The Both Of Us | Zelink X The Last Of Us

Chapter Nineteen

Zelda's pov

Link and Revali come back inside, leaving the smoldering pile of infected. There was one that had growths like a clicker covering its whole body. It charged at us during the entire chase and I shot it a few times. Nothing happened. I'd never seen something so powerful and monstrous and I certainly haven't heard of infected that looked like that.

Both men breathe heavily and beads of sweat roll down their temples and foreheads. They both ran over a mile without stopping as fast as they could and Link did it while carrying me. I thought it was over when I fell and those infected were right behind us and here I am breathing. Because of Link. He's been protecting me from the beginning.

"We'll fix the truck tomorrow," Revali huffs between gasping breaths and he goes to the stairs, leaving Link and I alone.

The sun is almost set and it would probably be a good time to go to sleep since we leave tomorrow. After the excitement today, I really don't want to leave. I went with Link to conquer my fears and I came back with new ones. What if we run into more of those armored infected?

I wait for Link to scold me, to tell me it was my fault we almost died. I'm the one who tripped after all and he had to carry me. I wait for him to say something and he says nothing. Instead, he goes upstairs and there's no way I'm staying down here by myself so I go up too.

Adrenaline is still pumping through me when I sit on the bed we share. Even if it wasn't, I'm too afraid to sleep right now. I pick up the book I was reading earlier with the intention of finishing it to calm my nerves before I sleep. I can escape to a fantasy world for a little while with knights and princess so I don't have to think about how many times I've almost died since I started this trip.

Link surprises me when he speaks. "It's only going to get worse from here."

"How much worse?"

"I guess we'll find out." That does nothing for reassurance. "You have to start listening to everything I say." I nod. For the first time since I met him, he doesn't sound angry. His voice isn't as rough and demanding. "I won't let anything happen to you." He drops his gaze and lightly scratches the back of his head. "I promise."

We both know that's not a promise he can make. And yet he made it anyway.

***

I get to eat another cooked breakfast in the morning before I'm sent to the cellar to collect cans we'll be eating from after we leave. Link gave me his backpack and told me to fill it but to not look in it. Of course it piqued my interest.

The shelves in the cellar are almost completely filled with canned goods. I unzip our bags and begin picking our meals. Creamed corn, Chef Boyardee, steak and potato soup, pineapples, peaches. Everything sounds good when you're hungry.

I fill my bag first, fitting cans around my books. Then I fill Link's. I place four cans in his bag and the back of my hand brushes against something soft. He told me not to look.

It's full of ammo and a couple articles of clothing along with more knives and shivs, his flask and some bandages. And a teddy bear. I expected something more along the lines of a porn magazine, not a teddy bear. I pick it up anyway and it looks as worn out as the rest of us. He never takes it out, never looks at it yet it must be special if he carries it around. Like my locket. I can't ask or he'll know I went through his things.

There's a crusted spot on the bear's face like dried snot and when I turn it around, there's old blood as well. It's not his teddy bear. It belonged to someone he cared about. A horrifying thought crosses my mind. He could've had a kid. I wasn't so distanced from everyone else to know that teen pregnancies occurred. It would explain why he's so broken and angry. Losing your child would destroy you.

I absently grab more cans while inspecting the bear, looking for a name tag or anything. There's just the blood and crusted spot on the face. And a small hole cut in the seam on the back...

A light tickling sensation moves slowly across the hand I was collecting cans with. It's a huge brown and furry spider. I shriek and flail, flinging it to the floor. It scurries away just as Link's hurried footsteps come down the creaky stairs.

"What-" He stops when he sees me still holding the teddy bear. His face contorts to anger and sadness as he strides over and yanks it out of my hand.

"I'm sorry-"

"I told you to not go through my bag!" It was the one thing he asked.

He takes care when putting the teddy bear back but he takes anger out on the cans. He snatches them off the shelves without looking at what they are and tosses them into his bag. I hit a nerve and ruined the little bit of friendliness he was showing me.

"Go get in the truck," he spits while grabbing more cans. I zip my backpack and leave the cellar feeling guilty.

Revali is leaning against the hood of the truck playing with a knife. He barely gives me a glance when I approach.

"Don't get close to him," he says when I open the passenger side door.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean he's only capable of hating and you'll get hurt if you try to take it further." He throws the knife into the ground and it sticks straight up in the dirt. "Just don't do it."

"It's not like that." It's not. He's taking me to my father and he protects me because he has to, not because he wants to.

He scoffs with a taunting smirk. "Whatever you say."

Link comes out of the cellar and I scramble into the truck so I don't look like I was disobeying again. Revali grabs his knife from the ground and waves it at Link as he gets closer.

"You come back again and I will put a bullet in your head."

"We'll see." He catches the keys that Revali tosses to him. "Thanks for the help."

"Don't expect it a second time."

We pass the cows while we drive down the dirt path that leads to the road. I see the baby cow I hugged and kissed. How much joy that little being gave me yesterday.

"Bye cows," I say quietly. They moo as we drive by and flick their tails with grass in their mouths. Had none of this happened, I might have married a farm boy and gotten cows. Not that father would've approved of a farm life for me. He wanted me to marry a politician or a businessman. I think I would've been better suited to a boy with a bit of an untamed side. One that's a little wild. The man next to me isn't wild. He's unhinged. Insane.