Trapped

Malon's blue eyes never left Vincent as he worked that morning. Fall came fast and it only got colder, leaving the ranch in need of winter preparations. Malon thought back to the time Zelda had visited. She left the subject of Malon and Vincent alone… until she as about ready to leave. Sure, just let Malon dangle as you think about the couple Zelda, mighty friendly. But, as Zelda was almost out the door of the cozy house, she had looked over to Malon and in very simple words said 'give him just a little bit more time.' That's it and that's all Zelda said about them. That sure would help them further their relationship. Of course, Zelda was never the truly hands-on type of person. She took things like a game of chess, strategically setting traps and plans so that she would get to her goal. But back to Malon, deep inside herself she admitted she loved Vincent. And that small part of her knew that he loved her back.

That part was small, though. And Malon's insecure side, that figured Vincent wouldn't love a woman like her, engulfed it. A knight like him demanded a damsel. A woman he could protect without question, which would stick by his side and have his children, that wouldn't think about nothing else except figuring out way to pleasure their man. Malon knew she'd never live up to that doormat of a wife. She would have to be active with her husband, she would still have to be her own person, and she didn't know if Vincent approved of that. Although he jokingly did when they first met. And it was important to note that Vincent joked often so determining what he said was true and what wasn't was a simple as advanced calculus. In the situations Malon conjured up, she wouldn't be Vincent love…even is she really wanted to be.

Malon's father walked in. He had a pretty big smile plastered on his face as strode right on in. Malon turned and hugged her father. He later crossed the room and sat down at the table. "Malon, could we have a word?" he asked, pulling another chair beside him.

Malon nodded and wiped her hands on her apron. She walked over and sat down next to her father, "What is it, daddy? Is something wrong?"

"You know you're my only daughter and I love you very much," Talon said softly. He combed back some of her hair. He turned and looked away from her, as if scared from her gaze. "You do know you don't have to be single just for my sake, dontcha?"

Malon looked at her father with curious eyes, "Um, I know but what's brining this on?"

Talon sighed. He looked back over to her, "There are a lot of people who love you Malon. Me, Zelda, Link… and I'm sure there is another. I'm not going to tell you because its up to you to actually know who it is. Don't you forget people love you just the way you are."

She nodded and then stood, "I know daddy. I have to go start cleaning out the storehouse. Winter is right on top of us and we are going to need it." Malon started for the door before her father stopped her with his voice.

"Why don't you take Vincent along to help? He's done with his chores and is outside feeding the cuccos one at a time. He's really bored," Talon said. Malon nodded in response and he smiled. Although this smiled could've been hardly detected by his mustache. Malon didn't catch it as she walked outside.

She stopped and turned the corner to see Vincent doing exactly what her father said he was. He stood, leaning against the tree, with the bag of feed in his one hand and throwing the feed to the cucco with the other. He casually threw a handful of the broken corn kernels at the birds and stopped to watch them. He still wore the black turtleneck for the cold weather. Malon wished the weather were warmer so Vincent could slip on his tighter shirt. Great, now that the sexy is gone, she wants it back. And the turtleneck wasn't an adequate substitute, it was thicker and more loose fitting.

Vincent looked up and saw Malon staring over at him. He waved at her with a free hand and looked back over to the cucco. Malon crossed the distance between them and shot him a warming smile. He returned her sign of affection with what can only be called as his equal response. The left side of his lip raised and formed his smirk. They stared into each other's eyes for a moment that could've lasted an eternity. But their silent admiration for each other could not last. Not until all the work was finished and they could prance around all happily. Well, that'd be ideal, not reality.

"Vincent?" Malon asked, avoiding his gaze. She stared to the ground, combing back stray hair to the back of her ear. She never found it hard to ask for Vincent's help before. But that time was different for some reason unbeknownst to her.

"Yes, Malon?" Vincent asked her. He put down the bag. Vincent noticed that the particular situation he was in happens a lot. Malon asks something just using his name and he answers her with another question. He didn't care though, Malon wouldn't simply just ask him anything on the outright. She needed to test the flame, for a good comparison. "Need me?"

"And then some," she thought. That thought created a blush on Malon. "Uh, Vincent, I need your help clearing out the storage house," she pointed over to the house on the other side of the ranch. "So whenever you're ready…"

Vincent placed the bag of feed down and dusted off his hands. "Right, lets go then."

Malon smiled and together they went to the farthest side of the ranch. The storage house reached to the sky, higher than the ranch house did. As they neared, Vincent looked up at it and wondered why exactly it was built so vertically. He shook it off and turned to Malon, "So what do we have to do?"

"Nothing much really," Malon answered. "We just have to clean up the hay and lump it into a corner. The cows have already been moved so that's one less thing to do. Oh, but we have to organize the crates so that they take up the least amount of space as possible. It shouldn't take to long with both of us working on it."

"Alright," Vincent said. "Looks like a no problem."

Malon pulled at the steel door. It didn't budge. She stepped aside as Vincent gave it a try. After a few good hard tugs, the door swung open and Vincent was sent flying onto his backside. As he and Malon laughed about it, he got up and they set to work on cleaning the storage house. There were times when the neat pile of hay was disturbed by their horsing around. It did take them longer then expected but the house was nearing cleanliness. And then after the floor looked about spotless, it was time to push the crates to the wall.

And Vincent found it hard to actually push or pull the wooden crates. They were heavy and that was something Malon did not tell him. He pushed the boxes with all this strength and managed to the do the task. Yeah, finished it with great difficulty.

And as they were about to just make sure everything as fine, the door slammed shut.

"Oh, no," Malon uttered her breath. She ran to it and tried to push it open but like her attempt at opening it, it didn't move.

Vincent walked over to her and the door. "What's wrong, Malon?" He looked to the door and tried to push open but it was harder to move that the crates he was moving before.

"Um, Vincent, I don't think that will work," Malon softly said. She looked down, "You see, that door can only be opened from the outside."

Vincent raised his eyebrow, "But… I guess that would explain why we kept it open." It was a bit weird that someone would have a door like that. Especially as how someone was able to come and go as they please. Maybe they were smart enough to put a rock by the doorframe so it wouldn't shut. That's be a great way to make sure that problem never happened.

"Yeah… it didn't do that before but I guess after a while it started to," Malon added.

That explains some of it. Either way, all it was translating into was that both of them were stuck in the small room together. And while that could prove romantic, there was the issue with food and the day was closing. Oh darn, talk about bad luck.

Vincent took a few steps back and then shoulder rushed the door. Malon gasped as the door remained closed and Vincent bit his lip. He was walking around the room, holding his shoulder and breathing hard through his nose. "Are you okay, Vincent?"

He stopped and looked over to Malon, "Promise me you wont try that…" His voice was a bit strained. She could tell that hurt. Oh yeah, that would hurt, running into a steel door. No, it was suppose to feel like running into a pillow. "That hurt like hell…"

"Vincent," she walked over to him. She made him sit down on one of the crates. She sat next to him, "You shouldn't have tried that."

"I thought it might work," Vincent retorted. He let go of his shoulder and moved it around. "I dealt with worse. I'm going to be fine. But the bigger problem is that we are now stuck in here. No food and night's coming fast."

"I know," Malon said. She shivered a bit. Either night was right on top of them or it simply got colder. Vincent caught that and took off his jacket and placed it on her. Malon, at first, was unsure at his actions. But she didn't question and hugged his coat around her. It did provide more warmth then the light jacket she wore. But then a thought struck her, "Vincent aren't you going to get cold?"

But Vincent waved her off. "If I was worried about getting cold then I wouldn't have given you my jacket, now would I?"

"Thank you Vincent," Malon said as she looked away. The epitomes jacket, the one that gave held a sweet scent that no doubt belonged to Vincent. She wondered what kind of cologne it was but that was something miniscule. Malon fiddled with the golden buttons marked with what may have been the emblem of his family, an A over a phoenix with vines entwining both. And the A itself was no simple letter but done in a stylish font. She felt something heavy in his left pocket and remembered that he carried his watch there. "I don't think we have to worry," she finally managed to get out. "Sooner or later my dad will have to notice that we're missing and I told him we would be here."

"That's some good news," Vincent said flatly. He gazed back to Malon and smiled as he watched her play with his jacket. "Something wrong with it?" he asked in his playful manner.

"Huh, oh no," Malon said in her fluster. Vincent caught her off guard with that question. "I love your buttons. They're nice and very creative."

"Yeah, that's the Aegis family seal," he explained. "They're pressed onto real gold buttons and then sewn onto the white leather. That entire jacket cost enough to have dinner for twenty. You have to admit, the silk lining is a dream on your skin."

Malon nodded, "How could you afford something like this then?"

Vincent had to tell her the truth one day. But he couldn't tell her then. He didn't want to seem like he played her. He wanted to tell her when he confessed everything. Scrambling for something to say, Vincent stammered on his answer. "Well, I saved up for it and bought it. It took me a while but I couldn't have been any happier when I did." A somewhat half lie anyways. He did work for his father and he did save up for it. If saving up meant you worked for a week and splurged it on the customized jacket and booze.

The party animal that he was…

He smiled, a genuine smile, at her. Malon watched his soft, pink lips and quickly turned around as she remembered. She remembered how she stole a kiss from them. An innocent kiss but she gave it to him anyways. But this time Vincent didn't let it slip.

"Something the matter, Malon?" he asked.

"No, none at all," Malon said, with a smile. She hoped he wouldn't catch the red in her cheeks.

And they spent a few more hours in small talk. Vincent discussed things from horses to cobras. Best not to ask. And Malon managed to get in a few words about her family. How her mother died when she was born, how Ingo turned into an ass, she pretty much hit all targets. Vincent returned the favor by discussing his relationship with his father, a relationship that sat on rocks for as long as Vincent could remember. To give it the basic idea why, you cant put two people together with giant egos and expect the best. And Vincent finally brought up the fact that he had a brother and sister. And this went on for most of the night…

Talon pulled the door open and smiled at the sight he saw. Malon lay on the hay, some in her hair, and was sound asleep. She hugged the white jacket close to her and held the arm around her tight. Vincent lay next to her his other arm used as a makeshift pillow. Talon didn't wake them but did leave the door open. And as added precaution, he added the rock to make sure it the door did close, it wouldn't shut. Talk about a thinker.

As Talon walked away, he saw the first drop of snow onto the ground. Winter was around the corner and he hoped Vincent will finally say something to Malon. Its obvious, but apparently not to the two that matter.