Silence ✔️

• Twenty-Six

Goddesses, Link couldn't even believe himself after he had done this. Even though their last date was in January, he still felt a little sheepish about asking Zelda again.

Link was surprised that she even agreed to another lousy date with someone such as himself. But, another part of him was eternally grateful for Zelda and how she put up with him. The thought that maybe she actually enjoyed these outings with him did cross his mind, but he never bothered to consider them true.

Link was especially worried for their third date this afternoon. It was Saturday again, and this was one of the days that Telma worked part-time at that specific coffee shop—Hyrule Coffee, he discovered its name.

His first experience at that coffee shop with Telma was utterly embarrassing in many ways, but this time he had come mentally prepared. Now knowing most of sign language would make this date easier for him to talk to Zelda face-to-face. The only catch was that he wasn't very fluent, still, but he knew enough. Besides, he did fine when he was over at Zelda's house. Yeah, yeah, all is well.

With a sigh escaping his lips and forming a puff of wispy smoke in the cold, end-of-March air, Link begrudgingly entered the coffee shop when he saw no sign of Zelda and only Telma.

Sitting down at the table they had chosen last time, Link decided to not chat with Telma until he really had to—which would be when he ordered their coffees. Until that moment came, he would wait for Zelda to arrive.

Rather late, Zelda hastily entered the coffee shop with freckles of snow decorating her brown locks, the cold weather making her nose and the tips of her ears a reddish color. Her eyelashes held small particles of the small, glittering grains of snow, and when she batted them in the warmer environment, they melted in an instant.

Still, even with her tangled hair and the scarf that was slung halfway over her head, Link still thought she looked pretty. A wistful smile grew on his face as she hurriedly sat down in the seat ahead of him, still shivering slightly and removing the scarf from her head. Taking off her gloves, the warm air surrounded her once cold skin and provided her relief from her shivering.

Link sat his phone down, feeling a bit unusual talking to her like this in such a setting. He started simply, "Hello," is what he signed.

Zelda finally smiled for the first time since she had entered the coffee shop. "Hi," she greeted.

Footsteps approached the table, and only Link looked up, only to be disappointed when he saw Telma standing there with a cheeky grin on her face. It's not that he hated her—Telma was a lovely woman and she helped him immensely with just about everything—but when he didn't need her help, she could be, well, annoying.

"Greetings," Link greeted her sarcastically. "Please tell me you're just here to take our orders."

Telma nodded simply, placing both hands on her hips as Zelda finally looked at her. "What would you like, Zelda?" she asked the girl in questioning.

Zelda quickly took her order, Link ordering the exact same thing, since they had a similar taste in coffees. Telma did walk away eventually, and Link knew he had only precious time to talk to Zelda alone.

"Are you still playing that game I bought you last year?" he asked, the question alone making Zelda's eyes light up.

"Of course." Zelda rolled her eyes. "I've already finished it...five times? I think it's five. I'm playing it for the sixth time now and all I can say is that I need help."

Link laughed a bit at her response. "I'd like to try that game out at least once. Maybe I can—"

Zelda made an "ooh!" sound, clapping her hands together. "You could come to my place over the summer—I'll let you try it then." Her excitement calmed down, though, as she began to feel a bit embarrassed over her reaction.