Closer

The fire crackled. Midna sat quietly, taking in the surroundings. They had set up camp in a small, heavily forested area, the sky was grey, and every now and then the odd drop of rain would make it's way down through the trees. Their journey to Snowpeak had stalled. Midna sent a concerned glance over to Link, who was dozing against a large tree. Hours earlier they had been ambushed by a mob of bokoblins. They had dispatched them readily enough but by sheer dumb luck one of the creatures had managed to get inside Link's guard and land a blow on his shield arm, catching him on the underside of his bracer. She looked at his arm now, the bandages were bloody and loose, it had been wrapped in haste. She frowned, she wanted to get a better look at the wound but the last thing she wanted to do was wake him. She let out a sigh.

It wasn't long before concern got the better of her. Moving over to him, she knelt by his side and put a hand on his shoulder before whispering: "Link."

Her heart swelled when he opened his eyes and offered her a smile, there was something about his smirk that captivated her and she never tired of seeing it. "Hey," he responded, "everything okay?"

She nodded, "of course, I was wondering how you were feeling, how's your arm?"

"I'm all right, it's nothing major."

"Do you mind if I have a look?" She insisted.

"Of course not," he replied.

Taking hold of his forearm, Midna gingerly unwrapped the bloodstained material, frowning as she inspected the wound. The weapon had cut deep, the skin around it was an angry red and very tender, and it still wept with a bloody ichor. Link sucked in a breath and she looked up at him, "Link.."

"It's not as bad as it looks. I'm fine, really," he said, though she knew he was only trying to ease her worry.

"It looks painful."

"I've had worse, Midna."

"I know," she said quietly, his words bringing her back to his previous dances with death, back when she had considered him expendable, when she had treated him as a tool, a weapon. A lot had changed between them, and Link meant so much more to her now. She had come to this realisation some time ago, but just how much he meant was still something of an enigma to her. Despite this, she was still certain of one thing: that she had never felt this way about anyone before. She did not know what to make of this.

"Midna?"

She looked back up at him. "I think you should get this looked at Link," she paused. "Maybe it would be best to head back to Kakariko."

Link shook his head. "It would take too much time. Even if we could warp from here we can't warp back, and we're still days from Snowpeak. The mirror shards are more important right now."

She swallowed before replying: "your well-being is important too, Link. I don't want to see you hurt." Or killed, she added silently. The thought terrified her, but she would not give voice to it.

His gaze softened. He leaned forward, bringing his face closer to hers, his good hand coming up gently to her cheek, instinctively, her hand came up to meet his, holding it there. "I'll be all right, Midna. I promise."

She nodded and closed her eyes, heat rising to her face, her heart beating a little faster. For a moment all she knew was the warmth of his touch.

"You're okay too though, right?" Link asked suddenly, causing her to open her eyes. "You're not hurt or anything?"

His concern moved her. She smiled. "Your shadow is the safest place in Hyrule, Link. I'm fine."

He smirked, "Good... and I'm glad you think so highly of me."

"Of your shadow," she teased.

"Very funny, but my shadow can't exist without me," he responded smugly.

"True enough. I do think highly of you.. very highly," she admitted.

"And I of you," he said as he offered her another smile.

Midna had to look away. His gaze was captivating, there was a power in his eyes, power over her, and Link seemed utterly oblivious to it. She refocused her attention onto his injured arm, grateful for some distraction from impulsive thoughts. "Will you let me clean it? It won't do you much good if it gets infected."

"Sounds like a good idea, go ahead."

Link watched her as she set about her task. His arm stung as she cleaned the wound with a damp cloth, causing him to hiss involuntarily. Midna looked up at him. "Sorry," she said, peering out from under her helm.

"It's okay, I'm the one that got injured. I should have been more careful."

She looked back down and continued a little more gently than before. "You were careful, that creature just got lucky."

"Just lucky, huh?"

"I'm serious, Link," she said, looking back up at him. "There is little you can't handle."

"What's with all the flattery? Are you sure you're feeling okay?" He asked jokingly. He wasn't sure why, but he was feeling strangely upbeat in spite of his injury. Maybe it was because he had someone to talk to. He found Midna's company to be strangely uplifting despite her cynical nature. She was intelligent and pragmatic, and they had come to rely on each other. He greatly enjoyed having her around.

She rolled her eyes in response. "It's not flattery, it's just the truth."

"Hm."

They sat in relative quiet as Midna finished her work and applied a fresh dressing to Links arm. "Thank you," he said.

"You're welcome."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course." She responded.

"Could you remove your helmet?"

She thought it a strange request. "Why?" She asked.

He shrugged. "Indulge me."

She did so, curious as to what he was up to. The corners of his mouth curved upwards. "That's better," he said.

Her curiosity peaked. "Better?"

He nodded, smiling now, "I like you better without it.. that is, you look nice without it." After a pause he continued: "I don't like the way it hides your face."

Words eluded her. "Oh," was all she managed. The ease with which Link was able to rob her of the ability to speak was both fascinating and utterly frustrating. Flustered, her eyes began to wonder before settling on his lips. They were inches apart, and she needed to shut him up. With a sudden boldness, she bridged the gap between them, pressing her lips firmly against his, her eyes tightly shut.

Link made a sound of surprise but did not pull away, she tensed when she felt his hands come to rest gently on her tiny waist. She gripped his upper arms, pulling him closer. He made no attempt to resist as his lips responded to hers. After what felt like an eternity, though she knew it had been only a few seconds, she broke the kiss and turned away from him, trying to catch her breath and calm her racing heart.

She trembled. To act without thinking was most unlike her, and now she was struck by fear: fear that she'd crossed a line, that she had destroyed the bond they had formed. He hadn't resisted, but Link rarely resisted her, he trusted her utterly, and she him.

She trembled with realisation now. She was falling for him. It was the oldest of fears; a fear of the unknown.

Midna waited. Her heart continued to race.

"What.. what was that for?" Link said at last, his voice slightly hoarse.

"I'm not sure," she said honestly. "It was impulsive, I'm sorry."

"Don't be.. it was nice." His voice was soft.

She let out a breath, relieved. Rejection was something she wouldn't be able to bear. Not from Link. "Good," she managed.

"Did you like it too?"

She closed her eyes. "Of course I did you idiot." Link could be dense at times.

He chuckled and she faced him once more, though his laughter stopped abruptly when her eyes caught his. "What's wrong?" He said, his voice suddenly full of concern.

Confused, she brought a hand to her face, feeling a wetness under her eye. Tears. Who cried after kissing someone? She wiped her eyes, annoyed. "It's nothing Link, I'm being silly."

"You're never silly, I'm the silly one, remember?" He responded, trying to lighten the mood once more.

She had to smile at that. "Not always. Only most of the time."

Link smirked back. The kiss had caught him off guard, he hadn't expected something like that from his companion, but apart from the initial shock it hadn't bothered him much at all. He had definitely enjoyed it. However it was clear to him that Midna was still reeling from it, so he did what felt natural, he pulled her closer to him and wrapped both arms around her, enveloping her in a tight embrace. She responded in kind, burying her head in the crook of his neck. He knew she would never admit it, but she needed some reassurance and he was happy to oblige. She shivered.

"Cold?" He asked.

"No." She said as she shifted slightly, resting her head on his chest. It was not the weather that had caused her to tremble. It was him. She closed her eyes.

"Tired?"

"Maybe a little," she admitted. "Aren't you?"

Link shook his head. "Not yet, that nap was just what I needed. You should get some sleep though if you're feeling tired. I'll keep watch."

"That might be a good idea.." she mumbled, taking his injured arm in her hands, trailing a finger over the bandages. "This was a nasty wound, Link. It will leave a scar.." She frowned.

"What's one more?" He fidgeted slightly, her touch was gentle, but it tickled.

"One too many," she said pensively.

"It'll be all right, I have you to take care of me, don't I? I'd probably have a lot more if not for you."

Midna sat up, an unidentifiable look on her face. "You put too much faith in me, Link."

He shook his head. "I don't think so. I'd be pretty lost without you." He meant it, he knew he wouldn't have gotten far without her help.

She said nothing. Gazing out into the forest, she gave his hand a squeeze and he squeezed back. Link took her silence as a sign of fatigue. He was certain there was more on her mind, but he decided it could wait. "Get some sleep, Midna."

She nodded, relenting, turning to face him once more. "All right.. Would you mind awfully if I used you as a pillow?" She felt it a silly thing to ask, but she always slept easier with him near. The closer the better.

He grinned at her question. "Of course not. You've done it plenty of times before."

She sunk back into his embrace, welcoming the warmth he brought. "Thanks, Link."

He placed a kiss on the top of her head. "Don't mention it."

Their journey to Snowpeak would continue tomorrow.

A/N: So I wanted so see if I could write a kiss scene. I think it turned out reasonably well. I felt the only way Midna would initiate a kiss was if she did so without thinking; which is why it was so sudden. If she had thought about it she might not have gone through with it. As for Link, he's a very easy going guy who takes things in his stride. He's not one to question Midna; if she wants to kiss him, then he's probably going to be okay with that. ;)

Anyway, thank you for reading! If you liked this, check out my other fic "Oasis" if you haven't already.

Bye for now!