Hero by Heart

Chapter 18

Link gathered all the courage he had and took a deep breath. Why was it so difficult to just tell her? He had been staring at her for way too long, unable to form the words.
Zelda's frown grew deeper and deeper. She looked genuinely worried.
He sucked in another breath. He had to man up and do it. She didn't deserve this.
Just as she opened her mouth to say something, he decided to simply start talking, even if it was not the real point he was trying to make. 'I just want to say again how truly sorry I am,' he started, looking her straight in the eyes to show her how much he meant it. 'I haven't acted like the knight I am, or the friend I should be. I am so deeply sorry, Zelda.'
She looked at him for a moment, then slowly inclined her head. 'I know that. Thank you.' She let out a soft sigh. 'I might need a little time, but I know I will forgive you.'
     Link nodded stiffly, unable to take it as a win. He wasn't done yet. 'I talked with Sidon last night. He helped me see a few things differently.' He shuffled his feet a bit and clasped his hands around his arms, trying to keep his courage together. 'He offered me more perspective on the situation.'
Zelda raised her eyebrows, but to Link's relief she allowed him to gather his thoughts without interruption.
'I realize now that the past is not so important that I should let it change the present. What it's all about is this time, right now, and the future. So it really doesn't matter all that much that I have no complete memory of my past. I have already made new memories and I can make more. I will make more.' Link looked up at Zelda, who was staring at him with rapt attention. 'I let my memories control me for too long. I freaked out because of it. I will not let that happen again. From now on I will trust my instincts.'
Zelda finally cracked a small smile at him, nodding along. 'That's great, Link. You deserve that.'
Link nodded, but averted his eyes. He needed to say the next thing, or he would lose all the courage he had. 'I want you to know,' he started, pausing to take a deep breath and steady himself. 'I deeply regret what I did that day in Hateno. You didn't deserve to be treated like that. I freaked out by what I was feeling and pushed you away because of it.'
Zelda hugged herself, but smiled reassuringly. 'It's okay, Link. I understand now. Don't beat yourself up so much.'
Link shook his head, frustrated with himself. He still hadn't managed to get to the heart of the matter. 'You don't get it. It's not just the fact that I hurt you. It's that I didn't listen to my heart. My brain was so clouded that I couldn't understand any of it, but through it all there was one thing that I did feel clearly, and I messed that up.' He wrung his hands, willing himself to go on. 'In all my confusion about my memories I ignored the fact that it didn't matter, because in this time, now that we are both free, I know that I really wanted it.' He finally glanced up at her. 'I wanted to kiss you, Zelda.'
She stared at him, her eyes opened wide. Then she slowly shook her head. 'But...' She frowned.
He started to reach out, but as his courage failed him he plucked at his boot instead. 'I know I messed it up. I worried too much about our past to let myself truly feel it, but I won't do that anymore.' He tried to show her all the sincerity he could with his eyes. 'My life is now all about the present and future and how I have control over that. So I am sorry that I did not focus on that earlier. I would have known that no matter what happened in our past, I still have feelings for you right now.'
The silence dragged on. He could see the conflict in her eyes. It must be difficult for her. She still hadn't fully forgiven him and here he was throwing her a sudden confession that she must not have been expecting in the slightest.
'I'm sorry, Zelda,' he finally said, unable to take the silence any longer. 'For everything.' He sighed. 'But maybe there was one upside in all of this. I know now what I want and I truly hope that you still feel the same.' He looked down at his hands, afraid of what her answer would be.
Zelda's eyes lingered on him a little longer, her gaze seeming to burn him where he sat. Finally she folded her hands in her lap and lowered her head. 'It's a little surprising, I must admit. I thought I had driven you away, creeped you out. I believed you did not feel the same about us anymore. I felt awful for ruining what could have become a great friendship.' She looked back up at him, a shimmer of tears glistening in her eyes, illuminated by the firelight. 'I told myself to forget about you. That I should move on and focus on me. I couldn't bear the thought of always having you by my side, but not in the way I'd like. I have tried so hard to move on.'
Link looked down in shame. He was too late. He had messed up and waited too long to tell her the truth. He tried to push away the aching that started to consume him and nodded.
'But I couldn't,' Zelda whispered.
Link's head shot up. He wondered whether he had heard her right. Hope sparked in his chest, despite his efforts to snuff it out.
Zelda smiled weakly. 'I can't forget about you, Link. I like you too damn much.'
     Those words were enough to make him break out in a grin that threatened to split his face. His heart was hammering in his chest now. 'Really?' He asked breathlessly.
     'Really.' Zelda nodded, chuckling awkwardly. Her eyes were blazing as they rested on him. 'I just can't stop thinking about you. I want to be near you. I want to know what you're thinking, how you're feeling. I want to look at you and listen to you talk or laugh or even breathe. And I want to touch you.' She blushed, visible even in the dim light. 'All the time.'
Link's mouth went dry. He didn't know what to do. Those words were everything he could have hoped for. Better even, since he never would have come up with them.
'Is that really what you feel too?' Zelda's question was quiet, her voice so vulnerable it might shatter.
He stared at her across the fire, the distance between them growing more unbearable with every passing second.
'It is,' he breathed.
They gazed into each other's eyes for what might have been an eternity.
'I can't even think straight when I'm close to you,' Link admitted. He slowly pushed himself to his feet, never breaking eye contact. 'All I can focus on is you. I can think of nothing but your beautiful face.'
He took one step closer.
'Your eyes when they look at me.'
Another one.
'How soft your lips look when you speak.'
One last step and he was right in front of her.
'The feel of your body against mine.'
He crouched down.
Zelda sat frozen in place, craning her neck to look him in the eye, her mouth slightly agape.
'I don't want to keep imagining what it feels like,' Link said. He slowly leaned in, so that he hovered over her a little. The distance between them felt charged with electricity. 'I want to feel you,' he whispered. He reached up one hand and cupped the back of her head. 'I want to hold you.' They were now so close together they could share a breath. 'I want to kiss you, Zelda.' He looked deep into her eyes, trying to convey everything he couldn't say.
A soft sigh left her lips as she wrapped her fingers around his collar. 'Then kiss me.'
Link's heart seemed to be somersaulting. His stomach twisted violently. His mind exploded. There was only one sensible thing left to do.
With a burning need suddenly flaming up, he closed the unbearable distance between them and connected their lips.
It was as if time itself had frozen. There was nothing but the feel of her and the impact she had on him. There was only her warmth, the electric pulses races down his spine, the softness of her lips against his.
Zelda's hand still held onto his collar, pulling him ever closer, while the other got lost in his hair.
It was all Link could do not to collapse of pure bliss. He never wanted it to end.
Finally they pulled apart to catch their breath, but he kept his forehead against hers, wanting nothing more than to keep her close.
'Link,' Zelda whispered suddenly. Her green eyes sparkled, the tender look in them unlike any he had ever seen before. 'I forgive you.'
A lump formed in his throat. He couldn't speak, could hardly even think. He pressed his lips together and breathed in deeply through his nose. Then he smiled. 'Thank you,' he muttered. His voice sounded strained and hoarse.
The loving smile on her face only widened as she took in his emotions. She cupped his cheek. Without using any more words, she pulled him in to kiss him again, slowly and gently and mind-blowingly perfect.