Chapter Text
“A date?” Your Maverick Hunter friend asked, his interest clearly piqued. “Yup!” You grinned and showed him your phone, a snippet of a conversation between you and another Reploid on the screen. “We’ve been talking for a little over a month now, and they want to meet up!” X leaned forward to read the portion of your chat log you had on display, a small smile tugging at his lips when he finished and moved back to his seat. “It looks like you two really hit it off! I’ll be rooting for you.” He hummed. You thanked him sweetly and stuffed your phone back into your coat pocket. “I have to admit, though…I’m a little nervous. I’ve only been on one other date before, and it really didn’t go so well…”
X’s smile turned sympathetic. “I’m sure things will be fine. Just be yourself, and trust your gut.” He said reassuringly. “You’re so sweet, X…Thank you.” Before he could respond, an alarm on your phone beeped to let you know your shift was over. “Well, time to head home! I’ll see you when I see you, X!”
He only offered a small wave goodbye as you left to clock out. His eyes turned to the floor once your form disappeared down the hall.
“Well…Whoever they are, they’re certainly lucky…”
—
You’d done your makeup, put on one of your nicest outfits…and sat in the café you both agreed to meet up at, alone half an hour after they said they’d be there.
You sighed and checked your phone for what felt like the hundredth time, your messages asking them where they were completely ignored. You were certain you’d sent them the right address too, so it wasn’t like they got lost.
Dejection settled into your mind as you realized you were most likely stood up.
“…Lady, whoever you’re waiting on isn’t coming.” A human working at the counter told you gruffly. “Also we close in like ten minutes, so if you wanna order something you better do it now.” Well, not if they were gonna have such a sour attitude towards you, especially when they could understand your predicament so easily. “I’ll get out of your way, then.” You huffed and stood up, walking straight out the door. Nothing to do now but head back home…
The sun had begun to sink at this point, the sky turning a soft orange-pink as it inched closer to the horizon. You would’ve marveled at the beauty had you not been so disheartened. Things were going so well between you two, so why’d they just up and leave you hanging like that..?
“Maybe it was stupid of me to think they’d be committed to it…” After all, the last date you’d gone on wasn’t exactly with a dedicated partner either…You’d found out about an hour into the date that they already had someone and wanted nothing more than to hook up with you behind their back. The memory of said partner tracking you both down and screaming at you made you cringe.
You passed by HQ on your way back home, and you stopped to look up at the building. It loomed over you almost intimidatingly, illuminated in the sun’s fleeting glow.
“Y/N?” X’s soft, kind voice took your attention away from the structure, and you turned to see him just shutting the front door. “Oh, hey. You must’ve just gotten off work.” He smiled and nodded in affirmation. “How’d the date go?” The question was innocuous, but he didn’t miss the way you winced. “They didn’t even show up…” You attempted to hide the hurt in your voice. The look of pity he gave you made you disgusted with yourself. “I’m sorry to hear that…” The tone made it even worse. “I-It’s fine.” You sniffled as you fought back tears. You turned your head to the ground, not wanting your friend to see you in such a state. Even still, you could feel his eyes on you.
“…You know, the night is still young.”
You looked up at him to see his cheeks a light pink as he looked off into the distance to avoid eye contact. “What are you saying?” His eyes darted back over to you, but he still didn’t quite look you in the eye, more just in your general direction. “Well…What would you say if I offered to take you somewhere?” You straightened your posture as you tried to process what exactly he was trying to convey to you.
Was he asking you out?
“I-I mean, you went to all the trouble, and I could tell you were excited to go out, and I just think it’d be a shame to throw the evening away just because some jerk didn’t show up—You’re free to decline of course, and there’s no strings attached—“
“I’d love to.”
His expression turned from shyness to shock, and then to delight. “O-Okay! Just let me go home to change out of my armor, then we can find something to do!”
“Alright, I’ll be waiting here for you!”
X scurried along home, presumably to get ready to go out with you. Fortunately he lived within walking distance from HQ, so hopefully you wouldn’t have long to wait.
—
You were lost in social media, fixated on videos of small animals when a man clearing his throat stole your attention.
You looked up from your phone to see a tall guy with gorgeous albeit slightly messy chestnut brown hair smiling warmly at you. He wore an unbuttoned dark blue cardigan with a light gray shirt, and a simple pair of dark-colored slacks. His smile quickly turned nervous as you analyzed him. “Y/N? I-It’s me.”
You squeaked, being able to recognize that voice anywhere.
This beautiful man was none other than X.
“Sorry, X…” You stammered. “I’ve never seen you without the armor before.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Do you like it?” You nodded a little more enthusiastically than you would’ve liked to admit, making him chuckle. “Come on, I know just where I’d like to take you.” He offered you his hand, and you gently took it in yours.
—
Ah, the aquarium. X had mentioned wanting to visit it to you a few times before, but you never got the impression he specifically wanted you to go with him.
You were looking at a cylindrical tank full of itty bitty jellyfish when you heard X call out to you from the other side of the room. He must’ve found something he liked a bit more than the jellies.
“Ah, look over here, Y/N!” He beckoned you excitedly, pointing to a smaller enclosure. “This tank has nudibranchs in it!” You raised an eyebrow, but came over to look. “Oh, some sea slugs. They’re cute little guys, huh?” He nodded and pointed to a black and white one with two little feelers atop its head (or, well, the end you assumed was its head). “They call this one a bunny slug! I think it’s my favorite. What about you?”
“Hm…” You looked over every colorful little mollusk in the tank before a green one in the corner caught your eye. “I think I like that one there in the corner, all by himself.” You decided, pointing to it so X would see it. “I don’t think I’ve seen that one before. Let’s see if it has a name…” He browsed the placard in front of the tank, swiping the screen until the image of the one you picked popped up. “Ah, it’s called a sea sheep!” He grinned. “What a cute name!”
You had to stop yourself from saying “not as cute as you”.
Instead, you nodded in agreement.
You pretty much fell in love at first sight with X. He was the entire reason you joined the Maverick Hunters. You didn’t really have any fighting prowess, however, so you opted to do something a bit more office inclined. They had a lot more paperwork on their hands than you thought they would’ve, so much so that even high ranking Hunters occasionally got saddled with desk duty. While it was rare, some days you got to work with the blue-clad beauty himself. Those days neither of you tended to get much done, instead (much to your shock and delight) he’d indulge you in a bit of note-passing or joke cracking, much like schoolchildren.
However, you were pretty sure his interest in you wasn’t beyond platonic.
You’d heard many around HQ touting a rumor that X and Zero were a thing, or at the very least they liked each other and just hadn’t said anything yet. You could definitely tell by the way they interacted they had something special, most likely something more than you’d ever be able to have with him.
He got a bit flustered around you as of late, though, which kept a small sliver of hope alive, but still…
You knew it wasn’t good to stay hung up on a crush like that, so you attempted to put yourself out there, meet new people, but in the end the endeavor led you right back to him.
“—ey, Y/N? You alright?” X’s kind voice gently pulled you from your thoughts. “I’m alright, X. Are there any other exhibits you’d like to look at?” You asked, hoping to divert the subject, and to your relief, he smiled and gestured to one of the larger tanks across the room. “I’d like to look over at that one. Is that okay?”
“Of course it is, let’s go check it out.”
All sorts of creatures, big and small, colorful and dull made this tank their home. From schools of little clownfish to slow moving rays to eels nestling into the sand. “Oh, oh!” X grinned excitedly and pointed up towards the top of the tank. “Look up there! That’s a sunfish!” You looked up to see a huge, flat fish swimming on its side. “They normally swim like that when they get close to the surface!” You giggled at his enthusiasm. “You certainly know a lot about ocean life, X.” He suddenly looked a bit bashful. “W-Well…This isn’t the first time I’ve been here. I mostly just wanted you to see it.”
“You’re sweet.” You hummed absentmindedly, your attention shifting to the floor of the tank. A few eels popped in and out of holes in the sand. In the reflection of the glass, you could see a couple watching the tank opposite the one you and X were at, leaning against one another. You let out a wistful sigh, and he followed your gaze to the eels and was about to say something but abruptly stopped himself.
“…Would you like to sit for a minute, Y/N? I know a better spot to watch this tank from.”
“Oh? S-Sure.”
He carefully took your hand in his own and led you to the other side of the tank, showing you a secluded area with just a few chairs. “Not many really come over to this side, so this is where I like to go when I want to be by myself.” He gestured to a couple of seats, waiting for you to sit first. You smiled and thanked him, internally swooning at his gentlemanly manner, and took your seat. A small shark swam by as X took his place next to you.
You sat together in silence for a minute or two, soft burbles from the surrounding enclosures being the only sound to disturb the quiet. You glanced at your images in the glass to see X’s hand almost touching yours. As seconds etched themselves into the past, he inched closer and closer before eventually forming a fist and withdrawing, as though he second guessed himself. You turned to look at him, only to see he took interest in something over by the entrance to the area.
“…Hey, X? Can I ask you something?”
Immediately he returned his attention to you. “Of course. What is it?”
“Do you like Zero?” The second his name left your lips, you stiffened. As did X, clearly not expecting that to be what you wanted to know. “I-I mean, I used to.” He admitted quietly. Used to? “What happened, if I can ask?”
“It’s fine. I know that rumor is still going around HQ.” He sighed, staring down at his lap. “I really did like Zero, but when I finally worked up the nerve to ask him out, he turned me down.”
Come again? He turned X down??
“He told me he wasn’t able to make a commitment to me like that. I understood of course, and thankfully it hasn’t harmed our friendship, but of course it did hurt to be rejected like that…”
You frowned. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have brought it up.” X shook his head. “It’s alright, I understand your curiosity. It happened over a year ago anyways, before you even joined us.”
“…Huh. And the rumor is still going around?”
X snorted. “Yes, it is. Only a few ever knew I said anything to him to begin with, and I guess neither Zero nor I cared enough to set the record straight.”
So this meant…
“So you’re available, then..?”
“Huh?”
Shit. You said that out loud. You prayed he didn’t understand you when you mumbled like that, and thankfully he didn’t seem to catch it. “It’s nothing. Um…Thank you. F-For answering me, and for bringing me here too.” You stammered. “Oh, of course…” His voice trailed off.
The room grew quiet again. You looked back at the reflections to see he seemed uncomfortable, his shoulders tensed and legs pressed together. He wasn’t looking at the tank either; his focus had gone back to the exit of the area.
“I’m sorry. Did you want to leave?” You asked softly. He quickly shook his head. “No, I…Gosh, I wasn’t expecting things to get so awkward…” He laughed sheepishly. “I should be apologizing, truthfully. I wasn’t fully honest with you.”
“What do you mean..?”
Was X really the type to lie? You really hoped you hadn’t pegged him wrong…
“I…I wanted to take you on a date. That’s what I wanted this to be.”
Oh.
“I know I told you there wouldn’t be strings attached, but I…ah, kind of meant for this to go in that direction.” He admonished himself, his tone shameful as he awkwardly rubbed his arm. “I was hoping we would end up discussing our feelings towards one another, and that I could tell you how much I really like you. A-And then maybe we’d…you know, end up together…”
You giggled, and he stared at you with confusion. “Sounds like something out of a cheap romance novel.” You hummed. “The girl dejected from a failed attempt to find love, feeling like all hope is lost, when a friend of hers who’s admired her from afar takes the chance to sweep her off her feet.”
X began to pout, puffing out reddened cheeks, and you did your best to stifle your laughter. “Well, I thought the book was a fun read…”
“So you did get the idea from a novel!” You snorted. “You really thought things would go the way they did in a story you read?” He sighed with embarrassment and shoved his face into his hands, dragging them down his cheeks and letting them fall into his lap. “I suppose I took more of a…whimsical approach to this than I should have. I apologize.”
“It’s fine, it’s fine!” A half-suppressed laugh managed to escape you as you attempted to reassure him, making him groan and hang his head.
“Well, now that you know where my feelings towards you stand…what about you?” He refused to look at you, despite clearly directing a question to you. “Do you like me too..?” Of course you liked him too. What a silly question. Before you could speak, however, he’d begun to shoot himself down. “I-It’s fine if not, I understand this isn’t exactly ideal—“
“X-“
“I mean, sure we’re great friends and all but we’ve never really discussed relationships—“
“X, please-“
“And I’d hate to make you do anything you don’t want to just for my sake so—“
Nervous rambling was a habit of his you were well aware of. Normally you had no issue with it, but now it was getting exasperating. You liked him, and here he was denying himself the opportunity to have you due to his own worries.
Hell no. You’d waited too long for this.
As cliché as it was, you threw unconventionality out the window as you stood up and shut him up with a kiss. He froze, and after a moment you pulled away to see him staring at you, entire face beet red and mouth slightly agape.
“I do like you too. Don’t be so quick to shoot yourself down like that.”
“Oh.” His voice was soft, wavering. “S-So then you’ll let me be your..?”
“Boyfriend? Yes.” You grinned. A relieved smile made its way onto his face, but that blush from before remained. “If you’re sure about it…”
“Even now you doubt yourself?” You feigned hurt and pouted at him. Fortunately he caught on and laughed. “Yes, but I have the utmost faith in you. If I’m your decision, then so be it.” He stood up along with you and took your hands into his own, and without hesitation no less.
“Oh, um…what time is it?” He asked you suddenly. You blinked and freed one of your hands to check your phone. “It’s 8:45, why?” Not really that late, but still, you both did have work tomorrow. “The aquarium closes at 9 on weekdays.” X sighed. “I should’ve told you that before…” The place was mostly empty now, only a few guests and workers preparing for closing time remaining. “Wanna take me home then, boyfriend?” You teased him with the title, making him shake his head with a playful smile. “I’ll take you anywhere you want to go, girlfriend.”
Hand in hand, you left the aquarium and set off for home, talking about everything and nothing on the way.
—
“Here we are, Y/N.” X told you as your apartment building loomed above you both. “You know, it’s not that late. Would you like to come in for a little while?” You offered. He smiled and nodded. “I’d love that.”
A quick punch of the code to open the gate, and a short walk up a couple flights of stairs, and there you were at the door, pulling out your keys and letting X in before yourself. “Your place is nice…” He told you quietly as you turned on the lights. “Though I do feel a little big for it.”
“I’ve been meaning to move out, but I just haven’t found anywhere nice enough to go yet.” You shook your head, shrugging off your coat and hanging it up on the hook at the door. “This is a complex meant more for humans. I just took it because it was cheaper.”
“I see.” He mused, glancing around at your choices in decor. “Maybe I should have you come over and decorate my place for me.” He chuckled, examining a potted succulent at your windowsill. “Honestly, it’s very dull compared to yours. I never really put as much thought into my living space as you have…” He left the plant alone and took a seat at one of the stools at your counter. You went to sit at the one next to him.
The silence was actually kind of nice, just being together and enjoying one another’s company. He did, however, decide to end it after a few moments passed.
“So you’re really my partner now, huh…I can’t believe I got so lucky.” X hummed quietly, just loud enough for you to hear. “To have someone so lovely with me…” Your face climbed towards feeling unbearably warm as he complimented you. “I-I’m really nothing special, X.”
“You are to me.” His hand came up to your cheek, fingertips just barely brushing against your skin, and you shivered. “You’re really getting so mushy so early on?” You raised an eyebrow, him merely shrugging in response. “Sorry, I can’t help it. I just like you a lot…”
Stars, you wanted him to kiss you.
“All you have to do is ask.” You must’ve voiced that desire out loud because not long after the thought came and went, his lips were on yours. He wasn’t quite an experienced kisser, you could tell, but how earnest and eager he was made up for it tenfold. You could feel him smiling as you returned the affectionate gesture, nearly following you after you parted.
“I’m so happy I can call you mine now.” He whispered. “…I can call you mine, right?”
“Only if I get to call you mine in return, darling.” You giggled, putting emphasis on the pet name. He beamed in response.
“I’m yours, Y/N. All yours.”