Work Text:
Loss.
It's a weird feeling, to watch the people you’ve spent your life with leave you right in front of your eyes. Vector, why did I let you do that? It should have been me. I recall the last thing he said to me and it haunts me everytime i think about it.
“Hey Espio, You’re lead detective now.” as the crocodile shuts the door, keeping the infected at bay from the survivors, leaving himself on the end with them. I was in shock, watching the door in horror until Amy snapped me out of it and almost dragged me out. Now we are regrouping to decide what to do next.
As Espio is sitting on a bench, regaining his thoughts, still in shock at losing Vector and Charmy.
“How are you holding up Espio?” Amy asks, clearly worried for the chameleon, looking over him, he was very clearly still hurting.
“I'm fine.” Espio says, putting on a stoic face, but it's all an act, he's still hurting terribly.
“Do you have any idea how the infected got in? The base was as secure as we could get it” Amy asks Espio, how DID they get in? The base was locked down, the only way an infected could get in is if they were brought in with the crowds of survivors.
“I have no clue, Amy.” Espio responded.
“I know! Those detectives brought them! They brought the infected from the last town they came from!” a survivor yelled, pointing accusingly at the chameleon, other survivors coming over at the commotion.
“It's all their fault! They're the reason why we don't have a safe space anymore!” another survivor yelled also pointing at the chameleon
“Calm down! Lets not fight here! It's not his fault!” Amy trying to keep the peace, told the group of survivors all staring daggers into the chameleon.
“If they hadn’t brought that infected we would all be fine right now!” another survivor added with venom in their voice.
That was it, Espio couldn’t keep sitting here and taking it, there was only so much he could take, this and him dealing with the loss of his closest family he just couldn’t take it. The chameleon began to go invisible and run away as fast as possible.
“WAIT!!! Espio come back!” Amy called out to no avail, the chameleon was long gone.
As he ran and ran and ran he was doing everything he could not to break down and cry, as he went and went he ended up on the roof of the facility they’re set up in, Espio sits down and stares into the distance, Resistance HQ a spec in the distance, the whole facility was metal at this point, and yet Espio could not take his eyes off of it.
As he sat for what felt like an eternity, eventually he heard a voice.
“Es?” Espio nearly jumped at the voice behind him calling for him, he recognized the voice immediately, Silver.
“Es? What happened?” He was now standing behind the sitting chameleon, who was still staring at the former HQ, Silver was extremely worried for Espio.
As Silver sat down next to Espio, he stared into the other’s eyes and could see his pain, at which Silver grabbed Espio and put him into a hug, Espio returning the hug immediately, he couldn’t hold it in anymore, he began to cry into Silver’s chest fluff. Upon hearing him sob, Silver began to rub Espio’s back, doing his best to comfort the broken chameleon. Just what had happened?, he wondered, he had never seen Espio cry once in all the time Silver had known him.
“They’re gone, Silver. Vector, Charmy, Vanilla, Resistance HQ, Tails’s research for a possible cure. All lost. Because of us, because we brought an infected back with us.” Espio went on and on, the once stoic calm voice replaced with a stressed, defeated tone, Silver could feel the chameleon’s pain.
“You can't blame yourself Es, you couldn’t have known that an infected was in the group.” Silver reassures the chameleon, Still affectionately rubbing his back.
“But it WAS my fault, i didn’t say anything, i didn’t even think about the risk, i wasn’t cautious when i should have been most cautious, and because of that we lost everything.” Espio cries out.
“It isn't over Es, we can still win this, Tails can still make a cure, we can still get everyone back, it isn't over as long as we can still do something about it.” Silver says with conviction in his voice, he was used to fighting against impossible odds, and he refuses to let his beloved lose all hope.
“You-.. you’re right, i can't just sit down and give up. Vector didn’t sacrifice himself so I could just do that.” Espio says as Silver wipes the tear off of the chameleon’s face, eliciting a ghost of a smile on the chameleon.
“And don’t forget i'm a member of the Chaotix now, Vector and Charmy are my family now too, you don’t have to face this burden alone Es… I'm with you.” Silver says, still holding the chameleon close, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze.
Espio was looking at the hedgehog’s face, a face full of conviction. Espio feels like with the hedgehog at his side, he feels like he could take on every infected in the whole world, if only he actually could. Yet still he appreciates Silver’s presence and is glad that the love of his life wasn’t among the infected, Espio could still appreciate the small blessings.
“Thank you, my love. For everything.” Espio hugs Silver again, a surprised squeak from the hedgehog as he immediately returns the hug, the chameleon’s tail wrapping tightly against Silver’s waist, Espio didn’t want to ever let go. While in the embrace Silver’s lips found Espio’s as they kissed, in a long and quiet embrace. The feeling making Silver’s tail shake like crazy, for the first time since this whole apocalypse had started, the two only had each other to keep eachother going.
As the sun begins to set on the metal covered horizon Silver and Espio sat in each other's presence, as long as they’re together they can still win this and cure their family.