Author's Note: Thanks to irmina and love332 for being the first ones to review! :D you guys are awesome. In this chapter, I borrowed several elements from every single ZeroxIchiru stories, and yep I did say all because I read all the Ichiru and Zero stories xD. I have to admit, you guys make me feel like a noob! Also, in this scene, I'm picturing Zero lying on the left side and Ichiru on the right side of the bed. Fluff alert, some of you might accuse me of depicting Zero like a pansy. NO! I am just showing his more emotional side toward his brother. Please PM me if you have any questions xD. Mild-yaoi, I might write a lemon version if some of you request it.

The Purest Form of Love

"Friendship is the purest love. It is the highest form of Love where nothing is asked for, no condition, where one simply enjoys giving."

Zero's POV

Do you love me? The question echoes through my head several times before fading away; it pierced my heart like ice shards; his question pains me greatly and the way he asked me with his innocent face and smile like that of a helpless lamb was just unbearable. My throat became as dry as dust and refuses to produce any sound. I just stare dumbfounded at my mirror image trying to understand what he meant. Is this a rhetorical question? I wondered silently.

"Do you love me?" Ichiru asked again with a slightly louder voice.

The second time felt as if he was taunting me. My heart lurched and a wave of fear, sadness, and even disappointment filled me. I was afraid that Ichiru asked me this question thinking that I might not love him and only took care of him because it was my responsibility. But no, nothing could have been more false… I took care of him because I genuinely loved him with every single cell of my body.

Damn it Ichiru, damn it… if only you knew how deeply I care about you, if only I can show you how much I love you.

Tears silently began falling soaking my shirt gradually; they might be tears of anger, tears of frustration, tear of desperation, or maybe all three.

I continued to stare at him not bothering to wipe away the glistening jewels on my cheek.

Ichiru's POV

I stared in shock as I see oniisan crying silently, I began questioning whether this was real or a vision.

"Zero…?" I asked unsure why he was crying.

"Why are you crying?"

Zero didn't reply but only kept staring at me, shedding tears softly, as if I injured him in the worst way possible. Of course I gazed right back with a confused and concerned look in my eye.

I used my left thumb to wipe away the tears slowly and caressed his cheek trying to reassure him. His gaze softens and I cleaned the remaining liquid. I extended my arm and placed my palm on the back of his head, calmly bringing his head in the crook of my neck. He didn't resist or protested like he always did before. I can feel his stiffen body against mine, his sharp breaths against my neck and the pounding of his heart. I wanted to free him of his worries and relieve him of the pains he's feeling. Maybe just once, I can protect him like he always did for me in the past…

We stayed in this position for a while until I leaned down and placed a kiss on his forehead and rubbed his back. Oniisan always did that when I was scared of something and it always made me felt better.

Third person's POV

Zero's breathing slowly started to decrease along with his heartbeat and little by little he started to loosen. He kept his eye closed and simply enjoyed the intimate moment he's sharing with his identical twin.

Ichiru smiled as he felt Zero slowly relaxing, he cupped his face and slowly brought their foreheads together. Ichiru can feel Zero's mint-smelling breathes against his face and it dazed him, clouding his mind.

"Zero… I love you" Ichiru confessed caressing his cheek and stroking his pearly hair.

"Ichiru…" Zero moaned at his touches imploring for more.

Coming back to his senses, Zero grabbed Ichiru's wrists and sorrowfully said, "I'm sorry Ichiru… I do love you but no in the way you want me to… I can only love you as a friend and as a brother… Ichiru you deserve someone so much better than me." Please don't waste your time with a sinful creature like me. I don't deserve you affection, no matter how much I crave it. I already stole so much from you, I'm begging you… please don't increase my debt to you.

Ichiru tried his best to hide the pain behind his forced smile. The moment his brother finished uttering these words, he felt a piercing spasm of pain through his heart, flooding it with sadness and depression. Ichiru looked away blinking his eyes rapidly, concealing his unshed tears. He doesn't want to appear weak and fragile in the eyes of his hero.

"I can't ask for more Oniisan" Ichiru chuckled trying to clear his constricted throat.

But Zero was no fool, he knew his other self for such a long time that sometimes he felt as if they had a telepathic connection. Zero knew whenever Ichiru was in pain physically or emotionally and always helped him, but only time can heal a broken heart.

"You've always been by my side, protecting and taking care of me; it would've been greedy of me to ask for more, I already feel guilty about it" said Ichiru trying to mimic his usual cheerfulness.

Zero felt like his heart just ruptured spilling his sin-filled blood. Ichiru please stop torturing me… this was never your fault, in contrast, it was my fault. I'm the reason why you're always sick and in pain… I'm just a coward because I don't want to tell you the truth, I'm scared that you will hate me, scared that you will leave me, but you didn't, I'm sorry I can't love you the way you want me to. Please forgive me, if you can one day.

"Zero is it okay if I go outside and take a walk?" Ichiru asked without any emotions.

Zero couldn't bear refusing his brother's request after shattering his heart. He silently nodded and looked away with a dejected expression.

Ichiru exited the room without a noise, but suddenly turned around and said, "sorry Zero… sorry…" and left the house quietly.

Zero felt his whole body restricting and drifted into his own thoughts.

End of chapter 2

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ALSO! I MIGHT WRITE AN ALTERNATE ENDING FOR THIS STORY BECAUSE… WELL… YOU'LL KNOW SOON ENOUGH. XD