Never Without You │ BOTW modern AU fanfic

Just Feel

Link's POV

Zelda sounds so desperate and broken, I can't just stand here and listen to her prayer for another second. I turn around and don't care that I'm a dick for interrupting her prayer.

"There is nothing wrong with you," I say in an assertive tone. She doesn't turn around to look at me. She stiffens and wipes a tear from her cheek. "You continue to sacrifice yourself so everyone else can learn from your wisdom, how can't you see that? Just because you've made a few mistakes doesn't mean that you're going in circles. Progress takes time, trust me, sometimes it's not a straight line and it's hard to see that, I know, but it's true. I've seen you grow more than anyone else over the past year. I'm serious about that."

She looks shocked. Or scared? Maybe a little insecure? I don't mean to be yelling, I just want her to understand and see herself the way I see her.

"I..." she begins to fumble for the words but I already know what she's going to say. She's going to tell me that she's not good enough. I don't give her a chance to debate with me right now.

"There's nothing wrong with you," I say. "And I hate that you think you're broken or something. I'm not yelling at you, I promise. If anything, I understand how you feel. When I woke up from my coma without any memories, I kept screwing up and I felt like something inside of me was broken for good. But you were there for me and never gave up on me. Even now, you're still trying to carry all the weight on your own shoulders and I'm here to tell you to stop acting even more stubborn than your dad and to finally accept the fact that we can carry the baggage together."

"Link–"

"Please believe me," I practically beg. "You're not a failure. If you still think you're alone in all of this, then maybe that makes you a fool, but you're not a failure."

She nods, and for a moment I thought she finally understands, but then says, "But—"

"No," I stop her. She opens her mouth again to change my mind and deny everything I just said but I won't let her! "You're not alone in this, you hear me?" I want her to believe me once and for all! "We'll grow together, I will not leave you behind!"

"Link, listen—"

"No, you listen! You have to believe me!" Tears are running down her face and I feel like my words aren't reaching her at all. "I didn't mean to make you cry! I just want you to know—"

"Link!" She silences me.

"What?!"

"I love you!"

Uh... Okay, maybe I shouldn't have interrupted her like three times.

She smiles at me and falls into my arms. I catch her, my heart racing while my mind is trying to make sense of this whole situation. She was crying a second ago, then she suddenly started smiling, and now she's sobbing and laughing at the same time and I'm sort of smiling too and I totally forgot how to breathe on my own.

Her tears are drenching my shirt. I'm pretty sure those are happy tears? She was so sad a moment ago, but she said she loves me, which I think is a good thing? I mean, she must be somewhat happy if she's thinking about love.

Overthinking is pointless, I just hold her until she's done crying, and when she looks up at me a few minutes later, her eyes are glossy and there's a big smile on her face. I wipe her cheeks with my thumb and realize that I was so busy sorting my thoughts that I forgot to reply to her I love you.

"Those words are overrated," she sniffs before I get the chance to say something. "I just really wanted to tell you."

I search my brain for a good response but all I can think about are those three amazing words that she just called 'overrated'. Does she not want me to say them back?