Never Without You │ BOTW modern AU fanfic

Breath of the Wild

My eyes struggle to adjust to the bright light that floods the room when I wake up. My skin is patted with sweat and my hair full of tangles. There is an uncomfortable cloud of humidity hanging in the air as I sit up to stretch my back. I'll never get used to having no AC.

I look to my left. Link is gone, I never noticed him leaving. I wonder if he got up early to help his father and uncle with their work.

After a couple more stretches, I get up and search for something suitable to wear in this heat. The forecast predicts that it will remain hot for the rest of the day with occasional showers in the evening.

I plug my phone in to charge and put my hair up with a hair claw, then I open the sliding doors to the backyard and I am overwhelmed by the picturesque scene before me. The view spans across meadows, forests, small towns, and rice fields, as far as my eyes can see. What a view! This even tops the view from the ski lodge in Mammoth Lakes.

Barefoot, I step down into the highgrass, feeling a tickle between my toes. I absolutely adore nature. This is such a pleasant change from my backyard in California where every blade of grass is measured and hand-cut by professionals.

I allow my eyes to wander the area. There is a beautiful garden that surrounds the house, complete with a small pond and a traditional stone lantern. The air is filled with the sweet scent of blooming flowers, and the sound of running water from the pond adds to the peaceful atmosphere.

It takes me a while but I finally spot Link down the hill on a field, harvesting leaves with his uncle and father. I grab my hiking boots and make my way down the slope to join them on the field. Link is crouching in a sea of greens, picking leaves and placing them in a large, woven basket.

"Ohayou, gozaimasu," I greet them, eyes pinched in the bright light. The uncle lets out a hearty laugh and compliments my Japanese with a thumbs up.

"Good morning to you too," Link smiles up at me, enjoying the shade I'm offering with my body. "Happy fourth of July."

"Oh, I nearly forgot that today is Independence Day," I say.

"You should give your dad a call," he reminds me.

"I will." Although I don't think that Father celebrates Independence Day. He usually resents the days on which the stock market is closed. "You're harvesting Camellia sinensis?" I ask Link to change the topic.

"What?" He looks at the leaves in his hands.

"Green tea," I say.

"Yeah. How'd you know this is green tea?"

"I study biology for a reason."

"Which is?" he teases with a chuckle.

"I fancy it." I stick out my tongue and before I can process it, Link has placed a leaf on it. I spit it out while he laughs shamelessly. "Blah," my mouth is so dry now! "Just you wait! There will come a time when I will avenge myself."

"Oh yeah?" his smug grin grows unfazed.

"That's right. You won't even see it coming. It could be today, maybe tomorrow. Or maybe I will wait 10 years. But one thing is for certain: it's coming for you and there's nothing you can do to stop my–" he tries to place another leaf in my mouth but I use my samurai skills to dodge his attack and gracefully plunge down on the dirt next to him.

"You okay?" he asks between his laughter.

"Yes," I say, rubbing the earth off my palms.

"Good," He places the leaf on my head.

"Rinku!" his uncle hollers to get our attention. Link and I freeze on the spot and look up at the uncle. He continues to speak in Japanese and Link just nods in response. Link gets up without a word, making me wonder if we're in trouble for goofing around.