"Is something wrong?" Twi asked, his eyebrows raised as he cut through the tense silence. 

Link and Zelda held each other's gaze, eyes wide. Link narrowed his for a moment, watching her carefully to see if she was going to tell them how they knew each other. Obviously, Twi knew all about her, besides the fact that it was her- but it occurred to him that Zelda had told her cousin probably equally horrifying stories about him. If they were true or exaggerated was beside the point. They watched each other skeptically, Zelda watching him with almost fearful eyes, like she'd come to the same conclusion he had.   

"I think we might have met at your wedding," Zelda lied quickly, tearing her eyes away from Link, though she still looked like she'd seen a ghost, "he spilled his drink on me," she added awkwardly, ignoring Link's aggressive signals for her to stop, "so it's just a shock to see him, that's all." 

"Ok," Twi glanced between the two of them suspiciously, "must've been one heck of a night then." 

"Um, it was dark," Link added, earning three confused looks, "and loud," he scratched the back of his neck nervously, "so I didn't realize it was your cousin...at the time." 

He saw the pained expression on Zelda's face as he tried to go along with the lie. It wasn't his finest moment, all he did was add to the confusion and awkwardness. Twi and his wife didn't seem to read too far into it though, they brushed it aside, continuing making breakfast and tending to their kids, leaving the two younger Hylians to fidget uncomfortably, avoiding each other's eyes. 

"Hey, Dusk," Zelda chirped up, hands still holding onto her suitcase with a death grip, "I think I'll put my stuff in my room if that's all right." 

"Of course!" Dusk swept her long hair over her shoulder, "Wild, could you show her where it is? It's right next to yours." 

"Its- mine, by- room, hers?" Link sputtered, head twisting between the two so fast it hurt his neck. 

Twi and Dusk exchanged a wary glance, "Are you sure your all right?" Twi asked. 

"Perfectly fine!" Link insisted, perhaps too fast and his voice cracking did nothing to make it more convincing, "I'll just show her the way," he chuckled nervously and turned to head towards the stairs, motioning for Zelda to follow. 

She did so, though by the look on her face it was reluctantly. They both climbed the stairs, Link keeping his eyes ahead and doing his best to cool his burning face. Only when they reached the door to her room did he spin around to face her. 

"What are you doing here?" he seethed nearly in sync with her. 

They glared at each other, expressions nearly identical, "I was here first," Link added, causing Zelda's frown to deepen. 

"You know what, I don't care," She finally sighed, "can you just move aside and leave me alone? I don't want to see you and I'm sure you don't want to see me, so let's just keep out of each other's ways, ok?" 

She leaned on her suitcase, face drawn and clearly done arguing. Now that Link looked at her she looked terrible. There were dark circles under her red bleary eyes, hair knotted in places, and a fogginess coating her usual sharp eyes. She looked haggard as she stood there, practically holding onto her suitcase for support. 

"You look awful," Link blurted out, slapping a hand over his mouth in the next breath when he realized what he'd just said, "I mean-" 

"Save it," Zelda growled, forcefully pushing past him into her room. 

"No- no, I mean, are you ok?" Link suck his hand in the doorway before she could close it, hoping his sincerity reached his eyes, " you don't look like your doing ok, that's what I meant." 

She regarded him cooly for a second, eyes glistening for a moment, "Don't pretend like you care," she muttered, voice choked before slamming the door shut.  

He stood, staring at her closed door, mouth agape. Angry and frustrated he stomped into his own room and shut the door, sliding down the wood and dropping his head into his hands. It wouldn't be that hard, right? The house was big enough, they could just mind their own businesses and never even have to talk. He tried his best to convince himself of that, but even he knew contact was inevitable.

By the goddesses, he tried to avoid her, but it seemed fate had other ideas. Just in that one day, he seemed to run into her more times than a usual workweek. She was in the living room when he went to go get a glass of water, at the table for lunch, and playing with Roh, Zara, and Wolfe for most of the afternoon. Hylia, he even choked himself with his toothbrush when she walked past the bathroom. Each encounter was awkward and forced, both pulling pained but polite smiles as they avoided the other's gaze. He didn't know what to say to her, a feeling he assumed she shared. To be thrust suddenly into the same house with her wasn't something he was prepared for. He tried to tell himself to give it time, that he could get used to seeing those alluring emerald eyes and shining golden hair on a daily basis...but he couldn't.

It had only been one full day and already his nerves were shot. Every moment he'd been glancing over his shoulder, almost as if he was expecting to see her looming over him with a knife. Even after a night's rest, though he really hadn't slept much, he realized keeping silent couldn't be an option. 

Link tentatively cracked open his bedroom door and peeked into the empty hall. Convinced there was no one there, he slipped out and sprinted to the stairs taking them two at a time. He glanced around the living room even though he distinctly remembered both Zelda's leaving to go on a walk with the two toddlers. He knew she wasn't even in the house, but on the off chance that she stayed behind for some reason...

Link sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He was doomed if she was making him this paranoid. He quickly crossed the room and barged through another door, Twi jumping in surprise at his entrance. The older man watched the younger curiously, pen hanging loosely in his mouth and hands resting on a keyboard. 

"May I help you?" he asked as Link collapsed into an armchair next to the window. 

"I lied," Link blurted, Twi's eyebrows nearly disappearing into his hair, "I didn't meet Zelda at your wedding." 

Twi grinned and drummed his fingers along the desk he was sitting at, "Trust me," he chuckled, "we could tell." 

"We work together," Link rushed out, closing his eyes on instinct, "she's the girl I told you about." 

He waited for a response, only cracking open his eyes when none came. Twi face held shock, though a shadow seemed to cover it. His eyes didn't hold the mirth they did just moments ago. Link watched, slightly fearfully as Twi muttered curses under his breath and curled his hands into fists, pounding them against his forehead. 

"C'mmon Wild," he muttered darkly, glancing to the younger man, "I raised you better than that," he shook his head disappointedly.  

"But I-" 

"You're an idiot, you know that," Twi lobbed his pen at Link's head, the younger Hylian throwing up his hands in defense. 

"What was that for?!" Link protested, "you're supposed to be on my side!"     

"How can I," Twi shook his head, "I've heard plenty of stories about Flora's boss," his eyes darkened again, "a small detail you forgot to mention," he accused, "that girl you complained about wasn't a co-worker." 

"Same difference," Link muttered, sliding further down his seat, "but what am I supposed to do now? I can't avoid her, and it's awkward for both of us." 

"Just-" Twi grumbled and rubbed the bridge of his nose furiously, "they'll both probably kill me if they figure out I told you," he mumbled, then fixed Link with a serious stare, "Flora's gone through a lot lately, mostly with her dad...so just- try to be a bit more patient, alright?" 

"What happened with her dad?" Link sat up straighter in his seat. The relationship between father and daughter had intrigued him since their strange meeting in the director's office. It had been clear they didn't like each other very much, but Link was certainly curious as to how deep their hatred truly ran. 

"I think Zel said something about how her dad locked her out of the house," Twi muttered, turning his attention back to his work. 

"He...locked her out?" Link asked, certain he misheard. What kind of grown man locked his adult daughter out of the house, "that's....weird." 

"He's a weird man," Twi shrugged, "it was just the straw that broke the loftwing's back, ya know? I guess he threw a lot of fancy dinner parties like the rich do apparently, and his favorite subject usually had to do with rubbing Flora's failures in her face, that sort of thing," Twi shook his head sadly, "Zelda says he's been doing that sort of thing since they were young, the emotionally and verbally abusive type. It seems Flora always got more than her sister though...Poor kid," he shrugged and sighed, "I'm just glad she finally got out. Though, she's still is desperate for his approval," Twi fixed Link with an icy stare, "and I don't think having her boss who he already loves so dearly constantly one uping her helps any."  

"How should I have known any of that?" Link protested though it was meek. 

He slumped in his seat again. Any pride he'd built up at beating Zelda in her own game came crashing down in a miserable heap. He already knew Zelda had a rocky relationship with her father, but to hear even a snippet of it sparked a boiling rage in his stomach. Kids were supposed to be nurtured by their parents, not torn down. Of course, he couldn't just brush aside the pain Zelda had put him through because there was a sob story as motivation. In what world was it fair for her to take her anger out on him? 

Link nodded to himself, mind made up. He could stay out of her way, both in the house and at work. Hylia, he knew it couldn't have been easy and it was the least he could do to lighten her load...that was if she backed off too. He promised himself, the moment she started picking a fight he'd give her what was coming to her. There wasn't a chance he'd just let himself be her punching bag. 

"Thanks, I guess," Link mumbled, realizing he seemed to have more to worry about than when he walked in, "I'll see you later, Twi." 

The older man gave a vague wave, now completely absorbed in his work. He didn't pay any attention as the younger Hylian slunk away, brow furrowed and spirits dampened considerably. Link hated the pity he was feeling towards Zelda, then hated himself for hating that he was being a decent person. It was a tangled web of emotions and thoughts which would take who knew how long to sort out. 

                                                   —------------------------------

Twi's POV: (I'm gonna be calling him Link now because I like to be confusing :)) 

There had been something bugging Link all day now, an annoying prod at the back of his mind that he couldn't quite figure out. It all started when Wild decided to spill the beans on the whole situation with Flora- a story he really hadn't been prepared for. From his position, it was hard to take a side. On one hand, Wild was his brother, but Flora certainly deserved a break. Both, however, were in the blame for acting so ridiculously childish. 

He brushed his bangs from his face as he padded down the hall. After finally wrestling both twins into their respective beds he pushed any thought about work from his mind. Brow still furrowed, he pushed open his bedroom door, peeling off his shirt and rolling it into a ball before tossing it into the hamper. Yet another good shirt lost to Roh's and Zara's messy eating techniques. Not wasting another moment, he flopped down on the soft bed awaiting him. 

"Had a rough time putting them to sleep?" Zelda asked, running a hand through his hair, eyes still glued to her computer. 

"Just the usual, actually, " Link sighed and rolled over to his stomach, looking curiously at his wife as he propped his chin on his hands, "Did you know that Wild and Flora work together?" 

Zelda glanced at him, an eyebrow raising, "She might have mentioned it, yeah...Why?" 

"Did she tell you they met before," he grinned, "they were even going to go on a date." 

"I don't see how that's really relevant," she turned back to her work, but not without giving him a warning look. 

"Did you also know Wild only took the job because he still had a crush on her?" 

Zelda looked incredulous, "Did he tell you that?" 

"In more or fewer words," Link insisted, scooching closer, sitting up and wrapping his arms around her, " I'm just saying I think they're both acting weird because deep down they still like each other but Flora decided to a- " he paused, catching Zelda's glare and it decided it was best not to call her cousin some choice insults. "Guarded, and so Link did too. Now they're just a couple of confused kids who don't know what they feel." 

"Ok," Zelda murmured, expression slightly dazed, "Is there a point to this...revelation?" 

Link looked at her, awestruck, "We have to help them of course." 

At this Zelda turned to look at him sharply, "Excuse me?" 

"Help them," he repeated. "Look at it this way. Let's see what we're dealing we, a workaholic and a guy who never fully commits to anything, I mean, you've met Wild. He's never going to make a move...neither of them will actually." 

Zelda shut her laptop with a snap, turning in his arms to fully look at him, "Did you know that Flora and I never got along when we were younger?" she fixed him with a serious stare, "This is the first time in her entire life that she's ever come to me for help, love- and with all Sheik and I are doing right now...Please don't do anything to put her in an uncomfortable position. If anything really is supposed to happen between them, let fate handle it." 

Link considered this, finding it hard to ignore that pleading look in her eyes, "Sometimes fate just needs a little push," he mumbled. 

Zelda shook her head and sighed, wriggling from his arms and leaning over to switch off the lights, "I'm serious, Link. I don't think it's a good idea to-" she paused when she turned back and saw his phone in hand and the grin on his face. "Who are you texting?" she asked suspiciously leaning in to see.  

"Just my brother," He shot back cheekily, pulling the phone out of view. 

He could tell by the look on her face she knew exactly which brother and what they were talking about. 

"If you drag Time into this, so help me I-" 

"It's just fun brotherly bantering," Link promised, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her to the pillows with him, "you know I like to keep Time updated on all things back in town," he pointed out, peppering her face and neck with kisses.  

She didn't seem convinced but let the subject drop for the time being. Of course, he was turning to the older man for help. As disastrous as Time's love life was, and considering he gave terrible relationship advice- he always had a gift for rather ingenious plans. Link knew if he left fate to do all the work nothing would get done. And what were brothers for if not to meddle a bit? All he knew was that Wild tended to need a kick in the pants when it came to romance, and a kick was what Link intended to give him.

A/N no italics n' stuff vus I'm lazy today