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Some days, Link wonders how they got so lucky. He would expect to wake up any moment, except he hadn't dreamt in the Shrine of Resurrection and he hadn't dreamt when Rauru's ghost transported him to the sky islands, so he figures he probably is not currently in some sort of mystical coma imagining a calm life with Zelda in a little house in Hateno where there is only one bed.
Zelda teaches at her school. She knows so much, and the children adore her. Robbie and Symin up at the lab help out, and Purah had too, at first. Purah has gone off to do field work now, but in the first weeks after— after Link landed with Zelda in his arms, with the Demon King defeated, he reminds himself— she had kept Zelda up at the lab on the hill for hours, which meant she had kept Link up at the lab on the hill for hours.
That was fine with him. Wherever Zelda was was where he was supposed to be.
Today that means in the foothills of Madorna Mountain, exploring a cave.
Zelda is fascinated by the caves that have opened up since the Upheaval. They're not the Depths, she says, but some of them aren't exactly the surface, either.
She has not asked to go to the Depths yet, which Link is relieved by. He does not want to take her down there, despite all the lightroots being lit and— and the Demon King defeated, his gloom scattered.
It must be.
He hasn't checked.
It hasn't bothered them.
There is no gloom in this cave. There are only brightbloom seeds in a truly unreasonable number, and brightcaps, and a pond where a few glowing cave fish circle. Zelda is crouched by its edge, watching the fish with her head tilted to one side, while Link watches the cave entrance.
He flexes the fingers of his right hand. It's a little unnerving, sometimes, not to be able to simply ascend out of a tight spot, so he's more careful these days to note direction while exploring caves.
He doesn't really need to worry about it. Zelda would never get lost. She's taken command of the Purah Pad. Link doesn't mind; it was always meant to be a research tool anyway, and he likes that she has a quick means of escape if needed. The shrines scattered across the land have vanished, but there are still transport pads at Robbie's lab and the lab in Akkala. He's not sure what became of the other ones.
It doesn't matter.
Some days, Link wonders how lucky they got.
When they arrived at the Hateno house after— after defeating the Demon King, who is now dead for good— once all the explanations and other business had been taken care of, and they crossed the threshold into their home, Zelda had taken his arm and rested her head on his shoulder and sighed out: Finally.
How long has it been, for her? She claims she does not remember her time as an immortal dragon. Link wonders. Sometimes, when Zelda is washing dishes as the sun sets and the red light hits her face just right, he wonders. There are shadows there that don't match her bone structure.
And then she turns and smiles at him and tells him to stop staring and keep drying if he ever wants to get to bed tonight. They've been neglecting the dishes for days in favor of other projects.
Zelda doesn't talk out loud as much while working anymore, though. Link misses her narration, would kind of like to know what her latest project is. But he can hardly complain about long silences.
They travel a bit. Not far, not in these early days. Neither of them is ready for another adventure. But Zelda wants to examine the bridge repairs at Dueling Peaks. It's Hudson Construction, so most likely the bridge is complete already, but Link suspects Zelda also wants to inspect the mechanism he'd told her about in the south peak's cave.
Sure enough, when they arrive the bridge is complete and Link soon finds himself climbing the south peak behind Zelda. He's loaned her his climbing gear and she's outstripping him easily, which is good. He'd rather be below her in case of any accident. So he can catch her.
They climb only to a lower elevation, the foothills of the peak, and then take the longer but easier way around to approach the cave. That means night is falling before they arrive and Zelda calls a halt rather than try to navigate the narrow shelf of land leading to the cave entrance in the dark.
It's not the first time they've camped in the open; it won't be the last. Link cooks and Zelda lays out the bedrolls, which still feel like a luxury to Link. Stopping for the night at all is a luxury. It's nice not to have to hurry, not to have to run and climb and fly through the dark hours in pursuit of one quest or another.
He makes a few meat pies, and then some egg tarts they can have for breakfast since Zelda will want an early start and may be too impatient to wait for him to cook.
She eats while looking at the Purah Pad, perhaps reviewing notes or organizing her files. He's told her about Misko's hideaways and the puzzle in this cave already – hence their presence here – but normally she would want to review with him before proceeding. Tonight, she is quiet, so Link watches the stars instead. He can't see the moon yet, and he waits anxiously for it to clear the surrounding peaks.
When it does, it is silver and serene and Link sighs, content, and looks around at things closer to the surface instead.
Zelda is asleep in her bedroll. He must have missed her turn in while examining the skies, and that's a little worrying. Just because the Demon King is defeated and dead for good doesn't mean there isn't other danger. It wasn't so long ago that a hinox slumbered near here.
Link moves to sit closer to Zelda, the sheathed Master Sword ready across his crossed legs, and watches the shadows cast by the firelight. A hinox isn't the only thing he's fought near here. Just a few yards away he'd chased a rumor of a kidnapped Zelda to its inevitable conclusion.
The thought makes him look to Zelda, here with him now, utterly still in sleep. There's not a line or crease on her face where the firelight washes it in an uncertain glow. No matter how the light and shadow flicker, it remains smooth as a mask.
Perfect.
Link feels a cold pit open in his stomach. Moving only his arm, not taking his eyes from her, he slowly reaches for the sword's hilt.
And then her hand is over his, before he can grasp it. She didn't move quickly; if she had, he would have as well. She only reaches out, eyes blinking open sleepily.
"Link?" she says. "What's wrong?"
He shakes his head. She can certainly feel the tension in his hand, where it still hovers over the hilt, her touch feather light atop it.
She sits up and draws that hand to her, holding it between her own in her lap. "It's all right," she says. "I'll stay up and watch with you."
Link feels ill at his own suspicions. The Yiga were never so subtle or so skilled in their illusions. Now that she is awake and speaking to him, there can be no mistake. He sighs with relief and nods.
Somehow, when morning comes, he finds he's fallen asleep with his head in her lap. She smiles down at him in the rosy dawn light and says, "Don't worry. I've got you."
They return home after another day, like homing pigeons to a roost. The house smells different even after such a short time away and they set about making it smell lived-in again with cooking and cleaning and quiet moments that still feel stolen even if they can now have their fill of them.
At night, they climb to the loft and to the bed that feels extra soft after nights in bedrolls. As always, Zelda sleeps readily.
Link thinks he slept, but he is awake now, sitting up in the bed and looking out of the window. The wooden shutters are open and the moon has not yet risen, so if he had slept it wasn't for long. He kneels on the bed to lean forward against the window sill and lets the cool night air lift his hair. He smells rain on the breeze. He'll wait to greet the moon, and then close the shutters. He just needs to see it.
"Link," Zelda says. She sounds perfectly awake and he turns to her, like a sundelion seeking the light. She's lying on her side, one arm under her head, watching him. She lifts the other arm toward him, beckoning him closer. He leans in, but can't help one more glance back over his shoulder, where the moon should be just clearing the treetops.
Zelda's hand caresses his cheek and turns his face back toward her. He lets her, lets himself bask in her steady, sanguine gaze. "I know," she says. "But it's over now. The demon king is defeated, his gloom scattered. The demon king is dead for good."
And Link lets himself believe her.