Free to Love - A Zelda x Link Fanfiction

XXI: Cold Relations

Zelda's Perspective:

The golden sunlight burned my eyelids, forcing me to roll over and attempt to block out the light with my hair. I lay still for a moment, focusing my thoughts one by one on where I was. I had noticed I sometimes felt confused when I woke up, probably because I was so used to waking up at the castle.

Hammock. I was in a hammock, not my bed. The pieces of the past days because to play out slowly in my mind. Adventure. Yiga. Village. Tree. Kiss. I reminisced about the kiss as I realized it wasn't a dream, but a real event. So, what now?

It was then that I realized it was weirdly quiet. I'd expect for Link to shake me awake, or at least greet me. I sat up abruptly, my hair swinging in front of my face at the sudden movement, light stinging my eyes until I could make out the empty hammock next to. Link was nowhere to be found, but there was a small package in his bed.

I climbed over carefully, making sure not to slip this time, until I was sharing Link's hammock with it. I unrolled the paper covering it carefully, unrolling the contents. Breakfast! I smiled, pawing through the bag.

Cheese, bread, and a canteen of water. Rather mundane. The bread felt stale in my hand, not that I minded. I considered that I probably looked ridiculous, pawing through a paper bag like an infant that had just received a gift while I slowly ate my stale bread and cheese. I dismissed the idea, chuckling to myself, tearing off a small chunk of cheese.

Where was Link? I doubted he was in danger. Besides the fact that he knew how to defend himself, his supplies were gone. All of the materials we had carried up last night, the bags of supplies, the extra rope, the weapons had been packed away, with the exception of the hammocks. Additionally, if he was in danger, I doubted he would have had the consideration to pack me a breakfast.

It felt awkward not having him next to me. Perhaps it was pathetic of me, but I was wary of the wild, considering I didn't know what I was doing. Link acted as not only a protector, but as an assurance, a friend. I uneasily tore at the crust of the loaf, crust sticking under my fingernails stubbornly, before finally stuffing the rest in the bag and beginning the way down.

It was nerve-wracking climbing down, especially considering I didn't have any help, but I started slow and let my instincts take over. It was painful work but I ended up at the bottom of the tree after what felt like an eternity of precarious climbing.

"Hello."

I whirled, the voice catching me by surprise. I put a hand to my chest, chuckling nervously. Link's eyes briefly focused on the movement before returning to the Master Sword and the imaginary opponent he was fighting.

"Oh!" I laughed. "Hi, you worried me. You weren't with me in the morning so..." I shrugged, an embarrassed blush crawling across my face. The words felt hopelessly romantic despite the fact that I had no intention of sounding like that.

"I'm fine."

"... I can see that," I responded, crossing my arms. He barely noticed the movement, the smallest indication being a careful step backwards as he poisoned his sword, moving it back and forth with a lethal gracefulness. "How was your rest?" I added awkwardly.

He shrugged, refusing to look at me. He barely paused his sword practice when he did, only lowering the weapon for a slight moment to make the gesture. "You?"

I paused. "Fine." I waited for a moment, hoping he would break the silence, but our relationship didn't feel the same. It had taken one hell of a twist last night but this felt like the opposite. Unless I was remembering wrong?

Maybe he didn't feel the way I did last night. But then again... He didn't pull away. So what had changed from the desire-driven man that had pushed me to a tree and kissed me under a dimming sun?

Link's eyes pulled away from the imaginary foe as he slowly sheathed his sword, eyes turning towards the ground.

"We should go."

(I'm updating every Saturday from now on, so now you have a date to look forward to instead of random uploads!)