spideytorch angst fic where peter has to stop being spider-man for one reason or another (possibly after aunt may passes and he falls into a depressive episode that causes him to lose his job so he can't afford to do the crime-fighting thing because he can barely afford to feed himself, let alone buy the ingredients for his web fluid and suit repairs and stuff)
He doesn't really expect people to care that much - there are already so many heroes in new york and he mostly dealt with street-level criminals anyways, and the bugle is always going on about what a menace he is so they'll probably be happy for him to take a break for a while.
So fast forward a year later, peter's starting to get back on his feet, and he manages to get a job working for reed. He's a little wary at first, worried that they'll figure out who he is, but this isn't an opportunity he's willing to give up
He gets along really well with reed, and every once in a while he crosses paths with the other members of the fantastic four as well
Sue and Ben are friendly enough with him, but Johnny seems to hate him for some reason. Like, this goes way beyond whatever petty grudges johnny may have had with peter parker when they were both teenagers, and peter can't figure it out
It goes on for weeks before it all comes to a head when peter stays behind late at work one day, after everyone else has already left.
Johnny comes round to find peter, and awkwardly apologises to him for the way that he's been treating him
Peter is obviously pissed, but this is his best friend after all, so he gives him a chance to explain himself.
Johnny looks ashamed of himself as he haltingly explains that none of it was ever peter's fault. It's just that...peter reminds him so much of spider-man (which makes sense after all, johnny knows that peter and spidey were friends, so of course they'd share some mannerisms), and it hurt johnny to see the way reed and the others were just kind of accepting peter into the fold because it felt like peter was replacing his best friend. Peter doesn't know what to say as johnny keeps rambling about how the last time he ever saw spider-man, the two of them had had a fight and had left each other on bad terms. Johnny is crying now because he doesn't know where his best friend is, doesn't even know if he's still alive, and it hurts him to think that maybe spider-man is still out there, has stopped the hero lifestyle and is just living a life that doesn't have room for johnny in it, but that's still so much better than the alternative that he's not out there at all. That maybe he had been done in by some villain who got in a lucky shot and no one ever found out because no one knew who it was beneath the mask.
Peter is hugging johnny now, trying to comfort him and figure out how to come clean, because there's no way he can keep hiding his identity now, right?
Then johnny sniffs, and says that the worst part is that he never even got to tell spider-man that he loved him. He kept putting it off, because they were still young and they had all the time in the world and johnny had to make sure he got it right, and now he might never get to say it at all.
Peter starts crying then, because oh, he had always thought his feelings were unrequited, and it's so bittersweet in this moment to know that johnny feels the same way, but also to know just how much pain he had put his best friend through this past year.
"I'm sorry," says peter, whispering apologies over and over and over again into johnny's hair. "I'm sorry for staying away for so long, firefly. I didn't mean to hurt you so much"
Johnny pulls away sharply to stare at peter in disbelief when he processes what he had said. He freezes for ten long seconds, convinced that he must be dreaming or something. Then, he pulls peter into a desperate kiss. There will be time for explanations later (he knows that peter will be getting an earful from sue when she finds out). For now, he just needs to hold his best friend in his arms a little longer
Summary: Chain sees that you have a particular tattoo and chaos is the only reaction they have, since language barrier is definitely a thing. Time & Twilight freak out. Wind could have spoken sooner.
1.8k words
Read on Ao3
Since this can also be read as a stand alone story, I didn’t include Hylian, or the dialects of the Chain. If you are interested in that, feel free to visit the main story that can serve as a prequel to this short! (Not edited)
Following your departure from the Ordon Spring alongside the other boys, you journeyed toward the Ordon Village. Most of their conversation still didn’t make much sense to you, but at least you learnt a few words here and there on the way, especially from the Smith and the Sailor.
The midday weather was brisk, even though the sun shone at its peak. You had a similar attire with your travel companions, a relatively long sleeved tunic that sometimes revealed your wrists if you were to raise your arms. Yours had wider arm-cuts, but felt like they weren’t thick enough for this kind of weather. A slight shiver ran through you, which Link fortunately noticed. He paused and offered you his signature cloak, to which you politely refused multiple times (at least you motioned it somehow). His attempt to offer warmth made the fangirl within you scream in delight, but you kept declining. You blushed slightly and finally accepted even though you knew you weren’t that far from your destination, wrapping yourself in the warmth it provided.
You thanked the Golden Three that you had been on hikes with him on Mt. Lanayru regularly before your involvement with the other Links; otherwise, you did not think you could survive all this hiking. Thinking about having to climb the ladder to the Rancher’s treehouse already made your legs wobble.
Though you could swear that the Ordon Spring waters calmed your nerves and eased your inner storm for a little bit.
Luckily, you were almost there. The wooden arch that said… something in Hylian (probably ORDON?) took your attention. Oh you were so excited…
[And that’s me,] the Rancher spoke as he pointed towards his treehouse. This was really like the game, nestled in a secluded corner near the entrance of the village. You didn’t understand a word he said, but you could see near the tree there was a brown mare simply grazing around.
And what a sight she was. You couldn’t help yourself as you whispered “Epona…?” to yourself and walked towards her as if you were in a trance.
Of course, you didn’t notice the Old Man raising his eyebrow or the Rancher also hearing you. You stopped in your tracks, then watched the Rancher go towards the horse instead, petting it and saying something to it. He made eye contact with you as he was caressing her nose, and motioned you to come over, you guessed.
“May I?” you asked, and even though the language barrier was still present, the Rancher gave a warm, friendly nod. As you approached Epona, her deep, soulful eyes locked onto yours, and it felt as if she understood the reverence in your gaze. With a gentle, careful touch, you began to run your hand along her sleek, chestnut mane, marveling at the silky texture beneath your fingers.
[Epona] he said, as he gave an apple to her. You just smiled, pretending to hear it for the first time and repeated her name.
Epona seemed to appreciate the affection, and she leaned into your touch, her powerful frame radiating warmth and serenity.
As you continued to pet Epona, your sleeves slipped down to your wrists, revealing a set of three small triangles on your skin. The right one was filled in with black. The Rancher and the Old Man both noticed this mark, and although they didn't say anything, they exchanged knowing glances.
When everybody finally settled in Twilight’s cabin, he lit the fireplace. His cabin had an air of rustic charm, filled with a cozy warmth that welcomed all who entered. The walls were made of weathered wood, lending the space a natural, earthy ambiance. The cabin had lanterns that hung from sturdy wooden beams overhead, which you imagined would cast quite the gentle radiance, once lit.
The Chain kept talking between each other, though you didn’t understand much. Wind was all the way up, lost in his world. For some reason, really interested in Rancher's books.
You took off the cape Wild lent you and gave it back to him, since it started getting quite warm inside. You already had another layer under your long sleeved tunic, so you took the upper layer off as well, now sitting with the others (you secured yourself a chair at least) in a short sleeved shirt. Time and Twilight were still casting glances at you.
“What?” you stretched as you pointed the pointless question towards them. Not that it would change anything…You saw that Sky also managed to get a chair, and he was already kind of looking like he was about to doze off. Maybe you should have followed suit…
[Champion, you are sure Y/N does not have anything to do with the Hero’s Spirit or any sages?] Time asked Wild. He seemed quite perplexed by the question.
[Or is she part of the royal family perhaps?] Twilight continued.
[Uh, no? Why?] Wild replied.
You just closed your eyes as you listened to them speak. It felt like listening to an audiobook in a language you didn’t understand, as a sleeping aid. Though you had a strange feeling that they were talking about you.
Legend and Hyrule were definitely listening in, though the former pretended as if he couldn’t care less, even though his ears definitely perked up at the mention of the royal family.
[You mean the mark on her wrist?] Sky chimed in instead, to your surprise. The others seemed surprised that he was way more perceptive than he looked.
[What mark?] Four asked and then Time & Twilight explained the mark they have seen on your wrist.
The volume of the chatter was increasing, slightly annoying you. Wild gently poked your shoulder to see if you were awake, and you opened your eyes. There was no way you could sleep in this noisy environment.
He pointed at your left wrist, gently touching your arm after checking in with you, and motioning you to raise it. The whole room was staring at your Triforce of Courage ink now.
Oh, right…
“Guys, it’s just a tattoo,” you tried to explain to no avail.
It is hard to explain things when people literally don’t understand a word you say.
You could see Time & Twilight & Legend & Warriors and Sky comparing their faded Triforce marks on their hands, and Wild & Four looking confused about the whole thing.
[I mean, I did say I sense some residual magic on her, but that’s definitely not what I was sensing,] Hyrule was saying as he glanced at your tattoo.
[Members of the royal family don’t randomly get the mark of Triforce on their wrists, not unless they are Zelda at least,] Legend scoffed. Wind seemed to be not paying attention, still busy with Twilight's books upstairs for some reason.
[Well this is certainly odd, I never thought much about the mark, though we had other matters to attend to… But… What is Triforce?] Wild kept questioning, though he seemed to have forgotten that he was still touching your shoulder from the side. You sighed. It was fun at first, but now it was getting quite boring that you didn’t understand anything. Though it wasn’t that hard to guess…
[Yeah I was about to ask the same thing… I just thought that’s the symbol of the royal family or something?] Four added, making the rest of the group look at them in disbelief. Sky seemed especially distraught.
The bickering continued for a while, and you kept thinking about how to explain this to them. Weren’t these people familiar with the concept of a tattoo? Of course, why you had something like that was another matter, but excuse you for wanting to get a Zelda-themed tattoo and considering the fact that you might end up in Hyrule?
Hmmm, what if I just show them something similar instead, to try to explain?
You sighed, stood up and walked towards Time and Twilight, while the group's curious glances still loomed over you. Right, these two already had some markings that were like tattoos, so you thought it would at least be a good parallel.
Right after you pointed at your tattoo, you pointed towards the Rancher's face first, specifically to his markings. He had a confused look on his face, which quickly became an expression of horror, which seemed to have spread to some others in the group.
Wait…
[Farore above…]
What in Hylia's name was going on? That sounded grim, along with some others.
Next, you moved to Time, who was already sitting next to him. You mumbled a quick "Sorry…" for invading his personal space as you blushed, hoping he didn't mind. He was as stoic as one could get, you hoped he wouldn't somehow grab your wrist or something.
You also pointed (almost touched, really) to his marks on his face, before you pulled back and pointed towards your tattoo again.
"It's just a tattoo, why do you all look so judgemental suddenly?" You almost screamed in protest. You tried to make the motion of drawing the shape by yourself. Even tried pretending as if you have a nail and a hammer, and as if you are drawing on a skin.
I don't think tattoo pens exist here…
Time's eyes widened. The atmosphere in the room was even worse.
[How…?!] he said in shock.
You realized a little bit too late that it wasn't the smartest decision to point at his Wolf markings and Time's Fierce Deity Mask markings and then to yourself.
Because Twilight and Time kept speaking with each other, with Legend and Hyrule chiming in, the others watching you suddenly with suspicion, with Wild going between you and the others almost in a defensive stance. It was getting heated. Oh Gods…
Meanwhile, the Sailor finally decided to come down with a huge grin on his face, earning even more scornful looks from the others.
Then he started laughing.
Little rascal.
He knew.
He knew yet he did not step in until the last minute, pretending to browse the books and maps up there instead.
You sighed almost in relief as you watched him try to explain things to others. At least, you assumed.
It was quite clear that these were the heroes who held the Triforce of Courage, and not Wisdom.
How could anybody not think of tattoos and just jump to the worst conclusions instead?!
But you were sure, the Sailor was especially deserving of the Triforce of Courage, since he dared to wait until the last moment instead of coming clean right away.
____________________________
It was only months later you found out what was said, and that there was an agreement to never ever mention the incident again.
"I knew what it was right away," Wind smirked at you, after he explained what happened on that day. "We have a few people in the crew with some sick ink!"
Sure, you understood that there was some residual magic they sensed on you.
But… Was it really your fault that they immediately thought you could both be associated with twilight magic and Fierce Deity at the same time? Come on, even for this universe, it sounded cuccos.
"Having that symbol tattooed is quite a choice though," Four gave you side eyes.
You just shrugged.
Wind could have interfered earlier.
Little shit. If it existed, he would have gotten the Triforce of Mischief instead.
Back to Masterlist / Back to the Power of Understanding
After scrapping *almost* every word I had previously written, I have now over 1.8K words for the final chapter!! Finally, I feel like I’m getting somewhere! *cries*
I got to keep one of my favorite moments though, between Shiro and Iverson. Yes, Iverson, which I’ll share:
“Wait. Are you trying to tell me that along with getting captured by aliens and fighting galactic wars you found the time to get married?” The Commander narrows his eyes until his face falls with reluctant understanding.
“Oh, Carl Sagan,” he mutters. “It's Keith, isn't it?”
...I started working on this fic over a year ago, with no intention of it being anything other than a oneshot. Once I realized how much I loved this little Voltron au I’d created, I knew how the whole thing was going to end, with each season that aired reinforcing my decision. Now, the hard part is doing the final chapter justice. Wish me luck XD
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 10/32
Fandom: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Greg Lestrade/John Watson, Greg Lestrade & John Watson, Sherlock Holmes/John Watson, Sherlock Holmes & John Watson, Sherlock Holmes/Victor Trevor, Sherlock Holmes & Victor Trevor
Characters: John Watson, Sherlock Holmes, Greg Lestrade, Victor Trevor, Sarah Sawyer, Mrs. Hudson (Sherlock Holmes), Sebastian Moran, James Moriarty, Sally Donovan
Additional Tags: Emotional Roller Coaster, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Blow Jobs, Hand Jobs, Masturbation, Snogging, Anal Sex, Anal Fingering, Semi-Public Sex, Blindfolds, Shower Sex, Rimming, Drug Use, Threesome - M/M/M, dub-con, Mixed Martial Arts
Summary:
John has a new hobby, one that he doesn't want to tell Sherlock about. But then he unexpectedly discovers a fellow "hobbyist" who not only discloses a secret about his flatmate, he also becomes a very special kind of … friend.
======
This is the latest fic I’ve translated from German and it is a FANTASTIC story and not getting the hits it deserves, I think because of the pairings shown in the tags which might be a bit misleading.
It does start out with Johnstrade and Viclock, but it is all in the service of Johnlock, which is the end pairing. The threesome is with side pairings not involving John, Sherlock, or Greg.
The plot involves a very neat original case, action-packed mixed martial arts, and of course tons of UST, misunderstandings, and emotional baggage.
The story is complete (ca. 150K total) and posting one chapter a week so please subscribe, read, kudo, and comment!
Tgcf time travel fix-it au where xie lian gets sent to the past and the firstthing he does is to go see hua cheng in ghost city
As soon as he steps into the gambling hall, e'ming comes flying at him at mach speeds, scaring the shit out of everyone around him
Xie lian catches e'ming without breaking a sweat though, and just lights up with the biggest smile and starts cooing at it, "Hi baby! Hello baby! I missed you too! How's my good boy doing? You look especially shiny today, has Hua Cheng been good to you? What have I said about flying through crowds like that? Do you want to take someone's head off?"
The patrons of the gambling house give xie lian a wide berth as he heads up to where Hua Cheng is standing, giving him the biggest heart eyes ever and wondering when xie lian could possibly have gotten so familiar with his sword
Xie Lian tells him that he's from the future and also in his timeline they were in a relationship
Hua Cheng accepts this explanation without batting an eye because the way he sees it, even if xie lian was lying (which he doesn't think he is), it's still a win-win situation for hua cheng, who suddenly finds himself in a relationship with the guy he's been pining over for 800 years, and he didn't even have to win him over
fic concept where xie lian, early into his second banishment, finds out that if he goes to offers prayers at one of mu qing or feng xin's temples, they will always inevitably show up to see him, each time in a different form and pretending not to know who he is
they think they're being SO slick, but xie lian always manages to clock them immediately, because they're not very good actors and because he knows them better than he knows himself. he doesn't say anything though because he's afraid to scare them off. they'll usually hang around to talk to him for a few hours, and it's just. it's nice. to not be alone for a little while. to know that they still care, even a little bit.
(he knows they don't care about him, not anymore, not after all he's done. he knows that their need to keep tabs on him is probably due to a lingering sense of loyalty to the crown prince they had once loved so dearly, the crown prince who had died long ago. he tries not to think about that)
after he ascends for the third time, he wonders if either of them will come talk to him, as themselves for once. they don't. he tries not to be too disappointed by it.
then, he's tasked to take care of the ghost groom on mount yujun, and then nan feng and fu yao show up as volunteers to aid him in his quest, and xie lian doesn't know whether to laugh or cry. he wonders if it's just going to be like this from now on. he decides not to say anything though because even this is better than nothing.
then they come with him to banyue pass, and when they return to puqi shrine afterwards, he invites them to stay for dinner.
they both decline, ready to make their escape, and xie lian can't help it. he starts crying.
they both immediately freeze in their tracks, horrified, before immediately rushing to him and starting to fuss over him, asking if he's okay, if he's gotten hurt.
(it's at this point that hua cheng decides to make a discreet exit for them to have this conversation in private)
"i-i'm sorry!" xie lian sobs, tripping over his words as he desperately wipe at his tears. "i just-i just thought it would be different after i ascended again!"
fu yao and nan feng are both baffled. "you thought what would be different?" asks fu yao hesitantly.
xie lian flails his arms between the three of them. "THIS!" he wails out loud. "but now you're LEAVING again and-and-and you won't even show me your real faces so i can apologize to you properly for everything i did wrong!"
nan feng and fu yao feng xin and mu qing turn to stare at each other in mounting horror as those words sink in.
"Your highness, you knew this whole time???" demands feng xin, his face beet red from embarrassment.
"why didn't you say anything?" mu qing hisses through his teeth, turning his head in an attempt to hide his mortification.
"because i thought if i did, you wouldn't come back!" xie lian replies, still sobbing
feng xin and mu qing both lock gazes, having a wordless argument as they try and figure what to do now that their covers have been blown.
in the end, feng xin is the one that gives in first, taking a deep breath as he gathers up his courage and lets his disguise drop. he steps forward, and pulls xie lian into a rough embrace.
"your highness, you have nothing to apologize for," he says. "we're the ones that did you wrong."
xie lian is still sobbing, but he's clinging onto feng xin like his life depends on it, and he's shaking his head in denial.
"you both stayed by my side longer than i deserved!" he insists. "if i had just listened to mu qing and swallowed my pride, things wouldn't have gotten as bad as they did!"
now mu qing steps up, and though his face is still flushed red, he looks determined as he joins the embrace.
"regardless of who was right or wrong, that didn't give me the right to treat you the way i did that day, your highness....i'm...s-sorry."
xie lian shakes his head again, ready to argue, but mu qing stubbornly speaks over him.
"the reason we came to you in disguise was because we were too ashamed to show our faces to you. we hope your highness will forgive us."
xie lian insists that there's nothing to forgive, and in the end, feng xin and mu qing both end up staying for dinner anyways, though they're saved from having to eat any of xie lian's cooking when hua cheng returns from his impromptu walk with some food that had been given to him by the neighbours for helping them with some tasks while he was out.
do you guys want to hear about my sanji's siblings love him au?
who am i kidding, of course you do
anyways
ichiji, niji, and yonji run on facts and logic. they're programmed to have loyalty to their family, and sanji is part of that family, even if he can't do everything they can do.
and the way they see it, it just makes more sense for their loyalty to lie with the brother they shared a womb with for nine months over the father that insists on abusing all of them.
it's not sanji's fault that he's weak and has emotions. that's an objective fact. he was born the way he was. it could just as easily have been any of the rest of them that were different.
so sure, they'll follow judge's orders, because they have to, because it's what they were born to do, but they're not gonna take any of the shitty things people do or say about their brother, least of all their father
sora adores her children. because judge hurt them terribly by taking away their free will, but that's none of their fault, and they're trying in the only way they know how. she's patient with them, trying to teach them about morality and the importance of doing the right thing
at their age, they don't really understand it, but they do notice that people are more likely to do what they want with little fuss if they treat them the way their mom says they should
but then their mom dies, and maybe the loss of his wife is what pushes judge over the edge but he lashes out at sanji, because somehow in his mind sanji is the reason for sora's death. if it weren't for the poison she had taken, which had turned sanji into the weakling that he was, sora would still be alive
ichiji and the other two are furious. they hate this empire that their father has built for himself - and that little fact, that they can hate it at all - goes unnoticed by all of the kids
but they do hate it, and with their mother gone there's no reason for them to stay. so they take sanji, and they take reiju, and the five kids escape from the Germa kingdom and never look back
they work whatever odd jobs they can. and then one day they come across zeff - after he had been rescued from the island he was stranded on for months
and this zeff still has both legs and he didn't suffer as much because he didn't have a child to give up all his food for, but he still decides to give up pirating. he lost his entire crew in that storm, and he has no desire to sail the seas without them
so he had set out to fulfill his dream of building a floating restaurant for himself. he's living on an island in the east blue, and he comes across these five children. one of them, sanji, latches onto him as soon as he finds out that he's a chef. slowly, over the months, their relationship develops and grows stronger.
zeff isn't an idiot, he knows there's something wrong with these kids, but he doesn't pay it much mind. he treats them like any other children, with all the kicking and scolding that entails
normally ichiji and the others wouldn't put up with this kind of treatment from anyone, but they see the way sanji and reiju latch onto zeff, the way the two of them follow him like lost puppies and positively preen at any positive attention he gives them, and they decide they'll put up with it.
it's not like the crappy geezer's kicks actually hurt the three of them
so zeff takes reiju and the boys in, even if it means that food will be a little tight until their restaurant gets off the ground.
the 5 of them grow up on the baratie, protecting their home and surrounded by the gruffly affectionate cooks that are drawn to their father's way of life. it's so different from the environment that they had been born into that they don't know what to think. sanji and reiju take to their new life like fish to water, but it takes a little longer for the boys
yonji respects sanji like he respects his other older brothers. he watches sanji, sees the way he loves and hurts and grows. the intensity of the things sanji feels is completely foreign to yonji, but it stirs an unknown feeling in yonji's heart. he doesn't know what it is, but it makes him short-tempered with his brother
by now zeff has been around his kids for a while, and he's more or less figured out what's up. yonji learns from zeff that what he's feeling is jealousy. that he wants something sanji has that he doesn't
which should be impossible.
yonji doesn't feel things.
zeff shrugs and doesn't argue. he just leaves his kid to figure things out on his own.
after that, it happens slowly, so very slowly, but over time, ichiji, niji, and yonji start feeling more and more emotions. their emotions are still pretty dull in comparison to the frightening intensity of what sanji, reiju, and other people feel, but they cherish this new aspect of themselves.
and it turns out that sanji hadn't been the only one affected by their mother's desperate attempt to save her babies. the others had as well. it had just taken a little more work to draw their humanity out of them
by the time don krieg makes the ill-fated decision to attack the baratie, they still don't have the depth of emotion that other humans do. and maybe they never will. but they have enough to know that they will destroy anyone who even thinks of threatening their father's treasure
and they have enough to shed tears when their brother - a piece of their hearts - sets off with the future king of the pirates
it hurts, to have him leave them. and that hurt is something they wouldn't have had to feel if they had remained the way they were as children
but even that hurt is precious to them
because it's a product of how far they've come, and how much they've gained
Summary: Isekai!Reader has a dilemma. You remember your S/O in our world and talk to Link about it. You know, the Link you slept with.
Based on this fic. Can be read stand alone.
Read on Ao3
"Hey Link," you called out to him, as you idly drew random shapes on the dirt floor. The night was quiet, except for the cicadas; or whatever bug making the chirping noises, and the small fire crackling nearby. And of course the snoring.
After the postman incident, thoughts of your own world occupied you again. You had been distant and they noticed. You couldn't sleep as much either, but thanks to the lack of your fighting skills, there was always a Link with you, taking the turn for the watch duty.
"Yeah?" Wild replied softly, with a low volume.
"Do you think I'm a cheater?" You deadpanned, still playing with the stick, not looking at his face.
"What?" He looked perplexed. Did you mean the flirting and glances between you and the rancher? But again, it's not like what was between you and Wild was all that clear in the first place, even though you did share each other's bodies... Once, right before Chain. Then cuddled during trying times, showed affection to each other.
Oh.
Right. You never talked about your life on the other side. Sure, about how some things were in your world, education, maybe some economy. But almost never your personal life, and none of them ever pushed you.
Hell, you actively tried not to think about it, you let go in a way at some point, thinking you'd never see them again anyway, so YOLO?
But then seeing how you are now traveling between eras, didn't that mean you could go back to your own world at some point?
How cruel. How cruel that only after years you learn that there is a possibility.
You sighed.
"I... I actually have, or had, or have.." you stumbled upon your words, not knowing which tense to use.
"There is someone in my world... that is, or was my partner."
Your lips formed a line again, you were still not looking at him. Wild didn't speak for a moment, only understanding what you meant by cheating, just now. You heard some shuffling, he dropped down from the tree silently like a cat.
"(Y/N)..." he started speaking, you interrupted him.
"I know... We have been together for quite a while too, we lived together. But then I was suddenly somewhere else, some world else," you were trying to keep your low voice from trembling, holding back the bitter tears.
He just listened, cautiously moving near you, but not quite making contact.
"I- I ignored their existence since I thought I'd never see them again, then a couple of years passed and I ended up sleeping with someone else, uh, no offense," you were still not looking at him.
"Actually two at once," he snickered. Wild didn't know what to say, so he at least tried to lighten the mood.
"Not funny, not right now!" You hit his shoulder playfully. It was a little bit funny, at least you got distracted from your gloomy mood.
"(Y/N), you thought they were lost to you, forever. How can that be cheating?" He inquired, with a serious tone this time.
You knew he had a point. But that wasn't as straightforward as he thought.
"You are biased," you scoffed. "And look at the Old Man, he sure got to see his wife again. I bet he wouldn't... indulge, like I did." You gulped, guilt was clawing at you again, making it hard to breathe.
"Yeah what a fair comparison. He was thrown into a precarious situation constantly fighting and jumping worlds and guesses he'd probably see his Hyrule again, and you, who had a peaceful life in a village for years with no way to return to your home. Really, a great way to make yourself a big baddie," he said with a sarcastic tone, a tinge of scolding mixed in.
You paused. You have never heard Wild speak this much before. You just mumbled something about not having tried hard enough, still staring at the twig you had in your hand.
He moved closer and gently lifted your chin towards him, making your eyes meet. You melted a little inside, which only fed your guilt even more.
"Look..." he said. "Fine, it is complicated." He sighed, not breaking eye contact in the dimly lit night.
"But you didn't do anything wrong, okay?" He tried to assure you. You averted your gaze again.
"Now that we know... What does it mean, Link? If I can get back to my world one day, does that mean... we, I..."
You trailed off. Wild just listened.
This was really complicated, way too complicated. You didn't want to push him away, you were selfish.
Yet thinking of your partner, wrecked with the pain of losing you perhaps, while you were in the arms of another, receiving comfort? Your stomach was twisting.
After all, maybe they did find someone else already? Or were you merely trying to justify your actions?
Oh Gods, you bet Sky wouldn't think so highly of you. Old Man wouldn't either. None of them would.
As you mentally shuddered, you gave in and leaned on Wild, even if a bit awkwardly.
"Don't tell the others, will you?"
"It's your life to tell," he assured you as he put his arm around your shoulder as you both leaned on the tree. The turmoil of emotions wouldn't let you go further, but at least you enjoyed the companionship and understanding he offered for now.
"I will never judge you, no one can, not for this," he said softly.
You were glad, but guilt still ate at you. Between these legendary heroes, it made you feel small. Shouldn't you have had some type of undying love story?
"...and what if we end up in my world?" your voice but a whisper. He didn't reply immediately.
"We'll cross that bridge when it comes to it, I guess," he ghost shrugged. His eyes had a distant look.
"But I'll be there, okay?" He added somewhat awkwardly.
You gave him a weak smile as you nodded, not knowing what to say, what to do. You wanted him to kiss you, you wanted to be close. He probably wanted the same but didn't want to force a choice on you.
What comes next would be your own choice. How you wanted to proceed now, was your problem.
But he would be there, whatever you chose.
You leaned on the tree trunk as he wrapped an arm around your shoulders, then you slowly drifted off to sleep. A warmth with a tinge of guilt embraced you, giving you dreams of bridges and portals as you fell asleep.
