Malon's eyes snapped open at the distant creak of a door opening, followed by footsteps, the phenomenon pulling her from the threshold of dormancy. Slowly, she rose to a sitting position, scanning the room as best she could under the dim moonlight. She thought perhaps her ears had deceived her in her state of lethargy. Nonetheless, attempting to go back to sleep immediately didn't seem like a viable option. The drowsy young woman lazily swung her legs over the edge of the bed, halting when she felt her toes graze the wooden floorboards. Once her feet found their center of gravity, she stood up sluggishly, the motion causing the skirt of her pure white nightgown to sway gently. Her bedroom was so isolated and empty that a sound as silent as her steady breaths seemed to thunder in her ears. Admittedly, it felt lonely, despite the fact that her dear friend was slumbering in the guest bedroom such a short distance away, or so she thought.
There were plenty of nights like these. It seemed like nowadays sleeplessness was just second nature to the redheaded farm girl. Her imagination was often too active, swirling with what felt like thousands of thoughts, especially during the late hours of the night. Over the years, she had found that the best way to calm her intense spirit was to breath the outside air of the pasture, the soft grass weaving between her toes and the soft breeze frolicking her carnelian locks. The combined sensations made for a feeling of nostalgia and tranquility, one that could soothe both her mind and body, down to the finest nerve. Yet another reason why Malon was thankful for the fact that summers in Hyrule were prominent over the colder seasons.
Malon carefully tiptoed through the desolate hallways of her home, taking care not to wake her father as she approached the staircase that would lead her to salvation. At the bottom of said staircase, Malon tentatively swung the door open, unable to suppress a smile when the humid air of the midnight-cloaked ranch hit her skin. Relief coursed through her body as her bare feet made contact with the dirt path that she knew so well. Her previously tense muscles were forced to relax as she strode towards the grassy field, humming a familiar tune to herself. However, her series of motions came to a grinding halt all at once as she caught sight of the built figure of a familiar young man, perched atop a stack of hay and slumping against the barn wall with his arms crossed. A startled Malon took a deep breath to regain her composure before proceeding.
"Fairy boy?"
The Kokiri-raised Hylian in question perked up when he recognized the tender voice calling out to him. He glanced over his shoulder at Malon as if to greet her, but said nothing. He was a man of few words after all.
The farmhand could practically share in the hero's emotional turmoil simply from seeing his expression.
"What are you doing out here? Do you know what time it is?" Malon's words came off a bit harsher than she intended, but even Link knew that her rigidness came from a place of concern.
"...Just needed to clear my head," Link stated dryly as he turned his attention back to the starry night sky.
Malon paused for just a moment, then advanced forth to occupy the remaining space next to him atop the haystack, hugging her knees to her chest after she settled. "I guess that makes two of us then."
A tense silence hung in the air, making it feel thick and nearly stifling. Link didn't seem to mind. In fact, it seemed as though he was hardly so much as acknowledging the presence of the girl beside him, although he did find her body heat to be somewhat calming. Malon on the other hand, could not stand the wordless atmosphere. Something was troubling him, no doubt. And she was determined to get to the bottom of it.
"Hey, Fairy Boy…"
"Hm?"
"Is something wrong?"
Link lightly shook his head without a moment's hesitation. The ginger turned to meet the distracted gaze of her companion. Although he wasn't looking straight at her, Link could still see a Malon's features twist into a sour expression. He really couldn't hide anything from her, could he? After several moments of glaring intensely at the blonde, as if hoping the sheer power of her resolve would make him spill, Malon exhaled deeply and relaxed her posture once again, silently admitting defeat.
"You can talk to me, you know…" the glum young woman muttered into her knees.
Finally, Link turned his head to look at Malon. He flashed an empty smile and rustled his childhood friend's brilliant orange hair playfully.
"H-hey!" Malon batted away the boy's comparably larger hands. She silently cursed herself as an inevitable blush spread rapidly across her cheeks. "I'm being serious y'know!"
"I know, Mal."
That nickname always made Malon's heart swell, but she couldn't ignore how much his emotionally traitorous smile irked her.
"His eyes look so sad…"
"Don't worry about me, okay?" The green-clad Hylian propped his arms up on his raised knees.
"Not likely," Malon thought aloud. Her tone practically dripped with jaded irritability. But her annoyed demeanor was not lost on the swordsman.
Admittedly, Link was well aware that unless he at least attempted to display more honesty regarding his emotional state, Malon would be unable to drop the issue. But even more than that, he didn't want her to suffer worrying about him, hence why he was being so closed off in the first place.
"I just... don't want to make it your problem," he admitted.
Malon turned her head to face him once more. Her eyebrows knitted together, giving her an almost offended visage.
"Link...that's really how you feel?"
The solemn delivery of her words combined with the fact that she used his real name rather than the alias she'd given him (something she rarely did) sent a pang of guilt down his spine, forcing his neck to crane down and meet her cerulean gaze that he so frequently found himself getting lost in.
But...he wasn't even sure how to respond to that. He didn't want Malon to believe that he didn't trust her, because that couldn't be further from the truth. As a matter of fact, it was as a result of his trust and immense fondness towards her that he was inclined to hide the constant storm that raged within his mind. He didn't want her pity, nor for her to smother her strong personality for the sake of trying to comfort him. All he truly wanted was for things to remain the way they'd always been. For her to remain the way she'd always been.
Malon was the most important person in Link's life, and he refused to let his demon's consume her as well.
Silence made itself known once again, only this time the suffocating thickness it brought to the air intensified. Link stared into his lap, while Malon silently begged him to open himself to her. She continued to gaze at him expectantly until he piped up again.
"I'm sorry, Mal," was all he could muster. His voice was practically reduced to a whisper now.
The redhead's eyes widened nearly to the size of dinner plates when she saw something in his eyes that made her stomach drop.
Tears.
In the seven years that she'd known him, not once had she ever seen Link shed tears. Never had he been so vulnerable before her. Naturally, Malon was completely at a loss as to what to do in this situation.
Without thinking, Malon circled her arms around Link's neck, pulling him into a close embrace without so much as a word.
She was unsure of what came over her. It was as though her body acted of its own accord, like this was just the natural thing to do. In the back of her mind, she desperately prayed to the goddesses above that this was the right course of action.
"Why? Why am I crying" The trembling young man puzzled even himself. He'd never told a soul about the painful memories he harbored that transcended even time itself. By then, he'd come to accept the impossibility of anyone ever knowing or understanding all that he'd been through. And yet...that didn't seem to matter now…Malon was so warm, her scent felt so familiar, her sapphire eyes seemed to look into his very soul.
At that moment, Link understood what was meant when people said that home is a feeling, not a place.
She was his home.
After overcoming to initial shock of Malon's abrupt action, Link's tears began to flow freely down his cheeks. He wrapped his strong arms around the smaller girl's waist, pulling her even closer to him. She didn't speak, for she had no need to. She simply threaded his feathery blonde hair through her fingers as his sobs were muffled by the crook of Malon's neck. Slowly but surely, the young woman's ministrations soothed him, inviting the troubled Kokiri to melt beneath her gentle strokes. The pair simply sat still in each other's arms for what felt like hours, as Malon allowed Link to weep against her body heat until his spirit was pacified. Eventually, the boy's whimpers faded and his shaky breaths steadied as his arms loostened and fell limp around Malon's waist. His chin remained resting on her shoulder.
Cautiously, Malon finally spoke once more, once she deemed it safe to do so.
"Are you...alright?" She whispered into his ear. She only just then realized how hot her face and ears felt. No doubt a myriad of red discombobulation had made its way clear to her shoulders by now. Despite the seriousness of the situation, the ginger's subconscious couldn't ignore how close their bodies were. His breath against her ear and neck was nearly maddening. Thankfully, her composure didn't abandon her.
"Yeah," Link breathed before retracting to meet Malon's gaze, now wearing a much more genuine smile. Although his eyes appeared fairly exhausted, not surprisingly.
The hazy pair simultaneously pressed their foreheads together affectionately, as if in sync. "I'm glad…"
Link let out a long, still somewhat shaky exhale. "We should probably head inside, huh?"
"Good idea."
Malon's heart nearly burst from her chest when Link leaned in towards her and planted a soft kiss on her flushed cheek.
"Thanks, Mal…"