Chapter Text
Shadow was passing through Seaside City when he bumped into Amy.
When he literally bumped into Amy.
The pink hedgehog was exiting a store in a hurry, not at all looking where she was going until it was too late. She turned and smacked right into Shadow as he happened to be walking by. He let out a hiss of discomfort at the impact of her forehead against his chin.
“Ohmigosh,” Amy gasped. She stumbled back, hands flying to her mouth in mortification. “I-I’m so sorry, I wasn’t looking where I – Shadow?”
“Rose,” he regarded her as he rubbed the sore spot. “Don’t worry about it.”
“Chaos, I’m so, so sorry, Shadow!”
“It’s really not a problem. You have places to be, it seems.”
“Oh.” Amy sucked in her breath and nodded slowly. “I… I guess you could say that, yeah.”
“You ‘guess’?”
“Well…”
She trailed off and glanced back inside the store. Following her eyes through the window, Shadow found himself looking at a male employee idly chatting with a couple girls at the counter. Despite the physical barrier between them, the employee was doing everything in his power to stand as close as possible to them. Shadow inhaled sharply and turned back to Amy with a scowl.
“Did that creep do something to you?”
The pink hedgehog said nothing, instead continuing to watch the scene with a hard, unforgiving stare until the girls finally walked away. A faint breath of relief escaped her before she returned her focus to Shadow. The sudden weight of her eyes on him made his chest turn cold, then impossibly warm. He concentrated on extinguishing the feeling altogether.
“Let me know if you need any help in the dressing room, babe, ” Amy said in a deeply exaggerated tone. Her nose wrinkled in disgust at the last word, as did Shadow’s. “Ugh, I dunno. I’m usually good at handling stuff like this, but he was just being so damn persistent about it.”
He narrowed his eyes. “How so?”
“Like… Checking in on me way more than necessary while I was trying stuff on? It was so overwhelming, I couldn’t even think of confronting him about it. I just… I just needed to leave, y’know?” As she spoke, Shadow struggled to keep it together. The thought of that sleaze circling around Amy while she was in the dressing room made his blood fucking boil . But Amy, ever the upstanding Mobian, put on a brave face and waved a hand to dismiss the troubling nature of her story. “Whatever, though. It’s fine. I’ll just come back some other time when he’s not around.”
“No, it is not fine. Stay right here.”
“Wait, where are you going?”
“To break his legs.”
“What?!”
Sensing that Shadow wasn’t kidding – because he wasn’t – Amy latched onto one of his arms. The contact instantly rendered him immobile.
Dazed, confused, and immobile, as no Ultimate Lifeform should ever be.
If only he wasn’t so fond of her. Though, really, how could he not be? Amy was special; her unyielding faith in the goodness of others was what helped him remember his promise to Maria. But to say his feelings for the pink hedgehog stopped there would be a lie. He was fond of her, yes, but for reasons extending far beyond gratitude. Her smile, her laughter, her animated expressions and passionate nature – it all inspired in him a strange, dizzying sort of delight that never seemed to go away, terrorizing Shadow as much as it excited him.
Truthfully, he could spend the rest of his life quietly marveling at her existence. The torture of it be damned.
“No way am I letting you get us both banned before I finish my shopping,” Amy continued, giving his arm a firm yet well meaning tug. He pressed his lips together in a tight, thin line and avoided her eyes. “Come on, enough about that loser. Let’s go get something to drink, my treat! It’s the least I can do after knocking into you like that.”
“It’s fine,” he muttered.
“No, it’s not fine,” she threw back at him with a pout. “Besides, it’s been nearly a month since I saw you last! Who knows when we’ll get another chance to hang out like this?”
Unless she was counting battling badniks and thwarting Eggman’s schemes, Shadow couldn’t recall any time they had ‘hung out’. Was she trying to suggest they start doing so? Realizing his earlier dismissal could be interpreted as a lack of interest, Shadow cleared his throat and added, “You’re right. I’ve been pretty busy with GUN lately.”
“Which is why you need to loosen up and have fun every once in a while, don’t you think?”
“Maybe.” The corners of his lips tugged into a small, barely-there smile. “When you put it that way… Yeah. I guess a drink couldn’t hurt.”
“Great! There’s this super cute new milk tea café that just opened up down the street, have you been yet? It’s called Q-Teas and it’s so good!”
As she spoke, Amy released him and excitedly clasped her hands together. To compensate for the sudden loss of her touch, Shadow crossed his arms in a subtle effort to place a hand over where hers had been. The spot was still warm.
“That’s what you meant by a drink?”
“Oh, yeah, no. We’re staying sober. You don’t want to see a tipsy Amy.”
“Noted,” he chuckled. “Well, to be honest with you, I’ve never had the stuff. Milk tea, I mean. This’ll be my first time.”
Amy’s hands flew to the sides of her face in mortification. “No way? Okay, now we have to go. I have to make sure your first drink is perfect!”
Before he could even come up with a response, she slipped her hand in his and, in typical Amy Rose fashion, pulled him along without another word. She thankfully remained too focused on their destination to notice the furious blush coloring Shadow’s cheeks.
::
“Alright, here it is! One oolong milk tea with heart-shaped strawberry jelly, 50% sweetness, and less ice,” she announced, presenting Shadow with his drink. From his seat at the table, he eyed the cup before leaning over and taking a sip straight from Amy’s hand. The pink hedgehog snorted and shoved it towards his chest, forcing him to hold it himself. “Well? How is it?”
“It’s good. Thank you,” he replied in earnest. “I might wait for the ice to melt and water it down, though. It’s a little sweet.”
“Really? But it’s half the usual amount!”
“I’m not super big on sweets. Plus these… heart things at the bottom are pretty sweet on their own.”
Amy pouted and took a seat across from him at the table. “Sorry about that… Next time you come to a place like this, just say you want sweetness at a minimum.”
“Don’t apologize. It’s good,” Shadow reassured her. Eyeing the colorful drink Amy ordered, he added, “What’d you get?”
“So I usually get something like rose or earl grey milk tea, but honestly? I’m not super in the mood for something heavy right now. I got a mango jasmine tea with those same heart jellies instead.” Grinning, she held her drink towards him. He could see the shiny residue of her lip gloss coating the top of the straw. “Wanna try?”
Shadow’s mouth went dry.
“No thanks. Yours is probably even sweeter than this one.”
Amy’s look turned mischievous. “How’d you know? I was planning to send a real shock to your system.”
“Had a feeling. You’re definitely the type of person way into sweets.”
“Hmph! The next time I make cookies, I’m stuffing your share with salt.”
“That’s fine,” he replied with a shrug. “I’ll still eat them.”
Amy frowned and tilted her head. “You will?”
“Sure. My tastebuds are designed to neutralize any poisonous substances they come into contact with, so –”
“Shut up ,” she gasped, giving him a playful kick under the table. Unable to help himself, Shadow snickered at her reaction and swung his legs out of her reach. “You jerk!”
“A jerk, am I?” He smirked. “Even after agreeing to come here with you?”
“That just makes you an even bigger jerk for taking advantage of my kindness. The ultimate jerk.”
“Ultimate, huh? Well, so long as you’re dishing out compliments…”
Amy looked like she wanted to say more, but laughter breached her lips first. Stifling it against her palm, she shook as she tried to contain herself. Shadow raised a brow.
“Sorry,” she giggled. “It’s just… seeing this side of you is so fun.”
Embarrassment creeped up the back of his neck. “Q-Quiet, you.”
“No, it’s true,” and she removed her hand, revealing to him her flushed cheeks and wide grin. “But don’t worry. I like all sides of you, Shadow. I always have.”
“Ah –”
Caught off guard, Shadow gripped his drink a little too hard. The plastic strained, catching Amy’s attention and causing her ears to flatten sheepishly.
“Sorry! That… That came out kinda weird, didn’t it?”
“N-No,” he said quickly. “Not at all.”
“I know I have a history of being too much a lot of the time. So, like… if I ever make you feel uncomfortable in any way, please let me know.”
“What?” Shadow frowned. “You don’t make me uncomfortable. If you did, I wouldn’t be here right now. Besides, Rose, I –”
I like being around you.
The words refused to come out, however, instead lodging themselves in his throat. Shadow swallowed thickly.
“I, uh…”
Thankfully, Amy seemed to know where he was going. She smiled with the warmth of understanding.
“Thanks, Shadow.”
“Thanks for inviting me out,” he mumbled. His tongue felt heavy.
“And thank you for agreeing to it. I was honestly having a pretty shitty day before running into you, so this has been really nice.”
Shadow’s lips twitched. “Because of that jerk earlier?”
“No, not necessarily. It’s just been one of those days… I dunno. Like, the kind where you wake up and everything constantly feels bad, you know?” She gave a nonchalant shrug and leaned back in her seat. In silence, she turned to look out the nearby window. Her gaze grew blank, fixated on nothing. “I don’t know why, but I feel like I’ve been having more and more of these days lately.”
Shadow remained silent. He only looked out the window as well, knowing there was nothing to see but wanting to keep her company regardless. Amy noticed. She glanced at him with a small smile.
“Did you know me and Sonic went on a date last month?”
“I didn’t,” he lied. Of course he knew: Sonic told him all about it the last time they saw each other, his happiness clear as fucking day. For all the respect Shadow secretly harbored towards the blue hedgehog, he just couldn’t excuse Sonic refusing Amy for years only to fall head over heels for her in a single night. It made him sick. “How’d it go?”
“It went well. He asked me out again a week after that.” Amy paused, took a long sip from her drink, and sighed, “I turned him down.”
Shadow nearly fell out of his seat in shock.
“You turned down Sonic?”
“Sure did. Didn’t think I had it in me, did you?”
He hesitated. “It’s not that, it’s just…”
“Just not what you were expecting,” Amy finished for him, amusement in her eyes. “And you’re right. I don’t even think I was expecting to respond the way I did.”
“If you don’t mind me asking,” he said after a long, quiet moment, “What made you change your mind about him?”
“Growing up, I guess.” Amy forced a laugh and absentmindedly stirred her drink. “It was pretty easy loving Sonic back when we were kids. I didn’t know the first thing about how relationships actually worked, y’know? But as I got older and realized how much time and effort they need to survive… Well, you know how Sonic is. He enjoys his freedom, and as much as I love that for him, I just – I don’t think we would’ve lasted very long in the end. So I rejected him. Pretty shitty of me, huh?”
Shadow fought to keep his expression neutral. “How so?”
“I mean, I kinda led him on, didn’t I? I chased him around for years, only for it to turn out like this. It’s shitty.”
“Not at all. You just grew up, like you said. It’s realistic.”
“Can’t it be both?”
“I mean, sure, why not?” Frowning, he crossed his arms and stared at her straight on. Amy froze. “I doubt it’s the case, but let’s say Sonic does think what you did was shitty – who cares? His happiness isn’t any more important than yours. There’s nothing wrong with putting yourself first sometimes, even if it pisses people off.”
It grew quiet between them. Amy blinked slowly, processing his words before ducking her head and sighing. Her shoulders bobbed with soundless laughter in the moments to follow. “Come on, Shadow. Even you’ve gotta admit it’s still pretty embarrassing and stupid of me. I chased the guy around for years. I was unbearable . But the moment I finally got what I thought I always wanted, I threw it right back in his face! Shitty or not, I’m sure he thinks I’m ungrateful.”
And then she did laugh. Shadow grit his teeth at the sound.
“I just… I just wish my younger self hadn’t been so naive. Could’ve saved me and Sonic a lot of trouble down the road, don’t you think?”
“Stop talking about her like that.”
Amy paused, taken aback by the comment. “‘Her’?”
“Calling your past self ‘unbearable’ and ‘naive’... Do you seriously dislike her that much? She was a kid, Rose. Of course her thoughts and feelings won’t align with yours currently, but that’s no reason to dismiss the way she experienced life. You should be kinder to her.”
On some level, Shadow knew how hypocritical he was being. It wasn’t like he had anything good to say about the hedgehog he once was, either. But hearing Amy speak about herself in the same disparaging way her enemies did pained him beyond words. He had to put a stop to it. She deserved better.
“What, she didn’t annoy you too? What about when I practically tackled you at Prison Island that first time we met? Or –”
“Amy,” he cut her off quietly, “She convinced me to save the world. You couldn’t get an ill word towards her out of me even with a gun pressed to my head.”
The pink hedgehog’s eyes widened. Remembering himself and their public setting, however, Shadow hurriedly preoccupied himself with his drink. It was all he could do to avoid the emotionally charged atmosphere between them.
“Jeez, Shadow. I think this is the most I’ve ever heard you talk before – and about me , of all people? I’m flattered,” Amy said in a breath of laughter. Peeking over at her, Shadow could see the way she blinked rapidly to keep her eyes from pooling over with tears. He swallowed and reached for the napkin dispenser on the table, only for her to do so at the same time. Their hands bumped.
“Sorry.”
“Don’t be. You’re… You’re right. I should try to be nicer to myself. Both the old me and the current me, I guess.”
Shadow retracted his hand, allowing it to rest against the tabletop. His fingers twitched with an anxiety he couldn’t quite place. “I know I’m not the best person to be giving out advice, but maybe you should talk to Sonic more about things. Get a better idea of where you’re both at. I’m sure it’ll give you peace of mind.”
“You think so? Ah – Shit, I’m sorry, Shadow. I didn’t mean to start dumping all this on you out of nowhere, I swear! I’m not usually like this.” As if to prove her point, Amy lightly slapped her cheek a couple times. She forced a grin. “You’ve just got such a comforting vibe to you, I guess it all just came out on its own. Sorry.”
“Is it just me, or does it feel like we’ve both been apologizing to each other a lot today?”
She gave a playful tilt of her head.. “So, who’s gonna apologize for that one?”
“If we’re going in order, it’s my turn,” he snorted. “Sorry.”
“Right, right. Sorry for not keeping track.”
Shadow suddenly found himself at a loss for what to say. He wanted to change the subject and ask her something, anything unrelated to the Sonic issue, but at the same time, he feared doing so would confirm Amy’s fear that she had burdened him with her problems. Returning to their previous conversation didn’t quite feel right, either. He looked down at the table, feeling a mild panic come on.
Why am I so bad at this? ‘Comforting’ my ass. I can’t even keep up a solid conversation with her!
“Thank you, by the way,” Amy murmured. “You’re really sweet.”
He almost wanted to laugh. “You think so?”
“Please. I’ve known so since that day on the ARK. You’re a good guy, Shadow. I’m… I’m really happy to know you.”
Shadow lifted his head in disbelief. The moment he did, Amy broke into a warm, tender smile intended for his eyes alone.
He ached.
::
“Well, here we are! You sure you don’t want a ride home?”
Shadow stopped at the sight of Amy’s car sitting in the middle of the parking lot. He made a slight face before waving a hand to dismiss the offer. “I’m sure.”
“Hey, what’s with that look?” Amy spun around and planted her hands on her hips, unimpressed. “Afraid to be seen in a pink car, Mr. Ultimate Lifeform?”
“Not at all.” He avoided looking directly at the eyelash decals on the headlights. “There’s just something I still need to take care of around here. Next time, though. Promise.”
“Oh, good! I was hoping you’d want to see me again sometime. If you don’t mind, can I get your number?”
“Y-Yeah. Sure thing,” he muttered, quills bristling in embarrassment. Leave it to Amy to spindash right though his subtleties and get to the point. Accepting her phone, it took every ounce of willpower and self-control to keep his fingers from trembling as he typed. “Just don’t spam me like Rouge does. I only have five contacts added for a reason.”
Amy’s eyes widened. “Only five?”
“Yep. So congrats to you, Six.”
“Oh, wow. What an honor,” the pink hedgehog laughed as he returned her phone. She looked at the newly added contact info on the screen with a fond smile before tucking it away. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, but Shadow dismissed the observation as a trick of sundown’s warm light.
“There are some terms and conditions, though.”
“Okay?”
“One, I prefer texting,” he began while counting off his fingers. “Two, my GUN schedule is all over the place, so don’t get offended if it takes me a while to respond. And three…”
Amy tilted her head, curious as he trailed off. Admittedly, it was only because he was slightly uncertain of how to continue. Shadow had never added a third condition before. Ideally, Amy was going to be the only one to ever hear it. He swallowed.
“Shadow?”
“Let me know the next time you’re having one of those bad days you mentioned. I, uh, wouldn’t mind doing something like this again. If it helps, I mean.”
Amy looked surprised, and for a moment, Shadow feared he had crossed a boundary. But then, the pink hedgehog burst into a cheerful fit of laughter. She waved a hand to placate him and asked, “What, so it’s bad days or nothing? What if I’m having a good day?”
Shadow felt the corners of his lips twitch into a smile. “Not sure. I’ll get back to you on that one.”
“Ah, really? In that case, I guess I better start having bad days even more often, huh?”
A jolt of electricity ran through him. Shadow stared.
“I-I mean, since you’re so busy and seeing you would probably be difficult otherwise, and… Oh, w-wow, look at the time? I should really, really get going, huh? Rush hour starts soon!” She laughed again, voice strained. Hurrying into her car, she continued, “I’ll, uh, text you later! So you can have my number too, right? So, um, I’ll see you around?”
“Yeah… Sounds good.”
Despite his embarrassment, it was impossible to deny the pleased tone of his voice.
Soon after that, she pulled her car out of the parking lot and disappeared down the road. The city around him immediately grew loud in all the wrong ways again. His ears twitched.
Just one thing left to take care of.
Looking back in the direction they came, Shadow narrowed his eyes,
“Chaos –”
::
“–Control!”
The store he had bumped into Amy at appeared before him. He could see through the glass door that it was empty save for the sleazy employee from earlier, who was currently preoccupied with his phone at the counter. Shadow watched him as though a predator observing his prey. Then, with a sharp inhale, he pushed through the entrance. The scent of new clothes and expensive perfume instantly overwhelmed his senses.
“Hi, welcome in!” The employee offered him a polite smile and tucked his phone away. “How are you doing today, sir? Is there anything I can help you find?”
“Tch. Now you decide to put on your best behavior. Or is this how you lure them in?”
“Excuse me?”
“You’re not talking now. I’m talking,” Shadow replied with a scowl. The other’s expression tensed up with fear. “A pink hedgehog came in here earlier this afternoon. She was trying things on before your pathetic behavior got in the way of that. Ring any bells?”
“Pink hedgehog? Pink… Pink… Oh! That’s right, I did help a –”
Stopping short, horror flashed in the employee’s eyes as he seemed to recall his encounter with Amy. He sucked in his breath through clenched teeth and nervously drummed his fingers over the countertop. Shadow’s jaw tightened.
“So you remember her, I take it?”
“I, uh. Look, man, I didn’t realize she was already –”
“It’s a yes or no question,” Shadow snapped. “I have no desire to listen to whatever idiotic ramblings you have to share. Do you remember her?”
“Y-Yes.”
“Good. Now, the next one should be easy for you, given all that I’ve heard. What was she trying on?”
The employee blanched at the question: a further admission of his guilt. Without another word, he darted around the counter and to various racks and shelves across the store. After rifling through the sizes, he presented Shadow with a blouse, two pairs of skirts, and a small, thin black box. The latter caught his immediate attention.
“She was, uh, pretty taken with these from what I recall. She tried them on twice,” the other explained, noticing Shadow’s curious gaze. “D-Did you want to see them?”
Without waiting for an answer, he draped the clothes over the counter and hurriedly slid the box open. At the sight of what was inside, all the tension in Shadow’s body left him in a single breath. They were gloves: dark red gloves much unlike the usual white Mobians wore, with their frilled cuffs adorned with delicately embroidered roses. A large pink bow sat atop each of the pair.
Chaos, he had to get them for her. It would be criminal otherwise.
And admittedly, the thought of Amy so intimately wearing something that he had purchased for her made him feel weak in the knees. He bit his lip.
“Did… Did they fit her properly?”
The employee cracked a relieved grin. “They sure did! I made sure to keep checking on her while she was trying them on.”
Shadow growled low and bared his teeth at the claim. Realizing he had dug himself a deeper grave, the other raced back behind the counter and quickly got to work bagging the items at a speed to rival Sonic’s. The murderous intent in the air did not disspiate, even as Shadow pulled out his wallet to pay.
“So, uh… Congrats, by the way?” The employee’s voice seemed to jump up an octave every other word.
“On?” He traded his credit card for the shopping bag, frowning.
“On this? You’re both, um, very lucky.”
“Keep yakking it up and you won’t be,” Shadow replied flatly. Snatching his card back as soon as the receipt printed from the register, he paused just long enough to stare long and hard at the other. He received anxious squirming in response.
“I-In case of a return or an exchange –”
He nonchalantly swung the bag over his shoulder, looking the pathetic, trembling male before him up and down before snorting in disdain.
“You don’t ever want me to return here. Trust me.”
And judging by the visible shudder that ran through the other, he did.
::
Later that evening, Shadow stepped out of the shower only to find a series of notifications lighting up his screen. An eager smile tugged on his lips as he swiped through them.
[ hey this is amy!! ^_^ ]
[ just wanted to say thanks again for today ]
[ i hope you have a good night ]
[ Hey. ]
[ NW it was nice. ]
[ omg sorry i didnt think u were still awake ]
[ u strike me as the kind of person who goes to bed super early? ]
[ unless i just woke u up ]
[ LOL ]
[ I was already awake. ]
[ I ever tell you I technically don’t need to sleep? ]
[ Why are you awake though it’s late. ]
[ YOU DON’T NEED TO SLEEP? ]
[ T_T ]
[ rub it in why dont u lmao ]
[ Amy I have to be honest with you I don’t know what half the things you’re sending mean…… ]
[ like what? ]
[ T_T ]
[ What is this? ]
[ crying face!!! See the tears? T_T ]
[ Oh okay. ]
[ Sorry Rouge and Omega don’t really send things like that I wasn’t sure. ]
[ Can you tell I was asleep for 50 years or what ]
[ > ¬ < ]
[ ? ]
[ laughing face sorry :) ]
[ Why do you have so many of these do you just make them up? ]
[ not really a lot of people use them! ]
[ just think of an expression and try to recreate it with symbols - GO! ]
[ Hold on ]
[ -_- ]
[ ? ]
[ Sleeping face? ]
[ LOL yea ok i see it ]
[ nice work <3 ]
[ Thanks. ]
[ Shouldn’t you be in bed by now you have to sleep unlike me. ]
[ fiiiineeeee ]
[ i dont wanna run the risk of crossing into spam territory so i’ll leave u_u ]
[ gnight!!! ]
[ Goodnight. ]
[ Have a good day tomorrow too. ]
[ >:) and if i don’t? ]
[ I have a feeling you will. ]
[ Just a hunch. ]
[ Bye -_- ]
[ ? ]
[ o wait sleeping LOL ]
[ night! ]
[ -_- ]
[ lets both have a good day tomorrow! ]
Staring at her last message, Shadow chewed his lip.
She won’t think it’s weird, right?