Hey! So I'm late with this update, sorry. where this chapter is pretty vital to the development so I wanted to do it right. Thank you for waiting and I hope you enjoy.

Teach Him

The hardest part of owning a pet is always the training. Animals don't seem to understand the same social things we do. But let's face it, our social rules are kind of stupid. You have teach them that they can't take a dump everywhere they go. They can't growl at everyone they don't like. They especially need to know that just because they like someone doesn't mean they can hump them.

It was about midnight that I was awoken by the sound of my bedroom door opening and closing. Sonic had been out doing his thing again. I kept my eyes closed and my breathing steady in an attempt to appear as though I was still asleep. It worked. After kneeling before me on my side of the bed he went around and crawled beside me. He pulled my back into his chest and curled around me, holding me closely. He nuzzled into my neck as he spooned me, savouring the moment until he fell asleep.

This had become our ritual. Sonic came home when he was tired or hungry and ran around doing who-knows-what when he was out. But when he was home he was kind, amusing, gentle and lately very affectionate. I couldn't wrap my head around why. It seemed completely normal to him. In fact, he looked at me like I was crazy whenever I rebuffed him. I was starting to get the feeling it was just a Wildling thing. I had seen pairs of Wildlings on the streets being intimate as though it was nothing. It was probably normal for him to cuddle up to anyone he was even remotely close to. So I let him hold me when he wanted to. I let him spoon me in the night. But I couldn't fight off the feeling that something wasn't quite right with this.

"Morning," Sonic greeted me when I came into the kitchen the next morning. "I made breakfast!"

I stared at him in, confused. "How?"

Sonic pointed to a table where their were two plates, each containing a slice of burnt, unbuttered toast. I sighed.

"I saw how you did it and I tried it myself."

I shook my head and took the plates, going to throw the wasted slices away.

"No! Don't throw it out!"

I sighed and handed him his plate. "Taste it."

He did as I commanded and shivered at the flavour. "I suck at this."

I shrugged. "You tried."

He frowned, clearly disappointed in his failure.

"I could teach you how to make a couple things," I offered.

Sonic's eyes brightened. "I'd like that."

I spent about an hour teaching Sonic how to make toast. He was right. He sucked. I could hardly imagine tomorrow when I would teach him to make cereal. That would be Hell. Sonic ran off after the lesson. I was left to do my errands. After making the bed and sweeping the floors I went shopping for more bread. Sonic had wasted a whole loaf that morning that I was left to replace. As I left the house I bundled myself up in my coat, hoping I could make it on foot to the grocery store. I hated the winter it was cold and infertile. There was no food I could grow in the season so I was always left with scraps of what I managed to save.

"Miss Rose," a man's voice called out to me.

I kept walking, hoping the man would go away. Ever since the Derek Fox incident I had become a prize to be won. I was the sly vixen who needed taming and every single, male eye in town was now on me.

The man, whoever he was ran closer and grabbed me by the shoulder. I turned to see a handsome young lion. At least he wasn't a dirty minded old man like he others. I still didn't like him though.

"What is it?" I asked, trying to be as civil as possible.

"I'm the new deputy in town," the lion explained. "And I heard you were in a bit of a situation."

I would bet a thousand bucks the Sheriff sent this guy. I could imagine it. A lonely young man, new to town, mentioning his longing for a mate. All of a sudden his boss recommends a mysterious little hedgie like me. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

"I'm not interested in a mate," I quickly brushed him off.

I tried to keep walking but was grabbed by the wrist and tugged back to face the lion.

"I know. Hound told me about your dad."

I wanted to slap the guy for even mentioning my past. I had to keep my cool, though. If I hit him or lashed out I'd be out tonight.

"I'd take good care of you...and your pet," he assured me. "I've always wanted a Wildling actually."

I snatched my hand away. "I said I was not interested, sir," I hissed, trying and failing to keep the venom from seeping out of my tone. "And also, I would appreciate it if you stopped snooping through other people's past."

I was walking away when all of a sudden I heard him call after me. "I'm not giving up on you!"

I groaned. The last thing I needed right now was an obsessive suitor.

When I got home that afternoon Sonic was waiting for me...oddly. He sat in my cushiony rocking chair and stared out the window intently. It was strange for him to be home at this time of day. But since he was there I decided to take advantage of the situation.

"Help me put this stuff away," I ordered.

Sonic huffed at my tone but took a bag and proceeded to place things in the shelves that I instructed him to. After a couple minutes We were done and I went to go sit and relax.

I strolled into the living room and after a blue flash. sonic was already in my rocking chair. I didn't like having to share my favourite spot with him. I approached him and tapped my foot impatiently. Sonic just stared up at me. I was about to give in and leave but as I turned to go I was pulled down and into Sonic's lap. I blushed madly.

"Sonic!" I scolded. "Let me up!"

He held me there, struggling against him. He was now reclining comfortably in my chair as though I wasn't flailing my limbs at him. He was starting to get a little to touchy-feely for my comfort. We'd have to have a talk about this.

Before I could say anything, Sonic spoke. "That lion was very nice."

I stopped fighting him and listened, puzzled. It was very possible Sonic had been passing by in a tree or a bush that time on accident. He was incredibly stealthy after all.

"He was much kinder than the others...like that Derek Fox guy." He paused for a second, leaving me to wonder where he was going with this. "Did you like him, Amy?"

I thought on it for a second. He was nicer than the others and had he not been proposing to him I might have found him tolerable. But he also seemed a little nosy. He would never respect my privacy if we were together.

"No," I responded. "No, I didn't."

Sonic breathes a sigh of relief. His hot breath hit my ear making it flicker. I was shocked when his teeth nipped my ear and then his hands shoved me off his lap so I fell to the floor.

"Okay," he responded, now cheery and bubbly. "That's all I wanted to know."

"Why'd you push me?" I screeched.

He laughed. "Because I wanted your fat ass off my knee! I swear my legs were about to snap!"

"You-"

Yep, it was just a regular day.

And that night was a regular night. He held me in his arms like he always insisted on doing. He was sleeping peacefully. I was awake thinking. Nothing was different except for the...problem. Half way through the night I was awoken by nibbles at my neck. I sat up and watched Sonic bury his face in my lap. I squirmed as he sniffed in something. I realized in a split second that he was looking for pheromones. I mentally slapped myself. How could I not see it? The jealousy, the nip at my ear to mark his territory, the cuddling and affection, sitting me in his lap, and now smelling for pheromones on me, the closest female! It was so obvious! Sonic was in musk. Musk was the male version of a woman's heat. Males went into musk 4 times a year. That's once for each season. I shook his shoulder to wake him, he stirred, mumbling something about steak.

"Sonic," I said gently. "I need you to sleep on the couch."

He looked up at me sleepily. "But the bed's so much warmer."

I stroked a hand through his messy quills. "Please, Sonic, I need you to sleep alone tonight."

He grumbled and rose from the bed, leaving my room. It was funny, I never realized how cold my half empty bed was.

I handed Sonic a little booklet I had been given when I was in middle school.

"'What's puberty? A guide to sexual development,'"Sonic read. I shifted uneasily in my seat beside him on the couch. He looked up at me.

"Go ahead," I nodded to the booklet.

He started to flip through the pages. I watched his eyes flicker from diagram to diagram. I waited patiently to see what would catch his eye and if he had any questions. He stopped on a page vividly displaying the entrance of a man to a woman. He turned his head to look at me. I waited, thinking of how I could explain things to him.

"What the fuck is this?" He asked. He looked so unlike himself. He was nervous and unsteady.

It caught me off guard a little that he swore but I managed to recite my rehearsed lines.

"Have you been feeling warm lately? In areas you shouldn't feel warm? You're going through a natural cycle that-"

"Ames, I know what sex is, Amy," he informed me. "And I've had this talk before."

"Oh thank God," I exhaled. "But are you-"

"Yes," he said plainly. "I'm in musk. Is there a problem?"

I grinned awkwardly and saw Sonic's eye brow raise.

"Uh, no, I just..." I didn't know how to say this to Sonic. How do you tell a man to keep his hands off. "I don't want a mate, Sonic. I think you know that."

He eyed me curiously. "Yes...and?"

I gulped. "You've been very friendly lately."

He brushed it off. "Well yeah, I'm a musk male. You're an attractive girl. What do you expect?"

I blushed. Attractive? I smacked the back of his head.

"Don't talk like that!" I yelled. "You sound like a dirty pervert!"

"Pervert? I just said you were pretty! If I was really a pervert I would have helped myself to you by now!" He exclaimed.

I felt my flames ignite. That's it, I was at the point of no return.

"Get out! Get out, get out, get out!" I shrieked at the top of my lungs. I hit him and pushed him as he got out of his seat and stumbled backwards towards the door. I opened the front door and gave him one final shove outside. "And you can forget about sleeping in my bed tonight! Go find some Wildling to screw!"

He charged to the door only to have it slam in his face. I locked up and went back to the couch, screaming into one of the pillows Sonic used to sleep last night.

I heard him knocking. "Amy! Amy! Why'd you lock me out?" I covered my ears but couldn't block out his voice. "Ames! What did I do? Please let me in!" He was whining like a cub. I felt a little bad. Sure he didn't word things the right way but all he meant was that he wasn't a creep.

Maybe I should let him in, I thought to myself.

"If it was the pretty thing I'll take it back!" He called to me. "You're actually really ugly and fat!"

Nope, I'll leave him out there to freeze.

I sat at my bedroom door that night, leaning on it. I heard Sonic, mumbling to me on the other side of the door. He had made it into the house a couple hours ago. He had been sitting at the other side of the door whispering to me since then.

"Are you asleep?" He had asked.

I stayed quiet. The truth was I couldn't sleep in my empty bed. It felt too lonely now.

"I'll take that as a yes."

And so there he stayed, baring his soul to me. "I'm sorry about today, Amy. I just don't really get you guys, y'know? And by the way, you aren't ugly or fat. I was just being an idiot."

I suppressed a giggle.

"City dwellers are so strange. I see your couples walking down the street and they seem like strangers to me. When I was a cub I remember mates were more...intimate. They were loving and affectionate and so open to each other." He paused, trying to think of a way of explaining himself. "I had brothers and sisters in my litter. They were the only people I was ever close to before you. We played rough, which I know not to do with you, because you'd break me. We shared our mothers milk, again, not something I can do with you. When we were tired of everything else we sat together and slept and held each other. When I was little I was scared of not being in contact with someone. The only way I know how to take care of you and show that I...care is..." He sighed. "I guess what I'm trying to say is I don't know the categories and boundaries you have. I was taught that there wasn't a difference in how you treated a female friend and a lover. The way I was taught was that they were one in the same."

I blushed. It was strange to know how he had been groomed to think of me that way. It was even stranger that my heart began to fly when I heard him say it.

"I just need to know what you want me to do. I can't do that social queue stuff. I wasn't raised that way. I just need you to tell me...teach me how to treat you."

I stood and turned the handle on my door, opening it. I found Sonic had been sitting against the door the same way I was.

"You can come to bed if you want."

He looked up at me in shock. "Why didn't you tell me you were awake?"

I shrugged. "Would you have told me all that if you knew I was."

He was silent.

"Sonic, you can come sleep with me."

He shook his head. "I'll take the couch again."

I frowned and let him go. I couldn't swallow my pride to tell him I wanted him there with me.

"Okay, time to go over the rules." I was pacing the floor of my living room early that morning. Sonic sat on the couch listening to me like a good student. "Rule number 1! Don't touch me without permission. Rule number 2! It's alright to sleep in my bed, just don't touch the no zones."

"No zones?" Sonic questioned.

"My chest, crotch and butt." I spoke bluntly."

He nodded. "Okay."

"Rule number 3! Knock before you enter my room. Rule number 4! Don't touch my stuff! Do you get that? Oh, and I almost forgot! Don't look at the no zones either!"

This one seemed to shock Sonic. "What wrong with looking?"

"It's creepy," I explained, trying to be patient with his ignorance. "It makes me feel like men are think weird things."

"But if I looked it wouldn't be because I'm creepy." He responded. "I'd just be admiring your curves."

I flung the nearest object at his head. Luckily for him the object was a pillow.

"You see! That's creepy!"

"Fine," he pouted, "no lookie, no touchie."

I smiled. "Good boy."

I hoped my lesson sank in.

okay guys, Sonic and Amy are starting to get a little hot for each other. I hope you guys liked this chapter. Review and share your thoughts on it. :)