Link trudged into the house, dropping his shield and sword against the wall as he went, than plopped down on the bed. He sat there, head in his hands, silent.
"Link, you okay?" Sheik asked, sitting down next to him and placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. He shook his head, still in his hands, lightly in response. She inhaled slowly and let it out, looking around the room and examining its contents before coming to a decision.
"Navi, could we have some privacy please?" Sheik looked up at the blue fairy still circling Link's head slowly.
"Yeah, sure." Navi answered, flying out an open window back to where Impa stood in the rain.
"It's my fault." Link said finally, not moving from his head down position.
"What? No, that's not true Link. It's not your fault at all." Sheik looked over at Link and saw a broken, emotional shell of the man she had fallen in love with.
"Yes it is. I could've saved him, but instead I stood there and watched as that-that monster killed Darunia!" Link shouted, standing and glaring at Sheik who still sat on the bed, avoiding Link's piercing gaze.
"You stood there because you knew there was nothing you could've done!" Sheik cried, her too now on her feet, looking at Link, who had began to cry once again.
"I could've done anything! I-I could've saved him." Link's voice quieted as it was choked with tears and he fell upon the bed, again putting his head in his hands.
"Link, it pains me to say this, but it pains me even more to see you like this. There is nothing you could have or should have done for that matter, to save Darunia." Sheik sat down too and wrapped her arms around Link in an awkward hug. She heard Link inhale sharply at her touch but relax and instead wrap his own arms around Sheik and pull her closer.
"Thank you." He whispered, and planted a firm yet light kiss on Sheik's semi-exposed forehead. They both sat there in each others arms for several seconds in silence before either spoke.
"I guess we should get some sleep." Link said, removing his boots and gauntlets.
"Yeah." Sheik responded, removing the strips of cloth that covered her face and in the process changing her eyes from red to Zelda's sky blue, and letting her blonde hair flow down her back and shoulders. Zelda rose and walked over to her pack, pulling out a purple night gown.
'Should I? No' She thought glancing over her shoulder to see Link's exposed back as he pulled a loose fitting white shirt over his head.
"Link, could you close your eyes and turn around?" She asked, turning fully around to look at him. He stood and looked at her.
"Wh-." He stopped as resolution dawned his face in a grin as he turned around and shut his eyes, placing his hands over his eyelids. As quick as she could manage, Zelda shed her sheikah suit and slipped the sleep wear over her head.
"Okay, you're good." She said, breathing deeply, enjoying the loose fit of the gown. Link turned and grinned before turning back around to poke his head out the window.
"Navi!" Zelda heard him shout into the night, closely followed by him pulling his head back in, a blue glow on his tail.
"Yeah?" Navi asked, fliting back into the room.
"Get yourself some sleep." Link answered, turning back around. Zelda rolled her eyes and climbed into the bed, followed by Link who blew out the candle resting on the night stand, filling the room with black, the only light from Navi.
"I love you." Link whispered, draping a hand over Zelda's side before she drifted to sleep.
