This would be my first ever fanfiction. Let's all hope it goes well, yeah? This introduction is going to be mostly setup, but going forward expect more dialogue and direct character interaction. You'll probably be able to infer where Link and Zelda are in their relationship and my spin on the ending fairly quickly. Read, review, ask questions, do whatever you like. Just don't sue me for copyright cuz I don't even own my own house, let alone The Legend of Zelda.
Zelda had a complicated relationship with water.
As a child, she had fond glimpses of memories, of her mother and father smiling down at her as she bathed in the much-to-large baths of the castle. Some of the very few memories she had of her mother. And while she had many memories of her father, it wasn't long after that his smile was laid to rest alongside his queen. The happy memories were rather rarer beyond that point.
As a young girl, she had few opportunities to be mischievous. Such is the burden of being one of the most well-guarded things in Hyrule, living or otherwise. But she had managed to escape to the docks, and subsequently, the moat on occasion. Swimming wasn't particularly of interest to her. But any act of rebelling, whether against her father or her own decorum, was relished. Until the sense of duty became stifling to that want.
As a young woman she had spent days in the rain, the well-traveled roads offering little relief from the clouds above. The relief she had received was offered, subsequently refused, and finally pushed upon her by one whom she thought she would never be able to grow to tolerate. Yet it was the arms of this man that she held to for comfort in the spring of wisdom, the still waters seemingly indifferent to her prayers and pleas. It was the arms of this man who she fell into, both soaked with the oppressive rain once again, when she failed to stop the calamity. And this man fell into her arms in the rain, his body beaten and broken, as she finally had managed to draw her power out to protect him. She knew he would be laid in a pool of water in the Shrine of Resurrection. She knew that he'd return to save Hyrule. To save her. And he did. Link stopped a calamity with only that which he could scavenge from a ruined Hyrule and his own courage.
Half a decade later and she had rested in the hot springs of the Hebra mountains and Death Mountain. She had bathed in the waterfalls of the Zorah's Domain. She swam with the children off the coast of Lurelin village. And all under the watchful gaze of her knight.
She had managed to goad him into joining her watery antics at almost every turn. The children screamed with glee as he held two of them over his head at one time before tossing them both into the water with ease. And Zelda watched with barely hidden admiration as he plucked a child from the water when they couldn't keep their own head above it. Ever the hero.
As she bathed beneath the deluges of water, she knew his back would be facing her, ever present and watchful, but never willing to break her trust by leering. She admired him for that too, but over time the admiration was eroded by a silent wish that just once, she'd catch him glancing over his shoulder. And when she had finished, she chided him for his own hygiene and insisted he take a turn. She kept her gaze respectful and turned away to gaze at the beauty of the Zora's Domain. At first. Whether it was the third or fourth stolen glance, she couldn't remember. She was rather too distracted at the moment to keep proper count. But one of the glances was quickly stolen away as his head turned towards her. She half hoped that he didn't notice her transgressions. And the other half of her gleefully knew that nothing escaped his notice.
And after days of aiding Yunobo with the gathering of materials and the plans of distribution, Zelda refereed (at the gorons' requests) the wrestling matches. These friendly displays of sportsmanship and strength would have seemed devastating if not for the pleasant demeanor of the large folk participating. And when Link was called upon to participate, she offered only a devious smile when he looked to her for aid in escaping. Yet once in the ring, he managed to lay out adult gorons many times his size and weight. And as he melted into the hot springs after, his muscles clearly tender from exertion, Zelda placed her hands atop his shoulders and tended to his sore body. His protests were only halfhearted as for one, she was his princess, his lady. He couldn't truly disobey her unless it would violate his oath to the king to protect her. And two, his stoic face was by this point an open book to Zelda and it read that he enjoyed her ministrations more than he'd let on. Almost as much as Zelda enjoyed the opportunity to feel his solid form.
So many memories of water. Good, bad, heartbreakingly tragic, and cherished moments. So, when Zelda awoke, soaked to the bone in the ancient garb of Zonai fashion, the thin dress clinging to her body…it was yet another moment to add. The confusion gave way to elation as she looked at her knight, her Link kneeling down over her and the joy that the Master Sword had made it back to him. The wonder at her recovery from her draconic form faded into a warm sensation in her chest. He did it. Whatever it was, he brought her back.
She didn't remember her own words at this moment. She recalled a mess of thoughts permeating her mind at the time. Wanting to tell Link about the people she'd met, at how happy she was to be home.
She wanted to tell him about how she felt about him.
And when she flung her arms around him, intending to say all she could, her joy turned to confusion as he grew heavy in her arms. Her confusion became fear as she noticed his labored breathing, her fear became horror as he collapsed into her, his body giving out from the strain and damage and effort all finally catching up to him as his adrenaline no longer kept him upright.
Such a complicated relationship with water.