This Fic was written as a promotional piece for Silvaze Week 2019! For more information visit their neocities page and the week's twitter!

"So, what're you thinking this time?"

"I think we'll take what we can find."

"Oh, well, yeah; of course. But you know, we should probably pick one we both like, right? I think I want something like the last one, it was nice while it lasted."

"It didn't last very long though, did it?"

"… You didn't like it?"

"You're so naïve, that's not what I meant."

Blaze was walking behind Silver, the hedgehog occasionally floating off to peer at a building but consistently re-joining her on the path. On both of their backs hung rucksacks, stuffed to the brim with bedclothes, salvaged food, books and other, simple amenities and luxuries. They'd packed up most everything they owned, anything too large or wasteful left behind, and begun a search for a new residence within the bowels of Crisis city.

The first home they'd shared was fine enough for a couple of kids, the last room of a long collapsed bungalow, but they'd outgrown before Iblis could destroy it. Over the years they'd hopped from place to place, going from supermarkets to libraries but around a year ago they'd taken up residence in an old townhouse. For a while it'd been wonderful; specialised spaces for eating, sleeping and storage, but with time their presence had drawn the spawn of Iblis. They'd held them off for around a month, battering them back every other day, but the monsters had gradually worn away at their home. Gashes had opened in the walls, torn by magma claws, and soon the flaming birds had scorched holes from the roof through to the bottom floor. Giant chasms had compromised the safety of the upper floors; they'd gone from sleeping in separate bedrooms to burned mattresses atop the living room carpet. A move had become inevitable and so, rather than wait for the house to collapse around them, they'd said their goodbyes this morning and set out on a hunt.

Following the thunk of his return to the tarmac, the hedgehog was ahead of her again; looking back with a quizzical stare.

Her eyes rolled, ignoring her nostalgia for their last house, she began to explain. "Practicality is more important than comfort. As nice as a big house is, evidently it's much more of a target than a tower flat or bungalow. Finding a secure building comes first, then we can work to make it comfortable."

"I guess that's true…" Silver's eyes began to wander again, scanning the decrepit buildings that surrounded them. "It'd be nice to find somewhere to settle though, right? A constant place to rest, even if we're fighting every day."

"You're so naïve," Perhaps it was a little soon to say it again, but she couldn't stop the words from tumbling beyond her lips.

Moving house was a bizarre experience for Blaze. Once upon a time, it'd been a cataclysmic shift; the loss of a home had spelt the end of an era, being tossed from safety and into the streets. Now though, Blaze felt prepared. As she packed for their next move she couldn't help but feel excited. This wasn't an ending; more like a brand new start. Between then and now quite a lot had changed, she was older and stronger, but more important than that was the partner by her side. As long as he was there, even as they fled from a crumbling abode, she may lose a house but she'd always have her home.

Blaze had, admittedly, lost herself in thought for a moment; just catching his confused gaze before she could stumble into him. Eyes rolled once again, simply an attempt to avert her gaze and avoid embarrassing herself further. "It's not like I wouldn't like to s-settle," Did he have to use that word? It conjured images of the peaceful, almost domestic, life they'd only read about. Such foolish notions were nothing new from him, yet still, it struck a cord. "I-It's just… unrealistic, we'll always have to keep moving. Even if we find somewhere fortified it'll get worn down eventually, bricks walls can't protect against lava. "

"Oh, yeah. I guess you're right." He conceded, eyes finally returning to the path ahead. "But what about when we finally beat back Iblis for good?"

"When that happens yes, then we can think about finally…" Blaze bit back the red on her face, shaking off foolish thoughts before they could seep sink any deeper, "Settling down."

Unlike Silver, Blaze didn't often think of a world beyond this one. As much as she believed they'd end Iblis' reign, she thought it unwise to set her expectations too high. Even after that monster was defeated; society would remain in disarray, it wasn't as though crisis city would heal overnight. Rebuilding would likely take generations, so she thought it wise to focus upon their immediate problems; short-term goals like finding food and making sure he didn't work himself to death. Thus, she knew she should be focused on finding their new home, not the fluttering in her chest or the naïve ideas he was surely still dwelling upon.

Fists clenched, amber eyes scoured the surrounding buildings, most were shops; their large front windows shattered long before either of them were born. They could reinforce such holes, he'd hold a metal sheet over it and she'd weld it in place, but then their sanctuary would be cast in darkness. Making holes in such a large barrier severely weakened it. Small windows were ideal, like those in the flats above; you could board up two-thirds of it, proving cover, yet leave a hole exposed to filter in light. They were much easier to repair too. Second-floor homes were, in some ways, more vulnerable. While both of them could manage the jump to street-level, if the lower floors were infiltrated and destroyed the whole building could collapse; then they wouldn't merely lose their home but much of their belongings too. Of course, that knowledge came from experience rather than mere theory; a first-floor apartment or the likes of some kind of storehouse was the uncomfortable ideal. But, as she'd said, they'd take what they could find.

Silver had left the trail again, using his cyan glow to scan through windows; undoubtedly searching for some sort of distraction as much as he was their new home. Though she rarely admitted it aloud, only following particularly successful spars, she'd always loved how he unabashedly embraced his power. Reading a book? He'd use psychokinesis to turn the pages. Tidying up? It'd be done with a few waves of the hand. House repairs? They basically did themselves. Her power was less applicable to such mundane things, part of her still saw it as no more than a weapon, but his unintentional endeavours were winning her over. It was… almost a little inspiring, as embarrassing as that was to think.

Having thought of his power however, she was about to require its aid. She called out to him, "Silver, the road's out ahead!" It was still a little ways off, but ahead of her spanned one of the giant magma rivers that coursed through the city. The road ahead was beginning to dilapidate, harsh fissures running through it and pits of tar perpetually smoking. Living any closer to such a site was begging for trouble, the moats were a breeding ground for those monsters.

The hedgehog flit away from an impacted bank and dropped down beside her. "Alright, it looks like this area's a bust, where should we look next? Are we crossing the river or?"

"I don't recall ever crossing this one," After a moment of thought he gave an affirmative nod, "It might be worthwhile to see what's over there. There could be another survivor stronghold, that's worth checking for information even if we can't stay."

"That or more food stores, it's worth a look if nothing else." With a flick of his wrist, her rucksack removed itself from her shoulders before its straps knotted onto his. Silver's bent, arms extended; he was expecting her to hop up.

Blaze ignored the flaring of her face, wrapping an arm behind his neck before swinging her legs up into his grasp. Despite how embarrassing it was, they'd long agreed this was the most practical way of flying. If she were on his back she'd have to cling to him, with her hands filled and vision obscured she'd struggle to defend them from monsters. She felt his metal wristlet press between her knees, another on her right shoulder blade, and his fingers just beyond them; following a gentle squeeze, a blue aura encompassed their shared form. Without prompting, her tail found its way around his waist.

Soon they were airborne, first gently elevating before she heard the whirring of gathered psychic energy. They shot forward, soon their surroundings shifted from a blur of crumbling city blocks to stalagmites jutting from a body of lava. Lava dogs howled and burning serpents blindly lunged after them but neither species stood a chance of reaching. The only true obstacle was directly ahead, a flitting storm of magma wings and lashing tails was rapidly approaching; as Silver soared higher the swarm tracked their assent. Blaze brought her hands together, heat traced around her shoulders and escaped at her palms; soon a ball of fire had formed between them. As they gained altitude Blaze continued to feed the orb energy, growing it well beyond her finger's reach. Just as the first embers started to slip from her grasp they'd found themselves directly above the Iblis bat swarm, without exchanging a single word their plan had gone off without a hitch.

He stopped their movement, his psychic grasp preventing any whiplash; she paused, letting the monsters draw closer, before dropping the sphere beneath them. It drifted down slowly but, now beyond her control, the flame was pulsing and shredding its own boundaries; expanding from its condensed form. As the first of those bats blindly collided with it the restraint was fully undone; a great swirling flame fully eclipsed the burning monsters and, making use of its cover, Silver shot forward. Racing through smoke, sparks flickering off their psychic coat, they'd soon bypassed the flames and found themselves above lava dry land; the other side of the city street. A glance beyond his shoulder confirmed the remaining beasts had given up their pursuit; no hounds were tracking them by land either. She kept an eye open until their flight slowed and the river was far from sight.

Contented, a sigh slipped free from her lips; she allowed her head to rest in the crook of his shoulder. It hadn't been a particularly taxing endeavour, far from it in fact, but she told herself that taking this momentary respite was wise. It was unclear when they'd find a suitable home, their next proper rest could be hours if not days away. That and, as much as she'd ever admit it, he did make an especially good pillow.

Just as she'd gotten comfortable, her ears flicked in response to his voice, "You've gotten stronger again Blaze, I can tell. We'll beat Iblis for good soon, I can feel it!"

The feline couldn't help but smile, "As have you Silver, I remember when those bats could outpace your flight. I know you're stronger than you think."

Even through the cyan light Blaze could see the blush on his face, she couldn't help noticing how quickly his eyes had flickered back to the city ahead. While he was oblivious to most of his own embarrassing actions, she knew the hedgehog couldn't handle compliments. Blaze fully understood why he was like this. When they were small, she'd hear him struggle to compliment himself before training, shouting about how strong he was and how he'd fix the future with his own hands in an incredibly shaky and uncertain voice. However, whenever she said those same words to him the hedgehog was overjoyed; rather than struggle under the weight of his own goals. He'd always do his best, hoping to show her she was right. It was undeniably endearing, watching the glow in his eye and the red on his cheeks as he pushed himself further than he thought possible; likewise, his drive had driven her to get stronger.

"Hey, that one looks pretty good. Want to give it a closer look?"

His words pulled her from her thoughts; Blaze quickly tore her eyes from him and to the way ahead. It didn't take long to sight his selected abode, wedged between a florist and a haberdashery was a rather unsightly green door. The slot between the two buildings was thin but above it was what appeared to be two separate apartments, one atop the other, or a singular dual story apartment.

"By living in the lower floor we'd be sheltered from the flying monsters, but by being above the ground floor we'd be protected from the hounds and golems," She mused, "That's a surprisingly sensible choice."

"Oh, y-yeah. Of course," By his stutter she could tell he hadn't thought that far ahead, "I also noticed the door and windows are in good condition, that means the insides should be safe."

Feet met the ground before Silver gently set her down. The hedgehog was right, while the paint had peeled and faded with age the door stood solid before them; charring licked near its edges but hadn't reached the door's centre. Blaze went to step forward only to feel something tug near her waist, glancing back she found her tail wrapped around a befuddled Silver hedgehog. Red returned to her face, Blaze tugged her tail to follow and stepped up to the hearth; hand grasped the doorknob.

A crease quickly crossed her brow, "It's locked. Somehow, despite being abandoned for who knows how long, it's still shut tight." Having hoped to push on and hide her embarrassment, now unable, she took a few steps back; arms folded across her chest.

"Really? This place must be really safe," She heard him step forward, the whir and glow of psychokinesis soon following.

He wasn't wrong. Though most doors were still locked, the licking of flames had worked away at their frames; with no more than a shove the charcoaled wood would give way and rusty hinges would swing.

Pushing away the last of her blush, Blaze took in the surrounding city. It wasn't all untouched, many of the lower level shops had lost their doors entirely, but in comparison to their prior homes and much of the city, this place was untouched. Blaze could only compare its miraculous sanctity to a survivor settlement, but those homes had been rebuilt and had a defended perimeter. She had one theory to explain the area's good fortune; they looked to have found an upper-class area of the city. There were no corner shops or supermarkets; instead, the area was rife with clothing stores and those that specialised in luxury goods. Nowhere to buy food nor survival equipment, this had been one of the first districts to clear following Iblis' rise; without lives to snuff out, the monsters had no reason to hunt here.

"Sorry for the wait! I've finally got it." She heard the door creak open, "The lock was weird, way more complicated than the usual sort; lots of pins to push in." As if to accentuate his point the lock suddenly resealed, the latch springing out the open door. "This place seems really safe, I guess the river kept other survivors from moving here."

"It does, but I don't think we'll find much food around here." Blaze agreed, "It seems like a smart trade-off, but we'll need to see how manageable it is. Let's just see if it's as safe on the inside as it looks."

Silver nodded; using his power to disengage the lock before leading the way up, as Blaze closed the door his glowing symbols became their only light source. Time had been kind to the building but it wasn't immune to its stresses; with each creak of the stairs crumbling paintwork would harmlessly flake from the walls and ceilings. Blaze raised a hand to her muzzle to protect against the particulate and soon Silver had done the same. She'd been proven correct in her assumption, be it only for this abode, no person or monster had entered these walls since society fell. Silver came to a halt before her; she heard the groan of a door handle before the squeal hinges as he pushed another door open.

"It looks clear to me, no real damage so far." Beyond his rucksack Blaze saw his ears perk up and with them, his tail began to swish. Before he spoke she knew what he'd say. "I think I like it already…"

"Let's make certain it's secure before we set our hearts on it."

They shrugged the bags off of their shoulders, setting them by the door. As anticipated the apartment indeed had two floors, a thin set of stairs ran alongside the indoor hallway; ascending into darkness and beyond the reach of his light. Discounting the entrance there were only three doors on this floor, the one on the immediate left had been long left open Presumably there was a kitchen and some sort of living space, what the third door hid was more of an anomaly; perhaps a bedroom or a bathroom. Silver was taking it all in, using his power to neaten what'd been jostled during the evacuation. Sets of shoes, heels and slippers alike, were quickly aligned before he flipped upright a coatrack toppled long ago. Two coats still hung on it, a well-worn leather jacket and a light, mint green, cardigan with billowing sleeves.

"I guess, with all the fire, they wouldn't have been useful…"

For a moment she saw the excitement fade from his eyes, likely remembering this house hadn't always been empty. She steeled herself, reaching across to take his hand. "It looks like they made it outside, must have heard about it long before Iblis took over the city."

"Right," His smile was weaker but it had returned, "Hopefully they got away and found somewhere safe to live."

Blaze returned the expression, nodding; "We'll put what they left behind to good use, I'm sure they'd rather that than it go to waste."

That soft smile grew stronger still, "So, you think we can stay here?"

"By the looks of it so far, yes." She had to turn away as that spark fully returned to his eyes, "But it's better to be safe than sorry."

Turning from the hedgehog's joy, Blaze scanned their surroundings once more. There were picture frames on the stair wall, Silver's light reflecting off their glass and obscuring their details. Judging from the lack of light upstairs there weren't any holes in the ceiling, though a shut bedroom door could be hiding a world of damage.

She raised her free hand; following a moment's focus a bright orange flame was flickering from the tip of her forefinger. "I'll head upstairs, you check down here."

The naïve hedgehog was beaming again, stepping in much to close and squeezing her hand. "Alright, I'll give it a quick once over and head on up! If you need anything just call." He left her, chest fluttering and fire briefly spread across all her fingers.

Reigning in the glow she managed to set off, half hearing the sounds of cupboards being opened as she climbed the stairs. The teal ambience was gone, in its place a warm orange one. The stairs creaked, just like the ones before, and with every step long-settled dust spiralled up to tickle at her nose. As she passed the first picture Blaze couldn't help but take notice of it, three young girls sharing periwinkle fur and jade eyes. They were sisters most likely, with so few similarities between them they were likely triplets, no older than twelve. She ascended higher, her eyes caught the next frame; a family photo. The three sisters had returned, looking even younger, but behind them stood a squirrel who's fur matched theirs and an owl with his daughter's eyes. Though the family connection caught her eye it wasn't the first thing to; rather, that was the way they dressed. It looked to be a wedding photo and, though it was clear the parents weren't the wedding couple, the quality of the dresses was rather stunning. The daughters looked like they might be princesses, their dresses almost like ball gowns, while the mother's was long and sleek; the patterning on its upper half looked to be stitched like feathers.

As she neared the top of the stairs there was one more picture, this time depicting an extended family. All five from the prior picture were there, now dressed much more casually, but among them was another owl, an elder woman with greying feathers, and a robin with a bright red chest. It took less than a moment to notice, the owl was wearing the cardigan and the robin a leather jacket. The same outfits from the hall. This had been their home.

Blaze cast such thoughts aside, having reached the second-floor hallway. There were four doors, all but the end one closed. She pushed open the closest, a door on the right, and light filtered into the hallway. Heading inside Blaze found the room clean and barren, a large single bed at the far end of the room (its covers neatly made) and a small metal alarm clock on the bedside cabinet. The cupboards and drawers were empty, Blaze quickly understood this had been a guest room… likely one for the birds' son and his wife. Refusing to let herself dwell on that, Blaze snuffed her fingers and drew the curtains fully open; allowing the orange light of flames to properly fill the room and thus brighten the hall.

She quickly crossed to the room opposite but this time the room wasn't so empty. There were three separate beds aligned along the far wall, their bedclothes nearly made and a soft toy topping each pillow. In the corner was a plastic box filled with toys, next to it a wooden doll's house that looked to be handcrafted. As she pulled her eyes from the sight, they met with a dusty corkboard; littered with the scribbling of children, ranging from graded schoolwork to drawings of Chao and the family. A sigh escaped her lips, her imagination alight with the trio of girls playing in the room long before the end had come. They hadn't been staying here when the world ended, the family would've been separated by monsters and distance. She hoped they'd managed to reunite. Again, trying not to dwell on such thoughts, Blaze drew the curtains open; the light colourising the red roof of the toy house and the splotchy drawings on the wall. The room was safe, that was what mattered.

Quickly exiting she made her way to the last unopened door. She took a deep breath and stepped inside, this beyond the light of the hall this room was pitch black. Relighting her fingers she found herself in a bathroom, unlike the prior two rooms there'd clearly been a scramble for supplies. Much of the toiletries had fallen out of their cupboard, including a shattered cologne bottle that had long lost its scent. There was no window, frosted glass or otherwise, and thus Blaze turned toward the final room.

Undoubtedly, this room would hold the most memories. Even peering through the half-ajar door the feline could see the mess, on the immediate left was a walk in wardrobe and much of its clothing was strewn on the floor. Waving away her flames Blaze pushed inside, it was by far the messiest room. The bedclothes were scattered across the room, not a single drawer was left unopened and a picture had fallen from the bedside cabinet. She'd forgotten moving into a home was, in a lot of ways, more difficult than an old shop or restaurant. Stepping over the clothes she drew open the curtains, unlike the other rooms this had broken. The glass wasn't inside; undoubtedly one of the elders had stumbled into it during the panic.

"It's all clear down here Blaze! Rotten food in the freezer but, outside that, it shouldn't be too hard to clean up!"

Just as Blaze turned away from the window, about to call back to him, something caught her eye. Hanging on the far side of the wardrobe's door was a dress, but even by what little of the hem she could see; Blaze knew it wasn't a normal gown. More than a little hesitant she reached up, taking it by the hanger and drawing it out. It was a sleeveless white dress masked grey by dust. Its skirt was wide and long. The neckline was rather exposed, a permeable layer of silk decorated with two-dozen sewn white lilies. At the top of the hanger was a veil, moving it aside Blaze saw a note written and stuck to the hook; 'For Madelyn Argyle, due for review. To be finalised by the 22nd of March.' Had she not seen the veil Blaze might have convinced herself otherwise, but this was going to be someone's wedding dress. Two hundred years ago, the end of the world prevented Madelyn's wedding. Her dress went unused. Someone had come so close to settling, just like the family in this house. Who was it for, perhaps a relative? Maybe the parents were yet to marry? Whoever this Madelyn was, they weren't much taller than Blaze herself; the dress almost looked like a perfect fit.

Realising what she'd thought embarrassment flared, had she really just considered how she'd look in it? This had been someone's wedding dress, she couldn't just-

"Blaze? Are you alright?" Silver's shouting up the hall shook her from her thoughts; she quickly called back a reply.

"Yes! I-I'm fine Silver, I've just…" Her eyes flickered between the doorway and her dress, "Found something!"

Before she could overcome her blush, he was in the doorway, "Really, what've you fou-

The sparkle hadn't left his eye but at the sight of the dress Blaze swore it grew even brighter, he stumbled his way into the room; tripping over the piles of clothes. Glad to be rid of the thing she let him take it, turning away. "Oh wow! They managed to get another one done before the end, it looks so pretty."

"Another one?" She questioned.

"One of the rooms downstairs looks like a workshop? There are lots of different fabrics and sketches for designs. I'm pretty sure the couple who lived here made them for a living." He explained, "On the fridge, there are hundreds of photos of people in dresses like that and it's not just the ones from their family, there's way too many for that."

"I see." Despite her best efforts, Blaze's eyes had drifted back to the dress, "It's sad to think she never got to wear it, she was so close to fully settling but they had the chance stolen from them…" There that word was again; perhaps that was why the dress had struck such a cord.

It was then that the hedgehog asked the unimaginable, "Do you want to try it on?"

Cheeks flushed a warmer red, "S-Silver, this is someone's wedding dress."

"I know that, but you said it's better that we use the things people left behind. We should put it to good use." Despite the nature of his question, Silver was clearly unembarrassed. "If there was a problem with that, then we shouldn't be in a house like this, right?"

"You're so naïve." Blaze felt her temperature soar higher still, she wanted to ask why she'd ever use a dress like this but the embarrassment it would bring was just too much. She attempted to scrutinise his stare, undoubtedly frowning as she scanned for some speck of understanding or motive, only to be met with blinking confusion and an eventual glint of fear. He couldn't have understood what he was implying, talking about her having a use for a dress like this. Her arms folded as she turned away from him, "If you wait outside I'll put it on."

"I-I mean, if you don't want to you don't have-

Blaze took back the dress, certain fear had prompted his stutter rather than some sudden upwelling of embarrassment, "I said get out, I-I'll call you when I'm ready."

He tried to stammer a few more words out but, with another blushing glare, she sent him stumbling from the room; closing the door behind himself. There were no further footsteps, he was probably leaning against the door and questioning whether he'd made some mistake. Blaze felt the fabric between her fingers, even outside of his view her ruddiness refused to fade. It hadn't quite set in that'd she'd be doing this… it wasn't as though she wore dresses often, they were constantly fighting and searching for resources; clothes were meant to be practical rather than pretty. Blaze held the dress against herself and, as she'd thought, it was almost her size. Maybe a little broad on the shoulders and perhaps it was just a little long but Blaze knew she'd at least get it onto her frame.

Even through her gloves, she could feel the softness of the material. The brush of her thumb unveiled a brilliant white layer beneath long set dust. It was so delicate; she couldn't run and fight in a dress like this regardless oh want but Blaze got the feeling it would tear under any strain. Blaze gently drew free the hanger and veil, setting them on the bed, before gently brushing off the gown, struggling to ignore the tickling of her nose and eyes.

Why was she doing this? Before she'd scared him off he'd taken his word back, told her she didn't have to wear it if she didn't want to. Did she want to wear it? The undeniable answer forced a sigh from her lips, she'd called him naïve but who was really being childish. Just as she knew him better than he knew himself, he knew the same of her. Perhaps it'd been how she held the dress or the way her eyes had lingered upon it. Regardless, something had given away that tiny, insignificant, nagging want.

Even after her minimal effort, the dress was brighter than it'd been for the last a hundred years. She lowered it to the ground, spreading it wide so the carpet was visible through its centre. Blaze slipped off her heels, not wanting to chance a misstep tearing the fabric, before shedding her purple overcoat; a white string top that matched her tights lay beneath. She stepped into the dress, pulling it up her body. It was surprisingly comfortable. Well, being designed to be worn for an entire day, she supposed that made sense. It didn't catch on her fur and, though it clearly wasn't suited for fighting, her upper body felt free to move. Perhaps even, a little too free.

The dress seemed to hang off of her shoulders, refusing to remain taught no matter how she shifted it. It had been a long time since she'd last worn a dress and she'd never worn one quite like this. They'd been simple and plain, the sort she could throw on in a pinch and still wear while fighting, rather than… this. Blaze reached behind herself, trying to tug the dress from a different angle, only to find it split in two. There was a gap, what felt like loose ribbons hung between the two sides. This was complicated, she'd worn dresses with zips before but this was on a different level. She tried to approach the strings from different angles, first over her shoulders and (when that failed) reaching up her back.

It seemed like she was supposed to pull the two sides, tightening them, before fastening it with a knot or through some loop she couldn't see. Fiddle as she might, she couldn't get it to work; she'd pull the strings and the dress would close but she couldn't retain that tension and tie a knot. Even if she took the dress off, she doubted she'd be able to sort it before pulling it up her body. Especially not without ripping it. There was a collar to it that, when the back closed, became far more form fitting; far too tight to shift past her shoulders. This dress required two people, one to wear it and one to fasten it. There were only two people in the house.

Blaze pushed a hand to her chest, attempting to hold the dress in its proper place, feeling the heat of embarrassment return to her cheeks. It wasn't as though she was naked beneath the loose dress, it was no worse than when she wore pyjamas, but the combination of the dresses' purpose and her compromising position was catalysing her blush. Her mind scrambled for another way, face twisting as she continued to fumble with the ribbons at her back. Whenever she successfully tied a knot it'd be much too loose, untying those knots was even harder. Just as she'd undone a knot, a voice cut through the door.

"Blaze, is everything okay?" The ribbons slipped from her grasp, she hadn't realised how long she was taking.

"Silver, I…" She turned away from the door and to the window, again pressing a hand to her chest in an attempt to hold the dress in place. "Can you come in, I need your help."

"I'm coming, what's wro-

The door had been flung open, he'd stumbled in, and undoubtedly hesitated at the site. Try as she might, she couldn't find the strength to look back to him. "I can't tie up the back myself, can you…" She didn't quite know what to say but she hoped he understood.

There was a pause, soon followed by footsteps. "I-I'll give it my best shot?"

Unable to see him, she couldn't place his stutter. In hindsight, she wasn't sure how much the hedgehog new about marriage. He claimed to know what a wedding dress was, but had he just seen the word downstairs? Blaze herself only knew the basics, that marriage was a celebration of love bringing people together, that objects, most commonly rings, would be exchanged and vows given. Being truthful to each other, treating the other when they're sick and protecting one another. As she thought of them, Blaze felt Silver's touch; his hands had finally reached the back of her dress.

Blush bubbled further; if those vows were the criteria to marry then they already met them. Being truthful? Even when he wasn't, understating an injury or his hunger, she could read his face as clearly as he could read hers. Treating the other when they were sick? Of course, they did that. One of the few times they'd bicker was over who to treat first, be it injuries or illness. Protecting one another? They'd done that today even, they did that every day. She'd give everything to see him safe and Blaze had no doubt he'd do the same for her. It wasn't that they were doing it out of choice though; they were doing it to survive.

Weren't they?

They'd chosen to survive together. They'd decided to change this world together. She didn't have much choice, the flames that clung to her kept away others, but he could have fit in at one of those survivor settlements. Truth be told, he was probably better served there; helping maintain their homes and defending people. It was so easily imagined. The pact they'd made in their youth, promising to fix the world together, was the strongest vow they'd made. Could it be compared to marriage? The words 'till death do us part,' another common vow, came to mind. It'd take that much to undo their bond at the very least, she couldn't imagine one of them dying without the other… even if it was very easy to imagine them dying for one another.

He was still working away but she managed to pull her hand from her chest, finding the fabric almost fully taut. "Thank you Silver, are you almost done?"

"Th-There's just a couple more, they're really fiddly." He explained, the warmth of his breath so close to her ear refreshed her blush. "I think I'm doing it right, does it feel okay?"

"Y-Y-Yes," She swallowed, cursing internally her stutter, "Yes, Silver. You're doing fine."

Though her mind was still stuck on marriage, she managed to pry it away from the prior comparisons. The other things she knew were rather strange, smaller pieces of a bigger puzzle she presumed. Things like a thrown bouquet determining who was going to get married next, the pressure of such a bond seemed rather unfair to dump on a person, and giant cakes being cut, cakes too big for even the large groups who typically attended the festivities. Fancy outfits, music and large halls were often involved, albeit those were a common sight at most festivities. The event seemed strange but, in a way, there was a wholesomeness to the concept. Commemorating a bond by bringing other people together, when things were finally fixed maybe such festivities could retu-

"That's it done! I-It might take me a bit longer to undo but you're all fastened up." The stutter lingered in his voice but, mixed with it, there was a clear excitement.

"Thank you, Silver." Blaze stood fully straight, fiddling with the gown to be certain it was on properly… but more pressingly, to buy enough time to quash her blush. "Can you pass me the veil?"

Blaze reached up, undoing her ponytail and taking the hairband around her wrist, just in time from him to pass the semipermeable fabric over her shoulder. She brushed loose much of its dust before raising it to crown her head. As the material fell into her vision she was able to make out its intricacies, to match the dress small flowers of a lighter texture were woven into it.

Her eyes closed tight, she turned on her heel and, just in time for embarrassment to swell again, she was facing him. Albeit, much too flustered to meet his gaze.

For a moment there was silence, not a peep from the hedgehog, but she soon broke it, "S-So, w-what do you think?"

Suddenly, her feet were swept from the floor; she felt his arms around her. Surprise forced her eyes open, she found herself staring down at his beaming face. He'd lifted her up and into a tight hug, wearing a grin wide enough to redden his cheeks. She'd forgotten he could do that, without her heels he was a good few inches taller than her.

Her gaze averted, just in time for him to answer. "You look beautiful Blaze! It really suits you!"

She couldn't muster the will to speak, only managing to avert her gaze from his; even through the veil, the sparkle in his bright yellow eyes was far too potent. Blaze lowered her hands to his shoulders, stabilising herself, fingers intertwining with his overgrown chest fur. It was such an embarrassing hold, his arms crossed beneath her thighs; the billowing fabric of the dress acting as a cushion.

"Is this okay Blaze?" Excitement has turned to worry all of a sudden, Blaze's eyes returned to his. "Should I put you down, a-are uncomfortable?"

"Y-You're so naïve, I-I'm fine Silver. It's just… you know," Despite her effort, words were still failing her. She was embarrassed enough as it was without explaining that embarrassment, "I don't wear dresses often and this one has… a lot of meaning behind it." The veil folded back on itself, awash in cyan light. Though the light still lingered Blaze could see the seriousness in his eyes, he was making sure she was really okay. It was unavoidable; he'd see her blush. "I-I'm fine Silver."

"I wasn't lying, you look really pretty Blaze." She felt her temperature rise further, the flush on her cheeks undoubtedly darkening, she couldn't look away; if she did, he'd worry more. The mixed messages of his compliment, the close way he held her and the seriousness of his tone wasn't helping matters.

"Thank you, Silver." Blaze knew his words were genuine but, equally, she knew he didn't really understand them. Well, she supposed she could return the feeling. Perhaps if they were both embarrassed it wouldn't be so bad. Her fists balled at his scruff, "Y-You look v-very handsome."

No, that hadn't made things better. Now he was blushing, his eyes dropped to the hem of her dress, and she was flushed twice as crimson. Both of them unable to move, struggling to think what to say let alone say it. With him looking away Blaze, eventually, managed to cast her gaze past him; opting to fixate on one of the few barren patches of carpet. Why couldn't this be easier? Why hadn't she just kept-

"Y-You should keep the dress," Her gaze shot back to him, only to find he wasn't looking at her. Pinkness tipped his ears and thoroughly lit his muzzle, "I-If you want it that is. O-Of course, you don't have to."

Eyes widened, curiosity was piqued. Why had he said that and, arguably far more importantly, how much did he know about marriage? "What use would I have for it? I can't fight in a dress like this."

"I-I don't know," His answer offered no confirmation but his next words were so easy to misinterpret, to make out as more than they might have meant. "M-Maybe someday you'll find one?"

Was that a proposal or a simple answer? Regardless of the meaning behind it, he'd left her too stunned to think. As he finally lowered her to the ground, their height difference once again becoming evident, her hands lingered on his shoulders for just a moment longer. Summoning the sum total of her courage, Blaze made a promise. "A-Alright, one day we'll find a use for it."