LoZ: Hot Chocolate 1-2

LoZ: Hot Chocolate 1-2

 She knocked on the bathroom door gently, to let him know to hurry and heard the water stop.  She rushed back to put the finishing touches on the evening meal and to set up the table.  He came out clothed in a casual grey whitish shirt and pants for a restful evening and went out into the dark living room with only the light from the flaming fireplace and the two flickering candles on the round wooden table to guide his way.  He saw Zelda standing there smiling and asked him to take a seat.

 He did so and he saw the fine china, the wine glasses, the polished good silverware, the pretty decorative napkins and the special table cloth.  Link spied a large blueish roasting pan with a lid in the middle of the table and Zelda opened it.  His mouth watered as he could smell the sweet aroma of the roasted meat and vegetables.  She took a carving knife and fork and began cutting slices of the finely cooked meat, dishing them out as Link offered first her plate and than his own, so as not to make a mess on the fancy table cloth.  But she served him first anyway and then herself.  Then she took the ladle, scooping up some hearty vegetables and placed them next to the meat and then dunked it into the rich gravy, pouring it over everything.  Finally, she distributed the biscuits, adding butter to them with fresh honey, while Link opened and poured out the sparkling pink lemonade into the wine glasses.

 They sat there for a few moments in silence staring into each other's eyes.  There was not much to say, besides the obvious "thank you" from Link.  He had to take it all in.  He was not used to this sort of thing.  Zelda had gotten much better at cooking, but this was no ordinary meal.  Tonight had to be for something special... but for what!?  It was not his birthday, he obviously did not forget about hers.  It wasn't their anniversary... and of course Christmas had just passed not too long ago... so what then?  The items on the table shimmered and sparkled from the light of the candles, but it was her beautiful hazel eyes that shined the brightest.  He reached a hand out to her and she took it.  He brought it to his lips gently and kissed it and thanked her for the dinner, but he did not ask why just yet...

 They sat there until she motioned to start eating or else it would get cold.  Link dug in and savored the flavors of the finely cooked meat and vegetables.  He enjoyed the rich thick brown gravy and the sweet honey on the biscuits and even the bubbly from the drinks, but he enjoyed her company the most.

 As the dinner was winding down, Zelda said she was going to take a bath.  Link nodded in agreement and took her plate from her before she had the chance to go out into the kitchen.  "Clean up is on me tonight.", he said in a soothing voice.  She smiled and kissed his cheek and then went off into the bathroom.  He gathered everything off the table and brought it to the kitchen where he separated left overs from the trash and began to wash up.

 He went back to the bathroom and after knocking and getting approval, grabbed his clothes he had precariously left there among other things, while she leaned back and closed her eyes to relax in the hot bubbles.  He returned to his duties and was just finishing up, when she called to him in a surprised voice for a towel.  He grinned mischievously and grabbed the ones he had secretly gotten from the bathroom and which he had hung up on the mantel over the fire place for a little while and opened the bathroom door.  He walked in and she was still sitting in the bathtub, shaking her head smiling.  He smiled, knowing he would refuse all the other treasures in the world forever, just to have what was sitting in the porcelain tub.  Nothing else mattered...

 He opened one towel and held it out for her as she stood up and wrapped herself in it.  She was shivering, but she felt instantly warmer, as the towel which had been roasting, soothed the coldness away as well as his strong arms and warm heart.  She snuggled into him, her wet hair on his shoulders making his shirt wet, but he did not care.  He just sniffed it and enjoyed the sweet smell of strawberries and he practically cradled her in his arms.  Then he quickly wrapped the other still warm towel around her head and left her to her devices, as he went back into the kitchen.....