Amy set the plates down for the old couple she was serving. "There you go! Two steak pies on the house."
"Oh, Amy, darling. Thank you so much!" The lovely old fox beamed at her, "But we were only here for some coffee. You really shouldn't have!"
"Nonsense! Consider it a little gesture of appreciation for being such loyal customers," Amy replied with a warm smile. "Besides, I noticed you both eyeing those pies earlier, and I couldn't resist treating you!"
The old man chuckled and patted his wife's hand. "Well, you've certainly made our day, Amy. It's not every day we get such kindness."
Her smile widened at the old couple as they began tucking into their food, mindlessly talking about what they were going to do for the rest of the day. She walked off, sparing them a few glances as she worked at her station.
The couple were infectious. Happy, truly grateful and seemed to not care about anyone or anything around them. Amy wondered if she and Sonic would be like that together, old and frail but still loving each other just as much. The idea of growing old with Sonic filled her with reassurance. She imagined them still holding hands, sharing smiles, and supporting each other through the trials of ageing. Maybe see a few grandchildren running around when Dash grows older and finds someone…
That wouldn't be until a very long time, but Amy wanted to immerse herself in the moment for a little. She should know better than to get caught up in the future, since the one time she did, she ended up hurting herself, but with the way everything was going well with Sonic, she couldn't help but… dream.
There were still things that needed to be fixed between them, that was for sure, but if there was anyone she wanted to spend the rest of her life with, it was him.
Suddenly, Amy felt tears starting to shed her eyes and cleared her throat. Now was not the time to be choked up in her own thoughts, in front of her customers and employees no less.
After serving a few more people, she went to clean her hands and walked over to Tikal, who was managing the register. "Just gonna go into the restroom. Shouldn't take too long!"
Tikal nodded and smiled at her. "No problem. Take all the time you need."
Amy looked sceptically after her friend's statement, noticing she was smiling a little too much. Like she was hiding something. "What is it?"
"Hm?" Tikal gave the customer their change and looked at her, "Oh! It's nothing."
Beside Tikal, Dash was placing the drinks on the serving tray for a table- but Amy didn't miss the small snickering that escaped him. When he looked at her, he just grinned. "You okay, Mom?" Before she could respond, her son zoomed past her with the drinks in hand to serve to the customers.
Squinting at the both of them for their unusual behaviour, she held onto it for another moment before deciding to question it later. Amy shook her head and went into the restroom at the back. She looked in the mirror and freshened up, taking the time to clean off some of the sweat from her face.
Once she came back, she was in for a surprise.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"
The entire restaurant staff, along with many of the regular customers, had gathered around, holding balloons and a large cake with candles lit.
Amy stood there, stunned, as everyone sang "Happy Birthday" to her. Tears welled up in her eyes again, but this time they were tears of pure joy.
"Oh, you guys!" Amy exclaimed, feeling overwhelmed with emotion. She looked at Tikal and Dash, who were smiling mischievously at her. "You sneaky little..."
Tikal laughed and held her hands. "We couldn't let your birthday pass without a celebration, Amy. You're like family to all of us here."
Amy felt her heart swell with gratitude. Taking care of the echidna's baby bump, she hugged her before turning to Dash, who was grinning at her.
"And you, young man," Amy said, playfully tapping Dash's nose, "You're in on this too?"
Dash nodded enthusiastically. "Of course, Mom. It's your special day!"
She knelt down and swarmed kisses around her son's face. "Oooohh! I just love you so much!"
Everybody sang Happy Birthday to her and Dash brought the cake closer to her, a chocolate one with pink swirls around it. Amy smiled and silently made her wish before blowing out the candles. Since the cake was so big, she shared it with everyone in the diner.
"Thank you, everyone," Amy felt her voice almost being choked up as she tried not to cry again, "You all mean the world to me!"
"You're the kindest boss I've ever had, Miss Amy," Cream said with a smile, "We wanted to make sure you knew how much you're appreciated!" Everyone agreed and cheered along, singing another round of Happy Birthday.
After everyone got back to work, it wasn't long until she got back into her office and saw her phone buzzing on her desk. Sitting down, Amy smiled once she saw who the contact was and answered it. "Hey."
"Hey, gorgeous!" Sonic beamed on the phone, "How's the birthday girl doing? I'd love to sing Happy Birthday to you right now, but I'd probably tear your ear off."
Amy rolled her eyes. "Yeah, you'd be right. Can't forget that one time when you sang so horribly for my 18th. With a microphone, no less!"
"Wha-? Hey! I didn't sound that bad!"
"Oh, believe me. It was pretty bad," She chuckled before shaking her head, "Good thing you're handsome though."
"I don't appreciate you criticising my singing skills, Miss Rose," Sonic said, and she could picture his pout, "Maybe I'll put Hedgehog Holdings on pause and pursue a singing career instead!"
"Y'know, maybe that doesn't sound too bad…"
They both laughed. Joking like this with him was something she dearly missed. It was nice to be on the phone without all the awkward silences and tension for once.
"So," He went back to the topic in hand, "How'd you like the cake?"
"Kinda had a feeling you bought it. Because we definitely don't make birthday cakes as big and so fancy as that one."
"Well, I wanted you to have the best! Dash said you deserved something big, so that's what we decided!" He sounded so proud and it made her happy, "So, you liked it, didn't you?"
"Yeah," Amy smiled, "Yeah. It was perfect. Thank you."
"Good, good. Tails and Knuckles said Happy Birthday, by the way!"
"Mhm, I got their texts earlier on."
She could hear them talking in the background and then laughed when Knuckles angrily chastised Sonic that he should get his ass back to work and Tails presumingly flung a pen at him.
"Ow!" Sonic yelped, "You hearing this, Ames? My best friends are abusing me!"
"Well, maybe you shouldn't be slacking off so much," She joked and almost burst out laughing again when she heard Tails and Knuckles teasing him about them.
"Oh, so now you're taking their side?" Sonic pretended to sound offended, "Hey! Will you guys knock it off?!"
"I'm just saying it like it is," Amy insisted with a grin before letting out a sigh, "Just behave, and get back to work, will you? Be good until we meet up tonight."
"Until we meet up tonight?" He repeated so slyly, "You're saying I can be naughty with you as much as I want once I see you?"
Amy blushed. "Sonic!" She hoped he used his brain and went into another room so the others didn't hear that.
"I'm kidding, kidding! But hey, a guy can dream, right?"
"Dream all you want. Just don't forget to bring dessert."
"Oh, I'll bring dessert, alright…" Sonic said with a suggestive tone.
Amy felt her cheeks warm even more at his playful insinuation. "We'll see about that. Now, go back to work before Knuckles decides to throw something heavier at you!"
"Alright, alright," Sonic chuckled, "But just so you know, I'm counting down the minutes until I get to see you."
Of course, she felt her heart flutter at his words. "Yeah. Me too."
After exchanging 'I love you's' and a goodbye, Amy hung up the phone and leaned back against her chair with a contented sigh.
How was she so lucky? She'd never know.
But one thing was for certain, she was really looking forward to her birthday after a long time.
Tails picked up Dash not long before closing and handed her a small gift bag, saying that it was from him and Knuckles. She packed him some food and some of the leftover cake too, refusing for them to miss out on it. After kissing her son goodbye, and helping Shadow get Tikal into the car, Amy stretched out her arms and let out a sigh of relief as the diner became empty.
She just needed to do some last-minute cleaning and then she could finally go home and get ready for tonight! Looking at her wristwatch, she nodded and started to get to work. She had a little under two hours, which was an ample amount of time.
Going towards the front door, Amy was ready to flip the sign to 'closed' and close the door when someone's foot stopped her from doing so. She blinked up at the newcomer and froze.
"I apologise for barging in so late," Mariko smiled at her, "Everywhere seemed to have closed early and this is the only place I could find that wasn't. Well," She let out an airy laugh, "Until now, I see."
Amy just stared at her bluntly, several questions being raised in her head at the other woman's sudden appearance. She wasn't amused, nor was she obviously excited to see the grey hedgehog in her own establishment. She was the last person she expected to come here. She was most definitely going to ignore how well-dressed she was compared to her as well. Designer clothing all over while Amy was still wearing her dirty apron from this morning.
Internally, Amy wanted nothing more than to tell her that they were closed and that she couldn't come in, not even wanting to mention that she could come in tomorrow- since she didn't want her here at all.
But saying that only would seem to do more harm than good. And it was her birthday. She didn't want to cause anything that would ruin the rest of her day, even if Mariko decided to purposefully intrude on it.
She still had time before she met up with Sonic.
So it was fine.
Just fine.
Suppressing her irritation, Amy forced a polite smile and led her inside. "No problem. Can I get you a drink?"
Mariko's eyes were glinting with something that Amy couldn't quite read. "Just a cup of tea, please. And perhaps a slice of that delicious-looking cake over there?"
Amy looked in the direction of some of the leftover birthday cake and swallowed. Dang! She should've hidden it! Nodding with a begrudging mind, she got to work, making the tea and plating a piece of the cake. She put them both in a serving tray and headed towards the table where Mariko sat.
Placing the food in front of Mariko, Amy forced another smile. "Here you go, one tea and a slice of our chocolate cake."
"Thank you, Amy," Mariko said graciously, taking a delicate sip of her tea. She looked at her. "Aren't you going to sit down?"
Staring at the chair opposite, Amy had to try not to bite her tongue. She wasn't too keen on spending more time than necessary with the woman, but she had already made herself comfortable.
"Oh, I should probably finish up a few things first," Amy replied, gesturing vaguely towards the counter. "But I'll join you in a moment."
Mariko nodded understandingly, her gaze lingering on Amy for a moment longer before she returned her attention to her tea.
Amy quickly busied herself with wiping down the counter and tidying up a few things, all the while stealing glances at Mariko.
What was she doing here, Amy didn't know. But whatever it was for, she knew it wasn't going to be pleasant.
Once she was satisfied with her tasks, Amy finally made her way to the table where Mariko sat. She pulled out a chair and sat down, trying to appear casual despite the unease gnawing at her.
"So, what brings you here so late?" Amy asked, attempting to make small talk.
Mariko smiled, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Oh, just passing through town and thought I'd stop by for a cup of tea. And when I saw this charming little diner of yours, I couldn't resist. I'm surprised that it's still here."
Amy clenched her fists underneath the table at the subtle jab. Such a back-handed compliment, from the one and only.
The grey hedgehog seemed to have noticed her switch, and just let out a laugh. "Have I made you angry?"
Yes. Everything about you makes me angry.
"Not at all," Amy replied evenly, "Just surprised to see you, that's all."
Mariko leaned back in her chair. "Well, surprises can be pleasant, don't you think?"
"Depends on the surprise, I suppose."
"Fair point."
There was another wave of silence between them, and Amy found herself anxiously bopping her knee from underneath the table. She wasn't buying Mariko's facade for a second, and it was only going to be a matter of time before this fake ordeal was going to blow over.
Mariko set her teacup down and regarded her slowly. "So," She crossed her arms, "You've made quite a stir in the company."
There we go.
"Have I?"
"Your visit has made it the talk of the week last week. Almost everyone was talking about you. In a good way, of course. They all seem to very much like you."
"Oh," Amy pressed her lips together, "And do you have a problem with that?"
A flash went across the grey hedgehog's eyes as her little facade dropped. "When the man I'm working with seems to be focused on someone else rather than our partnership, then yes, I do have a problem with that."
Amy almost smiled at that. "Sounds like a problem for yourself then. Sonic seems to be doing fine. And he doesn't have to work exclusively with you. Tails and Knuckles are helping him the most."
Mariko's face turned icy. "What do you know?"
"What do I know?" She repeated and pretended to think for a second, "Well, one thing that I do know, is that you have a problem with not being seen with Sonic."
Amy could practically feel the tension crackling in the air between them. Mariko's demeanour had shifted from polite to cold, and it was clear she wasn't here for a casual chat.
Mariko narrowed her eyes, her voice sharp. "You seem to be quite confident for someone who just owns a takeaway joint."
"A diner," she corrected, holding her gaze, "And you seem to forget that Sonic isn't interested in you."
"Oh, I highly doubt that."
Amy fought the urge to roll her eyes. Her arrogance was almost laughable. "Believe what you want. But if you're here to stir up trouble, you're wasting your time," she said, refusing to be intimidated, "In the past, I didn't know any better and let you walk all over me, but not this time."
Her words seemed to catch the other woman off guard, her smirk faltering for just a moment before she regained her composure. "How amusing. Think you've got him wrapped around your finger, don't you? You're sure you won't have any more problems as you've had in the past?"
She felt a surge of anger in her body. "What are you trying to say?"
"That whatever you and Sonic have right now won't last," Mariko continued, her tone dripping with condescension, "He's a busy man with an unlimited amount of opportunities. The fact that he's rejecting so many possibilities that can benefit the company for your sake is… interesting, to say the least," She shook her head, "You'd have to be naive to think he wouldn't bite the dust at some point."
"Are you suggesting that Sonic is making a mistake by prioritising his personal life over business opportunities?" Amy swallowed the lump in her throat harshly, doing her best not to showcase how vulnerable she was feeling right now. She didn't want Mariko to think her words hit the nail on the head. "Are you suggesting that I'm pushing him back when I've been nothing but supportive of the decisions that he's making on his own?"
Mariko leaned forward, her eyes flashing with intensity. "I'm suggesting that you're merely a distraction, Amy. And distractions have a way of fading away when they're no longer useful."
Amy's jaw clenched. "Is that a threat?"
"Take it as you will." Mariko smiled, but there was nothing kind about it, "He deserves someone who can keep up with his pace, and that someone isn't you. You'll come to find out that the same issues you had in the past will creep their way back to you one way or another. And when it does happen, I'm going to make sure to be the first one saying 'I told you so'."
Amy felt like she had been punched in the gut. She didn't want to admit it, but those words cut deep, reopening wounds she tried so hard to heal.
Don't, Amy. Don't.
Don't fall into the pit again.
You're stronger than this.
"I think it's time for you to leave," Amy said, her voice surprisingly steady despite the turmoil inside her.
"Of course. Wouldn't want to overstay my welcome," Mariko stood up, fixing her coat on before smiling at her, seemingly satisfied, "Happy Birthday, by the way."
She left the cash on the table with a generous tip that was almost mocking her.
Amy watched Mariko leave and once she was gone, she let out a shaky breath she didn't realise she was holding. She looked at her hands and noticed that they were trembling from the sheer magnitude of the conversation.
What struck her even more was the fact that Mariko had succeeded in getting under her skin.
She couldn't deny the fear tearing at her heart. What if Mariko was right? What if Sonic did end up realising he deserved better than her? The uncertainty made her stomach churn.
Was she really… pulling him away from opportunities that he deserved for the sake of their relationship? Amy wasn't doing it on purpose, though. Whatever Sonic decided for his company was his decision, not hers. And she'd be happy for him either way.
No. She couldn't let herself spiral into doubt, not after all the progress she had made with Sonic. She had believed in their relationship, in him, in herself.
Sonic was… hers.
That she was sure of.
"You doing okay, Ames?"
Amy jumped at the sound of Sonic's voice, snapping her out of her thoughts. "Wh-What?"
Oh, right. They were in his car and he was driving them to their dinner reservation. Everything before that seemed like such a blur. She got home, took a shower and got herself ready. She was wearing a black dress with matching heels and had her hair tied up in a ponytail. Next thing she knew, Sonic was right in front of her porch with his handsome grin, ready to begin their night.
Sonic glanced at her as he stopped in front of a red light. "You seemed kinda distant just now," He smiled at her, "Everything good?"
She blinked at him before nodding reassuringly. "Yeah, yeah. I'm fine. Just thinking about today, that's all."
He didn't look entirely convinced by her answer but didn't press further. Instead, he reached out for her hand and planted a sweet kiss against her palm. "Just makin' sure. Didn't want you to feel all weird on your birthday."
Amy sent him a smile and squeezed his hand back. "I know. Thank you."
They eventually arrived at their destination and she let him help out of the car. Once she stood, he quickly leaned down to peck her on the lips.
She laughed. "What was that for?"
Sonic grinned. "Just felt like it."
He took hold of her hand and led her inside the building, and she didn't have time to appreciate the luxury decor of it all as Sonic scurried them into an elevator. They got to the very top floor and Amy was immediately greeted with a rooftop view of the Station Square city skyline.
The view took her breath away. The sun was beginning to set, casting a warm, golden glow over the cityscape. The twinkling lights of the buildings below created a magical atmosphere, and Amy felt like she was in a dream.
The rooftop was beautifully decorated with string lights, and there was a small table set up for two near the edge.
"Pretty cool, huh?" Sonic let out a laugh once he saw her silent but completely awestruck reaction.
"I-I didn't think a view like this even existed…" Amy murmured, as the wind blew gently through her hair, "It's so pretty."
As they sat down, the food was already there and plated, still steaming hot and Sonic poured them both a glass of champagne.
Sonic raised his glass. "To you, Amy. Happy birthday."
"To us," Amy corrected him with a soft smile, clinking her glass against his, "Thank you, Sonic."
They began to eat, and Amy couldn't help but steal a few glances at Sonic whenever she could. His presence alone was enough to calm and soothe her mind. She tried to shoot down her thoughts and just enjoy the moment with him, but every time she tried, her altercation with Mariko would still play in her mind.
Ugh. Get it together, Amy!
"So, how's your day been?" Sonic asked between bites and gulped down a piece of his steak, "And please don't tell me you made yourself work extra hard just because it's your birthday. You have a knack for doing that, y'know!"
"What do you mean?"
Sonic chuckled. "I mean, you tend to push yourself too hard, honey. Even when the day is supposed to be about you! It's no wonder you haven't celebrated it in forever."
Amy laughed after she swallowed her food. "Yeah, well, this year was obviously a bit different. I mean, work was busy, but it was a good kinda busy."
"Good, good. Last thing I need is for you to be overworking on this particular day!"
"I know, Sonic. And trust me, I plan on enjoying every minute of tonight."
"Oh yeah…" He sent a sly look, "I'll make sure you do."
She blushed and kicked his leg from under the table. "Not in front of the food!"
"Oww! Dang it, Ames. You really got a mean kick!" Sonic rubbed his leg with an exaggerated pout.
Amy shook her head, but let out a giggle. "Serves you right! At least behave until we make it back to your place."
"Fine, fine… I'll try to behave." He smirked at her just then, "Though, it's kinda hard when you're wearing that dress. You look great in black."
Her cheeks flushed in a vivid pink at his compliment. "You think so? I always thought it looked a little too bold on me."
"Bold is sexy. And it's sexier on you, Ames."
"Oh, stop it," She laughed again and hid her face. She was well aware of what her dress was doing to him. It wasn't like she was going to forget how he stared her down once he saw her in the dress. It looked like he was already undressing her with his eyes, and for a split second, Amy really wanted to coax him back to her bedroom, but that would mean letting him get his way with her… and well, she wasn't going to give him easy access without a little bit of her unprovoked teasing.
"How about you?" Amy found herself asking before things got hot between them, "How was work today?"
Sonic shrugged and took another bite out of his food. "Same old, same old. Remember that billion-ring deal I was talking about last week?" She nodded and he continued, "Yeah, it's not happening. I had to call it off."
She stiffened slightly. "...Why?"
He sighed. "It just didn't feel right, Amy. I mean, sure, it would've been a huge boost for the company, but... I don't know. It just didn't sit well with me," he explained and rubbed the back of his head, "Most of the reason why is because it would've cut a lot of the time I want to have with you and Dash."
"Oh…" She flickered glances between him and the food on her plate, "Is… Isn't there a better solution? I mean, that's a lot of money being missed out on."
"Well, yeah. But I've got enough money as it is at the moment," He smiled at her, "And there's gonna be better stuff lined up for me that's more for my schedule, so I'm not worried."
The guilt that had been wavering over the conversation was pounding in her chest now. She understood his need to spend time with Dash, he was his daddy after all! But even so, it was no stranger for Sonic to take their son along with him on his business adventures. She had a diner to run, so she couldn't afford to take the whole week or month off to be out of the city for that long.
The fact that he was mostly rejecting these ridiculously good deals because of her…
You're a distraction.
Mariko's words were taunting her. Sonic would never say she was a distraction, she knew that much, because she knew she wasn't. He loved her.
She wanted that all this time. For Sonic to put some focus on their relationship, and that was what he was doing, right? He was making the effort. And she was happy! She really was. She had never been more in love with him.
But…
Was she pushing him back when she didn't mean to? How many more deals was he going to keep rejecting before it became too much?
Sonic noticed her silence and reached out to gently squeeze her hand. "Hey, what's wrong? Did I say something?"
She flinched a little but quickly shook her head, forcing another smile. "No, no, it's nothing. Just... thinking about what you said, that's all."
Again, he wasn't convinced as he took the time to study her. "Are you sure? You've been spacing out."
She nodded, mustering up as much sincerity as she could manage. "I'm sure. Let's just enjoy tonight, okay?"
He seemed hesitant to accept her response but nodded anyway. "Alright, alright. You're right."
They enjoyed the rest of their dinner, with Sonic cracking jokes at her to ease the somewhat tension in her chest. She laughed, of course, and even spared a few of her own- to which she enjoyed the flustered look on his face when she had her turn of teasing him with her words.
Sonic got up from his seat and winked at her. "Just need to grab something real quick!"
"Okay."
Amy watched him disappear into the building before being left alone. Taking a deep breath, she stood up and walked towards the edge of the rooftop, leaning against the railing. She embraced the cool breeze brushing against her skin, shivering slightly but the feeling wasn't unpleasant.
As she stood there, gazing up and down at the city below, the lump she was desperately trying to swallow down at the dinner table came back to her throat.
Damn it, damn it…
Tears brimmed in her eyes and she didn't stop them from trickling down her cheeks. The jitters in her breathing became more pronounced, and she wrapped her arms around herself in a feeble attempt to steady her nerves.
What was wrong with her? She was meant to be enjoying herself, it was her birthday. Everyone went out of their way to make this day important for her, and here she was, so upset and crying because she couldn't shake off Mariko's words. The fear of losing Sonic, of being a burden on him, of holding him back from his dreams and goals, it all consumed her.
I told you so.
"No, that's not true…" Amy murmured and closed her eyes.
Lost in her thoughts, she almost didn't hear Sonic's footsteps. Quickly, she wiped her face and turned around, seeing that he had a box in one hand and a bouquet of roses in the other.
"Hey-" Sonic stopped abruptly once he saw her face, "Ames?"
Amy looked at him and didn't fight back the rest of the tears that decided to fall freely. She suddenly began shaking and tried to open her mouth to answer him, but that painful knot inside her throat grew and became so dry.
It was so hard to breathe.
"Amy?" Sonic put his stuff down and quickly went over to her, "Amy, what's wrong?"
The genuine and soft urgent concern in his voice made her let out a strangled sob she didn't want him to hear. Amy felt her knees buckle down as they hit the floor, crying into her hands.
Chaos. How many times has she cried in front of him now?
"Hey," Sonic called out gently and knelt in front of her, gently pulling her hands away from her face. "Breathe for me, Ames. It's okay."
She buried herself into his chest and cried quietly, clinging to him. She felt his arms immediately wrapping themselves around her, resting his chin against her head. He didn't say anything and just held her.
After a little while, her sobs began to subside. Sniffling, Amy pulled away and looked up at him, feeling her eyes being all red and puffy.
"Sorry," she whispered, her voice hoarse.
Sonic just smiled and picked her up, placing her back onto her chair. He poured her a glass of water and ushered her to drink it. She did, albeit with some difficulty, but managed to gulp the entire glass down.
"I knew something was wrong," Sonic said gently and knelt in front of her again, reaching up to brush away a tear from her cheek, "Could tell the first moment you got in the car."
She didn't say anything.
He held her hands and squeezed them, pressing his thumbs over her fingers. "What happened?"
Amy stared at their hands and then took a deep breath. "Mariko came into the diner today and… she said some things..."
Suddenly, Sonic's expression darkened at the mention of the other woman's name. "What did she say?"
She told him. As Amy spoke, she took note of how his face would shift when she explained certain parts of the conversation, how his jaw would tense and his eyes would narrow. By the time she finished recounting everything, his face fell.
"You let her in the diner?"
"Yeah, I know. I was stupid," Amy said and sniffed, "I should've known better. I won't let that happen again."
"Doubt she'd even make a comeback anyway," Sonic bristled and shook his head, "She's got some nerve to do that on your birthday."
"Probably why she did it in the first place," she joked.
He didn't laugh as he stared at her. "You didn't believe anything she said, right? About me thinking you're just a distraction for the company?"
"No, of course not!" Amy quickly shook her head, "I love you and I know you love me too. It's just…"
"Just?"
"I-I don't know what to think when you're given amazing opportunities and you're rejecting them because of me," Amy admitted, her voice barely above a whisper, "I don't want to hold you back, Sonic. I want you to have everything you deserve and everything you've worked hard for."
Sonic sighed. "Amy, listen to me. You're not holding me back in anything. Whatever decision I make, it's because I want to. And if that means turning down some business deal because I'd rather spend time with you and Dash, then that's my choice. You think I wanna mess up like I did five years ago?" He left a small kiss against her hand, "I'm not making that mistake again, Ames."
Her heart fluttered as she bit her lip. "B-But-"
"Nuh-uh. No buts," He laughed this time, "And you're not a distraction. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me. You and Dash. And I'd be damned if I lost it all because of someone sticking their nose into something they didn't belong."
"Gah. Please don't make me cry again," Amy groaned in between the tears brimming in her eyes, "I'm sorry for ruining our dinner."
"Nah, you didn't ruin anything," Sonic reassured her, "Least I know how to make you feel better."
She eyed the beautiful bouquet of roses but more so the small box that was next to it. "You didn't have to get me anything…"
"'Course I had to, Ames," Sonic rolled his eyes and grabbed the box, opening it to reveal a delicate bracelet inside, "Happy Birthday!"
Amy reached for the bracelet and looked at it. It was simple but it was so elegant and beautiful at the same time. There was a small pink heart at the centre, and she couldn't help but smile through her tears. "It's beautiful, Sonic. Thank you."
"More beautiful once you put it on. Here, lemme do it."
He took the bracelet from her and she was confused when he took off her left heel.
"It's an ankle bracelet," Sonic chuckled a little at her confusion as he fastened it around her ankle, "It's kinda in trend now so I thought it'd look good on you."
"Oh," She stared at it closely, moving her ankle around to appreciate it, "You're right. It's perfect"
"Gives me an excuse to look at your legs too."
She playfully shoved him as he burst out laughing at how red her face had gotten. "You're such a goofball!"
"Sorry, I had to!" Sonic sent her a cheeky grin before lifting her leg up, "But it's not like I'm lying," He leaned in and left a lingering kiss where her calf was. "They're tempting as heck and you've been killing me for putting them on display like that."
Amy felt her cheeks flush even more, but she couldn't help the giggle that escaped her lips as she shook her head. "You're ridiculous."
"I got you smiling again though," he said, putting her heel back on and reaching up to leave a kiss against her head, "And hey," He pressed their foreheads together and looked into her eyes, "Don't worry about her. I'm gonna deal with it."
She anxiously bit her lip. "Deal with it… how?"
"Already set on something," Sonic answered her with a confident grin that gave nothing away, "Now," He picked her up bridal-style and started walking towards the exit of the rooftop, "I believe you and me have some unfinished business to attend to."
Amy laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck. "And what would that be?"
Sonic winked at her. "Well, let's just say it involves a lot less talking and a lot more… celebrating."
