I haven't updated in sooo long, and I feel terrible. But! I had good reason. I actually have been super busy, not to mention I'm having a little bit of writers block. I have about five other one shots half way done, and I'm stuck. The good news is, as soon as the writers block passes, all those once shots that are momentarily on hold will probably flood in with the updates.

I found this one a little bit cheesy, but hey. Hope you enjoy anyway.

I don't own Sega characters.

Scared

Gasping.

No matter the large amount of air she inhaled through heavy breaths, she still couldn't seem to enter any oxygen in her lungs. Chest heaving up and down, her throat seemed to be too constricted to swallow.

Nightmares haunted her, the darkness of dusk overtaking her room in shadows, and creeping her past to the present amongst the lessened light. It left her waking in cold sweat, trickled drops beading down her forehead and soaking her fur and sheets.

Regaining her composure, she hastily whipped the covers away, stumbling to a steady stance and threw clothes over her light weight pajamas. Slipping on the gray zip-up sweatshirt over her white tank top, and pulling sweat pants over her spandex, she tripped over to her boots, stepping into them while simultaneously pulling her hair into a loose pony.

Snatching her phone off her side table, she trotted out of the door of her apartment, feeling the night air brush through her fur as she began slow strides down the dim road.

Her tail swished lazily behind her, eyes dull in radiance as they remained glued to the ground of her path. The sky was clear, the stars unveiled in the crisp air, no fog or clouds to hide the sprinkled black night.

'I hate these damn nightmares. Once I have em', I can't sleep the rest of the night' she thought to herself, folding her arms around herself, the images of pain, her parents death...loneliness.

It was nights like these when she felt deathly afraid, an emotion Blaze the cat would never admit to, nor did she feel often. Abandonment gripped her heart, and for a few frightful hours after the horrid images in imaginative sleep, she would despise her solitary life.

Amongst the world, she felt out of place. She preferred to remain alone, work alone, simply just be alone. Some days, she felt she was the only person she could live with.

It was she, her, and herself, taking on the world as it came, pulling her in its crazy current. But frequent nights such as these, and reality would hit her in the gut.

She could only go for so long. Love, comfort, anything of positive attention she craved in her vulnerable state. Blaze despised the weakness she felt in such condition, stubbornly she coped by wandering the streets hours after dusk, while everyone slumbered peacefully.

While she was alone in her thoughts.

Scared in her troubles.

Scared.

The feline chastised herself, berating her pride in absolute disgust that she could let her discomfort fall so low as to feeling scared.

But the image of arms holding her, telling her things would be alright, that the nightmare was over, that her past would stay in the past, never to be seen another day in her life; this was a picture that fear brought her even in good intentions.

It made her realize how much she was missing out on, and for that, she hated it.

Hated it so much, she told herself she was above needing comfort, too strong for wishing for a reliant partner, the thought tangled in her head like mats, and by the time the morning would come, her blank mask would mold back over her features, securing Blaze's fears...exposed, raw, sensitive skin that lay hidden beneath her fur encased flames and stone exterior.

But tonight was different than those other nights.

A voice interrupted her scrambled brain activity, tone genuinely surprised, "Blaze?"

The feline's vision snapped away from her path, veering towards the hedgehog that stood leaning against the base of a tree near the edge of a forest. Pupils dilating in the dark, her eyes made out the colors and form in the night's light-less exposure, "Shadow?"

Furrowing her eyebrows, Blaze leaned on her hip, feeling suddenly defensive in her weak stature. If she lingered too long, he would surely see right through her.

The ebony hedgehog raised a curious brow. "Yes, it's me. What are doing up so late, walking the streets?"

Quickly cooking up a lie, she smoothly replied, "fell asleep early. You know how cats can be."

Shadow narrowed his red eyes at her, their pigment vibrant in the dusk colors, "uh-huh," he stated in a non-believing tone. Her words didn't register with her nervous antics. She seemed on edge, almost...scared?

"Well, I have to get going," she replied hastily, turning with quick steps to continue her midnight trek down the street.

In most unusual situations with others, Shadow would play off in-average behavior like it was nothing, but seeing the hidden distraught in the feline urged him toward her, ebbing in his mind to know what was wrong, and how he could fix her pain.

Flashing before her, his presence halting her in her tracks as she narrowed her eyes harshly at him for cutting of intended escape.

"What do you want Shadow?" she snapped, ears flattening. She only wished to run, to hide from her visible weakness.

Shadow tilted his head, his eyes shining with genuine interest against the dark horizon, "something troubles you," he noted aloud, scanning her defensive posture in wonder.

Blaze stepped back in defiance, knowing his analytical stature was eying her warily. Turning her head to the side, gazing up towards the sky, she avoided his direct line of sight, the knowledge that this was unusual for her to do ringing clearly in her ear. But she knew all the same, he would detect the turmoil in her amber irises if she looked to him.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Now if you'll excuse me," she tried to step around him, eyes avoiding contact with his own, but the attempt was gauged off as Shadow once again stepped in her path, determined in his advance to get an answer.

"What's wrong?" he asked, crossing her arms and frowning. There was a definite problem nagging at the she-cat from the angst that shone off her actions brightly.

Blaze, feeling trapped, felt her ears and tail droop systematically. She was caught in her exposed state, vulnerable to pain that followed her through every day and every breath, hidden beneath her walls that held no door, nor lock or key. But still, she was obstinate.

"Nothing," she sighed, her arms falling to her sides in a dangled defeat as they shoved into her pockets.

Shadow's gaze softened, and he slowly approached her in caution, weary that she might bolt like a rabbit. "Blaze, I can tell somethings wrong. Now what is it?"

Becoming increasingly annoyed with his unusual curiosity of her well-being, she clenched her fists, dropping her lids to the hardest glare she could muster in her fragile state, "why do you suddenly care?" she argued feebly, shoulders slumping in fatigue of heavy thought. Her chin dropped to her chest, eyes shutting as she regained her protective stance of arms wrapping around her own frame.

The hedgehog watched worriedly, her pain piercing him beyond his own reasoning, as he closed the distance between them in few foot-steps. Softly, hesitantly, her raised her chin with a finger, pulling her eyes open in the gesture to reveal her golden orbs, damaged and dull.

In his eyes, they still were beautiful.

Like a crystal glass that had shattered, now left in pieces to reflect the sun in it's broken state.

"You're never like this," he coaxed with gentle words, keeping his eyes steady as her own searched his face.

Her light breath feathered on his muzzle, violet lids sliding down once again as she closed her eyes.

But it was too late, he had seen the pain.

It was a familiar look to him, the hollowness of the depth in one's pupil, the faded coloring to the iris, and the pinkish tinge to the white base. It read the look of haunted dreams.

"Nightmares," he stated, not bothering to ask, but he was surprised when she gave in, showing a miniscule nod of her head in reply.

Long moments paused as Shadow registered their position. It explained why she had looked actually scared. It's because she was. Something was festering in her thoughts, and whether it be from her past, or worried of the future, Shadow promised himself that he would make it better.

It was strange for him to feel emotionally attached to someone, especially when that someone was a fiery feline friend he'd met in only unusual occasions.

Tentatively, he wrapped his arms around her. Hugging wasn't his thing, nor any kind of physical touch, but the feeling of her squirming farther into his comfort lightened his confidence of the gesture, and he held her firmly.

Blaze was baffled by the display of affection from the stoic hedgehog, but as his arms looped around her body, she pressed closer. It was just as her body and mind had craved, a comfort. Someone to be there in times of need, it was something she never had, and from the understanding that flashed in Shadow's eyes in finding her, she could figure that it was something he was also deprived of.

The two remained in the embrace as time flowed over them discreetly.

And the silence was only broken when Shadow felt a soft rumble, and a light laugh fill the air.

Pulling away from her marginally, he raised an eyebrow as he looked down at her smirking face.

"What's so funny?" he questioned, his tone light despite his deep octave.

Blaze continued to chuckle, her ears re-perking in pointed stance, and her tail gently waving naturally. She looked up at him and blinked, the radiance of her amber irises shining more brightly than it had when he had first seen her that night.

"I find it ironic, that probably the most dangerous person I know, makes me feel the safest," she admitted, shrugging sheepishly.

Shadow pondered her words momentarily, before letting his own smirk slide across his tan muzzle. "I could say the same," he mused softly.

And with that, Blaze let out a genuine laugh, her eyes shutting to their own accord before she quickly snapped her mouth shut to cut of the music that had poured from her mouth, a small smile still remained on her features.

"I'll take that as a compliment," she teased lightly, her damp mood having dried to her normal composed self.

They returned to their warming embrace, his arms never wavering from their strength filled hold around her body as silence swept them once again.

Their pain wasn't gone, both members knew the nightmares would return again, and the past would continue to haunt the present.

But in that moment, they chose to carry the chains that bind them down together.