I liked spending so much time with my Amy... I knew I would need to focus on my main mission, but there was nothing in my commands that prevented me from taking longer breaks... Plus, there were no current leads, so I could explore locations at my own pace. That being said, while I did love and trust Amy, I would not let her friends get to Cavalier Sonic first. I watched their every movement as well... Not that they were exactly doing much on their own.



"Can you just move in?" Amy sighed at me, playing with her fortune telling cards at the kitchen table. I sat opposite of her while performing routine maintenance on myself; I cleaned out my unnecessary recordings and data. "Eggman doesn't miss you as much as I do..." She was still in her pajamas, so I didn't think she wanted to do anything that day.



"I do like being at your home more than the active base," I said. "Also, he doesn't miss me at all, though he does find value in me. I'd accompany you every night if I could, Rosy."



She whined a little, shuffling her cards. "I'm feeling spoiled since you've been staying the past few nights. I'm treasuring every moment, but I'm greedy." She sighed even more dramatically. "We've gotten into such a groove!"



"We need to have another fight," I said, checking the wiring in my arms.



"You're probably right. I've never fought you as Neo before... Uh, that'd be interesting training for me, especially."



My power far exceeded hers in my current form... But I admired her drive. "We can think of something." I finished my maintenance and watched her place out cards for herself. "What are you doing?" I asked.



"Just practicing."



"You have to practice?"



She gave me a warm smile. "So, like, every card tells a different story, and combinations of cards can be so vast. I like to study them once in a while as an exercise even if I'm not doing a specific reading."



"I see," I said, tilting my head. "Do you think my fortunes have been accurate?"



Her face flushed and she giggled. "Well... I don't know! That's up to you, isn't it? Have you made any huge sacrifices?"



I thought for a while. "Not really," I hummed. "Unless you count my agreement to assist him." I hadn't told them I agreed yet... They were probably going to harass me shortly.



She laughed again. "You want me in a gown for that so that's more of an exchange than a sacrifice."



"... You are not wrong," I mumbled back.



"So... How does that work again?" she asked. "You can help Sonic and it wouldn't go against your programming?"



"I'm not helping him work against my Master," I told her. "And my Master hasn't commanded me specifically to ignore the Hedgehog's requests." He's even commanded me to assist Sonic before... To do what Sonic tells me to do... I didn't really want to think about it.



"Ohh...! I see."



"I want to be clear I'm not doing this out of any goodness of my heart. I hate him very much. But... I love you more than I hate him. So."



Amy giggled, putting her cards down and resting her head in her hands. "You must really love me," she said lightheartedly.



"Yes." I took a moment to admire her... As much as I didn't want to ally myself with the Hedgehog for anything, I didn't want to be the reason Amy didn't have a good birthday. I decided to bring up her yearly celebration: "Rosy, do you want to do anything for your upcoming birthday?"



Her eyes widened, and just as quickly, her face flushed. "You remember my birthday?" she quietly asked.



I glared at her. "You should know better."



"Sorry!" she said with a giggle. "I know you leave me flowers on my birthday each year... I just had a brief moment since I only ever told you in my letters," she muttered, softly smiling. "To be honest, I forgot about my birthday until you mentioned it."



"This is the first time I can do something with you. Do you have any wishes?" I asked a bit calmer.



"I just want to be with you," she sweetly replied. She stood from her seat and walked over to me with the intention to squeeze herself into my lap. I moved my chair slightly away from the table and she sat on me just as quickly, hooking her arms around me and happily swinging her legs. I supported her back with one of my arms and rested the other on her lap as I watched her. I thought she would continue speaking, but she made a satisfied sigh instead. I was both amused and heartened.



"Then we will be together," I replied. "I want to take you on a date for your birthday."



"Ooh?!" She shifted in my lap and I felt her tail thump against me. "Where are we going~?"



She asked a good question. I wanted to take her on a meaningful date to celebrate her life... It had to be fun, and afterwards, she could see her friends and get her platonic fulfillment. Then, after said fulfillment, I would take her into my arms again and give her a romantic night. I would be her favorite part of her birthday.



"I... am still thinking of where. But I do not wish to tell you when I do know." Little Planet was my only true romantic idea... And it wasn't in orbit anymore.



She smooched my face. "As long as we're together, I'll have so much fun," she said, then smooched me again. I enjoyed her affections... She reminded me well of her love.



She expressed interest in wanting to go to the movies again, but I didn't consider that very special for her birthday... Also, I had no money. I needed to earn money since stealing would draw too much attention. "Where could I make money?" I asked.



Amy grinned at me. "Hey, don't worry about that. If you wanna take me somewhere we have to pay for, I'll pay for it."



I did not accept her response. I would try to make money anyway. However, I didn't want to continue that thread of conversation with her. "Fine. What was your favorite gift you received on your birthday?" I asked.



"Ugh, it'll give you such an ego."



I was interested. "Too late. Tell me."



She got off of my lap and walked to the wall of flowers. She picked up a frame containing one of my vibrant flowers, soft pink, a dozen petals, a purple stem and leaves. "You gave this one to me on my birthday," she said. "It was... I mean... You remember the Metal Virus, right?"



The time period that contained one of the worst moments of my entire life? "Yes."



The Metal Virus was a creation of my Master that turned all life into metallic slaves that were supposed to bend to his will. The virus developed, spread further, and went out of control until it was eradicated by the Hedgehog. Even though I confided in Amy about how I felt when I first achieved my true form, I wasn't sure I would ever tell her what I did during the spread of the Metal Virus. I attempted to infect myself with the Metal Virus when no one was watching, but it did not affect me. I started to think everyone, ally and enemy, was right about me. I wasn't a person; I was a pawn, an object. I was already a metallic slave. Something broke in me that couldn't be fixed.



I wondered what Amy's words would have been to me if she knew I loved her then. It didn't matter, anyway. She proved my fears wrong eventually. I was more. I quickly snapped back to focus as Amy continued speaking:



"Well... After all that happened, I felt so... I don't know. Like, everyone moved on so fast. It was all so stressful, and then just... Everyone's partying. Don't get me wrong, I tried having my fair share of fun too, but, when I was alone..." She sat back in my lap, her focus on the framed flower in her hands. I examined it with her. "I just felt kinda numb. I was in a funk that was hard for me to describe. I didn't want to go out with my friends that birthday, but I still felt really lonely anyway. I don't know why I'm like that." She smiled, slowly tracing one of her fingers around the frame. "But I still received a flower... It made me feel less lonely. I don't know. This one just really stuck out to me, as far as birthdays go."



"Continuing our tradition after that event also helped me," I said, holding her close. "Your explanation did not increase my ego. You only reaffirmed things I knew."



She gently kissed me and gave me an airy sigh. "You are so cute."



"Am I also handsome?"



"Of course you are." Amy rubbed the side of my head. I enjoyed her praise very much. "I think I've been spoiling you too much," she said with a grin.



"No."



"You make a compelling argument!" She laughed very joyfully. I let go of her so she could put the framed flower back on the wall. I stood as well and took a moment to admire the wall with her... Each flower represented a specific point in time, some good, some bad. I hoped each addition would bring another positive memory for my Amy.



Knock, knock!



"Hm?" Amy turned around towards the front door, then walked towards it while I shifted into my disguise. She glanced at me to make sure I transformed before she opened it. "Hey!" she said cheerfully.



"Hey, Ames!" Ugh.



"Need something? I'm not really in the mood to hang out today, though," Amy said, which was good, because her time was better spent with me.



"Is Kai here? I was hopin' to steal him from you for a little while, if both of you are alright with that," Sonic said in a teasing voice that I absolutely couldn't stand. No, I didn't want to be stolen by him. "I need to pick his brain about somethin'."



I approached Amy from behind. "What do you want?" I asked, narrowing my eyes. I didn't mean to sound threatening, but I hated him so my tone would always sound that way towards him.



"Can I talk to you alone for a minute?" he asked.



"No."



Amy glared at me. I sighed.



"Fine."



Amy smiled again and walked away to give me and Sonic privacy. I did not want privacy with him. I wanted her to come back.



"Amy probably knows I want you for her birthday, but she won't know what we're planning either way," he eagerly whispered to me. "Have you given it some thought? Can you help us out?"



I couldn't believe I was doing this. I glanced back at Amy, who excitedly waved at me from the kitchen table; she was messing with her fortune telling cards again... Her eyes were big and sparkling. She was so...



Ugh...



I turned back to look at the Hedgehog. "What do you need help with?" I asked. My question made the insufferable rat energetic and gleeful. I instinctively closed my fist to punch him but prevented myself from acting further. I allowed thoughts of Amy to calm me down as soon as I got more irritated.



"Are you still planning to go on a date for her birthday?" he asked.



"Yes, I am spending the day with her."



"Perfect! Here." He handed me a folded note. "This has the location and time planned, along with some other stuff... So maybe you could take her to the party in the evening after your date. We're planning for a lot of food and drinks... But we still need a cake! Are you a fan of baking?"



I narrowed my eyes. "Yes, I will make the cake. I will make everything."



Sonic's eyes widened in turn. "Uh, whoa, hold on. It's a team effort. A lot of her friends should show up... That's a lot of food--"



"Do not doubt me, Sonic the Hedgehog. I will cook as much as necessary."



He smirked at me. My urge to punch him increased. "How about we meet again the day before her birthday and go to a friend's place to cook? The address is written down in the note I gave you, too. She should have all the stuff you need, but you're still welcome to bring your own ingredients. We'll figure something out, I think."



"Fine."



Sonic eventually frowned. "Uh... Just in case, I'm a bit worried we started off on the wrong foot. I'm sorry if I came across as too strong when we met."



"The meeting was fine. I just dislike you."



"Huh?" His eyes widened. "You don't like me? Why?"



"Take a guess."



He glanced at Amy behind me. That was part of the reason I hated him, anyway. He scratched his head and looked as if he was trying to think of what to say.



"Is that all?" I asked. I didn't want to talk to him.



"Hey--"



"Goodbye." I shut the door in his face.



Amy perked her head up as I turned around. "Did you just slam the door on him?!" Her tone was very firm. I did not please her despite entertaining the Hedgehog.



I sighed. "No, I didn't slam the door, and our conversation finishe--"



Knock, knock, knock!



Ugh. I knew Amy would want me to open it again, so I did.



The Hedgehog put one of his feet in the doorway, which meant I would break his ankle if I shut the door hard enough. Tempted. "Kai, wait!" He said, frowning. "Look, I don't know what you know about me, but--"



"I know everything about you."



His eyes were wide.



"You are a close friend of Amy's. I respect that. You are not my friend, however, and I have no intentions to make you one." I held onto the door a little tighter and glanced at his foot in the doorway. "I already agreed to assist you. I will also meet you at your friend's house to cook. If there's nothing else, move out of the way."



"I'm just really confused. Can we talk about this a bit?"



"Confused about what? That someone doesn't like you?" I narrowed my eyes. "Get used to it."



He sighed. "It's just... I get a lot happened between me and Ames, but there's no bad blood or anything. I get it, you know about me from her and whatever else is out there, but you haven't gotten to know me personally. I'd love the chance to settle any misunderstandings."



I had to be careful to not claw Amy's door again. I understood him clearly. I understood him more than most people. I hated him because I knew him well. Even the fact that he couldn't accept my dislike was enough to infuriate me. "I'm not interested."



He appeared to be disappointed, which pleased me. "Uh... Alright, no worries." He gave a defeated laugh. "Thanks for talking with me. Seeya, Kai."



He walked away, so I shut the door again. I did not use as much force so Amy wouldn't yell at me. I put the note in my pocket so she wouldn't see it, then returned to her.



She was giving me an... intimidating stare. She stood in the middle of the room with her arms crossed.



"I agreed to assist him," I said.



"What the hell did you say to him, Metal?"



I lifted my hands up. "I didn't say anything out of line! I just said I disliked him."



"How is that not out of line?!"



"I would normally say I hated him."



Amy sighed at me. "You could've just said nothing at all!"



"Look, Rosy, I'm not going to accept his request to be friends."



"What frustrates me is that you know how to be nice!" She stood her ground. I knew she was actually irate with me, but I found her very attractive. I did not say this because she would likely get angrier. "You don't have to like someone to be nice or, hell, even neutral."



"I wasn't outwardly rude."



"Saying you dislike someone is rude!" she emphasized.



I shrugged. "If someone told me they disliked me, I would respect their honesty."



Amy did not like my answer. "You like when people dislike you! You are so..." Her frustration completely deflated and she sighed again. "You know what, nevermind. I'll accept that a fight didn't come out of it."



"... You are... not angry?" I asked. I was genuinely unsure.



"No, I'm not mad at you." She walked over to the kitchen and brought a pitcher of juice out, then poured herself a glass. "I'd like you to be less mean to him when you have to see each other again. Which means not talking about how much you dislike him. Just don't say anything if you want to say something negative about him."



"I don't get it. Why does it matter?"



"You're supposed to be polite to people you don't know, Metal. I know you know him, but as far as he's concerned, you first met at the mall a few days ago."



I sighed. "I implied to him I know him through you. That hasn't breached what you told him."



"What, so he thinks I've been shittalking him?" Amy looked angry again. Also, that was a new word. "He's one of my best friends, Metal!"



"I didn't say anything like that," I huffed. "I was channeling my own feelings as your boyfriend. How do you think a boyfriend would feel to know his girlfriend was in love with someone who didn't love her back and made her feel lonely and useless for such a long time? Of course I hate him. I don't need my own personal history to hate him. Do you think he would assume that you, of all people, would say negative things about him?"



Amy's anger quickly vanished and she stared more in shock.



"Plus, he is famous. There is a lot I can draw from. I've thought about this. You should have more faith in me, Rosy." I turned my head up at her. "So I know him enough and I don't have to pretend. I will tolerate him, and I will not fight. You expect that of me. I have not breached our guidelines."



"Metal..." She sighed, letting her head droop to the side. She held her head like she was fighting a headache. "It's not a test you have to barely pass. I would really like you to just... set aside your differences and not go by the bare minimum. I don't want to worry about you like this every time we come across Sonic, which... God, Metal, this will happen so much more often since you're a significant part of my life now. I'm not saying you have to be with him more than you need to... But you have to actually try for me." She looked at me again, frowning. "Please."



"... I'll try."



She tiredly looked at me. "Thank you," she said, quiet. She sipped from her glass, then let out a sigh. "I never directly asked... Why exactly do you hate him so much?"



"There's... So many reasons I've yet to tell you, Rosy." I balled my fists. "Among the strongest reasons, I hate him because he has never experienced genuine suffering."



She raised a brow. "What, so you want to be the cause for him?"



"No, nothing I do will change the reality. He's the world's favorite, and he will be loved and bathed in ignorance forever."



We were quiet for a little while, though the silence wasn't heavy despite the subject matter. "I get a lot of recognition for the times I help others. I'm ultimately a positive person... Why do you love me, but hate him?"



I was irritated that she compared herself to him. She wasn't like him at all. She never was. "You are like me," I answered. "You have known suffering, and for that, your words carry weight. I admire our differences. Also, you are very beautiful, and he is very ugly."



She was sipping her drink and snorted out a laugh, covering her muzzle. She had to put her drink down and wipe her face. "Let's... back up a bit," she said, giving me a slanted smile. "Why do you think Sonic hasn't known suffering?"



I gave her an unamused stare in return. "He's never been the loser when it matters. Never had to prove himself. Everyone loves him, everyone wants to be him. He's 'perfect' to all who know him." I grimaced. "Don't get me confused, Rosy. Maybe I wanted to be just like him before, but... I only truly wanted you. I understand I am not missing something I'm unable to grasp now. So, what's left is just pure contempt. I hate him with my whole being."



Amy leaned back against one of the kitchen counters while watching me. "I don't think he's perfect," she replied. "There are things I don't like about him, too. But... I still think you could learn from him."



I grumbled under my breath and approached her. "What could I possibly learn from him?"



She flicked my head. "Being nice to others, for one," she huffed.



I felt the Hedgehog was the worst to learn from regardless. I crossed my arms. The longer we stood there, the more solemn Amy appeared.



"If I gotta be honest, Metal, I'm disappointed with your actions." She averted her eyes, frowning. "I'm really not mad at you, but I thought you'd..." She sighed again. "You said you'd try. I should leave it at that. Sorry."



... I did not like her words. I preferred she was angry. Disappointment was new. I did not know what to do with disappointment. I unfurled my arms and fidgeted with my hands at my sides. "What do you mean by disappointed?" I asked.



"I thought you'd keep trying your best, especially after our talk in the canyon." She did not look at me. She hadn't looked at me for an entire minute. I turned into my true form and followed her to the living room couch in hopes to draw her attention. I stood beside the couch while she reclined there. She did not look at me even though I was in my more handsome form.



I had a feeling I never felt with Amy before. I didn't like it. "I failed your expectations?"



"I get it's hard for you to get along with Sonic... It's not a big deal. If things got messed up between me and Sonic, I'll figure it out." She shrugged.



"H...How can I fix disappointment?" I asked.



She finally looked at me. I felt so much relief. There was still love in her eyes. "It's fine, Metal."



"Tell me anyway. Please."



She gave me a softer smile. "If you really do feel bad, you should apologize to Sonic. It would mean a lot to him, and it would mean a lot to me, too. That doesn't mean you have to be friends."



... I didn't say anything wrong or incorrectly. I didn't want Amy to be disappointed in me, though. I didn't know what to do.



"You don't have to lie, either," she said, raising a brow at me. She saw I was lost in my own thoughts. "To apologize, just acknowledge you were out of line. But... Let me be clear about something." She turned fully towards me and rested her hands in her lap. "I'm not making you apologize. If you say nothing to Sonic, our relationship isn't in trouble. You have your own feelings, I have mine. Alright?"



I thought for a long while. "... You would still love me regardless of my decision?" I asked.



She frowned at me. "Of course, Metal. We won't always agree with things... That's normal. I knew there would be trouble with Sonic when we started dating... I don't want it to break us apart."



"I... don't want it to break us apart, either," I said quietly.



She returned a much larger, genuine smile. "I'm glad we agree there."



The terrible feeling began to fade. I sat down on the couch beside her. A different question formed in my head and I needed to know the answer. "... Rosy, why do you love me more than him?"



"You're like me," she repeated what I said earlier, smiling. "And... I don't think I loved him as much as I thought I did. There was a Sonic in my head that just didn't match the real deal. But you... You've always been real, and I'm happy that you are..." She gently rubbed the side of my face.



Warm.



"You know... You've said a few times now that you were created to surpass Sonic. You called it a curse." Amy smiled again, very soft. I didn't understand her smile while talking about something so personal to me. "I know it must kill you to always have that link, and others will always compare you. But... If Sonic didn't make Eggman so angry all that time ago, I wouldn't know true love, because you wouldn't be here to show me."



...



She hugged me. "I'm so happy you exist."



I returned her hold. I squeezed her to me and felt her heartbeat... It was calm and soothing. "... I still hate him," I said very quietly.



She giggled. "That's okay. I still love you." We had a nice moment together. Calm. "Ahh, I was waiting for you to transform back," she said, much more cheerful. "You feel just right!" She wiggled herself onto my lap and practically buried herself against me.



She did not seem either angry or disappointed with me in the moment. I felt loved. I was happy she existed too... She made me enjoy my own existence so much more. I didn't want to apologize... but I wanted to at the same time. I had trouble describing it.



I did not tell Amy what my decision would be.