Link had fallen asleep to the sound of raindrops gently slapping the roof. It was the first night in a long time that he could actually rest, and not just lay in a bed with his eyes closed and the hope that he'd be lulled off at some point. Exhaustion was persistent as ever through his travels, but his worry for Zelda's well-being was stronger. She was his responsibility ( though he was smart enough to never say that directly to the Princess ), and along the lines he had grown to care for her outside of the professional nature they had started with; she was a friend.
He couldn't begin to imagine what Zelda had endured in the years she was trapped with Calamity Ganon — he had an idea, of course, but the truth was masked behind the Princesses perfect façade of composure and strength that she showed to her people. And it's not that he didn't understand her duty as a ruler — he knew she needed to stay strong, or at least appear strong for her people, no matter how much she was hurting inside ... he just wished she'd let down her defenses with him.
Nonetheless, things were slowly getting better. The pair had retreated to his home in Hateno Village, which was mainly untainted by the memory of Calamity Ganon's wrath, and Link had the hope that being here would be good for Zelda. Even if she didn't want to partake in anything offered by the quaint little village, he'd be content with just having her at home ... within his sights. His desire to keep her close after their long awaited reunion was probably irritating to the blonde girl, but he couldn't be blamed; he worried about her, more so now than before.
Lightning struck the ground just outside the bedroom window and Link's body shot upright at the clash of noise, chest heaving slightly with surprise.
Another flash lit up dangerously close, illuminating the interior of the room for a split second in its wake. His head turned to the right, examining the empty side of the bed where Zelda had been laying last time he checked, and was greeted with cold, empty sheets.
In a flash, the boy threw the blanket back and scrambled to grab his hood and sword before heading out into the gloomy storm, not even bothering to close the door in his hurry to get out.
This fanfiction is a collaboration ! Link's POV is written by Ryan, a close friend of mine