Work Text:
Link often cooks for their small group.
Apparently the meals became a regular routine thanks to Impa mentioning the benefits to Link. It does make logical sense, fresh cooked meals would easily rouse morale and give them energy for the upcoming fights. And as loathe as Revali is to admit it, Link is a surprisingly good cook. Although sometimes he wonders how much free time Link has in order to be able to cook so much and so often.
It doesn’t matter. Revali wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. Link just happened to have a hobby that made fighting easier, it was no big deal. He could even say it was preferable.
At least, that was what Revali thought until one day Link happened to make something special.
"Gourmet Poultry Pilaf? I see even someone like you has some taste."
When Link raised an eyebrow, Revali continues,
"This dish happens to be one of my favorite foods. You may have overcooked it a bit, but nonetheless I’ll deem it acceptable."
Link gives an almost imperceptible nod, expression betraying nothing.
Revali doesn't think much of it until the next day, or more accurately, the next evening.
It was an uneventful day. The group had spent the time mostly training and resting up in preparation for the next fight. With the sun setting, most of the others were moving on to more recreational, social activities. Something Revali had no use for. He instead decides to use this time to set up his hammock.
He picks a tree a distance away from the noisy group at the cluster of tents that made up the base camp. Close enough that he could easily regroup if trouble arose, but far enough away to be able to rest without worry of disturbance. They are kind, but sometimes they are a bit much. Daruk means well, but for the last time, no, he does not want to have a eating contest against anyone, especially not against Daruk and Link.
Revali adjusts the knot on his hammock’s string, winding the sturdy cord between his feathertips in a pattern he knows by heart. He’s setting up on one of the lower branches, a more visible position than that higher up. It is not as if he is hiding, if his fellow comrades need him for something, he shall allow them the grace of being able to find him.
Still, he doesn’t think anyone actually has the audacity to bother him when he clearly went away to be left alone. So it is a surprise when he sees Link approaching the tree. At first, Revali thinks it coincidence, but then Link stops right at the base and looks right up at him.
Revali scowls, and then leaps down to the ground.
“Why have you come out here to bother me? Is it not enough you have the privilege of having me take care of your battles?”
Link shakes his head, and instead extends his arms out, presenting a plate of Gourmet Poultry Pilaf to Revali.
“...You intend to give this to me?”
Link nods.
Revali blinks. The only time Link had offered food to him personally was when he had found Link sitting around a campfire at the highest point of Rito Village. But even then, Link had likely used that offering of food to show gratitude since Revali saved his life the previous night.
However, nothing of particular note happened, and it’s unprecedented Link bring someone specially prepared food like this. Link has only offered food to Revali when it was made in a batch and meant for everyone.
“I suppose I’ll do you a favor and accept.” Revali says blithely, not entirely sure what else to say to a situation so unexpected.
Link nods again, expression betraying nothing.
Revali takes the plate from Link’s hands, and the moment Link lets go, Link turns and walks away quickly, as if this were something he wanted to get over with. If it were not for the fact the plate contained Revali’s favorite food, and was neatly arranged in a perfect portion size, he would have thought Link was giving him scraps that would have otherwise been thrown away.
As confused as he was, Revali wasn’t one to waste food. He eats the offering. Unsurprisingly, it is delicious.
Thanks to that meal, he’s ends up with a surplus of energy, and accomplishes much that day.
It is in the middle of training the next day when Link presents him with another plate of Gourmet Poultry Pilaf again.
Revali narrows his eyes, staring suspiciously both at Link and the dish.
“What is this?”
Link blinks. He looks pointedly at the Gourmet Poultry Pilaf, and then back at Revali with a face that read ‘It’s food...?’
Revali scowls. It is moments like these that he wonders if Link is actually braindead, “I mean, why are you doing this? You do know I’m capable of getting my own meals, correct?”
Link makes a half-hearted wave of a hand. Revali has no idea what it means.
Link then sets the plate atop a nearby shield, and then turns away.
“Do you truly intend to just walk away without an answer?”
He does. Judging from the way he continues walking away. Revali lets him. He can’t waste his precious training time to find out the likely pointless reason Link is doing this.
Even with that in mind, he finds himself distracted for the rest of the session.
Unfortunately, it is not only archery where his focus wanes. In fact, Revali is finding it difficult to focus on anything without understanding Link’s actions. It was odd, but perhaps there was just a plethora of leftover ingredients from the previous day, and Link decided to make some more of Gourmet Poultry Pilaf for the person who liked it the most.
But then it happens again, for the third day in a row.
This time it is early in the morning. They were all making preparations for the upcoming battle. Adjusting weapons, gathering supplies, and checking to make sure everyone was ready. It is no time to dawdle or waste relaxing. It could be the difference between coming out unscathed or receiving a crippling wound.
He hears light footsteps approaching, along with the faint smell of Gourmet Poultry Pilaf
He doesn’t even have to turn around to see who it is.
“Can’t you see I’m busy checking over my equipment? Go and bother someone else.”
Link does not do that. Instead he has the audacity to move into Revali’s line of sight, and insistently make his presence known.
Revali looks up from his satchel of arrows to glare at Link.
“In fact, I believe you should be preparing for the battle. You don’t want to become more of a burden than you already are, do you?”
Link just sets down the plate onto the ground carefully.
“Are you listening to me?”
The answer is likely no, judging from how Link is already walking away.
At that point, Revali can no longer ignore that Link is <i>purposefully making Revali’s favorite dish, personally delivering it to him, and then pointedly ignoring him.
It is absolutely baffling.
What is this? What prompted this? Revali would have sworn that nothing had changed between the two of them, and yet there had to be some reason behind all this.
Link, the stoic knight who is something akin to a doll that follows orders wordlessly, and without question. But after being forced to cooperate with him, Revali quickly learned there was more to Link than the surface showed. There were inner mechanisms underneath that infuriatingly blank look, and everything Link did had a purpose attached to it. Majority of the time the reason were related to duty, but there were instances where they were not.
Something has to have provoked this madness. But when? And for what reason?
There may have been a few incidents in the battlefield where Revali may have tried to show off, but that was the extent of it. Besides, he only mocked Link when there was an enemy sneaking up on him that he should have noticed. It was a berating for his own good. As open as Revali is for his disdain of Link, he would never purposely let him get hurt. After all, what would it say for the Rito’s Champion if he couldn’t protect one mere Hylian?
However, other than shooting a stray enemy that managed to sneak up on Link, nothing of particular note had happened recently.
If is isn’t a favor, perhaps it is the opposite?
Link didn’t rise to any of Revali’s challenges or taunts, but that doesn’t mean Link wasn’t affected by them. Is this some sort of plot? Exploiting Revali’s favorite food for some nefarious purpose?
That doesn’t seem likely, but Link treated him differently all too suddenly. As if a switch had flicked. There has to be some reasoning for it. If nothing has occurred between himself and Link to cause this change, perhaps it’s an outside force.
Then it hits him. Maybe things haven’t changed between him and Link, maybe it’s just Link whose changed.
Which would mean Link is treating everyone specially made meals, and that he’s not singling Revali out. The meals are simply something he is providing for everyone.
He snorts. Mystery solved. It was something so simple he had overlooked it.
The relief he feels is only soured by the slightest tinge of disappointment.
“Are you telling me Link hasn’t been treating you differently?”
Urbosa shakes her head with a laugh, “Not at all. I know he hasn’t been treating me to personally delivered meals. How sweet, you two are finally getting along.”
“I sincerely doubt that is the case. If Link wanted to play nice and for us to braid each other’s feathers, he wouldn’t ignore me half as much as he does.”
Urbosa’s amused expression doesn’t change, “Are you sure you’re not letting your own emotions cloud your judgment?”
Revali huffs, fixing her a glare. Urbosa may be knowledgeable, but sometimes it felt like she didn’t listen to him, “I am not a hatchling trying to get another in trouble. I have logically thought this out, and every conclusion I come to seems to have a contradiction that proves it wrong.”
“Alright, alright.” she says, still chuckling under her breath, “Believe whatever you like, I’m just telling you what it looks like from outside eyes.”
Revali folds his wings over his chest, “You only see what you want to see. It’s clear you see us Champions and Zelda as family, and you just want us to get along amicably. I hate to break it to you, but that will not be the case. I’m here to ensure Hyrule isn’t screwed over because you were lacking someone to pilot Vah Medoh.”
“Still prickly as always.” The smile stays on her face, but her eyes lose all glow of amusement, “Push away people for too long, and they eventually they won’t come back. It would do you some good to remember your actions have consequences. ”
Revali scoffs, “Good. It’s impossible to get a moment alone around here.”
Then he turns on his heel and leaves.
On the fourth day, Revali realizes it is the perfect revenge.
The plate of Gourmet Poultry Pilaf is still warm, perched on top of a nearby stump, taunting him. Link was already gone, obviously too busy to waste anymore time with Revali.
Through showing off in terms of cooking, Link is silently challenging Revali to a duel he knows he couldn’t possibly win.
Revali may not be a terrible cook, but he isn’t well practiced either. There’s no way he could beat Link’s cooking without spending a great deal of time cooking himself— and Revali doesn’t have the luxury on wasting precious training time on cooking.
Is that it? By showing off how great he is at cooking and by still being a champion, is he trying to say he’s better than Revali. Implying that Revali is a one-trick pony who’s only talent is aerial combat?
With Link constantly shoving masterpieces of the culinary arts in front of him, in a sense, Revali can do nothing to counter Link. While it would make more sense to interpret Link’s actions as kindness, there was too much that said it isn’t. If it is, then why does Link still refuse to acknowledge Revali? Link would only interact with him if the mission deemed it necessary, and even then it was with that cold detachment of indifference. And now, Link would practically all but throw the food at him and then leave, as if he didn’t even want to be near Revali for more than necessary.
Link was apparently much crueler than Revali thought.
He was a fool to ever think that Link was kind.
Revali leaves the plate of Gourmet Poultry Pilaf untouched.
On the fifth day, when Link comes to him holding a plate of Gourmet Poultry Pilaf, he snaps.
Revali leaps down from his hammock, not bothering to hide his irritation.
“Is this funny to you? Do you truly only want to interact with me to taunt me?”
The only indication Link heard Revali is by the way he blinks a few time. Other than that, his face remains void of expression.
Revali turns away, that blankness too irritating to stare at.
“Perhaps you’re much weaker than I ever realized.” he scoffs, “If you think the only thing you’re willing to challenge me on is cooking, then perhaps you’re a greater coward than anyone realizes. You waste so much time in the kitchen constantly trying to flaunt when you could be bettering yourself as a warrior—as you should be."
Revali turns around, and sees Link standing there, the blank mask broken and instead looking stunned.
Instead of re-thinking his assumptions— questioning if Link really did have ill-intentions—Revali continues on, belatedly realizing Link’s actions had had a much greater effect on him than he thought.
“What. Why do you look so shocked?” Revali covers his beak in mock surprise, “Are you telling me that isn’t what you wanted?”
It’s a rhetorical question, but then miraculously, the paralyzed
Link’s face goes from shocked to desperate and slightly panicked as he shakes his head. If Revali wasn’t so upset in the moment, he may have spared a moment to let his own surprise show.
“Don’t pretend otherwise. You treat me as nothing more than a mere stepping stool to help you rise to glory. Your actions clearly speak for themselves so I advise you stop pretending otherwise.”
Link shakes his head again, and instead approaches Revali, standing tall despite the tenseness in his posture and looks him dead in the eye.
No.
That is the silent word Revali sees mouthed on the Hylian’s lips. Link mouthed that one word at him, something so simple and clear that there was no way for him to misinterpret it.
It is the closest Revali has ever come to hearing Link talk.
“If you expected me to start worshiping the ground you walk on just like everyone else, you’ll find yourself sorely mistaken.” The words flow out, without thought. He can’t understand any of this, and almost like a cornered chick, he starts lashing out. “I don’t care about your legacy, or some prophecy. Some meager offering of food isn’t going to change my mind about you. If you continue insist you had different motives, then tell me, Champion.” he spits the last word as if it’s something foul.
Link holds his gaze for just a little longer before looking away. His jaw is clenched, but judging by the sad way his eyes are cast downwards, there are too many unspoken words he cannot bring himself to say.
Link sets the plate on the ground, and walks away.
Revali doesn’t stop him.
On the sixth day, Link doesn’t come.
It is as if everything that had occurred in the past week never happened.
Except one thing.
When Revali returns from training back his hammock, he finds a letter laying in the square middle of it. The handwriting is so horrible, for a moment he though it was in another language. Then he recognizes a few words and realizes it is in fact supposed to be a letter to him and not some child’s scribble that the wind happened to place there. It’s short, but it takes a minute to puzzle out the atrocious penmanship.
I wanted to thank you.
That was the only way I knew how to.
I’m sorry.
There’s no sender signature, but there is only one person it could be. Out of the few people in the camp, there was only one who would send a letter such as this.
Revali reads it over a few times, growing more irritated with each read through.
Link wanted to thank him? What for?
“Even on paper, you’re still unreadable.” Revali mutters to himself.
Then the food <i>was a gesture of appreciation. It didn’t make sense, but at the same time... that straightforward approach did seem more like Link rather than the crueler motive Revali had assumed. Although in his own defense, logically it made more sense for there to be ulterior motives. It made sense for someone who had been chosen by “fate” to be the savior to have an overinflated ego. But this childishly scrawled letter has proven otherwise.
Revali had overestimated Link.
Apparently, Link was just terrible with communication.
He groans. Fantastic. Now he feels guilty for picking on someone so bad at talking he couldn’t even say thanks properly. Revali still doesn’t have a clue as to what Link could be thanking him for, but even Revali knows he’s screwed up.
He quickly gales himself upwards. He needs to find Link.
“I believe an apology is in order.”
Link turns around, his face blank.
Revali clears his throat, swallowing any snide comments he would have usually said.
“Regarding the food...I had misunderstood your intentions and had snapped at you. Although—” he adds, unable to help himself, “I can’t say blame lies entirely upon my shoulders. You do not make it easy for anyone to understand what is going on in your head.”
Link doesn’t respond, but his gaze turns curious.
“...It was cruel to lash out at you when you were trying to be amicable. You don’t make yourself easy to understand, but I admit I have erred.”
Link nods very slightly, indicating Revali’s apology was accepted. However his jaw is still clenched and there’s still some tenseness in his expression. More rigid and less relaxed than before. There is none of the unguarded blankness Link had shown him previously. He is worse than a stoic statue now, he is purposefully hiding his emotions now.
Revali could have turned away right then and there, having already fulfilled his goal. He should have been happy to have finally gotten a reaction out of Link, but somehow, seeing Link close himself off even more than before doesn’t give him any joy. Their relationship was never particularly close, but the thought of leaving things as they are now left a bitter taste in his mouth.
Unable to stop himself, Revali continues, “Your letter read you wanted to thank me for something, and while I would assume it’s for making sure you don’t die on the battlefield, your actions seem to speak otherwise.” Revali gestures vaguely with one wing, the nervous energy preventing him from staying still, “However, if that were the case, you would be making meals for the other Champions as well, but you aren’t. I’m certain you aren’t leaving near illegible letters at their bedsides either. Surely you must have some other motive behind all this, and I want to know what exactly it is. What is it exactly you are thanking me for?”
Link lifts his hands, trying to point at Revali and making some strange sloppy gestures that don’t makes sense. It isn’t sign language or anything complicated, it is more like a comical game of charades. Link’s mouth opening and closing like a fish, no voice coming out.
Revali would think Link was making fun of him, except it is clear Link is growing more and more frustrated being unable to speak.
Horror dawns on Revali as he realizes what these actions mean. Link’s silence isn’t a choice. It wasn’t part of his personality or a type of quirk, it was involuntary muteness. The voice Link had long stowed away was hidden too deeply for him to find and pull out again.
Revali lifts up a wing to stop him from his pitiful flailing, “It is fine. Whatever your reasons, I am sure they are over something trite that wouldn’t be worth repeating.”
Link frowns, but the relief is evident in his face.
“I now know that you aren’t purposefully trying to insult me, therefore this matter is solved. You need not strain yourself.
“The food you provided did prove to be beneficial. It is easier to fight with a full stomach. As a warrior yourself—albeit a gluttonous one— I’m sure you know the difference.”
Link nods. He still looks like he wants to communicate something.
“Of course, I’ll still make sure you don’t get yourself killed. No matter whether or not some legend says you’re invincible, as far as I’m concerned, you’re still a dumb soldier who puts too much faith in superstition.”
Suddenly Link grabs Revali’s wing, in a motion so quickly all Revali has time to do is blink confusedly at him.
He shakes it up and down with a wide smile. He nods his head repeatedly. The unmistakable look of relief and joy lays clear on Link’s face. Whatever it is Link wanted to say, Revali had said it for him. Or at least some sentiment of it.
His mind spins, trying too quickly to piece together what Link wanted to communicate, so he can properly respond to Link’s sudden display of emotion.
“Are you truly so daft to not see that that was not a compliment?” he says, his beak moving before his brain.
Link lets out a snort of a laugh releasing his wing with a shake of his head. Revali bristles a bit. He doesn’t know how to react to this animated Link. the nonchalant way he smiles or rudely shook his wing in a mock handshake. It is all too jarring for him to properly articulate a response.
“It doesn’t matter, I’ve done what I came to do. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll be on my way.”
Link nods again, pointing over his shoulder with his thumb towards the training grounds.
“Please do go train. In fact, I would recommend you try sharpening up your archery. It’d save the armory a plethora of arrows if you could actually hit your targets on the first shot.”
And then, having gotten the last word, Revali gales away.
When Revali returns back to his hammock that evening, he finds a warm plate of food waiting for him.