Neighboring Lands

Show Them To Me

A grin breaks out across my face as I set the bowl aside and throw my arms around him. Hugging him tightly I nuzzle into his neck as his arms wrap around me; tighter than my own. "Oh Wild, I would never blame you if you couldn't remember me. It was never your fault, and you shouldn't feel sorry for forgetting me, or even taking a while to remember me. I would have always been happy, just to make new memories with you; and build that relationship that we once had, anew."

Wild chuckles softly as he pulls away slowly, causing me to unwrap my arms from around him. "To be honest, you were...albeit a little...stranger due to the influence of the others."

Laughing, I pick up my rapidly cooling porridge and take a big mouthful. "That's fair," I shovel another spoon full in and smile at him, cheeks puffed out slightly like a chipmunk.

Wild snorts and leans back on his hands, looking off to the distant island, just in view. "You're an idiot," my full mouth reply of I know , causes Wild to laugh. "Now that I remember a lot about you...I realized just how much I would have missed you."

I eat another spoonful and swallow it quickly, "there wasn't a day I didn't think about you, Princess Zelda, and the other Champions." I smile at him, "I missed you all so much and thought I would never make it back. I feared I would never see my Kingdom again." I look out to the calm water, my smile turning bittersweet. "Sure, not everything is the same. The champions are dead, Zelda is sealed away...and I have no idea what became of my Kingdom and its people. But I do know those I had cared for are long gone."

I hear Wild shift before his hand grips the side of my head, pulling my head to rest on his shoulder gently. His hand combs through my hair comfortingly, causing my eyes to flutter as he speaks softly to me. "I understand how you feel. I failed them all and Hyrule...I left you to die, knowing that-" he stops speaking, his body shaking.

Resting my bowl on my lap I lift my hand to rest on his cheek, pulling him to rest his opposite cheek against the top of my head. "Life never goes the way we wish. But we have a chance to make up for our shortcomings. And," I rub my thumb against his cheek softly, a puff of air moving my hair as he lets out a soft sigh; "you didn't leave me to die. You respected my wishes, and let me do what I could to give you two some time. I knew I would die...well, I thought I would. But I wanted to do something, to possibly save you two."

Wild chuckles thickly, "I sure did use that time well, huh," he spits out bitterly.

"Hey," I shift so I can look at him, his hand falling to the back of my neck as mine rests on the side of his. "You did something amazing. You kept Zelda safe and alive until her powers awakened. Then you basically came back from the dead, and you're currently saving Hyrule. You're too hard on yourself."

Wild sighs and removes his hand from me, leaning back on his hands once more; at the same time, I remove my hand from him and grab the bowl. "Yeah," he sighs heavily, before side-eyeing me. "Can you...can you call me Link at least one more time?"

Snorting, I shrug, "Sure, but why?"

Wild shrugs, "I want to hear you say it...it's sort of comforting. And maybe I'm a little jealous that the others are stealing my name."

I laugh loudly, "You're a dork Link. Goddess, I've missed you so much," I bump my shoulder against his; basking in the bright smile that is gracing his lips.

"It's good to hear you say my name," Wild sighs. "It's strange to have one of the people you're closest to refusing to say your name, but a bunch of assassins will scream it at the top of their lungs."

Snorting I roll my eyes, "All of you are named Link, so it would get confusing. It's just easier this way."

"I guess," Wild leans back, arms behind his head as he watches the clouds above us. "When this is all over, I'm taking you out on one of our not-date dates. You have no choice, so remember that."