Never Without You │ BOTW modern AU fanfic

Bonfire

Zelda's POV

"You know the drill," I say to Malice, who's playing a game on the Nintendo Switch. Link lent it to me so I could offer her some kind of entertainment other than books. "Don't make a sound and don't leave the room until I'm back."

She rolls her eyes at me. "I haven't been caught yet, give me some credit."

I grab my bookbag and car keys, ready to leave for school, but I stop at the door and turn around one last time. "I almost forgot to tell you," I say, waiting for her to press pause on her video game. "I will be home late tonight."

Malice puts down the console to give me a confused look. "What about your dad? I thought you said I'm not supposed to be here by myself when he's home."

"He won't be home," I reply. "He's never around on my birthday."

"It's your birthday?" She asks and I nod.

"I know you're wary of being out in public, but I'll ask anyway... Would you like to join me and my friends for a small birthday gathering today? We plan to spend the afternoon at the beach."

"Sure," she answers sarcastically. "If you want all of us kidnapped and executed on a yacht right off the Pacific coast."

"I figured you'd say something like that."

"Birthdays aren't my thing anyways," she shrugs.

"They didn't used to be my thing either," I admit. "Up until last year, I never really celebrated my birthday."

"Why not? You'd think a girl like you would have extravagant celebrations, as if you've won something just by getting a year older."

"Not me," I smile. "I didn't have a family to celebrate with."

"Why? They gone for business all the time?"

"Something like that."

"Poor little Princess," Malice mocks. "Her parents were sooo busy making money to support their spoiled only-child that they couldn't make it to her 10-million-dollar birthday party."

Her words sting, and I thought I had grown accustomed to her rude remarks but sometimes she still manages to get under my skin!

With frustration and sadness, I retort, "My mother passed away on my 6th birthday! That's why my father disappears on this day every year. He says I remind him too much of the pain. It doesn't help that I'm named after my mother and bear a striking resemblance to her."

Having said my piece, I leave with a slam of the door.

...

Thankfully, my lectures go by quickly today. My last class is with Pik, which always feels like a breeze even though it's my longest class of the week.

While Pik takes attendance, I talk to Mipha. I want to convince her to live with us but it's not an easy topic to bring up. Especially because I don't know how she feels about Link. They haven't really been talking much since she found out we're dating.

I start with a classic, "How are you doing?"

"Very well," she smiles. "And you?"

"Same."

"It's sure getting cold outside," she says, rubbing her arms.

"I noticed that too," I nod. "Do you walk to campus or do you drive?"

"I walk," she tells me. "I don't have a car."

"I see." During a short pause, I consider how to start the conversation about living together. "You still live in the dorms, right?"