hello. when I wrote this it was past 12am. and I'm tired. I have work in the morning. but here I am. lord mercy.
I cranked this out in like...four or five hours. so sorry if this like...sucks lmao. I've just been wanting to write it and I'm stuck on baby time so I decided why not crank this out. so I threw on my headphones and here we are!
anywho, title is from the song candy by paolo nutini. the quote used in the summary is from the poem after bombardment, sonya by ilya kaminsky
enjoy!
The house was covered in a thick layer of dust.
The floorboards creaked loudly beneath their feet as they entered the cottage, and Zelda looked around the space with tired eyes.
Everything was exactly as they had left it. The Champion's weapons, resting in their mounts. A bouquet of flowers long dead, still resting in their vase. There was probably still food in the freezer Zelda had built before they left, spoiled.
She felt – Zelda couldn't describe how she felt. Her stomach was twisted into knots.
They were home, now – home after so many days. Shouldn't she feel happy?
At her side, there was a quiet shuffle, and she turned her head slightly.
There was a lost look in Link's eyes as he looked around the house, his lips parting slightly. For a moment she thought he would speak – but then he exhaled quietly, his mouth closing.
He hasn't said a word since they reunited, falling into each other in Hyrule Field and clutching at each other like they would never let go. Zelda had almost suggested they returned to Kakariko, just like the first time they reunited – but she changed her mind, in the end. She wanted to go home, more.
Even though home feels a little different, now. Or was she different?
Zelda clears her throat, stepping further into their house. She looks around again, trying to find her words. "Let's…we should…."
Her words trail off into nothing. What was left to do? They lost all their equipment in the catacombs beneath the castle during – during the disaster that followed their discovery. They don't have anything to unpack.
She sighs a little, rolling her shoulders. The Master Sword was a weight that she had quickly gotten used to carrying during that time on her own, but her muscles ached all the same. She wondered if this was how Link felt all those years ago – carrying this weight without a complaint.
Zelda understands it a little more, now.
She sighs again, standing a little straighter. What was left to do? Quite a bit, actually – and the first thing they could do was make their house feel more like a home again.
"Link," Zelda says steadily, hands rising to unbuckle the Master Sword and set it aside, "let's clean up the house a little. Okay?"
She turns back to Link, already finding him staring at her, and smiles, trying to push some energy into it. Zelda is sore, and tired, and all she wants to do now is strip down to nothing and fall asleep for days.
But this was important. The house felt strange to her, alien – and that needed to be fixed.
He just stares at her, silent – but then he smiles. Slowly, just a small thing. But it was a smile all the same. The sight of it warmed Zelda down to her toes.
"Okay."
That – his voice. How long had it been since she heard it? It had just been her, in the underground. It was just one word but hearing him speak again sends a happy thrill through her. She can't help but smile in return.
-o-
Link's gait is a little different, now.
They work their way through the house slowly, sweeping away dust and throwing out the dead flowers, the old food – but there were some moments where Zelda had to help Link with something. She didn't mean to, but –
It had rattled her, when she saw Link again. His hair loose and wild, dressed in clothes that looked like they were from another time –
Missing an arm.
It shocked her to silence, but she quickly put it aside and ran to him, meeting him halfway, because he was alive. He was alive, when for so long Zelda had wondered if he was dead – and that was more important.
But she can tell that Link was still adjusting. His walk was different now, like he was still adjusting to the weight – or the lack of it. Many times he would start to reach out for something, and then stare down at the stump of his arm that remained, eyes wide in surprise – like he'd forgotten it was there.
It made her heart ache, a little. Made her wonder what had happened, while they were apart. There was no divine gaze she could use to keep track of him, this time, and so Zelda was left wondering and worrying, praying to the Goddess that she would survive this. That she would be able to see him again.
But now that they were here, she didn't really know what to say.
Instead, she kept moving.
Eventually, the dust was gone. Zelda had taken the sheets and blankets outside and beat them until not a trace of dirt or dust remained, until they smelled like the fresh air instead of the stale insides of their home. It was starting to get chilly, as the day slowly came to an end, and when she came back inside, Link had opened the windows and was carefully starting a fire in the fireplace they had installed, just a few months before they left.
Her throat closes up a little at the memory, and for the life of her she couldn't understand why. She quickly goes upstairs and makes the bed. Then, on an impulse, she goes back outside to pick some fresh flowers for the empty vase.
The house feels warmer, now, as she steps in to place the flowers in the vase. It feels livelier – more like a home. Link had gotten the fire going, and was holding one hand out to the growing embers, soaking in the warmth. Little pops and crackles began to fill the air as the fire grew in strength. It makes the tense knots her muscles had become loosen some. Here it was safe. It was fine. Nothing could happen, here.
Now that the house was taken care of, Zelda noticed the stiffness of her clothes, caked with mud and sweat and blood. If she brought a hand to her hair, she knew it would feel greasy. She was filthy.
"I think," she says slowly, breaking the ever-present silence, "we should probably bathe?"
A bath sounded very nice right now, and Link hummed in agreement. "That's…that's fine." He answered slowly. "A bath sounds…good."
He rises to his feet, heading towards the door. "You can take the first bath. I…I'll make dinner. And then I'll go after you."
As Link reaches for the doorknob, Zelda's stomach lurches with anxiety.
She didn't want that, she thinks wildly. Link – he was leaving. That's – that's not right. She just – they just – didn't she just get him back? And then he was just going to – to go?
"No, I –"
Zelda was speaking before she could think, taking one shaky step forward, hand outstretched. Link stopped immediately and looked at her, eyes wide. She almost wanted to crumble into the floor – she didn't mean for that vulnerability to slip out. She should've just let him go. Now, she wracks her brain, trying to think of something to say.
"I –" Zelda bites at the inside of her cheek, the slight sting of it grounding. "Let's – we can bathe. Together."
Link's eyes grow even wider. Zelda feels heat rise on the back of her neck, but she wouldn't take the words back, no matter how embarrassed she felt. She wanted to keep him close. She didn't want to let him out of her sight, and – and if this would calm the anxious twist of her gut, then so be it.
"…Are you sure that's okay?" Link slowly asked, hesitant. "I –"
He falls silent, throat working. He doesn't speak again.
She knew what he was thinking – she could practically hear it. Hero or not, he would still be close to Hyrule's princess at her most vulnerable. That's how it was before, anyway. Now, it – it's different, now. He's seen her at her lowest in so many other ways – what did it matter, seeing her in nothing at all?
But old habits are hard to break.
"I'm sure." She says firmly, hiding her shaking hands behind her back. "I…it's not a bit deal. It's fine. It's fine, I –"
Biting at her lip, she wonders if she should say the next thing on her heart. She decides, in the end, to be brave. "I want to keep you close. And I – I could help."
At the slight reminder, Link looks at his left arm. Once again, Zelda watches the surprised recollection fill his eyes, and bites at the inside of her cheek once more.
A moment later, Link let's out a quiet little sigh, his eyes sliding away. "…Alright." He says finally. "I'll. Um. I'll let you…run the bath."
Zelda clasps her hands tightly over her racing heart, nodding shortly. "…Okay."
-o-
The bathing room is the same as it was when they had left. Even the fire rod is still in the same spot, hanging by the tub and spitting faint embers. It's amazing – Zelda thought it would have run out of magic, by now.
She makes herself focus. Grabs the bucket by the tub to gather water. It's hard work, but good all the same – even better knowing that there was a reward waiting for her at the end. A nice hot bath, something that feels like a luxury after quick, frantic scrubs in icy underground streams. There were still a few vials of bath oils, lined on the shelf above the large, wooden tub – perhaps she'll use one.
Once the tub was filled to the brim, she grabs the fire rod and carefully waves it over the water, watching with satisfaction as steam begins to rise off the water's surface. There's a science to this, she's learned, after many moments of trial and error; just sticking the rod into the water makes the water too hot to bathe in. Slight contact makes it just hot enough to be perfect – perhaps that's why the magic hasn't run out, despite their long absence?
No matter. The bath is ready. All that's left now is to…is to…
Well.
Zelda absently grabs one of the bath oils at random and pours some into the water while her thoughts spin in nervous circles.
She's never – Link has been close by, before, when she had to bathe, staying a respectful distance away and keeping his back turned if they were out in the wild, or standing guard at her door if they were at an inn. But this was different. She's never seen – she's seen Link shirtless plenty of times, of course, and that's before the time she spent looking over him during his journey to restore the Divine Beasts. And he – he's always been close, but he's never seen her. This would be entirely different – way out of the comfort zone she was used to.
This – this was silly. She shouldn't have said anything. Zelda should have just let Link go, swallowing down her panic and forcing herself to bathe alone. She could probably change her mind now. Link would understand.
Instead of doing that, she pokes her head out of the bathing room and calls out to Link. "The bath is ready!"
"…Alright."
There was a tension between them, as Link shuffled into the space, and the room felt so much smaller, with the two of them in there together. Zelda wasn't entirely sure what to do now. It's fine, she thinks wildly as Link's hand hesitantly goes to the ropes tied around his waist, over his shoulders, holding the fabric up, it's going to be okay. This – this is fine!
Her fingers shook a little as her fingers drift to the buttons on her cloak. She let's the dirty fabric flutter to the floor. At the sound, Link starts a little, his eyes darting to her for a second before jumping away, shy.
For some reason, it made her smile a little.
Then she's speaking before she can think. "Do you – do you want help?"
Link jumps again. His eyes return to her. "Uh –"
Faintly, his cheeks go pink. "Um. I. Yes."
Zelda smiles some, trying to exude some aura of comfort as she steps into Link's space, deftly undoing the ties that held his clothing together. He was standing so stiffly, his eyes looking somewhere over her shoulder, and it was so ridiculous, this moment, that she almost wanted to laugh. "Okay." She says quietly, taking a step back as the ropes slither to the floor. "I'll – I'll let you do the rest. I'll just –"
She turns her back to him, giving him a semblance of privacy, and she hears him let out a slow exhale.
"…Thank you."
"Mm."
The rustle of fabric sounded so loud, as Link's clothes fall to the floor. Zelda forces herself to focus on her own clothing, pulling off her gloves and undoing buttons as there's the soft splash of Link getting into the tub. He lets out a quiet groan of pleasure, and she flushes all the way to her hairline at the noise. She can't believe she's doing this – that she suggested this. What was she thinking?
Warm, damp air settled against bared skin as she removed her clothes, one by one, and Zelda worked to keep her breathing steady as she finally turned to the tub, fully bare. Link had averted his eyes for her sake, submerged up to his chin in the water, and her heart ached some at the courtesy. At him going along with her foolish, impulsive idea.
"I…I'm coming in, now."
The hot water felt like a blessing, and Zelda couldn't stop the sigh she let out as she sinks into the water, tension she didn't even know she was holding onto slipping away. Once she finally settles, there's just…silence.
Well. Here they were. Now what?
Breathing quietly through her nose, Zelda brought her legs to her chest, resting her chin on her knees. She's been trying to look everywhere but at Link, trying to give him space, privacy – but in the end, her eyes land on him all the same.
The ends of his hair floated on the surface of the water, and Zelda watched him as his eyes darted everywhere, unsure of where to rest. A few times, she caught him looking at her before his eyes dashed away once more, and she hides a smile against her skin.
"Well…" she says slowly, "this isn't as bad as I thought it would be."
That makes Link focus on her, and he almost starts to look away again, but stops. "…You…you thought it would be bad?" He asks slowly, and she shakes her head.
"No. I…I don't know what I thought it would be like, really. I –"
She shifts in the water, embarrassed, pressing her back against the smooth wooden side of the tub. "I may have – been a little impulsive in suggesting this."
Link snorts quietly. "Really? I couldn't tell."
"Link."
"No, really. Face like a stone wall. Completely unreadable."
He was getting mouthy, and a laugh slips out of her, muscles relaxing even more at his teasing. "Okay, okay…I get it."
That seemed to break some of the tension between them, because they were able to look at each other a little easier, smiles on their faces. Steam hung in the air, making Zelda's dirty hair stick to her temples, to the back of her neck. The water smelled heavily of warm safflina flowers from the bath oil, and she breathes it in.
It was so warm, here. So comfortable. Zelda felt that she could almost fall asleep.
Instead, she finds her tongue loosening. "I thought…I'd never be able to have a warm bath again."
She could practically feel Link straighten up, his entire focus pinpointing onto her. Zelda couldn't believe how much she missed that feeling – before it had felt like chains dragging her down, that heavy focus. Now, she's never felt safer.
"All I had were cold baths in the stream. If I could even call them baths."
Would a quick scrub of icy waters over her face and hair count as a bath? Swiping her hands through the water until she could get rid of some of the dirt, the blood?
"It's…like that a lot." Link says slowly. "When you're in the wild. It…it made every time I was able to get a real bath feel a lot better."
"Mm." Zelda sinks deeper into the water, feels the way it laps against her chin. "I…"
She closes her eyes for a moment, wondering what she could even say. "…Where were you? Where did you go? What happened?"
She opens her eyes in time to see Link's expression closes off some, and he shrugs vaguely, looking away. "I…it's hard. To explain. Can you…"
He swallows audibly. Makes himself look at her. "Can you give me time? I'll tell you. One day. I swear, I'll tell you."
Zelda was too tired to even feel hurt. "Okay."
She believed him.
They sit in silence again until the water starts to grow lukewarm, threatening to go cold, and Zelda rises to grab the fire rod before that happens. She can feel Link's eyes slide away from her, and as the water warms back up and she replaces the rod, she sees him reach for a washcloth – and feels moved to – to do something. Once more, that impulsive feeling rises up in her.
"Wait."
She barely registers her own voice ringing around the room, and Link's eyes land on her just as Zelda remembers that she's still standing out of the water – naked as the day she was born.
His eyes on her were a shock to her system – no one's ever seen her like this before, no one – but slowly, slowly…she gets used to it. Sinks into the feeling of his eyes on her the way she sank into the bath. Zelda tries to keep her hand steady as she holds it out, silently asking for the washcloth.
"Let me."
Link's eyes, already so wide, widen more. He keeps his eyes locked on her face, taking care not to let them stray any lower. He nods, eventually – hesitant. Jerky. Holding the washcloth in the tight fist, he wades over to her and carefully places it in her hand. His fingers brush lightly against the palm of her hand, and it feels like a shock. They haven't touched since their reunion in Hyrule Field – not really. A helping hand here and there, but nothing else since –
It had been impulsive. Foolish.
But she thought he was dead. She thought – but no. No, he wasn't dead. He was alive. He was alive, standing whole and hale among the tall grass of the fields, staring at her like she was a ghost.
Perhaps she was looking at him the same way.
The Master Sword trilled on her back, thrilled at its master being so close once again, and Zelda –
Zelda was running. Sprinting across the short gap that separated them, desperate, frantic gasps bursting from her lungs.
Link met her halfway.
The collision was messy, frantic hands grasping wherever they could reach, and before Zelda could think about it, she was tangling her fingers in Link's wild hair and –
There's been nothing else since.
The air felt cool against her heated skin. Link was staring at her like he hasn't seen her before as she dips the washcloth into the water, grabbing the soap once it was wet enough. Her movements were slow and careful – methodical. The scent of rosemary filled the air as she brought the soap into a lather between her hands and set it aside. Zelda sinks back into the water slightly and carefully moves into Link's space, holding the soapy washcloth aloft.
"Okay?" She asks finally, and he stares at her with large eyes, saying nothing. That's okay – Zelda can wait. She doesn't want to move until he says it's fine.
Eventually, he nods.
"Okay." He whispers, his voice hoarse, and he coughs. "Okay." He repeats, his voice stronger.
"Okay." She says in return. And then – she stops.
She's…not sure where to start. Where should she start?
Zelda bites at her lip. She was nervous. Of course she was nervous. But she just – has to move.
She decides the best place to start is the curve of Link's neck.
He breathes in sharply as the washcloth finally touches his skin, and Zelda stops immediately. "Okay?" She asks again, checking in, and Link nods, not saying a word. His eyes were still so wide.
Suds gather on his skin as she carefully begins to scrub away the streaks of dirt, and the scent of rosemary grew in the air between them. Zelda scrubbed until every trace of dirt was gone, and once his neck was clean, she moved to his collarbones, to the slopes of his shoulders. It was methodical, meditative – Zelda could feel a tight knot in her chest loosening as she wiped the evidence of time apart away. And bit by bit, she could feel Link slowly relaxing under her hands.
This was fine, she thinks. This was fine, because – because they were here, together. Because she couldn't do much, then, in that cavern. But this – this she can do. Clean him up. Take care of him. She can do that.
Zelda dunks the washcloth in the water, lathering it once more with soap, and drags the cloth down Link's right arm, gently pulling his hand out of the water to scrub at the bones of his wrist, the webs of skin between his fingers.
Link's breathing was shaky. There was a vulnerable air between them, fragile like a soap bubble – like one wrong move could make it pop at any moment, break the spell.
Rubbing a thumb over Link's hand, she places it back in the water, reaching for his left arm –
And Link's relaxed form stiffens back up, breath catching in his chest.
Zelda quickly notices the renewed tension and stops right away. She hesitates. "I…should I…let you do it?"
She would, if he said so – she never wanted to impose, never wanted to push.
But Link shakes his head before the question was out, lips pressed into a thin line. "No, I –"
He breathes out, shaky. "It's alright. I – I was – it's fine. Go ahead."
Zelda waits just a little longer, unsure until Link holds out what's left of his arm.
She makes sure to be gentle as she rubs the cloth around the stump of his arm, brushing a thumb over the soap slick skin. "Does it hurt?" She finds herself asking.
"…No." Link slowly says, considering. "No, it – it only hurt at first. When the malice was digging into it, but –"
He digs his teeth into his bottom lip, looking away. "Now I'm – surprised. I forget, sometimes. That it's gone."
There was an undercurrent of sadness in his voice that made Zelda's heart clench in her chest. She ached to hold his face in her hands, to reassure him – of what? She didn't know. Instead, she continued to wash his arm until it was clean. "Okay." She says. "Now stand up."
That makes his eyes snap back to her, a ruddy flush filling his cheeks. "What -?"
"Stand up." She insists. "I'm not finished. It's okay."
Because it was – it was okay. The nudity meant nothing – not right now, not to her. It wasn't important, because – she –
"Let me take care of you." She says helplessly. "Alright?"
That soap bubble fragility surrounds them again as Link gapes at her. There was a look in his eyes that she couldn't touch on without hurting – vulnerability.
"I…" He swallows loudly. "I…alright. Okay."
Setting his jaw, Link rises out of the water, and Zelda soon rises after him.
Water runs down his body in rivulets, tracing over dips of muscle and bumps of old scars, long healed. He trembles a little as he stands before her, more naked than he's ever been in his life. And Zelda has to reassure him, remind him that he's safe here.
"It's okay." She murmurs over and over as she drags the washcloth over his chest, across the divots of his hips, the muscles of his back. "You're okay."
She rinses the washcloth again, removing all traces of soap before she brought the cloth to his face, wiping away the dirt and blood that clung in stubborn flakes to his skin. The entire time, he stared at her like he was seeing her for the first time. She sinks back down to wash his thighs, the knobs of his knees, the lines of his shins and calves. Zelda taps lightly at his knee, silently asking him to raise his lets so she could clean his feet, making sure no dirt remained. "Alright." She murmurs, setting the washcloth aside. "You can sit back down."
Zelda can't describe the look on Link's face as he sinks back into the water. He looks like something in him has cracked open, eyes wide and open. Zelda felt like she could see right into his soul, right now. She looks away, reaching for the bottle of shampoo and hair oil. "I'm going to wash your hair now. Okay?"
Link can't even speak. He just nods.
She felt like she was floating a little as she carefully wets his hair, combing her fingers through the strands and undoing any knots her fingers catch on. It vaguely reminded her of the century she spent as a Goddess – like she was bigger than her body. Like she was full of light, doing holy work. "Your hair is longer than mine," Zelda notices absently as she pours shampoo in his hair, "it's almost funny, how we've switched places."
Link's shaky breathing evens out some as she lathers his hair, scrubbing until it was back to its wheat blond hue. She wonders how long it's been for him – how long has it been since someone made time and took care of him like this? Zelda can't remember how long it's been since she's been touched with so much care. It has to have been even longer for him.
"Tilt your head back." Zelda instructs, and Link follows her easily, letting her rinse the soap out of his hair and make sure none of it got into his eyes. It was much easier to coax the oil through the strands of his hair, now that it was cleaner; she made sure to saturate each strand, to rub it into his scalp until he was putty in her hands.
She couldn't stop the smile that spread across her face. It felt good, taking care of him like this. Even though she was still covered in dirt, her hair a filthy mess, it didn't really matter – she'll take care of herself later. She wanted to take care of the person she cared about, first.
"Okay. You're all – Link?"
Zelda moves away to look at him, and the warm, floaty feeling quickly vanishes, making her feel like she'd been doused with cold water as she looks at Link's face.
He was crying, his breath leaving him in shivery hiccups, shoulders shaking as he tried to catch his breath.
In an instant, Zelda felt terrible. She felt wretched.
"Link," she says, aghast, automatically reaching for his face, cradling it in her hands. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry! Did – did I -?"
Link just sobs again, his hands rising out of the water as he grasps her wrist, pulling her hand away from his face. His head drops, water dripping off the ends of his bangs and rippling the water's surface, and that was the only sound aside from his shaky breathing as he stared down at –
At her hands.
Zelda starts a little, ashamed. "I'm – I'm sorry." She says again, though she doesn't know what she was apologizing for, this time. Perhaps for everything. "I – my hands, they –"
Her hands had never been soft. She had never had a princess' hands – soft, dainty things. No, her hands had already been somewhat rough from her constant writing, and her constant tinkering with ancient technology.
But now –
Now, rough callouses lined her palms from using the Master Sword. From running and climbing and hiding. From fighting for her life.
"I'm sorry." She repeats, uselessly. "I –"
"I thought you had died."
The quiet admission makes Zelda's voice shrivel away in her throat, and her vision clears from the haze of panic to see Link staring up at her, eyes red-rimmed as tears continued to trickle down his face.
"In the cavern." He says. "I thought – when you fell. I thought you died. I thought I was never going to see you again."
Zelda's hands hang limply in his grasp, and for a moment, she doesn't know what to say.
She wakes with a ragged gasp, her heartbeat throbbing in her ears. She couldn't see – it was dark, her torch light extinguished in the fall. She can hear the faint clatter of rock, rubble skittering to the ground. Fainter still – the slight ringing of a bell.
Zelda coughs, whimpering in pain as she slowly sits up, and wipes the blood away from her face.
"…I almost did." She finally said. "But – I made it. Somehow. I made it."
She still doesn't know how. Was it luck? The will of the Goddess? Maybe she'll never know. It doesn't matter – there was something more important to focus on, now.
Link shook slightly. "I was – scared. I was scared. I didn't know what I'd find, when I had to go back to the castle. I thought –"
He closes his eyes, helplessly shaking his head. "I…missed you." He admitted, eyes still closed. Zelda gently pulled out of his grasp to cradle his face in her hands once more. This time, he didn't pull away. "I just got you back. And then I lost you. And I missed you."
Her heart swelled in her chest until she thought it would burst, until she thought it would spill over. "I…missed you too." She says slowly. "I was…I was scared, too. I – this wasn't my first time, fighting on my own. But it was my first time fighting as myself, and I…was scared. I missed you."
"You did?"
"I did." She brushes absent thumbs over his cheeks. "I had to live. To right this wrong that has gone on for so long. To see you again. I had to live."
That's what had kept her going as she dodged her way out of the Calamity's grasp. As she fought against reanimated corpses that tried to pin her down. She had to live – to see him again, she had to live.
Link's eyes brightened up, and despite his tears his jaw set in a determined line that was so familiar. He wrapped a hand around her forearm and pushed her back a little, reaching to clumsily grab the washcloth and soap. "Let me." He said stubbornly, and Zelda was stunned silent.
"Link –" She quickly came back to herself, sputtering. "You don't – you don't have to, I can do it –"
"No." He stresses. "I. I want –"
His eyes met hers, so bright. "I want to take care of you, too. So let me. Okay?"
And what could she say? How could she refuse? "…Okay."
It's fine, Zelda thinks. It's okay – it's only fair.
But she still finds herself breathless as Link moves into her space, eyes focused as he carefully drags the washcloth over her neck.
It was her turn, now, to feel that fragile, soap bubble vulnerability; Zelda found herself holding her breath, eyes locked on Link's face as he stared hard at his hand, the washcloth dragging across her collarbones, over the swell of her breasts.
Her heart was racing – she could hear it in her ears. They were so close, she wondered if Link could feel it pounding against his fingertips. She follows his gentle request to close her eyes as he wipes at her face, removing the dirt there with care. He washes her arms, pulls her hands out of the water and washes them like they're something fragile, something precious.
"Right." He instructs softly. "Stand up, now."
How could she blame Link for feeling so shaky before? She couldn't. Not when she felt like she was one breath away from falling to pieces. It was just –
He was touching her so carefully, taking his time as he wiped her down, soap suds sliding down her thighs, over her knees and into the water. He lifted her legs one by one, washing the dip of her ankle and each foot, and Zelda –
She felt –
"Okay…you can sit back down. I'm gonna wash your hair, okay?"
Link smiles at her a little wryly. "I don't know if I'm gonna be able to wash your hair as well as you did mine – but I'll do my best. Okay?"
It took her a second to find her voice, throat working as she swallows. "Okay." She whispers. That was all she could say.
"I'm sorry for crying." Link says as he carefully pours water over her hair. "It's just…well. Um."
He shifts in place a little before grabbing the shampoo. "No one's ever…it's been a long time, since I'd been…touched so carefully. Maybe longer than I remember. I don't know. But…"
Link's fingers are so gentle as he combs the soap through her hair, scrubbing until a lather forms. "But I felt like…something precious. And I was – overwhelmed. But. Thank you."
"That's because you are precious." Zelda easily admits, Link's careful ministrations to her hair lowering her defenses. "You're precious to me."
Link's hand stills in her hair for a moment. Zelda opens her eyes, wondering when they had fallen closed, and she stares at him. He looks back at her, wide-eyed.
"Of course you are. Link –" She wants to touch him, her hand already reaching for his face. "Of course you are. You know that. Don't you?"
How could he not be? How could he not?
Pink spreads across his cheeks before Link's eyes dart down and away, shy. "…Mm."
"That doesn't sound very confident." The floaty feeling was coming back to her, and Zelda couldn't help but tease, watching the pink deepen on his cheeks.
"Don't tease me." He grumbles, and she laughs, light and airy. "Tilt your head back."
Zelda feels so light as he washes the soap away, as he combs the oil through her hair. She feels reborn under Link's hand – like she was a new person.
"There. All done." Link grins at her, and then he reaches out, cupping her cheek in his hand. "Good as new."
The warmth of his skin sinking into hers brought a prickle of tears to her eyes in an instant, and Zelda sniffled quietly, turning her face into his hand, placing her hand over his and holding him close. He laughs softly. "Don't you start crying, too."
"I can't stop it." She sniffles again. "I'm just – I don't know. I really missed you. I – can I -?"
Zelda opens an arm, beseeching, and Link has to understand her silent request – he has to, because he moves closer to her with a smile. Close, closer, even closer.
What did it matter that they were naked? They've been more vulnerable than this.
Warm, damp skin pressed against her own, and Zelda let out a full body shiver as she wrapped an arm around Link's shoulder's pulling him into a tight hug. They were so close. So close that she could feel his heart, beating against hers in a quick rhythm. His hand moved away from her face to press against the center of her back – so warm – and Zelda sniffles again, tucking her face into his shoulder.
"Thank you." She says into his skin, holding him tighter. Then, impossibly quieter: "I missed you". Whispered into his skin like a secret.
She feels him turn his head. Feels the press of lips against her temple, warm. So warm.
"I missed you." He repeats to her, quiet.
The scent of warm safflina was dissipating from the air, slowly. The water was getting cold.
Zelda ignored it. Held onto Link just a little tighter. It can wait. Just for a second longer. It can wait.
aaah, I was hoping to have this done in like 4k, 5k words. am I capable of writing a small thing? I don't really know anymore haha.
now that this is out of my system I'm going back to writing part three of my fitted together series. hopefully that will be out soon. I already know it's going to be long but I guess with me that's inevitable now 😩
I'm very tired so I'm wrapping it here. comments and kudos are loved and appreciated! and uh yeah! that's all! goodnight!
