I can't think of a title, help me

"It's been so long, I'm surprised it isn't too dusty," Link said, settling down into the couch. He pressed his face into the leather, letting out a sigh of relief. "It's so good to be home."

A cry of a baby sounds, and Link sits up, remembering that Zelda was going to live with him now, and with that stranger's child no less.

"Hylia wasn't it," he says thoughtfully.

"Yeah…it was the first thing that came to mind," Zelda replied. "Sorry if it's not to your tastes."

"No no, it's fine," Link waves away her apology. "It's a good name, fitting for the daughter of the future queen of Hyrule."

His gives a cheeky grin, and Zelda rolls her eyes dramatically. "It's not funny."

"It kinda is," Link argues.

"Only an idiot would find hilarity in this situation."

"Well, you have called me that many times princess. It's only fitting that I fulfil your expectations."

A brief silence, then Zelda erupts into a fit of giggles. Link just smiles, shaking his head in disbelief. Only in front of her closest friends would Zelda act as she was now.

Link's eyes scans over the young monarch. "You said you were caught by bandits when you escaped by the stream?"

Zelda's giggles slowly fades away. She pauses, looking down towards the baby in her arms. She walks around the room, losing focus to the other objects in the room.

"Well," she starts. "A brief encounter is more like it."

"Did they hurt you?" Link asks, his voice dropping.

"It's nothing serious—"

"—Did they hurt you?"

"…An arrow wound, nothing major."

Zelda hears the weight leave the couch, as footsteps moved closer to her. "Let me see."

Closing her eyes, turned to face Link. "It's nothing Link."

"Let me see your wound."

Sighing, Zelda turns back around, and offers her shoulder to Link. She feels warm fingers touch her shoulder, gently pulling back the cloth of her dress, exposing her skin to the cold night air. Link sucks in a deep breath, and Zelda freezes.

"You're not going to tell Impa right?" Link asks nervously.

"It's Impa. She'll find out one way or another."

Link curses softly, and Zelda glares at him, clamping her hand over Hylia's ears. The blonde boy mutters an apology, and Zelda's gaze lessens...barely.

"Speaking of wounds, let me see yours," Zelda says.

"What wounds?"

"Link…"

"What?"

She arcs an eyebrow threateningly, and Link has enough courage to truly look confused. The monarch quickly looks around the room, and seeing a table gently places a gurgling Hylia on it. "Sssshhhhh. Mama is going to torture your father for a bit. Just stay here and keep being adorable for the next half hour."

"You don't have to go that far," Link deadpans. "Look if it really means that much, fine."

"Good. Shirt. Off."

Link sighs, shrugging off his shirt. He then hugs himself, his cheeks reddening at the situation. "…Actually, isn't it morally wrong for the future Queen to see a man without his shirt before marriage?"

"If there was something worthwhile to look at, then yes."

"Ouch. No sympathy at all."

"You don't need it."

Link just grumbles under his breath. Zelda takes in a sharp breath, upon seeing Link's badly healed wounds covered by cloth from what she assumed was from shirts.

"It's not as bad as it looks," Link says. "Didn't have any bandages so I just took it off some of the bandits corpses."

"Did you clean your wounds at all? It doesn't look like it's healing properly," Zelda asks. "These don't look like sword marks either."

Link shakes his head. "A bandit kicked me into a ravine after blinding me with a torch. Most of my wounds should have been from the fall."

Zelda flinches, but start's peeling away the cloth, making sure not to press into the boy's wounds. "Uh…Where do you keep your bowls?"

"Cabinet next to the sink. Should be near the bottom."

Zelda nods, and quickly makes haste, drawing water from the sink and bringing the bowl of water to Link's side. The young monarch soaks some cloth from a drawer in the kitchen. She pulls it back out twisted it, letting the water drip back into the bowl.

"Arms up," she says softly.

Slowly Link raises his arms. Zelda brings the cloth to his wounds. Link hisses, but doesn't complain. Zelda continues to move the cloth across the boy's alabaster skin, careful to not apply too much pressure.

"So how has everyone been treating you?" Link asks.

Zelda pauses, soaking the new cloth into the water. She lets it drip for a bit, shaking some water as she thinks. "Well. They're all been very kind and understanding to me."

"That so?"

"You don't think they would be?"

"No no it's not that," Link says. He hisses as the new cloth presses against his rib cage. "It's just been so long. I was afraid they might have changed. They're humble folk, nothing strenuous, no politics or duties to the kingdom…I suppose I just missed the feeling of one big family."

Zelda gives a gentle smile. "Yeah, I can understand that. Turn around now."

Link obliges, and Zelda freezes.

"See something you like princess?" Link smirks at Zelda's reaction, arcing an eyebrow.

Zelda doesn't reply and instead traces the numerous scars on the boy's chest and torso. Then Link understands why.

Her touch is cold against his skin, and Link nearly shivers.

"They must have hurt," Zelda says softly.

Link pauses, taken aback by the soft tone. He gives a grim smile. "It's nothing. It's something you get used to over time."

"It's something no one should be getting used to."

"Yeah well, you wouldn't be a knight if you fled on the first sign of pain," Link answers. "Sometimes you just got to keep walking forward despite all the pain and suffering life throws at you."

Zelda doesn't say anything, throwing the last cloth back into the diluted water. She gives a last glance over the boy's body to see all the wounds.

"Do you have bandages rolls? Something to wrap your wounds?" she asks.

Link sheepishly rubs the back of his neck. "I uh, usually just suck it up. Lick my wounds and move on."

"That doesn't sound hygienic. It's a miracle you survived this long."

Link shrugs. Zelda rolls her eyes. Suddenly Hylia starts crying, and Zelda races across the room to her side. Link carefully slips his shirt back on, and sees the young monarch wrinkle her nose in disgust.

"Link," Zelda says. "Do you have any spare cloth apart from the ones that I used to clean your wounds?"

"Don't think so."

"Well…"

"You're joking," Link deadpans. "I can hang it outside now and hope it'll dry quickly enough, though without the sun I doubt it'll be quick. Do you need to change it now?"

Zelda just glares at him, answering his question. Link just sighs, and shrugs in defeat. Then an idea clicks in Zelda's head.

"Give me your shirt," she says.

"…What?"

"Give. Me. Your. Shirt."

"No, this is my only shirt. You're not using it as a diaper."

"This is your home, why do you not have any shirts here?"

"Because I didn't think I'll be coming back after becoming a knight?"

"Just give me the damn shirt!"

"You've been here for longer, you have spare clothes. Use them!"

"Are you asking the future Queen of Hyrule to strip?"

Link pauses. "No?"

Zelda eyes narrow like daggers, her eyebrow twitches and her fist is balled tightly. "Link…Give me your shirt now before I blast you to oblivion!"

"—And so after losing the argument, I was kicked out of my own home without my shirt," Link tells Rusl, who is staring at the half naked boy incredulously outside his home. He especially took notice of the slap mark on the young man's face. "Do you have any spare clothes I can use as Zelda lost them in the river?"

"Yeah," Rusl says, motioning for the boy to get into the house. "Get in before you catch a cold."

"About that," Link starts, before sneezing loudly. "I wouldn't be surprised if I already caught one."

After a quick few minutes, Link is wrapped in warm woollen clothing, and a pile of shirts and pants are in front of him on the table. "These are—"

"—The ones you left behind," Rusl finishes, taking a seat from across the table. "You didn't think I'll just throw it out did you? I would be sleeping on the couch for months if I did."

Link smirks, and mutters a thank you to his mentor. "Uli wringing you around the neck?"

"Yup. Doesn't help that she's pregnant too."

Link erupts into a fit of laughter, and Rusl looks bashful. "Hey now, you can't laugh at me. From the sounds of it Zelda is much worse."

To the blonde boy's credit, he does look guilty as he tries to stifle his laughter. "Sorry, sorry. It's just Uli still sounds like a demon."

Rusl snorts. "You little tyke. Watch your tongue when you talk about my wife."

Link sticks out his tongue teasingly. "You don't scare me old man."

The two glare at each other, then after a few seconds they both start laughing like old friends. Rusl leans forward and slaps Link's back. "You haven't changed a bit."

Link winces, but nods. "Yeah well, neither have you. Tell you what though, bet my sword skills are better than yours now."

"Oh ho, is that a challenge my foolish student?" Rusl challenges, cocking an eyebrow up. "You're stepping into dangerous territory now."

"Scared?"

"Never!"

"Then couple weeks from now, let's have a duel. See how much age has affected you old man."

"You have much to learn my boy. I accept."

The two slaps their hands into a firm handshake, grins plastered on both their faces. Their eyes fuelled with unquenchable fire, they eyed each other up.

"Dad. Link," Collin calls out, the bedroom door creaking open. "Can you guys keep it down…I was having a nice dream…"

The master and student look towards Collin, then back towards each other. Sheepishly, they both release the hand shake, muttering apologies to the boy. Collin yawns, slamming the door shut, leaving the two swordsmen in silence.

"So uh." Link says, wanting to talk about something. "What's the situation with the bandits right now?"

Rusl sighs heavily. "Honestly most have been on the run. Something or someone has driven them from their base, I'm assuming that was you."

"Yeah," Link nods. "For the first few weeks I had no trouble clearing them up. Once I thought I was done clearing the bandit problem, I would come to Ordon, but then there was this really tough guy."

"Oh?"

"His skill with the sword was no joke unlike the rest of his friends," Link says seriously. He leans forward, his expression darkens. " If I were to judge our actual skill with the blade, he was superior. I managed to push him so far because I was most definitely stronger and faster."

Rusl sighs. "I think I know who you are talking about Link."

Link looks into his mentor's eyes.

"Zelda told me about you missing in the woods," Rusl continues. "Figured I should try and find her husband for her sake, though I honestly wasn't looking too hopeful about the situation. And that's where I met the bastard. It was late at night, I was trekking through the forest with just a torch and my sword. I came across him, and he was the most difficult opponent I have ever fought. I reckon I could use a blade better than him, he was quite barbaric in his technique. I thought I was going to lose, but I managed to blind the bastard with my torch, before kicking him into a ravine."

"You kicked him…into a ravine?" Link asks, giving a low whistle. "Not bad."

"Damn right I did. But let me tell you, we're in deep trouble if he's still alive and some how managed to climb out of the ravine," Rusl says.

Link laughs. "Yeah. I suppose. Who knows, maybe you scared him so much he fled with his friends?"

"As if...wait, I just realised!"

"What?"

"You're old enough to drink now aren't you? You returning calls for a celebration!"

A/N: Hey, I was just wondering if I could get criticism on my writing. I really want to improve, and all I get is good feedback with nothing to work on. Of course you can be harsh if you want, I'm one of those that don't mind harsh criticism, but you have to actually have merit or reasoning.

Like you can't just say "This story sucks ass", with nothing to back that up.

You can however say "This story sucks ass. You gotta work more on your grammar, and flow of the story (or some other form of critique)."

So, yeah. :)

Answer to reviews:

Oracle of Hylia:

Thanks. Hopefully I didn't take too long and it was to your standard.

Lord Halcyon:

:3

jphw:

Probably won't explore too much of it? I mean the idea of this fic is just random drabbles about different morals and themes. But yeah, I'll keep it in mind.

Ancalagon:

No problem dude. Thanks for reading.