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The instant X returned from patrol, he raced down from the warp pad to the medbay, as he had for the past three days.
"He's awake, sir," said the first Lifesaver to see him, before he even opened his mouth. "You can talk to him, but make sure he gets his rest."
They'd left Axl alone. Only a few spots of gray on his armour showed where his external injuries had been, but the cables snaking from his intensive repair bed into his chest spoke to the damage he'd sustained.
"X?" Axl didn't move as X approached, but he looked surprised – as well he might, X thought with a pang of guilt.
"...How are you feeling?"
"I've... had better days." A trace of a smile appeared on Axl's face. "Lifesavers say I nearly slagged my core to stay transformed like that... Did everyone get out of that fire?"
X nodded. "No deaths. There were eighteen wounded, but none worse than you..."
"That's good..." Axl sighed in relief and sagged back into the bed. "See? That's why you have to put up with me..."
...Was he joking? Axl was still smiling – or the closest to it he could manage – but his eyes were fixed on X's face, and there was an odd tremor in his voice.
Before X could think of a reply, Axl went on. "They're going to keep me cooped up here for a week at least." He was definitely tensing up. "But I – I promise I'll get right back to – serving my time."
"Don't worry about that," X cut in. "You need to rest."
He reached over to pat Axl's head, to reassure him – but at his touch, Axl froze as if he'd been stabbed. An indistinct whine escaped his throat, and he stared up at X, his face wrung with his sudden, piercing grief.
And... his fear.
"Axl, what's wrong? It's me..." X faltered. What had he done?
"I – I couldn't help it... I know you don't like it, but I just thought - Red used to do that all the time, y'know?" Axl squeezed his eyes shut and gritted his teeth, pulling away – tearing away – from X's hand. "I'm sorry..."
X had no words.
He'd stopped talking about it recently – he realised it didn't help – but everyone knew Axl's socialisation left a lot to be desired. Red and his vigilantes had always been brutal and needlessly violent even before they went Maverick. And yet, from the way Red spoke to Axl when the Hunters retired him, and the way Axl spoke of him afterwards... he'd done his best to give Axl a family and a home.
Which was more than X could say for himself.
"No, don't – don't be sorry... it's all right..."
Gently, with his lightest touch, he placed his hand on Axl's helmet again. This time, Axl shuddered with the effort of choking his ragged sobs into silence, as he lowered his head for X to stroke with his fingertips. Hot, stinging tears welled up in X's eyes.
Was that all Axl had wanted?