Chapter Text
Cover Art by Electrikitty
‘Rouge?’
‘Mm?’ Rouge stirred and rolled onto her front, closing her eyes against the sunlight streaming through their bedroom window. She could smell fresh espresso, and she could hear the occasional whisper of newspaper pages being turned.
‘Don’t make any plans for Valentine’s Day this year,’ Shadow said.
‘Well, good morning to you too,’ she murmured. ‘Did you get an ill-timed assignment from GUN?’
‘No.’ He placed one hand on her back, finding a place between her wings. After a moment of hesitation, he said, ‘I wasn’t finished. Don’t make any plans. Just pack an overnight bag and wear something nice.’
Rouge blinked several times. ‘Am I still asleep? I must be dreaming. I could have sworn that I heard you take initiative for once.’
Shadow grunted and sank back against the pillows, gazing at the newspaper lying in his lap. ‘Shocking concept, I know.’ His words were casual, but something about his tone made her look up and stare at him until he noticed. He grasped the edge of a page to turn it, creasing it between his thumb and forefinger. ‘You’re the one who always organises this type of thing. I thought I’d have a go at it for a change.’
‘Well, I do enjoy planning, but…’ Rouge rolled onto her back, resting her head in his lap and sending the newspaper sliding across the coverlet. She grinned up at him. ‘I also like surprises. So surprise me, handsome.’
His gaze softened, and he gave her shoulder a squeeze. ‘As you wish.’
She should have asked more questions, in hindsight. She should have asked what shoes she should wear. For all she knew, he was going to take her hiking on the South Island, but hopefully, he knew her better than that. She perched on her hard-shell suitcase and rested one elbow on the handle. The seconds ticked by, and she examined her claws as she waited for Shadow to appear. He’d vanished before she had woken up, leaving her a note that said, ‘Be ready by 11 am.’
A flash of green light bathed their apartment, and she covered her eyes with one hand. She heard the familiar sound of his metal shoes clicking on the tiles, and she lowered her hand to see him standing in front of her, holding a Chaos Emerald.
‘Well?’ Shadow turned to face her. ‘Are you ready to…’
He trailed off, and Rouge grinned, daintily slipping off the suitcase. ‘What? You’re the one who told me to wear something nice.’ Her golden dress swirled around her, sparkling like champagne. Her sandals and purse had a crimson hue, and their clasps were embedded with crystals.
The Emerald fell out of Shadow’s hand. It clattered on the floor, and she fought the urge to snatch it up and take it for herself. He spared the gem a glance, staring at it as though it had jumped from his palm, but he could barely tear his gaze away from her.
She knew she looked good. She knew that the sight of her freshly curled fur against her skin looked like waves on the shore. She knew that her makeup was perfect – red lips and metallic gold eyeshadow. She knew all that… but she hadn’t known that she had the power to actually take his breath away.
She stepped up to him, resting one hand on his chest. Her exceptional hearing wasn’t a secret, but she often wondered if he realised just how audible his attraction to her was. Sometimes she could hear his breath catch in his throat, hear his heart race in his chest, and hear his blood pooling in his body. ‘Breathe, sweetheart. I don’t want you fainting on me.’
‘I don’t faint.’ Shadow leaned down, snatched up the Emerald, and straightened up again. But his pulse quickened the moment his gaze returned to her, and he half smiled. ‘You look…’ His words caught in his throat, and he carefully cupped her face with one hand. He searched her eyes, as though looking for something. ‘You look beautiful.’
Rouge wanted to say something flippant like, ‘of course,’ but she couldn’t quite get the words past her lips. ‘I could say the same for you.’ She splayed her hands on his chest, grinning at him. ‘You dressed up just for me, didn’t you?’
He could try to deny it, but it would be an exercise in futility. His attire was too well-suited to her tastes. His suit jacket was adorned with gold cufflinks she had given him as a gift several years ago. His shirt was half-buttoned, and he was wearing pants with belt loops just to indulge her habit of toying with them. His wrist and ankle guards were missing, and his usual white gloves had been replaced with soft black leather ones.
‘I don’t know if it was worth the effort.’ Shadow glanced down at himself. ‘Knowing you, it’s just a matter of time before you take it all off.’
Rouge’s mouth fell open, and he grasped the handle of her suitcase, disappearing in a flash of green light and coming back empty-handed.
‘I-I have some self-restraint, you know!’ she protested.
Shadow leaned in, placing one hand on her waist and materialising his Emerald in the other. His cologne wafted around her – a bittersweet, musky scent that reminded her of countless late nights spent in intimate settings. ‘You don’t have that much of it.’
‘Neither do you,’ Rouge teased. She slipped her fingers through one of his belt loops and gave it a gentle tug, pulling him even closer. His body arched subtly, as though he were being drawn to her like a magnet, and he bit back a smile.
‘Let’s get out of here,’ Shadow said under his breath. ‘Before I ruin your makeup and before you derail my plans.’
‘Me?’ Her fingertips travelled from his hips to his waist, and his pulse skittered. ‘How could I possibly –’
He leaned in, closing his eyes and kissing her on the lips. She could tell that he was moments away from his resolve giving way, and she slipped her hands inside his jacket, caressing his lower back.
‘That’s how,’ Shadow murmured, and he held her close. ‘You stayed by my side for all those years, even when I did nothing to return your affections. You won me over. You mean the world to me.’
Rouge looked up at him, stunned. It wasn’t that he was never affectionate. But even after all this time, he was still a person of very few words. She liked to think that he’d opened up because of her, but sometimes it was hard to believe that she was capable of bringing about this kind of change. Or maybe he’d been like this all along, and she had just coaxed it out.
‘Careful, handsome,’ Rouge said, leaning in even closer. ‘Keep talking like that, and you’ll get lipstick on your collar –‘
He swiftly let her go and held her by the hand instead. ‘Well, we don’t have time for that. Ready to go?’ The Emerald in his hand glowed, blinding green light enveloped them.
She grinned and said, ‘Of course. Born ready.’
Their world fractured. Her cells fizzed as they disintegrated and reunited, taking her far, far away from their apartment in Central City.