Riding Lessons- Link x OC Oneshot

"Pluie! Get your lazy butt out of bed, you're going riding today!" her mother called up the stairs, into the attic hideaway known as Pluie's bedroom. The teen girl groaned loudly, her face buried into a pillow, and covered her head with blankets.

"MOM! It's like six in the morning, go away!" she shouted back, muffled from the pillow. Somewhat angry stomps could be heard, and Pluie's blankets were ripped back as a violent Pluie's mom stormed around her room, pulling open curtains and flipping open windows.

"It's almost 9, get up! I promised Link that you'd be there for half past!" she yelled, walking back down the narrow stairs.

"MOOOOOOM. I don't even know a Link, and I don't even want to ride!" Pluie replied, finally giving in and getting out of bed, her pajamas all disheveled from tossing and turning in the night. "Why are you doing this to me?"

"Because I love you, sweetie," she distantly heard from downstairs. "And because you need to learn eventually! I want you to be able to explore the rest of Ordona Province, maybe even going to Castle Town for me."

"Ugh, fine." Pluie slipped on a dark grey wrap skirt, pulling up a pair of white leggings underneath. She grumbled under her breath as she tied the back of her flowing shirt, slipping on a pair of arm warmers to complete the ensemble. The girl's clothes in Hyrule weren't exactly the best, but they worked.

Pluie quickly ran her fingers through her jet hair as she made her way carefully down the steep stairs, remembering a few too many tumbles she'd taken.

"All right, now what?" she asked saucily, standing before her mother. The woman sighed and walked towards her daughter, escorting her towards the door.

"Go have fun, please? For me?" she said as Pluie slid on her boots.

"I can't say I'll try," was Pluie's reply, and she headed out the door and towards Ordon Ranch, expectations low and attitude even lower.

/

It was easy enough for her to find her way to Ordon Ranch, but more difficult to try and find whom she was looking for.

"HEEEEEEEEEEY!" a voice called from behind Pluie, and she spun around, catching sight of a horse circling far around her. Thankfully, that's not where the voice was coming from. A man ran up from a house-looking thing on the right, although it was probably something like a cucco coop.

"Are you Pluie?" the man asked, wiping his hands on his pants. "Your mother told me you would be here. I'm Fado. This is my ranch."

"Ah, good to know," Pluie replied, glancing around. She kept seeing a horse running around in the corner of her eye, and it was very irritating. "Apparently I'm here to see a Link?"

"Ah, yes! Right! He's riding around, you probably saw him when you came in. LIIIINK!" Fado yelled, right beside Pluie's ear.
Sheesh, thanks for that, you old geezer, Pluie thought, trying to stop the ringing in her ears.

"Hold on, there's an easier way to get his attention. Well rather, his horse's attention," he said, glancing at the ground until his eyes latched on a very odd shaped piece of grass. "Here, you do it. I've always sucked at Epona's song."

After learning the appropriate notes, Pluie blew softly into the grass, not earning much sound.

"No, no, louder! He'll never hear you!" Fado reprimanded her, gesturing her to try again. She did, and this time it was louder.
Epona bucked up on two legs, and came trotting towards them casually. A blond boy sat on her back, smiling. He hopped down and guided Epona the rest of the way towards the two.

"Link, this is Pluie. Can you teach her to ride today?" Fado asked, turning to walk back toward his cucco coop house. "Thanks a ton!"

/

Pluie stood there, awkwardly staring at the boy whom she assumed was Link. He was dressed like a regular person from Ordon, with lots of layers and lots of colours. Only different thing about him was his ears. They were elongated and pointed, with a blue piercing in the lobe.

"Um, hi." Pluie broke the silence of the two judging each other mentally. She could tell Link was probably one of those pretty boys that all the girls went for, and that she would never have a chance with him.

"…….Hi," Link finally replied, the tips of his ears getting a bit red.
Has he never talked to a girl before? Good grief, Pluie thought, stepping around Link to pet the tawny horse.

"So you're Link, right?" she asked, running her fingers through Epona's hair.  

"….um, that's Epona, actually," Link replied, laughing awkwardly. Pluie rolled her eyes.

"I knew that, I meant you," she let out a forced laugh, attempting to seem normal. You dummy, are you really that stupid?!

"Um, so….want to ride?" Link asked, rubbing the back of his head and messing up his shaggy blond hair. Not that it wasn't already pretty messed up, bedhead looking and everything.

"Ah, not really. They're kind of weird," Pluie said, walking back to the other side of Link, almost backing in to him in the process.

"Oh." Silence. "Alright."
Well this is awkward, Pluie thought to herself, nervously adjusting her clothes. Link stared at her for a moment, blushing, and then looked back out over the village.

"Hey, um. Are you sure you don't even just want to try to ride?" Link finally said, not looking at Pluie at all.
A silly quote of her mother's popped into her head. Now or never, Pluie.

"You know what? I'll try," she announced, putting her hands on her hips and grinning. Link smiled a crooked smile at her, and gestured her over to the horse. Epona's head came up from the grass, and she sniffed at the new person around her.

/

"Okay, put your foot here," Link directed, guiding her foot into the stirrup. "And your hand on that nub thing."
Pluie did as instructed, and swung her leg up and over the saddle, remembering her skirt at the last minute. Link made sure she was situated, then hopped up behind her, sitting on Epona's bare back while Pluie was on the saddle.

"Okay, so what you're going to want to do is take the reins with both hands, one on either side," Link said, reaching forward and trapping Pluie in his arms while he grabbed the reins. It was a huge loop, so she didn't need to worry about dropping one side and losing it. "And now to get Epona to walk, you just squeeze your legs!"

Link seemed really enthusiastic about it, and Pluie could have sworn that this was the most anyone had ever heard him talk. He was actually really nice, once you got to know him.

Pluie tensed her calves against the horse gently, and her face lit up with excitement once Epona started walking forward slowly.

"Look, Link! I did it!" Pluie exclaimed, a huge smile on her face. She turned around to face Link, and nearly bumped noses with him. Both of them turned a bright red, and Link started laughing.

"Excellent, young grasshopper! Keep going!" he laughed, resting his chin on her shoulder and holding her hands. He guided them to pull gradually on the left side, turning the horse to the left, leading them to the farthest area of the ranch.

Pluie's cheeks turned a dusty rose, and she hoped Link couldn't see that.
Why is this happening to me? I'm not beautiful like the mayor's daughter, why is he leading me on like this?! Is it some kind of sick humor to him?

Pluie sat there overthinking the world, and didn't even realize when Link jumped off the horse. He tugged on her boot, awaiting response, but when he didn't get one he wanted, he simply grabbed Pluie by the waist (this is The Hero of Light we're talking about here, you know) and lifted her off Epona, setting her on the ground.

"Earth to Pluie, anybody home?" Link asked, laughing as he waved a hand in front of her face. Not getting a real reaction, he leaned down and looked directly into her blue-grey eyes, seeing his reflection. Link studied her face, going from her delicate eyes down to her cute nose, and finally his eyes locked on her lips.

Of course, now is just the wrong moment for Pluie to turn her head and run directly into Link's face.

More specifically, his lips.

Link froze at the shorter girl's sudden advances, his cheeks changing shades rapidly. Pluie, now realizing what she had done, quickly pulled her head back and took a step back, only to misstep and start to fall backwards. Instinctively, she reached out for something to stop the fall, and the closest thing was Link's yellow belt. Link, not expecting that in the least, tumbled down with her, landing in a heap nearly on top of her.

"Um, hi," Pluie said, turning to look at Link once both of them realized what happened. He was looking back at her, smiling his crooked smile.

"Hi." He leaned forward slightly and captured her lips in a kiss, Pluie's eyes widening.

Maybe riding lessons weren't that bad.

/

AN: AND SUDDENLY PLINK IS MY NEW OTP