Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"I’m not going," Shadow grunted, crossing his arms.
 
"Yes, you’re going, and you’re going to have a good time," Rouge said, pushing Shadow out the front door. "Besides, you need to get out more," she snickered, slamming the door. Shadow had told Rouge he enjoyed ice skating. This was a mistake. Amy also happened to enjoy ice skating. She also complained that Sonic wouldn’t go ice skating with her. Rouge mentioned that Shadow skated and, behind his back, set up plans for him and Amy to go ice skating.
 
Shadow hopped on his motorcycle and rode down to the ice rink. God, he couldn’t believe he was actually doing this. Rouge was going to pay. He got off his bike and sauntered towards the rink’s entrance, where Amy was already waiting. She was lacing up her red pair of ice skates, which almost matched her red coat. Her ears twitched as she heard Shadow approaching. "Shadow, over here," she said, smiling, and gestured for Shadow to come and sit next to her. He obliged.
 
"I’m so happy you wanted to go ice skating with me! No one else wanted to. But that's okay; it's not for everyone," Amy joked. At least she wasn’t as talkative as Sonic. He was trying to be at least semi-positive. Amy was nice enough, he guessed. But that certainly didn’t mean Shadow wanted to spend his evening with her!
 
Shadow was silent as he laced up his skates. When he finished, he stepped onto the rink and glided on the ice. Without Amy. "Wait for me," Amy said, trying to catch up to Shadow. She couldn’t believe how quick he was on the ice. She glided up to him.
 
"You know, I don’t appreciate being left behind. Besides, we’ve barely ever talked before. I was hoping we could use this time to learn a bit about each other." Amy smiled. Shadow always appreciated how open Amy was about her feelings. She never danced around anything. He always had a hard time when people weren’t specific about their emotions, as he was never the best with social cues. 
 
Shadow really didn’t know how to go about conversing with Amy. Did they have anything in common?
 
 "Want to see who can do a better snowplow stop?" Amy asked.
 
Shadow smiled. He always liked a challenge. "You’re on." 
 
Amy went first. The girl picked up some major speed. It impressed Shadow. Slightly. She had to make sure she balanced her weight correctly, or else she’d fall backward. Amy shaved off a bit of ice. Shadow huffed; this win was his! He started skating, picking up speed. Shadow set his feet parallel and shifted his left to the side. He was so caught up in shaving more ice off that he forgot to center his weight. He shifted all his weight to the back and tumbled right down. God, this was embarrassing. Shadow was the ultimate lifeform, and he messed up a simple stop! One of the basics! Amy, graceful as ever, skated up to him. She held her hand out. Shadow sat on the ice, debating whether he should take it. Well, he had already fallen, so he swallowed his pride and took her hand.
 
"Are you alright?"
 
"Of course I am," Shadow huffed. 
 
"Well, now that we’ve confirmed you’re ok, is it safe to say I won?"
 
Shadow did not answer, so Amy took that as a yes. The pair skated around in silence for a bit. There was no one else on the ice.
 
"Have you ever done partner skating before?" Amy asked, genuinely curious.
 
"No, I’ve only ever done solo skating."
 
"Me too," Amy giggled and grabbed Shadow’s hand. What does she think she’s doing? Amy pulled a confused Shadow towards her. She was not going to attempt any of those fancy moves the professionals do. Shadow was getting nervous. But Amy surprised him. She just started to skate, leaving their hands intertwined.
 
"I want to try something. Can you trust me?" Amy asks.
 
Shadow did trust her. He always had. There was just something about her. Maybe he did like her more than he was willing to admit to himself. No, no, no! This was a waste of an evening off. Come on, he’d done nothing so far but embarrass himself.
 
"Hello? Mobius to Shadow?" Amy waved her free hand in front of his face.
 
"Sure. What do you want to do?" He replied.
 
Taken aback Amy said, "Ok, so I want you to skate as fast as you can and let me go. I want to see how fast I can spin!"
 
Shadow huffed and nodded. He started skating, and halfway across the rink, he let go of Amy’s hand. She left his grip and started turning around and around. She had never been able to spin so quickly before! That’s when Amy lost her balance and toppled right down.
"Ouch," Amy muttered, slowly standing up.
 
"Guess it was my turn to fall," Amy laughed. Shadow fought back a smile. She was truly quite amusing. Shadow skated over to her and asked, "Want to try again?"
 
"You know it! I’m sure to get it this time."
 
Amy did not get it that time. Or the next. Shadow had to admit, he did admire her persistence.
 
"My rear end can’t take this abuse anymore. How about you try it?" Amy said, holding her hand out.
 
"I’ll show you how it’s done," Shadow smirked and took her hand. She began skating. She wasn’t as fast as Shadow, but she still gained some major speed. Amy let go tried to let go of Shadow’s hand, but it appears he wasn’t ready for that. He crashed right into her back, sending them both down onto the ice. Shadow was humiliated for the second time. But to his surprise, Amy started laughing. She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye.
 
"I’m sorry, guess I should’ve given you more warning," she giggled and moved to get up. But she was laughing so hard her body crashed back down onto the ice. Shadow joined in with her laughter. Amy had never heard him laugh before. She loved the sound of his laugh. 
But his laughter quickly ceased. "I want to try again," Shadow said.
 
"You know, I think I’ve had enough ice skating for today. Want to grab a hot chocolate with me?" Amy asks Shadow.
 
"I’ve never had one."
 
"What? Seriously? Get your butt off the ice, you’re going to try it. My treat." Amy smiled.
 
"Fine by me, as long we can do this again."
 
"Really? You’d like to go skating with me again?"
 
"Only so I can redeem myself," Shadow replies. He didn’t want to admit that he had a good time.
 
Shadow quietly closed the door, a paper cup of hot chocolate in hand. Shadow crept inside and noticed the kitchen light was on. Shit. Rouge was up. 
 
"So, was I right? Did you have a good time?" Rouge asked, holding a cup of coffee. Shadow was trying to hide the smile on his face.

Chapter Text

Shadow paced around his bedroom. To say he was nervous would be an understatement. He had a date with Amy Rose! Shadow had never had a date with anyone before. He never thought dating was an option for him. Shadow was a living weapon. He didn’t believe this could ever be an option. But here he was, getting ready for a date—his first one.

Shadow checked himself out in the mirror one last time. He took a deep breath. He was ready for this.

“I’m going for a ride,” Shadow shouted, letting Rouge know he was leaving. He hadn’t told her or anyone about his date. He didn’t think he could emotionally handle all the questions that would come with telling Rouge. Rouge was nosey. Very nosey.

He hopped on his motorcycle and rode to Amy’s house. Her home was a cottage just outside of station square. Her cottage was painted a light pink and had a white picket fence at the front of it. Instead of having grass, her entire lawn was a lush garden filled with flowers, fruits, and vegetables. The home looked very Amy, to say the least.

Shadow parked his bike alongside the fence. He tugged at his leather jacket and made his way to her front door. Knock, knock, knock. Shadow waited a moment. No answer. He knocked again.

“The doors unlocked. Just come inside. I need about 5 more minutes to get ready!” Amy’s muffled voice shouted from inside. Even though he had permission to go inside, he didn’t feel it was right. It somehow felt like an invasion of her privacy. So, he waited outside and admired her garden for a bit. Shadow was delighted to see she had some lavender shrubs. Those were his favorites. Oh, but she had planted them camellias! He crouched down to get a closer look at the flowers.

“Sorry I took so long! You didn’t have to wait outside, you know. You’re always welcome in my home,” Amy says, stepping out into the yard.

Shadow didn’t look up at her. He was still staring at the lavender. “You know, you shouldn’t put lavender next to camellias. They’re not very drought resistant, and could take away water from the lavender,” Shadow explained.

“Oh gosh, I had no idea. I’ll have to replant those. Thank you for telling me,” Amy replied, smiling.

Shadow stands up, now a bit embarrassed to face Amy. It was their first date, and the first thing he did was criticize her! He had to make up for it. But he took one look at her and was left speechless. Amy had ditched her normal red dress for an off-shoulder emerald green dress. God, it fit her perfectly. The only thing he managed to say was a quick, “Wow.”

Amy laughed, “Thank you.” She could see how nervous he was. The two had been spending a lot of one-on-one time together, and Shadow always seemed to be fine then. She guessed the concept of a date made him nervous. It was quite endearing.

“Ready to go?” Amy asked, taking the lead. Shadow nodded, staring at Amy. He couldn’t believe she wanted to go out with him.

“Are we taking your bike there?” Amy asked excitedly when she saw the bike leaning against the fence.

“Yeah, I thought it’d be fun unless you’re uncomfortable with it. I could always chaos control us,” Shadow muttered, feeling a bit embarrassed.

“We’re taking the bike,” Amy said eagerly.

Shadow gets on his motorcycle and gestures for Amy to get on. She sits down and wraps her hand around his waist. He had never been this close to her before. Needless to say, he loved the feeling of her arms wrapped around him.

“If I’m going too slow, tap my shoulder once. If I’m going too fast, tap it twice. A thumbs up means everything is all good,” Shadow explained.

“Sounds like a plan.”

“Hold on tight. When I brake, I don’t want to crash into my quills.”

Amy nods and grips Shadow’s waist tighter. He revved the engine. Shadow had spent so long revamping it; he had to show off a little.

Off they were, riding through the streets. Shadow was relaxed, and it seemed Amy was too. She hadn’t tapped his shoulder at all. That or she was too afraid to let go. Maybe he should slow down a bit. Never mind that they had arrived at their destination.

He parked the bike and told Amy to get off first. She obliged. Shadow went to get off. Amy held out her hand for him to take. Shadow stared at her hand, confused.

“We’re on a date,” Amy said.

“Yes…” Shadow replied, still not getting it.

Amy laughed, “Nevermind.” He would get it eventually, and besides, she didn’t want to move things along too quickly. Amy didn’t want to scare him off. Amy loved hard. She really, truly did. She always made it a point to make her feelings known, and sometimes that threw people off. Amy didn’t want to make him uncomfortable. That was why she chose a quiet diner for dinner as opposed to a big, fancy restaurant.

“I hope you like this place as much as I do. I know I’m a little overdressed, but I wanted to look nice for you.” Amy smiled.

“You always look nice,” Shadow replied honestly. Amy whispered a quick thank you.

The two sat across from each other in a booth. The table has people’s initials carved in of previous couples who sat there.

“Have you ever been to Maggie’s diner before?” Amy asked.

“No, I uh, only really started going out recently,” Shadow mumbles. He was so grateful to have Amy in his life. She always knew the best spots in town. The best cafes, bakeries, markets, and even hiking trails! She fascinated Shadow. She seemed to know everyone and everything in town.

“Well, I hope it doesn’t disappoint,” Amy says, putting the menu down. The two made mindless chatter as they waited for their orders. Conversing was easy for them. Shadow wasn’t sure what he was so nervous about. Amy just made things easy.

“You see, my bike is a softail. It’s made from two separate pieces. A hardtail is one piece,” Shadow explained.

“What’s the benefit of a softail over a hardtail?”

“It reduces turbulence, so I’m able to go for longer rides. Trust me, vibration fatigue is the worst. The only problem is it's much more expensive to maintain.”

The night progressed on without a hitch.

“No, I will never bake with Sonic again. First of all, he has no patience. Second, he used salt instead of sugar.” Amy exclaimed, waving her hands in the air. She seemed frustrated when recalling this time, but it was all in good humor.

“I wouldn’t expect anything else.” Shadow laughed in response.

“Excuse me, but we’re closing soon,” a bunny waitress told the couple. It was clear she was ready to go home. Shadow and Amy apologized. They hadn’t realized how dark it had gotten outside.

Amy paid, and Shadow tipped. “Thank you for dinner,” Shadow said.

“My pleasure, we’ll have to do it again sometime!”

“Yeah. I’d like that, my treat next time.”

Shadow drove Amy home and walked her to her front door. “Such a gentleman,” Amy jests. She stood awkwardly in her doorway, neither of them wanting the night to end.

“I had fun tonight,” Amy said, breaking the silence.

“Me too,” Shadow replied. In the heat of the moment, he leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. He pulled away embarrassed, and muttered a quick “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Shadow,” Amy replied, her hand on the cheek Shadow had kissed. Shadow spent the whole ride home panicking. He should've asked before kissing her. God, did he make her uncomfortable? Was that even an appropriate thing to do after a first date?

Meanwhile, Amy was pacing around her bedroom, replaying the night’s events. She couldn’t have asked for a more perfect first date.

Shadow parked his bike in front of the flat he shared with Rouge and Omega. It was a nice place, and G.U.N paid for all the amenities.

“YOU’RE HOME LATE. YOUR BODY TEMPERATURE APPEARS TO BE HIGHER THAN NORMAL. ARE YOU GETTING SICK?” Omega chimed.

“You know I don’t get sick,” Shadow muttered and made his way to his bedroom, where he then collapsed on his bed.

That night he shot up and woke up in a cold sweat, “OH! She wanted to hold hands!” Shadow exclaimed and smacked himself on the forehead.

Chapter Text

Shadow stood awkwardly in the corner of the large room. Rouge was hosting a New Year’s Eve party. She had rented out the whole damn casino for the event. Shadow knew her G.U.N salary couldn’t have paid for this entire event, but he chose not to say anything.

He took a sip of his beer. It was bitter. Alcohol rarely had any effect on him, but he liked its strong, bitter taste. Shadow watched as everyone else in the room mingled. It seemed that everyone had a place. Everyone except him. Shadow was tired, his head was pounding. It was too loud. His heightened senses couldn’t take it.

Shadow left his corner and weaved his way through the sea of people. He was going to thank Rouge for inviting him and head out.

“You’re not staying for the countdown?” Rouge asked Shadow.

“Yeah, no. I’m done.” He answers and waves goodbye.

The night air was icy. It felt nice compared to the boiling-hot casino. Shadow breathed out. He could see his breath. It was going to be a long walk home.

“Shadow? Shadow the hedgehog?” He heard a woman's voice ask. He turned around and saw Amy Rose approaching him. Shadow hadn’t seen her or any members of team hero much this year. They’d all been away on a mission for several months. It was something about an unknown island and Eggman. He wasn’t too sure about the details.

“Why are you out alone on new year’s eve?” Amy asks.

Shadow replies, “I could ask you the same thing.”

“I was watching Cream while Vanilla went out. Vanilla ended up getting home earlier than she expected, so that means I get to go home earlier.”

“You’re just heading home?” Shadow asks. He knew Rouge had invited Amy to her party, so it surprised him she wasn’t heading there.

“That’s the plan. It was nice seeing you, Shadow.” Amy says, continuing her walk down the dreary street. Shadow had always known her to be a people person. It didn’t feel right that she would be alone on a holiday.

“Hey, you want to go grab a drink with me?” He asks.

Amy turns around and smiles. “I’d like that.”

Every bar in town was overflowing with people. Neither of them seemed to be in the mood to deal with a large sum of people. “Hey, how about we go to my place? I want to get out of this cold,” Amy says, shivering.
“I’m down for that.”

It’s 11:45 when they arrive at Amy’s place.

“Can you turn the TV on? I want to watch the countdown.”

“Yeah, sure,” Shadow says, doing what she asked.

Amy comes back a few minutes later with a mug in each hand. She hands one to Shadow.

“What’s this?” He asks.

“Irish coffees. I needed something to warm me up.” She replied, taking a sip. Shadow did the same. The two fell into a comfortable silence, watching TV. Amy couldn’t have been more relaxed until Shadow asked her something. Something that had been bugging him since he ran into her.

“Why aren’t you out with Sonic?”

“He’s out on a mission with Tails,” Amy replies. Shadow can sense her body tensing up.

“Why didn’t you accompany them?” Shadow knew Sonic had a habit of leaving her behind.

“I didn’t want to. Shadow, I am exhausted. I really am. Sonic is always on the run, jumping to help whoever he can. I admire him for it. But, I just want some time to be still. It’s selfish I know-”

Shadow cuts her off. “I don’t think that’s selfish. I know what it’s like, wanting to be still.” He always craved a domestic lifestyle. The beginning of his life had him always moving. There was always something he needed to do. Somewhere he needed to be.

“You do. You really do, don’t you?”

“Amy?”

“Yes?”

“Do you want to take a trip with me? Just or the hell of it? No fighting or world-ending stakes. Just for fun?”

“I’d like that,” Amy says for the second time tonight.

The host on TV starts yelling, “12, 11, 10…”

Shadow and Amy’s heads swivel toward the TV. They both join in on the countdown.
“9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2,1! Happy New Year!” They both shout. Amy laughs, as Shadow says, “Another year over.” The two settle as the new year's eve show ends.

“Hey, were you serious about us taking a trip together?” Amy asks.

“Yeah. I think this year we should take some time to be still… together.”

“That sounds nice,” Amy says, leaning her head on Shadow’s shoulder. It was a perfect start to a new year.

Chapter Text

“That’s not fair you cheated!” Amy exclaimed.

“You never said I couldn’t take my inhibitor rings off,” Shadow replied, smirking. He had got her there. They were only following traditional arm wrestling rules. But Amy didn't think Shadow would stoop so low!

After witnessing Amy destroy Knuckles in an arm wrestling match, Shadow decided to challenge her. He always loved a challenge, and Amy was an acceptable opponent. A fine opponent with better arm strength than him. Shadow knew if he lost again, Rouge and Sonic would never let him live it down. He knew Knuckles would spare him. He knew firsthand how strong the girl was!

“I want a rematch. You have to keep your inhibitor rings on this time,” Amy says, her eyes narrowing. She refused to let the issue go. She would win, and Shadow would have to suck it up. If Shadow and Amy had anything in common, it was that they were both fiercely competitive.

“It’s on,” Shadow replied, placing his elbow on the table. Amy did the same and clasped her hand around his.

“Elbow stays on the table,” Amy reminded Shadow. Shadow managed to push her arm down a little, but she quickly bounced back up. Amy squinted and took a deep breath. She wasn’t letting Shadow win this time. She summoned all her extra strength and pushed his arm down towards the table. Amy’s entire arm was shaking. Finally, his hand hit the table. She had won!

“Ha, take that!” Amy yelled triumphantly.

Shadow rubbed his hand. She had some serious grip strength. “Happy now?” He asked.

“Only if you let me have bragging rights.”

“Isn’t winning enough for you?”

“Nope!”

-
“So then I challenged him again and said he couldn’t take his inhibitor rings off and guess what? I won!” Amy said, clapping her hands together.

“Hah! You couldn’t handle losing to a girl, could you, Shadow?” Sonic laughed, mocking Shadow. Shadow huffed in response.

“You wouldn’t get it. You haven’t arm-wrestled her, Sonic,” Knuckles said, defending Shadow.

“I think I’m fine not getting it,” Sonic said, putting his hands up.

Chapter Text

“Hey, wait!” Amy cried, sprinting towards the elevator. The man standing inside rolled his eyes but held the door open for her, anyway.

“Thank you,” Amy said, her breathing heavy. She couldn’t be late for the meeting she had today. She was getting her first official mission from GUN!

“What floor?” The man asks.

“The twelfth floor, please.”

The man nods and presses the button labeled twelve.

“Thank you.”

The two stand in silence as the elevator goes up. Amy keeps taking small glances at the man on her left side. She had never seen him around before. He was slightly taller than her and had black quills that seemed to defy gravity. Amy wasn’t too surprised she didn’t recognize him, though. She had just started working there and was still learning the ropes. But Amy could tell he had been working there for a while. He didn't radiate the same insecurity new recruits did. Recruits like her. Plus, he had the uniform of a high-ranking cadet.

Amy gets the nerve to strike up a conversation with the hedgehog next to her. Maybe he’d have some tips for a newbie.

“Excuse me, but-” the elevator suddenly stopping cuts Amy’s question off. She jumped a little, the sudden stop caused them both to jolt a little.

“Great,” the man mutters sarcastically. He pushes the door open button, hoping that would be enough to free them. It was not. He pushes the call button next.

“Hello, this is Mandy of GUN’s building security operation center. How may I assist you today?” Mandy asks, her voice coming from a small speaker located somewhere in the elevator.

“The elevator stopped suddenly, and the door won’t open.” He replied matter-of-factly.

“Ok, can you press the door open button for me?” Mandy asks. The man humors her and presses the button again. Nothing.

“Still won’t open,” He huffs.

“Stay calm. I’ll send someone to your location as soon as possible to help you. Please do not attempt to pry the doors open, and remain still.”
“Will do. Thank you,” the man replies. He sighs heavily.

Amy tapped her foot anxiously. “Sir, how long do you think this will take?”

“I don’t know. Shouldn’t take too long. GUN building safety is the best around.”

“True, true.”

Amy shifted her weight from her left leg to the right. She was bored and now late for her meeting. The humming of the fluorescent lights was giving her a headache.

“I’m Amy Rose,” she said, speaking up suddenly, breaking the silence between them.

“Shadow. Shadow the hedgehog. Sorry, we had to meet like this,” Shadow said. Oh, so that was his name. She felt it suited him well.

“It’s alright. It’s not like the elevator breaking was your fault.”

The two fell into an uncomfortable silence after their brief introduction. Amy guessed Shadow wasn’t much of a talker. She pulls out her phone from her pocket. After all, she needed something to keep her entertained!

She mindlessly scrolls through social media, completely forgetting about Shadow’s presence.

“It’s me, hi, I’m the problem, it’s me,” Amy quietly sings to herself. It was a habit of hers. She sang when she was bored.

“At tea time, everybody agrees,” Shadow continues the song.

Hearing him sing completely threw Amy out of her trance. She shuts off her phone and looks over at him.

“You’re a Swifty too?”

Shadow's eyes dart away from away, and he clears his throat. He’s visibly uncomfortable.

“Come on, no reason to be embarrassed! Good music is good music.” Amy says, shrugging. Shadow didn’t reply.

“You want to listen to Midnights together until help comes?” She asks.

Shadow crosses his arms, “I guess I have nothing better to do.”

“That’s the spirit!”

They both take a seat on the floor, their backs leaning against the wall parallel to the door.
“Take this,” Amy said, handing Shadow an earbud.

“You know, I’ve always liked her country albums more,” Shadow says.

“Seriously?”

“What can I say? I appreciate the banjo.”

“That’s so lame,” Amy laughs.

“So, what’s your favorite album of hers, then?”

“1989, easily!”

“And that’s so basic,” Shadow says, smirking.

They bicker a bit, and the conversation strays from music. A large robot pried the elevator doors open. Shadow and Amy had completely forgotten they were stuck in an elevator, let alone late for work!

“AGENT SHADOW, AGENT ROSE. YOU ARE SAFE AND EXPECTED TO RETURN TO YOUR NORMAL DUTIES.” The robot announces.

Amy groans as she stands up. Her legs were stiff. Just how long had they been in there?

“Pleasure to have been stuck with you, Agent Rose. I’ll walk you to your superior's office and tell them about what happened,” Shadow says.

“Oh right! Thank you.” Amy had completely forgotten she was getting assigned her first mission today. She looked down at her phone. She was an hour late!

-

Bonus:

“I see. Thank you for letting us know.” The GUN officer told Shadow. Shadow nodded. He was about to leave the room when the officer called him back.

“Agent Rose, Agent Shadow, you’ll be working together for this next mission.” The officer explained that since this was her first mission, she’d paired with a high-ranking agent to show her the ropes. It pleased Shadow to learn he’d be assisting Amy. This would be the first job in a while he was happy to take.

Amy shuffled through the packet the GUN officer had given her.

“So, Agent Shadow, what other types of music do you like?”

“Ever heard of Crush40?”

Chapter Text

Sonic had his arm around Knuckles' shoulder. Sonic was swaying back and forth singing loudly.

“Thought you could handle your liquor,” Knuckles grumbles, as he tries to keep Sonic from toppling over.

“You’re just mad I’m having more than you,” Sonic says.

“You’re right. Babysitting isn’t my idea of fun.”

“That's why you left Amy to babysit the master emerald!”

“Aren’t you the one who said I needed a break?” Knuckles asked. He was getting annoyed with Sonic. Sonic was the one who begged him to get off the island and take a break for once. He would hardly call walking a drunk Sonic home a break. Knuckles unhooked Sonic’s arm around his neck, causing Sonic to topple over.

Knuckles couldn’t help but laugh as Sonic groaned, picking himself up from the sidewalk.

“Jerk,” Sonic mumbled, struggling to stand up straight.

“You know, I’ve been wondering all night about Amy,” Sonic says out of the blue.

Knuckles raised an eyebrow at that. “What do you mean?” He had already explained to Sonic why he entrusted her with the emerald for a week. She was strong, smart, and fiercely loyal. Amy was the perfect placeholder guardian, for a week or two at least. Besides, he knew Rouge wouldn’t attempt anything if he was gone. Knuckles knew part of the reason she even tried to steal the emerald was to get a rise out of him.

“You know, about if she knows,” Sonic says cryptically.

“Knows what?” Knuckles felt a bit nervous about what Sonic was saying. Or rather, what he wasn’t saying. Knuckles viewed Amy as a sister, and the thought of being completely unaware of something that could be rather important was jarring.

“Nah, forget it.”

“You can’t just say something like that and pretend it doesn’t matter.”

“Well, I’m not too sure you would like knowing,” Sonic chides, a smug grin appearing on his face.

“Didn’t think you could get more annoying.”

“Come on, you know you like me!”

Knuckles rolls his eyes. God, Sonic was obnoxious!
“Sonic, what does Amy not know?” Knuckles says his tone was stern.

“Well, it’s if she does know. You know?”

“Sonic.” Knuckles repeats. He was now standing up straight, shooting Sonic a death glare. Even an impaired Sonic knew not to push Knuckles too far.

“Fine, fine, fine,” Sonic mumbles, and pulls out his communicator. The communicator was a small round device that worked much like a cellphone. Sonic fumbled around with the small device for a moment or two.

“Here,” Sonic finally says, handing the device to Knuckles.

Knuckles stares at the tiny communicator in his gloved hand. He’s not entirely sure what to do with it, he’s not the best with technology.

“I’ll do it myself, lazy,” Sonic says, taking his communicator back. He fumbles around with it again, dropping it in the process. The screen cracks slightly, but that’s a problem for tomorrow Sonic. He picks up the communicator and hands it off to Knuckles again.

Knuckles down at the device, the screen displays a voicemail from Shadow! It surprised him that Shadow didn’t have Sonic blocked. He presses play and only hears fabric moving around for the first few seconds. There’s muffled speech in the background. Knuckles can’t figure out why Sonic deemed this voicemail so groundbreaking.

“I don’t know when it started! But it’s been this way for a while,” Shadow’s voice broke through the tiny speakers on the communicators. He sounded scared. Knuckles knew Shadow to be fearless. What could have shaken him up?

“Oh, honey,” Rouge said, her voice barely audible.

“Am I even allowed to like her?” Shadow asks.

“Of course you are.”

“But I’m-“ The audio cut off a bit.

“No you’re not, and you’ve worked hard to put that behind you. Anyone can see that! Especially Amy. From what you’ve said, it seems she’s always had faith in you.” Rouge says, her voice much clearer now.

There’s more movement, and Knuckles can’t make out any more coherent dialogue.

“You think I have a chance?” This is the last thing Knuckles hears before the voicemail ends.

Knuckles hands the communicator back to Sonic, he’s hoping he misunderstood the message. It was clear to Knuckles that was something he wasn’t meant to hear.

“I don’t think Amy knows.” Knuckles says, breaking the silence between him and Sonic.

“Shadow’s in love,” Sonic replies in a sing-song voice. He then clasps his hands together and asks, “Isn’t it wonderful?”

“Shadow and I are going to have to have a talk.”

“About what?”

“Remind me to never go to a bar with you again,” Knuckles groans. The walk home was going to feel much longer.

Chapter Text

“There’s just something about Amy. She’s done a lot for me and I never paid much mind to it. I’ve never even bothered to thank her for what she did for me on the ark.” Shadow says.

“Then thank her?” Rouge says. It seemed simple enough to her.

“No, that’s not enough. I just want a way to show her I appreciate her.”

Rouge paused for a moment. She was wise enough to know what Shadow was implying, even if Shadow wasn’t aware of what he was suggesting.

“Shadow, do you have a crush on her?”

Shadow froze, his eyes widening. Oh my god, this was too good! The amount of blackmail she could get out of this.

“Shadow awe, that’s so cute!” Rouge cooed.

“No, it’s not! I’m not supposed to be feeling things like that,” Shadow exclaims, pacing around the kitchen.

Rouge couldn’t help but roll her eyes. “Oh please, Mr. Ultimate-Life-Form. You’re a living being. Most of us get crushes.” She couldn’t help but believe Shadow was taking this all too seriously.

“No, it’s more than that. I just didn’t realize it until now.”

“Shadow, how long have you liked Amy?”

Shadow left the kitchen and flopped down onto the couch, placing his face in his hands. “I don’t know when it started! But it’s been this way for a while.”

“Oh, honey.”

“Am I even allowed to like her?” Shadow asks, refusing to make eye contact with Rouge.

“Of course you are.”

“But I was built to be a living weapon. I’ve done so many terrible things. I don’t feel like I deserve to have my feelings reciprocated. I’m nothing but a-”

Rouge cuts off Shadow before he can finish. “No, you’re not, and you’ve worked hard to put that behind you. Anyone can see that. Especially Amy! From what you’ve said, it seems she’s always had faith in you.” She realized how this was serious for Shadow. Of course, he was nervous. The mocking would have to come later.

“You think I have a chance?”

“I do. You’re a better person than you think you are,” Rouge says.

“I-” Shadow went to argue with her, but decided it wasn’t worth it. Rouge could be more stubborn than him. “Thank you.” That was all he ended up saying.

“At least try to ask her out. The worst she can say is no.”

“No promises,” Shadow mutters, removing himself from his spot on the couch.

“Damn it,” Shadow says, realizing he had accidentally sat on his communicator and called someone. It had gone straight to voicemail, so he tried not to worry about it too much. He already had enough to worry about!

Chapter Text

Shadow stood at the edge of his trawler. She was a smaller vessel compared to the other ships in the area, but she got the job done. She was old but reliable, much like Shadow himself. Shadow couldn’t tell you how long he’d been a fisherman. Fishing just always seemed to be a part of his life. When he was a kid and things got too rowdy at home, he could always rely on taking a walk down the pier. There, he’d pull out his fishing rod and spend the day seeing what he could catch. The sea breeze and the smell of the saltwater calmed him.

Shadow grunted as he pulled up his net from the deep blue water. He threw it down on the deck of the ship. The catches were suitable enough. He prepped the fish and made his way back to shore.

“You know, you’d catch more if you hired a crew,” Sonic said as he handed Shadow a large wad of cash. Shadow sold all his fish to Sonic. He paid Shadow well and usually stayed out of his business. Usually.

“A crew would just get in my way,” Shadow muttered.

“You’re impossible. You know that?”

“I’ll be back again tomorrow,” Shadow said. He decided he had enough of this conversation.

“You better! I’ve got to have something to sell.”

Sonic began laying the cod onto a tray of ice to keep the fish fresh. He couldn’t help but worry about Shadow sometimes. He was pretty sure the man lived on his boat. Sonic had tried to invite Shadow for drinks with him and some others, but he always declined.

Shadow made it back to his trawler. He was exhausted! Getting up before the sun every day made it nearly impossible for him to stay up any later than 8:30. He didn’t mind, though; he liked getting up early. Everything was quiet in the early hours of the day. Shadow sighed and crawled into bed. He knew tomorrow would be the exact same. Wake up, sail out, fish, and return to port… It was boring but safe. Safe and calm. He could deal with a little boredom if it meant security.

“Shit,” Shadow groaned. It was 4:30 AM, he had overslept. He tossed some clothes on and set out.

“Least one of us is on time,” Shadow joked as he watched the sunrise. Seeing the sun come up was the highlight of his day. It was like a gift, specifically meant for him. Shadow tossed the net out into the water. He sent the boat out to glide through the sea.

“That’s odd,” he mutters. He had barely been out and he could see there was something heavy in the net, as it was weighed down more than it should’ve been at this time of day. Shadow hoped he had gotten lucky. He started to pull the net up. He couldn’t recall a time it had ever been so heavy. Shadow's breathing became heavy as he kept pulling. He was now drenched in sweat. Maybe Sonic was right. He should’ve hired a crew!

“What the hell?” Shadow said as the net came closer to the surface. Whatever fish he had caught in the net was huge. Shadow knew he had captured something worthwhile even in the dim morning light. As he hoisted the net closer to the ship's deck, he squinted, trying to guess what he had caught. The silhouette didn’t look like any fish he’d ever caught.

“Oh god,” Shadow whispered, pulling the catch closer to him. It looked human. Had he found a murder victim? Someone who’d fallen off a ship? Adrenaline kicking in, he frantically pulled the net up onto the deck. The figure in the net was now flailing about. Shadow let out a breath. He didn’t know he had been holding one. He desperately began to untangle the net. The woman in it wouldn’t stop rolling around.

“You’re safe now. Please stop moving. You’ll get stuck more,” Shadow said, trying to ease her stress.

“Sir, please just stop!” The stuck woman shrieked, frantically flailing around.

“I’ve almost got you out. Just stay still.”

“No, no, no!” she cried.

“I won’t hurt you.”

The woman realized she had no choice but to take his word. She held still, silently hoping he wouldn’t react poorly when the inevitable happened. She took a deep breath.

“Oh,” Shadow said. He wasn’t entirely sure if what he was seeing was real. He blinked a few times and rubbed his eyes.

“Oh,” he repeated.

The top half of the woman was completely normal. She had short pink hair and green eyes that seemed to sparkle in the light. But, the bottom of her… To make a long story short, she didn’t have any legs. Rather, she had a shimmering vermillion tail. Her tail was almost as red as Shadow’s eyes. Shadow wasn’t too sure how to react. Without thinking, he blurted out, “You’re beautiful.”

“Thank you?” The mermaid replied, confused. She had been told her whole life that humans were something to be feared. She believed if she ever came in contact with a human, she’d die. But here she was, very much alive. For now, at least.

“So, what’s your name?” She asks.

Shadow snaps back to reality.

“I’m Shadow. You?”

“I’m Amy. Amy Rose.”

“Do mermaids know what roses are?”

Amy raises an eyebrow, before shaking her head no. She didn’t want to be talking to this man. But she was trying to play it cool.

“It was a stupid question, anyway. They’re, uh, a type of flower. Oh, you probably don’t know what those are either.”

Amy shakes her head again. Shadow mentally slaps himself. He’s rambling. This is probably the most he’s spoken to someone in years.

“You’re free to go. I apologize for capturing you.”

“It’s alright,” Amy mutters. She’s so confused. The man was being much too casual about this whole ordeal. She had at least expected him to scream! Not hold a normal conversation with her.

“Do all mermaids speak English?” Oh my god, Shadow was doing it again. He was internally screaming.

“What?”

“Nevermind, uh, sorry,” Shadow mutters, his face as red as Amy’s tail.

Amy chuckles. She didn’t know humans were so odd! It was endearing, really. She wanted to know more about this strange man. Amy also had questions for him, but knew it was wise to be on her way. She glanced around and realized she had no way of getting back into the water. The railing was much too high for her to grab and pull herself over.

“Shadow, do you think you’d be able to help me back into the water?” Amy asks. It was her turn to be embarrassed. Out of the water, she was helpless.

“Yeah, sorry. Didn’t even think about how’d you get back in.”

Shadow stares at her, trying to figure out the best way to pick her up. He decided carrying her bridal style would be the best way to go about it. He scoops her up. She’s a lot lighter than he expected. Her body is cold and clammy, much like a fish's. Shadow shivers when Amy puts her arms around him.

“Do I just drop you in?” Shadow asks. He feels guilty just throwing her into the water.

“I don’t see another way you could go about it.”

“Right, right.” Shadow hesitates despite knowing Amy was right. She wasn’t a fish. He felt guilty just tossing her overboard! Amy removes her arms from him. It’s clear she’s ready to go.

“Thank you. I really do appreciate your help. Even if you're the reason, I’m in this situation.”

“Sorry again,” Shadow says, before dropping her into the water. Amy gracefully dives into the deep blue.

With a quick splash, she was gone. Shadow stared at the water, hoping to catch a glimpse of her, but did not meet such luck. He sighed and returned to work. The whole day, thoughts of Amy swam around his head. He had so many questions to ask her. Shadow was sure Amy had much she wanted to tell him. On second thought, maybe not. She seemed afraid of Shadow. He hoped he didn’t weird her out. She honestly seemed more confused by the situation than he did.

The rest of the day went by agonizingly slow. The bit with Amy seemed like a blur, a dream even. As a matter of fact, when Shadow got to port, he couldn’t help but wonder if he imagined the whole thing.

“Earth to Shadow,” Sonic said, waving his hand in front of Shadow’s face. Shadow blinked, returning to reality.

“Right, sorry,” Shadow grunted, taking the money. He didn’t bother to stay to hear Sonic’s goodbye. Shadow pockets the money and makes his way down the boardwalk. He glances at some of the stands. There were the normal touristy attractions along with the typical food stand. Making his way to the pier, something catches his eye. A short woman selling flowers. The cart she was with was small and clearly well-loved.

“Want to make someone’s day? Buy some flowers!” She yells.

Shadow stops and looks at her selection. He glances over, stopping to stare at a bouquet of roses.

“You interested, sir?” The elderly woman asks.

“I’ll take the rose bouquet.”

“Who’s the lucky person you’re buying for?”

“No one in particular,” Shadow mutters, causing her to laugh.

“You have a pleasant night now!”

Shadow makes his way down the pier, carrying the enormous bouquet. He felt foolish for making the purchase. He usually wasn’t so impulsive. Did he even own a vase? He tears open the few cabinets he has, trying to see if he had something to put the bouquet in. Shadow settles for placing the bouquet in a whiskey vase. It would have to do.

“Idiot,” Shadow muttered to himself. The living space at the bottom of the boat was tiny, and it felt like they took up half the room. He had to admit, though, it was nice having a pop of color in his otherwise dull space.

It’s colder than usual when Shadow wakes up. He shivers and puts on a jacket. He knows it’ll get colder when he gets further from shore. The morning goes the same as usual. Sail out, toss the net, and wait. Hope bit at him as he hoped he’d come across Amy again. But he knew he wouldn’t be so lucky. Shadow plopped down onto his deck chair.

“Shadow!” He heard a high-pitched voice yell. He jumped out of the chair, completely disoriented. For a moment, he had no idea where he was. He whipped his head around trying to figure out who called him.

“Hello?”

“Shadow, down here!”

Shadow races to the guardrail, his eyes darting toward the water below.

“I was hoping this was your boat,” Amy calls out, her head poking out of the water

“Amy!” Shadow exclaims. He didn’t think he’d ever see her again. He didn’t even care why she was visiting him. Shadow was just delighted he could speak to her once more.

“I have some questions for you,” Amy shouts, struggling to keep her head above water. The waves lapped repeatedly, hitting her in the face. She didn’t seem to mind, though. She lived in the water, after all.

“Fire away.”

“What?”

“It’s an expression, it just means ask away.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Shadow stares at her for a moment, and Amy watches his eyes grow wide.

“Hold on a second,” Shadow says, racing out of sight. He remembered yesterday he had bought roses, and Amy had never seen roses! He picks up the whiskey glass that held the bouquet and runs back up to the deck.

“These are roses, Amy”
“Oh,” she breathed. Truth be told, she couldn’t see anything but a large blob of red. Mermaids typically had incredible eyesight, but Amy was an exception. She squinted, trying to see any details.

“Here,” Shadow says, plucking a rose from the bouquet and dropping it into the sea.

“It’s beautiful!” Amy exclaimed, holding the delicate flower in her hand. Now that it was close she could make out each delicate petal.

“Yeah,” Shadow sighed, admiring Amy. The sheer joy on her face was contagious.

Shadow spent the entire day telling Amy about the human world, while she enlightened him about the world below. It became a daily thing for them. Shadow would sail out to his spot and would spend the day chatting with Amy. His days became less monotonous. He now had something to look forward to.

-

“Have a nice day, Sonic,” Shadow smiled as he took the money from Sonic.

“Where is Shadow and what have you done with him?” Sonic jokes.
Shadow grunted in response.

“There’s the Shadow I know.”

Shadow grunted at that and made it back to his boat.

-

Shadow leaned against the railing on his trawler. He inhaled the salty sea air.

“I’ve been wondering, what made you want to come to speak to me?” Shadow asked. It had been on his mind for a while.

“I don’t know,” Amy answered truthfully. She wasn’t sure what made her come back, she just felt she needed to. Something in Amy just wanted to be near him. Maybe getting caught in the net was fate! Or her poor eyesight. But Amy liked to believe it was fate. She was a romantic at heart.

“Fair enough. I’m glad you did, though.”

Amy giggled, “Me too.”

-

4:00 AM, wake up, set sail, set up the net, and talk to Amy. Shadow felt almost giddy when he arrived at his usual spot. He threw the net out. Usually, that was Amy’s cue to poke her out of the water. He was met with nothing. He felt a twinge of disappointment but thought maybe she was running late. Shadow knew she had her own life down below. He knew she had a friend named Cream, who was just apparently the nicest little girl! Amy wished they were able to meet, but both knew that probably was for the best. He remembered Amy saying Cream’s mother didn’t like her getting too close to the surface.

He waited for her all day. Shadow watched the sunset. There was no point in waiting for her, she wasn’t coming. The disappointment he felt was crushing. He sailed back to peer trying to shove the sadness deep down. Good things can’t last. They never do.

Defeated, he makes his way to Sonic’s stand.

“Here’s the fish. Sorry, I’m late,” Shadow mutters defeated.

“Thank god you’re here!” Sonic exclaims, “This girl has been waiting for you all day.”

“What?”

Sonic points to a woman slumped over, leaning on Sonic’s stand. She’s sleeping.

“Amy?” Shadow asks.

“Shadow?” Amy quietly replies, still asleep.

“Shadow!” She repeats, fully awake now.

Amy looked different. Her hair was dry and had a slight wave to it. It was cute, the way her hair curled inwards to frame her face. Rather than her usual red top, she sported a red sundress. The most jarring change was that instead of having a tail, she had legs! Shadow would unpack all this later. For now, he was just happy to see her.

“Okay, good, you do know this girl. She stumbled up to me today soaking wet and hugged me. She thought I was you. Said she fell off a boat or something. You know anything about that?”

“I waited all day for you,” Shadow said, staring into Amy’s bright green eyes.

“Me too,” she laughed, standing up. Amy threw her arms around him. He tensed up before returning the embrace. He couldn’t remember the last time he hugged someone. Instead of her body being cold and clammy like before, she was now warm.

He pulled away from the embrace. “I have so many questions.”

Sonic interrupted the moment with a quick, “Me too.”

“All will be answered later. Let’s not ruin the moment,” Amy winked.

Chapter Text

“I don’t know what to do! He won’t wake up,” Amy says. She gestures towards Shadow, who is slumped over on her couch, drooling slightly.

“I have an idea,” Sonic replies, snickering. Sonic grabs his phone and takes a picture of Shadow with the flash on. He was sure that would’ve worked. Shadow could sense from a mile away when Sonic was doing something annoying. Sonic was convinced the photo would have awakened him, but no. The ebony hedgehog remained still, his chest slowly going up and down.

“At least he’s alive,” Sonic mutters. He hadn’t known Shadow to be a heavy sleeper.

“I think I’m just going to leave him there,” Amy says. She had tried everything she could think of to wake him up, but to no avail. She sighs, goes to her linen closet, and grabs a spare blanket, placing it onto Shadow. He quickly snuggled into it. Amy couldn’t help but find it cute.

“I mean, there’s not much else you can do. Night Ames.”

“Goodnight Sonic, and thanks for helping clean up.”

“No problem.” With that, Sonic was out the door. Amy locked the door and shut off the living room lights. She quickly whispered goodnight to Shadow. Amy wasn’t sure when he’d wake up, but decided not to worry about it. Shadow was polite. He’d probably just quietly leave in an hour or two.

Shadow jolted awake, the sun right in his eyes. He blinked a few times and rubbed his eyes. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to his surroundings. He certainly wasn’t in his bed, or hell, even his own couch!

“Oh no,” Shadow mutters, his head pounding. A wave of embarrassment washed over him. He’d fallen asleep at Amy’s housewarming party and spent the entire party and night on her couch.

“Good morning sleepyhead,” Amy smiles, standing in the doorway to the kitchen. Her quills are a mess, seeming to defy gravity. She’s in an oversized t-shirt and gripping a large coffee mug. God, she was beautiful.

“Amy I’m so sorry, I’m so embarrassed-” Shadow starts to ramble. He couldn’t believe it. She was being so casual while he wanted to die right then and there.

“It’s completely fine! You must’ve been exhausted. An earthquake wouldn’t have woken you up.”

“Yeah…” Shadow mutters. GUN had been working him to death lately. It was just mission after mission. Shadow barely had any free time. He had only planned to briefly stop by Amy’s party, but the second he sat down, all tension left his body. Besides the backache, Shadow had actually slept quite well.

“Since you’re here, want to stay for breakfast?”

“Oh no, I couldn’t. I’ve already overstayed my welcome.”

“Please, you’d be doing me a favor. I have a ton of food left over from last night!” She said. Amy went to the fridge and pulled out a pan still packed with cinnamon rolls. Shadow didn’t have a sweet tooth per se, but no one could resist Amy’s baking.

“If you insist,” Shadow replies, taking a seat in the kitchen.

Amy laughs and hands him a plate. The sheer mundane activity of sharing a meal with Amy delighted him. It appeared she was having a pleasant time too.

“We should do this again sometime. You’re good company,” Amy says, wiping her mouth with a napkin. Amy couldn’t recall a time when it was just the two of them. Well, just the two of them in a non-life or death situation. Shadow stared at her, confused.

“Hang out more, just one on one,” she clarifies.

“I’d like that,” Shadow says putting his plate in the sink. He was glad he had his back turned to Amy. Shadow didn’t want her to see the grin that was on his face.

Chapter Text

Amy tapped her fingers against her kitchen counter as she stared out a window. Her once luscious and full of greenery was now a greyish brown. The chill winter sky bore an even icer grey. It was going to snow. She could smell it. The air had that crisp smell to it. Feeling sluggish, she made her way to the couch, collapsing onto it. Amy turned on the TV to drown out the silence of her home. A copy-and-paste romantic holiday movie was on. Amy was sure she had seen this movie before. But she didn’t really care all too much. She liked the company.

She ended up having an unintentional movie marathon. Amy enjoyed trying to predict how the movies would. She grabbed a notepad and started keeping track of all the cliches should catch per movie.

“Ha, I knew it. I saw this coming from a mile away!” She cried, adding another tally mark. The male lead had just revealed that his father was Santa Claus. The phone on the table beside the couch starts to ring. Amy groans and pauses the movie.

“Hello, this is Amy Rose speaking. May I ask who is calling?”

“It’s Shadow. Come outside.”

“What? Why?”

“Just come out here and dress warmly.”

Shadow hangs up. Confused, Amy obliges and puts on her coat and a scarf. Since she and Shadow started dating, they’ve had multiple conversations about communication. He had gotten better but still tended to be quite vague. Shadow was not a man of many words. Struggling to open the door, Amy finally rams herself into it, causing her to go flying onto the ground. She plunges into cold, deep snow. When Amy manages to pull up her head out of the snow, she sees Shadow. He’s just standing there watching her struggle and laughing.

“Help me up,” she says, holding her hand up to him. She’s deeply embarrassed. How long had it been snowing? Shadow pulls her up from the ground.

“Why did you call me out here?” Amy asks, teeth chattering.

“I thought we could take a late-night walk in the snow.”

“You’re not even wearing a coat,” Amy mutters, taking her scarf off and wrapping it around his neck. “Now we can go.” She says, patting Shadow’s chest. He huffs at her, but Amy knew he was delighted. They link arms and walk on the unplowed road. The snow is ankle-deep and illuminates what would’ve been an otherwise dark night. Bare tree branches were blanketed with snow. There wasn’t any sound except the crunch of Shadow and Amy’s footsteps.

“What made you want to do this?” Amy asked.

“I couldn’t sleep,” Shadow replied.

Shadow usually couldn’t fall asleep. Most nights, after hours of tossing and turning, he’d take a ride on his motorcycle. It helped make his thoughts quieter. The revving of the engine and the sound of the wind calmed him down. But tonight he couldn’t do that. Roads were unsafe. Now, of course, Shadow wasn’t worried for his own safety. He was the ultimate life form, after all. Rather, he was more concerned with hurting someone else.

“So, it wasn’t because you missed me?” Amy joked.

“That may have been a part of it.”

Shadow pulled Amy closer to him. Her body was noticeably cooler than his.

“Want me to walk you home?” Shadow says. He could sense she was getting uncomfortable.

“Please,” Amy said, shivering. It had started snowing again and she could feel the temperature drop. She dusted some snowflakes off her coat.

The two retrace their steps and make it back to Amy’s small home. Shadow was about to bid her farewell when Amy stopped him.

“You’re not walking home in this!” Amy exclaimed.

“I can chaos control back.”

“Just get inside,” Amy said, dragging him into her home. She stomped the snow off her boots and Shadow did the same.

“Sit down on the couch. I’ll make us some tea.”

Shadow obliged. He picked up the notepad that Amy had left on the couch. Confused, he studied it trying to make sense of all the assorted tally marks.

“What is this for?” Shadow asks.

Amy pokes her head from the kitchen entrance. “Oh, that’s nothing,” she says, slightly embarrassed. She didn’t want to tell Shadow she’d been counting cliches in terrible romance movies.

“You have nice handwriting,” Shadow comments, flipping through the notebook. There wasn’t much of interest written down. Mainly recipes she’d copied down and appointments she needed to schedule.
He liked seeing the little pieces of her life. She was quite organized. Eventually, he flipped through the entire thing.

Amy steps into the living room holding two steaming mugs with tea. She gently sets them down on the ottoman and plops down next to Shadow. Shadow tenses for a moment when she leans against him, but quickly relaxes. He was still getting used to physical touch. He liked it a lot, just initiating it was a struggle. Thankfully, this kind of stuff seemed to come easily to Amy.

“You want to watch something?” Shadow asks, trying to find an excuse to stay longer. Of course, Amy would let him stay as long as he wanted. Shadow just needed to justify it to himself. When he looked down and saw Amy was fast asleep.

“Nevermind,” he whispered, running his hands through Amy’s quills. They were soft, and soon Shadow found himself falling asleep.

The sun came into the room, almost blinding Shadow when he opened his eyes. He felt a sense of déjà vu. There was a weight on his chest. But it wasn’t the mental weight, it was the physical kind. The type that made him feel safe.

“Oh,” Shadow whispered, a blush creeping onto his muzzle.

There was Amy pressed up against his chest, sleeping soundly. Everything was still. The tea Amy had placed on the ottoman hadn’t been touched. The snow had long since stopped. It was quiet, except for the sound of Amy sleeping. He could stay like this all day.