Chapter 10:

Love Struck

Tails took a seat in the chair that lay outside the door. Yoshirou emerged shortly after entering.

"Whats wrong?" Tails asked.

Yoshirou sighed. "She not in here any longer apparently."

"Where did she go then?"

He scratched his ears. "Why are you asking me?"

"General question bro."

"Right, sorry"

Tails lead her big brother out of the hospital after the senseless visit. Yoshirou's head hung low but, his mind was in the clouds. Tails walked over and hopped into her plane. Yoshirou strayed though and continued along the sidewalk. Tails didn't bother to stop him, she knew he was feeling down about not being able to see the one he, somehow, fell in love with. The yellow kitsune started the plane and flew off in the direction of the mystic ruins. Yoshirou kept walking, walking, until there was no longer a sidewalk to follow.

He sighed. "No road is long enough to take me very far."

The depressed fox turned around and headed back into the city. It wasn't until a few blocks later until he heard a voice. So sweet and caressing to his ears.

"Yoshirou? What are you doing here?" Amy looked at him slightly surprised.

His spirits were instantly lifted, he smiled and looked up to her. Amy, who was watering her rose bushes, returned a smile. "Just came to the hospital to check up on you."

"That is very sweet of you." She carefully stepped over to him. Giving his a kiss on the cheek. His ears reached straight up, as if they could get taller.

"Why, thank you Amy." He blushed, ears beginning to hurt from the tension.

Amy cocked a brow. "Whats with your ears?"

Yoshirou pulled his ears down. "They just get that way when I'm glad." He smiled crookedly.

-in heaven-

"Our son is such a terrible liar." Takeshi said to Manami.

Manami lowered her eyelids. "Well, he's nervous. You we're that way too, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember." He rolled his eyes.

-Earth-

"What are you glad about?" Amy was quizzing him.

"I'm glad you are well." Not a complete lie.

Amy wanted to tease him a bit. "Are you hitting on me?"

"N-No! I-I-I..." Yoshirou stammered.

-heaven-

Takeshi, in hard laughter, observing his son stumble. "He's loosing it!"

Manami glared at him and grabbed his ear, tugging sharply upward, drawing a few tears to his eyes. "If I can remember correctly you were worse. YOU fainted when you spoke to me like Yoshirou is now to Amy. He's holding up more than you did."

-Earth-

Amy was giving him a twisted look. "You okay?" Yoshirou turned a dark red shade, his tails twitching wildly. Amy set a hand on his head. He was burning up. "Geez! Come in my house, you're hot."

And with the word, hot, Yoshirou fainted. Due to the obvious misinterpretation of Amy's sentence. He awoke a few hours later with a cold towel on his head. "Ohh, my head..." Yoshirou moaned. He sat up, the towel sliding off, he observed his surroundings. Pink, pink, and more pink. The fox closed his eyes, the bright color blinded him to some extent.

"Glad to see you up." Amy's voice came to his ears.

"Where am I? And why is everything coated in pink" His eyes were now pressed tight.

"You're in my house and whats wrong with pink?" Amy had a bit of a temper to his question about her home décor.

"I have nothing against pink but, too much and it becomes too bright."

Amy shrugged. "Can't help you there."

"I know, just a bit light sensitive at the moment." Yoshirou rubbed his eyes.

"Well, I made you some soup, in case you were hungry." She set the bowl down in front of him on the coffee table.

"Thank you Amy, I appreciate it." He smiled in her direction or where he hoped she was standing.

"Just, helping you as you helped me." She blushed.

Yoshirou slowly and blindly waved his hand over the coffee table, searching for the heat radiating from the soup. Finding it he lowered his hand down, then moved his hand to the right, gliding over the rim of the bowl, taking up the spoon.

"Wow, you're good at doing things blindly." Amy said.

"Yeah, another one of my mother's punishments. Although, looking back on it now, it seems more of a training than a punishment." He dipped the spoon then, sipping at it.

Amy took a seat next to him. "What do you mean?"

"Well, it has made me far more gentle with my surroundings. I can graze over things easily without disturbing them, unless I do so wish. To be completely truthful, I don't think that my mother actually was punishing me at all, more like, teaching me how to use my other senses keenly."

Amy's ears drooped. "I'm sorry that your parents had to die like they did. You and Tails, er, Kokoro, you could have all lived so happily. Without the worry of this complex life style."

He set his spoon down in to soup and look to Amy, cracking his eyes open to allow at least some adjustment. "Amy, What is done cannot be undone, no matter how much we may wish it to be. Our parents are dead and they cannot come back, I will not let sorrow rule over me, I have too much to look forward to."

"Such as?"

"Such as my sister, my new friends, my life...and maybe even a family to share with a beautiful wife." Yoshirou's eyes fully opened, their gazes locked. Almost, instinctively both Amy's and Yoshirou's face glided to the other's. Their lips locked, enjoying the embrace of the others, warm and tender touch. Amy did not fight even though the love she had of Sonic still held Amy's heart. The two slowly parted.

Yoshirou put a hand to his head. "...I'm sorry Amy."

"Why?" She licked her lips.

"Well, you love Sonic. Do you not? That was a slight mistake on my part. I don't want to force you into something like this." He went back to the soup.

Amy placed a finger to her lips. "Do you..love me?"

He sighed yet, it had a softness to it. He didn't want to lie. "I'm just going to sat that, I can't deny that I enjoyed the experience."

"I'll take that as a complement." Amy smiled.

Yoshirou quickly finished the soup. "...Thank you again Amy. It has been far too long a time since I've had a great tasting soup."

"Your welcome."

Yoshirou rose from the couch and stretched out his limbs. "I suppose I should get going." He frowned.

Amy fidgeted on the couch as the twin tailed fox went to the door. "Wait!" Amy hurried to him. "You need more rest, you can stay if you like." It sounded as if she was almost begging him.

"I don't know about that. I don't want to worry my little sis."

"NO! I want you to stay." Amy shouted, gabbing the collar of his coat. Yoshirou reeled back in amazement from Amy's outburst. Amy's heart pounded like a drum being abused by a mallet. She quickly released him, astonished with herself, then ran upstairs to her room, shutting the door. Amy's face glowed as bright as Yoshirou's before he passed out. Amy leaned on a wall. "What am I doing?!" Amy slid down the wall then, started to cry, she now had a love for two different people, those who's worlds are differ from the other's immensely. Sonic, the wild, party boy, stealing her heart just as he steals time with his speed. Yoshirou, who possesses wisdom and a warm heart to comfort her with. Which does she choose?

Downstairs Yoshirou sat back down on the couch. He gritted his teeth, wondering if he should interfere. To take fate into his hands for once, instead of leave the choice to another. He sighed, grabbing the empty soup bowl and spoon, taking them to the kitchen. Filling the sink with hot water, he washed the bowl, then the spoon, then a few plates, more utensils, other bowls, and so forth... Before he knew it, night had risen to this side of the world. Next, Yoshirou dried the dishes and placed them back to where they should be. Finishing up by cleaning the counter top, the stove was one of those on the list also. After all was clean and spotless, he left Amy a note on a piece of paper, sticking it on the refrigerator with a magnet, he then left silently.

The light shined on Amy's eyes early next dawn. She squinted to the light. "Ow." She whispered. Amy had fallen asleep on the floor. Her tears from the night before had crusted to her face. She scratched them off as she stood and walked downstairs. Entering the kitchen, she gasped and stared with her jaw wide open to see the entire place spotless. She stepped gradually through into the kitchen, there she perceived a note on the refrigerator. She removed it and read.

Amy,

I return your hospitality for the soup by cleaning the dishes I had used. As for the rest well...I thank you for showing me love again. It has been far too long since I have felt this kind of warmth in my heart. I will not interfere with you and your love of Sonic; although, I think its only fair to say that, I love you.

Yoshirou

Amy's tears dropped onto the paper. Filled with joy, sorrow, and hate. Joy for what Yoshirou has done for her, sorrow for her foolishness, and finally hate for Sonic. Sure, Sonic has saved her life but, he has never done a thing for her, for her heart. Yoshirou gave that to her all in one night. Amy pressed the note to her breast. Her jaw, clenched tightly as her tears flowed. "...Yoshirou..."

Tails: Now that's love.

That it is.