Femslash February 2020 Day 14: Love.
Hydrangeas, Encouragement, and Sparks Flying
"That's a nice bouquet, Tangle!"
The lemur yelped, her shoulders hitching up as Sonic skidded to a stop next to her. She sucked down a breath, the heat in her cheeks flushing out to a pale white like her fur. She tugged at her collar and uneasily laughed, Sonic leaning forward to sniff her bouquet.
"Those hydrangeas?" he asked, nodding in approval at the sweet scent. The large, yet tiny violet bulbs reminded him of small bushes, each of them clumping together and rounding out. He massaged a few petals, their softness bringing an easygoing smile to his face.
Tangle beamed. "Yep! That's right. Cream said these would be the best," she said only to quickly frown. Cupping the side of her mouth, she lowered her voice. "But don't be so loud, okay? These are a surprise."
Sonic hummed and nodded. He mimed the gesture of zipping his lips and throwing away the key. At Tangle's grin, he unzipped his lips and asked, "So, what's the occasion?"
Tangle's ear twitched. She pressed her back against the wall, the chatter from the other Restoration leaders echoing in the next room of their base. Drumming her fingers on the metallic wall, she glanced at her bouquet, the lace wrapping drifting down to her waist. She tried maintaining her confidence, but explaining herself filled her stomach with hot embarrassment, that warmth spreading through her bloodstream and smoldering her entire body.
Catching the red in her face, Sonic tilted his head and stared at the flowers. The soft purple hues reminded him of something, but he couldn't put his finger on it. It seemed oddly symbolic, like he should have been able to realize it at first glance.
Scratching behind his ear, he searched Tangle's expression for a hint. She was fidgeting, and unlike her regular springing or bouncing, she seemed nervous. She was too tense, her posture too straight for someone as hyperactive and driven as her. Sonic watched her wring her hands around the stems and nibble on her lower lip, anxiety ebbing off her like a gust of wind making him shiver.
She must have wanted to give the bouquet to someone. Glancing at the closed door leading to the base's living room, he wondered if the one Tangle was waiting for was just beyond the door. He knew Amy was leading a team meeting at the moment, but she didn't seem like the hedgehog for Tangle. He heard Vector suddenly object, voicing his displeasure over something Amy said. Noticing Tangle wrinkling her nose at his grievance, Sonic realized it definitely wasn't for him - he was much too old for her anyway. If Vector was there, so were Charmy and Espio, and Tangle was simply good acquaintances with them, leaving Sonic unsure of who else was left.
"While I understand your point, Vector, I have to side with Amy," Blaze said from the next room, Amy cheering and Vector groaning in return. "It wouldn't be wise to ask Knuckles to leave his post. The Master Emerald needs guarding, especially now that Dr. Eggman has allegedly returned."
Sonic blinked, having thought Blaze went back to her dimension. He supposed Amy had requested her presence. Considering she was the guardian of the Sol Emeralds, she would have had the best opinion on the matter. But glancing back to Tangle and noticing her smile widen, the puzzle pieces clicked in his mind, and Sonic couldn't stop his own grin from looking a little smug.
"Cat got your tongue?" he asked, snapping his fingers.
Another yelp escaped her, and Sonic chuckled. He hit the nail right on the head. She grumbled, pouting and pressing down hard on her lips. But she couldn't be mad at him, not when he patted her shoulder and slipped his hand down to rub her back.
"Is it that obvious?" Tangle asked, defeated and amused. Her shoulders slumped at Sonic's nod.
"Hey, it's nothing to be embarrassed about," he quickly said, waving his hand. He pivoted in front of her and hitched his thumb at the door. "I think it's great that you're giving her a bouquet. Shows you must really like her, right?"
"But, ya know, what if she doesn't…" Tangle vaguely gestured, her eyes briefly crossing as she tried sewing her thoughts together. An uneasy chuckle escaped her. "I mean, what if she thinks this is weird or what if she-?" She gasped and flailed her arm. "-what if she doesn't know what bouquets mean since she's from another dimension? I'd have to explain it to her! And I'm terrible at explaining things!"
"Aw, there's no reason to get all tangled up about this," Sonic said, smirking, Tangle groaning and rolling her eyes. He shrugged. "Her world isn't that dissimilar from ours. It's mostly geological differences." He remembered the long stretches of water between the islands and repressed a shudder. "Bouquets mean the same thing here as they do there."
"Oh, oh, really?" Tangle's eyes brightened, hope in her voice.
"You bet!" He gave her a thumbs-up. "And I know Blaze really well. She's actually pretty shy when it comes to stuff like this, so, go a bit easy on her, okay?" Sonic chuckled. "She's probably gonna go redder than Knuckles when you give 'em to her."
Tangle bobbed her head up and down. The voices in the next room lowered until they stopped altogether, causing Tangle's ears to perk up. She took in a deep breath, hearing Espio thank Amy for organizing the meeting. As Amy sent them all on their way, doors opening and closing from inside, Tangle flashed a bright grin at Sonic.
"Wish me luck?" she asked, her violet eyes glimmering with ambition.
Sonic clapped his hand on her back and lightly nudged her to the door, saying, "Good luck. You got this, Tangle."
She sprung forward on her tail and pulled the door open, calling out Blaze's name. Sonic stood in the doorway, not wanting to miss a second, and he caught eyes with Amy, who was busy picking up a few scattered maps of their planet. He tapped his finger to his lips, urging her to be quiet, and as soon as Amy noticed the bouquet, she held back a squeal and nodded.
Blaze raised a Sol Emerald in the air. She blinked, taking in the sight of Tangle bouncing over to her. She lowered the emerald to her side and focused on the bouquet, her cheeks glowing much to Tangle's delight and her own uncertainty, the fire in her body spreading and warming her core.
"Glad I, uh, glad I caught you on your way out," Tangle said, and she thrust her arms forward. Bowing her head, she sucked down a breath and shouted, "These are for you!"
She blinked a few times as if not understanding what Tangle had blurted out. Reaching for the bouquet, Blaze stood there, transfixed. She had never been on the receiving end of such a beautiful gift. It almost seemed dream-like to simply stand there and accept Tangle's bouquet.
But her hands wrapped around the sturdy stems, and the thick leaves brushed against her palms. The lace wrapping from the center of the stems looped over her wrists. One deep breath left her sighing as the rich floral scent nearly overwhelmed her. It proved she wasn't dreaming, that she was standing before Tangle, who couldn't stop grinning and showing off her pearly whites.
"For me?" Blaze murmured, bringing the bouquet closer to her face. The petals tickled her chin and elicited a quiet chuckle from her. "They're...my color."
"Cream said flowers matching your fur would be the best, so, y'know, that's what we picked out together," Tangle explained, rocking on her heels.
"I've never received flowers before. Well, not like this," she admitted, recalling how she, Cream, and Vanilla would garden together. Afterwards, the rabbits would have given her more succulents to raise in her own world, something she found quite calming.
But the hydrangeas presented something entirely new to her. She flicked her head up, realization flaring in her thoughts and sparking throughout her body. She squeezed the stems, quelling the fire in her body from flaring out and accidentally burning the bouquet. Taking in a breath, she relaxed and lowered her shoulders, her smile slowly pressing into her cheeks and crinkling the corners of her eyes.
"Thank you, Tangle. They're more splendid than I can put into words," she said, Tangle bouncing on her heels.
"You're welcome! More than welcome!" She flashed a grin at Sonic, who replied with a silent peace sign.
"Have you ever...traveled through dimensions, Tangle?" Blaze asked as the lemur whipped her head back to her.
The question made her fumble. Tangle sputtered out a string of consonants and vowels, Blaze patiently waiting for an answer. Realizing her tongue wouldn't cooperate with her brain, she shook her head.
Raising the Sol Emerald, Blaze wondered, "Then, would you like to accompany me back to my home? I'm sure Marine wouldn't mind having a guest."
Gasping, Tangle kicked her legs out and sprung up on her tail. Throwing her arms out, she jumped for joy and shouted, "'Course I do! I'd love that, Blaze!"
Sonic wrapped his arms behind his head as Tangle clung on to Blaze's shoulders. He waved them off with Amy, the Sol Emerald glowing brightly before flashing, briefly blinding them. When Sonic blinked away the white spots from his vision, they were gone to Blaze's, and he sighed, happy it all worked out for his dear friends.