It had been one hectic day for Rex and the gang. Having narrowly escaped the Flamebringer herself, the crew had stopped to catch their breaths at the Travelers Resting Tree.
"I don't think they're following us," Pyra sighed in relief.

"Perhaps we're safe for now," Gramps added.

Rex stopped momentarily to catch his breath. "You're right. We should get some rest. I can't go any further."

"Tora is pooped as well. Now is good time to rest Rex-Rex," their new Nopon friend said, before letting out a massive yawn.
"Right then, let's set up ca-"

"See you later," Nia interrupted.

"Wha-? Nia, hold on for a second! Listen…I…have to go to Elysium. I made a promise. I'm taking Pyra there. It's just that she…gave half of her life to save mine. I owe her."
Pyra smiled fondly at her Driver. "Rex…"

"If today's events showed us anything, it's that the whole world is after her. The titans are dying, and living space is running out. That's gonna start wars, and people need weapons to fight wars. But if I can prove that Elysium exists, maybe I can stop the war that's coming. But fighting Morag taught me something. I'm not ready. I can't do this alone. Nia, you're a driver. We could really use someone like you…that is…if you wanted."

Nia stood silently, her back turned, as if in contemplation. "Kid, look. Elysium…it's just a myth. A legend told to young children. Do you really think it exists?"

"Pyra said she was born there. And here she is. That should be proof it exists, right?" He said, hoping that this would persuade her.

"Rex…you really act just a naïve little kid. On top of that, your logic is almost as good as that Dughall's. What if Pyra's lying? What if one day she turns round and stabs you in the back?" Nia retorted, unconvinced.

"Pyra would never do that! She would die if she did. If one of us is killed, the other will die, remember?"
"Ah…that's right. Now I remember." Nia thought for a moment. She glanced at Dromarch; her companion nodded. As far as he was concerned, he did not mind if they joined or not. His duty was to protect her. "All right. I'm convinced. This could be an interesting ride."

"Really?!"

"An endless field of green among the clouds, eh? If the legends are true, even people like me…"

A few minutes later, and the group had settled down by a small but bright campfire. Tora and Poppi had already fallen asleep, and Nia was beginning to doze off against Dromarch's furry coat, leaving Rex and Pyra alone to themselves. The former used this opportunity to help her companion with the wounds he had gotten from their most recent encounter. The cuts weren't bad, and with a little help from a concoction Nia had given her, Pyra was able to patch him up with no difficulties. Well, maybe a little.
"Ouch!"

Rex's sudden movement caused Pyra to jerk her hands back in surprise. "Ah, I'm sorry. Did I wrap it too tightly?"

Rex smiled through grit teeth. "No, no. It's fine! I'm fine! See?" He swung his bandaged arm around to prove his point, but unfortunately, his arm disagreed. Across from him, Nia chuckled.

"Owowow! Ugh!" Rex winced in pain.

Pyra gave him a sympathetic smile. "I knew it."

After giving his arm a moment to rest, Rex looked up at her. "Thanks Pyra. I feel a lot better now."

"I'm sure it's just Nia's poultice," she said, glancing at her drowsy friend. "Thanks!"

The Gormotti girl's eyes lazily opened, a toothy grin on her face.
Rex smiled. Looking next to him, he noticed that Pyra still had some open wounds. The fiery haired blade, oblivious to Rex's gaze, busied herself by wrapping a bandage around her own arm. "Pyra, you're hurt too? Are you OK?"

"I'm fine. It's just a scratch."

"Well, we should still patch it up. Here, let me help."

Pyra barely registered his comment before she felt his hands carefully take her injured arm into his lap. He wrapped the bandage gingerly, remembering to be careful with her. Pyra watched him silently. The boy next to her was too preoccupied with the task at hand to notice the gentle smile forming on her lips. "Thank you, Rex."
Rex continued with his work, wrapping up the end of the bandage. "No worries. Least I can do," he replied as he released her arm. "There, all done! How's that?"
Pyra looked her bandaged arm over, checking Rex's handiwork. "Looks good."

A peaceful silence befell the two of them. Nia had fallen asleep and was now splayed across Dromarch's back. Her blade didn't seem to mind however; his slumber was uninterrupted by the girl sleeping on top of him. Tora snored lightly, using Poppi as some sort of cushion. From where he was sitting, Rex could see a small line of drool escape the Nopon's mouth. And then there was Gramps, curled up inside Rex's helmet. For all the complaining he did about it, he seemed pretty comfortable at the moment.

Pyra was the one to break the silence. "Um…Rex?" Rex looked up to see Pyra scooting closer to him. His eyes widening slightly, and he sucked in his breath. What was she trying to do? What should he do? He looked at her, trying to gauge her intentions. But instead of that, he found himself staring at her face. She looked adorable to him. Her facial features were very much perfect, from her cute nose to her gentle smile, to her pink lips. Rex could feel the blush creep over his face. Pyra however, unaware of what the boy was thinking, stretched out her arm and held it next to his own. "Look. They're the same."
Rex snapped out of it and tried to push away his previous thoughts. "O-oh, uh yeah. I-I…guess they do."
Pyra laughed lightly at his fumbling, earning her a blush from the panicked boy.

The fire continued to burn brightly, its flames lighting up the night sky. Both of them looked up in admiration. "It's so beautiful," Pyra sighed.

"Yeah. It really is." But that's probably because you made it, Pyra.

"W-what?"

Titan's foot! Did he really say that out loud? "U-um no! What? I-I didn't mean it like that?" he said hurriedly, unable to stop the blush on his face. "You're just, erm, really good at making fires…yeah that's all. Making fires, yeah?" It sounded as if he was trying to convince himself at this point. The salvager looked away in embarrassment. Pyra stared at him in confusion.

"Well…It's what I do," she said as she clicked her fingers and summoned a small flame into her palm. Rex turned around and looked in childish wonder as the girl next to him gently blew it out. The flame dispersed into many small embers, creating a small, but beautiful light-show in the process.

"Rex?"

"Hmm?"

"What Morag told you earlier…it was all true, but…still you chose to fight by me. Why?"

Rex was taken aback. He had almost forgotten what the Special Inquisitor had said regarding the Aegis War. But three titans? Was it really possible? Nevertheless, it was his duty as an Aegis Driver to keep her out of the hands of the power-hungry.
"I couldn't let her get you. I have to keep you safe. I promised you, remember? I'm gonna get you to Elysium, and no one's gonna stop us," he smiled.

"Morag was just one of many obstacles that lie in our path. I…don't want to put you in harm's way. If anything were to- "

Rex cut her off. "I knew what I was getting into the moment I told you I would get us to Elysium. Don't worry about me so much. I can handle myself, you know? I've just gotta get stronger. Strong enough to protect you. Today taught me that I still have a long way to go, but I promise you that I'll work my hardest to become the Driver worthy of an Aegis."

Pyra smiled softly. She scooted a bit closer to the boy next to her and gently rested her head on his shoulder. "Thank you, Rex." Rex froze. His heart stopped for a second, and his whole body tensed. "N-no problem," he stuttered.

The two of them remained in a peaceful silence for a few minutes. Pyra had begun to doze off on Rex's shoulder, and Rex, well, was being Rex- ever hesitant to take the initiative. He contemplated returning her affection briefly, but he concluded that it would result in a slap to the face. So he didn't try it; at least, for a moment. But she's leaning her head on your shoulder. Would she really mind if you did the same? Maybe just this once, he would throw caution to the wind. Tentatively, Rex leaned his head on hers and wrapped an arm around her waist. Pyra was caught off guard and gasped in surprise, causing Rex to immediately withdraw his arm, but she caught it and moved it back around her. "U-um, Pyra?"
The fiery haired blade closed her eyes and relaxed. "S-sorry about that," she mumbled in embarrassment. She allowed herself to lean her body against him, relaxing into the comfortable embrace.

Rex's eyelids felt heavy; he was suddenly aware of how late it was. If they wanted a good head start in the morning, they would have to get some sleep; both of them knew this. Still, neither of them was content with letting go of the other. Rex let out a yawn. Maybe it was time for bed. Reluctantly, he lifted his head off of Pyra's, turning to look at the girl beside him. To his surprise, she had already fallen asleep, a content smile etched on her face. Rex smiled. Even when she was asleep, she still managed to be adorable. Carefully he laid her down into a more comfortable sleeping position. Then, he located a spot on the ground for himself and settled down for the night.
"Night, Pyra," He whispered.

Hello everyone! I decided to write up something for you all, seeing as there aren't enough Pyra/Rex stories out there. I will do my best to upload on a weekly schedule, provided that this story fairs decently. I hope you enjoyed this first chapter, and I'll see you all soon!
Note: Feel free to ask me questions regarding the story through a PM. I'd love to hear your feedback.