H.O.P.E. (Skyward Sword Link x Reader)

Chapter 9: Aster

Link sat there, staring at me in bewilderment. His eyes seemed red and puffy almost as if he had been crying. I know I was- before I got here- I panicked when I saw them here, doing my best to dry my eyes so they wouldn't notice. It's just stressful having everyone tell me things while I can't remember.

"Don't take everything too seriously. Your parents wouldn't truly know how you felt about someone... They're your feelings, not anyone else's... You can make the choice whether they fade or stay."

"I know, and I like Zelda again." I saw him tense up once again, "But earlier today, I found out what I was trying to get between."

"O-oh. I'm sorry-"

"Are they happy?"

"What?"

"Are they happy together?" I turned my body towards him as I spoke louder. Link blinked a few times before nodding slowly. "That's good. That's really good to hear." I let out a sigh as I messed with my hair. "Zelda's an amazing person, so is Orielle. They both really do deserve the best, especially if it's each other. They took care of me, so did Karane." I'm already starting to feel a bit lighter talking about this. "I've already made up my mind, I'm not going to like her anymore. I know my place and I would never wanna hurt her or Orielle. They're both dear friends of mine, and if I truly care about them, I must swallow my pride and just accept it."

"That's good, I guess? Or well, I mean about you being sure about your decision." Link seemed pretty confused with my rambling, I could tell and I can't really blame him.

"I know this is also a bit random but can we stop having this awkwardness between us? Every time I see you, you look like you're ready to make a run for it the second I'm distracted." Caught ya red-handed. The tips of his ears were turning pink.

"It's not like I'm trying to run off all the time, I'm usually busy." He looked away.

"I'm just saying this because I do remember running around with you to go do stupid crap." That seemed to catch his attention. "After practice in the academy, we would always race to the bath, or like how you somehow always managed to break my shield after sparring sessions! Do you have any idea how annoying it was that I was becoming a regular at the gear shop!" He broke out into laughter. "It's not funny! The guy seriously thought I couldn't take care of any of my shit! I swear, I have a feeling that the first two times were an accident but the rest after that were totally on purpose!"

"Well, you kept taking my clothes and wearing them as pajamas all the time! And you used cheap tricks to win those matches!"

"That's not a valid reason to be making me waste my money with repairs so often!"

"I paid for your soup at the lumpy pumpkin right after though because I felt bad!"

"Once, Link! Once! Every other time it was because you wanted to race me there so I would pay! But I still won and you were always being a sore loser!" I seriously haven't seen him smile like that in a while. I felt my chest ache a bit admitting that. It hurt knowing that he hasn't seemed happy since I've woken up. I'm always met with the same brittle smile and sad eyes while only having the image of a radiant grin burned into the back my mind. I stopped laughing, listening to his until it died down. I found myself staring at him for a moment. "Link, can I hug you?"

His expression changed instantly as he heard me. He seemed to be reluctant as he stood up, his arms opening slowly. I took a few small steps until my chest met with his, my arms going around his waist and my hands clutching the fabric of his shirt by his shoulder blades. I felt my breath hitch up as his own came down cautiously before enveloping me in his warmth. The familiar sensation of his body close to mine made my racing heart calm. My hands felt clammy. "You smell like grass." I let out a breathy chuckle, smiling softly despite the fact that I could feel my eyes sting. The cold breeze blew, yet my face felt like it was burning. His arms had tightened around my frame, one of his hands rested on the back of my head.