Hello all! Wow, it's almost been an entire year since I've last updated this, and for that, I apologize. I was going through a lot of stuff last year, but the tail end of 2020 really fucked with my mental state, both figuratively and literally. To those who have reviewed the first chapter, thank you so much, and thank you also for all the faves and follows. I do hope I haven't lost any readers due to my unintentional hiatus (you can refer to my author's profile for more depth as to why and all that). This chapter wasn't initially supposed to be this long; damn near eleven thousand words, holy shit! And initially, I was going to spilt it in two, but it didn't make sense to separate it, especially given the topics and conversations had. Think of this chapter as an apology for going ghost. I worked really hard on this chapter, so if you read it or liked it or whatever, please comment and let me know; writing this took a lot out of me, but it was definitely worth it, and I hope you enjoy reading it :D
Chapter 2: Lately I've Been In My Feelings
"What the hell is taking them so long?" Knuckles griped; his amethyst were eyes narrowed in irritation, and if he frowned any deeper, his mouth would slide clean off his face, he was sure of it. He couldn't help the annoyance he felt at being dragged away from the serenity and solitude of his island to come down and "socialize" with his friends. He wanted to call bullshit, pointing out that as its guardian, the Master Emerald needed protecting, but Tails, the little shit, installed a security system in record time and hooked it up to his phone so he could watch the emerald from afar and be notified should something happen. He and Sonic weren't going to let him weasel his way out of this little shindig.
Their group consisted of himself, Sonic, Tails, Silver, and Shadow; they were currently vibing at the mall's food court as they awaited the girls' arrival. It was livelier than ever too, bursting at the seams with merriment and laughter. Large crowds of people were traveling in various directions, and the cacophony of noises lingered persistently in the air.
Sonic hid his obvious amusement at his friend's equally obvious impatience, devouring yet another chili dog with a fervor and speed only he could possess. Licking his lips clean of breadcrumbs and chili sauce, he attempted to soothe the ire of his temperamental friend. An angry Knuckles was no fun to deal with, and he would know, given his habit of ruffling his feathers for shits and giggles because riling him up was that easy. Inwardly, though, he was rolling his eyes, sighing in quiet exasperation. And they had the nerve to say that he was the impatient one!
"Chill out, Knux. Sally had sent me a text saying that they were on their way." His expression soon turned sly as he smirked at him, emerald eyes twinkling playfully. "Are ya that eager to see your lady friend? Is that why you're throwing such a hissy fit?" The blue blur effortlessly dodged the punch hurled his way with practiced ease. He couldn't contain his laughter this time, though he covered his mouth to muffle the worst of it. The others soon joined in, shaking their heads at the duo's antics. Even Knuckles was laughing, his sudden ire fizzling out as quickly as it came. He knew Sonic was simply poking fun at him, so he took no real offense to his comments.
"It's like the pot calling the kettle black, considering you're just as desperate to see Amy," was Knuckles' quick retort, and he smirked at the flustered look that soon graced Sonic's face, knowing that he had caught him off guard.
Shock coursed through his body as if he were hit with Shadow's Chaos Spear, and he just knew he was blushing, dammit. Eyes widening for the briefest of seconds, he schooled his expression into calm neutrality. Maybe his past self would react like a fish out of water, flailing and gasping, but his current self was more level-headed than that, and he knew that if he gave any of them an inch, they'd take a country mile and then some.
It would be in his best interests for him to play it safe, and while he instinctively wanted to deny the possibility of him having any kind of romantic feelings towards Amy, because old habits died hard, the continuous denial of having said feelings towards his longtime admirer got under his skin nearly as much as Knuckles' comment did.
Urgh, crushing on someone is such a pain in the ass. Saving the world seems so much easier than having romantic feelings for anyone, especially the girl, now woman, who's always said I had her heart from the start, even though I never gave her mines. Or, maybe I did and never noticed it was gone until it too late to take it back, Sonic thought with a silent sigh.
"Well, I would say looking forward to her arrival instead of dreading it is certainly a step in the right direction, wouldn't you?" Sonic coolly countered, keeping his face carefully blank without being too obvious. "And besides," he continued, his voice sounding as self-assured as usual, "it wouldn't be fair of me to pretend that Amy hasn't mellowed out a lot over the years. Contrary to past situations and popular belief, I do actually enjoy her company, and, ya know, care about her." It was his turn to smirk at the matching flabbergasted looks on each of their faces.
"Yo, who are you and what have you done with the real Sonic?" Silver joked, playfully waving his hand back and forth in front of his face. "You, Sonic The Hedgehog, admitting to caring about one Amy Rose, in a manner that isn't strictly platonic?! Perish the thought!" He let loose an ugly guffaw when said hedgehog proceeded to flip him the bird, but he, as well as everyone else, noticed how he didn't deny Silver's astute observation.
"Oh, how you wound me, Silv!" Sonic exclaimed, hand clasped over his heart in exaggerated offense, causing the telekinetic hedgehog to fall into a fit of laughter once more, Tails joining him and Knuckles and Shadow smirking. "It certainly knocked me off my feet, this feeling of liking someone. There's a part of me that wants to bury these feelings and go about my merry way pretending they don't exist, but there's this bigger part of me that's tired of running from them too. Is it scary, allowing myself this vulnerability, this chink in my armor that is Amy Rose? Hell yes, but I've never been one to let fear hold me back, and I'm not starting now."
The other occupants sat in stunned silence, certainly not expecting such depth from the normally free-spirited hero who spent the time he had not saving the world running and evading Amy and her many, many declarations of love with a vengeance. He wasn't the type of person who wanted to be tied down to any one thing, even though it was clear he liked her too, in his own, subtle manner; now, it seemed like the odds were changing and instead of finding the prospect of potentially falling in love with Amy perplexing and conflicting with his aforementioned responsibilities of being a hero, he had found some sort of equilibrium with what he felt, what his responsibilities were, and who he was as a person. That was some serious ass growth on his part, and it made him even more admirable.
"Looks like we've all been bitten by the lovebug, huh?" Silver joked. Tails blushed and Knuckles scoffed, although he didn't deny it. It wasn't like they'd let him do so anyway, not when it was as clear as the Master Emerald that he was stuck on Rouge. Shadow looked decidedly uncomfortable, as if he had swallowed something bitter. It was so brief, Sonic almost didn't notice it. Almost.
"Hiya, Shads. Care to share your thoughts with the rest of the class?" Shadow gave him a glare that burned hotter than the bowels of Hell itself, and with his eyes being the color of crimson, he really stuck the landing. Perfect score and everything, and if Sonic wasn't so familiar with him and faced genuine danger on a near daily basis, he'd have probably pissed himself. Fortunately for him, he was made of tougher stuff.
"Wait a minute," Tails cut in, ocean-blue eyes gleaming with childlike curiosity, eyes darting between his big brother and Shadow, "are you implying that Shadow is crushing on someone, Sonic?" Silver choked on his drink, having the unfortunate luck of taking a sip as Tails asked his question. Knuckles looked just as shocked, looking at Sonic as if he'd lost whatever marbles he had left, all while Shadow looked like he was silently asking Chaos to strike him dead where he sat.
"Oh, I'm not implying anything, little brother. I'm telling you guys that Shadow likes someone. Let's just say that the Ultimate Lifeform has a thing for princesses," Sonic answered, his expression smug, emerald eyes twinkling with unrestricted mirth at Shadow's so-called plight. He wasn't teasing him to be malicious, never that. He just knew if he didn't say anything, Shadow would take this to the grave, and if Sonic couldn't run from his feelings, Shadow couldn't either.
"Princesses? We only know two princesses, and it can't be Blaze because Silver would probably yeet himself into the abyss if Shadow was crushing on his lady," Knuckles thought out loud, ignoring Silver's indignant shriek, "which leaves… SALLY?! YOU'RE CRUSHING ON SALLY?! HOLY SHIT!"
"Could you be any louder? Yes, let's obnoxiously air out my personal feelings! What's are you going to yell out next? My personal address? Or, my social security number, perhaps? Why not scream out my fucking credit card number too?" Knuckles held up his hands in front of him defensively, eyebrows raised, and Tails and Silver looked at each other worriedly. Shadow seemed genuinely annoyed, if not borderline angry, which meant that they all crossed a line. Sonic looked guilty, ears drawn back in distress. He was just poking fun, but it was evident that his actions weren't taken that way.
"Hey, Shadow, don't be pissy towards them. They genuinely didn't know, and I apologize for making you uncomfortable and putting you on the spot like that. It wasn't my intention to trivialize your feelings. They're not something to be ashamed of, and you shouldn't feel bad for liking Sally. We're sorry for overstepping our boundaries."
For a while, or what felt like for a while, at least, Shadow simply said nothing, eyes slipping shut, arms stubbornly crossed across his chest. His posture was rigid, and it was obvious he was angry but was also actively trying to calm himself down. Gradually, with every deliberate breath he took, the tension slowly bled from his body, and his anger and irritation bled away with it.
The only other noise was from the other occupants in the mall, each of them blissfully unaware of the clusterfuck of hell that nearly exploded. It was as if their table was a lone island adrift at sea, and a sudden storm hit the unsuspecting occupants that inhabited said island and threatened to wash them away and drown them in its stormy depths. Weird analogy, but true nonetheless.
"Apology accepted. I know, logically, that you all were simply excited that I, the designated loner of the group, felt any sort of attraction of the romantic kind towards anyone, let alone a young woman so far out of my league, it's downright laughable. Alas, even I'm not immune to Eros' bow, and it seems that my heart, the treacherous little shit, is firmly stuck on someone I cannot have. Such is my fate, and such is life, I suppose," Shadow sighed, looking both forlorn and repulsed.
He quickly shoveled his food in his mouth to keep from further commenting on the dilemma he found himself in. Sally was, to put it frankly, brilliant. She was assertive, a leader, intelligent, thoughtful, and charming, in all honesty. She was also hilarious, considerate, kindhearted, and beautiful. He was unsure how she ensnared him, but he knew that he didn't want her to let go and more still, he didn't want to let go of her.
"Dude, only you could make crushing on someone sound like a death sentence, holy shit." At the glare Shadow shot him, one hand curling itself into a fist in mere seconds, Silver hurried to explain himself. "I'm just saying! It's not terrible that you like Sally. She's a dynamite woman, and she can definitely hold her own against you and challenge you in all the right ways, is what I'm saying." Shadow frowned thoughtful, but he put his fist down, and truly, Silver counted that as a win. He could fight Shadow, but unless he had to or it was a spar, why would he intentionally potentially shorten his lifespan? Work smarter, not harder.
"Yeah," Knuckles added, talking around a mouth full of food. "You've got that appeal that some girls dig, tall, dark, and handsome, rough around the edges with a heart of gold, a reformed bad boy, if you will." While his words were meant to cheer him up, he looked even more putout, hiding his face in his hands.
"I'm not her type. Her type are guys like Sonic and Silver. Sonic is the hero who saves the day and snags the princess, and Silver is the boy next door who make you laugh and feel good and whatever other sappy bullshit girls are into these days. Her type isn't a damaged, traumatized, government experiment, half-alien abomination that tried to, several times, might I add, destroy the world or cause general mayhem and destruction," Shadow countered.
Sonic stared at Shadow hard, and Silver stared at him in equal parts of disbelief and concern. Before Sonic knew what he was doing, he punched Shadow on the shoulder closest to him, hard. Shadow flinched, feeling pain blister through his entire arm, before staring Sonic down, his fist crackling with the electricity of a forming Chaos Spear. Sonic, however, refused to budge, green eyes glowing death with no warmth or mirth to be found in their depths.
"I know you have some lingering issues. We all do, to be fair, and that's more than okay. But if you think I'm going to sit here and let you talk shit about yourself like this in my presence, you've got another thing coming. Why shouldn't Sally like you? You make yourself sound like some terrible person, and maybe you were at some point, but that's in the past. You made the conscious choice to repent and change your ways. That's why none of us hold your past against you because you're no longer that person anymore."
"Furthermore, you are a hero. How many lives have you saved? How many times do you risk your life for the sake of others, us and Sally included? Too many times to count. And from what I can tell, you do make Sally happy, you do make Sally smile, and you are the highlight of her day. So, feel how you feel, because you have the right and we're all allowed bad days, but if you choose to put yourself down, don't do so because of us. We're your friends, not your enemies, and certainly not your rivals in love, least of all Silver and I, alright?"
And Sonic spoke so earnestly, looked so sincere, and wow, are those tears in your eyes, Shadow?! What? You too, Knuckles?! And Silver and Tails?!
Shadow wiped his eyes as discreetly as he could, because damn this blue fool for tugging so insistently on his heartstrings with his power of friendship bullshit. He had a reputation to uphold, Chaos-dammit! He did feel better knowing the others were just as moved as him, Silver and Tails not bothering to hide their emotions and Knuckles trying to downplay how moved he was like him. It was no wonder why Sonic was the leader: he knew how to move people, touch their hearts, and offer a helping hand to those in need, and it was nice to know that despite everything, he could count on him and vice versa.
"If you ever get tired of all the hero-ing, you should totally become a motivational speaker because holy shit, you have a way with words, bro. Like, I'm literally in tears over here," Silver joked, reaching for a napkin to messily blow his nose in, eyes glistening with said tears. Tails nodded, dapping his eyes with his own napkin.
"Sonic really said, "Do I even lift? Yeah, bro I lift. I lift your fucking spirits up,"" Knuckles joked with a shake of his head.
"He really does. I remember feeling so much turmoil and guilt when Cosmo died. I loved her, and I blamed myself for not being able to save her. I felt like I deserved to carry the weight of all that guilt and anguish in some warped form of atonement, and I'm not going to lie, I really was seriously contemplating suicide. One day, Sonic, as well as Cream, went to check on me, and I was sobbing so much, I could hardly breathe. Next thing I know, Sonic's got me wrapped in a tight hug, holding me and letting me cry until I ran out of tears."
"And rather than continuing sitting on my feelings and denying myself comfort, I just told him how I was feeling about it all. I felt so weak and helpless, but Sonic convinced me otherwise, saying there was strength in admitting weakness and allowing yourself to be vulnerable. Talking it out really did make me feel better, especially with someone like Sonic. That's why he's my hero and the coolest big brother," Tails smiled, giving his big brother a loving hug, which Sonic returned without hesitation, playfully ruffling Tails' hair, much to his bemusement.
"Cream's your hero too, little bro. Don't think I didn't notice you guys hanging out more and talking and having your little dates," Sonic teased, delighting in the way his brother flustered and blushed, shaking his head in a denial nobody believed.
"We're not like that!" Tails exclaimed, arms flailing and tails swaying nervously. But his blush remained, and if anything, it deepened, easily counteracting his statement.
"Kid, you'd have to dumb, deaf, and blind not to notice how much you two like each. You literally look at her with hearts in your eyes, and she looks at you like you're some kind of coveted treasure. Being in vicinity with you two together makes me feel like I have cavities," Shadow added with an exaggerated shudder, further disproving Tails' denial.
"But, on a more serious note, the wounds inflicted by the loss of someone you love or care for deeply are challenging, if not impossible, to overcome. In time, and with the help of loved ones, those wounds will heal, and those memories will no longer be painful to recall." Shadow was alluding to Maria Robotnik's unfortunate demise; she was his first real friend and the only family he had known. To have that torn apart and to have witnessed such cruelty, was nothing short of traumatizing. In the aftermath that followed, he closed himself off and resigned himself to disallow himself from getting close to anyone.
To say he used to be distant towards them would be putting it mildly; he used to be outright abrasive and borderline hostile towards them and everything and everyone around him, but he gradually learned to be more open around them and appreciate and enjoy the beauty of life like he deserved to and how Maria wished he'd be able to.
What catapulted such a colossal change of heart? He had eventually come to the realization that while he lost his previous family, he gained a new one: them. They were his family, his friends, and he truly did care about them. And although Shadow would probably never verbally say it, not yet at any rate, Sonic was more than aware that a certain auburn haired, blue-eyed princess helped the elusive hedgehog open his eyes to what was always right in front of him. His earlier reaction simply proved the hunch he already had.
"You're right. Being the last of my kind and having the burden of guarding the emeralds is exhausting, but it's one of the last ties I have to my culture, to my people, so that's why I'm always wary of leaving Angel Island. Even with our rough start, I can genuinely say I'm glad I met Rouge. My previous apprehension towards her was because I thought she wasn't trustworthy and that her only intentions were to steal the Mater Emerald. Initially, it was, but I really can't remember the last time she attempted to steal it."
"She just comes to Angel Island for me, and we have actual conversations, not just arguments, and keep each other company. There are so many layers to her than what people see on the surface, depth to her that I would have never guessed, and I love learning more about her, and she I, and that we've gotten to a point that we trust each other enough to allow ourselves such vulnerability," Knuckles admitted gruffly, but you could hear the warmth and affection he had towards her in his voice.
"Blaze was a tough one to get through, no lie. When she was younger, she used to be bullied badly because people were afraid of the power she wielded. Add on the burden of having to carry the weight of her kingdom on her shoulders, and it was no wonder why she so jaded and unwilling to open up her heart." Silver paused, taking several bites of his food. There was this faraway look in his eyes, briefly lost in past, painful memories that still made his heart clench in discomfort.
"Prior to myself and you guys, no one had made a concrete effort to get to know her, mostly because they didn't give enough of a fuck to make a proper attempt. I certainly had my work cut out for me, but I didn't buckle under the weight. It took me some time to gain her trust, and Chaos knows the journey wasn't all smooth sailing, but now? She trusts me intricately and willingly leans on me, and it's the same way with me. She's the smile on my face, the wind beneath my wings, and all that mushy jazz," Silver explained, golden eyes ablaze with happiness. There was smile on his face that they all swore could rival the sun's light. It was just that bright. It was a heartwarming sight to see.
Sonic looked at the group of people he deemed his friends and smiled, his heart overflowing with delight. They were his family, and he loved them dearly regardless of how they would butt heads with each other. They were the people he cared for deeply, and he'd do anything for them and for them to have more moments like these. To be able to talk freely like this, to have that instinctive trust with each other to be vulnerable and open their hearts, was both astounding and a blessing none of them would take for granted.
Amy all but collapsed on the nearest bench that popped into view, sighing with audible relief. Her poor, aching feet gave her their eternal thanks; she feared that the soles of boots were worn down to the point of no return with all the excessive walking she'd been subjected to. Her arms felt floppier than wet noodles because of all the surprisingly heavy numerous shopping bags they had held. On a more positive note, at least she could count this as her workout for the day, right?
Rouge, the conniving little shit, was unbothered and relaxing, idly admiring her reflection in her compact mirror as she touched up on her already impeccable makeup. How she managed not to look or seem winded and haggard was anyone's guess, and she was blissfully oblivious of the heaviness of her many, many shopping bags. In all honesty, she felt like she could've gotten more stuff, and her full, glossy lips formed an adorable pout at missing out on more goodies. Her friends were not going to be willing to go inside anymore stores. Well, Rouge was sure Cream wouldn't mind, the little darling, and she knew she could persuade Amy to give in, especially with Cream's puppy eyes.
Convincing Sally and Blaze to budge, however, was entirely out of the question. Both girls were stubborn and firm when they put their minds to it, and Blaze was the most obviously annoyed out of their group. There was no chance she'd get the cat to give in, so, with a disappointed sigh, she cut her losses and decided to leave well alone. Besides, they looked downtrodden from all the walking, it was only fair to let them take a breather and gather their bearings.
"I think we have everything for now," Rouge joked, wings fluttering as she finished reapplying her signature pink lip-gloss. She blew a kissy face to herself, satisfied with her touchup. Beside her, Blaze scoffed, the fur of her tail bristling with apparent irritation.
"I should certainly hope so because this is a lot of stuff to be lugging around! Not to mention that I nearly broke my heel." Blaze sat down by the indifferent bat with a frown on her face, one gloved hand gingerly touching the heel of her left shoe, breathing a soft sigh of relief that her heel was still intact. Had they kept going, though, she was positive that it would've broken. Said treasure huntress scoffed, rolling her eyes at the irate feline.
"Oh, cry me a river, Blaze. This," she gestured a gloved hand at their combined shopping bags, "isn't that much. If anything, I feel like we could've gotten a bigger haul, but not everybody has the drive for these kinds of things, unfortunately." The dig had the desired effect of getting under Blaze's skin, and she fixed her with a piercing glare, golden eyes narrowed dangerously. A snide comment danced on the tip of her tongue, which didn't go unnoticed by Amy, who decided it'd be wise to deescalate things before they could take a turn for the worse.
"Was this the most ideal way to spend our time? Perhaps not. But! It wasn't all bad! How can I complain when I'm spending time with my best friends?" Both women shared a look before sighing, knowing that Amy genuinely didn't wasn't them tearing at each other's throats, especially over something so silly in the grand scheme of things.
"I know what you're trying to do, Pinky, but I'm willing to play along. At any rate, we haven't even gotten to the best part of girl time: talking about our love lives!" At once, the other four girls had varying responses to the bat's sly comment. Blaze looked exasperated, staring up and beseeching Chaos to have mercy on her and end this hellish torment she was constantly being subjected to. What even was the point of all this? Nothing, but if there was one thing the sneaky bat excelled at, it was getting information out of people, and Blaze wanted no parts of it.
Amy looked adorably flustered, cheeks rosier than the color of her fur; her heartbeat accelerated to dizzying speeds, and her palms began sweating. Yeah, was she still crushing on one Sonic The Hedgehog? Always. He has always had her heart, and he probably always would. Did that mean she wanted to talk about it? She wasn't sure what could be said that wasn't already said or had already been noticed, but Rouge, despite her carefree, seductive persona, was amazingly perceptive, especially about the little details that would normally go undetected, and Amy gulped nervously.
Cream was the only one visibly excited about the prospect of gossiping about their crushes, probably because she was old enough to be included in these kinds of talks. She was a teenager now, sixteen years old, to be exact, and while she had always liked Tails, lately it's been looking a lot more than just a passing interest? Or maybe she's always felt that way and had no reason to really decipher it? Yeah, she was a kid at the time, six years old, but was that really a good excuse? After all, Amy, her honorary big sister and best friend, was a child herself when she fell head-over-heels for Sonic and hasn't lost momentum sense.
The apples of her cheeks grew warm at the thought of the genius fox and how his eyes were like the depths of the ocean on a clear day, how his hands were calloused from all the work he did with them, how he sometimes had the lingering scent of oil on his clothes from a long day of inventions, repairs, and creations.
Sally tried, and barely succeeded, might I add, in hiding her grimace. Her normally bright sapphire eyes were a stormy blue, and there was tension in her body that wasn't there previously. Agitation coursed through her veins as she warily regarded her friends. She knew Rouge knew who she liked. The bat was nowhere near close being ditzy and emptyheaded like most people thought when first glancing at her. That woman was a highly decorated and valued G.U.N. agent. She was also an expert treasure huntress who's found and swindled Chaos knows how many valuable, pretty things and treasures.
Rouge The Bat was shrewd, cunning and nobody's fool, curves and pretty face be damned, and that was all the reason for Sally to be wary. She already knew that the second her crush was revealed, all hell would break loose. She was simply trying to brace herself for impact.
Her fears were further cemented when observant teal eyes focused on her and Amy in particular. Amy, she could understand. She'd be more surprised if there were people who didn't know about her feelings for Sonic than those who did. The girl, now young woman, had always been lovesick over her best friend, and Sally found it adorable, if not exasperating. Well, not exasperating because of her feelings for him so much as her expression of them. Sonic and her had many long conversations about Amy's previous antics, and Sally wisely refrained from saying anything untoward about either of them. She liked Amy, considered her a friend, and didn't want to seem two-faced.
"We already know you're still into Big Blue, Pinky, so that's not really juicy," Rouge said offhandedly, smiling at the indignant noise said hedgehog made at the jab. "Although, from what I've heard, maybe he's coming around to your advances now." And from the look in those jade eyes, Rouge knew she already had her hooked, or really, all of them. Cream was happy, Blaze was surprised, and Sally was curious. It certainly was news to them then, especially one rosy hedgehog who shook her head in a useless denial.
"But," the snowy bat continued, gaze darting from a frazzled, delighted Amy to a tense, resigned Sally, "Blue Eyes over here has a potential beau of her own." At once, it was silent, and three pairs of eyes were on her. Sally carefully schooled her features into a neutral expression, unwilling to let herself be baited into reacting.
"Wait, Sally has a crush on someone too?" Cream eventually asked once she snapped herself out of her stupor. She was surprised, but pleased. Sally was always so nice to her, and she considered her one of her best friends too. Blaze was also pleasantly surprised by the idea of Sally liking someone. It wasn't that she thought Sally was unattractive because that couldn't be further from the truth. Like Rouge, she turned heads without even trying to. She more curious to which guy she was crushing on because she knew it was one of the guys in their friend group; Rogue wouldn't be this thrilled otherwise.
Golden eyes glanced at a surprisingly silent Amy, and she hoped Sally's crush wasn't their resident blue hero. Love triangles were not her expertise at all, and while she loved Amy fiercely, she cared about Sally just as much, and didn't want either girl bumping heads, lest they have a repeat of what happened last time in the past when Amy didn't have the best handle on her temper and jealousy.
Amy was trying, and failing, to not assume the worst. Sally had a crush? That's wonderful! She was beautiful girl who deserved all the love and happiness in the world. The issue was who her crush was, and she felt terrible for that insecure, ugly part of herself that prayed that it wasn't Sonic. It would make sense though. Even she wasn't blind to the natural chemistry shared between the two, and their relationship was deep and rich with history and childhood memories that none of them, save Tails and Knuckles, were a part of.
It made her feel dirty, like a shitty friend. Sally was her friend, and the older girl was always nice to her, even when said kindness was not always immediately reciprocated. If it was just them together, they got along swimmingly, but whenever Sonic was in the picture or mentioned, Amy got all passive-aggressive, insecure, and meanspirited, even though she knew Sally didn't see Sonic like that and that Sonic didn't see Sally like that. She let her jealously and insecurities get the best of her repeatedly and nearly lost them both because of it. If Amy could erase those parts of her teenage years, she'd do so without hesitation.
Like, did she really want to go down that dark road again, especially over speculation, especially since she's not that same person anymore?
Deciding she let them stew in curiosity long enough, she had mercy on them and chose to solve this titillating mystery for them.
"I'm disappointed in you all. Has no one pieced together that Sally's crushing on the Ultimate Lifeform himself?"
Wow, talk about a plot twist for all of them! While it was a well-known fact that Amy was in love with Sonic and had been for years, this was her first them hearing about the whole Sally crushing on Shadow thing. Something as out of the blue as that would not have been so easily forgotten by her if it had been previously mentioned, and to say she was surprised would be putting it lightly. She was relieved that it wasn't Sonic, but she found it just as hard to believe it was Shadow.
Clearly, Rouge missed the mark with this one, and she had to smoother her laughter at what had to be a joke behind the back of her hand. She wasn't laughing at Sally's expense; not at all! She was laughing at herself, at how she had assumed the worst and how nothing came to fruition from it. She glanced at Sally, but whatever words she was about to say died in her throat as she took in her body language.
For starters, Sally was blushing, and she kept her gaze firmly averted from all of them, her eyes finding solace in staring at the water fountain across from them. Another thing she noticed was how her shoulders were drawn tightly together, her lips were pinched in a thin frown, her eyebrows were furrowed in clear annoyance, but she wasn't denying what Rouge said.
The following silence that had befallen them threatened to smoother them with its oppressive weight like a heavy, woolen blanket. Tension simmered in the air, threatening to overflow and spill over. Blaze sensed this, could see exactly how irate, and that was putting it mildly, Sally was becoming, and had every intention of deading the issue before things really blew out of proportion, but before she had a chance, chaos erupted regardless.
A pink blur collided against the startled princess, and they both nearly fell off the bench and unto the hard, tiled mall flooring. Or, they would have had Sally's reflexes not kicked in and kept them from crashing on the ground in a tangled-up heap of pinks and tans.
Amy was nearly bouncing on her feet, her excitement palpable; jade eyes stared at her with such genuine happiness, she nearly flinched from their brightness. She grimaced as hands gripped both of her shoulders with a tightness Sally knew would be absolute hell to slip from. Resigned to her current predicament, she met Amy's clear enthusiasm with her own wariness.
"OH MY GOSH, SALLY! You have a crush on Shadow!?" Both girls flinched, Sally from the volume of her voice, and Amy from realizing how her question could've come across. Pulling Sally into her arms, holding her so close, Sally swore she could hear the sound of her heartbeat, the pink hedgehog hurriedly amended her previous sentence by adding, "That's not a bad thing! Shadow is certainly easy on the eyes, and he does have an energy about him that screams "Tall, Dark, and Handsome."
Sally wriggled out of her grasp, trying to ignore her teasing tone and looks. It seemed they weren't going to just ignore this, and wow, if someone would be so kind as to put an end to her pitiful existence so she wouldn't have to deal with any of this, they'd have her eternal thanks.
"No kidding, Pinky. If I wasn't so into Knuckles and saw Shadow in a different light, I'd have given him a go. He certainly oozes sex appeal," Rouge joked, if only to get under the ordinarily collected Sally's skin, which worked almost too well, Blaze thought, her dismay at how things were playing out more than clear. Cream was just as worried, wanting to reel in Amy's excitement and Rouge's teasing.
Sally said nothing, but the glare she leveled the two women could freeze Hell over with its iciness, and both cat and rabbit didn't understand how the other girls weren't picking up on the change in Sally's demeanor. Both comments irked her for different reasons: Amy's because she was, unintentionally or not, overstepping her boundaries with her (and she knew she was just as happy that she wasn't crushing on sonic, which she found insulting. did she still think she was a threat to her nonexistent relationship?), and Rouge's because Sally was more than aware of the tight-knit bond her and Shadow shared, knew that Shadow trusted her immensely, other than Omega, of course, and for her to think she was threatened by their closeness and would want to undermine it, was an insult to her character and was more than a little offensive.
Rouge burst out into uncontrollable laughter, having misunderstood Sally's reaction for jealousy instead of offense. It was precious how annoyed she was, and for no reason at all, too! Her and Shadow worked well together, but they weren't each other's type. They were just best friends and she considered him and Omega to be her family. And while Shadow could tolerate her antics, she knew she got under his skin in ways that made him want to yank his quills out or punch her. Or both if he was really at the end of his rope.
"Ooh, slow your roll, Blue Eyes. We were just stating facts. Shadow is a catch, and it looks like you caught him." And Rouge had the audacity to wink at her like the little shit that she was, as if Sally wasn't this close to wringing her neck, government spy or not.
"How did that happen, you crushing on Shadow, if you don't mind me asking," Blaze wisely interjected, giving Rouge a warning look that she carelessly shrugged off, much to the lavender cat's chagrin. If she kept pushing her luck, Sally wasn't the only one going to lose her temper.
"Truthfully, I'm not entirely sure myself. It didn't happen out of nowhere, mind you; it had organic beginnings: a bond formed from shared conversations and enjoyable exchanges. I respect his strength, his perseverance, and his quiet confidence. His willingness to make the effort to respect and understand me, as well his refusal to make assumptions of my character based on my status as royalty and hearsay, further cemented my positive feelings toward him. I made sure to offer him the same kindness and open-mindedness. I recognize how skewered the public's perception of him can be fickle and refused to behave the same way."
Her hesitance to speak on her feelings for Shadow weren't stemming from a lack of trust in them. It was simply because she didn't trust herself. How could she, the enthralling, meticulous, so-called goody-two-shoes fall for someone who seemed to defy all of the weighted expectations placed upon her? It wasn't because he wasn't good enough or anything disparaging like that; Shadow was more than worthy of her affections, but she was expected to fall for a hero like Sonic: after all, it was the hero that saved the day and rescued the beautiful princess from tower imprisonment, or so the story normally went.
It was just her luck, misfortune really, that her slow ass fell for the knight instead, and she wasn't entirely sure how to feel about that. Add on to the fact that her feelings were, for all intents and purposes, one-sided and unrequited, and it was just a recipe for disaster. She gained nothing from this wayward crush but stood to lose everything behind it.
"Ah, so instead of Prince Charming, your type is more of the Knight in Shining Armor, huh, Sal?" Amy joked, playfully nudging her with her elbow. Sally's frown deepened, but she ignored the jab, figuratively and literally.
"And the princess ran away with her handsome knight instead of the prince and they rode off into the sunset and lived happily ever after," Rouge swooned, hand resting over chest as she batted her eyelashes in an exaggerated manner, whatever remained of her patience snapped.
"Oh yes, because nothing screams romantic like having a one-sided crush on the last person people would expect you to even crush on. I suppose I should feel honored that my feelings seem so outlandish and unconventional that you two, my friends, might I add, find fit to make jokes and laugh at my expense while simultaneously belittling me so brazenly. Never mind the fact that the rest of your feelings on your respective interests are pretty much reciprocated!"
Her tone was downright noxious, and the livid look in her eyes was chilling, especially when directed towards them. Jaw taut and fists clenched tightly, she looked like she was seconds away from causing bodily harm. It was safe to say that she was beyond far beyond her tolerance, and things really were going to go past the point of no return if they didn't tread lightly and do some damage control.
To think that she had to explain her feelings to them, as well as justifying them on top of it, when all they did was make a mockery of both them and she had her seeing red and she was really biting her tongue to keep from saying something below the belt and out of pocket.
Amy had flinched at her outburst, looking more than hurt and chastised, ears drooping sadly, while Rouge looked surprisingly guilty, biting her lips and averting her gaze, and the sudden silence between them felt both deafening and suffocating. Cream looked beyond worried, hating that she didn't step in and intervene sooner. Maybe they wouldn't be sitting in all this uneasiness and Sally wouldn't feel like it was her against the world. As angry as she looked, she looked more distressed than anything, and the rabbit just wanted to wrap her up in a hug and never let her go.
She loved Amy deeply and fiercely, but Amy shouldn't have spoken so blatantly. She expected as much from Rouge, and in no way was she trying to excuse her actions. On the contrary, had Rouge not outed Sally's feelings, none of them would be in their current situation, but she knew that Blaze was going to handle Rouge, so she would deal with Amy. She knew as well as Blaze did that a part of Amy's joviality at Shadow being Sally's object of desire stemmed from her lingering insecurities about Sonic and Sally's friendship, which wasn't fair and wasn't healthy.
When she had a chance to talk to her one-on-one, she was definitely going to have some choice words for her. Being insecure wasn't the issue; she was insecure herself when Cosmo was alive and was so obviously crushing on Tails, a crush that was mutual and reciprocated. Were her feelings hurt? Yes, but Cosmo was her friend, and so was Tails, and if they could find happiness in each other, who was she to stand in their way? That, and that they both weren't even aware of her feelings, so she couldn't put the blame on them. The fault lied on her for not saying anything.
But Sally knew that Amy liked Sonic and didn't make a move on him. She didn't even see him in that manner, and neither did Sonic, so Amy really was worried about what-ifs and how some people thought Sally was a better fit for Sonic than she was as well as how… exuberant she was in expressing her feelings for him when she was younger. Yeah, they were going to have a talk, but it could wait. Sally was currently hurting, and there was no need to kick Amy when she was already feeling down and guilty.
Blaze, ever the calm and level-headed one, got up and moved towards Sally. Glancing at Cream, the young lady understood what Blaze was asking without her having to verbalize it, and traded spots with her, taking a seat beside her pink best friend while Blaze sat beside an apathetic Sally. Draping a comforting arm around her, the lavender princess was content to allow her to compose herself at her own pace.
"You shouldn't be made to feel bad or ashamed of your feelings, neither should you have to defend yourself or your feelings, least of all to us, your friends. I apologize for not intervening sooner and letting things getting out of proportion."
"If it helps, Shadow really does like you. From what Tails told me, whenever Shadow and Sonic hang out, Shadow always finds a way to bring you up and ask about you," Cream added, chocolate eyes filled with mirth, smiling at the way Sally blushed. But she was smiling again, and Cream counted as a win.
"He does?" Sally found herself asking, genuinely curious, her previous ire melting away as she allowed herself to relax. The hopeful feeling in her heart only swelled when Cream nodded her head enthusiastically, lips tugged into a smile that seemed warmer than the sun itself. She knew Cream was not the type to lie about something like that, so, against her better judgment, she allowed the hopeful feeling to exist instead of crushing it.
"Well, color me surprised. Looks like my bestie really is just a softie like I thought," Rouge snorted in amusement. Teal eyes met sapphire, and it was so disconcerting, seeing someone of Rouge's caliber and confidence shrink on themselves. "I'm really sorry picking on you earlier, Sally. I stepped out of line, and even though I didn't' mean you harm, I still hurt you. You're one of my best friends, and I love you and support you in all that you do, okay?"
Amy soon tackled her, causing Sally to bump against Blaze, who thankfully held her ground, lest they all went tumbling down. Sally had to catch her bearings. Amy was quite a force of nature, even now, and especially when she did things like that. She had now registered that her shirt felt wet from tears and was Amy crying?! Alarmed, Sally gently pushed her back so she could look at her directly, and, to her growing dread, she was crying.
"I'm the one who should be apologizing to you, Sally. I of all people should've never picked on you for your feelings, especially when you've been nothing but supportive about my own feelings for Sonic, even when I had that whole jealously episode and wasn't the most pleasant towards you. Even now, instead of being entirely happy for you, I was being selfish, and I'm so sorry for projecting my own insecurities on you," Amy sniffed, eyes shedding tears that Sally hurriedly wiped away.
"First of all, you're all forgiven. Was I angry? Yes. It's not good to be made the butt of a joke you had no idea was being told, and I reacted strongly and got defensive. Still, I shouldn't have let my temper got away from me, and I shouldn't have taken it out on any of you. But, when your feelings are hurt and you feel like your back's against the wall, you tend to react in ways you normally wouldn't if your emotions weren't all over the place."
"However," Sally continued, talking to Rouge and Amy in particular, "there was no need to go that far because if I had done the same to either of you, you put would've been upset, especially you, Amy. Speaking of that, I can empathize with your feelings Amy, because I do know that with how close Sonic and I are, our relationship can and has been misconstrued. But you should know better to think so lowly of me. I thought after what happened the last time, we had ironed out whatever issues we had regarding the whole nonexistent love triangle and rivalry."
Amy hung her head in shame, too embarrassed to meet Sally's disappointed gaze. She was right. The media and fans had tried, countless and countless of times, to insinuate that they were all entangled in a love triangle when it wasn't further from the truth. They had did so to drive a wedge between her and Sally, and Amy, letting her negative feelings get the best of her, almost fed into that toxic bullshit and almost ruined on the most meaningful relationships she had: her relationship with Sonic and her friendship with Sally.
The fact that Sally hadn't told Sonic the true extent of how nasty Amy had gotten at one point, because she didn't hold it against her and forgave her as it was more so an issue between them than anything, and because she didn't want Sonic to think any less of her, spoke volumes about Sally's character and hers as well.
Before she could wallow and walk down darker thoughts, she felt a hand gently tip her head up, and she found herself drowning in a sea of stunning sapphires.
"We all are guilty of jealousy and envy, and nobody, no matter how kindhearted or optimistic they may be, are exempt from these negative feelings. The only thing that bothers me is that you didn't share them with me or Cream if you didn't feel comfortable talking about them with me. You are one of my closest friends, and you should never feel like you're in competition with me. In fact, none of you should because I want you guys to win too! It's okay if we don't see eye-to-eye all the time or if we have disagreements, so long as we can come together and work through them. I love you very much, Amy Rose, and I forgive you, okay? And I love and forgive you as well, Rouge, Blaze, and Cream."
Sally's voice was firm and loving, leaving no room for anymore negativity and doubts. She refused to let there be issues between her and her friends. She loved them fiercely and even when they had their moments, she'd always be there for them because she knew they'd do the same for her without hesitation. She dried Amy's tears and pulled the pink hedgehog into a hug that was full of warmth and forgiveness. Amy didn't hesitate to return it, her grateful smile hidden in Sally's shoulder. Cream didn't waste time in joining in on their hug, and then it turned into a group hug, the remaining tension melting away like ice cubes on a boardwalk.
Eventually, they all pulled away from the hug, the lighthearted atmosphere returning tenfold, Sally grinned, blue eyes twinkling like Christmas ornaments.
"Now that I'm not being a wary, fuming fuckwad," at that, Rouge couldn't stop the unladylike snort she made, Blaze hiding her smile behind her hand while Amy and Cream giggled, "and since my feelings are apparently newsworthy, which I still don't understand how because I clearly wasn't as subtle as I deluded myself into believing, what other questions are you yearning to ask me?" Sally joked.
Rouge, eager to find out more, quickly got up and squeezed herself between Amy and Sally. Now that she was more willing to spill the beans, she didn't want to miss out on a thing.
"Well, since your crush is the freshest one out of the four of us, which trope do you fall in? Amy's the "fated lovers" trope, Cream's the "childhood sweethearts" trope, Blaze's the "best friends to lovers" trope, and I'm the "enemies to lovers" trope," Rouge explained, calmly tuning out the other girls' outbursts at her more than accurate descriptions.
"Hmm, I suppose I fall into the "forbidden love" trope then because Shadow is certainly not the kind of man my parents would pick out for me to date and potentially marry," Sally answered easily, a wistful smile on her face. At the affronted look on Rouge's face though, which, fair, because her best friend was essentially being insulted, Sally hurriedly added, "They wouldn't hate him or anything! It's more of a classism thing, really. Truthfully, as much as they adore Sonic, even if Sonic and I were into each other in that sense, he wouldn't be their first choice of a partner for me either."
"What? But he's the hero, and you're the princess! Isn't that how the story goes?" Amy asked, genuinely confused. "I mean, obviously I'm glad you and Sonic aren't like that, not that I wouldn't be supportive if you guys were though! I-"
"I understand what you mean, Amy. Sonic does have many admirable traits and while he is both heroic and a hero, it still doesn't negate the fact that he would be considered a commoner in the eyes of my family. It's like, if they had to pick someone who wasn't royal, he'd be their first pick. And while the rules and how strict they are and if or how they're implemented varies from kingdom to kingdom, that's how it'd be viewed back home."
"She's right. I know for my kingdom, they don't really mind me liking Silver, and they get along with him fairly well, all things considered. Theoretically, if we were to date and marry, they wouldn't be entirely opposed to it." Blaze looked at Sally with a somber look in her golden eyes. "Would it really be that bad if you did date Shadow?"
Sally sighed, long and hard, and there was anguished look on her face that had absolutely no business being there. That look alone spoke volumes, but still, Sally found the words to answer Blaze's question.
"I would like to be optimistic and say it'd be amazing, but realistically, I doubt it. You should've seen the looks on their faces when they realized that not only was my older brother Elias dating a non-royal, but a peasant and a single mother, at that. They absolutely flipped their shit and it was, essentially, hell on Earth and the ensuing arguments and screaming matches that followed that whole debacle were definitely ones for the history books. If it was a fling, they would've still side-eyed him, but it would've been temporary, so they would wait it out, and that applies to me as well regarding Shadow or anyone else. But seriously dating and marriage? Absolutely not."
"The only reason it worked out for Elias is because we both bucked up on them and both threatened to abdicate our titles as Prince, now King, and Princess. It was a shitstorm and nightmare all at once. And no," Sally continued, raising her hand to halt their questions/interruptions, "it's okay that you didn't know all of this. Tails doesn't even know. The only other person who knows is Sonic, and he only knows because he witnessed a particularly nasty spat between my parents and brother when he visited me during that whole debacle, and I was on the verge of a breakdown. He took me out of the castle and somewhere private and asked what was going on and I told him."
It was silent once more, each of them processing the bombs Sally kindly dropped on them all. There was a lot to unpack, and honestly, her strong reaction to the previous teasing earlier made a hell of a lot of sense when factor this bit of news in too.
"Are you willing to go through all that to be with him if he decided to date you?" Cream carefully asked. All eyes were on the morose looking princess once more. She closed her eyes briefly and silently asked herself Cream's question. Would she be willing to risk it all and go to hell and back for Shadow? She thought about all the stolen glances, the late-night conversations, the spars, the soft smiles, the light in his eyes whenever he didn't shy away from her gaze when she did catch him staring at her.
"Yes, I would because I know he'd be worth it," Sally answered firmly, a determined look in her eyes. Rouge was quick to hug her, smiling when it was returned. She was definitely going to revisit this topic with Sally when she got the chance because it really was bullshit that her parents of all people willingly stepped in the way of her brother's happiness and would be willing to do the same to her. And maybe Shadow wasn't a Prince Charming, but he was a damn good person with a heart of gold, and she wouldn't stand for anyone putting him down and attacking him. He got enough of that kind of shit as it was, and he didn't need to deal with kind of drama on top of it.
If anything, she admired Sally more because she didn't want Shadow to go through that either and didn't want to be the cause of his suffering. Rouge may seem flighty and unconcerned at times, if not selfish and pushy, but she cared about her friends, and Shadow was one of her closest friends, so she knew him more than well enough to know that he, should he finally grow a pair and choose to pursue Sally, would not let anyone, monarchy be damned, keep him away from Sally. He would be the one raising hell and starting shit, and Rouge couldn't wait to see the looks on those stuffy fucks' faces should they ever cross that bridge in the future.
"Looks like we both deviated from our intended storybook ending and fell for someone unexpected. If Shadow's a knight, then Silver's a court jester." Leave it to Blaze to lighten the mood, saying something so unexpectedly hilarious and roasting Silver in the process.
"Damn, Blaze, you didn't have to do poor Silver like that!" Rouge was nearly howling with laughter, thanking Chaos that she wore waterproof makeup, or her tears of laughter would have easily ruined all her handiwork. Amy and Cream were giggling in their hands, and Sally was nearly gasping for breath, leaning on Blaze for support as she fought to get her laughter under control.
Blaze shrugged, unrepentant in her assessment, but she, too, was smiling and quietly laughing right along with them.
"I didn't mean that as an insult, but you have to admit, it's a fitting analogy. I was simply pointing at that Silver is goofy. He is exuberant and cheerful and does his best to uplift people and make them smile. He's also very brave and hardworking and kindhearted. How could I resist someone who goes out of their way to brighten up my day?" And she spoke these words so sincerely, so matter of fact, that they couldn't help but swoon and find it so adorable.
"Wow, Blaze. That was so romantic and sweet," Amy said, smiling warmly at her. Blushing, she averted her gaze, though her smile never once wavered.
"Yeah, well, you'll have to thank Silver for that. He tends to have that effect on me, so it would seem," was her aloof response, but she wasn't fooling anyone.
"Tails is the same way, always working hard and pushing the envelope. He's so brilliant and intelligent and supportive and always looks out for others. We've always been close, but when the whole incident with Cosmo happened, we grew even closer. It was a hard time for everyone, but him especially. I've always liked him, but I was looking out for him as a friend. He just lost someone he loved and was rightfully devasted. I wasn't going to just confess while he was in that fragile mind state," Cream elaborated, having already anticipated Amy's question.
"That's actually very thoughtful of you to not only have that kind of awareness, but the mindfulness to know that wasn't really something he was equipped to deal with at that time. It's hard liking someone who just had their whole world crushed, and even though you want to express your feelings, you have to step back and let them grieve and heal and just be there for them sincerely. Every time I think you can't get any sweeter, you go breaking my expectations of you," Amy praised her, giving her a comforting hug. She liked to think she would've done the same if their roles were reversed because her feelings for Sonic ran deeper than just surface level attraction, but still. That was a very brave thing her little sister did, and she wanted her to know that she was proud of her.
"Bun-Bun really is a shining example for us all. I'm proud of you, honey. You're braver than most and twice as caring, and Tails would have to be crazy not to notice how much of a gem you really are," Rouge said, affectionately ruffling Creams' hair.
"I think he does notice but he's like his brother was and doesn't know what to do about his feelings," Sally added, smiling at how adorable Cream looked when she was flustered. "I would know, so don't be too quick to doubt me. From how badly Sonic teases him whenever I hang out with them, he's feeling you. He's just being adorably shy and doesn't know how to approach you or want to ruin things between you."
"With the way things are looking, Cream's love life is the best out of all of us. Well, I'd be a close second and the rest of you ladies are, excuse my language, fucked," Blaze joked, her and Cream laughing at the indignant looks on their faces. "Now that we've had our little heart to heart, let's pick up our things and get going. I think we've kept the guys waiting long enough."
They all stood up, stretching and sighing as they got their blood flowing again, their aching limbs rejoicing.
"How much do you wanna bet that ol' Knucklehead lost his shit and punched a hole in the table or something?" Rouge laughed, effortlessly picking up her shopping bags; she couldn't help but smirk at the way the rest of them struggled. They all saved the world how many times, and yet they lacked the upper body strength to carry a few measly bags? Amateurs, the lot of them.
"I can hear you talking shit about us in your head, and I just want it be known that we all can't be shopaholics like you, little bat," Sally grinned, somehow dodging the kick Rouge sent her way. "Knuckles must be rubbing off on you; we oughta be placing bets on you wrecking shit too, huh?" And Sally was quick to runaway before Rouge had another chance to try and break her bones. With a flap of her wings, she was right on her tail, trying, and failing, to land a good kick in.
Amy, Cream, and Blaze stood still for a moment, their bags hanging from their hands and arms as they watched Sally and Rouge get further and further away, Sally's laughter and Rouge's angry shouts filling the air with its crescendo. Blaze heaved a heavy sigh, speed walking in an attempt to catch up to them, lest a mall cop feel inclined to intervene, and she really, really didn't feel like going to jail today.
"Never a dull moment, huh?" Amy joked, she and Cream sharing a laugh as they matched Blaze's pace and tried catching up to their other friends.