A tiny light flickered in the tiny hideout. The walls were caved in, the ceiling buckled. A single hallway and a giant metal door was all separating them from the raging inferno and hell beasts flooding the city. They were completely cornered in this little sanctuary.

Silver grimaced, shifting his weight onto a cinder block armrest that wasn't particularly comfortable; tried not to gasp at the pain, but failed. He examined at the injury on his thigh - a sizzling red bite, courteous of the spawn of Iblis. No blood was drawn, but it left him with a serious burn and bruising, marking a jagged design down to his knee.

Shaking the last of their shared burn lotion onto his thigh, he let out a sigh of relief. Silver was a firm believer that the removal of pain is one of the most euphoric sensations, moreso than even simple pleasures. Without any ointment, they'd have to be careful til they found more; shame pinged at his heart for being so selfish with it.

A routine blast rang through the building, kicking dust from the ceiling. It irritated Silver's nose, and he sneezed. The jerky motion only brought more attention to his wound. Dammit! Silver caught himself before he swore aloud. He remembered Blaze, curled up at his feet on the one crummy mattress they shared. Her back faced him. The question wasn't if she was awake, but if she was angry.

"Why did you go out so late."

Silver cringed at her flat voice. He had hoped she didn't notice his foolish excursion. "Water scan... and a quick survivor sweep."

Blaze's shoulders heaved as she sighed; he watched her back muscles pull. "A bit late. How did it happen."

He played dumb - he didn't know why. "How did what happen?"

"Your leg." Her stern tone cut him.

Silver glanced at his wound again, now wrapping it in a bandage. He hated to tell her the truth. As usual, he had found a survivor... only for them to reject his help. No one trusted him or Blaze. Their supernatural powers nearly matched those of Iblis, and it sent people running every time. It was as if the entire world had forgotten what heroes were.

Finally, Silver relented. Blaze seemed unsurprised by his story.

"Okay, but what about your leg."

"I tried to save them."

"They died?"

Silver bore his fangs. What was she pulling? This interrogation did nothing to cool his nerves, nor did it make him feel any better about letting an innocent be consumed by hellfire. "Yes Blaze, they died. Please... don't push me anymore." He felt his eyes sting. His hands stopped wrapping. He choked up. "... I'm hurt, okay?"

Suddenly, the cat rolled over. Her eyes wore a remorse that her steely voice had failed to convey, and she rose to her knees. "Silver..."

Tears escaped the corners of his eyes. He scrunched up his face, and couldn't bear to look at her. "Every time I fail... every time..."

"Silver, Silver, Silver..." she cooed, tenderly cradling his hand in her own. Her fingers stole the remaining bandage from his trembling paw, working to finish the wrap for him. "Breathe."

Silver tried not to look too annoyed at her coddling treatment. He knew how to breathe, he wasn't that big of an idiot. He sniffed an ugly, deep sniff. His chest heaved, and he threw his eyes into his elbow. "I try... I try and- I try and I try..."

Finally, his whimper became a wail. It hurt, but it was liberating, almost deafening in his own ears. For a second he droned out the surrounding chaos, alone in his own world of emotion. Once he tired, Silver opened his eyes again. The dim light was blinding. Blaze was there. She said nothing, but gazed up at him. Worrying.

He decided to try talking again. "I put in so much work... I put my heart on a platter, you know? And no one cares..." Instinctively, he crushed a nearby soda can with his mind. Darkness filled his tongue. "What the hell am I, huh Blaze? Just some idiot kid... I don't... I don't even exist..."

Wordless, Blaze swiveled around him, stepping onto the dirty cushion to kneel at his back. His impressive quills should have gotten in the way, but she brushed them aside as best she could. Her legs straddled his, and her arms gently draped themselves around his shoulders. She hugged him tight.

"You don't need to baby me. I'm fine..." The venom in his words made it obvious he was anything but fine. He was lashing out like a wounded animal at the one who prodded too much.

"You just said you're hurt," Blaze countered. Her fingers deliberately ran through his fur, though with a hint of caution, ready to recoil if he said so. "I'm sorry... I was unfair with you. And you can't be so unfair with yourself."

Silver squirmed when he saw Blaze's eyes wander to the empty bottle of burn ointment. "I used it all," he preemptively apologized, voice still bitter.

She exhaled, gracing his neck. "Don't apologize for taking care of yourself, for goodness sake. We must protect our bodies."

She was right. Silver grunted again, letting the tears return. He gave in, gingerly tugging at Blaze's hands, whimpering.

Blaze's lips parted. "You are my everything, Silver... please don't talk about yourself this way..."

He kept bawling, groaning. He felt so ugly. What did he do to deserve Blaze? What would he do without her? She was the only thing keeping him sane. In this world, no one cared, or maybe he just cared too much. The only person to out-care him so far was her. Her fire didn't destroy like the Iblis, nor peter out like so many hateful vagrants. No, it saved him.

"Blaze..." his voice was so weak.

She hummed serenely, a finger again brushing the fur on his chest. It wasn't to distract him, but rather remind him. He could hear her heartbeat behind his head - it sounded giant, full, unstoppable. "You exist, Silver... you have this body, this mind..." She kept addressing him by name like that, as if to hypnotize him. He felt her hot breath on his jaw as she whispered. "You are so wonderful. You're my fairy tale come to life."

Already he felt his breathing regulate. He closed his eyes once more, but not to shut the world out. This was his world. He craned his head back, leaving his neck open. Then, her face suddenly buried in - any other time he would find this ticklish. He felt vulnerable, foolish to leave himself to open, but not for her. He reveled in her.

"Your body is so important..." Silver thought he felt a fang playfully graze his shoulder. "If you ever die, I will take your heart with me, okay?"

Silver finally cracked a smile. He liked how grim Blaze could get. It was somehow comforting, in a backwards sort of way. "Certainly, Blaze..." He had no objections. She could have whatever she wanted from him. He was eternally indebted to her for validating his existence. Merely his heart would weigh imbalanced on her scales of justice.

She crooned again, caressing his bicep with an innocent claw. "Silver the hedgehog... I love you so much, kiddo..."

He gripped at her hand, exhaling and squeezing it tight. He wasn't okay, he really wasn't, but he still had the potential to be. He had hope, and she reminded him of that. The paths left on his face by dry tears were cold, but she was warm. In this world fire monsters, she was his fire queen. She was the one who gave him the time of day, the one who cared. She was tender. She was Blaze.