Sheikah Intimacy: To Our Future

by Cosmic Sky

What does the future hold? It was an often asked question, and the answer varied. At one point, Link thought he knew the answer, but tragedy proved him wrong. Still, it wasn't completely hopeless. He had a land to save, people to rescue, and again, a girl to give his heart to. Paya never thought that girl would be her, but the future was full of endless possibilities.

Hello, everyone. Welcome to installment number three of my Sheikah Intimacy series! As by sheer coincidence, this story also happens to be my third time doing a Link/Paya lemon. After Link/Mipha, they're my favorite couple in Breath of the Wild, so I'm actually more than a little happy to be writing a third lemony story for them. Given the set up for this one, I'm going to try to balance the smutty aspects with the fluff. I hope you all enjoy!

I do not own anything.

---

Sheikah Intimacy

To Our Future

---

"Hey, Paya, you still awake?"

She could have been on the verge of falling into a deep slumber herself, but that voice would have been enough to keep Paya from it. It signal-handled filled her with the energy to sit up straight, wide-eyed, and if need be, stay up another hour or two, regardless of how her body might have protested.

Then again, she had a feeling that Link would protest that. He was always so considerate of her, more so than he needed to be.

Already, she was shaking her head. Attempts to muster up strength on her part fell short as drowsiness continuously nipping at her. It was the most annoying thing. "I-I'm still awake. I-I can still keep on going, L-Link." The smile he gave her was both revitalizing and energy draining. As she attempted to smile back at him, Paya summoned more strength from within, using it to sit upright.

"I know you can, but I'm going to tell you that you don't have to. We can call it a night." He rose from his sit and walked over to her. Paya felt her heart skip a dozen beats as he reached down with his hand. "What do you say?"

After it's temporary pause, it started beating again, this time at a faster speed than before. "I-I-If you say so." She whispered, reaching out and grasping his hand. It was a good thing he was coherent as otherwise, Paya never would have made it to her feet. For all of five seconds. "L-L-Link!" She cried as she found herself hoisted into his arms. Immediately, her cheeks turned beat-red. Aroused yet embarrassed, she hid her face in her hands; she still slid them apart so she could look at him. His charming smile further enflamed her face. "Y-Y-Y-Y-You d-d-d-d-don't h-h-have to d-d-d-do this f-f-f-for me. I-I've s-s-still got enough strength to walk on my own." How she made that statement sound even vaguely coherent, she'd never know. How she made it past this moment without entire fainting, Paya would never know. But she certainly wasn't complaining about it. Not at all.

"I know, but…well, maybe I just want to do something special for you as thanks for helping me study. Besides, this is a pretty safe way to travel, isn't it?" The Hylian amicable replied. "Um, if you wanna fall asleep in my arms, it's…no problem." Amazingly, he sounded the slightest bit nervous.

Falling asleep in the arms of the Champion of Hyrule as he carried her back to her room. It was a thing torn straight from her diary-recorded fantasies. She'd have to jot down that one of them had just came true.

Paya was within a hair's breadth of falling asleep when she heard Link himself yawn. Her focus went to him, and she noticed the lines that lay beneath his eyes, same as hers. It well and truly dawned on her that he was just as tired as her. Paya quietly realized how it made sense given he'd been training his body just as well as his mind. He'd been pushing himself harder than she could ever hope to. The realization further enamored her, yet it also made her heart weep in worry. She remembered what her grandmother had told her of the famed Champion of Hyrule-he was brave and strong, but undoubtedly prone to overexerting himself.

Ever since she'd laid eyes on Link, she'd been smitten with him. Really, it was practically love at first sight. Cliché as it was, Paya knew that's what it'd been for her. When she learned that he'd be staying in Kakariko Village, her inner self jumped for joy, nearly touching the clouds in doing so. It seemed the jumping hadn't stop as days turned to weeks, and those weeks steadily turned to months. In those months, Paya had fallen even harder for the Hylian. He'd proved himself to be every bit the hero that Paya had heard about, and the hero that she hoped he would be.

It hadn't been easy keeping that faith. As hard as it had been for her, she imagined Link's struggles were infinitely harder. She'd seen it with her own eyes, just as she was seeing it now.

Subtly was the thing, and Paya normally wasn't the type to pick up on that. She'd gotten better though.

Right now for example, she could see that Link was exhausted and he needed his own rest as much as her. In the absence of others though, like her grandmother or her comrades, someone needed to tell him that. Could it be her? Could she be the one to do it?

Could she also be the woman to fill the hole in his heart?

"Paya," Link called as he took notice of her shaking her head. "Is something wrong?"

"N-No. I-I'm…I'm just trying to keep myself awake. Not until I'm in the bed." As far as lies went, Paya liked to think that she didn't do too badly. It was said that the art of subterfuge came easily to the Sheik, it being their specialty. That had never been the case for Paya though. She supposed this was one of those times she'd managed to channel her people's craft successfully. I shouldn't be thinking about that. He's…he has a right to grieve. Not to mention how can I possibly compare to Lady Mipha? Or even Princess Zelda? They're both so more than me.

That infectious sorrow kept a tight hold of her until they got to her room. Link gently lowered her onto her feet. Paya had enough strength left to stay on her feet for several seconds before falling to the edge of the bed.

"I'll see you in the morning, Paya." The blond called as he started walking toward the door.

Her racing emotions caused every footstep to be magnified. Her heart was screaming for her to act, to say something. She'd just spent a whole afternoon and night with Link, helping him regain little pieces of his past. All the while, they'd grown closer to one another.

Paya saw him about to turn the knob and leave her room, leave her.

She was moving before she was even conscious of it. Her arms were thrown around Link's abdomen, her face burying itself in the crux of his neck. Paya felt his body stiffen as he was clearly caught off guard by the move. At least he wasn't pushing her away. If anything, she could have sworn that she felt Link relaxing as he seemingly melted into her embrace. Paya didn't want to get her hopes up, but she…just couldn't help herself.

"Please, Link. You said it's alright to call it a night. I think…that should go for you too. You've been pushing yourself incredibly hard. I…I think it's hard enough." Paya said in a quiet voice. She was surprised at how free it was of trembling. The question was would her words get through to the formerly slumbering knight.

Paya could have sworn that her heartbeat was audible, especially since Link had been able to hear sounds much quieter, and from practically miles away. Surely he knew how rapidly her heart was beating.

First, there was a heavy sigh from him. Paya loosened her hold on him as he turned around to face her. She was nervous, scared even, but all those feelings evaporated once she saw his face.

Tired. Worn out. Those were the words that described the Last Champion of Hyrule. He was over a hundred years old, and in that moment, he looked his age. Paya hugged him again, her surging emotions pushing her to act.

"I…I know that you feel like you must carry Hyrule's future on your shoulders, but…please, take a break from it. Don't let it crush you, Link."

Another tense silence, but Paya didn't feel herself become utterly consumed by dread by it. She was perhaps too transfixed on the haggard look on Link's face. The fear of potentially screwing this up was a distant second to her desire to lighten the burden on him. He'd brought light into her world, and she wanted to do the same for him, if only just a little.

His hands rose and wrapped around her. "I am carrying Hyrule's future on my shoulders. I'm the only one that can."

Paya tightened her hold on him. "I-I know, but…I just…I don't want it to crush you. Not like it did before."

"Impa told you the stories, huh?"

"I'm sorry if we're seeming intrusive." She murmured.

"No, it's okay. I mean…it's probably a good thing since she knows I can't go on like I used to." The Hylian soothed. "I've gotten more bits and pieces over these last few months, and even tonight. This wasn't the first time that I spent all night studying until I'm seeing old texts when I close my eyes."

She gave a short but humorous laugh. "I think that's enough for one night though, Link. You…you don't have to push yourself any harder for tonight." Paya tightened her hold on him. "Please, Link."

"Paya," The Hylian whispered again. "I…think you're right." No sooner after he spoke, did he yawn. No doubt it was a reason for his admission. "I…think I'm ready to turn in for the night too."

Suddenly, she thought of the distance between her home and his. It really wasn't that far. They were practically across the street from each other all things considered. To get worked up over a short, ten-minute walk would be ridiculous. Despite that logic, she was still reluctant to let him go. More so when she looked up into his blue eyes. Some of the weariness on his face had finally gone away, but Paya could still see how tired he was.

Somewhere inside, a substantial amount of bravery was found and put to use. Her hands drifted down to his, her feet stepping backward. With their interlocked hands, she began to gently tug him toward the bed. While she was outwardly calm, internally she was like a candle flame in a winter wind. Thankfully, it was a short journey from the door to her bed, which she sat upon and beckoned Link to do the same.

She looked at him, slightly unsure of what she was going to find.

He was drowsy, so drowsy that he might fall asleep any moment. Paya was in the same boat.

Yet again, she reached down and grabbed at that growing wellspring of courage.

Using her hands, she gently lowered Link down into the bed. Hers was comfortable enough he'd fall asleep quickly, it was a sleep that he deserved. Smiling, she stood up, ready to move away to a chair or couch. She'd gladly give up her bed for Link.

But he had other ideas.

"Don't go. Please." The whisper caught her completely off-guard. Whipping her head around, she saw him dimly holding onto her hand. He was so close to falling asleep, but he was fighting it for this moment. "Paya, could you just…please, stay here. Please."

Her face was probably redder than a Blood Moon, and it was burning hotter than the lava of Death Mountain. If she moved in the direction her heart was screaming for her to, she was pretty sure she'd erupt in such a manner the iconic mountain would be put to shame.

Link put a stop to that by wrapping his arm around her. Miraculously, that sort of thing should have caused her to erupt even more, yet Paya felt calmness. It was the sort of tranquility that only he'd been able to give her. More so than her grandmother, more so than her elders, more so than even her parents. As that calmness and sense of safety washed over Paya, she found herself curling up into Link's embrace.

She allowed sleep in, and so did he. It was a short search to find one another in the land of dreams, dreams of a Hyrule at peace where darkness no longer loomed over them. Nor did the past hold them down.

---

Stealth had never particularly been a strong suit of Link's, but he'd learned. Primarily under the tutelage of the woman watching him depart from her home.

"So, you're just going to up and leave her like that, Link? I know you've always had this habit, but honestly, I'd expect a little better from you."

He could hear the disappointment in Impa's voice; it wasn't unwarranted. She was right, he knew that so much that he didn't even try to refute her. Instead, Link merely lowered his head in apparent shame.

Her footsteps were audible to his ears. Given her age, it took her a while; one hundred years ago, she'd have been at his side in a heartbeat. Likewise, she'd likely be spinning him around and giving him one hell of a hard glare. Age had turned what would have been a glare into a sympathetic frown as he turned around to face her.

"I'm…I'm sorry, Impa." Link muttered. "This isn't fair to you, and it definitely isn't fair to Paya."

"I'll add that you're also not being fair to yourself, Link." Came her soft voice. She grown so much smaller, just barely coming up to his hip, yet she cast a long, warming shadow over him. Link was slightly reluctant to admit that he needed it. That's why he put up no struggle as she beckoned him to the steps of her home. It was a place Link had spent quite a lot of time at, before his century-long slumber and after it. Sometimes Impa had been there with him, just like she was now, sitting beside him, holding his hand in comfort just as she did one hundred years ago.

The sun had already begun its steady climb over the horizon signaling the beginning of a new day. Its glow was slowly spreading over the horizon, coloring parts of the land varying shades of orange and even blue. There was still probably another ten to fifteen minutes or so before most of it was evident, and by then the night would be in full retreat. It'd been Link's intent to be gone by then, but as he sat beside his old ally, he quietly settled upon the possibility that wasn't going to be happening.

"This is a battle that's a hundred years old, but it will end. When it does, you must move on from it. That's what we're all hoping for." She said while giving his hand a short but tight squeeze.

Link got what she was saying, he truly did, but following through on the words was easier said than done. His head hung low, the struggle to follow through on display for the woman beside him. Even if he hadn't been so obvious about it, Impa still would have noticed it. Her powers of deduction had been there, and they'd only grown stronger with age.

"Do you believe you are unworthy of my granddaughter, Link?"

He looked straight up at her, red-faced and shocked beyond measure. "I-I-I-Impa! W-W-W-What the hell kind of question is that?!"

"A fair one, I'd say. Now then, are you going to make this old woman repeat herself? Especially so early in the morning when she hasn't had her morning tea?" The humor in her voice was impossible not to notice.

With a sigh, he tried to look away, but Link still heard the occasional snicker of the old ninja beside him. Though she was trying to help him, she was still enjoying this. "Don't you think it's a little, I don't know, weird trying to set your granddaughter up with a guy from your past? You know, one who's just as old as you are?"

"I shall admit, it's a little…odd, but this is a strange world we live in." She began. "Unlike me, you actually look pretty good for over a hundred." They shared a short but hearty laugh at that one undeniable fact. "You may be a hundred-and-sixteen, but you look more of the latter than the former. As far as most people, including her, are concerned, you're sixteen. Hm, you're not planning on going hunting for a woman around your age, are you? Not to be rude, Link, but I'm positive that you'll find few that catch your eye."

A humorous groan was his initial response, then came the verbal one. "I can't exactly say you're wrong about that." A twinge of guilt ran through him as he grabbed at the first excuse that came to his mind. "But…there…might be one though."

Impa's gaze was sharp, sharp as the short blades she once wielded. While still not hostile, she was subtly cutting through his excuse. "While true…are you going to tell me that half of your memories have given birth to feelings that weren't there a hundred years ago? Feelings that previously existed for one other person?" Shame colored his cheeks and made him look away. "While I can tell you that Zelda would be quite happy to hear that, I believe it would only end in tragedy. Such an ending is inevitable when feelings in a relationship only cover one side, and the other is…forced."

Yet again, Link let his head fall. "I…I'm just…I…I'm scared, Impa."

"I know, Link. Believe me, I know." Again, she squeezed his hand in comforting reassurance. She knew his pain, probably better than a ninety-percent of the people in Hyrule could. "Love can be quite a powerful force, but also quite a scary thing as well. Even mighty warriors like you can be brought to heel before it."

"Heh, you definitely know that. You were there when I fumbled over giving flowers to Mipha."

"Ah, yes, that was such a loving evening. The highlight of that evening. You two turned what would have been another dull party into a memorable spectacle." Impa wistfully remarked.

He laughed as he continued to reminiscence over the memory. While he still didn't have all of his memories back, he'd gotten back more than a fair share of them. Perhaps most importantly, he'd gotten back dozens involving the woman he loved, and whom he wanted to call his wife. But here he was, a hundred years later…alone, unmarried and alone.

And falling in love all over again.

"You asked me if I felt like I wasn't worthy of your granddaughter. Impa, I…I feel like I am." The Hylian confessed. Looking back over the horizon, he saw at least half of the sun had risen. Darkness was in retreat around him, yet it'd sunk its hooks into him, having found a healthy host. "I already fell in love once, and I failed to keep that woman safe."

"And you believe you will fail with my granddaughter?" Impa calmly questioned.

"The Yiga are still out there, and I know they'd give anything to burn this village down and kill everyone in it." For the first time, his voice was tight, angry, filled with contempt.

While he let the anger show on his face, Impa kept hers contained. "Yes, I'm quite aware, Link. Every Sheik in this village, every Sheik who follows the old ways, is a target of theirs. From the old such as myself…to the young, the youngest in fact." They turned to face each other. Their similarities showed, the aged stress and hardness that had marked both of them. Even if Link was still recovering his memories, enough had came back, enough to know that the traitorous Sheik had to be dealt with. "With your return, the wheels of fate have accelerated. Even now, they continue to do so. The Yiga know this as well."

Link didn't say anything, he merely looked back to the rising sun. He didn't need to say much as Impa could read his face. His expression had gone from worn to quietly fierce. Now he had the look of a warrior, a hunter even. Though the subject of his soon to be prey drew little sympathy from her, she still couldn't help but note how rapid the shift was. It was just another sign of how quickly the silent but dedicated knight she once knew was returning. Link himself was gradually becoming aware of that.

Even a hundred years later, his mission hadn't changed, yet several things had. One thing that floated in an odd limbo between the two was the topic of what came after the mission. It'd been spark that had ignited this entire conversation in the first place.

"Link," called the old ninja. Finally, he looked back at her, his hardened expression softening somewhat. "I'll skip straight to the point-you can't let the past consume you. Especially once you've managed to put it to rest. That's no way to live life." When the Hylian again bowed his hand, Impa returned her right hand to his left, and squeezed. "Would you leave her to wait for eternity when you feel the same?"

"…No, but I just…I feel like she can do better than me." The blond whispered.

"Well, isn't that funny. Paya no doubt thinks the exact same in regards to you, Link. Even now, your quest roughly half-way completed, you've become the talk of the land. Imagine what'll happen when you fully complete it. All the endearment and amorous affection you'll get." Though her tone was humorous, Link detected the undercurrent to it, especially as Impa kept on talking. Contrary to initial impression, she wasn't fancying the image she was painting. Understandable since it involved her granddaughter experiencing absolute misery.

The image caused Link's hands to tighten. He'd rather run himself through on his sword than hurt Paya that way. His honor as a man would never allow for it. That very thing also called for him to make his feelings known. Opposing it was that insufferable sense of dread that he simply couldn't shake.

As much as he wanted to believe it, running off to the Gerudo Desert wouldn't alleviate that dread. That had no doubt been one of Impa's goals, and she'd succeeded at it.

His sigh of defeat brought her no smile of victory. She merely continued to give him that same understanding smile. Link realized that he probably needed it more than he originally thought.

"So," she began. "I take it that you'll be staying for breakfast with us? I'm sure Paya would appreciate it."

A light blush came to his cheeks. Without saying it, he tried to play it off as a trick of the morning light, but Impa knew the truth.

Seconds after they both stood up, they stopped and looked at the doorway. A moment later and they looked back to one another, smiles growing on their faces. Together, they ascended the short steps and reentered the home.

Their footsteps alerted its remaining occupant of their return. Though she'd already made several, the vibrations made her sigh in relief even more.

---

She could sense his presence at the door even before he knocked. Paya was up on her feet and moving toward it by the time he knocked. Her hand wrapped around the knob and turned it, revealing the Hylian on the other end.

It'd been almost eight months since Link awoke from his regenerative sleep. In those ten months, he'd slowly but surely took back Hyrule, all by himself. He took it back from the wilderness, from the monsters, from Ganon's evil. Now all that remained was to strike at the monster himself. That's what he was going to do today.

"Morning, Paya." He somewhat shyly said with a wave. "I'm not up too early, am I?"

"No, not at all, Link." She replied. It was a role reversal. He was the shy one instead of her, and she was the confident one. How ironic considering he was about to march off to face the toughest fight of his life. "Come in, please."

He wasn't quite dressed for battle, but he had perhaps the most important pieces of his arsenal: the Master Sword, the Hyrulean Shield, and the Champion's Tunic. The light blue cloth marked him as one of Hyrule's Champion, now it's last and strongest Champion, ready to end the land's waking nightmare.

Looking back, she found it funny to think that there was a time when she'd become a complete, flustered, stuttering wreck at the thought of Link in her room. While she undoubtedly did feel a swarm of butterflies in her stomach, she was able to control the feeling enough to seem composed.

How long that would last though, she could only imagine.

That composure was put to the test as Link reached out with his left hand and grasped her right. Without hesitation, she immediately squeezed it.

Paya lowered her head. "…I don't want you to go, even though I know you must."

"I…I know the feeling, Paya." He replied. "Believe me, there's a part of me that would like to stay here and…"

She shook her head, telling him he didn't have speak. "It is your duty to stop the Calamity Ganon, especially now that you've freed the Four Divine Beasts. You can't stop now."

"Heh, I know a whole lot of people who'd be angry with me if I did. Including one sitting right next to me." He jubilantly chirped.

Paya giggled. "Yes, I would be. I mean, you did help me see the value in seeing something through to the bitter end."

He chuckled in amused agreement.

Without another word, Paya stood up, pulling Link up with her. He was surprised, and intrigued. Smiling, he followed her outside to the doorsteps. They greeted the morning sun together.

Against his wishes, quite a sendoff was scheduled to take place when he left for Hyrule Castle. It was an extreme downgrade from the majestic sendoffs that the kingdom once arranged for its warriors; that was, of course, back when there was an organized government and teeming citizenry to speak off. Paya saw that he'd came to enjoy the smaller sendoffs that they arranged in Kakariko Village.

In maybe half an hour or so, they'd arrange another sendoff for him, perhaps the grandest sendoff Kakariko Village had ever put together. A lot of preparation had gone into it. It almost made her feel a little bad about…hogging Link all to herself, if only for a moment.

Paya couldn't help herself though. She leaned into his shoulder, and he wrapped his arm around her.

"This is the final battle, the one that was supposed to be fought a hundred years ago." Link murmured. "If I had been able to fight it, then…the Sheik might have-"

"I'd have never been able to meet you." She whispered. The confession simply slipped out of her, like an arrow launched from a bow. "I'm sorry, I…I know that sounds so selfish. I shouldn't be telling you that."

"It's the truth, and it's…the feeling isn't exactly one-sided, Paya." At first, he sounded a little apprehensive, but he found his resolve. Hearing his words made her feel better about her own confession. "I've met so many people in this era, people that I never would have met if I hadn't gone to sleep for a hundred years."

"And that includes…me." Reaffirmed the Sheikah girl with a tiny smile.

"Yeah." He agreed. "Hyrule, the land that I swore to protect, it's still there. I still have a duty to do, people to protect. I'm just still a little miffed that it took me this long to do it."

"Well, as the saying goes, better late than never." That phrase had continuously rung in her head the night that Link had arrived at the village. The legend of the Hero of Hyrule had been passed down through the Sheik for a hundred years. He would return to save Hyrule, that assertion was passed from parent to child for generations, down to hers. Amongst her generation, she'd been one of the few to believe it. It made her an outlier…and it gave her years of loneliness.

"You're an idiot, Paya! A coward and an idiot! You actually believe that the hero's coming back? He's dead, just like all the others!"

"There is no Hyrule anymore, just…just this. I won't serve it, Paya. I refuse."

"It's just a stupid ass story! No way I'm going to spend my life waiting for something that doesn't exist!"

Bittersweet, that's how the word that came to mind when she thought of how things had turned out. In the end, the stories had been real, the hero had returned, and he was everything that the legends had made him out to be. Paya had been vindicated, as had their people. Alas, for many, that vindication had came too late.

"I can't go back, Paya! The things I've…the things I've done…I'm a member of the Yiga Clan! You know what that means. Either Lord Ganon's revival…or death."

"I'll come back, Paya."

She blinked, realizing that she was wrapped up completely in his arms. Paya all but curled herself into his embrace, basking in it. Even with the faith she had in him, she couldn't help but worry, fear that this would be the last time that he'd ever do this. The last time that she'd ever see him.

"I was there that morning…before you returned to the Gerudo Desert. Before you went to steal back the Thunder Helm." She whispered.

"I know. Both Impa and I knew." It'd been an open secret, now finally brought into the light. "She told me that I had to let the past go, and she was right. It's just…until I did, I felt like…I didn't deserve you. You deserved more, Paya, more than a guy stuck in the past."

"Link," she whispered in attempted comfort.

"But…I'm going to try to end that today. I swear it on the goddesses." Came his firm voice, the voice of the knight she'd came to admire and love.

"Link," Paya called again. "Would you…would you swear that you'll come back alive?"

"I-"

"I want to put the past to rest, but I don't want that to include you!" it was like a geyser eruption, sudden and powerful. Paya felt a tinge of shame in losing control, but then she felt a soft brushing on her lips.

"I swear on the goddesses, I will return, Paya." Link whispered to her. "I'll come back to you, swear it on Farore's wind."

As if to emphasize his point, the wind itself blew quite fiercely. It was a sudden and empowering breeze; it actually felt rather comforting.

"Knights never go back on their word." Whispered the Sheikah girl.

"No, we don't, especially when we make promises to fair maidens." He happily said.

A lovestruck maiden, that's definitely what she was. Amazingly, her feelings weren't completely one-sided. Link hadn't said it directly, but he'd told her how he felt indirectly. When this was over, he'd hopefully be able to just say how he really felt. She hoped so, just as she hoped he'd return home whole.

That's one of the things she prayed for when the sendoff began hours later. Like the rest of the village, she wished Link well, and prayed for his victory. Paya had a feeling she was one of the ones who prayed for his survival, more intensely than anything.

Goddesses, Lady Farore, Lady Nayru, Lady Din, Lady Hylia, honored ancestors, please…bring him home alive.

For Paya, it'd be the longest day of her life.

---

"Would you…truly be willing to make your home here, in Zora's Domain, Link?"

"Yes. I mean, I've gotten pretty used to the water, thanks to you. I'd say I've practically developed a set of gills, haven't I?"

"Hehehe! Perhaps. You've taken to it far better than any Hylian I've ever known."

"Sounds fitting for the king consort, don't you think?"

"Consort, y-you…oh, Link."

"Even now, with everything happening…I'm your knight. I'll still be your knight after this calamity is vanquished. Until the bitter end."

"One end has come and gone, now a new beginning lies before you, Link."

The words didn't make him release his hold on her, but they did lessen it. As ashamed of it as Link felt, Mipha continued to soothingly stroke his backside. She knew this embrace couldn't last forever, no matter how much either of them wanted it to. Part of that was she knew it wasn't fair to the woman waiting for Link, waiting back in the real world.

"I'm glad that you've mourned for me, Link, but you cannot continue to do so. I want you to stop, and I want you to live. I want you to be happy."

Happiness. It was a surprisingly complex subject for him. Though it hadn't always been that way, it'd became a little more complex with time. Time itself was also a concept that he had an interesting relationship with.

He was an anomaly to it. Born a hundred years ago, from a time long since passed, yet here he stood in the modern era. By his own hand, history had changed, preferrable for the better.

Was he absolved of his past failure? Did he have a right to happiness now, just like Mipha and all the others said he did?

Link knew that he was going to be asking that question a lot more in the coming days. He also wasn't going to be skipping out on visits to the great house any time soon. It'd almost became a part of his daily routine. That hadn't changed even now that Ganon had been slain and Zelda freed. Given the vast restoration efforts they'd had to undertake, that wasn't surprising. As far as governmental affairs went, it was the brain of Hyrule.

He'd told himself protecting it was why he'd stayed behind while Zelda had set out to explore the rest of West Necluda. The Yiga were still out there, and some of them were now even more determined. Others had given up and attempted to reassimilate back into the Sheik. Naturally, such intentions were met with widespread suspicion, especially from him.

But not Paya, not entirely.

"I know there's a possibility they're just fooling us. I truly do, but…I want to give them a chance."

"…Then I'll do that too."

All day he'd been on edge, having Yiga clansmen in the Great House. Well, former clansmen. After today, he felt just a little bit more confident in saying that. That was in no small part thanks to Paya, who'd shown her growth in rigorously screening the former traitors. While compassionate, she'd been stern, even with her former friends. Watching her had made Link fall in love with her even more.

A pity he still hadn't found the courage to tell her that. Not even almost two weeks after slaying Calamity Ganon.

"Hero of Hyrule, but I'm still such a coward." He chuckled, pushing his hands into his pockets, and starting the short walk back to his house. Link was glad that things had eventually died down somewhat after his beating of Ganon. For almost a solid week, it felt like a nonstop celebration, albeit a warranted one. Being the humble person he was, he was glad to have things back to normal.

Well, as normal as could be.

Looking up, he couldn't help but think of the students he'd suddenly found himself teaching. Future members of Hyrule's Army. As it currently stood the recovering nation of Hyrule had an absolutely miniscule military force-a far cry from what it was during his day. Even more spectacular, he was now in charge of training the new generation. It was certainly undeniable that he had the skills for it, but the teaching ability was something he'd struggled with. Luckily, he'd had someone there with him, in the same boat as him, yet helping him along the way.

Upon getting back home, he sat down on his couch, a hand over his face. No matter how many times Link told himself he'd confess to Paya, his blasted fear grabbed at him like chains.

"I'll do it. I definitely will." The blond Hylian affirmed to himself. He knew what his feelings were, and he knew he had the strength to act on them. Somewhere inside of him.

Knock! Knock!

"Link? Are you still awake?" Came a familiar voice from the front door.

"Coming!" He shouted, having jumped from his seat and dashed toward it. In seconds, he swung it open and drunk in the sight of the red-marked girl who'd made him fall in love for the second time. "Paya," he whispered. "Hey? Is there something you need? Something wrong?"

She shyly held up a dark green journal with a familiar pair of crossed swords on it. "Um, actually, I think it's something you need, Link. You…forgot this at the great house."

He immediately recognized the book, a humorous chuckle tumbling from his lips. "Guess I did, and I owe you for remembering it." As he regained his memories, Link pondered the possibility of losing them again. Or something happening to him; either way, he wanted to have a way to recover what could be lost. Now, his writings were being used to help secure Hyrule's future via others. It wasn't something he ever thought would happen, but here he was. "Thank you, Paya."

"You're welcome…Master Link." She knew what she was doing. Both of them burst into laughter at the use of his formal name. It'd been a while since she'd used it to refer to him; Link fondly remembered telling her that she didn't have to be so formal with him. It was something he was unlikely to forget. "Well, goodnight, Link. I'll see you to-"

"Paya!" His shouting nearly caused her to jump, and for good reason. She was within arms' length of him. There was no reason to shout, but he'd done so anyway, driven by his emotions. Now, he had to explain himself. "I…I…do you want some tea?" Tea? Seriously?! That's the best you can do? At least it's not-

"Sure!" Now it was Paya shouting. Her eyes twinkled in jubilation as she was welcomed into his home.

Link could feel the nonstop rhythm of his heartbeat, going hard like a stallion across the plains. The vibrations continued even as he made them tea. A nagging voice in his head asked why he wasn't making her coffee. Really, coffee at this hour? He shook his head to clear out the thoughts before turning to the living room where Paya sat on the couch.

"I…actually wanted to ask you something, Link." She whispered after her first sip. "Why didn't you go with Lady Zelda? I mean, you are her bodyguard."

"I am, but I'm not her only one." He calmly replied. While he may have told Impa and a handful of others, he hadn't told Paya. Link knew that his decision had been a source of curiosity, and concern, for several. "While Zelda undoubtedly needs protecting, so does Kakariko Village. As far as everyone's concerned, it's Hyrule's capital."

"The ruler and the capital," The teenage girl murmured. "Such things existed before my time, but here I am seeing them with my own two yes. I can't help but believe I'm lucky." She finished with a mirthful laugh.

Link loved seeing her laugh, and smile. His attraction to those things were one of the reasons why he'd chosen to stay in the village. Not that anyone besides Impa knew that. He was sure that she knew her granddaughter was here, with him. The smile she had on her face must have been something.

After another large gulp, he continued with his explanation. "I…also wanted to give others a chance to prove themselves. It's not like I just started teaching others how to fight." Link nervously scratched the back of his neck, nervous embarrassment eating at him. "Protecting the Queen of Hyrule, pretty good way to put the things I've been teaching to the test, don't you think?"

"Yes, I do think you're right in a sense. Still, it's…quite a dangerous case of trial by fire. O-Of course, n-n-none of this is to say that Queen Zelda's incapable of protecting herself! I remember seeing her manifesting her sacred powers and they're incredible! Spectacular!"

If Zelda were with them, he believed she would have seen the irony. Her attempts to awaken her inner power had led her to either openly or quietly resent those who could do the same with their own abilities. Including him. Link understood where her anger came from, especially when it turned to despair. It was never fun feeling inadequate to someone else. That was Paya as she reminded herself of how great the Hyrulean queen was, at least when compared to her. She was certainly someone who'd be a better lover to a man like him.

But Link wasn't interested in Zelda that way.

"She is," he acknowledged, rising up and going to sit beside Paya on the couch. She immediately began blushing as she looked to him. "But so are you." Her blush grew threefold. "When I first met you, I couldn't imagine you teaching a class on Sheikah writing, culture, or technology. Now, I wake up to that almost every day…and I wouldn't have it any other way, Paya."

"L-L-Link, y-you…I…t-t-thank you. Your praise is…it means the world to me." She didn't look at him, but the all-consuming blush on her face told the story well enough.

"…You mean the world to me too, Paya. I just couldn't bring myself to leave you." He didn't look at her, even as he finally mustered up the courage to speak his true feelings. Not until he put his tea cup down. "Paya, everything I just said…is only one part of the reason why I chose to stay. I wanted to protect the village, but I also wanted to protect you."

His blue eyes met her reddish brown. Her shocked face didn't give him pause to stop, but reason to keep going. It was now or never.

"I know some of the Yiga have turned over a new leaf, or are trying to, but…I didn't feel comfortable leaving you alone in the village with them. Especially them being so…close to you. It's selfish and unfitting of me, but…I…I don't know what I'd do if I lost a woman I love for the second time."

Her already widened eyes grew larger. He could hear her heartbeat, a furious drumbeat that pounded in his pointed ears.

Link ducked his head. "I'm sorry. I'm downplaying you and I'm-"

"I'm not a princess." Came her sudden and whispering voice.

Link looked back up at her, unsurprised to see the doubt in her eyes. It'd always been there, whispering in her ear just as it had been in his. "Well…if you want to be technical, you sort of are. I mean, you are the grandmaster's granddaughter, and likely to succeed her."

Joyful optimism broke her shocked anxiety. "Y-Y-You really think so?"

"I know so. Just as I want to be here to rebuild Hyrule, I want to be right beside you when you take leadership of the clan." He scooted closer to her, knowing that at the rate he was going, it was all the way or not at all. The Hylian had made his choice. "Paya, I want that to be my future. I want you to be a part of my future."

The way she shivered in plain excitement made him lose control. One minute Link was staring at her, panting in shocked awe, and then the next he felt her lips against his once more. He was kissing her, he was dominating the kiss, dominating her. His arms went to the Sheikah girl's hips, encircling around them to bring her closer against him. Though a voice of reason in his head cautioned him against being too forceful, he failed to listen to it. More accurately, he didn't want to listen to it, not in this moment. This moment that had been a dream quietly slumbering in his mind. It'd been a dream that he'd fought for, a dream he'd wanted to make real, and he was finally doing that. The joy that came from that fulfillment occupied his mind as he finally pulled away. Both he and Paya were more breathless than they had been before.

In that short pause, reason fully returned to the Hylian. Worry began to climb throughout him, finding an outlet in his mouth. "Paya, I-!"

He saw the way her eyes glistened right before she struck. She slammed her lips against his, her tongue shooting out and downright colliding against his. Link felt that erotic tingle race up his spine, setting fire to every fiber of his being. Paya's arms stroked the blaze as they wrapped around his neck. That was the incentive for Link to move, and that's what his body did. Reacting on pure impulse, he aggressively grinded his body against Paya's, his harden member sheathed in his pants, yet pressing against the white-haired girl before him. His arms wrapped around her waist just as hers did his neck. Their kiss was temporarily broken as she let out a lustful moan.

The sound further incited Link. Paya's sensual voice was new to him, but he found himself enticed by it; he wanted to hear more of it, even if that was muffled moans. His wanting lips found hers, aggressively kissing her and stifling her voice. The Hylians pointed ears still heard her muffled moans, each other causing his cock to twitch all the more in his pants. Link knew it wanted out, and then it wanted to be inside of Paya.

They stumbled onto the floor, her on her backside with him atop of her. Link pushed himself up on his hands and knees and stared down at the blushing Sheik. A part of him was in shock that he was having these lewd thoughts about the innocent and nervous girl beneath him, but another part of him knew this was inevitable. He'd had these feelings building up for months, months of getting to know Paya, months of slowly but surely falling for her. Now, with the shadow of Ganon no longer looming above him, those feelings were gushing forth like a surging river. The more he stared at Paya, the stronger the surge became. Link could practically feel the intense hardening of it behind the wall of his pants and boxers. He almost groaned in agony at the confinement that keep it restrained.

His groan dissipated into a sudden gasp as he felt a pair of hands caressing his cheeks. Long had the impression that they were Mipha's faded; he knew for certain they belonged to Paya. His blue eyes peered down into her reddish-brown orbs. They were awash with growing desire, desire that he knew burned in his own eyes as well. Paya's mouth remained hung open in an endless pant. She wanted to speak, but forming words seemed to be out of her reach. Realizing that, she decided to let her actions speak for her.

First, there was an inhalation, then she brought his face down atop of hers. Their breaths became muffled by one another's mouths, and replaced by the lewd flicking of their tongues against one another. The flicking sent numerous sparks of ecstasy pulsating through their bodies. As the kiss went on, the couple sensually grinded against one another. Though their clothes dampened the mood a little, the euphoria they felt was enough for them to temporarily look past that. It grew by the second, shown in the growing eroticism of the kisses they shared.

Paya wasn't as lost in it as Link had thought. Suddenly, the Hylian found himself on his backside, his Sheikah lover atop of him. Several seconds after this reversal took place, she sat up, her face a crimson hue and nervousness lacing her expression. Link analyzed her in a nanosecond and knew what had to be done. Smiling, he sat up and wrapped his arms around her waist. She let out a hot, breathless moan at the physical intimacy. Whatever she was about to say was lost to the warm waves of bliss that rolled into her. One wave crashed as the knight rocked his hips against the younger girl.

"A-Ahhh~" Came her fluttering voice. "L-L-Link, I-I…I…" He was patient with her, waiting for her to regain her composure enough to speak. "I…I want to give myself to you! All of me!"

Almost simultaneous to her declaration, the Hylian sat up, lifting her up into his arms. Paya squawked in surprise, though quickly going silent at the intimate way that the Champion of Hyrule held her. And most certainly with how he was gazing upon her. "Glad to know that the feeling's mutual, Paya." Link remarked with a slightly sultry smile.

"M-M-M-Mutual? Y-You mean…" Her voice trailed off as deep within her she already knew. That knowledge led her to smile as Link slowly leaned forward. Unlike their previous kisses, this one was sweet, pure, innocent affection that affirmed a willingness to go far in the opposite direction. As the kiss ended, Paya felt tears of joy pooling in her eyes. A few fell as she felt Link's hand rise up and gently stroke the back of her head. "Oh, Link." She whispered in pure joy.

He chuckled, then began to move. Paya knew exactly where they were heading. It was a place that she knew for a fact hundreds of women across the land would have given anything to be in, including quite a few Gerudo. They all would have been chopping at the bit to be the ones Link led to his bedroom. Instead of any of them, it was Paya.

She could hardly believe what was happening to her as she was laid atop the dark green sheets, Link looming over her as he'd done before. Her breath caught in her throat, coming out in small pants. Every inch of her body felt hot, like she was burning up. Her clothes felt more restrictive than before, so much that Paya thought about tearing them off herself. The thought actually surprised her. Normally she tried hard to keep such lewd thoughts to herself, but in this moment, that restraint was in the wind. For good reason though. She was lying in the bed of her crush with him sitting above her, eyeing her with ravenous intent.

Frankly, some of this seemed too good to be true. It was the continuation of a dream she'd long since harbored-the dream she'd shared with the rest of her people. The Calamity Ganon had been slain by the hero, and like any fairy tale, he had his happy ending with his lady love. More often than not in stories and in real life, that was a princess. Link had a princess lover once before, something that Paya was all too familiar with. While there was a second princess who seemingly held similar feelings for him, Link hadn't chosen her. Instead, he'd chosen Paya. The line of thought was often repeated in her head, each time she found it more baffling than the previous time.

"Paya," the gentle whisper of her name snapped her from her thoughts. She was back in the reality that had perplexed yet excited her so much. Link's sky-blue eyes were focused solely on her, an easy-go smile on his face. "Are you still with me? Do you want to stop?"

The word, "stop" sent a ripple of panic through her. "N-No! Not at all! P-Please, Link! I don't want to stop! I-I was just…I was…I suppose I was just in awe that you're…doing this with me." Quietly looking herself over, she realized that Link had refrained from undressing her as he no doubt wanted to. Paya found herself even more smitten with him. Even now as he was clearly wrestling with his sensually impulses, he was trying to be a gentleman. Sitting up, she reached forward and took him by the cheeks. It was a bold move for her, but one that she could see Link was pleased with. Words became an afterthought as she saw that smile. Feeling more happy tears falling from her eyes, she leaned forward and kissed him. The kiss intensified as she felt Link's fingers wiping away the teardrops as they fell. "I'm…just so happy." Paya whispered minutes later.

"Me too, especially since I'm making you happy, Paya. As your lover, that's my job, just as much as it is defending Hyrule." He'd never gotten to say those words to Mipha, but Link knew he would have if things turned out different. That was undoubtedly a reason why he told them to Paya as they stood at this threshold. Link knew not to waste time; he knew not to take loved ones for granted. It'd been a struggle, debating rather or not to tell Paya how he felt before or after he marched off to slay Ganon once and for all. He supposed everything had worked out. The darkness was gone and light had returned.

As far as he was concerned, the young girl beneath him was his light. The light that beckoned him to a brighter future after so much pain and heartache. She'd always been there, shining for him and now he was going to show her how much he treasured her.

Link slowly pushed her onto her backside, his kisses moving from her lips to the side of her cheeks and her neck. Paya gasped and moaned at the nonstop flutter of affection. No matter how much she may have braced herself for it, experiencing it for the first time was certainly a shock to the system. Link knew that quite well. It made him want to make this night as memorable and special for his second love as possible.

With her focus now back on track, he began to subtly remove her clothes. It'd been a struggle for him to keep from doing that before. Impa's words about her birthmark crawled back into his mind. With them came a further hardening of his cock. A certain image popped into his mind, a lewd, primal scene that he hoped Paya wouldn't mind indulging in if they got around to that point. He grew more confident that she would with every second they spent kissing and stroking each other. Link felt his heartbeat racing as if he were in battle, but this sort of rush carried no sense of danger. He was inclined to say that this was better than any battle.

One by one, he deposited Paya's clothes to the side of the bed. His own would follow in time, but for the moment he couldn't help but gawk at the sight of the granddaughter of the kunoichi he once knew.

Clad in dark blue panties and a bra, Paya looked positively beautiful. Sweat glistened off her flawless, olive-toned body in a way that made his mouth water. Link fought the impulse to greedily grope and fill her up to his heart's content. A tiny voice in the corner of his mind laughed. Reminding him that this woman was soon to be his. As he contemplated its words, Link found himself already moving toward her. Before he knew it, he felt his lips on hers, her hands combing through his blond spikes. The motions drove him to kiss her harder, to feel the nakedness of her almost entirely exposed body. Paya moaned and gasped beneath him, her lips occasionally breaking the kiss so she could make those delicious sounds. Link was happy to hear them; he wanted them to not only continue but to grow louder. For that to happen the last vestiges of her clothes were going to have to go.

As he pulled away, Link looked down at Paya, his gaze that of a hungry wolf before its shivering lamb. Paya knew what she was, and she was excited about it; seeing that caused a deep, near feral growl to swell up within Link's throat. The girl beneath him was so incredibly beautiful, but he hadn't been the only one to take notice of it. Others had, and something about that angered him. No, he knew exactly what that feeling was-jealously.

His hands, so used to climbing and gripping weapons, so gently stroked and caressed Paya's naked sides. Her eyes remained sealed shut as throaty moans continuously shot from her mouth. Her crimson-stained face called to him, and Link couldn't ignore it. With his hands on her buttocks, the Hylian kissed her again. Paya eagerly moaned into the kiss, her left leg rising to sensually stroke Link's right side. The move excited him, as event in the tent in his pants, a tint that Paya could very much feel forming.

It's what compelled her to make her move.

One minute, Link felt his lover's hands on his cheeks, and then the next they were on his chest. He was faintly aware of the two of them rolling over, him now lying on his backside while his Sheikah lover sat atop him. Given her state of undress, it was a highly erotic sight. It further strengthened the tent in his pants, a tent that Paya sat before. A tent that she touched with her feathery soft fingers.

"A-Aahhh~ P-P-Paya," Cried the adventurous warrior. Struggling to hold in an orgasm was perhaps one of the hardest things he'd ever done. Considering everything he'd been through, that was saying something. His hands were clenching at the side of his bedsheets so tightly that he wondered if they would survive the night. Hell, he wondered how he was going to survive the next five minutes without making a mess of his pants and boxers. "P-P-Paya, y-you-"

"You want me." She finished. The shyness in her voice had surprisingly vanished. Her eyes glistened with a firmness that Link found attractive. His jaw hung open as he gawked at her, at the heated, hungry look she was flashing him. "And I…want you, Link. All of you." The kiss was one he saw coming, and it sent eruption-like bliss spreading through his body. His cock got an odd reprieve, though free of physical stimulation, the euphoria he felt from the kiss traveled from his head down to his penis. He knew he really would burst if Paya started stroking his member while kissing him. Link realized that he would be rather at peace with that outcome.

But it wasn't the one that Paya brought about. She broke the kiss and leered at him while her hands reached down to the bottom of his shirt. Feeling the brush of her fingers against his skin, Link immediately knew what she wanted. Sitting up, he raised his arms up and allowed her to pull his shirt off. Paya dropped it to the side and gawked at his exposed upper body. It wasn't like this was the first time she'd seen it, but the circumstances were certainly different. Never in her previous glances had she touched it as she did then, and never had his naked body pressed so tightly against her own scantily-clad form. Only in her dreams had such a thing happened, but what was happening to her now was reality. Sweet, blissful, erotic reality that surpassed make believe.

"Mmmmm~Mmm…aaaahhh~" Moaned the couple as they felt one another up while continuing their kisses. Both of their cheeks were red, evidence of the unending bliss that burned so hotly within them. As hot as it was, it could still burn at higher degrees.

With great reluctance, Paya broke the kiss. She clearly didn't want to, but Link saw the way that her eyes shifted between his face, chest, and his erection. He sighed in relief after understanding her goal. Smiling, he gently took hold of her hands and placed them on his chest. After a quick breath, she gently pushed him down onto his backside. His blond hair stood out amongst the whiteness of the pillows, as did his blue eyes. Paya indulged herself in a quick kiss on the lips; it was supposed to be quick but the two found themselves making it longer. Panting heavily, Paya moved away from her lover's lips and crawled down to his waist. She was nervous, but determined none the less.

There was a part of her that tried not to think about how this might become more common-her undoing his pants and pulling them down. That part of her was fiercely berated by a red-faced, Chibi-version of herself. What was there to be ashamed of? She was Link's woman! There was nothing wrong with pulling his pants down and sucking his cock! She'd gladly do it whenever he wanted! And…perhaps whenever she wanted it. That thought took form as she pulled the Hylian's boxers down and allowed his cock to taste fresh air.

"B-B-B-B-B-B-B-Big. Y-Y-Y-Y-Yo-Y-You're…s-s-s-so….b-b-b-b-big, L-L-L-Li-Link." Stammered the white-haired girl. Needless to say, she'd never seen a cock before, at least not with her own eyes. For her firs to be her crush's, and for it to be so big, little over seven inches…Paya's mind spun like a top. While her mind did the rotations, her pussy quivered in fear and excitement. T-That thing's going to be…inside of me. The more she stared at it, the more the fear dissipated. Excitement overtook her, especially as she tore her eyes away from Link's penis to look up at the rest of him. He was naked before her, from top down, curtsy of her. And he was hers. "Link," Paya whispered while reaching for his cock.

"G-G-Go ahead, P-Pa-Paya." The Hylian managed to say through the erotic jolt that came with the physical contact. She'd already started stroking his member sending him into the first throes of a meltdown. Link felt his breathing intense, each breath pushing him closer and closer to the orgasm that he'd tried to fight off. He was really running toward it now, it was coming up fast, faster than he could hope to imagine. "A-Ahhhh~! Aaaaahhhh~!" He clenched at the sheets and let the orgasm take hold of him. Link simply couldn't hold it back anymore.

The eruption wasn't entirely spontaneous on Paya's end. She could feel it coming, but to see the burst of cum shoot up from Link's tip was still…something. She was in awe of it so much that she almost missed her opportunity. At the last second, she realized what was happening and moved. Paya did so at just the right time, she felt shots of cum shoot up against the top of her mouth then splash down her throat. Paya felt an intense tingle all over her body, especially in-between her legs. As she gulped down more of the Hylian's semen, she felt that tingling continue. She knew what it was-her yearning to have this massive blade sheathed inside of her, inside of her pussy. At the moment, she would say she was polishing it with her mouth; the experience was unarguably one of the best in her whole life. Link's cum tasted simply delicious, better than any sweets or treats she'd had in her entire life.

When she pulled away, gulping down cum and air, she knew that she needed more. Amidst the haze of the aftermath, she saw Link's cock still standing at full, erect attention. Granted, it was now covered in cum and spit, the latter coming from her. The sight sent another jolt of ecstasy through her as she realized that there was still more for her to enjoy.

After swallowing a lump of cum in her throat, she grabbed for his cock and brough her head down atop of it. She heard Link howl in raw ecstasy, his eyes nearly rolling back into his head as Paya went full force on blowing him. It was…unreal to say the least. His heartbeat continuously thumped in his chest at a thousand miles a minute. He gripped the sheets with renewed vigor.

"P-P-Paya, oh, P-P-Paya! F-F-Farore's wind…t-t-this is…a-ah-ahhhhhh…" Link could feel the redness of his face burning him up like a boar over a roast. Each second that passed had the Sheikah girl sucking his cock, using her whole mouth and even her hands. The latter were somewhat surprising. Hell, the entire thing was actually a little surprising. He didn't think that Paya would be this bold, but she'd surprised him; he'd surprised her to be honest. Neither of them had ever thought that they'd be in this position, but Link looked down and smiled.

Paya's white hair covered almost her entire backside. Up to a point, he never thought it'd be in-between his legs, a lewd slurping sound coming from his loins. Eventually though, the dreams came to him, announcing his growing feelings for the shy but kind and gentle girl. Now, that same girl was giving him the best blowjob he'd had in ages. Link watched her for a few more seconds before leaning his head back and letting out a bellowing groan. Paya's mouth made a muffled moan in response. A powerful jolt rocked his body turning his moan into a fierce howl. Link went from howling to suddenly gnashing his teeth. He knew that his orgasm was coming, and it was coming pretty fast.

His hand shot out and grabbed at the top of Paya's head. It was a sudden, impulsive move that thankfully didn't stop her. His move seemed to motivate her instead. Link was motivated too, he was motivated to make this moment as amazing as it could be, that's why he began thrusting his hips upward. Old memories of his times with Mipha came back to him. This was the first time in a hundred years he'd made love to a woman. He was glad that it was Paya, he was glad that she was his second love.

Lifting her head up, she saw the shine of her eyes. Never before had they glowed so beautiful, and never before had her cheeks been so red. Even through the stains of white cum all over her face. The sight was a further jolt to his system as he gawked at the absolute love-struck nature of her face. Not to mention the lewdness of it. She was enjoying his cock working her mouth like a drill.

"All of you."

Link felt his lower regions tighten. He inhaled through his nostrils, his mouth only opening to scream out in ecstasy as his second orgasm ripped through him. "Aaaaaahhh~!"

"Mmmmmmmhhhh~!"

This time, Paya was considerably more prepared. While her gag reflex was going to need some time to adjust to blowjobs, she was already learning. She leaned back a little, giving her mouth the space it needed to accept the second torrent of cum that burst from Link's tip. It poured down her mouth straight into her stomach. Paya felt so strongly a wetting of her lower lips.

N-Not yet. S-S-Soon though. Soon… She dreamily resolved as she swallowed the masculine essence of her Hylian lover. Once she was finished, she went back for more, slurping down the contents of masculine erupting that she'd helped bring about. Nothing was lost in her second helping; it simply left her more thirsty for more. Minutes after she got back to blowing him, Link hips began to move again. Yesssss. Paya thought as she felt the familiar rhythm of his hips against her mouth. Eventually, she felt the familiar throbbing of the penis in her mouth. She'd already became accustomed to it, and her body already knew how to react to it.

The Champion of Hero let out another bellowing shout as he unloaded himself into the Sheik's mouth. She moaned alongside him, once more letting him know that his cumming was welcomed by her. Sweat poured down Link's body as the strain of holding himself back and releasing took hold of it. Inevitably, he fell back, his head hitting the pillows and causing a slight tremor throughout the bed. He panted hard, staring up at the darken ceiling. His ears were alight with the sound of slurping. Link chuckled at Paya's continued diligence; then again, he supposed he could also say that it was hunger.

With accumulated strength, he lifted his head up. He saw the enticing sight of Paya's face covered in red and white. Splotches of the latter had even reached her forehead mark. There was something about the sight that aroused him. The crimson-red paint that marked her as a member of the Sheik marred by his semen, as if to say he was the one that she now belonged to. In a sense, she did.

She's mine, and I'm making sure to never let her go. The Hylian warrior thought as he watched her finally dislodge from his cock. She did it so she could begin cleaning herself off. Link had made a glorious mess of her, practically from the bottom of her chin to her forehead. It was such a sight watching her cleaning herself off. While she did so, her ruby-colored eyes caught his. Her blush deepened turning her whole face beat red as he smiled back at her. His gaze was the reason why she went a little slower in cleaning herself off. She knew that he was watching and wanted him to enjoy the show.

What felt like hours later, she was finished. She had only one question as she looked toward him. "Did you enjoy it, L-L-Link?"

"Din's fire, Paya, I did!" Unable to contain his excitement, he reached forward and pulled her into his embrace. Their naked bodies finally pressed against each other. She laughed in joyful bliss before kissing him. Link kissed back, his hands sliding up and down her face and shoulders, and then finally her sides. He felt her shiver in euphoria against him. He did the same against her body. The mutual reaction made their next kisses all the more fiery.

When they broke and stayed apart longer than a few seconds, they took stock of how red-faced and sweaty each other were. In Paya's case, most of the cum was gone from her face, even her forehead mark. She'd been quite explicit in scooping up the cum from it since Link had been watching her. Now, he stared at her with that same lewd hunger. He still wasn't satisfied; she was happy for that because neither was she. The tingle between her legs told her she wouldn't be until she felt his cock in her pussy.

"It's my turn to taste you now, Paya." He spoke. She blinked at him as if she hadn't heard him correctly. Chuckling, he leaned forward. "Paya, I want to eat you out. Can I do that?"

Her heart thumped so loudly in her ears as she responded. "Y-Y-Yes!" No sooner had she spoken was she lifted up and placed atop the pillows. It was the exact same position he'd been in, with the exact same thing that happened to Link about to happen to her. Well, not quite a one-to-one match.

The Hylian sprinkled her body with tender kisses as he worked his way down her body. Each one was like a firework going off atop her flesh. It was utterly exhilarating-a lustful pant and moan being born from each one. Paya gave up on speaking, realizing that there was no point in trying to formulate coherent words. In the back of her mind, she realized that she didn't exactly need them. She spoke clearly through her erotic cries. A cry turned into a howl as she felt a pair of hungry lips on her nipple. Minutes later, she managed to focus enough to open her eyes and see which one it was. Link gingerly bit and licked her right nipple while his hands played with the left.

"O-Ohhhh…L-Link~" she whimpered. It was like a constant drip-drip of pleasure. The ceiling would break and eventually down would come a mighty shower of pleasure; Paya could hardly wait for it. "B-B-By the goddesses. T-T-This is…ahhhh~ S-So….good. So…incredible." The Sheikah girl continued to whisper. She alternated between struggling to keep her eyes open and allowing them to fall shut. The same went for her mouth, the only sounds coming from it were gobbled up words and hot moans. "Aaaaahhhh~!" She knew that the pressure on her pussy was coming from Link's finger. They were rough yet gentle, resembling a feather more than the harden leather that he'd once compared to them to.

For once, her eyes fluttered open, and managed to stay that way. She stared in awe at Link, now sucking her left nipple. His right hand wasn't playing with her other one, it'd slipped down to her pussy. The gentle but fast thrusting of his fingers sent her into a tailspin. Paya felt like the world was spinning around her, yet she heard Link's voice so clearly.

"You're so wet down there, Paya. Wetter than I could have ever imagined." The presence of his lips on her tit was gone. He was looking up at her with such glimmering eyes. It made her pussy constrict around his fingers. "You're wet and tight, the perfect combination in my opinion."

Despite the rapid-fire blush overcoming her face, she was able to smile back at him. Not just smile but even speak to him. "I-I-I'm glad, L-L-Link." Her words got her a kiss, a sweet, tender kiss that left her breathless. Then she was screaming again as Link's fingers were joined by his tongue. She'd been so caught up in the euphoric aftermath of the kiss she'd missed how fast he'd moved down to her lower lips. It felt like a flame had been lit down there, the heat being funneled directly up her vagina. Upon reaching her center, it fanned out into the rest of her body. "Aaaahhhh~! Hyaaaahhhh~! L-Link~! By the goddesses, Liiiiink~!"

His hands and fingers worked in tandem to bring the white-haired girl before him to an orgasm. He'd learned from his intercourse with Mipha that some women liked having their pussies filled to the brim. Link was currently managing that with his tongue and fingers. It was a pleasurable experience, but he knew it wouldn't even begin to compare when he filled her with his cock. His masculine sword throbbed as he fingered and ate out the Sheikah teenager. He felt her legs wrap around his head as he took her to new levels of bliss. Link pulled his tongue and fingers back, giving Paya a moment of reprieve, then he slammed them forward together.

It was the thrust that puncture the dam, allowing it to spill forth its liquid contents.

"AAAHHH~!"

Paya's juices burst forth in her first orgasm of the night. Link was ready for it, his mouth open and accepting the delicious juices that came from within her. Paya's scream echoed in his head as he gulped her essence down. Her legs temporarily tightened as her body was rocked by its first orgasm, its first orgasm triggered by another. He took great pride in the fact that any time she'd pleasured herself, it'd been with the image of him. Link knew that she'd just made her dream come true. This moment was only the first of many more to come.

The Sheik's grip on the Hylian's head eventually slackened. First it was her hands, then her legs. She lay almost completely motionless atop the bed. Paya moaned as she felt Link continuing to eat her out while thrusting his fingers into her. She was so lost in the euphoric daze she didn't notice when he pulled away to lick himself clean as she'd done. Her blurred vision had a fuzzy image of him sitting before her. Minute by minute, the image cleared up.

"L-L-Link…" she called out to him in a whisper.

His eyes immediately went to her. Paya's heart thumped in her chest as she gazed back at him. His smile, his eyes, the cum splotches on his face that belonged to her, all of it made her feel like she was in a dream. Any second she'd awake with red cheeks and nervous mumbling.

He licked his fingers clean, then began to crawl toward her. Paya's already fast beating heart accelerated. She opened her mouth in preparation of the kiss that was to come. She wasn't disappointed when it came and she could taste some of herself on her lover's lips. Both her hands went to his face, framing it while she subconsciously grinded her body against him.

"You tasted amazing, Paya." The Hylian whispered.

His words filled her with amorous pride that caused yet another tingle between her legs. Link felt it thanks to their positions, his erect was poking at her uncovered loins. He painted as did she, their eyes locked with one another.

"Paya, I-"

"Take me, Link!" She yelled. Despite the uproar that her body was in, everything felt like it was in sync. Clarity, that's what she was feeling. Paya looped her arms around her lover's neck. "Put your cock in me…and…don't stop until you've filled me up, Link. It's alright, I have protection so you…we…"

"…Not now." He whispered.

The precise wording didn't go unnoticed by the Sheik. "Not…now. So, that means…" Her heart furiously thumped in her chest as the realization dawned on her. With it came a tearful smile.

Link lifted one hand up to wipe the falling tears away. "Like I said, I'm looking forward to the future, living in the present, with you, Paya. I want to build a brighter future with you beside me. Every second of every day. Through the good and the bad."

Pure emotion exploded within Paya, causing her to fling herself into Link's embrace. He readily recuperated the move. Now she knew, and apparently, she was accepting of it. Link wondered if Paya debated about it within herself. If she had, the debate had been settled. After so much darkness, light lay ahead of them, a light that led to the future they would seize together.

Several minutes later Link hunched up, angling his cock at Paya's pussy. He looked back at her for confirmation; she knew this was going to hurt, but she was accepting of that. Link promised this would be the last time he hurt her in even the slightest way.

Paya heard some Sheikah women relieved themselves of their maidenhood. That was most for practical reasons, namely missions. If a mission went incredible wrong, well…Paya could sorrowfully understand denying that "reward" to a wicked captor. She'd never had the courage to do that, especially since she doubted she'd ever be that courageous.

For a hot minute, the pain of losing her virginity made Paya wish she'd considered doing that. It was only momentary as after the initial burst of agony ran its course, she grew accepting of the large girth now resting in her cunt. The fullness was slowly but surely becoming…appreciated. It was certainly bigger than his fingers and tongue combined; that made it better.

This is…what I wanted. Yes, it feels…it feels good. As the last vestiges of pain faded from her, Paya found herself rocking her hips forward and back. Link groaned atop of her, whispering her name. Yet again, she answered him with her body. While she rocked her hips against his, she leaned up and kissed him. The kiss was quite telling for him. He returned it, and her thrusts with his own. Paya broke their current kiss to moan in ecstasy. His cock moving along her walls, her own walls tightening on him…it was utterly incredible. "Hyyyaaahhh…L-Link, t-this feels…incredible." Paya whispered in his pointed ear.

"It does for me too, Paya." The Hylian warrior responded. His thrusting never stopped, he felt like he couldn't stop. As he'd learned with his fingers and tongue, Paya's pussy was tight and warm, just the sort that he liked. It was soaking wet thanks to her previous orgasm, making it easier for him to slide his penis in and out of her. The more he did, the more addicted to the feeling he found himself becoming. Her wet walls tightened on his cock as he began to pound away at her. "Aaaahhhh….ooooohhhhh~!"

"Hyaaaahhhh~!"

It wasn't long before they were both going at it in earnest. Link took the lead, his size and strength dominating Paya, who happily flowed along after him. Her hands clawed at his backside, feeling the scars and muscles that lay there. It was a mirror to what was pressing up against her chest. The erotic friction fueled her growing euphoria. Her body shook from the force of his thrusts, which she attempted to mirror. Paya could feel every inch of her body shaking in ecstasy, the bed beneath her was beginning to shake as well. I

"Liiiink~!"

"Arrrgggghhh!"

One thrust, one mighty thrust nearly sent her over the edge. Link had pulled out almost entirely out of her, only to ram his hips forward. He shot straight up her vaginal passage to her center. Paya squeezed her eyes shut and screamed. Her walls clamped down on the Hylian's member, but it wasn't enough to keep him from sliding back out of her…then doing it again. Paya was sure she screamed louder than she had before. That volume of screaming became a constant for her as Link well and truly pounded her cunt into the bed.

"OOOOHHHH!"

"YOU LIKING IT, PAYA?!"

"YES! BY THE GODDESSES, YESSSS!"

"I WON'T STOP, NOT UNTIL I'VE FILLED YOU UP!"

"DO IT, LINK! OH, PLEASE, DO IT! DON'T STOP UNTIL YOU'VE FILLED ME TO THE BRIM!"

She knew she'd never screamed this loudly before, and never so continuously either. It was simply inevitable as Link was literally rocking her world. His cock was drilling away at her vagina. Paya felt like she was caught in a firestorm with it as the epicenter. It was continuously stoked, putting her closer and closer to the brink of orgasming. She held tightly onto Link's back, her nails even breaking the skin and leaving marks on his backside. Normally she'd be apologizing, but at the moment she didn't care. She didn't care if she was loud enough to wake up the whole village. Let them hear her, let them hear her being claimed by the Hero of the Wild.

Let them know that she belonged to him, and he belonged to her.

"PAYA, I'M GOING TO-"

The kiss was short but intense. Again, it told Link all he needed to know. Amazingly, he managed to go even faster. His increased speed put Paya closer to the edge of orgasming, no, it put her right on the spot. Heat and tension swirled within her as her walls tightened.

"LINKKKKK~!"

"PAYA!"

Finally, the warrior's cum blasted into her core. It hit the Sheikah girl full force, tossing her into erotic delirium and leaving her there. She wasn't alone as her lover was right there alongside her. He held onto her in all ways as he continued to blast his essence straight into her. Paya's scream grew and grew, as did Link's. Their orgasmic shouts were like thunder shaking the house. Like her, Link didn't care if they were heard outside. It wasn't like they were doing anything to be ashamed of, and he'd argue otherwise if anyone pressed him.

He'd be more than willing to step up if someone challenged his choice of lovers.

Sitting upright while pumping his essence into her, Link was floored by how incredibly beautiful Paya looked. Her face was so red that her forehead marking was barely distinguishable. Her mouth hung open as her scream faded, leaving whisper-like panting. A sliver of drool poured down her lips as tears spilled from her eyes. It was a post orgasm face that Link would forever ingrain into his mind. The sight of him made him do several more thrusts; he felt Paya's pussy beginning to overflow from all the cum he'd shot into her.

Link knew that the shy girl was at her limit for the night. While he felt like he could still go another round or two, he wanted Paya to be conscious and willing. Smiling, he leaned down and kissed her. As best she could, she moaned into it, proving his observation right.

Once he felt like he'd given her enough, he pulled out and laid on his side. Both of his arms were wrapped around the younger girl; she curled into his embraced realizing that they were done for the night.

Numerous lewd ideas and images danced about in Paya's mind. As much as she wanted to bring them to fruition, she knew her body didn't have the stamina for it. Not yet anyway. Paya couldn't help but giggle, Look at me, thinking about all that. She could feel exhaustion beginning to nip at her. It wouldn't be long before she was asleep; she couldn't think of a better place to fall to slumber in than in Link's arm on his bed.

"You want me to be part of your future, and I want the same regarding you." She declared. "So, does that mean that…"

"We're together? I'd like to say so, Paya." Link half-jokingly responded. He leaned down and placed a kiss on her forehead. "Seriously though, I…I'm…"

"Link, I…after what we just did I…I'm…I'm okay with a ring." Her face was redder than a cherry, but that just made her look even cuter to the Hylian. Surrendering to it, she reached up and stole a kiss from his lips. "Our future."

"Thank you, for helping me realize that I still wanted one, and that I was worthy of one." The Hero of the Wild whispered.

Sleep was fast pulling at the Sheik, but she stayed awake long enough to give her own heartfelt response to her knightly lover. "Thank you for giving Hyrule it's future back…and for making me a part of yours, Link."

Finally, sleep took her, and Link as well. It was the first time they'd slept together since that quiet evening almost three months ago. So much had happened since then, including the changing of circumstances between them. Before, they'd so cautiously tiptoed around their feelings for each other, but no more.

Just as Hyrule's future looked bright, so too did theirs, and they both work to make sure that remained so.

Fin.

---

And with that, the first half of my Sheikah Intimacy series is complete. I've done all the ladies that Breath of the Wild introduced. As I said before, Link/Paya's one of my favorite pairings in the BotW timeline. I really do like the idea of Paya being Link's second love. I tried to work the drama of that into this story. Being the shy girl she is, Paya feels like she can't compare to Mipha, or Zelda for that matter. On Link's end, I inserted the lingering guilt he might have from the battle a hundred years ago. This was the first time I could do that in this series thanks to this story's placement. Speaking of which, I tried to give this one a more "complete" feel given the differing circumstances from Impa and Purah's One-Shots.

Speaking of them…those of you who've seen my profile know that they'll both be getting another time to shine next time! Until then, let me know what you all thought of this One-Shot! Two more installments of the Sheikah Intimacy series left, I'm hoping to have them both posted by early this year, so until then!