Title Ideas: Relief/Weight Off the Shoulders/Renewal/Is this flirting? It feels like flirting.
The prince is giving orders to a small group of Zora on a different platform when Link is stopped by a familiar face.
"Link! Hello, friend!" Bazz, a Zora Link used to play with as a child walks up to him. He remembers their first encounter when Bazz had refused to believe it was him unless he gave the Big Bazz Brigade passcode. "What have you been up to, fellow BBB member?"
Link makes sure his back is facing the prince. Maybe with his hood up, Sidon won't come to investigate. "Nothing much."
"Hardly, Master Link. There are two more red lights leading to Hyrule Castle." He looked up and saw that the beams were clear as can be here. "Prince Sidon has been anxiously awaiting your return."
He could feel his whole body stiffen. "O-Oh, he has?"
"Indeed! You are all he talks about!" The warmth of his face reddening had him ducking his head. "I'd say he is infatuated with you. Never stops talking about how great you are! And how thankful he is! In fact..."
Bazz's feet moved and Link knew what was happening, but refused to raise his head. What would the chance of escaping be? "Prince Sidon! Hey! Come over here!"
As quietly as he could, Link began shuffling away. The tell tale sound of Sidon's large footsteps hitting wood as he got closer had him starting to walk briskly. "What do you need, Captain Bazz?"
"I thought I would tell- Oh, wait!" His shoulders were grabbed and he squeaked. "Master Link, why are you trying to leave? Did you not wish to see his highness?"
Bazz steered and shoved him back to where they stood previously. Long red legs, yellow and blue accents. Yeah. No getting out of this.
"Captain Bazz, we need your help over here, sir." Link cursed the Zora that was calling for the man that unknowingly put him in a terrible situation.
"Come with me." The clipped, almost harsh tone from the prince had him following, his metaphoric tail between his legs.
They passed many Zora, some of which cheered while others didn't seem to realize it was him, on the way to a building on the innermost platform. He suspected it was the command center or Sidon's quarters. Maybe both. The prince opened a door and in they went. A large bed, dresser, desk with chair, and mirror let him know it was Sidon's room.
The large Zora started pulling the shutters closed for privacy. Link was unsure what to do with himself, but he knew he couldn't leave. Sidon's senses must be heightened to him right now just so he can't run off. Sidon lit a lantern before getting to the last set of shutters, plunging the room into semi-darkness. The fact that a quickly built room like this could be so well made spoke of the craftsmanship of the Zora people. Not that he could focus on that as the prince began to pace.
He stopped pacing long enough to turn to Link with his mouth open before picking it back up again. Link wasn't sure how long that went on for until finally the silence was broken. "Why?" The betrayal in that single word spoke volumes of how the Zora felt. Link's lip tore as he bit into it, anxiety tearing his thoughts apart.
When he said nothing, Sidon took long steps to him. "You left. You didn't tell me and just... Why?! How could you do that! We worried for you for nearly a month before the second red light touched the sky!"
"I-"
"No! You have nothing to say! No excuses can make up for the constant panic I have been in since you disappeared that night!" Link was taken aback when he looked up at the anguished face of the prince to see tears. "We may have not know each other for that long, but I thought we were friends. I thought you would at least tell me when you left. I thought I mattered to you."
And Link exploded with emotion. "I could say the same of you! Dammit! I left because of you!"
Sidon's face fell, but Link continued on. "I thought we were friends and that maybe I could tell you anything! But before I get the chance, you already hate me! I'm disgusting, inhuman, abnormal, terrifying! And I regret it! I regret befriending you because it hurt so badly to hear you denounce our friendship! I regret loving that stupid pose you pull and your blinding smile! I regret that I failed to notice you that day! And I regret accepting the help of someone when I should just fight alone!"
By the end of it, he was breathing hard. "I wish things had been different."
The Zora seemed to be taking a moment to collect his thoughts. "I had no clue you felt that way."
"Yeah." Link walked over and plopped down on the bed. Now that everything was out in the open, he felt so tired but relieved.
"You love that silly pose." Sidon's lopsided smile was a new one.
A light chuckle came from the prince as he sat on the end of the bed. "I only did that because so many Hylians had already refused. I was afraid you would too, so I thought I should step up my game."
"Boy, it worked." He whistled and Sidon flushed blue. "You are probably the most attractive man I have ever seen. I was thoroughly swooned."
Sidon's head-fin started wagging. Cute! "Oh, really?"
"Yeah." The prince's eyes sparkled and Link couldn't look away. "I would have done whatever you wanted. Probably still would."
"Huh." Large hands grabbed his and Sidon got off the bed to crouch in the floor. "Forgive me?"
To say Link was confused was an understatement. "Forgive you? For what?"
"Hearing your words has brought to light that you ran after finding my father and I talking about you. It was wrong of me. I thought about everything and I know now that you would never hurt anyone if you could help it. I should have known then." He noticed the hands around his shaking as a tear-jerking, heart-wrenching look of vulnerability softened the prince's features to that of someone much younger. "Please, forgive me... Forgive my transgressions and I will never hurt you again. Please."
"I..." He bit his lip and tilted his head back to keep from crying. "Of course, but there is nothing to forgive anyways. What I did was wrong and I deserve to be treated appropriately."
"No." The finality of Sidon's tone had him lowering his head to gaze into those sad, sad eyes. "You're different from all of us. The act of... consuming such things didn't affect you like it would a normal person. You're still here, still yourself. Sure, it was gross to watch, but if that is what you want to do then let no one stop you. Not even me."
He let the Zora's words sink in. Sidon seemed content to let him, sitting in silence for what felt like hours.
Finally, he squeezed the prince's hands. "And we are still friends?"
"For as long as you'll have me." A knock came at the door and Sidon got up to go check.
Bazz looked a little embarrassed, but stood tall. Or as tall as one can be around Sidon. "Prince Sidon, sir."
"At ease." Link could hear Sidon rolls his eyes. He must get tired of people being so formal.
"I hate to interrupt, your highness, but the elders are requesting your presence back at the domain." The black Zora glanced at Link, mirth in his eyes. Link couldn't hear what was said as the two leaned in close, but Sidon groaned and rubbed at his head-fin.
The prince swatted at the captain and Link was feeling even more out of the loop. "Dismissed." Sidon's wavering tone and blue cheeks as he turned back to Link only told him that what was said had been embarrassing.
"I shall leave you two alone once more." Bazz waved at Link and made a kissy face in Sidon's direction. At his gasp, Bazz smiled and closed the door.
That sly Zora probably knew Link liked Sidon. Curse him. Bless Sidon for not noticing anything, the adorable naive man.
"I suppose I shall be heading home then." A somber mood fell over the room.
He sighed. "And I to the desert."
Sidon followed his example with a sigh of his own. "Guess that is where the last beast is."
"Yeah. I hope it won't be as unbearably hot as Death Mountain." He started fanning himself and Sidon had the nerve to chuckle. "What I wouldn't give for another Ruta."
Sidon nodded like that made perfect sense. "I'm sure the temperature is much more tolerable here then in a desert."
"I kinda meant riding your back the whole time again." He tossed himself further on the bed and stretched out. "I had to trek up the mountain on foot after Rudania and the wind burn I got from free-falling as I blasted Medoh's cannons still makes my face hurt when I think about it."
The prince smiled that beautiful lopsided grin. "Ah, I see. Want someone to do all the work."
"No. Just you." He stuck his tongue out and winked.
If the prince had eyebrows, they would have raised. "Should I be offended?"
"Only if you don't like long-eared boys in skintight suits pressed to your back." Link ran his hands down his sides and tried for an obviously faked look of seduction.
The older man just shook his head. "Your warmth was quite pleasant."
"Your everything is pleasant." Link pouted and tossed a pillow at his head, which he caught.
Sidon laughed and threw the pillow back at him. "Your everything is pleasant."
He sat up quickly, face close to Sidon's. "Even my eating habits."
"Uh..."
The way the prince broke eye contact said it all and Link's heart sank. "Thought so."
"Well, if you must know." The blue of the prince's cheeks darkened. "The way you stuff your cheeks full like a small rodent is so endearing that my heart squeals."
"Your heart... squeals?" He cocked his head at the Zora. "What does that even mean?"
All he got was a shrug. "It means what is means."
"So you are saying that when you think of me eating, your chest lets out a piercing squeal of joy." He pressed his hands to his chest and flung them out as he made a loud pig 'breee' that proudly echoed in the room. "Like that?"
The prince's dumbfounded face was worth his weight in gold. "What- You-"
So encouraged, Link jumped up to stand on the bed and bellowed, "BREEEE! BRE! BREEEE!"
"Link! Stop!" He jumped around as the large man tried to grab at him, his exasperating behavior never ending. "You're acting like a petulant child!"
"I'm acting however I like because my best friend thinks I'm hilarious!" They tumbled to the floor as the Zora got him by the arms. Link laughed, his eyes shut and tears blocking his vision. His stomach hurt by the time they both stopped laughing.
When he opened his eyes, their faces were closer than he expected, but Sidon didn't lift his head up to get away from him. "I'm your best friend?" There was wonder in his eyes, like he just heard something magical.
He shrugged the best he could. "Well, yeah. Are you okay with that?"
"Of course!" The prince scooped him up and embraced him hard, spinning them this way and that. "You are the greatest! And our teamwork is unmatched! We make the best of friends! The best of any partnership in the history of the world!"
Link slapped the prince's arm to get his attention. "You're... smothering... me..."
He was unceremoniously dropped back onto the bed, which bubbled at his sudden weight. "Oh! I'm so sorry!" The prince covered his face with his hands, his cheeks tinted.
A crack of his back and Link was gazing up at the prince happily. "No trouble at all. Honestly, I'm just glad we could work things out." The Zora cast him that wonder filled look again.
"Me too." They stayed that way until an impatient knock came at the door. Sidon rubbed his head sheepishly. "Guess I should go, but I'll see you soon, yeah?"
Link smiled. "Yeah."
