Chương 16: Do you want to hear a story?

Hiro and Zerotwo got back and Ichigo brought Zerotwo to her new room, since she was staying with them now. Hiro went to his own room and sat on his bed, breathing heavy. He touched the blue growth and mumbled "Really fucking sucks the Healing potion doesn't work..."

Clank chimed "It's a part of the process. The original Hiro survived, why can't you?" Hiro did up his clothes and replied "He also sacrificed himself in the end. A fool." Clank sneered "You're not a fool?" Hiro said "I like to think I'm not."

Clank laughed and said "A fool in love is worse than a hero. You gifted her Fire and Lightning Magic." Hiro opened his palm and a dancing Zerotwo made of Ice appeared, it seemed he didn't have to speak or make movements to cast his magic.

Clank confirmed "Please, don't compare the System to normal means. Everything you get is leagues above their originals." Hiro chuckled and didn't reply as he continued creating living Ice creations. He suddenly left and went to the kitchen, before starting to cook.

A while later

Nana came to the Residence to get Zerotwo and Hiro, who were supposed to be at a meeting right now. She was slapped with a heavenly aroma, she was startled and walked to the kitchen to see Hiro cooking while Zerotwo ate everything.

Nana was completely stunned, she said "What's going on here?" Hiro glanced at her and said "What does it look like? Sit down and shut up." before going back to cooking, Nana was speechless but sat down and Zerotwo slid over a plate that had no sweet flavors on it.

Nana gulped and took a bite, Hiro and Zerotwo glanced over at her and Nana's eyes got hazy as she moaned and her clothes exploded. Hiro turned back to the food he was cooking very quickly as Zerotwo's eyes wandered over to him.

He was focused on cooking and when he finished a screen appeared in front of him.

[Congratulations! You've completed Cooking takes work! Reward: Cooking +1, Every Sweets Dish recipe on EARTH]

[Cooking (Orgasmic) > Cooking (Soma level)]

Hiro was stunned and Clank said "I don't know either." Hiro pursed his lips and served the dish before eating with Zerotwo, feeding her as she giggled and licked her lips with a blissful expression. Hiro hummed happily as he held a fork in front of her mouth, she opened her mouth and he took it back putting it in his own mouth and snickering.

Zerotwo pouted cutely, Hiro giggled and started feeding her again, getting giggles from her. Nana was completely ignored.

Not that it mattered as as was sitting on the chair in a daze, looking at the empty plate, with only a black under suit left. She suddenly woke up and her whole face turned red when she realized she was basically naked, only to realize the duo weren't paying attention her at all.

She sighed to herself and left to get changed before coming back and saying "Let's go." Hiro was teasing Zerotwo and clicked his tongue, Zerotwo spat hers out and winked at him. He smirked and scratched the bridge of her nose before grabbing his hat and jacket, getting dressed again as the duo followed Nana to the mission room.

A while later

Nana opened the door and said "Sorry we're late." Hiro and Zerotwo walked in and a boy from Plantation 26 said "Code: 002..." Hachi looked at Nana and said "Did Papa approve?" Nana replied "Yes, we're a go. Hiro will pilot Strelizia as Zerotwo's partner again."

Hiro and Zerotwo walked to Hachi, who looked at Hiro saying "This is our best course of action." Hiro tilted his cap down and grinned "Yes, Sir. Hehe." the boy walked forward and said "Hold on. We cannot fight alongside Strelizia."

Hachi frowned and said "The plan is final." the boy said frantically "But, Sir!" he pointed at Zerotwo, drawing a frown from Hiro, as he continued "That girl doesn't care about her allies in the slightest! We can't trust her to have our backs in the field! Code: 002... Has proven that fact in the past!"

Zerotwo looked bored and glanced at the boy saying "What are you saying." the boy shouted "The joint operation 2 years ago! When your reckless and, utterly, selfish fighting style left us isolated on the battle ground! And I... Lost my partner!"

Zerotwo looked away saying "Too bad. Doesn't ring any bells. Weaklings die all the time. Big deal, it happens." the boy clenched his fists and Hiro shot his arm out, blocking the boy's steps as he said with a feral grin "Worry about your squad and how you're going to perform in the mission. What is screaming like a child going to? Calm down, your old partner's dead. Focus on the new one."

Hiro tilted his head up and his eyes glowed blue as he added "Worry about your partner and I'll worry about mine, alright pal? After the kissing is over, we'll be strangers again. You won't have to see my partner ever again. Happy?"

The boy clenched his fists and said "You don't understand." Hiro replied "I do understand actually. I think I understand more than you do. But right now, we're going to war. Your unstable emotions can cost lives, not only yours but your squad's, our squad, and all the adults inside both Plantations. When its all over, then you can complain again. Understand?"

The boy closed his eyes and grinded his teeth, he took a deep breath and bowed to Hachi saying "I'm sorry." Hachi said "It's fine, Hiro is right. Now is not the time for bickering. This kissing is extremely important, if the mission fails a lot of people will die. Meeting adjourned. Everyone rest up in preparation."

Both squads said "Yes, Sir." before they left.

Hiro grinned and Zerotwo said "Ouu~ Darling in power~" Hiro clicked his teeth together and said "Enamored? Head over heels? Swept off your feet?" as they walked on the path back to the Residence.

Zerotwo skipped next to him saying with a wide smile "All of the above?" Hiro scratched his neck and laughed, Zerotwo smiled sweetly and they walked back to the Residence. The duo separated and went to sleep.

A while later

Hiro was tossing and turning, clutching his chest and sweating buckets. He rolled over and smashed into the ground, he groaned and pushed himself off the ground. He stood up and walked to the bathroom, barefoot.

He took off his shirt and looked at the pulsating blue growth on his chest. He took fast breaths and suddenly slapped on the growth hard, he bit into a towel and roared as his eyes became bloodshot and his pupils shrank.

He took out the towel and threw up blood into the sink. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve and looked at the red and blue blood. He grinned and said "Fuck. That's not good." he put his shirt back on and washed out the blood in the sink before going outside.

He's hair was let down and just barely reaching his shoulders. He walked into the rain and his hair immediately became wet as he looked up at the sky, his blue eyes glowing through the gaps of his wet hair.

He heard crying and looked over to see Ichigo and Goro, Ichigo was crying and Goro was stunned. Hiro looked at them for a moment before looking into the forest where the lake was. He stepped in the mud with his bare feet and walked into the forest.

He walked for a bit before seeing Zerotwo looking up at the sky with glowing red horns and eyes. She didn't seem to notice him or didn't bother to react. He walked to her head band and picked it up from the mud.

It was dirty and wet.

He used his shirt and cleaned the head band as he walked to Zerotwo. He had grown from all the Impurity Cleanses, he used the Impurity Cleanse (Advanced) before he went to bed. He was not around 5'9, where as Zerotwo was only 5'7.

He took the head band and slowly slid it into her horns, tapping it and locking it in place as he said "Actually, I think you're even more beautiful in your real skin." Zerotwo froze and looked at Hiro's smiling face.

She didn't say anything and Hiro took her hand, bringing her to the pond where they first met. He sat on the mud and hugged his knees, looking out to the water silently. Zerotwo sat down next to him and didn't say anything.

Hiro pulled her head to his shoulder and said "Do you want to hear a story?" Zerotwo hummed softly. Hiro picked her up in a princess carry, startling her as she reflexively held his neck. Hiro walked to the water and he stepped on the water.

The water under his foot froze and gave him a place to step, Zerotwo looked at Hiro affectionately and rested her head on his chest as he started speaking "There was once a mother duck. She didn't have any children because they were still eggs. She waited and waited and finally the eggs hatched, bringing new little ducklings to life. The mother duck was beyond happy and there was only one egg left."

He smiled and continued "This egg was bigger than the others and brown, but the mother duck didn't care and waited, day after day, until one day the egg hatched! The mother duck looked at the duckling, it had brown feathers and it was very ugly. The mother duck was a bit upset but still kept him teaching him how to swim and dive in the pond.

One day she taught the ducklings to quack, the other ducklings quacked normally but the ugly duckling made a 'Craoack' sound. The other ducklings started laughing at him and made him feel really sad, the mother duck was embarrassed by the ugly duckling and brought them to a corner of the pond away from the other ducks.

But even then, ducks passed by and looked at the ugly duckling, laughing at him and calling him ugly. The mother duck was so upset and embarrassed, she left the ugly duckling alone, bringing the rest of the ducklings to another corner of the pond. Abandoning the Ugly duckling."

Hiro continued to walk on the water as he continued the story "The ugly duckling was sad and just wanted a family, so he left. He didn't want to make his mother embarrassed anymore. He walked through the mud and dirt, getting even dirtier than before. He stumbled on another pond full of different ducks 'Maybe I can find a new family?' he thought as he went to a family of ducks.

They looked at him and said 'What are you?' 'You're so ugly!' and laughed at him. The ugly duckling went to all the duck families in the pond only to get made fun of for his ugliness. Suddenly there was a gun shot and a hunting dog ran over."

Zerotwo gripped Hiro tightly and he smiled, continuing "The hunting dog sniffed the ugly duckling and said 'What are you? You're so ugly!' before laughing just like everyone else. The ugly duckling didn't feel any joy from being alive, only the pain and sadness of not having a family.

The weather got colder and the ugly ducking took shelter in a wooden house. Suddenly he heard a voice 'What is that? It's a duck?' and another 'Perfect!' they took the ugly duckling in for him to lay eggs for them, the ugly duckling never laid eggs but he grew bigger and bigger eventually becoming too hard to keep around."

Hiro sat down in the middle of the pond and a lotus flower made of ice appeared under him as he cuddled Zerotwo into his arms continuing "The farmer and his wife really liked the ugly duckling, he became a part of their family but he was too much to keep around so they shoo'ed him away. The farmer sent him out of the house sadly saying 'go find a family that loves you!' before closing the door.

The ugly duckling was all alone again and left the farmer's house crying by himself near a pond full of beautiful swans. A swan passed by and looked at the ugly duckling before saying 'Oh my! You have the most beautiful white feathers I've ever seen!' the ugly duckling looked at his reflection to realize that he wasn't a duckling at all but a beautiful swan, more beautiful than all the rest!

The ugly duckling joined the swans as a member of their family, finally not sad and lonely anymore. One day, the farmer and his family came back and the ugly duckling swam over, the farmer fed him bread and said to the ugly duckling 'It looks like you found yourself a family. A place were you belong. A place where people love you. You're the most beautiful swam I've ever seen.' The End."

Zerotwo smiled softly and had fallen asleep as Hiro said 'The End'. Hiro held her close and looked out to the sky, gently swaying along the surface of the water as the rain droplets created ripples.