A/N: Happy New Year! I whipped this up in about an hour because the lose premise of it has been rattling around my head for weeks and I just needed to get it out. It's nothing special, I could definitely have done better. But I just really need it to get out of my head, lol. I might come back and add to it another time. Hope 2022 is kind to you all! Much love.

'This night is sparkling, don't you let it go...'

Enchanted

"This was a stupid idea," I grumbled to myself as my eyes stayed firmly fixed on Amy across the ballroom floor. "Stupid, stupid, stupid." I finished, raising the glass of sparkly fruity punch to my lips and chugging it down in one go. It left a warm feeling down my chest and to my stomach, threatening to sour as I watched the men fawn over my friend.

I shouldn't have asked her to come here with me for the reasons I did. It's not even like I was the one who needed it, clearly. It's as if these guys don't care she came with someone else, ogling and surrounding her.

OK sure, she looks like a freaking Goddess in her shimmering gown, her hair curled and gently pulled back from her face to expose her slender neck. I know she could still whip out her hammer and flatten the lot of them without moving a hair out of place if one of them even dares put a finger on her. But did they have to surround her like that?

And why the hell am I not over there freeing her from it?

My feet felt stuck to the floor, refusing to budge even as I gripped my glass tighter and narrowed my gaze on one fox looking too leery for me. I should be pulling her away from them and - and what? Staking my claim? I'm not a Neanderthal, I know Amy can look after herself and she's a friendly person, she'll talk with anyone. It's not her fault she's had the attention of everyone, male and female, the second she walked in here on my arm.

Chaos, I don't think my jaw will ever feel the same again. It hit the floor so hard when I arrived at her house. I was struck speechless, my eyes taking in the whole of her as she spun around for me. The sparkles of her dress catching on the light and winking at me, like a starburst. And she's been burning as bright as a star ever since. Longer if I'm being candid and honest with myself.

I felt my sigh come up from the depths of my soul.

"And why exactly are you over here watching that disgusting display with Amy when she's apparently your date for this thing?" Knuckles gruffly asked as he came to stand beside me. I sighed again, but for a whole different reason.

Tearing my eyes away from Amy I glanced at my red friend, cocking a brow at the pink beverage in his hand he seemed to have no problem drinking. His bow tie was askew and he looked as uncomfortable in his tux as I felt in mine. Stretching his neck this and that way to loosen the pinch around his neck his thick mittens were too big to get into. I suppressed another sigh as I turned my attention back to Amy.

"Because we came as friends and she doesn't need me rescuing her." I answered simply. But I heard the pathetic tone to my voice.

I could feel Knuckles' eyes on me, burning a hole into my head. I resisted shuffling around on my feet. "Are you really that dense?" he genuinely asked me. I felt my back spike at the insult.

"That's rich coming from you." I jabbed back because I felt like being an even bigger stupid hog tonight than I already was. And why not throw in a possible fight with my friend to see in the new year? I never said I was feeling particularly sane this evening too.

"Watch it," Knuckles growled, and I felt the heat of his hot headedness radiating off of him. "I might be slow on the uptake when it comes to some things. But at least I'm not blind to love and don't hold back from the best thing to ever happen to me." And he meant every single word. So much that I turned to look at him again, surprised by what he said. "What? You still think the master Emerald is my only priority? Pft, and they say you're the fastest thing alive. Catch up, Sonic. Rouge is more important to me than being a guardian. I don't want to spend the rest of my life guarding it alone. That can't be all I'm here to do. I don't want it to be all I do."

For the second time in a matter of hours I felt my jaw hit the floor again.

"I had no idea you guys were so serious," I mumbled, blinking past the shock and trying to imagine Knuckles not caring as much about being the last guardian like I'd always known him to be.

Knuckles shrugged, super casual and unbothered. "You never asked."

"Right," I nodded, turning away from him because I wasn't sure this night could get any weirder. "So what, you're standing here to give me relationship advice or something?"

"Or something," he chuckled and it made a shiver of nervousness race down my spine. "She might be surrounded by all that attention, but there's only one person Amy wants it from. Maybe she's just waiting for you to rescue her any-way. Good luck and stop being so stupid." Knuckles finished, gripping my shoulder and squeezing hard enough to make me wince before he walked off laughing.

I swallowed thickly and looked directly at Amy, meeting her eyes across the floor, the rest of the party and people surrounding her dropping away. She was being spoken to but she wasn't listening. She just held my gaze, a small shy smile tilting the corners of her mouth. It was like a gut punch that knocked the air from my lungs. She might as well have delivered a psychic hit from her hammer, it was just as effective.

And before I knew what was happening, my feet were carrying me across the floor to her. I watched her take a breath in and seem to hold it as she watched me come to her. Her dress winked at me as her hands fluttered at her neck. The sea of people parted as I stepped into the crowd around her, offering my hand out. "Will you come dance with me?" I asked, my voice seeming to come from somewhere else. Since when do I dance? Since when do I have a racing heart beat without the rush of running?

Amy didn't hesitate to drop her hand into mine, ignoring the people around her. I slipped my fingers between hers as I turned to lead her to the dance floor I had just cut straight across, and led her to the centre. Beneath the huge crystal chandelier that set her dress into a thousand sparks, sparkling at anyone who happened to glance her way.

I don't dance, I don't slow down enough to even attempt it. But there I was, my arm slipping around her waist to pull her closer to me, her other hand held in mine, close to my chest as the slow music had me sway and guide Amy in a gentle and soothing dance. And still I didn't look away from her. Even though part of my mind was wondering just how and when we managed to get into this position?

I'd asked Amy to be my date because I thought it would help keep people off my back. Because I didn't want attention all night; I thought having Amy there would act as a barrier between me and the party, she's the social butterfly after-all. But I realised pretty quickly that it wasn't going to work as she got swept away from me and it was her fighting off the crowd. More than that, I was stupid for believing that was the reason I wanted to ask her. Like I said before, stupid, stupid, stupid.

I spent all night catching her little glances at me. Getting a hopeful smile and the dormant part of my brain that just wasn't aware of anything romantic was not picking up on the signals she'd been aiming my way. It really took for Knucklehead to stir it awake. Or maybe Amy woke it up, but Knuckles gave it the kick up the butt I needed. I didn't know and I didn't care. I was just grateful to finally have Amy in my arms and to myself. So grateful I didn't even notice my nerves were non-existent.

"I wondered how long it would take for you to ask me to dance," Amy said, looking up at me under her long lashes. Her eyes told me how nervous she was to be standing there with me. "You cut it pretty close, we're almost at midnight. I thought I would be seeing in the new year across the floor from you."

I smiled, her nerves bolstering my confidence.

"Sorry Ames, had to have someone give me a nudge to wake me up. Guess I'm not as fast as I thought." I pulled her a little closer, captivated by the way her breathing got a little shallower, her grip on my shoulder a little stronger. And then her eyes caught the glisten of the lights above, mirroring her starlit dress and I realised captivated wasn't the right word. Enchanted - I was enchanted by Amy Rose. And had been from the second I met her all those years ago.

Amy smiled at me and I felt like the luckiest hedgehog alive. "You get there eventually, that's what counts."

Releasing her hand to rest on my chest I gently ran my thumb across her cheek, gliding my hand into her hair. I looked into her heavy lidded eyes one more time before leaning down to meet her lips in a kiss. I sighed into her mouth, the most serene feeling of home overwhelming me as I slipped my hand down to her neck and took it deeper. I was vaguely aware of the people cheering around us, whooping and hollering, shouting something about the year. But I tuned it all out and just held Amy in my arms, kissing her over and over.

What a new year it was going to be if I got to do this every chance I get…