Literally ten minutes before midnight, and definitely late for the release of Tears of the Kingdom, but here it is, the final part of this three-part fic set! I got a little carried away with this one and while parts of it may have been a little phoned-in because I still wanted to at least try to make the deadline, I still like it for what it is at the end of the day. In light of the disastrous events this past week regarding the story before this one, when writing this I made absolutely sure to avoid even looking at anyone else's writing at all, since I knew that any subconscious influence from stuff I've read recently would show if I did so. This of course resulted in a longer writing process for this story but because that demonstrates my devotion to artistic integrity, I'd say the trade-off was worth it - hell, I'd have even been fine with posting it tomorrow since TotK had already been released yesterday evening and I'd already started watching some of my favorite streamers playing it! Still, I felt it was worth seeing this through to the end and am proud of what I've been able to produce (independently, of course), so hopefully what happened before this will be the last time I act as thoughtlessly as I did. I really do need to stay away from imposing deadlines on myself as often as I do - and if I do feel the need to post a work by a certain date for sentimental reasons, as is the case for the next story I plan to post in June to commemorate a very important anniversary for another franchise I adore, I'm going to have to start work on it a lot earlier to prevent it from being a rush-job! I appreciate all the kind words and advice that helped me through the aftermath of my stupid actions a few days back, but this is an issue inherent to me alone and I'm gonna have to be the one to make sure it doesn't cause problems going forward.
At any rate, I decided on this last piece being a lot fluffier and slightly less torturous than the previous two, because at the very least, Link deserved a sweeter ending than if it was only monsters attacking him all the time, and I'd be damned if I didn't include at least one life lesson or word of advice or comfort in my longer written works. It really does seem like I've been writing tons of stories where the ticklee not only finds out that they're willing to get wrecked but also turn out better for it in the end, and even though heartwarming fluff is probably my specialty in terms of tickle literature by this point, the old saying that variety is the spice of life is another adage I really need to pay more heed to. Perhaps it's time I wrote something with a bad ending for once...
Anyway, happy Tears of the Kingdom launch day! Hope y'all enjoy the game, and let's cheer on our favorite hero on his latest quest to save Hyrule! Until next time, everyone!
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild belongs to Nintendo.
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Breath of the Laughter
by Skaea
Contains: F/M tickling, feet and a little upper-body. SFW.
Word Count: 5,338
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"Breath of the Laughter" by @TottyTK
“And that’s why I’m in no way enthusiastic about returning to that stretch of the Gerudo Desert in the near future,” Link concluded. “I don’t know why, but it seems like every monster in Hyrule wants a piece of me, but doesn’t actually want to kill me. At least not anymore.”
The blonde princess raised an eyebrow. “Not anymore? Link, for the love of — I swear, you blew up half the desert that day! I felt it from halfway across Hyrule… You nearly died, for Farore’s sake! You got lucky that time, very lucky. So I have to second your refusal to go back to those dunes.” Zelda folded her arms and glared at her blonde champion, her countenance betraying a mix of irritation and concern. “What were you thinking?!”
He thought about it for a few long moments, and then let out a deep sigh. “Honestly… I don’t know. I was looking for anything I could find that could help fulfill my duty to you and this land. But I thought I’d found all I could at the time, and I’d gotten desperate… I’m so sorry, Princess Zelda. I shouldn’t have risked my life for the smallest of things just to make myself feel better…”
She couldn’t help but give him a look of sympathy. This was a man who had given his life to save her, forcing them to wait for a hundred years before they could see each other again. Of course he’d be brave and daring enough to take risks like that.
“Link…” She rested her hand on his shoulder. “You’ve got to take things a little easier sometimes. I know there’s a lot at stake, but you can’t exactly fix everything by running around after every little problem you think should be solved. Especially when it comes to the monsters plaguing Hyrule. I just don’t know what I’ll do with myself if I ever see you get hurt.”
He had to admit that she had a point. Zelda always worried about his well-being whenever they crossed paths, fussing over him and making sure all his limbs were still attached. Perhaps she cared a little too much. But how could he say no to that lovely face, the kind smile, the gentle yet inquisitive nature that had so endeared him now as then?
“I understand that you care,” he replied, smiling at her with slight regret. “But you must understand that I became your knight for a reason. I can handle myself out there just fine. And while I’m sure you want me to hold back when it comes to my duty towards Hyrule, I don’t think I can afford it. There’s just too much I have to do, and someone needs to do it…”
But Zelda shook her head, not having any of it. “All the same, you really should know better than to go stupidly blundering out where you could get caught.” She knew that self-pitying tone anywhere, and in that moment, an idea occurred to her that made her smile a little. “But if you really insist on doing that, you might as well be prepared to face the consequences. It’s time we tried a bit of special training for you…”
Link could only watch as she reached into her travel bag next to her and pulled out a coil of rope, the kind usually used for setting up a tent. It was clear however that she had other, more devious uses in mind for it as she motioned for him to put his wrists and ankles forward. The hero could only watch in morbid fascination as she started tugging each of his boots off, laying them aside on the grass and admiring his big feet for a moment.
“Alright, now hold still…” Taking the length of rope, Zelda quickly got to work, starting by tying his ankles together and then tethering his wrists to the resultant restraint. There was no way he could move his hands to try and dissuade her, and any attempt to pull himself free would be useless.
“P-please, at least be gentle…” Link said with a somewhat uncharacteristically nervous tone, before gulping audibly. Zelda couldn’t help but chuckle at that.
To start with, Zelda began by wiggling a finger into each arch, moving her nails up towards the balls of his feet and down to his heels. She was tracing slow loops around his soles now, enjoying the flurry of giggling and heavy, puffing breaths as Link began to quiver on the spot from the teasing sensation.
“You have very cute feet, you know that?” Zelda said with genuine sincerity and just a hint of mischief. “Rather large ones, at that. Definitely more places to tickle, then~!”
“Pffffhehehhehhe I-I can seeeeEEEHEHEHEHH thahaahhahahahaaat!” Link was beside himself with laughter, splaying and curling his toes as though that would help somehow. “Ohohohohhh myyyiieeeehehehee!”
“Just two fingers and already you’re laughing this much?” Zelda gave him a cheeky and somewhat skeptical look. “How did you survive those past few encounters?”
“Bahahahhahah I t-tried to escahaahahape! I really dihihihid! But it was too much and I passed ooouuhhHHAHHAHHAHAH!”
“Ooh, that intense, huh? Were those times as intense, maybe, as… This?” The princess drew her hands back, wiggling her fingers, before proceeding to spider them all over both soles at once.
“YAAAAAHAHAHAHHAHHAHAH! YEHEHEHESSS! EVEN WORSE THAN THAHAHHAHAHHAHAATTT!”
“In that case, I might as well tickle you harder~” Zelda replied, letting one hand still tickle his right sole while the other began riffling through her bag. She eventually pulled out a large light blue feather, the kind used as part of a quill pen; the bird this feather belonged to was no doubt a rare find… Unless she simply got the feather somehow as a free purchase from Revali…
Blinking tears from his eyes, Link shook his head in a bid to get Zelda to reconsider. “D-do you have to dohoho thihihisss?!” he laughed, still feeling the jolt of five fingernails upon his right foot. Desperately he tried to curl his toes to throw her off, but she simply tickled the tops of his toes to get them to spread again before returning to the ball of his foot.
“I’m quite certain of it,” she replied with a grin. “I always did wonder what this feather would do if I used it, and I have the perfect opportunity now to test that out.”
With that, she started swishing the feather along the bottom of his left foot, teasing softly along the inner arch and sliding the soft tip up towards where it met the ball of said foot. Link let out an undignified shriek, squeezing his eyes shut as his head shook side to side. Tears slid down his reddening cheeks as his world started becoming a blur of color and hysterical laughter.
“HYYYAAAAAHHHHAHAHHAHAHHAHHAHAHAHAHA! NONONO N-NOT THEHHEHEHEHEHHEHEHEHHEEERE! HAHAHHA ENOUGH WITH THE FEATHEHEHEHER, PLEEHEHEHHEHEEEEASE!”
“Kitchy kitchy~” Zelda cooed, sliding the feather up towards his toes and then into the spaces between. “You’ve been so worried about everything, and I personally think it’s gotten you wound too tightly. Perhaps this might loosen you up a bit?”
“BAHAHHAH YES, YES IT DOHOHOHOHOES!” He couldn’t help it. As Zelda moved the feather up towards his toes, Link splayed them at the exact moment when the plume was about to slip in between the first and second of them. “EEHEHEHEHEHEEE OHHHH GAHAHAHAHDDESSEHEHEHEHEHESSSS!!! I CAHAHAHAN’T—!!! PLEEHHEHEHEHEEEASE!!”
Zelda chuckled, merrily sawing the feather into each toe-gap in turn. Once she was done, she started wondering if his suspicious habit of opening himself up almost on purpose would apply to his other foot as well, so she quickly switched the feather to her other hand and started tickling his right toes with the feather and his left sole with her nails.
“Don’t think I didn’t notice you inviting this in,” the princess noted aloud as she sawed in between his little toe and the one next to it. “Don’t tell me… You’re actually enjoying this?”
Link’s face was red as a tomato. He wasn’t sure how to respond to that — on the one hand, he didn’t want to come off as vulnerable in front of her, but on the other hand… she was right. He was indeed having as much fun as she was, actually. But how was he supposed to tell her that in a way that wouldn’t embarrass him?
“Go oooon~” Zelda continued feathering his toes and scratching at his arch, giving him an expectant grin. “You don’t have to hide anything from me, you know. So… Do you like this, Linky~?”
That teasing, childish nickname she used for him a lot, appropriated from Purah, was enough for him to finally crack. “YES! YEHEHEHESS! I DO LIKE IHIHIHIHIT~!”
Giggling cutely, Zelda finally relented, letting him be and watching the laughter fade to giggles and then nothing. Blushing a little herself, she twirled the feather in her hands as she regarded the other Hylian. “Well, why didn’t you tell me that sooner? I could’ve used that knowledge to mess with you a long time ago, you know…”
Flustered and short of breath, Link tugged idly at his restraints with a pout. “I… I just didn’t want you to think I was getting soft. I’m supposed to be your champion, so what else could I be but strong enough to protect you?”
Zelda gave him a slightly rueful look. He was definitely getting the message, but still reluctant to commit. It was time to take this a step further, she decided.
“Saaaay…” she said in a tone clearly intended to pique his curiosity. “Do you mind coming with me for a minute? I have something to show you, as long as you keep it a secret between us.”
Link gave her a look of slight confusion, but even though he suspected she was up to something, he decided it was best to trust her. “Whatever you have in mind, my lips are sealed. Shall we get going, then?”
**********
It took a good half-hour to reach the location in question, but eventually, the two of them had arrived at the entrance to Oman Au Shrine, located upon the Great Plateau — Link recognized this as the very first shrine he had visited after his resurrection, though why Zelda was interested in it was unclear at the moment.
The two of them made their way inside without any comment, and made their way down towards the depths as he had done a long time ago, but when they reached the start of the main passageway where the usual obstacles en route to the ancient sage preserved at the end of the challenge therein, Zelda didn’t even bother going through the path at all, instead using the Magnesis rune on her Shekiah Slate to move aside a hidden panel in the wall. Link’s eyes widened as he saw the secret passageway he never even realized was there, and even more so at the sight of Zelda entering said passageway like it was the door to her room at Hyrule Castle. It was still in his best interest to follow her, however, and so he too slipped into the tunnel, noting the glyphs on the walls illuminating around them as they continued along their way.
It wasn’t long before the two of them had entered the small, private chamber at the end of the tunnel. There was a cabinet off to the side of the room, but more important was the pedestal of some kind at the center, with its distinctly curved top that sported some kind of cushioning as well as several pairs of long, narrow, thick ribbons of black cloth coming out from either side. The more he looked, the more the pedestal seemed like something that could’ve been used for resting back in the old days, almost like a nobleman’s recliner…
Zelda waved a hand at the strange object. “Well, here’s what I’ve been wanting to show you. But in order to demonstrate what it is used for, I’m going to have to ask you to rest on top of it. Oh, and take your boots off, again.”
Link tilted his head in curiosity. He’d put his boots back on after she’d untied him, but he was starting to suspect why she was asking him to remove them a second time…
“O-okay, then,” he mumbled, sitting down to do just that nevertheless. Once he’d set his boots aside, he made his way towards the pedestal and climbed onto it, lying down on his back upon the cushioning. He noticed that the way it was curved, it seemed to be holding both his shoulders and his ankles up, the former at a higher elevation than the latter. It didn’t go unnoticed to him that his bare feet were now just below Zelda’s eye level…
“Now, hold still please,” the princess instructed, having picked something up from the cabinet and now moving over next to him. “I’m going to have to strap you in like the last time.”
Link couldn’t help but gulp again. Of course she was going to tickle him in this thing. But it was too late to back out now, and he didn’t want to disappoint her, either…
The straps were thus tied around his legs, keeping them together, along with holding his upper arms, his waist, and his chest and shoulders back against the seat-back of the recliner. The thing that Zelda had fetched from the cabinet looked like a tube of the same material comprising the Sheikah Slate, his hands fitting in snugly so that they seemed to engulf his forearms and hold them together.
Once he was tied securely to the pedestal, Zelda moved over to face his propped-up feet and cracked her knuckles. “I’ve wanted to explore all the ticklish spots on your soles, Link. So let’s see if I can find them…”
He smiled nervously, his face feeling hot. “P-please, Princess, be gentleeeeEEEEHEHEHEHEHEHAHAHAHAHHAHAH!” Squealing and snickering, he found himself wiggling like a worm as Zelda began walking two fingers per hand up and down his tender arches.
“I’ll try to be,” she replied, merrily wiggling her nails into his plush foot bottoms and venturing up and down the lengths of his feet. “Though you’re just so ticklish that I doubt that matters too much… How have you managed to survive for so long?”
Link couldn’t find a proper answer to that. “YAHAHAHAHHAHAHHAH EEEEE! ZELDAHAHAHAHAHAH! OH MY GOODNEHEHEHEHESS IT TIHIHIHICKLEHEHEHEHES!!” the hero cried out, struggling in his bonds and doing his damndest not to completely lose control.
The girl nodded in agreement, deciding to up the ante by spidering all ten of her fingers along the balls of his feet. The squealing and screaming redoubled, her captive straining in his bindings and curling and uncurling his toes out of instinct, sweat peppering his forehead and tears pooling in the corners of his eyes.
“Kitchy kitchy, Linky~” Zelda teased, moving up towards the bases of Link’s wiggling digits and slipping her fingers into the gaps between. She couldn’t help but snort in amusement at the way he clenched his toes at this, managing if only just briefly to grab at her fingers, though now that his feet were slightly slick with sweat from both the tickling and being in his boots so much, it was easy for her to slip them free again.
“HAHAHAHHAHH EEEHEHEHEHEHEEEE NOT THE TOHOHOHOHOESSSS! YAHAHAHA LEAVE MY ARCHES ALOHOHOHONEEEEHHAHAHAH!” Link protested, shaking his head this way and that. He tried wiggling his feet around, but Zelda was matching all his movements with the same uncanny precision as the monsters that had captured and tormented him during the previous days. He was getting flashbacks to those experiences again and, to his surprise and dismay, remembering how much he’d wanted to be tickled by them again.
But there was one notable difference, he noticed, between them and Zelda: at least she knew how to scale it back when it seemed he was being completely overwhelmed.
As if to prove this point, she stopped after a few minutes, letting him take a breather and running her thumbs gently up and down his arches, kneading the tickles away.
“Had enough yet?” the princess asked with that warm, gentle tone he always liked about her. “I can always untie you if you feel you don’t want this anymore.”
Gasping and panting, he regarded her for a few minutes, wiggling his toes a little. But then he smiled. “When I said I was enjoying the tickles you dished out earlier, I meant it. It does help me loosen up like you wanted, and since this seems to be a private space, we can certainly keep going. Do you want to make things more intense, Princess, or are you going to stick with what you were doing before?”
She squeezed the ball of his right foot with both hands, eliciting a hum of pleasure out of him. “I thought you’d never ask, Linky, so let’s see what happens when I secure your toes. You do wiggle them a lot, and it’s adorable, but I’m keen on having your feet stay still while I continue ‘researching’ them…”
He swallowed audibly, realizing what he’d gotten himself into. But there was no denying that he wasn’t really feeling the same torment from this as he had from the monster tickles — that gentle, caring touch the princess employed made a world of difference. It was almost like night and day between the two. So he nodded, smiling in encouragement, and wondering in secret excitement what she’d do.
Zelda raised a finger as a gesture for him to wait a little, and then headed back towards the cabinet. She returned with several lengths of twine, before methodically threading them under the strap securing his ankles. Within a minute or so, the free ends had all been tied around the stems of his toes, keeping them secure and held back so his soles were more trapped than before.
It was then that she brought out the feather from before. “Alright, now for the next phase of this research. Are you ready?”
Link felt a chill run down his spine at the sight of that feather, but nodded. “As I’ll ever be. Let’s continue!”
She grinned in anticipation at this, before doing something unexpected: she stuck the feather behind her ear and moved around to stand next to his side, wiggling her fingers tauntingly. Before he could respond, she’d dug all ten of them into his shirt, tickling at his belly!
“YYYEEEEEK! HAHAHAHHAH NOHOHOHOHHOHO FAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAIIRRR!!!”
“Oh? Well, I couldn’t just study your feet, couldn’t I? You seem to be ticklish not just there but everywhere else as well. Fascinating!”
“EEHEHEHEHEE STAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAP!! WHY COULDN’T YOU JUST STICK TO MY FEEHEHHEHEHEHEHEET?!”
“I mean, I could, but where’s the fun in that?” She wiggled her fingers down towards his sides and enjoyed his bucking, thrashing reaction. “Buuuuut if you insist, I might keep it to your feet after all… if you’ll allow me to make the tickling as intense as I dare~”
“DEEHEHHEHEHEEAL!”
She chuckled softly, before stopping and letting him breathe again. Moving back towards his trapped soles, she picked up the feather again, twirling it in a way that made him feel a cold sweat once more. Then, reaching forward with the plume in her right hand, she began flicking and stroking its tip along his arch.
“Mmmmfffphhhh… hehehehheh… N-no, I won’t lahahahaughhhh…!!” he murmured, giggling at the touch of the feather and trying to maintain his composure. He tried to wiggle his feet around, but this time, the toe-ties did a good job of preventing that.
Then she started tickling his other foot with all five of her fingers, and once again, he couldn’t hold it in anymore.
“BWAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHA!” he howled, bucking in place as best he could given all the restraints keeping him secure. “HYYYAAAAHHHHAHAHAHHAHHEHEHEHEHEAHHHH! OHHH GAAHHAHAHHAHAAIIIEEEEEHHHEHEHEHEHEHEEE! I CAN’T STAHAHAHAHAHAND IHIHIHIHIHITTTT! HHAHAHHEHEHHEHELP!”
Zelda started laughing as well, moving the feather upward so that she could stick it between his toes the way she had done before. “Ohhhh, begging for help now? Just the fingers and the feather and you’re already this wrecked? Aww, Linky… No wonder you need me as much as I need you. We complete each other, don’t you agree?”
“YAAAHHAHHAHHAH! M-MAYBEHEHEHHEHEHEHEE?! HYAAAHAHHAHHAHHOHOHOHHH SHIIIHIHIHIHHIHAHHAHHAHHAHAH!”
Once she’d taken her sweet time slithering the feather between each gap between the toes of his left foot, she once again switched them around to tickle the one on his right. By this point, he was unable to get any word in, or any word out for that matter, his mind growing numb to all but that overwhelming, electrifying sensation.
“HHAHHAHHAHAHHAHHAHAHHAAAAAH! HYYAAAAAAHHAHHAHAHEEEEEEIIIIIYYYIII! HAHAHHA NOOOHOHOHHOHOHOHOHOOAHAHAHHAH!”
“So, it seems like the most ticklish spots on your feet are the inside arches, the spaces between your toes, and the part of your sole that’s right under the ball of the foot,” Zelda noted aloud. “I suppose that’s important to know… so let’s see if I can soften them up for the last part of the investigation.”
“W-WHAHAHAHAT?!” he cried, before seeing the way she leaned forward and lowered her head towards his left foot. “OHHHH NOOOOOHHOHOHHOOOOOO!”
Before he could beg for mercy, she’d stuck out her tongue and given his foot a long, slow lick all the way up from the heel to the base of the toes. The slickness of the saliva alongside the light sweat made his feet shine a little in the flickering light of the chamber.
“EEEEEEEEEEYYYYAAAAAAAHHHHHHAHAHHAHHAH! OHHHH FFUUUUAHHAHAHHAHAHAH! NOT THE TONGUE, NOT THE TOHOHOHOHONGUE!”
“A little salty, but rather piquant,” Zelda mused aloud. “I should remember to try paying my due to these cute feet every so often…” Then she took the feather in her right hand, feathering the pads of his left toes as she gave his foot a long lick of its own.
“UWAAAAHHHHHAHHAHAHAHAHHA! OKAY OKAY THAT’S ENOHOHOHOUGH—!”
“Awww, but I haven’t gotten to the final part of this yet! Just sit tight and bear with me, okay?”
Zelda leaned down again and continued with the licking, flicking her tongue up and down the arch and ball of his right foot. Then she returned to the left and gave it a series of licks that sent him reeling and shrieking, making sure to coat his soles in spittle and prepare them for the last part of her knight’s ticklish torment.
Once more, she gave him time to breathe as soon as she was done. This time, she pulled a handkerchief from her pocket, using it to gently pat his feet dry, letting his giggles die down as she cleaned his soles for the finishing touch on her study session.
“How are you feeling, Link?” she asked. “Better, or worse?”
“I-I don’t know if answering that is the best idea,” he said with an embarrassed smile. “W-whatever you’re planning, just make it count…”
“Fair enough! See, I’ve been experimenting with the technology in this shrine, and so you are about to experience a taste of what this device can really do. Be ready, because it’s going to get intense!”
The third loud gulp of the day came from her handsome, willing plaything. “Ohhh, I’m so doomed…”
“Don’t think of it as your demise, Linky~ Just imagine that this is the latest part of your training, to prepare you for the next time monsters get the drop on you. One moment…”
She stepped back and fiddled around with her Sheikah Slate once again. As the tablet glowed, so did some of the carved lines on the sides of the recliner. Holes opened up all around the outside of the pedestal, and multiple mechanical tentacles emerged, each tipped with a four-part claw… the kind the infamous Guardians had on the end of their own limbs.
Link turned slightly pale. “W-why didn’t you tell me it could do this?!”
“You didn’t ask. But you’re here now, so it’s time to show you what this ancient technology can do in the right hands. Ready? Go!”
She fiddled around with the controls again, and the tentacles moved in. Link had only a few moments to wiggle around pathetically in his restraints, and he could only get a single “NO” out before the claws made contact.
“HHYYYYAAAAAAHAHHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAAAHHHHHH! YIIIIIHIHIHIIHIHHEHHEHEE! NYUUUUUOOOHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAH!”
“I’ve programmed these devices to target all your most sensitive spots,” Zelda called over the sounds of the machine. “Hopefully you’ll appreciate that!”
Much to Link’s surprise, on some level, he actually did. She’d definitely done her research based on both this tickle session and the previous stories he’d shared. The claws were dextrous and light-touched enough not to damage his clothing or hurt his skin, but by the goddesses, their touch was maddening. He started feeling light-headed as they pinched and scribbled at every ticklish inch they could reach, his tunic offering virtually no protection and his feet unable to defend themselves at all.
“UUUWWWEEEHEHEHHEHEHEHHEHEHHEHAHAHHAHHH! HYYAAAHHAHAHHHAH! PLEHEHHEHEHEASE STAAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAAAHHHP! UNCLE! UNCLEEHEHEHE! SOMEONE, HEHEHEHEHHEHEELP MEHEHEHHEHEHEHEEEE!”
“Do you want me to let you out of there, Linky~?”
“W-WHAHAHAHAHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO?!” he cried, even as the small part in his brain wanted him to stay in the machine and let it run its course no matter how long that took.
“I’d honestly love to study your ticklishness more in the future,” Zelda admitted, blushing a bit. “So if you’re willing to let me do so, to be my test subject going forward, I’ll be merciful. What do you say, Linky~?”
His face felt like it was on fire, its color a blazing scarlet. Part of him wanted to protest that he wasn’t going to outright debase himself for his princess’ enjoyment, but there was, once again, the little bit of him that reveled in the release this provided. Damn his stubborn pride, he thought to himself. He wasn’t going to give into his hidden desires without a fight, but that obviously meant that he wasn’t going to be let out of the recliner until he gave Zelda the answer she wanted. So it was that he was going to be stuck in the ancient tickle machine, his own closest friend prolonging his torment, and she’d be observing and enjoying every single minute of it.
Granted, it was about five minutes of screaming and guffawing and the sounds of mechanical claws scratching at whatever ticklish flesh was available before he finally found the strength to ask one critical question.
“WILL YOU KEHEHEHEEP THIS JUST BETWEEN US, AT LEHEHEHEHEHEAST?!”
Zelda gasped in surprise, blushing herself. “What… What made you think I’d turn it into a public display? Of course we’ll keep it a secret! Heck, we could use this very chamber as our private room of ticklish pleasure if you want…”
“THEN YES! YEHEHEHESSSS, PLEHEHEHEHEHEEEASE!” he cried, blinking back tears to give her a smile of approval through his hysterics. “TICKLE ME WHENEVER YOU FEEHEHEHEEL LIKE IT AND AS MUCH AS YOU LIHIHIHIHIHIIKE! BWAHHAHHAHAHHAH! HYYYYYAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHAHAHAHHAHHAHAHHAHHHAHHAAAAHHHHHH…!!!”
He was on the verge of passing out now, the corners of his vision fading as his head spun more and more. It was more than likely that he wouldn’t be able to remain conscious for the next minute… but miraculously, finally, the machine stopped tickling him.
The sound of the miniature Guardian arms retracting and the machine powering down barely registered, and the sensation of all the restraints being undone was also faint, though still noticeable. He remained there, exhausted and drawing labored breath, for a full minute before finally sliding his legs off the recliner and sitting up.
There was Zelda, at his side. “A-are you alright? Hopefully I didn’t go too far… I’m sorry if I did.”
He couldn’t stop himself. With a look of gratitude, he reached out and patted her on the shoulder. “Th-that was… honestly… one of the… Oh my, h-how do I word this… It was a thrill, actually. You really pushed me to the limit, as much as the foes I’ve faced did. But I feel stronger for it, at least — because your comfort has given me the resolve to endure it.”
“Aaaaaand~?” She poked at his leg, giving him a teasing, expectant look.
He flushed again. “I-it helped me relax, yes. Very much so. I needed that release…”
“So, you really are being honest when you say you want me to tickle you again later, riiiiight?”
He covered his face in his hands, still blushing, but nodded. “M-maybe later, yes. I don’t feel comfortable saying this, but I guess even I have my limits as to what I can take…”
Next moment, though, she’d taken his wrist, pulled him off the recliner, and gave him a tight embrace.
“Link, I know you want to be strong, but it’s also important to know what you’re not capable of handling” she said softly into his ear. “It’s alright if you feel that you aren’t capable enough for some things, and you certainly don’t need to hold back your emotions out of concern for me. I’m here to listen, and you have every right to express emotions as anyone should. It’s how we connect with one another. So you don’t have anything to fear when it comes to your sensitivity or whether you feel capable of protecting Hyrule. That’s what I’m here for. What all the champions are here for… To help you, and keep all of us moving forward.”
His eyes were wide as he took those words in. And then, of course, he returned the hug.
“I don’t know what I’d do without you, Zelda. Thank you…”
“Anytime,” she replied as she separated from him again. “As I’ve mentioned many times before, if you need someone to pour your heart out to, you know where to find me, alright?”
He nodded. “I’ll keep that in mind for sure.”
She stood up straighter, dusting herself off with a sunny expression. “Alright, then! Shall we go catching Hot-Footed Frogs today? Hopefully it won’t be dark out by the time we get to where they live — I’d love to study them a little more, and I’d love to take you along, too.”
He nodded, bowing as any knight would to their beloved princess. “I’d be honored.”
She giggled cutely, and then leaned in and kissed him on the forehead. The flustered Hylian was left dumbstruck, starstruck, red-faced, and briefly paralyzed as his closest friend turned and left, a hum in her voice and a slight spring in her step.
He remained in this shocked state for several moments before she called his name from outside the room, snapping him back to reality. But once he managed to find it in him to start walking again, he felt his heart soar.
Just before Link left the room, he took a second to look back at the recliner that Zelda had put him in. While he had to admit he’d regarded it with more than a little dread when he’d first seen it, his view on it and all the other things Zelda had ready and waiting to be used on his tickle spots was now entirely different. “Now, this… This, I signed up for,” he said to himself with a wistful smile on his face.
The past few days had definitely been a bit much for the knight of Hyrule, what with the monsters out there wanting to tickle him to within an inch of his life, but as much as he wanted to test out the various insidious methods they presumably had in store for him, Link decided he much preferred Zelda’s tickle techniques and the gentle aftercare that came with them. On top of this, he was quite sure that she’d had the time of her life playing with his soft and ticklish feet as well, and now that she knew he enjoyed getting tickled, he felt relieved that he no longer had to keep it a secret from her. It had been an amazing experience for the both of them, and they certainly couldn’t wait to repeat it sometime soon.
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