34She messed up.
Zero Two bit her nail angrily as she stalked down the hall of Plantation 13's medical wing, determined to sort things out with her love. She was angry with the world, for being so cruel to her, Doctor FranXX, the damned fool who took her Darling's memory, but mostly herself.
Everything she had done since that fateful day in the Garden, all for the faint hope of reuniting with her other wing.
And, despite that, she ended up nearly killed him.
Ironic.
She was outside his door now, she had been for nearly five minutes, yet she didn't move to go in. The Plantation's various personnel passed by paying no attention to the distraught hybrid as she stood outside the room that held the only reason she kept on living.
I should go in.
But she didn't, and she knew why. What if he rejected her? Could she take that? It was within his right, and she couldn't- wouldn't- blame him if he did, but if that didn't kill her, then she would certainly finish the job.
Does he miss me? Now that he remembers?
She scoffed at her own thoughts. She was a monster, and her recent actions proved it. Why would he want to be with her? He would never be safe with her around.
But perhaps… if she left… she could protect him, right? He wouldn't pilot a FranXX, wouldn't be on the battlefield, wouldn't transform into a monster like her…
That would be best for him, right?
So preoccupied in her thoughts, she did not take note of the multiple angry footsteps echoing through the corridor until Squad 13 was right in front.
Or, to be more specific, Ichigo.
Snapped out of her reverie, she took one look at the squad, then did something she would never consider under normal circumstances when facing a conflict.
She turned and began to walk away.
"Wait." Ichigo snarled.
She kept walking.
"Hey! I'm talking to you!
She sighed to herself. I'm sorry, Darling, I can't-
Then there as a hand on her shoulder in a tight grip, and she was spun around to face the angry Squad Leader, who glared at her. "I said wait."
Zero Two gave a colder glare in response. "What? I came here to visit my Darling." And I'm leaving-
"Are you serious?! Don't you realize who put him in that hospital bed?!" Ichigo growled.
Goro walked up to her and said something, but neither of the girls paid attention to the boy, keeping their eyes on each other. "I'll be damned before I let you go near him again."
"..."
The hybrid made sure to keep her trembling under control, and made sure no tears left her eyes. Even though she had decided already to leave, that didn't make the fact that everyone was still trying to keep them separated hurt any less. She opened her mouth to retort-
But the hospital door slid open.
He didn't blame her. How could he?
She had tried, so, so hard to revive his memories, testing him to see if he was the one.
And he had failed spectacularly.
He was supposed to protect her, not hurt her! Save her, not hold her back! He was supposed to love her, yet he had let herself grow distant in front him!
No, he couldn't blame her for trying to kill him.
But they need to talk.
As he wasn't going anywhere, he decided to let her come to him.
He really hoped she came.
The hospitalized parasite was laying down in his bed in the medical ward, and had been since he woke up. He had inspected the bruising on his neck, noting with some surprise that he wasn't as sore there as he thought he would be.
Then he noticed the horns.
He had been running a hand through his messy bangs only to feel two protrusions that weren't there when he fell unconscious, and after he made sure that they were not just pimples, he deduced that they were horns.
It didn't bother him, honestly. It was just another thing tying him to Zero Two.
Will she like them? he wondered, then grinned softly. Probably. It means she's not alone anymore.
Hopefully.
…
…
…
He had been sleeping for a while before voices at the door awoke him, and he wondered sleepily why people decided to argue when he was sleeping, judging from the volume of the voices-
"What? I came here to visit my Darling."
Zero Two, he realized, and he was suddenly very much awake. As if moving on autopilot, he shot up from his bed and dragged his feet towards the door, and with the press of a button, it opened.
Zero Two was rather conflicted.
On one hand, she wanted to fling herself into his arms and beg for his forgiveness while bawling her eyes out. On the other, she wanted to flee, to save him for herself.
Hiro didn't give her the chance to pick. Ignoring the surprised and worried looks of his squad mates (and an indignant one from Ichigo) he grabbed her and pulled her towards him, simultaneously pulling them both back into his room, which automatically closed behind them.
Then they were hugging, and he was crying and she was crying but it felt wonderful because Darling was holding her-
"Zero Two," Hiro breathed, tickling her ear slightly. "Zero Two, Zero Two." He repeated her name like it was a mantra, like it was the only thing that mattered to him, and it made her happy.
"Da-Darling, I… I'm so s-sorry…" She cried silently into his shoulder. Please don't let go.
Hiro took a shaky breath. "I'm… I'm sorry too, Zero Two." Then he snarled, and for a moment the horned girl thought he would lash out at her in some way, but he only began to rant, and it wasn't long before she realized that he was angry at himself, not her.
"I was supposed to protect you, but I didn't! I promised to be with you always, but I wasn't!" he cried. "I promised to help you, free you from that cage we never left! And I forgot!" he muttered the last part ashamed, his grip tightening slightly.
Zero Two pulled back and cupped Hiro's face in her hands. "It wasn't your fault, Darling! How… how could you have known? They wiped your memory!" she argued.
Hiro shook his head. "That's not excuse. I broke my promise." He stared at her for a moment before drawing her closer to him and bringing his forehead to hers.
"So let me make a new one."
Then he kissed her. And for that small moment, all was well in the world.
He disconnected and pulled back slightly, his gaze never leaving hers. "I promise you, no matter what, I'll come find you."
Zero Two smiled, all her previous doubts forgotten. "So do I."
Hiro took a breath, then gazed at her intensely. "Zero Two," he began, and Zero Two shivered in anticipation.
"I also promise you this; I will get us out of here."
Zero Two's eyes widened in shock. "Darling... you don't mean...?
"I do," Hiro nodded. "Let's escape, Zero Two. I think, this time... If we pull this off... we can be free."
A/N: Starting another story when I haven't finished my other one is a horrible idea.
I'm doing it anyways.