This chapter may or may not be a little bit porny in an "I can't write porn" kind of way...

It's also gonna get a little bit romantic, a little bit sad, a little bit happy and very corny.

You have been warned of my corn.

I guess this chapter may also prove just how much Sonic stuff I had looked up over the past year or so just because I personally think this is the epitome of all the easter eggs and references sprinkled throughout the fanfic because it's an entire scene's worth of material.

I also took the liberty of going back to precious chapters, editing them a bit, removing some typoes and adding in some extra scenes/stuff I forgot to put in to make up for the trouble. So that's a plus as well as a gift for all of my readers being so cool with this project full of corn.

So enjoy the extra scenes edited into previous chapters and enjoy the rest of the fic. Hopefully I can get back on track with writing in general and with this fic in particular: get it back to being mostly a comedy because it did dip into "what if Sonic Boom wrote a serious episode" territory which wasn't the intention, but hey romantic comedies can be awkward like that. That and my improv sometimes produces either really great or really corny writing from me.

But as usual: on with the corn and me falling deeper into the hedgehole that is fandom

Sonic inhaled, exhaled then inhaled again. Locating a wild bush of roses – lavender roses no less – was certainly a challenge. He plucked the biggest one he could find, tempted to rip the entire bush out of the ground but resisting due to the fact he didn't want to give Amy the chore of having to plant an entire bush of flowers.

He had come to the idea that call-backs were a sure fire way to get to her heart. Make sweet call-backs to their relationship in past games and continuities. Girls, fans and even fangirls couldn't resist sweet and sentimental call-backs and references to older material. He thought about everything that she'd remember fondly. He already had a lavender rose, he planned on getting a pack of tarot cards in the village if he could manage to find one. What else was there?

He couldn't think straight. He was making things more complicated than they needed to be.

Him constantly denying that he and Amy had any sort of connection was screwing him over too – it had been for years. And now it seemed like Eggman just got bored of fighting with tween animal people and there was a chance he could be out of the picture entirely. Getting a hold of Eggman to get Shadow out of the way was no guarantee, nor was being able to get Shadow out of the way and off the island but he was trying to think positively.

For the love of Chaos he even sloppily converted is house into a nest itself, if only to show he was serious should Amy want even more proof.

He inhaled, exhaled, looked down at the rose he was holding and mumbled to himself "Alright, I got this. Besides, fangirls like call-backs. And Amy likes romance and that sort of mush."

And he sped back to town...

Shadow on the other hand looked down at Amy partially regretting as well as enjoying what had happened. Now she was lying down on the grass with a look of content on her face but he couldn't tell whether it was because of the alcohol or...

"I'm going to get some water. I'm getting you a glass too." Shadow got up and walked to the fridge, seeing the mess she'd made in the kitchen with a Sonic doll decapitated by her hammer – now on the floor with the head laying beside it smushed in in such a way where you'd have to rip open the seams and adjust the stuffing to get it back to it's original shape. He found a pitcher of water, putting it on a vodka-covered counter and searching for a glass that wasn't a shot glass.

Amy on the other hand started buttoning up the bust of her dress only to find a button had snapped off completely. She mumbled to herself about having to fix it and started digging around for a mirror.

Shadow came back with water. "Amy, what are you doing?"

"Looking for a mirror. I don't want my quills looking bruised."

"I'm sorry..." Shadow turned pink himself. "But from where I'm standing you don't look bruised in the slightest. So drink some water and lay off the vodka for the rest of the day." He handed her the glass he got for her and she accepted.

"Thanks." She chugged the whole glass down in 10 seconds. "I say that in a lot of contexts." She giggled, tipping back the glass and hoping to get the last few drops of water but unable to get them.

"Maybe it wasn't right of me... I was tipsy, you were in a mood."

"It's not like I was being held against my will or you forced me to do anything so I think we're even. Besides, I realized something today."

"Which is?"

"I need to get over Sonic. I had to just accept the fact that maybe now isn't the time. It may never end up being the right time. So it's best if I got over it."

Shadow shrugged. "Makes sense."

"I really appreciate today. Helps clear my head ya know?" Amy smiled in content. "I'm gonna go get some more water."

"Oh, allow me. I owe you one." Shadow took her glass and went back to the kitchen and leaving Amy alone, lying down on her stomach on a mound of grass and getting a look at her stockings – one high on her thigh and the other having fallen down to her knee with her shoes having been thrown toward the front door. He blushed a bit but still managed to stay civilized.

"Ya know this is easier than I thought. Getting blue in the face over blue balls wasn't doing me any favors anyway." She stretched out, scratching behind one of her ears. "I'll find other ways to be happy. I'm sure of it."

Shadow still felt icky about what had happened if only because he was both a rebound and also one of her exploits while she was slightly drunk in an attempt to forget Sonic. And damn that blue hedgehog to hell for torturing Amy so much.

While pouring her water he thought about settling down for real – not just to spite Sonic. Could've been nice. But he didn't want to overstay his welcome or overstep his boundaries. Of course if he did stay in the picture that could hurt Sonic more but that didn't really matter. Amy was just a girl who got stunted in an attempt at a relationship and Shadow could've been little more than a rebound to her.

Amy looked back at him. "You okay Shadow?"

"Yeah. Sorry, I was just going to ask where you kept the paper towels so I could clean up the mess."

"Cabinet."

"Thanks."

Amy watched him dig through the cabinet and got up. She felt good about herself for the moment. She decided she wanted to get over Sonic completely because it wasn't helping her what so ever. Walking over to the front door she retrieved her shoes – which were tossed in that direction in the middle of the action. Foot against the wall she put her shoes back on and rolled up her lavender stockings.

And then she saw a face look at her in her window, backing away.

"Ugh... What is it now?" She opened the door, finding Sonic on her front door step.

"Hey Ames. How-?" And then Sonic smelled an awful mix of sweat, pheromones and alcohol, dropping the rose he picked for her instantly. "Amy... Why do you...?"

Amy pulled her dress down, embarrassed. "It's none of your business Sonic! Why are you here?"

"I thought we were having a good day before we got interrupted by edgelord over there!" Sonic motioned toward Shadow in the kitchen. He was flustered not just because he got a quick flash of her nethers but also because Shadow somehow managed to beat him to it. "How did it happen?"

"It's none of your business! Why did you even come here?!"

"I wanted to make up with you but it looks like you've already moved on!"

"Move on from what? We didn't have anything... It's about time I accept that." Amy pouted, turning away and about ready to close the door. "I'm trying to work on myself right now so-."

"So, you're going to open up and let me tell you how I feel dammit!" He held the door open where it was, prompting Shadow to shoot him a look from the kitchen. "Quit trying to act like you own the place edgelord! You're the one who caused this mess!"

"Sonic you're acting ridiculous. We didn't have anything because you never wanted anything!" She attempted to close the door but he held it open. "Sonic, there's a black hedgehog right behind me giving you the death glare, you really wanna try breaking into my house or prevent me from closing my own door?"

"Alright, hear me out: I just want to talk to you so..." He sighed, feeling red in the face. "Look Ames, I've thought long and hard about a lot of things."

"So have I."

"I can't explain it with the edgelord giving me the death glare, come outside?"

Shadow looked almost like he was smiling, which looked unusual. "Actually I need some air." and out the front door he walked, arms crossed and looking content with himself. On the way out he got the death glare from the blue one always getting in his way but he ignored it, simply smirking and muttering something under his breath that Sonic barely made out as 'don't screw it up'.

Amy just looked at the open doorway, sighing and feeling alone. "Terrific..."

And then the door was slammed shut, an anxiety-ridden blue hedgehog having gotten in and now blocking the exit. "You could say that again." Then he started begging: "So you wanna go back to the beach? Meh Burger? Anything? I wanted to talk to you. I just wanted things to go back to normal. I had a lot of fun with you today and..." He hid the rose behind his back.

"And what?" Amy looked back at him with a sour expression. "Look, I've come to the realization that we're good friends but we can't work out as more than that. I've been bothering you for years and it probably hasn't been fun for you so I'm ending it."

"You're ending it after a day?"

"I'm ending it after years of not realizing how stupid I was!"

"Amy, you're not stupid. You have feelings! I don't always say it but I care about them..." He meant it. Even though he didn't always want to get involved nor did he understand absolutely everything she was thinking he did want her to be happy.

But she just sighed. "You'll make it easier for the both of us if you just go. We can still be friendly but right now I don't want to think about anything more than that..." She walked to the kitchen, depressed and desperately wanting to clean up the remains of that awful doll before the cotton stuffing could soak up any liquids alcoholic or otherwise.

But she was followed and her creation was met with awkward utterances trying to form a sentence to form a reaction. "Wow... That's me..." A cold sweat made Sonic turn even bluer than he normally was. "I... I didn't know you owned such a thing."

"I made it because I was naive and stupid." Amy said in a monotone voice as she robotically picked up pieces of cotton and fabric. "I understand if you're creeped out by it. I am too..."

"No... I mean it's creepy looking and it's the face that's haunt me whenever I pass by a sewer but I can tell you put a lot of love into making it. That probably wasn't easy."

"It wasn't..." She stopped cleaning up, only getting angry with herself for letting this damn blue hedgehog in her house without a fight. "Why are you still here?"

"I wanna talk to you obviously! I needed to set things right."

"Pft. I thought you didn't like talking about your feelings..." She smirked a bit. Despite the irony of it all she sort of enjoyed their sudden role reversal, maybe in a twisted way he would get it.

And on his end: boy was he...

Even though he prepared himself for this he was hesitating, palms sweaty, knees weak, arms heavy. Sonic felt confused and angry, face red and the rose's stem about to snap. And now the opening was here, time to tell her how he actually felt and he couldn't spit it out. He was frozen in place while every part of him felt like it was burning.

"I... I-I don't know how to word it alright?! I've never been good at this sort of thing!" He shouted in his defense. "Feelings have always been your thing, not mine. My thing was always about going fast!"

"You've never been good at explaining things." She shook her head, eyes closed. Knowing things weren't going to change she got up, still avoiding looking at him and thinking of all of her regrets as she looked at the floor. "What's your point?"

"The point..." He breathed in, feeling even stiffer than normal with not even the animalistic part of his brain to save him with some perverted or comedic one liner.

"Yes... The point. It's missing."

He breathed in, out, in again. "Um..." Oh for the love of... All he wanted to say was 'I love you Amy Rose' but words were becoming impossible to form so he stood there awkwardly hiding a single rose about to be torn to shreds behind his back, thorns digging into his gloves.

Amy facepalmed. "I'm going out. You should go home."

"Oh, well on the subject of my place..."

"I'm not going home with you."

"Well... At least come outside with me and don't run off? I mean..." He motioned toward a window. "There's a nice sunset out there. Can I watch it with you?"

"Why?"

"Because it's something nice I want to do with you. And I have something in mind."

"Like what?" She was getting annoyed. "Just tell me what you're trying to do already!"

He sighed. "Alright, you're gonna have to go along with the set up. It's a little weird, but it does fit." He picked her up and ran out of the door, setting her down a few feet away from her doorstep.

Then he ran back to her door, hands to his mouth. "OKAY SO FOR THIS SCENE: YOU WERE RUNNING HOME! YOU'RE EXHAUSTED! YOU THOUGHT I WAS DEAD FOR SIX MONTHS AND SUDDENLY I'M HERE AGAIN! AAAAAAAAAAAAND SCENE!" He clapped his hands, indicating the scene started.

On the one hand Amy found it stupid but she got somewhat of a laugh out of it, bringing a genuine smile to her face that turned into an awkward laugh. "Y-You're kidding right?"

He yelled after clapping his hands again. "Are you saying that in or out of character?"

"No, I mean the whole thing... You're kidding right?" There was a slight twitch in her smile. "You're actually doing this?"

"I mean, don't people like call-backs and references to older material?" He meant it.

His reasoning was that although it was corny and it was more symbolic than anything he still wanted to impress her and make her smile. He didn't care about hormones or seasons or his instincts telling him to breed – all he really wanted was Amy to be his friend again. Maybe something more should things work out, but more importantly he needed to win her back as a friend again.

Though not intentional Amy fell to her knees in the sand. She wanted to laugh. She wanted to cry. She started doing both... "You're not actually serious. When are you ever serious?"

Sonic just stood silently smiling, hiding something behind his back.

"This is all messed up... Just when I was planning on getting over my stupid obsession with you, you pull stuff like this... You're such an idiot!"

He just kept standing there doing nothing.

"I thought long and hard about it and thought I was going to get over you... But here we are again. You're going to try to convince me everything's okay when it isn't... I just don't get you. It took me forever to realize we can't be together and then you pull something like this!"

She was legitimately breaking down. It was confusing, it was stupid and she just wanted to smash his brains and quills out with her hammer but she didn't really have the energy to do so. She punched the ground, causing him to move for once rather than just standing there like an idiot.

He looked awkward as if trying to contain laughter, squeaking or a mix of both as he got down on one knee in front of her.

"You're a real moron you know that... This isn't going to last. Things will just reset and go back to normal once this is all over! You're going to go right back to being a jerk again."

Again he was silent, trying to contain something by not speaking but close to spilling the beans.

She rolled her eyes. "Just..." She inhaled. "Just tell me you love me and that you're not going to leave me, you idiot."

"Could've done without the 'idiot' part but..." He squeaked, giving her a rose was was a little worn after so much drama, abuse and poor attempts at a romantic comedy. "Um... I don't really care about biology. I mean if I can break the sound barrier I can tell my instincts to shut up and settle down and-."

"Simple English, Sonic."

He inhaled, shoving that flower in her hand and grabbing her by the shoulders. "I'm an idiot but: I love you."

"Heh... You friggin' nerd."

"Why am I nerd?" His face was red.

"You and your reliance on call-backs to when you were good."

"Hey, I'm still good. I'm just going through somewhat of a pha-." Before he could say he was going through a phase and how his 'boom' phase was much better than his werewolf or 'werehog' phase in comparison but then he was tackled in the sand, Amy sitting on top of his stomach. "Um, isn't this supposed to be the other way around?"

"Shut up you moron." She bit one of his quills, getting multiple squeaks out of him.

"Okay this is definitely supposed to be the other way around!"

She merely snickered in response, biting his ear.

"AND SERIOUSLY, RIGHT HERE? RIGHT NOW?"

"If you have an issue about doing it in the sand we can take it inside."

He squeaked uncontrollably. "Well-." He squeaked. "I mean-!"

"Yeah? Keep going." Her ovaries were screaming. Her own instincts were having an argument with the more rational parts of her brain, with her instincts telling her that she could totally mate again and that she was a powerful woman who could do anything – and anyone – she wanted without shame while the rational part of her brain just thought about the urchins she could possibly conceive, instincts saying that babies didn't really matter right now.

"Well... I thought I was supposed to be the one-."

"Well~ I guess I just thought I'd wanna make the most of my two minutes~."

Sonic just lay there overwhelmed as his instincts told him to take charge while the rational side of his brain wanted to see where this was all going. "Two minutes huh?"

"Well however long it lasts~ I mean if you're the 'fastest thing alive' I hope it isn't over in a few seconds. I mean I'm hoping those rumors aren't true~."

"Hah! Rumors, what rumors?! It's not like I've mated with anyone else and just cuz I'm the fastest thing alive doesn't mean it's gonna be over in less than two minutes!"

She grabbed his scarf with her teeth, tying it around her neck. "I guess we'll see about that~"

And then he and his instincts agreed on one thing: "Screw it, this might be the only chance we get and then we can piss off Shadow!"

Chapter 11 end

I am a corny human being...

Honestly as far as love confessions or implied love confessions go in fiction, I actually really like the one from Sonic X. It just works. It could work in any other franchise, but in the context of how it was used in this show really works and it's very touching. It's very sweet in either the Japanese or English dub despite changes 4Kids made to the dub (it honestly wasn't the worst of censorships on their end and the scene still works). From what I've read there are several differences in localization: in the French dub of the show, Sonic out right says "I love you Amy Rose" but that's absent from the English Dub (which just has him say that he'll never leave her) and the Japanese Dub (which has him speaking, but there's no audible dialogue which just implies he's saying either an 'I love you' or something else). The other things that changed based on dub involves what Amy demands of Sonic. In the Japanese dub she says "Just tell me you love me already" in the English dub she says "Don't you ever leave me again". Based on the Japanese dub, this was intended to be a love confession but the English dub left this a bit more on the subtle side. But once again, it wasn't the worst of changes 4Kids made the localize the show in America. As a confession scene goes it's still pretty strong and it remained mostly loyal to the original dub other than "Don't you ever leave me again" vs. "Just tell me that you love me".

I don't know what was used for Amy in the French dub, nor did I find anything anywhere regarding what she said, most of the emphasis there was on Sonic perhaps because of the straight up "I love you" that made SonAmy canon in the French dub which probably made the shippers lose their minds and collectively 'awww'

For the extra observant you also might've noticed some odd parallels or changes like instead of the confession taking place during a sunrise, it takes place during a sunset. And in the original Japanese dub Amy's talking about how she decided to wait for Sonic forever, but here she's talking about deciding to get over him or a break up, etc. I think my favorite case of contrast is how the scene ends for obvious reasons (COMEDY EVERYBODY!) Once again, my improv style of writing proves to be some of my corniest and awkward but sometimes most amazing and clever writing. Which one it is is entirely up to the reader.

I mentioned it in Chapter 7 (the other corny as hell chapter in this fic) that in the scene he gives her a lavender rose (some say it's white, but some also argue it's purple, I see a bit of both based on how the scene is lit). Roses in the language of flowers symbolize romance and passion. While white roses symbolize a pure love, lavender ones in particular symbolize a secret love which fits Sonic a bit better and adds more power to the scene over all which was why lavender roses were also a thing here. That's just an analysis from a crazy analytical writer type like myself who works on a thousand stories at once. Characters are paramount in my work, so pondering these types of scenes and thinking of ways to make them even more powerful is something I enjoy and like talking about.

Onto the trivia which made this chapter comical for me:

This chapter's trivia will make you think a bit.

So there's this common headcanon that since Sonic is "the fastest thing alive", that in a sexual scenario he's going to get it over with as fast as possible or he'd suffer from premature ejaculation. Actual hedgehogs only mate for about one to two minutes and then it's done – often they'll just go their separate ways afterward. So if you wanna get extra corny and a bit scientific about it: if you want a fanfic similar to this (in which you take actual animal behavior and apply it to anthropomorphic animal characters), to give Sonic something like premature ejaculation: that would mean he couldn't last more than a minute or two, which is the average range for hedgehogs.

Another weird hedgehog fact that translates funny to Sonic's design in particular: a male hedgehog's penis looks like a belly button (that's the only way to distinguish a male from a female in reality). Sonic is the only character who doesn't have fur on his chest – he has a fleshy belly. So if you wanna get funny about it: based on his character design, he's walking around with his junk exposed all the time.

Next chapter: laughs, implied mating, sex jokes, couple humor and the occasional Avenue Q joke