After a few more rounds of climbing, Sidon reached the top of the last waterfall and forcefully pushed off from the water, propelling the pair high into the night.
"Zelda! Look!"
Upon feeling the chill of the night air and noticing they were no longer in the water, Zelda peeked around Sidon's shoulders and gasped.
He had launched them high into the air, and she could see the whole valley spread out around them. The stars glittered above while the luminous stone lamps from the Domain and the path leading up to it lit up the ground far below. Zelda gaped at the sight of the blazing red lava of Death Mountain off in the distance, and she even caught sight of the moonlit remnants of Hyrule castle.
If only she could've whipped her Sheikah Slate out to snap a photo.
As quickly as the sight entered her vision, the pair began to drop back down to the peak of the mountain. Sidon reached behind him to pull Zelda around to his front, and he held her close as they fell back to the ground. A small splash kicked up around them as he landed in a crouching position in the shallow water with Zelda held close so she would not be injured.
The Hylian Princess stumbled away from Sidon as soon as he opened his arms, and he was met with the radiant sight of her excited expression as she stared up at him in awe.
"That was amazing! Your swimming...and this place...and this view!" She spun around and flung her arms wide open as she breathed in the crisp nighttime air that gently blew around them.
They were standing in the middle of a shallow pool that was roughly a foot deep. The thin layer of water coated a large, ancient Zora stone talisman beneath their feet. Surrounding the circular spot of water were dozens of glowing silent princess flowers and blue nightshade, which created a calm, ethereal ambiance much like the luminous stones used at the Zora Domain. Because they were so high up on the mountain, the peak had a clear view for miles in all directions.
Sidon watched after Zelda as she swiftly walked around to view out in every direction, and watched with pride as she took in the wonder of his magical get-away.
"It is customary for the children to be brought here to teach them a bit about our history. Everyone knows of this place, but few rarely come up here on their own accord, since there's really no reason to visit it again after seeing it once. This is part of the remnants of the old Zora Domain before the new one was constructed." He looked down at the talisman beneath their feet that he was told was once was the center of the old Domain throne room.
"I often come up here to meditate or just to get away when patrols are slow. No one ever comes up here this late, but I think this is the best time to see the true beauty of the Domain and the world around us."
Zelda nodded thoughtfully at this information, through her attention remained on the moon-bathed world around her.
She continued to circle the small peak and stare off into the valleys around them. Sidon moved to sit in the center of the pool, then flopped back so that he was laying in the shallow water. The stars above glittered like diamonds against the black sky.
Sidon closed his eyes and breathed in deeply as he listened to the sound of Zelda splashing around in the water around him. He soon felt the presence of her sitting down next to him.
"I'm glad you brought me along to see your special hiding place."
The Zora Prince cracked an eye open, and Zelda smiled appreciatively down at him before turning and withdrawing her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. Her wet hair clung to her back, and Sidon's fingers twitched at the thought of running his fingers through the golden strands.
Zelda, seeming to sense Sidon's rigid energy, moved to lay beside him in the shallow water. The water was cool against her back, and her fingers trailed across the smooth texture of the talisman beneath them.
A defeated sigh escaped her lips as she stared heavenward at the stars. "Link returns tomorrow, and then we'll be setting off for Akkala."
Sidon felt his heart clench at her blunt words, and studied at her profile. Her eyes were now closed, and he mentally traced the gentle curve of her nose and the plump shape of her lips. He subconsciously licked his lips, and quickly looked back to the sky before she could notice him staring.
"Yeah. I'm excited to see Link again as it has been a while, but admittedly I'm sad that you will be leaving."
Her voice was laced with sorrow as she whispered, "I'm sad, too."
Sidon turned back to meet her gaze, and both royal heirs stared at each other's faces, trying to decipher what it was exactly that had grown between them in such a short amount of time. There definitely were feelings of kinship, for they both shared similar struggles and feelings that came with their royal positions, as well as their connection to both Link and Mipha.
But still, beyond the obvious reasons as to why she felt drawn to Sidon, there was something more beneath the surface that brought Zelda comfort when in his company.
A small, bittersweet smile came to Zelda's lips, and Sidon was hit with the feeling of needing to do something, anything, while he still had her here within reach.
He quickly shifted to his side and propped himself up so that he was hovering above her with his hands on either side of her head. The Princess's hair floated around his hands like golden strands of silk in the shallow water around them. Zelda's deep blue eyes widened and her lips parted in surprise.
The Zora Prince's own amber eyes burned as he commanded her gaze, and Zelda felt her stomach flutter with anticipation. She gasped as his hand reached up to cup her chin and tilt it, drawing her lips up and closer to his face.
Zelda shuddered in pleasure at the sensation of his sharp nails grazed over her skin.
He asked softly, as if afraid of scaring her away, "May I?"
Realizing his intentions, Zelda breathed deeply, completely entranced by the handsome Zora. She could barely register her own voice replying a small, "yes" to his request, and her heart all but felt like it stopped at the sensation of his lips pressed against the corner of her own.
Her breath caught in her chest and her eyes fluttered closed as he pulled back to place another kiss upon the other corner of her lips.
Finally his aim landed full upon her lips.
.
.
.
His kisses were so soft that Zelda could barely be sure that he was actually kissing her, though she treasured the sensation nonetheless.
But as she opened her eyes to see the Zora man now staring down at her with worry in his eyes, she realized he was visibly conflicted over his actions.
It took everything in him not to completely kiss her senseless, but despite her consent, the Zora man was unsure whether or not she truly felt the same way he did. He suddenly felt wrong for relishing in this uncertain pleasure, and a wave of guilt washed over him for indulging in his desires.
"I...I'm sorry, Princess. I...perhaps I shouldn't have done that." He averted his gaze, ashamed over his sudden actions, but remained hovering over her.
Zelda frowned as he slipped back into rigid formality, feeling hurt at his sudden withdrawal after kissing her.
"Do you...not like me?" She pulled her hands to her chest and looked away from his face, suddenly feeling foolish.
Sidon turned back to her and sputtered out loudly, "No! Zelda, please, I adore you. I can't tell you how ridiculous I feel over having these feelings after only being in your presence for a few days, and how pained I am to know that you're leaving tomorrow."
He drew one hand up to press against his face in frustration.
Zelda stared up at him, dry mouthed at his confession.
"I just...am not used to feeling this way, and I'm unsure of how to proceed considering you're...well, you."
Sidon sighed, and let his hand fall to stroke some stray hair away from her face. His gaze was trained on his own movements, as he was too afraid to look her in the eye.
"Neverminding the fact that you willingly allowed me to dishonor you."
Zelda blinked in surprise as Sidon sighed once more. The Princess couldn't help but chuckle at his nervous demeanor.
"You didn't dishonor me. You have shown me so much these past few days, and I feel close to you, too. I wish we could have had longer together. And you have been exceptionally honorable this whole while, so do not fret. I would not have allowed you this close if I did not wish for you to be."
Sidon let out a small laugh. Noticing nothing but sincerity in her eyes over the words she spoke, the Zora Prince offered her a warm smile.
Zelda reached up to caress his scar, then moved her hand down to his cheek as she tried to commit his face and this moment to memory.
He nuzzled her hand, relishing in the intimate attention he was receiving from the most powerful woman in all of Hyrule.
"And besides, I wanted you to kiss me." She cautiously grazed his lips with her fingers. A tingling sensation coiled in Sidon's stomach from both her small confession and her touch. "May I?"
He quirked an eyebrow, but nodded, his voice rough as he tried to suppress the overwhelming feeling of excitement welling up in his chest. "Yes, of course. Anything you wish, Zelda."
He licked his lips in anticipation, giving her the briefest sight of his sharp teeth.
Teeth that had once made her nervous, now made her shiver with anticipation.
Zelda cupped his face in her hands and leaned up to place a simple, delicate kiss on his lips.
She pulled back, admiring his handsome face as he remained still with his eyes closed, and leaned in for another coy peck on the lips.
As she started to pull away once more, Sidon reached up to cradle the back of her head. His eyes were still closed as he murmured, "No, please stay."
Zelda couldn't help the laughter that bubbled up at how eager he was to kiss her, which caused Sidon to chuckle as well as they resumed kissing. They peppered one another with light kisses, while curiously indulging in the softness of each other's lips.
After a few more small kisses, Sidon attempted to deepen the kiss. Zelda gasped, and when he recoiled, she mirrored his earlier movements of reaching up to prevent him from pulling away.
"No, it's okay! I'm sorry, I just was surprised."
Sidon nodded in understanding. After analyzing her flushed face for a few seconds, he lowered his face back down to gingerly nuzzle her while giving her small pecks. As she sighed in contentment, he once more tried to push into a stronger kiss.
Even though she was expecting it this time, the feeling of his large, smooth tongue sliding into her mouth caused Zelda to squeak in surprise.
Sidon chuckled against her lips at her cute reaction. He leaned down closer to her, caging her between his body and the talisman in the water beneath them.
Her hands were now rested flat against his chest as she grew accustomed to the salty taste of his mouth, and Zelda dared to push back into the kiss.
Sidon shuddered at the feeling of her hot tongue tentatively sliding against his sharp teeth, and groaned as they continued to explore each other's mouths. He brought his hand up to hold her cheek, and Zelda leaned into his touch while they kissed.
After a couple minutes, Sidon broke away from their kiss to see her face.
He only caught a glimpse of her closed eyes and dreamy appearance before he was met with wide blue eyes staring up at him in confusion.
Sidon calmly looked at her, and Zelda started to blush even harder. "W-What?"
The blue glow from the flowers around them cast an illuminating shine on the couple, and the Zora man couldn't help but lean down to whisper in her ear, "I can't believe I'm passionately kissing our guest, the Princess Zelda of Hyrule. I must have a death wish."
Zelda couldn't help but giggle, though her head was reeling at the ghostly heat of Sidon's breath in her ear.
Before she could reply, Sidon claimed her lips in another kiss. The pressure of his body on top of hers, along with the ferocity of his affection caused Zelda to inadvertently hum and sigh between kisses, which only riled up the Zora man more than he already was.
He moved away from her lips to kiss her cheek, then down her jawline before settling on her neck. The sensation of his sharp teeth scraping against her sensitive skin earned a loud gasp from the Princess beneath him, and Sidon couldn't resist nipping a little bit harder at her tender skin before moving back to her lips.
The low rumble in Sidon's throat and the feeling of his hands moving to tightly grip her hips shook Zelda out of the moment, and she pulled away, breaking their heated kiss.
Sidon's body went rigid as he realized that he had overstepped a boundary, and he immediately pulled himself off of her. Both royal heirs were now sitting up, but avoided each other's gaze in embarrassment.
"Ah, I'm sorry!"
The Zora man froze at her apology, "Why are you sorry? I'm the one who was behaving like an animal."
Heat rose to his cheeks as he relived the intensity of his reaction to assert dominance after Zelda had pushed back.
If the Princess didn't think he dishonored her earlier, she definitely would've thought so now.
"No, please don't be sorry about that. I liked it very much!"
Sidon stared wide-eyed at the blushing Zelda, who was prettily bathed in the silver moonlight as the field of blue flowers served as an enchanting backdrop behind her.
This woman was truly was a Goddess, he thought - a Goddess he had just passionately ravished under the seeing eyes of all those above.
And she liked it.
She liked it very much.
That Rito Champion of her past affections must've been rolling in his grave.
For some reason this brought a feeling of prideful arrogance to Sidon's chest, though he quickly tried to quash it down out of guilt.
"I'm the one who should be apologizing. I didn't mean to...uh, get so carried away." In typical Link fashion, Sidon nervously rubbed the back of his neck as he tried to carefully gauge Zelda's reaction.
She held her face in her hands for a few moments as she tried to calm herself down.
Sidon fidgeted with his silver cuffs as he stared down at them in shame. The sight of her small hand laying on top of his halted his movements and guided his attention up to Zelda, who looked at him with glittering eyes.
"I truly do like you, Sidon. Obviously things are...complicated. I don't know what the future will bring...if it will bring anything at all." She withdrew her hand to her chest, and they were quiet as they both thought on her words.
Zelda was the Princess of Hyrule after all, and while Sidon too, was of royalty, the Zora were on a much lower level when compared to the Hylian royalty that ruled over all the other factions. Now that the Calamity was over, Zelda and the other Hylians who were previously misplaced would have to band together and work at rebuilding their broken home, as well as establish a central control for all of Hyrule. That would take many years, and then there was the whole other matter of the arranged royal courting customs that were still prevalent throughout most of the domains.
After a few moments, Sidon placed a hand on her head and grinned, "Zelda, I'm not asking to court you - we have only known each other for a few days!"
Zelda gaped at this, not expecting him to break out of the somber mood so quickly. She stammered, trying to regroup her thoughts. "Well, I mean! I wasn't...I know we aren't…"
Sidon chuckled at her cute display while gingerly wiping some of the hair on her forehead away with his thumb. "I'm just kidding. I knew this probably would not lead to anything, but I just wanted to know that you felt the same kind of way I felt during our time together."
Zelda nodded in understanding. "Yes, I did."
The smile that stretched across the Zora man's face was so bright that Zelda had to turn away as she tried to control her racing heart. Sidon rolled his eyes at her sudden display of bashfulness and pulled away to flop on his back by her side.
The girl sat by his side, and both of them indulged in the comfortable silence that had settled between them.
Sidon breathed deeply before gasping at the sight above him.
"Zelda, look!"
Sidon patted her thigh with his hand, causing the Princess to curiously peer down at him. He motioned for her to look at the sky.
Blue eyes turned heavenward, and a small noise of astonishment escaped her at the sight of a dozen or so stars falling across the dark blanket of sky.
"A star shower!"
Her exclamation was met with a soft grunt of approval from the Zora Prince laying beside her, and both heirs watched in awe as a wave of more stars descended over Death Mountain and off towards Tabantha, leaving behind a faint glittering trail in their wake.
As quickly as it began, the stars were gone and the sky returned to normal.
Zelda couldn't help but feel bittersweet sadness over the fleeting beauty of the star shower.
It achingly reminded her of their short time together.
"In our culture, a cascade of stars like this is a good omen for a hopeful future," Sidon murmured as his gaze remained focused up at the midnight sky.
Sidon's view was quickly obstructed as the Hylian girl leaned over him. Her hair tickled his face, and he reached up to run his fingers through the wet strands.
"Then I'm glad we got to see it together. May the Goddess both smile down upon us in the coming days. Thank you, Sidon, I'll always cherish this time we spent together."
Sensing her sincerity, Sidon smiled up at her lovely face, "Yes. I will too, Zelda."
"After Link and I get back to Hyrule Castle, we will unfortunately be quite busy. It may be quite a long time before we are able to meet again." She exhaled the knot that had settled in her chest and watched the breeze ruffle the glowing flowers that surrounded them. "So, don't you go forgetting about me so easily," she whispered to the darkness with a bittersweet smile.
Taken aback by her quiet demand, Sidon stared at her for a moment before a small smile tugged at his lips.
Zelda pulled away to join him on her back in the water. They laid together quietly in the shallow pool under the sea of stars, and Zelda's fingers twitched as she felt Sidon's hand settle on top of her own.
Sidon smiled to himself as the stars glittered brightly in the sky above them.
"I'd never."
.
.
.
A/N: Finally, the big moment I'm sure everyone has been waiting for! I've never written a kissing/making out scene before, so hopefully it wasn't too cringe-worthy haha! And I hope it was worth the wait ;o
xx Cafalla
