Breath of the Wild College AU fanfic │Thinking About You

Give Me A Reason

"Tomorrow?" I choke. "It was scheduled for November!"

"Yes but we were supposed to have another home game this week, which we had to postpone now. Everything got switched around and the game against Lorule has been moved to tomorrow."

"At their school?"

"Yes."

"But you... No, no it's too soon. Don't go to their school."

"It'll be fine."

"No, Ganon can't just... You see what he's doing, right? He's sabotaging your odds. Injuring you, moving the game dates, turning a home game into an away game. It's obvious."

"Nothing we can do," he sighs.

"A few weeks ago you told me the Boars are your guys' strongest opponent, are you even ready to go against them?"

"Yes."

"Don't lie to me. Yesterday you said you still have a month to train. Now you have less than 48 hours, so please don't lie to me."

"I have to be ready. I have to win."

"You keep talking about yourself, singular, but you're not alone in this, Link. You have an entire team standing behind you, we're all in this together. Win or lose, we do it together. It's not up to you alone."

He shakes his head, his face grim. "Spectators think differently."

"Well then they're wrong. Link, listen to me, you are not alone."

His eyes aim at the soot on the concrete between us. "I have to practice now."

He leaves without another word or so much as a glance at me. My heart aches for him. What if someone came up to me and told me I'd have to write my finals tomorrow? Of course I'd tell myself I have to pass but on the inside I'd be freaking out. He's definitely not ready to go against Lorule. 

Even if he has the skills and physical strength, mentally he must be a wreck. I wish there was something I could do but I fear that the only thing he needs right now is space and silence.

I go to my classes but the game never leaves my mind. Focusing on school is nearly impossible. My mind keeps darting from Impa to Link to Father to Mipha to Pik... When Link doesn't show up in PE I am convinced that he is sweating blood for tomorrow. He would never admit it in words but he is anxious about the game. He is skipping a gym class to practice sports, which says enough.

I keep shooting sharp glares at Malice but she is unbothered by me. Did she help Ganon set fire to her own school's stadium? I ball my fists at my sides, imagining her reaction if I just walked up to her and smacked her in her gloating face. She'd probably beat me up in front of the class but those three seconds of her in utter surprise and pain would be worth it.

To avoid getting into a fight with a mixed martial arts fighter I don't even change my clothes when class is over. I grab my bag and leave the locker room before Malice has a chance to trap and insult me.

I'm so glad to be done with school for today. I couldn't concentrate on the professors, I'm just so nervous about tomorrow. Instead of going home I head to the library, where I find a lonely corner and hope that Jay Gatsby can get my mind off of things. I nearly finish the whole book by the time I look up from the pages. Sun has set and the library is so quiet you could hear a pin drop. 

I check my phone. It's nearly time for dinner... I don't want to eat with Father. Not that he'd be home anyway, but this morning he mentioned talking about Impa tonight. I can't deal with him tonight, all this fighting lately... It's just too much for me right now. I text him that I'm still at the library and won't be able to make it for dinner. Not soon after, I receive a reply from him.