Good Enough
Some wouldn't say it to his face, but many believed Zero had a bit of a... complex. They couldn't say what, exactly--some said inferiority complex, some said emotional complex, others would say he was just a cold asshole with a complex for dead people. Zero, naturally, never commented when asked and when pressured, issued his trademark Glare of Painful Death and let the topic wither and die.
Unfortunately for Zero, his great and wonderful GoPD didn't work on... well, the dead.
"Will you quit looking like you're trying to burn holes in my soul?"
Zero dropped his gaze, glaring at the dirt instead. "You brought up the topic. I'm just letting you know how I feel about it."
X sighed deeply, closing his eyes in slight annoyance. Zero quickly raised his eyes to look at X, his expression losing its trademark stare and softening explicitly. The blond knew he had about twenty seconds to admire X's face, his form, before he would open his eyes and try to talk about some topic or other that didn't actually make Zero mad, just that he had little to no interest in.
Zero had spent enough time with his friend to not only remember some facts, but re-learn others as well. X was easy to make exasperated, and he always reacted the same way each time. He'd close his eyes, count to twenty, and then breach the topic one more time. If that failed, he switched topics for approximately ten minutes before trying again; Zero had his mannerisms down to the tee, although X didn't realize it.
X opened his eyes the moment Zero was looking back down. "I'm just worried about you, Zero," X was trying again. "I've heard things from others, and I just--"
"Don't believe everything you hear," Zero cut in.
Cue the sigh, and Zero waited for the new topic. To his shock, X stomped to him and stared up at him, filling Zero's vision with his disappointed expression.
"Don't dismiss my feelings, Zero! That hurts." X sighed again before stepping forward, closer, invading Zero's personal space.
Zero was unsure of how to react to this, despite the small bit of internal satisfaction of having X so close like he wanted before. The doubts immediately assaulted him and his body visibly shook with the effort to remain where he was, to not back away or lash out.
X rested his head on Zero's chest, even daring to press his hands against the coarse red vest. "Talk to me," X murmured softly, tenderly, and Zero ached. Never before did such a small voice touch Zero so much—not Alouette's quiet pleas for comfort or Ciel's gentle calls.
"I…I am." Zero cursed his shaking voice.
X caught it, as Zero knew he would, and he looked up, brow pinched in concern. "Zero?"
Zero raised his hands, grasping X's shoulders in a trembling hold. "X, I…"
"Tell me."
Damn it, X… don't ask me these things. I can't say no to you. "Tell you… what? There's nothing to tell—idiots gossip, I ignore them. It's just… nothing."
X's turn to glare, and somehow its softer edge cut much deeper than Zero's ever could to anyone. "Don't lie to me. Tell me what's wrong. Why are you like this, Zero?"
Zero shook his head, but he couldn't just not answer… and he couldn't lie, not to X. "This whole thing," Zero admitted quietly. "People trying to make me out to be something I'm not, something I don't want to be. And you…"
"Me…?"
Zero bowed his head close to X's shoulder, hiding his face. "I… don't want you to fade, X. I need you here but I'm… not a good enough reason for you to stay around. I…"
X actually chuckled, and Zero snapped his head up, staring down at him. "Why wouldn't you be good enough? Zero, I love you, I thought you knew that?"
"Love…?"
"More than anyone or anything. Why else would I finally give Neo Arcadia the finger and give up whatever I had to… so I could see you again?"
Zero felt his breath hitch and he unconsciously tightened his grip on X's shoulders. "But I… I just… I didn't…"
"Zero, why wouldn't you be good enough? You may not remember, but all you've done for me back then… even now… you're more than good enough."
The blond looked away, even as he still held on to X as if he were a lifeline. "I guess I just…"
X chuckled again. "I think I get it now. It's okay, Zero. Just… stay open to me, okay?"
"I… yeah. Okay." Zero smiled a bit.