a/n: What really was.

Weave

3. Wax Majestic

He leaned back into his couch, sitting with his hands folded. The television was off, and so was the radio he liked to listen to. The apartment was quiet, as it usually was around this time without Cream visiting.

Sonic had taken a lot of time out to think. He was feeling trapped, and while it wasn't a totally unfamiliar feeling, it was a bit stressful if anything. Talking to Cream made him realize how out of his depth he must have been, at least to her; she could see through him any time she wanted if she simply focused a little. So why was it that she was coming to him for advice? Why even consider it in the first place?

He understood that she was searching for a lot of things in him, things that would end up frightening her, as some already had. She wasn't ready to be "a woman", but in her many thoughts she considered an early trip there to be a very close possibility. The look in her eyes when she left two weeks prior made her seem like she was defeated, as if she couldn't take any more now that she had seen the edge of her desire. It was still heavy on her mind, even if she refused to say so. The week after was filled with superficial banter; she was weighed down on the inside. She didn't want to breach that subject again, as much as she wanted to. So unsure of what everything she once thought was real meant now.

That fluid, yet cold projection of love.

He wasn't sure of what to do. As much as she trusted him, that door between them was slowly closing. She had frightened herself more than she realized.

A knock on the door brought the blue hedgehog out of his thoughts. His ears perked up and he heard a distinctive shuffling and clicking of shoes against the ground outside. Going through the possibilities, he jumped up and adjusted his scarf before opening the door.

The visitor had on a fluffy pink jacket, silk scarf, and designer sunglasses over their face.

"Oi. It's a little flashy for winter, eh?"

"You know I can't afford to skimp on style."

"Heh. Point made. Come on in, toots."

She unwrapped her scarf and shed her jacket, handing them both to her host. Her feet in bright red heels were presented to him next, and he undid her straps like he had a thousand times before. She removed her glasses and held them in one hand as he turned up the lights, following her to the kitchen.

"I recognize that lovely smell," she said with a sniff of the air.

"Oh, yeah. Made today my practice day for scones, kept 'em warm for a bit. I wanted Cream to try 'em."

"May I have some?"

"Yeah, no worries. Small batch, so it's all yours."

"Thank you! I'm looking forward to it." He seated her politely, and she tousled her already wild pink hair once before letting it settle, setting her glasses down in the middle of the table. Her outfit was simple for her visit; frilly blouse and long skirt, both red and silk, met in the middle by two stylish white leather belts around her waist.

"You wore that for the paper a few months ago, didn't ya? Oh, I got Earl Grey whipped up, did ya want something else?"

"I did, you remembered! Oh, and that's perfectly fine."

"Really, eh?"

"What?"

"Nothin'. You've just been sorta...low maintenance lately, Amy. No offense."

"It's...I don't want to be a diva. Not all the time, anyways. Y'know?" she said with a smile. "I figure I shouldn't cause you too much trouble...after all, you're my favourite guy."

"I know. Hey, I...I'm sorry about the whole-"

"Fat joke?" She winked at him, green eyes sparkling. "Water under the bridge. I can't hold a grudge against you, anyways."

"Good to know," he said with a chuckle. "I didn't mean anythin' by it, and besides...you've been looking nicer, filling out and all. I mean it."

"Thanks. That makes me feel pretty great, hehe."

He set down her tea in front of her, on the better china he had stashed away. "Milk, sugar?"

"The usual. You remember, right?"

"Milk over cream...splash of honey," he recited as he mixed. "Nice 'n light. I'll get your scones out the oven, should still be nice an' toasty."

She smiled and clasped her hands together. "Goodie. I love it when they're fresh."

Sonic carefully plated a few of the scones and took them to Amy. Asking for an extra moment, he returned again with a small knife and some butter on a plate.

"It's definitely different, all of this," she remarked. "You've been doing a really good job, you know?"

"I try. I owe you for all of it."

"You don't owe me much. I just planted the idea way back when." Amy buttered a scone and took a bite out of it before setting it down. Her eyes closed and her hands went to her cheeks. "These are like, amazing...even more amazing than I remembered. Geez, you're too good at this sort of thing!"

"Practice makes perfecto, si? Been working on it."

"That's some work," she said as she finished off the scone. "Mmm. These shouldn't be too bad if I reheat them?"

"Not at all, you can take 'em all home."

"I totally will!" She sipped at her tea next and nodded with satisfaction. "Great...that's really the stuff."

"So, not to harsh your mood or anything..."

"Right, I did stop by unannounced. Though...I did notice you didn't have anything on in the background," Amy said as she set down her cup. "Not like you. Something happening with you and Cream?"

"A little. I'm just stumped on how we're gonna move forward," he said as he sat down across from her. "We were doing okay up until a couple of weeks ago. She tell you anything about it?"

"Not a peep. It really is between the two of you."

"Yeah...figured so."

"Don't go doubting yourself, mister. Listen," she said gently, "I wouldn't have recommended you if I wasn't sure things would be alright in the end. Cream really cares about you, and I know you care about her. You wouldn't do anything to intentionally hurt each other. But hearing you say that it's been tricky...she's been hiding it well enough from me, looks like."

"She's grown up like that," Sonic said, leaning back in his chair. "Really mature for a kid."

"Sonic? I don't like using this term but...well. I think sometimes Cream is a bit too smart for her own good. It's not a bad thing most of the time, but I think she sees things too far down the road. It's something I've noticed with her as she's grown up."

"Does it worry you?" he asked.

"No, not really. It should, right? But she's surrounded by family, like you and me. It's good that she's getting a crash course now...and it's like a lot of social things, you're better at seeing what needs fixing in others before you notice it about yourself. The great ones are just good at figuring out themselves faster."

"Somethin' like that."

"You'll get it. I promise you will."

"You got any idea why she didn't open up to you, Amy?"

She took another sip of tea and shook her head. "None at all. She said it had to be you, and that she couldn't talk about it. It's nothing about Tails, either...by the by, have you heard from him?"

"He called last week to check in. Said he was off on a lot of tangents and might be holed up all winter."

"Isn't that just like him..." Amy sighed. "Girlfriend in crisis and he's building junk. Why can't more men be like you, eh?"

"Ain't enough awesome to go around for all of us," Sonic said with a smile.

"That's too bad. Though having only one you makes it easier for me."

"Heh." Sonic rubbed his nose. "Actually, I was wondering if your schedule wasn't too tight for these kinds of visits."

"My heart told me to come and see you, so I had my agent help me blow off a small-time modeling gig. They'll reschedule," she said smugly. "I'm Amy Rose, after all."

"Man. You're killin' 'em out there. Gonna take up that pro tennis gig they were talking about?"

"Without a doubt. Just want another year or two to stoke the suspense, put out that sports line so that I have a bunch of things to look even cuter in, and then I'll smash some balls. Not just on the court, either."

He winced playfully. "Yikes. Takin' the world by storm, no prisoners. If we're talkin' about growing up, you've done a lot of it too, Amy."

"So have you, as much as you don't want to admit it."

"Just gettin' old and grey."

"Stop that, you. You're terrible."

Sonic smiled and watched Amy sip her tea. A thought came to him as he flipped through their conversation, as light as it was.

"I know that look."

He focused on Amy again as she gave him a sunny smile.

"You've figured something out."

"...y'know, I might have..."

"So?"

"Well...me an' Cream have been moving on the same wavelength so far. We kinda get each other...and I think that's the problem. I think we're lookin' inside the same box when one of us has gotta be outside lookin' in," he said, rubbing his chin. "I gotta get ahead of the curve a little. Vanilla busy this week?"

"I can call her and say you want to pop in. You're not gonna...?"

"No, not unless Cream's said anything."

"She hasn't. All she knows is that you two have been hanging out together. She's actually happy about it, from what she's told me."

There were more dots connecting in Sonic's head. Maybe the solution was something obvious and straightforward. Talking to Vanilla would definitely help.

"Hit me up when you can, then. I think I really do need to talk with her, it might sort all of this out."

"I'll make the call by tomorrow the latest. Will it be ahead of your meeting with Cream?"

"Yeah, well ahead. I don't wanna let this drag on another week if I have to, but...I know how I'm gonna approach things either way."

Amy bit into another scone and smiled. "What'd I tell you?"

"That I had this. Amy Rose always knows, as you say."

"And don't you forget it, sweetie."

He smirked back at her. "Believe me, I don't think I will."