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Malon woke to the sound of the front door opening.
It was pitch black outside, and Link had been off on his latest adventure for weeks. No one should be opening that door at this hour.
She lay in bed, listening carefully, one hand slowly wrapping around the hilt of the knife she kept on her nightstand whenever Link was gone. She wasn’t helpless, and any bandits or other troublemakers trying to break in would find that out -
Voices.
Malon couldn’t make out the words, not from here, but she could hear the soft, whispering rumble of a man’s voice, and others answering. Multiple people.
She got up, very quietly, and avoided the loose floorboard near the doorway as she crept into the hall.
” - don’t want to wake her,” someone was saying softly. “So be quiet, and -”
Oh, Malon knew that voice.
Sure enough, when she peeked into the living room, there were nine warriors armed to the teeth and covered in dirt and grime from the road, all carefully and quietly piling gear in a corner and wiping their boots on the welcome mat.
She leaned against the doorframe, a warm smile on her face, and waited for them to notice her.
Twilight spotted her first.
“Malon!” he hissed, his ears pricking up in surprise.
The tallest warrior whirled around, and there he was, after so long away, startled and vaguely guilty like a child caught with a cookie jar.
“Welcome home, fairy boy,” she greeted him, her smile growing.
“Malon,” Link breathed, and he hurried over to kiss her, earning a few wolf whistles and some muffled laughter. He pulled back and rested his forehead against hers, his thumb brushing her cheek like he needed to touch her to be sure she was real. “I’m sorry we woke you, we tried to be quiet.”
She chuckled and looped her arms around his shoulders. “It was the door openin’ that did it. You weren’t gonna make the boys camp in the livin’ room, were you?”
Link made a considering noise.
“Can I fight Time for a bed?” Warriors asked, with that perfectly straight face Link always made when he was joking. “I think I would win.”
Malon shook her head. She couldn’t get the grin off of her face. “No, but we have a few guest rooms as well as the couch, as I’m sure you remember.”
“Same sleeping arrangements as last time,” Link told them, reluctantly pulling away from Malon enough to direct them.
The boys, to their credit, could be quick and efficient when they set their minds to it. Apparently they were as eager to get to bed as Malon was.
“We weren’t expecting the jump,” Link explained softly as the others scattered to the guest rooms and out of the way corners they had slept in the last time they’d visited the ranch. “It dropped us a few miles from here, so we decided to just get the walk over with and have a safe place to sleep.”
Malon leaned against him, knowing he could easily take the weight. “Well, I wouldn’t say that’s my favorite way I’ve ever woken up, but I’m so happy you’re back.”
“I am too.”
Goddesses above, she’d missed the way he talked to her. Like she was worth more than any treasure he’d ever seen, like she and her ranch were grander than any queen and any castle.
She kissed him again, just because she could, then laced her fingers with his. “Come on, fairy boy. I’m exhausted, and it’s cold out tonight.”
Link laughed and let her tug him back to their bedroom. His bag was set in a corner, and he was familiar enough with taking his armor off that it only took him a few minutes.
He paused, though, when he saw her set her knife back on the nightstand. “I didn’t know you carried a knife.”
“I feel better havin' it while you’re gone,” she said with a little shrug. “In the case of heroes breakin’ into my home, you understand.”
“Sorry about that,” he said again, wincing. “We really did try to let you sleep. I was hoping to surprise you in the morning.”
Malon waved the apology off, because she knew Link well enough to know he was going to be beating himself up about scaring her. “I know, Link. It was very sweet of you, but it’s hard to keep a group that big quiet. I tend to sleep lighter when you’re gone, anyway.”
“Really?” He set down the last piece of his armor and quickly changed into a shirt that didn’t smell like metal and sweat, then sat down on the bed next to her. “Why is that?”
“You’ll protect me,” she said simply, bumping her shoulder against his. “While I’m perfectly capable of takin' care of myself, when you’re here, I don’t have to keep an eye on things because I know you will.”
Link put an arm around her shoulders and pressed a kiss to her temple. “Only one eye, though.”
“Of course,” she chuckled.
Malon fell back to sleep with Link’s arms around her, his breath lightly ruffling her hair, and the feeling that everything was as it should be.
When she woke the next morning, a little after sunrise, she almost didn’t want to move. Link was snoring, ever so slightly, and with the way he was holding onto her, moving would almost certainly wake him up. And it had been a long night for him.
There were chores that had to be done, though. The animals would be awake soon, if they weren’t already.
Link mumbled something incomprehensible and pulled her a little closer.
… Maybe a few more minutes.
When she woke next, there was a lot more sunlight filtering through the curtains, and Link was gone. There were quiet voices in the rest of the house, but not as many as she was expecting.
Malon sat up with a yawn, then made her way over to the window to see how late she’d slept in.
It looked like she’d been asleep for maybe two hours. The sun was fully risen, and the day promised to be warm. Malon glanced over at the barn and smiled when she saw Link with a few of the boys, and a few more of them scattered further from the house. Apparently they were taking over chores for her today.
… Hm.
Twilight was a farmer. She’d had a long conversation with him the last time he was here, discussing the ranch, his farm back home, similarities and differences. He knew his way around. The others were less familiar with the way things worked, but they were smart boys, and eager to help. Besides, Link had made them help out last time, too, so they had at least a little bit of experience.
An idea was beginning to occur to her.
She’d been tossing that idea around for a while now, of course, but always in an abstract sort of way. Now it was starting to solidify.
Malon quickly got dressed and left the bedroom, ready to hunt down the necessary heroes to make this idea work.
Wild was in the kitchen, washing dishes, and he perked up when he saw her. “Good morning, Mrs Malon! Time said to let you sleep, so I saved some breakfast for you.”
“Thank you, dear,” she said with a smile, accepting a plate of eggs that he happily handed her. “That was kind of you. And you can just call me Malon, you know.”
Wild made a face. “Mmm, no. That feels wrong.”
Malon sighed and gave him a fond roll of her eyes as she took a seat at the unoccupied dining table. She still had full view of the kitchen, so it was easy to casually glance back over and ask “So, Link has you all doin' the chores today?”
“He said we owed it to you after waking you up last night,” Wild said a bit sheepishly. “Sorry about that, by the way. I feel like he would have come up with a reason to make us help regardless, though.”
“He probably would,” Malon agreed, because she knew how Link worked by now. Anything he could do to make her life easier, he would do in a heartbeat. “And don’t worry about last night, I’m glad I got to see you all before you scattered. Speakin’ of which, do you know what everyone’s doin’ today?”
Wild hummed thoughtfully, reaching for another plate to wash. “Well, I’m supposed to be inside all day watching Hyrule. I think Twi’s helping in the barn? Time should be there too, unless he went to help Wars fix that fence. Four’s probably in the forge like last time, and Legend might be helping him, he mentioned needing to brush up on blacksmithing stuff. I don’t know about Sky and Wind.”
Malon frowned. “Watchin’ Hyrule?”
“Hi,” called a voice from their couch. A hand poked up over the back of it, waving in her general direction.
“He used too much magic,” Wild explained. “Legend put him on bed rest for today, since we have the time.”
“I’m fine!” Hyrule protested. “Legend’s just being overprotective.”
Wild shrugged. “I don’t know nearly enough about magic for this, but I do know you have a habit of saying you’re fine when you aren’t, so you’re staying on the couch until Legend says otherwise.”
Hyrule’s hand reappeared, flopping pathetically against the back of the couch.
With a roll of his eyes, Wild took something out of his pocket and tossed it in a perfect arc over the back of the couch and - presumably - right on top of Hyrule.
“Thanks, Wild,” Hyrule chirped, and a moment later there was a crunching sound.
“Honey candy,” Wild explained quietly to Malon, who was mildly concerned about what had just happened. “Sugar’s good for him when he gets like this.”
Malon shook her head, biting back a fond little smile. Link had picked up some wonderful boys for this adventure. She went back to her breakfast, leaving Wild and Hyrule to bicker lightheartedly and bargain for more candy. She already had all of the information she needed, anyway.
Once she was finished eating, Malon headed for the barn. She passed Sky on the way - he had a cucco in his arms and was cooing softly at it - and gave him a nod and a smile, but didn’t stop to chat. She was on a mission.
“Hey, Malon!” Twilight called with a wave as she got close to the barn. He had a curry brush in his hand, and he was brushing down a horse that didn’t belong at this farm. His own Epona, she remembered.
“Good mornin’, Twilight,” she greeted him, coming over to give this new Epona a gentle pat on the nose. “Thank you for helpin’ out with the chores.”
“It’s no trouble,” he assured her. “I miss the ranch while we’re on the road, it’s nice to have somethin’ familiar.”
She nodded, giving Epona another pat, then turned to properly look him in the eye. “Well, I was wonderin’ if you would be willin’ to help me a little more.”
Twilight frowned. “Is somethin’ wrong?”
“No, no, not at all. I just had an idea.”
She quickly explained her plan, and a grin slowly grew on Twilight’s face as she talked.
“Absolutely,” he said as soon as she was finished. “I’ll take care of things, don’t worry.”
“I’m countin’ on you,” she said mock seriously, but she couldn’t quite hide the smile on her own face.
With Twilight properly briefed and on her side, Malon made her way into the barn to go find her husband.
There he was, bringing in feed for the horses. She couldn’t help stopping to watch him for a minute, listening to Link whisper in a language she couldn’t learn, like wind rustling in leaves. There was always such a soft smile on his face when he spoke like that, and Malon was fairly certain what he was really telling the horses was that he loved them.
Eventually, though, Link turned enough to catch sight of her. He set down the feed bag almost immediately, hurrying over to give her a kiss. “Good morning.”
“Mornin’, love,” Malon said back, cupping his face in her hands and running a thumb back and forth across his cheekbone. “You let me sleep in.”
“It was the least we could do after giving you a scare,” Link told her, pressing a kiss to her forehead and then her nose, bringing his hands up to rest on her hips.
She shook her head, leaning in to rest her forehead against Link’s chest. She could hear his heartbeat from this position, if she really listened. Something about that always felt comforting. “Don’t worry about it, hon. I promise it’s alright.”
“Mm.” That was Link-speak for I don’t agree with you, but I know better than to keep arguing. “Well, regardless, the boys and I have the chores handled for today. You can go rest for a while.”
“Actually, I had an idea,” she told him, pulling back enough to look up at her husband’s face. “I thought you and I might go to the market for a while.”
Link frowned, that sweet little concerned frown he always got when he was worried about things being left undone. “But the chores -”
“The boys can handle it,” Malon assured him, taking his hands in hers. “I talked to Twilight, and he’s gonna make sure everythin’ gets done that needs to get done.”
“But -”
“Link.” Malon gave his hands a little squeeze. “It’ll be alright. I just haven’t seen you in so long, and I want to spend some time with you before you have to run off again.”
Link wavered for another moment, then sighed, all the fight going out of him all at once. “… Alright. What are we getting at the market?”
“Oh, a few little things I had my eye on,” Malon said with a smile, lacing their fingers together and leading Link toward the horses’ stalls. “Maybe this and that for the house, too, I think we’re runnin’ low on some things.”
It was quick work to saddle up two horses, and soon they were both riding out of the barn.
Twilight waved as they passed him, calling after them “Have fun!”
“The rest of the boys might not know what to do,” Link pointed out, pulling back on the reins just slightly. “I should -”
“Twilight can handle it, hon,” Malon assured him gently. “And they’ve all helped out around the ranch before. It’ll be okay. And if it isn’t, then we can handle it tomorrow. They won’t break anythin’ we can’t fix.”
“… I suppose you’re right,” Link agreed, just a bit reluctantly, speeding his horse up to match Malon’s speed again.
The ride from the ranch to the market in Castle Town was a familiar one. They came here often to sell milk and eggs and to buy things like feed for the horses. Most of the vendors knew them, and after handing their horses off to a stable hand, walking into the marketplace felt almost like a gathering of friends.
“Malon!” one of the vendors called to her as they walked in. “This isn’t your usual market day. And you brought Link!”
“Hi, Omi,” Malon greeted them. “He’s in town for a little bit, so we’re just havin’ a market day to ourselves.”
Omi laughed. “Well, don’t let me keep you! Have fun, you two.”
“We will!”
“You said we were here to get things you’d been eyeing,” Link said with that adorable little frown.
Malon leaned a little against him, squeezing his hand. “We are. But I want you to tell me if you see anythin’ you want, alright?”
“… Alright.”
They stopped by a fabric stall first, and Malon bought some lovely yellow fabric she’d been meaning to get for a dress. She also pulled Link over to get his opinions on some nice blue fabrics, and when she found one he couldn’t stop running his fingers over, Malon bought enough to make a tunic out of.
“How much was that?” Link asked as they walked away from the stall, still running his hand over the fabric he had insisted on carrying for her.
Malon patted his arm. “Don’t worry about it. We’ll get enough use out of it that it’ll pay for itself.”
Link grumbled, but didn’t protest any further.
He definitely didn’t protest when he saw their next stop - a little bakery stall they often frequented. Malon knew he had a monster of a sweet tooth, and she took a warm sort of satisfaction in the way his ears pricked up excitedly when he realized where they were going.
“Hey, Malon, hey Link!” the baker greeted them as they approached. “What’ll it be today?”
“I’ll have a muffin, I think,” Malon said brightly, “and whatever Link wants.”
Link hummed thoughtfully, looking over the selection of baked goods. He lingered over the frosted cookies and the baklava, then reluctantly decided “… A cupcake.”
“And baklava, and a few of those cookies,” Malon said decisively, handing over the rupees before Link could protest.
“Malon!” Link spluttered. “There’s no need to -”
“You wanted them,” she pointed out, taking the sweets from the baker with a warm thank you.
Link began to say something, then paused. “… Maybe.”
Malon chuckled and leaned up to kiss his cheek. “Let me spoil you a little bit, darlin’. I hardly ever get to.”
“I’m hardly worth it, love,” Link said weakly, “and it’s expensive.”
“I have enough money to buy you anythin’ you want now and again,” Malon told him with a gentle pat on the arm.
They wandered the market for a while, after that. Malon bought a few spices she’d been running low on, as well as a new ladle. She also bought Link some fresh fruit, armor polish, and a small sculpture of a horse that he insisted looked like Epona.
“You really didn’t have to do this,” he told her quietly, turning the sculpture over in his hands.
“What, spoil my husband?” Malon asked with a little laugh. “I think that’s part of my job, hon.”
“I mean…” Link huffed, setting the horse down so he could sign instead. He did that, sometimes, when words were difficult. “You don’t have to do this much for me, just because we’re married. I’m happy just spending time with you.”
Oh, that was so sweet.
Malon took Link’s face in her hands, resting her forehead against his. “Darlin’, I know I don’t have to. I want to, because I love you, and you deserve the chance to relax and let me treat you every now and then. You work so hard, Link, and you’ve fought so much, and… and I can’t be there to help protect you, but I can make sure you have a place to come back to, and I can make sure you get sweets when you get here.”
Link didn’t reply, at least not out loud. He just put his arms around Malon’s waist and leaned into the pressure.
“Anythin’ else you want from the market, love?” Malon asked softly.
“… Some treats for the boys?” Link asked almost shyly. “They’ve been working hard, too.”
“Aw, fairy boy,” Malon breathed, pulling away just enough to kiss him. Goddesses, she loved that man. So selfless and sweet.
When she eventually had to come up for air, Link was smiling that rare, slightly crooked smile that he only ever gave to her. “Is that a yes?”
“Yes, Link, we can feed your boys,” Malon chuckled. “What do you think they’d like?”
Link, it turned out, had a very specific idea of what they would like. He spent at least twenty minutes deliberating, carefully selecting treats for each of the eight young heroes back on their ranch. More baklava, a few scones, another cupcake, another muffin, and a few cookies were added to their stack of purchases, and Link seemed very pleased with himself as they left the baker’s stall for the second time.
“We have some time before we need to get back,” Malon pointed out, leading the way to the stable where their horses were being kept. “Anywhere in particular you want to go?”
“… The Woods?” Link suggested hopefully. “I can make sure they leave you be.”
“Sounds wonderful,” Malon agreed. She trusted Link. If he said she’d be safe, she would be, even in the Woods.
Link beamed at her, swinging their joined hands back and forth just a bit.
The ride to the Woods should have taken longer than the ride to Castle Town, since they had to go past the ranch to get there. But Link was in a lighter mood, now, and when he got into a lighter mood he got playful. The ride quickly became a race, with both of them laughing and critiquing the other’s riding skills. By the time they reached the trees, Malon was breathless and giggly, and Link wasn’t much better. He took her hand to help her off of her horse, beaming, and he just looked so happy and windswept that Malon had to kiss him again.
“Care for a picnic?” Link asked when she had kissed him enough for the time being. He was still beaming.
“Lead the way,” she said with a little laugh, taking his hand and lacing their fingers together.
Link led her into the Woods, chuckling at her little shiver from crossing the threshold. They didn’t go far in, but it was just far enough that you could barely see Hyrule Field through the trees.
Malon held tight to her fairy boy and let him guide her. He was at home here, in some deep, instinctive way, and he had told her she would be safe. She trusted that more than she feared the Woods.
“How’s this?” Link asked, leading her into a small clearing covered with thick moss, dotted with flowers. Malon could hear a small creek flowing just on the other side. It was idyllic and serene and just perfect.
“It looks wonderful,” she told him, giving his hand a small squeeze.
They had a little picnic there of some of their baked goods - Malon’s muffin was delicious, and she let Link try a bite when he looked a little bit longingly at it. In return, he let her have some of his cupcake, though he did dot a bit of frosting on her nose and laugh with her about it.
She was so lucky, Malon thought, shifting so she could lean back against her husband’s chest, his arms automatically coming up to circle around her. Link may not always believe he was worth the effort and expense, but she did. He was worth every rupee, every moment of thought. In fact, she was rarely able to give him enough.
“I love you,” she told him, reaching up to run a hand through his hair.
Link pressed a kiss to the top of her head, whispering something in that language of leaves and wind and nature, and the forest shifted slightly around them in a breeze that hadn’t been there a moment before.
“What’s that mean?” Malon asked quietly, fiddling with his bangs.
She could feel Link’s smile, pressed into her hair. “What do you think it means?”
She knew. Just like with the horses, she knew. “That you love me, too.”
“With everything I am,” Link murmured, tapping his ring finger lightly against her arm. “It just… feels more true, to say it in Kokiri.”
“I like hearin’ it however you like sayin’ it,” Malon murmured back, her hand falling to brush a knuckle over his face. “I know what it means, even if I don’t understand it.”
Link let out a long breath. “What did I ever do to deserve you?”
“Mm, do you want a list?”
“Do you have one?” Link sounded almost surprised.
Malon shook her head with a light little laugh. “Not ready, but I can make one if you give me a few minutes. My point is that you are more than deservin’ of a partner that loves you, fairy boy.”
“As you make sure to remind me,” Link said, kissing her hair again. “Thank you, love.”
“Any time, darlin’. I’m always glad to be a reminder.”
They stayed in the Woods for… some length of time. Malon found that when Link nudged her and told her they had been there for exactly an hour, she couldn’t tell if that was true or not. He could have told her it had been several hours or only a few minutes, and she would have believed him the same.
But he led her out the same way they came in, and left a small piece of baklava for the fairies, and rode back to the ranch with her looking lighter than he had in a long time, so Malon didn’t worry about it. She trusted her Link, and the uncertainty of the Woods was well worth seeing him so relaxed and happy.
There were a lot of pieces to Link’s life that Malon didn’t understand. She probably never would understand the things that made him go haunted and distant, the things that kept her playful, sweet fairy boy locked up behind polite smiles and stiff shoulders. But that was alright. She didn’t have to understand. All she needed to do was be there for him when he needed her, and when he needed a reminder that he was loved.
She was always happy to do that. And, if it came with the perk of being able to spoil her husband sometimes, so much the better.