Work Text:
Click.
Link lowered the Sheikah Slate after successfully capturing a picture of a Lizalfo before burying his spear in its belly. He and Prince Sidon had journeyed up to Ruto Mountain during his visit to the domain after being tipped off by a Zora on the growing monster population. He grimaced as the familiar acrid smell of disintegrated monster invaded his nose. He turned to see if Sidon had finished off his share of the monsters but instead found that he was being observed. Link was relieved to see that the Lizalfos had been taken care of, but Sidon was staring at him with a strange and slightly concerning look. Link raised his eyebrow in confusion.
“Oh, forgive me, Link. It’s just… what were you doing with your Sheikah device? I did not see any change in the monster's behavior nor any of our surroundings and was wondering if you had a new rune.”
Link smiled. It was nice, for once, to not be the clueless one. He was surprised the Prince hadn’t asked him this sooner actually as Sheikah technology was no longer in common use and was foreign to most of his companions. “Well,” Link thought, “the best way to explain a camera is with a picture.”
He beckoned Sidon over to him and motioned for him to lean down to Link’s meager height (at least in comparison to Sidon.) Sidon gasped when he demonstrated its capabilities by snapping a picture of the grass in front of them.
“Amazing! Sheikah technology is truly advanced.” He hesitated before asking, “May I?”
Link nodded and handed it over to him, certain that Sidon would treat it with the utmost care. As Sidon treated everything that way. One of the traits Link admired most about Sidon was how caring he was towards all of the citizens in Zora’s Domain. Every complaint they came to him with he took seriously and handled himself whether it was a dire threat to the kingdom or a mysteriously broken pot. He made sure that his people trusted him not just politically but personally as well.
After a brief tutorial from Link, Sidon was wandering around capturing photos of everything in sight. After a few minutes, he turned back towards Link to return the Sheikah Slate but found himself unable to say anything lest he disturb the peaceful image in front of him. Link was lying in the grass with his eyes closed, his bangs blowing in the wind. He looked as if he’d been resting there for a hundred years, as if the landscape had absorbed him and claimed him as its own. Sidon lifted the Sheikah Slate once more. Click. Now, he understood. This device was not solely used for novelty or scientific documentation. It was made to preserve memories.
Sidon walked back to the relaxing hero and sat down beside him. Link opened his eyes and sat up, taking the Sheikah Slate back and returning it to its faithful residence on his hip.
“Did you like it?” Link asked quietly.
“Oh, yes, very much! Thank you ever so much for letting me borrow it, Link! You are a truly generous and kind being,” Sidon exclaimed, beaming at him.
Link blushed and shook his head at the over the top compliment that he was certain he didn’t deserve for such a simple thing. He didn’t think he’d ever get over Sidon’s excessive complimenting on him and everything he did, but he wasn’t sure that was such a bad thing either.
“I only wish that we could take a picture together, but I suppose with just two of us, it’s impossible.”
Link grinned and scooted closer to the prince as he switched to the front camera. He stood to match their heights and wrapped an arm around Sidon’s shoulders, leaning in close to ensure they would fit in the picture. Sidon’s normally cool skin felt warm and his breath hitched as he said, “L-Link I-”
“Smile,” Link whispered and pointed to the Sheikah Slate he was holding in front of them.
“O-Oh, yes the camera, of course. Wait, the camera? Magnificent!”
Link grinned at the camera, and Sidon flashed a brilliant and semi-terrifying smile as his razor sharp teeth were on full display. Click.
“I call it a selfie.” Link was quite proud of himself for thinking of that one. The Sheikah may have created the technology but without a snappy name, it would never catch on. That or the fact that Link had the only remaining Sheikah slate in existence, but… it was mostly the name thing.
“A selfie! Because you’re taking a picture of yourself! Brilliant! You truly never cease to amaze me, Link, my dear Hylian friend.”
Well, when he put it like that...Link felt a tad embarrassed now though he knew Sidon meant no ill will.
They spent the rest of the afternoon taking silly photos and selfies together. Link sometimes felt guilty for diverging from his quest for a day of pure enjoyment when there were still Divine Beasts on the loose and Calamity Ganon raged on in Hyrule Castle but even heroes needed breaks. That was something Sidon had helped him realize. When he’d first started out on his quest, Link had pushed himself and pushed himself, restless to save Zelda and Hyrule and himself. He wanted to reclaim his past more than anything.
But all he’d ended up doing was worrying the people who cared about him in the present and almost dying due to his recklessness. After a particularly nasty incident with a Lynel, he’d teleported to Zora’s Domain bleeding out and in dire need of medical attention. Three days later, when he’d recovered enough to regain consciousness, Sidon had come to see him. It was the first time he’d seen that expression on his face and hoped it was the last. Because Sidon was angry. And Sidon was never angry. At least not at him. He didn’t yell or lecture Link though. He simply said, “Please, please, be more careful.” He then gave a pointed look towards The Lightscale Trident, Mipha’s Trident, resting near Link’s other gear and exited the room.
He hadn’t needed to say anymore than that though. Link had gotten the message. He needed to take care of himself in order to take care of the world. Otherwise, he’d get burnt out on his quest, and it would be too much for him. He may have cheated death once before, but he had a feeling that was a once in a lifetime occurrence.
The sun was setting and Link’s album was nearing full when they headed back down to the domain.
“I apologize for keeping you, Link, but I must admit I am glad that I did. I had a wonderful time today not only because of your fascinating Sheikah Slate but merely being in the presence of my most true and dear friend.” Sidon gave him a soft smile, Link’s favorite one. He didn’t see it often as, though completely genuine, Sidon was typically flashy and dramatic in all of his actions. Which made these rare subtle expressions all the more special. Link felt his heart pulse in his chest.
Link averted his gaze and shrugged in his way of saying, “It was nothing.”
“I hope that you will keep at least one of the ‘selfies’ to remember this delightful afternoon by. I only wish that I could keep one myself…” he said, sighing, disappointment clear on his face.
Link stopped in his tracks as a sly grin slid across face. A devious and risky idea had sprouted in his head and Link, impulsive as always, couldn’t help himself. Sidon stopped next to him with a questioning look. Link motioned for him to lean down to which Sidon complied and summoned all of his hero’s courage. He placed his hands on Sidon’s broad shoulders, stretched up on his tiptoes, and pressed his lips to Sidon’s neck. He sucked on the tender skin there and heard Sidon gasp, “L-Link, what are you--” When he was satisfied with the sizable mark on Sidon, he detached himself from the prince and said, “You can keep this.”
Sidon was a deeper red than Link had ever seen him and he replied, dazed, “What about when the mark fades? Will you give me another?”
“Maybe,” said Link followed by coy smile before he ran ahead, leaving the baffled prince behind
“He may be the savior of my people, but Link will be the death of me,” Sidon thought before chasing after the mischievous hero.
