Run While You Can (X/Zero, slash, semi-fluff)
First fic! I'm awful at fluff, but I was in a bad mood and needed some distraction, so I wrote this odd little drabbly thing... comments welcome, especially if I've gotten something wrong. Set somewhere after X7, but could be later, too. The dialogue is kinkier than any of the physical action, but there is a little rubbytouchy, mostly on Zero's part. XD
A mood could be just as contagious as a Virus, Zero reflected.
As the red Hunter kicked his feet up on a nearby console, some button bleeped at him; with a grumble, he shifted his foot aside and went back to studying his partner's back.
It was X's shift at the observation post- a lonely enough task, requiring several boring (in Zero's opinion) hours hanging around a hot, cramped room stuffed full of electronics with only a reinforced slit of a window to peer through. It really wasn't a good place to be if you were a Reploid already in a miserable mood. Zero could tell X was depressed; the son of Light had been slouching around, refusing to make eye contact with anyone and carrying his armored blue body like it didn't fit him properly. He wasn't even sniping at Axl, for goodness sake- a sure sign that the end of the world was nigh- AGAIN.
Zero, by luck of the draw, was off-duty, fully recharged and freshly armed with a secret... so that meant it was time to annoy the living hell out of X, a duty the red Hunter took as seriously as commanding the Special 0 unit. When the brooding Blue Bomber didn't react to the warning bleeps behind him, Zero tipped his rickety chair back onto two legs, wound his hands into his sleek blonde hair and grinned, teeth gleaming. "eeeeeeeeeeeeX," he whined, dragging it out into a ten-second sigh, "This is booooooooring. Stop brooding and talk to me."
"I'm on duty, Zero." X said flatly, keeping his back to Zero and radiating barely-contained tension.
Not for much longer, Zero chuckled to himself, watching the small shifts of the other robot's shoulders; when it came to X, he noticed everything. "You're -moping- and you're bringing everybody else in the building down with you. C'mon... let's play a game or something." Hunting around for inspiration, he found a beat-up deck of cards left in a drawer. Idly shuffling the deck in powerful fingers, he picked one without looking and pressed it against the triangular jewel embedded in his helmet. "What card am I holding?"
X remained motionless. "Ace of spades."
Zero blinked, pulling the card down and peering at it again. Ace of spades. He laughed. "Damn, X. I didn't even look at it. You get a 360 degree sensor upgrade or something? "
"You always pick the spade, Zero." X's tone hinted at thawing; he shifted slightly on his feet.
Smelling blood, Zero started to circle. "Ohhh HO, think I'm predictable, huh? That it, X?" Zero locked on, his careless grin widening. He set the chair aright, pulling his hands from his hair, brushing the saber-hilt strapped to his back.
X's fists slowly tightened at his sides. "Zero..." Just a word, weary but laden with warning. I know you just want to help, but... I don't think you'd understand.
"X?" Zero was unflappable as he went back to noisily shuffling his cards. The shrill flapping reverberated in the tiny metal room.
"Are you -trying- to make me angry?"
"You FINALLY notice!"
This drew a grim chuckle from the Blue Bomber. "You're losing your touch." He rubbed the inside of his arms as if he were cold, took a pace to the left.
In a surge of sudden motion Zero was pressed tight against X's back, badly startling the other Hunter. X jerked his head to the side, green eyes flaring as they met dark, amused blue.
"Wouldn't say -that-," the red terror purred, gently catching X by the elbows. "I know -right- where it is..."
X's face crashed into itself; Reploids couldn't cry, but the grief-stricken look the son of Light wore was eloquent. Zero winced, sliding his arms around X's chest and locking him in close, tight. The son of Light relented, letting his weight fall into Zero.
"...the hell -happened-?" Zero whispered in alarm, nudging X's cheek with his nose. His skin's too cold... bad sign. Low energy? I bet the idiot hasn't been charging properly again...
X gestured vaguely. "I just... it's getting to me. I don't know why. Everything... It's quiet, and I should be glad we can try and clean up some of the mess we've been left with, but it's ... -too- quiet. That scares me." He began to shiver. "The -restlessness- scares me. I should be content, relieved. I'm not."
Zero nodded along X's shoulder. "Peacetime sucks," he said simply. "Deny it as much as you want, but you're a fighter, X. It's in your blood." he added, nuzzling X's cheek again, "And the one thing about combat is..." His arms tightened around X; his own eyes darkening, "Fighting means no bullshit. Good guys, bad guys.. black and white. You know right where you stand. Grief, regret... those come later, if at all. But in the middle of it... it's a space where you just exist, and you don't have to doubt yourself. How often do we get something -simple- any more?"
"I'm not supposed to be like that," X whispered, head hanging. He brushed his hand over Zero's gauntlet wearily. "I don't want to be like that." Like you, he thought, and felt rotten for it.
"Then don't be," Zero said, straightening and thwipping X's ear. "Quit worrying about shit you can't change!" His grin became a wicked smirk, "Worry about what -I- might do instead. As of right now, consider yourself my prisoner."
X frowned, "...-what-?" He couldn't help but feel a momentary jolt of alarm...
Zero slid a hand loose and fished a folded slip of paper out of his waistband, flicking it open and lifting it so the blue Hunter could see. "Scan it and weep, X... I -own- you for a whole week."
X snapped the letter loose of Zero's grasp, core thundering behind his ribs, feeling the red terror grinning over his shoulder. "The following personnel are ordered to administrative leave ... Unit Commander Zero, Special Unit 0, Unit Commander X, Unit 17... duration a period of one week, signed Maverick Hunter Coordinator Signas... I don't believe it," he finally breathed, brows raising. "... And it's not even FORGED this time?"
Zero chuckled. "Hey, I can be pretty persuasive when I want to be..."
Zero swung his arms wildly in the air, working up a good head of steam as he paced back and forth in front of Signas' office. Thinking about X, thinking about how much X was being asked to shoulder, how much everyone -depended- on him, how he never got a goddamn break EVER... Good and mad by then, Zero thundered into Signas' office, opened his mouth to start yelling...
And Signas just grinned and shoved the signed release right in his face. "You're right. Nothing gets done when X is sulking, and it's affecting morale. Get him somewhere nice for a few days. Mercury and May can handle the units and Axl can act as point man until you get back."
Zero stared. "... I didn't think it'd be -that- easy," he finally managed, scratching the side of his helmet.
Signas grinned, enjoying getting the drop on the red terror for once. "It's the least we can do for him. Now run while you can!"
"Yes, SIR!" Zero saluted crisply, eyes beginning to twinkle with mischief...
"So, X..." Zero flexed his arms around the blue Hunter, pressing his mouth to the side of X's throat to breathe, "Are you going to come quietly, or do I have to use force?... Heh, I always wanted to say that to you..."
This is real, right? This has to be real... X let out a low sound at Zero's ghost-kiss, considering...grief, regret, those come later, if at all... then his face relaxed into a wry smile. "You couldn't take me."
Zero's brows shot up; he knew a challenge when he heard one. "Keep talking like -that- and I'll drag you out of here in CHAINS, X." Now that's an entertaining image...
The commander of the 17th - now relieved of duty - drove an elbow back into Zero's ribs and slid free of his grasp like water, laughing. "You'd have to -catch- me first, dead boy!" He was out and gone, down the portcullis in a flash...
Zero caught himself as he stumbled, rubbed his thumb against his lips. Blue eyes narrowed with sadistic thoughts... "Cheating son of a... X! You little WEASEL!" Fine, just a little head start... "You're gonna GET IT!" he roared, and plunged after his partner.
Reploids in the hallway below shrieked and flung themselves flat to the walls as X and Zero barreled through, flinging taunts and threats and whatever small objects came easy to hand at each other.
"Mission accomplished," Signas laughed, as he watched them roar past his open door toward the exit. "Run while you can."
A mood could be just as contagious as a Virus, Zero reflected.
As the red Hunter kicked his feet up on a nearby console, some button bleeped at him; with a grumble, he shifted his foot aside and went back to studying his partner's back.
It was X's shift at the observation post- a lonely enough task, requiring several boring (in Zero's opinion) hours hanging around a hot, cramped room stuffed full of electronics with only a reinforced slit of a window to peer through. It really wasn't a good place to be if you were a Reploid already in a miserable mood. Zero could tell X was depressed; the son of Light had been slouching around, refusing to make eye contact with anyone and carrying his armored blue body like it didn't fit him properly. He wasn't even sniping at Axl, for goodness sake- a sure sign that the end of the world was nigh- AGAIN.
Zero, by luck of the draw, was off-duty, fully recharged and freshly armed with a secret... so that meant it was time to annoy the living hell out of X, a duty the red Hunter took as seriously as commanding the Special 0 unit. When the brooding Blue Bomber didn't react to the warning bleeps behind him, Zero tipped his rickety chair back onto two legs, wound his hands into his sleek blonde hair and grinned, teeth gleaming. "eeeeeeeeeeeeX," he whined, dragging it out into a ten-second sigh, "This is booooooooring. Stop brooding and talk to me."
"I'm on duty, Zero." X said flatly, keeping his back to Zero and radiating barely-contained tension.
Not for much longer, Zero chuckled to himself, watching the small shifts of the other robot's shoulders; when it came to X, he noticed everything. "You're -moping- and you're bringing everybody else in the building down with you. C'mon... let's play a game or something." Hunting around for inspiration, he found a beat-up deck of cards left in a drawer. Idly shuffling the deck in powerful fingers, he picked one without looking and pressed it against the triangular jewel embedded in his helmet. "What card am I holding?"
X remained motionless. "Ace of spades."
Zero blinked, pulling the card down and peering at it again. Ace of spades. He laughed. "Damn, X. I didn't even look at it. You get a 360 degree sensor upgrade or something? "
"You always pick the spade, Zero." X's tone hinted at thawing; he shifted slightly on his feet.
Smelling blood, Zero started to circle. "Ohhh HO, think I'm predictable, huh? That it, X?" Zero locked on, his careless grin widening. He set the chair aright, pulling his hands from his hair, brushing the saber-hilt strapped to his back.
X's fists slowly tightened at his sides. "Zero..." Just a word, weary but laden with warning. I know you just want to help, but... I don't think you'd understand.
"X?" Zero was unflappable as he went back to noisily shuffling his cards. The shrill flapping reverberated in the tiny metal room.
"Are you -trying- to make me angry?"
"You FINALLY notice!"
This drew a grim chuckle from the Blue Bomber. "You're losing your touch." He rubbed the inside of his arms as if he were cold, took a pace to the left.
In a surge of sudden motion Zero was pressed tight against X's back, badly startling the other Hunter. X jerked his head to the side, green eyes flaring as they met dark, amused blue.
"Wouldn't say -that-," the red terror purred, gently catching X by the elbows. "I know -right- where it is..."
X's face crashed into itself; Reploids couldn't cry, but the grief-stricken look the son of Light wore was eloquent. Zero winced, sliding his arms around X's chest and locking him in close, tight. The son of Light relented, letting his weight fall into Zero.
"...the hell -happened-?" Zero whispered in alarm, nudging X's cheek with his nose. His skin's too cold... bad sign. Low energy? I bet the idiot hasn't been charging properly again...
X gestured vaguely. "I just... it's getting to me. I don't know why. Everything... It's quiet, and I should be glad we can try and clean up some of the mess we've been left with, but it's ... -too- quiet. That scares me." He began to shiver. "The -restlessness- scares me. I should be content, relieved. I'm not."
Zero nodded along X's shoulder. "Peacetime sucks," he said simply. "Deny it as much as you want, but you're a fighter, X. It's in your blood." he added, nuzzling X's cheek again, "And the one thing about combat is..." His arms tightened around X; his own eyes darkening, "Fighting means no bullshit. Good guys, bad guys.. black and white. You know right where you stand. Grief, regret... those come later, if at all. But in the middle of it... it's a space where you just exist, and you don't have to doubt yourself. How often do we get something -simple- any more?"
"I'm not supposed to be like that," X whispered, head hanging. He brushed his hand over Zero's gauntlet wearily. "I don't want to be like that." Like you, he thought, and felt rotten for it.
"Then don't be," Zero said, straightening and thwipping X's ear. "Quit worrying about shit you can't change!" His grin became a wicked smirk, "Worry about what -I- might do instead. As of right now, consider yourself my prisoner."
X frowned, "...-what-?" He couldn't help but feel a momentary jolt of alarm...
Zero slid a hand loose and fished a folded slip of paper out of his waistband, flicking it open and lifting it so the blue Hunter could see. "Scan it and weep, X... I -own- you for a whole week."
X snapped the letter loose of Zero's grasp, core thundering behind his ribs, feeling the red terror grinning over his shoulder. "The following personnel are ordered to administrative leave ... Unit Commander Zero, Special Unit 0, Unit Commander X, Unit 17... duration a period of one week, signed Maverick Hunter Coordinator Signas... I don't believe it," he finally breathed, brows raising. "... And it's not even FORGED this time?"
Zero chuckled. "Hey, I can be pretty persuasive when I want to be..."
Zero swung his arms wildly in the air, working up a good head of steam as he paced back and forth in front of Signas' office. Thinking about X, thinking about how much X was being asked to shoulder, how much everyone -depended- on him, how he never got a goddamn break EVER... Good and mad by then, Zero thundered into Signas' office, opened his mouth to start yelling...
And Signas just grinned and shoved the signed release right in his face. "You're right. Nothing gets done when X is sulking, and it's affecting morale. Get him somewhere nice for a few days. Mercury and May can handle the units and Axl can act as point man until you get back."
Zero stared. "... I didn't think it'd be -that- easy," he finally managed, scratching the side of his helmet.
Signas grinned, enjoying getting the drop on the red terror for once. "It's the least we can do for him. Now run while you can!"
"Yes, SIR!" Zero saluted crisply, eyes beginning to twinkle with mischief...
"So, X..." Zero flexed his arms around the blue Hunter, pressing his mouth to the side of X's throat to breathe, "Are you going to come quietly, or do I have to use force?... Heh, I always wanted to say that to you..."
This is real, right? This has to be real... X let out a low sound at Zero's ghost-kiss, considering...grief, regret, those come later, if at all... then his face relaxed into a wry smile. "You couldn't take me."
Zero's brows shot up; he knew a challenge when he heard one. "Keep talking like -that- and I'll drag you out of here in CHAINS, X." Now that's an entertaining image...
The commander of the 17th - now relieved of duty - drove an elbow back into Zero's ribs and slid free of his grasp like water, laughing. "You'd have to -catch- me first, dead boy!" He was out and gone, down the portcullis in a flash...
Zero caught himself as he stumbled, rubbed his thumb against his lips. Blue eyes narrowed with sadistic thoughts... "Cheating son of a... X! You little WEASEL!" Fine, just a little head start... "You're gonna GET IT!" he roared, and plunged after his partner.
Reploids in the hallway below shrieked and flung themselves flat to the walls as X and Zero barreled through, flinging taunts and threats and whatever small objects came easy to hand at each other.
"Mission accomplished," Signas laughed, as he watched them roar past his open door toward the exit. "Run while you can."