Chapter Text
Damn it! Damn it!
X tried to stop his hands from shaking as he started the field repair, trying to assess the damage. Before him, Zero (or at least most of him) lay on the ground, wires and metallic rods sticking out from his missing lower half. Occasionally, sparks or even a bolt of electricity would jump from the massive wound, as if to drive home just how bad it was.
Zero’s breathing was slow and ragged as X tried to stem the flow of cooling fluids with anything he could get his hands on.
“X…” The hunter’s voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper.
“Why’d you have to do that?” X kept his eyes fixed on the wound while he spoke. But he couldn’t hide the rawness in his voice as he pinched off a cooling pipe. “Why’d you have to take such a risk?”
Zero chuckled despite the pain.
“We won…didn’t we…?”
X couldn’t deny that. Only a few yards away, the maverick they’d been fighting lay in a smoking ruin, blown to pieces by his X-buster. The rouge reploid had been a massive, lumbering beast, but with huge strength to match. X and Zero had taken several blows, each one enough to send them flying across the room. Those injuries were still there, popping off various alerts in the back of X’s mind, but it was nothing compared to Zero.
As their injuries had mounted, and their charges ran low, his partner had made a sudden gamble. Zero had dashed directly underneath their opponent, driving him crazy as he dodged and slid between the massive legs. The distraction allowed X to finally charge his buster and get a clean shot on his opponent’s vulnerable underside, but not before Zero had made a mistake.
Zero was tired. He was damaged. One mistimed dash, one small stumble, that was all it had taken. The enormous maverick had brought its full weight down onto him. Only a second later, X had scrapped the beast for good. However, his relief quickly became horror when he saw his friend's condition. Half of Zero’s body was little more than flattened scrap metal, and the other half didn’t look like it had long to live.
Goddamn it! Where’s our backup!?
X resisted the urge to swear under his breath as he did his best to stabilize his partner. He furrowed his brow, willing himself to stay focused.
“Heyyy X? Arrre youuu okayyyy?” Zero spoke again, slurring and distorting his words. A sign his core systems were failing.
“Why did you have to do that…” X’s voice cracked as he repeated the question.
“I haaaddddd toooo.” Zero managed to speak again, his voice distorting as he strained to get the words out. His eyes were half-closed.
“You didn’t. You didn’t. ” X insisted as he connected his sub-tank to Zero. There weren’t any e-tanks nearby and there was no way in hell he’d leave his friend to go look for one. This was all he could do to keep him alive.
“You’ll be okay, Zero. I know you will. You hear me?” X put a hand on Zero’s undamaged shoulder. The red hunter only gave a weak grunt in reply.
X finally let the tears spill from his eyes as he heard the sound of teleportation nearby. How many times could this happen?
How much more of this could he take?
“You have to be okay.”
(…)
X was silent as he leaned on the railing, watching the sun dip below the skyline of Abel City, giving way to a sea of neon lights. The outside air was chilly without his armor’s automatically regulated heating, but X didn’t mind. On duty, he might be wearing his full armor for weeks at a time. A few days of repair leave, wearing a hoodie and sweatpants, was too good an opportunity to pass up.
The wind picked up, blowing a few strands of hair into his face. X ignored them. If anything, the cold breeze helped him clear his head.
The roof of Hunter Base was the perfect spot for doing just that. Clearing his head. Getting his thoughts in order.
It was practically always deserted, save for the occasional maintenance bot. It was peaceful and quiet, unlike the city that sprawled out below.
X softly chuckled to himself, shaking his head. The best view in the city, and none of his fellow Hunters, nor any of the staff seemed to appreciate it.
None, except for Zero.
Zero had shown X the spot, only a few weeks after they'd first met. X had just completed his training, and gone on his first mission as a Maverick Hunter.
And killed his first maverick reploid.
The other recruits hadn't understood what X was feeling. Hell, they hadn't even noticed how upset he was, too busy celebrating their first successful missions, and their own first kills.
But Zero did.
Zero, the elite S-Rank hunter, the one all the recruits wanted to be like. At the time, he was still practically a stranger to X. They may have seen each other a few times, but they'd certainly never talked.
And yet, Zero had approached X, sat beside him against the wall, offered him a hot chocolate, and made him an offer.
"You wanna see something cool?"
X had been completely unenthusiastic, but he'd more or less given a weak nod, so he followed the veteran Hunter through the depths of Hunter Base. Several elevators, and a creaky metal staircase later, they were alone on the roof.
"Nobody ever comes up here." Zero had explained . "Just me, when I need to think."
"But you brought me up here?"
"I..." For a brief moment, X saw uncertainty on Zero's face . "I thought you might need to think too."
"Yeah...I guess I do."
On that day, it became their spot. The place where they met to chat, vent, and occasionally argue in private, seemingly so far away from the strict rules and gossip and chaos of Hunter Base.
Zero was like him, X had quickly realized. Different . Somehow separate from all the other reploids, in ways X couldn't quite place. He and Zero were also different from each other, but somehow that hadn't mattered. They'd connected all the same.
Maybe they were kindred spirits, united in their differences. Or maybe it was something deeper.
It was hardly any wonder that they became friends, then partners soon after. As the pressure grew on both of them following Sigma's rebellion, X and Zero grew even closer.
But things had changed since the day of that first mission. Things were a lot more... tough now. Complicated. Scary.
Too many times since, X had come up here alone, with Zero on his mind. Too many times, he’d come here to get his mind off the fact that his friend had almost died, and needed yet another round of extensive work in the repair ward. That is, if Zero hadn't literally died.
X finally let his thoughts go back to their mission three days ago. Back to Zero’s incredibly risky decision to dash between the maverick’s legs. To the memory of Zero, crushed and broken, his voice garbled as he slowly faded away…
“Why does he do it?” A dejected X asked out loud to nobody in particular. He’d tried to answer that question so many times. Was it a compulsion? Instinct? Was Zero suffering some kind of malfunction?
X had tried coming up with his own theories, or discretely asking others, but none of it helped.
He’d even tried confronting Zero himself, in the very spot he was standing now, demanding straight-on that he stop taking those kinds of chances. Each time he’d only managed to aggravate his partner. Of all the things X discussed with Zero, all their hopes and fears, this had somehow become their no-go zone.
There weren’t many things that truly got under Zero’s skin, but X asking him to be more careful always managed to do it…
“Again with this?” Zero had rolled his eyes, the irritation in his voice unmistakable when X brought up the subject.
“You worry about 'being careful' yourself, I'm fine .”
X would have given up understanding Zero’s tendency, but it was a matter of life or death.
Zero takes an enormous risk. Zero gets hurt badly. Zero miraculously survives .
X sighed again, closing his eyes against the wind.
How long could it continue? How many more chances would Zero get? How many lives before he ran out?
X couldn’t imagine, he didn’t want to imagine, going on without his friend. Once before, there had been a time when he thought Zero was dead. And it had been hell.
The thought of Zero dying because he risked his life for him…?
X shuddered. It was getting cold.
He kept thinking about the situation as he weaved back among the roof’s various antennas, satellite dishes, and other equipment, heading for the service elevator.
X just wished Zero would talk to him. He knew his friend was never…the touchy-feely type, as Zero put it, but this was his life for god's sake. How could he just casually brush it off? Act like X was the crazy one for bringing it up?
If only I could read Zero’s mind.
X shook his head as he entered the elevator, inputting the floor to the repair ward. It had been a while since he’d checked up on the subject of his thoughts, and he had his own follow-up to go to.
(…)
“How is he?”
X finally asked the question as the technician pulled diagnostics data from his systems.
“Zero? He’s recovering well.” The human answered casually, earning a small sigh of relief from X.
“We’re nearly done putting his legs back together.” The technician continued, chuckling. “Make sure to thank the taxpayers by the way. I swear, he goes through more parts than any reploid I’ve ever seen, and it’s all custom stuff too! Crazy…”
“I’ve tried telling him to be more careful,” X commented, smiling bitterly. “Tried.”
“Well, Zero better start taking it to heart. It’s honestly a miracle he’s still kicking, the kind of damage he comes in with. Hats off to whoever built him, he’s insanely resilient if nothing else.”
“Is he awake? Think I could go see him?” X asked, crossing his fingers.
“Well…he’s awake, but he’s…unstable.” The technician furrowed her brow as she answered, making X’s heart drop.
“ Unstable? I thought you said he was recovering…”
“No, no. I mean…behavior-wise.” The woman clarified. “His core systems took serious damage. We had to do a lot of data splicing, de-corruption, calibration, and whatever else when we replaced the parts. It’ll take a bit for his systems to adjust and his personality to…level out.”
"And there's no way to fix it?" X questioned, raising an eyebrow.
"Powerful emotional events can shock things back to baseline," the technician furrowed her brow. "Other than that, pretty much have to wait."
“I think I’ll still go see him,” X responded quietly. “Seeing that he's alright might take my mind off things. The last time I saw him he was dying."
The hunter was silent after the last part, and the technician gave him a sympathetic nod.
“Alright, just don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
She turned back to the diagnostics data from X.
“Well, your own systems look like they’re doing just fine. Blunt trauma from your fight seems to be clearing up…”
She quickly scrawled some notes on a piece of paper and handed it to X.
“Here. Get yourself a few extra e-tanks, keep your repair system charged.”
Despite his mood, X gave the human woman a smile as she stood up.
“Alright, thanks.”
With that, X finally left the smaller repair bay and steeled himself as he made his way over to his final destination: Advanced Repairs and Reconstruction. A section of Hunter Base all too familiar to him.
“X, Maverick Hunter, S-Class.” He identified himself to the receptionist as he approached. “Here to see Zero.”
The reploid manning the desk gave a sympathetic smile.
“You don’t have to worry about checking in with us. How could we not recognize you, the mighty X himself?” She pointed to a hall to her right.
“Zero’s in Bay 14.”
X nodded, offering the receptionist a smile in return.
Anxiously he made his way over to the room. No matter how many times he did it, visiting a friend fresh out of reconstruction was always nerve-racking. Especially when it was Zero.
After a short walk, he reached the door and pressed the panel on its side, causing it to slide open. Taking a deep breath, X stepped inside.
The room was sparse, most of the heavy repair equipment now having been removed. The standard light-gray walls accentuated the spartan look. X’s eyes immediately fixed on the room's occupant.
Zero definitely still looked worse for wear. His helmet and armor were gone, and his long hair was messily spread about the bed he was lying on. He was wearing a standard repair ward tunic, with a badge on his shoulder denoting his status as a Maverick Hunter. Zero’s arms and face were still scarred and discolored, though they were healed somewhat. His feet, just visible from under the tunic, were the off-white color of brand-new reploid skin. A few wires were still hooked up to various access points on his body, transmitting various bits of diagnostic data.
X’s friend didn’t react to his entrance. Zero seemed half asleep, absentmindedly watching a small TV screen in the opposite corner of the room. His hands were on his chest, rising and falling with his slow breaths.
For a moment, X stood in the door awkwardly. The technician had said Zero was unstable. What did that mean? What should he expect?
Finally, he took a few steps forward and spoke.
“Zero?”
The other hunter turned to face him, and a huge smile immediately spread across his face.
“Heyyy X! You’re heeeerrreee! Awesooommmeee!”
Zero voice was still a bit distorted, the words blending together as he spoke. But they were far livelier than after the battle.
X walked closer, slightly stunned by Zero’s mood shift.
His friend gestured at his surroundings feebly, not having fully regained his strength.
“Loook at all thisss! I realllllyyyy got my butt kicked, huhhhh?”
X couldn’t help but chuckle at the comment, finally returning Zero’s smile. After the ending of their last battle, and all the days after spent worrying, just seeing Zero smile and hearing him joke around was enough to lift his spirits.
Still, X had to admit his friend was acting a little off, more…over the top. But he’d be lying if he said it wasn’t slightly amusing.
“Yeah.” X finally responded warmly. “We both kinda got our butts kicked. We won, though.”
“Hellll yeaaahhhhh we did! Youuu blasssteddd him.” Zero managed to raise his hand for an arm-bump, their favorite greeting. X felt strange doing it without armor, but he returned it. He quickly bumped his forearm against Zero’s, giggling again at the strange mannerisms.
They shared a moment of silence as X knelt by Zero, crossing his arms on the bed’s edge.
“How are you feeling?” X brought up the question after a bit.
Zero shrugged and lay back in the bed, looking at the wall ahead of him.
“I’m exhausssteedddd, weakkkk, everythinggg kinda hurtssss, youuu knowww, the usualll. But I’mmm alriiight.”
“You’ll feel better soon.” X patted Zero’s knee as he offered the words of comfort. “A few more days and we’ll be out doing missions again.”
Zero started smiling again, and a second later, he put his hand over X’s, making the latter jolt slightly. The injured hunter turned to his friend, his expression softening.
“I feelll wayyy betterrr alreadyyy with you heerreee.”
For a moment, X was stiff, unsure of how to react. This was something Zero would never do…
“You alwayysss make me feellll betterrr X…” Zero spoke softly, holding X’s hand tighter.
X felt his face go warm.
After a few seconds, he finally shook off the feeling and stood up, withdrawing his hand.
“I…I have to go.” X stuttered out, his voice stiff. “I…get better soon…”
He turned to leave, but Zero reached out and grabbed his hand again.
“Noooooo! Don’tttt leave! I gettt so sadddd when you leavveee!”
X froze again, eyes wide. The grip Zero had on his hand was feeble, he could easily pull away and leave the repair bay.
He had to.
X took a shuddering breath, still turned halfway toward the door, Zero loosely holding his hand. With some hesitation, he looked back to Zero.
His partner was leaning forward, clearly straining with effort to reach him. There was a pleading, desperate look in his eyes.
“Stayyy with meee? Justtt a littleee morreee?”
X gritted his teeth.
This wasn’t real. He should have listened to the technician. Zero obviously wasn’t in his right mind. Clearly, his personality systems weren’t fully restored yet, and he was acting wrong . Saying and doing things he’d never…
And yet…
The way Zero was looking at him, the way he was speaking…
“Please, X?”
X was practically built for this. Unlike most other reploids, sympathy, and empathy, were core functions of X himself. And no matter what was going on with Zero’s systems, the look in his eyes, the tone of his voice, it was as authentic as anything X had ever experienced. And it being his partner, his best friend, the person he was closest to…
If X had a heart, it would be shattered into a million pieces.
At last, he let out a small sigh and turned back around.
“Alright, Zero. I’m not going anywhere.”
X offered Zero a warm smile as he returned to the bedside. He tried to move Zero’s hand back onto his chest, but his partner refused to let go.
“Sittt with meee.” Zero offered, scooting to the far side of the bed. Again, X hesitated a moment.
Oh, what the hell?
Carefully, he climbed into the hospital bed and sat down next to his friend. Both of them had always been on the smaller side, relative to some of the other Maverick Hunters. Unarmored, they could readily fit next to each other on the single bed, albeit a little snuggly.
Once X was situated, Zero wrapped his arms around him. Slowly, he leaned against X’s shoulder. Maybe it was the strange behavior rubbing off on him, but X didn’t really mind.
“Afraid I’ll run away?” he teased gently, turning to face Zero.
“I’mmm just…happy you’reee stayinggg.” Zero replied, sighing as he looked up at his partner with drowsy eyes. “Youuu make me happyyy.”
Again, X felt a wave of warmth spread over his face. The hunter reflected on his situation as he sat in the bed, with his half-asleep partner leaning on him.
It felt dishonest to enjoy this, in a way. Zero would never act like this if he were his regular self. Hell, Zero liked to make fun of things like this whenever he saw it in a movie, mocking the “sappy acting” and “cheesy lines”.
And yet here Zero was, cuddling up with X, saying things that made him blush. And despite himself, X was loving every moment of it.
Was it even real? Was it just a product of a personality system gone haywire? A brief delusion that would vanish as soon as Zero was back to normal?
And what if it was real? Then X felt like he was intruding on Zero’s privacy in a way, hearing his friend’s innermost thoughts…
"Caannnn we gooooo outsidddeeee?"
Zero's voice interrupted the train of thought.
"What?"
"It'ssss sooooo borrringggg in herrreee." Zero explained, sitting up. "Let'ssss gooo outsiddee, jussst a bitttt!"
X pursed his lips, trying to come up with a way to get his partner to drop the idea.
"I'm...not sure that would be allowed." X gestured to the various cables still hooked up to Zero. "I don't think the technicians would like that."
"Commeee onnnn!" Zero threw his hands up in protest. Before X could stop him, he reached for the cables and yanked them all out in one big tug.
"Seeee? I'mmm fineee!"
X was silent for a few moments, thinking. Sure, they might get in trouble. But maybe going outside could help Zero? Get out of the stuffy, sparsely-decorated repair ward for a bit? X was pretty sure that advice applied to humans, not robots, but...
He glanced at Zero, looking at him expectingly.
Details, details...
"Okay." X nodded, relenting. "But just a little , and you have to promise to be careful! "
"Yessss!"
Zero pumped his fist in excitement and tried to jump out of the bed. The moment he hit the ground though, his legs buckled and he fell to his knees.
In a moment, X was alongside him, lifting him back to his feet.
"Zero? You okay?"
"I'mmmm fineeee!" Zero tried to play off the fall, but when he tried walking without X's support, the hunter immediately stumbled.
"Hold onto me." Gently, X put Zero's arm onto his shoulders and helped him back to his feet once more. His partner grumbled, but he didn't try to pull away.
"I think there's an elevator nearby," X explained. "We can go up there.
Slowly, and with a few stumbles, the pair made their way out of the room. By now, it was late, and the repair ward had largely been deserted. A few sweeper bots mindlessly rolled across the floor, the strong smell of cleaning chemicals trailing behind. Only a lone staff worker sat at a desk, clearly bored out of their mind.
As Zero and X approached, he gave them a curious look.
"And where do you think you're going?"
"We'rrreee sneakingggg ouuuttt!" Zero proudly answered with a grin, earning him a small jab from X.
"Just a short walk outside. We'll be back in a few minutes." X quickly clarified.
"Mmm." The other reploid looked between them, then shrugged.
"Whatever. You get in trouble, you didn't talk to me, okay?"
X breathed a sigh of relief and continued onward. A short while later, they made it to the elevator. As soon as they entered, Zero turned to the control panel and punched in the number for the roof.
"You sure?" X questioned as the door slid shut. "It's pretty cold."
"I'mmm surrreee," Zero replied plainly, leaning against the wall for support.
As the elevator began to climb, there was silence. X considered his partner's condition. The way Zero had immediately blabbed to the repair ward staffer. His... interesting words back in his room. It was almost like Zero was talking with no filter, saying whatever came to mind.
The idea gave X pause. His mind suddenly returned to the battle days prior, to Zero taking a massive risk and almost dying yet again. X thought back to his questions on the roof. An idea started forming in his mind...
It wouldn’t be fair! He tried to dissuade himself.
It’s immoral!
Zero doesn’t want to discuss it!
I can’t!
The elevator dinged as it reached its destination, and a cool blast of air hit both of them as the doors slid back open. With Zero still leaning on X, they stepped out onto the roof of Hunter Base.
The wind from earlier had died down. The night air was chilly, but still as they made their way across the concrete. In front of them, the view of Abel City was absolutely brilliant, an endless mosaic of every imaginable color, all blending together in a gentle glow.
Next to him, X heard Zero sigh.
"I likkkkeeee thissss placscceee."
"Me too," X replied quietly.
But his mind was racing as he considered his next move. Despite his reservations, the temptation, the chance to finally get an honest answer, was overpowering.
Resolved, he took a deep breath.
“Zero?”
“Hmm?”
“Can I ask you a question?”
Zero nodded.
“Surrreee.”
X looked out over the city as he spoke.
“Do you remember the battle? Where you got hurt?”
“Offf coursssse.” Zero nodded again.
“Why…why did you risk yourself like that?”
“Becaussse…you werrre in dangerrr.” Zero answered casually. “I want youuu to be saffffe.”
“So you put yourself in way more danger?” X pressed.
“Yeahhh.” Zero shrugged as if it were an obvious choice.
“Why would you do that?” X turned to face his partner, unable to hide his exasperation. “Why do you do that so much? Why are you always risking yourself for my sake?”
This time, Zero paused to think for a moment.
“Becaussse you’rrre specialll.”
X blinked.
“What do you mean?”
“You aren’t jusssstt a Hunterrrr like meeee.” Zero explained, looking down as he leaned on the railing. His tone was serious, despite the continued distortion. “The world needssss you.”
“But the world needs you too, Zero!” X countered, but Zero shook his head.
“Not like it needss youuu. Repllloidsss, humannnsss, all of themmm. Only you make the worllld a better plaaaace.”
“Whether you think that or not, you don't have to get yourself killed for me!” X raised his voice, trying to get through to his friend. Tears were forming in his eyes, the conversation bringing back his previous feelings in full force.
“The worllddd needddssss you !” Zero emphasized, pointing a finger at X's chest. “ You , X! It can't affforrrdd to lossssse you!"
“And I need you, Zero!” X yelled the words. Zero drew back slightly, stunned.
“ I need you! I care about you so much! And every time we go on a mission I worry that you'll do something stupidly risky again and get yourself badly hurt! Every mission I have to wonder if it’s your last one!”
X couldn’t stop himself from continuing, his emotions spilling out of him.
“You’ve almost died so many times! I’ve had to watch you get shot, crushed, blown up, ripped apart over and over and over! Do you know what that's like? It’s like a stab in the gut every time! Every time! And one day I know I won’t be able to save you! And if…I…you…if…”
By now, X’s tears were flowing freely. His voice was cracking.
“I just can’t…I can’t…please, Zero...”
He leaned against the rail, holding his head in his hands. His tears stung in the cold night air.
After taking a few shuddering breaths, X looked back up at Zero, and his heart somehow sank further. His partner was frozen, looking absolutely shell-shocked.
X struggled to catch his breath, sniffling a few times as he tried to calm himself, wiping the tears away from his eyes. He knew this was a bad idea...
“Zero…I’m sorry…I shouldn’t have…”
X was interrupted when Zero reached a trembling hand to one of his, holding it as best he could.
“I…I’m sorry. I never…” Zero spoke quietly, his voice guilt-ridden. “It’s just…I get scared for you too, X. Every time we’re in battle. If you died, and I lived…if I had to go on without you…”
He took a deep breath, closing his eyes.
“I thought I'd rather die.”
X gasped at the words.
“How can you say that?”
“Because I need you too.” Zero croaked, moving to hold both of X's hands. “Before I met you, I felt...lost . Alone . Empty . You changed that. Only you understood me. You gave me hope! You made me feel like I was more than just a robot that's good at fighting. You make me feel..."
Zero took a breath, then looked up. He focused on X’s eyes.
"I don’t want to know a world without you again. I’m terrified of it. So, I do everything I can to stop that world from existing. Everything .”
For a moment, neither of them said anything. Neither of them moved. There was silence as they looked into each other’s eyes, both full of emotion. Zero glanced down at his feet.
“You mean so much to me. I wanted to see you safe; I wanted to protect you. I never thought I was making you feel…lik e this the whole time.” His voice was broken.
For a long time, he said nothing, only taking deep, shaking breaths. When he looked back up to X, there was guilt, and genuine fear in his eyes.
“Can you forgive me?”
X’s heart shattered all over again.
Without hesitating, he pulled his partner into a hug, appreciating his warmth all the more against the cold air.
“Of course I forgive you, Zero,” X murmured, wrapping his arms around Zero’s back. There was no reply, but X could feel the hunter almost shudder in relief.
“I'm not angry with you, I'm worried; I thought maybe there was something wrong,” X explained. “I thought you had some kind of obsession, some kind of need to risk your life. I didn’t think it was out of…”
X stopped himself short. He didn't want to assume anything.
Instead, X let himself simply enjoy the moment. The relief, the warmth, everything.
It was a long time before he broke the silence.
“Thanks for talking about…all this. I'm glad we did."
“I’m glad too.” Zero responded from X’s shoulder. “I’m sorry I never talked with you earlier.”
He pulled away slightly, just enough to look X in the eyes.
“I’ll try to be less reckless. For real, okay? I mean it.”
X smiled, nodding. However, the word real brought up one more lingering thought in his head.
“I’m almost scared this isn’t real,” X admitted, looking down.
“What do you mean?”
“Your…um…systems, the technicians said they’re messed up, making you act weird,” X explained anxiously. “It’s just…once they fix themselves…will you still be…like this? Will you even remember?”
It was a painful thought, but one that had always been in the back of his mind. This entire conversation had been very much non-standard for Zero. Could the hunter be in some kind of hallucination? A dream-like state? Was all of this, the things they’d said, the tears they’d both shed, doomed to fade away?
Zero just raised an eyebrow.
“So I’m acting weird, huh? How?”
“Well…” X took a breath, feeling slightly awkward pointing out the behavior.
“You're…emotional. You wanted to talk about…all that. And your voice is…”
Suddenly, X gasped, something clicking in his mind for the first time.
“Your voice is fixed!”
Amidst everything, X hadn’t even noticed that Zero wasn’t slurring his words, and he wasn’t being overly energetic. It just sounded like…Zero.
Zero blinked.
“Huh?”
“Your voice, it was messed up! But it's fixed now!” X grinned at the realization.
“See? I'm better already.” Zero shrugged. “I’ll be out of here in no time.”
After a moment, he cleared his throat.
“I wouldn’t worry about my, err, change of heart though. That’s here to stay, even if I still think it’s sappy.”
“How can you be sure?” X questioned, wanting desperately to believe it.
Zero chuckled, but he broke eye contact as his face went a little red. He was silent for a few moments.
"Just...trust me, okay? Everything I said, it's me, not some messed-up code talking."
X would have probed further, but something about Zero's tone was sincere. Somehow, X knew what his partner was saying was true. That their conversation, Zero's admissions, the whole night, it hadn't just been a fluke.
This was real, and it was deep. Maybe the deepest moment they'd ever shared.
Instead of questioning Zero more, X settled on hugging him one more time.
“Just don't make me come up here alone again," X murmured, his eyes shut.
"I won't" Zero promised, squeezing X tighter, taking in his warmth.
The two would probably have hugged for hours. But it was cold, and they were tired.
"We should head back," X spoke first. "You need to rest."
Zero jokingly made a noise of protest, but he obliged.
A few minutes later, they were back in the repair ward where they'd started. Despite Zero's weak objections, X hooked him back up to the various monitoring systems and then returned to the bedside.
"Well..."
After everything that had happened, X found it difficult to find the words to say goodbye.
"Goodnight, and...see you tomorrow?"
"Aww." Zero gave him a sad look, but he couldn't hide his grin.
"Stay with me? Just a little more?"
X shook his head, smiling back.
"You already used that line. Besides, if I stay any longer I'll end up falling asleep here."
"That's what I was hoping for." Zero admitted, winking. "But...I get where you're coming from. See you tomorrow."
X was taken off-guard by the sudden capitulation.
"Now hold on." X raised his hand. "Who said I was decided?"
A glimmer of hope appeared in Zero's eyes. He cracked a tiny smirk.
"You sounded pretty sure."
"How's this for sure?"
Without another word, X clambered back into the repair bed alongside Zero, wrapping his arms around the other hunter.
"I stand corrected." Zero closed his eyes as he returned X's hug, pulling them closer together.
X let his own eyes droop shut. Before he drifted off, though, he had one more thing to say.
"I love you, Zero."
"I love you too, X."