Hands
The first time they held hands, it was not only awkward, but also an accident.
Zer0's hands weren't exactly normal, being so long and slender and missing one finger. It gave Axton mixed feelings, because he subconsciously felt that he wanted to do it again, and he didn't even remember exactly how or why everything had started!
They were at Moxxi's bar, celebrating after a successful job.
Everyone was drinking more than they should have, a habit they had acquired with time.
Axton wasn't, however, actually drunk, but tipsy enough to go on with Gaige's request: since they were narrating, or trying to do it, some funny moments of their lives before the whole Vault hunting business started, she wanted a reenactment of his proposal to his ex-wife. Why would she find it funny was a mystery for everyone, well, except for Axton, but probably it was just the alcohol fault, so it didn't really count.
He said he did it after coming back from a mission with her, when her rank was lower than the one she was going to achieve later – it was still higher than his anyway. By the way, that mission wasn't actually planned, so he had to change all of his plans and improvise something.
They were back to the headquarters and it seemed that there wouldn't have been any good occasion to propose, but he had never been a patient man.
- So I just grabbed her hands-, he said, mimicking the movements he had made, at the time.
- Then I told her that I really loved her and stuff...-, he continued, pulling those hands close to his chest with fake emphasis, - And that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her and other bullshit like that... and then...-.
- You are touching me, please could you let me my hand go? I am not your ex-, a voice interrupted his little show.
- Wha...- Axton said, and only in that moment he realized that, holy shit, he wasn't holding his ex-wife's imaginary hands, but Zer0's, and they were real.
He immediately let them go, muttering some apologies while scratching the back of his head.
Damn, what an idiot he had been.
Of course, from that moment, the rest of the Vault Hunters had made a silent accord to never let him forget what he had done - touching the untouchable Zer0- making him either groan or roll his eyes in annoyance.
He had started, in response, to hold the assassin's hand more often, proving to everybody that it wasn't so much of a deal – he could do that whenever he wanted- so they could just stop making fun of him every time.
Of course, that served only to increase the mockery that he had to go through every day; seriously, what was he thinking when he started doing it?
Apparently killing bandits wasn't enough anymore to make them have fun.
He continued, however, to do it several times, until it became a sort of habit; sometimes he would grasp Zer0's hand and happily swing it like a child, when they were returning to Sanctuary after finishing some jobs – they were busy people, after all, and they could never take down an opportunity to screw with Hyperion.
The assassin, strangely, hadn't complained nor said anything about it; Axton, then, had guessed that his mysterious friend didn't really mind it, so he never bothered keeping his distance.
When Roland died, all Sanctuary mourned him, even who had come to know him just for a short time.
The Vault Hunters had planned their next moves with Brick and Mordecai – as suspected, there wouldn't have been any chances to rest a bit- and now everyone was taking their time to prepare.
Axton was at Roland's armoury, pondering if he should have taken something. Thinking about it, what a better revenge could have been than killing Mr. Jackass with one of those weapons?
He suddenly felt someone grasping his hand. He didn't need to look up to know it was Zer0, but he did it anyways.
A smiley face flashed thought the assassin's helmet, and Axton couldn't help but to smile as well, despite their desperate situation. It was like his friend was trying to reassure him, or to be reassured – the commando wasn't certain which one was the exact guess.
It was odd, how familiar Zer0's hands had become to him. All that simple and innocent touching had started to awake, apart from the initial embarrassment, warm feelings inside him.
Sometimes he would say something flirty, to which the assassin had seemed to respond well, but he knew that it wasn't the right time to take any step further.
That time, he was going to be patient.
When they finally killed Jack, they celebrated greatly.
There was still a lot to do, with the revelation of the presence of other Vault Keys, but for now they deserved – and needed- some rest.
They were at Moxxi's bar, sitting at the very same table where the whole holding hands business had started.
- So, um, Zer0-, Axton started, calling out the assassin who was sitting beside him, just like last time, - Would you like too... y'know-, he tried to continue, stuttering at like a little schoolgirl in front of his first crush.
- Yes?- Zer0 encouraged him, with a red question mark popping from his helmet.
- I was just wondering if you would like to go chillin' somewhere more... private-, the commando finally concluded.
Zer0 didn't reply with words, but he got up from the seat, stretching a hand towards him, and Axton could have swore that he had seen a heart flashing through the screen of his helmet, even if for a brief moment.
He tried his best to ignore all the noise his friends where doing; someone was definitely going to invade his ECHOnet profile either to get an explanation or to mock him or to congratulate him.
A little chuckle escaped from the commando's lips, then he looked up and grabbed Zer0's hand.
Author's notes: I just wanted Zer0 and Axton to hold hands, sorry - Feeldespair