#zelink road trip au

[bhujerban]

Open Seat, Open Road (intro)

AN: Long time no see, friends 💕 I haven't written anything in a hot minute, so I wanted to do something fun to get back into it. My partner and I have been taking a ton of road trips lately, and so I was inspired to write a little Choose-Your-Own-Adventure road trip adventure! There isn't a choice in this introduction, but we'll get there in the next update.

“The annual budget was leaked before they could do damage control,” Zelda announces as she strides into the garage. “I thought maybe one of his cabinet members had been having an affair or something.”

“That’s why they booked you a first-class ticket back to Castletown?” Link’s voice is slightly muffled as he slides out from under his car.

“Yep,” Zelda tosses him the morning newspaper, ignoring his soft exhale as it hits him. “Urgent, apparently, because they booked my return early tomorrow morning.”

Link scans the newspaper. “Front page news.”

Zelda tugs a hair tie off her wrist with more force than strictly necessary. “I don’t know why I expected anything different. This is just my father’s standard operating procedure.”

Link doesn’t respond, but his eyes flit up from the newspaper to meet hers.

“I expect that he’ll send me to a children’s hospital or maybe a food bank,” she continues bitterly. “The place will be full up with photographers, of course, and I won’t be allowed to actually lift a finger to help with anything.” She pulls her hair back, but hisses as the hair tie snaps under the forceful stretch. She tosses the broken hair tie to the side. “But given the backlash, I think they’re setting up a scandalous date for me as we speak.”

Link’s fingers tighten nearly imperceptibly on the newspaper as he stands up from the creeper.

Zelda manages to use another hair tie to put her hair up and lays down on the creeper. As she slides beneath the car, she asks, “What’s wrong with it now?”

“Nothing, I think.” She hears his footsteps move away and then back. “I was just checking on the skid plate. I thought I heard a sound the other day when I was driving along the Dragon’s Exile trail.”

Zelda fishes her small flashlight from her pocket and looks. “You’re fine.” She tugs at the zip-tie she’d used to reattach the skid plate after the screws were lost. “I secured it myself.”

Link is squatting near the back of the car when she slides back out. He gives her a small, crooked smile. “I shouldn’t have doubted you, Zel.”

She can’t help but return the smile, but her response is laced with frustration. “You’d be the only one that doesn’t.”

He pulls her up from the creeper and wheels it back to its spot under his work bench. “It doesn’t really seem fair to you…this whole thing.”

“It is what it is. It’s just Governor Rhoam’s way: province and politics over people.”

“Even his daughter?” Link asks with a raised brow.

“Especially his daughter.”

Zelda watches quietly as Link moves around the car. There’s a cargo box already attached to the roof rack and he is tossing things into the trunk carelessly: his sleeping pad, his sleeping bag, the nice tent she gifted him for his birthday last year.

“When do you leave again?” she asks.

“Tomorrow morning. I’m trying to get out at first light so that I can get to the Palu trading post by noon. I want to spend the afternoon hiking around the Seven Heroines.”

Zelda has to swallow the tide of jealousy that rises within her. “That sounds wonderful.”

“Yeah.” Link hesitates, glancing at her briefly. “It’ll be good.”

She stares at the collection of park stickers adorning the car’s window. “Sometimes I wish…”

He stops his movements to wait for her to finish her thought.

Zelda shakes her head and pulls her hair tie off. Her hair streams down her neck and shoulders like a golden river. “Nevermind. I just wish things could be different. I wish I could go on a road trip too.”

“You could join me,” Link says lightly. “The passenger’s seat is open and an extra driver makes the trip easier.”

“Sure,” she agrees sarcastically. “I’ll just bail on the flight tomorrow.”

But as she watches him gather the rest of his supplies, her thoughts begin to whirl. She couldn't just bail on the flight...right?

She couldn't just not show up at the airport tomorrow right?

Well, it wasn't as if there was going to be someone waiting for her at the airport. She'd be expected to get herself home and await further instructions.

So...

Why couldn’t she go on this road trip?

Why did she have to rush back to Castletown at her father’s beck and call? Why was it her responsibility to divert attention from her father’s political blunders? She always had to be Governor Rhoam’s golden daughter, getting in and out of trouble.

She leans heavily against one of the garage work benches. Hadn’t she held up her end of the bargain? It is supposed to be a moment of celebration for her. The first year of her MBA at Gerudo Town University had been a roaring success. Her coursework and network had flourished; just as she had promised her father it would.

She didn’t even get to study engineering as she’d wanted—the MBA was already a compromise!

Link was right, it isn’t fair that she has to rush back to Castletown to take the heat off the bungled budget. She wasn’t even a politician! She’d never wanted to be a politician! Yet she’s the one that has to go out there for some photo-ops and be seen with the latest hot and scandalous celebrity. She’s the one that has to deal with the whispers about her man-eating ways and her fake charity. And why? Because someone from her father’s inner circle messed up?

No!

Zelda jumps to her feet. “Link!”

He pokes his head out from behind the car. “What?” Then he does a double take at the fire in her expression. “...What?” he repeats warily.

“I’m going to do it.”

“You’re going to do what?”

“I’m going to bail on the flight tomorrow.” She tightens her hands into fists. “I’m going to come on this road trip.”

Link stares at her. “Won’t you get in trouble with your dad?”

Zelda meets his eyes with resolution. “Definitely, but I…don’t think I care anymore.”

Understanding dawns across Link’s face. He nods. “Okay.”

“Okay,” she echoes.

He leaves the garage for a moment and returns with another sleeping pad and sleeping bag. “I haven’t booked any hotels for the trip,” he warns her. “My plan was to camp as much as possible.”

“Of course!” A laugh bubbles out of her—it’s equal parts excitement and anxiety. “I wouldn’t expect anything else from you.”

Link’s responding grin warms her like the Gerudo sun. “You’d better go home and pack then,” he says. “We’re leaving at dawn.”

Zelda nearly vaults out of Link’s garage and hurries home. She flutters around her apartment, shoving clothing into her duffel bag haphazardly: her sun protection shirts, hiking pants, comfortable clothes for driving, shirts, sandals, sneakers, shorts, and one nice dress, just in case. She doesn’t stop moving, just in case she loses her nerve.

But that night, as she is washing up, she eyes her bag. Is she really going to do this? Father is going to be furious. She is and has been independent from him for years, but the idea of so overtly going against her father’s wishes is…daunting, now that she has had a moment to think.

Zelda looks at herself in the mirror. Her green eyes are still sparkling with excitement, despite her apprehensions. Her cheeks are flushed pink, and there’s a joy in her expression that she hardly recognizes. But her gaze settles on her long, blonde hair. It has become a signature look, of sorts, for her.

The golden, beautiful daughter of Governor Rhoam.

The moniker was assigned to her by the media and she is often identified by her hair. She had been proud of it—her mother was famous for her long gold strands–and spent considerable time and effort into the maintenance. But right now it feels heavy on her shoulders, chains that seem to shackle her to her family’s reputation.

She ponders this for a moment.

From the corner of her eye, Zelda spots the scissors she uses to trim her bangs. She seizes them impulsively.

She isn’t certain that people would recognize her. But her father is a an important figure in Hylian politics and, as a result, she's been in and out of the media spotlight. Even as a minor celebrity, her image is known to the public.

So it might be safer if she…

Snip…Snip…Snip…

She begins cutting her hair in a frenzy. By the time she actively remembers to draw breath, it’s done.

Zelda glances back into the mirror and the girl staring back at her is the same, but different. Her waist-length hair now hits just at her nape. The ends are choppy and uneven, a little wild. But somehow it works.

She looks down at the floor littered with her hair. It feels like a weight has been lifted.

She smiles at her reflection. Ready for a road trip.

[skyloftian-nutcase]

Do you think you could make a master post of all the stuff you wrote this month for easy re readability? :D

Aww, yeah, of course! :D I’ll put a link to this post in my pinned post as well (I don’t want to change my pinned post, it’s so old I’ll never find it again lol)

Lovely Prompt Event Master List!

Day 1 - Breath of the Sky Ch 15, the Champions, Destiny Duo, and Lovebirds all finally go on a road trip!

Day 2 - Imprisoning War, Link and Hemisi meet

Day 3 - Blood of the Hero, Abel eats something he really shouldn’t have and Tilieth has to save him from the ensuing delirium

Day 4 - Hero of Shadow, TotK Link and Shadow get to know each other a bit better and have a fluffy moment

Day 5 - Forsaken AU, Mystery Link & Friend versus monsters! With bonus comfort for Mystery at the end

Day 6 - LU in Healthcare, A glimpse at Legend’s ill-fated cruise, featuring Marin

Day 7 - Linked Universe, after the events of Elastic Heart the Chain arrives in Sky’s land and he gets to reunite with Groose and Zelda

Day 8 - Linked Universe, Legend angst and hurt/comfort with Twilight and Warriors

Day 9 - Linked Universe, Sleepy time for sleepy Time with family fluff/comfort

Day 10 - LU in Healthcare, aftermath of Abel’s heart attack

Day 11 - Imprisoning War, Link and Zelda have a quiet moment and Link reassures Zelda

Day 12 - Imprisoning War/Golden Mercy, Ganondorf reflects on his family and meets Hyrule Warriors Link

Day 13 - Blood of the Hero Ch 15, Abel reaches his breaking point and Tilieth saves him

Day 14 - Secrets of the Shadows, Rusl is struggling after the events of the story and goes to a friend to sort it out

Day 15 - Breath of the Wild, a younger Link is captured by the Yiga shortly after finding the Master Sword, and his dad rescues him

Day 16 - Chronicles of the Domain, little baby Link is sick in Zora’s Domain and his dad takes care of him… then Abel gets sick and his baby boy takes care of him :)

Day 17 - Linked Universe, Four fell asleep in Minish size and wakes up tucked into Twilight’s sash because Twi is a protective and sweet big brother

Day 18 - Imprisoning War, Impa comforts Link after his attempted suicide

Day 19 - Skyward Sword, middle aged Zelink fluff and family time

Day 20 - Dad Squad, Captain Link is captured by the Yiga and Abel and Rusl rescue him

Day 21 - Age of Calamity, Link and Mipha recover after the Water and Fire mission, and love confessions blurt out in their delightfully awkward fashion

Day 22 - Breath of the Wild, Link gets some quiet comfort in the early days of preparation for the Calamity

Day 23 - Twilight Princess, Mayor Bo discovers Wolf Link with Colin but Rusl’s lying skills saves everyone from a panic

Day 24 - Linked Universe, Warriors and Twilight encounter a silent realm and all the strangeness and horror within

Day 25 - Breath of the Wild, Zelda and Link bonding/comfort/fluff

Day 26 - Skyward Sword, Link comes down with pneumonia far from home and Zelda rescues him

Day 27 - LU in Healthcare, some of the boys discuss a frequent flyer

Day 28 - Linked Universe, Time finds out Malon is pregnant and Wild is suddenly insecure about losing a father figure

Day 29 - LU in Healthcare, the nurses teach Twilight how to start an IV

Day 30 - Hero of Shadow, TotK Link sees Shadow for the first time, and Shadow finally gets in a small victory

Day 31 - Golden Mercy Ch 1, After Cia’s defeat, Zelda, Link, and all of Hyrule mourn the fallen from the War of Eras, unaware of Ganondorf’s return from his imprisonment

[batgirlsay]

Falling Through Time

A Legend of Zelda AU Playlist for Obiyuki Bingo 2023 by @snowwhite-andtheknight

I was so excited to see Zelda on my bingo board! I’ve been playing Tears of the Kingdom almost every day since release date and I have so many Zelink feels… glad they also overlap with my Obiyuki feels! (This one is a more general Zelda playlist and has specific Obiyuki feels, but I am also posting a playlist for the first day of Zelink week too!)

There are time/memory related lyrics throughout the playlist, with a shift after the Louie Zong song to after they get reunited at the end of each game (if only I was able to get there…)

Falling Through Time

Ocarina of Time- Zelda’s Theme- Good Knight Productions You Fall When You Hesitate- Mae Playing With Fire- Brandon Flowers The Great War- Taylor Swift This River is Wild- The Killers My Valuable Hunting Knife- Guided By Voices Gerudo Valley Social Club- Louie Zong I Can Make You Feel Young Again- Copeland

Summary lyrics are cited after the cut:

You Fall When You Hesitate- Mae

Time machine, I'm adding up And I'm killing time all the while it’s time that's killing

Time machine, I want to go back To live in my past is exactly right where I want to be It's nostalgia haunting me

She says to me that You fall when you hesitate You crawl after tripping on your regrets You fall in and out of love again

Found the reason I could back down to dust See the daylight and the moon lit in the night above That's the treason but I do it for your love If I felt you But what if I failed you?

Playing With Fire- Brandon Flowers

That road outside that you've been taking home forever That'll be the same road that I take when I depart Those charcoal veins that hold this chosen land together May twist and turn but somewhere deep there is a heart

However dangerous the road, however distant These things won't compromise the will of the design

Ten thousand demons hammer down with every footstep Ten thousand angels rush the wind against my back

Rolling River of Truth, can you spare me a sip? The Holy Fountain of Youth has been reduced to a drip I've got this burning belief in salvation and love This notion may be naïve, but when push comes to shove I will till this ground

The Great War- Taylor Swift

Spineless in my tomb of silence Tore your banners down, took the battle underground

Flashes of the battle come back to me in a blur

All that bloodshed, crimson clover Sweet dream was over My hand was the one you reached for All throughout the Great War Always remember Tears on the lеtter I vowed not to cry anymore If wе survived the Great War

Soldier down on that icy ground Looked up at me with honor and truth

We can plant a memory garden Say a solemn prayer, place a poppy in my hair There's no morning glory, it was war, it wasn't fair And we will never go back

This River is Wild- The Killers

But you always hold your head up high Cause it's a long, long, long way down

You better run for the hills before they burn Listen to the sound of the world, don't watch it turn I just want to show you what I know And catch you when the current lets you go

I've been trying hard to do what's right But you know I could stay here all night And watch the clouds fall from the sky

My Valuable Hunting Knife- Guided By Voices

I want to start a new life With my valuable hunting knife She will shine like a new girl And I want to shout out our love to the world

Days, they will turn into nights But my valuable hunting knife It will not rust through the tears And it will not lose its appeal over years

I Can Make You Feel Young Again- Copeland

Take me now, take me anywhere you're going Cause I can't stay here; I won't make it long And this piece of my soul you're controlling In this time and this space where we belong, it's worsening

It's breaking down, as a reel of thread unwinding You're surfacing just to take me down When I feel like I'm dead, you're reviving me

A billion stars and here we are The same bit of dirt holding our weight And before it drags us under I can make you feel young again

I can make you feel nothing at all for the years that led you here Now all your tears that are falling will never show I can make you feel young again

[adrift-in-thyme]

Fic Master List

Ao3

Linked Universe

Where You’re Meant to Be

T rated | In progress multichap

A Malink tangled AU

Demons

T rated | 5k words

Dark Link captures Warriors. The consequences are as unpleasant as you’d expect.

Lions Inside

T rated | 4.9k words

The Chain are forced to fight a possessed Twilight

Blood Moon

T rated | 3.5k words

The Chain ends up in Wild's Hyrule just in time to encounter a Blood Moon. Unfortunately for Time, he and the moon don't get along. Especially not when it looks like a demonic ball of fire.

Surprises

G rated | 958 words

Hyrule forgets that today is a special day. But luckily, Legend remembers for him.

The Blood On His Hands

T rated | 5.8k words

A trip to a tavern turns into a living nightmare when Warriors' past comes back to haunt him. It turns out not all heroes are beloved. (Written for Febuwhump prompts no. 7 Made to Watch & no. 19 "You Deserve This")

Nothing in This World

T rated | 2k words

Warriors is badly injured in battle. But he's not going to die. Not if Mask has anything to do with it.

Drive a Man Mad

T rated | 4.6k words

Time has no love for the Fierce Deity. Every time he wears the mask he comes closer to losing control completely. But if that's what it takes to save his big brother–if that's what it takes to save any of his boys–he'll do it in a heartbeat.

Legend of Zelda

This Broken Road (It Led Me Back to You)

Breath of the Wild | Zelink | T rated | 3.8 K words

Link reaches Hyrule Castle but Ganon isn’t the adversary awaiting him there. Inspired by this gorgeous artwork by @tired-twili

Can’t Start a Fire in the Rain

Breath of the Wild | Zelink | T-rated | 2.5 K words

Apparently, Zelda’s newly appointed knight sleep-spoons. She’ll add that to her list of “Weird Things You Learn When Sharing a Bed With the Hero”

Memories

Ocarina of Time | Zelink | T rated | 2.4 K words

No one truly remembers Link, not even the woman who captured his heart. If everything goes as it should, it will remain that way. But in Link’s life, things don’t often go the way they should. And maybe for once, that’s a good thing.

A Little Light

Skyward Sword | Zelink | T rated | 1.5 K words

Zelda gets a pleasant surprise

A Very Zelink Christmas

Legend of Zelda | Zelink | T rated | 5.9 K words

A collection of four Christmas/winterey themed ficlets featuring OoT, Hyrule Warriors, Skyward Sword, and Botw Zelink

Together

Breath of the Wild | Zelink | T rated | 1.3 K words

In the wake of the final battle Zelda and Link take a moment to reunite

Lullaby

Ocarina of Time | Zelink | T rated | 776 words

Zelda and Link welcome their newborn daughter to the world

Tumblr Ficlets

Until I Wake - Botw Zelink | G

Cuccos - OoT Zelink | G

Beauty - Botw Zelink | G

Nightmare - Skyward Sword Zelink | T

The Fall - Totk Zelink | T

Constellations - Skyward Sword Zelink | G

[syilcawrites]

for your zelink prompt,,,how do you feel about a modern AU where the two bike to the beach and have a picnic?

a/n: I added ‘high school’ to the prompt too hope you don’t mind asghjjhas (’: Also this turned out a lot longer than I planned hope that’s okay ;-; I want to practice writing in Link’s voice more so this is in his pov!! Anyway! I hope you enjoy this, and thanks a lot for the prompt <3

ao3

hot buttered apples with chamomile tea

There are two types of monsters: ones that sleep under your bed and ones that sleep behind your eyes. For Aryll, it's the former.

And Link saw a lot in the latter.

He rubbed his eyes to try to erase the bags that rest stubbornly underneath them, but he wondered if he was just making it worse. Probably. But why did it matter anyway? He usually got three hours of sleep tops, so he always liked to think that darkness had become a permanent edition to his features. He tapped his toes against the pavement, waiting, peering around the corner of the school's brick fence, trying to catch a glimpse of the black car that Zelda usually pulled up in. With five minutes left until school started, he was beginning to worry—she was never late. And for the first time in his entire high school career, he was early.

It was a last minute trip they had planned, when they had snuck onto the school roof after class yesterday.

"I want to see the ocean," she had told him, under the summer's unrelenting heat. They were both sticky with sweat, even though they were sitting under a shady area, and the next thing she said made no sense to him. "I've never been to the beach before." Living here and never once going to Hateno Beach? He thought she was kidding at first. But she stared at him dead in the eye with her lips pressed into a thin line, as serious as ever. When he jokingly proposed that they ditch school the next day to go to the beach, she didn't hesitate to say yes.

It had taken him practically the whole day yesterday to convince her to sneak up onto the rooftop, and yet she was completely fine with ditching an entire day of school to go to the beach.

She was weird and unpredictable and he loved it.

He decided to check his backpack again for the twelfth time in the past hour, just to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything. His memory was pretty terrible to begin with. He always found something new that he had forgotten whenever he went to check his backpack. The first time he checked, he realized he didn't bring any cups. Just that one thermal bottle whose lid doubled as a cup. The second time he checked, he realized he had forgotten napkins. If worst came to worst, he guessed he could just offer up his jacket or something, if she really needed to clean her hands or wipe her mouth—would that be any better though? When was the last time he washed his jacket?

"Link?"

Before he could try to sniff his sleeve, Zelda's voice pierced his thoughts.

He zipped up the backpack once more and peeked around the corner again—and finally, he saw her familiar twin braided blonde hair bobbing up and down as she ran toward him.

With… a frenzied kind of pace.

"Link!" she shouted again, breathless, as she waved her arms up and down in panic. Behind her he could hear another person shouting—but it was hard to hear their voice, since it was drowned out by the sound of Zelda urgently telling him to go, go, go.

Fumbling, Link lifted the bike away from the brick fence and rolled it out, hopping onto the front seat.

"I thought you said you had two bikes!" Zelda exclaimed, quickly tossing herself over the second seat without missing a beat.

"I mean, this is kinda like two bikes isn't it?" She only learned how to ride a bike three days ago and he wasn't comfortable with leading her down a rather windy road to get to the beach on her own. The last time he taught someone how to ride a bike was Mipha, years ago, and she almost face planted into a cliff because he let go of her bike and had forgotten to tell her how to brake.

Besides, he had to bribe Aryll fifty rupees to take the tandem bike out today. If he wanted to borrow her regular bike, she would've asked for a hundred. That was equivalent to a week's worth of mowing Tokk's front lawn.

Link was probably getting scammed by Tokk, but he was only 40% sure about that.

"Won't we look ridiculous riding this around?" Zelda scoffed as they began pulling out onto the road. "I thought we were supposed to be discreet? A tandem bike—Oh Hylia!" She kicked his shin with her foot, urging him to hurry. "Impa's coming!"

"Who?" Impa? He didn't think Zelda had mentioned her before.

"Miss Zelda!"

Link glanced at the direction that Zelda had come from, and he saw an angry looking young woman in a black suit racing toward them at an alarming speed. A chill ran down his spine as they locked eyes.

"You!" Impa shouted, pointing a furious finger at him. "Who are you!"

Without a second left to waste, Link clicked into gear and pedaled away fast before that angry finger could intentionally poke out his eyeballs. They shot down the road, with Zelda's exhilarated laughter mixing in with the sound of the rushing wind whistling by them.

For some reason, it was a strange and distinct sound, like it was reverberating all around him; he felt trapped in it.

Until her laughter abruptly stopped.

"Look out—!"

He looked up; but by then, it was too late. An apple that hung low from the tree smacked him square on the forehead with a resounding thud.

——————————————————————

"You know," Zelda said, accepting his hand as he helped her down the rocky cliff that led to the shoreline, "the beach looks different from above."

Link hadn't been to Zelda's home before, but he knew what it looked like from below. It was an odd-looking building that used to be an abandoned lighthouse, but then someone moved into it a couple of years ago, and that someone had hammered on weird platforms and objects to it, so now it looked like Hateno's novelty sculpture.

"Your room's at the top of that lighthouse building right?" Link asked, grunting as he jumped down onto the sand with a hefty thud. He turned around and held out both of his hands to her.

"Mhm. Purah let me have the upper loft when I moved in with her. The view's amazing at night, you can see all the stars." Zelda crouched down and gratefully accepted his hands. Her hands were rough. She jumped down.

Link couldn't see the stars from his bed, because a gigantic tree was right in front of his window.

Her prickling stare withdrew him from his thoughts—she studied his face as if she was observing every detail on it. He could count the sun freckles that had begun appearing around her cheeks; heat climbed to his cheeks as he leaned back a little, finally aware of how close they were.

"I hope that apple won't leave a bruise on your forehead," she muttered, her eyebrows furrowing together, with that little crease appearing between her brows. Always one crease, never two. "You took quite a hit back there."

"I—" he paused, his mouth still slightly ajar.

What was he gonna say? That he was too focused on the sound of her laughter to the point where he wasn't paying attention to the road?

She tilted her head quizzically, waiting for him to speak.

Link let go of her hands to adjust the straps of his stiff backpack. "I know a spot near the rocks," he muttered, turning to a cluster of boulders near the water. It was flat enough that they could place the blanket down and set the lunchboxes and thermal bottle without having to worry about them falling over.

They walked side by side.

"The patterns on the rocks are so symmetrical," she murmured, tapping her chin with her finger. "Like the cliff we just climbed down from—you could tell during high tide the water reaches it, just barely though. I've always found it fascinating that exposure to water erosion could create such beautiful patterns. Don't you agree?"

Link nodded, and a smile quirked up on her lips. The hop in her step was a little higher than usual as she sped up to reach the cluster of rocks faster. He liked listening to her observations of little details, even though he didn't offer much opinion of his own. It was nice to hear and see Hyrule through a different kind of lens.

She was already climbing up the rock by the time Link reached it, and she stood there proud and tall with her hands on her hips, facing the vast ocean.

"We should eat before the food gets cold," Link called up to her, unzipping his backpack to hand her the picnic blanket. It used to belong to his mom. At one point he stole the key to his dad's chest and opened it up to find a bunch of things that used to be hers, probably, because there was a picture of her in there, squished in with a bunch of other stuff. He stole that picture too. And to this day, his dad still hadn't noticed anything was missing.

Link wondered if his dad knew, and just let him... have it.

"Of course," she said, her eyes glinting hungrily. She grabbed the blanket from him, and with it, his thoughts.

She spread it out as he climbed up to her.

Her reactions were always funny whenever Link brought food for her. For some reason, she always tried to mask her excitement—but she was terrible at hiding the anticipation that gleamed in her green eyes, and even more terrible at trying to keep a smile from erupting on her face while he pulled out the two lunchboxes.

"Chamomile tea," Link stated, as he pulled out the thermal bottle next. He paused to watch her, and her mouth formed an 'o' as she greedily grabbed it from him, opening the cap up. He popped open the lid of one of the lunchboxes and slid it toward her.

There were sliced hydromelons, egg pudding, honey crepes and fruits, and her favorite—

"Hot buttered apples!" Zelda exclaimed, reaching for one.

In the other box he had a handful of savory foods—maybe he should've opened that one up first.

"I'm glad you took my suggestion." Her fingers paused just before she picked the slice up. "But first, the tea," she said quickly, as if she was reminding herself. She poured it into the lid of the thermal bottle, handing it to Link.

"I want to see your expression when you try it," Zelda insisted, beaming. She was smiling a lot today—more than she has in the past two years that he'd known her. "You take a bite out of the apple first, and then drink the tea, and then it tastes amazing."

"Just like that?" he asked, eyeing the light crisp color of the chamomile tea she handed to him. It reminded him of apple cider.

"Trust me, Link. You'll want to keep eating it," she promised, tugging down at her two braids. She always did that when she was waiting for something—every time she was standing in line at the vending machines to get the both of them candy pop sodas at school, she did that same little tug. "I'm picky with my food, so you know I wouldn't simply be saying this without meaning it."

Link picked up the slice—the hot buttered apples had turned into warm buttered apples by now, but he figured it wouldn't change the taste all that much. As soon as he took a bite out of it and took a sip from the tea, her eyes sparkled.

The combination of the two warmed his stomach—the pinch of cinnamon she had recommended he put on it really kicked it for him, and he had to refrain from shoving at least ten more into his mouth. Considering how much she was staring at the hot buttered apples, he wanted to save the majority of it for her.

"Good? Right? They both have that toasty taste but it's a different kind of toasty. The chamomile tea, when brewed correctly of course, has that touch of floral kick to it too! And the hot buttered apples with that sprinkle of cinnamon just melts in your mouth and it's the most wonderful thing ever, isn't it?" She quickly thanked him as she accepted the tea when he handed it to her, and she picked up a slice to take an eager bite of her own.

"It's really good." He wasn't the best at expressing himself through words, but despite their simplicity, it seemed to have gotten through to her, as that gleeful glint in her eyes only gleamed brighter. "Did your parents—" He paused mid-chew, realizing just a little too late that his question was going to dampen her brightness.

And it did, just a little.

Idiot.

Whenever he asked about her immediate family, she would tense up—just like now. She cast her eyes down at the lunchbox, eyeing all of the food that he had prepared, her lips pursed. She would always be on the brink of telling him, but then she would turn away in the end.

Maybe… she needed a little push, to talk about it.

"My mom hated apples." The words felt weird in his mouth—he's never spoken about his mom to anyone, and he only brought her up once to his dad. Link raised his eyes to meet hers. Zelda had stopped chewing too, and looked at him with wide, curious eyes.

"That's what my dad told me at least, when I asked him what she hated the most." No one in his family ate apples that much, and it all made sense when he found out about that little fact a couple of years ago. It was hard for his dad to talk about her—time didn't heal the pain behind his voice when he told Link those three simple words: She hated apples.

And behind those three simple words were years upon years of grieving, and he never asked his dad about her again.

He watched as Zelda picked up another slice, her mouth parting slightly. "My mother loved making all sorts of meals with apples."

Loved, Link thought.

Past tense.

They sat in silence for a bit, just munching on those hot buttered apples, while passing the tea back and forth between each other.

"My mother made a snack for me that always involved apples in some way—whenever I was sad, angry, or when she was proud of me." He expected her to look lost in thought as she spoke, but she wasn't. She was as present as she could've been, and he was... it made him feel a little better. Less alone. "Hot buttered apples with chamomile tea was my favorite. She made it for me quite often," she said, chuckling. "What was your mother like?"

She gave him the last slice.

He hesitated; both in accepting the last piece and at her question. The only thing he had was a worn out picture of her, weathered down by age. And that blanket. "I don't know, I don't remember anything," he admitted, taking the slice from her.

Her gaze softened.

Link once punched another classmate in grade school because they asked him, how could he be sad? If he had no memories of his own mom? What was there to be sad about, since he couldn't remember anything? And for the longest time, he didn't let himself be sad over her. How could you be sad about someone you had no memories of?

But one day, Aryll barged into his room—her face red, with snot running down her nose, crying, because she had an argument with their dad. "What if I forget about her, Link?" Aryll had said to him in between her choked up sobs. "I feel like if dad never talks about her, she'll disappear forever."

He knew then that there was pain with memory, and pain without memory. One wasn't more valid than the other.

Because either way, no one won anything in the end.

"I wish I could've met your mother," she said. "I'm certain I could've changed her mind about apples."

There wasn't a lick of a tease on her face. She was serious.

For the first time in a while, Link laughed.

[pastelsandpining]

Last Christmas (Broken Heart)

The fourth prompt in 12 Days of Christmas by @zelink-prompts​

Prompt List

Cover Art: @neezlebums​ be sure to show some love to the original here! I cannot stress this enough guys, PLEASE go like and reblog his work. He spends hours upon hours on every single cover drawing and it’s super disheartening that he’s getting 8 notes max on things he’s working really hard on. So please give his post as much love as you give mine!

***This piece really has nothing to do with Christmas but is setting up for a future one that does.

Words: 1601

Summary: Zelda doesn’t quite know what to do and makes a decision she thought she wanted. 

Warnings: So, this is a breakup fic. If things like that negatively affect you, I suggest skipping this one <3

BotW Modern AU with a part two

Zelink-mas 2020  l  Masterlist 

There were cans of soda on the table, unopened but still cold to the touch, with a plate of cookies in between them. The TV was on, with the Hyflix selection screen up and ready. There were blankets and pillows piled on the couch, ready to be used for a fort or a nest, or whatever they decided to do with them. Everything looked perfect, and far too normal for the night she was planning. Part of her thought she’d actually never be able to go through with it, and she didn’t know if that comforted her or stressed her out further.

But she didn’t have time to sit around and think about it, contemplating it until she chickened out, because her phone lit up with a text message. Zelda bit her lip and considered texting him to go away, but her legs carried her to the door on instinct and his smile was so bright that she felt nauseated. 

“Hey,” she greeted away, and the smile that crossed her lips was too easy to be fake. 

“Hey,” he replied, pressing a kiss to her nose. She scrunched her face up in response and stepped aside to let him into the apartment. “I brought some ice cream.”

“You remembered! And you just picked it up! You didn’t need to make a special trip,” she scolded, following him into the kitchen. 

“Of course I did. It’s not a movie night without ice cream.” 

Goddesses, why did he have to be so sweet? Zelda tugged at the sleeves of her shirt, then adjusted her shorts, but nothing was helping soothe the anxiety slowly suffocating her. 

“Well, it’s your pick tonight, so, um, hurry it up,” she said, dropping onto the couch and grabbing a pillow.

“Alright, alright. I’m coming,” he called with a laugh. She sunk into the cushions and hugged the pillow to her chest, fighting to keep the smile off her lips. He could make her smile so easily. Usually, she loved that about him. 

He grabbed the remote from the table and dropped into the space besides her. She curled up against him almost immediately, tucking her feet underneath her, and watched as he scrolled through the movie titles. There were plenty left to watch since they kept adding to their list, but  Zelda almost wanted him to pick a random movie of questionable quality--a movie she wasn’t likely to watch again. But he chose an animated movie, something that looked adorable, and she didn’t say anything as she reached for a drink and popped it open. Link’s arms encircled her and held her close, and she closed her eyes for a moment just to drink it all in. 

All she wanted to do was stop time and stay right there. But she knew better than to believe that was possible and to make pointless wishes. She didn’t have to do this, not really. She liked to think she’d made up her mind, though. 

She tried not to focus on it yet.

Zelda leaned her head on his shoulder and played with his fingers just to give her something to do. His hands were soft and he gave her gentle squeezes every now and then, making her heart burst inside of her chest. 

“She reminds me of you,” Link said, pointing towards the TV. She lifted an eyebrow at him.

“Why’s that?”

“She’s crazy smart, and she’s a little badass.”

She laughed, bumping her shoulder against him and shaking her head.

“Then he reminds me of you because he’s an idiot.”

It was Link’s turn to laugh. She almost cut it off with a kiss before thinking better of it and instead going back to her original position. Hardly ten minutes had passed before he spoke again, and it seemed she wasn’t as subtle as she was trying to be because he paused the movie and took her hands.

“Zel, you’ve been really quiet. Are you okay?”

“No,” she admitted, without thinking much about it. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked, bringing one of his hands up to cup her cheek. A simple gesture, one he’d done a thousand times over, was enough to break her into tears. “Zel..”

“I-I.. we need to break up,” she said quickly, wiping furiously at her eyes. Link paused, searching her eyes with a frown. His expression ripped her heart in pieces, but the words were out now and she couldn’t take them back.

“..why?” he asked, his voice so quiet she almost didn’t hear him. She’d planned this. She wanted it to go better than this. She had a speech planned and everything, a whole explanation of why, but all she could manage was a pathetic:

“I don’t know.”

Link cupped her face again, brushing gently at the never ending tears, and he didn’t say a word. Then, he nodded once. 

“Okay. Okay, take a breath, Zelda. I’m.. I’m gonna make some tea, and we’re gonna talk about this. Okay?”

Zelda nodded and once he’d disappeared into the kitchen, she took her pillow and buried her face in it. If she cried any harder, she’d suffocate. But that was fine with her. If she suffocated, she wouldn’t have to see the heartbreak on his face. 

Link didn’t return until he had two cups of warm tea in his hands. By then, she was able to breathe again. She took the mug from his hands but didn’t bother offering a smile. It wouldn’t help anything if she did, she was sure. He left a space between them when he sat too, which was fitting. But it still brought her heartache.

“Are you ready to talk about it?” he asked, extending a hand to her. She took it, and she didn’t know if she appreciated or hated how patient he was being.

“I just.. goddesses, this is a mess.”

“Take your time.”

Zelda shook her head and when he squeezed her hand she almost burst into tears again. 

“I’m scared, I guess. I mean, we’re starting college and we’re going to be so far apart and..”

“I’d call you every night and I’d drive out to see you any time you said the word.”

“I know you would--” that’s what made it worse, “but I can’t.. I mean, if we get busy.. I don’t know how to balance everything yet. I just thought maybe it’d be safer for us if we.. took a little break until we figured it all out. It wouldn’t be fair to you if we got halfway into the semester and.. and I couldn’t handle it.”

It sounded pathetic. It sounded like excuses. All of her genuine concerns that could’ve been handled in a conversation sounded like an easy way out and she hated it. She’d rehearsed this all week, all day, and she was so frustrated at how awful it’d come out. She dropped her face into her pillow again, because she couldn’t look at him. But his fingers, warm from the cup of tea, threaded through her hair.

“Zelda.. I respect you. Is this what you want?” he asked. 

“Yes. I don’t know,” she repeated, lifting her head from the pillow and wiping her eyes.

“Do you want to try, or do you think we should just.. take a break, see how the semester goes..?” 

He looked so upset. Goddesses, she felt sick. 

“I’m sorry,” she said. The tears were welling up again. He must’ve noticed, because he sighed softly and pulled her against his chest. Zelda held tightly onto his shirt, fighting to keep her breathing even. It was no use though, because his fingers were back in her hair, and she was soaking his shirt. 

“I love you,” he mumbled against her head. “And if you need a break, we can take one. I’m willing to wait for you to figure things out. And if you decide that it’s better for you, then I won’t try to, like, beg you to take me back or anything.”

Zelda giggled weakly, tilting her head so she could look up at him.

“I love you too,” she replied, her voice barely above a whisper. 

“I’m gonna go,” he said with a tiny smile as he stood from the couch. “You look like you could use some sleep.”

She knew that wasn’t the reason, and it didn’t make her feel any better. But she nodded and said, “I’m sorry we didn’t get to finish the movie.”

“I’ll forgive you if I can get a kiss for the road.” 

She knew what he meant by that, too. She stood up anyway with a weak smile of her own and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. He held her close, with his arms around her waist, and she didn’t want him to let go. But he did, and she tried not to reach for him when he stepped away.

“Text me when you’re home?” she asked.

“Always.” 

And then he was gone. Zelda locked her apartment door behind him and leaned back against it, burying her face in her hands. She’d gotten what she thought she wanted. She should’ve felt relieved, but all she really felt was regret. 

Link had never been anything but kind and loving to her. He didn’t deserve this. It was why she didn’t go after him. He’d left her to cry in peace, and she owed it to him to do the same. 

Why did she do this? What did she gain but a broken heart, something she brought upon herself? 

Her phone lit up again. 

[I’m home. Keep the ice cream <3]

Continued in Day 10 - Missed Connections

[kinphyre]

My the Legend of Zelda Childhood Friends au! I always thinks its sad that the three is bonded to fight, so since I was, twelve I been thinking in this. I WANT THEM TO BE HAPPY AAAA

The story: Ganondorf is the last and only survivor of the Gerudo clan, who mysteriously disappeared without a trace beyond the abandoned sand houses. Thus, Ganondorf is adopted by Hyrule's knight army General, who is Link's father and they grew up with together like brothers. Due to the work of the General, Link and Ganondorf, practically grew up in the castle, and became good friends with the princess Zelda.  

Since birth, She has been “cursed” which makes her health very unstable. And so, she is confined to the castle walls, yet she dreams of exploring Hyrule, its mysteries and its people. From there, Ganondorf and Link make a promise to become great warriors, so that the three can explorer Hyrule together. Zelda, not wanting to be left out, goes on to train magic and other arts on the pretext that it might help her better combat her condition.  

Years go by and the three are grown up and strangely things began to happen around Hyrule. The land is being infected by Ganon Malices, Creatures are popping up and attacking merchant and adventurers on the roads, at the same time, Zelda feels her condition drastically worsen, as well as its celestial powers.  Deducing that the three situations may be connected, Zelda, along with Ganondorf (Who is acting weird and always looks worried) and Link, set off on a secret journey to find out what is going on, and especially to find a cure for Zelda's curse.  

But what they discover is much more terrible than they imagined. The past of the Gerudo people, the truth of Zelda curse and of the land of hyrule, and the tragedy of the holders of the Triforce.  

Basically, a road trip AU. Slight zelink, but the main focus is the friendship between the three and how they deal with the whole “friendship vs. Fate"  

More informations below if anyone is interested.

Zelda: Since birth, Zelda has a disease / curse that makes her very unstable. And despite what her father, the king says, she knows it's not a simple disease and is sure to be linked to her mother's death. Always confined to the castle, her only friends are his guardian Sheikah Zethp and Link and Ganondorf.  

Their powers are focused on magic and weapon casting. Usually, she is the strategist and "mother" of the group, along with Ganondorf, the general, also acts as an AoE Mage, but due to the weakening of her magic, she has been using other means of combat. Strangely, the disease / curse affected her more in her childhood and pre-adolescence, being right now, affecting her magic more than her health.

Link: Link was 6 years old when Ganondorf came into his life and, despite the boy's quiet and antisocial attitude, they gradually became even better friends and brothers.  

Like his father, Link began training at an early age, but his fate was sealed when he removed Master Sword from its pedestal at 14. Which gave him the task of exploring Hyrule and finding new enemies and challenges. From there, Link travels around the world for a whole year, returning only at the end, which unfortunately distances him from Zelda and Ganondorf. However, in one of his travels, he ends up witnessing Malice corrupting the land and immediately returns to report Zelda and the King.

Link specializes in various sword arts, but has become very inventive and creative in his fighting, using various means, from bombs to pieces of wood. It is also very reckless and always receives warnings from Ganondorf and Zelda.

Ganondorf: Ganondorf remembers nothing of his life before being adopted by Link's father and moving to the castle. Being the last acquaintance of his race, he is often followed by prying eyes and the enormous weight that the future of his culture and clan is in his hands. However, growing up in Hylian customs, Ganondorf does not know what a Gerudo is, and strangely, there is very little information in the historical books; as if the clan had been erased from history.  

Ganondorf also suffers from strange nightmares since childhood. Where a voice is always prowling in his head, showing images of what appear to be other lives, where he faces Zelda and Link.  

He then trains with Link and later becomes the Hyrule Knights General. Since Link has embarked on his journey, Ganondorf often feels lonely and the strange voice in his dreams has been increasingly frequent, so he seeks Zelda's company, which always seems to calm him down, as well as the voice in his head like a light that dispels all evil.  

Ganondof due to his formation as a general, is the group leader and the Tank. Just like Link he is formed in many martial arts, but prefers to use two-handed swords and spears.  

[bhujerban]

someone tell me why i started writing choose-your-own-adventure road trip AU and accidentally made the intro 1.4k words 😭

i'm gonna do some quick edits and post it tomorrow! no choices to make yet, but that'll come shortly!!

[bhujerban]

ok i'm BACK!

semester is nearly over, conference was attended, and my symposium went GREAT! i got an "outstanding job" text from my advisor and he told me he was proud of me (thanks dad).

i'm manifesting a 2025 phd defense and a fun post-doc in a great city. life is moving along, whether i like it or not.

SO!!! i am gonna write some fic!!!

i've been doing a ton of road trips lately and have been inspired to write a zelink choose-your-own-adventure road trip AU fic.

gimme a week to settle some of the starting exposition and we'll be off!!! i think this will be fun bc the last time i did a choose-your-own-adventure fic, tumblr didn't have the poll option yet, so things should go smoother now.

i'm just putting this out there in continuation of my manifesting things to happen. thanks for folks who have stuck around despite the hiatus!