"Have you ever wished on a shooting star?"
The ridiculousness of the question was what drew Elpizo's attention from the reports more so than whom asked it. "Pardon me?"
Ciel was looking up through the skylight of the unfinished Commander's room, sitting on the hovering catwalk and childishly swinging her legs. She was the epitome of girlish innocence, especially as she smiled so wondrously at the night sky hanging above them, clear and adorned with the jewels of the stars. Elpizo knew there was supposedly some sort of meteor shower tonight, thus Ciel's stubborn and determined tantrum earlier to stay up past curfew and be in an area still under construction, but he was too focused on work to watch it with her.
"Have you ever wished on a shooting star?" Ciel asked again, keeping her eyes on the sky. Maybe she could get another wish in before the night was over. "You know, if you see a shooting star, you make a wish and it'll come true."
Elpizo didn't have it in him to snort at such a silly notion, not when she was speaking to him like that. Rarely did he and Ciel engage in such casual conversations nowadays, as the Base was reaching completion. "I can't say I have."
"I haaaave befoooore…" Ciel admitted in a sing-song voice, falling to lie on her back, arms stretched to the sides.
Elpizo decided it was easier if he talked to her when on the same level, and he climbed down from the usual perch. He stepped over her arm and, when she smiled at him, took it as an invitation to sit next to her. One leg over the side, the other near his chest, Elpizo braced himself with one hand on the catwalk and the other draped over the upright knee. He stared down at the glowing exposed network beneath them, all required for a functioning trans system. It looked like it would use so much energy, but thanks to Ciel's research thus far, it only cost half of the usual. He hoped the baby elf he stole on his escape out would further assist the lovely scientist in her quest, even if it was a far-fetched result she hoped for.
"Did your wish come true?" Elpizo asked when his thoughts finally settled.
Ciel hummed as her legs resumed their swinging. "Actually, it did."
"What did you wish for?"
At this Ciel blushed, because she knew Elpizo wouldn't like the answer. But he did ask, and Ciel had resolved a year ago to never lie again if she could help it. "That I'd find the legendary Zero and Copy X would be overthrown."
"Big wish," Elpizo commented, not at all upset. Ciel looked at him, slightly surprised—usually Elpizo hated it when she mentioned Zero, for reasons so obvious even she saw it.
"I guess. But, it came true, so wishing on stars work!"
Elpizo laughed, and although Ciel still longed for Zero even after a year, she still could like the way Elpizo sounded when he was relaxed and, well, himself when they sat around like this. "That's so illogical, Miss Ciel," Elpizo said, but he smiled at her. "But so was trying to find this Zero in the first place. Somehow, the illogical becomes possible with you. You sure it isn't you, instead of some mystery star power?"
Ciel giggled at the subtle flirtation. "Maybe it's just determination?"
"Must be, you're an endless pit of that!"
The human girl giggled again, propping herself up on her elbows and tilting her head as she looked at Elpizo, blond ponytail in a swirly, silky puddle under her. It drew Elpizo's eyes, and he wondered if he'll ever see her without her helmet and her hair cascading as free as wild water.
"You know," Ciel said quietly, her hushed tone bringing Elpizo's eyes to her face, "it's obvious when you look at me like that."
Elpizo had the decency to tint his cheeks a faint pink and looking away. "My apologies, Miss Ciel." He muttered. "I… hadn't realized."
"It's not that I'm upset," Ciel said hurriedly. "It's just… It's sort of strange for me, to be looked at like that."
Elpizo chuckled, although it was a bit weak. "Miss Ciel, I bet many men—human and Reploid I'm sure—have looked at you like such. It's only til you found yourself giving another those looks, that you realize what it looks like."
That sounded like it shouldn't make sense, but it did to Ciel, and she blushed. "Zero never looked at me like that," she whispered.
"From what I heard from Alouette of this Zero, despite his willingness to help, he was quite the emotionless robot."
Ciel wanted to admonish him, say something in Zero's defense, but what could she say? The only time Zero showed any real emotion was when he was shocked or when they all realized X still existed. Even when he told her everything was okay and he'd take care of it, he still used that emotionless tone he was getting well known for. Elpizo was right, he was quite cold.
Ciel sighed, "He was." It hurt to think, 'was.' Zero should still be 'is,' but after a year of no contact or sign…
"Ciel," she looked at Elpizo, who had turned to face her more fully. "I deeply care for you. You know of this, we had this conversation. I will not try to force you to feel the same, but I want you to know I will take care of you, and the Resistance, regardless. When the war with Neo Arcadia is over, either by force or not… I would…" he looked away, embarrassed. Ciel liked the fact, despite being a Reploid, Elpizo at least acted human. "I would… like to walk the city with you."
She had the good graces to giggle. "Are you… asking me on a date, Elpizo?"
"Th-that's not my intention…!"
"It's okay." Ciel giggled again. It… felt nice to be wanted, appreciated. Zero surely appreciated and wanted her expertise, of course… but she didn't ever feel like he really liked her as a person. Despite everything…
Elpizo was thoroughly embarrassed, but Ciel liked that. Even if he was a Reploid, he felt more… casual, easier to speak to. More earthly and obtainable in a sense. To Ciel, Zero really was a legend, a myth come to life. Elpizo… was closer to her in sense of normal, if that made any sense.
Zero was gone anyway. It hurt, but Ciel couldn't let that block her research or any other aspect of her life. She was still young after all, and her youth was slipping fast.
She smiled at Elpizo. Maybe Zero wasn't the answer to her shooting star. "There's a charming section of the city I'd love to show you…"