"You too, then . . ."

Sakiko blinked, her mouth going dry - she had expect Alpha to smirk, scoff, anything but that. By his words, he indicated that they felt the same way - or at least the similar feelings of confusion. She listened as he continued, elucidating what he meant by the earlier phrase. Even though it was almost the exact opposite for her; she felt more guarded with him, but...happier than she had ever been. It was almost as if she naturally felt lighter and playful when she was spending time with Alpha, but she consciously built back the barrier every time she felt she was getting into it.

It was amazing, how her thoughts could clear up so perfectly well after hearing Alpha's few statements. She turned her head, surprised, when Alpha grabbed her hand without forewarning. Sakiko made no attempt to withdraw her own, however; it felt pleasant and comforting, feeling his warm skin pressed against hers. She almost felt like a lost child who was holding unto her parent's hand, being led back home again. Feeling like she was adored. Parents she never had.

Adoration she never felt.

Childhood she never experienced.

"I'd like to spend some more time with you, though - so if something is bothering or confusing you, please . . .Let me know."

Sakiko curled her fingers around his hand, so many emotions and thoughts flying through her at once. She was wanted and he was concerned about her. It was a strange new feeling; with Arrika and Zeze, it had been more of a sisterly companionship - but with Alpha, he was like a foundation, a parent, someone to lean upon and look up to. Someone to trust. As she gazed into his sincere eyes, her heart began to ache so terribly. It was like she was at the surface of something much deeper, and she wanted it.

And she knew.

She knew so clearly and so painfully that she couldn't ignore it any longer.

Sakiko sighed softly, her eyes half closed. I can never go back - no, we can never go back - to way things had been. We're already halfway there... just one more step, and maybe..perhaps.. She brought her face closer to his, her lips only a centimeter away from his. Sakiko pressed her cool lips against that of Alpha's, holding them there for a few seconds.

Suddenly, she felt warmth on her cheeks, and she realized that her eyes were watering. Sakiko quickly wiped them away, determined to not appear so weak and mawkish...she wasn't that kind of person...

And yet, with her feelings for Alpha came the searing pain of the past. The old wounds that had been stowed away and carefully hidden were being ripped open - and with it, the memories.

The distrust.

The agony.

Sakiko turned away so that Alpha couldn't see. She didn't know if she was ready for this, if she could act comfortable around him as he had asked her to be. How could she trust him? She could give him her love and he may return it with cold, ashen neutrality. Even if he did feel anything for her now, how did anyone know what may happen in the future? She whispered hoarsely,

"It hurts...Alpha, it hurts when I'm with you."

He felt Sakiko's fingers tightening around his own grasp, a shiver running up his spine as he felt the warmth of his body traveling into her. Her gaze rose to meet his, seeing a longing in her eyes, a desire unlike anything he had seen in another person before. He couldn't figure out what exactly it meant, however, until her eyes half-closed, becoming almost trance-like as she suddenly pushed her way forward, pressing her lips against his own . . .

And in his mind's eye, he remembered.

"I love you."

The words escaped from his lips; he couldn't believe he'd actually gone so far as to say them, but somehow they'd forced their way out. He'd decided it last night, and knew that it must be the truth. How else could he feel so drawn to the girl, so overcome by her? She was gorgeous, strikingly beautiful, and if there was one thing in the world that he knew at this moment, it was that he loved -

"No you don't."

The reply came as soon as the sweet smile he'd grown so enamored by had fixed itself on her lips, cherry colored strips that just begged for someone to love. And yet the words were cold . . . no so much unkind as they were unforgiving.

Then the words, and their meaning, registered in his mind. "Wh-what are you talking about!? Of course I-"

She put a finger to his lips, winking in a way that would have frozen and silenced him even in the midst of a furious battlefield. "Yuenbri, please . . ." her soft voice whispered past his ears, "I want you to stop and think about that for a second. You say you love me; I say you don't. Based on our experiences, who do you think has a better understanding of the situation of love?"

He stared at her, mouth falling open as he struggled to speak again. Try as he might, he knew the answer was as obvious as she made it sound: she was Misty, his partner assassin, one who specialized as a seductress. Even at the age of sixteen her appearance was more womanly than most grownups, and she was the envy of every man in the Criminal Underground - and with his status as her partner, that meant he was envied just as much.

She drew back, resting against the counter of the kitchen area they were meeting in. "Listen, Yuenbri, how old are you now? Thirteen? Fourteen?" She giggled. "Oh, that's such a fun age for men! Noticing women for the first time, getting crushes, going on dates, getting heartbroken -" he noticed she said that last one a bit more cheerily than all the others "- falling in love . . . oh, how I love a good romance! And lemme tell ya kid, that age is the perfect time for it!"

Now she was insulting him; hurt, he crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes. "You're only two years older than I am!"

"Yes, but you could never tell by looking at me, right?" Well, she certainly had a point there . . . "Wraith, you've got a little crush on me, that's all. It isn't love, and it isn't going to last. You're at that age, though, so you just found someone that you already spend lots of time with, and got lucky because she happens to be drop dead gorgeous." Misty giggled again. "I know, I know, I'm so full of myself," she quoted the boy, who had said as much on multiple occasions.

But that was when her face and tone turned completely serious. "However, I can't really work alongside you like this. If you're in gagaland every time you see skin, I won't exactly be able to stay undercover, and you won't be able to stay in control. And lemme tell ya, kid," she reached out and patted him on the head, "there's nothing more dangerous than you when you're in control. Meaning that's the way I want you to be twenty-four seven. I can't have you trying to make a little crush into a love that wouldn't last - and trust me, it wouldn't. We are way too different to ever get along outside of a work environment.

"So I tell you what I'm going to do." She walked forward slowly, and when she was close enough, abruptly reached forward and wrapped her arms around his neck, entangling their legs at the same moment. Hanging from her arms, she half closed her eyes, her expression faltering as . . . as he felt something magical - real magic, not just some lovey-dovey illusion his mind was creating - flowing through her body.

"I'm going to give you a gift - some might call it a curse, but believe me, this is a blessing in disguise. You don't want to love a girl based solely on her appearance, trust me - so I'm going to make it so that you no longer care about that. The irrational impulses, the sexual fantasies, the hold a beautiful woman can put on you . . . it's gonna be thrown out the window. From now on . . ." She was muttering now, drawing herself forward. He knew it at once - this 'curse' of hers would be transferred through a -

". . . from now on, you will love based on who they are, not how they look." A soft chuckle escaped her mouth. "Lucky you."

And then she pressed her lips to his, letting the spell - a curse or a blessing, he couldn't tell which right then - flow into him. And at once, Alpha's mind became clear.

That had been his first kiss, nearly seven years ago . . . or was it eight now? He really didn't know. He didn't even count it as a first kiss, actually; it had been a spellcasting, not a sign of affection. Whether or not it was, though, hardly mattered to him now; Misty had been right, and the moment her 'gift' was given, he'd seen that clearly. Ever since then he had not been plagued with desires for the beautiful woman one sees passing by on the street, had not felt urges to make a woman his own because they were beautiful. He still recognized beauty, knew who was attractive and who was not . . . but it never affected him, never caused him to lose control of himself to an unfounded longing called forth by hormones.

He counted that gift one of the greatest blessings he'd ever received.

And then the memory shattered as Sakiko abruptly pulled away, leaving an empty feeling in his mouth - so caught up in the past had he been the hadn't even taken the time to enjoy the first real kiss he had ever received. She suddenly shifted, turning away from him quickly . . . but it didn't hide the dim reflection of tears coursing down from her eyes.

Had he done something wrong? Had he missed a cue? Should he have kissed her back rather than get caught up in memories of the past? He couldn't really answer any of them . . . he still didn't know how he felt about her. He enjoyed being around her, but . . .

She had kissed him just now. No matter how confused he felt, that truth remained.

But then she said something else, something that, in his bewildered state, he almost didn't hear. "It hurts...Alpha, it hurts when I'm with you."

He didn't know how to react; couldn't know, really, given his inexperience at being kind and gentle towards females. Misty's gift was likely to blame for that; given his loner lifestyle and the spell she'd cast, he'd never really gotten close to any women. He'd heard stories, and could recount numerous memories of men consoling girls, but . . . he'd never had to do it himself . . .

"What's the best way to get a girl to like you?" he asked, hesitantly. His crimson eyes abruptly narrowed. "And don't give me that crap about 'all you need to know is two little words that I'm not going to tell you'."

Misty glanced up at him. "Well that's simple, Yuenbri! If you like a girl, then show her two things: you care for her, and you respect her."

Yes . . . that had happened about a month before the kiss . . . Misty had answered almost immediately, though, which had always seemed a bit odd; that wasn't her normal way of acting. She'd always liked to torture him for information . . . so he couldn't help but wonder if she'd been holding something back.

Still . . . he could picture her eyes from that day very clearly, and they weren't the eyes she wore when on a job, or when lying. She'd told the truth, just maybe not the whole truth . . .

Show her you care for her. Show her you respect her.

He wasn't sure how to show respect in this situation . . . so care it would have to be. Nodding, he reached out with his arms, wrapping them around her neck in a loose hug, then pulled her back against his chest.

It hurts...Alpha, it hurts when I'm with you.

"I'm sorry . . ." he finally replied, whispering into her ear. "Please, tell me, what am I doing wrong? How can I help stop the pain?"

She was afraid. When Alpha drew her to his chest and murmured those tender, heartbreakingly affectionate words to her, the walls that she had built around her came tumbling. Her heart that she had guarded so carefully, so protectively over the years was wide open and feeling... and she was scared of that vulnerability.

"Goodbye, Sakiko."

The mage spilled silent tears as she watched Aureliano walk away from her, his back illuminated by the still, morning sun. Her knees gave way as she collapsed unto the wet ground, her hands clenched into fists. She wanted to scream, but her throat was too dry, too closed. As she knelt there, she began to feel immense hate flooding her. She was angry – beyond angry. How dare Aureliano leave her like this? After what she had given him? She had trusted him, and now he was leaving her to die. And she began to think of all those who would be pitying her when this piece of news would break, thinking this to be a wonderful piece of gossip.

She hated everything and everyone.

Sakiko stood up slowly, uncertainly, wiping the last of her tears on her sleeve. She began to move her feet, step by step, her walk slow and brooding. This was what she deserved, for giving away her heart and friendship to those around her. And it was time to take it all back. As she began to make her way through the fields, she was determined never to spill a tear for anyone else, or for herself.

And yet, here she was, her body quivering at the slightest touch. Her vision blurred by the tears that she had promised she would never shed. And she was so terrified of the future – of the doubts that filled every corner of her being. Sakiko lifted the hands that so warmly wrapped around her shoulders and gently lifted them down.

Every emotion that she had been wary of, every feeling that she had tried to ignore and to deny rushed to her at once. She loved him.

Yes; Sakiko loved him for his weaknesses and his strengths. She loved that scar that marred his face – and she loved the beautiful expression that he carried beneath the wound. He was so like her; distrustful but some small portion willing to care and to believe. She loved him because he brought her out of that barrier of cynical disbelief and reservation. Just being with him made her catch her breath and made her want to love him even more.

And that's why she let his hands fall from her shoulders; because she was frightened.

"Please, tell me, what am I doing wrong? How can I help stop the pain?"

Alpha...he wasn't doing anything wrong. He was so perfect in her eyes – if that was a fault, then she didn't know how he could fix that. Stop the pain? How could he? His very existence, his words, his touch... everything brought her joy and searing agony. The feelings that he provoked in her were so real, so passionate, and so existent that she had no way to express them or to accept them.

Sakiko had told herself that she had already taken a step towards something that she could not get out of; but this tenderness that Alpha showed brought her the sting of her past so excruciatingly that she wasn't sure. It was like running for a while without any drink or rest; she knew that she couldn't stop and go back, but it was so tiring, it was exhausting – and the mere thought of continuing was unbearable.

The only thing that she could hope for was that it was all sympathy on his side; the sight of tears could stimulate any such reaction in anyone. If she knew that Alpha felt nothing for her that she felt for him, then maybe she could walk away from all this. Maybe she could bury the pain and put on the cold façade, forgetting anything that had happened. Even though she knew that it was most likely improbable, unreasonable, impossible...that she could forget him and the feelings that she felt, it would be easier. One side of her desperately hoped that he felt affection for her, because it was natural. It was an innate hope – a hope existing in every being – that one's love could be reciprocated.

"How can you stop the pain?"

Sakiko took a deep breath, her hands held in fists.

"Tell me that you don't feel anything for me. Tell me that you have never felt anything for me. Tell me that you will never feel anything for me – anything...other than the mutual respect as fellow companions."

She hung her head, biting her lips. It wasn't what she wanted to hear from him; if he was to agree to what she had said, she knew that she would be heartbroken. But it was better now than later, when she had gotten in too far in this road to stray off the tracks or go back.

Tell me the truth, Alpha.

The Sheikah just sat there, dumbfounded.

"How can you stop the pain? ... Tell me that you don't feel anything for me. Tell me that you have never felt anything for me. Tell me that you will never feel anything for me – anything...other than the mutual respect as fellow companions."

The words rang through his ears, her serious tone starkly in contrast with the fearful, hurt nature Sakiko had held only a few moments earlier. He tried to open his mouth to say something - anything, really - only to find himself silenced by the confusion running amok through his mind. He would have gladly spoken the words if he had thought they would actually stop the pain, but . . . something told him that it would not. He didn't claim to understand women - especially after Misty's spell had been placed upon him, denying him the reason why most men lusted after women - but there was some innate knowledge that just told him to never, ever say those words.

Part of it was because it was a lie - a cold, heartless lie that would likely wound her deeply. That wasn't the entire reason, though; he told lies, acted on lies, and honestly lived complete lies day in and day out, so it wasn't like deceiving people normally bothered him.

Maybe . . . maybe it was not only because that wouldn't be the truth, but also because of what the truth was. He did have feelings for Sakiko, and was willing to bet he would continue to have them even if they went no further. He didn't understand the feelings, seeing as he had not experienced anything even remotely similar to them in years, and needed time to see if it was truly love or just some passing desire . . . but he wanted to see, wanted to know if there really was something there in his heart.

It was just like Arrika had been told at the party . . . Alpha wanted to believe in others, wanted to be with people he trusted and maybe even loved. He didn't know that that was the case, but even so he couldn't let Sakiko go like this.

He reached out, placing a hand on her shoulder, and slowly turned her around to face him, his eyes narrowed with a hint of frustration in his face. He looked at her beautiful face, and softly, yet seriously, spoke. "If you want me to tell such a terrible lie," he said, one hand reaching down to the small of her back and bringing her forward even as he leaned towards her, "then by the goddesses, you had better have one heck of a reason for it."

He didn't give her a chance to respond; as soon as the words were out of his mouth, he brought her forward and placed his lips against hers, a passionate kiss that expressed everything he felt and everything he hoped they could one day have. Knowing that she might pull away at any second, he savored each moment of the embrace, praying to Farore that he wasn't making a mistake.

It was like lying on a field of wildflowers, the sweet and almost pungent scent of grass and flowers carried by the soft breeze. It was like staring at the sun with lazy half-closed eyes, knowing that the peace was temporary. Knowing that the bright day would be replaced by the night, knowing that the warmth that she basked in would turn to cold. As the seasons passed, the flowers would wither and collapse unto the ground and the idyllic meadow into a deserted piece of land; lifeless and gray.

But despite knowing this fact, we all bask in the beauty of the moment – feel grateful for the ephemeral joy that we are given.

And that's what Sakiko did; as she felt her lips crush against Alpha's, she unconsciously responded to his ardent kiss. She raised her arm to wrap around his neck, bringing him closer and pressing his body against hers. Her other hand was at the back of his head, her fingers gently gripping his hair.

All thoughts of restraint that had passed her mind was now completely gone; all wishes that he would tell her of his detachment vanished. She was his, and he was hers. As they stood, so closely that they resembled one figure, she knew that there was no point or willpower to resist. Like gravity pulled her towards the ground, Sakiko could not escape him.

Sakiko pulled her lips away slightly, her eyelashes brushing against his cheeks. She whispered softly, almost pleadingly,

"Alpha..."

If you want me to tell such a terrible lie, then by the goddesses, you had better have one heck of a reason for it.

There was no reason. There had been a reason, but now it was a mere fleeting thought of her whims. It seemed so trivial as she said his name – everything might turn out alright. What was there to worry about?

"Alpha."

Sakiko smiled slightly, pressing her lips once again to his.

"Excuse me, you left your bear!"

The magic was soon broken by the call. The Mage peered over Alpha's shoulder, where a young woman stood leaning against the metal bars of the skating rink. This woman had asked Alpha to skate with her, and her friend also glared at them a few feet away. She had a very annoyed face on, shaking about the pink fluff at Alpha. Sakiko blushed and pulled away, seeing the impropriety of their display of affection. The woman tossed it disrespectfully towards Sakiko, her eyes reading jealousy and irritation.

A flash of anger sped across Sakiko, her pale hand snapping forwards to catch the pink beast. As she turned away, used to controlling her emotions and not wanting to make a big spectacle about this, the Mage heard the woman mutter,

"I can't believe he'd date such a freak."

Sakiko gripped her hands in a furious attempt to ignore it, but the spiteful giggle of the woman's friend set her pride aflame. She walked briskly towards the rink, jumping over the metal bar easily. The teen boy who had been charge of the fees sighted her walking on the ice without the skates on and began to yell at her to get off. Without listening, she walked towards the woman skater. Sakiko hissed,

"What's your problem?"

The woman crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing.

"I just want to know how a freakishly corpse-like thing like you could get someone like that."

In a flash, the woman was down on her knees with a thud. Sakiko brought her leg forward once again, brutally kicking the skater repeatedly.

He couldn't say what it was he was feeling; again, Alpha had never experienced real love before, just the fleeting sensation of a crush. But as Sakiko started to weave her hands around his neck and head, embracing him and pressing him even tighter against her lips, he knew that the emotions running through him far exceeded anything that could be defined as a simple 'crush'. There was something much more here, something just waiting to be uncovered and built upon, and as his own arms reached around and pulled her body as tightly against his own as was physically possible, he knew he would be a slave to whatever was now present in his heart for the rest of his life.

And he couldn't remember ever feeling better.

He continued to hold her as she pulled away slightly, now quite unwilling to let her leave him, especially when she whispered his name with a tenderness and . . . he didn't know how, but he recognized desire in those words. Then she lifted her head up, pressing the rosy lips against his own -

"Excuse me, you left your bear!"

Had Sakiko not immediately pulled away, he might have just kept on going, ignoring the call completely - or maybe he would have just whipped out a hand and launched a Fire spell at whoever had called out to them. But after a moment's thought he found he recognized the voice, and also a note of anger in it. It was that girl again, the one who had asked him to skate with her a few moments before. He turned to face her, eyes mirroring the irritation he saw in hers - interrupting such a tender moment between himself and Sakiko brought him dangerously close to a murdering mood.

She threw the bear back to Sakiko, turning away after the mage caught it. He glowered at the retreating girl's back, then turned back to the silver haired mage - he didn't want an interruption like that again, so he figured they'd better go ahead and leave this place -

"I can't believe he'd date such a freak."

Sakiko was already vaulting over the metal bar by the time he had gotten his anger back under some semblance of control, and before he could get back onto the ice - even though he could balance on his skates, they still impaired his speed - his companion had the girl on the ice and was beating her repeatedly with some enraged kicks. Personally, Alpha wasn't sure whether to stop her or join in; as far as he was concerned the girl had insulted both him and Sakiko right there, and after interrupting them he felt no mercy towards her.

Still . . . he couldn't well just let the adventurer keep beating up the woman like that. It was hardly a fair fight - some random girl who didn't know how to keep her pride in check vs. a mage who had battled against Ganon's own minions several times . . . yeah, the odds were heavily stacked in Sakiko's favor here. In fact, he actually had to commend the silver haired girl - despite her outrage, on some subconscious level she was refusing to use the magic in which she specialized, choosing to simply hurt the girl rather than outright injure, maim, or kill her.

"Sakiko!" He called out her name as he got behind her and grabbed her, pulling her away from the victim. He lowered his head down so he could mutter into her ear, still speaking loudly enough for both girls to hear him, "You shouldn't waste the effort on such trash." Even he, master of masks that he was, couldn't restrain the angry condescension he felt from entering his words; it was obvious whom he was actually directing the statement towards.

He sent a glare to the girl on the ice, waiting until he had her full attention, then gripped Sakiko's chin, turned it towards his face, and gave her another brief kiss on the lips. The rage within him was forced back down as he experienced the euphoria again, however short it was . . . but he pulled away after only a few moments, seemingly finished with his insults towards the girl on the ice.

The teen boy was already running out towards the pair; after the beating Sakiko had given the brat, it wasn't surprising. "We're leaving," he snapped, waving the boy away. "We're getting out of here right now." Without even leaving the ice rink he bent down and untied his skates, pausing for a moment to - for some reason - tap the ice twice with his foot. Then he wrapped his arm around Sakiko and led them back towards the bench where their stuff had been left. Within moments his boots were back on his feet and his hooded cape thrown over his arm. On the way out, he deposited the skates on the desk, glancing back only once as they walked out the door.

Oh goody, the two girls still hadn't moved.

And it looked like, in the darkness, no one had noticed the rings of red energy forming in the ice beneath her and her friend.

The pair had only just walked out the door when the ice beneath the two girls collapsed, the Sheikah's Fire spell doing a perfect job at seeing them soaked. And as their screams reached him, Alpha's grin finally returned to his face.

The girl was screeching in pain, but Sakiko paid no attention to the exclamations as she was venting her fury at the impudent skater. She was about to deliver another kick when she felt strong hands pulling her away. The Mage was beginning to struggle against the hold when she heard Alpha mutter into her ear. She immediately calmed down, seeing the truth in his words – nevertheless, she couldn't resist throwing the sobbing woman another glower. Sakiko tried to focus on breathing properly, as she was inhaling and exhaling rather rapidly and loudly. People like that made her furious. Angry. Disgusted. Sticking their noses into businesses in which they had no right to be in.

Her breath was suddenly caught midway as Alpha abruptly leaned in to osculate. It was a bit too much – instead of relaxing her, it threw her into another round of adrenaline.

"We're leaving."

"Hic."

Sakiko covered her mouth, embarrassed. After Alpha kissed her, she had gotten herself into hiccupping, probably because of her shock and heavy breathing. She followed the Sheikah as he took off his skates and walked briskly towards their belongings. Grabbing her robe – but not having enough time to put it on – she was about to push open the doors when she heard a series of shrill screaming behind them. The sight that greeted her when she peered over her shoulder was not bad at all; now why didn't she think of that – using magic? She was almost definite that Alpha was the one responsible for this (the grin on his face told all) and she felt slightly stupid for not blowing their heads off. That was strange...that she'd resort to such weak kicking.

"Hic."

As she pushed open the door, the two Mages saw that the warm afternoon setting had quickly settled into night. The air had chilled, and a slight breeze carrying the scent of the nostalgic aroma of the afternoon brushed across the streets. Sakiko threw the robes over her, shivering slightly as the cold cotton touched her skin.

When the sudden chaos of the ice skating rink slowly faded away, Sakiko began to notice how...almost awkward it was that she and Alpha were standing there together. Like...lovers. It was strange! They had been careful – or at least it had been on her part – with keeping some distance between them, treating each other as fellow adventurers. And yet, they had kissed. She blushed, coughing slightly. At the moment it had been all fine and dandy, but as the cool air cleared her mind, being beside the Sheikah made her self-conscious. Sakiko coughed again, walking a little bit ahead of him. She began hesitantly,

"Uh...hic...why don't we go eat...hic...dinner? That hot dog wasn't so filling."

Sakiko hurried in front of him, hiccupping and clearing her throat simultaneously.

Food sounded good to the Sheikah; his grin only grew wider as Sakiko suggested it. Melting the ice had used up a good bit of his mental energies, and after the illusion spell earlier he clearly didn't have much magic power left in him. Food would help to alleviate the weakness that he felt, giving him a chance to rest and relax, and also . . .

He could have blushed at the thought, though he didn't; instead his smile became a little more wistful as he realized that dinner would give him more time to spend with Sakiko.

His ears twitched as she hiccuped again, bringing a smirk to his lips as he stood there. The noises had begun right after he'd kissed her, rubbing his choice in the face of that rude - rude and now soaked, he thought, nearly laughing - girl in the ice rink. Had he unwittingly caused them? Whatever the case, he found the noises to be rather humorous and - he'd never thought he'd describe anything like this - cute.

Sakiko walked a little bit ahead of him as they went off in search of a place to eat, and the Sheikah allowed his eyes to wander about the road. They were starting to leave the more festive region of Rauru behind; the grand lights and sounds of the carnival were still bright and loud in their wake, but no longer threatened to overwhelm the pair. The crowds were lessened too, as night had fallen and many were now safely back home and preparing their own meals; fortunately, this made it quite easy to pick out which establishments were restaurants, as they were really some of the only businesses that remained open this late.

Most of them in this region, though, looked fairly rundown and empty for the night, which either meant they closed early or they weren't the grandest of locations to be eating; both possibilities implied that the pair should keep moving. It wasn't until they were a few minutes past the outskirts of the festival that a new building presented itself.

The Raven's Perch, the sign hanging above the doorway read. It looked to be a tavern that was bringing in some fairly good business, given the small crowd of people who stood off to the side conversing and the sounds of laughter and merriment coming from within. The building seemed to stretch back quite a ways, at least two or three times the size that a standard restaurant would be, and a stable rested off to the side; Alpha guessed that the place doubled as an inn for weary travelers.

The aroma emerging from the door was also a strong draw to the place; it was hard to resist the pull, especially since neither of them really felt like resisting. "This look good to you?" the Sheikah asked Sakiko, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and turning her towards it. "Regardless," he added with a chuckle, "this time, the meal is my treat, alright?"

Sakiko's fingers brushed against the pocket of her robes as she warily examined her surroundings. This seemed to be a rather shady part of town; somewhere that she didn't really enjoy hanging around at night. The Mage stared suspiciously at each glancing shadow, figure crossing the streets, dark patches on the moonlit road. Who am I kidding? Alpha is here...he's the greatest warrior I have ever known. There is nothing to be afraid of. Despite such thoughts, Sakiko didn't relax her grip on her slingshot.

"This look good to you?"

Sakiko nearly pulled out the weapon and would've done something quite very embarassing had Alpha not put his arm around her. Still unused to any signs of affection - that didn't mean she didn't enjoy it though (hur hur) - Sakiko's cheeks flushed crimson red once again. She could almost feel a patch of goosebumps rising where Alpha's warm hand was now resting against.

"Well, I suppose it'll have to do."

The Raven's Perch. Sounded like some hangout place for a bunch of thieves and bandits who were running away from authority. She could just picture it in her mind - they would go inside and be met with a horde of loud and obnoxious men with beer kegs flying around everywhere. Sakiko's gray eyes wandered to the stable, and back to the "Perch". She wondered why the building was so large - certainly such a spacious area wasn't only to be intended to be used as a restaurant?

However, she was hungry and cold - such things of nature weren't to be ignored. Sakiko threw Alpha a small glare at his chuckle - it wasn't entirely her fault that the only food available were greasy hot dogs, was it? She gently shrugged off the Sheikah's arm to don on the hood of her robe - no one really knew what to expect in buildings of such a name. Besides, it was best to keep oneself hidden - which applied to Alpha more than herself.

"Well, I'll just abuse this opportunity and order the most expensive meal of the house."

She threw him another look with narrowed eyes.

"Well, I'll just abuse this opportunity and order the most expensive meal of the house."

Alpha laughed at the comment, shrugging away the joke with almost no effort whatsoever - after all, regardless of the prices, he seriously doubted they could be so high as to even dent the earnings he had received from his time as an assassin. "Fine, fine, guess I walked into that one," he finally said as he led Sakiko inside.

Fortunately for the silver haired mage, the inside of the building was nothing as she had envisioned - no loud and obnoxious men, no bar fights, no beer kegs flying every which way. It was actually a rather civil place - booths and tables orderly placed around the room and its walls, filled with patrons and waiters enjoying the calmed atmosphere of the restaurant. There was a bar in the back, yes, but this obviously was no lace for random acts of drunken violence. Its name, the Raven's Perch, seemed to be more of a reference to the decor rather than atmosphere - the lights were dimmed and darker hues dominated the room's coloration.

Off to the side stood a counter and a side hallway - judging by the counter's appearance, with keys checkering the wall and a price list for nights, it was a hall leading back to hotel rooms. But it also served as the host's podium; seconds after the entered, a waitress was standing before the pair with menus in hand. "Just the two of you?" she asked sweetly, winking at Sakiko after spending a moment to look upon the Sheikah in the dim lighting.

Alpha nodded, and she quickly led them to a booth off on the side of the building, then wandered off to go seat another group just entering. Alpha took a seat, laying his cape off to the side as he grinning hesitantly. 'I might regret offering to treat her after all . . .'

Impressive... Sakiko looked around the dimly lit atmosphere with approval - it was a stark contrast to what she had expected...a pleasant one at that. She almost began to wonder if it was just coincidence that the pair constantly were greeted by dim places - it was useful for hiding identity. She certainly did not want the crowd phenomena to come upon them again...as a matter of fact, it would make her life (and relationship with Alpha) much simpler if it was to never happen again.

Relationship with Alpha?

Sakiko peered at the Sheikah briefly, realizing that their relationship was rather undefined. Was it an emotional attachment? Or...temporary physical attraction? For all she knew, he could be just...

Her eyes shifted towards the hotel setting of the Raven's Perch. Her gaze darted back to Alpha - the moment she did so, her face became blazing red. I shouldn't think about this...he wouldn't be so depraved as to do that. Besides, he's different from the other, unruly men.

"Just the two of you?"

Sakiko almost fell into a series of wild coughing - it was awkward as is...the waitress really had no right to make everything even worse. However annoyed she was at the waitress, she felt a pang of panic as she scurried away. Pursing her lips, Sakiko walked towards the chair and seated herself. She picked up the menu hurriedly and being a rather large and thick one, it was quite a useful tool to hide her face. Her eyes scanned the items cursorily - she noted that all the meals were quite expensive.

The Mage, still hiding her face behind the thick paper that was currently serving as a wall between Alpha and herself, asked in a muffled voice,

"Are you sure this is fine with you? Everything seems pretty overpriced."

She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She felt stuffy and hot, and the darkish atmosphere was doing nothing to help her feel better. She thought of taking off the heavy cotton robe, but she blushed at the thought of it. Sakiko wondered if her mind was becoming dirty as Arrika's - certainly Alpha had no intention....of....The Mage pressed her forehead against the cool paper, frustrated. Well, she really wouldn't be having these thoughts if she knew what Alpha was thinking and feeling, right? She hoped that he would just come out with it.

Sakiko sat down and immediately picked up a menu, once again appearing flustered for some reason. Alpha eyed the back of her menu for more than a few moments, wondering what was going through her head now - the entire night she had been back and forth emotionally, kissing him one moment and shying away the next. Part of him wanted to know what was wrong, what kept causing her to pull back every time she seemed to be relaxing. Another part wondered if he should just leave her be for now, let her sort through things by herself.

Another part wanted her to shut up and make a decision over whether to be happy or melancholic around him.

He shook his head; that was the assassin part of his spirit talking, the one that expected everything to be done in a timely and efficient manner and would torture him for weeks or months on end if such perfection was not achieved. He knew he couldn't force Sakiko into anything, even if they had kissed . . . and even if they had both enjoyed it quite thoroughly . . .

"Are you sure this is fine with you? Everything seems pretty overpriced."

The words broke him away from such a serious line of thought, fortunately, freeing him up to chuckle softly - after all, hadn't she already been planning to order the most expensive thing on the menu? Just because the prices were a bit high didn't mean he wasn't going to keep his promise of treating her. "It's perfectly fine," he replied calmly, not letting any of his past doubts creep into this voice. "I promised you anything you wanted, after all, and I intend to stand by my word." He thought about adding in another line about how he would gladly do it for such a beautiful woman as she, but decided against it - at this point, who knew how she would react?

Then he noticed that she was moving around quite a bit on her side of the booth; even if she held the menu up as a shield for her face, his sharp ears could still pick up her fidgeting, as well as a wrinkling noise as she pressed her face against the paper. Almost without thinking about it, his hand reached up and slowly tugged the menu down, away from her face until he could look into her eyes with his own again. "Hey, are you feeling alright?" he asked at once, a heavy dose of concern evident in his gaze and voice. Something was wrong, and all of a sudden all he could think about was learning what it was so he could make it go away.

When Alpha gently pulled the menu away from Sakiko, her eyes inevitably met his bright, crimson ones. She immediately shifted her gaze elsewhere, putting down her temporary “barrier” on the table. The Mage wrapped her ankles around the legs of her chair, knowing that if she wanted to know anything, then she’d have to be the one to prompt the answer out of him. It was really, really, really awkward. It was the most uncomfortable situation that she had been put into – honestly, everything was happening so fast and half of the time her actions came out unconsciously. They should talk about it. Really.

And so, Sakiko fixed her eyes on Alpha’s collarbone, almost boring a hole into it with the intensity with which she was staring at it. But it was better than his face – just the sight of it brought steaming heat into her cheeks. Goddesses, my mind must be the filthiest thing on the face of Hyrule. To think such thoughts about the greatest, most admirable man I have ever known…

And yet we kissed.

Sakiko caught herself from brushing her fingers across her lips. She could still vividly remember the pressure of his soft lips, the passion with which he – She breathed in, resolving not to lead any of that into any…inappropriate thoughts. Besides, she couldn’t make any conclusions before making sure that everything was…proper. Fingering the edge of her seat nervously, she started,

“Alpha, if I asked you one question, would you answer it?”

She swallowed slowly, her eyes still fixed on his collarbone. She had the feeling of doubt in her mind, but she wasn’t quite sure how to word it properly.

Alpha watched slowly as Sakiko glanced away - she wasn't very good at hiding her emotions when something troubled her, that much he could tell; still, he had no idea what it was that was bothering her so much. He was no telepath; despite his rather impressive observational skills, the Sheikah could divine what she was thinking or what he might do to ease her spirit and bring back the cheerful smile he had been so enraptured by earlier in the evening.

She fidgeted for a few more moments before settling her gaze back on himself - but not his eyes, or even his face. Rather, she looked somewhere below it, setting her sight on it with such intensity that it felt like she was boring a hole through his neck and out the other side. Confusion filled him as he noticed she was still fidgeting a little bit; only her eyes remained still, continually fixated on his throat for some reason.

And then she asked it: "Alpha, if I asked you one question, would you answer it?"

The expression that came to Alpha's face was unlike any form his features had ever taken; the feelings running through him were unlike any emotions he had ever felt. It wasn't what one might think - not even being offended or surprised by the question. No, this was forged from two conflicting desires abruptly springing to the forefront of her mind, two responses that contradicted themselves completely:

'Absolutely!'

'Absolutely not!'

Looking back, the Sheikah would be able to figure out the reason behind these mental cries rather easily. Part of him was falling in love so quickly with Sakiko that the last thing he wanted to do was risk disappointing, offending, or upsetting her - and while he had no idea how he knew answering the question with a 'no' would give off such negative results, it was something that instinctively kept him from speaking the opposing viewpoint.

Said viewpoint was the result of his lifestyle and years of conditioning by both his master and his experiences. And it wasn't just because they had drilled into him the fact that knowledge was power, and by giving Sakiko information he would be giving her some kind of power over him - and he had always tried to keep from giving anyone power over himself. No, there was another part - his past. She hadn't specified what the question would be about, and he refused to give her an unconditional promise if there was a chance she might ask about his past. That might mean she would ask something that would require him to either lie or refuse, both of which his first part stood steadfastly against.

But the fact remained that he could not bring himself to risk having to reveal that he had once been Wraith, a criminal assassin who had killed thousands and was even today wanted for quite the bounty - or worse yet, having to reveal something that even the monarchies of the world were not aware of . . . Wraith's connection to Ganon. He had done too much to break free from that past; he had done everything he could think of to push him so far away from the path of the masked assassin that if his identity was ever discovered the people of the world might recall the good he had done and not chase him to the ends of the earth.

But he didn't know if he had done enough yet; either way, he wasn't willing to risk it.

So he stood at a crossroads, a fork in a mountainous path, with no other routes to be seen and taken. One route would lead to Sakiko being disappointed, maybe even hurt irreparably . . . which would result in him being unable to ever be the same. He had never felt anything for any women, not since the day Misty had placed her spell upon him, but now that he had he knew he could never go back. The thought of pushing Sakiko away revolted him in a way that he could not describe, could not define, could not understand. All he knew was that he was steadfastly opposed to hurting her.

And the other path led to the chance of being forced to reveal the secrets of his past, the dangers of a lifestyle that refused to let him go no matter how hard he tried to escape. Ganon's Assassin, he had been called once he'd learned the truth behind who his real employer was, and if that ever came to life then it wouldn't matter if he hurt Sakiko or not - she could never trust him, nor could the rest of the world. They would all turn on him . . . just like everyone else he had ever placed trust on . . .

In the end, he stared back at her blankly for several long, painful seconds, trying to think of some solution to the dilemma he faced that would not harm their budding relationship or his hard earned peaceful life. Something inside told him that to remain silent would be just as bad an idea as taking up one of the two sides, though . . . and so finally, he just forced himself to reply.

"Th-that depends . . ." he stuttered, the first time he could ever remember having done so in his life, ". . . on w-what the question is." He swallowed, trying to think of a way to explain it; for some reason his normal tact was eluding him rather soundly. "There are . . . there are some things that would destroy everything if they were made known . . ."

His eyes were begging for her forgiveness, so he tried one last trick: "G-go ahead and ask; I-I guess we'll find out if I can answer it . . ."

"Th-that depends . . . on w-what the question is. There are . . . there are some things that would destroy everything if they were made known . . ."

It was suspicious.

Destroy everything? Everything was such a vague word – and she wasn’t a fan of such obscurity at the moment. Truth, clarity, definition…those were what she most needed right now. Perhaps everything really boiled down to a matter of trust. In fact, her doubts were caused by the very fact of confusion and curiosity – just this afternoon, they had cordially and respectfully kept each other’s company. At least her emotions could be explained somewhat; her admiration and almost “fan girl” fascination of Alpha, the hero in everyone’s eyes, had first caused her to be attracted to him. But as they spent more time together, as she saw the hidden side of him that she didn’t know was there, her curiosity and magnetism towards him grew into something…deeper.

But she didn’t know his side of the story. Why did he show glimpses of his attraction to her, and why was he acting the way he was? Why did he bother? Compared to him, she was so inexperienced and of such little use. Surely, she couldn’t appear to be of anything of such great standing compared to him.

So then…what was that ‘everything’ that Alpha alluded to? If they were made known. So a secret – and a secret that he didn’t want her to know. What was so important that he had to act so suspiciously uncomfortable? Sakiko slowly raised her eyes, wondering what she would see in his.

Guilt.

A sliver of coldness slid down her back, her lips parting slightly. What kind of hidden deed had he in mind that he would look at her with such an expression on his face?
"G-go ahead and ask; I-I guess we'll find out if I can answer it . . ."

She didn’t like that – she didn’t like that one bit. If she was to ask, she was afraid of the response, or perhaps the lack of response. Things between her and Alpha were very unstable. Their relationship was almost like a young fawn, wobbling on its shaky legs but still determined to walk. And she was afraid of falling – more accurately put, she was afraid of falling and not being able to get back up again, or losing the will to get back again. A few hours ago, she had felt doubt in her heart because she wasn’t sure if what she felt for Alpha was allowable, or if it would be reciprocated.

The Mage was very short of being perfect. Most of the time, she hid her emotions and kept a cold façade because she didn’t like being vulnerable. Being with Alpha made her vulnerable, and it was impossible to hide her awkwardness and doubt. She was sure that he was aware of her insecurity … and perhaps even irritated by it. Of course she didn’t blame him; she was getting annoyed by her own behavior as well.

Bottom line, the truth had to come out.

If the “things” and “everything” hinted at their relationship, then she had to know. If not, then it was too early to know. They had plenty of time, and perhaps the most important thing right now was to get on a stable foot and begin to walk. Other, complicated, matters could be handled one by one. Sakiko wanted to believe that by then they would trust each other enough that such grave covertness could be eliminated.

“What am I to you..? As in, what do you think of me?”

She gazed at him steadfastly, determined to show him that she was serious and that any joking wouldn’t be accepted. It was a general question, but it was one that she truly wanted to know. Perhaps if he told that that he was considering something long-term, then she could dispel the…perverted doubts she had in the back of her mind. Or, he could just come out with whatever he had in mind. He did say that whatever he was hiding from her could destroy ‘everything’ – that ‘everything’ could be their friendship, respect, or affection for each other.