A/N: Here we are again, cranking this one out as fast as possible because someone proposed we would have this down by Christmas.
Sword: Oh! Oh! That was me! Totally me!
Pen: He knows! He was here!
Would you guys do the honors?
Sword: Sonic and all related characters belong to Sega. The story, me, and Pen belong to the author. Please don't use without permission. Let's do it! Away!
Please enjoy.
Chapter 2- True Friend and More
Shadow knew very little about jewelry. In fact, outside of the Chaos Emeralds, he didn't know anything at all about different gemstones, meanings of jewelry's type and color, or what accentuated Rouge. The only one who could've helped him was the bat. He kept browsing the glass display cases though, hoping something would stand out to him.
"Can I help you?" the blonde attendant asked.
"Just looking," he said. He studied a particular ring with a large cluster of diamonds. But it was marked as an engagement ring. He was nowhere near needing that yet.
"For a wife, a girlfriend?" the attendant asked. "Someone special?"
"Someone special." He moved to the necklaces. There was a one laced with tiny, glistening black pearls. He believed that Rouge had a similar necklace, but with pure white pearls instead.
"And what is this someone like?"
"You ask a lot of questions," he said, frowning.
"Sorry, sir. Only trying to be of service."
Shadow drummed his fingers on the display case. "She likes jewelry."
"Many women do," the attendant said, nodding.
"She's stubborn, passionate, very heated when she's arguing." It felt weird describing Rouge, especially to a total stranger. He had never really voiced his opinion on her aloud, except for a few remarks here and there. He caught sight of a ring with square rubies encrusted around it. The attendant urged him on. "But she's secretly caring. She's a good partner, confident, a flirt, selfless on occasion, sarcastic and witty in a good way, and…" he trailed off.
"Beautiful?" the attendant asked.
He tightened his lips. "Very."
"Sounds like a fiery personality," she said, smiling wide. "With a heart of gold."
"Yeah."
She touched the display case in front of her and bowed her head, as if deep in thought. "Hmm," she murmured to herself. "Let's see what we have here then." She took out the ruby ring he had been staring at. "How about this one? Red hot just like her."
When he saw it up close, Shadow thought it was too ostentatious, even for Rouge. "Do you have something more low-key? Something," he tapped his foot, searching for the right word, "elegant?"
"Sure we do." She put the ring back and pulled out a golden bracelet that sparkled with glitter. "Elegant, refined, perfect for the classy woman."
It was better, but it still didn't scream Rouge's name. He shook his head and the attendant placed it back in its case. "No matter. We'll find something for your lady." They went through several more rings, necklaces, bracelets, and earrings before she finally showed off a necklace with a string of small, dark gems dangling down the front and a bracelet fashioned out of an onyx band topped with a circle of sparkling white diamonds.
Rouge never did wear necklaces much except to formal events. Even if she didn't wear his gift except at those events, he figured she would wear a bracelet more often. And the colors were drawing him in, claiming it was the correct decision.
"That one," he said, pointing at it.
"Excellent choice, sir," she said. "Would you like it gift wrapped?"
"Yes." She bowed her head and disappeared to a back room for several minutes. When she came back, she handed him a black box tied with a red ribbon. "Your lady is very lucky. I'm sure she'll love it."
"I hope so," he muttered. Shadow paid for the bracelet and left the store. I really hope I can give it to her, too. As long as he kept his cool and didn't let his problem stand in the way, he was assured everything would go swimmingly.
But when he glanced back at the attendant waving to him from the store window, he saw Maria's face again, forlorn and bidding farewell forever. He shook his head and hurried out of the mall.
Blaze picked up her gift to Silver, turning the package over and over in her hands. Lying beneath the wrapping and the box housing it was the royal heirloom she had carefully placed inside. It was a golden crest, designed in the shape of a shield with a simple castle as the insignia. The crest of her house, meant only for those in and very close to her family.
Silver was as close as anyone could possibly be to her. She hoped and wished something would come of this offering, that he would definitely know what he meant to her.
She put the gift back underneath the tree and headed to the kitchen. She slipped on some oven mitts and took the pie out of the oven, leaving the large turkey inside to cook longer. The turkey Amy had cooked smelled delicious, as did the blueberry pie. They intermingled with the cookies, cranberry sauce, and corn already sitting out.
But Blaze's mind was still on Silver. She wanted their gift exchange tonight to result in something great. For a moment, she was worried he wouldn't catch on and would continue to see them as close friends, as he always seemed to do. Silver's naïve, but he's not that naïve, she thought. One glance at the present and she removed the oven mitts. Just to be on the safe side, I'll give him some hints.
She grabbed a pen and scribbled out From: Blaze on her present's tag and wrote Love: Blaze after the To: Silver.
Then Blaze ran upstairs to the guest bedroom where she had been staying, right across the hall from Silver's room. She checked the lights, dimming them low and nodding. "That'll do." She turned the lights back up to full and ran to her closet. There was a particular gown that she hated, yet wore for special occasions. Although Silver loved it, commenting that she always looked beautiful in it. It was a deep red with ruffles along the hem and puffy arms.
Blaze frowned at the dress, already experiencing the uncomfortable tightness from gown across her chest and back, the limited movement of her legs, and what she thought was the genuine goofy appearance of it. It's only for one night. I don't have to wear it long and if it gets the point across, it's worth it.
She laid the dress on the bed and went back downstairs to check on the turkey.
Spying was less thrilling than Sonic had thought it would be. Amy and Rouge had taken to also browsing through personal items for themselves or checking out clothing and shoe stores, trying on different things until Sonic was as beleaguered as Silver looked.
"What do you think of these?" Amy asked Rouge and Silver in one store. She showed off a pair of green boots, walking back and forth in them.
"Sure. They're fine," Silver said, yawning.
Sonic sat on the floor at the end of the aisle, hidden away. Hurry up. The mall's going to close soon.
"They're a little big," Rouge said, tilting her head and circling Amy. "The high heels were much better."
"Yeah, I think you're right," Amy said.
"So you're getting those?" Silver asked, perking up. Sonic crouched on his knees. Were they actually paying and leaving?
"Oh, not today. I was just trying them on."
Sonic fell over, nearly shouting at the top of his lungs. Thankfully, Silver voiced his frustration for him. "What? Then why come here at all?"
"To see if the shoes fit," Amy said. She slipped back into her red boots and put the others on the shelf. "Well, we better hurry. The mall will be closing soon." Rouge and she headed to the exit. "C'mon, Silver. No time to waste."
He hung his head and rubbed his eyes. "Coming," he said, walking wearily after them. Sonic followed quietly, earning odd looks from the employees.
In the center of the mall, Rouge stopped and said, "I need to check on this last store." She jerked a thumb at another department store. "What about you guys?"
"I think I know what I'm getting, but it's at that place on the far side over there." Amy pointed off to the end of the mall. "So I guess we'll see you at my house later."
"Yeah, see you." And with that, they parted ways, Silver following Amy.
Sonic turned from Rouge to Amy and back to Rouge. He had to know what Amy was buying him if he wanted any chance of getting her a good present. But on the other hand, he wanted to help Shadow out. The guy could use a little help and stands to have a good chance if I see what Rouge buys.
Again, he watched Amy. I really need to know. Have to make this special for her.
But Shadow needs the help.
The girls were moving further apart until he had almost lost sight of them. He ground his teeth, knowing he would regret either decision somehow. Finally, he tailed Rouge into her store. This better help.
The Mystic Ruins were difficult to traverse under normal circumstances. After a snowfall, they were downright treacherous to those not paying attention. The ruins themselves held massive piles of snow, but one stray step off their surface and one might find a weak patch where they would fall through. Sinkholes under the piles and steep slopes had resulted in more than one nasty fall. And it was always vague where the hard ice sheets were, sometimes hidden among clumps of snow.
Therefore, Cream was thankful she could fly over the dips, drops, inclines, and other dangerous elements. Tails' house and workshop were located on the far edge of the ruins. The airstrip leading to a cliff was buried under snow and ice and Tails' house was gradually becoming one giant snowball itself.
Cream landed at the front door, kicking snow away from the entrance. She rang the doorbell and waited, slapping her arms for warmth. She tried ringing again and knocked on the door. Nobody answered. "Tails?" she called. After waiting a few seconds, she yelled louder. "Tails!"
When he still didn't come, she checked the door. It was locked. Tails usually kept a spare key hidden near his workshop. Cream walked around to the side, snow crunching underfoot. She was surprised to find the workshop doors open and the Tornado inside, layered with ice. It wasn't like Tails to leave his machines out like this, with no protection and without taking care of them.
She picked up her pace and flew up to the top frame of the garage door. Cream snatched a gold key sticking out of a trail of snow along the frame. Then she rushed back to the front door and opened it. Once inside, she shook the cold off herself. Cream brushed snow from her jacket and stomped her boots on the welcome mat before entering the living room.
There was no fire going in the fireplace and the lights were out. She flipped on a lamp and shivered. How can Tails stand this cold? She checked the thermostat and turned up the heat. Tails' fireplace operated by a dial on the gray bricks surrounding the inner chamber. She turned the dial and flames sprung up, consuming the logs inside and instantly warming her.
Cream took off her jacket and straightened her orange sweater. "Tails?" She went room by room, checking the kitchen, the restroom, and his room. She did note his rumpled bed sheets half-lying on the floor, so she supposed he had to be home.
She found him in the study down the hall from his bedroom. Study may have been an inappropriate name since half of it was taken up by Tails' inventions, becoming a small, second workshop to his main one. Tails himself was sitting at a desk, hunched over with grease stains on his green sweater. A metal contraption, like a robotic hand, sat before him, with several wires and coils jutting out.
She touched his shoulder. "Tails?" she asked. His face was buried in his arms, as if he was sleeping.
But she heard a muffled, "What is it?"
"Tails, please, talk to me," she said. He ignored her, softly breathing into his arms. "Tails, I want to help."
"There's nothing you can do," he said. "Just leave me alone."
She shook her head. "No, I won't." She couldn't leave when he needed her, whether he realized it or not. Cream had to make him see that she was here for him. "Look up at me." When he refused to, she raised his head. "Tails, look at—"
Despite seeing the real effect the bullies had the few time he allowed, she was never prepared for it. This time was no exception. His face had degraded since she saw him. His cheeks were so matted, as if they had been glued down, and his eyes were pink, no longer crying, but still depressed and upset. He wiped his nose, sniffing and honking on his arm. His trembling frown was pitiful and his whole countenance seemed to sag under the weight of his sorrow. He jerked away from her hands and rubbed his eyes. "Happy now?"
She was hurt, but refused to give up now. "No," she said, pulling up a chair beside him. "I want to help you."
"I can handle it. There's nothing you can do."
"I can be here for you. I'm your friend, aren't I?"
"Yeah, but I don't want you here. Not when I'm like this." He rested his cheek on his arms, turning away from her.
She rubbed his back. "Tails, I don't care what you look like or how sad you are. I like you for you and I just want to be with you." She realized too late how that came out and diverted her eyes, her face burning up. Those thoughts had taken to slipping out of her mouth now? She wondered how long she could hold back the floodgates before they were exposing themselves more.
Tails looked back at her with one eye. Did he catch it? Was he surprised or pleased? She couldn't read his face properly, but when her hand trailed higher and massaged his shoulders, he leaned into her. "You always have me, Tails."
He finally flopped his head back to face her and sniffed. "Thanks. You always have me, too. Not that you'd need it."
"Don't pay any attention to what they say," she said, scooting closer. "They don't know how you really are. They don't know the real you like I do. You're funny, brave, friendly, kind…" she trailed off, watching his face. His spirit didn't change.
Should I let him know how I feel? Will that help or will it feel like I don't care about his problem? Is it appropriate or is it not the right time? After internally debating the issue for a few seconds, she added, "Handsome," to the list. When his ears straightened and he raised an eyebrow, fear clenched her heart. Oh, it wasn't right! I shouldn't have done that!
But then he grabbed her hand and squeezed it. His cheeks were tinged a bright red. "And you're cute, kind, and so much more. I really appreciate all you've done for me. Even when I've been really down. You really are a wonderful person." She smiled, giddiness rising in her chest. "I'm sorry for how I've acted." His frown returned, greater than before. "I really don't deserve you or your help."
"Tails, I want to help. You're important to me." Her hand trailed up to his cheeks. She brushed the fur with her thumb, untangling the clumps. He leaned into her hand, closing his eyes and sighing softly.
An impulse overtook Cream, as if she knew the moment was perfect for her to slowly inch her head forward. The perfect moment to let Tails know how important he was to her and how much she cared. His eyes opened up by the tiniest fraction, but he didn't pull away. In fact, his lips parted like hers and she thought he moved his head forward, too.
Their lips fumbled against one another, the inexperience of both causing them to mesh their mouths in an awkward fashion. More than once, they broke apart, trying to correct it only to miss and peck a cheek, but they did their best. They wrapped each other in a tight embrace to help hold the kiss. For Cream, it was electrifying to feel Tails against her. Her short thoughts on the matter never compared to this.
Soon, their little lungs gave out and they broke the kiss for air. They kept ahold of one another, each leaning their head on the other's shoulder. "Wow," he said, breathing hard.
"Yeah, wow," she agreed.
"So, uh, does this mean we're together? Like boyfriend and girlfriend?"
She lifted her head. "I've never had a boyfriend, but I guess so. Is that what you want?"
"Definitely," he said, kissing her cheek. "What about you?"
"Of course!" she said a little too loud. She hugged him tighter, burying her face in his chest. "Amy and Blaze were right," she said to herself.
"What about Amy and Blaze?"
"Nothing," Cream said. Then she sat up and gasped. "That's right! We need to get ready to go to Amy's house! Are your presents wrapped?"
He rubbed his neck. "Not yet."
Cream took his hand and pulled him to the living room. "I'll help you. Then we can stop at my house and pick up my presents on the way."
"Sounds good," he said. He pulled her back before they entered the living room. "But no peeking at your present."
"I promise," she said. "And I'll seal it with a kiss." She pecked his lips and giggled at his goofy grin. She felt herself smiling as wide as he was. Cream knew she wanted to experience that wonderful feeling much more in the future. This Christmas was already turning out better than she expected, the best yet in her opinion. She detached herself from Tails and started to gather the wrapping paper and scissors while he pulled the presents out of a hall closet.
Rouge was very quick, flitting back and forth throughout the store, not paying attention to anything in particular. Once or twice something caught her eye, like a jacket or, as Sonic guessed, something practical for Shadow. She didn't buy any of the items and kept rushing around, searching.
Meanwhile, Sonic impatiently checked every clock he passed. The mall closed in thirty minutes, then twenty, then ten, all while Rouge continued to waste time. And I still haven't found a present for Amy. He kicked himself, racking his mind what to buy her as Rouge looked over some watches.
Then in a nearby aisle, he spotted bundles of yarn, packets of needles, and large crochet kits that claimed one could make a sweater within a few hours. He recalled what Shadow had suggested about hand-making a gift. He lifted one of the packages off the hook and read the backside. Anybody can do it, huh? he thought as his eyes skimmed the description. Might as well try it. I got no better idea what to get her. He snatched up purple, red, and blue balls of yarn, and tucked the package under his arm. When he turned around to continue tracking Rouge, he couldn't find her.
Great. He ran through the store, racing up every aisle to find her. Eventually, he found her paying for her gift, already wrapped by an employee. What had she bought for Shadow? Sonic racked his brain, trying to remember what she had been looking at last. Watches, right? But she could've moved on when I wasn't looking.
He bought his package and yarn and followed her out of the store, hoping she might let slip what she had bought. Yet she turned around, tugged on her coat, and spotted him. "Hey there, Blue Boy. Taking up knitting?"
"Crochet," he said.
"A secret desire of yours?" she asked teasingly. They started walking alongside one another toward the exit. "Or would saying it's for a secret desire of yours fit better?"
He diverted his eyes, shrugging and looking forward. "Thought I'd try making a present this year."
"Oh, how bold. I'll need to give you my size."
He smirked and eyed her gift. "What about you? Pick up a present for someone special in there?"
She hid the gift on her other side. "Maybe, maybe not. Could be someone else's, could be yours."
"Could be Shads' present. What did you get him this year?"
"Aren't you the nosey little hedgehog?" she said with a wink. "Tell you what, how about you tell me what you're getting for Amy? Are you crocheting something?"
He started to hide the package and yarn, but figured she had already read him anyway. And if he told her, then he could find out what Shadow's present was. "I was thinking about it. Maybe a sweater. Don't tell her though."
Rouge drew her pinched fingers across her lips. "On my honor."
Sonic was skeptical of how much value her honor held. "Now what did you get Shadow?"
"I'm afraid that's a secret."
"But you said—"
"I asked you to tell me what you're making Amy. I never said I'd tell what I bought Shadow," she said, laughing.
He growled under his breath. She got me there.
"Why do you care so much anyway? Planning to help him out and tell him?"
Sonic dodged the question. "Well it seems pretty bad that you wouldn't buy him a present at all. That's what you were here for, wasn't it?"
"How did you know that?" He clamped his mouth shut and scratched his ear. "Oh, you are quite the sneak! How long were you tailing us?"
"Long enough."
"I guess spying that good deserves a little hint," she said, producing her wrapped gift. She smiled at it as they exited the mall. "It is something special for Shadow. That's all I'll say."
"You think he'll like it?"
Her smile faltered. "I hope so."
He frowned. "Hey, I'm sure he will if you think so. You know him best. You should've seen him try to buy a gift for you. He was totally lost and we wandered around the store for hours."
"He spent hours looking for a gift? For me?" Her face brightened and her sea-green eyes sparkled.
Sonic bit his tongue. "Oh, uh, hey, I better get going. Got to make this sweater. I'll see you at Amy's!" Then he dashed off for the Mystic Ruins, mentally slapping himself. Some helpful spy you are. Stupid! Stupid!
A/N: Whew. Chapter two done.
Sword: Yay! Hope you guys are liking it so far. Please let us know what you think of it. Onto the next one!
Pen: Give us a break.
Sword: No can do! Christmas is fast approaching! Mush! Write!
Pen: Can it! En garde!