Only
X could tell Zero was bothered by something, although what, it could have been a number of things. Maybe he was thinking of Iris; maybe he was thinking of the fact Sigma tried and nearly succeeded in using him; maybe he was thinking of what it all meant, the implications that existed, when the truth was the fact Zero was the first Virus-induced Maverick. Or maybe Zero was just always bothered by something, and not being bothered by something, bothered him.
X tried to play it off, cheer him up in ways that didn't involve directly asking what he was thinking of. It wasn't that X didn't care... he just had no real words to comfort him with. All X could offer with his presence, his friendship, and his secret but forever love. Whether or not Zero accepted it, or it comforted him, X wasn't sure, almost too afraid to ask that either.
He scooted closer to Zero, who didn't bother with any sort of reaction when his arm draped the blond's shoulders. Zero didn't even seem to mind the fact X was slowly, gradually, nudging him closer until his head was resting on X's shoulder, and X's head rested on his.
When X raised his other hand to stroke Zero's face is when the blond spoke. "You don't need to bother," he muttered, the hand meant to comfort him stilling instantly. "You know in the end I'm okay."
X was hesitate to ask, but he did anyway, "Are you ever really?"
But isn't that what best friends were for? To question you, make you question yourself? Zero figured it was one purpose of having someone so close. "Sometimes. Sometimes I really am, and I actually mean it."
"Do I help?"
"Immensely," Zero didn't mean that at all; no, sometimes X made it worse. But even if he didn't feel better from it, he still liked X's attention. It made him feel less like a monster. "Just... sometimes..."
"Don't bother explaining if you don't want to," X cut in, noticing the hitch in Zero's tone. "I'm here when you need me, Zero. If it isn't now, that's okay. If it's later, I'll be here."
Zero lifted one hand to grasp X's other shoulder, a sort of half-hug, half-desperate cling. "I need you now." he muttered. "I always need you. I'm hopeless without you. I can't even dream my own dreams..."
X tried to not blush and take the words for more then their face value. "You can, Zero." he finally touched Zero's face, brushed his cheek, and Zero sighed. "Just because your dream is like mine, doesn't make it any less yours."
"I wish I didn't care," Zero mumbled. "Sometimes I wish I stayed dead. Why did you bring me back, X?"
X's comforting hug suddenly became a desperate grip, and Zero gaped at how quickly the situation changed. "You say you need me," X said, "but you have no idea how much I need you. You're so important to me. You're my best friend, my true friend, my... my only."
"... your only?"
X swallowed hard. "Anything can happen when we go after Sigma on the moon," X whispered. "So I'll tell you now. Hate me if you will... but yes, my only. My most precious you. I love you."
"I knew that." Zero lifted his head off X's shoulder.
X frowned. "No, Zero. I love you."
"I knew that."
"... does it bother you?"
Zero shook his head before resting it on X's shoulder again, slipping his arms around X's waist. "No. But it bothers you."
"Well, if it doesn't you..."
Zero's fingers thrummed against X's armor. "I know you're my precious you. I know it's been that way since... since we've known each other. I guess it's not so much it's me and you and it's always been... it's that, who I am versus who you are."
X understood. And Zero loved him all the more for it. "Who cares?"
"I do."
"No, I mean..." X sucked at words, but Zero understood. It was a thing they did, but only to each other. "Who I am is what attracts you, and is what's attracted to you, and who you are, is what attracts me. You could be..." X paused, and Zero lifted his head to look at him.
X was dead serious in his proclaimation, "You could be truly Maverick, Zero. Yes, I'll stop you like I did before. But I'll love you, and I'll stop you because you would have wanted me to. And I'll save you and keep you, because you're my only."
It was a naive, childish sort of thing to say, yet Zero couldn't help but smile. "Only, huh?"
"Only."
"I want you to be my only. But I had Iris before..."
X shrugged. "If I can be your only from here on out, that's okay."
Zero was bothered by that--after all, how could he claim X to be his 'only' if he still, in a way, loved and missed Iris? But he did love X. Somehow he loved both... except, one was gone forever.
Only. It felt nice. Wrong and right, but nice.
"You can be." Zero smiled. "Thank you."
X laughed. "We just committed to each other, and you're thanking me?"
"Yes. Because, being your only make me happy. And it's a sort of happiness I haven't felt in a while. Figures it'd be you."
It probably was awkward, how they spoke, if a human overheard. But X still understood, and Zero was of the same understanding. It was okay.
"Then you be mine, and we're good."
Zero didn't say anything more. His smile was enough.