Raising the Stakes; Zelink Coffee Shop AU (The Legend Of Zelda)

Chapter Four

A small clatter made me look up from my work.

Link stood at the front door, the 'open' on the slightly swinging sign facing towards me.

"Are you closing?" I asked, only now realizing that it was dark outside. "What time is it..." I added to myself as I rifled through papers to find my phone.

"I am, but I've still got to clean up so take your time to finish whatever you're working on."

I stopped searching and stared at him.

A few seconds passed before he raised his eyebrow. "What?"

"Nothing," I said. "Just... wow, you're... I mean..." I fumbled over my words, making me red in the face. I decided to just go for eloquent. "The consideration you've accommodated me with after just one day is really... it's really quite foreign."

He moved from the door to beside the booth. "You've given me no reason to do otherwise."

I frowned. "I guess not but..."

Link sat down across from me. "I refuse to conform to the social norms of our generation. I take trouble from no one, I give trouble to no one." He smirked. "At least until they do something to deserve it."

Speechless, I simply started cleaning up my papers that had made it all over the table. Definitely the opposite of my parents. My father would hate this guy.

"Thank you for having me," I said.

"This isn't a house visit..." he said, then snorted. "Well, maybe it is, actually..." He shook his head. "Thank you for choosing my shop to drink enough for five people."

I looked up quickly. "Hey, I only drank enough for four people."

He held up his hands. "You're right, my bad."

I rolled my eyes and put all my things into my bag and walked to the door. I turned hesitantly back to him. "See you tomorrow?" I asked.

He smiled. "See you then, Zelda."

The door shut behind me, but I looked back for a moment, gazing at the owner of the shop through the glass pane of the door.

Wait, no. I brought my hands to my warm face. Don't, don't do that.

I turned and walked quickly back to my apartment, it was solid night except for the street lights. I knew how to defend myself, and my parents would destroy anyone who dared to even touch me, but I still didn't like being out in the streets like I was.

When I reached my apartment I closed the door behind me and slid down it with a groan. "Noooo...." I said. "Why did this happen... I didn't need another distraction..."

When I finished despairing for a minute I pushed myself up from the ground and went to get a drink from the fridge and began to make myself dinner.

I sat on the couch with the TV on some random program and ate my food. Halfway through, I came to the realization that I hadn't texted Urbosa at all that day.

I quickly fixed that by replying to her last text.

Yeah, there are more boxes that I haven't touched than those that I have, but I spent the whole day at that new coffee shop. Here's hoping I can get some writing done there! - Zelda

And so I waited for a reply, finishing my food in the meantime.

Don't worry about the boxes, if you don't want to do them you don't have to. Who's going to fault you for it now?