My first story with no OCs! Between work and starting college soon, progress on this might be kinda slow. Any help/comments/thoughts/constructive criticism is appreciated.
SEGA owns all of these characters. All of them. All of them.
"TAILLLLLLLLLLLLLSSSSSSSSSSSS SSSSSSSSSSS!" A familiar pink hedgehog shouted. Amy Rose was standing at Tails's front door in the early afternoon, and knocking loudly on the door while asking for him. ". . . Tails?" She put on a pout and made her eyes as adorable as she could. Tails wasn't at home, though, he was in his hangar that doubled as his lab. It was built onto the side of his house, and he soundproofed the walls so that he wouldn't disturb anyone in the house if he worked on his planes or ran experiments while he had company. However, he had linked up a camera, video screen, and microphone to the front door that ran into the hangar. He was giving the Tornado an oil change when Amy's shout made him jump and hit his head on the underside of the plane.
"Owww. . ." Tails muttered to himself. He knew what that shout meant: Amy had just been rejected by Sonic and came to his house for some company. She usually vented her frustrations at first, but after that, the two of them talked like good friends would until Amy felt better. Tails was a bit afraid of Amy the first few times this had happened, thinking he would be face her wrath and the wrong end of her hammer for being too close to her while she was in a bad mood, but he soon learned that she just needed someone to talk to. He sighed as he walked over to the largest computer in his hangar and typed in a series of keystrokes that allowed a camera in his hangar to be linked up to the video screen at his front door, so Amy could see Tails in his hangar. He turned it on just in time to hear Amy's sad plea and see her pout. He sighed and rubbed his head. "Amy. . . you don't have to shout. . ." His downtrodden look became happy within a second, though. She had been chasing Sonic less and less recently, and she occupied her free time with shopping and/or hanging out with Cream, so she didn't come by Tails's house very often. Neither of them liked to bring it up, but they both knew Tails had been lonely ever since Cosmo's death, and Amy's company, although shunned at first because of the terrible depression Tails went through, was now welcome. He typed another command to the computer and looked up at Amy's face. "The door's unlocked, come on in!" He smiled and motioned for her to come in. He set the command to remotely unlock his front door after an enraged Amy met him in the hangar and accidentally broke one of his machines. "I'll be there in a minute, make yourself at home."
"Awww, thanks, Tails!" Amy's pout became a wide smile after she heard Tails's happy greeting. Tails's house was somewhat empty. He had the bare necessities for cooking, entertainment, and general living, but most of his money went into his machines and research. Amy looked around the living room and simply lay back and began humming to herself when she saw nothing new. She turned her head after hearing a door open. Tails had cleaned the oil off of himself and was greeted with a "Hi Tails!" and Amy enthusiastically patting the couch cushion next to her. He chuckled and took a seat next to her and paused a moment, waiting for her to speak. When she didn't take this opportunity, he leaned in and asked, "What happened?" Amy leaned forward and sighed, her youthful energy gone as she remembered what she saw earlier in the day. Tails paused, then asked her what had happened again.
"I. . . I've never seen him like this before, Tails. . . he always playfully tried to get me away from him. . . but this time was different. . ." Amy was shaking as she spoke.
"H-How was it different?" Tails was a bit scared, not so much by her sudden change in demeanor, but by how afraid her voice sounded in telling her story.
"Well, I found him on the outskirts of town, and greeted him. . . like I usually do. . ." Both Tails and Amy had seen her flying glomps that constituted a "greeting." "And I asked him if he wanted to go to that new restaurant, the Chili Cafeteria. . ." With this, Amy rolled her eyes, and Tails tried to force a laugh and failed, only giving a weak smile. "But I guess. . . he was really mad at me. . . he threw me off of him and started shouting at me, and then he. . . he. . ." Amy shivered, and Tails gently reached his hand out to her. She leaned away from Tails, which made him pause. After a few seconds, he leaned forward and put his hand on her shoulder.
"What. . . what did he do, Amy?" Tails's eyes were full of concern.
"He cursed at me. . . and then he started hitting me. . . he kicked me while I was on the ground until I ran from him. . ." Amy had tears in her eyes, but Tails cut her off.
"He WHAT?" Tails was shocked, but he looked down at her dress and saw some bits of asphalt, as well as some small tears on her dress all over the place. He knew Amy wasn't exactly clumsy, and the only other way to get her dress like this would be to roll down the road. "Why. . . why would he. . . Amy, I'm so sorry. . ." He leaned towards her and gently wrapped his arms around her. She jumped back slightly, but returned the friendly hug. Tails let out a slight gasp when Amy clung to him and started to sob into his shoulder.
"Th-Thank you Tails. . ." Amy spoke softly through her sobs. She took a deep breath and continued. "I. . . I don't feel safe going to my home. . . can I stay here for a bit?"
"Sure, Amy. . . how long did you want to stay?" Tails didn't think about his answer at all, he just wanted to see his friend safe.
"Can. . . can I spend the night here?" Amy pulled away slightly and looked at Tails with pleading eyes. Tails thought for a moment about whether Sonic would come here or not. Tails and Sonic were best friends, but Sonic probably wouldn't tell Tails something like this. Tails knew Sonic was more likely to run to calm himself down or be alone at his house than to come to Tails's house, or even to call. He nodded and Amy let him go. "Oh, thank you so much, Tails. . ."
"Y-You're welcome, Amy. . . I've got a guest bedroom upstairs, and there's some leftover pizza in the fridge for dinner." Tails looked away, a bit embarrassed. He wanted to treat his guests better than leftover pizza, but if he went out in public with Amy, he knew there was a decent chance they'd run into Sonic, and he didn't want to risk that right now, and knew Amy wouldn't, either. Amy let out a sigh of relief and smiled at Tails.
"It's no enchilada, but it'll have to do." Amy giggled. Ella taught her plenty of cooking, and the enchiladas she made had become Amy's favorite food. She looked around the house and gently shook her head. "Tails, you need something to lighten up the place. . . I NEED to take you shopping sometime. . ." Tails sighed and got up from the couch, but smiled. If Amy was saying things like that, she was doing a lot better now.
"Come on, Amy, you know I already have everything I need, I doubt a couple of stuffed Chao dolls would make the place any different." He chuckled. "You feeling better now?" He hoped his earlier assumption was correct, and Amy gave a shy nod.
"Yeah. . . it's all thanks to you, Tails. . ." Amy walked past him towards the guest bedroom, noticing Tails blush as she walked past. She gave a soft giggle. She didn't think Tails would feel much of anything at all romantically after what happened to Cosmo, but support from his friends and some therapy changed all that. She only thought of Tails as a good friend, though, and she helped him just as much as he helped her. Tails was stunned for a second, then turned and followed her up to his guest bedroom. It was a simple room, with a bed with white sheets, a green lamp, and a couple of doors that were used for a closet, but they were empty now. Amy shook her head and gave a playful sigh. "Can I at least redecorate in HERE?" She then turned to Tails and did her pout and sad eyes she pulled off when she was outside. Tails laughed and shook his head.
"So, what did you want to do for the rest of the day, Amy? I promise I'll keep you company and not work on any of my machines today." Tails smiled. He knew Amy still needed someone to talk to, even if she seemed to be feeling better.
"Oh. . . you don't have to do that, Tails. . ." Amy was trying to be polite, and Tails opened his mouth to protest, but Amy produced a small, red book. "I've taken to writing in this diary when there's no one else around to listen. . . if you want to work, I can just-" She was silenced by Tails gently placing his finger against her mouth to shush her.
"It's still not as good as actually talking to someone. Believe me, I know. . ." Tails gave an embarrassed smile.
"M-Maybe later, Tails. . ." Amy gave out a yawn, which surprised Tails. "I'm a little tired after all this, you mind if I rest?" Her adrenaline wore off and gave way to the stress from the day, which tired her out. Tails nodded and spoke softly.
"I'll be quiet. . . if you need anything, just let me know, I'll be downstairs." Amy nodded, and Tails got up and left the room, closing the door behind him. Amy tucked herself in and fell asleep almost instantly.
Tails stayed true to his word, switching between working on blueprints of a design for a new plane and watching some TV, but what had happened to Amy was gnawing away at his focus. He never thought Sonic would do something like that. He thought Amy would either give up hope or take the hint before Sonic would even consider intentionally harming her. He knew he would have to talk to Sonic about it later, but his first priority was to keep Amy safe and make sure she was okay. He had only known her as Sonic's biggest fangirl for a long time, but after Cosmo's death, he saw a different side of her. Amy cared very much about her friends, and he hadn't noticed this because he hadn't needed anyone for the unique kind of comfort a true confidant can provide. It took a bit of persuasion, but he was spilling out some secrets to her that even Sonic and Cream didn't know. She was the only one he talked to about his therapy sessions, in fact, she was the only one who he told about going to therapy in the first place. She appreciated his trust, and showed it respect by forming the same bond with him that he had with her. The things she told him almost completely involved Sonic, but Tails didn't mind; he knew it was par for the course with her. He listened and tried to help her as best as he could, encouraging her to follow her heart, and hoping to himself that she wouldn't get hurt in the process.
Tails gave up getting any work done at about five o'clock, pushing his papers aside and instead focused on the TV. He was worried about Amy more and more as time went on. An hour later, he couldn't take it anymore, and went to check up on Amy, only to see her walking down the stairs. "Nnnn. . . hello, Tails. . ." She yawned and stretched, but smiled at him.
"Hey, Amy." Tails breathed a soft sigh of relief. "Sleep well?"
"Mm-hmm. . . now how about that pizza?" Amy looked towards the kitchen. Tails realized he hadn't eaten since noon, just before Amy came over. He nodded and got up, heading to the kitchen and heating up the pizza. He glanced back at Amy ,who was sitting in the couch and was now absorbed in the commercials on TV. He studied her for a moment, then grabbed the pizza when it was done heating. He handed her half of what he had left over and sat down beside her.
They began to eat in silence, both watching the Mythbusters marathon that was playing. Playful commentary about the episodes ensued between the two, with Tails knowing all the theory and math behind every experiment. Tails took the dishes back and washed them, and the two sat for another two hours, chatting away, before Amy went silent, turned away, and gave a heavy sigh. Tails frowned and turned to her. "Amy. . .? What is it?" He saw her turn to him, a look of sadness and indecision in her emerald eyes.
"Tails. . . I. . ." Amy took a deep breath and paused. "I don't think I want to go after Sonic anymore. . ." She slumped forward slightly as she thought about it. She turned and looked at him, still a bit confused. Tails understood it, but was still a bit stunned. Amy had been going after Sonic for years, and to even think about not going after him was a major change for her. He didn't question it, though, and he tried his best to help her.
"I understand, Amy. . ." Tails nodded and gave a genuine smile. He was happy for Amy; he had always thought that chasing after someone who didn't want her for so long wasn't exactly healthy. Amy had always been full of life and love, and Tails wasn't sure what she would do if she stopped pursuing Sonic, the one that made her think about and believe in love the most. "Do. . . do you want to talk about it?" Amy shook her head and smiled right back at Tails.
"No. . . I just need to think about things for a bit. . . I don't know what I'll do just yet, but I'll think of something. . ." Her right hand made a fist, and she had a determined look in her eyes. After years of fighting alongside her friends, Amy had gotten quite resilient, and even though it would sound like shocking news, she only thought of it as a minor setback. Perhaps she would use the time she now had for a new hobby, or maybe even a new love. . . but she decided to put such thoughts off for now. It was too crazy of a day already, and she just wanted to recover and enjoy some time with Tails.
"Okay. . . but. . . if you ever need anything, I'm here for you. . ." Tails mumbled out after a few seconds of silence.
"I know, Tails, and I'm very grateful." Amy smiled. "Maybe we can talk about this tomorrow. . . but until then, what's for dessert?" She rubbed her stomach, which caused Tails to chuckle.
"I've got some ice cream in the freezer. . ." Tails got up, eliciting a "Yay!" and a happy clap from Amy. He went and made some ice cream for the two of them, but Amy wasn't looking at the TV anymore, instead peeking over the couch at Tails. Tails sensed he was being watched, and turned to see her as he was scooping out the ice cream. "Did you want something else, Amy?" Amy leapt over the couch and walked over to him, and Tails froze. She looked like she was trying to figure something out, and had a frown on her face by the time she was two feet away from him.
"Are. . . are you sure I'm not bothering you too much? Asking to stay over like this and all?" Amy's voice had a mixture of concern and worry. She had never been over for more than a few hours, and had never even asked to spend the night. She knew that Tails would be nice to her, and she didn't want him to feel like she was taking advantage of him. She just needed someone to talk to and help her, but Tails understood that, especially now, responding with a wave of his hand and a shake of his head.
"Amy, it's no trouble at all. . . I enjoy your company anyway, and I know things are a bit tough and confusing for you right now. . . I just want you to feel better, okay?" Tails smiled as he handed her her bowl of ice cream, which she took with a happy sigh and a nod of thanks.
"I'll be fine, Tails. . . I know I will. . ." She gave a happy "Tee-hee!" and began to eat her ice cream. Tails ate with her, not saying much. He kept his distance from her, knowing that she'd talk about this when she was ready. Tails took her bowl back with his and washed them when they had finished eating. Amy followed him, staying just out of his peripheral vision, being seen only when Tails turned around.
"Gah! Don't scare me like that, Amy!" Tails said half-jokingly, trying to put on a sad face and failing. That was one of the things he liked so much about having Amy over; her happiness was contagious. Amy didn't fall for his fake-scared routine and kept talking.
"Are you doing anything tomorrow, Tails?" She stared at him expectantly.
"Umm. . . no. . .why. . .?" Tails scratched the back of his head, a bit embarrassed. He didn't have much to do other than work on his inventions and machines, and he didn't have any orders to make anything for anyone at the moment, so his schedule was free.
"Do you mind if I stay over tomorrow? We could go shopping, or maybe eat out somewhere together. At least, we need to go grocery shopping if pizza's all you've got in your fridge." She playfully stuck out her tongue, and Tails laughed.
"That's fine, Amy. Let's talk about what we'll do tomorrow, okay?" Tails looked out and saw the moon start to rise. He gave a yawn, which quickly spread to Amy. It had been a hectic day for the both of them. Tails walked Amy up to her bedroom, and she turned and hugged Tails.
"Thank you so much, Tails. Good night." Amy spoke softly and sincerely, giving a caring smile before going into her room and closing the door. Tails barely had time to return the hug and mumble "good night" to her before she closed the door. He slowly walked downstairs, going over the day again in his head. He was upset at Sonic, but he also thought Sonic wasn't actually mad at her, more like he had just lost his temper after being obsessively chased one time too many. He thought Amy was taking it very well, all things considered. He had a sense of optimism as he crawled into bed, knowing that he'd done the right thing in letting her stay and helping her as much as he could.