20 Kisses
Chapter 13: Touch.

The last time she had witnessed him naked was almost two years ago. What shocked her was how long they had been together, as companions, hero and heroine, attempting to save Hyrule and her own Realm. Yet against everything, against every hardship thrown their way, and despite their differences, Link and Midna had survived. It was frightening. Midna was mortal, she could easily be killed, just like Link could. When it came to mortality, there was no difference between a Light-Dweller and Twili. A stab through the heart, and that was it. That was the end.

What was scary was that she knew neither of them would have managed without the other. Link wouldn't have last if she didn't find him, and she wouldn't have been able to survive the Usurper Zant without Link's aid either. In fact, Midna was sure she wouldn't have discovered how to reach the Twilight Mirror without him. Somehow her dependance and fragility had begun to show, and it was humiliating. Midna wasn't dependant. If there was anything odd about this Princess it was that she didn't need anyone. But, then again, she had never met a man like Link until she had met Link.

Link was what she needed. She didn't need him constantly, but she needed him to live. She needed him to help her breathe, needed him to keep her sanity in control, and she needed him because his smile was the warmest and softest, the most loving. His smile was gentle, kind and his eyes glowed with generosity, with a gorgeous, amazing heat that burnt her flesh. Maybe it was due to Zelda's remedy, giving Midna her Soul in order to survive in the Light Realm, but Midna had become addicted to the warmth Link expressed. She had come to love his warmth, how bright he was. He didn't blind her anymore, and she didn't find his company discomforting anymore.

Hopefully –– Gods, she hoped –– it wasn't because of Princess Zelda. Midna was eternally grateful for what Zelda did for her, but she didn't –– couldn't –– believe that the only reason she could tolerate Link's glowing aura was because of Zelda. Midna wanted to love Link through herself, not through someone else. However she knew that, no matter what she felt for Link, they wouldn't be. They couldn't be. It was unheard of for a Twili and Light-Dweller to love each other. It had never been written down in history. Once, Midna would have considered that type of love as wrong and disgusting.

Once, she would have hated Link for his purity. His pure soul, how clean he was. She, on the other hand, just dripped with poison and evil. The Twili were loathed, feared, and people had written horrifying stories about them. Light-Dwellers were perfect in their perfect little world, and rejected anything that associated with darkness. At least, that was what Midna was taught as a child, and it was a view she firmly believed until she had reached her mid-twenties. Until she had met the young farm boy, Link.

It was embarrassing. A mere farm boy, a Light-Dweller, changed her mind. More than that, he had introduced her to love. Something so bright and wonderful. Midna didn't think her heart was capable of cradling such an emotion. But, it had, and it did, and this love –– whatever it was –– was slowly eating away at her, slowly killing her.

Nakedness was very normal for a Twili. Unlike Light-Dwellers, Twili didn't frown at bare skin, they considered it natural. It was common for a Twili to walk around wearing barely any clothes, if any. However, Midna had come to respect the fact that Link desired privacy when appropriate. Tonight was definitely an evening when he required it the most. At first, she was worried he was angry at her. His voice was raised and he was impatient and frustrated. Link was never angry, and if she had managed to make him angry, then she would find it hard to forgive herself.

He wasn't angry. He was desperate. Pleading. He didn't want her to see him, and she first believed it was because he was shy. He didn't want Midna to see his naked body, he wanted to be left alone, to deal with himself in privacy. But Link had never acted to desperately before; there was something else behind his pleads. Some sort of pride, not a boasting pride, or anything negative. He was prideful in a generous and sweet way. He was prideful, but he was also Link. Pride and Link didn't go hand-in-hand, but whatever was wrong, it was similar to pride.

It would be cruel to not give Link what he wanted. They had reached the Ordon Spring, and she moved as far away as possible, back turned to him. However, she deliberately made sure she could still hear him, in case he called out for her. Maybe she was silly, but Midna knew something wasn't right. Several minutes passed, and she heard a gasp, a sudden exhale as if he were holding his breath for a long period of time, the odd groan of pain. He's hurt, he's wounded, he's... dying?

A silly conclusion to jump to, but it was too late. Midna had swivelled around, and was staring at a hunched over, broken body of the Chosen Hero. His tunic had been peeled off, and blood poured from his chest, side and back. A horrid large gash was across his back, and nasty stabs and bruises around the rest of his body. Midna couldn't believe what she was seeing. Link had hidden his wounds because he didn't want her to see, he had tried, up to this point, to not make it obvious he was deeply wounded. He didn't want her to worry.

'You stupid imbecile!' If she wasn't so upset, Midna would have come up with a harsher insult. Anger soon joined her sadness, and she rushed over, raising his head with both hands. 'What is wrong with you?'

'You weren't meant to look,' Link sighed, resting a hand on a wound softly. 'I need to... I need to put the spring water on my injuries.'

'Really? Do you really?! When did it occur to you that your wounds needed treating? When you started to feel half dead?!'

'Midna...'

'You're hopeless! You're so stupid!'

'Yeah.'

'I hate you.'

'I'm not sure that's entirely true.'

'What do you know?' Midna scowled. 'Nothing, apparently.'

Link, wisely, didn't respond. Thankfully the Princess of Twilight wasn't an idiot herself, and quickly gained as much spring water as possible into her small palms and poured it over his wounds. Link hissed in pain, but the agony didn't last long. Gradually, the bloody injuries became smaller and smaller, until only a scar was left. Some of the wounds required more water, and the slash on his back needed more treatment than the rest. During all of this, Midna was worryingly quiet.

Whenever Midna was quiet, it was either because she was thinking too much or she was upset. If she was angry, she would go into a mad fit of ramblings, so, clearly, the rage had gone. It was possible she was thinking a lot, possibly thinking about what they should do after Link had recovered, but he had a hunch it wasn't that. He didn't want her to see how badly wounded he had got recently, but he didn't want her to know for this very reason. Lately, it had become more obvious that Link was special to her, that he meant something. If he got injured, if he was hurt, she would be hurt too.

To have someone who felt that way about him was incredible, but difficult. Very difficult. Death was thrust in his face all the time, and Midna –– well, Midna pretty much embraced death. If they needed each other, then how could they last with their fates dangling above their heads every second? They couldn't. They simply couldn't.

So it was best to not talk about it.

An hour had passed, and she still hadn't said a word. By now, his back was healed, and Midna had returned to face his front again. He watched while she poured more water over him, washing away the blood, which was quickly cleansed by the magic of the spring. Link smiled shortly and leaned down, trying to catch her gaze, but Midna refused to look at him. When she raised her head, he was hoping she'd finally talk, but instead she placed a hand at the back of his head and pushed him down slightly. Then, she began to pour water over his head. In an instant, he suddenly felt so refreshed, as if his head had been eased open, and all of his troubles and worries had leaked out. Everything that was cramped into his skull was released and he was free. He was so much lighter.

Water trickled down his nose and cheeks when he raised his head. 'Midna?'

She brushed back his hair with her hands, and he caught her wrists. She still couldn't bring herself to look at him.

'Midna. I'm sorry.'

What she was feeling was pride. She was prideful, and she couldn't let Link see her upset, in such a fragile state. By now, though, he had witnessed her at her most submissive. He had seen far too much. Midna yanked her wrists out of his grip. 'You'd better be.'

It was a relief, to hear her voice finally. 'I am.'

'I hate it when you're hurt.'

'I know.' Link tipped her chin upwards. 'I hate it when you're hurt too.'

Their gaze met, and he was mesmerised by her large, scarlet eyes. The first time he knew her, there was just mischief and darkness in her irises, but, she had allowed him to study her closer, look closer. There was so much love and uncertainty, so much more. For so long he believed she had a small, cruel heart when in actuality, she had the biggest heart he knew.

'I just... I didn't want you to see. I didn't want to make you worry, plus you shouldn't worry. My injuries are my own, my own accidents. I should heal them myself.'

'Shut up, Link.'

'But––'

'Shut. Up.'

Gently, she placed a small hand at his chest, covering half of a wound. His skin was warm, but rough. All of those months of swordsmanship, of so much labour, had roughened his once boyish, smooth skin. It was a little sad, but only convinced her more how much he had grown. When she found him, he was tiny in her eyes, a toy to play with. Now, he was a man. Frightening. A beast which could no longer be tamed by her. He was wild, beautiful.

'You're beautiful.' Pride hadn't stopped her this time from admitting that.

His love had conquered her pride for a moment, it was that powerful. He was that powerful.

Midna kissed the scars at his chest, she kissed each one, gently, softly, and he closed his eyes, soothed, warm, content. He let her kiss him, kiss him where he was his ugliest, kiss what she had done to him, what she had forced him through. She knew each wound, she knew how each happened, she had watched each wound form. She had watched. That was what she was best at: observing. Hovering in the shadows and observing.

Coward.

The word stung.

She kissed his body, trailed kisses up his neck, jawline, cheek, then his lips. And he kissed her back, his passion inviting, filled with heat, and soft. Two little hands ran through his golden hair, trailed down the back of his ears, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. She placed several kisses on his lips, her nature not at all reflecting how cruel and twisted she once was. He tasted of the sun, he tasted so perfect, his warmth enveloping her body. She shivered, despite how she burnt against him, and he trembled, his innocence and uncertainties beginning to show. It still amazed her today that Link had never been with a woman, a man so supreme and gentle, had never kissed. Not like this; this was beyond him, this was less than he deserved.

For a second, they broke apart. She opened her eyes and giggled a little at how he didn't open his. 'We should do this more often,' he whispered, his breath hot and moist down down her throat. 'What do you think?'

'... Don't hide yourself from me again.'

Link sealed that promise by closing the gap between them.

As long as you no longer hide yourself from me.

author's note: Hey, all. It's been a very long time, and I apologise for that. A lot has been happening in my life lately; I've started University for one, plus I'm in other fandoms now as well as the Zelda fandom. So, if you see stories unrelated to Zelda, then that's why. I am generally on hiatus, but I had a sudden urge to update this story. I hope you all like this chapter, and thank you tremendously for being wonderful and patient with me. I really don't want my next update to take so long, but we shall see.
Thank you Makokam, Koilate, Combobulated, MasterSprintersan, snakedabomb, [ Ichi ], The Fierce Hero, CrimsonMoon24, Helios1097, [ Guest ], [ Shawn ] and [ lonewolf4442 ] for reviewing the prior chapter.

Oh, I thought I should mention that the wonderful Combobulatedhas drawn a fantastic piece of artwork based on this story. Click on the link available on my profile, and be sure to reblog/like on Tumblr. Spread their amazingness!

Thanks, guys. I really hope this chapter was okay.