Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Pri-" He says, frustration bubbling in the aborted call.

Her voice is tinny through his phone speaker, but firm. "I cannot do anything, dearest. I tried. We all agree that the fault lies with Termina, with the Clock Gang, but this is the only way to prevent war."

"I understand," He says. He does, even if he doesn't like it.

Prisca is a good Princess, fair and kind, even if they're a bit too mischevious for his tastes. Their his best friend and that's all that matters. They chat a bit more, about his retirement and suggestions of what to do with all the time he has on his hands. There's suggestions of dating, of throwing a party, of a number of things.

He ends up drinking celebratory mimosas at Telma's, sitting outside with the morning sun glinting off Prisca's hair like it's spun gold and turning Malon's into fire. It's a good time, filled with laughter and good food. It's Malon who suggests using the free time to track down some of his long lost (and longer forgotten) family.

"Oh! Who knows, you may find more family than you thought you had!" She says with excitement.

What innocently damning words.

He does the DNA test, half curiousity that he couldn't smother and half to prove both those busy bodies he's friends with wrong. A little tube of spit, disgusting, shipped off to the Hyrule National Office of Geneology to be analysed. He resolutely doesn't think about someone doing some science shit to it and actually forgets about it till a couple months later.

He stares at the words in the email with a lot numb satisfaction.

He moves on.

His phone rings some odd weeks after and the number is unfamiliar. The woman on the other end is just as unfamiliar and her words terribly confusing. Out of blue, she says with empty apologies. We try to place them with family, she ignores his silence to continue.

His thoughts race with memories of growing up with the impression that he was all alone in the world, untethered. He thinks of his early retirement and empty apartment. He pinches his nose, the goddesses must be laughing at him, and makes the decision.

"Tell me about him?"

He's four years old and their mother had zero creativity when it came to names since he's also named Link. His surname is different, though that's more so due to the system assigning them than their parent's ingenuity. Found either lost or abandoned in the Faron forest, they're leaning towards abandoned since no one has come forward looking for him. Small for his age with brown hair and blue eyes.

He's quiet, she tells him. No one has gotten a word out of him. He thinks of his own silence as a boy and wonders.

He thanks her, asks for some time to think, and hangs up.

He ignored the buzzing device in his pocket in favor of staring down the kid in front of him.

Unruly, shaggy hair fell into big, wary eyes that watched his every move from behind the bangs that partially obscured them. He's been chatting softly at the kid, observing him back. The kid's nose was slightly wrinkled and he hadn't spoke a word since Link, now jokingly called Big Link, had walked in. The fosters, Rusl and Uli, try to reassure him that it's not something he caused, that Little Link hadn't spoken a word since he'd arrived two months ago. He doesn't think that's as normal as they try to make it sound and he doesn't like how it already feel like leaving a piece of him behind when he goes to leave.

He makes a decision.

Turns out making decisions like filing for custody for a brother you didn't know you had required a lot of paperwork and like... actual work. He tells himself it’s worth it, over and over again, through every moment of frustration that has him wanting to tear his hair out or sit in the floor in tears. He visits the kid as often as he can and is allowed. He nearly melts when the boy finally approaches him, far too quiet for his age, and hold a book out to him to read to him.

It takes several visits before the boy decides that he’s okay to sit on. It’s the last visit that hurts the most.

Right as he gets ready to leave, Little Link pulls his arms towards him in a motion that Link- Big Link- only partially recognizes. He does it again, big octorock tears in his eyes, and Uli is the one recognizes the motion. Its want, in the rudimentary sign language that some places teach little ones.

He crouches down to the boy’s level and it hurts, how quiet he still is when he should be as chatty as every other four year old. Calloused fingers card through the fluffy hair and he lets him bury his little face in shirt.

“I’m gonna come back, lil buddy,” he murmurs into his ear as he rolls up to his feet with him in his arms. Rocking from side to side, he hums an old lullaby till little hiccups peter out and Rusl is able to help him untangle his shirt from the tight grip.

Leaving that day is the hardest thing he’s ever had to do.

Coming back with the knowledge that he’d be leaving with his little brother going with him was… nerve wracking and exhilarating.

Little Link still doesn’t make much noise now, but he does show visible excitement at seeing Big Link pull up. He’s a smart enough kid that he knows something big is going on since his things are packed up on the porch. Not that he seems to care much once the modest, dark green, four door sedan that he knew Big Link drove had pulled into view. He waves at the boy from out the driver’s side window as he rolls to a stop and tries not to laugh at how he wriggles in Rusl’s arms to get down.

The moment the car is stopped and he's stepped out, Rusl let's Little Link's feet touch the ground and he's off. It's all he can do to laugh as he swings him up into a light toss before holding him. Excitedly, Little Link draws his hands in before throwing them wide - Big - and he snorts.

"Yes, me," He says. He gets a hug for his troubles and walks them to where Rusl and Uli wait. He smiles at them both. "Thank you for your help and for -"

"Don't you thank us for looking after him." Uli smiles through her own scolding tone. "He's a good boy and you'll be a great brother."

He nods, grateful, and they spend the rest of the afternoon playing. Anything to make the drive out of Faron easier on both Links. Saying goodbye is more like dream than he likes and he finds himself looking in the rearview to reassure himself that it's real.

The sleeping baby he sees there never vanishes and he feels something building in his chest every time he sees him.

Getting home isn't hard, it's the getting into the apartment that's difficult. How to juggle a squirming almost preschooler and bags? Easy, you don't. You say tomorrow and grab one, the kid, and lock the doors. Go upstairs. Simple.

He watches the kid explore every nook and cranny he can find the moment he's on the floor and been given permission. And wasn't that a weighty moment. Having a little hand wrapped around two of his fingers, big blue eyes looking up at him in question, and having to say the words 'go on, this is your home to'. Little Link, and boy do they have to do something about that, takes one look into the room that's been set up for him and ignores it.

He doesn’t expect for his baby brother to sleep in his own room that night, despite being told that he should make him and not encourage any codependency, and he really should have better control of himself to… put him down in his own room. Except it’s hard to let him go now that he doesn’t have to keep his distance and that first 24 hours is spent unashamedly cuddling and spoil the baby now firmly in his care.

Soft little snores and a small warm body tucked close to his… he can’t quite believe that it’s real. Only there's nothing fake about the weight on his chest and he somehow feels more tethered to life than he ever has.

He remains nicknamed Big, despite his attempts at otherwise, and after a few attempts, Little Link becomes Shepherd. He doesn't know why they didn't just use surnames to begin with, but that's something to regret later. (And boy does he regret it later.) He learns a lot in the first few weeks.

Things like Shepherd is scared of the dark, that he has far too much anxiety over Shepherd going to school, that neither of them like the taste of bananas.

Things like maybe retirement wasn't the worst thing to happen to him actually.

He wonders how much more of an adventure this retirement will be.

Chapter Text

It's been two months since he brought Shepherd home. Two months of learning everything he can about baby sign language, two months of Prisca laughing at him of FaceTime, and two months of Malon barging into his apartment to 'feed a growing boy something real'. Malon is an angel, sent by Farore to help him for sure, while Prisca is a Din's damned devil place in this country to drive him to an early grave. No he's not being dramatic, thank you for your unwelcomed opinion Naboris.

Currently though, it's been three whole days of waking up in the dead of the night to screaming or crying. And wow, weren't instincts kind of cool sometimes? He just... wakes up, like he's got a radar specifically tuned to Shepherd. A scientific marvel, or something. What's not a scientific marvel and more like a mystery of the universe is what exactly is plaguing his little brother's dreams so much that neither has slept much in three days.

Case and point, he's sitting up in bed to see a little shadow imp sniffling in the doorway. The shink of the lamp illuminates little hands fisting his slightly too big sleep shirt and round cheeks a flushed, damp red. There's a deep groaning cry of noise below them that makes a sob come out of the kid.

"C'mere, short stuff."

Shepherd just whines from the doorway, rocking slightly on bare feet. The light from the kitchen shines an orange glow on the wall behind him. He makes a motion that isn't one he recognizes. Little hands shaped into claws and motioning down. He makes the sign again through little hiccupping cries when Link calls for him again. When the sound comes again, the floor rumbles with it and Shepherd bolts back into the hallway with a scream.

Shit. Finding the kid when he hides is always a trial in patience and paying for every prank he played while hiding as a kid. He knows this, he accepts this. He just wishes it was easier to find Shepherd in moments like these. When he's scared and in need of reassurance. Checking all the usual spots - under the bed, in his closet, in the clothes hamper - do not yield results.

He hears a sniffle from the hall bathroom and makes his way in there. He sits on the floor in front of the cabinet before knocking on it gently. Not a peep. It's honestly concerning how scarily good the kid is at being quiet when it's expected of him to be loud and falling apart.

"It's just me, tike," he whispers.

Slowly opening the cabinet door to reveal Shepherd's squeezed himself in between the sink's pipes and the extra toilet paper. His big, watery, blue eyes peeking open to look at Link from over where his hands are pressed to his mouth before squeezing shut again. A sob bubbles out of him, muffled by his hands, and he presses himself back further into the back of the cabinet.

Link has never wanted to meet his mother nor his father, not even after finding out about having a little brother did he ever want to meet them. Now he does just so he can put the fear of himself in them for whatever they did to give Shepherd such haunting fears at such a young age.

He reaches into the cabinet and rests his fingers on his knee. "Hey buddy, can you look at me?" A sliver of those eyes again. "I like your hidey hole, but I need you close. I can't fit in there with you."

A sniffle, then that same sign. Clawed hands motioning downward, cramped by his legs and the pipes. It clicks suddenly as the rumble happens again and Shepherd crumples. It sounds monstrous, even to him now that he's paying it more attention. Nayru's nose, he's an idiot.

"I'll protect you from the monster, lil buddy," He smiles at him. Soft and reassuring, gentle rubbing his thumb on his knee. "I promise."

A shuddery breath precedes the child looking up and he seems to be taking it into consideration before the apartment pushes him to decide. Someone above them must be using their sink, because the pipes next him groan and shudder. The noise of it is jarring enough that Link jumps right along with Shepherd and it does the trick of sending the boy scrambling out of his hiding spot. A trembling, crying, scared bundle of chilled little feet against his legs and gripping little fingers tangled in his shirt. Link just sits there for a moment, soothing him with a hand pressed to his head and an arm around his back.

Getting up without putting down his terrified brother in their cramped hall bathroom takes some doing, but he manages before making his way to the kitchen. It's the kind night for something warm and sweet. Let's see... milk from the fridge, honey and cinnamon from the pantry, mugs from the cabinet. Malon would kill him for it, but he sets Shepherd on the counter next to where he's set up his items. The kid whines but a quick run of his hand over his head soothes him enough.

"How bout something sweet?"

He gets a long stare and a slow blink. He watches him slowly sign tired - open little hands pressed to his chest, elbows and head up before tilting his head down with the curve of his back, pulling his elbows in and twisting his hands downward - before leaning back towards Link to watch him prepare the drink. While the milk warms spins in the microwave, a tug on his sleeve pulls his attention away.

Shepherd pulls his upper arms into his sides, stiff, and shakes them. His expression is pulled into one of the unhappier ones that Link's seen him make.

"I know buddy." He reaches over to pull him into a brief hug. "This will help with the cold."

The microwave beeps and he pulls away to set to work. A warm, sweet milk that he hopes will wash away the bad night and let them both sleep well. He lets Shepherd stay on the counter to drink it, swinging his feet in contentment as he holds their smallest mug in both hands. He hides a snort in his own drink when it's pulled away to reveal a milk moustache.

He's wiping away the foam when he notices Shepherd's starting to lean a little more heavily into his hand. "Ready for bed again, tike?"

He just gets a huff for his troubles. Well, he'll make him pay the tickle tax for that tomorrow. For what remains of tonight, he'll take scaring away any more monsters that try to creep into the dreams of little boys.

His phone rings and like most events in his life, it's a harbinger of change. Especially because Malon talks him into bringing Shepherd to the ranch to meet the kittens the barn cat just had and he regrets every nice thing he's ever thought about the woman. She's as much of a plotting devil as Prisca. He better not go home with a kitten after this.

Shepherd is instantly enamored with the Ranch. Practically making Link drop him in order to get down and see everything. The kittens follow him around everywhere he goes, much to his delight. He giggles and stomps his feet in childish glee when he notices, pointing to them with the biggest smile. Link absolutely denies taking a video of it, on principle. Malon does not, within the hour all of their friends have a copy.

The boy initially shies away from the cows, hiding in Malon's skirt, before she crouches to his level to talk him through the big animals. His eyes go big and round when he pets one. Before long, he's running around the farm like he's lived there all four years of his life and the only concern either of them has is Epona. They shouldn't have, he guesses. She's never given them any reason to really worry before.

It's just Shepherd is so little.

Epona just snuffles at his hair though. Drawing giggles and then squealing laughter when she nuzzles and nudges at his pockets. All worries soothed away with the sight.

And the fact that he sleeps the whole way home, groggily eats dinner, then sleeps the whole night afterwards? Makes the whole trip worth it.

Even if Malon tried to help Shepherd smuggle a kitten into the car.

Eventual Captain changed to Brat

Guess who's in town?!

That bastard Tingle better not be back

Why are you like this every time?

Me. I am in town.

Oh. Good.

Why?

Because I had some time to use for family

and like hell am I going back there. Sooo you. :D

Ah. That tracks.

oh yeah. U have a new cousin btw.

What!

[image of Shepherd grinning at the camera with bright eyes and arms thrown out wide]

Be nice. This is Link Shepherd. My little brother.

That explains nothing!

His younger cousin, the only person he ever knew of prior to the whole DNA thing, was honestly one of the few people from his blood family he could stand. Prior to acquiring one (1) extremely cute brother in the form of the baby dangling from Earle's outstretched arms. It's an entertaining image. Especially since Shepherd is a fairly docile kid most of the time and currently looks like he's completely done with everything. It's a new expression. The betrayal that follows the shutter sound of his phone taking a picture is not.

"Uh," Actually a Private Now But Still A Brat sounds rather uncertain. "I don't think he likes me very much."

"Well considering you're holding him like he's a feral cat trying to eat you," Time says, "I don't blame him. Put him down."

"If I put him down, he's going to attack me!"

He sighs. "He's four. The worst he can do kick you in the shins. Stop acting like your four and put him down."

Malon texts him to invite his cousin to join them at the ranch on their next visit. He does, if only so that Shepherd can play with the cats again.

"Take him back! Take him back! Take him back!" Their cousin frantically begs as he runs bow legged from the barn with Shepherd dangling from his awkward hold like naughty puppy. "He's a menace just like you!"

Earle’s arms are wrapped under his arms and chin, holding him in a slipping grip to his abdomen. The four year old looks decidedly unimpressed. The moment he's free to use his hands again, he making a pinching motion by his face and pulls the hand away - ah, cat - and pouts.

"He just wanted to see the kittens," he says as he runs a hand through the fluffy, sun warmed hair to soothe away any potential fussing.

The seventeen-year-old sputters. "There were cuccos!"

"Ah," He looks down at Shepherd in askance.

Shepherd's face lights up, pulling his arms in before throwing them out and then poking the finger of one hand to the palm of another - Big! Cucco!

"Were you excited to see the birds?"

A nod. Ah.

"Not scared?"

A head shake.

"Is our cousin a," he mimics the signs for big and cucco as he says them much to the little boy's delight, "big cucco for running away?"

Shepherd presses his hands to his mouth when he giggles. He laughs outright when Earle dives for him, playfully missing and chasing him. Link scoops him up to blow a raspberry on cheek when he tries to hide by him, earning another peal of squealing laughter. The older boy wiggles his fingers at him, teasingly threatening to tickle him, and the little boy giggles into Link's shoulder at it.

He's glad they get along. Even if the brat is five times more obnoxious about being kept in the loop now. Whatever that means

They send off Earle at the train station with hugs and snacks, a little plush cat that Shepherd all but demanded with big puppy eyes and promises to call first chance he can. They're both a little surprised when the little boy bursts into tears, but neither can get anything more than a 'no' out of him. Link finds himself rubbing the little boy's temples in the car before they leave the station till he finally dozes off in the seat.

Shepherd lays quietly on his chest now, muzzily watching some kid's show about blue dogs, with one of Link's hands resting heavily on his back. He holds his phone in his other hand, idly scrolling through his email till it updates with a new one.

'Good day Mr. Asrun,

We're reaching out to you today to inform you of a new familial connection that has just come up in the system. We send this to you as a heads up that you may have a representative from the Skyloft Child Protective Services team reach out to you in the next coming days.

What we can tell you of the situtation is very little. The connection is through your mother...'

There's another one. Another one of them, left behind.

He puts the phone down and curls around the little boy he's already found. Breathes in the scent of strawberries from their shampoo, sunshine, and what's probably maple syrup in his hair from breakfast. Shepherd gives a sleepy, fussy noise. Clearly unhappy at being moved, but accepts the smothering. He's a remarkably easygoing child.

Link wonders how easily he'll take to having someone new show up and throw their freshly established routine out of wack.

Chapter Text

He took a moment, in the quiet, to savor the first sip of coffee and relish the way the warm of it seems to spread through his chest. Still early enough that Shepherd is still sleeping. And what a wondrous occurrence that was shaping up to be. It has only been a couple of weeks worth of almost nightly nightmares and night terrors waking them both up before they’d begun to slow. Now it’s been a month and a half of finally getting back to a full nights sleep for the both of them. He’d probably have to go wake him up. The trouble would be not letting him go back to sleep once retrieved from the bed.

It’s a nice day, cool spring sunshine coming through the windows and not a hint of rain in the forecast. A perfect day for a morning at the complex’s playground. Maybe the promise of somewhere fun and getting to wear his new coat will be enough to keep him from dozing off in his seat. A quick lean out the door tells him it’s still chilly enough to warrant warmer clothes and with that decided, he closes the door and starts down the hallway to begin with getting their morning going.

He stood in front of Shepherd’s closet, new dark green coat in hand, and forgot everything he ever knew about dressing warmly. What would be warm enough for him couldn’t possibly be warm enough for a child? Should he pull out the boots? Would a scarf be too much?

A yawn from behind him breaks through his panic. He turns to see Shepherd sitting on his knees, blanket pooled on the bed behind him, and rubbing at his face. His hair was a fluffy mess of bed head just begging for Link to run a hand through. Sleep hazed blue eyes squinted at him, nose crinkling as he tried to decide why Link was there. It was cute. Though he could admit, to himself, that he was very biased.

“Mornin’ buddy,” he said softly. “Wanna wear your new coat to the playground?”

Shepherd blinked slowly at him and just held his arms out in front of him, expression clearly showing he didn’t quite grasp what was said. Ah, a rather universal way of conveying ‘what’.

Link snorted, before moving to crouch by the boy’s bed. He ran a hand through the messy baby soft curls he still had. “Not quite awake enough for questions, huh buddy,” he murmured as the boy tilted himself into his shoulder. “How bout some breakfast?”

Shepherd hums, already falling back asleep where he’s nestled himself. Link tosses the coat the foot of the bed before fully scooping the boy up and bouncing him. He smothers a grin at the grumpy whine he gets in response.

“Do you want to watch me make the eggs?” He asks, stepping into the hallway.

No response. He goes to look down to see if he’s fallen back asleep, but stops at the feeling of something drawing lines on him. A glance reveals a little finger tracing the fading designs on his shirt. Seems it’s a quiet morning for them both.

Shepherd watches him prepare their breakfast from his preferred seat at the island, chin resting on the counter and feet swishing beneath him. For a moment, he’s wonders at the quietness and how the younger boy doesn’t speak. Then Shepherd sits up.

He makes eye contact with Link and frowns. Fingers to his chin and then pivoting them away with his thumb anchored to his chin - bad.

What? Its doesn’t make sense.

Till he smells the eggs burning.

Shepherd giggles when he sticks his tongue out at him after saving what he can of their eggs. After that it’s a quick affair to eat and then it’s time to wrangle a giggling monkey into clothes appropriate for a nippy morning.

The playground is nice. There’s swings, different options for slides, and a kiddie version of a rope bridge between two different platforms for some slides. He’s impressed and Shepherd is immediately trying to get down. The pom pom on the pointed end of his coat’s hood bounces against his back as he runs up. For a while, Link observes as his little brother explores the equipment alone. He startles when he watches the boy tumble backwards in surprise out of a tunnel like area. A little girl’s face pokes out with a giggle and he sees Shepherd giggle back.

Soon enough, he’s able to feel comfortable enough to sit on one of benches and only pay half attention to the sounds of the children playing. He’s scrolling through his emails, trying to find the leave schedule that his cousin had sent him when he hears the first warning sign. Shepherd is standing on one side of the little chain and plastic bridge while his new friends go running across. The plastic slats jostle around and the chain rattles. The little boy’s face looks apprehensively between both the bridge and the other kids before jumping down the stairs to run around the sides and climb the rock wall instead. Unknown Crisis averted.

Except, now, 20-ish minutes later, Link is scrambling up and half running over because Shepherd is screaming like a lynel is running him down. The other kids tried scattered the moment they realized Adults were incoming, but were intercepted by their folks before they could get too far. Which left his little brother alone in the middle of the bridge, little knuckles white where he has them wrapped tight around the bars on the sides and not moving from where he had fallen to his knees in the bouncing of the bridge. He’s got his eyes squeezed shut tight and between loud - the loudest he’s ever heard him get - wails, Link watches his breathing hitch and seize. It left Link with two choices, either convince Shepherd to let him pull him out from between the bottom rail and bridge or for him to get on the bridge himself.

Which takes some doing. Thankfully most of the other parents had taken their children and left. Likely inferring that their lovely little moblins had a hand in tormenting the now sobbing little boy on the bridge. Only one person remains with her child. The little girl who’d startled Shepherd earlier holds the hand of a woman with a concerned but patient smile. He nods to her once he stands before the bridge.

The first step immediately jostles the entirety of the bridge and his little brother shrieks. “Hey, hey buddy,” he coos. He stays unmoving for the moment. “Open your eyes, I’m coming to get you.” Shepherd doesn’t react, just whines when the bridge shifts slightly underneath them.

He sighs. One hand on the railing and puts his full weight on the bridge, much to both his balance and Shepherd’s displeasure.

From there it’s easy enough to take another wobbling step and lean down to press his hand to a small trembling back. “Shhh lil buddy,” he murmurs. This gets him something.

With a gasping sob, his head leans back to look up at him with those big, watery, cornflower blue eyes. He moves his hand around, under his arms, and gently pulls on him.  Encouraging him to let go and after a moment, Shepherd does.

“Atta boy.” Link wraps him up in a hug, sitting on the solid edge of the platform, and just lets him cry to his little heart’s content. Softly soothing him with sweet words and gentle gestures. He gives a tired smile to the woman, who smiles sadly back.

It’s hard to put the boy down after that. Kids usually bounce back fast, or thats what the parenting sites say. Shepherd seems to have backslid into a little of the wary, skittish little boy he was in the very beginning, back when Link had to drive to Ordon just to see him. He texts Prisca, who laughs at him, and Malon, who insists a kitten would make all right in the world. He hates that Malon is probably right. Finally he decides to just… not worry too much about it.

And to worry if now Shepherd would have a fear of bridges added to the list alongside monsters.

Chapter Text

Father

2 weeks ago

Your mother and I would like to meet for lunch when you go on leave next.

Yes sir.

Does X/XX at 1:15pm at the CastleTown Chateau work?

Yes it does.

Excellent. See you then.

Cousin (Resting) Bitchface

6:38 PM

[image: Shepherd with his back to the camera in a too big sleep shirt that reaches his knees and his feet bare. He’s standing on his tiptoes, arms folded on the window sill, and his chin resting on his arms.]

Someone figured out that you’re coming in tomorrow.

The blinking cursor mocks him. Begging him to say something, anything. He feels caught by the photo though. The reflection of his elder cousin, grinning in barely contained mirth, in the window above the baby soft, downy fluff of his baby cousin’s hair. He can see smudge prints on the glass, the size of tiny hands, and wonders if Shepherd had pressed his face against the glass in an effort to see him. His chest both expands to hold the swell of warmth and folds in, crushed under the weight of the impeding lunch.

Awww [unintelligible line of emojis]

Do you think he’ll be disappointed if I’m not there when he wakes up? :(

[image: Shepherd, still in front of the window, now facing the camera. His arms are crossed and his expression is angry.]

He says ‘now’

Or signs

He stares at the message. Now. Someone wants him there. Someone wants him there with them, now. It’s a fortifying feeling.

LOL. Soon lil buddy!

He won’t remember to be upset by tomorrow anyways

What time does your train get you here?

About 4

Thumbs Up

Did you.

Did you just type that out?

Like everything important concerning his cousin, he doesn’t explain anything.

The lunch happens. It happens and it sucks and he cannot believe he wasted time on his parents again. On these people who cared for him but never about him, instead of… instead of being with those that want him around. For him. He stares for a long moment at the haunted face in the reflection of the window next to him. It’s like this every time he meets with them. He joined the army to escape and ended up further in their clutches.

His phone buzzes.

[image: A brown cow with a white stripe up her nose looms in the background of Shepherd, hands up and shaped like claws and feet shoulder length apart. His nose is crinkled, baby teeth bared in a smiling snarl, and eyes bright with happiness. There’s an orange kitten at his feet and tussling with a grey one.]

Better be ready to appease the ‘monster’

I can take em.

He snorts and while smiling he sets the photo as his lock screen. He glances up, at the window, and just past his reflection, he sees it. The perfect thing for appeasing the little monster impatiently waiting for him. Briefly he wonders if this is what it feels like to have siblings.

The bell rings over his head as he exits the store, tucked snuggly in a paper bag is his ticket to pint sized forgiveness. It’s the perfect size for hugs from little arms too.

Boarding the train!

[three window emojis]

You won’t regret it

Walking up to the apartment is a wake up call and not just for him apparently. Shepherd is curled on his side in one of the arm chairs, which has been moved to sit in front of the window. His hair is smushed up by the arm, a clear sign he’d slid down to lying flat on the cushion. There’s a blanket, some thick knit thing in a deep blue. Probably from Prisca or Naboris, if he had a guess. He snaps a picture, for posterity.

He taps the glass. Just hard enough to make a dull ‘dom dom’ sound and watches as the tike wrinkles his nose. He does it again and is rewarded with the sight of watching the sleepy realization dawn across Shepherd’s face. When he taps the window for a third time, he’s rewarded with a little scowl and a hand smacking the glass back. When the door opens, he finally stands and meets the grinning face of his cousin.

“You’re not supposed to tap the glass,” he says with humor, “it’s scares little monsters.”

Said little monster is unwrapped from the blanket and standing in the chair, impatiently waiting, for him to get in the door. The moment he’s in and the door is shut, Shepherd is climbing onto the arm and then jumps at him. All the bags hit the floor as he wraps his arms around him with a shout. The little boy just rubs his face against his shoulder before grinning at him.

He smiles and presses his forehead to Shepherd’s. “How about we make sure I’m paying attention next time?” He feels the nod against his head, the pulling motion on his forehead and the sliding feel of their hair rubbing against each other. Once confirmation comes, he dramatically bemoans, “Since you scared me, I’m going to have to make you pay the tickle tax.”

Then he ducks in to blow a raspberry against the boy’s cheek, much to the same little boy’s wriggling and giggling dismay.

Later, after the tickle taxes had been paid in full and balanced, he’s sitting in the floor of Shepherd’s room with him. They’re playing with the blocks and he’s pretending to be confused when the boy topples the towers. Asrun comes to the door holding a brown paper bag. The crinkling catches his attention and he remembers, suddenly, the impulse purchase he made before heading to the station.

“Heeey, Shep,” he singsongs loudly. His doesn’t break eye contact with Asrun until the other nods. He looks at the kid with a grin. “I got you something.”

Shepherd signs out cat with a hopeful look and he has to stop himself for laughing in the boys face. Instead he bops him gently on the nose, snickering when he goes cross eyed. “No. I think your big brother would be upset with me if I did that.”

Shepherd stares at the bag for a moment before looking back at him. His left hand comes up to his chest, palm in, and rubs in a circle - please. Then he makes grabby hands at the bag.

His older cousin laughs. “Alright, alright.” At his nod, Asrun hands the bag to the tike.

Who pulls the tissue out with little fanfare and gasps. He looks at him with big, wonder filled eyes. He places his left hand, palm flat, to his chest - mine - in question when he looks to Asrun.

“I think that’s better asked of Cousin Boots,” he says with a gentle and slightly baffled smile.

Those big eyes are back and he can’t even process the nickname Shepherd does the sign again, twice, and he notices that he’s trembling. He smiles, reaching across their mess of blocks, to pull out the soft, grey wolf stuffie from the bag.

Gently, he pushes it into his little cousin’s chest. “It’s yours, buddy.”

Almost as if they’re magic words, Shepherd clutches the plush and cries. Big, gasping sobs that send both men scrambling to figure out what to do to comfort him. Finally, Asrun scoops him up and begins to rock them. Earle is left somewhat bereft and after a moment of baffled silence, he begins to clean up the blocks. Several long minutes of the gentle soothing motion combined with the hand cradling his face calm the tike’s tears and send him dozing. Both men take a moment to breathe, bewildered by the tears.

“C’mere.” Asrun motions with his head and walks out of the room. He grabs the throw off the chair, now repositioned back to facing the rest of the living room, and carefully wraps it around the boy. “Sit down, get comfortable. He was up early this morning. Probably should have snuck you in and let him nap.”

“Oh, I’m sor-“

“Don’t apologize.” His cousin stares him down, the seriousness of his expression not at all detracted by the kid and stuffie tucked under his chin. “Now I have to make dinner. So you have to suffer through the horrors,” here there is a quiet giggle, “that is being smothered by a cuddle bug.”

And with that ominous warning, he’s pinned to the couch under the warm mass of blanket, preschooler, and stuffie.

After dinner, the adult of the trio - since being an adult to the government doesnt count apparently - decides it’s a great night for a pillow fort. Asrun has gathered all the blankets while Earle is to get Shepherd to help him set up the couch and chair cushions in the floor. The little boy throws himself into the tasks with such enthusiasm that Earle finds himself having to stop to laugh more than anything. Soon enough, the living room has been transformed into a pillow fort large enough for all three of them. Its nice. Watching kiddie movies, throwing popcorn, being able to enjoy himself with his family.

It’s late, when Asrun lets out a quiet but heavy sigh. Shepherd is asleep between them, sprawled on his back with the wolf clutched to his chest, and quiet baby snores coming from him. When he looks over at his cousin, he’s looking at the little boy with such a soft expression that it makes his throat close. Careful fingers smooth wild hair out of the boy’s face.

“You know,” he whispers, “I was a little nervous to have him meet you.”

The admission doesn’t hurt, not like he expected. “Why?”

“Because I didn’t know the you of now,” he looks at him then. “All I knew was the brat who dogged my every step and thought I was scum from playing pranks on him.”

“Oh.”

“Then I realized you were different, that I was different.” He laughs. “If I could change so much in the span of a few months, then you could change too.”

He doesn’t say anything, mulling over the words. Chewing on them, turning them over, weighing them. He doesn’t feel the hurt he thought he would.

“I’m glad I took the chance.”

Rolling over to look at him, he finds that soft smile directed at him. Suddenly bashful, he looks down. Except there’s Shepherd. With the wolf stuffie that he gave him. He feels tears gather in his eyes.

“Yeah, me too.”

This is what it feels like to have siblings, he decides. To have brothers.

Chapter Text

The phone call is rather short. Or it is in comparision to the calls he had to make when it came to arranging things for Shepherd. He hopes it's a good sign. That maybe the leg work he did for that situation is speeding the process of this along a little quicker.

Except things go off the rails almost immediately. They strongly discourage having Shepherd and the new one, Link Myrsky, meet right now. Understandable but it makes it harder. Boots - Earle, damn - can't get leave during the time he has to go up to Skyloft and won’t till he gets back. Malon is out of the running since it's calving season and she can't focus on both a tike and her girls. Prisca doesn't want to put him in unintententional danger by proxi of being at the palace. Which, fair, he doesn't want either.

Darunia is busy and he's not leaving Shepherd with Ruto. Which leaves Nabooru.

Nabs

1:18AM

I need a favor.

A Big, small shaped favor.

He packs them both while he waits. Nabooru almost always says yes to favors and is terrible at quickly replying. It's better to do something productive with his time than to stare at his phone. He has a little wolf to feed and chores to handle. Like convincing someone to let him give 'Wolfie' a bath.

He manages somehow to get both of them clean, fed, and the apartment clean before she answers. He webs a hand through Shep's soft hair as the tike lays across his lap, half asleep and watching whatever episode of the evening showing of David Jr's Neighborhood was playing. He ignores the show to the best of his ability and scrolls through several notifications, apps, and emails before flipping to read her reply.

Nabs

7:44PM

For your te bebe?

Yes

Depends. I have that Tribes Festival planning soon. How long?

2 nights, I'll be back before your committee thing.

Oh cher, you better.

Thanks for your help

yah yah

Nabooru tried to suppress the smile that was threatening to grow. Link honestly thought he was doing a good job of hiding his nerves, she could tell. He was. She just knew him too well. It definately didn't help that his little brother was picking up on this being a longer than usual visit. She watched him soothe the boy with gentle fingers against chubby cheeks.

A flash of Link's most pitiful 'help me' eyes and that was her cue. She scooped the little boy up and settled him on her hip with a bounce. "Now now, te bebe, come now we're going to have fun." She smiled at him. "Let's make big brother jealous, oui?"

"Hopefully not too much fun," he says with a laugh. With that, he ruffles the boy's hair, smoothing it back to press a quick kiss to his forehead. "I'll be back soon, lil buddy."

Shepherd buries his face in her shoulder with a sniffle, one hand bunching the back of her shirt while the other grips his own. She places her hand on his head and smiles. Link pauses at the bags on her couch, digging around before pulling out a grey stuffie. He mouths 'Wolfie' at her as he tosses it to her.

Catching it, she paused to look at it. Wolfie, as he said its called, had a rather impressive grey-green stain on him and bright blue plastic eyes. She offered him to the boy, who took it in one hand to clutch to his chest and lay his head on. His lower lip wobbled a little, but he didn't make a peep. She smiled at him before looking up at Link. He had a soft smile on his face that she'd only seen when they were both drunk before.

She rolled her eyes. "Go on. 'Fore you miss you flight, cher."

"Right. Thanks, Nabs."

Skyloft's Airport hadn't changed much from the last time he was here several years ago. The same cheery blue and white banners and floor to ceiling windows. A couple of store fronts and resturants offered tempting options for souvinirs and lunch. Swinging through them he picked up a few trinkets, like magnets and keychains, and a sweatshirt for Earle. He goes back and gets one for himself after fingering the material for while.

He'd been warned off giving any gifts to the new Link until they'd decided to move forward with the process. Same reasons for him to not bring Shep, something something attachments. Pah, like it would matter. He was going to bring their brother home one way or another.

Nabs

12:41PM

[Image: Shepherd stands in front of Nabooru, hands on his hips and an excited expression on his face. He's dressed in a small set of a tan loose trousers and a green sleeve belted across his chest. Nabooru stands behind him the same pose, head tilted back in a laugh, and in a blue set of gerudo silks.]

He has that lagniappe

That he does.

He shakes his head with a smile as he heads out to hail a taxi. He has an Agent to meet and balls to get rolling.

It's mid morning the next day that he gets to meet the boy. He's got hair the soft brown color of coffee with milk and it sits in a crown of loose curls on his head. His eyes are bright blue, lighter than Shepherds which are dark like the sky on the cusp of twilight, but no this one's are the bright baby blue of the sky on a cloudless day. He's got freckles on his nose and his moth is in a pout. His eyes say 'wary' and 'stranger' which counter what he's been told about him.

It's a lot of change for a five year old to go through. Link smiles at the Agent as she looks at him with an apology on her face. He just sits down on the floor, making all the groaning noises that make Shepherd giggle as he does, and sighs once he's comfortable. He pulls out his phone and the Agent nods, good he can show photos.

"Do you want to see some pictures of our other brother?" He calls over to the boy without looking up. He goes into his album of photos of their days at Malon's. "He's about your age and tries to sneak cats into our car all the time."

The Agent steps closer and as she does, so does the boy clinging to her pants. He tilts the phone so both the Agent and the tike at her leg can see the video of Shepherd holding a handful of hay and leading his line of kittens down the barn aisle. And like the straw that broke Vah Naboris's back, he's got a lapful of babbling kindergartener that is over the moon about learning about the animals from where he's from. Little Myrsky asks questions faster than they can be answered and the Agent seems relieved when he looks at her.

The boy is sad he's leaving, but perks up when the Agent says that maybe they'll go to the Surface to see him. Link gives his curls a ruffle before he leaves.

Lonk Bully Hours

4:53 PM

One Eyed Bandit

I think I need a bigger place

Malon-dy

Why

Shrieka

His head doesn't fit through the door anymore

Malon-dy

It was going to happen one day

One Eyed Bandit

Rude.

If I get Myrsky, we'll have outgrown the apartment

Shrieka

Buy a palace, problem solved

Malon-dy

price range?

One Eyed Bandit

Mal, you're my only friend

Shrieka

HEY

Shepherd comes bursting out of the hallway at Nabooru's in a flurry of motion and laughter to hug his legs. He feels what has to be love well up in his chest, sun burstingly bright and warm, as Shep tilts his head back to look  up at him with a bright smile. Link lifts him up to get a tight squeeze around the neck and a happy little hum. He laughs when Shep draws his arms in and then throws them back out - Big! - and grins.

"Yeah it's me, little buddy." He takes the bag from Nabooru when she holds it out and laughs when she pretends to want to keep the wolf stuffie.

Shepherd leans out for it, giggling as he rubs his left hand against his chest in a cirlce - please. She pinches his cheek gently as she hands it to him with a soft laugh.

"Drive safe cher," She says as she hugs him.

Nabs

10:02PM

We made it.

[two thumbs up]

Getting out of the car and knowing he's home is a special kind of relief. Earle meets him at the parking spot with a smile and a hug. Together they get the bags into the apartment, before he's closing the trunk and seeing his cousin carefully pulling a sleeping Shepherd out of the car, gently soothing him back to sleep when he wakes at being moved, and it settles something in him.

Maybe he's always been more of a brother than a cousin after all.

The door thuds behind them with a soft thud. He hums as he looks at his cousin’s back, the way his head is leaned against Shep’s. He thinks of soft coffee brown curls.

“You know,” he breaks the silence, “as much as I think we’ve done a good job… I think the pup could use someone his age around.”

Earle pauses in place before turning to look at him. He rocks on his feet where he stands behind the chair on the far side of the room and hums, cheek pressed against the kid’s ahead in an attempt at cuddling him. He hums as he thinks. “What did your crazy friends think?”

He gapes, shocked, for a moment. His friends are not - okay they totally are. “They think I’m silly for worrying about it, think that either way Shep will be fine.”

“They’re probably right.”

“I know. Doesn’t stop me from worrying though.”

“Yeah yeah, old man prerogative,” his cousin grins at him mischievously, “I know.”

“Okay, Cousin Boots.”

The face he makes as he whirls around to make his way down the hall to Shepherd’s room is worth the trouble he invites his way the next morning in the form of two bodies flopping on him first thing and tickling him. It makes him feel at home.

Chapter Text

Brrrring, bring….

Bring, bring, bbrrrriiinnnggg…

Brriiin-

“Hell- oh !” Earle’s voice cheerily calls from the other end of the line. “For what reason do I have this wonderful opportunity to grace thee with my dulcet tones today?” He’s also fully annoying, per the usual.

Link takes a deep breath before letting it out slowly. “I was calling to discuss your living arrangements, but I think I’ll reconsider my offer now,” he says. He hears Earle's side of the line quiet, like all the air has been sucked out of whatever room he’s in. Link continues, “As you know, I’m looking at getting a bigger place. So that each of the boys can have their own rooms and maybe a yard.”

“What was the offer?” Earle is all business now. Military brat through and through.

“We find a place that has a room that can be yours,” Link replies. He watches as Shepherd smears his broccoli through his ketchup before eating it with a morbid detachment. It’s disgusting, but somehow he’s a little curious. “Set it up however you like, you’ll just have to be a live-in babysitter sometimes to pay rent.” He jokes.

“What if the new kid doesn’t like me,” Earle questions softly, almost uncharacteristically uncertain. It's almost laughable.

Link hums, acknowledging the question without commenting. He thinks for a moment while he wipes ketchup off Shep’s face, the phone between his shoulder and cheek. Finally, he says, “I don’t think you’ll have to worry about that. Pup likes you.”

Shepherd blinks up at him at the sound of one of his nicknames, though there’s nothing about his expression that says he understands the conversation. The kid looks like he’s about thirty seconds shy of falling asleep, so Link doesn’t think much of it as he scoops him up. Earle has remained quiet, likely mulling over the elder cousin’s words.

“It’s just an offer,” Link half mumbles as Shepherd snuggles his head under his chin. “Think about it, yeah?”

Earle hums, sounding a little distant. “Yeah, I’ll think about it.”

The realtor that Malon introduced him to has been fantastic. Link is eternally grateful that they’re a patient soul with his interests in mind. Truly he is. However, he is a little over viewing houses at this point. Judging from the groan Earle gives and the whine that escapes the backseat from Shepherd, he feels he’s in good company in his displeasure.

House number…13? Or is this 14? Does it really matter at this point?

They survive getting out of the car, through the front yard, and into the house without incident. They’re standing in the basement, discussing the specs of the space as a laundry room while Shep pokes around at the roly polies he’s found by - what Link believes is - the water heater. Earle is good naturedly debating with the realtor about washing machines, of all things, when something in the house kicks on with the sound of pipes rattling and knocking.

Neither he nor Earle think anything of it. Big mistake.

Shepherd is gone . Entirely vanished from where they’d been letting him play with the bugs he’d found. Dimly and over the panicked buzzing in his ears, the elder man hears Earle apologize to the realtor. Link feels a little nauseous, a cocktail of fear and embarrassment turning his stomach. The pipes groan again, finally settling, and he makes eye contact with Earle.

The realtor smiles at them both, reassuringly. “How about we split up?”

“That sounds great. Once again, I’m so sorry.” Earle nods his head towards the stairs.

“Right, right. I’ll head upstairs, get started looking there.” He turns to the realtor, offering a bashful smile. “I’m sorry about this.”

Their smile tightens at that. “Why don’t we direct our attention to finding your brother instead of apologies, hm?”

Link and Earle both nod, moving to begin their search of the upper levels. 20 minutes of frantic searching later finds both men on their bellies next to a bed in one of the first-floor bedrooms. Shepherd is in the furthest corner, tucked with his back facing them and muffling any hint of sound he possibly can. He appears to be making a remarkable impression of ‘if I can’t see you, you can’t see me’ to Link’s frustration.

Finally Earle sighs, resting his chin on his hands. “I think…you should lift the bed a little.”

“What’s your plan?” Link asks, despite already getting up to his knees.

“We can’t reach him and he’s too scared to listen,” Earle reasoned. He eyes the space. “I’m smaller than you and you're stronger than me. I slide under the gap when you make it bigger…”

“…and you can get him,” Link finishes. He nods, it’s a decent plan. Not the best and certainly going to make things worse down the road…but that would be a problem for Future Link and Earle.

The bed is, blessedly, not heavy and fairly easy to hold aloft while his cousin shimmies under enough to reach the tike. Link knows that Earle has reached Shepherd when he hears the boy shriek . Several minutes go by where all he can hear is his cousin’s murmuring and his little brother’s crying. Finally he’s able to see both of them, smudged with some dust, and sets the bed back down.

His little brother takes one look at Link before burying his face in Earle’s shoulder with a loud sob. The two men share a look of shocked confusion. Shepherd is inconsolable, despite Earle’s best efforts to calm him with rocking and soft reassurances. When that fails to work, his cousin looks at him wide eyed over Shep’s head.

“How about you finish the tour and I’ll see if I can calm him down outside?” Earle’s smile is tight and worried. He glances at the doorway as the realtor approaches.

“I’m sorry about that,” Link says, again. His face feels hot. Shep bawls louder. 

The realtor just smiles, waving him off. “It’s alright. Today has been a lot for someone so small and besides, something tells me this isn’t the house for you.” They arch a brow at him knowingly.

Which he has to concede that yes, it’s definitely not. Especially with noises that get such a reaction from the kid. Earle gives a smile to them before stepping out and Link stays behind, presumably to apologize again, but ends up just finalizing the details of the next appointment. Thankfully it’s a couple of weeks away, giving them a much needed break from house hunting.

“Good morning, Mr. Asrun. Thank you for agreeing to this appointment. We just want to go over a few things with you to finalize everything before we move forward with awarding you custody…”