"If you only knew

I'd sacrifice my beating

Heart before I lose you."

Sitting on the beach mid-day was definitely not a sound idea if you sported black fur. Even under the shade it was practically unbearable. The jackal was drenched in sweat, even perspiring in places that he didn't even know could sweat. He felt absolutely disgusting, how could anyone possibly like this shit? He looked over to his right and glared at the only Mobian who possibly could. Amy was managing to enjoy the sunlight despite his silent cursing, lying on the towel that she had gotten from the marketplace some weeks ago. The hedgehog was basking in the sun, soaking up its rays. She looked absolutely peaceful, content even. This was a drastic change from the bossy attitude she normally expressed. Zero looked out to the sea, mesmerized by the crashing waves.

He had an almost overwhelming desire to plunge into the water, growling as he reminded himself that he could not swim. Taking a drink from his canteen, he watched the hedgehog roll onto her stomach. After a short time, she opened her eyes to look at him.

"Are you okay," Amy questioned, eyes soft. Zero could not tell if this was from the sun in her eyes or from concern. Honestly, it could be both. "You don't look like you're enjoying yourself."

"You would be correct," the jackal snapped, panting under the willow. Amy frowned hard at him.

"Would you… like to swim?" The pink heroine heard him snort.

"Hell. No."

"You can't stay afraid of the water forever, Zee." That struck a nerve deep inside him. He wasn't truly afraid of water… was he? It sounded so ridiculous the more he thought about it. A former mercenary being afraid of something as trivial as water. Perking up, the canine now took Amy's words as a challenge.

"I-I'm not afraid," Zero retorted after his brief contemplation, standing to his feet. Amy smiled, thinking that this will most definitely be an interesting next few hours.

"Then go to the hut and put on those swimming trunks I made for you."

"Ugh… Do I have to?"

"I would be heartbroken if you didn't wear them at least once during our time here. Now seems like a great time to break them in." Zero scowled at the smug look on her face.

"And does that just make me suddenly care about your feelings?" The hedgehog's smirk did not waive.

"Yes. Yes, it does."

Fuck, she was right. Though Zero couldn't let her know that. Defeated, he and Amy made their way back to the hut to change. The hedgehog had sewn up a bathing suit for herself, the one she was sporting now, a few days ago. She had made the jackal some swim shorts with the remaining fabric. Amy had been tickled pink, no pun intended, when she told Zero that they now had matching swim suits and that she could not wait for the two to try them out. Going to a chest that the jackal had claimed for himself, he opened it and pulled the trunks out of it.

"This is so stupid," the canine spoke, frustration in his tone. "I mean, I don't wear clothes on the regular like you do." He then preceded to take off his scarf.

"You're going to wear it because you care, somewhere deep inside that little heart of yours," Amy teased, batting her lashes.

"Ugh…" Once again, she was right, proving to him once more that Amy was very mature for a fourteen-year-old. Hell, Amy was probably the only Mobian in the Resistance that had any braincells, though Zero would never compliment her like that out loud. Her head was already as big enough as it was.

The jackal slipped on the trunks, making a sarcastic gesture in the hedgehog's direction as he did so. Amy blinked. Zero was striking a pose, a sassy hand on his hip and everything. Amy loved it, or at least that's what it sounded like with the delighted squealing she was doing.

"Oh, they look so good on you! They fit perfectly!"

"If you say so…" The jackal was still unimpressed, finding that wearing the shorts was almost… demeaning in a sense. But if wearing them would make her shut up, Zero would gladly wear them for the remainder of their exile period.

The two then made the trek back to the bustling shoreline, the sun having now sunken lower in to sky. This made the temperature a little more bearable, at least as far as Zero was concerned. A flash of pink, a gust of wind, and a loud splash, Amy came whizzing past the jackal and dove into the water, a toothy grin on her muzzle. The canine just looked at her with a stare of utmost disgust, or was it jealousy? He would never admit it, but his heart was almost pounding out of his chest.

He was trying to keep the speed of his breathing in check, but it was to no avail. The jackal stood as still as a statue, just staring at the water. Did he really want to do this? Could he even do this? Something as simple as swimming? The more he thought, the more anxious he became. The canine felt the walls Amy had so desperately torn down building back up. A voice snapped his out of his daze, of course it was hers.

"Come on, Zee!" Amy wanted him to get in the water so badly, hoping that he would be a little braver than Sonic when Amy had tried doing this same thing with him. The heroine watched her friend eye the waves, seeing the fearful look on his face as clear as day. Amy certainly did not want to force him to do this, but she knew that he really wanted to. Though, she didn't know exactly why he did, she could just feel it. Almost sensing it somehow.

The jackal swallowed the lump in his throat and took a couple steps forward, stopping where wet and dry sand meet. Amy exited the water, making her way over to Zero. She extended a hand out to him once she reached him. The canine was almost in shock, this was all becoming so much for him. He had taken over cities, destroyed countries, and had almost succeeded in taking over the entire world. Why was swimming so difficult for him to accomplish? His ears twitched as he heard her speak again.

"I'll help you…" She spoke softly, understanding how this must feel. Amy was surprised when Zero took her hand and nodded.

Slowly but surely, the two went further out into the sea. The jackal jerked slightly every time the waves hit their bodies, his breathing completely stopping once they reached knee-deep water. Zero felt a gentle squeeze around his hand, coming from the young girl he once upon a time thought of as his enemy. He could hardly believe that she was helping him conquer one of his greatest fears. If he was not so prideful, he would tell her how much he appreciated her.

"You don't have to do this, Zero," Amy said, breaking the silence. "I don't want you to force yourself if you aren't truly ready." She heard him sigh, breath shaky.

"B-but…" he started, trailing off. "I… want to. I'm tired of being afraid. What if you… I don't know, drown or something?"

Zero hated the way that sounded, especially after seeing the reaction she gave him. One of uncertainty and complete confusion. She must realize that he does worry for her safety, whether or not he actually told her. After living with someone for so long, they begin to grow on you. She knows that, right? He would hate to have to explain his very complicated feelings he had for her… to her. That and this whole swimming situation would be enough for him to completely break into a psychotic mess. The hedgehog sighed, sensing his panic once more.

"What if I promised you that I won't drown," the hedgehog asked with a sliver of doubt. Zero was quick to answer.

"You can't know for sure… So, I want to be prepared. Even if it kills me instead."

"Okay, okay," the hedgehog said whilst waving her hands. "Let's stop being so morbid. Neither of us are going to drown." If Amy didn't know better, she would have sworn she saw a genuine smile form on her companion's lips.

"Alright, Rose."

Amy brought the jackal a little further out, almost belly deep. He suddenly clung to her, pulling her flush against his body. The hedgehog could practically hear his heart beating out of his chest; she could definitely feel it. His frame shook with anxiety and fear, she could not tell if he actually wanted to do this but there was no use in convincing him not to. Zero feared that she would drown? Where did that notion come from? She did not know. All she did know was that she was at a loss as to how she could calm him down.

Their hands were still clasped together so she gave Zero's a gentle squeeze, feebly hoping that it would help. He almost immediately returned the gesture, taking in a deep breath. This whole ordeal gave Amy déjà vu, remembering how dramatic Sonic was when she tried teaching him how to swim. Zero was definitely a better student than Sonic ever was. Sonic was never this brave when it came to water. Only on occasion, she silently corrected herself. Suddenly, without Amy having to lead, Zero let go of her hand and ventured further into the water, now belly deep.

"Z-Zee," Amy squeaked loudly, desperately trying to grab for him, scared that he would drown. Oh, the irony. Though, the jackal found her hand before she found his. His chest was heaving, his fur bristled. Despite that, laughter was also erupting from somewhere deep within him.

"You should have seen the look on your face," he chuckled out. Amy let out a high-pitched growl, surprising the canine. She splashed him, the saltwater getting into his eyes.

"Ow," Zero continued laughing, wiping his face as best he could. "That was rude of you."

"RUDE!? Are you kidding me!? You almost gave me a fucking heart attack!" Zero laughed even harder. That was the first time he had ever heard her utter such a word. He kind of liked it and wondered what else he could do to evoke such words to arise again.

"I though only I said shit like that?"

"Well you scared me!" She pouted at him, crossing her arms. Her expression softened shortly after. "Well, how do you like it?"

"I'll admit that it isn't that bad. I don't know what I was afraid of to be quite honest with you."

With that, the pair spent the rest of the afternoon in the water. Amy taught Zero how to doggy paddle and float on his back. The latter sparked more anxiety within him, but he was quick to overcome it, surprising the both of them. By the end of the day, Amy was a lovely shade of light red, though it didn't hurt. Despite Amy's fair skin, she was never one to really get sun burned. Zero's skin was also irritated, but only on the bridge of his nose and tips of his ears. The jackal grew up in the desert most of his life, it was no wonder that he physically could not get sun burnt anymore.

After the sun went down and they had had their dinner, the two sat in comfortable silence in their respective beds, relishing in today's past events. Needless to say, both were feeling an overwhelming sense of pride. Amy taught her friend to swim and Zero has actually enjoyed it. Nothing could have made her happier. She knew he felt the same. Sighing softly, Amy broke the stillness, her voice was almost a whisper.

"I am really proud of you, Zee."

"I'm proud of me too," Zero answered gruffly, breaking into a yawn.

"You must be. That took a lot of guts. You… You are really brave…" A compliment? From Amy?

"Uh… thanks." What else was he supposed to say? He felt stupid, he could have easily said something with a little more zing to it, even though that wasn't how he normally answered things. She would suspect something. Why was he even thinking so much about it? Little did he know, Amy did not detect his sudden spike in anxiety.

"You're welcome, Zee." She yawned. "Good night."

"Night, Rose," the jackal replied with an audible smile in his voice.

With a little creak of her bed, the sound of her small frame turning onto her back, she fell into a deep sleep. Zero stayed up for what felt like hours, thinking over the many thoughts that were always swirling in his mind. He listened to Amy's soft breathing as well. In the dark, he could see her chest rise and fall with each breath she took, calming him in ways he could never express. He didn't have it in his heart to tell his companion that she snored a little bit in her sleep. One, that was creepy, and two, he felt that it was only for him to know. Although he did not know why he felt that way.

He didn't understand the way he felt about anything anymore. Being here on this stupid island in this stupid hut, he has changed. Zero knew that his changes hadn't gone unnoticed by Amy either. According to the heroine's calendar that she had obtained at the marketplace, it had been four and a half months into exile, with no end in sight. They could be here for years and had no way of knowing for sure. That being said, Zero felt that he could stay here, with Amy, until the day he croaked. It made his chest swell with an unfamiliar sensation and he cursed under his breath. He wished he could tell Amy how he felt, as confused as he was about his own feelings.

The jackal dwelled and dwelled on the thought until he couldn't any longer, falling into a restless and dreamless sleep.

Author's note:

Hello!

I am very VERY sorry for the irregular posts during this whole ride but college and work have been absolutely kicking my ass. And sorry that this chapter is a bit shorter than the last one.

ANYWHO! I did draw a little doodle for this chapter over on my dA to make up for everything hopefully: sue-boo/art/Swimming-Lessons-788688343 AND I made a YouTube playlist for this story as well. As I have mentioned before, all the chapters are based off of songs that I feel relate to the chapter that is being read.

Listen here: watch?v=cds3Vdlgdzs&list=PLG4zb2hKwxwVyLWY1cWFgQlMDeg2lIWTr (the links won't link correctly for some reason?)

I'm also not sure if anyone cares but I made the slightest Star Wars reference in this chapter. You will only catch it if you are reading closely and are familiar with Episode 8 and the ship Reylo lol.

Also, A HUGE thank you to everyone that has supported this story so far! I never thought I could get anyone on this ship train but I HAVE and it is a lovely feeling! Thank you all so very much!