31

Amy

"Nieves?" Knuckles asked, startling me.

I looked up from my torturous math homework. Tony's eyes didn't meet my gaze. Instead, they were fixed on Sonic.

My boyfriend was pounding away at the black punching bag in front of him with sweat dripping down his face. His bare torso was glistening with the salty water droplets, and his dark curls were damp from the moisture. A tight frown lay on his lips, and his eyes were livid with a raw fire that I hadn't seen since middle school.

"Is he alright?" Knuckles asked.

I opened my mouth, debating if I wanted to answer honestly. I'd heard about what happened the night of Sonic's birthday. Not from Sonic, of course, but from the whispers swirling around our school. According to the rumor mill, Sonic organized for his cousin's crew to grab Jet and Shadow and damn near beat them to death. Then, he pointed a gun at Shadow and almost shot him. Jet claimed Sonic would've if Manic hadn't stepped in.

When I questioned Sonic about it, he didn't deny it, but he didn't want to talk about it either. From the line on his lips when I'd asked, I knew not to push him too hard about it. If Manic was involved, then I knew he'd already gotten an earful about it. I just held his hand and reminded him that I was here when he was ready to open up about it.

He'd been awfully quiet over the past few weeks, rarely speaking to anyone. His silence was a novel behavior for everyone around him. Usually when he was upset, he'd initiate screaming matches and fist fights, desperate to unleash his anger. He'd never bottled all of his emotions like this. I'd never admit it aloud, but I preferred his explicit rage over his silent facade. At least with the former, I could clearly tell how he was feeling. Being shut out like this, I had no idea what was occurring in his mind, and the endless possibilities had me worried sick.

"I don't think so," I replied to Tony's original question.

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

I shrugged. "Keep him busy, I guess."

He looked down at me. His dark eyes observed me for a brief moment before his head tilted the slightest bit. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," I said. "I'm fine."

He raised an eyebrow, not buying my blatant lie.

Sighing, I wrapped my arms around myself. "My biological brother convinced me to give my mother a second chance," I told him. "I'm going to see her again tomorrow afternoon."

"Have you given any thought to what you're going to say to her?"

"I don't know if there's anything for me to say," I admitted. "Honestly, I'm not even expecting her to say much. She's made it very clear how she feels about me. A half-assed apology isn't going to change anything."

"You're right; an apology isn't going to do shit. But telling her how you feel and being honest about the demons you've been wrestling with - that might go a long way. Not for her sake, but for yours."

I smiled at him. "Thanks, Tony."

"Don't mention it." He nodded in Sonic's direction. "Grab your boyfriend and head on out of here; it's getting late."

I got up from my seat and walked over to my childhood crush. I gently set a hand on his bicep to stop him from punching the large bag. I waited for him to take out his earbud before speaking. "We need to start heading home before Knuckles kicks us out," I told him. "Do you wanna grab some hot wings and fries on the walk home? Maybe we can watch movies at your house and I can spend the night?

He nodded, silently agreeing to the plans.

We walked hand-in-hand to one of Sonic's favorite local restaurants to grab our dinner before heading back to our townhomes.

I lounged on his bed and scrolled aimlessly through Tik Tok on my phone while Sonic took a quick shower. When he returned, he turned on The Suicide Squad for us to watch while we ate. Both of us were quiet throughout the duration of the movie, content eating our food and cuddling.

When the credits rolled, I looked up at Sonic. We were laying on his bed, my head on his chest and my arm wrapped around his abdomen. His hands were tucked underneath his head, and his eyes were closed.

"Are you awake?" I whispered.

"Mhmm," he mumbled.

I frowned. "I know I've asked you this a million times, but are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine," Sonic replied firmly. He cracked his eyes open to look at me. "Are you okay?"

"No. I'm worried about you." I caressed the stubble on his jawline with my fingertips. "You've never been this quiet, and it's honestly scaring the hell out of me."

"Mamas, you don't have to be scared. I'm fine."

"But you're not talking to me, Sonic. You usually tell me everything."

"I know."

I sighed. "So why aren't you?"

"Because I don't want to talk about it."

I rubbed my palms along his ribs.. "Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?"

"Your presence alone is helping." A smirk tugged at his lips. "But some kisses would be nice."

A smile threatened to tug at my lips. Cautiously, I swung my leg over his waist. Blood bloomed across my cheeks as I settled myself on top of him. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach as Sonic's hand caressed my cheek, trailing over my jaw to cup the side of my head.

He brought me down into a sweet, soft kiss. Our lips danced in a slow, seductive waltz. Sonic's tongue politely asked permission for entrance that I graciously granted. At first contact of his warm tongue against mine, a quiet moan hummed in the back of my throat. My tummy sparked with a heat I was beginning to become familiar with, sending small flares throughout my body.

With one hand, he pressed a bit harder against my head to increase the pressure between our lips. His other hand trailed down her side to my hip. His fingertips slipped under my shirt to caress the curve of my lower back, tracing the bones of my spinal cord. His touch left tiny sparks crackling across my skin.

His other hand grasped the hem of my shirt, slowly tugging it upwards. I didn't protest as he slid the shirt over my head, exposing nearly every inch of my scars on my torso and arms.

Our kisses momentarily broke as he did so. His eyes scoured the sight of my almost bare skin, lingering on my covered chest and shoulders. "Damn, you're beautiful," he whispered huskily.

I wrestled with the urge to wrap my arms around myself and dive beneath his covers. None of the other boys I'd dated had managed to take a single layer of my clothes off before. I didn't trust them enough to share my scars with them. At even the smallest suggestion of moving farther than making out, I bolted. I knew if they saw my scars, they'd sneer at me with disgust.

Sonic surprised me with the pure awe glazing over his eyes. Sitting up, he pulled me closer and pressed his lips against one of the scars on my shoulder. He kissed each and every single one he could find, even gently flipping me onto my back so he could reach the ones on my stomach. With each kiss, his lips added flames to the already healthily burning fire in the pit of my stomach. At his touch, the skin of my scars tingled and sizzled. It was a strange sensation. Usually, my scars only seared with pain. I never thought they could be filled with pleasure.

His kisses trailed up around my neck, his teeth gently nipping and biting the skin at my jugular. He pecked soft kisses around my cheeks, then my nose, both my eyelids, the tiny scar above my eye, and my forehead. As his lips recaptured mine, his hands cautiously wandered down my body. His fingers squeezed and caressed my hips and thighs. Slowly, they moved to the button of my pants and began to undo it.

"Sonic," I murmured against our kisses. I pressed my palms against his shoulders and broke our lips apart.

"Sorry," he whispered. He scooted down and lay his head on my chest. His eyes fluttered shut as he listened to my heartbeat.

I played in his curls for a few moments, enjoying the simple intimacy he was offering. My hands dipped to his back, rubbing soft circles into his tense muscles.

A hum of content rumbled in his throat. He nuzzled his head against my chest. His arms tightened around my waist.

We held each other for a while like this, tangled in each other's limbs. No words passed our lips, but neither of us minded. We didn't need words to comfort each other. All we needed were the warmth from our snuggles and the slivers of hope that peace would eventually grace our chaotic realities.