It had taken until her fifteenth year alive on their planet, but Amy had finally bagged herself a certain blue hedgehog. She had dreamed of their first kiss countless nights, but when it finally happened it had been so unexpected and so wonderful she'd had a bout of the hiccups and run away in shame. When he finally found her hidden under a bridge she had regained her breathing but lost her nerve and she was unable to look at him.
“I can't remember the last time you hid from anything,” he whispered close to her ear, her face buried in her arms.
“I'm so embarrassed!” she squeaked, “don't look at me.”
He chuckled as he slipped his long fingers under her soft spines, tickling the light fur on the back of her neck. She jerked her head backwards, revealing her ruby face and wide eyes glittered with tears.
“That was a dirty trick,” she mumbled.
He nodded, “that's me. Still, couldn't try that again if I can't reach you.”
As it turned out, even with warning she was unprepared, and her bottom lip quivered as he took a careful hold of her jaw. She tilted her head as they met, and the world faded in to nothing around her. Expectations and dreams no longer mattered; the reality was perfect.
*****
Apart from their private moments of affection, little changed between them in the proceeding year. They were still at war with Eggman; they could not rest for long while danger lurked around the corner at all times. Amy had more of a spring in her step and Sonic was perhaps a little more considerate of those around him, but otherwise nobody would have known any different.
That was until Shadow returned to them, and much befitting his name his presence seemed to loom over Amy. Nobody could understand the change in her mood, least of all Sonic, but in his own way Shadow was on her wavelength more than any of them. He had been perfectly capable of hiding his attraction to Sonic for years now; animal lust was all it was whereas Amy clearly loved him more than life itself. But in that unspoken desire were pheromones, by nature they would only call to a female, so Amy was the only one picking them up.
*****
She didn't say a word to Sonic about her distaste at Shadows presence but she picked fights with the onyx hedgehog at the drop of a hat. Arguments could get heated, but it never came to blows. It wasn't for lack of trying, but Sonic would often throw himself between them before they had a chance to take things too far. They could have inflicted serious damage on one another and this was not the time to lose anyone. Shadow had returned, along with the rest of Team Dark, to bring down the latest wave of robots spewing forth from Eggmans base. They were smarter than others had been and they knew how to find weaknesses. A wounded soldier was as good as dead.
The something new happened that would change the course of their fates. As Amy lead the charge Sonic guarded the rear, but a well time blast caught him unawares and she was sent flying. Prepared for the devious backlash, Shadow had caught Sonic before he collided with a concrete wall. For a split second, they had both locked eyes and a spark flickered between them.
It sounded like steam screaming from the spout of a boiling kettle, but they were both alarmed to find the hiss from coming straight from the bared teeth of Amy Rose. Her ears were flat to her head as she flashed her canines at both of them. Shadow unceremoniously dropped the blue hedgehog and put up his hands in defeat. Now was not the time to be distracted.
“Amy what has got in to you?” Sonic questioned her, “you know Shadow wouldn't hurt me any more. It's been years since the Arc.”
She growled, “you don't know what he can do.”
“Can we please just calm down and get back to the battle raging behind you?”
Amy stood as tall as she could, Sonic hunched down in an attempt to ease her, while Shadow took a couple of steps back. He hadn't intended to interfere with their relationship.
“I'm on my toes at all times,” she called, seemingly addressing them both, “I know the battles I have to fight, the competition I have to overthrow. I am not giving up now I have come this far.”
Sonic looked back and forth between his girl and his rival turned friend. Something felt strange, stranger than it had before, but he knew it was not the right time to appease Amy's self conscious thoughts.
“Ames we need Shadow here to fight, but that doesn't mean I don't need you too,” he sighed, finally standing up and taking hold of her trembling shoulders, “you at my front, Shadow at my back, it's the best way for us to be.”
His mind was so focussed on getting to the fight, Sonic hadn't realised that a shot of his own scent had burst in to the air while he was in Shadow's arms. The only one who truly knew was Amy, who kept her icy stare on Shadow as he retreated to a safe distance.
The battle was won. The war was just starting.
