The Both Of Us | Zelink X The Last Of Us

Chapter Thirty-Five

Song suggestions:

Lovely-Billie Eilish, Khalid
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Zelda's pov

The gun shakes violently in my hands as I stare at him with hot tears burning my cheeks. That's not possible.

"Put the gun d-down," he gasps through ragged breaths.

"No one is immune," I whimper, readjusting my grip on the gun. It's slipping from my sweat and his blood.

"I would-would've turned already." I shake my head, not believing him. "It's been hours," he gasps.

Now I lower the gun slightly. It would've taken less than twenty minutes for him to turn based on where he got bit. I don't understand unless somehow it's spreading slower than usual.

"This isn't the first time." He starts pulling at his left sleeve, stopping once his tattoo is visible. "L-look."

I stay frozen but my gun is pointing at the floor now. I'm still unconvinced. No one is immune. The only explanation is the infection is taking longer to spread to his brain.

"I would've already shot myself i-if I knew I was going to t-turn," he grunts, struggling to get the words out.

He would have. He wouldn't put me in that danger. I drop the gun and shuffle back over to him on my knees. He relaxes, his breathing becoming a little less ragged. He raises his left arm and I take it with shaky hands, still afraid he'll turn.

"It's a bite," he says. "I got it y-years ago."

"You said it was a burn." I trace my fingers over it, feeling the scar underneath the ink.

"I b-burned it so no one would know."

I look at the curved indents. It is a bite mark, mutilated in order to disguise it. Only when it's closely inspected does it look like a bite.

"How?" Is all I can say.

He shakes his head weakly. "I do-don't know but don't sh-shoot me." He smiles ever so slightly. He grabs blindly for my hand, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly as he struggles to swallow. "K-kiss me." His request stabs me through the heart as if it's the last thing he's asking for.

I lean down, kissing his soft lips, letting my tears fall onto his face. I've never seen him so vulnerable, so human. His fingers lightly trace over my jaw like he's trying to memorize me. I lean into his touch, my sobs forcing me to break our kiss. I don't want to lose him.

When my eyes meet his again I notice he's crying too, real tears this time, not the tears of pain from earlier. His walls have come down, his emotions lying naked before me.

"If I don't make it–" He coughs again, his face twisting in pain. I shake my head. He can't die. "If I don't make it, you go back to Urbosa."

"Stop," I whimper. "You're going to be fine."

"You're an...awful liar." He forces another pained smile, breaking my heart even more. "You run like hell and you don't stop okay?"

"No..." I couldn't do it by myself. I need him. I couldn't take that heartbreak.

"P-promise me you will." I shake my head again, my vision going blurry from my hot tears. "That's all I'm asking...please." He swallows again, his eyes struggling to stay open.

"I promise," I whimper. He nods, letting his eyes close all the way as he slips unconscious again.

I put a blanket over him and cuddle into him on his good side, resting my head on his chest, listening to his weak heartbeat. Just keep beating.

That's all I ask.

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First of all, I don't want to admit I made myself cry a little while writing this chapter. Second, there's a modification I made from the original Last Of Us that I wanted to point out in case no one has seen it. Joel tells Ellie to leave him because he thinks he's going to die and he wants her to be safe with Tommy. But in this, Link tells Zelda to leave only after he's gone. This is because he's terrified of being alone and he doesn't want to die alone. Depressing? I think so.

Also, there's like thirteen chapters left if I'm mathing correctly.