The Flirt and the Introvert; Zelink Modern AU (Legend of Zelda)

Part 5

Zelda cleared her throat. "So, Link, what's your life like? Walk me through a typical day."

He studied the coffee cup as though his answer was written on it. "I get up, go to school... come home from school, study, message my sister..." He shrugged. "I play video games. I drink coffee. That's about it."

She raised an eyebrow. "That can't be it. What are you going to the school for? What are your goals in life?"

"Get a well-paying job, for starters... I want to get my grandmother's house paid off..."

Her eyes brightened. "There we go, that's what I'm looking for. That shows more about who you are than the video games. You have a sister?"

He nodded. "She lives with my grandmother."

"Parents?" she asked. "If I'm allowed to pry."

His hand twitched in hers involuntarily. "They're dead."

She nodded slowly. "Mine too. I didn't know them."

"They died when I was fairly young... But I still remember them... sometimes. It's a little hazy."

"It's harder when you know them, I'm sure..."

He pressed his lips together, then nodded. Took another drink of coffee, then took a breath. "So, what's your life like?"

Zelda brightened, glad she hadn't killed the conversation. "Oh, I go to school, come home, listen to music, dance down the halls, go swimming, spend some time in the garden, I study... I keep myself busy. Sometimes friends come over, but I'm..." she hesitated. "I'm alone quite a lot."

Link nodded. "I'm alone a lot too... But I suppose as an introvert I may handle it better than an extrovert."

"But still, being alone all the time isn't good for anyone, regardless of personality type."

He nodded again. "I don't have any friends around here."

"I hope that you know I'd be happy to be your friend," Zelda said with a smile.

Again he licked his lips as he thought. Goddess, that was distracting. "I thought you wanted it to be more than that?"

Ah... Practice or serious? Zelda raised an eyebrow. "Oh, of course," she said then began to stroke her thumb across the back of his hand.

Goosebumps visibly raised on his arms, and that delighted her. He was all flushed again, but he had been since his previous statement. "I..." He stared at her hand as it moved on his. "I've uh... never really had a girlfriend..."

"And I've never had an introverted boyfriend." She smiled. "Care to try it out?"

"Wait... try it out? " He blinked, flushed deeper.

"I hope the flush is from embarrassed delight and not just plain fluster at not knowing how to refuse."

"No, no, no, I don't want to-" He shook his head as though that would clear it, then his tongue was on his lips again. "I don't want to refuse," he managed. "I just... I'm just..."

"Adorable?" she said, unhelpfully.

He raised his free hand to his face. "I'm just... embarrassed," he said through his fingers. "I've never been on a date like this... I've never had a girlfriend before."

"Hey, may as well go for it now," she said with a chuckle. "Everything I've seen so far from you I very much like. I'd like to spend more time with you."

"How do you do that," he said again, then he shook his head and smiled. "I'd like to spend more time with you too."

Delighted, she smiled. "Excellent! We're dating now," she said and squeezed his hand, then took a long drink of her frappuccino.

He sat in stunned silence, then a grin shifted across his face before he took another drink of his coffee.