HOME ALONE TONIGHT

The door jingled as he opened it. He walked in and was surprised that on a Friday of all nights that this place was as quiet as it was given the time. Sure, there were a few barflies with their drinks of choice, but the low number of them must have been shocking to the owner. Or owners. Hell if he knew. This was not his usual hangout for a number of reasons, but it seemed right to be here, if not a bit clichéd.

He strolled slowly to the bar and viewed the tavern's atmosphere. There was what looked like an elephant celebrating his 21st birthday with all of his friends, a crying hyena face-down on the table with a big bottle of Jack Daniel's in one hand and a shot glass in the other, a lioness at the jukebox shelling out her money just to keep playing a pop song that everyone was sick of hearing, and a few open spots at the bar's left side.

He grabbed one of the stools and pulled it out slightly. When he sat down and scooted closer to the bar, he waited patiently for the bartender to serve him. He grabbed his wallet and pulled out $20. Before closing it, he viewed a picture that was in it. He was not looking at it out of sadness, but rather disappointment, and he shook his head.

Her.

"Goddammit," he thought. "Oh, well. Her loss."

"What're you having, sir?" The hedgehog looked up, shut his wallet, and faced the bartender. "Say… aren't you-?"

"Mm-hmm," he assured with a nod. "But don't tell anyone, okay?"

"Trying to keep a low profile, eh? Well, you came to the right place. What're you having, Soni-. I mean, sir?"

"A Jack and Coke for starters," he said as he slid the bill to badger. The barkeep brought the cash up to the light.

"Sorry, I just needed to make sure it's a real one."

"Hey, you're just doing your job."

"Do ya want it in a highball or old-fashioned glass?"

"Whatever's bigger, man."

"Highball it is." The barkeep grabbed his supplies and fixed his cocktail. "Cheers," he said as he offered it to him.

The buyer raised his glass up to the badger and said, "Cheers."

Taking his first sip, he tasted a sharp flavor courtesy of the Black Label whiskey. It tasted and went down the same way that his relationship did about an hour ago: bittersweet with an aftertaste that he was not going to forget anytime soon.

He drank his first glass faster than he thought and requested a refill. He paid the barkeep once more and took the first sip of his second drink. The hedgehog was mellowing out, but the disappointment still lingered like the common cold.

He took out his wallet again and took out the picture. Having had enough of what he saw, he crumpled the photo up and threw it at a nearby trashcan saying, "Kobe," as he shot. But no dice. It bounced off the far edge and onto the ground. "More like 'Shaq,'" he said disappointedly.

As he turned back to his drink, the bartender returned. "I hate to ask," the badger began, "but what's a guy like you doing here?"

The customer sighed and said, "I just needed to get my mind off of a few things. You've probably heard that one before, haven't you?"

"If I had a nickel…. But seriously, why're you here?"

"Breakup. Pure and simple."

"Ah. Did she cheat on you or…?"

"No, no she didn't. But if it's all the same to you, I'd like to keep it to myself."

"Okay. Sorry if I pried."

"It's alright."

Just then a person had taken the stool to his right. He took a brief glance at her, but he ended up doing a double-take as he continued to look. It was a young woman who was just a bit shorter than he was. The feminine hedgehog had pink fur and a great figure that was covered by a beige trench coat.

"Evening, ma'am. What can I get for you?"

"Jack and Coke, please," she said as she sat down.

"Old-fashioned or highball glass?"

"Highball."

"Then it's $6.25."

After digging in her purse, she came out with a $10 bill and offered it to him.

"You have a good taste in drinks," the man to her left said.

"I like what I like," she reasoned.

"Here you go, ma'am," the barkeep said as he offered the drink.

"Thank you," she said while grabbing it. The badger walked away as she took a big drink from it. She shuddered when she swallowed it.

"I can relate to that," the man said.

"Huh?" she asked as she turned towards him.

"The sharp way the whiskey goes down," he said pointing to it. Then he picked up his glass to give an example.

"I think I know how Old No. 7 works," she said, although it sounded more like a hiss. "I'm not a lightweight."

"Calm down, I'm just trying to make a little conversation."

"Well, I'm not really in the mood. So if you don't mind…."

He turned away and turned on his phone. It read 9:03 p.m.

He first checked his social media outlets. Nothing was happening on Twitter except for ESPN's usual praising of Stephen Curry and LeBron James like the both of them were the second coming of Christ. His Notifications tab was filled to the brim with sayings like, "MARRY ME," "I WANNA HAVE YOUR BABY," and the full addresses to horny and desperate girls' homes so that the fast hero could blow their minds only for them to post how Sonic the Hedgehog and they were now married just because they shared a night and a bed.

His Tumblr and Tinder pages were more of the same. Facebook was a slightly different story though. He had the same fangirl problems he had when he posted something as simple as a selfie as a normal celebrity would have on social media, but this time it was a bit different. Scrolling down, he was quickly reminded of what lead him to the tavern. The status update he read was not particularly endearing, and it only made him sadder the more he read it.

Quickly glancing over to the woman on his right, he thought, "She at least could have been a little nicer."

He put his sulking on hold for a moment when he heard the slight sound of someone sobbing. He looked over his left shoulder and saw no one crying. But when he turned to his right, he saw the pink woman quietly crying with a few noticeable tears sliding down her face.

Taking pity, he grabbed a nearby napkin and reached for her. She stopped immediately and grabbed his hand fiercely making him wince in pain.

"What do you think you're doing?" she asked darkly as she stared him down.

"I'm just trying to lend a hand."

"I'm fine."

"If you were, you wouldn't be crying. I'm just trying to be help." She maintained eye-contact for another second or two, but she bowed her face to hide it. "Please take the napkin." She looked back at him and plucked it from him.

"Thank you," she said. He gently smiled.

She wiped off her face and set it aside to grab her drink. After swallowing, she sighed sharply.

"Sorry for snapping at you like that," she said.

"It's alright."

"No, it's not. I'm just…."

"You're just going through a rough time in your life?" he guessed.

"Yeah," she said as she began to face him. She faked a smile, but it quickly vanished.

"Boyfriend issues?"

"Something like that." She looked away as she said it, and that was enough answer for him.

"I'm the same way. Er… not the 'boyfriend' part though."

"A girl is giving the great Sonic the Hedgehog trouble? That's surprising."

"Not as surprising as a girl who is not constantly drooling over me," he jabbed back.

"Just because I know who you are doesn't mean I'm like every other fan of yours – female or not – that would love for you to rock their world. Not everyone who knows you is completely and/or hopelessly obsessed with you."

"And what about you? What do you think of me?"

"I think you're fantastic. I really admire what you do for everyone, y'know with all of your heroics and whatnot. But that doesn't mean that I have every square inch of my bedroom covered with posters and pictures of you and me at a wedding chapel."

He chuckled. It was not very often that found a fan of his that was not crazy about him. "You wouldn't believe how many fans have sent me pictures of their 'collections' of me."

"Oh, I think I could imagine. Oh, sorry; this conversation derailed. What were we talking about again?"

"Uh… I forget." The two shared a chuckle and each took a drink. Sonic looked at his and saw that he was already in need of another refill. So was she. "Need another?"

After glancing at her glass, she said, "Yeah, I could use another one."

"Lemme-."

"No, let me. I suppose I owe you that much for being snippy with you. What are you drinking?"

"Jack and Coke; same as you."

"Alright then. Bartender?" The old badger quickly came to them. "Another Jack and Coke for me and Sonic, if you don't mind."

"Will do." As the badger did the refills, she pulled out another bill, this time one of the $20 varieties. "Here you two go," he said as he set the drinks down and grabbed the bill. "Keep the change."

"Thank you, ma'am." When he left, the two grabbed their drinks. She lifted hers and said, "Here's to Sonic saving the day once again."

He chuckled and raised his too. "And here's to pretty fangirls who aren't completely nuts for me." She blushed and laughed. The two clinked their glasses and took a sip.

When they set them back down, Sonic noticed how tipsy he felt. Hell, he was already on his third drink and he had not even been there for an hour. And now a beautiful woman had just gotten him another round. It was still early, but to him, this night was going better than he could have ever imagined.

He offered his hand. She was a little confused.

"I'm Sonic," he said.

"Yeah, I know. How drunk are you?"

"A little, but that won't stop me from properly introducing myself."

She chuckled and shook his hand. "Well, I'm Amy. Amy Rose."

"Hmm. How floral, but I take it you get that a lot?"

"Not as much you might think. So… why is a hotshot like you in a place like this?"

"Well, what about you, Miss Rose?"

Inhaling sharply, she said. "I think I said this before, but 'boyfriend issues.' Wait, wasn't that what we were talking about earlier?"

After a second or two of thought, Sonic said, "Yeah… I think it was."

"Well, that's why." She sighed. "And I wish it didn't have to go down like it did."

"Go down like what did?"

"My boy-. Sorry, my ex-boyfriend, Damon."

"What did he do to make you like this? Making a pretty girl like you cry should be against the law." His sweet words caused her cheeks to redden. She smiled for a brief moment, but her frown returned. He really wanted to understand. He had already made a connection to this girl and despite their short time together.

"It was both of us, really. I don't want to talk about it." She actually wanted to vent, but she was convinced that he would not listen. A part of her thought it was just so he would pity her or maybe that he just wanted to do something else later on with her that she would not want to do. But this was not just some guy that she had just met. No, this was the heroic Sonic the Hedgehog. Surely he could understand, right?

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yeah."

An awkward silence followed. He took another sip. She did the same. "I don't want to force you into doing anything, but you can trust me. Everyone else does. I'm a good listener. Sure, everyone knows that I run my mouth when I'm dealing with bad guys, but I wouldn't say a word of this to anyone else. If it's because you think I wouldn't understand, then you're wrong… because I'm drinking away my sorrows for the same reason that you are."

She turned back to him. His face was not the same cheery one she saw earlier. Now it was his head that was hung. She saw his eyes and how depressed they looked.

"I think this was where our conversation was heading earlier," she said.

"I think you're right," he responded.

"Tell ya what," she said before downing the rest of her drink. "Get me another drink, and we'll go from there."

He smiled and pounded the rest of his cocktail too. "Deal. Bartender? Another round for me and the lady." The badger nodded from across the bar and refilled the drinks when he had the chance. Sonic paid the man and was given his change. The hedgehogs grabbed their glasses and took a sip. They put them down, laid their arms on the bar, and faced each other. "Alright. You first."

She was hesitant to start, and he knew that she would be. But he put his left hand over her right hand. Another blush came over her face, and she nervously looked away. "It's okay. I don't bite."

She sighed and raised her head to face him. "His name is Damon. He's a Bengal tiger. It wasn't pretty."

"Can't you give me a little more than his name and species?"

She took another sip and collected her thoughts. "We started getting to know each other during our senior year at college. He and I had a few elective classes together. Y'know how there's always that one guy who is just so freakin' good-looking that any girl would do anything to have him?" He nodded. "He wasn't that guy, but he was pretty damn close. After a while, we paired up to tackle a few projects together and that's when things got serious. We graduated and continued to see more of each other. At first I thought I would be spending the rest of my life with him." She took another sip.

"But the good times didn't last, did they?" he asked.

"That depends on whom you're talking about. For him, no. What I didn't tell you was that he was also your typical college partier. He was a member of one of the best frats at the university, not just in terms of popularity, but party-throwing. Did he like to have fun? Yes. Do I like to have fun? Yes."

"So this guy was too much of a partier for you?"

"His partying wasn't the problem. I like partying it up once in a while too, but the problem with him was his… his… maturity. He acted so childishly at times, too much for my liking. Granted when he was still in college he could make those decisions without getting burned for it later for the most part, and it's common to act like an idiot when you're at a party-strong frat, but even after we both graduated he still wanted to party, he still wanted to hang out with a younger crowd, and he could not understand that that part of his life was over! We were graduated for cryin' out loud! He didn't know how to act like a civilized person because I honestly don't think anyone's kicked his butt enough for him to be a mature adult. And here comes me – his then-girlfriend – wanting him to grow up and be a man." She stopped again to – you guessed it – take another sip. "After a while, I just couldn't take it anymore, but I didn't want to lose him because of it. We'd been dating for months, but honestly I kinda liked it when he was childish… when we were still in school. When we got our degrees, I wanted to live a mature life with him, but not his foolish, irresponsible self. I tried to change him, but that lead to fights. Finally, I gave him an ultimatum to either grow up or I would leave." She took in a sharp breath and tried to hold back the tears. He saw it and grabbed a napkin to get ready. "His silence was enough for me. I left his place and just drove all across town. And then I wound up here." That's when a tear rolled down her right cheek. She hung her head out of sadness. He reached over to wipe it away, but she said, "No, I've got it." She took her sleeve and wiped it away. "I know that it wasn't fair of me to be so demanding, but I… I…."

"You just couldn't take it anymore."

She nodded and looked back up to him. God, it broke his heart to see her whimpering with glossy, red eyes. Like he said before, making a pretty girl like her cry should be against the law.

"It's over," he said. "I get it that you just got done with him, and I know you're feeling like the world's crashing down on you, but things happen for a reason. For you, that reason is that he wasn't right for you, and you know that. Am I right?" She slowly nodded. "Will it take you a while to move on? It might or it might not, but trust me, you'll get over him."

She smiled. "Thank God," he thought.

"I didn't know that the great Sonic the Hedgehog could be as philosophical as he is heroic."

She chuckled. "That's it. Laugh! That's what you need to do. It's the best medicine."

She turned away to take another sip. Amy thought that only her girlfriends could've helped cheer her up. But some guy at a bar was helping her out, and it didn't matter if he was known and loved by all either. That was when she realized it. He saved her. He saved her from being an emotional wreck. She was smiling and having a good time without Damon. And it didn't hurt that this guy was very easy on the eyes.

Amy was not gonna sugarcoat it. She liked him. She liked the way he saved people, she liked his good heart, and she liked how dashing he looked. She was always fascinated by the color blue, especially a magnificently jarring color like his royal blue fur.

And he was built well too. Was he ripped beyond all comprehension? No, but she could still make out a slight 6-pack and some strong-looking arms. His eyes were calming and sympathetic. If one would take a good look at them, anyone could tell what he was feeling at that exact moment. Emerald green. His eye color complemented his blue fur and tan chest well, not to mention his handsome face. It was not hard to see why every girl wanted him, and she realized that it was only him and her. If only she could take him home with her….

Another thing dawned on her. He said that he could relate to her current issue. She told him everything. All the details. Now it was his turn. She did not want to ruin the good times with him having to be a sullen mess.

But a deal was a deal.

"You're turn," she said to him.

"Hmm?" he asked mid-sip.

"I told you why I'm here. Now it's your turn, Sonic."

He nodded and finished the rest of his drink.

"Need another?" asked the bartender.

"Please. You?" She finished off the rest of hers and nodded. "Two please, bartender." He swiftly topped off their drinks to which the hedgehogs clinked their glasses and took a sip.

"So you wanna know why I'm here?" he asked.

"That and you have to-."

"I'm joking. I wasn't going to run off."

She rolled her eyes and propped her head up on her arm. "Well?"

He nodded. "Here we go," he thought.

"Do you remember how like four months ago that fat doc, Dr. Eggman, made some weird bat-like creatures that terrorized the city?"

She thought about for a moment and said, "Yeah. I remember watching you on the TV. The news channels had a great view of the whole thing. But what's that got to do with your girl troubles?"

"That's how we met."

"What, did you save her or something?"

He shook his head. "It wasn't anything like that, it was just… well, I went up for an attack on one of the doc's bat-things, and it used its metallic wing to send me a-flying! Wheeeeeee!" he exclaimed as he pointed his finger up and moved it from right to left. "When I landed, I landed in a fruit stand. I landed on a banana in the worst possible position, and when I looked up, I saw her. I wouldn't say that it was 'love at first sight' or any BS like that, but hey, she looked amazing." She rolled her eyes. "Hey! I'm not saying that I wanted to take her home that night and conquer her, but I am still a guy after all!" She sighed and chuckled.

"Anyway," he continued, "when I was done with Dr. Sunnysideup and had him tossed into a cop car, she was there and she asked me if I wanted to grab something to eat, and I'm like, 'Sure! I just beat up a looney doc and his army of bat-bots! Hell yeah, I want somethin' to eat!' But anyway, that's how we started dating. But after a while, I began to have problems that were kinda like yours."

"You had a significant other that was immature too?"

"Eh… kinda sorta. Lemme explain. A few months into our relationship – like pretty much every relationship – you learn little tidbits about the other person. With her, yeah, she was a bit immature and egotistical like Yours Truly, but I'm really only like that when I'm duking it out against bad guys. I only do that to piss 'em off so I can force them to do something that'll give me an edge. Otherwise, the same hedgehog you're seeing right now is who I really am, save for my current drunkenness. She on the other hand… Oh, sorry. Her name was Beatrice the Mouse, by the way – very old-fashioned name – but she liked to see called 'Bea' for short. I got off on a tangent. Forgive me. Anyhow, we dated for a few months, but the more I was with her, the more I got… 'Put on a pedestal,' I guess is how you would say it. She was more into doing things with me, which is what you're supposed to do in a relationship, but she wanted to do things with me just to get noticed for doing things with me. At first I thought that this kind of thing or fad – whatever ya wanna call it – would pass 'cause she was in a relationship with a quote-unquote 'big-shot.' That, unfortunately, wasn't the case. She has this sick sense of always needing attention, whether it be from me or others who saw her with me."

"And like me, you just had enough of it?"

He nodded and shrugged his shoulders. "I dunno why I didn't break it off with her sooner, to be honest. All those months I spent with her, good god, people say that I have an ego…. She was getting all this notoriety for being my girlfriend and all it did was make her a pain in the ass. She was a handful to deal with already, but then she was getting upset at me for being out too much being a hero. I should mention that she's also a selfish girl. She wanted me to be with her more, and by that I mean be seen with her more, but I'm a hero! She had to have known that as someone who's determined to keep people safe that I had to make sacrifices, maybe even the ultimate sacrifice, to keep people like her safe! I want to keep people safe! I take pride in it! The cops can't deal with nutjobs like Eggman. Only I can! Sorry… I'm getting a little too worked up. Nevertheless, I gave her a choice: either cut the crap and deal with who I am and lose the overly-self-righteous attitude, or I leave. And then she said that everybody else would just have to fight their own battles. So now I'm the one with a decision: be with this mental case or the people that I protect. You can guess which one I chose. Easiest decision of my whole life."

"So if it was the easiest decision of your whole life, then why're you here?"

He did not say anything immediately. He sat there trying to think out a logical answer.

"I guess I was just so mad and frustrated that it had to come to that. Was I a little sad because it was over? Well… yeah. I know you're probably thinking that girl was an absolute douche based on what I've said, but I still liked her and I wanted to work it out." He sighed and shook his head. "And now I'm here getting wrecked on Jack and Cokes."

"There are worse things to get wrecked on," she said.

"I guess. But enough about our past romances. You said you went to school, right?"

"Uh… yeah. I graduated magna cum laude with a degree in Professional Writing and Publishing and a minor in Creative Writing."

"Magna-wha?"

"'Magna cum laude' is Latin for 'With great honor.' I graduated fourth-highest in my major, 17th-highest in my class."

"And what does a Professional Writing and Publishing degree mean in terms of employment?"

"I'm in the editorial business. I just got a job a few weeks ago with a local publishing firm here in town specializing in children's and teen's books. It's actually one of the biggest publishing firms in the state."

"Oh. Well, good for you."

"Thanks. What about you? Does the great Sonic have any kind of schooling under his heroic belt?"

"I graduated a few years back with degrees in Physical Education and Law Enforcement."

"Why am I not surprised to hear you say that?"

"Because I'm not lying, that's why. So yeah, I'm an Olympic-level athlete with a law enforcement degree that works outside the law as a vigilante to bring down big baddies. Not bad for a guy who started out as a pizza delivery boy." Amy was mid-sip when he said that last bit, and she spat out her drink with a laugh.

"'Pizza delivery boy!' Good one!"

"I'm not kidding!" Her laughter stopped on a dime as she looked straight at him.

"Wait, you're serious?"

"Yep! In a past life, I used my natural super-speed to dish out pieces of Italian heaven around town."

"No… that's too perfect! I don't believe you!" she said with a goofy smile.

"If you don't believe me, there's a little pizzeria on Cedar Avenue-."

"Wait, Cedar Avenue… you wouldn't be talking about Fat Lorenzo's, would you?"

"The one and only! My parents, bless their hearts, got me the job waaaaay back when I was still in high school. Lorenzo's never had a better pizza delivery boy in his life. I've delivered a lot of pizzas with too many olives in my time. That, and their signature cheesy garlic bread."

"I love their cheesy garlic bread! It's the bomb! I ate there so many times when I was still in college!"

"Well, and their pizzas are pretty damn tasty too, y'know. Man, I loved that job. I got to do what I did best: run. I got to meet a lot of good people at that place. Nowadays, I don't get to go there as often I used to, but whenever I go there, Lorenzo's place always has a packed house. You know how there's a wall in the lobby that has framed pictures of Lorenzo with famous people?" She nodded. "Well, I'm on that wall in two places. One picture was from when I first started out there, and the other one was taken a few months ago. In each of those photos I'm with the big man himself. God bless that man."

"Wow! I'll have to look for that next time I'm in there! Maybe on a date…?" Sonic began sweating as she looked straight into his soul when she said it. He laughed nervously and averted his eyes. She thought it was cute that she got him all flustered like that. To cool off, he took another sip of his cocktail.

Ahh… refreshing.

The two faced each other again and smiled. Yeah, this night was definitely going better than he could've expected. A night out with a pretty girl with whom he had a few things in common with, and he loved how normal she was. She was just a girl with a drink her hand that was not superficial by any definition. He liked that about her. He really liked that about her. That, and her cute, angelic face… and her glistening jade green eyes… and her vibrant pink fur… and her cheery disposition… and although she still had her trench coat on, he could tell that she treated her own body the right way… and she had all the right curves in all the right places… what did she look like underneath…?

Sonic jolted from his daydreaming as Amy looked at him with an inquisitive look. He realized that he was looking at her longer than he meant to, and she caught him red-handed. That being said, she wasn't the only one day-dreaming about the drunken hunk that was sitting in front of her. Too bad he did not pick up on that.

"Like what you see?" she asked with a sense of flattery in her voice. The moment she said that, his body freaked out.

"Uh…! Uh…! Oh boy…."

"Sonic, if we're bring perfectly honest with each other right now, I've been looking at you all night too. I'd consider us even."

He took a sigh of relief. "Wait," he thought, "she's been looking at me?"

"W-Well…," he stuttered, "yo-you are just t-too… oh god." He bowed his head.

She did not now know whether to laugh at his nervousness or try to comfort him. Deciding on the latter, she put her hand on top of his. Immediately he looked up and turned to see their joined hands. He sat there frozen in fear for a moment, but when she squeezed his hand, he calmed down, but he sported a muzzle that was as red as wine.

Going a step further, with her free hand, she softly cupped his right cheek. Her tender touch brought his eyes to meet hers again. His breathing slowed drastically. It was like she had a knack for this kind of thing: making a grown man act like an idiot. Thankfully for him, she adored that about him. He was naïve like a schoolchild, and he had the facial expression to match. He had that face that a young boy would get when the prettiest girl in the class was making cute faces just for him because she wanted to kiss him. Without him thinking, he brought his right hand to his face and put his hand on top of hers, and just like her, he squeezed her hand gently.

Then the two began to get closer… and closer… and closer. Their minds raced as their eyes were deadlocked to one another's. When they realized what was really happening, they puckered their lips and closed their eyes.

And then his phone chirped. This jolted them back to reality. The duo sighed in disappointment and cursed under their breaths. That really just happened… and it was ruined by a goddamn piece of technology.

They let go of each other and tried to straighten up their appearances. Amy let in some air to her neck by tugging on her coat collar.

"Well…," she said.

"Uh… hehehe, yeah…," he responded.

"Aren't you gonna check your phone?"

"Oh! Right…." He took out his phone and turned it on. When the screen lit up, he moved his thumb to open the device. When the phone made its sound, it was a very short sound exclusive to texts. When he pulled up his message list, he groaned.

"Seriously?" he asked.

"What is it, Sonic?"

"She texted me."

"Who did?"

"Bea."

"Really? What did she say?"

"She asked, 'Sonic, r u there?'."

"Well, are you gonna respond?"

"Screw Bea. I've had enough of her." Just then, the two heard a song being played via the jukebox. Someone had just started to play a slow, sweeping ballad, and that was when Sonic had an idea to get his mind off of Bea and back onto Amy. "Wanna dance?" he asked as he offered his hand. She was a little surprised at his offer, but when she looked at his eyes and only saw him looking at her sweetly, she just had to accept.

"I'd love to," she said with a smile as she took his hand.

The duo got off their stools and walked to a small dance floor that was past the left end of the bar.

"Oops, hold on," she said. He stopped and raised an eyebrow only for both of his eyebrows to shoot up when he saw her take off her coat. He was able to notice a few of her features with her trench coat on before, but now with it off, he saw her wearing a pair of jeans that hugged her shapely legs flawlessly and a red, flowing t-shirt with white stitching at its bottom, sleeves, and neck that created swirls and flower patterns.

He could hear a maddening thumping come from his chest as he gazed at her. "Hooooly…!" he thought.

"Sorry about that," she said as she laid her coat on the barstool. "I was just wanted to be a little more-." She stopped when he saw his blushing and wide-eyed face. "Is something the matter, Sonic?"

"What? No! It's just… wow." He looked away bashfully and rubbed the back of his head. She tittered at his nervousness and offered her hand. He took it and walked her to the small dancefloor past the end of the bar.

Taking their positions, his left hand intertwined its fingers with those of her right hand. Meanwhile, he put his free hand on her back, and she put her left arm around his shoulders. Before they knew it, their feet and bodies moved slowly to the beat of the song.

"I never knew you could dance," she said.

"What can I say? I'm pretty good on my feet."

"Don't I know it?"

They shared a short laugh as their bodies grew closer to each other. Soon enough, their bodies had gently pressed against each other. Their hands had slinked into new positions as her arms made their way around his neck as his slid around her waist. She bowed her head and laid it gently on his chest while his rested on her forehead. The more she relaxed, the more she could hear his heartbeat. It was slow and calming, just like the music and his dancing.

There was a feeling of security that came with this. They had each been in a few situations where they held their ex-lovers in the same way that they were currently holding onto each other, but for the first time in their lives, it seemed like there was a sense of actual care and love that went into it. They could both die right where they stood and not have a single regret. He loved it how a girl this beautiful was dancing perfectly with him and him alone. She loved it how he held her with such feeling like he did not want to let her go, and she sure as hell did not want him to.

To her surprise, he pressed his lips to her forehead, sending a positive jolt through her body. She looked up to him in shock as she met his cool, emerald green eyes once again. He shot her a calm, adoring smile.

"C'mon, Amy," her heart said. "Kiss him."

Taking the advice, she slowly pushed her head up towards him. He took the bait and bowed his head downwards. They puckered their lips once again and grew closer. Millimeters separated the two when another chirping sound interrupted them again. His face turned from blissful to pissed-off as he quickly whipped out his phone.

"Her again?" she asked.

"Yeah. Now she's just asking for me by name." A quick idea manifested itself in her head as she plucked the phone from his hand and tossed it back on the bar. "Hey! What was that-?"

She pushed her lips up to his and gave him a deep, loving kiss. For a moment his brain could not comprehend the situation. She was kissing him. She was kissing him hard and passionately. It was a little sloppy, no doubt from the alcohol, and she definitely tasted like the famous cocktail. Her full, mesmerizing lips moved so hypnotically that he was caught under her spell and found himself kissing her back. All their raw emotions were culminating in a sudden moment that they wished would never end. To take it a step further, he slid his tongue into her mouth to which she graciously accepted and returned the favor.

They paced their movements so that they would not run out of energy too quickly. Like the cocktails that their mouths tasted like, they wanted to savor this moment, give them all their emotions and feelings for each other, and love the fact that despite only knowing each other for a few hours that they were two lonely lovers fresh off disappointing relationships that had just found each other, even if for only one night. Never in their lives, not even from their previous lovers had they felt this great or felt so loved. This was capped off by a single tear that rolled down her face, the tear that one sheds when something incredibly mind-blowingly beautiful has happened.

But their bodies were telling them that they needed stop soon. Their lungs desperately craved sweet, sweet oxygen, and their bodies were drained from all the love that they had exerted onto and into each other.

The two separated and took in sharp breaths to obtain their much needed air. As they panted, they continued to look into each other's eyes. His emerald eyes were as green and vibrant as the wild grass that she knew he ran on, and hers were a deep jade green that were as radiant as a mighty green forest.

Feeling good enough for another go, his right hand slid up her back and wrapped itself lightly around the back of her head, its fingers snaked around her soft quills. With a slow, smooth motion, he brought her beautiful face toward him and embraced her again in unparalleled ecstasy as he slid his tongue in for the second time. She did so too, and he found out that not only did she taste of the delicious drink, but that she also tasted like a sweet berry. He could not pinpoint which one it was, but if he had to guess, she tasted like a strawberry or a sugary cherry. Both of which were his favorite fruits.

She clung onto his neck tighter to not only match the level of love that he was giving, but to satisfy a desire to badly hold onto him. She never wanted anything more than the emotion that he gave and the security his strong arms and stronger body put forth for her. She wanted him so badly. Whether her decision was influenced by their spirit of choice or not, she knew that she wanted him for all time. She did not want him to pack up his things and leave her. She wanted him for the night, and she would be damned if she did not have him.

Their lungs began to cry out, and the two were forced to split themselves up. They were bewildered at how much raw passion each of them gave. It was so magnificently beautiful, just like her. He could not get that out of her head just how much of a knock-out she was. What kind of idiot would let her go? She was drop-dead gorgeous, she could kiss better than any girl he had come across, she was a woman who could drink you under the table, but still be light on her feet. They shared so much in common that it surprised him that he had not found her sooner. It was only for a few drunken hours, sure, but the want for her was too mighty to be ignored.

She bowed her head into his strong chest and hugged him fiercely. He rubbed the top of head her head slowly and put sweet kisses there as well. The moment, for the third time tonight, was interrupted, but this time, it was not interfered with by a text. Her stomach had begun to growl lowly.

"I guess someone's hungry?" he asked with a chuckle. She grinned sheepishly and averted her eyes as a deep red had come over her muzzle.

"Amy?" She looked back to him with the most divine smile on her face. "Listen, tonight's been amazing, but you and I both know that it can't last forever." Her beaming face turned into a heartbroken one in an instant, but it was also displayed a level of understanding. He was right, despite what her mind and heart told her. "I think it's time to go."

She did not say anything, though her heart and mind did. As she nodded, they let go of each other and went back to the bar in silence. They picked up all their belongings and put them in their pockets, or for him, he hid them in between his large quills. Before leaving, they finished the rest of their drinks and left a healthy tip for the barkeep who had kept them refreshed.

"I… I… guess I'll…," he hesitantly said. A Luke Bryan song with Karen Fairchild had made its way to the bar's speakers.

"No!" She pleaded as she threw her arms around him.

"Amy-."

"Sonic, I don't want you to leave me! Please don't!"

"Amy, you know that I don't, but-."

"I don't care! I just want you tonight. I can't help it! I just want to love you tonight."

"But Am-."

"Please, Sonic? Even if we only have one night together, at least make it tonight! I need you to love me!"

This was not the first time that he had heard someone beg to him. Strike that, this was not the first time that someone had pleaded to him, much less from a woman. But with her, it was different. He wanted to stay with her too. He wanted to do other things to her that night, but his mind was telling him that it was not a wise choice. But would his heart's desires trump the ones of his mind?

"Please, Sonic?"

The way she looked at him… the way her voice sounded so distressed… he could not just leave her like this. No way in hell.

He smiled and said, "Okay." They immediately threw their arms around each other and hugged each other tightly as if it would be the last thing they would ever do. "On one condition." She looked up to him with an inquisitive look. "Fat Lorenzo's doesn't close until midnight, and it's only a little after 11 o'clock. Whaddya say we-?"

"Only if it's to-go."

He nodded and said, "Deal."

With all of their belongings, the two made their way to the door hand-in-hand. Sonic's phone had chirped again, however, which caused him to groan.

"Doesn't this nutcase stop?" he asked angrily.

She was about to say something, but her ears were tuned to the music that played.

I'll send it to my ex

(I'll send it to my ex)

And send them both a text saying

"We ain't going home alone tonight"

Girl, you ain't gotta, I ain't gotta

Home alone night

Just then, her phone chimed and she viewed her message. It was from Damon. She groaned when she saw the text. It read, "Can we talk?"

"You too?" Sonic asked.

"Yeah," she said. Then something popped into her head. The song that played gave her a nasty idea.

"What're you thinking, Amy?"

"Say cheese!" she said as she extended her arm and clicked the phone. Sonic's attention was drawn to the cellular device and looked up at it with a cocked eyebrow. It chimed off the sound of a camera shutter, and Amy brought it back to her to look at it. "Perfect!"

"What's perfect?"

"That song gave me an idea. How about we send Bea and Damon pics of us leaving the club and saying that we're going home with other?" It was mean, it was dastardly, but it sounded like a good way to shut them both up and (literally) send them a powerful message.

"I'm in."

"Then pull out your phone and take a selfie of us." He pulled up the camera app and extended his arm. "Just like that," she said as smiled for the camera. He took the shot and it came out perfectly. "Now let's send 'em." She put in a small subtitle and sent the picture. He did the same thing, but while it was in the process of sending, he assumed that it would take care of itself and he turned the phone off and put it back in his pants pocket.

"You're evil, and I like that." She chuckled wickedly. "Now… what do you like on your pizza?"

His eyes slowly opened to reveal a pale blue wall with a picture of the hero with his best friends, Tails and Knuckles, hanging from it. It also reflected the morning light directly into his eyes. He stirred a little bit as he tried to better survey his immediate surroundings. The room smelled a little bit like sweat as well as garlic from a nearby empty pizza box. "At least I made it home alright," he said in his head. He was spooked for a moment, but calmed down when he saw who he was with. His right arm was underneath her pillow. His left arm was snuggly around her unclothed waist and back as it they were half-underneath the covers. Their bodies were warmly pressed up against each other as her face was buried in his chest. Her body rose and fell slowly as the pink angel continued to sleep with her arms softly around his shoulders.

"Last night really happened, didn't it?" he quietly thought aloud. "What time is it?"

He carefully took his left arm off of her and used his left hand to carefully take off the arm of hers that was gently on his chest. He looked and reached left for his phone that was on a small table. When he turned it on, he saw that the time was 9:32 a.m., but he also saw that he had a few missed texts and a voicemail.

"Who was looking for me?" he asked quietly again.

He then checked his call log to find his ex's name once again alongside an icon for voicemail. "Ugh… Bea," he mentally spat. He dialed his voicemail, put it to his ear, and listened the message.

"Hey, Sonic, it's me. You're not responding to my texts, so I'll just leave you a voicemail and let you call me later. Anyway, I want to give you another chance. I want us to back together, so that's why I'm willing to give you another shot."

"Oh! She's willing to give ME another shot?! I was the one that gave her a choice in the first place! Wait, why would she call me after I sent her that picture of me and Amy? Is she that desperate for me?"

"Anyway, just call me back in the morning with your decision. Bye."

Her message ended, and he deleted it when the phone prompted him to do so. Curious as to why she would call him after the he sent her the picture, he opened up his message list. Texts from her to him from last night read, "'Sonic, r u there?', 'Sonic?', 'Soooooonic?', 'Sonic, can u please pick up ur phone?', and 'Check ur voicemail ASAP!'"

He scrolled down and saw his picture, but there was a small tag line attached to it that read, "Message failed. Try again?"

"Oh, that's why. I must've had bad reception in that part of the bar."

Clicking on the picture, it had a subtitle that read, "It's over, Bea. I'll be enjoying the night with this lovely lady." He deleted the subtitle and typed in a new one that read, "We didn't go home alone last night. I'll let you draw your own conclusions about what this means for our 'relationship'." He attempted to send the message, and this time, he was successful.

"And that takes care of that."

"It sure does," said a groggy voice.

He set his phone back on the table and turned back to the woman in bed. "Sleep well?"

"About as good as I could've. I have a screamin' headache though."

"Well, that means you'll need to go easier on the whiskey next time."

She chuckled. "Fat chance of that happening. I enjoy my Jack Daniel's."

"So I see." He chuckled, wrapped his arm around her and cuddled her. Her arms went back to their previous positions around his upper body and brought him in for a brief kiss. "So did you wanna do something later today? We can see a movie later…?" She nodded and smiled angelically. "Okay, until then…." He kissed her quickly again.

"You're so warm…," she said as she buried her face into his chest again and nodded off.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Well, this was a long-time coming. Not the story, but me uploading again. Sorry for the inactivity in terms of content, but I had a lot on my plate (and still do), and if you don't know what I'm talking about, then look through some of my journal entries on my DeviantArt page (same name). Anyway, this story is based on the song "Home Alone Tonight" by Luke Bryan and Little Big Town's Karen Fairchild. I would love to hear your reactions to it, but please keep it professional if you do so.

Save for Amy and Sonic (and Tails and Knuckles for that matter), all the other characters in this story are mine. The music which I based this story on is not mine, but rather the respective record label's.

Oh, and I don't know why I didn't mention this sooner, but Fat Lorenzo's is an actual pizzeria on Cedar Avenue in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I came across it when I was up in the Twin Cities and Mall of America a few weeks ago. Should you find yourself in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, I whole-heatedly recommend that you give it a try.