Breath of the Wild College AU fanfic │Thinking About You

Welcome Home

Impa and I walk down the street, ice cream in hand. The sun at the horizon is casting long shadows and the orange sky inspires Impa to take a selfie with me, beach and pier in the background. It's Friday night, we just ate at Daruk's and survived the first week of our second semester at Hyrule University. The temperature is pleasantly mild for a late January evening.

"Wanna hang at the pier for a bit?" Impa asks, biting into her cone.

"Sounds good to me. Let's see if we can finally win that plush for you," I laugh.

On our way to the pier, I get more and more nervous thinking about tomorrow. I will see Father again for the first time in a full month. We are having dinner at the house and I have no clue what to expect. We have been oddly friendly yet very distant. This is all uncharted territory for both of us and when we do call every once in a while, he sounds just as unsure and nervous as me. Though he is much better at hiding it.

I am ready to talk to him about everything; me moving in with him most of all. I miss my room, my clothes, my shower, and my personal space. Of course I love being close to Link, but sharing a bathroom with a bunch of frat boys is not something I enjoy, to put it nicely. And the noise... Their parties are driving me insane.

"Hey! Hands off my car, Prick!" Impa snaps at someone and I look up from my feet to see who she is yelling at. I freeze at the sight of a policeman writing a ticket for the red car parked on the side street.

What are you doing? I want to whisper at her but fear and worry have turned my tongue to stone.

"Excuse me?" The officer turns to face us.

"I said: Hands off my car, Prick," Impa repeats heedlessly.

"You are insulting an officer. I can increase your fine," he warns.

"Bullshit. My freedom of speech is protected under the first amendment," she crosses her arms and adds, "Asshole."

Disappointed and visibly vexed, the man shakes his head, clicks his tongue, and writes another ticket.

"S-so–so sorry," I stutter and awkwardly bow my head to the man before dragging Impa away by her arm. Out of earshot, she bursts into laughter and looks back to see if the man is still in sight.

"What are you laughing at?" I scowl at her. "That wasn't even your car."

"I know," she cackles. "I feel bad for whoever owns that piece of junk."

"Karma will come back to bite you," I sigh.

"Karma already kissed my ass when I had to go to court for things I didn't do."

"So," Impa draws the word into length when we reach the pier, "people are finally talking about you and Number 11."

"Really? Nobody has said anything to me." Not even Malice. Granted, I haven't seen her since New Year's Eve.

"Nothing too far from the truth, actually. Just that you guys have been hanging out a lot. There's this one rumor though," she pauses.

"What rumor?"

"That you guys hook up at frat parties."

"Great," I roll my eyes unruffled. It's not like I didn't expect it, no, I even would have bet my money on this rumor to be born, but I still find it laughable that people feel the need to talk about Link and me. All we did was leave his room at the same time. I suppose that does look suspicious. I just wish people didn't talk about him that way.

I have come to accept that people will talk about me sooner or later. I can't prevent it and just have to trust in my friends to believe in me over a handful of strangers. I am not at all worried about that. Link, Impa, Mipha, Revali, even Pik have proven themselves to be loyal friends. The one person I do worry about is Father. He is easily convinced of the ugly fairytale version of me. It has been difficult to change his opinion but now that he has promised to hear me out and give us a chance to talk, I have faith that he will be on my side for once.