Metal said he knew how he would stay with me the entirety of our trip... Usually, he was good for it. What happened for him to leave in the middle of the night?



I sighed as I sat up from bed and looked around. I wrapped myself in a robe to fight the chill of the air... But it was so quiet. I didn't think he was here. I checked the rest of the suite... all the lights were off, everything was where we left it.



"Chaooo!"



...? Nova? What were they doing here? I heard Nova's voice out in the hall, so I went up to the suite door and opened it to peek outside.



The hall's lights were totally off. That... didn't seem right. I could barely see anything except for a very, very small shape waddling into the darkness.



"Nova!" I called, frowning. "Where are you going, little baby?"



"Chaooo!" Nova's voice was much farther away.



I sighed and went back into my room. I quickly threw on some shoes and took my room key, then grabbed my hammer before running out into the hall. I went in the direction Nova disappeared in, hoping to not have to run too much to catch up to them.



"Nova, come back!" I called.



This time, Nova didn't respond. I felt kinda uneasy. There weren't any lights on anywhere and I was starting to feel a bit disoriented. This hallway felt weirdly long and my hammer felt heavier in my hand.



...!



I saw Metal at the end of the hall, just before the stairs to the right. But...



Why was he in his base form? He was turned away from me, staring right at the wall. I slowly approached.



"Metal?" I asked. "What are you doing?" I kept my questions vague, just in case. "What's going--"



I jumped back. He swerved around and slashed at me with his claws, his eyes off. I was so confused. He wasn't talking to me, not even making any beeps.



He sped towards me and smacked me into the wall. My reflexes were so... slow. I saw him coming, clear as day, but I couldn't swing my hammer. I had to fight. My legs felt even heavier-- I swung my hammer with all my strength to smack him.



He... It did nothing to him. What?



He knocked me onto the ground, separating me from my hammer. I felt so weak. My eyes struggled to stay open, I... I didn't know what was happening. I was starting to panic.



When I next looked at Metal, half of his head was torn open. There were wires, and-- and it was... It was like he ripped himself open when I wasn't looking. Liquid spilled out from his face and onto the floor. It was dark like blood. His hands were coated in it. The hole in his chest was larger, jagged.



I barely managed to stand up. I was too tired to even speak. Something invisible was constricting me. I couldn't breathe...



My hands were dark too... They were wet, and dripping, and I didn't know from what. I couldn't breathe. I tried. My body wouldn't listen to me.



Metal sped towards me again. I could see his silhouette launch forward. He brought his claws together, arm extended, aiming for my stomach. I couldn't--



"Rosy!!"



I took in a deep gasp of air as my eyes shot open. I was back in the hotel room... in bed. I touched my stomach. It was... a dream.



I suddenly recognized Metal's warmth behind me. He gently sat me up, one of his hands on my heart. I turned my head to see him stare down at me in his Neo form. He looked... shocked, but just as quickly, his shoulders lowered.



"You looked troubled in your sleep. Your heartbeat increased in frequency... And you were not responding to my calls." He removed his hand as my heart calmed down. "Are you... alright?"



It took me a second, but I shook my head. He slightly tilted his head, red-eyed gaze following me as I fully turned around and held his head with my hands. I touched his muzzle, felt his cheeks... I traced my thumbs around the white outlines of his eyes.



"Why are you not alright, Rosy?" he asked.



"I don't remember falling asleep, but I had a... a bad dream. It freaked me out." I very, very slowly relaxed. "I was here, at the hotel, and I heard Nova outside, then I-I saw you and your head was suddenly ripped open, and--" I wiped my face. "You were like a zombie. Your eyes weren't on and you t-tried to..."



He wrapped his arms around me. I felt like I could breathe...



I wiped my face. My hands were wet again. He pressed his head to mine, then he cradled my head with one of his hands. His hold easily took over. I needed his comfort...



"I'm so sorry for scaring you, Rosy," he replied quietly. "I can assure you, I am not a zombie anymore..."



I hugged him back tightly, letting him gently stroke my head. His hand was so big comparatively that he barely had to move it. His claws went through my quills, then he went back, rubbed behind my ears, let his claws trail down again... When I focused on how he felt against me, I relaxed a lot more.



Eventually, I replied back: "It wasn't actually you, so you didn't..." I was breathing normally again. "I hated seeing you so... damaged."



"Rosy, I ask in earnest: why does potential damage to me bother you even though I can be fixed?"



I deeply frowned, closing my eyes as I rested my head against him. I heard the soft humming of his inner workings... I felt the outer rim of his chest. "Because everything about you is precious to me... I don't want you to even look hurt. You being a robot doesn't make it less devastating for me..."



He slightly tightened his hold. "You are precious to me as well, Rosy. You shouldn't worry... I can repair myself extremely easily with my current form, and that's if I get hit. I am incredibly resilient."



I snorted.



"Why are you amused?" he asked, tone slightly sassier.



"I needed that, that's all," I said with another sigh. "Ugh... I thought you left me... I'm so glad you're here."



"I will never leave you."



I cuddled against him. Eventually, he rolled me to my side and cuddled me, throwing one of his legs over me to tuck me against himself. I loved how close he held me... I really did feel just as precious. The side of my face sunk into my pillow while Metal had his muzzle pressed to the top of my head. After a few minutes, I tried closing my eyes again...



"Was there a reason you had a bad dream?" he asked in a soft tone.



"No... It came out of nowhere. I never had a dream like that before..." I would really have to read my cards and look inwards to try and figure out what the hell that was.



Metal fidgeted a little. I could tell he was bothered by something. "I did nothing, then?" he asked, voice uncertain. "Maybe I kept you up too late."



It was hard for me to feel shaken when Metal was right here with me. Each word that came out of him made me feel better and I didn't even think he was trying. "Metal, you talking is exactly what I need right now," I admitted. "I just want to hear your voice."



"... I'm not sure what to talk about," he muttered. "We talked an awful lot a few hours ago."



"Geez, it's only been a few hours?" I sighed. "I really need to rest if I'm gonna get a few more wins in our races..."



"My incomprehensibly powerful love for you will not dissuade me from my victory, Rosy. I agree you need more rest."



I giggled. "You falling on your face was victory enough for me."



"It was sabotage," he hissed. I giggled again, cuddling against him more. When I focused on his presence, I felt like I could actually fall asleep peacefully. After a moment, he spoke again: "Is there anything you want me to talk about to help you rest?"



"Mm... How about... Tell me all about the day you spent cooking food for the surprise party. Give me all the details you wanna share."



"A difficult evening to forget. I hate the Bat very much. She is almost as loathsome as the Hedgehog, but on that day, she accomplished a task I considered impossible: I hated her more in the moment." He briefly paused. "I will start at the beginning so you can better understand. Since I was invited to Vanilla the Rabbit's house, I wanted to take Nova with me as a precaution..."



He continued telling me about that evening all without skipping a beat. I loved his voice. The way he explained anything was direct, detailed, and sometimes really funny without meaning to be. I was so interested in what he was talking about... As I expected, Rouge intentionally gave him a hard time, but he did a good job in holding his own.



He talked about what he was cooking, his thought process... It was so soothing.



...



...



...



I cracked open my eyes. It was totally dark, though I saw some light peeking through the blackout curtains on the other side of the room. I fell asleep with Metal in front of me, but he wasn't there anymore...



I slightly adjusted myself, which was how I realized he was holding me from behind. I shifted my head up to better look at him; his eyes were off, but they blinked on when I moved. I turned over and hugged him tightly, my tail wagging.



"Good morning, Rosy," he calmly said. "... Actually, it's the afternoon."



"Damn. Really?" I asked, yawning.



"Yes... But I didn't want to wake you when you were sleeping peacefully. We'll be able to do everything you want to do today."



I almost wanted to keep a lazy day... But, there was a lot of stuff we could do here that we couldn't at home, and this vacation was a gift from Rouge, so I didn't want to waste it. Before I got up, though... I gently kissed Metal.



He lovingly pressed back, but he didn't expect that I was going to kiss him a few more times. I wanted to get carried away. I loved him so much. I loved that he was patient, and gentle, and easily angry, and full of attitude. He was calculating and hardened, and he was soft and sweet. He was my everything, and he was right here in my arms, and I was right there in his.



"Thank you," I told him with my whole heart.



He briefly averted his eyes, then focused back on me. "... What did I do?"



I kissed him again. "You were being you," I said. "Thank you, my wonderful Metal."



"Hardly an achievement," he mumbled. He felt very warm and it wasn't because of my body heat. "But I am wonderful. You're welcome."



I chuckled. I didn't want to get off of him... "I haven't written you a letter yet to continue our tradition... I'm thinking I'll just say how I'm feeling out loud." I kissed him one more time. "Transcribe it into a file if you want..."



"I was going to either way," he quietly admitted. I grinned at him.



Before we got ready for the rest of the day, I told Metal everything on my heart. He comforted me last night the way he knew best, and I just felt so... loved. More than loved. I wanted to spend my whole life with him. He was bold with me, so he deserved the same. I knew he took my words seriously when he sounded like a jet engine about to take off, but he lay with me without moving, absorbing each word and allowing my closeness.



Whenever I really poured my heart out to him, he was so quiet and it was incredibly cute. I kissed him to let him know I was done. I gave him a few minutes to calm down and change into his disguise while I got dressed. After we left our room in proper attire, we ate the fanciest lunch I think I ever had, then we went for my car to go to the nearby village. He had the sweetest subtle smile on his face...



We browsed cute little stores together, including an antique shop. Seeing all the charming old furniture made me think about where I lived.



"I know I said this lightheartedly before, but... Metal, do you want to live with me for real someday?" I asked as we walked through cramped aisles.



His face was slightly flushed ever since we left the resort and it wasn't gonna stop here. He shyly nodded at me.



"Maybe we can get a place outside of the city. Somewhere a little more secluded so we can have all the time in the world to ourselves." I smiled as I picked up a snowglobe with a tiny house and shook it to see the white speckles float around in it.



Metal was examining one of the random creepy dolls the shop had stacked on a nearby shelf. They were weirdly charming at the same time, like, they had delicate, lacy dresses with various colors and patterns. He looked at me. "You would not want to be close to your allies?" he asked.



"Oh, I love them and I'd still visit them all the time, but I'd never be lonely with my favorite person around." I held his hand, bringing myself in to smooch him.



"Because you love me more," he said with a confident nod.



I laughed. "I love you very romantically, cutie."



His tail very eagerly wagged. "That means yes," he said under his breath.



"I do like the convenience of being in a city, though... I wouldn't want to be too far. Hmmm... I'll keep thinking about it." When I actually paused for a second, I realized what I was saying and how big that actually was. I was talking about living with my boyfriend-- still crazy I have one, honestly-- and not only that, but I was talking about life-long stuff and he was going along with it. Younger-me would've laughed in my face and called me a liar.



I had someone who actually resonated with me... And he kinda had that realization and crisis before I did. I giggled to myself. Even through all the weirdness and drama, I felt refreshed.



Metal and I were done looking around, so we left the antique store together to continue our exploration. I adjusted Metal's scarf so it wouldn't slip off. I knew he didn't get cold the same way I did, but I still didn't want him to be... Maybe that was weird. Oh, well. He wasn't complaining.



"Let's do a few races when we get back, but not too many. I'm in more of a cuddly mood," I said as we went down the sidewalk.



"Despite your bad dream, you have been more affectionate... Are you genuinely feeling better?" he asked.



I nodded, leaning fully against his arm as we walked. "I am, because of you."



I glanced behind him to see his tail, heheh. I loved that my words made him so happy. I wondered what other store we could check out, but nothing was catching my eye and Metal didn't seem too interested in anything that wasn't me.



There was some commotion in the next street over; it sounded like a crowd cheering and some triumphant band music. Metal and I wandered over hand-in-hand to go check it out. As we got closer, we saw some crowds of people, plenty of children and parents excitedly watching as heavily decorated cars and balloons floated by the main road.



"It's a parade!" I said with a grin. "I wonder what they're celebrating."



A giant balloon that looked like Sonic floated into view. Metal rolled his eyes. "I have a good idea on what," he grumbled.



"Rouge mentioned the resort owner owes her one... Maybe she and Sonic dealt with some stuff around here at some point." Or Rouge had some dirt on the owner or something, but I knew better than to ask questions I didn't want the answer to.



"Have places around the world posted your image around so flagrantly?" he asked, gesturing up to the balloon in disgust.



I shrugged. "None that I know of. But, I mean, Sonic kinda takes all the attention... And, in my opinion, that's a good thing."



"That's good to you?" Metal lifted a brow at me. "To have your contributions stolen?"



"They weren't stolen. Fame isn't always a good thing, y'know... There's a lot of insane expectations placed on those who are well known. A lot of good and bad attention goes your way, too... So, Sonic shields a lot of the bad from us sometimes. If he gets more good attention for that, hey, so be it. I don't do anything for fame... Neither does Sonic, to be fair."



Metal was quiet for a little while. "So long as you're happy," he said, voice soft. "I want to race. Let's go back."



I giggled. "Sure, Metal."



We went back to the street with my car and let the sounds of excitement fade behind us. The walk was peaceful and calm... Luckily, Metal didn't seem too agitated by the balloons and floats. Occasionally, he looked at me and studied my face.



"What?" I asked.



He spontaneously smooched me on the cheek, blushing as well. "Nothing. I love you," he muttered.



Ahhh...!!! "I love you too." I grinned to myself and leaned my head against my free hand. He was insanely cute...!



Oh, there was the car.



I smiled at him as I went up to the driver's side. "Hey, do you want to drive us back?"



"Sur--" He stopped, eyes wide. He went completely still, not even breathing. I was, uh... I didn't like that.



His gaze locked onto me again. He frowned.



"Rosy, I have to go. I've been summoned and it's... I have no choice. I'm sorry."



"Can you tell me what happened?"



He sighed. "You'll probably find out." He went over to me, then kissed me again. "I'll find you as soon as I can, Rosy. I'll see you later."



"Okay..." I frowned as he let go of me and ran off. He went towards a secluded spot to likely turn back into his Neo form.



Rrrring...



... My phone. I fished it out of my coat pocket. Unknown number. I answered.



"Your payment just went up!!" yelled Rouge from the other end.



Uh oh.