Spending free time in Sonic's dimension was always strange for Blaze. She liked to keep her close friend group small; Silver, Marine and Cream were all the close-knit friends she needed however, there was a… not quite a problem but a stipulation tied to being with Cream. Being with Cream usually meant someone else would come along as well, often multiple people. Through Cream Blaze had to sit through tea parties with a crocodile, long walks with a giant cat and most commonly Amy. Of those three Amy was in some ways the most bearable, she kept the conversation going and was generally polite; albeit conversation usually focussed around Sonic. But it was Amy lead to going to see Sonic, Sonic lead to Tails and Knuckles and so the group would grow and grow from the small gathering to a full-blown party. This meant when Amy had approached to make the arrangements Blaze had been extremely hesitant; however there had been a promise that this meeting would not be like ones prior… but no further details had been given.

It had started innocuous enough, taking tea in the house of Cream's mother Vanilla. She'd entered Cream's room to find Amy already there; strange as Blaze had arrived early but not notable. They'd sat down, made pleasantries, and the conversation had started with Amy's roles in Sonic's current exploits as was typical. There was however a strange cadence to her rambling today. Every so often after saying the likes of "I'm sure he'll be my boyfriend someday!" or "Our love is destined" she would pause for an abnormally long sip of tea, as if anticipating Blaze or Cream to respond in some way. Additionally Cream had been quiet for most of the afternoon, shooting nervous glances between the two. Finally, a good three sonic stories later (as Amy's train of thought arrived at the next station and she took at sip) Blaze looked to the young rabbit; "Cream you're looking a little anxious, is something the matter?"

Cream turned to Amy with her giant, pleading, eyes; the hedgehog took a long sip of her tea before gently lowering cup to saucer. "We'd hoped this would come up more naturally Blaze but as you don't seem to be breaching it… how is your relationship with Silver going?"

Not even Cheese, sat at the table with his own cup, made a sound. Blaze could feel a heat begin to rise, she clenched her forearm to sure herself; "I'm not sure what you mean, we're close but we're-

"Blaze I have talked about Sonic for a solid two hours, it's okay. You can be honest about Silver for five minutes. I'm sure psychokinesis can be pretty romantic right? Does he float you things often? Roses and chocolates?" Her eyes seemed to sparkle for a moment, leaning in; "Has he taken you for a flight? Oh I'm sure that must have been so romantic, being carried off into the sunset… I'd love Sonic to pick me up and run…"

Blaze's grip tightened as she attempted to tune out Amy, she could feel her ears reaching to the heavens and fire consume her face. She stared intently into her nigh empty teacup… only for Cream to tug at her arm. "Miss Blaze, n-none of this has to leave your room. It'll all be private, we promise."

"We're not a couple!" Blaze felt herself shout and immediately cringed back into her seat, ears lowering and just as red. She gently took the rabbit's hand; "I'm sorry Cream, but no Silver and I are-

She'd never had to put their relationship into words, they were closer than friends but every alternative made it sound like they were in a relationship. "We're partn- companions, that's all. We're as close as people can be but we're not… we're not dating."

"Ehhh?" Amy's jaw had dropped, her brows threatening to demolish her forehead; "But you're always together, when you're around him you look so relaxed. He's come with you when you visit for months now; you're really not together yet? Everyone's just kind of accepted it's a thing."

"E-Everyone?" Blaze was looking for a way out of this conversation but none were coming to her.

"Well… Cream and I for certain, I told Sonic about it the last time you were here… I told Knuckles to, he can be dense to these things so I wanted to be sure he knew, but you're saying you're not?" Amy appeared to be overcoming the biggest shock of her life, leaning forward so far she may as well have been laying on the table. "But you look so different when you're together; you lose like… twenty, maybe fifteen present of your sternness and he usually looks so anxious, but with you he's always smiling. You bring out the best in each other, why are you not a couple?"

If she'd phrased it any other way Blaze would have been able to shrug it off, say they were close regardless of their relationship status, but by phrasing it that way the floodgate of questions opened in her mind. "W-Why…? Well, I've never really thought…"

Cream, in her half whisper voice, asked; "You've never even thought about it?"

Blaze distracted herself, pouring a cup of tea before closing her eyes. She took a sip, it didn't help the strange heat creeping around her face; "I… umm…" She brought a hand to her forehead.

"This is even better though! Now you've realised, awww I get to watch this love blossom!" Though she wasn't looking it was clear Amy was moving quite wildly, "We can help set up dates and-

Blaze's eyes snapped open, "I think I'd rather… look into these thoughts myself. Thank you though, Amy." She could already see the girl was preparing a response, "If I need any help I'll let you know but… for now at least, please. Cream, Amy, if you'll excuse me." Blaze left promptly, far earlier than she had planned, collected Silver and returned to the Sol dimension.

It'd been a week since Blaze had rushed from her tea party to him and insisted they return. Despite his asking she said things had been fine but it was very clear that they hadn't, she'd was agitated and since that day they'd only been together twice. The first time was the night after they returned; he'd been having dinner with her for some time, Marine too on this occasion, as Blaze often had to attend royal duties during the day. Marine arrived and made a joke, the type she hadn't made for a short while, asking if she was interrupting a date. Blaze had never taken them greatly but something was different this time, she hadn't left but she'd been even less talkative than usual that evening; as though giving them both the cold-shoulder rather than grilling Marine. It made for an awkward evening, Marine tossed a handful of apologises but they didn't seem to breach Blaze's frigid wall. Silver had tried to move the conversation on but it hadn't really worked out. At the end of the night Blaze said she was going to be busy the next few days and would try but likely wouldn't be able to make it to dinner. She hadn't appeared for it since but he'd been making meals in Marine's house, always enough for two or three when Marine said she wanted in. He'd take what could be taken over to the castle, soup and cold dishes mostly, but there was never a response.

The second time was arguably worse. Despite saying she was going to be busy, having not seen her for six days, he bumped into her. He'd been wandering around the beach at noon, looking for shells to add to his rapidly expanding collection and visiting the rock pools, when he saw her. She was walking the length of the beach, heading toward him. He'd called out, waved to her and she had waved back but… the conversation had been scant. She hadn't come any closer, he'd made up the distance, but when he asked how she was doing busy was all she'd say. She did apologise for missing dinners but said it would be a while yet till she could attend. He'd asked what was wrong, certain there was something, only to be told it was nothing he could help with; some kind of work thing. And with that she went, kept walking along the beach.

Since that first dinner Silver had started to feel something… different. Since he had arrived in her dimension, memories regained, Blaze had always been with him. He was laying out on the beach, looking lazy but truthfully in deep thought. She'd always been there in person, within arms reach, but now she was lording over his thoughts, out of sight let alone reach. They'd been together for so long, then they were separated yet out each other's mind… this was the first time in knowing each other they had been apart for an extended period. And it was awful, this wasn't a good feeling at all; there a weight on his chest and mind he couldn't shift no matter how he tried.

He'd spent 14 years mostly alone in a destroyed city, he'd come to the present and made friends only to leave again and never felt a weight of loneliness like this. When Blaze was around, even during their beach encounter, it had fully lifted momentarily. He closed his eyes, tried to focus, more important than why he felt this way without Blaze was why Blaze was upset. Marine had made that joke before, it'd usually prompted an eye roll or at worst a heavy frown but she'd never been this upset… not since he'd been around at least. Something had probably happened in Sonic's time but he couldn't place what as hard as he tried. She'd been taking tea with Cream… he had no idea how the tiny rabbit could cause her such an issue, was it really just work?

His head was starting to spin; he listened to the crash of waves against the shore. There was no way he'd be able to figure out what was wrong with Blaze, not without going to Sonic's dimension… so he was left with his thoughts on her and this weight. He just wanted her to be happy again, was that so difficult? If he knew what the problem was then he was sure he'd be able to solve it, they could solve just about anything together.

"Hey mate, you holdin' up alright? I'm still sorry about… you know." He opened his eyes to find Marine standing above him; hands clasped with a rather despondent look in her face. Her eyes lacked their usual excited light, no broad smile or cheeky grin on her face.

Silver sat up, tapping the ground next to her as a gesture to sit; "You're fine Marine, I think it's something else rather than what you did. A week ago we left the other dimension rather early."

She took a seat, perking up a little, "Oh? I… I only really make that joke because it surprises me that you two are always together but you're not together-together."

Silver raised a brow; "Why are you surprised? Blaze is friends with Sonic too isn't she? Sure we're together more and we've been together longer but does that change things?"

"She is, but you two are kinda inseparable. I'm her mate too, I see her more than most, but she isn't like that wi' me mate. She gets this… how should I put it…" Marine stopped for a good minute, her expression twisting like a whirlpool; "She's more relaxed and less… hmm… I don't want to say angry, I guess serious but that's not right? Maybe like... she's more cheerful with you than I've ever seen 'er."

"She…she is?" Silver blinked, Blaze wasn't exactly happy go lucky but he'd never thought of her as "I thought she was just always like that."

"Pffft, oh no mate, she's had some strops in 'er time with me I tell ya. Got 'er and me in some bother before. Nah, she's different with you and if this week is anything to go by, yer pretty lost without her." Marine explained, "Wandering the beach, makin' extra meals… whatever it was you were doing just now. Usually you're flying around lookin' at stuff or helping folk in town with your psychic powers."

He supposed there had been a change, "I guess I've been a little less proactive…"

Marine nodded and there was another pause, not as long this time and with less of a confused expression on Marine's face. "Do you like… like her?"

"Of co-

"You know what I mean mate, probably at least, like as in… wanna date like?" Marine's usual jovial tone was almost entirely gone; it was only one level more jovial than when she'd said sorry earlier.

"I… uhh…" Silver, could feel an uncomfortable heat on his face; he traced some squiggles in the sand, "I… it sounds like it kinda doesn't it?"

Marie sighed in the most giant, over exaggerated, manner the tiny racoon could; flopping onto the sand next to him. "None of that mate, just gimme a yes or no. That's what you'd have to give her right?"

Silver closed his eyes and thought on this for a while. Blaze was many things to him; he depended on her more than any other. In the past…future… it was still confusing to him but they had fought together and lived side by side, they'd only had each other to really live for. He'd tried to give himself up for her and failed, she had done the same for him and succeeded. They had met again and remembered; their paths couldn't have split any further yet they reunited. He'd come to her world on her orders more than anything. She'd said she wouldn't stand to have him stuck in that awful place and that he needed to take some kind of break. He thought he'd only agreed because of the separation between her world and Sonic's past but if someone else had asked would he have said yes? Since then he had learned to make meals so she had a reason to see him at night, learned manners so he could fit in at the palace and tried to be there whenever things went wrong.

He wanted to save the future and its people sure, but would he do things this personal for anyone but Blaze? By the time he opened his eyes, finally having an answer, there was a figure standing over him.

Marine was here, that would make things more awkward than they already were. Blaze stood over Silver, standing straight with her arms were folded loosely. He had been making a face like he was trying to move the moon but at the sight of her he went from resting on his elbows to flat on his back to standing up in the blink of an eye. "Blaze, hello! A-Are you alright?!" He let out out a cough, realising he'd been shouting in a surprised stupor. "Sorry. Are, are you alright?"

She let out a small sigh, not certain how to proceed; "I'm better now than I was certainly… are you okay?"

He seemed to relax his stance a little at that though there was what looked to be sunburn creeping up his face. "I'm fine now that you're better, that's for certain. Was it just Princess stuff?"

She let out a little sigh, uncrossing her arms. "No, unfortunately, that would have been far simpler to deal with. I lied to you Silver and I'm sorry. It wasn't without deep consideration, I was doing some self-reflection."

"Oh, that's alright. I have something to-

"No, I'm sorry; I'm not quite done. I probably best get this all out, it's taking a lot to stand here." She hated cutting him off but she knew if she didn't say this now she'd deny herself. Looking to him she received an affirmative nod, though it was coupled with an undeniable look of worry. She took a sharp breath; "I was thinking about us and how we… I was thinking about how I…I've… We've…" She clenched her fists, her eyes closed and grit her teeth. Through burning cheeks she forced herself to speak; she'd stopped him talking to say something so she had to say it. "We've been together through so much that I couldn't love anyone how I love you Silver. I love you so much I didn't think to announce it to you or even myself, I didn't even realise it." She fully admitted, redness having fully consumed her. "I… you can say what you wanted now."

"Umm… uhh… Blaze I…" She was struggling to look, embarrassment pounded in her head but opening her eyes she saw it; Silver's face had turned to strained watermelon. There was an extended beat of silence, he looked like he might collapse; "Um, I… yes."

Marine, who had thankfully been quiet for this entire exchange, finally cut in; "Yes mate?"

"Y-Yes...yes!" Silver's head lowered, he was trembling, a hand extended to Blaze; "Yes I-I think- No! I-I agree."

Marine blinked, "You agree? Are you going for a handshake?"

"N-No, I just…" Silver took a deep breath, "I feel the same. Th… I don't… there is no one else I'd rather spend my time with, I-I love you too Blaze."

Blaze took a step passed the hand, still feeling the pressure of embarrassment, and embraced him. She felt his arms slowly envelope her, Marine exploding with excitement… but Blaze was too distracted keeping herself cool, scared she might melt him in her embarrassment.