Never Without You │ BOTW modern AU fanfic

We're Not Friends

Malice's POV

I get to see Zelda's bedroom in the daylight for the first time. It's like the princess chamber in a goddamn castle. Her bed is gigantic, big enough for eight people. Eight overweight people.

She has a bunch of plants, and a large desk with a million photos of her perfect life. Perfect friends. Perfect everything.

She also has her own bathroom and a walk-in closet that could fit a whole Gucci store and a Starbucks inside, and the wall opposite of the door is almost fully out of glass. A princess in a glass house, for everyone to admire. One crack and the whole thing might break.

I walk up to the window. You have the glowing pool and the huge backyard with a lit blue tennis court in the foreground, and a dreamy view of the city in the background. With the sunset bathing in the Pacific ocean, its red light mirrored by the skyscrapers, I stop to take in the pretty sight and almost forget that Zelda is freaking out about her dad right now.

"Do you think he saw?" She pants.

We just had to run from the kitchen to her bedroom without anyone noticing and now we're both catching our breaths.

"I doubt it," I say.

"Guess you'll be staying in my room tonight. The nurse is probably going to check the guest bedrooms from now on."

"Whatever," I shrug and plunge down on her bed, snacking on a biscuit. For the first time in days I don't feel like puking. I still feel like I'm experiencing withdrawal though and it sucks.

Zelda, still panting, sits down next to me. "Are you feeling any better?"

Why's she always so concerned about my well-being? "I'm fine, chill."

"Okay, just making sure."

"We're not friends," I snap and for some reason her face drops.

"I know."

"I don't even like you, okay? Just because you're helping me detox doesn't make us kindred spirits. You kidnapped me and threw away my stuff. Don't think I'm cool with that."

"I didn't think that."

"Yeah so don't act all worried about me now."

"But I am."

"Huh?" I sit up to see if she's for real right now. "Did you not hear anything I just said?"

"We don't have to be friends in order for me to care. I want you to get better, regardless of our relationship. Is that so hard to understand?"

"Yes," I say honestly. "After everything I've done to you and your friends, how don't you hate me?"

Zelda gives me a faint smile. "Who said I don't?"

A knock interrupts us. Our eyes dart toward the door. The handle moves, the lock clinks, my heart stops.

"Hide!" Zelda commands in a whisper.

I roll across the mattress to get to the other side of the bed and hide under it, but I'm not quick enough and the door opens before I'm out of sight. I drop to the floor in a loud thud, still committed to hiding.

"It's just Link," Zelda tells me with a relieved sigh.

I sit up and stretch my head up to look past the high bed frame. Link is standing in the door, greeting Zelda with a hug. As he's hugging her, his eyes land on me.

"You're still here," he says, sounding annoyed by my presence.

"You're back," I retort, mirroring his enthusiasm. "Gonna tell me to get out again?"