"You went on a digital date!"

"Um. Well. It wasn't a date, as such, but we did hang out."

"It's totally a date! And it's the cutest little compromise, ever! Ooh, and this'll give you two a chance to set up future dates, but outside of video games! I can't wait! Heeee! This is so exciting!"

The tip of Sonic's shoe gives Tails a friendly nudge in the knee, emerald gaze meeting knowingly with eyes like the sky from across the little table.

"Here she goes," says the fox, shyly grinning over his rather expensive, upmarket rendition of a chocolate milkshake.

"Yup," replies the hedgehog, content to sip his lemonade, smiling in a way that is fulfilled and calm. "Here she goes, alright."

Amy continues to gush over their little table, chosen for its placement outside the restaurant that recently opened in a prettier part of the city, allowing for a lovely view. But their eyes are on her face, as radiant as the sunny weather. The pink hedgehog is at her divinest when overwhelmingly, purely happy for others.

"Isn't my wife just magnificent?"

"Yeah, bro, she sure is."

"Pity Cream couldn't come. This could've been a double date. Amy would've loved that."

"Don't tease me, man. I can kick your butt."

"Mmmyeah, but that'd cause a public disturbance, bro."

"True. Anyway, I'm happy for her."

"'Cause Cream gets to hang out with her new dad. Vector and Vanilla are doing good, yeah?"

"From what I hear, they're doing great."

"That just makes today even better."

The pink hedgehog almost pulls the approaching waitron into a hug, which would be dangerous, considering her strength and enthusiasm.

"You know, I was joking about the librarian, before."

"I know."

"Then why did you agree to meet her somewhere for coffee?"

"Because she's pleasant enough company to keep. Besides, I rather like coffee."

"There'll likely be cake involved, too."

"And conversation, yes."

"That's taking a joke too far, honey, don't you think?"

"I wasn't joking."

There is no reply.

For a while, the topic seems to pass away, being left alone.

Shadow smiles a quiet, pleasant smile, contentedly paging through another of the books that the woman behind the desk had villainously recommended, surely, thus finding himself bewitched by their contents.

Rouge sneers at that damned book and says, through teeth, "I wasn't invited."

"She's not interested in you."

"Clearly."

"Although, I'm sure you two could be good friends."

"Nah."

"Oh?"

"She's too bookish for a jock like me."

"Excuse me, I'm very bookish."

"Yeah, well, you're cool enough for me in other ways, so…"

The dark hedgehog chuckles faintly under his breath.

Huffing, the bat moodily leans over his shoulder to peer at the pages, aquamarine glare narrowing, suspicious, keenly searching the lines for incantations and runes, only to find nothing out of the ordinary in the text. In fact, the story itself seems to suit her best friend's tastes in literature almost perfectly, which stings her badly enough to wince.

"You've been out of sorts since I told you."

"Mm. Have I?"

"Yes. I was refraining from asking, before, but–"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"It's nothing," is the husky mutter as Rouge withdraws from Shadow once more, somehow more sullen than before, plump lower lip protruding miserably whilst cold eyes cut like daggers, gleaming with every darting glance about the room, everything displeasing to look at all of a sudden.

"Rouge."

"I hate the colour of these walls."

"Rouge…"

"And we're getting rid of that stupid lamp."

"But you love that lamp."

"No, I don't."

He finally looks up from his reading, crimson swivelling over to meet with gemstone eyes, only to remain unmet.

"It's nothing!"

"No, it's not."

"Why's it always gotta be something with you?"

"You're clearly upset."

"I'm fine."

"I doubt that very much."

Folding tanned arms beneath an ample bosom, she jerks her head further away, with petulance.

"You're far too old to throw a tantrum like this."

"Your face is too old."

"Rouge."

"Stop saying my name like that. You sound like my bloody therapist."

"You don't have a therapist."

"Ah, so now you think I need one, don't you?"

"Perhaps," he says gently, patiently, closing the book with a soft thud and some humour, because for all her eccentricities, she is still quite adorable. "Now, then."

"No."

"You intend to suffer in silence?"

"Yes."

"Can I convince you otherwise?"

"No."

"I'd like to try, anyway, if I may."

"It's futile."

"Is it, really?"

Her muzzle wrinkles and she sniffs, like there's a bad smell.

"Rouge. What's the matter?"

Her large ears lower by a fraction, her brows scrunching up delicately.

"You don't have to answer me. As your best friend, I am always here for you. It'd just be easier for me to be useful to you, if I knew what was wrong."

A low growl merges into a reluctant sigh. "Makes sense."

"Did she offend you?"

"No, no, she's… Ugh."

"Ugh?"

"She's very nice, actually, and I like her a fair bit for someone I've barely spoken to."

"Did I offend you?"

"No, honey. You've done nothing wrong."

"Then," the hedgehog purrs without meaning to, but he is simply so soft-spoken at times, that he could talk the sea into forgoing its storms, "what is it?"

Likewise, the bat assesses herself internally, contemplating the emotional storm she is brewing inside. It isn't entirely surprising, the way she feels.

"It's okay to tell me. Whatever it is."

"It's not that, either. I can tell you anything. Shit, sometimes I tell you too much."

In the pause that follows, Omega's heavy steps resound more clearly over kitchen tiles as he wanders from one counter to the other, retrieving things and setting things down, his gleaming claws producing a metallic cacophony as they scrape against the sides of mixing bowls and work the meagre appliances with some disdain, the robot kept busy with experimentation.

"Honey, I'm sorry for being a bitch."

"It's okay."

"I'm very unhappy right now, is all."

"Why's that?"

Rouge seems to have an answer, then hesitates, rethinking it.

Shadow is touching her knee. His touch is light and non-invasive and familiar.

"I don't know," she then says, settling for this, still avoiding his eyes.

He can sense that she is either unconvinced, or lying. He wants to question her further, but he also senses that she has shut down.

She will not explain herself adequately, at least, not now. But she doesn't leave the room in a huff, remaining close beside him, staring at the lamp that apparently revolts her. She tries not to wince again when he takes back his hand, leaving cold behind.

He returns to his book, trying to find pleasure in reading, finding the exercise cumbersome, now. His mind, seeking somewhere peaceful to rest, eventually wanders to thoughts of the pretty, clever librarian who understands his tastes and the impending date of their meeting.

When the bat does summon the courage and decency in herself to turn back to the hedgehog, she rediscovers him.

He is smiling, again.

In their silence that follows, even Omega's background noise doesn't drown out the onset of rain.

"And he was so dreadfully boring!"

Silver giggles into Blaze's shoulder, having divided his attention between listening to her bemoaning her suitors and levitating various gardening tools, dropping a few in his amusement.

Cat and hedgehog tend once again to the littler plants, together.

Blaze is happy to express herself freely after being so sorely stifled, like a flame deprived of oxygen, small but fierce. She speaks now with passion in her velvety tone, bright eyes expressive, elegant hands kind on tender leaves.

Silver is happy to listen to a voice that is not his own, happier still to listen to hers. To be close to her. To imagine kissing her and rebuking himself for such thoughts, only to sink helplessly deeper into the fantasies. He fails to notice that it is possibly out of the ordinary to be nuzzling her shoulder, weakened by his happiness and his giggling.

She doesn't find it unusual, either, continuing her articulate speech with his weight pleasantly pressed against her, her tail coiling protectively about his folded legs. The gardener's hat on her head, a rattily charming old thing they found miraculously intact on a buckled shelf in a desolate greenhouse, keeps out the worst of the sun.

It's all so natural to them, so normal and in place, until they suddenly find themselves pressed together, in silence, with the sun having already begun to set.

"You're still not used to being indoors for a few hours, huh?"

"Mmph. Not really, no."

"It's okay. You wander the wilderness a lot. I geddit."

"But it's peacetime, now. You wonder why I haven't settled with others. Why I'm still travelling by myself, with only the Wisps for company."

"Only 'cause I'm social! I love people. People make for potential friends and I love making friends. But I know you're not like me. It's not too hard for me to understand."

"Safer if I can't be tracked to one place. To someone who could get hurt. My fault."

"It's lonely, being so considerate of others, huh?"

"S'fine."

The Wisps play freely with the pieces of the board game, failing to obey its rules.

"I have them."

"And me."

"And you, yes."

"Whenever we bump into each other, it's like the planets are all lined up for something magical. Even if we are stuck indoors, heh."

"Lovely home. Still strange."

"Would a cup of hot cocoa help?"

Whisper's gentle, anxious smile relaxes very slightly as she tilts head to gaze through closed eyes at Tangle.

"Dunno when the rain will pass, but…" The lemur, acting as hostess, is poised to leap up and attend to her guest, but all that energy is restrained by a most charming grin of concern. "While you're here, I've got tiny marshmallows."

The wolf's boots are heavy on the carpet. Her hands are large and stern on her armoured knees. Still, she manages to look gentle and harmless.

"Wanna cup of hot cocoa with tiny marshmallows on top, mmm?"

"Yes, please."

"Coming right up, pal!"

Knuckles is cold and drenched, choosing not to take shelter just yet.