Late at Night
By Mr. Crash
It was late. Link and I had turned in for a long night's rest, taking to bed relatively early. Now, well into the night, I was awoken by sounds of turmoil.
Beside me, Link, my one love, shifted in his sleep. A grim look of pain was upon his countenance, and I could see beads of sweat on his forehead glimmer in the moonlight which now glowed through the bedroom window. His breathing was heavy and he constantly shifted his weight, his head lolling from one shoulder to the other.
It was nightmares. I was sure of it, as this was not the first time he had been burdened in his sleep. He never told me about his nightmares. Night after night he would toss and turn in his slumber, and I would wake up and witness this, but the next morning he greeted me with a smile and a kiss. He suffered in silence; such was his way.
But I could stand it no longer. I gripped him by his bare shoulders and shook him slightly. "Wake up," I whispered urgently. "Wake up."
His eyes snapped open and he sat upright instantly, hands reflexively reaching out to grab me by my arms. For a few moments, we stared at one another; all his features were in shadow, but I could see his eyes. They glistened with tears.
"It's okay," I said to him. "It was just a nightmare. That's all. Just a nightmare."
His head slumped and I heard his voice, barely audible even in the stillness of night. "They are terrible...they haunt me."
"Oh, baby, it's all right." I pulled him towards me.
He rested his head on my breast, and I felt him sob quietly. "It'll be all right," I spoke, attempting to soothe him. "Nothing's wrong. There isn't a thing wrong in the world right now." I stroked his golden blonde hair with one hand while I hugged him tight with the other.
"You understand, Link?" I asked, and here I pushed him up so I could look at him. "You're safe. You don't have a worry in the world." I leaned forward and kissed him on the forehead.
"I know," he breathed. "Its the past. The war with Ganondorf. There was just - just so much killing, and-" He stopped, breathed deep. "It just gets to me sometimes. I can't ever escape the slaughter of battle. Its always with me. No matter where I go, it always seems to be just about the corner, waiting to confront me again." He let out a quivering sigh. "How the people of Hyrule might be surprised to learn that the Hero of Time cries from childish nightmares." He gave a tired grin.
"No, baby." I whispered. I leaned in 'til our faces were almost touching. "Not childish at all." I kissed him on the lips. He returned it, wrapping me up with his powerful arms, and we fell back into the sheets.
He made love to me.
Afterwords, we fell apart, tired and spent, to fall asleep. I smiled as I drifted off into the darkness of rest, happy that I was able to bring him some comfort from his suffering.