Friends; Zelink, Modern (The Legend Of Zelda)

Got Me

"Why did you let him hit you?" Zelda asked as she examined the nasty red and purple bruise that Dark had deposited on him.

Link's green button down shirt was undone just enough to reveal the injured part of his upper chest.

Zelda would have had to admit that it was a pretty nice view, had she not been a little annoyed with him for getting the injury that made said view possible to see.

"I thought it might calm him down. Plus I was trying to buy time."

Midna grinned slightly. "He sent me a text."

"Is that how you knew where to find us?"

"He's a very stealthy texter. Good thing my phone was on me, otherwise you two might have been in a bad shape before I ever got the text."

"Good thing you've got a dog bigger than a wolf that looks just like one." Link said with a small smile.

"I told you all he was good for more guarding the house. He saved you two today!" Midna said with supreme satisfaction as she rubbed Hero's ears. The wolf dog was laying down on the kitchen floor of Zelda's house. Sure, animals weren't really allowed in her house, but considering what the dog had done for them she made an exception.

Zelda smiled slightly and then returned her attention back to Link. "Still, why just let him hit you? Surely you could have just dodged, the same amount of time would have been used up... right?"

"Well my recovery took awhile, whereas if I'd just dodged Dark would have sicked his pals on us right then and there."

She grumbled audibly. "I guess you're right. Still wanted to break his nose properly this time for hitting you like that."

"He had his reasons," Link said softly. He grasped her clenched fist and uncurled her fingers one at a time so that he could slip his fingers between hers.

Zelda was silent for a minute. "I was wondering about that but...I know you probably don't want to talk about it now."

"Thanks for the exercise, but Hero and I are gonna get going now," Midna announced as she clapped her hands to get Hero's attention and beckoned him after her.

"Thanks for the help, Midna," Zelda said with a smile as she left.

"Bye, Mid," Link added. Then he looked down at their joined hands and shrugged slightly. "There isn't actually that much to tell. When my mom died, dad remarried within the year... But Dark is less than two months younger than me."

Zelda's eyes widened with that revelation. "But that would mean..."

Link nodded. "My dad wasn't exactly the faithful type."

"Wasn't?"

"He died last year."

Zelda let go of his hand and started to slowly button up Link's shirt. "Were you two close...?"

"Not really... As much as Dark might believe I was dad's favorite...we weren't really all that close." Link shrugged slightly. "The time he didn't spend at work, he didn't spend at home. I wasn't at home much either... Dark must have assumed that dad and I spent that time we were gone together. When he died I went and lived with some friends until I turned eighteen. I left Dark, tried to forget about him...I didn't see him as a brother, only as a reminder of the fallibility of my father..." He slipped his hand down to hers when she was at the last button.

Her hands stopped when she felt his touch, and she looked up at him when his fingers curled gently around hers.

"So there's my story. Not as grand as you expected, I suppose."

Zelda shook her head. "I wasn't expecting anything grand... I don't know of any stories where the hero started off with it all... so why should I expect anything different for your story?" She squeezed his hand. "The way we were in the past doesn't define us, and I can see you trying to make it up with Dark. It's not your fault that he isn't willing to forget old hurts. You both made your mistakes. It's for him to decide if he's ready to reconcile."

Link's fingers slowly tightened around her hands as he tried to suppress the shaking that was entering them against his will.

"Link, are you..." she started softly as she saw the slight shine in his eyes.

Link shook his head, as though trying to deny it himself.

Zelda took her hands from his and moved them to the sides of his face. "...It's okay to cry," she said softly.

Link looked up at her, the tears were welled in his eyes, but then he wiped them away. "I don't need to cry," he said. "I've got you." And with that he took her face in his hands and pressed his lips against hers.

Zelda's hands slid from his face to his neck, and her arms followed as she wrapped them around his neck. She tangled her fingers in his hair, and he moved his hands down to her waist. She gasped slightly as he tugged her into his lap and kissed her harder.

Link drew back from her, and as his eyes met hers she said, "You've got me."