A/N: Gahh, I would have gotten this chapter out sooner, but I had major writer's block . I have a couple things planned out the future, but I'm trying to figure out what to do in the meantime with this story. But the next chapter should be... interesting. You should be able to figure out why by the end of this one. Anyway... I hope you enjoy this chapter! ^.^ Just a warning; it's a bit citrusy... There are no actual lemons, but it gets fairly close... But... enjoy! :D

Chapter 14

"Ash, this is a terrible idea," Shad told her as she stood with one foot on the sled, stretching her arms above her head.

"It'll be just fine," she replied coolly, shaking her head. "If anything, you should be comforting Link, because he's the one who's about to get absolutely crushed."

"You're setting a terrible example for the children..."

"Link's the babysitter here, not me. Their parents know I'm not a role-model, so if the kids get hurt doing something stupid, then it's not my fault."

He narrowed his eyes slightly, and was about to retort when Link chimed in, interrupting him.

"You ready to get left in the dust, Ashei?"

Zelda grabbed onto his arm, frowning slightly as she tried to pull him away from the sled. "Link, this is a bit dangerous..."

"Sure thing, pretty boy!" the warrior answered, grinning over her shoulder at him. "Hope you don't trip over your skirt on the way down!"

He rolled his eyes. "You seem a bit high-strung; maybe you should loosen your corset!"

"I'll loosen my corset when your balls drop!"

"THERE ARE CHILDREN AROUND, ASH," Shad growled at her.

She rolled her eyes, looking over at the kids. "You guys know better than to repeat anything that I say, yeah?"

Talo shrugged. "We don't know what you're saying half of the time, anyway."

"Good." Ashei turned back to Link, nodding. "Let's go."

He brushed his bangs out of his face, stepping onto the board.

"I'll count!" Talo spoke up, smiling from ear to ear. "3!"

They both bent their knees, staring straight ahead at the finish line.

"2!"

They clenched their fists, lifting a foot off the ground.

"1! ...Go!"

They both kicked off simultaneously, a flurry of snow flying up behind them as they sped down the hill.

Immediately, they realized that it was far more difficult than they thought it would be.

Ashei tried her best to balance on the sled. The moment she thought that she'd gained her footing, she looked back at Link with a cocky smirk. "You hanging in there, Blondie?"

"Better than you!" he replied, gazing down at his feet. Quickly, he swerved out of the way to avoid one of the sleds that they'd purposely put in the way.

He felt the chilly air against his face as they neared the end of the hill. They were about tied when they moved at the same to avoid an obstacle near them.

Unfortunately for them, they swerved towards each other.

Almost immediately, they crashed into each other, and they were sent tumbling to the ground violently. Link landed with his hands out in front of him, smacking his head on the ground as Ashei fell directly onto his leg.

"Link! Ashei!" Zelda exclaimed, rushing down to meet them as they both groaned in pain, too shocked to move.

Shad hurried down with her, his eyes filled with worry as he bit his tongue.

"Are you both okay?!" the queen gasped, kneeling down to them.

The young man gave a sort of grunt as he tried to pick himself off of the floor, his head spinning.

Ashei rubbed her forehead, grimacing as she lifted herself off of his leg. She held onto her tailbone, gritting her teeth as she remained on the ground.

"Ugh..." she muttered, shaking her head. "Damn, that hurt..."

Link sat up slowly as Zelda grabbed onto his arm, frowning worriedly.

"Are you okay?"

Weakly, he nodded. "Yeah... it's a good thing this snow's here, or I may have broken my wrists..."

"I'm surprised I didn't break your leg," Ashei murmured, still wincing slightly.

"Same here."

Shad helped the warrior up, a crease forming above his brow. "Are you alright, Ash?"

"Fit as a fiddle," she answered, snorting quietly. "Tailbone's just a little banged up... nothing a few pillows can't fix, yeah?"

"You poor thing..." Zelda sighed, wrapping her arms around Link. She glanced down, frowning when she saw the palms of his hands. "Oh... you're all scraped up, Link..."

Before he could answer, she helped him up, frowning. "Let's get you back to your house so that we can wrap your hands up..."

...

Zelda sat on the couch as Link moved his numb hand around, walking in circles around the living room.

"Are you feeling better?" she asked softly.

He shrugged. "My leg's still aching a little, but... I'm pretty sure I'll survive."

"I'm sorry that you were hurt..." she told him, her eyes sad.

"I'm alright," he assured her, nodding. "Plus, it was my fault, anyway... not yours. But I'm okay..."

She frowned slightly as he sat beside her. He threw an arm around her, and she couldn't help but crack a grin when he kissed her on the cheek.

Starting to get the feeling back in his hands, he intertwined his fingers with hers. "You know what the coolest part of the winter is?"

"What is that?"

"I get to see you wear pants."

She smirked, looking over at him. "Why is that 'cool'?"

"I dunno... it's just... different. You're always wearing dresses, and to see you wear pants is a nice change of pace. Plus it shows off your legs, so..."

She felt herself blush. "Oh... I-I wouldn't say that it really shows them off, but..."

"Well, it's enough to remind me that you have really nice legs. But the day when you wear shorts... THAT would be interesting."

"I couldn't possibly wear shorts," Zelda replied meekly, shaking her head. "It would be so informal..."

"What about around the castle, when Impa's not home?"

"...Why when Impa's not home?"

"...I might get some ideas."

Her cheeks flooded red, and she gazed at her lap as he chuckled. "L-Link..."

"What?" he asked, grinning as he wrapped his arms around her. She yelped in surprise when he pushed her down onto her back, and he smirked, kissing her on the lips. "I'm a guy, Zelda; it's not my fault that I have these thoughts."

She bit her lip, looking up at him. "...How often do you have these thoughts?"

Link flitted his eyes away. "...More than you think."

Zelda thought to herself for a moment. "But... how do you handle it?" she questioned. "I mean... we haven't... you know... s-since before I got sick."

He rubbed the back of his neck, sitting up on his knees. "I-I mean... like most guys, I've found ways to deal with it."

She cocked her head. "What do you mean by that?"

He huffed out, his cheeks slightly red. "I mean, like, uh... you know... relieving the tension, when I'm... alone."

"Oh..." she replied, nodding. After a moment, she pursed her lips, and her cheeks got even more red. "O-Oh..."

The young man nodded, clearing his throat. "I... I guess I've said more than I should have... I'm sorry..."

He began to pull away, but she hastily grabbed onto his arm.

"N-No..." she replied. "I understand..."

Her throat began to burn as she tried her best to choke out her next words.

"When you're..." she trailed off. "...W-What do you... think of?"

He swallowed hard. "Y-You," he answered honestly, his stomach twisted into knots.

Zelda held onto his hand. "...What about me?"

He found it hard to look her in the eyes, but occasionally, he managed. "...About... the times that we've been together like that." Link shifted towards her slightly. "Picturing you hunched over me, and the sounds you make..." He shook his head. "It's... enough to keep me wanting more for a long time."

She glanced down for a moment, just now realizing that one of his knees had ended up between her thighs, parting her legs slightly.

Her stomach began to flutter.

Saying nothing, she locked her lips with his, her hands on his back.

Some sort of feeling had overcome her, hearing him say those things, but she couldn't quite place it.

Of course, Link certainly wasn't complaining.

His lips trailed down to her collarbone, and she inhaled sharply, her skin covered in goosebumps.

"Link..."

His hands trailed down to her waist, then her hips, then her thighs, and she felt herself getting increasingly nervous as he went on.

It was when she attacked his lips with hers, and she felt him unzipping her jacket, that she realized the feeling that was begging her to be let out.

So she didn't complain when he kissed her on the jawline, his fingers swiftly unbuttoning her shirt. Zelda moaned quietly when his lips grazed the area just above the swell of her breast, and she felt herself blush deeply.

She murmured something that may have been his name, but it was so jumbled that it might as well have been another language. He locked eyes with her, his lips still on her chest as she bit her lip.

Seeing that her bra hooked in the front, he immediately took advantage.

"L-Link...!" she gasped, her cheeks bright red as he slowly kissed her all over, unhooking her bra.

His hands gently trailed upward, and she made a sort of squeak in the back of her throat when they reached her chest.

Zelda bit her tongue hard when his left hand slid down her body, toying with the button on her pants. Carefully, he unbuttoned them, unzipping them as well as she felt herself begin to shiver.

His fingers trailed down, finding their way into her pants as she arched her back.

She moaned his name, her arms wrapped around his neck as he gently rubbed her.

Her breathing became shallow when he moved from her arms, and she covered her own mouth to keep quiet when he kissed her on the navel.

Zelda groaned loudly, her hips bucking as he kept his hand cupped against her.

And then the door clicked open.

Link quickly pulled away, and Zelda pulled her jacket closed over her bare chest as she tried not to scream.

Ashei swore under her breath, quickly turning her gaze away. "I'm sorry- I-I'll come back later," she apologized, her face flooding red as she stepped outside, hurriedly shutting the door behind her.

"By the goddesses," Zelda muttered, burying her face in her hands.

Link shook his head, his eyes wide.

"...A-At least it was Ashei, and not one of the kids..."

She nodded slightly, still in shock.

After a few moments, she clasped her hands together. "...W-Where did you learn to do that?"

"Hmm?" he asked, being ripped from his thoughts.

"W-With your... fingers..."

"Oh," he responded, his face a deep crimson. He rubbed the back of his neck. "Well... like I said, as a kid, I heard Fado talk about things while drunk that no child should ever hear..." He frowned. "If you didn't like it, then I won't do it again..."

"N-No," she answered hastily, clearing her throat as she meekly hooked her bra, buttoning her shirt up. "That's certainly not it... I mean... CERTAINLY..." She shook her head. "I simply... wasn't expecting it. But... the thought of hearing it from Fado's mouth makes me a bit wary."

He snorted. "Yeah... it wasn't something I needed to hear. If he was the one watching the kids, then they'd be a lot less innocent than they are, now..."

"E-Either way..." she laughed nervously, zipping up her jacket and buttoning up her pants, "I can't complain..."

Link glanced over at her, unsure of himself. "Y-You liked it?"

The young woman lowered her gaze uneasily, obviously feeling as if she was speaking obscenely. "Y-Yes..."

He chuckled breathily. "That's good... it was a total shot in the dark, really... Not to shatter the obvious illusion that I've built, but you should know by now that I have zero experience with this stuff."

"Y-You're good at it, Link..."

"Well, maybe better than anyone else you've been with."

"But I haven't been with anyone el-"

She stopped herself short, and he raised an eyebrow at her.

Zelda pursed her lips. "Oh..." she mumbled. "I see what you mean... B-But you're certainly not bad, Link! A lack of experience certainly doesn't automatically make someone bad at something..."

He smirked, running his fingers through his hair. "That's nice of you to say, but I really should come with a warning label."

"And what would it say?" she asked.

"'Lower your expectations.'"

She frowned. "You're too hard on yourself, Link..."

Before he could reply, there was a firm knock on the door.

"Come in, Shad," he called out.

The scholar opened the door, furrowing his brow. "How did you know that it was me?"

He shrugged. "Ashei doesn't knock, all of the kids beside Colin bang on the door... Fado just yells to get my attention, and Ilia usually says my name when she knocks..." Link grinned. "Lucky guess, I suppose."

He nodded, closing the door behind him. "Well, I just came over because Ash said that she was planning on heading home fairly soon... Although, I figured that, since this is your home and you're the one who brought us here, you should be the one to decide when we're going back..."

"Yeah, we can head back soon," he agreed, nodding as he stood up, offering Zelda a hand.

"Are you sure?"

He nodded, winking at Zelda and causing her to blush. "Sure thing. I'm kinda tired, though... would you mind driving the carriage?"

The scholar shook his head, smiling. "No, I wouldn't mind..."

"Let's get a move on, then..."

And with that, they headed outside.

...

"Everyone ready?" Ashei asked nonchalantly, looking over at Link, Zelda, and Shad, who were saying their goodbyes.

"I believe so," Shad replied, nodding curtly as he approached the carriage.

"Good," she answered. "I'll drive..."

He perked his head up, raising an eyebrow. "A-Are you sure, Ash? Because I can-"

"It's all good," she replied, smoothing her hair down. "You look a little tired, anyway... get some rest, yeah?"

He bit his lip. "If you say so..."

Link looked over at her, almost certain that she was avoiding him and Zelda.

It was probably for the best, anyway.

So Link and Zelda gave hugs to all of the kids, smiling warmly as Beth and Colin congratulated them on their engagement.

They piled into the back of the carriage, fairly sleepy as the villagers waved goodbye.

"Come back soon!" Uli told them warmly.

"-With chocolate!" Talo added excitedly.

"I'll be sure to bring some!" Zelda replied, giggling as she waved at them.

Finally, the three sat down in the carriage as Ashei climbed into the front, saying nothing.

"I hope you two don't mind," Shad told them, yawning, "but I was planning on taking a bit of a nap. If that's okay with you..."

"Sure thing," Link chimed in, nodding.

Shad nodded politely, giving them a small grin as he lied down, resting his head against his satchel.

Zelda and Link remained as quiet as they could, until the scholar finally dozed off.

Link was the first to speak up.

"Your hair's cute when it's wavy..."

She smiled slightly, looking over at him. "What caused you to bring that up?"

He chuckled, twirling a piece of her hair around his finger. "What do you think?"

She laughed. "It always gets that way, when I braid it after bathing..."

"People would kill to have hair as nice as yours."

Zelda smiled. "Have you looked in a mirror, lately? Your locks are absolutely stunning. Who wouldn't kill for blond hair like yours?"

"Don't you come from a long line of blondes?" he asked, smirking.

"Do I look blonde to you?" she asked rhetorically, holding up a lock of her hair.

He smirked, pointing to the highlights in her hair. "A little bit, yeah..."

The young queen giggled. "Well... my hair gets darker as time goes on... Perhaps this time, next year, there won't be any blonde left."

"You could always dye it."

She scrunched up her nose, to which he laughed, pressing his finger to the tip of her nose playfully.

"You shouldn't make that face so much," he started, "or else it may get stuck like that..."

"Well, maybe that's what I'm going for."

"Hm. In that case, you should have them paint a portrait of you, with that expression."

"Only if you're the one painting it."

"I think it's pretty clear that I'm not an artist. I'd only try to paint you under one condition..."

She raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"

He smirked, leaning in a bit closer. "If your clothes were on the floor."

She turned beet red. "L-Link..."

"What?" he asked playfully, kissing her on the cheek.

"You're rather... uh..." She trailed of, unable to think of the word she was looking for.

"Hm?" he questioned.

"You're rather... suggestive, today," she finished quietly, obviously trying to make sure Ashei couldn't hear them.

He frowned slightly. "Oh..." he murmured, lowering his gaze. "I-I'm sorry, Zelda; I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable..."

Her eyes softened, and she gave him a smile of reassurance.

"I'm not uncomfortable, by any means," Zelda answered, resting her head on his shoulder. "I was just wondering why..."

He opened his mouth to speak, but was quickly interrupted when Zelda yelped as the carriage began to wobble. Shad awoken violently as the carriage shook, and Ashei yelled out, "Hold onto something!"

There was a loud creak, and then a snap, and the entire carriage fell forward and slightly to the left, as if it had landed in a ditch.

Link was the first one to rush out of the carriage as the other two tried to pick themselves up off of the floor, and he was surprised to find that they were still on level ground.

Only, the carriage was short one wheel.

"What happened?" he asked, furrowing his brow as Ashei winched, leaping off the front of the carriage.

"These wheels must be too worn down..." she replied, shaking her head dizzily. "One of the bolts came loose, or something..."

Zelda came around the corner, followed by the scholar.

"Is everyone okay?" the queen asked.

The others nodded.

"What do we do about this?" Shad asked, frowning. "It's gotten very dark, already..."

Ashei cleared her throat, grimacing when she stood up taller. "It's nothing," she replied. "We'll just lead the horse back to Castle Town, and have someone fix the carriage in the morning..."

She began to walk over to where the horse was tied to the carriage, but groaned in pain as she bent over slightly, gritting her teeth as she rested a hand on her rear.

"Ugh..."

"Does your tailbone still hurt?" Zelda asked, concerned.

She shrugged nonchalantly, rubbing the back of her neck. "I-It's nothing," she answered firmly. "You think I can't handle a walk back to town?"

"We don't want to put you out," Link cut in, clearing his throat. "I mean... My wrists are still bandaged up, and your tailbone's bruised... I don't think either of us could defend ourselves out there. Plus, Zelda's magic has its capacity..."

"I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself, even with a minor injury like this..."

"We're all exhausted, as it is..." Shad chimed in.

She raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Well, what do you suggest we do?"

"We could spend the night in the carriage," Link replied, nodding. "The four of us would be safer locked up in there than stuck out here, as it is..."

Zelda nodded, frowning slightly. "I agree... It certainly wouldn't be sensible to take a chance in this situation."

Finally, Ashei caved in.

"...Alright, I guess we can stay here for the night," she answered, rubbing her eyes. "Let's get back inside..."

With that, Shad, Zelda and Ashei went inside the carriage as Link walked over to Epona, gently stroking her mane and detaching her from the carriage.

He lead her towards the forest, looking over at her and raising an eyebrow. "You probably don't want to stick around here, huh?"

The horse gave a sort of huff, and he chuckled, petting her on the nose.

"You head back to Ilia, alright? She'll take care of you, for now..."

He gave her a light slap on the back, and she neighed, taking off towards the forest path without a second to spare.

Link headed back to the carriage, yawning as he thought of the night ahead of him.