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She had meant for the morning to be a productive one. Earlier in the week, she had sketched out a design for a system to pump hot water for their house- Link’s house really, but she had long since stopped thinking of it as just his. She had been planning to construct a prototype today, getting an early start in case she ran into any setbacks.
She threw those plans out the window within a minute of waking up.
The blankets surrounding her seemed extra cozy that morning, a little bubble of warmth only amplified by the heat from the body beneath her. She must have rolled onto him sometime during the night, and now her world was Link’s arm across her shoulders, another around her waist, legs tangled together, his heartbeat against her ear where it pressed against his chest. Soft sheets and the gentle weight of blankets filled in the gaps between, and she thought she had never experienced a moment so perfect in her life.
She peeked an eye open to see dappled sunlight filtering in through the window. Then she shifted, ever so slowly, to turn her eyes to the man beneath her. He was still asleep- she had guessed that before even opening her eyes, just feeling the rise and fall of his breathing in time with her own. He looks so peaceful , she thought with a smile.
Not that their daily life wasn’t peaceful, but there was always tension in him. She could see it in the way his shoulders tensed whenever a noise was just a bit too loud, the way he jolted a little whenever someone moved just a bit too fast. He had been fighting for so long- longer than he could even remember- that it was hard to set it aside, even in their life of relative peace.
She shifted so that her left hand rested over his heart, chin propped up on top of it, then traced her free hand softly across his forehead where there always seemed to be a furrow in his brow. In the gentle morning light, she could see a smattering of light freckles, only visible after their long days spent out in the wild. She carded a hand through his hair, appreciating the softness of the lovely red-gold strands.
He stirred, cracking his eyes open to look up at her.
“Good morning, sleepyhead,” she said with a smile. “Did I wake you up?”
“S’ok,” he mumbled, blinking sleepy blue eyes. “It feels good.” She ran her hand through his hair again, and he sighed, arms squeezing just a bit tighter. Her heart squeezed right along with them.
She remembered the days before the Calamity, mornings on the road just like this, bundled up in blankets and hidden in tents far away from the eyes of the king. She remembered how the first words he ever said to her were spoken in that same bleary voice, the hero of legend reduced to nothing more than a groggy teenager. She remembered waking up in her own bed, alone in her bedroom and thinking of what it was like to hold him to fight off the loneliness that threatened to drown her.
And she remembered a day in the rain when she begged him, would have given anything for him to open his eyes and look at her like this again. And remembered that day 100 years later, when he opened his eyes for the first time in so long with no idea who she was. Who she was to him .
She leaned forward to press her forehead against his, eyes welling up. It had taken so long, and it had taken so much , but they had made it. “We’re finally home,” she whispered.
Link stroked his hand gently across her shoulder blades, smiling as he whispered back, “I’m so glad you’re here.” She met his eyes, and she could see tears welling there to match the ones in her own. “I thought- We almost didn’t-” He paused, closing his eyes for a moment while he found the right words (and there was that furrow in his brow, back again now that sleep wasn’t there to ward it off). “I didn’t think we would get this.”
“This?” she asked, caressing his cheek with her thumb.
“Any of this.” He shook his head. “Being here, not… not fighting constantly… this, ” he said, tightening his embrace for a moment before relaxing again. “I’m just really happy that you’re here.”
She closed her eyes, absorbing the words like the warm sunshine on her skin. “I’m happy too,” she said, though happy didn’t feel like it could quite capture the feeling. It dwelled deep in her bones and rooted itself in her heart, quiet and glorious and overflowing . There wasn’t really a word good enough for it; or at least, not one she could think of before morning tea.
Zelda pressed a slow, gentle kiss against his lips, trying to convey the feelings that were too large for words. Link seemed to be doing the same, kissing her back slowly and intently. There was no rush, no heated need for more , not like there so often was between them. It was soft but powerful, demanding nothing but undoubtedly saying good morning, I love you, I’m glad you’re here .
They pulled back with sleepy smiles, gazing at each other for a moment in contented silence. Then, Link blinked, eyes darting to the window. “We should probably get moving,” he said, sounding very much like he did not want to get moving. “You had plans for today.”
Zelda hummed and laid her head back down on his chest, snuggling into the blankets and relishing the feeling of his arms around her. “Those can wait,” she said. The plans had been forfeited before he even woke up. “Let’s just… stay here a bit longer.”
She felt the rise and fall of his chest as he sighed contentedly. “As long as you want.”