Author's Note: This theme is a very short one but it should scratch an itch for someone out there. If you check out the Archive of Our Own version you'll find artwork that goes along with this theme by my friend littleaipom!

Also for anyone confused if this is a ship fic, you'll definitely get your answer here if you didn't see the romance genre label already ~

Theme 4: Handshake

Why does it feel like we are always saying goodbye? Blaze couldn't help but wonder with painful realization.

Here she was once again, another adventure at its resolution and standing across from her at the threshold was Sonic the Hedgehog. Same old story, same old ending and each time they were brought together they became closer than ever.

It felt unfair that the time they spent together was always so brief. Blaze knew it was only a temporary separation, they'd see eachother again but the when of it always felt so long. She wanted to be selfish for once and beg for more time with her dear friend.

But Blaze wasn't one to chase after whims, she knew it wasn't realistic. Sonic and Blaze had their own dimensions to safekeep. They neither were willing to jeopardize the precious things they swore to protect.

Blaze found it harder each time to hide how these famous farewells made her feel, like a piece of her heart left with him.

Sonic's hand was extended out towards her, the nostalgia of the gesture made her sigh softly. That old wound was being picked at again, the scratching insistent. It never seemed to ever want to completely scar over.

So focused on her own woes, she missed the concerned and sad eyes Sonic was giving her in the silence.

His voice snapped her out of her stupor, cool and confident as Sonic always was. No matter the situation, he took it graciously. "My hand is getting cold here, Blaze." Sonic wiggled his fingers to highlight the fact of his neglect.

She rolled her eyes at him, his smile was contagious because before she knew it she too was grinning foolishly. It was hard to let the sad feelings linger when he was around.

"You wear gloves, Sonic. You are adequately protected from the cold," Blaze teased him.

"Yeah but your hands have fire inside them and mine don't." The hedgehog moved his hand again quickly, drawing Blaze's attention back to the white gloved appendage. "So c'mon, do your pal a solid and shake his hand. It's tradition at this point!"

"Maybe I don't want to shake your hand this time," she quipped with a leisurely lift of her delicate chin. "Perhaps I want something different and to shake things up a little."

Blaze smirked at Sonic's momentarily disgruntled face. "Bleh! And then you tell me that my puns are awful!"

"My pun was great!" She exclaimed, fangs exposed as her smirk stretched ever so slightly. Blaze wagged a finger at him as she pointed it. "You're just envious I thought of it first, soresport."

Sonic scoffed but grinned nonetheless. "Whatever helps stroke that ego of yours."

"Hah! I have an ego, he says!" Blaze let out a loud laugh that reached her belly. "Surely you of all hedgehogs would know a lot about egos, Sonic."

"I should have you know that I am very humble!" Sonic told her as he pressed his hand against his chest, his voice smug and self assured. He grinned rakishly at her and it made Blaze smile wider at his antics. "I don't take any handouts for my heroics now do I, princess?"

Blaze lifted her fist to her muzzle as if to contemplate his words but she couldn't stop her giggles. She pushed her palm against her smiling lips to squash the overflowing glee but it was no use. The years of practiced expression went out the window and her frame shook happily. Sonic laughed alongside her and her heart squeezed fondly at the sound.

Blaze brushed a tear from her eye from the laughter, chest heaving for breath. She felt free and light as air. She met Sonic's eyes, his face glowing with joy.

They just stared at each other for a long moment, Blaze feeling like a fool but not caring. She drank his welcoming presence in, always parched for his company that was never around enough for her regal tastes. Her reputation as the fearsome Imperial Princess be damned, the feeling he gave her was always so wonderful.

"Now, that looks so much better on you." Sonic composed himself just enough, his face still alight in his mirth.

"What does?" Blaze cocked her head, feeling confusion of how out of nowhere the statement was.

"Happiness." He said it so warmly that even with her gift of flames, she felt the word pleasantly burn over her.

A wave of emotion slammed into her and Blaze had to fight the riptide to keep her head above it. Her breath hitched a little, the only sign of what she was feeling that blew past her lips. "Thank you."

His smile softened and he rubbed his nose in all his usual cool guy style as Sonic tried to mask how her words impacted him. "Aw, Blaze. Now don't get too soft on me." Sonic extended his hand once more and wiggled it. "So, are you gonna shake my hand now?"

"Alright, Sonic." Blaze closed the distance between their hands and grasped his palm firmly with hers. "I suppose this is farewell."

"Until next time," he assured her with one of his winning smiles. "We'll be seeing eachother again in no time, you'll see."

Blaze just nodded her head, she didn't trust herself to speak.

It felt as natural as breathing to hold his hand, they fit together like puzzle pieces. She just wished each time they did share a moment like this it wasn't a symbol of being pulled apart. Always away and never closer.

She squeezed his hand fondly, relishing in the shape and weight of his palm wrapped around hers. Blaze wondered if his finger tips could feel the rush of her pulse from where they rested on her wrist.

Blaze wasn't one to chase whims, it just wasn't realistic. Whim had always been more so Sonic's other master, or so he once told her.

Well, if she and Sonic were counterparts, like the north and south poles of a magnet and more, perhaps whim was also a master of hers too. In close proximity their emeralds could even attract each other after all, calling out to the other as the Eggmen and Tails said.

It was all she could rationalize because she couldn't explain any other reason why she decided to pull Sonic's hand to her lips, pressing a chaste kiss to his knuckles.

Blaze dropped his hand like it burnt her once she realized what she did, not that she really understood that metaphor anyway.

She just wanted to kiss him and now that she had, Blaze wasn't sure what she wanted next.

And it seemed neither did Sonic because there he was gawking at her. He cradled his hand with his other, fingers absently rubbing his knuckles in disbelief.

And Blaze was gawking back and she had a hunch it wasn't her flames making her face burn.

Why did I do that?! Her panicked thoughts yelled in her head for closure.

Again, no logical reasoning came about.

She never knew Sonic the Hedgehog could ever be shy because after several long awkward moments, he was grinning dreamily and struggling to keep eye contact with her.

It was frankly one of the most endearing things she'd ever seen. Blaze decided that what she wanted next was to see more of this side of Sonic.

Blaze had her own hand close to her face, as if it'd help hide her flusteredness. "Apologies, Sonic." She smiled timidly with a strained-sounding laugh. "I do not know where in the world that came from."

Sonic continued to rub at his knuckles coyly, at last turning to face her properly. His cheeks and ears were rosy. "Heh, it's cool. I just… Wasn't ready for that. Guess you really did shake it up this time."

She shyly looked down at her shoes and chuckled weakly. "You are right, that pun is terrible."

"Nah, I've heard worse," he assured her. "Heck, I've made way worse."

"Maybe you are actually telling the truth about being humble," Blaze playfully said, her golden eyes at last finding the courage to meet his smiling face.

"Maybe," Sonic said in a distracted, dream-like sort of way. His green eyes felt deeper and Blaze let herself stare.

She'd allow herself to chase this whim a bit longer.