The Hero's Milky Way

The moon was gone. The big, scary face in the sky that had made everything feel tight and wrong was finally just a normal moon again. Romani bounced on the balls of her feet, her bow clutched in one hand. She felt fizzy, like a bottle of Chateau Romani that had been shaken up.

"We did it! We really did it!" she chirped to the boy in green. Link was sitting on the hay bale, cleaning his sword, but he looked up and smiled. That made Romani's tummy do a little flip-flop. "You're the best hero ever, Mr. Hero!"

Link just nodded, his blue eyes crinkling at the corners. Romani liked his eyes. They were the color of the sky on a good day, not a scary moon day.

"Cremia's still being a big old worry-wort," Romani confided, skipping closer and plopping down on the hay bale next to him. It smelled sweet and dusty. "But I knew we'd be okay. I had a good feeling!"

She swung her legs, her boots thumping against the hay. "You know what we should do? We should have a party! A 'The Moon Didn't Squish Us' party! We can have milk! And... and more milk!" She giggled at her own joke. Milk was the best.

Link put his sword away and patted the hay beside him. Romani scrambled closer, her knee bumping against his. He was warm. Not like the cows, who were furry and warm, but different. It was a nice warmth.

"You're really quiet, Mr. Hero," she said, poking his arm. "Is that a hero thing? My sister says heroes are supposed to be all serious and stuff. But you saved us! So you can be quiet if you want."

She looked at his hands. They had little scratches on them. "Your hands are owie," she said, taking one of his hands in hers. His fingers were long. She traced the lines on his palm. "Cremia says you can tell how long you're gonna live from these lines. Does yours say you're gonna live forever 'cause you're a hero?"

Link didn't answer, just watched her with those blue eyes. Romani felt the fizzy feeling in her tummy get stronger. It was like when she'd run really fast down a hill. She leaned in closer, her face close to his. He smelled like grass and outside.

"You know," she whispered, her voice dropping to a secret-sharing level, "Cremia kissed you."

Link blinked.

"She did! After you got rid of the aliens," Romani continued, her eyes wide. "I saw her! It was a grown-up kiss. Not like a goodnight kiss. A mwah kiss." She demonstrated, smacking her lips loudly. "Do you like grown-up kisses, Mr. Hero?"

He just kept looking at her. Romani felt a brave, bubbly feeling rise up in her chest. She was brave! She'd shot aliens! She wasn't scared of anything!

"Well, I'm brave too," she declared. "And I saved the cows! So I think I get a grown-up kiss."

Before she could lose her nerve, she leaned forward and pressed her lips against his. It was weird. Soft and a little wet and warm. It felt tingly. When she pulled back, Link was looking at her differently.

"I... I liked that," Romani admitted, her cheeks feeling hot. "Can we... can we do another secret thing?"

Link tilted his head, waiting.

"My sister... she said after she kissed you, you two did a... a different secret thing," Romani stammered, suddenly feeling shy. "In the barn. She said it was a 'thank you' for saving everything. A really, really special thank you."

She fiddled with the laces on her boot. "Did you like that secret thing with my sister?"

A slow nod from Link.

"Oh," Romani said softly. The fizzy feeling was back, bigger than ever. It was making her feel warm all over. "Well... I'm the one who taught you the shooting song. And I'm the one who spotted the aliens first. So... so I think I deserve a special thank you too, right?"

She looked up at him from under her lashes, trying her best to look like Cremia did when she wanted something. "Please, Mr. Hero? It can be our secret. Just like me knowing about Cremia's secret. We'll all have secrets with you!"

Link reached out and gently brushed a stray strand of red hair from her face. His touch was so light it made her shiver. He nodded again, very slowly.

Romani's heart thumped against her ribs like a trapped bird. "Okay," she whispered. "But... you have to show me how. I don't know the grown-up secret thing."

Link shifted on the hay bale, patting his lap. Romani, understanding, scrambled to straddle his legs, facing him. Her knees dug into the soft hay on either side of him. This felt very grown-up and very strange. She could feel his heartbeat through his tunic, or maybe it was hers. It was hard to tell.

"It's... it's not like the kiss, is it?" she asked, her voice small.

He shook his head. Then he took her hands and guided them to the laces on his tunic. Romani's fingers fumbled, but she managed to undo the knot. The green fabric fell open. He wasn't wearing a shirt underneath. His skin was smooth, with little muscles on his tummy.

"It's like a boy chest," she said in wonder, poking him gently. "But without fur."

A small smile touched Link's lips. He then took her hands and guided them to her own dress, showing her how to pull it up. Romani helped, bunching the red fabric around her waist. The evening air on her bare legs made her goosebump.

"This is the secret?" she asked, confused. "We're just... showing each other our tummies?"

Link shook his head. He took her hand again and guided it down, down, past where his tunic was open, to the part of him that was definitely different from a girl. Romani's eyes went wide.

"Whoa," she breathed. "It's... it's like a little mushroom! A... a secret mushroom!"

Link let out a breath that sounded like a laugh. He then showed her what to do, wrapping her hand around it. It was warm and soft, but hard underneath. It pulsed when she touched it.

"Does it... does it feel good?" she asked, watching her own hand move under his guidance.

He nodded, his eyes closing for a second. Romani felt a surge of pride. She was making the hero feel good! This was a very important job.

"Okay," she said, getting the hang of it. "And now... what do I do?"

Link gently shifted her, lifting her up just a little. He positioned her so she was hovering over him. Romani understood. This was the secret. The really big secret.

"Will it... will it hurt?" she asked, a sudden tremor of fear in her voice.

Link looked her right in the eyes and shook his head firmly. He looked so serious that she believed him. He was the hero, after all. Heroes didn't lie.

"Okay," she took a deep breath. "I'm ready for the special thank you."

He helped lower her down, slowly, slowly. It was a strange feeling. A stretchy, full feeling that wasn't bad, just... new. Very new. It made her feel connected to him in a way she'd never felt with anyone, not even Cremia.

"There," she whispered, once she was settled all the way. "We're doing the secret."

Link wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. Romani rested her head on his shoulder. He moved his hips, just a little, and Romani gasped. It was like a spark went off inside her. A good spark. Like the first taste of cold milk on a hot day.

"You can do that again," she breathed. "That's a good part of the secret."

They moved together in the hay, the barn full of the soft rustling sounds of straw and their quiet breathing. It wasn't like Romani had imagined. It wasn't loud or fast. It was slow and secret and warm. It felt like the world was shrinking down to just the two of them, in this little hay-bale nest, while the rest of the ranch slept.

After a while, Link made a soft sound, like a sigh, and held her very tight. Romani felt a warmth spread inside her, a different kind of warmth. They stayed like that for a long time, just breathing together.

When it was over, they fixed their clothes. The secret was put away. Romani felt different. Tired, but in a good way. And still fizzy.

"Thank you, Mr. Hero," she said seriously, giving him a real, proper kiss on the cheek this time. "That was the best secret thank you ever."

Link just smiled and ruffled her hair. For a moment, he looked like just a boy again, not a hero at all. Just a boy with blue eyes and a secret mushroom. Romani giggled.

"Now we both have secrets with you," she whispered conspiratorially. "Cremia will be so jealous!"