You know those nights where you just can't sleep because of everything on your mind?

If you don't, I really envy you. Take it from someone who's pulled off several all-nighters in his sleep career, trying to fall asleep and never being able to is way, way worse. You can toss and turn, you can adjust your pillows, you can turn on a fan, you can even pull out a book or your phone to try and read your nerves away- it doesn't matter, you won't stay asleep for more than a few minutes at a time. Your mind will continue to chug away, spinning its wheels, throwing up new worries, complications, and ideas. And for some sick reason, your mind never collapses under its own weight and allows for some pity rest.

No, of course not. I'd be surprised if I even got a cumulative two hours of sleep last night.

Typically, when I don't sleep, it's because I don't want to. Almost all of my all-nighters were because I was trying to finish something, like an invention, or a plan, or, if the world was spinning slow enough, some irritating boss fight. Never before did I think I'd stay up all night just thinking. The past few days had given me so many new, Cream-related problems, but it was my busy Saturday that finally gave me the data to actually solve some of them. It would've been a real "eureka" moment had I not been so damn exhausted…or if the solution hadn't been so stupidly simple. I haven't felt like such a moron since, well, the other girl I feel hard for.

I take another sip of coffee, hoping somewhat in vain to stave off the inevitable crash. I had spent the past couple of hours at the dining table, rehearsing in my head what I'm going to say to Cream when I find her. I feel like if I do anything else to pass the time, I'll lose focus, which in the past, has been a surefire way for me to lose momentum and crash. Believe me, I was in no mood to go back to sleep- I had a job to do. Well, my actual job has been put on hold until Rotor gets back, this is more of a thing I have to get done before it actually gets complicated. The iron's hot, so to speak, and if I wait for it to cool, new questions will arise. And I'm in no mood to answer new questions.

Shit, I'm not in a mood to really do anything, but you gotta do what you gotta do.

It wasn't long after that thought before Sonic walked in. Given the freshly combed quills, I'm guessing he just got done showering. "Dude," he opened, "you look rough."

"Trust me, I feel worse than I look," I sigh.

"That's one hell of an accomplishment, because you look like a zombie."

"I wouldn't joke about that. Remember the hopping vampires we fought in Chun Nan?"

"Meh, I still think it fits. Were you up all night working on something?"

"Sort of." I take another sip, gathering my thoughts. "Remember when I told you I have, uh, 'girl troubles?'"

Sonic walks past me, preparing his own cup of coffee. "Of course. I tried to get Amy on that, but it didn't work out. Why do you ask?"

"Because I stayed up most of last night trying to sort through all that."

Sonic gave me the king of all quizzical looks. "Really? No offense, but it sounds like you're down bad, son."

"So I've been told." I'd roll my eyes if I wasn't trying so hard to conserve energy. "But, if I'm being frank, I think I've figured…most of it out."

"Woah, really? Finally found that silver bullet, huh? What was it?"

"I just need to tell her." I chuckle. "Turns out you were right. I was making it way more complicated than it needed to be."

"Happy to be of service." Sonic puts his second spoon of sugar into his coffee. "Sometimes you gotta keep it simple. So, what's the plan? When are you going to tell her?"

"As soon as possible. If I hesitate, I'm only going to feel worse."

"Good idea, though I'd put a hold on that until a power nap or something. If you try to talk to her looking like you just rose from your grave, you might scare her off."

I cringe a little. "Yeah, that's…I'm still stuck on that part."

Sonic puts down his cup. "Shit, I'm sorry, didn't mean to hit a nerve. Do you want to talk about it?"

If yesterday was any indication, talking would be a huge help. It'd be better than just stewing. "See, I can come up with an answer for most of my concerns. Like, 'what if the parents don't like me?' Easy, it's not really their business, she's more important. Or 'what if she already knows?' That's tougher, but even then, telling her straight up is still a good idea." I pause, taking another sip in order to hide a bitter expression. "The only thing I can't get past is…what if she doesn't feel the same way? What then?"

"Oof, that's a doozy," Sonic admits. He scratches his quills and taps his right foot, the two definite signs he's deep in thought. Sonic's always been a Mobian of action, but he's gotten a lot better at slowing down and thinking in the past few years, and when he does, it's always those two tells. "Yeah, I don't think I've got an answer for you. At least, not one you'll like."

It's my turn to give him a look. "What do you mean?"

He sighs and takes a swig before speaking. "Look, I've been rejected before, so I'm speaking from experience here. There's no one-hundred percent proven way to get over someone, but…" he pauses, then smiles ruefully, "I found that friends help. Once you see that life can go on like normal, things fall back into place. May take a while to stop hurting, but wounds can heal."

I stare back at him. What he's saying makes sense, and it's pretty poignant, but I'm just having a hard time believing it's coming from Sonic, of all Mobians. Guess Amy rubbed off on him more than he wants to admit.

"You're a good friend Tails. If this goes south, you can count on us returning that favor."

I feel a smile crawling up my face. The exhaustion makes it slow going, but the feeling is genuine. "Thanks, Sonic."

He shrugs. "Don't worry about it. Just trying to pay it back." He gets back to finishing his coffee. "Who is it, by the way?"

"Huh?"

"Y'know, the lucky lady. Your object of affection." He stretches his arms out like an overwrought thespian. "She to whom you compare to a summer day," he says, putting on a terrible accent to really sell it.

I'm too worried about his actual response to laugh. "You really want to know?"

"Sure!"

I sigh, polishing off the last of my coffee, hoping that it'll give me the grit to get me through. "It's, uh, Cream." I wait for some sort of response from Sonic, be it a snide remark or a cautionary statement.

Instead, he smiles knowingly. "Figures. You two are two close for this not to happen at some point."

I balk. "Hold on, you knew?"

He shrugs again. "Didn't know until now, but it's not weird for friends like you and Cream to catch feelings eventually. I mean, how long were Silver and Blaze friends before he nutted up and asked?"

"Good point. You're full of them today, aren't you? Who are you and what did you do with my roommate?"

"You got me, I'm actually a metalmorph." He pauses, letting his smirk fade. "Would you like a wingman? It might do some good to have some support to fall back on."

"Good idea. I've got the words ready, but I don't quite have the will yet."

"Great! For my first act as official wingman, I suggest taking a shower."

"Aw man, I don't smell that bad, do I?

"It's more about how cold water helps wake people up. But yes, you do."

"Alright, the first order of business is self-care. After that, I find Cream and hope like hell nothing goes wrong." It's good to have a plan, though I wonder how much of a plan it is to just meet up and say three words…

Confession time: I kinda have a hard-on for plans. I'm the type of Mobian that really likes everything in its place. When things are organized, they go smoothly, with little room for hiccups, mistakes, or costly errors. And that magic moment when everything falls into place and it just works…oh, it's beautiful. As a general rule of thumb, the more intricate the plan, the greater the satisfaction. Of course, I'm not opposed to simpler strategies (I've had to learn to love them working with a on-the-fly-guy like Sonic), but man, clever tactics just can't be beat. I'm adverse to winging it for this reason- there's often no thought, just instinct. It feels like child's play.

So imagine how rough it was to admit that winging it was easier than planning some grand gesture.

The plan was simple. Step one: invite Cream over to a place with few other Mobians. I didn't want to pressure her, and honestly, being surrounded by others would only wreck my nerves. Emerald Beach was my first idea, but I'd be happy to negotiate; whatever makes her comfortable. Step two: confess. This was the most difficult part, as I had to make it clear how strong these feelings were; a simple "I like you" wouldn't do. Step three…well, that depends on how she responds. If she returns the feelings, maybe a date. If she says no… um…ice cream and soaps, I guess?

Shit, it feels so wrong leaving something so emotionally important to an incomplete plan.

Still, step one is complete. After a handful of texts, she agreed to meet me at Emerald Beach around 1:30. Sonic and I picked one of the sheltered gazebos near the entrance to meet her. All we had to do was wait.

"Pretzel?"

I glanced at Sonic, who hadn't even been gone for a minute. "Where'd you-"

"Snack bar."

"Didn't we just eat lunch, like, half an hour ago?"

"I got hungry. Superspeed burns calories like nothing else. Anyway, I got one for you too if you wanted one."

If I didn't know Sonic, I would've sworn he wasn't taking this seriously. "No, I'm not hungry." I check my watch. "Almost time."

"Wanna go through it one more time?" Sonic asks, mouth full of half-chewed pretzel.

I considered the offer. "No, I don't think more prep is going to make a difference at this point."

"Heh, I think that's the first time you've ever turned down more prep time."

"Better mark your calendar, then. 'The Day Tails Turned Down Prep Time' will be one to remember, for better or worse."

Sonic grinned. "Yeah, you're going to be fine." As he was about to finish off pretzel number one, he stopped and readjusted his gaze. "Is that…" his voice trailed off. Suddenly, his eyes widened like he was a startled kitten. "Tails, we've got extra company."

"Huh?" He pointed into the distance. I turn to follow, and am met with an unexpected sight. Cream was on her way, dressed in her casual best, but she wasn't alone. Besides her was everyone's favorite hammer-wielding hedgehog (yes, there's more than one, and no, he isn't on our side, long story). "Amy? Why would she-" I stop myself before I go down that rabbit hole. "No, this doesn't change anything. Just keep her busy while I talk to Cream, okay?"

"Wingman and a decoy?"

"You're good at multitasking."

"True." He stands up and stretches, picking up pretzel number two. "Ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be." Following his lead, we walk out of the gazebo and into the sunlight. I squint under the harsh rays, trying to adjust as quickly as I can. When Cream finally sees us, her body language changes completely, a huge smile overtaking her previous expression. Chaos, that smile…

"Tails!" she cries happily. She takes off running, leaving Amy behind with impressive speed. I wave back at her, trying to match her positive energy as best I could. It doesn't take us long before we're face-to-face. "I'm so happy to see you!

"Same! It's been too long."

She giggles. "Come on, we saw each other Friday, didn't we?"

"Time away from you feels like a drag," I admit, rubbing the back of my neck. Come on, nerves, back away a little longer…

"Yeah, the same goes for me." She glances down at the sand, her smile taking on a more nervous dimension. It's not something I've seen in her in a while.

"Cream, are you okay?"

"Um-"

"Hello, Tails!" Amy greets me as she finally catches up. "What brings you here?"

I try to smile politely, my mind frantically searching for a cover story. "I thought it'd be nice to see Cream before the school week started back up." Crap, is that the best I could do?

"Is that so?" There's a knowing twinkle in her eyes, a clear sign she didn't buy it. Where the heck is Sonic?

"Funnel cake?" The blue blur had suddenly popped up behind Amy with the deep-fried treat in hand. I smile, relieved- with a sweet tooth like hers, Amy will definitely be distracted by the treat.

"Sonic?" Amy laughs. "Where'd you come from?"

"The snack bar, obviously."

"No, I mean, what are you doing here?"

"Could ask the same to you. Unless you actually are the type of girl who enjoys long walks on the beach."

"Mobians can change." She eyes the funnel cake. "Are you really going to eat that? That stuff's unhealthy."

"We could share, make it only half as unhealthy. Simple math."

"Are you kidding me? That'll take weeks to burn off. It'll go straight to my thighs."

"And that's a problem, how?" He winks.

"Dude," I gag. Cream also looks a bit squeamish to have heard that, shifting in place with a pale look in her eyes.

"What?" Sonic teases. As he's giving me his "I'm just joking" face, Amy snatches the plate from his hand and runs off with the treat. "Hey!" Sonic seems less offended and more amused, watching Amy run off into the distance with her own impressive speed. Shaking his head playfully, he turns back to us, holding up one finger. "Scusi, amigos." He then bolts off, in hot pursuit of the pink streak. Cream and I share a laugh watching the two hedgehogs chase each other over something so minor.

Well, Sonic did his part. Amy is hundreds of yards away, and I'm alone with Cream. Time to move on to step two. "Listen, Cream," I open. I don't get far before I realize she's quite uneasy. She's shaking herself like she's getting ready for a sprint, and she's taking deep breaths. To be honest, it was a bit strange. Our friend group is no stranger to weirdness, but this seems especially off. "Cream?"

She doesn't answer straight away. She turned my way, but her eyes didn't seem to have any interest in finding my face. "T-Tails," she began, but didn't finish. She looks worried. Beyond worried, really. Did something happen on her way here? I really hope nothing's wrong…

"Cream? Are you okay?"

She looks up, finally letting her eyes meet mine. She has the most earnestly awkward smile I've ever seen. "You're sweet, Tails."

"W-what?" Talk about catching me off-guard, where's this coming from? This feels really personal, and not in the way I prepared for.

"Y-you're sweet," she repeats. "An-and you're kind. You're always looking out for people. You're selfless, an-and funny, and loyal…"

As she goes down the list, I feel increasingly paralyzed. There's only two reasons to be rattling off good traits of a person- either you're trying to let them down gently or you're trying to spell out why you like them. The problem is I can't get a good enough read on her expression to figure out which path she's on. It's clear she's nervous, but beyond that-

"...and that's why I-I really like you."

What.

She looks back up to me, a wave of relief passing over her whole body. She's relaxing, which is good, because I'm tensing up like a mother- "I'd love to spend more time with you, Tails. Just us."

WHAT.

My head is firing on all cylinders, trying to process what the heck is going on. Either I hit my head recently, or I'm actually asleep recovering from that near all-nighter, or the world is ending, because since when are things this easy? When does the girl who stole your heart just walk up to you and confess? I feel like I'm going to implode if things don't start making sense.

"T-Tails?" There's real concern in her voice, but I'm not really registering it because I'm still reeling. "Tails, are you okay?"

I shut my eyes and take a shaky breath. "Cream…" When I open them again, I'm met with the same picture- a concerned and somewhat hurt rabbit trying to make eye contact.

Okay, so it wasn't a dream. Now the problem is what the absolute shit am I supposed to do now?

Cream begins to look despondent. "I understand if you don't feel the same way, but-"

Okay, no time to panic; don't blow this golden chance, you moron. "No, I do!"

It's her turn to freeze. "Huh?"

I gulp. This isn't close to what I had planned, few plans survive contact with conflict to begin. Better just start from the top. "Cream," I confess, "you're the kindest Mobian I've ever met. You're bright, and considerate, and deeply empathetic, talented, and Chaos-knows I can keep going. You're…amazing." I give the best smile I can in spite of my nerves. "And I'd be happy to spend more time with you. Just you."

That whole speech must've been an adrenaline rush or something, because as soon as it's over, I'm back to being a nervous wreck. I may have given it my best shot, but I'm not sure if I have the energy or even wits to do anything else.

That's when I found myself in the tightest, most tender hug I've ever been in. Cream had practically leapt at me, enveloping me with her arms, pressing her body as close to mine as she could. It wasn't awkward in the slightest; it was filled with affection and sincerity. It wasn't some quick hug you gave a friend, it was a hold you gave to someone you truly cared about.

She meant every word she said.

So naturally, I wrapped my arms around her in return, and squeezed. I mustered every ounce of tenderness I could and put it into this one act of affection. And for a few fantastic seconds, it felt like everything in the world was alright. But as much as I wanted it to last forever, eventually, I felt her let go, and as she did, I had to do so as well. For a solid minute, our eyes are locked, hands in each other's, just soaking in the moment. There have only been so many moments of true happiness in my life, and this is giving every single one of them a run for their money.

It's bliss.

"WOOOOOOOOOO!" I hear Sonic's rowdy congratulations from a distance. I lean over to see the two hedgehogs having returned from their little excursion. Amy has her arms folded, nodding in approval. Sonic, meanwhile, looks like he's doing a victory dance of some sort. I can't help but laugh at it. Cream laughs along, a sound that's straight up music to my ears, combining with the leftover euphoria from our embrace to make a truly amazing feeling.

I sigh dreamily. "Man…"

"What is it?" Cream asks.

"For the longest time, I dreaded what would happen," I admit. "If it was going to happen at all. But now…I was my own biggest obstacle."

Cream blushes. "I know that feeling all too well. I made it far more complicated than it needed to be. I'm not going to miss that."

"Me neither." I look back into her eyes, seeing into her vulnerable sweetness and melting again. "Anything you want to do now?"

She shakes her head. "I honestly didn't plan that far ahead," she admits. "Maybe we could get some ice cream?"

"I'd love to." What comes next, I have no idea. That's a frontier I have next to no experience in. But whatever comes over the horizon, I now have a magic arrow in my quiver- sometimes, things are only as complicated as we make them.

A/N: Yay, a happy ending! There's an epilogue of sorts in the works, but if y'all want more stories in this universe, I'd be happy to keep going. This has been a ton of fun to write, and I really do hope you found something of value here.