Link | TOTK AU

The heat was stifling.

Even beneath Faron’s thick jungle canopy, where the towering trees should have offered relief, the air remained heavy and damp, clinging like a second skin. Rain had fallen earlier, leaving the dirt path slick with mud, the scent of wet earth and lush greenery thick in the air. In the distance, waterfalls roared through the valley, promising refreshment—but for now, the journey was nothing but sweltering.

Link adjusted his grip on the reins of his horse, trying—and failing—to ignore the beads of sweat sliding down his own skin. His tunic clung uncomfortably to his back, the damp fabric forcing him to shift in the saddle. He had endured deserts, frozen peaks, battlefields—but this heat? Merciless.

And yet, that wasn’t what unsettled him most. It was them.

The prince(ss) rode just ahead, their silhouette framed by dappled sunlight. Their armor—or what little they’d chosen to wear in this unbearable weather—glistened with sweat. Fabric clung to their skin. Their collarbone, the curve of their neck, the dip of their spine—it was all too distracting.

Link swallowed hard. His gaze flickered away, fixing on the trail ahead, but the damage was done. Glistening skin, damp lips, the absent swipe of the prince(ss)'s fingers brushing the sweat from their brow—the image burned in his mind, stubborn and utterly unshakable. A droplet of sweat rolled down his temple. He wiped it away briskly, as if that could quell the heat that had been curling low in his stomach these days.

"Ugh, if it gets any hotter, I might throw myself into the first river we find," The prince(ss) groaned, shifting in their saddle. Their shirt, damp and clinging to every minuscule movement, only made things worse. It was too much.

Before he could stop himself, Link reached into his satchel and pulled out a water flask. Wordlessly, he held it out, signing, Water? as he rode alongside them, tilting his head.

They blinked, then smiled, taking the flask with gratitude. He nodded, keeping his expression neutral despite the way his pulse pounded harder than a Lynel’s charge.

The prince(ss) tipped their head back to drink, and Hylia above, Link should have looked away. But he didn’t. He couldn’t.

The sight of their throat bobbing, droplets trailing down their neck—gods. He tore his gaze away so fast he nearly gave himself whiplash. He was a knight, for Hylia's sake. Their knight. Loyal, disciplined, unshakable.

And yet, here he was, barely holding himself together over sweat-dampened skin and the way heat softened their usual poise.

This was going to be a long journey.