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Showing someone your home was a strange and vulnerable thing, especially when it’s your home that was long thought abandoned by the locals a hundred years ago. The grass has far overgrown, the stones corroding, any remnants of old furniture removed and replaced with new ones that he had supplied to him. A sense of bittersweetness washed over him, knowing that this didn’t feel like the home he once had, but seeing the way that Zelda wandered through it with a bright smile made him feel a little more comfortable.
Bolson had been kind enough to refinish his house for a set amount of rupees, but even went an extra mile with the little bits of decoration were a nice touch, the lighting, the flowers, and even the books that were donated through the entire village to him, but it didn’t feel the way it once did. Link had never been a man that considered anywhere home, but this was where he rested his head once upon a time, and now that everything was done, and that peace could finally last in Hyrule, would this house ever feel like home? The concept of peace was uneasy, he had never known what it meant to live in peace, being a soldier for most of his life and following after his family before. But now with the calamity gone for now, and Zelda able to take her place as respective ruler, he knew that in the long run, it was all going to be okay. But the first thing Zelda asked of him was to show her where he had once lived, since they hadn’t really, truly spoken before the one hundred years. Two young adults too wrapped up in their destinies, and now the Princess was determined to finally get to know him.
Her reaction to the house was entertaining, seeing how her eyes went wide in wonder seeing such an old-styled house surrounded by newer models. It did look rather out of place, but Zelda seemed to adore it. She couldn’t stop looking around, admiring the small details. Like the apple tree he remembered planting when he had first moved into the place, or the stable he had built for a horse once upon a time. Even with the new details such as the sign addressing it as his home, the blonde seemed to adore every part of it. When she had entered inside, she started talking out loud as if she had plans of moving in herself, talking about how she wanted to get Link more furniture, thinking about different ways to match the existing rugs with different furniture that she could have made. She was impossible to follow around, the way she paced and spoke to herself made it impossible to guess where she was going to look next, so Link simply leaned against the wall, watching her with intrigue.
He never thought about asking her to move in with him, he supposed that she would prefer to rest her head at her castle, surrounded by new knights that would be at her beck and call, but seeing the shine in her eyes told him that he wouldn’t even need to ask and that she had decided for them both. And Link knew that like always, he had no room to complain, especially since it was more time with her.
~
The first night, since Zelda had discovered his home, was cozy, the two of them spending time together in the upstairs, just simply enjoying the feeling of being able to breathe without being in fear. Truthfully, Link was a man of few words, but he truly had no objections to having Zelda stay with him. Earlier in the day, she had explained that it was because she was waiting for renovations for her old room and for the place to be deemed safe enough to stay in, but Link knew her better than that.
Sitting there in the upstairs of his house, her on the bed and Link on the floor beside her as the moon was high in the sky, illuminated only by candlelight, he saw right through her after she tried to explain why she had latched onto him. He could see the way she spoke and the look in her eyes when she felt the need to explain to him why she was staying, he knew that she was afraid to be alone in the castle. He knew that being there after everything, there was the fear of him coming back. He was there for a hundred years, and to be expected to simply rest your head and return to a normal life would be absurd. So without poking and prodding her on the subject, he had offered her the bed, letting her stay in his until she could feel safe in her own space. The look of relief on her face showed him that she was thankful, and when she went to get off the bed and put out the lights, Link simply waved her off, shaking his head. He couldn’t see it when he went to blow out the candles, but there was a faint blush on her cheeks and a smile as she mouthed the words “thank you”, not yet brave enough to say the words out loud.
Once all the candles were put out, he had gone back upstairs to grab a pillow that he had left on the floor and settle for sleeping on the ground, since that was something he had been very accustomed to since waking up after his hundred-year sleep, and he saw that Zelda had already fallen asleep. She had been so tired after everything as if she was afraid to close her eyes for a long period. He had never seen her sleep, even before everything fell apart and he was serving under her. It was hard not to take a moment and make sure that she was alright, knowing that he shouldn’t watch the lady sleep, but he couldn’t help but make sure she was okay. After a moment and he knew that there would be no reason to jump to her rescue, he had settled for sitting on the ground, his back against the bed, and taking his rest there. Staying by her side until he eventually could fall asleep as well.
In the morning, Zelda would see her faithful knight sleeping on the floor beside her, carefully protecting her and staying by her side through the night.