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

Chapter Sixteen

(9/8/17)

I didn't see Link over at my table for the rest of the day. In fact, he only appeared from behind the curtain when a customer rang the service bell.

Was he that embarrassed?

Don't assume... Maybe he's organizing something. He did say he bought a bunch of supplies the other day, maybe he's dealing with them now?

"Urbosa would kick your pessimist butt if she caught you thinking something that stupid," I muttered to myself.

With Link in the back for a majority of the day, I actually got a lot of writing done. At least in the times between wondering what he was doing.

When closing time arrived, I packed up my stuff with multiple sighs. It wasn't exactly what I had imagined for the last day before we left... But what the heck was I expecting anyway?

I had turned to walk out the door when I realized that I didn't even know the plan for the next day, and that was... kind of important. Which meant facing Link after he had been avoiding me all day.

I sighed again and walked behind the counter. "Hey, Link, when are we leaving tomorrow?" I called as I approached the curtain.

"Wait!" he called. "Stay out there!"

I frowned but stopped in place. "Why?"

"I broke something."

I tilted my head to the side. "You did? I didn't hear anything."

Link laughed. "Well, I'm not surprised. You're always wearing headphones."

"Can I help?" I asked.

"It's kind of everywhere," he replied. "... It has been since this morning," he added in a frustrated mutter.

"Can I help?" I repeated.

Link stuck his head out from the curtain. "... If you... want to?" he replied.

I walked over to him and frowned. "You've got glass in your hair?" I said and reached to pick it out.

He grabbed my hand before it landed. "Don't touch the broken glass with your bare hands," he warned.

"Why not? I can be careful."

"Cause you'll get cut no matter how careful. Glass has black magic or something," he said, then looked up at me and tilted his head. "I guess you weren't allowed to clean."

I pressed my lips together. "Nope, that was an even worse offense than cooking." I looked down at my hand, still held. That glove he was wearing was my saving grace; at least keeping my cheeks from burning. "What broke?"

"A couple of those long fluorescent light bulbs." He motioned how long they had been. "They don't as much shatter as they do blow up."

"Into thousands of pieces, apparently."

He sighed. "I keep finding more when I think I'm done. On the shelves... on the supplies... on the stairs. I found a shard on the top step."

I shook my head as I opened the curtain. "Wow. And here I thought you were-" I  closed my mouth and shut my eyes. "Anyways-"

"Thought I was what?" Link asked.

"Nothing," I said, "do you have another broom?"

"There's one upstairs but I don't want glass in it." He turned to me. "Thought I was what?" he repeated.

He won't- "Give up," I said, walking inside the curtain. As I did I pulled Link a little off balance, but he let me go and steadied himself on the wall.