Try For Me | Zelink AU

Knuckles

Nobody's Soldier—Hozier

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Link's Perspective 

It takes several hard jabs to nudge me awake and even after it does, I mumble some sort of complaint, turning my face behind the pillow I'm holding to block out the light. I don't care much about who it is but rather what they're waking me up from.

The dream about Zelda seemed never ending at the time and now it feels too short. The vivid details I was living moments ago start to fade as another shove lands in my bare shoulder.

"We're going to be late."

"What time?" I mumble.

"Almost eight. Daddy isn't going to be happy if you make me late for school."

"Just give me a fucking minute." I dig the heel of my palm into my eye, rubbing away the sleep as the dream of Freckles is replaced by the memory of the other night and the real feeling of her lips and weight of her in my lap. "He isn't going to be happy anyway," I say more to myself as she leaves. I press too hard on the bruise and draw my hand away from the sudden throb. He was just drunk enough earlier this week to remember he didn't get to finish beating me for Aryll's tears.

But it was just me and that's worth something at least. He didn't touch Mama even when she finally told him to stop.

I finally sit up, my ribs aching, blinking away that fogginess refusing to let go. Late night calls with Freckles are catching up and slowing me down. It's the only time when no one else will be listening even if it's just for a few minutes of hearing her ramble and hiccup.

She didn't get in trouble for the night she was with me if only for the fact her dad hasn't been home to put her in it. He never really seems to be home and I can't imagine how much I would be able to breathe if that was true for me.

Hauling myself from bed, I pick up the grease stained jeans from the floor to yank up my legs, the belt still in the loops. My shirt isn't on until I reach the hallway and by then I'm in the kitchen with Ma and Aryll, tucking away the pack and lighter I'd grabbed too.

"I wish you'd stop doing that," Ma says. The mark on her cheek is just a yellow stain now beneath her powder. Easy to hide but not to forget.

"You said that already." I take the small brown bag she hands me and reach for my keys, noticing the note by the phone to call back the number written in her cursive. "What's this?"

"Nothing." She smiles and hides the note in her hand. She gives my arm a tight squeeze too before going back to scrubbing her already clean kitchen from a breakfast she didn't get to make for us. "Have a good day."

I forget about the note seconds after I get in the car. Dad's truck is still here but he's busy sleeping off the evening. Ma will send him to work with a sandwich and a kiss and be excited for when he comes home. At least I won't have to be there to see it.

Aryll is quiet in the car, too busy staring out her window while bouncing her leg and eating some Little Debbie snack Dad got for her the last time he took her out. Ansy for a reason she keeps to herself and I don't have the cares to question.

I drop her off at the front, still numb to the time as I go to the diner next, a weird sort of feeling hanging around from the people sitting at the counter sipping coffee before work. I glance at a few who turn away, some are girls who are skipping or out of school. They smile at each other, giggling and whispering.

Girls.

I dig out cash for the bag waiting by the register—the same bag Daruk wants me to get almost every morning—and hand the bills to Urbosa who must have been waiting. That look of sorrow she had for me when I'd dragged Aryll home is gone and she's still wearing the same one since Sunday almost as if she's upset with me about something I didn't do.