Your Love is My Burden

The Risk We're Willing To Take

Zora's Domain. Granted, it sort of sounds like a village from a fairy tale or at least that's how I thought of it at the time. But Link... he seemed to cringe every single time it was ever brought up in conversation. I'd ask over and over again what he thought about this place and why exactly he seemed to despise it so much as we walked the rough terrain, but he never answered me. He'd merely just go into a deep hole of excuses, never giving me the answer to the question I originally asked.

"Zelda?" Link asked almost seeming slightly annoyed. Is he mad at me?

"Yes?" I questioned, looking at him slowly, putting a smile on my face, preparing myself for the worst. He sighed to himself, groaning a bit as he made eye contact with me. He didn't look at me long before rolling his eyes.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" He laughed slightly, looking back at me with a smirk on his face. I couldn't help but laugh at him. He changed the subject. Did I distract him?

"Like what? You were the one who seemed annoyed in the first place so I decided to smile at you instead of frowning. That's all. You also changed the subject might I add." I said, waiting for him to actually tell me what he was so irritated about. He mumbled something under his breath, shaking his head. I scoffed at this, stopping my pursuit towards the direction that Link hated so much.

"What's wrong with you? I've never seen you this aggravated before." I asked once again, examining his facial cues closely. He inhaled fast, cracking his knuckles to distract himself.

"I don't have a reason other than the one I told you about. I don't want to go to Zora's Domain at all. If you don't like that answer, I'm sorry. I really don't want to do this." Link communicated defensively. His words made it seem like he felt as though I was attacking him. His eyes were full of conflict and worry and his posture seemed to droop toward the ground. He moved his hand, scratching the back of his neck in annoyance.

"You know... I'm not mad that you don't want to go. I think it's a little strange that you're so set on not going because you grew up there. If you don't mind me asking, is there another reason why you-"

"Okay! You know what? There is another reason why I don't want to go there at all. In fact, there are a ton of reasons why I would rather stay as far away from that place as possible because if I go back then I'm gonna have to deal with the royal family pulling on me left and right and I don't want that! I hate them! ...I don't really but I don't want to deal with this at all. I'd rather just leave this whole thing alone. Forget that it's even a thing. If I go back... it's gonna create a lot of complications for no good reason. If I wanted to solve this and knew I could handle it, I would've done this a long time ago but... I made a promise that I hate and I don't want to keep it in the slightest... and now, here I am... going back to the same thing that I swore I would never go back to." Link vented, shaking his head slowly.

"So... If you go back, this promise... will have to be followed through with? What exactly is this promise? Does it cause a lot of issues in the future? Does it... have to do with something that could impact you in a big way?" I spoke calmly, attempting to reach out and hold his hand only for him to smack it away. He cringed when he did so, hesitating in what to do to say he was sorry.

"I don't want you to have to know what this promise is. Yes, it impacts me in a huge way and it will cause so many issues. There's nothing I can do about it though. I already agreed to it and now I'm stuck. I have to go there and become the thing that I don't want to become. I have to show up and tell everyone that I'm willing and ready and I don't want to. In fact, I'd rather do anything else." He sighed once again, his eyes glossing over slightly as if he was about to start crying.

"Link... what will happen if you return to Zora's Domain?" I quietly asked, taking both of his hands in mine this time. He looked at me for two seconds before his gaze fell on the ground.

"I can't tell you... not yet anyway." He said just above a whisper before I watched a tear fall from his face, landing on the ground with a simple ping. I pulled him toward me, wrapping my arms around his neck, allowing him to cry into my shoulder. It took him a while to accept my comforting attempts but once he did, his arms moved to my waist and proceeded to pull me closer as he sniffed away his tears. He moved away from me a couple of minutes later, rubbing his eyes gently, giving me a thankful smile before he took a deep breath, taking my hand in his before he continued to walk towards the domain. I followed him, keeping a watch over him just in case he felt like crying again.

"You will tell me eventually right? You won't keep this a secret from me?" I asked, tripping over a stone suddenly, falling forward only to be caught mid-fall by Link's arm wrapping around my waist. I was limp in his arms, almost as if he had dipped me towards the end of a ballroom song. He breathed out slowly, fixating on something else besides my eyes. He's... staring... at my lips... isn't he? My heart skipped a beat so fast it took me off guard. His lips parted slightly as he continued to stare for only a moment more before he shook himself out of the daydream. He went to pull me back onto my feet but I wasn't ready.

"You were going to continue right? Why won't you?" I sighed, staring up at him. He shivered slightly at my knowing his previous action's intent. He froze for a second before answering.

"I just... can't do this." He laughed a bit, shaking his head then, continuing to speak.

"I hate this so much. I can't do anything, can I? First I tell you that I can't tell you what happened in Zora's Domain and now I'm telling you why I won't complete an action which you seem to be aware of. Some Hylian I am." Link finished, staring off into space for a moment.

"Do... Do you not want... Never mind." I thought twice about saying those dreaded words that I wish were a reality already. We got so close last time to actually admitting to this unsaid love situation we've been in and now we seem so far.

"I do. I really do, Zelda. You have no idea how much I want this. Part of me wanting this so bad is one of the reasons I'm on edge. We both want this or so it seems and yet, this is the most illegal thing we could possibly be doing. Think about it. If we get caught-"

"Is that why you're being this way? Is that the actual reason? Will you not admit to the things that have taken place? Will it always be like this... forever?" My voice cracked a bit on that last word. Forever... unchanging... never ending... for all eternity. Link breathed out shakily, looking away from me, seeming to be thinking to himself before he responded.

"If you want this to work out, we'd have to potentially run away for the rest of our lives. You realize that right? The reality that we're faced with would be unchanging. Always running, never staying in one place, leaving everything we ever knew... It would never stop. Sure, we'd see the world together, we'd be with each other forever-" I stopped him from speaking then, taking his hands in mine, looking straight into his eyes.

"That's all I want. I don't need to be steady in any place, I don't need to know the place we're going next. As long as..." I stopped, realizing that this might be too fast, looking at the ground. Link let go of my hand then, lifting my chin gently with one finger. He stared at me for awhile, seeming to get lost in whatever fantasy his mind was giving him.

"We don't have to plan that yet-" Link started to talk but I didn't let him get a word in.

"But we do. My father-" Link moved forward very suddenly, causing me to fall backwards before I was caught by my waist. His face... is so close. His... lips... please.

"Don't. Anything but that. I'm done. I don't... want to follow his rules anymore. I can't... watch him cloud your mind anymore. It's time... to do something different... something new. I... won't let him rule over the two of us." Link whispered before he looked around for a moment before returning to me, moving me closer, causing my stomach to flutter so suddenly I couldn't help but gasp.

"Let me do this... please... before I decide it's not a good idea." Link barely uttered those words and yet that's all I wanted. To know that this wasn't just a random feeling that was never acted upon, to know that he felt the same, the fact that he wasn't giving up either... it made me feel so much better about everything. I felt free for the first time. I nodded slowly before he pulled me into a kiss full of passion and desire. Nothing compared to that moment halfway to Zora's Domain. The promise we had made, the risk we were taking. It was all worth the wait and yet it was the scariest promise we ever made to each other. I hated it but at the same time, I wouldn't trade it for the world. This feeling... this breathtaking feeling I've longed for... for such a long time. He's here and finally, I feel seen.