Chapter Text
AMY
Amy loved Sonic. She really did. That will never change. However, he continued to slip away from her, always just beyond her grasp, and as time went on she eventually found herself chasing after him less and less. She wasn’t being as forward or reaching out as often. She was simply left looking on. Amy believed that this was her way of loving him, all of him, the way he was; by accepting how free he was and letting him be that way. Sonic was like the wind. You couldn’t keep him in one place or bottle him up because he was meant to roam. He was meant to be free. Amy knew that. She loved that. She loved him .
That isn’t to say that she avoided him or that they became distant. Quite the opposite, actually. Their relationship became something closer and comfortable for both of them. Their friendship had always been important, and perhaps the new dynamic simply came with age. He seemed less apprehensive and awkward around her, and she was less, well… obvious? That’s how she’d put it, anyway. She wasn’t as desperate for his attention and, at first, she thought nothing of it.
She no longer had a fire lit under her, making it impossible to sit still and burning with the need to act, to be around him, to be loved by him. Her feelings had become something more like a mug of hot cocoa: It was a love that she would hold close and enjoy the warmth of, but over time became so comfortable with that she hadn’t realized it had turned room temperature until the next time she tried to take a sip.
It had hit her like a truck, to be honest, and yet felt so matter of fact, like she’d known all along. It had been a movie night. Rouge, Omega, and Shadow had invited Tails, Knuckles, Sonic and Amy over to their place to watch and eat and have a good time. Amy assumed it had been all Rouge’s idea but even though the other two were a little harder to read, Omega seemed to enjoy it and Shadow stuck around so maybe it was something all three had actually wanted to do. At least to some degree.
They had a really nice setup, too. A large room with the biggest tv Amy had ever seen, flanked by shelves holding movies, books, and games. Did they really use all this? It seemed they were full of surprises, though that stuff wasn’t the only reason everyone had chosen to come here, because it also gave them plenty of space to stretch their legs. The room had three different couches arranged together in the shape of a U facing the tv, along with 2 beanbags in the front, a sitting hammock in one back corner, and a door in the other that Rouge disappeared into long enough to bring out some blankets for everyone. Amy briefly wondered where that door led, since they had all entered through an archway on the far side of the room, near the tv.
The surround sound system was hoisted up near the ceiling, and the curtain behind the couches made the large windows (and the light they let in) disappear completely, making it the perfect atmosphere with more than enough room for everyone. Amy had known they had money but dang was it still a shock sometimes. She wouldn’t have allowed herself to give that tv a second glance at a store but here it was. And who even knew there were hammocks made for sitting upright?! Shadow, apparently, as he slipped inside it the moment he seemed to realize Rouge would be cuddling with Knuckles over at the couch on the opposite wall.
She sat leaning against the arm rest while his head was in her lap and both their legs stretched out across the love seat under one of the blankets she had grabbed. Amy couldn’t fathom how Rouge had gotten him to sit like that. He was folding his arms and looking kinda grumpy. Maybe his surrender had something to do with her running her fingers through his quills. That was probably it, and he was most likely just embarrassed. Hard to tell sometimes with how naturally red he already was.
Rouge had given Shadow the stink-eye as he moved to the hammock, but his expression seemed to say ‘whatcha gonna do about it?’. I wonder what that's about Amy thought, but quickly let the question slip her mind as Sonic came, passing over to her left side to sit by her on the back couch, holding his newly acquired bowl of nachos.
“Want a bite, Ames?”
“Sure! Blanket?”
“Of course!”
Amy snatched a chip and popped it in her mouth, then slid the blanket that was across her legs so that it’d cover his as well. They sat up straight on the four seater couch facing the tv directly, with Rouge and Knuckles taking the two seater on their left, and Shadow on their right, leaving the three seater next to him vacant.
Tails had spent his time admiring the setup, flying up to the speakers and peeking behind the tv. Now, him and Omega we’re having a very ‘serious’ but light hearted discussion on what everyone should watch. Amy stole another chip before kicking at the blanket absentmindedly. Sonic had been trying to listen to their hushed discourse and finally spoke up.
“You guys going to pick a movie before I finish these or will I need to grab another bowl?” He asked, no bite behind the teasing remark. To Amy’s surprise, a much deeper voice responded.
“We all know you can grab more anytime without missing the movie even once we do start. Perhaps you should try taking a deep breath and enjoy the moment for a change.” Shadow stated, only bothering to give Sonic a momentary side glance while gently swinging himself in his seat.
Rouge laughed. “Yeah, and you’ll likely be doing that a lot with that bottomless pit of yours”. Sonic looked between the two, putting his hand to his chest and making an O shape with his mouth in feigned offense. Amy giggled at the sight and she heard Tails stifle a laugh.
“First of all I breathe all the time. It's kinda how I stay alive” he says, turned towards Shadow and missing the way Rouge and Knuckles roll their eyes. “Secondly, I am enjoying the moment. It's why I'm anxious to get started.” Now it was Shadows turn to roll his eyes, though still looking straight ahead. Sonic then turned to Rouge “and of course it takes a lot to keep my tank from running empty” he says, giving her a side smile and patting his stomach “so, naturally, I’m graciously taking advantage when you offer free food”.
This time it's Knuckles who responds, giving a teasing grin of his own. “Yeah well the real reason she got all those snacks was so your stomach’s loud growling wouldn’t interrupt the movie” he says, making the girls, Sonic, and Tails all laugh because of how true that statement was. Shadow even looked like he had a whisper of a smile on his face, and Omega went on a small monologue about the importance of not disrupting the movie.
It was all in good fun, and just felt so strangely satisfying to all just enjoy some down time with each other like this. Amy noticed that Tails and Omega were putting in the dvd and fixing all the settings. “So what did you guys end up picking?” She asked, and they both paused before giving each other a look like they shared some inside joke.
“One we… could agree on” said Tails, side stepping the question while his namesakes gave a little swish. Omega then turned to Amy.
“I have been intending to view this movie and have determined that now would be an appropriate time to do so.”
“Is it the one where the robot comes to life? We’re watching that now?! ” Rouge says, and Omega gives her a very prompt “Affirmative”. She smiles and sighs. “Okay buddy, I said you could pick and I’m keeping my promise”
“Can I see the case?” Amy asks, and she nearly fumbles in catching it, surprised when Tails very suddenly tosses it her way. Safe in her hands, she reads over the title. Short Circuit? Never heard of it. Says it was made in the 80’s… huh. She hadn’t realized Sonic was leaning in to read the back as well until his voice came out much closer than she would have expected.
“Well this’ll be… interesting” he whispers, humor and hesitation in his voice. She smiles and says “ha, yeah, but it might be fun to give something unexpected a try”.
He gives her a side glance with a cheesy smile. “C’mon Amy, my life is full of the unexpected.”
“Then this shouldn’t phase you in the slightest,” she says, smug.
His smile turns more genuine. “Haha, you got me there. Should I take that as a challenge?” He raises an eyebrow to emphasize his question. She gives him a teasing shove with her elbow, and he settles back to the distance they had before he leaned in.
“No. Just a friendly reminder that it doesn’t count as unexpected if you expect it.”
“Heh, fair enough” he says, defending his side from more elbows. The trailers start ( boy this is old haha ) and they both relax back into their seats. Tails hovers over to plop down on one of the bean bags. Omega makes his way over to Amy’s right before stopping short to look at the vacant couch and Shadow in the hammock. Seeming to realize his friend had left the whole couch to him, he bent over and picked up the other bean bag, lifting it up and settling it into his lap as he plops down on the couch, holding it like a giant teddy bear. Amy thinks it’s adorable.
The movie goes on and it is a little strange but Amy finds herself enjoying it. She’s also glad they chose to watch it now because hearing Omega’s monotone laughter to the robot’s antics and puns was kind of great. At some point, however, she realized Sonic was a little too still and looked over to find him nodding off. And there he goes. Always so on the move that of course forcing him to sit quietly would end with him falling asleep. He’s like a little kid haha, but he probably needs it. You’re lucky we didn’t make a bet, Sonic she muses, and continues to watch the movie.
His head eventually finds its way to her shoulder, and she happily lets him rest there, oblivious to any eyes that may occasionally glance over at them. When it ends, the others easily fall into a discussion on what they thought of the movie. She listens happily, enjoying the discourse and content with staying still so as to not wake Sonic up. At least until Rouge’s voice then turns their attention to Amy.
“So, you and blue, finally cuddling. Or is this more of a norm than we realize?” She says, giving them a good once over with her eyes and quirking her eyebrow.
“Ha! I wouldn’t be surprised if the only time they snuggle is when he falls asleep” Knuckles adds. Amy opens her mouth to respond but Tails chimes in first.
“Well you were looking grumpy the whole time you’ve been with Rouge, even while you were hugging each other. Embarrassed, Knuckles?” He laughs, and so does Rouge, who wraps her arms around her boyfriend’s shoulders and pulls him into a hug.
“Yes but that’s my fault. I think he’s adorable like this, so I love to tease him” she says, nuzzling her head into his. Amy can tell by Knuckles’ face that he’s unable to fight her on it so he’s just letting it happen. Rouge then turns to Amy and adds “just don’t go kissing him unless he’s awake, at least for the first one since it’s kinda important”. She winks, and Amy could feel a blush begin to appear.
“NO! I-” she stopped, then looked down at the sleeping blue hedgehog at her side and just stared at him for a moment. To anyone else, it must have looked like she was worried her outburst would wake him and was waiting to make sure she hadn’t. But to Amy, this moment was full of realization.
She had been about to say ‘I would never do that” but the feeling behind those words surprised her. Didn’t she mean she wouldn’t kiss him without his permission? Then why did it feel like she wouldn’t want to kiss him?! Didn’t she want to? Didn’t she love him? She did love him, but then why did this feel so weird?
She began again, much quieter this time. “w-we don’t have that kind of relationship. We’re just friends. Just really good… friends.” It was like she was testing the feel of that word in her mouth as she said it.
“Oh come on, now you sound like him . We know how long you’ve liked him for and you two clearly have got some kind of chemistry. You can’t tell me there’s actually nothing going on with how cozy you two have been lately.” Rouge says, loosening her grip on Knuckles to lean herself the other way, towards Amy, propping her elbow on the armrest and setting her head against her palm. The others were just kinda watching this play out now, as it had clearly become girl talk.
Amy looked back down at Sonic, and then into Rouge’s eyes, trying to find an answer for herself as well without giving too much away because darnnit she needed some time alone to think. “I… we’ve really done nothing. We’re not dating or together in any way. We’re just, close.” She tried to ‘one shoulder shrug’ for emphasis. Tails was the first of the boys to speak up again, popping the weird conversational bubble that had formed and pulling the girls back into the room with them.
“Well I think it's great that you two are getting along so well, Amy.” He stands up and stretches “however I think it's time I call it a night. I’ve got an early morning tomorrow”.
“Thanks Tails” she says. She partially is saying thanks for saving her from the conversation but it's okay if he doesn’t pick up on that. “Make sure to get home safe!”
“Will do! Do you, uh, need some help before I go?” He asks, gesturing to Sonic. She started to say no but Rouge answered first.
“She’ll be fine! We’re good hosts and we’ll take care of them both. Thanks for coming, flyboy”
“Thanks for having me” he says, pointedly turning to Shadow and Omega as well. “It was fun. You really do have a nice open space for group get-togethers!”
“And it's private” Shadow adds.
Knuckles gives a tired chuckle “well that is a perk”, then sighs. “I should probably head back too”. He turns to his girlfriend and says in half a whisper “wanna walk me to the door?”
It seems that comment lit a fire under Tails because he shoots into the air and out through the archway over by the tv, all while saying “and that’s my cue to leave because no way am I getting stuck behind you two again! BYE!”
The rest gave a light laugh, and Rouge grabs Knuckles’ hand, standing them both up and walking backwards so she could keep eye contact with him while dragging him to the front door and away from prying eyes. Amy smiles to herself, thinking of how nice that must be. Then her smile falls as she remembers that she has some thinking to do. Omega stands up and announces that he’ll be putting things away.
“I’ll help” Shadow says, standing up as well. He then turned to Amy. “You might wanna sit tight for a bit longer. They’ll probably be a minute”. He nods over to where the love birds disappeared and Amy gives him a small smile.
“Yeah I figured. I think it's sweet. And this way we can let Sonic rest some more before making him run home.” She says. He gives a small sound in acknowledgement, and Amy watches as Shadow starts picking up trash and grabbing the other blankets. Meanwhile, Omega shuts off the tv and returns the disc to its case before setting it back on the shelf. She feels bad for not helping, but the quiet routine feels comfortable, and Sonic’s steady breathing puts her at ease. Seeing him in a moment of stillness feels almost surreal, and sharing that with him feels special. Yet, again, it doesn’t feel the same. It doesn’t feel… romantic.
“May I take that?” Shadows' low quiet voice broke the seeming trance she was in. She saw his hand was outstretched, and followed it to find he was referring to the bowl sitting inside Sonic’s lap.
“Oh, please do! Here.” She says, handing it over. He nods with a simple ‘thank you’ and continues doing the little tasks he can find. Having been pulled from her thoughts, the silence feels more awkward, so Amy decides to try a bit of conversation. “It's so interesting that you guys have a physical library to pick from when so many people just stream movies nowadays. What made you decide to keep all these?”. She notices Shadow’s ears twitch towards her and swears he’s about to answer when the tones of Omega’s more mechanical voice cut through first, drawing her eyes to him.
“We have concluded that obtaining physical ownership is a more reliable method for acquiring our preferred media, as opposed to an ongoing subscription for services that have previously shown little regard for what digital properties they trade or keep publicly available. Amy Rose, I highly recommend utilizing this method when possible. As a secondary option, it is also advantageous to support your local library as a location for public access to information and entertainment as it does not require purchase.”.
As Amy listened, she swore she saw a small knowing smile pass over Shadow’s face. He added “Omega hasn’t been too happy when the shows he’s trying to watch get moved to other streaming services or taken down entirely.”
Amy nods, definitely understanding the frustration. “Well I agree. And the library is one of my favorite places! I actually go pretty regularly.” she says, directing her comment to Omega, who shines with approval in a way that only a robot can. Both the boys continue their tasks at hand, but Amy speaks before the conversation can end naturally. “Is that how you and Rouge feel, Shadow?”
He visibly hesitates before answering. Amy is once again reminded that Shadow tends to choose his words carefully, which she admires about him. It adds a certain... sincerity to his responses. Feeling the weight of Sonic’s head on her shoulder brings him to mind, and she muses that his impulsive answers can be just as honest, in their own way.
Shadow’s voice interrupts her thoughts, drawing her wandering mind back in. “Rouge still likes to have her shows available to stream anywhere, and we don’t own everything, so we still pay for certain services. As for me, I... I’m a bit old fashioned”. He shrugs, giving a bit of a dry chuckle as he is fully aware of just how displaced in time he was. “I can appreciate how convenient it is to have everything digital and at the tip of your fingers, but I enjoy being able to actually grasp it in my hands. There’s a… connection when something is physically there and yours and someone-'' he pauses, glancing at her and, seeming embarrassed, hurriedly finishes with “s-someone can’t take it away from you”. He clears his throat. “Sorry, I-”
“No! Don’t be sorry. I actually think that’s really sweet. You’re a dying breed, Shadow the hedgehog.” Amy says, and Shadow… is that a tiny blush on the tip of his ears?
“Don’t you worry about that, Ames, because he’s gonna live for awhile ” Sonic cuts in groggily. Shadow’s expression drops to something that makes Amy think he’d roll his eyes if he actually cared enough to. Not angry, just ‘of course you would say that’. She looks down and finds him with his eyes still closed, but he reaches his hand up and drags it down his face, pulling at his skin as he slowly wakes himself up. “I’m guessing the movie’s over?”.
“Yeah, sorry if I woke you” she says in a gentle voice, rubbing his back to softly coax him into consciousness. “I probably should’ve been talking quieter since I'm right by your ear, but I think it's time we head home and leave these guys be”. She doesn't see the way Shadows’ eyes glance at her briefly before looking away. Sonic groans before opening his eyes and looking around the room, realizing just how much he missed. He then sighs, sits up, and stretches, making more noise as if it’ll help him do so.
“Don’t hurt yourself” Shadow jokes, as he heads towards the archway with the dishes he’d previously collected. Amy realizes she hadn’t seen Omega leave, but now it was just her and Sonic in the room. They still had the last remaining blanket, as the others were neatly put away by Shadow.
“C’mon” she says, standing up and gathering the blanket in her arms to fold. “This isn’t a sleepover no matter how much you want it to be.”
“Oh ha ha” he says sarcastically, a bit more awake. He stands up as well and she places the now folded blanket back down where they’d been sitting. “Like I’d want a sleepover here”.
“I would” Amy says with a bit of an evil smile. “If only to take a picture of you and the boys sleeping together, all cute and snuggly.” she clasps her hands near her cheek while dreamily looking up and twisting back and forth just to tease him. He gives her a soft push and she giggles again, dropping the act.
“No way you're getting that kind of blackmail material outta me!” he says. They start for the archway and she looks away coyly.
“Who says I don’t have already?”
Sonic stops and stares at her as she continues walking.
“No you don’t” he says, mostly sure.
She stops and looks back at him without giving anything away.
“You don't, right?!” he says, less sure.
She tries to stop from smiling.
“ Amy?! ”
It is then that she thinks running is a good idea.
“Amy I swear-” he says, running after her at a not so superpowered speed.
They barely avoid running into Shadow and skillfully go around Omega as they go through the house.
“Bye guys! Had fun! Let’s do this again sometime!” Amy shouts behind her. She reaches the front door, but opening it gives Sonic the second he needed to catch up and he starts tickling her down to the floor.
“You're going to delete those pics!”
“I- haha NEVER!”
“Okay you two, take it outside.” Rouge’s voice sounds with the click of her heels as she comes up to stand in front of them from outside the front door. They pause, looking up at her and she smirks down back at them. “Just friends, ey? Go flirt in someone else’s house.”
They both blush and try to scramble to their feet as Rouge skillfully steps around them and Sonic finds his voice.
“Now hold on, I’m not-”
“Yeah sure, and close the door behind you!” she says, shutting him down with a wave of her hand and without so much as looking back. then she’s out of sight and they are ‘technically’ alone again. Amy shifts awkwardly while Sonic scratches his head in defeat. He then gestures to the open door. “After you?”
“Yeah, thanks” she says. She steps through and Sonic closes it behind them. They start at a slow pace into the comfortably brisk night. Sonic tries again.
“I wasn’t... we’re not-”
“I know.” Amy says, and she means it. “I wasn’t either”.
Sonic visibly relaxes, but she can tell he still feels something... maybe guilt? And she doesn’t want that.
“Y’know, you’re really important to me. And I enjoy what we have. We don't have to change that” she says.
If you had asked Amy a month ago, she’d tell you that was her way of loving him. As he was.
“Really? You’re not... wanting more?”
If you had asked her a week ago, she might’ve even said she was willing to wait.
“Yeah. And I don’t want you worrying about it, either. You’re my friend. You’re an important, close friend. That’s enough for me”.
She can’t quite read his face, and can only guess he’s deciding something. Had you asked her just a day ago, she may have even told you that she hoped he was realizing he felt something more.
It seems he’s decided, whatever it was, and gives a nod.
“You’re important to me too” he says, kindness in his eyes. He puts his arm around her shoulders briefly as a sort of half hug.
“Do you need a ride home?” she asks, though she can guess his answer.
“Nah, it’s a nice night out. But you drive safe, Ames.” he says, walking backwards long enough to wave her off. She waves back with a “well, you get home safe too!”
“Will do!” and with a turn, her blue blur lives up to his name, disappearing into the night. She finishes the walk to her car, pulling out her keys and finally finding solitude as she climbs inside.
Had you asked Amy now, she would’ve told you that all those other answers she’d hypothetically given were unintentional lies. She had believed them, too, if only because she hadn’t checked in with her own emotions for a while. She had been coasting on the idea of loving Sonic for longer than her romantic feelings had actually lasted, apparently. It was a bit disorienting. Her love for him perpetuating the delusion, though it had already transformed into something platonic. But now? Now she had come to a realization, and it couldn’t be undone.
Amy brings her car to life with the turn of a key, and gently pulls out onto the sleepy midnight road. The solitude that the lateness of the hour grants allows her the time she needs to finally think this through.
She didn’t want to kiss Sonic. She didn’t feel the need to date him or the yearning to have him all to herself. She doesn’t quite know when it happened, but it was as if a part of her had known this for some time. Amy’s heart had moved on, and it was only now that her head was catching up. She thinks back, pondering her feelings with this new perspective.
The more he had run, the less she had chased after him. The less she chased, the less he felt the need to run. Sure they had indeed grown up, matured, but everyone had it backwards. They thought she chased him less because he wasn’t running, but it was the other way around. She herself was only now hit with the realization as to why her ‘chasing him’ had slowed to a stop in the first place. Maybe, it had been my heart's way of letting me down gently, knowing nothing was ever going to come of it.
That night, Amy surprised herself a second time by shedding a single tear. It was for the young girl who had been hurt so often by Sonic, even if unintentionally, and brushed it off. All because of love. The girl that would’ve been so devastated to hear someone tell her that they would never end up together. It was like she was saying goodbye to a part of herself that she had held dear for so long, but she’s not that little girl anymore. Not entirely. She still holds nothing against Sonic, and he will always have a place in her heart, but now? Now I think it's time to officially move on. No more hiding behind a comfortable lie.
This was a brand new chapter in her life, a new unknown factor where her heart belonged to her again. Strangely enough, Amy Rose felt at peace, even a little excited. It was bittersweet. Her face was a bit wet and her smile a bit hopeful. She wanted to be happy. That started with facing the truth, and how much progress her heart had made without her even knowing. Amy loved Sonic. She really did. That would never change. However, the type of love apparently had. Her heart had been freed from its endless cycle and opened her up to whatever comes next. Amy Rose was ready to figure out what she wanted. To love someone new, and to discover just how well she could be loved, even if she didn’t know that part yet.