You didn't know what to say as you stood in the doorway of your old home, faced with your family and someone who had grown to become family to you. They evidently didn't know what to say either, so your mother acted on her feelings and hurried to you. She took you into a hug and you wrapped your arms around her, having missed her as well.

This was a much sweeter reunion than last time already, because you had returned to them by your own want. "I can't believe you left again," your mother mumbled into your ear.

"I'm not sorry for leaving," you said. "I had to go."

She pulled away from you slightly to send you a stern look. "You did not have to leave."

"Mom," you said, "you don't understand-"

"Of course I don't," she interrupted. "I don't know what it's like to make my mother worried sick by leaving unannounced with a stranger for months on end."

You looked at her with a dumbfounded look on your face. "You ran off to marry dad," you said. "That doesn't count?"

She huffed. "That was different." Her eyes softened and she sighed. She traced a finger over the cut on your cheek. It was nearly gone but clearly it hadn't gone away entirely yet. "I was just so worried about you."

"I'm sorry for making you worry. But I know how to take care of myself."

"The cut on your cheek tells me differently, but give me a minute and I'll get something for it." She stepped away from you and once she was out of the way you realized your father had been waiting for his turn. He was standing a few feet away, and once your mother walked away, he held his arms out to you. You stepped into them, accepting his hug and giving him one in return.

"How are you feeling?"

"I feel fine," you answered honestly. "I came home because I missed you guys after being on my own for so long."

Your father pressed a kiss to the top of your head. "I'm glad you're back- we both are. Don't worry about your mother; she's just a bit frazzled at the moment."

"I can tell," you said with a smile.

You pulled away from each other just as your mother returned with a simple bandage. She placed it over your cheek gently, then stepped away. Pan stepped up to you next, offering you a simple smile. You got closer to him, expecting a hug, but he ruffled your hair instead. "I'm still mad at you for not buying any of my crabs," he said with a sly smile.

You rolled your eyes. "If they were of any value, I would have. You had some low-quality crabs, so I didn't want to waste my money on you."

He held a hand over his heart and pouted, acting as if you had personally offended him. "(Y/n), I'm shocked. Siblings are supposed to support one another. What if I died out there, because I had no money left to buy food since you refused to buy my wares?"

"I suppose we'll never find out, because you're still here," you said with a laugh.

You looked over your brother's shoulder to see Link still standing awkwardly off to the side, looking at anything other than you. You frowned and went to say something when your attention was stolen by your family again. Your mother crossed her arms, and you winced because you knew what was coming now. The pleasantries were over.

"Why did you take off again, (Y/n)?" Your mother asked, and you knew that this was a question that, no matter what you answered with, it would be wrong.

You took a breath before answering. "If it's my most honest answer you want, then it was because I wanted to find Link."

"You left without any warning, in the middle of the night, and-"

"I did leave a note," you said quietly, shifting weight between your feet. Looking up at her through your eyelashes, you could see the mild annoyance flash across her features.

She settled her hands on her hips and scoffed. "Ah, yes, your note. It was so very helpful, (Y/n)." She reached into her pocket and held it up so you could see it. "Saying that 'wherever Link is, is my home' doesn't put my mind at ease, in case you didn't know."

Out of the corner of your eyes, you saw Link's eyes widen. He noticed how embarrassed you looked and noted the blush that spread across your cheeks as your mother revealed what you said.

"(Y/n)," your mother continued with a sigh, "you can't even begin to understand the implications behind those words."

"Alright, alright," your father interceded. "She's home now, isn't she?" Your father looked at you but you couldn't meet his eyes. Your mother sent you one more pointed look before your father ushered her away to the other side of the room to talk alone.

"Pan," you said, looking at your brother. He nodded at you, prodding you to continue. "Why are you here? It isn't in your schedule to be here during this time of year. You should already be back down by the coast, shouldn't you?"

"I decided to take a little break," he said simply. "I decided to spend time with ma and pa while they're here."

As you nodded, taking in his answer, you didn't realize Link had approached you. He wasn't wearing his usual blue tunic, the one from Impa, and was instead just wearing the Hylian trousers and his usual long-sleeved undershirt.

You briefly looked into his eyes and saw the relief in them before he took you into a hug wordlessly. His arms came around you in a gentle but firm embrace, and you put your arms around him and just relished the fact that you were able to even hold him again.

"I came back to check on you," he said after a moment, into your ear. "But you weren't here. Only a few minutes after I was let in by your parents your brother came in."

"How long have you been here?"

"Only a few days," he answered quietly. He brought you closer and tightened his embrace. "I've...(Y/n), I've missed you."

You closed your eyes and pressed your cheek to his shoulder. "I've missed you too. I spent months looking for you. I waited at the entrance to the Domain for weeks but you never showed, so...I came back."

"You waited for me?"

You pulled away slightly to look into his eyes. "What did you expect me to do? I never wanted to come here, Link. I left so I could find you."

Link went to say more, his blue eyes conflicted, but your father cleared his throat. You pulled away from Link completely but his arms seemed to linger before he brought them back to his sides. "(Y/n)," your father said, "would you like to help me with dinner?"

You nodded, beginning to walk with him to the kitchen but you stopped mid-step. You turned your head and looked back at Link. "Link, are you staying for dinner?"

Link thought for a moment, then nodded his head. "I can stay for a few more days, if you want me to."

"It's fine with me," your father said. "Now come on, (Y/n), we have carrots to prepare."

---

The fight night back in your old home was odd. Your parents took your old bed, and Pan slept in his. Link slept on the couch and you got to rest in some sleeping bags. It was very odd to have your whole family, excluding extended members, of course, under one roof. Usually when your parents visited, they slept in the Inn down in the main part of the village due to the limited amount of space in your house.

You didn't get very much sleep that night. You were up thinking. You thought about just how weird this situation you found yourself in was. You thought about how Link was just a few feet away and yet still seemed so far away.

When you woke in the morning, your father decided he needed some fruit for your lunch so he sent you and Pan down to the beach to pick some. Armed with baskets and plenty of complains for the work, the two of you made your way up the hill until the fork came, and then started the downward trek to the shore.

As you left, Link had still been sleeping, which surprised you. You had expected him to be up early and helping out as much as he possibly could. Perhaps he was pretending to sleep to try and get away from the awkward atmosphere that had blanketed your house.

The trip to the beach was uneventful. Pan had tried pushing you into the ocean but you had grabbed him instead and pushed him in. That led to a lot of laughs from the both of you, especially as he got out of the water and tried to hug you to get you wet. At that point you had grabbed the fruit baskets and ran with them.

Your parents weren't exactly thrilled when the two of you had shown back up on the doorstep soaking wet.

By the third day, however, things had calmed down. The awkward atmosphere between you and your parents and with Link was lifted as everyone grew comfortable with each other. Your family grew to enjoy Link's company, especially since he was able to do a lot of work quickly. If your father needed wood for the fire, Link was able to chop some relatively quickly. If your mother needed help cleaning, Link was the first to volunteer his help.

The chores that were distributed between you three "kids", meaning you, Pan, and Link, usually kept you and Link away from each other. If Link had time to rest, you were given something to do. If you had time to relax, Link was asked to help with something else.

As hard as it made it to catch up with him, or at least just spend time with him, at least you knew that your parents at least liked him. They hadn't asked him to stay in the Inn, for one thing, and they were always pleasant when talking with him. They told him old family stories and jokes and even gave him advice when doing certain household duties.

You overheard some of the advice your father had for Link about being able to tell which vegetables were ready to eat or not as you sat outside in the shade reading a book. You were resting after taking care of the animals in your care; your few chickens, a couple of sheep your father had bought in your absence, and now, Nayru and Epona as well. There was a small bench set against the side of your house and the chickens strutted nearby, and the sheep and horses grazed around them.

You were surprised the other day when you had gone outside to feed Nayru when you found Epona grazing nearby. You hadn't seen her when you arrived, but as you found out, that was because she had gotten loose from her tether and had gone down to the beach on her own. Link had to go search her out, and Pan had gone with him to help.

As Link got his advice from your father, who was pointing out good vegetables as opposed to ones that weren't ready, you looked up from your book to see that Link was already looking at you. When you met his eyes, one eyebrow rising in a silent question, he flushed red and looked down at the vegetables he was supposed to be paying attention to.

You smiled briefly before returning your attention to your book. The book you were reading was one based on one of the oldest known structures in Hyrule that was built by Hylians. It was the Temple of Time, and apparently its ruins were situated on the Great Plateau. The structure was mainly in ruins now, but the thought of visiting it still captivated you. The history on the plateau itself was rich, and within the walls of the Temple, this was doubly true.

Gazing into a drawing of it in the book and wondering what it would be like to visit, you didn't realize Link was standing in front of you. He waved his hand in front of your face and you looked up, mildly embarrassed that you had been so engrossed in the book. You met his eyes and noticed that he was smiling at you.

You leaned to one side and looked around him. "Where'd my father go?"

"He picked what vegetables he deemed ready for cooking and went back inside. Can I sit with you?"

"Of course," you said, sliding over a bit. He sat down next to you and looked at the book you were reading.

"The Temple of Time, huh? Have you ever been there?"

You scoffed. "People can't just visit the Great Plateau, Link. There's no way for people to get up there. But the Shrine of Resurrection is up there, right? You must've at least seen it, then."

"I've been inside of it," Link confirmed. You closed your book and looked at him.

"What was it like?"

"It wasn't much to look at," he admitted, "but I could tell that once it was a place of beauty. What was it used for, anyway?"

You opened the book back up and turned to the beginning where it gave a brief history of the events that took place within the Temple. You placed your finger on the page, pointing out a paragraph. "It's said that the Hero of Time visited the temple as a child and, since he had three Spiritual stones, was able to get through and into the chamber where the Master Sword slept. The hero grabbed it and fell asleep for seven years, or so it is said. When he woke up, he was from then on able to go back and forth in time from the temple and managed to defeat Ganon."

Link sighed and leaned back on his hands. "I wish I could travel through time. It'd certainly make this whole thing easier."

"No one said it'd be easy," you said. "And it certainly wasn't easy for the Hero of Time to do it. Being a hero takes work, Link, you know that."

Link looked off towards the horizon. You took this moment to take a good look at him. He looked relaxed, something you hadn't seen in a long time. His eyes were calm and his face was void of fresh cuts or bruises. You did see a thin cut trailing down his collarbone and down into his shirt and your brows furrowed.

"Link," you said, "where'd you get the cut on your neck?"

Link looked to you and then away, his fingers running down its length absentmindedly. "Oh, that. Just a Yiga Clan member getting a little too close."

"I'd say that was very close," you said. "You should get that covered up so it can heal."

"I would've done it myself, but I didn't have any bandages left in my pack," he said sheepishly.

"Well, come on inside. I'll take care of it for you." You stood, the book in one hand, and reached out for Link with the other one. He was just about to take it when a voice startled you both.

"(Y/n)," your father called, "it's time to come help me cook."

"I'm coming, dad," you called, sighing. "I'll patch you up later, ok?"

"Ok," he said, sending you a cheeky smile as you headed towards the house.

---

As the week came to a close, your father sent you and Link to fetch some groceries from the main part of the village. You were surprised that he sent you with Link, instead of by yourself or with Pan, because that's what they'd been doing all week, but you didn't complain. Link was evidently surprised as well, as he asked your father if he'd heard correctly. Your father had simply laughed and handed Link the list of what to get before sending you both off.

The walk down to the village was quiet. It wasn't awkward, nor was it forced. It was comfortable, but you felt as though Link wanted to say something, if the look on his face was anything to base that off of.

In the past week it surprised you how well he got along with everyone, and how quick they were to integrate him into the family chores. They treated him like another son and while this was a good thing, you wondered if Link was comfortable with it. He had lost his own family- perhaps this was a bit much for him.

Regardless, he seemed to enjoy himself when he spoke with Pan and joked around with him, discussed things with your mother, and swapped stories with your father. Throughout the week you had seen him open up to them, talking about things he had seen and things he had done.

Each and every time you looked up from whatever you were doing and saw him smiling and speaking with a member of your family, you simply didn't have it in your power to hide the smile that would inevitably make it onto your face.

You passed by the inn when you were stopped by a few of your old friends, a few of which had stopped you upon your return to the village earlier that week. You stopped, and Link stood by your side as they came up to you.

"(Y/n)," one of the girls said, "these past few months, where have you been?"

"You've been gone for nearly a year," exclaimed another.

"And who is this?" One of them gestured to Link as she asked.

"I've been off adventuring Hyrule," you explained simply. "And if you want to know who this is, you can ask him yourself."

Link flushed with embarrassment as he was bombarded with questions. They realized they were overwhelming him and ceased their questions to let him speak. You looked at him from the corner of your eyes and gave him an encouraging smile when he looked at you for support.

"I'm Link," he said somewhat quietly. "I'm her partner."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," one of the girls said, and the others agreed. "Are you two staying in the village long?"

You shrugged, and pushed Link along with you as you walked off. "We'd love to talk more, but we have groceries to buy!"

You stopped pushing him along with you as soon as you were away from the girls and neared the shop. The two of you went inside and purchased everything on the list with Rupees your father had handed to you.

Once out, you began the slow walk back up the hill to your house with the bags in your hands. Link had that conflicted look on his face again and you looked at him. "Link, is there something you want to say?" He slowed down, prompting you to stop as well. He went to speak but then closed his mouth and shook his head. He continued walking, as did you. "What are you plans from here on out?"

He bit his lip before answering. When he did answer you, he spoke slowly. "I was thinking of leaving pretty soon...maybe tomorrow afternoon or in the morning."

This time, you stopped walking. He stopped a pace after you and turned to look at you. "When were you going to tell me this?"

"I...I don't know. I just know that I have to leave sometime soon because...well I still have to tame the Divine Beast on Death Mountain and I still haven't even been to the Domain yet." Your eyes widened. "I've wasted a lot of time. I've loved spending this time here but..."

You looked him in the eyes. "I'll go with you," you said resolutely, shifting the bags in your hands.

Link shook his head as his eyes met yours. "From here on out it's just too dangerous, (Y/n)," he said.

"Link, I've just been on the road for months on my own. I killed every monster I saw, including Lynels and Hinoxes and even those damned Taluses, all to keep my promise to you. And you're still refusing to let me come with you? It's like you don't want me to go with you...You do, don't you?"

"Of course I want you there with me," he said, "but I just can't see you get hurt again."

"How do you think I feel whenever I see you get hurt?" Link looked down and away. "I couldn't stand to see you hurt but I still stood by you. I didn't run away or leave you somewhere. Please, Link, I want more than anything to travel with you again."

Link was quiet for a moment. "Alright," he said, bringing a smile to your lips, "but only if you get permission from your parents."

"I'm not a child," you huffed, turning away from him.

"(Y/n)," Link tried, "I know you're not, I just want to make sure..." He trailed off, not knowing really where to go with his statement.

"Just drop it," you muttered, continuing your walk up the hill.

When would everyone realize that you could make decisions for yourself?

---

You placed the salad bowl down in the middle of the table and smiled at your handiwork. Everyone was already seated at the table, looking at the food eagerly. Your father let you make the meal tonight, and along with the salad as a side you made duck for the main course. Everything you made smelled delicious (though you were certainly biased) and you sat down in your seat.

Your father was at the head of the table, and your mother was at the other. You were next to Pan, and across the table from you was Link. Your stomach churned at the thought of asking your parents about leaving with Link again, but you decided to wait until a little later in the meal to bring it up.

Your parents always were a little more persuadable after getting good food in their bellies, anyway. So everyone began eating, and the conversation was light and natural, having very few topics of any substance. Pan was planning to leave in a few days, so your mother wanted to send with him a few old trinkets of hers to sell.

Your father wanted to open a small restaurant in Kakariko Village, or even just a small stand. Many travelers visited the village, so he was sure that there would always be fresh mouths to feed.

It wasn't until Link and your father were on their third helpings of food and the conversation began to slow that you brought up what you wanted to. The only sounds in the room were the utensils of the two men moving around their plates. Birds chirped outside, and a pleasant breeze flowed through the open window. The curtains shifted slightly in the breeze, and the room was basking in the golden glow of the setting sun.

You looked up from your empty plate and locked eyes with your mother. Her eyes searched yours, and she pursed her lips slightly. You wondered if your eyes really revealed that much to her. Summoning the resolve to, you cleared your throat, calling the attention of everyone at the table.

"Mom, dad," you began, looking at each of them in turn, "I would like to go with Link when he leaves to continue his adventure."

Silence followed your statement. Your father put his fork down gently and continued chewing, though his eyes were aimed at the table and he appeared deep in thought. Your mother was looking at Link, as if gauging his reaction. Pan was looking at you, confused. In his eyes you could see he wanted to object or ask something, but he caught himself and looked at your mother. Link was looking at his plate, his fork uselessly poking a piece of meat.

Your fingers fidgeted in your lap and your knee bounced anxiously as you waited for an answer, or any sign of what they were thinking. Your father swallowed his food, then looked to you.

"Are you serious about this whole adventuring business?"

You nodded. "I love it. It lets me see the world, I meet so many new people, I do all these amazing things, and it just makes me feel free to do anything. When I'm out there, I feel happier than I can ever recall being. And besides, I promised Link that I'd help him in any way I could."

"Link," your father said, "You weren't lying about that whole hero thing, were you?"

"No, sir," Link said with a shake of his head. "If I didn't have to fight Calamity Ganon, then I wouldn't."

"(Y/n) will not be accompanying you to fight that thing, will she?"

Link shook his head again. "We came to the agreement that I should be alone to fight him and conquer each of the Divine Beasts."

Your father considered this. He must at least appreciate the precautionary measures Link had made to ensure your safety. He looked at your mother, and you looked at her as well.

"Helping the hero...helping Link, I mean..." She said quietly, still looking at the table. She took a second to gather her thoughts before meeting your steady gaze. "It makes you happy?" You nodded. "Does it give you a sense of fulfillment? Like you're helping, like you're doing good for the world?"

"Every time a monster is killed, and every time we help someone, I feel more alive than I do doing anything else."

She took a deep breath, but it seemed like everyone else was holding theirs. "If your father is alright with it...then so am I."

A weight was lifted off of your chest that you weren't even aware was there to begin with. You looked at your father to see him already smiling at you. "It makes my little girl happy. How can I say no to that?"

You stood from your chair and rushed to him, wrapping your arms around his shoulders in a hug. One of his hands came up to pat your head and he chuckled affectionately. "Thank you," you said quietly. You let go of him and rounded the table to reach your mother. Giving her a kiss on the cheek, you thanked her as well.

She smiled at you, but her eyes looked pained. "Just be sure to visit sometimes, alright?"

You nodded. "I promise."

Pan stood up, surprising you. "Are you two really allowing this? She could get seriously hurt...again!"

"You aren't the parent," your father reminded him. "If you can go out into the world, so can she."

"Pan," you said, "I got hurt from a careless mistake."

"Well," your father said, standing up from his seat and patting his stomach. "That was a delicious dinner. Thank you, (Y/n), for making it. Now, I believe that in the morning your mother and I better be off for Kakariko. We've been away from home for far too long, I think, so if the two of you are out of the way, it would make our departure much easier."

He smiled at you and you realized what he was saying. Grinning, you looked at Link who got it as well. They were allowing you to leave right now. "Now hold on," your mom said, "let me get you some extra clothes to pack and hon, grab them some extra food..."

---

Not even half an hour later, your packs were full of extra provisions and your weapons were strapped to your belts, in their rightful places. Epona and Nayru were prepared for riding and they seemed to be more than eager to set off as well. Your family walked with you as you and Link walked the horses down the road.

Once in the low part of Hateno, you slowed the horses just before the gate. The two of you prepared to mount your horses, and you got into the saddle as your father walked over and held Epona's reins.

"Link," he said, looking at him seriously, "you better make sure that my little girl doesn't get hurt again- in any way- not just by monsters. Got that?" Link nodded and promised that he'd do his best. "That's all I can ask for."

Link mounted Epona and gave you a smile as your eyes met. Just past him you saw a small group of your parents' old friends approach your small group. Your mother was adjusting the packs on Nayru and your father was just standing and waiting, but both turned to greet them.

"Are you really allowing this," one of the parents asked. "You're letting your daughter go off – again – with a stranger?"

"Link is no stranger," your mother said. "He's been staying with us and he's a lovely boy. It would do you well, Deb, to stay out of the business of others."

She backed off, as did the other parents. You smiled down at her, surprised at the display. She sent you a smirk and wink. "Alright, you two," she said. "Stay safe." She gestured for you to get to her level so you leaned over in the saddle so she could give you a kiss on the cheek. She then turned and gestured for Link to do the same. He leaned over, looking somewhat confused, and she pressed a quick kiss to his cheek as well. "And remember, you promised to visit."

"Safe travels," your father said, walking over and pressing a kiss to your cheek as well. Your father joined your mother just off to the side of your horses and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. Pan waved and gave you a smile, telling you he'd see you on the road eventually.

With your farewells given, you and Link kicked into the sides of your steeds and left Hateno- together, this time.

---

Making camp that night not too far from the Dueling Peaks Stable, you realized how easy it was for the two of you to get back into the swing of things. You had faced a small group of Bokoblins already and your usual strategies didn't need to be reviewed nor readjusted. They still worked and still worked perfectly.

It wasn't until night fell that the real changes came. You and Link were settled in your bedding already, when he told you, once more, how much he had missed you. "I really didn't know what to do without you," he said. "I didn't realize just how helpful you'd been. I guess I kind of took advantage of it...I'm just glad you decided to come with me again."

He sent you a smile that warmed your heart. "I couldn't very well refuse to do the best thing that I'd done in my life so far," you said. "Adventuring with you gave me purpose. I couldn't give that up. Hylia, I missed you more than anything."

You leaned back on your hands and looked up at the sky. Through a break in the trees you saw a yellow streak dash through- a shooting star. You sat up, watching where it went. "Link," you said, already standing, "a shooting star! Let's go get it!"

Running through the underbrush with Link following close behind, your smile never left your face. You eventually reached the spot where you saw the star fall. Scaling a small cliff, you found yourself on the edge of a small pond that fireflies danced on the surface of. In the center of the small pond was the star fragment- a small, yellow trinket that glowed with a faint light. You continued towards it, the water only being ankle-deep. You picked it up and stood, the fragment illuminating your face with its faint glow. It was warm, but only slightly.

Link caught up with you. You smiled as you looked at it, admiring its beauty. Nothing in Hyrule would truly compare with the beauty of space. At least, in your mind, nothing would compare. In Link's, there was one thing that could.

He smiled at you fondly as you gazed over the star. He decided right then and there that he'd stop thinking about things. He'd let his heart take control. And he did.

He stopped thinking and his heart took over. He put one hand on your cheek, caressing it. The simple action stole your attention away from the star and you looked into his eyes. His other hand came to your waist tentatively, as if wondering if it was ok, before leaning in.

His eyes flickered to your lips before returning to your eyes. They then closed, and yours followed shortly after his. You leaned closer, the distance between you waning steadily. And then, your lips touched.

The kiss was gentle and soft and simple, but it said what so many complicated words couldn't.

The fragment was dropped back into the water. Your arms came to wrap around his neck loosely, tugging him closer to you and he gladly obliged. You felt him smile into the kiss, and you couldn't help it when one spread across your lips too. Pulling away, you laughed gently and looked into his eyes.

When he met your gaze, his cheeks flushed red but he didn't look away. His smile only grew and the warmth your hands felt from the star fragment was nothing compared to the warmth your heart felt from his smile alone.

Author's Note: Thoughts? I thoroughly enjoyed writing this one. I hope you all enjoyed, and I will see you all in the next chapter.