Amy Rose didn't want me to frequent her home anymore... I understood, but I was sad. I wanted to kill whoever spotted us in that tree a while ago. She was smart to not tell me the name-- at least it wasn't the loathsome Hedgehog. I was frustrated at getting spotted, but I was more affected by the aftermath.



I could distract myself with my next short-term goal, which luckily coincided with my Master's return to the active base. He never brought up abandoning me and I never expected him to. My admiration for him decreased, but I needed him for something important.



I sought out my Master the day after I visited Amy. Both my Master and Sage sat on their thrones, absorbed in whatever work they were doing; whatever it was, I wasn't involved and didn't care. I approached them and beeped to get my Master's attention.



"Hnn?" He lifted his head a little from the holo-screen he was focused on. "What do you want, Metal?"



'Are you hungry?' I asked.



He leaned back in his chair. "You know... Yeah, I could go for something. I'm up for whatever. Alert the chef bot."



I nodded, then left.



I entered the kitchen in the base, which was less charming and comfortable than Amy's, and far larger and more industrial despite my Master being the only one who could eat. One of my Master's specialized non-combative creations permanently resided here along with a bunch of smaller pawns to assist him.



I alerted the chef bot and I also threatened the chef bot. I wanted to cook. I pointed at the chef bot, a tall and lanky orange bot that was otherwise similar in design to the Egg Pawns. He had a chef hat and an apron with the Eggman Empire insignia. I hardly had to assert my dominance; the bot rightfully feared me and did not request I leave the room.



'Our Master requests a meal. I will cook instead and you will assist me,' I told the bot.



He hastily nodded and hugged a rolling pin to himself. We began preparations. I watched as the chef bot cleaned the space around him, while I told him what ingredients I needed. I gathered some supplies while he gathered the rest; I needed to learn where everything was in here. From there, we began. I sent the bot a file of a light pasta recipe I intended to cook, which was one of Amy Rose's favorites.



Cooking was not as enjoyable with the chef bot, but I did learn far more than I would have on my own. Following recipes was easy and I perfectly measured every ingredient, but Amy said that cooking involved 'following your heart' and I didn't think I had that part down yet. I was too wary to follow hunches. I worried my food was not tasty because of it, and I was not able to taste test as a buffer.



The meal was complete. The chef bot clapped excitedly while marveling at my creation, which did appear pleasing and delicious. I told the bot that his assistance was acceptable, then I left with the food to deliver it to my Master.



I offered him the plate of food and he took it, but he stared at me for a while. "Why are you bringing me this and not the chef?"



He was suspicious of me, even though I couldn't bring harm to him. 'I wanted to,' I simply replied. He raised a brow and stabbed into the pasta with a fork.



... He was just eating. He did not give any reaction or response.



"What are you standing around for? Go do something with your time," my Master said, shooing me away.



That was unhelpful. I left and went back towards the kitchen, trying to think of what I could do. I wanted to keep cooking and hone my skill, and I didn't want my Amy to be at the brunt of my taste testing...



I sent a message to Belle.





Huh. I never tried. Disguising as beings that could eat didn't mean I had to also eat, but I emulated their forms. So... I probably could...





I closed our connection and pondered for a while. I didn't really know anyone organic outside of my Master or Amy...



... I had a terrible idea.





I sat on a stool in front of Big the Cat at the stump-like table in his hut. On the table was a full-course meal I prepared: the same pasta but remade with my additional knowledge, a fresh salad, and a small but fruit-filled pink cake. I stared at him as he dwarfed both me and the table.



"You want me to eat all of this? Sure looks yummy," Big said, tilting his head a little.



I nodded.



"Well, don't mind if I do," he said, cheerful. He closed his eyes and went for the pasta first. As soon as he took a bite, his eyes opened and his pupils dilated; they were sparkling. "Mmm...! Makes me think of Amy's food."



...! Really? That sounded very good. I hoped that meant she would like it.



"Hmmm... She uses a bit more seasoning, though." He gave a little nod, then took another bite.



Seasoning! I knew I should've added more! Other pictures I found online had more specks of color... I took immediate note of this and closely watched him to anticipate further feedback.



Big was quiet as he ate, occasionally purring. He at least seemed to enjoy it. He went for the salad next; similar to sandwiches, I felt they were difficult to mess up. I mostly focused on the dressing I used since I mixed it together myself.



He gave a very pleased nod. Good!!



"This is yummy, but the dressing was on the food for too long... so the leaves are a little soggy."



Of course. I was foolish. I needed to take care of how and when I applied my work to properly fit the time of consumption. I nodded back to him and waited for his thoughts about the item I spent the longest on: the small cake topped with sweet fruit.



Big's eyes went wide and they shined with awe. "Ooooh... I like this one the most," he beamed. "Lots of love is in this cake... Are you sure it's for me?"



I pushed the plate closer to him. My less perfect cake was for him, yes. The perfect one would go to my Amy... But his words made me ponder.



Maybe cooking with love was what Amy meant when she spoke of 'following your heart'. The cake made me think of Amy because it was pink and she had such a fondness for sweet things. I believed my love somehow caused the food to improve in taste. I had the recipe and could proportion a reasonable amount... I just needed to think of Amy while cooking.



I imagined her smile while eating. Afterwards, I imagined her kissing me because she was so happy with her food, and then I imagined us making out. I desired her praise and the way she caressed the side of my head.



Maybe she would tell me she loved me. I wanted to give Amy food every day...



"Thanks for sharing some food, little fella," Big told me cheerfully. He snapped me out of my very pleasant train of thought, so I was slightly irritated. However, he provided me great assistance. Every plate I brought was empty, so I knew nothing was unpleasant. Should I need additional feedback, I would bring more to him.



Big waved at me when I took off with my plates.



My Master did not need me, so instead of return to the active base, I went to my garden. I wondered if I could grow my own crops... I'd have to convert more rooms into gardens since the room I used, however large, was full of flowers I refused to remove.



Thinking further, I'd have to make a lot of changes to the old base. Since Amy planned to visit more often, I'd want a functional kitchen so she could stay longer and not get hungry. I also still needed to properly power the main lab so I could better work on Carillon Rose.



Carillon Rose's complexity concerned me, not because she was more complex than me, but because her wiring was so complex that I was beginning to think it was intentional. Regardless of where her wiring was, I couldn't tell what circuit went to where or what controlled which part of her body. Her wiring was a puzzle and I didn't know the rules. Very confusing, very inefficient. An upside was that her circuits were made of materials I recognized, so I could replace them for her... when I figured out how to.



I could similarly only make guesses as to what she could do. She could fly if the underside of her dress was any indicator. The way her body was segmented implied the bottom of her dress could also rotate and change shape; whether it was for maneuverability or combat, I still had no idea. The teal parts of her design might've been able to light up, but if they had a use beyond aesthetic, I wasn't sure. The fancy collar was definitely for aesthetic. I liked it.



What could have caused her damage also concerned me, as well as why she traveled to the past twice. Was she hiding? With her damage, did someone else send her farther back? ... Did she arrive before or after going to the future was limited? There were still too many questions... I thought Belle's perspective could provide additional insight when she next visited, especially if I couldn't figure Carillon Rose out before then.



I brought myself out from another train of thought. I wanted to make this base safer and more efficient for both Amy and my study of Carillon Rose. I spent the rest of the day doing just that; redirecting power, changing door codes, moving some old junk around, going through my Master's old projects to salvage anything worthwhile. I also removed the damaged copy of mine that lingered in the glass tanks since he freaked Amy out, but I kept whatever circuitry was salvageable. I made sure the base had no connection to the Eggnet and similarly couldn't upload any data. Everything had to be local. Despite that, I connected myself to the base long ago and could monitor changes and movement.



My reorganization eventually brought me up to the top floor. Past the bedroom, there was the kitchen, which was very similar in shape and size to the one in the active base. It was incredibly roomy and lifeless. I surveyed the area to see what exactly I would need to do... which was just about everything. Everything was caked in dust and many tools had not been properly stored.



I squinted as I stared in the refrigerator. Food was left behind? It looked disgusting, like a bunch of black sludge. I would rather replace the equipment entirely than have a minuscule chance of filth touch ingredients meant for Amy.



Ugh. I closed the fridge and decided to clean up everything else first. The logistics of grabbing a new fridge on my own was complicated, so I would probably have to clean the current one as thoroughly as possible. I focused on going through the rest of the equipment and throwing away anything too worn down or ruined by time. I wheeled a dumpster-sized bin from a different room and began chunking everything I found ill fitting for the kitchen.



"Hey~!"



I didn't think it was possible to lift my head up faster. "Rosy!" I didn't mean to say that out loud or in such an eager way. I forgot I installed my voice processor when I went to check on my flowers. Amy stood in the large, open doorway of the kitchen.



"I didn't think you were here until I heard a bunch of clattering. What are you up to?" she asked, walking over to me with a smile that made me overheat.



"I've been securing the base and I wanted to also make it more livable, since you plan to visit more often," I replied to her. I wanted to touch her, but I had been dealing with garbage--



She hugged me, happily bumping her head with mine. I was careful to not hug her back, but I enjoyed her embrace... "Aw! I just can't get enough of you," she said in such a lovely tone. "Do you need some extra hands?"



"That's not necessary," I said, looking away. "The kitchen is in poor state. There is a lot of cleaning to do, but I don't want to burden you."



"Pff! That's fine. Let me help!" she beamed.



We would spend more time together if she did help, so... "Alright," I said.



Since Amy helped me clean, I focused on getting rid of everything in that fridge so she wouldn't have to deal with what I assumed was a horrible smell. We passed the time by chatting with each other. She told me about her day and I learned she was also doing some cleaning of her own back at her house. I missed her voice; I always missed her voice.



Our cleaning task eventually brought us to the kitchen's double-sided sink. She took off her gloves to help me. I rewashed all the old, dusty dishes by hand, then handed them to Amy, who dried them and put them away. We got into a rhythm that I stopped keeping track of how much left we had to do.



"This reminded me of when I first went to your garden," Amy said, smiling as she wiped a plate dry. "Eggman called you away to go clean up some rubble or something. Do you have to clean for him much?"



If I heard this question much earlier in our relationship, I would be more embarrassed. "No. Sometimes he tasks me to do whatever he feels like making me do."



"Sounds like kind of a waste on you, huh?" she asked.



I handed her the next clean plate. "My opinion... He does it to keep me compliant and assert his superiority. I've had to do more menial tasks than that."



She raised a brow at me. "Does his method work?"



"No," I said. "I am compliant either way..." After a pause, I added: "I am not his favorite."



I saw her frowning from the corner of my eye, but I kept my focus on the dishes. "Well, being his favorite doesn't mean all that much, anyway," she replied, giving me a peck on the cheek.



"I like being your favorite far more than when I was my Master's favorite," I said with a nod. She giggled.



I did not do very much to earn Amy Rose's favor. I've been in love with her for a very long time, but loving her was effortless for me. Sometimes I was frustrated with my feelings because I could not easily suppress them. After my feelings were reciprocated, she just as easily gave me love in return.



I was enough for Amy Rose... Even when I wasn't enough for my Master.



... My Master made me angry... He made me feel useless. But, somewhat like Amy's attitude towards the Hedgehog, even though my Master made me feel many negative things, I held onto the times he did not make me feel that way. I felt a duty towards my Master that was hard for me to define. I was frustrated at not having the exact phrase. I discovered more about myself through Amy Rose, so maybe I would eventually find the words.



I wanted Amy's love more than the attention of my Master, but my Master was the one who brought me into this world. I would not feel Amy's love were it not for him. How would he respond to discovering the only secret I kept from him?



I felt... anxious. I didn't like not knowing the answer. I didn't want my Master to live a long life, and the idea of him being around forever filled me with terror. But, at the same time, I didn't want him to leave me again. I was confused... I didn't know what to think.



...



"Rosy," I said.



"Hmmm?"



"Who is the person you feel the closest to? Other than me... I will not be upset with your answer." I averted my eyes. I felt like I knew the answer, but I wanted her confirmation.



"Uh... You promise you won't be upset?"



"Yes," I said, offering her my pinky.



She smirked at me, then intertwined our pinkies together. She briefly let go, then returned drying her current dish. "Honestly, the other person closest to me is Sonic."



I was correct. "Has he ever done something unforgivable in your eyes, but you can't remove your positive association with him even knowing how it made you feel?" I got distracted by my own words and stopped cleaning the dishes. I resumed, maybe even putting too much focus afterwards...



"I had a few bad fights with Sonic before, yeah... Sure, I align with him on a lot of things, but sometimes we disagree on the execution. And sometimes we just plain disagree. There's been times I didn't want to see Sonic's face at all, but our fights never made me think of ending our friendship. I don't really know that he's done anything 'unforgivable', though..."



I thought of how to rephrase. "What about when he made you feel useless?"



Amy let out a sigh, a more serious one. "He's never intentionally made me feel useless, Metal. He's a good person... He's made mistakes, sure, but... He never hurt me on purpose."



...



I stared at my reflection in the plate I held. Bubbles ran down its face, showing me more and more reflections of myself.



"Metal?"



I looked up when I heard my name. I looked at Amy, then rinsed the dish in my hand.



"What are you thinking about?" she asked. Her tone implied concern. I didn't mean to concern her.



"How do you know if it's not on purpose?" I asked.



Amy frowned at me. "Has Eggman made you feel useless? By making you do all that grunt work?"



"... Not the grunt work," I corrected her. "Those types of tasks annoy me... But they don't make me feel useless." I finally handed her the dish. I was tempted to tell her when I was left on that island... But a part of me... I was...



Afraid. I didn't know why I was afraid, but I didn't want to continue.



"I don't want to talk about this anymore," I told her honestly. "I am not bothered by your answer... And I know I brought it up first. But I am not continuing this conversation."



"Okay," she replied softly. "We can talk about something else. Or, nothing. How many dishes we got left?"



I glanced to the pile of dusty dishes that remained. "There aren't too many left," I said, starting on the next one.



We were quiet for a while. I wouldn't describe the silence as uncomfortable, but the way I abruptly ended our previous conversation made an air between us I didn't exactly like.



"Hey... Metal," Amy started, glancing over to me. I looked back at her.



"What is it?" I asked.



"You're more than a machine. I hope you realize that."



I stopped cleaning and fully stared at her. I didn't expect her words and I didn't expect her to say them so suddenly. Her voice was firm. She was serious. When I studied her eyes... I felt love. She loved me...



She continued: "And... You're also more than my favorite. You're more than my boyfriend, too."



... Sometimes Amy Rose said things to me that broke me, but not in a harmful way. My reality made less sense... It made more sense. What was I if more than a machine? Why did I believe her?



I already felt fulfilled being at her side. My purpose was to be with her. Even so... she believed I was more. I also believed she was more. I felt a fullness even harder to describe; I was similarly confused, but I didn't actually mind the confusion. Somehow I understood the feeling even though I could not place it with words.



"I... appreciate you," I said, quiet. "... You are also more."



She smiled at me. Our silence was more comfortable this time. I felt incredibly warm.



Eventually, I broke our silence again: "I know you accept the circumstances, but I'm sorry I make meeting up so complicated."



We were nearly done with the dishes. "You're worth it, Metal. I wouldn't trade our time together for anything," she said, her smile turning into a grin.



"I... similarly appreciate we have not argued about our opposing sides." I handed her the last plate. "I am not oblivious... Of course you would want me to work alongside you. But the time we've spent together tells me you don't have a motive to make me defect."



She dried the last plate and put it away, then immediately hugged me. "Whatever decisions you make, Metal, maybe I'll support them or maybe I won't, but I'll always love you."



I knew I would always love Amy Rose as well. She was the only thing that made sense to me. I would deal with everything else in time. I hugged her back. "I love you too, Rosy... I feel my words don't adequately describe my love. I need to better explain."



She laughed, her cheeks flushed as we let go of each other. "You don't have to explain your love, Metal... I feel it in everything you do. But... it certainly doesn't hurt hearing it."



"I don't have to, but I want to," I replied. "I hope, one day--" I stopped myself. I realized I nearly expressed my wish from the shooting star. It had to come true, so I did not tell her.



"Hmm~?" She scritched under my chin. "What do you wanna say?"



"I will not tell you," I said, firm. "I almost revealed my wish." I had to be more careful... While I found benefits in being vulnerable with Amy, I could not let myself make mistakes.



She giggled. "Okay, I've reached my threshold. I gotta kiss you now."



One of the benefits revealed themselves... She eagerly kissed me. When her mouth parted from my muzzle, she gave me such an endearing gaze I would never forget. She held my hands, then stepped away, starting to take me out of the kitchen. The kitchen was fairly clean at this point, but we still had to dispose the garbage...



... I wanted to follow her. She let go of one of my hands so she could walk forward, still holding my other. She took me through the bedroom and went all the way to the bathroom. I was confused why she guided me here.



She dragged out a stool from under the bathroom counters and patted for me to sit down on it. I did so, but I didn't know what she wanted from me.



"You're all dusty and have spots of soot from all the stuff you've been doing," she said lightly.



"You hugged me before I could warn you of my state," I replied.



She looked at me by watching me through the mirror in front of us. Of course I saw us together in our photographs, but seeing us side-by-side was strange to me... It made me happy. She gave me such a warm smile, then lathered a washcloth with some soap.



She gently scrubbed the top of my head... I didn't expect it at all. I thought she was going to clean herself. I stared at her from the mirror, but her focus was totally on my head, still smiling as she washed me.



...



I closed my eyes. I liked how it felt.



"I'll get you cleaned right up," she said to me softly. "I'm sure there's some fancy way you get polished, but I think this'll do the job."



She rubbed my ears, went around my top quill, and even cleaned the underside of my quills. My head was cleaned with soap, then rinsed with a damp washcloth and finally wiped dry. She didn't need to touch under my quills, but I was happy she did.



I felt very cared for...



She giggled. I opened my eyes.



"What?" I asked.



"Nothing~" When I next looked at her in the mirror, she was grinning, then lifted one of my arms to clean it. After a minute, she spoke again: "You were purring."



"I really don't do that. You are misrepresenting the sounds of my inner workings."



"Whatever you say," she teased. "I think it's super cute! And I'm so happy you're comfortable."



"I enjoy your touch," I said, closing my eyes again.



She paused to briefly rub my head again, then continued. She also cleaned parts of my upper torso. I really did have a lot of dirt on me. Evidence of my efforts from organizing, salvaging, and discarding items from the base eventually vanished. Though her cleaning wasn't as specific as my maintenance, I preferred it far more...



I wanted to fully embrace her and hold her tightly to myself... But her face was also not clean due to the mess we fixed in the kitchen. After she finished, I said: "I will clean you as well."



Her eyes shot wide open. "Th-that's okay!" I flustered her. Cute...



"I insist," I said, standing up and urging her to sit in my previous place. She calmed down just as quickly, but her face was still red. "I only wish to clean your face. I am not offering to clean your torso or remove your clothes."



"I-I knew that! Obviously!" she stammered. She did not know that. Her thoughts were all over her face.



"Some organics hardly wear any clothes at all. I'm unsure why it flusters you, however much it entertains me," I mumbled a little.



"It's about the intention!" she stressed, more flushed. "We're not talking about this anymore." I was very amused.



I just as gently washed her face, careful to not get any soap in her eyes. She gave a wide smile when I was done and opened her eyes to give me a loving gaze. I slowly kissed her, then resumed my cleaning. The rest of her head was fine, but I wanted to give her more attention.



I removed her headband and cleaned behind her ears. She never looked more relaxed. Her face was red and she arched her brows up, a soft smile, eyes closed again.



"... Do you like your ears being touched?" I asked.



"They're just ears!" she quickly replied, suddenly grumpy in expression.



I scratched behind her ears and the grumpiness instantly faded. She let out a quiet, airy sigh. I thought she very much liked it.



Her face stayed red when I brushed her quills. While I brushed them out of affection, I did like touching them regardless. She dropped her shoulders and slightly hunched forward.



"It's so unfair," she groaned out.



"What is?"



"I pamper you and you go right around and make me completely melt...!" She huffed, but her expression was too soft to actually be upset. "This contest will last forever..."



I was very amused. "I will win," I said.



"Ugh, I actually think you're right," she responded dramatically. "I didn't know how badly I needed my boyfriend to brush my quills... What's the equivalent for you? Getting your quills sharpened? What do I have to do to get even?"



"Any expression of your love pleases me," I gently replied, putting the brush aside. I put her headband back behind her ears. "It is the greatest gift."



"Aaaagh!!!" She threw her hands in the air. I was confused.



She stood up and launched herself at me; I nearly toppled over. I couldn't tell whether she was angry or heartened. Both?



She practically smashed her head to mine as she kissed me...! She crossed her legs over my torso and hugged my head. I could see her tail wagging in the mirror. She was incredibly happy and also aggressive. The combination made me excited.



I allowed her to express her affections, which in turn made me want to express mine. I moved us out of the bathroom so that we could be together in a more comfortable space.



This very room was the location of the first time Amy Rose said she loved me... My Amy Rose... She looked at me with such adoration and I returned her gaze with the same intention. We passionately embraced one another. I felt her electricity.



I really would do anything for her...