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Link sat on the ledge overhanging Fort Hateno far below him, kicking his legs against the solid rock of the cliff. His tunic and trousers were freshly cleaned, due to having not been worn in favor of the necludan fashion he had sported earlier that day. As the sun slowly set, casting the whole world in a beautiful golden light, he heard footsteps behind him.
“You wanted to talk?” Zelda’s voice came, almost timid. Link didn’t turn, instead focusing his gaze on the opposite ledge where he could see a mountain goat nibbling on some thin grass. After a moment, she sat down beside him, awkwardly moving her hands from one position to another, until finally they settled folded on her lap. Link kept his eyes locked on the goat.
“I want to talk this out, okay? I feel like leaving this be is unhealthy, for everyone. If we keep going like this, secrets, and hiding, and running off, it’s going to hurt the rest of the group,” he said. Link finally broke away from the other hilltop and looked at Zelda. “I love you, Zelda. I don’t want to push you away, but I can’t see how we can keep this up. If we keep disappearing, someone is going to bring it up to your father, and I can’t with a clean conscience let myself lose this position. Not with some ancient evil just waiting to strike out at you at any moment, and wipe you away forever. I can’t.”
Zelda nodded slowly. “So what does this mean then? Do we just… pretend like nothing ever happened?” She reached out her hands and took Link’s larger, calloused one in hers. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to do that,” she said, leaning closer to him.
“I can’t either. But I think we need to be more careful. We’re lucky only Urbosa and Impa were at base camp today, and that Impa was with the soldiers when we got back. I think we need to avoid these little outings for a while, try to be a bit more subtle.”
“What do you propose?” Zelda asked, and Link exhaled heavily.
“I don’t know. I propose we be aware of who knows what, and act accordingly, but I don’t know more.” He took her hands wrapped around his own in his, and leaned forward, touching his forehead to hers. “But like you said. We’ll figure out a solution. That’s what we do.” The sun, now shining at the pinnacle of the golden hour, silhouetted the two young forms sitting on the hilltop. A hand touched a cheek, a hair was brushed from in front of a face, but all that could be seen from far below the hill was a slight shadow moving on the hilltop. A young Sheikah woman with long, flowing white hair and a tall Gerudo woman waited, curious what their friend had gone to do, but after a long enough time by the fire the Sheikah took up watch and the Gerudo rested. When finally they did return, they walked into camp separately; the princess came first, carrying a bundle of safflinas and in the middle of the night the young soldier came, his blade having been sharpened and his shield cared for.
And so in the coming weeks there were no more outings, no more excursions, and no more disappearances. There were shared jokes, kisses behind closed doors, knowing looks, and distracted smiles, and surely it was noticed, but there was nothing to investigate, because to hide is to make yourself sought, but to be open is to be invisible. And invisible they were, though Impa knew that Zelda was in another world, though Daruk could tell his friend was more often distracted. Invisible they were, though hide they did not.