Peonies and Lavender

by ForsakeMe_Not

Summary:

Shadow returned a moment later holding a lighter and the vase, only now it wasn’t empty; it held a bundle of light pink flowers that Shadow was fixing with his hand. He set it down gently on the table, catching Amy’s eye as she stared at him incredulously. “They were out of roses,” he stated, and Amy was astounded that he actually sounded sorry. “I didn’t really expect there to be any in stock with it being dinnertime on Valentine’s Day, but… I thought you might like these, too.” He looked worriedly down at her. “I hope you like peonies.”

Or-

Amy gets stuck in the rain after a cancelled hangout on Valentine's Day, and she shows up at Shadow's door in hopes of staying dry.

To Amy Rose, a day had to have been made up of quite a few clashing components for her to fully consider it to be a bad one. She’d had her fair share of terrible moments that some would consider a good enough reason to declare their entire day having been steered off track, but she was nothing if  not optimistic; no day was bad in itself. 

A positive attitude could only carry a person so far, however, and this was the day that she had finally met her match. With the combination of dinner plans falling through at the last minute, missing her bus, and mother nature deciding to express her wrath on those unlucky enough to be stranded without a roof over their heads, she had no choice but to admit to herself that today had been totally, utterly, all-around awful, made even worse by the fact that, of all days, today had to be Valentine’s day.

Being caught in a storm alone with no way home was one thing, but being single on the most romantic day of the year on top of that inconvenience made Amy’s mood plummet far enough that she felt as if she could burn up at the Earth’s core. It wasn’t like this year was different from any of those before- she’d been single her entire life up to this point, thanks in no small part to the fact that she had been saving herself for one particularly special blue hedgehog- but for some reason, the cancellation of the dinner reservations she and her friends had made was the final straw. She didn’t blame Blaze or Silver at all, no- it wasn’t their fault that something more important than dinner had come up back in their own dimension- but it was enough to make her want to hide herself away in a dark corner and shut out the rest of the world. 

That brings us to now, at a deserted bus stop just outside the city that the poor girl was stationed three minutes late to the last departure for the next hour. Although it wasn’t snowing that day and winter was nearing its end, it was still February. Amy was drenched, miserable, and blisteringly cold. Her entire body was soaked through, quills drooping from her sour mood and the rain, and her knee-length dress plastered to her hunched frame. 

To make matters worse, and despite the fact that it was only five p.m, the sun had already sunk below the horizon by a considerable amount; in about twenty minutes the entire street would be shrouded in darkness, probably less considering how heavy and gray the storm clouds above her hung. She had no choice but to walk herself home, and her feet ached at the thought. She didn’t live in the city, and the only way she was able to get there was by bus, otherwise she’d be taking a forty-five minute trek down the scenic route every time she needed to come into town for something. 

She reasoned that she could always just wait for the six o’clock bus, but the darkening sky and lack of overhang to shelter her from the torrential downpour steered her away from that idea fairly quickly. 

She clutched her bag and stood, ready to brave the slick pavement down the coast, when she stopped in her tracks as a thought swept through her mind. Did she know anyone in the city? Most of her friends lived out close to her own home, preferring to get away from the noise and bustle of the busy town, but there were two other Mobians who came to mind at the thought.

The first was Rouge. As things began to settle down in the battle department over the past few years, she had taken it upon herself to befriend Amy, claiming that she “needed more girlfriends”. Amy quite enjoyed the company of Sonic and Tails and Knuckles and everyone else, but she had to admit that being the only girl in the group (not including the outliers like Blaze that were too busy to stick around for long) did get a tad lonely sometimes. Having Rouge for a friend had been a treat; they went shopping, did their nails, gossiped, watched romcoms- none of those things that she could in good faith drag the others out to do and know for a fact they’d have a good time. She liked roughhousing as much as any of them, but sometimes she just wanted to have a girls’ night. 

Calling Rouge would’ve been a no-brainer in this sort of situation if not for the fact that Amy knew she was having her own special Valentine’s Day date with Knuckles; she’d even helped the bat choose an outfit the day before on a FaceTime call. She frowned at the thought of her bat friend dropping her plans to come and rescue her, because despite date night being important to her, she knew Rouge would have her back any day. She didn’t want to ruin her night.

That brought Amy to her second and final option: her friend and Rouge’s sheltered roommate, Shadow. She mentally kicked herself; sheltered perhaps wasn’t the right word to use- Shadow wasn’t sheltered , he just wasn’t the most social hedgehog that she knew, preferring to spend his free time in the quiet of his own apartment rather than tag along with whatever shenanigans she and her friends got up to on the regular unless he was truly needed. 

She bit her lip as she pictured herself standing in front of Shadow’s door, begging him to let her wait out the storm; she’d even take the floor outside so long as she didn’t have to stand in the rain. She figured he might be able to Chaos Control her back to her own place, but then remembered that despite their friendship, Shadow had actually never been to her house before, which really threw a wrench in things. She distantly remembered him saying something about needing to clearly picture where he wanted to end up, otherwise the physical consequences could range from a minor muscle ache to complete evisceration of the user. 

Considering her current situation, she thought that the worst he could say is “no” and she’d just wait out the storm in the lobby, and the best case scenario being that he’d allow her into his home. She’d been there once or twice before when she and Rouge would swing by the place for her to grab an overnight bag before a sleepover, but she’d never actually explored the apartment in full. 

Before she could talk herself out of it, her feet began to carry her down the sidewalk. Her socks squelched uncomfortably in her red boots, making her cringe internally.

The walk to Shadow’s building wasn’t that far from her current position, but the rain paired with the unbearable cold and the only thing covering her being a short dress and thin sweater made it seem like hours passed by as she traversed the city sidewalks. It was rush hour, the cars no doubt holding people trying to hurry home from work to get to their loved ones for their dinner plans. There were plenty of other Mobians on the sidewalk bustling by her, but she was the only one that looked like a fool without an umbrella.

Then finally, finally, she found herself just outside of the looming apartment building just off the busy roads. It was one of the taller buildings in the area, and she could only imagine how much it would cost a regular person to live there year-round; Rouge and Shadow had been lucky to have their expenses paid for by the company they worked for, allowing them to live comfortably near the heart of the busy city. 

Amy shouldered past a man leaving the building, talking on the phone and too busy to pay her any mind, which she preferred to the alternative of being ogled at due to her disheveled state. Against her earlier assumptions, the lobby of the apartment building was almost colder than the air outside, probably due to the hard, shiny surfaces lining the walls and floors, giving it a more modern style. She bit the inside of her cheek to keep herself from letting out a frustrated yell, reasoning that she would only have to bear it a few minutes longer if she was lucky. It was only when she made it to the elevator that she realized she could barely remember what floor Shadow and Rouge lived on, much less the number of their apartment. She was thankful that she saved hers and Rouge’s texts, because she remembered that the bat had sent her the address to their place when Amy was meeting up with her once. 

She fished her phone out from the bottom of her bag, and she was a little impressed by the fact that the rain hadn’t soaked through to the inside. Collecting the information she needed, she entered the elevator and mashed the number “8”, praying that it wouldn’t stop on her ascent and force her to stand awkwardly next to someone else in a considerably more put-together state than her. 

The quietness of the elevator left Amy alone with her thoughts for a moment, said thoughts including the black and red hedgehog she was on her way to see. Over the past few years, in what appeared to be a seamless transition, things between them had begun to shift considerably. 

It felt like ages ago when she had first met Shadow, mistaking him for the very hedgehog she had set her sights on at the time- and then she thought to their talk on the Ark overlooking Earth, when she’d convinced him to abandon his plans to watch it all be destroyed in favor of helping her save it. She hadn’t considered that her words to him would leave such a lasting effect, but he had made it clear after that that she was one of the only people he could tolerate being around. Their friendship hadn’t really made itself known until the years after that encounter when they were already adults. Now, rather than just seeing him on the opposite end of the battlefield against Eggman and his Badniks, she would invite him out for lunch, or to see a movie, or just to walk around and talk if she was in the city for the day. She’d grown to love their time together, no matter how insignificant their interactions, whether it be a full day of hanging out or just a fleeting text that she’d send about a new recipe she wanted to try or to send him a cute or funny video she’d find online. He wasn’t a great texter, but he tried, which was a lot more than she could ever say about Sonic.

The thought startled her. She loved Sonic, she really did, and she didn’t mean to think down on him like that- but she had ultimately given up on that fruitless pursuit years ago. Part of her maturing was her finally admitting to herself that, no matter how heartbreaking, her friend wanted to stay as such and nothing more. The realization that Sonic didn’t want her in the same way she wanted him was worse than taking a hard hit from her own hammer, at least, that’s how it felt to a younger her. She’d been a wreck for days after the fact, and she’d done a lot of moping around in the weeks following. 

However, Sonic had been the first to check on her after the others had begun to notice her absence from their meetups. He’d sat her down, expressed how he wanted to stay close friends, and even apologized for rejecting her, which helped her snap out of her heartbroken stupor. It still hurt, but her desire to keep him in her life, no matter if it be romantic or not, had ultimately overridden her sulking and allowed her to feel normal around him again. 

Shadow’s friendship had helped, giving her a nice change of pace from the usual fast-paced adventures she faced when she hung around her usual gang. Fleeting glances, the way he would let her hang off his arm and the way he humored her delusions- it had all culminated into a giant mess of emotions, and she’d found herself having those short-lived pains in her chest when he’d look at her with those pretty red eyes while she talked on and on, or when he’d go out of his way to remember an important date and give her a call (like on her birthday, which he never seemed to forget and would congratulate her before anyone else had the chance every year without fail).

Amy blinked as the loud ding! from the elevator marking her stop snapped her out of her thoughts, and she caught herself reddening in the shiny metal reflection as the doors parted to let her out. 

She stepped out into the hallway, lit by the fluorescent lights above her and making her feel too exposed in the empty space. The place almost smelled like a hotel room, and it was as cold as one too, much to her distress. She made the short walk down past the apartment doors until she found the one from Rouge’s text, her feet bolted to the tile floor as she stared at the navy blue wood in front of her. She raised her hand to knock, hesitating before quickly rapping on the door three times. Part of her hoped that Shadow wouldn’t answer, if only so that he wouldn’t see her in such an unkempt state. A heavy weight settled in her chest at the thought of meeting his scrutinizing gaze. 

After a moment of silence she almost knocked again, but thought better of it; she’d be better off waiting out the storm downstairs, after all. But just as she turned to leave, she heard the lock click and felt a small woosh of air as the door was opened in front of her. The small puff of wind sent a shiver through her body as she turned on her heel, tilting her head up slightly to meet those burning crimson eyes of the hedgehog she’d allowed her thoughts to drift to lately. He was wearing a pair of black sweats and a plain red shirt- she found it strange since Shadow didn’t usually ever really wear much of anything, but she figured that even the Ultimate Lifeform got chilly every now and then, especially with the horrid weather outside.

Shadow looked surprised to see her, though she supposed she couldn’t blame him. She was probably the last person he’d expected to appear at his door on a day like today.

“Rose?” The nickname made her heart thud dully behind her ribs, and suddenly her dress felt too tight on her- though that could probably be attributed to the way the water made it stick to her skin. “What are you doing here?”

She opened her mouth to speak but suddenly found that she didn’t have the words. What in the world could she say? That she’d been stood up on a not-date? That she’d been stupid enough to miss the bus? That she was soaked to the bone because despite the weather channel warning everyone for a chance of rain, the only protection she’d brought to shield her from the elements had been a thin-fitting sweater?

The events of the day suddenly came crashing down on her all at once, and it wasn’t until now that she realized that she was trembling as she stood with her arms crossed over her chest. “I-I-” she attempted, but the tremor in her voice made her feel too mortified to continue. Instead, she dropped her gaze to the floor; there was a small puddle where she was standing, and it only added to her embarrassment. Her lip trembled as she shut her eyes tight in an attempt to quell the tears that threatened to fall, though with how her muzzle dripped with water she doubted that he would be able to tell. 

She felt a hand on her arm that made her flinch. “Rose, what happened?” Shadow’s gravelly voice was laced with concern that was uncharacteristic for the usually-aloof hedgehog, and she thinks that that’s what finally broke her. 

A broken sound escaped her lips, and the only words she could form were, “I-I’m cold.” To her own ears it sounded meek and humiliating, but then again, so was every part of this experience. The tears finally fell, dripping down to mingle with the rainwater that dampened her cheeks.

It didn’t take any more convincing for him to wrap his hand around the arm it was resting on, gently tugging her to move forward through the threshold. He didn’t speak, but he didn’t need to; when she looked up at him through her lashes in the doorway she could see that his features had softened significantly, his down-turned brow now quirked up slightly and his ever-present scowl had shifted into a lesser frown that still showed his displeasure, but now it was out of concern for her rather than his usual annoyance at the general world. He shut the door behind her, locking it back before returning his undivided attention to her. He placed his free hand on her other shoulder, beginning to peel the drenched piece of fabric from her frame. She closed her eyes, letting herself relax for the first time all day. She mentally kicked herself; how could she ever have thought he would turn her away?

He didn’t ask any questions yet, just led her past the kitchen into the main area of the apartment. The only light that offered Amy any sort of recognition for the space around her was the television that had been paused on whatever was currently playing, most likely so Shadow could get up and answer the door.

“Shadow-” Her voice was still quiet, and every word was a struggle through her ragged breathing. “I’m getting water all over your floor.” She glanced behind her, ears lowered at the trail of slick that led from the front door to where they were currently standing.

He hummed in acknowledgment to her words. “Nothing a towel can’t clean,” he insisted, before instructing her to wait there for him. So she stood alone in the middle of the living room, following him with her eyes as he disappeared into a side hallway. She took the opportunity to glance around, fully taking in the space for the first time. Rouge and Shadow’s apartment wasn’t particularly large, but it matched the size of her own home. There was an L-shaped couch in the family room and a coffee table set directly in front of it, separating it from the t.v. He had drawn the blinds back from the balcony door, presumably to watch the storm rage outside. It seemed like a very Shadow thing to do, and even Amy liked to watch the rain- she just hated to be caught out in it.

The sound of footsteps drew her attention back to the hallway, and she was met with the sight of the hedgehog holding a towel out to her, which she graciously took. “Thank you…” she breathed, using it to pat her face dry first. She drew the cloth over her quills, her shaky paws making it difficult to focus on drying herself.

“Come sit down,” he told her, angling his face toward the two-chair dining table that rested against the wall next to the kitchen. “I’ll help you with your quills if you want.”

She blinked at him graciously, feeling the familiar flutter in her chest at his offer. “That would actually be… really nice,” she admitted, sheepishly dragging her feet to where he’d beckoned her. She sat herself down, wincing as she felt her dress squish beneath her on the wood. He waited a moment before reaching for the towel in her grasp, which she handed over without complaint. Quietly at first, her friend started massaging her hair with two hands, wrapping up small sections of the pink mess and squeezing it lightly to urge the water out. She was surprised by how gentle he was with his hands, and the thought brought on a new bout of redness to her face; she hoped that the darkness of the place helped conceal it well enough that he wouldn’t see, though she supposed she could just blame it on how cold she was.

“So…” Shadow began, his eyes staying locked on his work, “do you want to tell me what happened?” His question held another unspoken part- or do you not want to talk about it?- which Amy appreciated. He wouldn’t pry, but he was here to listen if she wanted him to.

She felt the lump in her throat return as she mentally recalled the day’s events. “I…” She tried to search for the right words to use that wouldn’t render her pathetic in his eyes. After all, Shadow was the last person she’d expect to give a hoot about something as trivial as Valentine’s Day, but maybe she was being too presumptuous. “I had Valentine’s plans with Silver and Blaze that fell through, and then I missed the bus home.” She closed her eyes as he reached the spot behind her ears, rubbing soothing circles behind them to get the last of the wetness out. She had to force herself not to purr. “The next bus doesn’t come until six, and… I just needed somewhere to go until then. I don’t know anyone else in the city except you and Rouge.” She looked up at him apologetically. “I’m sorry for just showing up like this.”

He shook his head distractedly, moving to squeeze the water from the quills that framed the sides of her face. “Don’t apologize for needing help,” he insisted. “I’m your friend. I’ll help you anytime you need it.”

“I guess I just…figured that you wouldn’t want to be bothered.” She felt silly for saying it the moment it left her mouth. 

He shrugged. “Today is like any other day to me. You aren’t ever a bother, Amy Rose.”

Amy’s heart soared at the warmth in his tone. She couldn’t help the grin that made its way onto her face.

“You said you were going out with Silver and Blaze… Didn’t you have a date for Valentine’s Day?”

The smile dropped from her face at the mention. She couldn’t blame him for asking; it was strange to be a third-wheel on a day like today. She shook her head in response, clearing her throat to keep her voice from wobbling. “Not this year.” She paused. “Or any year, actually. It’s… not really a new development for me to be alone this time of year.”

He looked at her in interest, ears perked. “What about Sonic?”

She looked at him in alarm. “What about him?”

“You aren’t…” He trailed off awkwardly, and she could feel his fists tense as he moved to draw the towel away from her. 

Amy’s eyes went half-lidded at the realization of what he was asking her. “No,” she sighed. “I mean- we never were much of anything at all.”

The look on Shadow’s face was a curious one, and she would have given anything to know what he was thinking at that moment. “I apologize,” he settled on. “I didn’t mean to assume.”

She couldn’t help but laugh a little, bitter as it was. “It’s fine. That ship sailed a long time ago.” She tilted her head away from him sourly. “I’m just… I just wanted a fun night out with my friends, but something came up and they had to cancel. I’m not blaming them or anything, I just- I didn’t want to be alone tonight.” She toyed with the little ribbon hanging off her dress, embarrassed to admit such a thing to him, but for some reason she couldn’t stop the words from flowing out of her mouth. “I know you probably don’t care much about Valentine’s Day, but I can’t help but want to have something for today. Seeing everyone else having a good time with their dates is-” She stopped herself, tapping her foot anxiously on the wooden floor. 

“It’s… hard for you?” he guessed. 

She grimaced. “Is that a bad thing?” Her teal eyes found their way back to him. “I don’t know… I guess I just want what everyone else has for a change. I spent so long chasing after the same guy that I never really thought about wanting something in return for the stuff I’d try to do for him. I’ve never been kissed, never been on a date-” She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, chuckling wetly. “I’ve never even been given flowers before.” She hung her head low, shame washing over her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to come in here and complain. I just wanted to have dinner and forget about how lonely I am before it all went to shit.”

To her surprise, that earned a rare chuckle out of the man beside her. It startled her so much that she looked back up at him. The smile lines creased lightly on either side of his muzzle, and he attempted to muffle his laughter with a hand. “Sorry; I just don’t think I’ve ever heard you swear before. Forgive me for finding it amusing.”

She grinned softly and couldn’t help but giggle alongside him. “Yeah… I guess it is pretty funny.” She tilted her head warily at her friend. “When it’s almost time for me to leave, can you walk me down to the lobby? I know it’s silly, but… I’d rather have someone there to see me off so I don’t look like a weirdo coming in and leaving within the same hour.”

Shadow glanced down at the now-damp towel in his hands and then toward the storm outside; it was now pitch-black beyond the window pane save for the lights of the city below them. “Amy Rose, I want you to hit me with that hammer of yours if I ever allow you to walk out into a storm like that.” His words pierced her chest, and her eyes widened at him. “Stay here. You can use the shower and borrow some clothes- but I’d be a fool if I allowed you to go back out into that downpour just to ride the bus home.”

She felt taken aback at his offer. On one hand, she wanted to accept immediately. The thought of waiting out the rain for the night in the warm, dry apartment after a shower was definitely appealing. However, her enthusiasm was also the exact reason that she considered shooting him down. She had no idea how Shadow perceived her outside of their mere friendship, and she was terrified that if she spent this time with him alone, she might let something slip, and then she would have to willingly throw herself off the balcony to save herself from any further embarrassment.

But his offer was so kind, so genuine, that there was no way she could look into those scarlet eyes and tell him no. So she nodded, biting her lip. “A shower does sound nice,” she admitted.

He offered her a polite smile, helping her up from her seat. “I’ll grab you some clothes.” 

She followed him to the back hall before they came to a door, where she assumed his room was. He opened it and stepped through, flicking on the overhead light as he walked in. She didn’t want to be nosy, but she couldn’t help the way her eyes scanned the room curiously. The only time she’d seen anything in the space was when he would send the rare photo with part of his room in the background, so this was completely new to her. He had a twin-sized bed in the corner with a black comforter fitted neatly across the mattress and a wooden dresser along the wall parallel to it. He didn’t have much in the bedroom, and honestly she didn’t know why she expected anything different; Shadow didn’t seem like the maximalist type to her.

He stood from where he’d been kneeling beside the dresser, holding a bundle of clothes out to her. If she didn’t know any better, she’d say he seemed a little shy. “I’d offer you something of Rouge’s, but I really don’t feel like poking around in her room. There’s no telling what I’ll find in there.” He wrinkled his nose, as if he was imagining exactly that. “But… if you’d rather that, then I suppose I could-”

“No, no!” Amy waved her hands at him quickly, but upon seeing his surprised face she backtracked. “I mean- I don’t want you to go through all that trouble.” She grinned at him reassuringly. “Your clothes are fine, I promise.”

He nodded as she took them, steering her out of the space before flicking the light off and pulling the door back until it shut again. “The bathroom is the next door down, and there are clean towels in the cabinet.” 

She thanked him before following his directions, feeling along the wall inside the bathroom for the light switch. When she found it she stepped inside and locked the door, her hand lingering on the handle. As she turned she properly saw herself in the mirror for the first time, and she looked like a wreck. Her quills, now towel-dried by the same guy that offered her sanctuary from the raging storm outside, were sticking out all over the place. The little bit of makeup she’d put on before leaving the house was either smudged or had disappeared, and the fur along her arms was ruffled. 

Looking down at the neatly-folded clothes in her hands, she felt warmth spread across her cheeks. Unconsciously, she brought the fabric up to her nose and took a long sniff; it smelled faintly of vanilla, along with a tinge of something floral that she couldn’t quite place. She froze as she caught her reflection in the mirror, eyes widening in horror. What the hell was she doing ?

She quickly placed the clothes down on the countertop and rushed to start the water in the shower. She internally chastised herself for what she’d just done. What the hell was she doing standing in her friend’s bathroom, smelling his clothes like some kind of weirdo? She cringed at the thought of what he’d think if he caught her, regardless of her having locked the door once she entered and also the non-zero possibility that Shadow would ever open the bathroom door without knocking first. 

She removed her gloves and placed them on the edge of the counter before reaching behind her to unzip her dress, with a bit of difficulty due to the stiffness of the drying fabric. She sighed in relief when the dress pooled at her ankles and she shoved it away with her foot, rolling her shoulders to release some of the tension that had built up there. Turning on the water, she waited a moment for it to heat up before stepping inside, pulling the curtain back to shield herself from the rest of the room. 

She felt more relaxed than she’d been all day once she was under the warm water, feeling a shudder pass through her body as she let the steady stream hit her face and drench her through once more, though this time the soak was a welcome one. She allowed herself to indulge a little before reaching for the first bottle of soap she could see on the shelf, absentmindedly pouring it into her free paw; she was too tired to care. 

As she massaged the suds into her quills she distantly imagined what Shadow might be doing while he was waiting for her to be done in the bathroom; maybe he was watching the movie he’d paused in favor of catering to her, or maybe he was just sitting around not doing much of anything at all. Either way, she still felt guilty for interrupting his evening, even if he insisted that she wasn’t being a bother. 

Just then Amy was snapped out of her thoughts when a soft fragrance wafted around her, making her pause in her washing. She drew a handful of suds from her hair down to her face, taking in a quick breath. Her eyes widened. If she wasn't mistaken, it was the exact same scent that coated the pajamas Shadow had given her to wear. She squinted, resisting the urge to slap a palm to her face as she reached down toward the shampoo bottle she'd carelessly swiped up before, turning it around to read the label: lavender and vanilla.

She huffed as she realized that she'd undoubtedly used Shadow's soap by mistake- though, was it really a mistake if she hadn't really been aiming for anything in particular in the first place? She decided that yes, it had been a mistake, because if anything, she would have definitely reached for something that belonged to Rouge instead had she actually been paying attention.

With any luck, he might not notice her little slip-up, though something inside told her that she was kidding herself with that one; the man noticed everything. He'd been the first to notice when she'd started growing her hair out last month, and the first to notice when she'd ditched her usual headband in favor of tying her longer quills back with a bandana instead. He'd even noticed when she was trying something new at a restaurant in place of her usual order. There was no way he wouldn't notice that she'd used the shampoo he most likely favored every day.

She decided that there was no point in stalling, and that if she was questioned about it she'd just tell the truth, that she hadn't been paying attention and that she was sorry. 

Rinsing herself off, Amy didn't even have enough energy to pretend to feel guilty for how badly she'd steamed up the bathroom. She was sure that after everything else in the last half-hour, the last thing Shadow was going to get angry at her for was fogging up the mirror. 

She looked over the clothes he had so graciously given her again, only just now realizing that the pair of pants was a set of red, plaid sleep pajamas that she remembered Rouge buying him for Christmas last year. She grinned at the image of Shadow adoring them like those families in the Christmas films that all wore matching sets of pajamas, and it immediately made her feel bashful. The shirt was nothing special, just a black t-shirt that had a comfortable enough fabric to sleep in, but the fact that it was Shadow’s still made it feel like the finest piece of cloth she had ever held in her hands.

The last thing that properly caught her attention was the garment wedged between the folded shirt and pants. Her face fell when she realized what exactly she was looking at: a pair of boxers. Of course.

She hadn’t even considered the fact that he wouldn’t have any sort of women’s underwear she could wear, but then she stopped, her brow knitting in confusion at a thought that came to the forefront of her mind: why did Shadow even own boxers? The only time she’d seen him wear actual clothes was during one of their most recent outings right after one of his work shifts, which caused her to draw her own conclusion: working in an office half the time probably required him to follow a dress code, and she was certain that in most office buildings a shirt and pants were necessary. The boxers were a no-brainer when she tried to imagine herself wearing jeans without anything else underneath. 

When she pulled them on she was surprised with how well they fit, along with the pants. Still, just in case, she tied the little drawstring at her front to ensure they didn’t fall.

Pulling the shirt over her head and fixing her quills, she wiped her paw across the foggy mirror to get a glance at herself. While the pants fit her just fine the shirt was almost too big for her, hanging off her shoulders rather than fitting to them like her own clothes did. She found that she didn't really mind, though; it was like she was getting a big hug, and the fact that it smelled exactly like Shadow made it even better in her mind.. 

Another thought crossed her mind, and she crouched down to pull open the cabinet beneath the sink. She didn’t want to poke around in things that weren’t hers, but she figured that Rouge wouldn’t mind if she used her- aha!

She stood up when she found what she was looking for: a blow dryer. She plugged it into the outlet beside the mirror, thankful that she didn’t have to dig around in her friends’ stuff any further. 

She threaded her fingers through her hair as she took her time drying each section, closing her eyes against the warm air. It was a difficult feat for her to not fall asleep standing in place, but she managed to dry her quills all the way without stumbling around like an idiot. She unplugged the dryer and wrapped it back up, leaving it on the counter to cool. The last thing she did was take her gloves that had been sitting out on the counter, deeming them dry enough to slip back onto her waiting paws. 

Amy did her best to wipe the floor of any excess water from when she first stepped out of the shower before gathering up her soiled dress and shoes in her arms, reaching for the door handle and unlocking it. 

Opening the door and rounding the corner, she was prepared to ask Shadow where he wanted her to set her dirty clothes and shoes when she stopped in her tracks. The couch was deserted, which was where she’d expected to see her friend sitting in wait for her. The television had been turned off, too.

Her eyes followed the only other source of light in the space at the corner of her vision, her breath hitching. 

The light had been turned on in the kitchen and it pooled over into the main area where Shadow was bent over the small table that was pushed up against the wall. One of his ears swiveled around upon her arrival and he turned to face her.

She blinked, looking past him at the table. “Sorry, am I-” She could see two boxes set out on the table along with an empty vase. “Am I interrupting?”

“Not at all,” he insisted, striding over to meet her. He held out his hands for her clothes which she gladly handed over. “Wait here a moment.” He walked past her and disappeared back down the hallway, leaving her to glance back toward where the table was again. Now that he was out of the way she could also see an unlit candle sitting in the middle of the table next to the vase. 

His return made her jump, but his hand on her shoulder steadied her as he gently guided her toward the table. “Sorry,” he murmured apologetically. “I thought I would have this done before you finished your shower.”

Amy could only stare down at the table. The boxes she had seen sitting there now appeared to be takeout containers, and it was only just then that she realized how absolutely famished she was. “You…” She was speechless. “How did you-?”

Shadow reached past her to pull the chair out, using his other hand to guide her gently to sit. “You never got a chance to eat dinner,” he said simply. “You don’t have to eat if you aren’t hungry, but…” A small smirk crossed his lips when he heard a low growl rumble in Amy’s stomach. “I would suggest that you do.”

Her ears lowered as she took a tentative seat, gripping the edge of the table as he pushed her chair in. He excused himself and she watched him cross back into the kitchen after grabbing the vase from the table as he went. She couldn’t see what he was doing from here, but she could hear the sound of running water.

He returned a moment later holding a lighter and the vase, only now it wasn’t empty; it held a bundle of light pink flowers that Shadow was fixing with his hand. He set it down gently on the table, catching her eye as she stared at him incredulously. “They were out of roses,” he stated, and she was astounded that he actually sounded sorry. “I didn’t really expect there to be any in stock with it being dinnertime on Valentine’s Day, but… I thought you might like these, too.” He looked worriedly down at her. “I hope you like peonies.”

She could only gaze at the flowers in awe as they sat in front of her. “You got me flowers?” Her voice was small, and it was a wonder Shadow could hear her at all. 

“You said you’d never gotten any before.” He reached out to grab the unlit candle, lighting the wick in the center before nudging it back to the middle of the table. 

“But-” Her gaze returned to him. “How?”

He angled his head down toward her. “Hm?”

“How did you do this?” She couldn’t keep the astonishment out of her voice. 

“My Chaos Emerald,” he replied simply, taking his seat across from her. “I thought I’d have more time, though. I’m sorry that I didn’t have everything ready before you came back out of the bathroom. I got Chinese food- I remember you saying you liked that place once before.”

She was hardly listening. All she could do was stare at the display before her, and she felt that Chaos-forsaken lump return to her throat. When her eyes met his across the table, he was frowning. “Are you okay?”

She opened her mouth to speak but could barely find the words. Her hands clenched the fabric of the t-shirt she was wearing. “Why did you do all of this?”

He stared at her like she’d just announced to him she was about to grow wings and fly away. “You had a bad day,” he put simply. “I may not be such a big fan of today, but… that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be able to enjoy yourself.” He offered her a small, barely noticeable smile. “Happy Valentine’s Day, Rose.”

Amy couldn’t hold it in any longer. Shadow had gone through all of this just so she could have a good evening, no matter how he felt about the holiday; nobody had ever done anything so nice for her in her entire life. Her eyes swam with fresh tears and she had to fight herself not to let them fall, which proved to be a futile effort. The candle lit his face with a warm glow that made his sharper features appear softer, gentler, and his eyes, which so often burned like a raging fire, now held a tinge that reminded her of wine. It was now that she recalled her previous thoughts of the dark hedgehog while she was making her way up to his place on the lift. The butterflies she felt in her stomach were now obvious; the thoughts she was having for her friend were far beyond the realm of platonic, and part of her wanted to gut herself and remove her heart altogether. Somehow she would find a way to ruin this, she just knew it.

Wiping her eyes with a fist, she choked back a cry. “I-I don’t deserve this,” she insisted. 

He reached out across the table with a hand to gingerly pluck her fingers away from her face, gripping her palm carefully in his. “Don’t say that.” His voice was firm, but the look of affection on his face told her that he wasn’t angry. “You deserve the world, Amy Rose, and I’m sorry that nobody has tried to tell you that before now.” His words were final, and it prompted her to nod in acknowledgment before Shadow released her. 

A comfortable silence washed over them as they ate, which gave her a chance to contemplate Shadow’s words. She had no idea what she could have ever done for him to see her in such a positive light. She supposed it could be because of what happened on the Ark all that time ago, but in her mind, she reasoned that anyone could have done that. She had no doubt in her mind that if it had been Sonic or Tails or any of the others to snap him out of his loathing, he wouldn’t go out of his way to do something like this for them. She wanted to know what made her so special, but at the moment she didn’t have the courage to ask; she knew that if she tried to say anything at all she would probably burst into tears. 

Amy was too hungry to properly care about pacing herself, downing the orange chicken he’d graciously bought for her quickly before moving onto the rice. 

“Don’t hurt yourself.” Amusement tinged his voice. “I don’t want you to get sick.”

She mumbled an apology, but noted that despite his words he wasn’t scolding her for her bad manners, he was just expressing his concern. That little detail made her cheeks pink.

She finished before him, but she didn’t mind waiting. She watched him scrape the last of his food into his mouth before gathering up their boxes to toss. She offered to wash the forks, but he was insistent that she relax. Instead, she blew out the candle and placed the lid over the top so the place wouldn’t smell burnt, rising from her chair and pushing it in. 

She noticed that the rain was still pouring outside, and she stepped over into the living room to find her bag. She unzipped it and reached inside, pulling out her phone to check the time: 6:13 p.m. She was glad that she wouldn’t have to brave the storm, after all, and it only made her affection for Shadow grow. 

“Are you alright?” Speak of the devil.

She turned and answered him with a smile and a nod. “Yeah… I was just checking the time.”

He came over to lean against the back of the couch, watching her. “Are you having second thoughts about staying over?”

His words startled her. Was he serious? “Are you serious?”

He looked taken aback. “No…?”

She scoffed in disbelief. “You just went out of your way to get me dinner and flowers just because my day got ruined, something that nobody has ever done for me before, and you think I’m having second thoughts?”

He looked down at his hands in an uncharacteristic display of bashfulness. “I know we don’t really… hang out all that much,” he mumbled. “I didn’t know if you wanted to be here without Rouge.”

Her eyes softened, and she set her phone back in her bag before walking over to stand in front of him. She had to angle her face up slightly, since he had a few inches on her. “Shadow… you’re my friend, too. I don’t care that Rouge isn’t here.” 

“I just don’t want you to feel uncomfortable.”

“Uncomfortable?” At that, Amy reached up with both hands and placed them on either side of his face to guide his eyes to look down at her. He looked startled at her sudden touch, but she pressed on regardless. “Shadow, this is one of the best days I’ve ever had.”

Shadow’s ears flattened against his head. “That can’t be true; you showed up at my door in tears.”

“That was before you went out of your way to fix it. I don’t care that I ate takeout in pajamas in your apartment instead of going out to dinner; you did what you had to do to make the day special for me, and that’s worth so much more to me than going out for a nice dinner reservation.”

He still looked uncertain, but Amy’s firm words must have been enough to convince him. “Well… I’m glad that I could be of service, Miss Rose.” She was about to speak again when he suddenly lifted one of his hands to trace over her knuckles, pulling her hand from his cheek to slide into his own. His eyes never left hers as he brought her hand to his lips, pressing them against the back of her palm. The action made her quills stand on end, her eyes betraying how flustered she was. “You do so much for everyone else; you deserve to have good things.”

She was surprised that she didn’t pass away right there on the spot. She was no stranger to giving affection to other people- she was always the first to hug, to hold someone’s hand, to loop her arm around her friends’- but it was only now that she realized she didn’t know what it felt like to be on the receiving end of said affection. It felt… really nice. 

Shadow seemed to notice her falter, because he lowered her hand, leaving it feeling empty and cold. “Did I do something wrong?”

She swallowed, shaking her head quickly, but she couldn’t speak. All she could think about was how gently he was looking at her, how handsome he looked with the light from the kitchen behind them backlighting him. Then, to her utter befuddlement, he seemed to lean down slightly. She bit the inside of her cheek, every part of her body urging her to meet him, but she was frozen. Then, instead of going any lower, he pushed his muzzle into the quills atop her head, taking in a long breath. She felt him smile against her fur. “Did you use my shampoo?”

Amy’s face set ablaze at his words. She had completely forgotten about that. She stuttered, unable to form a coherent thought. “I-I-”

He stopped her with a chuckle that reverberated throughout her body. “Relax, Rose. I don’t mind. I just thought it was amusing.”

She drew her hands away from him, crossing them over her chest. She took in a breath to steady herself, turning away to make her way around the couch and plop herself down with a huff. “It was an accident,” she grouched quietly, attempting to ease her pounding heart. 

He slowly came around to sit beside her, and she could see him looking at her out of the corner of her eye. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”

She closed her eyes, letting out a small laugh and relaxing slightly. “It’s okay.” She angled her face back toward him, and she flashed him a humorous smirk. “We crossed that line when you gave me a pair of your boxers to wear.”

The blush on his face was enough to make her glad that she took the jab at him. “If I had anything else for you I would’ve-” he started defensively, causing her to reach out and place a gloved hand on his arm to stop him.

“I’m just teasing!” she giggled, bringing her legs up onto the sofa to get more settled as she turned to face him. “I really do appreciate you giving me something comfortable to wear.”

He frowned. “It doesn’t bother you? I really should have asked before assuming-”

“It’s fine. ” She tilted her head to the side, smiling at him reassuringly. “Shadow, how many times do I have to tell you that I’m fine before you believe me?”

He was watching her intently, so much so that she almost felt scrutinized under his gaze. “I believe you,” he said after a few long moments. “I know you wouldn’t lie, I just…” He turned to stare blankly at the black t.v. screen. “I feel very… inclined to make sure that you’re happy.” His brow furrowed, as if he was deep in thought. “You mean a great deal to me, Rose, more than the average person.”

His confession shook Amy, and her hand returned to her lap as he continued.

“I’m no expert on having friends- it’s only because of you and Rouge that I have any at all- but I know that there’s nobody else I’d rather be spending today with, and I don’t know if that’s an appropriate thought to have about someone that I consider to be a friend.”

She blinked. Was he…?

He returned his gaze to her, and there was a fondness there alongside what she thought could be anxiety. “I need to know, Rose… What do you think of me?”

She gaped at him. “What do I think?” she repeated.

“If I’m crossing a line, we can pretend that I never said anything,” Shadow told her quickly, and it was obvious that the aloof front he usually kept up was falling piece by piece. “But I would be lying if I told you that this isn’t something that I have been mulling over for a long time.”

She couldn’t even begin to fathom his words. In her mind, it sounded like he was admitting the exact thing that she had been reflecting on earlier that night. She felt her palms get sweaty under her gloves as she thought about what she could possibly say in response. How could she tell him that he made her feel special in a way that nobody ever had before? That despite everyone’s initial perception of him she saw him to be kind, considerate, and just the thing she needed to ground her when she’s getting in over her head?

There was no way she’d be able to admit all of it out loud to him in the way she wanted, but by Chaos, she was going to try.

“I think… that you pretend not to care about other people,” she began, “but then you do something so backwards against that mask you put on- like how you saved the world instead of allowing it to be destroyed, or how you turned my night around into one I know I’ll never forget.” She leaned toward him slightly, as if emphasizing her point. “You’ve got a good heart, no matter how many times you’ve tried to convince me and everyone else that you aren’t good. You are good, Shadow; I just wish it wouldn’t take so much convincing for you to know it.” She sighed wistfully, leaning her head to the side so her cheek pressed up against the couch cushion. “You said that I deserve good things, but so do you. You deserve to be happy. I want you to be happy, and I wish I could do more to make that a reality.” She smiled to herself and then, bravely, she added, “You’re also handsome. I don’t know if I’ve ever told you that, or if you really care, but you are.”

Shadow was silent for a moment as he took in her words, analyzing them. She wished he would say something, if only to allow her to let out the breath she was holding. Maybe she’d been wrong about the intentions of his earlier statement, and she’d just embarrassed herself badly enough that she couldn’t take it back this time. “Well, what about me?” she chuckled nervously. “What do you think about me?”

He seemed to think hard about the question, as if he was trying to choose his next words very carefully. The faint glow of the kitchen light beyond the living room highlighted the white chest fur that peeked out from the neck of his shirt, and she wondered if the tufts were as soft as they looked. She longed to reach out and run a hand through it, but restrained herself. 

“You’re sweet.” His voice brought her back to reality. His jaw was set and his eyes refused to meet hers. “You always see the best in people- which I would normally call a bad thing, but that’s the exact reason that you ever even gave me a chance.” His eyes went half-lidded, as if recalling the memory made him feel weary. “You always go out of your way to do the right things, not the easy ones; you’re an incredible fighter, one of the most talented ones in that bunch of fools you call friends.” He gave her that signature side-smirk as his eyes trailed up her arm. “It takes a lot of muscle to lift a hammer like yours, Miss Rose.”

Amy found herself getting flustered all over again at the compliments, covering her face with a hand to hide the redness that pooled in her cheeks. It seemed that Shadow was having none of that, however, because he reached over to remove her hand as quick as she’d raised it, threading his fingers between hers and making her tense. When she looked up at him he was studying her carefully. He then raised his other hand to press his pointer finger against her cheek, trailing along the underside of her eye. “And… I think you’re beautiful. Your freckles-” his hand moved to twist a lock of hair that hung down around her face, “your quills-” 

Her breath hitched as his hand slid to gently cup her jaw, her skin tingling where he touched her. “Every part of you is magnificent,” he concluded, his voice lowered now to a whisper. Something akin to desire shone in his eyes, and she wanted to melt at the realization. “Anyone would be lucky to be the object of your affections.”

She couldn’t believe it. Was she dreaming? Never in a million years did she think that her feelings for someone would be reciprocated. She’d spent so long living in a constant state of yearning and the loneliness that enveloped her made her believe for a long time that she’d never be properly happy in that way. His words made her feel like a child again, longing for the company of someone she loved dearly, except this time the feelings weren’t one-sided, and somehow that scared her even more than the thought of mindlessly chasing another fruitless dream.

“Shadow, I…" She unconsciously leaned into his touch, her eyes fluttering. “I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything.” His thumb caressed her cheek as he spoke, and when their eyes met she could see, astonishingly, sadness in his gaze. “I just needed you to know.”

She couldn’t believe her ears. “Do you think that I don’t feel the same way?” She almost laughed at the absurdity of his assumption. “For someone who’s so good at perceiving others, you sure don’t know how to read a room.”

He stared at her in confusion, but then it morphed into something that was lighter, happier. When he didn’t speak again, she reached up to grip his wrist that belonged to the hand currently holding her face. She slid her fingers carefully down his arm and up his bicep until they reached the beginning of his t-shirt, pinching the fabric between her thumb and forefinger. She bit her lip. “I… really want to kiss you right now,” she admitted shakily.

It was Shadow’s turn to look surprised. “Me?”

She would have laughed if she weren’t terrified. “I-is that okay?”

He seemed to think about it. “I don’t know how to kiss.” He almost seemed ashamed at the fact. 

Her eyes sparkled as she tugged on his shirt. “Me neither.”

“Really?” His voice dripped with disbelief. “I have a hard time believing that .”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” She cocked a brow, grinning. “Do I look like a girl that’s gone around and kissed a bunch of people?”

“N-no, that’s not what I- I didn’t mean to insinuate-”

She shoved him lightly. “Teasing! The only kind of romantic experience I have is from reading novels and watching chick-flicks, which, in all honesty, probably aren’t the most accurate forms of teaching for that sort of thing.”

“In that case, I have even less experience than you.” His ear flicked irritably. “I guess I just meant that-” He seemed to hesitate to find the right words. “It’s… unbelievable to me that you’ve gone your entire life without having ever been kissed. Not because I think you’d kiss anyone you met, but… You’re too kind, too beautiful for me to wrap my head around the fact. Anyone would be lucky to kiss you.”

She could feel herself grinning so hard that her cheeks hurt. Then, a familiar face of blue crossed her mind and her smile faltered. “The only person I ever wanted to kiss before now was… Sonic.” At first she thought it might have been the wrong thing to say- seriously, who would want to hear that when they were about to kiss someone?- but all Shadow did was tilt her face up to his and bring her closer; she could feel his warm breath on her face. 

“Then he was a fool to let you go.” His words made her heart pound. She lifted her free hand to place it on his cheek, mirroring him. His voice was suddenly hushed, and his tongue flitted out for a moment to wet his lips.“Just… tell me if you want to stop, okay?”

The reality of what was about to happen suddenly hit her like a ton of bricks, and she couldn’t help the shaky breath that escaped her when Shadow’s thumb stroked against the corner of her lips. She shut her eyes, unable to meet him. She wanted this so bad but, incredibly, she found that she was scared stiff.

Nothing would be the same after this; what if she hated it? What if he hated it? What if he never wanted to see her again?

The warm feeling in her chest grew to something that better resembled a white hot iron, threatening to boil her blood and burn her up from the inside out. She thought back to all of the different forms of media that had told her that her first kiss would be unforgettable, thrilling- none of them had told her she would be petrified, though maybe it was only something that applied to her. She had already admitted to herself how rare and difficult it was for her to be on the receiving end of any form of physical contact, so maybe that was the cause of her paralyzing fear. 

Her bottom lip trembled as she felt the soft brush of Shadow’s own mouth, but he didn’t close the gap. After a moment, she felt him pull back, and she felt her shoulders relax involuntarily. Confused, she opened her eyes to look at him. He was looking at her strangely, and she realized that he must have seen her scrunched up face and assumed the worst. 

Before he could apologize again she moved her hands to press themselves side-by-side to the front of his shirt, smiling earnestly. “Don’t say anything; I’m okay.”

“You’re trembling,” he said lowly, his hands never leaving her face.

“I’m just preparing myself,” she insisted, swallowing. “First kiss jitters.”

He nodded slowly, but he made no move to try again. “I want you to kiss me, but only when you’re ready.” His eyes were patient. “I’ll sit here as long as you need me to.”

“M-me?” Amy’s eyes were wide. “B-but-”

“No ‘buts’,” he said, cutting her off abruptly. He held her firm. “I don’t want to take something like this away from you if you’re going to regret it later. Besides, if you do want it, I think having you initiate it might make it easier. You seem to have an easier time being the one to start something like that rather than taking it.”

She was torn. On one hand, she was grateful for him being able to notice how nervous she was and attempting to accommodate her; but on the other hand, she wished he would just kiss her already. Sure, affection came easy to her, but something like this was entirely different. She’d never done something so intimate with anyone in her life. 

Still, he held firm to his insistence and stayed put, though his eyes never left her. 

She began to internally hype herself up.

She wanted to kiss Shadow. She wanted to kiss Shadow. She wanted to kiss Shadow.

The thought was easy- the action? Not so much. She would be lying if she said he didn’t intimidate her a little at this moment. On a daily basis, nothing about his stoic behavior ever deterred her; he was easy to be friends with, at least to her. The closeness, however, threw a wrench in things. His hands were warm against her cheeks and she could feel him rubbing a strand of her hair between his fingers, whether to occupy himself or to soothe her, she didn’t know.

From where Amy’s hands rested on his chest, she could feel his heartbeat- it mimicked hers, and it was fast, loud, and oh- Shadow was nervous, just as badly as she was, if she didn’t know any better.

The idea that Shadow, the Ultimate Lifeform, the hedgehog that didn’t let anything sway him, was afraid at the thought of kissing someone made her relax, if only slightly. She let the thought bring a humored smile to her lips, and it gave her the last bit of confidence that she needed.

Lifting her attention back to the man sitting before her, her hands clenched the fabric of his t-shirt into her fists. Their muzzles brushed and she could feel him go rigid against her, but this time she didn’t back out. Closing her eyes, she finally bridged the small gap of air that separated them. 

It wasn’t like the movies. There weren’t sparks, or fireworks going off in the background, or soaring music that helped them along. It was quiet and small, and it only lasted for a few seconds before she pulled back. But regardless, she felt like she’d just run a marathon and won. Her heart pounded, her hands were sweaty, her knees shook- and best of all, when he opened his eyes to meet hers, they seemed to sparkle. He looked starstruck. “That was nice, right?” His voice was the quietest that she had ever heard it. 

She nodded slowly at first, but then it quickened to match the stretch of her lips. She was grinning from ear to ear, painting in tandem with the thumping of her own heart. She realized quickly that despite the utter normalcy of the entire thing, she was addicted. She wanted more. “Can we do it again?”

He nodded, but he barely had time to prepare himself before she dove back in, this time more confidently. After getting past the initial threshold, Amy realized that kissing him was like drinking water, and she was angry for denying herself the pleasure for so long. 

When he realized that she was easing up in his arms, he slid a hand down to cup her nape, pulling her closer. She had to move her own hands from his chest at the closeness, moving them up to loop around his neck. Her knees knocked against his stomach and her shoulder was sore from being bunched up for so long, but she didn’t care. The feeling of Shadow’s lips on hers was pure bliss. The kiss wasn’t perfect- very far from it; their teeth clanked together and they had to part for breath every few seconds due to their inexperienced lungs, and they were laughing together all the while. The kiss may not have been perfect, but the feeling far exceeded her expectations.

She could feel her tail beginning to thump against the couch beneath her, and it seemed to amuse Shadow, because he slid the hand that rested on her neck down her spine, catching on the loose fabric of the t-shirt he’d lent her before making it to the base of her tail. His touch made her shiver, and she threaded her fingers up into his scalp for something to hold onto. His breath against her mouth paired with the sensation of his hands roaming across her pelt made her feel dizzy.

She inadvertently pulled him down closer to her, pushing one of her legs out to hook around his waist and bring him forward. He followed her lead, looping an arm around her middle to keep her from toppling over as he gently laid her back. Her head rested against the arm of the couch, making her distantly aware of their new position through the haze. 

He kissed her again, though this time he held back, only offering her a soft, near-chaste touch with his own lips. She almost whined at the loss of contact as he pulled back to look down at her, and with the way his quills spiked up around his head he looked like a burr. She chuckled lightly, feeling giddy all over again. 

“Is this okay?” he asked her, and for once Amy didn’t stutter.

“Yeah,” she breathed, her arms staying lazily-put around his neck. “Are you okay?”

“Never better.” He beamed at her before leaning down and brushing his lips against the freckles that adorned her cheeks, kissing each one separately and making her break into a fit of giggles. He moved to her jaw, nosing along her cheekbones as he climbed lower, lower, until his muzzle was wedged into the spot between her shoulder and her neck. He breathed in, and the sensation made her head spin. “You smell divine .”

She turned her head away to quell a whine that almost escaped her. “Says you; it’s your own soap you’re smelling.”

He grinned against her skin, pressing another soft kiss onto the supple flesh there. “I think it smells better on you- though, I might be biased.”

The new feeling made her shoulders bunch up to her cheeks, though one was quickly brought down again with a rather firm hand from Shadow so he could continue with his ministrations. Her skin tingled beneath his touch, and suddenly there was a familiar warmth in her belly that hadn’t been there before. It was faint, but it made her want more. She slid a hand down his spine, toying with the quills there and tugging at them lightly. She could all but feel the rumble in his throat, and when she realized that he was attempting to hold back a purr she felt her own desire split her brain in the most delightful way. He was enjoying this just as much as she was.

A new sensation met her skin as his muzzle pushed further into the crook of her neck- as he had been doing before, except this time he parted his lips to leave an open-mouthed kiss to her jugular. Goosebumps sprouted up like spring in full bloom along her skin, dancing across the vast expanse of pink and making her fur stand on end. She instinctively tilted her head further aside to permit him more access, which would have been helpful if he wasn’t still holding her jaw tightly with his hand to allow just that. 

His grip slackened when she began to twitch, and he drew his face back to glance at her in the eye. “Are you okay?” It felt like he’d asked her that same question a hundred times in the last hour, and she would have been annoyed if she didn’t find it incredibly endearing. 

“Yes,” she answered honestly. She found it difficult to focus on him fully; he was all around her- his hand still holding her chin, his breath on her face, his body held above hers- and it had her mind reeling like she was drunk, and maybe she was drunk, thought it wasn’t because of any sort of substance. It acted as one, however, in the way that it left her entirely vulnerable and wanting more, more, more. “Can you kiss me like that again? It felt… really nice.” 

Shadow seemed all-too-happy to oblige, moving the hand that clutched her face to instead rest just on the hollow of her neck, as if to hold her in place, even though she knew there was no force on this planet that would make her shift away from him now. Her sigh was one of relief when his lips returned to the underside of her jaw, this time flitting his tongue out just for a moment as if to taste her. It made her lightheaded, and the hand that was buried in his quills clenched against his scalp, causing him to let out a low whine that reached her ears and made her insides buzz.

She’d never heard anything like it before, and she wanted to hear it again. So, meticulously, she threaded her fingers further into his sharp plumes, ensuring she had a good enough grip before she suddenly clenched them in her fist, jerking her hand back hard enough to make him hiss. She could hear him swear against her flesh, his hand around her neck tightening and the feeling of his teeth baring against her made her gasp.

She could tell from the way that he was pressing her down into the couch that he was trying to regain control of their situation, but she didn’t care; she would press his buttons a thousand more times if she could make him feel like that, sound like that. It was like music to her ears.

The leg that Amy had hooked around him earlier pressed into the small of his back, beckoning him impossibly closer, and it was only then that she felt something prodding at her through the pajama pants he’d lent her. If the last ten minutes hadn’t happened at all, if they were doing literally anything else, she might have tried to reason against it in her mind, but she was no fool.

Shadow was hard, and the realization shook her, setting her already-red face aflame.

She’d done that, her, and it delighted her just as much as it befuddled her. 

His snout remained in its place above her shoulder, only now she could feel the unmistakable sensation of his canines jabbing her. The rational part of her brain wanted her to tell him to stop, that if he crossed that line then there would be physical proof to speak for the things they’d done to the other people she would be around the next day, but the other part- the illogical part- wanted her to accept him wholeheartedly. 

At a crossroad, she shifted her hips slightly to try and center herself, but then she felt something that surprised her, barely there, but enough of an action for her to notice: Shadow grinded down.

Amy blinked, too stunned to react, but then he did it again, and this time she groaned softly at the feeling and the realization. Her little sound seemed to spur him on, because he rolled his hips against her once more, this time a little more firm.

Her hand clenched against the back of his head in response and the other slid down his spine, wishing that she could feel his fur instead of the now-wrinkled t-shirt that was draped over his frame. She maneuvered herself, tilting her pelvis up just slightly so that the next time he-

The sound that he tore from her with the next roll of his hips was unbecoming and shaky, guttural- but it was the sweetest sound he’d ever heard. It was enough to draw an obscene “ Fuck ,” from behind his teeth, the word wafting up to her ear and making her turn to jelly. If what they were doing had impossibly failed to turn her on before now, that little word in that husky voice of his surely would have done it. The heat that had formed in her stomach before now coiled low in her body, making her insatiable as she welcomed his actions. She could feel something building up inside her, making her clutch his body tighter to hers. “Sh-Shadow…” The moan evaded her, but she found that she didn’t care. If he would just keep this up for a bit longer-

The sound of keys echoed through the quiet apartment, making both of them freeze. After only a moment longer of stunned-silence, Shadow ripped himself from his position atop Amy, leaving her disoriented and cold. He dragged her up into a sitting position before he all but threw himself to the other end of the couch, knocking his elbow against the arm and crossing his legs, probably in an attempt to hide his painfully obvious hard-on. She ran a hand through her hair quickly, knowing there was nothing she could do to further fix her appearance, before the apartment door was wrenched open.

Light from the hallway flooded the main area, nearly blinding her, who shielded her eyes with her arm. The opening of the front door was followed by the loud, familiar voice of the other occupant of Shadow’s apartment that both he and Amy had foolishly forgotten about, and she was followed by the very echidna she had set out to see earlier that evening, much to her already-crippling horror. 

“Shadow~!” Rouge’s silky voice cut through the dark, eyes bright as she immediately spotted her dark roommate sitting on the end of the couch closest to the door, but it didn’t take long for her to peer past him, her smile stretching impossibly wider at their mutual friend. “Darling! What are you doing here?” She stumbled into the apartment, the click of her heels echoing across the wooden floor. She was dressed appropriately for the holiday, a tight-fitting, indigo cocktail dress framing her curves nicely with a black blazer draped over her shoulders. Her makeup was even more extravagant than usual, Amy noticed, when Rough rounded the back of the couch to swoop down and latch her arms around her shoulders in a bone-crushing hug that could easily match one of Amy’s signatures. She giggled in that sultry way of hers, eyes batting as she released her pink friend and held her face in her hands, leaning in just a little too close. 

“Are you drunk?” Shadow flung the accusation at the white bat, and if it were anyone else, Amy would have mistaken his little quip for anger, but she knew that he was only mildly irritated- well, maybe a little more than mild, given what she and her red partner had just interrupted.

“Wine hardly counts,” Rouge insisted, her drawl wafting toward him as she smiled cheekily. “What are you two doing sitting in the dark? Are you teaching our dear girl how to brood?”

“Watching t.v.” The excuse was fast and lame, but it was that first thing that came to her mind.

For the first time since they’d entered, Knuckles spoke up. “The t.v. is turned off,” he said, his arms crossed. 

Shadow and Amy looked toward the black screen at the same time, and it would have been comical if it were under any other circumstance. She could feel herself begin to sweat as she was scrutinized under Knuckles’ impending glare. Even though they weren’t related by blood, their relationship was undoubtedly that of a pair of siblings, him having taken it upon himself many years ago to be there for her in the ways that an older brother would be. He’d protected her, taught her how to hold her own- she had him to thank for any of her battle skills at all- and now he’d nearly walked in on the girl who he viewed as the closest thing to a little sister dancing the metaphorical devil’s tango with Rouge’s roommate. “We just turned it off,” she mumbled lamely, unable to meet his eyes.

Rouge leaned into Amy with her shoulder, shooting Knuckles an irritated glare. “Oh Knuckie, leave them be!” she scolded him before returning her attention to her pink friend. “What happened to you, honey? I thought you were going out with Blaze and Silver tonight!”

Amy cleared her throat as she attempted to keep her voice steady through her explanation of the events of that evening, but she felt uncomfortable with the way she was sitting in a ball on the couch. She felt prickly, hot, and the dampness between her thighs that she hadn’t noticed before made itself known to her, sticky and cold. It almost made her feel ashamed.

Rouge nodded through her recount of her story, tilting her head and clasping her hands together as she shot a look of pure affection toward the quiet hedgehog sitting on the other end of the couch. “Oh, Shadow! I knew you were a softie~!” Her sing-song voice drifted in the air between the four of them, but she seemed to be the only one in a genuine good mood now. “At least neither of you were alone today, yeah? It all ended up working out fine.” She shot Knuckles a look, as if to warn him against saying anything, before she leaned down impossibly closer to Amy’s ear. “Don’t have too much fun,” she snickered quietly, and she could feel her face heating up all over again as Rouge finally split apart from her to cross the space between the coffee table and the sofa. She only offered a light tap to the end of Shadow’s nose as she passed, but she might as well have stuck her tongue down his throat with the absolutely withering look he sent along behind her. She trotted back to her boyfriend, falling into him with a knowing smirk as she clutched the front of his dress-shirt that Amy was surprised Rouge had convinced him to wear at all. “Come on sweet-ums; I’m not quite done with you yet,” she trilled, gazing up at him with eyes so filled with lust that Amy almost looked away, feeling like she was interrupting them.

It was Knuckles’ turn to blush, and had it not been for the red that already adorned his fur she knew he would have been crimson all over. “I have to get back to Angel Island,” he insisted gruffly, angling his face away from her. 

“Oh come on .” Rouge pouted dramatically, trailing two of her fingers up his forearm as she spoke. “The Master Emerald will be fine for just a little longer, surely? Today is special, after all~” She hung off his arm as she spoke, cornering him with a smile that could’ve tricked an angel into playing devil’s advocate.

He seemed to contemplate her words, and just when Amy thought he would turn her down again he brought a hand around to the small of her back, letting out a sigh that was laced with both irritation and adoration.

That seemed like enough of an answer for Rouge, whose wings flapped in delight as she ushered him to the dark hallway that held her bedroom, flashing the pair still on the couch a flirtatious wink over her shoulder as they went. It wasn’t until they distantly heard the door close and lock behind them that Amy and Shadow let themselves relax, if only slightly. 

She looked at her hands that were settled atop her thighs, pressing her thumbs together as she waited for him to say something, anything, to break the choking silence that filled the room. She was still reeling from what they had just done not five minutes ago, unable to look at him.

She didn’t know why, but she felt mortified. They’d taken it way past what was initially intended, which made her feel like she’d taken advantage of him somehow, completely ignoring the fact that surely he would have put a stop to it before doing anything that he didn’t want to do.

“I’m… I’m very sorry,” came that familiar voice sitting beside her. She lifted her gaze, ears pricked curiously at the apology, but he continued before she could say anything. “I didn’t mean to take… that so far, and I want you to know that you have every right to feel disgusted with me.” His eyes flashed with guilt, but he was unable to look at her directly. “I can help you get home through the rain, if that’s what you’d prefer to do. I doubt you’d want to stay here with me after that.”

She was left gobsmacked for the umpteenth time that evening, but instead of reassuring him, telling him it was okay, or reaching out to rest a hand on his shoulder for comfort, her eye twitched.

For the first time that night, she felt… angry .

She stood suddenly, startling the man beside her as he finally turned his face up to meet her gaze. Her fists were clenched at her side and her eyebrows were turned down in a scowl, vastly different from the usual smile she sported. Hadn’t she just told him that she would put a stop to it if she wanted to? That she would tell him if she wasn’t okay with what they were doing? The fact that he still didn’t seem to trust her enough for that lit a fire in her chest, and she found herself surging forward onto the couch, catching him completely off-guard as she knocked the wind out of them both. His hands came naturally to her waist to steady her as she growled- growled- in his face. “What part of ‘I’m okay with this’ do you not understand? How many times do I have to tell you that I’m fine for it to get through that thick skull of yours?” Her eyes narrowed as she gripped his shirt with one hand, bracing herself against the couch cushion with the other beside his head. His eyes were wide. 

“I didn’t mean to-”

“Don’t you dare try to tell me how I feel! Shadow, don’t you think I would have left already if I didn’t like what was happening? Or that I would have at least said something? I want this so badly that it’s driving me crazy!” She closed her eyes in an attempt to calm herself, and she felt his grip on her hips tighten as she spoke. “I want you , Shadow, and I just want you to believe me.”

His mouth opened, and then closed again; it reminded Amy of one of the fish Big would catch and present to their friends every now and then, and she would have laughed if she wasn’t still pissed off.

“You mean it.” It wasn’t a question, but she nodded in response anyway.

He seemed to be contemplating what to do next as he gazed at her, and she tried her damnedest to pick apart his mind through the look in his eyes to no avail. “On the Ark-” he began, the topic shift nearly giving her whiplash, “I was never allowed a say in anything that was ever done to me.” His eyes flashed at the memory, and her muscles relaxed as she listened, ears flattening. “I’ve told you about the kinds of things that they did to me, the… experiments they’d perform. And even though it wasn’t anything like this, not a day goes by that I don’t wish someone would have asked me how I felt, or at least checked in on me.” He averted his gaze from hers. “Maria did, but none of the others were ever concerned about my well-being, never the scientists that actually had the power to stop it. I suppose I just… I just have to ask you these questions. I can’t just do it if there’s ever a possibility that it’s not really what you want.”

She watched him guiltily. “I didn’t think about it like that,” she said honestly, tracing her fingers up his shoulders and to his cheeks, where she cupped his face and rubbed her thumbs under his eyes. “It’s very sweet that you ask, Shadow. A lot of people wouldn’t be so careful.” She smiled at him, any trace of her previous anger having vanished. “But I promise that I want this, Shadow. I wouldn’t lie.”

His eyes flitted across her face, as if looking for any sign of dishonesty before asking, “Do you… want to go all the way?”

The question scared her, but at the same time she felt like she wanted nothing more, so she nodded, eyes shining. “I want all of you, Shadow.”

He waited a moment longer before dragging his hands up her sides agonizingly slow to rest under her arms, pulling her close to murmur in her ear. “I have to say… it’s rather unbecoming for a lady to do something so scandalous before even the first date.”

His words made her shudder, but she refused to let him get one over on her so quickly. She reached down and cupped his chin with her hand, yanking him back to look up at her once more. Her breath ghosted over his lips teasingly. “Well, this lady can do as she pleases. Besides, I’d be happy to consider tonight a good start, wouldn’t you?” She batted her lashes at him not unlike how Rouge might have done.

Shadow shifted underneath her, and she could tell she’d convinced him when he returned her smirk. Leaning up, he threatened her with a near-kiss before dipping past her lips and nosing his way into her quills instead, nipping at the flesh beneath her ear. She let out a quick breath at the feeling, slumping forward and slackening her grip on his face. He latched on, sucking a small spot where nobody would see if she wore her hair down.

She gasped into his ear and he preened at her reaction, releasing her only to remove her from his lap, leaving her dazed. Before she could question him he stood, dragging her up with him. “I don’t know about you, but I’d rather not be interrupted again,” he muttered, clasping his hand over her wrist and tugging her along behind him. She followed without complaint, heart pounding as she realized they were heading for his room.

He flicked on the light and closed the door behind them, and the sound of the door locking caused something in her to hesitate. As she stared at his neatly-made bed, she realized just how afraid she actually was- not of Shadow, obviously, she knew he’d never do anything to cause her harm- because it had been easy to declare what she’d wanted when they weren’t in the privacy of a bedroom, easy to say yes to the question he’d previously asked her.

She did want it, she knew she did, but she had no experience, and that scared her. She didn’t know what to expect outside of the unrealistic tellings of her novels and shows. 

A hand on her arm steadied her, and she turned to meet his soft gaze. “I know you’re not going to be pleased with me asking again, but are you sure this is what you want?” 

If it had been five minutes earlier, perhaps she would have been angry- but after his confession and the fact that they were alone, truly alone with no chance of interruptions, she appreciated his concern like nothing else. His eyes soothed her, and she knew that he would take care of her. So, she took a deep breath and nodded. “I’m sure.”

“And you promise that you’ll stop this if you even feel an ounce of uncertainty, right?” He slid his hand down to hold hers, bringing it up and giving it a gentle squeeze. 

She smiled at how tenderly he regarded her, and she had no doubts in her mind that yes, this was the person she should have been chasing all along. He made her feel at ease like no other. “I promise,” and she meant it. She was afraid, but she knew what she wanted. 

He pressed a kiss to the back of her gloved palm, guiding her to sit on the edge of his bed. The mattress dipped beneath their weight as they got settled in. She expected him to kiss her again to kick off the night, but instead he drew his legs up onto the bed and turned ninety-degrees to fully face her, so she followed suit and sat with her legs crossed.

“Before we do anything, I need you to know that I have virtually no idea what I’m doing,” Shadow admitted. “I know a few things because of being subjected to movie nights with Rouge and for the unfortunate occasional raunchy scene in a book I’m reading, but they’re nothing compared to the romance novels you frequent.” She tilted her head as he spoke. “That being said, I’m going to need you to… communicate with me while we do this. I’m going to need guidance, and I need you to tell me when I’ve done something wrong or right, so I know best how to make you feel good.”

She nodded slowly. “Well, I don’t know how much sex you think I’ve had, but I don’t know what I’m doing, either,” she snickered. “It’ll be an experience for us both, I’m sure.”

He snorted good-naturedly, reaching out to take her hand in his once more. “Still, I want you to be honest and I want you to talk, and I’ll do the same. It’s the only way we’ll ever learn.” 

“You seemed to know what you were doing on the couch just fine,” she teased him with a wag of her eyebrows, sticking her tongue out, but he knew she was agreeing to his conditions with the way she smiled at him, her body slack in a relaxed position.

“ That was pure instinct,” he corrected her, holding a finger up just in front of her nose. “Instinct isn’t going to do much good for the rest.” After she said nothing, only gazed at him warmly, he glanced down at her hand that he was currently gripping. “May I?”

Following his gaze to her gloves, she nodded. “You may,” she giggled. 

He delicately pinched the fabric between his thumb and forefinger, sliding it off of her waiting paw. She bit her lip as he set it off to the side, running a thumb over her knuckles. He brought his own hand up to his mouth, grabbing one of the fingers between his canines and dragging it off, never breaking eye contact with her, and oh, if that wasn’t the most attractive thing she’d ever seen.

She quickly made work of her other garment, and now they were both gloveless, which was almost like being naked, to her, at least. The only other Mobians to ever see her hands without her gloves were Rouge and Blaze, and that was because they were her close friends, and women no less. It wasn’t that she didn’t like women in that way, but the lack of romantic feelings between the three was part of that trust, but with Shadow- knowing what they were about to do- she might as well have been topless.

He traced his eyes over Amy’s paw, turning it over in his own hands. To distract herself from his scrutinizing gaze, she took to admiring his paws in turn. They were black like the rest of him, but his three middle fingers were red like his highlights, a stripe running up his forearms and ending at a point just below his elbow. His claws were unsheathed, and she wondered if they were always drawn out like that underneath the fabric. It made her shiver as he glided a finger up her pointer, pressing the padding of his thumb against the peet on her palm. 

“What are you doing?” she asked finally in an attempt to break the silence that bordered on tense.

He hummed in acknowledgement at her words, glancing up at her again as he brought her hand up to press against his lips. “Memorizing,” he stated simply as he moved his lips to her thumb, and then her pointer finger, and then her middle, until he’d kissed each of them delicately. Each touch of his lips was like a little electric shock running up her arm straight to her brain, and she couldn’t help the blush that overtook her.

He moved down to her wrist, planting another feather-light kiss against her pulse, slowly trailing up until he reached her bicep. She covered her face with her free hand, trying to quell a nervous giggle that managed to slip through to his ears. His attention turned to her face. “What’s funny?”

“Nothing,” she assured him, brows turned up nervously. “I’m just embarrassed, I guess.”

He narrowed his eyes and he sat up, cupping her face in his hands. “There’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”

She gripped his arms with her hands lightly, giggling even louder now as he squished her cheeks, staring at her with an expression that was much too serious for how soft he was being. “I’m not meaning to be; it’s just a new thing, being ogled at. Nobody’s ever looked at me the way you do.”

He moved in, pressing another kiss this time to her nose, and then the freckles on her cheek, and then her jaw.

She tugged his face lightly upward, meeting him for a kiss. She closed her eyes, feeling the tingle of their mouths as they moved together. The taste of him was familiar to her now- like the chicken and rice they’d eaten earlier with a faint hint of bitterness, and she wondered if he had drank a cup of coffee before she’d arrived. She slung her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to deepen the kiss. She’d thought it earlier already, but kissing him was quickly becoming addictive. He held her in just the right way, and the warmth radiating from his body made her feel safe and at home.

She twirled one of his back quills between her fingers, sliding a palm down beneath the back of his shirt and feeling the fur along his spine; he felt so soft without the fabric gloves covering her hands. His shoulder blades flexed beneath her touch, and he sighed into her open mouth. She scooted forward to slide herself into his lap, one of his hands gripping her thigh and the other pressed against the small of her back. He dragged his affections from her lips to the underside of her chin, then to her neck. Her hands tugged at the end of his shirt, and he pulled away to look at her. “Can you take this off?” she murmured shyly. “You’re so… warm.”

He did so gladly, leaning back far enough to reach down and pull his t-shirt over his head, careful to not let it catch on his quills. Somehow, she thought that he looked more exposed when he was wearing just his bottoms than when he wore nothing at all, and it just fueled her already-raunchy mind. She carded her hands through the white tufts on his chest, clenching fistfuls of the silky fur in her fists. 

She closed her eyes and sighed dreamily as his hands traveled up under her own shirt, sliding up her sides and around to her back, purposefully avoiding her chest. She knew he was waiting for her to give him permission, so she took it upon herself to reach down and grab his hands, shakily bringing them back around to her front and up to her breasts. Her breath hitched as she held him there, letting him feel the soft skin for a moment before she let go, chancing a look at him. He was bright red- as red as he could be with the dark color of his fur- and his eyes were locked on her clothed chest, as if he couldn’t believe that his hands were underneath the fabric at all. 

She tilted his chin up and kissed him again slowly, breathing him in as she did so. She could feel the heat radiating off his skin, and his befuddlement was as obvious as hers at the moment. When she realized that his hands were still frozen in place she couldn’t help the shaky chuckle that escaped her. Summoning all the courage that she had, she made quick work of yanking the shirt above her head and tossing it aside, causing Shadow to tear his hands away as if she’d burned him. Her hands shot out and grabbed him again, returning his paws to their place on her chest. “There,” she murmured. “Now you can see what you’re doing.”

He ogled at her, staring in wonder at the soft mounds in his grasp. “What… what am I supposed to do?” 

She supposed it was a fair enough question; it’s not like it would be a super obvious thing to anyone who’d never had sex before. She understood what he meant now when he said she needed to talk to him during this whole thing. “You… you can squeeze them, or um… you can… use your mouth?” The words felt foreign and awkward on her tongue. “Or I guess you can just look at them, since you seem to be having a good time doing that, anyway.”

He took no notice of her teasing, instead opting to slowly run his fingers over the delicate flesh. She shifted in his lap, watching him nervously. It was like torture trying to figure out what he was thinking, but she didn’t want to ask. He directed his attention to her rosy nipples that pebbled against the chilly air around them, gently pressing the padding of his thumbs against them.

She took a deep breath, attempting to calm herself, when she suddenly felt a sharp pinch against her breast, making her cry out. She slapped a hand over her mouth and he looked at her in alarm. “Did I hurt you?” His eyebrows were knitted together in concern.

She bit back the urge to yell ‘Of course it hurt!’ That wasn’t fair; how would he have known that? It wasn’t like he had any nipples of his own. “A little,” she fibbed, trying to make him feel less bad than he looked. “You can pinch them, but… do it a bit more gently; doing it like that hurts.”

He nodded, licking his lips as he looked back down. His hands came back up, but this time he took his time, gently massaging Amy’s breasts in his hands. He took a nipple between his thumb and forefinger and gently tugged it, making her bite her lip. Her breath stuttered as he continued, twisting it gingerly and doing the same with the other until he got into a good rhythm, and the sound that came from her made his tail thumb dully against the blanket. He smiled, obviously noticing how hard she was trying to compose herself. “You’re so beautiful,” he whispered, his husky voice sending a jolt straight from her ribs all the way to her abdomen. She panted and was hardly aware of him changing their position, wrapping her up in his arms so he could lay her back much like how he’d done on the couch earlier.

She looked down at him as he slid his clawed hands down her sides, pressing his fingers into the fur on her waist. He lowered his head so he was now eye-level with her chest, taking a deep breath, as if he was mentally preparing himself for whatever came next. He drew his tongue over her hardened nipple, making her shiver. She buried a hand in his quills, tilting her head back to lay against the pillow as he repeated his action, making her whine quietly. At her reaction Shadow continued, cupping the side of her neck with a paw to steady her. 

She was suddenly very aware of every part of them that touched- Shadow’s hand on her neck, his mouth on her chest, his own chest pressed right up against her stomach, her legs wrapped around him to draw him closer- and it filled her head with wisteria. It was all very overwhelming in the best possible way, and she could feel her mind beginning to go blank.

She unconsciously pushed her hips up against him, her body desperate for some other form of stimulation that she herself would have provided by now if it had been just her doing this. She tried to open her mouth to ask for something, anything, but right as she did he began to suck on her breast, drawing a surprised-but-pleased sound from her throat. She shut her eyes tight, clenching her hips around the dark hedgehog. 

She winced at the feeling of his fangs knocking against her nipple, which didn’t go unnoticed by him, who carefully retracted his mouth from her chest. Instead, he took to pressing his thumbs over the rosy pebbles, gently, experimentally twisting them and watching for her reaction. 

She felt her head spin as he took his time pleasing her, and he worked up a well-enough cycle of rubbing, rolling, and tugging her nipples that made her tremble and flush. If there was anything she could say about Shadow, it was that he was a fast learner, if the growing wetness between her legs was anything to account for. She could see the curiosity in his gaze, so she fought through her haze to give him a breathy giggle. “It feels good,” she assured him. “You’re doing a great job.”

She could feel the slight wag of his tail pick up as he rested his chin between her breasts, grinning up at her in a way that made him look like an innocent child, though he was anything but at the moment. 

Realizing that she needed more, she took it upon herself to unhook her leg from around the dark hedgehog, earning herself a confused look from the man in question. She thought about what to say to express what she truly wanted, and instead of dancing around the topic, she decided that being blunt was the best option. “I want you to go down on me,” and to her absolute surprise, she managed to say it without stuttering.

“Go… down?” he blinked at her. 

She sucked in a breath. “Do you know what that means?”

He tilted his head slightly, shaking it. 

“I want you to…” She raised a hand to her mouth, nervously gnawing at a claw. “Eat me out. I want you to eat me out.”

His eyes flashed with recognition at the request. “Of course I will.” He said it so earnestly that her heart soared with affection for him. He really would do anything she asked, wouldn’t he? “Just tell me what to do. I want you to feel as good as possible.”

She brought a hand down to run through the quills on his head, and he leaned into her touch as he kept eye contact with her. “I’ll do my best,” she cooed. 

He dragged his muzzle down her middle, leaving a trail of kisses in his wake that left a tingling feeling on her skin. He nosed against the waistband of her pajama pants, fingers tentatively hooking under the lining and pulling it down. His eyes scorched her body, and she was suddenly a little self-conscious of the darker flecks scattered over her thighs, matching the freckles on her face and shoulders. She didn’t usually wear anything that revealed that far up her legs, so this was the first time anyone was seeing the small imperfections. However, Shadow seemed to be endeared by them, because he wasted no time in pressing his lips to one, two, three- every spot he could find. He’d only managed to pull the fabric down to her knees, too distracted by giving her entire being an equal amount of attention to go any further until he was satisfied. “Gorgeous,” he murmured against her fur, nuzzling the inside of her thigh next to the boxers he’d lent her. “Absolutely stunning.”

She couldn’t help but cover her face with her hands, smiling involuntarily at the compliments. “Shadow…” she whined, and if her tail wasn’t trapped beneath her on the bed it would be swishing back and forth to show her elation. 

He finally shoved the offending fabric down to her ankles, and his nose twitched as his face hovered in front of her, the damp spot ever-present on her underwear. She chanced a glance through her fingers down at him and saw that he was staring at her crotch, paws gripping her thighs and holding them apart. He leaned forward and pressed his nose daringly against the cloth, inhaling deeply and setting her face ablaze. She hadn’t expected that.

“Sorry,” he offered, looking up at her sheepishly. “I was just curious.” 

Despite her embarrassment, Amy’s lip quirked up at the edge. She drew her hands away from her eyes. “And how was it?”

He pondered the question for a moment before his hold on her legs tightened and he rested his cheek against her thigh, smiling in a sultry way. “ Alluring.”

She shivered, one paw coming down to shove her pointer finger beneath the waistband of the boxers, biting her lip. “Then go ahead,” she exhaled. “You’re killing me, here.”

His eyes followed her hand, and he leaned up to grasp it in his own, bringing it down to press his lips to the tip of her thumb. He released her paw, taking his time in sliding the underwear down her legs. She watched him in anticipation, heart drumming against her chest. When he tossed the boxers off to the side she suddenly felt very cold and exposed, and instinctively closed her legs together. He raised a brow at her, to which she just nodded. She forced herself to relax as he gripped the undersides of her thighs, pulling them apart and dragging her body down closer to him. She squeaked in surprise at the sudden shift, sitting up on her elbows as she watched him with bated breath. 

He was staring even more intently than before, trailing his eyes across her entrance and the slick that coated it. He took no action at first, and then, carefully, he reached his thumb down and parted one of her lips. She forced herself not to shiver at the contact but he was making it increasingly difficult. She could feel his breath against her, each puff only adding to the warmth in her belly. She wanted to take hold of the quills on his head and just shove his face between her legs, but she banished the thought from her mind. She needed to be mindful of how he was taking his time; this was new to him, as well.

As if reading her mind, the dark hedgehog ducked his head down and stuck out his tongue, drawing it over her entrance in an experimental lick. She bit her lip, one hand coming down to grab onto the comforter beneath her to ground herself. She bent her knee, her heel digging into the mattress. 

His eyes glimmered with something curious, and before she could say a word, he held her thighs tighter and pulled her closer. His tongue returned to her heat, making her tilt her head back. “O- oh- ” she breathed, eyes fluttering shut. Her thighs clenched around his head the best they could with how he was holding her. “ Mmn-”

His eyes flitted up to watch her reaction, his actions never ceasing. His breath was hot against her, and when his tongue raised up to bump against her clit she let out a small gasp, back arching off the bed. Taking notice of this, he looked back down so he could properly focus on the raised nub. When the pause was drawn out a little longer than expected, she tilted her head down slightly to look at him only to find that he was still hovering in front of her entrance, except now his eyes were locked onto hers; it was as if he’d been waiting for her to look at him. Then, gripping her legs tighter around him, he dove back in and licked a long, hard strip up her slit. He pressed his tongue hard against her clit, making her throw her head back at the sudden shock that curved up her spine.

She moaned out something nasty, the words warbled incoherently past her trembling lips. He didn’t stop, however, focusing his attention on her clit, swirling his tongue around it sensually. A purr rumbled in his throat, and the vibrations only added to her pleasure. Her fingers gripped the blanket tightly. “Sha- adow ,” she groaned, his name leaving her mouth shakily. 

At the sound of his name on her lips, his hold on her tightened. His tail flicked to and fro behind him as he gazed up at her through hooded eyes. “You sound so pretty,” he admitted around her slick heat, hands traveling up to grip the juncture where her hips met her thighs. His honeyed voice sent another shiver coursing through her. 

“Please,” she gasped, hips trembling in his hold. “Please don’t stop- ah- ” She was cut short as his tongue returned to her, rasping over her pussy in a repeated motion. She didn’t know how she’d lived this long without ever experiencing something that felt as wonderful as this. “Use your fingers,” she managed out through quick breaths. He made a confused noise from below. “ Finger me. ” Her blunt instructions seemed to resonate with him, because as quickly as the words left her mouth she could feel him running his index finger up her wetness. He pushed the joint through her lips, making her tense up. “Ah- careful, ” she said, swallowing back another embarrassing sound. “Not so quick at first.” 

He nodded against her, using his mouth to relax her as he worked her open with his finger. He followed her instructions, starting out by dragging his finger through her folds at a slow, steady pace. “How’s that?” he asked huskily, his breath hot. 

“Better,” she praised him, sliding her free hand down to reach the top of Shadow’s head. She ran her fingers through the quills there, finding that they’d been tousled up during their activities. “Can you add another?”

His eyes flicked up to look at her, leaning into her soft touch. The tip of his tongue barely poked through his lips as he did as she asked, his middle finger joining the first inside of her.

She closed her eyes, relaxing her head back against the mattress once more as she accommodated the welcomed intrusion. His fingers were bigger than her own, and in turn more filling than when she pleasured herself .“Try curling them up,” she murmured, and when he obliged, she could feel the pads of his fingers brush against the rough wall inside her heat, eliciting a surprised cry from her. It seemed to startle him for a moment, his actions ceasing, but when he realized that it had been a sound of pleasure, he did it again, sliding his fingers easily back into her and curving them upward.

Amy jerked her head to the side, biting her lip. “That’s it,” she panted. “That’s great. ” She sang his praises breathlessly, fighting the urge to roll her hips in tandem with the thrusts of his hand. Her paw gripped at his scalp urgently, earning a growl from low in his throat. That paired with the sloshing sound of her wetness as he used his fingers to fuck her made her feel dizzy, heat bound tight in her lower belly.

She suddenly realized that she was growing close to her orgasm. She opened one eye to glance down at her lover, ready to tell him to stop so she could catch her breath, but then he leaned forward to continue tasting her around his fingers. Any words she was about to say died in her throat, and her head hit the pillow again with a whimper. “Fuck-” The word felt foreign on her tongue, but she couldn’t help it; she’d never felt anything so good in her entire life. “Fuck, Shadow-!” 

Shadow slid one hand down from her hip to push down beneath his waistband, finding his own painful hard-on straining against his sweats. He groaned, mouth full of the pink hedgehog’s soft flesh, as he wrapped his hand around his throbbing dick.

Her ear twitched at the sound of his low groan, her tone matching his deliciously. She could feel sweat beginning to bead against her forehead and on the back of her neck, dampening her fur messily. His fingers slid in and out of her folds with ease now, facing little resistance due to the ungodly amount of slick that pooled between her sweet lips. She felt faint, hardly able to focus on anything at all as her mouth gaped. “ Shadow… ” The word floated down to her lover, spurring him on and causing him to quicken his ministrations, tongue pressed right up against her clit as his knuckles bumped against her over and over and over. “Shadow, I- mn- break- I need a break-”

He tore his face away from her, hand slowing as he allowed her to recuperate. “What’s wrong?” He sounded winded, and when she could finally open her eyes long enough to look down at him she could see that his muzzle was damp with her slick, tongue lolled out slightly as he caught his breath. 

“Nothing,” she sighed, letting her eyes slide shut. She tugged the quills atop his head, petting him gently. “It was just… a lot.” Upon seeing his frown, she clarified, “Not that I didn’t enjoy it! I did, I just need a minute.” She ran her free hand down her face, the pit in her stomach growing at her retreating orgasm. She craved the feeling of release terribly, but she knew she needed to relax for a moment; she’d begun to feel overwhelmed. 

He shifted up and rested his chin on her stomach, the hand that had been previously down his pants now moved up to rest against her waist. His cheek pressed into the supple flesh on her thigh, eyes shimmering. She was suddenly very aware of how tousled she must look- with her quills falling messily over her shoulders and her eyes hooded with exhaustion, sweat bedewing the tufts on her head- and it made her want to twiddle her fingers like a nervous teen despite what they’d just done.

Shadow, however, only flashed her a heart-stopping grin, one of his fangs poking out of his mouth slightly as he rubbed a comforting palm up and down her side, squeezing her hip reassuringly. “You must be the most beautiful thing I’ve ever laid my eyes on.” The compliment was quiet, but it hit her over the head like an iron skillet. 

She pressed the back of her hand to her mouth in an attempt to hide her sheepish grin and blush, looking away from him. “ Stop, ” she murmured, though she hoped that he actually wouldn’t. The praises made her feel lighter than air. 

His lips found her freckled thigh again, leaving lazy kisses against it as he watched her. “Do you want me to lie?” The question remained unanswered as he traveled up, his belly sliding up against hers as he climbed back onto the bed to hover over her. He pried her hands away from her face, leaning down to nuzzle her jaw lovingly. “You are stunning, Amy Rose.”

She mewled out an embarrassed sound, lips turned up in a giddy smile. She felt brave enough to return her gaze to him, teal meeting burgundy. The softness with which he regarded her made her feel like the only girl in the world.

She wanted to say something sweet, something romantic- but at the same time, a curious, burning question rested on her tongue that she needed an answer to. “So… how did it taste?” 

He blinked at her, taken aback for a moment before he snorted good-naturedly. “You want to know how you taste?”

She worked her bottom lip between her teeth, nodding abashedly. 

He hummed to himself, thinking. “You taste…” he leaned down his nose brushing against her cheek, “a little musky.” He kissed her freckles delicately. “A little metallic.” He trailed lower, flitting his tongue out over the juncture between her jaw and neck, smirking at the sweaty fur there. “Salty. Sour.”

She looped an arm around his neck, angling her head to the side with a breathy whine. “Is that… good?”

He pulled her face back to meet his, his face tilted to ghost his lips over hers. “It’s very enticing.” She swallowed, fingers threading through Shadow’s quills. “Captivating.”

Impatiently, she reached up to close the distance between them. Her lips slotted against his, tongue bumping against his mouth and slipping between his fangs. His hands found her waist, one paw sliding under her to support her back as he pulled their chests flush-together. Their tongues prodded against each other laxly. 

When they pulled away, she licked her lips, wrinkling her muzzle. 

He smirked down at her. “What’s that face?”

She shook her head. “I’m just trying to figure out what’s so great about that taste.”

The ebony hedgehog reached up to brush a stray quill from her face, gazing at her endearingly. “Maybe it’s because it’s you you’re tasting instead of someone else.” His thumb gently rubbed at the corner of her mouth. “I don’t know why… but I don’t think I could ever get tired of being between your legs.” 

She bit back a giggle, shoving his face away with a hand. “ Nasty. ”

He laughed a real, hearty laugh, the sound burying itself deep in her heart and making it swell.

A sudden surge of confidence wrapped itself up in Amy’s chest and she took it and ran, sliding her arms around his middle and squeezing him close. She used the leverage he gave her with the hand on her back to push them both up and to the side, flipping them. He let out an oof as he landed beneath her. She held herself up with her hands on either side of him, settling herself on his lap. 

His eyes focused up at her, hands instinctively going to her waist to steady her. 

He leaned down, reconnecting their lips and pressing their chests together. Her breasts were smushed against the white tufts below his chin. 

His fingers dug into the dips of her hips, making her roll her bottom half against him subconsciously. The movement made him hiss into her mouth, his hips jerking up against her. She could feel how hard he was beneath his sweatpants, and the thought made the arousal return to her core as it had been before. “My turn,” she murmured against his mouth. His eyes flashed with something that she couldn’t quite place, so just in case she asked, “Is that okay?”

When she looked down at the hedgehog beneath her, he looked nervous. At first he didn’t respond, but then quietly he said, “If you want to.”

Her brow furrowed, and she used one hand to grip his chin to meet her gaze. “Do you want it?” she reiterated, her voice hard. “Tell me.” Her forwardness seemed to startle him, but her doubts faded when she felt his erection twitch beneath her. His eyes dilated and he nodded quickly, fur bristling.

She slid her hand down from his chin to instead thread between the fur on his chest, leaning down to draw her tongue over his jugular. 

He tilted his head back to permit her more access, teeth bared in an inaudible growl. His paws held her tightly, pushing her down against his hips as he ground up into her. The feeling made her moan against him, thighs trembling as she straddled him. She felt more relaxed at the knowledge that he was just as needy as her.

Slowly, she pried herself out of his grasp so she could move, kissing her way down his bare stomach. She took in a deep breath about halfway down, savoring the sweet aroma of the flowery soap that still clung to his fur. Reaching the waistline of his pants, she only then realized that she had virtually no idea what to do. She had a vague idea of how this was done thanks to her novels, but outside of that? She was clueless. Looking up at him, she found that he was watching her without breathing. “You have to talk to me,” she warned him, “just like I did for you. I don’t know what I’m doing at all. ”

He nodded, bringing a hand down to trail his index finger against her muzzle comfortingly. “I’ll do my best,” he promised, face taut with anticipation. 

She dug her thumbs beneath his pants line, tracing them against his hip bones as she slid them down. She decided to do away with the boxers at the same time to make things easier and avoid further hesitation, wanting nothing more than to make him feel as good as he’d done for her. She quickly dragged the fabric down over his knees, shoving them below his ankles and tossing them completely.

Amy had never seen a penis before.

Well, that was a bit of a fib; she’d seen them in erotic videos and sometimes in art- but this was her first time seeing one in person. If she was being honest, she felt a little intimidated. 

He was fully erect, as she already knew from how he’d strained before. The color matched his fur up to about the middle where it faded slightly into a more maroon color, but not nearly as red as the highlights in his quills. She reached out a hesitant hand, trying to figure out how exactly to begin, when Shadow half-sat up on his elbows. “Here,” he said lowly, reaching a hand down to grasp her own, guiding her to the base. She winced when her fingers pressed against him; he was warm and he twitched beneath her touch. 

She gingerly slid her fingers around to grip him after he drew his hand back, bracing himself against the bed as he watched her. She slid a tentative hand up his length, experimenting carefully. “Don’t hold it so tight,” he warned her, wincing. “Firm but gentle. And when you stroke it, don’t go so fast at first.” She nodded, thankful for the instructions. She slackened her hold on him slightly, drawing her hand up and down and setting a steady pace. He sucked in a shallow breath, tilting his head back to angle his face toward the ceiling. “Yeah,” he breathed. “That’s good.”

Encouraged, she focused her full attention on his aching dick. She held onto his thigh with her free hand, grounding herself. Every time her hand traveled low enough, the side of her palm brushed against the fur at the base of his shaft. 

It was obvious that he was making a great effort to control his breathing, but then she caught a low groan that escaped him; the sound made her tag wag behind her. “Is that good?”

He huffed out a laugh, cracking an eye open at her. “Very much so.”

Her brows knitted together as she got an idea. She tucked her knees further under herself, getting into a more comfortable position. He opened his eyes as he felt the mattress dip, looking down at her in confusion. She began to lower herself but then stopped, glancing up at him through her lashes and making him flush. “Can I… try giving you head?”

He seemed to lose his breath at her question, eyes blown wide. He opened his mouth, presumably to ask her if she was sure once again, but then thought better of it and instead just nodded enthusiastically. 

She smirked in amusement, eyes returning to her prize. She settled herself between his thighs, sticking out her tongue to rasp it experimentally up his length, drawing a shudder out of him. She gripped the base with a hand, pressing her tongue against the head of his cock and tasting the salty bead of precum that had gathered there. She was mindful of her teeth as she wrapped her lips around him, setting her jaw and sinking down slowly. “ Oh- ” His gravelly voice hitched. “ Amy- ”

She looked up at him as she took the rest of him in her mouth, and when they made eye contact he covered his muzzle with a hand. His claws glinted in the low light of the room as he flexed them. She drew her lips back up to the underside of his tip before sinking back down, holding her tongue in place to brush along the back of his dick. He clenched his teeth, making a strangled sound. She figured that he must be sensitive like she had been, only accustomed to pleasuring himself up to this point; to her, it had felt completely different for someone else to touch her rather than when she’d done it herself, so she could only assume that he was experiencing much of the same thing. 

 As if confirming her suspicions, one of his hands came down to clutch at the back of her head. His fingers carded into her quills and she could feel the sharp tips of his claws poking at her scalp, though even through the haze he was mindful not to scratch her. “ Fuck, ” he growled, his back hitting the mattress as the arm that held him up gave out.

She closed her eyes, purring around him as the tug on her hair spurred her on. Saliva pooled in her mouth, making it easier to bob her head up and down. “That’s good- that’s so fucking good-” He was cut short by a gasp, his toes curling. Profanities slipped from his jaws like water and it only encouraged her on. He raised his head again, panting, eyes hooded as he gazed down at her. She opened her eyes to meet him, continuing her actions as he used his free hand to reach out and stroke her cheek. “You’re so pretty like this,” he panted, voice shaky. 

Her heart thudded at his words, and by the way he held her fast she figured that he was close to his climax. She doubled down, lowering her face as much as she could each time now and nearly gagging as he hit the back of her throat. She was fully prepared to take whatever he was about to give her when he suddenly gripped her tighter, tugging at a fistful of her hair and tapping her shoulder in rapid succession. “W-wait- Amy- stop- ” 

She whined dejectedly, sliding herself off of him with a slick ‘pop!’  

He panted as he laid back against the duvet, closing his eyes. “I’m sorry,” he apologized with a gulp. “I didn’t know anything could feel so good. If you had kept going I would’ve-” He stopped short, daring a look down at her. 

She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, eyes glittering. “I wouldn’t have minded,” she admitted with a sly smile. “I was trying to make you finish.”

He chuckled at her with a shake of his head, legs still quivering. “I didn’t want to,” he professed. “Not yet.”

She tilted her head at him before the realization hit her; he must have wanted to wait so they could get on with the real thing. The thought made her feel antsy, and she brought her hands down to her lap to press her thumbs together nervously. 

Shadow, upon noticing her hesitation, opened his arms out for her. She smiled at him gratefully, crawling into his lap until their hips were pressed flush-together. He encircled her waist with an arm, brushing the quills from her face with his other hand. He kissed her, close-mouthed and chaste, almost as if she weren’t sitting in his lap, completely bare with an infuriating wetness between her legs. She could feel him pressed up against her slit, only serving to build the hot tension in her belly. “Shadow,” she whispered hotly, her voice swallowed by their kiss. 

He cracked an eye open at her teasingly, bringing a hand up to cup her breast and making her jump. “Need something?” 

She grinned and giggled, but it gave way to a breathy sigh as he tugged lightly at her hardened nipple. “I-I-” she stammered, hardly able to get the words out. “ Mmm… ” Her head fell against his shoulder as he rolled the nub between his thumb and forefinger. “You’re so awful,” she declared quietly.

He pressed his muzzle into her neck fur, taking a deep breath and drawing his tongue over her pulse. “Don’t lie,” he chastised her playfully. “You’re enjoying yourself just as much as I am.”

She didn’t need to say anything to confirm it for him. If she hadn’t been enjoying herself, she would have stopped this whole thing ages ago.

She let out a surprised breath as he flipped them, supporting her back with his arm as he set her back on the bed, laying between her legs. She opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted with the way his dick slid between her folds, nudging her clit with the tip. “Sha-adow- ” she moaned. “S-shit… ” Her lashes fluttered at him, lips left agape. His breath was hot on her face as he clenched his eyes shut, obviously trying to control himself.

He braced a hand against Amy’s side, pulling her further against him to roll their hips together. Her fingers dug into the small of his back. He reached down with his free hand to take hold of his aching cock, coating himself in her wetness and giving himself a few strokes.

She watched him, and she suddenly felt a sensation of rising panic in her chest. She could only think of one thing at this moment: this was probably going to hurt. 

She’d done her own research awhile back out of pure curiosity, and most websites and personal blogs stated that someone’s first time- or rather, a woman’s first time- almost always came with a bit of pain at first. She knew that if properly prepared the pain would give way to a nice feeling, but she had no idea how long that would take. Sex was different for everyone, so she’d had no such luck in confirming just how long she’d have to wait. She felt silly thinking these things. She’d assisted her friends in saving the world more times than she could count, and such ordeals came with its fair share of injuries. Why was she so torn up about this pain? She thought that it was probably the anticipation.

She covered her eyes with an arm, letting out a small, unintentional whimper.

She felt him draw back, presumably looking down at her. “Hey, hey,” he murmured, sliding a palm along her arm to remove it from her face. “It’s okay,” he told her, eyes soft as he gazed down at her scared expression. “We can stop here if you want; I’ll never make you do something you aren’t ready for.”

“No!” Her eyes widened up at him, her heart pounding in her ears. His offer made her melt internally, but she knew what she wanted. “I know what I’m getting into,” she promised him, “and I want this. I just… I need it to be slow at first.”

He ran his fingers across her cheek, tracing the curls that strayed over her peachy muzzle. “I’ll go as slow as you need me to,” he promised, kissing the tip of her button nose. “And I’ll stop the second you say so.”

She nodded in confirmation, clutching his arms with her hands. “Okay. I’m ready.”

He watched her for a moment longer, as if he expected her to back out, but when she stayed silent he reached down to take a hold of his cock once more. He pressed himself against her, rubbing himself up her slit in an attempt to relax her. 

She bit back a moan at the feeling, forcing her muscles to loosen up. She couldn’t be tense now- she’d read that it wasn’t good for the pain.

He leaned his face down to press a kiss to her neck, right under her jaw where she liked it best. She closed her eyes and sighed quietly, thighs clenching around his waist as he pressed forward. She felt a firm pressure come as the head of his dick slipped into her folds with a bit of resistance. She winced a little, mewling at the dull sting that came with it. He ceased his movements, lifting his muzzle a little to whisper soothing words into her ear- ‘It’s alright,’ and ‘You’re doing so good,’ and ‘I love you.’

The declaration served as a nice distraction for Amy’s mind; love. Did he really love her? She reasoned that he must, at least a little bit, with how he was treating her so delicately despite her knowing that his body must be screaming at him to get a move on. When her breathing evened out he continued to slide his hips forward, hilting himself inside of her.

She felt very full, now. She’d thought that hus fingers filled her up, but it was nothing compared to this. 

Those websites were right about one thing: the pain was beginning to lessen the longer they laid there, still as stone. He continued to kiss and nip at her neck as a means of distracting her from the uncomfortable pinch between her thighs. His hand cupped her cheek and the calloused padding of his thumb scratched at her soft chin calmingly. “You can move,” she told him quietly, sure that she could handle whatever he gave her, now. 

His nose graced against her jaw up to her face again, until he was eye-level with the object of his affections. She felt comforted by his maroon gaze, burning softly like the embers of a dying fire. He warmed her, regarding her tenderly. 

Then he began to move- slowly at first, dragging his hips back halfway before sliding back in, making her tilt her head back in a quiet moan. She was still adjusting to his size, so for now the way he kissed her cheek and held her in his arms helped her stay relaxed. He treated her like a piece of fine china, as if he was afraid she would break if he handled her wrong. The notion was considerate to a point that it made her feel like she was falling for him all over again.

The pace was agonizingly slow, and even though her body screamed for more, she still stayed silent. She didn’t want to push it at first, opting to let herself fully accommodate before trying anything else. Instead, she focused on the way their fur brushed along their chests, how Shadow’s back muscles rippled beneath her palm. She focused on his scent, floral and soothing, and on the quiet, reassuring words he let float to her ears. They sweetened her senses until she felt her fur lie flat.

Finally, finally, she felt good enough to utter, “You can go a little faster.”

He obliged, teeth poking at her neck gingerly as his hips nudged against her own before drawing back. He sped up only slightly, but even the small change made her skin burn. She gasped as he sucked at the sweet spot on her neck, heat rushing down to her core and making her fingers curl into his quills. She throbbed for him, feeling thick and heady with how he caged her in between his arms. The heat that radiated off of him made her feel as if she really was sitting in front of a warm fireplace.

Their closeness paired with the rocking of his hips made her whine, and it was now that she began to feel pleasure creep up her bones and fill her body. The wet sounds that came from below would have embarrassed her if she wasn’t so preoccupied trying to keep her voice down. 

He groaned against the expanse of pink fur that made up her neck and shoulder, reaching back with a hand to fix one of her legs around his waist. Her heel dug into his back deliciously, beckoning him closer, suddenly urgent. She wanted more of him- she wanted to chase that blissful feeling he was providing with the steady lobbing of his hips. 

“Kiss me,” she gasped, and she barely got the words out before his mouth was on hers, hot and moist and needy. His tongue made itself right at home atop hers, licking the roof of her mouth and behind her teeth greedily. She tilted her pelvis up to meet him on his next thrust, jerking her head away to let out a particularly loud cry, but he followed her, swallowing up the sound with his own lips. Her moan vibrated in his throat, shame coloring her cheeks and blending in with those beautiful flecks of color that the dark hedgehog adored so much. She moaned his name, and if it weren’t for the fact that her walls were pressed all around him it would have made his dick jump.

“Rose,” he purred, full of want. Lust filled his fiery gaze as he anchored his hands on her sides, pulling her to meet him with each pound of their hips. Any feeling of discomfort from his initial intrusion was gone, now replaced with a burning hot desire that coiled itself around her muscles, her brain- it set her veins on fire and shocked her all the way down to her toes. 

Pulling him down to meet her, she pressed her face into the white fur that stuck out from his chest. “Shadow!” she cried, tears pricking dangerously in the corners of her eyes as the overwhelming sensations took hold of her body. It was so much- but it felt amazing.

“Can I try something?” His voice was hoarse. “I want to flip you over.”

Amy’s heart leapt in her chest, and the only thing she could do was nod. 

He tore himself away from her, sliding out and leaving her feeling uncomfortably empty. She griped miserably at the hollowness she felt, but was quickly satiated when his hands encircled her waist, turning her so that her belly now pressed against the mattress. Almost out of instinct, she lifted her rear so that she could wiggle herself backwards in search of him. 

“So eager,” he rasped in her ear, leaning over her form. His stomach pressed against her back, one arm wrapped around her midsection to keep her upright.

“How can I not be?” she breathed, cheek pressed against the blanket below her. “You’re making me feel so good.”

She could all but feel him smirk against her, prying her legs open further with his own knees as he pressed his dick against her waiting entrance. Her breath came out in a short puff, eyes fluttering closed once more. “Please,” she begged quietly, wiggling her hips back against him. 

“Please what?”

“Shadow.”

“Rose.”

She had every right in her mind to reach back and give him a hard cuff over the ear before he reached down to thread their fingers together against the comforter, suddenly burying his cock inside of her once more. She keened loudly, pressing her face into the blanket to try and muffle the sound, but he used his other hand to tug at her quills, angling her face so that he could hold the side of her face against the mattress. “I want to hear you,” he told her boldly, nipping at her ear with his sharp fangs. Then he paused, as if he wasn’t sure if he’d crossed a line, because he added, “If that’s okay.”

She sputtered out an incoherent response, her head spinning. “B-but Rouge and Knu-uckles- ” she started, only for it to trail off into a choked sound as their hips snapped together.

“I don’t care about them,” he insisted lowly, kissing the back of her neck and between her shoulder blades. His touch tingled against her fur and made goosebumps dance across her supple skin. 

It was all the confirmation that she needed, because at the next slap of their thighs she screamed. It seemed to please him, who was licking at the underside of her ear and singing her praises. 

Despite all of that, though, she still called for him selfishly. “Faster,” she asserted, and when he obliged, she asked again, and again, and again. No matter the pace he set, she was left wanting more of him. On top of that, somewhere distantly in her mind, she realized that Shadow was holding back.

“Shadow,” she managed, voice hard with accusation. 

He slowed his pace, breath shuddering. “W-what is it?”

“Quit holding back,” she sighed blearily, eyelids drooping. “I can take it, I promise.”

He seemed to hesitate. “I don’t want to hurt you,” he argued, but his resolve was quickly dissipating with how she arched her back, bringing the hand that he wasn’t holding back to grip at his thigh, sick with want. 

“You won’t,” she consoled him, though internally she knew it might have been a lie. At the very least, she would be very sore in the morning. She knew that he would need a bit of convincing, so, banishing her shame and channeling every memory of her romance novels (specifically during the dirty scenes), she dropped her voice into something more… slutty.

“Please, Shadow; I need you so bad.” She glanced at him over her shoulder, quirking her lip up and hooding her eyes in a sultry sort of expression akin to the kind that Rouge would flash someone. “Don’t you wanna pound me into your mattress? Make me scream your name?”

His grip on her hand tightened, his breath hitching as he bent back over her. He used his free hand to slide up her spine, palming at the nape of her neck and holding her down against the blanket. “You’re playing a dangerous game,” he warned her, though his voice held no real malice. The scratchy tone with which he addressed her made her muscles twitch, biting her lip to conceal a moan. “Do you really want me to give you everything I’ve got?”

She nodded quickly at that, tail swishing behind her eagerly. 

His lips returned to her shoulder, making her melt beneath his touch. “Tell me when you need to stop,” he told her. “I mean it. Don’t let me continue if you can’t handle it anymore.” With that, he began moving once more. His hand gripped the back of her neck, his claws poking at her skin. 

True to his word, he no longer held back. He slotted their bodies together, the curve of her spine settling snugly against his stomach as their thighs slapped against one another over and over. She was half-convinced that the sound of skin-on-skin would be audible from Rouge’s room down the hall, but she couldn’t bring herself to care anymore. Shadow was perfect in the way he held her down, engulfing her with his entire body as he satisfied her. 

Her head lolled as she received him, clenching her hand into a fist beneath his palm as he removed his hand from her neck to pin her other wrist to the bed. The feeling of being utterly immobilized sent a thrill through her veins, making her gasp out his name weakly; she needed to hear him. “T-talk to me,” she demanded tersely, voice teetering on a sob. “Anything… at all…”

His tongue found her shoulder, sucking a spot that would undoubtedly bloom blue or purple in the morning. “What do you want to hear?” he asked, groaning against her skin. “That you’re driving me crazy?  How amazing you are?” His thrusts became erratic and sloppy, the sound of slick and sloshing filling the air around them. “Because it’s- ah- it’s all true. You’re brilliant. You’re so stunning, all for me right now.”

Her jaw hung open a crack, and she distantly noted that she was drooling against the comforter. Her legs shook with the effort of staying propped up, and just when she felt them begin to give out Shadow shot out his hand to the pillow at the head of the bed, slipping it under her waist to keep her rear lifted. “You’re doing so well,” he praised her loftily, his muzzle brushing down against her jaw and back to the sensitive place behind her ear. He bared his fangs against her flesh. 

She could tell that she was getting close now. The pressure behind her gut had built continuously for the past few minutes, but now it felt like she was about to burst. “I-I’m gonna cum,” she cautioned him, voice wobbly. Spit dribbled down the corner of her mouth, but with her wrists pinned she couldn’t reach a hand up to wipe it away. “J-just like that… don’t stop…”

He took her warning and ran with it, chin resting on her shoulder as he kept his pace consistent. Suddenly he took one of his hands from her arm, sliding it down her hip and underneath her. Before she could question him, she felt his fingers slip between her legs and press into her clit, circling it.

“Oh fuck-! ” she cried out, snapping her eyes shut as euphoria filled her mind. She was feeling so good- so full . “Fuck, fuck, fuck…” She swore like never before, making the man above her growl into her fur. She could tell that he was trying his best to hold his rhythm for her. He shoved his face into the back of her neck, inhaling sharply. She could feel his teeth from where he clenched them together against her neck, and she was struck with a sudden, impulsive thought. Her mouth moved before she could stop it. “Bite me,” she gasped, surprised at her own declaration. “Please. ”

He didn’t question her. She felt him draw his face away from her momentarily before he dove back in, jaws clamping down on her nape and sinking into her flesh. Her whine was high and choked, and the pain paired with the fullness she felt and the friction against her clit finally did her in; she came like it was her first time being touched (which, unless she counted the times she’d done it herself, was accurate). Her orgasm tore through her exhausted body, splitting her senses and making her see white. 

She expected him to slow down after the fact, but instead he seemed to quicken his pace. She almost told him to stop, that she was finished, but then she realized that he must be close to his own climax and she held her tongue. 

“Come on,” she urged him shakily, humor in her voice between a string of soft moans. “Finish in me; I wanna feel it.”

He groaned around her fur, fangs sinking deeper into her flesh as he released her other hand. He brought both of his paws to her thighs, dragging her hips back to bury himself deeper with each thrust. She used her newfound freedom to reach out and grab at the headboard, claws slipping out against the wood. She became aware of a second orgasm creeping up on her, and she wasn’t sure she’d be able to handle another; she’d only ever finished once every session she’d had herself. “Shadow- ngh- ah- ” She panted in tandem with each push of her thighs. “Baby-”

Pressing his thumbs into the dips of her hips, he dragged her back against him one last time. She arched her back against him with a strangled noise escaping her throat, her insides warming as his climax filled her up. She could feel his cock twitch inside of her, and the hotness of it brought her to her second finish. Her gut pulsed with release and her body finally went limp beneath him, shoulders slouching and waist smushing the pillow beneath her. 

He pulled his mouth away from her neck, and she could faintly feel a damp spot where his teeth had been. “O-oh Chaos-” His startled voice was nearly enough to snap her from her stupor. “I’m so sorry.”

She blinked open her eyes, breath slowing significantly as she came down from her high. “What’s wrong?” She was surprised she was able to speak at all.

“You’re bleeding,” he murmured, hand cupping the side of her neck tenderly as he examined the bite mark on her nape. “I-I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done it-”

“Stop,” she told him, amusement cutting through the fog in her brain. “I told you to do it, didn’t I?”

“Yes, but-”

“No buts,” she finalized with a light nudge of her knee against his. She smiled into the blanket. “Don’t apologize for any of it. I feel amazing.”

That seemed to shut him up. He gently pulled their hips apart, sliding out of her with a slick sound that made her quiver. She could feel his finish drip out of her slit and down her thigh, warm and sticky. “What do you need?” he asked, kissing across her shoulders soothingly as his hands kneaded her thighs. 

“Right now? Just a moment to breathe,” she admitted, allowing her body to relax, tail drooping. “Maybe something to clean up,” she said as an afterthought, humming in amusement. 

He nosed against her neck, drawing his tongue gently over the spot he’d bitten her a couple of times before he fell back, the mattress dipping beneath him as he got off the bed. “Wait here,” he told her quietly. 

She turned her head to see him reaching for his discarded boxers on the floor, pulling them up over his legs. “As if I could go anywhere right now,” she teased, giggling as he flashed her a bemused look. She crossed her arms under her chin as he reached for the doorknob, peaking out to make sure nobody was in the hallway before fully exiting, closing the door quietly behind him.

There Amy laid, rump still propped up on the pillow, stark naked, and fully spent. Her knees were aching and the sweat that coated her fur made her feel cool in the emptiness of the room. When she’d walked out of her house today this had been the last thing she expected to be doing at the end of it, but she wasn’t complaining- far from it. She had immensely enjoyed herself, and she took great pleasure in knowing that Shadow definitely had as well if how he’d been talking and acting all night said anything. 

Now that her head was beginning to clear, the night’s events came flooding in and made her sigh dreamily against her arm. She’d gotten her perfect Valentine’s Day, all right, and even though it hadn’t been at a fancy restaurant with a dress and some nice makeup, she wouldn’t have had it any other way. 

The door opening again made her wince, but she relaxed when Shadow came inside with what appeared to be a damp cloth in his hand. He turned the knob as he shut the door back to keep quiet, despite the fact that if anyone had heard what they’d been doing before they certainly wouldn’t care about the slamming of a door. He made his way over to her, sitting himself on the edge of the mattress and reaching over to run a hand down her thigh. “I’m just going to wipe you off, alright?” he told her quietly, and she nodded. He drew the cloth gingerly over her lips, patting her flushed skin gently as he cleaned up the slick that had dripped down the inside of her thigh. “How are you feeling?”

She hummed in acknowledgment of his words, grinning. “Exhausted,” she told him, her body slumping in emphasis. “But very good.”

He drew the cloth away, satisfied with his work. 

“And what about you? How do you feel?”

His eyes trailed up her form where she laid on his bed, reaching out to carefully tug the pillow away so her body could properly fall against the mattress. “I’ve never felt better,” he told her honestly, and when her eyes met his he offered her a rare smile. She could tell that he meant it.

She let out a tired sigh, closing her eyes. “I feel like I can sleep forever.”

He snorted as he stood once more, tossing the cloth in the general direction of his clothes hamper. “Give me a minute, and then you can sleep for as long as you’d like.” He crossed over to his dresser, pulling out one of the drawers so he could rifle through it. Pulling out a clean pair of boxers and a new t-shirt, he returned to her. He knelt beside her on the bed, resting a hand on her shoulder. “Can you sit up for me?”

She didn’t know if she could. She pressed her hands against the bed, hoisting herself up slowly with a wince. She let out a breathy sound, and he braced her with a hand around her waist. He pulled her to him, pressing a soft kiss to her face. He repeated the action to her jaw and then her neck, though unlike earlier there was no ulterior motive to the affection. He raised her arms with his paws, reaching up and tugging the red shirt over her head. He was careful not to let it catch on her quills, gentle as ever as he smoothed out the fabric against her back. She leaned into his touch, ready to fall asleep right then and there before he suddenly moved, making her whine in protest. 

Kneeling by the bed now, he urged her to swing her legs over the edge. She obliged, watching him shake the boxers out of their fold. He slipped them over her ankles, dragging them up her calves and then her thighs, following it with a trail of comforting touches of his lips. Her head tilted down at him, and she couldn’t help but blush despite everything they’d just done. She reached down with her hands, cupping his face to look up at her. For a moment they just locked eyes, her thumbs rubbing circled into his cheeks as he stared at her in adoration, and then she smiled warmly at him. She scratched at the quills on the side of his head and he leaned against her, his tail thumping dully behind him. He looked so soft and tranquil here, nothing like the usual front he put up when he was around others.

“C’mere,” she murmured, scooting back to the headboard. Shadow crawled up onto the bed beside her, taking the pillow and slipping it out of the soiled casing- which he tossed to the floor- before setting it down for her.

She laid down on her side, dragging him with her. “Is cuddling okay?” she asked hopefully, to which he only nodded with a grin. She brought him to her, burying her face in the white on his chest. “We’re gonna have to shower in the morning,” she reminded him. “We smell like sex.”

“I wonder why,” he mused, making her laugh. He wrapped her up in his arms, carding his fingers through her hair lovingly. “We’ll get to it… eventually.” He closed his eyes, huffing a sleepy breath against her head. “For now I just want to sleep.”

She couldn’t agree more. She slid a leg between his own, slotting them together comfortably. “Can we really go on a date?” she asked him suddenly. “Like, out somewhere?”

“Of course,” he told her, his voice laced with surprise. “Did you think I just wanted the sex?”

She grinned with a lazy shake of her head, allowing the exhaustion wracking her body to take over. She yawned. “No. I know you better than that.” 

The storm still raged outside. Amy could hear the way the rain pounded on the window and it soothed her, lulling her into a comfortable slumber. Despite the messy beginning to her night, she was glad that Blaze and Silver had cancelled on her- they could always go out another time, after all- and that she’d been caught in the rain. If it led to this outcome, she would do it over and over again; that, she was certain of.

Notes:

i hope y'all liked it! I haven't written any kind of smut in a LONG time so forgive me if I'm a little rusty <3 find me over on Twitter @me_forsake