Chapter Text
“1800 a month? No, that’s too much." Amy's hands were full of groceries as she entered her kitchen, trying to keep everything balanced as she pressed her phone to her ear. Just as she stepped through the threshold, a loud, high-pitched wail sounded from across the hall and she quickly set her stuff down so she could plug one of her ears. "I guess I have to look for roommate ads." Amy bit back a groan. That was exactly what she’d hoped to avoid, considering her current experience wasn’t going so well.
“That’s what happens when you try to live in a college town.” Rouge was saying on the other end.
Amy mused on that as she glared at the wall separating her from the space where her roommate, Lauren, was having another one of her meltdowns. When she’d first moved in, Amy had quickly learned that Lauren was a raging narcissist. But now, she was more than that - a narcissist who had been dumped. Where she'd been awful before, now she was insufferable. One more month. Only one more month to go on her lease but Amy wasn’t sure she could hold out.
“What the hell is that sound?"
"What do you think?!" Amy hissed. At the same time, she crept closer to Lauren's room and held her phone close to the wall. The wailing was slowly subsiding into heaving, gulping sobs. Not as piercing as earlier, but loud enough.
"Well on the bright side, if the country got invaded right now, we could just use her instead of an air raid siren." She could practically hear her friend wrinkling her nose in the background and couldn't help a light chuckle as she scurried away from the area.
“It’s amazing honestly. Like on one hand, I’ve been there. Breakups are hard and I have my own weird ways of dealing, but I don’t even remember being this dramatic when I was fourteen!”
"You know you can say something, right? If not to her, then maybe your other roommates? It’s okay to be sad, but not enough to wake the entire building."
"Right. And then I'd be the bad person who tells another woman going through a breakup that she needs to get over it." That, and Amy knew for a fact that Fiona and Breezie weren't going to do anything about this behavior besides enabling it. It was like any scenario that annoyed her was fun for them.
"Amy, you're the one who always tells me what an awful person she's always been. And that her friends aren't any better. Being heartbroken isn't a free pass for shitty behavior."
Amy closed her eyes. Rouge was right. And that barely scratched the surface of all the crap she'd had to put up with. But the more she dwelled on her . . . unbalanced living circumstances, the more angry she would feel and Amy was determined not to waste her mental energy on these people just yet. "I know, I know." She finally said somberly. "Normally, I would've handled this situation way differently. But I can't just go up and confront them. I need a place to go first."
"If you say so. I’ll call you if I hear anything. Keep your chin up, okay? Feel free to crash here if you need to.”
"Thanks, girl. I gotta go now. Scourge is coming over to hang out soon so I need to freshen up. Talk to ya later!"
With that, Amy got to work stocking the fridge with the necessary items and then proceeded to search for a mug. After a long day at work, she’d made a quick stop at the store, more than eager for some comfort food now that she was about to have an entire week off. It was the perfect break she needed. Also, her boyfriend was coming over to hang out later tonight, so all in all, it was looking to be a promising-
"Mom? . . . Mom? . . ." That shrill voice again.
Amy looked up with a frown, staring at the wall and knowing all too well what sort of theatrics was about to start now. Then her eyes shifted to the sink and she felt her irritation rise further at the large pile of dirty dishes, tupperware containers and cups.
"No- no no no no, you need to listen to me- mom? Mom."
Amy took a deep breath. Clearly it had been Lauren's turn to do the dishes. But it was obvious she felt that a better use of her time was to mope around like she’d been doing all month and end the day by screaming at her mom on the phone.
Now as far as Amy was concerned, there were no clean mugs to use and she was stuck with cleaning this up again. Ugh, is a hot cup of cocoa after a twelve hour shift really too much to ask?! Trying to ignore the smell of half eaten chicken that hadn’t been thrown away, she begrudgingly sifted through the mess and found one, which she thoroughly washed, filled with warm milk and cocoa powder, then topped it with whipped cream.
"Mom? Listen to me, can you please listen to me- this is not a bullshit conversation!"
After a moment of silence, she rolled her eyes and raised the cup to her lips for a heavenly sip.
"Oh my god you are so wrong, you are not right! It is amazing how wrong you are!"
"Oh for the love of-!" Amy glanced at her phone and sighed. It was 8:30pm. So much for a quiet evening. Whatever. I'm going to my room and getting ready. She then noticed something at the door - Scourge's sneakers.
He came here early? And stayed? That wasn't like him at all. By this time, she'd honestly figured he'd have just gotten bored and left. Not that it mattered now, anyway.
A small smile was on her face now, as Amy swiftly turned and headed to her room, determined to end the night on a good note. She wasted no time in making herself known to the occupant. "Guess whooooo!"
"Gah!" He jumped, dropping his phone and nearly falling off the bed if it weren't for a timely grab at the bedside lamp. Once he recovered, he narrowed his eyes at his girlfriend who just stood at the door, giggling. "Fuck, Rosy. Way ta give a guy a heart attack!"
"You're one to talk." She set her purse down and went to plop herself next to him. "I can't believe you actually came early!"
"You make it kinda hard ta say no with all that naggin' you did the other day." Scourge scoffed. Amy's warm smile dimmed ever-so-slightly before she quickly recovered. If he noticed, he didn’t say anything, instead placing his arms behind his head and leaning back against her pillows. "But who woulda thought after all that, you're the one who showed up late." He smirked.
"I'm a nurse, Scourge. Just 'cause my shift ends at 7:30 doesn't mean I'll actually leave-"
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever, nobody’s perfect, right?” He smirked. “At least you're here now." He yanked her arm, pulling her towards him for a heated kiss. Amy was momentarily surprised at the abruptness of it, but nevertheless indulged him for a few moments, before breaking away.
"As fun as this is," she got up from the bed to reach for her drink, still sitting on her desk. "I just worked over thirteen hours and I'm not doing anything till I've finished my hot cocoa." Along the way, she noticed Scourge's phone still on the floor and moved to pick it up. "Oh, here's your phone! Sorry about-"
The device chimed and a message popped up. "Finished already, babe?"
Amy’s body immediately went rigid and she forgot what she was doing, not even noticing when her mug fell from her hands. She reread the message repeatedly, as if trying to find any other explanation why some girl would be saying that to Scourge, but there was none. It was too obvious.
Then another message followed that included an attachment. Against her better judgment, she moved to open it but then the phone was snatched out of her hand.
Scourge scowled at his screen, hastily tapping at it before pocketing the phone. "Well this is just perfect fuckin’ timing." He looked flustered, but it wasn’t out of guilt for his actions.
By now, Amy was sure all the color had drained from her face as the reality of the situation finally settled in.
After that, everything was a blur. The doors opening, everyone rushing out at the sound of yelling, the way they’d told Amy to keep the noise down - the sheer irony of it would’ve been laughable if she wasn’t already so upset. But the kicker was the complete lack of empathy on their part when Scourge shamelessly admitted to everything.
"Okay, I get that it came as a shock, but I’m not sure why you’re so surprised. You haven’t been dating for that long, so it’s not like it’s cheating."
"What?! How can you even say that- wait." Amy's jaw dropped at the audacity of Breezie’s comment. "You knew?”
On some level, Fiona had had the decency to keep quiet throughout this exchange, but Amy didn’t miss the sneer she was trying to hide.
"I mean, I thought you already knew Scourge isn’t the type to stay exclusive."
A week later . . .
"So I moved out." Amy's eyes were downcast as she finished her elaborate tale, albeit focusing more on the part about Scourge than anything else. Tears filled her eyes at the memory of that humiliating day and she blinked them away, forcing a smile back on her face as she continued. "Then I saw your ad and here I am!"
"I'm sorry you went through that, Amy. Those people sound . . . awful." Tails said softly. Next to him sat Sonic and Knuckles, who were looking away with hard expressions. Silver - the greyish white hedgehog she'd just met - was watching her sympathetically, only muttering a soft "Wow . . . just wow."
"Serves me right for dating a 'bad boy'. I swear, movies never tell you that in real life, they are not actually closeted sweethearts!" Then she cleared her throat awkwardly, suddenly remembering what they were originally talking about. "Sorry I totally sidetracked there. What were you asking?"
An awkward silence passed as the guys exchanged glances, now unsure of how to steer the conversation, given the direction things had taken. After all, no one wanted to accidentally come off as insensitive by flipping right back to formalities. Having not seen each other for a couple of years, Sonic and Knuckles had been pleasantly surprised when Amy showed up unannounced. That surprise had changed to shock when it turned out she wasn’t just here to catch up but also to respond to their ad in search of a roommate.
"So . . . " It was ultimately Sonic who broke the silence. "With Knux and Tails leaving, it’ll just be me and Silver. We’re probably gonna get another one too, so chances are it’ll be all guys here." He paused for a second to think through how he'd word his question. "Is that . . . okay with you?"
“I don’t mind. I know safety would be a concern to most, but if I was worried, I wouldn’t even be here in the first place." Amy’s tone was sincere and reassuring as she smiled. "I mean, it’s you guys! It might’ve been a while since we last saw each other, and I just met Silver, but I know I can trust you."
Another thought seemed to occur to her and her shoulders drooped a little. "And honestly? With all the craziness I’ve had lately, I literally just threw any standards I have out the window. At this point, I just want to live with normal people who, oh I don’t know, don’t take it as a personal attack if I forget to take out the trash one time-!" Then she seemed to realize what that implied and quickly backtracked. "Not that I do that all the time! I promise, I do clean up after myself!"
"Hah! I wouldn't worry about that," Knuckles scoffed. "After enough time living with Sonic, we’re grateful enough if we don't find leftovers in the couch cushions.”
"Oh ha, ha, ha." Sonic rolled his eyes. “That was one time, dude. One time."
Knuckles rounded on him. "It was not, and you know it.”
"It was an honest mistake! How was I supposed to know you’d sit on it?" Even as Sonic said that, a small snicker escaped him and at Tails’ warning look, he covered his mouth with his hand in a halfhearted attempt to keep a straight face. "But, you gotta admit it was pretty funny.”
“It was chocolate pudding, Sonic. Chocolate!"
"What Knuckles means is-!" Silver hurriedly cut in before the bickering could escalate. "We're pretty chill about these things."
"Don’t worry, I totally get it!" Amy chuckled good-naturedly. “But like I said, I’m pretty good with cleaning up after myself and I work long shifts at Labyrinth Hospital. So partying and bringing random people over is not something you’ll have to worry about with me!”
“Well that’s good to know.” Sonic nodded with a small smile. “Anything else?”
Amy seemed to think on it for a second, then looked to him hesitantly. "Well… I guess the only thing I should probably warn you about is that it's kind of an emotional time for me now. So for the next few weeks I'll be binge watching a lot of soap operas. And I'll need a little extra space in the freezer for ice cream." She pinched her fingers together to emphasize that last bit.
"Um . . . if you don't mind my asking," Tails quickly interjected, noticing the slight look of alarm on Knuckles' face. "If you already moved out from your old place, where have you been this whole time?"
"I’ve been sleeping on Rouge’s couch." Amy replied. "But since Knuckles is moving in with her soon, it makes more sense for me to move out, you know? Also . . ." A sly smirk was on her face as she eyed the echidna. "Rouge was just saying she has special plans for that couch that involve him, so it’s a win-win for everyone involved!"
Knuckles’ face instantly turned several shades redder than his fur.
Sonic spat out his drink.
Silver’s voice came out in a barely audible squeak.
Tails just clamped his hands over his ears. "Okay,” he groaned. "I did not need to know that . . ."
Amy just watched with wide eyes, quickly covering her mouth with her hand. "Oops! Guess I said too much!"
Once Sonic recovered from his coughing fit, he just spared her a sheepish grin. "Heh . . . No problem, Ames. Give us a minute, will ya?”
---------------------------
A few minutes passed in hushed discussion. In the end, it was Sonic who finally made the decision. While he and Silver prepared some more food and drinks, Tails and Knuckles returned to the living room.
Knuckles hadn't been thrilled with the idea of dealing with a post-breakup Amy, but since he was not going to be staying much longer, he'd grudgingly decided he could live with it. Tails had concurred, since he was moving into the dorms this fall. He also had little experience dealing with girls, so he ultimately trusted everyone else's judgment. Silver, as the newest member of the group, only had one concern.
"Sonic, are you absolutely sure about this?" Silver eyed the hallway that led to the living room of the house he shared with his friends.
"Why not?" Sonic appeared from behind him, balancing a warm plate of chili dogs, a bowl of nachos and cheese sauce. "We've been looking for roommates for sometime now, and she's a good friend!"
"Who also happens to be your ex," Silver didn't hesitate to point out as he moved to help Sonic carry some of the food. "Aren't you worried it'd be . . . well . . ." As they walked down the hall towards the living room
"Awkward?"
Silver winced inwardly, but when he looked up, Sonic just had an amused grin on his face. "Well . . . yeah?" he attempted lamely. He wasn't trying to be negative. He’d only known her for the past hour and he could tell Amy was a sweet girl. And apparently, she knew all of them since childhood.
But having gotten out of a relationship himself, Silver remembered what it was like trying to stay friends after the breakup. And it had not gone well. That was why he couldn't help being worried upon learning that Sonic and Amy had dated at one point.
"Well it would be if we'd just broken up, but that's not the case here. It was way back in middle school."
"Really?" Silver was still skeptical, but found himself impressed now. "And you guys are fine with each other now?"
"Trust me, man, if I was uncomfortable I'd be the first one to say it. Besides, seeing how she looked . . ." He glimpsed in the direction of the living room. "I don't feel right just leaving her to fend for herself. She definitely needs this."
Sonic said it so simply but the care behind his words was so genuine.
"Okay, if you say so." Silver felt a wistful smile tug at the corner of his lips. "Amy's really lucky to have such good friends around her." There had been a time when he'd also had a friend like that during some of the hardest years of his life - who'd been with him through thick and thin.
A dull ache settled in his chest like it always did when he was reminded of her.
Blaze.
Silver took a quick breath and pushed those thoughts away. No, he wasn’t going down that road again. They’d agreed to move on, which was how he'd landed here in the first place. He wasn’t going to spoil his present by thinking about that.
Sonic seemed to have sensed the sadness behind Silver's words and his eyes softened in understanding. "Hey," he placed a hand on his shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. "They're your friends, too. You've been one of us for a while now."
Silver looked up to meet his eyes and the heartache he’d initially felt was replaced by a gentle warmth. "Thanks, Sonic."
"And with the gang back together," Sonic's jovial tone was instantly back. "You’re about to learn what it really means, now!" He opened the door and headed to the living room where everyone else was waiting.
Amy glanced at the refreshments and raised an eyebrow. "Chili dogs? You haven't changed a bit, Sonic!"
"C'mon Ames, what better way to celebrate?"
"Celebrate what?"
"You moving in."
Amy had been about to take a bite of her nachos, but then paused mid-bite, the shock on her face evident. "Wait . . . What?"
"We decided, Amy." Sonic just flashed a bright smile, as if asking what else she'd expected him to say. "The answer's yes."
A moment of silence passed. Then Amy's eyes filled with tears again.
Sonic's eyes widened. Crap.
"Nice going, Blue," Knuckles grunted.
"Whoa, hey don't cry. I wasn't trying to- OH-! 'Kayyy . . ." Sonic’s breath was nearly knocked out of him, as Amy lunged forward and wrapped her arms around him. "Yeah, you haven't changed either, Ames."
Silver looked to Tails for context and the boy just chuckled. "Her hugs are legendary."
"Ohh Sonic, thank you thank you thank you!"
She let him go and he fell back onto the couch unceremoniously. Then she launched herself at Knuckles and Tails next while Silver just sat and watched with an amused grin.
"Wha- hey!"
"It's okay Amy, I'm good- oof!"
"Thank you so much you guys! I'm so excited, this is going to be so much fun!" She was bouncing so giddily that her bag fell off the couch, its contents falling out. Silver quickly moved to help gather everything when his eyes fell upon a DVD.
"What's this?" he asked curiously
"Oh it’s just a romantic drama I rented. It’s from back in ‘06.”
Behind him, he could hear Tails whispering. "Oh boy . . ."