Chapter 6

"She never looked nice. She looked like art, and art wasn't supposed to look nice; it was supposed to make you feel something" -Rainbow Rowell; Eleanor & Park

Sonic stood at Cream's doorstep, his heart beating as fast as hummingbird's wings.

"Sonic!" Cream's voice was scolding. "Where have you been? We all thought you weren't coming!"

"Uh, what?" Sonic was stunned. He thought Amy would have opened the door. He hadn't been expecting Cream. He regained himself. "What do you mean? Of course I would come! I wouldn't miss this!" Now he was irritated. It was a nice distraction. How dare they. His friends, of all people, knew what he had been through these last four years. How could they think that he wouldn't come to Amy's coming home party? She was all he had thought about.

"You're an hour late, Sonic!" Cream said. She shook her head. "It doesn't matter. At least you're here now." She noticed the big, white box with red ribbon Sonic was holding. "Is that for Amy?" she asked, eyes wide.

Sonic looked down at the box in his arms. "Yes, yes it is," he answered Cream. "Wait, didn't the invite say that the party started at four?" Sonic looked at Cream confused. That's what it had said, right? Then again, he had been brain scattered when he had gotten his invite. He couldn't remember clearly what time it had stated.

Cream looked at him disapprovingly. "Well you were in such an excited rush that day that you forgot your invite at the diner with me. I gave it to Tails but I guess you never stopped by his workshop to pick it up. Did he even tell you he had it? Anyway, I guess I can forgive you this time." She opened the door wider to let him in. "Come on, everyone's already here."

So he had left it at the diner? He could have sworn... Sonic's thoughts were interrupted when Cream grabbed his left hand to pull him into the house. His heart began to speed up again. So this was it, it was actually happening. Sonic was going to see Amy after four years.

Cream continued to lead Sonic down the hallway towards what he assumed was the living room. "No! It wasn't all that bad you guys! My brain is probably going to be fried for the next year but I'll survive!" a female voice said and then laughed. That laugh... Sonic hadn't heard that laugh in four years. His breath caught in his throat and butterflies filled his stomach sending tingles all over his body. His hands began to get clammy. Sonic was definitely nervous but more so excited. But hearing her laugh, it also made him feel at ease at the same time. She was actually here! She was alive. She was no longer a memory in his mind.

They rounded the corner at the end of the hallway and turned left. Cream let go of Sonic's hand and walked into the living room. Everyone turned and saw Sonic, standing at the end of the hall, a huge white box tied with red ribbon in his hands, an awed expression on his face. But the only person Sonic saw was Amy Rose. And she had blossomed beautifully.

Sonic's memory of Amy had not done her justice. She sat in the middle of Cream's couch in the center of all of their friends. She was definitely taller, he noted. He also noticed that she had grown out her quills. They were layered to almost midway down her back and her bangs were longer and swept to the side. Amy had always been slender, but now she looked more lean; athletic. The loose, dark green blouse she wore brought out her jade eyes. Amy's physical appearance might have changed drastically, but her eyes were the same eyes that had haunted Sonic's dreams these last four years. Amy had always been cute to Sonic but now she had grown into her beauty. Amy was breathtakingly gorgeous.

Sonic felt his heart stop in his chest. In fact, he stopped breathing all together. Amy's eyes were staring at him playfully. Her lips were poised in a half smile. 'Get it together Sonic!' Sonic said to himself. He took a breath to relieve his aching lungs and cleared his throat. "Hey Ames. Long time, no see." Sonic smirked at her, hoping that no one could hear his thumping heart in the silence of the living room. All eyes seemed to be on him or at least it felt like it.

Amy got up from the couch and walked over to him. The jeans she wore hugged her curves nicely, and Sonic noted the muscle that moved with each step. She stopped three feet in front of him, a knowing look in her eyes. Sonic recognized that look and hope filled his being. "Hey Sonic," Amy said and grinned, her eyes sparkling. Then she lunged at him. Sonic put the white box down that he was holding and held open his arms in a half a second. Amy fell into him and hugged Sonic tightly, putting her arms around his neck and burying her face into his shoulder. Sonic completed the hug by folding his arms around her waist and spinning her once around in a circle.

When he had done one full rotation he set Amy back on her feet, but didn't loosen his grip. Amy didn't either. "I missed you so much," she whispered into his ear. His ears twitched. Good god, how he had missed her voice. It sounded like a wind chime blowing in the breeze on a summer day.

"I missed you more," he whispered back and hugged her a little more tightly. Sonic had missed how her body fit against his; how he loved the feeling of her in his arms. He broke the hug and held her at arm's length and did a once over. "You look...," Sonic shook his head, words beginning to fail him. He was just so happy that she was here in his arms, alive and well after four long years of worrying and waiting. "Beautiful," he finished. A faint blush stole across Amy's cheeks. "So, how was college?" Sonic smiled and dropped his arms from Amy as he knelt to pick up the white box with red ribbon.

"It was harder that I thought it would be, but I managed," Amy replied smiling, clearly proud of herself.

"I knew you'd make it." Sonic smiled back at Amy and then looked down at the box. He looked back at up at her, his cheeks turning slightly pink. "Here, this is for you. Welcome home, Amy." He handed her the box.

Amy looked at it with questioning eyes. She took it and began to untie the red ribbon holding it closed. The ribbon fell to the floor and Amy opened the box. "Sonic," she breathed. "You shouldn't have." Inside of the box were three dozen red, pink, and white roses. "They're beautiful." Amy looked back up at Sonic. "Thank you." She stared straight into his emerald eyes as if trying to convey a deeper meaning than what she was saying.

Sonic fidgeted under her stare then took a deep breath and straightened himself up. It was now or never, he told himself. "Amy," Sonic started, moving toward her. He grabbed her right hand and looked into her surprised eyes. "I know that-" he paused and sighed. "Amy," he started again, "I haven't always been there for you like you have been for me. I've treated you horribly ever since we've known each other- ignoring you, running away from you, acting like you weren't important. I always let you down. And to be honest, I don't know why. Well, actually I think I kind of do. And I'd like to explain it to you, but not here. If you want to, Amy Rose, will you go on a date with me?" Sonic continued to stare at Amy, emerald eyes meeting jade ones. There. He had done it. He had just asked Amy Rose on a date. He had finally put himself on the line just as she had done numerous times before. Now it was all up to her. He silently prayed that she would say yes.

Amy stared back at Sonic in disbelief. She was shocked. All her life she had been waiting for this moment and now it was finally here! And she was so stunned that she couldn't move. She felt like she was dreaming. Was this really happening? Did the love of her life actually just ask her on a date? She needed someone to pinch her. Amy needed someone, anyone to confirm that she was awake, that this was real life and that Sonic, THE Sonic the Hedgehog, had just asked her on a date. The Sonic she had spent years running around after, the Sonic she had chased ever since she could remember. HE actually asked HER! It wasn't the other way around! Butterflies were swarming in a fury in her stomach. Sonic just stood there, his hands holding her one hand, waiting for her answer. A huge grin began to spread across her face. "Yes! Oh my gosh, yes! Sonic, I would love to go on a date with you!" Amy replied, her face now radiant.

"You will!? I mean, thank you. Awesome! I'll pick you up Wednesday at say, seven o'clock?" Sonic was beaming. She said yes! Of anyone that could have asked her on a date and she said yes to him! Hope was overwhelming his senses. She must still love him or she wouldn't have agreed, right?

"That sounds perfect." Amy was on cloud nine. This was really happening. For years she had begged Sonic to go out on a date with her and now, here he asking her instead. It was magical.

Someone cleared their throat behind Sonic and Amy. "Now that this little reunion between the two of you is settled, and can continue on Wednesday, how about you not forget about the rest of us here to see you?" Shadow looked at the pair with a smirk. Both Sonic and Amy turned red.

"Oh! I'm so sorry," said Amy, now flustered. "What were we talking about before Sonic got here?"

"How brain-dead you're going to be for the next year or so, but it seems it might be longer than that now," Shadow said. "Oh, and good job, Sonic. You finally asked out Rose." He gave Sonic a thumbs up.

"Uh, thanks, Shadow," Sonic replied, still semi-embarrassed.

"Here let me get a vase for those roses!" Cream interjected. She took the box from Amy and sped into the kitchen, away from the now uncomfortable situation in the living room.

"Great job, bro!" Tails came up and gave Sonic a high five. "I knew you could do it!"

"Well, didn't know you had it in you, sugar." Rouge commented from the armchair, her arms folded over her chest and one leg crossed over the other. "And to do it in front of an audience? I think you deserve a gold star." She winked at Sonic.

Sonic's face felt hot. He was probably blushing like mad. To be honest, he forgot that everyone else was here. He had seen Amy and his entire focus had shifted. All of their friends had just become faces in the background.

"You know what, I'll help you with the roses, Cream!" Amy said, shooting Sonic one more smile before hurriedly making her way towards the kitchen. Her face was still warm with her blush.

Sonic watched her move to the kitchen. He took a seat on the couch next to Shadow. He heard Cream and Amy in the kitchen trying to find a vase to house the three dozen roses. Shadow and Rouge started a conversation about how her last mission with G.U.N. had gone. Apparently, she had just gotten home a few days ago. Hadn't Amy gotten home a few days ago too? Sonic shook his head.

Tails pulled out some sort of gadget and began to tinker with it. Soinc barely paid attention. He was in his own mind. What exactly had Amy done in college? What had she studied? Well, now that he had finally asked her on a date he could ask her and find out. The hard part was over and she had said yes! A huge weight had been lifted off Sonic's shoulders. Not just because Amy was now going on a date with him, but that she was home after all this time. He would no longer spend nights worrying about her, wondering about her, if she was happy, if she still loved him... Sonic glanced over at Amy and Cream in the kitchen. Amy smiled back at him. The only thing Soinc needed to worry about now was planning Amy's perfect first date with him.

Author's Note:

Thank you everyone who had read and reviewed, commented, or even just read my story! This is actually my first fanfic and it makes me so happy that everyone seems to like it. I have a lot more planned out for this story, but unfortunately, I have to put it on hiatus for now. This is the first semester of my senior year at college and there is a lot more homework than I thought I would have and it also doesn't help that I work full time as well. I have started the next chapter, so hopefully I will have that up around winter break. Thank you all for being so patient with me and my story! :)