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Link thought that the way Revali would stand up , if only a little, whenever he complimented him on the slightest thing was precious. It was hard to spot at first, the way his posture would portray more pride than Link thought was physically possible, but what caught his attention was the glint in those emerald eyes, and the way his features who just light up.
Link cursed himself for not telling Revali sooner.
“Hey,” Link jogged, panting slightly and tapped on the shoulder of the Rito Champion, “Revali.”
“Hm?” Revali turned briskly and as soon as his eyes met Link’s frame he stiffened and folded his arms. “Oh, it’s just you. What is it?”
Link asked himself the same question. What was it? What was it about the arrogant Rito that he was drawn towards? Why did he feel the sudden urge to talk to him as soon as he was in his sights. Why was he there?
“Um,” Link began, shuffling his feet, “Zelda.” He spat out as Revali gave him a questionable look. “Zelda, she’s calling you.”
“Oh, okay then. I’ll be there in a moment.” Revali wiped the almost hopeless look off his face and replaced it with that oh so familiar blank slate.
Link nodded and ran back in the direction he came from, but his mind was still whizzing.
Why did he always have to lie?
Zelda raised her eyebrows when Revali entered her chambers and bowed before her. A moment passed and neither spoke, so Revali took it upon himself to ask what it was which the Princess so urgently needed him for.
“You called me here?” he looked up at Zelda who gave him an equally confused look.
“No, I didn’t.” She replied as Revali stood up again, all sense of formality being dispelled from the room.
“Then why in Hyrule was I called here?” Revali spoke in anger and stared into the Princess' eyes in anticipation of a response.
“Well,” she began as she grabbed the Rito’s shoulders and turned him around, “I don’t know the answer to that, but I do know that I want you out of my room.” With one quick push, Revali was on the opposite end of the door to Zelda’s chambers and was met with a door to the face.
He grumbled and cursed Link as he went down the tedious hallways to his room.
“What was that all about?” Revali pointed as the so-called Hero grinned sheepishly.
“I thought she called you.” He answered as he shuffled through his satchel for something to eat.
“Well, your 'thoughts' coated me half of my day. If you need an excuse to talk to me so bad, just go find an actual reason!” Revali's voice was growing dangerously in volume.
Link's hands faltered and he stood up to face the other.
“Don’t flatter yourself. You don’t exactly have a line of people wishing to speak to you.” Link shot back.
Revali grimaced, but replied nonetheless, “It isn’t like you’re the most popular around here either.”
“At least I wasn’t only recruited because of my skills. Because I’m sorry to break it to you, but no one is a fan of that nasty attitude you have!” Link threw his satchel on the ground to make a point, and the seared steak he was looking for fell out. Revali crushed his foot against the meat, beak a thin line, and fire in his eyes having died out, walked away.
Link cursed himself again, because why did he always have to lie? He spoke of Revali being so hated and overall just terrible, when he knew that anyone was a better person than he was. He also knew that no one liked Revali as much as he did.
Link didn’t return to the castle that day, instead camping under the stars where he had all night to ponder on how unheroic he really was.
Their relationship was strained for the next few days, their interactions few and far between, and every attempt Link made to redeem himself and apologize quickly went down the drain when his pesky emotions happened to resurface.
Revali shot on arrow after the other in succession, and quite honestly he was very proud with his bowmanship. He made a point to let everyone know. Apparently, someone else agrees with him.
“That was an amazing shot.” He heard from behind him.
Without registering who it really was, his feathers puffed up and he smiled smugly, “Well, I’m not the legendary Champion of the Rito tribe for no reason. No one has yet matched my skills with the bow!” he laughed.
“Revali.” The voice spoke to him again. Oh. Damn. Link.
Revali's body stiffened and he made no move to turn around.
“What do you want?” He asked, not exactly expecting a reply this time.
“I want to see you shoot again.”
It was foolish really, the way that Revali smiled when Link asked him to display his skills once more. But he embraced it, and when he shot arrow after arrow and Link praised him each time he felt that maybe he wasn’t so useless. Maybe he wasn’t so hated. Maybe he was worth it.
“You’re good at cooking.” Link smiled as he watched Revali stir the contents of the cooking pot.
“I know I am. Revali grinned as he put a lid over the broth.
“I like your feathers.” Link spoke as he eyed the azure feathers adorning Revali.
“They are nice , aren’t they?” Revali gloated.
“I think you look good today.” Link laughed, as Revali tediously neatened his feathers.
“Don’t I always?” was Revali’s response as he began to fix some feathers into Link’s hair.
“Revali, I really like you.” Link spoke as the sun set, and the two of them sat on the same cliff they always sat on, just enjoying the moment of peace which the shared.
Revali didn’t reply to that comment. He simply smiled. But to Link, that spoke world’s, more than any words of praise ever would.