Disclaimer: I don't own any characters in this fanfic. I don't own the game these characters come from, either.
It was only but a hour later before someone came a-knocking on Alia's door.
"Alia! What's wrong?" ... It was X.
Alia didn't look up from her nearly soaked pillow - instead, she tried burrowing her face into it even more, choking back sobs as X continued to try to get an answer. Eventually, though, he must have given up, as he seemed to have left.
For only about ten minutes. The doors opened and X stepped in, and some random reploid - probably a hacker - giggled quietly and sped off down the hall. Alia ignored the intrusion, looking up to see X only once the doors closed. "Alia...?"
Alia sniffed, sitting up and wiping at the tears in her eyes stubbornly. She didn't want to cry... At least, not infront of him. "What, X? What do you want...?" Her voice was strained. She looked to the mentioned blue reploid, who was frowning and looking at her in a most worried fashion. Alia would have thought that he looked quite cute, if it wasn't for her current situation.
"What's wrong?" X sat next to Alia, on her bed, looking her in the eyes. All he saw was fear - but... Fear of what? "Why were you crying?"
Looking away, Alia sighed. "It's... It's nothing X, just- just go." She seemed to content to leave it at that.
He didn't. X didn't show any signs of getting up and leaving her room any time soon. No, instead, he reached for her hand, head tilting to the side when she pulled it away. "It doesn't seem like 'nothing', to me. Tell me." X let his hand rest on her shoulder, instead.
Alia shook her head slightly, then stopped and seemed to consider something. She bit her lip to stop herself from letting out another torrent of tears, looking down to her lap, depressed. "X, I..." Alia stopped. How exactly was she to word this?
X growled softly at her hesitation. He was beginning to grow worried, and slightly impatient - he wanted to know what was going on with his friend. And his love interest.
"I don't know how to word it," Alia finally mumbled, looking to X. "It's hard..." Hard, to tell someone you love that you'll be gone before the next night, and that there was nothing that could be done about it.
"Then just... Say it. Put it bluntly." X rubbed her shoulder gently, trying to be as encouraging as he possibly could be.
Bluntly, huh? Alia could do that. A few tears slid from her eyes as she pulled her knees up to herself and hugged them. "X... I'm going to die tomorrow night..."
Needless to say X was stunned. Stunned so, that he was speechless. He simply watched Alia for any signs that she was joking... No luck.
"I went for a routine check-up, X." Alia's voice shook, but she tried her best at sounding calm. "The... The medic. He told me the results... I only have until tomorrow evening - tomorrow night at most..." She broke down after saying this. Sobbing, Alia tightly hugged X.
And all X could do was stare ahead, trying to make sense of this sudden mention of death, while trying to comfort Alia as best he could.