AN: First fanfic, pretty nervous about it but here we go! I don't own Zoids in any way, shape, or form.

The blistering heat of the deserts of Zi were something one could never acclimate to. It was a measure of fortune though, that a number of oases dotted the sands, where two pilots were taking refuge at the moment. The sanctuary from the desiccant land was rather large, with a great amount of dense vegetation; trees forming a thick canopy, and bushes and vines equally saturating the area between the treetops and ground. A lake roughly in its center, a pupil of strikingly clear blue, was the source of water in the middle of the green iris. A small gray building was near it, no doubt a home at one point, now a shelter to any seeking it.

A cloaked figure opened the door into the abode, slipping into the doorway but not after a large, ebony beast followed him through, affixed to his master's side. In his hands was a large bag, cans and other items unknown rattling and clunking about inside. As the tall man took off the cloak, his face became clear. Shoulder length hair, deep gray, framed a face of sharp features, though the first thing to be noticed were the striking violet eyes resting above pronounced cheekbones. A dark black piloting suit was his attire, though the familiar armored pieces on the shoulders had since been removed. The maverick walked to a small drawer, one of the few furnishings left in the room, and quickly began rummaging through it, a look of discontent on his face. His features soon relaxed as he found what he was looking for. Pulling out a pack of cigarettes, he pulled out a lighter from a pocket on his suit and lit the cigarette, taking a look around the room. It was small but open, with the dark wooden flooring showing as much signs of age and wear as the faded beige walls, a small number of drawers and containers scattered along them. He sat on one of the crates, and with some difficulty, pulled off the black and gray combat boots covering his feet and calves. Walking through the opening to his left, the rogue and his accomplice entered a larger room, this one lit by a single yellow bulb suspended in the center, though light poured in from a window by a sink. The kitchen, though the term was a stretch, was much more filled than the previous room, cupboards lining the walls and floor with a small stove in the corner. As the large bag was set on the counter top the man took a deep drag on his cigarette and exhaled slowly, gazing at the brightness outside the window.

Raven seldom found himself relaxed, and damn it was he going to savor this. Spending all his time travelling to local towns was wearing him ragged; walking with bated breath, hoping no one would recognize him. They never did, of course. He was far too skilled at keeping hidden to be noticed. But each time he did business in any of the markets, a measure of adrenaline surged through him. After all, he could never be too careful, despite the two years that had passed since his last public appearance. Looking over at a mirror on the wall, his attention drifted to his right cheek. Where a red marking would be, a dot adjacent to a symbol shaped like the number seven, there was nothing. Raven had elected to undergo the rather painful process of removing the crimson metal pigment underneath his skin. A few too many close calls and a growing knowledge of his appearance was all he needed to seal his decision. A growl interrupted his absentminded state, and he turned to Shadow. The tall black organoid cocked his head slightly, a look of inquiry on the dragon's metal face.

"Ha." the small laugh slipped forth from him. "Why ask me? Do you think I ever know where that girl is?"

The girl in question was outside, on the far edge of the lake that the house was built next to. Walking towards the water, she gently laid down a large bag on the sand, full of the various fruits, vegetables, and other edible plant matter that was scattered throughout the vegetation of the oasis. Pulling off her blue buckled dress, a thin blue brassiere beneath covering her from any would-be eyes. Her dark leggings followed soon after, similarly blue underwear being the only garment left. Looking down at her reflection in the water, she couldn't help but smile. The once thin and boyish girl had filled out. Her once straight body had settled into a gentle hourglass shape, curved hips and full legs a result. Her chest had filled out well, no longer small and flat but supple and full, her blue hair reaching down to the bottom of her bust. She was much more of a woman now than the small tomboy from before, and she knew it. Pulling off her tan moccasins, she made her way into the azure water. As she waded into the water, she slowly inhaled as the cool water crept its way along her calves and up her thighs, though it was by far more tolerable than the unbearable heat of the desert air. Paying no mind that her undergarments would be soaked, she walked in farther, and the water quickly rose to just at her shoulders. Lazily falling backwards, she immersed herself fully, muscles relaxing as her mind followed suit. Her turquoise eyes opened to gaze through the clear water, long strands of sapphire hair flowing dreamily as she sank slowly, enjoying the cold embrace as her body loosened and tension faded away.

Reese was quite content. As far as she was concerned, her life was by far an improvement over the hell it was two years ago. The destruction of Hiltz, the Death Saurer, and the collapsing of Zoid Eve into the desert left very little chaos left to interfere with her new beginning, though Raven often proved to be a magnet for his past and all those affected by it. So far it was the occasional run in with the Republic or Empire or accidentally stopping at a village or town and being recognized. While the consequences hadn't been too dire apart from a skirmish or twelve, it was enough for Raven to remove his facial marking, and with much coercing, Reese's too. The dot on her forehead was now gone, though the process was quite painful. The salve used literally pulled the pigment from under the skin and to the surface. Her relaxed face now frowned slightly. "I wonder if he ever realizes just how the world sees him now..." Indeed, perception of Raven was now in question to a number of individuals, namely those present at the final battle. The infamous pilot, helping his sworn rival, not to mention the group previously focused on his defeat and capture, if not death? It was mind boggling to anyone who didn't know the situation.

Hell, it was probably mind boggling to those in the situation. Of all of them, Van and Fiona seemed to be accepting, at the least. Saving Van's life, as well as allowing him an opening to destroy the Death Saurer was enough reason for them to see his change of heart. What the others thought was unknown to her, and frankly beyond her interest. While they knew of his actions, most of the rest of Zi did not, which often led to troubling encounters. Her thoughts drifted now to Raven himself: His changes in the past two years were quite astonishing: He no longer regarded her with a fierce derision, and sarcastic insulting was surprisingly not his only form of conversation now. He was... kind to her. Tolerating her, at the least. Sure, he was blunt and abrasive and at times an ass, but never as bad as before. The first few months of their travelling together was viewed as a rough necessity, but soon he warmed to her and Specular's presence. Her face now relaxed as she thought of the time he had taken care of her. While they both were no longer living from raiding and thievery, sickness was by no means a stranger to the ancient Zoidian. Numerous times she had fallen ill, only for Raven to look after her, almost... caring, dare she say? The cold maverick certainly had treated no one else in such a way, and she doubted anyone else would ever receive such attention from him. "Oh, if that boy truly knew how I feel..." She closed her eyes, the traces of a smile on her face as she began to rise to the surface. With an eerie quiet her head appeared, and she cast an absent look over at the shore, eyes cloudy with daydreams. As she looked, something suddenly caught her attention: Raven, standing on the shore looking out at her.

"Where the hell is she?" Raven muttered, irritated at the psychic's ability to outright vanish from the face of Zi. Wedging his feet into his pair of worn black boots, he shoved the door outside open and walked out, determined in his frustration to find wherever Reese had absconded to. As he trudged around the perimeter of the lake, he soon found his answer: A bag of produce lay on the sand, accompanied by a buckled blue dress, dark brown leggings and tan moccasins. As he looked at the items, his face went a slight shade of red:

"Oh, don't tell me she's gone and gotten nude..." He looked outwards to the lake to find Reese roughly 30 feet away, and was greeted by a sharp scream of shock.

"RAVEN!?"

"What?!"

"STOP LOOKING!"

"I'm not!"

"I SAID STOP IT!"

He looked away hurriedly, his face now scarlet with a mix of embarrassment and irritation.

"What the hell does she expect me to do?! She wanders off to who knows where, and gets angry when I find her in the one place I expect her to be? And to think that the lake right outside is somehow beyond my vision... Ugh. Besides, it's not like I'm some kind of pervert who'd look in on her when she's..."

His thoughts trailed off as he caught himself in a lie. As much as he'd hate to admit it, when his hatred for the girl disintegrated, a strange series of new feelings set in. He... Well, he liked being around her, for one. He'd never had any companionship apart from Shadow, and while his loyal dragonoid was by far his most faithful companion, it was extremely refreshing having another human around, albeit one who was sarcastic, cynical, loved to toy with him, and who he was sure was as mentally fucked up as he was, if not more. But beggars can't be choosers, can they? Just having another human who understood emotions and could be talked to was an unprecedented pleasure he'd never had the opportunity of before. Anyone he'd worked with in the Empire was either incompetent, arrogant, moronic, or more commonly all of the above. Except for Schubaltz, that is. He was one of the few Raven held a measure of respect for. All in all, he enjoyed her company, if she were insufferable at times. She was someone to talk to. To spend time with, to find comfort in. And, puzzling enough, she was... Nice to look at.

"I almost can't believe I actually like looking at that dumb girl..."

Raven's train of thought was interrupted by a slap to the back of his head.

"Ah, what the hell Reese?!" Raven snapped as he glared at her, her eyes full of vexation.

"That's for looking when you shouldn't." she said, the red fading from her face as she pulled on her shoes, already wearing the dress and leggings.

"Oh, please, forgive me for finding you wide out in the open, half nude and expecting no one to see." he retorted, annoyed by her confounding logic.

"All is forgiven darling," she replied, feigning obliviousness to his sarcasm. "Though you really should ask before you look." her voice trailed off in a taunting manner.

"Whatever..." Raven turned to look down at the bag of fruit, and more importantly away from the woman now keen on toying with him. "Where's Specular? I'd have figured that hunk of metal would be here after hearing you break my eardrums with your shrieking."

"She's right here, as a matter of fact. Specular, come now." Reese looked over at the water where a deep blue organoid moved with a serpentine grace through the water, yellow eyes peering from a narrow head resting on the surface. The tall metal tyrannosaur gracefully swam ashore, water trickling out from the seams and joints of her metal hide. Craning her serpentine neck towards Reese, she growled a message, then lifting her head up as multiple panels on her torso opened to let loose a flood of water, as well as several fish that had been trapped inside.

"Good Specular, you're much more effective at hunting than Raven. What did you catch today, hmm Raven? More cans? Maybe a wild sack of potatoes?"

Raven snarled as she laughed, her humor laced with taunting and mockery.

"Shut up and grab your fruit, we've got work to do." he growled before walking off towards the house, with Reese and her organoid soon following.

Inside the house, the fish were put on the counter top and the fruit and vegetables from the sack inside a small refrigerator. Raven lay the first fish on a large cutting board, and retrieved a combat knife from a sheath buckled to the rear of his belt. Slicing open the belly, he began the task of gutting and scaling, then putting them in a large bucket to be taken outside whilst throwing the guts and skin in a separate bucket. While most would find the process a grueling and unpleasant one, Raven found peace in it. For some reason, doing anything other than fighting in Zoids was refreshing. "It's not like I've ever had a good battle since Hiltz anyways. he thought to himself. Nothing but piss poor "bandits" and raiders, not one of them could stand a chance against the Geno Breaker, even in the sorry condition it's in now. Flyheight is worth a thousand of those hacks in his sleep..."

"Something on your mind, darling?" Reese's sudden words in his ear caused him to jolt internally. She often had a way of entering and exiting in utmost silence, and had made it a habit of whispering in his ear as well, much to Raven's chagrin.

"Fuck! Reese, stop doing that!" his barking went unheeded as she tilted her head back to laugh, reveling in her effect on the stoic warrior and his usually unmovable cold demeanor.

"Oh, but where is the fun in that, hmm? The days would be so dreadfully dull if I didn't."

Her eyes glimmering with bemusement, she looked up at him and ran a finger under his chin, leaning close so their faces were but a few inches apart.

"Besides darling, you're the one who can't be bothered to keep aware of what's going on. That's a rather... dangerous habit, don't you think?"

Her voice, low and almost whispered, sent an unwanted surge of electricity through Raven. Swatting her hand away, he glared at her with annoyance. "Well, how about you find some entertainment at someone else's expense? Or do I need to drag you into the lake and hold you under? Let's see just how aware you are of what's going on then."

"Oh Raven, you and your sweet talk is just too much for a girl to bear sometimes."

"That was a promise."

A snide snickering was her reply, as she bent down and snatched the bucket holding the fish up and carried it out, leaving the warrior alone and no less irked at her startling entrance.

Sighing, Raven walked from the kitchen, then down the hallway from the entry room, and into a small cramped bathroom. Several bulbs lit the tiny room, a pair above the sink, a larger one in the center of the ceiling, and one inside the stall of the shower. Opening the drawer below the sink, he began looking through it with mild interest. Grabbing a razor, he wet the blade, then his face with hot water from the faucet and carefully began to work removing the layer of stubble from his face. Long slow strokes of the blade soon proved effective, and the corners of his mouth curved into a satisfied grin as the last of the stubble was removed, rubbing his now smooth face. Peeling off his clothing, he stepped into the shower stall and turned on the water, flinching slightly as the cold hit him, but soon relaxed as the temperature rose. Resting his head against the wall, he let the hot water scour away the aches and grime of the day, closing his eyes contentedly as the dirt and distress swirled down the drain.

"I need a good fight. Someone with some skill. Or at least a few dozen decent pilots, seeing as I doubt I'll be running into Flyheight anytime soon. He opened his eyes and furrowed his brow. It doesn't matter if we're now allies or enemies, I've still got a score to settle with that fool and his organoid, Guardian Force be damned." It had been weeks since his last zoid battle, and approximately two years since his last truly difficult fight, one that left the Geno Breaker in disrepair and Raven burning to fight his rival to settle their score. Walking out of the bathroom robed in a towel, he entered the room with his previously dirty clothes underarm, throwing them onto the ground lazily before grabbing a new pair of underwear, gray trousers, and a muddy brown shirt.

Walking outside, he was greeted by a gradually dipping sun and a small campfire with three fish roasting on a spit, Reese watching the flames lick the air below the cooking fish with interest while Shadow and Specular both lay curled up several feet away, also transfixed by the dancing tongues of heat. Walking over to the log Reese was sitting on, he took a seat next to her and sighed.

"Something on your mind?"

"I need a good fight."

Now Reese sighed.

"No, you mean you wish to fight Van."

"Well, I suppose he could be a-"

"Raven, I know you far better than that."

Raven looked at his palms, the scars stretching across them illuminated by the glow of the fire.

"I just want to settle the score... And be done with this."

"So you don't wish to kill him anymore?"

Raven opened his mouth to speak, but soon closed it. Did he really want Van dead? Had those years of hatred finally faded away too? He recalled fighting alongside him tooth and nail to defeat the Death Saurer. Sure it had been a mutual goal, but at the time he did it out of necessity. Sure he respected Van, but he'd respected him after his first defeat, so that was nothing new. Had he really stopped hating him? It all seemed so surreal. To wake up, and not have hatred burning inside... He almost didn't want it. Almost.

"What else do I have? What other purpose could I possibly serve? I'm hated by everyone on Zi, wanted in the Republic and the Empire, and have a zoid that's all but in disrepair. I have nothing Reese..."

"That wasn't my question, Raven."

Silence was his answer.

As the sun lowered, they both ignored the now awkward silence and began to eat. Shadow walked over to Raven, a growl and nudging of his arm to comfort. Raven smiled; It was a rare sight, that all in company could appreciate. A happy Raven was one that wasn't hell bent on destruction, and more or less pleasant to be around. As they finished their meal, the fire was quenched with water from the lake and the bones from the fish buried in the ashes. Raven grabbed another cigarette from the pack and walked to the door, leaning next to it, the orange tip glowing as he inhaled deeply.

"You really do have a death wish, don't you?" Reese remarked as she walked over to him.

"And what if I do?" Extending his hand, he offered it to her. Reese plucked the burning object from his hand, only to promptly throw it on the ground and stamp it out.

An angry sigh emanated from Raven. "What, pray tell, was that for?"

Reese looked at him, her face tensing. "It's bad for you. You should stop that nasty habit."

"Why do you care? Why should you care?"

"Because... I do care."

Raven wasn't sure what to make of her answer, opting instead to look out towards the lake. Reese moved towards the door, but not before stopping once more and looking to Raven.

"...And even though you say you have nothing, I'll always be here."

Raven recoiled as if her words were a physical force. He hadn't meant that he was really alone with nothing to live for... Well, he did, in a way. Going from the most feared pilot on Zi, to the most wanted pilot on Zi without a zoid was unbearable. And while he was pleased with the lack of struggle daily, he also missed it. The thrill of the fight, of conquering enemy after enemy after squad after battalion, crushing everyone in his way. It was an awkward transition to say the least. At least back then he-

The door shutting opened him back to reality. With a heavy groan, he followed Reese into the house.

"Reese!" Raven called out to the woman halfway to the bedroom, who looked behind her, eyes saddened.

"I'm sorry... I didn't mean it like that. I'm... I'm glad you're here." Her face softened, and the curve of a smile grew on her face. Walking towards him, she embraced him and lay her head on his chest. Raven tensed, at odds with what to do, finally deciding to put his arms around her; physical contact was still a strange concept to him, but he knew she'd like it. Raven himself was finding it tolerable, if not slightly pleasant.

"Let's go to sleep. It's been a long day."

Raven smiled slightly, in agreement. Heading towards the bedroom at the end of the hall, his troubles now fading, his focus now on the young woman in front of him.

AN: Thanks for reading if you made it this far! Please review, and give me an opinion: should I add in some lemon content? I've been considering it, but really am not sure if that's what you readers would like.