A Second Awakening (Linked Universe AU)

Ice Cream?

Legend lay in bed feeling the sun on his skin, savoring the post-coital high. Marin was in the shower singing to the radio. He listened to her dulcet voice and sighed in contentment. He had no idea what was happening, but... at this point he was pretty sure that he wasn't dreaming. He wondered what had happened to his friends. Or if they were even real... There was the smallest part of him that hoped that it all Had been a dream. If they weren't real, then they couldn't die...couldn't suffer. The Chain. They had all suffered and lost so much. They perhaps deserved the peace of oblivion, Goodness knows he'd wished for it enough himself... Marin stepped out into the room in a towel, with a toothbrush hanging from her lips and a goopy green masque covering her pretty face as she chatted to him happy about the upcoming day. She picked out a smart mauve suit and laid it on the bed.

Who was he kidding? This was about her...He would have let the world burn to keep her, to have her...alive and safe and happy. He wasn't the selfless idealist teenager that he was when he washed up on Koholint. Pain and loss had jaded him. This time...if he had it to do over? And it seemed, at least right now that he did, He'd have chosen to stay. Everything else be damned. He'd made enough sacrifices in his life. This right here? This little slice of domesticity? This was all he had ever wanted. And this time? He planned to keep it.

"And remember, Ralph's still grounded so don't give him his Switch if he just asks for it like last time.. He has track today after school so he'll need you to pick him up."

"Huh?" Legend looked at her stupidly and Marin gave him a tired and bemused look. "Your son?" She said sarcastically and leveled a hand just above her head. Blond chap, 'bout yea high.. Mopes around the house with his earbuds in all the time. Surely you've seen him?"

"R-Right..." Legend said, trying to pretend his mind wasn't reeling. "Um, Marin...Darling?"

"Uhuh?"

"D..do we have...more?"

"More what?" She laughed as she shimmied into her trousers, and lay down to button them snug.

"uh..kids."

Marin sat up and stared at him. "I....can't tell if you're joking."

"Uh... Of course, it's a joke!" He stammered and flapped his hands. How could he be blowing this so Hard already..

She walked over to him and pressed one hand on each side of his head against the headboard causing him the scootch back against it. She frowned searching his eyes. "Link?"

He stared back into her beautiful brown eyes.. so warm and full of love and concern. He felt himself falling into them. He leaned forward without thinking and pressed his lips to hers. She seemed to melt into his kiss with a soft hum and twined her arms around his neck. They stayed like that for a long moment before she finally pulled away with a breathless laugh.

"Link, you mad man... Getting me all ruffled before work. I'm going to be late!" She stood up and made a face at him which was only enhanced by her smeared masque. "and go wash your face for goodness sake! You look ridiculous!"

He grinned at her, emboldened by the kiss. "And you don't?"

"Hey!" She framed her hands around her face "It takes Work to look this good!" She stuck her tongue out at him and went back to the bathroom to go wash up. "Would you make sure Ambi is dressed? The buss will be here soon."

Legend got up and walked down the stairs, passing a collection of framed photos of what was presumably his family in various happy moments; Wearing odd black caps with what looked like ears in front of a small oddly proportioned pink castle with a woman in a blue dress and tiara (presumably a princess from said kingdom) that he didn't know holding hands with a delighted looking Ambi. A teenaged boy that looked startlingly like Link himself stood beside him with fierce brown eyes and a winning smile. In another, a younger-looking Marin and Legend himself with a happy fat baby boy on the beach... He walked slowly admiring the photos touching each one, trying to will the memories associated with each into his mind. He wanted them...all of them. THIS.

"Daddy?" Ambi's soft uncertain voice came from the top of the stairs. He turned to look at her and she giggled. "Why do you have mom's silly face on?"

Suddenly he remembered that he still had a smear of Marin's masque on from their kiss. Thinking on his feet he grinned at the little girl confidently and quoted Marin. "Well... It takes Work to look This good!" he said dramatically resting the back of one hand delicately against his forehead as he tipped his face towards the ceiling.

The little girl laughed and shook her head. A perfect miniature of her mother. "You're silly Daddy." She skipped passed him and down the stairs. "Can I have ice cream for breakfast?"

"Uh...Sure."

The child gave a small bleating sound of joy and ran off to the kitchen.

A creak from the stairs above Legend caused him to turn around. He was momentarily taken aback as he was faced with himself at 17...He looked Exactly like he had the day he'd left for his first adventure. It was uncanny. He stepped uncertainly towards this weird doppelganger.

"Who are you and what have you done with my father?" The teen deadpanned.

"I-I'm sorry?"

"Ice cream? Really? Mom's gonna flip." The boy sighed and popped the lid on a Redbull that he seemed to have manifested from nowhere.

Legend just shrugged. "Well.... Why not? Uh.."

To which the teen mimicked the gesture and just squeezed past him to go down the stairs. He sighed again. "Okaaaay... Well, I guess I'll go make sure she doesn't die of a sugar overdose." He gave his father a once over. "and wash your face."