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Link kneels in front of Zelda. All he wants to do is hold her. After so long of being surrounded by strangers and ghosts, he just wants to feel that Zelda is real and here with him.
But he doesn't think he's allowed.
So he kneels, with hands shaking and lungs struggling to catch his breath.
"Link, do you really remember me?" Zelda's voice is soft, nervous.
Like Link could ever truly forget her. He nodded. Zelda let out a breath, and Link glanced up at her. She was smiling. Link couldn't help but smile back.
"I do believe- oh dear," Zelda began to step closer, but stumbled, hand flying to touch her head.
Link was moving before he ever registered Zelda had stumbled. He caught her, and gently lowered the two of them to the ground. Link sat back, with Zelda close to his chest.
"I apologize, Link, a faint feeling came over me for a moment. I'm okay now- what are you doing?" Zelda's eyes locked onto the sheikah slate Link pulled from his belt.
"Hateno Village," Link mumbled as he opened the map, "home."
The familiar tingle of teleportation washed over Link, taking Zelda with him. It felt sharper than usual. Instead of the cold water feeling, there was grit, like sand. Link pushed the thought away, it was probably just because he had Zelda with him. Two people teleporting were bound to feel different.
As soon as Link's feet hit the ground, he reached out to steady Zelda, who had already stumbled a step or two.
"That's what teleportation feels like?" She asked, her eyes glittering. But Link could see the bags under her eyes, and the weight on her shoulders.
"inside," he basically dragged her through the front door. He ignored the mess of weapons and supplies and mushrooms. Not important.
"Link, honestly, I am fine," Zelda complained at Link corralled her up the stairs to the bed. "I am not a fragile flower, really, it was just a dizzy spell."
"Sleep, princess." Was all link responded with.
"If I'm tired, I can only imagine how exhausted you are. You should sleep before I do, I haven't spent the last couple months running around the whole continent." Link pushed down on her shoulders until she sat on the bed as she complained. He swung her legs onto the mattress, and covered her with a blanket. "Link, this is your bed, I can't just steal it from you-"
"Sleep, Princess Zelda," Link said.
Zelda's cheeks puffed up in a pout and her arms crossed. "Oh, why must you be so stubborn? Fine, I'll sleep now, but you better also get some rest!" She huffed, sinking down into the pillows. Link watched as her eyes fluttered shut, even while she continued to glare at him.
Link nodded, and went back down the stairs. His lips quirked into a smile. If Link was stubborn, what did that make princess Zelda? No matter, Link had things to do.