She could hear footfalls crush the snow under them, edging closer and closer to the corner she was hiding behind. The darkness of the alley she had chosen gave her some comfort but it was simply too cold to let it warm her icy heart. A puff of warm breath rose from her lips. A cough accidentally tore from her throat, letting a cloud of ash and cinder into the atmosphere around her.

"Whoa!"

Her already ragged breathing hitched, heart coming to a stand still and allowing ice to creep further into her veins. All care about whether or not anyone had seen her sudden outburst suddenly thawed and melted away as a surprisingly well-muscled arm wrapped around her shoulders, pulling her close to an even more well-toned chest.

She really didn't care about that. The only thing taking up the brunt of her senses, was how pleasantly warm this man's body was. And it didn't even feel like he was wearing a woolly coat or jacket of any kind.

"What're ya doin out here all by yerself, kid?" Flint asked the young girl pressed up against him, a smile as warm as a Florida beach spanning his face. One good thing about having a body made completely out of silicon was the fact that it held in heat for way longer than a normal human body could.

The girl, seeming around 16 or so, glanced up at his face, still shivering like a leaf. He wasn't very surprised. He could feel how cold her skin was through the flimsy excuse for a hoodie she had on.

"N-Not much... besides freeze to death," she managed to splutter through chattering teeth. She pressed her own body even closer to his, trying to absorb as much heat as she possibly could.

"Where're your parents? Aren't they worried sick?"

The frown that's plastered itself across her face only deepened, head bowing ever so slightly but it was enough to answer Flint's question and tell him so much more. If the puff of smoke that flew from her mouth wasn't confirming his thoughts enough.

No one can inhale that much smoke, period, or even survive if they did. No one would like to have a "freak" as a kid either, that much he knew for sure.

"Come on, let's get you somewhere warm."

For the second time that night, her heart completely stopped, but instead of freezing her veins further, hope began to thaw her life's blood from the inside out. She looked up at the man with wide eyes, meeting his pleasant features.

Was this a dream?

Could this be a dream?

A chuckle made her ears light up like Christmas trees, gaze registering his lips moving at the sound. It suddenly came to her how goofy her face had to be, mouth slightly agape and eyes wide. She still didn't even know if he was simply taking advantage of a poor girl lost in this concrete jungle.

"You're... serious?"

"Course I am. Sure, the place I live ain't exactly for a kid but at least it's home," he was still smiling, standing from where he'd taken a seat next to her, tugging on her arm as a sign that she should do the same. His grip wasn't tight, nor forceful but surprisingly gentle for such an intimidating man.

Against her better judgement, she stood, letting him hold her close. She couldn't really complain, it was like having a permanent heater walking next to her.

"Oh yeah. Name's Flint. You got a name kid?"

"...Shadow. Just Shadow."