Chapter 4
"I..." he tried to begin, but the tears came. They streamed down his face as if the ocean tide had come in upon them. Nina looked at him with tears in her own eyes, not sure of what to do. She looked flustered, trying to choose between hugging him or not. He longed for it. "I haven't been hugged since... since..." he couldn't finish the thought before fresh tears hit his eyes and he didn't want to think anymore.
The sun was setting behind them, and Nina looked away from Link and to the sun, trying to catch one last ray of it's warmth before the cool night would set in. Her face darkened as the sun went behind the trees, and Link sat there, shaking slightly, trying to stop from crying.
Nina looked at him again and any trace of a smile that had been on her face vanished. She look depressed all of a sudden, as though she'd caused him such pain. She took his hand in hers, and at the touch he looked at her, wondering what she was attempting to do. She tried to smile, and he tried to return the gesture, but neither had much of a reason or a will to smile anymore. Link looked at her with swollen blue eyes and tried to find a sense of compassion with in her, anything that would lead her to care about him in any way. He needed someone who would care, at least in a friendly way, if he was to stop crying; he knew that to begin with.
He was looking at Nina when she turned to look at him again. A puzzled look came upon her face, and, seeing it, Link just sighed and turned away, letting his hand fall away from hers. She looked disheartened by the simple gesture, and moved closer to him for a moment. She still knew nothing of the reason for his tears, and wanted to know it now more than ever. "There must be a good reason," she thought in disdain, "This can't be a random outburst. There must be a reason for all of this..."
He looked up at her again, trying to stop his tears, and her eyes brightened and smiled. Despite the fact that he could not return the smile, his eyes brightened to sky blue and Nina wondered if she would ever learn the reason for his fit of tears.
"Link... will you... if it doesn't hurt too much, would you... if there's anything I can... oh please... would you... would you tell me why you... you were crying?"
He dropped his gaze a moment, looking at the ground, trying to focus and stop his tears again. He shut his eyes and shook his head, then stopped and looked at her again. He smiled weakly, and nodded.
"I will tell you," he said, very quietly, "but no one else must ever know."
"Alright," she replied. "If it's a secret you intend to keep, keep it I shall."
And in the falling light, Nina could hear his soft reply, "Good."
"I..." he tried to begin, but the tears came. They streamed down his face as if the ocean tide had come in upon them. Nina looked at him with tears in her own eyes, not sure of what to do. She looked flustered, trying to choose between hugging him or not. He longed for it. "I haven't been hugged since... since..." he couldn't finish the thought before fresh tears hit his eyes and he didn't want to think anymore.
The sun was setting behind them, and Nina looked away from Link and to the sun, trying to catch one last ray of it's warmth before the cool night would set in. Her face darkened as the sun went behind the trees, and Link sat there, shaking slightly, trying to stop from crying.
Nina looked at him again and any trace of a smile that had been on her face vanished. She look depressed all of a sudden, as though she'd caused him such pain. She took his hand in hers, and at the touch he looked at her, wondering what she was attempting to do. She tried to smile, and he tried to return the gesture, but neither had much of a reason or a will to smile anymore. Link looked at her with swollen blue eyes and tried to find a sense of compassion with in her, anything that would lead her to care about him in any way. He needed someone who would care, at least in a friendly way, if he was to stop crying; he knew that to begin with.
He was looking at Nina when she turned to look at him again. A puzzled look came upon her face, and, seeing it, Link just sighed and turned away, letting his hand fall away from hers. She looked disheartened by the simple gesture, and moved closer to him for a moment. She still knew nothing of the reason for his tears, and wanted to know it now more than ever. "There must be a good reason," she thought in disdain, "This can't be a random outburst. There must be a reason for all of this..."
He looked up at her again, trying to stop his tears, and her eyes brightened and smiled. Despite the fact that he could not return the smile, his eyes brightened to sky blue and Nina wondered if she would ever learn the reason for his fit of tears.
"Link... will you... if it doesn't hurt too much, would you... if there's anything I can... oh please... would you... would you tell me why you... you were crying?"
He dropped his gaze a moment, looking at the ground, trying to focus and stop his tears again. He shut his eyes and shook his head, then stopped and looked at her again. He smiled weakly, and nodded.
"I will tell you," he said, very quietly, "but no one else must ever know."
"Alright," she replied. "If it's a secret you intend to keep, keep it I shall."
And in the falling light, Nina could hear his soft reply, "Good."