The Both Of Us | Zelink X The Last Of Us

Chapter Fifteen

Zelda's pov

"What do you mean you're leaving?" I shriek while following the one person I can rely on to keep me safe. He said he has to go help Revali clear a nest of infected in order to get a car battery from an abandoned military truck. And he wants to leave me here alone!

"I'll be back in about an hour," he says. "Two at the most."

"But I can't be left alone!" I don't want to be left alone. Not when he can't promise he'll come back.

"I live here alone," Revali snaps. "Just keep your gun on you and you'll be fine. You'll slow us down if you come with." I can't really argue with that although I don't have a gun and I don't know how to use one.

"She doesn't know how to use a gun," Link says before I can. I know the fact still irritates him.

"You're fucking stupid for traveling with someone who can't shoot."

"I know!" I play with my sleeve. I'm right here. He's been complaining about me since we got here.

Link pulls one of his pistols and holds it out to me. "Safety on, safety off," he says while flipping a small switch. "Hold it like this and squeeze the trigger." He practically shoves the gun in my hands after the demonstration and I'm surprised by the weight of it. It feels wrong to hold and I can't help but wonder how many lives are on this gun. It's as if the weight of every death makes it heavier.

"Don't go anywhere," he adds on his way out. And just like that, he leaves me alone with a gun and no guarantee he'll come back.

***

An hour ticks by and now the sun is almost completely set. There's no sign of either of them and each minute brings more anxiety.

I left the gun on a coffee table while I explored the house. I discovered that Revali has hot water and I took a shower. I didn't think he'd mind and I found women's clothes in one of the bedrooms. There were also pictures of who used to live here: a man with a teenage girl and two boys. I'm wearing her clothes now. It's strange.

I wander and look at the clock again. Hour and a half. He said they'd be back after two hours at the most.

Every sound I hear makes my heart pound. The house creaks when the wind pushes against it and a rhythmic tapping comes from outside. I refuse to leave the house to investigate and Link told me to stay here. Not that I would've left without him anyway.

Hour and fifty-three minutes. They're still not back. I peer out every window and only find darkness past what the lights illuminate. It'd be so easy to hide just past what I can see...

I scare myself into thinking a piece of old farm equipment is a person or an infected and I run upstairs to hide. I forget the gun but I'm already up here and I don't want to go back down. I lock myself in what I think is Revali's room and I curl up in the corner since I'd bet he would be bothered if I sat on his bed.

I want Link to come back. As terrifying as he is, he's a source of safety and the lack of his presence is making me uncomfortable.

Link's pov

We walk in silence towards town. He said there's an abandoned military truck that crashed into the middle school but it's full of infected. I'm expecting runners and clickers depending on how dark it is inside. Revali had bows we'll be using to stay silent. Infected aren't a problem until they swarm you.

"How'd you end up with her?" Revali asks suddenly.

I sigh and shake my head while looking down. I don't know how I ended up with her. Impa was the one who wanted to take this job. She said it sounded like fun to be around a girl instead of a shithead like me. Now she's gone and I got stuck with someone I have to protect alone.