Morning
Amy Rose's mind was in conflict. Her kinder half was trying its best to quash the aggravation the burned behind her eyes, but it was a hard fight to win. The day was young, harsh yellow sunlight had only just broken over her windowsill and yet she had been awake for at least an hour now. She'd spent the bulk of that time in the shower, cleaning herself before rebandaging the small ensemble of injuries she'd acquired during yesterday's engagement. A cut on her right hand, a small line down her right leg, a slight bruise just above her temple; she hadn't been seriously hurt, but her aches were significant enough to merit some early morning attention. They looked to be healing well, further proof of the gang's success.
Now garbed in her typical red dress, yawning as she made her way down the stairs of her very narrow apartment, she couldn't help but reflect on the chaos of yesterday. It too had involved an early rise as a certain plum feline and her alabaster hedgehog companion had burst into reality at the foot of her bed. After quite a lot of shouting, the pink hedgehog had been convinced to accompany them in rounding up the gang for an immanent assault on an underground recreation of Eggman Land. As would be proven by the day's combat, Eggman had constructed this settlement with the intent to jettison it up and onto the surface, causing untold destruction to station square. Fortunately, with pair's shared foresight, the day was handily won. Attacked both in the confined subterranean space and before he could gather all of his resources, Eggman had been unable to unleash his full armada. Though no one had escaped the underground unharmed, but they'd all managed to walk out on their own two feet and the day had been saved!
Adrenaline from their success had led Amy to suggest a handful of things, one of which was surely responsible for her early rising. She'd invited the two who had awakened her to stay over for a few days. They'd refused at first, of course, and posited that they had responsibilities to return to, but her charms had, eventually, won them over. A speck of her psyche regretted winning that fight, willing to trade it for another two hours of sleep, but she knew she was being hasty. Without those two, they would have surely lost to Eggman's surprise assault and they were likely only awake due to another plan she'd set in motion. Of course she'd offered her home to them, of course she'd said to make themselves comfortable and given them free access to the kitchen; she'd wanted to be a good host, not to wake up at six after an exhausting day.
As she reached the bottom step, almost stumbling, she forced a small skip into her stride. Yesterday's Amy, in all her wisdom, had set another plan into motion; she had guaranteed herself some time with her one true love, with her darling Sonic! Her blue hero, her lodgers, Tails, Knuckles and Cream were set to join her for a day of picnicking and a night of camping. Though the invitation had been extended to Team Dark, a disgruntled Shadow had insisted that he couldn't stand to be around Sonic twice in one week. In hindsight, implying he was just mad he'd lost out on the final blow against Eggman to Sonic probably wasn't the best way of convincing the ultimate lifeform. Rouge had promised to look after him, make sure that only his pride that was wounded, before taking off with Omega in tow.
Still, with or without that trio, Amy was certain that today would be wonderful! They had so much planned; a hike up to sunset hill, setting camp, roasting marshmallows, telling stories, stargazing and after all, she'd be with her darling Sonic. It was going to be perfe-
"Silver, please," A demure voice sounded from the kitchen, coupled with the clattering of pans, completely dashing Amy's thoughts, "If you don't want to then you don't have to, I just…"
What was happening in her kitchen? Fuelled by childish curiousness, Amy went from skipping to creeping and tiptoeing. The traveling duo had taken her small couches as their beds, there wasn't room on either of them for comfortable lying but neither had complained. She'd been awoken this morning by a combination of talking and shifting downstairs, the clattering of her messy drawers being rummaged through especially, and expected to find one or both of them cooking. A sniff to the air confirmed that something was being cooked… or, more accurately, something had been burned.
Amy peeked around to the right and into the room only to find she'd been correct, the two were cooking. Stood before the tenant's small oven was Silver the hedgehog, time traveling psychokinetic and earnest warrior, while Blaze the cat, the often secretive pyrokinetic princess of the Sol dimension, stood to his left. A bandage was still wrapped like a bandoleer over the psychic's left shoulder while Blaze's injuries seemed to be entirely covered by the garb she was wearing.
Rather than her frequently seen royal attire, Blaze had been forced to co-opt one of Amy's outfits as her usual robes required both a wash and mending. From the vast array of potential options, Blaze had made some rather unique choices. Amy had failed to talk her into trying out one of her red dresses and instead the feline had selected a set of denim dungarees that the hedgehog usually used for gardening and a red shirt with the embroidered outline of a large rose. The clothes didn't not suit her (they matched her hair-tie at least), but they were clearly a little big in places. Silver, meanwhile, looked about as regular as ever, with his glowing golden cuffs and heavy boots, but his normally ludicrous quills have been pulled into a messy ponytail using a simple black scrunchie.
"You don't need to worry, Blaze," He said, sounding far more confident than he had at any point yesterday, "I promised I'd help you with this someday and now's the perfect opportunity. It'll be easy, you can do it."
"Well, if you're set on this then I suppose I'll play along," The princess' tone certainly didn't match his but it was far harder to place, "I just don't want to ruin any more of Amy's pans."
The pink hedgehog's gaze finally drifted from the pair and to the purple feline's left. There, on the drying rack, stood what must have been the smouldering remains of one of her pans. Even though it looked to have been thoroughly soaked, Amy swore that she still saw the glinting of embers within the large burnt stain on its interior. The pink hedgehog was about to simply step into the room and announce her presence when their dialogue froze her in place. Something about this scene was piquing her intuition and she had no idea why.
"You won't, I believe in you. Anyone can cook, it just takes a little bit of practice," Silver's words distracted Amy from her annoyance. She watched as, with no more than a wave of his hand, a new pan retrieved itself from the drawer and set down on the hob. Then, induced by a second wave, ingredients took to the air ensnared in a cyan hue, "First, let's start with just a little bit of oil," He stepped to the right and, almost immediately, Blaze filled his space in front of the stovetop. Though she took the sunflower oil from the air, she hesitated before adding a little, "Alright, that's perfect, Blaze; you're off to a great start!"
"Of course I can get through this part," Blaze tutted, turning to him, "It's everything after this that's… difficult."
Like the pieces of a long-lost puzzle, a few surprising things were clicking into place in Amy's mind as she not so voyeuristically observed the pair. She'd assumed that Blaze would be the better cook, she had a stable home and surely tutors who could have taught her. If the princess had a castle then wouldn't it have a staff, including chefs? Blaze didn't seem the type to let them do all the work, she'd undoubtedly have tried to take the reins and cook for herself at some point. What's more, the feline usually led in matters involving them both regardless; this was so strange.
To Amy, Silver and Blaze's relationship was an interesting but fortunate one. The two both seemed, to her at least, to be rather solitary souls as a result of their histories and homesteads. Blaze's position as guardian of her dimension meant that the gap between her appearances could be dramatically large, leaving a void in their social circle that must have been many magnitudes wider within hers. From a young age she'd had a job, a duty she'd call it, that she refused to break; her friendship had to be scheduled like any other meeting. Silver meanwhile was always working. He'd show up frequently, she'd either see him first-hand or learn about him through hearsay, but he'd never linger for long. He'd drop into the present, fix what he had to fix, before jumping off to figure out the next problem; it all seemed just so terribly lonely.
Amy had only ever managed to corner them, both as individuals and as a pair, a handful of times. When the two had first shown up together, so very casually talking and working together, she had been quick to pry but their only admittance was that they were companions. She'd taken them on their word but… well, she knew them as a pair of warriors who were both crushed and empowered by their individual duties. From this angle, at this moment, they didn't look like that whatsoever. Perhaps it was just because this was her first time seeing them in a domestic setting, but they looked like a cou-
"Keep your eyes on it," Silver gently nudged her with his shoulder and, quick, Blaze threw her gaze back down to the hob, "When you can see little bubbles starting to form or waves of heat, that's when you want to start. If you leave it too long then too much will burn away, then the food will end up sticking to the pan."
The clutter hanging above the pair began to shift. Amy watched as a packet of bacon peeled itself open and two rashers (cloaked in cyan psychic energy) meandered their way down to sizzle in the oil. As that happened, Blaze had quickly grabbed a spatula from her side and immediately her posture changed; her ears had furrowed downwards as she leaned in much closer to the oven.
"How am I supposed to know when to move them? How am I even supposed to move them? Should I be delicate or scape or?" Blaze asked, talking louder than before, "If I move them too much then they won't cook but move them too little and I'll end up…" Her gaze flickered to her prior attempt and what Amy now understood to be carbonised bacon attached to a pan.
As Blaze's gaze shifted though, Amy saw something that made her heart skip a beat; her intuition was proven valid. In a single movement, Silver had stepped behind his companion and brought his arms to frame hers. All of a sudden, they'd gone from standing side by side at the hob to practically embracing and the craziest part was that, despite this impromptu contact and how she'd reacted to similar touches in the past, Blaze didn't push him off. As the hedgehog shifted his head to peer just over her shoulder, his cheek surely brushing against hers, Blaze seemed to… well, it was hard to see given Amy's angle and Blaze was already difficult to understand, but she almost seemed to relax. Though the princes' face was obscured, her ears had shifted back to their regular position and, perhaps with his guidance, her posture had improved.
"Not too hard but not to gentle, not too soon but not too late. I believe in you, Blaze," He encouraged her, leaning in to get a better view and (as a result perhaps) leaning in closer still to her, "If I can do it then you can do it, right? I'll teach you this once and then, next time you go to do it, you'll already be way better at it than me."
"I highly doubt that," She almost snorted but her gaze didn't seem to leave the pan. As Silver took hold of her wrists, Amy heard them worth together to shift the bacon about, "After this you're having a shower, you still smell of yesterday."
"Oh, don't worry about that. I'm sure there'll be a pond or a river or something I can jump in somewhere along the way…" He said, sounding entirely too serious.
"You're so naïve," It was with those words that Blaze's tail flicked out from between them before slowly, gently, curling around his back to hold just beneath his spines. Almost immediately, as if that contact were a trigger, Silver's tail began to slowly beat back and forth.
This contact was far more intimate than Amy thought either of them were capable of. Though Silver would accept and return hugs on occasion, Blaze would take them very stiffly and awkwardly before quickly breaking away. Was companion code for something she didn't know about? The pink hedgehog felt her heart beat faster and faster as she watched the pair, a duo she'd seen avoid contact, now so warmly embracing. Hands on wrists, chest to back and even her tail was almost ensnaring him. It was as though they couldn't get enough of each other, as if they longed for even the slightest potential friction between their frames.
They had to be together, they just had to be! This was the least platonic view to ever grace Amy's eyes! It was like something out of a romance movie, a couple waking up in the morning and making breakfast together despite the awkwardness of the prior night's sleeping arrangement. That was something to think about, they claimed to be companions and neither had complained about sleeping no more than five feet apart on equally tiny couches. Amy hadn't thought much of that last night, she'd been too tired to, but there was a long stretch of time when she'd simply left the two to be together in her living room. They couldn't have slept easily, the couches were good for sitting but surely too small for lying on; they must have talked at least a little last night.
"Alright, now onto stage two. Let's shift the bacon up to the far end of the pan, away from the heat," Silver led, guiding Blaze's movements while gesturing with his fingers.
An egg carton above the pair of them opened and two eggs quickly descended. Simultaneously, also above them, Amy watched as a pair of small tomatoes evenly split themselves into the air before floating down. There was a resounding crack followed by a sizzle as, assumedly, the acquired foodstuffs were all added to the pan.
"Are you sure it's okay to do this much at once? Won't the bacon burn?" Blaze questioned, her arms now being more vigorously controlled.
"I've added this stuff late enough that it shouldn't," Silver replied, "Everything should finish at almost exactly the same time, that way it won't get cold."
Amy had to keep herself from bouncing, she clung to the wall she was ducked behind in the hope that it might stabilise her. For Blaze to take advice and allow herself to be led was a huge change of pace compared to how she usually acted. Before she'd met the gang, with the fate of two worlds in the balance, she'd barely been willing to accept aid, let alone help making breakfast. There had to be more here, there just had to be more! There was no way she would stand so comfortably with anyone else and as for him, well, the thought of Silver lingering in one place and not pursuing his goal of fixing the future was bizarre enough. They came from totally different places, one an alternate dimension and one the future of this dimension, how had they grown this close?
The pink hedgehog watched with trepidation as he shifted ever so slightly, no longer leading Blaze but letting himself be moved as she shifted the foodstuffs around. Though Amy couldn't see his face, the sight of his tail beating even faster spoke to his excitement at this development. Their every movement seemed to flow as one, almost as though they were synchronised in some kind of dance. They had to have known each other for a couple of years at least, there was no way that either of them could stand to do this otherwise. Blaze should have been all huffy right now, overheating to the point of bursting into flame and shouting his ear off, while Silver probably shouldn't have understood how to cook. He seemed so oblivious to modern customs but when it came to this, dare she even think it, romantic moment, he was excelling. Since when was Silver such a romantic?
If only Sonic had the guts to do something like this…
"You're doing great!" He chirped, "It's almost done. See, you can cook; you can do this!"
"B-Be quiet, Silver. I'm trying to concentrate," She grumbled at him, far more quietly than she'd grumble at everyone else, now absolutely retaking her place as leader of the pair, "How will I know when it's all done?"
"Well, different people like food cooked to different points. I'd leave it just a little longer," As he gave that answer, he seemed to shift and actually rest his head atop her shoulder, "Maybe another minute or two."
Again, something impossibly fascinating happened and Amy felt her heart swell. Blaze seemed to fumble, switching how she wielded the spatula and letting go of the pan. With her right hand she reached up and cradled his head against hers, again furthering and deepening their contact.
"You're still tired," She quietly observed, her voice returning to a softer tone.
"No, I'm fine," He said, clearly stifling a yawn.
"I told you we should have kept the couches separate," She so casually revealed, very almost causing Amy to faint, "You fought so hard yesterday, you deserved a better rest."
He didn't respond verbally this time, he simply hummed in disagreement as he nuzzled against her.
Amy dared to turn away, throwing a glance over her shoulder and into the living room. The couches had been separated but now that she knew they had been moved; their angle relative to the T.V. wasn't quite right. So, rather than sleep alone on single, cramped, beds, they'd decided to combine the pair and use what little extra space that change allowed. Not only were they doing this now, cooking in such an intimate position, but they'd slept in such close proximity?!
She turned back to face the two, but her mind's eye corrupted her vision. It was so easy to imagine her curled up against the hedgehog, using him as a makeshift pillow or using her warmth to sooth him towards sleeping. Had they spooned? Had he cuddled her from behind, just as he was doing now, and used her as some sort of giant teddy bear? Perhaps she'd taken hold of him, immersing herself among his quills and to claim role of big spoon. So many potential poses flicked through Amy's mind, each more comfortable yet simultaneously more romantic than the last. Something was going on between the two of them, it just had to be!
The observer was pulled from these thoughts as a plate and cutlery were psychically lifted into view and, ever so gingerly, Blaze shifted her creation onto it. It was difficult to see, what with the psychic glow surrounding the plate and the two being in the way, but the scent was certainly a lot better than that emanating from the destroyed pan. As Silver let her go and pulled back just a little, Blaze's tail seemed to quickly drop.
"I'll take this plate up to Amy, breakfast in bed's probably the least we can do to repay her," He suggested, "Do you think you can start the next plate on your own?"
Immediately, seeing the white hedgehog begin to shift away, Amy pinned herself against the wall she'd been hiding behind. A devious thought crept into her mind, a cunning scheme that she couldn't help but intend to act on.
"I'll give it my best," She seemed to sigh, locking eyes with him ever so briefly before breaking away and looking to the pan, "Try to be quick?"
"You can do this," He praised, and Amy couldn't help but imagine him retaking her wrist as he looked her directly in the eye, "But, if it'll make you more comfortable, I'll be as quick as I can be."
No response came from Blaze but, by the sound of his footsteps and the pan returning to the hob, Amy knew he was on his way out. Bracing against the wall and holding her breath, she waited for the perfect moment. Silver emerged from the kitchen with the plated breakfast floating above a raised right forefinger. Almost immediately, Amy grabbed him by the shoulders and tugged him back first into the wall. A look of panic crossed his brows before being replaced with confusion.
Unable to contain the excitement in her voice, Amy attempted to signal him into keeping silent by raising a finger to her grinning lips, "Hello, Silver."
He looked incredibly befuddled but, plate still held in the air by his psychic powers, played along and half-whispered back, "Hey Amy, Blaze made you some breakfast. It's her first time properly cooking but I'm sure it'll be great!"
"I noticed, it looks lovely," Amy said without even really looking, plucking the plate from the air and feeling her grin grow wider. Silver was clearly a good teacher but there were far more pressing things to pry about, "But what was all that about?"
"What was all what about?" Silver questioned in a tone that was far too innocent.
"The cuddling, the posing, the nuzzling," She listed but his only response was to raise a brow, "The handholding, the soft words."
"Oh, I was just teaching her how to cook," He replied in an unfathomably nonchalant tone.
Amy snorted at his obliviousness, "You were clearly doing a lot more than that. Come on Silver, it's me; I promise I won't tell anyone else," She tried to pry, beaming as innocently as she could, "I'm just so happy for you two. This is so exciting!"
"You promise you won't tell anyone else what…?" His face still contorted by confusion, he tilted his head as he took a step away from the wall, "What's exciting?"
"Come on Silver, you know," Amy rolled her eyes, "You and Blaze's relationship."
"I thought everyone already knew we were friends," He, very bluntly, responded.
"Silver, you were in there hugging her and holding her. It all seemed so casual, you both looked so comfortable," Her voice was loudened both by her puzzlement and aggravation that the psychic wasn't understanding, "You talked about sharing a bed last night even! There has to be something going on between you two."
"Well yeah; we're friends," It was then that Silver posed a question that left Amy totally flabbergasted, left holding her plate in utter disbelief, "Isn't that just what friends do?"
Afternoon
Sonic was used to Amy being obsessive but today, for the first time in as long as he'd known her, that obsession wasn't aimed at him. He was trying not to dwell on that too much, tucking away the quips and rebuttals he'd spent all of last night dreaming up, but there was something almost unnerving about it. Did he really need her attention so badly that he was willing to slow down and endure her prattling about something else? Yes, absolutely, of course he did, but he wasn't going to admit that.
The Blue-Blur was wandering at a much slower pace than normal, pretending to take in the view with his hands behind his head. Greenhill was always so pretty in the summer; the bizarre mix of palm trees and sunflowers were at their height and grass was at its most luscious. They'd past waterfalls, streams and ancient ruins of all sorts. The hedgehog pair were wandering at the back of the pack, Tails and Cream tottering in front of them and Knuckles had long vanished over the horizon, intent on sussing out the perfect camping spot. As a result, Blaze and Silver were leading the way… well, to be honest, Silver's excitement was leading the way and Blaze was hurrying along after him. The futuristic hedgehog seemed to take each and every natural sight as some kind of undiscovered wonder, treating them as though they were some grand discovery.
"Sonic? Are you even listening?" A certain pink hedgehog huffed beside him, struggling to keep quiet, "I'm telling you; they were just so intimate, I've never seen anything like it from either of them. They've got to be together; they've just got to be."
"I hear you Ames, I hear you. I'm sure they were cooking up a storm in your kitchen," The Blue-Blur smirked, "I think it'd be nice if they were together, but you shouldn't force it. They're not exactly the most open of folks."
"I'm not forcing anything," He tried not to look at her pout directly, knowing just how overpowering it was, "Just look at then, can't you see it?"
Sonic returned his gaze to the pair a few meters ahead. Silver had slowed down and two wee conversing, "Sunflowers like these don't exist in your dimension, right? I've only seen red ones."
"No, they certainly don't," She confirmed to him, rubbing what seemed to be dirt between her fingertips, "And it's so strange to see them among palm trees. I know the ocean isn't far from here but, I suppose, this hilly terrain makes it possible for them to grow close to each other. The soil does seem quite sandy."
"Maybe we should collect a few seeds?" Silver suggested, just as Sonic started to zone the two out again and return his attention to Amy.
He supposed it was just a little strange, the two did come from very different places, but so did Knuckles and a bunch of their friends. The blue hedgehog couldn't think of any way to describe their miraculous friendship outside it just being good. Shadow had settled with Rouge fairly easily, Amy didn't go on and on about their relationship, how was this any different?
He nodded in an overly sarcastic way, "Talking about flora, yeah Ames, you're right, that settles it. They're totally together,"
Watching her pout grow into a frown, seeing her hands shift to her hips, tickled him more than he'd ever admit, "We both know that's not what I mean. Look at them, standing shoulder to shoulder."
"They're certainly standing next to each other," Sonic snorted, watching her fists ball as she got even more riled up.
"Name one person closer to Blaze than Silver," She grumbled under her breath, "Then explain how they ended up so close. They can't have known each other for more than what, a month?"
That wasn't untrue, they'd gotten close rather quickly, but Sonic wasn't going to give in to her speculation that easily, "I mean, if they were, why would they keep it a secret? Why would anyone hide their feelings, especially if they're as obvious as you think they are," He shrugged, ignoring the feelings he kept buried in his own chest, "You asked Silver about it, didn't you? He's usually pretty blunt."
"I did, but," Amy seemed to deflate, "I'm not sure that he understood me, I'm not sure that he knows he's in a relationship."
"Doesn't know he's in a relationship?" Sonic parroted, "Amy, do you know how ridiculous that sounds?"
"If you heard what he said and saw what I saw you'd agree with me!" Amy's temper had finally built, she'd gone from pseudo whispering to shouting for a brief moment. She threw a glance forward and Sonic followed, only to find a set of blue and honey eyes staring up at them while the amber and electric-yellow set were point in the direction of an exceptional sunflower. Amy groaned, turning back to him and gripping her quills, "I swear, he practically dancing with her in front of the oven. You could stand to learn a thing or two from him."
"Woah, woah, woah," Sonic's hands shot up, "What does this have to do with me?"
"Almost everything," She huffed, gesturing to the younger pair ahead of them, "You should be setting a much better example for Tails. I can only teach Cream so much on my own, you need to be more supportive of my lessons."
"Come on, Ames, you don't really want…" He trailed off, catching the menacing look in her eye, "Well, I mean, Tails is smart. He probably already knows all about this stuff."
"Sonic, don't drag me into this," Tails whined.
"See, you've been set such a bad example that he doesn't even want to talk about it," Amy lectured, "Tails, pay more attention to Silver. You might learn a thing or two."
"C-Come on, Ames, lets focus on what's important. We can work this out," He reached out, putting a hand on her shoulder. Amy's hand immediately topped his as she closed the small distance between, grinning devilishly, "Silver and Blaze, not us."
"Now's no time to get cold feet, my darling," She half-sang, enjoying herself far too much.
"D-Did you try asking Blaze?" Sonic asked, trying to shift the conversation even further away from him, "She's way more likely to hide something like this, but the differences between their responses should have cleared things up a bit."
"Well, umm…" An awkward half-grin corrupted Amy's face, "I tried to, but she always seemed to busy. I'd go to ask but she'd be concentrating far too hard on making breakfast or talking to him about something serious sounding or..." She turned away, returning to her huffy state. His hand slipped from her shoulder, "The point is, she keeps herself far too busy."
Sonic was about to tease her, say something about it being unlike her to be so shy, when a young voice cut into their conversation, "Miss Blaze always keeps herself busy, but if you want to talk I'm sure she'd make the time for you Miss Amy," Cream said, having turned to the hedgehog pair, "As for her relationship with Mister Silver, I don't know much but, he seems to make her really happy."
"You've seen them together before Cream?" Sonic cocked a brow.
"A few times," The tiny rabbit confirmed, "There aren't any Chao in Blaze's world and there usually aren't any in Silver's future, so Mum and I have taken them for a few walks. Mr Silver wanted to show her them."
"I think I've seen them a couple of times too," Tails mused, stroking his furry chin, "Ever since we saw them in space together; do you remember, Sonic?"
"Oh yeah, that was a long time ago. Eggman's space amusement park thing," He recalled, "I think that was the first time I saw them together, but you've seen them other times Tails?"
"Only a couple of times," Tails confirmed, "I've seen them from the Tornado, visiting monuments and spots like that. I think I saw them in Spagonia a couple of times but it's usually when I'm passing over Soleanna."
Sonic shrugged, "Well, maybe they keep coming back to save other things, make sure everything's going all right," He'd said that with flimsy confidence, a confidence that was shaken when, out the corner of his eye, Sonic saw the pair shift.
Blaze had nudged Silver with her shoulder, "Take my hand, you must be getting cold,"
Without so much as hesitating, the hedgehog's hand found hers and the pair continued to walk so very casually up the hill.
"It's the middle of Summer, there's no way he's cold," Amy practically hissed, prodding the Blue-Blur with her elbow.
Now that was, admittedly, a little strange. It wasn't as big of a deal as Amy was making it out to be but, admittedly, even a simple handshake always seemed like a much bigger deal with Blaze. The feline had always seemed to be both uncomfortable and unfamiliar with physical contact. Amy's story of them dancing around the kitchen seemed just a touch more realistic now but, as ever, it was likely hyperbolised by her rose-tinted glasses.
"Well, she knows him better than we do," Sonic tried to shrug, "Maybe he's used to a hotter climate?"
Amy rolled her eyes again, "Come on Sonic, you know that's a weak excuse. If he was then he should be wearing clothes, not freezing as he waits for her ask to hold hands."
As they neared the top of their current hill, Silver seemed to pause and look around. The group became a whole lot more clustered and, as a result, the conversation was quickly snuffed. The blue hedgehog ended up stood next to the purple cat and, almost immediately, noticed something that made his synapses pop in a far too Amy-like manner.
To say Blaze was smiling would be hyperbole, there was no way she could be described as grinning, but she certainly looked different. He didn't know her well, not nearly as well as he knew most of his friends, but he'd always been pretty good at picking up people's vibes for better and worse. Her shoulders weren't in their usual, tense, position; he couldn't describe them as slacked but they were certainly more relaxed. The guardian's body language in general was different, he'd assumed she'd be uncomfortable in such different clothes and surrounded by people but there was a certain calmness to her that was almost uncharacteristic.
Another synapse popped as he looked past her and to what he could only think was the source of this shift towards casualness, Silver. He too had always seemed tense, always seemed driven. That drive was still there but it was as though it was being channelled differently, used in a different way. He was clearly excited by their surroundings but, ultimately, he was only truly sharing the excitement with one other person: Blaze. Amy was clearly having too much of an impact on him because now Sonic could see exactly what she was saying, the pair's connection seemed strangely deep.
The grey hedgehog turned, catching Sonic's eyes directly, and his grin wavered, "Sorry, I got distracted by the view; Knuckles is just over there."
Sonic followed his pointing and caught sight of the red echidna, lying flat on his back atop one of the many hills that dotted their surroundings. Trying to shake the thoughts away, Sonic shot him a thumbs up, "Got it. You guys take your time and enjoy the scenery, Amy and I will head over and make sure he's picked a good spot."
Before anyone else could get a word in, Sonic snuck his hand into Amy's and shot off as fast as he could, zipping down the hill and leaving the group in his dust. He threw a glance the pink hedgehog's way only to catch a knowing grin, "You see it, don't you?"
"I don't not see it," He managed to admit, "I don't think it's impossible but it's certainly not certain."
"You see it," Her smile, coupled with the singsong tone of her voice, cut straight to his heart. Sonic felt his cheeks warm, "What're we going to do?
"Nothing," He tried to grin, turning away, "That'd be uncool, Ames. Just leave them be."
"You're no fun," She grumbled, all the energy sapped from her voice.
They quickly reached the top of the next hill and, just as they'd sighted, found Knuckles lying on his back atop the grass. At his head, too big to act as a pillow, sat the overstuffed backpack he'd insisted on carrying all by himself. He was trying to take charge, be a leader, but evidently the attempt had backfired.
"This is the spot, I spent hours picking it out," The red echidna huffed and puffed, "Sun should set right ahead of us, there's plenty of room for a campfire and a campsite and… well if you don't like it then tough."
"That's certainly a convincing argument Knux," Sonic clicked his tongue, grinning down at the half-awake echidna, "Good job."
"Can it. I lugged this junk here, the least you lot can do is set it up," He grumbled rolling over, "Someone turn off that light."
"Light?" The redhead had turned towards the sun. Sonic felt Amy tug at his wrist and turned only to see an unbelievably bizarre sight.
A bridge of cyan energy had formed, connecting this hill to the one they had run from. It took a moment of squinting for him to understand what was going on. Tails and Cream were skipping and bouncing, testing out this conjured floor, as its caster and his partner meandered behind them. Silver had raised his left hand to create this bizarre bridge, but his right was still thoroughly within the feline's grasp. Actually, to be honest, now the pair looked even closer than before; it was as though she was supporting him and he was leaning against her.
Having taken this shorter route, it hardly took them more than three minutes to cross over Silver's bridge. As he arrived on the other side, head practically against Blaze's, he beamed and the light behind them vanished, "Alright, now we just need to set up camp, right?"
"Uh," Sonic threw a look to Amy who looked far too proud once again. Evidently, she could see that he could see her vision, "Yeah?"
"Alright, leave it to me," The hedgehog said, reaching out with his right hand. The rucksack immediately began to shake and, quickly, its contents began to spill into the air.
"I'll handle the fire," The feline insisted, catching the time traveller's eye. He seemed a little surprised but she still seemed calm, "I can manage that much."
"There's an axe in the bag," Knuckles grumbled from the ground, "But I had a look, I don't think there's any dry wood around here."
The axe freed itself from the bag and gently flew from its hatch to the guardian's hand, "That won't be a problem," She nodded, finally letting her partner go.
"We'll help you," Amy suddenly piped up, volunteering both herself and Sonic, "Tails, Cream, if you two help Silver then we'll have this done well before sunset." She'd thrown a wink their way, but Sonic doubted either of them caught it. Miss Rose clearly had a plan, a plan he was very much being roped into.
Blaze simply nodded before starting to lead the way, "There's a good tree near the base of the hill that should do fine, at least for the first couple of hours."
"Alright, let's do this!" Amy shouted, hurrying along and pulling him with her.
Sonic quickly threw his gaze ahead and was slightly surprised at what he saw. Now that she was away from him, Blaze's posture had returned to its normal, far stiffer, state. As they made their way down the hill, he couldn't help noticing her shoulders were tense and her ears seemed far more rigid. It was as if she was suddenly on alert. Soon the trio arrived at the tree, a seemingly older palm tree with only a few small leaves still clinging to life.
Amy stepped forward, her hammer manifesting in her grasp, "Allow me." With a single swing the tree was felled, its root system was forced to the surface along with the dirt that clung to it. Seizing the moment, Sonic whistled only for her to turn and curtsey. Ignoring their attempted fanfare, Blaze quickly lowered herself and set to work with the axe.
A little lost for what to do, Sonic shifted towards the roots and began to break them down into smaller kindling. He thought he was doing well when a thump on the shoulder almost knocked him right around. Amy had shoulder barged him as he walked to the feline's far side, throwing a stare from him down to her. It didn't look he'd be able to blow her off this time, she wanted him to act. Sonics hand found his quills as he strode a few steps forward, trying to maintain his cool.
"So, Blaze, you and Silver…?" Panic immediately set in. What was he doing, what on earth was he doing? Blaze was looking at him, expecting some kind of further speech. He fumbled out another question, "You two get along, huh?"
"Yes, we do. We get along quite well," Blaze hummed. Sonic must have waited a good minute for some kind of elaboration, but it never came.
"It's just good to see…erm," He knew he had to be delicate, had to pick the right words. She might explode under the pressure of any implication, "You know, you seemed to struggle with making friends so seeing that you've found him is, uh," He fumbled again and Amy shot him a glare, "Nice?"
"Yes, it is," Though she still didn't smile, Sonic saw her shoulders loosen slightly, "It's good to have someone you can rely on. He's helped me through troubles I can't even begin to explain."
"You really trust him that much, huh?" Amy butted in, taking her position next to the pyrokinetic, "I don't think I've ever seen you so happy."
"Well, Silver is very easy to trust," She said but Sonic had no idea if she saw that as a blessing or a failing, "He's so naïve, so open with his emotions; it makes me want to be clearer with my own. He's really helped to change my perspective on a few things. I wouldn't have even considered watching the sunset before him, or visiting half of the places we have, he can find beauty almost anywhere."
There were a few ways to interpret what she had just said. The first was that being with Silver simply seemed to give her a boost, the way he was open with his feelings helped her feel more open. The other was born of the supposed beauty he could see and the not so difficult to imagine moment of the two of them watching the sunset on one of the Sol dimension's many beaches. Also, was she implying he'd called her beautiful?
"Beauty huh?" Amy parroted, clearly picking up on that too, "Does he take you to lots of these beautiful places?"
"Only when we have time, once a week perhaps," The princess recalled, "Work keeps us both quite busy, but we steal whatever moments we can."
"Oh yeah, Tails said he's seen you two in Spagonia. Do you time travel together?" Sonic asked, just glad to just have something relevant he could latch onto.
"Time travel lets the short breaks between royal meetings last quite a lot longer," Blaze seemed to muse aloud, "I thought it was a foolish thing to do at first but, eventually, he convinced me."
"Awww," Amy cooed, tearing the segmented wood into smaller chunks with her bare hands "Blaze, I'm so happy for you!"
The princess simply hummed at that in a nonplussed and uninformative way, continuing her work on the log. As the axe came down time after time and Sonic broke more and more roots from the tree, he couldn't help but reflect even more. For Silver to convince Blaze to travel with him, in the brief intermissions between important royal business, had to be a sign of something. Maybe they could slip back without anyone noticing, time travel seemed to allow for that, but the Blaze that Sonic knew would have been irked by that on principle. She seemed entirely focused on work, never giving herself time for play. What's more, she must have trusted him a whole lot if she relied on him to return her on time. Though Sonic didn't want to admit it, he now believed what Amy had said regarding this morning. From blatant handholds to talk of trysts, imagining pair cooking as she'd described was far too easy.
"Happy about what?" The chopping paused.
"It's just nice, you know? Just nice!" Sonic turned his attention to the pink hedgehog only to find her cheeks had pinkened. She was patting the very confused looking feline on the shoulder, beaming like the sun all the while. He'd seen her like this a handful of times, usually after she convinced him to watch a romantic movie.
"Amy, relax," Sonic tried to quell her before things got too out of hand, "But yes, it's just nice to see. I'm glad you two, uh… getting along."
Blaze threw him a look as Amy's hand left her shoulder. A look cut through her usual uncomfortable demeanour from to deliver a dose of suspicion before she returned to chopping, "I'm not sure how much you've seen of him before now, I know he can be a little headstrong, but that should be a thing of the past. I don't plan on leaving his side again."
"If only I could rein in Sonic like that," Amy smirked, beginning to make more kindling, "I saw you two in the kitchen this morning, I've never seen anything like it."
The axe thumped far heavier, Blaze sharply turned towards the pink hedgehog, "You saw that?"
"Yes! It was so adorable!" Amy grinned, starting to make a pile, "I didn't know he was such a good chef."
"Well, since he's been staying somewhere safer, he's managed to pick up a few hobbies," Blaze responded, her gaze quickly returning to the log, "Cooking and gardening are the main ones, seeing as he'd never had a chance to do them before. I can help more with the latter, the former is rather..." Blaze grimaced, "Difficult for me."
"Aww, but breakfast was wonderful this morning!" Amy praised, "You did such a good job!"
"Silver was guiding me, you should be thanking him instead," Blaze said, refusing to take the compliment before rising, gathering some wood with her left hand before taking the axe in her right, "This should be enough wood for a start. Let's go see how the others are getting on."
Sonic rushed over as Amy outstretched her hands. Having built a base from his thinner kindling, he stacked the heartier pieces of log into her arms. He turned to ask Blaze to do the same for him only to find that the feline had already vanished. She'd hurried back in Silver's direction.
As she bent down to pick up some wood, he heard Amy scheming behind him, "She likes him, I can tell. It's a girl thing you wouldn't understand."
"You can read each other's minds, can you?" He smirked up at her very obscured face.
"As a matter of fact, we can," She jested as he rose, "I still don't know if they're actually dating but she totally likes him."
"Sure," He snorted, trying to hide his own thoughts behind his cocky demeanour, "Let's head back up there, make sure you have the best reception possible to engage in telepathic espionage."
"Yes, our connection is weakening, let's hurry," Amy said, bolting past him.
When they reached the top of the hill, much of the setup was already done. Even though Knuckles was still flat on his back, Tails and Cream had formed a circle of stones ton contain the bonfire and began to strip the grass from its centre. Silver meanwhile was busy doing everything and nothing; though he'd sat himself down on one of the sponge mats they'd brought his powers were hard at work. The fold away barbeque had set itself up, all the food was gathered in a neat pile and the sleeping spaces had set themselves up. The tents were small, only having enough room to fit two people lying side by side. Blaze had already set her wood on the right and went to sit with him.
Silver seemed to be talking to the feline before he caught sight of the hedgehog pair, "Good job guys!"
"Thank you for setting things up, Silver," Amy praised though cunning lilted her voice, "I notice you've set up the sleeping arrangements."
"Oh, yeah," He nodded, quite seriously, "I figured you'd want to sleep next to Sonic."
The Blue-Blur's heart skipped a beat, "Wh-What?"
"Oh yes, absolutely," Amy responded before he could get another word in, "Just like I'm sure you want to sleep next to Blaze?"
"Yep," He said that so nonchalantly but seemed to pick up on Sonic's concern, "I thought that was the plan?"
Blaze seemed to be ignoring all of this, she'd pulled out a book and simply gotten comfortable. How could they be so casual? The tents were small, you could only comfortably sleep in them with your head or legs outside, they were practically going to be under the same duvet. They had separate sleeping bags, sure, but they'd be in such close proximity!
"Oh, don't worry Silver, everything is fine," Amy called, grabbing the blue hedgehog by the arm before he could get a word in, "I think we'll go get some logs, we can use them as benches for the campfire. Come on Sonic!" With a powerful yank he was made to turn, his gaze collided with a cunning grin on Amy's lips, "You guys just keep setting things up however you want to! Don't worry about us!"
He was dragged back down the hill, not quite back to the tree but just out of view and hopefully out of earshot. For once, Amy was quick to let him go; her fists balled and a huge smile overcame her face. Sonic couldn't help but match her grin.
As she bounced and around, he snorted, "So, I take it we're not grabbing any more trees?"
"They're both totally oblivious," Amy squealed, clapping and beaming, "I can't believe it! They're in love and totally oblivious!"
Sonic practically clamped his hand over her mouth, gesturing to his lips, "If you shout like that, they'll hear you."
She wriggled free, "Well maybe they should. Maybe they should so they can hurry up and get over themselves, the sooner they realise the better. We should march up there and be blunt with them, ask them if they've ever even considered it; be supportive!"
"No we shouldn't," Sonic sighed, shaking his head, "We both know how Blaze will react if we do that. Either way she'll explode."
Amy slipped further from his grasp, somehow positioning things so that they were arm in arm, "Well, if you don't want to be that blunt, there are other ways to do this," There was a mischievous glint in Amy's eyes, a glint that, for once, wasn't aimed at him, "Why don't you join me for a little scheme?"
Sonic wanted to fight his baser instinct, wanted to tell her no way, but by now his investment was way too great. Besides, just hearing her out couldn't hurt, "What do you have in mind?"
Evening
Every night in the past was beautiful but tonight was taking Silver's breath away. The sky was drenched a deep orange while the sun, now halfway beneath the horizon, glimmered just a shade or two more yellow. It'd dipped to the point where he could look straight at it without it hurting, giving a grand and clear view of the entire skyline. Today wasn't cloudless but that few clouds lingering above were only adding to the sight, granting the glowing sun a red frame. This was what he loved about the world, more than almost anything else. Such beauty could occur without anyone's efforts.
Silver tore his gaze from the sky, turning his attention back to the campfire and the stick he'd been holding out for much too long. The gang were all gathered in a semicircle around the fire, skewered marshmallows in hand. Blaze was sat right next to him with Sonic and Amy directly opposite. Knuckles, Tails and Cream had the best seats, directly facing the horizon and blocking the path of the wind. Those five were nattering away, Sonic and Knuckles were stuffing their faces with marshmallows all the while, yet Blaze had been silent for most of the evening. She hadn't taken so much as a sip from her mug in a long while now.
The psychic awkwardly pulled back his stick, blowing his slightly melted marshmallow cool, and pointed it towards her. That managed to catch her eye, "Thank you, Silver," His marshmallow was quickly plucked and eaten by the feline, Silver felt himself grin as the nerves faded from her brow.
"Is something on your mind?" He asked, drawing his stick back and floating a pair of marshmallows from the other side of the fire.
"Nothing important, just my usual thoughts. Considering what I'll say when we go back, whether anyone will complain that I should have been back sooner, planning ahead for the week," She shook her head, cutting off her list, "Just normal things."
He let his right hand slip down from his lap and find her left one, "We've still got days, Blaze. We told them it might take a little longer this time around, we bought ourselves some extra time," He gently squeezed her hand and tried to smile a little wider, "You focus on the here and now, if anyone thinks we should have been home sooner then I'll take responsibility. You don't need to worry about anything."
"You're so naïve," She tutted but he felt her shift just a little closer and lightly lean her shoulder against his, "As if I'd let that happen. I can get away with a lot more than you."
"Then let me get in trouble. That way you won't have to worry," He said, entirely serious but knowing she'd never take such a suggestion seriously, "We need to rest so that you can properly defend your kingdom and I stand a chance of fixing the future. You used to chew me out for overworking all the time, even if our surroundings are different it's still the same."
"You're right, I would," He saw a small smile sneak onto her lips and felt his grin bloom, "I suppose I'm just not used to the new way things are. This doesn't quite feel like resting."
"I mean, you can fall asleep now. I'll keep you propped up," He suggested, moving slightly in an attempt to be more accommodating.
"I'm fine, Silver," She hummed, matching his shift before squeezing his hand, "Thank you."
"You can even lie across my lap if you want," He offered, "I don't mind."
She shook her head again, raising her cup to her lips for the first time in at least ten minutes, "You're so naïve."
Silver cast his eyes back to the fire and found that his furthest marshmallow was nearing the point of cremation while the second one looked about perfect. Drawing them back towards himself, he ate the burnt one directly from the stick before pointing the remaining sweet to Blaze. With a quietly uttered thank you, he felt her claim it. Though he had a strong sweet tooth, he wanted to be sure she was comfortable. Besides, it was getting late and a sugar rush would keep him up much too late.
Though the fire's glow was warm, the heat flagging from Blaze was far more comfortable. Holding her hand was always such an experience. He could feel her heat shift in response to her movements and moods, he'd come to understand the changes so very well. Her current heat was gentle and constant, it wasn't coming from her in waves or fluctuating wildly. She was calm, she was comfortable, so he knew everything was going to be alright.
As long as she was happy, he was happy, that truth had persisted across their lives. When they were in crisis city, he soon found that he could only sleep when he felt that comforting heat. He knew that social occasions like this weren't her favourite thing in the world but knowing she was content let him relax. She'd been stressed last night and a good chunk of this morning about things being perfect. She knew them all far better than he did but that didn't seem to make things any easier. Well, that was fine. He was there to make sure she was comfortable. Besides, things seemed to be going fine either wa-
"Sonic!" Amy's voice called from the other side of the bonfire, carrying with it a deep aggravation, "Come on, please?"
"No way," Glancing across, Silver found that Sonic had crossed his arms and turned his back toward Amy, "That's not my style, Ames. You know that."
"Well why isn't it? If he can do it then surely you can!" Amy insisted, matching the blue blur's pose.
Silver glanced to the trio on the other bench. While Tails and Cream looked concerned, Knuckles just looked confused, calling across, "What just happened? What are you two even talking about?"
"Yeah, is everything okay?" Silver followed up. He knew that there was some strangeness between the pair, Sonic was weird about hugging Amy, but this wasn't normal.
Amy immediately rose to her feet and locked eyes with the time traveller, "Silver, could you please teach Sonic a thing or two about romance. He's utterly useless and I'm sick of it!"
The psychic blinked, "Romance? What-
"I don't need any lessons, it's just not my thing," Sonic huffed, jumping to his feet, "I'm not like him."
"What are you two talking about?" Silver fully cut in, entirely confused.
"Amy wants our relationship to be more like you and Blaze's, I keep telling her I can't do that won't happen but she's just not listening," Sonic grumbled, almost glaring at Amy.
"And I keep telling him that, he could learn a thing or two from you. You make it look so easy," Silver followed Amy's eyeline only to find it wasn't directed at him so much as it was the feline next to him, "Honestly Blaze, you're really lucky to have him."
"I don't get it, what do you mean a relationship like ours?" It was with that question that Silver noticed a change; Blaze's hand was growing hotter. He glanced to her only to find she'd turned away.
"Come on Silver, it's obvious. This morning you were dancing with her in the kitchen and you're planning to sleep beside her tonight. You clearly love her and you show it so blatantly," Amy explained, her frown growing stronger as she turned back to Amy, "Like how a certain someone should show their love for me!"
"Well… it's easy Sonic. Why don't you just tell her that you love her?" Silver shrugged.
"Yeah, Sonic. Why don't you save us all this shouting and just-
The Blue hedgehog cut Knuckles off, directing a question toward his grey counterpart, "Would you tell Blaze that?"
"Of course, I love Blaze, she's the best," Silver responded, entirely casually and honestly. Again, out of nowhere, Silver felt the feline's temperature spike.
"See Sonic," Amy cut back in, sticking her tongue out at the blue blur, "And I'll bet Blaze has no problem saying the same to him."
Something about those words made the feline's temperature leap even higher, Silver glanced down only to find orange sparks were flitting and dancing from their grasp, "Blaze? What's wrong?"
"M-Miss Blaze and Mister Silver have a special relationship," Cream's high pitch voice drew the group's whole attention, "I don't think you should compare what you and Sonic have to them."
"What?" The tension in Amy's voice was clear but Silver was still too focused on his partner.
"What she means is that we don't know how deep their relationship is," Tails intruded, "So there's no point in comparing you and Sonic's relationship to theirs."
As the conversation drifted to that side of the fire, Silver finally managed to catch the feline's eye and get a brief glimpse at her muzzle. A pink-red hue had overwhelmed the stark white fur around her mouth, her brow had hardened and her ears were folded. As she again turned away, he gently squeezed her hand again only to feel another blast of heat. Now he could barely feel the fire in front of him, only the warmth between them. He was about to speak up, ask her if she was okay, when something hit his far thigh.
While he'd been distracted, Amy had slid onto the log next to him. Meanwhile, Sonic was still sat pouting on the other side of the fire, "So, Silver. You love Blaze, you said it yourself."
There was something strange about the pink hedgehog's smile, something Silver hadn't really seen before, "Y-Yes?" Why was he stuttering, what was going on?
"What do you mean by that, how would you describe your relationship with Blaze?" She shot a glower across the fire, "Because a certain someone isn't willing to define ours."
"Well, um," Something about this situation was making him sweat. Maybe it was just the heat from Blaze? Either way, he refused to let go of her, "We're partners, we've been through more together than anyone else. I love being with her more than being with anyone else. We need to part every so often but that just makes me excited for when we'll reunite next."
"See Sonic? Why can't you say something like that every once in a while?" He stuck his tongue out at her but now, for some reason, the blue blur was grinning, "You two sleep side by side, don't you?"
"Of course we do, wh-what's wrong with that?" He stammered.
"Nothing, nothing's wrong with it," She insisted, "I just wanted to make sure. Gosh that's so cute, have you two kissed yet?"
"Wh-Why would we? We're friends," He asked.
"Friends who sleep together?" She pried.
"Y-Yes," Why was his tongue so heavy all of a sudden, why was Blaze burning up like this? "Don't you sleep with Knuckles?"
"Oh, I'm sure he does but he won't cuddle the night away with me," Amy harrumphed.
"Woah woah woah," Knuckles finally rose from his bench, plainly flustered, "I have no idea what's going on but I don't like the sound of it."
It was in the quiet brought about by Knuckles confusion that Silver felt the feline shift. He turned to the feline only to find she was fully alight, practically hidden at the heart of a raging fire. The hedgehog immediately knew what to do. Psychic energy crept from their handhold to reach across her body, quickly snuffing out the flames. The feline, somehow, was even redder than when he'd last seen her.
"Blaze? Are you okay?" He asked, shuffling slightly closer to her.
"I-I'm fine," She managed to mumble, "Thank you, Silver."
"It's just nice is all, you two are able to show your love so casually. Meanwhile that dunderhead refuses to show me the slightest affection," Amy's smile had wavered, she seemed to have been spoked by Blaze's display, but there was still excitement in her eyes, "Honestly, it's just nice to see such blatant love. Neither of you struck me as especially affectionate people, it's interesting to see."
"H-Hey now, that's not true," Sonic called over, clearly indignant.
"Oh?" Amy jumped up and immediately raced around the fire, "Then why don't you prove it!"
As the two of them went at it, Knuckles ending up trapped between them, Silver couldn't help but turn back to his partner. She hadn't shifted from her spot and, again, she was refusing to look at him. The flames around her had died down but heat was still radiating from her hand.
Why were Sonic and Amy so surprised by their relationship? Had they done something wrong? Was the two of them sleeping together strange or wrong? Eventually Blaze managed to sit up straight and more pleasant conversation resumed, but he could tell that the blue-pink duo's prying was still on her mind. It'd be more than a lie to say their words hadn't made an impact on him, an impact that he honestly didn't understand. Thoughts and questions kept swirling in his head, the likes of which refused to leave even as the sun dipped beneath the horizon.
Night
The stars were out in force tonight, scattered across the dark sky in an arrangement Blaze had so rarely seen. If she were in a more focused mindset, she might have attempted to identify what few of this world's constellations she knew. Instead, the feline was trying ever so hard to sleep and forget this evening's events. Her heart and mind had been racing in tandem for hours now, long after the hedgehog pair had stopped arguing.
Blaze knew that it'd all just been a game, that the duo had simply been teasing her and the others had innocently joined in, but something about their taunts had struck just a little too deep. Despite how long she'd been struggling to sleep, Blaze hadn't dared to turn and seek out a more comfortable position.
Unfortunately, the hedgehog to her right wasn't returning that effort. Just as she'd found herself staring at the sky, Silver had taken to tossing and turning. Even without looking, it was clear to her that he was grappling with the same thoughts that she was. In all likelihood, since he'd taken the lead and stood up for them, he was struggling even more. Yet, rather uncharacteristically, Blaze found herself entirely unable to face him. They'd faced monsters together, changed history itself and saved the world, but, for some reason, this felt like an uncrossable bridge.
Their partnership had advantages even out with combat, Silver's outspoken and blunt nature was usually a massive aid to her. While she'd endure and bottle up thoughts until they exploded, usually in a manner that would embarrass her in hindsight, he would speak what was on his mind. His thoughts usually aligned with hers well, allowing her to have her voice be heard even if she didn't dare use it. His bluntness and naivety, despite much as she chastised him for it, was a useful aspect of their partnership that she'd only come to value more with time.
But, tonight, things had been different. Tonight, his headstrong words had only stoked and enticed the teasing pair from the other side of the bonfire. While their opening words had flustered them both, it was his replies that had pushed her over the edge. It felt as though the heat of embarrassment was trapped upon her cheeks, refusing to leave no matter how she pleaded.
Memories of the prior night kept sneaking their way to the forefront of her mind too. It'd been her suggestion to push Amy's couches together, pool their resources to sleep more comfortably. She'd buried her head in his chest, he'd held her back and Blaze was certain that neither of them had thought anything more of it. It was just normal to them, they'd done it on hundreds if not thousands of occasions across their life in Crisis city and that of modernity. Though considering it now brought her toes to curl, the princess knew that she loved to hold and be held by him. The kind of contact they shared had been rare across both of her lives, there was no time for it in a devastated future and the life of a princess was solitary.
The thought that, by simply taking his hand in hers or tracing her fingers down his spine, she could relax and comfort him so simply? She loved it, she undeniably yet abashedly loved it. The way he'd so casually step in so close to her, the woman who had burned him by accident on so many occasions, and find comfort in the hitching between their fur? It made her happier than anything, she longed for that contact, and yet, with no more than a mild jesting from two of their friends, the loose foundations of her joy had been revealed. Truths she'd never dared to consider bubbled in her head like boiling magma as she shut her eyes right again, longing for sleep and to forget.
"Blaze," A quiet whisper interrupted the night, "Are you up?"
She debated not replying, she knew that if she pretended to be asleep then he wouldn't attempt to wake her, but concern for him overcame her instincts of self-preservation, "W-What is it, Silver?"
"You're my friend, right?" He asked, after a brief pause. She could hear the contemplation in his tone.
"You're so naïve," Blaze sighed, feeling the slightest of smiles creep onto her muzzle, "Of course I am."
"I'm just really confused by what Sonic and Amy said," Silver admitted, "I don't get it, why they kept comparing themselves to us and talking about us. Did we do something wrong?" He asked, but didn't wait for an answer, "They seemed to think the way we care for each other is different somehow, strange even…"
The princess dared to glance at the time traveller only to find he was unabashedly looking at her, lying on his side. She immediately regretted her decision but couldn't bring herself to turn away. Instead she simply lowered her gaze, only to arrive at the small portion of chest fur that had breached his blanket.
"Our partnership is…" Phrasing was important here, she struggled to grasp for the right words, "Not like a typical friendship. You don't act around me in the same way as you'd act around Amy, do you?"
"Well, no," His reply was clear, "But I don't know her like I know you."
"Exactly," The feline affirmed, trying to take on the mannerisms of her speeches. It was best to be surgical about this, best to keep calm, "Your friendship with her isn't the same as mine, just like Sonic's bond with her will be different to yours. We've experienced hardships together that I don't think anyone on this or my world can relate to. Our bond isn't the same as other people's bonds and so, naturally, we express our relationship-" She swallowed, almost stuttering as her eyes flickered back to his face. He still looked so confused, "Differently."
"Does that mean we're like they say though? Are we more than friends?" He dared to say, entirely innocently, "I thought I loved you, but they make it sound like I don't even know what love is. I'm so confused…"
Blaze felt heat fan across her face. She couldn't bring herself to look away, not so suddenly at least, but she longed for some kind of relief. Ultimately, she decided to close her eyes and feign finding comfort atop her pillow, "I would say that I love you too, Silver. They just operate with a different understanding of what love is."
It was a good explanation but, of course, it wasn't enough to sate his restlessness, just as it wasn't enough for her, "What do they think it is?"
"I'm not sure," She replied, not entirely truthfully, "I think their idea of love is more directly connected to more intimate relationships and marriage. They seem to use a more formalised definition love."
"What's marriage?" Oh no.
Blaze felt herself grow hotter still. Her brow had surely wavered, but she refused to open her eyes. She bit her tongue for a moment, both mentally and physically. It wasn't the first night that she'd felt these feelings, but it was certainly the first time that she'd noticed he was feeling something too. His tossing and turning was evidence enough that there was something going on in the hedgehog's head but that just made this even harder.
She'd only felt this way occasionally, only when the truth became too heavy and palpable to ignore. It'd arise in fleeting instances, as she tended his other's wounds or saw the vulnerabilities tucked behind the thick veil that was his naivety. It could start with a touch or something stupid escaping his mouth, something unknowingly heartfelt or unabashedly oblivious. Their eyes would collide, his electric yellow gaze would send a jolt straight to her heart and leave her frazzled.
She couldn't stand to meet his eyes again, not tonight.
"It's…" Eyes still shut tight, she felt her tail flail wildly, "Y-You've heard of people being husband and wife, haven't you?"
"Yeah, a few times. Isn't that just two people in love?" He asked, so oblivious to the customs of the world.
"A-Almost. A pair like that will get married when they've had a relationship for a long time and want to show that they love each other. They form a bond, often signifying it with a ring, and profess their care for each other in front of their family and friends," Her mouth felt dry, her head was spinning, "The ceremony is usually an expensive process, like a big party of sorts. The ceremony signifies essentially signifies they'll be together forever, even if some married pairs aren't. It's tangible proof of their bond."
"I see…" He hummed before, so very nonchalantly asking, "Should we get married then?"
"You're so naïve," She said, perhaps a little too loudly.
He didn't hesitate though and quickly matched her, "If that's the best way to show that I love you then I'll do it!"
Her eyes finally flickered open and sparks immediately flew. He must have been looking up at her the whole time, that silly little smile upon his lips. It was all so genuine, so honest and unabashed. Once upon a time she'd said that she liked his naivety, but this was the specific aspect. Silver hid so little and he hid things so very poorly. He was the epitome of one's heart being worn on their sleeve, blunt to a fault and thoroughly genuine. He cared for her so plainly, so wholeheartedly, it was undeniable. If she could return even a fraction of that affection, then she would have been entirely fulfilled.
"A-Ask me that when you understand what you're actually asking. Then I'll give you an answer," She managed to stutter, feeling incredibly foolish for not giving him a blunter answer. Saying yes or no had felt much too difficult, much to final.
"Ok, I will!" He beamed but was quick to ask another question, "But if we're not married then what are we?"
"When it comes to describing our relationship to others," She spoke her train of thought aloud, I'd say that we're close friends, good friends."
"I guess that makes sense," He hummed, but she immediately caught the hesitation in his voice, "It just seems a little… light."
She snorted, seizing the initiative, "You keep asking if we're friends but you think that's reductive?"
"Y-Yeah," He somewhat sheepishly responded, clearly catching her tone.
"Well, when you settle on something, I'll match you," She shrugged, trying not to think too deeply about what she'd said, "That's a promise."
For a while, perhaps a full five minutes, silence again reigned over the night. His gaze wandered to the sky above and she saw his face fully cast in the starlight. Even if the moon was slight tonight, the light of the universe still blessed his pale fur with an almost ethereal glow. It was bizarre, and very stupid, but it was in moments like this that she'd notice the differences between their bodies. His quills were the most obvious example of that but, recently, she'd noticed other things. Somehow, without her noticing, she'd ended up a whole head taller than her and his shoulders had undeniably broadened. Her mental image of him and the one before her were so very different at this point, yet he remained the same deep down.
Of course, in this position, side by side, it was a lot harder to observe most of those changes. Instead, she'd simply ended up staring at his long nose as it pointed toward the skies. It seemed like such a cumbersome thing, but it was another difference between them that she'd only recently begun to fixate on.
"Blaze?" He'd glanced back to her, that small smile on his face.
"Hm?" She hummed, only now realising that she'd been staring.
"Can I get closer? I don't think I can sleep like this," Did he have to be so blunt?
"You always have. Why ask now?" Something about him asking had set her nerves further on edge.
"I don't know," He mumbled, shifting beneath his blanket, "I just want to be sure."
"Of course you can, it's what we've always done," She offered, sighing in an attempt to obfuscate her nervousness.
The hedgehog pulled himself towards her and, very quickly, they assumed their usual position. His hands quickly found her back and, as he pulled her into a hug, her head found his chest. That soft patch of fur was a more than adequate replacement for her pillow. Before she could dwell on it though, his talkative streak continued. They'd become one again, a comfortable mass sprawled beneath the stars. Someone would surely find them tomorrow and make more snide jabs, but that was for her future self to deal with.
Besides, with Sonic and Amy stuck in a similar position, the taunts would likely be evenly spread.
"Yeah, we have. This is just what close friends do, right?" He asked, calmly oblivious.
"Yeah, this is what good friends do…" She managed to mumble into his chest, entirely uncertain but blissfully comfortable.