Silver's relationship with clothes was a strange one indeed. For much of his life, the hedgehog had run around wearing no more than his boots and gloves. This had been fine of course, it'd been practical even. Living in a destroyed future meant owning and getting attached to very little, as what you claimed would surely be destroyed. That inevitability had rather led the hedgehog to shirk material goods, with the exception of food, up until relatively recently.
The hedgehog was presently bent over, rummaging through a chest of drawers physically while he used his psychic powers to flick through the hangers of an open closet. His room in the Palace of the Sol Dimension, technically a simple guest bedroom that he'd come to frequently use, was truly lovely. Before it, he had never experienced an intact mattress, let alone electric lights and unbroken glass. The ability to add another layer atop a duvet to propagate heat, or lower the room's temperature through air conditioning, still felt like an incredible luxury to him. This bedroom was however larger than any bedchamber he'd used prior.
Perhaps that, coupled with him still being quite new to clothes, was why he'd found himself misplacing what he owned so very often. The moment he brought an outfit back from being washed, having tried to put them away in the regimented way that Blaze had shown him, it might as well have gone on an adventure. The next time he went to find whatever he was looking for, it'd turn out that he'd put it in entirely the wrong drawer and shoved it to the very back. Perhaps it also had something to do with using his psychic powers to multitask, rather than concentrating on one thing at a time.
With that realisation, he stopped flicking through the closet and restarted his search through the drawers physically. He was in search of a particular hoodie; the first article of clothing Blaze had bought for him upon his arrival to her kingdom. It was far from the only winter garb that the hedgehog owned, his feline companion had more than seen to that, but it was by far the warmest piece he owned. It was maroon and had a soft fleece lining, the likes of which he'd never experienced before. The item was already relatively worn around the edges and its chords were somewhat frayed, but it had been serving him incredibly well in adapting to the cold of Winter.
Having reached the bottom of the last drawer and not found the jumper, the hedgehog closed the furnishing and threw a glance out the window. Snow was lightly falling, spiralling its way toward the ground. It didn't look too heavy, he'd probably survive without the hoodie, but it being lost was annoying him. He knew he'd worn it yesterday; he and Blaze had spent last evening picnicked in a gorge with a freezing river running through it. He'd tried the water at some point and gotten thoroughly frozen and soaked. The pyrokinetic had helped to warm him up as they'd slowly made their way back.
They'd certainly had it when they'd returned, so what had happened to it? He didn't even remember taking it downstairs to clean it or throwing it in the dryer. He'd been too exhausted for that. He'd come back, slipped out of his clothes, and practically collapsed asleep in bed. At breakfast he'd taken some clothes down for cleaning, they'd agreed then and there to go out during her lunch hour, but his hoodie hadn't been among them. He'd got up this morning, pulled on a plain grey t-shirt and a set of jeans; something lighter since the central heating had already warmed the palace.
A knock at the door roused him from the search, "Silver? Are you in there?" Blaze's voice sounded.
"Yeah, just come in," He blindly called, moving toward the closet as the door clicked open, "I'm sorry about the wait, I'm just looking for something."
"Oh? What're you missing?" She asked, just as he finished scanning the line-up; there was no sign of it here either.
"It's just my-
Silver had turned to address her, set to ask if she'd seen his hoodie, only to catch an eyeful. Despite how many outfits Blaze had bought him, her wardrobe was relatively limited. She only really owned her formal guardian attire and a few other outfits she felt comfortable wearing, though her closet was filled with gifted dresses that she couldn't stand to wear. Today though, she was dressed in neither of those options; she was dressed in a way he'd never seen prior. A set of familiar looking black jogging trousers and a certain, fleece lined, maroon hoodie.
He must have frozen up entirely; his initial instinct had been to ask why she was wearing his clothes, but he'd managed to bite his tongue. For whatever reason, the room felt a lot hotter than it had before. Perhaps it was because Blaze always dressed so formally, perhaps it was just the confidence she was carrying herself with, but something about that outfit had wholly captured Silver's attention.
It took the hedgehog a whole moment to notice that Blaze wasn't wearing her hair up, it had instead been allowed to hang free around her shoulders. He hadn't realised it before, but the shade of the hoodie perfectly matched with that of the stone on her forehead. The jumper was also just a bit too big for her, meaning that it reached beyond the hem of the taken trousers. The usually very stiff princess presently looked to be the epitome of comfort, far more fitting of the warmer side she typically neglected to show.
Suffice to say, he was too flustered and confused to say anything for a moment; a fact that Blaze clearly picked up on, "Just your what?"
He reached in, plucking out a random piece of clothing. By chance, he'd gotten lucky and drawn a suitable one, "J-Jacket. I was sure I'd put it in my drawers."
The hedgehog slipped the coat on rather quickly, almost bashing his thigh on a bedpost as he made his way over to her. It didn't quite have the fleece interior of his, currently her, hoodie, but the green jacket he'd pulled was made of a somewhat thick material. Hopefully, it'd prove enough to keep him warm.
"Are you sure that's all? You were taking a while in here," Blaze thought aloud; there was something hanging in her voice. To anyone else she might have sounded plain, but he could hear something mischievous in her tone. Was she hiding something?
"Yeah, sorry," He quickly mumbled, grabbing his boots, "I've been a bit of a mess, yesterday really tired me out. I left the place a bit of a wreck."
He'd been so distracted by her pilfering of his hoodie that he hadn't noticed her change in footwear. Rather than her usual heels, the feline was wearing more comfortable looking red sneakers. As a result, she was a good two inches shorter than him; a distance that only grew as he finally managed to force his boots on.
"Well, my afternoon meetings have been cancelled, so there's no rush. We can take as much time as we want," She said, having turned from him and opened the door, "Apparently a snowstorm is approaching the island, the first we've had in a couple of years. The stakeholders don't want to risk the trip."
"What's the plan then?" He stumbled into the hall after her, catching himself mid-air and beginning to hover.
"I thought we could go to that little café near the waterside and watch it roll in," She suggested, but he struggled to focus on her words. He was still much too preoccupied by her change in garb, watching from just behind as she wore it all so casually. Her every step enamoured him, her lithe frame so cocooned by bagginess. It was truly strange to see her like this, "Then we could come back to the library, unless you've got plans for this evening? The storm should stop work for a couple of days at least, I'd like to take advantage."
Was Blaze really going to try to fully relax? Regardless of his confusion, that would be wonderful news and certainly took precedent over his lack of jumper. Blaze had been working long hours ever since he'd arrived in this world, fuelled by her role as guardian of the Sol emeralds. He knew it was important work, but it'd meant that the pair had only spent scant moments together outside the night that they'd remembered each other. She'd always seemed so tight around the shoulders and bordering on exhausted. The potential of this opportunity instantly made him giddy, the idea that the two of them could simply enjoy this peaceful space she seemed hardly able to take advantage of.
"Alright, let's go!" He grinned, slipping forward to take her hand before beginning to lead the way.
The taste of hot chocolate was one that Silver had come to adore, but today, despite its large heaping of whipped cream, the drink was struggling to hold his attention. The feline in front of him had been on his mind and in his eye for far too long of an uninterrupted stretch. Despite her clothes, Blaze's usual, rigid, posture had returned the moment they'd entered public. She was sitting rather quietly, not that such was unusual. Her cup, filled with dark coffee, would occasionally rise to her lips but her eyes were currently trained on a small book she'd sequestered in his hoodie's belly pocket.
When had she taken those clothes and just why couldn't he look away? There was something about the sight of her in an outfit he'd surely worn a dozen times that caught him off guard. It couldn't just have been that her hair was down, as rare a sight as that was. It all served to remind Silver of a time long past; back when they had lived through the same timeline. Back then, Blaze had essentially worn whatever they could get their hands on. Even if her preference was for more compact and athletic clothing, she'd worn garbs ranging from shirts to jeans to even dresses. But, again, that surely wasn't the only reason he couldn't look away.
The café they'd come to frequent was a small, hole in the wall, place. While the register was toward the east wall, the west one housed a large aquarium that typically a lot of stares. Between those walls, the room was essentially arranged as the customers saw fit; a variety of couches, tables and chairs of several sorts could be pulled and placed wherever they were needed. While Blaze had placed herself at a table, on a couch that had been nearby, the hedgehog had secured himself an overlarge beanbag. Something about that position, one he'd taken half a dozen times, wasn't appealing to him at the moment.
He struggled to his feet, careful not to spill his drink, and rounded the table to sit beside her. As he walked, he sighted the change in weather through the building's large windows. Already, snow was falling at three times the rate it had been when they'd set out; carried by a wind that was viciously whipping flakes into the building. He wasn't sure how much longer they'd be able to stay for, but the owner had claimed that he planned to stay open for their usual hours. Silver wasn't sure that the koala had anticipated the storm growing this rough.
As he came to sit beside her, the feline gave him a glance, "Were you getting cold over there?"
"I didn't realise how much it was coming down," He admitted, taking a sip of his drink, "What are you reading?"
"Just a little poetry," She responded, turning back to the book, "There are a few in here that remind me of you."
He leaned in over her shoulder and was immediately assaulted by tiny text and words he couldn't understand, "I-In a good way?"
"Mostly," She shifted, making it so he couldn't read before casting her eyes up to him, "You've been acting strange today, Silver."
"Strange?" He felt his brow raise, "In what way?"
She leaned in, drawing a napkin from her side before bringing it to his face, "You've been staring. You look tense."
The princess had removed a glob of cream that had caught on his nose, "I-I have? I do?"
"Yes," Her amber eyes were dissecting him, seeming to examine every quirk of his expression, "Is something on your mind?"
He couldn't help but glance down; despite having sat in the café for a good half hour now, the feline hadn't shed his jumper. That wasn't abnormal, the pyrokinetic usually wore her padded purple tailcoat regardless of where she was or what the weather was like, but this time it was holding his attention. He took a sip of his drink, trying to buy time to think of what to say but failing to conjure an answer.
"Nothing important," Silver managed to respond, but he could immediately tell that she wasn't buying it. Flustered, he scrambled for more, "I'm just tired, like I said. I think I'm getting too used to all this, too comfortable."
It didn't take him long to regret what he'd said; he'd never been a good liar, but he'd thoroughly misspoken. Her brow immediately crinkled as her gaze left him, returning to her book, "Yes, I suppose you have been here for quite some time. You've rested for a while now It shouldn't be too long before you return to your task…"
"W-Well, I mean, yes but," He fumbled, clumsily stretching out his free arm and wrapping it around her shoulder, "I'm sorry, I'm just thinking too much. You've done so much for me, got me so many things. I don't know whether I'm overstaying or asking too much or…"
Communication had never been a problem for them before but now, as he felt his hoodie's fabric and her lithe frame beneath it, his tongue was becoming heavy and useless. She was trying to relax, she'd received her first break in months, he was sure of it, and he was ruining that time by striking worry into both of their hearts. While of course he'd considered when he'd have to leave, his body was far from fully mended and he was anything but ready.
"Silver, you've never asked too much," Her eyes had returned to him, but a serious expression lingered on her face, "I have given you the very least you deserve. Don't ever worry about whether I'm doing too much, I'm fortunate to have found myself in a position where I can give you what you are rightly owed."
She was speaking in the tone of a princess, a style of a voice she rarely ever used on him. It a was strange change and proved to him that she was being serious with him in a way she rarely was. It signalled to him that she was being stern and trying to hide her own emotions. While all she'd said was not to worry about the clothes or meals she'd bought him, that voice made him think she was genuinely concerned about him overthinking her gifts.
Regret panged in his chest. Silver immediately squeezed her closer, he let his psychic powers catch his mug and fully hugged her, "I'm not planning to leave anytime soon," He didn't want to obscure the truth, but saying this was all about a jumper now would surely earn her chagrin, "I-I'm just overthinking some things, that's all."
"Well stop it," Her tone had quickly softened, "I'm the brains and I'm in charge; you're my guest. You're here to rest and heal."
"But this is supposed to be your break now. You hardly ever get time off…" Regret still writhed in his gut.
"You're so naïve," She tutted, "Any time spent with you is a breath of fresh air in this stifling life."
The psychic held her just a little tighter. Their lives had manifested so differently after their forced separation, but their connection had still held. Neither of them had much social experience to their name, just odd bits and pieces they'd gathered over their lifetimes and their experience with each other. Of course they were floundering and struggling to figure things out; if they'd been dropped into mundane lives then they'd still be struggling, their history was just so bizarre.
Though those thoughts held his focus for a moment, his mind quickly drifted back to the cause of this present strangeness; a jumper randomly borrowed. A hoodie, the softness of which he could feel even more clearly as he held the feline close. Though the scent of charcoal and lilacs traditionally followed Blaze, today that smell was far more subdued. For a moment, Silver couldn't tell what had taken her perfume's usual place, but he eventually decided that the cat smelt of brown sugar and fruit. He almost cringed at how long it took for him to put together that it was his smell.
It made sense, she was wearing his jumper so of course it held the scent of his soap, but something about that realisation was sticking with him. His cheeks felt warmer, though he supposed that could have been the result of nuzzling so close to the feline, and he felt his tail beat back and forth. Even beyond his borrowed clothes, something about this contact felt different from usual. Perhaps it was that her attempt at relaxation had been successful, perhaps a certain stiffness had vanished from her frame. That, or it was simply a construct of his own overthinking.
"Silver?" Her voice roused him from deep thought, "Your drink is getting close to colliding with us," She informed him.
He released her, pulling back. Sure enough, the drink he'd left to hang in the air had spun due to their movements and drifted too close for comfort. He caught the drink, casually repositioning the mug to secure all of the liquid before undoing his psychic hold. There hadn't been much risk of the drink staining either of them, but if the cup's contents had fully slipped its holding then drips would have escaped him and dropped to stain their surroundings.
"Thank you," He hummed, taking a long drink, he still had over half the beverage to drink but it was already growing cold. Whether that was the fault of time or the coldness of their surroundings, he wasn't sure.
A glance to the window showed that the storm was already growing more frightful. The pane was perpetually being pelted by icy spittle, to the point where the area around the windowsill was tinted grey and the higher glass was streaky. It was difficult to see through the snow, but the boardwalk the café looked out to was empty. The ocean was even harder to see, but Silver swore he saw a wave crest high enough to reach the raised wooden platform.
The princess had quickly returned to her reading, still lightly sipping at her coffee, but their positioning had changed slightly. This space between them had shrunk, likely unintentionally, and her tail had come to gently wrap around his waist. It wasn't an uncommon occurrence; in fact, it was so common that Silver realised he had never actually questioned it. It'd started when they were kids, back in their prior life, but he'd never seen her tail linger around anyone else.
Cautiously, curiously, he allowed himself to gingerly catch the end of the appendage and ran his thumb through the fur on its end. Contact from her tail had been more common in this second life, but he couldn't place why that was. In general, during their second lives, Blaze seemed to struggle more with physical affection. That much he could understand, life as a princess had left her isolated and touch starved. For the longest time his hugs had left her hesitant and left stutter in their wake; she'd plainly wanted the contact but had no idea what to do once she received it. Her tail was the exception however, if anything, it had been more comfortable.
The fluffy length coiled around his palm in an apparent response to his contact. He supposed he didn't know how much control she had over the appendage and its movements but, even if she did have total control, its contact was a lot subtler than bluntly hugging or holding hands. She could gently ensnare his waist, arm or leg without pausing in her work. If the contact was intentional then that certainly made a lot of sense, but why didn't she do it for others? Why didn't her tail bind around Marine in the wake of their occasional fights, or whenever Amy rushed over, so excited to see them both during rare visits to the Chaos Dimension.
"Silver?" He turned to her, only to find the feline's gaze hadn't left her book. The hedgehog did however notice a dusting of redness on her cheeks, "Do you mind?"
"S-Sorry," He mumbled, letting the extremity go, "It's just been playing with me a lot lately."
"It does seem to like you," She admitted, implying it was out of her control, "But then, it always has."
The sound of an especially ferocious gale rapping against the building's exterior drew both of their gaze. As if on cue, they saw a bolt of lightning cut across the sky, just off of the coast, and heard thunder rumble in its wake. They glanced to each other and shared a wordless acknowledgement that they should probably make their way back to the palace before the weather got any worse. That shared moment was amplified as they both turned back to the counter, set to pay for all they'd bought, only to notice that that the koala was now cowering; plainly regretting his choice to stay open.
"Th-Thank you for the help Princess Blaze!" The café owner called from the warmth and security of his home's doorway.
Of course they'd helped him back to his house, using the hedgehog's psychic powers to aid in traversing the storm. In the twenty minutes it'd taken however, things had gone from bad to awful. While snow was not lingering on the ground, icy slush was gathering to generate a floor much too slick for walking on. As a result, Silver had been spending the bulk of his psychic energy to clear and maintain a dry pathway for them to walk. With the focus it had taken, he hadn't had much power left over to keep them dry. As a result, the hedgehog could feel soggy patches where his coat had failed to shield him from the sleet.
Blaze simply gave a small bow, "My friend Silver did most of the work cutting through this storm; if anyone should be thanked, it is him."
"Oh, yes, of course!" The manager shouted, having already halfway closed the door, "Have a safe journey home!"
He fully retreated fully into his house, timed almost perfectly with a fresh flash of lightning and another rumble of thunder. If it wasn't for the electricity in the air then this would have been so much easier. He could have soared them over the clouds, landed them at his doorstep and then taken off again to head for the castle. Instead, for safety's sake, they had and would continue to travel on foot.
"It wasn't quite the thank you that you deserved, but I suppose it'll have to do," Silver heard the feline grumble from beside him.
"We helped him out, that's good enough for me," He smiled at her. Feeling his quills begin to droop, he quickly willed them to smooth backwards rather than fall forwards, "Either way, I'm glad we got him back before the weather got too much worse."
"I'm not sure that it could get much worse," She hummed, throwing a glance skyward.
Despite her words, the pyrokinetic was smiling so softly. The rain and snow didn't affect her like it did other people. Instead, no matter their weight, the droplets would contact her form before quickly turning to steam, in accordance with her will. Even his bulky hoodie was going untouched while wrapped around her thin form.
"Still, it is ideal reading weather. Annoying as it is, the ambiance will be nice once we've fully retreated," She continued, returning her gaze to him.
"Let's hurry back and take advantage of that then," He slipped his hand into hers, casting cyan energy onto the ground to light their way.
It was only with that contact that the hedgehog realised how cold he was. Her baseline temperature was of course higher than normal, but he was supposed to be used to that difference. Despite that, he managed to keep hold as the feline followed his outlined path. Rather than crunching on snow or sloshing through slush, each step was punctuated with the crackling of psychic energy.
While the temperature was low, Silver was fairly certain that the wind was to blame for his current coldness. His fur was offering no defence against the lashing gale that was presently blowing against their faces. While he was thicker furred than most, and he was clothed atop that, the consistent pelting of cold wet masses against his chest was mounting by the moment. Every so often he'd cast a wave of energy over himself, forcing the solid mass off but never removing all of the wetness. To do that, he'd have to fully disrobe and properly wring the outfit dry.
Perhaps amplified by the contrast between the warmth on his right hand against the rest of his body, Silver felt himself begin to shiver. They were still a good twenty minutes' walk from the palace grounds, but his coat was now fully soaked. He knew the city well enough at this point to direct their path while blindfolded, which was fortunate seeing as the storm was now obscuring everything beyond ten metres ahead.
As a result, his eyes were of course drawn to Blaze, wreathed in an ever-present armour of steam. It was undeniably cool to look at, the way the wisps were perpetually rolling off of her only to soundly turn back to water not long after they escaped her frame. If it wasn't for his psychic walkway then she'd surely be leaving a clear trail across the pavement; she cleaved through cold like an almighty warrior, cutting across the battlefield. Even the way the aerosol water would twist in the air before liquifying was stunning to behold. Although, it did push a question to the front of the hedgehog's mind.
"Blaze, are you okay in all this?" He asked, "I just realised, I don't really know how the cold affects you."
"I'm fine Silver, my heat will hold against the sleet," She explained, throwing him a glance, "You on the other hand…"
"I-I'm fine, I can tough it out," He swore, but a shiver betrayed him.
He caught the furrowing of her brow and knew this wasn't the end of that conversation. Silver felt her grasp tighten around his, that heat trickled deeper into his bones. Even though he was laying the road, the princess was thoroughly leading. No matter how much he'd learned, she knew the streets of her kingdom better than him.
"Let's cut in here," She suggested, tugging him in the direction of an alleyway.
He set the path and followed without hesitation, only to be stopped no more than ten paces into the space. Out of the wind's direct line, and obscured from the sleet by a building on either side, he took a moment to breathe. Blaze cast her gaze behind them, along the alleyway, before looking down the alleyway, seeming to make sure the space was empty. That all made sense when she reached for the hem of the jumper she'd borrowed.
Another familiar piece of clothing was revealed as she pulled the hoodie over her head, a sky-blue t-shirt with cartoony white clouds floating across it. She'd been wearing one of his shirts too?! When had she taken that? He seemed to forget how cold he was as he stood there, jaw slacked and staring in awe.
While his mind was still buzzing, she held it out to him, "Let's swap. This is dry; if I put your jacket on it'll dry off too."
He hurriedly did as he was commanded, undoing its buttons before shrugging the wet garb off of his shoulders. Quickly yet clumsily, their items swapped hands but he kept staring as she drew another of his garbs around herself. The coat, somehow, suited her even better than the hoodie. As she pulled it over her shoulders, seemingly without her even intending it, the collar popped and its dark soggy patches immediately began to fade. Like his hoodie, it was just a little too big for her and gave the appearance that she was trying it on for the first time.
Well, that was the case... wasn't it?
Catching himself before she could call him out again, the hedgehog pulled the hoodie over his head and immediately felt a wave of warmth. With it, comfort fluidly flowed into his fur and into the skin beneath. Though the change did not remove the wetness already present in his fur, it certainly pushed out some of the cold.
His curiosity and surprise were not expelled by her gift though. There had to be more to this whole borrowing clothes thing, surely there had to be. Maybe it did make her feel more relaxed, but why hadn't she just asked him for them? Why, when they had decided to go out on what was essentially a whim, did she have so many of his clothes to hand? His hoodie kind of made sense, maybe she'd taken it to dry it yesterday, but a t-shirt and a set of his trousers too? How had she ended up with so much so far in advance? Was she wearing his socks?
Without warning, Blaze reached into his hoodie pocket and drew out her book. Very quickly, she shoved it in one of the jacket's pockets to keep it dry and safe.
"Ready to go?" She asked, quickly taking his hand again.
With his gut filled with the most bizarre concoction of shock and comfort, he squeezed her hand and relit their way, "Y-Yeah."
By the time they'd reached the library and taken their places, lounging on each other atop the same overly worn couch, the storm had fully claimed the outside world. He was sitting normally with a tome half as thick as his head hovering just in front of him, filled to burst with botanical information regarding this dimension. The feline however, taking full advantage of her respite, was laying across the majority of the couch and had opted to use his lap as her pillow.
Just as she had been in the café, she was parsing through that little book of poetry with a contented look on her face. Meanwhile, Silver's burgeoning curiosity had amassed to be five times what it had been before they'd even left the castle. Just as she had been then, Blaze was wearing his maroon jumper.
Following their arrival, she had shed and handed back his jacket before offering to wear his jumper dry. He'd had no reason to refuse of course, he'd happily given it up as she shed his fully dried jacket, again revealing that cloudy shirt. The hedgehog had been left in his t-shirt and jeans, not that such thin clothes mattered now that they were inside and especially with the feline laying so close.
None of this mattered in fact, he wasn't remotely annoyed at the fact his clothes had been taken and it wasn't as though he wanted to take them back here and now. He was just interested; it was all so strangely riveting. The hedgehog couldn't even understand why it was so deeply distracting, she was just wearing normal clothes; his clothes, but they were still normal. Was it because she looked more comfortable? Because she-
Her gaze flickered up and caught his, he'd been staring again. He fumbled, pushing his book further into his gaze, but it was too little too late. Blaze had moved to sit up straight and then shrank the already small distance she'd put between them.
"Silver?" He didn't dare look up from the book now, even if he couldn't stand to read it.
"Y-Yes?" He cursed his stammer.
"Something has been on your mind all day," She bluntly stated, he could feel her gaze cutting into him again, "You're not especially good at hiding your thoughts."
"I know," He bit his lip, "It's just so minor and stupid, it's not even worth talking about."
"Silver, if something is bothering you then you should speak up," He felt a hand on his lap and was made to fully turn to her, the concern in her gaze was undeniable, "If it's more of the feeling from before, about taking too much, then I'd rather help you overcome it."
"N-No, no. It's nothing like that, please don't worry. J-Just… um…" It was so stupid, but he couldn't stand to see her concerned. He shut his eyes tight and blurted out, "Why are you wearing my clothes?"
When Silver's eyes reopened, Blaze's concern had imploded upon itself. She'd gone from anxious and giving him her full attention to seemingly unable to look at him. The room's temperature had skyrocketed, her tail was dancing like a python from a pot and her once white muzzle had become wreathed in red. Not an aspect of her had gone unchanged; the feline's ears had folded, her shoulders had tensed and her right hand had come up to rub her brow. Despite the foolishness behind what he'd asked, the feline didn't look angry. The sole emotion he could feel flagging from her was embarrassment.
"You didn't mention it for so long," She pointed out, still not meeting his gaze, "I thought you might not have even noticed."
"I-It's not a bad thing. I don't mind at all, I'm just… confused?" Words were failing him, he had to give in to his usual blunt self, "Is it okay to ask why you're wearing them? I don't have to know if-
"I just thought it would be nice to be more regular for an afternoon. Just normal people, not a princess and a time traveller," She finally looked at him, her hand had lowered but much of her bashful expression remained, "I don't really have any regular clothes, let alone outfits that look right in this weather, so I picked some of the ones I was already borrowing. I thought being out of my work clothes might get us away from working too, but I suppose the weather was working both with and against us in that regard…"
That all made sense, but one thing she'd said echoed in his mind.
"Already borrowing?" He repeated before realising, "You have even more of my clothes? I didn't notice…"
"I might have a few more of your shirts in my room. They make for good pyjama tops," Blaze admitted. She'd turned away again, but her tail was flailing against him and her ears were still pinned backwards, "That and, well…"
She hesitated, again floundering for words. Usually, Blaze was so well spoken; she would speak for hours during work. It was only recently, and only seemingly around him, that the princess had begun to stammer again. He didn't really get it, was he doing something wrong?
"Well, what?" He asked, leaning in.
"Since you arrived, since we've remembered each other, I've rather missed…" It seemed she was still searching for the right words, "Lying beside you. I was having trouble sleeping," Despite the crinkling of her ears, the feline turned back to him; eyes closed and trying to hold a serious face, "I know it's foolish, but wearing one of your shirts distracts from that. They carry your scent so it's like you're practically there, even if you're not."
Silver didn't really know what to think of all he'd just found out. It was all a little chaotic and surprising, she'd been having trouble sleeping? Why hadn't she just asked him to come over, he'd more than happily have slipped in beside her. Blaze also seemed to be really struggling with something else, something that she was keeping secret. Regardless of that thought, if he could help her, even if there was more to this, then he would!
"Don't worry Blaze, you can steal my clothes whenever you want to!" He beamed aloud, "That or I could come over and sleep with you."
"Q-Quiet down. Of course, we can't share a bed, I'm the ruler of this world, that's far too scandalous. If people found out…" Before she could turn away again, he saw that redness had further washed across her white muzzle, "And what do you mean steal? I'm the one who bought them all, you're practically borrowing my clothes."
"Oh, huh," The realisation struck a chord with him, "I guess that's true, I'm sorry. Thank you for letting me borrow them then!"
"You're so naïve," She grumbled, keeping her face turned from him, "But you're welcome, and thank you, I suppose."
"Is that why you got me so many clothes? So that you could use some?" Silver asked.
For a moment she was quiet before, finally, a steaming sigh breached her lips, "No, I just couldn't stop myself. I saw so many things that I thought would suit you that I ended up going overboard. You receiving enough that I could take some back was a happy accident, never my intent."
"Suit me?" He blinked, "But Blaze, you look really pretty dressed like this! You seem so much more relaxed," It was only then that he noticed new changes in her posture; the hardening of her shoulders, the stiffening of her tail and the harsh angle of her ear, "O-Or you did before we started talking about this, now you mostly look really tense."
"And whose fault would that be?" She rhetorically quipped, folding her arms. Despite her body language, the pyrokinetic's tail had again wrapped around his waist. A beat of silence past, "Th-Thank you, though, I suppose. It's just nice to be free from it all for once and actually feel free; when I'm in that coat, dressed as I usually am, I still feel rather trapped..."
He couldn't help but stare at her, a semblance of a smile had gently flickered onto her flips. It was small and delicate, but it was more than enough to set his heart ablaze and make it pound at twice its usual speed. As gently as he could, Silver fumbled for her hand and retook it; bringing his thumb to rub the back of her palm.
"You can take anything you want from me, Blaze," He swore, wholly genuine, "If it'll make you more comfortable, then I'll give you or do anything! You don't need to worry about it, as long as I'm here, I'll do all I can for you. If you want my- I mean your shirts, then you can take them back. If you want to share a bed again then just say the word."
"You're so naïve, you shouldn't make an offer like that so casually," She shook her head, "I'll ask next time," Before he could open his mouth again, she stammered out a clarification, "B-Before taking your clothes, as in."
"What's yours is mine and what's mine is yours, right?" He doubled down, "Just like back in the city."
"Just like in the city," She quietly parroted, plainly half serious. It'd taken him a moment to notice, but the heat was fading from their surroundings and her ears had pricked back up, "It is a nice thought, but it's a little untenable given my position and certain expectations."
"Maybe but that doesn't change anything to me," He swore, "I mean it; if it'd make things better for you, I'd give up anything on the spot. You can take whatever you want."
She rolled her eyes before, without warning, retaking her lounging position, "Well, as long as you're offering, I suppose I'll retake my pillow."
The room's temperature redoubled, and pinkness mounted upon her cheeks again, but the return of her book hid the latter of those occurrences.
Quiet again ballooned to fill the room, but now Silver could comfortably keep his attention on his book. If it would help her relax, he was willing to do or give her anything; whether she thought she should be allowed to take it or not. To lend a shirt so that she could feel comfortable, to be a pillow so that she could rest or simply hold her hand; no matter the need, he would always do his best to help her.