Home Alone Tonight (SonAmy One-shot) PART 1

    The door jingled as he opened it. He walked in and was surprised that on a Friday of all nights that this place was as quiet as it was given the time. Sure, there were a few barflies with their drinks of choice, but the low number of them must have been shocking to the owner. Or owners. Hell if he knew. This was not his usual hangout for a number of reasons, but it seemed right to be here, if not a bit clichéd.

    He strolled slowly to the bar and viewed the tavern’s atmosphere. There was what looked like an elephant celebrating his 21^st birthday with all of his friends, a crying hyena face-down on the table with a big bottle of Jack Daniel’s in one hand and a shot glass in the other, a lioness at the jukebox shelling out her money just to keep playing a pop song that everyone was sick of hearing, and a few open spots at the bar’s left side. 

    He grabbed one of the stools and pulled it out slightly. When he sat down and scooted closer to the bar, he waited patiently for the bartender to serve him. He grabbed his wallet and pulled out $20.  Before closing it, he viewed a picture that was in it. He was not looking at it out of sadness, but rather disappointment, and he shook his head. 

    Her. 

    “Goddammit,” he thought. “Oh, well. Her loss.”

    “What’re you having, sir?” The hedgehog looked up, shut his wallet, and faced the bartender. “Say… aren’t you--?”

    “Mm-hmm,” he assured with a nod. “But don’t tell anyone, okay?”

    “Trying to keep a low profile, eh? Well, you came to the right place. What’re you having, Soni--.  I mean, sir?”

    “A Jack and Coke for starters,” he said as he slid the bill to badger. The barkeep brought the cash up to the light. 

    “Sorry, I just needed to make sure it’s a real one.”

    “Hey, you’re just doing your job.”

    “Do ya want it in a highball or old-fashioned glass?”

    “Whatever’s bigger, man.”

    “Highball it is.” The barkeep grabbed his supplies and fixed his cocktail. “Cheers,” he said as he offered it to him.

    The buyer raised his glass up to the badger and said, “Cheers.” 

    Taking his first sip, he tasted a sharp flavor courtesy of the Black Label whiskey. It tasted and went down the same way that his relationship did about an hour ago: bittersweet with an aftertaste that he was not going to forget anytime soon.

    He drank his first glass faster than he thought and requested a refill. He paid the barkeep once more and took the first sip of his second drink. The hedgehog was mellowing out, but the disappointment still lingered like the common cold. 

    He took out his wallet again and took out the picture. Having had enough of what he saw, he crumpled the photo up and threw it at a nearby trashcan saying, “Kobe,” as he shot. But no dice. It bounced off the far edge and onto the ground.  “More like ‘Shaq,’” he said disappointedly.

    As he turned back to his drink, the bartender returned. “I hate to ask,” the badger began, “but what’s a guy like you doing here?”

    The customer sighed and said, “I just needed to get my mind off of a few things. You’ve probably heard that one before, haven’t you?”

    “If I had a nickel…. But seriously, why’re you here?”

    “Breakup. Pure and simple.”

    “Ah. Did she cheat on you or…?”

    “No, no she didn’t. But if it’s all the same to you, I’d like to keep it to myself.”

    “Okay. Sorry if I pried.”

    “It’s alright.”

    Just then a person had taken the stool to his right. He took a brief glance at her, but he ended up doing a double-take as he continued to look. It was a young woman who was just a bit shorter than he was. The feminine hedgehog had pink fur and a great figure that was covered by a beige trench coat.

    “Evening, ma’am. What can I get for you?”

    “Jack and Coke, please,” she said as she sat down.

    “Old-fashioned or highball glass?”

    “Highball.”

    “Then it’s $6.25.”

    After digging in her purse, she came out with a $10 bill and offered it to him.

    “You have a good taste in drinks,” the man to her left said.

    “I like what I like,” she reasoned. 

    “Here you go, ma’am,” the barkeep said as he offered the drink.

    “Thank you,” she said while grabbing it. The badger walked away as she took a big drink from it. She shuddered when she swallowed it.

    “I can relate to that,” the man said. 

    “Huh?” she asked as she turned towards him.

    “The sharp way the whiskey goes down,” he said pointing to it. Then he picked up his glass to give an example. 

    “I think I know how Old No. 7 works,” she said, although it sounded more like a hiss. “I’m not a lightweight.”

    “Calm down, I’m just trying to make a little conversation.”

    “Well, I’m not really in the mood. So if you don’t mind….”

    He turned away and turned on his phone.  It read 9:03 p.m.

    He first checked his social media outlets. Nothing was happening on Twitter except for ESPN’s usual praising of Stephen Curry and LeBron James like the both of them were the second coming of Christ. His Notifications tab was filled to the brim with sayings like, “MARRY ME,” “I WANNA HAVE YOUR BABY,” and the full addresses to horny and desperate girls’ homes so that the fast hero could blow their minds only for them to post how Sonic the Hedgehog and they were now married just because they shared a night and a bed.

    His Tumblr and Tinder pages were more of the same. Facebook was a slightly different story though. He had the same fangirl problems he had when he posted something as simple as a selfie as a normal celebrity would have on social media, but this time it was a bit different. Scrolling down, he was quickly reminded of what lead him to the tavern. The status update he read was not particularly endearing, and it only made him sadder the more he read it.

    Quickly glancing over to the woman on his right, he thought, “She at least could have been a little nicer.”

    He put his sulking on hold for a moment when he heard the slight sound of someone sobbing.  He looked over his left shoulder and saw no one crying. But when he turned to his right, he saw the pink woman quietly crying with a few noticeable tears sliding down her face.

    Taking pity, he grabbed a nearby napkin and reached for her. She stopped immediately and grabbed his hand fiercely making him wince in pain. 

    “What do you think you’re doing?” she asked darkly as she stared him down.

    “I’m just trying to lend a hand.”

    “I’m fine.”

    “If you were, you wouldn’t be crying. I’m just trying to be help.” She maintained eye-contact for another second or two, but she bowed her face to hide it. “Please take the napkin.” She looked back at him and plucked it from him.   

    “Thank you,” she said.  He gently smiled.

    She wiped off her face and set it aside to grab her drink. After swallowing, she sighed sharply. 

    “Sorry for snapping at you like that,” she said.

    “It’s alright.”

    “No, it’s not.  I’m just….”

    “You’re just going through a rough time in your life?” he guessed.

    “Yeah,” she said as she began to face him. She faked a smile, but it quickly vanished.

    “Boyfriend issues?”

    “Something like that.” She looked away as she said it, and that was enough answer for him.

    “I’m the same way.  Er… not the ‘boyfriend’ part though.”

    “A girl is giving the great Sonic the Hedgehog trouble? That’s surprising.”

    “Not as surprising as a girl who is not constantly drooling over me,” he jabbed back.

    “Just because I know who you are doesn’t mean I’m like every other fan of yours – female or not – that would love for you to rock their world. Not everyone who knows you is completely and/or hopelessly obsessed with you.”

    “And what about you? What do you think of me?”

    “I think you’re fantastic. I really admire what you do for everyone, y’know with all of your heroics and whatnot. But that doesn’t mean that I have every square inch of my bedroom covered with posters and pictures of you and me at a wedding chapel.”

    He chuckled. It was not very often that found a fan of his that was not crazy about him. “You wouldn’t believe how many fans have sent me pictures of their ‘collections’ of me.”

    “Oh, I think I could imagine. Oh, sorry; this conversation derailed. What were we talking about again?”

    “Uh… I forget.”  The two shared a chuckle and each took a drink.  Sonic looked at his and saw that he was already in need of another refill.  So was she.  “Need another?”

    After glancing at her glass, she said, “Yeah, I could use another one.”

    “Lemme--.”

    “No, let me. I suppose I owe you that much for being snippy with you. What are you drinking?”

    “Jack and Coke; same as you.”

    “Alright then. Bartender?” The old badger quickly came to them.  “Another Jack and Coke for me and Sonic, if you don’t mind.”

    “Will do.” As the badger did the refills, she pulled out another bill, this time one of the $20 varieties. “Here you two go,” he said as he set the drinks down and grabbed the bill.

    “Keep the change.”

    “Thank you, ma’am.” When he left, the two grabbed their drinks. She lifted hers and said, “Here’s to Sonic saving the day once again.”

    He chuckled and raised his too. “And here’s to pretty fangirls who aren’t completely nuts for me.” She blushed and laughed. The two clinked their glasses and took a sip. 

    When they set them back down, Sonic noticed how tipsy he felt. Hell, he was already on his third drink and he had not even been there for an hour. And now a beautiful woman had just gotten him another round. It was still early, but to him, this night was going better than he could have ever imagined. 

    He offered his hand. She was a little confused. 

    “I’m Sonic,” he said.

    “Yeah, I know. How drunk are you?”

    “A little, but that won’t stop me from properly introducing myself.”

    She chuckled and shook his hand. “Well, I’m Amy. Amy Rose.”

    “Hmm. How floral, but I take it you get that a lot?”

    “Not as much you might think. So… why is a hotshot like you in a place like this?”

    “Well, what about you, Miss Rose?”

    Inhaling sharply, she said. “I think I said this before, but ‘boyfriend issues.’ Wait, wasn’t that what we were talking about earlier?”

    After a second or two of thought, Sonic said, “Yeah… I think it was.”

    “Well, that’s why.” She sighed. “And I wish it didn’t have to go down like it did.”

    “Go down like what did?”

    “My boy--.  Sorry, my ex-boyfriend, Damon.”

    “What did he do to make you like this? Making a pretty girl like you cry should be against the law.” His sweet words caused her cheeks to redden. She smiled for a brief moment, but her frown returned. He really wanted to understand. He had already made a connection to this girl and despite their short time together.

     “It was both of us, really. I don’t want to talk about it.” She actually wanted to vent, but she was convinced that he would not listen. A part of her thought it was just so he would pity her or maybe that he just wanted to do something else later on with her that she would not want to do. But this was not just some guy that she had just met. No, this was the heroic Sonic the Hedgehog. Surely he could understand, right?

    “Are you sure?” he asked.

    “Yeah.”

    An awkward silence followed. He took another sip. She did the same. “I don’t want to force you into doing anything, but you can trust me. Everyone else does. I’m a good listener. Sure, everyone knows that I run my mouth when I’m dealing with bad guys, but I wouldn’t say a word of this to anyone else. If it’s because you think I wouldn’t understand, then you’re wrong… because I’m drinking away my sorrows for the same reason that you are.”

    She turned back to him. His face was not the same cheery one she saw earlier. Now it was his head that was hung. She saw his eyes and how depressed they looked.

    “I think this was where our conversation was heading earlier,” she said.

    “I think you’re right,” he responded. 

    “Tell ya what,” she said before downing the rest of her drink. “Get me another drink, and we’ll go from there.”

    He smiled and pounded the rest of his cocktail too. “Deal. Bartender? Another round for me and the lady.” The badger nodded from across the bar and refilled the drinks when he had the chance. Sonic paid the man and was given his change. The hedgehogs grabbed their glasses and took a sip. They put them down, laid their arms on the bar, and faced each other. “Alright. You first.”

    She was hesitant to start, and he knew that she would be. But he put his left hand over her right hand. Another blush came over her face, and she nervously looked away. “It’s okay. I don’t bite.”

    She sighed and raised her head to face him. “His name is Damon. He’s a Bengal tiger. It wasn’t pretty.”

    “Can’t you give me a little more than his name and species?”

    She took another sip and collected her thoughts. “We started getting to know each other during our senior year at college. He and I had a few elective classes together. Y’know how there’s always that one guy who is just so freakin’ good-looking that any girl would do anything to have him?” He nodded. “He wasn’t that guy, but he was pretty damn close. After a while, we paired up to tackle a few projects together and that’s when things got serious. We graduated and continued to see more of each other. At first I thought I would be spending the rest of my life with him.”  She took another sip.

    “But the good times didn’t last, did they?” he asked.

    “That depends on whom you’re talking about. For him, no. What I didn’t tell you was that he was also your typical college partier. He was a member of one of the best frats at the university, not just in terms of popularity, but party-throwing. Did he like to have fun? Yes. Do I like to have fun? Yes.”

    “So this guy was too much of a partier for you?”

    “His partying wasn’t the problem. I like partying it up once in a while too, but the problem with him was his… his… maturity. He acted so childishly at times, too much for my liking. Granted when he was still in college he could make those decisions without getting burned for it later for the most part, and it’s common to act like an idiot when you’re at a party-strong frat, but even after we both graduated he still wanted to party, he still wanted to hang out with a younger crowd, and he could not understand that that part of his life was over! We were graduated for cryin’ out loud! He didn’t know how to act like a civilized person because I honestly don’t think anyone’s kicked his butt enough for him to be a mature adult. And here comes me – his then-girlfriend – wanting him to grow up and be a man.” She stopped again to – you guessed it – take another sip. “After a while, I just couldn’t take it anymore, but I didn’t want to lose him because of it. We’d been dating for months, but honestly I kinda liked it when he was childish… when we were still in school. When we got our degrees, I wanted to live a mature life with him, but not his foolish, irresponsible self. I tried to change him, but that lead to fights. Finally, I gave him an ultimatum to either grow up or I would leave.” She took in a sharp breath and tried to hold back the tears. He saw it and grabbed a napkin to get ready. “His silence was enough for me. I left his place and just drove all across town. And then I wound up here.” That’s when a tear rolled down her right cheek. She hung her head out of sadness. He reached over to wipe it away, but she said, “No, I’ve got it.” She took her sleeve and wiped it away. “I know that it wasn’t fair of me to be so demanding, but I… I….”

    “You just couldn’t take it anymore.”

    She nodded and looked back up to him. God, it broke his heart to see her whimpering with glossy, red eyes. Like he said before, making a pretty girl like her cry should be against the law.

    “It’s over,” he said. “I get it that you just got done with him, and I know you’re feeling like the world’s crashing down on you, but things happen for a reason. For you, that reason is that he wasn’t right for you, and you know that. Am I right?” She slowly nodded. “Will it take you a while to move on? It might or it might not, but trust me, you’ll get over him.”

    She smiled. “Thank God,” he thought.

    “I didn’t know that the great Sonic the Hedgehog could be as philosophical as he is heroic.”

    She chuckled. “That’s it. Laugh! That’s what you need to do. It’s the best medicine.”

    She turned away to take another sip. Amy thought that only her girlfriends could’ve helped cheer her up. But some guy at a bar was helping her out, and it didn’t matter if he was known and loved by all either. That was when she realized it. He saved her. He saved her from being an emotional wreck. She was smiling and having a good time without Damon. And it didn’t hurt that this guy was very easy on the eyes. 

    Amy was not gonna sugarcoat it. She liked him. She liked the way he saved people, she liked his good heart, and she liked how dashing he looked. She was always fascinated by the color blue, especially a magnificently jarring color like his royal blue fur. 

    And he was built well too. Was he ripped beyond all comprehension? No, but she could still make out a slight 6-pack and some strong-looking arms.  His eyes were calming and sympathetic. If one would take a good look at them, anyone could tell what he was feeling at that exact moment. Emerald green. His eye color complemented his blue fur and tan chest well, not to mention his handsome face. It was not hard to see why every girl wanted him, and she realized that it was only him and her. If only she could take him home with her….

    Another thing dawned on her. He said that he could relate to her current issue. She told him everything. All the details. Now it was his turn. She did not want to ruin the good times with him having to be a sullen mess. 

    But a deal was a deal.

TO BE CONTINUED IN PART 2 (I HATE HOW THIS SITE HAS MEMORY ISSUES WITH STASH.WRITER)