JUST WALKING IN THE RAIN

Tails looked moodily out his window at the pouring rain. He was supposed to meet Cosmo in the park, but there was no way they could enjoy it in this downpour. And the weather report said that it would be raining all day.

"I guess I'll have to call Cosmo, and suggest we meet someplace indoors," he decided. Too bad. Cosmo loved being outdoors.

Then he saw someone on the sidewalk. They were heading this way. Was it? Yes, it was! Cosmo was coming down the street. The rain hadn't caused her to break their date.

As she came closer, it suddenly occurred to Tails that she was wearing her regular Seedrian outfit. No raincoat. No rainboots. No umbrella. She was just happily walking down the street, getting soaking wet!

Tails grabbed an umbrella, and threw open his front door. He hurried out to meet her.

"Hi, Tails!" Cosmo called, splashing up to him. "Isn't this weather wonderful! We never had rain on our ship!" She hugged him, dripping all over Tails.

"Cosmo!" Tails cried. "You're soaked!"

"Yes, it's it great?" Cosmo asked. "Don't you just love it!" She took his hands and swung them both around and around. Tails dropped his umbrella.

"What is that odd thing you just dropped?" Cosmo asked when she stopped spinning.

"It's an umbrella," Tails said, realizing he was now getting soaking wet too. "People use it to keep from getting wet in the rain."

"But why would anyone want to do that?" Cosmo asked. Tails kept forgetting that she wasn't an animal, but an intelligent, talking, alien plant. In fact, he'd seen water and light make her stronger.

"Um…Mobians aren't plants, honey," Tails said. "My fur is getting saturated with water. If I hadn't built a device to dry myself off, I'd be soggy all day after this."

"Oh?" Cosmo gasped. "Oh no! I'm being a burden to you again, aren't I?"

"No, no!" Tails said quickly. "I'm sorry. I should have realized you'd enjoy rainy weather. Please don't cry!" He gave her a hug, even though her arms dripped cold water down his back.

"I'm embarrassing you again, aren't I?" she sobbed. "I'm sorry, Tails! I don't know why you put up with a…talking rosebush alien plant thingy like me!"

"Please don't!" Tails said. "I'm sorry! I'll be happy to walk in the rain with you!"

"I don't want you to do something you don't want to do, just to make me happy!" Cosmo said.

"Come on," Tails said, taking her hand. "Let's go on to the park like we planned."

"Well…if you're sure?" Cosmo said. "But shouldn't you close your front door first?"

"Um…good idea!" Tails said. Man, he was really getting to be an absent-minded professor!

So Tails locked his front door, then, with his umbrella in one hand, and Cosmo's hand in the other, Tails and Cosmo walked to the park.

"Um…Cosmo?" Tails said after awhile. "Are you planning to jump into every puddle you see?"

"Oh! I'm sorry, Tails!" Cosmo said, blushing. "You can jump in the next one we come to!"

"That's okay," Tails said, trying not to laugh.

As they walked, they passed Amy's house. She was just looking out the window as they went by. "What the--? You two are crazy! Crazy! You're a pair of twits!"

"What's Amy talking about?" Cosmo asked.

"Who cares?" Tails said. "Probably something about Sonic!"

"Poor Amy," Cosmo said as they continued their walk. "I hope she finds the kind of happiness we've found some day."

Once in the park, Tails ducked under a tree. Cosmo took off her shoes and stockings and skipped merrily in the mud.

"That's my girl!" Tails said to himself. "Well, as long as she's happy."

"Come on, Tails!" Cosmo said. "Take off your shoes! The mud feels so nice squishing between your toes!" Of course, Cosmo only had two toes on each foot, but what she lacked in quantity, she more than made up for in exuberance.

Tails rolled his eyes, but took off his shoes. Not being a plant, he thought mud squishing between his toes was kind of gross, but he would never mention that to her.

Cosmo spun him around again. Then she gave him a big kiss. She blushed. "Oh! Oh, I'm sorry, Tails! I…I guess this kind of weather lowers my self-control!" She looked down at herself. "Look at my feet! And yours! Oh, you must think I'm some kind of a nut!"

"No, no!" Tails said quickly. "I love seeing you happy." She had been so depressed for so long about her family. About her relationship to Dark Oak. About people looking strangely at her because she was a plant. It was great watching her enjoy herself. Hearing her laughter. "I love you, period, my beautiful little flower princess."

"I love you too, my handsome strong fuzzy-wuzzy!" Cosmo said, hugging him again.

Tails blushed. "Um…please don't call me 'fuzzy-wuzzy' in front of other people!"

"I won't," Cosmo promised. She looked around. "But there's no one else around now…fuzzy-wuzzy!"

They had a great time. Finally, they sat down on a soaking bridge and let the rain wash their feet. They put on their shoes. Cosmo rolled up her stockings and carried them in one hand. They held hands as Tails walked Cosmo to where she was living, with Cream and Cheese and Vanilla.

"See you again tomorrow?" Tails asked, as a shocked Vanilla pulled Cosmo inside to dry her off.

"And every day afterwards, my love!" Cosmo promised. "Forever and ever and ever!"

"Wow!" Cream said. "You two sure got wet! You've better go home and change before you catch cold, Tails!"

"Don't worry," Tails said. "I'll be fine! Bye, Cream!"

Tails realized he'd left his umbrella someplace. Oh well, maybe a homeless person would find it. Tails hurried home. Inside, he quickly dried himself off, then, suddenly cold, wrapped himself in a blanket.

"Well, that was certainly an interesting day," Tails said. "I wonder what tomorrow will bring?"

The next morning, Tails woke up with a sneeze. He felt lousy. "Oh, man," he said, placing a hand on his forehead. "I think I'm getting a fever!"

There was a knock on the door. He went down and opened it.

"Hi, Tails!" Cosmo said. "Ready for another walk? I thought we'd go to the beach today."

"Um…just a minute," Tails said. He went to his kitchen, got some cough syrup. Then he put on a heavy sweater and a raincoat. He took his spare umbrella.

"Sorry," he said. "I really should keep covered up."

"You're not sick, are you?" Cosmo asked, worried.

"Oh, no, no!" Tails lied. "I just want to be careful."

"Great!" Cosmo said, taking his hand. "Let's go! I love swimming in the rain!"

"Here we go again!" Tails said to himself. "Oh well, as long as she's happy!"

As they passed his newspaper, Tails noticed, through the plastic bag, the headlines:

"RAIN EXPECTED ALL WEEK!"

"Sure, why not?" Tails said as he allowed Cosmo to drag him down the street. "Atchoo!"

"Are you sick, honey?" Cosmo asked.

"Allergies," Tails said, not wanting to disappoint her. "I'm allergic to…wet cement."

"Oh?" Cosmo said. "Wet cement is different from dry cement? Well then, it's a good thing we're heading for the beach, where there won't be any cement! Come on! Let's run!"

As Tails started running, he thought, "One thing's for sure: being with Cosmo will never be boring!"

The End!