Chapter Text
Malon opened her eyes to the comforting sight of her husband. Haloed in the soft morning light, he was fast asleep against the pillow. A peaceful look on his face smoothing the worry lines he usually wore. It made him seem years younger, bringing Malon back to the time where he was just “Fairy Boy,” never in one place for long, appearing and disappearing like the wind itself. A time when she would hear stories about him doing incredible things and saving so many people. When he would appear at her ranch bruised and battered, in desperate need of medical help. And when he would give her that roguish smirk before disappearing off to goddesses know where.
An affectionate smile spread over her cheeks as she leaned over and gave him a quick peck on the forehead. He opened his beautiful blue eye almost immediately, giving her a sleepy smile.
“Mornin’ gorgeous,” he mumbled, wrapping his arms around her middle and pulling her in close, nuzzling against her shoulder. Malon laughed and play-smacked him.
“Come on, we have to get up soon.” She gently tried to extract herself from his admittedly cozy grasp.
“Noooooo,” he grumbled, pulling her even closer against him. “I just got home last night, surely everything else can wait.” Malon chucked at her husband’s pouting, whoever said he was a responsible person hadn’t seen him in the morning.
“I know but the cuccos aren’t known for their patience. You know how they get when I’m late.” Finally escaping from the tangle of limbs and bedhead that was her husband, Malon flicked his nose and grinned. “Come, let’s face the morning!”
A single bleary eye watched her as she moved around their room. It was smallish, having been Malon’s childhood bedroom as well, but it fit her and Link just fine. There was a beautiful oak chest in one corner that had been a wedding present from her father. Inside there were several precious items from Malon’s early life, as well as her wedding dress and Link’s old green tunic. An ancient handwoven rug with a strange yellow bird design laid under her slippered feet. It was the oldest thing Malon owned, almost as much as a LonLon heirloom as the ranch itself.
As Malon finished up her morning routine by pulling up her hair into a low ponytail, she heard her husband let out a loud, exaggerated groan as he finally left the warm embrace of their bed. She was stopped from turning around by the solid arms of her husband curling around her waist.
“You’re so beautiful, you know that, right?” he whispered softly, resting his chin at the top of her head.
“You only tell me that a million times a day, so I’m not sure,” she teased, leaning back into his embrace.
He pulled away with a smirk. “Then I’ll have to make sure to tell you more often.” Link placed a peck against her cheek before continuing. “Wake up Wild to help you with breakfast, there’s way too many of us for one cook to handle. I’m honestly unsure of where he gets all that food from.”
Malon smiled. “Let the boys sleep. I can handle breakfast if you get the cuccos their morning feed.” At the mention of cuccos, her husband first recoiled in disgust but eventually nodded. The hands around her waist fell away as Link moved to prep himself, and Malon paused for a second as she watched him go about sleepily. She wanted to stay and watch for longer, but with a miniscule sigh she moved out of the room.
Moving softly down the hallway Malon paused outside the normally empty guest room, where a chorus of snores could be heard. A contented smile bloomed on her face as she peered through the open doorway at the piles of blankets, limbs and hair that dotted the largeish room.
A thought flitted into her mind unbidden but not entirely unwelcome. She thought about a future where she would have her own pile of limbs to watch over, not for just a night or two but for years. A future that seemed likely, she thought, as her gaze settled on the brown hair of her descendent. Something warm blossomed in her chest: pride, love, and a different, unnameable feeling that brought joy up from a place deep within her.
She quietly sneaked away from the doorway, her happiness visible from all angles. Entering the kitchen she grabbed her apron and set to work at breakfast. A few minutes in she heard the footsteps of her husband enter the kitchen.
“Wish me luck,” he said pressing a kiss against the back of his neck.
“You know they only dislike you because you show your fear?”
She didn't get an answer to that only ininteligible grumbles as he exited the house. She watched him go with a bemused smile on her face before turning back to her work, as she cooked she began to hum Epona’s song softly. It rang out through the morning air and Malon could hear two whinneys in response, along with the aggravated shouting of her husband that disrupted the relative peace of the ranch. Suppressing a laugh Malon smiled, being here in this moment, at this place gave her a sense of fulfillment that she hadn't felt maybe ever. This really was one of life's sweet moments.