Bring me to Light

A.N: I go back to uni in like, 2 days, so I won't be able to update for a while. Probably 3-4 weeks depending on when I next get home. I've only updated one chapter this time, hope you'll be patient and bear with me for the updates. Sorry for the delay/
***

Red eyes blinked open tiredly, trying to fall blissfully shut again but being forced open by a guilty conscience. But Goddess, wasn’t this just so warm and comfortable? Lying in bed with your still sleeping lover, trapped lovingly in an inescapable embrace.

Sheik reached up, flicking a strand of blonde out of his face, before settling back onto the bed fully in a more comfortable position beneath the sheets. Admittedly, it was difficult to be completely comfortable when there were two almost fully grown men resting together in a bed that would only be adequate for a small child but…it just proved to be an excuse for Sheik to snuggle closer to his…boyfriend, he supposed would be the correct term.

He looked up to Link as the Hylian jostled slightly in his sleep, his head turning towards the window, exposing the clean lines of his neck and shoulders.

The Sheikah smiled lightly, a tanned hand reaching up to smooth across the plains of Link’s bare chest before sliding up to hook over his shoulder, eyes turning to the window.

From the light filtering through, dawn must have broken hours ago for the sky was clear blue and the light, white. Which meant that it was well into the day and that he should have been up hours ago.

He found himself unable to care, using the excuse that he never had a lie-in usually and that, considering the current events, he was allowed to rot in bed for a change.

Of course, that excuse wasn’t really valid anymore, considering he had used it everyday for the past week and a half. Since the return from the water temple and the…events that had followed from there.

He stirred at the memory, the fact that he was pressed up against Link’s body doing nothing to help quell the feeling.

The older blonde shifted again suddenly in his sleep, turning over fully to face Sheik left hand flopping heavily into his ribs.

Sheik grunted and rolled his eyes. The down side of sleeping next to Link was that the Hylian moved every few minutes and it was rarely just the shifting of an arm. In fact, it was usually an almost earth shattering experience when you were woken suddenly and painfully, by the fact a man twice your size and weight had just flopped on top of you. Unconsciously. So the full weight came crashing down at once.

Link had woken instantly at the Sheikah’s muffled grunt of pain and spent most of the hours following apologising profusely.

And it seemed Sheik’s slight noise had woken the Hylian this time too. Sheik found it astounding that someone who could sleep through a thunderstorm (or so Link claimed) was woken by a partner giving a barely audible grunt.

He wasn’t about to try and send him off to sleep though and Sheik found himself once again mesmerised by Link’s slow awakening.

Eyelids fluttered so quickly that the deep blue irises beneath appeared as blue flashes before the blinking slowed. Blue eyes roamed before resting on Sheik and he smiled instantly at the sight of his partner cuddled up next to him.

“Good morning.” Link greeted, leaning in to nuzzle at Sheik’s neck in greeting. It seemed that for some reason, that particular body part was more attractive to Link than any other. Well, almost.

“Morning.” Sheik replied, a hand lifting to course up the back of Link’s head, spiking up his already unruly hair.

Link drew away from Sheik’s neck before kissing his forehead lightly and settling in next to him, holding tightly.

“I’m not going anywhere you know Link.” Sheik stated, gesturing to the strong grip Link had on him.

“I know…I just like keeping you here with me.”

“Well we’re going to have to get up in a moment anyway.”

“What?! Why would you say that? That’s just mean.”

“The horses need attending to. They’re becoming increasingly annoyed at being shut in for so long.”

“That’s only because they’re used to you turning them out at ungodly hours.”

“3 o’clock in the morning is not an ungodly hour.”

“You just keep telling yourself that.”

Sheik snorted. “It’s at least 9 o’clock now though…”

“Oh the horror.” Link mumbled, dragging Sheik back towards him as the younger blonde attempted to climb out of the bed.

“Link! Let me…”

Soft kisses against his shoulder quietened him

“That’s…not fair.”

“What you gonna do about it?”

“…I’m not putting out tonight.”

Link shrugged “As long as you put out now that doesn’t bother me.”

Sheik turned, slapping lightly at Link’s hand.

“Up. Now.”

“Already am.” The Hylian winked. Sheik grinned, rolling his eyes and pulling away from Link, leaving him alone in the bed.

“Not fair. It’s lonely now.”

“Well that’s your punishment for not letting me out.”

“That’s not a punishment Sheik, it’s a side-effect and it’s exactly why I was trying to keep you inthe bed.”

Sheik didn’t reply, instead grabbing a handful of clothing from the chair beside the bed, trotting backwards to avoid Link when he made a grab for him.

“I’m going to bathe. Now. You. Up.” The younger blonde repeated before turning and leaving the house to go and bath in the lake.

Link sat bolt-upright at the thought, lunging out of the bed, grabbing his own clothing from the chair as he stumbled after his partner, calling for him to wait.

--

Link stretched out on the grass, watching the sun as it pulled itself through the sky, swatting Epona’s nose away as she nudged him.

“What?”

Another nudge.

“What do you want, girl?”

A hoof stamped into the ground.

“Yeesh. If you’re gonna be like that I’m going.” he stood up, dusting himself off and moving away from the mare as she started grazing at the patch of grass he had just moved from. Her favourite wild-plant was growing there, although it was slightly squashed now.

Link edged closer, trying to take a closer look at the plant when the mare snorted in warning. He straightened and stared at her.

“Women are mean!”

The horse nickered as if in agreement and Link patted her lightly on the flank before heading back to the house for lunch.

“Your girlfriend is mean.” He commented to Thara as he passed him.

“Why is she mean?”

Link stared at the stallion for a moment, stunned, before his eyes flicked up, noticing Sheik sitting in his usual perch by the gossip stone.

“She threw me out of my spot!”

“Oh how evil.”

“It is I tell you. She’s getting really moody lately.”

“I had noticed she has been a little more…temperamental as of late.”

“I bet you your damn stallion’s got her pregnant.”

“I don’t.”

“Care to place money on it?”

“No. But I will bet you that she’s not.”

“And what if I win?”

“…I’ll do anything you want in there.” Sheik pointed to the bedroom window.

“You’re so on.”

“Good. Now…I believe it’s your turn to make lunch.”

“Why’s it my turn?”

“Because I’m waiting for news.” Sheik gestured to the stone.

Link rolled his eyes, stalking for the house and muttering to himself about having to do ‘dinner-duties’.

Sheik smiled warmly at the retreating figure…and the smile suddenly dropped as the stone next to him gave a sharp whistle, announcing a new message.

Frowning, he turned to the rock, dreading the message before he accessed it. The message was clearer than last time, as if the awakening of another sage had cleared the air of some of the evil disturbance.

“Sheik...I’ve heard from Impa that…completed the Shadow……well done. You’ve succeeded as always…I trust…were informed of…plan. Without Impa I have no protec…must disguise…as you for… time. When you travel for….Valley, I will meet you at the entrance….exchange places. Send Link ahead. He must not know…the switch.

I expect you…tomorrow.”

Sheik gritted his teeth at the information, his eyes unfocused as the implications of the situation slammed over him.

Tomorrow, he would accompany Link to the Gerudo Valley. He would send him on ahead whilst Zelda disguised herself as him and took his place at Link’s side. He didn’t know when he would be allowed to reappear to Link again.

…Link had no idea. No idea of what lay ahead tomorrow. No idea that he would be facing the people that had imprisoned him for seven long years in less than 24 hours.

Sheik dropped his head.

He wouldn’t even be at his side to bolster him or support him, whatever he needed. Instead, Zelda would be there… a woman Link barely knew and hadn’t seen in seven years.

Oh Zelda was nice enough as herself but…she would be playing the Sheik that she thought would be travelling with the hero of time.

She would be playing the cold, mission-driven Sheikah warrior that everyone but Link and Impa saw. There was no way she could play who he was when he was with Link. She had no idea of what had occurred between them. Impa made that quite clear in the shadow temple. Sheknew perfectly well, had realised the moment she had seen the two young men standing together…but perhaps she had had her own suspicions before hand anyway. When Sheik had carried an unconscious Link into her house, dripping with rain water. He had been in pain, his ribs bruised from the heavy fall to the ground and yet he had struggled to carry in a man almost twice his size…and he had been so reluctant to let Impa get near him. So possessive he had become of his Hylian. Yes, his.

The more Sheik thought about it, the more obvious it became to him why Impa had been able to see it.

But Zelda…she was the issue here. She didn’t know and Sheik didn’t know whether it was a godsend or an omen of destruction.

On the plus side…if she didn’t know, she couldn’t react badly. On the downside…she would play a Sheik that had suddenly frozen up inside. And Gods, Link would question her; ask why hewas being so cold, what he had done wrong. He would give it away.

And he would be alone, emotionally, in facing the Gerudo.

And Zelda wouldn’t understand why he was calling on stoic Sheik for help.

And she would find out.

And…

The thoughts played continuously in his head, a sickening series of realisations pounding into him over and over again.

Until one thing broke through.

“Sheik?! You coming in? Lunch is ready and I thought we could talk about the next temple. You haven’t told me anything about it yet.”

The shadow warrior swallowed heavily. “I’ll be there in a moment.”

Link turned, returning to the house, oblivious.

‘Oh gods I have to tell him to go and face the people who tortured him for seven years without any form of support.’

Almost falling from the tree Sheik trudged for the house.

Hewas the one who had to tell him…and he could very well be the one picking up the shattered remains of their relationship.

--

“So? You want to tell me about the next stage? Link asked Sheik, leaning back in his chair as he washed down lunch with a glass of milk.

“Not really.” Sheik replied, chasing a piece of corn around his plate.

“Oh so I’m going in blind? Could be fun.” He laughed, his heart light with new found love.

Sheik swallowed thickly around the lump in his throat.

The laughter trailed off, drying up far too quickly for him notto have noticed that Sheik wasn’t feeling the same way.

Sheik didn’t know of course. He was too busy staring at the table.

“Sheik? What’s wrong?”

“…You’re…not going to like this…”

“I don’t like any of the temples...”

“…you might hate me for not telling you sooner…”

“Doubt it.”

“Take this seriously for once Link! This is not a game; this is not something you’re going to be able to laugh off like you have done everything else.”

The Hylian straightened, mouth opening a little in shock and brow crumpling. He had never heard the Sheikah raise his voice in anger and he most certainly had never snapped at Link for something so trivial before.

“…So tell me then.” Link found his voice a tad choked as he replied to his partner who had dropped his eyes apologetically and was shaking his head as if it would get rid of whatever it was he was about to tell him.

“Link…the next temple,” he swallowed, dreading Link’s reaction “…is in the desert.”

Red eyes flicked up to meet blue, narrowed with confusion.

“That’s all?” He shrugged “It’s not a big deal; we’ll just warp to the temple, right?”

Sheik bit his lip, wishing he had the mask on to hide behind as he shook his head.

“We cannot warp there. Prophecy and legend state that the hero must face the thieves of the desert. We have to go through the valley and fortress.”

He heard the sharp intake of breath before quiet, stunted laughter broke out. The Sheikah lifted his eyes to look at the chuckling Hylian.

Except the chuckle was more a sort of hiccup and the hero’s chest was heaving, his eyes showing anxiety, nearing panic.

“You’re…you’re kidding right?” he tried again to laugh it off, giving up when he saw Sheik shake his head again.

“Sheik…I can’t!”

“I know that…”

“No Sheik! You don’t know! They’ll rip me to shreds the second I walk in there and once they’ve beaten me to a pulp I’ll be back in prison, being their bitch again!” He had risen from his chair and was now pacing anxiously behind the chair, had running through his hair, face contorted with distress.

Sheik felt his gut and heart twist at the expression, the knowledge that he was the one causing the man he loved so much anguish.

He swallowed again heavily, for once at a complete and total loss for what to say.

“I can’t do it.” Link repeated, eyes distant as he paced.

“Y..”

Sheik hadn’t even got the first syllable out before Link rounded on him.

“You knew about this didn’t you? You’ve known all along.” Distress had changed to anger, his lip curling as he snarled out the words at his lover.

Sheik nodded dumbly.

“Why the hell didn’t you tell me sooner? Now I have, what? A week? Before I have to go and face those whores.”

His gut twisted again and Sheik shook his head.

“The princess requests that we leave tomorrow.”

Link scoffed at the news. “Tell her thanks.”

‘You’ll be able to tell her yourself, though you won’t know it’s her.’

“Why didn’t you tell me before?” The Hylian demanded, hands curling on the back of the chair he had been sitting in when Sheik had delivered the news.

“..I…was…afraid of what your reaction would be.”

“Really? Back at the beginning? When you told me there was,” he adjusted his voice to something deeper in mockery of Sheik’s low tones “‘One in a deep forest, one on a high mountain, one under a vast lake, one in the house of the dead…”

“One in the goddess of the sand.” Sheik finished

“Ambiguous I must say.”

“Where did you expect a goddess of the sand to be? Each temple is set in a different environment…I would’ve hoped you’d have realised.”

“Well I didn’t. Thanks for letting me know in such advance though; at least it means I’ll only spend one night panicking.”

“I never meant any harm Link. It’s the last thing I wanted to do…If I had told you every day for the months we’ve known each other, would it have helped?”

Link dropped his head, suddenly seeming defeated. “It might’ve given me some time to come to terms with it but…”

“You’d be terrified of going back either way.”
“Yeah…not surprisingly. You would be too.”
“I’ve never said that you have no reason to not want to go back and I understand why you don’t.”

The Hylian nodded glumly, sighing.

“Complaining’s not gonna get me out of it is it?”

Sheik shook his head. “No. But you can do this Link. I have every faith in you that you can overcome this.”

“…Just be ready to rescue me again, ok?”

“You won’t need it. You’ll win against them.”

“Let’s hope so.”

Sheik pulled himself up from his chair and wandered over to Link, lifting his hand to rest it on Link’s shoulder, frowning when the Hylian shrunk away from him and moved to the door.

“Just…give me some space for a while, k?”

Averting his eyes, Sheik nodded, letting the hero leave before dropping his head into his hands as he sank into a chair, wondering what the hell he had just done to them.

--

Link stared up at a greying sky, blue eyes searching for the last white ray of the sun before clouds engulfed it.

How ironic that it mirrored his feelings so perfectly. Earlier that day he had been light-hearted. Happy. Content. Blissfully unaware.

He should’ve known it wouldn’t last. Because it never does, does it?

No, was the answer. The world and its people were filled with crap sometimes and it made him wonder if it was worth saving.

He looked back towards the house, where Sheik was presumably tearing himself apart. Or maybe he was laughing. Link didn’t really know anymore. He had thought he understood Sheik, that he had found someone who had understood him in turn…and then he goes and springs this on him? Some lover.

Link sighed, eyes straying to the bedroom window, hoping for a glimpse of his boyfriend and a smile tugged at his lips at the word, just because it didn’t suit the Sheikah in any sense.

Boyfriend was such a…childish term, such a small term that didn’t even begin to describe the shadow warrior. The one who was showing everything of himself.

The Hylian found his thoughts being battered back and to, doubts about Sheik’s love for him being beaten back by the obvious evidence that he did care.

‘He springs this upon me, knowing what the information would do but…everything he’s said, that couldn’t possibly be a lie, could it?’

He didn’t know anymore. All that he knew was that it was starting to rain and the sky was darkening with a hastening nightfall.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Epona and Thara wander into the stables for shelter and he looked back to the house. He wanted to go back but…he wasn’t sure whether he’d be able to face his partner yet, though he knew he would have to do it sometime. Trying to avoid Sheik forever was irrational and impossible. Besides, it wasn’t actually Sheik’s fault that he had to go to the desert…Sheik was just a messenger as far as this situation and it wasn’t fair to attack him just for conveying information.

No. This wasn’t Sheik’s fault. It was Zelda’s.

She was the one who dragged him into this and though Link had no doubt that it wasn’t done maliciously, or even consciously, it was still her who had brought this about.

But…was it fair for him to blame someone when they didn’t intend to do it? Maybe it was. Maybe it wasn’t. He didn’t know. He didn’t care. It didn’t matter right now anyway, it would be a while before he faced Zelda again anyway and even then…he probably wouldn’t say anything. Just smile, and nod and act like nothing was wrong because that’s what he would always do with her. It was Sheik who would pick up the pieces that Zelda spilt on the floor.

Of course, Link had thought that he wouldn’t ever be going back to the desert again. Now he was. So maybe he would be meeting Zelda sooner than he thought.

He shook his head, realising that rain had soaked through his tunic and was beginning to soak into the undershirt beneath.

He would face the Gerudo, not because he had no choice, but because he could. He could do it because Sheik would be with him, aiding him like he had with everything else.

--

The kitchen door swung open soundlessly, and it was only the sudden draught of cold air that alerted Sheik to the fact it had been open. He turned, mushroom in one hand, knife in the other, to see a rather soggy looking Link standing in the doorway removing his boots.

He looked up sheepishly.

“Room for a coward?” he asked, looking unsure, setting his boots by the door.

“No. But I see no coward.”

Link smiled half-heartedly, closing the door behind him as he walked into the warmth of the room.

“I…uh…shut the horses in. They’d already taken shelter so I figured I’d save you a trip into the rain.”

“Thank you.”

Sheik turned back to the meal he was preparing, stiffening when he felt cold hands at his waist.

“I’m sorry.”

Sheik relaxed, cutting away the skin of a mushroom as he diced it and threw it into a pot of soup. “What for?”

“Being an ass.”

“You’re a donkey now?” he looked over his shoulder. “You still look like a Hylian to me.”

The older blonde gave his partner a weak grin.

“I’m sorry for being such an idiot about…tomorrow.”

“You have nothing to be sorry about, Link. It is my fault for not telling you before hand.”

“No it’s..”

Sheik turned, placing a free hand at Link’s mouth.

“Enough,” he pulled his hand away. “I made a mistake, and you became upset as a result, no-one can blame you for it, considering the situation. We’ll say no more about it, as long as you’re happy enough not to…ok?”

Link nodded, slipping his arms around Sheik’s waist fully.

“You’re wet.” Sheik complained.

“Well that’s what happens when you sit outside in the rain.”

“Well done for realising that. Now go get changed before dinner.”

Link smiled, releasing him and wandering into the bedroom to get changed.

--

Sheik collapsed, shuddering and gasping beneath Link’s body as pleasure crashed over him in a coup de grace that left him almost paralytic. He could feel Link behind him, reaching his own finale as he cried out, hands gripping sheets on either side of Sheik.

He slid down a moment later, resting against Sheik’s back, kissing sweat-moistened skin as Sheik squirmed,

“You ok?”

“Fine just…”

The Hylian lifted his body, freeing the Sheikah who rolled onto his back and settled into his partner as he lowered himself onto the bed again.

Tanned arms wrapped about pale shoulders as one long, lithe leg slid between Link’s knees, allowing Sheik to pull himself closer to his lover.

“Love you.” Link murmured, taking a hand from around his shoulders and kissing it gently.

“Ditto.”

“How romantic.” The Hylian commented at the brusque response, closing his eyes when bare fingers traced the faint white scars on his neck and cheek where his own shadow had decided to turn him into a piece of art.

Sheik flashed a grin as he relaxed against the bed, eyes tracing the contours of Link’s body.

Despite the fact they had just made love, he found himself wanting to be part of that body again, and his hands wandered lower to tease at Link’s chest.

He couldn’t shake the feeling that this was their last night together, and he couldn’t bear the thought of going away without that experience one last time.

Link shifted his hands stroking at Sheik’s shoulders languidly, trying to soothe him as he felt the other man’s ministrations becoming needy.

“I’ll still be here tomorrow.”

“I know.” Lips kissed at the tip of Link’s ear as a tongue slipped out to trace the sharp edge. His leg shifted up between Link’s pressing firmly against him and rubbing slowly, working him up again.

Link rolled on top of him suddenly, pinning him to the bed before grinding against Sheik. The shadow warrior writhed.

“I love you…”

Link caught his lips, hushing him. “I know.”

Sheik trailed his hands up Link’s back to tangle in blonde locks, holding him tightly.

“Still not going anywhere,” Link smiled, whispering the words “Relax. Forget about tomorrow. Worry about it then.”
“Can’t I worry about it now?”

“No. I’m gonna make you forget.”

“How?”

Link thrust sharply, causing Sheik to gasp.

“Stupid question.”

Link laughed pulling the sheets over him and his lover as he took him.

And yet in the back of both men’s minds the thoughts of tomorrow remained, hanging silently in the air like tattered thought balloons, sinking in the weight of what needed to be said.
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Please review. All are greatly appreciated.