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No. This couldn’t be. Not in a million years would he have imagined this.
As Zero lay there, holding the corpse he once called his true love in his arms, reality hit him.
Iris was dead and he killed her.
The crimson hunter clutched her body once more, hopelessly trying to see if she wasn’t actually gone, but of course, it was all in vain. The world around him was blurry; all he could think about was how it all led up to this.
Damn, Repliforce. Curse them and their actions. The blond was finally happy for once, only for it to all be taken away by none other than himself. Iris was the one person, other than X, that Zero truly loved and cared about.
He couldn’t do this.
X watched as Zero returned for a recharge, looking as pale and exhausted as ever. The blond’s tired and practically lifeless blues met with X’s greens. He frowned as his friend walked by without a word. X followed him to the recharge room, worried sick.
“Zero? What’s wrong?” X asked, concern evident in his voice.
Zero stopped in his tracks, clenching his fists in anger. He trembled, having no control over his body, he turned and glared. X had never seen Zero like this before. Sure, the man had gotten angry before, but not like this.
X hadn’t been ready for the punch in the face he got from him, though.
“I couldn’t cry!” Zero yelled as X stumbled back. “I couldn’t cry for her then! Not the way you can!”
X was taken aback. Seconds later, he regained his balance. Iris… don’t be…
“You can shed tears to prove…”, Zero’s voice trembles, “to prove you love someone, but I can’t do that.”
X walked over to him, swallowing nervously. He doesn’t say a word, not yet extending his hand to him, no matter how much it twitched. Zero had never been much of an emotional person. This breakdown was fairly new. X knew that Zero himself couldn't fully comprehend the emotions he was feeling. Zero had opened himself up to new opportunities; to love; to Iris. Only for her to be ripped away from him in the blink of an eye.
“Answer me, X. Answer…”, Zero says before his voice breaks completely.
X shook his head and wrapped his arms around Zero. The blond feels his knees buckle. The brunet guides them to the ground and holds his best friend softly. Smooth circles were rubbed on the blond's back. Zero clings onto X for support, this ever-vulnerable moment being too much to handle alone. The crimson hunter was cold, perhaps due to the amount of oil and coolant he lost, or maybe because he was now becoming colder than he already was inside.
“It wasn’t your fault”, X mumbles, letting Zero bury his face in his shoulder.
X’s soothing words are enough to make Zero sob. Dry sob, sure, because he couldn’t physically cry, but you know what? This is enough.
He can’t believe how lucky he is to have a friend like X.