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How the fuck am I going to do this?
Link stared at the water as though an answer to his question would rise from it. He was currently sitting on the dock of East Reservoir Lake, his bare feet dangling off the edge and into the crystal blue water below. His boots were sitting next to him, he'd taken them off so as not to get them wet. On a nice day like this, he would've loved to remove everything but his binder and compression shorts and go for a swim, but that's not what he was here for.
“Hello, Link!”
His reason for being here had arrived. Link turned around to see Sidon striding towards him, his trademark grin on his face as he waved. Link lifted a hand to wave back at his boyfriend, forcing himself to smile. It's not that he wasn't happy to see the prince, simply hearing his voice was enough to improve his mood no matter the circumstances, but his anxiety overshadowed any joy that he may have felt. Plus, he was the one who'd asked Sidon to meet him here. It'd be rude if he didn't at least greet him.
Sidon stopped once he was right next to Link and kneeled down to get somewhat eye-level with him. Even when doing this he was still a foot taller than Link, something that intimidated many but completely unfazed Link. He gently grabbed Link's hand and brought his knuckles to his mouth, placing a tender kiss on them. He released Link's hand and smiled.
“I've missed you so much, my love. How are you? It's been quite a while.” Sidon asked.
It was true, it had been nearly two weeks since they had last seen each other. Partially because of Link's duties as Champion and Sidon's duties as prince, but also partially because Link was trying to gather the courage as well as the right words to tell him. It was pathetic, he had slain countless Lynels and Guardians without a second thought, yet when it came to talking to his lover about anything serious he became terrified. Of what, he didn't know. It was stupid and childish, but there was nothing he could do about it.
”I'm okay. Been helping the Gorons with their Divine Beast.” He signed.
“I noticed! I saw the light extending towards Hyrule Castle!”
He stood up and pumped a fist into the air, doing his signature pose with a wide, infectious smile on his face. “I was ecstatic to learn that you succeeded in reclaiming another! I knew you could do it!”
Link smiled genuinely this time. He could tell Sidon about a random tree that he'd climbed and the prince would probably still find it exciting.
“I took lots of pictures. Figured you would appreciate them.”
“Oh, yes! I would! Is that what you summoned me out here for?” Sidon asked curiously.
Link's smile faded. Right. Back to the subject at hand.
He looked out at the lake. ”No.”
Noticing Link's sudden change in mood, Sidon grew concerned. “Oh. Is everything alright? You seem upset all of a sudden.”
Link hesitated before signing again. ”I wanted to talk to you about something.”
Sidon paused. “Ah. Alright, may I sit next to you?”
Link nodded. Sidon lowered himself next to the hylian, his legs dangling over the dock and entering the water alongside Link's. There was silence for a short while, Link trying to figure out where to start and Sidon waiting anxiously but patiently to hear what his champion wanted to say.
”You love me, right?” Link finally began. Sidon was visibly startled by these words.
“Yes.” Sidon said. He began nodding vigorously. “Yes, of course I love you! You're one of, if not the most important person in my life!”
He began fidgeting with the silver cuffs around his wrists, suddenly tense. “Do you… not reciprocate that love anymore? Is that what you wanted to talk about?”
Link quickly shook his head. ”No, no, nothing like that.” He reassured. ”I still want to be with you, you're wonderful. Please don't be afraid of that.”
Sidon relaxed and breathed a sigh of relief. “Ah, good. I was beginning to worry that you had wanted to…”
Link shook his head again. ”No, Sidon. I love you.”
He looked away from the prince once again. ”But… would you love me no matter what?”
“Of course I would. I've been infatuated by you since the day I recruited you to reclaim Vah Ruta. The other things I've learned about you have only fueled the passion I have for you in my heart. Nothing could extinguish that flame, I assure you.”
He gently placed a hand on Link's back. “What's this all about?”
Link hesitated again. ”What if I was different from what you saw?”
“What do you mean?”
”If I was different from other people, other men. If I was…”
His hands trembled for a moment. ”If I wasn't born the man you thought I was. What would you think?”
Sidon paused, processing his words. He looked out at the lake, lost in thought for a few seconds.
“Well.” He began. “I'm still not quite sure I understand what you mean. But I don't think anyone is truly born as the individual that they are today. They learn and grow and become who they are as they go through their lives. They experience challenges and obstacles along the way, but I believe it's how they choose to overcome them that shapes them into who they are. This goes for everyone.”
Sidon turned back to Link, gazing into his sapphire eyes. “Especially you. You have been faced with trial after trial and you always manage to find a way through it. You may not always succeed the first try, but you always get back up and try again until success does come your way. That's one of the things I love about you, Link. You don't give up. That's a part of you that I believe will always stick with you, no matter who you are or what happens. I will always love you for what you truly are, and what you are is a handsome, kind, selfless, and wonderful hero that I can't see myself living without.”
He carefully placed his hand under Link's chin, stroking his cheek with his thumb. “Now please… tell me what this is about so I can support you properly.”
Link stared up at the zora prince for a moment, contemplating his words. He knew that Sidon meant each and every one, but would they still apply when Link told him the truth? He had a feeling that they would, but doubt was still eating away at his mind like a parasite. He could take those words back the moment Link said it, the moment Sidon found out that he wasn't a “real” man and instead a freak, a mistake, amongst other things that he had been called by complete strangers. But then again, this was Sidon he was speaking to.
He sighed. Only one way to find out.
”I wasn't born a man. Or a boy.” He signed slowly. ”I was born a girl.”
Sidon paused. He tilted his head, confused. “So… you're a girl?”
Link shook his head. ”No. I'm a boy. But I have a woman's body. I'm not supposed to. I'm supposed to be a man, but…”
He trailed off. He studied Sidon's face carefully. He didn't seem disgusted or repulsed, which was the reaction he'd feared at first. He could almost see the gears turning in Sidon's head as he processed his words.
“So…” Sidon finally spoke after a moment of silence. “What you're saying is you were born a woman, but in reality you're a man?”
Link nodded slowly. He bit his lip, fearing his reaction. But all Sidon did was nod once.
“Okay.”
Link blinked. ”’Okay?’ That's it?”
“Was I too blunt? Sorry, let me rephrase that;” Sidon said. He gently cupped Link's face in his hands. “I mean that it doesn't matter what you were born as to me. You're still Link. And I still love you, even if your body doesn't match your brain. I said I would always cheer for you no matter the challenge and I intend to keep my word. This is no different.”
Sidon gently brushed Link's bangs out of his face. “You will always be my beloved treasure, regardless of the body the Goddess gave you.”
He pressed a gentle kiss to Link's forehead. “I love you so much, Link.”
Link placed his hands over Sidon's, eyes wide in shock. He'd said it. He said it and Sidon had been accepting of the whole thing, not one scowl or grimace or any negative reaction at all. Link lunged forward and wrapped his arms around the zora, causing Sidon to gasp in surprise. This surprise was short-lived though, as Link eventually felt strong arms wrapping around him. Sidon's warmth enveloped Link completely and he sent a mental prayer to the Goddess, thanking her for sending him such a loving and supportive boyfriend. He burrowed his face into the zora's chest, smiling from ear to ear. He felt Sidon's hand gently brush the back of his head, his clawed fingers running through his hair.
“I love you.” He said again. Link looked up at him, meeting Sidon’s warm, golden eyes. He let out a euphoric laugh as they made eye contact, causing Sidon to laugh as well. He backed away from him in order to sign;
”Thank you.”
“For what?”
”For being supportive. Not everyone is.”
Sidon frowned. “Really? Why aren't they?”
Link sighed. ”Lots of reasons. Stuck-up reasons, mainly. They think people like me are unnatural, like we're not supposed to exist.”
“Oh…” Sidon said sadly. “I didn't realize people thought such things about you, I'm sorry.”
Link waved dismissively before signing again. ”It's okay. Better for them to think it than say it.”
Sidon frowned again before pulling the hylian further into his lap. “Well, those people are wrong. You aren't unnatural in the slightest. As a matter of fact, how dare they not support you during your fight! And simply because you don't have a man's body!”
He scoffed. “Have people ever said such things to you?”
Yes. ”No.”
Knowing Sidon, he would probably try to hunt those people down and give them a very stern lecture about why they shouldn't berate him for who he was or something along those lines. Link didn't want him to do that.
At least not right now.
Sidon sighed. “Good. It better stay that way.”
He'd said it so matter-of-factly that it caught Link off guard, causing him to laugh abruptly.
“Wh-?! I'm serious!” Sidon said. This only caused Link to laugh louder. His lover was such an overprotective dork, he knew he was being legitimate with his statements but it was so hard to take him seriously when he was talking about a minor inconvenience for Link like it was a very important matter.
“Link, truly, if anyone ever talks down to you like that I want you to tell me! I would be more than happy to defend you!” Sidon insisted. Link shook his head, still giggling.
”You don't have to do that, Sidon. It doesn't bother me that much. Besides, I prefer paying attention to the people that are nice about it, like you.”
Sidon smiled. “Well, that's good. I'm happy that I can be one of those people for you.”
”You're not just ‘one of those people.’ You're the first person I turn to for support.” Link began. “It's part of the reason why I fell for you. I've wanted to tell you about it for so long. I was only afraid of telling you because I wasn't sure how you would react or where you stood regarding this sort of thing. I wasn't sure if you'd be disgusted or...” He trailed off.
“Link, my pearl, I would never be disgusted by you.” Sidon said. He cupped Link's face in his hands once again. “Especially for something as simple as this. I've said it before and I'll say it again; to me it doesn't matter what form you've been given at birth. Just that it's you.”
He leaned forward and gently pecked the hylian's lips. “My faith and love for you is unconditional. And I am so, so happy that you feel safe enough around me that you can confide in me like this.”
Link smiled. Now that he knew Sidon would still be there for him, it felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He could finally truly be himself around the one he loved most.