Link is the stong, silent type (heroingreen) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2013-03-26 14:13:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, link, zelda |
Ouch! They’re prickly!
Who: Link and Zelda
When: Over the weekend
Where: Farmer’s Market
What: Random bumping into one another
Rating/Warnings: G
Status: Complete
Contrary to popular belief, there were seasons in Southern California, and now that Spring had officially begun, there was a marked increase in the number of farmer’s markets held from week to week. There was also a shift in the energy. Spring meant larger, healthier and more attractive crops. It meant the vendors and farmers all had a smile on their face. Link Midori was no exception.
He was one of the youngest farmers, but he was also one of the more popular. He grew the largest, most beautiful artichokes in Orange County. Not to mention he was easy on the eyes, as people liked to say, some to his face which always make him blush. He prefered to talk about artichokes.
After talking to Link online about artichokes, Zelda had been craving them. Of course, she normally had her people do her shopping and cooking, but she was trying to be more independent, to learn how to do things in her own. So she was at the farmer's market, looking around at the amazing wares. This seemed to be the best time of year for blueberries, and Zelda had already purchased a little box. She was eating them as she turned the corner and approached Link's booth. Thank goodness there were no paparazzi around today.
Link was in the process of rearranging his vegetables in their baskets, and his eyes were pointed downward. He’d made a lot of good sales already, most of them from regulars who had missed him while his ankle was broken. He didn’t sense Zelda approaching among the other passing shoppers.
Zelda took a moment to look through the vegetables at his table. These were the biggest artichokes she'd ever seen! She was pretty impressed, and wandered further into the stand. That's when she saw him rearranging veggies. "Link, right?" She asked as she wandered closer. He was quite handsome. She couldn't help but notice.
Link lifted his eyes and immediately he knew that the girl in front of him was the Zelda he’d spoken with on the computer. He had no reason to know this, and yet he was sure. Seeing her in person made his eyes flash. “I-- I-- Hi. Yeah. Link,” he babbled.
"Hi!" Zelda said excitedly. She was a happy and excitable person, maybe a little loopy, but definitely not stupid. Her bright eyes shone with intelligence. "You said I should come here for artichokes. Apparently you weren't kidding!" Threw was a happy laugh in her voice.
Link wasn’t sure if she’d gone looking for him or if this was just luck, and he was afraid to ask. Zelda had a very pretty face, and the poor boy was immediately tongue-tied. Her eyes were especially hard to look at for too long. “Oh, um, no. I wasn’t.”
“Nope. You sure weren’t,” She was grinning at him, but also looking around the shop at his amazing vegetables. He’d been right when he said they were coming in season. It looked beautiful--lush greens and the bright sunshine was making everything glow. Finally she gave him her full attention once more. The grin faded just a little from her features as she took a moment to really study his face.
Link gulped, trying to get some moisture back into his mouth. A man of his height, build, and handsomeness really didn’t have any reason to be shy around girls, but he still was. It was really a big problem for him. “Do you-- Do you want to buy some?”
“Yeah.” Zelda said, giving a little nod. Something about him seemed familiar, though she couldn’t quite place it. Probably just seeing him on the Valarnet made him pop into her head. She brightened back up a bit, though the grin on her face was sheepish. “Can you tell me how to cook it?”
Talking shop was better. Much better. At last, Link smiled. “Oh yeah, um. A lot of people fry them, but my favorite thing to do is steam them. You just put them whole in a steamer pot and put some garlic and lemons in the water. It takes about an hour...” He picked one up. “The important thing is cleaning them. You want to pull off all the outer leaves. They’re too tough.”
Wow. That smile. Zelda took her turn to be speechless for a moment, and nodded dumbly as he started to explain the proper care and cooking techniques for artichokes. Really, it was going in one ear and out the other as she stared at him and listened to the quality of his voice. Her cheeks might have tinged a little pink. “Okay.” She said, reaching over to pick one up. But she pulled her hand back abruptly, giving an “Ouch! They’re prickly!”
Link’s eyes flashed again, this time in concern. He moved to reach for her hand, while his brain sounded the alarm that he ought to back off. But it was too late. He’d made contact. “Yeah... um... they’re spiney at the top...” He stared at her hand in his and the little drop of blood forming on her finger. He ripped off some paper towels he kept handy. “Here.”
“I should have been more careful.” Zelda said, frowning just a little. There was a hint of sadness in her voice, but even when she was pouting she glowed with positive energy. His hand was warm and strong around hers. Hers was dainty, as if she’d never done a day of work in her life. Because, well... she hadn’t. “Does this sort of thing happen often?” She added, trying not to sound as embarrassed as she felt. Her hand came up to hold the paper towel against her finger. It wouldn’t bleed much or long.
“All the time,” Link reassured her. It was the truth. The spines were hard to see and just about everyone speared themselves. With some reluctance, he let go of her hand. His fingers were still warm when he did. “I do it too.”
“Really? I find that hard to believe. You work with these things all day.” It really smarted, though it was already done bleeding. She reluctantly tore her eyes from his face to look down at her finger, gingerly pulling the paper towel away.
“That’s why I get poked with them all the time.” With another little smile, Link showed her his hands, palms up. There was plenty of evidence in the form of tiny scars that he was speaking the truth.
Her hands, however, were quite dainty. They were just like he remembered them. Especially at the moment when she threw him the ocarina.
He offered, so Zelda leaned over to take a good look at his hands. They reminded her of leather, almost. Sunned and powerful. She lifted her free hand to trail her fingertips along his palm and down the length of his own fingers. “You work really hard.” She said, noticing every scar. Her own hands were rather pale, soft and smooth in comparison. And small. “You can tell a lot about a person by their hands.” She added, then realized that she probably shouldn’t be wasting his time playing with his hands. She flushed.
“So... yes. I should buy a couple of artichokes.”
In spite of only just letting go of her hand, her touch sent such a thrill through him that Link could see his arm tense to stay outstretched. He didn’t know if she was flirting with him or if she meant what she said innocently. He only knew that his heart suddenly began to beat very quickly.
He swallowed hard and nodded. He dusted off his hands and wiped the sweat onto the front of his shirt. “Er, well... since it’s your first time trying to cook them, why don’t you take a couple on the house?”
“Really??” Zelda asked, sounding both flattered and surprised. “I couldn’t possibly. You’ve been so kind to me, and given me advice on how to make them and everything...” She gave him a shy smile, cheeks tinged just a little pink. Sure, she’d been flirting a little. Maybe. It was just in her nature to be friendly. And how could she not? Anyone who looked at him must find him attractive.
“Help me choose the best ones?”
Link nodded and got to work, going through the baskets on the shelf. He could tell which were the best artichokes by touch more than he could by sight. They were dense and tightly packed. He gave Zelda two with bright purple leaves around the edges. Stem-side first, of course, so she wouldn’t get poked again.
It was surreal, looking at a stranger you had dreamed about, and not being able to discuss any of it. It made Link’s head woozy.
He was obviously an expert. Zelda watched him sort through the vegetables the same way she might go through shoes or clothes, with great skill and speed, then she accepted the artichokes into her cloth bag. "These really are beautiful, Thank you. How much do I owe you?"
"No I really mean it. On the house." He grinned.
Zelda blushed. She shouldered her bag. "All right," she said, then glanced around really quick, looking for something on the table. "Here." Quickly, she grabbed a pen and took his hand once more. "You have to let me do something for you in return some time. When you're not busy," while she spoke, she wrote her cell phone number on his palm. "Give me a call and I'll take you out for a coffee."
With great embarrassment, Link watched her struggle to get any footing on his sweaty palm. His smile became very shy as his ears turned red. "O-okay. Sure."
"Good! Okay." She refrained from saying she was looking forward to it, though she was. "Thanks, Link." Zelda said, giving him a bright grin. God, he was even cuter when his ears went red. "See you soon, then!" With another smile, she turned to wander off down the farmer's market.
Link stepped outside his stall and watched her go, eyes wide. The way his hand gripped the post, it looked a little like he was holding on to it to keep himself upright.
And he kind of was.