There were very few things that Link regretted in the wake of the Calamity. One such example was social expectations. Too much time around groups of people wore him out and made him crave the freedom of being outdoors. Occasional interactions with the few friends he had made during his venture across Hyrule were different. But when his Princess was in meetings all day that somehow required his presence, it became increasingly difficult to hide his restlessness.

But what he regretted most was not compiling his journal notes into a more cohesive format while he was on his journey. His notebook was full of a combination of scrawled tidbits about unusual plants, places to revisit, interesting people he interacted with, and notable memories he wanted to recall. Said content, in combination with the photos from his Sheikah Slate, had been requested by Princess Zelda to be formatted into a legible collection of stories to review at their leisure so nothing was forgotten. And the moment Purah caught wind about his thoroughness in collecting photographs and information for the compendium, she was breathing down his neck for a separate booklet full of his findings.

Naturally, both Purah and Zelda were eager to have their requested collections as swiftly as possible. Which meant that instead of venturing through the woods and enjoying his break from the tedious meetings with the Princess, Link was forced to retreat into any quiet area he could find to work.

And today, thanks to Purah commandeering the table for a passionate conversation with Zelda about Sheikah technology, that quiet happened to be in the secret escape he'd set up under the house, attached to the well. A room also accessible by the tunnel to the basement his father and grandfather had created when the house was built. It was unknown to all but himself and Zelda, and Link had every intention of keeping it that way.

Fortunately, the cool air of the underground room helped him concentrate. His Hylian tunic was peeled off and thrown over the back of the chair, and he'd kicked his boots off so he could flex his toes against the rough stones of the flooring. If he couldn't be out in nature, he would do the next best thing. The scent of the fresh flowers Zelda had cut the day before to put on the shelving further helped his relaxation, at least as much as he allowed himself until he had made progress on the accursed project.

Two hours had passed while he painstakingly copied over plant and monster notes from three days worth of adventuring into several pages worth of entries. And every single one of them corresponded to a picture he had captured with the camera function on his Sheikah Slate. Once he was done with the written portion, he could transfer the pictures to Purah and be finished with it.

The light coming in through the well had reached its brightest, meaning it was nearly noon and the covered lantern he had on the table beside him was rendered impractical. Link rolled his shoulders and blew out the flame in the lantern. It was still only a fraction of the way done… and that was only Purah's half. He sighed and pulled up a new page of the booklet and his pencil. His left wrist ached, but the writing wouldn't do itself.

"Hard at work?" Princess Zelda's soft voice broke through his concentration. Her hand rested on his shoulder while she peered over at the two pages open in front of him. "Goodness. You're giving me a run for my money when it comes to attention to detail."

"I hope Purah appreciates it." Link looked up when she set a plate down beside him. "Leftover rice balls?"

"Yes, and a fresh water flask." She handed it to him. "Purah insisted she head back up to the tech lab for lunch. She said she'd be back down this evening to go over the new concepts she had for the upgraded slates."

"You mean we could actually use our dining table upstairs? What an unusual concept." Link sarcastically quipped. He opened the water container and took several long gulps before letting out a faint sigh. "Thank you. How are you holding up?"

Zelda slid the plate to the opposite side of the desk and leaned backwards against the edge beside him. "I'm doing quite well. I wish you wouldn't worry over me so much. The Calamity is over. Restoration on the castle has begun. Apart from the frequent visitors, we are in a state of peace here. And, I have you. I'm more than content."

"That so, Princess? Are you sure I'm meeting all of your needs?" Link smirked up at her while he recorked the flask and set it on the far side of his chair.

Zelda lightly swatted his arm. "And then some. You know that. A safe place to call home. Food that's rarely dubious. Easy travel to our friends."

"And a warm bed to share with the one you love," he reminded her.

"Of course, but isn't that rather a given?" Zelda leaned over to kiss his forehead, then hug him against her chest.

He leaned his head towards her, then promptly straightened when he felt his hair fall around his shoulders. "Hey! Zel, what are you doing?!"

"Stealing this." She grinned down at him, with his blue hair tie in hand. "It's mine now."

"You've got your own upstairs," Link protested. He pouted and tried to snatch it back, but she was too quick for him, dodging out of the way with a giggle.

"I do. But they aren't in this stunning shade of blue that matches your eyes. And besides, if I have this, how are you going to tie back the beautiful hair of yours? What a pity," she mock sighed. Her green eyes danced with mischief. "It'll have to be left down around your strong, muscular shoulders."

Said crystalline eyes narrowed and Link leaned back in his chair. "Is that what you wanted? My hair down and my full attention? You have it, Princess. Now what?"

"Now I hold it for ransom until you give me what I want." Her smile only widened while she wrapped it around her right wrist.

"And what might that be?"

Zelda leisurely took a step closer to her Champion and sat sideways on his lap, running her fingers through his thick hair. "Take a break. Turn your attention away from the tedious tasks for a bit."

"You gave me part of this," he reminded her. "But I'll take a break if you'll stay with me."

Her hands slid over his bare chest and she lowered her head to kiss him. "I think that can be arranged."

Link wrapped his arms around his princess and returned the caress. Their lips knew the familiar dance. What would bring the most responsiveness from each other. He knew how to nibble on her lower lip to hear her breath hitch, then deepen the kisses. To gently wrap his tongue around hers in the erotic motion that stirred further arousal in both of them.

Her soft moan prompted him to shift her on his lap while he kissed from her lips down her jawline and to her ear. "How would you like me to give you all the attention you deserve?"

"Take me as you see fit. I surrender myself entirely to you." Zelda arched her back, accentuating her breasts as they pressed against the top of her adventuring outfit.

"Isn't that my line? When I vowed to be your knight. On the night we first made love, before we slept when you needed reassurance that I wasn't going to regret what we'd just done." His passion and devotion grew louder with each passing moment. "I give you myself. All of me. Whatever you want or need. I'll ascend to the heights of the skies and capture the stars if you want them."

"All I desire is you. Now and forever, Link."

He kicked the chair away and hoisted her backside onto the table. He paused with his fingers poised at the waistband of her pants. "I'm going to give you pleasure with my tongue, then have you here and now… unless you'd like me to take you upstairs to our bed."

"No. I don't want to wait. I want you, and I have since I came down here." Zelda lifted her hips to help him pull her snug leggings and panties down so Link could part her legs and kneel between them. "Please, my Hero."

Link couldn't help the shiver of pleasure and arousal that came every time he heard her soft, breathy voice call him her Hero. He was hers, every bit as much as Zelda was his Princess. She would always receive the best that he had to offer. And that would begin with him making love to her with his mouth before he proceeded.

Her slickness coated his lips and his tongue, and his hands were on the inside of her thighs, keeping her legs spread for him. Zelda's hips rocked against his mouth, responding to his loving attention. Link hummed and swirled her clit with his tongue, drawing a low moan from his Princess. He was unrelenting, as skilled with himself as he was with his sword and bow. Through copious amounts of 'practice', he had learned every touch that made her shudder. Every erogenous place on her body, from the top of her head to the small feet she loved to have massaged at the end of a long day. And he would utilize every possible skill within his arsenal to bring her to the heights of pleasure that she deserved.

His teeth dragged across her clit before he closed his lips around the sensitive bud and sucked hard. Her back arched as she reached her climax, crying out his name.

"Oh, Link!" she moaned loudly, panting and writhing against his mouth.

The Hero hummed and continued his ministrations until he was certain she had reached her full satisfaction. Only then did he gracefully roll to his feet and push down the waistband of his pants. He leaned down to kiss her cheek, then down her neck before stepping back to free his aching erection.

His cock was long and thick, and his balls heavy in his hand while he lined up with her dripping folds. He waited until he got the slight nod from her when she propped herself up on an elbow to look at him, then he guided himself into her waiting heat.

His sigh of contentment was matched by Zelda's when she sat up and wrapped her arms around his neck. He gripped her hips for leverage while he buried himself deep within her. "Oh, Zel. I love when you interrupt for this. When I'm allowed to focus all my attention on pleasing my Princess."

She rested her head on his shoulder even while she met every thrust of his hips. "I can't imagine life without you anymore. Without sharing this love we've cultivated and nurtured over the past few months. Hylia as my witness, I would be lost without you, Link."

"You won't have to be without me again, Princess. That's a promise." He shifted his weight so he could reach a deeper angle.

"Ahhh!" Zelda cried out, pressing her clothed breasts hard against his bare, scarred chest. Her breath came in pants and her lips firmly marked the side of Link's neck. "Don't stop, Link! More, please! Right there!"

Link chuckled at her desperation, but gave in to her request. It wasn't lovemaking when he was taking her on the table. Not truly. This was a lust-driven need for two lovers to be joined and take pleasure in each other. The more she begged from him and whimpered while sucking firmly on his neck, the deeper his need to prove himself to her became. So he laid her back down against the table and hooked her legs around his neck, allowing himself to give her all the depth she craved.

Zelda's louder scream of pleasure echoed off the walls, reverberating thanks to the water in the pool of the well behind them. Her legs tightened around his neck at the same time as her walls clenched down when she reached her orgasm again. Link could only hold himself back for another few seconds before he too was letting out a groan and filling her with the evidence of his love for her.

The two lovers went still, quietly catching their breath before Link eased her legs back down off his shoulders and leaned down to tenderly kiss her.

"I love you, Princess. Now and forever."

"Forever and always, my Hero."

Link caught sight of his hair tie around her wrist again. "I don't suppose you're going to let me have that back, are you?"

"Not at all. But I'll make you another one. If I have to. In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy seeing your hair down, like it is every night in our bed. These are the memories I don't want to forget." Zelda sat up and wrapped herself around him in a tight hug. "Memories of being in the arms of the one I love."

"That's more than enough for me. As long as my Princess is happy, I am more than content."

'More than content' were the words he spoke aloud, but the look on Zelda's face and the kiss from her confirmed that she knew the truth about what was in his heart: He was madly in love with her, and nothing in Hyrule– no, nothing shy of divine intervention would ever pull them apart again. And he prayed to the Goddess Hylia that day would never come.