THE DANGER OF UNCONTROLLED FIELD STUDIES
Chapter 5: Consequences

She came to slowly. The fire was little more than glowing ash. The wool blanket itched against her skin, but its heavy warmth was comforting against the cooling air. There was an intense ache between her legs, though it wasn't painful, and her thighs were sticky and wet. Link's arm was wrapped loosely around her, and she could feel his chest rise and fall beneath her hand. It all felt… so peaceful…

Suddenly her eyes popped open, and the events of the afternoon and evening came flooding back. Heart pounding but frozen in place, she cautiously turned her head up towards Link's; thank the Goddess, he was still asleep. She let out a small breath of relief, carefully extricating herself from his arms and from beneath the blanket.

Her nudity, earlier in the evening offering a sense of exultant freedom, now left her feeling vulnerable and overexposed. She quickly crossed the room, ignoring the slight chill of the air against her skin, and grabbed her own carefully folded blanket from atop one of the tables. Shaking it out, she wrapped it around herself and quietly pulled out one of the chairs, sitting slowly onto the cushioned velvet.

She could feel the aching between her legs more acutely sitting down, and the sticky evidence of their sordid activities clung to the wool, but she paid it little heed; her mind was whirling with far too many other, more pressing, concerns.

Nayru… what had she done? She was the Goddess-forsaken Princess of Hyrule! If anyone found out… she would be disgraced, and Link would more than likely land a life sentence in prison—perhaps after he helped her seal the Calamity, but still…

She glanced nervously back to where Link lay, still sleeping, on the rug before the hearth. Her mind immediately flashed back to only hours ago, with him beneath her, his chest heaving under her hands as she bore down on him, relishing the way he gasped and panted as he clutched desperately at her hips… She quickly looked away, blushing profusely and feeling her heart beat faster at the vivid memory.

Though logic told her it had been wrong, in her heart it had felt so right… They had fit together like puzzle pieces, completely in tune with one another as though they had done this hundreds of times before. He had been both rough and gentle, treating her with a sort of tender affection, but not hesitating to drive them both headlong into oblivion. It had been… she blushed again. It had been mind-blowing.

But… how much of those feelings were her own—were genuine—and how much was the frog? Before all this, she would have chalked up her nervousness and fluttering heart to a mere girlish crush. But now, after they had… now she wasn't so sure. Being with him had been… it had felt like more than just a physical act. She felt as though they had connected, on some deeper level. But… could those feelings be merely the remnants of the drug?

Her feelings notwithstanding, there were also Link's to consider. Aside from a fair degree of confidence in their friendly camaraderie, she had no idea how Link actually felt about her—at least in that way. Part of her wanted to believe that perhaps he felt some of what she had, too. He had been so… she didn't know what, but it hadn't felt disinterested or, in some way, removed.

He had always treated her respectfully, but other than the events of today and the vague impressions she'd picked up from him over the time she'd known him, she had nothing more to go on; and a fearful, growing part of her worried that this had been nothing more than a way to relieve the sexual tension caused by her foolhardy experiment.

She had asked him, for Goddesses sake, to do this. She may not have been quite in her right mind, but she had still put forth the request. With the way they'd both been sitting on the edge of insanity, how could she possibly think he'd have done anything other than agree? Perhaps there was nothing more to it than that? She honestly had no reason to believe it was anything more than that; and it would certainly simplify things.

So… why did the prospect of that leave her feeling so hollow?

The aching between her legs was worsening so she made to stand, feeling the sticky residues that had clung to the wool slide across her thighs. Inwardly she sighed. She would need to clean that up, it was starting to get uncomfor…

She stilled, her eyes widening as horrifying realization hit her. She leaned forward heavily over the table to better support her suddenly weak knees.

They hadn't used protection. Gods, they hadn't used protection!

Zelda felt her breath become rapid and shallow as dozens of panicked thoughts flooded her mind. What if she became pregnant? The scandal that would cause! She would be completely and utterly disgraced! And Link… oh, Goddesses, what would happen to Link? Pregnancy—children! She wasn't ready to be a mother! And what of the Calamity? What if it came while she was with child? Could she still battle the beast? What if it came later—what if it killed her child?

She was having trouble breathing and she clutched at her chest, desperately inhaling air through a too-tight throat. She needed to calm down. She was the Princess of Hyrule, she'd been educated by the Kindom's most renowned scholars. She could work through this, she just had to calm down and think.

Closing her eyes, she made herself to take slow, deep breaths, forcing the rising tide of anxiety to the side. Her breathing began to slowly even out, and once she felt a little more under control, she allowed herself to open her eyes.

Okay, think. They hadn't used protection. Was there anything she could do to negate the likelihood or possibility of pregnancy? Anything she had learned over the years… As she glanced around the room, at the bookshelves lining the walls, it suddenly hit her. She was in a fully stocked and equipped scientific laboratory; she could make a morning-after elixir! She didn't have any first-hand experience with it, sure—she'd mostly overheard young maids and newly conscripted soldiers talk about it after weekend benders down in Castle Town—and she didn't know the formula, but such information would undoubtedly be stored here; it was one of but a few centers housing the wealth of advanced scientific and medical knowledge in Hyrule.

She clung desperately to the sliver of hope her half-formed plan offered as she headed for the nearest bookcase, struggling to still the residual trembling of her limbs. If this didn't work… well, she'd focus on that once she got there. It didn't do to dwell on it.

Approaching the nearest bookshelf, she slowly began to skim the titles embossed on the spines of the thick leather volumes.

A Condensed History of the Ancient Sheikah Technologies? No.
Encyclopedia of Mechanical Engineering? No.
A Compendium of Research and Study on the Ancient Guardians? An appealing title, but also no.

Her eyes continued to scan along the spines, book after book, feeling a little more frustrated the farther down the shelves she went. This whole bookcase seemed to house nothing but material on engineering and Sheikah technology. Perhaps each set of shelves held a different category? Turning, she stepped before the bookcase to her immediate left, and began to scan the titles.

This shelf seemed more promising.

A Compendium of Medicinal Plants in Hyrule? She pulled the book from the shelf and flipped through it. Every plant in Hyrule had an entry, and though several plants listed pregnancy prevention as an effect, no elixir formulas were provided. Not quite what she was looking for, but it may prove useful. With a careful toss she threw it onto the nearby table and continued looking.

A Treatise on Hylian Anatomy? No.
Mysteries of the Zora Life Cycle? No.
Hylian Biology? Hmm…

She pulled the thick volume from the shelf and leafed through it. There were diagrams and long passages detailing metabolic cycles and cell growth and decay, and a small passage on Hylian pregnancy, but nothing immediately jumped out at her as being pertinent to her needs. Still, it may prove useful. She tossed it onto the table as well.

She scanned through several more titles until another caught her eye.
Hylian Conception, Pregnancy, and Infertility?

She pulled the book from the shelf and popped it open. There were… extremely descriptive, albeit clinical, explanations of the process of conception and the necessary biological functions to achieve it, as well as a stage-by-stage guide to fetal development. Flipping to the end of the book, her heart soared as she read the chapter title, 'Pregnancy Prevention and Family Planning', however her excitement quickly dwindled as she read through the following passages, finding it to be more of a social commentary on the subject. Her brow furrowed in frustration. Still, it could perhaps prove useful. She tossed the book onto the table, though with a bit more force than was strictly necessary.

She returned to her browsing, her eyes working slowly down the shelf, feeling more and more anxious the more irrelevant titles she passed. She'd already been searching for a good ten minutes. What if she couldn't find what she was looking for?

Her earlier panic was beginning to slowly return, and as she flipped through yet another unhelpful volume, her frustration and anxiety got the better of her and she threw the book across the room, where it hit a chair and landed on the floor with a thud.

She shut her eyes, feeling hyperventilation threatening to grip her in its clutches. Breathe… stay calm, you can do this, breathe… Yet even as she reassured herself she could feel moisture pooling at the close of her eyelids, then a single tear fall down her cheek. Goddesses, what was she going to do?

"Zelda?"

Her eyes shot open, glancing towards the source of the voice only to find Link sitting up off the floor, eyes a bit bleary with the wool blanket pooling around his waist.

Her panic set back in. In her worry and frustration she'd somehow forgotten he was even there. She didn't know what to say to him… where did she even start? Her mouth opened and closed wordlessly, her brain scrambled by anxiety as she stared at him dumbly.

Getting no response, he worriedly rose from the floor, allowing the blanket to fall to the ground. Her eyes immediately fell to his crotch, to the sticky evidence of their… activities. The sight snapped her out of her stupor. She blushed fiercely, nervously looked away.

"Link! You can't—what are you… cover yourself!" she could barely get her mouth to work right, so she hurried to the nearest couch and grabbed a throw pillow, tossing it at him before retreating to her bookshelf. He grabbed it out of the air with ease—it had been thrown a good six inches to his left in her frenzy—then stared at her, at the pillow, then back to her as though she had grown an extra head.

"Link!" she screeched, her blush darkening.

Baffled, he lowered the pillow to cover himself, gaping at her. Slowly, as though she were a skittish deer, he approached her.

"Zelda, what—?" He seemed unable to finish his question, and she refused to look at him, pulling her blanket tighter around her nude body. She was flustered both by his nakedness and his nearness, images of their time together flashing unbidden through her mind every time she caught a glimpse of his toned chest or his strong arms…

She struggled to keep her breathing even and took a nervous step back, bumping against the bookshelf she'd been rifling through. Link halted a foot in front of her, though continued to stare at her with a furrowed brow; but she said nothing. She didn't know what to say. Her mind was in a state of chaos, and her body traitorously warmed to his presence.

"What's wrong? What's going on?" He didn't try to approach her, but when she didn't answer he glanced around the room, seemingly trying to make sense of her strange behavior. His eyes caught sight of the books she had set aside on the table and he approached the stack, glancing at the titles. Suddenly his face paled, and his gaze darted quickly back to hers, eyes wide.

"We… we didn't…" he stuttered, and though he didn't say the words she knew what he meant to convey—and having him voice it out loud, however incomplete, sent her precarious calm tumbling back into panic.

She fell back against the bookshelf as her breathing became labored, quickly transforming into breathless rasps. Despair was taking hold of her, and the sliver of hope she'd felt earlier was nowhere in sight. Shit! She was so, completely, totally screwed! She was gasping now, dimly aware that Link had come around the table to hold her up.

"Zelda! Breathe, it'll be alright, just breath!" She attempted to follow his advice, but to limited success. He turned her to face him, gripping her should as his other hand still held the embroidered pillow over his crotch. Somehow the ridiculous image managed to pierce the fog of blind panic, and her gasping breaths turned into gasping laughs, which quickly turned almost hysterical as the insanity of their situation finally dawned on her.

Link was more confused than ever, staring at her as tough she'd grown two extra heads.

"I'm sorry—" she gasped, "—I… the pillow!"

He glanced down to his crotch then back to her, brows still furrowed in confusion. "But you threw it at me, you said…"

She practically screeched with laughter. "I—I know…" she choked out, "I know…!"

Link looked deeply concerned as he observed her quivering form. She was calming from her outburst, and with careful movements he lifted her fully upright, pulling her away from the bookcase and lowering her into a nearby chair. She obeyed without complaint, feeling the weight of the situation once more press upon her as her humor faded away.

"I'll be right back." Link murmured, turning from her and heading to the carpet to retrieve the other blanket. He wrapped it around himself as she had hers, tossing the pillow to the floor beside the other. He then returned, pulling out the chair beside hers and sitting.

She sighed heavily, feeling awkwardness settle back over her making it difficult to look at him. She knew a conversation was coming, but she didn't feel ready for it. His voice was quiet when he spoke.

"So what do we do?"

She lifted her head, surprised by his easy engagement in the subject and his use of the word 'we'.

"Well… There isn't really anything for you to do. You're not the one at risk of a scandal. I was looking for the formula to make a morning-after elixir, everything I'd need is probably here in the lab, but I haven't yet found—"

He cut her off, gazing at her dumbfounded and with more than a little hurt.

"I'm not going to just have sex with you then throw you to the wolves. What kind of person do you think me to be?"

Despite everything, she blushed at his frank statement; and for some reason, though she knew he hadn't intended to be cruel, she felt hurt by his words. She didn't know what she'd expected—or even wanted—him to say, but whatever it was, it wasn't that. She turned from his face, pulling her blanket tighter around her shoulders as she spoke with forced calm.

"I don't mean to insult your honor Link; but I won't force you to be dragged through the mud with me when I was the one who started all of this. You needn't feel obligated to fix a problem I caused."

Once more he stared at her in confusion. "Force me? Zelda, I had just as much a hand in this, and I—"

She stood abruptly, turning and walking a few steps away. She felt foolish for it, but his words only made the hurt within her sting more fiercely. As a result, her response was somewhat more biting than she'd intended it to be.

"Look, Link, I get it. Really. You feel obligated to clean up after my mistake, and that's very noble of you, but please don't force yourself to do things you don't want for the sake of your honor." She spat the word 'honor', feeling a tightness in her throat as she did so. "I'll be fine. I just need to find the formula for the elixir, and if I can't, then I… I'll just…" she trailed off, not really sure what she would do if she wasn't able to concoct the elixir. However she didn't have long to think on how to finish her sentence, as with quick, angry strides Link came to stand before her, lifting her face to force her to look at him.

"This isn't YOUR mistake." His eyes were hard, face set in a frown. "I didn't even think it was a mistake, but clearly I misread you since you seem pretty set on viewing it that way." He stared hard at her a moment longer before his expression softened, and he lifted a hand to her arm, rubbing his thumb gently over her shoulder. The feel of his hand, even through the blanket, drew forth memories of hours earlier, of his hands gliding across her trembling body.

"I…" he hesitated, then sighed, continuing slowly, softly. "Had I been with anyone else, and they had asked me what you asked me, I would have just turned and walked away, and had a really, really frustrating evening." He offered her a brief, self-deprecating smile.

"But it wasn't anyone else, it was you who asked me, and because it was you, I… couldn't help myself." He looked sheepish, turning away for a moment and releasing a breath before reluctantly returning his gaze to hers.

She was unable to look away. Her heart was galloping in her chest and butterflies fluttered in her stomach. Had she… had she misunderstood the situation? The Gods knew she wasn't very skilled at picking up social cues.

After a moment more he continued, almost sorrowfully.

"I don't regret what happened. I wanted it, and I thought maybe you did too, but… if you want to ignore it and pretend it never happened I can do that. I just hope, at least, you don't feel… taken advantage of."

He paused, holding her gaze questioningly; but her mind had devolved into chaos, attempting to reconcile his words with her prior interpretation of the situation. If was being truthful, if he really did feel that way… she didn't want to ignore it—didn't want to forget it; but all she could manage by way of answer was the tiniest of motions, a small shake of her head, to indicate that she hadn't felt taken advantage of—far from it in fact. At her answer he smiled softly, relief in his eyes, then continued with a confidence that hadn't been there only a moment ago.

"But I won't let you suffer the consequences of this on your own; and not because I feel obligated, but because I… care about you."

His voice trailed off and he looked distinctly embarrassed, and though he kept his eyes fixed on hers, she could see the faintest of blushes rising to his cheeks.

A foreign emotion bubbled up within her as his words sunk in. She scarcely dared to believe it—to hope. She gazed deeply into his eyes, searching for any sign of falseness or deception, but found none. Something suspiciously like joy began to fill her heart, and she smiled tremulously into his anxious gaze. Gripping her blanket tighter in her hands, she prepared to take a leap.

"I… care about you, too," she whispered.

He simply stared at her before, slowly, a smile began to lift the corners of his mouth.

"And… I don't regret what happened, either."

His smile broke out into a grin and he gazed at her, beaming. It was far from a love confession, but they were things she felt very sure of, things she wanted him to know she reciprocated. Without warning, he suddenly wrapped his hand around her waist and pulled her to him, capturing her mouth with his. Despite her surprise, she felt her body melting against his, her hands forgetting their task of holding up her blanket as she shifted to wrap her arms around his neck. His kiss deepened, and he backed her up slowly until she felt her shoulders hit the bookshelf. His tongue ran along her lower lip teasingly, sucking and biting gently at the soft flesh.

"I don't think the frog is completely out of my system," Hh murmured against her lips, kissing the corners of her mouth before delving into her mouth with his tongue. She could feel his erection pressing against her hip, and the knowledge sent a thrill through her.

Judging by the receptiveness of her own body to his advances, she suspected the same was true for her; however, she felt clear-headed enough to maintain her priorities.

"Me neither. But…" she let out a sigh as his lips trailed slowly down her jaw, "Elixir first."

He mumbled affirmatively against her pulse point, leaving a last, lingering kiss before pulling back. He moved his hand to her cheek, cradling her face as he smiled. The look he gave her made her heart melt.

"So where do we start?"

-:-:-:-:-:-

Two hours later the two of them lay once more upon the rug beneath the warmth of their woolen blanket, this time cushioned by the entire collection of blankets and towels the linen cabinet had to offer. Link had rekindled the fire, its warmth appreciated though its light was somewhat less necessary as the pale blue light of sunrise began to filter in through the far windows.

They'd managed to find the right book not long after they resumed the search. Link had found it in a shelf near the door—The Hyrule Compendium of Known Elixirs, and after locating the formula under a section on reproductive health, she had immediately set to work. It had been a relief to learn that the elixir was capable of averting pregnancy within up to five days of unprotected intercourse, but even still it had been a welcome comfort to down the foul-tasting brew and known such a consideration was no longer a concern.

And then, of course, Link had jumped her. Not that she minded.

Which brought them to their current state—lounging peacefully in post-coital bliss, legs tangled and bodies covered in a thin sheen of sweat.

After five orgasms, a variety of activities, and numerous positions, the scholar in her had grown intensely curious as to all the different ways two people could please each other. Link seemed to know quite a bit—a consequence of extremely awkward drunken dissertations provided by the the older soldiers in the barracks, Link had informed her when she'd inquired. But her own knowledge was limited to the requirements of impregnation—such were the outer limits of her sexual education. But simply following the pleasures of her body had proved so far to be a good guide, and she found herself rather eager to learn more.

She crawled slowly over Link, pressing her body against his chest as she gazed into his droopy eyes with a playful expression.

"So… what other exciting secrets have the soldiers imparted upon you?" she queried, tracing her fingers over the rise of his collarbones. He smiled at her, lips quirked with a hint of a smirk.

"Ready again already?" He murmured with amusement, lifting his hand under the blanket to glide slowly up her back. She shivered at the touch, scooting herself forward to capture his lips beneath hers. The kiss was tender, unhurried, filled with a certain passion neither yet had the courage to fully voice. Link lifted a hand to her cheek, brushing his thumb against her skin, and she sighed softly into his mouth. This was heaven.

"Snapity Snap! What's going on here?!"

Zelda jerked away, practically rolling off Link and onto the floor with a thump, clutching desperately at the blanket to ensure it fully covered her nude form. Her heart pounded furiously as she whipped her head towards the source of the voice, only to find Purah standing in the doorway with her hands on her hips and a frown on her face. She hadn't even heard it open.

Link practically choked beside her, scrambling to separate himself from her, as far as the blanket's coverage would reach. He spoke quickly, spluttering his words.

"It's not what you think—!"

She scoffed, folding her arms over her chest. "Suuure it's not. Do you think I was born yesterday? You know, I warned the King this might happen. You force two teenagers together all the time like this, right as their sexual maturity begins to peak, and you're just asking for trouble."

Zelda blushed furiously, heart thundering and mouth agape at the Sheikah's bald statement; Link equally seemed ready to have a heart attack where he lay beside her. At their stricken expressions, Purah sighed, letting her arms fall to her sides.

"Look, you're both young and virile—I won't fault you for it." Zelda wheezed at the word 'virile', and Link turned a darker shade of crimson than she knew existed, but Purah continued undaunted.

"And I won't tell anyone either—your sexual choices are your business and nobody else's. But as a scientist I will not stand for uninformed, unsafe sex! I've got a bottle of morning-after elixir in my office." She eyed Zelda pointedly, "I expect you to use it. And I expect both of you to come and see me as soon as you return to the castle for a comprehensive lesson on Hylian sexuality—and several batches of contraceptive elixir, too. Am I understood?"

Hoping desperately the ground would open up and swallow her whole, Zelda forced herself to nod. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Link do likewise.

Purah seemed satisfied by their easy acquiescence and continued brightly, as though they weren't both nude, covered only by a blanket. "Good. Now I'm heading back to the castle—but you two might want to get dressed and high tail it out of here; a group of researchers should be by in a few hours to pick up supplies, and I'd recommend you be gone by then."

Without further word, she turned on her heel and disappeared down the hall. Neither she nor Link dared to move until the unmistakable snap of the exterior door echoed down the hallway. Slowly, stiffly, she turned to Link, only just feeling her heart begin to slow. Her blush was nowhere near fading as she took in his stricken expression. He stared wide-eyed at the doorway, his face still that funny dark crimson as he gripped the blanket so hard his knuckles turned white.

Suddenly everything—the frog, the sex, her panic over possible pregnancy, the revelation that there had been a solution down the hall all along, Purah's mortifying words and Link's horrified expression—the whole ridiculous scenario washed over her, and she burst out laughing, cackling so hard she could barely breath. Link turned to look at her in disbelief, eyes still wide as saucers, before, slowly, he began to chuckle as well.

He scooted back over to her, wrapping his arm around her as they fell to the ground in a fit of unrestrained laughter. She nuzzled into his neck as her laughter slowly diminished into breathy chuckles, his reassuring warmth easing the sting of her embarrassment. Boy was this a lesson on the danger of uncontrolled field studies.

Gods—What a day…

A/N: Ah, there it is! Putting a whole new twist on the name "hot footed frog", eh? lol. Often in real life when you lick certain frogs, you either wind up hospitalized from crazy-balls poison or have one hell of a trip. That was sort of the inspiration for this fic, imagining the frog's effects as a faintly psychedelic aphrodisiac.

This actually turned out a good deal longer than I'd originally anticipated. It was outlined to be only three chapters at probably around 8,000 words and turned into 6 at 18,000. As with most of my projects, it rather grew, but I like how it came out. There are a few spots I'm not entirely pleased with, but I decided to just stop fretting over it. It's good practice.

So let me know what you think! Whether you pop over to read the full version or not, I'd love to know your thoughts. Hope you all enjoyed this little unexpected surprise. Peace out, and I'll see you in April or May!

^o^