My Fuzzy Valentine

By Asher Tye

Author's Note: A quick commission done for WolfmanHanan who wanted a nice Valentine's story featuring Tails and Nicole. I decided to take a challenge and do it in 1st person and think it came out pretty well because of it.

Disclaimer: All characters are the property of SEGA.

My mouth feels so very dry as I stare at the path before me, uncomfortably so. I've chewed my lower lip so much, I think a blister may be forming; not exactly the most attractive thing to have on my lips, but I'm just too nervous to stop.

i'Man up Tails, you can do this,'/i my inner voice tells me, trying to instill courage in feet that do not want to move. My hands grip the stems of the wildflowers I'm holding, a bouquet of the very best that grow around Knothole City. My memories of the old world before Eggman's Genesis Wave may be fading again, but I still know where all the best patches are.

My tails twitch nervously behind me, and I'm glad there's no one around for me to attract the attention of. The last thing I need here is an audience.

Knowledge of wildflower patches aren't the only thing of the old world left to me. There is also regret; a deep regret. Regret for an action not taken, for a decision not made.

I never told her, never took the chance I should have taken.

But perhaps now, with this fresh slate, I can fix that, can walk the road I was too afraid to travel before.

If only I could get my stupid feet to move.

This is ridiculous. I can blast my way through fortified prisons and space stations. I can cut down whole squadrons of Eggman's flying badniks, and even face down an armada of crazy birds singlehandedly. But I can't work up the courage to ask the girl I like to go out on a date with me? Isn't this sort of thing supposed to be even easier on Valentine's Day? That's when things like love are supposed to make more sense.

I can almost hear Sonic's voice in the back of my mind.

i'Come on Big Guy, you got this. It's easy as a chili-dog with extra onions.'/i Of course he'd say that. Everything is easy for Sonic the Hedgehog, that's part of the reason I admire him so much. Nothing is out of his reach because he doesn't even consider failure a possible outcome.

I wish I could be like that, especially right now. It would be such a big help. But it's just not in my nature to ignore the possibility of the failed outcome.

What if she thinks this is just a joke? What if she laughs at me? What if she says no? What if, what if, what if…?

Not for the first time I want to turn on my heels, twirl my tails and fly away. Just go back to my workshop, bury myself in my machines and inventions, and forget about this whole stupid idea I've gotten into my head.

I almost do it, I really do.

But I can't. Maybe it's because it's just not in my nature to surrender without a fight. Maybe it's because there really is some of Sonic inside of me. Or maybe it's just because I don't want to wait for the universe to be reset a third time before I take this chance.

I absentmindedly tug the flesh at my neck, gulping down my inhibitions. I set my gaze and clench my jaw. It's now or never Prower. MARCH!

This time my feet actually obey, and I find myself moving forward at a steady, even pace, much like a wind-up toy plushy. I probably look ridiculous, but I am not going to break stride. Any slower, and I'll probably psyche myself out by accident. Any faster and I can just see myself suddenly veering off the path leading to the door and continuing on towards home.

Stay in control, Tails, stay in control.

In no time at all I arrive at Nicole's house. Technically it's the storage facility for Knothole City's central mainframe, the computer in which Nicole's core programming is stored. Of course I had a hand in designing it, so it looks about as much like a storage facility as Speedy does. Certainly the computer and its supporting systems are present and take up a lot of the interior, but I gave it several additions to make it homier, less sterile. Decorative flowers on the outside, curved walls for a less rigid appearance, even a few accent windows all combine to help reinforce the fact that someone lives here.

At the door I raise my fist to knock, only to pause.

What am I going to say to her? How can I convince her to give me this chance?

Once more those unwanted thoughts and doubts creep into my mind. I want to leave. I want to leave. I want to…

My internal diatribe is interrupted as the door slides open of its own volition, revealing Nicole on the other side. I feel my heart flutter a little, the blood rushing to my cheeks under my fur. She's wearing her new outfit, the strapless dress with the split tails that fan out in the back and black pants, with the pink and white gloves that conceal her hands. She's wearing her hair down these days, tipped with plugs in what has to be a blatant nod to her electronic nature, something she's begun to take pride in I'm glad to say. And she looks good in it, really nice. Not that I'm much of a fashion expert. Heck as far as I'm concerned she'd look good in nothing at all.

… … …

Oh sweet Chaos please tell me I didn't say that out loud.

"Tails, what a pleasure to see you," Nicole greets me, the smile on her face indicating total ignorance of what I've just been thinking. Then her eyes turn upwards. "Unless you're planning to hit me, that is." I can feel my face tug into a puzzled frown as I try to figure out what she's talking about, only to realize that my arm is still frozen in the air, hand balled into a fist to knock on the now removed door.

"No! No-no-no-no-no," I respond, hand opening to shake in front of me. From somewhere in my panic I can make out her giggling, obviously amused at my antics. I can feel the skin under my fur flush with embarrassment as I snap to rigid stillness. "I… I promise I would never hit…"

"You can relax Tails, I was just joking with you," she assures me, her eyes twinkling in a way I can't help but find cute. My lip pulls into a half grin, and I'm sure one of my canines is showing because of it as I try to reclaim my cool factor. Nicole's eyes shift to what I'm carrying, her amused grin shifting to a simple smile.

"What a lovely bouquet. Did you pick it yourself?" she asks. For a brief moment, I'd actually forgotten I'd had it.

"Yes!" I yip in much too loud a voice, though I'm glad to take hold of anything that makes this seem less unplanned on my part. "I-I thought you might like them… to help spruce up your home. They say flowers always brighten up any place, and help keep the air from feeling stuffy. Though I guess you really don't need to worry about stuffy air. But if you entertain they'd be useful. Though I suppose you wouldn't really need flowers to help…"

"They're very pretty," she interrupts, taking them gently from me. An electric thrill runs through my body as my fur brushes against her force field, a rather pleasurable one that makes my skin tingle. She makes a show of sniffing the flowers, even as I know that's not her real nose pressed against the blossoms. It's just one of the lengths she goes to in order to keep others at ease. "Would you like to come in?" she asks me, and I quickly nod.

Inside the living room it takes Nicole only a moment to conjure a vase upon the glass coffee table as I follow and cross over to the sofa. A simple gesture from Nicole and the nannites that help comprise her home channel some water to the vase to help keep the flowers fresh. She turns back to me.

"Can I get you anything?" she asks, ever the polite host. At first I want to refuse, this isn't meant to just be a social call after all, but my throat is horribly parched at the moment.

"Um, some water would be nice," I manage to croak. By the vase a simple cup constructs itself, the nannites once more filling it with water. I watch her hand take hold of the vessel delicately as Nicole walks over and takes a seat by me. I can feel my heart flutter as I take the cup from her and gulp it down.

"My, you were thirsty," she notes, giggling again. She must be in very high spirits. "Would you like another glass?"

"No… No thanks," I reply, handing the glass back to her, which promptly dissolves back to nothing. She saves a fortune on washing dishes that way. I shake my head a little, banishing that thought from my head. I need to do this, and I need to do it now, before I lose my nerve. I reach out and take hold of Nicole's hands, grabbing her full attention. "Nicole, I have to tell you, I didn't just come here for a visit." Her eye quirks a bit as she stares at me.

"Oh?" I feel my teeth nibble my lower lip again, but I have to press on.

"Yes. You see I was wondering if… you know… and this is just in case you already don't have plans…" My voice trails off as she suddenly pulls away from me, her eyes looking across the room.

Her face is neutral as she stares, and from somewhere in the house I can all but hear her processors whirring away as she thinks. She's a smart girl; it probably doesn't take her long to figure out where I'm going with this. I have to act fast if I'm going to make this work. I open my mouth to continue.

"As it happens, Tails, I did have plans for later today," Nicole states, her voice even and controlled as she stands up and crosses hallway over the room, her back to me. My mouth feels so dry again as I hear her say it.

"O-Oh? Like what?" I ask, hopeful that maybe I can offer a better alternative.

"Well, I was planning to go see someone, actually, about Valentine's as a matter of fact." She finally turns back to me, and there is nothing in her face for me to read. But I'm determined and I won't give up. I've come too far. Besides, maybe this isn't what it seems.

"Well, maybe once you're done with her, you can…"

"Oh, it isn't a 'her,' it's a 'he.'" I fight the urge to scream, to just jet off straight up into the upper atmosphere and scream until my lungs give out. I don't care what happens after that.

"I… I see," I say, a touch of bitterness in my voice. "I guess he's a… a very special person to you, right? If you want to visit him on Valentine's Day that is." Her answer comes almost automatically.

"Oh yes. He's a very special person. The best I've ever known. A wonderful, playful personality, a curious and intelligent mind, a kind and loving heart… And he's handsome too. Small wonder I wanted to see him today, I think." I fight not to cry as my mind runs through a list of likely suspects, trying to figure out who's managed to outmaneuver me so thoroughly. Shard, Larry, Rotor, Espio; the list isn't too long, but it's there and I don't like it. I shake my head hard as I stand up, stomping over to Nicole. I don't care how hopeless this is, how great this other guy might be. It wasn't him who came here, I came here. And I refuse to be beaten to the punch by someone who probably doesn't even realize a great girl like Nicole likes him.

"Nicole, I have to ask you something, and it's really important," I say as I take hold of her hands again, this time ignoring the buzz that goes through my body. I take a deep breath. "We've known each other a long time, and I've been thinking about you a lot, and, I have to know…"

"Will you be my Valentine?" we say in near unison, startling me enough that I find myself backing up a step, even as Nicole gives me a huge smile. For a second I'm too stunned even to think straight. Then my mind begins to clear as I realize what's just happened.

"I… I can't think of anything I'd want more," I finally answer, happy enough to light the whole world if I chose. Suddenly her lips pressed against mine. It's an awkward kiss, the kind of kiss made by someone who's only ever seen one done, who knows the mechanics but has had no real practice.

It's the best kiss I've ever had, and I want it to last forever. But all good things must come to an end, and we pull away from each other. I'm smiling again, a goofy, boyish smile, but I don't care. Nicole looks quite happy as well as she gives me what I recognize to be a coy look. And in that moment we embrace each other, her chin resting in the crook of my neck as she whispers in my ear.

"The world may change, collapse in on itself and become something new, Tails, but I still remember how I felt about you. And even if the memory fades, that doesn't stop how I still feel, my dear, sweet Miles." I paused for a bit at that last part, an unsteady feeling in my head. I pull half away from her so I can look into her hazel green eyes.

"You know, usually I get upset when people call me by my given name," I say before smiling. "But, when you use it, it actually feels like… it fits." I can feel myself blushing again, and I turn my head away in slight embarrassment. Suddenly, my mind flashes a bit. "Oh yeah, I nearly forgot the other part. Now that you've said yes, and since I did kinda 'ruin' your plans for later," she giggles at that, "I'm wondering if you'd be willing to let me escort you to Twinkle Park? I hear they're holding a festival tonight."

"That sounds like it would be fun. I've never actually gotten to see Twinkle Park, but Amy says they tend to go all out." Nicole nods to a wall, causing a panel to open and reveal her portable module. "Mr. Prower, would you do me the honor of escorting me?" she asks with a rather dainty curtsey, one she probably learned from Aunt Sally. Not to be outdone, I bow at the waist, my tails swishing behind me.

"It would be my pleasure Milady."