The party was tired as they trudged back into Torigoth late at night. They had just finished helping out with some mettlesome gogals when this giant one showed up and rushed them. They beat it, but they could all use a nap afterwards.

Rex ordered their rooms almost as if on auto pilot before handing off the key to the women's room to Mythra. She snatched up the key being generally less tired than the rest of them. She ruffled Rex's hair when she did so.

"You did good, kid," Mythra congratulated with a smirk making Rex wonder if she was more tired than she looked. Either way, Rex ran his hands back over his hair in annoyance before retiring to the guy's room.

"Where does she get off treating me like a kid?" Rex complained as he removed the bulkier parts of his suit.

"Well, chum," Zeke was already plopped onto a bed, "There is something of a roughly five-hundred-year age difference between you."

"Huh, guess I tend to forget that sometimes," Rex sat on the bed taking off his clunky boots, "Guess just about anybody might be seen as a kid by her."

"Except yours truly," Azurda pointed out as he descended into the helmet on the table.

"Yeah, yeah," The room was promptly filled with the sound of Tora's snoring, "Guess we should all hit the sack." Flipping the switch, Rex allowed darkness to overtake the room. Most everyone in the room was out in seconds, but Rex found himself no longer that tired.

Instead, he found himself concerned with the implications of their earlier discussion. Mythra clearly thought of him as some sort of kid. Like a little brother perhaps, but that was not the one that was keeping him up. It was actually kind of endearing in a way, and he had never really had an older sibling. Rather, he played the part of older sibling to the other orphans.

No, what really had him concerned was whether Pyra felt the same way about him. He supposed some of her reactions to him might be seen as less than ideal. Not exactly how he would have wanted her to see him. He had to admit that he may have not always come off as super mature, but…what if Pyra did see him as just a kid?

The idea was more than a little troubling to the salvager turned driver of the Aegis. What was somewhat endearing from Mythra would have been disappointing from Pyra. Not because he did not want affection from her, but because he wanted a different kind of affection if he were being perfectly honest with himself. He was in love with her even if he doubted the feeling was mutual.

Such types of thoughts plagued him until he broke down and realized that he might need to do something about them in the morning. Though, he was a bit embarrassed to ask her directly. This left him running through potential plans into the night until he eventually drifted off to sleep.

The morning was not much better. Rex was still bothered by his thoughts from the night before. He wondered if maybe any of the girls knew. Girls talked about that kind of stuff, right? None of his adoptive sisters were really that old yet so he did not really have the slightest idea.

Though, he ended up being a little too engrossed with his own thoughts to pay attention to where he was going. Of course, he ended up running into someone, and as it turned out, he had run into Pyra. At least it was not Mythra, he told himself in consolation.

"P-Pyra! Sorry about that. I should have paid more attention to where I was going."

"It's alright," Pyra giggled, "No harm done." There it was. That giggle that made his heart melt, but now he could not help but wonder what kind of giggle it really was. What drove that smile of hers that always made his day?

"Um, Pyra?" Rex decided to take advantage of his slight burst of courage before it inevitably ran dry, "Mythra thinks of me as a kid, doesn't she?"

"Huh? Um, well, she's asleep right now, but…I think she thinks of you like a little brother. She won't admit it, but she really cares about you. Even if she's bad at showing it."

"And what about yourself?"

"M-me?" Pyra's face heated up, "I wouldn't say brother…" The Aegis trailed off uncomfortably before quickly adding, "B-but I do care about you!"

"But…you're not much younger than Mythra."

"True, but I was only awake for about a month before being sealed away. I actually didn't have that many memories of the world of my own before you found me," Pyra smiled affectionately at her driver, "And I'm glad I was able to make some of my own with you."

"So…you don't think I'm too…childish?"

"Of course not. It's just how you are. You have a remarkably optimistic outlook, and I wouldn't have you get rid of that for the world."

"R-really?" Rex floundered a bit.

"Yes, I actually think you're rather charming in a way," Pyra quickly added despite her own red cheeks. She was not lying. She just knew he would make a lucky woman extremely happy someday. Though her heart strained as she deep down was wishing she would be that woman.

"Wow. Not so sure about that, but if you say so."

"Why the sudden interest anyway?" Pyra tilted her head.

"O-oh, um, well, I was worried that you thought of me as a kid."

"Me specifically?"

"Er, yes."

"Well, rest assured I think you're rather charming. I'm sure you'll make a lucky girl very happy one day."

"Oh…thanks…" The two stood there awkwardly as both of them had distinct ideas on who they wanted that girl to be.

"I think the others are waiting," Pyra finally spoke up.

"Oh, right. Let's not keep them waiting. Shall we?"

"Yes," Pyra nodded, "Let's get going."

A/N: Alright, I've decided to ask the question: Pyra or Mythra? I was going to try a strawpoll, but it seemed to be broken, so have an alternative. Whoever wins might, I repeat, might influence a one shot. Just pick the one you like better.

If only there were more XC2 things to do.

Vote with the link on my profile cause this site just seems to hate external links and keeps messing them up when I try to put them in the notes. Seems more possible on the profile.