Title: It's Like, Wow
Author: Chrys
E-mail: irish_martyr@yahoo.com
Pairings: AmyxSonic
Warnings: None this time, except fluff. Hee.
Comments: Lyrics at the top are from Leslie Carter's Like Wow. ^^ Sonic characters belong to their proper owners, yadda yadda. And I know I was tempted to write more angst, but phooey, I got in the mood. ^~

//Everything looks bright
Standing in your light
Everything feels right
What's left is out of sight
What's a girl to do?
I'm feeling you
You're on my mind//

There was only one thing in the world on pert, cheerful bundle of energy Amy Rose's mind as she skipped along a sidewalk, grocery bag swinging at her sides: Sonic the Hedgehog.

It had been like this since she'd met him. Sure, he was the hero, dashing, cocky, with an irrestistable grin that could turn her to goo in her shoes if slanted her way. But there was something else, too. It wasn't just all the glam and the thrill of being next to him, casually bumping shoulders--it was his style.

Wait, style? One didn't normally assosciate 'style' with Sonic the Hedgehog. Flair, yes, exhuberance, yes, but style?

To Amy Rose, Sonic leaked style out his pores. And it was so totally unintentional that it was irresistable. He didn't just save the world, didn't just sweep every female with red blood pumping through her veins off her feet. He'd perfected the casual, blood-stirring glance that had her breath catching, he knew how to treat a girl--or woman--with respect and care. And it all came so naturally.

Grinning, bunching a fist in front of her mouth, she stopped and twirled, the edges o her bright red dress flared up slightly, briefly, before she patted it back down. Sonic was just the sort of guy you couldn't possibly hang around and eventually fall for.

Now, getting him to fall back, that was entirely a different matter.

Her mama had always told her that the way to a man's heart was through his stomach. Sonic was such a puzzle to her, that she had nothing else to fall back on but food. She had no idea what made him tick, what kept him pressing on when he was only one hedgehog against a man and his legion of robots.

But she intended to find out.

Bursting through the doorway of the place she had come to call home, Amy called out cheerfully to no one in particular, laughing brightly as she entered.

He saw her. No matter what else was on his mind, however important it was, he could never not notice Amy Rose. She was just there, so outgoing, so cheerful and confident. She had a strength beyond her years, and a competent, level head on her shoulders, when she chose to apply it.

From outside she brought in sunshine and fresh air, both things that he would forever assosciate with her. Amy was sunshine. She brought life and laughter to them, the freedom fighters, and kept things from ever becoming too dark or too tough. She might not have known it, but without her, there would be nothing holding them all together--no bond to keep them strong.

One of these days, he was going to tell her that. And one of these days, he was going to make her believe it.

Because he knew Amy Rose. She might act confident and light-hearted, but there was insecurity there. Most wouldn't see it; she kept up a front to make certain that everything was well, that they all stuck together when things were tough. But Sonic saw. Yes, he saw, and he respected it.

But, he wondered, did she see it?

She turned then, a smile curving her youthful face, eyes glowing happily. Sonic found that he was caught off-guard by the look, and it caused something to stir. A shiver, and his heart trembled.

"Sonic!" She flung herself at him, the grocery bag rapping smartly against the chair he was sitting on as she engulfed him in her arms. Her laughter washed over him, a light, tinkling noise that Knuckles always teased was grating. But Sonic could never find anything wrong with it.

"Amy, whoa, wait a minute," He grinned, pushing her back, then gave in and ruffled her hair.

She let out a squeal of protest, and her hands immediately flew to fix her hair. Sonic just laughed, reached over to hook one finger around the enge of the bag. "Hm, what's this? Food? I'm starving," he admitted, grinning.

"No!" Amy snatched the bag back, to Sonic's confusion, and her cheeks flared. "You can't see it yet," she rushed, taking a step back. "I'm going to make something special, and you have to eat it! Okay?" She demanded, and he could do little more than nod before she sped off into the kitchen.

Leaning back in his chair, balanced on the two back legs, Sonic merely stared back at her with a raised brow. Just what was she up to, he wondered? And why did it make him want to grin like a fool?

Humming, pleased that she'd gotten to hug Sonic briefly, Amy began to remove the contents of the grocery bag, carefully arranging them on the counter. "You'd better not peek, Sonic, or you won't get one bite!" She promised, over her shoulder, and felt a warm sort of glow when she heard his laughter.

It was hard to get privacy of any sort in the tiny little house they'd managed to obtain as a headquarters of sorts, but she knew that today she'd be alone with Sonic. Knuckles and Rouge were off shopping, much to the former's horror, and Tails was engrossed in something technical and entirely too confusing for her to think about up in his room. They wouldn't be bothered.

While she was no whiz as a cook, she could at least make a decent angel food cake, unlike Rouge, who seemed to be able to burn water, though how she managed to do that eluded Amy. The process was made a lot simpler by the fact that she'd purcased adorable little miniature cakes at the store.

Dumping the container of fresh strawberries into a colander, Amy began a steady flow of water over them, singing an upbeat, cheerful tune as she went. She could have no idea that, as she set about making her little treats, Sonic was sitting in the adjoining room having a terrible time concentrating on the recent reports spread out on the table.

She had such a nice voice. Sweet, cute, just like her. It certainly wasn't Mina's voice, but it seemed so perfect coming from her, with her tiny, pixieish features and blatantly pink fur. The two were entirely different voices, with and entirely different quality, but he found that Amy Rose's had a more pronounced effect on him.

Rather than want to promote her, show the world what she could do, he simply wanted to sit back and let her sing for him. And only him.

It was strange, he thought. He shouldn't be so possessive. It wasn't as if Amy's voice was something to be caught and held, but the feelings listening to her sing light-heartedly about love inspired in him he didn't want to share.

Actually, he was to explore them. He'd never thought of her in more than a brotherly fashion. but lately... lately, everything was different. Maybe the fondness he'd found growing deep within him had nothing at all to do with friendship. Maybe he wanted to find out.

He was snapped from his thoughts by the appearance of the object of them herself. Blinking, he sat up and stretched, casting her a casual, boderline flirtateous grin.

God, he could make her melt with that. As if it wasn't enough she'd come out to find him daydreaming, slightly hunched over with one gloved hand pressed to his cheek, those enchanting green eyes blurred as he wandered through a realm of his own construction. She'd also been able to see the partially confused, but mostly pleased look on his face when she'd brought him back around.

Forcing herself to keep her emotions under control, she smiled, almost shyly. "Okay, come on. It's all ready. If you laugh, though, I'm going to dump it all over your head!"

He put his tongue in his cheek to keep from doing just that at her statement, but wisely just nodded, sauntering in after her. His gaze immediately fell on two small bowls of angel food cake topped with strawberries and gentle mounds of whipping cream.

He shouldn't be moved. He knew he shouldn't. But it was just so damn sweet.

Turning, a smile in his eyes, he reached over and cupped her face with his hands, pressing a brief kiss on her forehead. "Amy, you're a doll."

She nearly fainted on the spot. However, she managed to control herself and merely laugh it off, though she knew she must be as red as the strawberries at the table.

They sat down to eat, and as Sonic took the first bite, eyes closed, Amy watched in nervous anticipation. He chewed, swallowed, and then seemed to savor the taste for a second.

Cracking open one eye, he offered her a cocky grin. "Good, but more sugar might be better."

Embarrassment was overcome by fury in about 1.3 seconds, and she scowled before laughing, seeing that he didn't mean it. "Sonic, you are so mean."

"I know."

He took another generous forkful, and then blinked, baffled, when Amy's fork was raised before his face.

"Here... I, ah, added more sugar to mine."

Normally, he would have cracked a joke, or maybe teased her. But she looked so fragile suddenly, so nervous. And shy. So he merely smile and leaned forward, taking the bite neatly, smiling when the sweetness filled his mouth.

"Better, much better." He nodded, as if to emphasize.

"Oh, I'm so happy!" She clapped, letting out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding, and laughing.

The simple joy he'd produced, the innocence of it, had Sonic lowering his fork and looking at her closely. He was certain of it now. What he felt for Amy, or was beginning to, went beyond friendship. And he wasn't stupid; he knew that Amy fancied him.

So what was holding him back?

"Sonic?" Amy asked, pausing, intruiged by the serious expression that had settled on his features. It was strange, and somehow, exciting. She felt her pulse quicken as he looked at her.

Giving in to impulse, Sonic leaned over, slipping one hand behind her neck to draw her face to his. She offered no resistance; her eyes widened a bit in surprise, but she could do little more than gasp an "Oh!" before he covered her mouth with his.

It was a gentle, brief brushing of lips; just a touch, to see how she felt about it. He drew back briefly, looking into her eyes, and saw something there he hadn't expected: hesitation.

Dropping his hand, his own eyes widening slightly, he murmured an apology. But he was cut off when Amy crushed her body against his, gripping his shoulders with her hands and slanting her lips against his. He was shocked, amazed, and taken-aback all at once--and then he found his bearings.

Angling his body, he drew her in with one arm so that she fit snugly, neatly against him and leaned into the kiss, her little gasp of pleased surprise fueling him to draw the experience out.

She tasted sweet, like candy and whipping cream and strawberries. And God, she fit so well against him, so perfectly. He tightened one arm around her waist and broke the kiss, softly pressing his lips to the corner of her mouth once before he leaned back.

"Amy..."

"Shh," She demanded, bright green eyes alive with mischeif. "Just shut up and kiss me again."

And he grinned once more, cockily, and did exactly as she asked him to, not caring that Knuckles and Rouge had just arrived home and the Echidna was letting out catcalls from the doorway. He just offered his friend a simple, easily interpreted gesture and went right on with what he was doing.

She'd never look at strawberries the same way again, she mused. Not when they'd be forever entwined with her memory of the first ever kiss Sonic had given her.

No, strawberries would now be hers--and Sonic's--staple diet.