11/24/17
~*~
Friday
(5:00 P.M)
Link turned my way with that soft smile he seemed to always have when he looked at me.
I probably looked the fool, but there he was being as nice as always. As gorgeous as always. I closed my eyes to keep my emotions in check. To keep them inside.
As always.
"Do you want to sit down?" Link asked.
I nodded, but I didn't move from my spot. Didn't open my eyes.
I heard him step closer... felt him take my hand.
"Can't sit down if you don't move," he said and pulled me gently out of my standstill.
I nodded again and finally opened my eyes.
The room was fairly large. Two beds were spaced out on the left, and there was a couch sitting in front of a television on the right. I even noticed a bathroom straight across.
My eyes fixed on the sink.
I glanced at Link and bit the inside of my cheek. "I think... I'll go and wash my face."
He removed his hand from mine and nodded. "I'll be here," he replied.
I went into the bathroom and closed the door softly behind me. Looking in the mirror was a bad idea but I did it anyway, taking in the gorgeous sight of a red nose, swollen eyes and a beautiful glistening face. I groaned.
"He had to look at that and still be nice..." I closed my eyes again and shook my head. "Stop..." I told myself, then I leaned on my hands against the cold countertop. "He's not acting... and you know it..."
I turned the water on cold and splashed my face with it more times than I could count. It felt like it was waking me up. Snapping me out of whatever mindset I was in, and preparing me for what was to come.
What... was to come? How could I go through the next few days of meeting Link's family, interacting with them, and pretending that my own family life hadn't been-
"Zelda? Are you okay?" Link's voice came through the door. "The water's been running for a long time."
I turned off the faucet and dried my face on the towel. Soaking up my bad memories along with the water. "Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry," I replied, my voice a bit muffled.
As I lowered the towel, I stared at the door, knowing Link was standing just on the other side.
For the first time in my life... I was completely free to do whatever the heck I wanted to. I didn't have authority breathing down my neck at every choice I made. The only thing holding me back now was fear.
Fear of the past repeating itself.
Fear of the unknown.
Fear that I may get others into trouble.
No. I wasn't going to let the 'what if's hold me back anymore. I would make the most of my time here.
I dropped the towel and held my hand out to open the door. Except... I still have figure
things out. And for once, I didn't argue further with myself.
A broken writer, trying to tie her life back together with ink on a page... and now... he was the source of the words.
I took a final breath and then opened the door. "Sorry," I said as I stepped out of the bathroom. "I didn't mean to get like that. Kinda puts a damper on meeting your family, doesn't it."
Like I had guessed he was standing close to the door. He looked at me, took in my words, and then shook his head. "Zelda, you're human," he replied. "You're allowed to have and express feelings. You don't have to apologize for that," Link said as he held his hand up to me.
I blinked. You're allowed to have feelings. Urbosa had told me that. I took his hand. "Right... sor-" I shut my mouth over the word. "Oh my gosh." I put my other hand on my face. "
Link smiled. "Take your time," he said, then led me over to the couch. "Would you like to play some video games?"
I sat down heavily, my hand still on my face in embarrassment. "Yes, I would love that," I replied.
"Smash brothers?" he suggested.
"That would be fun. Just like normal." Normal? You've done that twice. And once almost ended with-
"Farore isn't here," he chuckled.
My eyes widened slightly, he was thinking about that too? "We can make do without her," I replied, though I did miss the cat.
"Will it be the same?" he said, then he stiffened a bit as he picked up our controllers. As though he had just realized where this was going.
A blush grew on my cheeks. "I think Colin is a good replacement."
Link looked over at me. He caught my smile and then shook his head as he started to chuckle. "I'm not sure whether to be amused or annoyed."
I started laughing. "Well I'm amused, but I suppose it is rather annoying."
It was just an inverted quote from earlier... but it looked like he was going to run with it. "Ahh, you find the interruptions annoying?" he asked, leaning back against the arm of the couch.
I tilted up my chin as I pretended to go deep into thought. "Well... sometimes it's nice to be able to finish a conversation."
"Or a hug," he replied.
I rolled my eyes. "How do you even finish a hug?" I asked. "Other than 'my arms hurt, time to let go.'"
"Choose your characters."
I flicked my eyes to the screen and reminded myself that we were playing more than just a word game.
As we chose our fighters, Link asked, "Your arms hurt?"
I shrugged. "Yeah, from the cold and how tight I was holding..." you.... I trailed off into silence and then I shook my head.
"What does the cold have to do with it?" he asked.
"It just makes them ache more," I replied, my voice dropping. "You didn't feel like your arms ached after that?"
He shrugged. "Not really."
I laughed, forcefully shoving the information down before I could make any conclusions. "Mr. Athlete."
"Ms. Writer."
I chose the stage and then the game started. "I feel like it's been forever since we played this..."
Link nodded. "Yeah, I know what you mean."
We fell silent as we fought through the first match.
I laughed as we started the second. "You know, this time I don't have any choice but to stay for dinner."
"And another dinner," he replied.
"And a couple more dinners."
Link smiled. "But this time you'll be eating Grandma's cooking, not mine."
"Different is fine..." I said. "But I'm still looking forward to another dinner just with you," I replied quietly.
He looked over at me. "You are?"
I smiled as I took advantage of his distraction and hit his character off of the map. "Of course I am." I glanced at him with a sly smile.
He rolled his eyes. "Oh, wow, that feels really genuine."
I almost stuck out my tongue but thought better of it. "Really. You're an amazing cook and you even let me help." I bit my lip as a thought popped into my head. Then the heat in my chest rose up to my throat in anticipation as I decided to voice it. "And honestly, I'll take any excuse to spend more time with you..."
~*~
(A/N)
~*~
Why hello and happy Black Friday to all you lovelies~
I hope you had a good Thanksgiving and didn't have too bad a time with extended family ^^ Sometimes it's easy to focus on the bad on this particular holiday and forget that Thanksgiving is really for being thankful.
And that we always have something to be thankful for, even if we don't realize it :)
This holiday season I'm thankful for my friends, online and in person
For my family, who put up with this crazy writer and love her despite all her faults.
And most importantly of all, I'm thankful for Jesus Christ. Yeah yeah, the cliche 'thankful for God on a holiday' thing. But it really just hit me that I haven't told all of you what I believe? And it's about time to change that.
I really really hate when people shove beliefs in your face, so please believe I'm not trying to do that. I'm not judging you, I'm not telling you to change, I just want to share why I'm thankful and give a little of my story along with it. Maybe you can take something from my past and apply it to your future.
If you're completely against hearing anything Jesus, maybe just stick around for a bit of my writer backstory that's in there. At the end there's some stuff about the story too, so if you instantly click away, I don't want you to miss that ^^
But anyway, God has saved me so many times. I'd have been dead so many times without him. In so many ways.
He's put people in my life, He's taken them away. All the little chance meetings that I know were His plan, led me here. I started on Wattpad because of so many little things. If one hadn't happened I wouldn't be here today, writing for you all. (You, who I am very thankful for.)
Life hurts, it sucks, it ain't fair. But God didn't make it unfair. We did.
He simply offers us the chance to live a better life here. And it doesn't mean that it's an instafix - your life is now amazing. But oh my gosh, when you know someone is in control of your life, it's like a million pounds is just taken off of you. To know that we're not just hurtling through space unattended.
You get peace, which is something really hard to find in this world.
To know that you were created for a purpose. That your life has meaning, even when you think you are nothing.
And yeah, I've thought so many times that I'm less than nothing.
When I was fourteen I felt like I was completely alone. (This is actually the time I really started drawing and writing.) I felt alone in a sea of friends and family. Even though they loved me, I couldn't see it. Didn't always feel it. I went through years of wanting to kill myself.
I wanted to die so bad; I just couldn't do it myself.
I'm still here and He's the only reason.
But it isn't over. I still get depressed, I still think about suicide when I'm emptying the dishwasher and grab a big knife. While I know I'm past it, it still haunts me.
Being a Christian doesn't mean you're perfect, (in deeds or in mental health,) and we should never claim to be. But that doesn't mean that I'm not going to try to be a better person. Try to be an example of what a follower of Christ should look like.
Not a judgemental, hellfire preaching person - but a little light of good in a world of bad.
I'm not going to attack you for any of the 'badness' I've perceived, because I'm a sinner too. And being a hypocrite is about the lousiest plan I can think of to try and witness to a dark world.
You don't show light by casting a shadow.