Chapter Text
Silver had been living in Harlem for almost a year now. Why? He'd decided to move to the Present due to how the Future always changed when he paid Sonic and the others a visit.
Silver chose Harlem because (though not for another 200 years) Harlem was where he was born. Silver also works in construction as a means to pay the bills. Though not physically super strong in his own right, Silver's psychokinesis proves invaluable for lifting beams, bricks and the like.
The present being Wednesday, October 30, 2013, Silver was at work. He was hovering at around 300ft. in the air beside an unfinished structure. He'd been holding a beam up for a welder when his walkie talkie beeped.
He picked it up, "Silver speaking."
"Hey, Silver? Yeah, there's someone outside the fence 'seeking an audience with you' I think she said," said the man on the other side.
'She?' thought Silver before asking, "Who?"
"Some lavender-colored cat, clad in a purple jacket and black scarf. She said she's a friend of yours."
Silver froze. 'How is she here?!' he thought loudly. 'Why is she here?!' He decided that he'd ask her those questions himself.
"O-On my way," stuttered Silver before he hung up. He then had to ring the welder to tell him he needed to excuse himself for a bit.
The welder flipped his helmet up and removed his earplugs. Silver spoke, "A friend wants to see me down at the fence. Mind if I step out for a bit?"
"Not at all. I got this from now on," said the man.
"Thanks, Vern!" said Silver before he turned around and switched off his flight, letting himself fall.
He fell for three seconds before flashing his power again, to slow his descent, then landing with both legs and one hand on the ground like a superhero.
'Still feels cool,' thought Silver as he walked away smirking at the vivid footprints he'd left behind.
As he made his way toward the fence, Silver pondered what it is he would say to Blaze when he saw her. He hadn't seen or heard from her in months. Granted, her job as the Keeper of the Sol Emeralds often kept her occupied. Nonetheless, Silver had longed for another meeting. Hell, he'd settle for another status update text-wise, just to see if she was alright.
He'd made it to the fence exit/entrance before he saw her. Not only was she wearing her typical, iconic, athletic garments but she was also sporting a long, glistening, jet-colored scarf. Likely due to it being late October.
Silver called out to her as he walked toward her, but his tone carried a hint of surprise despite him having deduced it was her.
"Blaze?" he said.
Blaze turned to him and donned a soft smile. "Hello, Silver," she replied.
"Long time, no see!" said Silver, wearing a joyful grin.
The two enveloped each other in a balmy embrace. Silver always enjoyed these. Blaze was just so warm when she was happy. That convinced Silver that the enjoyment was mutual.
They unraveled. A foreign feeling given that since their last encounter, Silver has grown to be about three inches taller than Blaze, as opposed to one. Silver asked with a puzzled look, "H-How are you here?"
"Fortunately, Eggman Nega has suffered an irrevocable defeat," said Blaze with glee.
"And?!" replied Silver with a tone brimming with enthusiasm.
"Ergo, I am now taking a long-belated break."
"Th-That's great! H-How long of a break are we talking?" asked Silver while arching a brow.
"To be decided...." said Blaze, with no lack of emphasis in her tone.
Silver then gave a moment of abstinence before speaking. "Why are you here?"
Blaze then took her own moment of abstinence. One that was interpreted a little differently by Silver given he was already stammering to apologize for having asked his question so bluntly.
The purple cat then raised her hands in both silence and assurance. "Silver, it's okay!" Silver heaved a sigh of relief before mimicking her smile from moments prior.
Blaze sighed before continuing. "I do understand that while my duties have left me occupied for some time, I might've left you hanging in the wind...."
"No, it's fine. You're here now so I can rest a little easier," said Silver. He said it rather cryptically, though.
"I hope I'm not imposing right no-" said Blaze before she was stopped by Silver.
"No, no, no. You haven't imposed and you never will," assured Silver. "In fact, I've been meaning to cash in that favor for a while now."
"What favor?" asked Blaze curiously.
Silver then equipped his walkie talkie and rang somebody up. They answered, "Ryan speaking."
"Hey, Ryan? I'd like to call it a day. I'm calling in that favor."
There was a moment of ambience before Ryan spoke. "It's taken care of. We're even. See ya next week, Silvester!"
"Thanks," said Silver with a voice just filled with encouragement (not).
Ryan spoke again. "Also, I heard that stutter over the walkie. Who's your friend, huh? Where ya taking her? On a da-"
His voice cut out when Silver accidentally crushed the comms device in his hand then tossed it away, chaos knows where it went.
Silver then cleared his throat as he trudged over to a nearby unit to ditch the construction vest. "So how did you find me?" asked Silver as he did this.
"I encountered Amy before I did you. I asked her where you are and what you do...." Blaze's voice trailed off as she watched Silver remove his work vest.
When he unveiled himself from under the vest, Blaze could now see that Silver's chest fur had now grown even more than before. Blaze hid a blush. 'I didn't know it could get even fluffier! Curse my pale complexion!' thought her.
With the vest off, Silver gave a glance to his watch. "It's around five right now...." before he turned to Blaze, noticing that she was concealing herself.
"You alright, Blaze?" asked Silver.
"Yes!" replied Blaze, rather loudly.
Silver shrugged it off then stared Blaze directly in the eyes before speaking in a cocky tone. "Your Majesty, would you do me the honor of dining with me this evening?"
Blaze dawned a confident smirk. "I most certainly would, Sir Silvester."
"Oh, that's how it's going to be?"
Blaze laughed before Silver offered her his arm, to which she happily obliged.
Silver led them to a restaurant. Blaze gave him a look of curiosity, to which Silver responded with an "I come here from time to time" before opening the door for her.
They walked in and there was nobody behind the lectern - before Silver rang the bell. Somebody, looking to be a skinny black woman in her early 20's, came catapulting out into the walkways and resting behind the lectern with all the customers sitting comfortably and unfazed in their seats as if it was the norm.
"I think that's a new record, Jill," quipped Silver, earning a snicker from Blaze.
"Faster than you, maple-head," replied the lady.
"It's good to see ya, Jill," said Silver while he gave her a fist bump.
"Likewise. How's construction?"
"Well, my boss did ask me to attach two pieces of wood together. So I nailed it!"
"Somebody stop this unhinge savage," said Jill sarcastically before she spotted Blaze, giggling again at Silver's little joke.
"Oh, and who's this?" asked Jill.
"Blaze. Blaze the Cat. I'm a friend of Silver's." replied Blaze as she shook Jill's hand.
Jill gave a wide-eyed expression at them like she'd just realized something. She then waved somebody else over, "Arroyo! Could you take the front for me for a little bit?"
"Sure!" went a disembodied voice.
Jill escorted them so that they sat outside. She gave them time for their drinks, and time for Silver to conclude that by some time this evening, she's gonna ask for the "deets."
Silver and Blaze gave each other several unnoticed glances from behind their menus. Silver set his down, because he'd already picked what he wanted five minutes prior. It's as if he'd been building the confidence to talk to Blaze.
"You know that it's Halloween tomorrow night?" asked Silver, trying to spark conversation.
Blaze then lowered her menu and replied. "I think Sonic mentioned that holiday once."
"He's probably got a better idea of it than I do. Some of this time's holidays didn't make it to my present."
"There is a dimensional equivalent to this 'Halloween' in my dimension. I've just never considered it to be my favorite."
"My favorite is cliched."
"Mine too."
"Christmas."
"Christmas," said both of them in unison. They both giggled at their jinx.
"It's called Christmas in the Sol dimension, too?" asked Silver.
"No, I heard that name from Sonic, also," said Blaze. "In the same conversation, no less."
"What started that conversation?"
"My asking him about this world's holidays," said Blaze with a hint of duh.
Silver snickered, "Fair enough."
"Who was that? Our waitress?"
"Jill? She's a college student who's worked here for about two years now. She's waited on me quite a few times so we've had a chat here and there. We've become friends."
Blaze nodded before she'd noticed she needed to use the restroom. As she excused herself, Silver spotted Jill grinning at him whilst leaning against the doorway.
Silver turned to look behind him then back to Jill. "What?" he said.
"Dude!" cried Jill as she joyfully raced to his side and gave him a playful jab to the shoulder, to which he responded with an "ow."
"That was Blaze?" asked Jill.
"That was her," Silver replied as he rubbed his shoulder.
"She's so pretty."
"Agreed."
"How long she been here?"
"An hour...." Silver said as he sipped his beverage.
Jill wore a flabbergasted expression. "You had the guts to ask her out when she just arrive? You an inspiration!"
"No, right now, I'm just a hedgehog who wants his refill," said Silver with a joking tone and a smile before Jill gave him another punch buggy.
"You better cherish yo refills, because you ain't gonna see me much after this," Jill said as she refilled his glass then sat down in Blaze's seat. The ambience softened.
"Silver?" asked Jill.
"Hmm?" hummed Silver.
"It been a couple weeks since I've seen you here. You usually here around two to three times a week. I check your work and the guys I talked to said you were being a bit distant, but you were getting the job done."
Silver looked off into the outside view as she said this.
She continued. "Are you alright?"
Silver looked back at her and said a "yeah" almost inaudibly. Jill quietly left the table after that, as to not occupy Blaze's seat or further disturb Silver.
Blaze came back before their dinner arrived. During and after they ate, they laughed, they conversed, and they caught up. It was a good night for both of them.
Silver and Blaze walked to the restaurant exit/entrance with Jill behind them, giving Silver the most obvious and most comical wink anyone has ever given anybody.
Silver gave Blaze a suspicious glance as they walked down the sidewalk from the restaurant. He was happy, overjoyed to have Blaze here, and he's sure the feeling was reciprocated. It's just he couldn't help but feel like there was something she wasn't telling him.
"Blaze?" asked Silver as he stopped under a street light.
"Yes?" said Blaze, stopping a few feet ahead of him and turning around.
"Why are you really here? I mean don't get me wrong, I'm glad you're here. Tonight's been the best night I've had all year. I just can't shake the feeling that you didn't come all the way from the Sol dimension just to visit an old friend. And without notifying me beforehand."
Blaze chuckled. "Well, I've already gotten what I wanted," she said as she pulled out an envelope from her jacket.
Silver took it and asked, "What did you want?"
"To spend time with you...."
They smiled warmly at each other before Silver ripped open the envelope; removed the contents; and then threw the envelope in the nearby public trash can.
"I do admit now that Amy wasn't the only one I've encountered since I arrived," said Blaze.
"What do you mean?" asked Silver before he read the contents of the letter.
"I mean that I also encountered Sonic. And I insisted to him that I would give you this," said Blaze as she gestured to the letter, which Silver started to read aloud.
"Congratulations, Silver the Hedgehog! For you've been personally invited to partake in the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games...."