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He didn’t know the name of the gently rolling river in front of him but it was a gloriously welcome sight.
Standing at the top of a massive hill that overlooked the peaceful twining of water below, Link bent over, placed his hands on his knees and struggled to catch his breath. Overhead, the midday sun glared down at him from it’s high position in the clear blue sky. His light tunic stuck uncomfortably to his skin, sweat drenched his underarms and back, irritating droplets rolled down his forehead, saturating his eyebrows and dripping into his eyes. The air was so heavy, hot and stagnant that it felt like he was dragging in breaths of sludge. Sharp pricks of itchy pain assaulted his skin, causing him to wince with every stab. Everything combined created an incredibly uncomfortable situation but his relief was directly in front of him.
Straightening up, he wiped enough sweat from his forehead to coat his palm. Panting a little still, he bowed his head slightly so the sun wasn’t directly in his eyes and carefully made his way down the hill, towards the river. A large strip of water that spread a good several hundred feet wide and continued to travel up and down further than he could see, the surface didn’t look to be moving that quickly so it seemed safe enough to, at least, wade around in the shallower areas. Standing like watchers throughout the pristine water were a few large rocks, some standing on their own while others were clumped together. Dotted along the grassy shore were large, leafy trees, clearly nourished by the continuous source of water. One immediately caught his attention as there was a little space underneath where it would be perfect to rest and it’s branches hung in such a position that they cast exquisite shade over the water.
Encouraged by the sight, Link began to move more quickly. The grass rustled underneath his boots as he walked, mixing with the gurgling, trickling noise of the river to create a soothing sound. As he neared the tree he had his sights on, he first pulled his back from his shoulder, loosened his shirt before one handedly pulling it off over his head, grimacing slightly as the sweat drenched fabric ran over his face. Gripping it in the hand still holding onto his bag, he set about unbuckling his belt with the other hand, which wasn’t the easiest thing in the world. By the time he had reached the tree, he still hadn’t gotten it. Stepping into the shade graciously provided by the tree’s branches, he paused for a moment, let his head fall back, his eyes fall closed and let out a relieved breath. In the shade, the temperature dropped to a manageable level and it felt so good to be out of the sun.
Pushing his sweat drenched hair out his face, he opened his eyes, set his bag and shirt on the ground, near the trunk of the tree and finally got his belt undone. Plopping down onto the grass, he quickly pulled off his boots and socks. Depositing both beside his shirt, Link laid down onto his back, gripped his pants by the hem before clumsily pushing them off. Rocking back onto his backside, he pulled them off the rest of the way, leaving behind just his underclothes. Pushing himself up off the ground, he slowly stood up, added his pants to the pile of clothing and then eagerly turned towards the water.
The first foot in was greeted with a shock of cold he wasn’t expecting. Jerking the appendage out, knowing full well that submerging himself immediately in such frigid water was not a good idea, Link took a step back, sat down once again before slipping both feet into the river. It was still cold but doing it this way gave his body time to adjust to the rapid temperature change. Content with the combination of shade and cold water surrounding his tired feet, Link scooted a little closer to the river, slid his arms underneath his knees and rested his chest on his thighs.
Around him, the world was completely silent, save for the sound of running water. There didn’t seem to be any bugs or animals stirring. He supposed just about everyone was just too overwhelmed with the heat to do much of anything. Letting out a slow breath, he let his eyes fall close. Already, his body was beginning to cool off - it wouldn’t be long until he could take a dip. He figured that he’d float around close to the shore for a while, maybe check how strong the undertow was and if it was safe, go for a little swim out a little further. Then, he wasn’t too certain what he would do. He wasn’t expected in Hyrule for several more days so there was no rush. Other than Hyrule itself, there was no location he was set on traveling too.
There, of course, was a location he wanted to go to: Lanaryu, but it was a three day distance, at best, from where he currently sat. Plus, he didn’t even know if Sidon would be there. The Zora Prince had been traveling around lately, on command from the king, doing something and another. If he wasn’t there, then there really wasn’t any reason for Link to be either. He was sure King Dorephan would be glad to see him but without any real reason to be there, it would probably end up being awkward.
Sighing heavily, Link squeezed his legs tightly to his chest. It had been so long since he had seen Sidon. The last time they had been together had been over two months ago. Sidon had his princely duties, while Link was constantly busy with being the Hyrule Champion, as well as the second to Zelda. There was never really enough time for them to break free from their duties to find enough time for one another. Not to mention, the distance between them further complicated matters. They communicated via letters, of course but nothing really made up for being there, with Sidon. A deep frown pulled at his lips. He missed him terribly, so much so that it hurt.
Burying his face into his legs, he blew out a sharp breath. He wanted to see him, wanted to be next to him, to wrap his arms around his broad shoulders, to be encased safely in his embrace, to kiss him, to just be with him. More than anything, he longed for the day that his duties to the crown weren’t so heavy and he could escape away to Lanaryu, where he’d be able to spend most of his days with Sidon, his handsome Zora prince. He knew that day was long way off, though. There was still too much to be done to get the world back in order, to ensure that peace continued throughout the land. And he knew that was more important than anything else. He’d rather take the time to keep the world safe now so that when the day he could step back came, he and Sidon could leave together in peace.
He’d just have to be patient, and wait for that day to come, stealing whatever moments he could with Sidon. Sighing again, he scratched at the back of his head. Knowing that didn’t make the distance any easier to deal with. He wanted to be with Sidon, to see him, to hear him call his name!
“Link?!” A familiar voice suddenly rang out.
His head shot up. To his shock, out in the middle of the river, some distance from where Link sat, was Sidon. His golden eyes were wide in surprise but after Link raised his head, a massive grin spread across his face and joy took the place of surprise in his eyes.
Throwing his hands excitedly in the air, he cried out happily, “It is you! Hello there, my beloved! Wait there, I’ll be right over!” With that said, he dived into the water and quickly began swimming over to where Link sat.
Link’s heart jumped in excitement as he watched Sidon draw close. Underneath the water, he was a red blur, standing out in stark contrast to the clear, blue water. Not content to just sit and wait, Link stood up and took several steps out into the water, making sure that he didn’t go far enough that he couldn’t stand. Thankfully, it seemed his body had adjusted to the temperature so the cold no longer bothered him. By the time he stopped, the river was up to his midsection. Underneath his feet, the riverbed was mushy and uneven. It was a little hard to keep his balance but there didn’t seem to be anything sharp or dangerous embedded in the soil nor did the undertow seem to be that strong so it felt safe enough.
It took no time at all for Sidon to reach him. Popping out of the water with a large splash, he threw his arms around Link’s waist, picked him up from where he stood, hauled him close, and squeezed him tightly. One arm snaked firmly underneath his backside, allowing him to rest on the strong forearm and for him to be at eye level with Sidon, who was still grinning widely, his eyes sparkling with joy while the other wrapped around his back, pressing them close and securing him so he didn’t fall over. Scarcely able to believe that he was there, as though fate itself had decided it would allow a chance meeting, he looped his arms around Sidon’s neck and let himself relax happily, peacefully into his embrace. Smiling brightly in return, he leaned forward to pressed a quick, wet kiss against Sidon’s lips before pulling back, “I was just thinking of you.”
Clearly not content with just one little kiss, Sidon pushed forward slightly to steal a couple more, earning a light giggle from Link, before responding, “And I of you, my beloved. I’ve missed you so much. I was swimming along, thinking of how much I wanted to see you.
Pleasant warmth blossomed in the center of his chest at those words. He could guess that Sidon felt the same as he, but it was still nice to get confirmation that he was missed just as much, “Me too. I was thinking of how badly I wished we were together.”
“Serendipity.” Sidon replied with a happy chuckle. Pressing a kiss to his forehead, he continued by asking, “What are you doing out here? We’re in the middle of nowhere.”
“Heading back to Hyrule. Zelda wanted me to investigate a supposed trial up north but it turned out to be nothing. I got overheated on my way back so I decided to take a break to cool off.”
“I’m glad you did! Otherwise, we would have missed each other. Are you alright now?” Sidon asked, the hand on his back quickly moving up to press against his forehead to check his temperature.
Link nodded in response, unbelievably happy he had decided to pause on his journey back, “Yes, everything is alright now.” Untwining one arm from around Sidon’s neck, he reached up to take the hand on his forehead in his own, brought it to his mouth and kissed the soft, scaly palm. Closing his eyes, he placed his cheek in that palm, an exquisite feeling of peace and contentment washing over him. He hadn’t realized how starved he had been for Sidon’s touch, his scent, his voice, his presence until now. The distance between them was agonizing, leaving him feeling parched, empty. Opening his eyes, he glanced up at Sidon, who was gazing down at him with a warm, happy, loving expression on his face.
“Do you have time to spare right now?” Link asked hopefully.
“Thankfully, yes. My father isn’t expecting me until overmorrow. As long as I leave by tomorrow’s afternoon, I can get back in time. And you?”
A big smile spread across Link’s face, “I’m not expected to return to Hyrule for several more days. More than enough time is allowed to me to spend how I choose.”
The smile that was already on Sidon’s face widened. Closing the small distance between them, he placed a soft kiss against the tip of Link’s nose, “Well, perhaps we should spend our free time together. What do you say?”
He nodded eagerly in response, his heart jumping with excitement. Even if it had just been a couple of hours that they could spend together, he would have fallen to his knees in front of the goddess statues and sing his gratefulness but the rest of the day, the night and half of tomorrow as well?! He would have to remember to leave a thankful prayer to all and every statue he came across as this was surely the greatest gift the world could give to him. And he already had his mind set on taking full advantage of this gift.
Wiggling a little to signal Sidon to put him down, which the Zora prince did, though with a slight confused expression on his face, Link took one of his large hands in his own, turned and began leading him back to the shore where he had just been resting minutes ago. Clearly content with letting him do as he wished, Sidon easily allowed himself to be lead, his long fingers wrapped snugly around Link’s hand. Once they had climbed up onto the shore, he released Sidon’s hand, quickly strode over to where his discarded possession lay, knelt down and pulled his bag open. Plunging his hands into the stuffed sack, he rummaged around a little until he found what he was looking for. With a soft “ah-ha”, he yanked it out, dislodging and accidentally pulling out a few other things as well. Ignoring them, he turned back to Sidon, who had wandered over to look curiously over his shoulder, and smiled, holding up the folded blanket he had just retrieved.
Standing up, he quickly unfolded the blanket, took a few steps away from the tree so that the roots wouldn’t be a bother but they would still be in the shade, and proceeded to lay the blanket out on the ground as carefully as he could. Once the blanket was in a position he was happy with, he plopped down in the middle of it, turned himself around until he was facing Sidon and the tree, and held his arms out to the Zora prince.
“Prepared for anything, aren’t you?” Sidon laughed, walking over to where he sat. Gracefully, he settled down beside Link, crossed his long legs, reached forward to slip his hands underneath Link’s arms and pulled him into his lap. Slipping easily into the gap between his legs, he tucked his own close, snuggled up to Sidon’s stomach, wrapped his arms around his back and sighed happily when the Zora prince’s arms closed tightly around him. As they settled into one another, Sidon began to gently stroke his wet hair, pushing the stray strands back and smoothing them down. Occasionally, he would lean down to place several soft kisses along the crown of his head before resuming his quiet ministrations.
“What are you doing in this random river?” Link asked curiously, after a long, quiet while.
“This river bleeds into one that leads straight to Zora’s Domain.” Sidon responded softly, “There’s a small settlement of Zora a ways up that I was visiting. A highly talented architect lives with them and we sometimes seek out her counsel for construction matters.”
“Thrilling.” Link teased gently, lifting his head to gaze up at the Zora Prince. “How did it go?”
Sidon made a over-exaggerated agitated face, “She’s infuriating to speak with. All riddles, nothing concrete. A conversation that should take just minutes takes hours when it concerns her. Somehow, I managed to finish up quicker than I had thought but it still took far longer than it ever should have.”
“I’m sorry, Sidon. That sounds aggravating.” Link replied with a frown.
“It’s alright. After all, if it hadn’t gone the way it had, we wouldn’t be here together right now.”
Link smiled softly. Bowing his head, he smooshed his face into Sidon’s stomach. Rubbing his nose against the smooth skin, he breathed in deeply, taking in the Zora prince’s scent. Oddly enough, he found that Zora never smelled especially fishy. Instead, they, or Sidon, at least, had a unique scent he could only equate to what the world smelled like when rain was about to fall. A strong, earthy aroma that if he could bottle up and take with him wherever he went, he would do so in a heartbeat. The idea of doing so made him think, once more, on how much he wished that he and Sidon wouldn’t have to part, that they could stay with one another. A sharp pang stung his chest. Tightening his arms around his back, Link anchored them together, a deep desire in his heart chanting over and over again that he never wanted to let go.
“Link? What’s the matter?” Sidon asked, pushing his long fingers carefully through his hair.
He remained silent for a moment, an internal struggle raging as to whether he should admit his thoughts. It felt selfish, immature to wish for such a thing - Sidon had his own world to contend with, his own expectations and duties while Link had his. To break away from those duties, those loyalties was unthinkable. He could never ask that of Sidon, and he knew Sidon would never ask it of him. Speaking of such feelings, it felt like he would just be burdening the Zora prince. But still, Zelda always told him that the best thing for a relationship was being as open as possible. Communication is key, as she always said in a knowing voice. True, she had never been in a relationship herself but her knowledge and wisdom was so profound, he knew he could believe her.
Without looking up, he said softly, “It hurts sometimes. The distance, not being able to see you, to be with you - it hurts. And sometimes, I’m selfish and I think about how much I wish I could just go to Lanaryu and be with you all the time but I know that’s not possible, I know that. But still, it hurts. I don’t know what to do to make it stop other than being with you. Again, I know it’s impossible right now. We both have things we need to do, and I’d never try to go back on my duty and-”
“Link.” Sidon gently interrupted him. “Look at me, my beloved.”
Shame burned his cheeks. It felt wrong, selfish, childish to be saying all this but he couldn’t stop. Now that everything was coming out, being said, he couldn't stop it. Something that he swore he'd never voice which lay at the back of his throat at all times barreled forward, unabashed and unrestrained. Tightening his hold on his beloved prince even further, unable to meet Sidon’s gaze, he whispered, “I’m scared, Sidon. My life is so much shorter than yours and I want to spend the little time I have with you but I feel like that’s slipping through my fingers. Each time I blink, it feels like more and more time has passed, time I’ll never get back. I feel so stupid for being scared and I know you must think me such a coward-”
“Link. Stop.” Sidon commanded, his tone leaving no room for argument. Then, as though he realized how rough he had sounded, his arms curled protectively tight around Link. The hand that was woven into his hair pressed him even closer as the Zora prince seemed to almost wrap himself around Link. Tears burned the corner of his eyes. Despite how hard he tried to blink them away, a few rogue ones fell, streaming down his cheeks. The back of his throat burned with suppressed sobs but he refused to allow them to escape. He already felt embarrassed enough to be driven to such a state over something so ludicrous - he would not let his pride be wounded any further.
“Be still, my beloved.” Sidon soothed. “It’s alright, everything will be alright. I’m right here.”
“I’m sorry.” Link choked out, his voice rough and ragged. “I’m ruining-”
“You’re not ruining anything.” Sidon reassured him gently. “This is something we were going to have to talk about at some point. We can’t dance around it forever, after all. Now please, look at me, Link.”
He didn’t want to show Sidon his tears but hiding away wouldn’t do either of them any good. Sniffling a little, his breath hitching from his desperation to stop himself from sobbing, he slowly raised his head. It took him a moment to gather up the courage to look Sidon in the eye, the shame and guilt at having succumbed to his fear during their precious time together made him want to run away but he kept tilting his head back until their gazes met.
“There you are.” The Zora prince murmured. There was a sadness in his eyes that made Link’s heart clench. A fresh wave of guilt overwhelmed him. He shouldn’t have brought it up, shouldn’t have voiced anything. They rarely had any time together, how could he have been so selfish to ruin that? Just as he was opening his mouth to apologize once again, Sidon slipped his large hands underneath his arms, hoisted him up until they were at eye level, and leaned forward to press a warm, strong kiss against his lips.
A jolt raced through his body at the contact but he quickly relaxed into Sidon’s hold. Tears continued to fall unrestrained down his cheeks. Paying them no mind, he closed his eyes, pushed back into the kiss, his arms wrapping tightly around Sidon’s neck, the cold metal of the ornate piece he always wore pressing into his skin, and let out a soft sigh through his nose when the Zora prince pulled him close, relinquishing his hold on Link’s underarms in favor of wrapping his arms snugly around his back, his hands smoothing along his bare skin, sending shivers running down his spine. Inside his chest, his heart began to pound, his blood heating up as the unique, strong flavor of the Zora prince’s mouth leaked into his own. There was something distinctively sea-like about that taste - a saltiness mixed with an earthy undertone. The lips that were pressed against his own were firm but smooth to the touch. They slid and slipped over Link’s lips with confidence and neatly restrained hunger, as though the desire to completely devour him stood just a footstep away.
He was of half a mind to make some sort of gesture to tell Sidon to devour away but before he could, the Zora prince pulled a fraction of an inch away, far enough that their lips were just barely touching, their hot breath mingling in the small space between them. Opening his eyes, he found Sidon’s golden ones peering at him, the heat and want more than obvious in his gaze. Along his stark white cheeks was a distinctive red blush. Link was sure his own expression most likely mirrored the one that his beloved prince was wearing. He opened his mouth to say something, he wasn’t sure what but most likely something that would implore Sidon to keep going, mostly because he did honestly want him to - over two months with no intimacy had left him hungry for his touch - but it would also be a welcome distraction from the humiliating position he had put himself in. He wanted to forget everything that he had said, forget the tears, forget his weakness and fears.
But before he could get any words out, Sidon leaned forward and began to gently kiss away the remnants of tears that still clung stubbornly to his skin. A fresh wave of heat assaulted his cheeks at the gentle, loving motion and he stayed still as Sidon slowly, methodically kissed all trace of his tears away. Once he had finished, he began to pepper soft, little kisses all along Link’s face. His nose, eyelids, forehead, cheeks, and chin - no place was left kissless. After every inch of his face had been given a little kiss, Sidon gently bumped their noses together and whispered, “I love you, Link. I love you so very much.”
“I love you too, Sidon.” Link whispered back, an elated warmth blossoming in his chest. "I love you so much."
A peaceful silence fell between them for several moments as they simply enjoyed the closeness of one another when Sidon suddenly spoke up.
“It scares me too.” The seriousness in the Zora prince’s tone made Link tense up. Tightening his hold around Link, Sidon continued, “It scares me - the thought that one day, you’ll be gone but I’ll continue living for years on. Knowing that one day, you won’t be there and no matter how far I swim, how many miles I travel, I won’t be able to see you. It scares me but I never said anything because I didn’t want to weigh you down. I didn’t want you thinking of such things; I wanted the little time we have together to be happy but it seems my intentions backfired. You’ve had the exact same fear and instead of dealing with it together, we’ve been dealing with it alone. And I’m fairly certain that it’s been doing it’s fair share of damage to us both.”
Sidon took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. His face hardened into an expression of determination, his eyes strong and serious, “I want to be with you. Until the day comes when you are no longer by my side, I want to be with you. Every moment we can grab, every moment given to us, every moment we have to fight for, I want to spend them with you. My life...I want to give as much as it as possible to you.”
“And mine to you. I want to give all of it to you.” Link whispered in response. Leaning forward, he pressed a firm, desperate kiss against Sidon’s lips, “That’s why this distance hurts. I feel the time we have together is always slipping away from us.”
“I know. I feel the same.” Sidon returned the kiss with a quick one of his own, “I don’t think either of us can continue on like this. Time is too precious to waste. There must be something we can do that won’t interfere with our duties. I’ll speak with my father. If there’s anyone with an answer, it will surely be he.”
“I’ll talk with Zelda about it as well. She needs me but I think she understands the situation. I know she can make something work.”
Sidon nodded. Brushing a lock of golden hair out of Link’s face, he smiled sweetly, warmth filling his eyes, “We’ll figure out something. And we’ll take this, one step at a time, figuring out everything as we go.”
Link returned the nod, a smile tugging at his own lips. Reaching up, he brushed the backs of his fingers against Sidon’s cheek, “Yeah, we’ll figure it out together.”
“We will.” The Zora prince affirmed, his expression serious for just a moment before that gorgeous, happy grin once again spread across his features. Abruptly standing up, with Link still held firmly in his arms, all but ignoring the little yelp of surprise Link let loose, he said in a matter-of-fact tone, “Now, I do believe you and I have both more than earned this little moment we’ve been given. We have a few hours of daylight left until the sun sets so how about we go for a little swim?”
After readjusting himself into a position that felt safer, Link returned the grin and nodded, “Yes, I like that idea.”
Without another word, Sidon began to walk quickly towards the river. Settling his chin on the Zora prince’s broad shoulder, Link let his eyes fall closed. The air around him was still warm, the world was still quiet but he felt so much lighter than he had before. Breathing in Sidon’s pleasant scent, surrounded by his touch, with all the words that he could now see were longing to be said out in the open and a promise made to figure this out, he felt as though there were wings attached to his heart. No matter what came their way, they would work together, tooth and nail if necessary, to stay with one another until the very end. He loved Sidon, Sidon loved him and they wanted to be together. Somehow, someway, they would make it work.
Chuckling softly, he realized that Zelda had been right. Communication really was key.