A new day began.
The hero rose at the crack of dawn to a beautiful, rising sun.
He drowsily pulled himself up into a sitting, up-right position while letting out a yawn. He then stretched his arms upwards.
'It's crazy how reviving a good night's sleep is. I can't remember the last time I slept so comfortably.'
He glanced over to the other side of the room to see Paya sitting down at her small, wooden desk. She was an early bird, it seemed.
"Good morning, Paya," Link called out, smiling.
Paya blinked and turned around. She blushed at Link's presence.
"G-good morning, Master Link!" she responded hastily.
Link chuckled. "You're up very early. Did you sleep well?"
Paya shook her head. "I did not sleep. I was up all night."
Link blinked. "Oh? Why, could you not sleep?"
The Sheikah maiden shook her head again. "No, I do not sleep often. I find I don't need it. I spend most of my time praying and maintaining this temple."
"Wow… that sounds tiring."
Paya smiled. "It is, but I have adapted… and I enjoy doing it. This is my job and I do it passionately."
Link smiled back. "I see. That's good."
The Hylian male's stomach broke out into whale-like grumbling noises. His face reddened madly. "O-oh."
Paya laughed. "It seems you're hungry. Would you like something to eat?"
Link laughed, slightly embarrassed. "Um—I guess so. I can cook myself something on the fire."
Paya shook her head. She looked down bashfully, fiddling with her hands. "I can cook for you, M-Master Link…"
Link's heart soared. This young Sheikah maiden not only takes him in, but she offers to cook for him too.
'She'd make a great wife one day', the hero thought to himself, his heart smiling.
"Sure, I'd like that," the Hylian male responded with a smile.
Paya's face turned pinker. "Okay. I'll be back with your food in half an hour!"
The young girl stood up and made her way downstairs. Link smiled, watching the beautiful Sheikah maiden descend.
Once the girl was out of sight, the hero dressed into his clothes.
He sat down on the bed again and sprawled himself out comfortably, anticipating young Paya's homemade food.
Paya gathered eggs from the chicken coop in the yard and began setting them by the fire.
'Why am I so eager to cook for Master Link? I've never wanted to do something like this for anyone before…'
—
Approximately half an hour later, Paya returned with a tray full of food; A small bowl of fried rice, spiced fish, an omelette, and some fresh, sliced melon. She approached the hero with a smile. Link's hungry eyes gazed upon the tray of delicious food coming towards him, the aromas of the fish omelette tracing his nose. His stomach growled in excitement.
"I hope you like the food," Paya said while handing him the tray. She then made her way to her bed and sat down on the edge, still facing Link.
Link grabbed the tray and set it down on his lap. The aromas rising from the food engulfed his olfactory senses and drove him into a state of maddened hunger. He hastily grabbed a pair of chopsticks and broke off a generous chunk off fish and rice, then stuffed it into his mouth. A profile of flavors hit him; soy, spice, ginger, and a deep charcoal-roasted flavor. It was delicious.
"This is amazing, Paya!" Link praised, his speech rather muffled with a mouth full of food.
Paya's heart skipped a beat. 'He enjoys my cooking. I feel so… happy…"
She smiled and sighed in relief. "I'm so glad you like it. I've been practicing my cooking skills but I never cook for anyone besides myself and Impa, so I wasn't sure if other people would enjoy my food."
The Hylian male continued to dig into the meal. He swallowed a bite, paused, then looked over to the Sheikah maiden.
"If you cooked for me like this every morning, I wouldn't want to leave this place," he said, laughing.
'Wait… what am I saying?!' the hero thought to himself in a mild panic, his heart racing. 'That sounds weird!'
Paya blushed deeply and covered her face with her hands. "Y-you can stay here as long as you'd like, Master Link!"
"Oh. Thank you, Paya, you're really too kind."
She gulped, heart racing like crazy. "We want to help you, i-it's our job after all."
He smiled, placing a bite of fish and rice into his mouth and chewing. It was one of the most delicious meals he had ever had. While in the wild, he often kept cooking very simple.
The Hylian hero could already feel himself getting attached to this place and even a tad bit to Paya. It would be hard to leave a warm bed, delicious homemade food, and the company of a cute girl.
He chuckled and continued eating contently until he finished his meal.