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Zelda shook in her bed, the convulsions ripping through her violently. She wished they would stop, for just a few minutes, just so she could get some sleep. But they never stopped, not even when she was sleeping, no matter how rare that was. Her fear had taken over her life.
When she did get to sleep, she didn’t dream. She couldn’t dream. She wouldn’t allow herself to. A dream could turn into a nightmare, and at any second a nice sunny day could turn black and the King of Evil could resurrect himself.
Was she wrong in sending Link back in time? What if something happened, and they couldn’t protect themselves…
No.
That was selfish of Zelda. She was the Queen now. She would protect her country herself, with everything she had. Besides, Link deserves some peace.
Zelda pulled the satin sheets tighter around her body, hoping that would immobilize her enough to get some rest.
She heard someone mumble beside her, voice coated in sleep, and then a slender hand was on her shoulder.
“Are you okay, Zel?” Malon asked, her red hair falling in her face when she moved.
“Did I wake you?” Zelda turned herself so she was facing her lover, the warmth from Malon’s toned body almost enough to calm her.
Almost.
“No, don’t worry about it.” Malon said. She pushed Zelda’s blonde hair away from her eyes, feeling a twinge of guilt at how exhausted they looked – red veins dotting the white, hideous purple skin blending in the pink of her cheeks. She hated that she could sleep soundly while Zelda couldn’t.
Malon pulled the smaller woman into a tight hug, planting a kiss on the top of her head. She felt Zelda shake and shiver underneath her, and she did her best to absorb some of the fear that wracked the blonde woman’s body.
“… He’s never coming back.” Malon mumbled into the soft hair. “Not in this lifetime. And if he does, he’s gonna have to get through me, first.”
Zelda laughed, the sound dancing from her lips. It was music to Malon’s ears, a melody she could listen to over and over again.
“You are pretty formidable. He’d have a tough time getting past your loud mouth.” Zelda said, Malon laughing along.
“You love my loud mouth.”
“So I do.” Zelda moved her body until she was out of Malon’s embrace, instead hovering over her, her arms on either side of the red head. “Do you remember when we first met?” She asked.
“Mm…” Malon thought for a second. “Back when we were 11? My father was dropping milk off at the castle, and I snuck away because I wanted to see the Princess.”
“What was your first impression of me?” Zelda murmured, nuzzling her face down in the crook of Malon’s neck.
“Well, I was 11 so my first impression was ‘wow look at that princess imagine all the toys she must have.’” Malon said, causing Zelda to snort in amusement. “But as I grew older, I realized how beautiful you were. Every time you came to the ranch, I admired your strength. You came to visit me even after Ingo kicked my dad out – you made sure I was okay despite having Ganondorf after you.”
Zelda felt a blush crawl across her face, remembering her days of adolescence with Malon. It had only been two years since the King of Evil was defeated, despite it feeling like lifetimes.
“And our first kiss…” Malon continued, a smile creeping on her lips.
“Was sort of like this.” Zelda finished, looking up at the girl. “In the dead of night, all curled up together. Except, that time we were in a horse stable laying on a bale of hay.” She moved onto her arm, pushing her upper body onto Malon’s. Their lips connected lazily, and small sigh escaped through Zelda’s mouth.
“I much prefer silk sheets.” Malon said against Zelda, her eyes sliding shut. She had fallen asleep again, and Zelda admired her unconscious form in the moonlight. Her wavy hair spilled onto the pillows and tangled in her fingers, still smelling like freshly cut grass and sunshine.
What had she called her? Strong?
Zelda traced images into Malon’s skin, her words running through her mind. She could be strong for Malon, like she once was.
Still in Malon’s arms, she began to doze off. It wasn’t until she was almost asleep did she realize she stopped shaking.