Raising the Stakes; Zelink Coffee Shop AU (The Legend Of Zelda)

Chapter Twenty Eight

12/1/17

~*~
Friday

(5:10 P.M)

Link had been switching the settings on the game... and then the controller was halfway to the ground. He caught it before it hit, but then he was stuck still, bent over as he held it above the floor.

I swallowed; doubt was setting in fast. I didn't think I could do this. Real life flirting was not my forte. I'd barely ever had practice. All of it had been in the past month.

Do it Zelda. Come on.

"It shouldn't be that much of a surprise," I said, now looking at my own controller.

"And why is that?" he asked, his voice hesitant.

I bit my lip. "Well I..." I trailed off and closed my eyes for a moment. "Because I had one of the best days of my life with you... and I want more of that."

Link glanced over at the controller in my hands, then trailed his gaze up to my face.

I looked up at him but immediately had to abort. Explain yourself Zelda. "Maybe that sounds kinda sad to say... It sorta outlines my life as a depressing one... but it's not sad to me; saying I had my best day with you. That's happy. Because I was happy." I took a breath. Keep going. You can talk. "... Honestly, my life was what it was. Now it's... changing. I'm making a new story." One I hope will be the final draft.

After maybe two seconds of silence, I regretted everything. Stupid. I brought my hand to my face and sighed. "I'm sorry," I said. "You probably don't know how to respond to this. I just... sometimes..."

Link shook his head slowly. "Maybe not, but that doesn't mean you have to apologize for saying it."

I still groaned and hid my face in my hands. "I ruined the conversation."

He grabbed one of my hands and gently tugged it down. "No you didn't, all you did was change it." 

I looked down, then over at him. "I..." I closed my eyes. 

"Don't say sorry..." he said. 

I gave a light chuckle. "I... was going to..." I dropped my other hand and then stared at where it fell. Just an inch away from his hand; and I wanted to hold it. To have the warmth of his touch distract me from the ice of my past. "I don't... want to think about this anymore..." As I spoke it was as though my throat had caught on my own self-doubt. Doubt that I was worth anything, doubt that anything was real...

Link nodded, a slight dip of his head. "It's... up to you," he replied.

I picked the controller up out of my lap and started a new match.

He didn't move at first; his hand still resting on my sleeve. He pressed his lips together and then turned back to the screen.

As we played a couple more matches I realized that he wasn't quite... into it. He wasn't going easy on me, he just wasn't playing well. 

I gritted my teeth. Why did I have to go and ruin a good time? Way to go, numbskull.

"Link... I'm sorry for turning the mood-" I began to say.

"Zelda, please." He put his controller on the floor and turned to me, holding up his hands. "This, whatever this is, isn't going to help you." 

I looked at him and then quickly focused my attention on the couch cushion. "I don't... "

"Saying something and then beating yourself up for it. Opening up a bit and then closing yourself off more than before." Link put his hand on my shoulder. "You don't have to do that. I know that it's bothering you. Even if you don't want to tell me-"

I backed up instinctively and found myself on the sidearm of the couch. "It's not that I don't trust you, Link, I just..." I trailed off. "I don't want to think about it any more than I have to." 

Link shook his head. "Trust me when I say that ignoring an issue doesn't fix it." 

I shook my head too. "I can't. Not here. Not now."

You can't keep going like this forever. 

I was just fine for the last month. 

Oooh yeah, a month. Setting records aren't you, Zel. 

Ah shut up. 

"It's up to you, Zelda..." he repeated. "Just know that you don't have to spare me from anything you think is too painful to share. Talking about it lessens the hurt." 

That made me look up at him. Do you know this from experience?

Then I forced my head to move, and I nodded. "I'll... keep that in mind." I bit my lip. The conversation was all well and good... he wanted to help... but... there was only so much depth of words I could take. Distraction. Now, please. "Can I play Legends?" 

Link's look of concern turned to worry, but then both emotions vanished as he smiled. "Of course." 

He stood up to switch the games and I moved back onto the couch cushions. I am such a mess. Why the heck did I have to get all sensitive now! This is not going to win him.

Win him? What is he, a prize? This isn't a fairground.

I inwardly scoffed. Nothing fair about this.

"Do you want me to go?" Link asked as the game began to load. 

I looked over at him in dismay. "What? No!" 

He raised an eyebrow. 

I wasn't embarrassed at how loudly I'd spoken. "The last thing I want is to be alone right now." I don't want to be alone ever... "Honestly I want to-" I stopped and shook my head. "Oh goddess... saying this out loud feels really..." 

He titled his head as he sat down. "What do you want?" 

I bit my lip. "Well... I just want a distraction. I want... I need to stop thinking about it. At least for awhile." 

The corner of his mouth twitched into a smirk for a fleeting moment. "Oh? What did you have in mind?" 

I opened my mouth for a split second, then shut it and narrowed my eyes. Is he playing along to help me or being serious and flirting with me? The thought almost made me choke. "Well..." I swallowed. I'm just going to die now. "A repeat of the gazebo... I suppose..." Ah yes, I could feel the heat creeping up my neck.

He raised an eyebrow. "Which part?" he asked smoothly, then suddenly he was very close. "This one?"

Like a deer in the headlights, I found myself staring into his eyes. Then, without meaning to, I flicked my gaze down.

By the time I had realized what I'd done and forced my attention back up, he had already noticed. Or that's what I assumed the look in his eyes meant.

"The..." I had to take a breath. "...the other one."  

His head tilted to the side and his lips pulled upward into a pondering expression. He nodded slightly. "Ah, yes, the other one..." He raised his hand up to his chin as he 'thought' about it. "I think that can be arranged." 

Before I could formulate a response, or a backup/escape plan, Link had put his arms around me and drawn back.

He'd picked me up. Like I weighed nothing to him... which may have actually been the case.

He then turned and sat back down at an angle on the couch, leaving me facing the screen. "Enough of a distraction?" he asked. 

A quick laugh escaped my mouth. Even as I replied I found my voice breathless. "Yeah, enough."