Congrats on the follower milestone!!
Well... I am in a particular mood right now, so is it alright to ask for oot zelink kid? Maybe particularly being a menace because they take after their parents?
Tysm @louwhose !! <33 And thanks for the prompt! It was very fun to write some shamelessly fluffy oot zelink
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Zelda breathes in deep. The chilly air nips at her face and brings tears to her eyes. It is pleasant though, beautiful. She is not usually one for icy days when the mere act of stepping outside cuts her to the bone. But it is so very nice to escape the castle, even if just for a moment. And it certainly helps that the company is decidedly pleasant.
She turns to look at her husband, his angular face silhouetted against the gray of sky. He looks down at her, a smile on his face. It is a blessing to see it. A smile from him is such a precious thing.
“You always look beautiful,” he murmurs, squeezing her hand, “but I think you are even more so in the snow.”
Zelda smiles as they come to a stop, facing one another amidst the snow-kissed shrubbery and trees. It is where they first met, so very long ago, where she had handed him the ocarina of time before he journeyed off to Termina.
She supposes if she is thankful to the goddesses for anything, it is that they always come back here. They always come back to each other.
“And you, dear Link, are as handsome as ever.”
Link chuckles and she laughs along with him. Such flowery words are seldom their true way of expressing their love. No, that is communicated through soft embraces and soothing words, through expressions of loyalty and utter trust.
Love must run deeper than beauty and compliments alone. Especially for people like them.
Link leans forward, resting his forehead against hers. Their shared breaths are smoke clouds in the chilled air.
“It’s lovely to be out of the castle,” Zelda whispers. “Alone.”
“Indeed.” His voice is hardly above a murmur, as though he is afraid of disturbing this tender moment. “It has been far too long.”
He is right, of course. It has been far too long. Between getting married — small and discreet though the ceremony had been — and ruling Hyrule together, trying to make it the kingdom they both want it to be, there has been little time these past years for the bonding moments they enjoyed in their youth.
And then there is the small matter of a certain gift they were blessed with such a short while ago. It had been seven years now, yet Zelda feels it was only yesterday.
As though reading her very thoughts, a familiar giggle sounds from the bushes.
“Mother and Father are going to smooch,” comes a voice she knows all too well.
Zelda pulls back slightly, suppressing a sigh.
“Saria, what have we told you about eavesdropping?”
A little blonde head protrudes from the branches, Link’s green cap situated crookedly upon it. A smile with mischief to match her father’s lifts small lips.
“To not to.”
“Indeed. And why is that?”
Saria steps from her place of concealment, still looking decidedly unapologetic.
“Because if you wanted me to hear it, you’d say it to me directly.” She huffs a sigh. “But Mother, I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop! I just wanted to show you these deku nuts I found! Didn’t you and Father use these when you were fighting that big bad man?”
Zelda and Link exchange glances. Link releases her hand and squats down, reaching for one of the deku nuts.
“Mother and I did use these while fighting the big bad man. In fact, I dealt the killing blow with one of these. You must be very careful with them.”
Saria’s eyes grow wide, lips forming an oh. Zelda stifles a laugh behind her hand. Link winks at her before scooping up a handful of snow. Carefully, he forms a ball with it.
“This, however, this is a less dangerous weapon, though a weapon nonetheless.” He gently pries Saria’s fingers apart and places the snowball within it. “Wield it with care.”
There is a beat in which Saria studies him, a slight frown on her face. Then, she hefts the snowball more firmly in hand…and sends it flying into Link’s face. Link falls back, spluttering.
“Saria!” Zelda exclaims, completely failing to hold back her laughter now. But the only reply she gains are the mischievous giggles of the girl as she streaks in between the trees. Swift retribution is certain and she is all too aware of that fact.
Link gets to his feet with Zelda’s help. He runs a hand across his eyes, wiping wet slush from them. He is grinning, however, when he looks at his wife.
“That is your daughter.”
She smirks. “I believe that is your daughter. Or am I wrongly remembering how you were an infamous prankster in your younger years?”
He inclines his head. “Touche.”
And then he is off with a cry of warning, racing after their young daughter, braid already becoming undone by the wind. Zelda watches, chuckling as they trade blows, hurling projectiles from behind trees and shrubbery. Link bides his time well enough, careful to let Saria believe that she has an advantage before he makes his move. Just as she reels back to throw a snowball, he ducks out of sight. And while she searches the garden with narrowed eyes, he tiptoes up from behind.
The squeal she makes when he scoops her up into his arms echoes across the space. Quickly, it dissolves into giggles.
“Behold!” Link cries as he carries her like a sack of grain back to where Zelda stands. “I’ve snagged the intruder!”
“Ah, so you have.” Saria grins at Zelda and Zelda grins back. “Though, it seems you have let your guard down where others are concerned.”
Link’s eyes widen for a split second before Zelda’s own missile hits him in the chest. He stumbles, loses his balance and falls into a heap of snow. Saria wriggles free, laughing, her hair flying in tousled wisps about her head.
“I won, Father! I won!”
He sits up, gazing at Zelda with a look that wails “you too my dearest?” But he is laughing too when he tackles Saria back into the snow.
“Not yet, you haven’t!” He cries over the sounds of her continued laughter.
Zelda gazes down at them, smiling. Warmth has blossomed within her at the sight of this, this happy family she never allowed herself to believe she could have. Then, a booted foot catches her feet out from beneath her and she joins them in the icy stuff, thoughts shattering like the crystals upon the window panes.
But as she laughs and presses a kiss to Link’s nose, as Saria squeals and hides her eyes…she thinks – not for the first time – that she wouldn’t trade this for the world.
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