im such a lover of pre calamity zelink purely because any interactions or affection between them is that of two kids with the weight of the world on their shoulders trying to navigate confusing emotions — it’s just so innocent and unsure and RAW. like just imagine them when they’re close and having to figure out what that overwhelming feeling in their chest is whenever something as simple as their hands are close. what are they yearning for? what is the heart asking them to do? why do they feel so upset when their hands move away?

because realistically they’re not going to have many references, nobody’s going to sit the princess down—who is supposed to be unlocking her powers—and explain to her the intricacies of crushes and the human desire for physical touch, and the same goes for link. their human side is Completely ignored as we already know, any emotions that don’t pertain to the calamity are discarded and seen as ridiculous. so they’re left to explore with each other but there’s Roles here and rules that come with, are they really allowed? but then the roles start to disintegrate the moment they grow closer, the moment they’re more friends than princess and knight, and they both start getting curious.

with how much restraint link is bound to have and has shown previously, it’s definitely zelda who starts to push boundaries a little and touches him more, but he’s her knight and while he’s unsure of how permissable this situation is he lets her do so because that’s his princess, ~~not that he doesn’t mind it or anything~~

so it starts as simple as a hand on his bicep at the sight of danger or somewhere new and of interest, something that makes him tense for a moment but then breathe and relax because it’s her and the touch is kind of nice. then it turns into hands on his shoulders from behind when he’s sat by the fire, when she’s just come back from pestering the local wildlife and he looks up at her and she grins in a way that makes his stomach swirl. it grows to zelda threading wildflowers through his hair and combing her own fingers through it so she can put it back up for him, daring to rest her chin on his shoulder to ask what colour flower he wants next and her hands are on his arms and goddess this is close. it’s to the point where she hugs him whether happy or upset and it stuns him, but he slowly wraps his arms around her every time and feels the way she melts against him. where she’ll take his hand into her own and fidget with it—because she’s a destructive fidgeter otherwise—bending his fingers, tracing parts of his palm until she’s memorised the shape of him and he lets her because he knows how anxious she can get. it doesn’t even tickle that much from how calloused and damaged his hands are.

people notice this, too. impa raises an eyebrow whenever she catches the tail end of zelda squishing his face for fun because she does treat him a little like a puppy (though she would argue it’s because he lets her) and she merely waves a dismissive hand. the guardsmen are regularly reminded that link is her favourite soldier from the way his name rings off her tongue like wind chimes, from the way she runs to him first and foremost after hunting a nearby monster hideout, especially when she argues that holding his face is necessary to make sure he’s okay. the guards merely grin. king rhoam doesn’t see it though, goddess knows how he would feel about her knight distracting her from her duties, but urbosa does because zelda has to get parental approval from somewhere. urbosa sees the way zelda looks for him in the group when she’s not by his side, almost making sure he was still there if she wanted him, and urbosa smiles. she sees the way zelda’s hand sneaks its way into his whenever she’s scared or nervous about something, even though she’s surrounded by the champions, and how his hand tightens around hers so she knows he’s going nowhere. it’s almost enough to bring a tear to the chief gerudo’s eyes, to know that her little bird is in safe hands whenever she isn’t around, to finally see her smiling and laughing and not shivering, tear-stained and weak in the middle of ice cold water, begging and pleading into thin air. when she looks at them, she sees two kids finally being able to embrace some of their youth and find comfort in one another, and it gives her hope. hope that they can still be naive teenagers together despite the circumstances they’re all in. and idk i just think that’s pretty neat

FINAL ROUND: Stanley from The Stanley Parable VS Paul Matthews from the Hatchetfield Musicals

AAND WE HAVE A WINNER !!