These Threads That Play

The strings of the violin quivered as Silver grazed a finger over the top of them, his face as close as he dared as a low hollow twang reverberated from the instrument.

He narrowed his eyes as each string bounced effortlessly back into place. Nothing seemed to be wrong. So why then, did the thing keep screaming at him every time he tried to play something?

With a breathy sigh, the hedgehog shook his head and sat up straight, resting the violin carefully in the nook between his neck and shoulder. He reached for the bow that rested against the leg of his chair, angling it to rest gently atop the strings as he glanced at the sheet music on the stand beside him.

"Sixty-third time's the charm," he said as he pulled the bow, the taut hairs grating against the strings. His golden eyes widened in alarm as a violent sound emitted from the object and he pulled the bow back instantly.

All morning had been some variation of this same routine. He'd play something terrible, examine the culprit and try again only to be faced with the same outcome.

Every time he convinced himself that he'd finally tamed the musical creature in his arms, the violin would turn feral and the ivory hedgehog would be rewarded with nothing but incessant shrieking.

It didn't help that the room he was practising in was one that been carefully designed and constructed to maximise the sounds from within, including but not limited to the ear-splitting sounds he was producing. They whirled around the room like a wild tornado, inflicting their racket on both him inside the room and the world beyond the walls.

He scowled at the bow again, wondering if perhaps the problem lay not with him or the violin, but the stick itself. He was in the midst of inspecting the wood for splinters and grains of dirt when a cough startled him from his unnecessary investigations.

The sound was quiet, but even so, it echoed around the room and Silver's gaze flicked to the doorway where two wooden doors stood wide open. His fiancée stood at the threshold of the building, haloed by the sunlight in a glow of white.

"Oh, hey Blaze," he called happily, pulling the violin behind his back in a last-ditch effort to hide it from the girl. A part of him knew there was no way she would have missed it, but even still, it was worth a shot. "What are you doing all the way out here?"

He'd specifically chosen this particular music hall for its distance from the main palace to avoid this particular situation, but he guessed luck just wasn't on his side today.

Blaze glanced around the room, perhaps looking to confirm they were alone, before stepping inside. She wore her typical purple jacket, her hands folded carefully in front of her in her usual regal manner. Her engagement ring glittered as she approached him.

"I came to investigate reports of torture in the music house," she said tactfully, meeting his look of innocence full on with amusement dancing in her honeyed gaze. "Some of the grounds staff were worried Nega had infiltrated the palace."

Silver grimaced. "About that …" he started sheepishly. "I'm fairly certain the only thing being tortured out here is my patience."

Blaze's lip turned up in a half smile and she eyed his hidden hands suspiciously. "What have you got there? Is that Nega's torture device?"

Silver gave in, revealing the violin in his hands with a soft chuckle. "It's been assaulting my ears all morning so yes, I guess it is a torture device but it's definitely not Nega's. Listen to this."

Before Blaze could object, Silver sent another round of screeching acoustics slinging around the music room. The cat's hands flew to her ears instantly, protecting their hyper sensitivity from the ear splitting sounds her fiancé was producing.

Silver stopped short the moment he saw her discomfort. "Sorry," he said apologetically. "But you can tell how bad I am, right?" he added once Blaze had returned her hands to their earlier position.

The cat only answered with a question of her own as she closed the remaining distance between them. "Have you had many lessons?"

Silver nodded.

"How many?" she asked, seeming surprised by his answer.

"Enough to not be sounding like that anymore," he laughed. "Do you know how to play?"

Blaze nodded. As a Princess, she was expected to excel at almost everything including playing a wide array of instruments. Whether or not she was musically gifted had been irrelevant as she recalled the hours she'd spent practising in this very hall once she had returned to Sol.

"Here," she said, holding out a hand for the violin. Silver handed it over but Blaze only placed her palm against it.

"What are you going to play?" Silver asked.

"I'm not," she clarified. "You are."

He frowned.

"But – "

Before he could finish, Blaze closed her hands around the neck of the violin and guided it up to his neck, causing all of Silver's objections to dry up in his throat. She adjusted the placement of his fingers, her breath tickling his cheek as she worked.

Silver could only watch on as she moulded his fingers like clay, placing each one precisely where it needed to be before turning to him. His heart hammered in his chest as she turned to him, eyes bright as a spark.

"Okay, that's perfect. Now place your bow on the strings," she instructed, stepping away to give him the room he needed. He felt a rush of cold air as she did so, filling up the space she had occupied. He tried not to dwell on it as he placed the bow on the strings.

"Lighter," she said, and Silver lifted it until she nodded. "You're doing great Silver. Now when you play, you want to make your movements flow like water so that the music can do the same. The jerkier you are, the more it will sound like your hacking someone's arm off and not playing a beautifully crafted masterpiece."

"No pressure then," he joked.

"None at all," Blaze replied back seriously. "Whenever you're ready," she added with a nod to the sheet music beside him.

Silver took a deep breath and played, barely completing a single stroke before the terrible screeching began to assault both of their ears. He stopped, huffing loudly at his own incompetence before he noticed Blaze studying him with a calculated gaze.

"You're panicking," she concluded, narrowing her eyes at him. "Here, I can help you regulate your breathing."

The cat walked around until she was standing directly behind him and Silver shuddered as she snaked her arms around his side, pressing her hands gently onto the side of his chest. The sensation was warm and comforting and despite the fact she was so close, Silver did feel calmer as he felt her against him with every rise and fall of his chest.

"Do you want to try again now?" she whispered, her voice tickling his back quills.

Silver nodded and lifted the bow again. He closed his eyes, having already memorised the notes he needed throughout the morning and tried to focus on the girl holding him instead.

A small part of him wondered just how much of their current situation was just because of her needing an excuse to hold him rather than actually helping him. Probably a larger amount than she would ever admit, he concluded, but as long as she was with him, he didn't mind the reason at all.

With a deep breath, Silver began to play. And for the first time all morning, he didn't have to immediately cover his ears. Actual music flowed from his fingers as he grazed the bow across the strings. Sure, the melody was off, but at least the screaming had ceased.

Whether or not it was the soothing effects of having the woman he loved beside him or just pure luck, the shrieks had morphed into something someone might actually confuse for music.

He felt the pressure of Blaze's hands and arms against him tighten just a little and it bolstered his confidence. His strokes became more adventurous as he tried to tame the creature in his hands, to create a unique melody, but the moment he felt Blaze's head rest against his shoulder he ceased up.

The violin shrieked in alarm and both cat and hedgehog jumped at the sound. Blaze had jumped so far back that she was now no longer holding him, and Silver missed the touch of her against him, however small.

"I'm sorry, I guess I panicked again," he said bashfully.

"No, don't be. You were doing wonderfully," Blaze said as Silver stood and placed the instrument in his seat. She rubbed her arms slowly, looking as if she was unsure what to do with her hands.

"You know … this was actually meant to be a surprise," Silver admitted, scratching the back of his neck in attempt to lower the tension in the room. "I wanted to surprise you during your wedding, but I suppose my terrible musical skills completely ruined that, huh."

"Silver," Blaze said slowly, taking his face in her hands as he locked his gaze with hers. "It's a beautiful gesture and I would be honoured if you would play for me during our wedding."

"Right," he replied softly, surprised he even had enough focus to do so with the intensity of her gaze on him. More than once he had wondered how anyone had ever survived looking directly at her and not falling completely in her thrall as he had.

"But," Blaze said, tapping the tip of his nose with a gloved finger as she stepped away from him. "You are going to need a lot more practice," she added with a smirk.

"More water, less hacking. I got it," he called after her retreating form. He couldn't be sure, but he was fairly convinced he'd spotted the shadow of a fanged smile as she disappeared from view.

Thank you so much for reading guys, let me know your thoughts if you can.

I'm sorry if this one seems rushed, but I couldn't wait another day to get it up because I'm both lazy and impatient. Apologies if there's any technical mistakes regarding the Violin, I tried, I promise.

I hope you enjoyed it regardless and I'll see you guys soon for the next theme, FAIRY TALE (so much to do, so little time!) Thanks again, chao for now :)