A/N: Before you begin reading, I just want to warn you. It's a very romatic and...er, fluffy...one-shot, unlike my other multi-chaptered story, FTAOKR (And that's the short version...'). Anyways, this is my pathetic attempt at a romance fic. It's a first, anyways, so try and give me feedback on what the heck I'm doing wrong...
The Addictive Kiss of a Rose
The first had been an accident.
He had been invited by the princess to the masquerade ball that would be held in honor of her cousin's engagement. Unbeknownst to him, the letter had not been written by the princess at all. Instead, it had been written by her said cousin, Tetra. She had sent it with the intention of pairing him up with the headstrong Queen-in-waiting of Hyrule.
He had worn his best clothes, accompanied by a wolf mask that suited him perfectly.
Standing by the stairs, he had been approached by a radiating young woman around his age. She had been wearing a hawks' mask that brought out her eyes. They were a crystal clear blue and he thought they were beautiful. They reminded him of the princess's eyes. They were unique.
"Hello. Are you enjoying yourself?" She had asked.
"Yes, I am. Are you?"
"Well, at least no one's recognized me yet."
He laughed.
"Are you someone important?"
For some reason that he could not identify at the time, she sniggered.
"You could say that." She said slyly.
He peered at her through his mask. She did seem somehow familiar, but he didn't really recognize her. And so he, being himself, ignored it.
"Alright, I'll be honest with you." She began, "I was dared to come here by Tetra. She said I might find you interesting."
He flashed a charming smile.
"How are you finding me?"
"Flirtatious." She answered flatly.
They both laughed at this.
"Well, joking aside, when do you think the princess will come down? I want to see her." He asked her.
She smiled and said:
"I thought the whole purpose of the masks was to keep our identities a secret."
"Really? I thought of it as more of a festivity than anything else."
"Well, it could be considered a celebration as it is in honor of Tetra's engagement, but I doubt they'll ever figure out who she is so…I don't regard it as much of a tribute to her honor."
"And I'm guessing you're a philosopher by nature."
She laughed softly.
"Yes. I guess I am."
The song changed and he had an idea.
"Would you like to dance?" He asked her, bowing.
He smiled up at her and she couldn't help the small giggle that escaped her lips. She took his hand.
"Sure."
He led her to the dance floor. Suddenly, just as he was about to say something, someone bumped into him and they were both sent sprawling to the ground. His mask snapped and his lips crashed right onto hers. His heart beat rapidly and he could feel the heat crawling up his face. He pushed himself off her and stood. He offered her his hand. She took it and stood up. Then her eyes landed on his face.
"Link?!"
"How did you…?" He trailed off when she took off her mask.
Her hand arose to touch her lips. She blushed madly. He scratched the back of his neck, like he did when he was nervous.
"I'm sorry." He said, his voice impossibly soft.
He almost added: Please don't hang me, but he thought that might sound slightly insulting, so he kept quiet.
"What are you doing here?" She asked; her voice was even softer than his.
People were staring at them, and that certainly didn't help his confidence.
"I thought…I thought you invited me."
"I never did."
"That was me." A voice admitted.
They both turned to another girl in a mask. The girl took it off.
"Tetra?!" They both asked.
Zelda had an almost murderous look on her face. As brave as Tetra was, her cousin's glares were a force to be reckoned with.
"Heh." She laughed nervously, "I just thought you could use some company…"
Zelda narrowed her eyes slightly.
"Are you trying to play matchmaker?" She asked Tetra incredulously.
Link gulped. This was not headed the way he had expected. He began to finger his shirt's collar.
"That's a nice way to put it, yes." Tetra admitted.
"Well, then, I'll see you later." Link said.
He turned and fled towards the exit. If there was something he couldn't stand, it was awkward conversations.
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The second had been CPR.
She had been riding across Lanayru Bridge with an escort of guards. She was supposed to hold an audience with Prince Ralis of the Zora. As the princess of Hyrule, it was her duty to attend to her people's every need, even though it was sometimes difficult…and a bit painful in the Goron's case. Seriously though, those hugs could kill you.
So she rode in silence, surrounded by a small army which she thought was completely unnecessary. That was when they spotted a kargarok headed straight towards them. It dove faster than anyone could've predicted and the soldiers could do naught but watch as it dug its talons into her shoulders and yanked her roughly off her steed. She struggled for release, and tried to unsheathe the royal sword of Hyrule, but the kargarok dived again as if it had anticipated her reaction. The sword fell from her hand to land in the lake below.
Back on the bridge, the bowmen hesitated in letting their arrows fly, as to not harm their princess.
Zelda carefully took out her dagger and struck the kargarok's left talon. It screeched in rage and pain, but instead of releasing her, it tightened its grip. She cried out in pain. Bright red liquid seeped through her clothes. She gritted her teeth. This was not going well, and she had the strange sensation that she had been through this before, only with a much bigger bird…
Suddenly, something struck the kargarok's head, its left temple almost immediately being covered in red. She could see an arrow sticking out from it. The kargarok jerked and let out a jagged cry at being caught off guard. It flew, disoriented, and after a few seconds, it began a downwards spiral towards its death. The wind rushed past her ears, creating a loud whistle. But she did not allow herself to scream.
They plunged into the freezing water, the weight of the dead kargarok dragging her down. Even in death, it refused to release her, and she clutched at its talons in desperation. This time, she thought with a spell of dark humor, this time the grip was an actual death grip. It sunk her deeper and deeper in the lake, forcing her into a spiral of permanent sleep that she wished no part of.
Suddenly, the talons let her go. A hand circled around her waist and she was being slowly dragged upwards. Even before she lost consciousness, she knew who it was. Other than her, only he could make a shot like that without hurting anyone.
He dragged her up towards the surface, his legs pounding against the dark water. He noticed with a jolt that she had lost consciousness. Bitterness welled up in his throat. He'd be damned if he let her get killed by a kargarok. He refused, vehemently, to let her die.
They broke out into the surface. He took her up to shore, ripping off his Zora's mask as he did so. He pried her lips open, took a deep breath and placed his mouth on hers. He blew air into her lungs, separated his face from hers and pressed her stomach a few consecutive times. He repeated the process and those seconds were officially the longest in his life.
On the start of the third time, her body convulsed and she coughed up the water into his mouth. Gagging, he spat out the water while she gasped for breath beside him. Once he was done, he realized she was shivering. He wrapped his arms around her and pressed her firmly to his chest.
Once the trembling was over and she could think straight, she realized with a blush that this had been the second time the savior of Hyrule had kissed her. Accident or not, it was ironic that this man, this boy had stolen her first two kisses.
"Are you alright?" He asked her.
She nodded in slight dismay.
"Thank you."
"Wait, what's this?" He motioned to her shoulders.
"Oh." She realized that her shoulders were searing in pain. "The talons…"
But he already knew the answer to that. He took out a handkerchief and ripped it in two. He carefully wrapped it around the profusely bleeding wound, and tightened it, as to stop the bleeding. He did the same with the other shoulder.
A numb shock crept over her as she realized just how close she had been to dying. She tossed her arms around his neck, fervently whispering thanks into his ear.
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The third had been traditional.
They had been at the annual Christmas ball. This time, there were no masks, thank the goddesses. She had personally invited him, this time with her signature present. He had agreed, as he was eager to see her once more. Since he lived a day away, there wasn't really a way they could keep in touch frequently.
"Link!" She had said, pleasantly surprised when he walked through the door.
He smiled and bowed.
"Princess."
Frowning, she placed her hand under his chin and brought him back up disconcertingly.
"Do I really deserve that after you saved my life?" She asked him, "Is it really fair that after all we've been through, you still decide to treat me as your princess and not your friend?"
"Princess, I…" He began.
"Listen. When we were on the battle field, less than a year ago, you treated me as an equal. Why can't you do that now? What's the difference between then and now? I've not changed, and I know for certain that your chivalrous nature hasn't either. So what's wrong with me that you can't see me for who I am, but for my title?"
He took her hand and lowered it, his eyes reflecting an emotion that she couldn't quite understand.
"Your Highness, I just can't bring myself to speak this way to you."
"But you did to Midna. You see, Link, that's what bothers me. After all this time, after all we've been through, you still let the fact that I'm the princess of Hyrule bother you. At first, you didn't know Midna was the princess of Twilight. When you found out, you were still close to her and did not let her title affect your friendship. So then why can't it be the same for us?"
"I…"
"Forget it Link." She left to speak with Tetra.
She was clearly very upset, although why she was, even she herself did not know. It was only clear to her that the feeling of something boiling inside her stomach was a form of envy. It was an envy of Midna's relationship with Link. Midna had been his best friend, and still would be if she had not destroyed the Mirror. Of course, it was always different with Zelda.
Link had never been able to get past her being a princess. He had, for a short moment, treated her as equal, something that no one had ever done to her in her whole life. Maybe that was the reason why she was so attracted to him. Maybe that was the reason of why she was so fond of him.
"Zelda."
She stopped short. Turning to look at him, she couldn't help the smile that tore at her face when she heard him say her name. For some reason, it had a nice ring to it when he said it.
"Yes, Link?"
He smiled at her.
"I think I can get used to that."
"You'd better. That's an order."
"Yes, princess."
There was sudden laughter all around them. They turned to look at the crowd that had gathered, shooting them confused looks. It wasn't until Tetra came forth with an explanation that they understood exactly why they were laughing.
"Link, Zelda…? I think you should look up." She said, giggling madly.
Trepidation building up inside her, Zelda followed her cousin's gaze and almost gasped at the sight that beheld her. Angrily, she turned to glare at Tetra.
"Do you like to torture me? I mean, really. Mistletoe? Why'd you go ahead and put up a thing like that?"
Tetra shrugged.
"It's a gift. Anyway, you're the one who wasn't watching out for where you were going."
Zelda sighed exasperatedly and started towards her cousin.
And froze in place.
"What? What did you do?!"
"Is it always me behind all these schemes?" Tetra asked, looking at the sky as if wondering why Zelda always pegged her as the criminal.
"Then who was it?"
"Me." Tetra shrugged.
Zelda narrowed her eyes.
"What did you do to this thing?"
"It's enchanted. You can't get out from under it unless you kiss the person you're stuck there with."
Link tensed beside Zelda. Another awkward conversation. Another awkward moment. Oh dear…he was having too many of those lately.
"You can't be…" Zelda trailed off.
Tetra's expression was enough to tell her otherwise. It was devilish grin. Zelda turned back to Link, utterly mortified.
"Well, let's get this over with then." She said reluctantly.
For some reason, his heart was hammering in his chest and he nervously ran over any possible scenario which involved him out the door without kissing Zelda. But…he came up with none. It was enchanting. And the mistletoe was somehow making Zelda seem even more beautiful than she had seemed when he first saw her. The princess of Hyrule was gorgeous, but it was nothing compared to now. Her beauty seemed ethereal and she looked like a goddess. The more he thought of it, the more his mind made it seem like he wanted to kiss her.
Her eyes glowed like lone spheres in the darkness and he had the sensation of drowning. But it was a pleasant sort of death. It was almost…willing, the way he drowned inside her eyes. They made it seem as though they were the only two people left inside the room. And for some reason, only she mattered. In that instant, only she was left.
Their lips brushed together. A warm sensation exploded inside his stomach. It spread out throughout his whole body, and he could barely believe that so much gratitude could be directed towards a piece of mistletoe. But he stopped himself. He wasn't glad. He was embarrassed. The warmth throughout his body wasn't happiness, it was humiliation.
But he couldn't stop himself from relishing in the feel of her in his arms. She was so warm, and so soft, fitting perfectly into the crook of his arms. And then it was over. They backed away, looking anywhere but at each other.
"I've got to go." He said suddenly.
"Me too."
"Goodbye princess."
"Goodbye, Link."
He left abruptly through the door. Hurrying across Castle Town, he headed through the gate to where he left his horse, Epona. Mounting her, he set her at a full gallop towards Ordon Province. He would not speak to the princess for a while. He wouldn't be disrespectful, as she was a true friend, but for now…he was confused.
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The fourth had been stolen.
She had been staying at Ordon village as a result of Mayor Bo's invitation to the annual spring dance. She had accepted, glad to have an excuse to see Link. For some reason, she found herself living for the next meeting. It was odd, the way she seemed to think about him more often than not. It was also odd that they had not spoken since the Christmas incident.
She spotted the rise of smoke among the mountains and left the porch of Bo and Ilia's house silently. Her guards were snoring outside, and she rolled her eyes at them. There was more courage in Bo's chickens than there was in her soldiers. Thankfully, there were no wars to worry about. If not, she doubted Hyrule would last a week.
Wrapping her arms around herself, she sighed in contentment as she observed the peace within the village. There was also quiet, but that would probably be disrupted by the children when the sun rose. They were charming, and very smart. Colin though, the son of Uli and Rusl, was terribly shy. He was very sweet, and he reminded her of Ilia for some reason.
Walking up the path in the cold night air, she spotted the lone house in the outskirts of the village. Gathering up her courage, she raised her hand to knock. And then lowered it. What if he was sleeping and she woke him up? Well, obviously, any rational person would be sleeping at this time of night…but there was still a chance that he wasn't.
Link's horse, Epona, snorted softly at her. Smiling to herself, she patted the trusty mare's nose. She was a horse unlike any other.
"Hey."
Zelda looked up, startled. Then, grinning up at him, she said:
"And here I was thinking hay was for horses."
Link chuckled softly. He sat down on the steps of his house and patted the spot next to him. She smiled and sat next to him, close enough to feel his shoulder through the fabric of her shirt. She noticed with a small spur of satisfaction that he was comfortable wearing anything he wanted around her. Right now, he wore his everyday village clothes.
"So, what brings you over here?" He asked her, completely unaware that her thoughts revolved around him.
"I couldn't sleep. How'd you know I was here?"
"Promise you won't laugh?"
She raised an eyebrow at him.
"Is there something to laugh about?"
"Well, yes and no."
"Just come out and say it. I won't laugh."
He smiled at her secretively.
"I could smell you from here."
Zelda almost snorted.
"Really?" She asked disbelievingly.
"I'm serious. I tracked your movements through the soft scent of lavender you always seem to carry around with you. It's a rather pleasant smell."
His voice seemed to change as he finished. Unbeknownst to her, he was wondering exactly why he seemed to always be looking out for her. He wondered why he was getting steadily more and more protective over her. She was becoming very dear to him, and to be honest, it scared him a little. There was something strange in being over-protective over your best friend, no matter how much you tried to explain. And she was a princess…
"You still have your senses?" She asked him.
"Yes."
"Why do you think that is?"
"I don't know, but it comes in handy."
He remembered that one instance where he had prevented an old lady from getting mugged in the slums of Hyrule.
"Yes, I'm sure it does."
She was looking at him weirdly, as if he were some pervert off the streets.
"Hey, I don't use them for anything like that!"
Her expression turned into a teasing smile.
"You're sure about that?"
"Positive."
Except maybe he wasn't really positive about that. At least…not in her case.
"Good."
She leaned her head on his shoulder. He tensed in response. Where had that come from? Why was the princess of Hyrule…? But slowly, he eased into the position, allowing himself to wrap his arm around her. He felt her sigh against him, although he didn't know for what reason.
"Zelda, you think I'll ever be able to teach you how to herd goats in the proper fashion?"
She burst out laughing. It was the first time he had seen her laugh like that. And he was glad to be the one who caused it.
"Where'd that come from? You sure have a knack for random questions."
He sighed, smiling.
"Just answer it, princess."
She scrunched up her eyebrows thoughtfully.
"Yes, I do believe so."
"Ok."
A comfortable silence passed between them. He listened to the sound of her breathing, a sense of peace forming inside his mind. It was only then that he noticed she had fallen asleep with her head on his shoulder. He turned to her carefully with the intention of taking her back to Bo's house but he froze when he saw her face.
It was like looking at the face of an angel.
The midnight glow seemed to entice her beauty. He realized he was being slowly intoxicated by this woman. His heart began to beat rapidly. For some reason, his face felt flushed and inexplicably warm. Almost on reflex, he kissed her softly. And that was when he realized.
I…love…
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The fifth had been mutual.
She had awoken to the sound of a door closing. She opened her eyes and found herself at his house, sleeping in his bed. She instantly dismissed an inappropriate thought from her mind, as she knew he would never do anything like that to her. She sat up, running a hand through her long blonde hair. Smirking softly to herself, she wondered what the counsel of elders would think if they saw her now.
"What are you smirking at?"
Even before she turned around, she knew it was him. She knew by his gentle tone of voice. It attracted her, maybe too much for her own good. She smiled at him charmingly.
"Nothing…" She trailed off, slyly.
He raised an eyebrow.
"No one would believe that, even if you are the princess."
"Oh well, too bad for me."
"You're not planning on sharing, are you?"
"Not at all." She responded cheerily.
Link sighed. His curiosity was getting the better of him.
"Alright then, be that way. See if I care."
Zelda rolled her eyes at his immature behavior. He could be such a child sometimes.
"Okay, I'll tell you. I was just thinking how scandalous it would be if the counsel of elders saw us now." She teased.
He immediately turned red.
"But we weren't doing anything."
Zelda winked at him.
"That's not what they would think."
She laughed at his reaction. He fidgeted about, running a hand through his hair. Zelda stood up and combed through his messy locks before she knew what she was doing. Immediately, she took a step back and blushed graciously. Link grabbed her hand before she removed it from his hair.
Her heart hammered in her chest. His calloused hands felt rough in contrast with her soft ones. The way…the way his eyes watched her, as if memorizing every detail in her face, made her self-conscious.
"L-Link." She stammered.
He hesitantly raised his free hand up to her face. He caressed her cheek with his thumb, and just as quickly, his arms dropped back to his side. He let go of her hand and turned away, as if he had remembered something important. Zelda's heart raced along with her mind. What had just happened?
"We should…we should go. If they don't find you soon, they'll be frantic."
But she would not, could not, move.
"Link, w-what was that?"
"Nothing."
She went up to him and spun him around gently. He did not protest, but he would not meet her eyes. Her hand lingered on his shoulder, her fingers unconsciously tracing his skin. She was oddly and acutely aware of exactly how close they were. She was aware of how he seemed so nervous, of how he seemed to be holding something back. Of how his eyes devoured her with their intense gaze.
She was aware of the strange sensation in the pit of her stomach. She was aware of her desire to run her hands through his soft hair once more. She was aware of how much she wanted him to take her in his arms and never let her go. Yes, Zelda was acutely aware of all these things.
"What…why did you…?" She was so confused.
He turned his gaze away from her. Then he switched it back to her. He tentatively raised his hands up to her face. He stared down into those endless pools of ocean, an ocean he wanted to swim in for the rest of his life. There was fear within those eyes. But he lowered his head a few inches from hers.
She could feel his breath on her lips. A pleasant sort of shiver ran down her spine. She didn't know when her hands had gotten tangled in his shirt, and even less when she had stepped forward, lightly pressing herself against his chest.
He pressed his forehead against hers, reveling in her scent…the scent of lavender that wafted from her hair. How was it that she had come this close to him? How could it be possible that she, being a princess, would ever want to be this close to him?
"I love you…" He breathed.
And then, they kissed. But this time, it was her who made the advance.
A/N: Well? How was that? It's the first time I've ver writen a pure romance fic, so...yeah. I'd like to dedicate this to ZoraAngel, who, for some reason, inspired me to write this.