Work Text:
Approaching winter always meant the ship was chilly. Even the lower decks, with all their insulation and surrounding water, didn't do much to shut out the chill the oncoming months brought on. Usually, in the preceding months where the cold seemed to lie just below the horizon, they'd buy or barter for some warmer clothes, perhaps some blankets and such to replace the old, threadbare ones that the crew never seemed to want to throw out. However, in the search for a New Hyrule they hadn’t made land in quite a few weeks. That coupled with the drastic temperature shift they’d recently faced in light of the arrival of winter sailing northbound on unfamiliar seas…
Well, safe to say, it was cold.
The temperature had made itself evident in the behaviours of the crew, as well. Senza and Niko were more inclined to shirk their tasks which required being on the main deck, despite their unwavering loyalty to Tetra and her mission. Zuko more often slept in, Link would see, desperately attempting to burrow within the warmth of what remaining drapes they had which weren’t hanging on singular seams.
Zuko’s unwavering ability to sleep in the frigid weather was lost on Link, for one, as he was quite the opposite. The solace and peace that would calm his frazzled nerves absent, he found it a difficult feat to achieve the soft nothingness that was sleep. Which was, chiefly, the reason why he was currently laying on his hammock, eyes open and throat dry, in the middle of the night.
Desperate to get rid of the everlasting chill that seemed to engulf his very being, Link brushed the threadbare covers aside, sitting up to perhaps stretch his legs, maybe take a walk to warm up. Yawning and stretching at finally accepting his insomnia, Link rubbed his eyes open, looking up at the portholes that let in the glimmering moonlight.
He made his way up to the main deck, breath shuddering upon exposure to the frigid air. The moon hung high in the sky, a stark contrast to the vast darkness that was the night. Stars littered the entire scene, some brighter than others, some fainter. He let out a sigh, thinking back to what he’d be doing right about now if he were on Outset.
Wandering, he found himself on top of the crow’s nest, lying down on the smooth wood grain. Arms behind his head, he stared at the sky, recounting the constellations his grandmother had taught him when he was younger with brief murmurs under his breath.
Cassiopeia, a mythical queen who believed herself to be more beautiful than the stars themselves with such vanity, that she was banished to live among them. Ursa Major, a maiden and son transformed into beasts to disguise the sin of infidelity. Corona Borealis, the story of a brave warrior, who did so much for his people yet failed in achieving the one thing Link believed mattered most: a happy ending.
He trailed his fingertips along the specks of light in the sky, head lost in memories and nostalgia. The salty smell of the sea soothed him, and so did the quietness of the ship, which was a rare occurrence indeed. He barely registered the sound of footsteps stepping up to the crow’s nest alongside him, only turning his head and dropping his hands on his chest upon the person’s announcement of their arrival.
“Link? That you?” Tetra stepped up to the crow’s nest, pulling herself up by the ropes connected to the mast. She was in her nightclothes, like Link, and her hairstyle was coming apart, strands of long blonde flitting across her face. Link didn’t recall her having a shift that night, so he tilted his head inquisitively as he squinted up at her because of the bright moonlight that framed Tetra’s back.
“Captain? Why are you up here?” Link asked as Tetra made her way towards him alongside the inside of the crow’s nest.
She sat next to Link, leaning on the ever-so-slightly unsteady railings, face perfectly neutral if not for a muted look of fatigue. “Could ask you the same question, swabbie.” Link watched her as she let out a sigh and made her way to put her arms behind her head, mirroring Link’s previous position.
Link turned his gaze away from Tetra, going back to looking up at the constellations above. He tried to ignore how his heart had picked up its pace at the sight of Tetra, at the sight of how here, in the middle of the night, the silver moonlight hit her face and her golden locks brushed across her features. Here, she didn’t quite look like a rugged pirate captain, clearly having seen too much for someone her age. No, she just seemed like a regular teenage girl, trying to navigate the woes life kept throwing at her. Her features were relaxed, eyes slightly drooping and the edges of her mouth lightly curling in a soft smile, a brief glimpse to the inside of the rough exterior Tetra put on. It was peaceful. Calm.
She looked beautiful, Link noted. He didn’t dare voice the thought, but he had always found her quite pretty, ever since she’d made her unceremonious landing on Outset. Over their time sailing, Link had developed a sort of… affection, towards the pirate. During his earlier days on the ship, when the nickname of ‘swabbie’ was more literal than affectionate, he had found himself sneaking glances as she was barking out orders, taking more tasks that required being around the captain. He found himself blushing when the captain jibed at him, or giggling at her jokes just a little bit more than what could be considered normal.
Tetra was unique, and that had drawn him towards her even more. After their adventure together, their bond had only strengthened. Now, instead of simply allies or companions, they were friends. They’d gone through hell and back together, had literally saved the world together. They respected each other and held the other dearly (as reluctant as they may have been to admit it, with their stupid little pre-teen emotions). Link, however… he felt his affection towards Tetra was a bit more . As horrified he’d been to first admit it to himself, over the course of their adventure he found himself feeling some overly-friendly things towards Tetra. Much to his horror, he’d find himself staring at her lean figure, her muscles, her lips-
He’d never , ever admit that to her, though. He valued her far too much to risk their friendship over something as frivolous as his mushy little feelings .
He realised he hadn’t answered her question upon lifting his head only to see her inquisitive look. “Couldn’t sleep. ‘s cold.” he was quick to reply with a poorly disguised shudder. Suddenly reminded of the temperature by a brief cold gust of air, Link moved to wrap his arms around his torso, briefly dipping his head down to meet his chest. It didn’t do much for the cold, not much did. Link realised he could still feel Tetra’s gaze on him, so he moved out of his faux-embrace and moved back to his previous position, this time with his hands resting on his chest. He attempted to suppress a shiver as yet another cold gust of wind passed over them- courtesy of being on the highest platform of the ship.
“Mhm” he heard Tetra‘s murmur of agreement as she shifted a bit at his side.
Suddenly, he heard Tetra move again to shuffle slightly closer to him and briefly heard his breath hitch the tiniest bit. A warm arm pressed against his own, and even that minute point of contact he felt warmed up a bit of his frigid core. A sigh left him as he closed his eyes, content at even the smallest thing that could chase away the perpetual cold.
Suddenly, with no warning, a warm weight was placed on his shoulders, another point of contact, another point of warmth. He briefly tensed, clearly not having expected the gesture, but he slowly started to relax as he could feel the heat radiating from Tetra at his side warm him up. His heart adopted a quickened pace and Link felt a faint blush colour his cheeks as he opened his eyes to see Tetra looking up at the sky, decidedly not looking at him and yet with an arm wrapped around him.
The darkness of the night hid the blush on his cheeks as he quietly chuckled, subconsciously leaning into Tetra’s side, her warmth.
The soft and fond environment made Link think about Outset. On Outset, when the cold winter months arrived and the clouds rolled in, he’d find warmth -comfort- in one thing or the other. He’d find warmth blooming in his chest when he heard Aryll laugh, warmth, when his grandmother would make his favourite hot soup that battled the cold away. He’d even find it in the little things. The stupid gulls gawk ing at each other while fighting over a piece of bread Link had thrown amongst them, the lapping of the foamy waves against his home’s shoreline, the greenery, the leaves, the bugs. On Outset it seemed like warmth was all around him, in the reprieve that was the place he called home.
Tetra’s ship, however…
No, not to say he didn’t absolutely love travelling alongside her. Never once was he left out of the joys of pirate life -no, quite the contrary. On the ship, he found warmth in the underlying smiles in Tetra’s jibes, the heady nights laughing alongside Gonzo as he recounted story upon story of their adventures -it was fantastic. The utter novelty that came along with being a part of Tetra’s crew, it forged a fire in his heart he thought had now come to a size near impossible to snuff out.
But, the ship's environment was… coarse, in a sense. Boorish.
That’s not to say it was bad. It was just… different, is all. Sometimes he’d find himself looking out from the railings, longing for the overall softness that just seemed to engulf Outset.
Now, though, fondness bubbled up within him as he looked at Tetra. Normally, Tetra was a bonfire. She was the raging heat amongst a sea of frigid cold. Never snuffing out, her fiery rage and burning passion never failed to leave Link in awe. Now, though, it was almost as if that fieriness had… dulled down, in a sense. Where a raging bonfire once stood now was a kindling flame, dancing upon the brush of the wind. Link looked up, catching sight of Tetra’s serene face. She had closed her eyes, and something in Link just wanted to take the time to admire her. As boorish and harsh as the ship’s environment could be, it was nights like these that kept him going without a falter in his step. Truly, he didn’t know where he’d be without Tetra, (actually, he’d probably be at the bottom of the sea, but his tendency to go running off into danger was a conversation for another time).
It was nights like this that reminded him that warmth and comfort was not bound to a singular location or time, but that rather it was bound to people. Community, and friendship, and love .
He took in a deep breath and exhaled with a sigh and his train of thought trailed off, lost to the sound Tetra’s gentle breaths above him. Back in the present, an appreciative smile showed on his face, and he shuddered at the sheer warmth that Tetra seemed to exude.
“Mmhm,” Link mumbled. “You’re warm.” Drowsily, it was as if he was attempting to burrow even closer to Tetra. He heard rather than saw Tetra raise a hand and bring it towards his head as he simply basked, unabashedly, in her warmth. He didn’t understand how she could be so goddess damned warm. She was like a space-heater, for Hylia’s sake! He felt Tetra lightly move to card her hand through his hair as he let out an exhale, somehow relaxing even further into her side, not unlike a content cat.
Link noticed Tetra’s subdued motions, how it was as if the callouses in the captain’s rough hands had been replaced by the soft and plush skin of her other form. As she gently scratched at his scalp, an infinitely comforting gesture for Link, she couldn’t help but let out a light chuckle at Link’s current state. Her swabbie was nothing more than a puddle at her side at this point, and Tetra couldn't help but feel fond as she looked at the young boy below her.
Breaking her out of her light stupor (why was she still looking at him-?) Link drawled with a light chuckle: “You goin’ soft on me, Captain?” Jibing, yet also clearly content with his current position and Tetra’s gentle ministrations as evidenced by the gentle lull of his tone. He curled closer to Tetra in a desperate attempt to hide the creeping blush and dopey smile on his face as nimble fingers continued working through his hair.
“Not at all.” Tetra supplied, if not a bit curtly. “Sharing body heat is a perfectly reasonable solution to evade the chill. It’s only logical.” There was a slight bite in her tone, however it was lulled by the drawl in Tetra’s voice that only hinted even further at her flagging.
Link had a feeling that, if he were to look up, he’d be greeted by Tetra’s blushing face. However, unwilling to leave the cocoon of warmth he’d found himself in, he simply decided to let out a muffled reply into the fabric of Tetra‘s nightclothes: “Of course." He smirked. "Logical.”
A brief noise left Tetra‘s lips, as if she was going to reply, but she suddenly quieted as Link moved to put his arms around her torso, clearly made bolder by his sleep-addled mind. With the slightest audible stutter of surprise, Tetra replied: “Shut your pretty mouth, swabbie.”
“Aye aye, cap’n.” Now, it was Tetra’s turn to melt at the warmth of their now shared body heat. In truth, Tetra didn’t quite use to mind the cold. She’d grown up with the same weather cycle on the frigid open seas, so she had gotten quite used to the chill the winter months brought along. Though now, quite a few months into her adventure with Link, she found she couldn’t stand it. Once more, she craved the heat of an affectionate touch, a craving she didn’t recall having experienced at all since her mother’s death. It was as if her time with the boy had made her… softer, in a sense. The island boy had seen past her rough exterior, and had even managed to uncover what lied beyond. Tetra found herself inclined to act almost gentler around him.
She had always been exposed to rougher treatment, harsher. Following her mother's death, she’d had to take up control- far more than what would normally be entrusted to twelve year-olds -and put up this harsh exterior to hide what she really was: a scared little child. She was a mere child when she’d had to take life by its reins, and it was almost as if this new adventure with Link had somehow uncovered a bit of that child within her.
In truth, Tetra couldn’t imagine a life without Link-. A life in which that stupid bird hadn’t dropped her off at Outset, a life in which their adventure had not occurred. She recognized the thoughts as much…. Mushier, than what she was used to and felt the urge to cringe. She couldn’t find it within herself to, however, as she looked back at the young boy all but melted into her side.
Link had his face half buried into the fabric of her nightclothes, eyes closed and mouth open, drool building on his lips in what could only be described as a slightly gross display of his fatigue. Much to Tetra‘s dismay, the first thought that occurred to her at the sight was not as such, but rather, that it was cute. Infuriatingly cute, at that. The boy had no right to dare worm his way into her heart like this, she thought. With his stupid dopey smiles and stupid stunts and courageous heart. Tetra looked fondly down at Link, carefully listening to the gentle lapping of the ocean waves against her ship, overlaid by the sound of Link‘s steadily evening breaths.
Looking down at Link, she couldn't help but feel a small pang of guilt rush through her. Inner conflict tugged at her brow, and her face pinched. She… she really didn’t deserve any of this, didn't deserve Link, did she? She wasn't fit for this. She wasn't fit for a life of leadership and politics and primness. She was a pirate, by the golden goddesses! She wasn't a monarch, or a ruler, or the harbinger of a new world.
Link... Link was. Link was already so much more than she would ever dream to be. He had manners where she didn't, was kind and caring where she was brutish, was so much more fit to handle such a precise and delicate operation as the establishment of a new kingdom-
Her thoughts stuttered to an abrupt stop as Link moved his head up to gaze up at Tetra’s face. She belatedly realised her hand had stilled in Link’s hair, which was what most likely what ticked the boy off to her minor spiral, as the boy made a slightly displeased noise at what he must've read on her face. He shuffled upwards, matching Tetra in position as he also moved to slightly lean against the railings of the crow’s nest.
“Hey,” he gently murmured, concern in his voice and a small, worried smile playing at his lips, and goddesses, how had she even deserved to meet this boy? “You okay there?”
His voice was open and soft, and at that moment Tetra wanted nothing more than to burrow into his side and never show her face to the outside world ever again, her crumbling restraint making itself evident in the way she leaned into Link, pressing her body against his. Tetra managed a smile at him as she nodded, “Yeah. I’m fine.”
Link seemed to not have accepted that as as solid an answer as she had tried to make it sound, as evidenced by the slightly inquisitive way his eyebrow slightly raised. Tetra noted in the back of her mind that that was an absolutely adorable look on Link’s face, and was promptly shut up as Link decided on the best way he could think of to comfort Tetra at the moment with the limited information he was going off of. He moved his head down to meet Tetra’s shoulder, then slowly scooted a bit so that his head was in the crook of her neck, bodies now nearly entirely pressed against each other.
He could hear her sigh as he moved, and let a brief smile curl on his lips at the sound. Link was aware that, as reluctant as she may be to admit it, Tetra enjoyed a grounding, comforting touch. Unfortunately, knowledge of that particular tidbit of information had been learned through those nights spent comforting each other after nightmares and terrors, much like many of the other rather vulnerable traits they knew about each other had.
Link knew of Tetra’s mother, and the great grief and also fear Tetra held at the thought of not being enough to live up to her mother’s reputation or being enough for her crew, though it’d never be obvious to an outsider’s perspective from the coarse shell she had crafted around herself. In turn, Tetra knew of the many woes he had experienced after his prompt removal from his peaceful islander life: the frantic terror with which he searched for Aryll, the pressure he felt to live up to his predecessor, the feeling that he just wasn't enough.
Those were wounds for another day, though. Snapped back from his rather glum thoughts at Tetra’s movement to lean her head against his own, he elected to simply bask in the moment.
Link gently took ahold of Tetra’s hand, rubbing soothing motions into her skin with the pad of his thumb. Warmth emanated from the teens’ bundle of limbs, a shooting star in the great expanse of the night sky, the beam of an illuminated island in the vast waters of the Great Sea, protecting them from the harsh cold.
There, the two pirates settled in the gentle comfort of each other’s arms, and drifted off into a deep and dreamless rest underneath the boundless sky.