RWBY x OC fanfiction: The (not so) lonely boy

Chapter 20- I...don't remember...

It had been a few days since the day at the campfire where Zakai slept next to Ruby, and ever since then, she seemed to be fond of him. Be next to him al the time and prying into his business and trying to pry into his thoughts.
"So, Zakai," she started.
"Hm?" He looked at her.
"Somethings up with you. You're different."
"H-huh?" A bead of sweat appeared on his cheek. "What are you talking about?"
"You're more talkative, more sympathetic, and much more flirty." She blushes at the last part.
"Flirty? What do you mean?" He asked confused.
"Like...you know...how you slept next to me...." she mumbled.
"Cause you asked me to," he replied with an eyebrow raised.
"Shut up," she blushed deep red. "You just seem different than you did back at Beacon. In a good way. You use to be so cold and mean. Always keeping to yourself, but you always had a soft spot for people, no matter how tough you acted."
"Huh, you really paid attention to me, didn't ya?" He said. "Well, yeah. People change. And that was a while ago. A few months in fact. People change in time spans like that. And I guess I'm one of those people."
"Yeah, but.... you seem like a completely different person. Nothing like the Zakai I remember..."
"...."
"You okay?" She asked. "Your quiet."
"Is that bad?" He asked, his hair covering his eyes.
"Is what bad?" She asked.
"That I'm not the Zakai you remember. What if I told you that I wasn't the Zakai you remember?"
"Pfft!" She laughed. "I'd say you're silly. You're still Zakai, the one I remember, sort of. You just act a lot different. I like it though." She smiled.
"...." 'You like the fake me....because I'm not the real Zakai...but...now I'm scared. I don't want to regain my memories. What if I disappear! What if this Zakai vanishes? I'll no longer exist, right?'

*Time Skip*

The air ship carried everyone as they flew to Mistral. They were finally going to reach their destination.
He was sitting on the edge of the ship, looking at the water below them when he felt someone sitting next to him.
The smell of Roses surrounded him and out of nowhere he tsked.
"That's the Zakai I remember," Ruby said as she sat next to him. "Always can smell me coming before you see me," she smiled.
He smiled softly but said nothing.
"Say, Zakai. Do you remember the promise we made?" She asked.
'Promise?' "Of course I do," he lied.
"Really? Well...can you tell me now?"
"Tell you what exactly?"
She put her hand on his stomach. "About the scars...." He looked away.
"I....." 'I don't remember how I got these!' "I don't wanna talk about it right now. It's a hard subject to talk about."
"Oh...that's fine," she said as she too looked away and at the ocean. She leaned her head on his shoulder. He smiled softly.

"Finally!" Ruby exclaimed as she plopped herself down on the couch.
"We arrived." Juan said as he too sat down on another couch.
Qrow, who had been patched up on the airship, headed off to the bar to get a drink. Zakai just stood at the entrance of the door as everyone else walked in.
"Who's hungry?" Rin asked, to which everyone replied by raising their hands. "Alright, well I'll start coo-"
"I can do it," Zakai interrupted. "Cook I mean. Y'all need rest. You where traveling much longer then me I'm sure."
"Are you sure?" Ren asked. "What can you make?"
"Ren, he's from a family of chefs, remember? He can cook anything!" Ruby stated.
'I'm from a family of chefs?' "Yeah. Just name it." Immediately they started naming off all sorts of foods. From cookies, to full course meals. Zakai, taken aback by all the requests, simply replied with, "Yeah, I can make that."
"Do you need help?" Ren asked.
"No, I'll be fine. This is simple stuff." He grinned. Ren nodded and sat down with everyone as Zakai went into the kitchen and began cooking.
Although he didn't actually remember anything about cooking, his hands seemed to glide across the kitchen, grabbing ingredients and stirring them. Zakai didn't question it, knowing that the other him had cooking skills.
  After everything was prepared he walked back into the living room to let everyone know the food would be done in a couple hours, but the cookies would be finished in 30 minutes.
Everyone was enjoying themselves. Laughing and talking amongst each other.
His vision went static and he saw what seemed to be a younger Ruby and some other students. They where all laughing and playing board games while Zakai was watching. Staying silent and out of their way.
Ruby looked over at him and smiled. "Wanna play?" His vision returned and he saw Ruby frowning at him. He averted his eyes.
"I'm gonna go check on the cookies," he said as he turned around and went back into the kitchen.
He was looking in the oven when the smell of roses surrounded him. His heart skipped a beat and caused him to feel like he was loosing his breath.
"Zakai," Ruby's worried voice spoke softly and quietly. "What's wrong?" She asked.
"Nothing," he lied, putting on an act of confusion as to why she'd ask that. "Why do you ask?"
"Stop lying to me," she frowned.
"I'm sor-"
"You're lying," she interrupted, her voice spiked with anger.
"Tsk!" His pupils shrunk and his eyes widened. "What the hell does it matter to you?!" His voice was cold and full of hate.
"Now you wanna act like your old self?!" She slightly raised her voice, yet it was still a whisper so as the others wouldn't hear. It was the voice you would hear your parents whispering loudly in when they where arguing and didn't want you to hear.
"What do you mean?!" He raised his voice like hers. She narrowed her eyes.
"What does that mean?"
"Nothing! Why does it matter to you? What do I matter to yo-"
"It matters a lot to me!" She got in his face. "YOU matter a lot to me, Zakai! So tell me, why are you acting so different?"
"What do you mean?!" He asked. His voice was shaky.
"You know what I mean," she frowned.
"No I don't! Because I.... don't remember..."
"What do you mean you don't remember?!" She hissed.
"I lost my memory!" He hissed back, throwing his hands to his side in anger. Her eyes widened.
"You...lost your memory...." she repeated what he said. He looked at the ground. He heard her sniffing like she was crying. He looked up to see that she was. "That means...you really didn't recognize me..." she put her hands to her mouth and tears fell down her face.
"R-Ruby..." he reached out to her.
"You don't remember any of the memories we shared. The memories that I hold precious. Do you at least remember how we first met?"
"..." More tears fell down her face. "Ruby," he pulled her into a hug. "Please....don't cry." He held her close. She hugged him back and buried her face into his shirt.
After a few minutes she had stopped crying. But they stayed embracing each other.
"Hey," Zakai said, breaking the silence. "I may have lost my memories, but it isn't permanent. They're coming back, slowly, but surely. Like I remember how young you looked and how much you've grown and changed. The memories are surfacing one by one. Like a puzzle piece."
She said nothing but he could feel her smile from where her face was buried in his shirt.
"How..did you lose them?" She asked after a while.
"I...do not know. I do remember an old man telling me it was induced. Like someone played with my memories." She said nothing just hugged him tighter.
"And!" He grinned. "If it makes you feel better, both Zakai's like you." She pulled away and blushed deeply.
"W-What does that mean?!"
"I'm pretty sure the old Zakai liked you too, the one that has all the memories with you. Because I can feel it," he put his hand to his heart. "And I feel the same."