Chapter 1: Atop the Plateau
Mount Hylia. As Central Hyrule basked in the glow of the sun, Link observed the kingdom from atop the snowy mountain. He would occasionally do this; he enjoyed relaxing and taking in Hyrule's beauty. He especially liked when Zelda accompanied him on these sorts of things. So when she immediately accepted his invitation, followed by tons of different emojis that he didn't quite know the meaning of, he was ecstatic. She told him that she would meet him there, as she had some other business to attend to beforehand. Regardless, he was in good spirits. However, when she followed-up with a 'Can't wait to see you!' his chest tightened and he couldn't think of a response. He ended up finally texting back, with a simple 'Yeah, you too,' unsure of what else to say. "It was just a friendly remark," Link quietly said. "There is no reason to overthink such a simple thing." But that didn't stop him from trying to decipher the message as if it were ancient hieroglyphics. "Overthink what? Link, I sometimes wonder if you even know how to think!" a voice from behind him joked.
Link smirked. "I'm surprised you made it up here without needing my help… again," he teased back, not letting her see his broad grin. "How's it going Zeld?"
"C'mon, it's honestly not that funny calling me that after the millionth time," Zelda pouted, placing her stuff down next to his. Before Link could turn around, she quickly snuck up and hugged him from behind.
"Hm? What are you doing?" he said, puzzled. "Is something the matter?"
"No," she sighed. "I just missed you, that's all." Her grip tightened as she laid her head upon his shoulder.
"But I just saw you yester—" he let his thought trail off. He realized that he probably wasn't going to get a valid answer. It's not like he didn't enjoy her hugs—in fact, he thought it to be one of the best feelings in the world. Zelda was always kinda like this, but lately he felt that she was a little out of the ordinary. However, he dismissed her behavior and soaked in the moment.
Zelda finally released Link from her clutches and spun him around to face her. "So, how do I look today, Link?" she inquired, staring directly into Link's sky-blue eyes, a smirk appearing on her face. Link averted his gaze, desperately trying his best to hide his embarrassment. Even after being asked this same question every day for what felt like forever, he still couldn't answer without feeling his body temperature rise to the likes of Death Mountain. He wanted to say beautiful; he wanted to tell her that she is the prettiest girl he's ever seen. However, each time this question is asked—and it inevitably comes up every time that they're together—he can never bring himself to express his true feelings. And…
"Link? Hello? Are you ok?" Zelda's eyes were still glued to Link's ruby-red face. He got caught up in thinking about her that he forgot she had asked a question in the first place.
"Sorry about that. Yeah, you look great," he quietly responded. He didn't want her to worry about him, so he put on an authentic smile and placed his hand on her shoulder. "I mean it." Zelda was somewhat taken aback by his sincerity. Usually, he just went along with it. She didn't have a problem with that though; she loved seeing him become embarrassed. She thought that the hero of Hyrule was extra cute when he was uncomfortable. But there was something different in his response this time. He had told her with what felt like genuine care and love. She was speechless for a moment, but soon composed herself.
"You're too nice, Link!" Zelda said excitedly. Her whole demeanor was beaming as bright as the Hyrule sun. Link turned back around to admire the beauty of Hyrule. He motioned Zelda to take a seat next to him, and she happily obliged. The two of them embraced the view and gazed upon the land.
Hours passed. As the sun began to sink in the sky, Link slowly opened his eyes. He didn't mean to succumb to slumber—it just sort of happened. He turned his head to the left to find the princess nuzzled up right next to him, her blonde scattered messily on his Champion's tunic. He slowly started to rise, tenderly running his fingers throughout the fine texture of her hair, admiring her. "Still not getting much sleep, huh," he whispered to the napping Zelda. "You really didn't have to accompany me all the way up here if you were this tired."
"You fell asleep before me, Link…" Zelda groggily retorted, not bothering to open her eyes.
"Well, I'm just saying that you don't have to push yourself; you need to remember to take care of yourself," he stated, a hint of concern behind his words.
"So you're saying that you wish that I didn't join you?" Zelda asked, lifting her head up to look in Link's eyes. She looked dejected, and let out an elongated sigh. "I guess I'm not important to you," she whispered. Link couldn't tell if she was being serious about the latter; it sounded like she actually believed what she had said. She released another sigh, this time breaking eye contact and staring at the ground.
"Seriously, what has gotten into you? Of course you're important to me. You're the most important person in my life, Zelda. I hope you weren't being serious there," Link said without hesitation. He didn't think about the words flowing from his mouth; he just spoke his true feelings to her. Upon hearing this, Zelda's heart grew wings. It felt as if her chest was trying its best from flying away. She sat straight up, and wrapped Link in her arms.
"Sheesh, Zeld, are you sure everything is alright?" Link questioned, holding her a little bit tighter. He wasn't against this side of her, but he was concerned.
"I already told you, I missed you. That's it," she reinforced. "And it's still not funny calling me that."
"Whatever you say… just know that you can always talk to me if something is happening, or if you need anything," he mentioned. "I'm here for you."
"Well, there is one thing," she admitted meekly.
"I'm all ears."
"Can we stay like this a little longer?" she asked shyly, hiding her embarrassment in the comfort of his arms.
"Sure thing," Link happily answered. He still didn't know if she actually missed him, or if something was wrong, but he wasn't complaining. He loved being in Zelda's company, and thought that this side of her was unbelievably cute.
"Link, you're just too nice. Thank you," she softly whispered.
After letting Zelda lay in his arms for some time, Link finally convinced her that they needed to depart back to the castle. She reluctantly agreed, and held on tight as Link glided off of the plateau. Although Link told her that teleporting two people at once would probably work, she wanted to spend more time with him before the day was over. She told him that she wanted to walk through the field of Hyrule, and Link had no choice but to agree to her persistence. Once the both of their feet landed upon solid ground, they made their way to the castle. Zelda never let go of Link; she slid her hand down his muscular arm, and grasped his hand with her own. Link thought the walk back to be peaceful, no doubt, but also depressing. He knew that something was up with Zelda, but she wouldn't tell him for reasons he could not comprehend. She usually told him everything, but today was different. As his mind raced between what could possibly be upsetting Zelda, the two had already approached the entrance to the castle. Not a word passed between them during the walk; Link, trying to understand Zelda's behavior, and Zelda, content with walking hand-in-hand with Link, yet still sad that the day was coming to a close.
"Well, I should be headed back home. I enjoyed today, I mean it. Thank you for coming with me, Zeld," he praised with sincerity. "Ah, I mean, Zelda. Sorry about that," he said respectfully, realizing that it probably wasn't the best time for that. Zelda looked at him and smiled, her sadness dissipating after hearing his humble apology.
"You know, that name is starting to grow on me. I guess after hearing it more often than my actual name, it's finally starting to sound normal. And if it's you, I'm okay with any sort of nickname you come up with," she playfully jeered, placing a finger on his chest. Link smiled in return, although unsure of what she meant by the last part. Tension hung in the air around them. Link badly wanted to say something, but bit his tongue. Zelda's finger remained on his chest, and her face had drifted towards the ground. He peered up at the castle, and realized that Zelda was living here—alone, nonetheless. He pondered why she wasn't staying at Kakariko—at the very least, Impa would surely understand and allow her a place to stay. After several more moments, Link finally mustered up the courage and asked her something he planned on asking earlier in the day.
"Hey, would you want to come over for dinner tomorrow?" he stuttered. He couldn't bear to think about her cooped up in the castle, alone and sad. He also wanted to spend some more time with her, besides on these types of expeditions. "I mean, if you have other plans or if you're not up to it, it's not a big deal—"
"Of course, I would love to! I'll be there first thing in the morning," Zelda said, excitedly. Link didn't even get to finish his thought—she cut him off mid sentence. Her entire attitude had changed from somber to enthusiastic.
"That's kinda early for dinner, don't you think…" he said under his breath. He was looking forward to sleeping in, even if it meant a little bit.
"Good thing you're an early riser! And your house could probably be cleaned up a little, too," she remarked, giggling at his expression. "Link, you just made this day even better. You sure know how to make a girl happy, huh?"
"Wha-? I just thought that it would be nice to spend some time with you, that's all. I'm looking forward to it," he sheepishly said, his face turning bright pink. Before he could explain any further, Zelda seized the opportunity and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek, her face changing to a pink tone as well.
"Thank you, Link. I can't wait to see you tomorrow," she said, soothingly. She laughed to herself at the visibly confused and embarrassed hero, and retreated to the castle.
Link had no idea what just happened. Well, he did, but he couldn't understand why or how or—he actually had no idea what just happened. He smiled, remembering Zelda's sweet touch, and came to the conclusion that he might never understand her. And if that meant experiencing more of what transpired throughout the day, he wasn't against it.