Link made sure he could leave his cooking dinner alone for a minute before he ran to the door, opening it. "Hello again," he said with a smile, stepping back and letting Zelda in. She smiled and kissed his cheek, but there was something a bit reluctant about her actions. Link had to go back to his stove, though, and he pushed his meal around with a wooden utensil. "Sit down," he offered, nodding and pointing to the table.

Zelda settled with her hands on her lap, Link portioning his dinner onto a plate. "Are you hungry?" She shook her head no, and again, Link noticed how quiet she was being, how reserved. He picked up the plate with his food and settled down at the table across from her, picking up bits of the potato and rabbit with his fingers. "Is everythin' alright? You're being silent."

Zelda took a deep breath, and in the harsh glare of the late day sun, Link noticed that her eyes looked red and puffy, as if she'd been crying. "What's wrong?" he asked again, softer, wiping his fingers clean on a napkin.

Zelda lifted her hands above the table, splaying her fingers out over the wood. Link stared at her hands; on her thumbs were engagement rings. As she broke into fresh shuddering sobs, Link put his plate of food to the side. "Oh." He reached across and took her hands, holding them tight in his own. "Zelda…"

She took a deep breath to control her sobs, closing her eyes and finding a calming center. "We knew this was going to happen," she managed to reply.

Link nodded his head. "So…"

Zelda shook her head, feeling sobs threatening at her throat. "I… I'd rather it was you, Link, you've no idea."

Link swallowed against the tightening in his throat. He had an idea, of how it should be him standing with her at that altar. Though their… relationship of sorts, and feelings for each other had only been out in the open for a short time, he knew that they were to be together, and had felt this way since they came back from that epic battle against Ganondorf. Link cleared his throat and dipped his head downward. "Well, I suppose this is it for you and I." He gripped his napkin with one hand, so tightly that his knuckles were white and the material creaked in his fingers.

Zelda buried her face in her hands, finally able to control her tears. "I wanted to tell you myself," she groaned.

"Thank you," was Link's strained reply. She put her hands back, and they held hands on the table for a while, staring at them. Link clenched his jaw so tight his mouth felt sore, and he gently ran his thumb over her knuckles.

Zelda watched the contact for a few breathless seconds, her lips parted. And then she lunged over the table, grabbing Link by the collar of his shirt and kissing him hard, the tears flowing again. He latched onto her with his hands on her waist, pushing her down onto the table and uncaringly knocking the plate of food onto the floor where it shattered and left a mess. Zelda groaned and wrenched at Link's shirt, pulling it up and raking her nails over his hard stomach. He growled and bit her ear sharply, pushing up her skirt and ripping down her drawers, breaking their kiss to fumble with his breeches. She sat up to help him unlace them, pulling out his shaft and stroking it. Link growled again, louder this time, and shoved her back down on the table, plunging into her. Zelda yelped at first, flinching, her hands up the back of his shirt and her nails digging into his shoulders. Link bit her neck hard, possessively, grunting as he thrust harder, pushing against the wood of the table with his toes. Zelda lifted her hips and moaned as he sank deeper in, and Link ripped at the collar of her dress to bite at the curve of her shoulder.

"Harder," she begged, Link thrusting until her head was nearly off the edge of the table. "Harder!" Zelda cried, slapping Link across the face. He stared in shock before slapping her back and sinking his teeth into her chest until he drew blood.

Zelda screamed, and Link swore in a shout, slumping up and gripping her tight against his chest as he came. They laid there in silence, Zelda's injury gently throbbing as blood welled up in small beads. Link rested his cheek on her chest, panting softly. His back hurt in thin ribbons of heat where Zelda had clawed him like a cat. They held onto each other tightly, curled there on the table, until Link's leg started to cramp.

He disentangled himself from Zelda's arms and legs, helping her up and slinking to the bedroom. They stretched out on top of the covers, wrapping their arms and legs around each other once more. Link's heartbeat slowed down as he rested, Zelda's nose lightly touching his. She looked at him and laughed bitterly, stroking his cheek.

After she left in the morning, Link went rummaging through his weapons closet, pulling the arrows from their quiver and then reaching into the bottom for the tiny wooden box. He opened it and stared at the rings, two polished things of rose gold with very elegant (at least he thought so) curling patterns around the outside. Link bit his lip and shut the box up tight, squeezing it in one hand. He would go out today.

Link rode to the edge of Lake Hylia, climbing off Epona and trudging purposefully through the slippery sand until he got to the water. He kept going, walking in up to his knees before he hurled the tiny box as far as he could throw. He watched it land with a distant splash, and then he screamed, falling to his knees and gripping his hair with his hands and pulling. He screamed until his throat was sore, and very nearly ripped some of his hair out. When he could no longer express his aching heart without his voice breaking, he climbed back out of the water and back up onto his horse, letting her lead them home at her own pace. If Ganondorf himself appeared on his doorstep, Link would gladly let the man take his own head off, if only so he would quit feeling the heavy burden of his foolish heart weighing him down.