New Home - BotW Link x Reader (Undergoing Revisions)

Chapter 07 - Restlessness

The rest of our dinner passed in a relative sort of quiet, one that was peaceful. Actually, that was the most surprising part, really. That comforting silence was one that was hard to achieve artificially, and hard to notice naturally. If it was forced, it wouldn't feel right, and as soon as it gets noticed, it gets harder to get lost in it.

It was also reserved for people that trusted each other. Occasionally, if Leah and I were working together doing our own things in the same space, we'd creep into that sort of calm quiet, but it never would last long before she'd start to hum or have a question or we'd get interrupted. I often experienced it alone, typically when reading and usually on a calm afternoon - with a bonus sense of calm if it was raining.

So, for Link and me to fall into that calm space was unexpected. Not unwanted, but definitely and totally unexpected.

When we were full, I stood and cleared the dishes away. Though he offered to help, I refused to let him, and instead, he idled by one of my bookshelves, rocking rather awkwardly on his feet. His eyes roved about the room, catching on different details. I didn't bother asking about it. Instead, I kept my attention on my task, and when all the dishes were washed, dried, and put away, I turned and headed towards the linen closet.

"Link," I said, looking over my shoulder at him as I crouched down to reach the fresh bed sheets. "Where were you planning on staying tonight?"

"I was just planning on camping outside the village," he said. "Since the innkeeper left this morning, I have nowhere else to go."

"Well," I said, "I've got an extra bed here."

"Do you run a bed and breakfast or something? That's not normal, right? To have an extra bed?"

I chuckled lightly, gathering up a bundle of fresh bedding. "Right," I said. "It's not normal."

"Oh, good," he said. "I didn't think things had changed all that much since I..." He trailed off and cleared his throat. "Anyway, why the extra bed?"

"It's my brother's, technically. But since he travels around most of the time, it's usually bare," I said, and at that, he seemed to perk up.

"He travels?"

"Traveling merchant," I affirmed with a nod, adding pillowcases to the pile. "Who knows, he might have sold you something before. He tends to travel the coastline first, fishing. Then he travels inward, selling his fresh catches."

"Oh, maybe not then," he said. "I don't usually buy seafood."

"Not a fan?"

"No, nothing like that," he said. "Actually, I really like fish. I just don't know how to, you know... cook it."

"I see," I considered. "It's not too difficult."

He looked at me - still curiously, though intently too now - and I could so distinctly feel the weight of his gaze on my profile. "You seem to know a lot about it."

"Yeah, well," I said, "it's kinda hard not to, living this close to the beach. Even the people here that don't like eating it know how to prepare it, anyway."

"Whoa," he said earnestly. "That's cool."

"Mm," I hummed, thinking it over. "I suppose so."

Truthfully, I always figured it was one of those mundane aspects of Hateno I'd never escape. We had all the time in the world to teach each other everything we knew. Everything the elders knew, they passed on. Everything those of my generation learned, we told the kids. It was just how it was.

Even useless knowledge was passed around until everyone can turn it inside out in their brain and recite it forwards and backwards.

Hylia, it was just... Hateno Village. It's how we were. A community so tight-knit, so codependent, so simple...