Passion

Chapter 5: Tension

Tails closed his wrist comm on one distressed hedgehog only to turn to another. Amy (or at least someone who looked exactly like her) was sitting off to the side, looking at everything and nothing, crossing and uncrossing her legs, smoothing over the hem of her dress. Okay...so she was obviously nervous. Whatever she had to tell Sonic could be no small matter.

It was strange, though: neither one of them had been acting like themselves lately. The normally bubbly Amy was off by herself, being quiet as if she harbored some dark secret. And Tails hadn't seen her in a Sonic stupor in who knows how long. And Sonic himself? The hedgehog was making himself more and more scarce, and Tails hadn't heard a single witty remark out of him all month. He'd tried to ask him what was up, but Sonic merely shook his head.

Since neither of them had been willing to share, Tails was left with his own conclusions. Something big had happened between them, something deep that they were still reeling from. What could it be? He had a tentative idea, but still couldn't see either of them doing that...

"What did he say?"

Tails turned to Amy. "Uh, he said he'd be here soon."

Amy nodded slightly, and was glad that Tails wasn't normally one to stick his nose in other people's business. Her leg was bouncing from anxiety, and Amy had to cross her legs the other way to try and burn some nervous energy. What was he going to do? Say? Would he stand by her...or leave her again? If only Sonic wasn't so unpredictable...

"He's been acting strange lately." Amy barely heard Tails mutter, but her ears perked up.

"Strange? Sonic?" She was trying to be sarcastic, but Amy really was curious as to Sonic had been.

Tails scratched his head. "Yeah. He hasn't been himself, you know, making jokes, goofing off. He's been serious, quiet...just very unlike Sonic."

Amy blinked in surprise. Could it be he still felt guilty? Could it be it was still affecting him, too, a whole month later? Amy had always imagined Sonic just flowing back into his normal life, since he had no strings attached. But why in the world would he still be hurt? He'd started the whole thing...

So Sonic does have a heart. Coulda fooled me.

Well, it didn't matter. She was going to let him know just how much he'd hurt her heart.

...xxx...

Sonic paused outside the workshop, surprised at how quickly his breaths came and went. Had running today really taken that much out of him? He let out another big, labored breath in attempt to calm himself down. Tails had called him here for a reason, and Sonic hoped it was just Eggbutt. He lifted a hand to push open the door, but upon hearing a voice within, he froze.

"I really don't know what his problem is, Tails."

Oh gah...that was Amy in there!

It took every ounce of willpower Sonic had to not rush off to the other side of Mobius at that moment. Amy was in there...she had probably asked Tails to call him...and now she wanted to talk. And the way her voice sounded, so quiet, so unlike the cheerful Amy he knew (and...loved)...it certainly wasn't going to be a friendly chat. What could she possibly have to tell him? Did she just want to chew him out? Hmph, as if he didn't feel bad enough already, and now he'd have to face her again.

Oh, what's the use? Sonic turned to leave. I don't...I can't do this anymore. Me and Amy...it was over before it began. My bad, tough luck. Let's move on, Ames, please!

Sonic, you can't run now. Talking with her will be the only way you can heal anything.

Could his heart and her heart...could they even be healed at this point? Was it possible? Another pelt of fear hit Sonic, but he swallowed it.