this...is a surprise.
once again, here I am, with offerings at one in the cursed morning. but I got inspired between doing stuff for school and...yeah here we are, back in this bitch.
okay that's all I have to say here. enjoy!
Link's decision to ask Zelda to marry him was unexpected – sudden in the way it quietly crept up on him.
It washed over him like a wave one day, a little over two years after they'd gotten together; he had woken up, one morning, and stared at Zelda lying next to him, gold hair tangled around her head and an arm thrown over her eyes to block out the sun, and –
And he thought –
He thought, I want this to be the rest of my life, and the calm certainty of that decision made him sink deeper into the mattress.
Link wanted to always wake up to Zelda in the morning, and always wanted her to be the last thing he saw at night. He wanted to make her laugh, and comfort her whenever she had a nightmare, and always hold her hand whenever they explored Hyrule together. He wanted this, always, for as long as he lived, and he never felt so sure about anything.
Once he accepted that this was what he wanted, planning how he wanted to propose to her was easy.
He didn't want to wait too long, but he also didn't want to scramble at getting something together; he would've asked that very day, if he could have, but – but he wanted the day he asked to be something worth remembering. Something special.
So he gave himself three days, gathering the things he would need while Zelda wasn't home to avoid questions, and on the fourth day, he woke her up with a smile. "Do you want to go on a trip?" He asked, brushing some stray hairs out of her face so he could watch her eyes flutter open, "we can go to the beach."
Zelda raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Is it even warm enough for swimming?"
"It's not that late into fall, yet – come on, it'll be fun."
She hummed thoughtfully, curling towards him and tucking her hands beneath her cheek. "Will you make breakfast?" Zelda asked, batting her eyelashes at him, and Link's heart ached, he wanted to kiss her so badly – and so he did, leaning in to press his lips to hers in a soft kiss. "I'll make breakfast," he promised, "and then we'll go. What do you want to eat?"
"Omelets."
It took a cup of tea and a few more kisses to coax Zelda fully out of bed, but after a filling omelet breakfast and a quick bath, she was bright eyed and ready to go. "Do I need to bring anything?" She asked as Link herded her out the door, and he shook his head as he locked up behind them. "No, I have everything," he assured her, patting the Sheikah slate on his hip. "I even got you something to swim in, if you want it."
"Oh, 'if I want it'?" Zelda repeated, lips twitching in amusement, "why, Link, it's sounding like you're trying to get me out of my clothes."
"You caught me," he admitted easily, because the ease of getting Zelda out of her clothes would never be something he'd be ashamed of. "I'm ready to go when you are."
"I'm ready." Zelda stepped into the circle of his arms with a smile, winding her arms around his neck. "Whisk me away on this special trip of yours."
She twisted in his arms to grab onto the slate once he pulled it off his belt, and Link couldn't hide his grin as he whisked them away to Lurelin Village.
It was still warm enough to swim, just like he promised, and they spent most of the day in the water, enjoying the way Zelda squeaked at the cool water when he splashed her. Link made sure to take them to one of the more secluded parts of the beach so that no one would stumble upon them, tucked away in one of the large tide pools with Zelda perched in his lap, cradling his jaw with both hands as she kissed him deep, shuddering as his hands slid up her bare sides.
They didn't spend the entire day kissing, though Link definitely wouldn't have minded if that happened; they did eventually leave the waters behind to finally have lunch, Link discreetly poring over the slate while Zelda napped beside him in the sand. He knew everything he needed was there but – but he just had to check, once more. Just to make sure.
He decided that he would do it around sunset, giving Zelda a folded bundle of clothes and flushing lightly at her raised brows. "We're gonna clean up really quick, and I got – you should wear that." Link stuttered, "I'm – we're having dinner, soon. I cooked. Earlier."
Zelda's eyes were searching as she looked him over, but he can still keep up a good poker face and gave nothing away, even though he felt a nervous sweat gathering at the back of his neck.
"Alright," she finally said, and Link felt his breath leave him in a quiet, relieved whoosh as her eyes slid away from him, freeing him from her sharp scrutiny. "Let's go clean up, then! I'm hungrier than I expected!"
They walked to a small cave past Lurelin Village where Link knew a small pond resided, and he washed quickly, scrubbing away the salt clinging to his skin and not trying to peek at Zelda as she dressed, the rustle of her clothes abnormally loud to him. He had packed his best tunic, a nice dark blue with white embroidery, and his hands shook as he tugged at the hem, brushing away any lingering wrinkles.
Zelda turned to him with a smile when he stepped out of the cave, the skirt of her soft purple dress swishing around her calves, and she was so lovely to look at that it hurt.
Link cleared his throat and extended a hand, smiling a little when her warm palm slid against his. "All set," he said quietly, and then he led the way, down the hill and back onto the sand.
It would take a while, to get to the destination he wanted, but he knew it would all be worth it – that all the preparations he'd made would be worth it. And it was, when they finally reached the heart-shaped pond; it was dark by the time they reached it, and the reflection of the stars glittered across the surface of the pond and in Zelda's wide eyes.
Link pulled her along to the edge of the pond, and then let her go to grab the Sheikah slate, calling forth the blanket he brought along to spread across the grass. "This feels like a date," Zelda said lowly, accusing, but when he looked over at her she was fighting back a smile. "Link, are you taking me on a date? Am I being wooed?"
"…Maybe," Link said slowly, nervously fiddling with the slate.
"Whatever for? Did I miss an important anniversary?"
"Can't I just take you out? Come here, sit down – let me get the food out."
He made all of Zelda's favorites – a heaping portion of crab risotto and warm, fresh bread, with glazed vegetables as a side, and hot buttered apple and her eternally loved fruitcake for dessert.
She gasped as she took in the food, and the look in her eyes told him that she noticed it was all her favorite foods. "Now I definitely feel like I've forgotten a date," she said, voice hushed as she accepted the plate Link offered her, and he shook his head. "No," he promised, "you didn't forget a date."
I just want to make sure that this day is one you'll never forget. He couldn't say that, thought, because it would ruin the surprise, so he dug into the food instead, grinning to himself as Zelda hummed and sighed in pleasure as she ate.
"Link, you're spoiling me!" she cried out around a mouthful of cake, and he smiled, licking the remaining traces of sweet cream off his fork. "Isn't that the point?" he asked lightly, "that's what you're supposed to do during dates, right?"
He could see the pink blush spread across her cheeks in the silvery moonlight, and she pressed a hand to her face with her free hand. "Well, I suppose –" she began in faint protest, but she gave in easily, sighing through her nose and giving Link a sweet look. "Thank you, Link," she murmured, placing her empty plate in her lap, "I don't know what I did to deserve such a lovely day, but – I've had a wonderful time."
"It's not done yet," Link could hear himself say over his racing heartbeat in his ears. "There's one more thing."
"More?" Zelda cried out, surprised, "Link, really –"
"You'll like it, I promise."
Or at least he hoped she would.
"Stand up, okay? And cover your eyes."
Link scrambled to his feet, offering a hand to Zelda to pull her up, and even though she looked confused, she did as he asked, placing her hands over her eyes, and he was so grateful that she trusted him. His fingers fumbled with the slate for a moment, and he almost dropped it a couple of times in his nervousness – but he got what he was searching for, in the end.
"Link," Zelda said as the scent of silent princesses wafted around his head, "what is so special that you've got to keep it a secret? Is it some secret artifact you want to show me? A new book?" She rocked back on her heels, bemused, "is it jewelry?"
He felt a stab of cold panic at the mention of jewelry – should he have gotten a ring? But it was too late to do anything about it now.
"No," he croaked, "you can open your eyes."
Zelda let her hands drop to her sides, and her breath caught in her chest, a soft gasp as her eyes fluttered open and she took in the bouquet of silent princesses, glowing in his arms. "Oh, wow," she whispered as he placed the flowers in her arms, "this is so – Link, how long did it take you to find these? This is wonderful, I –"
"They grow all over, now," Link interrupted, "but Zelda – Zelda, I've got something I want to ask you."
He reaches out to grab her hand, and he watches Zelda's eyes get even bigger as he moves down onto one knee. "Oh," she said, faint, "oh, wow."
Link inhaled deeply, giving him a second to gather his words. This was going to be one of the most important things he'd ever say in his life.
Courage, Hero.
"Zelda," he began, and Link was amazed that his voice wasn't as shaky as he felt. "We've been through a lot, together. More than two people deserve to go through, really. But – but there's no one on earth I'd rather go through this with. It hit me, a few days ago; I woke up in the morning, and I saw you, and I realized that I wanted it to be like this forever."
Zelda's eyes were shining, and Link took another deep breath to keep it together, pulling her hand close to press a kiss into her knuckles. "I want," he continued, "for you to be the first thing I see every morning. I want to fall asleep next to you every night and cook all your favorite foods. I want to listen to you talk about Sheikah technology, and read books by the fire together. I want to make new memories with you, and keep discovering parts of Hyrule with you, and I always, always want to be there to hold your hand."
He kissed her knuckles again – once, twice, three times. "Zelda – you're my best friend. Having you in this world with me makes it a little brighter, and I want that for the rest of my life. Will you marry me?"
She was in his arms before he finished the sentence, making him lose his balance and sending the two of them sprawling into the grass. The space around them was littered with silent princesses, but Link paid it no mind, all his attention on Zelda – on her wide eyes, and the tear tracks on her cheeks, and the frantic kisses she was pressing across his face.
"Link," she sobbed, "Link, oh Link, yes, yes, of course I'll marry you!"
The wave of relief that crashed over him at her words was crushing, and he laughed softly in disbelief, feeling the telltale prickling of tears in his eyes.
He wrapped his arms around her, crushing her to him. "Really?" he breathed, "you – you will? Really?"
"Really!" Zelda pushed back enough to cup his face in her hands, "Link, I feel like I've wanted to marry you for – forever!"
His heart swelled at her words, and he wasn't sure what his face was doing, but it made her eyes soften, a goofy smile spreading across her face as she swooped in to finally press her lips against his.
She said yes, Link repeated to himself, his hands automatically curving around her waist as her hands slid into his hair. She said yes. She wants to marry me. Zelda wants to marry me.
Oh, wow.
-o-
Now, over a year later and a week away from their first anniversary, it hit Link while walking back from the store that he still hasn't gotten Zelda a ring.
He jerked to a stop in the middle of the dirt road, his face making a series of complicated emotions before he settled on whispering a quiet, panicked "fuck" under his breath before power-walking back to their home.
Zelda was absent from the house today, paying Purah a visit for the afternoon, which gave Link the opportunity to panic in peace, putting away the groceries he bought before he began to pace back and forth across their home. How has it been almost a year and he still hasn't gotten her a ring? He couldn't believe he'd forgotten – he should've gotten a ring after he proposed!
Dragging a rough hand through his hair, Link sighed loudly before freezing at the thought of – well…why couldn't it be an anniversary present?
His pacing slowed to a halt, and he tapped at his bottom lip, thinking about it; it could work, probably…a week felt like plenty of time to get a ring made, especially since he has plenty of jewels and ore on hand to help out.
And it would be nice to have something to match that hairpin, Link thought slowly, and he could see the ring now – a gold band, inlaid with diamonds and sapphires.
Perfect – and possible.
Mind racing, Link rushed up the stairs to their loft bedroom to grab the Sheikah slate, left on the desk near their bed. He raced through his items, eyes dancing across the screen, and exhaled loudly when he saw that he wasn't making things up and had enough ore and jewels to make this happen.
Well. That settled it.
Link quickly stripped out of his clothes, changing into his Gerudo silks, and left a note for Zelda on the table that he had gone out in case he didn't return home before her.
His steps were light and quick as he stepped through the gates into Gerudo Town, taking the familiar path to Starlight Memories and returning the greeting that echoed through the store.
"Long time no see, little vai." Cara was at the front today, and she gave him a warm smile. "Are you shopping? Isha is out for lunch, but I can still put in an order for you and inform her when she returns."
"That would be great," he said, grateful, "I was wondering if I could, um – get a ring made?"
"A ring?" Cara's eyes had brightened, "for your lovely vai that I've often seen?"
"Um. Yes. Wait, before you start yelling!" He held out his hands, "I, um. Already married her. Almost a year ago. And I, um. I forgot to buy a ring."
Cara's excited expression dropped into disbelief, and she turned away to mutter something under her breath in Gerudo that Link knew was about how dumb he was. "How you got someone like her to marry you, I may never understand!" Cara cried out in exasperation, "Link!"
"I ask myself how I pulled it off a lot," he said, bashful. "But can you help me? Our anniversary is in a week, and I – I want to finally make this right, at least."
"Hmm…" Cara hummed, thinking about it, but her eyes were warm with a spark of mischief – about what, he didn't know. "I suppose I can help you fix this mistake. I will put the order in for you. Now – give me the details for the ring."
He let out a relieved breath, and quickly told Cara what he wanted the ring to look like and Zelda's ring size.
"It will be ready when you need it," Cara assured him as he handed over his rupees. "I'll let Isha know about your order when she returns. Now, off you go! Return home to your wife."
"You and Isha are life savers," he said, relieved, "Sarqso. Thank you so much."
"It is nothing, little vai. Goodbye for now!"
His trip to Gerudo didn't take him as long as he expected, and he returned to Hateno with a happy sigh, glad to finally get this long-standing issue sorted. Zelda had returned home while he was gone, and she was sitting at the table reading a book when he stepped through the door. She absently looked up from her book, and then took a quick double take, eyes roaming over the Gerudo silks he was too lazy to change out of.
"…Did you enjoy your little trip?" Zelda finally asked, abandoning her book and rising to her feet to round the table and head towards him, footsteps light.
"I did," he admitted easily, the muscles in his stomach jumping when she stood inches away in front of him, fingers lightly tracing up his arms to land on his shoulders. "I'm sorry if I kept you waiting long," he continued, trying to keep his voice even, "have you eaten? Are you hungry?"
"Oh, Purah and Symin fed me, it's fine." Her fingertips pressed into his shoulders, and a teasing light sparked in her eyes. "Though I wouldn't mind a little snack, I suppose."
A jolt zipped down his spine, and Link lightly placed his hands on Zelda's hips, tilting his head to the side as he pretended to think about it. "Well, it just wouldn't do to leave you without a snack," he finally said, "I just need to wash up first – I'm covered in sand, you know."
"We can just kill two birds with one stone," she said cheerily, and Link finally gave in and laughed as she tugged him past the kitchen and into their recently installed bathing room, kicking the door shut behind him and shutting out the world for a while.
He forgot about the ring for a while, and that was fine – Zelda in the bath, warm and wet and smelling like warm safflina, was something that Link was perfectly happy to have occupy the rest of his day.
-o-
It took Link three days to notice that Zelda was up to something.
Not a bad something, per say, but definitely a – a something. A something -something. Something enough to finally ping his attention after three days of it.
She was visiting Purah a lot more than usual; somedays she would return home smelling like smoke, but Link figured that it was because of a tinkering experiment gone bad. That happens, sometimes – and with the way Purah works, sometimes it was inevitable.
So, it was weird, but nothing worth pondering over.
The day it had finally sunk in that Zelda was up to something, she had taken off after breakfast, grabbing the slate after giving Link a kiss goodbye and informing him that she would be gone for most of the day. "Don't miss me too much," she whispered teasingly, and grinned at him as she vanished in a swirl of lights.
He squinted at the spot where Zelda once stood, wondering what was so important that she would be gone for most of the day. "Weird," he muttered to himself, but he quickly shrugged it off. Whatever it was, it probably wasn't too big a deal.
She wasn't kidding when she said that she would be gone for most of the day, but Link made do, and found ways to pass the time. He got some needed chores done around the house, taking care of laundry and clearing away the dishes from breakfast. He spent some time daydreaming as he worked, wondering if he should make some of Zelda's favorite foods for their upcoming anniversary – something different though, from the food he made when he proposed. Though, he would probably have to keep the fruitcake.
Link continued pondering over it as he finished up the last of his chores, and then decided he earned the right to have a quick nap before making dinner.
Sometime between him making that decision and falling asleep, Zelda had returned home, and he woke up to her in his arms, warm and carrying the familiar scent of the winds of Gerudo.
"You're back," he mumbled sleepily, and she nodded, nuzzling into his shoulder. "I am," she said happily. "I went to Gerudo and spent the day with Riju. We spent most of the day talking and I lost track of time."
"Mmn." Link blindly leaned in, brushing his nose against her cheek. "I should get up. It's not too late, is it? We still need dinner."
"No," Zelda soothed, turning her head so her nose brushed against his, "it's not too late. Here, come on, get up – I'll help you cook."
Link groaned as she pulled him upright, and then took a moment to firmly pat his face, waking himself up. "Okay," he muttered to himself, "wake up. Would soup be alright?"
"Soup sounds lovely," Zelda said as they trailed down the stairs, "we still have some bread, we can eat that with the soup! What kind should we make? Mushroom? Or maybe –"
Zelda's voice filling the kitchen woke him up a little more, and Link soon pushed the feeling that Zelda was up to something aside, lost under the sound of chopping and the gentle nudge of her elbow brushing against his as they argued whether it would be worth opening a fresh bottle of milk to make hot chocolate before bed.
Whatever she was up to, it probably wasn't anything too serious – there probably wasn't anything to worry about.
-o-
The morning of their first anniversary dawned cool and cloudy, heavy and promising rain later in the day. Link didn't pay it much mind, as he planned to spend the day inside with his wife, anyway. He even made sure to pick up the ring a couple days early, so he didn't have any excuse to leave.
"Good morning," she sighed, tilting her head further into the pillow as his lips trailed down the curve of her neck. "What a lovely wake up call. What did I do to deserve this?"
"You married me," Link whispered into sleep warm skin. "You married me and decided to make me the happiest man on earth. That isn't enough?"
"Well of course I married you." Zelda cracked an eye open to look at him, hovering over her at her side. "You're the only one I've ever looked at."
"Aren't I lucky," he murmured, grabbing the blankets and pulling them over their heads. He wasn't ready to get out of bed just yet, and he was fine with making a late breakfast, anyway.
Apparently, though, that late breakfast wasn't meant to be.
It was early in the afternoon, when they finally got out of bed, and Link was just about to get to work on cooking when there was a knock at the door, and when Zelda opened it they were faced with Symin on their doorstep, nervously wringing his hands. "Ah, terribly sorry to bother you," he said, looking genuinely sorry, "but the fires for the furnace went out again, and the guidance stone has gone out. I went to grab a flame from the lamps, but, well…it appears they've gone out, too. Purah sent me down to fetch you, and, well…"
Link felt his heart sink into his gut, and it must have shown on his face because Symin's mouth twisted in apology. "You know how Purah is, Master Link," he said ruefully, "I hate to interrupt you, especially given today, but – if you could -?"
For a second, Link was moments away from telling Symin no – that Purah could wait at least one day for her furnace to be back to rights instead of sending Symin on his anniversary to –
But Zelda turned to him, and gave him a small smile, and he felt his will crumble to dust. "You might as well go on," she murmured, "the sooner you help Purah out, the sooner you can come back to me. Okay?"
"But –" he started, a weak protest, but Zelda shook her head, placing her hands against his chest. "Go," she stressed, "because if you don't, Purah will come down here and she will barge in on us. And I'd rather not have that."
She smiled at him again, and even though it was literally the last thing he wanted to do…he left. Begrudgingly, he pulled on his boots and threw his cloak around his shoulders, giving Zelda one last kiss before sulkily following Symin out the door. As they walked down to dirt path, towards the winding hills that led up to Purah's lab, Link touched the outline of the ring, tucked away into the pocket of his trousers, and scowled furiously, kicking at the dirt before tucking his frustration away.
"Linky!" Purah cried out when they finally arrived, waiting for them at the door. "Thank you for coming to help! Oh, don't give me that face, come on –"
She pinched his cheek, pulling at the skin in attempt to remove the deep frown from his face. "The sooner you do this, the sooner you can go back to your lovely Zelda," she sang, shoving a torch into his hands. "Hop to it, Hero! Before it rains!"
Grinning cheekily, Purah gave him a jaunty wave before grabbing Symin by the arm and yanking him back into the lab, letting the wooden doors swing shut behind them. Tugging his hood over his face, Link gave into his frustration again and swore loudly into his hands before straightening up, exhaling roughly and heading back down the hill. He left the slate at home, which means he left his supplies at home, like a goddamn moron, so he would have to make the path to the blue flame by foot. He only hoped that his luck would hold out today, and that it would rain after he got back home.
Link could feel the hours in the day sloughing away from him, and he had to force himself multiple times to stop grinding his teeth from the unfairness of it all. Because that's what this was – unfair.
He just – it couldn't have waited until tomorrow? Truly? They really had to come and do this to him, on his anniversary, and make him spend such an important day away from his wife?
His thoughts stayed on that unhappy path the entire walk to the furnace and back to Purah's lab, Link quietly stewing at how what was supposed to be a celebration of the happiest day of his life turned out. He didn't even bother sticking around once the furnace was lit again, dousing the torch and leaving it by Purah's door. He would light the lamps around the village another time.
Link moved down the hill with purpose, wanting to return home as quickly as possible to salvage something out of what remained of the day, but his quick stride slowed somewhat as he started to pass the communal cooking pots near the inn, the fires beneath them crackling merrily.
Maybe…he bit his lip, thinking about it. Maybe it was possible to turn this situation around.
He had grabbed his coin purse, before he left. And the weather was still being kind to him, chilly as it was. Maybe he could make a cake, before his luck turned sour.
Link rushed to the store, much more expanded from the increased trade, and grabbed the items he needed, hurrying back to the cookpots to try and give Zelda something for their anniversary.
The fruitcake came out perfectly, and Link breathed out a thanks to the Goddesses as he neared his home and felt the rain start to splatter against him as he was entering his home.
Luck was still on his side, after all.
"Zelda?" He called out, distractedly closing the door with his hip. "I'm hom –"
"Surprise!"
Link almost jumped out of his skin at Zelda's outburst, trying not to drop the cake as he whirled around in surprise. "You scared the life out of m – oh."
His words shriveled up in his throat, and he could only gape silently as Zelda beamed at him, arms laced behind her back as she stood proudly next to the table, laden with all his favorite foods. A large helping of glazed meat atop a bed of rice, meat stuffed pumpkin – even apple pie.
Link didn't know what to do with all this. He suddenly felt very shaky. "Zelda," he said faintly, "you – did you do all this?"
"I did," she declared proudly, a happy flush on her cheeks. "Though, well…I did have a little help." She looked down at her feet, bashful, "Uma was very kind to me, and watched over me to make sure I didn't burn anything from nerves. I kept it all on the slate, to store it until today."
"So – so you weren't at Purah's, those times?"
"Mm-mm."
"And this is – this is all for me?" He croaked, feeling touched.
"Of course! You cooked all the foods I liked, back then – I thought it would only be fair to return the favor. Though that isn't all! But that can come later – come here, sit down! Give me the cake, we'll eat that later. Oh, and it's my favorite! Thank you, Link."
"Zelda," he said as she pushed him to the table, "you – I – you didn't have to, this was –"
A raised eyebrow soon made him fall silent. "I think you'll find that I did have to," Zelda said, taking a seat next to him and grabbing his hand. "Why wouldn't I cook a meal to celebrate a year with the most kindhearted, doting man for a husband? Though –"
Her brow wrinkled a little. "I do hope you can forgive me, for working with Purah and sending you away for so long. I didn't want to spend the day away from you, but – but I wanted to make sure it was a surprise."
Of course. Purah would never say no to a little conspiring with Zelda.
Link sighed out a quiet laugh. "I should've known," he said, "it felt weird, having the furnace go out on today of all days. I guess…I can forgive it. As long as you make it up to me."
"I will," Zelda declared, giving his hand a squeeze, "now – let's eat! I'm sure you're hungry. You can let me know how everything is!"
She wasn't wrong – he did work up quite an appetite, fetching the blue flames and trying to beat the rain, and he was eager to try everything that Zelda had made for him. And he wasn't disappointed; the meat was perfectly seasoned, the rice warm and fluffy, and the meat stuffed pumpkin was as good as he remembered.
"Purah helped me with that one," Zelda admitted, blushing down to her collar when Link told her how good everything tasted. "It was nice, to have her help."
By the time they had gotten to dessert, both of them demolishing a slice of pie and cake each, Link felt like he could put his head down at the table and pass out, and he wouldn't have minded it at all.
"That was amazing," he sighed, "thank you, Zelda. This – this was a really nice surprise."
"It was only fair!" She protested, looking as sleepy as he felt, "but like I said before, the surprises aren't done."
"Oh?"
"I have one more thing to give you." Her eyes were bright with mirth, "but you have to close your eyes and hold out your hand."
Link squinted at her, and she just batted her lashes in return, grinning. "…Alright," he said, covering his eyes with one hand as he held the other out in offering, waiting.
"Okay. Stay just like that, okay? Don't move." He heard Zelda rise to her feet, and his ears twitched as he kept track of her movements, listening to the light tap of her feet as she ran upstairs, the sudden clattering as she opened a drawer. Soon, she returned to him, and Link only jumped a little when she grabbed his hand. "Don't open your eyes yet," she warned him, and he felt a little shiver when something cool slid onto a finger on his left hand.
His left –
Link jolted in disbelief, but he held onto his self-control and waited for Zelda to give the okay, even though he was dying to see what she put on his hand because there was no way –
"Okay," she said breathlessly. "Open your eyes."
He quickly pulled his hand away, blinking rapidly to adjust his vision, and then looked down at his hand, freezing at the sight of what Zelda had placed on his finger.
A ring.
A ring, with a gold band, inlaid with diamonds and sapphires.
"Oh," he croaked, his throat dry. "Zelda?"
He looked up at her, helpless, and found her standing between his knees, hands clasped to her chest as she looked down at him with warm eyes. "How long – how long have you had this?" He asked, and Zelda hummed, shrugging bashfully. "A while," she admitted, her eyes shyly drifting down to her clasped hands, "a couple months, actually. I thought – I thought it would be a good anniversary present, since – since we didn't have any rings, when we married."
It was so close to being in line with his reasoning that Link just – he had to laugh. And Zelda's eyes darted back to his when he reached up to grab her hand – her left hand, pulling it out of her tight, nervous grasp.
"It's just so funny," he laughed, reaching into the pocket of his trousers, "just how in sync we are, sometimes."
He pulled the ring from his pocket and got the pleasure of watching Zelda's eyes grow wide as he placed it on her finger. A gold band, inlaid with diamonds and sapphires – just like his.
"Now we match," he said happily, "we're really a married couple, now."
He grinned at her, and Zelda laughed wetly, eyes shining with tears. "Happy anniversary, Zelda."
She dropped down into his lap, looping her arms around his shoulders, and it was hard to kiss her how he wanted to with how much they were smiling. "I can't believe you," Zelda said between kisses, "I can't – how was I so lucky?"
"You're lucky?" Link asked, incredulous, pulling away to press his lips to that spot behind her ear that made her shake. "I wake up and thank the Goddesses every day that someone like you wanted to marry someone like me."
"Well – well we're –" Zelda tried to speak, but Link was doing his absolute best at being distracting, one hand slowly creeping up her thigh beneath her skirt. "We – we can both cou – ount ourselves lucky, then."
Link just hummed, tired of talking when his mouth could be doing much better things instead. Zelda gasped in his ear when his fingers brushed against soft skin, high on the inside of her thigh, and Link laughed roughly as her fingers tangled in his hair, tugging sharply. "Yeah," he said lowly, "I think I'm ready to head to bed."
He hopped to his feet, Zelda still wound around him, and her startled gasp morphed into a giggle as he quickly carried her up the stairs, pressing kisses to her neck all the while as he gently laid her onto the mattress, happily sinking into the warmth she offered with open arms.
-o-
Link awoke randomly in the middle of the night, buried deep beneath the quilt he bought for their wedding day with Zelda's warm body pressed tight against his chest.
He didn't know what woke him, no nightmares lingering at the corners of his mind, but he wasn't bothered by the disturbance, sleepily watching the calm rise and fall of Zelda's form, taking in the tangle of gold hair haloing her head.
Blindly, he reached for her hand – her left hand – and smiled when he found it, taking in the soft sound of their rings clinking together. He looked down at their entwined hands, at the matching bands on their fingers, and felt so, so grateful. Grateful that everything they went through brought them here – here, warm and tangled together in their home. Bound together for the rest of their lives.
Sometimes he still couldn't help but feel the disbelief – to look at everything he has gained in this life and still feel that sense of awe. To take Zelda in as she slept and whisper to himself, oh, wow.
How lucky he was.
Bowing his head over their hands, Link pressed one long kiss against Zelda's knuckles, and then another – once, twice, three times – before pressing in impossibly closer and resting his head near the crook of her neck. Zelda murmured something in her sleep, but she soon fell calm, unconsciously giving his hand a squeeze. Some time between watching her sleep and fiddling with the ring on her finger, Link went back to sleep, too.
Their hands stayed connected for the rest of the night.
aha, that's that! I hope y'all liked it. I just wanted to add something nice and soft, so. I feel great!
whew y'all it's really one in the morning right now. I'm tired lmao. but I was impatient to finish and get this out, as usual.
comments and kudos are loved, forever. I hope everyone is still doing well and taking care of each other.
until next time!