I did a lot of thinking ever since my encounter with Metal a few days ago... I thought we needed to have another fight to practice more. I had an idea that hopefully he'd be receptive to, so I went to Metal's base on a beautiful, sunny day. I challenged myself to open the entrance door without glancing at the codes I wrote down. Beep, beep, beep, beep... Aaand a few more...



Krr-chunk! Yay! It opened. I remembered it just fine. I walked in and similarly locked the door behind me with the same code. I hoped my darling Metal was here and not doing errands for Eggman. I walked down the hall and went to the garden door, pressing my head against it to check if I could hear anything.



Mm... Nope, nothing.



One of my ears twitched and I turned my head. I heard his voice in the distance. Who would he be talking to? I went further down the hall. A door automatically opened as I got close to it, natural light flooding into the hallway. I peeked in, tons of garden beds with little green sprouts--



"Spit it out." Metal's voice was very firm. I couldn't tell who he was talking to, but it was unlike him to use his voice on anyone other than me...



"Mmh!" I heard a very little, teensy voice.



"Now."



I peeked further in and glanced towards the wall far to the left. There was a chao standing on a table! The chao vigorously shook their head at Metal, while Metal aggressively gestured forward. The two of them stared at each other for a long moment.



Metal swiped at the chao, but the chao floated up just in time and began fluttering away. I got a better look at them; they were kind of a gray-blue and had little white accents. Oh, cute little ears! That kinda made me think of the one we met before, but that one was brighter in color.



I stepped into the doorway. "What's going on in here?" I playfully asked.



"Rosy! Grab them!" Metal leapt over one of the garden beds and launched himself forward, but missed since the chao was so small and I doubted Metal wanted to cause any actual damage in the room. The little guy was paying attention to Metal, so they didn't even notice me. I caught them with both hands.



"...?" The chao turned their head towards me and stared with big, sparkling eyes. Oh, they were so adorable!



"Hello, cutie!" I beamed, giving the chao a smooch on the head. The ball above their head became a heart, but they continued staring at me the same way. I giggled.



Metal snatched the chao from me and held his other palm out. He slightly shook the chao. "Out."



The chao stared at Metal as if deciding what to do. Eventually, the chao slobbered whatever was in their mouth out onto Metal's hand; looked like some kind of seed. I laughed.



"You ate more than one! Give me the others!" he snapped.



The chao continued staring at him. Metal growled aloud, causing the chao to spit out, like, a dozen more seeds. With a groan, he let go of the chao, causing them to flutter in the air and land on his head. He glanced at me. I didn't know how a robot could look so tired, but he did.



"Hello, Rosy."



I laughed, having to cover my mouth or else I'd totally lose it. "Hi. You made a new friend?"



"A new nuisance. Do you recognize the insolent creature?" he asked, walking away to plant the seeds in a garden bed in the middle of the room. I cheerfully followed behind.



"I dunno. Have I seen this chao before?" I asked. "They do make me think of the one you rescued."



"They are the same," he replied. "Somehow, they followed me to this location. I decided to not get rid of them when they showed they could maintain plants, but my patience is wearing thin. They broke into my seeds and began eating them despite having eaten half an hour before." After planting the seeds, he went over to a wall of supplies and wiped his hands clean with a towel. "Ugh..."



The chao's eyes closed as they snuggled onto Metal's head. A little heart appeared again. Aw...! Interestingly, Metal didn't put the chao down. I wondered if he lost that battle already. I grinned and put my hands on my hips. "Guess they remembered you after all, huh?"



"I do not like when you are right," he grumbled. I laughed again.



"So... what are you growing? Are these flowers too?" I asked.



"No, this is produce. I'll allow you to be in here," he said, looking back to me. "When they're fully grown, you can have as much as you want."



"Awh...!" I put my hands over my heart. "Lovingly grown veggies and fruit from the sweetest boyfriend ever? I don't think anything would taste better! "



He averted his eyes and slightly fidgeted with his hands. "Hopefully the taste is to your expectations."



I hugged him, then gave him a loving kiss. He held me back... We kissed again. I bumped my head to his as I took in the moment. I briefly forgot about the chao on his head; when I backed away, I saw the chao staring intently at me. I giggled.



Metal picked the chao up and put them back on the ground. "I apologize," he said to me. "I cannot teach etiquette like you can."



The chao floated back up to his head and perched there again. Metal angled his head down, clearly irritated.



"They're just a baby. I'm sure you can teach them to respect some boundaries as they learn more," I said with a grin. "They clearly look up to you, though."



"I did not ask for this."



"No one does," I teased. "You were chosen! What an honor." I caressed the side of Metal's head. Oh, I just loved him so much...



... Oh. Oh! I forgot!



I gasped in realization, which made Metal stand up straighter. "I wanted to talk to you about something!" I exclaimed.



He put the chao down onto the garden bed this time; the chao, instead of returning to his head, went over to a watering can and began watering the recently planted seeds. Aw... Wait, I couldn't get distracted again! Metal placed his hand on my back. "What is it?" he asked, walking me away from the garden beds.



"I was thinking about our last fight. Well, more just how I did. I want to fight again," I explained. "I mean, you were right before; I wasn't going easy on you, but I still... I don't know. I don't like actually fighting you. Like... what if I manage to hurt something really important?"



He scoffed. "Do you think I would allow you to damage anything important?"



"But what if I do?!" I gave a big frown, my face reddening.



He briefly rotated his head around, probably looking at the chao. He gently guided me out of the room. "You should worry about yourself more than me. I am made of metal; I can be fixed easily. You get hit in one wrong location and you'll die."



"Uh, you too! Imagine if something pierced right through your head!"



He thought for a moment, then nodded. "I would never allow the opportunity for something to pierce my head, and said weapon would have to be extremely powerful. Either way, I take combat just as seriously. I want to fight you more so I do not let myself slip into compromising scenarios."



"I just want to be confident I can fight you and not seriously hurt you," I said, frowning. "You already do that for me. The last time we fought, I-- I fought on instinct. I didn't even think the manhole cover could dent you like it did." I touched where the dent was before; thankfully, it was already fixed.



"A pathetic sewer entrance cannot give me long-term damage, Rosy," he scoffed again.



"I'm just saying I want to take fights seriously, but I don't want instinct to make me regret any of my decisions. Fighting with you more, I think I'll learn eventually... you know, just like you did for me. I'd learn your limits, how your body works exactly."



"This process takes a long time as we continue to learn from one another. I am still discovering the limits of your--"



"D-don't! Do not!" I shouted, my face red. "Don't complete that sentence." I had to learn to not set him up to say stuff like that... God...!



He stared at me, which made my face redden the longer time passed. He hugged me tightly and picked me up, twirling me around. "You don't want me to discover your limits?" he asked, tone playful. "But you sounded so eager to discover mine."



I was actually going to die. I taught him too much. I covered my face with my hands and let out a sound between a squeak and a whine-- I couldn't do anything else! I couldn't even look at him! "I j-just... I-I meant...! Nevermind!"



"I am very interested now. What kind of battle do you want with me, Rosy?"



"A violent one!" I screamed.



"Me too." His voice was way too calm.



I hung my head over his shoulder as my heart pounded out of my chest. He laughed, which made it even worse. I was a mess over here. Oh my God.



He walked down the hall, towards base's bedroom. "I will repeatedly embrace and kiss you in the private room now."



How serious and matter-of-fact he said that made me giggle. I lifted my head back up and watched him. His focus was down the hall, but his eyes met mine as soon as I shifted. I touched his muzzle; he was incredibly warm. "Metal..."



He turned his head to completely focus on me and I felt him heat up even more. I gave him a slower kiss. He walked slower and slower until he finally stopped, pressing his head against mine.



We kissed again, then again... He put me down only to press me to the wall. I couldn't wait long enough for us to go to the room, and luckily he was on the same page. I got so distracted with him... I loved the way he felt against me.



He was dangerous, but he touched me so gently. His claws pleasantly grazed down my body. He could surround himself with crackling energy, but instead, he only radiated harmless heat as we were pressed against each other. The same head that smashed through endless walls instead bumped against mine just to be closer. I loved when I got him worked up enough that he had to use his turbine to cool down.



"We're not in a pool of water, so I don't need you to get the chill out of the air," I quietly teased in between kisses.



"This is how warm you always make me feel," he replied. "I fear you won't want me nearby in hotter weather."



I giggled, rubbing the sides of his head before kissing him again. "I'll just have to help you cool off."



Uh oh. He went completely still while his turbine was whirring; that one got him. When the moment caught up to me, I laughed, moving my torso away a little so I wasn't blocking the airflow from his chest.



"You in there?" I asked, rubbing under his chin. "I didn't hear anything fry."



His unfocused stare flicked back to me, and then he held me tightly and passionately pressed his muzzle to mine. Whew, that one got me. I hooked my arms around him; he turned the both of us away from the wall and bent forward, supporting me with his hold. My mouth slowly separated from him and I took in a deep breath. I opened my eyes as he stood back up... we gazed lovingly at one another.



"I love you..." We both said it at the same time. Oh, my heart was a puddle at this point... There was something I wanted to say before we were like this. I forgot... but it'd come back to me later. I didn't worry about it and kissed him again.



He let go of me, but just as quickly, he swept me off my feet and continued walking. We nuzzled our heads together. I didn't want to be anywhere else... I couldn't be away from him. I gave him lighter kisses to not distract him from walking too much.



...



Oh... Oh! Oh! Dammit! I remembered. I did get distracted again!



"B-before I forget!" I stammered. "My whole... spiel, was because I have an idea of where we could next fight!" I quickly added onto my last statement: "R-real fight! A real fight!"



"I don't care about that right now," he said.



"T-too bad!! Listen to me!" I huffed, my face red. I didn't want to forget again! "Let's meet at the canyon separately tomorrow. It's out of the way but not too far, no one ever goes there, and we can have an all-out brawl by using the environment to our adv--" I was quickly silenced by another kiss of his.



"Canyon. Understood," he said when he separated his muzzle from me. He hoisted me up to support me with one arm as he put in the code into our bedroom, thankfully way shorter than the original one when he first showed me the room.



I huffed at him. I was more irritated at myself for not being upset at his interruption! "Right at noon. Okay?"



"Okay," he responded. "Is that all?"



I blushed more. "... Yes..."



He eagerly kissed me again as he walked me inside the room. We spent much more time together, and I was glad I told him about the canyon thing because I was absolutely going to forget again...



I originally wanted to just chat and spend a bit of time with Metal after inviting him to another fight, but time always got away from me when it came to him. It was suddenly evening and I was starving. Metal clearly wanted me to stay, though he told me the kitchen wasn't ready for me yet, so I figured that was the sign to leave for the night. We left each other with another loving kiss. As I left, I heard him yell something at the chao. I giggled and let him deal with all that.





A new day! A new battle!



A new ruined draft. I channeled all the feelings Metal gave me yesterday in writing my Ultimate Love Letter, but I didn't like anything I wrote. The goal was to make him explode-- almost literally but not literally-- but my last draft would only make his turbine spin a little. I groaned and crumpled up the paper, tossing it in my nearby bin. I really had to lock in. Maybe our fight would give inspiration for the perfect words.



It was time to go anyway. I needed to leave as soon as possible if I wanted to make it to the canyon on time!



I decided to travel the Piko Piko Hammer way since the canyon wasn't a terrible distance if I hoofed it... And I enjoyed the run anyway. Nothing beat the Little Planet adventure I had with Metal, though! I already wanted to go back... Sigh...~



I reached the rocky terrain and thought of where a good vantage point would be. Metal could fly, so he could hide up high... I thought to perch up higher too to get a better look around, just in case he was here. I launched myself up the rocks and hopped up each incline until I was on top of a rock formation. The view was gorgeous... And the breeze felt great. I'd love a picnic up here sometime.



My ears twitched, but I wasn't sure if I heard anything. There was a change in the air... I held my hammer up in defense as I listened closely.



Whiiiirrrr...



I quickly turned around. Metal was on the horizon, rapidly approaching me! Light began crackling around him. His turbine got an extra burst, propelling him forward even faster-- I had to act just as fast!



I dropped down to a platform below me. Shoom! Metal rocketed past where I stood, a terrifying aura of energy surrounding him. He stopped mid-air, dispelled his attack, then snapped his gaze down to me. He whipped down to kick me, which I blocked with my hammer. I deflected him away with his own momentum, then used my hammer to bring me to a different rock pillar.



Even when he was menacing, I found him attractive... I guess it helped I knew this wasn't a fight that did anything for Eggman. Every moment he made had a specific purpose; he thought as fast as he could move. Honestly, the only person who could truly match him in ability was Sonic... But that didn't mean he would win. I had other ways to best him.



I punted a rock with my hammer towards Metal-- he deflected it just as quickly, but it took enough of his time for me to keep moving. I descended towards the ground bit-by-bit and continued to throw rocks his way. I'm sure he noticed my pattern-- As soon as he got rid of the rock I launched at him, I went for him instead, aiming right for his head with my hammer!



Pi-ko! I swatted him out of the air like he was a fly! He collided into the ground, a big cloud of orange dust surrounding the area. I landed nearby and tried to gauge where he'd come from.



Whoosh!



"Eep!" A rock nearly smacked me in the head instead! I saw another rock barreling right towards me, which I knocked away--



Metal collided into me mid-swing. He slammed me into a rocky wall so hard that the whole thing cracked. The wind was totally knocked out of me.



Our faces were close together. His eyes flashed red. I acted on instinct--



I kissed him. His eyes briefly glitched, then he stared at me. I easily kicked him off of me and prepared another defensive stance.



He put his hands together in a T shape and began beeping erratically. His head was angled down like he was mad! He probably didn't have his voice this time.



"Time-out?! For what?!" I shouted.



He wildly gestured with his arms, beeping so much! I guessed he disapproved of my surprise kiss.



"It's a tool I have at my disposal!" I exclaimed.



He pointed at me and stomped one of his feet. He brought his arms into an X shape and brought them apart, over and over. He was saying, 'No you don't!'



I blushed and grinned. "No dirty tricks on the field?" I asked. "You did it last time!"



He vigorously shook his head and pointed me while saying something long in his machine speech.



"Okay, okay! Sorry! It's what I thought of in the moment, but I get it wouldn't work in a serious fight. I'll let you get a free hit so it's fair."



His next beep was very short and he crossed his arms, turning his nose up. After a few seconds, he went back into a fighting pose. He charged forward, then swung and kicked me back, causing me to dig my heels into the ground to try to stop the impact from taking me too far.



Our battle continued. I was able to keep him off with my hammer, reflecting his swings with my own. I'd nearly hit him if it weren't for the diamond-shaped shield he activated-- it stopped my hammer mid-swing and even trapped it inside! I struggled to pull it back out, then collapsed back when he dispelled the shield. He got in a good attack while I was down, knocking me into the air; he flew upwards to hit me again, but I forced him away by rapidly spinning my hammer. I was able to land safely and throw him off his balance, even if just a little bit.



He had more energy than me; I was getting more tired the longer we faced off. I tried to create some distance so I could catch my breath and figure out how to get him trapped somewhere. I began using the rock formations to hide and get some breathing room; I swung more rocks at him, blocking his vision and creating some dust even though he dodged them. I hid behind a rock pillar some distance away from him and listened closely.



Krak-rrrrumble! A giant pink laser cut through a rock formation nearby like it was nothing, and everything around it totally collapsed. How many abilities did Metal have?!



Another laser cut through a rock formation even closer to me... He was trying to get me to come out! I had to think of what to do next--



...!



He slammed into the same rock formation. That didn't make any sense. In an instant, he rocketed out from the cloud of dust and went... away from me. I was confused. I glanced where he came from--



There were two streaks of light in the air, constantly clashing with each other. Oh, no.



"Amy!" Tails flew over to me, concern on his face. He stayed in the air as he checked me over. "Are you okay?"



"I'm fine," I said. And annoyed, but... "What are you and Sonic-- I mean, how'd you know I was in trouble?"



"We were passing by," Tails replied with a frown. "I didn't expect Metal would be out here on his own... Do you know what he was doing?"



I sighed and shook my head. "I think he was passing by too. Wrong place, wrong time for me."



I glanced at the battle Metal and Sonic were in. Metal, uh... definitely fought differently with him. I could tell he was actually wanting to hurt him severely with only some restraint to not kill him. Metal would kick and knock me away with his arms, but not really aim for my face. It was all face for Sonic. He tripped Sonic, grabbed him by the legs and slammed him into the ground. He wound up his arm and punched down; Sonic evaded his hit, but the punch had so much force that it broke the ground.



"Metal will struggle if all three of us fight together; ready?" Tails gave me a determined look.



Man... "Yeah, let's do it," I said, clutching my hammer.



While Metal was distracted with the other blue blur, Tails and I jumped in to assist. Tails barreled in to whap Metal on the head; he quickly spun around to deflect him. I knocked him away with my hammer while he was turned around. With a second to breathe, I looked over to Sonic. He had some scrapes, but he was fine.



"Hey, Ames!" he beamed way more cheerfully than he looked. "Just another day, huh?"



I smirked at him. "You could say that. Let's trap Metal and get out of here," I sighed.



So we did. For what it was worth, Metal held his own. Actually, it was scary. His eyes flashed red as he took us on; every move was precise, couldn't give an error. He was more focused. I tried to gauge his strategy; he was able to fend me and Tails off while he saved the heavy hits for Sonic. He took off to separate himself from the crowd, dragging Sonic by the arm and throwing him a distance away. The two of them chased each other and clashed once more.



"Tails, take me up to one of those formations," I said, pointing up to where I wanted to go. Tails carried me by the hand. I watched the streaks in the sky and braced myself. Tails noticed what I planned to do and he aimed his tails to help me out.



Together, we whacked a giant rock as soon as Metal got close enough--



Direct hit! Metal went spiraling down into the ground. Sonic quickly joined us on the platform, took both of us by the arms, then sped away. I looked back, but only saw a big cloud of dust. I'm sorry, Metal...



Ugh, you know what? My ideas kept getting sabotaged somehow. Racing? Nope, we need everyone there. Little Planet? Here's a robot with a mysterious purpose! Fight at the canyon? Sure, come on in, Sonic and Tails! Aaagh!



I shouldn't be negative... I had fun at all three of those, especially Little Planet. I just would love to do something with Metal that was my idea and didn't end up in something else happening. The movie date was just about the only one... But I didn't really want to do that anytime soon with how the Chaotix were skulking around.



Sonic didn't stop until he was confident Metal didn't follow. My arm was tired from getting tugged all that distance... I missed being held by Metal. Man, I knew I was just being whiny because I wasn't in the best mood. We were in the fields right before the city.



"It's interesting we've been seeing Metal on his own a little more often," Sonic hummed to himself, rubbing his chin. "Is Eggman sending him on recon missions, or... is he just... starting to wander?"



"Who's to say he hasn't always wandered?" I asked back, dusting the results of the battle off my dress. I mean, it was true. He left flowers at my place all the time.



Tails shrugged. "Maybe... We should probably check out that new Egg base. I have a weird feeling about it."



"Oh, the Chaotix mentioned that to me," I said. "I'll let you guys do that. I honestly think meeting Metal was a coincidence. I'm beat from today's events, so I'm just gonna head back," I sighed.



Sonic nodded to me, then brought his attention back to Tails. "We should probably take the Tornado. Let's see what we can find!"



The two of them kept talking to each other as I went towards the city, then they sped away to somewhere else. I went back to the city, but then circled around to go back to the canyon. I knew Metal could handle himself, but...!



There was a pile of crushed rocks where we last got him. I searched through what I could lift; he wasn't there. I went towards the forest to go to his base and see him.



I made sure no one was around me, then entered the base on my own. "Metal!" I called. When I turned down the hallway, the same little chao from before was standing on the ground, staring at me just some feet away. "Oh, hey little fella. We really have to get you a name, huh? Has Metal named you yet?"



The chao just kept staring. O-kay!



"Do you know where Metal is?" I asked, leaning down to be closer to the chao's eye level.



Still staring. Okay, I gave up. I picked the chao up, causing a little heart to appear above their head. Aww... I gave them a little smooch.



"Now that I look at you, you're changing colors to look a bit like Metal, huh? Do you love Metal too?"



The baby let out cute little purrs and buried their head against me. Ahhh...! I missed raising chao! Maybe Metal could use some help...



Right as I thought that, the door to the flower garden opened and Metal walked out. My eyes sparkled. "Metal!" Wow, and he looked pristine!



"Hello, Rosy." He walked over to me, briefly glancing down to the chao, then back to me. "I didn't expect to see you so soon after our encounter." He picked a rock off my head and flicked it away. Oops.



"I know you can handle yourself, but I wanted to make sure you were okay," I replied with a sigh. "You look great!"



"... Thank you," he said, tone a little quieter. "You fought well."



"You too. I'm sorry; I didn't know Sonic and Tails would show up."



He rolled his eyes. "You get used to it. But that is a prime example of why affection is forbidden in battle," he said with a squint, pointing at me. "I only kissed you after our fight was over! And it was in a narrow tunnel in near-complete darkness. I made sure we were alone."



I giggled, blushing. "Sorry! It was instinct!"



"Control your instinct," he huffed. "... Let's fight again soon."



"Let's!" I eagerly nodded, then after a pause, I gestured him over to me. "You're too far away; get over here," I said, grinning.



He walked closer and let me touch the side of his muzzle. I leaned in and gave him a kiss. He touched the side of my head in return, felt my quills... I felt completely loved. He glanced down at the chao. "... I want to embrace you. I request that you let go of the creature."



"Aw, okay. I'll put you down now, cutie," I said to the chao. I unfurled my arms and gently grabbed the chao, but there was some resistance as I tried to get them off of me. They clung to my chest and had a death grip on the collar of my dress. "C-come on. Please?"



The chao did not let up. Metal growled a little. "You greedy little...! Rosy is mine, not yours!" He grabbed the back of the chao's head and attempted to pull them off.



"Hey! Be careful!" I exclaimed.



Metal let go, similarly failing to pull the chao off. He stared at them with an intensity I genuinely only saw when he was looking at Sonic. He eventually relaxed his posture and rolled his eyes, scritching the back of the chao's little ears.



The chao trilled out a cute sound and lifted their head, their eyes closing with a heart floating above their head again. They slowly let go of me and fluttered closer to Metal to better get scratched. Metal gently grabbed the chao this time, putting them back on the ground.



"Stay." Metal pointed at the chao, while he was met with the same stares I was given before. Surprisingly, the chao actually did stay there. Metal tightly hugged me and clung to me instead. I couldn't help but laugh.



"You better be careful and not spoil them too much. Then they'll know how to get whatever they want out of you," I teased.



"Ugh, don't even remind me. They're picky and insolent!" Metal complained while snuggling his head against me, not unlike what the chao did.



I laughed again. "You should give the baby a name! It seems like they're gonna stick around." I smiled as the baby chao fluttered back up and wiggled under my head, right beside Metal who rested against my shoulder. I gently pet them with one of my hands, while my other was on Metal's side.



"My name suggestions: Nuisance. Subordinate."



I rolled my eyes. "Oh, come on. Be soft for a second. I know you can be! What would the name of the strongest chao ever be? A chao that only Metal Sonic could raise."



Metal lifted his head. "Hmm..." He let go of me and looked at the chao, picking them up again, this time with no resistance. Metal stared at the chao for a long time, and the chao predictably stared back. "Despite your insolence, you will outclass every other chao in existence with proper care... Rosy is right that you need a fitting name. I will call you Nova."



"Aw, I like that! It's cute," I said excitedly. "Hello, Nova!" I pet them on the back of the head, making another little heart appear. Oh, I loved them so much!



"Do not praise the child too much," Metal huffed. "But it is time to feed them."



"Ooh, I could eat something too. Is the kitchen ready for me now?" I asked, swaying a little.



Metal took his time in replying to me. I wondered why he was being so weird about the kitchen; we already cleaned it together. He shook his head. "... It will be ready for you tomorrow. Will you be able to visit? After sunset?" he asked, averting his eyes.



"Ooh... Why after sunset?"



"... I want to serve you dinner... If that's alright."



My eyes widened. "Aw! You're making something for me again? Of course I'll be here tomorrow! Should I wear anything fancy? Is this a date?" I teased, clasping my hands together.



"It's... Do you want it to be?" he asked.



"The answer will always be yes. I'll leave you and Nova to it then and get my grub at home. See you tomorrow for a dinner date, my darling Metal." I winked at him, then gave him a sweet kiss on the muzzle. I gave a little wave as I walked back towards the entrance.



Metal put Nova down and quickly caught up to me. He took my hand, slightly tugged me back, then embraced me with another kiss. My legs felt weak... I always had so much trouble leaving him.



"Are you sure we can't have that dinner now?" I pouted a little after my mouth parted from him.



"Control yourself," he said, though his tone was very soft. I giggled at him.



"Fine~ I'll be patient." I smooched him again, then we said goodbye for real.