Game: Twilight Princess
Day Four Theme: Snowflake
Zelda cocked her head to one side, looking at Link incredulously. Link simply continued grinning up at her childishly, motioning her closer with his mittened hands. The two stood shivering at Snowpeak Top, and taking in the sight of the great expanse of the mountain spread beneath them was making Zelda dizzy.
Zelda's heart had practically soared out of her chest when Link had suggested a brief trip. She could freely admit that she deeply enjoyed Link's company, and she could less freely admit that she found him to be very appealing in most senses of the word. So naturally, the thought of spending time with him, away from the castle especially, had brightened her mood. He'd claimed she needed rest from the royal courts, and that he had known the perfect place for her to gain refreshment. Of course, Link had looked so excited when he'd made the proposition—how was Zelda expected to resist him?
Snowpeak was not quite what Zelda had expected, but she wouldn't dare complain about journeying to a place that gave her an excuse to nestle closer to Link as they walked through the snow, his arm around her shoulders to keep her close and warm. After a peaceful night by the fireplace in Snowpeak Ruins, Link had awoken her that morning, promising a surprise. And there Zelda stood, staring at Link with utter bewilderment etched across her features.
Link smiled wider, coming up to her and taking her gloved hand in his own, giving it a gentle squeeze of encouragement which made Zelda's cheeks flush with color. Link playfully tugged her toward the thin sheet of ice he had knocked from a tree, gesturing for her to step onto it. "L-Link, I don't know about this," Zelda shivered both from the cold and the fear mounting within her.
Link's smile faded slightly, and he seemed to understand. He nodded and moved to dispose of his makeshift sled. Zelda's heart tore in two, and she caught his arm swiftly, "Wait. Maybe…maybe just one time."
Link beamed at her, her heart melting within her chest. He placed the sled on the ground once more, beckoning her to board it. Unable to remember the last time she had felt so afraid—and of a simple sled ride of all things!—Zelda slowly mounted the ice, her entire body quivering. Link easily slipped behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist protectively. She blushed again, not expecting to make the journey accompanied. With Link's breath warm on her neck, he gave a firm push with his foot, and off they went.
Zelda shrieked as the sled zipped through the snow, sometimes even briefly gliding on the air. Millions of snowflakes dampened her face and clung to her eyelashes, falling about in a beautiful storm of white. Zelda's heart sped along with the sled, her hands clenching Link's tightly, sometimes squeezing her eyes shut. Link laughed with each of her shouts of alarm, quietly reassuring her with a squeeze of his arms, swaying their bodies and effectively steering them through the glistening snow.
After sailing through the snow like a ship, the sled soon entered a forest, pine trees sprouting from the ground in all directions. Zelda gasped with fear, but Link seemed to still be able to steer them safely, avoiding one tree and then another. Zelda was almost entirely reassured, when a log, hidden beneath a quilt of snow, snagged the bottom of the sled. With a mutual yelp of surprise and fear, both Link and Zelda went flying through the air. With a thump, Zelda rolled into the trunk of a tree, her head spinning as she slumped wearily into the snow.
Link had landed a short distance away. In a panic, he scrambled to his feet and rushed to Zelda's side, cupping her face anxiously, his eyes searching her for any sign of injury. "Link," Zelda smiled, beginning to laugh at their misfortune, "Link, stop worrying; I'm fine!"
Her laughs grew louder and bolder as she tried to picture how the scene must've looked, both of them flailing through the air and her colliding with a tree. Link smiled softly, biting his lip as the princess had her laugh. Finally, Zelda quieted once more, confused by the odd look decorating Link's face.
Glimpsing into her eyes once, Link stooped forward, quickly brushing Zelda's lips with his own. His cheeks were bright with bashfulness as he drew back, searching Zelda's face to ascertain if his behavior had displeased her. Zelda lifted two fingers to her lips in disbelief, hardly able to comprehend what had just happened.
Link, stammering, explained that it was simply an impulse and Zelda had looked so happy and pretty. He apologized, offering his hand timidly to help Zelda to her feet. Not quite ready to be so quickly rid of an opportunity to tease him, Zelda accepted his hand, only to yank him back to the snow. Link gasped with surprise, catching himself before he landed on top of Zelda. Zelda smirked up at him, his body looming over hers. Sifting her hands beneath his cap and through his hair, Zelda gently drew him forward once more, kissing him again. Link's eyes fluttered shut peacefully, as did Zelda's, the two of them lost in the tempest of ivory around them and the wild beating of their hearts.