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”May I ask you something, Link?”
“Hm?”
“In Gerudo Town, you have to disguise yourself as a woman, correct?”
Link paused. Sidon's question was odd as they hadn't been talking about anything Gerudo related, so he was a bit surprised.
The couple was in East Reservoir Lake, Link laying on Sidon's chest while Sidon floated lazily on his back in the water. It was one of those rare days where responsibilities were slim to none and they'd decided on spending the afternoon swimming together. Eventually they fell into conversation, exchanging stories about one another's lives. Link didn't mind the sudden change in topic, Sidon was doing most of the talking after all, but the randomness of it confused him a little bit. He sat up and readjusted himself so that Sidon could better see his signs.
“Yes. Why?”
“I was curious to know… how do you feel about it?”
Link tilted his head to the side.“What do you mean?”
Sidon hesitated, amber eyes glancing up at the clear blue sky. “Well… as you said before, you have a woman's body despite being a man. I was just… I guess I… I'm worried about if…”
He sighed. “I was doing a bit of thinking and… I remember you saying that people perceiving you as a girl makes you uncomfortable, regardless of the circumstances. I was wondering if having to present yourself as more feminine makes you feel upset. I know you don't really like traveling to Gerudo desert, but I was wondering if that had anything to do with it. And I was also wondering if there was any way for me to help with those feelings.”
He paused. “Goddess, I'm saying ‘wondering’ a lot, I'm so sorry- Anyway, I may not know much about how this works, but I want to support you as much as I can! As your friend and as your lover!”
Link chuckled. “Sidon, you're way too nice. Only you would think to worry about stuff like that.”
“I'm serious! Your comfort is important to me regardless of where you are in Hyrule!”
Link laughed again before letting out a relaxed sigh. He looked up at the sky, thinking. Of course he had mixed feeling about his vai outfit, but he wouldn't say he hated it, per se. Besides, it's not like Sidon could do much about it. It was necessary for him to talk to Riju and take back Vah Naboris. If he'd never purchased the outfit, he never would have remembered one of the strongest warriors in history. He never would have made a new friend. He never would have remembered his old one.
“I don't know.” Link finally responded. “I don't like it whenever people call me a woman, but I like how I look in the outfit. It feels nice. Plus the fabric keeps me cool. It's not overbearing or heavy like some of my other armor sets. I can actually breathe in it. That and once Riju realized I was actually a man, she was more careful in making sure I wasn't uncomfortable when visiting her. I'd typically spend time away from the other townsfolk in order to avoid being mistaken for a woman, but she'd often come with me to make sure I wasn't lonely. I’d still wear the outfit for obvious reasons, but she still made me feel like a guy. Like it didn't matter that I was wearing women's clothes.”
Sidon nodded slowly. “I see, I see…”
“At first I hated it because I can't wear my binder underneath of it, plus the fact that it exposes so many of my scars.” Link continued. “But it actually wasn't until I met you that I learned to like my body more.”
Sidon's eyes widened. “Really?”
“Mhm.” Link hummed with a nod. “You were the one that helped me realize that my scars are just marks on my skin. They don't have to define me. Neither does the gender I was born with. No matter how I look, I'm still me.”
He looked down at Sidon. “It's hard sometimes, I won't lie. There aren't many people out there that're like this, like me. Having to pretend to be okay with people calling me a woman doesn't really help either. But you wanna know what makes it all okay?”
“What?”
“The fact that I have you to come home to.”
Sidon blushed. Link giggled again.
“I'm serious! You're my biggest supporter in all of this. Like a light in a dark cave. No matter how shitty of a day I have, I know you'll make it better. Even if you don't realize you do.”
Sidon carefully placed a hand on Link's back, smiling widely. “I'm so happy you feel that way, my pearl.”
Link smiled in return before leaning forward and pressing his lips against Sidon's. The zora gently pressed his hand further into his back, solidifying their embrace.
They stayed like this for a while, only breaking apart for air every few seconds or so. After what felt like an infinite amount of time they finally pulled away from each other, blushing blue and pink. Link moved back to sign;
“I don't know what I would do without you. I love you.”
Sidon brushed his fingers through Link's bangs. “I love you too, my pearl.”
He cupped his face in the palm of his hand. “I am so proud of the person you are today. I'm glad that you're beginning to love yourself as much as I love you. Having confidence in yourself is one of the most important things you can have, regardless of who you are. And if that confidence ever falters, if for whatever reason you begin to doubt yourself in any way, you can always count on me for support, no matter what. Never forget that.”
Link smiled.
“I won't. I promise.”