lays there, looking perfectly comfortable. I sigh. I should just let him lay there and deal with the consequences. But instead, I take the damp rag over there and clean his chest and stomach. Link watches me while I do.
"Thank you," he finally says.
I laugh and start to stand up; he grabs my wrist. "What?"
"I mean it, Dark. Thank you... for all of this."
"All right. You're welcome." I check the fire; it's still burning fine. "So, have you decided if you want to stay here or not yet?" If we're staying, I might try cooking something; I'm getting kind of hungry now.
"Tonight, at the very least. I need to figure some stuff out." Link gets up and walks over next to me. "What are you doing?"
"Trying to figure out what to cook. We've still got some of that rice."
"There're some dried vegetables down in the cellar. We could add those in."
That sounds pretty good to me, really. "Then we should get stuff started, shouldn't we?"
He nods. It doesn't take us long to get redressed and get our dinner started. Once it's going, I make myself comfy near the fire. Link does the same, leaning against my shoulder.
"So. What kind of stuff did you need to figure out?"
He sighs. "If Ordon doesn't feel like home... then somewhere else has to, right?"
"Not necessarily. Sometimes it's not a place that feels like home. Sometimes it's more a feeling."
He doesn't say anything. That's fine. There's not really anything I can say, anyway. I learned a long time ago how it works for me. But I'm not him, so only he can answer that.
"I think I'm going to talk to Mayor Bo tomorrow," he says, putting his hand on top of mine.
"I'm not going to stop you."
"I know."
I grin. He's a lot calmer than he was before. "What if someone figures out we're here?"
He sighs. "I don't know. I'll start by introducing you, but after that... I'm not sure."
That works. At the very least, he's finally made his mind up about something.
"Dark, is it okay if we just stay here for now?"
"It's your house. You decide how long we stay."
Link shakes his head; his hair tickles across my shoulder. "That's not what I meant. Can we just stay like this for a while, just you and me?"
I just laugh; after all this, does he think I'm going to say no? "Of course."
Title: Proximity
Fandom: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Characters: Dark Link, Link
Prompt: 038 - touch
Word Count: 3978 words
Rating: R/16+ [see above]
Summary: Back where it all began and yet so faraway; take it slow. Or don't.
Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda is property of Nintendo.
Warnings: Vague Twilight Princess spoilers.
Notes: Sequel to Howl in the Night and Forward Motion.
Table Link
"Y'know, I've always wondered... why's your house out here away from the village?"
"It's not that far from the village," Link replies, easing the door closed behind us.
"Not that far? So? It's not in the village. Everyone else lives in Ordon. You live out here." It just seems odd to me. He's part of the village, but he's not part of the village.
Ah, well. At the same time, there are definite advantages to living up the hill. For one, there's no one living right next door, just trees and squirrels and lots of other things that don't care about what goes on in here. In the village, if someone gets loud for whatever reason, half the village hears it.
"Should we light a fire?" I ask. I'm not sure if he wants to risk people knowing he's here or not. I hope the answer's yes, though. A fire would be nice, though, especially since we've got more tools to cook with in here than we would out by a campfire.
"Not much point being inside if we don't."
He doesn't have to tell me twice. I get a fire started and then decide that I feel like trying to relax a bit. I kick off my boots and work off my gauntlets, tossing them all towards the wall I propped my sword and shield against earlier.
Link's not here; when did he leave? I sigh. His sword and shield are next to mine, so I know he's not going far, but... oh, whatever. He'll be back at some point, so I'll just do what I want until he decides to come back.
I start by shedding some of my clothing, mostly just so I can take off my chain shirt, and then I stretch, trying to work a couple of kinks out of my back. Wonder how long Link plans on staying. Yesterday, he didn't seem to want to come anywhere near here, but today... He can't make his mind up, can he?
Maybe it's less that he's having trouble making up his mind and more that he just doesn't know what to do. He has been pretty lost the last couple of days, not that I really have any room to talk there. I'm not sure if I should hit him again or just grab him and not let go.
Din, Nayru, and Farore, this isn't me. I growl.
What, exactly, was the reason I ended up here, anyway? It can't be to help the hero; Link got along just fine with Midna around. There hasn't really been a damned thing I've done myself that has any lasting importance.
I climb up to the little window high on the wall and peer out. I still don't see him.
"Dark?"
I turn around and peer down towards his voice. Link is over by the ladder to the cellar; he looks tired and confused, more than he should be.
"Up here."
"What are you doing up there?"
What does it look like, Link? "I was looking for you."
"Oh. I was just checking the cellar."
He's nervous; I can tell. "What are you so nervous about?"
"I don't know if I should be here. I don't..." He waves one hand in the air like he's trying to find the right word. "I don't know if I want anyone knowing that I'm here."
"Why not?" I climb down, mostly just so I don't have to keep raising my voice to talk to him.
Link sighs. "This doesn't feel like home anymore."
"Too much time chasing your dreams?"
"I didn't say that," he says, scowling. For a bit, that's all he says. He walks over to the fire and tends it, looking over our supplies like he's trying to decide what to cook.
I just watch him; there's something he wants to say, and I'm not going to force it out of him this time. He'll either tell me, or he won't. I climb back up to the little window and peer out; Epona and Rhiannon are contently grazing on the grass.
How long do we have until someone notices the horses and comes running to investigate? Maybe that's what his problem is. If that's such a terrible thing, though, why'd he come here in the first place? This was his idea, after all.
"Do you think I'm still welcome here?" Link finally asks.
"How would I know? I'm not from Ordon." I haven't even really been to the village; has he forgotten that?
He stares down at the flames. "I don't feel like I belong."
"Maybe you don't. Is that such a terrible thing?"
"Where am I supposed to go? I always thought... I never really thought about the future before. I was going to work the ranch, just like always, get married, eventually have children of my own. It's funny. I never really thought about the rest of the world until now. Does that make me selfish?"
I shrug. "You grew up here; how's it a bad thing to want to stay?"
"I'm not the same person I was then."
"Honestly, considering what all of you Ordon kids have seen, I doubt any of you are the kids who used to live here. You've all seen things that you never knew before." I give him a pointed look as I climb down and find a place to sit near the fire. "I mean, look. Colin wore a sword and shield back, remember? He actually stood guard, too. I bet he still does."
Link doesn't answer at first, but then he nods slowly. "He'll be a good swordsman. Rusl will teach him."
"He grew up." It's the truth. Granted, I didn't know the kid before all this happened, but just from what Link's said about him, Colin's grown. Then again, so has Link. "You should show him your techniques."
He frowns at that. "I can't. The shade said that they... they don't leave our bloodline. It wouldn't be right."
"You've shown them to me."
"You say that you're my shadow. I think that means you count as kin. I don't think he'd mind."
"Probably not." I wish I'd been able to meet this shade, but no. Link was the one the golden wolf always leapt at, the one the spirit wanted to talk to. Never me.
I shake my head. It's not like it would be him, anyway. "All right, if you aren't who you used to be, who are you now?"
"I don't know. I'm not sure what to think. I saw two worlds, one I didn't even know existed, defeated two evil kings, saw things no one should ever have to see... And I lost her." He takes a long, slow breath and blows it out. "Dark, what does it mean?"
"What does what mean?"
He sighs and sits down next to me. "Did I really love either of them, or was it just me being stupid and mistaking something else for love?"
I sigh; of course, he has to ask the hard questions. "If you think you loved them, then you loved them. Whether you still do or not, well, only you can answer that."
"I didn't..." He stops, biting his lip and looking away. "I never felt like this for Ilia..."
"Did you feel like this for Midna?"
He blushes; well, there's my answer, and it's also a pretty good indicator of what he means by "like this". "A little, I think."
"Then who do you feel 'like this' for, if not them?"
Link blushes more, hanging his head so his hair shields his face. "You," he finally says, his voice low.
I don't know if I should like the sound of that or not. "And just what is 'like this'?"
"I don't really know..." He turns towards me and then leans in close; he looks confused. "How do I describe it? I - I want something."
"Something?" He knows what he wants; he's just not willing to say it. Unfortunately for you, Link, I think, I've got practice dealing with this kind of thing.
He bites his lip again and nods.
"What kind of something?"
He rests his head on my shoulder, pulling himself in close, but doesn't say anything. His breath is hot against my neck, and I can feel his heart pounding in his chest. He takes another deep breath, a shaky one, and then he reaches up and puts one hand on my other shoulder.
"Dark, I..."
"You what?"
Link makes a soft noise that sounds almost like a whimper and then moves, climbing onto my lap, his head still on my shoulder.
"What's the matter?" I have to ask. "Can't find the words?"
"I can't say it," he mumbles; I barely hear him.
"I can't read your mind, Link. If you want me to do something, you have to ask me." No, I know what he wants; it's kind of obvious. Still, I can't shake that nagging little doubt that says I'm just her replacement. If he wants me, he's going to have to admit it.
He makes another almost-whimper and shifts against me. "I don't know what to --"
"What do you want?"
He looks up at me, and I can see exactly what he's feeling reflected in his eyes: he's nervous and confused and proud and vulnerable and needy all at once.
"Well?"
"I want... I want us, Dark. You and me."
"Isn't that what you have?" I ask, wrapping my arms around his back.
He apparently has to think about that. Or maybe I just caught him off guard; it's hard to tell. When he finally speaks, his voice is so soft I can barely make out the words. "I want more than that, though."
"Aren't we being selfish?" I say, grinning.
He glares at me for that and moves in, resting his forehead against mine. "I think I... You want me to take care of myself, right? To worry about myself for once? I think that means I can be a little selfish for once."
I smirk. "All right, then, if you're being selfish, what do you want?"
"Why do you keep asking me that?" He's getting flustered.
"Sooner or later, you have to answer."
He meets my gaze; he still has that feral gleam in his eyes, though I bet he'll never lose it. "Why do you keep trying to get an answer out of me?" he growls.
"Because I know you won't admit it to yourself if I don't drag it out of you." It's a bit of an exaggeration, but I don't think I care. "Come on, it's easy. What do you want?"
Link growls again and then starts kissing me. It's a rough kiss, wild and hungry. I can't hold back a soft, quick chuckle as I give in. No, that wild streak is still here, all right.
"What do you want?" I ask when he pulls back.
"I already said... I want us."
I grin at that. "Then aren't you forgetting something?" I reach down and start toying with the ties to his breeches. "Unless I'm misunderstanding you..."
He blushes, putting his hands on mine. He's going to tell me to stop, yell that I'm going too far, all of that. Yeah, I can take it.
But then he starts gently massaging my hands. "You... don't mind?"
"Do I look like I mind?"
He bites his lip again, glancing down and blushing slightly. Then he looks back up at me with that half-wild look in his eyes, and he lunges at me.
I start laughing before my back even hits the floor.
Link kisses me again, pressing himself against me. He's starting to get into it; this makes me wonder how long he's been trying to find the words for this.
"You're still forgetting something," I say softly, not bothering to hide my smirk. "There's only so much we can do with these clothes in the way."
He growls in frustration and pulls back, sitting on my thighs and yanking at his shirts. I have to laugh, because it's fun seeing him so frantic. He doesn't seem to have the slightest idea what he's doing.
I slide out from under him and start taking off my clothes, tossing them to the side. "And here I thought you knew how to undress yourself."
"You're doing this on purpose!" he snaps back.
"I'm not doing anything, remember? Besides, you're the one who wants this, right? Are you scared?" I shouldn't be teasing him like this, but all things considered... I think I deserve to make him sweat a little.
"I'm not scared! I just didn't know how to say it!"
I sit back down and look up at him. "Then why are you having so much trouble?"
He finally kicks off his breeches and then walks over to kneel beside me. He doesn't say a word; he just leans in and stares at me.
I lean in to meet him and nip at the tip of his nose. "I thought you wanted me."
"I do..." his voice is soft.
I reach up and put one hand on his side, tracing the curve of his ribs. He's muscular, of course, and I never realized until now that he has a bit of a tan. It's not much, but I can tell he spends a lot of time in the sun. He's still nowhere near as dark as me. His breath catches slightly when I let my hand slide down his side. Is he ticklish? I need to remember that for the future.
"Is it okay?" he asks.
"Of course, it is."
He looks me up and down; is he blushing again? After a moment, I feel his hands on my sides, his touch gentle.
"I'm not going to break, Link."
"I know. I'm just..."
I chuckle. "You were in a hurry earlier."
"I know." Link bites his lip again. "I'm not sure what to do."
"What were you going to do before we stripped? Do that."
"I wasn't really thinking. I just wanted to..." He leans his head against my shoulder again; his cheeks are hot. At the same time, his hands are still moving, up and down and around, calloused and rough against my skin. He's working his way downwards, too, lower and lower.
I laugh softly and slide my hands up his back. "I've got an idea: stop trying to answer me with words."
He sighs; for whatever reason, his breath feels even hotter now. He doesn't speak. He just continues to slide his hands lower. His fingers are cold against me, his touch faint and more gentle than I expected. He strokes me a couple of times before one hand slides further back.
Well, isn't this a surprise? I have to fight the urge to laugh as he tests me, or maybe he's testing himself.
He apparently mistakes the sound I make for a grunt, as he turns his head sideways and starts kissing my neck. He's trying to be tender, I can tell, but he's not entirely succeeding; there's a roughness to it that he can't entirely hide.
Not that I care. Bring on the rough; I can take it.
Link makes a soft noise -- I think he's saying something -- and then he coaxes me down onto my back. I just grin up at him. He licks his lips and leans in towards me.
"Is it all right?"
"Of course it is." Why wouldn't it be?
He nods and kisses me, gently at first but quickly getting rougher and more needy. Then he stops and pulls back. "Dark, I..."
"Don't talk," I reply, pulling him back down. "Just do."
Link nods and shifts. I'm not sure if he's fumbling or uncertain or what, but I can feel him against me, trying to position himself. It's kind of cute, I think. Can he just not decide what he wants, or is he that nervous about actually doing it?
He leans in for another kiss, sliding another finger into me while his other hand rubs my thigh. It's a little awkward, but it's good enough. He makes a soft noise and pulls back enough to look at me.
"Dark..."
"Change your mind?"
"No, I... I just..." He looks at me and just looks down at me for a moment. I could complain about him being slow, but if he keeps looking at me like this, like there's nothing else in the world but us, I won't care. I like this. Now if only he didn't look so damned confused about it.
"You just what?" I ask, keeping my voice quiet.
He opens his mouth like he's going to say something, but then he just shakes his head and looks down. I close my eyes. What is his problem, really? I wish I could say he's just stalling, but no; he's just that damned awkward.
I can't hold back a growl of irritation.
Link growls back.
"What are you growling about?" I ask, trying to keep the irritation out of my voice. "This shouldn't be hard."
"If you know so much about this, you do it," he snaps, leaning in close.
Oh, he should know better than to challenge me. "You mean that?"
He sighs and sits down next to me. "Yes, I do. I don't really know if I can."
"So, the great and mighty Hero of Twilight has met his match." I smirk. All right, if he insists... I grab him by the shoulders and shove him down onto his back, smirking wider at his gasp of surprise.
I straddle his thighs and grin down at him. "Do you want this?"
His face turns crimson; he just stares up at me. He's not just embarrassed, though. If I'm reading him right -- and I know I am -- he's turned on, too.
I put one hand on his chest; his heart's racing. "Do you want me?" I rake my nails down his chest, down his stomach, down until I hear him suck in a quick breath. He doesn't answer me.
That's all right with me. I move my hand back up to his chest and repeat the motion, harder this time. Then I do it a third time, and then a fourth, going a little slower and a little lower each time. He's breathing hard, grabbing at the floor.
"Are you going to answer me?" I ask.
"Dark...!" It's soft, and it's a little strained, and that's exactly how I like it.
I laugh. Okay, that counts as an answer. It takes little convincing to get him to wrap his legs around my waist; good, that makes it easier to reach down and test him. "It's easier if you relax."
"I - I'm trying."
I shift position so I can nip at his jaw, and I kiss a line down his neck; it's hopefully something calming. Why's he so tense now? I'm not doing this to hurt him, and he damned well wanted this a few moments ago.
"I can stop."
"No, don't..." He grabs my hands with his own. "I just..."
I lean in close. "You just what?"
"I don't know what to do..." He nuzzles my shoulder, tightening his hands around mine. "I feel like I'm going to lose control of myself."
Now I see why he keeps hesitating. I nip at his neck. "Then lose control."
"But --"
I pull one of my hands loose so I can twine our fingers together. "You heard me, Link. In fact, I want you to."
He has just enough time to look up at me all confused and aroused before I slide into him, and then he just closes his eyes and squeezes my hands.
"See?" I whisper in his ear. "It's fun this way." I move my hands to his hips and start moving. Damn; I'd almost forgotten just how good this could feel. Link just grabs at my shoulders and groans deep in his throat. I don't stop, not even when I feel teeth on my shoulder. I try to laugh, but I'm too out of breath for that. So instead I just close my eyes and focus on how everything feels until I can't feel anymore.
Then it's just him and me, gasping for breath. I lower him to the floor, but he's still clinging to me, so I just lay half-on, half-off of him. It lets me catch my breath, after all.
Once I get my voice back, I have to ask, "Was that what you wanted?"
"Uh-huh." He nods as he says it, letting my shoulders go and laying back. He's staring up at me, his gaze half-focused. I bet he needed that. I know I did.
As much as I don't want to, I make myself get up and wash off. The room seems cold now that I'm not pressed against him.
"Dark?"
"What is it?"
When I turn back to him, Link has his head craned sideways so he can see me. It looks kind of awkward. "You just got up."
"I'm cleaning off."
"Oh, okay." He closes his eyes.
I snicker; he looks tired. "You should, too. You'll get sticky."
"I'm used to being dirty."
"Not like this, you aren't. Come on; wash off before I do it."
He doesn't. He just lays there, looking perfectly comfortable. I sigh. I should just let him lay there and deal with the consequences. But instead, I take the damp rag over there and clean his chest and stomach. Link watches me while I do.
"Thank you," he finally says.
I laugh and start to stand up; he grabs my wrist. "What?"
"I mean it, Dark. Thank you... for all of this."
"All right. You're welcome." I check the fire; it's still burning fine. "So, have you decided if you want to stay here or not yet?" If we're staying, I might try cooking something; I'm getting kind of hungry now.
"Tonight, at the very least. I need to figure some stuff out." Link gets up and walks over next to me. "What are you doing?"
"Trying to figure out what to cook. We've still got some of that rice."
"There're some dried vegetables down in the cellar. We could add those in."
That sounds pretty good to me, really. "Then we should get stuff started, shouldn't we?"
He nods. It doesn't take us long to get redressed and get our dinner started. Once it's going, I make myself comfy near the fire. Link does the same, leaning against my shoulder.
"So. What kind of stuff did you need to figure out?"
He sighs. "If Ordon doesn't feel like home... then somewhere else has to, right?"
"Not necessarily. Sometimes it's not a place that feels like home. Sometimes it's more a feeling."
He doesn't say anything. That's fine. There's not really anything I can say, anyway. I learned a long time ago how it works for me. But I'm not him, so only he can answer that.
"I think I'm going to talk to Mayor Bo tomorrow," he says, putting his hand on top of mine.
"I'm not going to stop you."
"I know."
I grin. He's a lot calmer than he was before. "What if someone figures out we're here?"
He sighs. "I don't know. I'll start by introducing you, but after that... I'm not sure."
That works. At the very least, he's finally made his mind up about something.
"Dark, is it okay if we just stay here for now?"
"It's your house. You decide how long we stay."
Link shakes his head; his hair tickles across my shoulder. "That's not what I meant. Can we just stay like this for a while, just you and me?"
I just laugh; after all this, does he think I'm going to say no? "Of course."