As the Days Go By | Legend of Zelda AU (ONGOING)

5. Family Goes Beyond Blood

Never having been in a hot spring before, it sure felt damn great. Though I was really hesitant about being stark naked with two other guys in the same area. To be honest, I wanted to be alone for the night until we were to go back home the next day. It was thanks to Neji's incessant whining that I finally caved in.

This whole trip has been great so far. Most of all, I felt like I got along with everyone—Zelda's friends especially were pretty cool people. Midna was a pretty chill person, but despite her relaxed demeanor, holy crap does she have a sharp wit. As for Agitha, she's absolutely obsessed with bugs. I've seen her having a full-on conversation with a grasshopper on our recent hiking trip.

Seeing their complex personalities next to Zelda honestly has me seeing her in a new light. I don't mean that in a bad way, I mean it a good way, really.

We'd be heading back home tomorrow and honestly, despite my apprehensiveness, I'm glad I'd decided to tag along with them.

"This is good, isn't it?" Sidon asked.

"Yeah..." I slurred. Damn, how tense was I? The water just felt so nice. It's no wonder hot springs are popular.

"A topic of interest," Sidon said, sitting upright. "According to Zelda, the water here comes through a pipe from natural hot springs found deeper into the island, along the mountain."

I thought pensively for a moment. "Hm... That is pretty interesting. What do you think, Neji?"

"Mm, I guess," Neji said, absentmindedly twiddling with his bangs. Then all of a sudden, he grew a worryingly mischievous grin. "By the way, Sidon's a whole other thing, but Link, you got a pretty nice body y'know?"

Well then, that was rather sudden.

I raised a brow. "Uh, thanks? But where's this coming from all of a sudden?"

Neji just shrugged and smirked. "C'mon, just take the compliment, dude. I bet Sidon agrees." He cocked his head toward Sidon, looking at him out the corner of his eye.

Sidon nodded. "Yes, I agree. Admittedly I've always thought you appeared rather thin and frail, but seeing you now like this, who knew you were hiding such toned and defined features under all those clothes."

Neji scooted closer to me with an all too eager grin. "Y'know, I bet if you'd just flaunted your stuff more all the ladies would fawn over you especially with that pretty boy face of yours!"

I backed up, scratching the back of my head. "Um, thanks, but can you guys like chill out? This is getting really uncomfortable," I said, or at least, that's what I tried to say until Sidon cut me off.

"I agree Link's rather physically attractive, so I do in fact believe he'd be popular with the ladies if he flaunted his stuff more!"

Oh damn it, Hylia.

I'm really grateful for these compliments, honestly, but now they're just getting annoyingly incessant, and these two weren't listening to me again. I swear, it's like they're made for each other. Neji's always the instigator—once he gets Sidon on board the both of them can't seem to stop. Sidon's like a damn man baby.

So many damn weeks of the both of them ganging up on me. It was annoying. Sidon was overbearing, but never on this level until Neji came along. Neji was annoying.

I'm pretty sure I felt my face heating up more than the hot spring could ever hope to do. I palmed my face, letting out a muted scream. Please, Hylia let this stop, my sanity is on its last legs.

"Link?" Sidon said. "Are you okay? You're looking awfully red. Maybe we've been here a bit too long. I'm feeling a bit lightheaded myself..."

Oh, thank you sweet baby Hylia... Whatever the hell that meant.