Never Without You │ BOTW modern AU fanfic

Flowers and Chocolate

"We need to set some ground rules," I tell Malice as she eats her vitamins and oatmeal. "I can't watch you 24/7, so I'm going to have to trust you not to stab me again."

"Okay," she mumbles, her mouth full of food.

"And don't even think about breaking into my car; I've discarded your drugs."

"What?!" Crumbs fall out of her mouth and onto the white sheets. "Son of a bitch! Tell me you didn't just throw them away!"

"You said you didn't want to use anymore," I defend my actions.

"Doesn't mean you should throw 'em all out! We could've still sold them!"

"We're not going to sell drugs," I reply firmly.

"Well, fuck..." She pants and falls back into the pillows. "You owe me."

"I owe you? You're kidding, right?" I'm starting to realize that this conversation is going nowhere. "Look, I've got my own set of rules, and they include staying out of illegal activities."

She sighs exasperated. "All high and mighty. Princess and the pea. May I remind you that you've broken the law before? That's right, you've got your own skeletons in the closet?"

"Such as?" I challenge her.

"Breaking into Ganondorf's house for starters," she says, arms crossed.

I narrow my eyes at Malice. "What's important is that we're trying to make a fresh start here. We can't do that if we're constantly looking over our shoulders. Or would you rather return to your old life?"

Malice rolls her eyes and pushes her breakfast aside. "You're such a damn Girl Scout," she mutters. "Fine, I'll play by your stupid rules."

"Trust me, I'm doing this for both of us."

Malice might not be the most pleasant person to be around, but deep down, I believe that underneath the tough exterior she presents to the world, there's a person worth saving. She's been hiding behind her demons for far too long. I can see it because I am guilty of it too. Unlike her, I've been given second chances by my friends when in truth, I'm the most prejudiced of them all. Turning Malice's life around will help me turn myself around.

"You can stay the night," I say, picking up her dishes. "Tomorrow morning you can ride to school with me, and afterward, if you don't have a ride, I can drop you off somewhere."

"If you want to help me so badly, why kick me out after tonight?"

"My father is coming home tomorrow, and he cannot under any circumstance find you here. So start making arrangements for your next stay."

"Sure thing, Princess."

"Don't call me that."

"Mkay."

"One last thing," I say before I leave the room. "I need you to promise me that you'll stay in this room and keep the door closed."

"I told you how I feel about promises."

"Well... I need some kind of reassurance that you won't relapse or try to murder me in my sleep."

"There's never an assurance," she says coldly.

"Guess I'll have to lock you in then," I joke, but she doesn't take it as such. She looks downright terrified at the idea of being locked up again. "I'm kidding," I assure her and apologize for a bad joke.

She continues eating. "I can't guarantee that I won't relapse," she returns to the topic. "But I guess I can promise that I really want to try."

I raise a brow at her. "I thought promises don't mean anything to you."