The next time we encountered fire, it didn't exist to cover our tracks or threaten our lives in any form. Instead, it kept our levels of discomfort low and our levels of warmth high. Time crawled toward spring, but the vengeful chill of winter lingered bitterly in the air. But the kindhearted fire fought with that bitter cold, keeping it away from us.

After escaping the smoky deathtrap we'd created in the catacombs, Souichi and I found ourselves about a fourth of a mile outside the palace. By keeping our masks on and concealing Souichi's braid, we managed to blend into the criminal-laden thoroughfare without much issue. We walked to avoid excessive suspicion, but I didn't think it would've mattered. People still stared at us, and I didn't completely blame them. Our clothes had been torn from crawling through the hole, and parts of them had even been eaten by flame. I didn't know about Souichi, but I had a cut on the top of my forehead that had dripped down my face ever since I received it. No one said a word, though. They probably figured that we'd been in a fight of some sort. In a sense, they were right.

The moment we left the city gates, we bolted.

My lungs protested following the first few steps, but my mind and the rest of my body protested louder. Each stride killed me just a little more than the last, but I didn't care. We needed to leave, to get as far away from that city as possible. I tore through the forest without any regard for the safety of animals or myself. I was fairly confident I'd crushed the skulls of two squirrels and crippled another. Souichi shared my mentality, to the point that I had to steady him before he could fall directly atop a pile of prickly vines and slice himself open more than he already had.

In all honesty, I probably could've run until the morning sun peeked its head above the horizon. But my lungs' protesting had grown progressively louder with the passing of time. When it reached the point that my legs kept moving but no air entered my lungs, I couldn't ignore my needs anymore. Though I had the motivation in me to run five more miles, I forced myself to stop.

My legs gave out from under me, and I collapsed onto the ground in a crumple of wheezing and suffering. It was as if we'd never left the smoking catacombs, though I knew that they had to be long behind us by now. Everything hurt. My heart strained to keep itself from bursting out of my chest; my legs throbbed as if they'd been beaten with lead pipes; worst of all, my lungs felt as if they were being constricted, asphyxiated, choked, squeezed, burned, and covered in acid, all at the same time.

Through all the pounding in my head, my ears managed to pick up the sound of slowing footsteps. Initially they moved away from me, then they moved toward me. A presence crouched beside me.

"Hey," Souichi panted. "You alive?"

Even if I wanted to speak, I wouldn't have been able to. My vocal cords had no will left in them. I nodded as much as I could, unsure if he even saw me. Based on the heat of his body, he partially leaned over me, but I was curled on my side and bunched up like a turtle within its shell.

"Think you can get up any time soon?"

I shook my head vehemently.

He sighed, but it didn't sound wholly disappointed. He was probably exhausted, too, but he was probably more used to running than I was. He'd been forced to do so for years, after all.

"All right. We can camp here for now, then."

When I managed to sit up, I found a fire burning atop wood and Souichi sitting back against a tree.

"You're up," he commented. "Good. I was starting to think that you'd be like that for hours."

"How long—" I coughed a few times. "—have I been laying here?"

He shrugged. "Don't know. Five, ten minutes? Something like that."

"Oh. Sorry for worrying you."

"It's fine," he assured. "I didn't think you'd die that easily. You're in decent shape, after all. For a royal."

I smiled faintly; if that was his attempt at praise, I'd gladly take it. "I was never fond of laying around and doing nothing."

"Good. You'll need legitimate strength if you want to survive out here long."

I nodded. "I understand."

"Do you?" he asked.

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

He turned his head away from me, and for a moment I thought I saw him blink back tears. But that was probably just post-fire-survival delirium. "This isn't going to be an easy thing," he said. Now it sounded like he was moments away from crying. Why was he saddened? "You're going to have to change. A lot."

"I know. I knew that from the start."

He looked back at me, disbelief glinting in his pretty eyes. "So you're willing to turn criminal, then? You're willing to kidnap and torture and kill in order to save yourself?"

I sighed and scooted closer to him. "I'll try to avoid those things as much as I can. But if it comes to having to kill someone...I'm willing if it means saving myself. Or you."

"Tch." He looked away again. "Don't go killing people for my sake. Do it for your own."

"Why wouldn't I do it for your sake? I love you, after all." I smiled at him. "I'll die for your sake, too, if it comes to it."

"I don't want you to," he spat. "It's not necessary to put yourself at risk because of me. I can take care of myself."

Despite his harsh tone and the dark sky above us, I saw redness start to form on his cheeks. I smiled. "I know you can protect yourself. You're resourceful and knowledgeable and extremely strong." I leaned over and pecked his cheek, my smile widening at the warmth touching my lips. "But most of all, you're considerate, even if you don't show it a lot. That's why I love you."

"Shut up," he mumbled.

I laughed under my breath. "Aw, don't get embarrassed. No one's around. Besides, even if they were, I wouldn't mind." His head whipped my way, allowing me full view of his adorably embarrassed face. I cupped his cheek and pressed my forehead to his. "I'm not ashamed of anything."

"You—"

I silenced him with a kiss before he could say a word. My heart fluttered, not just from the kiss, but from the environment we kissed in. We were free. Both of us. Free from persecution, free from judgment, free from anyone telling us no. And it didn't stop today. It'd be like this every day, until something physically stopped us. But I wouldn't let that happen. Not when it could be helped.

I pulled back and smiled. "I love you."

A second later I lay on the ground with intense throbbing in my skull.

"I hate you," he grumbled.

I sat up and smiled at Souichi, now against a tree on the other side of the fire. I could get used to this.

"Hey," he called. I tilted my head to the side in question. "You...you're not as bad as I thought you'd be. So...thanks for not being useless."

The chuckles that followed his words couldn't stay in my throat. "You're welcome."

Correction: I could definitely get used to this.