A/N so here is a quick warning way at the end of the chapter things get a lil spicy and dare I say nearly m rated but. Don t worry cause I actually can't make myself write that stuff so it's not really that bad. Also I kinda just turned it into an emotional kinda moment but if you're really sensitive to that, you have been warned.

~

After their trip to Faron, Link and Zelda returned to Link's house in Hateno. In about two weeks, they were scheduled to go visit the desert and train some of the Gerudo to prepare them for Karusa Valley. Then, they would begin to get serious about rebuilding the kingdom. In the meantime, Link only had one goal: do as much as he could to make up for everything that had happened between him and the princess.

They arrived back home in the afternoon, just as the bright sun was shining fiercely from above. Both were tired from all of the traveling and looking forward to relaxing for a while. So for a few hours, Zelda read one of the books she had borrowed from the tech lab while Link did some reading of his own, and then he started to prepare dinner.

As they sat at the table and ate together, the princess wished that their life could always be like this. Simple, quiet, and with him. She knew that one day the duties of being royalty would catch up to her and she would have to take on the responsibility of being Queen. It was a daunting idea, but it was the way things had to be.

After they finished, Link and Zelda took a walk up toward the east. They sat on a hilltop overlooking the Necluda Sea. The fading sunlight painted the sky with hazy pinks and oranges, the colors reflecting in the shimmering water below. It felt as if time had paused and all there was to feel was serenity.

Link inhaled sharply, trying to figure out exactly what he was going to say to her. It was so difficult to put into words. Every time he looked at her, his spirits lifted. He remembered what they'd been through together and realized how lucky he was that he still had her. And he was finally healing, learning how to be happy again. All thanks to her. He had to make sure she knew how important she was.

"Zelda... I just want to thank you for giving me another chance. I don't know how to tell you how much you mean to me; I don't think I can put it into words. And I want to start making up for all of this time we've lost... if you're ready." Zelda nodded, smiling and biting her lip.

Then, he carefully pressed his lips against hers, causing her to feel butterflies in her stomach as she realized this was the first real kiss they had shared ever since they were reunited. And it could not be more perfect. After a short moment, he pulled away, looking into her eyes, trying to read her. To his surprise, the princess took his face in her hands and pulled him closer.

"I was waiting for you to do that." She laughed in a breathy voice. Then, she kissed him again, this time with more urgency and vigor. She had missed the feeling so much and he was finally here with her and ready to move forward with her.

The wait had been worth it.

She guided his hand to her waist, craving the feeling of his hands on her. He relaxed; it was all so familiar. The sensation of her soft lips on his, her sweet taste, the gentle curve of her body. It was all her, and she was all his.

When they pulled away, she rested her forehead on his. He stared into her eyes, feeling all of his memories with her come flooding back. He saw the sad eyes of the same girl, the girl who he'd hurt so badly. Suddenly, he felt sick as guilt began eating at his stomach. As happy as he was, he couldn't stop thinking about those mournful eyes. That was his fault.

"I'm so sorry." He said, and Zelda raised an eyebrow in confusion. "For hurting you before." He looked at the ground. "I feel so guilty that I did that to you. I would do anything to take it all back. I just.. cannot believe I would ever do that."

"It's okay..." She said softly, "That wasn't really you... I would never hold it against you. That's all over now." He looked at her again, and she watched his eyes as they glistened, fighting to keep tears from slipping down his cheeks.

"I can't bear the thought that I hurt you like that. I don't deserve you." Her face fell and she reached up to run her hands through his hair, trying to comfort him.

"Don't say that." She reassured him. "You are the most amazing person I have ever known, you are so kind, and you have always been willing to do anything for me. I'm the luckiest girl alive." She smiled. "I... I love you, Link." She placed a sweet kiss on his forehead, her infectious tenderness enough to make him feel better.

"I love you, too."

~

For the duration of their two weeks of rest, Link and Zelda simply relaxed and stayed put in Hateno Village. They had become even closer then before and spent most of their time with each other, as if they were attached at the hip. They would wake up and eat breakfast together, then head up to visit Purah and Symin in the late hours of the morning. On the way back, they'd visit different shops and talk with the people of the village. In the lazy, hot afternoons the two of them stayed inside for a while. Zelda would read a book while leaning against Link, or they would try out new recipes together, or they would even just chat. Then they would eat their dinner, usually something that he made and she would gush about how talented he was. In the warm, quiet evenings they would always take a walk together just to enjoy each other's company and the tranquility around them. And then, when they sky was covered with a blanket of stars, they would go home and sleep. Sometimes they wouldn't go straight to bed-- the two of them would share a kiss and then start to get carried away. She would let him put his hands on her but he was nervous and didn't take it any further, despite the fact that they both wanted this. One of them would eventually break off and they would say goodnight, going back to their own beds and thinking about each other all throughout the night.

Then, before they knew it, the two weeks were almost up and they would be getting ready to leave the next day. The two of them had just returned from their evening walk. Zelda excused herself to go get ready for bed, feeling fatigue wash over her as she let out a yawn.

A moment later, Link came trudging up the stairs, rubbing the back of his neck. His eyes darted over to the princess, who was sitting on the bed and looking at him with her big eyes and fidgeting anxiously with her hands. She bit her lip and he felt something stirring inside of him, something he couldn't ignore.

She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and swallowed hard as he approached. He didn't look away from her, but she didn't mind because she felt safe and loved under his gaze.

"I'm going to miss this when we have to leave again." He stated with a sigh, Zelda nodding in agreement.

"I suppose we should just try to enjoy what little time we have left." She suggested. After a few seconds passed, he placed a hand on hers, then leaned in to kiss her. She surprised him with her enthusiasm, but he quickly responded. After a moment, he moved his lips down to her neck and she gasped, tangling her fingers into his hair. She knew that he would leave marks, but that didn't matter to her.

Link pulled away to catch his breath, looking back up at her. Her face was red and her eyelids drooped heavily, but he was still able to see she had that look in her eyes. His hair was disheveled and his mouth was curled upwards into a sideways grin as he admired her.

"Do you want to...?" She asked him softly, to which he nodded. She finally let out a breath that she'd been holding in and leaned in to kiss him again. Her stomach was filled with butterflies as she anticipated what was to come. When they broke the kiss, she motioned to her nightgown.

"Can you help me?" Link reached over and assisted her as she pulled the delicate white garment up and over her shoulders, her heart nearly pounding out of her chest the entire time. Left in only her undergarments, she could feel the hotness of her face as she blushed furiously. She looked away in embarrassment, but he couldn't take his eyes off of her if he tried. He had to take a moment to savor the sight of her; to revel in her beauty. She was so alluring and ethereal that he could not believe he was so fortunate.

"You are... the most beautiful person I have ever seen." He said with admiration. Zelda finally looked back at him, her heart throbbing but the redness on her cheeks subsiding a bit as she started to feel more comfortable. Link didn't mind, anyways. He found it adorable.

Then, hesitantly, he pulled his shirt off, tossing it on the floor beside her nightgown. As he did so, her breath hitched and she felt a fire kindle somewhere inside of her. He was just so attractive and well built and it made her feel flustered and entranced and so in love with him all at the same time. She kissed him again, placing her hands on his chest and taking in the feeling of his warm skin. A shiver ran down his spine when her fingers brushed across him. She took her time, exploring everywhere, feeling the little indents all over him, remnants of his past adventures and mishaps. She pulled away slowly, tracing one on his shoulder.

"I have a lot of scars..." He stated, feeling a little insecure because he had all of those marks.

"I like them," Zelda hummed, "They each have a story to tell." He grinned. "Where did you get this one?" She was still running a finger up and down the scar on his shoulder.

"I had a bad run in with a particularly fed-up Lynel once. I tried to dodge, but he got me once." She nodded, moving down to one on his forearm.

"And this?" Link glanced at his arm. He paused, laughing to himself.

"This one... this is stupid." She glanced at him, giving him a look that said 'go on'. "Well, I was shield surfing once, and long story short I ended up falling and cutting my arm on a sharp rock." The princess couldn't help but let out a giggle at that.

"It's a good thing you have me to keep you from doing reckless things like that now." She found a small mark on his chest.

"I don't even remember this one. It was probably just an arrow or something." Zelda nodded, tracing her fingers down to his abdomen. Her breath caught as she drew close to a particularly nasty scar, one she knew the cause of.

"This is from the..." She started, but she couldn't find her voice.

"...the Calamity." Link finished her sentence. For a moment, the two of them sat there and thought back to the horrifying event. She remembered how badly it hurt her when the Guardian had delivered that final blow to him. How he'd taken all of that pain on, just so she wouldn't be hurt. She smiled, despite feeling tears well up in her eyes.

"I thought I had lost you... for a long time." She mentally berated herself for ruining the mood. "I can never make it up to you... what you did was so brave."

"You know I would die a million times for you." He kissed her cheek.

"I love you... so much." She responded, holding onto him tightly. After a moment, he gently pulled away and wiped her cheeks dry with his thumbs.

"Do you still want to... do this? Because it's okay if you don't. I can wait if you need to." He asked in a gentle tone. She paused, studying him. All it took was one look at his messy hair, muscular form, and dreamy blue eyes, though.

"No, it's okay. I'm ready, in fact, I want to." She bit her lip and gazed into his eyes. That look on her face was enough to nearly make him lose control. He leaned in and kissed her, getting as close as he could. He ran his hands up and down her, causing Zelda to feel an electric shock everywhere he touched. She pulled on his hair in response, trying to get him even closer. He felt himself getting lost in her, thinking about how perfect she was. He left sloppy kisses on her face, down to her jaw, then on her neck and collarbones as she held onto him tightly.

"Zelda," He breathed in between kisses.

"Yeah?" She asked in an airy voice.

"I love you." He told her, and she laughed.

"I love you too." Then, she fell onto the bed, her back hitting the mattress as she looked up at him. Link leaned over, kissing her again as she smiled against his lips. He reached for one of the straps on her shoulders, looking at her to make sure it was okay. She nodded and lifted her back up to help him.

As he worked on that, she looked up into his eyes, her heart so full of love that she swore it could have burst. He was so beautiful and caring and thoughtful and gentle, and he was all hers. Even though things had not always been perfect between them, she could never stop loving him. She had endured so much in hopes of seeing him again someday, and now he was here with her and she was never going to let go of him. And that's how they were meant to be.

~

Later on, they crawled under the covers, pulling one another close. She gazed into his eyes, illuminated by the moonlight coming through the window. Skin brushed up against skin and they both felt warm and content. Zelda let out a long, happy sigh and grabbed his hand. He smiled back at her, still amazed by how wonderful she was.

That night, and most nights after, Link stayed. He fell asleep with his princess in his arms, their hearts full and jubilant. They both regretted the time they had lost together, but knew that they would always be together in the future. Always.

~

A/N- see there you go that's not so bad now is it. Anyways peace out!?