"Why didn't you stop me?"

The day after the battle in the mines, Hiro found himself pulled aside and cornered in the empty common room. Awash with the soft orange light of dusk as the shadow she cast loomed over him, the close proximity of their bodies along with the environment giving off an intimate atmosphere to her impromptu interrogation.

"Huh...?"

Overwhelmed by her dominating presence, Hiro could only vocalize his confusion.

"I said."

Repeating herself, the corners of her turquoise eyes tightened, their faces inches apart.

"Why didn't you stop me."

Allowing the warm breaths to caress his face and send tingles down his spine, Hiro shuffled his feet, his gaze not meeting hers as he pressed his back against the wall she had pinned him to. Wishing he could shrink into himself even more, Hiro mumbled.

"After the mock battle, I wasn't sure if I was able to pilot. Mitsuru seemed like the safer choice. If I had failed to activate Strelizia, everyone could have died."

"Hmmph."

With a dissatisfied expression on her face, Zero Two made a sound as she flicked her hair across her shoulders.

"That's such a boring answer. I expected more from you, darling."

With a downcast expression, Hiro lowered his gaze, unable to meet her disappointed eyes.

"I told you. I'm not able to pilot anymore. I even dragged Ichigo down with me during the mock battle."

A grip on his chin sharply tilted his face upwards, forcing their eyes to meet. Annoyed turquoise stared at him as she spoke.

"But that's not true. I managed to draw out your ability. You and me-"

Leaning into his ears, she whispered, sending shivers down his neck.

"We're special."

Hiro gulped at the sound of that.

"So tell me, what do you want? Dar-"

Like a tasty morsel, Zero Two dragged out that name she had specially reserved just for him.

"ling."

If he wasn't blushing before, Hiro was sure he was now.

"To pilot Franxx, that's my purpose for living."

Before the words even left his mouth, Hiro already knew from the darkening expression on her face that he had chosen the wrong answer. With the shifting sounds of fabric, Zero Two peeled herself off him as she dusted off her uniform.

"Well, looks like I've misjudged you then. It seems you weren't the one for me after all."

Shooting him a look that could freeze everything in it's path, Zero Two turned as she made to leave. Waves of frost and disdain rolling off her back as her white boots thumped in the silence of the empty common room.

Hiro found himself wincing at how badly he had managed to screw up. Feeling the familiar stab of pain in his heart, Hiro shook his head as he called out after her.

"But that doesn't explain the painful sensation I felt in my chest when I saw you leave with Mitsuru!"

The sounds of thumping footsteps stopped as she paused, her back still facing him, the evening light casting an orange hue over her form. Swallowing the nervous lump gathering in his throat, Hiro continued, understanding that she was completely focused on his next words.

"I didn't like how Mitsuru stood by your side as you boarded Strelizia. For some reason, I was unhappy when I saw you with another Stamen. Its weird, I don't feel that way towards other Pistils."

His stomach turned as Hiro replayed how Mitsuru had sounded during his stint as Strelizia's Stamen. When he had taunted him to watch as he piloted with Zero Two.

Hiro slightly shifted in place as he suppressed a tiny retch.

"I don't want..."

He paused as the selfishness of what he was about to say registered within him. Darting his gaze towards Zero Two, he noticed she had tilted her head and was watching him over her shoulders, turquoise eyes alert and interested.

As it seemed to urge him onwards to express his true feelings.

Drawing in a deep breath, he admitted to the gnawing sensation that had troubled him ever since the mine battle.

"I can't explain why but, I don't want Zero Two to pilot with anyone else ever again."

The cheeks on her face raised in a soft smile as she turned to face him, the amber light enhancing her already unworldly beauty to newfound heights. At the sight of that, Hiro found his breath stuck in his throat as she spoke.

"Being my partner is risky business, you know? Seeing as how they call me the Partner Killer and all." Cocking her head, she pointed out. "You saw what I did to him."

Frowning to himself at her words, he disagreed.

"I don't know anything about that but, to me, Zero Two is just a normal girl."

As the words left his mouth, Hiro noticed something unusual. Unsure if it was but a trick of the light or such but, Zero Two's eyes seemed to glisten.

It's probably the lightning.

Shrugging to himself, Hiro paid it no more thought. After all, it wouldn't make sense for someone to get so emotional over an obvious statement like that.

"You really are just like him..."

A fleeting whisper caused his ears to perk, straining to catch the words she had spoken.

"Eh? Did you say something, Zero Two?"

Hiro found himself backing up again as the horned girl closed in onto him, the concept of personal space foreign to her. Feeling the traitorous wall on his back once more, Hiro could only wince in pain as she pressed her horns against his forehead.

"Ouch!"

With her palms cupping his face, Hiro could not avoid getting lost into the depths of her cyan irises, his mind barely registering her next words.

"I'll be expecting a lot from now on." Her voice lowered, sending shivers up his spine.

Leaning into his ears, her bountiful chest deliciously pressing itself against his, she whispered in a tone none too gentle.

"So don't die on me, darling."

In the amber light of the setting sun, Hiro nodded.

Giving an appreciative wave to the book keeper as he signed off another session with a Training Franxx, Hiro punched his fist into his palms as he hyped himself up for another afternoon of practicing.

"Alright! Lets go for a dozen laps today!"

Moving down the rows of cages that held the machines, Hiro found himself carrying a wry smile on his face as he stopped in front of his usual unit, it's green unlocked symbol notifying him of it's available cage access.

"Guess it's just you and me again, partner."

Climbing up the canopy into the Training Franxx, Hiro eased himself into the seat as his body shifted into autopilot, used as he was to spending his free time relentlessly training for the time when his chance came to pilot a real Franxx.

Sealing the canopy with a hiss, the training unit moved out onto the track. Drawing in a deep breath, Hiro found himself relaxing into his natural state, his mind shifting into gear.

After all, it was only when he was within a Franxx could he feel truly at home. Even if it was nothing more than a training unit, he was still piloting something. The outside world in contrast? That was when things were murky, where he felt like he was tiptoeing on eggshells, merely spending his days mindlessly in Plantation 13.

In a Franxx though?

He felt alive.

And also, he wanted to be the best partner possible for her when the time came.

Idly scrolling through the records for the obstacle course, noting with pride at how the entire ranking boards for time had seemed to be filled with his name and his alone, Hiro inwardly patted himself on his back.

Not that he'll grudgingly admit that one of the reasons why he ruled the obstacle course ranking boards with an iron fist was because he was pretty much the only Parasite in Plantation 13 with the work ethic to hit the training units during their free time.

As he reached the top of the front page, Hiro found his eye twitching in annoyance at the usurper that had dared to challenge his kingdom.

"Ichigo..."

Somehow, she had managed to surpass his previous best time to demote him to second place. But what truly annoyed him was the timestamp of her uploaded score.

She had somehow managed to sneak a quick run through the obstacle course using one of the Pistil training units the morning right before their scheduled breakfast, the day after the mock battle.

Considering the coincidence of their failed connection during the mock battle two days ago, it did not take a genius to infer her obvious frustration. And looking at the time she had posted, Hiro whistled, she really took it out on the obstacle course.

"Alright!"

Clapping his hands together to hype himself up, Hiro spoke, a confident smile gracing his lips.

"I suppose it's time that I picked up Ichigo's aptitude scores that I keep hearing about and smash it to pieces. I'll show you who rules the training units!"

"Obstacle course complete. You are 35 seconds behind the current record holder. Your rank is #2. Would you like to try again?"

"Well. I'm sure she cheated somewhere."

Grumbling to himself at his complete defeat, Hiro glared at the image of the blue-haired Pistil that was displayed besides her ridiculous score with his portrait below hers. There was no way one could do it at that pace, none at all. He grumbled to himself as he parked the Training Franxx into it's cage, his session coming to an end as the day drew to a close.

"Either that or the Pistil version of the obstacle course is easier." He continued grumbling as he descended from the cage's ladder.

Lost in his complaining as he was, Hiro never noticed the person lazily slouched against the railings, watching him the entire time.

"Hmmm. Seems like darling is a sore loser."

"...!"

Yelping at the sudden voice that penetrated his thoughts, Hiro turned his head, so quickly that he heard his neck crick, his face colliding into something cold and wet.

Shrieking out in surprise as the chilled beverage was pressed against his cheeks, Hiro recoiled as he heard her giggle at his reaction. Stumbling back, he barely caught the water bottle tossed his way, condensation forming on it's plastic.

"Zero Two! Why are you here?" He cried out.

Tilting her head at his inquiry, she blinked at him, a frown on her face.

"Am I not allowed to be here?" She asked.

Still flustered by the numbness on his cheeks from the cold beverage, Hiro sputtered, embarrassed at being caught in a training unit when a proper Parasite would have their own actual Franxx to practice in.

"I assumed you were busy today. Considering we just came from a battle."

As the beginnings of a smile began to break out, which made him glance away as his heart raced at the sight, Hiro heard her speak.

"Darling is so cold towards me, even when I was waiting for you with your refreshments."

Gesturing to the chilled plastic bottle in his arms, she teased.

Glancing downwards as he felt the cold droplets splatter on his Stamen suit, Hiro mentally knocked himself in the head for being so rude towards her.

"Thanks a lot, Zero Two."

Somehow, the cheesing grin she flashed at him as he hurriedly unscrewed the bottle cap to indulge in the cool liquid made the beverage that much more refreshing. Chugging down the cold water and feeling it ease the burn in his muscles, Hiro found himself blushing as he noticed how she had her eyes fixed onto him the entire time.

As the last of the water left the bottle to be consumed by him, Hiro frowned at how quickly it seemed to finish, his earlier nagging suspicion rising to the forefront. The weight of the bottle had seemed off when he carried it, as if it was half filled.

"Zero Two."

Questioning the beaming girl before him, her eyes still fixed on the bottle in his grasp, he asked.

"Where did the rest of the water go?"

Her grin grew even wider, if it were possible.

"I drank it!"

"Ah."

Rolling his eyes at the obvious answer to his silly question, Hiro nodded.

That explains the taste-

Hiro's eyes widened as his mind finally realized the implications of her words.

"Zero Two-!?"

His voice fell away as he noted the lack of distance currently between them, Zero Two taking the opportunity provided by his distraction to close in onto him. She had gotten so close that he could even make out the rise of her chest as it shifted beneath the red fabric, his pulse spiking as his body betrayed his attempts to remain calm.

She smells nice.

"Did you like it?"

He blinked in confusion.

"Like... what?"

Her eyebrows furrowed in annoyance.

"The kiss, silly."

Now he truly was confused. According to what Zero Two had told him before, a 'kiss' was the touching of lips between their partners. However, all he did was drink from a bottle of water she had previously consumed.

Frowning to himself as Hiro found himself unable to follow her train of thoughts, he replied.

"But we didn't kiss?"

Drawing her finger across the mouth of the opened bottle, she spoke.

"Your lips touched the same place as mine."

Pulling away from the bottle and pressing her fingers against his lips, she explained.

"It's a kiss. An indirect one."

Releasing the finger she had pressed against his lips, she winked.

"Darling is such a pervert."

Brushing his lips in amazement, Hiro mumbled.

"An... indirect kiss?"

Hiro frowned as his mind raced.

The rules of kissing were weird! So you could kiss someone even without making contact with your lips?

Who came up with these stuff? And not to mention, how did Zero Two even come to possess of such knowledge in the first place?

Lost in his thoughts once more at the questions running through his mind, Hiro never noticed the sharp glinting of her eyes as she approached him. Fixing her hands onto his shoulders, she breathed into his ears, her voice low and seductive.

"If you survive two more rides with me, I'll show you what comes after kissing."

Making an audible gulp, Hiro answered, hoping he didn't let the fear show into his voice.

"I'll try my best."

Cracking his eyes open beneath his blankets to ensure Goro was asleep, Hiro being so cautious that he did not let the loud snoring alone convince him. Rising from his bed as silently as possible, Hiro creeped towards the exit of their bedroom, slipping on his shoes as he made to leave in his pajamas.

The paper napkin that Zero Two snuck to him during dinner gripped in his hand, it's scrawled message still visible in the darkness.

Come find me at the place where we first met.

Parasites lived heavily regimented lifestyles with everyday following a set routine from breakfast to lights out. Even their free time was issued in hourly blocks to be decided by their caretakers.

For a Parasite indoctrinated by APE to sneak out of their bedroom after curfew...

It was unfathomable to the average Parasite.

But for some reason, Hiro thought, as his heart hammered in his chest at the excitement and anticipation it was feeling-

He wanted to know more about her...about Zero Two.

Zero Two was different than the other Parasites, she seemed carefree and unbound by APE's standard education. And judging by the amount of knowledge that she possessed uncommon to the average Parasite, she was brought up differently as well, considering he never recalled seeing someone like her at Garden.

Not to mention her questioning of their authority figures, an act that would have been called treasonous anywhere else, but for some reason, Hiro marveled at her audacity instead of condemning her like Papa would have wanted him too.

Performing a quick breathing exercise to steady himself, Hiro hurried along the hallways of the Parasite Lodge, the cool night air chilling his skin.

"Well, you certainly took your time. It's not nice to make a lady wait, darling."

Panting out his apologies with his hands around his knees, as he caught his breath and raised his gaze, Hiro was rendered speechless at the ethereal beauty before him.

The moonlight shone off her fair skin, emphasizing the purity of the maiden in front of him sitting at the lake's edge, her feet in the water. Shadows were cast by the bangs of her flowing pink hair as she turned to look at him, the darkness alluring in it's contrast, allowing her turquoise eyes to shine. Long, pink hair flowed over her shoulders and pooled onto the ground near her lower back, leading to full hips that teased with it's bounty.

Her exposed shoulders tempted him with it's pale flesh, Zero Two carrying the issued pajamas perfectly, like she did with all other forms of clothing. Bare arms followed, it's pristine skin unmarked by scarring or imperfections.

Raising his gaze back onto her face, full, soft lips greeted him. Along with her red eyeliner that gave off an aura of exoticism, Hiro found his heart rate accelerating at the moonlit maiden waiting for him to break out of his daze.

With a frown on his face, Hiro noted the lack of laugh lines on Zero Two, despite her tendency for wide, cheesy grins during her time in Plantation 13.

"If you're done staring, would you like to join me for a dip in the lake? The water is amazing tonight."

Pinkness tainting his cheeks, Hiro mumbled as he slipped his shoes off, sliding up to her side as he dipped his feet into the water, glancing away in embarrassment the entire time.

The cool touch of the water kissed at his feet and tickled them, relaxing him. Casually, Zero Two placed her hand over his, pretending to ignore how his body had tensed at that physical contact.

"You were staaaaaring~" She singsonged.

Awkwardly tugging at the collar of his pajamas, Hiro mumbled.

"Just a little..."

Smugness breaking across her face, Zero Two continued her relentless assault teasing him.

"Were my horns really that interesting?"

"I wasn't looking at your horns." he blinked.

With a frown appearing on her face, Zero Two spoke in her normal tone, her previous playful demeanor dashed.

"You weren't looking at my horns?" She asked, her face serious.

"I wasn't."

The hand over his turned into a grip, it's pressure causing his fingers to curl inwards. With the frown deepening on her face, Zero Two asked, her head cocked.

"Then what were you looking at?"

Blurting out before his mind could catch up and put a halt to his voice, Hiro confessed.

"You."

A pitched intake of breath came from his side.

The grip on his hand turned painful, Zero Two involuntarily reacting to the words that came forth from his mouth.

"That's not fair at all, darling. We've only rode together once and now you're saying stuff like that to my face."

Zero Two spoke, her tone flat as she faced away from him, pinkness dusting her cheeks.

"Did I go too far as a partner?" Scratching his cheek, Hiro mumbled.

Wincing at the pressure on top of his hand that had forced him to curl his fingers inward into a fist, Hiro found himself meeting her annoyed glare.

"Don't call yourself that."

They weren't partners? Did he do something wrong to annoy her? Why was she so difficult to understand?

He wanted to understand.

"...What do you mean?"

Her tone hard, Zero Two drew the line that defined her world in no uncertain terms.

"Darling is darling. Partners are partners. They are not the same." She flatly stated.

More confusion! Frustration welled within him at her erratic behavior. Sometimes she was the bright, cheerful girl that clung to his arm while sometimes she was this cold, frosty person that still someone found a way to make his heart race.

"What's the difference?" He asked.

With narrowed eyes, Zero Two snapped at him, her tone rising, ruining the previously warm and intimate atmosphere between them.

"Partners are just useless weaklings that APE forces on me!"

Shaking his head, Hiro frowned. She was making no sense! Every Parasite had a partner, Franxx used a Stamen-Pistil duo to function. There was no such thing as a Parasite without a partner.

Just who... or what was this girl, Zero Two?

"And just what is a 'Darling'?" He pressed.

Insecurity flooded her face, a rare expression on someone like Zero Two, who skipped around everyday as if nothing in the world mattered to her. At the sight of that, Hiro's interest peaked. There was something this girl was hiding from him!

Maybe it was a secret of the outside world?

Unknown to him, Zero Two had sparked the thirst of knowledge within him.

Kissing! Darling! Something after kissing! She must have seen plenty of things a normal Parasite wouldn't be privy to as a member of The Nines!

"Darling is... Darling is..."

As if she was struggling with something within her, Zero Two fumbled over her words, her hand still gripped onto his.

"Darling is?"

He pressed on, leaning in towards her, whispering, as if they were sharing their darkest secrets between them.

Clearing her throat, she finished, somewhat lamely.

"Darling is someone very important to me."

Hiro blinked at that mundane reply.

"Well that's normal. I have people important to me too, like Ichigo and Goro."

Discomfort filled Zero Two's face, water splashing around her feet as she kicked around. Turning her face away in an attempt to prod him into changing the topic, Zero Two shifted in place.

"But it's weird. You told me that 'Darling' is someone important to you, but when we first met, you called me that from the very start."

The muscles in Zero Two's cheeks tensed, unnoticed by Hiro as he continued his unaware ramblings.

"Does that mean you call every Stamen you're partnered with 'Darling'-"

"NO!"

Her scream echoed through the forest surrounding them, reverberating in the distance. Frozen in place, every single thought process that Hiro possessed came crashing to a halt as Zero Two's harsh breathing rang out in the eerie silence of the night.

"I'm sorry." He whispered, eyes downcast.

Silence greeted him. The coldness that emitted from her washing over his body, the shared warmth between their still connected hands now a distant memory.

For the longest time, the only sounds that could be heard were the chirping of crickets and the splashing of the water as Zero Two swirled her feet in the lake.

"He must have been someone really important to you."

A sound of acknowledgement came forth, Zero Two still refusing to meet his eyes, staring at the shifting currents made by her feet.

"He was."

Hiro frowned at her choice of words.

Was?

Did something happen?

Doing his best to gently approach the subject, he prodded her.

"What happened to him?"

"He died."

"Oh."

Hiro answered lamely, feeling like a complete fool.

"Or I think so, I'm not sure. But if he's out there somewhere, I'll find him."

Clearing his throat, Hiro comforted her, putting the best smile on his face as he did so.

"I hope you find him soon."

Which immediately fell away as he felt his hand gripped to the point he heard his knuckles pop, Zero Two turning to face him, locking their gazes together as she did so.

With her eyes shining red, she spoke to him, the low, dangerous voice returning once more for the final time of the night.

"I hope so too."