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Chapter Text

Zelda's Diary; Entry 104, 3/04/XX

As of March, it's been a month since I was rescued from the past. I guess time flies a lot faster when you're not human, then again, I was warned about that...

Link has been faring much better since he first rescued me, though, less well than before The Upheaval. Something is bothering him, it's apparent. I've tried to ask him about it, but he refuses to speak, even to me! I'm not so sure what to put here next, but I may come back to it at some point in time. (If I remember, that is.)


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Zelda's Diary; Entry 105, 3/05/XX


Same as yesterday, it's been a month.

I forgot to come back to the entry, but that's the point of entries, is it not? Back to my topic in this entry, even though no one will read it.

I guess every piece of royalty is getting married but me, I have just been informed by Link that Sidon is now the king, and married. I cannot muster up the idea that no one has told me until now! It's fine however, I have to attend the true ceremony in about a week or so, accompanied by around half of my kingdom that is. I'm surprised by the fact Link hadn't ranted to me about every little movement in Zora's Domain yet, honestly. He would practically scream about it before The Upheaval, but I am not one to judge, I do the same with guardians and the Zonai and such.

I wonder if I could ever catch a glance at Link's diary... Maybe I'd figure out the reasons he'd been so upset for the past month, and find some of his recipes. I'd honestly prefer the latter, but don't we all? 


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Zelda sat up from her desk, making sure not to hit her diary and smudge the ink. She let out a small sigh and picked up another book on wilderness from her bookshelf before heading towards her doorway.

"Link?" she yelled down the hallway, but there was no reply. Pinching the bridge of her nose, she left her study and walked towards Link's room to find him. Knowing Link, he'd probably just be sleeping, but there's always the chance he's out traveling without her, which was supposed to be strictly forbidden, but Hylia knows he wouldn't listen. She knocked on his door before quickly slamming it open. "Link!"

No response. She should've guessed, as there was a small leather notebook sitting open on his bed, she walked over to it, picking up the book, and inspected the mediocre handwriting.

Be back later, out getting food, maybe fish or something, not sure, been craving sushi lately

Wait does that sound weird? Uh, I mean like, salmon or something, I haven't been to the domain in a while, so... - Link, your favorite twink (P.S. sorry for sneaking out again!) 

Under the letter was a sketch of Zora's Domain, including a giant fish. Zelda sighed and flopped onto his bed before her eyes widened, and quickly picked up the book again. The book may belong to Link, and if so, she could try to read it while traveling today. However, it could be considered a desperate violation of privacy. Despite this, she doesn't seem to care about respecting privacy anymore nowadays and is curious to find out what's inside. Though, she figures it's better to leave it for future Zelda to worry about.

"Princess? Your carriage." A guard says monotonously, gesturing towards the hall.

"Uh- Coming!" She quickly grabs the book and stuffs it into her bag, which already carries the Purah Pad. She runs down the hallway at a breakneck speed, and even the maids, who were used to Link breaking precious items while running down the halls, were shocked by her speed. The halls echoed with the sound of her clacking shoes as she ran down the stairs and made her way to the castle courtyard where the carriage driver was waiting. As she approached, she tapped him and gestured towards the horse and herself.

"I do not think it would be wise to do that without-" The carriage driver was abruptly interrupted as the princess threw him onto the floor with a grunt. Despite her small frame and young age, she was surprisingly strong. She stuck her tongue out at the driver, fully aware that he could do nothing but complain. This mischievous side of hers only surfaced in non-diplomatic situations, much like Link's, albeit to a lesser extent. She quickly mounted a horse, used a switchblade to cut the leather from the chains, and urged the horse to gallop with a kick.

--------

It took two days less than expected to arrive at the smaller, newly formed camp near the Akkala Highlands. To keep her horse safe, she had left it near the South Akkala Stable. She was thoroughly enjoying her time at the settlement, constantly playing games with children and attending small events. Even with this experience, she figured it was best to check up on everyone she knew, so she had set a travel point near the settlement, often traveling to places she knew they would be.

"Oh Hylia- Tari, I'm sorry, but I'll have to stop playing, I have to check up on Link. I promise I'll play games with you tomorrow too!" While playing tag, she suddenly stopped in her tracks. How could she forget that she had to check up on Link? They had a diplomatic meeting to attend for Hylia's sake in just four days!

"Aww, okay, Zelda! You promise though, right?" The small girl named Tari looked up at her with a small smile.

"Promise." After grinning wholesomely, she pulled out the Purah Pad and teleported to Zora's Domain. The adjustment took a few seconds, as going from a cool meadow to a humid city does take time, as Purah had warned her. She shook her head before stepping out of the shrine into the shallow pool below it. Link was right about rebuilding some of the Sheikah Shrines. Now, she didn't have to climb up a soaking-wet glass ladder anymore. She ran out of the small corridor where the shrine was located and quickly scanned her surroundings. Suddenly, she froze. In front of her, where the Mipha statue once stood, there was now a newly erected statue of the knight she had been searching for, along with his best friend, Sidon, the King of the Zora. That's... She doesn't once remember Link telling her about this or practically anything.

"Ah, Princess Zelda! What a nice surprise." She heard a familiar voice call from behind her, it wasn't Link, apparent by the phrasing, and it wasn't Sidon, apparent by the accent. "You... Saw the statue, I take it?"

Ah, that's who it was, Bazz. That made a whole lot more sense than the other two did, considering Sidon would be busy around this hour, and Link wouldn't ever say something like that. 

"Yes, it's uhm... Quite the sculpture." She says light-heartedly, taking in the full view of the statue, which was, in her words 'quite the sculpture.' It was a large-scale replica of Link riding Sidon, which made her snort thinking about the way she phrased it.
 
"He said it was a 'symbol of hope, dedicated to Link', it was made the day before you two went missing underneath the castle." Bazz laughed. "I think it's a little ironic, don't you?"

Zelda merely looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"Never mind then, but it is quite funny." 

"That it is, Bazz." 

Chapter Text

"So, on the topic of the champion, I presume you're looking for him, no?" Bazz says, looking Zelda directly in the eyes.

"I was just about to ask, have you seen him lately?" She looked away to check their surroundings, the effort was futile, but she still wanted to check. 

Bazz sighed and nodded, seemingly tired of the fact he has. "Yes, he was here the other day. I think he was going to talk with Sidon the other day, but from what I know, I never saw the two hang out." 

Zelda nodded, letting out a small 'Mm.' as she did. 

"I saw him run off to Mipha Court earlier yesterday, you could try and look there if you'd like to."

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Zelda's Diary; Entry 106, 3/08/XX

It seems I've underestimated how hard it is to find Link in Zora's Domain. I've tried to ask around, but it seems as though no one has seen him except the guards, leading me to believe that he had visited at night.

Which... Is odd, for Link. Especially when he was supposedly out getting food? I have yet to ask King Sidon and his lovely wife, Yona, as I've been informed. She's quite the looker, if I must say. Seemingly all royalty is busy around these hours, excluding me, as I've run off, instead of a true royal appointment.

Truly, this bothers me. We're supposed to be at a meeting tomorrow, and I've yet to attend the ceremony in the next few days.

I'm heading off to Mipha Court after I finish writing. Goddess, do I miss her.


 -----


Sidon and Muzu were in the middle of a heated argument when a soft knock interrupted them. The sound echoed through the stone room as they both fell silent. 

"I'll get that," Sidon said, walking over to the study's door. He hesitated for a moment, then grabbed the handle and opened the door. He expected to see a guard, but instead found the Princess of Central Hyrule standing alone outside his door, without Link by her side. Sidon opened his mouth to speak but Zelda made haste and quickly stepped inside his study.

"Is Link here? Have you seen him?" Zelda entered with a barrage of questions and quickly walked around the study, pacing back and forth in front of the king's desk which made her look tiny. Sidon was taken aback by her rush of energy, sure, he had seen her energetic before The Upheaval, but this was the first time in months he had seen her besides the day she was rescued.

"I am afraid I have not, I've been too involved in politics currently, and have had no room in my schedule to make time for anyone." He answered with a surprised tone, he was one for being honest but never brutally honest. If he was to be brutally honest, there would be some bad diplomatic rivalry. 

"Mm. Okay then." She replied, waving quickly as she walked out of the study, making sure that she wouldn't slip on the slightly wet floors. As Sidon stood there surprised by the random visit, he heard Muzu mumbling angrily about Hyrule and the sort. 

After composing himself, Sidon sat back down at his desk and asked Muzu to leave the room. Once he was alone, he picked up his quill and resumed writing for the upcoming diplomatic meeting. As Muzu left, he seemed upset and threw a small tantrum, as though the king had questioned his qualifications. Sidon let out a sigh and continued to write.


-----


Zelda settled for a small amount of time, before taking the small leather book out of her bag, curious to see what was inside. She took the latch off of it with a small popping movement and flipped to the first page. It was a diary entry, similar to her own, but less legible, and a lot less organized.

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01/02/XX, Log One Of Many

Okay... I'm not sure how you start these, I've only seen a small bit of Zelda's diary from before The Calamity.

Recently, I have lost the princess again, not so much as lost, but I think I may have killed her entirely. We were under Hyrule Castle, looking for the source of a malice-fog-thing called gloom. I'm surprised no one had batted an eye at the black fog, but I guess a lot of weirder things happen in this country. I feel guilty for her disappearance, I meant to save her, I did. But as usual, I fucked up, and let her fall. And to make it worse, I didn't fall with her. Some fucking ghost saved me and now I'm stuck in another shithole plateau isolated from society with an ancient king to guide me. I don't even have my right arm, so I can't try and slit my wrists and bleed out like I did with the stupid fucking Calamity. 

Shit, that came out a lot worse than I wanted it to. I'm just angry, I guess. I don't really know how to process it, I don't think I ever have. The last time I tried, I had to be saved by a stubborn Zora Prince who's now my best friend. That night still gives me the chills, thinking about someone- especially royalty, seeing me like that makes me wanna vomit. I have an irrational fear of loss which sounds so stupid, considering I'm supposedly the embodiment of Faror and her courage, and I don't quite get it, but that's the way things turned out.

I guess I don't wanna lose my best friend. I don't think I've ever had a friend like him, he's always welcoming. I'm excited, and also fucking terrified to get out of here and get to the domain again. I've been out for around a month, according to Rauru, so I can't imagine that anyone wouldn't been worried about us two, but it's also hard to wrap my head around the fact people care about me. I can't imagine what it would be like for Zelda.

-----


She turns the page with a concerned expression,

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1/16/XX, Entry Two, I think?

I fucked up, I forgot to write here. 

I don't get it, why did this all happen?

Is this a punishment?

I just wanted to help people, but I managed to kill the princess and let disaster fall upon the country I alone was supposed to serve. Rito Village was practically destroyed in a blizzard, and I wasn't there to help. Now everyone there was dying of starvation and I couldn't do shit.

I mean, I did, but I feel responsible. I killed Hylia's heir. This is the response I get from her.

I let a child help me. A fucking child. Tulin is strong, and obviously, there's trust, but I just- I don't know.

The domain is next in line for my help, goddess, I'm fucked. My best friend lives there, and I let him and his entire kingdom down. It makes sense. I deserve it.


On... Better (?) news, I managed to get the champion's tunic back. Zelda had repaired it before... This happened. I also managed to get a bunch of hair bands, so my hair won't get tangled again anytime soon. Epona's doing well, she's just shaken from the events that transpired this past month.


-----

She flips a page again.

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1/20/XX, Entry Three (I shouldn't have written this.)

He's married. He's married and he didn't tell me!

I'm his best friend! I have the right to know! I've known him for 3 years- That's.. Actually not that long.

Fuck. I'm an idiot. I should've known that he would have had secrets. Still, my point stands, I seem dead for a month, and as soon as I come back, his 'childhood friend' whom I've never heard of is married to him. What the fuck?

To rub salt in a wound full of vinegar, he built a statue of us the day before me and Zelda went missing. I didn't have a clue that it was there, and his fucking fiance only knew me from the statue. She doesn't deserve what I'm saying, I think I'm insane.

It's so stupid. I relapsed because of this? This? Of all things, this drove me back.█│

Why am I so mad?

║█│█│║║█│█│║█, is that it? Am I ║█│║█║█│?


I'm hopeless.


-----

 
Zelda just sat there after reading it, the blurry smudged bits were made by tears. She didn't know that Link had felt like this. He thought she had died.

"Shit."
 

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It was the evening when she had reached Mipha Court. Zelda was practically stomping up the steep hill with how worried she was, the wet grass not helping as she slipped a few times running. Mipha Court seemed like a weird place for Link to be without anyone else around, as Link felt heavily uncomfortable talking about Mipha in terms of diplomacy. The large pools forming the Zora crest around the statue that was previously in the domain reflected a pale orange as if they were glowing, it was beautiful, Zora architecture. It didn't come as a surprise Link loved this region so much now that she was staring at the area, even with the fact he had grown up here for a few years before The Calamity. The area was warmer than the domain, presumably because of the heavy spiritual context. When she turned the corner around the statue, Link was sitting on the ledge with his legs in the water, not focused on anything.

"Link?" Zelda called out from the other side of the pool, the champion jumped as his name was called out, his body tensing before quickly sighing. Zelda furrowed her brows and took off her boots, getting water on her was practically second nature at this point. "Are you alright?"

"Huh? Yeah." Link replied with a confused face.

"I'm just... I read your diary. The first three pages at least." She strode across the pool to sit down next to him, elbows resting on her knees.

"Oh... So you know?" Link hissed through his teeth.

"About your relapse, yeah." 

"That's- Mhm." Link looked to the side, swallowing a lump in his throat. "It was immature."

The two went silent before Zelda opened her mouth again.

"I'm going to talk to Sidon tomorrow after the meeting," Zelda said monotonously. "He deserves to know what he caused."

 Link's eyes widened before his expression soured. "You won't."

The princess turned to him before she stood up again, her hands clenched against her sides.

"Then you're telling him now. That's an order."

Fuck.

Chapter Text

"Sidon!" Zelda yelled through the study door, glass carries sound, and she was well aware. She was gripping Link's arm pretty aggressively as she ran down the hallways. 

"Zel- We really don't need to do this right now!" He hissed at her.

The door opened abruptly, and Sidon turned his attention to the two people standing outside. Zelda appeared to be very frustrated, while Link seemed terrified. It was clear that their presence was unexpected. Yelling does attract the attention of people from modest cultures.

"Goddess- Link! Are you alright?" He quickly crouched down, concerned as to why Link was being dragged to his doorway. Link was frozen, just simply nodding.

"He came here to tell you something," Zelda said blankly, handing Link's diary to its rightful owner. Link shakily took the book from her, opening it to the third page, as he stared behind Sidon to avoid eye contact. He gripped it harder when he realized that he was now directly looking at Yona, the subject of that page. He looks away as soon as she notices the three, and he quickly shoves the page in Sidon's direction. Sidon moves back a bit in shock, but he softly takes it from Link's hands, turning it around to read it. A moment of silence that feels like the century Link was asleep passes, and Sidon is still looking at the page. Link is fighting tears, forcing himself to stay silent like he has his entire life. It's entirely impossible to tell what Sidon is thinking, and it's making it worse seeing Yona occasionally pass by to organize books in the study. The notebook looks tiny in Sidon's hands, and he has to squint to read Link's writing. His expression finally changes into something that looks disappointed, yet sad.

"I see, thank you." He finally stands after handing the diary back to Link. He walks back into his study before shutting the doors, and Link swears he overhears a new conversation blossoming between Sidon and Yona. 

-----

Link has never felt more like a bag of shit in his life. He just ruined another good thing in his life because of his problems, that makes for a new diary entry, doesn't it? So there he is, sitting at a small desk in the guest quarters of Zora's Domain, quill hovering over the paper while the ink dries up. 

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3/09/XX, Entry 53

Zelda had to do it.

No, I guess it's more my fault. I wrote that stupid page. I don't know what the future is supposed to hold for me, and I don't think I ever wanna find out. Zelda's off planning the diplomatic meeting with Sidon and the others now. I don't deserve this room, I never did.

Does this make me one of the weird stalkers from the Sidon Fan Club? Do I miss him to the extent that it's creepy? It feels like I lost him so long ago, but we only parted yesterday.

I just hope that when I die, no one publishes this diary as like... An autobiography or something. That would be too embarrassing, "Hero of Hyrule is a Stupid Self-Harming Twink, In Love With Zora King Who's Married, Now On Shelves!"

Oh shit. 


-----

Link was early to the meeting, and sat down next to Zelda, who was at the head seat on the end of the table. He hadn't looked at the seating chart all too well, so all he knew was that he was next to Zelda.

"I'm sorry." Zelda sighed and apologized before continuing. "I... That was wrong of me. I shouldn't have made you do that, I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me."

Link took it to heart, but snorted and apologized before responding. "Please stop talking like Sidon, and I'll forgive you."

Zelda laughed, knowing this was his equivalent of forgiving. 

"Alright, alright. But maybe not, next thing you know, I'll be ten feet tall and have two dicks." She kept laughing, but when she noticed Link's confusion, she stopped.

"What?" He responded with a confused smile on his face, her joke was funny to him, but he was a little confused.

"Uhm... So... I do anatomy studies, right?" She continued. "I don't do physical research! I promise if that's what you're concerned about, but I did do a Zora study about last year, and there are more Zora types than I thought. And- Okay, this is gonna be awkward; but, ahem... Sidon's type, the shark variety is... Double equipped, to put it blankly." 

Link listened intently, and snorted a few times when she was frantically explaining she had not seen 'Sidon's equipment' although he heard the last part, he had to blink twice to make sure he heard it right. He stayed silent for a few moments before his breath hitched. However, thinking about it was not helping, and he became increasingly flustered.

"Are you- Oh my goddess." She gasped and started to laugh. "Are you into Sidon?"

"What- No! It's just weird to hear your other best friend talk about another best friend's junk!" It came out a lot more frantic than Link wanted it to, and of course, he suddenly felt the chills go up his arms. 

"You're lying, aren't you?" Zelda smirked.

"I am not! I mean- I don't know. I thought about it for a while, but I just... He's attractive, I'm not saying he isn't, but I don't think I'm gay." Link shrugged, to tell the truth, he had never thought about it, he had questioned not having a girlfriend, or having no crushes in general. "And he's married so, that's that."

"Is it, though? You're always talking about the little movements in this domain. And you never talk about women." Link stopped and thought for a minute.

"Fuck- Zelda, that's-" A knock on the door brought them back to reality, and he quickly rushed over to get the door, to be greeted by Riju. 

"You look... Tired." She says, with an expression that leads Link to believe she's joking, it's hard to tell, honestly. Fourteen-year-olds are really hard to read. Buliara excuses her behavior, but Link just shrugs it off. Buliara goes to guard the door, or, at least stands there. 


------


Link felt like the meeting was rigged. Sidon was seated right in front of him and he was forced to pay attention to Zelda and Purah's diagrams. However, every time Sidon was focused on the meeting, Link found himself staring at him, something he usually failed to notice. After their previous conversation, he became aware of his behavior and knew it wasn't welcome. So, he would quickly look away and check if Yona had noticed it. Meetings are boring when you don't know what's happening, trading was definitely Link's least favorite kind of meeting.

That meeting, however, was shorter than usual. Excessive planning ahead and less stock than usual meant for a pretty snappy meeting. When everything was resolved, Link was helping Zelda clean up, purposely avoiding the area where Sidon was. Sometimes Zelda would glare at Link while they were cleaning up, which made Link slightly frightened, but also would make him laugh. 

"Link." Zelda crouched down to where Link was picking up a small pile of paper bits that had fallen when Purah ripped pages of plans out of her book. "Link!" 

"Ah- Yeah?" Link had zoned out for a while, apparently. 

Zelda sighed and rubbed her forehead. "Are you going to come to the dining hall?"

Oh, right, dining hall. Link was supposed to cook dinner for everyone at the meeting, how had he forgotten? 

"Yeah, sorry." He stood up, immediately grabbing his bag of supplies.

The kitchen was thoroughly packed, emitting a sigh from Link. Zora chefs were running practically everywhere Link tried to turn. Ultimately, Link chose to just cook outside, silently escaping from the kitchen with all the extra supplies he needed. 

Chapter Text

Dinner is easy. Dinner is always easy.

Anything that said otherwise would immediately be buried inside Link’s subconscious.

—

Link sat beside Zelda, his usual placement during events, to further convey his importance. The dinner table was extremely loud, with Yona taking the lead of the conversation, frequently answering questions about her and Sidon’s new marriage, something that bothered Link visibly.

Yona spoke carefully and politely, like Impa’s speech pattern, but younger, and softer.

“So, Riju. I hear that the Yiga Clan attacked recently?” She asked as Riju held up a finger to signal she needed a second to talk.

“Mm. Yes, they did. But luckily, thanks to Link,” Riju takes her butter knife, flicking it towards Link, who receives a splotch of brown sauce on his cheek. “They did not succeed.”

Link wipes it off his face with a thumb as Riju continues.

“According to Link, Kohga is quite the charmer!” She chuckles, covering her mouth with her hand, Link responds with an offended look.

“I said no such thing! If anything, I said he was quite the opposite.” Link huffs, but quickly breaks his character by laughing. “Like a- Lab creation…?”

Purah offers another offended face at the suggestion Master Kohga could compare to a lab creation, quickly going back to eating with a small mutter. Yona pushes her chair out with a small screech, standing up and walking to one side of the room to open a drink cabinet.

“Would anyone like drinks?” She opens the cabinet, asking the entire room.

Link looks back to the table as the leaders ask for specific wines, rums, and meads. He scans the people in the room, left to right. He goes from Purah to Teba, to… Sidon. Link takes a pause as he sees the Zora King answering questions from Tulin, the young Rito boy directly across from him, and laughing. Link scans him from the newly received crown, to the way he’s gently twirling the enlarged fork in his hands. He thinks back to what Zelda said, and exactly why he misses specifically Sidon’s company when he’s traveling.

“Link?” Zelda elbows him. “Link!”

Link jumps and responds. “Wha- What?”

Zelda points to Yona, who in turn laughs lightheartedly.

“What would you like to drink, champion?” Link scowls internally at the name, knowing Sidon always used it for him but gives her an answer anyway.

“I uh- I don’t drink.” That was a complete and utter lie, Link drank in Gerudo Town multiple times in the past couple of months. The last time he did, he went on an angry drunk rant about politics from the Lanayru region.

“Can’t you spare today? You are free from your current duties, are you not?” Yona retorts, in a statement that made too much sense to argue with. She smiles. “I think it’ll do you some good.”

Link tried to open his mouth to respond, but like he almost always does, he takes pause and stays silent. Yona grabs a few bottles, but most notably a gold one, that she sets apart from the rest and opens. She picks it up and the bottle reflects the same color as her scales, she starts to pour the liquid into a small cup, the gold filling the bottom of the cup, slowly rising towards the middle. Yona holds it still before sliding it down to the opposite end of the table toward Link, who flinches when it sits perfectly in front of him.

“Sundelion wine.” She continues to pour the different drinks while handing them off. “Sidon bought it a while back for you, but he didn’t get the chance to give it to you.”

Link hums in response, but looks at Sidon, who offers a sheepish glance to him and back at Yona. Link looks at with subtle anguish, the wine. The liquor sparkles under the lighting, letting off a notable shimmer. He wraps his hand around the glass hesitantly, but quickly brings it to his mouth. He pauses before he tips it into his mouth when he notices that Sidon is staring at him, Link quickly looks back and drinks the wine. The flavor of strong alcohol immediately hits his tongue, and he almost gags it back up. Once the alcohol goes past his tongue, he can taste the drink clearly, a floral, fancy, yet sweet-like honey flavor.

The drink seemed exactly like something Sidon would buy him, some sort of oddly expensive, yet welcoming gift. It’s a thought that makes him smile, something that makes him feel better, something that brings warmth to his cheeks.

—-

Something that brings warmth to his cheeks definitely fits. Three drinks later and he’s already out on the balcony with another one in his hands, his cheeks burnt like they were going to burst out in flames any second.

He stares out over the hills that surround Zora’s Domain like they are the only thing keeping him sane. Link hears the door open and immediately turns around to see Sidon standing there hesitantly. Link looks around Sidon to see if Yona’s there, yet ultimately his attempt is futile. He points towards Sidon accusingly with the hand his drink is in, before opening his mouth and being cut off.

“Link,” Sidon speaks up, taking his hand off the door, and shutting it. “I... I wanted to apologize.”

Link hums in response, blinking slowly. Sidon sighs, obviously not as susceptible to alcohol as Link is. He walks over to where Link is leaning on the balcony edge, and leans down too, to get on Link’s level.

“I know you won’t remember this after you… Recover.” He pauses. “But I feel as though I need to apologize. How I have treated you today, especially with your situation, is not how anyone should be treated.”

Link raises an eyebrow at this, leaning his head up to look at the Zora.

“I hope that you-“ Link cuts him off by flicking his arm.

“Shush.” Link laughs. “You do this all the time- And it wasn’t even your fault.”

Link takes another swig of the alcohol, clears his throat, and continues.

“I wrote that. I- It’s... I was mad that-“ He hiccups. “That you… hadn’t bothered to tell me.”

Sidon pauses before he smiles, reaching over to grab Link’s hands, who sets the wine next to him on the railing of the balcony and speaks again.

“You’ve had too much to drink, my friend.”  The two final words sting even when drunk. Link picks up his glass to take another swig.

“Mm.”

It’s quiet, not silent. There is still the sound of rushing water, the sound of rustling trees, the sound of talking, and the recognizable sound of music. Sidon sighs and reaches over towards Link’s cup, gently taking it out of his hands and encompassing it in his. He crouches down and softly sets it on the ground, careful not to break it, but some spills over onto his hand and the ground. Sidon stands back up with his hand in front of him, and brings it to his mouth, sniffing it as he does. His face retracts at the scent of liquor.

“Goddess, this is quite strong- No question you’re tired.” Link scoffs at this, pushing off of the railing but quickly stumbling over. Sidon grabs Link’s arm instinctively, pulling him back up. “You need to sleep.”

“I do not need to- I’m fine!” Link tries to sound mean, but combined with the slurred speech and tired hiccups, he ultimately fails. “..Fuck.”

Link yawns and stands successfully this time, grabbing back onto the railing with his back to Sidon. He steals a few glances at Sidon before deciding to find a bench. The bench that sits directly on one side of the door seems like a viable option to sit down on, and Link makes his way towards it.

“You need to sleep, Link,”  Sidon speaks up, turning to face Link, who is halfway through walking to the bench.

“That’s what I’m doing.” And with that, Link sits down on the bench.

Sidon sighs once again and follows Link to the bench. When he sits down, Link has already rested his head against the wall, uncomfortably so. It’s silent for a moment more, when Link sits up and readjusts, he tries to blink his sleep away, but even with his attempt to stay awake, his head nods downward repeatedly. Sidon shifts and notices that Link has fallen asleep on him, his hair catching on Sidon’s scales.

Sidon lets out a laugh under his breath, slowly lifting his arm to move it. He can’t seem to find a position comfortable enough, inevitably standing up, holding Link’s head, careful to not wake him up. As his hands spread out over the short Hylian’s face, he remembers just how small Link truly is, unusual for his strength. His body stops motion, thinking about the situation, mind deciding between picking Link up, or letting him be. Typical for Sidon, he chooses the selfless option, at least that’s what he believes.

He keeps one hand under Link’s head, the other wrapping around his lower torso, scooping him up like a small creature in the hands of a giant, which is easy to do when you’re twice the size of the person you’re carrying. Link is light, and easier to carry than a Zora, who are usually clad in heavy silver jewelry and armor. Sidon holds Link as he starts to walk towards the balcony door, easily sliding it open with his arm.

He earns a few stares as he walks by, not enough to bring attention to him, but slight glances and glares that he would usually receive. He steps out of the dining hall with a small bow while raising his hand, a sign among the Zora of an acknowledgment. He scurries down the hallway, apologizing to the guards when he would startle them. Sidon reaches the large doorway to his personal quarters and pushes the door open with his knee, keeping Link stable in his arms.

The room is spacious, with a door that leads to the bathroom, a large sleeping pool in the far left corner that has a layered water fountain pouring into it, a waterbed, located to the right side, placed in case of guests or other emergencies, and other useful furniture in unused parts of the room. Sidon takes a small glance at Link, who appears to still be fast asleep, and walks over to the waterbed, setting him down gently to not wake him. Sidon sighs and stands back up, starting to speak.

“Rest well, my friend.” With that, Sidon walks to his door, takes one last glance, opens the door, and makes his way back to the dining hall's gathering.

—--

As Link slowly awakens, he can feel a grogginess that can only be attributed to the fermented sundelions he indulged in the night before. The air in the room feels thick and heavy with moisture, giving it a humid and almost oppressive quality. As he opens his eyes, he takes in his surroundings, recognizing the room as one he has visited once or twice before. Its glass construction allows sound to carry easily, and he can hear every creak and rustle with startling clarity.

Sidon's room.

There's a distant sound of chatter, water, and owls that carry their songs inside, all of which sound distorted due to the prolonged alcohol. He forces his body to sit up using his elbows and turns over toward the edge of the bed. The bed ripples in turn with Link's movements, his feet touching the cold ground. When Link prepares to stand up, there's a sudden knock at the door. Link struggles to get on the bed while trying to hide drunkenly, his feet slipping on the moist floor in the dark. The door opens, and Link freezes.

"You're awake." Sidon holds the heavy door, adorned with luminous glass engravings there. "I wasn't... Hm."

Link blinks, barely being able to see the king through the dark and the alcohol in his system. Sidon takes another step forward, a light blue hue on his face as he enters the room, letting go of the door slowly. The window shines light on his face and crest, his scales pearlescent in the light. Sidon steps quickly towards the waterbed, the steps dampened by his feet that fail to move correctly. Link backs up slightly when Sidon gets closer.

"Link- I... I need to talk to you-" Sidon moves a knee onto the bed clumsily, and it's far too clear he's intoxicated. The waterbed shifts under Sidon's weight, sending Link not far backward.

"..Yeah?" Link is breathless, the fact that Sidon’s towering over him not helping.

The two stare at each other, getting no response from the other. Sidon glances to the door and back to Link, and offers a relieved smile as a response, moving his hand down next to Link to support himself. Link blinks, he doesn’t have a clue what’s happening, all he knows is that he doesn't mind it. Sidon sighs and leans down, his lips gently brushing against Link’s, eliciting a gasp from the Hylian under him. Link questions himself when he swallows his pride and gives in, quickly grasping as much of Sidon’s head-fins as he can, pulling him closer. Sidon makes a wheezing noise at this, which in turn causes Link to drop him. The kiss becomes more rushed at this, the thick fog of need enveloping the air. Link breaks the kiss apart with a small shove to speak.

“You don’t taste as much like fish as I would imagine.” He laughs.

”Well, we’ll see.” Sidon gives a sly response, accompanied by a smirk.

”What?” Link lets out a small, awkward laugh.

Sidon gives Link a ‘You know exactly what I mean’ look. Link goes entirely flush, his hand instinctively going to his mouth. Sidon grabs the wrist that hovers over Link’s face gently, setting his hand aside with his own, keeping it there. Link bites the inside of his lip, taking a good look at the door before looking back at Sidon, who leans back down, pressing another kiss to Link’s cheek, drawing that kiss down to his jawline. Link lets another soft gasp out at this, his breathing shaky again. He gasps out, almost coming out as a yelp when Sidon bites. It wasn’t hard enough to pierce fully through his skin, but it left a small mark on Link’s jaw when he pulled back.

Link pushes Sidon back slightly, holding up a finger as he grasps the edge of his tunic with his other hand, leaving just the seaweed-green turtleneck underneath. He tosses the tunic aside, quickly fumbling with the belt on his trousers, eventually unbuckling it and kicking his pants off along with his boots.

”Fuck it.”