Yesterday, I asked Belle to distract Metal since I wanted to surprise him with a special dinner date. I thought I had enough of his preferences figured out that I could make him something amazing and have a really intimate dinner... But then he showed up at my house, sobbing, covered in bruises and wearing stained gloves.



I never expected he would cry like that. He could barely get out coherent sentences. He kept apologizing, over and over, and he begged me to not leave him. He was terrified. I... Honestly, I was speechless. With how badly he acted, I thought he killed someone, but his own appearance told me he got into just a scuffle. When he said he fought Sonic, suddenly everything made so much sense.



He explained some of his pain to me a while ago, but I didn't exactly understand the extent of that pain in a way I could directly relate to. I couldn't comprehend a dragon, but I could comprehend a hedgehog sobbing on my floor. There was no way I could be mad at him for that. Something about that fight totally broke him... Luckily, he listened to me.



When I checked up on him, he was under my blankets in his base form. That was the first time in a long time he was his base form around me. Needless to say, the special dinner would come another day. I didn't tell him I was planning anything since that'd probably make him feel worse.



Belle called me and we talked for a little while on the phone. She told me Sonic was okay and she was fine too, though she blamed herself. She said that Sonic recommended the library to her, but she never told Metal. I let her know I was taking care of Metal so she didn't have to worry. We really did need to do something nice for Belle... I kept her in mind for the future.



I was staying home today since I didn't want to be far from Metal. He stayed in his base form the whole night and he was still curled up in my bed the entire morning. I let him do it... if he was still gonna be that way later, I'd convince him to leave bed.



There was a knock at the door. I expected Belle-- I got, uh... Sonic. True to form, he was a bit banged up in the face and torso, but he was already healing well from all the damage Metal caused. He gave me the kind of warm smile that said he was here for far more than a hello.



"Hey, Sonic. Did you get hit by a truck?" I asked, somewhat lighthearted.



"You could say that. Can we talk for a little while, Ames?"



It sounded like he needed it, plus neither of us could avoid what happened. I glanced back into the house. "Um... Yeah, let's go somewhere else private," I said quietly. "Give me a second, though."



He nodded and I went back to my bedroom, then to Metal on my side of the bed. I gently touched his head and kissed him. "I'm going to step outside for a short time, cutie, but I'll be right back," I whispered to him.



He briefly looked at me, then looked away.



"I love you," I reminded him.



His eyes met mine and stayed there. "I love you too," he softly replied.



I smiled more and kissed him one more time. I finally walked away, joining the patiently waiting Sonic at the front door.



He offered to pick me up so he could speed me somewhere. I hopped into his arms and off we went, our journey taking us into the nearby forest. We settled in a clearing on top of a small hill, blue sky above us, thick trees around us. We both settled in the grass.



I knew he wanted to talk about Metal, but I didn't know to what extent. The air didn't feel... heavy. I was surprised. He was calm, but serious.



"I'm sure you have a good guess what happened," Sonic said with a halfhearted chuckle. "But I guess I wanna start somewhere else."



I focused on him. "What's up?"



"Remember when you brought those flowers to the workshop?" Sonic watched me for a brief moment; I nodded. "I noticed you weren't your best then... And then we hung out at the chao sanctuary sometime later and you talked about how the flowers were from an Eggman facility."



I nodded again. "Yeah...?"



"You said something about how you thought it was some kind of scheme at first but you changed your mind. You knew what you were doing, so I never asked about it after." He scratched his head. "You always had pretty flowers around your place. When I was last over, I saw all of them on your wall, too. Some of them must be super old..."



...



"And you knew Kai since you were kids. I thought it was a little weird you never talked about him, like, the first I heard about him was technically when I was teasing you back before the Chaotix party." Sonic smirked at me. "More recently, I was starting to realize that Kai was all over your walls already. He was the one giving you those flowers, wasn't he?"



I nodded.



"Why did you want Tails to check out the flowers if you knew who gave them to you?" he asked.



I hated even admitting it... I sighed. "I thought the flowers were from you for the longest time, Sonic. A lot of the romance I felt between us... I felt it in the flowers," I muttered. "And when I found out they weren't from you, I was dealing with some denial. Tails looking at the flowers helped put a few things into perspective. A lot of things, really..."



"How'd you find out it was him?" he asked.



"He gave me a flower in-person. That was how he confessed to me directly." Ugh... I rubbed the top of my head. "I didn't even buy it at first despite how he gave me the flower. Can you believe that?" I sighed.



"It sounded like a lot of info to take in..." Sonic folded his arms over his legs, briefly looking up at the sky.



"We have this tradition... After he gave me the very first flower, I left him a love letter. We would exchange these flowers and letters all the time. Birthdays, holidays, random days just because. Ever since we were kids. That tradition was sometimes the only thing that kept me sane; a flower would always appear when I needed it the most. I never talked about it with you even though I thought it was you because I liked the secret element. Like, when there was no time for banter, I remembered the flowers and it made me fall in love all over again." I let the silence fill the space between us for a bit. "... He showed me the very first letter I gave him, proving he kept it all that time. He had all my letters, even the ones that made it clear I had the wrong person in mind."



Sonic smiled at me. "So... Eventually, you fell in love with him?"



I nodded. "We tested the waters after I came to terms with his confession... And, honestly, I was so captivated. There was a point when I was totally head over heels and... he's just, he's my world now." I sighed, looking at Sonic's bruises. "I'm sorry for whatever happened yesterday."



"Nah, don't worry about it. Some things got put into perspective for me, too." His smile faded, gaze more on the grass in front of us. "At first, I thought he still had a grudge because you and I are close, confronting me for little reasons... Then we fought. It didn't feel like he was mad at me because of you. Something clicked, and then... everything made sense. I want to ask you something."



...



Sonic looked at me with his brows arched up. "Do you know who he really is?"



"I mean..." I shrugged. "Yeah."



Sonic examined my face from afar... After a little while, his look softened. "... So it is him."



I didn't really know what to do here. I deeply frowned. "T... Tell me who you think Kai is so we're on the same page."



"Metal," Sonic immediately replied. "He's... Neo again, isn't he? That's why he can look like that."



I was... I... I was stunned.



"He's the only person I can think of that you've known for that long and haven't talked about... And Tails said the flowers were from Little Planet, too. Who else would associate those flowers with you, let alone be able to get them?" he scoffed.



...



"I always thought it was kinda weird Kai didn't like me off the bat, but him knowing about your old crush made sense. He gave it away yesterday, though." Sonic gestured to his own face. "It was his eyes, the way he looked at me."



Sonic could tell it was him just like I could. I wanted to say anything else, but... I had so much trouble.



"How long have you known, then?" he asked.



"That he's...?"



"Yeah."



I hugged my legs. "Since the beginning. Since he confessed to me." I leaned my head against my knees. "He didn't become Neo until a little while ago."



Sonic turned himself towards me fully and crossed his legs. "So... You were a thing before the Chaotix party, huh?"



I nodded. "The..." I took a deep breath. "Remember when you found me at the amusement park? He confessed to me a few days before that."



Sonic's eyes widened. "... He knew where to find you. I followed him there. Wow."



"Years of letters give you an insight into a person," I said with a slight shrug.



"It's like... It's for real, then."



I breathed slowly as I tried to keep myself from freaking out. "Yeah... It's for real." After a second, I scowled. "Don't say anything stupid about how I used to love you. The irony isn't lost on me, but he's not like you at all. And... Because of him, I felt like you and I became better friends, too."



Sonic smirked. "Read you loud and clear. Can I still ask, like, a million questions?"



"I guess..."



He smiled more. "So you were dating when we had that race?"



"Ugh. Yes. We were trying to have one ourselves but use the challenge as a cover. You and Rouge crashed it, but so did Eggman and Sage."



He laughed. "His ego must've been unbearable after beating me."



I smiled a little in return, but then it faded. "Actually..." I flailed my hand. "Nevermind. This is your chance for more questions."



"Do you still have to fight him?"



"I mean, yeah. But... That time you 'saved' me in the canyon was just sparring. I wanted to practice fighting him without hurting him since he did the same with me over so many years."



"Ohh... Oops." Sonic snorted. "Well, you can't blame me."



I smirked too. "No, I can't."



He suddenly gasped. "Wait, more is clicking. That same guy cooked a bunch of food for your birthday? Do you have any idea how cute that cake was? He was still icing it when I left the cooking party."



I laughed. "Yeah, he likes to cook. He helped me for the Chaotix party, too."



"... And he has a chao?!"



"You met Nova twice, actually." I held up two fingers.



He briefly looked confused, but then he let out another gasp. "The same chao that briefly hated me?!"



With another laugh, I nodded again.



"Wow. You know, I thought that little guy looked familiar... And now they look-- wait, they look like Neo?!" He threw his head back with an exaggerated sigh. "Wow, that's crazy. There's a lot I have to learn about him, huh?"



I tilted my head a little. "I think that's easier said than done for you, Sonic..." As I thought more, I frowned. "Okay... What did you fight about?"



Sonic's cheeks flushed and he scratched his head, nervously laughing. "Okay, I wouldn't have said anything if I knew it was him..."



I narrowed my eyes. "What happened?"



"When I was talking to Kai, I got approached by a kid who asked me who the toughest guy I faced was." Sonic coughed. "I said, uh, Shadow."



"... Wow."



"I chose one of my friends I fought in the past!" Sonic exclaimed, throwing his arms out. "I didn't want to scare the kid! Uh, yeah, one of my toughest enemies was a murder-robo dragon that played with battleships like they were toothpicks and caused a giant typhoon by floating close enough to the water. Also, I had the help of eleven other people and I was Super Sonic and I STILL saw death flash before my eyes. Yeah, no, alien hedgehog is tougher. Come on!"



"Maybe it's petty," I said with a sigh, "but he was really upset. Like... It's not really your fault, Sonic, but you have to understand how his entire world was dictated by comparing himself to you."



Sonic flopped back, crossing his arms behind his head as he stared at the sky. "Yeah, I know," he said quietly. "I was a little fed up with his attitude since I didn't know why he was acting like that, so I did snap back. When I realized it was him, I kinda got it, to be honest."



"I don't think he wants you to take up so much of his attention," I continued. "He's been trying really hard to move past his hatred. Sometimes he succeeds, sometimes he doesn't." I thought for a while. I wanted to tell Sonic more, but it wasn't really my place to. Metal was still going through so much on his own, possibly splitting from Eggman on top of all that... I would only hurt him by telling Sonic anything else.



"I guess, if anything, I'm confused why he's been a bad guy for so long if he's had a thing for you for as long as I've known the both of you." Sonic grunted to himself.



"That's not really something I can answer," I replied, sighing. "Lots of things are complicated for him. But... I dunno. One thing's for sure-- I love him, Sonic. For real."



He sat back up, watching me. He gave me a soft smile. "Yeah, I know."



I smiled too.



...



"Hey--" We both spoke at the same time.



"...Y... You first," I told him.



Sonic took a deep breath. "... Maybe you shouldn't tell him I know."



"I was literally about to say the same thing," I replied. "And I know it goes without needing to be said, but don't tell anyone else." I averted my eyes. Rouge knew, but I didn't think Sonic having a gossip buddy would help.



"You got it, Ames."



I stood up, making him get up after me. I dusted the back of my dress and glanced back towards the city.



... Hm. I didn't think I was ready to see Metal just yet. I looked back at Sonic: "I think I'll head out. We can talk more later if you want."



"Yeah, sure." He grinned at me. "You wanna walk back, then?"



"Yeah, just leave without me."



"Sure thing. I'll see ya later," he said, much more cheerful. I reached my arms out to him; he happily hugged me. When we parted, we gave each other an understanding gaze.



He sped away after that. I watched him vanish as that familiar blue blur. With Sonic gone, I had my next goal: get to Metal's base. The walk wasn't that far and I got pretty good at finding the cave entrance. I eventually made my way inside after confirming no one was around me, then--



Perfect! Nova was standing there in front of the door, staring up at me. I grinned. "Hello, sweet little baby! You're just the chao I was looking for!"



"Chao?"





I opened the door to my bedroom as quietly as I could. Metal was in the same spot as before, under my blankets, head angled into one of my pillows. I walked in front of him with Nova in my arms.



His eyes were off, but they blinked on when he heard me step forward.



"Delivery!" I beamed, showing Nova.



"Chao!" Nova raised their arms.



Metal stared at Nova for a brief moment, then looked up at me. He squinted. "I don't want to play right now."



"Too bad. I think Nova really misses you. Don't you, Nova?" I cooed, smooching Nova on the head.



"Chao!"



I put Nova down in front of Metal's face. Nova got close-- really close-- their eyes practically touching each other's. I giggled.



Metal pushed Nova off the bed, but they fluttered up before they could roll onto the floor. Nova perched on the side of Metal's head. He pushed Nova off of him again, then threw the blanket over his head.



Nova climbed onto him one more time, a question mark above their head as they tried to figure out how to get to Metal. They grunted a little, crawling over to the edge of the bed, then wiggling under the covers. There was another lump by Metal's head-- he groaned. I giggled to myself as I watched them.



Metal pulled the blanket down a little, Nova snuggled right by his muzzle. Both of them were looking at me; Nova had cute, shining eyes, while Metal looked exhausted.



Purr, purr... Nova excitedly rubbed their head back against Metal, then closed their eyes as they settled. Metal gave up, one of his arms flopped over Nova. I could see his claws dangling out from the side of the bed.



I stretched my arms with a yawn. "Y'know what, I think I could have what Nova's having." I took my shoes and gloves off, then hopped into bed without a second thought. I got under the covers and put my arms and one of my legs around Metal from behind. I pressed my head against the space between his three quills, rubbing up against the underside of his top quill.



I let out a purr just as loud as Nova's and I closed my eyes. I totally relaxed... I hadn't been the big spoon in forever. Metal was so big in his true form and I always liked curling up to him, but he deserved to feel just as comfy and safe. Hopefully the back of his turbine wouldn't get too hot, oops.



Ahh...



...



...



I cracked open my eyes... I guess I fell asleep after all. I stretched my legs a little and re-settled against Metal, but my face touched something rather squishy. Hunh...? Oh, it was Nova.



Snoooore... Nova had all their limbs spread out as they slept between me and Metal. I realized Metal had his leg over me instead.



I glanced up at his head. He was back in his Neo form.



I smiled and settled closer to him. He instinctively tightened his hold on me, not turning on his eyes, but clearly there and clearly relaxed. His chin touched the top of my head. I felt him thread his claws through my quills.



I was so glad he felt like himself again.