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Link’s vision went black for a moment as he wavered on his feet, staring down at the broken pieces of the guardian in front of him. This particular shrine had been difficult, an ancient machine trying to kill him so he could prove his worth somehow. The figure at the back of the room was waiting for him, but each step towards it sent a sharp pain through his side. The thing had exploded right in front of him, shattering the blades that it had been wielding.
Don’t look down.
He had to get the ancient one’s blessing, although this time there was no relief once he had gotten it. Maybe it was so old that its magic had faded, maybe he was just too far gone. He heard dripping, echoing amongst the cold stone walls and when he finally looked down, it was his own blood. His entire right side was drenched in it, dripping down from his fingers that were pressed to the wound, soaking the beautiful Zora armor all the way to his foot.
This wasn’t good.
Now when he walked he realised there was something inside him, maybe a piece of machinery or a shard of the brightly glowing weapon it had wielded. He couldn’t stop to pull it out, that might only make it worse. So might walking, but he had to go back to Sidon who was waiting outside the Shrine. For some reason he had insisted on going with him after Link had freed Vah Ruta, wanted to accompany him and support him in his quest.
Link certainly didn’t mind the company, and down here where it was cold and harsh he thought fondly of the nights they spent camping outside, Sidon’s large form wrapped around him for warmth. It felt so good to not be alone all the time, to have this enthusiastic man by his side, helping him, supporting him. He wanted to go back to him so badly, but the large shaft leading back outside seemed so far away.
He almost fell as he passed the defeated guardian, had to support himself against one of the pillars standing here. Just a little bit more, and he’d make it, just a little bit more and he’d be in Sidon’s gentle arms again. Panting, he pushed himself off the pillar, forced himself to put one foot in front of the other. The tapping sound of his feet was accompanied by the steady drip of blood onto the floor, but his eyes were focused on the exit.
Almost completely out of breath, he finally reached the platform leading outside after what felt like a millennium. His fingers were clumsy, and he dropped the Sheika Slate that was his key out of here. He grunted, wishing he could curse the damn thing in a long string of bad words. When he leaned down to reach for it the pain into his side became a hot, stabbing sensation and he winced, falling onto his knees. At least he was on the platform now, slate in his hands, covering it with blood too. He pulled himself closer to the controls, leaned up as far as he could to press the slate to it. Finally the elevator rocked into motion, finally he was lifted upwards.
He wanted to whisper his name. Sidon. He was so close now, he wanted to see him but it was hard to keep his eyes open, so hard… The trip up seemed much longer than before, the soft blue light vanishing behind darkness every so often. His stomach lurched when the platform stopped, he squinted when the doors opened and the day’s sun blinded him.
“Heh…,” he smiled when he saw Sidon’s large form block out the light, his arms wanted to reach out but he was too weak.
“Link! No, no, no, Link!”
Slouched down on the platform, he watched as Sidon rushed towards him, kneeling to inspect him. He could hardly hear what he was saying, he wanted to tell him that it would be okay even though he knew it would probably be a lie. But he was silent, as he always was, only finally able to lift his hand an inch to press his fingers to Sidon’s cheek.
When his hand fell limply at his side, streaks of blood remained, and his vision went black.
There was humming.
Sweet, gentle humming. A melancholic melody that made him yearn for a certain someone’s embrace. He was enveloped in this melody, soothing the pain that still managed to make its way to his body. He wished it would never end, wanted to reach out when it faded and the pain returned stronger than ever but his limbs were lead.
“My sweet… my sweet are you awake?”
“Nnnn….”
He didn’t want to deal with this, he didn’t even have the energy to open his eyes, but he also wanted to do something to distract himself from the pain. Sidon’s hand came to gently rest on his forehead, then cupped his cheek, thumb gently brushing over it.
“I was so frightened…,” Sidon whispered, and that’s when Link forced himself to open his eyes.
Streaks of dried tears were still visible on his cheeks, as was the blood Link had left behind. Sidon looked down at him worriedly, hand still on his cheek and Link gave him a smile to show him that he was okay, he was gonna be okay, or so he hoped.
“My powers aren’t as strong as my sister’s,” he said quietly. “I am doing what I can but it’s taking time and I thought… I thought it was too late for a moment.”
He shook his head softly, but stopped immediately when even that movement seemed too much for him at the moment. He looked around though, as much as he could with his head still, and found that they were in a small room, he was on a soft bed. There wasn’t much else in here, a small basin with some water to clean up, a small chair that Sidon was currently sitting on, and that was it.
“We’re at an inn,” Sidon explained. “I carried you here as fast as I could and have been giving you my energy ever since. But like I said…”
He avoided his gaze, looking so damn sad, still so afraid of losing Link that he made himself reach out with his arms, making little grabby motions with his fingers. Come here , he tried to convey. Please hold me I need you .
“You’re still so hurt, Link,” he said, looking at him again. “I do not wish to hurt you further.”
Link’s arms still felt like lead and it took everything he had to keep them up like this. Sidon please… He repeated the motion, pouting and whining urgently.
“Alright, if you insist.”
Sidon gave him a small smile as he very slowly, and very carefully settled in by his side, cradling him close. Link ignored the pain, instead sighed happily when he was finally able to press his cheek to Sidon’s strong chest. His hair was open now, Sidon had probably taken the ribbon so he could lie more comfortably, and now it was falling into his face, brushed sweetly aside by the handsome prince in whose arms he felt so safe.
Something warm and tingly filled him then, not the sensation of lust, something calmer. Perhaps that was how Sidon’s magic felt, soothing and healing him. Link wanted to ask him to hum again, but doing so without words seemed impossible at the moment, as he was barely clinging to consciousness.
The next time he woke the pain in his side was much duller, not the sharp stab when something from that machine had still been inside him. There was still a gentle warmth enveloping him, and as he made himself open his eyes he saw that it was still Sidon holding him, and there it was again, that beautiful melody that made his heart ache for something he did not know.
Very softly he patted Sidon’s pecks, partially to draw attention to himself, partially because it was a very nice thing to touch. For good measure, he pressed a kiss to it too. The humming stopped, and Link looked up at him, again giving him a smile, although a sleepy one.
“You’re awake.”
He nodded, tilted his head and pointed at Sidon.
“I didn’t sleep much, I had to watch over you, didn’t I?”
Link’s smile only widened. Someone to watch over him… that was unfamiliar, that felt incredible. Without Sidon, he would have died down there, or would be all alone now, trying to deal with the pain. But his own healing powers were slowly making him better, even if they weren’t, as he had said, as strong as his sister’s.
He had no idea for how long he had been sleeping, but he already felt better. So much in fact, that he was ravenous. He opened his mouth and pointed to it, then patted his own belly. Sidon had to chuckle at his gestures.
“You’re hungry, thirsty too I bet.”
He nodded enthusiastically, let Sidon gently put him on the bed again, where he now propped himself up with a few pillows. Link still felt tired, but much better than before, and when he inspected his wound he could already see that it was just a raw, red line now. He had been properly cleaned, and Sidon now put a proper bandage around it before he went off to get him food.
If it weren’t still for the dull pain in his side, he could pretty much get used to this. His prince returned with an enormous tray full of food that smelled like heaven to Link at the moment, he felt like he hadn’t eaten anything in weeks. There was stew, bread, cheese and sausages, crystal clear water as well as fragrant juice, some rolls that definitely had some kind of melty, gooey, perfect cheese in them that Link immediately reached out to, making his grabby hands.
“Easy, my dear,” Sidon laughed, the streaks of tears were gone from his face, as was his blood and he looked a lot more relieved. “There is plenty more where that came from.”
He set the tray down above Link’s legs, it was supported by small wooden sticks to the side that unfolded from underneath it. Link almost giggled in delight when he saw the spread before him, but tried not to, to try and avoid any further pain. His hands darted back and forth, unable to decide what he wanted to try first. In the end they fell limply to his side, and he pouted up at Sidon.
“It all looks good, doesn’t it?,” Sidon said, now sitting on the edge of the bed, where he made the tray dip a little. He leaned down to press a gentle kiss to Link’s forehead, and brushed through his hair. Link wanted to lean into the touch like a kitten, wanted Sidon to keep doing this for hours, but his stomach complained at the thought. “Here, allow me.”
Link watched as Sidon took the spoon next to the bowl of stew, mixing it a little to show him all the delicious ingredients, the big chunks of meat in there. Then he filled one, and slowly moved it towards Link’s mouth, one hand under it to keep it from dripping. For a moment Link tilted his head, looked up at Sidon but then he opened his mouth and let the prince feed him. It was a little odd at first but it was somehow intimate too. Link decided that he liked it.
He was fed a little piece of everything, tasting it all before he decided which he wanted to concentrate on. Which, to be frank, he still couldn’t decide, so he pointed at Sidon to urge him to continue what he had been doing.
“Aaahhhh,” Link had to giggle as he was sitting there with his mouth open, feeling so much better with a belly full of goodness.
“My goddess....,” Sidon mumbled, and Link titled his head questioningly. “You are… You are the most adorable creature I have ever seen.”
Another giggle shook his body, and he winced, pressing a hand to his side. If only Sidon didn’t make him so happy, it would hurt less but oh was it worth the pain to be with him. And to be taken care of by him. He had never felt this safe in his entire life than right here, being fed by the Zora prince. Maybe that should feel ridiculous but he could hardly care, not when after half an hour his belly was filled, he wasn’t parched anymore and was once more cuddled in Sidon’s strong arms.
“I was so frightened when I saw you there,” Sidon whispered, and Link was already getting sleepy again. “There was so much blood and I… I thought I was going to lose you.”
Link looked up at him. He wanted to say sorry. Such a simple word and yet he couldn’t utter it. He tried so hard, lips parted, trying to get a sound out, any sound at all. He could make some of them, sometimes, but now when he was trying to do this nothing would come out. He just didn’t understand! All he wanted to do was say sorry!
Tears started to fill his eyes, and Sidon shushed him.
“Easy, shh, my darling, it’s okay,” he said, hesitating for a moment. “You wanted to say sorry?”
Link nodded, sniffling.
“Here, make a fist, with your thumb on top,” he explained, guiding Link to do so, then put his hand in front of his heart. “Now make a circle, like this. Good. That means “Sorry”.”
His head snapped up, eyes wide as he stared at Sidon. Did he- Had he just…. Said something? With his hand?
“This is part of the sign language we use to communicate with underwater. I should have taught it to you sooner, I’m sorry.”
Link shook his head quickly, this time completely ignoring his wound and decided to straddle Sidon so he could press kisses all over his face. Thank you, thank you, thank you. How could he say thank you? He quickly went to take Sidon’s hand, spelling out the word in Hylian script in his palm.
“Ahh, you do it like this.”
Sidon made a flat hand, pressed it to his lips, then moved his hand forward and down a bit.
“It can also mean good, depending on the context. There have been Zora like you, so this language was developed further than just quick communication underwater. I will show you.”
Link repeated the motion he had just been shown. Again. And again. And again. And again. Until he was crying and giggling and Sidon hugged him tightly, shushing him, telling him everything would be okay.
Everything was okay already. His wound would heal, already he could feel the now familiar sensation that meant Sidon was healing him. He was learning words, he would be able to talk to his prince, to other Zora, and who knew maybe Hylians could learn the language too! Suddenly the world seemed full of possibilities.
He was so excited he made Sidon teach him more words like that, trying to commit them all to memory instantly. Deep down he wanted to ask how to say “I love you”, but flushed crimson at the thought, refusing to explain why. Perhaps once they went back to Zora’s Domain he could ask someone else… Perhaps he could manage to surprise Sidon with it. They hadn’t confessed these things to one another, and though it had merely been a few short months, Link was sure of how he felt for him. And now… now there was the possibility of actually saying it to him.
Link made his prince stay up for a long time to teach him, but it was he who eventually almost fell asleep right where he sat. So Sidon insisted that he rest, promising him to teach him further in the morning, as well as hold him through the night.
He had never slept this well.
For a few days their routine didn’t change much, Sidon brought him food in bed, helped him wash, eat, heal. All the while Link soaked up this new language like a sponge, trying so hard to remember it all. He didn’t always succeed, but Sidon was a patient teacher, rewarding him with lots of kisses. It was certainly a system to their mutual benefit.
Once he had healed enough Sidon helped him walk again, the first time he stood on his own two feet his ankles almost gave out, but he fell against a broad chest that he could cling to. After the loss of blood he was still a bit weak, but day after day he held on to Sidon’s hands and took more and more steps. After about a week he was carried downstairs, out into the bright sun where the warm summer wind played with his hair and he could feel the soft grass underneath his feet, wriggling his toes and giggling.
Now he only held onto one of Sidon’s hands as he walked, slowly, carefully putting one foot in front of the other, staring at the ground in front of him. He was so concentrated on his task he only realised that they were at a river when his toes were suddenly wet. He grinned up at Sidon.
You, swim? He motioned.
“No, you can’t yet and I do not wish to leave you alone in this state.” His large, gentle hands were on Link’s shoulders, and he eagerly tilted his head up to receive that sweet, sweet kiss.
Then he pushed Sidon away from him, still grinning.
Swim! He motioned again. He would be alright, he’d rather watch his boyfriend than deny him this. So he sat down at the edge of the river, feet in the water and pointing at it.
“You, my sweet silver pearl…” Sidon knelt in front of him, kissing him again, deeper this time. “Are the best thing that ever happened to me.”
Link giggled happily, clapping after Sidon had jumped into the water, twisting elegantly as he did. He was so graceful in there, he could just watch him all day and not get bored. From where he was in the river, he splashed water towards Link, making him laugh and giggle again, trying to get him back. He even succeeded once or twice, although he suspected that was only because Sidon let him. Not that water did much to him.
They spent hours like this, until Link’s toes were all wrinkled and the sun was about to set, just talking, Link using his newfound words, and laughing. The sun on his skin felt so good, and at one point he just closed his eyes, looked up and basked in it. He sighed. He was so happy here, with Sidon.
Once this was all over he wanted to be like this forever. Together with Sidon he wanted more from life than the next fight. He wanted to speak to others, exchange experiences, make friends, make love to his… his prince. They had never defined what they were, he realised. How could he, when he was unable to say the words?
When Sidon carried him back to the inn because he was too tired to walk, Link sent up a silent prayer that soon they would find their way back to Zora’s Domain. Once he was able to say those words to Sidon he could figure out what they were. And hopefully Sidon wouldn’t let him go. Ever.
He could live a happy life that way.