( 2494 words) 

(y/n)'s POV

Getting to the island I stepped off the ship and onto the shore. With my back to Linebeck I heard him start talking. 

"Whew! We finally made it to the island! But this sure is one gusty isle! Yep, surely this has got to be the Isle of Gust. So you li'l green parrot, why don't you go fly off in search of the next spirit?" 

Hearing Link give his usual confident hum, he ran towards me. Stopping as he looked at me, grabbing my hand gently. I knelt down and looked at him. He tilted his head and then looked at Linebeck. I knew he wanted me to go talk to him. But what would I say? How would it turn out? 

"Link is right, you know. You should go talk to Linebeck." I looked to see Ciela looking at me as she sat on his hat. Looking over to Linebeck he looked at me for a moment before he put his hands in his pockets and walked back to the Control Room. 

Sighing gently. "Now isn't time for our relationship problems. I mean, not that we have a relationship!" shaking my head I stood up, Link's gaze following me. "Let's just get to the temple" I said as we walked off. Looking around the island we felt the wind hit us, watching as Link slid a little. 

"Ciela, sit in my bag so you don't get blown away" I said and she nodded while I opened the bag a little. Partially closing it so she could still see where we were going. Getting to the main part of the island and fighting the winds as best as we could, we ran around to the lower area where we threw bomb flowers at a crack in the wall to get a cave. 

Running inside to escape the winds. Getting inside we saw a chest. As Link opened it, he  got a courage gem. Looking at the journal on the desk we walked over to it. "You never know where the wayfaring winds will take you next... After windy months on this island. I discovered smaller islands nearby." 

Looking at Link as I rose a brow. The uncharted islands. There were two, one near the corner south of Wayfarer's island and one to the west of it. Leaving the room Link and  I went to the stairs and used the wind to help me get over a few gaps. Smiling when I saw the boy do it too, we continued on our way. Getting down to the next area link defeated the moblins and I went into a cave. 

Waiting for Link to catch up I looked through some vases. Humming gently as I heard the small footsteps of Link behind me. Looking at him I stood and we continued through the cave. Getting into a bigger room we hopped down from the platform and I opened the chest as he took care of the moblins. Getting a wisdom gem I looked at link as a chest appeared he opened it and got a treasure map. 

Going to the Southeastern corner we left the cave and ended up outside. Running to the left I sighed gently. We got around the moblins and everything else that was in our way. Looking at the entrance to the temple, we saw a picture. Looking at it, it wanted us to get the windmills going. Marking the map where one was, we left for the windmill. Heading north, we got to the windmill. Raising a brow as there wasn't a windmill around where the map said there was, we looked at the picture. 

Seeing some little wind symbols on the map. Hearing Link read the slate behind me, I looked to see the map. Writing each windmill we had to blow on. "You get the closest two, I'll get the last one" I said and he nodded. Going towards the windmill I blew on it to get it moving. Hearing something behind me I turned. 

Finding something in the sand I made a run for the windmill. Getting on the stairs the creature left me alone. I had forgotten these things were on this island. Once they were all spinning, there was a rumbling noise. South of the area I was at I ran for the door that opened. Meeting Link there when I got there. Heading towards the east we hopped down and got into the entrance. Looking at Link I stopped for a moment. Taking Ciela out of my back, I put her under Link's hat. 

"You can continue on from here? I think I'm going to go and talk to Linebeck. Might as well get it over with." I said as I looked at the boy. He gave a nod and smiled gently. I made my way back to the harbor while, Link went into the Temple. Getting to the ship I found Linebeck on the deck with a bucket of soapy water and a sponge in his hand. His jacket and vest were off as his sleeves were rolled up and so were his pants. 

Scrubbing the deck he didn't notice me. Guessing on how he was scrubbing the same spot for 5 minutes and how he was muttering, something was bothering him. Clearing my throat I looked at him. He turned to see me before he leaned back, sitting on his legs. Putting the sponge in the bucket I walked over. 

"When I was younger, my grandpa taught me about his ship. I would often help him clean the deck. He would always tell me to scrub with the grain of the wood. If you didn't it would only make you have to work harder, and destroy the sponge you were using." I said. Glancing at Linebeck he looked at me. 

"You're the first girl that I've met that knows how to handle a ship." he said before he stood. Nodding gently, he offered me his hand as he helped me up. "Did you get the temple done? Why are you here?" 

Sighing gently I looked at the sudsy floor. "Ciela and Link both thought that it would be beneficial, if we talked." He looked out at the sea and sighed gently. "They think there's something wrong.... between us." 

Sighing he looked at me again. "That's because there is.... something between us" Looking at him I nodded. He moved the bucket and walked over to the control room. I followed him and he closed the door. Sitting at the small table he looked at me. 

"Might as well take advice from a fairy. So, let's talk" he said. Walking over to the seat next to him, I sat down. 

"When I came up the stairs when we got to Molida Island, You were talking to Ciela about something. When you saw me you were quick to wave her off and dismiss the conversation, why?" 

He sighed as he looked at the table. "I didn't want you to hear what we were talking about" 

"So you told them, you didn't like me?" 

He nodded. "I did. But i only did that because I couldn't face the way I felt about you. How I still feel" 

Looking at him quickly I was surprised. "Still... feel...?" 

Reaching his hand out to wrap it around mine, he nodded gently. "I don't know what it is, but I find myself wanting to be around you constantly. To make sure you're all right. For you to be happy. When I heard you on the deck the night we were getting through the fog, it took every fiber of my being not to go out there and hold you." 

Blushing I looked at him. Before we could say anything we heard the pitter patter of Link's boots on the deck. He ran into the storage area, and ran over to me. Putting his hand on my leg as a child wanting to show his mother a new drawing, he smiled wide. "We have the spirit of wisdom!" Ciela said. 

Linebeck was looking at his hands as he fiddled with something. Link turned to look at him and smiled a little. "We need to go to the Temple of the Ocean king, next" Ciela mentioned. Linebeck nodded and went to the deck to get everything ready. 

Ciela looked at me and then to Link. "Go help Linebeck with the ship" he nodded and ran off. Looking at Ciela she sat on a bottle of ink that was on the table. Looking at me she tilted her head. "What did he say?" 

"He said that, he told you that he didn't have feelings for me, since he couldn't face them. He said that he wants me to be happy, and he wants to make sure that I'm all right. I don't know, Ciela, he practically said that he loved me!" Laying my head on the table with a thud I groaned. "Why is this so difficult?" 

Hearing that the ship had started and was pulling out of the harbor i looked at the fairy. Smiling a little she looked at me. "Help us get through the next part of the Temple of the Ocean King, give Linebeck time to think. Then we can see what happens. He's probably as confused as you are." Nodding, we shoved off and headed for Mercay island. 

Link walked down the stairs and looked at me. "Going to bed, sweetie?" I asked and he nodded. Rubbing his eyes he hopped onto the bed. Getting up I helped him get his sword and shield off as he yawned gently. Smiling a little I took his shoes off as he looked like he was going to fall asleep just sitting there. Taking off his cap, I hung it on the bed post and grabbed the blanket as he crawled into bed. 

Ruffling his hair he looked up at me. Smiling gently I looked down at him. "Goodnight, Link" I said. Before I could get up he sat up and wrapped his arms around me tightly. Surprised by the action I hugged back slowly. He laid back down again and looked at me before he held the blanket, and fell asleep slowly. Ciela came over and slept on the pillow that was empty. Getting up I went up the stairs and turned the light off. Finding Linebeck slaving over a sea chart on the table, I watched as he turned to another sea chart and ran a hand through his hair. Leaning on the wall I watched him work. Something about his focus, was mesmerizing. I knew he's the best captain around the seas, but I didn't think he was this much. 

I've never seen him so determined over something before. At first we thought he was only in on it for the treasure that the ghost ship, held. But now I think he wants to help link find Tetra. Walking over to him I touched his back gently. He jumped in his skin as his head snapped to look at me. Relaxing as he saw it was me he put his hand on my lower back as I looked at the sea chart. 

"Is Link asleep?" he asked as he looked down at me. Nodding gently he hummed and took the sea chart from my hands. Turning me around he looked into my eyes. Making me look back at him. I felt his hand reach for my waist, where it rested there gently and his thumb moved back and forth against it. Looking at him I put a hand on his shoulder. Before he could do it, I pulled him closer to me, hugging him tightly. 

Burying my face in his shoulder I leaned against the table that was behind me. He wrapped his arms around my waist and put his face in my neck, holding me tightly. Pulling away to look at him he smiled at me gently. Putting a curled finger under my chin, and his thumb on top of it, he looked down at me. 

Hearing a buzzing from the control console of the ship we turned to see a red light blinking. "Oh, no!" he said as he let me go and ran to the prow of the ship. Looking around with his telescope he looked at the sea. Following him as I was slightly confused at what he was so worked up about. 

"What is it?" I asked. Closing his telescope he turned around and looked at me. "That buzzing light was for any enemies that decide they want to try and find us." he said as he walked back over to me. He was still alert and tense as he looked around the ship. His teeth were gritted. He looked to me determined to protect something. Probably his ship. 

I tackled him as I saw something flying at us. "Look out!" I said. Landing on top of him I held him to the deck of the ship. (Save it for later, there (y/n) XD) Looking at whatever fired something at us, I found an Eye Plant. Looking up at it,  it tried to shoot another seed at me. Making me lay on Linebeck's chest. I'm sure he was getting a kick out of this. Leaning down to Linebeck I put a finger over his mouth. "Don't stand up, just stay here." I said. He nodded and I scrambled to get the cannon out of the ship deck. 

Getting the Eye Plant in my sights i shot at it with the cannon. Knocking it back into the water, I let the cannon go back into the floor. Walking over to Linebeck I looked at him as he was still laying on the floor. His sleeves were still rolled from earlier when I found him scrubbing the deck, his pants had been rolled down again. Holding a hand out to him, I helped him off the deck. 

"I didn't hurt you when I knocked you over did I?" i asked as he looked down to me. he shook his head. Smirking before he looked at me. "You can tackle me like that, whenever you want to" he said. Blushing deeply, I looked at him. He pulled me to him by my waist before he turned and dipped me. Letting me lay over his leg. He grinned at me. "What? Does the girl not have any words?" 

Looking at him I smirked. "You can take my words away all you want, Linebeck~" I whispered. He blinked in surprise as he looked at me. Letting me back up into a standing position, he adjusted his shirt and cleared his throat. 

"Well... I'd happily take you up on that offer, but there is a child on board" he said. Glancing to me he smirked again before he walked towards the Control Room. "Goodnight, (y/n)" he said as he waved his hand and walked inside.