Thinking About You

The game ends with a score of 1:0 for the Hyrule Eagles. Fans are cheering and celebrating for a few minutes and the losing team gets interviewed while the winning team talks to their fans and the coach.

Impa and I keep our distance for now and stay in our seats. Link refuses to talk to anyone, but his team seems to be used to it. They stand with their backs to him like a wall, separating him from his fans. They accept his distant and even rude manner because they know he is their key to victory. Once both teams have gone into the locker rooms the stadium clears and Impa and I wait until we remain the only people.

"Are you sure he'll be back?" I ask Impa after some time has passed.

"He usually practices more after the games, so yes."

"Does he ever take a break?"

Impa shrugs. A couple soccer players reenter the field with blue duffel bags hanging over their shoulders. I spot Link at the end of the line, still wearing his jersey and bright crimson shoes. When he sees me standing by the exit, he stops walking.

"What's up, Impa!" The goalkeeper gives her a high five when he passes us. He's so much taller when standing right in front of him.

"Nice catch today! They almost scored," she says and he thanks her.

Domidak stops in front of us with a somewhat dazed stare on Impa. She doesn't even notice him while she's talking to the keeper.

"Hey Domidak," I say to wake him from his trance.

"You never said you were friends with Impa," he says under his breath.

"I didn't? Well I must have failed to mention it during our 20-second conversation in which you called me a gullible little fangirl."

"Yeah, sorry about that," he says, totally absent from his mind. Someone has the hots for Impa. I'm not surprised... She's gorgeous, tall, strong, funny, confident, and determined. Everything I am insecure about.

"See you tomorrow night!" Impa calls after her friend as he leaves with the rest of the team.

"Tomorrow night?" I raise an eyebrow at her.

"There's a party at the frat house," she explains. "He's my beer pong buddy."

"Ah, I see. Are we still planning on going to Daruk's?"

She laughs and puts her arm around my shoulders.

"Are you jealous of Karson? Don't be, I'll still go to dinner with you."

She notices Domidak and greets him but he has lost his voice. Men always turn into dorks around their crushes. Even Revali's gale was nothing but a soft breeze under the spell of Mipha's grace. I turn my head to look over at Link standing on the field with a soccer ball under his arm. He doesn't act like Domidak or Revali when he's with me. What does that tell me? I feel so nauseous, can I please just get this over with?

I give Impa a desperate look and gesture at Domidak with my eyes.

"Let's talk outside," she tells him and he nearly faints.

Her voice fades away as they walk outside and I am left alone with Link.

My legs feel like they are missing their bones when I step onto the soccer field. I know why Link doesn't act like Domidak around me... If there is always one dork and one gem, I'm the dork. I'm the one making a fool out of myself. And he must see that too. He made it pretty clear that he doesn't want to talk to me, just like I did last week. But then I kissed him, which must have confused him as much as when he tried to hold my hand. Maybe we both don't know what we're doing. Though I had my reasons not to speak to him, and now I want to hear his reasons too so that I can stop analyzing his behavior.

"Link," I say and leave 6 feet of space between us.

"What are you doing here?" He asks without making eye contact. At least he's talking to me.

"I came to watch the game... And to talk to you," I add.

"I'm busy," he says and attempts to leave but I snatch his soccer ball in hopes that he won't leave without it. He turns around with a passive face.

"What do you want?" he says and every line, every sentence I rehearsed in my head dissolves when I look at his bright blue eyes.

"I... I want to talk," I repeat with a mousy voice.

"Don't."

My heart sinks to the pit of my stomach. He wants to walk away but I hold onto him.

"Please stop!" I practically beg. I can't take this anymore! "I've spent every second of the past two days worrying about you, thinking of every possible reason for why you act so cold to me. I thought that you were just trying to focus on the game, but now that the game is over you're just as cold as before. I know I haven't been easy on you, but I'm trying to make up for the way I treated you. I am sorry for yelling at you and believing what Malice said. I should have asked you about Mipha before jumping to conclusions but I didn't think it mattered. Not until... I don't know what else to do. I want to make things right between us but I need you to talk to me."

"You have to stop..."

"Stop what? I just want to know what I did. You're confusing me, at least help me understand."

"You're just as confusing. You told me to stay away, now you want to talk. Why do you care what I do or think?"

"Because..." The volume of my voice falls drastically. "I care."

"But why?"

"I don't know! I just do. When you took me home and opened up to me, I got to know you, the real you. Not the person everyone is talking about online. I like that version of you and I want him back. I'm not sorry for kissing you, but I am sorry for the way I handled it. It was my first kiss and I don't have a clue what to do next. When you started to ignore me you hurt me. We don't have to be friends, if you don't like me I'll respect that, but please talk to me. If I'm doing something wrong or if I did something to make you hate me, tell m--"

His hands cup my cheeks and he presses his lips against mine. I lost my train of thought and if I'm honest, I don't even recall what I was saying just a second ago. I drop the soccer ball when his arms snake around my waste, bringing me into a tight hug as our lips part slightly.

"I don't hate you," he whispers, looking at my lips. "And I wasn't ignoring you."

He lets go of me. I whine at the loss of touch and gaze at his eyes, unable to find the words.

"When you told me that the kiss was a mistake, I wasn't mad. I understood. You can't come near me, or any guy, because it's putting your dreams in jeopardy. So I stayed away."

"But... I don't want you to stay away anymore," I mutter at my feet.

"I haven't been doing a good job anyway. This morning in English I tried to give you space and treat you like any other person but I couldn't help myself when you sat down next to me. And now you show up to my games?"

"Just the one," I murmur.

"I just kissed you in the center of a stadium. It only takes one person to see us and it'll destroy your dream."

He takes a step backward to create more space between us.

"I want to kiss you and talk to you, but you made it clear that you don't want that," he says and I try not to tear up.

"I never said you should pretend I don't exist."

"I just don't want you to get in trouble. Usually when girls talk to me they want the whole world to know about it. You're different and I'm just as new to this as you. If it were up to me, I would kiss you even if all these seats were filled by people..."

His hands try to steal the soccer ball but I keep it behind my back.

"You'll get it back when we're done here," I say to the patient man in front of me.

"You told me that every time I get near you, horrible things happen."

He's right, but I wish he wasn't.

"You're right with everything. But that was all before..."

I take a step closer.

"We can't be seen together," he continues his debate.

That may be true, but what is it Impa always tells me?

"Then we don't get caught," I say, hardly recognizing my own voice.

This isn't me, I should go home. I did what I came for; I talked to him, I can just go now... But my feet bring me closer to him.

"Zelda," he breathes and takes another small step backward. He's trying so hard to fight this but his eyes pull me closer when they dart to my lips.

"I can't stop..." I say but pause.

I clutch the locket on my necklace and look at our feet so close together. I take a deep breath and look up at him. His pupils dilate and I can hear how he sucks in a sharp breath when our eyes meet.

"I tried to forget about it and pretend that nothing ever happened," I say with regret. "I tried telling myself that it was a mistake, and I tried to distract myself and focus on school... but... I can't..."

I step closer. Only inches lie between us and Link doesn't move away this time, even when I stand on my tippy toes and place my hand on his cheek.

"I tried and tried but I can't stop thinking about you," I finally say and kiss him.

My head is free from worries, even if it only lasts for a few seconds, I cherish the feeling. I know that this might backfire and that me kissing Link only complicates everything, but I don't care right now. I just want him to kiss me. He brings his hands up to my face and holds it dearly. When he tilts his head and opens his mouth to kiss me back I feel all the weight falling from my shoulders. This feeling... This exact feeling when he kisses and holds me, when I feel safe and content, is what I was missing all this time. When I was with him I felt at home, and while he was gone, I was homesick. It's the same feeling I get when I've been on a long vacation and finally come home; it's a familiar place but it feels strangely new.

Applause and the sound of a not so distant whistle tears us apart. Link and I look up at the seats in shock and spot Impa sitting in her seat again, cheering and clapping.

"Encore!" She shouts down at us.

I look at Link; panic has taken over his features. I take his hand into mine and smile to sooth him.

"It's just Impa."

"She knows?" He asks and rubs the back of his neck.

"Yes, but she would never tell anyone."

His chest falls as he lets out the breath he's been holding.

"Are you sure?"

"200% positive."

He lifts the corner of his mouth but tries to hide his smile.

"Let's give her a show then," he leans in to kiss me again and despite the discomfort I feel from my best friend watching us, I can't resist his lips.