Chapter 2: Wanting A Moment

The plot bunnies wouldn't leave my head...I SHOULD BE IN BED NOT WRITING ANOTHER CHAPTER! *weeping*

Anyways...enjoy the chapter.


It was really nice having Link stay with them the past four years now. Malon was now sixteen years old, Link, now seventeen. It really was fun though having him around, and he always helped them around the ranch, he was such a dedicated and hard-worker...and her father wouldn't stop, ever so "subtly" always dropping "hints" at how Link would make such great husband material. (Yeah her's father so called hint dropping was about as subtle as a hammer to the face).

Link would disappear about twice a week, ever since he first stayed with them, to train with that Impa woman, who worked for Princess Zelda.

Those days were always so quiet when Link was gone, especially because Ingo quit his job at their ranch about a little over year and a half ago. He left to go find something more "suitable for his talents" at either Kakariko or in the Castle town...Malon couldn't remember, and she didn't really listen to what he was whining and moaning about as he stomped his way out of their ranch when he left.

Part of that reason he left though, was because of Link. Link seemed to take every opportunity to try to take any job that Ingo would usually do, and upstage him by doing it ten times better, all the while either glaring or triumphantly giving the man a smug grin when her and her father weren't looking. (Though Malon has caught him doing it once or twice, Ingo insists he does it all the time).

It was as plain as day from the moment Link came to stay with them at the ranch, that Link really didn't like Ingo. Link made that no secret to Malon, as he said the man was lazy, rude, ungrateful and disrespectful towards her father. While she had to admit, he had gotten annoying at times and did complain a lot...Malon never really saw what Link described up until the months before he left. Ingo started getting openly disrespectful and complained tenfold, even in her or her father's presence.

They both realized how grateful they were to Link. He never stopped working hard for them, and when he wasn't he trained and practiced the lessons and skills that Impa would teach him in his spare time. So it was no loss with Ingo actually leaving, because Link always picked up the slack. And Link did warn them about Ingo, and it turns out he was right.

She watched Link struggle though to try to feed the cuccos, laughing as one of them flew up and started to peck his head. Link growled, and in retaliation, slapped the bird away...only to regret it as the entire pack of cuccos now swarmed him and chased him around the ranch. Malon couldn't help but burst out into laughter watching the whole comical scene.

For all he appeared, he didn't seem like the person who was about to be knighted by Princess Zelda tomorrow.

"Geez Fairy-boy, you seem to know how to do everything, but you can't get these birds to ever behave?" She teased.

"They always hated me, I think they have it out for me." Link eyed them with annoyance as they finally ignored him and ran off to go eat their food instead.

"Yes I can see it now, they're plotting how to assassinate you tonight while you sleep." Malon giggled as she clapped her hands together dramatically and threw her head back, "Those evil fiends!"

"Very funny..." Link rolled his eyes, an amused smirk still tugged his lips though.

She glanced a one over at Link's clothes, taking in the clothes they made for him as he got older, still inspired by the same outfit he wore as a Kokiri, but now there was chainmail lined under his shirt, and he wore tan colored pants under the tunic. A white collar stuck out from the top of the tunic, from the white undershirt he wore underneath it all.

Malon used to tease him when he was a kid about not wearing pants, Link would get huffy and go on and on about the traditional garb of the Kokiri and how she shouldn't make fun of it. But they now made an outfit that while it still showed off Link's pride and love for the Kokiri, the place where he originally considered home, it was still now a new thing that felt much more suited to a swordsman like Link.

However once he bacame a knight, he would no longer wear that garb, he would wear the uniform of the knights of Hyrule.

"You know I'm going to miss all that green." Malon noted.

Link glanced at his outfit but smiled back at her, "Yeah I will too...but that's okay. I'll still hang onto this...I wonder how I'll look in the Knight's uniform though."

She giggled, "Pretty spiffy I bet, you'll probably be the most handsome knight ever!"

Link blushed a little and scratched his cheek, "Yeah sure...if you say so."

Malon slightly blushed too, but she squashed it down. No way she was going to let him see that she blushed.

She hopped off the fence and walked a couple steps over to Link, she realized...over the past year, she'd come to...care about her friend.

Not care like you care about a friend...but care like the same way her father and mother cared about each other.

She convinced Link to walk with her, as they walked around the ranch, they engaged in small talk, Malon played around with her hair a bit as she talked with him. It was a nice afternoon, and they finished up all the chores that needed getting done. So Malon decided she wanted to do something fun.

"Hey Fairy-boy, let's do something to make Epona really happy." Malon beamed.

Link blinked as she pointed to the pouch at his belt she knew he always kept that little ocarina given to him by his female Kokiri friend, inside it.

"Come on, it'll be really nice. You play her song on the Ocarina and I'll sing. I bet Epona will love it." She grinned.

Link nodded and pulled the little instrument out. He took a breath and began to play, closing his eyes while he did so. Epona ran up to the two of them, neighing in happiness. Malon watched his features as he played.

He really become handsome. She felt like a dummy about a year ago for never noticing this, but Link was quite a catch, and he didn't even realize he was. She didn't miss the way some of the other girls that lived in the Castle town eyed Link when they went with her father, while he went to drop shipment off.

"Malon?" Link finally stopped playing and looked down at her, puzzled.

"Oh sorry Fairy-boy..." Malon waved her hand dismissively, "You're playing was just so gorgeous I found myself lost in it. Start up again and I'll join in."

Link shrugged and started to play again, she eventually joined in, singing the song in harmony with his ocarina, while she rubbed Epona's neck.

"Link! Where did you go?!"

Malon and Link aburbtly stopped their duet, and Malon felt herself internally groan. Why did Navi always have to interrupt her when she was creating a romantic moment for the two to share.

Every. single. time.

She would get Link alone, they'd do something together, things would start to move nicely, then bam...here the noisy fairy would show up and ruin the mood, interrupting their moment. Oh sure her father tells her how great of a husband Link would make, but how can she ever get the two of them to move past the friendship stage if this ball of light with wings would never let them have a moment?!

"Well you were asleep so I figured I'd finish the last of my chores." Link answered his fairy companion.

"I had a nightmare that I was spirited away again and you could never find me!" The fairy whimpered lightly as she rested on Link's head.

"Ah don't worry, nothing like that will ever happen again Navi." Link said tenderly to comfort Navi.

Malon rolled her eyes. She didn't hate Navi actually, but she couldn't deny the fairy was annoying and had the worst timing always. Not too mention always taking Link's attention away.

Well that didn't matter, what will happen will happen. If things would move towards a romantic relationship it would, if it didn't then it didn't. Malon wasn't going to fret over such silly things.

"Hey Link..." Malon spoke up.

"Yeah?"

"The sun is going to set soon, we can get a good view of it from the roof, so come and watch it with me later okay? It's really cool the way the light hits Death Mountain, it's actually kind of a romantic scenery...you'll totally enjoy it. I'll be waiting for you." She winked before walking off.

She was completely satisfied to see that Link blushed lightly when she winked at him, and the mention of the word "romantic". Whatever happens would happen, but that didn't mean she couldn't hope Link would return her feelings.

Link did however did come up to watch it with her eventually when the time came. Navi rested on his head, as they watched it down, seeing the beautiful colors of reds, oranges and pinks all in the horizon, while the rocks of the mountain looked to be painted red from the rays of the sunset. It was breathtaking.

"Wow...I never really noticed how beautiful the sunset looked out here. Thanks for showing me Malon." Link smiled at her.

She grabbed his hand and smiled back.

"Anytime Fairy-boy."

And she didn't let go of his hand, it was a bit of a risky move, but it was worth it, because he didn't let go of her hand. In fact he actually laced his fingers around hers as he continued to watch the sky. She smiled lightly as her cheeks were lightly stained with pink.


I agree Malon...while I don't hate Navi like I use too...I still find her pretty annoying...ahem...

(But Ingo I still don't like his character, he was annoying and unlike Navi, he doesn't ever actually help you, and she works for your interests, Ingo worked for his own and whined a lot, and oh yeah, kicked out Talon, made things a bit rough for Lon Lon Ranch and kissed up to Ganondorf)

Link obviously still remembers all the stuff as stated in the previous chapter, as from the AdultLink timeline, so yeah...he obviously wouldn't really like or trust Ingo.

Also I made a reference to of course the TP Link outfit, because Link certainly didn't have the outfit that looked just like that, for TPLink to inherit, so he must of had it changed at some point before he left the newer adultlink version of the green outfit to Faron.

Okay so here is another chapter, just some minor fun fluffiness and cutesiness, also it's fun to write from Malon's POV, and I always felt she'd be flirty (not like how I see Midna, ohhhhh no), but when you have a good looking boy like that running around your ranch, Malon wouldn't ignore it for long and totally want to see if she can break herself a piece of that kit-kat bar ;) hehehehe (is bricked)

Ahem...I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! Please leave a review!