WARNING

Major spoilers for the Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild ahead! Please reconsider reading this story if you are yet to finish the game. You have been warned!

A/N: Hey y'all.

I'm very sorry for the constantly belated updates. The past few weeks had been a bit overwhelming for me because of all the work and tasks, and because of this I got sick twice, once with a severe headache and another time with a skin allergic reaction. Note that this isn't corona - just common fall sicknesses I get quite constantly every year (and the pandemic isn't that serious in my country anymore). I found myself incredibly weak and unable to make time to write, so I had to delay this over and over again — and I truly apologize.

There had been an one week gap between the updates, and well, as a perfectionist, it kinda pains me, but it's not like I can do anything about it. Again I apologize for this, and hope you'll understand my side of the story.

For now, though, I hope you enjoy this chapter!
(Watched the Age of Calamity update stream yesterday and I am totally gay for Impa. Totally. Also I need this game for my own mental wellbeing.)

(Edit: god what is wrong with this app. I can't center anything at all. Broken technology. Sigh

Edit 2: okay seriously I'm not even kidding now. I'm more than enraged is this thing messing with my inner Virgo. Stop it. For the love of Nayru. Just center the notes that's all I'm asking.

Edit 3: Yes I know I'm making a lot of edits but I just discovered the existence of horizontal lines and oh goddesses they are so neat my inner Virgo is satisfied now.)

~ ﾐ(o*･ω･)ﾉ

"Link!" Zelda's piercing scream cut through the air, making Link turn back abruptly. The princess was darting towards him, the concern in her eyes lighting up his insides. "Link! Are you alright?!"

Link grimaced slightly but nodded, attempting to hide his injured right arm behind his back. Just now, a swarm of monsters had attacked on them, forcing him to send Zelda into hiding, away from all the danger. Arrogant as she is, Zelda had first shouted at him to let her stay; but Link insisted otherwise - at least two lynels, thousands of bokoblins and lizalfos- just how could he let her stay?

The monsters where somewhat difficult to conquer, but he still managed it in the end - after all, he was the young Hylian child who defeated a lynel all by himself. Yet still, a silver bokoblin had managed to get his right arm swollen, while a red one injured one of his eyebrows, making blood leak off his face like a zombie. He could feel burning hot pain flooding up his arm, like a pack of wolves biting it with another swarm of bees stinging it.

"Oh no—Your arm!" Within a minute Zelda was by his side, taking his right arm into her hands and studying it. Link felt as if a literal volcano had exploded inside of him, his cheeks feeling as if the sun had burnt through it; Her hands — so soft, so gentle, so warm, her skin so clear and beautiful, touching his, sending fire down his body.

"I told you to let me help…" Sincerity in her olive eyes, the princess looked up at his aqua ones, anger and frustration repressed in her voice. "You shouldn't have let yourself get hurt…"

Link bowed his head low and muttered an apology, shame boiling his soul. And yet again I'm making mistakes. Great…

Zelda glared at him like an angry kitten and gently set his arm back, before sitting down by his sides. "Sit down, Link, let me take a look at it." Forced coldness was in her voice, and despite how fake it was, it still made Link feel so bad that he immediately wanted to throw himself off the mountain for hurting her in this way.

Sitting himself next to the princess, Link shifted uncomfortably away from her, his face reddening like the oozing lava in the distance. The king will certainly have my head if I even try to touch her. He reminded himself consciously, looking away from Zelda, embarrassed. The princess was studying him with unreadable eyes — just what is she thinking about?
She heaved a soft sigh and took Link's right arm tenderly, almost letting a pained yelp out of him. It was numb now; so much that he could no longer feel that fire when her hand touched his. At this Link frowned slightly, unsure whether to be happy or not.

"Link…" Zelda whispered softly as she brushed her thumb gently across his arm, the worry in her voice seizing his chest tightly. "Don't get yourself hurt again, okay?"

Trying to convince himself that he doesn't look like an embarrassed tomato, Link forced his head up and down, gulping nervously as the princess looked at him with beautiful ocean eyes, such honesty and truth inside those pools of loveliness. He felt as if he was sinking into them, drowning in those watery pupils, charmed completely by her movements and those soft touches against his skin. She's…so close…

Link nearly jerked away when the princess lifted her hands to brush away his bangs, almost lovingly. Panic set into his heart as if Pandora's box had just been opened once more; but this time, releasing such nervousness that he felt like his heart was going to burst right through his chest. He could see her every detail: her perfect skin, those full, red lips, that long and pointed nose; that voluminous blonde hair, those large olive eyes, the pointy ears facing upwards; her hands, soft and clean and burning against his skin, touching his, making him suddenly feel like the happiest man in the world.

"The cut doesn't look too bad, actually." When Zelda inched away from him, Link felt almost disappointed. "You're fine for now. But you know, there's a fine line between courage and recklessness." Well, and now that disappointment completely disappeared as Link felt the cheeriness return back to the princess's voice, sparkling his eyes and lighting up his heart. Suddenly, his injury doesn't seem to hurt as much anymore.

Zelda's bright eyes stuck to his face for just a minute too long, those deep, expressive pools tickling over Link's face. He found his eyes glued to her face, like a lizard on a wall or the sun in the sky — he couldn't stop staring at those eyes, that face, those lips…goddesses, she's so beautiful…

Zelda pulled away again, a scolding tone suddenly present in her voice. "As brave as you are, that does not make you immortal." Her speech sounded like it came from a thousand meters away — he could only hear a few blurred words, all his attention casted onto her face and body, unable to stop looking at those ocean eyes and cheery lips. It was like he couldn't understand her like all, as if she was speaking in a foreign language, his head charmed by her entire figure next to him — wait…just what was she talking about?

The princess then looked away, studying the corpses of the monsters ahead of him, something strange on her expression. Taking in her gesture immediately, Link jerked away as well, his face reddening quickly and intensely, wishing that Zelda hadn't noticed that at all. He shifted away from her again, embarrassment burning his insides and shading his cheeks faster than ever.

"It seems that, not only is the frequency of these types of attacks on the rise…" Then Zelda was muttering worriedly, her eyes glistening, "but the scale of beasts we are facing is intensifying as well." Link felt a long sigh escape himself — please, no more monsters to haunt us…

"I fear that—" A halt came in the princess's voice as she fearfully dragged her hands against her chest, her face filled with concern, "I fear that this is an omen which protends the return of Calamity Ganon."

Link felt his heart sink yet again at the mention of the beast. Ugh. Ganon…He shifted his gaze away from the monsters, his eyes casting a hateful glance. The unfortunate being that started everything, that cursed everything, that brought this saddening fate upon his princess. More than ever before, Link felt an overwhelming hatred towards the villain, and an urge never felt before to slaughter him into pieces. Turning his head again, his gritted his teeth tightly and continued his silence.

Movement sensed his bones and he looked up, finding Zelda standing up and dusting the dirt off her clothes. "And, if that's the case, I'm ready to expect the worst." She nodded at Link with a determined expression. "We'll need to make preparations as soon as possible."

Link cracked an appreciating smile towards the princess and stood up as well, soon following her off the mountain. The sun had began to set, painting the heavens an impressive orange, lighting up Link's mood more than it lit up the beautiful night sky, as he studied the princess's figure in front of him, safe, and sound.

NEXT UPDATE: October/3rd

A/N: No one seemed to notice Zelda touching Link's face at the very beginning so of the memory I decided to help out those confused Zelink fellows out there haha

This was very sweet to write. I love flustered little Link's flustered little thoughts and flustered little movements. I love him.

I hope you enjoyed, have a great day and stay safe!

~ ﾐ(o*･ω･)ﾉ