Disclaimer: I do not own The Legend of Zelda or any of the characters present within the series ...(And I suppose I can learn to cope with that fact). : 3

Time:

There was no time for commitment; no time to give attention, or to give love. It wasn't that he didn't want to - it was all about time.

So Link found himself sharing what little time he did have to spend on others, and on connection, with a variety of different people; different beings.

The love he allowed himself to feel always had a time limit. Therefore, he ended up spending those condemning moments with companions who also lacked the time to dedicate to a more stable relationship.

Stability, fortunately, wasn't what he needed to turn to in order to find fulfillment, and honesty.

Gorko was a kindred spirit. He was generous in sharing not only his knowledge - most of which Link already knew from first-hand experience - but also the joy of each discovery he made. The Goron enjoyed life; fully, and without apology. His personality was warm, welcoming, and he was always fun to talk to. His passion for exploration was something he wholly realized in all aspects of his life.

Link enjoyed Gorko's company the most on the nights that followed the Goron's most fruitful explorations. He was always very focused on Link, but his attentions never became too stale or too sober. They were both incensed by the sudden increase of knowledge. Gorko was in love with the city in the sky; a city he'd never seen, but one that he was slowly becoming acquainted with through a pure and admirable desire to simply - understand. Link was in love with the light in his friend's eyes; the wonder that would always remind him of the better aspects of home.

The first time it happened, they had met in the forest. It was never quite on purpose.

Gorko's lips were not as hard as Link had anticipated, but the bristles of his goatee were definitely capable of tickling him as much as he'd imagined.

"Does it bother you that I'm not a Goron?" Link asked his fellow explorer as the referenced male used one sturdy arm to hug the hero closer to his rounded frame.

Link already knew the answer to that particular question, but it would be interesting to hear Gorko phrase his own perspective.

"It's different; and that's a good thing. What I consider good is seldom the same as what bothers me." The Goron chuckled, and Link enjoyed the gentle reverberation throughout the large, powerful body that embraced him.

Goron genitalia was dissimilar to that of Link's own race. He did not possess the male organs that Link had seen, and did not possess the female ones that he'd heard of. He'd asked Gorko about it after one of their unique sessions of intimacy, and the Goron had revealed that his race reproduced asexually. Physical pleasure was a different concept to Gorons, and could either be related to that pleasure; or unrelated.

Link had listened attentively, but did not fully understand the more complex details of Goron reproduction. Mystery wasn't something that troubled him. Gorko was honest, understanding, and patient when he exchanged both information and titillation with the boy from the sky.

The archeologist enjoyed it the most when Link would gently stroke his sides - specifically the small dips just below his pectoral muscles and before his impressive stomach. It surprised the Hero, because the corresponding areas on his own body were chiefly ticklish.

"I like you." Link gave the Goron a youthful smile as he spoke. "You're easy to talk to."

The smaller traveler had never seen a Goron blush; but then again, he hadn't seen many Gorons. Gorko's face remained its original color, but the expression in his rounded, dark eyes betrayed his emotions nonetheless.

"You're also very easy to talk to. You only speak when you truly want to, and I can tell that you're genuine."

Gorko had referenced his people as proud beings who strongly valued integrity. Link supposed that could have been part of why Gorko and him got along. The boy had never enjoyed the company of liars.

"It makes me happy, to hear you say that." Link stated, letting his small, but long-fingered hands rub luxurious circles into Gorko's tough-skinned upper arms.

Goron flesh was somehow enthralling to explore. It could be warm or cold, or somewhere in between, but it was always very much alive. Living stone. There were rough patches, mainly on the arms, and legs; and pebbly areas down the sides of the chest and torso - and occasionally on the elbows and knees - and then the smooth, softly weathered stone of the stomach and face. The unbelievably hard and slate-like plates sheltering the expanse of the back fascinated Link, as that was the part of Gorko's body that apparently was the most relatable to his own fingernails. The scholarly Goron had informed Link that the area was not highly sensitive, but instead functioned to protect his species from the elements.

Goron biology wasn't something that the Hylian had expected to discuss the first time he shared an intimate experience with someone. It was fitting, in a way. Their passion was in shared exploration. Gorko was similarly entranced with Link's body; he was gentle, which deepened the trust between them.

"You'll be leaving soon." The Goron stated, leaving no room to misinterpret his words as a question. There was no sadness in his voice. Only soft acceptance.

"You know me. Always on the go." Link smiled, and there was sadness in his voice; but only the slightest hint of it.

He wished he could slow down, and further appreciate the company of his friend - a fellow adventurer, in a way. Gorko was someone who hadn't become fearful of discovery. He was never jaded. Link wasn't sure if he was slowly becoming someone he didn't want to become. He wasn't sure where his strength was coming from anymore - not after he'd lost Zelda to time, and the fate that had been thrown her way in a manner more devastating than a tornado.

His own fate was something he'd see through to the very end, but he couldn't convince himself to refrain from succumbing to certain impulses he'd experienced throughout his journey. If he had, he might have given up before he made it far enough.

"Because you have a friend waiting for you." Gorko slowly returned the smile, admiring the boy's tenacity.

Link nodded in response, feeling his sadness slowly give way to a blossoming strength.

"Yeah. I think she'd understand why I spend this time with you, though." The Hylian boy rose to his feet as he spoke.

He had Fi to keep him company on his journey, but human needs were vast, and forcing her to cope with emotions that she couldn't fully interpret for him would be unfair. He'd slowly come to embrace her presence as one that provided comfort, a certain type of stability. She was a friend. Link wasn't sure if she felt the same way, but it didn't matter. It was nice just to have her around. Nice to not be alone.

Fi often gave Link and Gorko privacy when they were together. Despite her professed inability to understand human attachment, she instinctively realized a lot of things on her own - occasionally before Link did.

"Your friend is a very kind-hearted person, isn't she?" The Goron also abandoned his reclined position.

Link nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, she is!"

Gorko moved to be closer to Link at that point, feeling both a dim sense of loss as well as inspiration. He was always invigorated after spending these moments with his smaller companion, but this time was different. Talking about Link's friend felt like saying 'goodbye,' somehow. Gorko wasn't sure if what he was feeling was jealousy, exactly, because he wasn't really the type of Goron to often feel such a thing.

"Then I hope you two can meet up again very soon."

There was more that Gorko wanted to say - much more - but for whatever reason, the mood between the two of them had changed and the Goron couldn't find it in himself to say everything that he wanted to. It was frustrating, because he was forcing a lot of things deep down, and he could tell it was the case, but didn't know how to change that fact.

Link was the one to take initiative. It was in his nature to be brave.

"I'm always going to come back to you, even after this adventure ends." The boy's face was honest.

Gorko suddenly felt very vulnerable, and it was liberating.

"That's exactly what I had hoped to hear you say."

They shared another embrace before Link turned to leave. It would always be a difficult parting for the both of them, but everything would be alright.

This time had felt less like goodbye. Both Link and Gorko could appreciate that. No matter what came to pass, time would remain on their side after all.

Author's Note:

I know this pairing is unique, but I like it anyways. I don't really think the less humanoid characters are taken into consideration as much in the fandom as prospects for love, and I can understand why they might not be; but primarily, this wasn't meant to be overtly sexual. It's more about the strong affection shared between the two present characters. I hope it came across that way! : D

Listening To: "BadBye" (Cover by 'Soraru').