Silence ✔️

• Sixteen

"Wake up, Link..."

Just as he heard the words, Link's eyes opened and he sat up abruptly, feeling a pain in his leg and on his arm. He had almost completely forgotten what happened. How did he get to the nurse's office? All he remembered doing before now was falling. There were voices, too, but everything after that was a blur.

"You're fine, by the way," Midna said, examining the place on his leg where a bandage was wrapped securely around the cut, and the bandage on his arm. "Just a little accident, is all."

Link bit his lip and nodded at Midna, finally noticing that Zelda was sitting beside the orange haired teen. Currently, she was gazing at her hands, not really showing any emotion on the parts of her face that Link could see.

Midna nudged her best friend, causing the brunette to jerk her head up. Glancing at Midna for a moment, she looked the other way to see Link, awake and well.

A smile overtook Zelda's face—she was acting as if he just got stabbed multiple times and somehow survived. Midna could easily see this, but it flew over Link's head.

Link flipped his legs over the bed and stared at the bandage on his leg, while Zelda continued to look at him.

"I was the one who took you here," Zelda signed, while Midna translated her words from behind. Link nodded and mentally thanked her—hopefully she knew that he was thankful.

"The coach didn't see you at first," Midna said with a roll of her eyes. "Fucking pathetic. Imagine being that absorbed in some stupid track thing."

Zelda nodded. "From what I saw," she signed, "he was talking to another teacher, and then became distracted by that and everyone else. Didn't get a chance to see you." Midna translated these words when Zelda finished, of course.

She looked back up and away from her hands, accidentally making eye contact with Link. Zelda gasped a little when he sort of grinned lopsidedly at her, and failed to suppress a smile of her own. She waved a little for some reason and Link found it oddly endearing.

Midna laughed, standing up from the blue chair she sat in and walking towards the door. "I'm just gonna, y'know, tell the nurse that you're well and be on my way—bye!" she said in a rushed voice, quickly leaving.

As the door slammed shut, Zelda blinked and shook her head, looking at the ceiling instead of at Link.

Link stood up without any problems, feeling the cut on his leg sting for a second, but he was fine. Zelda grabbed his hand again on instinct, worried that he would fall or something. But he was fine and Link appreciated Zelda's support.

Things had already become awkward enough between them, and Zelda thought letting go would make it worse. She didn't know what to do now, but she followed what would make her happiest—holding his hand, of course. It was a simple gesture, but it made her smile on the inside.

They walked out of the nurse's office, with Link pretending to struggle as Zelda held his hand gently. People would assume they were a couple if he walked normally, so that's the plan he went with.

It wasn't a terrible feeling, though—holding Zelda's hand, I mean.

Hand in hand, they made their way back to the track field, where the coach waved to the two and approached them.

"I'm sorry I missed yer fall," he said. Very weird, annoying accent. Link wanted to punch him.

"Don't worry, I'm fine," Link said casually, forcing a grin on his face and letting go of Zelda's hand, much to both of their disappointment.