Well hello there!
Today I bring you all this new story I have been thinking of. I must say that I really love Darling in the FranXX therefore for the past week I was wondering if I could do my "take" on the story. It's still really early for some things to unfold in the cannon story but never the less i really like the characters so i had to do this.
I want also to thank Netsuh who is helping me to correct the mistakes on spelling and grammar. Big kudos to you my friend!
There is no part of the site for DarliFRA so I am going to write the title of the anime/manga on the title of my fanfiction. It goes right after Chapter 3 so beware!

Take a seat and thanks for reading!

I do not own Darling in the FranXX or anything related to it!

Prologue (Updated)

"I told you to look at me!" an angry Nana told 02 in a confinement room

After their battle against the Klaxosaurs in the summit they have been "retrieved" to the headquarters. Mitsuru was sent to the lower levels of the plantation for medical services where 02 was led by the military police through infinite corridors. The parasites were all in their everday attires.

Ichigo tried to find out the condition of Mitsuru, one of her pilots but no info was available. They all reunited in the changers.

"Yes, I asked them but they're too busy collecting the samples from the Klaxosaurs" said Ichigo as she was pacing rather nervous from each corner of the entry room. Everbody stood up except from Ikuno who didn't say anything till she arrived.

"Well, we should go to Nana, I'm sure she'll talk to us..." Goro tried to confort her

"Sure.. and bring some coffe for that horned monster" Zorome said with an accusing finger to Hiro, his partner behind him really tired.

"Hey! Stop it already! I don't know wh-" Hiro was interrumped by Ichigo "Stop! She saved us again but I can't trust her anymore. I want to talk to her too.. so I am going..besides, we need to know something about Mitsuru"

Everybody listened to Ichigo, She was their leader after all and they learnt to follow orders. Aside from the usual "pss" coming from Zorome everybody agreed.

The corridors were busy, really busy so they had no problems finding where Nana was. They were met by a pair of armed guards on the way.

"This zone is out of boundaries" said one of them

"I am Ichigo, pistil, code 015 and I have to find Nana, the operations manager as soon as possible"

"Excuse me but I can't let you go through" he simply answered.

"Maybe we need to wait" said a really shy Kokoro.

All of them stood still waiting for their leader to do something, she was pissed. Twice today she felt useless. She can't even get them to Nana.

"Don't worry" A hand came over her shoulder. Hiro was at her side wich made her a little angry. What's he doing? He even came to apologize to her after being unable to connect like if it was only his fault. She was angry but she didn't know why.

Seconds later Nana and 02 came around the corner of the corridor. The guards let them trough and Nana was a little surprised to see them. All of them were silent when 02 was right in front of them.

02 still had her Pisuit. She had some blood on her right arm. Was it from Mitsuru? Ichigo thought.

"Nan-" Ichigo said as Ikuno spoke for the first time in almost two hours

"Where is Mitsuru?" she said

Nana took her own hand to her head and smiled to them "Everything is alright. Mitsuru is O.K no need to worry" said as nonchalant as she could.

"If you want to see him, you can come, let her pass" Said Nana. As she got through, 02 started moving. She smiled when Ikuno gave her a sorrowful look right at her side. She walked right through the group of pilots. They stood aside as if she was something dangerous. She took Hiro by surprise when she stopped to whisper something to his ear "Nobody can replace you, Darling"

"Hey you! What the hell is going on?" Zorome jumped in as he tried to sound angry. All of them silently approved Zorome for what he said. "The first time this idiot has said something useful" thought Goro to himself.

02 turned slowly and started to walk towards Zorome when Ichigo got in the middle of the two.

"I, as the one in charge in this squadron wan-" She said but soon stopped when 02 leaned towards her face. All of the pilots were took by surprise.

"You are welcome, sweetface" Then she left taking a last glance to Hiro.

"This is unbelievable" Said Kokoro, her face still full of fear.

All of them stood still in the middle of the corridor. Everything has changed in one week. Hiro and Naomi, the arrival of 02, the sudden Klaxosaur attacks. What were they into?

Some hours later, in the barracks of the pilots.

Dinner was awkward, nobody could say a thing. Mitsuru nor Ikuno had arrived and it was getting late. Usually they went to bed after they recieve a message from Nana. She always was kind to them but nothing came today. Everything was silent as it has been a rough day. A week before the usual chatter and jokes were frequent but things have changed.

After the incident nobody told anything to Hiro and his abilty to pilot. They have seen combat and it was brutal. One minute eveything was fine, one minute after everybody was going to die. "This is why we are training" thought Ichigo and then she rose up.

"Everybody, I want to talk" she said as everybody listened to her.

"Today we have been in combat for the first time and I almost got you all killed, I want to ap-"

"You did nothing wrong" said Goro "We are a team afterall, aren't we?"

"Yes!" said a shy Kokoro

"I am sorry too, it was my fault th.." said also Miku when Zorome stoped her. "No, i made some mistakes too.. but it's not our fault! We will become better and fight against those monsters, we're the best" Everybody tried to brighten up the ambient. Hiro was still silent. He had done nothing to help their friends. He was not even allowed to pilot. Was he even a part of the team? He needed to pilot again. 02 was his answer and he knew it.

After several minutes they were in the living room, waiting for the two remaining pilots. Hiro was on the right corner of the room, looking at the night sky from the window.

A frienldy Goro came and sat next to him.

"You should smile a little bit. Everybody is safe. I told Ichigo about what you told me this morning, she didn't even answer so it is not an important matter anymore. She trusts in you so try to be in a cockpit again. We need you, Hiro". He said

"I am trying, I swear but I can't make up my mind anymore. 02 can help me with that" he answered.

"Hiro, you need to stay away from that girl, you know what happened to Mitsuru right? We don't want you to get hurt... now that Mitsuru is going to likely be in a bed for several weeks you should try with Ikuno, she will be happy to pilot again" reafirmed Goro

"But she said I can pilot, she told me that when that first Klaxosaur attacked, back then I piloted"

"Hiro it doesn't matter if you can or not, it is a matter of us, your friends. We've been together our entire lifes and we don't want anyone to be in danger" Goro spoke

"This..Ichigo told you to tell me this, I am right?" questioned Hiro

"Yes, she told me that and I agree. The rest of the team does too. We care for you, remember that"

He remained still and thought about everything that happened to him. Since his first failure with a FranXX.

It was already midnight when they decided to go upstairs and sleep. The house was rather small for all the people but they lived in peace. The second floor was divided in four rooms. The womens dorm and the one for the men. Two bathrooms and one corridor that led to a hugh window where the bridge that connected their house to the rest of the garden was built.

Hiro replied to the call from the other members of the team saying to get some sleep. He couldn't find a reason about the falter of his abilities as a pilot. He left the house to go take a walk. He had been doing this as a routine. Ichigo told him to do this as it should help him to think but it wasn't working.

It was cold, very cold. He didn't care. He walked and walked. The sky was beautiful at night. He sat up in a rock near the lake.

"You're a pervert, Darling"

A certain voice pulled him out of his thoughts. 02 was at his side.

"Trying to find me again taking a swim?" She said again as Hiro was surprised to see her there.

"I..I.. What are you doing here?" He said

"Well I can't sleep on that coffin down there. It is really hot and It smells rotten" Hiro was looking at her with a neutral expression. Was he supposed to be with her?

"Looks like we both found a good place to think and relax, right?" She said as she approached him.

"Wanna take a swim? I swear it's good" She asked but no response.

"Well if you don't want to i'm going to have to force you!" She pulled him against his will and soon he fell right into the water.

Hiro was not known to be a good swimmer and soon he was struggling to get his head over the water.

"I don't know how to swim!" He said as she jumped right onto him. She grabbed his arms and then helped him to straighten up.

"It's okay Darling, let me help you"

"Damm, this isn't funny" He complained.

Five minutes after they were floating, facing each other. Hiro was really surprised to see that he was able to swim or at least, not drown. 02 kept a surprised face the whole time.

"You were going to jump and save me the other day when you don't even know how to swim? You sure are dumb, Darling"

"Don't blame me... look, today has been..horrible.. an."

"Did you mean it? When you said I could go with another person?" She interrumped him.

"What? What do you mean?" He answered

"When we were going to save the other FranXX, you let me go with another pilot, do you really care for me?" She said as she locked her eyes with him.

"I..I do"

"Do you?"

"Yes, I need to pilot again, you can help me, you said I could, tell me how..I beg you.." He pleaded

"You sure are stubborn, you don't need anything else than me. I'm your Darling and you are mine. If you really want to do something we need to be together. I can't make you see that, you must be the one who does"
Hiro was looking at her. They were both dressed up in the middle of nowhere and really wet.

"I want to pilot with you, 02. Yes, I care for you...Darling." 02 face lightened up when she heard him calling her like that. She brought up an smile. It was really different from the other ones he had seen from her.

"I'm cold" she said and from nowhere she hugged him. They were in the water for at least 10 minutes and Hiro was cold too, the sensation of warmt she offered with her body was irresistible and he blushed.

"Isn't it funny?" she said with her head on his shoulder.

"To see the sky, the stars and not be able to reach them"

For the first time he opened up to her

"It is" he answered.

Suddenly her face straigthened up and the two of them were at mere inches from face to face.

He looked at her and there was something that caused him to look at her lips. He remembered the sensation, the power of being able to be useful.

"You can kiss me this time" She said.

Hiro did as she told and the sensation began again. He was feeling complete.

After their lips parted she whispered to him "We need to get you out of here"

"We..?" He asked

"Yes, do you really trust me?"

"Yes"

"I'm sorry"

His eyes closed with a hard hit behind his head. Everything went black.

Back at their house, Ichigo was waiting for Hiro to come up the stairs. She hadn't slept and had waited for Hiro. She decided to go downstairs but found nothing.

A simple thought came to her mind

"Zero two"

Well, there it is!

the prologue of this fanfic, RED. I hope you enjoyed it. As usual, Leave me comments, tips, reviews and thank you all for reading!