Tears On The Veil

by TangentDream2

"I want you to tell me that I'm wrong. That this is not right. Because it isn't, is it? I'm not supposed to be- I'm not supposed to love you. Not when you're my... Brother."

9. What We Have Longed For

Chapter Nine: What We Have Longed For

The indistinguishable winter breeze greeted him on his departure from the military jet. A sense of familiarity to the world he had left behind.

Above his head flew a flock of flicky birds. A family of pink, blue and green; flying south to a warmer region. He smiled, their colours resonating with his own family. As he watched them fly over him, he hoped their adventure would bring them as much happiness as his own adventure was to bring him.

"Baby!" He heard a comforting voice call to him. Spinning on the heel of his shining shoes, he witnessed his mother running towards him.

Elated, Sonic dashed down the steps of the airstair and stopped at the end of the steps to be welcomed by his mother. Open armed and bearing a joyous smile, Aleena threw her arms around his shoulders and embraced her son. His own arms instinctively wrapped around her, years of comfort and nurturing he had been stripped of being reimbursed in one tight hug.

"Oh, my Baby Blue." She spoke with high emotion, verging on tears. She stepped back from him and brought her hands to his cheeks. "Look how tall you are! The last time I held you, I had to kneel down..."

Her smile had lessened. Holding more bittersweet than previously. Her eyes glazed from her sorrowful unfulfillment as his mother. So many birthdays, so many milestones missed. Those precious moments she never got to experience with her boy.

The mother blinked away her tears, determined to show only happiness around her eldest on his return. "Ugh, and look how handsome you've grown to be."

Sonic hung his head low and shook it with embarrassment, grinning through his light blush on his cheeks. "You haven't changed a bit, Mum." She smiled at his comment, relieved to provide some familiarity of her own for him.

He briefly smiled back at his mother before focusing his attention on his welcome party approaching him: His siblings; Manic and Sonia and Uncle Chuck. The most desired guest was nowhere to be seen. His facial muscles drooped, momentarily exposing his disappointment. Even after all he had suffered, they were still kept at a safe distance.

How naive of him to believe he had paid for his forbidden love.

His sister was the first to approach him. Her quills bouncing effortlessly with every step she took. They appeared longer than his own, the tips dyed a lighter pink, much like her descending locks falling over her emerald eyes.

The heels to her purple and red boots clicked obnoxiously loud against the concrete beneath their feet. A dramatised entrance to greet her brother. Her features were disgruntled. Exaggerated with a bumptious attitude. "Sonic..." She said, unperturbed by his presence.

"Sonia..." Sonic replied with the same attitude, crossing his arms and frowning at the girl.

Their little act of indifference slowly diminished as the corners of their lips formed into smirks. Both laughing along with one another, a handshake was exchanged between the siblings, followed by a hug.

"Good to see you, brother." Sonia smiled to the blue hedgehog on exiting the embrace.

"Wish I could say the same for you." He teased, grinning menacingly back at her.

His comment landed him a punch to the arm. "Idiot." She laughed. "Can't you be nice for one minute?"

"Ugh but that's such a long time for a speed king like me. I can do ten seconds for ya."

"Go on..."

Becoming more sentimental with his demeanour, Sonic stared sincerely at his sister. "I really did miss you, Sonia."

"Aw. I missed you too, Dork."

"I thought we were being nice?"

"That was nice. I was gonna call you far worse names."

Laughing at their banter, Sonic soon turned his attention to his brother. The green hedgehog walked over to the three hedgehogs, hands in his vest pockets.

"S'up, Man." Sonic greeted his brother. A fist bump and a brotherly hug were exchanged. "Nice sleeve." Sonic complimented his brother's disapproved body art covering his arm.

"Thanks, Bro. I can hit you up with your own if you want."

"To hell you will." Aleena intervened, placing her hands on her hips and scowling at her younger son. Her unwanted comment left Manic rolling his eyes at her.

Wanting to avoid a potential scolding in the middle of the runway, Sonic quickly changed the topic of conversation. "You been good?" He asked his brother.

"As much as I can be without Mum breathing down my neck..." He peered over his shoulder at the discontented mother shaking her head towards him.

A nagging irritation towards his brother couldn't be denied. The life he had lead had been opulent compared to his own. He was nurtured in the comforts of their family home, in his own room, surrounded by those who truly loved him. More importantly, he had been exempted from the abuse of their father. He was pretty certain that Manic, even Sonia, were completely unaware of what their dad was capable of.

While he couldn't determine what exactly caused Manic to become so rebellious and distant towards their mother, he couldn't help but view the boy's attitude as ungrateful privilege.

"How about you? What's it like to be the big-shot hero?"

"Can't say it's all it's cracked up to be." Sonic shrugged. "Eh. I guess smashing Egg-Butt's robots makes it all worth it."

"Egg-Butt?" Manic raised an eyebrow quizzically.

"Robotnik. Y'know, because he's shaped like an egg?"

"Ahh..." Manic laughed. "Nice. Does he know you call him that?"

"Oh yeah. 'Egg-Butt', 'Egg-Breath', 'Eggman'."

"Think I'm gonna have to steal 'Eggman' from you. Classic." He gave his brother another fist bump. "So, how's my baby?". He couldn't help but smirk at the blue hedgehog's horrified expression. He must have taken the word 'baby' rather literal. "I'm talking about the Stormer. Is she running alright?"

"Like a dream. Not that I drive it-- her, much. It's mainly Dad and McGrath that drive her around."

"Ah... Guess I'll ask him about it then..." Manic nodded unenthusiastically. He could already predict the reaction of his father; little interest for the technical talk and a quick change of conversation. It was their regular form of communication; Attempt, fail and move on. To capture his attention would be as miraculous as the chaos emeralds themselves.

"Alright, Manic. You've had your moment with the famous hero, it's my turn to be starstruck." Chuck teased his nephew. Though slightly irked by his uncle's joke, Manic stepped aside and allowed the man to welcome Sonic back. "What's with you boys making me look short, eh? You've gotta be running on stilts, aren't you?"

"That wouldn't be a pretty sight." Sonic chuckled. "Looking good, Chuck. Lovin' the facial hair." He said, referring to the bushy moustache accumulating beneath the man's nose.

"Giving that Robotnik some competition in a way I can keep up. Oh, my mistake. What is it I heard you call him? Eggman?"

"You guessed it."

"Ha! Beautiful. I hope you've been giving that egg a few beatings?"

"Scrambled with a side of toast." Sonic grinned.

"Haha! You little brawler. You make me so proud." Chuck cheered, wrapping his arm around the boy's shoulders.

Standing beside his sister, Manic rolled his eyes to the praise his older brother was receiving before his eyes caught sight of his father leaving the jet. He found himself awestruck. A common symptom he faced when seeing his father every summer throughout his adolescence. The man he looked up to, aspired to impress, was now home. At long last.

"Daddy!" Sonia cheered, rushing up the steps to her dad. The man's eyes fell on his daughter, bringing a bright smile to his face.

"Princess." Jules beamed, grabbing the girl and spinning her around on the spot. His daughter laughed gleefully in his arms, bringing herself to wrap her arms tightly around his neck upon being placed on the ground. "How's my precious Daughter?"

"Happier now that you're back." She replied, resting her head against her father's shoulder.

Placing a kiss on the girl's forehead, Jules walked down the steps with his daughter, towards his waiting family. He stopped in front of his wife, neither saying a word to each other. The silence was filled with varying emotions and suggestive words. None of which were expressed.

"Hello, Sweetness." Jules finally said, flashing a mild smile at the woman.

Her response came with action rather than words. With little time to act, the general was pulled into a loving embrace and met with impassioned kiss. Surely startled yet quickly recovered, he returned her passion, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Eugh..." Sonic muttered, looking away in disgust. His siblings followed suit.

"That is not something I need to see right after breakfast." Chuck stated, turning around like his niece and nephews.

Ending the torture of their family, the couple broke their kiss and held one another ardently. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that." Aleena said alluringly.

"I'm gonna go with the guess of seven years?" Jules grinned, bringing his nose to nuzzle with hers.

"Seven long years." She corrected him.

"I'll make it up to you." He charmed her, bringing their lips into another passionate fondling.

The uncomfortable sounds of lips smacking and flirtatious giggling left their family nauseated.

"Do you two really need to act like you're teenagers, in front of your own teenaged children?" Chuck questioned, his nausea becoming more severe as he turned to face their public affection.

The final grotesque sound of their parting lips ended their children's suffering. However, the unamused husband glared at his older brother, not appreciating his interruption. "Is it wrong for my kids to know how much I love their mother?"

"If you need to show them by doing that, yeah it is."

Holding his firm gaze to his brother, Jules soon broke his poised silence and laughed. "Come here, you hog." He pulled the man into a hug, an exchange of joyfully forceful slaps to the back from either side; a love-hate affection.

"Still sporting that dangling phallus on your head, I see? Proving yourself to be the definition of a dick-head."

His sons roared into fits of laughter from the remark. They were soon forced to look away and stifle their laughter by their unamused father's glare. "Heh, and we're not gonna talk about that bush on your face? Is that supposed to be a substitute for the lack of cunts your delving into?"

"Boys!" Aleena shrieked at the men. "Do not speak such vulgar language in front of the children."

Both alarmed by her outburst, Chuck quickly recovered and laughed at his younger brother's submissive head bow towards his wife. "They're hardly children anymore, Ally. They've likely had their share of indulgence already."

Making themselves appear oblivious, the teenagers avoided their mother's gaze as she turned back to them. Shaking the thought aside, Aleena linked her arm with her husband and held out her hand to Sonic. "Anyway, now that you're both finally home, we should celebrate!"

"What about Amy?" Chuck pointed out. "I'm surprised she didn't show up. She and Sonic used to be so close."

Another uncomfortable silence fell between the three hedgehogs; Mother and father looking deadpanned towards the uncle and Sonic remaining stoic.

"Uh, she went to her training session early this morning." Sonia informed her uncle, baffled by her parents' and brother's reaction. "To be honest, I don't even think she knows you're back, Sonic." She giggled innocently.

Chuck raised his eyebrow at his brother and his wife, bemused to discover they'd informed only two out of the three children at home about the hero's return.

"Eh." Sonic shrugged, walking up to his mother and linking his arm with hers. "I'll see her a little later. No biggie."

His parents nodded back at him, pleased by his attitude to not seeing his sister. "Maybe we should go out for lunch? My treat? It'll be good for you to indulge on some proper food, Sonic." Jules said.

"Nonsense!" Aleena shook her head. "He's not had a home cooked meal in years!" She turned to her eldest child and shown her undying love for him through a prideful smile. "You'll have Mummy's cooking, Dearest."

Sonic smiled back at her, slightly discomforted by her cooing and mollycoddling. He figured it was a side effect to his father's rash decision to have him separated from her. To her, he was still that nine year old boy, weeping and clinging to her coat for her nurture.

To provide her some consolation, he would play along. "Thanks, Mum. If you want, I could help? It'll be like old times."

Ah, she remembered it well. Her children surrounding her in the kitchen, each having their own station to help her bake various confectioneries. How her son used to speed his way to the bowl of cake batter and digest the majority of it before his siblings had a chance. Those chaotic days of screaming children and a rambunctious, little Sonic... Where had the time gone?

A single tear fell from her right eye, falling onto her delighted smile. "That would be wonderful."

Heading into the airport, the family walked in a pack passed the other travelling Mobians. However, slightly out of sync from the group, Manic watched from behind. He ogled his older brother gaining all the positive attention from their parents; laughing and reminiscing without a care in the world. He also noticed Sonia and Chuck engaging in a jolly conversation.

His family never failed to remind him of his place; The shadow in the back. Silent and unnoticed, left to handle the neglect in a way he saw fit. Why would they need to care for his needs? Why would they have to acknowledge him as an individual, a separate being from his siblings?

Especially when they had the majestic Sonic The Hedgehog as the perfect, captivating son with supernatural speed.

Some things just never changed. Far apart or reunited, Sonic was just too immaculate to surpass in his parents' eyes.

Particularly his father's.

But a flicker of hope shortly followed his doubt. His father had turned back to look at him, possibly realising he had forgotten to acknowledge him back on the runway. He saw the man fiddle with his coat before walking back towards him. His incoming presence once again leaving him wonderstruck.

"Hey, Man? Why don't you wear this?" He suggested, taking off his coat and placing it on his son's shoulders. "You know your mother doesn't approve of those tattoos you've gotten."

His expression showed his devastation. His tattoos had been a symbol of his desire for individuality. To have something that was his own; that would be noticed.

To hide them would be to conceal himself further into the shadows.

"I'll give you the money to have them removed." He smiled at his son, believing he had the solution to the problem.

By sorting out his wife's issue with their son's tattoos, he had unintentionally inflicted more damage onto his boy.

Dallying in his actions, Manic slowly put on the trench coat, holding the elbow of his decorated arm. He lowered his head, shamefaced.

"Looks good on you." Jules smiled, clueless to his son's inner depression. Patting the boy's shoulders, he walked back to his wife and eldest child.

He found himself stopping in the middle of the airport, watching his family walk away from him, unaware of his lack of presence entirely. Looking down to his covered arm, the teen gripped the covering tightly. His identity rejected, he held back his emotions and casted them in the collective gathering in his darkened mind.

Preparing for another fixture.

---

You probably need me just as much as I need you.

Bouncing on her heel to every beat that played into her ears, the pink hedgehog walked leisurely down the sidewalk; gym bag balanced on her shoulder and earphones successfully blocking out the outside world. In her daily walks to and from her training at Central City HQ, she would tune out of reality and allow the music to lift her into the clouds. Away from the horrendous reality that was her heartbreak.

Beneath the surface of her calm, bubbly nature, she had been hurting, immensely. Her decision to stop her shameful yearning for the blue hedgehog had left her emotionally wounded, so lost and bereaved. He had been everything she had known, everything she envisioned for herself.

But he had proven she meant nothing to him.

All those years of contacting him and not a single sign of her love being reciprocated. She wasn't even worth a few words; one word in fact.

And to think of all the time and effort she had wasted on him made her feel like the biggest fool of them all. The blind fool who had written with an open heart, who had bared herself for his pleasure. He must've thought she was laughable.

He wouldn't have been wrong if that had been his thought process. They weren't kids anymore. They couldn't blame their behaviour on naivety or some sort of phase. They were both teenagers, possessed understanding of right and wrong. And what they did; what she did, was deplorable.

By law, he was her brother. And by law and practically every moral dictated just how wrong their relationship had been...

So why couldn't she stop thinking about him?

It sickened her. Clouded her in her shame. Even when she knew what was right, she still clinged to the fact that they were not blood related. He had always told her the only thing stopping them was a piece of paper. She often reminded herself of that fact too.

No matter her resistance to her feelings, she still held her love for her beloved.

We are free to get whatever that we want to have

(We're also free to do whatever we want)

The teenaged girl shook her head to her burdening thoughts. She had more important things to think about than her love for Sonic. As one of the top fighters in Eurish, she had to be at the top of her game if she wanted to make the top Heroes' Cut.

She had lives to avenge. To serve justice for those who could not defend themselves. Her mother, father, her brother Samuel, Roger... Only to name a few. With her speed, acrobatic skills and her might with the Piko-Piko Hammer, they would have their redemption.

"Sweet, sweet you're so sweet." She sang to herself, walking up to path to her home. She acknowledged the family car on the driveway. Her mother was home from work already?

Shrugging off the early return, Amy made her way to the front door and took out her keys, humming the tune to the song she had been singing. Unlocking the door, she called out to her mother.

"I'm back, Mum." She hollered monotonously, pulling out her earphones and hearing her mother insist she head into the kitchen. "I'll do it later!" She answered back, her response being a mismatch to her mother's demand.

She ignored her heavy insistence, making her way straight up the stairs for a hot shower.

"Now, now, Amy. You should really listen to your mother..." Her father's voice came from the bottom of the stairs. Stunned on the spot, the girl slowly turned around to see her dad leaning against the bannister, smiling back at her.

"D-dad?" She gasped, bewildered and dazed to see him. The shock gradually faded with every step before she ran down the stairs and jumped on the man with euphoric felicity. "Dad!" She cried, dangling off the ground, in her father's arms.

"Aw, my little petal. I've missed you so much." Jules said gleefully. Placing her back on the last step, he lightly touched her cheek, examining her maturing features. "My little girl isn't so little anymore..." His pride blooming at her sweet smile. "It's like I blinked and you blossomed before I could open my eyes again... I--" He sighed, looking down solemnly with guilt. "I am sorry to have missed out on all those years."

"Don't be sorry." She assured him. "Because of your sacrifice, we have lived in peace. Central City is in your debt."

"Eh..." He chuckled softly, humbled by her adoration. "Maybe for my execution, but Sonic's the one on the battlefield most of the time."

The realisation caused her eyes to sparkle with euphoria. If her father home after his three-months additional training with Sonic... Could it be?

Her ears detected light footing coming out from the kitchen and into the hallway. They echoed through her being, giving her heart a new beat to sing. Turning her head towards the sound, her lips parted in awe, her feminine features quickly following her stupor.

The severed bonds of their past entwined, weaving threads strengthened by devoted fibres that formed the seam to their illicit love; creating a patchwork to wrap around her wounded heart and bringing forth the repented urges out of the rippling pools of logic.

She was besotted.

He had been blessed by Chaos itself with bewitching attraction. From sun soaked skin, to pearl white teeth. A physical form to inspire, to possibly envy.

And his personal style only added to his irresistible charm. His quills became less maintained with their impressive length, sprouting smaller spines; symbolising his adventurous flare. The sports tape and neckerchief endorsing his daring personality.

The girl swallowed hard, her throat discovered to have dried up at his radiance. Mesmerised in her staring, she failed to notice her own footing and stumbled off the final step. She slipped, falling into her father's arms.

"Everything alright, Amy?" Jules questioned her, gradually getting the girl back onto her feet.

"Y-yeah." She breathed out. Her vocabulary abruptly became limited, partially senseless without much control to recover. With little fault, she remained powerless to her hazy, ditsy performance.

"S'up?" Sonic waved to the pink hedgehog, bearing his cocky smirk.

Without a word, Jules walked back into the living room, taking a seat the armchair, beside his brother on the sofa.

Leaving his daughter to carry her own weight while talking to his son.

"Long time no see, Rose." Sonic said quietly. His eyes sweeping a brief scan of her.

The girl he had grown up with had undergone an enthralling transformation, unrecognisable on first sight. Her quills, once sharing a similar style to his own, now fell to her shoulders. An adorably graceful appearance.

He dared to slow his eyes at her attire. Fashioning a red dress, buttoned in gold on the left side, was binded at her waist with a lavender sarashi. He took that detail in, the little feature reminding him of her exposed curves in her former birthday pictures given to him. Rounded, perfectly rounded.

The purple sports tape was better presented than his own. Her delicate nature still a big part of her personality. He was happy to know she had completely changed since their last encounter.

Her greeting refused to come out in words. Still dazed, she managed to stare blankly at him, taking in every small detail of him as though it would be her last time to see him.

"You've changed your hairstyle..." He pointed out.

"Huh?" She brought herself back to reality, moderately lethargic from her lovestruck condition. Her hair? Ah, that was right. He hadn't seen the new change. "Oh, uh, yeah. I, um... fancied a change."

His curiosity to her hair had caught her unguarded. Countless times she had envisioned his return; their first meeting. How he would pull her into his arms, dip her back and they'd share a kiss existing on inflamed emotions.

Rather than her ridiculous blundering and his strictly platonic approach.

Was she missing something?

Smiling back at her, Sonic gave her a thumbs up. "It suits ya." He complimented her, flashing a fleeting wink. With their pleasantries out of the way, Sonic span on his heel and walked back to the kitchen, leaving her astonished and deeply perplexed.

What had happened to him? To them?

Her eyes, starved of blinking, poured out her tears. They fell over her jittering lips and blended into her pink fur around her neck, darkening the areas she longed for him to remove the pain with his delicate kisses.

...

That was her brother.

He was treating her as his sister. She should've been happy. Happy that he had accepted her truth in the letter she had sent. Happy that they had both moved on from their childish fantasies...

So why was her heart riving all over again?

Forcefully wiping the tears from her eyes, the pink girl darted up the steps and into her bedroom, slamming the door harshly behind her.

The slam grabbed the attention of her family. From the kitchen and living room, they looked up towards the ceiling, jumped by the teenager's sudden mood swing.

"Wha'cha say this time?" Sonia raised an eyebrow to her brother. "You know her banter with you isn't as brutal as ours."

Sonic shrugged, smiling sheepishly. "I said her hairstyle suited her."

"You're a monster." Manic teased.

"That's all you said?" Jules asked, partially astounded by his daughter's sudden temper. He held his gaze at the blue teen in the kitchen. Was her reaction something to do with their relationship?

Noticing the man's gaze, a pang of nerves struck his heart. Nevertheless, his features never showed his emotions. He grinned mischievously, shortly chuckling in the same manner. "I might've said she looked like one of those possessed dolls in horror movies..."

"Sonic!" Sonia gasped, she and Manic unintentionally laughing to the insult.

"Oh, c'mon. I can't be the only one who thinks that?" He laughed with his siblings, his mother's disappointed face only adding to his laughter.

"Sonic. You better apologise when she eventually gets over it." His mother scolded him.

"Pfft, you mean if she gets over it. You think I'm petty? One time, she didn't speak to me for three weeks! All because I spilt my drink on some letter she was writing." Sonia scoffed at her sister's ability to hold grudges.

Sonic smiled awkwardly. One of the particular letters for him, no doubt. "She's fine. I'll tell her I'm sorry when dinner's ready." He turned to his mother and picked up a cooking apple. "So, what was it we're making again? Apple pie?"

Smiling back at her son, Aleena lightly stroked his cheek before taking the apple from his hand. "Yes, dear."

The blue hedgehog made himself busy, successfully losing the suspicion of his father.

And distracted himself from the captured beauty of his lover.

---

The beating water against her bare form soothed gently with it's mellow hushing. Subtle enough to provide her comfort, loud enough to drown her sobs.

This confusion was an eternal torment. If she wasn't confused by her own emotions towards the blue hero before, she definitely was now.

She was astonished by her inability to keep her calm around him. As though she hadn't spent weeks convincing herself of what was right and what was wrong. As if she hadn't spoken to herself through her reflection, telling herself exactly what she had to do when she eventually met her brother again.

On sight, she immediately fell back into her ways; compelled by her infatuation with the boy who she was forced to call her brother.

No... Forced was not the right term. He was her brother... is her brother. That fact couldn't be changed. Her emotions couldn't change that fact.

But she could change herself to stop feeling for her brother, right?

Seven years of change didn't seem to make that solution possible.

Change came to Sonic rather than her.

... Or had it?

He winked at her. A cheeky, one-eyed gesture. Did that mean anything? A signal of some kind? What if his introduction had been a cover up in front of their family?

And what was with the name change? Rose? He had never called her by her real name before. He had said it soft enough to be unnoticed by their dad.

Why?

Were these all signs to his unchanging heart? Was he still holding onto her?

Or perhaps she was grasping onto the past. Clinging to her wants rather than her needs. Sonic had moved on from his childhood endeavours. It was about time she did the same.

Sighing to herself, she turned off the shower and stepped out onto the small, round, beige rug decorating the tiled bathroom floor. Feet adequately dried, she placed them into her purple fluffy slippers and yanked her matching purple towel in a fractious manner from the towel rack, wrapping her body in the warmed fabric.

The door swung open, releasing the built up stream, the heat grabbed the attention of the blue hedgehog who had been standing outside the bathroom, waiting patiently for her to exit.

"You got your own personal sauna in there?"

Completely unsuspecting of his presence, the girl gasped, jumping backwards instinctively. Her footing had not prepared for her movement, resulting in her slipping out of one of her slippers. She fell backwards, her body never making it to the ground.

"Whoa." Sonic dashed forward and grabbed her waist with one arm. He secured her safely in his arm, holding her in the slanted position. "It's hard to believe you used to be a ballerina with all this falling you're doing." He smirked.

"S-Sonic..." Amy breathed out, instantly falling back to her daze. A rose hue painted her cheeks, deepening to see his eyes glance downward in a sweeping motion.

Pulling the girl back onto her feet, Sonic smiled and stepped aside, allowing her to walk passed him to head to her bedroom, gesturing politely to her bedroom door.

As before, she tried to bring herself out of her stupor, her bottom lip quivering in her attempts. A shuttering breath was the only sound she could muster.

Earning an equally soundless chuckle from the thief to her heart.

She caught his eyes wandering once more, giving little effort to be furtive with his eyeballing. His gaze had forced her to look down at herself. To her horror, her stumbling had loosened her covering, exposing her pelvis ever so slightly. Clearing her throat, Amy gripped onto the joining of her towel and briskly walked passed him.

His eyes still lingered on her. She could feel the two emeralds glistening onto her partial exposure... She liked it. Even with logic bellowing into her mind to stop providing him with a spectacle, his desire for her made her slow down her movements and look back at him over her shoulder.

Yep. Still staring. No shame in his actions.

... So his feelings did remain?

Smiling bashfully at the blue hedgehog, Amy continued her walk back to her bedroom, looking back at him once more before closing the door. Placing herself against the back of her door, she giggled with gratification. That had to have been a sign. He still loved her.

...

But he was her brother...

No, is her brother.

Why was she endorsing his behaviour? She had made it very clear in her letter that she was over their childhood antics. It was time to be responsible and stop this nonsense.

Besides, after the rumours going around HQ between Sonic and Sally, she couldn't allow herself to get sucked in again, only to find out he was caught up in some entanglement with her, she would be left to pick up the pieces to her broken heart with no support to get through it.

Repeating her seven year long history all over again.

But that wasn't going to happen anyway. Because Sonic was her brother and normal people did not fall for their brothers.

Pulling herself off the door, Amy walked over to her drawer of clothes, preparing to fulfill her usual routine of dressing comfortably when in the house; oversized t-shirt and shorts, possible knee-high socks to combat the coldness.

Taking out a red and white t-shirt and red shorts, the teen looked at herself in the full length mirror. She groaned. This was the first time she had seen Sonic in seven years... she couldn't possibly allow him to see her dressed like a slob.

This called for a more... extravagant outfit.

For special occasion purposes.

She quickly placed her pyjamas back in the drawer and rushed over to her wardrobe, scanning her outfits for the best set of clothing. Her eyes soon fell on her red halter neck top with a white skater skirt hung up beneath. The perfectly casual outfit with a mature flare.

As she pulled out the outfit and placed it over her body, in front of the mirror, she grinned at the thought of the spinning head of the blue hedgehog.

... Just to see his face. Nothing more.

Discarding her towel onto her bed, Amy got to work on her appearance, the determination to see his face motivating her through her efforts.

And provide him with the beauty of the girl he left behind.

---

The assortment of dishes were spread across the table. The main dish replacing the floral centerpiece that originally decorated the family eating area. A bowl of salad, another for homemade, garlic roast potatoes and a plate of bread sat either side of Aleena's meal to Sonic and her family. A meal made out of love and lost time.

"Come sit, everyone. Don't want it getting cold." Aleena cheerfully called her family to the meal. Sat either end of the table were the parents. Besides Jules, sat Manic and Chuck on either side. Sonia took her seat next to her uncle, leaving Sonic to sit beside his mother. She patted his hand gently as he sat, oblivious to his faint wince at her touch to his burns.

"This looks delicious, Aleena." Chuck complimented his sister in law. "What's in it?" He examined the main dish with hungry eyes.

"It's creamy, chilli mac and cheese. Sonic's favourite. He would always ask for this when he was little." Aleena smiled proudly at her eldest child, lifting the spatula to cut into the oozing topping of cheese.

"I thought your favourite meal was a chilli dog?" Jules turned his head to Sonic, leaving him partially flustered.

The hero looked up to his mother as she stood over him, bearing down a look of surprise. He smiled bashfully. "Uh, well it is... But I still love mum's mac and cheese." He attempted to reassure his mother with childhood memories. "I used to run down everyday when you started making dinner just to ask if you were making it."

Giggling to the days of old, the purple hedgehog began to cut the meal into portions. "I remember it all too well." She sighed, remembering the long period of time she'd taken to make the meal again after his absence. The dish had lost it's renown once he was gone.

The meal was happily served amongst the family members at the table, each plate being filled with the side dishes to choose from. Two plates beside Manic momentarily remained empty. The plate closest to Manic receiving a serving of chili mac and cheese for the missing family member.

"Sonia, be a dear and let Amy know her meal is ready--"

"AMY! GET DOWN HERE NOW!"

Slowly turning to her daughter, Aleena frowned at the girl, her eyes scornfully squinting. "I meant you should go and get her..."

"She responds faster to yelling. Especially when there's an insult added in. Watch." Turning back towards the hall, Sonia called out to Amy once more. "AMY. WE DON'T WANT TO WAIT FOR THE OUTCAST!"

"Do you always have to prove that the only way you remain significant in this family is to shout?" Amy glared at her sister as she walked through the living room, into the kitchen. She took her seat next to Manic, paying no mind to the people around her.

Including the puzzled stare from her father and the vexed leering from her sister. "Why are you dressed up?" Sonia furrowed her brows in curiosity.

Shining back a quizzical look, Amy acted oblivious to her efforts. "I'm not..."

"Uh, yeah you are. As part owner to our bedroom, I know for a fact that you're usual attire of oversized tees and shorts have been replaced." The girl leaned forward slightly, taking notice of her sister's red earrings. "... Are you wearing my earrings?"

"These are my earrings that I've taken back from you." Amy smugly smiled.

"And you've taken my necklace?"

"As interest for keeping my earrings for so long."

Flabbergasted and displeased, Sonia looked to her mother. "Mum!" She groaned, expecting her mother to jump in and defend her.

Stepping in to settle the girls, Jules looked back and forth at both of them. "Girls, please. Your mother's gone to great lengths to make this meal for us. Be civil." He turned his head to Amy. "Honey, please give back the necklace. While you're at it, go and put a jumper on or something."

Amy stared down at her attire, feeling humiliated for her choice of clothing. The red halter neck with a deep V-shaped neckline hugged to her body snugly. Her white skirt, pleated and flared, exposed her long legs. Such a body hugging, pelt exposing outfit was not approved by her father.

She looked up at the blue teenager, desiring to see his approval and acceptance of her clothing.

His reaction was opposite. Indifferent and aloof, he looked over to her, showing his lack of interest; lips turned into a frown, eyes barely open enough to focus. He leaned back in his chair and fiddled with his communicator, ignorant to the scene happening around him.

To see his reaction only made her feel more foolish. This look had been for him. For his approval. His discernment left her questioning what she had seen outside the bathroom. Had he really checked her out? Had she imagined it all?

Turning back to her dad, she witnessed his eyebrows raise, awaiting for her to comply. With nobody speaking up to defend her, the pink hedgehog scoffed. She removed the necklace and threw it onto the table before storming out of the kitchen. Her footsteps vibrated the stairs in her rage towards her bedroom.

"No stomping!" Jules shouted to the teen. He turned his attention to his unimpressed brother, seeing him shaking his head. "What?"

"I get that it's winter, but it's not exactly cold in here." Chuck stated.

Realising Chuck's indirect insult to his parenting, Jules glowering at the man beside him. "She's a fifteen year old girl. She shouldn't be dressed like prowler on the street."

Sonia leaned back in her chair, bewildered by her dad's obscene description of Amy's attire. She turned to her mother, expecting her to object to his comment. Much like Sonic, Aleena turned her head. A questionable reaction from her.

"Wow... Okay..." Chuck breathed out. Hoping to keep the atmosphere a good one, he looked to Sonic and smiled. "So, Sonic. You got any stories to share with us? Being the Hero of Eurish must have some great tales."

With a grin, Sonic looked to his uncle. "There's quite a few. It ain't easy to find a dull moment with that bald head flying around."

"Oh, tell them about the time he released that Octopus Bot on you." Jules said excitedly.

"You mean that lousy Octobot with the mechanical tentacles?" Sonic chuckled. "That was the quickest battle on record!"

"Not to mention the coolest! Robotnik was all like 'You'll never get pass my Octobot!'. Then Sonic just swoops in, spin dashed all over the place to confuse the fifteen metre tin can. Then Sonic jumped on the Octobot's head and made it's tentacle slam into it's wiring. It explodes. BOOM! And the day is saved."

Sonic's grin wobbled in his surprise. His father had spoken so passionately about his work, moreso than he had ever expressed to him. It was a shock to see him talk of him so proudly to others. A refreshing kind of surprise.

"I remember that battle..." Manic commented, grating his fork against his plate. "That was during the summer when Tails and I perfected our war machine... We used it to finish off the rest of Robotnik's goons."

"Ah, yeah. What's the name again?" Jules pondered. "It's on the tip of my tongue..."

"... The Stormer?" Manic answered for him, becoming increasingly impassive towards his dad's precarious memory.

"That was it! Heh, you'd think I'd remember the name what with driving it around so often." He laughed.

"Yeah... You'd think." He slouched in his chair and dug deeper into the plate with his cutlery. One of his greatest achievements had been that war machine. At the age of fourteen, he had created a new alloy material to combat Robotnik's army, he had created advanced artillery and armour for the military. Most importantly, invented one of the ultimate military vehicles to take down Robotnik without the help of special talents and the power of Chaos.

And that could never compare to his brother smashing a few robots by slamming his body against them.

"Easy with the fork there, Manic. Plates aren't free, y'know?" His father lectured him, subsequently increasing his irritation.

Falsifying his alarm on his communicator, Manic looked down at the device and quickly made his getaway. "I gotta go to training. " He lied, getting up from his seat.

"Right now?" Aleena gasped in horror. "B-but your father and brother are back for the first time in seven years! Can't you miss it for one day?"

"I checked your schedule." Jules said, looking up at his son. "Your training isn't for another two days."

"It changed." He answered back abruptly. Placing his hands in his pockets, he headed towards the living room to get to the hallway.

"I bet he's going to meet one of his girlfriends." Sonia whispered to Sonic.

"How many are we talking?" Sonic's brief astonishment shortly changed to amusement.

"Good question." Sonia pretended to be confused before calling to Manic. "Hey, Man? Which girl is it this time? Morganna? Staci? Or Kelsey?" She turned back to Sonic with a smirk. "He likes Kelsey a lot. I think she must be his favourite."

"Nunya!" They heard Manic say from the hallway.

"Huh? Nunya?" Sonia raised an eyebrow and turned towards the kitchen door leading to the hallway. She saw her brother standing there, looking embarrassed and hot-tempered.

"Yeah. Short for none of ya business." He said. Power walking to the door, the green hedgehog paid no mind to his sister coming down the stairs and made his way out of the house, slamming the front door behind him.

Rolling her eyes to her brother's typical behaviour, Amy entered the kitchen again with a red jacket covering her upper body.

Jules nodded approvingly. "That's better, sweetie." He said, earning a false smile from his youngest child.

"Speaking of girls by the way... What's this rumour going round about you and Sally?" Sonia grinned, leaning close to the blue hedgehog in order to catch him off guard. Her question had successfully left him blushing, his eyes widening.

It had also captured Amy attention. She sat back in her seat, her eyes remaining low, her ears high.

The uncomfortable boy attempted to avoid eye contact from his mother and Amy. "It was nothing!" He proclaimed, his eyes momentarily looking over to Amy, guilt consuming them. "Nothing happened between us."

"Nothing serious anyway." Jules butted in, not looking up from his meal.

"We really don't need to be talking about Sonic's personal life..." Aleena insisted, reassuring her son with her hand placed upon his. Shuddering lightly to the searing pain, Sonic forced a smile back at her.

His golden eyes peered over to his youngest daughter. Suspicion of her emotions towards his son had left him surveying both his children's behaviour throughout the day. With Amy's stumbling and showy dressing, he dreaded the worse from her.

To ensure no more emotions lay for her brother, he would shut the possibility down. Keeping his head down and indulging in his meal, he explained the situation, ensuring his daughter was listening.

"Nah, it's alright. It's an indecent rumour that needs to be put to an end. Sonic and I have spoken about it, and we've agreed to not let it damage his reputation as the Hero of Eurish."

The spines of the hero gradually raised to accompany his anxiety. Whatever his dad was planning to say could damage his attempts to reconcile with the pink hedgehog sat across the table from him. Bringing his eyes to look at the girl, he noticed her sour lips thinning in her jealousy, nose wrinkled with disdain. Her letter regarding her feelings towards was proving to be fraudulent from her envy.

Depending on his dad's story, it could certainly change her emotions, for the worst, in a heartbeat.

"To answer your question, Sonia. He is in a relationship with Sally. It was a bit of a shock to witness their romance form, but Sally is a nice girl. She's smart, sensible and has an attitude to keep Sonic grounded. I think she'll be ideal as the woman behind the hero."

She could feel the struggle her eyes were enduring to hold back her tears. The rumours she had heard from the other heroes were true. His reasons for not replying back to her all those times was because he was involved with Sally. He should've known he wouldn't have waited long before he found someone else to entertain him.

She clicked her tongue, scornful eyes eying him up. Her piercing eyes weakened his act. Hopelessly guilty emeralds flashed back at her, powerless before their family to correct his father's lies. Conquered, the blue teen slumped against his chair, for a moment, allowing his emotions to show.

"Aw. Congrats, Sonic." Sonia cooed, pulling her brother into a hug. "You two are so cute together!"

"Uh... Thanks..." He smiled through his turmoil.

"As long as you know how to treat a woman, unlike your brother, I'm happy for you, dear." Aleena smiled at the hero.

"I hope she makes you happy." Amy said, smiling aggressively back at her brother.

"What's got you so aggressive?" Sonia scoffed at her sister before reassuring her brother. "Ignore her. She's jealous that she has nobody."

"Hm. That's what you think." Amy muttered before drinking from her glass.

Letting out an exaggerated gasp, Sonia leaned over the table. "What?! You're seeing someone?! And you didn't tell me?!"

"Oh-ho. This dinner is just getting more interesting." Chuck laughed.

Standing up from her seat, Amy placed her hands on her hips, arrogantly standing before her siblings. "I think you're already acquainted with a certain mysterious hedgehog. Fur as dark as the night. I'll leave you to guess..." She said before leaving the dinner table.

"... Isn't Shadow a little old for her? I'm pretty sure that's illegal?" Sonia spoke quietly to her brother.

Hiding his contempt, Sonic shrugged and pretended to be clueless. "I think so."

"Wait, Shadow? As in that agent?" Aleena said, horrified. She turned to her husband, her mouth left agape. "He's way too old for her!"

"I'll look into it, sweetness." Jules hushed his wife. "I'm sure Shadow would know better than to actually form a relationship with her. He's a good guy."

"Aaaand what about Knuckles?" Sonia asked, hoping for a positive response. "He's a good guy too, right?"

"Depends on what answer you're looking for. Is he a good guy in terms of overall personality? Sure. Is he boyfriend material? Nah. The history he carries with Rouge is far too much baggage to take on."

"... Rouge...? As in Rouge the bat?" She asked, her body stiffening. She blinked her dad, her anger igniting to his casual head nod.

"Yeah? Why?"

"Hah..." She laughed passive aggressively. "Excuse me, please. I gotta make a call." She said before getting up from the table and storming out of the kitchen.

"Does anyone else wanna just leave the table?" Aleena asked rhetorically, her annoyance sounding in her voice. "I'm sorry this is how your siblings treat your coming home meal, honey." She apologised to her son.

Sonic smiled reassuringly back to his mother. "It's no big deal."

"That's what happens when we have four hormonal teenagers in the house." Jules said. The sound of his phone alerted the officer, causing him to quickly get out of his seat and answer the call in his living room. "General speaking."

"Jules." McGrath addressed the man by his first name. "I understand it's your first day home, but we would appreciate if you could attend the meeting regarding the Heroes' Cut."

"When is it?"

"In an hour."

"Wha--?" He hollered, his paranoia being fuelled. If he had to step out, he wouldn't be able to keep his eyes on his two children. "Am I required in this meeting?"

"It turns out the Chancellor will be attending the Heroes' Cut in a few weeks. We need you here to discuss the presentation of heroes."

His nostrils flared with frustration, his spines sharpening on end. Powerless to deny such an opportunity left him unable to keep an eye on his children. With him out of the house, who was to ensure their potential deploraties wouldn't continue behind his back?

Turning back to look at his wife in the kitchen, his eyebrows raised at the opportunity. Only she knew of the anxiety inducing stress that was their children's relationship. To ensure their children didn't turn back to their old ways, he would place his faith into his wife. Just like he used to.

"I'll be there." He told the colonel before ending the call. With a sigh, the man walked into the kitchen and towards his wife, taking her hand in his. "Come with me."

Curious to his deflated mood, Aleena followed her husband into the living room, both coming to a stand still beside the coffee table. "What is it, Jule?"

"I've been called into a meeting."

"Right now? On your first day back?" Aleena questioned, dumbstruck.

"I know. Believe me, I'm not happy about it either." He told her. Looking back to his son for a moment, he leaned forward and spoke quietly. "I need you to keep an eye on Sonic and Amy."

Aleena stepped back, stupified by his request. "W-what? Why? H-hang on, you told us Sonic was dating this Sally girl... Are you telling me they're still not over their... thing? After everything we've sacrifice?!"

"Sweetness, sweetness, calm yourself." Jules soothed his wife's fears. "Sonic's completely over all that... It's Amy I'm worried about. She's been acting weird all day. The stumbling, the dressing up, the passive aggressive response to hear about Sally?"

Still in denial about the signs, Aleena excused the behaviour. "It's probably just strange for her to have you and Sonic back after so long... But if it calms your paranoia, I'll keep an eye on them."

"Thank you." He expressed his gratitude with a delicate kiss upon her lips. Enthralled by the sensation of her sweet kiss, he brought his hands to her face and sealed their lips once more.

"Twenty nine years of watching you two all over each other and I still cringe at the sight." Chuck commented, pretending to hurl at their intimacy.

Breaking the affection with doting wife, Jules wrapped his arm around her waist and walked back with her into the kitchen. "Why have you been watching us all this time, you creep. Get a hobby."

"Get some self control." His brother retaliated.

"Get out of my house!"

Chuck's mouth dropped open, stunned by his brother's audacity. "Whoa. Sorry, I didn't mean to upset you, brother."

"You didn't." Jules chuckled. "I gotta go to Central City HQ for a meeting so I'm politely kicking you out."

"Could've fooled me..." Chuck scoffed. "And before I can get a slice of apple pie?"

"You can take a slice with you. I'll even give you a lift back to your house."

His offer caused him to squint his eyes at his younger brother. "You're such a saint." He said sarcastically, shaking his head to his brother's laughter. Rolling his eyes, he turned to Sonic and smiled. "I guess that's all the time I have with you today, Sonic." He told the boy, raising from his seat. "It's been good to see you around here."

"Same to you too, Chuck." Sonic smiled, getting up to hug the man.

"And don't forget to introduce us to this girlfriend of yours." Chuck smirked at the boy upon breaking the hug.

Evading the sensation of awkwardness overcoming him, the hero nodded back at his uncle, choosing to speak no words on the matter.

With a nod, the uncle took his slice of pie from the purple hedgehog and said his good-byes to the scattered family members. As his uncle and father left, the blue hedgehog found his way to the living room and took a seat on the sofa, contemplating his options on how to win Amy back. Thanks to his father's lies, his task had become more difficult.

But there was still hope. His hot and cold approach had successfully identified her true emotions. Her talk of moving on and seeing him as nothing more than a brother was no more than her anger and struggle during their time apart. Passed her turmoil, she was just like him; deeply affected by the emotions of love for the wrong person.

He just had to get her alone to talk to her about their misunderstandings.

"Sonic?" Aleena smiled to her son as she walked back into the living room. She took a seat beside him and relaxed against the cushions. "Isn't it strange to sit next to each other after all those times we spent behind screens? I almost don't believe this is reality."

"Heh..." Sonic breathed out sheepishly, not knowing what to say. "Yeah... It's kinda surreal."

Her hand rested on his, a gentle squeeze to his injured hand to provide comfort, only to provide him pain. "I hope the decision we made when you were a child hasn't caused any resentment. We were only trying to do what was best for you, dear. I fear now, it might've been the wrong choice." She told him solemnly, looking down as she spoke.

His resentment never fell onto his mother. His father however? He held it all. The decision to send him away, he could forgive. Ultimately, their plan had backfired, resulting in his possible phase becoming a permanent affair. What he couldn't forgive was the years of abuse he received from the man he had once cherished.

Such calamities done against him forever darkened his heart and his view of his dad.

Shaking his head, Sonic placed his other hand on top of hers. "You didn't make the wrong decision. If I didn't go to Mercia, I wouldn't have met Sally. I learnt a lot while I was there and it's put a lot of things into perspective. I'm happy that I got to experience everything I have." He lied once again, his façade perfected.

His mother was overjoyed by his false claims. Smiling brightly through her teary eyes, she pulled her son into a tight hug, paying little mind to his restricted breath. "Oh my little baby blue..."

Another sheepish smile laced his face as he patted her lightly on the back. He remained there; uncomfortably slouched in her arms until he was saved by a beeping tune coming from her pocket.

"Excuse me." She politely said to her son, pulling away from him and checking her beeper from work. Scanning through the message, the purple hedgehog groaned out her frustration and hopped off the sofa. "I'm needed at the hospital. You gonna be okay he--"

The realisation stopped her in her sentence. She was unable to watch over the pair if she had to step out.

But she couldn't see why they couldn't be trusted after all this time. Sonic had moved on, Amy was potentially in yet another concerning relationship and as stated by her husband, Sonic was completely over his childhood antics. Whether Amy was acting up or not, her son would handle it appropriately.

"Here... ?" She finished her sentence.

"Yeah, no problem. I'm gonna head out for a run. My legs need a good stretch." Another lie was given to reassure her. He opted for a brief run. To show her his departure and then make his way back once she was out of range.

Awaiting for his mother to get ready, he left alongside her and waited for her to get the car started. As she drove off the driveway, he shot off down the road, his speed leaving his mother in awe. Overcoming her amazement, she drove herself to work, providing Sonic the perfect opportunity to talk with Amy one on one.

At long last.

---

A loud conversation could be heard from upstairs upon opening the front door. Loud enough to cause concern. Looking up towards the source of the ruckus, he breathed out an exasperated sigh. Poor Knuckles, while his fling with Rouge had been a completely separate time to when he was introduced to Sonia, his silence on the matter had resulted in an enraged Sonia.

He was grateful he wasn't on the receiving end of that argument.

However his conversation with Amy wasn't likely to start off pleasantly. Even still, he had longed for this moment for too long to avoid it.

The blue hedgehog dashed up the stairs, stopping on the landing and looking towards Sonia and Amy's room. The likelihood of Amy being in there to listen to Sonia's heated discussion with Knuckles was low. The volume of his sister's voice was deafening from outside the house.

Turning back to his room, he nearly jumped to see her standing there, leaning against his door frame. She was mad, greatly so; furrowed brows and pouting lips.

Perhaps he was no better off than Knuckles.

The pink hedgehog slowly turned the doorknob and swung open the door, allowing herself in. She stood on the opposite side of the door, awaiting for him to enter. While maintaining eye contact, he walked into the room, hearing the door click shut behind him.

There was a brief silence. One thick with tension. He turned to her, seeing her resting her back against the door, eyes to the floor. She was collecting her argument, channeling her emotions.

Chaos...

"Uh, you all good, Rose?" He questioned. She seemed to not appreciate the question or possibly the choice of name to address her. Her channeling interrupted, she marched towards him and pulled on his neckerchief, pulling him down to her height and scowling at eye level.

"What's your deal?" She asked, her question slipped through the small gaps of her teeth in an aggressive tone. "You're gone for seven years and all you had to say was 'nice hair'?!"

"What did you expect me to do? Kiss you in front of everyone?"

His retaliation made her realise her own falter. Letting go of his neckerchief, she stepped away from him and crossed her arms, looking down at her feet. "No, 'course not..." She blushed.

He watched her sulk in front of him, The immature pout on her gloss painted lips and her dark lashes covering her closed eyes. Even when she was moody, her beauty captivated him. He chuckled softly, smiling adoringly to her sullen behaviour.

His laughter made her look back at him. Her hands moving to her hips, she huffed at him. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing" He chuckled. "It's just good to see you again. I've missed this. Me and you."

"Yeah, you must've missed me oh so much... That's why you didn't think to write to me. To contact me at all... I guess Sally's been quite the distraction." She spat bitterly.

Sonic groaned and ran his hand down his face, confounded by her inability to detect the obvious. "I'm not dating Sally. I never have."

One eye looked in his direction, inquisitive of his claim. "What? But dad said--"

Again, he groaned. "No offense, I thought you would've caught on by now."

"How am I supposed to grasp any signs or signals when you've left me clueless for years!" Amy snapped at the hero.

"You say that as if I had a choice!" He argued back at her. His retaliation silenced her, allowing him to explain himself. "You have no idea how much I've wanted to let you know how I felt. I checked everyday for your letters. They were the only thing that kept me going."

"But what about the rumours about you and Sally? You're telling me it's all lies?" Amy interrupted him.

He hesitated with his answer, the guilt coming back to him as it did that night. "I kissed her. Nothing more."

Amy scoffed and turned away from him, hiding her pain. "Yeah, well, it's not my concern whether you choose to pursue her or not. She's beautiful, intelligent, an ideal woman behind the hero, just like Dad said."

With a sigh, Sonic walked towards the pink hedgehog and grasped her hand, pulling her into his arms. His hands settled on her waist. The minor touch causing her to let out a quivering breath. "She is all those things, but she's not who I want." He leaned in close, hearing her let out a quiet squeal at his actions. "She's not you."

She made the mistake of looking into his eyes. Unlike the rest of him, the truth in his glistening eyes had not changed. The softness they held only for her, the dilation expressing his ardent endearment for her.

Her eyes reflected his stare, softening with submission.

But this was her brother. She couldn't, they couldn't do this.

"N-no." She said, wriggling out of his grasp. She covered her eyes and shook her head shamefully. "This isn't right."

Her resistance had surprised him slightly. Even though he had known about her letter and her struggle, he was convinced it had been out of irrational thinking, out of anger. She truly saw him as a brother? Or was it the guilt he too knew too well. "What makes you think that?"

She span back around, giving him a perplexed expression. "What do you think?! You're my brother!"

"I'm not." He rejected her opinion, outright refusing to acknowledge it as a fact.

"Yes you are! You are my brother and I am your sister!"

"You are not my family!" He protested. "You have never been my family!"

Guilt found its way back to him at the sight of her tears glazing her eyes. They rolled down her cheeks and then to the ground, splashing against the wooden floor. He could see her wobbling lips, how she bit them to prevent any stray sobs.

Without warning, she turned towards the door. His arm rose in front of him, attempting to stop her, but she had been the one to stop herself. With her hand on the doorknob, she turned back to him, ignorant to her own tears continuing to fall. "Why do you call me Rose?"

"That's your name..." He gave her a straightforward answer with a shrug.

She shook her head violently in response, her breathing becoming heavy with her overpowering emotions. "No. No, you know that's not my name. Amy is my name!"

"That was the name given to you by my parents."

"They're my parents too!"

"Adoptive parents. They're not biologically your parents. Just like you're not my biological sister."

"This has nothing to do with blood! The point is, I got accepted into this family, which makes you my family. Which also makes me and you impossible!"

"And what if you were adopted by, I don't know, our neighbours? Say you were given to them to raise, would our relationship be considered wrong then?"

She frowned at him, knowing what he was getting at and knowing the answer to his theory. "No..." She mumbled.

Stepping in front of her again, he stared down at her sternly, exposing her vulnerability with his logic. "All that's stopping us is that piece of paper. If you were raised by anyone else in this world, we would be together."

"But that's not our reality, Sonic. Your parents adopted me, making me your sister. That's our reality."

"And you believe that wholeheartedly?" He asked, maintaining his stern look.

Her lips quivered, stunting her breath. "Y-yeah..."

"Then why have you been wanting me as much as I've been wanting you?"

"Excuse me?" She gasped. "Don't stand there and try and tell me how I feel."

"I will, because I know what you're feeling."

"You have no idea--"

"I do!" He cried, gripping her hand desperately. "I know how it feels to yearn for someone so much, that your heart aches for them. To feel like you're fighting against the world because they will never understand how you feel and why you feel that way. How you live in constant fear and shame for the way you feel, even though you have no control over it."

His words spoke to her, connected to her own heart and alleviated the pain. The throbbing pain that had consumed her soothed at the relief of hearing her thoughts being sounded by his voice.

Placing her other hand on top of his, she listened intently, her eyes never leaving his.

"I know you've been lonely. I get that my distance kept you in the dark. But I know that behind the shame you carry, you love me. Just like I love you." He rested his head against hers, tempting her with his lips lingering over her own parting pair. A light brush of their noses left her powerless to the trembling breathe that expelled her pleasure. Her heart pounded achingly with yearning. It was her mind holding her back.

"Sonic... We can't do this."

"But you want to." He whispered, gradually breaking her defence.

"We can't..." She repeated herself, her words were aimed at herself more than him.

"Why?" Sonic asked, his frustration sounding in his tone. "One minute you're wanting me to be all over you. The next, you're telling me I'm your brother. Which is it? What do you want?!" He released her hands in his annoyance, running his own through his quills.

"I want you to tell me that I'm wrong. That this is not right. Because it isn't, is it? I'm not supposed to be-- I'm not supposed to love you. Not when you're my... Brother."

"No." He said abruptly. "No, that's just the guilt talking. We're finally together, Ames. Don't let the guilt stop us from being happy." Pleaded the blue hedgehog, clasping both of her hands.

Her eyes met with own, seeing the desperation agonising him. His pain wiped away her defences at first glance, leaving her vulnerable to any advances. "Sonic... why... or how, are you willing to give up everything to be with me? You're willing to have the whole world against you, just to be with me... Why?"

Her vulnerability reflected onto him, allowing him to show her the extremes he would go through to be with her. He lifted his hand and removed his glove, showing her his blackened skins and burns.

Amy gasped loudly, covering her mouth with both hands. The sight was just a glimpse into the horrors he had lived. One of many terrors that held too much affliction to comprehend.

"What happened to you?" She cried.

"Dad..." He muttered, looking down towards the floor. "He'd do anything to stop me from loving you. This just happens to be one of the punishments..."

Her eyes fixated on the afflicted hand, her eyes bestowing the evidence to her disbelief. She knew what her father was capable of. She knew from first hand how ruthless he could be when he was angry. Just how angry had he been when he gave this treatment to his own son?

What could have possibly gotten him so mad to inflict such torture?

"What did he do to you?" Amy cried.

He was reluctant to express his pain, feeling the anxiety return to him from the thought alone. A smaller hand comforted his own by resting on top of it. She beared a small smile, silently encouraging him to speak.

Smiling back solemnly, he told her of his pain. "He... found the letters you sent to me. As you can guess, he didn't take it well."

Her jade eyes filled with fear. "Y-you mean, he saw the pictures I sent you?" From the look on his face, she received her answer. "Oh god... Oh my god..." She gasped, covering her mouth. "So he knows about my feelings for you? Even now?"

Sonic shook his head. "He read your last letter to me. He was convinced enough that you were over me... But having found your pictures in my storage box, he was certain I wasn't over you. So he tested me."

"Tested you?" She repeated in her confusion. "I don't understand... Tested you, how?"

"A lie detector. Everytime I lied about my feelings for you, I'd get a shock to the hand. If I failed the test, he would... wash the taint off of me."

"Wash the taint..." She echoed, her mind spinning at the possibility. To wash instantly reminded her of water... Sonic's phobia. "Oh!" She cried, her eyes instantly releasing her tears. "Oh, Sonic. Did he... ? Did he play with your fears?"

Her lover blinked rapidly, expelling the tears away. His efforts were in vain. A single tears rolled down from his left eye, multiple shortly following. Giving into his emotions, he nodded back at her, letting out a wallowed breath.

"Sonic." She uttered, bringing him into a consoling embrace. She moved her hands to his face, wiping away his tears. "I'm so sorry."

"He did that everyday, for three months. If I hadn't leant to lie, I'd still be there now."

"... The training." She realised. "He kept you there until you passed that test?" Sonic nodded back at her, shamefully covering his hand again.

"I did what I had to do to get back to you. I went along with his plans, his punishments. I tried to move on with Sally to make him happy, but I couldn't do it. I just kept thinking about you and how I was betraying you..." Joining their hands once more, he leaned down and pressed his forehead against hers. "I'd do anything for you. To be with you. I'll continue the lie, if it means being happy, with you."

Foolish. Beyond foolish. The whole time she had thought he had given up on her and moved on, when in fact, he was the one who had been the most loyal in their relationship. He had risked his life for her, tolerated every obstacle to get back to her, endured indescribable crimes against him, just to be in her arms again.

His brief history with Sally could easily be seen as a minor indiscretion.

So he hadn't written to her in the last seven years. But he had been loyal and true to their love, no matter the penitence their love carried.

With a light sigh, Amy nuzzled her forehead against his, smiling bittersweet to their choice. Them against the world. Just as it had always been. "I love you."

The love words translated into her submission. Labels discarded, ideologies adopted. She had revoked her decision to move on and accepted the burdens of their relationship.

Reinstating their love.

His actions were swift in comparison to the sentimental talk. With her yielding, he disposed of any distance between their bodies with his hands on her waist. She provided certainty by wrapping her arms around his neck, pressing herself against him. A shared, fleeting smile conveyed their acceptance, soon concluding with the touch of their lips.

Morals and conditioning were disregarded by the amorous motion. Their haste and longing transpired, heavily breathing and uttered sounds of their satisfaction. All thoughts of consequence, of principles and virtue had been pushed aside for the need of carnal distinguishing.

Light fondling shifted to suggestive groping. Muttered sounds graduated into pleasure filled groans. Time advocated their passion, ascending to paramount levels; too great to sunder.

"Uh..." Came an astonished voice from the opposite side of the opened door. Gawping, wide and red eyed, the co-owner to the bedroom froze in his actions.

Reacting to the sound of his brother's voice, Sonic's one eye opened and shot towards the green hedgehog. His own eye widened to see him. Both emerald and gold glimmering in their shock.

Breaking away from the pink girl, the couple stared back to their brother, mortified by his discovery. "Manic..." Sonic breathed out, the humiliation and shame returning with his logic.

Gormless and befuddled, Manic slowly walked backwards, his hand slowly bringing the door with him. "Uhm... Carry on..." He said awkwardly before slamming the door.

"Wait here." Sonic told his lover, dashing out of the room and towards his scampering brother. He grabbed the teen and forced him into the bathroom, pinning him against the door, slamming it shut.

"What the actual fuck?!" Manic barked at him.

"Manic, it wasn't what it looked like--"

"Dude... the actual fuck!" He repeated, more brazen. "You... and Amy?!"

"Keep your voice down!" Sonic frantically demanded. "L-look, I know it looks bad, but please, don't tell Mum or Dad, Manic please!" He paused, sniffing the air around them. Smoke. Smoke and something distinct. "Is that-- Vofegon Root?" He stepped away from his brother, frowning with distaste. "Manic!"

"Really? I catch you with your tongue down our sister's throat and you're standing there and judging me for being high? After what I just saw, I'm gonna need another fix."

"... Good point..." Sonic blushed, crossing his arms and looking away shamefully.

"What's going on? Like, is this a one-time kinda thing? Because what I saw looked... intense." He said uncomfortably.

The discomfort resonated with the eldest child. "Amy and I..." He gulped, turning away from his brother. "We're together."

"What?" Manic gasped. "Wha-- S-since when?!" He covered his eyes with both hands, dragging down his fur and skin in his perplexity. "Uuugghhh, what the fuuuuck... ?"

"Just hear us out." Sonic pleaded, grovelling before his brother. "We'll tell you everything. Just please, don't tell anyone about this."

Manic stared at his older brother, rather calm despite his internal discombobulation. It had been a new perception to see his brother lacking his usual confidence and charm. By the flaring spines and shaking breath, his anxiety reigned.

This wasn't just a one time predicament.

Grabbing his brother by the shoulder, he offered a chance to explain. "I wanna know everything."

---

"Dude... This is messed up." Manic concluded.

Sat on his bed, the green hedgehog listened to the history behind the relationship between his siblings. The eye opening information enlightened many aspects of their childhood he had not figured out from his own perspective. Many he believed he should have figured out earlier. But the more important information he had gathered, was the reason behind their separation.

Perhaps he was still the favourite, but the discovery of Sonic's relationship with Amy had tarnished the idyllic image their father once held for the Hero of Eurish.

He watched as his siblings looked to the floor in their humiliation, unable to face him after what they had explained. Manic waved his hands, attempting to alleviate some of the tension. "I mean, no offense. But you guys have to admit this is pretty fucked."

"We know. Really, we know..." Sonic said dejectedly, still refusing to look his way.

"So Mum and Dad kinda know something's up?" Manic recapped the situation.

"Yeah. I overheard Dad asking Mum to watch over us." Sonic said. "Even though Mum has more faith in us, she's still cautious."

"Right... And you plan on continuing this... relationship?"

Gulping back his fear, Sonic took Amy's hand and stood up straight, holding his eye contact with his brother. "Manic, this isn't just some weird fetish we're fulfilling. I'm in love with her. I've tried to move on, but it didn't feel right. Not like it does when I'm with her." He said, looking adoringly to his lover. She smiled back at him, squeezing his hand gently.

"I'm sorry you had to find out this way, Manic." Amy said apologetically.

Running his hands through his messy quills, he sighed, exasperated. "Who else knows about this? Does Sonia know?" His siblings shook their heads back at him. "Well, now that I know, you're gonna have to tell her too."

"Wha--" Sonic shrieked.

"Dude. Sonia's gonna be petty as fuck if she finds out you told me before her. If you don't tell her at all, do you really wanna face those consequences when she does find out?"

Sonic sighed, exhausted from the hardship they had faced just to reveal their relationship to Manic. He wasn't sure he had the emotional strength to face the same anxiety again.

Although, at the same time, he knew his brother was right.

"Fine." Sonic groaned, looking to Amy. "The sooner she finds out, the less of an ordeal it'll be."

"What if she doesn't accept us? What if she tells Mum and Dad?" Amy questioned anxiously, her tears building up in her eyes.

"It'll be okay. Sonia's dramatic, but loyal. The least she'll do is hear us out." He assured her.

Nodding back at her beloved, she turned towards the door and followed Manic towards her room. They had barely passed the first wave that was Manic.

They could only pray the second wave would be as merciful.

---

Sat crossed legged in a strop, Sonia begrudgingly looked at the ground, her temper spiralling in all directions. After her thirty minute screaming session with her supposed boyfriend, she frustratedly sworn herself off all men. She didn't need a man when she had ice cream. Ice cream had never let her down.

Barging into the bedroom, the trio made their way around her bed. Sonic closed the door behind them, taking his position beside Amy. Though concerned of their circling, Sonia brushed off the awkwardness and looked to her sister.

"It's about time you showed up. Come, I wanna get ice cream. I've decided to become celibate, so celebrate with me." She said, hopping off her bed and walking to her wardrobe to grab her coat. "Eh, it's winter. I might get cookie dough instead. And a brownie... Screw it, let's just pig out."

"Sonia..." Amy said nervously.

"I swear to Chaos, you better not be on some kinda diet. They do have frozen yogurt but come on, that's not anywhere near as good as hot fudge brownies."

"Sonia!" Sonic grabbed the girl's attention.

Offended by her brother's raised voice, Sonia turned to the blue hedgehog and slammed her wardrobe door. "I've already cut off one guy from my life, don't make me do the same to you!"

"Before you cast Knuckles out your life, let me explain the situation between him and Rouge first... And before that, we, uh... have something to tell you."

"You're gonna order a hot fudge brownie for me?"

"No..." Sonic sighed. "Just listen!"

Amy stepped forward and took her sister's hands in hers. Confused, Sonia allowed the girl to sit her on her bed and watched as she sat beside her. "You know I've always been a little reluctant to talk about boys..."

"Yeah..." Sonia raised an eyebrow.

Letting out a shaky breath, Amy looked down at her lap nervously. "I, um... I've been holding out for someone."

"I know." Sonia said. The pink hedgehog raised her head to look at her, astonished to hear her answer. "You told me at the dinner table? You're dating Shadow." She held her hand up, preventing Amy from speaking. "It's okay. I know he's a little older, but he's cute, so I accept it."

"Sonia, no..." Amy shook her head. Another nerved breath escaped her. "I'm not dating Shadow."

"Oh..." She responded disappointedly. "Then who are you dating? Do I know him?"

"Oh, you know him alright." Manic said sarcastically.

Amy's eyes made their way down her lap, moving purposely slow across the floor and gradually moving up to face the blue boy. Her shaking limb reached up, waiting for him to take her hand. He took it delicately, helping her up and holding her hand close to his side.

For a moment, Sonia stared at their joined hands. Denial delayed her response. The evidence before her was too much to believe. "I don't... I don't quite understand. You're..." She swallowed. "No... No... NO!"

"Sonia." Sonic tried to soothe the fuchsia girl.

"No, no. What?! J-just no! What the fuck?!"

"I said the exact same thing." Manic commented.

Shaking her head violently, Sonia paced back and forth. "What are you two playing at?! You just suddenly forgotten that you're siblings; brother and sister?!"

"We're not blood related." Sonic reminded her.

"Oh, well that's alright then!" Sonia said sarcastically. "Do you even hear yourself? You're actually gonna stand there and tell me that your relationship is acceptable because you're not blood related siblings? She's still our sister!"

"If she was adopted by any other person, it would be normal! Just because she grew up alongside us, it's wrong?!"

Sonia scrunched her features at his logic. "What? No, you absolute moron! It's not the fact that she grew up with us, it's the fact that she's legally adopted into our family. From the very beginning, Amy's been our sister. I'm guessing this affair started you were both old enough to know you were siblings. You've completely disregarded that fact and started a relationship without concern for how it affects everyone else."

"We're in love, Sonia." Amy begged her sister to understand.

Her pleas were grotesquely rejected. "Don't say that..." She insisted, waving her finger at the pink hedgehog.

"But it's true!" She cried. "I've never seen him as my brother and he's never seen me as his sister. This has been going on for as long as I can remember. We even came out with it as children. That's why--"

"Aunt Vanilla's house." Sonia came to the realisation. "You two kissed each other during a game of Mums and Dads... Oh my god. Oh my god. That was why you were sent away! Mum and Dad know about this?" Sonic and Amy nodded back at her, only adding to her confusion. "But Dad said you were dating Sally."

"To throw Amy off, incase she still held her feelings for me after all this time." Sonic informed her.

The teen rubbed her temples, her head pounding from the groundbreaking discovery. "So now what? You're just gonna carry on behind their backs?"

With a stern expression, Sonic nodded. "Yes."

Stunned, Sonia stuttered. Her eyelids fluttering at his audacity. "I'm sorry... I don't think I can't take this. You can't be in a relationship with our sister. Mum and Dad can deal with this." She said, walking away from the three hedgehogs.

"Wait!" Sonic dashed in front of her, blocking her from exiting.

His sister scowled at him. "You might be faster than me, but I'm a hell of a lot stronger than you. Move out of the way before I prove it."

Her stubbornness was strong. Her insistence fierce. Words were a useless tool in their strive for understanding. He needed to show her how serious he was. How important this relationship was to him.

He slipped off his glove, showing her the injuries on his hand. Taken back by the appearance of his hand, Sonia gasped loudly, covering her mouth as she stepped back.

"Sonic..."

"I couldn't deal with being in Mercia for so long. Being away from everyone... I..." He acted through his lie, sprouting meaningless tears in his bid to win his sister over.

"Sonic... You did this to yourself?" She sobbed, her eyes blurring from her tears. He nodded back at her, refusing to look her way. According to his siblings, his dad was an innocent man. Far too benevolent to believe he would abuse his child. To keep their portrayal of their father clean, and to win their empathy, he would lie.

"Oh..." She sobbed, pulling her brother into a consoling hug. "I'm so sorry."

Puzzled by his lie, Amy stood back and watched him gain the empathy of Sonia and Manic. He looked her way for a second, quickly looking away to maintain his act.

"I know it's wrong to feel this way. We both do. But we never asked for it. No one would choose to fall in love somebody in their family... But I've tried to live without her, and I can't."

Looking back at her sister, Sonia contemplated her perspective. It was wrong, no doubt in that. But at the sake of her brother's livelihood, she could see passed morals.

"Are you sure about this?" His sister asked. "Both of you... It's not just a brother, Amy will lose. She'll lose her family. Mum and Dad are the only parents she has. If you accept each other as partners, you'll also be rejecting Mum and Dad as your parents, us as your siblings."

The triplets looked to the pink hedgehog, all anxious for her answer. Amy blinked, eyes bouncing between each hedgehog. That concept had not been considered despite the obvious. Without him, she had a family; a mother and father who cherished her, brothers and sister she had spent her whole life with.

But with him, she could see her past, her present and future. He was the keeper of her heart. Life without him had proven to be undeniably excruciating.

She had lived a life with him, and endured it without him. She knew which one she couldn't live again.

Walking towards the blue hero, Amy took his gloved hand in hers and rested her head against his shoulder. "I don't wanna lose either of you... But I love him with all my heart. I always have."

Watching the pair smile at one another, the fuchsia hedgehog found herself hopelessly smiling at them. Yes, she still found their union to be wrong and somewhat nauseating to look at, but they were happy. Genuinely happy. To keep him from his pain, she would accept their relationship and keep it from her parents.

"I'm not saying I'm totally alright with this... But I guess I can get used to you being my sister in law." Sonia smiled, pulling the pair into a group hug. "As long as you're both happy, your secret is safe with us."

Manic stood awkwardly outside the hug, crossing his arms. "I didn't say I agreed..."

Sonic's smile faded as he looked to his brother. After a moment of silence, he turned back to the girls. "Did you guys know Manic's smoking Vofegon Root?"

"Manic?!" His sisters shrieked at him.

"... Okay..." Manic frowned. "We find out Sonic and Amy are secretly dating, but me smoking is the main problem? What's with this family?"

Holding out his hand to his brother, Sonic offered him a deal. "Keep this to yourself and I'll keep your drug problem a secret."

"I don't have a drug problem, I use it to de-stress... But I'll take your deal, only if you don't tell Mum and Dad about it..."

"Dea--"

"And I'm allowed to bring Kelsey in our room..."

"Dude. I'm not gonna listen to y--"

"Aaaand you'll be my alibi when I'm out."

"... What happened to you, Man?"

"Do we have a deal?" Manic questioned, ignoring his brother's concern.

With a grin, he grabbed his brother's hand and shook it. Binding their promises through their contact.

"Great! Now we've discussed that mess, you can order my brownies and ice cream while you tell me everything you know about Knuckles and Rouge. And while we're discussing that, we can also talk about why I'm the last one to find out about your relationship." Sonic smiled aggressively back at her eldest brother and her sister as she opened the door.

Looking back at one another, the couple expressed their uneasiness through awkward smiles. They were not coming out of the storm just yet.

---

All four hedgehogs sat in the boy's bedroom, watching a movie on the wall mounted TV.

Sonic took his seat on the window sill, resting his arms behind his head and crossing his legs; one knee over the other. Lead on his bed were the girls, resting side by side, on their stomachs. In front of them lay two boxes once filled with chocolate brownies and vanilla ice cream. Manic rested on his own bed, positioned like his brother's posture.

Looking away from the romantic comedy picked out by his sisters, Sonic looked around at his family, admiring the simplicity of their quality time together. Minimal words were emitted, little expression given. They were just surrounded in each other's company, enjoying said company.

He had truly missed such moments.

A brief knock came from the bedroom door, followed by their dad abruptly entering the room. He stood at the door, his eyes shooting around the room at each of them, scanning them.

"Everythin' alright, Dad?" Manic asked.

Satisfied to see the distance between his eldest and youngest child, he smiled at his children. "Ah, yeah. I'm fine. Uh, listen... your Mum and I are going to be... reconnecting tonight--"

"Gross." Sonia said monotonously.

"Anyway... there's money on the kitchen side of you all need anything and other than that, you're parent free for the night." He was about to leave the room when he stopped and turned back to the kids. "Oh, and I'm leaving Sonia in charge."

"What?! How's that fair? She's younger than me and Sonic!" Manic protested.

"It's 'Sonic and I' and anyway, she keeps you boys in check so we don't have to."

Nodding approvingly, Sonia smirked at the green teen. "Thank you, Daddy."

Jules smiled back at his daughter. "You're welcome, Princess."

"Julie..." Aleena chimed in the background. Her flirtatious tone disturbing the children.

Their father blushed with embarrassment, slowly looking up to his traumatised kids. "... Don't come looking for us." He said, closing the door quickly with his departure.

"And with that mental image, I'm gonna go..." Manic declared, hopping out of bed and walking towards the window.

Seeing the boy heading his way, Sonic jumped off the window sill, courteously opening the window for him. "When will you be back?"

"Dunno. Heading to meet up. I'll message you if I'm bringing Kelsey back..."

"Great..." Sonic responded sarcastically.

His brother jumped out of the window, grinding down the bricked wall and flipping down onto the ground. He hopped over the fence and made his way to the front of the house, heading for another night of mischief.

"Don't worry, Sonic. Kelsey's actually rather nice despite who she and Manic hang around with." Amy tried to reassure her lover.

"Yeah. And she's not as loud as the others. Probably why he brings her back more often." Sonia said too casually. She rolled off the bed and jumped onto her feet. "If you'll excuse me, I'm gonna speak to that Knucklehead and make him apologise to me for making me yell."

Sonic raised his eyebrow, perplexed by her mindset. "But didn't you accuse him of cheating on you?

Reluctant to reply, Sonia stalled her answer. "Well, yeah... But I can't have him thinking I was wrong." She grinned, giggling to Sonic's perplexity. "I'll make it up to him... until then, don't do anything I wouldn't do... Oh wait, too late."

"Bye." Sonic glared at her as he pushed her out of his bedroom. Shutting the door behind him, he turned back to his girlfriend and sneered. He dashed back to the bed, causing Amy to squeal at his sudden appearance above her. "I thought they'd never leave."

"It was nice for all of us to spend time together again."

"Yeah, but I want to spend time with my favourite person." He grinned, lowering himself down and placing a peck on her lips. Fond of his delicate lips, Amy wrapped her arms around his neck and brought him back to kiss him once more.

Breaking the momentary bliss, she bit her lip and delicately played with his quills. "Are you absolutely sure about this? About us? Like, I know I am, I just don't wanna lose you again."

He smiled. The sacrifices they were taking, the dare they were willing to take. It was both liberating, yet condemning. No matter how much they loved one another, the shame would always be there. They would forever live with the guilt of their uncontrollable emotions and in fear of those who disapproved.

However, at joined hands and brushing lips, the fears halted, erased by a single touch.

"I'm sure. More sure than I've ever been." He said with confidence. "I want you and I'll do anything to keep you."

"... Anything?" She grinned.

"You name it."

Looking over his shoulder, she looked at the TV screen, then back to him. "Even watch the rest of this movie with me?"

Chuckling softly, Sonic rolled off of the pink girl and got comfortable on his bed. He brought her close to him, resting her head against his chest. "Now that might be pushing it, but since it's you, I'll make an exception."

"Thank you." She smiled, nuzzling against him. "I love you."

"I love you too." Sonic said, meeting her lips once more for a tender kiss, gradually deepening with amatory intent.

The movie was blissfully overlooked.

---

AN: I apologise for the length of this chapter. I misjudged the amount of information I would be writing.