Title: FREEDOM RUN
Author: blackladycharon

A/N: … My second prompt for the springkink challenge. Lord knows what possessed me to think I could write a Xaldin/Xigbar pairing, even an AU one. Please forgive me if I mangle this beyond all reason. And if you want an idea of where the inspiration for this storyline came from, read Tanith Lee's 'The Silver Metal Lover'.

Disclaimer: Kalliope the Mewthree: Blackladycharon doesn't own Square Enix or the Kingdom Hearts series, so it's pointless to sue her. She's making no money off of this Prompt: 39 Kingdom Hearts 2, Xaldin/Xigbar: AU – "Going for the border/They'll never catch us."

FREEDOM RUN

"Why are we doing this?"

Xigbar knew he shouldn't be surprised when Xaldin spoke. The dragoon unit could be quite garrulous when the mood took him. An unforeseen personality defect, according to their superiors. Xemnas Laboratories churned out the battle units that fought next to regular humans, and they had stringent testing procedures. Yet there was always that one in a hundred unit. The one that bluffed the tests, or passed them because it was too new to show the defect. Xaldin was one of those Rogue units. If one didn't see the metal and comp chip implants in his arm along with the serial number, he could pass for human. Indeed, he often did.

"Why are we doing what, Xal?"

"Going for the border."

Xigbar frowned, staring at the dragoon out of his good eye as he checked his guns. He hadn't told the other man that the higher ups had ordered him destroyed. Because Xaldin wasn't a doll to be programmed like they wanted. He thought and articulated those thoughts beyond the level most units had programmed in. Xigbar had long since stopped seeing the lance wielding dragoon as a unit, a disposable being that he could replace if it was terminated. No, Xaldin was a man, a man who just happened to have luck that was almost as shitty as Xigbar's. Xaldin hadn't asked to be born in a test tube, raised in a tank with knowledge implanted in his mind. The fact that the dragoon had overcome such hurdles won him Xigbar's respect and, after a time, his heart.

"Xal…" A black gloved finger touched his lips, silencing him. Eyes the soft lavender of the summer sky stared into Xigbar's earth brown one. Xaldin drew back, exhaustion and bitterness sliding across his face. The dragoon sat back down, head hanging so that his black hair obscured his face.

"When did you receive termination orders for me?" No beating around the bush. Another thing Xigbar loved about the dragoon.

"Two days before we left."

"Can we make it? I don't want what happened to Zexion and Demyx to happen to us." Xigbar frowned, reminded of the quiet youth and his somewhat unconventional warrior unit. The superiors had caught up with them, to find both Zexion and Demyx dead. From what could be pieced together, the two had walked into a pond. Demyx had anchored himself with a rock, and then they had both waited to drown. Xigbar had thought it the epitome of foolishness at the time. Now that he knew Xaldin better, he found he couldn't fault them. If they couldn't make it over the border, they were both better off dead. Still, he forced his scarred and battered face to smile.

"They'll never catch us."

Xigbar's knees gave out, landing him on the ground with an almost brutal thud. A few feet away, Xaldin rolled onto his stomach, normally impassive eyes shining with glee. Both were soaking wet, shivering as night cooled the land and made what might have been tolerable wetness horrible. Yet they'd done it. The river that marked the border lay behind them. Xigbar knew that in a few seconds they'd be back on their feet, staggering farther away so that the soldiers and units sent to retrieve them didn't 'accidentally' violate the border or shoot them from over there. Xaldin let out a low, pure laugh, looking over at Xigbar with unconcealed joy.

"We made it. We're free of them." Xigbar let out a harsh bark of laughter as well.

"I told you they'd never catch us. Now get off you lazy butt and keep moving. We've come this far, we don't need a shot from the other side of the river in our backs."

"Whatever you say. Xigbar?"

"Hmm?"

"Love you."

"Love you too, dragoon, now get the lead out."

"Yes, Xigbar."

Fin