My life returned to the status quo and I was feeling much more like myself. Even so, I haven't been able to meet up with Metal. He would only show up if he wanted to be seen, which was, uh... Never. Per tradition, I left a letter in the usual spot. It did disappear a few days later, but I never really knew when another flower would appear. That was kind of part of the fun; they'd appear whenever I needed them the most.



The last letter I wrote wasn't gushy like my other ones. I wanted to get another chance to hang out without fighting, just to see if we could actually... work. I honestly wasn't sure what I wanted to happen-- would I be happy to get along with him, or would I be disappointed in myself? I at least wanted to find out... Ugh, what was taking him so long to respond?!



I didn't let him ruin my mood; the day was beautiful and breezy, after all. As soon as I got ready, I set out to explore and follow wherever the wind took me. Perfect day to see the sights!



I enjoyed the wind against my face as I maneuvered out of town. I went to the nearby forest and thought about the Eggman base where Metal had his stuff... Visiting it wouldn't hurt. Since I'd been to the base three times already, I took note of a few landmarks for whenever I jumped high enough in the air. Eventually, I found the same cave as before and I didn't have to walk too far to find the clunky door to the rest of the base.



Seeing those same walls again... Nostalgic. I went for the door that I think went to the garden. I wasn't gonna enter it, but I at least wanted to see if he was in there... But it wouldn't budge! What gives?!



The power was on because the lights were still working... kinda... And there was a red light over the door. Wait. Was it locked?



"Hey!" I shouted as I knocked on the door.



... No answer. I couldn't hear anything on the other side, either. I crossed my arms.



Hmm... I left the base, then went up the hill over the mouth of the cave. The garden had skylights with natural lighting, which meant there had to be some windows in the ground somewhere. I shuffled through tons of grass, walked around some trees...



Thunk!



I stepped on something that wasn't dirt. Ah-ha! There were windows after all. I crouched and cupped my hands over my eyes to get a better look without the glare of the sun. There were a bunch of full soil beds with tons of vibrant flowers. Looked the same as before... They were pretty.



... I was watching the flowers and forgot why I was actually here... oops... My main takeaway was that Metal wasn't around. He might've been on janitor duty or something. Knocking on Eggman's front door and asking if his favorite robot could come outside and play was definitely out of the question.



I flopped onto my back and stared at the sky. I needed more hobbies to keep me busy... Or at least an idea of where to go next. I let the moment pass and took in the nature around me.



... So peaceful. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.



...



I no longer felt the sun on my face. Huh. I opened my eyes agai-- "Wah!!" Something was overhead! I jolted up and brandished my hammer.



Sonic?! Oh. It was Metal! "Ahem." I cleared my throat and stowed my hammer behind my back. I was too excited to see him. "How'd you know I was here?" I asked.



The way his head was angled down made him look kind of annoyed. He tapped the window under him with his foot.



"Oh, right. That makes sense." I tried to stand a bit more nonchalantly. "Well, I happened to come by and checked to see if you were around. I can't believe you locked that door! You don't trust me?"



He crossed his arms and stared at me.



"... Fine, I'll get to the point." I pointed my hammer in his direction. "You got my last letter, right?"



He lifted his head, then gently nodded after a bit of a pause.



"Good. So we're going somewhere!"



He tilted his head and kept staring at me like he was curious.



"We'll go to... Hm." I dropped my hammer and rubbed my chin in thought. "There's not many places available to you, huh? You're kind of well known for all the wrong reasons..." I clicked my tongue and tried to come up with something.



... Oh!



"I know. Let's go!" I grabbed him by the arm and pulled him along as I made my way back to my house.



He made some random beeping sounds. I looked at him to see if I could gauge what he was trying to say. I had no clue, but I wasn't going to take no for an answer in case that's what it was. "Trust me," I said with utmost confidence.



Eventually, I let go of his arm when I was sure he'd keep following me. We took a secluded way to get to my house, which required hopping a few fences. When the coast was clear, I pushed him through the back door.



He made a sound when I got him inside, glaring at me, but then his attention went to our surroundings. I shut the door behind me. "Oh yeah, this is your first time inside! Make yourself at home, I'll be right back." I quickly made my way to my bedroom, but glanced over to see what he was up to before letting him fully out of my sight.



I opened my closet and shuffled through all my clothes. I really hoped I didn't give away the clothes I had in mind for him...



Clink!



I didn't like whatever I heard behind me. I turned around; Metal was in my room and holding one of my picture fr- he flicked the glass and broke my frame!!



"Stop!" I stomped up to him and snatched the frame from his hands. It was a picture of me and a bunch of my friends, but he shattered the glass where Sonic was; you couldn't even see his face anymore. "I need a new frame... Ugh... If we're going to get along, don't mess with my stuff! I'm already showing a lot of trust by letting you in my- hey!"



He knocked my Sonic plushie off the shelf!! I glared at him, and he crossed his arms, averting his eyes.



"Jealousy isn't pretty on you," I huffed. "Now go look somewhere else... You're distracting me!"



His eyes scanned around the room, then he walked towards the wall opposite of my bedroom door. Grrr... he was ignoring me! "I'm talking to you!" I snapped.



He stared at the frame I had with my very first pressed flower inside. I had difficulty staying mad after that... When I walked over to him, he glanced at me, then gestured towards the frame.



"Does it look familiar to you?" I asked. He relaxed his arms to his sides and kept studying the flower. I knew what his answer would be. "... It's the same one. The very first flower I received."



I could see him turn his head back to me in the corner of my eye. "I preserved it by pressing it in one of my favorite books. It's still as vibrant as the day I got it."



I wish I knew what he was thinking in that moment. I turned my head to him, which was when he looked away. He kept his focus on the frame for a little while longer... and then he walked back over to where he knocked over little-Sonic.



He put the plushie back on the shelf, then he walked out of the room. "Apology accepted," I lightly sighed.



Back to my own mission. I knew I had something that would-- There! I found it. "Now this is much prettier," I said to myself with a grin.





I tugged Metal by the arm again as I took him to my favorite movie theater. I thought a movie would be a great first exposure to doing something normal together. We wouldn't need to talk-- which was great in his case-- and I needed to know if our interests were compatible at all. The theater itself was dark, so he wouldn't be that noticeable. Plus, I put a giant gray hoodie on him. The hood was big enough to cover his quills and it was baggy enough to go over his turbine-spine-thing. His legs and shoes were exposed, but they looked normal enough from a distance. I pulled the hood down far enough so you couldn't see his eyes very well. My plan was perfect!



I was learning what kind of beeps he made when he was disapproving, but he just had to deal with the disguise. It was the best I could do on such short notice, plus, he wouldn't get opportunities to just be in town normally often. He could've left anytime, so the fact he didn't told me he was just complaining.



"Thank you!" I beamed to the movie attendant as I took my two paid tickets. So far so good. I took Metal with me towards the theaters and handed the tickets off to the usher.



"Enjoy your movie," the usher said with a kind nod. Metal lifted his head, but I quickly dragged him behind me before he could accidentally expose himself.



"We're almost there," I huffed. "I know you can't see well."



He made another irritated beep.



"So cranky," I said. "We'll sit in the back so you can take the hood off."



He went quiet and was much less resistant to me guiding him. I giggled.



We went to the proper theater and went to the very back like I promised. I moved him to a seat and sat beside him. He quickly pulled the entire hoodie off of himself, then leaned back like he was relieved. We were early enough that they weren't even playing the normal movie previews yet... And the whole place was empty. I hoped it would stay that way. I looked at him and tried to guess what he was thinking about.



"Have you watched a movie before?" I asked.



His eyes panned over to me, then back at the screen in front of us. He gave a single nod.



"Yeah? That actually surprises me. Hmm... Now that I think about it, Eggman's kind of an eccentric. I bet he has a random movie theater in one of his bases."



He squinted a little as he propped his arm on the armrest opposite of me and let his head fall against his hand. He nodded again. I laughed, which had him glance my way.



"This one will be better," I said. "Hopefully I made a correct guess in the kind of movies you like. Let me know afterwards, okay?"



His focus went back to the screen, so I did too. I didn't have anything else to talk about, but the silence was comfortable. I didn't feel like I was in any danger or that he'd suddenly run off...



... Wait, I forgot about that intercom. Eggman could call him that way... and if anyone heard that, it wouldn't be good.



"Metal?" I whispered. He turned his head towards me. "... You're not going to be, uh... summoned, are you?"



He shook his head, then gestured to the screen. I took a minute to think about what he was trying to say.



"Is your boss off doing something for fun, too?" I asked.



He nodded.



"Hah... Are you even allowed to be away from your assigned base?"



He made the 'so-so' gesture with his hand. I snorted in amusement.



"That sounds like a no to me," I said.



He shrugged, then made two shapes with his hands. One was a circle, the other a square... Oh! He was referring to the small red and yellow bots. Eggman really liked keeping them around for some reason.



"Are those little bots covering for you?" I asked.



He rolled his eyes, but gave a nod. I was amused by how much attitude he showed in such simple gestures.



"What about Sage?"



He gestured to the screen again.



"So Sage is with him, then? I think I get it..." I hummed a little in thought. "... Do you wish you were with them?"



He took a while to give me a response that time. He stared at the screen for a while, then averted his eyes. After a moment, he lightly bumped our shoulders together... My cheeks felt a bit warm. I didn't move at all.



I didn't let myself think about how weird this situation was until now. I was in a movie theater with Metal Sonic and we were just... hanging out. And before that, he was in my own house. I was glad Belle wasn't really the type to rub it in my face, because wow, she would have so much to get onto me for.



Even when I didn't consider our tradition, he didn't seem so bad when Eggman and Sonic weren't around. He kept Belle's gift, let me put a hoodie on him, let me drag him across town... I had the impression he was someone who was often in deep thought. He stood still and stared at things in my house, and he was staring at the movie screen even when there was nothing on it. He didn't seem absent-minded or bored... just... thinking.



His gaze flicked in my direction. Ahh! I was staring at him and didn't even notice. I looked away. For some reason, I was feeling nervous.



The previews began playing so we weren't sitting in silence anymore. I watched them, but to be honest, I didn't absorb any information. I was too focused on the robot beside me.



"Um..." My voice was quiet but audible. He turned his head towards me. I suddenly forgot what I was going to say. I let out a chuckle. "I, uh..." Wow. I always had something to say. Why was I drawing such a blank here? "... Nothing," I mumbled.



He beeped something. While I wasn't sure what he said, it didn't sound like the annoyed tones he gave before. It weirdly comforted me.



I chose to go to the movies so we didn't have to worry about any talking, but I wanted to talk so much. Whenever I thought of speaking, my heart would ring in my ears. Ugh, my confidence shouldn't come and go in bursts... I'd been attached to Sonic for so long that anything else felt new and a little scary. Sonic was so easy-going... I didn't think Metal was the same. So what would happen if something went wrong?



... I did fight him a few times already, so... I guess we did have that taken care of. We might be placed at odds again later, too... How could this even go into the long-term in a serious way? I frowned more as I thought about it, reflecting on Sonic's words when we were at the chao sanctuary. Working out would be difficult, but maybe it was possible...



Stop thinking of the future, Amy. You're here in the present. I took a deep breath and steeled myself. I needed to be in the moment! Channel my inner-Big! And... how was I feeling?



I huffed and grabbed one of Metal's hands, pulling it to the armrest between us. I felt his stare on me, then saw his head drop to look at our hands from the corner of my eye. We both watched the screen and neither of us dared to move another muscle for what felt like forever.



Eventually, he closed his hand over mine. His hand was really cold, but the longer I had him, the more my body heat transferred over. It actually felt kinda nice. My heart was pumping like crazy, but I eventually calmed down as I got used to it.



The movie eventually started. I thought a good ice-breaker would be a monster movie. Maybe cliche, since he's kind of a murder robot, but I thought he'd find the violence and destruction entertaining enough. I didn't really want to drag him to a kissy romance flick for the first time we did anything together... But there was a romantic couple in the movie, so the movie had that going for me.



Once in a while, I glanced at him to see how engaged he was. He leaned forward at some point and watched with unflinching vision. I had fun watching him, though admittedly I got pretty engaged with what was happening on screen too. When I next looked at him, he was staring back at me!! We both quickly snapped back to the movie.



Turns out the monster in the movie was misunderstood and was simply trying to get to his family. The main couple of the movie helped him and saved his family from turning into science experiments, but they were compromised. In the end, the monster gave his life to help the couple escape. It was kind of bittersweet.. I shed a tear or two.



The credits rolled, so I stood up and stretched with my free arm. I let out a yawn. Metal stood up after me and stared awfully hard at our still-locked hands.



"Haha... Are you done?" I asked, then gently let go. He slipped the hoodie back on, so I gestured him to the end of the aisle. He quickly grabbed my same hand again and intertwined our fingers. H-he liked it that much? I was glad he couldn't see how red my face was...



We left the theater, then left for a more secluded spot in town. "I enjoyed the movie. How about you?"



He gave me a single nod. I smirked and moved the hood off of him... his gaze was firmly on me.



"So I guessed right? You struck me as someone who could really appreciate a monster movie."



The look he gave me was a little more judgmental than usual. I laughed.



"Hey, I like them too!" I said, playfully shoving him. His posture relaxed a little.



"Well... Hey." I looked off to the side and smiled more to myself. I glanced back at him. "I'm happy we could-- W-wait!" I stammered as he pulled the hood off completely. "This isn't a good place to--" In an instant, he swept me off my feet and sped away. I screamed in surprise and clung tightly onto him.



"What are you doing?!" I yelled to try to be audible in the wind. We were going so fast I could barely keep my eyes open!



At some point, I started laughing. I always liked when Sonic carried me; it was like a roller-coaster, but somehow even faster! Metal was no exception. I felt the rush of speed they felt so frequently, but it was so adrenaline pumping for me. Eventually, though, we slowed down and finally stopped. I opened my eyes fully and... Whoa... There was an entire city horizon in front of us.



"This must be the tallest building in town," I gasped.



Metal nodded, then he gently put me down. He walked to the very edge of the building and watched the sunset. I joined him. The sunset was a little hazy from distant pollution, but it was still beautiful. I loved the yellow from the sun shifting into pinks, purples, then finally dark blue as the night sky showed itself.



We watched the scenery change together. I treasured this entire moment, even the silence between us. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and laced my hands together.



He bumped my arm, so I turned and looked at him. "Hm?"



Krshhht! "Metal Sonic! Your first major directive as my greatest creation is t--" Krsshh...



Eggman's voice... This must've been a recording. I saw lines of white in Metal's irises when the voice suddenly went quiet. The same thing happened with Belle whenever she was scanning through something.



"--Little Planet--" Krsssht!



"Was that one of the first things Eggman ever said to you? That's crazy that you still have recordings that old," I said. "It's funny to hear a slightly less crotchety Eggman... but why are you sharing that?"



"--Little Planet--" The voice played back again.



"... Little Planet?" I raised my brow. "... Oh! It'll appear over Never Lake in a week."



He made a 'come here' gesture with his hand.



"Are you asking if you want me to go there?"



He nodded.



"... Yeah, I'd love to," I said, grinning. "Never Lake is a pretty long ways from here, though..."



He responded to me with beeps while rubbing his nose. If I had to guess what he said, it was probably something about how he was fast enough that there'd hardly be any time lost. His posture was too proud for him to have said anything else.



"I see," I giggled. "... Do you have every line that's ever been said to you?" I was curious.



He shook his head. He probably only kept some of them. Ones that aided him or were particularly important to him, if I had to guess.



"Any fun ones you do have?" I asked.



His eyes went up to the sky as he thought.



Krsshht! "Hey!! Untie me!!! Arrrgh! When I get out of here I'm gonna knock your dumb pointy head into next week!!! Literally!! I'll knock it through one of those future signs!!!"



I burst into laughter. That was me! I had such a cute, tiny voice! I could never forget that, but hearing it again was so good. I wasn't sure how amused he was, but it definitely amused me. "I take it I left an impression, huh?" I snickered.



He gave a long stare.



Krrsht! "Let me go right now or I'll make you! I'll knock your dumb pointy head into orbit!!"



I laughed again! That recording was what I said to him a few weeks ago. "I'm nothing if not consistent," I said. He nodded at me and looked back at the sky. I playfully nudged him. "Well, don't worry, I think I like your head where it is right now."



There was a lull in our conversation, but I was really comfortable. I never knew he kept recordings so old... what a time capsule. A part of me wondered why he couldn't give himself a voice if he had a playback system like that. His Neo form could talk too, but his base form couldn't? Maybe it was a sensitive subject... I'd definitely ask about it at a later time.



"... So.." I swung myself a little. "Will the trip to Little Planet be our first date?"



Whoa, his beeping sounded so aggressive. He pointed at me, then crossed his arms and glared at me. When I stared, shocked, he turned his head up and away.



I cackled with a totally red face. "Are you mad that I didn't call today a date?"



He glanced, then turned his head to avoid me again. I leaned towards him and pulled him into a hug. He was... so cute. Really, really cute in his own way. I loved it. I imagined what he was ranting about... I bet he said something about having was to wear that hood, all for me to say it wasn't a date.



"You're right, the trip to Little Planet will be our next date, not our first," I said to him, much softer. He eventually unfurled his arms and held me back. His body was a lot warmer than the last time I embraced him. I let out a sigh and enjoyed the closeness.



He squeezed me a little, then let go when I did. Our gazes were locked onto each other.



"Can you take me home?" I asked.



He picked me up and allowed me to put my hands over his shoulders. He took a moment to look at me. I was suddenly aware about how close our faces were.



"Th... Thank you," I replied. I was feeling sweaty...



...



I kissed him on the muzzle. I felt a tiny shock, which stunned me. It didn't hurt at all! It... Aaahh...! My cheeks were burning...



His whole body shivered for a brief second and his red irises went to static. I covered my face with my hands.



He only took a minute to fly me home, but that had to be the longest minute of my life. As soon as we landed, he put me down, then offered me the hoodie I had him wear before. I took it and refused to look at him.



"Have a good night," I said, way more nervous than I thought I could ever be. I was about to turn around, but I froze completely still when I felt his claws grace my chin. He gently lifted my head up and studied me, especially staring at my mouth. I was genuinely about to die.



He slowly let go of me and I remembered I could breathe. When he stepped away from me, I... I wanted him to come back. He vanished in an instant, only a faded pink trail left behind.



... My heart was beating out of my chest. We were from opposing sides, but he humored me this entire time, he let me bully him and put a hood over him and he wanted our time at the movies to be a date. He wanted to be with me, like, actually wanted to be with me and it wasn't because of his manners. Metal Sonic was not nice.



But Metal Sonic was proving what he wrote in his original letter. With all the context, it was more special. I...



I had to take a whole moment to process this entire day. What I just did. My God.



I just went on a real date. Not only was it real, but it was with Metal Sonic of all people... And I loved it.