New Beginnings

Chapter 26 - Push

Though the sun had slowly been dropping down into the sky and the horizon had long become adorned with an orange glow, the festivities weren't going to be stopping anytime soon.

Which was exactly the way he liked it, Sonic chuckled to himself as he waved goodbye to the few neighbours of Cream he had been talking to. Conviviality, cheerful chatter and good food; all things the speedster adored when hanging out with his friends and acquaintances after undoing an evil ploy from Eggman or simply when there was something to be celebrated. The others who had gathered here to help look for Cheese and Chocola seemed to be enjoying themselves too; Charmy, Cream and the Chao were playing a game with each other under the watchful eye of Vanilla and Amy as Tails was being coaxed into joining, Knuckles was gathering some food at the picnic tables, and Shadow and Rouge were... talking to Vector at the edge of the forest? With a flick of his ears the hedgehog looked the scene over once more, his curiosity piqued at the three people who – as far as he knew – did not tend to interact much, but which were now clearly hanging out with each other. The latter two appeared to be having an animated chat, of all things... Quickly Sonic zipped over to see what was going on.

"Hello there, Big Blue," Rouge greeted him with her trademark cunning grin as he skidded to a halt in the clearing, the bat daintily sitting on a small wooden bench with her legs crossed, whereas Vector waved and Shadow only scoffed.

Saluting back with a wink Sonic studied the two of them, not missing how sly two out of three were smirking. "Now what are you two-" he conveniently left out the black hedgehog, who didn't seem like he had been an active participant in the conversation in the slightest "-sneaking around for?" There was something fishy going on here, he could feel it in his quills.

"Networking, Blue," the bat crooned. "We don't speak much, so I figured, why don't we get to know each other a little now that all of us are here?"

She was smiling much too mischievously for that to be the truth, and the speedster did not miss Vector's eyeroll as Rouge winked at him. "No need to beat around the bush. Rouge called me over so we could discuss Espio and Silver," the blunt reply from the crocodile came.

Sonic quirked up an eyebrow at that, parroting the other's words back intriguedly. "Espio and Silver?" He hadn't talked to those two since the party had started, the chameleon taking the frightened psychic away to sit somewhere more secluded and peaceful as everyone began to gather in the town's square and fields, and the speedster himself had been busy raiding the tables and playing games and chatting to others. He hadn't exactly kept track of what those two had been doing so far... not that Espio would have let him anyway, he noted as he cracked a small smile. But why would Rouge of all people be so interested in the two? From what he could recall she and Silver had not seen eye to eye much during their adventure together a few days ago, not at all, so something had to have changed in that regard. "What's up with them?"

"We, and with that I mean I, just had a little chat with the sweetheart," Rouge snickered as Shadow's face grew only more annoyed and Sonic scrutinised her only further. She did not seem irritated with or mad at the time traveller, which he would have presumed after the disaster that was tackling the Ifrit problem together; which could mean only one thing, Sonic realised as a spark of happiness and pride jumped up in his chest. They had talked things out, and it had gone well. "I don't know if you ever picked up on it, but the hun's quite fond of our ninja boy, don't you think?" the bat continued, smirk only growing as Sonic blinked at her.

...Oh.

Perhaps it would pay off to give Silver some lessons in subtlety later, the speedster grinned inwardly, because at this rate he could pretty much shout off the rooftops he was in love with Espio and have everyone be plenty aware of it already. Rouge was right, of course; with how much more happy and easy-going the usually-wary psychic was around the ninja it would be impossible to not pick up on it for most, let alone the perceptive spy. And Sonic himself had long figured out what it was Silver's heart desired, though he also deemed it best to not bring that up with the cunningly-grinning bat and crocodile. It would likely only result in a whole lot of teases and pushing, which wouldn't do the others' budding relationship much good. "So I've seen, but what's that have to do with anything?" the hedgehog decided to settle on, feigning ignorance for now.