"Seriously?"
Amy glared at the little fox rubbing the back of his head beside her.
Was this intentional? Was he making fun of her? Did he want her to fail?
"I know it's not the first place you'd think of, but hear me out."
A beach.
Of all the places in the world that Sonic wouldn't visit, wouldn't feel comfortable, wouldn't feel like hanging out, a place that was mostly water was top of the list.
"Well?" She folded her arms, still glowering at Tails.
"See that?" Tails turned, pointing with a grin.
A beach ball bounced off her head, coming dangerously close to bursting against her upturned quills. A young wolf yelled a quick apology as he ran past. Amy took a deep breath.
"The big tent?" She breathed through gritted teeth.
"The grand opening of the South Island All You Can Eat Beach Buffet, the only eatery with a hundred different toppings, and for today only? Competitive eating. Winner. Eats. Free."
Amy's mouth fell open.
"Tails, you absolute diabolical genius."
"Right?" The fox straightened with a smug grin. "Sonic's been in there for the last two hours, ever since it opened. Once he finishes, which should be in…" Tails pulled a pocket watch out of nowhere for a moment. "Thirteen minutes, he's going to want to take it slow for a while."
"And when he comes out?"
"Just follow the plan!" Tails held out a scrap of paper. "Now we're going to want to set you up somewhere..."
Eleven minutes and some urgent coaching by Tails later, Amy sat alone on a towel, working on a tan that mobians couldn't get.
Hard to believe earlier this morning she'd been freezing her tail off and now she was sunning herself in a swimsuit on the far side of the equator.
Waiting for Sonic to show up.
Her heart was pounding harder than when she'd fallen out of the plane.
Well, when Tails caught her at least. That had been embarrassing. And exhilarating, at least when they were safely on the ground and her legs stopped being like jelly.
Amy smiled. Tails had said she was good, a natural. If she got good enough… Would Sonic fly her someday?
Hm. Amy's smile dimmed a little. He'd probably prefer to be the one on the wings. Maybe she should learn to fly instead?
Wait. He'd be coming out soon. Keep looking ahead, don't stare, don't look tense, don't jump up, don't-
"Amy?"
Act casual casual casual casual.
"Huh?" She looked up. Casual. Oh Penders he looked terrified. Casual. "Oh, hey Sonic! Long time no see." She smiled. "What are you doing here?"
Sonic relaxed, walking closer. Well, kind of waddled closer. He'd been chowing down on chilli dogs all morning after all.
"Nothing special." Oh Hoshino, he was talking to her and looking at her and- casual. "Just checking out the new chilli dog place. So are you out here on vacation?"
"Yep, just wanted to get somewhere warm for a little while, y'know?" She smiled again. Was she supposed to not smile again? Was that-
"I know that feeling! Say, do you want a drink?" He jerked his thumb towards a nearby shack made out of equal parts driftwood and brightly coloured signage. "I'm feeling the need to wash down those last few chilli dogs!"
"Uh, sure, Sonic!" Amy went to stand up, but the blue hedgehog raised his hand with a smile oh gods he was smiling at her.
"You wait right there, I'll be right back!" He winked, causing Amy's cheeks to rebel against her casualness before setting off at a, for him, meandering pace.
When she was certain he wasn't looking, Amy leapt into the air in a fist pump that could have been used in a street fight, barely suppressing a squeal of delight.
Tails had been right on everything. He'd said to stay cool and let Sonic approach her. He'd even said he'd offer her a drink. This was it, they were basically on a date already! But now she needed to coax him to come with her and how should she look at him- did she look okay? Amy glanced towards the drink shack and back at her feet. Casual don't chase him, don't seem too interested, don't chase him off, but he wasn't back yet and where was he?
Amy took a deep breath, making shooing motions at a little avian girl who had paused to watch her, an ice cream cone wrapped in her feathery fingers. She needed to calm down. Sonic would be here any minute and she'd be so happy she could die and everyone would see her with Sonic and they'd sit and she'd be considerate and calm and he'd love her and-
He still wasn't here.
It had been minutes now. She looked up again. Surely even at a walk he'd be on his way back now, right?
He wasn't.
Well, maybe he was just taking the long way round? Just because she could see the counter from here. Just because he was nowhere to be seen. It didn't mean anything and he'd be here any minute. Amy smiled. Any minute.
Any minute.
She shouldn't have tried to go with him. She'd been told to play it casual and that had been too dangerous and she'd blown it and she'd chased him away again and it was all her fault and-
Gloved fingers brushed her wet cheeks. Amy looked up to tired eyes and a sad smile.
"Hey." Tails held out an ice cream cone, plopping down in the sand next to her.
"How-" Amy swallowed against the lump in her throat. "How far did he run?"
How far did she chase him this time when all she wanted was-
"Not sure. He got the drinks, but no sign of where he went after that." Tails shrugged. "No sign of Eggman, so probably not kidnapped… Sorry."
Amy shrugged, head rested on her knees. "Not your fault."
It was hers. It was Sonic's. How could he? Stupid jerk running off and leaving her. She'd just wanted to spend a little time together. Was that too much to ask? He spent time with that cat when she came over last time. What did she have that Amy didn't? Apart from a title. And magic fire powers. And-
"Cheers." Tails tapped his ice cream cone against hers. "Mm. Been awhile since I had vanilla." He rubbed his chin. "Or ice cream, I guess."
Amy sighed, taking a lick of her own cone. Her favourite. Of course it was. Where had he even- Oh. She looked away from the shack, taking another lick. It reminded her that she hated him. For having it easy. He just stayed in his lab doing smart guy stuff all the time and… And now here he was being nice to the dumb girl. Dumb girl who couldn't even get a guy to stay on the same beach as her.
"... I should have followed your advice better."
"It wasn't your fault." He lied.
Or was it an omission? Not your fault "this time"? She'd spent most of her life chasing Sonic away and now all she had to do was sit and he'd never come near her again and-
Tails blinked up at her.
On the end of his black nose was a splodge of ice cream.
Amy snorted, pulling her handkerchief from nothing and wiping it across his nose before he could - no, probably not before he could react. He didn't even have the decency to look surprised. Those big blue eyes that never seemed to smile along with him.
"Something on my face?" Tails tilted his head.
"...You're going to need to eat a lot more ice cream." She ruffled his head, smirking. "You need the practise!"
"You just want more ice cream."
"Who said I don't? I'm a sweet and delicate flower. I need sweet things for fuel."
"Otherwise all that's left is the 'delicate' part?" Tails stared at her half-lidded.
"That's righ- hey!" She frowned. "You trying to say I'm not delicate?"
"You're one of the toughest people I know, Amy Rose." He smiled again. At least with his mouth.
"You better believe it!" Amy grinned. "But I'm still delicate, you know?"
"Like a flower, yes." Tails nodded gravely and popped the last of his cone into his mouth. "I'll be back in a bit, alright?"
The fox hopped to his feet, tails brushing sand off one another as he turned to leave. A hammer hooked under his chin.
"And just where do you think you're going?" Amy raised a stern eyebrow.
"To get the Tornado? I need to run you home, right?"
So she could cry at home? Sit in a plane for three hours feeling miserable to an evening of her and a tub of ice cream in winter? Amy shook her head.
"You're not getting off that easy, buster. I have an entire list here given to me by my adorable friend-"
"I am not adorable, I'm-"
"Adorable, sweet, friend, and I'm sure he and I would both die of sadness if I didn't get to use it to its full intended capacity."
"Ughhhh. Fine."
Amy giggled, holding the piece of paper aloft as the hammer disappeared.
"Well, gee, it sure is turning out to be hot today. What do you think about paddling along the shore in…" She tilted the note with a frown for a moment. "That direction? Gauge response."
"You're not supposed to say that last-"
"I'll hold your hand if you're worried about the water. Come on, wink here, it'll be an adventure!"
Tails stared at her, shaking his head.
"Why am I even nice to you?"
"Beats me! Oh… Wait, now I remember." She extended her hand with a grin. "'Thank you, oh cute and generous Amy, for making me do fun stuff and to stop being an old fuddy duddy in my lab all day!'"
"I'm younger than you!" Tails huffed, hands on his hips.
"Are you sure? Maybe you're just a really short old geezer?"
Tails stuck his tongue out at her, but took her fingers in his own nonetheless.
"I am so splashing you when we get to the water."
"Oh, you are on."