The hospital's automatic doors slid open with a soft hiss. The stark fluorescent lights cast harsh shadows across their battered forms as they entered the sterile environment.
Sonic's face had grown several shades paler during their walk, his trademark grin now more of a grimace. He cradled his broken arm against his chest.
"Well kids, this is where I leave you." Sonic jerked his thumb toward the emergency room entrance. "My arm's killing me, and I've hit my daily limit for watching you two make googly eyes at each other."
Shadow's ears flattened. "We don't make-"
"Yeah, yeah, save it for someone who hasn't spent the last hour walking behind you." Sonic waved his good hand dismissively. "Besides, I need to get this fixed before Tails finds out I got myself chaos-blasted through three walls."
Shadow set Blaze down with careful precision, his hands lingering on her waist to ensure she was steady on her feet. She gripped his forearm for balance, her legs shaky from blood loss and exhaustion.
"Rouge should be in the west wing." Blaze smoothed down her singed clothes. "I need to see her before getting these wounds treated."
"You should get checked in first-" Shadow started.
"I won't be long." Her golden eyes met his, determination clear in their depths. "I owe her that much."
Shadow's jaw clenched, but he nodded. After everything they'd been through, he understood the weight of debts owed.
"Five minutes," he conceded. "Then you're getting those bullet wounds looked at."
A small smile curved Blaze's lips. "Is that an order, Agent Shadow?"
"It's a promise, Princess."
Sonic made exaggerated gagging noises as he backed toward the ER. "And that's definitely my cue to leave. Try not to set anything on fire while I'm gone!" He disappeared through the sliding doors, leaving Shadow and Blaze alone in the quiet hallway.
Blaze gave Shadow a soft smile before turning toward the west wing. Her steps were unsteady, but she kept her head high as she made her way down the corridor.
Shadow watched her until she disappeared around the corner, then sank into one of the hard plastic waiting room chairs. His muscles ached from the fight, though his accelerated healing had already begun knitting the worst injuries back together. He leaned his head back against the wall, closing his eyes for a moment.
—-
Finding Rouge's room proved simple enough for Blaze. A cluster of GUN soldiers lined the hallway, their black uniforms stark against the white walls. Some nursed injuries while others stood guard, all of them wearing expressions that mixed concern with barely concealed admiration. Rouge had that effect on people.
Two agents stepped aside as Blaze approached, recognition flickering across their faces. The Sol princess had become a familiar sight at GUN headquarters over the past weeks. Their respectful nods followed her as she made her way through the crowd.
More soldiers filled the corridor ahead, their hushed conversations creating a low buzz of activity. A few gave Blaze encouraging smiles as she passed.
The crowd of uniforms grew thicker near what had to be Rouge's room. Agents packed the hallway, some filling out reports while others discussed security protocols in low voices. The sea of black and gray parted as Blaze moved forward, her destination clear. Where Rouge went, her admirers and subordinates were sure to follow.
Blaze pushed open the hospital room door. Rouge lay propped up against stark white pillows, her usual perfect makeup smudged and her signature heart-shaped breastplate replaced by a pale blue hospital gown. Dark circles rimmed her eyes, and bandages wrapped around her shoulder.
Rouge's teal eyes widened. "Hon, you look like hell." Her voice carried its usual sass, though exhaustion threaded through each word.
"You should see the other guy." Blaze stepped into the room, her boots clicking against the linoleum floor.
"Already did. Saw them cart Scourge away in chains." Rouge shifted, wincing as the movement pulled at her injuries. "Though I have to say, watching you turn into a living flamethrower made getting hurt almost worth it."
"About that..." Blaze's ears drooped. "I never properly thanked you. For everything you did back there."
"Sugar, if you're about to get sentimental on me, I might have to call the nurse." Rouge's lips curved into her trademark smirk.
Blaze's expression hardened, her tail twitching with nervous energy. "I mean it, Rouge. When you found me in that cell, I was ready to give up."
Rouge's playful demeanor faded as she studied Blaze's face.
"Fiona got in my head." Blaze's hands clenched at her sides. "She said I was just like her - using my feelings for Shadow as justification. That I was another person trying to control him, manipulate him into being what I wanted."
"That's ridiculous-" Rouge started.
"Is it?" Blaze's voice cracked. "I kept secrets from him. About my family's involvement in Project Shadow, about everything. I thought I was protecting him, but maybe I was just protecting myself." Her shoulders slumped. "Maybe I am no better than Fiona."
Rouge pushed herself up straighter, ignoring the pain that flashed across her face. "Listen to me carefully, princess. Fiona was obsessed with power and control. She didn't love Scourge - she loved what he represented. The ability to hurt others, to feel strong."
Blaze's ears flattened against her head as Rouge continued.
"You? You took experimental serum that could have killed you. You fought through bullet wounds to protect others. Hell, you spent weeks changing Shadow's bandages and force-feeding him soup." Rouge's eyes softened. "That's not control, honey. That's care."
A single tear rolled down Blaze's cheek, quickly wiped away. "I was so afraid of becoming another person who betrayed him."
"The fact that you worry about it proves you're nothing like Fiona." Rouge reached out and squeezed Blaze's hand. "Now stop crying before you ruin my reputation as a heartless spy."
Blaze threw her arms around Rouge, careful to avoid the bat's injured shoulder. The sudden display of affection caught Rouge off guard, her eyes widening before she relaxed into the embrace.
"Easy there, princess. These hospital gowns aren't exactly built for group hugs." Rouge patted Blaze's back, her usual sass softened by genuine warmth.
Blaze pulled back, straightening her singed coat. "Sorry, I just-"
"Don't you dare apologize." Rouge adjusted her position on the bed. "But for the love of chaos, please go get those wounds looked at. You're practically swaying on your feet."
"I will, I promise."
"And while you're at it..." Rouge's trademark smirk returned. "Maybe tell that brooding hedgehog how you feel? Before I lose my mind watching you two dance around each other?"
Heat crept up Blaze's neck, her fur bristling. "Rouge-"
"Don't 'Rouge' me. I've spent the last week watching you two pretend there's nothing there." She crossed her arms. "Life's too short for that nonsense, honey. Even for immortal science experiments."
Blaze's tail twitched as she backed toward the door. "I should let you rest."
"And I should let you go find Shadow." Rouge's expression softened. "He's probably wearing a hole in the floor waiting for you."
"Thank you, Rouge. For everything."
"Just promise me one thing?"
Blaze paused at the doorway. "What's that?"
"Name your first kid after me?"
Blaze's flames flickered to life in her embarrassment as she hurried out of the room, Rouge's laughter following her down the hallway.
—-
The hallway tilted as Blaze made her way toward the check-in desk. Her adrenaline crashed, and the full weight of her injuries hit her at once. Each step sent waves of pain through her body, the bullet wounds throbbing in time with her heartbeat.
The fluorescent lights blurred above her as she gripped the counter. Her voice came out weaker than intended. "I need... I need to..."
The receptionist's eyes widened. "Ma'am, you're bleeding!"
Blaze glanced down at her coat, noticing fresh crimson stains spreading across the purple fabric. "Oh." The room spun faster.
Hospital staff materialized around her with a wheelchair. As they guided her into it, she caught a glimpse of red-striped quills through her darkening vision. Shadow stood in the corridor, his crimson eyes fixed on her with an intensity that cut through her haze.
The staff wheeled her past him, their voices a blur of medical terminology. Her head lolled back, too heavy to hold up anymore. Through half-closed eyes, she saw Shadow's face tight with concern before darkness crept in at the edges.
"Multiple GSWs... severe blood loss... get her to trauma three..."
The wheelchair became a gurney. Ceiling tiles flew past overhead. Someone cut away her coat, exposing the full extent of her injuries to the harsh hospital lights.
"BP dropping..."
Blaze tried to focus on Shadow's face, still visible through the crowd of medical personnel, but exhaustion dragged her under. For the first time since the fight began, she allowed herself to feel the full extent of her pain and fatigue.
The last thing she registered was Shadow's voice, sharp with worry, before consciousness slipped away entirely.
The steady beep of monitors filled the quiet hospital room. Unlike her previous brush with death - when Fiona and Scourge had frantically revived her failing body twice - Blaze felt different this time. Her flames flickered softly beneath her skin, a comforting warmth that assured her she was safe.
The darkness lifted gradually. What felt like mere minutes to her clouded mind had clearly been much longer, based on the changed quality of light filtering through the window. Blaze's eyelids fluttered open, taking in the institutional ceiling tiles above. Her body felt heavy with medication, but the searing pain from her wounds had dulled to a manageable ache.
She shifted slightly, the crisp sheets rustling. Looking down, she noticed the hospital gown draped over her frame - the same style Rouge had worn during her stay. The fabric was thin but clean, printed with tiny geometric patterns in muted blues and grays.
The familiar sensation of her flames danced through her veins, responding to her consciousness. Even in her medicated state, that connection remained unbroken. No more cold emptiness like when Scourge had suppressed her powers. Her fire was part of her again, steady and sure.
Blaze turned her head on the thin hospital pillow, her gaze falling on Shadow's dark form in the visitor's chair. The scene struck her as oddly fitting - just days ago, their positions had been reversed, with her hovering anxiously in a waiting room while he lay injured.
Shadow sat perfectly still, arms crossed over his chest, head tilted slightly forward. To anyone else, he might have appeared asleep, but Blaze noticed the subtle tension in his shoulders. His breathing was too measured, too controlled for genuine rest.
"Shadow?" Her voice came out as barely more than a whisper, scratchy from disuse.
His eyes opened immediately, confirming her suspicion that he'd been alert the whole time. Those crimson irises fixed on her face with an intensity that made her chest tighten.
"How long?" she managed, her throat dry.
"Sixteen hours." Shadow uncrossed his arms, leaning forward slightly in the chair. "The doctors removed three bullets. You lost a significant amount of blood."
The clinical tone of his voice didn't match the way his hands gripped the chair's armrests, knuckles white with tension. Blaze recognized the same rigid control she'd seen in him during their confrontation with Scourge - when he'd been forced to choose between his principles and her life.
"You stayed," she whispered.
Shadow shifted uncomfortably in his seat at Blaze's observation. His gaze dropped to the linoleum floor, shoulders tensing beneath his dark fur.
"Someone needed to monitor your condition." The words came out gruff, defensive. "Your fire abilities could have destabilized during recovery."
Blaze's lips curved slightly despite her exhaustion. Even now, he searched for logical explanations, refusing to acknowledge the simple truth - he'd been worried about her.
"The medical staff seems capable enough." Her voice remained soft, but a hint of teasing crept in.
Shadow's frown deepened. "They don't understand chaos energy or Sol power interactions. The serum Scourge used could have unexpected side effects."
"Of course." Blaze didn't push further, recognizing the familiar pattern. Shadow retreating behind practical reasoning when emotions threatened to surface. Just like his insistence that protecting her had been purely tactical.
Shadow stood abruptly, pacing to the window. His reflection fractured across the glass, dark silhouette stark against the morning light. The movement betrayed his discomfort more than any words could have.
"Rouge asked about you," he said finally, still facing the window. "She's being discharged tomorrow."
Blaze gripped the thin hospital sheets, forcing herself into a sitting position despite the protest of her wounds. "That's good to hear about Rouge. I'm glad she's recovering."
The movement sent fresh waves of pain through her torso. She winced, trying to hide her discomfort, but Shadow crossed the room in three quick strides.
"Don't move." His glare bore into her, hands hovering near her shoulders as if ready to push her back down. "The stitches are still fresh."
Blaze looked up, ready to argue, but the words died in her throat. Shadow's face was inches from hers, those crimson eyes filled with an intensity that made her breath catch. The morning sunlight caught his quills, highlighting the red stripes against black fur.
Rouge's words echoed in her mind: "Tell him how you feel before it's too late." The memory of their conversation in the hospital wing flooded back - Rouge's knowing smile, her gentle encouragement, the promise Blaze had made to finally be honest with Shadow.
Her heart hammered against her ribs as she held his gaze. The familiar warmth of her flames stirred beneath her skin, responding to her nervousness. After everything they'd been through - the bullets, the betrayals, Scourge's manipulation - the truth seemed both simpler and more terrifying than ever.
—-
"Shadow, there's something I need to tell you." Blaze's voice wavered, her fingers twisting in the hospital sheets. The steady beep of the heart monitor betrayed her racing pulse.
Shadow pulled back slightly, his expression guarded. The morning light cast shadows across his face as he studied her, waiting.
"I..." Her throat tightened. The words she'd rehearsed countless times in her mind scattered like ashes. Her flames flickered beneath her skin, responding to her anxiety. "What I mean is..."
Shadow remained perfectly still, his crimson eyes fixed on her face. The intensity of his gaze made her chest constrict further.
A bead of sweat rolled down her temple. The temperature in the room rose steadily as her powers reacted to her emotional state. The thin hospital gown felt suffocating.
"When we were fighting Scourge, and before that, during your recovery at Rouge's..." Blaze forced herself to maintain eye contact despite the heat rising in her cheeks. "I realized something important."
The heart monitor's beeping accelerated. Shadow's ears twitched at the sound, but he didn't move, didn't speak. His stillness only made her more nervous.
Blaze closed her eyes, trying to steady her racing heart and reign in her flaring powers. The room's temperature dropped slightly as she forced her flames back under control.
"When I first tried to help you recover at Rouge's place," she started, her voice stronger now, "you were absolutely one of the most insufferable, stubborn, arrogant beings I've ever had to deal with."
Shadow raised an eyebrow at this unexpected direction, his arms crossing over his chest.
"You fought me on everything - the bandages, the soup, even basic rest." Blaze's hands twisted in the sheets. "You acted like accepting any help was beneath you."
The heart monitor's beeping slowed as she focused on the familiar irritation of those early days. It was easier than confronting her current feelings.
"And then..." Her voice softened, wavered. Heat crept back into her cheeks as memories flooded in - Shadow relaxed on Rouge's couch, his rare half-smiles when she showed him cat videos, the gentleness in his hands when he gave her the bowl of soup. "Then I started noticing things..."
She stammered, the words catching in her throat as Shadow's intense gaze remained fixed on her face.
"I started noticing how peaceful you looked when you slept on Rouge's couch," Blaze continued, her gaze dropping to her hands. "The way your face softened, how all that tension just... melted away."
"And that day, when you finally let me help clean your wounds..." Her voice grew softer. "You acted like it was torture, but I felt you relax. You stopped fighting against the help, just for a moment."
"Then there was the soup." A small laugh escaped her. "You were so concerned about me spending money on takeout. Which was ridiculous - I'm literally royalty." Her eyes met his again. "But you cared enough to make soup yourself, even offered to teach me how to cook. No one's ever..." She paused, swallowing hard. "No one's ever bothered to teach me something so... normal."
Shadow shifted his weight, his crossed arms tightening against his chest as if building a physical barrier between them. But he didn't look away, didn't interrupt as Blaze's words hung in the air between them.
"I guess what I'm trying to say is..." Her fingers twisted tighter in the sheets. "I care about you. Way more than normal."
The words hung in the sterile hospital air. Shadow's expression remained unreadable, but his hands tightened imperceptibly on his crossed arms.
"I thought these feelings would fade." Blaze's voice cracked. "Especially after you learned the truth about my family's involvement with Project Shadow. When you got angry and pushed me away..." Her flames dimmed, responding to the pain of the memory. "I told myself it was for the best. That it would make these feelings disappear."
She looked down at her hands, watching small wisps of smoke curl between her fingers. "But it didn't work that way. Instead, it just..." The words caught in her throat. She forced them out anyway, barely above a whisper. "It broke my heart."
The steady beep of monitors filled the silence that followed her confession. A drop of moisture landed on the white hospital sheets, and Blaze realized with surprise that it had fallen from her own eye.
Shadow's hands dropped to his sides, his posture rigid as he processed Blaze's words. His crimson eyes narrowed, studying her face with an intensity that made the air feel charged with chaos energy.
"You shouldn't." His voice came out rough, almost harsh. He took a step back from her bed, creating physical distance. "These feelings - they're a liability. A weakness that others will exploit."
His gaze flickered to the bandages visible beneath her hospital gown, a reminder of how Scourge had already used their connection against them both.
"I watched you nearly die." Shadow's fists clenched at his sides. "Because of me. Because Scourge knew targeting you would force my hand."
The morning light cast stark shadows across his face as he turned slightly away from her. "Maria died because she cared about me. Rouge nearly died. Now you." His voice carried a weight of decades of loss and guilt. "Everyone who gets close to me becomes a target."
"I'm the Ultimate Lifeform." The words carried no pride, only a cold finality. "I was created as a weapon. Trying to be anything else..." He shook his head. "It only leads to pain."
"Your confession... it changes nothing. It can't." His shoulders tensed. "I won't allow anyone else to die because they made the mistake of caring about me."
Blaze's lips curved into a sad smile as she smoothed the wrinkles in her hospital gown. "I had a feeling you'd say something like that." Her voice came out soft, almost musical despite its melancholy. "The logical response, protecting everyone by pushing them away."
She lifted her gaze to meet his, and Shadow felt something inside him fracture. Her golden eyes held such warmth, such unconditional acceptance - even after everything he'd just said. The pure emotion there struck him harder than any chaos blast.
"But feelings aren't logical, Shadow." Her fingers traced abstract patterns on the white sheets. "Trust me, I've tried to stop. To tell myself it's foolish, dangerous, impossible." A small flame danced between her fingers before fading away. "It doesn't work like that."
Shadow's chest tightened as he recognized the look in her eyes - the same way Maria used to look at him, filled with that pure, unconditional care that he'd never deserved. But there was something more in Blaze's gaze, something deeper that made his carefully constructed walls start to crumble.
"I can't just turn it off." Blaze's voice barely rose above a whisper. "These feelings... they're like my flames now. Part of who I am."
Shadow gripped the metal rail of her hospital bed, his knuckles white with tension. Every instinct screamed at him to run, to put distance between them before her words could crack his resolve further. But her eyes held him there, full of an emotion he refused to name but recognized all too well.
"So that's that." Her voice came out steadier than she expected. "And it's alright if you don't feel the same way."
Shadow's grip on the bed rail loosened slightly, his crimson eyes widening at her acceptance.
"For the first time in a long while, I'm being completely honest with you." A small, genuine smile crossed her face as she met his gaze. "No more secrets, no more hiding behind duty or protocol."
She shrugged, and the movement sent a slight twinge through her healing wounds. But the physical pain barely registered compared to the lightness in her chest. "It feels good, actually. Getting it off my chest that I…I don't know...fell for you."
—-
Shadow's jaw clenched as anger flared through him. His fingers twitched with the urge to grab her shoulders and shake some sense into her. How dare she be so calm about this? So accepting? Didn't she understand what happened to people who got close to him?
But Blaze's golden eyes met his without a trace of doubt or hesitation. The quiet certainty in her gaze stopped him cold. There was no dramatic declaration, no desperate plea for him to change his mind. Just that steady, unwavering look that said she knew exactly what she felt and had made peace with it.
"You're insane." The words came out as a growl. "After everything that just happened with Scourge, after seeing what happens to people who-" He cut himself off, running a hand through his quills in frustration.
Blaze didn't flinch at his anger. She just watched him with that same serene expression, like she'd already thought through every argument he could make and accepted them all.
"I mean it, Shadow." Her voice remained gentle but firm. "I fell for you. It's not a decision I need to reconsider. It simply is."
The simple honesty in her words hit him harder than any chaos blast. Shadow turned away, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. He'd faced down armies, battled gods, saved the world multiple times. But this? This quiet, unshakeable declaration from a princess who should know better? It left him completely disarmed.
Shadow spun back around, his crimson eyes blazing. "This is madness. I'm immortal, Blaze. I'll never age, never change. You'll grow old while I stay exactly like this forever."
His words came faster now, almost desperate. "I don't even belong in your dimension. You have responsibilities there, a kingdom to rule. And I-" He gestured sharply at himself. "I'm an artificial creation made in a lab. Part alien DNA. How could that possibly-"
A small laugh cut through his tirade. Shadow froze, staring at Blaze who covered her mouth with one hand, shoulders shaking slightly.
"What's so funny?" His voice came out harsh, defensive.
"Shadow." Blaze lowered her hand, revealing an amused smile. "I told you I have feelings for you. I didn't propose marriage or suggest we plan our future together. I simply wanted you to know how I feel."
The tension in Shadow's posture shifted, thrown off balance by her response. He opened his mouth, then closed it again.
"You're overthinking this." Blaze adjusted herself carefully against the hospital pillows. "Though I must say, it's rather entertaining watching the Ultimate Lifeform panic over someone pouring their heart out to them"
Shadow's ears flattened. "I wasn't panicking."
"No? Then what would you call that impressive list of reasons why this couldn't possibly work?" Her eyes sparkled with mischief. "For someone who claims not to care, you've certainly thought about it quite thoroughly."
Shadow crossed his arms and leaned against the window sill, the setting sun casting long shadows across the hospital room floor. His face settled into its usual stoic mask, but a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth betrayed him.
"You're enjoying this far too much."
"Perhaps." Blaze shifted in the bed, wincing as the movement pulled at her stitches. "But you make it rather easy."
Shadow's eyes narrowed at her discomfort. He pushed off from the window and approached her bedside, checking the monitors with practiced efficiency.
"Your heart rate's elevated."
"Yes, well, confessing one's feelings tends to do that." Blaze raised an eyebrow at him. "Especially when the recipient responds by listing every possible obstacle as if preparing a mission report."
Shadow huffed, adjusting her IV line with more care than his brusque manner suggested. "You should rest."
"And you should stop deflecting." Blaze caught his wrist as he withdrew his hand. The touch was light, giving him every opportunity to pull away. "I don't expect anything from you, Shadow. I simply wanted to be honest about how I feel."
His gaze fixed on where her fingers wrapped around his wrist, just below his inhibitor ring. The warmth of her touch seemed to seep through his fur, past his defenses.
"Honesty." Shadow's voice came out rough. "Is a dangerous thing."
"So is taking bullets for someone." Blaze released his wrist but held his gaze. "Yet you did that without hesitation."
The silence stretched between them, heavy with unspoken words. Shadow remained perfectly still, caught between the instinct to flee and something else - something that had been growing since those quiet evenings in Rouge's apartment, watching cat videos and arguing about soup.
Shadow narrowed his eyes at her, his stance rigid but no longer defensive. He remained by her bedside, his hand resting on the rail.
"What do you want from me, Blaze?"
"Nothing more than who you already are." Her fingers traced patterns on the hospital blanket. "The grumpy hedgehog who criticizes my takeout choices. The one who pretends to hate cat videos but watches them anyway. The partner who throws himself in front of bullets without a second thought."
Shadow's expression softened almost imperceptibly.
"And maybe," Blaze's lips curved into a small smile, "you could make good on that promise to teach me how to cook. The proper way, not just watching YouTube tutorials."
"The proper way?"
"Yes. Very hands-on instruction." Her golden eyes glinted with mischief. "I'm a terrible student. You'll need to guide my hands through every step."
A flush crept across Shadow's tan muzzle, darkening his cheeks. "You're crazy."
But the words held no bite, coming out almost fond. His fingers drummed against the bed rail as he fought back a smile.
"So I've been told." Blaze settled back against her pillows, looking entirely too pleased with herself. "Usually by hedgehogs who protest too much."
Shadow's fingers traced abstract patterns on the bed rail, his crimson eyes fixed on some distant point beyond the hospital window. The silence stretched, comfortable rather than tense.
"I can't promise you anything." His voice came out low, almost gentle. "Except maybe those cooking lessons."
Blaze's lips curved into a knowing smile. "That's all I'm asking for."
"You're a terrible liar, princess."
"And you're deflecting again." She adjusted herself against the pillows, holding back a wince. "But if cooking lessons are what you're willing to offer, I'll take them."
Shadow's gaze shifted back to her, something warm and unguarded in his expression that made her breath catch. His hand moved from the rail to brush a stray strand of fur from her face, the touch lingering longer than necessary.
"We'll start with soup." His voice held a roughness that hadn't been there before. "Since you seem determined to waste money on takeout."
"Soup." Blaze leaned ever so slightly into his touch. "Just soup?"
Shadow's fingers stilled against her cheek. The look he gave her held equal parts exasperation and something far more dangerous. "For now."
The way his thumb traced her jawline before withdrawing suggested 'for now' wouldn't last very long at all.