Four

“Ow,” Four winced, touching the side of his head.

“You ok?” you turn as you walk, shifting the bag on your back as you do.

“Fine,” he mumbles. “Just a headache.”

“Ok, give me a sec,” you take your arms out of the straps of your bag, swing it around to the front of your body, then put the backpack back on backwards so you can dig through it.

“I don’t need a potion,” Four says quickly. “Honestly, it wouldn’t even help. It’s just a headache.”

“Four, if you’re complaining about a headache, it’s serious,” you continue digging through your bag, remembering the various injuries he’d taken without so much as a wince. You guess black smiths were just built different. “I’ve got some Tylenol. One pill and some water and you should feel right as rain.”

“A potion wouldn’t help,” Four says again. “It’s not an injury.”

“Good thing this isn’t a potion, then,” you take out the small white bottle, then proceed to struggle with the child-proof cap. 

“I’ve seen you give that to some of the others,” he points at the bottle. “They eat it and then they feel better. Potion. Maybe not liquid, but still.”

“It doesn’t actually heal anything,” you explain, grunting as you try to open the cap. “The thing causing the headache will still be there. It just blocks the pain.”

“How would there be no pain if the injury is still there?” Four raises an eyebrow.

“It’s like… how do I explain this,” you muse. “So, your nerves send signals to the brain. Think of them like little mail men, taking messages from where the pain is to you. This blocks those signals. The mailmen are still there with their letters, but now the letters can’t get to where they’re going, so no pain.”

“So I’m full of tiny little mailmen,” Four smirks.

“Sure,” you laugh, then finally pop the cap off the bottle and shake a single pill out of the container. You hold it out to Four. He takes it, looks it over, then pops it into his mouth.

“Wha–!?” you sputter, your hand still reaching for your water bottle. “Did you just dry swallow it?”

“Yes?” Four winces at the after taste. “Why? Was that wrong?”

“I mean, no, it’s fine,” you close your bag, still bewildered. “It’s demented, but you won’t, like, die.”

“Who are you calling demented?” He grins.

“You just took a pill without water!” you cry. “Who does that!?”

Time

Time was old. Mentally, yes, he was probably like 60 or something as far as you or anyone else could figure, but physically as well. Most of the other heroes were in their twenties or younger. Time was in his thirties, and with the added stress of hero work he might as well have been forty.

He had old injuries that still ached, and the past strain on his body had definitely sped up how quickly he developed arthritis. You noticed the way he would massage his hands occasionally. Or wince when he woke up. It was your job to notice these things after all. 

Unfortunately, heroes were stubborn and selfless. Most attempts to help them were met with “I’ve had worse” or “so-and-so needs it more.” And from what you could tell, Time had never been “mothered” in the traditional sense, making it all the more unlikely he would accept anything you had to offer. He thought your help was necessary for the others, not him. It was noble. And incredibly stupid.

You had to find alternative ways to help him.

“Tea?” you hold up a mug to him as he passes where you’re sitting, your own cup held loosely in your other hand.

“That’s not suspicious at all,” Time frowns at the mug.

“What’s suspicious about tea?” you take a sip from your mug.

“Yeah, old man, when has tea ever gone wrong?” Wild, currently also enjoying a cup of tea next to you, smiles. 

“Tea isn’t suspicious,” Legend nods, clutching his own mug close to his chest.

“Not at all,” you agree, nodding in a totally not suspicious way.

“Then why are the two people you’re always after about pain management the only ones drinking it?” Time points at Wild, who often got whole-body aches that he liked to try to ignore, then at Legend, who, like Time, had arthritis in his hands, but was more willing to take medicine for it.

“Maybe they’re the only two who happened to walk past,” you take another long sip from your cup.

“What’s in the tea?” Time sighs.

“Uhhh, it’s green tea, so Camellia leaves,” your arm is starting to get tired from holding the extra mug out to him. “And some honey.”

Time raises an eyebrow. He didn’t remember having honey in the camp supplies.

“We just got it. Wild shield-surfed face-first into a hive,” you explain. The Link in question gives you a thumbs up when you glare at him.

“So this tea is just to use up the honey?” Time takes the mug carefully.

“Can’t really store it all. Our jars are for fairies or potions,” Legend shrugs.

“I kept one jar,” Wild smiles.

“Fine,” Time takes a drink. Success!

“Oh! And I added some turmeric and ginger,” you admit, looking away from him as you do. You glance at your surroundings in a nonchalant manner. “They have anti-inflammatory properties. Figured you could use it.”

“I knew it,” Time narrows his eyes (eye), but takes another drink of tea. “You were trying to medicate me.”

“Is it helping?” you ask. He flexes his hand, thinking.

“...Yes,” he finally admits, shoulders slouching in defeat.

Sky

“That’s not what happened!” Sky scowls. He had been recounting his attempt to catch the apparently portal-using mail man when a few of the others had begun teasing him about his inability to run.

“That’s totally what happened,” Legend smirks.

“Sounds like asthma,” you shrug, turning away from the conversation to inspect Twilight’s side. Apparently there was some evil magic that you couldn’t see infecting the wound, and while you were no mage, you were a medic, and infection of any kind, magic or otherwise, was unacceptable.

“Asthma…?” Nine heads tilt inquisitively sideways, various looks of confusion on their faces.

“Do you guys not know what asthma is?” Now it’s your turn to be confused.

The blank looks you get back speak for themselves.

“Okay,” you pinch the bridge of your nose, trying to think. “Athma is like… your throat gets tight and it gets really hard to breathe. Sometimes it feels like someone is sitting on your chest, making it really hard to get air in.”

“Oh, yeah, that’s pretty accurate,” Sky smiles.

“How do you not know what asthma is? If you have asthma you should have an inhaler.” You stand up, forgetting Twilight’s magic wound for a moment, and start rummaging through your bag. There wasn’t really a way to treat inflammation like that with the herbs you had available, but you had to have something.

“I thought it was just because I grew up in Skyloft,” Sky shrugs. “The air down here is just different.”

“That’s not how altitude changes work. The air up there is thinner, meaning Skyloftians should have an easier time breathing near the surface,” you say exasperatedly.

“Oh,” Sky blushes.

“So it’s an illness?” Warriors glances at Sky and takes a not-so-subtle step away.

“No, it’s genetic. You can’t ‘catch’ it, if that’s what you’re afraid of,” you roll your eyes. A few of the boys snicker at Wars’ look of relief.

“But is there a cure?” Sky sounds hopeful. “You said something about me needing to have something.”

“An inhaler. Not a cure, just a way to treat the symptoms,” you give up digging through your bag. “It’s medicine that you breathe in. And I have no way of making it here. If we ever go to my era I’m breaking into a pharmacy and getting you one.”

“Surely there must be something you can do without traveling to your era,” Time says.

“Not really,” you grimace. “We can limit triggers. If you didn’t have issues on Skyloft your asthma might be triggered by humidity? Or pollen? But it sounds like it’s triggered by exercise, which… well, you might have chosen the wrong profession.”

“You could say that again,” Legend snorts.

“Well, not much to be done,” Sky hums. “I’ve been alright up until now. I should be fine.”

“I’m still swiping you an inhaler if we wind up in my era,” you mutter, adding it to your growing list of things to either buy or steal from a modern pharmacy (some of the meds these boys needed were prescription, which you wouldn’t really be able to get otherwise).

He’d like to think he wasn’t overreacting. He really would. But why did your friend only look at him like that after you mentioned that the two of you were a thing? And then that ‘friend’ had kept that look on WIld while giving you the tightest hug he’d ever seen.

You didn’t seem to notice though, too caught up in the joy of seeing your dear ‘friend.’

“He used to bake all the time when we were kids,” you had gushed. “His pastries were the best. And now he’s taken over his father’s bakery, and I’m telling you Wild, he’s got the best stuff in all of Hyrule.”

Really? This guy’s got the best stuff in all of Hyrule?

“I’m wounded,” Wild said, dramatically placing his hand over his heart so that he didn’t convey that he actually was a little wounded. “I thought I made the best food in all of Hyrule.”

You had grinned at him and planted a kiss on his cheek. “I did say that, didn’t I? Cook for me again and I can confirm it.”

And cook for you again he did. He cooked a lot of things. Specifically, he recreated many of the pastries and treats your ‘friend’ had made for you. Well, not entirely recreated. They were better, much better.

“Here,” he held out a pastry for you to grab. It had a perfect puff pastry lattice on it, evenly browned from a glossy egg wash he had brushed on before baking. “Try it.”

You let out a dramatic sigh, but couldn’t stop the smile from coming onto your face. It hadn’t taken much for you to figure out the reason for all the cooking your lover had been doing lately. You gently grabbed the pastry, observing it.

“Is this meat mince?”

“Yes.”

It was the same exact design as your friend’s one, and almost had the same smell to it. Wild’s was a bit more fragrant. You took a careful bite, making sure the flakes of pastry didn’t fall onto your clothes. Your eyes widened a bit, just enough for Wild to notice and slightly puff his chest in pride.

“This is pretty good.”

“I know,” he said smugly.

You rolled your eyes. “What did you change?”

“More spices, cooked the meat a bit differently, and more salt,” he listed. “Your little friend has a habit of undersalting his goods.”

“Little friend?”

“Yes.”

You giggled and kissed his cheek again. “Best chef across all eras of Hyrule,” you said.

He grinned and nodded firmly in agreement.

You hope that your bulkier belongings, and the suitcase itself, are still safe at the village you left it at. Although your dead laptop is certainly useless here, except perhaps for the rare materials inside of it, you still somehow hope that you’ll be able to take it back with you, should you return home.

Home… you wonder how time works in this weird setup. You hope that once you get home - well, back at the train station you first disappeared from, maybe - no time at all has changed. But you don’t know.

You try to shake the thought away. Link had made it very clear to the family he left your suitcase with that they’re not supposed to touch it, and although you appreciate how careful he is with your belongings… you thought that ominously grabbing the handle of his sword whilst speaking was a bit much. Maybe that was just how he was used to handling things…

You kneel down in order to get a look at another mushroom. As you pick it up, you notice that the forest floor has completely dried, and as you walk towards a spot where the treetops don’t connect, you close your eyes for a moment and soak in the sun.

It has since moved up from its previous spot quite a bit - although it is not noon yet, now, everything is fully illuminated. On instinct, you reach for your wrist to have a look at your watch - only to find nothing there. One of the downsides of owning a smartwatch. You had taken it off and left it in the suitcase once the battery died, same as your headphones, phone, iPad and laptop.

You hope that you weren’t gone for too long. Luckily, the big mountain to your left is a clear indicator of where to find the temporary camp, since you stayed relatively close to it, so you know which direction you have to go in. You slowly make your way through the trees. The last few metres of walking are especially easy; you can see the fire by now.

⚔️⋆｡°✩ ⋆ ⋆ ❁ ⋆ ⋆ ✩°｡⋆ ⚔️

He wants to scream in frustration. How could he be so caught up in his fantasy about a future with you, that he didn’t manage to notice you disappearing? There’d be no future with you if you were gone… he gets sick just thinking about it.

Something must’ve taken you. Probably some monster… it’s probably attempting to use you as bait. He wants to punch something in anger; how dare they! He has to get you back, and then, you’re never, never leaving his sight again. How could he have let that happen? You’re so precious, so fragile, you’ve never even held a sword in your life. You’re defenceless.

He’s supposed to be your defence. He’s held a sword since he could walk. He defeated another knight in combat when he was four. He’s made to fight monsters and to protect you so that you can be fragile and precious and defenceless. Since he’ll always be there to fill those roles for you.

He begins to follow the footsteps you left in the mud. The imprints on the bottom of the shoes are rather peculiar. It looks a bit like a star at some part of the pattern. He asked about it when you first came here. You had told him that the shoes were called ‘conversion’ or something along those lines.

He had thought that that was very interesting, however, a spark of jealousy burned in his chest when he discovered that a male's name was written in cursive near the star logo on the sides of the shoe. You had chuckled a little bit when he asked about it, and told him that it was simply the name of the man involved in creating the shoes.

This calmed him down a little. Still, a part of him couldn’t wait until the shoes wore down enough so that he could buy you a nice pair of boots. Only the best for you… precious you, fragile you, probably currently held hostage by some monster… His anger flared up again.

He now walks a bit quicker, and noticed how irregular the pattern you walked was - almost like you were running from tree to tree. You probably tried to fight off or escape your attacker… he growls a little from anger. You shouldn’t have to fight. He’s the one who should be fighting. You’re not made for swords and arrows and shields and bows. That should be his burden to carry. He’s even angrier that he made it yours. He’ll never let that happen again.

He quickly turns around, back to the camp, as he hears someone walk towards it. He’s not close enough to make out who’s coming closer just yet. Was it some monster, looking to steal something? Trying to mock him for losing you? He draws his sword.

⚔️⋆｡°✩ ⋆ ⋆ ❁ ⋆ ⋆ ✩°｡⋆ ⚔️

You get closer and closer to the fireplace, tote bag slung over your shoulder. You notice that you somehow ended up walking a half-circle around the camp. You had left the camp with the mountain to your left, and now, it’s on your left again. You look around. Your travelling companion is nowhere to be seen.

You shrug and walk towards the fire and place the tote bag near the bundled up bedroll. You sit down by the fire. You close your eyes.

But you’re only granted a minute of relaxation, before the noise of a bunch of… angry-sounding footsteps, in rapid succession, sound out near you. You open your eyes and whip around.

Your hand reaches into the left front pocket of your pants, reaching for your knife. You pry open your pocket knife and grasp the handle tightly in your dominant hand.

You squint your eyes, trying to make out where the noise is coming from - but you can’t make out anyone. ‘Fuck!‘ you think, and try to focus harder.

‘Maybe it’s an invisible monster!‘ some part of your mind suggests. ‘If it already got him, you’re definitely screwed!‘

You decide to continue to stay in place, near the fireplace. You try to focus on your breathing. Maybe the monster hasn’t seen you yet. Maybe you’re still safe…

You see movement between the trees… It’s humanoid, at the very least. You squint your eyes again… it’s coming closer…

Thinking swiftly, you quickly hide behind a nearby tree. It‘s older than the thinner trees, and therefore, thick enough to easily hide you. You don’t really know what to do next…

The tree seems rather sturdy… maybe you should climb it? Maybe that‘ll keep the monster(s?) off your back…

A scream of your name pulls you away from your thoughts.

You stick your head out from behind the tree, and see Link running towards you.

“Hello, wha-“ is all you manage to get out, before the hero throws his arms around you, causing you to drop your pocket knife as he’s engulfing you in a heartfelt hug.

“You’re okay, you’re okay, you’re okay…” he repeats over and over, mumbling into your shirt, his head pressed against your chest. Is he… crying a little?

You somewhat awkwardly return the hug. “Link?” you ask in a confused tone. “Why wouldn’t I be okay?”

“It-it’s all my fault!” the hero whimpers, “I was too focused on making food, and when I turned around, you were- you were-“

“Uhm… I was foraging. Looking for mushrooms.” You show him the tote bag, filled with different mushrooms.

This explanation doesn’t seem to calm him down. “I-I left you out of my sight… anything could’ve happened to you… This area is dangerous… What if you encountered a monster? Or tripped and fell? Or accidentally ran into something, or, or…” He cries out. “I can’t… Never again, please…”

“O…okay…” you answer and hug the hero a little tighter. You think that this is a bit excessive. Then again… he knows the area, and the monsters, better than you do. And, if the few bits you know of his life until he met you are anything to go by, he surely has experienced a lot of loss in his life… You can understand why he wouldn’t want to risk more.

“Please, promise me, please… never again…” his grip on you tightens and he seems to shiver. You gently begin to play with his hair, in an effort to calm him. “I…I won’t do that again. I promise you.” He looks more content. After a few more moments of hugging you, he breaks up the hug. He sniffles a little and smiles up at you.

“We… we should avoid sleeping outside as much as possible.” he says in a matter-of-fact voice. You nod. “That makes sense.”

────୨ৎ────

thank you for reading!

part one

part two ⇦ ｙｏｕ ａｒｅ ｈｅｒｅ

part three

part four

part five

tags: @danyzta @shaq-27

Twilight looks back to Wild, the two older heroes now waiting for him to respond. 

Whatever it was that had yoinked you back into consciousness against your will, you wished it a slow and torturous death. 

Being alive currently felt worse than death. It was as if each of your senses had been dialed up to max sensitivity, noticing every blade of grass that pricked through your sleeping bag, irritating the exposed skin of your sore limbs. Eyelids, scrunching down into fine lines, shielded you from the morning sun’s harsh rays that surely weren’t always this bright. Fed up with the uncomfortably warm pillow, you fling it over your head, pressing the flimsy item down over your ears, using it to block out the obnoxious assault on your eardrums, courtesy of your not so quiet companions flitting around camp. No wonder Sky was usually so grumpy in the morning, listening to them going about their daily morning routines was like being in the midst of a Goron wrestling competition. Twilight’s feet might as well have been stomping against your brain rather than the ground, Wind’s higher ranged voice ringing in your ears while items clanged against each other in some futile attempt at organizing; probably Legend considering the amount of crap that hoarder carried with him. Maybe this was some sort of cruel payback, accidently pissing one of them off could have dire consequences if not resolved and clearly the whole world was out to torture you this blasted morning.

You curled up on your side, convinced you must have fallen into the pits of death mountain in your sleep with how hot you felt, the copious amount of sweat rolling down your back cooling once exposed to the fresh air that made you shiver fiercely in contrast to the boiling sensation you felt inside. With every small movement your stomach performs somersaults as fast and chaotic as Wild when rolling down a hill. Keeping one hand firmly pressed to the pillow over your ear, the other wraps around your stomach, willing it to settle down to low grumbling. It works only out of sheer will and knowledge that there would be no way you would be able to get yourself up and out of camp if something were to crawl its way up. Just because you were comfortable with all the guys certainly did not equate to you wanting them all to witness the horrors that would be watching you puke your guts out.

Footsteps, clear and deliberate headed in your direction. Maybe, if you didn’t move, whoever it was would simply think you were still sleeping and leave you be. But as you laid there, fighting against the spinning in your head, the footsteps stopped and the nudging of your shoulder began. 

You ignored it, staying perfectly still in hopes it looked like you were sleeping. You even considered a small snore for dramatic effect. Another nudge and this time you let out a small groan, refusing to move or acknowledge whoever it was that seemed on a mission to wake you up as they shook your shoulder over and over. 

“Rise and shine,” Warriors calls out, his voice far too cheerful for even a typical morning. “Champions calling for break- Ow! What in Din’s name was that for?” Wars squawked after your pillow, now placed firmly back over your head, had wacked him square on the nose. You turned away from him, hoping it would be enough of a clue for Wars to leave you alone. Instead, the pillow is ripped away from you, your skull ready to split down the middle from the noises around you.

“Come on (y/n), at this rate Sky's gonna get breakfast before you!” It was hard to tell if Warriors meant that as a threat, but it sure felt like one given his less than pleased tone at the way you were still trying to actively ignore him. 

“Not hungry” You muttered spitefully, tossing your arms over your head to try and make up for the loss of your soft, lumpy shield. 

“Oh really?” He hums, a hand on his hip and a challenging ring in his voice. You crack an eye open, glaring at him from the corner of your eye. You know that voice, you hate that tone of voice. It's the same voice he uses when he's up to something that nine times out of ten will end in your misery.  “Guess we’ll have to see about that.” 

The Captain walks off, leaving you to stew in not only your own suffering, but now in the unknown that is whatever he is up to. Grabbing at the blanket you had tossed aside, you hug it tightly to your slightly shaking frame, pointedly ignoring the current sting of tears in your eyes as you try to rest for a few more minutes. 

That was all you needed anyway. A few more minutes and you would pull yourself together, get up, grab your stuff and head off like any other day. Even if your blood felt like lava running through your veins and the steam from it clouded your mind you would simply have to suck it up. Sky still needed a few minutes to become functional anyway, was sleeping so you could feel even a smidge better all that bad in retrospect? 

You roll over onto your other side, a whimper caught in your throat, blocked by the nausea that threatened to make itself known to everyone in a 20 mile radius. Just five more minutes; was that too much to ask for?

____________

Across from camp, Wild watches the small debacle with amusement, having caught interest the moment he watched your pillow smack Wars in the face. It wasn't often that someone had to come wake you up, and when they did, it was about as dangerous as shooting an electric arrow in the middle of a rainstorm.

With a stifled chuckle, focusing back down to the hot pan before him, giving it one more good stir before calling it good. Scooping up a portion of freshly made eggs and some chopped up fruit onto a plate, he hands it over to Hyrule, putting a bit extra on his plate to help him recover from the nasty hit he had taken yesterday.

“Morning Champion,” Wild looks up, a bit shocked to see Warriors standing in front of him all in one piece. Your pillow still gripped in one of his hand.

“Think you could hand me a plate for our Sleeping Beauty over there?” 

“You know as well as I do that she hates being called that.” Wild says with an unimpressed glance. “Or was one smack to the face not enough for you this morning?”

Letting the large eye roll from the Captain slide, Wild grabs a plate, putting some food on it before handing it over to Wars. He glances over to where you are still laying down, curled up with your blanket.

“Just go easy on her, she must have had a rough night or something.

“Hey, we all know your cooking is the easiest way to wake any of us up! Bad night or not I'm sure she'll perk right up once she gets this!”

Wild chose to accept that as a compliment of his cooking skills, while promptly ignoring the mischievous smirk and sly wink that accompanied it. With a plate of food and pillow in hand, Wars walks away with a quick thanks, heading back over to your sleeping spot. Wild couldn't help but watch, curiously awaiting your reaction, and only slightly disappointed when there was none.

You always woke up for his food, often offering to wake up early or stay up late just to cook with him. It was a running joke between the two of you that you were his official taste tester considering the role of apprentice seemed to currently belong to Time. But you simply continued to lay there, avoiding Wars who was trying his hardest to coerce you into waking up and eating something.

When you continued to refuse, Wars had forced you to sit up by grabbing your wrists and hauling you up into a sitting position. Limbs flailed and Wild caught what looked like the pillow being flung around some more, but you were at least upright now. Or somewhat upright. You were hunched forward, swatting at Wars who was continuing to push his luck by trying to get you to eat some of the food he had brought over. It felt like a twist to the gut watching as you pushed the plate away, clearly not interested in whatever was being served to you.

An idea popped into Wild's head. Snatching up his slate from its place on his hip, two more eggs were retrieved and cracked against the side of the pan, the raw yolks slipping out to settle in the center with a hot ‘sizzle’. When it was time, he grabbed the handle of the pan rather than the spatula he had been using all morning, showing off one of his favorite skills he had taught himself as the eggs were flipped over perfectly. A trick he often used to impress you, not that he was  trying to.

Cooked just the way he knew you liked, he adds a few more things to the pan, mixing them in until he has one of your favorite morning meals hot and ready. Wild slides it onto a plate, a fork perched on the rim as he carries it over to where Wars is hunched over you with both pillow and blanket in hand, both held high above your head which was slouched forward.

“At ease Captain,” Wild mocks, patting Wars shoulder with a fake sense of sympathy. His free hand slapped over his mouth, containing the snort of laughter that came out when Wars turned to look at him. Red and blue mush was streaked across his face, as if a toddler had tried using his face for fingerpaint practice. The same colored berries conveniently having disappeared from your plate that laid on the ground about a foot away, the food messy and broken up 

“I’ll uh, take it from here.” Wild offers, giving another pat to War’s back.

Wars doesn't respond, simply drops your items with a dramatic eye roll before walking away to get himself cleaned up for the second time this morning. You immediately snatch up the pillow, hugging it to yourself like a rediscovered prized possession that had been lost for far too long, your face burying into it with a quiet groan. 

“Here, brought ya a little something.” Wild crouches down, a little wary of getting within face smashing distance as he places the plate right by your feet. His smile falters when you don't acknowledge him or the new food sitting beside you, continuing to sit there with your face hidden in the depths of the pillow and your body curled up enough that Wild could practically see your spine jutting out from beneath the shirt that looked oddly damp. He pokes you in the arm the same way one would try to wake up Sky without losing a finger, pulling away cautiously when it moves just enough to reveal an eye glaring up at him.

“Rough night huh?” He asks sympathetically. The look in your eyes says it all. The red creeping in the corners and dark bags underneath. You must have barely gotten any sleep, which likely wasn't very restful given the knotted lump of hair atop your head that looks damp with sweat. He wants to ask, to know what it was that made it so rough, to ask if he can fix it all for you. Instead he just points to the food with a small smile.

“I made your favorite! Thought it might help, just don't tell the others okay?”

The look in your eye softens a bit, following the direction of his finger till you see the food laid before you, staring at it but making no attempt at moving. Wild takes note, nudging it just a bit closer in hopes the smell will be enough to rile you up.

It doesn't.

You do grab the fork though, which is more than what Wars could get from you. It stabs into the steaming eggs and veggies a couple of times, pushing and swirling them around with no intention of consuming them. A whispered appreciation for the food is all he gets for the time being.

It feels wrong, like he has done something wrong to make you so blatantly reject his food. His brain runs through the last 24 hours, coming up short with any sort of explanation as to your behavior. Either he royally fucked up or there's something else going on with you that he hasn't thought about. But what–

He paused, eyes scanning over your face a bit more closely, this time noticing more of the sweat on your brow and paleness of your skin. Add in the way you couldn't seem to sit up all the way and your eyes kept squinting to avoid the light, Wild had a new theory.

“Stay here,” he says, jumping to his feet and facing over to where Twilight is currently loading something up and strapping it down onto Epona's saddle. 

“Rancher! I got a question for ya!” 

Twilight glanced over his shoulder, apprehensive curiosity spreading over his features as Wild approached.

“This ain't about the other night is it? I tried telling ya that Four wasn't gonna be too happy about you trying to use your shield as a lever. Whatever he said, I ain't getting in the middle of it!”

“Ugh don't remind me. Smithy ‘bout chewed my ear off! But no, I need to know how to tell if someone's sick or not?”

Twilight blanched.  

“What's wrong? Are you not feeling well?” Twilight asks, pressing the back of his hand to Wild's forehead. “Doesn't seem like you have a fever, and you seem alright to me.”

“Holy– not for me!” Wild corrects, shoving Twilight away playfully. “How can I tell if someone else is sick?”

Twilight's eyes narrow, studying Wild carefully. “Why?”

“Curiousity?” He didn't know why he suddenly felt so nervous about it. Like it was all a big secret that would get him in trouble for sharing too much. Maybe it was from the way Twilight was staring him down, or having watched you put Wars in his place with a few good swings. Either way, his fingers started fidgeting, tapping along where his slate hung on his belt. 

Twilight sighed, rubbing his forehead as he leans over to the left, grabbing Time’s arm from where the old man was finishing strapping some of his weapons onto his belt. A solid tug, and he was yanked to Twilight's side.

“Someone's sick.” Twilight says with another sigh. Time looks to Wild, eyes scanning over him and Wild can't help but feel his spine straighten under the oldest’s gaze.

“Who?”

“I think (y/n) might be. She isn't eating and something feels off.” Wild admits, rubbing his neck. He glances around back to where you have laid back down, face smooshed into your sleeping bag and blanket tossed over you messily. His attention snaps back to Time as a hand rests in his shoulder.

“Come on, let's go see if she's alright.”

Together, they walk across camp to you. Time kneels down beside you, pulling away your blanket enough for him to be able to see your face clearly, removing his glove before brushing strands of tangled hair away from your face. Your eyes peek up at him, red and full of tears that sinks Wild's heart when they briefly meet his.

“Looks like you were right, Champion.” Time says after pulling his hand away from your forehead. 

“Really? How can you tell?”

“Well in this case there's a few things that stand out,” Time explains, waving him to kneel down. “The biggest thing is looking for signs of a fever. Feel her forehead.”

Rather awkwardly, Wild does so as Time explains more of your symptoms, the heat of your skin immediately noticeable beneath his touch. You stir uncomfortably, turning your head away and throwing your hands up to cover your face.

“Alright sorry (y/n), lesson times over.” Time hushes you, smoothing out your hair comfortingly. He takes another moment, helping readjust the pillow beneath your head before dropping the blanket over you. Pulling it up to your chin, he pats your head once more. “You rest up. Champion, let's inform the others. We will want to limit her contact so it doesn't spread. And then we should get her something for that fever of hers.”

“Uhh right! I can go tell the others.” 

“Actually, would you mind staying with her?” Time asks, pushing himself up onto his feet. “One of us should keep an eye on her throughout the day and she seems to respond a bit more favorably to you. Just help her out and make sure she isn't getting worse. Think you're up for it?”

“Me!? Uhh yeah! Yeah I can stay with her today.”

“Thanks Champion. I'll go speak with the others about scouting around.” 

Time walked off with a grateful pat to Wild's shoulder, calling for the others to gather around and explain what has happened. Not needing to pay attention, Wild settles on the ground, making himself comfortable as close to your side as possible without disturbing you. His attention drifts down to you, taking in your features one by one, memorizing everything from the furrow in your brow to the pout of your bottom lip. 

From the corner of his eye he can see the others begin  to disperse from their impromptu meeting, some grabbing their weapons and disappearing behind the trees while others pulled out miscellaneous items and activities from their bag, making sure to leave plenty of space between them and what was now considered the “sick zone” of camp. 

Time is the only one to come over, the Vet's ice rod in hand along with a few other various items.

“Here, I brought some stuff for her.” Wild takes them from Time's outstretched arms, placing them carefully on the ground in front of him to take in his new inventory which consists of; The ice rod, the remains of a red potion, bandages and a few rags. “This should help bring her fever down.”

Wild barely gets out a thanks before Time is walking off again, headed towards the other side of camp, officially leaving the rest up to him. Taking a steadying breath, Wild grabs for some of the rags first, twirling them in his hands as he looks over to where you have tossed yourself onto your side, blanket pulled over your head to block out the world. 

“....”

What the hell was he supposed to do now?

—------

Scrolling through his slate, Wild looked back at the recipe Twilight had given him a while back. His own notes were scribbled along the edges, translations of ingredients and possible replacement suggestions to improve upon the original dish without straying too far from the original concept.

“And lastly, some….goat cheese.” Wild slumped back with an annoyed groan, not bothering to check his slate again. “Of course it's goat cheese. Couldn't be regular ass cheese, it had to be goats! Sigh Twilight would kill me if I replaced that.”  

The pumpkins he had. The reekfish, he was going to substitute for a specially seasoned trout and pray to Hylia for the best because what on Farore’s green earth was reekfish? Better yet, why was a fish, named for its stench alone, an ingredient to begin with? Wild had seen lots of oddities in recipes, having added a few dubious things himself from time to time and always kept an eye on things whenever the Traveler hovered around his pot, but even Wild likely wouldn't use a stinky fish. Not when you, and the rest of the chain he supposed, was going to be eating something he cooked.

It was only because of the Rancher that Wild was even trying to make this in the first place, raving about it as much as the goats from his village and how it's practically better than red potions when it came to feeling better. Which was just what you needed at this moment. So he tried his best to replicate it as close as possible, hoping that Twilight was right and after a few bites you would be right as rain. Only for the last ingredient to be what forced it to a screeching halt. Sure he had cheese, could even make some himself if necessary from the last bottle of lon lon milk he had stashed from when they visited Time's ranch. However, even Wild knew that something as specific as “goats cheese” had to have a certain flavor to it that Wild had no clue how to replicate, and would likely throw Twilight into a rampage if substituted.

Plucking the ingredients he did have from the still cold cooking pot, he stored them back into his slate to use at what will hopefully be a later date. Maybe after that finally get to his mentor's era and he can stock up on the proper ingredients. Glancing over his shoulder, he could see you stirring in your sleep, shoulders tensed with a large frown. He scooted closer, having moved away when he decided to set up a cooking pot, not wanting the fire he was going to start to make your fever worse. Grabbing a new rag from the pile nearby, he holds it close to the tip of the ice rod, letting the fabric chill before laying it across your forehead. 

Whether or not that's how he was supposed to be using the items Time had given him is unknown to the Hero of Wild, though when had that ever stopped him before? He might not know how to cure an illness, but if there's one thing he knows, it's how to cook. Now he just needed to figure out what to cook.

His fingers linger on your face for a moment, trailing across your chilled skin that still feels too warm beneath the surface. Your head falls to the side, leaning into the palm of his hand that he hadn't realized was cupping your cheek. Not quite a smile graces your lips, but the pout does fade, as though content with the simple touch, silently letting him know it's okay.

“Uhh, what are you doing?”

Ripping his hand away, Wild spins around to see Wind looming over him with a cocked eyebrow.

“What am I– What are you doing? Dinraal’s horns you scared the crap outta me Sailor." Clutching at his chest, Wild tries to calm his heart back down to its normal pace, face heating up to the point it borderlines a fever of his own. Avoiding direct eye contact with Wind who is still staring at him, he takes a steady breath, shooting a curious lookup at him. “Seriously, what are you doing over here?”

“Sorry to break up…whatever that was. I was gonna ask for a snack but when I saw the cooking pot I thought you might already be making something and could use some help!”

“That bored huh?”

“I'm SO bored!!” Wind whined, plopping down between where Wild sat and where the cooking pot had been set up. “Why’d she have to get sick?”

“I don't exactly think it was her choice,” Wild looked back, straightening out the blanket and tucking in the corners a bit so you were nice and snug. He wanted to run his fingers through your hair, keeping it comfortably away from your face but decided against it. He didn't need another reason for Wind to start asking questions about what he was doing, being called out once was enough for today. Instead, he got up, taking only 2 steps before he was back at the disappointedly empty cooking point and ushered Wind over to join him.

“What are you making?” Wind asks, curiously leaning over Wild's shoulder to see pictures of various foods scrolling past the screen of his slate. Most were typical things like various cuts of meat, foraged veggies, and a ton of mushrooms and apples. It was the alarming amount of frogs and other insects mixed into its pages that had Wind reminding himself as to why he didn't normally help with kitchen duty.

“Soup.” Wild bit out, frustration leaking through his words as he struggled to think of another recipe that could help. “Or, at least I was. Twi gave me a recipe but I don't have enough of the ingredients.”

“Oh! You should make my grandma's soup! It's the best!”

Wild rolled his eyes. What was with everyone's insistence on soup recipes? Particularly of the pumpkin variety? “I'm sure it's great Sailor, but maybe another time. I need something (y/n) can eat without too much trouble. And hopefully get them feeling better.”

“It will! I carried around a bottle with me all the time during my journey! Saved my neck a few times too! Trust me, it's really good! Plus it's super creamy so she can eat it no problem!!”

Wild hummed in contemplation. It's not like he had  other ideas, might as well give this one a shot so long as he had what he needed. He holds up his slate, passing it over to Wind with a small smile.

“Well if that's the case, I don't suppose you have the recipe with ya do you?”

____________________

Laddling up a portion of the smooth, creamy substance, Wild gives it a quick blow of air, helping cool its temperature down so it doesn't burn someone's tongue. Presenting it up to Wind, the younger hero picks it up, calming his excitement enough to not spill it before taking a cautious sip.

“Perfect!” Wind declared, finishing off what's left on the wooden ladle. “This will have her feeling better in no time!”

Wild grinned. “Go ahead and take a bowl then. The others can have some too if they're hungry.” Wild said, getting out his own bowl and scooping up some of the freshly done soup.

With his own in hand, Wind ran off, probably to go spread the news about the soup to the others, leaving Wild to tend to you alone once more.

Fixing the soup had taken longer than planned, so by the time he returned to your side, bowl and spoon in hand, he hadn't realized how much you had moved. You were on your stomach, one arm grabbing at your head while the other kept the pillow glued to your person in a tight hug. The blanket was tangled around one of your legs, acting as a cushion against the ground where your feet dangled off of your sleeping mat and dug into the grass.

He almost didn't recognize the hand rubbing your back as his own, the world around him slowing in the same way it did when locked in battle, letting him focus all his attention on the way you responded to his touch. The fabric of your shirt was damp with sweat, wrinkled and shifted around in a way that looked oddly uncomfortable. He couldn't see your face, but he could already imagine the small crease between your eyebrows, pouty lips and flushed cheeks. With any luck, he'd never have to see them again after this. The miserable look didn't suit you, and Wild was eager to make it go away.

“Hey,” Wild called out softly, giving your shoulder a gentle nudge between a few rubs. “I got something for ya.”

Grumbled discomfort indicated that you were indeed awake, or at the very least aware of his presence. Begrudgingly, you lifted your head, turning to the side just enough for Wild to catch a glimpse of you side eyeing him. He leaned down, ready to whisper when he was cut off by a sharp whistle.

“Yo! Rulie found a portal south of here!” Legend’s voice shouted, running into camp. Multiple groans and whines rang out, voicing the chain’s displeasure at the Vet’s news. Wild was one of them, going as far to swear under his breath. He leaned down again, brushing away some of your hair.

“Sorry, you really are gonna have to wake up this time.” He said apologetically. Straightening once more he gets to his feet, taking the bowl of food back to the pot. “Hey Vet! Toss me a bottle or two!”

Legend jogged over, retrieving an empty bottle from his bag and passing it over to Wild who immediately began filling it with the soup.

“What are we gonna do about her? Want me to go track down Epona?”

“It's fine, I got her. But we need to get her stuff. If I get her up, could you grab her things?”

Legend nodds, standing by as Wild moved to your side once more. In your defense, you had at least attempted to get up on your own, only making it as far as your knees till you had to bend over and hang your head to avoid passing out. Wild awkwardly maneuvers to crouch down in front of you, holding out his hands.

“Time to get up (Y/n).” He says, trying to coax you into letting him help you up. You shake your head, face scrunched up with your eyes shut tight. Wild cups your forearms, thumbs pushing up your sleeves to rub the skin underneath. “Come on, we have to go. It'll only take a minute or two okay? Then you can go back to sleep.”

It wasn't until his hands slid down to cover yours that you finally moved, lifting up enough to place your hands in his. He tugs you upward, sliding in closer to wrap an arm around your waist and sling yours around his shoulders, hoisting you up onto your feet. Legend snatched up your gear, stuffing it into your bag before slinging it over his shoulder, picking up your shield and weapon along the way only to cram them somewhere amongst his own items that they would likely have to dig through later to find them.

With you snug into his side, Wild made his way to where the others were gathered around, waiting for Legend to show them the way to where Hyrule was waiting by the portal. Getting there only took a few minutes, but to Wild, and no doubt to you, it felt like hours. Head bobbing with every step, feet dragging along as you failed miserably to walk alongside Wild, leaning most if not all of your weight on him as you went.

“Everyone ready?” Wars called out. A quick headcount, everyone pairing off into groups as the first few strolled through the ominous portal. With a firm grip on you, Wild stepped through.

 Even after all this time he wasn't quite used to the odd sensation that was the portal's magic. It was like walking straight through the fog of the Lost woods, magic seeping into his muscles that constricted in defense to tug him forward, edging him towards the other side. First time he had encountered it he had nearly passed out, nausea rolling through him worse than he had ever felt in life; that he could remember anyway.

Thankfully, his body had adjusted to it. What used to be nausea dying down to a mere tingling sensation as he stepped out of the portal into the bright afternoon sun. The red rocks and scorching heat was a jarring contrast to the cool forest they had left behind, steam billowing up through the air off of the sizzling rocks piled up just off of the rough path. A familiar chime rang from his hip, Wild’s heart skyrocketing as he realized what it meant.

“Hey! I think-”

Shoved to the side, Wild snapped his head to the right, watching as your knees gave out and you crumbled onto all fours, proceeding to throw up all the contents of your stomach onto the ground in front of you. Maybe it was a good thing you hadn't actually eaten anything today, unfortunately the thought didn't make Wild feel any less guilty for so obviously failing at helping you recover.

Darting down, Wild gathers up your loose hair, holding it up out of the way as you vomit once more, glancing up at the others who were already wisely making themselves scarce, giving you some needed space and privacy which Wild knew you would be thankful for.

Time was the only one to step forward, besides Wolfie who was now sitting to his left, tail swishing back and forth nervously as he whined. The Old Man knelt on your other side, a firm hand running the length of your spine, silently waiting for this to pass. It took a few minutes, but the vomiting finally crawled to a stop, leaving you weak and exhausted. The arms that had been holding you up gave out, your body slouching sideways to rest against the Champion who had enough sense to maneuver you away from the pile of sick. He leaned back, letting you flop your head onto his lap. 

The Hero of the Wild didn't know which was worse, seeing you puke your guys out, or hearing you fail to keep the tears at bay afterward.

“Sorry…” you choked out, hiding your face into his leg. 

“It's okay. You're gonna be okay.” He whispers, rubbing your back. Wolfie sticks his face closer, sniffing around your head before curling into your side, his head placed delicately besides yours.

“We should move, we don't know how safe this area is.” Time mentions, waving the others to join in the discussion. He takes out a small cloth, pouring a few drops of water to soak into the fabric before wiping it around your face. The cool sensation makes you shiver, curling further into Wild's lap.

“I'm pretty sure this is my era.” Wild says, fingers running through your hair. Scanning around, it's hard to tell exactly where in his era they are besides a rather broad estimate or looking at the map on his slate. He shifts just enough to reach for his slate, careful to not jostle your head in the process. Just as expected, the map pulls up without a hitch, a yellow dot indicating that they were at the base of Death Mountain, sat on the path between the mining camp and Goron City. “We should be safe here for the most part. It's the heat we need to worry about, especially since she already has a fever.”

“How close are we to a town?” Wars asks, loosening the scarf from his neck. “We could stand to stock up on some supplies and maybe get her some proper medicine as well.”

“Technically? Really close.”

“There's a catch though isn't there?” Four sighs. “There's always a catch.”

“The closest town is Goron City. Could be there in 20 minutes, but unless everyone has quality heat protection I don't recommend going there. If you guys think it's hot now, we'd burn to a crisp before we got there.” 

Pausing when he feels you move around, he watches you flip over to face Wolfie, trapping him in a tight hug that he only mildly seemed to be annoyed with. Actively ignoring the twinge of jealousy settling in his gut, Wild takes pity on the fluffy creature who stared up at him with pleading puppy dog eyes. Pulling your arms off enough for Wolfie to slip from your grasp and change back into his Hylian form. 

“So heading into town is out of the question,” Wars mumbles. “Is there anywhere safe that's not scorching hot?”

“It's further to get to, but there is a stable at the entrance of the mountain.” Wild offered. “There's some relatively safe spots along the way too.”

“Will she be okay for that long?” Wild thinks it's Sky who asks, but is too distracted by the way you start to squirm, a hand slapped over your mouth as you curl into yourself. He's not sure what to do, consideting all of his options until arms that aren't his circle around you, scooping you up off the ground.

“The sooner we get goin the sooner we can all cool down.” Twilight said, carrying you bridal style. Your head laid on his shoulder though it looked far from comfortable in Wild's opinion. “Champ, this is yer era. Why don't ya lead the way.”

“Uhh yeah, okay.” He gets up to his feet, brushing off the red dust clinging to his pants. Motioning for the others to follow him, and with a stolen look to where Twilight is succeeding to make you more comfortable, Wild leads the way down out of the mountain.

The trek down to the stable was uneventful. The worst thing that happened being to Hyrule who nearly got backhanded by a group of Stone Pebblits when he and the Vet had accidently disturbed them. Wild mostly kept to himself, choosing to focus on the road ahead of him instead of the way you seemed to cling to the Rancher a few steps behind him. He must not have done a very good job though, considering the amount of time he nearly walked off a cliff, or took a wrong turn. Playing off the mistakes as just checking his surroundings or forgetting that the others were following behind him.

By the time they arrived it was late afternoon, the sun sinking towards the horizon with still plenty of daylight left before everyone would settle into their nightly routines. The stable itself was relatively empty, merchants having already moved to new destinations and most travelers off exploring the mountain cliffs and hot springs nearby. Those who were hanging around welcomed the group of heroes with warm smiles and polite chatter, pulling them off into different directions.

“I'm gonna go snag her bed so she can lay down.” Twilight announced, carrying you off into the stable. You had fallen asleep on the way, arms wrapped around the Ranchers neck. Wild watched him carry you inside, itching to follow after you. Maybe now would be a good time to try and give you the soup. Were you supposed to eat so soon after being sick like that though? It was an hour ago, how long was an appropriate time to wait? Time would know. He supposed Wars would too but that would likely lead to more questions than Wild would want to deal with. He looked back to the stable entrance. 

Only one way to find out.

_____________

Even in your delirious state, something felt off. Not bad per day, but one moment your body had betrayed you, tossing up everything you had fought so hard to keep inside, and the next… well you didn't really know what was going on currently.

If you had to guess, taking hints from the soft material around you, you were likely in a bed. Where said bed was located though was a mystery to you. Having no recollection of how you had gotten here, but given the way your body sunk further down into the soft, plush mattress, you weren't going to question anything too closely.

Your brain still felt fogged and scrambled, your stomach worse than when you had first awoken this dismal morning. And by the three how was it possible for you to be this hot? You might as well be swimming in the depths of Lake Hylia with the amount of sweat dripping off your skin.

Mumbling to yourself in discomfort, you hadn't expected a response. Especially not one of soft touches on your lower leg and whispered words asking if you were alrightt. The voice was unsure, like they didn't know what to do themselves let alone how to help you in your agony. Still, there was a tenderness to it, like even if it had no clue what to do, it would try doing anything for you.

Upon opening your eyelids, they were instantly met with cerulean eyes stared down at you, full of worry and apprehension. A hand reached out, fingers brushing over your cheek lighter than a feather.

“Morning,” Wild whispered from above you. The mattress dipped under his added weight, now sat on the edge of the bed. 

“Where are we?” You asked, voice hoarse from how dry your throat felt.

“Foothill Stable.” He said matter of factly. “It's my era close to Death Mountain.”

“Is that why it's so damn hot?”

Wild chuckled, “Well it definitely doesn't help but I'm pretty sure you still have a fever.”

You groaned, knowing he was right but not wanting to admit it. Turning onto your side you grabbed at the blanket, part of it stuck beneath Wild who shot up off the bed when he felt you trying to tug it closer. You nearly smacked yourself in the face, catching yourself at the last moment. You didn't need to embarrass yourself for a second time today.

“Sorry! Here, let me-” Wild grabs the blanket, pulling it up towards your chin, hesitating to let it go. “Actually.. I wanted to give you something. Think you could sit up for a moment?”

Peaked by curiosity, you nod. Pushing yourself upward, he helps you to sit up, leaning back against the small wooden headboard. He sits himself down in front of you, legs crossed and pulling out a bottle full of an orange looking liquid. Uncorking it, it smells devine, stomach rumbling as a plee to taste whatever it was.

“It's soup.” Wild explains, having read your mind or taken a very solid guess by the sounds your stomach continued to make as he offered you the bottle. “Wind gave me the recipe and said it could help you feel better.”

Taking a tentative sip, you half expect it to be as cool as the glass vial held in your hands, pleasantly surprised at the warmth that invaded your mouth. Usually, such a hot meal on an equally hot day would leave you feeling sick, not make you feel better. It was as though it's warmth sank straight into your muscles, soothing the aches and pains from your body being curled for so long. Body sinking further down into the mattress, your limbs go limp, feeling at ease for the first time in days. 

“Like it?” Wild asks, nervously drumming on his foot. You nod, eyelids growing as heavy as your arms.

“Thank you Wild” you say with a soft smile. “I really appreciate your help today. I know it was probably a pain.” 

The bottle is set somewhere off to the side, Wild inching closer till his legs brush against yours. The only thing separating them being the thick blanket draped over your lower half. The weight was a comfort, much like the gentle touches you vaguely recalled earlier; fingers in your hair, a hand holding your cheek. The same hand that was smoothing out the blanket, going back over the area where you knee laid beneath.

“No need, all I really did was cook like I always do.”

“Regardless,” you whispered, feeling your eyes slip closed. You shuffled forward, leaning till your head connected with his shoulder. His muscles stiffened in surprise, only relaxing when you continued on. “Do you think you can stay for a little bit longer?”

Shock melts into a warm smile, maneuvering around till he sat behind you against the headboard. He coaxes you to lay down, head resting on his chest with his arms wrapped around you, holding you tightly to him as you snuggle into him.

“That soup was really good ya know” You say, slipping into a much more peaceful rest. Wild pats your head, fingers carding through your hair.

You paused your ministrations as Link winced, you didn’t realize you had become so lost in thought, soft apologies falling past your lips. Lessening the pressure of the bandages, you tightly tucked it into place, making sure that it would stay in place. You could feel those piercing gem-like eyes watching your every move, but you made no move to acknowledge him, instead opting to put the medical supplies back into your satchel. Link hadn’t made you carry much due to his Sheika slate, but you had always made sure you carried the basic necessities. You never knew if you’d be separated from the hero, for one thing or another. 

“Wait,” Link whispered, his hushed voice washing over your form that kneeled in front of him. You looked up at him in concern as he didn’t talk often, and when he did, it was of the utmost importance. “You’re hurt too.” Your eyebrows furrowed, unsure what he was talking about as you don’t recall getting hurt in your previous battle…only for all thoughts to be squashed as his calloused, yet somehow soft hand cradled your jaw, turning your head so he could get a better look at whatever wound he found. 

“I didn’t feel any blood,” You murmured back, trying to ignore the way your traitorous heart skipped a beat or how your breath threatened to hitch when his thumb rubbed at your skin. 

It was moments like these that felt the most painful and confusing. Did he remember your past more than he let on? Or perhaps even without the past, his feelings still bleed through? Was this merely friendly? Was this only because you were comrades in arms? Could you let yourself hope once more that his feelings toed the line of romance? You felt like a joke, like an utter fool as Link took out a spare cloth and dabbed it with clean water. You were here to fight the calamity, to bring true peace to Hyrule instead of the false sense that consumed the land currently. So why, why were you more concerned with the way he tenderly dabbed away dried blood you had missed when your concern for him outgrew any for yourself. 

By the Goddess’s, you were a servant of Princess Zelda, a confidant and entrusted with accompanying her hero to save the world, not fluster and become shy like a schoolgirl. You bite your lip when he finally pulls away, looking proud of his work, only to scan the rest of you to see if there were any other offending wounds. 

“Thank you,” You sigh, feeling tired from both the fight and your emotional turmoil. “But that should be all. I apologize for any concern I may have caused.”

Link’s eyebrows furrowed, a pout making its way onto his lips. Cute. No, bad. You’re not supposed to be indulging in these childish feelings. 

“Please stop talking like that,” He nearly whined out, causing your eyes to widen. He fell from the stump he sat on to kneel in front of you as well, taking your hands in his own. “We used to be close before, right?” The look of uncertainty and insecurity that splayed on his face led you to believe he still hasn’t fully recovered his memory, but perhaps hints from your own actions and the places Impa had instructed you to visit had helped bring at least an inkling of his past back. 

“Yes,” You agreed without a beat, subconsciously squeezing his hands. “But I didn’t wish to overwhelm you, or force you into something you couldn’t even remember.”

“How long have we been traveling together now?” Link asked, a small grin making its way onto his face. “Even if I wasn’t slowly regaining my memories, haven’t we made enough to consider the other as a friend?”

He was right. Of course he was. You had already trudged through the rainy Zora domain, worked to fight the Lynel and save Mipha from the evil that overtook Vah Ruta. You had soared through the skies of Rito village, climbing snowy mountains and nearly freezing to death as you waited with baited breath for Link to come back from freeing Revali from the evil in Vah Medoh. You were currently on your way to Foothill Stable, you both more than ready for a nice bed for the night. You both had laughed and cried, tended and be tended to, you were so blindsighted at not being weird, at keeping distance that you missed the giant sign of Link trying to take care of you as much, if not more so, than you took care of him. 

You closed your eyes feeling mighty frustrated with yourself at the moment, “I see.”

Link let out a small laugh, finally standing up to his feet and effortlessly pulling you up with him. He bumped your shoulder with his own, eyes filled with joy as you smiled back, feeling ten times lighter at the new revelation. You bumped your shoulder back into his as revenge, Link merely pulling you with him towards the vague direction of where the stable should lay, hands still linked together the rest of the way.

ꨄ︎ He never leaves your side unless you are both put in a life ending situation. He's like a silent but loyal dog. He is always watching your movements and standing guard over you. You have to cuddle with him before he finally allows himself to succumb to sleep.

ꨄ︎ Guardians? You are staying behind. Shrines? You may stand at the entrance as long as there are no monsters around. If there are then he will kill them and then make you wait. The Divine Beasts? Okay, fine— he allows you in all the Divine Beasts except for Vah Naboris. He allows you to ride with Riju but only because she has the Thunder Helm. However, the Ganonblights? On Hylia's name, no. You go back to the entrance and wait there.

ꨄ︎ Ganon himself? You wait. After your entire journey together, he only speaks one word to you. "Wait." He presses himself against you and makes you hide behind one of the castle pillars. There are tears in his eyes and he is shaking. You are his God(dess). He has killed and sacrificed so much. You saved him. You did. He signs to you. "I face Ganon alone. I can't lose you." His hands get shaky. "I love you."

ꨄ︎ That's the first time he ever says he loves you and his yandere tendencies only get worse from there. More possessive. More obsessive. More puppy-like. He's a wolf in sheep's clothing. He always has an eye on you and doesn't allow you out of his sight. He would never hurt you, but he'll hurt others for you.

ꨄ︎ After the battle you two embrace each other and he sobs quietly into your chest. He allows you to patch his wounds. It's difficult because he's hanging off of you. Zelda is sitting near you both around the campfire. It's a little a lot awkward because she's seen his entire journey. She has seen his feelings for you blossom. A part of her hurts because she won't have her Link back, but was he ever hers? It was just his duty.

ꨄ︎ His memories may have come back but he only has one person in his heart. That person is you. Zelda wants him to come back as a knight. He signs no. He has to stay near you. He will die without you.

ꨄ︎ He thinks the sweetest and most depraved things in his mind. He is constantly praising you within his mind. He wishes he could speak those words but he can't. So he signs them. He shows them through acts of service. His mind is just a constant track about you. Partially this is because of his knight training. He was trained to protect and serve. He was trained to help the princess. His mind still sometimes slips back into that. It's just you, you, you, danger?, you, you, you.

ꨄ︎ On that note, his trauma is constantly fueling his tendencies and how he sees you as his god(dess). He was a child knight, blames himself for failing to protect everyone before Calamity Ganon gave over, and woke up with zero memories and a mission to save all of Hyrule. You were the first person he met. You were and still are his guide to this world. Sure, you aren't fated to be with him. Sure, it could have been just a mistake— but you are the first person that ever got him. You didn't push him to speak. You took your time in learning how to communicate with him. You respected him not just as the hero but a person.

ꨄ︎ He takes interest in whatever you are interested in. He will go so far as trying to replicate what you are doing. He isn't great at art but he'll do his best to draw what you are doing. He shows it you like an excited little kid. He does little poems as well. They are all about his adoration to you and how much he wants to spend time with you. Sometimes they have some blood splatters on them. Don't think about it too hard.

ꨄ︎ He his naturally cautious when all of these goods things become interrupted with the introduction of The Chain. He is like a frightened animal with his hackles up. He has his mastersword pointed to the strange group. They introduce themselves and he relaxes a little. He stays by your side the entire time and makes sure everyone knows that you are taken by him.

ꨄ︎ It's really, really, really hard for him when you say you want to travel with The Chain. His thought process is like this: heartbreak. My God(dess) wants to be around other Links? Why do they want to put themselves in danger? Why? Why? I have to protect them. I have to. I need them near me. Why do they want to travel? Will they still cook for me and me only...? Or will I have to share? You want to travel to different Hyrules and fight monsters with them? You want to see their Hyrules? What if my Hyrule isn't good enough for you?

ꨄ︎ As much as he hates it— he'd do anything for you. He sets some ground rules though. No letting the others get too close. Stay by his side. Tell him everything. And do not, ever, put yourself in harms way. That has been his number one rule since day one. No getting yourself hurt. That scares him the most. He could live without you, but you are alive. He'd barely be alive but he could live. If you died? He'd kill himself and die right next to you. So when you get a scratch he wants, needs, aches to kill the thing that gave you that scratch.

ꨄ︎ You both begin traveling with The Chain and it goes better then expected. Wild is still the same Wild. He may even be getting a little better. The Chain is a bunch of hims. Wild is doing better in a way. He's gotten close to everyone and now knows some of their secrets. He's quiet and he listens. They are unassuming of him. Even the more cautious ones such as Hyrule, Legend, and Time bring their guard down a little. He rarely communicates with them but you know he is acutely listening. He only really signs to you.

ꨄ︎ So, it's perfect. There are a bunch of hims that stay away from you and protect you. He is getting them to trust him. You are safer than you have ever been. Safe. So safe. And if he needs to kill them for you? He's already got the information on them.

ꨄ︎ Wild always buys you things from the villages you all go to. He runs up to you and shoves them into your hands happily. It's one of the few times you see a smile on his usually stoic face. He absolutely adores buying you matching fits. He's practically bouncing on the balls of his feet. He loves matching with you. He even gets you a sword that mimics the mastersword in style. He teaches you how to wield it and everything.

ꨄ︎ He sabotages the others in The Chain if they try to spend time with you. He'll tell you things about them, dark things that he's learned. He'll write them out to you and slip them into your back pocket, your satchel, your bed roll. He'll make them look stupid in front of you. He might accidentally trip them or outbest them in sparring. He makes sure you see the worst of them and the best of him. He doesn't need words to steal your heart all for himself.

ꨄ︎ He always wakes up early and watches you sleep. He tries to resist your warmth to not fall asleep but it's too much. So he wakes up in the morning before you. He watches silently, unblinkingly. He thinks you look so adorable, so pretty, so handsome. You are even more angelic when you are awake. Your smile could even make Ganon fall to his knees.

ꨄ︎ He either makes breakfast for you or with you. He sits guard while you bathe in the river. He wants to take a peek but he doesn't! He's a loyal man. He's tempted. Very tempted though. He loves watching you do your skincare and getting ready though. His eyes rarely leave you while in eyesight.

ꨄ︎ His habits reach their most overbearing after Sage joins The Chain. His life was going so perfect with you. You got protection and he got you all to himself. Now, there's this new version of him. He is acting so... clingy towards you. He just seems so attached to you. Wild begins to get shooed away when Sage is near. You are all about being near Sage. Saving Sage.

ꨄ︎ He refuses to leave your side, even for a moment. He distances himself from the rest of The Chain. He begins to not eat. He begins to not sleep. He gets very nervous and becomes a wreck. He thinks if he does this to himself you'll love him. You loved him when he was like this before. Is this what you want? Do you want someone that needs you? He needs you more than anyone else. He doesn't see any reason to live anymore without you.

ꨄ︎ Like always, you save him. You save him from that dark place and refuse to leave his side. He cuddles into you and refuses to let you go. You feel guilty and you are worried sick about him. Wild almost died and he refuses to tell you why. You were sparring with Sage and suddenly you heard a sword slash in the woods. Wild stabbed himself in the heart with a sword... If it wasn't for Hyrule he'd be dead.

ꨄ︎ You sobbed for hours over his body and you refused to leave. You still do. You are beginning to succumb to his neediness and overprotective ways. Just like Wild wanted. He just needs to be wanted by you. He just needs your love. He just needs one person who will love him above all else.

the sun's light had already begun to filter through the gaps in the curtains. it was too soon to consider it a morning. but he woke all the same, maybe even a bit more peppy than usual. the reason for his lack of drowsiness lay right next to him, undisturbed by the faint light of dawn and curled beneath the blanket, fast asleep.

perfect!

he slipped out the covers with a practiced grace (mostly likely the product of having to sneak past monsters or risk fighting while ill-prepared), observing you for any signs of waking before he made his way downstairs.

you see, today was a special day.

today, he would propose to you. in fact, he had everything planned out.

first, he would successfully sneak out of bed (check), make you your favorite breakfast (currently in progress, he hoped you wouldn't wake because of the noise), and sneak back into your shared room to present you with breakfast in bed (an amazing way to greet the day, if he says so himself)!

after you had eaten your fill, he'd draw a bath to your exact tastes and the both of you would relax a bit. but not before he tends to you, using soap and lotion that he had bought through beedle (a hefty price, but one he paid no mind to. after all, you deserve the best and nothing less would suffice).

then, he would take you to the lake where he had prepared a small row boat (and petals that would fall at exactly the right moment, though not without from purah when he had explained what he wanted) for the both of you to sail on until lunch (though he thoroughly packed the boat with snacks, just in case).

for lunch, he would take you to your favorite restaurant  (booked out so that only you and he would be there, much to the delight of the owner), where you would dine on your favorite foods until stuffed before he would lead you away once more.

and then the two of you would listen to the music from the village and dance to your heart's content before he would steal you away from the streets with kisses and whispers of love (and a promise of a surprise) eventually guiding you back to the house.

before finally, as the golden hour struck, he would get on one knee and ask to be yours (and for you to be his) forever.

it was perfect.

and he gladly walked up the stairs with a tray of food, careful not to spill as he giddily raced to your room's door before knocking (a knock that was made especially for you to know he was there).

everything was going well! he could hear you rising from your sleep and walking to the door and he could already imagine you saying yes and living out the rest of your days togeth-!

. . .

this..

 wasn't part of the plan..?

. . .

is he floating…?

. . .

no..

he's..

he's falling..!

what's going on-

"mmghff!-" 

it hurt.

"-t was that?”

"Stay c-, it sounded lik- near.”

footsteps.

"-ver here!”

more join them.

something grabs his hand.

"Time, -e this”

everything is fading.

"-alive?!”

he's passing out, isn't he..?

"-elpe me w- him!”

he's turned onto his back, a series of gasps ring out.

"-eres more?”

he succumbs.

. . .

. . .

"he's one of us.”

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.