"Deeply"
"Wanna go get some burgers or something?" Amy blinked owlishly, eyes almost comically wide. She stared at Sonic like he had grown two heads. She absently wondered if he was sick or bored. Why else would he ask her on what sounded like a date, if she wasn't reading between the lines wrong?
And yet, despite her mind filled with thoughts of doubt, her heart was overflowing with hope. Her crush on Sonic had evolved and matured into something deeper, sweeter, and she couldn't help the rosiness of her cheeks or the frantic beats of her heart whenever he was in her presence. Even at twenty years old, Sonic still had such a strong effect on her.
Said hedgehog was still standing in front of her, tapping one foot at rapid speeds as he impatiently awaited her response. He couldn't help but feel puzzled by her behavior. Why wasn't she squealing or jumping up and down with joy or suffocating him in a hug that threatened to steal his very breath away? That was definitely something her younger self would have done, much to his chagrin.
But, he reminded himself, this wasn't the same Amy from eight years ago. This Amy was much more level-headed, though her wrath was something to both behold and fear. This Amy respected his boundaries more, something that he deeply appreciated. He had always liked her, maybe not romantically initially, but he had always admired her attitude and her courage. She reminded him of himself sometimes, but Amy Rose was her own person, and he respected that.
However, her over-the-top antics left him feeling deeply uncomfortably and mortified. It made it hard for him to want to be around her for extended periods of time. And yeah, sometimes the way he treated could have been better, but how would you feel is someone chased you down screaming at the top of their lungs that they were going to marry you? Or self-proclaiming themselves as your girlfriend and having irrational fits of jealousy? Never mind the fact that they were still young, her being twelve and him being fifteen. What fifteen year old boy enjoyed a twelve year old girl doing stuff like that? Not this hedgehog.
But when Amy stopped doing that stuff, it made being around her easier. It made being her friend, and despite what people assumed, he did consider Amy a great friend, more enjoyable. He began welcoming her presence instead of dreading it. He looked forward to seeing her instead of hiding from her. It gave him time to want to see her in a more romantic light instead of just a platonic one.
That didn't happen until later, but that didn't make his feelings for her less than sincere. Maybe that was why he felt like a jumbled mess of nerves waiting for her to say yes to this date.
A part of Amy wanted to say no; after all, why get her hopes up just to see them crash and burn in an explosion of flames? However, the more optimistic part of her encouraged her to give this a shot. Despite how much she loved Sonic, and Chaos, did she love him, she also respected his boundaries and refused to push him or make him bend to her will. Twenty year old Amy still cringed whenever she thought of twelve year old Amy's behavior.
So, Amy shooed away such negative, unhelpful thoughts and smiled instead. She strengthened her resolve and allowed herself to take a leap of faith. She knew Sonic would be there waiting to catch her in his arms. He never let her down, never intentionally, never when it mattered.
"Yeah, I'd love that." The look of complete and utter joy and relief he flashed her way made her heart soar and her soul sing. And when he gave her a hug, pressing the faintest of kisses against her cheek, telling her when to be ready before he dashed away? Amy smiled a smile that made the very sun look dull in comparison. She walked back inside her home with a pep in her step, humming a cheerful tune to herself.
Loving him may have had its challenges, but it was always worth it in the end. Sonic was as free as the wind, and Amy was the rose petals floating in the breeze.