A/N: I realize my one-shots are well outside the length of a "normal" one-shot, and that's because I like to make sure everything that can be felt is felt so it can remain a one-shot, no loose ends, just pure feeling and after-thought.

A/N 2: Inspired by the wonderful pic, shoutout to Argento. So sit back, relax, and enjoy:

What's Best For Me

The phone rang once… twice… three times before someone picked up and Sonic heard a voice that filled him with a disgruntled joy, meaning he simultaneously wanted to hear it while also wishing he could kick whoever it belonged to in the teeth.

"Now, Sonic, do you really think you should be calling me? It's nearly eleven in the morning; almost time for your date, no?"

The snark was unmissable and Sonic sighed, clenching his phone with far more strength than necessary.

"I—you know what, I'm not even gonna ask how you know about that," Sonic muttered ruefully, and he side-glanced a discarded newspaper in the waste bin next to him. Even upside-down and crumpled, he could clearly make out one of the more eye-catching headlines reading SONIC FINALLY AGREES TO TAKE AMY TO STATION SQUARE followed by a number of hypothetical questions wondering where they would go, what they would do, whether they would eat or not. "I can't believe she paid to have it run in the newspaper…."

"No? Because I can. Seems right up her extremely creepy alley, if you ask me," the voice responded passively, and they couldn't have sounded more detached if they tried. "Did you see the commercial for your special day? The stand-in actors did a marvelous job depicting the both of you."

"I… did you say commercial?" Sonic asked hoarsely.

"Indeed, right in the prime-time slot, too. That must have cost some serious rings. Want me to record it for you?" Shadow offered derisively. "It most likely has a limited run, you know."

A few very colorful expletives leapt to the forefront of Sonic's tongue but he knew speaking them would end the conversation. "N-no, I'm good, I'm sure she has the master copies somewhere," he hissed.

"I would expect nothing less from her. So, if you are not in need of my prodigious recording skills, I ask again, why are you calling me?"

"C'mon, Shadow, you're my friend and—"

"Hmmm, that's a gross oversimplification for what we are, Sonic. We're not yet what I would call friends by any means, but your very existence doesn't cause my blood to boil quite as hot as it used to either. So there's that," the darker hedgehog admitted staidly.

Truth be told, Shadow wasn't exactly Sonic's favorite person in the world either. The two of them had been through a multitude of violent clashes in the past, some of it stemming from being on opposite sides while a majority were simply because they didn't like the sight of the others face.

Nowadays, after winning fights against each other and while back-to-back, they had progressed to being what Tails affectionately called 'frenemies'.

"Shadow, look, you're the only one I can count on," Sonic went on in whispered tones, and he brought his other hand to his mouth as though the passing citizens of Station Square might whip out a microphone and start recording. "Nobody else can help me right now—"

"—which is surely code for 'the scores of others I called before you all turned me down and now you are literally my last hope,'" Shadow finished, sounding more amused than annoyed. "Isn't that right, Sonic?" he asked and Sonic could practically picture the menacing smile accompanying Shadow's question.

"…It… might be."

"So. You couldn't get the others to help you—your friends, your pals, your sworn comrades… none of them deigned to lift a hand to give their service, and where has that led you? Right back to me." There was so much smugness dripping from Shadow's tone that Sonic would have hung up right then and there if his need wasn't so great.

"Okay, Shadow, yes, we all saw the stupid movie and it was a good line—just how long were you waiting to use that?" Sonic asked.

Something of a chuckle preceded Shadow's response. "Not too long. I figured you would provide an appropriate opening eventually. As usual, I was correct."

It may have been busy around the central square but there was always time to watch when Sonic the Hedgehog pulled on his face like it were made of putty, which is what several passerby did.

"Cool," he ground out. "Glad I didn't keep you waiting too long, then. Now, on to actually important things: I need your help, man. I don't even remember agreeing to this… whatever the newspaper is calling it. I'm drawing a total blank."

"Then say you don't remember and politely excuse yourself. Are you really wasting my time with this?"

"No, see, that's the thing, I would, but, uh… she has a voice recording of me agreeing to this whole thing," Sonic continued with a self-pitying sigh.

"Oh. Well, then. I'd say you're balls deep in the hot sauce this time, Sonic."

The mental image those words conjured up caused Sonic to cringe in place. "That was, um… very specific there, Shadow. I was actually gonna ask if you wanted to maybe, I dunno, cause some trouble nearby or something? Throw a little chaos control around, gimme a reason to spring into action? Maybe bring Eggman along for a good ol' fashioned afternoon brawl?"

"Sonic. Are you seriously asking me to gather the chaos emeralds and Dr. Robotnik for the sole purpose of giving you a legitimate reason for ditching your date?"

Strangely enough, hearing such a problematic plan echoed back to him by someone like Shadow did nothing to deter Sonic and he wholeheartedly nodded. "Well, yeah, what's wrong with th—"

"Good bye, Sonic. If you find yourself in dire need of a best man after this little date, do call again. I know some riveting stories to tell at the reception."

More than any other defeat suffered throughout his life, and he had been through his fair share of losses, the hollow sound of Shadow hanging up in his face ranked up there as one of the worst.

"Maybe I am acting a bit silly," Sonic reasoned to himself, and he cleanly broke the phone in two and chucked the pieces in the trash bin next to him.

Frenemies they may be, Sonic still didn't trust Shadow farther than he could toss him, and the darker hedgehog felt the same, which is why they communicated strictly through burner phones, good for one call only until they next met, whenever that was, and exchanged new numbers.

After applying a lens of calm to the situation, Sonic figured maybe today wouldn't be such a bad day after all. Sure Amy was a little… extreme sometimes, borderline maniacal when it came to him especially, but Sonic was also privy to the numerous times she'd had his back and came to his aid when he needed it most.

Even as he focused on the positive, almost as if to point out his naive thought process, memory reels of her antics after helping him began to play, and he saw all the fawning, the clinging, the pouting and huffing and pulling out that damned hammer of hers….

Add to it, Sonic was still extremely perplexed at how Amy managed to get a voice recording of him agreeing to do this with her, because he didn't remember it all.

While he pondered and pondered, Station Square continued to buzz with life as it always did, especially around the giant fountain directly in the center of it all, the one Sonic was currently leaning on in wait. Several times his highly sensitive ears picked up the snap of a camera going off, meaning, of course, someone had taken his picture. And he was fine with that, he always had been, it was what came with the territory of saving the world more times than he could count.

"Listen to your mom, kid!" Sonic told one little boy after taking a picture and waving both him and his grateful mom off. It swelled Sonic's heart to know that so many people, from the young to the old looked up to him, depended on him. Sometimes, it was scary, the thought of failing them even once, and a lot of it was trail and error at its finest, but nowadays, he had the whole 'saving the day' routine down pat.

More or less.

The only thing that still confused, befuddled, and oftentimes scared him senseless was—

"Hey, Sonic!"

—the little pink hedgehog by the name of Amy Rose waving as she approached through the crowds.

When Sonic made to smile, what formed over his face was a rictus that made it seem like he was terribly constipated, and truthfully, when he felt his stomach drop a few levels, he couldn't be entirely sure that he wasn't actually experiencing it.

"H-hey, Amy… you're, um—wow, is it that time already?" and Sonic glanced up at the towering clock punched into the building opposite the street. It was five minutes to eleven. He blinked. Really? Just how much time had he wasted standing there trying to call people for help?

Amy took a step forward and, instinctually, Sonic threw his arms up to brace himself for when she tackle-hugged him. It was what she normally did and it always caught him by surprise. So it came as an even bigger surprise when, instead of getting the rings squeezed out of him, he was greeted with the sound of Amy's giggling as she pointed at his awkward pose.

"Sonic, what're you doing, silly?" she asked, shaking her head. "Don't tell me… is this the beginning of some sorta secret move? Gonna make the bad guys laugh themselves into defeat?"

"What? I—no—it was… see, I thought you were gonna—" Sonic flustered, but then he shrugged, scratching behind his head. "Nevermind. Can I just ask a question before we start this… whatever this is?"

"You can ask whatever you want before we start our date," she replied royally.

Whoa.

Not only was there an unsettling amount of confidence to her tone, her smile held a different kind of radiance that further confused Sonic. Normally, as far back as he could remember, there was a certain manic twinge to her smiles, like she was seconds from chasing him or outright leaping on him. But this smile right here, it flowed with an elegance usually beyond the excitable pink hedgehog. Fastened to her hair quills just over her ear was a clip in the form of a beautiful sunrise, and her standard pink dress was noticeably tighter, hugging from her modest bust all the way down to her waist and fanning out at her hips. Apparently, she must have figured sneakers would've ruined this new look she was going for, so a stylish pair of pumps covered her feet, and much to Sonic's chagrin, he did love the fact that they were peep-toe.

In fact, Sonic loved them so much that he didn't realize how long he had been staring until Amy placed a single finger under his chin and guided his gaze upward. "Up here, Sonic," she told him with a rather pleased expression. "Now, what's your question? Or are trying to stall to waste time?" she questioned, and before the look of scorn of Sonic knew so well could fully form he quickly shook his head.

"No, I'm not, I just… don't remember agreeing to this, our date," Sonic said, surprising himself with how easily he was able to use her qualifier for what they were doing.

The way Amy rolled her eyes made Sonic's heart skip a beat. "Seriously? That's your question?" She shook her head pityingly. "C'mere, you," and she took Sonic by the hand, turning him around before hooking her arm with his and leading the way deeper into the square. "I've come to realize that you don't pay attention worth a lick when you're playing a game. So I asked when you and Knuckles were on round sixty-three of that one fighting game you guys always play."

"Claw Fighter 6: Declawed and Furious…" Sonic supplied weakly, under his breath.

"Yep, that's the one."

Sonic didn't hear. He had gone verifiably deaf to her and the general noise of Station Square under the memories that were flooding back, playing before his eyes. He could see himself and Knuckles going at it, working their controllers to the breaking point, almost to where their thumbs bled, and then came Amy, sneaking up behind him and asking her stupid question—"So Sonic, how about me and you, this weekend, Station Square, huh?"—and then he heard himself agreeing, anything to shut her up as just the sound of her voice caused him to fumble a crucial combo.

"I got your response on record if you don't believe me," Amy continued sweetly, beaming up at him, but Sonic shook his head.

"Nope, that's fine, I believe you, I remember." It was ground out like Sonic had lockjaw but it didn't matter. He knew she was telling the truth now.

Still, even as Sonic allowed himself to be steered down a shaded lane that housed vendors openly selling their wares on either side, he couldn't pinpoint what he was feeling, watching as Amy flittered from one stand to the next. Her smile, so happy and carefree, was so infectious that Sonic found himself grinning in spite of his situation.

Picking up a cat mask and fitting it over her face, Amy turned around with a very convincing, "Nyah nyaaah!" and pawed at Sonic's nose.

Try as he might, and damn did he try, Sonic laughed, then he chose a giraffe mask to try on, but after a few seconds of silence, he put it back down with an embarrassed grin. "I woulda made a noise but I have no idea what sound a giraffe makes," he admitted.

Amy's lips quivered like she wanted to laugh so bad—then she snorted and started to anyway, and the sound of it was something Sonic found himself quickly growing fond of.

And he hadn't the slightest clue as to why.

Truthfully, as she tried consoling him before they moved on to a fresh produce cart, Sonic realized that he was having a good time so far, and that confused him more than Jet's abnormal obsession with skateboard decks. Why was he having a good time? He was hanging with Amy Rose of all people, and every prior moment shared before this was nothing more than an annoying blot on his memory.

Visually, she looked absolutely the same, same headband, same dress—albeit several sizes smaller—the heels were new, but her eyes were still those calming pools of iridescent green, and her smile still sent shivers down his spine like it always did while her voice, so soft yet alluring, continued to coerce him into doing whatever she asked—

WHOA.

Sonic shook his head, almost hard enough to fling himself to the ground. Where had that thought process come from? That sounded dangerously close to… well, it almost sounded like something Amy herself would say, that she had said when lovingly describing Sonic to her friends.

"Oooo, pears," Amy cooed, bending over to get a better look at the produce on display. "And they look really yummy! Excuse me, Mr. Kitty, how much are these?"

A rotund, green and blue cat, who looked as though he could have been a distant relative of Big's, stood behind the cart. His eyebrow twitched with obvious annoyance at the nickname and Sonic felt sure he would have snapped at her but then he glanced up, met Sonic's warning eye, and grunted out, "Three ring a pear, little hedgehog, or three pear for seven ring special."

"My lucky day!" Amy thrilled, and she started pointing at random, muttering to herself about size and weight and ripeness.

Just behind her, Sonic had gone oddly still, as if time had left him behind, and for good reason. The sheer tightness of Amy's dress was causing it to hitch up her thighs inch by tantalizing inch, a glacial movement that Sonic had been privy to the instant she had walked up, and now, with her obliviously bent over in search of the perfect pear, he was being treated to an unobstructed view of her cotton white panties.

Sonic suddenly wished he had some cake without knowing where the urge came from or how it correlated to what he was seeing.

Oddly enough, given the fact that most of Amy's clothes consisted of some dress or skirt, Sonic came to the realization that he had never once thought to sneak a peek. Probably because before this very moment, he had never viewed her in any light that merited such perversion—but he was certainly staring now. As usual, her dress didn't come with a hole, so that forced her tail to sneak out from under the hem, which meant lifting the back of her dress higher than the front. Normally, this didn't matter, it went by completely unnoticed, but with the tightness that came with this new outfit, Amy's tail was doing a wonderful job of revealing her prime choice of satin underwear.

The way her panties hugged made her rump seem deliciously round, and Sonic took great pleasure in noting how both of her pink cheeks were brought together, the fabric stretching over the concealed crevice that he knew to be her crack. The frills along the edges were a nice, sensual touch and every little jostle Amy made as she continued to search for the best pear sent her twin mounds into a wobbling, hypnotic motion.

It was enough to make Sonic lick his lips. Hell, it was almost enough to make him reach out, but the moment his hand twitched to do just that, Amy suddenly stood and her dress fell back into place, obscuring the treasure that lie underneath.

"This one looks good, doesn't it, Sonic?" she asked excitedly, glancing back at him. "Um… Sonic? What're you doing?"

In the middle of this packed avenue, Sonic was on his knees, gripping the wrist of his right hand like he were trying to keep it from escaping. However, once he heard Amy's voice, registered her question, he quickly leapt up, brushing off his front and clearing his throat.

"Who, m-me?" he blustered, pointing at himself. "Oh, erm, you know, just… just checking the ground for, uh, criminal… activity?"

It was the weakest excuse Sonic had ever given in his life, and judging by the way Amy continued to stare at him, she thought the same.

"Checking the ground… for criminal activity," she repeated slowly, tilting her hips.

Feeling extremely daft, all Sonic could do was nod.

There was something telling in the way Amy smirked, almost as if she knew exactly what Sonic had been doing, and his heart sank—but instead of voicing it, she merely spun around and began digging in her handbag for rings. "You're such a silly hedgehog, Sonic," she giggled, and more than anything, hearing someone like Amy call him silly was what really drove home the fact that he was dealing with a different woman.

Whatever had happened to the old Amy, Sonic didn't know, and he really didn't care. This new Amy with her mature visage and composed mannerisms was exciting in all the ways he never knew he craved. He felt as if she were standing next to him instead of chasing behind like a puppy; and on that note, if he were honest, he would swear they had traded places. For the first time, she was the one leading him while he chased behind her.

And for some reason, that painted a very sexy picture.

"Amy, wait—I got it," he called, coming up behind her and fishing for the necessary amount of rings.

"Sonic, no, I've got it, really—"

"Too late. Here you are, my good man—er… cat," Sonic corrected hastily, laying down the rings and grabbing a bag. He fanned it open, dropped the pear inside, and held it out on a single finger. "Your pear, ma'am," he said with a crooked grin.

For a moment, the nettled pout over Amy's lips gave every impression she intended to argue over what he had done, maybe even demand a refund so she could pay herself, but in another shocking move, a sweet smile replaced the annoyance that could have been and she gently cupped his cheek in her hand.

"Thanks, Sonic," Amy uttered, bringing a wave of crimson to Sonic's face, and he looked rather pleased with himself. "Although," she added haughtily, catching his chin between her forefinger and thumb, "I suppose that's the least you can do after staring up my skirt, hm?"

"Hu-wuh?" The goofy smile that Sonic had been sporting over her touch promptly melted into nothing and his hair spikes wilted like a dying flower.

"Ha! Little blue needle rat busted!" the feline vendor boomed, pointing with a massive paw.

Even if Sonic wanted to respond to that, and his middle finger was itching to, the penetrating glare Amy was leveling him with demanded his full attention and he didn't dare look away. "You… y-you mean you suh-s-saw—"

"Not saw, buster, felt," Amy corrected smoothly, lowering her hand to tap him on the chest with her knuckles. "I know when someone's staring at my butt—it's an instinct you get when dresses dominant your wardrobe—and you, Sonic, were staring really, really hard just now. Did you maybe want to kiss my cheeks, hm? Have a little sample?"

Blushing wildly, a slew of garbled stutters proceeded whatever it was Sonic planned to say, which was nothing to begin with.

"She right," the feline vendor joined in, picking up a pear and taking a hearty bite. "Your eyes bugged, almost rolled to the ground." He wagged his tail in a scolding fashion. "Pervert blue needle rat."

"Thanks, mister," Amy chimed, aiming a smile at the nodding sales cat. It was a smile that lost all of its warmth when she turned back to Sonic. "As for you, I do hope you enjoyed the cheesecake."

Wishing he could have tasted some of that cake, Sonic blinked, half-surprised to find himself still amongst the living. "Wh-what's that supposed to mean? Wait—do I get to live?" he asked on pure survival instinct.

"For the time being," Amy told him royally, with a contained grin that dripped power, "that is, so long as you continue to show me a good time. Deal?"

It was strange, this feeling riding over Sonic. Normally, he would have laughed at her ultimatum, called her some form of crazy, and strolled away, but right now, as he found himself locked onto her gaze, there was nothing he wanted to do more than nod. And he did, feverishly.

"Good," Amy cooed, tapping him just under the chin with a single finger. "You're lucky you are one extremely handsome hedgehog. Now, let's go, yeah? Thanks again for the pear, Mr. Kitty!" she called to the vendor as they walked away.

"Treat her well, blue needle rat!" the vendor shouted back in response.

When Sonic tripped over nothing, Amy held him up and responded, "Oh, trust me, he will!"

The next few hours that passed were admittedly some of the best of Sonic's life. He had always considered himself something of a loner, even if he was best friends with a number of others—he still held the mindset that he ran this world alone and would do so until his nap six feet under. So he found it baffling how Amy was able to easily infiltrate not only his mind, but his heart, and all in the span of some odd four or five hours.

They moved from one spot to the next, following the flow of the crowds mostly, unless something in particular happened to catch their eyes, like the carnival of cotton candy that Sonic was enamored by so much that Amy bought him five different flavors, or the hall of jewelry, which attracted Amy like a bee to honey as it was basically a very long hallway filled with all manner of exotic necklaces, bangles, rings, and clips.

The sense of euphoria never once waned, it was the first time Sonic could remember smiling and laughing for so long that his cheeks started to beg for mercy, though they found none. Not now. In fact, it was almost eerie, how well Amy seemed to understand him, which Sonic only came to realize after he found himself excitedly engaged in conversation with the pink hedgehog as they ate lunch on the balcony of a luxurious two-story restaurant.

"—and then Eggman's all like "Sonic! The time has come to face your doom!" and guess what I said," Sonic was saying, pausing in his frantic pantomime to give Amy time to guess.

She cutely scrunched her face in thought, taking a moment to nibble on a spoonful of her mango parfait. "Did you say something liiiike"—she delicately cleared her throat—""I don't have doom on my schedule for today, Dr. Egg Yolk, want me to pencil you in for tomorrow"?"

Amazingly, Amy's guess was so off the mark yet at the same time something Sonic wished he had actually said that for a few seconds following her guess all he could do was gape at her. The sheer amazement over his face caused her to blush and she pointed at his own frozen treat with her spoon.

"Your Blizzard Freezy Blast is gonna melt if you keep that up, silly," she warned him.

Still in awe, Sonic settled down somewhat, picked up his little spork, and set to carving out a piece of his dessert, which looked like a frozen volcano erupting with balls of ice cream. "Well, that's what I wish I'd said," he muttered ruefully, swallowing. "In fact, we'll say that's what I said 'cause what I actually said doesn't even compare, dang it."

"Aw, I almost feel bad for taking away your steam," Amy said with a truly apologetic expression, then she perked up with, "But go on, go on, what happened next? You had just saved the hostages and then what?"

Her enthusiasm was infectious, and wholly authentic, he could tell; she wasn't just giving him lip service by wanting him to continue, she really meant it.

"I pretty much kicked his butt, saved the hostages, and got an all-you-can-eat pass to this place right here as thanks for keeping the damage to a minimal and keeping the workers safe." Sonic flared his arms out with a broad glance around. He thought it was a pretty swanky place all things considered, perfect spot for a date, so when Amy suddenly laughed into her treat, he couldn't figure out why. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing, nothing, that just explains why you chose this place," she nodded approvingly. "Not that I blame you. If I had a pass like that, this would be my breakfast, lunch, and dinner."

"Brunch and supper, too?" Sonic asked with a grin.

A faux look of thought crossed Amy's face and she shook her head. "Nah, can't overdo it, y'know, all things in moderation."

"Is that why you only picked the second most expensive dessert they had?"

"Hm? Oh, no, no, I picked this because mangos."

"Because… mangos?"

"Because mangos," Amy reiterated stoutly, and Sonic chuckled. "Mango is my favorite flavor of anything. Ever."

Sonic grinned, more interested in the lady across from him than the dessert he was idly picking at. "Then imagine how your precious mangos are gonna feel when they find out you just bought a pear," Sonic said with a dramatic gasp.

At this, Amy perked a brow. "And who's going to tell them?" she questioned slowly, narrowing her eyes with a threatening bite. "You?"

"Me?" Sonic pretended to clutch a pearl necklace he wasn't wearing, looking aghast at the very idea. "Amy. Baby. How could you even think that! Look, of course I wouldn't. Me and you, we go down like eighty-eight flats—we're tighter than Shadow and his hold on those chaos emeralds—"

"Mm, that is pretty tight," Amy agreed passively.

"—but all I'm saying is, people talk, you know? Huge ears and loose lips make for a bad combination," Sonic went on with an informative edge, and he leaned closer, signaling for her to do the same. Once she had, and once the two of them were close enough that Sonic could inhale her every mango-scented exhale, he smirked. "Now me, you know me, I'm Sonic, I got pull around here, and Amy, lemme tell ya… I can make sure your mangos never hear of this awful betrayal."

All it took was one glance at her lips, watching as they turned into a coy smile, to let Sonic know she was following his hints.

"Oh, really?" she questioned softly, and that blush from before was back in the softest shades of red. "And, uh… how could I ever repay you for such a grand and noble service in my favor, kind sir?"

The fact that Amy was playing along with his game, and so perfectly at that, had Sonic feeling an amalgam of excitement and nerves. He was excited because, holy damn, her voice had dropped into this desperate, almost mewling inflection that struck him right in the groin; and he was nervous because this was all seemingly too good to be true and he feared he would wake up any second now.

"Well, I'm nothing if not a generous 'hog on the hedge so I was thinking something fair, completely reasonable, something like… a kiss?" he bargained, his lips forming the smoothest smirk he could muster.

The surprise that lit up Amy's face at his bold ask slowly sank down into the most sensual leer Sonic had ever seen. "Oh my, my… well, a kiss certainly does seem fair…."

And when she inched even closer, edging their drinks out of the way, Sonic felt his heart leapt clear into his throat where it proceeded to throb like a drum. Was she…? Did that mean he could…?

"A kiss for a kind sir," Amy murmured and the last sight Sonic had was of her closing the gap between them entirely before he jammed his eyes shut. His stomach had long since fallen down a dark tunnel and he felt lightheaded, barely in the realm consciousness, so when he felt that warmth against his lips, an electric tingle ran the course of Sonic's spine, one that caused him to visibly shudder.

Whatever lingering shreds of doubt that might have existed in his mind prior to this moment, whatever holdout that acted as a final warning toward this new Amy, it was summarily ground into powder under the weight of her kiss. It was so slight, the barest of embraces, but he reveled in it, in this new experience, in the raw emotion he felt there—

"Sonic."

When he heard her call his name, the sudden sharpness brought him back down to earth and Sonic blinked, stunned at first to catch himself still angled forward with his lips puckered, and then bewildered to see that what he had kissed was actually Amy's fingers, brought together to form one of those childish fox hand signs.

Slowly, Sonic began to lower himself back into his chair, eyebrows knitted in confusion as he watched Amy fan out a napkin and use it to wipe her fingers clean of what little residue his lips had left behind. The look in her eyes, that twinkle he had grown so accustomed to, was no longer there. In its place was a mask of indifference.

He told himself it was a mask because the alternative, the sheer possibility that everything up to this point had been the true mask… that was a reality he didn't want to experience.

"Amy, y-you…" he started, wholly unsure of how to begin and scratching behind his head. "I thought you… that we were gonna—"

"I'm sure you did," she interrupted, as smoothly as though he had never spoken. "I'm sure we both thought a lot of things, eh?" Reclaiming her spoon, Amy set back to work on her parfait, either oblivious to Sonic's awkwardness or just not caring. "It's been a really nice day, hasn't it?" she asked whimsically, glancing out beyond the veranda.

No immediate answer leapt to Sonic's tongue, a first for the normally quick-witted hedgehog. Before this moment, he would have happily, instantly agreed, but now… he wasn't so sure. There were too many questions that needed answering before he could even begin to entertain hers.

"I should be honest here. I never had any intention of kissing you, silly," Amy went on when Sonic remained silent, his eyebrows slowly lifting in response to her words. "It took me such a long time to figure out what was wrong with me, to figure out why I… why I felt like I did."

Every sentence that came out of Amy's mouth only served to confuse Sonic further, to the point where he found his voice after a few rough swallows. "I don't… what're you talking about, Amy?" he asked almost impatiently. "What's that supposed to even mean?"

Instead of answering right away, Amy took a few seconds to succulently swirl her tongue around her spoonful of dessert, clapping a hand to her cheek at the delicious fusion of flavor. It was a display that somewhat annoyed Sonic, as even right now, despite his confusion, he felt that Amy still held the reigns to wherever she was going with this. He didn't mind, he just really wanted to pick up where they left off, to end this day as perfectly as it had been going.

"I gotta say, I didn't really expect you to treat me to lunch at such a nice place—their mango parfaits are literally my new crack," she giggled, fixing Sonic with a soft smile that filled him with dread, "but this is where our date ends I'm afraid."

All at once, Sonic's stomach dropped again. "It… b-but why? It's not even six o'clock yet, we've still got plenty of time to…."

It wasn't words that caused Sonic to peter off into a strangled silence, it was the way Amy shook her head. Slowly. Pityingly. Definitively.

"I didn't invite you on this date to finish it on some happy fairy tale ending," Amy told him gently, never once breaking eye contact. "Those dreams died awhile ago. I asked you in order to find out what's best for me."

Nothing was making sense anymore and Sonic could feel his breathing beginning to escalate, to the point where his chest heaved. His brain throbbed trying to put it all together but there were pieces missing. What was she saying? Why was she saying it, and what did it mean? She didn't invite him to enjoy herself? Then—but that made no sense, because he was certainly having a good time, immensely so, and she seemed to be as well so why…?

"How many times have I asked you out, Sonic?"

Her question struck Sonic in the chest like an arrow and he stuttered.

"H-how many—"

"Somewhere in the high hundreds, I'd guess," she answered for him with a half-hearted shrug. Her spoon was beginning to reach the bottom of her dessert cup, and she frowned slightly. "I asked and I asked and I asked, over and over… and what did you say? Every time, Sonic, what did you tell me?"

When silence filled the space between them, it wasn't because Sonic didn't know the answer. Oh, he knew it. He knew it so well it might as well have been etched into his memory. He always told her no, he always told her not on her life… he always told her never gonna happen.

Even if he didn't speak it, the way Sonic's face tightened with remorse showed he had reached the answer Amy was looking for because she chuckled. "Mmmmhm, although my personal favorite was when you said "not even with a rented Sonic". That was so needlessly cruel that I actually found time to laugh while I cried about it."

"Amy, wait, I—" Sonic tried, but Amy lifted a hand, bringing silence as she plopped the last mouthful of parfait between her lips.

"Mmmm, deeelicious….And there's no need for whatever apology you wanna say, Sonic," she told him, and she sounded entirely earnest. "It took a lot of soul searching, a lot of late nights wondering just what was wrong with me… and then it clicked."

Amy's spoon clinked against her empty parfait cup and she gently pushed it aside so her elbows could take its place. She inhaled, held it for a few heartbeats, then exhaled, producing a smile so genuine that Sonic somehow felt worse for witnessing it.

"There was a lot wrong with me, I just… didn't wanna see it, I guess. I didn't wanna acknowledge why you were turning me down. All the dark thoughts and nights spent crying, they eventually led us to right here," Amy said, and she pointed at the table. "I needed to do this for me. I suppose it was for some sort of closure, like, an end to an era, you know? Does that make sense?"

In all honestly, it really did, it painted a blindingly clear picture, but Sonic didn't want to comprehend anything at the moment, because comprehension led to understanding exactly what she was trying to say… and he could already feel his stomach churning with dread.

"I hope so," she went on sanguinely. "Just another area I'm working on, expressing myself properly more often. I'm just… it's a lot, that I've have been dealing with. In fact, I thought by this point I'd be a bucket of tears, just full-on waterfalling it from the eyes but, oddly, I feel… okay."

Okay was in no way, shape, or form close to how Sonic felt. He felt terribly hollow and struggled to sit still when every instinct he had was telling him to run before she finished, before all the nails were fully hammered home.

Perhaps Amy could sense his skittishness because she focused on him, pinning him down with a stare that held far more understanding and care than what the conversation merited.

"Sonic, I've been chasing you for years, nonstop, just chasing and chasing and constantly being left in the dust," she said, lifting a hand and snapping her fingers. "I know I've been annoying, I know I used to have a problem with emotional control and… other things, but the way you treated me was… it was really unfair, I think."

Denying Amy virtually anything she wanted to do with him, or else sulking about it so hard that she just gave up, Sonic never paused to consider how so many rejections might have an adverse effect on her. It was clear from the beginning that she wasn't the most emotionally stable girl, as she herself had just said, but Sonic's train of thought was so fast that to him, he had turned her down and moved on without so much as a blink and figured it was the same for her.

It became habit, the norm.

"I'm sorry," Sonic finally told her, somewhat stunned to hear his own voice come out so coherently while his mind struggled to keep up. "I didn't know I was hurting you, Amy, I really didn't." He reached for her hand across the table, only to wince when she slowly pulled back like he was contagious. "It's… I'd never want you feel that way."

"And I believe you," came the bubbly response. There was no sorrow or anger or resentment in her voice, and somehow that made it ten times more painful to hear. She sounded… done. Passive, at peace with her decision. The kind of tone that came with enough self-reflection to know she had taken the right fork in the road, and that no arrangement of words could sway her. "No, really, I'm grateful for it. It put me a position that left me with no choice but to examine myself. And I did, and I realized something," Amy said with a content sigh, seconds before her gaze moved from Sonic's chest, up his neck, past the growing frown on his lips, to finally settle on his troubled eyes. "I don't love you, Sonic."

"Was everything to your liking?" Their waiter, a fairly young human boy, had just approached their table, summoned by Amy's snapping fingers, and was now looking between the two of them with a practiced smile.

Throat dry, neck stiff, Sonic regarded the waiter with a gaunt expression, like he had just suffered a death in the family. Luckily, he was saved the trouble of struggling to speak when Amy answered with, "Oh, positively, especially the mango parfait—it was absolutely divine."

"It's the pride of our dessert menu," the waiter beamed warmly.

"I believe it," said Amy, nodding. "But we're finished now."

"Ah, of course, ma'am," and he whirled to face Sonic, bowing modestly, "and naturally, your meal is on the house as always, Mr. Sonic. We thank you again for your help."

The words registered with Sonic's hearing, he understood them perfectly, but his mind was far too focused on Amy to bother responding, which tasked Amy with thanking the waiter and sending him on his way with an armful of dirty dishes.

"Well, the food was free but I think I'll tip him anyway, his service was impeccable," she said appraisingly, pulling out some rings that she laid over the receipt.

"He gave shoddy service," Sonic croaked rather lifelessly, "he didn't come around once to see if we wanted another round of our dessert—"

"Hrm, this is true," Amy noted, and she summarily took back a ring. "There."

"—but I don't care about him," Sonic stressed, and he made to slam a fist on the table, but caught himself at the last second and instead gripped his half-finished glass of sweet tea, anything to keep his hands busy. "What do you mean you don't l-love me? I don't get it, are you saying that you loved—"

"I did," Amy admitted freely. "But it was wrongly placed, I've learned. I didn't love you, Sonic. I loved what you were. You're a bonafide super-hero, you knuckle-head, and what girl doesn't fantasize of bagging herself one? You go around saving the day like it's as easy as breathing, but normal people can't do that. So that makes you abnormal, it makes you special—and special things are eye-catching. And boy oh boy, you caught my eye something fierce. I became a fan, although I'll admit I was probably one of the more obsessive of the bunch," she laughed, her eyes following the movement of Sonic's hair quills as they slowly wilted under the weight of her words. "Don't get me wrong, though, Sonic. Even after this, you'll still be my favorite hero of all time. I mean, how can you not be? You've saved me so many times," she muttered with a surprising amount of tenderness, then she continued just as confidently as before, "but I see now that all I was ever gonna be—all I was ever meant to be—was your fan. And that's fine. We all gotta move on sometime, right?"

No. That was far from right. In fact, it was such an absurd option that Sonic snorted, shaking his head in disbelief. After today, how could he possibly just… move on? As if it were so simple? He had just experienced the best outing of his life with someone who had quickly become the sole reason for the butterflies in his stomach—and now he was expected to just move on? Act like nothing had happened?

There was no way he could, especially knowing that this Amy right here in front of him was the result of 'fixing' herself, to whatever extent that meant. However she went about it, the change had Sonic utterly infatuated. He realized it now. Sitting there with his left foot tapping, still fighting the urge to run, the truth was running through his veins like lightning. He was actually keen on Amy, in probably the same way she had been for him. Hell might have just frozen over but Sonic knew it was true, that the reason his heart fluttered just from looking at her was because he had fallen for this more refined and mature version of the usually manic pink hedgehog.

When Amy suddenly stood, Sonic snapped to attention.

"Well, I don't wanna take up any more of your time, Sonic," she began briskly, brushing down the front of her dress with a beatific smile. "Trust me, from now on I'm gonna take your advice, okay? Be careful, keep my eyes open, watch what I hit with my hammer—that should keep me safe enough not to need you anymore."

She sounded so resolute, so ready to get on with the rest of her life without him that each word was like a nail wedged into Sonic's heart. Never had he been so at a loss for words; he couldn't think of a damn thing to say that could possibly change her mind, that could make her stay. That could give him a second chance.

Then she looked at him, and he saw it. It only lasted a second and was a gone in a flash, but Sonic had seen it.

"Goodbye, Sonic."

Subconsciously, Sonic rose to his feet just as Amy turned to walk away. It only took three steps before he was close enough to take her by the hand and spin her back around. When she did, he saw the tears that glistened in her eyes, the tears she hadn't wanted him to see. Her bottom lip quivered in a simpering frown; she wanted to cry so bad that she gripped the hem of her dress.

"I'm sorry," Sonic whispered, and he heard her gasp when he pulled her into him, when his arms closed around her trembling figure. "I'm… I'm such an idiot." He could feel his own eyes beginning to burn and he blinked rapidly to fight it, taking a shuddering inhale to calm himself. "I'm sorry, Amy," he repeated fiercely, holding her close. "From the very beginning, you were there… you were right there, always, and I ignored you. Always in my corner, always rooting for me, and all I ever saw your care as was annoyance…."

He felt her sniffle against him.

"There was never anything wrong with you. You hear me? Nothing. It was me, okay? I should have never said those things… I should have never made you cry, not over a jerk like me." Shaking his head, Sonic placed his forefinger under her delicate chin and tilted her head back. Her eyes teary and bloodshot, and there was this utterly adorable pout etched across her lips. She was so upset with him that it was radiating off her in searing waves. "I'm sorry, Amy," he repeated gently, and he guided her over to a couple chairs. "You're such an amazing friend to me and I never noticed, never even considered your feelings, or.. or how I might feel if I just quit acting like such an ass."

"That's putting it mildly," Amy snapped, wiping at her eyes with the hand that wasn't still clutched in Sonic's. She had already tried twice to tug herself free but his grip was unyielding.

Sonic chuckled wryly. "Yeah, okay, I deserved that. I deserve that and so much more for how I acted."

"Also putting it mildly…."

Giving her hand a firm squeeze, Sonic scooted closer, until their knees touched and he was able to stare deep into her eyes. What he had seen in those pupils earlier, before her goodbye, before she had nearly walked out of his life, was one last sliver of stubbornness from the pink hedgehog to see if he was truly a lost cause.

To him, the message Amy conveyed through gaze alone was 'say something, I'm giving up on you.'

And he couldn't let that happen.

"I'm going to try again," he told her abruptly, adoring the way she blinked, clearly confused. "I know nothing I say or do can make up for the months of suffering I've caused… but I wouldn't be Sonic the Hedgehog if I didn't at least try, right? Except this time, I'm going to be chasing you."

"I… what?"

"I want to forge new and better memories to overtake the bad, Amy. With you," he pushed. "Only with you, like I always should have."

Even if she wanted to believe him, and Sonic could clearly see the mental war taking place over her heart, there was a lot of pain in the way, holding tight, refusing to give an inch. He saw her frown, she started to shake her head—

"Sonic, I don't think—"

"Then don't," he interrupted with that charismatic grin of his, and he interlocked their fingers. "Let me do the thinking, Amy. You just… be you. Be you and let me figure out how I'm going to win you back."

This caused Amy's eyebrows to launch themselves into her forehead. "Win me… back?" It was if that specific combination of words just wasn't part of her dictionary and she snorted derisively. "You actually think you… th-that you can—after everything I've said, you really believe—"

"I sure do, Amy," Sonic responded, and honestly, he didn't know where he was getting this flowing wave of bravado from, but he lifted Amy's hand in his and planted a kiss on her knuckles.

When she didn't immediately try to snatch her hand back, Sonic felt worlds lighter.

"You're blushing," he told her teasingly.

She scowled. "Shut up, idiot…." Giving a forceful sniff, Amy crossed her legs with all the poise of a queen and stared down her nose at Sonic. "You're a real jerk, Sonic the Hedgehog."

His smile didn't falter. "I know. I'm sorry."

"You really hurt my feelings…."

"I'm fully prepared to spend as much time as it takes healing them."

Amy's eyes fluttered at that response, but she regained herself with a huff. "If, and this is a BIG if, but if I decide to give you a second chance—and really, I'd have to be mental to do such a thing—then that in no way means I'll say 'yes' in the end or even acknowledge your little efforts," she said firmly. "You hear me?"

"Crystal clear, Amy."

The smile over Sonic's face was filled with so much adoration that the blush under Amy's pink fur only deepened and she coughed into her hand, glancing off to the side in a show of defiance.

"So… what now?" she wondered as nonchalantly as possible. "Since you're obviously not going to let go of my hand any time soon…."

"Darn right I'm not," agreed Sonic with a chuckle, and he yelled over his shoulder, "Hey! Where's the waiter guy from earli—"

As ethereal as a ghost, the human waiter appeared just at Sonic's side, one arm behind his back as he sank into a gracious bow. "You called, Mr. Sonic?"

Sonic nodded and turned to Amy, who stared, not wanting to seem intrigued in the slightest but the curiosity was there in spades. "Bring this wonderful lady here another mango parfait. Large."

With a knowing smile, the waiter nodded. "Yes, sir, right away."

Amy rolled her red-rimmed eyes, though not without the barest hints of a smile budding over her lips. "Hmph, really rolling out the red carpet on your second try, hm? Don't think this gets you any bonus points, buster."

"I'm not looking for points, Amy. I'm just looking to treat you like how I always should have, like the princess you are."

Amy's entire face flushed. "…Okay, that was worth a few points."

Sonic only grinned as he brought the back of her hand to his cheek in a nuzzling fashion. "Look at that, in the positive already."

"You cheater…."

A/N: #yearoftheoneshot