Scream For Me

-7-

"Okay, nothing super nice because those places are seriously crowded," Sonic said as he and (Y/n) walked down the streets that evening. "And I know you kind of like the more low key places, right?" She nodded, smiling softly. "Cool." 

They soon came to a small, modest little shop on top of a hill with a view of the other towns below it. Only a few other Mobians were there at the moment and of course, Sonic was swarmed the second he stepped in. 

"HEY!" he shouted, an arm protectively around (Y/n). "Please! Back off!" The (a/t) beside him swallowed heavily, shaking her head rapidly. Sonic leaned over to her ear. "Just stay calm. Give me a second." She nodded, rubbing her throat and thinking pleasant thoughts. 

Suddenly, everyone was back in their seats, a soft breeze blowing through the area. Sonic mock wiped his brow, grinning at his date. "Shall we," he said, bowing and holding out his hand. She pursed her lips, though she was smiling and placed her hand in his, forcing the scream down. 

They sat down, though (Y/n) was still nervous and drank her whole glass of water in an attempt to force several other screams down like the hiccups. Sonic grabbed her hand over the table and smiled comfortingly. She returned it, though strained. 

"I'm sorry," he said. "I...I was trying to get somewhere calm so that you could relax. I'm sorry."

"Don't be," the AI said. "Now that they've calmed down, maybe I will, too." Sonic gave her hand a soft squeeze.

"How is the training coming? You getting a grip?"

"...no."

"But I thought...."

"Shadow may think we're making progress, but...but he never thought to ask me. He just assumes. While I'm training, I'm thinking about nothing else but just beating him. Just showing him that I'm not as weak as he thinks. And that leads to a lot of screaming. Like, any strong impulses or emotions induce a scream, and for me, during training, I feel intense frustration that I just can't get a single hit in unless I scream that it makes me feel so useless otherwise." She curled her hands into fists, withdrawing from Sonic. She casually grabbed her glass and gulped down several swallows.

"I'll talk to him," Sonic said. "That's just Shadow for you, though. He's closed off to most."

"Something tells me that he's not," she said. "Not to me. He opened up to me rather quickly, but then seemed to think it was a mistake and tried to close himself off. And now he won't even look at me." Sonic frowned, scratching behind one of his ears.

"I will never understand him," he said, folding his hands. "Are you doing okay, otherwise?"

"I have...I have nightmares," she admitted. "I see his face...Starline...and I remember that feeling, that transformation. I-" She sucked in a sharp breath and stood up. In a flash they were out of the shop, all the way to the beach by the ocean before she screamed.

"Scream for me." So she did. Because she was obedient. Meant to obey. Created to kill, to destroy, to inflict pain on all those who crossed her path.

"(Y/n)? (Y/n)!" Sonic shook her until she shut up, dropping to her knees and covering her mouth. "Are you okay?"

"I can't get away from him."

"You're safe," the blue hedgehog said firmly, pulling her close to him, his breath tickling her ear softly. She leaned into his chest, catching her breath. "I promise, no harm will come to you as long as you're with me." She nodded. 

"I understand," she said. "But you know you can't protect me all the time." 

"I'll do my best. You know me. The fastest thing alive!" She flicked her ears and pulled back. "Sorry about that, though." 

"It's fine. I'm not really a fast food person." 

"Not even chilidogs?!" She gave a silent laugh and shook her head. "Okay, that's just sad." She smiled and turned her head. Her eyes widened and she tapped his shoulder, pointing. The moon and stars were reflecting off the water, creating a sparkling reflection. "Whoa." 

(Y/n) carefully sat down, as if even the slightest noise would disturb the beauty. Sonic put his arm around her and settled down beside her. "Good job," he whispered softly in her ear. "You got us here." She stared at the water, dazzled. Slowly, she leaned her head on his shoulder.

They sat there for a few minutes before (Y/n) started to fall asleep. Sonic scooped her up and ran her back to the base, setting her down in her bed. "Still sorry about the restaurant," he murmured, stroking her forehead softly. She shifted and fumbled for his hand. He grasped it and she cracked her eyes open, smiling.

"Thank you," she signed with her free hand.

"Anytime," he said. She closed her eyes and nodded. "Goodnight." She gave his hand a squeeze in response and he stood up, exiting the room. 

When he got out, Shadow was waiting with a cross look on his face. "What's up, Faker," Sonic yawned.

Shadow said, only watching Sonic as he passed to his quarters. "Somebody's jealous," Tangle said, swinging down from the ceiling. Shadow glanced up at her.

"Shouldn't you be asleep?" he said.

"Probably, but I wanted to see the showdown between you two. Lame."

"I do not care about your petty wants," Shadow snapped, turning to face her. "She is unlike anyone I've ever encountered."

"A human turned Mobian," Tangle said, dropping to the floor. "Yeah. She needs care. But you don't have to overprotective, Mr. Overprotective." Shadow rolled his eyes and stalked past the lemur. Tangle was wrong. He was determined to convince himself.

And he most certainly would. He was sure of it.