Chapter Text
Link ran to where she fell and stumbled over himself the whole way there. He was desperate for her. He gripped her shoulders feeling the skin squeeze between his fingers lightly, as she laid motionless in the grass. Zelda. She had filled his thoughts for the past two years, writing his memories and leading him in the direction of the Demon King, Ganondorf. As he studied her face he felt tears pricking the corners of his eyes. She was what he was working for, his purpose. “You did so good, thank you Zelda.” His voice was hoarse, Link couldn’t begin to describe what he felt towards her, it was all too much. Link shook her shoulders lightly, “Wake up princess…” he muttered, he missed her dearly, but when he couldn’t rouse her he resigned to letting her wake up naturally. At least she was breathing. Link stood up, bent over, and picked up his princess bridal style. He wanted to take her somewhere safer to recover, maybe to his house in Hateno or maybe Kakariko village. He wondered what Impa would say when she saw her, what she would say to Zelda when she woke up, no he wanted to be the one there when she woke up, by her side as he was always meant to be. He wanted to be the first person she saw, his choice was made. Link tapped the location he wanted to travel to into his Sheikah Slate and disappeared into blue dust.
If the villagers noticed Link carrying a body to his house they didn’t say anything. He fumbled with his door handle struggling to open it while holding Zelda, he managed luckily. Link hurried through the door and up the stairs to his bed where he gingerly set his princess down. He stepped back to admire her, she's finally in front of him after two years of fighting, two years of struggling, and two years of pain. He could feel stinging tears forming again but blinked them back, she couldn’t wake up to that, she needed to see her knight fearless, strong, and a rock she can lean on. Link sighed a tired and ragged sigh, unbuckled his scabbard tossing it to the side hearing it clatter on the floor, and all but threw himself into the chair at his bedside desk. His legs felt like they could fall off, and he was covered in muck from his fight. He was too tired for a bath though, he couldn’t even bring himself to change out of his grimy clothes. Zelda wasn’t much better, she almost looked worse off, her prayer dress was torn and frayed at the bottom and she had grass and mud stains everywhere. Her dress reminded Link of his last memory of pre-calamity Hyrule, how he failed. He was brought back to the dull ache of the blast sight on his chest, he was surprised how the shock of it numbed him that much. He heard the scream that Zelda let out as she gathered him in her arms, and how it was hard for her because of how limp he was. He heard his breath hitch wetly, and felt that her hands were wet with what had to be his blood and he knew he was soiling her dress as well. How repulsive of him to fail his Princess knowing what was at stake and then soil her dress afterwards. Oh how he wished to die at the tip of his own sword instead, at least he would have control of his own fate. Link's breath hitched pulling him back to the surface of consciousness, there were unshed tears in his eyes which he promptly blinked away, he just needed to meditate until the princess woke up.
Link had his eyes closed and on the brink of sleep when she awoke. Her voice roused him like a bell ringing lightly in his ear, “Link…” he inhaled sharply, eyes darting towards her, in an instant he was up and at her bedside, ignoring the screaming in his calves and thighs at his sudden movement. Link could cry at the sight, his princess awake and safe in his bed. “Welcome back Zelda,” was all he could manage before she gripped the front of his tunic and dragged him down into a hug, her fingers dug into his back while she whispered thank you over and over again into his ear. “You’ve saved me, you saved all of Hyrule, Link. Thank you, truly.” She had tears running down her face when she finally let Link have a look at it, they ran trails through the dirt covering her cheeks. “Thank you won’t cut it though, all of Hyrule owes you a debt that none of us could possibly pay off in this lifetime or the next.” Link smiled at her and shook his head “It’s my duty Princess, I swore my life to protect you and all of Hyrule so I was obligated to deliver. Here,” he unhooked himself from her embrace and gently grasped her wrists “Can you stand? You should take a bath, your first in a century.” Zelda nodded and gingerly stood up swaying a bit, Link tightened his grip on her wrists. “It may have been your duty but you still deserve thanks, maybe you could solidify a place in my court as a noble when I rebuild.” Link shook his head again as he led her towards his washroom, “Princess, I’m not leaving your side again, I’ve fought too hard to get you back, and I wouldn't take kindly to being a nobleman.” Link sighed, “I only know how to be a knight, don’t force me into a role that would be unbefitting of a man like me.” Zelda scoffed at him playfully, “You never know, a cushy government job might suit you, plus I want to see you grow old, not die a young death. You're only nineteen and you have a lot of life left in you.” Link wanted to tell her that failures don’t deserve ‘cushy government jobs’, that he should be made to spend his whole life trying to repay his debt to Hyrule, and the Goddess, for giving him a chance to right his wrongs. Instead he simply said, “I’ll think about it Princess.”
When they entered his washroom, Link released Zelda’s wrists and sat on the side of the tub to start her bath. The water flowing out of the faucet was warm and inviting, it made Link wish her bath was for him too, while the tub filled Link gathered a bar of soap and a fresh towel to place on the edge of the tub where he was sitting. “I’ll leave you to get in the bath while I grab you a fresh set of clothes, okay?” Zelda nodded, Link closed the door behind him hesitantly, to give her privacy, not wanting to take his eyes off of her now that he has her back. Link chose a forest green tunic and a pair of his black underclothes to bring her, it was too warm to give her socks to lounge indoors, as he stood up from the clothes drawer under his bed he looked out his window. The sky was fully in twilight, pinks, yellows, oranges, and purples bleeding throughout the sky, giving into dark blues and blacks at the horizon, it felt like even the sky was celebrating his victory against Ganondorf. Link made his way back to the bathroom and knocked on the door, “Come in!” Zelda chirped in response. The sight Link was greeted with when he opened the door was nothing short of goddess made, Zelda was lounging in the tub, the smooth skin of her chest accentuated by the water glistening on her skin. He shouldn’t be seeing this. Her breasts were hidden, barely, by her soapy water. Link was almost overwhelmed by the sight, his knees felt weak. “I have clothes for when you are ready to dry off, I’ll leave them on the sink counter.” He said, his voice came out more gruff than he intended, “Thank you, Link, I’ll be out soon.” She looked up at him through her lashes, causing Link’s stomach to twist in diluted arousal. Link smiled at her and exited the room, closing its door behind him. He then gathered his own clothes and a spare bar of soap from his kitchen sink cabinet and left to the lake behind his home to wash off quickly.
Zelda was sitting on his couch having finished her bath soon after Link came back from the lake, goddess she looked divine in his clothes. Link was perched on the cushion next to her, a respectful distance apart. He was enthralled with the sight of her side profile, this was the same Zelda from his memories, the one who once hated him and then grew to like him, the one who he swore his life to protect, his Princess. She was writing a letter, already at work. Link thought it was too soon for her to be doing anything but relaxing. “Hey,” he started quietly, “at least give yourself a few days to rest. Whatever it is, I can write it for you or it can wait if you prefer but you just defeated the Demon King… let yourself rest Princess.” Link began to reach for the paper, and notebook it was resting on, and Zelda leaned away, “Always a worry wart,” Zelda giggled in a way that made Link’s chest flutter, “I’m writing a letter to Impa that I was going to have you deliver it to her if you’ll allow it, I want her to know that I’m safe. She must know the Demon King is dead so she will be waiting for an update on how I am. And I feel like it would be best for her to receive the news that I’m okay from my own mouth. Or well pen.” Link nodded, “I should take a photo on the Sheikah Slate to show her as well so she truly believes that you're okay. It would calm her nerves to see your face.” Link didn’t know what came over him to suggest that, He supposed he wanted a picture of her for himself as well, as another way to remind himself that she’s real. Zelda smiled at him, “That's a great idea Link! She would love that I’m sure, she's as much of a worry wart as you are!” Link nodded and readied the camera on the slate, Zelda positioned herself to face the camera smiling brightly, and the camera clicked. “Got it, looks good, Impa will like this for sure.” It looked more than good to Link, he was in awe of how beautiful Zelda could be even in just an old tunic and his underwear, but of course he couldn’t say that.
The rest of the evening was spent quietly, Link and Zelda sparsely spoke save for little questions here and there, nothing too deep, safe. Link wasn’t sure if Zelda had any of the same feelings for him that he had for her and he was too scared to ask, too scared to ruin the safety he had just started to enjoy. When it came time to lay down for the night they argued playfully about who would take the bed, Link begging Zelda to take it, and Zelda saying she can’t possibly take it from him seeing as it's his bed and his house. Link won. The morning was much the same, little talking, just peace. Link admired Zelda at the breakfast table, she was the Goddess incarnate, to put it in as few words as possible. He knew she would want to rebuild in the future so he wanted to savor her as ‘Zelda’ before she falls back into the role of ‘Princess’. Link hoped that she would stay away from her duties for as long as possible, he hoped she would stay with him.
Later that day Zelda sent Link on his way to Kakariko to deliver her letter. He was iffy on leaving her by herself, but Zelda reassured him that she could handle herself if the need arose. With that, Link was disappearing into blue dust, teleporting to Kakariko. Link arrived in the village clumsily, stumbling off the landing of the shrine before he found his footing and paraglided to Impa’s house. He landed in front of her stairs and nodded at the guard posted in front, the guard nodded back in silent approval. He walked through her door and up to Impa as she meditated, she rouses from her trance giving Link an expecting look. “Where is she? I know you just defeated Ganon, is she okay, has she woken up yet?” Link handed her a letter, rolling his eyes playfully. “She wrote you a letter that will hopefully answer all of your questions. She wanted to come, but I forbade it so she may rest more, she misses you dearly though and I'm sure she says that in her letter as well.” Link fumbled with the Sheikah Slate, pulling up the photo album. “I have a photo of her to go with it,” Link turned the slate around so Impa could see, “I thought this would help you feel better, until you could see her of course. She will make the trip soon enough I’m sure, she's eager to.” Impa smiled at him, then at the picture “its nice to see a recent picture of her, knowing she's back lifts a heavy weight off my shoulders.” Link was relieved that Impa offered no push back, Zelda needed rest before rebuilding Hyrule, she needed to think as well. What if she decides to forgo rebuilding and instead chooses to make something new, something that's hers, she needed time to go through her options. “Link,” Impa started, a pinched expression on her face, “Have you discussed her plans with her? I know it has only been a day but the villagers in Hateno will start to talk if you two share a house for too long.” Link glowered at her, “They don’t even know who she is, she hasn't made a formal announcement of her identity.” Impa sighed, “She will soon, she must identify herself as Hyrule’s crown princess, sooner rather than later. What then? Where will she go? Unless you plan to ask her hand in marriage, which is unwise, she cannot live with you forever. So, have you two discussed her plans?” Link grit his teeth, she cannot seriously think he wanted to have this conversation right now. “No we have not, when the Princess is ready we will discuss it, but right now she is resting.” Impa blinked at him, but all she offered was a simple ‘okay’. Link took that as his cue to leave, disappearing into blue dust once again.
Link sat outside for a while before going back inside to face Zelda. How was he to tell her that his conversation with Impa went sour, more over how was he to tell her the reason it went sour? ‘Oh yeah I can't fathom ever leaving your side again’ right and then she will take his hand in marriage right then in that living room. Link couldn’t believe this was the situation he was in right now, from what he could remember of pre-calamity, hearing of Zelda's royal duties didn’t make him feel like this. Now the thought of her moving out, or Goddess forbid getting married off for ‘Hyrule’s greater good’ was like a gut punch. What a knight he was, yearning for the one person he is destined to not have, the myths never spoke of how the hero got to grow old with the Princess. He had to take what he could get, but Goddess, it might kill him. Link eventually worked up the nerve to face his Princess, choosing to knock on the door, giving her time to ready herself.
When she let him in, the smile she gave him made his mouth go dry, he hoped she didn't notice how dry his voice sounded when he greeted her. “So, did she like my letter? I hope she also liked the picture. I smiled sincerely for her, unlike my smile for the royal portraits my father had commissioned.” Link swallowed, “She was appreciative of both the photo and the letter but was rather pushy in her insistence of having us discuss Hyrule’s future.” That's all she needs to know about the conversation. Zelda pursed her lips, “Of course she's focused on that right now. It makes sense I suppose. She has spent her whole life at this point worried for Hyrule, she’s probably ready to pass on the torch. However, that doesn’t give her the right to pressure my knight over it. I will discuss it when I am ready, which I’m sure you told her.” Link nodded, reveling in the fact she said 'my knight'. “I did, she’s being a bit impatient at the moment but she understands that you need your time. I explained that much at least.” Zelda still has her lips pursed when she says, “Did she say anything about our living arrangement, I can only imagine that if she was being pushy she would have something to say about that.” Yes. “No, nothing yet,” Link answered, a lie of course, and Zelda nodded. “I hope she doesn’t start on that so soon, where else am I going to go anyway?” Kakariko. Link bit his tongue, he won't even put the thought in the princess’ head. “I suppose I would go to Kakariko,” Link held his breath, “but then I would be across Hyrule from you and while you aren't obligated to protect me anymore you have chosen to in spite of that, so how are you expected to protect me from that distance?” Link started breathing again and smiled to himself, because that may have been a valid argument had he not had the Sheikah Slate, maybe the princess was bullshitting to keep them together, or maybe she had a lapse of memory, but he chose to believe the former. Maybe Impa would buy the excuse as well, that does open up the possibility of both of them living in the village, and Link supposed that was better than complete separation. Link thought again about how he should be counting his blessings that they are not separated in any way other than by rules.
After a while of small talk mostly from Zelda, Link started working on their dinner that night. Zelda offered to help but Link declined, he knew she could cook, but preferred to cook alone. It was akin to a hobby of his, he did it out of enjoyment, and as an excuse to impress her with his newly acquired skills. He made a salmon risotto with some salmon that he had caught in the rivers outside of Hateno while he was avoiding the Impa discussion with her. He served it in a bowl for her and brought it to her on the couch, “Oh Link it smells wonderful, I haven’t had food like this in so long.” He thanked her for the compliment and thought he could have been floating with how lightheaded he felt, her praise did more for him than she knew. Oh Goddess he's a pervert. When Link was turned with his back towards Zelda, he made a pinched face and silently cursed himself, he cannot be like this. Goddess help him.
That night Link chose to bathe outdoors again. He wanted privacy, as stupid as he felt telling her that, knowing how his thoughts were at the moment. He wondered if Zelda too thought that sounded foolish. As Link undressed he wondered if Zelda wished they could share a bath, because he was almost driven mad at the thought of it. Link looked down at himself and it was deplorable how aroused he was from that, he was straining against his underclothes. Link ran his hands down his face out of exacerbation. he stopped for a moment, then started to run his hands down his chest, then abdomen, all while looking down at himself. He imagined instead of his calloused palms, they were Zelda's soft hands. His left hand moved to palm his throbbing cock through the fabric, hoping to relieve the deep ache that settled under his stomach. He felt how wet he was from the way he leaked through his underclothes. What a mess it was. He watched himself move his hand away and saw the way a strand of his pre stretched across the space between his clothed dick and his fingers. He wondered, if Zelda had seen that, would she think it was revolting how turned on he was or would she think it's arousing. If she liked it she might even tell him that he was doing good, or that he looked pretty like that. Link covers his mouth to muffle a whimper, and shoves his hand down his shorts, gripping himself and gently stroking, mainly focusing on the base of it. His knees buckled and he waw brought down to the ground with how good he felt. He started making longer strokes more towards the head of his cock, and he caught himself falling again with the hand covering his mouth, suddenly he was groaning out loud. He was pathetic. He realized what he must have looked like to an outsider and didn’t let himself finish, too disgusted with himself. Link let out a shuddering sigh, almost on the brink of tears. How could he have these thoughts about his Princess, it was execution worthy if he was being honest. He sat for a while staring at nothing, then he stood back up, finished undressing himself and pretended nothing happened, cock fully soft now. His chest felt heavy and his throat was closing as he walked towards the lake, hoping the water was painfully cold.