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It had been quite some time since Link had to dress as a woman in order to sneak into Gerudo Town.
He hadn’t pulled out the outfit in a while, simply because he no longer had to put on a disguise to be allowed in. Still, though, Link kept the outfit for reasons even he couldn’t explain. Or maybe he hadn’t been ready to explain. It was at the back of a drawer beneath his other clothes, out of sight, where Zelda couldn’t find it.
And he wasn’t sure why exactly he was scared of Zelda finding the clothes — he had a reasonable excuse for owning them. But the issue arose when he thought about being questioned for why he still held onto them.
Truthfully, Link had enjoyed wearing the women’s clothes. He didn’t want to admit that he felt shame for that, but it was uncommon for Hylian men to wear feminine clothing. And despite Link never particularly following aggressively masculine appearances and behaviors, it still felt… inappropriate for him to wear clothing that wasn’t “meant” for him. He was a man, a knight, even, so even if it were possible for him to be mistaken as otherwise, his fame stopped him from being as anonymous as he’d like to be.
So — Link decided, as a compromise, he’d indulge in the clothing while alone.
He wished it weren’t something he felt he had to hide from Zelda, because Link shared nearly everything with her, but… it was something very personal to him, and something he had yet to fully understand about himself. He reasoned with himself that he needed the space to try things on by himself. It wasn’t a bad excuse.
So, he had to wait until Zelda was out of the house.
~~~~~
Link missed Zelda greatly when she was gone, of course, but another part of him jumped for joy when Zelda said she was going on a little girls excursion with Purah and Paya. She had even offered to let Link tag along, despite his status as not-a-woman, but he politely declined.
He had to take this opportunity when he had the chance.
And so, after waiting a few hours from the time Zelda had left their home (in the chance she had forgotten something and had to return back), Link indulged.
He rummaged through the drawer that contained the Gerudo clothing he hadn’t tried on in years — back of the drawer, beneath stacks of trousers, there it lay.
He slipped it on, forgoing the face mask that always just made him feel silly. The fabric hugged his chest nicely and the detached, flowy sleeves made him feel… beautiful. He felt his movements instinctively become lighter, more feminine as he moved with the top on.
Though, admittedly — Link realized he didn’t actually quite like it all that much. It was a bit too revealing for his taste, and culturally felt a bit odd to wear as a non-Gerudo. He made a face in the mirror and set his arms down with a sigh.
He was not defeated, though — Link had an idea.
On occasion, Zelda would sometimes borrow Link’s shirts (and Hylia, did he love the sight of her in them). So… he can’t imagine it would be too big of an issue if he borrowed some of Zelda’s dresses, right?
Ignoring the way his heart raced, Link pulled open Zelda’s drawer of clothing. There was a long, yellow sundress with a white floral pattern that she particularly liked, and Link was embarrassed to admit he had always wanted to try it on himself.
Pulling off the pieces of the Gerudo outfit, Link slipped into the dress. It was a nice length, a little longer on him than it was on Zelda. The fabric hugged and draped in all the right places. As a bonus, it smelled of Zelda. He missed her.
Link did a little spin. The way the dress spun around him was a shockingly pleasant feeling.
He looked at himself in the quaint, nearly-full-length mirror Zelda had put up. And, oh.
Link loved the way he looked.
He blushed a little at his own appearance, doing another little twirl for the mirror. It did feel a bit silly, standing by himself and spinning in a dress in front of a mirror, but he couldn’t deny the joy he felt indulging in the clothing.
With a curious idea in his mind, Link pulled the tie from his hair, letting it fall to his shoulders.
Oh.
Link looked even more feminine now, to the point where he thought he could be mistaken as a woman if he went out like this. An odd feeling stirred in his chest. Sure, he had disguised himself as a woman for the sake of getting through Gerudo Town, but the idea of dressing feminine outside of necessity was an entirely different feeling.
And Link, cautiously, decided he liked it.
He stood for a few more moments, taking in himself. The color of the dress looked lovely with his hair. He twirled again. He loved doing that.
However, a terrifying thought entered his mind.
What am I going to tell Zelda?
~~~~~
Link had one more day to himself before Zelda returned from her trip.
He had spent some time in Zelda’s dresses — carefully folding them back up and returning them exactly where they were so Zelda wouldn’t suspect anything. Not that he wanted to hide this from her, but… he wanted to reveal it on his own terms.
Part of him briefly considered going out into town wearing a dress, but he was too worried he’d be recognized as himself and questioned about it. It wasn’t something he wanted to explain. At least, not yet.
Today, though, Link wanted to try a slightly different look.
He took out one of his own shirts — a relatively plain collared button-up, beige with a little bit of white embroidery — and paired it with one of Zelda’s skirts.
Link looked in the mirror.
Oh, Hylia, he liked that too.
The skirt was about knee-length (once again — a bit shorter on Zelda and longer on himself, he admitted), and a lovely sage green color. The color matched Zelda’s eyes a bit better than his own, but if he dared to assert his own confidence — he thought he rather pulled off the look.
Link pulled out Zelda’s earrings, necklaces, hair clips — it was fun. It was so fun to play around with himself, the way he looked, putting on accessories and making faces in the mirror and tying his hair up different ways.
But once the sun had set, Link had taken all the clothing off of him and put everything back to where it was. He slipped on a plain nightshirt for bed, feeling like himself but not quite like himself. It didn’t bother him terribly, but with the discovery of how good he could feel, it was… strange, going back to the way he was before. Like discovering treasure but not taking it home with him.
No matter. Link could live without it.
~~~~~
Link wasn’t sure if he could live without it.
Zelda was set to return home today, yet Link itched to put the dress back on. He figured he would explain to Zelda his discovery, as embarrassing as he considered it, but he didn’t want Zelda to walk in on him playing dress-up in her clothes.
And so, he waited.
He paced around the house, paced around the yard. As he did so, Link had another terrifying consideration. Did he even… feel like a man?
And Link realized he had never felt drawn any particular way. Sure, he was referred to as a man, and nearly all the knights of Hyrule were men, but… did that mean he had to be one?
No one had given him the opportunity or language to be anything else, and he had never considered trying something as unconventional as wearing women’s clothing before he had to in Gerudo Town. It was annoying at the time, but certainly a blessing in disguise now if it led to him discovering this.
But even if Link didn’t exactly have the language to describe how he felt (or rather, the lack of feeling), he feared that he might be not a man. Even if he wasn’t sure what exactly he feared about it. It’s not like change was a new thing for him, yet, still — this change felt different. More personal. Bigger.
But, regardless, it would be okay. Link knew that even if Zelda didn’t understand, she would try to.
Now he just had to wait. Which was the worst part of it all.
~~~~~
“Link! I’m back,” Zelda chuckles from the doorway.
Link steps down the stairs to help Zelda bring her bags inside. He gives her a quiet greeting as she settles in, taking off her cloak and stepping out of her boots.
“Not even going to ask me how my trip was?” Zelda pokes teasingly. Her hair was a little mussed from travel, golden in the low evening candlelight.
Link blinks. “Oh, I’m— I’m sorry,” he stutters. “How was your trip?”
Zelda laughs. “I’m just teasing you, Link. The trip was fun. We went to some hot springs in Eldin — I had been meaning to try them but hadn’t had the chance for the longest time.” Zelda’s voice carries through the house as she brings her luggage upstairs to unpack. Link follows her up the stairs, sitting himself on the bed.
“Paya’s been stressed ever since she became Chief of Kakariko — Purah and I honestly planned this just for her, she deserves a break. But I’m not going to deny that we enjoyed the excursion ourselves as well.” Zelda unpacks her clothes, seemingly not noticing if Link hadn’t put her dresses exactly where they were before.
“You’re quiet tonight,” Zelda comments, looking to Link. “More so than usual.”
Link hadn’t realized he was. “Oh, I um— I like listening to you talk.”
Zelda chuckles. “I know that already, silly. But even so, you’re quieter tonight. Is something the matter?” Her tone wasn’t concerned, at least not yet. She sounded curious at best.
Link loved how perceptive Zelda was, but sometimes she was too perceptive.
He looks down into his lap. “I, um—” he fidgets with his fingers.
Zelda walks over to Link, sitting beside him. “Link? What’s going on?”
“No— I’m alright, I just…” he sighs, looking further off to the side. “I— I have something I want to tell you, but I’m embarrassed. And a little scared.”
“Scared?” Zelda repeats. “What could you possibly have to tell me that could be so awful?”
Link knew she was exaggerating to lighten the mood, but it didn’t ease his nerves.
“I— I discovered something about myself.” Link’s voice was quiet.
Zelda sat quietly for a moment. “All right… and what does that mean exactly?” she pushes.
Link takes a deep breath. “I’ve… I’ve been thinking about… presenting myself differently. And so, while you were on your trip, I— I might’ve um… tried on some of your dresses. And I think I like it.” His voice gets painfully quiet towards the end.
Zelda rubs a hand on Link’s back. “That’s what you were so nervous about? Wearing dresses is fun, Link, I’m never going to fault you for wearing clothing you like,” she says, smile evident in her voice.
Link looks up at Zelda. “It’s just… it’s not typical of Hylian men to wear women’s clothing, so I thought… maybe it wouldn’t be appropriate of me to wear.”
“Who cares what’s ‘appropriate’ or not,” Zelda says. “Wear what makes you happy. You know I’d support you in any way you’d like to present, right?”
Link nods. “It’s just… different, and that’s why it scared me. Besides being in Gerudo Town, I’d never done that before.”
Zelda hums. “I understand. And I hope you know you’re free to my wardrobe at any time,” she jokes.
Link nods silently. He looks back down, still somewhat shameful of himself.
“Link,” Zelda says softly. “If I may be so bold as to ask — would you mind if I wanted to see you wearing a dress?”
Link sucks in a breath. He nods, a bit too quickly. Zelda chuckles and gestures her head towards her dresser.
Wordlessly, Link steps over to the dresser. Pulling open Zelda’s drawer, he takes out the sundress he first tried on. Pulling his shirt off and tossing it to the side, he slips the dress over his head, letting it drape over him. Cautiously, he turns to Zelda and slowly lets his eyes meet hers.
“Oh, Link,” Zelda croons. “You look lovely!”
Zelda stands to meet Link, eyeing him up and down. Link is blushing up to his ears. Zelda runs her hands over Link’s exposed arms and shoulders, watching the fabric sway around his legs.
“Oh, you’re beautiful, Link,” she says, softer this time. And goodness, being called beautiful sparks something in Link. The only compliments he’s received are reserved to handsome at best, but never beautiful. And Zelda is caressing his face while he’s wearing her dress and all Link wants to do is hold her and kiss her.
And so he does.
Link feels Zelda smile beneath his lips, and lets him guide them to the bed. Though — Zelda flips him around and pushes him onto the bed beneath her. Link feels his cheeks flare and eyes shoot open as he stares at Zelda above him, her legs straddling his.
His hair splayed out beneath him and face flushed and eyes staring back at her and only the straps of her sundress covering his freckled and scarred shoulders, Zelda lunges at Link, taking his lips in hers, feeling the way he jolts at her movements.
“You’re so pretty, Link,” Zelda says between kisses, with Link’s responses being mere whines as she lays compliment after compliment on him. “I always knew you were pretty, but goodness, now…” she trails off as she begins to nip and kiss at Link’s neck.
His mouth free, Link still can only gasp softly as Zelda’s lips tickle him, one of her hands going to play with Link’s hair as it lays out of its tie. He feels her bite his neck softly, causing a sharp whimper to leave Link’s throat. Part of him hopes it leaves a mark.
“If you went out like this, do you think everyone will think I’ve found a wife?” Zelda mutters into his skin. “Or will they have finally realized just how pretty you are?”
Link groans, grabbing at Zelda’s back as she leaves kisses down his neck and pulls down the straps of the dress to uncover more of his skin. “Walking out with my pretty boy in a dress, what will they think, hm?” she says, voice a bit muffled between kisses.
But Link still hears her, and pauses. Zelda stills the moment she feels him no longer enthusiastic about her motions. She pulls back, her warmth leaving with her.
“Link, is something wrong?” Hylia, she’s so attentive, as always.
“I, um—” his voice cracks. “You… you called me a boy, and I, I’m not sure if I…”
Zelda sits up, moving around to be in a more appropriate position. She looks at Link intently, the haze of lust gone as all her attention goes to his words.
“I don’t… know if I’m a boy. I’m— I’m not sure.” Link’s voice shakes. His breaths are heavy, but he can’t tell if it’s from nerves or everything Zelda’s just done to him.
Zelda nods gently. “That’s okay. You don’t have to be a boy. I’d still love you if you weren’t. And you don’t have to know what you are, either.” Her voice is soft, and her fingers gently caress the skin of Link’s neck.
Link breathes out, relieved. He looks up at Zelda. “I don’t… think I’m a woman,” he adds. “But I don’t exactly know… how to describe it.”
“That’s alright,” Zelda says. “Would you like me to keep calling you ‘he’, or… use something else?” she asks.
“I don’t know,” Link answers honestly. “I think I’m still okay with that right now. I’m not sure. This is all… new to me,” he says breathlessly.
“I’ll be here for whenever you figure it out,” Zelda smiles. “But it’s also okay if you don’t. Talk to the Koroks, maybe they’ll know,” she chuckles, but it’s honestly not a half-bad idea.
Link smiles up at her. “For once, I feel like the princess,” he chuckles. He’s still laying back on their bed, Zelda looking down at him while he wears her pretty dress. His hair is messy beneath him from Zelda’s fingers tangling in it and there’s a faint mark beginning to bloom on his neck. He’s breathtaking, Zelda decides.
“We can both be princesses sometimes,” Zelda says cheekily before she leans into Link’s face. Embarrassingly, he instinctively chases her lips. And of course, just to tease, Zelda doesn’t let her lips touch his just yet.
“Maybe Cece can tailor something pretty for you,” Zelda says, breath against Link’s mouth. So close and still so far from where Link wants her to be. “Not that my dress isn’t gorgeous on you already, but something fit for you would be fun, I think. A pretty color to match your eyes, maybe.”
“Can you kiss me now and we think about that later?” Link hates to be so blunt, but now feels like a time to be a little extra selfish with all the attention on him.
Zelda laughs. “I call you pretty and you immediately get all needy,” she teases.
“You know I was already like this,” Link points out. “You just think that I’m prettier now.”
“I always thought you were pret—” and Link is fed up with the delays and takes it upon himself to pull Zelda in by the collar.
It’s a change, this whole thing, but they’ve both decided it’s a good one.