A/N:
If you haven't noticed by now, I changed my pen name. (points) See? I was just getting tired of the old one. Sorry if I totally confused you or made you freak out thinking I had fallen off the face of the earth (although I highly doubt anyone thought the latter…). Hope you enjoy the somewhat delayed chapter, as always.
Disclaimer: I don't own LOZ. Bleh :P
In the Meadow
Sunshine flooded through Link's windows, and he groggily awoke to find that he had slept far into the morning. Embarrassed at his sloth, he quickly dressed and groomed himself accordingly, although when he entered the kitchen Saria laughed at his bed head.
"Well, the brave knight has finally awoken this morning. 'Tis almost nine o'clock. I hope you slept well?" Saria smiled and continued to hang herbs and other plants in front of the window to dry.
Link scratched his head and yawned. "I slept like a dead man. I was wearier than I believed," he replied sleepily.
"Would you like something to eat?" Saria asked as she began to fill a bowl with porridge and a plate with eggs. "It's not very warm, but it's hearty." She placed the food in front of him.
"Ah, yes, thank you. I'm certain it's much better fare than what we soldiers usually get." After taking a bite off eggs, Link added, "Aye, I was right. Much better."
Saria smiled once more before returning to her work once again. As Link consumed his breakfast – he was suddenly ravenous – he eyed his surroundings, matching them with the memories of seven years past. The room was ever the same as before, and the rich smells of herbs and good food still permeated the air. But Link also found himself rather cloistered in the small space, unlike when he was a young boy. It was most likely due to the fact that his head was but inches from the ceiling when standing.
Saria interrupted his musings. "How long is your leave, Link? I do hope 'tis more than a few weeks. We truly have missed you so."
"I have about six months before I have to return for more training. There's always the occasional border skirmish that needs to be taken care of, and the newest recruits are usually the ones sent."
"I suppose most of your time will be spent in the wilderness." Saria's emerald eyes gazed at him for a moment, twinkling with hidden mirth. "No settling down for our Link, aye? I'd thought you'd have a pretty lady on your arm by now."
Link flushed slightly when Zelda's face suddenly flashed in his vision; he was grateful for the dim lighting in the cottage. "Nay, no lady as of yet. But I don't plan on settling for a little while now," he stammered. At the previous thought of Zelda, he inquired, "Where is Zelda this morning? Out picking herbs?"
"I sent her to the Sacred Forest Meadow earlier. I needed a bit more of a particular plant that only blooms in the morning hours. She'll be back soon, I believe."
Link finished his last spoonful of porridge before asking, "Do you have any chores for me at the moment?"
"Nay, I do not. Why don't you go see Triana and the sprites today? I know they'd all enjoy seeing you."
As Link rose and handed Saria his dishes, he replied, "I might do that. Thank you for the breakfast. It was delicious."
The little woman waved a hand at his compliment, laughing. "You overly flatter me. Now, shoo. I need to get my work done."
Link kissed her cheek lightly before exiting the cottage. Outside the brilliant sun lay high in the eastern horizon and warmed the land with its rays. The land was flushed with green and all things growing. Link smiled and began to walk quickly into the nearby woods, his memories of this place flooding back.
Although he planned on taking Saria's suggestion, Link found himself walking toward the Sacred Forest Meadow first. At the moment his mind was on lovelier things than fairy sprites.
Zelda had arrived in the lovely meadow over an hour ago, but she found herself lingering there much longer than she had originally intended. The place was so rich with natural beauty – bright blossoms and emerald grasses and the warm sunshine – that she did not want to leave.
With a smile, she lay down in the middle of the meadow, the scent of flowers wafting though the fresh air, and watched as butterflies flew overhead and eventually landed on nearby blossoms. The delicate insects' papery wings were colored with an array of shades: yellow, cerulean, even saffron monarchs were present. As always, Zelda began to sing softly – a sweet melody that was made even lovelier by her trained soprano voice.
It was times like this that Zelda felt the happiest, the most content, especially as of late. Recently she had begun to feel restless with her simple existence, suddenly yearning for something more to life than picking herbs in an isolated village. Maybe she could travel to the city with Link and become a healer within the castle walls, perhaps even aiding the king and his queen. She smiled at the thought: the little forest girl in the presence of royalty. Such an idea could only come from an overactive imagination.
Continuing to sing, Zelda rose from her spot and began to twirl in the bright sunshine, with no holds barred, for there was no one to see her looking so foolish and childlike. She closed her blue eyes and enjoyed the moment: the warm feel of the sun on her face and the soft sound of her singing voice were all that she knew that moment.
After a period of time, Zelda opened her eyes and twirled once more. Her eyes scanned the butterflies fluttering about, the birds chirping in the nearby trees, and then there was Link standing just a bit away, watching her –
With a yelp, Zelda stood straight as a board and felt the blood rush to her face. How long had he been here? Had he watched her this entire time? He must think of her as no more than a silly backwoods maiden with nothing better to do than sing ditties in the open air and twirl about like a fool. Even if he was a childhood friend, both had changed and Link was a cultured man now (at least in her eyes)… Her heart pounding and her face and neck on fire with embarrassment, Zelda had a desperate desire to sprint as far away as she could possibly go from Link. Unfortunately, she knew it would only worsen the situation, so she stood still, silent, and waited for him to say something.
Link cocked his head to the side a moment, as if considering an idea, and simply watched her with those bright, blue eyes of his. Eventually, he walked slowly to her until they were only a hands-span apart. Zelda blinked and her throat closed, while her mind screamed that she was the biggest idiot of all time. It didn't help much, either.
Link smiled a questioning smile before saying, "You are so quiet. Are you well? Did I startle you?"
Zelda put a hand to her face, as if to confirm she was still alive and breathing despite her humiliation. "I…you must think…I didn't know you were coming here," she stuttered. She paused. "You must think me a fool," she eventually blurted.
"And why would you say something like that?" Link responded quizzically, his blonde brows furrowed in consternation.
"I was dancing and you were there and you saw me I don't usually do that if I'd known I wouldn't have I'm not always like this I –"
Link interrupted her stammering when he placed a calloused finger on her mouth to shush her. Zelda instantly quieted. "You don't have to apologize," Link said kindly. "And I don't think you foolish. I quite enjoyed hearing your lovely voice, actually."
Zelda was momentarily nonplussed. Blinking rapidly, she took a deep breath as Link's finger left her lips. "Oh…" she said slowly, her embarrassment gradually disappearing. "Alright…"
Link suddenly burst into a fit of laughter. Through the chuckles, he said, "You are still the same as you ever were, Zelda. One of the most unique girls I have ever encountered."
Zelda was beginning to be annoyed. Was he mocking her, now? "I am not certain as to how I should respond to such a comment," she replied rather stiffly.
"Oh, Zelda, I say that with the up-most respect, that I am relieved you are not stuffy and pretentious like other women I have met." He touched her cheek lightly. "It adds to your charm," he added with his infamous grin.
Zelda snorted, but also found herself blushing. Damn him, how could someone such as he have so much control over her emotions and thoughts? Normally she would not have thought twice about appearing foolish in front of anyone, but Link was different. She greatly worried about what he thought of her, and it vexed her terribly. What did it matter?
Link interrupted her thoughts. "I thought maybe that I could aid you in your herb picking, but I believe you have already completed your task…" His eyes traveled to the full basket that lay next to a nearby tree.
Zelda's mind whirled for a moment before she replied. "We…I mean, I am not needed for a little while now…and I thought to stay here for a time, to enjoy the sunshine…you could join me, if you like…" Her voice trailed away as a blush crept up her neck once again.
Link looked to her, his blue eyes sparkling, and flashed her a smile that sent her heart a flutter. Goddesses, the man was handsome, and she was certain he was well aware of it. "Aye, I'd be happy to join you. We can catch up on the years gone by."
With a smile of her own, Zelda led Link to the tree where her herb basket was placed and settled onto the cool grass. Link sat next to her, close enough that their knees touched ever so slightly.
Their conversation ranged from his "adventures" in the city and his training as a knight to Zelda's healer training and any other story that might hold Link's interest. Zelda found herself enjoying his company immensely, and every moment that passed seemed to strengthen their bond.
As Zelda began to speak of a time she had fallen out of an apple tree that one of Linna's many kittens had gotten stuck in, Link suddenly reached over and gently lifted something from her hair. As he dropped the item, his fingers lingered on her face for a moment longer than seemed necessary, and Zelda fell silent. Their gazes locked and Zelda's heart was pounding furiously.
Hesitantly, she touched his own golden hair before he caught her hand in his larger one. Zelda gasped softly at the contact. It sent chills down her spine and created butterflies in her stomach. Slowly, Link lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her fingers tenderly.
Zelda, having been fairly isolated during her entire life, had little true life experience with grown men, especially ones who caused her whole mind to swirl and her heart to pound so. But she was well aware of the mechanics (Triana had accidentally given her book describing such in detail when she was rather young, resulting in Saria's wrath upon the fairy woman and many a question from Zelda), but not the emotion. It was so odd, so new, that she was not certain how to deal with it.
"Link," she breathed. Right then, he touched her cheek and traced her jaw line, eventually trailing his finger down the length of her neck.
The sensation, the sudden desire for something Zelda could not put a particular name to, the warmth of Link's close body, were suddenly too much. It was happening too quickly. Like a frightened doe, Zelda froze and her eyes widened to the size of cup saucers.
Just as Link was about to speak, his face filled with concern, Zelda bounded to her feet, her basket in hand. "I..." she stuttered, "I...have to go…Saria's waiting..."
Zelda ran, then, her entire frame quaking with some unidentifiable fear, as she heard Link's voice call out to her from behind.
She did not stop, however, but continued on, Link's voice no longer audible. Her heart pounding, her eyes filled with tears, Zelda sprinted away from the man that she feared she was falling in love with.
(maniacal laughter) Ah, the fluff. MWHAHAHA And if you are thinking at this very moment that Zelda is a psycho for running away from a potentially great make-out session with the hunky Linky poo, I would just like to say that I couldn't very well have my hero and heroine "going at it like weasels" this quickly. And remember that Zelda has been sheltered, for the only males in the village were Kokiri boys, not grown men. I just thought you should know. (mwahaha)
I'd also like to apologize for the delay. I was having serious writer's block and it wasn't until last night that I actually figured out what I was going to write. :P So there's my excuse. Throw tomatoes if you wish. :P:P:P
babowonsuni: Yeah, it is cute! Nice and fluffy. I really just couldn't help myself. Huhuh
SmileBeHappy: Well, since you're not actually reading this I guess well just have to talk about Fruits Basket, ne? Lol I now have all 4 anime DVDs of it. They're so great I could marry them! (I'm sad OO)
Perfect Soldier 01: Well, I'm assuming that Linkie got an education while being bashed upside the head with swords. Lol
CrazygurlMadness: Wow, thanks so much! I don't know if I would call this the "greatest" but it's nice to think about! :D And I did check out your fic and I really liked it! I just hope my review was semi helpful. Oo
magnum326: Wow, I don't think you can compare anything to LOTR (even though I think they're boring, but I'll acknowledge their brilliance), especially my own fanfic! But I appreciate the compliment very much. Maybe someday I can rival Tolkien's genius (although I doubt it…). XD
Nagem: Hmm, I didn't mean for that line to be funny, but oh well. xD I'm glad you loved the chapter. I had a feeling I was going to be beaten if I didn't include some fluff. Hehe
ZeldaChik63: That totally sucks that you got blocked for no reason. :P But I'm glad you're still reviewing! Hopefully you can find the person who reported you and throw your computer chair at them (I would). xD
aslan-chic: Well, I couldn't very well have L and Z going at it like weasels the first time they meet. (evil laughter) But thank you, I really do love getting such nice compliments. And, yes, the majority of my piercings are in my ears, except for one in my nose. (more evil laughter) I hope to get some more in my ears too. Hehehe
nightwanderer: I like to fiddle around with diction and dialect. It's fun, and I hate fics where people talk like thirteen year old girls (N.O. to 13 yr. old girls). Unless the characters are 13 yr. old girls who live in 2004. Lol (I'm rambling) Anyway, I'm glad you enjoyed the fluff. There's definitely more to come! (evil laughter)
Babydoll72489: Zelda's around 17, and Link is 19/20-ish. Expect more fluff on the way! Whopeeeeeee! XD
Story Weaver1: Well, I'm not gonna give away the plot, so I guess you'll just have to wait and see… And "steed" is just another name for whatever animal a person is riding on; it usually refers to horses. And I guess calling Link a silver tongued charmer is kinda funny (did I word it that way? Hmmmm….)
Jewel of the Wolves: Well, I didn't really think "steamingly sexy with rippling muscles and a golden tan" would work in this fic, so I went for "comely" instead. Lol And indeed, I thought presumptive looked wrong, but my brain wasn't working (huh). Ah, I'm so dumb. xD
Bvv: Hmm, I assume "FOTFLMAO" means "falling on the floor laughing my ass off." Oooh, brownie points for me! :D
jade04: Yes, I have heard of that book and it's one of my favorites! I love it! They totally changed it in the movie though. :P I was angry. I'm still angry. Grrr…
kat-SageOfWisdom-princessZel: I hope to become a novelist. But who knows? Good luck with your chair! XD
sawyerzelda: London, ay? NO FAIR! OO I've always wanted to go to Europe. (whines) I hope you have a great time, though. I'm sure it's wonderful. :D
Hikari no Purinsesu: Well, I guess I could have another exclamation, like "For the love of Nayru!" or something like that. Hehehe
princess of destiny: Thank you! I try. XD
Midnight Starfire: Well, "supposedly" my Japanese name is Kumiko, although I highly doubt it really is. xD And I kept thinking LainieG sounded like a country music award name. "And the winner is Lainie G. with her rendition of…" Lol (I'm rambling again) I'm so glad you updated! YEY! And thank you so much, again, for your compliments. Is it redundant to say that they mean a lot? Lol :D
PIRO the unforgiven one: I wondered where you wandered off to! But I'm glad you didn't review b/c your compy died and not b/c my fic turned sucky. (not to say that I wanted your compy to die…lol)
Lost Soul 01: (blush) Wow, thank you! I don't like clichés, either, but it's sometimes hard to not have them. B/c some clichés I genuinely like! Ah, well. I hope you enjoy this update! :)
kookey: If you thought that was fluffy, then you haven't seen nothin' yet. I have some great marshemellowy fluffiness planned. Hahahaha xD
lucibell: I'm glad you liked it! And sorry for the wait, I've been lazy. XD
KatrinaKaiba: Thank you, I'm glad you liked the dialogue. I thought it fit well, ne? :D
Glorfindel Silverleaf: Thanks, I'm glad you like it. And of course I had to have some romance, b/c that's my specialty. (that's kinda sad if you think about it…OO)