Kiss
Sonic and Sally's first real kiss. I don't own any of the characters in this story. They belong to Sega, Dic, and Archie. Enjoy!
A gray, smog filled sky loomed overhead, low and oppressive, nearly suffocating. Sally glanced up for the hundredth time, scanning the sky for any sign of danger. It was ominously quiet and her fur seemed to stand on end, fluffing itself as goose bumps rose on her skin. Though she would never admit it, she hated being alone for even a second in the city. She felt vulnerable and exposed on the large dirty streets among the endless piles of ruble. She was not strong like Bunnie. She was not fast like Sonic. She had only her wits and her determination, which may have helped her from being caught most times, but was pretty much useless if confronted with a hoard of Swat Bots.
Sonic was late. It was not an uncommon event, but still it made her antsy. And being antsy made her mad. So she stooped beside a junk pile, nervous and angry, her stomach upset and her fur rippling from the harsh, rank wind and her cold chills. Her ears swiveled, listening, her body tensing at every slight sound. She imagined she must look like some wild, untamed thing instead of the intelligent, evolved creature she was. Sally pushed her body closer to the ruble as a small squadron of Bots walked by, followed by about a hundred WorkerBots. Her people, frozen in time, trapped in metal shells and their own minds. Tears stung her eyes and she blinked them away, chastising herself for getting so emotional. This was neither the time nor the place for such feelings. It made her weak and she needed every ounce of strength she possessed here.
Where was he? Anger began to morph into fear. Ten minutes late, fifteen . . . that was usual, that was no reason for concern. It had been nearly an hour now. An hour late and that was something to worry about. She chewed nervously at her bottom lip, worrying it with her teeth. After an hour she was supposed to head back to Knothole. That was the rule . . . the rule she had made up for the Freedom Fighters to follow. An hour was a long time. An hour with no contact meant in all likelihood that said person was not coming back. But this was Sonic. She made a soft, irritated sound. He wasn't invincible. He was mortal, he was flesh and fur the same as any other Mobian. Something could have happened. Anything could have happened. A lump formed in Sally's throat and she swallowed hard, reminding herself that just because something could have happened it didn't mean something had happened. Maybe he was . . . she could think of no realistic reason he would be detained so long unless something bad had happened to him. Try as she might, nothing innocent came to mind. Only dark images of laser fire. Of impossibly steep falls. Of the long, slender tube of the robotosizer.
An hour came and passed, but Sally remained, sitting against the ruble, obscured from view. Just a couple more minutes she told herself again and again until another thirty had passed. She began to rock slightly, a vain attempt to keep herself calm. She realized she was breathing too hard, too loudly and she closed her eyes concentrating on the rise and fall of her chest, trying to control her lungs which were burning from both the polluted air and sorrow. Tears gathered, hot and stinging under her closed lids and she gulped, trying to fight them back, trying to remain in control of herself.
"Sal." A sudden voice near her ear, her eyes flying open, her heart thundering against her chest never more thankful to hear that sound, more of a sigh than a syllable. His face was mere inches from her own. He was smiling and anyone else would have probably throttled the wayward hedgehog, but Sally saw the slight strain at the corners of this lips, she noted the pained look in his eyes. Worry creased her brow and she pulled away slightly to look him over. Blood stained the light colored fur of his left arm, a gash, deep and ugly cut jaggedly across his upper arm. She quickly slipped her vest off, wrapping it around his arm, tying it tight, whispering an apology when he whimpered softly in pain.
"What happened?" Sally asked, her eyes still scanning him for other injuries.
"Ran inta some trouble . . . a ton a' Swat Bots. Caught me off guard . . . slammed my shoulder inta some junk . . . real sharp junk. I think I got it all out." He sighed, sounding tired, his eyes closing for a moment.
"We have to get you back to Knothole." Sally whispered, helping him to his feet, putting his uninjured arm around her shoulders. "It looks like you've lost a lot of blood."
"I'm cool." He responded softly, leaning heavily against her, a clear sign he was not nearly as "cool" as he proclaimed.
"Sal . . . hold up . . . I gotta rest." Sonic muttered, trying to pull away from the Princess' grip. Sally lowered him to the ground sitting down beside him, sighing loudly. They were several miles into the Great Forest, the foliage offering a safe place to rest. Sally leaned forward, brushing her hand over his forehead and cheeks, wiping away sweat and feeling for fever.
"Thank goodness we all had a tetanus shot last year." Sally said softly, glancing to his arm.
"Yeah." He nodded, leaning against the tree truck behind his back. "Thanks Sal."
"Thank Dr. Quack for insisting that you . . ."
"No . . . I mean . . . thanks for waitin'."
"Oh, it's no big deal."
"Yeah it is." He insisted with a little smile. "If ya hadn't been there . . . I don't think I woulda made it home."
"You . . . you would have done the same for me. There have been plenty of times I would have been . . . you know, if you hadn't been there."
"It's my job." He said with a chuckle, but Sally shook her head.
"No it isn't. You don't have to do any of it Sonic, but I'm grateful you do."
"Ah, no biggy."
"Yes biggy. Sometimes I . . . I really don't know why you're so willing to put yourself in such danger for me."
"It's 'cause I'm totally and desperately in love with ya." Sally laughed lightly at what she took at first as a joke, but stopped when she saw the serious expression on the hedgehog's face.
"Oh." She could think of nothing else to say, her eyes drifting away from him, feeling embarrassed that she had laughed at what was apparently a heartfelt sentiment. The silence stretched out between them and after a long time Sonic made a gruff sound in his throat.
"Blood loss . . . it . . . man it makes ya say some stupid stuff." Sally looked back to him, her eyes taking in his hurt expression.
"Not stupid Sonic . . . just . . . honest." She moved closer, pulling him into a gentle embrace. He pressed his face into her shoulder, avoiding her gaze. After a moment Sally caught Sonic's face in her hands, pulling it up until their eyes met.
"Sal . . . please . . . let's just pretend I didn't say that."
"I can't." She whispered, her thumb stroking over his cheek. "I don't . . . I don't want to." Her eyes softened a little, her face moving closer, her breath mingling with his. How many times had her lips landed lightly on his cheek for a brief moment? How many times had Sonic wished for those lips to meet his own? How many times had his fingers itched with the maddening need to delve into her hair, to hold her close to him? A hundred times. A million times. He had already reviled the contents of his heart, raw and brazen, he could do no more harm than he already had in that one sentence. And so, as her lips moved closer he shifted his position, leaning forward, his lips settling on hers.
Sally made a soft, surprised sound, but did not pull away from the kiss. They remained motionless for a long moment, Sonic befuddled as to what to do next, amazed she hadn't jerked away from him. Slowly, cautiously his lips began to glide over her's, a gentle, simple motion. Still her lips remained, a fact that greatly fueled both Sonic's confidence and desire. His lips parted slightly, becoming a little firmer against her own. Sally sighed, her own lips parting, her fingers clutching at the fur on his chest, holding to him. Sonic's fingers crept into her hair, carefully gathering it into his hand, as his head began to spin. The kiss grew in intensity and suddenly it was unclear who had instigated what, both mouths hard and hungry against the other. After a short eternity they parted reluctantly to breath, their foreheads pressed together, their eyes closed.
"That . . . was worth the . . . wound." Sonic said breathlessly, smiling when Sally chuckled softly, nuzzling his cheek with her muzzle. They sat, their arms around each other for a while.
"We really need to get back to Knothole. That wound needs proper dressing." Sally told him, reluctantly pulling away from his embrace, helping him once more to his feet. Sonic nodded, leaning against her, playing with her hair for a moment before they began to walk again.
Night was beginning to close in, the shadows from the tall trees stretching ever onward over the land when they finally made it to the border of Knothole. Sonic and Sally paused, watching the setting sun for a moment, giving Sonic a chance to rest briefly before they emerged into the village. He would not want to make his entrance leaning on Sally like he had most of the walk. It just wouldn't do to have the others see him that way. See him weak. See him as anything less than invincible, unbreakable. Sally took his hand in her own as they began to walk again, squeezing slightly.
"Sonic?" She questioned softly just as the first simple structures of the village came into view.
"Yeah?"
"I wanted to tell you that I . . . that I feel the same. That I . . . love you too." She finished with some effort, feeling the skin under her fur flush with heat. Sonic made a soft, content sound, his hand leaving her's for a moment to stroke once more over the fiery hair that enticed him so.
"Totally and desperately?" He asked with a slight smirk, taking her hand again.
"Yes Sonic . . . totally and desperately." She smiled softly, unable to deny what had been so obvious from their kiss in the woods. And, upon a moment's thought she decided she didn't want to deny it anymore. She smiled over at him as hand in hand they made their way home.