synopsis: in a sea of people bearing facades, his blue eyes oh so honest enraptures your heart unbeknownst to even yourself.
genres: fluff, romance.
content warnings: implications of mistreatment and a power imbalance, snapping due to frustrations, really messy but pining idiots who've yet to realize that they're pining for each other, longing disguised as helpfulness.
reader specifications: reader was detailed to have rosy cheeks and wears heels.
word count: 2.39k words.
―originally posted on @mydarling-iv, dec. 31, 2023
‧₊ ─ masterlist .ᐟ ༘
The sun warms the skin of your rosy cheeks as it pours from the canopy of leaves overhead. The woods smell of fresh earth as it had just rained prior, allowing the cool air to kiss your nose sweetly.
You've forgone your constraining heels, deciding to go bare foot as you race through the forest, hoping to find a rare herb whose blooming window now only opened.
If you miss such an opportunity, the herb won't bloom until a couple moons later. Such a thought causes you to huff as you continue running, hoping to out run your knight who seems keen on following you.
Besides your soft pants, you hear your assigned knights heavy footfalls. Odd, you think as his foot steps are always so light.
Breaking from the tree line, the morning sun paints you in a golden glow that warms you up, chasing away the chill that was starting to settle in your limbs. You hear the footfalls come closer and you start your sprint once more, being careful with running on a fallen log that acted as a bridge over a small ravine.
"Your highness!" A voice calls out, the familiarity of his voice causes a slight upturn of the corners of your lips.
You're halfway on the large log before you meet sky blue eyes that remind of you clear, cloudless skies that you oh so adore. His cheeks are slightly flushed, his hair windswept from the run from the castle to the forest you've forced him to endure, and yet, his eyes remain kind.
"Ser Link," You hum thoughtfully, borderline coy. "Kind of you to finally join me."
You see Link's nose scrunch slightly, such a small twitch would've gone unnoticed if you haven't been paying close attention as your knight never seems to break character.
Always it seems that he chooses to keep a tight lipped mouth, his face stern, his body rigid as to alway be prepared, and yet, his eyes are such an endless pool of blue that you can read quite well—more likely are allowed to—and only with you, he seems to talk, his words always so soft and endearing.
Even if you cause trouble, like now, where he's to chase after you, or if you were to endanger yourself accidentally, it is never anger or frustration you see in his bluebell eyes, but always worry.
"It's dangerous." His words are curt, yet there's a slight furrow to his eyebrows that will go unnoticed by many. But you aren't like most people, you catch on quick when it comes to his tells and his eyes-
Stars, they're filled with an apparent worry that guilt starts tugging at your soul.
You swiftly turn, resuming your dash to the other side as a flash of lavender and your eyes widen as you see a superbloom of armoranth, a rare commodity even for the likes of the nobility and imperial family as well.
"Princess!" Link calls out worriedly but your feet is already touching the soft grass on the other side of the ravine and only after a few steps away from the log, you turn.
Your eyes widen as you see Link hurriedly crossing the makeshift bridge, his sword strapped to his back as his arms a somewhat raised to help him balance on the log as he hurried to you. His lips are pursed cutely, the furrow between his brows deepening and becoming apparent. Such a sight causes you to smile widely as a sweet laugh tumbles from your lips, being unable to hold it back.
Link's eyes widen as his head snaps quickly to your direction as he stumbles off the log slightly and onto solid ground. You're kind enough to quickly grab ahold of his hand to keep him steady and even kinder to reduce your cackles to soft giggles.
"You must be careful now, Ser Link, I don't want you tripping again." You tease softly as you give him a sweet smile and your knight looks gobsmacked at the sight.
You cough slightly, snapping Link out of his daze before he drops to one knee, keeping your hand in his in a firm yet soft grip that allows you to pull away if you so desire to. He's quiet as his eyes become somewhat sad and you feel bad for teasing him and keeping such a nonchalant facade with him.
┊ ੈ✩‧₊*°࿐ྂ
Palace politics and the nobility were unkind, you and Zelda having not been spared from it as the sole heirs to Hyrule. Having been assigned knights against both of your wishes, Zelda was rightfully angered, feeling more constrained by your father's decision.
In a fit of anger, she had urged you to rebel against your knight as you also shouldn't be controlled even more. You sighed, silently promising yourself that you'd be polite to your knight while trying to maintain a facade of indifference to your knight in hopes of quelling your sisters unhappiness.
It was only when Zelda's showcase of her displeasure and unfair treatment directed towards her knight became so blatant that you are reminded to maintain your promise to yourself to treat your own knight with grace.
You recall of the times Link had saved you from your own stupidity so selflessly and without regards to his own safety and it pushes you to soften your cold facade with your knight as he too is only fulfilling his purpose, a royal guard bound by the king's order whose words is absolute.
After arguing with your father about the medical treatment regarding those affected by a sudden winter blight, or therefore lack of, you stormed out of the throne room in anger.
You then callously snapped at Link for no reason as he simply followed you as he usually does to your quarters. In the heat of your frustration, you became blind to his sky blue eyes faltering, hurt flashing through them briefly.
Later that night, going against your father's orders and not informing Link, you sneak out of your room and into the Applean forest. The said forest is a great deal of distance away from the castle but you had caught wind of a great deal of herbs growing there that would effectively help combat the effects of the blight.
Bundling them a handful in a small cloth, you scolded yourself for your harsh words to your knight and promised to make a healing balm composed of the herbs to give to Link as an apology, and to hopefully turn a new leaf as well.
But as you are starting to make your way out of the forest, a loud squeamish squeal rips through the air and your blood chills. From the corner of your eye, you see the red skin of a bokoblin wielding a wooden club.
Chastising yourself for not bringing Link with you, you break into a sprint, the beast giving chase. Breaking out of the the tree line, your heart pounds against your chest but as you gain a decent distance between you and the bokoblin, a chilling sound of a guardian focusing its laser causes your heart to drop.
You look up swiftly, seeing the reddish glow of a guardian going on the offense due to detecting an enemy. A malfunctioning one, Zelda had mentioned some defects. You cursed, biting your bottom lip anxiously as the bokoblin closes in on you and the guardian prepares to fire its beam.
You berate yourself for your unkindness towards Link in your last moments with him and you are forced to come to terms with your untimely death.
Time seems to slow and just as you see the laser make its away to you, a firm yet gentle arm wraps around your waist as your back lands against something solid and warm. The smell of sweet spearmint and earthy pine fills your nose and your body slackens in relief as you recognize this scent—his scent.
"Link." You murmur softly as you turn your head, bearing witness to his skills that rivals none in the kingdom.
He quickly brings the Hylian shield you had gifted to him during his knighthood ceremony and quickly parries the guardian beam causing the large tank of ancient tech to combust immediately before Link tears his arm away from you, choosing to draw his sword and making a quick work of the bokoblin.
Time between you and Link seems to stand still as you stare at his back. Guilt consumes your heart, you worried him horribly this time. Stars, if anything had happened to you, they would've punished Link and ultimately put his head on a pike.
You open your mouth to profusely apologize but Link is quick to bend the knee in front of you, his eyes never leaving yours and you feel horrible when you bear witness to the clear stress and worry swimming in his eyes.
Link gently grasps your hand, squeezing softly that doesn't hurt you in anyway that seems to reassure himself that you're safe and real. "I-.. I know you despise me for restricting your freedom, but please- please, next time if you wish to go out, please take me with you so I am to safeguard you from harm." He looks away, lips pursed softly as his eyes become sullen.
By some instinct—an urge—you cup his face, softly easing him to look at you in the eye once more. You're to speak yet the earnest look in his eyes forces any words to die on your tongue and you're taken off guard with how kind and true your knight is.
"Ser Link, I'm sorry for making you feel as if I despise you. In truth, I don't hate you at all, yet despite that, my actions showed you otherwise, and for that, I apologize. I apologize for snapping at you earlier, and I'm extremely sorry for worrying you with my stupid stunt tonight."
His eyes widen softly, the stars gleam from overhead making them twinkle and the sight seizes your breath. "I'm sorry, Ser Link, for everything." You murmur softly, bowing slightly.
A gentle squeeze to your hand encased in his brings your attention back to him. Your eyes widen from the sight in front of you, your heart stuttering and breath hitching ever so slightly as you see a small smile grace Link's face. He then leans further to place a soft kiss to the back of your balm, his honest eyes never straying from yours.
┊ ੈ✩‧₊*°࿐ྂ
Guilt ebbs away at your psyche once more as you recall that you've never apologized for your constant indifference towards him and have actually kept it up.
A grimace itches at your face, "I'm sorry, Ser Link, for the incessant teasing." You sigh meekly, your thumb mindlessly rubbing back and forth on Link's gloved hand.
His eyes widen slightly and you hate yourself even more at the implications—stars, of course he doesn't expect a sincere apology from you as you've gone up and ditched him the second time since the guardian incident!
His reaction bothers you more knowing that the reason why you've began to avoid your knight was because of the constant skips your heart would make whenever you and Ser Link interacted.
Stars, he is your knight and you a princess, never mind your reputation, you'd only sully his and make him a court fool in front of the nobility if you're to pursue him-
You lose yourself to the brewing storm in your mind and ever the observant knight he is, Link notices how your eyes become sullen. He gently squeezes your hand, a move you've become familiar with, and it works as your attention moves back to him.
"Princess, I've no need to forgive you for something that doesn't upset me. I- I'm just glad that you've begun to talk to me comfortably." He murmurs softly and you will your heart to not skip a beat because stars-
His eyes are so blue—an endless sea of honesty and softness that you've come to realize that he's granted only you the privilege of seeing—and the sight has your heart pounding.
A small smile tugs on your lips, "It is one of the many things I can do to make up for how cold and indifferent I've acted towards you, Ser Link." You purse your lips, looking away and Link sees how truly sorry your are in your eyes.
He squeezes your hand once more to get your attention on him once more and the pained smile on your face tugs at his heart strings. "I've constantly taken advantage for your unwavering loyalty, Ser Link. I'm-"
Stars, it truly is upsetting. He is only doing what he is ordered to by your father and you punish him nonetheless? How unkind and unjust for you to treat him like that-
How cruel can you be to someone so innocent in royal affairs? The thought is chilling and it overwhelms your control over your emotions.
A choked gasp leaves your lips as he sees your eyes glaze over with unshed tears. Link is quick to rise, his body moving closer as he patiently waits for your signal.
You catch on and nod despite being unaware of his intentions. Yet from the honest look in his eyes, you realize that you trust the man in front of you wholeheartedly. "I'm sorry for every wrongdoing I've committed against you." You mutter, looking away from him in shame.
Link's hands gently cups your face, and like on the night of the guardian incident, he mimics what you had done and makes you look at him in such a gentle manner that intensifies the ache in your chest.
Your lips are pursed, eyebrows furrowed in guilt, and Link smiles softly to ease your worries. You melt, cheek leaning into his hand as he gently caresses your cheek with the soothing motions of his thumb.
Beautiful. Absolute stunning. Link finds the thought at the forefront of his mind as he looks at you.
"It's okay, princess. Just promise me that you'll allow me to stay by your side." Link murmurs, eyes looking into yours with such a softness that could make you melt even further.
You bring up your hands to cup his as the sweetest smile gracing your face sends his heart racing. "I promise, Link."
So I made some art based on the second chapter of my fanfic, Soldier in Training 😊
I tried to make Link's uniform look big and baggy since he is meant to be too young for this rank (not to mention the kid has been malnourished for quite some time...)
Yeah, I got lazy with the background, srry.
I'm experimenting with new art styles and not quite sure what art style I want to go with for this fanfic. Lmk what you guys think!
I recently signed up for Ao3, and I'm slowly going to upload all current chapters of my fanfic there, so if you guys prefer to read it there, go ahead! Otherwise, I will still be uploading to wattpad
I was rewatching the botw memories and Yk how basically everyone in the fandom agrees that link loves cooking and is really good at it?
Well, What if links loves cooking so much/is so good at it bc is mom (presumably) died when he was young, shortly after his sister was born, (this is based off concept art btw) and his dad was off at the castle a lot bc he’s part of the royal guard so link learned how to cook for him and his sister .
My siblings addition: adding on that, the reason he loves food so much and “would do anything for food” is because since his dad was always away he’d always make sure his sister ate before him meaning he got less food and ate less and then he becomes a knight and all of a sudden he’s eating royal meals all the time so naturally he loves it and comes across as a gluten bc he’s never had this before.
I mean he even eats rocks willingly for fucks sake-
I’ve been thinking for MONTHS that Link’s arm was a removable prosthetic [and drew so] so I’m not backing off now 😎. Also Link is trans, hope that helps.
Also, arm headcanons below:
I decided Rauru’s arm is bigger than Link’s and he has to deal with the imbalance.
Link is grateful but actually hates the thing. He didn’t get to see his injury, feel the lack of forearm. He thinks he’d be way less clumsy without this foreign tool glued to his body.
Link blames himself for everything. His mind repeats on a loop that split second where he extended his arm "like a fool” and the red cloud of malice immediately destroyed it. Thinks he was “too happy and relaxed” after the calamity and that made him not alert.
Word count: 3.1k
Summary: you've long travelled with Link. now having a small rest between travelling and aiding Hyrule, you find yourself facing a vast expanse—of questions, and the possible future. the hero speaks so little, so many things go unsaid. but is it right that they do?
Warnings: unnecessarily flowery description? none
AN: this is an old piece i had lying around that i always meant to fix up a lil bit and i finally have! it's not really what i'd write for here (i did it more as a writing exercise years ago, so it's a bit... dense lmao) but i still think it's quite cute!
{Gender Neutral reader}
Link does talk, but only rarely (if i was to write this now, i would write him signing as i much prefer that interpretation!)
☾ ₊ ˚ ✩ ˚ ｡ ☽
the rain had long passed but the two of you remained huddled beneath the stone canopy of an overhang you’d found. the evening was cool, the clouds slowly clearing to reveal a dusk sky adorned with stars. the moon was peeking above the lanterns of a stable below in the valley, and though it promised warmth, you knew you were heading in the opposite direction.
relishing in the peace and quiet, you leant back on your cloak, which was sprawled upon the ground to offer a protective layer against the cold stone and the odd crumpled leaf.
the small orchard across the path bristled in hushed tones, melding with the crackle of the campfire by your feet. their crimson leaves shivered in the night, knowing that there was no relief for them.
as a shimmering trail cut through their branches high in the darkness beyond, you couldn’t help but grin.
“hey, did you see that?” you asked quietly, not looking over to him. you’d been travelling for so long together alone, that there was never any other person you could be talking to. despite the odd occurrences that led up to your strange companionship—things you perhaps regret but would not change for the world—the two of you made a seamless team, and an inseparable one at that.
you’d forgotten to count how many days your time together was supposedly overdue moons ago; caught up in the excitement and awe of visiting new places and meeting new people. as well as facing monsters so gruesome your nightmares could never have festered them.
even now, you didn’t even consider beginning to trace it all back, despite the lull in the pace of your travels.
after he remained still in the corner of your eye, you glanced over as you spoke louder this time. “there was a shooting star! not too far from here i bet…”
your words gradually became quieter again.
of course he had heard you.
Link was without a doubt shorter than you, by quite a bit too: you could lean on his head with a slight stretch and you knew that from playful experience. but he wasn’t small—he never appeared to be.
whether it be how he charged into battle, a force to be reckoned with. how he glowed when he cooked, and practically cackled when he soared into the air on a fiery updraft of his own making. or how he rose to any challenge put before him, clambered up cliffs for absolutely no reason other than because he could, or how his eyes would glint so mischievously to the point that you wouldn’t dare turn your back to him, lest he spring chuchu jelly on you again.
Link was never small.
and yet here he was, eyes glazed over as he stared into the glowing embers, gold dancing across his face and casting his hunched form partially into pure shadow. his rough hands were pressed into the pebbles and dirt by the wooden pyre and you couldn’t help but wonder if that was a more accurate descriptor than you first thought.
despite how long you had spent in his company, you hadn’t heard his voice anywhere near as much as people thought you had. they would ask you in fake-sweet tones what he sounded like, how much he actually spoke, why he withheld his voice from them, as if there was something malicious in his silence. you never spared them your time and at most offered them an underhanded comment before following after him.
and so it remained that Link rarely spoke, and you did much of the talking for him. you didn’t expect him to speak, and never wished him to, and he seemed relieved by this. but as you felt an unfamiliar pang in your chest, you began to wonder if there could be an exception.
there was a lot of weight on his shoulders—not only the fate of the kingdom and its future, but the past as well. there were an awful lot of words on those lips that were never spoken. the thought of the sheer weight of them worried you, and carrying them around without respite even more so.
but you reminded yourself that the two of you were inevitably different. perhaps that’s why you worked so well together. although, it remained that talking problems out wouldn’t help him in the same way as it helped you.
frowning for a moment, you had an idea and shuffled across to sit on the edge of his cloak. he didn’t register your movement, so you carefully placed your hand on his shoulder.
Link snapped out of his stare, eyes meeting yours before the air that had been caught up in his chest slowly left him. he was trying to be subtle—you knew that before he offered that small smile he always used to cover stuff up—but you didn’t mention it.
“back in Hateno, when i was younger… my mother used to help me cope with my worries and fears, even though she didn’t know what to do,” you began, avoiding his gaze to look at his dirty cheek. there you met the familiar sight of the scar levied across his jaw.
you always found yourself gravitating to the lines of his past, now light and melded with his skin near perfectly; so many were invisible until his cheeks reddened in the cold or he stayed out in the sun for too long.
you could never work out what drew you to them. whether it was astonishment, in how they were etches of a century ago, trapped in the skin of a living being. or if it was curiosity, to know every detail he was willing to spare, even if they were morbid.
whatever the reason, you ignored it and pushed yourself to look him in the eye once more.
“what she did wasn’t… well, I haven’t done it in a long while, but… then again I haven’t needed it.” you smiled at him warmly, knowing full well he was the reason why. “and now that I think about it, it might help you.”
his gaze softened. he nodded silently, and watched intently while he waited for you to show him what you meant.
shifting behind him, you subtly admired his form. he was sat up straighter now, no longer as still as a corpse, instead poking the fire with a half-charred stick.
you readjusted your weight on your knees as you spotted a hole beginning to form by the collar of his tunic. you poked it absentmindedly, signalling to him its presence, before attempting to draw your fingers up to his hair.
at that moment, apprehension rushed through to your stomach and brought your hands to a halt.
you questioned yourself then, as you studied your weak hands. why would you stop?
it wasn’t like you were strangers, far from it.
you’d helped adjust his straps and bags numerous times before to save time in the desert. he’d untangled you from your own clothing mishaps when the storm whipped your cloak round your legs, and chased after your hat flung far off in the distance. you’d washed his clothes and he’d washed yours, and upon so many mornings had you awoken to yourself swaddled into his side after the night grew too cold and the fire had cooled.
and yet, nerves began to ripple through your stomach, like the pulses of butterfly wings, at the idea of touching his hair. of running your fingers through it, seeing it loose. somehow, this was different, and you couldn’t put your finger on as to why.
Link turned to look at you, his head tilting. knowing well what that gesture meant, you chuckled sheepishly.
he looked away from you again, nodding knowingly whilst he became focused on his hands. he began rubbing the dirt off his fingers, and with his distracted attention you took the opportunity to recompose yourself. with a brief sigh, you pushed through the apprehension while it was off-guard, and gently pulled the cerulean ribbon out from his hair.
the dirty blond tresses hardly caught the wind once they were freed, retaining their tied back shape. too long of a time spent in bonds, you reasoned, and the knots between your fingers seconded that as you gently combed through his hair.
you tried to catch a glimpse of his reaction by placing the tie on his knee, though to little success. he was looking beyond into the valley so you would have no trouble, but it meant that whatever he was thinking was an utter mystery to you. delicately threading your fingertips past his ears, you finally spoke up.
“my mother, when i was worried, used to sit me on her lap and get me to think about everything i was upset about. and while i did, she would weave a plait in my hair.” you took a lock of his and split it into three. “it would only ever be small, and we would just sit in silence as she wove.” you followed your own words, beginning to entwine the strands sitting in your palms, paying extra care to not accidentally tug. “when she reached the end, however, she never tied it, and just left it open. and then she would say, it’s all to the wind now.
"the first time she did it, she didn’t explain what she meant, and i didn’t work it out until later that day, when i pushed my hair out of my face one windy afternoon and found it missing,” you chuckled. “the wind had pulled the plait apart naturally without me noticing, just as it was supposed to do. it was supposed to take your fears away with it, though i never felt that it did—i found ranting to Ivee much more helpful personally, which is… hardly surprising.”
you waited for him to laugh at that, but your quip was met with silence. you leant round with a faltering grin to see if he was just smiling too, but you found you couldn’t lean quite far enough to see properly with his hair in your hands. all you could note was that his eyes were closed.
diffused, you continued nonetheless, “she often said things like that. Like, the wind would fix it all, and you just had to wait as the… that patience was the purest trial of them all and… other things that didn’t make a lot of sense. i’ll admit, it never got rid of my worries, but i did always find it soothing.” you pulled a final weave into the plait, your laugh fading into a small smile. “so, maybe it’ll help you.”
tracing your fingertips carefully over the rises and falls of the new braid, you waited for him to respond.
in the silence your mind wandered, and with every hush of the breeze your thoughts grew louder. Link remained still, offering neither a shake of his head or hum of disapproval.
no longer preoccupied, you peered round to see what was wrong, only to find his eyes still closed. his hands were still in his lap, the twig discarded by his knee, while his breathing was steady.
“Link?” you whispered, amused by how he’d seemingly managed to doze off sitting upright—it would be a first! Though before you could place your hand on his shoulder his eyes flickered open. You barely got the chance to be startled because of the way he was looking at you. And because of how close you were to him.
“sorry,” you stuttered, suddenly unable to look away from the bright dawn sky of his eyes. you tried to ignore the comments suddenly fluttering about in your head, and the one word they orbited. “i thought you’d fallen asleep, i didn’t mean…”
he was drowsy, but he smiled nonetheless. it’s ok, you recognised.
it most certainly isn’t, you thought, the voice in your head flustered. you’d never felt this hazy before, this giddiness in your chest. not when just looking upon someone's face.
you were about to make an excuse so you could move back to your side of the campsite and catch your breath when he looked back to the valley, frown sweeping across the horizon’s mountains to where that star had fallen.
and to your surprise, he spoke. “did you make a wish?”
you thought about it for a few seconds, unable to remember if you had or hadn’t. it had only been a few minutes since you’d seen it arc across the sky, yet it felt like hours had passed since then. “no… no, i didn’t. i guess… i’m not sure what to wish for. there’s so much in the world that it’s hard to choose. greater good, personal regrets, revenge, mercy…” you paused for a second once he had nodded in understanding. “did you?”
“no,” he answered. his lips remained parted as if he wanted to continue, but after a few moments they returned to a sad smile, his eyes dropping back down to the ground.
the crackling of the fire became the only sound to be heard once again as you watched him from the corner of your eye. he picked up the stick and poked at the silvering wood. still knelt behind him, you were thankful he couldn’t see your face. you struggled to hide your emotions, at least with him, and you were aware that your expression was likely one of blatant concern. yet there was little that could be done. there was a reason why he wasn’t talking about it, and it wasn’t tough to work it out.
in that moment, you felt a wave of powerlessness wash over you. your heart was no longer racing, and instead ached. your limbs felt like they were laden with iron.
the weight that he bore was not something that you could bear with him. there were no words you could offer that would make the absence formed of what little he could remember cut any less deep.
your arrow could not pierce the Calamity’s brow, and you could not wield the blade that could. after all that you had accomplished together, it was nothing in comparison to what he faced.
you swallowed thickly, finally pulling your hand away. slipping off your knees, you wrapped your arms around his waist and let your head rest against his shoulder.
“i’m sorry, Link,” you murmured, voice weak.
you didn’t dare look up when you felt him turn to you. whether it was a quizzical stare or a blush you knew you wouldn’t be able to handle it. and you were right to think so, because as soon as he leant his head against yours you felt your heart pick up tenfold.
you didn’t want to think how he must feel it racing against his back.
“you shouldn’t be sorry,” he explained quietly, his thumb coming to trace across your wrist, “you’re here. just like the others.”
the wind picked up and you felt the light dim across your closed eyes as it played with the fire. you tried to commit his voice to memory, gather words and phrases to try and describe what it sounded like, to yourself. just in case the wilds finally did creep back to collect what they once gained and now had lost. there was always that innate fear that gnawed at the very base of your stomach, those ‘what if's' of catastrophe.
“i’ll always be here,” you insisted, clutching onto him just that little bit tighter, “no matter how far we go.”
the cool of the night began to seep further into your campsite, the fire beginning to dwindle at the will of the weather, and Link made no effort to rekindle it.
you could see why you had shifted towards him in your sleep these recent nights; he was so warm to the touch, his strength a blanket of security as he cradled you.
you did so again now, still holding him as if he was your only shelter. in some ways he was. you almost had the thought to wonder why you hadn’t done this sooner, but you knew exactly why.
as tiredness began to seep into your eyes, Link shifted. he tapped your hand to gain your attention, and you quickly unwrapped your arms. however, before you could apologise and make your way back to your cloak, he held onto your fingers.
“stay.”
his expression was forlorn, but hopeful. there was a tension in his jaw as he waited for you to say something. his other hand gripped at his knee.
you didn’t want to leave him hanging but there was a problem with your breath being hitched in your throat. his fingertips were rough against yours, yet still so gentle. they sought your palm, following the lines that were etched into your skin. the lines of fate, as fortune tellers called them. and yours were alight with warmth, now.
you slowly exhaled as he’d done earlier, trying to be subtle. if he noticed he didn’t show it, simply offering a flicker of a smile.
it reminded you of the ones he gave you when he asked for a favour, to be the one to grab the apples off the tree or track down the cuccos yet again.
however, this time his favour was quiet, so much so that he didn’t want to ask for it. his grip on your hand could barely be called that, his fingers were so flighty and ready to pull away at any moment.
but he had asked, despite everything.
silently, you let him guide you back down to earth, into his lap. and there, you curled up in his arms. he leant against your bags as a makeshift pillow, and then pressed you gently into his chest, as close as he could get you. the chill of the wind could no longer reach you, as you were under his protection now. but he was also under yours.
finally, he relaxed, resting his chin on your head. his heartbeat thrummed by your ear, gradually slowing, beat by beat, until it was a soothing rhythm; one of near sleep. the crickets’ chorus began to outsing the crackle of the flames, with darkness having now fully fallen across Hyrule, you spoke up for the final time that night. “goodnight, Link. sleep well." your voice was barely above a whisper, and spoken into his tunic so that you weren’t sure he would hear you. but the hand nestled in your own squeezed your fingers.
a gust of wind blew the remaining flames out, and as shadow engulfed the camp your eyes fell shut, the heartbeat of the hero soothing you to sleep. and with the fire lost, the brightest light upon Hyrule became a fallen star, glowing upon the mountainside above.
⋆ ࣪. ℙ𝕝𝕠𝕥 ≫ Link finds you in the worst way he could've had
⋆ ࣪. 𝕎𝕒𝕣𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 ≫ angst!, death is heavily implied, descriptions of mild gore/violence, blood, brief mentiond of reader with self-image issues, not proofread!
⋆ ࣪. 𝔸/ℕ ≫ I wrote this with BOTW/TOTK Link in mind but again, you can imagine whoever Link is your fav!
⋆ ࣪. 𝕎𝕠𝕣𝕕𝕔𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕥 ≫ 3.314
"Link stop"
Your pained words ringed through his slightly bleeding ears, the grip he had on his sword intensifying.
He felt as if his head was going to explode, veins pumping furiously around his brain. His skin was sweaty too, trying to regulate the temperature of his warm body. A dificult task thanks to his lively and irregular breathing and of course, his anxious thoughts.
Your hand fell on his shoulder as he felt the dew surfacing the grass bellow him, soaking lightly his clothed knee. His whole body was on fire, lungs screaming for air and his scraped hands begged him not use them anymore tonight.
But he didn't want to lose you either.
Your worn out clothes and the cut you had on your arm begged him to do something about it too. He felt so guilty at the sight of you hurt and exhausted, he should've heard your yells before, he should've came sooner.
And now that he was thinking about you, he saw your lips moving again, the same worried frown rested on your brows. What were you saying again...?
"Link, please don't do this"
Right, he had expected you to say something like that, but he didn't listen to you. You always did that, he thought, putting other people's lifes on top of your own one.
But putting aside his own fierce mindset, you were worried sick about him, his torn off tunic and his dirtied up boots only boosting up your concerns. His stubborn demeanor sometimes pissed you off, he had to get what he wanted, more in situations like the one you were in right now.
But he wasn't other people, he was your friend, your best one.
He had almost spent his whole life protecting and saving people, but you were above those random travelers or villagers. Why wouldn't he help you out?
Well, maybe you were the stubborn one, maybe after all the things you had done to help other people, maybe you did deserve some help too.
But you were fine on your own, fine until a big, strong and not so friendly Lynel had crossed your path.
"Please"
"Fuck"
Your muttered out cuss only alerted the wild Lynel more, his head perking up to where you were hiding.
His slow but confident, powerful steps inched closer and closer and you didn't need to look at him to know that he was just mere meters from the tree you were hidden in.
You questioned yourself what were you more scared of, it's face and strong horse features or it's steps. Anxiety bubbled up inside your stomach, proliferating to your legs and arms, keeping them in place. You didn't know were it was right now, but you surely knew that if you took a glance, you wouldn't be able to tell others what had happened.
You also could hear the metal clanking sound of the shield it was carrying around, or maybe it was a bow. A girl from the zora domain always talked to you about the Lynels and how she needed to scare off her brothers before they did anything stupid. She told you that they always had a big bow resting on their backs, they weren't only good when they kept distance from enemies, they were fast and really strong in close encounters too.
After that talk you had figured out that you didn't want to ever see or hear a Lynel near you.
But today must be your worst lucky day.
It was so close you could hear it's breath, it's nose sniffling and searching for anything strange. Your heart almost beat off your chest when you saw it's big hairy hand from the corner of your eye.
That's it, I'm going to die.
You pictured yourself in every way it could've ended your life, grabbing you by your throat and tearing you apart with it's hands, using one his his enormous arrows, stepping on you...
Then. . . Silence
The sound of the quiet rivulet in front of you mixed with your laboured breathing was the only thing that you could hear right now.
Strangely you thought about how calm the night was today, the shiny and shy fireflies flew around the valley in front of you. The breeze hitting the rocks on the mountain next to you, creating a curious sound.
You had always loved nights in Hyrule, you loved when you and your mother walked around and watched the fishes under the moonlight on the pond in front of your house. You loved your mother and all the stuff she had taught you.
Then she would tuck you inside your warm and cozy bed after a long cold day, warming up your feet with her hands. She would always tell you a different story every night before a kiss was planted on your forehead with a sweet smile.
Why were you thinking about your mother?
You read that people's lasts thoughts before dying were related to their family, friends, lovers or pets too.
Maybe you were going to die after all.
But you haven't said goodbye to Link, you haven't invited him to a homemade meal like you promised to after he had cooked you dinner a few days ago.
You haven't told him to be careful like you always did before he stepped outside of your door.
Maybe you shouldn't have followed your insticts, stopping dead on your tracks when you heard it's characteristic stride. But you didn't, and by your stupid past decisions you were here now, trapped without any posible escape that didn't involve your death.
The grip you had on your bow had tightened, the hand you previosly saw being harshly replaced by some furious, red eyes.
You were caught.
Your legs didn't budge and theirs didn't too, at least not when he didn't spot the weapons you had. You saw him back away, a long sigh you were forcing not to let out of your mouth finally sliping off your chest.
Relief washed all over your body, carefully taking away all the stress from the prior situation.
But the warm waterfall lasted just a few seconds.
The canopy fell almost in slow motion in front of you, the violent air blast passed through your head and into the cold rivulet. You froze on spot once again, you saw the tree sliced in half in front of you.
Had whatever weapon he used, sliced a whole trunk of a tree?
You had no doubts he could, and ceirtainly would, slice your head off in an instant. Your heart was weirdly calm, your hands weren't shaking either, almost as if you were ready for your terrible end.
Your mind pictured him, his hands caressing your bow with grace as he taught you, he had strong hands. Your eyes couldn't leave his fingers, the thought of how skilled they were passed through your tired brain.
A scream finally ripped from your throat, little blue sparrows flying off in front of your feet.
Shit.
Your body was moving without the intervention of your anxious brain, rolling to your right side you managed to dodge his furious attack.
The moon rested heavily behind him, so big you thought it might have fallen from the starry sky.
Whiteish fur mixed with angry purple stripes, it's exotic form welcoming you to the dangerous nights of Hyrule. Red eyes staring almost confusedly at you, trying to read your next move.
. . .
"Hey!"
A splash of cold water awoke you from your daydreams, you flinched on spot before turning to the michevious smirk that was staring at you.
The water calmly soothed your legs, too cold to submerge the rest of your body yet. Stripped down to your underwear you had pleaded to Link to let you swim on a beautiful lake topped with a gorgerous waterfall, to console your body from all the movement it had done today.
But of course he was there to mess up your relaxation.
Sun kissed skin and soaked piercings hid the waterfall from your eyes, standing tall in front of you.
"Stop"
His lifted arms revealed his intentions, slowly approaching your dry and comfortable skin. Backing up as much as you could, your pleading face didn't break down his playful one.
You turned your head to see if you were going to bump into a rock, admiring the trees that surrounded the semi-hidden paradise.
That was your terrible mistake.
Two strong arms wrapped themselves around your waist, lifting you up until your face was met with his back, thighs resting on his chest. His colder and wet skin made you shiver, trying to squirm your way out of his grasp.
But of course he was stronger and faster than you.
"Lin-!"
Your yelp died down, drowned by the water as threw himself into it again, this time with your pleasant company. You slid off his grasp, ending up bellow him.
His hands rested on your biceps, your torso floating beside his own one. Your own hands held his nape and his shoulder for dear life, taking a big, choked out breath.
"You're a jerk"
A chuckle escaped his lips and as if someone had punched you with a knucle full of reality, you took in the state you two were in right now.
His sleepy muscular frame held your body close to his, teeth flashing as he chuckled.
He was shirtless.
You had seen him plenty of times in that state, normally his Gerudo vests left little to imagination when he showed them off to you.
And you actually found that really cute about him, he liked showing you whatever he had bought that day, from gorgerous opal earings to fierce armours.
But this time it felt different.
The warmth he naturally emited from his body warming you up from the cold water, both of you soaked and making skin to skin contact.
You needed to get out of there or you were going to explode.
But you were too comfy on his arms, unconciously leaning further into him. You noticed the little red hues on his cheeks, matching yours perfectly.
Maybe you could rest there for a few more minutes, just some silly quick minutes.
. . .
You missed that warmth, a warmth that could lasts for days on your skin, almost as if your mind didn't want to let go of the comfort.
Comfort you seeked on cold nights like this, rushed steps towards his house, curious eyes trying to adjust to the dimness of the night. Your breath fanned on his window, knees a bit scraped as you had just climbed his hard wall.
He was about to go to bed as the good, young man that cared about his health he was. But your knock on the glass inturrumpted his routine.
His senses were highened again and he quickly tried to figure out if someone had broken in. But when he saw your face on his window he nearly had a heart attack.
"Hey"
You whispered out as he opened the window, your smile never failing to melt down his limbs, all the stress he had acumulated inside him fading away just by your sight.
"I can't sleep"
Just as he had thought.
"And I see you're not asleep yet so..."
He was indeed half asleep.
But he fought his urges to fall right on your knees to sleep, you were way more interesting than whatever dreams he had waiting for him that night.
"Do you wanna go for a walk?"
And that's how he ended up with you by his side tonight, his sword resting heavily on his back just in case something happened.
Cold, muted grass bellow your feet, the air striking nicely through your hair all the way down to your feet.
You needed to feel alive again, the silence of the night consumed you.
You loved the loud echo of your shoes compared to the serene demeanour of your surroundings. It was almost as if the world changed when the sun dissapeared, new animals that were too shy to come out, flowers that only bloomed when it was dark.
You loved all of those little Hyrule things.
But on top of all of them, you loved him.
Those words seemed to have lost their potential by all the times you had repeated them inside your head, but they were true.
He was your hero, your shoulder to lean on whenever you wanted, a puppy that loved when you let him place his head on your lap, your personal knight.
You adored the dexterity he had with his multiple weapons, his easiness to use whatever his eyes had landed on to fight and end up victorious. His bow, his abilities were incredible to watch.
"Look"
Your muttered words almost weren't percieved by his ears, but his training didn't betray him.
"They're gorgerous"
His eyes then saw what you were chit chatting about, his pupils immediately shrinking slightly by it's lighting.
A blupee was jumping around some fireflies, the whole scene causing a disrupt of the natural darkness. But it looked so volputeous, you were thankful you weren't sleepy that night.
Well, he thought so too but after a while he felt something getting heavier on his shoulder.
Your face was crushed by his shoulder and your legs had gave up from your squatted position. But before your head could make contact with the floor, he stopped the movement with his palm placed on your forehead.
You had fallen deeply on top of him.
Soon his legs gave up too, afraid to move too much but not enough to sit appropriately. He relaxed to the sound of the quiet hops and your silent snores.
Your lightened face whenever you saw the smallest things were his will to live, to fight for Hyrule.
He liked your nose, the way it would scrunch up whenever you had smelt something you didn't like. He liked your cheeks too, maybe that was the reason he liked to tease you, waiting impatiently for them to turn red.
He loved what your eyes didn't.
He didn't understand much things about the world he was standing on, but on top of all of them, he didn't understand the way you viewed yourself in the mirror.
How could a human being, so gorgerous like you, disregard such beautiful features?
He often found yourself covering your smile when you laughed and was mad he couldn't see your cute teeth. Or whenever you tried to hide your body from other's eyes, he was absolutely clueless why you did so.
"You idiot"
Unfortunately, your sweet voice was wasted away with those nasty words. His head hurt, everything hurt.
He first saw your rosy cheeks and then your glossy eyes and although he felt guilty he had made you cry, he felt more guilty for finding that look on your face absolutely stunning.
His body enveloped itself with pain once again and he asked himself if he had passed out on top of you. Maybe that was the reason your pretty lips were quivering as you looked at him.
Your softness narcotized him back to sleep, but your pained voice kept him from doing so. His head felt warmer than the rest of his body and when he looked around, you were there, holding his head so tenderly he thought he had died right there.
The rest of his body was soaked up by the night grass, your knees touching his left tricep.
He then flashed back to what had happened, your worn out body ready to be squashed by a huge broadsword. But his shield was there to take the hit instead, his heart dropping down to his feet when he saw the blood on your face.
His mind wouldn't stop tormenting him about how he should've been there sooner, he was angry both at you and at himself. How could you risk your life like that?! What if he wasn't there that evening?
He couldn't bring himself into thinking further about that horrible topic, he was happy he had saved you from that stupid lion-looking monster.
"Don't you dare passing away on me again"
He smiled, the most truthful smile you had ever seen on a man's face. His skin was dirtied up, his calloused hands rested almost sinfully on top of the pure grass.
And yet you didn't seem to care about it all.
He could be covered in mud, dirt or whatever he had fallen on that day you were still going to happily hold him in your arms for as long as you both pleased.
Your love for him could break walls, thick tension in the air whenever you hugged him, held his hand.
Your fingers found his cheekbone, pressing his face so it was pressed on your stomach as you let some few bitter drops fall from your eyes.
You were too scared you could've lost him today, die without telling him how much love you had waiting for him with open arms.
Yet it was the most beautiful scenario you could've wished for.
The fear of loss, you weren't going to sit on that grass like you were now ever again.
Even the goddess was jealous of you, the way you lived like it would be your last day breathing, loving.
How you fought, spending your days with the anxiety of nostalgia and the inevitable future.
Your passion, love, living your life at it's fullness.
You then found yourself with your head on his chest, listening to his slowed down heart. It should have calmed you down, but it only made the bubbling sensation inside your guts grow.
Your hands were on fire, veins still pumping furiously thanks to the attack from earlier. But you didn't care, streams of salty water slid down your cheeks, hiccuping on his chest with no reason to.
He was alive, breathing.
However, you didn't seem to stop, the more you thought about him, the more you let yourself fall appart on his chest.
"I'm fine"
His voice was deep, months had passed since the last time you had heard it. His palm soothed your back and that only made your whimpers louder.
You were probably one of the few people he let himself talk freely with, that made your heart shrink hard. But the reason why he couldn't talk with anybody made your heart nearly explode.
He was expected not to feel.
He couldn't let himself slip out a scared gasp, what would Hyrule think about a scared hero?
Let alone crack a smile, Hyrule wouldn't want some dumb, crackhead as a saviour right?
He was so used to it that he barely even talked to you, it would be disrespectful. And, Hylia, how you missed his voice. You would pay a thousand rupees only to get him to talk to you, soothe you with his honeyed tone.
Such a pretty mouth that was wasted away by his strict norms.
"You'll be alright, I swear"
Your puffy eyes looked at his half lidded ones before both of your hands brought his attention to you.
"I'm going to run you a hot bath, you'll be alright"
You continued talking, trying to calm him down but in reality you were trying to soothe your own nerves.
When death took your hand, you would held him with your other one. Promising you would find him in every life time.
Upon watching the end of Tears of the Kingdom, or at least the final battle— when you help all the regions and get all the sages and such, they all come when Ganondorf is about to hit Link with gloom.
And Link looks so ready to take that hit, again, knowing what it did the first time-
Then everyone comes to help him
And he looks so confused, because in any given memory, he is often the one doing the saving- he is the one who has given his life to his knightly duties! So it’s almost like he’s wondering why they’ve come to save him like this?
(He’s never been conscious to witness Zelda ever saving him)
Of course, this also possibly just me being an angst fanatic and enjoying Link and Zelda angst, or any LOZ angst for that matter, but for now take my word for it <3 /nf
One of Link’s almost only allegedly said dialogues ever was in Zelda’s diary in botw, and he said, of all things, that he thinks it is necessary to stay strong, and silently bear any burden. This guy does NOT ask for help nor does he ever expect it-
