Three days in a row in the same boring, uniform city. It didn't matter too much though, considering I was simply passing through to get somewhere more enjoyable. I had been awake for a few hours, but I was able to keep myself preoccupied in that time. My morning was actually spent in the Mystic Ruins. I visited Tails' workshop, and he was surprised to see me, as everyone has been with my recent social endeavors. I didn't spend too long there, as the fox was distracted by the machine he was working on. It was mostly just a hello, a quick, barely noticed goodbye, and then I was on my way.

A short bit of time later, I was running down the road, hoping to catch Amy at a good time considering we never actually agreed on a time to meet up today. I soon found myself at her front door, giving it a light knock. The door swung open to reveal her beautiful face, and my heart began to race. "Oh, hey Shadow! I thought we were supposed to meet at Central Station," she reacted.

"I thought I'd surprise you, if that's alright," I answered. She smiled brightly and invited me in, taking my hand to pull me in faster before she closed the door behind us. We took a seat on the couch nearby, just smiling and staring into each other's eyes. I reached up, lightly running a hand through her quills. "You are so beautiful," I told her as her eyes drifted closed and she leaned in on my hand.

"You're so wonderful," she replied, leaning in and wrapping her arms around me, her head on my chest. I leaned back on the couch, pulling her in close. She turned her head up to face me, and for a moment I found myself completely lost in her eyes. We lightly drifted towards each other and our lips met, once again full of passion, warming my heart like nothing else could. Slowly, the rest of the world seemed to disappear. She became my everything.

I closed my own eyes, focusing on the feeling of her body against mine, the taste of her lips, her enticing aroma, all bringing together a perfect moment. My own self felt as if it was fading away, everything I could give flowing into her, everything. She pulled away slightly, and a tiny piece of the world came back, only enough for me to open my eyes and see her staring back at me. "I could spend all day like this," She whispered to me.

"We could give it a try," I told her before she leaned back in, our lips meeting again. My arms were around her, wanting to hold her as closely as possible. "I love you," I stated simply, only leaving her lips for a moment.

"I love you," She responded, almost as if she was trying to challenge me.

"You know I love you more," I insisted.

"I love you the most," she countered with a giggle. "I win." She closed the gap between us again, not giving me a chance to argue, not that I really wanted to. As everything began fading away again, I almost felt like I was no longer thinking, Amy's being completely taking over my mind. However, my mind slowly began to wander, the pink hedgehog on me suddenly seemed to be morphing. My thoughts slowly twisted the figure, eventually becoming the last thing I wanted to think about.

Maria.

My eyes shot open as I quickly pulled away, seeing nothing in front of me but a confused hedgehog. "Is there something wrong?" Amy asked, worry showing on her face along with the confusion. I could only imagine how shocking my expression was, as I'm sure it was contorted in fear. I relaxed slightly, my heart still racing.

"It's nothing," I replied, unable to hide that I was clearly lying.

"Shadow, you know you can talk to me, right?" Amy questioned. I didn't respond for a moment. "Like I said before, I'm here to help you figure this out. If there's a problem, I want to help you through it," she assured. I tried giving her a light smile, my thoughts still clouded by an old friend's familiar face.

"I... I can't say," is all I could get out.

"That 'indescribable stress,' right?" she asked. "It's alright, we'll work it out."

"Not exactly..." I explained, a confused look once again appearing on her face. "It's a lot more complicated than that." She watched me, waiting for me to explain myself, but I didn't feel like I could say another word.

"Shadow, please," Amy said as she reached out, taking hold of my arm. "I want you to feel safe, like you could tell me anything, and I'd never think less of you for it." Her words were so nice to hear, taking my mind away from the disturbing thoughts from just moments ago. For a moment I remained silent, not yet having the words to explain myself. Eventually, however, I found something to say.

"My mind drifted off," I began explaining, my eyes losing focus as I turned away from Amy. "It somehow found its way to some... unpleasant memories. For a second, I saw you as Maria. I was so appalled by the thought that I wasn't thinking rationally." I looked back at her, seeing surprise in her features, but I could also see an attempt at understanding in her eyes. "...I'm sorry," I added.

"No, it's fine," she insisted, despite the discomfort she obviously showed. "It's just a little strange," she added, much to my disappointment. "I mean, did you... have feelings for Maria?"

"No!" I answered quickly, a bit too quickly. "You remind me so much of her, so caring, so joyful. The association's just never been so direct before."

"You did push me off pretty fast when you thought I was her," Amy commented.

"I'm sorry," I said again.

"Shadow, it's okay," she assured once more, but it was hard to be convinced. "It's not your fault. It's not even a problem."

I was silent for a moment, worry still on my mind. "Are you sure?" I eventually asked. "I feel so wrong, so dirty letting my thoughts wander like that."

"But you didn't do anything wrong," she insisted.

I felt frustration start to rise within me. "It certainly feels like I did," I retorted. "How could I think of someone else while with you? How could that someone else be Maria?! What was I thinking?!"

"You weren't thinking," Amy responded before I could continue asking questions. "But it's alright, nothing bad happened, everything's fine!" I let out an exasperated groan, letting myself fall back against the couch. My eyes were closed as I attempted to focus on nothing but the inky blackness. This situation hurt me, and it was my own fault. I felt Amy take hold of me, gently guiding me to lie down.

I didn't open my eyes, but I could feel her legs supporting my head. Her hands gingerly made their way up to my quills, carefully running her fingers through them. I sighed, slightly relaxing into the girl's touch. I felt a tear or two roll off my face as Amy practically pulled the stress out of my body. Why did I have to go and ruin the moment we had? "I'm s-"

"Don't say it," Amy interrupted. "You shouldn't be sorry."

I chuckled lightly at her order. "Alright, if you say so."

"I mean it," she said sternly. "You're better than you give yourself credit for, you know?"

"So I've been told," I replied, grinning up at her. My eyes were still closed, but I could practically sense her playfully frustrated reaction. "Thank you," I added, opening my eyes to see her smiling down at me. I adjusted, propping myself up with one arm as I leaned in to kiss her again. I sat up again, Amy and I staring into each other's eyes.

"Alright, how about we try again?" she asked. I gave a simple nod in response as she got on top of me again. "And, if you have to, just try to focus on me." Taking her advice, I tried to keep my thoughts on track as our lips came together once more. Her wonderful taste once again overtook me, her soft skin and fur feeling so incredibly relaxing.

Amy... Focus on Amy... Amy's in front of you, not Maria- No! Don't think about that, just... keep your mind on Amy. I reached up, running a hand through her quills, getting a satisfied sigh out of the pink hedgehog. Quills... Amy's quills, not Maria's hair- gah! Why won't I stop doing that?! No comparing, just Amy!

My struggle was apparently more obvious than I realized, as it soon got a reaction out of the other hedgehog. "Is everything okay, Shadow?" she asked.

"No," I replied honestly. "No, it's not. I just can't... I can't..."

"Can't stop thinking about her?" Amy questioned. I couldn't find how to respond, unable to find the correct words. Eventually, Amy let out a sigh, moving off to sit by my side. "All I wanted was for you to focus on me," she mumbled.

"I was trying," I said defensively. "It's just-"

"Just that you still don't feel like you can tell the truth?" Amy interrupted, leaving me confused. "Look, I know it's weird, and I get not wanting to admit it, but you obviously at least used to feel something for Maria." I attempted to deny her words, but they were strangely starting to make some sense. I let my face fall into my hands, my thoughts now running wild. "Shadow, don't worry. It's okay."

"It's not, Amy," I responded. "I just wish I knew why I'm so horrible." I felt defeated, wondering why I ruined everything. "Today was supposed to be great," I explained. "But I just had to mess it up."

"Shadow..." Amy tried to comfort me, only for me to pull away, which I immediately regretted.

"Why do you like me?" I ended up asking, unable to find a reason myself.

"You're one of the best people I know, Shadow," she started. "You're smart, understanding, and amazingly caring. Even though you hide behind a dark, moody persona, your true colors are beautiful. I know you'd do anything in your power to make sure those who deserve it can stay safe." She threw her arms around me, and my heart raced as if it was the first time we touched. "I know you care about me, and even if I remind you of Maria, it doesn't matter, because I know you see me. No matter how your past intrudes, you don't have to worry, because we're here, Shadow, together."

The tears came again, lightly rolling down my cheeks. I took hold of Amy, holding her close again. "...She meant so much to me," I whispered to her. "You're so much alike, I just..."

"I know, Shadow," she assured. "And I already said, that's okay."

"Because you know I see you," I said in agreement. Eventually, we pulled away slightly, giving me another look at her beautiful face. Suddenly, Amy's communicator buzzed lightly. She grabbed the device, which was normally on her wrist, off of the coffee table nearby, and began reading a message.

She soon looked back at me. "Blaze's housewarming party's gonna be tomorrow night," she stated.

"Sonic sure does speed things along, doesn't he?" I commented, causing her to giggle in response. I couldn't help but laugh along, her joy was infectious like that.

"Hope you plan to be there," Amy said.

"Only if you're there too," I told her.

"Of course," she confirmed simply. We leaned in again, sharing another kiss. It only lasted for a moment, but that may be better for now.

I yawned, allowing myself to further relax into the couch. "Wow, that all took a lot out of me," I said. "I... want to say 'I'm sorry,' but I know you'll hate me for it."

"I don't hate you for it," Amy insisted as she snuggled up against me. "I am upset with you, though."

"I'm sorry that I suck."

"You don't suck, Shadow, that's the issue. My problem is the problem you have with yourself, it's unjustified." Her convincing words worked almost as well as Sonic's. I felt myself relaxing again, and this time I hoped the feeling would stay with me.

"You're probably right," I admitted. I looked down to see a satisfied smile on Amy's face, her eyes closed. I decided to follow along, lying my head back as I let my eyes fall shut. "I love you, Amy," I said as I felt my conscious begin to fade.

"I love you too, Shadow," I heard her say. It was the last thing I heard before falling asleep on that couch, an arm wrapped around the beautiful girl sleeping next to me.

HypernovaSonic- That took a while, oops. Don't know if this would be worth the wait, but I hope everyone enjoys it anyway!