Since you came along

Telma's warning

When the morning came around, Link awoke to the sun shining through the window. He covered his eyes with the pillow and sighed. He threw the pillow down to his lap and sat up. As he got up and got ready, he heard the girl next to him gathering her things. A few minutes later, Link left his room and was looking around to see if he could spot her. When she was nowhere to be found in the inn, he stepped outside to see if she was walking through the village.

Again, he couldn't see her. His face showed disappointment before Luda came running up to him to give him a hug. "Link! Good morning! Is anything the matter? You look upset." Luda questioned his expression. He patted her head and shook his head with a smile. He told her he was looking for the new shop in town. She gave a bright grin and took him there herself.

"Miss Y/n is very sweet, she always helps everyone in town." Link nodded and then walked into the store as Luda walked away to meet her father by the inn. Link went in and felt immediately comforted by the cozy, welcoming feeling the shop had to it. He slowly walked along the shop looking at all the things she had on the shelves. She even had a fairy or two for sale. Her voice brought his attention over to the center of the store. "Hello, how can I help you? Is there anything in particular you're looking for toda..." She trailed off as she saw the hero looking at her. She didn't expect him to be there, especially after yesterday. An uncomfortable silence fell upon them before Link spoke up.

"No...just looking around." She nodded and then turned on her heel to grab the box she had just brought out and proceeded to restock the shelves on the left side of her store. As Link browsed through the shelves on the right side, their backs were to each other. He looked over his shoulder at her and saw her placing down her merchandise. He continued to look at her until he noticed she was about to turn around. He whipped his head back around and a blush came onto his face. 'Be more creepy, would you?' He thought to himself. She grabbed another box and went back to what she was doing.

As she continued her job and Link continued along the shelves, they inched closer and closer to the other until they bumped into each other and she slipped. Link reached out and grabbed her arm and pulled her up. His other arm went around her waist. He held her close to him until she regained her footing. They both looked into each others eyes. 'His eyes...they're so beautiful.' She was lost in his gaze until the door opened and the bell rang. They parted from each other and she turned to the customer with a smile and a light blush. It was Telma. She had come to visit Renado and had walked in at the just the right moment to catch these two in each others arms.

She gave a knowing smile to the two and they both looked away. With a laugh, she walked over to y/n. "Hi, sweetie. Just came to visit Renado and I was wondering if you had those glass bottles I got in here last time. Your price is much better than the people I usually get them from." Y/n smiled widely and walked off to the back to get her a box. Telma turned to link with her hands on her hips. "Whatever I walked into, I hope that goes well." Link nervously played with his fingers and looked down. His face was flushed and he coughed. Telma walked over and put a hand on his shoulder, prompting him to look up at her. "She's a nice girl. I can tell there's a small spark there. Just don't hurt her, alright? Would be a shame to see her pack up and leave back home and just have her helpers at the stores." He just turned his head to the side. She sighed and walked to the register.

Y/n came back out with the box, set it down on the counter and rang Telma up. She thanked her and she walked out but not before giving link a wink. Links face never rid itself of the blush he had. He quickly picked up another red potion and walked to the counter. "Is that all?" She looked at him confused. He was looking at all her stuff for so long, she figured he'd probably get something different. He nodded and she rang him up. He set the rupee down and then grabbed his bottle and walked out. She stared at him as he left. She felt a bit upset that he came and barely said anything to her. Her mind wandered back to when he caught her and held her and she buried her face in her hands. 'Of course, I just had to be a klutz in front of him.'

A few hours passed and a man walked into the shop. "Great, you're here! I really need to get to Castle Town to see what's going on at the store." Y/n let out a sigh of relief. The man was Jay, a friend of hers that came to help out at her store from time to time. He greeted her and she quickly walked out after giving him some instructions about the store. She ran over to her horse and set off for Castle Town.

Link was riding around in Hyrule field, slashing away at monsters. After a while, he rode back into the village and took Epona to the spring. He noticed Jay outside the shop putting up a closed sign and walking back in. He had never seen him before and felt something stirring in his chest. He brushed Epona and then Luda came over. "I'll take her to get some rest, you head over to the inn. Telma wants to talk to you." She giggled and took Epona. Link walked to the inn, worried about what she had to say.

He entered the inn and saw Telma sitting down. She waved him over and saw Renado sitting down next to her. Link pulled up a chair and sat down. "So, you've met y/n. Now, I wouldn't normally butt in on a situation like this but I've known her for a bit now. She's a regular. Sweet girl. Well, she's had her fair share of heartbreak. I hate seeing her come in sad and drowning her sorrows in drinks. I don't want that happening because of you, you hear?" Link looked at her shocked and nodded his head vigorously. 'I just met her. I don't know why Telma thinks I'm in love with her. I don't even know her.'

As he was lost in his thoughts, Telma and Renado watched him. Even though he was thinking about how he didn't know y/n and how he wasn't in love with her or had feelings for her, a smile appeared on his face and his expression looked much softer and warmer than they had ever seen. Renado gave a knowing smile to Telma who laughed and shook her head. She put her hands on his shoulders and shook him a bit. "Lovesick, huh? Well, whenever you're in Castle Town, come by and we'll have a drink and talk out those feelings, alright?" She stood up and headed off.

Link went off to his room and wondered how y/n was. He was an awkward customer today, he was sure he either made her uncomfortable or irritated her a bit. He didn't hear her in the next room, and he frowned. 'Is she not going to rest now? Or is she not here? Who was that man? Why was he there? Who is he to her?' His mind raced with questions as he tried to sleep. He huffed and turned on his side. He fell asleep a couple hours later.

And he dreamed of her.