A couple of days and nights passed following Sonic and Lara's arrival and their first Chao Garden visit, during that time, things were soon about to change for their relationship and in a good way thank goodness.
One night, Sonic, Lara and Chara met up with Tails and Sarah and they headed off to the local Bamboo Restaurant, which was one of the main eating establishments on Resort Island and it was all made from wood.
Both adventurers found a bamboo table apart from Tails and Sarah's, which was right next to theirs. The place was very lively, with guests enjoying their meals while hula girls danced on a wooden stage and tropical music played.
Lara was looking very nice tonight, wearing a scarlet dress and with her hair tied back in a ponytail while Sonic still wore a red shirt and blue shorts along with his trademark gloves and shoes.
The waiter, a muscular man with a moustache wearing a Hawaiian shirt and brown shorts, soon arrived and asked the couple what they would like to have. "I could go with a yummy burger," Sonic replied, "And Coconut juice."
"I'll have some Coconuts!" Lara requested, raising her hand.
"Ah, yes." The waiter said with a smile, flexing his muscles, "Comin' right up." He left just as piano music started up and one of the dancers began singing.
"I gotta admit," Lara commented as she and Sonic watched the show for a few minutes, "I love this restaurant, these people know how to make it feel like we're in paradise. What are your thoughts on all of this, Sonic?"
"You've no idea, Lara." The hedgehog replied, watching one of the hula dancers, a female hedgehog, twirl about on stage, "I even have to admit that those gals are really good dancers."
"What is it, you wanna dance?" Lara giggled, seemingly taking notice.
"Maybe after we have our meal, not right now."
"Ok then, blue boy. Are we sure you're not gettin' distracted?"
The speedster instantly turned his attention back to his gorgeous girlfriend, face blushing red and his eyes widened. He shook his head and held up his hands, waving them in a no-no-no gesture all while trying to defend himself.
"You were staring at that hedgehog girl." Lara said with a smirk, "I know that you have a taste for really, really gorgeous women and, because that hula girl looks cute, you were probably gonna talk to her."
Sonic's face was redder than Eggman's eyes, making Lara laugh even more. "Ok, ok." The hedgehog surrendered, "I was watching the show and those awesome dancers, also, that hedgehog gal reminds me of somebody."
"Who is it?" The archeologist asked, Sonic thought about it for a minute as he looked into Lara's brown eyes and decided that it was time to tell Lara about one of his very first love interests and he might as well do so now.
"Ok," the hedgehog said, "I'm reminded of Amy Rose, she's a hedgehog like me and is a capable fighter just like you and many of my other ex's. Amy was the very first gal I had a romantic affair with."
Lara looked interested, "Tell me about her, I'd love to know."
"It was several years ago," Explained the speedster, "I was thwarting one of Eggman's schemes involving a planet that had appeared in the sky over a lake when I bumped into Amy, she'd heard of me and really liked me.
"She was very cute that day, man I remember her following me around and tackling me at various points. However it wasn't until way later when I found Amy attractive and we started going out together.
"The two of us hanging out was an experience and, even though it wasn't meant to be in the end and we split up, I had fun (or at least tried to) and so did Amy. She's real nice when you get to know her, just don't make her mad."
"She sounds like somebody who was really special." Lara commented.
"Yeah, she was." Sonic nodded, "So was Elise."
"Oh, I've heard about her, wasn't she a queen or a princes?"
"Yep, that Elise. I had a relationship with her."
"How did you two split up?"
"It was during this battle with a time god, which was on the cusp of destroying the universe. Elise and I were trying to stop it, I saved the universe but at a cost. She… she didn't survive the battle."
A small tear trickled down Sonic's cheek and he blew his nose with a napkin, surprising Lara. "I..." She said, "I'm sorry about what happened, even though its not my fault, but things have worked out for us well now."
"Yep." The hedgehog said happily, "After years of canoodling with gorgeous girls, a couple failed relationships and many adventures later, I finally found the right girl and things are working out for the two of us."
"Your meals, dear guests." The muscular waiter had soon returned with two hula girls, serving Sonic and Lara's dinner. The two dating adventurers got their meal, Sonic getting a burger and a coconut while Lara just got a coconut.
The sun had already set and it was in the early hours of the evening, the stars had emerged along with a crescent moon, illuminating the area. Crickets were now chirping and fireflies were buzzing, wolves howled in the distance.
Nobody could hear the wolves or crickets here however, especially not with all that music, singing and people applauding for the lovely dancers as each performance ended and another one began minutes after the previous one.
Lara and Sonic were oblivious to anything else going on around them, even Tails and Sarah were keeping to themselves. Nobody bothered them, nothing much happened and the peace was undisturbed.
Finishing their meal and drinks, the two stood and held hands, deciding it was time to dance. Stepping away from the table, Sonic put his hands around Lara's torso and Lara placed her arms around his neck.
The two of them began their romantic waltz, taking one step forward and two steps back, dancing slowly so they wouldn't bump into any tables or any customers in order to avoid accidently making a scene out of their activities.
Both Tails and Sarah watched from their table, taking notice that a blonde man and a red haired woman were waltzing too, both foxes taking great interest in the dance to the tropical music.
"Are you up for some dancing, my love?" Tails asked, standing up and offering a hand to his girlfriend. "Would I?" Sarah giggled, "Oh, Tails. How sweet, I would love to dance with you. I haven't done this in a long time."
Sarah took the two-tailed hero's hand and stood up, stepping away from their table before beginning their dance with their arms around each other, both couples were soon dancing to My Romantic Tropical Getaway.
My Romantic Tropical Getaway was a song put together in the late 90s and the singer responsible for the song's conception had been none other than the lovely Diana Hedgehog, who was a hula dancer from Hawaii.
Sonic danced with Lara, unaware that Pooh was spying on them from behind a tree, until he turned with Lara and the hedgehog spotted the yellow bear out of the corner of his eye, gesturing him to come here.
Telling his girlfriend he had to step away for a bit, the speedster walked over to the tree and Pooh lead him to a secluded area where nobody could see them, where nobody could bother them while they talked in private.
"I've been watching you two." The red-shirted hotel manager said in a giggly voice, "You fit so perfectly together, the two of you having had your fair share of adventures and fighting villains, I'm happy to see young love."
"Is this the main reason ya wanted to talk to me?" Sonic asked.
"You could say that, yes, of course."
"Anything else ya wanna say about our relationship?"
Pooh tapped his own forehead and muttered, "Think think think. Think think." Then his face lit up and he reached into his shirt pocket to pull out a small casket and opened it, revealing a shiny ring with a diamond on it.
"Are you...?" Sonic asked in confusion. Pooh put the box in the hedgehog's left shorts pocket and whispered in his ear, "Give it to Lara." Now, Sonic began to understand what Pooh was trying to do, he was the matchmaker.
But he'd only known Lara for a few months. They first met in those ruins in South America and had been friends for a short period, then found themselves in love and had been dating for seven or eight weeks.
A sweaty, nervous look crossed Sonic's face. Would this work, was it worth it, was it time? He was all for hooking up, but was it a bit too soon? Pooh seemed to read his mind and assured him it would be fine.
"Ok then." Sonic whispered, "I'll do it, but not here when there's so many people around, ok? Maybe we could do that somewhere else?" The stuffed yellow bear chuckled, "Of course, you can wherever and whenever you want."
"You'll be watching, right?"
The yellow bear nodded, "Of course." With that settled, Sonic returned to the dining area where Lara was waiting for him. "Well?" She asked, "What was going on over there and did I just see you meet with Pooh?"
Sonic briefly glanced behind himself at Pooh and then back at Lara, "Well, yes, I was just chatting with Pooh. Most friends tend to talk in private about... stuff that goes on in life. Its nothin' to worry about..."
"Ya wanna continue dancin'?"
"Nah, lets go off somewhere else for some, ah, alone time."
"Ooooh!" Lara giggled, "I love having alone time for us."
"I'm sure ya do, babe!"
The two adventurers left the restaurant, making sure to leave a tab on the table so they could pay for their meal once the waiters came to take the plates and cups away without getting in trouble for not paying for any meals.
As Sonic walked with Lara, he thought about what he was gonna say when he got down on his knee to pop the question. It was going to be hard, but he knew what to do, this day had been coming for a long time.
The blue speedster had been dreaming of when he would get down on his knee and bring out the ring, the girl of his dreams gasping and accepting it as a few tears fell down her very attractive face.
Chara sat on Lara's shoulder, munching on a small coconut piece and purring like a content tabby cat, while observing Sonic's face and seemingly reading every thought that was coming to his own mind.
Pooh didn't make a sound as he followed them, his feet silent as the stars and his mouth closed. He made sure to stay close to the shadows and be partially hidden as much as possible, Pooh was now in stealth mode.
However, Sonic did sense Pooh nearby but didn't say a word. Mostly to avoid filling Lara in on what was happening, but he had to try and be honest at some point, nobody liked it when people they knew kept secrets from them.
Meanwhile, after dancing, Tails and Sarah went for a night walk down the beach alone, taking in the view and looking up at the stars. Both foxes were enjoying each other's company, smiling happily and feeling content.
"The stars look so lovely tonight," The two-tailed fox genius' red haired girlfriend sighed dreamily, "I just love the scenery at night. Oh, it feels so peaceful here, so serene and nothing that can ruin this."
"I'm glad Eggman hasn't attacked this place." Tails agreed, "Besides, I think he's attacked enough islands already." He shivered, "And of course, we have to be prepared for when he eventually attacks again."
"Why are you feeling scared of Robotnik, Tails?" Sarah asked, sensing her boyfriend's fear and showing concern, "You've dealt with him countless times and, every time, you've been very brave and you stood strong."
"Its not that, Sarah." Tails said solemnly, "I'm just concerned about when Eggman will strike again soon, he did say that, when we heard from him again soon, he would unleash his ultimate revenge on the world.
"Whatever his revenge plan is, its probably not going to be pretty, especially when I'm the one who made Eggman super angry. Did... Did we push him too far over this time, what if he's planning something apocalyptic?"
Sarah looked puzzled and asked Tails if he was worried about the possibility that the mad doctor was working on a super weapon capable of bringing about the devastation and near annihilation of the whole planet.
"Yeah, you might say that." The two tailed flying fox nodded, "After all, when he started yelling about getting his revenge, its almost as if his sanity hit its breaking point after being defeated and humiliated so many times."
Tails was silent as he held his girlfriend's hand, looking up at the stars and the moon as he listened to Sarah try to assure him that it would be a long time before they heard from Eggman about his "ultimate revenge" scheme.
"You're right, Sarah." Sonic's adopted brother said happily, "It'll probably be ages and ages before we learn what the doc's mega big scheme is, until then, its best to just not worry about that and relax, enjoy ourselves."
"That's the Tails I love." Sarah kissed Tails on the cheek, "Optimistic and hopeful for better days, eager to experience a brighter tomorrow and not worry about the dark days that may come very soon."
Tails nodded and thanked his girlfriend for being there to give him hope and assurance that the future would always look brighter than ever despite all the odds and despite all the troubling dark times up ahead.
Not too far off, Sonic had returned to the Hundred Acre Hotel with Lara and Chara beside him and Pooh behind them. The hedgehog was scratching the back of his head, still thinking about the coming moment.
He knew what to do, it was time, the speedster had to. Pooh had given him the ring, the time had come and Sonic was a bit nervous, but something told him that it was going to work in the end.
As for where and when the big day was going to unfold, Sonic and Lara would figure it out afterwards. Hopefully, in the end, it would be perfectly organized and planned out with no surprise attacks or big disasters.
One other major factor besides all that to worry about would be the paparazzi, the world media would probably be talking about it. But for Sonic, who cared, it was gonna be the best day of his life.
The two lovers and their Chao arrived in their hotel room and shut the door behind them, only for Pooh (who'd caught up) to open the door and walk halfway into the room and stand right there near the door.
"Um, what's Pooh doing here?" Lara asked, "Is he… Is he checking on us?" She looked at her boyfriend, whose hand was now in his pocket. Sonic held up his hand, "Don't worry, uh… Lara, I have some words to say."
"Don't keep me waitin', dear." The archeologist said with interest. Taking a deep breath, Sonic held Lara's hand and began speaking, knowing it was time. Every day with Lara, getting to know her, it was all building to this.
"From the second we met, when I first looked into your eyes and we fought alongside each other for the first time," The hedgehog said, "I knew I had found my dream girl, it was love at first sight and beauty was involved.
"At first we were friends, friends who didn't know what the future had in store, then we realized and admitted our love for each other. After getting to know you for a long time, its time we become more than what we are now."
Sonic got down on his knee as Pooh, Lara and Chara watched. The hedgehog reached into his pocket and pulled out the box, looking up into Lara's curious brown eyes, the speedster slowly opened it.
As expected, the British action girl gasped, a hand over her mouth as her eyes slowly began to well up, gazing upon the sparkling, yellow ring with a crystal diamond on it that sat in Sonic's hand.
"Lara Croft," the hedgehog said, "Will you marry me?"
"S-Say no m-m-more, Sonic!" Lara said, trying to hold back her crying, "Th-th-the answer is... Yes. I-I will marry you." Chara let out cries of happiness in her respective Chao language and Pooh chuckled giddily.
Sonic stood as he watched his girlfriend-turned fiance slip the ring upon the middle finger of her right hand, gazing upon it before wiping the tears from her eyes. "Wh-where did you get the ring, Sonic?" Lara asked.
"Well, uh," The hedgehog scratched his head, "Pooh and I were…"
"Shhhh...!" Pooh shushed!
"Er," Sonic corrected, "I... picked it out at the local jewelry store."
"This ring is so incredible, Sonic!" Lara said, "I love this so much!"
Pooh left the room, chuckling to himself as he closed the door, as the newly engaged couple shared a romantic kiss and Lara hugged Sonic tightly, the blue blur smiling as he thought of how well everything had gone.
"When are we going to break the news to our friends?" Lara asked, "Oskar and Tom have been waiting for a day like this for a long time, even your friend Tails and his girlfriend are bound to be happy when they learn the news."
"We'll tell 'em as soon as possible." Sonic replied, "Then we gotta start making plans, its gonna be a big day when it happens, we gotta get a lot of stuff done and make sure our wedding will be perfect."
"Lets start planning later." Lara suggested, a smile on her face, "Right now, why don't we rejoice our engagement? I love you, Sonic the Hedgehog."
"I love you, Lara Croft."
"As long as we're together, no matter what happens."
Sonic sat down upon the bed, Lara sitting on his lap, the two holding hands and looking into each other's eyes before beginning to kiss, Sonic's hands fell upon Lara's hips and her hands fell upon his upper torso.
As the two began to make out in their room, little did they know that, just outside the hotel, two figures were watching them through their binoculars. One was a tall man and the other was a short man.
"Look at the two of them," The tall man said, "So happy together."
"Should we go and try to ruin that happiness?" The short man asked.
"Nah, lets leave them be and let them be happy."
"I probably wasn't up for ruining happiness anyway."
The tall man put down his binoculars and walked off, his short accomplice right behind them. "Were we planning on ruining their happiness, Greg?" The short man asked, "What were we gonna do anyway?"
"We're just observing, Paul." Greg replied, "Besides, I don't want anything to do with... what their doing in that room. If ya wanna talk to them another time, go ahead and talk to them, but don't try to ruin their happiness."
Both men were soon out of the vicinity, heading to parts unknown. Meanwhile, minutes later and well after Paul and Greg had left, Sonic was asleep in bed with Lara in his arms after a passionate love making session, thinking about their future together and basking in their love...
The End (for now)...