Note: Another quick chapter to the series, as always, feedback is appreciated 😊. Might be posting one more chapter tomorrow if I am able to.

CHAPTER 12: Flames Rekindled

Link led them to a small secluded shack that was just south of the peak of Tumlea heights. He opened the door for Zelda and she couldn't help but be fascinated by how small it was. There was a bed, a fireplace with a cookpot, a small armoire, and a desk with a single chair. Link immediately walked over and started the fire, there was a little firewood left but it was ready to be lit.

"Link, are you sure we should be in here? What if the owner returns?" Zelda asked as she kept looking around the room.

"It was abandoned when I found it, nobody is going to come by." He replied as he stepped away satisfied with the fire.

So he fixed all this up? I wonder how many places he has like this around Hyrule. Zelda wondered to herself but at least her worries were gone. She set her items down on the desk as she looked around the room, there was only one bed and she immediately felt bad because she knew Link would insist that she take the bed. However, she started to think about their conversation they had back at the spring of power. Maybe this was a way she could push him and see how he would react. Just as she guessed, Link had wordlessly taken the Sheikah Slate and retrieved the bedroll from it. Although just thinking of them sharing a bed made her blush, and her curiosity demanded to see what he would do.

"What are you doing?" She asked him

"Laying out my bedroll" he replied, somewhat confused by her question.

"There's a perfectly good bed right there." She said as she pointed over to it.

"Princess, I won't have you sleeping on the floor-"

"Well, I didn't say I would take the floor," she interrupted before he could even try to convince her, "We are going to be travelling far tomorrow and we could both use a good night's sleep."

Link was quiet for a long time with a confused look on his face. Suddenly he realized what she was suggesting causing his eyes to widen and cheeks to flush red.

"Princess I… I can't… we shouldn't. Its improper." He stammered

Zelda wasn't sure what to say to convince him, maybe reminding him of his duty would do the trick, "I can't have my knight half awake and tired when we travel, as I said, we both need a rest and you won't get it on the floor."

He was quiet again, for what almost felt like an eternity. He looked up at her, face not as red but he was still clearly flustered. "Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yes." She said with finality at which he turned away. He didn't move for a while and then began to put away the bedroll without another word said.

Zelda cheered silently to herself for her small victory and she moved to the other side of the armoire to change into her nightgown. When she came back, she noticed that Link had taken off his champions tunic but not the tan undershirt he had. Convincing him to take it off like he normally did would probably be to much to ask for in one night. Zelda went to lay on her side and turned her back away from him, she could still hear him walking around and heard him hesitate at the opposite edge of the bed before she felt him climb in. He was very still as he laid down and she could hear his breathing. The closeness was strange to her, but she enjoyed it after a while, his breathing grew very quiet until she had to strain herself to be able to hear it. Her weariness eventually took her and she fell asleep quickly.

The next morning Link awoke and realized Zelda had shifted in her sleep. She was turned to face Link and her rested on the right side of his chest. He couldn't help the as his body jolted slightly in surprise but he did his best to not wake her. Unsure what to do of the situation he just stared at the ceiling cherishing the light pressure of her head against his chest. They laid like that for a while before she awoke almost an hour later, trying to avoid an awkward situation he feigned being asleep as she started to rouse. She must have barely realized the position they were in because she carefully tried to remove herself from him. Link still had his eyes closed but he could hear her let out the breath she was holding in as she stepped out of the bed. He could hear her shuffling around by the fire so he decided to finally get up.

"Good morning Princess" Link said.

"Good morning Link, I didn't wake you did I?" Zelda replied, she was starting the fire to make some breakfast.

He stood from the bed and walk towards her, "I can make breakfast if you want." he said.

"I can make it Link, I'd like to try making us something for a change," she replied as she pulled some eggs from the sheikah slate, "however, we might need some firewood soon. Would you mind going to get some?"

Link nodded his head and put on his boots to go outside. He picked up the axe that lay against the back of the house and made quick work of one of the trees. They were thinner than usual in this area so it didn't take much to fell one. Cutting it down to a usuable size, he held as much as he could and returned to the shack to find that Zelda was almost done with breakfast. He used a few pieces to stoke the fire and placed the extra wood on the side of the fireplace.

He sat back on the bed and watched Zelda as she cooked. Link realized that this moment was almost perfect, they were alone together, almost out of reach from the rest of the world. But they weren't really together. Had he been a noble or a person of higher status he dream could be real, but it wasn't. He was only her knight and he didn't have the courage to tell her how he truly felt. Ironic how the one person he would consider his best companion was the only one he didn't have to courage to face. Link decided he couldn't go on like this, he promised himself he would tell her how he felt, despite his fears of rejection. Tonight, he said to himself, tonight I will tell her, and the goddesses can decide what becomes of me then.