#sr!link

[yourlocaltreesimp]

Somethin’ Stupid

It’s been a while since i’ve written anything for the Sacred Realm, but here’s something for my wife, @trippygalaxy. <3 Worlds content because she’s a simp

Cw: minor/light gore

☆⋆｡𖦹°‧★

The majority of the spirits within the Realm were quite similar. Equally as chivalrous and heroic as the last. They lived up to their titles, to their reputations and tales.

They were all Links.

They were all the Hero of Hyrule.

All except for Worlds.

Now, that’s not to say those labels didn’t fit him exactly— because they did. He was a hero, he was a Link, he did save Hyrule. But to the same effect, he also wasn’t purely just a hero. He wasn’t just Link and he didn’t just save Hyrule.

He was so much beyond what he was made out to be.

Which was why it was so frustrating when he still wasn’t enough.

Time and time again he’d save people, slay the bad guy, relinquish evil only to be called upon again. His hands never left his sword and his mind never left the battlefield. He was a Hero, through and through.

Even if it meant he’d never be seen for what he could be if he’d just be laid to rest.

He was tired of falling short, too.

Tired of watching people and things he loves slip past his fingertips in the name of ‘Heroism’.

Time got to fall in love, despite his sourness.

Twilight had a wife and child, a whole life outside of purging darkness from Hyrule.

Wild got to enjoy his life in somewhat solitude, wandering around his Hyrule and working on his tech.

Even the newest Link got to keep some part of himself alive and whole.

So why couldn’t he just have someone something.

Sky thought it was because he wouldn’t let himself. That despite the many times hope has been ripped from his hands, it’s not Hylia that’s made him let go. Maybe it’s just that he stopped holding on. That he let go. That he made himself move on.

He wouldn’t let Sky be right.

Not this time, at least.

Not while you lay bloodied beyond recognition.

Not while malice chews at your flesh, and leeches off your life.

You were too good. To him, To the world.

There aren’t many people who would thank him so sweetly for things he did. There are fewer then who would throw themselves under the wide arch of a sword to keep him safe, even if he can’t be harmed in this state.

He was real to you.

Living and breathing beyond just being the spirit of a hero, he was real to you.

He knew you were too good to slip past him, to leave him with that sickening feeling in his gut at what he should’ve done. What he should’ve said.

He wouldn’t let himself lose you.

He couldn’t.

☆⋆｡𖦹°‧★

And He didn’t.

Many potions and fairies later, you were stable. Drowsy as you were, your lungs drew breath and your heart limped along. You were weak, but it didn’t matter.

Awkwardly, he stood by your cot, staring down at you with a mix of thought and feeling running through his mind. Sorrow, anxiety and that odd feeling of anticipation you stirred in his gut.

He didn’t quite understand it— you. Your motives were foggy in his mind, your actions lacking any motivation he thought compelling enough to risk your own life. He didn’t understand the guilt he felt. He felt bad, of course. You were injured and he was the only one to blame. That he understood well and clear. But it was the heavy feeling, looking down at you now as your body struggles to work that he feels like he doesn’t know what he’s doing.

He’s scared.

“Enjoying the view?” You croak, sitting up and downing the glass of water set at your bedside. The amusement in your eyes has his heart running so familiarly.

“I didn’t know you could get more gross.” He rolls his eyes, shoving back the apologies as they claw in his throat. Slightly, he winces at the hostility in his tone. He never was good at letting himself be, was he? “But here you are”

“Oh that’s right, I forgot spirits can’t see their reflection” Your voice is light, as if genuinely recalling some lost fact. A light smile pulls at your lips, emphasising the teasing in your tone.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” He squinted.

“Nothing” You shrugged him off. The room is quiet. Somewhere he can make out Link shuffling about, but the Inn is still aside from that. Dust dances in the last few beams of sunlight, and he mourns how long it’s been since he’s been able to recall such detail.

You tend to do that to him though.

“Y’know” He starts, picking at his cuticles “You should really give more warning before you do something dumb like that.” He pauses to look at you as you huff.

“Look, I’m fine-“ You start, throwing your hands up defensively.

“You almost weren’t” His voice is sharp, silencing any argument you might’ve brought, “You were in a horrible state. And I’m not quite sure if you haven’t realised, but you don’t get a second chance.” His voice begins to pick up his panic, quickening as he remembers just how much he’s lost to be here.

Things he wants you to never go through.

“You do something stupid like that and don’t stop to even consider what might happen. What you might be leaving behind. And I can’t always be there to hold you back. I can’t always be there to make sure you’re safe.” He sees the doubt in your eyes. The pleading argument that you’ll be ok. That he’s worrying too much. That he can let you go.

But for the life of him, dead as it may be, He doesn’t care.

“I know you’re capable. I know you’re strong. But you won’t always be strong enough. You won’t always make it out fine. And We-“ His throat seizes, and he lets himself just be vulnerable.

“I need you alive.” His eyes search your own for any response, any answers. Your pursed lips don’t move to form words, and he’s ready to just consider it a loss.

“So maybe let’s stop with the dumb choices, o-“ He doesn’t even get to finish his sarcastic remark before you tug him by the collar to your lips. Between every journey through hell and back, there’s never been more relief than in this moment. Your lips are cracked and bloodied, but sweet nonetheless.

“Only if you stop it with the sarcasm” you mutter against his lips.

“Oh, well then we’re both at a loss” He rolls his eyes, pulling you closer again.

[yourlocaltreesimp]

“On the Rag”

Synopsis: Sr!Link is utterly clueless of what to do when you come down with a mysterious and sudden infliction which causes you great, unending pain… it’s just your period.

Tags: GN!Reader, no pre-established relationship, idiots in love

@trippygalaxy

☆⋆｡𖦹°‧★

Quite honestly, Link was worried. Of course, his journey was stressful, with the fate of hyrule on his shoulders and as the Dark Knight had kidnapped Zelda. But that wasn’t the current cause of his pacing. Those were all fixable, identifiable issues.

High orders for him to complete, yes, but he at least had some general idea of where to start.

Your recent sickness, however, was not something he knew how to fix.

Monsters could be fought, dungeons could be solved, quests could be completed, but there was no immediate fix-it to your health, especially when you were so insistent that you were “fine.” When that clearly wasn’t the case. Your eyes were tired and loopy, you winced even as you stood or sat still, he even found several discarded bloody rags.

Hylia help him, if the monsters didn’t kill him, you would first.

He’s beside himself, his boots making consistent thumps as he walks in loops, trying to dispel worry from his gut.

“What’s got you all wound up” Wind stood in his path, the sound and light that’d usually come from the medallion not catching his attention, too busy spiralling. He looks around to find the lobby (or at least the small side room he’d begun his breakdown in) blessedly empty with no one to see or hear him be spooked by ghosts of heroes past.

“It’s-“ He begins to talk, only to be interrupted.

“His Lover is sick.” Worlds leaned over his shoulder, countering from all the weight being in his heels. Afterall, he was still leaning back after being spooked.

“They’re not my-“ He’s now doubly mortified. Not only were you in possibly grave dangers he can’t prevent, the group had all got the wrong impression. Good goddesses themselves-

“Oh please” Time huffed, unamused with the musings of his descendants, “With their stubbornness they’ll die, sooner than recover” Link felt the blood drain from his face. Any previous blush left him. Cold. He couldn’t actually lose you, right?

“Awe stop it” Sky managed to shove the others off of him, fussing over Link as though he were a mother cucco. That is, to say, frightening to every other hero.

“Everything will be alright, you hear me?” Still, he felt as if something wasn’t quite right about the whole situation. There was something he was missing. If only you would talk to him.

“What will be alright?” Wild arrived after all his brothers, curious to see what the fuss was about if the rest of them couldn’t fix it.

“It’s just-“ Link could feel the concern and worry break him “I don’t know if they’ll be ok, and they won’t talk to me and I can’t fix it and I know they’re in pain-“ He shudders when he breathes, more than a little embarrassed.

“Hey hey, tell us exactly what the issues are. I’m sure one of us will have an answer!” A chorus of ‘Yeah!’s ensued and it felt as if maybe it will be ok.

“Well- They’ve spent a lot of time resting, still look really tired though… and they wince a lot, even if they aren’t moving. Like something sharp” The others nod along, following the symptoms as Link explains.

“And I've found a few bloodied rags. If it was any extreme wound, a red potion would work, and yet they refuse to take them. As if it wouldn’t work” He looks upon his mentors to find them equally as puzzled as him.

“And their mood- it’s as if they’ve been cursed! They wept like there’s nothing to live for when we met the stable dog when arriving. And they lash out as if i mean harm-“ That does get a few pitiful stares from Sky particularly.

Everyone oohs and aahs over the strange set of symptoms and behaviors. They murmur quietly about poisons, curses, hexes and the like.

“Are y’all jus’ that naive?” A very concerned, slightly exasperated, looking Rancher looks over all the heroes.

“What? You know what it is smart guy?” Worlds raises a single eyebrow in judgement.

“Their period?” He pauses, looking at the group who now resemble a parliament of owls.

“Y’know, ‘on the rag’ ‘shark week?’” He offered, expecting more of a response. There were mumbled ‘Oh’s and nods of acceptance. Twilight couldn’t stop himself from laughing at the absurdity of them debating whether you’d been cursed, meanwhile your body is just doing as it’s supposed to.

“Don’t worry, kiddo. That sweetheart a’ yers will be jus’ fine” The blood returns to Link’s cheeks, flushing them a healthy red.

“Naw go on, i’m sure a hot water bottle and some comfort wouldn’t do em’ any harm”

“And you’re sure that’s what this is?”

“Positive.”

Roughly a half hour later, Link found himself outside your room at the Inn. His arms were full; a hot water bottle he’d gotten from Twi, some chocolates from Wild and a cup of tea Sky said would help with healing.

“Hey, can I come in?” He called weakly, fine to leave the gifts outside if you weren’t up to socialising.

“Mhm” Your equally soft voice called from the other side of the door, drowsy and pained.

“I have some gifts… to uh- help you feel a little better” His smile was as boyish and crooked as always. He always felt a little giddy around you. Like that uninhibited joy from his childhood could worm back into his life, no matter how hellish it got. He set down the tea and the chocolates in favour of helping you sit up.

Now that he knew he had nothing to worry about and you weren’t dying imminently, he managed to find your tousled hair and sleepy smile endearing. He padded your back with pillows and made sure there was a layer or two between your skin and the bottle so there wouldn't be any burns.

“Is that any better?” In all honesty, he was at your beck and call. You could ask him to seek healing from the hottest spring in the depth of hebra and he’d set out without hesitation. He chuckles as you respond in a pleased hum, eyes closed as you’re relieved of some pain. He feels himself settle in his feet. Sure. Calm.

“I have some tea here too, and chocolates. I won’t be offended if you don’t want them. I mean I just heard that the hel-

A finger is haphazardly pressed to his lips.

“Shh.” You demand, and his protests die in his throat.

You pat the spot next to you expectantly, looking back at where he stands, frozen, as if upset he hadn’t moved yet. He sat awkwardly on the bed beside you as you silently shuffled about pillows. He was about to fuss that your back would be sore without padding before you flopped back into the bed and dragged him with you. A noise of surprise leaves him as you decide that you, indeed, wish to be horizontal. He takes a few deep breaths, letting himself settle in the moment and except cuddling with you for a little bit.

For the pain of course.

As friends.

(Bonus: From inside the Medallion, the Twili King had a decent enough understanding of what had transpired. The newest, and perhaps emotionally densest, hero has finally been able to shove it all aside in exchange for some intimacy. It’s so odd. He remembers being so scared to talk to Midna when they were courting, but it all worked out in the end. He’s sure Link will get his happy ending too)

((bonus bonus: Twi has an aneurism upon the discovery that the cuddle session was only seen as “platonic” by the clearly lovestruck idiots))

[yourlocaltreesimp]

Whatever you make of me

some word vomit i came up with. Special dedication to @trippygalaxy! Enjoy your SR!Link. Not proofread, im going to bed, this took hours

Tw: Kidnapping, mention of murder

｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.

You’d always known Link to be kind. From the earliest days of your childhood you’d known him to be the definition of kind. He’d run errands for his grandfather, look after injured animals and even stood up to your childhood bullies on a few occasions. Point of the matter was, Link was a good willed person. Someone you could trust, and have on many occasions, with your life. Someone you would spend time, and currently are, walking to the edges of the world to ensure his safety.

He’s changed on some levels, sure, but he’s proven he’s still Link. He’s grown to be taller than you now, he’s let his hair get longer, he no longer trusts people with the same open heart, but you can tell that ultimately he’s the same person. He never pushed past your boundaries, he still lets you braid his hair, he still regards you with the same crooked smile as always. He’s just Link.

You were worried first upon seeing the Realm, it’s softly glowing gem off putting. There was something new about the scruffy farm boy you grew up with that you couldn’t place. Something aside from the obvious. There was more about him than there always was, something you couldn’t help but feel apprehensive about. You felt as if the era you knew him was coming to a close, as if watching him leave for his adventure was seeing him out of your life. So against better judgement, you followed after him.

It’s been months since then, though it didn’t really feel like it. You learned a lot since as well. Swords didn’t feel unfamiliar in your hands, you learned the basics of healing and even met a few spirits. Learning to fight was the hardest of the three, surprisingly. Between having the spirits of heroes since passed trying their hardest to pretend you’re capable of fighting alongside Link and the man himself making your heart rate double whenever he’s within a two metre range of you, learning how to sword fight was difficult. And yet you learned. You learned how to manage the weight of the sword and your body, you learned when to swing and when to dodge, you learned responsibility and respect for your blade. You learned to fight.

You also had to learn collateral for after the fight. What herbs numb, which others will actually heal. You were reckless on your own when you didn’t know how to use your blade, but Link did and somehow managed twice the bruising. But it allowed a methodical chore that bought you some time alone when it was needed. You’d take your journal of herbs and head off into the treeline, throwing an explanation to Link over your shoulder. And that’d be it. And you’d usually return an hour or so later, flowers and herbs in hand. And usually Wild and you would joke and share stories as you prepped the herbs into elixirs.

But the longer you struggled against the rope blinding you to the pillar, the more you realised that may not be the case. You may not make it back to Link. You may not see your village again.

Link has always known you to be courageous. Despite himself being the literal hero of courage, he often found himself looking toward you. From the earliest days of your childhood, he can recall the never dying fire within you. That determination to fight in whatever you’d set your mind toward, you had a grit to you that he found admirable. Alluring, even.

He’s aware now more so than ever that there are people who’d fight to take your place at his side. People who’d give up every bit of themselves to be with him. But seeing you grow around your own will of betterment made him realise how unique you really were. He really didn’t have anyone as much as he had you. Or, At least, He didn’t want to have anyone else as much as he wanted to have you. You were the one to see past the circumstances that shifted him of kilter, and yet you accepted the whole for what it was. You changed to adapt and yet stayed much the same.

He admits that while the both of you could’ve done anything and spent your time with anyone else, he’s glad he got to live with you. It was privilege, or perhaps payment for the life he was given. In any case, it’s not like he’d ever admit it wholly.

Maybe some small part of his heart could understand it of himself, but it’d never be something he’d speak out into the world. He wouldn’t dare so much as write such vulnerability into existence. It was something for years he’s wrestled down, a hunger he’s learned to manage. He’d never force himself upon your side, he’d come at your every beck and call, but he’d never even dream of being the source of your discomfort. He only wished to bring you the love you brought upon him. Such a feeling he told himself he could not acknowledge. Such a feeling that could drive a man to madness if they were not careful. Such a feeling would to him if he were not careful.

It had been hours since you’d told him you were leaving to forage, and with not much more aside from your scream, you were gone.

He could feel him pushing at himself, pushing for him to find you, to help you. And yet he was effectively helpless. It took him nearly a week to track down the solitary fort you were presumed to be in -of course that was always presuming that they hadn’t moved your location since then and that you were still alive.

His sword felt oddly light in his hands as he trekked through the entry to the fort. His memories from there are hazed, mixed and muddled together until he can’t make much sense of them. Such a thing tends to happen when he taps into too much of the realm’s power. He embraces his soul, it guides him through the movements, cutting down body after body with little genuine regard for the consequences. All he cares about is getting to you, making sure that you were safe as he should have been able to ensure. He failed in keeping you safe once, but you would be again by the end of the night.

Seeing your slumped body tied to the support pillar was a mixed sight. He was endlessly relieved that you were alive, sure. But if there was so much as a single scratch on your skin, he could not guarantee the lives of anyone in the building. It was as if, at that moment, there was no filter to him. There was no better judgement telling him to stop as he cut you free from your bindings. There was no second guessing as he stole the breath from your lips with his own. He drank you in after so long of being starved by your absence. There really wasn’t any replacing you, the sentiment was incorrect down to the principle.

Seeing Link again, there was something different. Not odd or bad, just something about him that you couldn’t place. The blood was the most glaring, you’d have to double check him for injuries when you both were out of here.

Rather, it was his behaviour that struck you as off. He fell to his knees and desperately cut you free of the rope, hardly giving you a moment to process before he kissed you. It was uncoordinated and a little messy, but it was made up for in giddy enthusiasm.

He pulled back, his eyes glowing -no short of the word- as they searched you over. They fixated on your rope burns before he pressed tender kisses there too and lifted you up bridal style, not so much as a murmur passed between the two of you. There was something off about Link, but you suppose nothing really changed.

[yourlocaltreesimp]

A piece of home

more SR!Link content. Based on the drawing from @trippygalaxy

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Admittedly, Link was swooning. It was a poorly kept secret that anyone with a pair of eyes could see, even those who’d long since passed. All save for you. He’d look at you like you were the only good thing to grace this earth and wrote about you like the poets write of the sun. You gave him life, nourished him and brought him out of dark days. And even then, just as the sun’s light reflects off the moon to help travelers, you guide him through his dark days. He’d grown quite used to showering you with his small affections, knowing you had no idea there was more behind each intertwined finger. He’d grown used to your look of awe when he presented you with a gift, and the exact words you’d say when he completed a small favour for you. The hems of your clothes stitched and embroidered, your weapons sharpened and polished, restocking on medical supplies, the list went on. He’d grown so used to you —your habits— that he knew you better than most people knew their own spouses. But you subverted his expectations, by even taking this trip with him but you kept on doing it.

Earlier, while you were in battle, the chain holding on your cherished ring snapped. You were utterly heartbroken when you couldn’t find it amidst the bloody mud. With some dinner, extra blankets and gentle comforting, you managed to sleep. And so, he stood, rolled up his sleeves, and proceeded to spend the guts of two hours searching for the ring. It was muddy of course, the dirt caked into the grooves of the ring, covering its lustrous shine. But with a cleverly disguised trio to the jeweller to get a new, stronger chain and enough time polishing, the ring was in pristine condition. He made his way back to your small camp with a warmth in his heart that he’d long since decided was for you and you only.

“Hey Link- You look worn, are you alright?” Your eyebrows furrowed slightly in concern, lips pursing.

“I’m alright, Just a little tired, that’s all.” Of course he was tired, he’d spent hours on his hands and knees searching for a ring embedded in mud, ran around looking for a new chain and polished the two of them.

“Don’t worry, I've got some dinner cooking, you can go take a nap and I'll get you when it’s ready” Goddess high above, this is why he loved you. This is why he endured endless teasing by his predecessors. You were endlessly considerate and gentle in a world that felt so unfamiliar. He’d grown up in Hyrule all his life and yet it feels so foreign. He feels bad that you followed him headfirst into destiny, but the warmth of something he knows beats out any guilt.

“Actually, I have something for you” He could hardly contain the smile from working its way into his face.

“Oh?” He presented you with a tiny box, the ring perfectly polished and illuminated by the fire, looped through a sturdy chain of matching metal. You were left without words, cradling the gift as if he’d handed you a star out of the sky. “How did you?-“

“I went back to look for it” He knew what it meant to you, the small sliver of home you carried with you, and he knew what he meant to lose it. Your eyes were lined with silver tears, arms wrapping around his torso tightly. You pulled back and pressed a soft kiss to his forehead, long and yearning. He thought he knew you well enough to guess your reaction, but you were throwing his heart for a loop. You touched your forehead to his and looked bashfully through your lashes. “Thank you, Link”

And suddenly, he was nowhere near as tired

[yourlocaltreesimp]

just a psa

[yourlocaltreesimp]

For the lovely @trippygalaxy for getting me into the sacred realm comic. Took me forever to pull some ideas, and now i have this. I hope you lot enjoy!

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

Stories of the soul

It was often that Link was enamoured with the stories of the old heroes. Sure, when he was little he’d always sat with bated breath, listening to the theatre that would visit the village as a rest stop tell the hero’s story each year, but now that he knows those heroes, it’s a different story. It’s sweet to hear Sky’s story and know how fitting it was, and how heartbreaking it was to find out just how much his mentor had sacrificed. It was humorous to hear Time’s mistakes and fear of cuccos, but intriguing to learn why the grump was so grumpy. Interesting to look back on those stories in a new light.

The village he’d stopped in while traveling was bustling, people hanging floral arrangements and garlands being hung. It’d been a while since he’d seen a festival, or acknowledged one since he began to travel. What harm could a small break do? He wandered aimlessly around the small hamlet, scanning stalls and chatting with the locals. But eventually he tired of the loud noises, and searched for respite. Not wishing to retire to the Inn, He layed his stuff out in one of the overgrown fields surrounding the village. The grass was soft as he let himself rest, the wind carrying the pollen from the wildflowers and the voice of someone speaking in the field. He propped himself up to see you on the other side of the field, book in one hand, gesturing wildly with the other. As quietly as his clumsy feet could allow, he snuck across the thick grasses and sat in a patch of tall grass.

He’s not sure how long he sat watching, entranced in your voice as you recounted the hero of the sky’s story with such melodrama that he was hooked. The way your voice curled around each word and eyes dashed over the summer used tale, reciting large portions of it from total memory. He could not fight the smile that stretched his face as you recounted his duels with girahim, your voice changing to mimic each insult he said. Your eyes flicked to the page but paused, meeting his own through the thick grass. His heart couldn’t decide if it should run away or run to you. His cheeks were warm as your lips quirked up in the corners and you continued on in confidence, now performing with him as your audience. You’d truly bewitched him. He’d sat until the sun dipped below the horizon on the stars poked through the sky, and yet his eyes remained trained on your fluid movements and he could not focus on anything besides your voice. But then you stopped after describing a duel in which the Hero had narrowly escaped alive, much less gained victory. He stood, despite his fear relating to people.

“Well? What happened next?” He’s sure that whatever look he had right now did not exude power and confidence, but his focus was on hearing your voice and soaking in your presence. Your grin was tight and you looked him up and down, he felt the blood rush to his cheeks.

“I’m performing tomorrow” You looked at him coyly through your lashes, swinging a bag over your shoulder. “You should come. If you’re lucky we could get a few drinks after” He was rendered entirely speechless as you turned and left. He made no move to stop you nor any move to tell you he’d be going. You knew he was going to show up, regardless of whether he told you.