I'm typing this at 3 A M. Fuck.
If I manage to type this Author's Note with coherent sentences, well, congratulations to my caffeine-addled and sleep-deprived brain. Well done.
Constant bouts of short-term writer's block has spread this update out for far too long. I can only apologize for the increased waiting time, but I assure you, I am working as hard as I can - and this update should please you, I hope. I am rather fond of this chapter so I hope the 3 months have been worth it!
Shout out to: SonAmy Otaku, shadamy1fan, PoeticLover1996, werewolf lover99, AHeartForStories, KumarKitty24, Guest, The High School Hero, animelover5641, Eli Swafford, TheMidnightShadow, Ashuradahedgehog, GuestKori, Steve993, ToxicWolf1132, Guest, Silvaze4evr1, Guest, djaik-niffsta, Born iNSaNiTY ! Thank you so much for all of your support and motivation - it would have taken me years to write this, if it hadn't been for you guys! :3
Replies:
SonAmy Otaku - The Cosailsream (urrh?) triangle is rearing it's head - so the Tailsmo dynamics should step into the spot light, soon enough! :3
shadamy1fan - Thank you so much! :D
PoeticLover1996 - Awh, thank you! :3 Ha ha! I couldn't agree more with that: Fiona definitely be on point with her shit ;) I'm looking forward to writing about her again - sadly, she is not in this chapter! But the drama does not cease without her ;) Love ya too! :D
werewolf lover99 - Haha! I see your point XD Thank you!
AHeartForStories - Ah, but of course I read it! :3 I'm still extremely excited if a review is posted to MMG - we're only 9 away from 600! *O* Oh, the bomb part :3 I wasn't quite thinking 'trolololol' as I wrote it, but I know how annoying dream-plot twists are ;) Sorry - I thought we needed some psychological dream problems to get the party started ;) Thank you for your support!
KumarKitty24 - Yeah, things are going a bit haywire, aren't they! ;D Thank you! :3 Oooh, favourite Sonic character, eh? That's a tough one - they're all great in their own way. Amy is, undoubtedly, my favourite female Sonic character (although Rouge is close). But, if we're putting genders aside, I think I'd just have to go with Shadow. You just...one cannot describe his personality. It's like chocolate for Sonic writers - his character is gorgeously rich. There are so many layers and emotions to toy with. And, who can resist the badass tormented character with a gun? ;) Shadow is incredible, even though I'm horrible to him!
Guest - Thank you very much! That's a good reaction - it shows that I've managed to make you support this story's version of Sonic and Amy :D I hope you'll like this chapter ;)
The High School Hero - Ah, FFN BFF! :D We've both been absent - but I have made a note to read the latest chapter of SCB and hopefully we're both back in full force! :D And I hope your exams went well! Mine have all just cleared up! :D I was getting lonely without you too :( Ha ha! Wow - intense starting rant! ;) Ah, well, I am planning to mix things with the comics and games, as I did in MMG, so sit tight! ;) Catch ya on the flipside! :)
animelover5641 - Thank you very much! :D You may not be expecting this chapter - so you may be a tiny bit disappointed. However, I will address something in the next update, so, hang in there! ;)
Eli Swafford - Thank you very much! :3
TheMidnightShadow - So very true! The Amy bit was really sad! I quite like Clara, I think she's pretty cool and doesn't disobey the doctor TOO much (he might lie, but he does have everyone's best interests at heart) - but I think that Amy and Rory will always be the 11th Doctors companions. I'm seriously looking forward to the 12th doctor. Are they planning to start the series up again in September?
Ashuradahedgehog - Ha ha! Nope, Doctor Who fans come out in full force! ;) Your points about were very interesting! I hadn't thought of that! You've definitely gotten a good grasp on Sonic's emotions! :) I like your point about the distrust within the ranks - things are getting rather heated between some of them!
GuestKori - Hey there! No, that's not sad at all! That's very sweet and I really appreciate your support with this story! Ah, that's good (not the part about the boy now liking your sister. Boi, you need to make up your mind. "Slow down crazy, slow down"). Ha ha, yep, their dreams are a little out of the ordinary! I'm sorry I didn't manage to fulfill your wish! :( Next update - I will try my hardest to get an update out within one month from now! ;)
Steve993 - Wow, really perceptive! :D I like your comment about Sally and Fiona - I'd definitely agree that she's a lot more conniving and bitter than Sally. Thank you for your comments! :3
ToxicWolf1132 - Ha ha! XD Well, Sonic has got his reasons ;) And they will soon be unveiled... ;D
Guest - Thank you SO much! :3
Silvaze4evr1 - That's a really good way of putting it! "Sonic's past is coming back like a train" Very poetic! :) Ha ha, don't worry - the Cosailsream (nope. I'm not even close ;D) triangle is rolling towards us with increasing velocity! ;)
Guest - It's here! *grumbles* after how long!? *grumbles*
djaik-niffsta - Thank you so much again! :D (we've already spoke about this, so my reply isn't too long ;D)
Born iNSaNiTY - Hmmm, that would be an interesting pair, wouldn't it? ;D Thank you very much for your reviews on MMG too! :3
End of replies
COMMENCE CHAPTER 23! :D T.C xxx
Chapter 23 – Fierce and friendly festivities!
10:59
*.*.* Christmas Eve *.*.*
(...Amy's P.O.V...)
I grinned as Rouge pulled open the door of her flat and ushered me in, after a huge hug. I was still astounded that she'd managed to scoop the money together to rent this place - but it was cheap and some great aunt of hers had left a massive inheritance. I tried to hide my envy.
"God, I'm glad to be back," She moaned, stretching her wings in weariness, "I must say, living on my own is glorious,"
Rouge had been talking about her flat for weeks. On the leaving day of the Christmas holiday, she'd packed a bag in record time and shot out of the university as soon as she could. She sweet talked Shadow into giving her a ride home, and in return, she helped him spruce up his own flat.
"How come your parents are okay with this?" I asked, staring up at the beautiful canvases that were hanging in her hallway. I would never be able to afford my own flat until I left university and got a job - but I wasn't sure what my parents would say, even if I could afford the expenses.
She shrugged, nonchalantly, as we entered the living area, "I'm 18. They don't own me. And besides, they've never been 'kiddie-people'. And I've never gotten on with my mother,"
I highly doubted that this was the case, but chose not to say anything - I became distracted by the beautiful lights clipped to the white walls. There were two white sofas in the middle of the room, separated by a black fur rug. The kitchen area was off to one side and another door led to Rouge's bedroom. Behind the sofas were two glass windows that looked out onto the street below. Rouge had hung Christmas lights around the frames; a small decorated tree was sitting in the corner.
"It's beautiful!" I breathed, unable to focus on anything else, "You're so lucky. Don't even deny it,"
"Don't worry, honey, I'm not," She grinned, waving a casual hand towards the sofas, "Take a seat,"
I glanced at the seating, surprised to see that two people had arrived before me, "Oh, hey guys! Sorry - I got distracted,"
"I was the same, when I walked in," Blaze smiled, warmly, before taking a sip from her glass. I assumed that the brown liquid was Coke.
Shadow was sitting to her left, looking rather upright in the seat, "Hello,"
I placed myself next to Shadow, staring up at Rouge as she offered me a choice of drink. I decided to pass on the vodka, despite Rouge's surprise, and asked for a water. The bat sashayed towards the kitchen, leaving the rest of us to talk.
"How's the break been?" Blaze asked, staring at me.
"Okay, I guess. Home's...good," I was lying. It had been great seeing my parents again and the first day back was lovely. Things had gone slightly downhill from there: Mum and Dad were arguing more frequently. I knew that they hadn't been getting on brilliantly for the past couple of years: now, a divorce didn't look out of the question. As a kid, I probably wouldn't have been able to understand, but the situation with Sonic put things into perspective.
"How are things with you and Silver?" Shadow looked expectantly at Blaze, after frowning at me. He seemed to know that I wasn't telling the truth, but didn't pursue it.
She blushed, a little, "They're better - thanks to you two,"
We smirked in response. The double date had been an outright success. I realized that their chances were good when Shadow asked whether they wanted to go clubbing or see a movie; they both looked at each other, shared a grin and answered "movie". Shadow and I were slightly perplexed by their in-joke, but if it created a connection between them, who cares?
They still had a little way to go before their relationship was romantic, again - but things looked uphill from here.
"That's great!" I flashed Blaze a huge smile, before focusing on Shadow, "What about you? How's the flat?"
"It's alright," He didn't seem unhappy with it, but he didn't sound as excited as Rouge had been.
"What's happening with the foster family?" Blaze gingerly removed her glass from the table, "Are they still working things out with your social worker?"
"They're actually getting involved now. We were never that close - they were kind, but we never connected. You remember how the social worker caused a fuss about the time they spent at work. But, since I've got the flat, things have quietened down. I'm old enough for them to get off my back. The family still visit, though, once a week,"
"Well, that's great! You can have your own set of rules and, hopefully, try to start a new relationship with them!" My smile faltered at Shadow's confused expression. Was this not a good thing? "Right?"
Shadow lowered his gaze, mulling it over, "I hadn't thought of it like that. Yes, I suppose, it is good,"
"Trust me, he'll see that it's a good thing," Rouge handed my drink to me, before plopping into the opposite sofa, "Oh, Shadow? I've come up with a great idea - we're going to spend Christmas together,"
Judging by his face, Shadow didn't know about this, "When was this decided?"
"Recently. Oh, c'mon, you wouldn't have agreed if I'd just asked you! Look, you're alone, I'm alone - everyone else is going to be spending the day with family. We don't have to celebrate it together; we can do what we want. I just thought that it would be a bit less lonesome," Rouge's pout was possibly trying to soften the deal, "What's wrong with that?"
"...fine. I'll bring my bags over, tomorrow,"
"Excellent!" Rouge smirked, clapping her hands together.
I shot a glance at Blaze and we both giggled. With a sweet smile, she asked, "Won't Knuckles be jealous, if he finds out?"
"We're spending a couple of days together. We're not having sex or eloping," Rouge shrugged the problem off with a wave of her hand. Shadow's widened eyes probably meant that he was alarmed by both of those things, "Besides, Knuckles? Being jealous over little old me? Are you telling me that's a bad thing?"
"Probably - I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of his anger OR his fists. If he does find out, I wish Shadow the best of luck," I laughed at the ebony hedgehog's glare.
"Ooh! Knuckles VS Shadow? Over me?! Now, that I would want to see! Imagine: testosterone-filled anger, sweat glistening from their muscles, both of them locked into the battle over their sexy secret lover!" Rouge swooned, clearly reveling in the idea. I had to admit - that wouldn't be a bad position to be in. Whenever Shadow and Sonic fought, it was rarely romantic.
"Careful, Rouge. Mixing fantasy and reality only ends with disappointment," Blaze chuckled at Rouge's pouty expression.
The doorbell sounded and the bat scrambled to her feet, "There's nothing wrong with imagining, kitty. And anyway, Shadow would fight for me! Wouldn't you, Shadow?"
"...I'll think about it,"
That probably wasn't Rouge's fantasy answer. Still, reality and fantasy had never worked well together. Not from what I'd seen, anyway.
(...Sonic's P.O.V...)
I smiled at the ceiling, before swigging back the remainder of my grape juice. I usually hated the stuff - but I had to admit, Rouge made great fruit juice. Knuckles had flopped onto the couch, next to me, eying up my drink with envy. With no subtlety, I slid the glass further away from him - which caused an exasperated sight to escape his lips.
"Selfish," He muttered, folding his arms and lifting his head. His amethyst eyes flickered in the direction of the kitchen, before hardening, "Oh, look. Romeo and Juliet,"
I followed his gaze. Shadow was leaning against the kitchen worktop, impassively talking to Cosmo. She was hanging her head, almost in shame, only to occasionally interrupt and develop a pout. I tutted, as I turned back to Knuckles.
"You're really becoming two things: paranoid and annoying. Actually, three things - you're a stalker, too. Where have you gotten this idea from?"
He blushed crimson, "Rouge may have mentioned something..."
"Mmm?" My eyes flickered towards Knuckles' 'girlfriend', who was laughing at something that Cream had said, "What did she say?"
"Does it matter?"
"Of course it matters!"
"She...just said that perhaps they weren't as genuine as they seemed," He muttered, with a prolonged sigh. I didn't say anything for a moment, wondering if Rouge knew more than she was saying.
"Don't tell Tails about this," I hadn't realized that my teeth were grit, "Don't you dare give him false hope,"
"I haven't and I won't. Does Shadow come into that rule?"
Knuckles' confidence surprised me, "You're really going to confront Shadow about this?"
"If it comes to that,"
"Why do you care?"
He looked genuinely shocked at my question. He blinked before answering, "What?"
"It's got nothing to do with you, no offense. This is between Shadow, Cosmo and Tails. But I'd actually say that you're more in denial than Tails!"
Knuckles' mouth became a thin line, "I don't want any secrets to be kept - secrets that involve other people. And besides, I can't let Tails get hurt by this. It's our job to help him. Aren't you curious?"
"..." It suddenly dawned on me that I'd barely given this a second thought, "Well...I guess so,"
"Sitting around, waiting for something to happen, won't answer anything," Knuckles concluded, sinking back into the coach.
I shook my head in dismay. This had been a great idea of Rouge's. Planning an evening that would bring everyone together, on Christmas eve. No one had declined the offer and, whether they liked it or not, everyone would have to get along with each other.
For Silver and Blaze, this was no longer a problem. After his double date, Silver had burst into our room, ecstatically telling us how things had gone with Blaze. Things were back to normal, "like the good old days", before they'd started dating. Perhaps it wasn't exactly what Silver wanted, but it was the next best thing. He'd gotten his best friend back.
I struggled to ignore the news that Amy had been on the double date. With Shadow, of all people. Tails had managed to smooth things over, so that I didn't feel an urge to kill Shadow - but I still had a nagging fear that Amy had moved on.
Cosmo, Cream and Tails were awkwardly treading on eggshells around each other. They were all making civil conversation with each other - but it was clear that, whenever they spoke to each other, they would rather be anywhere else. Cream was extremely bold towards Tails; I couldn't believe that I hadn't realized her intentions, sooner. In return, Cosmo became extremely pissed off towards the other two. Tails was torn in half.
Amy and I were no better. I couldn't look her in the eyes, but I couldn't stop myself from staring at her, either. I had to look away, in case she caught me staring. Selfishly, I wondered and slightly hoped that she felt the same.
Things would be so much easier if we had all just remained friends.
"Sonic, look, Shadow's coming this way," Knuckles bounced to his feet, seemingly ready to start something. I rushed up, staggering beside him. Knuckles' voice sounded incredibly loud, "Hey, Shadow!"
"Knuckles...!" I slapped my hand against his shoulder, frantically telling him, "Don't do something stupid..."
"What was that?" Knuckles lowered his head towards me, until Shadow reached us. The echidna straightened his back and nodded at the black hedgehog.
"Yes?"
"What's happening with you and Cosmo?" The knucklehead jerked a thumb in Cosmo's direction, "You two seem awfully cozy,"
"That is none of your concern. But you already know about my relationship with Cosmo,"
"Yeah, yeah. But, it seems to me, that she doesn't seem to be warming up to ya. If you ask me, she doesn't seem that happy,"
Shadow's stare hardened, "No one did ask you,"
"And I'd like to know how you two got together. Cause you two didn't strike me as lovey-dovey. TAILS and Cosmo on the other hand..."
"Knuckles," I hissed, punching his shoulder again, "Shut. Up,"
He ignored me, "So, Shadow? How did you two get together? Please enlighten me,"
Cosmo suddenly rushed over, breaking her conversation from Amy, "Knuckles, please, I beg of you - don't get annoyed with Shadow. He hasn't done anything wrong,"
The echdina's eyes softened, but he still didn't back down, "I'm only looking out for you, Cosmo. I don't want someone to stomp over your feelings. Or Tails' for that matter,"
"Tails?" Cosmo bleated, averting her gaze from the fox, who was staring in our direction. Everyone seemed to be aware of Knuckles and Shadow's rising tension.
"Yeah - cause that's who you really like, isn't it? We've all known from day one - and I don't think that we should be hiding it any more! So, I wanna know why Shadow is claiming you, when neither of you have the slightest interest in each other!"
"Watch your mouth," Shadow threatened, decreasing the distance between him and Knuckles.
"Guys - don't! It's Christmas!" Silver decided to throw his towel into the ring, probably making a big mistake.
"Stay outta it!" Shadow snarled.
"We need to discuss this! All we've done is pretend that everything is okay! When it clearly isn't! This all started from Amy and Sonic's break up - which frankly, I STILL don't understand!"
Amy's defense went up, "Knuckles!"
"It's true! Then there was Silver and Blaze, which was also stupid and pointless! At least they've managed to sort it out! Might wanna take note, Sonic!"
I ignored his remark, blaming it on his temper, "Calm down!"
"Now Cosmo and Tails have thrown everything away! He likes her and she likes him! They're both broken and they're too shy to say anything!"
Cream frowned.
"I think you're saying quite enough for everyone," Rouge scolded, attempting to lead him away from Shadow. My main fear was that the two hot heads of the group would lock horns.
"Have you quite finished?" Shadow mocked. I shot him a glare, knowing that he'd made a mistake.
Knuckles moment of serenity had disintegrated, "Make me."
They leapt for each other. I didn't know why I jumped between them - I just knew that it would be harder to stop them fighting once they'd started.
Knuckles swung first, unaware that I'd gotten between them - and hit me, full-on, in the jaw.
"Shit! Sonic!" Knuckles dug his heels into the ground, stopping himself from moving. I'd flown into Shadow, who softly grunted, but didn't get annoyed at me, which was a relief, "I'm so sorry!"
"I think that proves that fighting is a bad idea?" Silver muttered, dumping his drink on the side and examining me, "Are you alright? How's the rib?"
"It's been better," I spoke in a hiss. My jaw was throbbing - Knuckles had a hefty swing - but my rib was on fire again. I'd stretched it as I'd leapt, and falling into Shadow hadn't softened the blow. It was never going to heal, at this rate - I kept moving too quickly or bashed it too often for the wound to stabilize.
"Do you want some pain killers? Uh, Tails - you were always better at Science than I was. What will relieve the pain?" Silver waited for a response from Tails, before calling out the fox's name again, when he didn't get a reply.
Tails was staring at me with a shocked expression, as if he couldn't quite get over what had happened. I didn't know why he was surprised - things never ended well when Shadow and Knuckles' tempers flared, "Sorry? Oh! Medicine! Right! Uhh, well, Morphine is the best pain killer but Ibuprofen will do, I guess?"
"I'll check the cupboard," Rouge answered, fleeing into the kitchen with Cream.
"It's fine. I can handle it. I just need some air," I was starting to feel extremely claustrophobic, being crowded by everyone. The pain had died down enough - I felt that I could move again - so when Silver's grip on my arm loosened, I escaped to the door, "I'll be back in a bit!"
Knuckles called after me, "Sonic! Wait!"
"Gimme a minute!"
I heard some fierce whispers as I left, but I just wanted to be alone. Knuckles was right. I should've taken note. This was stupid and pointless.
(...Amy's P.O.V...)
Shadow and Knuckles' fight had been considerably less romantic that Rouge had imagined, but I still privately wondered if she knew that it was going to happen.
"Where's Sonic?" Cream asked, as she ran back into the room with a pack of tablets in her hand.
Tails smiled, gratefully, as she handed the medicine to him, "He went outside. He needed some fresh air. You know how he is,"
Rouge returned into the room and glared at Knuckles. He was bashfully sitting on the couch, in between Silver and Blaze. Shadow was standing next to me, silently seething. Cosmo was a mess - she must have blamed herself for what happened. Her eyes darted between Shadow and Knuckles before she cried, "Please! This shouldn't be happening!"
"Tell that to the echidna," Shadow breathed, not bothering to turn round. Knuckles' fists clenched, but Rouge stopped anything from happening.
"Knuckles, move and I will not be afraid to stop you. Shadow, shut up and sit down. Knuckles said a lot of things - things which he should have kept his mouth shut about - but he did have a point,"
She was right. Unless some of us picked up the courage to sort things out - nothing would be resolved. I didn't know how this could be resolved. Someone needed to do something. But no one wanted to make the first move.
Shadow had been making noises about telling the truth. He'd cornered Cosmo, earlier, trying to make her see sense. She moaned and panicked to me, afterwards - but I couldn't help but wonder if he was right. This was doing nothing but damage. The fake relationship had been a stupid idea - I should have listened to Shadow and Silver; I should have tried to persuade Cosmo out of it.
My thoughts returned to Cream, but I tried to ignore it. I couldn't do anything about that; I needed to deal with one problem at a time.
"Someone should bring Sonic back in," Blaze pointedly looked in my direction. After a moment's thought, everyone was glancing towards me.
"Oh come on," I moaned, feeling embarrassed. I didn't want to deal with my problems right now. Then again, I'd be a hypocrite if I couldn't speak to him, but tried to get other people to talk, "That won't end well and you all know it!"
Silver spoke up, spurred on by Blaze's confidence, "If you two aren't speaking, what hope do the rest of us have?"
It was great that they were friends again, but I had to admit, I was annoyed that they were working together to guilt me out.
"Fine, fine. I'll speak to him," I relented, before glancing at Sonic's coat, which was hanging on the front door hook. He'd forgotten it as he rushed out.
I hooked it over my arm. He was probably cold out there and it was the least I could do.
(...)
I approached him with anxious steps, carefully maintaining my balance on the slushy pavement. My mind was freaking out, unable to form logical sentences, as my face grew hotter and hotter by the second.
He looked up, in my direction, upon hearing my footsteps. Surprise flickered across his face, until his eyes froze over and he became impassive.
"Hey," I muttered, as my emotions threatened to tear my composure apart. Desire, jealousy, anger, nerves, regret. My mind was whizzing with all these simultaneous feelings; it couldn't pick just one.
His voice was rough, with a blunt edge, "Hey,"
We waited. Sonic seemed to have grow stubborn; I felt pressured to say something.
"I, um, brought this," With a shaky hand, I offered the coat to him.
"Oh," He seemed taken aback, but slowly took it from me. Perhaps he hadn't expected me to notice that he had left it behind, "Thanks,"
Another silence settled. My stomach tightened; if someone didn't say something soon, I feared that I would be unable to breathe.
"You're shivering,"
I tensed up, as his emerald gaze poured over me, "Sorry?"
"Your arms," He made a vague gesture in the direction of my shoulder, "You're cold,"
Oh. Right. My skin was turning pale and goosebumps were starting to form on my limbs. I held in a shiver, which had only appeared after Sonic mentioned it. I wasn't surprised. Sleet was sky-diving from the clouds, at alarmingly painful speeds. The ground was becoming wet and slippery, building up with cold mush. It wasn't quite raining - but with the stormy graphite clouds, rain wasn't out of the question.
Although, I wouldn't be too surprised if the shiver was down to nerves, not the cold.
"Oh, uh, it's fine. I'm okay," I blushed, shrugging it off, even though my teeth were clinking together. This thin evening dress wasn't good against winter weather. Winter is a bitch to unprepared people.
Sonic smiled, which was something that I hadn't seen in a while. I suddenly became jittery, as he shrugged one arm out of his coat and softly said, "No, you're not. Come here,"
I obeyed, unsure what to do, until he pulled me into him. My throat clenched and - there they were - the butterflies that appeared whenever I touched him. The corners of my mouth tingled, as I fought the urge to smile.
He positioned the coat around both of our shoulders, but he'd already warmed me up just by being close to me.
"Better?" He asked, wearing that coy smile of his.
I nodded, "Better, thanks,"
We both became silent, as we stared into the darkness. The street was quiet, with the simple light of a street lamp illuminating us. The moon was hidden behind thick clouds; I missed it's quiet comfort.
"How are your ribs?" I asked, deciding that we'd stayed quiet for long enough.
"They're healing. It hurts like hell whenever I do anything - which is...extremely fun,"
"I can imagine," I murmured, peering at his torso in the dark. It looked considerably better than it had been, but it was still a horrible shade of black, purple and green, against his cobalt fur, "Shall I get Silver to kiss it better?"
I wondered if he'd be offended that I'd made a joke out of the situation. I was concerned for him, but I knew that Sonic hated things getting serious, especially if the situation surrounded him. He chuckled, wincing as he did so, "I'm good, thanks. Although, it might heal faster if you kiss it better..."
I blushed, deeply, cringing at his attempt of a flirtatious joke. God, he was disgustingly cheesy. And of all the moments to choose from...!
Although, I couldn't deny - it made me laugh, hard.
"That was, well, shameful," I snorted, raising an eyebrow in mock-disappointment.
He shook his head, retaining a grin, "You're breaking my heart. Here I am, declaring my dying wish, and you insult my intentions!"
"Dying wish? I hope not! Otherwise, you just wasted your last breath on being an idiot," I watched him quietly crack up, with my own grin clearly telling him that I was joking.
"Ah, don't worry - my last breathe would be solely devoted to you,"
I thanked him, possibly reading too deeply into that joke, judging by my blush. A companionable pause hung in the air, only to be broken by my phone chiming in my pocket. Hurriedly, I pulled it out and checked the message, in case it was an emergency. It wasn't but the message did make me smile:
1 New Message from Sally
Merry Christmas! X
I glanced at the time.
"It's midnight," I told him, zipping the phone back up in my pocket. Sonic watched me, curiously, "Merry Christmas,"
His voice was a whisper, "Merry Christmas, Amy,"
We gazed at each other, in perfect confusion. Neither of us knew what to do - all of this was foreign. Christmas Eve had just gone - our anniversary. We'd spent it together, just like the last few years, but it was different this time. I didn't know what to do. I no longer knew what to do. The carpet of normality and security had been ripped out from underneath me.
Sonic opened his mouth to say something, but abruptly shut it, shaking his head. I stared at him, stepping out of the coat and directly in front of him, wondering what he was going to say, if he was going to say exactly what I was thinking an-
My stomach lurched. Feet slipped on the sludgy ground. My hands shot out, attempting to grab onto anything to prevent myself from falling, and a pair of hands gripped my own. Sonic's grasp tightened, as he steadied me. I was shaky, but considerably calmer.
"Are you alright?" He asked. He seemed rather concerned.
I was slightly breathless, with my heart pounding in my ears, "Y-yes. I...I think so. Thank you,"
"I, uh..." He blushed, as he stared at our linked hands, before staring into my eyes, "It's fine. I-I'm glad you're alright,"
With a grateful smile, I couldn't bring myself to tear away from his gaze. He didn't attempt to break our entwined hands and neither did I.
My heart twisted. I need to kiss you. Now.
Those mere seconds felt like an eternity. I could vaguely feel the sleet building up on my skin, but the cold barely registered in my mind. Flakes of icy water landed amongst Sonic's quills, but he made no attempt to shake them off.
With underlying uncertainty, we both slowly leaned forward. My lips parted and Sonic's eyes drifted shut.
"Yo, Sonic! Amy!"
I jumped. Sonic dropped my hands.
Manic the hedgehog raced towards us, unaware of what he had interrupted. He bundled me in a bear hug, before exclaiming, "I've missed ya, sis!"
"Sis?" I repeated, once I could breathe again.
"Well, sis-in-law. Same difference,"
"Oh, right!" Wow. Awkward.
"So, er, what're you guys doing out here? I thought you were at Rouge's place for drinks and stuff?" He scratched the back of his head, messing up his quills in the process.
"Her flat's up there, Manic," Sonic pointed upwards, glaring at his older brother, "Now, haven't you got somewhere to be?"
"Oh, yeah, well, Sonia went out with 'the girls' and Mum forced me to go and pick her up. So, as I was driving my way over to pick up Sonia's lazy ass, I thought: hey, why don't I drop in on my little bro, embarrass the shit out of him and offer him a lift home? Speaking of which - do ya want a lift later on?"
In disbelief, Sonic shook his head, "I'm good, thanks. Listen, why don't you go and pick up Sonia? I'm sure she'd appreciate you more than I do right now,"
"Oh," Manic grinned, waggling his eyebrows at me, "Oh! Well, I'd hate to be the third wheel between lovers. Listen, Amy, force Sonic to bring ya over sometime. It's not fair that he gets to keep you all to himself,"
"I'll, uh, bare that in mind!" I waved, as he sauntered back down the road, yelled 'LATERS!' before disappearing out of view.
Sonic and I shared a knowing smile, before we both sighed in regret.
A question was suddenly on the tip of my tongue, "He doesn't know, does he?"
"No," The cobalt hedgehog sighed, raking a hand through his quills, "No, I...I haven't told him yet. I haven't told Sonia either. They'd be asking questions. They'd probably come after you, too, trying to make amends on my behalf. They've gotten pretty attached to you,"
"They're looking out for you," I reasoned, wondering if they knew about Fiona. They probably did - Sonic wasn't an overly private person; they all got on well, despite what they said.
"I know. I just..." He sighed, rubbing his forehead with one hand. A painfully tense look refused to leave his eyes, "God, this is such a mess,"
Stiffly, I nodded. Where was this going? He wouldn't back down over this; I just knew he wouldn't. He was stubborn, just like me, and I admired him for it, even though it conflicted with my wishes. But, likewise, I wasn't just going to let this drop. If I did, things wouldn't return to normal; it wouldn't resolve anything.
If neither us would back down, how would this ever be fixed?
I started to wonder if we were clinging onto a lost cause.
"I can't do this right now," I gulped, taking a step back, "I just can't. You know what things are like, at the moment. There's too much conflict between the others, for us to start picking apart our feelings. It's not fair. They were there for us, before, and we need to be here for them, now,"
He looked reluctant, but his face caved in and he let out a small sigh, "Of course. I get it,"
"Please don't be mad," I whispered, as he strode towards the door that led to Rouge's apartment. His cheeks were flushed, as if he were embarrassed for trying to talk about it.
"I'm not mad," He reassured me with a small smile, "I'm angry at the situation,"
"Me too," I mumbled, linking my fingers together, as they turned into icicles, "For the record, I didn't mean for it to end up like this. I didn't mean to stop talking to you,"
It didn't come to him as much of a surprise, but his cheeks brightened, as did his eyes, "That's good to know,"
Sonic offered a hand as I moved closer to the door; I gratefully took it, not wanting to slip again. He gave it a reassuring squeeze, as he rang Rouge's doorbell. My grip tightened and I wondered if I could bring myself to let go.
A/N - Chapter 23 question: Who do you think is in the wrong? Amy or Sonic? Or are they both in the wrong - or could neither of them have prevented this? I'm extremely curious to know what you think!
And, on the 20th of April, it was Mean Girls' 10 year Anniversary! Happy birthday to the hilarious film that inspired this story! :3