Chapter Text
Legend awoke freezing. His fingers felt numb. His back burned. His shoulder was stiff. He stilled as he felt something pressed around him. His heart rate picked up. His mind struggled to process everything at once. He felt breath on his neck. He reached out and felt fur.
Legend took a shaky breath. His fingers sought out the warmth and entwined in soft fur. He cracked his eyes open. Wolfie. That made sense. He needed to calm the fuck down.
Someone shifted at his back, and that calm was instantly destroyed. He pulled away, trying to wiggle away from whoever was behind him. He instantly regretted pulling away from the warmth behind him, and he stilled. Calm the fuck down Link. A quick glance behind him confirmed it was Rulie, and he sucked in another large breath.
He shivered and sunk back down. He was safe. Everything was fine. He closed his eyes. Then he realized. He realized what had happened.
The fight, the lightning strike, the moment he had feared for a while. He was dressed in only his shorts. His skin had been laid bare for all to see. The dread that pooled in his stomach lay there like a rock. He had not wanted them to know. He had wanted to keep his secrets, keep his scars to himself. Hyrule knowing was well enough on its own. He didn’t need the others poking and prodding and worrying.
Purple eyes opened once more and he turned slightly. He saw Wild asleep on the other side of his successor. Warriors was watching him, blue eyes locked onto him. Legend stilled. He remembered vaguely bowing before a soldier, pleading. The memory had washed over him fiercely in the moment. He had been so sure that he was going to be flogged again for a crime he didn’t commit. He shivered again under the stare of the Captain.
He felt his face flush and he turned back away. Embarrassment burned through him. He was a Veteran for Lolia’s sake. He’d bragged and boasted about his experiences. He hadn’t devolved about the pain and torture accompanying many of them. He had wanted to assure them that everything was fine . Even if he was falling apart from the inside out he was still capable and strong. Bearing himself while prostrating on the ground before a soldier of his past was not his best moment. He curled tighter into the bedroll.
The moment passed by and Legend felt his shame seep away by the warmth and comfort. Hyrule was impossibly warm, as was Wolfie. The bedroll was soft. Legend was damn tired. His eyelids drooped. Suddenly something was being draped over him. He opened his eyes once more and was met with a blue scarf being wrapped around him and Hyrule. The Captain smiled down at him.
“Glad you’re okay Vet,” whispered tenderly to him. If Legend felt his heart lighten and his embarrassment sweep away he didn’t say.
Then he did something he’d never done to the Captain before. Warriors was getting ready to stand and turn away when Legend reached out. His bare arm pricked with goosebumps in the firelight of the cave. His jeweled fingers landed on the green sleeve of the Captain and he pulled lightly, like Hyrule had done to him so many times before. The Captain stopped and turned back, his eyes wide.
“Thank you.” Legend’s voice was hoarse as he whispered the words to the older hero. Warriors smile returned once again, but Legend didn’t let go. With a slight huff, the tall hero lay down. Legend kept a firm grip on his sleeve. Here he was safe. The Veteran was with those who had seen some of the secrets and still cared. They didn’t turn their backs or mock him. They were cuddled around in a pile in the middle of a goddess-forsaken jungle. Legend felt his heart flutter at the warmth of the thought.