Chapter Text
Amy learned the hard way that true love must be nurtured.
She spent many of her younger years chasing it, urging it, demanding it from someone who never felt it for her the way she wanted. Realizing the harm it caused them both, and her apologizing for it, felt like it shredded her to bits and unevenly glued her back together. But it was needed. It allowed the true love she dreamed of her whole life to grow and blossom - to be nurtured and to nurture her back.
Not remotely how she expected, though.
After Amy put her obsession with Sonic to rest, she stepped far back from romance. In practical application, anyway; not in her heart. She often lost herself in love stories and romantic films, daydreams of kisses in the park and flower petals showering over an altar, and aches in her chest at seeing others wrapped in the arms of their truest loves. But her own love story waited. She had to work on herself.
She focused on her job, traveling the world and documenting it. She took her experience leading the Resistance and Restoration and put it towards growing up- sorting out her life and its goals beyond spending it with someone. Put away a piece of each paycheck - learned new practical skills for in and out of the house - beat up her punching bag on the regular - adopted a newborn, red chao she named Berry. All those good things.
But whenever her dearest friends found themselves in romantic situations of their own, she let herself live vicariously through them. She loved hooking up friends and acquaintances with each other, suggesting date locations, planning their outfits, giving them quick cooking classes; anything she could do to take part and knowledge, and a little selfish piece, of romance.
When she was 19, she jumped at the chance to plan her former crush's wedding. Sonic had her own long-standing crush on her rival, Shadow; he, in-turn, had sturdy emotional walls to break down before he could bare to love at all. But lucky for both, love indeed won out soon after she and Amy settled the air between them, and right as Sonic accepted and embraced her womanhood. The couple dated for three years before they built their own house in Green Hill and moved in together. Less than a year later, Sonic finished her physical transition, and asked the love of her life to tie the knot.
Amy understood their wedding wasn't just a contractual agreement. They could do that in a courthouse in an afternoon and go home. It was a celebration: of the years they spent learning about each other, of learning about themselves, growing until they were the people they needed to be, and reaching the point where they knew they wanted to be together forever. And of course, as she knew Sonic wanted, it was a party. A day of joy with everyone as just the first step on the rest of their lives.
Sonic insisted they hold the wedding at her birthplace, Christmas Island. Amy coordinated the wedding plans with Uncle Chuck, cousin Bernie, and their volunteered helper Tails. She, Vanilla and Cris baked their hearts out; lots of cookies with a low-key chocolate cake, as requested, with a smattering of mint for Tails (and anyone else who wanted any. Probably. If they were fast enough). Savory catering arrived that morning: a small mountain of chili dogs from Chuck and Tails (same story), pitchers of limeade from Bernie, and five large pizzas from Shadow's favorite parlor.
The couple snuck a Chaos Emerald from the GUARD vaults and warped their many friends out to Christmas Island, bolstering the guest list far beyond the handful of island residents welcomed to crash the party. The remainder of their respective teams, the Chaotix, friends from other worlds and times, lifelong and once-opponents alike. Everyone who held special places in their hearts. Then they disappeared into different rooms in Chuck's house to change and hide until the ceremony. Everyone else set up the chairs and the white, floral arch on the ad hoc platform Bernie, Chuck and Tails built on the beach.
Chuck flipped through his note cards under the arch as he practiced his officiant's speech. Knuckles and Tails stood in handsome, dark blue suits beside him, Tails grown to the tallest of them over a year ago. Amy, Cris, and Vanilla sat in front of them, with Cheese, Chocola and Berry refusing to pick one person's lap to sit in. Rouge stood on the opposite side in a fetching red silken dress, Omega but a statue behind her with only an oversized black tie, since nothing else fit. He tried.
The music began. Shadow marched down the aisle to the altar - decked in a fetching black tuxedo, as uncommonly handsome as always, his ever-piercing stare tempered with the softness of a man who couldn't wait to tell the woman he loved just how much he did. He stopped next to Rouge, who gave him a wide smile, cheeky wink and playful hip check. He turned and faced the small crowd of many friends, glancing to his brother-in-law with a shared warm affection.
Then he saw Amy, his joy accented by a glistening in his eyes. He thanked her plenty for setting it up; she knew he wouldn't stop. She mirrored his beaming smile.
Then his gaze, and everyone else's, turned in awe to Sonic. She bounced down the aisle in a heavenly white dress, of the kind the girl could only dream of being seen in years before, when her true, complete self seemed so out of reach. She practiced walking in heels for weeks so that she wouldn't hobble down that aisle, because dammit she's Sonic. The way she locked eyes with Shadow, and she looked so happy in defiance of the tears gathering between them, made Amy give hers up as well. Her friends were so beautiful, she thought.
Amy kept her flooding heart quiet as they gave their heartfelt vows. She stood and applauded when they gave their I-do's, were declared husband and wife, and kissed. She hugged them both tight and gave them her very best as their long-time bestie. And she danced her heart out with everyone in the after-party under the evening glow by the sea.
Bernie, Chuck and Tails lit several tall torches along the shore as the sun fell behind the horizon, the arch and all of the chairs shoved to the perimeter of the platform. The glowing newlyweds slow-danced alone at its center under the approaching stars, kissing, whispering, giggling, and staring deep into each other's eyes like nothing else existed. When they concluded their 'first dance', Sonic grabbed Tails and Knuckles by the scruffs of their necks to dive into the buffet. Amy watched Shadow ask his best friend Rouge for their own dance.
At first blush, it looked much like his dance with his wife. Loving eyes locked to each other, sharing little smiles and laughs, and holding each other like it was second nature. On closer inspection, one could see the relaxed, comfortable casualness between them. She understood that they went through hell and high water together; no matter the nature of their relationship, they always had each other.
The song ended, and the two best friends exchanged kisses on their cheeks and a tight hug. Amy watched them approach the three heroes at the buffet, arm-in-arm. The thought tickled at the back of her mind: maybe if things went differently for those two, they'd celebrate their own wedding instead. But she put it away where it belongs, deep down with the tiniest twinge of envy that she wasn't asked to dance too.
She watched the newlyweds exchange smiles and a smooch, followed by Sonic stuffing a cookie into Shadow's mouth. Rouge slinked up to Knuckles, exchanged a few flirts, and tried to get her own dance out of him. Or so it seemed. They clinked champagne glasses, and they walked away from each other. Rouge didn't look so disappointed.
“Amy?”
She blinked and turned in surprise at Shadow's gentle murmur and hand on her shoulder. “Oh- hey!”
He held the hand out and gave her this soft smile, his signature almost as much as his piercing smolder. He still had two crumbs on his lapel. “Would you like to dance?”
She perked and blushed much more than she thought she should. “Y-... yeah! Yeah, I'd love to!”
She took his hand and beamed as he helped her stand and led her to the center of the platform. The unmanned jukebox played a faster number, an accordion celebrating love and joy like something from the streets of Spagonia. Amy put her hand on his shoulder, the other in his, and he cradled her hip as they matched its swerving rhythm with ease.
“Are you dancing with all the girls?” she teased.
“Not just,” he joked back. “I wanted to dance with all my friends, but Omega said 'no'.”
She giggled. “His loss.”
His charming face warmed, his gentle, smoky voice softening even more as he looked deeper into her eyes. “I can't thank you enough.”
“It was my pleasure,” she beamed back. “I live for this kinda thing.”
“Not just the wedding. We're together in the first place thanks to you. Ms. Warrior of Love,” he purred.
She raised her brows and hid her face with a blush and a snort. “Aw, I can't take too much credit. You two were gonna find each other. I didn't need a card reading to know that.”
“But even beyond our relationship.” Sad seriousness coated his kind eyes. “The war, Black Doom, all the way back to the ARK... You've been a light. For us. For me.” He leaned in, and his forehead brushed her bangs. “You're a gift, Amy Rose.”
Her face burned as red as her family name; she hid it in his shoulder with a whine. “Nnnn, jeeeez...!”
One side-effect of the turn-around in his life was his 180 on affection. Under the right circumstances, he could be downright effusive, even romantic with his friends. Whenever he directed it at her, it left her flushed and embarrassed, but in a sweetened, charmed way. It's hard to be Ms. Warrior of Love if you're gonna beat her at her game, dammit!
“Wha'm I s'pposed to say to that?” she mumbled against his shoulder.
He chuckled and wrapped his arm around her to hug her. She allowed herself to stay there, leaning against him as they swayed back and forth until the song concluded, to no protest from him.
As the accordion finished on a long, sustained note, they pulled back from their close dance, and he press a gentle kiss of her own to her cheek.
“You're gonna make your wife jealous,” she teased.
“Oh, she's waiting to plant one on you, too.”
She giggled, and returned the kiss to his cheek. He walked her back to her seat, arm-in-arm, then he left to scout yet another friend to melt into a puddle.
She leaned back in the chair with a sigh, unaware of the smile that stretched across her whole face, despite the pop of a question mark from her chao. She almost didn't notice the tap on her forehead a moment later.
She glanced up, and Sonic leaned over her from behind with a cheeky grin. “Open up!” she announced and held up a chocolate chip cookie.
“Oh-!” Amy perked, but giggled and opened her mouth wide, allowing Sonic to pop it in. Her friend hugged her around her neck as she chewed - and righted herself so she could swallow.
“Thanks again, Ames. It was perfect.”
“Mm-mngh!” she hummed through a full mouth. She swallowed a bite with a gasp. “Gegh-! You bet!” She reached her arms behind to inefficiently return the hug. “You guys are the best, so you get the best.” She pulled back the half-eaten cookie and examined it. “Mm, I'm happy about these cookies, too.”
“Hell yeah, I ate my weight in them and the chili dogs.” They released their hug, and Sonic plopped down beside her, Berry bouncing into her lap.
“Did you let anyone else have any?” Amy teased.
“I let everyone have dibs while we danced, 'cuz I was gonna eat the rest no matter what,” she joked, scritching the chao's back and earning a heart on their floating orb. “Think I saw Tails and Silver have some, so I called it.”
Amy snorted. “Glad we didn't spring for a chapel. I think you would've been happy with just the marriage license and buffet.”
“Look, man!” She snickered back, throwing a hand up. “I wanted a tower of chili dogs, I wanted everyone on a beach, and I wanted that guy to say 'I do'!” She pointed across the platform to her new husband, helping himself to a slice of supreme pizza and a mysterious glass of red wine while chatting with the Chaotix adults. “I got 'em all, so: perfect wedding and you're a genius. Woo, Amy!” she play-cheered and clapped. “C'mon, cheer for Mama!” she urged to Berry, who joined in with an adorable chirp.
Amy hid her bashful face and quiet snicker behind her hand.
“Guess I'm gonna have to make your wedding even better somehow,” her friend mused with a grin.
She smiled wide. “I'm afraid I already planned the whole thing years ago.” She stomped down the little dot of anxiousness in her mind waiting for that kiss.
“Oh I know it, but I'm Sonic the Hedgehog.” She set her hands at her hips and puffed up her chest. “I'm full of surprises.”
Before Amy knew it, Sonic's lips darted to her cheek.
Ahh, there it was. Her eyes widened, and she huffed in surprise, her face torched all over again. Like a stamp on her job planning the wedding: a great success.
As Sonic pulled back, Amy beamed and burned, but put on a cool façade. “'Fraid Shadow already told me you'd do that.”
“Oh, dammit, Shadow! How'd you even know that?!” Sonic shouted, her joviality and toothy grin giving away how little it mattered. She poked Berry on their belly, who lay flat on their back on her lace and satin lap. “Welp, I gotta go plant a few more on him, too, kiddo,” she said aloud, to Amy's amusement and the chao's annoyance. Berry hopped over to their mom, and Sonic leaned over for another hug, smiling as she got her own kiss on the cheek.
Sonic hopped to her feet, her bridal heels clacking on the wood. She looked down at the white, open sandals, and her grin grew devilish. "Hey, y'think I can run a lap around the island in these?”
Amy's eyes bugged - she snapped her hands out. “Gods- no! You're gonna break those heels or your ankles!”
The party wound down as the night grew late and the guests grew sleepy. Even Sonic admitted she was ready to crash, having done so into the sand trying to do exactly what Amy said not to. The happy couple warped guests back home in groups of two or three, ending with taking Amy and Berry back to Central City and leaving them with one last goodbye group hug.
Amy fell into bed, exhausted and satisfied with a job well done. Her chao plopped into their oversized, over-blanketed basket and passed out even faster.
Her beautiful friends crossed her mind in one last, tiny little thought, as she slipped into sweet dreams.