Welcome to another adventure of mine, dearies! Before you dive in, heed these words: this fic will contain heavy YAOI (boy/boy love, guy-on-guy action, what have you). If you're even the TINIEST bit allergic to BOY/BOY love, then this won't fit your bill! Thanks for stopping by, though!
Disclaimer: I only own this stuff in my dreams.
The Scouts of the Aquarian Age were merciless. Out of every threat he faced, they were certainly some of the greatest. Created by an a scientist that would never be seen by man's eyes, they were the distillations of primal viciousness. They pushed the limits of sanity in their pursuit of power, working to erase humans and 'ignorant' Reploids from the Earth. Only one Reploid was worthy of their grace, and that Reploid was the very source of his anguish. That same Reploid was responsible for a tremendous threat to his life-the greatest threat of all.
His feet were dragging him through Gemini's territory. The stench of oil clouds and flame penetrated his noise, while the dissonance of a factory churned in his ears. Zero and Spider were pitting their lives against Gemini's representative, working as one entity of lightning. Spider was certainly a welcome ally, as the mere mention of his name brought about a rush of tranquility. With him in their presence, the security of their future was tightened. Zero's life was under tight security, closely supervised by a Reploid that cherished the Hunter's life over his own. The wandering mercenary was filling in a place that would have been left alone, if it hadn't been for the Scouts. If they had just kept themselves out of the picture, the trio of Reploids could have healed their precious friend's heart! They could have worked their magic, healing a broken heart with profound love. The Scouts interfered, forcing their way into their lives. The weaknesses of the Black Tiger were used to their advantage, and four lives were thrown into turmoil.
His heart and body ached, viewing the images of his mind's eye. The heart and eyes of the Tiger filled him with such joy, he believed he'd burst. The happiness he felt, whenever he even thought of the other's name, was fierce enough to scorch the surface of the sun. Unfortunately, his rapture was accompanied by equally powerful pain. The Tiger's existence was endangered, dragged underneath the vices of the Scouts. In addition to that, the young Hunter's heart was distant. The one that had captured X's heart was on a remote island, standing alone in a wave of doubt.
Axl knew. He knew of the past that would forever live between two Hunters. He knew of Zero's sacrifices, and X's long pursuit of his liberation. He knew of the photographs they snapped together, and of the battles they shared. The crimson Hunter found himself in the spotlight several times, placed in the center of the world's destruction-and his inner destruction. X was always there to lift him up, never resting until the other Hunter was safe and sound. Spider wasn't included in his sources of his anguish, but the two Hunters were responsible for everything. His pain, his sorrow, his frustration...and his decision to visit the Scouts. The chieftain promised him the sun, the moon and the world. Suffering from a world of loneliness, the Black Tiger couldn't resist. According to Axl, no one cared about him, so who would care if Pisces took him into his custody?
Zero worried about him incessantly, only speaking if the situation called for his voice. His flirtatious comments to Spider still took flight, but not as much as they used to. When the two of them first met, they couldn't stop their ballet dances, hand kisses and compliments. Of course, their exaggerated love life was made in good fun. When Axl (who swore up and down that he was all right, and not the least bit lonely) was swept into Pisces's arms, everything between them changed. Their flowery shows of flirting were short and few, but at least their feelings remained intact. Spider, who fell in love with Axl on first sight, simmered his roguish, energetic demeanor. Of course he loved Axl in a way that differed from X's love, but he loved him all the same. Zero rarely spoke, and didn't go about his usual teasing with X.
He fell to his knees, dragged down by exhaustion. Panting, he found his mind wandering to a smile. It was the smile of a tiger, bright and beautiful, even in the midst of smoke and flame. That very same smile transformed his world into a blurry canvas, blocking out the factory, the faint sounds of melee, and ecstasy. The vision of a dream, although breathtaking, was a source of tremendous agony. He couldn't stop aching for the real thing. Couldn't stop dreaming of the smile he once held in between his hands.
Zero and Spider were somewhere off in the distance, buying him time. He was chasing after the one he loved, cherished and craved more than oxygen. It took all of his strength to recollect the past and present, but the task was done. He had barely torn Axl out of Pisces's grasp, along with Zero and a gravely wounded Spider. Their reunion should have been joyous, but the Black Tiger tore away from everyone's grasp as a fish would have lunged out of a frying pan. He didn't want anyone to look at him, touch him-
X's eyes snapped back into the present, catching the sight of blood. Huddled into a weary, panting ball, he used his eyes to follow the trail of crimson pain. Whimpers and tears were at the end of the trail, all attached to a young Reploid. With a gasp, the Blue Bomber registered the other's identity. It was a young, familiar Reploid, a Reploid he had longed to see. It was the one he loved, and wanted to hold forever. It was-
"Axl!"
Although exhausted beyond comprehension, X rose to his feet. Arms outstretched, he made a tearful dash towards the Black Tiger. As soon as Axl caught sight of him, though, a chase began. The younger Hunter rose to his feet and bolted, instantly enraged by the sight of X. Tears flew fast and heavy between the two, with both hearts pounding on the surface of anguish. The Blue Bomber pursued the Black Tiger, almost blinded by sorrow. Axl tried his hardest to avoid the other, never looking back, but then-
"Let go of me!"
"Axl, please!"
The Black Tiger wrenched his arm out of X's hand. "Piss off! Just get the hell away from me!"
The Blue Bomber swiftly looked over the other's body. Heavy instrusions had been made, wreaking havoc on not only Axl's body, but his heart. Wounds were high in number, sending streams of blood into an oil-stained world. The young one was hurt, wounded, no different from an injured canine-
"Just calm down! Let me-"
"NO! Get away from me!"
Before the tiger could attempt another escape, the older Hunter's hand latched onto his arm. "I'm not letting you out of my sight," X vowed, voice filled with pain. "I'm never letting you out of my sight again!"
Sadness began to rise over anger. Axl's delicate, immaculate features were dripping with pain. His face truly was the face of a wounded dog, wildly beautiful but painfully difficult to behold. X wanted to comfort him, hold him, smother him in love that could soar across skies. The sight of the younger Hunter stirred something deep within, giving birth to what humans called 'passion'. It was rich, fiery, warm and lush, akin to the beauty of an ancient kingdom.
The Scouts harmed him. They wounded him in the worst ways possible. The eyes of innocence made that perfectly clear, and painfully clear to the Blue Bomber. Axl misinterpreted grief and longing, taking a few steps back. He longed for X's touch, parched from his enslavement to oblivion. Just having the older Hunter so close was intolerable, but he resisted. He kept himself from the other's warm, comforting touch, not wanting to submerge himself in everything he desperately wanted-but knew he didn't deserve.
The world around them fell silent. If Zero and Spider were in any immediate danger, X couldn't tell. All he knew was the Reploid in front of him, and the sound of his own heartbeat. "I'm never letting you go," he promised, his voice soft but intense. His grip upon the other's hand tightened, reinforcing that promise.
"You have to," the Black Tiger whimpered, although his eyes conveyed thirst. X, angered by those simple words, didn't waste a second in responding.
"Why?"
"Because I'm not worthy," the younger one replied viciously, spitting out the word 'worthy' as though it were made of poison. Instantly grimacing, X remembered how the Scouts favored that particular word. And to add salt to injury, Axl wasn't referring to the Scout agenda of world domination. "I'm not worthy, clean or even worth a dime! I'm not worth anything to any one!"
"Says who?!"
"I do! I said that! Me me me! And you know what?! It's all true! But you wouldn't understand! You wouldn't even care!"
"Now wait just a minute!"
"Let go of me!"
"I'm not letting go! I don't care how many times I have to repeat that! You're staying put, and that's final!"
"You can't treat me like a peon!"
"I'm not treating you like anything, Axl! Just listen to me!"
"NO! Listen to me! The only reason as to why I'm worth anything is because of what I can do! That's IT! No one else needs me for anything else! I've got everything the Scouts need, but they don't want me! Zero doesn't want me, Spider doesn't need me, and you certainly don't want me!"
X was lodged between a rock and a hard place. Axl was hurt, gravely hurt, lost and confused-the Scouts had done something awful, something wicked-
"What you're saying is absolutely ridiculous! We DO want you! We love you!"
"Oh yeah?! You've got the gall to say that, after you've been perfectly happy with your best pal Zero?!"
Don't do this. Please don't do this.
"Listen to me," the legendary Hunter said, voice trembling and tearful. He caught onto a moment of Axl's silence, and was determined to use it. "Please. I know you've been hurt. You've been hurt and I'm sorry. I can't tell you how sorry I am."
Axl's facial reaction sent a rush of euphoria through X's veins. All in one second, the Blue Bomber silently gave thanks to the heavens, Dr. Light, and all that glimmered with pure light. The intensity of his voice evidently provided the perfect support for his words, as proven by the Black Tiger's reaction. The wounded canine was silent, devoid of anger and starving. "If I could sacrifice my life to have your pain erased, I would," X went on, gaining more ground. With each word he softened the other's face, restoring the aura of an injured animal.
"I would-wait a minute. Did you mention the word 'clean'?"
Poor question to ask. A knife stabbed the young Reploid's heart, giving him the pristine face of a broken-hearted child. White venom pierced X's soul as he realized how far the Scouts had gone. They had done the unthinkable, tearing apart a feather's soul-
The Black Tiger stood his ground, but was ready to bolt if X did or said anything harmful. His eyes conveyed the desire to run, but also conveyed yearning. Deep, powerful yearning that transcended the reach of time itself. Tears struck his eyes as X stepped towards him, reaching out to him with not only his body, but with his heart and soul. "We're getting you out of here," the older Hunter said softly, reassuringly.
"We're taking you home, and we're going to share our first Christmas together."
"Really?" a puppy whimpered, dangerously close to sobbing. His body soon came into contact with a warm, comforting entity, instantly plunging into a chasm of deep relief. "Really really," was the tender answer, accompanied by gentle caresses. The Black Tiger, no different from a kitten, surrendered himself to the other's embrace. Through the night's tears he shut his eyes, melting into the Blue Bomber's touches.
Hands were delicate paintbrushes, dancing across the canvas that was his body. He shuddered, clasping his hands together and placing them against his own chest. Warm, gentle hands touched everything he had come to loathe, treating each part of his body as if angels had made it. "I'll heal you," a voice whispered, heavy with desire as a red jewel began to glow.
"I'll take care of you. I'll love you, now and forever."
"Really?" the younger voice sobbed, taking a few sniffs. Hands cupped his face, and fingers caressed his cheeks. His body, once in the grip of Pisces, was already feeling much better. His heart fell into warm, sweet security, discovering what so many humans had already experienced. Fingers were tender, dancing, making their way onto his fragile skin-
"Really really."
Two pairs of ravenous lips met, questing for eternal satisfaction. Whimpers rose from trembling chests, slowly melting into deep thrusts of the heart. Two bodies melted into each other, spreading across each other as sunlight spread over a dark valley.
Gasps emerged from the pit of Axl's stomach, closely followed by whimpers that were akin to the sounds of a hungry kitten. Fueled by fire he could not fathom, X slathered him in kisses. The rain of euphoria fell onto the Black Tiger's chest, collarbone, and soon neck. The neck, as X instantly discovered, was a gold mine. Once his lips discovered that particular area, Axl emitted an incomparable sound that combined a moan and grunt. Shutting his eyes, he threw back his head-begging for the contact to continue. His neck was drenched in more kisses, gasps rose from his quivering chest-
And another fusion between a moan and grunt emerged. X's hands had struck another gold mine, discovering the gentle flesh that dwelled beneath Axl's bloodied armor. The skin was delicate, even softer than silk, and barely emerging from torment. Kisses drew a deep, heavy sigh from the Black Tiger's mouth, falling onto his shoulders. Hands fondled a waist, promising to give happiness, love and solace. The younger Hunter begged for more, body moving in a soft, slow rhythm with the other's. He whispered the other's name, begging him to continue, never wanting his healing process to end-
"Hey! No one hired you two to have a sex parade in public! We're supposed to be Hunters here!"
At the arrival of Zero's voice, two hearts soared out of the galaxy. X and Axl, breaking out of their spell, exchanged the warmest of smiles. Then they turned their eyes on to two approaching figures, one of them Zero. The other was none other than Spider, and a perfectly happy Spider at that. "No one asked you to watch," the Black Tiger said cheekily, face ablaze with adoration. X, on his own end, pretended to be quite miffed.
"No one certainly asked you to interrupt! Who do you think you are, interrupting a breakthrough?!"
Zero looked as innocent as a baby bird. "Breakthrough? What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about my progress with Axl! As you know, he's been through a lot of hardships! I was in the process of comforting him!"
"So," Spider put in, exchanging an affectionate smile with the tiger. "is that the process you put all of your patients through, doc? You must run quite the office!"
"Yeah! While you two were getting your freak on, we were being massacred by our grand host's friends! We could have died, you know!"
"The world would have been better off without you! And you couldn't have stepped into a very precious moment!"
"You're shoving me out of the picture in favor of Axl? How could you?" the crimson Hunter asked, pretending to cringe in horror-and playfully mocking his young friend's darkest fears. As a result, he gained a tender smile from the tiger. "I thought we had something special! Don't I mean anything to you?"
"Apparently not," a certain tiger said, beaming. "I win!"
A moment of silence drifted between them, warm and incandescent. "You gonna be all right, Tiger?" Spider asked softly, breaking the silence by voicing the one question on three minds. Axl nodded with a luminous smile, earning a broad smile of pride from Zero.
"Yep. Sure am!"
"Always the one to bounce back, aren't 'cha?" Zero asked, eyes ablaze with admiration. "Wow. Who thought you'd be happy with ol' stick-in-the-mud X?"
Before X could initiate another round of banter, a very happy Axl answered. "I didn't see it coming," he replied, face glowing. "but I'm glad. I'm glad he feels the way I do about him, and...I'm glad to have you guys here too."
Nothing more was said for another moment. Nothing else needed to be said. The looks on each of their faces spoke volumes, painting a picture that would forever be remembered. X smiled at Spider, Spider smiled at Zero, and Zero smiled at Axl, who couldn't have been happier. A final smile was shared between X and Axl before the group rushed off into the unknown, ephemeral but eternal.
Love might have been X's greatest threat, but it was also his greatest weapon-and he was determined to use it against the remaining Scouts.
This was composed to the Final Fantasy X soundtrack, and was heavily inspired by the Xenosaga series.
Spider is originally from Command Mission, and turns out to be the character named Redips. For the sake of this tale, and a brand new adventure, I decided to have him exist as his own Reploid. Originally, Bass was going to work alongside Zero, but I wanted to try something new-and Spider was undeniably cool in Command Mission.
The Scouts of the Aquarian Age are original Mavericks. XD And, if you weren't able to figure it out, they were really dirty with Axl. I'll leave everything else up to your imagination! As for the imagination, it's always fun writing the lines for the characters while thinking of their voice actors. It provides the adventure with a more realistic touch, no?
The 'really really' lines were inspired by the Shrek and Austin Powers films. XD
Thank you so much for stopping by! I really hope you enjoyed yourselves!
