Written for @hurricane105 for @zelinkcommunity loftwing letters24! Happy V-day, hurricane! I hope you like this post-BotW slice of Hateno life Zelink story. Have a fantastic day☺️
Sowing Seeds of Love
Summary: It's an annual tradition in Hateno for women to offer gifts of appreciation to those they care about on Sowing Day. Little does Zelda know that the gift she gives Link expresses more than platonic affection. Will she realize that perhaps he means more to her than she has dared to realize?
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The pouch slung over Zelda’s shoulders shifted with each step, bouncing against her hip as she walked through Hateno village. Periodically, she couldn’t help but reach inside to ensure the small, white box tied with a satin blue ribbon was safely tucked away. It was a Sowing Day gift for Link she’d chosen at the East Wind on her way home. The store’s merchant, Pruce, had assured her that it was a traditional Hateno custom for women to give appreciation gifts on Sowing Day.
She’d picked a sand seal plushie for Purah and a potted tomato plant for Symin to give tomorrow when she saw them. Zelda’s heart fluttered with memories of Urbosa as she thought of the gift she’d chosen for Link: three rich chocolate truffles imported from Gerudo. They were a delicacy Zelda had always enjoyed, and she hoped they would also bring joy to Link.
Crossing the bridge to the home she shared with him, Zelda could hear the faint sound of him tending to their small garden at the side of the house.
“I’m home!” Zelda called as she headed inside.
Pushing the front door open, the sweet, honeyed fragrance of apple blossoms permeated the air. A vase, filled with the blooms Link must have pruned that day, sat in the center of the already set table. Zelda pulled the box out of the bag and placed it in the middle of Link’s bowl before making their dinner. In the past year, Link had taught her some basic cooking skills since, pre-Calamity, Zelda had never had to cook. She hummed happily, feeling lighter than she had in ages as she peeled and chopped a swift carrot and hearty radish to add to the stewed meat she’d left to simmer all day over the fire in the hearth.
By the time Link came in from outside, the stew was ready. Zelda placed it, sliced bread, and rice on the table while Link washed up. She took her seat and waited expectantly for him to join her.
“It smells good, Princess.” His mouth curled into a bemused smile when he saw the package in his bowl. “What’s this?”
“A Sowing Day present for you.” Zelda sat forward in her seat, returning his smile. “Open it.”
Reaching for the end of the ribbon, Link untied the bow and lifted the lid on the box. Zelda’s stomach roiled anxiously as his expression changed from delight to shock to confusion. His brow furrowed, and he blinked several times, clearly processing the unexpected gift of truffles nestled within the waxed parchment. This was not the reaction she’d expected.
Feeling self-conscious, Zelda stumbled over an explanation. “Urbosa always brought these for me when she visited. They’re my favorite. Don’t you like them?”
Link’s expression softened, and he gave her a shy smile. “I do. They’re my favorites, too.”
Despite his smile, Zelda couldn’t help but feel she’d somehow upset or disappointed him. “Did I do something wrong?”
Link shook his head slightly and cleared his throat, a hopeful glint in his blue eyes when he looked at her. “Do you know what it means to give chocolates on Sowing Day?”
“Pruce said women gave gifts to show their appreciation. I bought Purah a plushie and Symin a plant. With your sweet tooth, I thought you’d like Gerudo chocolates.” Frowning, Zelda pulled her brows together when Link’s smile faltered, and the brief light in his eyes faded.
“Ah, I see.” Link nodded politely. “Thank you, Princess. We can enjoy them after dinner.”
He set the box aside and spooned rice and the creamy meat soup into their bowls. Zelda’s cheeks flamed, realizing she’d missed something significant regarding her gift, but she was too embarrassed to press Link further. They spent the remainder of the meal discussing how they’d spent their day. After cleaning up, Link declared he was tired from working in the garden all day and departed to the room he’d fashioned for himself in the lean-to behind the house. Zelda spent the night sleeping fitfully, wondering if she’d misinterpreted Link’s response to her gift.
The following day, Zelda rose, intending to ask Link again if he was all right, but found a hastily scrawled note on the kitchen table that he’d gone hunting and would be back later that evening. Sighing, she gathered her satchel and headed to the Ancient Tech Lab. Along the way, she greeted her fellow villagers with a friendly wave and nod. Once past the village proper, Zelda fretted over Link’s odd behavior as she trudged up the winding path, and the rising sun warmed the top of her head.
The clang of a hammer rang in the air before the building came into sight. Cresting the hill, Zelda saw through the open front door ten-year-old Purah standing at her lab table, fully absorbed in pounding a rectangular piece of metal. Spare circuits and wiring were spread over the surface, that wasn’t already covered with pages of schematics. As usual, Symin cataloged his specimens at the back of the room.
“Good morning, Purah and Symin.” Zelda smiled, pulling out the gifts she’d brought them. “Happy belated Sowing Day!”
Purah’s eyes lit up when she spied the sand seal. “Check it!” Grabbing the stuffed animal from Zelda, she ripped it at the seams and pulled out the stuffing. “I love it, Princess! This is just what I needed for my next project!”
“Ah, Princess Zelda, you shouldn’t have.” Symin’s cheeks pinked when he accepted the tomato plant.
“It’s the least I could do for all you two have done for me over the past year.” Their reactions were exactly how she’d hoped Link would have responded yesterday. Biting her lip, Zelda pulled her research journal and the Sheikah Slate out of her bag before stowing it beneath the lab table.
Ever observant, Purah instantly pounced on Zelda’s melancholy. “Is something on your mind this morning, Princess?”
Zelda shook her head as she laid the items on the table. “Oh, I was just thinking about Link. I gave him chocolates for Sowing Day, and he acted strangely.”
“Oh, snap!” Purah pushed her red glasses down her nose and leaned in, peering owlishly at Zelda. “You did what?!”
Taken aback by Purah’s reaction, Zelda flushed. “I gave him chocolates, as a gift, but he was… confused.”
“I bet he was!” Purah's snicker fueled Zelda’s blush. “Giving chocolates on Sowing Day is a romantic gesture!”
“It’s true!” Symin chimed in from his corner, cheeks reddening in sympathy to Zelda’s sudden plight.
“Romantic? I didn’t know that…” Zelda’s mind reeled as she processed this disturbing information. She’d grown to admire Link, but the thought of romantic love had never crossed her mind until now. Recalling the hopeful gleam in Link’s bright blue eyes, Zelda’s heart skipped a beat, and butterflies erupted in her belly. Had she confused platonic love for true love?
“Looks like our princess unintentionally confessed her love!” Purah gleefully clapped her hands and grinned mischievously, tearing Zelda from her reverie.
Zelda’s cheeks flamed further, and her breath hitched in her chest. “Purah, please! I don’t even know if he feels the same!”
Emitting a most unladylike snort, Purah’s grin widened. “I’ve seen the way he looks at you. Right, Symin?”
“It’s clear he’s smitten,” Symin agreed.
“What am I supposed to do now?” Zelda didn’t know how to face Link when he arrived home that evening. Just thinking about seeing him again suddenly made her heart race with nervous anticipation.
Purah tapped her finger against her lips, contemplating the question. After a moment, her eyes brightened, and she waved her pointer finger flamboyantly in the air. “Actions speak louder than words. I say, lay one on him.”
Zelda gasped, shocked by Purah’s proclamation. “Are you suggesting I kiss him?!”
Purah shrugged. “Why not? Link may be courageous, but he’ll never make the first move. It’s up to you.”
As it was, Zelda could hardly focus on her research for the remainder of the day as visions of what kissing Link would be like consumed her. Finally, she gave up making any progress and headed home. However, as she was passing East Wind, an idea came to her, and she took a detour to purchase a few cooking supplies. The knowing smile Pruce gave her as he wrapped up the goods made her cheeks burn. It seemed an affliction she couldn’t shake today.
At home, Zelda prepared her recipe in the cooking pot outside their house, and sat by the fire occasionally tasting and idly stirring the contents.
When Link arrived a while later, he paused a few feet from Zelda. Dropping the boar slung over his shoulder, his nostrils flared, sniffing the rich scent filling the air. “That’s… a lot of chocolate.”
Zelda lifted her head to meet his steady gaze. “It’s a fraction of how much I think I may be in love with you.”
If the confection she’d made weren’t already tempered, Link's bright smile would have done the trick. Standing to close the distance between them, the taste of chocolate was still on her lips when Zelda kissed him.
End Cut Scene:
After Zelda left, Purah turned to Symin, a mischievous glint back in her ruby eyes. “If things turn out how I suspect they will, I can’t wait to see what Link gives the Princess on Harvest Day!”
Her expression turned thoughtful as she eyed Symin. “Speaking of, what are you getting me for Harvest Day, Symin?”
Purah cackled delightedly at the crimson flush coloring Symin’s cheeks that perfectly matched the setting sun.
Author’s note: I loosely based the Sowing Day/Harvest Day Hateno tradition on the Japanese Valentine’s Day/White Day tradition.
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