The walk back to your camp was quiet. After what had just happened, it appeared as though the two of you had forgotten how to speak. But really, anything you would have said would've made the air awkward, if you were honest with yourself. And you didn't want to ruin this moment, so you elected not to speak.

You had turned first, the smile still on your face as you picked up the star fragment in one hand. Beginning to walk, you didn't even try to rid your face of your smile because you knew that it wasn't realistically going to leave anytime soon.

Link, still in a daze, stood for a moment longer in the spot you had kissed. He brought his hand up, touching the tips of his fingers to his lips as he tried to savor the feeling of your lips on his. Realizing you had walked away already, Link snapped out of his trance and jogged to catch up with you. He grabbed your hand, intertwining your fingers.

He looked down at you sheepishly, but you looked up at him and gave him the most radiant smile he had ever seen. Not from the faint light of the star fragment did you seem to glow, no; it was from your happiness that seemed to overflow from your heart.

At your smile, Link's cheeks seemed to burn brighter but he didn't seem to mind, letting his lips spread into a crooked smile. The two of you stepped around a bush, lifting your connected hands over it, and returned to your camp.

The fire was still roaring and you walked over to your bedding that was nearby. You let go of Link's hand and sat down. You began settling in, and Link went over to where his bedding was set up on the other side of the fire. He picked it all up in a ball and as you fluffed your pillow, you sent him a look that silently questioned what he was doing. He sent you a grin from over all of the bedding and walked around the fire and next to you.

He dropped the bedding down and set it up next to you. He got under the covers and brought the blanket up to his face so that only his nose and eyes were showing. Link looked at you with mild amusement as you smoothed your blanket out and set it on top of your legs. You lowered your head onto the pillow and let out a breath.

You realized, after a quiet moment, that he was still looking at you, so you turned your head to look at him. His smile only grew but he closed his eyes and snuggled deeper into the covers. You let out a quiet breath of a laugh and got onto your side, facing him. Reaching out, you found his hand under his blanket and tugged it closer, so that it was between the two of you. Looking at your connected hands with a smile, you brought the blanket farther up on your body with your free hand and closed your eyes.

---

The next morning, you woke up naturally and easily. You realized you were awake before your eyes even opened and you opened them slowly, allowing them to get adjusted to the light of the day. You yawned, and went to rub your eye when you realized that your dominant hand was still held in Link's. Your grip has loosened overnight, as had his, so your hand (which was on top) was really just resting in his palm with his fingers curled loosely around your hand.

You took your hand from his slowly, so as not to wake him, and he shifted slightly from the movement but did not stir. You sat up and stretched your arms over your head, feeling some of the tightness from your first night sleeping back on the ground easing away from your muscles.

When you relaxed, you set your hands in your lap and looked around the camp. It wasn't exactly early in the morning, but it seemed like the world had forgotten to get up today. There was a certain peacefulness to the forest you were situated in, and all was quiet. A few birds flitted from tree to tree far above your head, but other than that, and the gentle noises of the leaves being disrupted by the breeze, it was very quiet.

Epona was awake and was already nosing through the grass when Nayru woke, shaking her head and snorting as she did so. Epona raised her head to greet the other mare and the two touched noses briefly before going back to their respective activities.

Link moving again distracted you from your observations. You looked back at him. He was still lying on his side facing you, but he had shifted slightly closer, it seemed, during the night. Now he brought the hand you had been holding closer to his chest.

His face was calm. There were no cuts or bruises on his skin, and there were no blemishes to be seen. His eyebrows were relaxed and his mouth was slightly open. You smiled slightly upon remembering what had happened the night before. Though neither of you had said anything explicitly about it, you knew that what you held for your hero was the same feeling that he felt for you. The kiss had revealed that to you.

You wondered, though, what exactly that made you. Nothing had been said, no signs were given, so you were at a loss of what term you could possibly use to describe him now. Were you dating? Though, is it really considered dating when you spent every waking moment together anyway? You weren't nothing, but you certainly hadn't tied the knot yet, so you were simply at a loss.

Link moved again, as if sensing the weight from your gaze, and began to stir. He took a deep breath before his eyes opened. Not wanting to seem weird for looking at him, you looked away and decided to busy yourself with looking at the top of your hand and specifically, at a small cut that was almost healed.

He yawned, and that's when you decided it was ok to look at him again. Leaning back on one hand, the one that was closer to him, you let your other hand drop back into your lap as you looked at him. He rubbed his eyes and once his hands were away from his face, he blinked and his eyes met your own.

As soon as they did, he broke out into a large smile. You smiled softly down at him and greeted him with a gentle 'good morning'. "Good morning," he said back, his smile never waning. He tugged the blanket up to his chin and tucked his hands under his cheek that was pressed into the pillow. "How did you sleep?"

You thought for a moment before answering. "Better than I have in a long time," you answered honestly, and you simply couldn't ignore the blush that crept up Link's cheeks. Still, he smiled up at you with a childlike innocence and his blue eyes seemed to sparkle in the mid-morning sun. "Did you sleep well?"

"Mm-hm," he hummed, nodding his head. You laughed quietly, simply because of the adorable way he had answered you, all wrapped up in the blanket as he was.

"Shall we get going? I can make breakfast while you pack up and we can eat on the road," you offered. "So you can have a few more minutes to relax in bed."

"Yeah," he said, "we can just have a relaxed day."

You nodded in agreement, having nothing else to say, and stood up. You gathered your bedding, folded it all up, and carried it over to Nayru's saddle. Attaching your blanket to the rear end of her saddle and putting the rest in the saddlebags, you also retrieved what you needed for a light breakfast before returning to the center of the camp.

Crouching down, you grabbed a nearby piece of flint and struck it against a small knife of yours, mainly used for cooking, and worked to start the fire that had gone out sometime during the night. Once a fire was going, you set a pot over it and began cooking.

By that time Link was already packing up the rest of the camp, gathering the gear and making sure all of the packs were accounted for. He fed the horses and gave them water, and put the saddles on. You stood and stamped the fire out, the food in your hands, when Link was adjusting his stirrups.

And with that, you were back on the road again, heading north.

---

In the evening, you found a small cave to set up camp in. The mouth of the cave was wide but the cave itself was rather small, so the horses were outside, picketed a few yards away. In the cave, there was enough room for the two of you to move about comfortably, and this was evident as you began to chop vegetables for dinner as Link went through his usual combat movements slowly, practicing with a sword he didn't use often.

He looked at you after about half an hour as you were beginning to cook. He sheathed the sword and walked towards the packs, which were a few feet behind you. You heard him rustling around through them, and you briefly wondered what he was looking for. You didn't really feel like turning around to see, so you simply voiced your question.

"I'm not looking for anything important," he answered, "I just wanted to check something." You could almost feel the smirk that was on his lips from his tone, but you simply continued what you were doing. Whatever he was doing, whatever plot or silly antics he was preparing, could wait until you finished.

After a few minutes, the rustling stopped and you heard something light hit the floor of the cave- it sounded like fabric. You decided after a slight moment of weariness that it was best to simply stay looking in the direction you currently were, because who knew what he was doing?

It wasn't for another couple of minutes that you got your answer. "(Y/n)," he called, "look what I found!"

You took a brief moment to steel and prepare yourself before turning your head to see what he was doing. "Oh, my Hylia," you murmured under your breath. Your mouth dropped, and your eyes widened.

Link was standing before you, wearing the Gerudo vai clothing from all those months back. Your eyes trailed over the clothing, making your way upwards until you met his eyes. He wiggled his eyebrows at you before lifting up the mouthpiece and beginning a very odd dance. He was mimicking the belly-dancing that the Gerudo women did in the streets once the sun went down in the desert.

A smile broke out on your face upon seeing his movements, and laughter erupted from you. You hadn't expected it, but the boy knew how to move his hips. He turned in a circle, his hips rolling in a circle as well, and you put a hand to your mouth to keep yourself from laughing again.

"Link," you said, your surprise evident in your voice as you grinned. "I didn't know you could move like that!"

"Yes, well, there's a lot you don't know about me," he said smoothly, and despite his serious tone you could see the smile he wore under the mask.

You set your hands on your hips. "Link, that outfit is very unbecoming of a hero like you," you said, nose high in the air. You looked at him as if he was dirt, though a smug little smile danced on your lips. "You need to cover up. Modesty is the greatest virtue one can have, you know."

"Why be modest when you have a body like mine?"

You rolled your eyes at his joke, wondering how in Hyrule you ever took him seriously.

---

You spent the time leading up until the food was ready just messing around and having fun. He stayed in the Gerudo vai clothing, realizing just how much he enjoyed wearing it just to bother you, and you had changed into his climbing gear that he had acquired during his travels without you to make a joke about his masculinity. The set was comfortable, and though he didn't say it outright, save for a few teasing remarks, Link thought it looked really good on you.

The bandana on your head covered most of it but your hair stuck out of the bottom. The blue of the bandana and muscle shirt looked especially good on you, and the green capris accentuated your toned calves from these months of traveling. All of that, added with the various belts around your torso and wraps around your hands and fingers, he thought you looked like a pirate or vandal of some kind- but a cute one.

He kept stealing looks at you as you ate, and when you noticed this you cleared your throat and looked at him pointedly. His cheeks became flushed with red and he averted his gaze, mumbling an apology. Smiling, you had said, "You look good too, but at least I'm brave enough to say it."

"I am brave," he responded, meeting your eyes defiantly.

"Oh, yeah?" You prompted, one eyebrow rising in a silent challenge. "Prove it."

He had been unable to prove it, but that didn't stop him from trying to convince you that he was braver than you were for the remainder of your meal. After dinner, as you cleaned up and Link went to change back into his regular blue tunic, he gasped. You turned around from what you were doing and looked at him, confusion etched into your features as surprise was drawn into his.

"I can't believe I forgot," he said, reaching into his pack. "When I left you behind at Hateno, my first stop was at Kakariko." He continued rummaging through the pack and you wondered what it was he was looking for so frantically. "And though I wasn't sure when I was even gonna see you again, if at all, everything was all fuzzy at that point...I asked her if she had something for you, being my partner and all. And guess what? She did!"

He finally found what he was looking for and lifted it up, and your eyes widened with surprise. He stood, holding out in front of him a tunic nearly identical to the one he usually wore. You pointed at your chest slowly, wondering if it really was for you. Link nodded, a large smile on his face.

"Link," you said with a shake of your head, "I'm not a Champion."

"So what? Listen, Impa was more than happy to give this to me, for you. If Impa thinks you should wear it, then why do you doubt it?" You pursed your lips, still unsure. "Come on, (Y/n). Please?"

With one more look into his eyes, you gave in with a roll of your eyes. You grabbed it and he turned, allowing you to change. Once the new tunic was on, and you had back on your tough black leggings and regular boots, you noted how comfortable it was. The material was soft, but seemed very durable and tough. It was flexible and moved easily with you, and the color was beautiful. You smiled when you looked down at yourself and when Link turned, he grinned.

"It was one of Zelda's," he told you, approaching you and adjusting one of the sleeves. "It was meant for her fieldwork but she preferred a shorter, more regal one, apparently. She never wore this one."

"Well, I'm glad," you said, smoothing it out, "because I love it. Thank you, Link."

---

A few hours later, the two of you were sitting by the fire in the dark. Neither of you were tired yet, so you decided to just stay up and talk. You were leaning back on your hands casually, your legs stretched out and crossed lazily in front of you.

"Link," you said during an awkward pause between conversations. He looked at you, the orange glow of the fire flickering across his face. "While I was with my parents the first time, I went to meet Purah, from the lab. I remembered seeing her at that festival we went to...and when I realized she knew you, I decided I wanted to meet her."

"She's a handful," he said with a grimace.

"She is," you agreed. "But she only talked about you for a few minutes before getting distracted by the Sheikah Slate and its functionalities. She was telling me about what it could do." You took a deep breath before continuing. You gazed into the fire. "She told me how she upgraded it for you, and how it could, should you have a picture of something, search for it. Why, then, didn't you look for me?"

"I, uh..." He seemed flustered and his cheeks burned red. He stammered over his words, seemingly at a loss. "I wanted to, I actually thought about it but...I figured you'd still be with your parents, so I didn't even try. I'm sorry, you spent all those months searching for me but if I knew that, I would have in a heartbeat and-"

"Link," you interrupted with a smile, catching him off-guard, "I was only joking."

He stared at you for a moment longer before sighing and rubbing his cheek. "Jeez," he said, "you really know how to get me going."

"It's one of my many talents," you said.

Link shook his head in disbelief before adjusting himself. From where he was sitting next to you, he moved his feet further out and got onto his side, propping his head onto his elbow next to you. He looked up at you with a curious expression and you met his gaze. He reached up with his free hand and poked the end of your pointed ear. You jerked your head slightly, surprised at the contact, your cheeks turning red. "What?"

"Would you ever get your ears pierced?" He asked this without missing a beat, his hand returning to his side, where it rested on the side of his stomach.

You smirked. "Is it to match you?"

He blushed but smiled at you. "Maybe," he said cheekily.

"When we find someone trustworthy who can," you said slowly, your eyes drifting away from him, "then I'll consider it."

"That means yes!"

"It does not," you said, pouting slightly.

"You know it does," he said, and you knew he knew that he was right. "So thank you!" He pushed himself up slightly, pressing a kiss to your cheek before lowering back down. You couldn't help the smile that spread across your lips, but it faded after a moment and you bit your bottom lip.

"Link...what are we, exactly?"

He looked away, seemingly deep in thought. "I'm not quite sure," he answered after a moment, "but I'd like to be able to call you my girlfriend...that is, if people still use that term."

You nodded. "People do," you assured him.

"Well, good then. If you...so long as you liked the kiss, then...Uh, well, would you be..." He trailed off, and you smiled slightly. He always seemed so courageous, but now...

You placed a hand gently by his cheek and tilted his head upwards. He looked up at you, an almost wary expression on his face as he waited to see what you would do. Using that same hand, you lifted up some of his bangs so you could see his forehead and kissed him softly on the space you opened up.

"I'd like that, hero."

His cheeks burned with the intensity of Death Mountain and you were sure that yours were similar, but both of you were smiling. He shifted once more, laying his head in his lap so he was looking up at you. He reached for your arm and grabbed it, tugging your hand closer. He grabbed it and pressed a kiss to your knuckles, keeping eye contact with you the whole time before smiling boyishly up at you, holding your hand between both of his as he settled in to go to sleep.

Author's Note: I don't have much to say about this one. Just some fluff. I hope you all enjoyed, and see you in the next one!