Never Without You │ BOTW modern AU fanfic

Deku

As promised, an extra chapter this week :D Merry Christmas!! I LOVE YOU GUYS 🎄🎁🥛🍪🎅🏻🦌⛄️

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"Can we please talk?"

I don't know what to say, or what to feel. But I know that having an honest conversation with Link is the first step into the right direction. With the little amount of time I have left before my next class, I follow Link outside to the campus quad.

The California sun hangs high in the sky, casting a radiant glow over the sprawling Hyrule field. Bundles of blue, white, and gold balloons sway gently in the warm coastal breeze to extend a spirited welcome to the new students. Tonight at 7 PM, Father has his annual welcoming speech at the Hyrule auditorium, which gives me plenty of time to get home before him and figure out what to do about Malice. I hope everything is going well back at the house. Cado hasn't called me yet, which I take as a good sign.

Link and I take a seat on an isolated stone bench in the shade of some trees, the atmosphere alive with the bustle of nearby students crisscrossing the pathways.

Link keeps his gaze on the ground, his hand still deeply sunk in the pockets of his hoodie. I want to hug him and tell him how glad I am that he's okay, but...

I clench my fists. There really shouldn't be a but. There should never be a but!

I reach over and pull Link into a tight hug, squeezing him, kissing him on the cheek, squeezing him some more, and finally telling him, "I love you."

His hands, no longer in his pockets, hesitantly wrap around my back, hugging me back.

"Zelda," he lets out a breath of relief. "I missed you."

"I missed you so much," I say, not letting go quite yet. "I was so worried! My imagination ran wild with all the horrible possibilities of what could have happened to you! I thought Ganondorf..."

"No," he cuts in, his voice soothing and calm. "I'm sorry I made you think that."

"It's not your fault." I break our hug to meet his eyes. "I should have never told you to leave."

"You had every right to. I made a mistake. A huge, dumb mistake, and I don't have a clue how to make up for that."

"It's okay," I say, gently rubbing his back.

"No, it's not."

"It's in the past," I assure him.

"No."

"Link..."

"You have to stop forgiving me every time I mess up. I made a mistake and saying sorry doesn't fix it because it's not the first time I messed up. And every time I get into a fight, other people suffer from the consequences... This has to stop."

"What are you saying?"

"I can't keep hurting you like this, Zelda..."

I let go of his hand, unsure of his intentions. "Are you breaking up with me?"

Link's eyes widen, "No," he shakes his head at me. "No we're not going to break up, okay?"

"Okay," I nod, keeping my emotions under control.

"I'm just saying that every time I mess up and I apologize, things don't seem to get better."

"So what do you suggest?"

"My mandatory counseling starts today," Link tells me nervously. "I don't know if it'll help much but I swear I'll do my best to get better and figure out why I act like this sometimes."