"Do you think those two will ever let go of each other?" Kai whispered to Jay's ear as they got rid of some destroyed equipment.
At the other side of the Bounty, their two nindroid friends were helping with cleaning up as well. Although the ninja team had faced better days, Pixal and Zane could not help but have a faint smile on their faces.
Even though they had always been near one another, there had always been an unexplainable disturbance. Not to say that they minded each other's company. They actually gave each other comfort. The two of them had spent most of their continuous adventures together. Ever since they escaped Chen's Island's prison, they had shared a body and worked as one.
But now, they were finally physically together. Each had their own body and controled themselves. They could touch each other. Zane could hold Pixal in his arms and Pixal could rest her head on his chest. They could feel each other.
That's what they needed most, during that time.
While they worked on repairing the Bounty, which had crushed after the corrupted Samurai X destroyed one of its motors, they made sure the other was not far. They worked as one, just like before, but now, they were two different individuals. That did not stop them from being stuck like glue to each other.
"Leave them be. They've been through a lot. They deserve it." Jay responded and smiled at the couple. "We can take care of the mess, for now."
Together, Pixal and Zane set one table in place. The moment it touched the ground, Zane's fingers had already slipped inside Pixal's. The no longer mysterious Samurai looked up at Zane when she felt his touch on her hand. Zane smiled back at her and gently tightened his grip, assuring her the moment was real.
Zane wanted to express his thoughts but nothing would come out. He couldn't believe that all this time, Pixal had been under his nose. Not for a single moment, were he upset Pixal hadn't told him. The joy of having her back was enough of an apology.
Likewise, Pixal was overwhelmed with emotion. She had had her Samurai X body for a while now but it was the first time she had actually felt someone's touch. To keep her identity a secret, she had always been undercover, hiding her face and body behind her gear.
There were times Pixal wanted to let everything slip. To tell everyone who she really was. But she knew she had to keep a low profile if she wished for everything to be kept a secret. Pixal had stated multiple times that the reason she had kept her identity a secret was because it was the only way to protect everyone.
There was some truth in that. If she had revealed her identity sooner, it was possible that the ninja would not allow her to contribute in missions, the reason being she had not had proper training. Instead of proving them that she was ready, she decided to act on her own.
That was not what Pixal had been mostly worried about though. Even though she knew that Zane was probably the most understanding person in the team, she couldn't bring herself to tell him that she had willingly left his system. She was afraid of hurting him, of making him think that she did not want to be near him anymore. That was far from the truth. And Zane understood Pixal's intentions completely.
The way he looked at her had stunned her. She may have been the one that was able to read Zane's code over and over again but at that moment, she felt as if she was being reprogrammed by him. It felt as if Zane was adding a new line of code inside of her, causing her to react the way she did.
The Samurai let her head rest on Zane's shoulder. Zane did not mind in the slightest. He could finally feel Pixal's body against his own. Without thinking much about it, he raised his free hand to stroke her hair. He leaned in forward and placed a soft tiny kiss on her forehead.
"I'm so happy you're here." Zane whispered and rested his head on top of hers.
For once more, Pixal was filled with an unexplainable feeling of joy. "So am I."
It was strange for Zane not to hear Pixal's voice echo in his head. Of course there were times she was using the Bounty's speakers to communicate but her words of comfort had been something only Zane could hear. Hearing those words come from outside his system was another reminder that everything that had occured the past two hours was real.
"I wish you would have told me from the start." Zane said but he was not angry. "Then we would have been able to do this sooner."
"Do what?" Pixal questioned, although the answer was obvious. No matter how many signs of this not being a vision had shown themselves to her, she needed more ways to confirm it.
"All of this." Zane responded and pulled her into a gentle hug. "It's been so long, hasn't it?" he chuckled.
Pixal couldn't help but join in with her own giggles. "Indeed, it has."
It wasn't the first time the two of them had pulled each other into an embrace. It had only been an hour since Pixal's reveal and there had been numerous of hugs. It was during that time that they realised that the time they had spent together all those months hadn't been physical.
It was only at the beggining of their journey together that they had been able to see each other eye to eye. However, even when Pixal was a hologram inside Zane's head, falling in love with every aspect of one another was unavoidable. Now, they had been gifted the chance of strengthening their relationship.
It took Zane by surprise when he glanced at Pixal and noticed that tears were dripping from her eyes. "Pixal?" he worriedly called her name. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." Pixal looked up at him and smiled. "I'm just happy."
Zane wiped off her tears from her face. It was as if every tear he got rid off appeared on his own face, however. "I didn't know you could cry." he noted, always keeping his voice quiet and calm.
"You were never here when I did." Pixal responded, and for a second, she felt her happiness drift away from her. The previous, and first, time she had cried was when Zane was lost after his battle with the Digital Overlord. The memory stinged in her heart. However, she quickly pushed it away as she remembered that was in the past.
"Not anymore." Zane said and it was as if he was making her a promise. He took hold of her hand once more and let her rest on his chest.
A moment of silence followed after that. Everytime their bodies touched, it was a precious moment. The two nindroids were trying to cherish every second of it. Even though they were not speaking, the same things were running through their minds. They were stronger now. They had each other and they could accomplish anything.
"Zane?" the female whispered and looked up at her partner.
"Yes?"
Their gazes locked as Zane looked back at Pixal. It created a tickling sensation inside of their system but it was rather pleasant. It was another feeling they would have to get used to.
"Let's make good use of the time we have together. Last time proved that it can be easily taken away from us." Pixal expressed her worry.
"Yeah." Zane caressed her cheek and smiled at her, making her smile as well. "I'd like that."
And now, that would be possible.
