Chapter Text
Chapter 3 | Chrysanthemums
Often used in funeral bouquets or presented as an offering on the Day of the Dead, it’s said these big, long-stemmed flowers with their scalloped leaves bring support and comfort in times of loss. They represent tranquility, loyalty, and rebirth.
It was only one weekend. A mere three nights of not sleeping in the same bed with one another. Of staring at the ceiling far into the night, wondering if Sonic missed her.
If he was hurting just as much as she was.
Amy missed the kiss between her shoulder blades before the light'd be turned off. She missed the way he'd curl up into a ball when drifting off and finding him across the bed the next morning, arms and legs sticking out in every possible way.
Sonic had been just a phone call away.
Still, she couldn't bring herself to reach out.
While she'd made it clear that she needed some space, she still felt a stab of disappointment that he hadn't either. Blaze had tried to reassure her that he was probably just being considerate. And she was probably right.
It wasn't like Sonic to force himself upon her.
Amy sighed, weekend bag in hand, staring at the perfectly raked lawn that stretched out in front of her. Tufts of mist stretched in long, thin wisps above a big pond of which the fountain was no longer spouting this far into the season. The air was thick and humid, drawing out an earthy smell from the soil beneath her.
Amy drew a deep breath.
“Are you sure you’re ready to go home?”
When Amy turned around, she found Blaze in the grand doorway, her amber-colored eyes prying into hers.
“Yes,” she answered, though the prospect of seeing Sonic again gathered all her nerves and hopes in a big ball, right in the pit of her stomach. "Besides, I can't hide from him forever. I've got to talk to him."
“Amy—"
She dropped her bag on the top of the slate stairwell and let a deep embrace express her gratitude. A white fluffy cheek scrunched in surprise as she did so. "Blaze, I can’t thank you enough."
The cat's arms wrapped around her tightly. "Sometimes, I worry you lose sight of yourself. Sonic is a good guy, Amy, but you…you matter, too."
Her purring vibrated against Amy's body, spreading a tingly sensation though her chest. “It’s alright, Blaze. I'll be fine. You can open the portal now."
A deep sigh escaped the purple cat as she reached in her pocket and picked up a bright rectangular ruby. “As long as you know you’re always welcome here.”
Amy blew a kiss, smiling at her with as much confidence she could muster until Blaze released her gaze. When she did, a beam of red light split her vision and opened a whirring portal in mid-air. Shards of the environment blurred into the hole until a clear image of her own universe was shown in the middle.
Amy picked up her bag and took a step, feeling the gravitational pull of her own world buzzing in her core. “I do. Don’t worry about me! I’ll be fine. Sonic and I will be fine.”
A strained smile played on Blaze’s lips. “Let me know what happens, okay?”
–
Shadow had just helped a truck driver unload his carts with his bi-weekly order when he installed himself on the old bar stool behind his wooden counter. October was reaching its inevitable end, and that meant chrysanthemums, if nothing else. It was one of the flowers that was brave enough to bloom this far into the season, the epitome of fall, along with pumpkins, asters, and physalises. If the people didn’t want to decorate their porches with them, they would buy loose chrysanthemums for All Hallows or the Day of the Dead.
A sigh eluded him when he gazed outside.
Even for a Monday, it was quiet.
Intermittent showers had driven nearly everyone from Main Street, where his flower shop was located between a small bakery and a bookshop. Shadow cranked up the volume of a small radio on the counter, tore open a brown paper bag with two pretzels, and took a bite. On the the first day he opened his shop, he bought his lunch next door.
A habit he intended to nurture.
His ears curled backwards, towards the ticklish buzz of his kettle. He bit off a chunk of pretzel, wiping his hands on his apron. Hopping off his seat, he disappeared into the back room to pour himself a cup of tea.
Coffees were invented for mornings only.
Just when he poured the steaming water into a mug with a washed out picture of ‘Chao in Space’, his shop bell rang.
“Coming!” he shouted to the customer.
With his tea bag still steeping, he stepped back into the store. Without really looking, he turned the volume on the radio down, nearly spilling the boiling hot water as he did so.
“Welcome.” Shadow put his cup down behind the counter.
Just past the threshold stood a pink hedgehog in a red felt coat, a large leather bag placed between her feet. He could hear the water drip down from her onto the floor as she stared back at him. That’s when a raindrop fell from her nose, and she chuckled, running a wet hand through her equally wet quills.
“Hi.”
She took off the hood of her coat and quietly glanced around, picking up a fern in an indigo blue ceramic planter. Behind her, the rains washed everyone’s windows and polished the cobblestones. They shimmered in the little light of this drizzly October day.
“What brings you by?” Shadow asked. Somehow, even with the radio on, the silence felt too long and tense not to interrupt.
“Just shopping,” she replied, putting the fern back where she’d found it to sniff at a woven basket of pink chrysanthemums.
Shadow glanced outside, his brow furrowing on its own account. "Alright…"
Lost in thought, Amy stared at the basket in her arms. When she smiled, it was like all the light left in the day was gathered in her eyes. “These are cute. What are they?”
“Chrysanthemums. If you cut away the faded flowers, they can bloom far into November.”
“I can't help but think of how cute these would look next to our porch swing. Sonic and I are going pumpkin picking next Saturday. I really wanna go all out this year with decorations!"
Shadow's jaw relaxed as he pictured her sitting on the porch swing, a little blanket covering her legs while she sipped at her tea or gazed at the halo around the moon.
He dug his hands in his pockets. “I have more colors for you in the back.”
Her ears perked up at the sound of his voice. "Oh?"
"Yeah, orange, yellow, and white," he elaborated while turning around and heading for the back room to get them for her. With a groan, he crouched, scooping two planters in one arm and one in the other. "I was going to stall them out after I finished my tea—!"
Surprised, Shadow slipped a growl when he bumped into her. The white flowers slipped from his reach, but Amy was quick to catch them, latching onto him as she did so.
"Sorry! I thought you wanted me to follow you," she explained in a wheezy voice, her face flustered as she tried to untangle their arms. "Sorry," she repeated, looking at the snapped stems. "I'll buy them from you."
Shadow shook his head, watching her dust off her wet coat. The leaves had stuck to the felt.
"It's fine. Just tell me what color you'd like, and I'll find the best one for you."
His pulse leapt at the sound of his own voice. He could feel his cheeks glow, so he quickly threw his gaze in the direction of the carts in the backroom, pretending to be searching already.
"Really? Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"That's so sweet! Thank you, Shadow!" He could practically hear her smile. "In that case, I'd like the pink ones."
After careful consideration, he picked out the neatest bush he could find for her, alarmed by the thumping of his heart against his ribs. Why was he going through this much trouble?
“Don’t be surprised if I’ll be back to get more in different colors,” she said with a smile while Shadow heaved a bag around the flowers. “I also brought you this.” Amy carefully placed his tuxedo jacket on the rough wooden counter. “I’m sorry it took me so long to bring it back. I had it dry-cleaned for you, though.”
The heavy scent of laundry detergent scrunched his nose and made his nostrils itch. He shrugged, only reaching out to it when she retracted her arm.
“That’s alright. I didn’t miss it.”
"I really enjoyed catching up with you, back then."
Her confession made his stomach flip, but in a weirdly good manner. "The feeling's mutual."
She smiled at him, then sighed as she glanced over her shoulder, watching the rain still pouring down. Suddenly, his eyes drifted to the bag between her feet. He could tell her gaze had followed his.
"I spent the weekend at Blaze's…" Amy shuffled with her feet, dragging a wet, dark trail across the floor with her boot.
"I didn't ask."
She gave a roll of the shoulders. A sigh escaped her as she stared at her feet, nervously plucking at the plastic bag. "I know…"
Feeling his brow knot, Shadow grabbed his mug. His tea had become lukewarm and dark, way too strong for his taste. He bristled at the thought of drinking it like this and put the mug away again.
A smidge of her natural charm returned to her face when she smiled at him. "I'm just…a little nervous about going home again— which is silly! It'll be fine!" Amy brushed it off with giddy laughter. "Sorry, I'm rambling…"
"That's quite alright." Shadow scratched behind his ear. “Say, the uhm– the white roses, did you like them?”
As soon as he mentioned them, her face paled to the hue of one the long-stemmed thorny flowers he’d sold Sonic the Friday before.
“How did you—?”
Shadow could tell he’d said something wrong. Just not what. His left hand automatically disappeared into the pocket of his apron, flexing and tensing while he stared back at her. With the other, he drummed on his folded jacket.
“Sonic came in here last Friday to buy a white rose for you. I could only assume to make up for something...” He couldn’t help but roll his eyes and sigh at that.
Amy averted her gaze. Shrugged. “But how–why–” she shook her head, frowning, “he came home with a big bouquet…” Her puzzled gaze fixed Shadow’s, who dragged his teeth across his bottom lip.
“Ah, yeah, I may have taken the liberty to tell him to go for a more grand gesture, you know, because–” His scalp itched from a sudden outburst of heat.
Why was his chest feeling so tight?
Suddenly, she grabbed his hand, giving a gentle squeeze. When he looked up and into those eyes, she smiled with so much radiance that he wondered if perhaps she confused him with someone else.
But they were alone. And her gaze seemed so familiarly determined.
“Thank you, Shadow.”
Even through two sets of gloves— his regular ones and his rubber work gloves —he shivered at her touch, but couldn’t bring himself to move his hand away. Instead, he swallowed past the lump in his throat he hadn’t felt for a long time.
“N-naturally.”
"You keep saying that," Amy chuckled, and the moment was gone.
She retracted her hand, covered her head with the hood of her coat, and lifted her bag. As though he was nailed to the floor, Shadow stared at his hand, a strange sense of dissatisfaction nestling in the pit of his stomach.
"Well, I better get going." Before he realized it, she had already pulled the door open, waving at him. "Bye Shadow! See you soon!"
"Goodbye," he muttered, but it was too late.
His shop bell jingled as the door fell into its lock with a thud while Shadow watched her go. The winds blew her hood off, and he felt overcome with discomfort. A restlessness in his legs, an itch in his palms, and the urge to do something.
Something…
Instead he watched her trod forward until she was out of sight, and his shoulders stooped. Shadow heaved a sigh, feeling uncomfortably empty as he glanced around his shop.
Had it been this dark all day?
—
The pebble gray cloud packed skies were already darkening when Amy made it to the front door. It was only five P.M. and dusk already seemed to have taken over. On days like these, the sun never even stood a chance.
Amy sputtered against the water sticking to her lashes, quills, and nose as she tried to maneuver the key into the lock. A carpet of raindrops shimmered on her red felt coat. She shivered when she turned the key, feeling the rain drench her sleeves around the inside of her elbows as she did so.
The hinges creaked when she pushed the door open.
Another sign that summer was officially over.
A groan escaped her when she carried her bag inside, leaving the chrysanthemums on the door step, then closed the door. Her hands were trembling as she struggled to get her wet coat off. The skirt of her dress stuck to her wet skin, and even her socks were wet, making it hard to take them off.
"You're home."
Amy yelped. Her hand slipped, launching her boot towards him. "Sorry!"
"Got it!" He sat down on the bottom step of the stairwell, putting her shoe down.
"Hi," she replied in a small voice, feeling her cheeks burn.
A thick silence settled between them, only broken by rain drops, dripping onto the door mat.
"H-how long have you been waiting for me like this?" Amy eventually asked.
Sonic picked his ear, a nervous, almost boyish smile playing on his lips. "Doesn't matter. You're soaked. Let me get you a towel."
And just like that, he spun on his heels, but she grabbed his arm. Goosebumps tugged at his peach fur. He felt so nice and warm against her cold, wet hands.
"Sonic?"
When he turned around and his emerald eyes fixed her gaze, her lips tingled. She just wanted to kiss him and forget about it all. Amy almost leaned in.
'No,' she scolded herself. She didn't go through this heartache for nothing! If she wanted things to change, then she needed to talk to him.
Amy swallowed. "Do you understand why I left Friday?"
The smile vanished from his face. "I suppose..."
"You do?"
Sonic gave a shrug, grabbing her wet gloved hands. "Ames, I realize I may not be the perfect husband, and I'm sorry things have been a lil' rocky between us lately… "
She sighed. "I don't need you to be perfect, Sonic. I just— sometimes I feel you're taking me for granted, maybe… You run off, going Chaos knows where, and I don't hear from you all day! Do you know how shitty that makes me feel?"
Blue ears flicked backwards as he bristled with shame. "I'm sorry…"
"Honey, I just need you to communicate with me. Do you understand?"
"I'll try my best," he promised with a faint smile, gingerly rubbing the back of her hands with his thumbs. "I don't wanna lose you, Ames."
At that, she looked into his eyes, heart skipping a beat. "Really? Sometimes I'm afraid you don't want me anymore…"
There was a twitch in his face, a hint of a scowl. Without saying anything, he carefully pinched her soaked cotton gloves between his fingers, sliding them off one by one before pressing a kiss to her knuckles. A soundless squeal lingered in her throat.
"I don't think there's anything I can say to change your mind, so…"
Sonic lifted her in his arms, his hooded eyes hazy as he brushed his lips against hers, and her heart pounded like it was the very first time. Heat flushed the skin of her neck, her face. Her eyes closed on their own accord, and she pressed her lips lightly against his, feeling his muscles relax.
"Sonic…" she whimpered softly, wrapping her arms around his neck.
He carried her upstairs, wetting the seam of her tingling lips with his tongue. She parted hers to let him in, moaning quietly as she did so. Herbal notes melted on her tongue.
Her eyes snapped open, a frown crowning above them. "Hm— did you smoke?"
"Not now—" he muttered, kicking their bedroom door open.
His hazy eyes crossed hers for a second, and her breath caught in her throat. Was she imagining things, or did they look a little bloodshot?
Before she realized it, she was lying on her back on top of the covers. A crackling sound reached her ears. Chuckling, she dug up a candy wrapper from underneath her.
"Oh, you've been smoking, alright…"
Goofy smile playing on his lips, Sonic gave a shrug. His shoes met the carpet with a thud, and he propped himself up above her. She kissed him with greed. It'd been too long. Her arms wrapped around him, pulling him closer. The heat of his body seeped into her through her cold, wet dress. Her skin flushed when she felt him poke against her stomach.
This was really happening.
A whine escaped her when he tore away from her, fucking with the zipper on her side.
"Leave it," she begged him, feeling the heat between her thighs.
That's when he sat up and grabbed her ankles, hiking up her skirt and letting her legs rest on his shoulders. She slipped a squeal in surprise. Even after all these years, he blushed when he shoved her panties aside. They were damp, and her pulse throbbed between her legs, her sensitive skin aching for his touch.
"Ames?"
"Yeah?" she panted.
Breathing hard, he hunched over her in one swift motion, his hips colliding with hers. "I've missed you."