Work Text:
“I think it’s nice.”
Link pauses, his sword halfway up to cut into a bokoblin. He has to dodge in the next second, because he’s entirely too distracted to finish it off.
“Of course you would think it’s nice, he’s your brother,” says Revali.
Link flushes, and resists the urge to acknowledge what they’re talking about. He half wants to just use Revali’s Gale, because then at least Revali would be too tired to continue this conversation. But then Revali would be annoyed with him and he’ll definitely know why Link decided to use Revali’s Gale in that exact moment, and would continue the conversation with Mipha out of sheer spite.
It’s safer and easier just to ignore them. To pretend as if this lowly bokoblin can keep up with him. He stares at it, willing it to raise its arm and swing at him with its club.
Mipha sighs loudly, “Sidon is good for Link.”
“Yeah, but he’s your brother,” Revali continues. “You’re obviously biased.”
Link idly dodges the one meager swing the bokoblin aims at him, staring at the timer that lets him know when Daruk’s protection was going to be back up. Ten minutes to go. If only he hadn’t fought that Lynel.
“And you’re not?” Mipha sounds shrill, despite the fact that all this is happening inside of Link’s soul. “I don’t think you’re giving my brother a fair chance.”
“I mean,” says Revali, “what’s the chances that both of you would fall for the same guy? It’s quite hilarious, actually.”
“Link,” says Mipha, instead of deigning to answer Revali. “Please let that bokoblin whack you so I can disappear for twenty-four minutes.”
“Oh, running away now, are you?” Revali sounds like he’s struggling not to laugh. “Just like how your brother – “
He knows exactly how that ends. As such, Link flushes hard and the bokoblin swings at that exact moment.
Figures.
His vision goes black, and he can feel Mipha’s delight as she uses her Grace on him.
"I just want to make sure you know what you're doing."
He does not have time for this. Urbosa's Fury has just come back up, and he really needs to use her for her strength, not for her protective tendencies.
There's a silver Lynel, and Link really made a mistake when he decided to confront it. He had already gulped down some durians when it had its back turned, restoring his health with its shear heartiness.
The Master Sword's down, and Link's repertoire of weapons is slowly dwindling. He has to make the few openings he has count.
"He's Mipha's brother," continues Urbosa. "And well, you know how she felt about you."
"She's fine with it," comes another voice.
The tension bleeds out of Link's body. Daruk's back. He'll talk sense into Urbosa.
"And besides," says the Goron, gruffly. "We're dead, Urbosa."
There's a tense silence. Link worries for a split second, and then he's forced to dodge as the Lynel rushes toward him. He wonders when they'll realize he actually needs help here.
"He'll be dead, too," says Urbosa, darkly, "if he decides to hurt Link."
This time, Link doesn't hesitate to use Urbosa's Fury. Lightning clashes around him and the Lynel falls, slain by Urbosa's power.
She goes silent at the same second another timer beeps.
"What'd I miss?" asks Revali.
Link groans, and resists the urge to jump off a cliff three times to put Revali back to sleep.
They’re silent for once.
Link would be grateful, except he knows that they’re only silent because they’re watching. He wonders if Sidon would think he’s crazy if Link asks him to knock him out.
Though he has a feeling Mipha wouldn’t use her Grace on him either way. She isn’t going to miss any interaction between the two of them.
“Did you need something?” asks Sidon. His smile is blinding. Link can’t look away.
Even on his tiptoes, Link can’t reach Sidon’s height. But it’s easy enough to gently pull on Sidon’s clothes and Sidon’s eyes brighten. He kneels, and Link tiptoes enough so he can press a chaste kiss against Sidon’s mouth.
Sidon chuckles against him, one of his arms going to wrap around his waist, and Link shivers as Sidon easily picks him up with just an arm, his size difference extremely notable when Link’s pressed up against him like this.
“Hi,” he whispers, his voice hoarse and unused, but the affection underlying the word still clear to hear. It’s only been a day since he’s seen Sidon, thanks to the Sheikah Slate, but Link’s heart still swells every time he’s able to be in Sidon’s presence. Sidon reminds him that even though he’s failed as a hero all those years ago, there are some people who still believe in him.
Sidon doesn’t disappoint, his blinding smile back as he deposits a kiss of his own on Link’s. “Are you ready to come to bed?” asks Sidon, unabashedly, and Link flushes, the words causing him to shiver at the sheer promise in it.
Then he hears the muffled laughter and his eyes narrow. Daruk’s shushing them, but he can feel their anticipation on his own. This time, when he flushes, it’s for a different reason than Sidon’s muscles pressed up against him.
He slips lightly out of Sidon’s grasp, landing gracefully on his feet. Sidon blinks large eyes at him, and although Link feels guilty, he can’t be intimate when he hasn’t figured out how to shield his memories from the four champions still residing in his soul. He can’t begrudge them, not when they have nothing else to entertain them, but he still doesn’t want them to watch. It’s too embarrassing.
And besides, he has things to do. He shouldn’t be wasting time on sleep, not when he didn’t need it to function. “I’m sorry,” he whispers, “but not tonight.”
Sidon doesn’t look too disappointed, the prince too mindful of Link’s feelings and hardships as a hero to let it show on his face, but when Link tugs Sidon into another kiss (this time to catcalls from an amused Revali), he resolves himself to figuring out an answer as soon as possible.
Link’s panting. He hates the desert, but it had been necessary to get to the last Fairy’s hideout. He wipes sweat off his forehead and approaches the place where the hideout is rumored to be.
There’s silence for once. It’s weird, because Link hadn’t been in silence ever since he had rescued Mipha. And there hadn’t been a single time in which he had used all of them at once. Though in retrospect, he probably didn’t need to use Revali’s Gale, but it was only a six-minute cooldown and Revali had goaded him on. (To be fair, he did get up the cliff rather quickly so Link doesn’t regret it.)
It's somewhat nice, to be finally quiet in his own head for once. He would never want the Champions gone, he loves them too much to enjoy the silence completely, but it’s still nice not to hear them chattering away. They had made sure he wasn’t lonely on his journey, and for that, he’s grateful.
He’s a little hesitant to give up the rupees this time – a thousand rupees is a lot – but when the fairy bursts out he finds himself smiling.
When she’s gone, and there’s silence in the air again, his strength leaves him and his weariness settles in. It was a long journey to this hideout, full of riding on sand seals under blistering heat, and it’s nice to finally sit down on the overgrown mushrooms. The pond is still there, even though the Great Fairy’s gone, and the smaller fairies cast bright lights on the water, reflecting beautifully. It helps that the skeleton provides shade from the heat, and Link experiences his first moment of serenity in a long time.
He doesn’t know why he does it, but he pulls out his Sheikah Slate and fiddles with the controls. He feels somewhat embarrassed, because he knows it’ll be any minute now that Revali pops back up, but the scenery is so beautiful he can’t help snapping a quick picture of the lights reflecting off the pond. He hadn’t wanted to take many during the journey; it hurt enough every time he opened the thing up to look at the photos Zelda had taken so he had refrained even when he had come across beautiful sights. And he had come across many in the world. He wonders if it’s the silence that gives him the courage to do so.
And then he frowns, because he knows the Champions would never make fun of him. But it still feels silly, to be taking pictures and enjoying himself when he still had a world to save.
“Did you just take a picture?” Revali asks, and Link flushes, stashing away the slate in sharp movements. There’s a sound of complaint a second later, “Let me see,” the Rito demands, and Link can’t help rolling his eyes at Revali’s tone.
He’s smiling though as he brings the Sheikah Slate back out, and the two of them go over the pictures still remaining in it as they wait for the other three champions to awaken. They talk fondly about old times as they pour over the pictures; Link had already visited the places where the photos had been taken to jog his memory. Even though he had the four champions with him to help remind him of things he had forgotten, it hadn’t been the same as going there and remembering.
“You should use this more,” says Revali, eventually when there’s a minute to go on Mipha’s timer. “Maybe take a picture of yourself, too.”
He tilts his head in confusion, because even surrounded by no one, Link still doesn’t want to talk out loud.
Revali laughs, “Just turn the camera back toward you. And smile.”
He fiddles with the slate, his hands feeling clumsy around the thing as he smiles uncertainly at the camera.
“Ooh!” comes Mipha’s voice. “Are we taking a picture?”
“We?” scoffs Revali, but Link can hear the affection in his voice. “The camera can’t see us, Mipha.”
“I know, but we’re here, aren’t we?” says Mipha, sensibly. “We’ve been with Link on his whole journey. The camera can’t see us, but Link knows we’re here.”
“You’re such a sap,” is Revali’s quick response, and Link feels a surge of affection for the two Champions. Slowly, he lowers the Sheikah Slate, placing it on his lap as he waits.
The two Champions are quiet, and they spend the last few moments waiting for the timers to go off.
Urbosa comes awake first, and he feels her brief disorientation at Link being so still. “What’s the matter?” she barks out, immediately, and Link smiles.
“We’re waiting,” explains Mipha, excitedly. “We’re going to take a picture!”
“A picture?” asks Urbosa, her confusion plain to hear. “This is silly,” she says, but the Champions ignore her because Daruk’s timer chimes in the next second.
Link doesn’t bother waiting for Daruk to catch up, knowing the Champions will inform him soon anyway. He lifts the camera, making sure it’s angled to catch the beauty of the Great Fairy’s hideout, and smiles wide. He snaps the shot a second later.
He hears the Champions murmuring quietly amongst themselves as he swipes to see the new picture. Urbosa’s right. It is silly.
But when he stares down at the picture, he doesn’t feel alone. He is alone, in the picture, but Mipha had been right when she said Link would know he isn’t actually alone. He can see them, clear as day, and he knows if things were different, the camera would have actually caught the Champions’ silhouttes.
But the world is in ruins and the Champions are dead. But they’re still alive, here in fragments of his soul, and Link doesn’t feel so alone as he stares at the picture.
“Link,” says Revali, “Link Link Link.”
Link grits his teeth, and ignores Revali, holding the Sheikah Slate up and snapping a quick picture of Yunobo and him.
Daruk hums contentedly at the way his descendent thanks Link profusely, and Link is distracted by Yunobo enough to forget Revali’s constant needling.
When Yunobo’s gone, Revali tries again. “Link, you know you don’t have to visit every single one of our villages just to get a picture of Sidon.”
He flushes, and he knows the other Champions hadn’t realized what Revali had when they start laughing. “I can’t believe,” says Urbosa, between peals of laughter, “that that’s why we’re visiting the Goron City today.”
He wants to snap that no, he’s here because there’s a shrine here, the radar says so, but he’s still surrounded by other Gorons and doesn’t have a way to defend himself.
“Are we going to visit Teba next?” ponders Revali. “I do think the sight from the top of my Divine beast is quite stunning for a picture.”
“Revali, stop teasing him,” grouses Daruk. “Let’s just get to the Zora’s Domain.”
“Yes, let’s,” says Revali, sounding cheerful. “Link, you have to learn how to take the finer pleasures in life.”
He knows Revali’s right; Link had been avoiding Sidon because he still feels guilty over not telling the prince that one, he can still hear his sister’s voice and two, whenever he visits Sidon, he feels guilty that he isn’t doing enough to save Zelda.
Still, the fact that the sensible advice had come from Revali of all people annoys him enough that he stomps angrily away from the Gorons. As soon as he’s alone, he transports away, and he arrives at Ne’ez Yohma Shrine.
He can feel Revali’s smugness at getting his way, but he’s determined now. He’s going to be productive today. He’s going to get a picture with Sidon and figure out a way to be intimate with his lover without the four Champions getting in the way.
All his determination leaves him as he runs straight into Sidon.
The prince steadies him, and Link shudders under Sidon’s touch, gaining a concerned look from the Zora.
“Are you okay, Link?” he questions. “I haven’t seen you in a while,” continues the Zora, used to the way Link doesn’t talk much. “It’s nearly dawn,” Sidon adds, a tad reproachfully.
Link shrugs helplessly, unable to explain that he doesn’t need sleep like normal people.
“You should be sleeping,” says Sidon, sounding worried. “Have you been getting enough sleep, love?”
Link flushes at the pet name, and then pulls out his Sheikah Slate. Sidon looks fond as he watches Link fiddle with the controls, and then when Link holds the Slate out in front of him, Sidon stares at it with obvious confusion. Link grins wide, and then presses down on the button while making sure to tilt the camera up to get Sidon in the frame, capturing the picture. He shows Sidon it on the small screen later, and Sidon gets excited, taking the slate into his own hand. He lifts Link without much protest from the small Hylian, and Sidon takes a few more, obviously enamored with the device.
It starts out innocent. Sidon presses a kiss against Link’s cheek when he takes the picture, and eventually Link’s lips, and then they’re kissing. It becomes decidedly less innocent after that.
The angle’s probably causing Sidon’s some problems, so he sets Link gently down onto the floor, getting to his knees and obviously aiming to get some more kisses in. And Link’s all for it, until he leans back a little bit further and realizes just what he’s leaning against. Mipha’s statue.
He presses a hand against Sidon’s chest, stopping the prince in his tracks.
Sidon stills immediately, and Link knows he has to explain why he keeps stopping Sidon.
“I can still hear your sister,” he blurts out, and Sidon’s face falls.
Then the Zora smiles. “I know she had a crush on you, Link.”
“No,” he says, immediately, embarrassed at the thought of Mipha’s old crush on him being brought up again, and he hears Mipha’s tinkling laughter in the background. “I mean, I can still hear her now.”
Sidon pauses, and stares at him, obviously worried for his sanity. “Link,” says Sidon, slowly, “If you want me to stop, you can just say so. I will not be angry.”
He gives up. “I need you to hit me,” he says.
Sidon is looking more and more worried. “I knew I should have let you sleep,” says Sidon. He starts to get up and Link reaches out a hand and places it on top of Sidon’s much larger one. Sidon stills.
“The four Champions still reside in my soul,” he explains. “And they talk. A lot. And most of the time it’s fine. They help make my journey easier. But well, they can see us, right now. And I can’t …” he trails off, struggling to find the right words to explain himself. Talking is hard. It’s no wonder he keeps silent most of the time. He gestures widely to somehow explain ‘sleeping with you’ and then continues. “When they’re watching. And talking to me.”
“Oh, Link,” sighs Mipha, as Sidon stares at him with wide eyes. “Why didn’t you just say so? We can close our eyes if you wanted us to.”
“Speak for yourself,” says Revali, sounding grumpy. “I thought I was going to finally see some – ”
“Revali,” says Urbosa, sharply.
Daruk laughs, the sound booming, “Little Hylian, don’t worry about us. It’s nothing we haven’t seen before.”
“That doesn’t make it better,” he says, dryly, and Sidon seems to come back to life at his words.
“Are you talking to them right now?” questions Sidon. He doesn’t look like he thinks Link’s crazy, and Sidon turns his hand so that their hands are clasped. Link smiles.
“Yeah,” he says, “Mipha says she thinks you’ve grown up to be a fine Zora.”
Sidon smiles back, and that’s enough for Link. Even though he doesn’t talk much, Link ends up blurting out everything else. About how he started to hear Mipha’s voice after he rescued her. How she had encouraged him to go for Sidon even though she used to have a crush on Link. How it felt to finally save the rest of the champions and start to hear their voices again. How even now, hundreds of years into the future, they still work together on an intrinsic level.
“Whenever I use one of their powers, they go to sleep for a while.”
“Is that why you asked me to hit you?” asks Sidon, sounding amused.
“Honestly,” says Mipha, sounding exasperated. “Just cut yourself a little bit or something and I’ll use my Grace on you.”
Revali sighs, “I know my timer is short, but I can stay away a little bit longer if I want to.”
When the other two chime in, Link grins, drawing his sword and slicing a thin cut into the palm of his hand. Sidon makes a little aborted sound of shock and then he outright gasps as Mipha appears, circling around Link and healing the wound with ease. Using the rest of the champions’ powers is a little bit more embarrassing, especially since Revali’s is just jumping into the air three times in a row, but soon enough, there’s a distinct silence in his head.
He grabs Sidon’s hand, and drags his Prince to the Zora’s bedroom, intent on making the silence count.
Revali wakes up halfway and squawks loudly and indignantly.
Link flushes and has to pull on his clothes, rushing outside with a slight limp to use Revali’s Gale three more times.
(They don’t mention the incident to the others. Apparently, they’re all stronger than Revali and can stay away for hours. Link resents this a lot.)
He’s scrolling through the Sheikah Slate when Sidon surprises him. Sidon’s grown more affectionate ever since finding out about the Champions, and when Link is grabbed bodily up off the stump he had been sitting on and into the air, he accidently swipes up on the Slate.
When Sidon’s done depositing his usual litany of kisses on him and returns to catching fish, Link stares blankly at the prompt on the screen. It’s asking him if he wants to deactivate Daruk’s Shield temporarily.
“Is this risky?” he asks, quietly, and the four Champions are silent as they try to figure out the logistics of it.
He knows they won’t be offended. It’s embarrassing for all of them for Link to continually tell them when he’s planning to sleep with Sidon.
“Try it,” says Daruk, not sounding worried at all, and Link presses the ‘yes’.
Daruk goes quiet. He hastily turns Daruk’s Shield back on, and Daruk’s yawning when he comes back on. “It put me straight to sleep. It didn’t hurt.”
“Oh,” says Link. For some reason, his cheeks feel hot.
“Go ahead,” says Revali. He’s laughing. “We all know what you want to do.”
Link doesn’t deign the Rito with a response, his eyes going up to watch as his lover splashes around in the lake, rivulets of water running down his muscular form. Memories of being held by those very arms assault him, and he swears his eyes glaze over a bit as Sidon deftly catches another fish.
“Please,” interrupts Revali. “Put me out of this misery already.”
Link laughs and then quickly turns them all off. His legs feel shaky as he gets to his feet. They’re surrounded by miles of wilderness. No one should be coming.
Sidon turns in surprise when Link tackles him, and he’s about to say something when Link presses his lips forcefully against the Zora’s.
Sidon’s laughing when Link eventually pulls away, his words spilling out of him as he tells him that the Champions are finally asleep. For a longer time than thirty minutes (Revali still hadn’t learned how to stay asleep for longer as he had promised to do.)
Link gulps as Sidon’s pupils become darker in his lust, and acquiesces happily when Sidon dips his head to kiss Link.