OTP100 Prompt # 44 Fish and # 47 Fishing

Title: Nice Catch

Word Count: 987

Warnings: None

Characters: Link and Zelda, the Hylian Loach, the fisherman

Rating: PG

Disclaimer: I don't own the Legend of Zelda, or any of its inclusive characters or ideas, blah, blah, blah, don't raise litigations on me for this.

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"So what are we here to catch Link?"

"Shh. It'll hear us, and I want to have the element of surprise." The princess was giving him a shocked look, he was sure, but he couldn't afford to have idle chit-chat distracting him right now. Besides, if he mentioned its name, it would surely jinx his chances of catching it, even if he had brought Zelda for good luck.

As Link quietly set the slim tackle box he had bought with him down on some mossy rocks near the edge of the fishing lake, Zelda shook her head and spread out a small square of cloth on the dirt a few feet back from the water's edge. She didn't know how to fish, and to be honest, she wasn't sure why Link had wanted her to come on his trip out here. Ruto would have been a better choice for something like this, considering that Zoras were the best fishermen in Hyrule, even though true Hylian fishermen considered their method unorthodox to the point of being criminal. At least it didn't seem as though he wanted her to fish with him, since the only rod she saw was his personally made one.

"Alright, I think I'm ready. Zelda, I want you to just sit quiet there for a bit, okay? Oh, and wish me luck. Lots of luck."

"Are you even going to tell me what it is you're after that requires this luck-wishing?" She resisted the urge to laugh at the exasperated face he turned to her, telling herself she didn't want to ruin this trip for him. She didn't actually expect Link to respond, much less to hunker down on his haunches so close to her side to whisper conspiratorally in her long ear.

"I'm trying to catch the Hylian Loach, Zelda. It's the biggest catch a Hylian fisherman can make, and I'm going to do it."

As he was getting up, Zelda saw a determined grin was fixed onto Link's handsome features, and she couldn't help but silently root him on. It might jut be a fish to her, but apparently it was a much bigger deal to him, and Zelda wanted him to be proud of something he had done for himself. He had plenty to be proud of where taking care of others was concerned, but everyone deserved to have success at something that was completely their own venture. Link cast his line as far out into the waters as he could manage, his whole body tense in anticipation already, even if he did have to wait. Zelda noted that he was wearing the iron boots on his feet, and she vaguely wondered if catching a fish required the use of such equipment.

Seeing his tense form twitch almost imperceptibly, Zelda looked up in time to see all of the muscles in the hero's back draw tight as he began reeling in reeling in his line with fervor. It might not be the Hylian Loach he was looking for, but whatever he had caught, his excitement had caught her as well, as she jumped up from her seat on the blanket. Link dug his boots in, feeling the muscles in both of his arms strain against the powerful fish he had finally managed to snag. Oh sure, he'd gotten it to bite and play along before, but he'd never really considered it within his catching it until now. Bringing Zelda as a good luck charm had definitely paid off, he was sure of that. He could even make out the pattern on its scales clearly, that was how close the Loach was.

"Zelda! Get the net, get the net!" He couldn't be sure she'd grabbed it, but he didn't doubt that she'd heard him, and she could see he couldn't get the net himself. Farore, that fish was a whopper alright! It was still a few feet from netting distance and already it was the biggest fish he'd ever laid eyes on. Link concentrated on reeling it in and not snapping his line, something the big fish had done to countless fishermen before him.

"Here, where do you want me to put it?" She couldn't keep the excitement out of her voice, not when she could see the size and beauty of the fish he had almost reeled into the shoreline. If that wasn't the Hylian Loach, then she didn't know what to think about a fish more impressive than that, or if there even was one. Zelda hadn't actually gotten a verbal directive from her friend, but she was smart enough to move the heavy net he'd brought along towards the edge of the shore he was tugging the fish towards.

Practically tugging the loach and grunting with exertion, Link managed to wrestle the fish he'd been dreaming of catching ever since his childhood into the net Zelda was holding tightly onto at his right side. Dropping his freed rod off to the left, Link gave Zelda a face-splitting grin as he picked up the net and it's thrashing contents, carrying them swiftly over to the owner's counter. Picking up his discarded rod, Zelda grabbed the tackle box and blanket, skirt swishing as she followed Link's almost bouncing steps over to the counter in time to see the owner shake hands with Link and hand him a prize.

There was a tank on the right side of the counter, in which the huge fish Link had just caught was now swimming, on display for everyone to see. The hero couldn't resist a smug grin as he passed by it, holding the door open for Zelda as they left the fishing lake successful. The grin on Link's face was soon occupied, however, as Zelda grabbed his green tunic front and tugged him forward for the 'fishing hero's kiss', standing on the ledge overlooking the renewed vastness of Lake Hylia sparkling in the sun.

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