Firey was an interesting person to say the least.
Not many people would sit in front of a building and think about what the best ways to burn it down would be.
It looked so innocent, someone just standing there and admiring the architecture or at least that's what it looked like.
A fire burned within him, in his soul, that's what his father used to say.
He missed him, he missed him every day but he had always been told not to linger, he needed to focus on living his life, not wallowing in death.
It had always been known to him that his father would die while he was still young, he'd been bed ridden for as long as Firey could remember but that didn't stop the man from trying to be a father.
Firey had good memories, memories that he often looked back on with a smile and a heaviness in his heart.
His dad was diagnosed with a terminal illness and was prescribed medication that the family couldn't afford but by scrounging what little they had together they were able to get what he needed.
Or what he was told he needed.
It happened years ago, his father had died a while ago but this still felt too raw and real.
He was taking the meds, doing everything he was told in the hopes of making any kind of recover but with each passing day it was as though he was getting worse and worse.
It got to the point that he couldn't even speak, forced to stay in his bed with this horrible, far away look in his eyes and Firey was forced to watch as he slowly lost the man he held so much admiration and respect for.
They were told he had another few years left to live, with possibilities of recovering if he stuck to the medical plans.
Unfortunately, he passed away ten months after being prescribed the medication, leaving Firey all alone.
The doctors said that the illness must have gotten into his bloodstream quicker than they had anticipated and had reached the point of no return.
Basically, what they meant was "there's nothing else we could do, stop blaming us,"
For a while, Firey accepted that as his reality, he moved in with his uncle and worked in his shop in the criminal market, earning a bit of money and trying to make a life for himself.
But all of this would change, everything he knew would he messed up and he would lose all of his progress.
It happened when he had snuck out and gotten a drink at a bar where he began to chat with some guys so he didn't look suspicious.
Somehow the topic of medicine came up and someone mentioned the same pills his father had taken and how there was a controversy surrounding them lately.
Like the idiot he is, Firey wanted to know more, his curiosity getting the better of him.
...
After hearing what he did, his drink suddenly tasted stale, the world felt dull and distant and all he wanted to do was go home.
Gradual neurological degradation.
His father's mind had been slowly deteriorating, slowly losing all function.
They had been paying for something that only sped up the inevitable.
Those pills were never meant to help his father, all they were doing was making things worse.
In a recent scandal that the pharmaceutical company faced, it was all revealed that these pills were given to people who "didn't have a chance" so the doctors didn't have to waste time on them.
These pills were secretly speeding up whatever was wrong with the person taking them, rendering all of the money spent on hospital trips and such completely pointless.
"One day, you will learn something, something so impactful it will change your entire outlook on your life,"
For Firey, that day had come and for the very first time, he picked up a box of matches.
When his father's treatment first started and he could still just about move around with his cane, some of the appointments had taken place in the doctor's office which at the time was his own home.
The address was so clear in his memory, helping his father up those steep, unforgiving stairs just to see some doctor who knew fully what was going on.
It was a lovely apartment block on the rich side of the city, very sleek and modern and a little bit up it's own ass, Firey had never been a fan.
Such a pretty building, housing such ugly people.
Idiots with power that they didn't deserve, sick bastards who made a living off of killing people like him.
There was a strange satisfaction when he poured the gasoline all over the freshly mopped floors, they were so clean, he could see his twisted grin as he prepared everything.
The sound of the match striking the box, something that he would come to find soothing, just like a lighter flicking on and off in his hands.
The stairwell went up quickly, engulfing the first floor whilst Firey stood outside, just a bit away so he would simply appear as a bystander.
As far as he knew, there were no casualties but the doctor had fallen through the burning floorboards and was permanently paralyzed from the waist down.
When he found out about that, Firey had felt sickly satisfied.
It was deserved.
That's how it all began, without anyone else being aware that most arson attacks in the city were caused by him.
Fire brought him comfort, the smell of the burning and the bright blaze washing over him took him back to much more comfortable places in his mind, reminded him of much nicer people.
It lasted for a few years and overtime, he got really good at it and covering his tracks, he learned a lot about fire and the scientific aspects behind it, it was all pretty interesting.
But all good things must come to an end and this was no different.
His arsonist days came to a halt on a warm summer night when he was joined on a rooftop by a certain girl.
A few offhand comments about how it was dangerous and that she didn't really like it was all it took.
It wasn't that she didn't like what he did though, she just didn't want him causing damage and trouble for no reason.
That was the first night she took the joint he offered her, although she immediately chocked and started spluttering after inhaling incorrectly.
This all occured around the time the short tempered idiot had realized his feelings and wanted to do his best to impress her.
But just because he loved her didn't mean he didn't enjoy the thrill of a good spark.
She may have changed him but old habits die hard and Firey took whatever he chance he had to use his skills.
He was the team's heavy hitter, often being the last person at a major scene to make a grand exit with his explosions.
Standing on the roof as he watched the others wreck their little bits of havoc gave him an unsettling sense of superiority.
The bombs had been planted all around the area they were targeting, an old water tower and it's maintenance buildings, a pretty important place.
His body twitched in anticipation as his finger methodically played with the trigger in his hand, itching to pull it and feel those vibrations and the blast of the bang.
He couldn't stop moving, grinning as he jumped in one spot, cheering his friends on as they shot at Security Bots who quite frankly, had terrible aim.
This was what he craved, he loved the fun of nights like these, the crisp warmth of the air, the pinks, purples and blues of the sky as night gradually crept closer and closer.
It was heaven.
One by one, the team left, giving him confirmation over the communication system to let Firey know that he could detonate the explosives.
"Hey there Hot Stuff, whatcha waiting for?"
Firey looked over his shoulder to see Leafy climbing up a ladder, putting her gun into it's holster as she approached.
"Just gotta make sure I don't blow anyone up," he replied.
"Everyone's gone, you can go ahead," Leafy said as she leaned against him.
"What about you?" Firey raised his eyebrow.
"I wanna watch," she shrugged.
"Hm, alright then," Firey nodded, raising his arm into the air.
A cocky smirk was plastered on his face, his eyes glinted with pride as he put his other arm around Leafy's waist and pulled her close.
"Boom,"
The moment he pulled the trigger, he pivoted so that his body shielded hers, the blast that went off sending a large gust of wind, dust and tiny bits of debris over them.
Firey let out a laugh as he turned his head to see the ongoing damage he had created, feeling like a giddy child as he watched a small, stone water container collapse into a broken heap.
He was used to this and the damage had been done to his ears long ago, nowadays he wore headphones to lessen the impact but Leafy, who hardly ever stood this close when he went on his rampages had nothing to protect her.
Placing his gloved hands over her ears, he kissed her head, resting face against hers, smiling at her squinting eyes and scrunched up nose.
Small fires came to life around the rubble, live wires sparked and the sounds of rocks and metal tumbling was like music to his ears.
Minutes passed and very slowly, Firey removed his hands, lowering them so he could take her's.
"You can open your eyes now," he said softly, moving out of the way so she could see everything properly.
Leafy blinked as she gazed at the view before her, her mouth open slightly, totally awed and impressed.
"You're amazing," she breathed.
That really was what she thought, Firey was the only one who understood how things like this worked, all of the wires, the fuel, how to stack everything so the explosion was exactly what he wanted.
"You're so good at destroying stuff," she sighed. "It's all just smoke and stone now,"
Suddenly, as he watched her put a hand on her hip, Firey had an idea.
"Hey, you know better than anyone that everything's a smoking hot mess when I'm done with it, isn't that right, little bunny?" Firey shrugged playfully.
Leafy coughed as the breath she took caught in her throat, she quickly turned to Firey, red in the face as she blushed profusely, stammering at his very blunt remark.
"But maybe..." Firey said as he stretched his arms above his head, flexing their toned muscles as he smirked slyly at her.
"That won't be the only thing I destroy tonight,"
Leafy continued to try and say something in reply but all that came out was a little squeak that earned her a soft chuckle from Firey as she covered her mouth with her hands.
"I'm joking, we don't have to, Leafs," Firey assured as he put his arm around her shoulders.
"I mean...if you want to," Leafy mumbled shyly.
Firey suddenly burst out in laughter, Leafy scowled just a bit, assuming that he was mocking her.
"You're fucking adorable, Leafs," he finally spoke once his laugh died down.
He put a hand on her cheek, making her look at him before he kissed her with a tenderness and adoration that even she didn't know he had.
"Let's head home first, yeah?" Firey smiled.
"Yeah," Leafy nodded.
...
Firey's chest moved upwards and downwards as his breathing gradually came to a steady pace, his hand moved in a lazy circular motion over the small of Leafy's back while the exhausted girl nuzzled her face into the crook of his neck, breathing in his familiar, smokey scent.
"You really outdid yourself this time, Fire Man," she mumbled tiredly as she peppered tiny kisses along his jawline.
"I've gotta go all out every so often, don't I?" Firey smirked, his hand wandering to her plush upper thigh.
She giggled as she felt his touch roam, kicking her legs weakly, her muscles feeling tired and heavy.
"Carry me to the bath in a minute or so, that's your punishment," Leafy smiled softly.
"If you insist," Firey grinned in response.
He glanced at the large mirror mounted on the nearby wall, his eyes widened slightly when he saw how painfully clear the bites, scratches and bruises were on his upper body.
Leafy had asked him not to hold back, in return, she promised the same.
"Those things are gonna be hard to hide," he chuckled.
"That's why we wear shirts that cover our necks, darling but I have lots of concealer too," Leafy said soothingly.
"You're always one step ahead," Firey sighed happily.
"I try my best," Leafy yawned. "It's not that hard with you though,"
"Hurtful," Firey scoffed.
"But true," Leafy taunted.
"Take that bath yourself," Firey huffed in mock irritation as he moved her off of his body and turned on his side.
"Nooo, don't be like that," Leafy pleaded, pressing against him and ruffling his fluffy hair.
Within seconds, Firey rolled over, grabbing her in a bear hug and holding her tightly.
"Your softness convinced me," he said simply.
"Damn, you're not hard to sway," she laughed.
"Only when it comes to you," he shrugged.
"You charmer," Leafy said, poking his cheek.
"I charm the pants of you," Firey smirked.
"Shush," Leafy snickered, smacking him lightly.
"You love me," Firey said proudly.
Leafy smiled, pleasantly warm and cozy, feeling peaceful and safe in his strong and secure arms.
"I do,"