Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Along the Side of the Road | Chapter 1 | Amy the Hitchhiker

It was an early morning in August, one with skies as misty as her current state of mind. The world was shrouded in the nice, brisk fog of dawn during the high of summer. Perhaps it was hoping that the sunlight wouldn’t subject the already dry soil to yet another test of its durability. 

Just like her. 

If she was lucky, then maybe the remnants of the night could be her escape. 

On the verge of the road, near the ramp to the highway, stood Amy Rose. Having ditched her red dress and boots, she was wearing shorts and a tank top for a change. Her sturdy walking boots were tightly laced, trampling the wet grass beneath her feet. 

Red scrunchy clenched between rosy lips, she tried to tame her quills with a groan. She’d skipped breakfast that morning. Her stomach had been upset ever since she heard the news. 

Insomnia and shame had chased her out of bed like she used to chase Sonic. And there she was, doing the very thing she’d accused him of for years. 

Running away.

The scrunchy gave an elastic snap as it tightened around a messy excuse for a bun, and Amy sighed, letting her arms swing at her side as she wearily glanced over her shoulder. The sun was slowly rising. Soon the fog that was clouding her hometown would be lifted, and the world would wake. 

She wanted to get out of there. 

Didn’t even matter where to.

Her ears twitched, angling backwards towards the low humming of an approaching car in the distance. The pink hedgehog gulped, her nails pressing harshly into the palm of her hand. Then, she took a deep breath, held her thumb up, and smiled.

Here I go!

It wasn’t long before the first car stopped. An old gray Volvo that, despite a few bumps and scratches, looked spotlessly clean. Amy grabbed her backpack and tilted her head to the side to greet the driver through the window. 

“Do you need a ride, dear?” 

It was a middle-aged woman, a porcupine with spikes the color of lavender. Her car radio was playing a mixture of Dolly Parton and crackling static. Amy immediately felt at ease in her presence. 

“I do. Can I ask in what direction you’re heading?” 

“I’m heading out North via the 73.”

Tongue pursed between her lips, Amy raced through her thoughts. “Actually, that’s perfect! I’d love to take you up on the offer, if I’m not imposing?” 

The door lock on the passenger’s side opened with a ‘snap’, and Amy smiled. Her heart jolted inside her chest with excitement. 

“Oh, not at all. In fact, you’d be doing me a favor. I could use some company.”

“Thank you so much.” 

Amy repressed the urge to clap her hands with glee, got in the car, and fastened her seatbelt. The woman pulled up, and the smell of diesel made her scrunch her button-shaped nose. With her backpack resting on her lap, Amy glanced in the passenger mirror, watching her hometown gradually growing smaller and smaller until it was a dot on the horizon. 

Here I go…

–

About two hours later, the valleys had started to slope. Lush carpets of grass covered the hills as they gradually gained altitude. In the distance, Amy could see the first tufts of gray stone, fending off the green.

Elbow resting on the windowsill, she spread her fingers against the drifting winds and closed her eyes. 

“Even at midday, the air here feels fresher than back home,” she pondered calmly. 

“It’s wonderful, isn’t it? It’s actually one of the reasons I don’t mind staying here for a week.” 

“Plus, you get to spend time with your daughter and her family.” 

Ellie, the porcupine, smiled fondly. The back seat of her car was littered with gifts and containers with homemade baked goods. She’d enthusiastically rambled on and on about her visit to her daughter and her son-in-law, who just had a baby together. 

And boy, was she ready to spoil them.

Thankful for the distraction from her own thoughts, Amy didn’t mind just sitting and listening. In fact, she’d asked all the questions she could come up with to stall the moment where the tables would turn. But as they reached the last exit before Ellie had to get off the highway, Ellie glanced at Amy, sideways. Her gaze was soft and gentle, with a dash of concern. 

“Enough about me. Dear, tell me what your plans are.” 

Amy stared at her feet, chewing the insides of her cheeks. She toyed with the zipper of her backpack and hummed pensively. “Well, I’m…kinda figuring it out as I go.” 

Next to her, Ellie gave a quiet chuckle, and Amy blushed. She could feel how the woman could read her like a book. 

“I see…” 

Amy sighed, absentmindedly staring out of the window. “I just needed some space to think.”

The road bent before them, curling around the base of a mountain, hiding their car in the shadows. The roadside was littered with chunks of stone that must’ve broken off at some point. 

“I get the feeling you don’t want to talk about it, and that’s fine. The only thing I want to ask is if you’ve told anyone you’re… going places ?” 

It was Amy’s turn to smile, however wearily. She squinted against a sudden breakthrough of sunlight and shook her head. “I did not.” 

The woman gave a gentle squeeze in Amy’s hand. “Well, that’s something to think about…” 

Her soft hands and warm smile reminded her of her mother, and suddenly, Amy’s vision was obscured. She choked back her tears, nodding as she chuckled awkwardly. 

“Yeah…maybe…”

Telling people that she’d ‘leave for a spontaneous road trip’ would evoke more questions than she’d be able to handle. Besides, who would she even tell at this point? No one had bothered to tell her anything. 

No, she’d had to accidentally overhear it in the supermarket of all places…

Sonic was ace. 

She’d chased him, her childhood crush, all the way into her teens, being hopelessly in love with him pretty much since the moment she’d met him. And while both her feelings for and relationship with Sonic had changed over the course of the years, she felt utterly humiliated. 

Abandoned. 

Again.

He could’ve just told her. Should’ve just told her! She thought he was her friend! Didn’t he understand how strongly she’d been craving answers from him all this time? 

It wasn’t that she was stupid either. Cards or no cards, Amy Rose knew Sonic didn’t love her back. Her futile and desperate attempts to get him to notice her, spend time with her, get him to fall in love with her had all died out years ago for a candle can only burn for so long…

But that wasn’t even the worst part. 

Why Sonic felt he couldn’t tell her was a mystery, a worrisome snowflake fluttering down from an ominous sky, only to snowball and bury her under a thick layer of insecurity and shame. And once she’d managed to dig herself out, she’d left everything behind in a hurry. 

On the run.

Before the next avalanche would rush downhill. 

Amy’s stomach churned at the thought, but as she saw a small town at the foot of a green hill grow closer to them, she shook it all off. Forced herself to smile. 

“Don’t worry about me, Ellie. I’ll be fine. I’m tougher than I look. If it’s not any trouble for you, could you drop me off at the next gas station?” 

“Of course, dear.” 

–

Armed with a map, a thermos, and a lunch box full of homemade snacks, Amy continued her destinyless journey. With her natural charms and sweet smile, Amy easily fixed rides left and right, trying to travel north as far as she could in one day. 

She’d iron out the details as she went. 

And if nothing else, she could always try and visit the cabin that her parents had taken her to when she was younger… She wondered if it’d still be there. 

Hitchhiking was a way to meet interesting other Mobians she never would’ve crossed paths with otherwise; two friends who were on their way to a school reunion, a student going  to visit his parents for the weekend, and a mother who was about to drop off her kid at her ex-husband’s. 

The gas station she was let off on was the most remote one she’d seen so far. Her brow furrowed as she scanned her surroundings, rubbing her arms against the goosebumps that crept up to her. Amy grabbed her phone.

“Seven-thirty already?”

She quickly got herself a cup of green tea and a blueberry muffin from the little shop. There was an empty picnic table on the grass next to the parking lot where she sat down, unfolding the map she brought along. Taking a sip from the tea she discovered was still way too hot, she traced the highways with her index finger. 

The Azure Lake area, where the cabin was located, was roughly another 640 miles away. Amy’s face soured. 

I’ll never make it there today…

Mouth askew, she glanced around. Apart from a broken sound box playing stuttering music, it was awfully quiet around her. The motorcycle and the black car with tinted windows that had been parked when she got here were both gone. Denying the rising panic, Amy closed her eyes.

In the forty minutes she’d been here, not one vehicle had passed. 

Maybe I should’ve thought this through after all…

Out of nowhere, it seemed, an engine roared loudly, and a shiny black truck appeared from behind the foliage that separated the entrance to the gas station from the main road. Amy jolted, knocking her tea over as she did so.

It spilled all over the map. The colours, lines, and numbers blurred together into an unreadable mess.

“Oh, no!” she whined, jumping up at once to do some damage control, but it was already ruined.

Sneaking a glance at the truck behind her, Amy weighed her options. If the past half an hour was any indication, she seriously risked having to sleep outside. She knew how chilly the nights could be in a place like this. A thin veil of mist was already rising like a floating carpet just above the ground. 

She was in no way packed for a spontaneous camping trip.

With the summits blocking most of the sunlight already, darkness soon would have free rein in the chasm where the gas station was located. Amy shivered, leaping to her feet, fidgeting her suddenly numb fingertips as she slowly made her way to the truck. 

The blue lights in the flat ceiling had only become noticeable ever since the sun had set. They distorted her shadows in a strange way, casting an eerie glow on everything and everyone that dared to bask in its light. 

“Eh, hi. Excuse me? Is there any chance you’re heading up north?”

A middle-aged mole in a checkered blouse and worn jeans returned her gaze with something that made Amy regret her wardrobe choices. Something she’d never done before. 

“Sure am. You a hitchhiker?”

His small eyes widened behind his glasses as he looked her up and down, leaving an involuntary blush on her face. Heart thrumming in her throat, she clenched her hands into fists and pushed herself. Amy Rose was not afraid. 

“Ehh, I–” Amy swallowed, “my ehm, my friend’s– I mean my boyfriend’s – car broke down about sixty miles from here. He was supposed to pick me up, but his car got towed. I’m meeting him in…what’s that place called again?”

“Silverthorn?” 

“That’s the one!” Amy laughed sheepishly, scratching the back of her neck. 

The mole nodded, still eyeballing her with a creepy grin. “Ya boyfriend’s not even gonna call a cab ‘n pick ya up?” 

Something about this guy didn’t sit well with her. She forcefully conjured a poker face and crossed her arms. “He doesn’t need to. I can take care of myself.”

His smile even broadened at that, and Amy had to do her best to hide her cringing. “Whatever. We’ll be passing Silverthorn on our way. Goin’ home for the weekend. We’re miners you see– Yo Carl! This chick’s riding with us!”

He suddenly called out to someone behind her. His friend, a bearded dragon who was wearing flannels and khakis, came walking towards them from what Amy guessed was the restrooms or the bushes as his fly was still open. 

Amy bit down hard on her lower lip to keep from gasping in fear. She crossed one foot over the other, digging her nails in her upper arms. “Well, actually, I–”

“Sweet!” Carl cried out, leaning on his pal’s shoulder as he regarded Amy with an expression that made her bladder weak.

“Yeah, her boyfriend couldn’t even bother to come pick her up. Can ya believe it?” 

They grinned at each other before Carl tossed the other guy a wallet. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. We’ll take good care of ya.” 

Suddenly, the chasm was lit by two beams of light. Amy’s ears twitched, angling towards the road. She turned around, pulse throbbing in her temples as she watched another car drive up the entrance to the gas station. 

She rushed to the roadside, almost tripping over her own feet as she called out: “Excuse me! Sorry! Hello? Excuse me, can I–”

But the car radio was blasting, and whoever was inside didn’t hear her. As fast as the car had appeared, it vanished again, leaving Amy to cough in an aftermath of gasoline smoke clouds and the remnants of buzzing bass tones in her fingertips.

Amy’s heart sunk.  

Not only did she fail to escape the creeps behind her, but she’d shown her cards.

“What’s that now? You’re not afraid of us, are ya?” 

Amy turned around, grinning through clenched teeth. “Of course not! I just…my boyfriend, he’s got the same car, so I thought maybe–”

The muffled snickering behind shut her up at once. I’m not fooling anybody… 

“I thought ya said his car was towed?” the mole said, smirking with mischief. 

Shaking her head, Amy snorted, waving it off in a last but desperate attempt to play it cool. “Sorry, it’s been a long day.” 

“I hear ya,” the bearded dragon said, stretching out as he yawned, then burped aloud, making his pal cackle stupidly.

“Whadd’ya waiting for, babe?” the mole beckoned her closer, patting on the little bit of empty space on his seat.

“I ehh… I really need to use the bathroom before we go.”

“Fine, but hurry. We wanna be in the shack by ten.”

“I won’t be long,” Amy said, trying to walk away as calmly as possible. 

Once she rounded the corner, she couldn’t stop shaking like a leaf. She rushed to the restroom-building, some ten feet away from the shop, locking herself in one of the stalls. Amy closed the lid and sat on top with her legs pulled up, panting loudly. 

“Oh god…oh god…oh god oh god– what do I do now?!” 

She swore aloud, despising her impulsiveness and wishing she had stayed home. Amy clasped her hands in her quills, whipping her head back as a whiny noise escaped her. With trembling hands, she grabbed her phone, trying to decide who to call when she heard someone else enter the restroom. 

A spark of hope lit up inside her heart.

Please be decent! Please be decent! 

She flushed, yanking the door open in a desperate attempt to ditch those guys. However, her breath was knocked out of her lungs. 

“What’s taking ya so long, babe?”

Standing there was no one other than this Carl-guy with a creepy grin on his face and perverse look in his eyes. Amy gasped. 

“I don’t feel so well. I just threw up. You know what, why don’t you go on without me? My stomach is pretty upset,” she rambled, which wasn’t even a lie at that point.

“Pfft, nonsense! Ya coming with us.” Carl took a step forward, clicking his tongue and digging his hands deep in his pockets. 

“Oh, no, that’s alright, really. I’d only feel worse if I had to vomit in your car...” 

The bearded dragon slowly licked his lips, giving her a good look of his freaky tongue. “Please, we insist. Never let it be said that Carl and Alfie ignored the pleas of a damsel in distress.” 

I’d rather rot in a dungeon than be ‘saved’ by these creeps…

“Now, let us discuss how you’ll be…reimbursing us, sweetheart.”  

Amy’s blood grew cold. She was no longer able to repress the shiver that crawled up her spine. “I am NOT your sweetheart!!”

“Ya could be...” He winked at her, pointing two finger guns at her as he nudged his eyebrows.

Amy's lips curled up into repulsive protest. Does he honestly think that expression does anything for me at all? Yikes!

“I told you I have a boyfriend, so back off!” she snarled, forcing herself to lash back while all she wanted to do was crawl back inside that stall and hurl.

And maybe call Sonic.

Or the police.

“Don’t be like that, babe. We’re probably the last ones ya run into tonight. This place’s pretty far-off and secluded y’know? Very few trespassers...”

Suddenly, Amy wished with all her heart that she’d listened to her gut feeling before. This guy’s intentions clearly weren’t innocent. Yet all she was capable of was shambling back, anxiously flexing the hand behind her back to summon her hammer. But however eagerly she reached and grabbed, she couldn’t feel it. 

What’s happening?

Amy whimpered internally, feeling lightheaded, cold, numb, and utterly nauseated. She groped about, hand blindly searching for the door knob of either the exit or a stall. 

“I’ll just call a cab when my stomach settles. Now, I really think I have to thr–“

Carl seized her wrists and pushed her to the edge of the sink, clearly getting a kick out of it all. Amy yelped, instinctively dishing out a nasty kick against his tibia. He growled in a mix of anger and pain, but then violently jammed his leg between hers. A sharp pain erupted between her legs. 

“You’re not going anywhere.”

Amy cringed in a terror that was new to her, unable to choke back her tears any longer. They clouded her vision while all she could hear were her own pleas and the sound of her own blood as it whizzed in her ears. Her heart threatened to burst through her chest as she shook and shivered, begging him to let her go. 

Just when she felt his calloused, dirty hands tugging at the button of her shorts, a loud bang woke her from this living nightmare. Amy’s ears rang. She screamed, afraid the other guy was about to join them. 

But when the door swung open, Carl turned around on a curse and a gasp. 

“Get your FILTHY hands away from her, or I’ll break your fingers! ONE. BY. ONE!”

That voice…!

“Shadow?!” Amy squeaked. She hadn’t heard herself cry for help like that in years . 

She watched the ebony hedgehog storm towards her assaulter with firm strides. His ruby eyes blazed with hellfire when he fixed Carl’s glance.

Shadow kicked him straight in the nuts, growling as he punched him in the face so hard that Amy swore she heard something snap. Carl was thrown back, and shards of broken glass scattered around as he shattered the mirrors behind him. 

She screamed, cringing as she covered her ears and crawled into the nearest corner. 

It’ll be okay. It’ll be okay. It’ll be okay. It’ll be okay. It’ll be okay. It’ll be okay–

Before Carl even so much as had the chance to rise to his feet again, Shadow was already on him again, lashing out repeatedly. The bearded dragon fought back but was clearly outmatched and cried for mercy. 

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! Please!” he whined, his eyes wide with fear. 

Shadow kicked the door open, and pointed. “Consider yourself lucky. Now get the fuck out of here!”

The creep leapt to his feet, limping away as fast as he could while Shadow kept calling threats at him and his equally disgusting friend until they were out of sight. 

What followed was a deafening silence, only disturbed by the door falling shut and Amy’s panicked breathing. 

Shadow quickly turned to Amy, who was still curled up in a ball on the floor. Her lips quivered, body shaking uncontrollably while she panted, hands still covering her ears. He crouched in front of her, mouthing something.

Completely in shock, she stared at his lips, watching them move until eventually, she felt his warm hands covering her own. He slowly lifted them from her ears.

“It’s okay now. It’s over. They’re gone. You’re safe. I’m–” Shadow swallowed, voice briefly faltering, “I’m...here.” 

His words slowly began to reach her, to calm her down, little by little. She stared into his eyes, never having seen him so gentle. He rubbed her hands warm on his own, continuing to reassure her until her hiccups died out and her teeth stopped chattering. 

“I d-didn’t wa-wann-- want to.. g-go with them. I t-tried to get out of it, but he–“ she took a few ragged breaths, not wanting to start crying all over again. “I’m just so glad you’re here!”

No longer able to stop herself, she threw herself onto him and hid her tear-stained face in his chest fur. She relished in his warmth and the comforting blend of leather, musk, and sweat that caressed her nostrils as she sniffled and sobbed.

And just like the first time, he let her.  

She could feel his Adam’s apple move against the back of her head when he swallowed. “Did I get here…in time?” he asked, voice strained. 

“Yes.” 

Amy nodded against his chest, feeling his own expand as he heaved a sigh in relief. She could feel his tense muscles relax as his arms wrapped around her, tentatively stroking her back. 

“Thank god…” 

Chapter Text

Along the Side of the Road | Chapter 2| Roadtrip

“Thank you for carrying me all the way down here,” Amy said in a small voice when they sat around a campfire in the forest a little while later. 

The wood crackled cozily as flames in bold orange slowly burned it to crisp, casting a warm glow on her face. He was sitting on one end of a fallen log, she on the other with knees pulled up to her chin and arms wrapped around her legs, staring into the flames. 

“It wasn’t entirely selfless,” Shadow confessed with a shrug. “With you limping like that it would’ve taken us twice as long to get here. I was being pragmatic.”

From his periphery, he could see her smile wearily. Her eyes were red and swollen from both smoke and crying. Ever since she’d calmed down, she hadn’t been nearly as chatty as she usually was. And it didn’t sit right with him. Not in the least due to now being  the one who had to keep the conversation going.

If there was going to be one. 

The longer the silence lasted, the more clueless he became. Shadow glanced over his shoulder, looking at the tent he’d set up earlier, suddenly feeling jittery. He picked up a stick from the ground and tossed it into the open fire. 

“Are you hurt?” she asked him out of nowhere. 

“I’ll heal.” 

Only then did she look up to fix his gaze. Her bloodshot jade eyes widened in concern. “So will everybody, eventually…” she scoffed.   

“My body has a state-of-the-art regenerative function. Don’t worry about me.” 

“I’m the sole reason you got hurt!” she called out, voice raw and eyes glazed with tears. “How could I not?”
  

“Just don't beat yourself up about it. If it helps, I would’ve done it for anybody,” he said calmly.

But if he were completely honest with himself, he knew he’d laid it on thick because it was her. After that first punch, Shadow had felt the other guy’s jaw crack, yet with Amy’s pained face flashing before his eyes, he’d kept pounding into him until he himself had been out of breath. 

Perhaps that wasn’t the honorable way.

But it was justified.

Hands clasped into her quills, she heaved a sigh. “I just don’t understand what happened. My hammer…it wouldn’t respond. I couldn’t– it was like it wasn’t even there.”

Shadow regarded her as she whipped her head back and peered into the night sky above them. 

“You froze. It could happen to anybody.” 

“Easy for you to say…” she mumbled, crossing her legs as she rested her chin in the palm of her hand. 

Before he realized it, she'd evoked an involuntary huff from him. “What about your injuries?” he quickly asked to get the spotlight off him. 

Amy shot him a sideways glance. “You’re not the only one with healing powers, you know?”

“Yet you were limping because…?” 

She stubbornly looked the other way and shrugged. “...he jammed his knee between my legs, alright?” 

Renewed anger flared through Shadow’s veins until his blood boiled. That dirtbag… 

“I should've broken more than just his jaw,” Shadow hissed through clenched teeth.

“What?” Amy perked up, regarding him with a flustered face.

Shit ! 

His blood flow rushed to his head, making his pulse palpable and his armpits sweaty. “Nothing. Not important. Do you need medical help?” 

Another shrug. 

Shadow gave a long, pensive hum, furrowing his brow. “Let me specify: are you in pain?” 

“I haven’t checked, okay?” she answered, throwing her hands in the air. 

He drew a deep breath, rising to his feet. His shadow towering over her, Amy’s gaze narrowed as she followed his every move, skittishly locking eyes with him. “Why don’t–” 

“I’m NOT letting you take a look! It’s out of the question!”
 

Shadow blinked at her, a deep frown wrinkling his forehead. What did I miss?  

“I was going to suggest no such thing.” 

“Oh…” Amy bit her lip, shifting her weight from one leg onto the other. 

“Why don’t you check while I go and get you some ice?” 

“Actually…I think that’d help, yeah… That’s very thoughtful of you, ” Amy muttered, using her boots to draw lines in the patch of sand beneath her feet. 

“I recall seeing a vending machine at the gas station. I’ll walk there instead of warping myself, so take your time okay? There’s a flashlight in the tent if you need one…” 

“Thank you.”

After an understanding nod, he turned around, shoving a branch to the side before he disappeared into the forest. While he scrambled his way through the foliage, his eyes rapidly adjusted to the darkness, glowing in a bright red. Shadow clicked his tongue, trying to make his peace with the prospect of having to share his sleeping bag with her that night. 

There’s no way I can leave her alone now…

– 

A little while later the two of them had awkwardly squirmed themselves onto his one-person sleeping mat. Arms folded behind his back, Shadow tried to lie perfectly still next to this half a stranger.

How did it come to this?

It’d been easier to convince himself that she should stick around for the night than it had been to persuade her , stubborn as she was. Though Shadow got the sense she simply didn’t want to impose on him any more than she already had. Somehow that’d only made him work harder to reassure her that she wasn’t. 

Which puzzled him. 

Lying on his back, Shadow stared into a vast darkness. The fire outside their tent was no longer burning, yet the charred wood continued to spread a comfortable warmth. Still, the hedgehog next to him was trembling. 

“Are you cold?” His lips had already parted before his brains had given green light to do so. 

“It’s the ice-pack,” Amy explained, teeth chattering as she shivered next to him. “I think I’m going to toss it out now. Everything feels numb down there.” 

She chuckled awkwardly as she fished the bag of ice from between her legs and squeezed it between their mat and the tent cloth. 

A soft snort escaped Shadow’s lips. “That was the point, right?” 

“I mean…yeah, kinda.” Amy shrugged, her grin toothy as she snuggled up under the unzipped sleeping bag.

He wondered if she was aware that he could see her perfectly clear in the darkness, but couldn’t bring himself to check with her. 

“You know, I never even asked you what you were doing here today,” Amy suddenly said, covering her mouth as she snorted loudly. 

“That’s okay. I prefer listening over talking anyway.” 

Smiling, Amy shook her head. Her cold hand gently squeezed his shoulder for a moment. “No, it’s really not, Shadow. You’ve been wonderful, saving my ass, taking care of me…everything up until now has been about me. So…” 

Amy twisted under the covers, turning onto her side to face him. What followed was an elevated heart beat that Shadow could not grasp for the life of him. 

“This may not come as a surprise to you, but I enjoy being on my own, so every now and then, I make a road trip on my motorcycle.”

“Go on,” she encouraged him, folding her hands under her cheek as she regarded him. 

“I actually happen to be a flora enthusiast, and August is the perfect time to admire the wild flowers on the alpine slopes of the Azure Lake area, so that’s where I’m headed for the weekend."

“You’re kidding?” Amy tapped his shoulder, and he turned his head towards her. 

He furrowed his brow. “No…?” 

“That’s where I was gonna go! My parents used to take me to a cosy cabin near Azure Lake when I was a little girl. Okay, but what were you doing at that particular gas station?”

“My bike was faltering earlier today, making some strange noises, so I stopped to buy myself the tool I needed to fix that and decided to set up camp here for the night.” 

A small gasp flew from her lips, jade eyes twinkling with curiosity. “That is so freaky! Don’t you think?” 

“Freaky?” Shadow repeated in a monotonous voice. 

“I don’t believe in coincidences. Do you?”

“Truthfully, I’ve never given it much thought,” Shadow confessed dryly. “So, is this some kind of family reunion, then?”

Amy’s face fell, ears lopping to the side as she pulled the blanket up to her chin. “Not really…” She heaved a sigh. “I needed a breather, and… fate ..guided me here.”

It took Shadow a moment to connect the dots. When he did, though, he mimicked her actions, rolling onto his side to face her. Her bangs gently poked his forehead, and she chuckled cutely, excusing herself as she moved a little further away.

He, too, had heard what Rouge had called ‘the latest news’. 

“You ran away?” 

“Maybe…”

She curled herself up under the blanket, still slightly trembling from the cold. Shadow’s fingers uncurled, his arm barely reaching out to her before he stilled his movements and pressed his hands flush to his chest again. 

“Please don’t tell me it’s got something to do with that blue idiot.”

Amy drew a breath, only to close her mouth again and swallow. “I assume you’ve heard about him, then?” 

“Not that I care, but yes.”

“Well, then you get it,” she answered quietly, tracing the hem of the sleeping bag with her index finger. 

His brow furrowed again. “I really don’t. It’s not like it has anything to do with you.”

Amy shot up, yanking the covers off of him as she did so. “What do you mean? It’s got plenty to do with me!” 

With his chest exposed to the brisk air, he was left without a proper choice and sat up as well. He folded his legs and regarded her, narrowing his eyes as he stoically waited for either an epiphany to dawn on him or for her to continue. 

“Geez, I really have to spell it out for you, don’t I?” she groaned in frustration. “I’ve chased him for years , convinced that he’d love me back one day, but it turns out I never even had a real shot with him, and he couldn’t even bother to tell me! ”

The anger in her voice faded out slowly as she brought her trembling fists to her face and rubbed her eyes.  

Shadow bit his lip, a strange sensation settling in his stomach as he regarded her. The same sensation he’d felt earlier that day when she was crying on the bathroom floor. 

Only weaker. 

“I just feel so stupid…” she sniffed, forcefully clenching her jaws as she looked away from him, clearly trying to hold back her tears. 

“If you’d ask me, he’s the one who’s stupid,” Shadow heard himself say, unprepared for heavy palpitations that followed. 

“Just because you don’t like Sonic doesn’t mean you have to pick on him,” she huffed, crossing her arms as she faced him. 

“And just because you have a soft spot for him doesn’t mean you should defend him right now,” Shadow bit back. 

“I’m not defending him. It’s just not his fault,” Amy scowled.  

“Strongly disagree.”

Bloating her flustered cheeks, Amy glared at him, eyes dripping with venom. “Why do you even care?” 

Shadow felt himself heat up, skin clammy and blazing, much like Maria’s when her fevers would flare up. The difference was, though, that he did not feel sick. 

Breath hitching in his throat, he emitted his nerves through embarrassing noises and a waterfall of non-words. Eventually, he raised his shoulders in defeat and sighed. 

“Don’t think I never noticed how hurt you looked when you got left behind, got stood up or were downright ignored. I…didn’t care for it.” 

Amy’s lips parted with the slightest of a gasp, the hue of her blush fading to a gentler shade of red. Abashedly, she smiled at him, twiddling with her thumbs. 

“I…don’t know what to say…”

“Neither do I most of the time.” 

A throaty chuckle escaped her lips, her chest shaking with tender laughter. Somehow, Shadow found himself staring at her.

Just a little too long. 

Shadow then scratched his quills, coughing into his fist. “The least thing he should’ve done is talk to you. You just said so yourself. Besides, if he’d had any interest in a romantic relationship or sex at all, he would’ve made a move on you by now.”

Shadow slid under the blanket again, feeling Amy shuffle next to him as she pulled her knees up and hugged herself. Even though he was looking away from her, his ears kept twitching in her direction as she attempted to blow her cold hands warm. 

Rubbing his sweaty palms on the sleeping bag, Shadow clenched his eyes shut and gulped. “T-turn the other way and scoot closer. It’s evident you can’t keep yourself warm.”

“What?” she whispered, hiding half her face under the blanket. 

“Just turn,” Shadow ordered.

“O-okay…?”

All of a sudden, his own hands were quivering as he folded a hand around her waist, nudging himself toward her, until his chest was flush against her back and his knees fit perfectly in the bend of her legs. He could feel her body slowly relax as she nuzzled a little closer to him. 

“This is nice,” she whispered, yawning cutely.

“Okay.” 

Shadow shrugged, desperately trying to ignore the way his quills bristled. His heart thumped restlessly against his ribcage, and the possibility of her noticing whipped it up even more so.  Sweat burst from his pores when she turned to look at him over her shoulder, his suspicion threatening to be confirmed.

“You don’t have to–”

“No,” Shadow looked past her, through her, anything to not meet those eyes, “I really, really do. Neither one of us will get any sleep tonight if you keep shivering like that.” 

Her ears slacked a little as she chuckled sheepishly. “Right… Then I guess I’ll be taking you up on your offer. Sweet dreams, Shadow. Thank you…for everything…” 

Loosely resting his chin on the top of her head, he was slowly getting lost in the haze of her sweet scent. It reminded him of the peach-colored roses in his garden. 

One of his all-time favorites.

“Sleep tight.” 

–

When Shadow woke up the next morning, the flowery scent was gone. In its place, a delicious whiff of freshly baked bread with a hint of cinnamon tickled his nostrils. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes, regarding the empty space beside him, then crawled out of the tent.

The grass was wet with dewdrops, shimmering in the diffuse light of the rising sun. A brand new campfire was burning on top of yesterday’s remaining ashes. Above it was a make-shift wooden structure, holding two cinnamon rolls on a stick as the open fire slowly toasted them. 

It’d been some time since he’d enjoyed a homemade breakfast. 

“Amy?”

“Over here,” a muffled voice a few feet away called out. 

Shadow sharpened his hearing, following the source of the sound and furrowing his brow when his eyes landed on his motorcycle. Astonished, he blinked, unable to believe the sight in front of him. 

Amy was lying on her back, under his bike. 

“I thwink I fwixed thwe pwoblem,” she muttered, a screwdriver clenched between lips. 

“You what?” 

With a groan, she pulled herself from underneath the vehicle, skin and clothes covered in greasy smudges and dust. But hot damn , did she look beautiful…

“Good morning,” she beamed at him, grabbing the hand he’d hold out to her without noticing. 

“Morning,” Shadow replied, pulling her up while ignoring the urge to pinch himself. “Did you just–” 

“Fix your bike? I believe I just did,” she smiled, but her jaws looked tense. But Amy brushed herself and her stifled flinching off, holding out her hand. 

Shadow furrowed his brow, hesitating for a moment. 

“Keys, please?” she asked, tilting her head to the side. 

“Right. Keys, of course…” he muttered quietly, feeling as his cheeks caught fire. Get it together, why on earth would she want to hold hands? 

“Thank you.”

“Should you even be doing stuff already?” 

“Stuff?” 

Shadow scratched his quills, glance drifting briefly to her crotch. 

Jade eyes widening, Amy clenched her thighs together, a sheepish laughter bubbling from her lips. “Ooooh, that… Don’t worry about it. I’m just a little sore.” 

Only when he exhaled Shadow realized he’d been holding his breath. He gave a quick nod, watching how Amy started his motorcycle, amazed by its regular roaring sound. Pride tugged at the corners of his mouth, and his heart jolted funnily in his chest. 

Ticklish. 

But the good kind.  

“I had no idea you were this nifty.”

“If you live alone, you learn how to fix everything yourself. Besides, now we’re even.”

The bubble of glee inside his chest burst at once. Ghost of a smile vanishing, Shadow felt the muscles in his face relax until everything had returned to status quo. 

“Right…” He forced himself to nod, trying to sound as casual as he could. “I’m going to boil some water. There’s a dish cloth in the storage under the seat if you want to…” he pointed to her face. 

Amy glanced in the mirror on the steer, giggling when she regarded her own reflection. “Oh, whoops… Yeah, I’ll be joining you in a minute. Could you check on the bread?” 

“Will do.” 

Shadow shuffled to the fire pit, grabbing the little kettle he’d brought and filling it with water. Once properly set up, he checked on the cinnamon rolls. He then stomped to the tent to break it down with more force than necessary. 

“Even…” he huffed, yanking a tent peg out of the sand. Is she trying to offend me? 

He threw everything outside, ripping the other three pegs out before angrily molding the cloth into a ball and stowing it back into its cover. The sleeping bag and mat suffered a similar fate. 

By the time Shadow joined Amy around the fire, there was nothing left of the delightful mood with which his day had started. Shadow stared at the boiling water, the steam going straight to his head and leaving nothing but brain fog. 

Why do I even care?  

Quietly stewing, he retrieved the kettle. “Water?” he asked her, not even bringing himself to look her in the eye.

“Yes, please.” Amy handed him her thermos.

After filling it and handing it back to her, he sat down on the log, internally cringing when the moist, cold wood touched his bottom. Reaching behind his back, Shadow conjured a bag of roasted coffee beans out of his quills, stuffing a handful in his mouth and crunching them between his teeth. 

He knew he probably looked like a child to her, unable to cope with something not breaking his way, but he just felt…overcome. Barely managing to repress the urge to huff, he poured the remaining boiling water into his mouth. 

“So it’s true! You do do this!” Amy snickered. 

Shadow nearly choked on his breakfast, coughing as he patted himself on the chest. 

“Pardon me?”

“You’re rumored to ‘drink’ your coffee this way, but it’s true.”  

Something about her laughter was so sweet and innocent that he felt a pinch of his foul mood dissolve like salt in a glass of water. 

“I am?” Shadow shrugged. “It tastes better this way. You should give it a try.”

“Nah, that’s alright,” she passed politely, handing him a warm cinnamon roll before taking a bite of her own. 

For a moment, Shadow just watched her as she relished in the taste of her own baked goods. He barely managed to call his drifting mind back to order when he felt his gaze become glassy. He plucked at the bread, denying the rising sense of being caught doing something he shouldn’t.

Although he couldn’t pinpoint what that’d be.

Not for the life of him.

There only was this heavy feeling in the pit of his stomach when he thought of her pursuing her journey alone. Images of broken mirrors flashed before his eyes, the echoes of her hiccups sending a shiver up his spine. Shadow took a deep breath, putting the kettle down.

“Do you still plan on continuing your journey?” he asked.

Her jade eyes fixed his own, quietly regarding him as she chewed. “You mean after what happened?” 

Shadow nodded. 

“I’m just surprised that you’d let me...” Her voice carried the hint of an already extinct chuckle, gaze sparkling with something he could not decipher. 

Shadow pursed his lips, tongue pressed against the back of his teeth as he stared at her for a moment. “I have no right to withhold you from doing whatever it is you want.”

“I guess not…” she sighed, staring into the fire. “Can’t say I’m not nervous about hitting the road again, but they say it’s best to get back in the saddle right away…” She smiled absentmindedly, but it felt strained.

“I’d be more at ease if you based your decision on whether or not you feel up to it, rather than some saying…” 

“I just…don’t want to give up, if that makes sense?”

Shadow shrugged. “Who am I to judge? But if you really wouldn’t rather I’d warp you home, you can consider me your next ride.”

Pink ears perked up, eagerly than he’d anticipated. “Do you mean that?” 

“Why would I offer it if I didn’t?” 

“I know how much you value being alone… I guess I assumed you’d rather–”

“Yes or no?”

Head tilted to the side, she smiled and batted her eyes at him. “Yes, please.” 

A rare smile played on Shadow’s lips. “Alright, then. That…puts my mind at ease.” 

His heart raced at the thought of her riding in back with him, though. He quickly took a bite from his untouched cinnamon roll, softly sighing in delight. When he looked up to compliment the chef, her eyes were already on him.

“You’re adorable, you know that?”

–

Once they were ready to go, butterflies fluttered through Shadow’s stomach. He grabbed his helmet and handed it to her.

“Put that on,” he said, slipping on his leather jacket and digging his hands into leather gloves. 

When Shadow looked up again, he suddenly wished he was the one wearing it, for his face blazed with warmth. Lips pursed together, he quietly marveled at the sight of her like an artist who’d just put the finishing touch on a priceless masterpiece.

When she giggled, her voice was distorted by the helmet. “It smells like you.” 

A mild frown settled on his forehead. “I apologize. I only have this one on me. I wasn’t expecting a co-rider.”

Amy laced her hands, fidgeting as she blushed lightly. “Oh, no, I didn’t mean–” 

“It’s fine,” Shadow cut her off, raising his walls. “Just sit.”

He sat down on the seat, grabbing the steer and kicking down the engine stand. A little aggrieved, Amy scowled at him, climbing on the leather seat, latching onto him. To avoid getting poked by his quills, she leaned to the right. She was so close to him that her flowery fragrance roused him. 

More than he liked to admit.

“I like it,” she said, wrapping his hands around his waist. 

“It’s a little early to state that, don’t you think? I have yet to start the engine.” 

“No, silly, I meant the way you smell… I like it. Try and let me finish next time,” she winked at him, gloating when he looked away, all flustered and glum. “Now, let’s goooo!”

Chapter Text

Along the Side of the Road CH3: Motorcycle Drive 

Just like sunlight seems much warmer and brighter after dark, rainy days, Amy's mind and body felt more at ease as she continued her adventure with her arms wrapped around Shadow’s waist. Time simply passed somewhat effortlessly as they traveled at supersonic speed, watching the roads blur in front of them.

Cruising on his motorcycle.

Together.

Raptured gasps were ripped from her throat as Shadow guided them over mountain passes, along roaring rivers with clear water and through dense forests where the sun only lit up her eyes as it managed to coil its light through the trees. She could tell he enjoyed driving, made it look so easy, even as he drove his bike uphill over countless hairpin bends. 

Even though he’d hardly said a word, Shadow managed to make her forget all of the bad stuff that had happened the day before. He probably didn’t even know he was…

A good two-hundred miles before the Azure Lake area, they stopped at a diner for lunch, and Amy stretched herself on the parking lot. 

“I can’t feel my ears anymore,” she giggled, helmet clenched between her arm and her side. She rubbed them until the feeling returned. 

“Every biker’s curse…” Shadow smirked at her.

He picked a table in a quiet corner while Amy got in line to order them lunch, earning strange looks from the woman behind the counter when she asked for coffee beans and hot water. 

“Ta-dah!” she grinned proudly, putting the tray down on the table. “Coffee-a-la-you and loaded nachos, extra spicy!” 

Nudging his chin further into the collar of his leather jacket, Shadow bit his lower lip and blinked at her. First a frown, then a blush. “How did you–” he shook his head. “Thank you,” he mumbled, his red eyes catching fire as he regarded her.

“You’re welcome.” 

Amy peeled the plastic off her ketchup and dipped a handful of fries in the sauce, suddenly feeling a little flustered herself. They ate their lunch in silence, staring past one another until their cups and plates were empty. 

“What do you want for dinner tonight?” she asked him, rubbing her feet together under the table.

“Dinner?”

“Yes, dinner. Don’t tell me you only eat twice a day?” 

The ebony hedgehog folded his arms, resting them on the table as he regarded her with a frown. “I’m familiar with the concept of dinner, but why would you assume we’re having dinner together tonight?”

“Because…” She raised her shoulders a couple of times. “You’re staying with me.” 

Shadow’s frown deepened. “I am?”

Elbows on the table, Amy laced her fingers, resting her chin on top as she smirked at him. “Oh, absolutely. We’re heading to the same place. It only makes sense.” 

Before he could bring a word in edgewise, Amy jumped up from the table, picking up the tray and walking away, humming cheerily. Behind her, she heard Shadow stutter, mumbling to himself. 

“It’s non-negotiable,” she yelled over her shoulder, then disappeared into the restroom. 

–

“You still haven’t told me what you want for dinner,” Amy raised her voice to overrule the engine while they drove up to the parking lot of the local supermarket. 

It was located in the small center of the Azure Lake village on the foot of a mountain. On their right was the town square, where market vendors were clearing their stalls at the end of the day. A blend of smoked fish, roasted nuts, and foreign cheeses still lingered in the air. 

Shadow turned off the engine, drumming his hands along the grip of the handlebar. “I don’t have enough information to make an informed choice. Besides, I’m rather picky when it comes to food.”

“So? What are you saying?”

Hopping off his bike, he ran a hand through his quills. “I’d like to propose a trade.”

“Go on…” She had to repress a pained groan when she slid off the leather seat, then took her helmet off. 

He took it from her, leaning on his right hip as he cocked her a brow. “I’ll cook dinner, and you take care of breakfast.” 

“You really liked my cinnamon rolls, didn’t you?” Amy chuckled, poking him with her elbow. 

“Guilty as charged.” 

“Well, fine, you got yourself a deal. Now, let’s go shopping!” Amy grabbed his hand, pulling him along. 

–

 
An hour and a half later, Amy carefully maneuvered herself out of a vintage claw-foot bathtub. Even without soap, a lukewarm shower had never felt this satisfying. 

It’d only been one day, but she’d felt itchy and gross ever since that one night at the gas station. She’d been dying to give herself a good scrubbing.

So, that’s what she did.

And after the fourth round, she finally felt okay enough to close the tap.

Amy stared at her toes, chewing on the towel she discovered in the cabinet under the sink. Having been lucky enough to find the cabin uninhibited and unlocked, they’d spent the next hour bickering like a married couple while trying to fix the electricity. 

Without success. 

Once Shadow crawled down the scuttle, hidden by the mat in front of the door, he found the main connection for the water and gas, though. But as the sun was already descending in the plum-colored sky, throwing shades in deep lavender over the mountain summits, both agreed that they needed another light source for the time being. 

Shadow went back to the store to buy candles and matches. That left Amy with the task of letting the water run throughout the entire cabin. The last thing she wanted was for either of them to get sick of legionella. 

And after a good Twenty minutes, she deemed it safe enough to step into the shower. Now, as she was drying herself off, she stole a glance at the unlocked door and chewed at her lip. While she hadn’t heard him, a delightful blend of spices lingered in the air, revealing Shadow’s return. 

She sniffed up as much of it as she could, quietly relishing. 

The times someone cooked for her were countable on precisely one hand.

No one ever invites the cook… Somehow, the prospect of candlelit dinner with Shadow made her a little fidgety. Yet she couldn’t pinpoint why. Slipping on her one and only change of clothes, though, she filled the sink with water to wash her clothes.

She knew Shadow had superb senses.

And somehow she absolutely did not want to reek of old sweat in his presence.

“Rose?” Shadow’s rich and low voice made her ears twitch as he called her. 

“I’ll be out in a minute!” 

“No, no, I just wanted to ask you: how hot do you like it?” His voice surely sounded closer this time. 

Amy’s fingers twitched in surprise, splashing some water over the edge of the sink and onto her clean, dry clothes. “Aww, man,” she sighed. 

“Everything alright?”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m just clumsy,” she muttered annoyingly, dabbing herself with the towel. 

“Hmm,” Shadow replied, “So…? How spicy should I make the curry?”

Amused, she snorted in her hand. Oh dear god, the man’s talking about spice! “Ahh, Three out of Five, I’d say. Can you work with that?”

“Sure can. Thank you.”

And just like that, she heard him walk away. 

Amy leaned on the sink, watching the fog in the bathroom lift to reveal her flustered face in the mirror in front of her. Gulping, she ignored the way her heart mimicked the rhythm of her gleefully skipping a step and pulled the plug. Wringing out her clothes, she draped them over the bath rim and reached for the door knob.

Only to feel her hand freeze midway. 

Why can’t I stop blushing?

Gathering the courage to re-enter the living room again, she took a composed breath. I’m just being silly, she thought to herself, but the smile she figured she’d have to force on her muzzle, caught up on her. 

Beat her to it. 

“Hmmm, it smells great already, chef,” Amy’s mouth watered when she opened the door. 

With the open floor plan of the cabin, she rounded the corner, spotting Shadow in front of the stove. Hand on his hip, he stir-fried vegetables and chicken in a green curry sauce. 

He gave a hum. “Take a seat. It should be ready in a minute.”

“And you already set the table, too,” she marveled, regarding the flickering flames of dinner candles on the old oak table. 

As she sat down, a fond smile curved her lips. Amy grabbed a dinner plate, remembering the overbaked pizza she used to serve her parents as a young girl at this very table. From her periphery, she could see steam emerge from the kitchen as Shadow drained the pan with rice, suddenly wondering if having dinner with her like this would be awkward for him.

Neither of them had planned for this.

Yet she couldn’t deny the romantic setting of it all.

And with her only ever experience being Sonic, she couldn’t help but doubt whether Shadow felt uneasy in her presence in this ambience. But as he carried the wok and pan to the table and sat down, he didn’t look the least bit stirred. 

“Either stop staring or speak your mind,” he suddenly said, brow knotted.

The blood rushed to Amy’s face. She tilted her head, twiddling her thumbs under the table. “Ahh, I ehm– you know what? It’s nothing. Never mind.”

“If you say so,” he shrugged, scooping some rice and sauce onto her plate. “Hope it tastes good.” 

Amy blew against the hot vapor that ascended from her spoon, carefully taking a bite. Her lips curved on their own account, and she slipped a delighted hum as the fierceness of the spices blended together with the creaminess of the coconut milk. “It tastes amazing, Shadow! I had no idea you were this good of a cook,” she reveled. 

The slightest of a twitch tugged at the corners of his mouth before he swallowed. “I used to live with Rouge and Omega. Have you tasted their cooking?

Amy shook her head.

“Rouge burns everything she touches, and Omega lacks precise motor skills. Imagine what happens if they add ‘a pinch of salt’...”

“Oh, boy…” Amy scrunched her nose, making a face, watching Shadow take a steaming hot bite without so much as blowing. 

Once swallowed, he continued. “I was left with no choice and taught myself how to cook, finding I enjoyed it. Killed two birds with one stone. Then again, if I had ever eaten any poultry that Rouge prepared, that would’ve killed me too. Ultimate lifeform or not…”

Amy snickered, almost choking on her food. “Nooo,” she voiced her disbelief.

But as she sipped at her water, Shadow fished his phone from his quills to show her a picture of something that indeed looked a lot like a black rock. “Whatever happens, don’t ever try anything she claims to have made herself. You’ll be sick for at least three days.”

“Got it,” she chuckled.

Time flew by while she casually chatted with Shadow about little nothings she’d never known about him. And he about her. Before she realized it, their plates were almost empty. Amy scooped the last food on her spoon with her fingers. A hum of delight escaped her as she licked them off, her eyes fluttering shut as she did so. When she opened them again, warmth rushed to her face, and she slipped an awkward chuckle.

“Sorry, I forgot I wasn’t alone.” Sweat beaded on her temples as the words dawned on her. Nervously, she plucked at her fingers. “Or rather– see, it probably means I must’ve felt comfortable enough in your presence that I–”

“I don’t mind,” Shadow replied, wiping his mouth with a burgundy napkin.

Amy drummed her fingers on the table, relieved that the warmth on her cheeks was slowly subsiding. “You know, I feel so much better after your lovely meal and that shower.”

Swallowing his last bite, Shadow locked eyes with her, his gaze looking softer than usual. “I’m pleased to hear that.”

Reaching across the table, Amy gestured at Shadow’s empty plate. “I’ll clean up after you. You can take a shower if you want? It’s pretty decent.”

“Alright. Thank you,” he answered while he handed her his plate. 

Amy felt herself beam at him. “Thank you for cooking this wonderful bite of food.”  

While he was in no way smiling back at her, his expression seemed a little more relaxed than his usually stoic appearance. Shadow gave a humble nod, flinching when his seat scratched against the floor when he got up and quietly left the room. 

When the bathroom door closed, she scooped the remaining sauce on her finger and licked it with a giggle. She then placed the pans back on the stove to cool off. Gathering the dishes, Amy pressed the plug in the drain, searching the cupboards for a sponge and dish soap. 

“Hmm, what do you know?” she chirped in surprise when she found everything she needed, filling the sink with water, humming as she did so. 

“Ahh, R-rose?” it then sounded from the bathroom.

“Oh, sorry! Is your water getting cold?” 

The door opened with a squeak. “No, it’s not that. Your uhm– your clothes are still in here…” 

“Oh, you can just put them wherever,” she shouted back from the kitchen. 

“Yeah, I don’t think so.”

Amy dried her hands, making her way to the bathroom. Sudden hesitation stopped her hand mid-way as it reached for the door knob. “Can I come in?”

“I don’t see why not.”

When she opened the door, her glance was clearly being avoided by him. Hands folded before his chest, Shadow forcefully glanced out the tiny window. Amy choked back her laughter and collected everything: shorts, tanktop, socks, and underwear.

“You could’ve done that yourself, you know?” She cocked her head at him. 

Evidently trying to mask his embarrassment, he gave a huff, wiggling with a bare foot. The red streak on his legs stretched out over the side of his feet like flaring energy waves. “Just no fucking way I’m touching your underwear.”

Smile smug, Amy sniggered softly as she slipped past him. “Alright, alright, I’ll drape them over the bannister.” 

Blush almost as red as her underwear, Shadow pressed his folded arms tighter to his chest. “Thank you.”

The door was closed behind her, followed by the sputtering of the shower and then the clattering of water against the tub. Amy furrowed her brow to no one other than herself, feeling the blood rush to her face and stain her cheeks. 

What is the matter with me today? 

Drops of water splashing onto her feet, she hurried outside, onto the small wooden deck that had grayed over time. She hung her clothes to dry on the bannister, hearing the water drip onto the planks. In the corner of her eye, she spotted the porch swing that she used to watch sunsets on with her parents. 

Ooooh, I can’t wait to crouch up on that after I've done  the dishes!

But as she entered the cabin again, she couldn’t shake this vague feeling of elation. It gently tickled her chest. Hearing as the water was running still, Amy rushed through the dishes at a near-frantic pace, distracted by Shadow’s whistling in the shower. The thought of him emerging from there, fluffing his quills with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist was nearly too much. 

By the time she heard him close the tap, she’d just poured two glasses of red wine and hurried to the deck as fast as she could without spilling. The evening was good-natured with her, with its slight crisp and clear skies. She made herself comfortable on the porch swing, a choir of buzzing crickets and cicadas sucking her into her own mind even moreso.

Amy sipped at her wine. 

I’m surely not…intrigued by the idea of him in the shower, right? Right… This is silly! 

She shook her head, nervous laughter escaping her lips. But the mental picture with which she’d cursed herself, she could no longer banish from her retinas.  

It’s probably just because we’re suddenly on vacation together, kinda like a couple… Yes, yes. That must be it. 

Satisfied with her self-provided answer, she smiled, taking another sip. Yet the strange feeling of excitement stuck. If anything, the sound of Shadow’s footsteps coming closer, it only made it worse. 

“I’m outside!” she heard herself call out, quickly taking another slug when her pulse skyrocketed. 

When the door opened, her eyes immediately drifted to his waist. No towel. Amy let out the breath she didn’t know she was holding. 

“May I join you?” he asked, looking like his usual self.

“Hm-hmm,” was all she managed to produce, wishing she’d know better than to allow those strange thoughts into her mind. Amy pulled her legs up, forcefully staring at the darkening silhouette of the mountain summits surrounding them. “I’m not even sure if you drink, but I brought you a glass of red…” 

“Can’t get drunk, but other than that, sure, why not?”

“Really? Huh…” Amy pondered, bending over to pick up the glass. 

Shadow heaved a sigh, opening his palm to take the glass. “It’s a long story…” 

The spark of his hands brushing along her own ignited a shiver on her back. Amy slipped a surprised noise, casting fleeting glances at him to try and figure if he’d felt it, too. And before she knew it, she squinted at him, prying at his puzzled face, unprepared for his gaze to meet hers. Eyes becoming glassy, Amy felt her breath hitch.

Why can’t I look away?

Just when she thought she’d cave under the pressure she felt whirling through her chest, Shadow turned his head away. Hand clutched in the fabric of her knitted sweater, she stifled a gasp. Quietly steaming, she brought her glass to her quivering lips.

Shadow gazed into the star-littered skies, the red of his quills catching the light behind them like the warm glow of a fire. “We haven’t discussed the sleeping arrangements yet,” he suddenly said, as if things weren’t tense enough already. “Want me to set up a tent and–”

“No.”

No?!

His intense ruby eyes found and fixed hers again. But apart from the slightest furrowing of his brow, she couldn’t read him at all. Shadow took a sip of his wine, still not breaking eye-contact, and Amy found herself closer to panicking by the second. 

Dawdling, she slowly put her glass down on the deck. 

“Ahh, I mean…” she clicked her tongue, resisting the urge to flap her hands to cool her blazing face, “I wouldn’t want to deny you the uhm– comfort of an actual bed.” 

“Hmm,” it sounded right next to her. 

Relief crashing onto her like waves on the shore, Amy exhaled slowly when Shadow closed his eyes. He swallowed his wine, lips curling ever so slightly. 

“Are you sure that’s it?” he asked, opening his eyes and giving her a sideways glance.

Somehow his voice sounded even more husky than usual.

“Huh?” she wheezed, wishing she could pull her collar over her head and disappear. “What do you mean?”

Shadow shrugged. “It just sounds like you really want to sleep with me.”

“What?” Amy jolted, defensively holding up her hands and shaking her head as she did so. “I just meant we’d share a bed tonight.”

“How’s that not the same thing?”

Jade eyes shifting restlessly, Amy felt the heat on her face reach a boiling point. Abashedly, she stared at her lap, twiddling her thumbs. “Well, you see… there’s this connotation attached to–”

“I get it,” he cut her off. 

Amy carefully glanced up into those earnest eyes. “You do?”

“You’re still a bit shaken from what happened and don’t want to be alone tonight. It’s fine. I don’t judge you.”

In a sudden yet hesitant move, his hand jerked.

For a second, it looked like he’d wanted to touch her, but then he closed his hand again. Looked away, absentmindedly staring into space.

“Y-yeah,” Amy quietly muttered.  Let’s leave it at that.

Palpable tension slowly dragged time along. Amy pried at Shadow from the corner of her eyes, absolutely thrown off her game. Though she wasn’t ready to pick her brain at the ‘why’s’ yet. 

Shadow heaved a sudden sigh, a welcome waking from her wandering mind. “Can I confess something?” 

“Sure, anything…”

She caught him chewing at his lower lip, still staring blankly ahead. “The fact that I ran into you at the gas station that night… I’m pleased that I did.”

Amy’s throat closed up a little. “Me, too,” she answered in a small voice. “I don’t want to think about what could’ve happened if you hadn’t found me. Shadow, I really owe you one…”

Shadow gave a hum and a nod. “Neither do I, but that’s not what I meant, per se.”

“Oh…” Feeling his gaze upon her, Amy gingerly peeked up, gulping as she did so. “Then what did you mean?”

Is he blushing?

The ghost of a smile played on Shadow’s lips. “The thought of having to head back home tomorrow, possibly without you, has got me feeling rather…” he drew a sharp breath and scratched himself behind his ear, “disappointed somehow.” 

Breath hitching, Amy bit her lip. 

“I know, right? This has been really… really …nice,” she squeezed out of her throat, voice nearly reduced to a whisper.

Hot and cold flushes taking a hold of her, she watched Shadow put his glass down on the deck as well. He made a quarter turn and faced her straight-on. 

“Listen, I’m pretty sure I know the answer to this, and I don’t wish to exploit the situation in any way, but perhaps you could do me a favor?”

Amy tilted her head. “A favor?”

“Hm. Well…two, actually.”

Colored curious, she stared at him and waited. “Go on…”

When he looked at her, she recognized something in those eyes she thought to have traced within herself. And it made her heart thump violently against her ribcage.

“Will you answer me honestly?”

Suddenly, she felt herself reaching for his hand and smiled. “Always,” she said, giving a gentle squeeze.

Another spark.

“For starters: I’d be asking for your phone number.”

“Alright. No problem,” she nodded, “I can give it to you right–”

“I’m not done yet,” he hushed her in a low voice, pressing a gloved finger against her lips. When her pulse accelerated, there was no point in beating the allegations any longer. She felt something.  

“Sorry,” she chuckled.

Shadow’s lips twisted and knotted in the slightest of ways. He then cleared his throat and opened his mouth. “Secondly: perhaps we could do this again sometime? Like a…well, like a date ,” he added hesitantly, glancing up to watch her every response with those mesmerizing ruby eyes.

“A date?” Amy repeated abashedly, her voice still muffled by his finger. “You’re asking me out?”

The pink on his cheeks made him look so much softer than usual.  “I am.”

He lowered his hand, and Amy raced through her thoughts. Deep down, though, she knew her mind wouldn’t be the decisive factor in this. 

“I’ll still give you a ride home if you say no,” Shadow quickly added when she kept quiet for too long. 

Amy gave a reassuring pinch in his hand one more time, face blazing with warmth. Somehow she could not stop smiling as she gazed into his eyes. “You know… I think I’d love to go out with you.”

Chapter Text

It’d been a few weeks since Amy came home from her hitchhiking adventure that, surprisingly enough, had led to a road trip with Shadow. While she’d been nothing but giddy and restless since she parted ways with him, she tried to act casual on this ordinary Wednesday while she was at work. 

Ever since she got back home, she'd secretly been counting the days, waiting to hear from Shadow.

How could she not, after he said: ‘I’ll text you. I’d like to see you again soon ’? 

Didn’t he say he wanted to go on a date with me? How ‘soon’ is soon in his head? 

But now, as her ’ soon ’ had passed, she started to feel like maybe he led her on. Maybe he changed his mind or regretted that he kissed her. If that were the case, she’d rather have him come right out and say it because the last couple of weeks had been an awful test of her sanity. The constant analyzing and the repeating cycle of hoping, waiting and then moping again when she didn’t hear from Shadow was all extremely frustrating. 

Amy had no idea how to handle herself. 

The only thing she knew was that she needed to take a different approach compared to how she handled her crush on Sonic. In the end she decided to wait for Shadow to make the first move, even if it was against her nature. The last thing she wanted was to scare him away. 

Amy jumped up at the beeps of an oven. 

Work, right! 

“Oh, no!” she sighed.

She regarded the icing she’d been prepping in advance to decorate her cake with once it would be done. The frosting that was supposed to be a popping pink had come out crimson. She shoved the bowl away and started from scratch again.

“Focus!” Amy slapped herself on the cheeks. 

It wasn’t the first time she had almost messed up tasks at work lately because she was daydreaming. She knew it was silly, but couldn’t seem to overcome her lack of focus. 

I should really step up my game! I love my job, after all... 

According to Amy, she worked in the coziest pastry shop in her hometown. She had always loved baking, so it felt like a dream come true to get paid for it. 

Her life was in a great place. 

She couldn’t complain.

Sure, as a baker, she had to get up early, but she didn't mind. On the bright side, there was plenty of time for other activities after a day of hard work, like shopping or going on a date.

“Ugh. I can’t believe he’s making me wait this long! Darn it, Shadow! It’s been three weeks… I don’t get it...”

Amy heaved another deeply frustrated sigh, unable to tell what the fluttering feeling in her stomach was. She still hadn’t come on board with the fact that Shadow was the reason she was a mess. 

Deep down, though, she knew there was no denying it.  

She shivered when his name echoed in her thoughts with an intensity she wasn’t prepared for. A blush crept up on her cheeks when she remembered how safe she’d felt in his strong arms that day when he had held her in the calm after the storm. 

If she were completely honest with herself, she wanted to bury her face in the white of his fluffy chest fur.

Oh, how she longed to be far past this point of uncertainty between them. 

The timer on Amy’s wristwatch startled her when it was time to check up on the cupcake in the oven. By now, the second batch of buttercream icing was in the fridge. It came out right this time in the bright pink Amy was going for. After checking that box in her head, she started gathering the supplies to make tiny roses out of marzipan. 

When she felt her heartbeat slow down, she breathed out. She was starting to feel more in control and was relieved she could finally concentrate on her work. 

Today was a little special to her, after all. No one other than Amy Rose had been assigned to make a giant, over-the-top pink cake for a special delivery. It was the first time she was assigned to an important task like this, and she was honored that her boss had so much faith in her. 

She let an excited squeak slip when she regarded her finished creation.

“Nailed it!”

--

Having delivered the girly cake to her co-workers in the shop, she was done for today. Amy rushed to the changing room, dying to get her phone from her locker. 

“Come on, come on!” she muttered as she hastily fumbled the key in the lock. 

She felt the rush of puppy love all over again when she grasped her phone and checked for new messages. 

Still nothing. 

Her fingers slid over the keyboard while she typed a message to him, then erased everything again. It had been so long. Nothing felt right. 

The muscles in her fists clenched and Amy resisted the urge to throw her phone away. Instead, she just groaned in frustration and changed back into her own clothes. With her stained aron and work attire in a laundry basket in the corner of the bakery’s changing room, she was ready to leave.

She had some shopping to do for dinner with Sonic later that night. 

When walking out, she caught a glimpse of the customer’s enthusiastic glance at the result of her hard work, and her heart filled with joy.

After grocery shopping, Amy came home with a new dress she didn’t really need. It looked so cute and summery that she couldn’t resist buying it. She also caved and admitted to herself she could no longer resist the urge to reach out to Shadow. She ran up the stairs and threw some clothes on the bed, then slipped on her black biker jacket over the new floral dress. 

“Oooh, I love this!” She twisted and turned as she regarded her reflection, “It’s so cute! Is it too cute? Do I want him to think I’m cute?”

Her critical eye scanned every possible body angle, and she caught herself once again in that stupid debate between her teenage self, who still loved all the cute stuff, and her adolescent one, who tried to put together a more sophisticated look. That second one was relatively new to her and came with a whole new package of troubles. She really thought she was done with that shit.  

How naive.

She laughed it off, for there was no clear winner of this debate- yet. 

As she checked her phone once more, she held her breath. Her heart fluttered hopefully when she saw a push note: one new message! 

But it was only Sonic texting that he'd be at her place around 6:15 PM to have dinner together with her, just like every other Wednesday. 

Amy sighed, feeling disappointed that it hadn’t been a message from Shadow. Twiddling her thumbs while trying to decide whether it’d be alright to seek Shadow out now, she watched her lips pout in the mirror in front of her. 

Oh, the outfit was cute, but her cranky, indecisive demeanor would never be in vogue. 

“Argh! I wish I knew what to do...” 

Amy dramatically whipped her head back, groaning when she mocked herself for having stepped onto this rollercoaster of extreme mood swings - again. Now that she was an adult, she really needed to get her shit together. 

She texted Cream and Blaze about her last minute visit to Shadow and added a picture of her in the new dress. Within seconds, she got a bunch of thumbs up and a dozen heart emojis. Amy gave herself the last push she needed by striking a flirty pose in front of the mirror, then walked away, hips swaying elegantly as she descended down the stairs. With renewed determination, she stepped out of her home. 

“No more stalling. I’m heading out!” 

How can Shadow reject me when I'm looking this cute?

When she opened the picket fence gate of his garden, she stopped and stared at his lot for a while. The place reflected respectful care and looked perfectly fine, which was expected of him. 

It’s easy to see why he moved here. It’s so beautiful.

No sign of Shadow, though. 

Amy bent over to a border of flowers, nuzzling her nose in a crown of peach colored rose petals to dwell in its sweet scent. 

While Amy always knew where Shadow lived, it was her first time visiting him. She simply figured she didn’t have any business with Team Dark’s biggest solo-player. 

Until now. 

Her skin grew hot and colored red under her jacket. She took it off, for her skin was blazing by that point from the annoying uncertainty that she could only blame this giddy feeling in her gut for.  

Amy let out a marveling hum when she felt something brushing against her leg. When she looked at her rose golden sandals, a dark Chao that looked just like Shadow stared back at her.

“Oh, you’re so cute!” 

Amy petted the little guy on his spiky head and picked a plum from a nearby tree to feed it. Tiny-Shadow gratefully accepted and dug in while the floating sphere above its head turned into a heart.  She couldn’t help but stare at the Chao in adoration, the corners of her mouth slowly curling up into a wide smile of affection.

“Amy?”

Amy jumped up at the sound of Shadow’s voice. Faking a confident smile, she tried her utmost best to actively tone down her flustered face.  

As she regarded him, wiping off the sweat from his forehead with his gardener’s gloves, it dawned on her that she was totally screwed. She was unable to keep her eyes off his muscular body, and the way the sunlight seemed to highlight his striking looks didn't make it easier. 

Oh boy, I’ve got it bad!

“Hey!” 

How is that all I’m able to say?!

“He seems to like you.” Shadow pointed at his mini-me . “It’s rare for him to seek out this type of interaction with anyone besides me, really, but I’m not surprised he likes you.”

“You two share more than just looks, then. He is so cute! Does he have a name?”

“Chao?”

“You named him ‘Chao’?”

Shadow shrugged. “Whenever I whistle he comes running towards me. It’s good enough. Who needs a name, really? Right, Chao?”

'Chao' yawned and rolled into a ball, ready to nap after his fruity meal, completely ignoring Shadow.

“Aww, no! That’s so impersonal.” 

Unsure of what to do next, Amy kept staring at Shadow’s adorable chao while she anxiously chewed the insides of her cheeks. The reaction Shadow was able to get out of her was overwhelming. The kind of exciting tension she felt around him was definitely new to her.

She had never felt this way around Sonic when she was in love with him. 

It wasn’t until she shifted her gaze upward to try and lock eyes with Shadow after what felt like an eternity that she realized he had moved much closer to her. 

“Amy?” he asked, and she turned to face him straight-up. “It’s good to see you again. Although…” He scratched his chin lightly, “I must admit I was hoping to hear from you a little sooner.”

“ What?! ” Amy blurted out, clearly pissed off. “ You said you’d text me!”

“I did, three weeks ago.”

“You did not! I checked every d-” Amy was too late to take her confession back, but she swallowed whatever words she could. 

She grasped her purse and unlocked her phone to prove to both Shadow and herself that she hadn't overlooked something. The beating of her heart throbbed in her throat, and she heard the blood whizzing in her ears. 

“No new messages. See?” 

“What’s this?” 

“WhatsApp. It’s a texting app.”

“I don’t do those.”

“What do you mean ‘you don’t do those’?”

Puzzled, Shadow took his own phone and opened the standard messaging application, the basic one that comes with every phone. 

“Here it is,” he said, turning his phone to show her.

She glanced at it, already feeling ashamed. Turning to her phone to open his texts, she read them in awkward silence. 

Chaos, he even sent me multiple texts! 

“Oh my-” Amy stammered, her jaw slowly dropping. “There it is! W-why didn’t I get a notification?!” She yelled in growing confusion.

Shadow shrugged, “Maybe the notifications were off?”

“Notifications were off?” she repeated, then dramatically whipped her head back, averting Shadow’s gaze, “Shit! You’re right! I can’t believe I overlooked it! I’m so sorry.” 

She quickly swiped to ‘settings’ and switched them on to prevent this kind of thing in the future. Shadow scratched his quills, and it felt to Amy like he was trying to catch his breath, but was too stubborn to show it. It hit her then that she may haven't been the only one in painful doubt. 

“It’s fine. Whatsapp seems to go with a lot of strange group chat dynamics and unnecessary conversations that I do not get and would rather avoid- what? ” he asked when Amy chuckled. 

“Nothing. You’re just being very… ‘you’,” she told him with a hint of playfulness in her eyes. 

“Is that so?”

“Yes… So, ehm…” Amy bit her lip once more, then swallowed. “The reason you didn’t hear from me… I don’t know, I thought... maybe you changed your mind. I didn’t want to be pushy! I kind of have a reputation, you know?” 

Amy’s ears flattened to her head and she struggled to say it out loud, embarrassed she had probably made him worry. She didn’t tell him, though, already knowing how he’d respond. 

“You, out of everyone, should know I am not one to easily change my mind on a matter.”

The pink hedgehog gave him a radiant smile. “That makes two of us.”

“Don’t think you can outmatch me,” he teased her. “I’m much more stubborn than you.” Shadow crossed his arms, invigorating his claim.

“We’ll see about that.” Amy stared at her phone to peek at his messages again. “Awww! Did you really miss me?”

“Rhetorical question?” He asked, clearly uncomfortable.

“Yes. And I’ve missed you, too.”

“That goes without saying… You’ve only checked your phone on a daily basis, hoping to hear from me.”

“You’re not supposed to mention that!”

“I was waiting for a reply from you too, you know? Cut me some slack.”

“Fine, fine.”

There was a second where she was on the verge of apologizing and explaining herself. She almost spilled, but Shadow cut her off before she could even start.

“You haven’t been here before, have you?”

“No, but it’s amazing! Your garden is lovely, Shadow. You told me you liked gardening before, but I didn’t expect this .”

“Heh, yeah. Thanks. I’d like to invite you in and show you around, but I’m meeting up with Rouge and Omega in a bit. I’ll have to update them on the mission I was sent off on last week. I’ll be gone on Monday for another 5 days.”

“Oh…” she said, clearly disappointed. 

Ah well, it’s not like I could’ve stayed for long. I have dinner plans tonight.

“I’ve been thinking… If you’re free, I’d like it if we could go away together for the weekend, Rose .”

“Yes! I’d love that!”

The corners of his mouth pulled up into the smallest of smiles. For some reason, it lit an endearing spark in Amy’s heart whenever she saw a naturally indifferent and grumpy person like Shadow smile. It didn’t matter if it was only a hint of one, or one he tried to suppress. 

She stepped closer to him, and in that moment she couldn't hold her excitement any longer. 

After weeks of heavy turbulence and having carried a ton of doubt, it hit her how she craved this, being with him. All she wanted was to touch him, to feel him. Driven by sweet passion, Amy impulsively threw herself onto him. She knew she caught him off guard with her sudden move, but he didn’t protest. He didn’t show any sign of discomfort. Shadow let her hug him, just like the very first time they met. 

He took off his dirt stained gardener's gloves. The sound of the rubber, snapping as they came off, woke her up from her wandering thoughts. Amy looked up to him from behind her lashes, curious and nervous at the same time.

“Can I?” he asked, and whatever his plans, she would accept them. 

While he cupped a warm palm around her cheek, she felt his other hand slide behind her back to pull her closer to him. He rested his chin on top of her head and she relaxed a little while nuzzling herself into his embrace. They stood like that for a little while, innocently hugging like two clumsy teenagers who were feeling as happy as they were overwhelmed. 

“Hey?” Shadow asked as he lowered his head to face her. “I hate to admit it, but out of the many things I excel in, this ... isn’t one of them.”

“What isn’t?”

“Romance and stuff. I need you to tell me if I’m off.”

“You’re fine, Shadow. I think you’re better at it than you know. And don’t you worry; I know plenty of this stuff! I’m a true romantic at heart, and I’ve had an overkill of romantic books and movies.” 

“That gives me no confidence whatsoever.” he stated dryly, but Amy thought she saw the corners of his lips pull up a little. 

“Rude! I’m an expert, trust me.”

“I’ll have to see about that,” Shadow winked at her. “Now, does Friday at three P.M. work for you?” 

“That works fine. Can we take your motorcycle again?” Amy tilted her head a little, then batted her eyes as she tried to convince him. “I loved it last time!” 

“You bet we can.”

“Yay!” 

Amy clapped her hands. Her body suddenly seemed to move on its own when she leaned in and kissed him on his cheek. It was Shadow’s turn to blush, and neither of them knew what to do. Shadow awkwardly cleared his throat, and Amy stepped out of his embrace, rubbing her arms in discomfort. 

“I have to go, but I’m glad we talked, Shadow. I’ll be looking forward to Friday,” she said shyly.  

“Me too, Rose.”

-- 

By the time Amy stepped through her front door again, she was walking on cloud nine. Lovesick nausea plagued her stomach on the way home, and she wondered how in the world she’d be able to eat anything at all that night. 

The impulsive visit to her love interest had made her completely lose track of time. She barely made it back in time for dinner with Sonic. It was just enough to cool her heated face with cold water before he barged through the door five minutes late, like always. 

“Yo Ames! I got my hands on that mustard you asked for.”

“Great! Then we’ve got everything we need. I thought we could make chilli dogs from scratch, all fresh ingredients. It’ll taste so good, I think we might even top your favorite food truck, Sonic.”

“Sounds good to me!” Sonic gave her a flashy smile as he washed his hands. “So, how’d it go with Shads?”

“Heh?! How do you- argh! Who told you?”

“Blaze told me. We were a little worried about you…”

“Yeah, yeah, very sweet.” Amy rolled her eyes. Her voice was dipped in sarcasm. 

She shoved a plate with fresh potato fries into the oven, inhaling deeply. “No need to worry! It turns out it was one big misunderstanding. He did text me… and I missed it. So embarrassing!”

Amy rambled on about it for a while, and Sonic listened to her, humming every once in a while. He smiled sheepishly at her when she spilled everything about Shadow and herself. Amy asked about him and the new job he started together with Tails. 

With Dr. Eggman locked behind bars, Sonic and Tails started a rescue service, executing complicated rescue missions all over South island. The job was varied enough and provided him with a daily dose of adventure and element of surprise.

For now, at least, he was good. 

“It’s pretty cool, actually. Last week we had to rescue a couple of teenagers. They got stuck in a cave that was about to flood.”

“You swam?!”

“No way! I was fast enough to get them out of there before the water could even wet my shoes.” 

“Naturally.” Amy laughed, then shook her head.

Amy had never imagined a life without Sonic, but things had been a little awkward between them for a while. She was relieved their friendship was strong enough to survive her crush on him and his coming-out. 

I'm so happy we're able to do this again. 

They chatted while they cooked until the homemade chili dogs were ready, and they sat back on the couch. They dug in, and it only took Sonic one bite to realize Amy was right: they were by far the best he’d ever had.

“Is it weird that I tell you about him?” Amy asked.

“Shadow? Meh, I don’t mind as long as it’s not all you’ll talk about from now on.”

Amy sniggered. “Noted.”

“I can bear some… Just... don’t overdo it. ” 

“You got it! Please tell me you want seconds, because I can’t eat any more.”

“You betcha! Leave it to me.”

-- 

It wasn’t until she was crawling into bed that Amy realized how exhausted she was, really. Her eyes burned, and she couldn’t wait to snuggle up under her blanket.

When she was about to turn off the light, she checked her phone one last time. It was a bad habit she’d picked up on recently, and she secretly blamed Shadow for that. Her heart glowed at the blinking light in the right corner of her phone: a message. 

Shadow: I meant to tell you: you looked stunning in that new dress. 

There it was again: that explosion of glowing warmth, an intense happiness in her heart. Amy rolled around in her bed, hugging her phone. 

Never had she expected to feel this way about Shadow, but now that she’d come to see him in a whole new light, it didn’t seem all that odd. 

Amy: Aww, thank you! But… how did you know it was new?  

Shadow: Saw the price tag. 

Amy: How embarrassing! You should’ve said something…

Shadow: Don’t worry. I’m flattered you bought a new dress just to impress me. 

Amy: A little cocky of you to assume I bought it just to impress you.

Shadow: Maybe, but with good reason. Indulge me. 

Amy: Fine, I’ll admit it, if it makes you that happy. 

Shadow: It does make me that happy. Sweet dreams. See you on Friday. X

Amy: Sweet dreams to you too. See you on Friday! X

It took a while for Amy to put her phone away. She couldn’t keep staring at that silly ‘X’ at the end of Shadow’s text. It left her cheeks hurting from all the smiling when she finally put her head to rest, but she was unable to doze off. 

Her soul was overflowing with a happy kind of restlessness, her mind stacked with hundreds of thoughts of him and her. Her heart wasn’t tamed easily. It simply didn’t want to be.  

Chapter Text

Chapter 5: The bug that cannot be fixed.

The fact that I’m able to experience these emotions must be some kind of bug. It’s fucking distracting! This girl is able to move something in my very core; how is it possible? 

Shadow tightened a screw on his motorbike, trying to ignore the turmoil inside him. 

And she’s done it before! A single conversation with her was enough to let me change what I believed was my pre-destined course. 

He groaned at his tool when it dropped to the concrete floor- again. Shadow's mood was terrible today, and he felt himself getting closer and closer to angrily tossing a handful of screws across his garage by the second.

No!

One more time.

He wiped the sweat from his forehead as he carefully turned the screwdriver to the right. When its movement ultimately stagnated, a sigh escaped him.

He’d seen it through.

And more, importantly, without imploding.

Shadow stood up and shook out his quills, as if to also shake off his nerves for the weekend-long road trip he’d agreed to. They fluttered haphazardly through his chest, leaving him to stare blankly ahead.

I don’t even know if I’m cut out for this.  

The insecurity conquered his heart for a moment. The restlessness in his body was starting to wear him out. He bowed his head, resting it on the seat of his bike with a sigh. Even after all this time, its epic leathery still managed to ease his mind a little.

“I see you’re handling this just fine,” Rouge mocked him as she walked into his garage. 

“Shut up,” Shadow groaned, not even bothering to look up. 

“I sure hope this fine mood of yours will pass before you head out on your little trip with Amy.”

“That makes two of us.”

“Now, now… What’s going on?”

“I–” Shadow heaved a sigh, “that’s the thing, I’m clueless.”

“You’re gonna be just fine, hun.” 

Shadow raised his head, his scowl dark as he locked eyes with his best friend as she grabbed a bottle of whiskey from a shelf in his garage. The five year old liquor bottle was opened with a satisfying ‘pop’.

“That’s it? That’s all you have? This is me we’re talking about,” Shadow grumbled, rubbing his temples, trying to nip an upcoming headache in the bud.

“Oh, I know! Is Amy aware though, that it’s you she’s going on a date with?” she teased, raising a brow at him before offering him a glass. “Here, drink.”

“Nah, pass,” he declined. “You really should stop wasting that shit on me. You know I can’t get drunk, and I don’t care for that burning sensation either. 

The bat shrugged. “More for me, then.”

“I suppose.” Shadow grabbed a rag, then crouched in front of his bike. 

From his periphery, he kept an eye on the bat as she casually leaned against a workbench and poured the contents of one glass into the other. “Hun, didn’t you say the time you’ve spent with her already was actually pretty relaxing?”

“Yes,” Shadow grouched, frantically polishing up some of the matter parts of his bike. 

“Then why are you so… edg – eh, testy all of the sudden?”

Shadow cleared his throat, then held out a hand. When he glanced up, she averted his gaze, bringing the glass to her lips instead as she took a slug. 

“Did you not hear me?” he asked with a filthy smirk on his lips.

“No way. I did not say it! I’m not putting another dollar in that damn jar.” 

“Fine.” 

She then put her glass down, crossing one leg over the other. “Well?”

Shadow forcefully scrubbed over a particularly persistent smudge. “I told you: I’m clueless. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I… feel like I’m malfunctioning.” 

From the corner of his eyes, he could see her shaking head at him, a sympathetic smile dawning on her lips. She took a sip, then walked towards him to rest a friendly hand on his shoulder. 

“Honey, sometimes you seem to forget you’re not a robot.”

“I’m also not 100% made of flesh and blood.”

“Sure, but you’re also not a machine. You have to deal with emotions, whether you like it or not. You’re not malfunctioning. There’s nothing wrong with you.”

Shadow raised his brow at her. 

“Okay, you have issues,” Rouge snorted, “but the things you feel- whatever they are- are no errors.”

“How would you know?” he bit back.

The bat stared back at him with a poker face. She then turned around, slowly making her way back to the workbench and her glass. The tapping of her heels was the only thing breaking the silence as they echoed through the garage.

She sipped at her drink, then gave a quiet shrug. “Honestly, I think you might just be overwhelmed.”

Too close. 

He’d come too close.

“Possibly, yes,” he replied in a low voice. 

“Can I give you some advice?”

A weak grin tugged at the corners of his mouth. “I’ll take anything.”  

“That bad, huh?” She looked at him again with that status-quo mischief twinkling in her eyes. “Don’t overthink things. Just try to have a good time. Don’t get ahead of yourself and try to take things one step at a time.”

“Yeah, okay…I guess.”

“And remember: this is Amy we’re talking about. She’s been inexplicably fond of you ever since–” 

Shadow pursed his lips together, fingers twitching around the rag in his hand. He could feel his friend’s gaze burning in the back of his neck. 

When he didn’t answer her beckoning call, she took a deep breath. “--I guess I’m trying to say: you’d have to screw up terribly for her to run away from you at this point.” 

Tan cheeks caught fire without warning. “You really think so?” he asked, staring at his distorted reflection in the iron of his exhaust. 

“I do.”

All Shadow did was give a quiet, contemplating hum.

His ears twitched as she gulped down the last of her drink. Her empty glass was placed on the work top with a plump. “I have to go. Text me if you need anything.”

His scarlet eyes met hers with a fleeting glance. “Thank you.”

“Anytime, hun. Anytime.”

-- 

For someone who was as accustomed to extremely stressful situations as Shadow, he deemed it downright ridiculous how overcome he felt by the sweet ray of sunshine riding on the back on his motorcycle with him. 

Amy was quietly treasuring the brand new helmet he bought her, unaware that he could catch her expressive excitement in the mirrors on the steering wheel of his bike. Suddenly he wondered if she too would be able to see how he secretly melted at the sight of her like this. 

Shadow still wasn’t done contemplating the reasons why he felt like a hot mess. 

He wished he was, though. 

He struggled to keep his focus on the road with Amy’s arms wrapped tightly around his torso. The cute marvelling noises he heard her make about their surroundings made his eyes lose track of the traffic around him from time to time. It induced his panic even moreso.

Sure, his excellent driving skills would compensate for some of his absentmindedness, but he really needed to step up his game. If anything were to happen with Amy, he–

A tight band laced around his chest, and his fingertips went numb.

He took a sharp breath, forcing himself to check his speed and focus. The city of Spring Yard was already listed on one of the quickly approaching road signs, which meant they were half-way through on their way. 

Time for a break. 

“Let’s stop at the next gas station we pass by, alright?” he called out, forcefully averting the mirrors on his steering wheel. 

“Sounds good to me!”

–

“Ah, it feels so good to stand for a bit,” Amy cooed while stretching herself.

The last rays of sunshine coiled through the dense forest of fir trees this area was famous for, and the first stars showed themselves in the dusky evening sky. The air had cooled off noticeably and faded into a damp briskness after a warm summer day, making her shiver. 

Amy crouched, unzipping her backpack and rumbled about. 

Shadow’s gaze drifted skyward, and he stared blankly into space for a second.

With the recent events still freshly imprinted on his memory, he stayed close to her, highly alert of their surroundings. He crossed his arms, watching her search her bag.

“Noooo,” she pouted, “ugh, I didn’t, did I?”

“What’s wrong?”

“I seem to have forgotten my sweater,” she sighed, checking one last time.

“Wait,” he mumbled, lifting the lid of a hidden storage space underneath the seat of his motorcycle to pull out a worn black sweater. His favorite. Some of the red letters on it have faded over time, leaving the unfortunate combination of ‘ow the edge’ as the only visible words left. “Here.” 

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

Had he not been, it wouldn’t have made a difference, because, oh , when she smiled– Shadow gulped. 

“Awww, thank you!” 

She collected all the clutter that had fallen out of her bag, then popped her head through the opening. It was a size or two too big for her, but somehow, seeing her wear it made his pulse race. Chin pressed flush to her chest, she took a deep, slow breath.

“It smells like you,” she muttered.

Shadow dragged his teeth across his lower lip as if it would stop the blush he felt was rapidly coloring his cheeks. “Ah, well…”

A chuckle escaped her, and she twirled around. “How do I look?”

It took unproportional effort to swallow. “Splendid.”

Bright jade eyes twinkled at his words. 

Feeling a nervous smile tug at his lips, Shadow coughed in his hand, then tapped against the lid of his bike seat. It fell shut with a snap. “Let’s head inside, see if they have something to eat and drink.”

Not too long after, they stepped outside with a grilled cheese and a soda in hand. They chatted while they ate, and both of them finally seemed to relax in each other’s company a little. Amy questioned the letters on the back of Shadow’s sweater, and he almost choked on his food.

“So you did see it?!” Shadow cringed. 

“You bet I did!”

After a short bathroom break, they hit the road again. 

Speeding through the progressing evening, Shadow couldn’t fathom the sudden outbreak of girly giggles behind him. He felt even more conflicted when Amy explained it to him.

Apparently someone had warned Amy of a gloomy, possibly dangerous figure, glancing angrily at the restroom building when she was about to step outside again. When Amy explained how she was actually with that guy, they didn’t believe her until she hopped on his bike with him, and they took off together. 

She told Shadow that while she found it endearing that he cared for her safety, she didn’t need him to be this protective of her. He disagreed, and they both felt agitated.

“I‘m having trouble comprehending why you find my behavior inappropriate after what happened last time,” he called out, trying to drown out the sound of the wind.

“I think it’s sweet that you wanna look out for me, but–”

“But what?”

“You’re scaring people!”

“That’s the point!”

Amy snorted. “They were calling you edgy!”

“Hmph," he hissed, a little insulted. "Did I tell you Rouge and Omega have to put in a dollar in the jar in my garage whenever they call me edgy?”

“Seriously? Omega, too?” 

“You’d be surprised to find how many bad habits a robot can pick up, especially with Rouge around!”

Amy shook her head, softly snickering at Shadow’s reply, whose lips relaxed slightly. The fog of chagrin that was clouding his mind lifted at the sound of her laughter. Only a smidge of the unsettling sensation inside him remained.

He shook his head. “How on earth do you do it?”

“Huh?” Amy blinked at him, her head tilted towards her left shoulder. “Do what?”

“You’re able to change my mind with the slightest effort. I just forget how foul my mood is after talking to you for a few minutes. It’s highly upsetting.”

“Really? Awww,” she cooed behind him. 

Chaos! That smile! 

“Oooooh! There’s a look-out point coming up, can we stop there?” Amy pleaded. 

“Sure.”

Shadow scanned the road side for signs, reduced his speed when he saw a small parking spot dawn in an upwards bend. He hit the brakes, carefully steering his bike over the gravel. Dust flew up around them. When they came to a stop, he heard Amy jump off her seat, immediately taking her helmet off. 

The engine’s rumble died out with a sputter when Shadow turned his key a quarter to the right, and then it was almost completely silent. A choir of crickets chirped in the tall stalks on the side of the road, and he could hear the modest flow of a stream in the valley below them, but other than that, it was quiet.

Amy clenched her helmet between her arm and the side of her body, quietly marvelling at the stars. The grit crackled beneath the soles of her feet as she walked towards the fence that separated the look-out point from the valley below. Her gaze drifted skyward. 

His helmet he placed on the seat of his bike. Wiping the dust from his dry lips, Shadow simply watched her. 

“So pretty,” he muttered quietly. 

“What?”

“The stars!” Shadow quickly yelped, nodding at the ethereal ocean of deep, dark blue above them, “they’re pretty, aren’t they?”

“Hm-hmm.” 

A shaky sigh left his lips. Shadow took a few steps, the sound of porous rocks betraying his every move and making him bristle. Once he was next to her, she rested her forearms on the wooden fence, beaming every bit as bright as the stars above them.

“See that cluster of stars at two o’Clock there?” she pointed, and Shadow gave a nod, “that’s the little dipper– no, wait, the big dipper. Or–” Amy’s ears dipped to the back of her head. “Ugh, I don’t remember.” 

Her pouted lips parted with a soft gasp when she regarded him, her face flaring up in a bold red around the cheekbones.

“Shadow, are you alright?”

“Why do you ask?”

“You keep staring at me with that look in your eyes and…” Amy shrugged, peering into his eyes, searching for answers he didn’t even have himself. 

His ears twitched in reaction to a sound above them, and he glanced up to find the red blinking light of an airplane, cruising through the night sky. 

“To be honest, I’m not quite sure.”

Next to him, Amy gave a contemplating hum. Eyeing her sideways, he watched her put down her helmet before hopping onto the fence and into the center of his vision. “Talk to me,” she said with a sympathetic smile.

Shadow’s pulse skyrocketed. What’s there to talk about? Suddenly, he empathized with the teenage protagonists in the romantic movies he heard Amy talk about and loathed so much.

If anything, he felt as dense as a teenage boy himself. 

“About what?”

Amy kicked her feet, a teasing smile playing on her lips. “About what’s wrong, of course.”

A frown pleated Shadow’s forehead. He chewed at his bottom lip, trying to sort his thoughts. “What if I don’t know what’s wrong with me?”

Head tilting, Amy’s smile deepened. “Why would something be wrong with you?” 

Oh, god… He was a mess. A mystery, and yet somehow she was tenacious enough to put up with all of it. Shadow clenched his eyes shut, angrily swallowing past that damned lump in his throat.

“My mind is… weird! I can’t stop–” he sighed, “--thinking about you. It’s distracting! I even messed up during my last mission and–

“Shadow…” Amy touched his arm, and his eyes snapped open. “Whoa!”

She lost her balance, tilting backwards over the railing. Heart thrumming in his throat, he dove forward to grab her.

“Careful!” 

Shadow gripped her waist and pulled her back. She crashed into him, latching onto him with a yelp. Suddenly, he was standing between her legs, and she was so close to him that her button-shaped nose brushed against his own. Heat flared through his system.

“Sorry,” she wheezed, her breath washing over his face as they panted in tandem.  

“No, no, as long as you’re fine.” 

Amy giggled, then softly rubbed her nose against his. “Did you uhm, did you know Holoskan residents kiss like this?” she whispered.

“They ehm …they do?”

“Yes.” Her hands traced his biceps through his jacket. “It’s really sweet.”

His heart was racing. The world narrowed into a tunnel-vision, blurring at the edges until there was only her. Shadow’s breath caught in his throat. 

“I see,” he muttered in a low, husky voice. 

“Shadow?” she then asked, wrapping her arms around his neck.

It was the softest of touches he felt, and yet it raised the little black and red hairs on his arms. It sharpened his senses as if danger awaited him. 

“Yeah?” 

Amy tilted her head to the left a little, her lashes tickling his muzzle as her eyes fluttered shut. Without even knowing what was going on, hazy scarlet orbs closed on their own accord as she gingerly brushed her soft, full lips against his, kissing him tenderly. 

The pressure in his chest expanded to pleasurable heights. Palms sweaty in his gloves, his fingers twitched around her waist. Her subtle, natural scent enhanced at his gesture, her warm body raising his feverish condition even moreso.  

He’d never done this before, yet his body reacted on its own somehow. Shadow carefully moved his lips against hers. They parted on a sharp breath, whipping his pulse up. Then, he just pulled her closer. 

It was her hands scratching the back of his neck. 

And the beat of her heart, palpable through his chest. 

Ecstasy rushed through his system when her warm, wet tongue cautiously poked against the seam of his lips. It slipped into his mouth, entwining with his own. His knees nearly buckled.

She tasted so delicate, so good. 

Oh, his heart couldn’t take it.

Yet slowly, his trembling muscles relaxed, and he deepened the kiss with more confidence than before, mirroring her motions, getting high on her taste.

High on the heat of the breath they shared.

On the soft, strained moans that escaped her.

And the bliss of simply holding her closely. 

Amy’s lips curved into a smile as she suddenly kissed him harder, then moved her hand to his face to cup his cheek. When she slowly backed away, his body moved towards her on its own accord. Embarrassed, he stared at his skates and muttered an apology. 

“It’s okay," she whispered, planting a kiss on his cheek, “you mess with my head, too.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 6 | I got you

“Oh, that was so good! I really needed that!” Amy said while she stretched out. Her cheeks were a soft pink from her after-dinner dip.

She and Shadow had enjoyed a nice, romantic dinner on the terrace roof of a hotel in Spring Yard.

While Shadow wasn’t as ecstatic and outspoken about it as Amy, he had to admit that the food was as amazing as the vibes of this place. It was pretty much a perfect combination of a botanical garden and a restaurant atop a massive mansion. 

“Have you ever tasted something that was this good?!” she asked, still as enthusiastic as when she’d taken her first bite.   

Shadow quickly covered his mouth as he hid the uprising urge to chuckle. 

“What?” Amy asked, when he failed to hide his expression, apparently. 

“It’s nothing, really.”

He vaguely gestured with his hands, trying to shrug it off. Amy wouldn’t be Amy, though, if she’d just let it go like that. 

“I’m not buying that. Come on, tell me!” she demanded, the hands on her hips matching the resolution of her voice. 

“I just thought your enthusiasm was... cute,” he blushed awkwardly. “That’s all, really.” 

“Oh…” she muttered timidly, “If that’s all, then I can live with it.”

He promised her it was. 

“Thanks for paying,” Amy touched his arm, then rose from her seat, ”Next time is on me, though.”

“My pleasure.” He took her hand and walked away with her, “And... I can live with that.”

“Well, that saves me the trouble of lecturing you about feminism and equal rights…” Amy joked. 

“I’d like to see you try.”

“Maybe some other time,” Amy giggled. “Tonight was lovely, Shadow…The food was great, the restaurant was so cozy, and you wouldn’t believe my date…” 

Shadow tried to tame down his curiosity while he hastily pressed the button for the elevator repeatedly. The doors opened right away, and he stepped into the mirrored cabin with her. He quickly pressed the button for the ground floor, and pulled her to him when the doors were closed. 

“What about him?” he asked.

“He’s so charming, and handsome too.” She shot him a lovestruck glance. "He paid for dinner like a true gentleman and he even agreed to share a dessert with me!”

“He must be really into you, then.”

“You think?” 

Amy stared back at him and leaned in, her head slowly tilting as she neared his lips.

“I know, ” he said, his half-lidded eyes matching the depth of his voice. 

“Ahum?” An unfamiliar voice coughed to get their attention.

Without realizing it, they had already arrived at the ground floor. The doors had opened, and now staring back at them were a couple of strangers, clearing their throats in discomfort. 

“Whoops, sorry!” Amy shouted in her cutesy voice, then dragged a blushing Shadow outside the elevator.

“Wait,” Shadow whispered, suddenly stretching his arm in front of her to stop her.

“Huh? Wha-”

He gestured to keep her voice down, then pointed in the direction of the entrance of the hotel. 

Behind the tinted glass of the doors was a robot, standing motionless while two rays of semi-translucent red light scanned its surroundings. The design left no room for guessing who its creator was. The color-scheme, combined with the stylized man-with-the-mustache logo, was more than a giveaway. 

“Wasn’t Eggman supposed to be behind bars?” Amy whispered.

“He is.”

“Then what’s that doing here?”

“Beats me.”

“Should we take it down?”

“We can’t, not in here. Think of the collateral damage. It’s best if we contact G.U.N. and let them handle the situation,” Shadow opened his communication device, built into his inhibitor ring. “I can see there are some agents a few blocks away.”

“Oh, right. So, we just wait for your coworkers? Do they know you’re on a weekend-long date with me, then?”

Shadow’s face seemed to freeze over. 

He did not think this through.

It wasn't even that he was embarrassed of her, not at all! He simply wanted to avoid drawing attention to himself and anything he did in his spare time. Shadow was very keen about his privacy. 

Rouge knew about Amy. 

That was more than enough.

“On second thought, maybe we should deal with this ourselves.”

“Look!” Amy pointed toward the doors, “It seems to be coming this way.”

The glass doors opened and the robot stepped inside, shaking the building with every single step. Amy shot up unexpectedly, tugging at Shadow’s arm. 

“That’s an E-series robot! There could be a live animal inside!”

“Great…”

“Let me!” Amy said determinedly. 

She pulled her hammer out of thin air and dashed toward it.

“Amy, wait!” Shadow shouted the second she ran off, but she seemed to ignore him.

He clenched his fists as he watched her build momentum with her speed to strike the robot. His stomach suddenly felt heavy, like he swallowed a stone, and his palms started to sweat against his will. 

Amy’s battle cry intensified, gaining more and more attention from bystanders in the lobby. Someone bumped into Shadow as a tense crowd gathered around him, and that’s when he noticed. Something was terribly wrong. 

He should do something- now .

But before he could even part his lips to whisper ‘Chaos Control’, everything went black.

A deafening explosion followed. 

The lobby filled with wordless screams at a burning wave of destructive heat. 

“AMY!” he felt the vibrations in his chest as he screamed her name.

Every other Mobian present rushed outside in agony, but Shadow immediately warped himself to Amy. Her fur was blackened, his sweater torn, and her burned skin was already starting to blister. In what was left of her gloves, she gently treasured a little Flicky that she managed to save. 

Adrenaline-driven hands shook Amy’s shoulders, and she looked up in surprise. Shadow's concerned eyes met hers for a moment, then shifted upward as his hearing slowly faded back in. A large gap lurked threateningly above them. The ceiling was in a poor condition; filled with several large holes and gaps.

This is not good!

The marble columns supporting the upper floors were torn, looking like they could crumble into a pile of dust any moment. Everything around them cracked, the room filled with black smoke and electricity sparked from snapped wires. 

Shadow regarded Amy’s fearful eyes when they both heard the ceiling rumble above them. 

“RUN! I’ll catch up!” 

She crawled up, back on her feet, but hesitated to leave him behind. 

“GO! NOW! ”

Amy bit her lip, but she nodded and limped away as quickly as she could.
Shadow let out a grated breath. It smoothed out as he closed his eyes. He grounded himself and stretched his arms, preparing to push the ceiling back in case it’d crash down faster than he could take control over the Chaos.

Don’t look, just do it. It’ll be fine. She’s gonna make it.  

His nerves died out when he felt a familiar power flow through his veins. The warm glow of raw Chaos Energy touching his soul, as it spread throughout his body, felt reassuring each and every time he experienced it.  

I can do this! 

The calm of frozen time conflicted with the ominous feeling inside him. No matter how many times he’d experienced it before, he would never get used to the strange silence amidst the chaos. 

Shadow opened his eyes. Amy was caught frozen in time, one leg stretching before the other while heading to the door to the stairwell. She was halfway there, and he began skating toward her, regaining his confidence as he did so; 90 seconds would be more than enough to make it. 

Gentle power flared through his fingertips the moment he touched Amy’s shoulder. His heartbeat slowed down when he broke her free from the Chaos Control. 

“Hold on tight and just run, okay?” Shadow skated forward without looking at her. 

He felt her squeeze his hand, and he felt reassured for a moment. She held onto his hand as Shadow dragged her along to what would be their escape…but then Amy tripped.

He was left breathless the instant he saw her body drop to the floor. 

His head spun. His vision blurred. 

Flashes of light penetrated his vision. Shadow blinked in an attempt to escape them, but they only grew harsher. He was unable to prevent his surroundings from blending together with haunting images from his memories.

In disbelief, Shadow regarded his trembling hands, which were blurring in front of him while he fixed his gaze on Amy. He shuddered in terror as Amy’s eyes grew icy blue and her pink quills turned blond. She spoke to him in a voice he’d recognize anywhere , and it left him numb and frozen.

Instantly, he was back in the tube again, his open palms desperately pressed against the glass as if it would break eventually. 

As if he were sucked into a vacuum, every sound slowly faded out until a deafening silence fell over him. It was like his head was underwater, like he was stuck in a nightmare where no one could hear him scream. His limbs suddenly felt so incredibly heavy that he couldn’t lift his feet anymore. They seemed tied to the floor, and Shadow didn’t recognise his arms as his own anymore. Briefly, he regarded the hands that were attached to his body, wondering why he was no longer able to control their movement. Against his will, they covered his eyes, blocking all the light from his face as the darkness absorbed him. 

Eventually, his legs gave in and he sank down to his knees. 

Maria! 

Shadow tried to scream. He tried to shout her name, but his throat was hoarse and dry, and no sound came from it. Instead, he was swallowed by the agonizing echo of his own thoughts playing on repeat in his head. Shadow shut his eyes, then covered his ears, but it didn’t stop. 

Nothing worked. 

He couldn't escape.

Distant bangs of gunfire thumped on in his head. Shadow’s chest and stomach cramped painfully until he was out of breath, and a new wave of panic washed over him.

Shadow, listen, Shadow…. 

“Shadow! Shadow!”

I wish I could go with you…

“Shadow, you need to get up! Look at me, please!”

But it looks like you’ll have to go there without me… 

He felt dizzy and ready to throw up, but his head was roughly lifted nonetheless by another pair of hands that weren't his own.

He sensed something in his arms, and vibrations buzzed through his body when the room started shaking. A crying girl with blond-pink dip-dye hair was calling his name, tugging at his arms as she tried to drag him across the floor. 

“It’s me, Amy! Shadow, plea-hease wake-u-up!”

The cold, dusty metals of the ARK, with Maria on the floor and gunshots behind him, slowly faded back into a dilapidated hotel lobby. Repeating beeps of his communicator called for his attention, and his hiccups slowly died out while he watched the numbers on it count down. 

Seven?Six? Wh-

A deafening rumble came from above, and suddenly he realized where he was. 

“SHIT!” he roared.

A pillar cracked behind him, crumbling to bits as it fell in his direction. In a split second, he got on his feet, reaching for Amy. His head still spinned, and he faltered. 

Heavy chunks of stone came flying his way, and as he tried to regain his balance, he saw Amy smashing them away with her hammer.

Another loud rumble resounded ominously throughout the space. With only two seconds to go, Shadow picked her up and dashed to the door at the speed of sound, releasing a Chaos Spear to blast the door open. 

“Stay put!” he commanded her.

He then hunched over her to shield her from the upcoming impact as the ceiling came down with a devastating force. 

A rain of rubble, wood and stones struck down on him, harshly whipping on his back, shoulders and arms. Sharp pains flared through his body, and Shadow groaned in pain, the tears now actually staining his crimson eyes. 

I’m so fucking stupid! I deserve this, but she? 

No...

Shadow flinched, baring his fangs while he concentrated on Amy. 

He had to keep her alive- at all costs. 

-- 

Tears streamed down Amy’s face while she rolled herself up to a ball. Shadow petted her back, bewildered and astonished. His back and shoulders were bruised, covered in cuts and wounds, but the pain had been so heavy, the skin on the entire area had eventually gone numb. 

A sharp pain tore through his diaphragm when he bent at the hips, and he clasped his own hand in his chest fur. He was drained and hurting, more than he wanted to show and more than he liked to admit. 

Shadow kept silent and sat down with her. 

He didn’t know what to say.

They ended up in a dark, cold stairwell. The air was packed with a countless number of dusty particles that felt heavy to his lungs when he inhaled. 

Are my ribs bruised? Broken even?

“I’m sorry. This is all my fault. I just couldn’t ignore-" Amy stroked the little Flicky's head. "They’re so innocent. They deserve to be protected. How was I supposed to know the robot would self-destruct?” 

“There was no telling it would. You couldn’t have known,” Shadow told her, then closed his eyes and rubbed his aching head.

How the fuck did things get this ugly so quickly? Just half an hour ago we were fine.

“I don’t understand,” Amy stammered, “It appeared to be a simple E-series robot… I’ve dealt with those before! I was twelve at the time, twelve ! How did it- I don’t- Argh!”

“I know,” he mumbled, just as mind-blown as she was. “I didn’t expect any of this, either, and once I sensed something was off, it was already too late. It all just happened so fast.”  

Shadow’s heart ached with self-loathing, and he recognized a similar pain in Amy’s eyes. 

“I’m sorry,” they said simultaneously.

“I’m the reason you’re hurt!” Amy cried, visibly trying to swallow her tears and be brave. 

She put the Flicky in a side pocket of her backpack, ignored her own injuries, and turned to Shadow. 

“Is there anything you don’t have on you?” Shadow pondered, seeing as she held gauze and disinfectant in her hands. 

Amy chuckled nervously, holding in her laughter as if he’d just made a fantastic joke. 

What did I say?

“Never underestimate a woman and her purse, Shadow.” 

Shadow rolled his eyes, suppressing the slight tug he felt at the corners of his lips, but his heart smiled nonetheless. 

“That’s not a purse, and who said I was?” 

If Amy’s smile was anything to go by, she must’ve been pleased with his answer. As she bent over him and moved out of the green flickering light that pointed out the emergency exit, she regarded his body. He was covered in burns and cuts, and his inhibitors were cracked. 

He averted his gaze and looked at the golden rings on Amy's wrists instead, shaking his head in defeat.

I fucked up. 

“I’m fine. I’ll heal. We’ve been through this.”

“Shadow the Hedgehog, I’m not stupid! Your inhibitor rings are broken, which delays the healing process. You’re plain injured and I’m worried about you!”

“Well, you don’t need to be. I’m more concerned about you right now. I’ll get us out of here so we can get a proper night of sleep. You’ll see in the morning that I’m right.” 

As the last words echoed through the stairwell, he tightened the muscles in his arm, trying to draw out the power. His expression turned smug, briefly, before a large crack created a gap in the gold. Shadow groaned in pain and seized his wrist, loudly sucking in some air between his clenched teeth. 

Fuck! That hurts!

“Stop that!" Amy demanded, “You’re making it worse!”

She grabbed his arm and started sterilizing his wounds. Shadow furrowed his brow, slightly indignant. He tried to take the disinfectant from her to tend after his wounds himself, but backed out after receiving an aggravated glare from Amy.

How could I have let this happen?

“Listen up, you’re going to sit still and let me take care of you!” she dictated. “I hate it when others shut me out.”

A chunk of rubble broke from the wall behind them, clattering onto the tiled floor. Shadow stared at Amy, but she ignored him and applied the last bandaid to a cut on Shadow’s shoulder. She then ruffled through his soot-stained chest fur, spreading a powdery cloud of black smoke in the air. 

“I’m on your team, Shadow…”

“I know you are.”

“Then stop fighting me.” 

“I’m not,” Shadow stated resolutely, “I’m fighting myself.”

While he faced her straight up, his eyes betrayed him. His pupils were dilated, his stare frozen, and he seemed to look right through her.  

“When you tripped,” he sighed, “I couldn’t move. I thought I was gonna lose you. I know you’re on my team, but-” Shadow swallowed, fading back into reality with a shiver, “it looked so similar to the incident on the ARK. I … I froze. It’s so stupid!” 

He rubbed his forehead, briefly covering his face in his hands, then shook his head.

“Oh, Shadow...” Amy whispered, holding his hand and squeezing it softly. “It’s okay. It’s not stupid at all...  I’m just so sorry I- I should’ve-”

“You did nothing wrong, Amy. After losing her , I swore to myself that I wouldn’t let anyone die that I care for. You should… probably know that about me.” 

“That’s a heavy burden to carry.”

Shadow shrugged, “I scared you, didn’t I?”

“It was awful to watch you lie right there, and not being able to do anything. I couldn’t reach you. I couldn’t do anything for you.”

“I’m sorry.”

Amy carefully embraced him, rubbing whatever body parts that weren’t terribly hurt.

“No, please don’t be. You saved us.” She swallowed her tears away. 

“I also almost got us killed."

“You and me both," Amy said, clearly sharing his feeling of falling short. 'I’m not gonna die, Shadow.” 

She gave him a warm smile.

"You better not,” he said, his expression slowly softening again.

“You won’t get rid of me that easily. I promise!” Amy pledged like she was under oath. 

“Alright then. Now, let’s figure something out to get out of this place.”

"Yeah, let's," she smiled at him. 

Her tiny frame began glowing with a light colored like cherry blossom. Its radiance stirred something inside Shadow, and he blinked when her burnt skin started to heal.

“I... might be able to help you recharge…” she said. She pressed her palms against his, then intertwined their fingers. 

“What are you getting at?”

The instant she closed her eyes, Shadow couldn’t break away from her anymore. A glowing light began spreading from Amy’s inhibitor rings and extended itself onto his gloves and inhibitors.

“A-amy? What are you doing?”

“There’s… something you should know about me, too.”

Somewhat concerned and confused, Shadow watched the crackles in the golden rings evanesce until they looked as clean and intact as the day he first got them. It wasn’t until he felt that familiar power strengthening him again, that he fully understood what she was doing. 

She’s using Chaos Energy to heal me?!

Completely blown away, Shadow wasn’t able to produce any words at all. His eyes locked onto Amy as she deeply exhaled, squinting as if she were in pain by the time she let go of his hands. He whipped his head back when a buzzing, ominous sound cut through the silence. 

“More robots!” Amy shouted in concern.

There were so many things he wanted to ask her right now, but it'd have to wait.

“Grab your backpack. I’m getting us out of here.”

--

“Alright! All set!" Amy yelled.

"Taking off! Hold on tight, Rose!”

The sound of screeching tires filled the streets of a sleeping city as Shadow and Amy raced away, the buzzing engines of their hunters some ten miles behind them. Amy looked over her shoulder and saw them as they chased after them, flying in mid-air above the road. 

Shadow swore aloud when he heard a familiar click.

Shit! They’re targeting us!

He yelled at Amy to hold on to him tightly, then took a sudden turn to the right. 

Amy screamed, and Shadow felt her hands violently clasping into his back. He accelerated quickly after the turn, then took another sharp turn to the left on the next block. 

Swiftly, Shadow began creating a random pattern of rights and lefts throughout the city. 

“I’m trying to shake them! Can you hold up a little longer?”

“Yes! Go! They're catching up to us again!”

Shadow gave a single nod, instantly increasing their speed when he rolled his wrist over the throttle on the steering wheel. The continuous noises of acceleration from his motorcycle filled the sky and bounced off the walls of the skyscrapers. Their dominant, continuous echo slowly formed a sound barrier and started blocking out all the other noises. 

He abruptly hit the brakes, and the tires harshly scoured against the asphalt before he drifted to take another turn.

Just a little more…

The volume assaulted Shadow’s eardrums, mercilessly penetrating his hearing. His ears rang to an unbearable degree, and his head ached terribly. All he wanted was to cover his ears right now. 

But that means it’s working!

Shadow bit his lip, groaning in pain, forcing himself to keep his hands on the steering wheel. With senses as sharp as his, extremely loud noises like these were excruciating.

“Keep going! They’re falling behind!” Amy encouraged him.

“Good! Brace yourself!”

He sped up once more and flinched. 

There was one last loud bang as Shadow brought his bike to his top speed, making them break through the sound barrier. He smirked confidently when he felt it happen. The echo formed a sound loop, creating a vacuum in which they had become untraceable.

In an instant, each and every noise was suddenly muted at once.

This was their chance to escape.  

Shadow straightened his back, then looked over his shoulder at Amy. He smiled at her, both relieved that it was over and elated to see the thrill in her eyes when they drove out of the city and into the night. 

Chapter Text

Chapter 7 | Consume me like a fire

“I think we lost them,” Shadow said in a low voice. 

Shadow felt Amy shift behind him as she turned her head around to double-check. 

“Yep, I don’t see them anymore, either.”

He hit the brakes and parked his motorcycle under a big oak tree. Amy gratefully accepted the hand he held out to her to guide her off his bike. Her knees wobbled, and she seemed a little faint after having transferred some of her Chaos Energy to him. He spread out a blanket for her to rest on together with the Flicky while he set up their tent. 

Despite the cold, there’d be no fire to warm themselves by that night. After their efforts to shake off those robots, it’d be stupid to light a fire in the middle of the forest. The smoke could easily draw attention to them.

Shadow didn’t mind, though, as it’d provide him with a chance to warm his girl in his embrace.

Wait, what?! Did I just call her... 'my girl'? 

A hot wave sprang from his feet, ascending as he felt the warmth spread through his entire body, leaving chills on his back. He pushed the thought away, then slammed another hook into the ground.

Except for the starry skies above their heads, it was completely dark. 

Shadow picked up a branch from the forest floor and lit it. A green flame sparked from his fingers when he snapped them. 

“Is that… what I think it is?” Amy wondered out loud, mouth agape. “But… you said no fire…” Amy raised a brow in confusion.  

“This is no ordinary flame, and yes, it’s exactly what you think it is. Most machines are unable to detect it. It should be alright.” Shadow assured her, answering a question she hadn't asked him.

Subtle green light was spread from the vibrant flames, now licking at the wood. As though it appeared the flames consumed it, the branch remained intact somehow. Shadow handed it to Amy, who gladly warmed her cold hands by it.  

“A Chaos flame… I’ve never seen anything like it…” Amy wondered with wide eyes. “That’s- you’re amazing!”

Shadow relaxed his shoulders and noticed how he unclenched his jaw at her kind words. When others paid him compliments, it never did much to him, but it was… different with Amy. He wouldn’t go as far as to say his heart jolted everytime she said something nice to him… no, but he had to admit that it did make him happy. 

“Naturally,” he half-joked eventually.

Amy watched as Shadow finished setting the tent up, fast and nimbly. 

"All set," he said, then bent at the knees to level with her and scooped her into his arms. 

She stifled and dropped the torch, leaving the pitch black of the night to swallow them. 

"Ah! Oh, no… I'm sorry," she said softly.

He shrugged before he calmly carried her to the tent, holding her bridal style. Her body felt stiff in his hands. Even with this little light, Shadow had zero trouble catching a glance of Amy's face. Some drops of sweat glistered on her forehead and a rare look of uncertainty tainted her usually confident attitude. 

Shadow’s night vision had always scored high above average. Whether that was a feature he inherited through his alien DNA or a skill he was given by design he didn’t know, but it sure came in handy at times. However, now that he had been plain-out observing Amy while she had no clue about it, it felt a little wrong. 

She was clearly in discomfort.   

He shouldn’t stare at her like this. 

Shadow forcefully fixed his eyes upon something else and wondered if he was out of line, lifting her like this. He crawled inside with her, then squatted, gently putting her down. 

“Should I have asked?” He kept his hands loosely around her waist. 

“Oh! Ehm, no, it’s... okay, actually...” Amy stammered nervously.

“Okay, you say...” 

Shadow contemplated her reaction as he rose to tie a branch to the frame of the tent to use as a lamp. Another Chaos Flame spawned from his fingers the moment he snapped them, the green light contrasting with Amy's pink fur. 

“Is it unpleasant for you?” Shadow asked bluntly, meeting her gaze with a straight stare “If you don’t want me to-”

“No! I mean yes! I mean- Ugh!” she murmured. 

“I’m confused. Yes or no?” 

“It’s silly, really.” 

“Try me,” Shadow blinked, dead serious.

“It’s nice, and SO romantic. I love it. It's not you, Shadow, I swear.” Amy twiddled her thumbs. She took a deep breath as if she were about to break the awkward silence that had unexpectedly taken over, but then she sighed it away.

‘It’s not you, Shadow, I swear!’

Her words echoed on in his thoughts. They released the fear of rejection he always tried so hard to suppress whenever it took over without any warning whatsoever. Shadow folded his trembling hands to fists, crossing his arms as he did so. 

I overstepped. I blew it. She changed her mind. She changed her mind. She just wants to be friends and she’s looking for the right words to let me down gently. I’m no relationship material. What was I thinking? 

He pressed his lips together in a hard line, effortlessly conjuring a poker face on his muzzle. 

“Then what’s the problem?” 

“I guess it’s because I…” Amy twiddled some more, hunching her shoulders as her eyes darted around, clearly averting him, “I … really ... like you."

Shadow released a breath he didn’t know he was holding, eyes glued to her while she shyly continued. “It's been so long since I've had a crush on someone… I kinda forgot how intense it was.” 

Tell me about it. 

Amy chuckled sheepishly, then shifted her weight onto the arms she now leaned on. Finally having mustered enough courage to face him again, her genuine smile calmed his messed up mind, “It’s a good thing, a really good thing.”

Shadow nodded at Amy. He wetted his lips and tried to swallow, but he wasn’t sure what to do or say. 

The sudden chattering of Amy’s teeth as she shivered from the cold broke the silence. His fingers reassuringly touched Amy’s shoulders.

“There’s still one blanket outside. Let me get it for you,” Shadow told her in the deep, low tones of his voice. 

The pink hedgehog's eyes trailed after him as he went outside until the darkness swallowed his black silhouette. Amy gently grabbed the Flicky from her backpack, tucked it in in a pile of blankets, and kissed it goodnight.

“Don’t you worry, little one. You’ll be fine, I promise!” 

A soft chirping sound came from it the moment Amy carefully pressed her lips to its head. If she weren’t imagining it, Amy swore she saw it unclench the muscles in its tiny jaw.  She smiled contentedly, feeling relieved to see it react to her. 

Turning to warm up to the Chaos Flame, Amy nuzzled deeper in Shadow’s sweater. She poked her finger through one of the holes it now had after the explosion. When he came back inside the tent again, he just caught a glimpse of how she hastily tried to hide that she had been obviously dwelling in his scent. 

“Maria used to do that, too, you know?”

“Heh? Oh, I… ehm-”

“Maria embroidered those letters and the logo on it when she was on bedrest. Life was pretty monotonous and boring for her at times. She kept herself busy by learning to make things like this.”

“That’s so cool, Shadow.”

Shadow nodded. “She, too , used to claim my sweater for comfort.”

“It’s a shame the explosion pretty much ruined it,” Amy pouted, then sighed. She brushed some soot off the sleeves. 

Shadow shrugged. “The important thing is that you’re okay and that we made it out alive.” 

“I guess you’re right…” 

“Of course I’m right.”

Joining her, he cuddled up to her under the blankets. Shadow pulled Amy closer to him and interlaced their fingers, blowing his warm breath on her cold hands.

“Oh! How can you be this hot!” Amy wondered out loud, “so nice. I’m always cold.”

Noted , he thought, and felt alarmed immediately after.

An unsettling wave of what he could only define as possessiveness washed over him. It made his fingers tingle like it was nature’s way of telling him that he wanted to be the only one to warm her from now on. 

Amy let go of his hands to hug him tighter, rubbing her hands on his body. Shadow wrapped his arms around her, slowly realizing how oddly natural it already felt to do so. Amy then tucked her head under his chin.

Shadow hoped she wouldn’t mention how his heart rapidly beat out of control. 

He was convinced she could feel it, though. How could she not, when her hands were on his chest?

“You surprised me tonight,” he spoke softly. “When did you learn… that ? I didn’t know-” 

“That I also had a connection with Chaos? I’m a hedgehog, too, you know?” she raised a brow at him, then smiled shyly. “I found out quite some time ago, actually.”

“But how? I ALWAYS sense Chaos Energy in someone! I didn’t- How did you-”

“I believe each and every established Chaos connection is unique. It’s what distinguishes our abilities from one another. Mine allows me to turn invisible, and even conceal the energy inside me so others won’t pick up on me. Otherwise the invisibility would be of no use, right?” 

“Only if you’re dealing with someone who can sense it. And, you can heal others too,” Shadow murmured, still connecting the dots in his mind. “I’m impressed.”

“It only works when I'm calm, though. I can’t get ahold of it when I’m stressed out.”

“I’m sure you’ll get the hang of it eventually, but if you need some help- ”

“Oh, yes! That’d be great. Do you mean that?”

Shadow nodded at her, and felt his cheek burn after she quickly pecked him there. 

“Thank you,” Amy whispered. 

“Of course, Rose.”

Shadow covered her face in his hands, mesmerized by the way the Chaos Flame emphasized the jade in her eyes. 

“What?” he asked her when she kept staring back at him. 

“You’re calling me 'Rose',” she replied, heavily blushing, “No one ever does that. I... really like it.”

Maybe that’s because they don’t see what I see. 

Shadow locked eyes with her, a sultry expression appearing on his face against his will. Amy closed in on him, her hot breath brushing against his lips. A shiver crawled down Shadow's spine and the urge to kiss her became impossible to resist.

“Good,” he said in a husky voice.

He hunched over her, his heart aching with an unknown sense of desire. The second Shadow’s lips touched hers, his body seemed to start acting on its own, releasing a fiery storm inside him. Amy gasped aloud when his hungry lips were firmly planted on hers.

Buzzing electricity sparked between them as he breathed her in.

Amy swung her hands around his neck, her lips slowly parting to let her tongue meet his. The sweet taste of her kisses made all the tension of the day fade into the back of his mind. He forgot the bitterness of his self-doubt as fast as it had rushed in a few minutes ago. 

He didn’t even know how much he had needed to feel her on his skin until he did so.

It lit a fire in him that had never burned inside him before. Its warmth was as soothing as it was intoxicating, but Shadow didn’t bother to fight back. 

Instead, he let it consume him entirely. 

In a rush, Shadow pushed her down to the thin mattresses on the tent floor. His ministrations were rapidly becoming more rushed by the second. Before he knew it, his lips trailed down to her neck. Amy’s hands clasped into his back, and he couldn’t help thinking she really wanted this, too. 

Truth be, Shadow really hoped that was the case. He was overwhelmed by her touches, but it also highly excited him.

Amy released a giddy sigh when Shadow increased the pressure and began sucking the sensitive skin of her neck. Her hands slid from his back to stroke his muscular arms. They trembled from everything they had to endure in the last couple of hours. Shadow ignored the feeling, shutting out the pain in his body, and slid a hand under her head for support.

He failed to notice how the world around him faded as Amy slowly occupied every corner of his mind. He just felt his burning hands on her soft skin and his longing lips on hers. He was convinced he’d be damned if he stopped now.

It wasn’t until he heard himself growl against her neck that his eyes shot open in alarm. Realization kicked in with the sucking sound his lips made while he backed away just a little:

he’d been only a split-second away from leaving a mark. 

What in the world-  

Shadow panicked and felt that an embarrassed blush crept up on his already flustered face, but much to his surprise, Amy’s back arched towards him. She squeezed her body against his, eagerly answering to his passion.

What are you doing to me?

Pausing to call himself to order, he briefly parted from her. 

“Amy, I don’t know- should I- should we… stop?” he whispered. 

Shadow gazed into Amy’s eyes in search of a sign to tone things down, but there was none. Instead, the longing expression in her eyes mirrored his own.

“Do you… want to stop? ‘Cause I understand if you’re overwh-” 

“No,” Shadow answered right away. His hand squeezed hers briefly. 

Amy gave him a sympathetic head-tilt. “I’m fine. You don’t need to worry,” she said close to his ear.

She drew him in, and he landed beside her. He stared at her, watching her breathe in and out as the atmosphere became packed with expectation. Amy’s hands cupped his face, fixing her gaze upon him. Their noses clumsily bumped against each other. Shadow blinked once, slowly drowning in the sea of turquoise that were her eyes. 

“...Are you though?”

Shadow heaved a relieved sigh, the ghost of a nervous smile playing on his lips. 

No. 

He wasn’t fine. His senses were overloading to a degree he had never experienced before. However, the only things that he wanted right now were to touch her, kiss her and be close to her. He hesitated to continue but was too eager to quit. 

“Yes,” he said nonetheless. 

When she kissed him tenderly, his doubts were silenced and her questions were answered, all at once. 

Amy's body curved towards him as she pushed herself against him tightly, rolling over to sit on top of him. She giggled nervously when Shadow’s hands slid under his sweater she was still wearing, and onto her waist. Shadow kicked the blankets off, and Amy sat up straight, pulling the sweater over her head. 

“Too hot…” she gasped. 

Oh, if only you knew...

Shadow watched as she tied her pink quills together, his hands resting on her hips. With half-lidded eyes, Amy glanced down at him, biting her lip. She leaned in and left a trail of kisses from his jawline back to his mouth again.

Shadow’s skin was ablaze, spreading a tingling sensation throughout his entire body like wildfire. His cheeks flushed with a vivid red, sweat staining his hands inside his gloves. 

He yanked at the white fabric, which stiffly, reluctantly slid off his bare hands at such an exasperating pace that it almost made him scream. Once freed, his hands suddenly seemed to move on their own, sliding from her muzzle to her waist. 

Control yourself!

Shadow desperately clasped his fingers into the fabric of Amy’s top to make sure they stayed there. Meanwhile, his lips easily found their way back to her neck. He planted them on her skin and started kissing her with such passion that it surprised him. 

A feverish warmth radiated from his face when he started sucking softly on her skin. Shadow heard Amy sigh as the girl clasped her hands in his chest fur, spurring him on while euphoria flared through his mind. 

Suddenly, his eyes shot open. 

“Hey,” he said softly, instantly loosening his grip on her. “Did you hear that?”

“Hear what?” 

Shadow shot up, resting on his elbows while Amy sat up straight, still straddling him. 

“That,” Shadow whispered.

Amy’s ears twitched as she tried to listen closer, and Shadow tried not to focus on the blood that still whizzed in his ears. He pursed his lips together when he realized how distracted he was by Amy sitting on top of him. His cheeks flushed once more when he pictured what it must’ve looked like when they were making out only a moment ago.

He fought the impulse to ignore whatever could be outside and kiss her again.

Focus!

He closed his eyes again, trying to locate the source of the sounds he was sure he had heard in the distance. He put a finger to Amy’s lips. His ears twitched as he heard the rustling of leaves and what seemed like soft footfalls in the grass. Shadow swallowed. His senses sharpened as he concentrated on the sound. Whatever he heard, was moving towards them. 

“I’ll go take a look,” Shadow whispered while he wriggled underneath Amy so he could get up.   

“No, let me. I’ll use my invisibility.” 

Shadow nodded once, and Amy got off him to crawl out of the tent. She glanced over her shoulder, smiling at him before she vanished from eyesight. Shadow heaved a sigh while he tried to keep track of what was happening outside. 

A smile tugged at the corners of his lips when he heard how carefully she placed her feet in the grass with each step. Amy Rose was living proof that elegance, strength, and skill could go hand in hand.

A branch snapped, probably being trampled in the distance. Shadow held his breath, hearing someone's breathing not that far away from the tent. 

His pulse started racing. 

He was no longer able to tell the sounds apart. Then, there was silence. 

Come on, Amy. Where are you? 

Shadow swallowed again and decided to go take a look for himself. As quiet as he could, he crawled outside and let his eyes adjust to the darkness. Looking around, all he could see were trees, their tent, bushes and a starlit sky. 

Amy was nowhere to be seen.

The more he squinted in search of either Amy or whatever it was he heard before, the more restless he became. Gradually, the sound of grass being trampled under rubber soles grew closer, louder. Shadow braced himself, then turned around.

A hand gripped his arm and his blood went cold. 

“Shit. Oh, it’s just you,” Shadow panted his scare away while Amy turned visible again. 

“Yeah, it’s just me.” Amy chuckled awkwardly. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“I can’t believe I forgot you were invisible. I saw you disappear in front of my eyes, for crying out loud.”  Shadow grinned faintly, shaking his head as he did so. 

Amy softly giggled along with him. “I think it was a false alarm. All I saw was a fox, running through the forest. I didn’t see or hear anything suspicious.”

“Let’s give it the benefit of the doubt, then, shall we?”

“I say we do,” Amy nodded in agreement, stretching out as she yawned.

She locked eyes with him, and Shadow automatically, instantly leaned in a little. The blissful thrill from before still faintly echoed on in his mind. Like a siren’s call, it tried to lure him back to pick things up where they left. Then, Amy took a deep breath and wrinkled her nose as slumber unveiled itself in her eyes. 

 “Let’s call it a night and go to sleep, okay? I’m beat,” she yawned cutely, rubbing her sleepy eyes.

It was probably for the best, and he would’ve proposed the same thing to her, but Shadow still felt a little disappointed. When he thought about why that was, he freaked out internally. The tips of his ears burned up while he looked the other way, trying to keep his cool. 

“Yes. It’s been a long day,” Shadow muttered eventually, staring into space.

“Yeah, and who knows what tomorrow will bring?” Amy grabbed his hand, ducking to get inside the tent again.

“I suppose even I should rest my eyes for a while,” Shadow admitted. Reluctantly letting his excitement subside, he noticed how heavy his eyelids actually felt. 

“I think you should, Shadow. Today was… just crazy.” Amy unzipped her bag, digging through all kinds of stuff to eventually grab a set of folded clothes, socks and underwear. “Hey, ehm, could you… turn around for a second?” 

“Why- oh! Yes, I can. I can do that.”

Shadow turned around. Sitting cross-legged, he grabbed his phone from under a pillow. 

“No peeking!”

“Tsk,” he hissed. “What do you take me for?” 

“Oh, no. It’s just that-” 

“It’d be too embarrassing. I remember. Don’t worry. I won’t look.” 

“Thanks.” 

While Amy twisted and turned behind him, Shadow fixed his eyes on his phone. He had an unread message. Of course, it was from Rouge. Shadow rolled his eyes, scratching his quills as he debated whether he was up for his teasing friend at the moment. Then, he remembered the explosion and figured she must’ve heard the news. Even though she could be a handful sometimes, he didn’t want her to worry. 

She was his best friend, after all.

His eyes shifted fast-paced over the text, hurriedly reading her message. Rouge had indeed heard about the explosion, and she wanted to know they were safe. A sudden frown wrinkled his forehead while he continued to read, and Shadow firmly pursed his lips together. He scratched his chin and quickly scanned the message again.  

G.U.N. wants to see us? Us? Not just me, but us ? 

Shadow’s lips parted slightly and his eyes went wide with surprise. 

Me and Amy? Why is it that I don’t like the sound of this? 

Shadow held his breath, blinking slowly as he contemplated the reasons behind G.U.N.’s request. He understood why they wished to talk to him . He was a G.U.N. agent who was involved in an explosion of one of Eggman’s robots while he wasn’t on duty, not to mention the collateral damage that accompanied the explosion. Sure, they must’ve seen or heard about Amy, too, but what business did she have with G.U.N.? Encounters like this used to happen all the time before Eggman was in jail...  

I don’t want to find out. Not now.

‘Amy and I are okay. We’re safe. I’m not working until Tuesday and I won’t bring Amy to G.U.N. Turning off my GPS now.’

The last thing he wanted was to be found. 

The ghost of a rebellious smile played on Shadow’s lips. It was all too easy to picture the steam coming out of the commander’s ears when he’d receive this message. He didn’t want to cause a stir or get Rouge in trouble, but this was the best out of two bad options. And besides, if G.U.N. wanted to see him, they could try to reach out to him instead of letting Rouge do the dirty work. Not for the first, and probably not for the last time, he questioned why he ever agreed to work there. 

Shadow’s phone vibrated in his hands. 

‘Glad to know you’re safe. No surprises there. Just giving you a heads-up, hun. They will probably reach out to you tomorrow. Stay safe.’

‘Thank you. Will do. Goodnight.’ 

“All done.” Amy tapped Shadow on the shoulder, stifling him as she woke him from his thoughts. 

Even though he’d been around her all day, her frequent touches were something he still had to get used to. He’d never been one to enjoy physical contact a lot to begin with, but when others touched him out of the blue, when he couldn’t see it coming… 

Nope … He didn’t like it. 

“What are you doing?” Amy asked.

Shadow untangled his meanwhile sleeping legs and turned around again. Suddenly, he was very conscious about his heartbeat and his throat seemed to be narrower than usual. Shadow’s hands trembled, and he took a deep breath as he tried to keep his composure.

“Nothing interesting, really.”

Not entirely true, but also not a complete lie…

He turned his phone off, and tried to convince himself that not telling her wasn’t an issue. He wasn’t going to see G.U.N., nor was he bringing her with him, so there was no harm in not sharing this. He’d already dealt with it. What’s done is done. Plus, it was late and he wanted her to rest. 

She’d been through enough. 

They both had.

“Oh, okay,” Amy replied, pulling a fresh pair of socks up to her ankles to envelope her flannel checkered pajama pants. Her lips curved in content as she rubbed her hands over her legs. “So nice and warm,” she spoke softly. 

Shadow’s eyes lit up. “You really are always cold, aren’t you?”

Amy tilted her head, smiling sheepishly as she nodded. Seeing how comfortable she was in her snuggly pajamas made him loosen up a little as well. 

“I assume your powers healed all of your injuries,” Shadow stated out of the blue, then waited for her to respond. 

His brow pushed down on his serious eyes as he fixed his eyes on her. Amy’s ears flicked away from him in response. He noticed how she shifted her glance to the left before she washed the slightest concern that had been present in her eyes away. 

“I’m fine. I just need a good night of sleep,” she replied, regarding him briefly. 

“Alright. If you say so…” Shadow muttered, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that she wasn’t completely honest with him. 

Considering he had told her half a lie as well, he decided to let it go. He dismissed his hyper alert senses for the night, freezing for a moment when Amy settled on the mattress and pressed her back to his stomach. Warm and gentle as her personality did her body feel against his own when he rested a hand on her waist. Shadow relaxed a little. 

“I forgot to tell you… he responded to my voice earlier tonight,” Amy whispered. She curved her spine towards him while she laid on her side, facing the peacefully sleeping Flicky.

“He?” 

“It just feels like a ‘he’ to me.”

Shadow snorted softly against her back. Amy giggled in response. His nose twitched as one of her spikes half-tickled, half-poked him there. 

“You think he’ll be fine?” he whispered. 

“I hope he will be. You know, I’ve been playing with the thought of trying to use my powers to heal him, but… I don’t know…”

“I do know. You’d have to be in perfect control of your powers and emotions to transfer the right amount of energy to him.”

“Exactly, but I think we can wait until tomorrow. Let’s see how he’s doing in the morning. Speaking of, what time is it? I haven’t looked at my phone for hours.” Amy searched her bag, calmly at first, but when she couldn’t seem to find it, she rushed through her stuff. “Can you call me, Shadow?” 

“Sure.” 

He tapped the screen once, revealing with a blush she was already on his speed-dial. Both hedgehogs listened intently for a buzzing sound, but Shadow was forwarded to the voicemail service right away. 

“Hmm, that’s- oh no! What if I’ve lost it?” Amy gasped, shock blooming across her face. “What if it’s still in the hotel?” 

Shadow ended the call and felt a headache come up and rubbed his temples. He pushed on her shoulders, gesturing to lay down, then enveloped her hands in his own. 

“If it is, it’s probably broken beyond repair. It’s clearly switched off right now. We’ll just get you a new one. It’s nothing to worry about.”

“You really think so?” Amy turned around to face him, hope sparking her jade eyes. 

He knew that if her phone was found on the crash site at the hotel, it could mean trouble. He didn’t want to lie to her, but what she needed was rest. Shadow forced a sympathetic smile on his face and kissed her forehead. “Yes, I think so.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 8 | I know I'll dream of you tonight

A warm breath left Shadow’s dry lips. He rested his back against the trunk of a large fir tree, ruffling his hands through his quills. Both of his legs dangled freely in the fresh morning air as he sat on a firm branch, high up in the tree. A curtain of mist had settled beneath him, clouding the forest floor. 

He was tired. His mind was a mess, and even though he hadn’t looked in a mirror yet, he was convinced he looked the part, too. He didn’t know how long he’d slept for, but it couldn’t have been long…

Amy had clung to him all night in her sleep. All night. And as much as Shadow hated to admit it, he’d felt stifled. Not only was he not used to sleeping with someone, but sleeping with someone who even snuggled up to him in his sleep– it just was a lot… 

Guilt stirred inside his stomach. Amy was so sweet, and he did want to hold her and keep her safe and warm, but– Shadow’s quills bristled. He needed personal space. Quite a lot of it, at that. He really needed it, not just wanted it. But how could he blame her for snuggling up to him? No one had ever wanted to do that with him… 

No one but Maria. 

Shadow’s lips curled up into a watery grin as he reminisced about those days. Maria had known very few good, careless days in her short life, but she’d made the most out of the few that she did have. Maria would drag Shadow through the entire facility to play with her all day. Shadow adored seeing her laugh and dance and run, but those days would eventually always drain her to the point that he’d had to carry her weak body to her bedroom again. When he’d tucked her in, she’d always insist he stayed with her until she fell asleep. Shadow did. Of course he did. She was his friend, and she needed him. 

It was quite similar with how Amy snuggled up to him in her sleep. She needed to rest, so he stayed. 

Shadow wondered how he’d ever managed to sleep in Amy’s presence before, and eventually concluded that he hadn't been in love with her back then…

When she’d crawled on top of him earlier that night, his heart had started racing so fast that it took hours to calm himself down. It didn’t feel the same to sleep with her after he’d felt her soft body clinging to his own and her ragged breaths on his lips in between those long, deep kisses. She’d released something in him that left him wide awake, thrilled, and strangely aroused. 

Even though it was common for him to go without much sleep, he’d felt restless and frustrated and alarmed. He couldn’t toss. He couldn’t turn. He couldn’t distract himself. All he could do was feel the feverish warmth spread through his body as she nuzzled up to him, thinking of kissing her again, and again, and again. It was torture. He’d wanted to get up and skate through the forest until he'd feel like his normal self again, but he couldn’t bring himself to risk waking her up. 

Amy needed her sleep, and Shadow felt responsible for her wellbeing. 

So, he sucked it up and stayed. 

Meanwhile, he had tried everything: counting sheep, remembering Maria and how they used to look for constellations in the stars together, studying the insides of his eyelids, or softly humming a lullaby. 

Nothing worked. 

Somehow he’d eventually dozed off for a little while… only to wake up in the middle of a disturbing dream – a kind he’d never had before. 

Shadow didn’t know why, but Amy had been with him on the A.R.K. in a pool. They’d been all alone, swimming in the nice, warm water, staring into endless space and the starry skies above them. Amy had pulled him underwater, wrapping her silky smooth legs around his body, locking their lips while they sank. High on her touches, Shadow had grabbed her face and couldn’t stop himself from kissing her. Her tongue slid into his mouth, seeking more of him, all of him. He’d loved it. She’d pressed him down to the bottom of the pool, her slick, warm body clinging to him until everything became blurry. Something had sparked in his chest before everything became black. It would have knocked him over if he hadn’t been weightless.   

He’d felt so happy he could die. 

When his hazy eyes had shot open, he’d sworn his lips tingled still. He’d felt the light pressure of her full, smooth lips on his own. It must’ ve been a remnant of a dream… Amy was still fast asleep. She surely hadn’t kissed him in her sleep. 

Whatever peaceful drowsiness he’d experienced was short-lived. After that pleasant yet alarming dream, Shadow had been convinced that falling asleep was a lost cause. He’d given up trying and allowed himself to dream while he was awake. In a string of fantasies, he’d picked things up where they’d left off the night before. He’d pictured and enjoyed how good it’d feel to kiss her again while she laid on top of him. He’d felt unnerved about it, but also couldn’t stop. 

By the time Amy had finally rolled away from him, he’d been shocked to his very core by how sappy his love-addled mind had become in so little time. Then, he’d taken his chance, zapping himself away from the tent and into the woods. After he had cooled off a little, Shadow had climbed up in a tree to contemplate the situation.

When did this happen? When did I start caring for kissing and touching and cuddling and– Shadow swallowed, displeased with these recent developments. I feel like my integrity’s been compromised, like my soul has been corrupted. 

Shadow heaved a soft sigh, cursing under his breath. One way or another, loving Amy was going to kill him eventually.

I’ve got to get ahold of myself! 

His gut feeling told him they had quite the day ahead of them, so he needed to be sharp. He needed to be present. After hearing those sounds in the woods, he hadn’t been able to shake the feeling that they weren’t alone. It could’ve been a fox… and it was well possible that he was simply too paranoid. 

Still… 

If he was right, and he hoped he wasn’t, there was no room for distraction. First, they had to find food and water. Then, they had to decide on where to go next. If the coast was clear and they weren’t being followed, if the risk of an ambush by those robots was nil, only then could they use his motorcycle to travel further. If not, then he would have to warp them to a place where they were safe.  The thought of leaving his bike behind left a wrinkle on Shadow’s forehead. It was one of his few possessions he actually cared for. 

Either way, they needed to pick a place where no one would look for them. Until he was convinced those robots weren’t a threat anymore, and until he figured out what it was G.U.N. wanted, it’d be best to stay off the radar. 

Plus, they had a wounded Flicky to take care of… 

Yet here he was, up in a tree, trying to ignore the rush of adrenaline that raced through his boiling blood because he wondered what else had happened in his dreams that he couldn't recall.  

His cheeks burned up in embarrassment. 

Have some self-discipline , he told himself and closed his eyes. He inhaled deeply, feeling how the brisk air of dawn filled his lungs. Holding his breath for a moment, he counted to seven, then pursed a ragged breath from his lips. While he repeated this a few times to get his breathing under control, his ears twitched at a faint sound in the distance. 

His brow pressed down on his closed eyes in utmost concentration. Shadow forcefully squeezed his eyes shut tighter as if he could summon the sound closer if only he tried hard enough. Then, his ears flicked, twisting to the right, the east, as he heard it more clearly: water, sloshing against rocks in a creek. 

Even though he’d never seen it, nor had he been there before, Shadow suddenly knew where to look. The muscles in his shoulders relaxed, and Shadow smirked with pride. The gift of Chaos Control came with something that functioned like an internal compass. He was convinced he’d find the creek within a radius of less than a mile. A confident smile bloomed across his face before he parted his lips. 

“Chaos Control.”

Then, he vanished. 

–

“Hey there, Knuckles!” 

Sonic woke Knuckles from his thoughts as he barely managed to land on his feet on the floating island. His Chaos Control was still a little wacky, especially if he didn’t have an emerald at hand, but he was getting there…

He’d been up all morning, fussing about the news. He left without waking Tails and ran to Spring Yard to see the rampage with his own eyes. He truly did trust Amy- and Shadow- but it was just one of those mornings where he couldn’t sit still and do nothing.

So, he went, he saw, and he left. Or rather, the police demanded he’d leave. 

It was a total waste of time. 

He hadn’t found Amy or Shadow, and knew just as much as when he’d woken up this morning. Sonic was still worried about his friends, so here he was on Angel Island. 

“Sonic,” Knuckles mumbled in surprise as he peeked through one eye. He cracked the joints in his fingers as he stretched his palms and got up to his feet. “Your landing is still a little rocky. Your footwork is too fast.” 

“Really? Me?” Sonic crossed his arms, rolling his eyes. “You sound just like Shadow…” 

“Then why don’t you heed his instructions?” the red echidna questioned dryly. “He’s kind enough to teach you, right?”

“Watch it,” Sonic warned him. “You’re pissing me off. I’m working on it, okay?” Sonic huffed, cocking a brow at his friend.

“If you say so...” Knuckles shrugged, a cheeky smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. 

Sonic fought the urge to dive on top of him and start a fight. But he wasn’t fifteen anymore, and he wasn’t here to wrestle. So, instead he took a deep breath, smiling as he exhaled. “It’s not as easy as it looks,” he managed to respond calmly. “Speaking of Shadow, have you seen the news?”

Knuckles’ smile faded. He pressed his lips into a straight line and looked Sonic in the eye. “I have. Amy’s rash actions caused quite the explosion… ” he groaned, looking irritated. “What about it?”

“You’re in a terrible mood today, aren’t you?” Sonic bluntly asked. 

“Just get to the point. You’re interrupting my meditation and this isn’t mine or your business, Sonic.”

Meditation? Yawn…

“Fine. I’m worried about Amy. I texted her yesterday evening, but the message didn’t come through…” Sonic’s emerald eyes met Knuckles’ violet ones in a serious stare. “I already ran to the hotel, but the police wouldn’t talk to me.” 

“Of course you did,” Knuckles sighed, speaking softly as his expression softened. He shook his head as he smiled. “They’re safe. Rouge told me. She texted with Shadow last night.” 

Sonic relaxed his cramped fists, a smile ghosting on his lips. As he felt his heartbeat slow down, he nodded at Knuckles. “Thanks, Knuckles! That’s all I need to know.” Sonic scratched his nose, then turned around with the intention to leave. Relief welled up inside him, turning the restlessness of his sorrows into joy. He’d have to rid himself of the excess energy on the way back home. He considered taking a free fall from the edge of Angel Island. 

The idea alone gave him a rush. 

When he took a step forward, a firm hand gripped his lean, muscular shoulder. Sonic turned his head around, glancing at the spikes on his friend’s hand. 

“Sonic,” Knuckles addressed him, his voice low and serious. “Given your past rivalry with Shadow, I suggest you stay out of this… Amy is capable of looking out for herself, and if she has Shadow on her side…”

Knuckles snorted, and Sonic mirrored his action. He contemplated his friends’ words for a short moment. The muscles in Sonic’s torso and neck tightened. Please don’t misinterpret! “What are you saying?” 

“Well, I wouldn’t want to fight him when he’s… fond of someone.” 

Knuckles was right about that. Sonic knew he was. After all, Knuckles had been the one to push Shadow back on Tails’ spaceship when he’d decided on a murder spree. Just like Sonic, Knuckles knew the extent of Shadow’s strength, and Shadow had proven what great lengths he’d go for someone he loved, back when he’d decided on an even bigger murder spree…  

Oh, nostalgia… 

Sonic suppressed a chuckle. After all that had happened, it was quite ironic that both he and Knuckles trusted Shadow with their lives when push came to shove.

They’d surely come a long way.

“Do you think I’m jealous?” Sonic asked, his voice earnest. He pushed Knuckles’ hand away from his shoulder, then spun on his heels to face him. “‘Cause I’m not.” 

“Good. Or so help me Chaos, I’ll beat the crap out of you, man.” Knuckles’ purple eyes flared violently as he heaved a deep sigh. 

“Woah, no need to get aggressive, Knux!” Sonic met his hostile glance with a scowl. 

“I’m sorry, but it’s just- you can’t do that to Amy. You’ve had your chance.”

“A chance? Is that what that was?” Sonic shook his head. Vexation settled in the pit of his stomach. “She forced her feelings on me while I couldn’t give her what she wanted. Amy is my friend. That’s why I care for her.”

“Okay,” Knuckles said, and Sonic hoped he believed him.  

Silence settled between them. 

Sonic knew he had to leave soon, or this encounter would end in a fight after all… 

“I gotta run, Knuckles. See ya!” Sonic started walking away, keeping his pace slow until he was past the entrance of the shrine. 

“Hey!” Knuckles yelled, and Sonic stopped for a moment. “He’ll take good care of her.” Knuckles’ tone was determined. 

“He better!” Sonic grinned. He dashed away, diving from the ends of the island and into the mist. 

– 

The rest of the morning passed without any setbacks. Shadow had found them fresh water, so they could fill their empty bottles, and Amy’d had a fantastic night of sleep. She’d woken up feeling well-rested and filled with an inexplicable sense of joy and love.

Much to her surprise and hopes, the Flicky had woken up, too. 

While she’d waited for Shadow to return to their tent, she’d gathered some berries for the little bird. He- she still was convinced he was a boy - was surprisingly healthy. Sure, he was still a little weak, and his left wing seemed broken, but it was nothing that time couldn’t heal. 

When Shadow showed up again, Amy was already dressed, and she’d disassembled the tent singlehandedly. She wore a pair of red cargo shorts and black tank top. If she was honest with herself, she’d rather have chosen something… prettier … but she only brought two sets of clothing, and one of them was effectively ruined by the explosion. 

This would have to do. 

“Morning!” she smiled at him. She held the Flicky in the palm of her hands. “Look! He’s awake!”

“That’s great. Looks like he’s already feeling comfortable around you.”

“It’s not my first time.” She winked. “I’m sure you’ve heard the stories about the Flicky with a Chaos Emerald in the pendant around his neck.”

“I have.” Shadow stepped closer to her, clearly hesitating for a moment. Then, he pressed a kiss to her cheek. “I haven’t said ‘good morning’ yet. You slept like a rose last night.” 

Chaos, you’re adorable!  

Amy giggled. “I really did. What about you? How was your night?”

“Ah, I’ve had better nights…” Shadow shrugged, scratching his cheek. 

When Amy fixed her eyes on his, a hot blush crept up on her face. She bit her lip, and suddenly recalled what else it was they’d done the night before… The memory sprang alive without warning, and she could practically hear their shallow breaths again. For a second, she saw herself as she straddled Shadow, bending toward him while they made out. As if he read her mind, or at least remembered the same thing, his face flushed, too.

“Oh! I heard how that must’ve sounded, too… Not what I meant, of course.” 

“O-of course…” Amy awkwardly looked around. Luckily, she found a spider’s web a few feet away that glistered with dew drops that she could focus on. Then, she pointed to his bike. “I’ve packed everything already. Where should we go next?” she asked, trying to force the intimate image to the back of her mind. 

Shadow looked behind him, humming in a way that convinced Amy he was impressed. He cleared his throat, shaping his quills while his glance shifted from his motorcycle to Amy again. 

“As much as it pains me, I think it’d be best if we left the motorcycle behind and moved in the opposite direction of Spring Yard. We still don’t know why those robots chased and targeted us…”

“I get why we shouldn’t head back there, but… why not take your motorcycle?” She loved riding in back with him, and she enjoyed having to hold on to him so tightly that she could smell the leather of his jacket and his natural earthy, spicy scent. 

“If we leave it behind while they’re still looking for us, it could distract them for a while. It’ll make it seem like we’re still residing in the forest.”

“Clever…” She sighed in reluctance. “I agree… It’s too risky to go out there when we don’t know anything about them.” Amy pouted. “It’s a shame… I really liked riding your motorcycle.”

“Oh, I’m not leaving it here forever. I’ll come back for it later, and I will make it up to you. Promise.”

Amy’s eyes lit up. A warm, glowing sensation spread and rose inside her chest. 

He’s so disciplined, smart, and tactical… 

Had she been younger, she probably would’ve been bummed out by that same tact and strategy. Her teenage self had been a tornado of conflict and emotions that couldn’t be restrained no matter how many badniks she smashed. That young girl had become so accustomed to danger and stress that she forgot she could choose her battles, or that she didn’t have to laugh in the face of danger like Sonic had always done. 

But as she stood here with Shadow, she somehow felt that he wanted to keep them safe. It didn’t matter how strong he was, he chose to make their safety his first priority. 

“I could warp us somewhere, anywhere… but I don’t want to go back home yet,” Shadow said firmly.   

Of course, the original plan was to spend the entire weekend together, but Amy’s heart still squeezed happily inside her chest. He wanted to spend more time with her! She felt so thrilled that she became a little nauseous. 

“Me neither,” she admitted with a shy smile.

“How about we go back to that little cabin near Azure Lake? It’s so far off that I doubt anyone will bothe- eh, find us there,” Shadow corrected himself. He fixed his eyes on the ground, blushing lightly.

Shadow’s slip of the tongue fueled the fire she’d tried so hard to keep in check. An intrusive memory crept into her mind of her first kiss with him on the porch swing. Amy’s cheeks heated up while she forgot the world around her for a moment. 

She didn’t want to hear about those threats, and risks, and robots. 

She wanted to be alone with him. 

Amy wanted to snuggle up to him on the couch, watch a movie, and kiss him for hours so neither of them would have a clue what the movie was about. 

The blue bird on Amy’s shoulder chirped excitedly, calling her back to reality. Amy felt a little busted. The blood still whizzed in her ears. She shuffled with her feet, trying to spot her shadow as the sun hid behind a thick layer of clouds. 

I don’t want anyone to bother us, either.

“Will you make us that pasta salad you were bragging about if we do?” She threw him a playful glance, smiling as she placed a hand on her hip. 

Shadow’s eyes sparkled. He scratched his chin, a smile tugging at his lips. “I don’t think I have a choice. Do I?” 

Amy stepped closer to Shadow, grabbing his hand as she dragged him to their luggage. The first of many cold raindrops splashed gently against her pink fur.

“You don’t,” she said.  

Amy looked up, blinking as the skies started sprinkling raindrops above the forest. Water glistered on the tips of Shadow’s dark quills. She wrapped her arms around him, planting a soft kiss on his lips in the rain. 

She didn’t care that neither of them had brushed their teeth. She wanted him, morning breath or not.

When her stomach rumbled softly, she felt Shadow’s eyelashes tickling against her closed eyelids. She giggled and blushed. 

“Looks like we should have breakfast first…” he teased. 

“Looks like it. I’m craving a Nanaimo bar and ginger tea and I’m pretty sure you can’t wait to chew on a bunch of coffee beans.”

Amy playfully poked Shadow’s cheeks. He wrinkled his nose in response. 

“You already know me too well.” 

Chapter Text

Chapter 9 | The root of it

Usually, Amy loved hiking. 

She didn’t mind the early mornings during which she yawned while tying her sturdy walking boots, or carrying a light-weight backpack with a thermos and a home-cooked lunch all the way to the top of a mountain. Nor did she make a big deal out of having to pee in the bushes or the blisters on her feet. 

Life had made her tough. 

And if nothing else, Amy Rose had learned to find joy in pushing herself to her limits–or even past…

All she needed was the fresh smell of pines, to watch the sunlight coil through thick branches to speckle the forest floor, to hear birds call out in song, and she could persevere. 

But those were distant memories. 

At least, that’s what they felt like. 

After an entire day of walking, her love for hiking had suffered a serious setback. Amy let her head fall back in her neck, squinting at the sky above. Her eyes were swollen, heavily protesting against even the faintest sign of dawn. 

Yep, that’s our one-day mark…

–

[Twenty-four hours prior…]

Amy lazily blinked her sleepy eyes, squinting into half a darkness. Hugged by soft, smooth cotton covers, she curled herself up to a ball and yawned. Her nose twitched when a comforting blend of musk and fresh tickled her nostrils. Dreamily, she smiled. 

“Shadow?” Her hand trailed over a soft, yet cool surface that seemed to be a mattress.  

Snaking both arms under the covers, Amy patted around. Nothing… She sat up, letting the brisk morning air bristle her quills. Judging by the grayscale of her vision, the sun hadn’t even risen yet. 

By the looks of it, Shadow must’ve carried her to bed, because the last thing she recalled was snuggling up on the couch with him to watch ‘Corpse Bride’. 

Neither had seen a lot of it, though…

Honestly, the movie had been a plain excuse to be close to him. A background to ease overcoming the hurdle of that first shyness between new lovers. Of tentative touches, subtle knee-bumps, and those two nerve-wracking seconds before the first of many, many kisses.

Just thinking back to it made her feel feverish again. 

Amy slowly dragged her teeth along her dry lips while brushing her fingers along the raw skin of her neck. With the slightest of pressure she confirmed her suspicion. 

Yet the person responsible was nowhere to be found…

Amy sat up and got out of bed. The door was shut, and she turned the knob with utmost care in case Shadow was sleeping on the couch. But once her eyes had adjusted to the darkness, the living room seemed as desolate as the bed she woke up in. 

A frown wrinkled her forehead, and Amy folded her arms before her chest. The sudden urge to check her surroundings was impossible to resist. Turning her neck, she peered over her left shoulder, then her right. 

Nothing. 

Then why is my heart beating so fast?

Though she was no longer afraid to wake him, that fear was replaced by an even more unsettling thought. Where is he? Amy tiptoed her way to the front door, her palms clammy against the cold steel while she opened it as quietly as possible. 

“Shadow?” she whispered, forcing herself to stick her head past the doorpost. 

Moths and mosquitos danced in the light of the outdoor lamp on the timber, next to the door. Further than that, though, the deck looked empty. Sharpening her senses, Amy pried into the remnants of the night. Deep indigo weighed heavily onto hues of peach on the horizon. An owl called out in the distance. 

Finally, she allowed herself to exhale, a deep sigh that released shivers all across her back.

Yawning, she stretched her upper body, letting her heels touch the ground again. That was when she heard something behind her. 

Amy jumped up, heart thrumming in her throat. 

When she turned around, the lights in the bathroom were burning. She tried to think back. Surely she would’ve noticed them before if they’d been on all this time, right? Right…

She raised her hand slowly to the pull of her hammer, feeling matter and empty space on the brink of being nothing and becoming everything, all at once. Her pulse throbbed in her temples, and she felt utterly cold all of a sudden. She gulped, rolling her eyes at herself as she tried to listen past the sound of the blood whizzing in her ears. 

There it was, a gentle tapping sound. Rhythmical, but it wasn’t music. Amy snuck closer to the door, pressing her ear flush against it. 

Yep, unmistakable…

Someone was typing in there. 

Just when she was about to reach for the handle, the door opened. Amy yelped, quills bristling as she jumped up. 

“Shadow?!” she cried out in surprise.

As if there could’ve been anyone else…

“Oh, good. You’re up.”

Amy blinked, mouth askew and brow furrowed. “How long were you in there? I was looking for you!” 

A simple shrug had to suffice. “I couldn’t sleep and I wanted to check my messages. Did I scare you?”

Amy heaved a sigh, pressing a sweaty palm to her violently thumping heart. She felt its rhythm slow down by the second. 

Weak laughter shook her midriff. Amy then gripped her wobbly knees as she doubled over. “Yes! I didn’t know how I ended up in bed alone, and when I went looking for you, I couldn’t find you.” 

“I’m sorry to have worried you.”

Amy straightened her back again. “It’s fine,” she trivialized. Whatever questionable thoughts had passed her mind, she chose to keep to herself. 

On the other side of the room, the late September sun appeared through a crack in the linen curtains, sharpening Shadow’s dark outline in a soft glowing light. Somehow, he looked composed. 

“And I’m sorry to worry you even more.” 

“Huh?” Amy fixed her eyes on his, only to find him staring at the carpet. “What’s going on?”

“G.U.N. has temporarily… released me of my duties.”

– 

Amy sighed, shoulders slumping. “Didn’t you say it’d only take us a couple of hours to get there?”

A monotone sound floated her way. “Hmm.”

Tension sizzled through Amy’s fingertips, tugging at her spine as it made her shiver. She made an ugly face at Shadow’s back. The time to fix her expanding irritation with deep, cleansing breaths had expired at least five hours ago. 

Before her ankles had effectively swollen up to the size of instant dough in a can. Before they’d used up the last of their water. And long before Shadow had to suck out the poison of a hornet’s sting from her thigh, just under the hem of her shorts. 

He hadn’t even looked the least bit aroused. Just rushed. 

Pragmatic even. 

A shrill contrast between her own heated skin, flustered face, and trembling voice. Perhaps she was reading too much into Shadow’s lack of response. It wasn’t like she was even expecting anything to happen. They were in a forest, on the run for Chaos knew what, and this was basically their first date. 

Still, it gnawed at her. 

Amy grit her teeth, barely withstanding the urge to groan. “So…shouldn’t we be there already?”

“Just a little while longer.” 

Shadow didn’t even have the courtesy to look over his shoulder. Instead, he just clenched his hand tighter around the wrist he dragged her forward with. 

“You keep saying that–” 

“Hearing it for the umpteenth time doesn’t make it less true,” Shadow spoke through tense jaws.     

Planting her feet firmly on the with pine needles littered floor, Amy yanked her arm free. Not only was she starting to feel suffocated, but she also just couldn’t keep up with him any longer. 

“It kinda does, Shadow…”  She stopped, clenching her hands into fists as she glanced around. 

They’d moved so far away from the Azure river that she could no longer hear the water ripple. There was nothing but trees, in all kinds and shapes. Big ones with thick branches, scrawny tall ones, sick ones with weird lumps, and broad giants with coarse bark, snapped ones and new twigs, fallen logs, and dead sticks. 

All in rows and lines. 

It was basically a maze.

Amy turned around, her vision spinning and armpits sweating. Her fingers unfolded with a tremble. “Are we lost?”

Shadow scoffed. “Impossible.” 

Though he had halted, Shadow still wasn't facing her. In fact, he hadn’t since the hornet incident. Amy flinched.

“Can you look at me for a second? You’re hardly even speaking to me!”

“Keep your voice down ,” Shadow growled. The first rays of sunlight caught the spit that flew out of his mouth. 

Dove wings clattered above them, high up in the crowns, leaving a thick, suspenseful silence that even Amy wished she could escape from. Though she was deeply exhausted, she knew that the thunderbolt in her chest would grow out into a massive electrical storm if Shadow wouldn’t get ahold of himself before long. She embodied the sultry hot summer air. He carried an ice cold space fog. 

Collision seemed inevitable.

So, Amy marched forward. 

“Shadow, we need to talk.” She reached for his shoulder.

“Don’t.” Shadow blocked her with a flat hand.

Still, she gripped the junction of his neck and shoulders. Static sparked at their touch, and Amy gave a gentle tug.  

“Come on, I need you to look at me.” Another tug, harder this time.

“Don’t!” Shadow lashed, cringing on the spot.

Amy didn’t know how fast to retract her hand. She swallowed. It may have helped against the tears, but the eruption had already crawled up to her throat. It was one outlet or another. 

“What is going on with you?” she yelled, leaping forward to force herself into his center of attention. “Are you so –”

Amy gasped. 

Before her stood a ghost of who Shadow once was. His tan muzzle had paled, dark bags hung under his bloodshot, but glowing scarlet eyes, and his quills piked frenziedly around him as though he’d just plugged his finger in a power outlet. Bewildered, he stared at her.

“Shadow? What's–when did you…” 

“Can you please just drop it?” His voice was no longer rich and firm, like it used to.

Shards of his messy aura fluttered before Amy’s eyes. No matter how hard she tried to read them, he wouldn’t let her get ahold of him. 

Hands on her hips, she sucked in a deep breath through her nose. “I’m afraid not.” 

Shadow huffed, lower eyelids twitching. 

“See, I’m worried about you,” she continued, taking a step forward. 

“Well, don’t! I’m fine!” 

It was Amy’s turn to scoff. Her blood boiled with anger, much like it had before she’d seen through his charade on the A.R.K. on that notorious day. Before she’d noticed how pained he really was. 

“Listen,” he finally said, “if you’re not gonna let this go, at least argue with me while we’re walking. They’re onto us.”

Amy’s brow furrowed. “Who are?”

“G.U.N.! And whatever revolting party they collaborated with to build those robots.”

No longer able to conceal her doubt, Amy narrowed her eyes at him, rubbing her arm. “Shadow, don’t you think there’s the slightest chance this is all a big misunderstanding? Why don’t we meet with them on a neutral ground and discuss the matter?” 

Dragging his hands across his face, Shadow snorted. A maniacal cackle rumbled from the back of his throat. 

“I’m warning you. Mocking me right now is a very bad idea,” she sneered darkly.

Shadow’s eyes grew wild with desperation. “Don’t you understand? I’ve ignored the orders of my superior–”

Lips pursed together, Amy felt the skin between her eyes wrinkle as her brow furrowed. Gooseflesh spread across her bared skin.

“–I’m basically a deserter! I’m on the run with someone who I can only imagine is currently on the top of their ‘most wanted’ list, and state’s exhibit A!” He pointed a trembling finger at her backpack.  

The Flicky cooed weakly in her backpack. She pressed her hand against the leather, feeling its warmth while she hushed it reassuringly. 

“...I’m trying, I’m really trying, but you keep–” Shadow sank to his knees, accidentally crushing a column of ants as he did so. The survivors scattered away in all possible directions. He slammed his fist into the sand, lips quivering and twitching, mouthing something she couldn’t decipher. 

Amy grabbed his hand, burying her anger. 

She’d scream when this was over. 

She gently called upon him, cupping his face in her hands. Looking up, Shadow blinked against the rising sun, skittish and highly alert when her shadow suddenly towered over him. It reminded her of the panic attack he’d had in the hotel. 

What was left of her irritation faded while she stared into his fearful eyes. It must be hellish inside that head of yours…

“Amy, I just– I can’t–” he gulped forcefully, a shimmering layer coating his reddening eyes. “I won’t forgive myself if I fail this time,” he whispered, bowing his head. 

Bending at the knees, Amy pressed his head flush to her chest. His hands trembled around her waist while she scratched his quills and gingerly kissed the top of his head. “I couldn’t be more convinced that you won’t,” she reassured him, feeling how his hands stilled slowly. “--IF you’ll work with me. Talk to me. Don’t you understand you’re scaring the crap out of me, acting like this?”

“I–”

“At least try ,” she told him firmly, matching his scowl. “I know it’s hard, but let me be perfectly clear about one thing: I don’t need another hero.”

A sudden darkness veiled the forest, temporarily hiding its deeper tones of lush green. Amy watched as the clouds softened the shadows on her Shadow’s face while he blushed abashedly, mouth agape. 

“Then…what do you need?” His voice finally regained a hint of his natural charisma. 

Amy exhaled in relief. She too felt her cheeks stain when she parted her lips and said: “I need you to stop shutting me out. Let me be your partner in crime. Equals, remember?”

A weak chuckle escaped from the back of his throat. A faint nod, composed breaths. She really felt him start to calm down a little. 

Eventually, he nodded. “Equals.”

Amy buried the remnants of her anger and smiled. 

She wriggled her hand into his own, shaking it firmly, but he raised their joined hands, pressing a kiss on her knuckles. “Are you trying to offend me?” 

“Heh?” 

The sun broke through the dense cover of clouds, shooting its light like diffuse bundles through the crowns and the branches, letting its particles dance like glitter against a backdrop of earthy tones. Amidst it all, Shadow’s reds seemed to catch fire in the sun’s golden light, deep scarlet mingling with bold orange. 

Biting his lip, Shadow plucked a twig from her quills. “I’m just saying a handshake is not how I wish to settle arguments between us.” Then, he gingerly stroked her cheek, moving his thumb to the bruise on her neck. “Does it hurt?”

Abashed, confused, and suddenly feeling feverish, Amy shook her head. Far from. “I wish I could say the same thing about my legs and feet, though. How much further to the mines, you think?”

“I’m guessing another three hours. The air is starting to smell different, less earthy. The forest soon must make way for the mountains, but we’ll have to climb a little.”

Face souring, Amy pouted.

The prospect of having to whip her own butt up a mountain was a bitter pill. She hadn’t taken her boots off for nothing. The blisters were one thing, but she could feel her feet were swollen. 

“Wouldn’t it be easier if you just warped us there?”

“I can’t,” he confessed, ears twisting backwards, “or rather, I shouldn’t. This morning, when I turned my phone on, I realized something. You know how the Chaos Emeralds can detect each other’s energy?”

Amy nodded, eagerly clenching the muscles in her pelvis. All the nerves were starting to mess with her bladder.

“Every time I use Chaos Control, the energy resonates…so all this time, we’ve–”

Amy gasped, eyes wide. Goosebumps tugged at her peach skin like little pin pricks. “We’ve sent out a signal.”

“Yes.” Suddenly, Shadow’s guardedness was catching onto her. “I believe it’s best if we refrain from using our Chaos energy from now on. Agreed?”

“I– yeah… Agreed.” 

She dragged her hands across her face. Her head was spinning. Truthfully, Amy wasn’t even sure if the world she could see was the same one he was living in. Not entirely, at least. But somehow, it didn’t even matter any more. 

Groaning, Amy pushed herself up. When she grabbed his hand and pulled him up, it took all of her strength to hold in her pee. 

“A quick bathroom break, and then we’ll hit the road again, okay?” 

She could barely see Shadow nod in her periphery while she disappeared behind the trunk of a giant oak, rushing to lower her shorts. “I’m giving you a heads-up: expect a lot of questions in the next three hours, partner .” 

“Hmpf…fine.”

–

As they strolled forward, onward, along the path that wasn’t even a real path, just a line of space and sand between the fir trees, Amy licked her dry lips. Her saliva appeared to have dried up. Their bottle was empty. The river miles and miles away. 

How much longer could they flee from a danger that she was no longer sure was the threat Shadow made it out to be? How much longer could they force their bodies to keep moving before they’d collapse, either from hunger, thirst or exhaustion? 

Was this really their best shot? 

Amy stole a subtle glance at Shadow. He stared blankly ahead, a permanent frown carved into his forehead. He no longer tried to be one step ahead of her as they labored their way through a dark corridor of tall trees. Whether he sensed her worries, she did not know, but he glimpsed her way, tightly clasping their hands together.

So, she smiled.

“Just a little while longer,” he said, “I promise.” 

Chapter Text

Along the Side of the Road | chapter 10 | Little White Liar

[G.U.N.’s headquarters.] 

Heels on her desk, Rouge leaned back in her office chair, rolling a pencil between her fingers. She couldn’t remember the last time it’d been this hot in September. Even with her eyes closed the light was harsh. Somehow the late summer light bundles had found a way to bounce off the glossy screen of the laptop in front of her. 

How annoying…

If things hadn’t been so dire, she would’ve worked from home that day. 

“Omega, any updates?” she asked, not bothering to open her eyes. They didn’t value courtesies like that anyway. 

“NEGATIVE,” they stated after a few electronic bleeps and beeps.

She heaved a sigh, her chest expanding along with her breath until she heard the seam of her top threaten to pop. Even though her current attire, an anthracite pinstripe suit and black pumps, wasn’t nearly as tight as the catsuit she used to wear, on a day like this, it still felt suffocating to her. It didn’t help that there wasn’t much to do except waiting. 

Two days had passed since she intercepted a signal from Shadow’s phone, a fact that Rouge had chosen to keep to herself. Ever since the Spring Yard incident, a wild arrange of rumours about G.U.N.’s secret collaborations had spread like a wildfire, inside the office and out. Of course she had her own theories, but until she found out what exactly was going on, she’d play doubles like she always had. 

At least she wasn’t the only one whose loyalty was divided. 

Rouge peered at the clock on her desk. “For someone who is such a proponent of punctuality, he sure as hell has a talent for being late. Every fucking time,” Rouge grouched. 

The pencil snapped in her hand. 

She aimed, tossing it into the trash can next to the door with ease.

“YOU SHOULD POINT OUT THE IRONY OF THAT,” their tinny voice stated. Their fans buzzed louder than usual. Even they seemed to be bothered by this intense heat. 

Blinking one eye open, Rouge grimaced sheepishly. “Good call, big guy.” 

“NATURALLY.”

A genuine smile played on Rouge’s cherry lips. Never a dull moment with him… She lifted herself off the ground, thankful for the cool breeze her flapping wings provided as she glided through the air and landed before the water cooler. Of course G.U.N. didn’t appreciate their employees enough to invest in proper quality air conditioning. No, a sad little desk fan had to suffice.

Rouge hardly ever used it. 

It was too noisy for her taste.

“If the commander doesn’t show up within ten minutes, I’m locking us in here and performing desk duty in my underwear for the rest of the day,” she said as she placed a paper cup under the tap and touched the screen. 

Or maybe she’d leave it open…

She could use a good laugh. 

They should be grateful she even showed up today.

Metal bolts clicked into place when Omega lifted one arm, rattling a wide array of adamantine parts as he rotated his hand. “WHAT ARE YOU TELLING ME FOR?” 

Rouge nipped at her cold water, then shrugged. “Not even sure. I’m taking this off either way.”

Just when she unbuttoned her blazer, someone knocked at the door. She called them in, slipped her blazer off, and turned around while she swung it over her shoulder. The commander, a man old enough to retire by the looks of it, shot her a deadpan glance. Quickly following in his footsteps was his much younger intern, who blushed shyly upon seeing her cleavage revealed. 

Rouge smirked with mischief. “My, my, so you decided to show up after all?” 

“My apologies for the delay, agent Rouge.” 

“Yeah, yeah, same old, same old. So…” she waited, making sure to sway her hips as she walked back to her chair. 

The commander cleared his throat. “Do you have any updates for us?”

Rouge sat down. She placed her elbows on her desk, resting her chin in her hands. “Actually, I was looking forward to hearing what you had to tell me.”

“So no updates, then?” He turned to Omega, whose machinery whirred upon registration. 

“POSITIVE.”

“Well, what are you waiting for?” He grumbled at the robot.

“INVALID REQUEST.”

Rolling with her eyes, Rouge groaned under breath. “Omega only means to confirm your statement. There are indeed no updates. We haven’t had any contact with them since they left.”

Chewing his bottom lip, the old man hummed, rubbing his forehead. His light blue eyes bore themselves in Rouge’s teal ones. “How peculiar…”  

“Peculiar?” Rouge huffed. “You’ve met Shadow, right? You’re the one who forced that piece of electronics on him, anyway. I’m surprised he’s even using it.” 

The intern snorted quietly behind him, receiving a foul glare from his superior in return. That’s when the commander’s own piece of electronics started ringing. He dug a hand into his worn leather briefcase and excused himself.

Once he had closed the door behind him, the young man shuffled uncomfortably in front of her. His restless gaze drifted back and forth between the door behind him, the robot in the corner, and the woman in front of him. 

“Well, kid, whadd’ya got for me today?” Rouge tried, winking extravagantly. 

He jumped to attention, leafing through his notes, then suddenly interrupted what he was doing. “Ehhh, shouldn’t we wait until he gets back?” 

A subtle huff thinly veiled her arrogance. “I hardly think so, dear. In fact, you’d be doing him a favor. You must have noticed by now that his schedule was jam-packed the last couple of days.” 

Like a true mastermind, she shifted subtly in her seat, fully aware of how her movements made her bosom jiggle in the white chiffon top she was wearing. To not overdo it, she conjured a serious expression on her face, then asked him to sit. 

“Ah, well… I guess you’re right,” he mumbled, taking a seat while scratching the back of his head, his chocolate brown curls bouncing as he did so.

Lips curving into a warm smile, Rouge held out her hand. I’ve still got it. “You must be fairly new here. Forgive my lack of manners, dear. What’s your name?”

“Joshua.” A mellow handshake followed. His freckled cheeks were already turning slightly pink again.

“Nice to meet you. My name is Rouge. That’s Omega over there,” she said briefly gesturing to the both of them. “Don’t worry, Joshua, we don’t have any secrets for each other here. Not anymore, that is…” 

“Yeah, I’ll say so,” he chuckled awkwardly. “Okay, let me see, where did I leave my notes regarding Spring Yard…ah! There they are.”

“Wonderful! I’m all ears.” 

He pushed his glasses higher up his small bridge of nose. “Actually, before I share my information with you, I have some questions.” 

“By all means.” She gestured to him to go ahead. 

“I’d like to verify your statement of not having been in touch with the susp– I mean the agent and his…ehm–” 

“SHADOW HAS EXPRESSED A ROMANTIC INTEREST IN AMY ROSE, BUT NO OFFICIAL RELATIONSHIP STATUS HAS BEEN VERIFIED AS OF YET,” Omega blasted through the room, jolting Joshua in his seat. “I EAGERLY AWAIT THEIR RETURN SO AS TO CLARIFY.” 

“Don’t mind them,” she said, gloating as she waved Omega’s statement off. Oh, Shadow would have burst into flames if he’d heard that! My…even when he’s gone he’s such a buzzkill…

Joshua coughed in his hand. “...his companion, then.” 

“That’s not a question, dear…” 

Eyes half-lidded, she raised her brows, the focus of her glance shifting to bluntly study his amber-colored irises. It didn’t go unnoticed by her how his jaw tensed just ever so slightly. Though he didn’t budge. 

Suddenly, Rouge clapped her hands. “Ah well, who am I to give you a hard time?” Then, she pressed her thumb against the screen of her phone and shoved it towards him over the bamboo desk, flipping her laptop next. 

“Ah, thank you for cooperating,” he expressed, smiling way too eagerly. “I’m just following the protocols, agent.”

“Whatever,” Rouge answered, shrugging as she folded her arms behind her head and leaned back. 

Like the tech-rat she reckoned he’d be, his fingers danced on the touch keys. The sunlight caught his thick chestnut brown lashes as they fluttered before his squinting eyes while he skimmed through her phone, then browsed through her laptop. 

“Hmm, seems like you were telling the truth.”

“My, my, Josh , don’t tell me you expected anything less from me.” Something about his abashed stuttering response reminded her of Topaz. “Like I said, no secrets.” 

As if I would be so stupid to use my work cell for this… A girl needs her payphone. 

“R-right, s-so ahhh,” he blushed, staring forcedly at the notes in his lap.

Come hither, she gestured, unprepared for this sudden test of her poker face when he himself rose from his seat instead of handing her his notepad. Her smug smile only deepened. Oh, this kid…

She waited until a bead of sweat dripped from her chin onto her clavicle before taking a tissue from her desk and dapping it dry. “Look, you’re cute and all, but I meant for you to pass me those,” she said, pointing, her voice low and rich. 

Face as red as a buoy, Joshua muttered ten apologies in a row, handing her what she’d been after this whole time. He couldn’t even bring himself to look at her. 

“Omega, why don’t you get Joshua some water while I take a look? It’s such a warm, muggy day today anyway.” 

“AFFIRMATIVE,” they stated, making forth at once. Their footsteps thumped harshly through the room. Joshua quietly rose from his seat and shambled to the water cooler. 

Rouge narrowed her eyes, reading as quickly as she could. Once the commander would re-enter her office, the show’d be over. 

Her brow furrowed, the subtle lines around her eyes deepening as she brushed her finger along the paper. What’s all this? Shadow? Released from his duties until further instructions? Rouge swallowed. She pointed her ears, listening intently as she tried to estimate how much time she had left. 

Why did they ask me for his location if they’ve been tracing him all along? And using Chaos energy no less… Gritting her teeth, she curled her toes in her pumps. Once again it seems I’m not the only one here who doesn’t like to play by the rules…

Rouge heaved a sigh, feigning to be rather unimpressed by her findings when she saw Joshua looking her way. A mere twinkle of mischief in her eyes was enough to force him to avert his eyes. Her ears twitched upon registering a change in the commander’s voice behind the closed door. 

She had to hurry. 

The Azure Lake area… A brief smile played on her lips. However, it vanished as quickly as it appeared. You’ve got to be kidding me! 

The door opened partially. “...thank you. Yes, of course. You’ll be the first to hear if anything changes. Goodbye.” 

Before the door closed, Rouge landed on her feet next to Joshua by the water cooler, noiseless as ever. She casually slipped him his notepad, boldly watching him sweat when her hand lingered on his. 

“Why so distrustful, Josh? My lips are sealed,” she said quietly, shrugging before she bent forward while she dropped her paper cup in a recycle bin. 

The young man forcefully stared at her face. Stains of red blossomed like peonies across the skin of his neck. He yanked his tie loose and gasped.

“Ah, Joshua,” the commander said, turning towards them. “I’m sorry to have kept you both waiting. Now, where were we?” 

“Forget it, already. I’m no longer interested.” Rouge slowly stepped towards her desk, the tapping of her heels echoing through the office as she did so. She snitched her blazer from her chair, then walked to the door. 

“E-excuse me?” The commander stammered, raising his voice more than he’d probably intended. 

Rouge only fed off his astonishment. 

“I’m going home. Call me when you’ve arranged decent air conditioning. You coming, Omega?” She halted in the door opening.

Their circuitry whirred and bleeped while they processed her request. Then, she heard their rumbling footsteps behind her. “AFFIRMATIVE. EVEN WITH MY OUTSTANDING DESIGN, MY PERFORMANCES ARE COMPROMISED BY THE LACK OF DECENT CLIMATE CONTROL IN THIS BUILDING.” 

Gloating once more, she waved with the back of her hand. “ Jāne. ” 

Matching Omega’s pace, the two made their way to the service elevator as it was the only one that could manage her companion’s weight. Once inside, she turned her back to the camera she knew was placed in the right corner of the cage. Smirking, she regarded a crumpled up piece of paper safely hidden in her cleavage. 

Well, well, this day turned out much more interesting than I thought.

–

When the sun sank behind the western mountain ridge that evening, Rouge glided through the darkening sky. A slender crescent scrambled up to seat upon its throne as it humbly reflected the sun’s modest light. Dusk was her favorite time of the day. 

No doubt about it.

With her catch of the day safely stuffed in her bra, she let sonar guide her to her destination, enjoying the view of the Mystic Ruins from up high. She watched the waves crash onto the sandstone cliffs. Even just the sound of water was a welcome refreshment. 

If only this place had a nice, secluded cove…

What was but a rusty smudge in her vision a minute ago, had gradually cleared up to reveal a modest workshop, fabricated mostly out of corrugated sheets. Rouge dove forward, the upward drift of the winds slowing her pace as she cleared for landing. She waved to a hovering drone a few meters above the ground, bulbing her wings so as to break. By the time her feet reached the sandy rocks beneath her feet, her shadow had already caught up to her. 

“Rouge?” 

A tall, young fox, with fur the color of egg yolk, came walking towards her. The gray apron he was wearing was covered in dust and grease stains. A pencil was folded behind his ear, and a screwdriver was clenched in his hand. Though his voice was no longer sweet and childish, it still carried a hoarse gentleness. 

“Long time no see.” 

“Yo, Rouge!” It was Sonic, jumping down from the roof. 

The blue hedgehog stretched his arms, yawning before his friendly emerald eyes fixed her gaze. His friend looked a little bit less comfortable, with his arms folded and eyes narrowed. 

“Hi there. Still napping on the roof, I see?”

“Yep.” Scratching the back of his head, Sonic chuckled. 

A pure, clear laugh. Sometimes she’d wished she was half as easygoing and open-minded as him. 

“So, what brings you here?” Tails asked, and he wasn’t wrong to do so. They hardly ever spoke unless either party needed something from the other. 

“Did you hear anything from Shadow?” Sonic asked, his smile suddenly faltering. 

Rouge furrowed her brow. 

“I spoke to Knuckles a coupl’a days ago,” Sonic added, apparently able to read her confusion off her face. 

It was Sonic, sure , but suddenly, she started to regret having spilled her beans to the guardian. If he wouldn’t keep his mouth shut when questioned by certain people , that’d mean a whole lot of trouble for her. She pursed her lips, unable to decide whether or not paying him a visit and instructing him further would be a good or a bad idea.

“Ah…no. They’ve been radio silent ever since.”

“Hmmm, I haven’t been able to get ahold of Amy either.” Ruffling through his quills, Sonic conjured a phone out of nowhere, tapping a few buttons. 

“The person you tried to call–” 

Another tap. The call was ended. Rouge repressed a shiver upon regarding Sonic’s uncharacteristically tense attitude. Suddenly, she saw the slightest of lines around his lips, his eyes, and on his forehead. 

If anything, it meant he’d smiled lots and lots in his life.

Tails gave a hum, plucking his chin as he did so. “It’s possible her phone got blown apart during the explosion…” 

“Yeah, but something doesn’t sit right with me,” Sonic said, voice flat as his quills bristled.  

“That’s because something seems to be off indeed,” Rouge cut in, pulling a piece of paper out of her cleavage. 

Tails was quick to avert his eyes, and though he didn’t blush like he used to, she still saw it made him uncomfortable. Sonic however, didn’t so much as even blink. 

“FYI, I totally stole this from G.U.N., so if that bothers you–” 

Before his younger brother could protest, Sonic shook his head, smirking. “Go on.” 

“Fine,” Tails grumped quietly, already accepting his defeat. 

Once again, he was too slow… 

“Shadow and Amy are kinda missing in action. Now, that wouldn’t worry me the slightest if G.U.N. hadn’t tasked me to try and get in touch with them, using Shadow’s work cell to track them down. They need to sit down with them before they’re able to release an official press statement regarding the Spring Yard incident. You know the drill.” 

Tapping his foot faster and faster, Sonic heaved a sigh. “Please cut to the case.”

“As it turns out, they didn’t bother telling me they’ve been following them all along, using Chaos Energy to detect their location. ”

“I thought all seven Emeralds were safe in the shrine on Angel Island?” Tails wondered out loud. 

“They are,” Sonic confirmed. “At least, they were until a few days ago.”

“Blue’s right. But I’m not talking about the emeralds...”

Tails’ blue eyes widened as he gulped. “Noooo? Is their technology so advanced that their drones are sensible enough to detect internal Chaos energy?!”

Rouge nodded. 

“But how?! The wave-length and movement pattern of the particles… the fluctuation rate changes continuously! It’s almost impossible to determine–” 

The bat shrugged. “Beats me. And it’s not just that. On this memo I snitched, I even found they’ve been chasing after them.”

“Chasing…them? But why? What could they possibly have that G.U.N.’s so interested in?” Tails muttered, his ponderings gradually turning into a quiet train of thought. His gaze was becoming more distant by the second.

“Let’s find out,” Sonic cut in, emerald eyes already twinkling with renewed excitement. 

Tails sighed, stepping forward. Brow furrowed, he placed a hand on Sonic’s arm as he put a stop to Sonic’s premature admission. “Wait a minute, Sonic.” Tails’ blue eyes fixed her glance. “Why come to us?”

“Can’t exactly rely on my work here, can I?” 

When Tails stayed silent, she made a quarter turn, staring at the reflection of the moon in the ocean. The dark water stretched and unstretched its slim white, carrying the light on the surface of the sea. 

“Look, I’m worried about Shadow. You know how it is with his past… Now that they’re after him, I–” she heaved a sigh, a whiff of fresh, salty sea-air caressed her nostrils as she did so. 

“I’m sorry,” Tails said, “I can’t help you. Why don’t you come back once you’re ready to show your cards?” 

A snort of derision escaped her as she glared at the fox from her periphery. His older brother blinked somewhat bewildered at his steadfastness. “I just don’t want to talk outside of school. You don’t know him like I do. I lived with the guy for years. Seen him at his best and definitely at his worst.”

“Haven’t we all seen him at his worst?” Tails retorted, gaze unfazed. Perhaps she shouldn't have belittled him all those years…

“Tails! Amy might be in danger as well,” Sonig urged. 

“Didn’t you say Knuckles told you he was convinced Shadow would give his all to protect Amy?” 

“I– not in those exact words…” Sonic muttered, mouth askew. 

“That’s exactly what I’m worried about,” Rouge said, swiftly turning to face both again. 

“How so?” the fox fixed her glance. 

“Believe me, I don’t know what G.U.N. wants from them, but knowing that it’s something they didn’t share with the rest of us, I don’t want to risk finding out the hard way. But I do know the lengths he’d go to just to keep her from harm. And if you still can’t tell from Space Colony A.R.K. how severely damaged he is… then, perhaps I’ve come to the wrong place. But, Miles, you’re the only one who’s smart enough to understand this matter who is uncompromised...”

That’s when Sonic placed a gentle hand on Tails’ shoulder. The fox glanced at Sonic, evidently uncertain what to do, but the latter shot him a confident smile, peaceful and calm. “My instincts are telling me to trust her, bud.” 

Nervous blue eyes softened at Sonic’s words, and Tails closed his eyes as he drew a deep, composed breath. “What are you suggesting?”

“We just have to find them first.”

“Well, do you know where they are?” 

“The last time Shadow turned his phone on, they were in the Azure Lake area. That was two days ago.” 

“Okay… but I don’t even know if I can help you. Despite years of research, I’ve never even gotten close to the level of technology they’re working with…”

“Don’t think so lowly about yourself, bud,” Sonic patted Tails on the back. 

“This isn’t a matter of confidence,” he protested, but the hint of agitation in his voice went unnoticed by Sonic, “I don’t have the equipment, I–” 

“If I were to provide you with that, do you think you’d be able to work with it?” Rouge asked, eyes mischievous as she placed a hand on her hip. 

“I…guess…” 

“Of course he can!” Sonic gave her a thumbs-up, making his younger brother blush in embarrassment. 

“Excellent!” 

“Wait a sec, where would you even–” 

“Ah, ah, ah, aha,” Rouge shushed the fox with a cheeky reprimand of her index finger. “Let me deal with that.”

“You need a hand with anything?” Sonic asked her. 

“Why thank you. I think I might just. Are you free right now?” 

“Sure thing!” Sonic chuckled. 

Rouge jumped up, wings flapping behind her as she reached for Sonic to grab her hand. “Wonderful! Miles, Sonic and I should be back here at the break of dawn. It should be needless to say, but you’re not to say a word about this to anyone else. See ya!” 

The blue blur leapt, hands clasping together with Rouge’s as she rapidly gained altitude, flying off into the night, leaving poor Tails behind on the cliff without granting him an opportunity to answer her. 

She knew better than allowing someone to think things over.

What if he’d change his mind?