Zelink Oneshots (The Legend Of Zelda)

Sleepy - Travel

Heavy shoulders, weighted limbs, hunched back. I groaned as I tiredly attempted not... to fall... asleep.

I yawned then shook my head, raising my hands to my eyes. Don't you dare... I told myself silently; slowly.

A long day stretched behind me. Long, but not necessarily bad... I'd been awake almost twenty four hours, and that was not something I enjoyed doing often.

Travel. I'd been traveling since before the sun came up.

The sun had gone to sleep now, and I was trying my best not to do the same.

"Zel!"

The nickname and voice pulled me out my haze, and let me know exactly who was behind me before my husband's arms wrapped around my stomach.

"Link..." I mumbled happily, turning around to look at him.

"You made it, little bird..." he said, leaning down to me to press his lips to my cheek.

My brain was still foggy with lack of sleep, but those words still brought back memories of that dark night... but I smiled and hummed softly. "I made it..."

He pulled my bag from me and took hold of the suitcase. "Let's get you home."

"Home," I repeated. "Mmm... let's go home." 

He led me out of the train station and to his car. Waiting in the cup holder was a coffee.

"Decaf, so you can still sleep, of course."

I grinned tiredly. "Not that caffeine could stop me from sleeping now."

"You do have quite the tolerance," he said with a smile as he got into the car.

I will admit that I fell asleep while he drove, his hand lightly holding mine. When next I opened my eyes, we were pulling into the garage.

Ah... home.

He opened my door and held out his hand.

I groaned and sunk down into the seat. "Can't I just sleep here..."

"I think you would prefer our bed, dear."

I simply grumbled and didn't move.

"I hate to think you were like this alone on a train."

"Wasn't... I'm safe with you, so I can sleep all I want..." So safe with him. So, so safe...

I drifted again as he pulled me out of the car and carried me into the shop, then up the stairs. I probably would have been worried he'd fall, if I'd actually had enough mental energy.

Then I felt the comforting embrace of my own bed, and I completely surrendered to sleep.

~*~

I smiled into my pillow before I opened my eyes. Link wasn't sleeping next to me, but that wasn't a surprise. He was an early riser. So I got out of bed and fiddled with the edge of my pajamas as I walked to the bathroom.

My mouth tasted awful after not brushing my teeth for so long. Sleep had been truly inevitable, though. Goddess, I'd been so exhausted the moment he wrapped his arms around me.

I went through the living room and into the kitchen to see him making breakfast. A usual sight, but one I hadn't seen in weeks. My mouth began to water, and I smiled as he looked up at me. "I missed this."

"Well, you survived well enough with your mother's cooking."

"You know very well that I ate her cooking once and took over the rest."

"You also taught her what she did wrong."

I rolled my eyes, then held out my arms.

He smirked at me, and then slowly removed the apron he was wearing before walking over. "I missed you too," he said in a soft voice.

"Come here, idiot..." I replied, and smothered him in a crushing hug. It made my arms ache like always. I didn't care.

Link lifted me off my feet for a moment, then set me down gently. He leaned back and smiled before he moved in to kiss me.

I toyed with the idea of rejecting his advance, just to mess with him, and as a revenge for so slowly accepting my hug, but decided I'd been gone for so long that I couldn't help myself. I leaned in and pressed my lips to his, then moved my head back and smirked at him. "So you didn't enjoy having the place all to yourself again?"

"Six years, and I haven't missed it once."

I raised an eyebrow.

"I'm serious. You're pretty quiet when you write." Then he shrugged. "Well, unless the write is saying no."

I gave a sheepish smile. Perfect. "Well..." I said softly. "It's going to get a lot louder around here..."

He frowned. "What makes you say that?"

I licked my lips and then pressed them together, then my eyes flicked away from his. "Well... my theory was correct."

He blinked. His fingers tightened on my back. Then his eyes widened and his mouth slowly opened.

I let out one giddy laugh before he threw his arms around me again and hugged me even tighter than on our wedding day.

He leaned back, stared into my eyes for a moment, then kissed me so happily I could probably have started crying pretty easily. Not that I needed any help with that.

"You're really-" his fingers tightened on my shoulders. "You're really-"

I put my hands up on his. "I'm really," I said with a gentle smile.

--

Why yes, it is Sheikahzen.
Still retired.
And tired in general, as usual. But hey, look, a oneshot. Which I wrote instead of writing my original. But oh well. It's fine. I like having the option of writing to procrastinate writing. It still makes people happy.

In case you didn't recognize, this oneshot takes place in my Raising the Stakes AU. Just like Walking Through Clouds did. (but walking through clouds actually takes place after this one... I don't write these oneshots chronologically) If you haven't read RtS, I recommend it. Very proud of it.