"Love can sometimes be magic. But magic can sometimes... be just an illusion."-Unknown
Neither Axel nor Zexion ever assumed that what they had was love. They were both very much aware that it was nothing more than conveinence. Lacking hearts didn't mean lacking physical desires. When they spent any time together they were usualy naked. And that about summed up their 'relationship'.
Neither seemed bothered with trying to fake that it was anything more. Though on cold nights they would occasionally share a bed without having sex. It still wasn't about something so ludacris as 'love'. Zexion hated the cold as much as Axel did. And sometimes they just wanted to sleep together for the sake of extra warmth in the bed. It was always selfishly about physical pleasures and body heat.
Near the begining, they'd attempted playing at having affections. Axel would rest his head in Zexion's lap for a quick nap while Zexion read a book. Or Zexion would reach to hold Axel's hand when they found themselves walking together in the hallways. There were even a few near-tender moments spent in each other's arms on the couch in the library, exchanging kisses or just catching a little shut eye together.
But it was tiring to pretend. They got nothing from the actions and soon it became apparent how pointless it was.
Perhaps they'd been grasping at something that wasn't there, longing to feel something. Anything. But their hearts were long gone. And in truth, had they had hearts they would both admit that they were unlikely to have fallen for one another. They found each other to be physically attractive and the sex was certainly amazing, but they never could have connected on an emotional level. Likely they wouldn't have even been friends. They certainly weren't now.
No, neither of them assumed what they had to be 'love'. But perhaps secretly they both wondered about what could have been nontheless.