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Twilight threw a handful of dried grass onto the fire and watched in silence as they curled and burnt up. He’d been awake for a few hours now since he volunteered to take the third watch shift. Aside from the rhythmic chirping of crickets and occasional calls from an owl, there were no unusual noises from the forest around them.
He was used to waking this early, he liked to get his heavy lifting chores done before the sun began to beat on his back. Being awake this early was enjoyable in a way. It was normal for the first shift watchers to have company, as not everyone went to sleep right away. Second shift was often a mixed bag, but usually a trio would stay awake and chat with whoever else was up. Third shift was typically a solitary experience, and the second shifters were usually too tired to stay awake for idle chit chat.
Being alone wasn’t anything new for him. Most of the time, it was peaceful. Other times, it was isolating. He wasn’t sure which he was feeling at the moment.
As the first hints of sunrise began to appear on the horizon, he heard shuffling from one of his companions. He glanced over and watched while Sparks slowly sat up and rubbed the sleep out of their eyes.
“The sun’s not up yet,” Twilight spoke quietly, “you can go back to sleep.”
Sparks blinked at him and made no move to get comfortable under their blanket.
“I didn’t have a watch,” they replied with a shrug. “I’m wide awake.”
Sparks stood up and started to wordlessly walk off into the forest. When they first met in their smaller groups, this behavior used to alarm him. Twilight remembered hearing the off the walls reasoning for their sudden departures. From ‘I’m looking for lanmola eggs’ to ‘off to destroy the cycle of rebirth’. He had heard it all. Over time, he learned to not question it.
Besides, he often did the same back home. As much as he loved his village, there were times where he wanted to be alone. No one understood what he had gone through, and he couldn’t give anyone a reason why he left home for a couple of years. Well, he supposed he could talk to Zelda, but that wasn’t something he particularly wanted to do. She seemed nice and all, but he couldn’t stand being in that city for a moment longer than necessary. So he preferred to be alone at times, though it would be nice to have someone join him in that solitude.
“Actually, I’ll finish your watch,” Sparks said and startled him out of his thoughts.
“Pardon?” Twilight said and looked at them in confusion.
“You look like you stepped in Zol poo,” they replied and stared at him intensely.
“I don't know what that means.”
“Lucky.”
“What are you two talking about?” A third voice mumbled.
Twilight looked back and saw Taylor staring blearily at him. He was wrapped snugly in his blanket with a tuft of black hair pressed against the side of his face. Ravio was fast asleep, and Taylor ran a hand through his partner’s hair.
“Nothing really,” Twilight replied with a shrug.
“He’s going to snap if he stays here any longer,” Sparks supplied, much to Twilight’s confusion.
“What d’you mean?” He asked a bit louder than he meant. A few others spread out amongst the group began to stir in their bedrolls, though if it was because of him or the rising sun, he couldn’t tell.
“You look ready to run. Haven’t seen you this tense since we first met.”
Twilight pointedly looked away from them and felt his ears starting to pin back. He didn’t think he was that easy to read. The worst part was that Sparks was right, he felt like an animal cornered against a wall. As for why, he didn’t know. That only frustrated him more.
The sun finally peeked over the horizon, and some of the other heroes began to clean up and stretch for the day ahead of them.
“Look, loverboy, people are waking up,” Taylor said after a long yawn, “I think you can take a break to go on a walk or whatever.”
“Loverboy?” Twilight balked and stared at Taylor in disbelief.
“Yeah. Unless you’ve been hanging out with that guy for a different reason.”
Twilight glanced over to where Taylor was pointing and felt blood rush to the tips of his ears when he saw Eras was among those starting their morning stretches.
“That’s not what this is,” Twilight grumbled and looked away.
“Oh yeah? Then why are you so red, Chaps?”
“I have Lyme disease,” Twilight balked and stood up to turn away from Taylor. It was a dumb lie and he knew it. “I’m going to the river, come get me if there’s an emergency.”
Twilight slung his bag over his shoulder and made his way through the camp and into the forest beyond. The walk wasn’t that far, he could hear the faint rumble of water through the trees. Some primal part of him wanted to tear through the underbrush, to run until his legs gave out. To sink his claws in the dirt and leave nothing but a trail of dust behind him. He could turn into a wolf if he really wanted to, no one would be able to catch or find him.
As the river came into view, he aimlessly walked along the bank. He didn’t know what had come over him to make old thoughts resurface. There was a time where he did run away, though that was many years ago now. It had been so long, he should have been fine, he should have already made his peace.
There was a quiet part of the river with submerged logs and driftwood, he could see some aquatic plants resting below. It would make for the perfect fishing spot. He sat on a soft mound of grass and placed his bag next to him. His mind went a bit more at ease while he put his pole together and lifted a piece of beached driftwood to gather the grubs underneath. Yes, he could turn into a wolf and run, but he would have to come crawling back to Sky in order to turn Hylian again. He would settle for a quiet fishing trip instead.
He baited a hook and cast the line into the calm water. The water rippled and he closed his eyes once it was still. A pair of doves called out to each other in the trees above, and songbirds soon joined in. When he felt a nibble, he quickly set the hook and reeled it in. A small greengill was at the end of the line, it was far too small to filet, so he carefully removed it from the hook and gently placed it back in the water.
The process repeated several times, he kept any fish big enough to be worth the effort of cleaning, everything else was carefully handled and thrown back into the water. It was a soothing rhythm, he almost felt like he was back home, all he would need is a cat or two to keep him company.
“Hey,” a voice startled him out of his relaxation. “I made you breakfast.”
Twilight looked up and saw Eras offering him an omelette. Normally, the gesture would have made him melt. But now, he wanted to run. To growl. To bite before he ruined everything.
“It’s an omelette,” Eras said while still holding it up.
“Thanks,” Twilight said and grabbed the omelette while offering the fishing rod. “Mind holding this for me?”
“Sure.”
Twilight ate his breakfast and took note of how Eras held onto the pole with a death grip. He stared at the water with intense concentration, and if Twilight had to guess, he’d never been fishing before.
“It’s not a battle,” Twilight said in between bites of egg, “you can relax.”
“What if a fish bites?” Eras asked while keeping his eyes on the line.
“Don’t worry,” Twilight said with a smile and patted the spot next to him, “c’mon, have a seat.”
Eras glanced at him and slowly sat down. His hair was down and not yet braided for the day, meaning he prioritized making the omelette over getting ready. He didn’t have any of his belts on either to holster his sword and fire rod. Twilight knew he rarely went anywhere without some sort of weapon, he must have felt safe enough here to forgo one. It was touching, in a strange sort of way.
“Here, your left hand should be higher than the reel,” Twilight instructed and placed his hand over Eras’ to move it in the correct position.
“Great. Now what?” Eras questioned and looked at him with worry.
“Now we relax. If you feel a nibble on the hook, just give it a quick yank.”
“A yank,” Eras repeated and stared at him wide-eyed.
“Yes. I promise it’s not difficult, now loosen up.”
“Okay.”
The tension in Eras’ shoulders visually lessened, he took a heavy breath and kept his eyes on the water. A light breeze picked up and kept the air from getting too humid. While Eras kept a hold of the fishing rod, Twilight watched various leaves and sticks flow downriver. It made for a peaceful morning, though something nagged in the back of his mind, threatening to ruin it for him.
He liked hanging out with Eras, but maybe he liked it too much. They had gone on a few dates, yes, but they weren’t really anything. He needed to make sure he didn’t keep his hopes up. Maybe it was for the best, he didn’t want to be left behind by his partners anymore.
“You don't have to stay and fish with me,” Twilight offered Eras as a way out. “I appreciate the breakfast.”
“Didn’t feel like being lazy at camp,” Eras said with a smile. “Besides, I enjoy your company.”
“You do?” Twilight replied without really meaning to.
“Of course,” Eras said, his smile faltered and his ears twitched back. “Did I give the impression that I don’t? I’m sorry.”
“No!” Twilight blurted out with a shake of his head. “No, that’s not it. This is a me problem.”
“Alright,” Eras hummed and kept a neutral expression as he kept his eyes on the water.
They remained quiet for a while after that. A heron landed in the calm waters near them, it stood in wait for an easy meal. The water rippled where the line was, and Eras quickly tugged the rod to the side. He looked at Twilight with delight and started reeling the fish in.
With a splash, a fish emerged from the water. Eras pulled the rod to the side, leaving the fish to flop helplessly on the ground.
“Now what?” Eras asked and looked at him with wide eyes before looking at the fish.
“Hold on,” Twilight laughed and rushed over to grab the fish. He carefully picked it up while ignoring the sudden twinge in his arm. It was another greengill, a bit on the smaller side and he likely would have tossed it back in the water. But this was Eras’ first fish, and it wasn’t too small to clean. He removed the hook and handed the fish over. “Here, put that in the bucket. Careful, though, they have spines in their fins.”
Eras grabbed the fish like he was being handed a carton of eggs, he furrowed his brows and placed the fish into the bucket with the rest.
“Well, what do you think?”
“Slimy,” Eras offered while perking his ears up. “Can I fish again?”
“Sure thing,” he replied and grabbed another grub. As he started to bait the hook, his hand trembled and he managed to poke his finger. He swore under his breath and managed to get the grub on the hook on the second try. After handing the pole off to Eras, he leaned back and rested against a fallen tree.
The process repeated several times throughout the morning. Eras would reel in a fish and Twilight would remove it from the hook while judging if it was large enough to keep or not. At one point, Eras returned the rod to give him a long turn at fishing. As the sun began to rise towards the center of the sky, the fish bites drastically lessened.
“It's not what I expected. Fishing, that is,” Eras said softly, he was lying down in the grass using his arms as a headrest. “Some nobles back home would brag about their expeditions. I think they may have been exaggerating, because this is pleasant.”
“Ah, yeah, they'll do that,” Twilight replied lazily. The early afternoon sun was warm on his face, he could easily fall asleep now if he wanted to. “I've never hunted or fished just for sport, I imagine this is a more relaxing experience than whatever they're doing.”
“That's for certain,” Eras said with an amused huff, likely remembering some silly tale. “Do you go fishing with a partner normally, or do you prefer going alone? I can see myself doing this for hours.”
Twilight took a moment before replying. The last time he went fishing with somebody comfortably was with Midna all those years ago. He remembered needing to catch a reekfish on his quest, he spent hours by her side fishing. After she left, he never really tried going with anyone else. He scared everyone off when they tried getting to close to him.
“I usually go alone, but I like the company,” he replied and sighed. He thought back to his past relationships, and how they all failed due to a lack of communication. That was something he didn’t want to repeat. “Can I ask you a possibly stupid question?”
“Go for it.”
“Well, um,” he stammered and took a quick breath to steel himself. “Are we together, or are we just friends? I don’t mind being friends, I just need to know.”
Twilight kept his eyes on the water out of embarrassment. He felt heat rising to his cheeks and to the tips of his ears. Relationships were always something he struggled with, and he hated how small the question made him feel. If Eras was merciful, he wouldn’t laugh at him.
He heard Eras standing up next to him, and then he entered Twilight’s vision with both of his hands outstretched.
“Come on,” Eras said with a lopsided smile.
Twilight set the pole on the ground, he didn’t bother reeling the line in since nothing was likely to bite now. He grabbed Eras’ hands and hoisted himself up, though when he stood, Eras did not let go of him.
“You are one of the bravest and kindest people I have had the pleasure of meeting,” Eras said while gently rubbing a thumb over Twilight’s knuckles. “I love being with you, your presence is always a comfort. So, if you will have me, I would be honored to be your boyfriend.”
He was so dramatic. It was adorable. Despite the air of confidence Eras was attempting to pull off, there was no mistaking the redness in his cheeks and the nervous little ear flick.
“I would find that agreeable,” Twilight replied in an attempt to match his energy. He smiled and watched as Eras brought his hand to his lips to give it a quick, but soft kiss.
“I didn’t take you for a romantic,” Twilight commented, his heart was pounding from the excitement of it all.
“I’m usually not,” Eras said and lowered his hand before finally letting go. “That was scary, but I needed you to know how much you matter to me.”
“Thank you. You mean a lot to me, too.”
As if by some divine prank, Twilight noticed his fishing rod moving in the grass. Of course a fish would decide now to bite and drag his rod away. He dashed forward and grabbed hold before it was dragged into the murky water. Once the greengill was reeled in, he held onto it and started removing the hook. How dare it interrupt this moment.
“There is something I would like to ask of you,” Twilight said quietly. He looked at Eras and braced himself. “If you leave me, can you let me know beforehand?”
He knew it was an odd thing to ask right away after becoming official. Any sort of ‘but I won’t leave you’ wasn’t what he was looking for. He needed confirmation that he wouldn't be left in the dust with no explanation.
Eras stood in front of him, still with that comforting smile of his. He cupped his hands around Twilight’s face and leaned in for a chaste kiss. Twilight watched with wide eyes as Eras withdrew for a second and moved back in to kiss the top of his head. All while Twilight still had a fish in his hand.
“I promise,” Eras assured him.
Twilight smiled and tossed the fish into the bucket with the rest. There was roughly enough fish to feed everyone tonight, they could return to camp now. Fishing all day was relaxing though, he hadn’t felt quite this calm in a long time.
“I’m going to keep fishing for a while. If you want to go back to camp, that’s alright with me.”
“I’ll stay with you,” Eras replied as he started to sit back down.
And so Twilight resumed their earlier routine. He baited the hook and cast the line into the water, they alternated holding onto the rod. The only difference now was that he was leaning comfortably against his partner’s shoulder.
He could get used to this.