I am making up for the long waits between updates. Now that I have nothing really going on, I'm going to update at least two to three times a week. And since school is coming up, I will write a few in advance so I can stay consistent. Sorry for the long waits! This is another long one, too.

Thank you for all of the reviews I got already on the last chapter! XD And, I know, I know - Zelda should fight back. Trust me, something related to all that is coming and back stories and stuff are coming up.

I'm so glad you love the story, makes me so happyyy! XD Haha anyway, sorry for the long note. Let's move on...

Chapter 5

Zelda

My breathing sped up significantly and my heart raced erratically as the oncoming truck got closer and closer... My damned body wouldn't work, I couldn't do anything. So many things flashed through my mind at that moment - everything I've done in my life, mistakes... even... Link. Link? I barely knew him! ...But I pictured him as my eyes shut and I accepted what was about to happen.

There was a loud vroooom and a screeching noise; my car shook a little from side to side, but there was no earsplitting creak of metal or mind-numbing pain. There was, however, several honks from behind me. I opened my eyes and saw the black marks that swerved over the road where the truck had avoided hitting me. Oh, goddesses... Holy shit!

Muffled yells and more honks sounded outside and I hurriedly swung the wheel around and parked on the side of the road, out of the way. My heart was still going and my breath was coming out in short, sharp breaths. I... could've... died. Just now. Oh jeez... My hands were shaking a little.

After several minutes of deep breaths and attempts at relaxing my muscles, I was finally calm again. Okay. I definitely need to stay at a... motel or something. Next time, I may not be so lucky. And with that, I started up the car again and checked the road before pulling out again and driving forward. Again, my mind realized something. I had thought of Link. When I thought I was going to die. Though I'd just met him about a week ago. Something about him... he didn't seem too bad. I wasn't going to let my guard down so easily, though! I just... I'm really going to give him a chance.

Link

"You suck, dude! Ugh! Everything, just - ahh, you suuuck!" Mikau yelled at me, halfway lifting his ass out of his seat and tensing up as his fingers worked quickly over the game controller. I laughed, calmly gliding my fingers over the controls as my character kicked his in the face. A few seconds later, the screen came up that said I had won. Mikau plopped back down in his chair, slightly hunched in defeat.

"C'mon, Mikau. You beat me, like, three times before." I reminded him helpfully with a shrug. Mikau rolled his navy blue eyes.

"Whatever, you're just saying that." Mikau waved a hand lazily. "Three times out of, like... twenty-five games isn't exactly awesome."

I shook my head, grinning. He hated to lose, but he was still a pretty good sport about it. Oh, goddesses, but Darunia - I did not like playing with him, especially if I win. He breaks stuff.

My eyes glanced over the digital clock on a table where the red numbers glowed 11:52 at me. I sighed. "Ah, better get some sleep, man. Tomorrow's our last day of freedom." I chuckled lightly as I shut off the gaming system.

"Hm, fine." Mikau grumbled, tossing his controller down and standing. He stretched his lean body, dropping his arms back down with an obnoxious sigh. He gave me a look, smirking a bit. "Tomorrow's Mooondayyyy!" He sang. "You know what that means."

"That... the days of the week have their shit together and Monday still follows Sunday?" I provided seriously. I knew what he was getting at, but I tried not to smile as I thought of Zelda coming back. She would probably get home sometime in the evening, I guess...

"Hahaha - no." Mikau answered flatly. "Zelda's gonna be back!"

"Yeah, yeah - I know." I said, giving him a light shove as I headed toward my bed to sleep. I was actually tired.

"You're squealing like a little girl on the inside." Mikau claimed and I just shook my head with a smile, lying down on my bed.

"Whatever floats your boat, Mikau. Goodnight."

"Oh, you automatically use the boat reference because I'm a-"

"Goodnight." I repeated, smirking. He chuckled and mumbled back "goodnight." I sighed softly again as my eyes closed.

Zelda

Monday. Time to head back to campus. I reluctantly rose from the bed in the small hotel room, gathering my things and getting ready to leave. It was already past three; I had slept the morning away. My body was still sore and achy and movement wasn't very comfortable. I walked slowly into the bathroom and glimpsed myself in the mirror: there was a bruise along my jaw and another one on my cheek just below my eye. They weren't too big, but... they were noticeable. Swallowing loudly, I tentatively lifted my shirt up and gasped softly at all of the bruising from the kicking along my right side that curved around to my stomach. The large bruise was dark purple with some light yellow around the edges. Shaking my head, I tugged my shirt back down. All I wanted to do at the moment was curl up for a long time and just lay there. And cry. Crying helps sometimes. I had tried fighting back a bit, but... ugh! I'm just so scared of what he'd do if I fought back. What if he actually ended up killing me. I sighed. I wouldn't put it past him. I shouldn't just... I shouldn't let him do that. I just... ugggh! Taking a deep breath and forcing back tears, I strode out of the room and into the nearest elevator with my belongings. My eyes were heavy and a bit puffy from all the tears that had poured out for the last several hours.

The elevator dinged at my floor and the doors slid open. I hurried to check out, my head down and my hood up to avoid looking at anyone or them seeing me. Once outside, I squeezed my eyes shut against the bright sunlight, blinking repeatedly until they got used to it.

My car was close, thank the goddesses, and soon I was inside and driving away, back to my campus. I had had the worst couple of days, so I might have been a little eager to get back. School wasn't something I really wanted to think about right now, but I needed to suck it up and deal with it. I've been dealing with it for years.

...

I soon made it to the campus around seven after getting lost several times along the way. I parked at the building, but didn't feel like going in yet. So, I got out of my car and turned right back around to walk along the shops and places just off campus.

Link

Ruto squealed happily. "Oh, yes! I had so much fun this weekend - of course, I missed you Link." I resisted a laugh, and she continued anyway. "But my parents took me to see the Indigo- Go's! You know, that alternative Zoran band!"

"Mm, vaguely." Darunia rumbled from beside me, his light brown skin brightening under the weird light of the smoothie shop.

"Oh, yeah! You saw them?" I exclaimed and she nodded fervently.

"Who's that?" Mikau asked, taking a sip of his drink and looking at us.

Ruto gaped. I quirked an eyebrow at Mikau. "Dude, you're a Zora - aren't the Indigo-Go's, like... your religion?!" Ruto giggled.

Malon and Nabooru returned from getting their beverages and took seats beside us. "What're we talkin' about?" Nabooru asked, smiling.

"I've heard of them, they're good." Saria said softly from her spot as she drank some of her smoothie.

Ruto glanced at Mikau. "You know what? You need to listen to them; I'll show you sometime!" She suggested, smiling up at him.

"O-okay...!" Mikau agreed and I raised my eyebrows slightly as I swore I glimpsed a light blush tint his aquamarine cheekbones pink. I smiled to myself and looked back at my drink.

Malon sighed happily after she'd sucked down her smoothie, then groaned. "Guys... school tomorrow..."

There were scattered groans from everyone at the table. Mikau straightened in his seat, pointing at me. "Link, the music club starts tomorrow - are you gonna check it out?"

I laughed lightly. "Are you kidding? Of course, I am!" Music meant a lot to me! It was how I could vent if I was upset or angry, or just wanted to play. And I could play several instruments as well.

"Well... I'm gonna head back, guys. I'm exhausted and I don't want to be late for classes." Nabooru rose from her chair, pushing it in and tossing her empty cup away.

"Um, I'll walk with you." Darunia offered as he stood too. Nabooru gave him a smile and waved to us. Everyone waved back as the two of them left. Ruto, Malon, and Saria stood as well.

"We'd better go too, Link. See ya, Mikau." Ruto smiled.

"Bye." Malon said and Saria gave us a little wave. Mikau sighed after they' d left.

"Well, just us. You wanna head back too?" He asked.

"Uh... you can go ahead, I'm just gonna chill for a bit." I told him. Already used to me sometimes wanting to be alone, Mikau simply nodded and told me bye before walking out the door. I ran my index finger lazily around the lid of my cup and sighed lightly. After several more minutes, I stood up. I was just going to walk around for a little while before heading back to the dorm. Slowly, I walked along the small buildings as my hands slid into the pockets of my dark jeans. I looked down at the ground, lost in thought when I heard a light noise from ahead of me as a girl staggered out of a nearby bar and began to walk drunkenly over the sidewalk. I jogged forward a bit to catch up with her to see if I could help out. The girl's hood had haphazardly fallen off her head and...wait. That blonde hair threaded through with brown looked familiar...

I placed a hand on the girl's shoulder and gently turned her to face me. "Hey, do you need-" I stopped abruptly with a surprised intake of breath.

It was Zelda.

...

"Come on, Zelda. I need to get you to your room."

"Hmm, let's go to your room." She slurred, leaning heavily against me. As soon as I had recognized the girl as Zelda, I immediately took her straight to the dorm. She was a bit touchy-feely when drunk and I had to - nicely - push her hand away from me several times.

I wondered if her roommate was in the dorm. I kind of hoped not. I didn't want anyone to see her like this, or me with a drunk Zelda and people getting the wrong idea. Eventually she handed over the keys to her dorm - after a lot of flirting and innuendos involving keys and key holes - and I pushed the door open, one arm around her middle as she continued to lean on me.

After I had safely placed her on the sofa where she... awkwardly lay across it, I nudged the door shut and flipped the light on. No sign of her roommate, which was good. But where would she... annnd, not thinking about that. In college, if you're not in your own room, you're in someone else's...

I exhaled. "What were you doing, Zelda...?" I mumbled mostly to myself as I went to her sink to get her some water.

She answered anyway. "Having fun... it helpsss..." she slowly sat up and walked over to where I was. I didn't know what it "helped", but before I could ask, her arms came around me. I couldn't help my heart speeding up considerably as she touched me. Of course, I liked it, but no way was I going to act on it. She wasn't totally in her right mind and I was not going to take advantage of her. She deserved a hell of a lot better than that.

I removed Zelda's arms from around me and pulled her back to the sofa where I handed her the glass of water. She inspected it for a second, then drank slowly. When she finished it, Zelda set her glass down on a small table and leaned toward me. The smell of alcohol heavily present on her breath.

Zelda slid her hands over my chest and lay her head on my shoulder. Her hand wandered down my stomach to my jeans.

"Zelda. No." I told her, firmly putting her hands back in her lap.

"Ugh, b-but..." she hiccupped a little and her eyelids grew heavy as she lay back. She was... wasted. I wondered what caused her to do this. I didn't know her well, but she didn't seem like a heavy drinker...

Soon, her eyes were closed and her breathing became deep and even as she slept. It looked like an uncomfortable position, though, so very carefully, I picked her up and carried her into her room. She groaned softly in her sleep as I lay her down in her bed and pull the covers over her. I smiled a bit and straightened, looking down at her for a few seconds before turning around and quietly stepping out of the room.

As I made my way back to my dorm, my mind wandered. Would she remember tonight at all? And why did she drink so much? She said it helped... but helped what exactly? I shook my head and made my way to my door and quickly slipped inside without making much noise. Exhausted, I tugged off my shirt and fell onto my bed in my jeans. Before long, my eyes slid closed and I was asleep.

Well, hope you liked chapter 5! I LOVE reading y'all's awesome reviews, so tell me what you think about the story! I'm gonna update more often before school, so sorry for the waits - it'll get better. :D

Thanks for reading!

- NayruSapphire