Be True [Male!Reader x Link] VI

“(Name), don’t you think we should stop for the night?”

“Pft, no, why would we?”

“It’s night time and monsters come out at night?”

“Oooh, I’m so scared of the big bad monsters when my brave knight is on the same horse as me,” (Name) retorted sassily, inadvertently complimenting Link’s strength and making the blonde blush a tad. “I’ve done this countless times, Greenie, I think I can do it a few more times before I kick the bucket.”

Link scoffed and rolled his eyes, a fond smile lilting his lips up. “Look, can’t we just stay at Lon Lon Ranch?” The hero sighed as he heard his companion whine about sleeping on hay piles and how chickens scared him. “I’ll protect you from the chickens, okay? Besides, hay piles really aren’t that uncomfortable.”

“Fine!” (Name) gave in, sighing loudly. “But if one chicken touches me, I will scream and stab you with your own sword,” he finished, yawning loudly and finally feeling a punch of tiredness hit him.

I hate it when he’s right… Which is, like, all the time… The mailman thought bitterly, a subconscious pout weaving onto his features.

“(Name), is it alright if I ask you a question?” Link’s soft voice splashed a sudden look of curiosity onto the young man’s face. Taking his silence as affirmation, Link inhaled and briefly thought about how to ask his question before speaking. “Who is Serus?”

“Serus?” The listener blinked, half because of seeing two men in Kakariko dancing about in front of a tree and half because of Link’s random question. “Uhm, he’s a friend. He stuck with me throughout everything, which was actually a shit ton of stuff, and he’s never turned his back on me before…” (Name)’s eyes smiled. “He’s one of the people who I’d throw my life away for.”

“I see…” Link murmured, feeling a swirling tornado of jealousy and anger plume in his chest. Hot lava of greed pulsed through his veins as he thought about how utterly vile Serus acted, only slapping on his sweet persona around (Name), fooling him into submission…

“He’s not a bad guy, Link.” (Name) interjected as if hearing the blonde’s thoughts. “He’s just worried about me. Serus is the only one who actually looked out for me ever since I showed up in Castle Town. He’s like my older brother, sort of, so relax,” He chuckled, slipping off of Epona as they stopped in the Ranch.

“Ah, Link, my boy! Good to see you back here!” Talon called, bringing a hearty laughter with him as he approached the two. Link smiled, but (Name) shrunk back, opting to pay attention to Epona and shuffle away from the stocky man instead of attempting to introduce himself.

“It’s good to see you again, Talon,” Link said, smiling as he shook the other man’s hand firmly. “Look, I hate to ask this right away, but I have a favor to ask…”

(Name) tuned out their conversation and instead focused on the amber horse in front of him, and then the red headed young woman who approached him and Epona.  

“Hiya! I’m Malon,” A hint of a twang played on her sweet voice as she spoke, making her appear to be a stereotypical farm girl. “You Link’s friend?” She asked, her body language gesturing that she didn’t really care as she glanced at Link.

Wait, is she looking at his ass? (Name) thought incredulously. “Uhm, no, he’s just escorting me somewhere,” he mumbled in reply, cursing silently at his poor social skills.

“Ah, I see. Well, real fancy meetin’ you!” She said, flashing a bright smile before skipping towards Link and hugging him. Almost at the same moment, Epona ran towards the fence and neighed, calling her old friends over for a small reunion. Well, now he felt awkward.

”Oi,” A voice hissed in a hushed tone from the shadows. Reflexively, (Name) turned and scanned across the darkness of the night; however, his gaze locked onto a particularly dark mass standing between the two buildings on the path that lead to the exit of Lon Lon Ranch. A soft chuckle from the figure sent chills rippling down (Name)’s spine, sparking his heart into an over-paced state and causing chilled blood to rush through his veins, rendering the boy immobile, staring.

In the blink of an eye, the mass was gone.

”What’s wrong?” The same slithering voice asked, taunts dripping from its words. ”You scared without your big, brave hero here to save you from a little shadow like me?” (Name)’s heartbeat started to fill his ears and his eyes grew wide as he frantically searched for the source of the voice, eager to just find out what in Din’s name was so pleased to torment him.

“Leave me alone,” The (h/c) boy murmured weakly, feeling frail as he softly pleaded for the thing to leave him alone. A quiet hum sounded behind (Name). Before he could turn around, a cold, concentrated exhale washed over the nape of his neck, the feeling of cold needles pricking his skin following soon afterwards.

“Even your ‘Hero’ is scared of me, y’know.” (Name) grimaced at the sickeningly sweet tone of the shadow’s voice. Suddenly, firm, rough hands turned the (e/c) boy around forcefully. Churning crimson orbs of intense malice and spite met wide (e/c) eyes and, for a known yet unknown reason, tears started to pool in his eyes, pleasing the creature. ”It’s always cute when a victim cries in fear.”

Though his mind shouted at him to stay quiet, though his throat was closing in on itself in anxiety and fear, (Name) still somehow whispered out a few delicate words.

“I… I have never… Never… seen someone filled with so much hate…”

Yet, the shadow only smiled to his words and murmured its own hushed words which (Name) left speechless.

“Hey, (Name)?” Link’s smooth voice cut the shadow in half, making the boy previously held hostage watch it flutter away in wisps of black smoke. “We’re clear to stay in the barn. Malon offered for me to stay in her room, but—“

“You should have taken the offer,” (Name) interjected, feeling a bit bitter and shaken from the encounter. Maybe that thing’s hatred infected him…

Link rolled his eyes, deciding that the boy was probably just tired. “Come on,” He murmured softly, taking his companion by the wrist gently and leading him to the small, yet surprisingly cozy, barn which held heaps of hay. Link dumped most of his belongings beside one of the piles before gracefully flopping onto one of the piles with a satisfied sigh. (Name), on the other hand, nervously looked around before sitting in the adjacent pile. Link noticed. “Is something wrong, (Name)?” He asked quietly, silently admiring the way the moonlight cloaked his companion in a veil of silver.

Without so much of an answer, the boy being questioned crawled towards Link and snuggled up beside him, burying his face into the tacky green tunic he both loved and hated. Link’s heart beat a little bit faster as he was suddenly embraced, but, nonetheless, wrapped his arms around the other’s waist like he’d done many times before when the younger had a nightmare. (Name) tucked his head under the knight’s chin and let out a wavering sigh. “Have… Have you ever been scared…?” (Name) asked, feeling a bit silly for asking such a question.

“Of course,” the hero responded right away, tightening his arms around the body currently pressed against his. “I don’t think I’d be human if I wasn’t afraid of some things on my journey, but I got used to them, you know? After a while, monsters don’t seem so scary. Especially after slaying a few yourself.” He confessed, burying his nose into (h/c) locks and inhaling the exotic scent of the great sea that was unique to (Name).

Smiling, (Name) hummed, feeling more at ease in the arms of the man he held so dear. “I guess I should probably slay some monsters myself then, ne?” He cooed, releasing all tension in his shoulders. Link chuckled and hummed in agreement before allowing a soothing silence to cleanse the air.

However, two crimson lights shone in the darkness, watching the two sleep in peace. With a slick grin, he echoed the hushed words he spoke to (Name) that embedded themselves into his mind forever.

You will never be able to get rid of me for the components that created me are found in each and every one of you pathetic human beings; you may be able to slay monsters and the Lord of Darkness, but you can’t kill HATE.