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(Shadow has been fully accepted by Sonic and Co. at this point)
Shadow didn’t totally understand the premise of a “girls’ night”, but what he did know is that typically, guys weren’t allowed. Why he had decided to take Amy up on her offer was beyond him. He knocked gently on her front door, praying he had the right address. When no one responded he knocked a little bit louder.
Maybe I do have the wrong address, maybe I got the date wrong, maybe-
Shadow’s thoughts were interrupted by the slight creak of the door being unlocked. Amy smiled at him.
“Shadow! I’m so happy you made it, come on in,” She waved with a grin.
Shadow stepped over the door frame, careful not to trip. He set his bag down and moved to untie his skates. Somebody other than Amy spoke up, He’d forgotten other people would be here.
“Shadow, did you skate all the way here?” Asked Rouge, no teasing tone to her voice.
Shadow nodded.
“I could’ve picked you up. Just talk to me next time you need a ride, okay?”
Her face was sincere, yet slightly worried. Shadow hated making other people worry about him, but he was used to Rouge fretting over him. He just shrugged in response, setting his skates down gently next to the other shoes near the door. He almost forgot other people didn’t wear their shoes in their houses.
Amy motioned for him to come join the rest of them in what must’ve been her living room. Shadow took note of the people he’d be spending the night with. Amy was obviously there, seeing as it was her house; Rouge was the one who convinced him to accept Amy’s invitation, and Blaze was to be expected, seeing as she and Amy got along.
He moved to sit down by Rouge, listening quietly to whatever small talk the girls had picked back up after letting him in. Rouge turned away slightly, nudging Shadow gently.
“You alright? You know you can leave whenever, I’ll take you home if you don’t want to stay the night.” Her green eyes were soft and sincere, standing out against her choice baby blue eyeshadow.
Shadow shook his head, “I’m fine, for now at least. I think I can handle whatever usually happens at a sleepover.”
Shadow already felt visually out of place amongst the girls. His unbrushed hair, old band t-shirt and ratty flannel pants stuck out like a sore thumb next to the matching pajama sets and well kept appearances of his roommates for the night.
“Speaking of, what do you wanna do, Shadow? We can do whatever you’re comfortable with.”
Shadow thought for a moment, running his hand through his black and red hair, occasionally picking at a knot.
“I’ve never really had a ‘sleepover’ or whatever, so I guess I don’t know what I like.”
Amy looked surprised, “Never? Well, then I guess we’ve got to give you the full ‘girls night sleepover’ experience.”
Rouge stimmed with excitement, pulling Shadow close before letting him go quickly.
“Sorry, I know, you’re not a touchy guy, but this is going to be so much fun! And obviously tell one of us if you don’t wanna do something, we’re not going to force you to do something just because we want to, hun.”
Shadow couldn’t hide the small grin on his face.
“I want the full sleepover experience, in case I decide I hate it after tonight.”
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
Shadow regretted giving the girls full reign over the night.
The problem wasn’t him feeling out of place. He felt more seen than ever, and that scared him; being vulnerable. Shadow liked to keep his home life separate from everything else. He already felt he was oversharing when he mentioned never having been to a sleepover.
Was that really such a normal teenage experience it was unheard of if someone had never been?
Maybe it was when Amy offered to brush his hair, untangling the wild mess it’d become due to the bed rotting he frequently did, and said nothing about it. Not a single question or judgment, she was just happy she got to put his hair up in one of her fluffy headbands she’d bought for the group.
Maybe it was when Rouge helped him repaint his nails without messing up his right side, or when Blaze offered to lend him a spare shirt when she noticed his had holes in it.
Shadow wasn’t used to this kind of closeness. It felt foreign to him, like he didn’t deserve it.
As the time went by, Shadow grew comfortable letting his guard down around the girls. He found himself enjoying his time, talking and trying whatever Amy wanted him to. It felt nice, knowing his presence made her so happy, and that Rouge always had his back.
The four were settled on the couch together, some movie Amy put on as background noise playing idly on the TV as they talked and gossipped.
“Rouge, I don’t say it enough but I always love your eyeshadow. It’s always so pigmented, what do you use?” Blaze asked. Shadow was a little more familiar with this aspect of a sleepover. Every teenage coming of age movie had it.
Rouge responded with what Shadow already knew, seeing as he was the one going shopping with her most of the time.
“Thank you hun, and to be honest I think it’s a combination of the brand and the brush I use. It’s not really my forte, seeing as Shadow helped me anyways.”
Shadow felt his face go nearly as red as his hair, not expecting the compliment, or to be called out like that, positive or not.
Blaze turned to Shadow, “I’d believe it, seeing as his eyeliner has always been flawless”
Shadow shrugged, a shy smile playing at the corners of his mouth, “Thanks, it’s nothing crazy, seeing as I taught myself in middle school.”
Rouge playfully pushed him, “Quit being so bashful, He’s been doing my makeup since we were little.”
Amy’s eyes lit up, “We should all do each others’! I think it’d be fun to see other people’s styles,” She smiled at Shadow, “Only if you’re up for it of course.”
“I don’t see why I wouldn't be.”
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
Shadow hadn’t had this much fun, laughed this much in a long time.
They were all taking pictures together, some mirror shots and some on Amy’s polaroid for keepsakes in the morning.
And Shadow was actually enjoying it.
He shook the polaroid Amy had handed him gently, watching as the picture slowly developed and came into view.
He rarely smiled in pictures, yet there he was; smiling like he didn’t have a care in the world. The corners of his mouth tilted upwards in a small smile. He was happy Amy had managed to capture that moment for him.
It turns out, doing makeup with friends was something Shadow really enjoyed. He didn’t realize how much he’d missed when he and Rouge would do each other’s, trying new colors or more artsy styles when they were bored.
Amy was ecstatic upon seeing Shadow’s handiwork, happy with how her makeup turned out and happy Shadow was having a good time. Seeing Shadow happy made her happy.
After numerous posts on various social medias, the group settled down in the living room again, where Amy was passing around various snacks. Shadow was surprised to see that most of them were his favorites. Rouge passed him a bag of licorice with a smile and a small wink.
“Amy texted me awhile back asking what snacks you liked.”
Shadow accepted the strawberry straws with a small, “Thank you,” in Amy’s general direction.
The pink haired girl just smiled back at him.
Rouge had one of her hundred playlists on shuffle, serving as familiar background noise while the group talked, this time with Shadow more involved. They talked about growing up and going to the same middle school, about dumb things that happened in the past, and about plans for the future, with Shadow chiming in every now and again.
“Do you guys remember when that one teacher lost his mind because Rouge had mascara on?” Blaze reminisced.
“Oh my god, yes! It wasn’t even against the dress code, my parents were SO mad”
Shadow joined in, “And then I had to help you take it off at lunch in the teacher’s bathroom.”
“Oh my god that was you guys? I had that teacher in the afternoon and he wouldn’t stop complaining about how ‘kids need to stop wearing makeup at such a young age’”
Rouge laughed at that comment, nostalgia making the event seem a lot funnier than it did in the moment.
“I wish we all could’ve been friends back then, it would’ve made high school a lot easier,” She sighed, knowing why they hadn’t been friends but choosing not to mention it.
“Yeah, but I’m glad we’re friends now. Things were different back then,” Amy said, her face falling slightly.
Rouge tried to lighten the mood, “They were way different, I think I had a crush on knuckles at one point there.”
“ W h a t,” Shadow said, sharply turning to Rouge.
“You never told me this?!”
Rouge laughed at the speed at which Shadow responded, his jaw had practically hit the floor.
“And that’s exactly why I didn’t tell you, it was stupid anyways…” She said trailing off.
“I don’t think it was stupid, Rouge. Even young love can mean something, regardless if it was a crush or something real.”
“Since when did you become the love expert?” Asked Blaze
“Since… forever I guess. I love ‘love’” She said happily.
“And did little miss cupid have a childhood crush of her own? I used to think you had a thing for Sonic when he moved.”
Shadow couldn’t help but feel jealous for some reason.
Amy’s face went nearly as pink as her hair.
“ Absolutely not, he’s my best friend and nothing else.”
“Okay, okay, I’m sorry. I said used to, I see that you guys are purely platonic,” Blaze said apologetically.
“I hated when people always thought me and Silver were dating. Like, hello? He’s gay and I’m not all that into guys, doesn’t really work that way.” Blaze said apologetically.
“I knew Silver was gay but I didn’t know you were queer, Blaze. That’s really cool,” Amy said, trailing off awkwardly as she didn’t quite know how to finish her thought
“It’s whatever, honestly. Silver’s parents aren’t super accepting so I was the only one he had to confide in for a while. I think that’s part of the reason we were so close growing up.”
“Same with me and Shadow, sometimes all you need is one good friend,” Rouge said, nudging Shadow affectionately.
“How did I not know so many people here were queer?” Amy said, her tone joking yet also genuinely shocked.
Shadow’s face matched his highlights again.
Rouge quickly corrected herself, realizing how her wording sounded, “I meant that Shadow and I only really had each other to confide in, I didn’t mean to imply Shadow was also queer.”
Shadow felt like Rouge was digging his grave deeper and deeper with every correction.
“Not to say that he is or isn’t, because that’s not my place, of course.”
She said, making awkward eye contact with Shadow as if to silently apologize for the situation she just got them into.
Shadow awkwardly laughed, trying to diffuse the tension.
“You’re fine, Rouge. We know what you meant,” he said with a small chuckle.
His face dropped somewhat as he contemplated what to say next.
“And to be honest, I don’t really know where I fall. I’ve kinda just been avoiding it all together hoping it’ll work itself out, but clearly that’s not happening.”
Rouge looked slightly surprised, but happy. She placed her hand gently on his own.
“Shads, how long have you felt like this?”
Shadow shrugged, “Maybe a good two or three years. I don’t really know,” he said, trying to act like it was no big deal. Like he didn’t care about it.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, Rouge”
She traced small, comforting circles on the back of his hand with her thumb.
It’s okay, she mouthed silently.
Amy moved from her spot on the couch to come sit next to him and Rouge. Blaze also following
“We can change the topic if it’s something you don’t want to talk about, but it was very brave of you to open up like that.” Amy said with a genuine smile
Shadow felt a little lighter, finally getting those words off his chest. Amy’s sincere gesture made him feel safe, like he could say anything on his mind and she wouldn’t judge him for it.
“No, it’s fine. It feels… good to finally say it out loud.” He said with a small but genuine smile. He looked over at Blaze, “How did you know you liked somebody? Of the other gender, I mean.”
Blaze thought carefully, “Well, ‘liking’ somebody feels different for everyone. But I guess it’s a similar but different feeling to knowing someone’s your best friend. You think about them a lot, and they make you unconditionally happy. Somebody you could see yourself growing old with.” She smiled thoughtfully to herself.
“That makes sense, I guess.” Shadow said, reflecting on his own thoughts and relationships.
Rouge feigned a gasp, “Does my best friend have a crush on somebody?”
Shadow shoved her playfully, ”I’ll never tell,” he said, rolling his eyes at her.
“Do I know him? Oh my god we all could totally wingman, or would it be wingwoman? Whatever, we can totally help you if you want to ask this guy out,” She said excitedly, Amy and Blaze nodding in agreement.
“Please can we have a hint Shadow, pleaaaaaase,” Amy practically begged.
“Oh my god, fine. Just quit being so weird, both of you.” Shadow said with a laugh.
“You all know him-” he was quickly interrupted by Amy.
“Please tell me it’s not Knuckles he’s too stupid for you-”
“IT’S NOT KNUCKLES”
“I really don’t think it’s an enemies to lovers thing, so it’s not Silver. You’re not really his type anyways…” Blaze thought out loud.
“Y’know what, maybe I won’t tell you now if you’re all going to keep making bullshit guesses,” Shadow crossed his arms defiantly, turning his head away for dramatic effect.
“I didn’t even get to guess, this is unfair,” Rouge said, matching his energy and crossing her arms as well with a smirk that said she was only joking.
“Fiiiiine, you get the last guess, but make it count. I swear to god if you say something stupid like one of the Corentin siblings I’m gonna smack the shit out of you, Rouge.”
Rouge laughed as Shadow attempted to come off as serious.
“I’m not kidding! I’ll do it I swear,” He said, facade falling as he too started laughing with Rouge.
“Okay okay, Mr. Tough Guy,” she stopped a moment to gather her thoughts, trying to think of any other guys all of them knew.
“I’m gonna take a shot in the dark here, so don’t get all pissy and ‘offended’ when I’m wrong. Sonic?”
Shadow was noticeably looking anywhere but at Rouge.
“Oh my god was I right? Is it Sonic?”
Shadow attempted to keep a straight face, “I’ll never tell”
“There’s no need to be embarrassed, none of us are going to say anything to him unless you explicitly say so. Pinkie promise,” Amy said, holding out her pinkie and motioning for the other to do so as well.
Shadow rolled his eyes, “I’m not making you guys ‘pinkie promise’, what are we, 9?”
Amy huffed, “whatever, party pooper, it’s the thought that counts.”
“But seriously though, do you guys think I have a chance? I need you to be painfully honest so I can bury this deep down if it’s not realistically going anywhere.”
“1. What have we said about repressing emotions, 2. I think it’s obvious he likes you, I'm just not sure if it’s platonic or if there’s something romantic to it,” Rouge stated.
He rolled his eyes for what felt like the millionth time, a slight smile forming “You’re not my ther
apist”
Rouge smiled back, raising an eyebrow, “No duh, I’ve been looking out for you since 5th grade and haven’t been paid once.”
“God I hate you,” said Shadow with a smile.
“Love you too Shads.”