For those asking about this story in comparison to the original, there will be some similarities and some differences between the two.

All characters belong to Sega/Archie except my OCs.

Chapter 7

Amy gradually adapted to life at the PDA. She got used to the intense class days, piles of school work, and self-motivated work outs. She made a new schedule of days to go to the combat gym and work out. Usually, she dragged Rosy or Shadow with her. Sometimes, she managed to get Scourge to go with them, but it was rare occasions when he hadn't already gone. While Amy and her friends were there, they'd usually get whatever workouts they could in before doing some sparing. They'd stay there for hours at a time, usually in the afternoon, before going home, showering, and passing out. Amy wasn't sure how she was able to get up on time for class in the mornings and be able to function when her muscles were roaring in pain.

Three days a week, Amy went on her morning jogs with Sonic. He'd wait for her outside of her dorm, and the two would go for their three or five mile run. She enjoyed Sonic's company. He stayed quiet as they ran, but talked a lot over breakfast. She enjoyed his wild childhood stories of driving his babysitters up a wall and the adventures he used to go on with his two best friends. He always smiled when he told those stories. His eyes would light up, and the dimples in his cheeks would deepen. It was a happy time for him. However, Amy suspected somewhere down the line, the happy times ended. She knew from the way the light in his eyes would fade and his lips would press together after he finished telling a story. She didn't need to understand when or how they ended. It was the way of life. One day, you're young and playing tag with your friends. The next day, you're not. No one needed to explain that.

Amy made sure to keep in touch with Rouge. Once a week, the two made sure to call or facetime each other and brief the other on what was going on in their lives. At the moment, both of them were happy. They were having sweet college romances and working towards their dreams in school. They missed each other, but they promised it wouldn't be long before they'd be able to hug each other again.

As the weeks went by, Amy didn't hear anything from her mother. No texts, no phone calls, nothing. Amy tried to ignore the weight on her chest when Gabriel would pop his head in on her calls with Rouge and ask how she was doing. She refrained herself from asking how her mother was doing. She didn't want to know if her mother was thinking about her. From the silence she was receiving, she assumed she wasn't. She wasn't sure why she was surprised. Her mother never gave a damn about her even when she was home. Being away wouldn't make a difference.

On a Thursday night, a month after Amy arrived to the academy, she and her friends were sprawled out around her suite's living room doing homework. Cream and Tails were sitting on the floor working on greenprints for a project. Rosy and Shadow were on the loveseat working on math homework. Amy and Scourge were sitting on the couch proofreading each other's essays on their laptops.

Scourge moved his laptop aside with a sigh. "Your essay's good," he told Amy. "I like it."

Amy smiled. "Thanks. Yours is…"

"A mess. I know. I wrote it at three in the morning when I was strung on red bull and weed."

"Lovely. You have a good argument; your thesis and your evidence is really good. The delivery could just be better."

He nodded. He stood and cracked his back. A grimace appeared on his lips as he glanced at the time. "We've been doing homework for four hours now. Can we stop now?"

"For once, I agree," Rosy said. "My brain is going to explode if I do another math problem."

Cream giggled. "Well, we have to have this project done by tomorrow, so we can't stop working." She looked to Tails. "How about we grab some food, bring it back to my place, and keep working?"

Tails smiled. He put a hand behind his head. "Yeah. Okay."

The two of them gathered their things. They bid their friends goodbye before heading out.

"Food does sound good right now," Amy said. "Are y'all hungry?"

"Yes," her friends exclaimed in unison.

Amy shook her head at them. They all slipped into their sneakers and headed out into the chilly air. September was slowly coming to an end, and the fall weather was making its way in. A cool breeze tousled their hair. Leaves crunched under their sneakers.

Scourge smoked a cigarette on the way to the small café. He suggested they stay out and eat for a while since it was nice out. His friends agreed. They all sat out on a picnic table outside the café and ate their food.

After they were finished, Scourge stood. "I'm gonna take a walk," he said. "I'll see y'all in the morning."

"Where are you going? It's late," Rosy said.

"For a walk," Scourge replied. He stepped away from the table with his trash in hand. He threw it into a nearby trashcan as he passed it.

Rosy sighed. She got up from her seat. "I'll be back later," she told Amy. She shot a smile to Shadow before hurrying after Scourge.

Amy and Shadow watched their friends disappear down the dark road.

"Ten bucks it's confession time," Amy said.

Shadow rolled his eyes. "It's definitely not. Scourge's been a little distant these past few days."

"How come?"

"Let's just say he has a lot going on. He'll be okay. He just needs a little time to think, ya know?"

"Yeah. I know." She looked to him. "Can we stay out for a little while longer? It is nice out tonight."

Shadow smiled. "I was hoping you'd say that."

The two got up from the table and wandered to a nearby field. They lay on the grass. Together, they watched the stars twinkling against the onyx sky. Around them, the world was silent. They could hear the wind whistling through the trees, the crickets in the grass, and the footsteps of those passing by. The world was peaceful.

"Do you ever think about how vast the universe is," Shadow asked.

Amy glanced at him. "What?"

"The universe is so big. It could go on for infinity for all we know. There's so many galaxies, planets, and environments that haven't been explored yet. There's so many things that will probably never be explored. We're all tiny specks of dust compared to what's out there."

"Yeah. It's…it's strange."

"What do you mean?"

"The universe is so big, and we're so small. Yet, somehow our big problems here may virtually be nothing to what's going on out there. For all we know, there could be other planets, other organisms, having much larger problems than we do. Maybe they're the ones with an alien invasion."

Shadow chuckled. "Maybe."

"Do you think aliens are real?"

"Possibly. Although, if they are real then that means we're aliens too. We're all living organisms in this seemingly never-ending universe. If they were to encounter us, they'd think the same things we think of them: foreign, unique, and funny-looking."

Amy laughed. "You seem to know a lot about this stuff."

"I know a lot about our solar system. When I was younger, I used to be obsessed with the idea of being an astronaut. I wanted to see each planet, venture out to a different galaxy, and maybe make a new discovery one day. Saturn used to be my favorite; the rings were always a mystery no one could figure out. It's also really nice to look out when it appears in the sky. The sixty-two moons are cool too. Did you know that it spins extremely fast – so fast that it flattens itself into an oblate spheroid? And its days are approximately ten hours long."

Amy raised an eyebrow. "Wow." She glanced at him. "What changed," she asked. "How did you go from wanting to be an astronomer to becoming a soldier?"

Shadow's smile vanished from his lips. "I don't know," he whispered. "Life, I guess."

Amy frowned. "What was your childhood like? Aside from memorizing facts about the solar system?"

Shadow shrugged. "Mostly that. I like reading books about new things. I always have. When I was younger, my mom would try to take me to the library whenever she could. She thought it was good that I was working so hard to understand things she and my father didn't." He paused. "What about you? What did you want to be when you were growing up?"

"A mixed martial arts superstar, duh," Amy said.

Shadow chuckled. "What happened?"

"My dad died."

He glanced at her. "I'm sorry, Amy."

"Don't be. It's fine."

Shadow pressed his lips together. His eyes gazed over the stars in the sky. He pointed to one of them. "Look, it's the big dipper," he exclaimed.

"What? Where?"

"There." He outlined the shape with his finger.

"I don't see it."

Shadow grabbed her hand. He guided her finger around the shape. "There."

Amy's eyes widened as she saw the ladle shape take place among the stars. "Wow," she said. "Are there more?"

Shadow glanced around the sky. "Yeah. The little dipper should be around here somewhere."

Amy scooted closer to her friend as he searched for constellations in the sky. She leaned her head against his shoulder and listened to him tell her stories about the glittering diamonds in the sky.

In the morning, Amy was extremely tired. She hadn't realized how late she and Shadow had stayed out the night before, talking about the sky and admiring it for the beauty that it was. She dragged herself through the day, anxious to climb back in her bed and go to sleep.

Sonic greeted her as she took her seat beside him in their history class.

"Hi," Amy replied.

"What are you doing tonight?"

"Sleeping. Why?"

"Well, my offer has been open for a few weeks now and you haven't gotten back to me. So, I was thinking, if you want to, maybe we could get some pizza and see a movie tonight."

"Tonight? Um, maybe we could do tomorrow. I'm really tired. It's been a long week."

"We don't have to go out. We can order some take-out and watch a movie." His hand slid on top of hers, and his voice dropped in volume. "I just want to spend some time with you."

Amy tried to ignore the warmth in her stomach from his touch. She slipped her hand out from beneath his. She glanced up into his sincere, emerald eyes. A sigh escaped her lips as she unintentionally got lost in their beautiful color. "Alright. We can hang out tonight. What time do you want me to come over?"

"How does seven sound? I'll meet you outside the building."

Amy didn't have a chance to respond. The professor had started his lecture.

To some miracle, Amy made it through history class without falling asleep. She dragged Cream out of the class the moment the professor dismissed them. Her friend was fine being tugged along; she was anxious to get home and sleep too.

When Amy finally got back to her room, she took a short one-hour nap. She felt like her eyes had been closed for five minutes before her phone alarm was blaring through her ears. Reluctantly, she dragged herself into the shower and washed the long day off of her. She changed into a simple purple V-neck tee shirt, black active wear shorts, and a pair of Nike slides. She didn't mess with her curls; she left them hanging over her shoulders.

By the time she was finished, it was almost seven o' clock. With a sigh, Amy grabbed her wristlet with her belongings in it and headed out the door. She took the short walk from her dorm building to Sonic's.

As promised, Sonic was waiting outside on the front steps of his building. He had changed from his collared shirt and jeans into a simple white tank top and sweatpants. The tank top hugged his chiseled abdomen and exposed his well-defined biceps. Amy couldn't help but to admire his clear, tanned muscles and lean yet sculptured torso. Her eyes lowered to the cinch of his sweatpants around his waist. Blush covered her cheeks when she realized the sweatpants were gray.

"Hey," Sonic greeted her with a smile.

"Hi," Amy replied.

He grabbed her hand and tugged her inside.

On the inside, the residence halls didn't look much different. All of them carried the large lobbies, long hallways, and colorful walls. Amy followed behind Sonic as he led her to his room on the fourth floor. His suite was all the way at the end of the hallway next to a large oval shaped window.

His apartment was similar to hers. Down the small hallway upon entering was a living room with a kitchen apart from it. From the living room, there was another hallway with three doors; Amy assumed two bedrooms and a bathroom. However, the apartment was decorated a bit differently. Sonic's furniture was a suede gray with black carpets. In the living room, the flat screen television hung on the wall instead of a stand. There was a television stand under the TV with a cable box, a DVD player, an Xbox 360, and a PlayStation 4 in its shelves. Next to the television were three DVD racks filled with movies and video games.

The alluring scent of pizza wafted through the air. It filled Amy's nose and made her stomach grumble. Sonic set his hand on her back and steered her towards the kitchen. Sitting atop the kitchen table was a large box of pizza along with a case of strawberry daiquiri flavored wine coolers and two lit candles. During her observation of Sonic's apartment, she hadn't realize all the lights were dimmed. The two candles were the main source of light in the room. She raised an eyebrow at Sonic.

"I thought we were just hanging out," she said.

"We are." He held out a chair for her. "But who says hanging out can't be romantic."

Amy rolled her eyes. She sat down in the seat he held out for her. "You're a cheeseball." She tilted her head back to look at him. "But you're cute, so I guess I'll accept it."

He chuckled. He briefly left her side to retrieve plates. A smile appeared on his lips as he sat down with her. "Do you like wine coolers," he asked. He grabbed two from the case and set one in front of her.

"Yeah. They taste better than beer." She glanced at the label. "And you got the good kind. Are you trying to get me buzzed?"

"No, but I thought a little alcohol might be what you needed after a long week. I like coolers. They're strong enough to make me feel warm and relaxed, but not enough that I'll be tripping over myself."

"Hmm, you must not drink enough then."

Sonic rolled his eyes. He watched her take a few bites of her pizza. "So, do you still like it here? The program getting on your last nerve yet?"

"Not yet, but it is kicking my ass. My muscles have been killing me, and I've been so tired. I think I underestimated how intense this all can get."

"It only gets worse as time goes on."

"Don't remind me."

He chuckled.

Amy glanced around the apartment. "Where's your roommate?"

Sonic shrugged. "He comes and goes; doesn't really talk much. Most of the time, he's high off his ass so he's either in his room asleep or in the living room playing video games. He's a cool guy when we do have conversations, but we just don't have many. I don't think he's here right now. He usually goes out on Friday and Saturday nights."

"Oh. So, we're alone then?"

"Yeah." He raised an eyebrow. "Is that okay?"

Amy took a swig of her drink. "As long as you don't have plans to murder or hurt me, then it's fine."

He smirked. "I thought you were able to kick my ass if I tried."

"I am able to kick your ass if you tried. That's why I said 'plans.' I'll knock your lights out before you can even think about grabbing your weapon."

"Mhm."

"Is that doubt I'm hearing?"

He shrugged. "I'm not doubting your abilities. I'm just wondering if you think your reflexes are really faster than mine. Remember, I am in the spy realm after all. I always think three steps ahead."

Amy rolled her eyes. "Whatever, pretty boy."

He shook his head.

Amy and Sonic demolished the pizza and finished off the entire case of wine coolers. Both of them were on their third, and last cooler, when they waltzed into the living room. Amy plopped down on the couch while Sonic looked for a movie to watch. Amy fiddled with the remote, accidentally turning on the news channel. On the screen was a broadcast about another violent riot by the Fallen, but this time in Texas. The attack had happened the night before. The anchor was re-telling the story with updates on the casualties and damages done to the town. To Amy's surprise, the townspeople fought back against the rebels. The scenes on the television showed brutal fights between the masked and unmasked citizens. This left the town with even more casualties and wounded people. However, as this was going on, there seemed to be a bombing and robbery at one of the military bases in the Texas area. The anchor explained the police thought the riot might've been a diversion for the Fallen members working the military heist and bombing.

"What do they want," Amy murmured under her breath.

Sonic glanced at her. His green eyes went to the television screen. At the sight of the organization's name, a scowl came upon his lips. "Destruction," he said simply.

She sighed. "Every time I turn on the news, it's just more bad news. People are dying in these riots. It's awful."

"I know. If they didn't have the numbers they do, they probably would've been stopped by now."

"Yeah. It's crazy how many of them there are." Amy wrapped her arms around herself. "I just wish I knew what good they think is coming out of this."

"There isn't any good," Sonic said. "And they know it. They want to destroy. That's all they've ever wanted."

"But why?"

"Does that matter," Sonic unintentionally snapped. "They're murdering people! They're destroying towns! They're wrecking people's lives! Nothing can justify that!"

Amy stared at Sonic with wide eyes. His breathing had quickened. His green eyes were livid with a controlled rage. His usually smiling lips were pulled into a deep frown. She'd never seen him like this before. She wasn't sure if she ever would.

Sonic took a deep breath. He ran a hand through his hair with a sigh. "I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to yell. It's just… I hate what they're doing to these innocent people. They don't deserve to die or be attacked or have their homes torn apart. With each riot, it's been some kind of distraction for something else they were doing – something pointed towards the government. If they want to attack the government, they why don't they just do it? Why involve all of these innocent people?"

"I don't know," Amy whispered.

"This might be a personal question, but have they ever attacked your hometown?"

She averted her eyes. "Yeah."

Sonic stood from his spot. He walked to sit next to her on the couch. "I'm sorry," he said. "Are you okay?"

Amy shrugged. "Not really."

He cautiously set his hand on the back of her neck. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"There's nothing really to talk about. I live in one of the areas in Philly where people die every day. There are shootings and gang activity and robberies on a daily basis. This one wasn't any different than the things I see every day."

"Who told you that?"

"My mom," Amy admitted. "She's wanted to move for years, but I wouldn't let her because I wanted to stay in the house my dad worked his ass off to buy for us. When the riot happened, she told me there was no reason to be so upset over it. The same things happen every day. Why should this one be any different?"

"Why was it different?"

Amy glanced at him. "We're ruining the mood. You were nice enough to buy me pizza and wine coolers. Let's not ruin that."

Sonic put his finger under her chin and guided her eyes to meet his. "You're not ruining the mood, Amy. Talk to me. Tell me what happened. I promise I won't judge or tell anyone." He squeezed her chin. "You can trust me."

She fell under the spell of his beautiful eyes and the crease between his brows. Words she hadn't told anyone in years flooded from her mouth. "It was a night in mid-July. I was thirteen. My friends and I were hanging out around town; we were mostly walking around, talking, and stopping at corner stores for snacks. Just a chill night. As the night went on, the group slowly started to get smaller and smaller. Eventually, it was just me, my best friend, her crush Knuckles, and my crush Jet. We broke off into pairs, leaving just me and him. We walked around for a while, just talking. That night, he admitted that he liked me and he asked me to be his girlfriend." A tiny smile rose on her lips. "He kissed me in an alleyway next to a sandwich place. Now, it probably sounds like a terrible place for a first kiss, but to me, it was magical."

She sighed. "As he was walking me home, the riot started. People in those black masks were running around the streets, breaking into stores, wrecking people's cars, and making the town into a living hell. Jet's dad owned a barbershop nearby, and he got worried. So, we backtracked to the barber shop to check on his dad and find some shelter. When we got there, his dad was fine. We helped him board up the windows and barricade the door. We thought we were safe.

"A few hours later, they broke through the boards and got into the shop. Jet and his father got into defense mode; he grabbed a metal bat and his father grabbed his gun. They fought the best they could, but these people were…trained. They exhibited such an extensive knowledge of combat and defense that I wouldn't have expected from rioters. I wanted to help, but the boys told me to stay in the back. Eventually one of them found me and dragged me out onto the floor. I didn't recognize the man because of the mask, but he recognized me. He knew who my father was. Before he joined the military, my dad, and my godfather, were active members of a gang. I wish I could tell you which one, but they worked hard to bury that part of their lives. Joining the military was their way out. Anyway, the man recognized me. He held a gun to my head and told me if my father weren't already dead, he would've killed me as punishment for his crimes. I kept asking what crimes, but he wouldn't tell me. I guessed it had something to do with the past he worked hard to hide from me. But he said I wasn't innocent; none of us were. So, he made me watch his companions beat Jet and his father to death. When I asked them why, all they said was for the greater good of this country. All of those who did wrong need to be punished. Then they left just like that. They left me shaking and crying and scared."

A tear fell from her eye. "I didn't find out until the funeral that Jet's dad used to be in the military – the Special Forces. I think they're targeting ex and current military personnel, but I'm not completely sure. I just know there were very few casualties in my hometown weren't in the military, and from the witnesses who spoke about it: they were only killed because they got in the Fallen members' way." She shook her head. "Sometimes I just want to know why they're doing this. What good do they think is going to come out of all of this? Other times…other times I wonder if they're responsible for my father's death."

She sniffled. She turned away from Sonic as more tears began to fall from her eyes. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I didn't mean to get all emotional."

"Don't be sorry." His arms wrapped around her. He gently tugged her into his lap. "Come here. Don't hide from me." He wiped the tears off of her cheeks. "I'm sorry about your friend and his father. I'm sorry about your own father. I'm sorry you've experienced so much death within such a short amount of time."

Amy shook her head. "Don't be sorry." She pushed his hands away and wiped away the rest of the moisture on her cheeks. She slid off his lap. "What movie did you pick for us to watch?"

Sonic held up the DVD sitting beside him. "Independence Day."

Amy smiled. "Ah, Will Smith kicking alien ass. That's exactly what I need right now. How did you know?"

Sonic smiled. He leaned in to give Amy a soft kiss.

She was taken aback by the kiss. She stared at him with a crease between her brows as he went to put the DVD into the DVD player. The confusion only lasted a moment. The frown fell from her lips and a small smile replaced it.

Amy and Sonic started the movie on different ends of the couch. Sonic consistently scooted closer to her, and Amy moved closer to the other end each time. After an hour, Amy found herself trapped against the arm of the couch with Sonic sitting close by. His arm was over the back of the couch behind her head, and his knee was touching hers. She glanced over at him to see his emerald eyes were fixed on her instead of the TV.

"What do you want," she asked.

He scooted closer with a smile. He propped his arm up behind her head and played with her curls. "You."

Amy slipped out of her slides and turned her body towards Sonic. She pushed him with her feet. "Go away," she said.

He grabbed her ankles. "What are you going to do if I don't?"

"I'm going to kick your ass."

He smirked. "Oh really?"

Amy kicked out of his grasp. Using her feet, she kicked him towards the other side of the couch. "Yeah. Now give me some personal space."

Sonic grabbed her ankles again. He tugged her to lay on her back. Before he could try to get on top of her, Amy pushed him off the couch onto the ground. She giggled as he fell on the floor with a thud. He kneeled on the floor and tried to grab her. Amy kept him at bay, pushing him away with her hands and feet. He grabbed onto her wrists and pulled her towards him. She slid across the cushion into his arm. She wrapped her legs around his torso and her arms around his neck. Sonic pulled her away from the couch and gently slammed her down on the carpeted floor.

Amy didn't release her holds on him. She giggled as Sonic tried to push her legs and arms from his body. She flipped the two of them over. She immediately grasped his wrists and pinned his arms down beneath her legs. A smirk appeared on her lips as she lightly slapped his cheeks. "What are you gonna do now, pretty boy," she taunted.

Sonic smiled. He wriggled beneath her, rocking his body from side to side. Eventually, he managed to free his arms and push her off of him. Before she could recuperate, he grabbed her into a headlock. He lay down on his back, bringing her down with him, and wrapped his arms around her to prevent her from moving. Her smaller hands pushed at his arms and legs. "What happened," Sonic asked. "I thought you were gonna kick my ass." He rolled them onto her stomach. He released her head and grabbed her wrists. He pulled her arms back, enough for Amy to feel pressure but not enough for it to hurt.

She wiggled one of her arms out of his grasp and wrapped it around his neck. She brought him back down as she rolled onto her back beneath him. She flipped them over again. She pushed out from between Sonic's legs.

Amy got to her feet and ran away from Sonic. He chased her around the living room for a minute before she bolted into the hallway. She spotted an exquisitely painted M on one of the bedroom doors. She ran towards the room. She managed to open the door and get in just before Sonic could catch her. To her dislike, she barely had time to close the door. Sonic stopped the movement with his hand. He pushed the door open and closed it.

Then he charged at Amy. He caught her by the waist and tackled her onto his bed. Laughing, the two rolled around on the bed, trying to pin the other down.

After a few minutes of the charade, Sonic gently slammed Amy down onto her back and captured her hands in his. He held her hands above her head as he settled himself between her legs. He smirked down at her. "Gotcha," he whispered.

"I let you win," Amy said. Her chest was heaving up and down. A tiny smile resided on her face. The butterflies in her stomach were rattling against her ribcage. Their movement quickened as Sonic pushed his torso down against hers. She could feel his heart racing in his chest; the vibrations hummed against her.

"Mhm." He brushed his nose against hers. His head continued to close the distance between them.

Amy tried to move her hands, but he kept them still. Her eyes fluttered shut as his lips crushed against hers. It was a soft, gentle kiss. His lips moved slowly against hers, pecking lingering kisses. She continued to wrestle their hands, but Sonic's grip remained firm. Each time her hands would rise, he'd push them back down. He moved both of her wrists into one of his hands as his tongue flicked at her lips. His free hand traveled down her arm to the side of her face. He cupped her neck with his palm as she opened her mouth. Their tongues wrestled each other in a fierce, sensual battle.

Amy freed her arms from his grasp. One of her hands tangled themselves in his hair while the other crept up beneath his shirt. Her palms rubbed his washboard abs and defined chest. His skin was smooth under her hands. She tugged at the ends of his tee shirt.

Sonic understood the silent message. He reluctantly broke their kiss and discarded his shirt. Amy tugged off her own, leaving her in her black lacy bra. She grabbed a handful of his hair and brought his lips back down to hers.

With a soft moan, she flipped the two of them over. She straddled his hips, settling herself against his hot spot. Their kisses became more aggressive as she began to grind against him. One of Sonic's hands tangled in her curls while the other rubbed the arch of her back and occasionally squeezed her rum.

He sat up with his arms still wound tightly around her. His lips dipped from her lips to her neck and chest. He lingered on some areas, leaving passion and bite marks over her brown skin. His touch sent Amy's butterflies into a frenzy. The heat in her pelvis heightened as his hands guided her hips to grind against his. She wanted him – badly.

"Hmm," he whispered against her skin. "Amy."

"Yes, Sonic." With her handful of hair, she yanked his head back up. She caught his lips with hers. Their heated kisses resumed. Amy pushed Sonic back down onto his back. He flipped the two of them over and gave Amy a rough grind. The girl nearly squealed at the pleasure. She could feel him trying to relieve the pressure by alternating between pressing against her leg and her sweet spot. She wrapped her legs around his waist and trapped him against her. She smiled between their kisses at the grunt that escaped his lips.

"Fuck," he whispered.

She giggled. "Do you like that?" She moved against him. "Huh, pretty boy?"

Sonic abruptly pulled out of their kisses. "Stop," he said. "Stop, stop."

Amy frowned. "What is it? What's wrong?"

Sonic pushed out from between her legs. He scooted away from her towards the edge of the bed. He pushed his legs over and put his head in his hands. A deep sigh escaped his lips.

Amy crawled over to him. "Is it not…?" She looked down. Blush crossed her cheeks at the sight of the large bulge in his pants. "Oh no; it is." She rubbed his shoulders. "What's wrong? Why did you stop?"

"Because," Sonic said.

She raised an eyebrow. "Is everything okay? Do you not like me this way or are you not interested in this…?"

He looked up at her. "It's not that I don't like you, Ames. The problem is that I really like you. You're different from any other girl I've ever met. You're beautiful, smart, kind, funny, strong-willed, independent, and genuine. A woman like you only comes around once in a lifetime. And I know we haven't known each other long, but I can tell you're one of a kind. I knew from the moment you walked into that lecture hall." He cupped her chin in his hand. "I don't want to screw up my chances with you by moving this too fast. I don't want to be some guy who you hooked up with one time. I want to be more. I want to build more with you. I…I am falling in love with you, and I want to be more than some guy who goes on jogs with you or sits next to you in history class. I know that's going to take time. I'm willing to wait for the right time, but I don't want to throw that chance away by moving the same way most guys do. Like I said when we met: chivalry isn't dead, and I'm determined to show you that."

Amy smiled. "You already have. Most guys would've tried to get some when I was drunk off my ass at the party last month."

Sonic rolled his eyes. "That's not enough. You deserve to be treated like a princess, and I'm going to make sure I do just that."

She wrapped her arms around herself and averted her eyes. "You…you really like me…don't you?"

"Yeah."

Her hands rubbed her arms. "Wow."

A crease formed between his brows. "Why'd you say that?"

"No guy has ever really wanted to have a real relationship with me before. Most of them would've taken what I was giving you five minutes ago if they had the chance. Then they might've strung me along for a little bit or dropped me right afterwards."

"Which of the two did you think I was going to do?"

"Honestly…I'm not sure."

He guided her gaze towards his. "Listen, Amy: If we're going to take this thing any further – if you want to take this further, you should know that I don't want you for your body. I meant it when I said I wanted to get to know you. I'm here because I like your smile, your laugh, the way you push away everything that moves." He chuckled as she rolled her eyes. "I'm here for the person you hide behind that tough exterior, the girl you showed me earlier. And I'm willing to work hard to get to know that person. Just let me know if you'll let me."

Amy nodded. "I will," she said.

He smiled. "Good." He tugged her chin forward. "Come here." He gave her a gentle kiss.

Amy fell under his lips' sweet spell. She scooted closer to him and played with the baby hairs on the nape of his neck. She wouldn't admit it aloud, but her heart was bursting with a joy she hadn't known in a long time. However, she warned herself to be cautious – to not fall too quickly. Just as easily as her heart could jump with joy, it could break into a bunch of tiny little pieces. She wasn't quite sure she'd be able to handle that. She tried not to think of that outcome. For now, all she wanted to think about was the tiny sparks going off in her head as Sonic's lips moved passionately against hers.

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