Song: All I'll Need From You - The Statler Brothers

Quote: Alan Jackson

"I know you're a woman, a sensetive kind

A fairy-tale princess with hearts on your mind."

She hadn't been that upset. She barely even cried this time around. I hate to do this to her but it's for her own good.. she needs to live a normal life while I-..

"Mobius to Sonic! Come in Sonic!"

"Wh-what? I'm listening!"

Before him stood Knuckles with a stern look, his arms were crossed over his chest while his younger brother Tails gently pulled on his arm.

"Then what did I just say?"

"Uh.. something, something - the Master Emerald and ehh.. something, something - Rouge thinks I'm a complete stud..?"

By sheer willpower Knuckles managed to ignore that last remark and instead picked up on the former "The Master Emerald, yes, which I so foolhardly have entrusted to The Chaotix while I abandon my guardian duties to go searching for the chaos emeralds which you scattered across half of Mobius just so you could boost your own little ego against Eggman!"

"Hey, the situation called for a little Super Sonic action, that ain't my fault!" Sonic tried to defend himself with while putting his hands up.

Again, Knuckles ignored him and continued through clenched teeth.

"Then you decide to daydream away while I try to organize somewhat of a search for said emeralds which, again, is lost thanks to you!"

"Alright, Knuckles listen - I'm sorry, okay?" Sonic apolegized, patting his echidna friend on the shoulder "I'm sure your plan is awsome and me and Tails won't rest until we've found all of the chaos emeralds, right lil' buddy?" he turned to Tails for back up and the young fox immediately caught on.

"Defenitely! I have even calculated the best route in order for us to cover a whole lot of ground more efficiently."

That seemed to calm Knuckles down slightly as he merely muttered under his breath while shaking Sonic's hand off his shoulder. He sat down in the grass, and after awhile he cleared his throat and said "I guess I might've dragged on a bit. We can take the rest once we set off."

Tails offered him a kind smile before getting to his feet "Good idea, In the meantime I suggest we take a break, I have some fruit in the workshop for us. I'll be right back."

He walked inside and when he returned he carried a load of fruit with him, apples, bananas and a bunch of grapes which Knuckles gladly started to chow down. Sonic began chewing on an apple but still seemed to have his mind elsewhere, something Tails was quick to pick up on.

"You seem a bit distracted, Sonic" he pointed out "What were you thinking about earlier?"

"Let me guess..-" Knuckles began in mock wonder "He's daydreaming about someone with long eyelashes, rosy cheeks and wields an enormous hammer!" he empathized by batting his eyes and squeezing a grape between his thumb and index finger.

"Oh, eat your grapes and keep your trap shut." Sonic chuckled, and threw his half eaten apple at Knuckles which succesfully hit the side of his head. The red echidna shot him a dirty look but reluctantly decided that he'd earned that one.

Tails stifled a laugh but tried again to have somewhat of a civilized conversation, he turned to his older brother and asked "But you're heading out to see her though, right? Before we leave? It could be awhile before we return, and I know how much she misses you whenever you're gone for too long."

"Yeah, I was thinking about taking her out, maybe a quick round at Twinkle Park and then take a walk along Emerald Coast - Amy really likes to see the ocean there..."

Sonic's voice suddenly faded, his brow furrowed in concern while he absentmindedly began to pick at the grass. It was like he'd been yet again swallowed by his own thoughts. Tails and Knuckles exchanged a glance between each other. Their blue friend usually wasn't this distracted.

"I'm sure she'll really enjoy that, Sonic." Tails encouraged.

That seemed to snap him back to reality but the concern was still evident in his emerald eyes.

He sighed briefly before running a swift hand through his spikes "I don't know, sometimes I feel as if I'm not doing enough for her - like I'm not enough for her. She needs me and I.. I can't-... can't always be there for her and that just makes me feel really lousy." he shook his head before suddenly a small smile made its way onto his lips "And at the same time I can't get her out of my mind. I hate leaving her behind but at the same time I know it's what's best for her. That way she is safe..." just then a short laugh escaped his lips "I love her."

"So stop whining and just do something about it already!" Knuckles exclaimed, rolling his eyes "Steal her away, sweep her off her feet and carry her off into the sunset or whatever it is you do."

"It's not that easy. My life isn't cut out for a girl like her."

"What do you mean a girl like her?"

"Amy is different, she's... sensetive. Fragile and delicate as...-"

"Let me guess, a rose?"

"You know what I mean Knucklehead. I need to treat her right or else... or else I'm just the big jerk who broke her heart. An immature boy who couldn't live up to her hopes and be the man she deserves."

"So you worry that you're not man enough for her?" Knuckles inquired, halfheartedly trying to suppress a snicker but not succeeding very well.

"You don't have to sound so smug about it!"

"Come on Sonic, it's Amy we're talking about here! She'd probably still love you even if you decided to spend the rest of you're life living in a trash can."

"I'm sure she knows how much you care about her. She is a girl after all, and girls feel that kind of stuff." Tails said matter of factly "Plus, you are only eighteen. To my thorough understanding couples usually get married after they've at least turned twenty when their brain cells have had time to properly developed and-"

Sonic immediately cut him off "Wait, hold on a sec! Who said anything about marriage?!"

"I thought that was what you guys were referring to?"

"No!"

"Oh..."

"Besides, you're eleven - you shouldn't even know about that stuff!"

"Sonic, I'm not a kid anymore-..."

"Yes, you are and this discussion is now officially over."

"No, now it's getting good." Knuckles quiped in, grinning wickedly "When do you plan on proposing? Looked at any houses yet? I hear Holoska is a lovely place to live, I can help you pack your bags if you want."

Their banter went on until they all three ultimately ended up laughing.

After they've regained their senses Knuckles was the first on to speak, in a more collected tone and pulling a straight face "Seriously though, Sonic, you love her and the entire world probably knows she loves you - get it over with and tell her already. If not just to let the rest of us have some peace for once."

"And remember - Amy may not be as fragile as you think. She's a tough girl!" Tails concluded brightly.

"Yeah, you're right little buddy - she truly is." Sonic mused, smiling fondly at the mere thought of her "Thanks guys, I appreciate it. Really." he added sincerely before he raised up and started to stretch his legs "I guess I better get going, don't wanna keep Amy waiting even if that'd be a new one - do you two know how long it takes for her to get ready?"

"No." Knuckles answered bluntly "And I don't wanna know either."

"Ah, but girls hate guys who rush them."

"Can't imagine why..."

Tails merely looked confused between his two friends before ultimately shrugging it off.

Sonic then took a running stance "Well, I'm off - see you guys later!" he winked before taking off in a blur that soon shot over the horizon.

"Don't be late!" Knuckles shouted after him, despite him being long gone out of earshot "Heh! He's a complete fool for that girl!" he added dismissively while shaking his head.

"Who needs to be showered with candy and flowers

And told that you're loved all the time."

Once Sonic arrived at Amy's house she was all ready by the pickett fence, sitting upon the gate with her legs dangling freely above the ground.

She wore a frilly pink dress with a sun hat that had a big bow tied around it and on her feet she had put on a neat pair of slippers. Everything about her spoke of her innocent nature. From her delicate demeanor all the way down to her spotless white gloves which were held in place by a pair of golden bangles.

Sonic suddenly regretted to not having brought her any flowers, but figured that she prefered them growing out in the wild anyway. And buying an already arranged bouquet just wasn't the same as opposed to having picked it yourself.

When Amy saw him coming up the road her entire face broke out into a cheerful smile, her eyes lighting up and her body giddy with joy.

"Sonikku!" she chortled as she came running towards him.

However in her rush to embrace him, she stumbled over her own feet and tripped forward that is if Sonic hadn't caught her in the middle of the fall. Amy's head bumped into his chest while he instintively wrapped his arms around her frame.

A mad blush blossomed on her cheeks "Ohh.. sorry, I'm so clumsy, hehe..." she uttered, giggling bashfully.

"Well that's one way to say hello, Amy Rose." Sonic smirked and lifted her onto her own feet. He fixed the sun hat on her head before gently lifting her chin with his thumb and index finger, meeting her suddenly shy gaze "There, all better. Hey you."

"H-hi.."

"Are you okay? You didn't get hurt, did ya?"

"No, no, I'm fine."

"Good."

Amy regained her poise and decided to change the subject "You never said where we'd be going yesterday, I'm not too underdressed am I?" she did a quick twirl for Sonic and waited in anticipation.

In all honestly, Sonic thought she looked as pretty as ever, the roses growing in the garden behind her appearing dull and lifeless in comparison. But he couldn't tell her that, it'd be far too embarrasing, so instead he said the next best thing.

"No, you look perfect. Uh, I mean- nice! Real nice in fact."

Something sparked within Amy's eyes.

"You think so?"

"Y-yeah, absolutely Ames!"

It was in this moment that Sonic realized that he hadn't looked himself in a mirror for probably over a week. Granted, it wasn't on his list of priorities to make sure he looked good while saving the world. And on regular days he'd merely cast a quick glance at himself in the small mirror hanging at Tail's workshop or if he caught a glimpse of his own reflection in lakes or anything similar.

"Way to make an effort, Sonic." he scolded himself silently.

Once they began walking he ran a quick hand through his spikes and when Amy wasn't looking he even fixed his gloves more neatly and kicked some dirt of his shoes.

"So what are we doing today?" she asked him just as he managed to scratch some dried mud off his buckle.

"Hehe! You're more impatient than me!" Sonic teased "Since I'll be gone for awhile and we only have a few hours to hang out, I wanted to make it a surprise."

Amy let out a heavy sigh as if she'd just remembered the fact that he was leaving "Oh right, I almost forgot about that."

"Hey, don't gloom on me now, Miss Rose. We'll make the most of this day, alright? Just you and me." He flashed her his famous lopsided smile and gave her a playful wink.

And despite the weight of knowing her day with Sonic was under a limited time, that smile could never fail to make her feel at ease.

"I know you need kisses and hugs every day

Phone calls and letters whenever I'm away."

They took the train to Station Square and while Sonic tried to look as casual as possible where he sat next to Amy, people still turned their heads in their direction or snuck glances at them. Amy however was completely oblivious their staring, she simply leaned her head on his shoulder and watched the landscape pass by.

It wasn't for the fact that Sonic was embarrassed to be seen with her publicaly, he'd stopped caring about whatever stood about him in newspapers or tabloid magazines long ago. What he disliked was when they did it to his friends. He had half a mind of sending a dirty look towards a rabbit guy who ogled Amy with dumb smirk on his face, but decided against it. Instead he wrapped an arm around her shoulder protectively, thus partly shielding her from his view.

Amy took it as a sign of affection and leaned in even closer to Sonic. She smiled up at him and spoke in a soft voice "I'm really glad you're doing this for me, Sonic. It's going to be so much fun."

"Of course, Amy. Anything for-... a friend."

"Sonic..?"

He saw the hurt in her eyes and the jab in his heart was equally as painful. But he pretended to not having heard her and hastily looked out the window.

Soon enough the train arrived at the train station of Station Square and the two hedgehogs exited. Amy seemed to have brushed off her sadness or else she was just concealing it for now for she immediately latched onto Sonic's arm and looked up at him in excitement.

"So, where to now?" she asked.

Sonic chuckled warmly and whispered effectively in her ear "Now you may close your eyes and the Sonic express will take you to the second destination."

Then before Amy could blink, he'd swept her off her feet and she just managed to close her eyes before he almost flew down the stairs. She barely had time to register the rush either as it abruptly ended. He couldn't even have been running for more than a few seconds tops.

"Alright, you can open your eyes now." Sonic annonuced, grinning widely. Clearly amused by her confusion.

Though when she opened her eyes and saw the big colorful sign she immediately started bouncing up and down, squealing excitedly.

"Twinkle Park! Oh Sonic, thank you - thank you - thank you!"

She gave him a big hug before taking hold of his hand and rushing inside the entrance.

Amy got a bit disappointed that there wasn't a "Cute couples get in free"-special while Sonic on the other hand sighed in relief. He'd savoured some rings for today and was glad he got to spend them on someone other than himself.

Due to the sunny weather the park was packed with people, but they still managed to ride quite a few rollercoasters. As usual Sonic got a bit carried away at the bump cars which resulted in a crashed car and at least two dozens skidmarks on places no one really knew you could even reach. However when the manager stormed in he merely laughed it off once he saw who'd caused the damage. Soon afterwards the car was moved outside in front of the entrance, followed by a sign that was put up next to it which read "Crashed by Sonic the Hedgehog!".

Sonic and Amy still laughed about it when they took a break for some cotton candy. The swirly, sugary goodness was Amy's absolute favorite treat next to soft served ice cream and Sonic couldn't help but smile seeing her so happy. It felt as if his heart grew double the size each time he made her giggle or pull that adorable smile of hers.

"Sonic, what are you looking at?" Amy suddenly inquired, waving a hand in front of his face. She'd caught him staring.

"Wha-"

But before he could come up with an excuse she had reached up and booped his nose.

"Tee-hee! Got ya, Sonikku!" she giggled playfully.

"Oh yeah? We'll see about that, Rosy!"

Within the fraction of a second there was a full blown cotton candy war between the two. They had completely forgotten that they were among people, Sonic's competetive edge taking over as he tried to cover Amy with as much cotton candy as possible while also attempting to boop her nose. Their playful banter echoed around the food stand causing bystanders to cast curious glances at them and whisper eagerly.

Sonic rarely visited Station Square unless there was trouble around, so it was quite exciting for both the locals and the tourists to see him not his heroic role and simply enjoying himself. With Amy Rose nonetheless.

But through most of the day they were left alone, making Sonic actually appreciate the crowd for once as they could simply just blend in with everyone else.

Time seemed to fly away and before either of them knew it their afternoon together was merely two hours away from ending. Sonic figured they ought to head to the beach about now, so as they exited yet another rollercoaster he brought Amy aside.

"Hey, Ames, you wanna ditch this place for some emerald waters?"

"You don't mean-?" her eyes sparkled and she looked close to bouncing again.

Sonic gave her a teasing smirk and shrugged his shoulders "Of course we don't have to if you'd rather-.."

But Amy interrupted him by throwing her arms around his neck and squealing loudly "No, no - let's go, Sonic! Right now!"

Then, within the blink of an eye, Sonic had scooped her up in his arms and taken off towards the exit of Twinkle Park.

"You need to believe in far away weekends, puppies and Valentine's Day

I'll give everything I have to give until the day that I die."

When they arrived at Emerald Coast, Sonic carried Amy to the more secluded areas away from the hotels and all the tourists who enjoyed the crystal clear water. Admittedly, Sonic much rather prefered Seaside Hill due to it being more remote and its lack of people. But this beach was a lot closer and Amy said she didn't mind the people. Perhaps it was simply to save time and get as much of it spent with him as possible.

The sun hung low and the sky had gotten a soft orange color that blended with the blue. White sand contrasted nicely with the emerald water as waves seamlessly rolled against the shorelines. Occasionally seagulls could be heard screeching while they sailed overhead, some sitting in top of the many palm trees while others gently drifted on the water surface.

The hedgehog couple settled for a simple stroll along the shore, heading even further away from the resorts. Amy had taken off her slippers in order to feel the sand and also the cool water that washed between her toes. It tickled beneath her feet each time a wave swept in and carried some of the sand with it.

Sonic on the other hand eyed the water with slight discomfort evident in his eyes. He tried not to envision how a big wave came in and swept both him and Amy out to sea, driving them apart while a big orca came towards him and-

Suddenly he felt how Amy's delicate hand snuck into his grasp and without even realizing it he instinctively entwined his fingers with hers. It felt oddly good to hold her hand, his protective nature jolting awake within his chest. As if nothing could possibly pull them apart.

Sonic noticed how she stole a glance at him, probably checking for a reaction, and he didn't have to fake one - the content expression upon his face was genuine. Although, so was the small blush that tainted his cheeks.

In the back of his mind he could hear Knuckles' and Tails' voices echoing-

"-stop whining and just do something about it already!"

It's not that easy...

"-I know how much she misses you whenever you're gone for too long."

Amy deserves better...

"-get it over with and tell her already."

I-I..!

"I can't..." Sonic muttered under his breath before he even realized it.

"Did you say something, Sonic?"

"Huh? No.. I mean yes, actually I-" his voice faded.

They stood still now and Amy had grasped his other hand as well. She faced him fully and Sonic felt how his breath hitched in his throat. Her head tilted in curiosity, an innocent smile playing upon her lips.

A ray of sunshine got caught in her jade eyes, and with the shimmering ocean behind her dainty frame she appeared more lovely than ever before.

"Just tell her for Chaos' sake!"

He opened his mouth, forming the words-..

Just then, a breeze swept in and took Amy's sun hat, carrying it off along the shore as she gasped in surprise. Sonic however quickly chased after it and just before it could hit the water he managed to catch it.

"Got it!" he said triumphantly, giving Amy a goofy smile. But right then a wave came crashing against the shore, soaking his shoes and making him jump in fright. That caused him to lose his footing and fall head first into the sand where yet another wave came in and washed over him.

"Sonic!" Amy exclaimed, worried. She hurried to his side and kneeled down in the sand in an attempt to help him stand up "Oh my poor Sonikku, are you all right?"

Slowly Sonic lifted his head, feeling the embarrassment burning upon his cheeks, and spat out a mouth full of sand. His fur had been soaked and he could feel the salty sea stench etch itself on to him. The sun hat had been completely drenched as well. Amy stared down at him with concern shining in her jade eyes and he knew he needed to save the situation fast.

Sonic got up on his knees and tried his best to pull off a nonchalant expression "Ah, I'm fine Ames, don't worry." he glanced down at the sun hat "Sorry about your hat though. I promise I'll buy you a new one."

But Amy merely shook her head "No, you don't have to do that, I'm sure it will dry in the sun. Besides, it wasn't your fault. If anything - you tried to save it." She offered him her hand and he accepted it, and once he stood straight he was surprised when Amy suddenly pecked his cheek "My hero." she whispered before giggling sweetly.

"Amyyy..." Sonic mumbled, averting his eyes while trying hard to suppress a blush "Come on, let's move before a new wave comes in."

"There will be days I won't understand but I'm telling you now -

I'll try."

They sat down in the shadow of a palm tree, or at least Amy - Sonic placed himself in the sun to dry up. Getting his fur wet was one of the worst things he knew and especially sea water. He muttered to himself while emptying his shoes of water that had gotten in while Amy tried hard not to laugh.

However her attention was quickly drawn to the sea where an orca suddenly appeared in distance.

"Oh! Look Sonic - an orca!" Amy called out in awe and pointed towards the big black and white sea creature that jumped along the horizon.

Having not so pleasant memories with orcas in general, and maybe even that specific orca, Sonic merely pulled off a smile that he hoped looked carefree enough.

"Hehe! What a show-off!" he chuckled as it did multiple flips above the surface.

"You're one to talk, tee-hee!"

Sonic nudged her arm and pretended to pout "Hey, cut me some slack, Ames. I've matured over the years! At least a bit.."

"Yes, you really have.." she whispered fondly and scooted closer to him, leaning her head on his shoulder and nestling his neck "You're a young man now, Sonic..."

"Heh, maybe not completely yet..."

"Well, you'll always be a man in my eyes. No matter what."

A few moments of silence passed as the sun sank even lower on the horizon. Sonic pondered Amy's words, feeling an unusual warmth spreading in his chest but at the same time shame gnawing at every fiber of his being.

What kind of man doesn't have the guts to tell the girl he loves the truth?

That he'd do whatever it takes to protect her.

That he'd give everything and anything in the world to her.

That he'd rather walk straight into the water and let the sea swallow him than lose her.

And after awhile Sonic finally spoke-

"Hey, Amy? I'm sorry about before... - about what I said on the train, I didn't mean to...- What I wanted to say was... I mean you're more than just a friend." he cleared his throat and locked eyes with her "You actually mean a lot to me, even more than I might understand myself sometimes. But I know that when I leave, you're hurting. And the last thing I wanna do is hurt you and if we were... more - I'd be afraid that I'd only cause you more pain."

Amy sat quiet for a moment, considering his words before suddenly placing her hand on top of his. The other one she placed on his cheek, smiling tenderly at him and then said "Sonic, please, don't be so hard on yourself. When you leave it hurts, yes, but I'd rather endure hundreds of lonely days than losing you forever. Knowing that you'll one day come back to me is all I need. It might sound crazy but I was crazy enough to fall in love with the wind in the first place."

Amy leaned in, intending to plant a kiss on his lips but at the last second she changed her mind and instead kissed his cheek. She probably lingered longer than what was proper and even planted another one - this time at the very outline of his bottom lip. Sonic didn't pull away, simply clasping his hand over hers and letting his eyelids close.

The rest of the afternoon they simply laid in the sand, occasionally stealing glances at each other and laughing bashfully whenever either of them caught the other one. Their hands and were yet again united with their fingers tightly entwined. Small, casual conversations drifted by ever so often but it was merely to point out a funny looking cloud or comment on how even more orcas seemed to have started to flip across the horizon.

They shared a coconut Sonic managed to knock down from palm tree, the sweet coconut water pleasantly refreshing in the late afternoon sun.

When it was just about to reach the waterline, Sonic reluctantly knew it was time for him to leave. Their day together was over.

"Amy, listen - I need to get going..."

"Aww.. already?"

"Yeah, Tails and Knuckles are probably already waiting for me." he glanced at her "But I still have time to walk you home, if you want."

"Really? Oh, I'd love that."

"And as long as you need me you'll always need me"

That's all I need from you."

The train was almost completely empty this time around, people were most likely still in the city or lounged around the beaches.

Sonic heard Amy let out a small yawn and for a brief moment he envied the people who got to go to sleep in a few hours. He on the other hand would set off in Tails' plane and probably have Knuckles nag his ear off. However it was a short lived feeling since he also began imagining all the adventures he'd have. But when he glanced down on Amy, who was resting with her eyes closed against his shoulder, he realized she wouldn't be a part of it. She would continue her daily life.

A life he wasn't a part of.

And for some reason, that suddenly troubled him.

When the train finally approached Amy's station, Sonic carefully nudged her shoulder but she was still a bit drowsy so instead he lifted her into his arms so that he could carry her. This caused a few people to stare in an unison look of curiosity and adoration. Sonic tried not to make eye contact with any of them while also trying to fight off a blush. Luckily the train soon came to a stop and he could hurry out the doors and on to the platform, where he set Amy down.

This time Sonic was the one who softly took her hand in his, and together they began walking off towards Amy's house.

Along the path she asked "Sonic.. how long do you think you'll be gone for?"

"Probably a few weeks, Knuckles hired The Chaotix to guard the Master Emerald so he'll most likely want to find all of the chaos emeralds this time."

"Oh..." Amy's eyes got slightly downcast, but she hastily regained herself and latched onto Sonic's arm "B-but you'll write to me, right?"

"Of course I will, Ames. I might even try and convince Tails to let me use the Miles Electric to call you."

"You'd do that for me?"

"Defenitely, no prob!" he promised.

All too soon they reached their destination. Sonic lead her up on the porch where they both suddenly fell very quiet, the mellow sounds of their surroundings pleasently filling the silence. Neither of them really wanted the day to be over, so they waited for the other one to say something first.

Sonic felt his heart beat wildly within his chest despite appearing perfectly calm on the outside, a common phenomenon whenever he was near Amy.

To keep his cool and not appear like a tongue-tied fool, he hastily reached her the sun hat that he'd carried for her. It was a bit damp still.

"Oh, thank you." she said, taking the hat from him and hanging it next to the door.

"Amy?"

"Yes, Sonic?"

"I just wanted to say that..." he paused for a moment, noticing how her eyes lit up with anticipation "I, eh.. I had a really great time with you today and.. ah-.."

He opened his mouth as if to say something more but quickly shut it again. Amy simply waited paitently for him, a tender smile upon her face.

Sonic could feel the nervousness slowly creep up on him and decided to merely play it off, shrugging his shoulders and putting on a confident smirk.

"Well, I better get going now. Goodnight Ames.."

Just as he silently cursed himself for being such a coward and made a notion to turn around, Amy suddenly called out "Wait, Sonic." immediately he stopped dead in his tracks and stared back at her "Please, promise me that you'll be careful."

There appeared a certain affection in Sonic's emerald eyes as he locked his gaze onto Amy's anxious expression. Somehow it made him yearn to reassure her and melted away his own insecurity. She needed him to show her just how much she meant to him and that need came before everything. After all was said and done and no matter how much he'd tried to deny it in the past - he was her hero and she his princess.

Carefully, Sonic walked back over to her as close as he could. Then he enclosed her clasped hands with his own and carefully brought them up to his chest - right above his heart.

"I promise."

Their gazes lingered longer and longer, until there was nothing left for Sonic to do but gently bring Amy closer to him and envelop her in a soft kiss. They closed their eyes in an unspoken unison and fixed their attention solely on the feel of each other. Amy's entire body surrendered completely to his grasp, her hands sliding up to his shoulders as his arms securely wrapped around her waist. She had to stand on her tip-toes in order to make it easier for him while the frilly fabric of her dress fluttered in the wind.

He slowly withdrew and almost immediately he missed the sweet taste.

And then as natural as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, he knew what he'd say next.

"I love you, Amy Rose." he confessed, mere inches from her lips.

Her eyelids vaguely fluttered open, she enjoyed his breath tickling hers and savored the alluring taste of his lips "I love you too." she sighed in absolute delight.

Once more did Sonic allow himself to mend his lips with hers, bringing his arms tighter around her waist, thus deepening the kiss. In the back of his mind he wondered how anything could possibly taste this sweet. As he brought a hand up to let his thumb delicately stroke her cheek it caused a warm sensation to spread in her chest. A comfortable warmth that truly nothing could beat.

When they parted Amy uttered a gleeful squeal and latched herself onto Sonic with her arms around his neck. Slightly taken aback, said hedgehog wobbled briefly before regaining his posture and returning the hug. How such a small delicate girl could be so strong he'd never know but it was one of the many things he liked about her.

Surprisingly Amy was the one to withdrew first.

She mustered up a brave enough face and almost pushed him off the porch "Now go off already so you can come back!"

"Alright, alright! I'm going!" Sonic chuckled, putting his hands up as he walked down the porch stairs. Man, that girl can really pull a one-eighty on ya..

He flashed her a toothy smile and said "I'll come see you as soon as I get back. And then we'll do something fun, just the two of us - a movie, err.. lunch perhaps! Maybe even dinner, my treat!"

"I already can't wait..!" Amy giggled, leaning against the porch while waving at Sonic who even stumbled over his own feet on the way to the fence gate.

Once there he turned around and did a final salute to her before taking off into the sunset.

When he later stood on the wing of the Tornado, the cool night breeze ruffling through his fur as the three friends flew high up in the air - he found himself unable to stop smiling.

Knuckles' however poked Tails' in the shoulder and once the fox turned his head, asked-

"Is-.. is that a lipstick mark on his lips..?"

But Sonic heard none of it - he merely broke into a wholehearted laughter.

With hearts on his mind.

"I'll give you everything I have to give."