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A childhood acquaintance turned friend. When you and Link were younger the two of you knew of each other, but you didn’t speak to one another very often. His father kept him busy with training, your mother didn’t like his father and didn’t like Link because he always got himself dirty or sweaty, she thought it was disgusting. You just thought he was working hard. He didn’t even talk very much at his young age then. The both of you lived in a small village of elves, the numbers growing smaller and smaller until it was really just you and a few elders as the years went by. Link eventually got his spot as a knight to the princess Zelda in Hyrule, and you were left tending to your sick mother, who always had quite the issue with you. Even elves got old, your mother had been quite sick anyway.
When she did pass, despite your drastic differences, you mourned your mother regardless. You were alone, just completely. The elders had eventually left, either by choice and actually leaving the village or by.. death. “It’s a letter for you, miss.” Someone came to deliver a letter to you by hand. “…From Princess Zelda, she asked to deliver it in someone else's stead.” You didn’t think you’d get a letter from the princess, lips parting in surprise. “Thank you. Here, take this.. I know it’s a long journey back.” You hurried over to the nearest table, taking your flask of water and handing it over. “Oh, thank you miss.” You nodded, letting the messenger take as many sips as he liked before giving it back to you. He thanked you again before leaving, and you finally closed the door, opening the letter immediately. “What could the princess want with me..?” You took a deep breath, pulling off the stamp with your fingers.
Dear Y/N, it’s been a while, hasn’t it? It’s Link. You probably don’t remember me, but I heard home isn’t how it used to be anymore. I know your mother was sick, and I’m worried you’re alone. I know we didn’t speak much, but Princess Zelda had offered a special home for you, closer to the castle if you’d like. This doesn’t really sound like me, writing a letter like we’ve been long time friends … it’s probably better if we see each other in person. There should be a map that came with this letter, but if it didn’t and you know your way around, I’ll be near the forest by Tomorrow.
The princess had this sent for me, I’ve gotten too busy to go and see you, being a knight. It’ll be nice to see you again, whenever that time comes.
— Link.
You never expected to get a letter from him, nor did you expect to ever see him again, he had gotten so busy that you didn’t believe it would ever be possible. But everyone who had left home never came back, did no one ever feel homesick? Or did they all find someplace else to call home?
You were all grown up, hair all grown out just as long as you liked it. You had your mothers curls, the softness of it an eternal trait from her. One of the many you had inherited from her. You wondered how Link would react, seeing you all different after years apart. You wanted him to be surprised, you wanted him to at least think you were pretty. You hadn’t seen him in years, a part of you just wanted to feel a bit validated. Though you weren’t exactly sure why. “Is this the right forest?” Around Hyrule were a multitude of little forests, you vaguely remember following Link to watch him train, the trail took half an hour to get to. It was closer to the castle than to home. He told you it was dangerous, but you still followed after him. Your mother gave him an earful after you got home, and you got the same when you actually got inside of your house. “Ah…”
Not long after wandering around, you spotted the familiar color of blonde hair, his hair without its signature low ponytail for once. “Is that..?” You expected him to be wearing a uniform, but with the colder weather and the nearing winter, he was bundled up, as are you. “Link!” You waved once he looked over, picking up your pace once he began heading over. “Y/N…” He looked so different, all grown up. So mature, still so mature. He always acted that way, even when the two of you were younger. You were quite obnoxious when you were younger, wondering how he was able to handle you the few times you did talk to each other back then. “You look so.. different, but the same.” Link pressed his lips together, a slight bashful expression on his face as he averted his eyes from yours, looking down. “You too..” You hesitated, reaching out but stopping yourself short. The two of you weren’t that close. He took notice of it, your unwilling-willingness to hug him. “Your hair got so long. I guess mine too but.. you always liked keeping it short like your fathers. At least that’s what he told me, that one time I spoke to him.” You brought your hands together, eyes catching his hand as he reached for something, holding out a cloth bag for you to take. “Oh—”
Taking the bag and opening it, there contained an abundance of rupees. “Courtesy of the princess.” Your jaw fell slack at the absurd amount. “This… this is far too much!” You pushed the bag back to him, unexpectedly pressing it against his chest, he stumbled back a bit at the force. “The princess organized a permanent home for you to come and go as you please. She gave this for you to help feed and take care of yourself.” But the princess didn’t even know you, apart from whatever Link had told her. “I would ask if this was your doing, only saying it was the actions of the princess, but..” Link took hold of the bag anyway when you began pulling away. “…You hardly even knew me back then, and I hardly knew you. Even now, I don’t even know why you’re doing this.” Link’s brows raised at your confusion, wasn’t it obvious? He wanted to see you, even if he had told you a few other things… if he really wanted to do something else, he would’ve gotten it over with already.
“..I wanted to see you.” Link always wore his hair up, usually keeping his emotions at bay all the time. It was what his father had taught him, to be brave, to have a tough and nearly uncrackable exterior. To make sure others would never believe they could break him, whatever that meant. Those were the words you heard his father say to him, from your open window, watching him train just outside his house.
Remembering all of that, a lot of that wasn’t there today. Was he trying to look nice for today? Maybe give a gentle impression, compared to all of those quiet and tougher times before? “Did I give you a different impression?”
Looking at his face, he really did seem sorry. He offered the bag of rupees once more. “I thought about that little girl who kept watching me train, and how she was doing… more often than not. Maybe it was because I was away from home.” Link knew you were the youngest in the village, compared to him at least. He never talked this much, you could see it wearing down a bit on him by the look on his face. You took the bag, pressing your lips together. “…It’s okay. You shouldn’t apologize, I was just being foolish.” Link shook his head, denying your self-deprecation. “Well… perhaps you should show me the way to the shelter the princess provided for me.” Maybe staying somewhere else for a while would take away the grief of staying in that empty house, with nothing but reminders of your late mother and those who had gone.
The tips of your pointed ears always bore the brunt of the weather. It felt even more terrible when the weather was much hotter, the things more sensitive than the rest of your body. You were trying to keep yourself comfortable, but the excessive amount of cold on your ears uncovered by your hair made you feel more and more uncomfortable. “Oh, is that it?” A small sized, coated in snow. The look of it felt familiar to your own, back at home. Looking to your left, the Hyrule Castle was more visible from the distance here. “Here..” Link handed over a key, adorned with a ribbon-tied keychain. Blue, the same color of his earrings. “Thank you.” You trotted over to the front door, testing out the key to make sure it worked. Greeted with a much warmer temperature from inside and the smell of burning wood gave you the impression that Link had made sure things were alright enough for you before going to see you. Your lips curled into a smile, it grew wider once you turned back to his direction. “Again.. thank you, for going out of your way.” Link only nodded, he still looked nervous.
“Do you want to stay for a bit?” He did wish to stay, but he was exceptionally busy today, only allowed this much time with you before needing to immediately get back to the castle. “I can’t stay any longer. I have to get back.” Your face fell, though expecting him to refuse. Maybe it was your fault for still remaining friends with someone so busy all the time. “Oh.. that’s alright.” Link frowned, a visibly upset expression on his face. He stepped closer, arms reaching out and tugging you into a rather unexpected embrace. He let out a quiet breath of surprise, feeling how cold you were compared to him. “What’s wrong?” You rested your hands on Link’s warm back, feeling his cold cheek against yours. He should be asking you that. “I don’t want you to be upset.” You rubbed his back, shaking your head. “I’ll be alright, promise.” You kept your hands on his forearms when he pulled away for a bit. “It was nice seeing you, even if you couldn’t stay long.” You took a small step back, letting out another shiver at the cold temperature. “Ah..” Looking towards the gloomy sky, white little snowflakes caught your eye. “It’ll get colder now. You should hurry back and stay warm.”
Link could handle whatever was thrown at him, nodding at your suggestion anyway. “And you should stay safe. And warm, too.” You took slow steps further, resting your hands on the door in a slow motion. You wanted to ask if he could come back soon, if he could visit, but you chose silence instead. “Bye…” Your eyes drifted to the floor once the door stood between the both of you, a soft click and thud of it fully closing. It almost felt unfair, neither of you had gotten the chance to completely catch up with each other. Not even an hour spent together. “Why would you bother coming at all…?” You muttered your complaints to yourself, removing your boots and dragging your feet over to the fireplace. “You’re too busy to do anything, anyway.”
Link had become something of a pen-pal, following that day. On days he personally planned to visit, but ultimately could not, he sent a letter. It annoyed him as well, that he sent so many letters but was almost never able to come and see you. He stared at the blank page, the pen resting inside its bottle of ink. Winter had come already, the snow was heavy today. “Link.” The sound of Zelda’s voice had startled him, he didn’t hear the door open. “Princess.. is there something you need?” He took some small steps closer, she shook her head, eyeing the paper on his desk and slightly smiling. “You know that when winter comes, I venture off far with my father.” Link nodded, they never failed to do the exact same thing every winter. “This year, I am dismissing you until I, and my father, return.” His brows furrowed in confusion, he couldn’t just part from the princess. “But I am to remain at your side, as your sworn knight.”
Zelda shook her head. “Urbosa will come with me, and my father is strong too. Should I need protecting, they’ll do just fine.” Link knew where they ventured, it wasn’t as if they traveled to dangerous lands. It was quite boring, but danger could come at any second, it did not matter where anyone was. “What about your friend? The one you always write your letters to?” Zelda looked over to the barely open box of all the letters you had sent him back. There were already so many. “Ah..” Link looked over to the box as well, resting against one of the legs of the desk. “Regardless, I’m giving you a momentary break until you are required back.” He didn’t really like this, it felt like going against an abundance of rules set for him as Zelda’s knight. “I order it.” Of course, Zelda knew he wouldn’t refuse an order from her. “Princess, are you sure?” Zelda hummed in agreement to his question. “I’ve only come to deliver this to you just moments before I am about to leave.. I had a feeling you would still tag along anyway if I told you earlier.” He always knew how to find the princess somehow. If this bothered him enough, he could find her. “…Have safe travels, princess.” Zelda smiled again, “You too.”
“How have you come by these? Not a lot of people grow strawberries in Hyrule, during winter anyway..” Your closest neighbor, a grandma who lived a mile away from your house, often came by bearing gifts of fruit and crops. “I remember you mentioned you loved strawberries.. and they’re very nice in pastries.” You liked to bake, although you didn’t recall mentioning that to her. “Those will last you a while, but they mold fast!” As always, after she delivered her gift, she left almost immediately after. “What do I do with all of these..?” You would have to head out and buy yourself some more flour if you wanted to make pastries, as the grandma suggested.
They were freshly picked, already washed before being given to you. “Huh?” You pressed the heavy basket against your stomach, noticing a familiar face making his way over to you. “Link!” You hurried over, stumbling to a stop as you watched one strawberry roll out of the basket. “Oh..” Link slowed to a stop, watching as it rolled down the slightly sloped ground, bumping right into his boots. “Link.” You didn’t expect to see him, he had written a letter to you before about his annual departure from the castle during the middle of winter with the princess and the king. “How come you’re here? Don’t you have to leave with the princess?” Link shook his head, leaning over and picking up the strawberry, now covered in snow. “Why not? Did you get in trouble?” Again, he shook his head. “The princess dismissed me, until she returns.” He held up the strawberry, you didn’t want it, it was all dirty now. You cringed as the thing neared his mouth instead. “Wait, that’s all dirty now.. you shouldn’t eat it.” Link shrugged, taking a bite of the strawberry. It was surprisingly juicy, some of it running down his chin. “So you’re not entirely busy until she returns?”
“Yes.. so I came to visit you.” He wiped the juice off of his chin, avoiding your gaze. “Thank you.. for going out of your way.” The two of you did manage to catch up through all the letters you exchanged, learning more about each other. Having someone to speak to helped you learn about yourself too, perhaps being around him and observing him as a child had gotten you to like the things he did too. “It.. did help, with all the letters.” Seeing him in person again, compared to before, he felt less like a stranger. “It felt lonely at times, but knowing someone cared enough to send me letters so often did help.” You looked over your shoulder, maybe you should set the strawberries inside now. “But I know you’re so busy. Maybe I should dial it down a bit.. I don’t want to be a bother.” Link came into your peripheral, standing beside you once you completely turned around. “I like your letters.” You didn’t verbalize your gratitude, giving him a smile hinstead. “I.. want to set these strawberries inside, and then.. we could go on a walk? Unless you want to remain inside.” Link was fine with anything, but maybe staying warm for a bit seemed better for you. “You should get warm first.” He pointed over to your house, heading over first. You followed him without thinking about it at first, but recalling what he just said made you think a bit.
When you were always too cold for your body to enjoy, you collapsed. Your body couldn’t handle the excessive cold for too long, and you collapsed on him before when you were younger. “Do you still remember that?” He held the door open for you, stomping off the snow on your welcome mat before stepping inside some more. “Remember what?” You set the strawberries down on your kitchen counter. “I can’t be too cold, or it’ll be bad for my body.” Link let out a quiet ‘oh’ at the reminder. “Yes… I didn’t want you to stay out too long.” It seemed you used some of those rupees to get yourself some better clothing, the layers not so thin looking anymore. “Well, part of that was because we couldn’t afford such thick layers back then, compared to your father who served in the Hyrule Royal Family.” You moved your hands behind the back. “If I’m out longer than an hour, it’ll start to dwell on me.. but I’m better with it now that I have better clothing.” Link stepped closer, adjusting your scarf that was already starting to unravel. Your eyes met his, unsure whether to choose silence or say something else. “But.. thank you for worrying about me.”
He leaned closer, arms wrapping close around your neck. A warm hug, with lingering cold from the outdoors. “Nearly every time I sent you letters, was because I wanted to see you; but I just couldn’t.” You slowly nodded, already knowing this. “…You told me. What’s wrong?” You rested your hand on his back, lightly patting it. “It’s not fair to you. It’s taken me this long to visit and if I had gone with the princess, it would’ve taken much longer.”
“Why do you bother to remain friends with me?” You took a deep breath, arms enveloping his form. He tugged your head a little closer to his. “I know how busy you are, how occupied you were going to be. Even when we were children.”
“I’m not cruel, nor am I selfish.”
“Sometimes, you deserve to be..” Link pulled away, hands resting just below your shoulders. “Link…” He took a step back, that same, bashful look on his face. You reached out for his hand, just holding onto it for a while before letting go just as quickly as you held on. “…I really liked your letters. I learned so much about you.” A nervous giggle left your lips. “What I’m saying is.. they helped me not to be angry. Had you not been there at all, I probably would have avoided you.” Not everything deserved your anger, not all the time. You smiled at him, eventually he gave a smile back.
Back then, you said you never wanted to be a princess. All in all, it just sounded boring and dreadful. You didn’t ever understand why Link wanted to be a knight, did he really want to or did he feel.. obligated to? Because of his father? “Link?” Eventually the two of you did step out, following the forest trail close by your house. “If.. I were a princess, would you have been my knight?” Your feet slightly dragged along the snow beneath your boots. “..Because of my father, I was bound to serve in the Hyrule Castle. So if you were there, perhaps I could have.” But what if you were there before he even thought about serving in that castle? “What if our village was bigger? And I was a princess and my mother a queen?” You slowed to a stop, Link eventually noticing and doing the same. You shook your head, an upset look on your face. “Nevermind. Ignore me..” Link frowned, taking some steps over to you. “What’s wrong?” You shook your head again, shrugging. “Maybe if I had better authority, I would be able to keep you around some more.” You took the lead, slow steps through the snow. “If you knew you were pledging your freedom away, why did you want to see me anyway?” You moved your hands back, fingers twitching and fidgeting. “You had to have known it was impossible.” You didn’t want to blame him, but a problem like this had dwelled on you ever since you first got a letter from him at all.
“I know what you must think…” Link took a deep breath, picking up his feet and following close behind you. “I knew how your mother was, nearly everyone there knew. But especially with you.” Link kept a close eye on you whenever he had the chance, and whenever your mother was busy eyeing his father, he had his eye on you, embarrassed by your mothers actions. Yet you clung to her regardless, tugging on her hair or her dress instead of her hand. “I knew how hard it would be to try, but I still wanted to,” He picked up the pace, stopping a few feet in front of you, prompting you to stop in your tracks the moment he was close enough. “...To talk to you, I mean. Even if it was just letters.” He wanted to hold your hand, but it didn’t feel very appropriate right now. “But I think that only made you more upset, I’m sorry.” Selfishly enough, you just wanted to keep him closer. “..I could stay. Until I have to go back, if you really want me to.” You looked down, pressing your lips together. “Y/N..?” You could hear a quiet breath leaving his lips, his hands a small weight on your shoulders. Staring through your lashes, you saw that same look on his face again. “Forgive me, I’m being too forward..” Link’s eyes avoided yours, hands drifting from you and taking a step back. “No, I..” You shook your head, following after him with a small step in his direction. “It’s no use to keep talking about it. We should...” You glanced towards the trail ahead. “We should keep going.”
“I wanted to go on a walk with you anyway, so let's keep walking.” Link didn’t want to ignore the problem. He wasn’t sure if you really wanted this or if you wanted to avoid the topic all together. “Are you sure?” You nodded, moving your hands behind your back. “Mhm.”
“Look!” You pointed out an abundance of mushrooms, a handful of them. “That reminds me… when I dragged you along to help me pick some mushrooms.” You were so small back then. You followed after Link again, carrying a little basket to bring back whatever you found. It brought along a dinner of delicious mushroom soup the following night. “Oh–” Link pulled out a handkerchief, handing it to you to pick and wrap up some mushrooms. “Thank you.” You gave him a smile before hurrying off to the mushrooms of all shapes and colors, wrapped around a skinny tree. Stumbling to a stop down the sloped ground, your hand pressed against the tree to stop you from falling. “Be careful..” Link called out, heading over at a slower pace. Due to your prior knowledge and information from the fellow elders of your village in the past, you knew which mushrooms were poisonous and safe. You made sure to inform yourself over the years as well. “These are all edible,” You looked over your shoulder, pointing to a specific few of the bunch. “but.. only some taste good by themselves. But, contrary to that, you can mix the bitter and bad tasting ones into whatever you’re making if you know what you’re doing.” Link kneeled down next to you, pulling out a blue one. “You remember that don’t you? When we all sat at the fire and listened to everything about mushrooms?” It seemed you were the one who paid the most attention to whatever you were taught. You let out a nervous laugh at his silence. Here, we can pick all of them. I’ll make use of each one.” You set down the handkerchief, picking each mushroom and setting them inside. Once it was full, you wrapped the handkerchief and tied it with a nice bow. Link took it back, wanting to carry it for you. “Mm..” Your brows furrowed, a shiver leaving your lips. “Cold..” Has it been an hour already? Link removed his scarf, unraveling it completely and wrapping it around your head to act as a makeshift hood. “Sorry, it might be a bit uncomfortable.” Your ears were certainly cramped, but at least they were getting a bit of warmth.
“I’m not sure it’ll help..” You blinked in flutters, rubbing your gloved hands against your arms. “You could get on my back, I’ll carry you back?” You shook your head. “No… not yet, could you just…?” You pressed your hands against the cold ground, the snow crunching underneath your weight. Closer. “Mm..?” Link hummed at your vague question, watching as you brought yourself closer. The moment you began to reach for him, he understood, arms tugging you into his embrace. You needed to get warm as quickly as you could. “…M’sorry.. I just need to get a little warmer..” He rested your forehead against his shoulder, a tight hold on you to try and raise your body temperature. “Just a minute..” Link didn’t say anything, just holding you as close as he wanted to. Enough of this and you’d drift off to sleep.
The smell of burning fire and the familiar, warm and gentle touch of Link’s hands resting your body on your bed came to you when you stirred. “Mmh..” You groaned, reaching out for him. He wasn’t far, the softness of his cheek grazing against your fingertips. “Link..?” You pressed your hand completely against his cheek, hardly opening your eyes. You wanted to look at him, just a little. “I fell asleep didn’t I..? Sorry, I must’ve been heavy.” Link never complained with you, not once, not even when the both of you were children.
“Y/N..?” You blinked a few times before answering, “Yes?”
“Each time we sent each other letters.. the more I learned about you, the closer I felt.” His lips parted, his mouth opening more and his eyes half lidded. “Is that silly?” One of your hands rubbed at his head, sliding down to his back before letting go entirely. Your hands pressed onto the bed, sitting up. You were much closer to him than before, your faces so close that you had to scoot back. Link looked a bit tired too. He even went out of his way to remove all of those heavy layers off of you. “Am I being too forward again..?” You reached out, hands pressing against his cheeks. His brows furrowed as you squished his face a bit. “What’s with you? You’re being so…” He didn’t often show this part of himself, he never did. Not until now, at least in front of you.
You could recall, going to look for him when you were just fifteen. It felt like yesterday, if you didn’t count all the distant years between.
The last year he spent at the village, back at home. “Link?” Your tiny hands held a bucket, full of all kinds of mushrooms and little ladybugs crawling along the top of each one. His horse was missing, and he took it everywhere now, ever since his father surprised him with one. He named it Aurelia, the golden mane his inspiration for such a pretty name. You didn’t like bugs very much, making constant glances over to make sure the ladybugs weren’t crawling on your fingers or plotting to fly onto your face. Your hair had just grown all the way past your shoulders. “Hm..” You looked around, hearing a familiar neigh not too far from here. “Aurelia?” You whispered, a smile creeping onto your face. You loved Link’s horse, from a distance. Your mother would never allow you to be less than five feet away from it.
You decided to be a little sneaky, taking a more difficult path behind a few bushes. This way, there was a hidden space that people often went to, a little lake in the middle of it. You set down your bucket before carrying on, someplace someone wouldn’t steal your mushrooms. “Huh..?” Through the leaves and branches from the trees above, there was link, in uniform. He had begun his training or whatever it was called for the Hyrule Castle, a few years of it needed before the decision came for being the sworn knight for the princess. It wasn’t certain he’d be chosen, but as far as you knew, he was one of the best after his father. Link laid on the ground, his head dunked into the lake, Aurelia drinking from it. “Eh..?” You didn’t want to question it, maybe he was just stressed.
You sat there for a bit, longer than you expected. Shortly after you spotted him, Link rose from the water, his face and some of his hair all wet. You wanted to go over, until the sight of tears stopped you. It wasn’t the water, he looked visibly upset. Link stood up, holding Aurelia’s head close to him. A source of comfort. Well that wouldn’t do, you had to cheer him up.
You hurried the other way out of the bushes, searching for the exact spot you put your bucket. He didn’t ever seem to mind when you showed him the things you collected, maybe this would take his mind off of what was making him upset. “Aha..!” You smiled once again when you found the bucket. “You’ll make Link feel better, I just know it.” You looked over your shoulder, grabbing the bucket. “He likes my mushrooms doesn’t he—?” The feeling of something prodding and crawling on your right hand made you freeze up, tears already prickling at your eyes. Bugs and spiders terrorized you for years, you always disliked them. But you didn’t expect to see the biggest spider you’ve ever seen crawling on you.
The sound of a blood-curdling scream had taken Link out of his momentary sorrow. He was growing faster than he thought he would, and soon he wouldn’t be a child anymore. He’d have to be an adult forever, his youth nothing but the past. “Huh?” Wiping his tears, he mounted Aurelia.
“Get off, get off!” You’ve been shaking your hands and swiping at your skin for what felt like ages until Link had come over. Looking over your shoulder, you immediately ran to him. “It’s big..! It’s a big spider! It was on my hand and then I felt it…” You felt like a big baby, but anyone who knew you long enough knew that you despised spiders more than anything. “Wait.” Link slowly got off of Aurelia, taking slow steps and reaching towards your shoulder. The discomfort on Link’s face gave you the answer you needed, trying your hardest not to freak out.
Watching Link’s hand slowly move away from your shoulder and setting down the spider far enough away, you took a deep breath. “I was… I wanted to show you my mushrooms.” You turned around, quickly getting your bucket and shoving it towards him. “I saw—” You didn’t think saying that you had seen him crying was a good idea back then. “I.. I was looking for you, and then the big spider…” You took a deep breath. “I didn’t want you to be upset, in case you were.. stressed, because of all the knight stuff.” You brought your hands together, fingers fidgeting anxiously. “But… if you don’t get accepted, I’ll become a princess.. and you can serve me for as long as you want.” Link made an effort to set the bucket down, taking out the little ladybugs. “A princess?” You pressed your lips together. You told him once how boring it sounded to be a princess, but you were doing your best to try and make him feel better. “I was just…” You sighed, Link looking back at you at the sound of your slight disappointment. He stood up, resting his hand on your head. “Thank you.”
Sitting on your bed, you decided not to finish that sentence. Your hands drifting from his face. “I was always so used to you being so quiet, never really…” It wasn’t good to keep your emotions sealed away, where no one could see. You just weren’t expecting it. Between the two of you, you were always the more emotional one, and a lot of the time you felt like a baby. “I guess I’m not used to it.” Your hands pressed hard against the mattress. “Used to what?” Your brows furrowed, lips parting. “…You’ve grown so much, and you changed so much. Over the years, when we were apart anyway.”
“It’s like I’m still stuck, all the way back then. And you moved on, already caught up with everything.” You could feel his hand on your shoulder, trying to offer you comfort. Your eyes met, but your sorrow hardly left. “You were always ahead of me, though… always so amazing at everything you touched.” Link scooted closer, hands pressing against the sides of your face. His palms pressed against your cheeks. Your brows furrowed the moment he began to ruffle your hair, shaking your head a bit. “Wha…” You didn’t understand why he was messing with you, was he trying to cheer you up? “I don’t see anything wrong with you.” He even leaned closer, shaking his head once he remained there for a few more seconds. “Sometimes the past isn’t always so bad.” Your eyes left his, “But in this case, where I’m still stuck in a world where everyone is still back at home.. and no one left, not even you… what does that say about me?”
Link frowned, pulling you close into a gentle embrace. It took you a moment to hug him back, not so used to this much affection from him. “It’s all messed up,” His hold on you grew tighter, squeezing your form for just a few seconds. “I want it back too, not all the time but…” It still weighed heavily on him, how different things could have been if he focused on enjoying the brief moments of youth while he had it. “I’ve lost my youth forever.” Your eyes opened some more, thinking back to the time you saw him near the lake. He was seventeen then, only a few months away from turning eighteen. “Now that you’re here, I constantly wonder what it would have been like if I spent those past years cherishing every little moment I had… being young.” Being an elf, youth didn’t last as long as adulthood. You, too, weren’t immune to such sorrow. Turning eighteen was quite the big deal in your village, your first year as an adult officially starting and your youthful years nothing but the past.
Your heart ached at his words, wishing he could have cherished those past years more than he did before, spending all of it training and becoming a soldier, a sworn knight. “Link..” You rested your head on his chin. “It broke my heart, to know I’ll never be as naive as I was able. What with my mother, it was almost impossible, but…” You rapidly blinked, trying to keep your tears at bay. “The world that awaited me came with such strong waves, it did nothing but knock me down. If I had known then…” Maybe you wouldn’t have been so selfish back then, so careless and helpless. You nearly shivered at the cold, streaming tears on your face. “It felt strange, seeing you so grown up. And all I could do was feel like a child again, seeing you.”
“I’m supposed to be all grown up.” Link pulled away, hands cupping your cheeks at the sight of your tears. The sight of his tears had given you a small surprise. Neither of you really had anything to say, not enough words could explain the grief you felt for never cherishing those years of youth. “Y/N…” You took your eyes off the bed right below, back to looking at him. He leaned closer, pressing a kiss to your temple, and then another right on your cheek. His hands drifted back down, one of them resting on yours. “If we grow up together, it won't be so scary.” The two of you were barely adults. You, already twenty, and Link is just two years ahead of you. Yet neither of you weren’t sure how to handle this, how to truly function beyond what others saw on the surface. “..Promise.” You intertwined your fingers with his, squeezing it rather tight. “Promise.” Link echoed back.