Chap 1
Blood Moon Risingby
Summary
The orphans living at The Sanctuary worship the angry god dwelling in Lake Hylia. Every year on the night of the blood moon, one of them is sacrificed to appease the god. Link is a non-believer due for a rude awakening.
Don't go around tonight,
Well, it's bound to take your life,
There's a bad moon on the rise
Notes
Title lifted from the Creedence Clearwater Revival song "Bad Moon Rising."
So yea, the sex in this is not at all fluffy, not at all nice. Sidon is not at all a charming, dashing prince, but 100% apex predator who WILL fuck you up. Think about all that awesome-o art you see of Sidon where he's scary af, with exaggerated features and like... Monster movie eyes/face/hands. That Sidon. Link is kinda...sad with a side dish of reckless behavior with the intention of death? You'll see.
Wanna make it official?
Curious
He isn't allowed to be here. None of the orphans taken in at The Sanctuary are, but what does it matter in the end? If the god living in Lake Hylia wants him, then it will take him. Link wades in up to his waist under the weak, pale light of a crescent moon. The right side of his face throbs from a nasty right hook from one of the teenagers. Just because he's an adult, about to leave them all, apparently doesn't spare him from the beatings. So he's fled here, where the black, chilly water soaks his clothes and lifts all the little hairs on his arms. The lake is strictly forbidden, lest they anger the god lurking here and incur its wrath. But at this point with his future trudging on into the bleak unknown and his present an abysmal pile of garbage, he doesn't care. For all he knows, the next blood moon will come, and Lady Seres will pick him to sacrifice to the beast. No one has ever seen it, but the stained glass in The Sanctuary depicts a terrifying demon with black eyes, row after row of teeth, and a mouth large enough to swallow a Hylian whole. It's the story the caretakers tell them to keep them away from the lake. Link wades deeper, up to his chest, before swaying to a stop. It's not the first time he's taken a sacrilegious dip, and he's not afraid.
Water bleeds up his cotton shirt the longer Link stands swaying in the water. He dunks his hands to let them chill and then lifts them to soothe the ache in his cheek. The water also helps wash away his tears that drip off his jaw to make little ripples in the late. The boys punching him in the face is certainly not the worst thing they've done. He knows they're a little wild at the edges, snapping at everyone and out for blood. They got his tonight, even knocked a tooth loose. He licks at it way in the back and hopes it just falls out. He gathers the bright red blood in his mouth from it and spits in the water, adding it to his tears, too. Under the crescent moonlight, he watches it mix with Lake Hylia's black water. The thought occurs to him that the water must look like rich blood under a blood moon, the kind that leaks from a heavy cut. Link rubs his arms as he shivers in the lake. He's still besides that shiver and tunes into the tense hush of the valley. The wind has stopped. The birds are silent.
A current whips past his knees. Link stumbles on the sandy lakebed and throws his arms out to balance the rest of him. He steadies in the water before the current rushes past him again, this time from behind. He trips in the sand and hops deeper into the water, now up to his shoulders. Soon, he won't touch bottom. He already can't see anything below his navel, pitiful Hylian eyesight unable to pierce the blackness surrounding him. Link tiptoes in the sand, trying to pick his way back to shallow water. The current doesn't drag him deeper the third time, but something physical and big rams into his shins. Link yelps in the dark as his feet leave the sand. He's coaxed farther and farther from the shore. It's too far to swim back before he'd lose his strength. Link curls his legs under him, too afraid to knock into anything unknown with his toes. The current keeps close to him now, circling and whirling around him. Arms waving to keep him steady, Link's teeth chatter while he bobs in the water. Whatever has taken an interest in him isn't a fish. The largest in here is the Hearty Bass, and the thing that had rammed into his leg is impossibly larger than that. Link's chest stutters as he fights to keep his breathing calm.
It would have killed him already, dragged him under to drown if that was its intension. Whatever it is.
Something distinctly hand-shaped with a sharp claw at the end of each finger drags along the backs of his thighs. Link's shoulders hunch up around his twitching ears, and a tiny squeal curls out of his throat. It's not too late for that drowning idea, apparently. Link squeezes his eyes shut, waiting for the creature to grab him and pull him down into the deep. He won't look while dying, won't stare into bottomless eyes and watch hundreds of teeth reach for him in the dark. But as Link bobs along deeper into the lake, he stays afloat. The curious hand that had grazed along his thighs drifts higher, and the points of its claws poke through his shirt along his stomach. Link tucks his arms closer to his body to avoid touching anything. Another hand joins in, and they grab at his hips that peek above his ill-fitting pants. The creature pushes him even farther away from the shore, but Link can't coax enough courage in himself to turn around and watch the shore dwindle to nothing. There's a fair sized island in the middle of the lake, aptly named Hylia Island, and he's actually closer to that than the shore. The gentle pushing stops, but his momentum carries him a bit more forward. Hands grip him again, this time around the outside of his thighs. Water laps over his chin and into his mouth. Link quickly sputters and spits it out, mixing more of his blood in the water. He holds his breath when the clawed hands around his thighs tighten, sure that he's about to go under.
"Mmm, you're bleeding..."
A mellow, male voice rises from all around him, but Link knows there's no one else here. They'd be yelling at him for swimming in the lake, not pointing out his injuries. The voice hums again while the hands on him slip down over his pants to hold him by his ankles. Death is surely near this time, and Link cranes his head up to get his chin out of the water. He sucks in air like every breath will be his last. Out the corner of his eye, he spots something red and huge waving back and forth beneath the surface. It looks like a tail fin of a fish, but it's bigger than any fish he's ever seen. If that tail and the hands holding him steady belong to the same creature... Link shivers harder in the water while trying to avoid thinking about how big this thing is. Certainly longer than he is tall. The hands around his ankles tighten for a split second, making Link's heart skip a beat. But instead of dragging him down, the hands fall away, and the tips of the claws dance on the soles of his feet.
Sputtering, Link flails in the water as the creature tickles him. He can't even worry about accidentally kicking the monster, because his panicked brain hadn't accounted for playful tickling! Link yells and splashes as the creature grabs him by an ankle so that he can't get away, claws still tripping up and down his tiny foot. Link slaps the surface of the water and yells to the heavens. The voice that had spoken to him before bubbles up from the lake in a deep chuckle. The claws stop their torture only for a cold jet of water to ghost over the arch of his captured foot. Link almost smacks his face into the water, just so that he can yell down at the creature holding him. He kicks feebly, gasping for breath, and the creature finally lets him go. Link draws his legs up and floats on his back, trying to keep all his sensitive parts out of reach.
The voice floats up by his blushing ears.
"Perfect. No more tears, young one. They make the water taste terrible."
Link isn't sure how a few tears could possibly change the taste of all this water, but he isn't in the mood to argue. Breathless, he pants while floating. The hands are back, raking their claws down his spine through his shirt. The current of the creature swimming around him sends him bobbing in a different direction all the time, keeping him in deep water and out of reach of land. His hair that isn't caught in its tie floats around his head and sticks to his face when a mini wave pushes it there. Link's shoulders tense up again when claws skitter over the back of his neck and slips into his hair. He bites back a noise as the creature steals his little tie, setting his hair to halo around him. The hum rises out of the lake again as the claws comb through his hair, tugging on it lightly until Link grunts.
"Strange, most Hylians would be screaming for their lives about now."
This time the voice is directly in his ear, but Link refuses to look in that direction. He can't fathom what the creature looks like, and he'd rather not know—if he lets Link live. Link swallows hard when he catches the sight of movement out the corner of his eye. The out of focus blob might be one of the hands reaching out of the water to comb his bangs off his forehead. Water drips off the hand to splash on his face, and Link squeezes his eyes shut. His brain fills with the image that the hand will drag him down, claws sinking into the side of his head. He's still waiting for the creature to drown him. What else could he possibly want? Link blows out a tense breath through the tight o of his lips when the hand dips back beneath the water. They don't leave him, still content with caressing up and down his back, but at least they'd spared him for now. Link flinches as he floats when the hands slip under his shirt to touch his skin directly. He'd expected rough scales, maybe even something like sandpaper. But the skin is soft and smooth, the same temperature as the water. He barely notices the caress except for the claws that follow, scratching him lightly. The monster must be floating directly under him, Link realizes, probably mirroring him. His theory is confirmed when the hands appear again, fingers curling over his hips that break the surface of the water. Link can't crane his head up to look, since the rest of him will just sink out of balance, but the digits squeezing his hipbones are huge. Powerful.
"Not one for conversation, hmm?"
Link scowls to the heavens and fights the hands holding him. They let him go without any hesitation. Link doesn't spare that a thought and sucks in a deep breath. Kicking, he lifts his body higher in the water only to let himself sink down. Eyes pinched shut, Link faces where the monster had been and signs his words with exaggerated movements.
Can't speak.
He yelps when the hands grab him by the hips again. Now the monster will drown him, surely! But no, they pop back up to the surface, and Link's tiny hands slam against a wide, muscled chest before the monster disappears below him again. Scooping water out of his eyes, Link treads water as he whips his head around, trying to figure out where he went. The chest he'd hit hadn't given an inch under his hands. He could have sworn he heard a chuckle when his pitiful blows had connected, but he's also sure he's losing his mind. Heart racing again, Link peers into the black water around him, trying to make out any part of the monster. However, he can't see clearly below his chest. The rest of him sinks into the darkness. The current that had dragged him out here whips at his back, spinning him around 180 degrees. Hands settle on the lower part of his thighs, steadying him.
"That does explain the lack of begging for your life." The voice laughs underwater, sending a jet of water to curl around his navel. Link sputters, imaging his head must be at that level, too. "I can see your hands this way. Please, continue."
Link's fingers curl up as he grasps for what to sign. He's blown away that the monster had understood him. Most Hylians don't, which puts a large target on his back amongst the children. Flexing his numb fingers in the water, Link settles on an easy question.
What do you want?
Bubbles break the water's surface right under Link's nose as the creature snorts.
"I could ask you the same thing, young one. It was you whom was bleeding in my lake. That sort of thing attracts attention, you know."
Link scowls at the shimmer of red that peeks through the water as the surface ripples.
I wanted to be alone.
Claws prick through the material of his pants, digging into the muscle below the flesh. Link jerks in the water as he's dragged forward. When his knees bump into something solid, he trashes a bit in the monster's hold. But those claws sink deeper into his legs, almost enough to cut him, and Link settles down. Swallowing hard, Link tries to see what's happening as the monster jostles his legs up, draping them along his body. Maybe his shoulders? The claws slip out of his skin, and cool palms drag up the sides of his thighs until they cup the small of his back. Link's hands dive into the water as his buoyancy shifts, weight supported by the monster's arms. His fingers graze along more smooth flesh. Squinting down, Link finds his pale fingers ghosting over what looks like the nose of a shark. Or at least that's what it'd looked like in the books he's read at The Sanctuary. There must be hands and legs and the rest of him lurking in the deep. Link isn't sure what to make of the sleek, red body that tapers into a tail fin. What in the realms has caught him?
The monster hums against his navel and murmurs, "I know what it's like to be alone."
Link flinches with his hands softly grazing the strange, red skin. He'd felt the creature's voice through it. A sigh musses the shirt floating above his stomach, revealing the weak spot. Link couldn't stop the monster from tearing into him. He can't help the terrifying, red-tinged image, even though the creature has been nothing but playful and curious. Link bites his lower lip and settles his hands more firmly on the crest he's avoided touching this whole time. Another sigh sends his shirt swirling in the water, and the monster leans close enough to press his face into his belly. Link's heart skips a beat as the monster holds on to him, hands fisting in the dip of his spine. He almost wants to...comfort the poor thing. But before he can, the monster hums against his stomach and untangles them.
"Back to the shore with you."
He pushes Link gently away before a wave rises up out of nowhere and carries him back to shore. Link flails a bit in the surf and winds up on his back on the sand. He spins as the wave recedes and comes to a stop with his head pointed to the lake. Upside down, he stares at the spot where he'd been a few seconds ago. There's no sign of the creature—no splash, no voice. Link rolls over with a groan and scratches sand out of his hair. He dunks himself long enough to try and run the pesky grains out of his clothes before dragging his soaked body back to the shore. He stands on two feet again, shivering and cold. But still as he peers into the black water, there's no sign of anything. Link sniffs hard to stop his nose from running before he stomps up the shore to return home.
-
There are fine, red scratches on his thighs when Link wakes in the morning. He drags his fingertips over them, mimicking the spread and pressure of claws. Waking up earlier than everyone despite his late night gives him time to investigate, but he still makes himself scarce after sunrise. Link takes the long way around back to Lake Hylia, intent on figuring out what in the realms happened last night. He hadn't dreamt it all. The monster's claw marks are evident of that much. And there's still sand in his hair from his tumble on the beach. The shore he'd started from is too open, too visible from the road. So, Link tiptoes his way around the rocky shore until some bushes and a few wimpy trees give him cover. He clings to a black rock while staring into the water, searching for a lost fishhook or a sharp shell. He finds the first glimmering under the bright, dawn sun. Snatching the silvery thing from the sand, Link swallows hard before pricking his finger and sending a drop or two of blood into the water. It's what had attracted him—the monster—the first time.
Link sticks his index finger in his mouth to lick at the little cut until it stops bleeding. The waters are choppy this morning, pushed and churned by a stiff breeze. Link doesn't fancy a dip this time. He's shivering without being soaked. He hugs himself on the rock and blinks down at the water. Little fish—perhaps baby Hyrule Bass—stay close to the rocks around him. As he watches them bump around each other, they all freeze up at once and dive for the little safe spots between the rocks. Link cranes his head farther over the lake to see where they've gone. What scared them off? Link shrugs and lifts his head back up to stare at the lake. He catches a glimpse of the speedy, growing wave hurling right towards him at the last second.
Twisting at the hip, Link scrambles for land, but it's already too late. The wave snatches him by the ankles and drags him into the water. It's much deeper here than at the sand shore, and he loses footing immediately. It wouldn't have mattered anyway, because the wave has a power of its own and wraps around Link's flailing body to pull him under, sending him kicking and clawing to the deep waters again. The wave forces him down below the surface, and once it lets him go, he floats in the blackness just trying to calm his heart. There's nothing in front of him, or at least nothing close enough for him to see. This part of the lake is in the shadow of the hill that forms the valley. The waters are still thick and frigid from the chilly night. A flash of red appears out of the gloom, and Link squeezes his eyes shut. His lungs burn as he runs out of air, but he can't stop his heart from thundering.
A clawed hand grabs his as it floats. How he's not risen to the surface yet boggles the mind, but then again he's dizzy from holding his breath. It's anyone's guess. Link's shoulders rise up around his ears as water displaces in front of him. Something big swims near him, kicking to keep them under. The chuckle from last night curls in his twitching ears before the hand that has his pulls him closer. Link bumps into a firm body and grits his teeth as his lungs cry out. The monster urges his arm up, and a mouth worries at the cut in his finger until it bleeds again. Link slaps his other hand over his mouth to keep from yelling. Sharp teeth—numerous and in rows more than a Hylian has—carefully prick at his finger as a tongue laps at the blood that beads up. It's rough and long, unlike his in every possible way. Link's hand over his mouth squeezes around his jaw until his knuckles turn white. The hum vibrates through the water again, and then hands grab him under his arms and drag him to the surface. When his head breaks through, Link nearly chokes as he sucks down air.
A body, wide and powerful, bobs behind him. Link can't wipe water out of his eyes fast enough to see anything. An arm curls around his waist while the other rises out of the water. It covers his eyes. Link's fingernails sink into the arm around him, and he thinks for a second to struggle. But the same lips that had worried at his cut brush along his sensitive ear, and those teeth aren't far behind. Like the fish at the shore, Link freezes in the monster's arms. When he opens his eyes, nothing but darkness greets him. The hand across his face is chilly like the water, and Link shivers as he and the lake sap heat from him.
"Don't open your eyes, little Hylian," the voice from last night murmurs in his ear. "You won't like what you see."
Link shivers harder against the body pressed up behind him. He offers no warmth, and Link clings to the huge hand that cups his side. His chin quivers as he tries to bite his lower lip—anything to stop his teeth from chattering. The hand covering his eyes falls away only to squeeze his jaw. Link grunts and tries to twist his head away, but the fingers digging into him just sink deeper until it hurts. The hand around his jaw urges his head back, exposing his throat. He can't confirm that the monster is watching him, since his advice for Link not to open his eyes seems like a great idea. Link swallows hard under the hand that has his jaw, and he shudders when the grip tightens further.
"Fascinating," the monster breathes into his ear. It flicks, and those lips grin against the shell. "Mmm, and what exactly brought you back to the lake so soon, my dear? You must have wanted to see me again. What use was your blood otherwise?"
Link's hands are free, and the creature must be able to see down the line of his shivering body. Hands shaking, Link unhooks his nails from the monster's arm long enough to sign one word.
Curious.
The monster's arm around his waist tightens, squeezing out all the space between their bodies. Link whimpers and tries to twist his head away, but the hold on his jaw is firm. Link's hands sink back into the water to scramble at the arm holding him. The monster tilts his head to the left, exposing the side of his throat. He keeps to the ear he had whispered into, nuzzling his face against the twitching shell. Link's feet kick feebly as breath excites the hairs on the back of his neck. Link barely moves them in the water, too weak compared to the power of the creature holding him. Lips tickling his ear hum and nuzzle him again, and Link shivers at the drag of teeth along the lobe. Normally there'd be an earring through it, but he'd forgotten it this morning.
"Curious, hmm? First you wanted to be alone, and now you're curious. What's the truth, little one?"
Link's eyebrows come together as he bites his lower lip harder. He hadn't meant to come off like that! He slaps his numb hands against the monster's arm, trying to gain his attention. The grin pressed to his ear vanishes, but the lips remain. Link sucks in a deep breath to calm his heart before signing the truth.
You're lonely.
The monster freezes against his back, and all playfulness ceases. Worried he's angered him, Link scrambles to add, Me too.
The hand at his jaw slips down to lie heavily on his collarbones, and Link sags in the monster's hold. His head flops on the wide chest behind him. The sun is a little higher now, and the light through his eyelids almost hurts. While he's dazed in the monster's arms, their balance shifts, and Link lies on his back supported by the firm body that had held him. The creature is large enough to keep Link completely out of the water, and he even steers them into a sunny spot on the lake. Link keeps his eyes shut as he reaches up with numb fingers to push wet hair off his face. Unsure of what to do with his arms, Link rests them by his sides and curls his hands up on his stomach. A heavy arm lifts from the water and curls around Link's waist, covering his tiny hands and flattening them to his navel. The monster sighs in his ear, sound full of melancholy.
"Might I have your name, little Hylian?"
Link squirms a hand out from the monster's and spells his name. He cranes his arm higher than he normally would, to make sure he can see the letters.
"Link, hmm?" Air rushes past his ear, and Link can't stop it from twitching. The chest floating under him jumps with a chuckle. "And where might you come from?"
He's made up a symbol that means The Sanctuary, but he doubts the monster will understand. Spelling it out always works.
"Ah, I see. Are you not afraid of me, then? Do you not know who I am?"
Link shrugs and rests his hand back on his stomach. The monster is quick to snatch it up and cover it like he had before. Water trickles around them as the creature keeps them steady in the path of the sun. Link is thankful for that, since he's still shivering every now and then from the frigid water. He could fall asleep like this if it weren't for the mysterious, giant creature holding him, able to kill him at any second. Link holds fast to the idea that he would have already, would have last night even if he were the type to play with his food. Link blushes at that and kicks those thoughts away before they can turn into something else. He can't mistake the tender way the monster holds him, even if no one has held him before. Link allows it partially out of curiosity, partially because he'd probably drown trying to get away. Even if the monster let him go, he'd never make it back to shore. Link shivers and yanks his hand back and taps the monster's wrist.
"Yes?"
N-A-M-E
"My name? Oh, well, it's been a long time since..." The soft trickle of water fills the silence, and Link pokes his hand when the after the moment stretches on for too long. Link rests his hand there, and the monster is quick to capture it again. "You Hylians have given me many names over the years, but I did always like one. Please, call me Sidon."
Link hums and relaxes with the name in mind. Sidon. Death seems even less likely now that the monster has a name. The hand still covering his eyes shifts, dragging up his forehead to pet at his hair. It's drying out in the sun, but it won't be soft like earlier on the shore. He'd taken a quick bath last night to rid himself of lake water and sand, and he guesses he'll have to take another once he leaves. A cloud passes overhead, blocking out the sun from blaring down on Link's closed eyes. He doesn't bother opening them. Sitting up enough to sneak a peek at Sidon would unbalance them floating in the water, and he'd know Link looked. He already knows Sidon has monstrous hands and sharp claws. There will probably be more marks on him when he climbs out later. He can't forget about all those teeth, too. While he sweats recalling how many there are, how sharp they are, Sidon never stops petting his hair.
"Are you falling asleep on me, little Link?"
Link shakes his head, even though the thought is tempting. At least no one could throw spiders or mice on him out here. But Sidon doesn't need to know that. It is easier to relax on top of him as the sun rises higher in the sky. While they float, they suck up the sun's heat—Sidon more so than him. A deep breath under him shifts Link up, and he nearly rolls into the water. But Sidon's arm around his waist is secure. His fingertips drag along the back of Link's hands. The giant hand in his hair as grown bored, and Sidon returns it to the water to steer them on the surface. Link shakes his head to disturb his flat hair before settling back on Sidon's chest. A grumble under him disturbs Link's lounging about, and the water sloshes around them as Sidon moves them.
"It's too difficult to talk to you like this. Hang on."
They take off with just a wave of Sidon's arm and his feet kicking softly so he doesn't splash them. Link clings to the arm around his waist as he marvels at how fast Sidon is with just simple movements. The sloshing of the waves lapping at a sandy shore draws nearer. Link seriously doubts Sidon has brought them back to the beach from last night. No, they're probably in the middle of the lake now, on Hylia Island. They slam to a halt as Sidon's body drags on the sand, and he sits up under them. The water comes up to Link's navel when he sits between Sidon's legs. With the water so shallow here, it's much warmer than where they were. Facing away though, this isn't any better than him lying on top of Sidon. So with a scoff, Link flips around to straddle his thighs. It's a bold move, bolder than he's used to, but this is the monster that sucked blood off his finger just earlier. Link digs a grave for caution and buries it while bracing his hands on Sidon's chest. There's a slick sound, like someone flicking water over a comb. Link frowns and drags a hand down to where he thinks the sound is coming from. But Sidon snatches his wrist and places it firmly back on his chest.
"I'd rather you not stick your fingers in my gills, please."
Sidon's tone is like a stone wall, and Link doesn't challenge it. Once Sidon releases him, both of his giant hands fall to Link's hips, anchoring the Hylian in his lap. Link is curious about what Sidon looks like, how the tail and crest he'd seen last night tie into him having a face. He'd felt it pressed to his stomach last night, so he knows it's all there. Link lifts a hesitant hand up from Sidon's chest and bumps into his chin. Link traces the line of his strong jaw and adds up the shapes in his head. Sidon has a rather aristocratic face, almost Hylian whereas Link had imagined the square jaw of something more...beast like? Trying to imagine where Sidon's eyes might be, Link's fingertips trip over his cheek and pass the midline of his face. The texture of his skin changes where a nose would be, and Link detours to follow it up. His wandering fingers bump into the bottom curve of the crest he'd seen and pet last night. A grumble from Sidon's chest tickles his fingers, and the arms around him squeeze him tighter.
"Mind that part. It's sensitive."
That means payback for Sidon touching his ears, to be honest. Link flattens his hand along the rising slope of Sidon's crest, heel of his palm between Sidon's eyes and his fingers almost reaching the upper curve. Sidon hums a warning before craning his head away to disconnect them. Snorting, Link wraps his arms around Sidon's neck and finds out just how long it is. His hands seem to go on forever as he follows the regal column of Sidon's neck, up to the back of his head. The tail starts here and stretches past Link's reach. He tries to feel as much as he can, fingers tripping over small fins that stick out along the side of the tail fin. There are longer ones draped on either side of Sidon's face, almost like the locks of hair in front of Link's ears. Link jumps when his cheek brushes Sidon's face. His lips—the bottom fuller than the top—grin slowly against Link's cheek. Link reclines far enough to put some space between them. Sidon's breath still ghosts across his face, but they're not touching anymore. Link rests a hand on Sidon's broad shoulder for balance as he careful lifts the other to touch down on Sidon's grinning mouth.
"Curious you are indeed, young Link."
His murmured words vibrate across Link's fingertips, and the intimate caress of them coaxes another shiver out of Link. Sidon sits forward, and Link has to digs his knees into the sand below them to keep his balance. The hands at his hips squeeze him, thumbs tipped with a claw like the rest brushing over the jut of his bones. Those hands jerk him forward until their bellies touch, and the only thing keeping their chests apart is Link's hand scrambling at Sidon's shoulder. Sidon moving him around with such ease reminds Link just how much larger Sidon is, how unlike he is from Hylians. Such power sends a little shiver up Link's spine, and Sidon's fingers dig in along the dip in his back to feel him shake. Link pinches his eyes shut even tighter as the urge to open them and look at Sidon increases. The grin under his fingers and the breath fogging up the tiny space between them is almost too much temptation. Sidon hums under his touch before speaking, his voice dipping lower than usual.
"What color are your eyes?"
The question throws Link for a loop, and he drops his hand to spell it out. He mouths "blue" as well, in case Sidon isn't watching his fingers. Link jumps when their lips brush, and a tiny whine slips out of him. Sidon has a huge hand at the back of his head in a flash. His palm reels Link in, sealing their lips together and holding Link's head still. Sidon's fingers dig into the base of his skull, telling him to tilt his head correctly or else. The barest prick of claws through his hair is enough to get Link to obey. Both hands scratch at Sidon's chest, the only sign of resistance he gives. It's a fight born out of principal, because he could easily just bite Sidon's tongue instead. Link's jaw aches at how he has to open wide, mouth crammed with a rough, lively tongue. Link whines for breath around the squirming thing, and Sidon yanks them apart by his hair. As Link pants, that devilish tongue drags across his bottom lip, threatening to dive back into his mouth. Link presses the back of his head firmly to Sidon's palm just to put some space between them. The other arm still holding his hip squeezes hard enough to leave bruises. Link knows he'll have to hide them for the next few days. Link whimpers when teeth nibble along his jaw, drawing his attention away from how his bones grind in Sidon's hands.
"Curiosity satisfied, then?"
The question is thrown at him like a punch, like Link had allowed all this just for thrills. Link drags a hand up between them again and finds Sidon's mouth twisted into a snarl. The expression weakens under Link's gentle touch, and Link uses Sidon's momentary confusion to close the distance between them and kiss him. It's much more gentle this time with Link's lips pressed softly to Sidon's instead of Sidon prying his mouth open. Some of Sidon's fury slips from his lips, and he relaxes his grip on Link's hair. Link hums in thanks and tilts his head the other way, testing out the difference. There's not one so long as he avoids Sidon's crest. Their different heights help him with that. Still, when he gets a bit too rough and frantic sliding their lips together, Sidon guides him by his hair to stillness, just to enjoy their skin touching. They part at last, and it's Sidon's turn to pet at Link's cheek. He's glad Sidon can't tell how much he misses his powerful hand twisting and pulling on his hair.
"Forgive me," Sidon murmurs barely above a whisper, "if I hurt you. You are...an enigma, Link."
Link huffs and darts forward to kiss Sidon again. There's nothing to it, just a kiss to prove that he can. Sidon's chest shakes under Link's hands as he chuckles.
"Fearless."
Link shakes his head and circles his arms around Sidon's neck again. He's far from fearless. Fear of his bleak and unknown future is what drove him to the lake. He might not believe in the furious god, but in the off chance he exists, Link had assumed his death would be quick. Fear dragged him from bed this morning to tempt Sidon into forgetting his moment of mercy last night and killing him like Link thought he would. Sidon must sense his souring mood, because his hand dives back into Link's hair as he holds the somber Hylian to his neck. Link is thankful that Sidon doesn't press him for words. It's also nice that his gills aren't right at his neck, since Link enjoys resting his head here. Link presses his eyes to Sidon's throat and lets himself be held.
Sidon sighs in his ear before saying, "You should get back. Your caretaker will notice you're gone." He blows air in Link's ear just to make him squirm. "You wouldn't want to be punished for being out of bounds, would you?"
There's a grin in his voice, but Link knows he's serious. He's been caught wandering around before, and the memory is faded for a reason. He doesn't like to think about it. Sidon urges him back with a little tug on his hair and pecks a sweet kiss on his lips. When Link tries to lean in for more, to prolong the inevitable, a wave sweeps Link from Sidon's arms and carries him away. It keeps his head above water this time and spins him around to face the shore. Link rubs his dry eyes and watches the shore rush closer and closer. The wave slows once the water is shin deep on Link, and it breaks around him as he stands. The wave dissolves with a fizzle, as if it were never there in the first place. When Link tosses a glance over his shoulder towards Hylia Island, there's no sign of anyone. Again. Sighing, Link drags his feet through the sand and sneaks his way back to The Sanctuary. He manages another bath before anyone finds him. The bruise on his hip—perfect finger marks—is questioned immediately. Link claims to have fallen out of a tree, and Lady Seres believes him with a scoff.
"You'll never become anything acting like a little wild boy! Head always in the clouds..."
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