escordvi | log 🌻 in the absence of sunshine

Entry tags:

darin altway,
zelda

log 🌻 in the absence of sunshine

Who: Zelda and Darin
Status: Closed
Where: Zelda's apartment on Eltrut
What: (Backdated to August 15) The aftermath of their fight with Ganondorf the previous night.
Warnings: Major injury, probably some PTSD, and other such warnings that come with hurt/comfort threads (edit: now with themes of self sacrifice, self loathing, and some surprise UST 🌶️)

[ These past twenty-four hours have been the longest, slowest hours Zelda has had to wait through in a very long time. After her century sealing Calamity Ganon, the princess has developed patience in spades-- in stark contrast to how she was before the Calamity. But now, that patience seems to have evaporated and she feels just like that girl she once was, standing impatiently for hours in the Goddess's springs straining to hear Her voice. Time passes with agonizing slowness, and each hour that Darin does not wake feels somehow slower than the last.

Zelda has seen firsthand how quickly his injuries heal, no matter how severe. When she rescued him from the ocean after his fight with Garuda, it took less than an hour for his broken bones to heal. So although the severity of the injuries he sustained from their fight with Ganondorf were deeply upsetting to Zelda, she expected him to heal through the worst of them before the following dawn.

But that wasn't the case. When dawn came, not only did his injuries barely look any better, but he hadn't hadn't regained consciousness. Dawn turned to day to afternoon to dusk and to night again and still Darin did not wake.

Throughout those long, long hours, there was nothing Zelda could do but wait. Wait and try to treat his wounds as she would anyone else's. She cleaned and bandaged his injuries as best she could, and at least that helped set her mind slightly at ease. She didn't know why this was taking so long, but she could care for him through that time. Goddess knows she had done so for Link countless times in the past.

But first aid only went as far as normal wounds. It was all but useless for treating Gloom burns. Usually, the cure for Gloom sickness was sunlight; Gloom faded away in the light and a person's vitality returned over time. Zelda had never seen Gloom burns before she and Link found the corpse of the Demon King below Hyrule Castle. She had an idea how to treat them-- a poultice made of sundelions might work like a concentrated salve of sunlight. But there are no sundelions in this world and the process for trying to fish for them through the rift was tricky and time consuming. And even if it wasn't, Zelda couldn't risk leaving Darin alone. If something happened... If she wasn't here...

These are the thoughts that have gone round and round in her mind all day, interspersed among memories of that fight with Ganondorf. Everything he said. Everything he did. How even the combined efforts of Darin, Ranma, and Zelda were barely enough to injure him at all. She couldn't get these thoughts out of her head.

Now it's nighttime again. Zelda has barely eaten and she has staunchly avoided sleep-- not just because Darin is on her bed, but because if something were to happen and she was not here beside him.... Well, she wasn't willing to risk that. But after twenty four sleepless hours, even anxiety isn't strong enough to keep her awake. The princess finally nods off sometime in the middle of the night, sitting in her chair at the bedside and leaning against the edge of the bed, her head against his shoulder so that, if he shifts, the movement will wake her. ]

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[ Oh.

Oh, she... she wildly misunderstood what he meant by "sleep together" ...

Oh...

Zelda sees him start to turn and hastily schools her expression as he looks back over his shoulder at her. She feels the small urge to call him out on his assumption that she's going to hate him in the morning, but that urge is so completely dwarfed by the absolute mortification she feels that it's little more than a blade of grass in a wide open field.

It's all she can manage just to answer him at all. ]

G-Goodnight...

[ As she turns her head to stare up at the ceiling, she feels a lump of disappointment sink in her stomach.

...

Well then.

She certainly has a few things to think about, doesn't she?

...

... She's never going to fall asleep. ]

[Gods she sounds mortified. Why wouldn't she be? She's a princess and she's forced to share a bed with his big, stupid, half-dead frame. If he had the strength he'd get up and leave right now.]

[Even though after everything she's endured he doesn't want to leave her alone...]

[But gods, he's going to have to make this up to her! He can't sleep like this and judging from her breathing, neither can she!]

[With a huff, he rolls onto his back so that they're shoulder to shoulder. It's tight and they're both practically hanging off the opposite sides of the bed. It'd probably be more comfortable if they got closer but that's not happening with this tension...]

[Come on Darin, think...you gotta dispel the tension. Take her mind off of having to share a bed with you.]

[...An idea pops into his head.]

...So did you know that Ranma changes into a girl when he gets wet before the fight started or did you think Ganondorf punched him so hard he sprouted boobs?

[Look, he's worried about Ranma too and this is the first thing that popped into his head.]

[ Zelda initially expects "goodnight" to be the end of things, so when he rolls onto his back, she looks over at him in confusion. Did he change his mind...?

Of all the things she might have expected to hear from Darin, a question about Ranma's breasts is not one of them. ]

Ranma?

[ She can practically feel the exertion of switching gears in her mind as the conversation takes a complete 180°. ]

I... I hadn't even thought about it.

[ But she sure is now. Not only because it was really jarring to see Ranma transformed into a petite girl with a significant bust, but because Zelda would rather think about anything other than how dramatically she misunderstood Darin's meaning when he suggested "sleeping together."

Zelda's brows draw together. ] Wait a minute, you said he changes into a girl when he gets wet? How is that possible?

I think he said something about a curse? I was pretty shocked when I found out too.

[Oh thank gods, she seems to be focusing on the topic. Okay, he can work with this. As long as she doesn't hate him after this, he'll happily make it up to her in the morning.]

[He laughs a bit and lets his head fall to the side, facing her.]

We were looking for that ghost pirate treasure a couple of months back. He fell into the water and changed which was...crazy. I didn't focus on it too much, though. Ranma is Ranma after all.

[With the tension starting to ease, he yawns.]

Plus, there were ghosts...and I'm kinda terrified of ghosts...

[ Goddess bless Darin for changing the subject. Zelda will absolutely take it with both hands and run with it until she can rid herself of this awful self conscious awkwardness settling into her mind.

Zelda gives an understanding nod of her head at the remark "Ranma is Ranma after all." He (she?) (they?) certainly is something... Zelda's every interaction with him has been strange, but not in an unpleasant way. He's just... unusual. 'Cursed to turn into a girl when wet' somehow feels par for the course with him. ]

A ghost pirate treasure? [ Zelda is unaware that she actually already knows what Darin is talking about, despite the fact that this occurred before she arrived here. ] What were you doing looking for that if you are afraid of ghosts?

[ He did mention something like this on the day of their big falling out, but Zelda wasn't entirely clear if he meant he was scared of all ghosts or just the one of his brother? ]

[He snorts and scratches at his nose.]

I uh...I heard 'treasure' and didn't really read the rest of the posting...it seemed like an adventure so I kinda went for it...

[He laughs and gives Zelda a sheepish grin. It seemed like she was feeling a little more at ease which, to Darin, meant that he could relax a bit.]

[He turns a little more to face her.]

But...Ranma was there and we managed to return the treasure to the pirate's widower so the place could stop being haunted. Ghosts aside...it was kinda fun.

[He yawns again. With the tension dispelling, his body is beginning to feel heavy. Absently, he reaches down and grabs the blanket and pulls it up partway over Zelda, as if wordlessly coaxing her to start drifting off as well.]

[ Zelda laughs along with him, feeling some of her awkward tension start to fade. It's amazing how easy it is to slip back into that comfortable companionship she has come to feel with Darin. It's one of the reasons why she always fights with him, to pull him back to this feeling when his own insecurities push him to sabotage their friendship.

She rolls onto her side and faces him, folding one arm beneath her head to support it. All the adrenaline in her blood is evaporating and without it to fuel her, thirty six hours' worth of exhaustion is taking hold. ]

So, if getting wet turns him into a girl, does drying off turn him back into a boy? [ She asks sleepily as Darin pulls part of the blanket over her. ]

No...I think it's...temperature based? Cold water turns him into a girl and hot water into a boy...

Not exactly what I'd consider a 'curse' but...not everyone can be born with a demon god inside of them...

[There's no self-deprecation in his voice as he muses about the nature of 'curses.' Honestly, it's thanks to his 'curse' that he's even alive right now— twice he's been cut down and should have died. And twice now he pulled through. This time, however, he feels a strange sort of accomplishment.]

[As he looks at Zelda, as the tension melts away and begins to give way to much needed slumber, he's thankful that his 'curse' has afforded him the opportunity to be here.]

[His 'curse' allowed him to save her.]

[And maybe it's the flashes of fever or the exhaustion, but he feels a certain heat wash over his face and seep into his chest.]

[Gods...she's really beautiful isn't she...]

[That's the last thing he remembers thinking as their conversation melts into a blur. A patchwork of half-remembered words and anecdotes as they talk like schoolmates at a slumber party. Like friends telling secrets in the night...words that will only be half-remembered by them when they awake.]

[At some point, Darin only barely remembers muttering something to the extent of 'come here'; beckoning Zelda a little closer so they could sleep more comfortably. And that was that.]

--- --- --- ---

[Late the next morning, or rather almost-noon, Darin awakes as sunlight streaming in from Zelda's window catches his face. He reaches up to rub at his eyes with his one hand, the other only slightly pinned by Zelda's sleeping form. As the sleep clears from his mind, he recalls the events of the previous night. He wipes his hand over his brow and is thankful to realize he's no longer sweating profusely; the fever apparently broke. He looks down to see Zelda sleeping, nuzzled against him, and that heat rushes back almost immediately to his face.]

[Oh gods, that's right. We slept in the same bed. Gods she's never going to forgive me!]

[Hopefully, she's still fast asleep. Enough that he can slip out of the bed without waking her. When he does, he hurriedly tucks her back in to keep her from waking, then tiptoes out of the bedroom.]

[He glances around, scratching at his stomach. All at once, his stomach growls loud enough that Darin peeks back into the bedroom to make sure it didn't wake Zelda up. Gods, he hadn't eaten since two nights ago before they infiltrated the Desert Wind.]

[...Well, since Zelda was out cold, the least he could do was start making food. Hopefully a nice brunch will ease the expected repercussions of sharing a bed with her. With a grin, Darin begins raiding her pantry and fridge.]

[Before long, the scent of breakfast begins to fill the apartment and should Zelda awaken to see what's going on, she'll find Darin sashaying in front of the stove. He's eaten half a loaf of bread's worth of toast and is currently alternating between bites of an apple and half of an omelette while simultaneously stacking pancakes. He's using his torn coat as an apron which...considering he's not wearing a shirt is probably a hell of a sight.]

[ Zelda is usually an early riser, not because she has a particular affinity for morning time, but because ever since being freed from the seal, she's found it difficult to sleep for more than five or six hours at a time. It's as though her body has a century's worth of sleep surplus.

But today, morning comes and goes and Zelda is still out cold. She has been in a deep, dreamless sleep ever since she nodded off somewhere in the middle of a conversation she and Darin were having. She doesn't react at all when he leaves the bed and any noise he makes in the kitchen goes completely unheard.

It's the familiar smell of breakfast that finally rouses Zelda from her sleep.

Waking up is like swimming to the surface from the depths of a lake. Her mind feels sluggish, her memories hazy and distant, like she's waking from a deep dream. Zelda remains curled up under the blanket with her eyes closed, allowing her sense to slowly wake. What happened last night to make her sleep so heavily? All she can remember is a vague sense of feeling warm and secure while she slept.

As she tries to jog her tired mind into wakefulness, her nose once again catches the scent of breakfast.

Goddess, she must have really overslept if Link is up before her. Zelda opens her eyes and throws off the blanket--

--the room that greets her is not the loft of the home she shares in Hateno with Link.

This is her apartment on Eltrut.

Zelda can't help but deflate a little. This isn't the first time since arriving here that she's woken up thinking she was at home and this whole mad world was just a dream. It happened in ancient Hyrule too.

She sniffs. But wait, if she's not in Hateno, then why does it smell like breakfast?

She climbs out of the bed and heads towards the kitchen, wondering if she somehow sleepwalked and started cooking herself breakfast. But once she sees the kitchen, the answer-- as well as her memories of the previous two nights-- hits her like a brick. The Desert Wind, the battle with Ganondorf, the frantic escape, Darin...

Darin, who, as last Zelda recalls, was so weak from his injuries and fever that he could barely stand, is happily cooking up a storm in her kitchen with what looks like half of the contents of her pantry and icebox.

For a minute, Zelda just watches him. The sight is simultaneously incredibly familiar and completely foreign that her sleepy mind is having trouble rationalizing it. Is it possible that she's still asleep? Is she so homesick that her subconscious is trying to craft something familiar out of the strange mismatch of people and experiences Zelda has lived in this world?

But no, she's awake. This is real.

(If she was still dreaming, Darin would probably be wearing a proper shirt rather than a makeshift apron made out of his poor torn coat.) ]

Good morning. [ She offers as she approaches.

Darin will find the princess looking uncharacteristically disheveled. Her face is mussed and blotchy from crying last night, her short hair in tangles and one half of her braid crown completely undone. Her clothes are rumpled and soiled, stained here and there with blood from treating Darin's injuries. But despite this, she looks tranquil and well rested. ]

[Darin jolts and almost misses catching a flipping pancake. Hurriedly, he snaps the plate with the stack beneath the airborne flapjack and manages to catch it right atop the tower of fluffy carbs. He whips around, cheeks puffed up from food and half a slice of toast with a fried egg sticking out of his mouth looking both pleased to see her and surprised as if he were caught red-handed raiding her kitchen.]

M-Mmf! Gff mrnnin—

[Wait, he places the plate and pan down and turns the burner off before finishing his toast and egg in two large bites. He thumps his chest, forcing it down, the act of which showcasing just how much better he's doing. The wound is closed up and no longer seems at risk of reopening and while the gloom still flares at the edges of the wound, its spread is not nearly as dramatic as it was for the thirty six or so hours.]

[Darin downs a glass of juice to clear his throat.]

G-Good morning...! How are you feeling...?

[He's a little nervous; after all he expects Zelda to be cross with him for imposing so heavily on her personal space. But...he can't help but let his eyes wander over her disheveled appearance. Despite the stains on her clothes...most of which were his fault, there was something...something about her. It was this strange sense of domesticated bliss permeating the air. It almost felt like...]

[Like...lovers after their first night together.]

[Darin hurriedly dismisses the thought with a rapid shake of his head, doing his level best to force the color from his cheeks.]

I uh...I hope you don't mind but I made us some food...

[He gestures to her table where there's two plates set. And a...little 'thank you' card? That he made for her? It's nothing more than a folded up piece of notebook paper but it reads 'Thank you for saving my life and also for tending to my wounds.' And it has a little smiley Darin face surrounded by swords and flowers.]

[He moves to the table and begins to serve up pancakes and eggs and toast, sparing her glances repeatedly, trying to gauge her reaction.]

[ Zelda chuckles softly as she watches Darin's impressive juggling act in her kitchen. Well, he certainly seems to be feeling better. Her gaze drops to his chest and she carefully examines what she can see of his injury. It looks much better than it did yesterday, fully closed and well on its way to healing, much more consistent with what she knows of Darin's usual rate of recovery. The Gloom poisoning seems to be lessening as well. Thank goodness... ]

I am feeling much better, thank you.

[ And she looks it too, in spite of her mussiness. She's back to her usual bright eyed, amiable self... albeit still a bit on the foggy side from how long she slept. Whatever displeasure Darin expected to find in her countenance is absent; she looks as comfortable in his presence as she normally does.

Zelda turns towards the dining room table, adorned in a yellow tablecloth sewn with a cheery sunflower motif. As she sees the two place settings upon it, she's suddenly hit with an overwhelming wave of nostalgia. Suddenly, it isn't her Eltrut apartment before her eyes, but the house in Hateno, with its square table set for two and Link setting down dishes heaped with food he cooked for them.

Her hand rises to her chest and she looks from the table to Darin, eyes wide with astonishment. He... He made breakfast for her? And the food he's prepared, it looks so much like something Link would make. She hasn't eaten anything like this since before she came here-- no, since before she was sent back in time. Zelda's cooking skills are basic at best and ancient Hyrulean cuisine does not include things like pancakes. ]

You... you made all this? For me?

[ Most people probably wouldn't be so moved by a surprise breakfast. But Zelda looks at it like Darin has just spread the wealth of nations in front of her. For the moment, she's too stunned to even sit down. ]

[Darin tilts his head, puzzled by the question.]

I...yeah? Of course I did...

[Why wouldn't he? Even if he felt he didn't have a mountain of things to apologize for (which he knows he does), she took care of him when he seemed like he could die at any moment. And even besides that, she really exhausted herself, not just in the fight but in watching over him. Not to mention her grief over Sonia...]

You...You spent a lot of strength fighting Ganondorf and then looking after me. And considering...erm...

[He doesn't want to bring up Sonia's death by name so he tries his best to allude to it.]

...Sometimes when you're feeling sad the best thing you can do for yourself is eat a good meal.

[With her plate served, Darin pulls her chair out for her politely, smiling bashfully.]

I uh...I hope you don't mind but I've been grazing on food ever since I started cooking. Apparently eating helps me heal up quicker so...

I'll replace everything I used up, by the way...

[She seems in a good mood but gods he'd give anything for her to give him a clearer sign of her state of mind towards him.]

[You know what? Screw it. Honest with each other, and all that, right?]

I um...Zelda, I'm...sorry for everything I put you through...I know I said so last night but...

[He releases her chair and does the one thing he can think to do in this situation.]

[He bows apologetically at the waist. A full bow. Darin, a man who notoriously doesn't bow his head to anyone, is bowing his head to Zelda in hopes of forgiveness.]

I'm so sorry...!

[ Zelda is taken aback when her question causes Darin to launch into a series of justifications for his actions, as if he's actually done something terrible instead of something considerate. Why does it seem like he thinks she's upset? Because he used her kitchen without asking? Because he ate a bunch of her food on his own?

As he pulls out her chair and invites her to sit with a shy little smile, Zelda considers just letting the matter drop. If she points out how strange he's acting, it'll probably make him uncomfortable (or more uncomfortable than he might be already) and she doesn't want that.

She takes a few steps towards him, but before she can sit down, she catches a shift in his demeanor. Her brows knit together with concern. Why is he so troubled and why does it seem to be getting worse without her even doing anything?

Zelda starts to ask him what's wrong, but Darin cuts her off... with an apology for everything that happened yesterday and last night.

Ah, so that's still weighing on him. It's understandable. Last night was... a lot and Darin's attitude when he first woke definitely warrant an apology--

--And then, all of the sudden, he bows to her, a motion that looks so out of place on his form that everything Zelda was about to say gets knocked out of her head.

He's... bowing. He hates nobility and the only respect he's showed Zelda for her station has either been in joking or mockery. And yet he's actually, sincerely, deferentially bowing to her right here in her living room.

For a brief moment, she's too stunned to react, but then she shakes her head roughly to jog her senses and approaches him. ]

Darin, it-- it's all right. [ She places a hand on his arm, looking distressed as she tries to beckon him to rise. ] I will accept your apology, but you needn't go this far. Treating your injuries is not a grievous offense.

H-Huh? N-No, not...

[He shakes his head and only rises enough that he can look at her from behind his messy bangs. The look on his face is...well, it's fearful. Not of her exactly...]

[Darin's only ever done this once before. When he'd learned that Acteon waited on taking him in. That he believed Acteon allowed him to be bounced from foster home to foster home where nobody wanted him to begin with. Where people were scared to house him, believing that just keeping him would lead to the same fate his family suffered.]

[He blew up at Acteon. Accused him of not wanting him. Gods, the things he said to his adopted father still bother him over a decade later. Because Acteon had wanted to take him in from the start but believed he'd be a terrible father. That he couldn't do Darin's biological father's memory justice and that there were people better suited to the task.]

[Acteon regrets making Darin wait for as long as he did because the damage it had done was profound. It still lingers. It's a permanent scar on Darin's heart.]

[When Darin learned this, he made Acteon a big breakfast as an apology the next day. He offered to clean the forge from top to bottom. He was forcing penance on himself for misunderstandings he believed to be crimes because he was so afraid of being alone again.]

[Just like he is now.]

I-I'm sorry for all of the terrible things I said...the way I reprimanded you instead of thanking you for saving my life. For...For making you run yourself ragged because I couldn't take care of myself. For...imposing on your personal space. G-Gods, I'm just glad that you managed to sleep. It was probably horrible being crammed next to me.

S-So, you know...I wanted to make it up to you...

[His explanation says one thing but his eyes...his eyes beg her.]

['Please still like me...']

[ Zelda's instinct is to double down on insisting that nothing he has done merits this level of metaphorically prostrating himself before her. Fighting against her? He's done that before and he's already apologized. Being wounded and ill in her home? Monopolizing her attention? Making her worry? Sleeping in the same bed with her? Why do any of these things even need an apology, much less one so serious?

But the anxious look on Darin's face makes her pause and reconsider. It's like he's not only apologizing for what happened, but begging her not to punish him for it. He looks so... frightened.

Zelda bends her knees a little, enough to lower herself so that she is at his same level. Her expression is full of concern, softened with sympathy. ]

I forgive you. [ She says as gently as she can.

She forces herself to say those words, even though it makes her feel like she's agreeing that he did her wrong when she'd rather refute it altogether. If she starts to argue, he'll argue back, and they'll get trapped in that cycle. If he feels like he needs her forgiveness, perhaps it's better to give it to him. ]

I care for you, Darin. That has not changed, nor will it in the future. I will always try to save you when you are in danger. I will always try to heal you when you are injured. When you try to fight me, I will fight back, and I will keep reminding you that I care.

[ She offers him a smile with her words, to assure him that she means what she says.

Then she adds, more lightly, ] It was not unpleasant to share my bed with you. I actually slept very comfortably. I hope you did as well.

[His eyes search hers as he listens to her words. She can literally see the way the gears turn as he processes what she's saying. And then when it finally clicks, she can watch the way the pupils in his eyes slowly dilate— as the dopamine rush hits and the tension melts out of his muscles.]

[As his heart both seizes up and melts at the same time as a rush of color and joy spreads to his face.]

[In a flash he's throwing his arms around her and embracing her tightly, exhaling all of that fear out of his body in one great whoosh of breath. He's so happy he could leap into the sky and he already feels like he's floating.]

Th-That's great! I'm so glad you're doing better! A-And yeah, I slept great! Probably the best night's sleep I've ever had!

[The company and safety certainly helped.]

[He sets her down on her chair and pushes her in excitedly.]

Now, you need to eat something. Nothing makes bad feelings go away like a homemade breakfast!

[With food piled on her plate, Darin happily brings over the rest of the food he's made so they can eat at their leisure.]

[He even moves his own place setting; originally he was across from her.]

[Now, he's pulling up right next to her.]

[ Zelda yelps in surprise as Darin abruptly pulls her into his arms and hugs her, but it's a momentary thing and she quickly puts her arms around him in turn. Feeling his relief makes her heart fill with warmth and she hugs him just a bit tighter, trying to be mindful of his injuries. He's become so dear to her in these few short months.

He sets her down in her chair and she watches him with an amused smile as he goes about serving her. (Ah, that's a lot more food than she normally eats...) Then, instead of sitting across from her as Link usually would, Darin moves his seat so that he can be right beside her instead. There's something so cute about his excitement that Zelda can't help but laugh. He really is just like a little boy sometimes.

As Zelda goes to reach for her fork, her eye goes to the folded piece of notebook paper nearby. She ends up reaching for it instead of the utensil. ]

What is this?

[ Despite asking the question, she doesn't wait long enough for Darin to answer. Zelda unfolds the page to reveal the little thank you card he made from her. Her heart positively flutters in her chest as she reads it. ]

Darin... [ Her voice fills with emotion. How ironic that she was just thinking about how boyish he can be, because she is immediately reminded of the notes and pictures the children of the Hateno school are always giving to her-- one of which is actually tacked up above her desk against the wall not too far away.

When Zelda looks up at Darin, her eyes are misty, but she's smiling at him. ]

All of this... [ She gestures at the food, the note. ] I... I feel like I'm home again. I don't know how you knew, but... thank you. I've missed this so much...

Edited 2024-09-04 20:20 (UTC)

[Darin hastily starts shoveling his mouth full of food and when he sees Zelda's grateful expression, his own cheeks stain crimson. He rubs at his nose, embarrassed as he swallows down the food occupying his mouth and taking the lump in his throat with it.]

I-I ah...Admittedly, I took a little look around the apartment and I was struck with some inspiration...

[He had to do something while the stove was heating up and Darin can't help his inquisitive nature. The drawing near her desk is what sparked the idea in the first place.]

I...really wanted to cheer you up. After...you know. Everything.

[Why was he feeling so awkward and flustered about this? He sure as hell couldn't figure out why but Zelda's expression was making his heart pound. He's thankful the wound on his chest is closed up otherwise his heart might just leap out of it.]

Go on and eat up before it gets cold. I promise it's good. I might not seem like it but I did all the cooking back home!

Edited 2024-09-04 20:35 (UTC)

[ Zelda nods and wipes the moisture out of her eyes with the back of her hand. Goodness, when did she turn into someone who tears up at the slightest provocation? She's really got to get ahold of herself.

Carefully, she sets aside the note before collecting her fork and starting in on the pancakes. They're still nice and warm, and maybe it's because she's barely eaten in two days, but these are the most delicious pancakes she's ever had. ]

Good? These are wonderful! I will need to impose on you to teach me how to make them in the future. My cooking skills still leave much to be desired. [ She offers a laugh. ] Link has managed to teach me a few things over the years, but he is the one who typically cooks all of our meals.

[Darin beams at the compliment. Darin's no chef by any means but he's perfectly good at preparing meals. He's about to offer that he'd not only be happy to teach her but he wouldn't mind making food for her more when she continues on, raising some questions.]

...Wait, Link? Wasn't he a knight or something? He cooked you food too?

He was my knight, but I formally released him from my service several years ago. [ Zelda corrects before continuing. ]

But yes, he usually does most of the cooking. I've offered to cook more frequently, because Link usually handles most of the work around the house and manages all of our supplies when we travel, but he always refuses. He quite loves to cook... possibly as much as he likes to eat.

[ That gets a laugh out of her. Actually, catching Darin mid-bite in the kitchen reminded Zelda so much of Link. ]

You...released him? How come?

[As Zelda continues, there's a strange feeling in the pit of Darin's stomach. He can't place it and the more he eats the more it feels like there's a knot. Something cold and heavy that's twisting him all up inside. He takes a long drink of juice...]

['Most of the work around the house?']

[There's this weird feeling of dread. As if his diaphragm was a hot plate with his heart hovering over it. Except instead of heat...it's blisteringly cold. It tugs at his senses. Alarm bells silently telling him to halt his line of questioning a little too late.]

You guys...live together? You must be close...

[Almost immediately his head screams that he shouldn't have asked that but he has no idea why. There's no outward change in his demeanor. Curiosity as his appetite slows and he finds himself merely nibbling on his toast.]

[ Zelda continues eating with little thought to how Darin might react to the subject of Link. In fact, she has no idea how much or how little she might have told him. Link is such a central fixture in her life that the princess barely notices how much she talks about him. ]

My father assigned Link as my personal knight when I was sixteen years old. He claimed it was because he wanted Link and I to get along better, but I believe the real reason was to stop me from going off on my own all the time. Link was one of the Champions of Hyrule and the chosen wielder of the Master Sword, so it was imperative that he and I work together to face Calamity Ganon when it revived. It was our duty.

After he rescued me and we defeated Calamity Ganon, I could not in good faith keep Link bound to me as my knight. He had fulfilled his duty as a Champion and he deserved the freedom to pursue his own life.

[ Zelda's gaze falls to her plate, softening with affection. ]

But he chose to remain at my side all the same, not as my knight but as my friend. He traveled with me across Hyrule as I set about to rebuild. Whenever we were not traveling, we stayed in Hateno Village in southeastern Hyrule. Link owned a home there. I always intended to acquire my own lodgings, but as time passed, I simply... didn't. His home became our home.

[As Zelda begins her story, Darin listens with rapt attention. It really sounds like a fairy tale. A king assigning a knight to his wayward, headstrong daughter. Darin even laughs a little when Zelda confides that she believes Link was assigned to rein her in. He would love to see how spontaneous she could be.]

[But as she continues, that feeling of dread clutches at his heart. This Link saved her life and together...they defeated Calamity Ganon. The horrible cataclysm that stole away everything Zelda loved. The abomination brought forth by Ganondorf...]

[The same Ganondorf who Darin could barely put a scratch on a few nights prior...]

[The more Zelda speaks, the less Darin eats. It feels like something is seizing his heart. A cold, horrible sensation that he can't explain.]

[The portrait in her room. He'd spied it briefly but...the sandy blond haired man next to her. He had to be Link.]

[Gods...she looked so happy...]

[Darin reaches for his drink and almost misses it entirely. He takes it and takes several large gulps, hoping and pleading that the lump forming in his throat would go down dammit.]

[But then Zelda continues, oblivious to Darin. It's like she's in her own world and why shouldn't she be? A fabled hero, released from his duty, decides to stay with his Princess?]

['His home became our home.']

[Darin's been hurt so many times in his life. Burns, bruises, cuts...but words? Words always hurt the worst. They don't leave any mark. The pass through flesh and slip through bone and strike through the heart. To his core. To the very soul that he loathes he has to share with another. The soul that brands him the very thing men like Link vanquish. And truth be told, he's feeling particularly vanquished right now.]

[Just last night, Zelda told him that she wanted to make a home for him. Here.]

[But she already has a home.]

[And...it's not with him...]

[It could never be with him. As much as he wants it to. As much as the thought made him feel like maybe, just maybe...he had a future.]

[The pain hits him all at once and it rips through him. His mind, his heart, his spine— it felt like a reaper was wrapping its cold, skeletal hands around him. He felt so cold all of the sudden...why did he feel like this? What the hell was going on???]

[Idiot. You're so stupid! She promised to make you a home here. She never said she'd be a part of it! She's a Princess for gods' sake! And you know what you are! You're a smith. A monster. Princesses make homes with heroes.]

[Never monsters.]

[He places a hand over his chest. His heart. And he's thankful that his wound is there because the pain he's feeling can't be described by words. It's a dozen daggers all twisting in unison and it brings tears to his eyes that he blinks and forces away.]

[She has a home.]

[He has to accept that. And he was stupid to every think otherwise. Now, it's up to him to be a good smith...and forge a way for her to return to it. To her home.]

[To Link.]

[No doubt Zelda's seen him in pain and he looks up, wincing.]

S...Sorry. I haven't...I guess I p-pushed myself a bit...

[Fight through it. FIGHT IT, YOU IDIOT. YOU'VE SPENT YOUR LIFE MAKING EVERYONE BELIEVE YOU WERE OKAY THIS IS WHO. YOU. ARE.]

That...sounds amazing...Link sounds like an amazing guy...

I-I'd...love to meet him...someday...

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