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The wooden frame of the paraglider in his grip provided some sense of grounding as he stood at the edge of the Great Plateau. A whole world stretched out before him, and there was an itch rooted deep in his soul to explore every inch of it, but it would always be that first step that was the hardest.
A step onto thin air, Link reminded himself like it was a valid reason to be hesitating. In some ways, it was; jumping off a fifty-foot wall was dangerous for any Hylian, never mind one as small as himself. In others, he had already died and been revived once, so what was the worst that could happen? The spirit of the king had told him this is what he was meant to do. These were his orders for Hylia's sake. He couldn't spend all his time dithering on a jump rather than saving the kingdom. This was the role that was assigned by the Goddesses to him; he couldn't just... not do it. The king had said he'd been training all his life for this mission, he couldn't back down now.
He readjusted his hold on the paraglider for the fifth time, gritting his teeth as he raised one foot off the ground. He was going to do it. He had to do it. He couldn't stay on the Plateau for the rest of his life. Mind you, there was that nice old house over near... No. No second thoughts. No procrastinating the inevitable. No more wasting time. He was the Hylian Champion, and he was going to jump off this cliff, even if he dies - again - trying. He peered over the edge, and he lowered his foot back down to solid ground.
"Cold feet?"
Despite the jolt that ran up his spine, Link didn't outwardly jump. His fingers twitched around the glider, toes curling in his worn boots in an effort to look indifferent to the sudden presence to his left. He glanced over, half-expecting to find another spirit, or the king returning to tell him to hurry up and jump.
When it was neither, Link's guard went up. The glider folded itself away into the slate in the same moment that Link drew his battered sword and shield, raising them like it was second nature.
The boy cocked his head to the side, hair tumbling down over his shoulder to his waist in thick curls. His long ears pointed more outwards than the average Hylian, but they were adorned with bronze hoops and green pendants that shimmered in the early morning light. In some ways, he didn't look quite real. Not when his hair was a shade somewhere between blond and pure white, and his blue eyes shone brighter than the summer sky. Over the quite that had fallen upon them, Link could hear the quiet rusting of the boy's robes as he stood from the rock he'd been perched on and moved closer. The skirts wrapping his thighs and hips swayed in the breeze, and the tunic draped loosely around his chest was almost slipping down either shoulder revealing an entire stretch of dark skin around his collarbones and neck.
He looked ethereal, Link quickly realised.
"I assure you, it is less trouble to simply jump."
Link's mouth was dry. Had he always been this short? He started up at the boy- no, man. He couldn't have been much older than Link, but his teen years had obviously treated him better than Link's had. He was all sharp cheekbones, a chiselled jaw, slender nose. Where Link's cheeks still curved, his were smooth. The stranger met his gaze through the corner of his eye, a pointed eyebrow rising slowly as the silence stretched on.
Link blinked. He quickly turned away, gripping the hilt of the sword a little bit tighter as he forced his thoughts back to the matter at hand.
"It's high." He stated.
The man took a step forwards, closer to the edge than Link had yet to venture, and with his hands clasped behind his back he, too, peered over the edge. "Indeed." He agreed in a voice that was somehow higher than Link had been anticipating at first sight. "It would be a long fall. But you have the means to soar through the air." He turned back to Link, earrings chiming with the movement. "I wouldn't worry too much. You will be just fine."
And for some reason, Link felt inclined to believe him. Maybe it was the kindness in his eyes, or the honest quirk of his lips, but Link quickly found himself being drawn into this man's orbit and he couldn't find the will to fight it. He had known him for all of two minutes, but there was something intriguing about him; otherworldly in a non-threatening sense. As Link's eyes roamed his face, he found nothing but peace and serenity. At the precipice of a cliff that had the Champion of Hyrule thinking twice, this man stood with such confidence, like he had nothing to fear from a deadly fall.
"Who are you?" Link asked, finally managing to find his voice for something meaningful.
The man smiled at him, the curve of his lips radiating a mix of openness and mild amusement. "I am Rauru." The blue eyes then roamed his face for a long moment, as if searching for something. Perhaps a flicker of recognition on Link's part, but the hero knew better than to expect memories of this stranger to come flooding his mind. Either way, seemingly content with whatever he found etched into Link's features, Rauru nodded, a sharp movement to acknowledge the end of his introduction.
Link slid his sword back into the sheath and tapped at the slate for the paraglider to reappear. He lifted it above his head again, his grip not as tight as it had been earlier. He watched as Rauru moved further to the side, out of the way of the contraption. He couldn't see his face anymore for the fabric above, but his body faced out towards the rest of Hyrule. He could see the ends of his hair curling and bouncing with the gentle caress of the wind, and Link had to supress the sudden urge to run his fingers through it. It looked soft, softer than his own. He wondered what it would look like tied back.
"You are not still hesitating, are you?" Link could hear the playfulness in his voice, that amusement from before creeping back into an audible quirk of his lips.
Link sighed through his teeth, rolling his shoulders as he readied himself for the leap of faith. But then he stopped, frowning. He lowered the paraglider again and looked up at Rauru, finding his piercing eyes already on him. "My name is Link."
Rauru smiled again, eyes falling shut as he bowed his head. "Wonderful to meet you, Link."
There was a way in which he said it that had Link pausing for a moment, lingering on the twitch of Rauru's ear as he echoed his name. Did Rauru know him? If so, who were they to one another? Were they friends? Or did they fight alongside each other during the Calamity, and the king had simply not mentioned it?
Finding himself falling victim to his thoughts again, Link quickly shook them off and raised the glider once more.
He didn't hesitate this time.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Link huddled closer to the mountain side, pulling his knees to his chest as he poked at the campfire. The flame was withering with the dampness in the air, but he was grateful for the stone overhang that granted some level of protection from the relentless rain - even if he had to fight monsters for it. His hair was slicked to his forehead with a mixture of water and sweat from all the walking he'd done so far. Sidon had been helpful in telling him which way to go, but leaving him alone like that was a bummer. It sucked even more now that it seemed a trend was forming out of it.
Link hadn't seen Rauru since that day on the Plateau, and now a week had passed since he'd caught a glimpse of that wild hair and bright eyes. When he'd wandered into Kakariko Village and saw the countless heads of white hair among the villagers, hope had bloomed in his chest that this was perhaps were the strange man disappeared off to. Alas, no Rauru was in sight and soon enough it was time for Link to move on towards Zora's Domain.
The fire crackled quietly to itself, an ember flaking away from the wood and ascending into the air. Link followed the way it danced on a non-existent breeze, twisting and turning before it flew too close to the edge and was dosed with rain. He stared at the empty air where that little flicker of life had been so suddenly wiped away. His eyes fluttered as the world came back into focus, and he turned his head down to watch the fire again.
The sun had long since set, casting Hyrule in the pale glow of the moon. It was almost eerie, paired with the obtrusive glare of the Zora lights lining the path through the mountains. The world was caught in a teal sheen and it unsettled Link right to his core. He found himself longing for blue skies again, pushing aside the beauty of the night that was currently obscured by the incessant rainfall. It wasn't even real rain, Link thought bitterly. It was that awkward midpoint between drizzle and a downpour; it was barely there, yet managed to drench you at the same time. Link hated it.
He prodded at the fire again, releasing a cloud of smoke and singed ashes that glittered before fading again. Then he looked up, past the fire to the figure crossing over Oren Bridge, coming towards him. Instinctively, Link reached for his sword, but stopped halfway. His gut was telling him something else. He sat silently and waited for the figure to get closer, his mind half on the sword at his side the entire time. Their face was shadowed by the hood hanging low, but once they were close enough the light of the dying fire was enough to illuminate their features enough to recognise them.
"I cannot say that I have ever experienced weather like this before. I fear cloaks are most unbecoming on me." Rauru said as he lowered the hood. He unhooked the front clasp and let the cloak fall to the ground, releasing his hair and strong build in the process. His leg wraps had been swapped out for trousers now, much like Link's, but the new tunic he wore had a far lower neckline than the other. While it fit across his shoulders, the collar drooped down across his chest, revealing much more skin than Link had previously been granted viewing of a week earlier.
Link's eyes shifted towards the abandoned hood, seeing how the fire lit up the golden stitching around the hems and the ornate bronze clasp at the front. It looked far more expensive than the blue rag Link had picked up back in Kakariko, and he couldn't help but wonder just who this man was. A sort of irritation formed beneath Link's skin, the kind he recognised as when a question simply couldn't be answered, so he didn't ask.
"You do not seem to be quite so bothered by the rain." Rauru then went on, filling Link's silence. "Do you enjoy it?"
It was a simple enough question, but Link couldn't seem to find an answer. He gazed at the cloak still, appreciating the shade of dark green it was. Green had always been one of Link's favourite colours. He never could quite place why, though.
"You are thoughtful. I shall not disturb you." Rauru spoke softer, then moving to sit down beside Link. The hero felt the hairs on his arms stand on end at the proximity. This close, Link could smell how the scent of pine trees clung to Rauru's skin. He could see the length of his nails, long enough to be confused with claws if someone were to only glance quickly. Link shifted where he sat, hugging his knees tighter.
He's isn't quite sure where it comes from, the words only forming in his mind once they had passed his lips. "You're not disturbing me."
He could hear Rauru's surprised inhale, the slight movement of his hair told him that he was trying not to turn and look. Link was grateful; he doesn't think he'd be able to meet his eye in that moment.
To add to his surprise, Rauru answered, "That is good to hear, then."
Link managed to look at him this time. He noticed how one of the green crystals from his earrings had been switched out with a blue one, and Link couldn't help but see the similarity between its shade and that of Rauru's eyes. Link felt himself unconsciously reach up towards his own ears, rubbing the blue hoop between his fingers. His own jewellery was far less eye-catching than Rauru's, aiming more for practicality than style what with all the fighting and rough-sleeping he does, but a part of him can't help but wonder what it must be like to own such exquisite jewels. To have something of such value on his person would be nothing more than another worry for him at present, but he thinks that, one day, he might like to own something similar. Staring at the blue crystal, he absentmindedly rubs at his left hand, tracing up to the base of his fingers and back down again.
"You are to help the Zora, I suppose." It was posed as a statement, but Link could hear the subtle questioning in his voice. Link sighed, letting his chin rest atop his knees.
"I am. Something to do with the rain and a Divine Beast."
Rauru hummed, hands resting in his lap as he crossed his legs. "Divine Beast Vah Ruta. A magnificent machine back in its prime. I am afraid it causes nothing but problems these days, though."
Link observed him out the corner of his eye. Back in its prime? These days? He couldn't help but think Rauru sounded like he was speaking from experience. It guessed was possible; he was alive, as was his apparent friend, Impa. The longer he knew Rauru, the more the questions built up, as did the feeling that he couldn't ask any of them. So there he remained, steeped in questions and unable to voice them. He sighed internally. A crick was forming in his neck and his exhaustion from the arduous travelling that day had finally begun to catch up with him. He stretched his arms above his head, trying to relieve some of the pent up tension.
Rauru's earrings clinked together as he turned to face him. "You are tired. You should sleep, Link. I expect you will have a long day tomorrow."
He wasn't wrong on any regard, so Link shuffled across the ground until he was far enough away from the dwindling fire to lay down. When Rauru didn't move, Link propped his head up on an elbow, curiosity eventually getting the best of him. "Are you not tired?"
Rauru shook his head, taking Link's fire-prodding stick for himself and picking up where the hero had left off. "I will stay awake a little longer, keep the fire going. I do not feel tiredness like I used to."
Yet another baffling answer, but a wave of sleepiness was too much for Link to fight, so he lay back down and closed his eyes.
Rauru was gone when he was woken in the morning by a cascade of morning sunlight filtering through the mountains and trees. He stared at the fire and the faint embers that were still glowing strong amid the firewood. He wondered if Rauru had kept the fire going all night. His gaze was then pulled to the side, towards the green cloak with the bronze clasp that was still abandoned on the ground. He reached for it, feeling the fabric between his fingers for a moment before he lifted it and held it to his face. The scent of pine trees clung to it.
Link wasn't sure why, but he smiled. His blue cloak remained safely inside the slate for the rest of his journey towards the Domain.
* * * * * * * * * * *
"I believe there are more compromising positions I could have caught you in that would be easier to explain."
Link looked up (down?) from the branch he was hanging by his knees from. His arms filled with eggs from the nest tucked within the highest branches, tunic torn in several places, and a tiny scratch across his cheek finished off the ragged look. Rauru raised his eyebrows.
"Oh. Hi." Link fumbled with his soon to be lunch for a moment, then gave up and jutted his chin towards them. "A little hand?"
A smile spread across his face as Rauru shook his head, an exasperated look on his face as he delicately took the eggs and held them close. Link's eyes lingered for a second, appreciating just how much bigger Rauru's hands were than his own. He then untucked his knees and let himself fall to his feet with a thump, hair all askew and cheeks rosy from being upside-down.
"Quite the adventurous type." Rauru observed as Link led him over towards his camp. The young hero shrugged his shoulders, keeping his eyes fixed on the pot he had going over the fire. Rauru placed the eggs down carefully but remained standing beside Link as he began the preparations for cooking. He lifted his gaze towards the man, head nodding towards the pot.
"Would you like to stay? I have more than enough for two." Hope grew in his chest like wildfire. Maybe he'd be able to learn more about this stranger if they shared time while Link was actually awake. And luckily, he wasn't disappointed.
"That is very kind of you." Rauru sat down on the patch of grass, crossing his legs and resting his arms on his knees. His trousers rode up from his ankles, exposing a length of skin between his shoes and the hem that Link had the sudden urge to touch. There wasn't a mark on him. From head to toe, Link was littered with tiny scars and nicks that the Shrine of Resurrection hadn't been able to heal. They were remnants of a time lost past, the battles fought by a person Link no longer knew. In some ways he hated them. In others, he found them intriguing. He lost track of the time he spent exploring his own body again like it was the first time. His right knee had a darkened scar right below it, the skin bumpy and rough where it had grown back, never to be like it once was. His arms were adorned with white pricks, a longer, more jagged mark across his left side, an aggressively red line stretching from his right shoulder, right across his back to his left hip; that one had left him shaken. But then there were the softer, more subtle ones; a nick in the tip of his ear, a white line where it looked like his earring had caught on something and was almost torn from the lobe, a tiny gap in his eyebrow. Not a patch of skin on him had been spared from the turmoil of war, but then here was Rauru; untouched from such pain and suffering. And Link was glad for it, he couldn't imagine someone as beautiful as Rauru having to facedown hoards of monsters.
Link froze. In the pan, the egg continued to sizzle, and Rauru remained unfazed by the abrupt change.
Link inhaled sharply.
Beautiful?
"I admit, even after all these years, I never was much of a cook." Rauru commented idly. He moved, leaning back on his elbows and turning his face to the canopy of leaves above. "A dear friend of mine once told me they would rather eat tree bark than my attempt at cake."
Link hummed, stabbing at the omelette with more force than necessary. He sprinkled in some rock salt and then dished it up, handing the plate to Rauru while actively trying not to look at him.
Beautiful?
"Thank you, Link. Your generosity will not be forgotten."
Shaking the thought from his head, Link huffed. "It's nothing." He muttered, cracking another egg into the pan.
"Please, modesty is most unbecoming on you."
Link's brow rose, and he turned to Rauru. The man was already picking away at the omelette, a satisfied smile gracing his lips that made Link's cheeks warm.
"You have a wonderful skill." Rauru then went on, meeting Link's gaze for a moment before taking another bite. "You should embrace it."
Link fiddled with the spatula, poking the second omelette around the pan as he added seasonings. He'd never really thought about it. Cooking had become a necessity to survive; it was hardly recognisable as something to do well anymore. He just did it, regardless of the outcome because, whether it was dubious look to at by the end, it was food that would keep him going. He couldn't simply waste it because he didn't like the taste, so it became a bonus when he did.
"Maybe." Link settled on, now plating his own food and sitting back, away from the fire.
It was Rauru who hummed this time. He placed his empty plate down and sat up, brow pinched in the middle as he fixed all his attention on the hero. Link squirmed under the attention.
"What?" He murmured, rubbing at his cheek and grimacing at the sting from where he'd cut it in an unfortunate episode with a twig. Rauru's head tilted to the side, hair swaying down and brushing against the grass. It bore a striking resemblance to snow, Link thought.
"Remarkable." Rauru finally spoke, leaning back into his own space, leaving Link reeling in his own confusion.
"What is?"
"You."
Link's heart crawled into his throat.
"Me?"
Rauru peered over. "You were the princess's personal knight and are the sole person who can bring peace back to Hyrule, and yet you are terribly shy."
Link pursed his lips. "I am not."
"It's rather charming, really."
And just like that, Link was rendered speechless. He could vaguely feel his face burning bright red, and the tingling sensation deep in the pit of his stomach. Somewhere in the distance, he could hear Rauru's muffled laughter and the sound of the wind in the trees. He couldn't find the time to question how Rauru knew all that about him because suddenly there was a warm weight pressing against his side. Link's head stayed down, but his eyes turned to the side. Rauru had shuffled closer, his entire arm laid beside Link's, his skin warm even through the layers of both their tunics.
As a quiet fell upon them, so did a sense of serenity. It was like the sun setting in the sky, the world melting into hues of orange and pink before the light of day sank beneath the horizon, plunging them into the shadows of night. In the same way, Link let his eyes fall shut, his head tilting to the side until it rested upon Rauru's shoulder. He felt the man tense for a split second, and Link smiled into his pride of having caught him off guard.
In the moment, Link wasn't entirely sure what came over him, but there was one thing he was absolutely certain of.
Rauru was beautiful.
* * * * * * * * * * *
And that's how it went. Every. Time.
Rauru would show up out of the blue, and Link would fall further and further into those feelings. The brief touch of a hand, the brushing their arms, the way Rauru's gaze would linger on him. He'd lost count of the amount of times his ears had faded to pink, only for Rauru to say something that was definitely not appropriate for something deemed as a friendship, and then his otherwise barely noticeable blush would breakout into crimson. Rauru was always merciful about it, backing off whenever Link looked ready to combust - save for that one time he'd commented on how easy it was to fluster Link, which resulted in the smaller Hylian ducking under his bedroll to hide until Rauru was forced to bride him with food.
But then the same ending to their moments of bliss would always roll around again. And again and again. Rauru would take off too soon, either making himself sparse whilst Link was asleep or making some lame excuse that Link never bought. Still, he had no ownership over Rauru, so he let him go. There wasn't much else he could do. They weren't together, per se, but...
Link downed his drink before he could finish that thought. He added the empty glass to the now concerningly large collection he had accumulated over the night. It wasn't everyday that the stables offered drinks for the weary travellers, gifting them a night where they could forget about the impending doom of their homeland at the hands of a century old monster. Link sighed, waving to the bartender. It was going to be a long night.
The drone of conversation around him was enough to help drown out his increasingly wild thoughts. He had no claim over Rauru, so why should he be worrying so much? Rauru was his own person, perfectly capable of making his own decisions and taking care of himself. Granted, he allowed himself to mope about waking up Rauru-less in the morning, but he had to remind himself that he had no right being offended by his lack of presence. Rauru owed him nothing, he didn't need to hang around while Link slept, but still...
It had only happened once, but once is all it took for Link to become addicted to the feeling. Waking up to the sun on his face, a clear sky, the birds singing, and him pressed up against Rauru's side, that muscular arm slung over his waist, holding him secure. It was heaven on earth that had completely ruined Link's life because it was only a fleeting glimpse of what could be, not what is.
He sank further into his seat, thanking the bartender when he brought his drink. He stared into the amber liquid, wondering where Rauru could be in that moment.
And whether it be a gift of the Goddess, pure coincidence, or unfortunate timing, he didn't have to wonder too long.
"Link?"
The boy in question slowly lifted his head, vision slightly hazy as he tried to focus on the shape now looming over him.
"Link, really?" The voice asked, and with one sweep of their arm, pushed all the glasses aside - as well as his full one, drawing a whine from the hero.
"No, I was- wasn't done with that." He tried to protest, but the words were weak and fell onto deaf ears.
"You can't be drinking like this. You're young. And alone. It is dangerous to engage in such activities by yourself, especially in public." The voice went on. Link blinked, suddenly aware of how tired he really was. Rauru...
A hand came to rest on his shoulder, squeezing hard enough to grab his attention and force him to look up. The sky blue eyes that gazed back were enough to set his nerves on edge.
"Rauru." While his voice was slurred and groggy, it still drew a twitch from the man in question's ear.
"Link." Rauru replied, tone teetering on amused despite the seriousness of his face. "You should eat something. It will help digest the alcohol."
"Nooo." Link moaned, lowering his head to the table and closing his eyes. It was too bright. He heard Rauru sigh, a pang of guilt settled his chest.
"Water, then." Rauru's voice left no room for argument. "Then you sleep this off."
Link, fully aware that he wasn't getting out of this one, resigned himself to his fate. "Fine."
"Good. Excellent." Rauru then stood and made for the bar, leaving Link alone with his multitude of empty glasses, the untouched one, his thoughts, and the raging swarm of butterflies in his stomach. Of course he's had crushes before. He still recalls the feeling of seeing someone that had snatched his attention, the incessant feeling of quite panic as they made their way towards him, and the silent crying he did when they went off with someone else.
So, in hindsight, Link should have - perhaps - seen this coming.
While looking up from the table to see where Rauru had got to, he immediately clocked onto the woman at the bar. She leaned her hip against it, twisting a red curl between her fingers, her eyes freely roaming up and down Rauru's form. It didn't help that the man had opted for a tunic that had been cut so high it left nothing between his waist and chest to the imagination. Muscles rippled across his abdomen as he moved, tensing and flexing in a way that had not only Link hypnotised.
And Rauru, bless his soul, was chatting back to her, clearly oblivious to her blatantly obvious intentions. In his hand he held Link's aforementioned glass of water and Link bristled at the sight. When Rauru glanced his way, but made no move towards him, something snapped in Link's self-control. Call it the alcohol, call it the late hour, but a force shot out from the depths of Link's soul and urged him to his feet. The fogginess in his vision faded as he honed in on the pair, his course of action decided before he'd even left the table.
Link managed to cut Rauru off mid-sentence with an arm that wrapped around his waist. The woman quirked an eyebrow, and Link responded by pressing his entire side flush with Rauru's.
"Here you are." Link murmured, his nose brushing against Rauru's neck, the man in his arms having gone stiff. "I was wondering where you'd run off to."
The woman huffed. "This one yours?" She asked, directly facing Link.
Link hesitated. His fingers absentmindedly traced the waistband of Rauru's trousers, the touch feather light and oh so nice. But Link, fuelled by whatever had been in those glasses, decided he no longer liked to hesitate.
"He is." Link nodded, his smile straining.
The woman hummed, then patted his arm as she made to depart. "Ah well, fair's fair. You hit the jackpot with that one."
Link could have screamed as she sauntered away, leaving him with his growing pile of bad ideas. He swallowed thickly, not daring to look Rauru in the eye as he detached himself. Hylia, what was he thinking? In what universe is intruding upon someone's private conversation and pretending to be their date a good idea? Certainly not this one.
Silently, Link took the water and downed the whole thing in one go, slamming the empty glass onto the bar and stalking towards the stable's rooms. He had a real date with his bed that he could not be late for.
"Link, wait!" He heard Rauru call after him, but Link didn't slow down. He couldn't. Facing that embarrassment could wait until morning. If Rauru even stayed that long. "Link, please."
Link pushed the door to his room open and tried to close it, but a foot lodged itself in the doorway.
"Link, please, let us speak about this."
"Why?" The hero snapped, still trying to close the door despite Rauru's foot clearly being in the way.
"Because I-" And for the first time since they met, Link heard the falter in Rauru's voice. The hesitation Link so often felt around him. "I feel as though this is something we need to talk about."
But Link wasn't having any of it. He was still drunk, he could feel it in the way he swayed to the side slightly, and he was very tired. "Then talk." He bit, hiding behind the door. Rauru's figure blocked out almost all of the light filtering in from the hallway, casting his room in almost complete darkness.
"Why did you do that?"
Link let his head fall back against the door with a thump. Why did he? He was jealous? He was angry? Frustrated? Drunk? In love?
Wait, wha-
"I don't know."
"Link."
"What do you want me to say?" Link hissed between gritted teeth. "She was flirting with you and I didn't like it."
Too much truth. Too much tru-
"Why should it matter if she was making advances? They were never going to-" Rauru stopped short as the door suddenly swung open, revealing a very disgruntled looking Link. "Link?"
"Because I've been trying to flirt with you, and yet she gets all your attention! How is that fair? I've-"
"It's bold to assume that you never had all my attention to begin with."
Link paused, any and all responses dying in his throat at Rauru's soft reply. A raspy breath passed his lips, tasting distinctly of alcohol, reminding himself that whatever he was thinking or going to say had been diluted by the drinks.
"What?" His voice was so incredibly small that Rauru held his breath. Had he overstepped? The light in Link's eyes had brightened just a touch, and he took that as his green light to proceed.
"I admit, I may not have been as... vigilant as I would have preferred to be, but rest assured, Link, your advances are... not unwelcome."
Link blinked owlishly at him, like the words weren't quite making sense.
"I believe this a conversation for another time. Right now, you need to sleep." And before Link could protest again, Rauru had swept him up into his arms and carried him over towards the bed. Link yelped as he was unceremoniously dropped onto the mattress, but he picked his face up as Rauru leaned over him. "You should rest now, hero. We will talk in the morning."
Soft lips pressed against Link's temple, the smallest of touches leaving his skin burning and body yearning for more more more.
But Rauru pulled away, and Link felt his eyes falling shut as soon as his head hit the pillow.
* * * * * * * * * * *
As it turns out, in the morning did not mean the morning after, but rather some random morning a week later.
Link was knee-deep in Lake Hylia, spear in hand, eyes trained on the water for the slightest movements when that morning finally arrived.
His spear pierced the water, sending ripples cascading across the glossy surface. He voiced his disappointment when the spear came back bare, but his irritation melted away when he caught sight of a familiar figure on the shore reflected on the lake. He looked up, instantly meeting Rauru's eye. Blurry memories from a week prior flooded in from the back of Link's mind where he'd tried to keep them locked up, too mortified to ponder them for too long. The alcohol had long-since left his system, but the damage had already been done. He'd practically thrown himself at Rauru, like he'd been some damsel in distress - who had been the damsel was still unclear to Link; he tried not to think too much about that, either.
"Good morning!" Rauru called out, a strange waver in his voice that set Link's nerves on edge. Chewing his lip, Link began to wade his way back to the water's edge. Had Rauru come to tell him to back off, and that they could skip this conversation and pretend that, what Link had taken to calling The Incident, had never happened? Link wasn't sure he'd be able to do that after remembering the exact feeling of Rauru's lips on his skin, and the way his temple tingled for three days afterwards.
But there was also a darker, more bitter part of Link that resented the fact he'd been made to wait for so long. The question of where Rauru disappears to was becoming all the more prevalent by the day, but still Link couldn't find the nerve to ask, even after all that had happened.
"Morning." He muttered, stabbing the spear into the beach. He became acutely aware of his state of dress when his eyes landed on his trousers off to the side, in a pile with his weapons. He shifted his feet, feeling the cool breeze skimming across his half-exposed thighs more than he'd felt the chilliness of the lake.
"I... see that the fishing has not yet been fruitful." Ah. A clear effort to derail exactly where this meeting was supposed to be going. Link raised a pointed eyebrow.
"I guess." Voice as dry as the sand beneath his feet, Link frowned. Was he really going to need to make the first move on this? Given the way Rauru turned his face to the side, hands clasped behind his back, Link took that as a silent yes. "Listen, I'm... I'm sorry about last week. I... I'd had a lot to drink, and I wasn't thinking straight and then I saw you and I just... yeah."
Rauru turned those blue eyes back onto Link, light winking off his earrings. "Did you mean it?"
Link felt his other eyebrow slowly rise. "Mean what?"
"You said-" Rauru stopped and shifted his sandaled feet. He drew his lip between his teeth, eyes flicking side to side, as if he were actively avoiding looking directly at Link. "You said you had been trying to... to make advances on me."
Well then. There it was, the point that Link had been swerving around thinking about for the past week, laid out before both of them. All while he was dressed in nothing other than his tunic and underwear. Charming.
The hero shrugged. "Trying being the key word." He offered a lopsided smile. "Nothing seemed to get through, though."
Rauru hummed, turning his eyes towards the ground between them, his face shifting like the distance had personally offended him. "I suppose not, no. And for that I must apologise profusely. I cannot claim to have ever been entirely... observant in that regard. And in this case, I... I was inclined to... to believe it was wishful thinking."
Link's hands curled into fists at his sides, nails digging into his palms. "Wishful thinking." He echoed, trying to pick the words apart so he could examine the truth within them. Wishful thinking? He screwed his eyes shut. "What does that even mean?"
And to his surprise, he was met by Rauru's laughter. He sounded almost relieved as the laughs bubbled up from deep inside his chest. "It seems as though I am not the only unobservant individual here." He smiled, open and free of the earlier tension that warped his features.
It took a moment, but Link wasn't stupid. He knew exactly what Rauru meant, and that fact baffled him even more.
"You've been flirting with me?"
And like wind through a chime, Rauru's laughter rung out again, and Link silently agreed with himself to protect that sound with his life; Hyrule be damned.
"I find it hard to believe we are not both the fools in his scenario." The curl of Rauru's lips was innocent, but Link could see the hint of mockery that was directed at the both of them. He couldn't find a valid reason to argue with it, either.
"So..." But there was still a hint of doubt in Link's mind; it was simply too good to be true. "This means what I think it means, right?"
Rauru's head dipped, but Link could see the hint of a smile crinkling the corners of his eyes. "I suppose so."
Link's body collided with Rauru's before another word could be uttered between them.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Link stared up at Vah Medoh, dread pooling in his gut unceremoniously as the tucked his snowquill tunic closer to his body.
"I still fail to see why you have to face these monstrosities alone." Rauru went on, a stern frown tugging his lips downwards. Link couldn't help but roll his eyes.
"Because there is no one else strong enough fight."
Rauru scoffed. "Are you telling me there are only two warriors in this entire village, and that both of them are out of commission?"
Link grinned cheekily up at him, drawing his bow. "I am, yes."
"Preposterous."
"I already fought and won against the fire and water blights, there's nothing to worry about." Link let the tester arrow fly, and it embedded itself within a tree. He twisted around, his hand coming to rest on Rauru's forearm, sending a jolt across his skin because he can do that now. But Rauru didn't look convinced. He pulled Link's hand away from his arm and held it instead; Link was ready to swoon at the ease in the change. Transitioning from an awkwardly platonic relationship to... this felt as easy as night turning to day, yet it still baffled Link as to how he managed such a feat.
Rauru sighed. He lifted Link's hand and placed a delicate kiss against his palm. "With your reckless nature, I feel there is always something to worry about."
Link tutted, patting Rauru's chest. "Now that's just dramatic."
"I feel it is entirely necessary."
Link hummed, hand staying on Rauru's chest, fingers teasing at the collar of his tunic. "Then... what would you suggest I do?"
His touch was like lightning prickling along Rauru's skin; electrifying and addictive. The taller man kept his eyes fiercely on the treeline, for if he... Rauru cleared his throat, willing away the threatening desire forming his chest, for he feared if he let it get the best of him, he might never let Link go again.
"I suggest..." He spoke softly, playing into Link's gentle touches. He leaned down, his breath fanning out against the sensitive skin of Link's ear. "You be more careful."
Link's pout made it all worth it.
"You're no fun."
"You have a job to do."
"I thought you were trying to convince me not to do it."
Rauru sighed, dropping his head to Link's shoulder. "I know what your duty is. That does not mean I have to like it."
Link let his fingers card through the almost-white curls tumbling down Rauru's back, and he smiled as he felt Rauru melt into him.
"I'll be fine." Link murmured into the side of Rauru's head, pressing a chaste kiss to the tip is his ear. "I have Daruk's Protection and Mipha's Grace. If anything gets me, I'll probably deserve it."
Rauru picked his head up, meeting Link's gaze with a deadpan look. "Was that supposed to be funny?"
Link clicked his tongue. "Bad taste?"
"Very bad taste."
"I'll make sure to find a better sense of humour while I'm up there, then."
Then Rauru's hands landed on Link's hips, fingers digging in such a way that made Link writhe with giggles until his knees gave way and they both crumbled to the forest floor. Rauru straddled him, pressing kisses to Link's neck as he continued to tickle him relentlessly, and all Link could do was lay there and take it. Rauru was stronger than him on almost all fronts, so wrestling him off wasn't an option even if he wanted to. Link doesn't think he'd ever felt more powerless in his life and he craved it. His laughter rang out through the woodland, resounding off the tops of the trees and making a startled bird fly away.
This, Rauru thought, this is perfect. This is home.
His hands loosened on Link's waist and he pulled his face away far enough to look Link in the eyes. The boy beneath him had flushed cheeks, a bright smile on his face, and eyes gleaming like the sea.
He is perfect.
Rauru dipped his head down once more, this time capturing Link's lips with his own.
He is home.
* * * * * * * * * * *
"That one there." Rauru pointed towards a 'U' shaped line of stars in the sky. "It's called the Goddess Harp. Legends say it was an instrument gifted to the first hero by the Goddess Hylia Incarnate."
Link hummed, holding Rauru's other hand to his chest and absentmindedly playing with his fingers while he gazed into the vast expanse of the nightsky above. "I think I've heard about that one. He fought the Demon King Demise after Hylia rose the land of humans into the sky and called it Skyloft."
"That she did." Rauru agreed. The legends of passed heroes and princesses were never hard to come by, and while the truth may have been exaggerated in some, the core of the tales remained the same (more or less) each time. While other realms sounded too far fetched to be anything more than a myth, Rauru wholeheartedly believed in the stories of the chosen hero and the princess with the blood of the Goddess. He glanced over at Link. He wondered if the little Hylian had realised it yet.
"Wasn't there one called the King of Red Lions?" Link asked, his eyes still fixed on the stars.
Rauru turned his attention back to the sky, trying not to think about the past lives he could see in Link's eyes if he searched hard enough.
"A legend, yes. A constellation, no. The King of Red Lions was the guiding light for the Hero of the Wind as he traversed The Great Sea on his quest to save Hyrule from the Great Flood."
"The Goddesses' attempt to purify the land of Ganondorf's reign."
Rauru smiled. "Right again. You are well-versed in the legends of our land. I'm impressed."
Link shrugged. "I think they're interesting."
"Really?" Rauru rolled onto his side, head propped up on his elbow. "And yet you don't recognise my name? Or yours for that matter."
Link's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"
Rauru let out a heavy breath, rolling onto his back, hands folded on his stomach. "I share a name with an ancient sage from the time of the Hyrulean Civil War. The Sage of Light."
"The Hero of Time." Link filled in, a small smile gracing his lips for a moment before he frowned. "What about me? Who else was called Link?"
Rauru pressed his lips together. Should he? He didn't want to add to the stresses already piled upon Link's shoulders, but... after losing his previous life to the Shrine of Resurrection, he deserved some answers, didn't he?
"All the heroes and princess through the ages shared a name. Every princess with the blood of the Goddess was named Zelda, and... every hero bore the name Link."
Link shot up, staring down at Rauru with wide eyes. "Link?" He echoed his own name like it was a foreign word, and Rauru's chest ached for it. Rauru sat up too, hand pressing down on Link's shoulder to keep him grounded. "They were all called Link?"
"I-" Words failed Rauru. What was he supposed to say to that? Deny it and grant Link his peace of mind back, or stick to the truth and help him through whatever storm was going wild behind his eyes. In the end, the decision made itself. "All of them were, yes. It is a treasured name saved only for the Chosen Heroes."
Link turned away, eyebrows drawn together as he thought this revelation over carefully. Rauru let him have this moment to himself; he owed him that much.
"That is..." Link's voice was small again, and Rauru squeezed his shoulder just that bit softer. "That's oddly comforting." He said, turning to Rauru, a smile twitching at the corners of his lips. "I'm not the only one forced into a destiny I never wanted."
The aching in Rauru's chest worsened tenfold, morphing into a gaping chasm between his ribs, harbouring all the pain of his Link and the ones before. Link's brothers, if you thought about it. That brought him some sense of relief. His hand breeched the gap between them, fingers looping together with Link's. Link smiled at him, squeezing his hand back.
Then something shifted in Link's gaze, that ocean blue turning a shade darker. An azul glow, sparkling even in the light of the moon. He leaned down, pressing their lips together and not letting go. They pushed and pulled like the tide, giving and taking, allowing themselves to lead and be led. Rauru felt a warmth bloom in his stomach, and with it a deepened sense of desire. His eyes fluttered open, his lashes brushing against Link's face, the touch featherlight.
Link then pulled back, their lips separating audibly. He opened his eyes, pressing another chaste kiss to Rauru's lips, their eye contact unwavering. He grabbed Rauru's hand and hauled them both to their feet. He didn't let go as he led him back down the hill towards the Hateno. He didn't let go as they passed over the bridge towards his house. He didn't let go when Link brought him upstairs and towards the bed.
Only then did he stop, his hand running up Rauru's arm until they were both looped around his neck, Link gazing up at him.
"Link?" Rauru's voice was a low rumble that shook Link to his very core. Like thunder, he thought.
"You said you've done this before." Link's fingers picked at the edge of Rauru's shirt, fingers only grazing the skin on the back of his neck, but it was enough to make the hairs stand on end in anticipation.
Rauru took a deep breath, hands resting on Link's hips. "I have."
Link's eyes traced around his face, committing every contour, shape, and line to memory. The curve of his jaw, the shadow of his cheekbones, the smoothness of his skin. Link's eyes finally found his. "I want you to show me."
Rauru raised an eyebrow. His fingers dipped below the hem of Link's tunic, thumbs rubbing circles into the sensitive skin, a teasing smile gracing his face. "Do you, now?"
Link nodded.
Rauru hummed, his hand falling flat on Link's stomach as it travelled down, down, down, oh.
Link's head fell to Rauru's shoulder, a shuddering breath slipping between his lips.
"Then..." Rauru's lips brushed Link's ear. "May I?"
"Pl- Please." Was all Link managed before Rauru guided them towards the bed, where they fell in a tangle of limbs, lips, and hearts.
* * * * * * * * * * *
It was never meant to end like this.
Link, bleeding out on the side of the road after an unfortunate run-in with a lone lizalfos. He tried to add pressure to the wound in his side, made by a boomerang gone rogue, but his vison was fuzzy and his arms doing more harm than good. His hands trembled uncontrollably as he fumbled with his tunic, the sky blue now stained crimson. Tainted with his failure to see the weapon coming at him. He should have moved, caught it, done something. But he hadn't, and now here he was. Bloody and hurting.
At least he wasn't alone, though. Every cloud has a silver lining he supposed.
"Link, don't you dare close your eyes." Rauru snapped, his tone bordering on panic. Link forced his eyes open, but the aching only intensified. "How long until the Grace activates?"
Link's lips parted, blood trickling down from the corner of his mouth as he coughed.
"Link, for Hylia's sake, answer me!"
I wish I could.
Mipha's Grace was no where to be seen. The familiar prickling of warmth on his skin, her voice in his mind, the blue glow of the magic. None of it. Nothing. Not even an itch.
"Link, please." Rauru was tearing off a strip of his tunic, a patch large enough to leave a good portion of his stomach, and pressed it to Link's side. The hero hissed, tears sliding down his cheeks. "Please, Link, please."
I wish I could.
Rauru's voice then deepened, and a string of words Link couldn't recognise left his lips. They sounded like a prayer.
I wish I could tell you.
Link's eyes fluttered shut, and Rauru's desperation became all the more apparent. He sank further into his mind, images flashing across his vision. Moments of a life he could remember. Waking up in the Shrine of Resurrection. Killing his first monster. Jumping from the Great Plateau, the wind in his hair, Rauru's eyes on his back. When he met Mipha for a second time. When he returned to Akkala Citadel. Rito Village. Death Mountain. The Flight Range. The Kara Kara Bazaar. His house in Hateno. His thoughts then slipped away, moving towards the people he'd met, their voices resonating in his mind. Sidon. Teba. Yunobo. Kass. Riju. Garth. Beedle. Hudson. Paya. Robbie. Impa. Purah.
Somewhere, he felt a pressure on his chest.
Rauru.
Those blue eyes shone in his subconscious, illuminating the memories that filtered from his mind to his heart. The first meal they shared. The first time their hands touched. The first time Rauru patched him up after a bad fight. The first time he was held. The first time they kissed. The first time they made love. All the times they'd said good morning, and all the times they'd said goodnight. The times they'd cried and laughed and argued. It warmed Link more than the blood pouring from his side.
And against all odds, Link found a smile pulling at his mouth. His eyes flickered open a crack, and between his lashes he saw him, and it was like the first time all over again.
Wild, wild hair, blue, blue eyes, though the soft smile was no where in sight. He missed it.
Beautiful.
Tears streaked Rauru's face. His lip trembled. Link smiled wider, tasting blood on his tongue.
"H- Hi." He wheezed.
Rauru's breath came out staggered. "Hi."
"I- I'm L-Link."
A sad smile worked its way onto his face. More tears fell as Rauru whispered, "I'm yours."
Link found himself crying then, too. "I- I lo- love-"
Rauru brushed the hair from his eyes, fingers gliding down his face to wipe Link's tears. "I love you, too."
That was the last thing Link heard before the world turned dark and that all-familiar heat overtook his body, a blue glare shining through his eyelids. A disbelieving laugh that sounded like Rauru's, and the gentle caress of Mipha's reassurance and apology in his mind.
He doesn't think Rauru would mind if he closed his eyes and rested.
He needed a moment. Just a moment.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Link rolled onto his side, tucking the bedroll over his shoulder and snuggling back down. The sun was barely over the horizon, but an orange glow was already filtering between the leaves of Korok Forest and across his face, leaving little chance of falling back asleep. Beneath his head, Rauru's chest rose and fell in sync with his own breathing, and an arm draped over his waist to hold him close. A blissful ache had blossomed in the bottom of Link's back, his hips and neck no doubt littered with nips and marks, each and every one making a warmth pool in his stomach. He smiled sleepily to himself, contented with life as it was in that moment.
If only I could stay here forever.
Several weeks had passed since the lizalfos incident (The Second Incident, as it was now dubbed in Link's head) and the wound in his side had been reduced to nothing but a pink patch of irritatingly rough skin. It had healed over easily enough once Mipha's Grace had kicked in, but the long minutes it sat open and untreated was enough for some prolonged side effects: like another ugly scar to add to the collection. Rauru had been careful around it for the first few days, barely having the nerve to touch it should he cause more harm than good, but both of them had happily discovered how sensitive to his touch the new skin had become and, well...
The Koroks had been kind enough to provide them shelter for the last few days. Food had been running low now that he'd been cooking to feed two people more often than not recently. Link was more than happy to oblige as it meant fewer instances where Rauru would disappear for periods at a time. Lately - and especially after The Second Incident - Rauru had barely left Link's side for more than a day, and like hell was Link going to argue with that.
But then that question struck Link again.
Where does he go?
Link rolled over again, onto his back and stared into the canopy of leaves above. He frowned.
"S'op m'ving." A voice rasped beside him, and Link couldn't hide the snicker that escaped his throat.
Link pursed his lips, an idea sprouting. He swung a leg over Rauru and pushed himself upright so he was straddling him, biting back a gasp as their bare skin rubbed together in all the right ways. This was not the time. He poked a finger into Rauru's chest repeatedly, trying not to focus too much on how the muscle tensed and then relaxed under his touch.
I wonder if... No! Focus!
"Link." Rauru grumbled again, prying one eye open to frown upon his beloved.
"What?" Link continued to prod him. "Am I disturbing you?" A smile crept onto his face.
"I would say yes, but you look simply divine this morning."
"Oh my Goddess." Link fell forwards, hiding is face in the crook of Rauru's neck, ears burning like Death Mountain. "You can't just say that."
Rauru's laugh was still thick with sleep, and he wrapped his arms around Link, holding him close. Link murmured something against his skin, Rauru feeling the way his lips brushed against his shoulder with the movement before they kissed him.
"Hm? What was that?"
Link pulled back, hands sliding down from his shoulders to his stomach. "I said you look beautiful." With a voice was soft as the first snow of winter, Link confessed the truth that he'd kept to himself for so many months now. Too many months, he now thought, seeing the way Rauru averted his gaze and his face warmed to the touch.
"You shouldn't tempt me this early. I can tell you're still sore."
Link clamped a hand over Rauru's mouth, effectively muffling his laughter at the poor hero's expense. Link had turned a furious shade of red, highlighted by the amber glow of morning. Now that just wasn't fair.
"You are terrible." He hissed, glancing around to make sure no unassuming Korok had been subjected to such vulgar talk. They didn't need to be scarred this early in the morning. They'd managed to find a rather secluded spot in the corner of the woods, but one can never be too careful with Koroks. They get everywhere. Link tries not to think about it.
Rauru prised his hand away, revealing his grin. "But I am yours."
Link then mushed Rauru's cheeks between his fingers, giggling to himself as Rauru pouted. "I suppose I'll keep you around, then."
Rauru's eyes rolled, earning a snicker from Link.
Rauru inhaled deeply, chest expanding enough for Link to feel himself lift up before he sank back down. Link pulled his lip between his teeth, eyes turning thoughtful as that damn question kept bugging him.
Where do you go?
"Link?" Rauru's hands slid up his thighs and held him by the waist. "Is everything alright?"
Link pressed his lips tightly together. He blinked in surprise when he felt that wall in his mind keeping him from asking earlier crumble. This is the moment. It was now or never.
"Can I ask you something?" He began, keeping his gaze away from Rauru's eyes.
Rauru found himself frowning in concern. "Anything."
"When you leave, where do you go?"
There. He said it. Finally, after months of not knowing and not feeling like he can ask, he'd voiced the question that had plagued the back his mind since the second time he'd seen Rauru. He could see the way Rauru faltered for a second. The careful touches on his hips froze, the grip turning vice-like, as if to keep Link from running away. Or to keep Rauru himself grounded. Link isn't sure which he would prefer.
"Link..."
"No, please, don't say it like that." Link shook his head, already knowing where this conversation was going. "I want to know. You just... take off, sometimes, and you never tell me where." He threw his arms out to the sides, still looking anywhere but Rauru. "It's not that- I trust you, I really do, but I just..."
I want you to trust me, too.
"Link, my love, I trust you. Believe me when I say there is no one in this world I trust more than you, but..." Always a but. "There are some things that you simply cannot know about me, and I am sorry everyday for it." Rauru then sat up with Link still in his lap, holding his face in his hands. "Please, I..." He sighed, long and heavy, like there was the weight of the world on his shoulders. Funny. Link thought that was his burden to carry. "I promise you, you will understand in due course. I will tell you everything you want to know. But this... this is not the time. Please, have faith in me. I know you worry, but this is... It is bigger than you and I. We must let the future play out as it will. It is the only way."
Link regretted asking the question now. The answer he'd been given was more confusing that not knowing at all.
But, he could see the sincerity in Rauru's eyes, could sense the longing in his soul to tell him anything and everything he wanted to know, but- but something was holding him back and Link wasn't supposed to know what it was.
At the end of the day, it all came down to one thing.
"Okay." Link conceded. "I trust you."
Rauru pressed a kiss to his forehead. "I am sorry, my love. I truly am."
Link nodded. "Yeah, I know."
Rauru pressed his lips into a thin line, looking unconvinced. Link smiled weakly at him, his thoughts slowly shifting to the day ahead.
The sudden dip of Rauru's brow suggested he had done the same thing. "Is today the day?" He asked quietly, but they both already knew the answer.
Link nodded.
Today was the day Link would begin his infiltration of the castle. He'd snuck in once before and scoped out the layout, but today was the day he stormed those castle gates with the clear intention of ending the calamity that lurked within the castle walls. Should it take a day or a week, Calamity Ganon will be finished and peace shall be restored to Hyrule.
If only it didn't feel so much like an end.
Link rested his forehead against Rauru's, their noses bumping as they shared the same air. This might be the last time they see each other in a while, but Rauru had promised to be waiting for him once the battle was over, and Link was holding him to it. The vast expense of their future lay out before them, and it was just one monster away. Link could do this. Link would do this. He had to, if not for himself and Rauru, then for the sake of Hyrule, a kingdom plagued by malice for far too long.
"I love you."
Rauru smiled. "I love you, too, my little dragon."
* * * * * * * * * * *
Link dropped the Master Sword to the ground, its holy light fading as Dark Beast Ganon receded within the glow of Zelda's sealing power. He let out a breath he hadn't realised he was holding, the air burning in his throat. His knees felt weak as the brightness around them dimmed, the glare of the Blood Moon giving way to the midmorning sun.
Zelda lowered her hands and turned to him, a relieved smile on her lips. Her dress was in tatters after a hundred years keeping Ganon at bay, hair sticking out at unruly angles and dark circles shadowed her eyes.
To put it simply; she looked awful. Link had never been happier to see her.
"Link?" Ah yes, that voice. The one Link had heard in the Shrine of Resurrection, urging him from his sleep and into the role he needed to fulfil. The voice that had told Link to go away so many times he'd lost count, and now he found himself laughing at the irony of Zelda running towards him and tackling him into a hug. "You did it, Link! You did it!"
Link nodded weakly, his knees finally buckling and sending them both tumbling to the ground. Zelda laughed as she lay back on the grass of Hyrule Field, eyes closed as she basked in the feeling of sunlight on her face, solid ground beneath her, and actual wind pulling at her hair.
A hundred years. Neither of them could believe it.
"Tell me, Link," Zelda's voice had turned hushed, as if the world itself had taken her breath away, "do you remember me?"
Link chuckled, dry and exhausted. His brow pinched together as he squinted in the sunlight now that the remnants of malice in the air had faded. "Somewhat."
Zelda tilted her head up, nodding in apparent approval. "Well, somewhat is better than not at all." Link had to agree with her there. Their relationship may have been rocky in the beginning, but he was grateful to have a friend back from the time before. Most of his connections to his old life had faded due to the natural flow of time, but, of course, those tied to the Triforce hadn't always had the most straightforward ties to the possible and impossible. Reality always seemed to bend for them, somehow. But now Link lay back in the field, allowing his worries, pressures, and burdens simply melt away into the earth.
Rustling came from the trees behind, and Link tilted his head back, hand already moving towards his sword.
He stopped at the flash of white hair he saw, dark ears flicking with green jewels handing from them, a single blue hoop at the very end. Link felt his own green gem brushing the side of his neck as he shot up, spinning around as he grinned brightly. Rauru.
But then the figure was gone again, and Link felt something settle deep in his chest. Like a rock had lodged itself between his ribs and made it hard to breathe.
Later on, when he and Zelda returned to his house in Hateno to catch up on some well-deserved rest, he found a tiny pendant laying on his pillow.
A little dragon, similar to those he found in the Faron Woods.
Link never saw Rauru again.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Link's head was pounding when he came around, the ground cold and hard beneath him. His eyes fluttered open. He grimaced.
Why did he always have to be naked?
He let out a heavy breath as the dull aching in his bones started to lessen, his hand automatically coming up to feel for his necklace. Still there. He sighed in relief.
Pushing himself up, the feeling of discomfort in his stomach only grew. It was similar to the moment he woke up in the Shrine of Resurrection, that overwhelming sense of not knowing where he was or why he was there. Thankfully, he could still flood his mind with memories of who he was and where he'd been... before...
"Zelda." He quietly gasped. He stared down at his hands, the hands that had failed to catch her. Goddess, he had one job being beneath the castle with her, how could he fail? And to add insult to injury, his eyes caught on what was left of the Master Sword just a few feet away, lodged in the root of a tree.
But something still didn't feel right.
Link stared at his right hand, jaw slack, face quickly paling. He tried to flex his fingers, almost jolting in shock when the fingers bent to his will. This... What was this? Magic? Technology? The Goddesses' intervention? Link curled the hand into a fist and let it go again, the bronze bands around the fingers and arm soundless as they clashed together. The skin was dark, almost familiarly so, somewhere between green and grey. Claws now adorned the tips of his fingers, a sharp contrast to the chewed nails on his left hand; he just knew he was going to hurt himself with them.
Pushing to his feet, he went and grabbed the hilt of the Master Sword, almost cringing with how easy it was to dislodge it - nothing like when he'd gone to get it from the Great Deku Tree the two other times he claimed it.
All too familiar with this situation, Link pressed on through to the next room, halting at the circle standing before him. Two dragons encircling one another. The air in the centre glowed green, flickers of blue here and there. Link felt his right arm tingle, and he glanced down to find the same green. He lifted his hand, eyes wide as the glow illuminated his face. His brow raised, he pressed it into the centre of the glowing ring. The light rippled out, and a door ahead slid open.
Link had to hold in a string of curses at the row of rooms that followed. The climbing, the swimming, the jumping, it was like living those moments of his new life all over again. Already low on patience, he booted open the battered chest that had granted him something to cover up with, though he wasn't sure the skirt and sandals really met the mark of 'clothing'.
The - literal - light at the end of the tunnel was feeling the wind on his face. Pure and light, he left the darkened tunnels behind and bound into daylight. He stopped at the edge of the path. His stomach bottomed out as he peered over the edge, knowing full well that his paraglider was no where to be found.
And again, he found himself hesitating at the brink of destiny.
"Cold feet?" Rauru's voice resonated in his mind, though it sounded so real...
Then Link's ear twitch.
"I assure you, it is less trouble to simply jump."
Link spun around to locate the voice, foot slipping off the edge of the platform, and he fell.
Graceful would have been an overstatement. He managed to journey down to water below relatively unharmed, but his mind spun, Rauru's words playing over and over and over again.
And it didn't stop spinning until he reached the doors to the Temple of Time and was denied entrance.
"That door will open only to those with sufficient power."
Link turned around, heels digging into the ground, ready to fight. He was ready this time.
The person chuckled, shaking their head the slightest amount. "I'm sorry - I did not intend to startle you." Their eyes flicked down towards Link's right arm, a kind of sadness lingering in their eyes that Link couldn't quite comprehend.
Link was no stranger to people being taller than him - Sidon, almost every Gerudo save for the children, most of the Rito, Gorons and Hylians that came of age - but there was something different about this one. The way they carried themselves, large ears tilted backwards, back straight, eyes bright... it all felt so familiar. He grabbed at his dragon pendant again, thumb rubbing over the intricate detailing.
I love you, too, my little dragon.
"Forgive me for appearing to you in this manner. Unfortunately, I no longer have a physical form." Their eyes fell to where Link's hand was at his neck, lingering as the silence stretched on. Those eyes... "In any case, that arm should allow you to open this door. It seems to have lost the power to do so. You might be able to restore it, but you would need to enter a place filled with sacred light...." Their head turned to the side, granting Link full view of the long cascades of hair that tumbled around them. The ends curled in soft plumes; Link wondered what it'd be like to touch. "Ah, of course. Why not visit the shrines on this island?"
In the distance, a stone encircled by a band illuminated, a swirl of green and blue extending out the top. He descended the steps to the temple, his vision flashing with images of Ganon's corpse below the castle and the string of energy seeping from the hand keeping him in place.
"The shrines... Yes, I am sure they are the key." The stranger continued. They turned back towards Link, a small smile of hope tugging at their lips.
Link frowned as they disappeared.
His thoughts continued to run rampant as he travelled across the islands, pushing through wind, rain and shine as he visited each shrine. He met the constructs along the way, fought with tree branches, collected items. He practiced with the new abilities his hand granted: rewinding time with a snap of his fingers, soaring through solid objects with just a wave, fusing weapons. He couldn't help the bubble of excitement that grew in his chest. He hadn't felt like this since- well, that doesn't matter.
He sighed, turning his attention back towards the Temple of Time. The doors opened this time, and a part of Link felt a pang of disappointment. He glanced over his shoulder before he stepped over the threshold. This place was beautiful. Beautiful.
You look simply divine this morning.
He walked up to the dragon circle and placed his hand to the centre.
Rather charming, really.
Green flashed across his vision, something above creaking. That way, he guessed.
You shouldn't tempt me this early.
The glow of rewind, the snap of his fingers that dismissed it.
Don't you dare close your eyes.
His eyes met those of the spirit.
I love you, too, my little dragon.
"Link." They said. The Hylian could only stare. "I'm glad to see that you made it. I never doubted you for a second."
Link's lips parted. Those eyes...
The Master Sword fell from his grasp, the clatter against the ground resounding against the ancient walls of the temple.
"Oh."
They smiled sadly. "It is good to see you again, Link."
Trembling, Link's hand rose to his mouth, eyes blown wide as tears threatened to spill. And, like a breath of new life, he said, "Rauru."
"Link." Rauru murmured, his own hands clasped tightly behind his back. "Link, I'm-"
But Link's head was violently shaking side to side, hair flying out at all angles as he turned away, but his eyes remained glued to the ground between them. "No. No, you're not him. You're not him." It was like a mantra, the way he repeated it. Or a prayer. A last call to the Goddess that this wasn't real and that Rauru wasn't dead and that he wasn't right there.
"Link-"
"NO."
Rauru clamped his jaw shut, shock widening his eyes. Link spun back to him, teeth gritted as he snarled, "You're not him. How dare you-"
"Little dragon, please." Rauru reached out his right hand, the space where it used to be glowing bright. "Please, Link, don't fight it."
Link's hands fell to his sides, face void of any emotion that Rauru could cling to for guidance. Link stood still, an uneasy air of calm radiating from him. Then, like a knife through the tension and Rauru's heart, Link said, "You left me."
Rauru sighed, a hand rubbing between his eyes, just below the third. His ear flicked up, earrings chiming in the way that haunted Link's dreams. "I know. I know, and there is nothing I am more sorry for."
"Nothing?" Link hissed, and the feeling that he'd messed up sank into Rauru's gut. "What about lying to me? How about not telling me about Ganon below the castle, because you knew about that, didn't you?" He stalked forwards, into what would be Rauru's space. "Didn't you?"
Rauru squared his shoulders. He may be a spirit, but he was once the first king of Hyrule, and some habits die hard. "I did what had to be done. I could not afford to endanger the future."
"Zelda is gone." Link shouted, chest heaving. "She is gone and the Master Sword is broken and I wake up in another Goddess-damned place alone again." Rauru's words failed him as Link backed away, eyes savage as he swiped up the Master Sword and pointed the fractured blade right at Rauru's chest. "I cannot keep doing this."
"And you won't have to." Rauru broke through his moment of astonishment at Link's lashing out. "The Demon King is the final obstacle to achieving Hyrule's peace. All you have to do is-"
"It is never as easy as that." Link cut him off, sword falling to his side.
Frustration flared up within Rauru, his ears twisting back and pressing against his head. "No, it's not. Being the hero never is. Believe me, I know what it is to sacrifice for the sake of Hyrule, and never once did it become easier, but that is just how it is. These are the paths decided for us and all we can do is walk them."
His chest ached when Link visibly shrunk. His arms wrapped around himself, offing a comfort that they both knew Rauru could no longer provide.
"There has to be something we can do." His voice was so small it was jarring, smaller than Rauru had ever heard before. It wasn't right for the Chosen hero, known for his brash acts of courage and heart too big for his chest, to sound to delicate, so vulnerable, so alone. "The- The shrine. We... We can bring you back. We have to. There must be a way! I can-"
Rauru couldn't fight the urge anymore. His hand reached out, intended for Link's shoulder, but it passed right through, startling them both. Link froze, staring at the accusing hand like it was an insult.
"There is no second chance." Rauru stepped closer, his hands hovering just above the skin of Link's cheeks, longing to hold him but destined never to have that honour. "I gave my life to sealing Ganondorf. It is a decision I made peace with long ago."
"But- But what about you? All those times we were together, y- you were there. I don't..."
Rauru shook his head mournfully. "That is a power I no longer possess."
Link's face fell, tears beginning to well up in his eyes again. He looked down, flexing his right hand like it wasn't his. Technically, it wasn't.
"Ah." Rauru followed his gaze. "I must apologise for that. The arm was once mine, but your wounds were extensive. There was no salvaging your own before the corruption spread to the rest of you. I... I couldn't let you die."
Link lifted his head to meet Rauru's eye, and just like that, gazing into the sky in his eyes, Link was thrown way back. Back onto the Great Plateau, his house in Hateno, the Korok Forest, the woodland in Hebra. The stable with the drinks, the woods in Faron, the nook in Zora's Domain, the shallows of Lake Hylia.
What Link would give to be back in those times.
Rauru lifted his right hand, motioning towards Link's left. Link offered it, knowing they couldn't touch, but hoping, praying.
"You turned it into a ring." Raruru mused, fingers dancing around the green band that sat snugly on Link's ring finger. Link nodded, a tear slipping down his cheek, words bottling up in his throat. "It's Zonaite, you know. A rare ore, even back in my era. It was overmined for its magical properties." Rauru paused, wincing. "I fear I may have played a part in that."
Link spun the band around his finger; one of the only sources of comfort he had anymore.
Then Rauru's hand lifted, finger tracing around the dragon sitting comfortably on Link's chest.
"It's a Zonai dragon. The symbolism has been-"
"I'm still in love with you."
Rauru fell to his knees before Link like he'd been waiting.
"And I will always love you."
With every fibre of Link's being, he wishes he could reach out and touch him. To feel him, to kiss him, to make love to him. Link wishes he could do all of it and more, but... They were trapped. Link, bound to his destiny and the mortal world, while Rauru to the land of the spirits.
It wasn't fair.
Link's breath was staggered as his insides tore him apart. The pain in his chest, the ache in his bones, the loss in his heart, the emptiness in his hands.
"Can you promise me one thing?" Link could hear the hurt in Rauru's voice. Somewhere, he found the strength to nod. Rauru craned his head to the side, forcing Link to look at him. "Live."
But before Link could respond, Rauru faded into the pale embers of his spirit. Link was left alone in the Temple of Time, a ring on his finger, a dragon around his neck, and a hole in his heart.
Link took the damned sword and marched towards the open doors.
I am sorry, my love. I truly am.
Link scoffed.
Rauru's smile shone from the back of his mind.
Cold feet?
A bright light.
It's bold to assume that you never had all my attention to begin with.
The Master Sword was gone.
I assure you, it is less trouble to simply jump.
This time, Link didn't hesitate.