Espilver Week 2023

Day 2: Charm

"Do you believe in lucky charms, Es?"

In the light of the setting sun from the window, the chameleon pauses in his bandaging of Silver's arm. "Pardon?"

"Charms," Silver repeats. "Lucky charms."

Sonic had asked him about it, around noon this day during the aftermath of the two of them duking it out for fun in some meadow somewhere. Silver had lost, humiliatingly getting carried back to civilisation by Sonic and making sure to give the older hedgehog ample bristles for his trouble, when that question had popped up. "A lucky charm," Sonic had repeated, at Silver's incredulous inquiry at just what the heck he was talking about. "Something that protects you, that helps you in the darkest of moments."

"I don't know," Silver had retorted back. And it had seemed most unbelievable; surely the only objects out there that can provide such protection are the Chaos Emeralds, or maybe the Master Emerald, but not some random little trinket. And yet Sonic had smiled and assured him it was real, and he just had to ask other people about it.

That other person is Espio, naturally, and Silver stares at his beloved who... hums, his hands picking up again in tender movements that make the hedgehog hiss all the same. Tender as he is, even Espio cannot make injuries stop stinging with just a simple touch. "Yes and no, I feel describes my feelings about it best," the other responds, expertly keeping a little cloth with disinfectant away from tugging sparks of cyan. "Why this sudden change of topic?"

"Sonic asked me about it this morning."

"Ah, so it is not to avoid the scolding we are right amidst of?"

"Of course not," Silver grins at him, innocently sitting as still as possible and letting his powers fight this losing battle for him. Yes, one other person had not been so happy about the state he'd been in when Sonic had brought him back to the Agency... Espio had not wasted much time in turning Silver into some bandage-wrapped mummy, confined to the couch for at least hours more until his worries are sated. It'd annoy Silver to no end with any other person, but Espio is allowed. They both know that is how the chameleon cares for others.

Said chameleon uses his tail to bring over yet another roll of bandages, moving to Silver's other arm next. "I believe there are forces out there that look after us, and protect us as best they can," he murmurs, and Silver's marks shimmer as a loving finger strokes a circle on each... which then moves up, to flick his nose and tug his ears, and the hedgehogs huffs back at the teases as Espio's eyes grow just a bit more sharp. "And I also believe that those forces are not always able to help when those they try to look after keep throwing themselves into trouble headfirst, with no regard for their personal safety and what their beloveds are going to think when they return home with more scratches and bruises than fur."

"Hey, Sonic wasn't off much better," Silver protests, puffing up his cheeks. "I almost won this time!"

"Priorities, small one..."

"So what you're saying is that with such a lucky charm, next time I will win?"

"That is not at all what I'm saying," Espio sighs, long-sufferingly, and Silver cannot help it: he laughs, arms wrapping around his beloved so closely as if they are one, and all aches of his body flow into mere minor twinges and jolts amidst the warm caresses lavished over his quills. "Perhaps if I get you a lucky charm, you'll at least get injured less severely the next time," the other adds, more slowly- and Silver's ears shoot right up.

"You can just get me one?!"

Shaking his head Espio swiftly collects what is left of the bandages and the disinfectant, putting everything neatly away in the box again. "Not right now, but I do know of lucky charms that are quite easily found, yes. They are called omamori."