Silence ✔️

• Twenty-Five

Link awoke on the floor, almost screaming out of fear when he saw Zelda laying right next to him, with one of her arms draped over his stomach.

Carefully, Link removed her arm from his stomach and slowly sat up, making sure not to wake Zelda. He looked around, noting that he was still in Zelda's room and still wearing his outfit from yesterday. Looking straight at the TV, Link recognized the film playing on it. It was the film that they had watched last night together, and it seemed to have been replaying all night long.

Wait—why am I still here? he wondered, grabbing his phone nearby and seeing only three text messages from his mother.

momther: Zelda's parents said you fell asleep there, and it was very late when you did. I didn't want you to have to come back home so early in the morning, especially with the snow.

momther: I hope that was ok with you, we just didn't want to wake you. It snowed terribly last night.

momther: Just be home by ten o'clock tomorrow. We love you! ❤️

Sent 12:34 AM

Link wished he had just trekked his way home last night. He honestly didn't care if it would be terrifyingly cold—this situation was even worse for him.

He just had to maneuver his way out of Zelda's room without waking her, thank her parents for allowing him to unexpectedly stay the night, and get out of this house.

As he approached the door to Zelda's room, he heard her yawn and rise from where she had been laying on the ground. He looked over his shoulder at her, failing to contain his blush when he noticed how cute she looked. Despite her messy hair and half-lidded eyes, she still looked cute.

Stupid, shut up, brain. I have to leave, he scolded himself, but he just couldn't open the door when she had fully been awoken, smiling one of those wonderful smiles at him.

Link couldn't help but smile back, watching with slight fear as she began to walk over to where he was.

"You're leaving?" she signed her question to him, and it took a few seconds for Link to understand what she said, but when he did he replied.

"Yeah," he signed back. "Thank you for letting me stay the night."

"Night?" Zelda signed her thoughts, looking out her windows and feeling incredibly dumb for not noticing the blinding daylight. She looked back at Link. "Well, you're welcome."

Zelda briefly wrapped her arms around his waist and smiled into his neck, sending shivers down Link's spine. She always did that; perhaps she knew how weak it could make him. Link sighed at this thought as Zelda pulled away.

Link waved goodbye to Zelda once more and made his way down to the first floor. That's where he thanked Zelda's parents for allowing him to sleep over that night, to which they happily said "no problem" and let him be on his way home.

Just after he left the house, Mother looked at Father with an all-knowing grin on her face.

"Link seems like a good boy," she said, and Father just heartily chuckled, agreeing with his wife's statement.