Zelink Oneshots (The Legend Of Zelda)

Return to Me

It seemed like a day similar to any other. The sun rose, the clouds flew, and the wind rustled through the trees. But there was one thing Zelda missed more than anything... and that was a friend.

Oh how she missed Link. She knew why he had to go. As the Princess she could've made him stay, but she would never forgive herself for her selfishness, nor would Link forgive her. He had always been noble.... The courageous hero. She knew this to be fact.

The brave soldier had saved her from the evil clutches of Ganondorf as he sought to take control of the Triforce.

When she had laid eyes on him in his wolf form... She knew he was destined for something incredible. He was marked as a hero of legend.

Once the fight was won she had expected all would return to normal. Oh how wrong she was. A war brewed to the west, between the Gerudo Moblins and the soldiers of Hyrule. Link had insisted on leading the charge... Oh how she wished he hadn't. She had no doubts about his skill, but in all his travels he'd never come across a battle quite like the one he was facing at that very moment.

Zelda sat under a tree and smoothed out her dress. She tried to concentrate on something happy.... Her memories of Link after Ganon had been defeated. She remembered the stories he had told by the dozen; all the temples he had cleared, and all the trials he had overcome. They had become very close in those months. Closer than she thought she could ever become to anyone again. Not since her parents died and then the imprisonment in her own tower. But Link.... He had saved her from darkness in more ways than one. And she spent all the time that she could with him. As much as she could spare from the grueling process of revitalizing her broken country. He was always the highlight of her day... And now he was gone, and she didn't know if he would come back.

She let out a sigh as she flicked a leaf off of her dress; because she was the Princess she wasn't allowed to leave the castle in order to fight. She didn't understand; she had magic to use, and she was a good fighter... "You're too important," they'd said. "You must be patient Princess."

Patient. She'd like to see them go through what she had when her realm had been overrun by twilight. A prisoner in her own castle, while they had no idea they had become mere spirits. Knowing her land was in complete darkness. Knowing she could do nothing but anguish and watch the ruin... Her only hope; the hero of legend.

After those lovely thoughts she stood up and trailed back into the castle.

"Oh, Princess!"

She turned around and saw one of the few remaining guards of the castle approaching. "What?"

"Sir Link, he has returned!"

"What?"

"In your study!" the guard quickly pointed and then got out of her way.

Zelda kicked off her shoes and then ran up the stairs two at a time. When she arrived she caught her breath and opened the door. She spotted him standing in front of her desk, waiting. "Link!" she yelled as she ran over and threw herself at him.

He responded with a tight arm around her waist and shoulder. "Zelda..." he breathed.

"What are you doing back so early? Did you--"

"No...we haven't won yet," he replied before she finished. "I just... had to see you..."

Zelda blinked in surprise as she heard those words. She would never have expected him to return from being a hero just to see her. "I'm glad. I've missed you," she replied with a smile.

"I missed you too..." Link looked down, and then around at the room, and then looked back at her. "I thought a lot about you while I was gone..."

Zelda tilted her head to the side. "Have you now..." she started, wary of misinterpretation.

"I have... and... have you?" he asked as he stepped towards her.

Zelda couldn't help but take a step back towards her desk. "Have I...." she started, but faltered.

"Have you thought of me?"

"O-of course," she responded, trying her best to maintain her composure; the mask she'd had since her land was in shadow was starting to slip.

He was far too close now; she took another step backwards and bumped into the desk. She caught herself against it and looked down. When she looked back up, Link had already followed her motion and trapped her against the desk. "Link, this isn't....what are you...."

"I'm going to kiss you," he replied as he put his hands beside her on the desk, as if that might stop her from running away.

She looked at him with a red face. She hadn't blushed in years, but she found she didn't mind the emotions running through her. She gave in to them and looked him in the eye.

"Alright," she said, and she prided herself that she now had control of her voice.

The shadow of a smile appeared on Link's face. He'd come all this way, but if she'd refused it all would have been in vain. He would have returned to the battle with a rejection hanging on his heart. He had thought about her so much during the battle, and he knew that meant that he loved her. He was not about to wait through the whole battle, or goddesses forbid die out there without finding out the truth. Could he be with her? Would she accept him? She was the Princess after all.

Link moved his hand from the desk and placed it on her side, and his other hand trailed up her jaw. "Alright...?" he checked once more, a little shocked, happily so, that she had agreed. He had to be sure.

A shiver went through Zelda as his strong hands touched her. She didn't think she could feel any warmer than in that moment. She nodded as she looked away for a moment in her doubt. She had not lived a good life. How could she possibly trust to be happy? How could she--

Link moved her head back to look at him, he could see the hurt she was trying to disguise. He pulled her close and kissed her gently, then he moved to look at her. He came closer against the desk and kissed her again, harder.

Zelda wrapped her arms around his neck. A passion she had never felt before raged through her, and she could almost feel it coursing through her blood. Could she trust this feeling? Could she trust her hero?

He pressed harder against her as he pulled her away from her thoughts and closer to him with his hands now around her waist.

It was sunset, and the orange and pink light shone through her stained glass windows. Link pulled away from her, his heart beating rapidly. His breaths coming in sharply. He marveled at her beauty in that light. She wasn't looking at him, but he knew that wasn't a bad thing.

His moved one of his hands to her chin and tilted it up so she would look at him. The reflections in her eyes dazzled him, and for a second he forgot the bad news he was about to share. "I... I have to go back... before the sun has finished setting..."

Zelda closed her eyes and shook her head. "Why do you have to leave... Can't you stay? At least for one night?"

"I fear my resolve would not stand if I stayed, and I would do something the both of us would regret come morning," he sighed as he tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and then kissed her on the forehead. "I must return to the battle. I should not have left in the first place but I didn't have the control I needed to ignore my Princess left in her tower..."

Zelda bit her lip as she leaned into his hand. She never acted like this. She was a calm, dignified Princess who acted on logic, not emotions... And yet where her dashing hero in green was concerned... by the goddesses she couldn't control herself.

He made to draw away from her, but she grabbed him by the neck and pulled him back. He stiffened in shock as she pressed her lips to his, but he quickly overcame that and hungrily pulled her close.

After only another few minutes Link forced himself to pull away. "Princess..."

"Link, promise me something."

"I will if I am able."

"Return to me."