Never Without You │ BOTW modern AU fanfic

Different

Link's POV

"What about this one?" She asks, showing me the Christmas photo we took at the lodge.

"Christmas," I say with a nod.

"You remember!"

Her smile makes me happy. So happy that I decide not to ask her why my face is so bruised in that photo. Judging by Revali's black eye, I probably got into a fight with him. I wonder why we got into a fight this time. I hate this. It's like waking up from a wild dream and trying to make sense of it without remembering the whole thing.

Zelda swipes to the next photo. It's me and Sidon at the superpipe, wearing our medals.

"Snowboarding competition," I say. She rewards me with another smile. She's really pretty, even in this unflattering hospital light.

"You missed one of your jumps that day and joked about losing your memory," she scolds me. "Ironic how you remember that."

"Right," I chuckle. I don't actually remember making that joke but if she says so. I remember the fall though. I was distracted but I'm not sure why. Something happened that day. But what? My brain hurts from all this thinking.

Zelda shows me another photo. This one has just her and me in it; she looks terrified and her face is all red. Looks like she tried to cover her face but whoever took the photo got her just in time.

"You don't remember this one, do you?" She sighs.

I'm too tired to guess this one. Physical therapy already has me exhausted but the memory exercises are actually worse. I look at the window, wondering how much longer I have to stay at the hospital before I can go back to the frat house. I miss my bed and my PC. And my kitchen. Hospital food sucks.

"It's the very first photo of us together," Zelda gives me a hint, still holding up her phone.

I squint at the picture: we are on the floor, cuddling. Or fighting. Hard to tell the difference with that volleyball net around us. This picture makes zero sense. Screw this, I'm gonna tell her I don't remember this.

I look up at her with an apology ready to go. I'm surprised when she gives me a small smile.

"That's okay. It's been a long day, you must be very exhausted," she says.

"You have no idea. It's like all my body wants to do is sleep."

"Understandable. I will let you rest," she says sweetly.

She's been super nice about this whole thing ever since we talked on the roof the other day. I think she said she was scared that I would stop loving her if I didn't remember everything from our past. It's kinda sweet I guess? I don't know. To be honest, I don't really get it. She worries too much about me not loving her.

"What time will you be back tomorrow? We can keep looking at pics. I think it's helping." It hurts my head but it's a good excuse to hang out with her.

"I have school tomorrow but I can visit you after my last class."

"Isn't it spring break?"

"Spring break only lasts one week."

"I know," I say confused.

"It's been four days since you woke up from your coma. Five if you count the first time you woke up."

"Oh what? Feels like two days tops. But I also don't really remember the whole waking up phase."

"Oh. Okay," she sounds so sad and worried again.

I feel like she thinks I can't remember her at all but I know how I feel about her. I just can't remember some of the moments of our past. I'm actually surprised she wants me to remember how we met. She always seemed to regret how she acted back then. I would have thought she'd be happy those memories are gone. Especially the volleyball net disaster. I was just trying to help her get the net down because she looked like she was struggling but then she yelled at me and--Hold up!