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

Chapter Eleven

(7/20/17)

I watched as Link bustled around the kitchen in effortless and graceful preparation.

"I heard the words gourmet and steak together and I was lost... but... what is it?" I asked.

Link didn't even pause. "Really all it is according to a book recipe is extremely high-quality meat cooked in a pan with a lot of oil... but the way that my grandma makes it..." He sighed. "I hope it's on the menu this weekend."

Oh. My stomach clenched. I lost track of time... For the moment, I had forgotten that we only had two more days until we left on our 'Christmas Vacation.'

We'd leave together and drive to his grandparent's house. And there we would stay for three nights.

In those four days, our act would be tested...

And then it will end.

I shook myself mentally. Think about this some other time. "So it's normally just meat and oil?" I started to ask, "What's all that stuff you're chopping?

He looked up from the cutting board. "Just things that make it better."

As I sat and watched, I bit my lip; I felt... "Uhm... I know I'll probably just get in the way but... can I help?"

Link stopped. "Uh..." he trailed off as he looked around.

His hesitation said that he didn't want me to mess up his rhythm and was just faking to look for something so I didn't feel bad about it. Was he annoyed that I even helped make coffee? Why didn't he say anything? I'm-

"How do you feel about peeling potatoes?"

Stop drawing conclusions so fast Zelda. He is nothing like the staff, nor your parents.

I smiled happily, my cheeks red from my quick assumption. "Only done it a couple of times, so I'm not very fast."

"That's alright," he replied, setting down his knife to pull a peeler out of a drawer. "I can show you an easy way." He walked to the sink and grabbed one of the potatoes.

I followed after him, feeling small in this kitchen.

"So you rinse the potato first, and then hold it with your nails so you can't drop it, then start..."

I listened attentively to his nice voice, only getting lost for a second when he smiled and I could almost feel the warmth in his tone. "Right, thank you..." I said, taking the peeler he held out to me. "I'll still be slow," I warned with a chuckle.

"Perfectly fine for someone who didn't grow up peeling potatoes every other day," he replied, turning back to the cutting board.

"Every other day?" I asked.

"Yeah, my grandma liked mashed potatoes a lot. Along with potato soup, fried potatoes, baked potatoes, and potato skins. Although those last three didn't have to be peeled, just washed."

I nodded slowly, starting to peel the rough, but now clean, potato. "So... you lived here with your grandmother?"

"Yes, we alternated between here and a country house for quite a while too. At least until she had to move out permanently to the other house and I wasn't old enough to own the place myself. So we rented it out to her other grandkids."

"Those are some old grandkids."

Link shrugged.

I looked down at the half-peeled potato and was reminded of my given task. I started again, all while thinking, I want to know about his parents... but it's such a nice night...

"So when was the first time you peeled potatoes?" he asked.

I welcomed the change of subject. "Oh, with Urbosa. I helped her make mashed potatoes."

He had a broad smile on his face. "That sounds nice."

"I've had good experiences with nice coffee shop owners," I replied, shooting him a glance.

He smiled. "Glad to hear it."

"Did I say you were of them?" I teased.

He rolled his eyes and smirked. "Oh sorry, I merely assumed."

I mimicked the expression. "You and your assumptions."

He nudged me with his elbow, and I got him in the ribs with mine.

"Hey! You play dirty," he said with a mock gasp.

"You're the one with the knife in your hand," I laughed.

It was honestly amazing how different being with him was then being at home. I felt... safe. Completely and utterly safe.

He sighed dramatically. "I'm trying to make you dinner."

"Oh sorry, I know I'm terribly distracting," I said, pulling a ridiculous runway pose with a potato in one hand and the peeler in the other.

"You are..." he muttered.

"What?" I said as my arm dropped.

"Nothing," he replied, quickly grabbing the cutting board and pouring the contents into the oil. It hissed and spat as Link stirred it by shaking the pan.

I didn't reply as I turned back to the sink to finish my second potato.

I'd heard him just fine, but I let it pass. I didn't know what would happen if I pushed it, or what I wanted to happen.

By my fourth large potato, I realized that it was probably, definitely, enough for the two of us. Setting the peeler on the counter I  stepped back. "What should I do now?"

He glanced around again and then smiled. "Unfortunately, I don't trust that you won't slip with the knife, so there's not much else you can do."

"I wouldn't trust me with a knife either," I replied and sat back down behind the tall counter.

"You won't have long to wait once the meat starts cooking."

"I'm perfectly fine," I replied with a smile. "There's no rush. Also... you're really fast and organized, I'm impressed."

He smiled. "Thank you, it's the result of a lot of practice," he said as he sliced potatoes and added them to the boiling water.

~*~

I stared at the plate with hardly contained excitement. One side was filled with fluffy mashed potatoes topped with steak gravy, and the other with seared vegetables. At the center of the plate was the most gorgeous steak I had ever seen.

I hadn't eaten a meal like this since I'd been brought to this city. No... I thought as I tasted the steak, I hadn't had a meal like this since I'd lived with Urbosa.

"Do you like it?"

"Can you not see my face right now..." I said, my eyes closed.

"Well... I think it's a good expression, but I'm not sure," he chuckled.

I opened and rolled my eyes. "It's amazing Link, thank you."