The next morning was relatively uneventful. After the adventure from yesterday, Sonic chose to take it easy, though he made no mention of the conversation from yesterday.
Hours later however, well into the afternoon, Amy came into the shack. Luckily, Sonic had already placed Knuckles into his bandana for the day - Knuckles laying down inside of it hide him well enough - so he wasn't easily discovered.
"Oh! Hey, Ames," he greeted casually, waving.
"Yeah, hi," she greeted back. She seemed a little sly-er than usual, making Sonic feel suspicious. "Hey, I was wondering if you maybe wanted to go out with me today?"
"Hm? For what?" Sonic asked.
She was hesitant, but then gave a grin. "For a date!"
Sonic's eyes widened slightly, having not expected her to say that; he hadn't wanted Knuckles to hear such a thing either.
"Uh..." What should I say?
Knuckles hid even further into Sonic's bandana; he felt that feeling of wanting to disappear again.
Part of him was silently begging Sonic to say "no", but the other part was scolding himself for being selfish. It was Sonic's decision, he told himself, and he would support his friend no matter what.
Even if that meant possibly having his heart broken...
"What's wrong?" Amy asked. "We've been on a few dates before."
Sonic frowned. "Well, not date-dates. We're not dating for real or anything." Regardless, he gave in. "But all right, fine."
Amy smiled, and Sonic followed her out, though keeping his distance. He reached inside his bandana, petting Knuckles. "Sorry; I'll buy you a grape tart on our way home, okay?"
Knuckles said nothing. He felt so numb inside, that he couldn't even feel his heart breaking.
Sonic sighed sadly, sensing that Knuckles wasn't happy. Try to put up with it as best as y'can, pal...
The two (well, three) made it to Meh Burger, and Amy took a polite seat next to Sonic at one of the tables after they got their food. Amy rambled on a little, but Sonic could only pay so much attention to it. He tore off a piece of his burger, offering it to Knuckles while Amy was off in her own little world.
Despite his emotional state, Knuckles couldn't deny that he was famished. He quietly nibbled on the burger, wondering how long he'd have to put up with this...
The minutes felt like hours to Knuckles, and Sonic knew it, but he wasn't sure what else to do. While he had considered leaving him at home, he wanted Knuckles to be with him...
"Sonic, are you listening?" Amy asked.
Sonic nodded. "Yeah, I am."
She frowned, then sighed. "You're acting so differently lately."
The blue hedgehog raised a brow. "That bad?"
"No, but... what's wrong?" She pouted and leaned closer to him. "Don't you like me anymore?"
"Wha-no, that's not it," Sonic assured. "I've just been... busy."
Amy seemed unhappy with that answer, and he felt Amy's hand on his leg as she leaned closer. "Come on. You told me you wanted someone, didn't you?"
Sonic blushed; he'd forgotten about that. "W-well, yeah, but I wasn't... I mean... I was tired and sick, so..."
"You haven't visited for the past few days either. Have you been shy?" She continued questioning him, but Sonic didn't have a proper answer.
"Amy, y'don't get it! I mean, I really like you-"
"Then we should date! It'll get you out of this fog for good, promise!"
She grinned, and Sonic stiffened as she came closer for a kiss. "Just say 'yes'..."
Knuckles breathed as quietly as he could, knowing that one sound or movement might not go unnoticed by the uncomfortably close Amy. He wondered if she or Sonic could hear how loudly his heart was pounding.
As guilty as he felt for it, he still couldn't help chanting in his mind, Please say no...please say no...
A few moments passed, but the kiss never came. Sonic had brought his hand up, placing it firmly against Amy's.
He smiled sadly. "Sorry, I can't."
"Why not?" Amy asked as she pulled away.
Sonic took a long moment to respond, as if he didn't know the answer himself.
"I...I like someone else."
Knuckles' heart nearly stopped beating. Did he...? No, it couldn't be him; that was probably the reason Sonic had turned him down too...
"Wha?" Amy's face turned to one of curiosity and frustration; how had she not seen that he liked someone else? "Who?"
Sonic took a breath, then smiled, bringing a hand to his chest. "Someone who I've been keepin' close to my heart for a while now," his hand was drawn upwards to his bandana, Knuckles being slowly pressed up against him, "but didn't say anything to when I should've."
Knuckles blushed intensely. No...he couldn't possibly mean...could he...?
"Huh? What does that mean?" Amy asked, completely lost.
Sonic placed some coins on the table as an apology. "Sorry. I shouldn't've accepted in the first place. I gotta go."
He quickly rushed off, though stopping somewhere to pick up a small grape tart like he'd promised Knuckles. Once he had that, he started heading home.
"...I'm sorry I made y'feel like I was rejecting you," Sonic told him, now that he was far away enough from the village. "I'm just not good with this stuff; didn't know how to react, y'know?" He laughed. "That probably sounds really dumb comin' from the fastest thing alive!"
Knuckles still hadn't quite registered what had just taken place.
"W-wait...s-so you were talking about...?"
"Do I have to spell it out for you?" Sonic asked with a grin. He reached into his bandana, then set Knuckles down. He crouched, promptly starting to write in the sand. He finished up, then moved aside so Knuckles could see, though repeated the written words verbally since he knew that the echidna couldn't read.
"I feel the same way."
Knuckles' face flushed for what must've been the hundredth time since he met Sonic.
"Y-you do?"
Knuckles almost mentally slapped himself; of course the answer was "yes".
There was a few moments of silence...and then suddenly, the echidna flung himself at Sonic's arm in his version of a hug, wearing a huge grin on his face.
Sonic smiled, brushing away his words in the sand, then lightly pet Knuckles. "Hey, c'mon now, don't get all mushy on me."
Despite saying that, he picked him up and gave him the best hug he could given the size difference.
Knuckles nuzzled Sonic affectionately; he was happy beyond words. What seemed like it would be the worst day ever was now, undoubtedly, the best day ever.
Sonic chuckled, seeing the childlike joy in Knuckles' expression. "Heh, anything y'wanna do now, Knux?"
"I...I dunno!" Knuckles replied, though still cheerful as can be.
"How about we just go home and..." He paused, searching his mind for things that couples did. "...I-I dunno, kiss?" He shrugged sheepishly. "Guess it's still possible even with you bein' so much smaller than me."
Knuckles blushed. "H-hehe, I-I'd like that..."
Sonic blushed too at his quick acceptance, then took him back to his shack.
"Okay, h-hmm... how would we..."
"I-I have no idea," Knuckles smiled sheepishly.
Sonic thought over it, then sat Knuckles down on the table. "Lay down?" he told him, both of his hands placed on each side of Knuckles.
"O-okay...?"
Knuckles laid down on his back. "Like this?"
Sonic nodded, hovering over the echidna slightly. He smiled sheepishly, then bent down, his lips making contact with Knuckles'.
Knuckles made an adorable squeaking noise. The butterflies in his stomach were back. He kissed back best he could, having never done it before.
He was happy that he got to share his very first kiss with Sonic.
Sonic giggled happily, trying not to put too much force on Knuckles; still, he clearly enjoyed it, pulling away after a good chunk of time had passed.
"How was that? Am I the best kisser alive too?" he asked with a grin.
Knuckles needed a moment to catch his breath.
"W-wow..." was all the stunned echidna could say.
"I'll take that as a 'yes'," Sonic stated, puffing his chest out proudly, though admittedly looking a lot less cool with his muzzle completely red.
Knuckles just couldn't stop smiling. His muzzle too now matched his fur color, but he was too giddy to care.
Sonic smirked, also taking pride in Knuckles' flustered state. "C'mere, you!"
He picked up Knuckles in both hands and chuckled.
Knuckles nuzzled up to Sonic's chest. He chuckled at how fast the hedgehog's heart was beating. His own heart was still pounding as well.
Sonic was sheepish. "Now you know why it was pounding so fast last night..."
Knuckles giggled softly. "Hehe, yep."
Sonic laid back down on his hammock, lightly scratching at Knuckles' fur. "Still feel small?"
"Yeah..." Knuckles admitted. "But...maybe it's not so bad after all."
Sonic smiled. "Don't think I'm gonna get tired of ya just because you're little," he told him.
"I'm not little, I'm 'fun size'!" Knuckles joked.
"Mhm," Sonic chimed, entertaining that idea. "Either way, it doesn't matter to me."
"And that's one of the things about you that I love," Knuckles said softly, blushing. "You don't care if I'm different from everybody else."
"'Course I don't!" Sonic exclaimed. "You still got the biggest heart out of everyone even if your size doesn't match it."
Knuckles' blush darkened. "I-I do?"
"Yup." Sonic brought him closer. "You sure you're only a few inches tall? Pretty sure your heart alone's bigger than that." He smirked, kissing the echidna's chest.
Knuckles squeaked, making an odd noise that sounded like a cross between a whimper and a giggle.
Sonic was extremely amused by it. "Hehe, it's so easy to make you flustered!"
He pet the echidna. "Not that it's a big deal."
"Hehe..." Knuckles nuzzled the hand that was petting him. "I-I love you..."
Sonic blushed at the suddenness of it, then made a fake glare at him. "H-hey, I didn't say you could do it to me too!" He couldn't stop smiling.
"But you're smiling," Knuckles pointed out with a smirk.
Sonic pouted, then poked the echidna's stomach so he'd fall over. "Y-yeah yeah, hush up."
"Oof!" Knuckles fell over, but thankfully didn't fall off Sonic's hand.
Sonic smirked. "Now you're gonna get it..."
"G-get what?" Knuckles asked, suddenly a little nervous.
Sonic giggled, then held Knuckles with both hands and suddenly started kissing all over the echidna's body.
Knuckles squirmed, giggling uncontrollably as his face turned red once again.
"S-stop, that tickles!"
"Give up?" Sonic asked, pulling away for only a moment to give Knuckles a chance to respond.
"O-okay okay, I-I surrender!" Knuckles giggled, still catching his breath.
Sonic grinned, going back to laying down. "Victory is sweet!" he said, deciding to lightly pet him instead.
Knuckles snuggled into him, making his "purring" sound, as he became thoughtful.
It was amazing how much had changed-it seemed like only yesterday, the echidna was living all alone, forced to fend for himself as he struggled to protect a dying island. But now, he shared a home with his very first friend (and now boyfriend), where he would always be safe and happy-and loved. So very loved...
While he was still a little sad about the loss of his old home, things had definitely worked out better in the long run. He hadn't smiled much before, but now it seemed he could never stop smiling-and he had Sonic to thank for that.
