"Bonne Nuit", Young Hero
A/N. This is my first attempt at writing fanfiction in a long, long time, and my first time writing for this pairing. I will always try my very best to stay as true to the characters and their world as possible, but since I am new at this, I apologize for any errors. I'm planning on writing quite a few Skyward Sword fics, so any feedback I can get is greatly encouraged! Thank you!
P.S. For those who don't know, Bonne Nuit means "Good night" in French.
Evening had fallen over Faron Woods. The foliage, normally glistening with color and alive with the sounds of chirps and calls, had grown eerily silent. All that remained of the leaves' vibrant colors was a faint green hue that was beginning to slowly taper off into shadow. Interrupting the deafening silence came the crunching of leaves and giggles issuing from the two youths making their way to their usual sanctuary nearest the waterfall that marked the gateway to Floria Lake.
"…and didn't you see the look on Father's face?" a voice chimed with laughter; Zelda's. "It was as if he had seen a pair of ghosts rather than the two of us!"
Another laugh joined hers, slightly softer and more reserved. "I know. But all jokes aside, don't be too hard on Gaepora. He has gone through his own personal hell waiting for your return."
Zelda stopped to consider this, and fell silent a moment. Link was right, of course. This whole ordeal had probably given her father enough stress to shorten his lifespan by ten years. She knew how much her father cherished her; she was his only daughter, after all. To think of all the anxiety and powerlessness he must have felt was unbearable.
She felt Link rush to her side in an instant, his arm wrapping protectively around her waist and drawing her close. He was already worried about her well-being. She sighed. Such a chivalrist.
"Getting a little ahead of ourselves, aren't we?" Zelda teased, swiftly alternating to a playful tone and giving into his grasp. She cast a piercing glance into Link's identically hued cerulean eyes, holding them there for a few solid moments until Link began to shift uncomfortably, before she suddenly broke free.
"Last one to the waterfall is a bowl of cold pumpkin soup!" She shouted as she took off running through the trees.
"Zelda, no! Wait!" Link called after her, gathering himself as he sprinted to catch up. "It's dangerous to do this at night, what if you fall?"
Zelda only laughed, already yards ahead.
"You are far too quick for your own good." Zelda huffed, collapsing onto the bank of the stream in defeat.
"You should know better." Link panted in return, though he had just barely broken a sweat. "Don't worry; cold pumpkin soup is on me tonight."
He slumped down to join Zelda on the ground, kicking his boots off as he did so to let his feet dangle in the crystalline water. "What's with the childish games, anyway? We haven't raced for years."
Zelda stretched out and gazed into the now darkened night sky. "Remember the time you let me win?" She started, an air of nostalgia filling her voice. "We were racing to the bridge, and I twisted my ankle and fell." She stifled a laugh. "I wouldn't stop crying and shrieking my head off until you convinced me I was the winner and promised me anything I wanted as a reward. The only prize I'd accept was a Loftwing carving just like the one I had seen in your room. And every time we raced from then on, I declared myself the winner and demanded another carving from you. You always did it, too, selflessly and without a single complaint." She smiled, cocking her head to gaze at Link softly. "Or maybe you were just scared of the consequences."
Link laughed sheepishly in response. "To tell you the truth, I really only wanted to see your face light up the way it did whenever I finished another carving. You were ecstatic; parading your newest one all around the Knight Academy and even the bazaar."
Zelda started and then nearly doubled over in laughter. "Remember the time when Groose stole one of the carvings and hid it in his bed?"
"That was no laughing matter; you have no idea what I went through to get it back! Sleeping Groose is a forced to be reckoned with." Link proceeded to imitate Groose's gargantuan elephant snore, and both fell into a fit of laughter.
Once the giggling finally died down, they both grew quiet, taking in the sounds of the night: the steady rushing of the water, the gentle breeze rustling through the trees, and the low chirps of the insects. Such silence was not uncommon for them. They liked to be still with one another to absorb the environment and simply enjoy one another's company.
A sudden chill ran down Zelda's spine and involuntarily she felt her hand move to her wrist, only to be taken by surprise when she felt nothing there. Only a few weeks before it had harbored a bracelet she had given up to both her source of comfort and dutiful protector, Impa. A blur of memories rushed back to her in a moment, painful memories that she had been doing her best to shove back into some dark corner of her mind. Try as she might to force them back, tears stung at her eyes and began to silently well up and overflow down her cheeks.
Zelda instantly hated herself for neglecting talking or even thinking about the recent events that had transpired. Though she understood, she couldn't quite come to terms with Impa's loss and still felt overwhelmed by the revelation of her own identity. She struggled to process all that she had seen and felt, not to mention her and her longtime childhood friend's integral role in the whole catastrophe.
And that brought her to an entirely different subject. Link. If anyone should be feeling overwhelmed by past experiences, it was Link, not her. How incredibly selfish of her to be thinking of herself all this time. And to think, all the pain, suffering, and trials he had suffered were for her sake alone. Everything was because of her. She knew that for sure. Even after she had confessed to him and told him she was using him, even after she sealed herself away from his grasp; even then he trudged forward, unwavering, while she must have seemed pathetic and helpless in comparison. And it was all for her.
Rivulets of fresh tears flowed from Zelda's eyes as her guard fell and she let out a broken sob. "I'm sorry, Link. I'm so sorry." She buried her face in her hands out of embarrassment as she waited for his response.
There was nothing, only silence.
Confused, Zelda peeked out from between her fingers to look at Link. He lay still beside her, eyes closed and chest moving rhythmically in a deep, even sleep.
Rage instinctively shot through her and she shot up, face flushing. "LINK! How can you be asleep at a time like this? Honestly-" She stopped short upon taking a closer look at his face. His features were so calm and relaxed, so different from the wary vigilance she had gotten so used to seeing permanently embedded in his features. Cautiously, she moved a hand down to gently brush his hair away from his eyes so she could admire how his eyelashes elegantly rested on his cheeks and the way his lips parted as he exhaled softly.
Shame rushed through her for even thinking of trying to wake him. She was prone to growing rather explosive towards Link's sleeping tendencies, a byproduct dating back since their early childhood when Link would often fall asleep at any given moment, regardless of time or place. Zelda was often at the brunt of this habit of his as it frequently cut into the time they spent together. Usually, she did not receive it well and used it as a means of torment with which to boss Link around. This was not even remotely close to being the first time something like this had happened. Sadly, however, this was the first time she had truly taken to admire Link's tranquil beauty as he slept.
Upon her examination she came across a small, but deep, cut above Link's right eyebrow that was beginning to scar. She had made sure to attend to Link's wounds thoroughly ever since they began their life together on the surface, but for some reason, no matter what she tried, she couldn't get this gash to heal. It had been a deep wound inflicted by the Demon King himself, Demise. No doubt it would serve as a bittersweet reminder of this battle for the rest of Link's life.
Zelda smiled and shook her head in disbelief at the boy turned man before her. She couldn't bear to see him get hurt any longer. Tenderly lifting up his head and placing it in her lap, she stooped down to place a gentle kiss on his wound.
"You've done well, young hero." She uttered in a whisper.
She decided she'd let him sleep, if only for tonight.