5

Their friends were sitting in a both that was nestled in a corner of the diner, giving them privacy to hang out in peace, which Sally found herself being grateful for. While people recognized who she was, besides flashing her a couple of friendly smiles and waves, they kept to themselves. Those reactions were precisely why she adored eating at places like these. People were friendly and respected her boundaries, making her feel more like Sally instead of Princess Acorn. It certainly was a refreshing change of pace.

"Hi, everyone!" Sally greeted them warmly, her smile shining like rays of sunlight as she took her seat, comfortable resting between Shadow and Rouge.

"Sally! Hi! Hey, Shadow! Hey, Rouge!" Amy grinned, jade eyes gleaming under the lights. Her pink quills were braided loosely, and she looked right at home beside Sonic, who had an arm looped around her shoulders, his grin lazy and eyes twinkling. They both looked content, the happiness and love between them subtle and obvious all at once.

"You look happy," Sonic mused, emerald eyes darting between the trio before resting on Sally. Sally flushed, cheeks the faintest pink, as she shrugged her shoulders, but she knew without an inkling of doubt that Sonic picked up on what everyone else was oblivious to, and that they were going to have words once they were alone. She wasn't quite sure what to feel about that looming conversation.

"How have you been?" Blaze asked, golden eyes peering at her curiously. Sally silently thanked Chaos for this diversion; thank goodness for small mercies like these. She could still feel Sonic's questionable gaze on her, making her skin prickle due to her nerves. Oh jeez, how'd she find herself in situations like these anyways?

"I've been doing pretty good! I've just been busy helping my brother Elias with managing things related to our home, is all," Sally answered, picking up a menu and scanning its contents. She felt the subtle shift in the atmosphere when she mentioned her home. She understood her friends, save for Sonic, were not privy to the circumstances that led her to runaway from home, although she knew they knew enough to know it wasn't pleasant.

"How is home?" Tails asked after a somewhat tense silence, ocean-blue eyes staring at her in concern. It made Sally's heart melt; she was close to Tails, obviously. He was like a little brother, and she loved him as if he were her own brother.

"Home is fine. Elias and I are co-ruling the kingdom. He fought hard for us to have that right, which is such an Elias thing for him to do, making sure we stick together, even though I'm not there a lot. Mother and Father eventually saw his reasoning and agreed to it. So, Elias is king, and I'm still a princess for the moment."

Their waitress, a pretty fox, came by their table and was soon taking their orders, disappearing soon afterward after assuring them that their drinks were on the way. Sally was looking forward to digging into her meal. She had heard nothing but good things regarding the food here, and she couldn't wait to see how true it was.

"If Elias is a king, then how come you're still considered a princess?" Silver asked, brows furrowed in adorable confusion.

"Well, Elias is married, so his title changed. Should I choose to get married, my title will be Queen Sally. Until then, I'm Princess Sally, but my standing is just as important as his and vice versa regardless of our titles. That was part of the agreement we all came to," Sally explained, and a look of understanding crossed their faces.

The conversation soon shifted to lighter topics, and Sally found herself immersed in being surrounded by her friends. Their presence and love kept her grounded, kept her from losing herself in those dark thoughts that would oftentimes cross her mind. Nestled comfortably between Shadow and Rouge, she couldn't help but feel content. She loved being around them. Like, a lot. It almost frightened her how much she found herself being drawn to them, and not just in the physical sense, although that was really fucking wonderful.

No, she enjoyed talking to them, spending time with them. Seeing them made her heart flutter, and she wondered, absently, what it could mean. She knew, in the back of her mind, what these little feelings meant, what they could possibly lead to, but she refused to give them any deeper thought. She'd cross that particular bridge should she ever get to it.

For now, she focused herself in the present, smiling and laughing along with her friends, the people she loved as if they were her blood family, and as far as she was concerned, they were her family. Blood didn't always mean anything; her home life was proof of that.


The sky was a rich shade of navy blue by the time she, Shadow, and Rouge were making their way back to her home. The moon was bright and shining, stars littering the night sky, lending them their light. Free from prying eyes, they were all more expressive with their affection, holding hands and stealing kisses from each other.

"Wasn't that wonderful?" Sally asked, her smile lighting up her face like the stars above them. Rouge grinned, pressing a sweet kiss on her lips, her grin widening at the pleased, bashful look on her face and pink blush on her cheek.

"Yeah, I enjoyed myself. Even Shadow's grumpy self had fun," Rouge teased, ignoring the annoyed glare Shadow gave her. Sally grinned, squeezing their hands.

"That's good. I really had fun too. It feels nice being surrounded by people who care about me. It's why I love being here, y'know? I mean, my kingdom is my home too, but there are still some wounds that need to be healed. All in due time, I suppose." They shared a look that she couldn't see. She was too lost in her thoughts at the moment, a faraway look in her eyes as she let go of their hands to get her key.

They lingered behind her, watching her in silence, both concerned but unsure of what they could say or do that would alleviate the obvious heartache she felt. Both of them cared about her, genuinely enjoyed her company, and not just for the fantastic sex they all had together. She was a genuinely pleasant person to be around, was clearly more complicated than what her cheerful demeanor would have one believe.

Shadow and Rouge shared another look as they all walked inside her house. Things were deepening, feelings were slowly but surely developing, and it could surely mean nothing but trouble for them both. Why didn't that make them fall back, pull away while they still could unscathed?