#link warriors | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

links-in-time · 4 months

Text

Hero's Scars

Trans-Masc Hyrule Warriors Link

@hyruledwarriorr @crazylittlejester

Not sure how long this fic is going to be, or where it's going at the moment. But I had an idea for this fic a while ago and Warriors Link lives rent free in my brain in a variety of ways.

Hope people like this iteration of Warriors Link.

(Conversations and ideas have been vetted by my trans girlfriend)

Warnings: Mature themes, language, future sexual encounters.

Content under cut.

Sara walked along the long corridor which housed the Hylian army barracks. To the left and right were doors leading into the bunks for the various battalions of the army, as well as the officer's quarters. Sara had been sent to retrieve Captain Link for a meeting with Princess Zelda and the generals. Link was usually pretty prompt at attending meetings. However, last night he had returned well after midnight, following a particularly harrowing raid on a monster encampment.

As she reached the door to Link's room Sara stopped and knocked.

"Just a moment!" She heard Link call out.

The door however was unlatched and swung open a little as she knocked. Sara opened it a little more and put one foot inside the room.

"It's just Sara, Sir, I've come to get you for the meeting." She assured him as her eyes swept the room.

It was a modest chamber. A small room with a window and bed at the far end, a desk covered with documents and a trunk containing Link's clothes and personal items.

Link was already up and half dressed. He had put on his trousers and was sitting on the bed in the process of pulling up his boots. He jumped to his feet however when he realised Sara was in the room. She couldn't help but stare at his half naked form. He was slim but very muscular, his torso tapered a little at his waist above his belt. As Sara's eyes wandered upwards towards Link's flushed face, she noticed two crescent shaped scars below his chest. They curved around his pecks like pink shadows. Link's arms folded around his chest instantly when he caught her staring, and he turned his back on the door.

"I said I needed a moment! Get out!" He barked back at Sara, his surprise and embarrassment quickly turning to anger.

"I'm so sorry!" Sara replied, flustered as she tried to close the door. "The door was open, I just... I'll wait for you outside."

Sara quickly slammed the door closed with a little more force than she meant to. She slumped against the wall and let out a long sigh. She squeezed her eyes closed and bashed her fist against her forehead.

Sara and Link had become friends a long time ago. Not long after the start of the war she had been assigned to his squad. Though Link was fairly cagey around most people, Sara had got him to open up on more than one occasion. They bonded over their dislike of their adolescent drill sergeants, and their mutual love of sweet treats. Although they were difficult to come by these days, Link often managed to share his rations of cake and biscuits with Sara. She hoped beyond hope that this incident wouldn't spoil their friendship.

***

It was a few days until Sara got the opportunity to see Link again. They had just finished clearing out a new monster encampment on the Zora border and were taking a well earned rest in a nearby town. The Inn had offered to house the officers while the rest of the troops were camped outside. That didn't stop the soldiers from making use of the Inn's bar however.

Sara had just come off patrol with a few other soldiers, when she stepped into the Inn. A wall of noise, warmth and light hit her like the broadside of a bokoblins mace. The Inn was full to bursting with jolly soldiers and a few of their superiors dotted about, as well as a handful of locals. Some of whom seemed pleased to have the army visit their small village, others were glaring over their tankards.

Pushing her way to the bar, Sara caught the barkeeps attention. Some barrels of cider had been paid for by the General and set behind the bar for the troops. The barkeep poured a pint into a pewter tankard and passed it across the bar to her. She gave him a nod rather than try and thank him, it was too loud for him to hear her anyway.

Turning around to face the room, Sara caught sight of a familiar flash of bright blond hair at the far end of the bar. Leaning forwards she could see Link, drink in hand, two young women and a red headed boy practically hanging off his right arm. Sara studied his face. Link clearly wasn't engaging with them and was doing his best to ignore the trio. His cheery smile failed to reach his bright blue eyes. One of the women, a pretty blonde with large green eyes, leant against the bar talking almost constantly. The other woman who had brown hair was trying to muscle in between her friend and Link to try and get his attention. The red headed boy leant against an elbow on the bar, sipping his drink while occasionally adding a comment to the conversation.

Sara rolled her eyes at them. She'd seen plenty of people in towns all over Hyrule swooning over the Captain. The Hero of Hyrule came with a lot of caviats she had realised. One being a lot of unwanted attention from people seeking the Hero's favor.

Sara enjoyed her cider in relative peace for a while. Some of her squad came over to talk about the battle but she was only half interested in reliving their latest victory.

When she found herself alone at the bar again, her attention wandered back to Link. The two women had gone but the red headed guy was still hanging around him like a bad smell. Sara assumed he was a farm hand or some such, judging by his muddy and patched clothing. But going by his sly expression, he could have fit right in at Hyrule Castle with the other slippery nobles. Sara's eyes flicked to Link's face, but it was difficult to make out his expression beneath his bangs which hung down low over his half bowed head. When the red head trailed a hand down Link's upper arm, he flinched.

"That's it!" Sara announced to no one in particular, slamming her tankard down on the bar with more force than she meant to.

Sara got to he feet and pushed her way towards her Captain. He didn't see her coming but the interloper did. He scoffed at her and raised an eyebrow as she elbowed her way towards them.

"Can we help you with something sweetheart?" The man asked condescendingly, looking down his pointed nose at Sara, who was only half a head shorter than he was.

"Hmm?" she hummed behind a false smile. "No, but you can help yourself avoid a black eye and go home," she stated plainly.

The man blinked at her and Link half turned to look at her, the corner of his mouth curling slightly.

"Excuse me darlin'," he drawled, a little taken aback by her afront.

"No, I will not excuse you. I think my Captain has had enough of your chatter for this evening. And unless you want me to announce to every one of HIS soldiers in this tavern that you're bothering him, I suggest you make like a bokoblin and fuck off!"

Sara emphasised her command by pointing towards the door. The man glanced once at Link, who gave him no sighs of encouragement. A few soldiers near by had stopped their conversations to listen to the commotion. Clearly outnumbered and not really wanting to face Hyrule's finest, the man slunk away from the bar, left the Inn and disappeared into the night.

Sara was about to go back to her drink when she heard Link speak.

"Thanks Sara," he uttered.

Sara gave him a respectful nod.

"You didn't look like you were enjoying his company Sir," she replied.

"Not particularly, I just can't seem to be able to tell people that myself," he sighed.

Sara laid a hand on his back. Link froze beneath her touch and she quickly withdrew it again.

"Sorry, um, do you wanna get some air?" She suggested.

Link glanced around at the bar full of soldiers and villagers. A few peple kept shooting him curious looks or whispering to others while staring at him. He turned back to Sara and gave her a weak half smile.

"Yeah, that might be a good idea."

The two of them slipped out of the Inn and walked a short distance out of town where a bubbling river passed it's boundary. Link stopped walking and settled himself on a rock beneath a willow tree. Sara came to a halt when she realised Link was no longer beside her and walked back to lean against the tree beside him.

"So can I ask what all that was about back there?" She asked, inclining her head back towards the Inn.

Link sighed, he wasn't looking at Sara, his gaze was fixed on the water as it hurried by. He rested his elbows up on his knees and rubbed his hands into his eyes, messing up his fringe a little.

"Urgh, they're fans of the Hero," he said, letting out a long deep breath.

"Fans?"

"Yep, all they want to hang around me, make sketches of me, or... Well, that guy wanted something else from me."

"Oh Hylia, they sound as bad as Cia!" Sara exclaimed, disgusted by the behaviour Link was describing.

"They're not so bad really, I'm their hero and there's a certain image of me that they're used to seeing by now. The stoic, handsome hero who swoops in and saves them all. But, I'm just," he paused, closing his eyes. "You know I'm not that person all the time, don't you."

"Of course I do," Sara replied. She kicked Link's foot with her own boot. "For example I know you insist on having three sugars in your tea because in your own words, 'four is excessive but two just isn't enough sweetness'!"

Sara did a poor imitation of Link's Captain voice, which he reserved for meetings or rousing pre-battle speaches. He chuckled and kicked her in return.

"Hey!"

"What I mean is, yes, I know you're a normal guy. Your troops know you're a normal guy, but I guess the people of Hyrule don't really know that."

"Mmm, that's my problem. I have to be Hero Link all the time around them, or else they get disappointed or disheartened if I don't live up to their expectations."

"And the people who want, something else from you?" Sara asked tentatively.

Link let out a haggard breath and his shoulders slumped.

"Even before I found out I had the Triforce of Courage, I'd never been very comfortable about people flirting with me. I never knew how to feel about it. Even if I liked them in return I couldn't bring myself to do anything about it."

Sara didn't know what to say in return, so she remained quiet. Hoping Link just needed someone to listen to him, not offer dating advice.

"I guess I sound like a stuck up ass hole to you don't I?!"

"What?! No not at all, everything you've said makes total sense to me." Sara assured him.

"But you have questions," he continued. "I can tell."

Sara stayed quiet. Of course she had questions about Link. Ever since she had walked in on him half naked and seen his scars she had had questions. But it wasn't her place to ask them. They weren't that close friends, were they?

"Hmm, I know what you want to ask. I saw your face the other day when you walked in on me. You looked just like Impa did when the same thing happened with her," Link said pensively. "Though she addressed it at the time. Impa has very little concern for other people's embarrassment."

"Well, I do. Which I why I didn't ask then, and I'm not asking now. Even if you hadn't yelled at me at the time, I could tell it's a personal thing and I'd never push anyone to talk about personal issues if they didn't want to." Sara said firmly, stepping away from the tree so that Link could see the resolve on her face.

He looked up at her then. Appreciation and tears sparkling in his eyes. He smiled sweetly and nodded.

"Thanks Sara. It's difficult to know who I can be myself around these days," he sniffed, wiping his face on the cuff of his sleeve.

"Of course you can trust me, you gave me your last bar of chocolate when our platoon got snowed into that cave! I'd never break a sacred bond like that!" Sara teased, however, behind her jokes she was being sincere.

"You're right!" Link laughed, a perfect release of joy which made Sara smile. "You know I'd almost forgotten about that misadventure."

"Sir, Link, I want you to know you can tell me anything. If it'll help you shoulder the burden of being our hero, you can trust me." Sara insisted, placing her hand over her heart.

Link got to his feet and faced Sara. He smiled and opened his arms, giving her a cautious glance. Sara approached and wrapped her arms around Link's waist while he hugged tightly around her shoulders.

"Thank you Sara," Link uttered close to her ear. "And you can drop the Sir when it's just us. Feels a bit wrong."

"Okay, and you're welcome Link. I'm not entirely sure what I did really," Sara shrugged.

"You listened," Link said, as he drew back slightly, his arms still locked around her body. "That's more than most people do for me."

"Well, if there's more you want to get off your chest, I'm never far away," Sara replied, giving him a smile.

"Maybe not right now. But I'll definitely keep that in mind."

Part 2 >

#legend of zelda #fandoms #fanfic #link #the legend of zelda #link hyrule warriors #hyrule warriors #warriors #link warriors #trans link #trans masc #lgbtq #queer romance

23 notes · View notes

links-in-time · 4 months

Text

Hero's Scars

Part 2

@hyruledwarriorr

I'm really enjoying exploring Trans-Link as a character. Having trans people in my life is a big help and the first chapter was so well received I felt more confident continuing this fic.

Content below cut

Link awoke with a start in unfamiliar surroundings. As his dream faded however, he remembered where he was. His platoon was still stationed at the village on the Zora border. He lay in a narrow bed in a small room at the Inn. Next door he could hear some of the other commanders getting up and about through the thin walls. He sighed and plopped his head back against the pillow, dropping an arm over his closed eyes to shut out more of the morning light. He didn't want to get up. As uncomfortable as the bed was, it was preferable to getting saddle sore on a long ride back to Castle Town.

The report he sent from their last mission would have reached Princess Zelda by now. She would be expecting his platoon to return to the castle and for him to receive his next orders. He also hoped there would be updates on Cia's whereabouts and any new monster attacks.

But in order to find those things out, he had to get out of bed and get back on his horse. Link hated long journeys, but that was part of his job. He'd much rather charge headlong into an enemy fortress, but first he had to get there. Which usuly evolved a lot of marching and riding. Perhaps he could chat with Sara on their way back.

Link's mind wandered back to their conversation by the river last night. He laid his hands over his chest and thought about what she'd said to him. She'd been so kind and understanding. Sara hadn't pushed him for answers, she hadn't even asked about his scars. Link had many scars to be fair, but the ones below his pecks were precise and obviously not made by the blow of a weapon. Impa had known what they meant, trans men and women were common and accepted among the Sheikah tribe. She hadn't understood Link's desire to hide this fact about himself, but she had agreed to keep his secret. Sara had told Link to keep his secrets to himself, unless he wanted to tell her. Which, now he thought about it, perhaps he did.

***

Outside the town, curled up in the tent she shared with three other female soldiers, Sara packed up her equipment into her pack.

"So, tell us what happened last night," one of the girls, Jade, entreated. She gave Sara a playful punch to the shoulder.

"What d'you mean?" Sara asked in return.

"Oh come on, we all saw you leave the Inn last night with Link. What did you and the Hero get up to down by the river last night?" Jade asked, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

"What?! Nothing, we didn't get up to anything. The Captain just wanted some fresh air and I offered to keep him company. That's all," Sara insisted. It was mostly true after all. She just wasn't about to tell these gossiping coccos what the two of them talked about.

"Alright," Jade reeled in her questioning. "I know you've been sweet on the Captain for a while now. Just thought you might have got lucky at last."

"No. Besides, it's a minor crush. Lots of people have crushed on Link, but nothing ever comes of it. His mission is too important to be distracted by base desires." Sara insisted, crossing her arms after fastening her pack.

"Well, if I found myself alone with that tall glass of handsome, we wouldn't just be talking, trust me!"

Sara thought about the red head she had sent packing the previous evening. How Link had been utterly adverse to the idea of hooking up with random people. In the wild scenario Jade was describing, she didn't think Link would be reciprocating her intentions.

***

As predicted the journey back to the castle was long and uneventful. Link supposed he should see it as a blessing that they hadn't been ambushed on the road. But plodding along in formation along the dusty road was numbing his brain. He needed to talk to someone who wasn't a General, or a messenger.

Scanning the heads of the soldiers behind him, he searched for Sara. From his viewpoint atop his steed, he spotted her a few rows behind him, marching in step with everyone else. Link steered his horse off the road slightly and dismounted. He gave the reins to a page to guide the horse along with the convoy, while he went to find Sara. Link spotted her again and he managed to catch her eye without having to call out her name. For a moment Sara hesitated. It was one thing socialising with Link away from the rest of the army, but in broad daylight? She groaned at the tease fest she would get once they returned to base. But Link wasn't just a friend he was her commander, if he wanted to speak to her she couldn't really refuse.

Sara fell out of step with the rest of the troops and stepped out of formation. She trotted over to where Link stood smiling waiting for her. They continued walking together without saying a word for a long time, falling in with the rest of the army between two groups of soldiers. Although they had a few metres of space between them and the soldiers ahead and behind, their conversation would be easily overheard.

"How are you this morning Soldier?" Link asked, refraining from making eye contact with Sara. Instead he stared straight at the road ahead, as though he were still up on his horse, surveying the land.

"I'm well, thank you. How did you sleep Captain?" Sara asked, thinking it was an innocent enough question.

"Fitfully. But I can't remember having a decent night's rest since this war began," Link replied, rubbing the back of his neck.

"You should ask the medics to give you something to help you sleep?" Sara suggested.

"They already do!" Link replied cheerfully. "Unfortunately it doesn't always work or I forget to bring it with me when we go away on long campaigns like this one turned out to be. Cia's threats often keep me up at night."

"I can't imagine what that must be like. I sometimes have trouble sleeping. But that's more to do with the war. I've seen a lot of things I'd rather forget," Sara turned her gaze to the dusty dirt beneath her feet as she spoke. Her right hand gripped the handle of her sword.

Link noticed her discomfort and tried to change the subject.

"I wanted to thank you for your council last night," he said.

"My council? Oh, it wasn't all that much really," Sara protested.

"No, I was in a low place and you helped pull me back up again. I'd say that's something." Link paused, attempting to phrase his next words in his mind. "You remember you said you'd listen if I wanted to talk?" He asked in a lower tone, glancing sideways at Sara to judge her reaction.

"Of course," she gave a little nod.

"Well, we're a day's march away from the castle. And when I get back I'll be dragged into endless meetings. But if I can get away for a short time, would you mind if we talked?" Link asked a little sheepishly.

"Talked?" Sara parroted.

"Yeah, maybe not in the guards chambers. But some place in the castle or my quarters? We wouldn't be disturbed there," he suggested.

Sara's mind began spinning. Only this morning Jade had been teasing her about her crush on Link. Now here was the man himself asking to talk to her in private. Of course it wasn't the same as him asking her out on a date or professing his undying love. But she was startled by the proposition.

"Um, I have guard duties and cleaning rotas and drill training when we get back," she stammered, a little abashed by how different their responsibilities were.

"Oh, I see." Link replied, unable to disguise how dejected he felt from his voice. Equally disappointed, Sara tried to add a silver lining.

"But those things don't go on forever. I could always swap duty shifts with someone if need be. And I have a few days leave I haven't used yet."

"Do you know who authorises your leave?" Link asked, momentarily stunning Sara with his question.

"Er, no. Some officer I guessed."

"You're half right. It is an officer, this officer." He pointed his thumb at his chest.

Maari snorted out a laugh.

"Pft! I didn't realise you had a sense of humour Captain!" She teased.

"What?! I'm not all seriousness and stoicism 24/7." Link replied, pretending to he hurt by her observation.

"Well, you could have fooled me."

***

The army returned to Castle Town late in the evening. The town bells were striking nine when the last troops passed through the city gates. Tired, hungry and foot sore, the soldiers checked in their weapons and equipment before turning in for the night. Those who had homes in town returned to them, while the rest of the soldiers went back to the barracks.

Link passed Sara in the corridor on the way back to his chambers and they both bid each other a goodnight before disappearing into their own rooms.

What Link really wanted was to flop onto his bed and sleep. But he needed a bath and his clothes needed to be laundered. He checked the time on the clock above his desk. It was a quarter to midnight. The bathhouse would be empty this time of night. Link usually washed late at night to avoid unwanted company. The few times he had found himself amid a small crowd of soldiers, he had had to wait until they all left before he could step out of the water and wrap a towel around himself. Therefore midnight baths had become a ritual of his.

Slipping into a pair of clean plain trousers and a bed-shirt, Link grabbed his washbag and scurried off through the building. He saluted and offered brief greetings to the guards he met around the castle, but he didn't see or speak to anyone else.

When he reached the bath house it was blessedly empty. So were most of the great big wooden tubs around the room. But a few were half filled with tepid water. Link walked to a tub at the far end of the room and turned on the large tap beside it. For a moment nothing happened and he was afraid the hot water had been turned off for the night. But a second later a sputtering gush of hot water hit the surface and began to bubble away in the tub.

Link added his favourite salts to the rising water and a drop of the bubble bath he had bought from a travelling Gerudo merchant. The scent of lavender and hyacinth wafted around the room, soothing his tired and aching head and drawing him towards the bath. Link pulled off his clothes and kicked off his shoes before clambering over the edge of the tub and slowly sinking beneath the water.

Leaving the tap running to keep the hot water coming, Link reached down to his bag and pulled out the jar of medicine from within. He unscrewed the lid and scooped out a finger full of the gloopy ointment. Lifting himself out of the water slightly he rubbed the cream into his chest scars, then licked the remainder off his fingers. The effects were almost instantaneous, but there were some which were longer lasting. For example the thicker hair in his pits and round his crotch. His markedly deeper voice and his blessed lack of period cramps for a start. By Hylia he didn't miss those!

The salve also had a healing effect on his scar tissue, as well as helping to balance his hormones. Though he had been warned that it could also prevent him sleeping, he already had enough trouble in that area to notice any difference.

Another thing Link failed to notice was Sara creeping in through the doorway.

#legend of zelda #fandoms #fanfic #link #the legend of zelda #link hyrule warriors #Hyrule warriors #link warriors #trans link #trans masc #lgbtq+#queer romance

18 notes · View notes