Never Without You │ BOTW modern AU fanfic

Hero

"It's late," she says without looking at me.

"I thought you wanted to hang out some more."

She ignores me, puts on her shoes, and leaves through the front door. What the hell? What just happened?

Confused, I grab my shoes. "Wait up, Ruto!"

She continues walking down the road so I follow her. When I catch up with her, I grab her arm to make her stop.

She finally stops walking and looks at me. It's dark out and the only streetlight in this part of my neighborhood is two houses down the road but the light is just enough that I can see how glossy her eyes are.

"What are you doing?" She looks at my hand on her arm. "Let go!"

"Why'd you leave so suddenly?" I ask her out of breath.

"You think an apology is going to fix the way you treated me?" She sniffles. Fuck, I knew it! She's still hurt by that!

"No, of course not," I say. "I didn't treat you right and there is no excuse for that."

"You left me in pieces!"

I thought we were okay but she hasn't forgiven me after all.

"I'm sorry," I say. I don't know what else to do or say.

"Sure you are."

"I am!"

"I bet you haven't even thought about me in the past 3 years."

"I have—"

"Be honest—"

"I—"

"Did you date my cousin too?"

"Mipha? No we—"

"She followed you to America!"

"What?"

"She came just for you!"

"I didn't know that! We never d–"

"And don't think I didn't notice the ring on Zelda's finger!" I open my mouth to explain the ring but she doesn't leave me a chance to speak. "Congratulations! How long did it take you to move on? A week?"

Why does she keep interrupting me! Let me explain myself!

"Did you ever even love me?" She asks me and finally stops interrupting me when I wish she would.

"I..."

"You...?"

"I cared for you," I say.

"You didn't love me?" She whimpers.

"I... I don't know! I don't know, okay? I was a stupid child and I was more focused on my career."

"How inconsiderate!"

"Yes! I was an idiot, I know that! But I did care about you! I'm sorry that I couldn't love you the way you needed me to but I never meant to hurt you."

"If you're a man, act like one!"

She's crying and shouting and it's all my fault. Again. I keep fucking up and hurting people! I don't even want to explain myself anymore. I feel like I deserve to be yelled at.

"How could you leave me behind?" She cries.

"It wasn't about you," I say, getting a little emotional too. Shit. I don't like seeing her so hurt. It's like Christmas Eve all over again...

"Take responsibility!"

I don't want all this responsibility! But I'm trying... I'm trying!

"You should have told me. You should have told me!" Her hands clench my shirt. "You hurt me so much! You broke me! I hated you when you left!" You're not the only one. "I felt so much anger and regret! I was serious about us and would have given anything to be with you!" I never asked you to do any of this for me! "I loved you! I loved you so much! And I hated you at the same time! And what's even worse is that I hated myself for loving you!"