A.N: Well this is it, but I'll let you read the finale before I say anything else. As always, thanks very much for reviews.

Warning: This chapter contains scenes of a sexual nature.

For the last time for this story:

Enjoy!

Epilogue

Sunlight bathed Hyrule in a luxurious glow, warming the healing land and its people, rays soft and gentle stirring life, despite the changing seasons.

Summer was ending and the scent of autumn was creeping into the air, lighting the land with sepia tones as trees' leaves began to die in a phoenix display.

Link shifted, breathing in the crisp air at the top of the mountain range, opening his eyes to look at the trees over the opposite side of the lake, their green beginning to pale to yellow. It was so good to be home…and he smiled at the thought.

Home. Finally he had one.

Home is where the heart is, he had once heard someone say and as he turned his head at the sound of approaching footsteps, he agreed entirely.

Sheik settled down beside him, dressed in strangely loose clothing that draped off his lithe frame, his mask nowhere in sight, long hair falling past his shoulders.

"You look casual," Link commented, breathing in deeply again, wincing as his healing torso twinged at the motion of rising. He smiled again a moment later. "…I like it."

"Oh?" a dark golden eyebrow lifted "I would've thought you found the clothes too…loose."

"So did I but…seeing you relaxed and being yourself is more attractive to me than the most figure hugging of outfits."

The younger blonde tilted his head back, laughing softly.

"You really do have a heart of gold don't you?"

"Nope." The Hylian stated, blue eyes trailing up into the sky. Sheik gave him an inquisitive look at the almost sharp statement.

"Well if I had a heart of gold, it'd be metal and then it wouldn't beat…and then I wouldn't be alive now would I?" he elaborated.

Sheik rolled his eyes.

"I'm going to give you a piece of advice Link….take sentimental statements at face value."

The hero grinned, shuffling over to Sheik and nuzzling him gently.

"Where would the fun be in that?"

Tanned fingers ran up a muscled back and neck into a tangle of blonde hair, not answering. Eventually Link shifted, leaning against Sheik fully, curling into him and letting an arm fall around him protectively.

"Did you speak to Zelda?" Link murmured.

Sheik nodded. "Yes. Hyrule is sorting itself out gradually. The Gerudos have formed a treaty with the princess and all the other races are recovering from their losses…" he paused "well, almost all of them."

The Hylian's pale hand reached up to clasp Sheik's, knowing he was referring to his lost aunt. The other man seemed to take comfort in the gesture.

"We should get you inside. I need to check your injuries again." Sheik stated abruptly, looking down at his lover, curled against him.

"But mother…" Link whined "don't wanna have my booboos checked!"

"That's not what you said last night." Sheik smirked, pulling Link to his feet as he stood.

Link grinned wickedly, detaching himself from the other man and walking alongside him back to the house. The fire was burning in the hearth again when they made it inside, warming the room with its familiar glow, and Link headed for the bedroom immediately, knowing the routine.

He slipped off his shirt awkwardly, not having bothered to wear the tunic that day, trying to keep his still crippled right arm steady. It would cause a hell of a lot of pain if it was bashed accidentally and he looked mournfully at the splinted limb.

A few months had passed since Ganondorf's defeat, and though the initially injury had healed, it had healed the bone into a bizarre, misshapen lump. As a result, the bone had been broken and reset into the correct shape…but there were still painful lumps of bone protruding beneath the skin of his arm…all of which would have to be broken and re-set when the first had healed.

All in all, it was going to be a long road to full recovery, but…he was making it, slowly but surely.

Sheik walked into the dimly lit bedroom a moment later, interrupting Link's thoughts, a towel draped over one shoulder, a ream of bandages in the other. A sterilising solution sat permanently by the side of the bed nowadays.

Sinking onto the bed beside Link, the Sheikah carefully unwound the bandages around Link's torso, face neutral as ever as he revealed the healing wound. The red line that travelled down the length of Link's chest and abdomen had healed to a degree but the dark red incision was raw looking and tender to the touch even now.

The doctor had informed Link that it would heal fully and there would be no permanent damage save for a wicked scar but…the Hylian wished it would stop causing him pain already.

He flinched when Sheik gently dabbed at the line with the sterilising solution, whispering soothing apologies to his partner as he cleaned the wound before reaching for the bandages. Link's hand stopped the Sheikah fingers tilting Sheik's head upwards to catch his unveiled lips in a kiss.

A pale hand slid down Sheik's clothed back, pulling him closer, deepening the kiss.

Sheik gently pulled away after a moment, breaking the kiss. "You're still injured," he offered as an explanation to his partner, who stared at him like a kicked puppy. "I don't want to cause you further pain by doing anything too…active."

Link rolled his eyes. "Sheik…c'mon it's been months and…I'm pretty sure you can take my mind off any pain."

Large blue eyes widened, staring at his lover appealingly and Sheik grinned, shaking his head before leaning into to kiss at Link's neck.

"Alright, you win but…"

"If you cause me pain, I'll let you know."
An eyebrow lifted as Sheik worked his way down a bare shoulder. "No you won't."

Link closed his eyes, tilting his head back. "You're right, I won't, but you'll be able to tell anyway."

"True enough."

Hands ran over skin, lips following the contours of Link's shoulder and arm, skimming over the injured forearm to kiss and lick at fingertips, guiding the Hylian down onto the bed with his free hand, climbing atop him to continue his act of love.

Link found himself unable to do anything but allow Sheik to please him, his right arm all but immobile, chest beginning to ache as his breathing started to become heavier already. He snorted in suppressed laughter as Sheik's loose hair spilled onto his chest, tickling as the shadow warrior ghosted over the peaks of his chest, tossing his head to look at the wound sceptically.

Painstakingly slowly he lowered his torso lightly against Link's, lips lowering just as gently at the top of the laceration, testing as his tongue slipped out.

"Gods…" Link breathed suddenly and Sheik jerked away instantly.

"Sorry, I told you…"

The Hylian shook his head. "No, didn't hurt it's just…tender, feels weird y'know?"

"Weird? How?"

"Good weird."

The hero's left hand guided Sheik back down, relishing the almost ginger touches down the length of his body, smiling placidly as the other man pulled away his trousers before removing his own clothing, returning to his ministrations as he descended his lover's body.

Link couldn't remember a time, save for maybe the afterglow of their first time together, when he had ever felt so relaxed, so secure and so loved as he did now. Sheik's tongue glided over him and Link let out a sigh of contentment, his back arching slightly, pleasure tingling along his spine.

This time…it was going to be different though. Because he knew Sheik wasn't about to let him do all the 'hard-work' in his current condition.

He was proved right when he felt warm, wet fingers slip inside him and his back arched as Sheik returned to his lips, nipping at them as his right hand worked down below, his left stroking at the pulse point of the Hylian's throat languidly.

Time seemed to slow to Link as Sheik worked his body, teasing and pleasing, until that moment when he suddenly knew what it meant to be completely owned by the person you love and trust above all else. The act touched both men on an emotional level that had not been reached before, the knowledge of Link's near-death still in mind. The fact that they had both submitted to each other fully now so prominent and so powerful that it seemed to be a milestone in their relationship.

Sweat slicked torsos slid against each other, hands entwining, tongues entangling until both men climaxed and collapsed simultaneously.

Red eyes rolled up to check Link following the activity, finding the panting Hylian grinning at him exhaustedly.

"You ok?"

"Never…better." Link gasped, falling into pillows and turning his head to look out of the window, gazing over the land he had saved.

For all the country's beauty, its towering mountain and crystal clear lakes, green plains and golden deserts, in Link's eyes it was little compared to the incredible creature lying lightly on his chest. That was true beauty; the baring of one's soul to another, the unconditional trust in crimson eyes…the unity of two people.

And as Link looked down into Sheik's sanguine eyes, glinting with love and adoration, he was sure that the most secretive person he had ever met felt the same back.

It was him that he had fought for all along.

--

Hero of Time.

A figure of legend, the stuff of myth and fairytales and bedtime stories, a name whispered with hope and reverence, a man who bore the weight of the world…and had saved it.

Aided by hope, trust and love and the support of the shadow warrior.

High in the mountains of Hyrule, the hero of time laid down his sword and into the arms of his lover.

Free.

Contented.

Home.

Hero of Time.

Hope of Hyrule.

Saviour of the world…finally saved himself.

--

How can you see into my eyes,

Like open doors,

Leading you down into my core,

Where I've become so numb,

Wthout a soul,

My spirit's sleeping somewhere cold

Until you find it there and

Lead it back,

Home.

-

Wake me up,

Wake me up inside

I can't wake up,

Wake me up inside,

Save me,

Call my name and save me from the dark,

Wake me up,

Bid my blood to run,

I can't wake up

Before I come undone,

Save me,

Save me from the nothing I've become,

-

Now that I know what I'm without,

You can't just leave me,

Breathe into me,

And make me real,

Bring me to life,

Wake me up,

Wake me up inside,

I can't wake up,

Wake me up inside,

Save me,

Call my name and save me from the dark,

Wake me up,

Bid my blood to run,

I can't wake up

Before I come undone,

Save me,

Save me from the nothing I've become,

-

Bring me to life,

I've been living a lie,

There's nothing inside,

Bring me to life,

Frozen inside without your touch,

Without your love darling,

Only you are the life among the dead,

-

All of this time,

I can't believe I couldn't see,

Kept in the dark,

But you were there in front of me,

I've been sleeping a thousand years it seems,

Got to open my eyes to everything,

Without thought, without a voice,

Without a soul,

Don't let me die here,

There must be something more,

Bring me to life

-Bring me to Life, Evanescence

Well people, that as they say, is it. Thank you very much to everyone who read and reviewed, gave ideas, suggestions, support and anything else that goes into making a piece of fanfiction like this.

I'd like to say that having recieved so many kind reviews (this is my most popular fic to date!) my confidence and enthusiasm for writing has been boosted hugely, so thank you for that too.

Finally, I hope that you've enjoyed the fic to the fullest and that it included everything you wanted (and maybe more) and I hope that I'll be seeing some reviews/ hearing from people, when I publish another Link X Sheik fic. (Yes, that is definetely a when!)

Now...I'm off to do some English homework and have myself what I think is a well earned break.

Once more with feeling, please push the button.

Link luvr (aka Ali)