Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Shadow is tired.

Real, fucking tired— and livid too, the kind of fury that makes him want to give in to his destructive impulses and create chaos.

It would be so easy too. One chaos blast, and this entire apartment complex would be gone. But Shadow was too exhausted to do anything, which was disappointing in its own right since it just made him wallow in his rage even longer. He was at the point where anything he did, think, or even fucking see made him angrier and want to punch a wall. But no, anger won’t solve anything long-term and despite his better judgement, neither would a fight. So instead, Shadow took a deep breath in and out and slowly uncurled his bastion grip.

The reason for his fury? G.U.N., because of course it is. 

G.U.N., and its shitty policies, and its shitty command unit, and its shitty idea of efficiency. All of his misery came from G.U.N. because it decided it was a good idea to make him work a 72-hour shift because he’s the ‘Ultimate Lifeform,’ and doesn’t need sleep. Those motherfuckers.

G.U.N. has done some sketchy things in the past, and while Shadow never really agreed with its idea of order and control, G.U.N. made sure its employees were safe and well-guarded when the situation called for it. Never, and he means never, has G.U.N. ever tried to pull a stunt like this. In fact, they didn’t even console him about the time he’d be taking. He just walked into work three days ago and was told he couldn’t leave until he finished his assignments (which he did, but when he walked back to his desk fuming, the fuckers stacked even more files on it). When Shadow tried to take this up to Commander Towers to explain the situation, all he got was a shrug, and a “Deal with it; you’re the Ultimate Lifeform.”

Even when he began cursing out the Commander with truly the most heinous and jaw-dropping insults he’s ever come up with, Towers simply didn’t budge and sent Shadow to his desk where a shit ton of work sat.

And try as he might, no opportunity came for a chance of freedom. He couldn’t fight his way out since G.U.N. security was tight, he couldn’t sneak out because they put agents on him, he couldn’t run out the nearest window because there weren't any, and he couldn’t even chaos control out because they confiscated his chaos emerald.

While Shadow would usually accept the title ‘Ultimate Lifeform’ as a testament of his strength, G.U.N. using it as a way to exploit him was his last straw.

In conclusion: Everything was just shit and fucked up, and G.U.N. needed to pay for what they did.

“Floor 4”

Shadow jumped, unprepared and startled at the elevator’s robotic voice.

Since when did he even enter the elevator? Shadow thought, How did he even let this happen without his knowledge?

As pitiful as that is (he’s usually very perspective), he was too tired to care. So, with heavy thoughts, he stepped out and tried his best to cool his emotions before entering Team Dark’s apartment. Well, it wasn’t really Team Dark’s apartment anymore since Omega was sent across seas where he could destroy Badniks to his robotic heart’s content. It was only Rouge and Shadow now, but that was fine. It’s not like Shadow couldn’t visit the murder-bot. Omega was a chaos control away. 

Nonetheless, it was a nice apartment with an open-concept floor plan and spacious rooms with personal bathrooms. And considering the fact that the place used to hold a 1,230 kg robot, it was in great condition.

With a deep breath in, Shadow entered the flat and aptly collapsed on the couch (after he took off his coat and shoes, of course). While his hybrid-body doesn’t require much sleep in order to function (he can go 8 days before he gets faint and he regularly goes for 4), the stress and flurry of sentiments from the past 72 hours was… overwhelming. Despite his rage and anger, he was too tired to deal with it right now.

Currently, the best thing he could do was sleep so his body could properly rest. And so, he did.

…Until the doorbell rang.

Shadow’s eyelids instantly flew open, and he audibly let out a groan.

There are only two reasons that damn doorbell would ring. One, Rouge came home early and decided to be funny and use the doorbell despite having a house key, or two, the blue gumball son of a bitch himself decided to pay a visit to him.

(Seriously, how did this hedgehog always find the perfect time to bother him?)

Now, this also gave Shadow a few options. One, he could ignore the bell and simply sleep some more, two, he could answer the door and see who’s there, or three, answer the door and beat the living shit out of the blue hedgehog who is for sure, behind it.

For a moment, Shadow genuinely considered option #3 purely because it looked to be the most appealing and most likely. Sonic always served as a convenient punching bag whenever Shadow had a bad day and today was no different.

But, what if the person behind the door is not Sonic? What if it’s someone who needs help? What if they’re a neighbour trying to introduce themselves? Shadow is pretty sure he saw moving boxes at the apartment next to his; it could simply be the case.

And if it is the case, being punched by your furious neighbour is certainly not the best first impression. Nor is being ignored by said neighbour.

With another groan, Shadow realised his only good option was option number two. With more effort than he would like to admit, the umbra hybrid begrudgingly pulled himself off the couch and laboured towards the door. He was surprised when it turned out that it was none-other-than Amy Rose who was waiting for him.

Fuck.

—Not that Amy is terrible company— Shadow does enjoy her presence from time to time, but one thing that sets Rose apart from Sonic is the fact that Shadow is nice to her. And as previously known, the living weapon was already having a hard time to even function normally. He is far too tired for this…

Aside from that, Amy was dressed in a strapless, baby pink dress that ended at her knees. The skirt itself was shaped like petals and had white lacing and embroidered flowers at the bottom. Her shoes were some typical white combat boots and a bow was tied around her waist to complete the dress. To top it off, she also had a strawberry cardigan.

She looked quite nice if Shadow’s fashion sense meant anything.

“Shadow!” She exclaimed happily. “How is—” She paused suddenly and looked at him up and down, clearly drinking in his disheveled appearance. Shadow felt a stab at his pride— despite his stiff exterior, he cared deeply for his appearance. And considering the fact that he’s been harassed and worked to the bone for the past few days, he most certainly looked like shit. Amy’s loss of words hurt a bit.

The bubbly hedgehog tilted her head and her brows knit with worry. “Oh, is this a bad time?”

Ok, so Rose is here. Shadow evaluated, Considering her demeanour… She's here to talk about something, something important. Perhaps news? Gossip? Music? But would Rose really try to visit him on a Wednesday night just to talk? Shit, I’m not in the right mood for anything right now… but I can’t just close the door on her now… What did Rouge say to do when a guest comes over?

Shadow cleared his throat, which had gotten hoarse. “No. It’s fine. I just got back from a long shift at G.U.N., so I’ll have to pardon my current semblance.” Shadow took a few steps back so he wasn’t blocking the doorway. “You may come in.”

Amy smiled faintly and stepped inside. “Thank you, Shadow.”

“You’re welcome.” He said absently, leading Amy to the living room. As Amy sat, Shadow realised something: Isn’t there something else he should do? As of right now, Shadow is in no frame of mind to do anything meaningful— especially since Amy’s likely here to discuss some latest news of sorts. Maybe he could offer something as a distraction? A drink? What type of drink would Amy like? Fuck, he was still too tired to deal with this.

After a brief session of mental debate, hesitantly, he spoke: ”Er… do you want tea?” 

“Oh yes, that'd be great!” Amy beamed at him, “Do you have any flower tea?”

Shadow nodded, feeling a tad awkward. “Yes, I do. It’ll take a bit, so I suppose you’ll just have to sit there in silence.”

Amy giggled, “It’s fine,” she looked down and started fidgeting with her thumbs. Fidgeting? And avoidance? That isn't a typical habit of Amy, is it? Shadow glanced at her up and down and concluded that it wasn’t: something was amiss. 

“I have a lot to say, so I suppose it’s better to let me sit and mellow in my thoughts.” Amy continued.

“Alright then,” he responded simply, “I’ll be back.” Shadow pushed back his growing qualms and made his way to the kitchen to start the stove. Once the pot of water was on the fire, the ebony hedgehog moved to the cupboards to fetch the tea set, which he carefully set on the counter. After a bit of foraging through the drink-packet drawer, he managed to find the right teabag which he put in the teapot. Now all he had to do was to wait for the water.

…Which hasn’t even started boiling yet.

Shadow crossed his arms and stared at the saucepan. “Damn thing,” he mumbled. 

Well, while he’s waiting, he suppose he could arrange something else along with the tea. That’s a part of guest etiquette, right? And another distraction from Amy’s presence. Shadow thought.

Begrudgingly, Shadow moved towards the fridge and opened it just to find a disappointing amount of things in it: A chocolate bar, a random store-bought fruit salad (he keeps telling Rouge to stop buying those; she never listens), various containers full of leftovers, some raw chicken, milk, and bell peppers.

Shadow grabbed the chocolate and fruit salad since those were his most promising options.

Maybe he could offer the chocolate? But isn’t that a bit weird? Chocolate isn’t exactly shareable. Fruit salad would be better, but there was no way Shadow would eat that (you never know what they do to those salads in-store.)

Suddenly, Amy spoke: “Is Rouge going to come home anytime soon?” 

There was a small pitch in her voice that made her sound… weary. Almost… nervous? 

Nervous, Shadow thought, a state of easy agitation and/or alarm relating to anxiety. This observation undoubtedly confirmed his harrowing suspicions. But perhaps… he’s overreacting. Perhaps this is a social clue he’s not grasping, or a huge misunderstanding based on bias. But Shadow knew he was right; he usually is.

Still, he decided it was best to just answer her question: “I don’t think so, she’s on a mission, I believe. She won’t be back for a while.” he responded, recalling the shift forms he glanced at while he was in-office.

“Oh.” Short and brief; that’s not how Amy talks, is it? She’s a social woman; he finds it difficult to believe that she’ll answer with a simple ‘oh.’

Shadow then shook his head aggressively. No, this wasn’t the time to think about social dynamics; right now, his one and only job was to prepare tea. Amy is something to sort out later when he’s in a better state of mind (preferably with a warm beverage in front of him.)

His attention back to the food, Shadow sighed heavily and squinted at the sustenance. What can he make out of these? The chocolate is fine, but the fruit is… gross. No matter how Shadow tried to see it, the fruit salad looked irredeemable and disgusting. 

He groaned. Perhaps separating the fruit would be best; eating one type of suspicious fruit is better than the whole thing. 

With that, Shadow carefully divided the salad in piles corresponded by fruit. In all, there were strawberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, honeydew, and pineapple. When he was done, Shadow scanned his work.

Yes, this is already better. Shadow decided. Seeing the fruit in piles is far easier than seeing the fruit in a salad. Now, what can he do with this? With a bit of thinking, Shadow believed that his only option was the strawberries since Amy likes them and with the chocolate, it only seemed right to make chocolate-covered strawberries.

Making up his mind, he carefully unwrapped the chocolate and placed it in a glass bowl which he microwaved. Shadow then began picking through the best-looking strawberries and set them on a separate platter. Once the chocolate was done, he took each strawberry and dipped them carefully.

In about 70 seconds flat, all 8 strawberries were ready and dipped all while the water was making some sizzling, barely boiling sounds. They really need to get a kettle.

Shadow groaned and rubbed his eyes. He’s absolutely exhausted at this point and the fact that the water was going to take an additional 4 minutes or so was infuriating.

Frustrated, he yanked open the pantry door and analysed its contents: Nothing but a container of blue sprinkles and a wake-up call for a grocery store visit.

Blue sprinkles? Shadow thought, Why in the hell would we have that?

Nonetheless, he grabbed it for garnish. With the strawberries actually done, he popped them in the freezer to set. Realising that Amy has probably sat alone for far too long (leaving a guest is never too good), he glanced at the clock. 

…Just to find out it’s barely been 3 minutes.

3 minutes? Shadow closed his eyes, Since when has it been 3 minutes?

Clearly, the fatigue and stress were getting to him, and Shadow hated that thought. He’s the Ultimate Lifeform! He shouldn’t let exhaustion triumph over him! And yet, he did, and it’s all G.U.N.’s fault. 

One more reason to hate G.U.N.

Finally, the water heated up to an adequate temperature and Shadow took it off the stove to pour into the teapot. Figuring the strawberries were also about done, he took them out and placed them on the counter next to the tea set. He then immediately leaned closer to inspect the food. Despite Shadow’s wearines, he was still a perfectionist at heart and took great pleasure in flawlessness.

The tea was fine— it’s tea, it’s not like it could suddenly taste moldy— but the chocolate-covered strawberries were a different story. First of all, the strawberries came from those sketchy store-salads (which is NOT trustworthy in any matter) and weren't even ripe. The chocolate was likely a snack that was left forgotten, and the sprinkles were likely older. Not to mention Shadow’s haste in preparing them. To the hybrid’s disappointment, the chocolate had dripped in the freezer and was therefore, uneven. Shadow felt another stab at his pride— mistakes are the bane of his existence, and yet, he allowed them to happen.

He will once again blame G.U.N.

Hoping for the best, he picked up the tea tray and strawberry plate and made his way to the living room just to find Amy sitting glumly on the couch. Her head was down, and her body language was closed with an aura of dread, which put Shadow on the fence of ‘worried’ and ‘too tired to care.’ Nonetheless, the sight was something important to note.

“Amy,” he said softly. Instantly, the rosy hedgehog looked up, and glowed. Not before that, Shadow noticed a glint of something in her eye, but it disappeared far too quickly.

Suspicious.  

“Thank you, Shadow,” she said warmly, accepting her teacup, “I really appreciate it.” 

Shadow hummed in response and placed the plate and tray on the coffee table. Amy’s eyes lit up. “Oh! You also made chocolate-covered strawberries? Oh my Chaos! That’s so sweet of you!”

“...It was nothing.”

Shadow grabbed his own teacup and sat down next to Amy, sipping on it sparsely. The atmosphere was totally different. It was as if Amy’s troubles and woes left her as soon as Shadow came to view. But that’s not possible: Shadow is appalling company. Or perhaps her ease was due to a feeling of security and protection? He eyed the pink-hedgehog curiously; Is Amy in danger?

The hedgehog herself was happily drinking her tea and was reaching out to try some of the strawberries. Shadow decided to give her a few minutes of peace before speaking: 

“So, who do I have to kill?”

Amy froze and spat her tea back into the teacup. (Disgusting, but Shadow appreciated the fact that she didn’t over-dramatically spit the tea everywhere and made a mess.)

“I— what makes you say that?!” Amy exclaimed. She had a curious expression on her face, something in between genuine interest and unsettlement. Perhaps some amusement as well?

“Isn’t that why you’re here?” Shadow asked skeptically, “Clearly, it’s for something important, and you’re generally implying the worst. I’ve never seen you like this before; what am I supposed to expect?”

“No, no— I—” Amy burst into giggles.

Shadow raised an eyebrow, “Well, why are you here then? Not to be rude, but I would like for you to leave as soon as possible so I can nap.” he said curtly.

“I— Well,” Amy stuttered, “It’s complicated…”

Shadow internally groaned and drank his tea. Complications are often misjudged and take a long time to explain. Surely, it’s not that difficult to state her mind.

“IneedyoutobecomemyboyfriendtohelpmeseduceSonic.” Amy quickly exclaimed. As soon as she did, her shoulders fell in relief.

Shadow froze. That’s not right. He must be hearing things. Surely his drained mind has finally snapped and started to create hallucinations. Sonic? What does that fucker have to do with this? He set his teacup down and cleared his throat to speak: “Pardon me, but I believe I heard you wrong. Can you please repeat that?”

“I—” Amy took a deep breath in. With the amount of times Amy has said ‘I’ followed by a pause, Shadow could imagine she needed that extra gulp of fresh air. “I need you to become my boyfriend so I can get Sonic to fall in love with me.”

…And there’s that crazy sentiment again! Surely Amy isn’t suggesting what is 100% impossible, right…?

“Excuse me?” Shadow gritted out. It took every ounce in his body not to growl at her. “You want me to do what?”

“It’s the most logical answer for winning Sonic over.” Amy said simply, “Essentially, the idea is to get a partner to make Sonic jealous. Once Sonic sees me all lovey-dovey with someone else, he’ll realise that he actually loves me and confesses.”

“I—” Goodness, he was sounding like Amy now— “How the fuck does that make sense?”

Amy sighed, “Just trust me, please? This always works in fiction. Besides, all we need is a full-proof plan to pull this off! Simple.”

Shadow scoffed and crossed his arms. “And what makes you think I’ll ever agree to this?” Shadow has already dealt with enough bullshit from the past few days, why must he listen to it now? (Apart from the fact that Amy is… apposite amity) 

“An IOU.” the she-warrior stated firmly. “I’ll do anything you want, spend any amount you want, tell off any person you want, and if I’m Sonic’s girlfriend, I’ll be able to keep him busy long enough for him to stop bothering you. No questions asked.”

Shadow shifted uncomfortably. Anything? That’s not to be taken lightly at all. But does he need it? Sure, Rose is a powerful ally, but when would he ever need such declaration? 

Spend any amount you want… Shadow mused. His thoughts went to G.U.N.

With him taking a break from that wretched company, some extra cash would be nice. While Shadow made good money from G.U.N., it could be better— at least, never better enough to the point where Shadow could be independent. Sadly, the flat he currently resides in is owned by G.U.N. and is purposefully close to headquarters for quick and easy summons. He does have savings and such, but living in a city is a pricey endeavour and Shadow doesn’t have enough to have his own place yet. If Amy says she’ll do anything, she could even help Shadow find a house.

The perfect chance to start anew.

Then Shadow thought about what he was considering. Pretend a relationship with Amy? For Sonic? The ebony hedgehog could already feel a deep pit of disgust pool in his stomach. Even if it was for a short while, the sentiment sounded gut-wrenching. That’s not saying that he finds Amy revolting— she’s quite charming to say the least— but the thought of dating someone remotely like Amy was crazy to him. Frankly, he had no interest in her, and he ultimately preferred to keep to himself. The fact that this was for Sonic of all Mobians was the icing on the cake. Shadow couldn’t help but feel angry at the Faker; Amy was such a lovely woman, and yet, the idiot hedgehog keeps running away from her purely so her heart can be broken time and time again.

But on the other hand, if this mad idea of a plan actually did work, Shadow wouldn’t have to see the constant and obvious longing on the hero’s face every time he sees him and Amy could finally be happy. The cobalt Mobian might finally leave Shadow alone.

He bit his lip.

“If I…” Shadow started, “actually consider this, may I ask a few questions?”

Amy beamed before scrambling to answer: “Of course!”

“Why… Why Sonic? Why do this for him? A-and why me for that matter?”

Amy blinked as if these were the simplest questions in the world.

“Well, I’ve been in love with Sonic since I first met him. It’s just— something about his actions, his words, his demeanour that makes me attracted to him. He’s just so nice to everyone and he doesn’t hate or discriminate at all! And—” Amy paused, completely red in the face, “he’s my hero; he’s my perfect, beautiful hero. Of course, his looks also help, but to me, it’s everything else that counts.

“And as for you, you’re the best choice. For this plan to work, you don’t want to pick a random person since it could lead to misunderstandings and awkwardness, so that means choosing someone you know.” Amy laughed, “As you know, I don’t exactly have a large pool of men that could work with that. Knuckles has Rouge but is too dense to see anything, Silver is never around and obviously likes Espio, Espio obviously likes Silver but Silver is never around, Vector is too old and is literally engaged to Vanilla, Big is not my type, and so on!”

Shadow sat there stunned; he wasn’t expecting such a detailed answer or the sudden who-likes-who gossip.

“While I’m not opposed to fake dating some of my girlfriends,” Amy continued, “I’m not into that, and besides, it’s better if I chose someone who’s my type and unlikely to fall in love with me, hence why you’re my only option!”

“I’m flattered.” Shadow muttered.

“Please, Shadow?” Amy begged, “I’ll even pay for the next concert we do! And get you some nice coffee?”

She really drove a hard bargain, and it wasn’t like Shadow wasn’t going to benefit from the deal… Besides, what’s the worst that could happen?

“Fine,” Shadow gritted out before standing, “but I’m tired, so we’ll discuss this tomorrow.”

“YES!” Shadow winced at the sudden intensity as he watched Amy pump her fist in the air and hop out of her seat, “Thank you, Shadow! You won’t regret it!”  

I already do, he thought. 

“Here,” she fished out a slip of paper, “my number and house address. Thank you, thank you, thank you! And for the tea and strawberries! They were super good!”

“Thank you. I’ll walk you out,” Shadow said, ignoring the cotton-candy Mobian’s antics.

Thankfully, Amy happily walked out with him, and after bidding farewell with a ton more ‘thank you’s’, she left in a joyous mood. Shadow sighed and locked the door behind him. Finally, some peace and quiet. He immediately went back to the living room to clean up the pot and cups so they wouldn’t smell. After a quick rinse and scrub, they were cleaned and put in the dishwasher to dry (he’s old-fashioned). He then took a second trip for the strawberries.

The strawberries.

There were still 4 of them on the plate and blue sprinkles littered the red platter. Somehow, the sprinkles fell off the strawberries as Amy ate them. Shadow scoffed to himself in merriment. 

A dash of blue among a sea of red, he mused, what a peculiar sentiment.

Chapter Text

The door opened with a light creak and a subtle click signalled a key meeting a lock. Shadow’s ear tilted towards the entrance and some mild shuffling soon followed after.

That must be Rouge, the obsidian urchin thought, but she never usually comes in this early or this silently. Usually, the bat would burst in with a loud and inappropriate joke before spitting out the latest news. A glance at the clock confirmed his initial sentiment: 7:45 am, nearly 2 hours earlier than usual.

Shadow himself woke up about an hour ago, and after a thorough shower and figuring that 5 hours of sleep was more than enough to cure his 72 sleepless ones, had decided to busy himself in the living room with a book. He thought that he was going to have at least another 3 hours of peace and quiet, but apparently, he was wrong.

Suddenly, hands covered his eyes, inhibiting his ability to read.

“Morning handsome~!” Rouge purred, “Having fun all by yourself?”

“Yes.” Shadow grumbled, more annoyed at the fact that he could no longer read rather than the sultry bat’s presence.

“Aw, you wound me, hun,” Rouge cooed. She removed her hands from his face and sat on the couch beside him before switching her playful expression to an impish one. “Now, care to explain where you’ve been these past few days? Last I checked, we made a deal to keep in touch.”

Shadow sighed. Years ago, after one of Sonic’s birthday parties, Shadow disappeared for a few months due to some… past engagements. After reemerging, he got a lot of scolding, lectures, and blackmail that inevitably led to Shadow reluctantly promising the bat that he would tell her whenever he’ll leave for more than a few days. Clearly, his fucked up work hours has made Rouge curious, especially since he lacked an explanation for his absence. This also meant that G.U.N. for some reason did not inform Rouge of Shadow’s inability to make it home despite living with him. Those motherfuckers.

“I did, and I tried, but G.U.N. made it clear that I was prohibited to use my personal communicator during my shift. I tried to compromise by stealing a coworker's, but they kept on detaining me which was fucking annoying.” Shadow rolled his eyes, “I gave up after a few hours since those assholes threatened me with more work if I didn’t comply.” 

Rouge’s eyes widened. “Oh dear Chaos. Please don’t tell me G.U.N. made you work for three days straight just so they could be more ‘efficient.’” 

Shadow’s deadpan expression said it all.

“Those bitch-ass motherfuckers.” Rouge swore. Shadow almost laughed out loud but ultimately restrained himself. Rouge then closed her eyes and shook her head like she expected this. Knowing her, she did. “I’m sorry they did that to you, hun. Those fuckers never know when to stop. I assume you’re taking a ‘break?’”

By ‘break,’ she meant skipping work.

He shrugged. “It’s not like G.U.N. could fire me; they always want to keep tabs on me.” Even though I haven’t been a problem in years. Rouge tsked and Shadow scanned her oddly before standing. “Well, I need to get going.”

“Where to, handsome? Not to G.U.N., surely. Unless…” her eyes brightened with mischief, “You want to see Sonic~”

Shadow looked at her with disgust. “No, what the fuck?” he made a face, “Why is everything I do always about that faker for you? I’m going to visit Amy; we made a deal.”

Rouge perked up. “Really? You? Of all people, making a deal? Is it perhaps Sonic related~ ”

Rouge’s uncanny ability to guess exactly what’s on his mind would be impressive if it wasn’t so fucking annoying.

The living weapon scoffed. “I’ll inform you later; I’m running late.”

And with that, Shadow chaos controlled to the address Amy gave him.

He didn’t like this. He really didn’t like this. But Shadow is a hedgehog of his word and once he commits to something, he will commit indefinitely.

He glanced at Amy’s text messages.

           —   I’m free 8-11am tmr!

           —   But srs tysm for this ♥️

And here he is. In front of her door. At 7:58 in the morning.

Come on! Get a grip, he furiously thought, You weren’t nervous when talking with Rouge; how is Rose any different?

Tentatively, he raised his hand and knocked. After a few beats, it was answered with an weary, but euphoric Amy. 

“Shadow! Oh my Chaos, you’re here!” Amy beamed with such an intensity it killed Shadow’s social battery for the rest of the day (which wasn’t much to begin with, but to be fair, he’s never wired for this). Still, he forced a pleasant-enough expression and spoke: “Of course. You seemed to have forgotten that I never break my promises, Amy.”

Amy laughed and then immediately yawned, “Sorry, I had to wake up really early today to practice some recipes I’ve been meaning to do, so I’m pretty tired today.” 

“Hmph. It seems the tables have turned.” he muttered seriously despite finding humour in the role reversal.

Amy grinned, “It seems they did. Ah, but where are my manners? You can come in; you know the gist.” The cherry blossom Mobian took a few steps to the side to let him in. Shadow hesitated for a few seconds before slipping off his shoes and stepping inside.

Shadow has never liked shoes in the house, so whenever he visits someone else's, he always tries to be polite and respect the cleanliness of their floors. He is aware of how some Mobians consider this ‘taboo’ or ‘shocking’ (which he never understood since he still wears his socks), but he’s not one to judge traditions. If someone is uncomfortable, he’ll try to adapt to that (depends whether or not said person is an asshole). He still remembers how confused Rouge was when she first noticed his shoeless feet when Team Dark started living together. While Shadow made no move to get the bat to also follow his habits (he really did not care), she now follows this unspoken rule quite insistently with the cover-up being ‘it’s more convenient to switch out heels like this.’

Fortunately, Amy was aware of his customs and always gave him time to take off his shoes properly before continuing (not that it takes long to take off or on. Shadow could probably do it in under 5 seconds at this rate).

Amy smiled at him and began chattering: “I have some tea, a fruit salad, and a few pastries all ready in the living room for you. I also have some paper to write notes since I know you like keeping things on them, and I also have an old planner of our past hangouts!” Shadow appreciated her preparation and thoughtfulness for this moment. Clearly, she’s dreamed of this instance very gingerly. He simply hummed in response.

“Here we are!” Amy gestured, “Make yourself comfortable; I have to get the cupcakes,” she then dashed out, leaving Shadow alone in mirthless confusion. He stared at Amy’s plush cushions and beautifully composed coffee table before sitting down.

“Cupcakes?” Shadow questioned out loud. Were they for him? Or just another random treat she decided to make? Because surely whatever confections she’s prepared is more than enough. He decided to ask her later and reluctantly reached for a teacup and swirled the liquid inside. 

It’s red. Hibiscus? He took a sip and sighed in content which immediately confirmed his suspicions. He then took a grape from the salad and relished in its sweetness before nibbling on some banana bread.

“Rose has outdone herself this time,” Shadow murmured. It’s likely because of the circumstances. If it was any other day, she wouldn’t have arranged all this for him.

“I’m back! Sorry for the wait.” Amy slipped into view and sat in the armchair diagonal from him. 

Shadow sipped on his tea and waited for her to settle down before speaking: “Amy, I’m curious, what were the cupcakes for?”

Said Mobian seemed surprised at the fact that Shadow wished to talk about baking of all things despite more harrowing topics on the horizon (not that he hates it, but baking is fucking annoying sometimes). 

“They’re just something I decided to make.” Amy started slowly, “I mentioned waking up early, right?” Shadow nodded, “Yeah… I was experimenting with some sour cream and buttermilk to make them really moist, and I’m hoping I have the recipe down now.”

Shadow raised an eyebrow, “Sour cream…?”

“Surprisingly works really well! Mayonnaise on the other hand…” Amy shuddered, “absolute nightmare. A batch of cupcakes ruined; almost made me cry.” She paused for a few beats before continuing, “Ok, moving on. Er… how long do you think we should be dating?”

Shadow blinked and set his teacup down in favour of a paper and pen. “Well, when was the last time you’ve been with your… friends? I believe they’re aware of our relationship, right? How often do you talk about me?”

Amy thought for a second, “Not much, honestly,” she admitted, “but they do know that we’re friends.” Shadow halted for at that mention. Friends? Is that really what they are? Shadow has always considered Amy as an ally. Is friendship a push on their acquaintance? He contemplated for a bit and… he supposed their past actions were quite friendly, perhaps even more so to an unobservant mind. 

“It probably won’t take much convincing if I said you’re my secret boyfriend,” Amy continued. Shadow snapped his attention back to the conversation. “They probably already think we’ve been dating,” she chuckled. “Perhaps since the Hot Honey concert?”

Shadow bulleted that and added some other details like dates and such. “But would we hide a relationship for that long?”

“Oh. I suppose not then.” Amy grumbled, “But it is a good starting point. We could use that as the first moment we fell in love!” Amy tilted her head at him, as if in deep thought. “And for who falls first; I think it’d be better if it was you.”

“I—” Shadow opened his mouth to dismiss the idea before pausing and considering her proposal. “I suppose that makes… some sense. At least, much more sense than you of all people suppressing your feelings. No offense, Rose.”

“None taken,” she sheepishly grinned, “I know what my actions felt like back then.”

Shadow hummed in agreement. While he wasn’t usually there to witness Rose’s past antics first-hand, recounts and rumours always somehow made it back to him, so he was surprisingly informed on the subject. “But that still doesn’t answer the question for how long we’ve been dating.”

Amy waved her hand: “We can just say you confessed a little over two weeks ago and we’ve been going on dates since then, but we can discuss that later.”

He wordlessly added that to the list. 

The strawberry-maiden waited for him to finish writing before speaking again: “Ok… what are your boundaries besides the obvious?”

Shadow paused. My boundaries? Preferably nothing.

Predictably, the ebony hedgehog is not a fan of touch and favours little if none at all.  He can throw a punch just fine, but when it comes to people touching him? Go fucking die in a hole. While he can tolerate Rouge and Amy’s larks pretty well (mostly because it’s in their nature to be touchy and due to that, he doesn’t mind AS much), it’s not to the craziest extent.

But... if he’s going to commit to this role, he’s going to have to embrace it, wouldn’t he? In order for this to be compelling, he’ll have to step out of his comfort zone. Dammit.

“I…” he swallowed before continuing. Afterall, this was a huge step for him. “I can do the usual arm-hugging and occasional wrist-holding, but everything else would be up to me in the moment. Perhaps hand holding since it’s not that different…? I apologise; I’m not big on these sorts of issues.”

Amy shook her head hurriedly. “No, no, no! Don’t feel pressured about this! We’ve allegedly been dating for a few weeks; it’s fine if you’re not comfortable and committed yet. Everybody knows how you are with touch. That being said, I’m pretty OK with everything except kisses. Cheek and hand kisses are fine though. PDA is great too!”

“Oh. Alright.”

Amy then relaxed on the couch and rested her hand on her face in an inquisitive glare. “Hmmm. I don’t think there’s anything small to discuss left…unless you want to talk about how long we’ll have to do this?”

“That’s obvious: until Sonic confesses.”

Amy chuckled, “Right there, mister, and along with that, try not to fight him as much. This will only work if you’re not at each other's throats at all times.”

Shadow felt slightly insulted at that but kept quiet since it was more or less the truth. Amy continued negotiating: “Of course, if things really get unbearable, I’ll let you hit Sonic once since he probably deserved it at that point.”

Shadow snorted, “It’s fine, I’ve dealt with a lot of complications before; I’m sure I can deal with him of all Mobians.”

He looked back at the list. Were they missing anything? Shadow didn’t think so. They have the basis of the plot down, what else could they possibly need?

“What about…” he grimaced. This feels embarrassing, but every couple he’s seen on television has some form of endearment, don’t they? “...pet names?”

Amy blinked, “Oh. Personally, I don’t really do that since I find regular names more romantic, but I actually like having them because of Sonic! He’s such a softy sometimes!” she squinted at him, “Hmm, I didn’t take you for a pet name-y person either.”

Shadow decided to ignore that comment. “Technically, ‘Rose’ is a nickname I call you, but it’s related to your surname so I can’t use that. Perhaps something about flowers? I could call you…” he trailed off. He didn’t like this. It felt much too forced; not to mention romantic. Shadow has never thought so heavily on such a matter.  

“Dahlia,” he concluded, “the flower of inner strength and elegance,” Not to mention commitments, he huffed, A fitting symbol. “It represents you perfectly.” 

“Dahlia…” Amy repeated, her face was the slightest bit red. “I… like that.”

The conversation continued on normally and Shadow found himself sort-of enjoying it. He’s always found organisation relaxing and fabricating a made-up relationship was familiar in a sense. Shadow snorted. The amount of times he’s been in undercover missions with Rouge and had to pretend to be her lover is laughable, but he’s never had to make a cover story for it before. The differences between those and Rose’s deal are significant, but the idea is essentially the same— at least, that’s what Shadow’s been telling himself to feel less fiddly.

At some point, Amy took a peak at the paper (which was surprisingly long since Shadow is thorough in his writings) and after a quick skim, spoke: “Should we tell anybody about this? It might make things complicated if I have to hide the secret from ALL my friends.”

Shadow nodded, “I never planned to keep this hidden from Rouge and I think having the kit aware would be beneficial. The fox may even help us.”

“Ohh, good idea! I’ll tell him later when I go out.” 

The two continued talking and after half an hour of discussion and most if not all components more or less chalked out, Shadow decided they were done and abruptly stood: “Thank you for your time and hospitality, Amy. I will write out a contract immediately.”

Amy raised an eyebrow, “Contract? It’s not THAT serious, Shadow!”

He shrugged, “Perhaps not, but as you said, ‘I like keeping things on paper.’” Amy instantly understood the reference and laughed loudly. Shadow just blinked and waited for her to be done.

“Well, I appreciate the thought,” Amy said in-between giggles, “but why don’t you stay longer? It’s always nice to have you around. You could help decorate the cupcakes; they’re probably cool by now.”

Shadow considered the offer. Her logic made sense; if you have time, why not use it? Besides, it would get awkward if he denied. “I don’t see why I should refuse,” he said.

Amy rolled her eyes, “You and your vague answers,” she murmured, “Come on; I already made the frosting.”

It turns out, Amy’s sour cream/buttermilk/whatever-she-put-in-there cupcakes were just a simple and easy vanilla. Shadow inspected them. Personally, he likes red velvet, but a classic vanilla is still a quality answer, especially if baked so faultlessly like how Amy did. To Shadow’s surprise, the cupcakes were baked to perfection— whatever the frilly hedgehog decided to put in them made them perfectly moist with a bounciness that shouldn’t be achieved on a cupcake. Shadow was impressed to say the least, but he kept his thoughts to himself.

“Here, the buttercream will be in this large bowl and the piping tools will be in the middle. I also have meringues, sprinkles, fruits, food colouring, and whatever you could possibly need to make these cupcakes look awesome! If we split them… that’s 12 each! The kitchen’s free to use and I don’t mind if you use some of my ingredients, just be sure to put them back.”

Shadow scoffed, “What do you take me for, Amy? I’m not a complete asshole. A good kitchen is a clean kitchen.”

The cherry Mobian beamed at him, “Thank CHAOS someone understands! As much as I love Sonic, he can’t seem to keep this place clean after he uses it… but it’s worth it when he cooks for me!”

Shadow looked at her incredulously, “Sonic can cook?”

“I mean, yeah. He raised Tails, remember?”

“Oh.” To be quite frank, Shadow did not think about that. But now that he knew, he realised how foolish that question was. Of course Sonic can cook, he had to because of the 8 year old child he accidentally adopted. Besides, Sonic is pretty big on health despite his own horrendous eating habits, so it wouldn’t be practical if the hedgehog of healthy dieting couldn’t cook.

(Seriously, how can that hedgehog eat chili dogs all day?)

Shadow shook his head and decided to give his attention to the cupcakes in front of him. What can he do to decorate?  Shadow is no artist— he can barely draw himself. The most ‘artistic’ thing he could do is write in cursive and make a ratatouille (technically, he could just list cooking as an ‘art,’ but Shadow’s style of cooking is ‘toss it on a plate and call it a day.’ Why should he spend extra time making his food visually appealing if he’s going to eat it anyway? Ratatouille is one of those rare exceptions since it’s traditionally cooked with layers which means it sort of has to look good.)

Shadow felt frustration slowly rise and he furiously shoved it down. No, he refuses to get angry at something as simple as cupcake decoration. Instead, he thought about what Amy would want; she’s the cupcake expert, and besides, he doesn’t plan on taking them home so mind as well make a sweet Amy would like.

…

What would Amy like? Shadow struggled to come up with a singular answer; anything from macarons to clafoutis entered his mind. She’s quite a versatile woman; she likes just about any sweet, and even then, how could another dessert help influence another?

Shadow closed his eyes. No, he’s thinking too narrowly. What things does Amy like in general? Instantly, a plethora of easier-to-categorise-things reached his mind: pink, baking, Sonic, concerts, her friends, animals, fruit, gardening, and… strawberries? Shadow opened his eyes. Strawberries. A quite generic berry in Shadow’s opinion, but that doesn’t really matter, does it? What matters is that Amy likes them.

And with strawberries, you make strawberry shortcake, At least, that was something Amy told him a while back.

It’s not a long shot; it’s just the fact that he currently has cupcakes instead of cake. With a quick scan of his ingredients, he found that he did indeed have the strawberries he needed for the idea, but isn’t buttercream and strawberries a boring addition to a cupcake? It didn’t take much thinking to conclude that it was. 

Out of ideas, he decided to go find some inspiration. “Rose, do you mind if I take a look at your fridge and pantry? And… I might use the kitchen as well, so keep that in mind.”

“Go ahead, I said you could, didn’t I?” Amy said, her focus still on the cupcakes. 

Shadow didn’t answer her. Instead, he got up, went to the pantry, and was immediately swept up with an abundance of stuff. Amy’s pantry was filled to the brim. Anything you could possibly want or need was there at the go and that baffled Shadow to no end. Compared to the pantry he has at home, Amy’s was an entire supermarket. The obsidian Mobian searched the shelves for potential additions, and found nothing that seemed creative enough. Disappointed, he turned to leave before something caught his eye: vanilla pudding mix.

Pudding…?  

Shadow absolutely hates pudding, he finds the consistency unnerving. But conceptually… the idea of pudding and cupcakes does have a certain appeal to it. But wouldn’t the texture and sweetness be off? He reached for the box and read the instructions. 

8 minutes to make. Simple, easy, perhaps worth the uncertainty? If he cuts a hole in the centre of the cupcakes… he could put the pudding in there, but… still, the concerns of balance reached Shadow’s mind. Hmm, what if he did something with the strawberries along with that? He looked over at the bowl of red fruit still on the counter and took a bite of one. He was instantly met with a slightly sour and vibrant tart flavour. Shadow made a face. They weren’t the best strawberries ever, but they at least have some potential.

Not wanting to dwell on this any longer, he figured he could just wing it later and poured the pudding mix into a bowl and went to the fridge for milk. After pouring the exact amount of milk needed for the pudding, he began whisking until he felt no lumps.

Step 3 says to let the mixture set for 5 minutes, Shadow thought, glancing at the package to confirm, Mind as well brainstorm about the strawberries.

Shadow knew they definitely needed a little bit of sugar since they’re inherently lacking it, but with the sweetness of the pudding, he could probably skimp that out. Some extra acidity would also be nice… perhaps lemon? But what can make that would involve those ingredients? 

He decided to search the fridge to look for more things to work with and spotted some strawberry jam. He considered using it for the cupcakes before scoffing and dismissing the idea. If he’s going to put jam of all things in a cupcake, he should at least make it himself.

And… that’s exactly what he did.

He just tossed a few sliced strawberries in a pan, approximated the right amount of sugar, added lemon juice and zest, and started stirring on medium heat. Eventually, he let the pot simmer and thicken for a bit before garnishing, and Shadow being the perfectionist he is, decided he was too impatient to wait before taste testing. 

Eh, adequate enough, Shadow evaluated. He then started ladling the jam and letting it fall to test its viscosity. It was a bit more watery than he would’ve liked, but… it was mediocre otherwise.

Amy sniffed the air, finally breaking her focus on her cupcakes and resting her eyes on the hybrid, “Mm, smells good, Shadow. What’cha making?”

“It was supposed to be jam, but it’s more like a sauce now,” his face scrunched in disappointment, “It’s… alright for what I’m making.”

“Ohhh, cool! Is it a surprise?”

Shadow thought before answering, “I suppose so? More like a… creative approach. ” 

Amy grinned,  “That’s actually really cool!” she spotted the pudding on the counter, “Ohh, and pudding cupcakes?! Never seen that before. Yum!” She gestured to her own treats,”I just decided to decorate with frosting— which seems a bit backward since I have all these other ingredients to use, but I’m pretty happy with what I have right now!” 

Shadow eyed her cupcakes. They were gorgeous. Amy's understanding of colours and texture were immaculate to say the least. A large light blue streak ran through the cupcakes which were surrounded by pink flowers. It reminded Shadow of Sonic and Amy’s relationship, which was no doubt the inspiration. Light blue to represent the wind, flowers to represent delicacy and love. The flowers are creeping up on the wind, perhaps as a means to catch up? He found himself lost in the symbolism before realising he’s likely over analyzing literal frosting. Perhaps those 5 hours of sleep were gaining on him.

Instead, he decided to answer straightforwardly: “They look lovely, Rose.”

Amy laughed, “Thanks! I’ve never done a design like this before, but after the fourth cupcake, I think I got the hang of it.”

Shadow hummed in response before finally moving onto his own cupcakes. The pudding was done, the jam was done, and he had all the ingredients ready, the only thing he had to do now was assemble. He still wasn’t sure about the pudding and didn’t like the jam, but he found it pitiful that he couldn’t move on from simple mistakes, so he pushed himself to continue.

He’s going to regret this.

With a random knife he found in the kitchen, he carefully cut out a circular hole in six of the cupcakes and moved the excess cake to one side. He debated putting a little bit of jam inside, but deduced that using it as a drizzle was good enough. He then began cautiously scooping pudding into each cupcake. With that done, he took a piping bag of buttercream and did some simple swirls before topping them off with strawberries and jam.

When he was done, he took a step back and inspected his work. They weren't perfect, but they looked visually appealing enough for presentation. Slightly proud, he then began working on the next cupcake and made sure it was absolutely flawless. Suddenly, a thought came to him: What do these even taste like? 

To be frank, Shadow was so focused on decorating that he forgot all about his initial concerns about the cupcakes’ overall flavour, consistency, and complexion. He looked over to his first cupcake, which was arguably the ugliest one. It wouldn’t hurt to take a nibble, would it? 

He glanced over at Amy and hesitantly reached for the cupcake and took a bite.

…Before spitting it out.

Chaos, Shadow hated it. The textures and flavours felt all wrong in his mouth. The sweetness was a bit too much, the jam got on his gloves and had an odd thickness to it, the pudding added a weird and heavy relief, and the strawberries were too large to properly eat. Shadow was ready to scrap the idea all together before the doorbell rang.

Amy perked up and Shadow almost breathed out a sigh of relief; how convenient, now he can dispose of these cupcakes discreetly.

“I’ll get that!” the bubbly hedgehog exclaimed, awfully chipper. Well, who could blame her? In a few weeks, she was going to be with the love of her life all because a certain grump was helping her. 

Shadow didn’t bother acknowledging her; she knew where he was. If there was danger, he could just dash over, granted that Amy didn’t already knock down the threat with her hammer. Still, he angled his ear towards the door and went back to his disgusting creations. Just in case. 

Now time to dump these in the trash—

“‘Sup Ames! I came for those supplies and order forms Vanilla wanted.” He froze and the cupcake in his hands was immediately set down. 

What. The. Fuck.

Shadow gripped the countertop. Is he hearing this right? That voice… that stupidly, annoying voice. Without even thinking, Shadow took a few steps towards the kitchen entryway to spy the door, and while his angle was shit, Shadow could still clearly see the royal blue quills and cocky shit-eating grin that belonged to his oh-so famous rival.

Sonic’s expression was something between friendly and nonchalance and he was resting his arm on his hip while using his other arm to lean on the door frame. He also leaned forward slightly so he was in Amy’s breathing space, but still a respectable distance away. It reminded Shadow of that terrible cliché where a love interest would pin the main character to a wall for some shitty reason like ‘I was trying to get us to hide’ or some shit like that. 

All in all, it looked like a very intimate moment that certainly confirmed Sonic’s attraction to Amy. 

Shadow pressed his back onto the wall and groaned internally. Why the fuck was he here? Shadow was not prepared to deal with his shit today… What even are the chances? They were quite literally talking about him today! Cupcake disposal be damned; he now had his full attention at whatever was happening at the door. 

“Sonic!” The pink Mobian giggled and swayed to the side, obscuring the blue hero’s face. Shadow could tell that Amy was already liking this predicament.

“You didn’t have to! No seriously, you didn’t. I already have everything prepared and I was just about to drop it off once I finished things here. Did you need something? Or did you just want your daily dose of Amy~?” Her voice had a hint of playfulness in it and Shadow felt sick from her honeyed words. Sonic chuckled and Shadow could already envision his lovesick face. 

“No, I was just in the area and I figured I could help Vanilla out.”

“You’re such a sweetheart, Sonic! I—” Amy cut herself off, “But… Why were you in the area? My house isn’t part of your usual route. Is something bothering you?”

The form at the door shifted slightly and there was a brief pause and light chuckle. “Eh. I was just looking for someone.”

There was a period of silence and Shadow waited for a proper explanation from Sonic, but the blue faker didn’t provide one. Shadow felt a jolt of unease. Something was off. It’s just… that answer was too vague and obscure to not be suspicious. Sure, there was nothing inherently wrong with the hero’s answer, it was just… different. 

The azure hedgehog has always been confusing, but he’s never been so… upfront about it. The faker is bold and confident, but never has he ever been so damn cryptic for no reason; not to mention this mysterious ‘someone’ he’s trying to locate.

“Oh, that’s too bad!” Amy sympathised. 

Sonic dismissed her, “Don’t worry about it, Ames; they’ll show up eventually. After all, I have a magnetic personality. Wouldn’t you agree?” he leaned in and Amy giggled.

Shadow’s ear twitched at that statement. It fucking can’t be.

A long time ago, Sonic said that exact same thing to him during one of their disputes. While it could be a coincidence, that sentence alone very clearly hinted that the faker was looking for him of all people.

Shadow rolled his eyes. What an absurd and pointless thought. In fact, this entire situation was absurd and pointless. Why should Shadow eavesdrop on a conversation not meant for him? He’s much better than that; he shouldn’t stoop so low in the first place, but the faker’s words and careful undertones felt all too purposeful to not be a clue to something.  

It’s just all too odd to leave be.

“Oh well,” Amy said simply, cheerfully in fact. Shadow froze. Did she not notice how misgiving the hero’s answer was to her question? Someone as emotionally perceptive as Amy surely would have noticed and said something about it; did she just choose not to?

Amy waved a hand. “I’m sure they’ll turn up eventually. Sometimes, people are closer than you think.” Sonic laughed. 

“You’re right about that, Ames. Closer than you think… hmm. Maybe…” 

Shadow closed his eyes and Sonic’s flirtations with Amy got drowned out from his thoughts. He felt conflicted; either he could walk away from this and focus on his cupcakes, chaos control away, or step into the conversation to confront the faker. 

He opened his eyes to properly assess his situation. If he retreats to the kitchen, he would still hear the conversation because of his heightened senses. If he chaos controls away, he’d have to go to a secluded spot so the couple wouldn’t notice him (which wouldn’t be difficult). But if he does leave, Amy may find some offense and he would have to abandon his shoes. While he’s willing to partake in that endeavor purely because the affair at hand called for it, Amy having to find an excuse as to why his air shoes were at her house would be a headache on its own front.

He glanced at the door to see if he could somehow snag his shoes without being detected, and although Amy was definitely blind to the world due to the hero’s advances, the latter would have a clear view of Shadow if he emerged. 

The umbra internally groaned. Just like last time, his circumstances only allowed for one choice. Fuck.

Well, mind as well make an entrance.

“And just how close do you think they are, hedgehog?” Shadow stepped in besides Amy and rested his hand on his hip. Sonic jolted and abruptly sprang back from his previously suffocating and flirtatious position to a more laid-back one. The Mobian now had his hands on his hips with a half-lidded grin that could easily be interpreted as bashfulness from getting caught. Hmm.

“‘Cause I’m willing to bet that this ‘someone’ you’re trying to locate is so repulsed from you and your actions that they’re purposefully trying to avoid you.” he narrowed his eyes at Sonic, trying to look for a reaction. Unfortunately, the hero offered none and merely sneered at him. Shadow felt a little bit of relief, that comment about magnets was likely backhanded and meant nothing. He glared at Sonic in return and moved his eyes to meet Amy’s, who he could tell was a bit sad that her moment with Sonic was interrupted. What if he…

“Or perhaps…” Shadow started, he put both his hands on his hips, “Dear Dahlia is right and that this ‘special someone’ is in fact, a lot closer than you initially thought.” 

Sonic cracked a grin and sassily tilted his head. “What makes you say that, Shads? Are you implying something? How uncharacteristic of you.” he leaned in slightly and Shadow tried not to let the fucker know how much that irked him.

“Depends.” Shadow muttered and he took a step back, trying to give himself some space. Sonic’s grin grew wider at that.

Shadow crossed his arms. “How ‘special’ is this person to you? Are you looking for a companionship or a courtship?” he stepped a bit closer to Amy, “Either way, it’s quite obvious where all your attention goes, isn’t it?” He glanced at Amy before putting a hand on her shoulder. Internally, he winced, but if he’s going to be here, mind as well ‘commit to the bit’ and hint at their ‘relationship.’ Besides, it would be satisfying as hell to see that cocky smirk of his fall.

He looked up to his rival and hardened his gaze before snarling: “By all means, Faker, go ahead. If. You. Fucking. Dare.”

Sonic was smiling, but had a strained expression on his face and an overall dubious manner about him. That smile was a mixture of… something, that’s for sure. It was like the blue blur was ecstatic of the revelations in front of him, but was holding back for Chaos knows what. For the life of him, Shadow couldn’t get a read, and that’s one thing he hates about the blue bastard; it’s always so difficult to pierce the faker’s heroic mask. Frankly, it pissed him off.

“Shadow! You didn’t have to do that!” Amy grabbed his arm, and hugged it tightly, “What did I tell you! You don’t have to be so protective all the time! Geez, all because one creep decided to approach me…”

Shadow looked down at her and softened his expression ever-so slightly, not quite smiling but just on the cusp of it. 

Sonic broke out of his tense state and eyeballed them, connecting the dots. He then looked at Shadow. “ ‘Dahlia?’ ”

Amy laughed, “Yeah, I didn’t know he was a pet name-y guy either, but I think it’s sweet!”

“Got a problem with it?” Shadow grumbled.

“No, of course not lovebirds! Just… surprised.” Sonic chuckled, but Shadow could tell it was somewhat forced and flat. He felt slightly unnerved at the stiffness of the hero, but figured it was a normal reaction to such a situation. 

“But y’know, I’m supportive of it!” Sonic’s eyes briefly directed down and his smile faltered. Nope, Shadow changed his mind. This attitude was straight up uncomfortable. Sonic’s eyes met Amy’s, “So, about those supplies?”

“Oh! Yes!” Amy let go of the hybrid’s arm, “They’re in the shed outside; Vanilla also asked for some vegetables, right?”

Sonic grinned, “Yes, but I thought you had ‘everything prepared.’” Amy giggled.

Shadow rolled his eyes. Just how many times has Amy done that? 

Wait, ‘in the shed?’ Shadow looked at the rosy hedgehog who was moving away from him by the second. That means she’ll have to leave to go to the back which means he’ll be alone with…

“Dahlia,” he said, interrupting her stride, “do you need any help?”

“Huh? Oh. No, it’s fine, Shadow. I can handle it.” she winked, “Don’t worry about me; just go back to your cupcakes.” She then walked off.

Sonic laughed, this time with a semblance of light. “Wow, rejected.” It appears his mood is a bit better now that Amy isn’t attached to Shadow.

He clenched his fist, upset that he had to be alone with the nuisance named Sonic, but figured he couldn’t do anything now. With a sigh, the living weapon turned to the kitchen and tread inside, ignoring the oh-so arrogant pest that was loitering around the front door. Unfortunately, said pest apparently didn’t need any permission to enter and simply followed Shadow.

Sonic whistled at Amy’s cupcakes, “Man, those look good.” He glanced at Shadow with a bright smile that made the umbra internally cringe (not like he’s going to admit that).

Shadow sighed and made his way to his cupcake station, “Those are Dahlia’s.”

Sonic shrugged and positioned himself across the striped Mobian. “Figured that at least,” he then sat on the counter and crossed his legs with no dignity.

(Did this motherfucker not have any self-preservation for food hygiene?) 

“So, what’cha got there, Shads?” Sonic sneers.

“Don’t call me that,” the shade deadpans. 

“You’re not going to even try to entertain me?” Sonic whined. He fluttered his eyelids, “Like, how about you and Amy? When did that happen?”

Shadow eyed the hero. He sounded rightfully disappointed, but he also sounded like he was going to say something else, but held back.

“No.” Shadow grumbled, “Leave me alone, hedgehog.” With that, the faker’s smile fell and remarkably, didn’t make another comment. He just sat there in silence, staring at the ebony hedgehog as he drummed his fingers in an odd rhythm. 

... .... .- -.. ... ..--..

Grateful for the peace and quiet, Shadow picked up his knife and started working on the seventh cupcake. And then, he remembered: These cupcakes tasted like shit.

Sonic tilted his head at Shadow as he suddenly dropped his utensil. The agent then slumped in his chair and contemplated what to do with the monstrosities in front of him. Shadow’s eyes furrowed. Should he just quit while he’s ahead, or continue his half-assed creations? What would Sonic think of him if just dumped a batch of cupcakes?

.... . .-.. .-.. --- ..--..

Unconsciously, Shadow knew that the hero’s silence had a reason behind it but was in no spirit to care. All of his attention was on his cupcakes, the bane of his existence.

They were mocking him, and Shadow hated it. The things in front of him ridiculed him and proved how imperfect the Ultimate Lifeform was. He fucking hated it so much, and the idiot watching him was no better. Was he looking for something? A reaction? An explanation? Shadow wasn’t quite sure on what, but he could feel the blue blur’s uninterrupted gaze boring into him. Shadow made a point to avoid looking at Sonic’s direction.

..

Slowly, Shadow picked up his spoon and began scooping the pudding into the cupcake. He could at least finish up the decoration, right? The hybrid then picked up his piping bag and eyed Sonic in his peripheral. The hedgehog looked… curious, as if scrutinising Shadow led to the wonders of the world. 

Or perhaps…

The faker took an unprecedented deep breath in, but Shadow was too lost in thought to notice.

.-.. --- ...- . 

Shadow’s hands stiffened and the buttercream veered to the left. This staring and tapping was getting on his nerves and was making him lose his focus. It almost felt uncomfortable even though Sonic wasn’t doing anything ‘wrong.’ Shadow bit his lip and focused his gaze on the unpalatable confection in front of him. 

Now it was time to drip the jam on…

-.-- --- ..-

He slammed his spoon on the counter, making Sonic jump slightly. Shadow wanted to scream. This staring, this drum of fingers! He couldn’t take it anymore! He had half the mind to throttle the hedgehog for making him so perpetually disturbed.

Finally giving in, Shadow cleared his throat and opened his mouth to speak: “Dahlia made them." He said curtly, and then softly (to play into the ‘in love with Amy’ act). “Strawberry shortcake is her favourite, and she invited me to help ornament them.” Sonic took his weight off the counter and Shadow let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. He didn’t notice the slight disappointment in Sonic’s eyes.

His rival stalked towards him and grabbed the cupcake he was working on, spinning it in his grasp. “Y’know… I never liked strawberry shortcake…” Sonic commented. He then moved his face forward and took a bite and his eyes widened.

“Go ahead. Eat as many as you want.” Shadow dismissed him, “They’re revolting.”

Sonic’s expression quickly turned to offense, and he hurriedly swallowed the cupcake, “No, no. They’re good, Shads— they’re like— heaven?” he stuttered. "Like genuinely one of the best cupcakes I've had."

“You’re just saying that.” Shadow growled, “They’re too sweet, the texture is wrong, and the decorations are off since a certain hedgehog keeps disturbing me with that horrendous tapping.” 

Suddenly, Sonic grabbed Shadow by the shoulders and forced him to look into those scarily emerald orbs of his.

Shadow froze and struggled under Sonic’s hold. He fucking hated being touched, let alone by his faker. Sure, he’s no stranger to being manhandled by his rival, but never has Sonic been so forward with it and because of that, something inside of him almost didn’t want Sonic to let go. The hero values his space almost as much as Shadow does, so positive contact is a rarity amongst them. Yes, this has been an odd day for him, but that doesn’t explain the sudden touch.

Shadow directed his gaze past Sonic’s eyes as he found that he couldn’t bear to stare at them any longer.

“They’re delicious, Shads. Okay? Accept that.” Sonic broke off and in a blink of an eye, was already several feet away, holding his chin in a thinking position. Shadow stared at him in shock.

“In fact…” Sonic continued, “I’d eat anything you give me just because these cupcakes are so good. Heck, I’d eat poison if you told me to.” 

Shadow, out of his fright, scoffed: “Fucking liar. You haven’t even tried any of my proper dishes. Besides, I’m sure you’re smart enough to avoid literal suicide when at the word of another, let alone your rival’s.” He glared at him, “You aren’t that committed, hedgehog.” 

Sonic tilted head curiously. “How do you know that, Shadow?” 

His eyes narrowed. Did Sonic just use... his name? The faker never does that. Hell, Shadow could count the number of times Sonic referred to him as 'Shadow' on one hand because the of how rarely the hero does it.

"Because you hate me.” Shadow continued. He felt like that was obvious; they fight almost weekly.

Sonic laughs in an almost hurt, broken way and his expression turned earnest and melancholy. “Far from it, Faker.” He took a step forward, but no closer than that. Sonic clearly understood he already overstepped his boundaries today. 

“I would do anything for you.”

When Shadow came home that day, he was in no mood to speak.

Frankly, he was still shaken from Sonic's words. What did he mean? Was it an insult? An intimidation tactic? Who the fuck insults someone like that?

He set the cupcake container on the breakfast bar and stared at them.

After Sonic left with the materials in tow, Amy had a taste of one of his cupcakes and practically begged him to finish them. Reluctantly, he did, and Amy greedily took six out of the nine of them left for herself (Sonic ate three of them including the one Shadow tried despite protests about hygiene.)

Sonic.

The speedster's ever-so serious expression reached his mind again and Shadow’s face warmed up before he shook his head aggressively.

Chaos, that hedgehog makes him so fucking mad at every encounter. Shadow should just kill that asshole at this rate.

“Ohhh~” Rouge purred. Shadow jolted, not realising that the bat was still home. He looked at the direction of her voice and found her on the couch, limbs splayed apart and expression mischievous. “Who got you blushing like that, hun? Let me guess—”

“It’s none of your concern, Bat.” Shadow snapped, kicking off his shoes and stalking to his room.

“Aw, was it really that bad? I thought you were enjoying yourself at Amy’s considering you’ve been there for 2 hours.”

Shadow paused. Has it really been that long? Shit, he must’ve lost track of time in the middle of it all. Suddenly a thought came to him; something about magnets.

“Rouge.” Shadow turned to look at her. 

“Hmm?”

“Did… Sonic stop by here?’ he questioned.

Rouge giggled, “Look who’s obsessed now!”

“I’m not—”

“Oh, but last I checked, it was ‘none of your concern.’ I wasn’t the one who suggested Sonic first.” she grinned cheekily.

Shadow sighed, “That’s not the fucking point, Bat. Was he here or was he not?”

Rouge looked down at her nails, “Hm, I don’t know, handsome.”

Shadow growled and whipped around to stalk back into his room. He shouldn’t have expected any help from her. Of course she decided to be a bitch and not be helpful when he really needed her to be.

“But if you want my opinion,” Rouge called before he slammed the door, “He would've been pretty committed to seeing you if he was going to come over!”

Shadow didn’t know if he should be afraid or satisfied.