A/N So I felt like doing something with Tails and Nicole, that's pretty much all I got to say about it. If I mess up on any history that I don't specifically explain on why it's different(like how Sonic and Sally are King and Queen again, you'll see early) I apologize if anything else is wrong. I'm still learning the comic history.
Also I know this is a little early, but I wanted to get it out before I went crazy and start changing stuff around from anxiety.
"Glad you could make it little buddy, hope this party isn't cutting into your work?"
Tails looked to best friend and brother "Sonic, I'm not little anymore, in fact I'm taller then you now" it was true, the young fox wasn't anymore. He was now a man, twenty years to be exact.
"You're only taller because of your ears" he laughed. They were relatively the same height, but his tall ears made him clearly taller.
"Anyway thanks for inviting me, I really needed a reason to get out of my workshop, sorry I didn't bring a date" unlike most people he came alone; to make it more odd it was a valentines party.
"No worries bud, I know how nervous you are with girls. I'm sure there's a girl out there for you. Now she just needs a reason to come to your workshop" he joked making both chuckle. Although Tails legitimately felt that might be the only way sometimes.
"Anyway come on in, Sally will want to say-"
"Tails! It's so good to see you!" before he knew it he was being hugged by his aunt "Oh hey Aunt Sally, I missed you too.
The chipmunk let go and smiled "I'm glad you could make it we haven't spoken since Christmas"
"Sorry I haven't been keeping in touch I've been really busy" he scratched the back of his head feeling guilty for not making time for her.
"Well you made it today so I forgive you" she was in fancy clothing tonight, it was a party at the castle so a lot of the upper class were here too. It made the fox feel under dressed whenever he came to these things, the best he had was a black a suit, dress pants and a bow tie. Just barely hitting acceptable standards.
Sonic wore his crown like at every function like this along with his red cape.
They had become King and Queen again a few years back, after some pressure from the public Sally and Sonic were given back the titles. Although it was still agreed that the council was a safer and more fair way of doing things. Essentially the two got the titles but had near no actual political power. Although their opinion was somewhat considered in debates. The two also went around the world a lot to socialize with other governments, usually just to keep up and let them know Mobotropolis were still friendly to them.
All of this kept the couple busy, which was just another reason why they hadn't seen Tails in awhile.
Sally and Sonic led him inside as he began to see other Mobians. All made sure to either greet or bow to the rulers. The two absorbed so much attention nobody noticed the two tailed fox, he liked it that way, and he was never one for being the center of attention.
"You'll be sitting with us when dinner comes around like always" Sonic smiled after passing through all the guests.
Up ahead was a large table, round like the other. It was covered in a clean white cloth with perfectly set plates and utensils. There was a glass ball in the middle of the table that held a heart inside, the fake cartoon kind, not the real thing.
Around the table were all the normal chairs except two that sat directly besides each other, clearly for the King and Queen. Instead of the normal white chairs these two were gold and had red fabric, almost like mini thrones.
Sonic had said before that he hated being king sometimes, small things like him getting a different seat made him feel like everyone saw him as better than everyone else. He hated feeling like that.
"Dinner should be ready in about an hour" Sally smiled.
"I'll be there" Tails smiled.
"If you want you can talk to some other people, we can catch up during dinner" Sonic smiled.
"Sure, I'll see ya" he nodded to them.
Sally then remembered, "Oh hey, if you see Nicole around go say hi, she is having a hard time fitting in. That song from years ago still has people pretty distrustful of her, and she'd want to see you anyway"
"I will" the fox nodded and started walking around.
He rolled his eyes and sighed "Just how long can people carry a grudge, especially since she has done nothing but prove herself since being controlled.
He briefly met with his other friends, Antione, Bunnie, Rotor even Knuckles came. Quickly catching up with them he made it brief wanting to find Nicole, his good nature wouldn't let her be alone and discriminated against all by herself.
While conversing with his friends he had made sure to ask if they'd seen the AI. Bunnie mentioned she'd seen her half an hour ago heading further into the castle so Tails followed that lead thanking her.
He quickly headed that way. Soon he could barely hear the party and frowned, was she really avoiding people. Perhaps this particular day and the feeling of being feared by most was getting to her. It wouldn't be the first time she tried to avoid everyone while depressed.
He listened in for any sign of her, his big ears twitching at any sound. He made it to the other side of the castle and scratched his head "Maybe she headed back to the party?" he thought.
He was about to head back when he heard a sob coming from the nearby balcony. The sound made him jog over and looked outside. There was the lynx in a purple dress. Unlike normal it was a fairly simple one. It had a single strap on her left shoulder and it was more form fitting then normal.
"Nicole?" the fox asked cautiously.
He heard her gasp and quickly compose herself while facing away. When she turned she looked fine. She must have been forcing herself to look ok using her nanites to fix up her face.
Tails decided to act ignorant of her crying as she spoke again.
"Oh, Tails, did you get lost?" she was clearly very nervous and fiddled around with one of her pony tails.
"I could ask the same of you" he smiled walking to the ledge and standing next to her. He casually leaned against the railing waiting for her answer.
"I wanted to get away from everyone, be alone for a bit" she was a terrible liar when she was in her lynx form not being able to quite control her facial patterns and movements. It had gottrn much better in the last few years but she still carried a few tells, but Tails continued to feign ignorance not wanting to get her too tense.
"Well, Sally said you might want to see me after so long, when I asked for help to find you I was directed back here" he briefly explained "It's good to see you again Nicole"
"It is quite good to see you again Tails, I believe our last meeting was during Christmas?" even though her memory was perfect she would got the extra mile to act like she was trying to remember things.
"Ya it was. I'm glad you said screw it to all those people and came anyway. It was nice seeing you having fun in that red and white dress" he hoped some flattery would make her feel better.
She blushed, that dress was a little unorthodox for her, it had been strapless with no sleeves and the skirt only went to her knees. His compliment though did make her smile "Thank you" but then sighed looking out over the city again.
He saw his chance "Something bugging you?"
The lynx sighed again "Yes…. Something is very much wrong, the council voted a few days ago, remember they said I'd have to be watched for some time so I could be trusted? Well that period ended and pressure from citizens forced them into a split descision. I'm not aloud to connect to the mainframe unless very closely supervised which means my days caretaking for the city has been officially terminated"
The fox was utterly shocked, it finally happened, the public finally won and got what they wanted "What about your nanites?"
"Most were taken into the councils care, I was allowed a small quantity, enough to make my physical appearance plus some objects, nothing too big though" a tear slipped from her digital eye.
"How could they do this? You have more than made up for what happened, and Rotor and I made your codes extremely advanced to avoid another hacking job" he was sure she was safer than ever.
"What does it matter now, I've lost all respect from the city, and now my job… they didn't even allow me to keep even a quarter of my nanites and now I have nothing but my body" she was glad to still have the right to walk around but it felt like only a matter of time until she was forced to back to Freedom HQ considering her PDA was now gone, so unique and advanced it couldn't be replicated.
"They can't do this, we can appeal it right?"
"I'm sorry, but we tried already"
Tails growled as his fists clenched "Those self centered assholes" his use of profanity caught the lynx off guard "You practically built this city and kept it running all this time and they just dump you. That stupid song just won't go away will it?" he and the rest of his friends forgave Mina but despite her best efforts to explain her song wasn't meant for that the people were solidly against Nicole. If she hadn't been a freedom fighter she'd have never been allowed to come back from her banishment in the first place.
Nicole quickly tried to defuse the angry fox "There is no need to get angry for me, the decision is final and it can't be changed now"
"That's not the point Nicole, you are a person just as much as I am, in fact you're one of the strongest people I know, you could have just taken your nanites and left but you didn't. You wanted to prove yourself against the odds and what has your perseverance achieved, nothing" with a slash of his hand through the air emphasizing his point.
Nicole just looked away, his kind words overshadowed by how useless her actions had been to obtain forgiveness.
"You know why?" he asked a little softer now, she glanced towards waiting for his answer "With Eggman gone there's no constant threat to hate… so they found a new one" he sighed and took a deep breath to calm down.
"I'm sorry…. I wanted to help but all I've seemed to do is tell you how bad it is" he leaned against the railing holding his heads in his hands and sighed.
"No… I have felt the urge to express anger but I know that will only strengthen their argument against me" her fist clenched quickly at the word 'anger' but quickly subsided.
Both were silent, Tails still holding his head up asked a completely different question wanting to move from the subject "So I bet you're keeping your date waiting" it was a Valentines party and almost everyone but him had a date, he hoped despite everything she had one, even if it was just for appearances sake.
"I do not have one?"
"What?" he jerked back up to a standing position with a questioning face.
"Isn't it pretty obvious, how easy do you think it is for an Ai, who is hated by everyone, and if perceived as a traitor to get a date?" she was suddenly expressing a mix of anger and resentment catching the fox off guard.
Despite all that he felt foolish thinking otherwise, his hopeful mind tricked him into thinking that maybe some good was going on in her life but it clearly wasn't.
"Sorry… I just thought maybe…"
"Why do you think I'm back here all alone on a night where you are supposed to spend time with your loved one?" once again expressing even more anger and resentment, but now with added tears in her eyes again.
This time the fox came to her aid and said "No please don't cry, I don't like to see people cry"
"Well I am so get over it!" she yelled turning away and crossing her arms trying to wipe away her tears and compose herself.
He was quiet; all he heard was her sniffs until he said "You know…. I felt bad cause I thought I was the only one here without someone with me… now I realize how petty that was of me"
She side glanced to him surprised "You are here alone too?" she was more surprised than he'd been hearing she was alone. People liked him, in fact people regarded him highly at his business. She occasionally checked on his rating and a lot of people said they wished their was a sixth star.
Besides that he was normal, actually alive, with a heart beat. She was sure someone out there would find him to be a good partner and try courting him.
"Ya, I find myself working a lot lately, guess it's kinda like Sonic when he was younger. If he had nothing to do he got restless, except for me it's think to the past and present"
"What do you think about?' her curious nature taking hold enough to face him again.
"About how much I work and waste time. I bet I could have a found a girlfriend by now if I tried, but whenever I think about it I get nervous and get to work to clear my mind… it's a pretty vicious cycle" He looked away feeling just a little ashamed for being in such a rut.
"I hope you find a way out of it, I know Sally has said this before but you are sweet and any girl would be lucky to be with you" she smiled kindly.
Her kindness knew no bounds as the comment made him blush, coming from Sally always just felt like a mom saying it. It's their job to say it. But coming from her it meant more. It amazed him how she could come out a of a depressing topic and gain her smile back in a flash.
He felt he should repay her kindness and cautiously started "Well maybe…" he scratched his cheek nervously "Since we're both alone… maybe we could be alone together?" he blushed even more after finishing realizing Nicole might ignore the question and question his use of 'alone' and 'together' one after the other.
Surprisingly she didn't as she cautiously asked "You mean, we could be each others date for the night?"
He sighed, she seemed open to the idea "Ya, you've never really been on a date right?"
She shook her head curious.
"Then maybe I could help you experience that… if you want?" backing off right at the end a little incase this went south and she said no.
"You would do that for me? She asked suddenly over joyed, she'd always wanted to experience a real date, Sally spoke of her dates with Sonic sometimes and her description of them were confusing yet…. Oddly magnetic to her curiosity.
"Of course, I'm your friend, and after everything that has happened, I'm sure you could use a good night to cheer you up"
"Thank you Tails!" she smiled gleefully and hugging him making him blush again, luckily she didn't see this time as she nuzzled into the crook of his neck.
While she did this he checked his watch and found it was nearly time for dinner and said "Oh hey we better get going, dinner will be served soon, we can sit together at Sonic and Sally's table and start from there ok?" personally he needed a minute to make a plan.
"I think that would be a good idea "Nicole smiled still visibly giddy with excitement.
He couldn't help but chuckled at her and offered his arm which she slowly linked with her own. The pair headed back and arrived just in time.
"You found Nicole, thank you and…. Ummm what's that?" Sally asked noticing the linked arms her finger point the link..
"Nicole said she had no date for tonight, and considering I didn't either I thought it would be nice if I gave her the opportunity to experience one" Tails explained taking a moment to pull out a chair for her.
The gesture made her blush but thanked him and the fox sat next to her.
"That's sweet of you Tails, I was worried that recent events would have made her want to skip the celebration" the chipmunk smiled happy to see something good happen to her childhood friend after so much bad.
"Well I almost did but Tails found me and convinced me to return" she gave a grateful smile to the fox who acted like it wasn't a big deal.
Sonic and Sally flashed quick smiles to one another as food was passed around the room, the smell of all the food filling their air.
"I still think chilidogs would have been just as good" Sonic crossed his arm and pretended to pout"
His wife just shook her head sighing not wanting to get in that conversation again.
Food was served to their table and suddenly Tails asked "Wait, can you even eat?" last time he checked in with Rotor she didn't.
She nodded "Don't you remember, Rotor gave me a present which was some new upgrades, one was to simulate eating and taste food. When I eat the nanites quickly analyze the ingredients and perfectly tells me what it tastes like, they quickly break down the food down to atoms like a quick form of digestion"
"Wow, impressive what else was in that thing?" he knew she liked talking about new features.
"I can perfectly understand touch now and stuff like that, like if I were to touch the food I would feel a burning sensation, or if I touched ice I would feel the numbing cold" she gladly explained knowing Tails was always curious about new things.
"Anything else?" taking a bite of prime beef.
"Well I can smell now as well. Right now there's a lot and it's overloading my senses, it's hard to specifically catch a certain aroma" she took a bite and like she said she could safely eat and hummed liking the taste.
Tails gulped down another bite and said "Ya I think smell is the hardest, mostly because you can't fully control what goes in your nose…. Wait does that mean you can sniff up dust and sneeze?" if Rotor took the time to add that in he would be very impressed.
"Only if I decide to simulate it myself, which I usually don't"
"Wish I could tell myself not to sneeze" Tails chuckled.
"What have you been working on recently" she knew the fox liked to talk about gadgets and machines and considering he took a moment to ask about her upgrades she felt it was fair.
"Well usually I'm fixing stuff for people or building things for said people. But one of my actual projects is I'm trying to develop a new engine for the Tornado"
"How is that going?"
"Fairly well I guess, the only way to make it anymore powerful is increase the engine size and that means it will be too big for the frame, so this whole venture might end with me creating a whole new Tornado"
"Sounds like it could be a big project, with me out of a job I could help a little" the fox could swear he almost heard a small amount of begging as she said that, she probably had too much time on her hands and needed something to do.
"Sure, I don't see why not, with your help designs will probably be done in less than a day" the idea of quickening the process that much got him excited.
Their conversation was broken as Sally asked "I hope everything is to everyone's liking"
"You bet, this grub is excellent" Bunnie answered first.
"Yes, dis, is exquisite" Antoine nodded in agreement.
"I'm glad everything is to your expectations" she smiled to the group.
Rotor asked "What else is on the to-do list tonight?"
Sonic wanted to answer and said "Well after dinner the band will be coming out and the dance floor will open, and during that the cakes will come out. And finally we'll have the 'do whatever you want time" he chuckled and added "Coined that myself"
Sally rolled her eyes at her husbands antics but confirmed what he had said.
Nicole looked to Tails and said "I've never really danced with a partner before" nervousness all over her face.
The fox smiled to her and said "No worries, you're a fast learner"
She smiled sheepishly and got back to finishing her dinner.
Tails caught Sonic sporting a proud smile to him, oddly enough he didn't feel embarrassed like he thought and felt himself fill with confidence. He wasn't sure why he needed it, he was just showing Nicole a good time. The question itched his brain until he finished his food having subconsciously ate the entire time and looked to find Nicole just finishing up as well.
"I assume you liked it as much as I?" she nodded to his question.
"You still nervous about dancing?"
"A little" she frowned subconsciously trying to make herself smaller and played with one of her pony tails.
"Don't feel too bad, if you end up making a fool of yourself I'll be right beside you doing the same" he subtly admitted he too had a hard time dancing.
The notion clearly worked as she smiled, for some reason he seemingly not caring about his reputation made her feel better.
In a few more minutes Tails spotted the band setting up and tried to think of a way to pass the time.
"So I got to ask, what was the first thing you ever tried when you gained the ability to eat?"
Her ear flicked hearing him speak again and thought back "Well Sonic wanted me to try a chili dog but Sally suggested I try ice cream, I took her advice. When I liked it I ate too fast and experienced my first ice cream headache, as she put it"
"That must have hurt"
"Yes it did, it felt like my processors were ceasing up but I could still move and do everything. Plus I felt the sensation you call cold, it made my skin feel tingly" she shivered just remembering it.
Tails just laughed, she looked confused but he explained "I remember my first ice cream headache, I nearly smacked my head against the table when it started, the pain made me jerk forward in my seat" he explained getting a small chuckle from her.
"Clearly I had an easier time than you" she covered her mouth while giggling, a trait she'd picked up from Sally who'd been taught to cover her mouth when it was opened for extended periods, like yawning or laughing.
Because of this Tails noticed the black fur on her paws made her look like she was wearing long gloves. Usually it didn't matter but considering the venue and people around it worked.
"So what about the first thing you touched or smelt?"
She thought back and said "The first thing my hands touched once I got my upgrade was…. and it sounds silly, is my other hand"
"Was it because it was the first thing you saw?" Tails asked now leaning on the table using his arm to prop him up. He kept a smile and eye contact signaling he was still paying attention instead of being bored. He mostly did it because it was sort like sitting back and relaxing when you're about to watch a movie.
"I guess you could say that"
"So what'd it feel like?" he'd never touched her hand, let alone anywhere on her, atleast in a recreational way. Sure once he grabbed her hand to pull her out of harms way but that was for a second and good reason, there wasn't any time to evaluate anything, in fine detail.
"My fur is soft and warm, after that I touched my cheek and soon a lot of other things nearby me. It was a little intoxicating being able to feel so much until while I was rushing around I grabbed a cactus in Rotors lab, that's when I learned what pain was like, and again when Sally assisted in pulling them out" she smiled all the way through, apparently she didn't mind the pain considering it to be a great experience for learning.
"Couldn't you have just deconstructed your hands and had the needles fall to the floor?"
"That would have been cheating out of the full experience"
"You sure are strange, you're the only person I know who openly accepts pain as a learning experience first above anything else" he had a smile as he said it letting her know that he didn't want to offend her.
She continued to explain "With the help of Sally I had a moment to think and carefully chose what I wanted to touch next, just a simple stream of water, to think such a simple act could cause so much feeling. The feeling of my hand submerging into the water, the chill added to my skin, and the feeling of wet fur when I removed my hand. It was really something"
Tails always envied her, she got to experience all these things and remember them with perfect memory, yet he could barely remember much before he was five.
"As for my first smell I think it was a tulip, it's hard to describe but… it was nice" she smiled absentmindedly looking straight through him. Even she couldn't put into words about those smells.
"Hey come back to me Nicole, you can't leave me now, we're not close to being done tonight"
She shook her head escaping her dazed state and realized what Tails said causing her to blush. She was about to apologize for doing that but he beat her "Don't worry about it"
Right after that Sonic and Sally stood and were first to dance, it was sort of an unwritten rule that the King and Queen got on first before anyone else could join. It also gave Tails a chance to calm Nicole further since Sonic very quickly started embarrassing himself and his wife.
"See, he doesn't care, he's just out there having fun" Despite his goofy antics Sally got in on the fun and soon it didn't really matter they looked like fools. Others joined in, all be it far more civil and under control.
Knuckles avoided joining in along with Rotor, Antoine and Bunnie got up and began having fun along with the crowd. Tails finally got up and offered a hand to Nicole, she still looked nervous but his kind smile and welcoming hand gave her enough confidence to follow.
Just like that they both found themselves among the crowd, not too crowded so it wasn't uncomfortable. Tails quickly showing he had no idea what have was doing, but like Sonic had a smile on his face.
His enthusiasm seemed to carry over to Nicole who started bouncing a bit to the beat watching the fox smile and laugh. His absolute lack of cares slowly infecting her.
Sonic moon walked past and said "Come on Nicole we know you got more in ya" before spinning on the tip of his toe.
The lynx laughed and swayed her hips quickly to the beat and her arms aimed for the sky.
Tails grabbed one of her lifted hands and spun her in circles making her only smile more. It was thrilling to just let yourself go and just have fun. It was probably the most fun the lynx had in her whole life and with all her recent upgrades she was able to fully experience it all.
She quit spinning and wobbled in place feeling the sensation of dizziness for the first time.
Tails noticed and chuckled "Waiting for the world to stop spinning?"
"Does it go away quickly?" she grabbed her own head trying to steady her mind.
"Give it a few seconds… wow!' she nearly fell over but he managed to catch her "You ok?" she had half fallen over and was pretty much floating their besides her heels touching the floor as Tails had an arm wrapped around her back and the other on her lower back. "You alright?"
"Ya" her head cleared up and blushed realizing he still was holding her and found herself feeling warm. Nobody had really held her like this since she got her upgrades and it was substantially different than before.
"Oh hey did I slide my way into an awkward moment?" Sonic chuckled sliding by.
Both instantly realized how embarrassing a position they were in, their cheeks exploded with red. The fox pulled Nicole back to her feet and chuckled nervously "Sorry, I didn't mean to embarrass you"
She sort of bounced to the beat again but didn't get back into her care free state "No it's alright, it was really fun, I've never had fun like that before" she found herself panting even though she didn't need to breath. Her heart beat was high. Her foot was even twisting left and right into the floor nervously. All this made it hard for her to keep eye contact with him.
"If you want we can take a break?"
"That sounds good" after all the excitement, embarrassment and not being able to realize why she was acting strangely, a moment to collect herself was much needed.
Walking back she could see the male fox was also panting slightly.
"You are fatigued?"
"Ya, it's been awhile since my fighting days so my endurance isn't what it used to be, you were great out there" He tried to change the subject and make her smile.
"You think so?"
"Of course, I think you messed up your hair up though" he pointed to the top of her head which now had some hair standing up.
She quickly corrected the changes as pixels reformed back into their normal place "Better?"
"Just as pretty are before" he said with a small blush.
"You don't have to flatter me Tails"
"Oh but I do!" he said like a cheesy hero "Since I am helping you experience your first date ever I wanted to show you what a real date would do for you. Besides I'd be lying if I said otherwise" he snuck in a cheeky smirk causing her to blush again.
It was the first time anyone legitimately called her beautiful, sure Sonic had once complimented a new look she tried but Tails had called her pretty. She felt her stomach churn and quickly went to through her memory banks to figure out what this feeling was. Apparently she couldn't focus hard enough to do that as Rotor interrupted her.
"It seems you are enjoying yourself?"
"Oh yes, tonight has been very fun, I believe I really needed this" she smiled to the walrus "Thank you again for my upgrades, they are making tonight even more enjoyable"
"No problem Nicole, you're part of the family, I'd do anything for you"
The lynx nodded knowing that, if not none of them would have stood by her side after the Iron Dominion attack.
With that Rotor gave her a smile and a nod so she turned back to Tails who was wasting time having a drink. He noticed her eyes on him again so he said "So you gonna stay for the cake?" for once the entire night she noticed he looked nervous, he probably had been trying to think of what to say or do. He had a tendency to be a little nervous going into something without a plan.
"Yes, I've wanted to try cake for some time, Sally says it's spongy, and the frosting tastes sweet" she got a little hyper just thinking about it.
He smiled and paused again "I hate to bring it up again but do you help Sally out around the castle again?"
"Yes, although unlike the old days I'm not confined to my handheld because well…. It was destroyed" she frowned remembering that, even though she was completely capable without it she still missed it. She had compared it to being like her childhood home one time.
"Ya…." Tails knew Sally wasn't high maintenance enough to need Nicole all the time so he smiled "If you ever get bored you can always comes over the shop. I'm sure I can spare some time to speak with you"
The lynx smiled at his gesture "Thanks, I might take that offer"
They heard chuckles approaching behind them and looked back. Sonic and Sally were just returning from their dancing and sat back in their chairs.
"Haven't had fun like that in a long time" Sonic said.
Sally's chuckles were still dying down agreeing with him "Yes, we must be working too hard if even I got as dumb as you"
"I also saw someone else let loose out there" the blue blur smirking to Nicole and Tails.
"Oh well, I just saw Tails and I just went along with it" Nicole sheepishly explained her actions like she'd done something wrong.
Sonic just smirked to his brother "Since when are you the one giving off confidence?"
Tails just shrugged "I wanted her to feel welcome, she did the rest"
"Still, I'm glad to see you're more out going now" he had a knowing smile on his face which puzzled both Tails and Nicole.
"Anyway, it's almost time for cake" Sally said, almost on cue the cakes began to appear from the kitchen.
Tails, still trying to give her the date experience offered to get her a piece so she could stay at the table. He had to convince her at first but she yielded. He met Sonic and Sally who got the honor of the first cut.
Sonic stayed with his fox friend while he got his slices and said "You're doing great bud"
"With what?" he asked confused.
"With Nicole man, remember?"
"Oh, ya… you think so" he blushed looking away.
"Ya man, she's really enjoying herself, trust me. She's been kinda depressed after all that's happened" he had been trying to find a way to put a smile on her face and was glad Tails figured it out.
"Ya well I found her back there crying"
"She was crying, oh man, I'm glad Sally doesn't know about that" he rubbed the back of his neck but looked to Tails again "So what went through your head?" he was quiet clearly picking the foxes brain.
"Well first I felt bad, especially when she explained why she was so depressed. Still can't believe this city is so paranoid" he scowled for a moment but went back to normal "We talked for a bit and we got to the topic that she had no date for tonight. I assumed she'd have had one for appearances sake but I was wrong. I felt bad for her so I decided to try and help and simulate a real date for her. Apparently she has never experienced that before due to her reputation" his ears folded back.
"Ya I know, if I could do more I would"
Tails nodded but Sonic got cheerful again "But hey you're still doing great. Good idea getting her to dance"
"Thanks"
"What ya got planned next buddy?"
Tail looked a little worried "I honestly don't know"
"Held her hand yet?"
He blushed "Sort of, I helped her to her feet before we went to the dance floor"
"Nope not enough got to do it for real. You want to make this the real experience right? Then you got to make it magical" he fluttered his fingers as he waved his hand.
"W-well I mean… we both know it's just fake, it's not a real date so how can it be magical?" he blushed again now a little twitchy.
"You promised the experience, not a fake" Sonic smirked.
He sighed "F-fine… what do you suggest?"
"I know the band, I could get them to play some slow songs"
"A slow song, that's what you choose as your first idea?" he had hoped he'd start with smaller ideas and work his way up.
"Sure, you get a bunch off the list at the same time, you can dance, look in each others eyes, you'll be close to one another, and most importantly feel the magic"
The whole list made Tails freeze and was instantly nervous "But.. what if…."
"You chicken out, don't worry, I'm watching" he smiled kindly.
"That's not helping" his problem was other people seeing him do all that, he hated being center of attention, and being close to girls made him tense. It was a perfect stew to cause a panic attack.
"You'll be fine buddy" he chuckled patting his back, immediately after Tails got a slice for himself and Nicole. "You're going to kill me one day, I know it" he groaned.
"Just be ready for it bud"
"Wait I never agreed!" he turned but Sonic had already faded into the crowd "Oh man…"
He walked back over to the lynx and regained his composure "Hey got you a corner piece"
"Oh thank you" she smiled taking the plate as he sat down.
"Where's Sonic, thought he was staying back to talk to you?" Sally asked wondering why he didn't come back.
"Oh he did talk to me… but then he went to do something, he'll be back soon" he tried not to look nervous or suspicious.
Luckily for him the lynx next to him was busy enjoying her first cake so if he did atleast she didn't see it.
In a flash the king was back and winked to the fox. He sighed knowing the plan was ago, so to distract himself he looked to Nicole and asked "So is it as good as Sally described?"
"Oh yes!'
Tails chuckled noticing some icing somehow got on her nose and reached out and said "You eat like a baby" wiping it off with his thumb.
"I apologize" she said feeling immature but his thumb on her nose made her blush.
"Nah, I understand, you're excited and you're still learning. Trust me, Sonic has eaten worse than you and he's had a body longer than you have"
"Hey, don't talk about me behind my back!" Sonic yelled faking anger.
His comment though made her feel better and chuckled at the two men.
A curious question came to the fox who asked "So you can eat now, does your body react to effects the food might cause, like perhaps, with that cake? It's full of sugar so will you get hyper, or if you drank some alcohol would you feel drunk?"
"I think she's a little new to all of this to be getting drunk Tails" Sally eyed him.
"No I wasn't planning to do anything I just wanted to know"
"Yes I can" she nodded.
"Better watch out for later then Tails, she's gonna be bouncing off the walls soon" Sonic joked.
Even Nicole found herself rolling her eyes at his joke.
Sonic though kept a smug smile at Tails, he'd regret rolling his eyes at him tonight.
Soon it was that time of the night where everyone could do what they wished and socialize as they wanted. It was at this moment Tails instantly got tense and awaited for Sonics plan to begin.
Nicole had a smile on her face most of the night so far, in her opinion the night could end now and she'd be happy but Tails seemed to still have more to do. She patiently waited for what it might be, excited and nervous at the same time. That feeling in her stomach back. Making her play with a pony tail again.
"Maybe I ate too fast" she thought.
Unknown to her while she tried to analyze what was happening Sonic and Sally got up and started heading for the dance floor. Sonic quickly whispering to Tails "Hey, better get ready" he flashed a thumbs up and continued.
Tails gulped and closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He swiveled in his seat to face the lynx and said "Uhhh… hey come with me"
"What is…. Alright" she was going to ask why but decided to trust him and see what he was gonna do.
He offered a hand again and she took it again like before. The warmth of his hand warming her chest. He may have looked confident to her but his heart was beating a mile a minute.
"I hope you're still in the mood to dance… it will just be a little… different this time"
She gave him a questioning look but he just asked for her to trust him and go with the flow.
Once on the dance floor Tails spotted Sonics green eyes watching before whispering to Sally who laughed sneaking a look at the two as well.
"Gonna kill you tomorrow" he mumbled.
"What was that?" Nicole asked.
"I said…. We're gonna kill it" his eyes shifting left and right.
"Oh"
The music began to play and the lynx got nervous "This music is slower than before, that means more intimate dancing, correct?"
"Yes it's something you do on dates and I thought that was what you wanted to experience?" in truth he wanted her to make him stop but he felt like that wouldn't happen.
"Ok then" she was eager, but it came out awkward. She wondered why it felt so weird, he was just her friend doing her a favor?
"A-alright then" he stuttered and approached the lynx "You know how to do this right?" he whispered.
"It seems simple" she quickly analyzed people around her and quickly learned what to do.
Tails blushed madly as he got close and put his hands on her waist. Blushing back at him she placed her hands on his shoulders.
Off a few feet away Sonic watched over Sally's shoulder, the two were easy going and quite the opposite of their friends. "Oh chaos they look so awkward over there" Sonic winced.
"I don't know why you are bugging them, they were doing fine until you butted in"
"He was out of ideas, I'm just helping out" Sonic whined.
Sally shook her head "He was doing things his way, you're pushing him too hard"
He sighed "Maybe, he did promise her to experience what a date was like and I thought this would be a good idea"
Sally just smiling at him "Well atleast your heart was in the right place. Listen, if it goes bad I'll tell her it's you to blame"
"How is that good for me?" he said with a blank stare.
"Because I know you hate seeing Tails worried over stuff and if I tell her it's your fault she won't blame Tails and he won't feel bad"
"Got me there" he rolled his eyes.
He looked past her again "Hold on I'll let you see" he proceeded to step them both in a circle so now Sonic faced away and Sally could see past him.
She winced "You weren't kidding, that's almost painful to watch"
"I'm almost considering helping again" Sonic chuckled.
"No, don't" she said sternly.
"Awww" he whined.
"Now I'm gonna help them" she smirked.
She leaned in and nuzzled into the crook of his neck and fully wrapped her arms around him, he did the same.
"Ok, now pass by them"
They slowly danced their way over and passed them. Sonic didn't know what her plan was but as they passed Sally opened her eyes and looked at Nicole, her gaze catching the lynxs attention.
Somehow her gaze spoke to the lynx who just smiled. Perhaps Sally's nice smile encouraged her, or seeing Sonic and her so close and comfortable gave her confidence.
As they disappeared from the lynxs sight behind Tails Sally said "Now get behind her and do the same for Tails"
"Wait you did something?" he asked confused.
"Yes, now move" she ordered.
So like she ordered he lead them both behind Nicole so Tails could see and Sonic looked to his friend. Just like Sally and Nicole, the two males eyes met and the same sort of message passed between them. Maybe for different reasons but he figured it out.
With the job done Sonic and Sally disappeared into the crowd getting back to celebrating the day together.
In another minute Tails took a quick breath and looked straight into her digital eyes. He found himself losing his breath fast, when did they become so beautiful?
The fox found himself pulling her closer glad she wasn't resisting and was able to get his arms completely around her slender frame. In return she moved her hands from his shoulder to around his neck.
The lynx was transfixed on his eyes having never truly looked into anyone eyes this closely. She never noticed all the detail in them and how unique it could be. The lights in the room only made his eyes sparkle more and his light blue eyes reminded her of clear water in the sun. So much detail she just couldn't look away. As a good side effect she completely forgot people surrounded her.
Tails noticed her eyes weren't quite as digital as he expected, infact he almost couldn't tell if they were real eyes or not. It took him a moment but he realized her eyes were normal until close inspection was made. Her eyes were relatively plain, unique patterns hardly existed or repeated. But they still carried some specialty and uniqueness by not looking as complex as a real eye. It was oddly beautiful to him, the green and blue in it blending together much more normally. He was caught up her eyes so much he too lost sense of people around him.
The two mobians danced together with no worries nor embarrassment staring into each others eyes through the first song and straight through the next.
When the second ended it snapped them out of it and the blur around them cleared as they remembered they were surrounded.
Slowly both noticed how close they were. Tails eyes slowly drifting from Nicole's face to her shoulder, up her arams until he realized they were wrapped around his neck. As he did this Nicoles did the same, tracing his harms until she realized he had her embraced and holding her close. Once both realized this they traces where their own appendages went.
Quickly with huge blushes they let go of one another and took a step back.
Tails cleared his throat "I'm sorry I didn't… over step?" seeing her reaction got him scared.
"No it's alright, it was…. I don't have a word to describe it" she looked puzzled.
He chuckled nervously hearing that "That sounds like a first"
"Yes… strange" she lost all embarrassment, now completely focused on trying to find a word to describe what just happened.
"Maybe you should think about it off the dance floor?" Tails suggested quickly shaking off the embarrassment himself.
"Oh yes, that is probably a good idea"
He led her off but realized he wasn't walking back to the table, he shrugged. He felt like getting away from everyone right now, even his friends for a moment. So they ended up next to a wall still in the main room away from other people. He checked his watch wanting to know the time and saw it was nearly midnight, close to the parties end.
Nicole continued to think so didn't notice until Tails sheepishly asked "So you have fun tonight?"
"Of course, you didn't need to do all that" when this all begun she never imagined the whole experience would feel so…. Fun, odd, exciting and…. Intense.
"Nah, I don't think I would have done much tonight otherwise. I was my pleasure"
His smile made her smile, it made her forget her need to find a word describe what happened, but she looked at his eyes momentarily and suddenly said "I never realized how complex eyes are, yours are very complex, all the detail intrigues me"
Despite it sounding odd, he knew what she meant and blushed "Oh well thank you…. your eyes are nice as well.
She shook her head "No, compared to yours they are simple, I will have to take some time to redesign them to be more like yours" she clearly didn't understand how it worked.
"Nicole, you shouldn't make them like mine, our eyes are something unique about us, we'll never find any with the same eyes as us…. Like a finger print. You should try to randomize it with relatively the same complexity, then it will be as unique as you are"
What he suggested sounded much better than her plan, not only would it be unique like he said but it would be like how everyone got their eyes. By chance. But his compliment made her smile as well.
"I will do that at some point, thank you" she rubbed her arm nervously.
Tails had to admit she looked cute in her state, she must have been running so many things through her mind from tonight. He was surprised she didn't overload.
It was about then that Sonic and Sally started receiving goodbyes and thanks for allowing them to be here tonight before leaving from various people.
"Well looks like we're close to the end" Tails smiled.
"Ya" he felt a bit of regret in her voice.
"I learned a lot tonight, I will make sure to remember it in the future if I ever find someone who is willing to look past my previous actions" once again she sounded depressed, her tone made it sound like she didn't expect any of that to come true any time soon, because even if they got past that would they be ok with dating what was essentially millions of tiny robots making an image.
Tails frowned wishing he could help somehow.
Fifteen minutes passed and all the guests left except for close friends.
Bunnie and Antoine said their goodbyes and headed home. Knuckles did the same wanting to get back home as did Rotor.
With them all gone Sonic and Sally walked over to speak with the other couple.
"Hope you two had fun tonight" Sonic said. The fox nearly thought he was trying to register if his plan worked but his tone seemed to be harmless.
"Ya it was fun, right Nicole?" Tails looked to her and she nodded.
"Exquisite as always"
"Thanks, and how was your first date?" Sally asked.
"It was… enlightening" she replied. She lacked words to describe and strangely feeling like some of it was embarrassing made her keep it short.
"Vague eh? Tails you treat her right? You better have" she warned with a shaken fist.
"Yes of course I did! Tell her" he begged the lynx.
"Yes, he was very well behaved and polite, and what he chose to do was entertaining"
"Quite the ladies man I see, why you been holding out so long" Sonic joked.
His comment made Tails blush for umpteenth time that night "It wasn't like that, you know what I was trying to do, I told you"
"Ya you're trying to make the next guy in line have to beat your high standards"
This intrigued her, he had gone above and beyond for her or was Sonic joking like always?
"Have to be honest Sonic didn't pull out the chair for me on our first real date" she held no hard feelings though.
Tails just looked away from all three of them but turned "Well if you wanted me to show her a sub par time than you must really have no faith in me" he pretended to act hurt but they rolled their eyes at his act.
Sonic chuckled "Well anyway bud, it's getting late you better head back, we'll take Nicole off your hands"
"Hold on just a second" he said making Sonic and Sally looked at eachother with smirks. So they left the two alone.
"So uhhhh…. Glad you had a good time and remember come visit if you get bored alright?"
"Yes of course I will, thank you again it was…" she quickly thought and finally just settled on something "Amazing"
Hearing that made Tails smile and get enough confidence to do one more thing "I guess I can offer one more gesture, for the experience"
"Oh?" she was about to walk away but heard that and stopped looking back at him.
Tails made a quick scan to see if anyone was watching and leaned in and kissed her cheek. Instantly after he made a quick exit feeling heat in his cheeks again "Alright see you later!"
The lynx just stood there a hand on her cheek trying to process what just happened but it felt like her computer brain had froze.. When the metaphorical gears in her head began to turn again she smiled feeling that she truly learned a lot and waved in the direction Tails had gone to leave and was actually hoping she got bored soon so she'd have a reason to go see him.
So I got this idea and rolled with it. This was nearly 9k words…. I expected less than 5 when I started. Hope it was fun and you liked it. I might write a series of one shots about this as they go through the whole romance thing. If you want that leave a like…. I mean review and let me know.
Also as a side note I don't know the full extent of Nicole's full abilities, like if she can eat or not and all the junk I featured in the story. So I apologize if I said a few things she could actually do. Like I've said in another story I never read the comics but I am learning the history the best I can… especially with two universes to worry about. Stupid laws suites forced that to happen due to like…. A ton of characters not being able to be used when one dude left. I think anyone specifically and only in the comics were cut out, but anyone else featured in any show, or game is still allowed. Which means someone like…. Shard could be back because he's technically metal sonic who has appeared in many other media. Sorry rambling, just know I'm still trying to learn what I can remembering what is and isn't in which timeline.
So live long and prosper my friends.
Admiralkirk