"Sugar"

Written by PoeticLover1996

This little idea hit me out of the blue, so I quickly wrote it down before it disappeared. I had fun writing this, and I hope you enjoy reading it, and excuse any mistakes you may see.

Cream was strolling through the park. The day was a beautiful one, with the sun hanging high in the sky and shining brightly, the occasional cloud drifting lazily across the bright blue sky. Neatly tucked in the crook of her arm was a green basket filled to the brim with freshly picked, gorgeous flowers; they were a gift for her mother, and she knew she'd love them.

Humming a soft tune, smiling brightly, Cream continued her peaceful walk, cheerfully saying hello to the people she passed by. The summer breeze felt wonderful against her fur, offering her a cool relief from the sun's almost blistering rays. It was rather warm out here, almost uncomfortably so, and Cream had been outside for a while. Already, she was covered in a slight sheen of sweat, and her legs were wobbling a little, a sign that she needed to take a break.

Fortunately for the young rabbit, there was a park bench nearby that was seated underneath a large tree, which meant she could recover with shade from the sun. She could afford to rest for a few minutes before going back home, so she made her way over to the park bench and all but collapsed on it. Her legs dangled off the edge of it, lazily swinging back and forth in the air.

A sigh of relief escaped her lips; she hadn't realized how tired she was until she took a seat, and she was thankful that she did decided to take a breather. She glanced over to her side and was surprised to see that someone else was sitting beside her. And it was just someone. It was none other than Shadow himself. He was hunched over, elbows resting on his knees, his chin propped on the palms of his hand. His head was bowed, and he appeared to be in deep thought, for he didn't even notice Cream's presence. The look on his face was one of mild vexation, like he was stumped and couldn't figure something out. So Cream, being the kind person that she was, decided to lend him a helping hand.

Cream cleared her throat, and the sound of the noise startled Shadow and almost had him jumping out of his fur, successfully pulling him out of his thoughts. It was a rarity to catch the always on guard, though not in this case, and alert hedgehog by surprise, but he was quick to react. Back straight, body rigid, crimson eyes narrowed, he lifted one hand, formed a fist, and was about to punch the lights out of whoever dared to sneak up on him.

"Hello, Mr. Shadow!" Thankfully, the sound of her voice was enough to snap him out of kill mode. Shadow gradually allowed himself to relax, ceasing his attack and lowering his arm. Glancing to his side, he saw Cream sitting comfortably beside him, a bright smile on her face as she stared at him with open, friendly brown eyes. He felt the corners of his mouth twitch into a smile before it disappeared as quickly as it appeared. Shadow nodded at her, his usual form of acknowledgement. Cream, who was already used to Shadow and understood how reclusive he often was, took no offense to it and instead continued talking.

"It's so nice to see you again, Mr. Shadow! I came to the park and picked a bunch of pretty flowers for Momma," she said proudly, happily showing the basket of flowers to Shadow.

"They're very nice," was Shadow's curt reply, but Cream could hear the affection lingering in his voice.

"Thank you. I just know Momma's going to love them. What brings you here, Mr. Shadow? You look like something's bothering you." Her concern, while appreciated, wasn't needed. However, he didn't want to hurt her feelings by brushing her off. She was like a little sister to him, and he couldn't stand it when she was upset and really didn't want to be the reason behind it.

So steeling his resolve and swallowing his slight discomfort, Shadow spoke.

"You could say that. You see, I have a bit of a problem." There, that wasn't so bad. He could admit that much. He was hoping that would appease the young rabbit, that she would leave it at that and go back to doing whatever it was that she was doing before she saw him, but no such thing happened. He knew what she was going to ask before she even opened her mouth to ask it.

"What kind of problem?" See! He just knew she was going to ask that! And he wasn't quite sure of how to answer her. You see, he, the Ultimate Lifeform, was, dare he say it, crushing on someone. And not just anyone. The girl who had somehow eradicated the barriers he had so carefully put up and melted his frozen heart was… No! He refused to think of her name, for if he thought of her name, vivid, tantalizing images were sure to come and assault his mind with its beauty and fill his heart with a pool of longing only she could soothe.

While Shadow was having an internal crisis, Cream was simply watching him in amused silence. Though she was young, she was very perceptive when she wanted to be. She watched the myriad of expressions that crossed his face, and she already knew what his problem was. After all, Sonic was suffering from the same problem, though Shadow was much better at keeping it under the wraps. Sonic only looked like that whenever someone questioned him about his feelings for Amy, so that meant that Shadow had feelings for someone too!

"Mr. Shadow, do you like someone?" Cream suddenly asked, and Shadow froze, eyes comically wide and cheeks darkening with a growing blush. Cream gave a little squeal, pleased that she was right. Why else would Shadow get all flustered? Since his reaction obviously meant yes, he did like someone, Cream then asked, "Who do you like?"

Shadow averted his eyes, refusing to meet her curious gaze, finding a sudden interest in staring at his shoes. Good Lord, was he that easy to read? Surely he wasn't being as obvious with his feelings as Sonic was, right? Right. If anything, Cream was better at picking up on thing like this. She was best friends with a hopeless romantic.

He didn't even understand why he was nervous anyways. He wasn't about to run from or deny his feelings like a blue speedster he knew. He'd just accept and face them head on instead. Besides, this was Cream. He could trust her with this. He took a deep breath and pointedly ignored the way his heart was now wildly beating.

"I like," he began, and then he mumbled the rest of his reply under his breath. Cream arched an eyebrow, looking confused.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Shadow. Could you-"

"I said that I like Sally. Like, I like like her, and I have for quite some time now." There, he said it. He put it there in the open for all to see and didn't care. It actually felt good to admit it, and it was as if a weight he wasn't even aware he'd been carrying on his shoulders had finally been lifted.

Cream beamed at the news; she was so happy that he found someone who struck his fancy. She was worried that he'd always be alone, and that was perfectly okay if that was what he really wanted, but Cream didn't want that for him. She wanted him to find someone that made him happy and brought a smile to his face, and Sally was the perfect person for the job.

"Ooh, that's wonderful! I knew you liked her!" Cream exclaimed excitedly, her eyes shining with joy.

"H-how did you already know that?" Shadow demanded, though there was no bite behind his words. He was simply stunned that Cream of all people was able to put two and two together. Not even Rouge, who was a well-trained spy, knew about this, and she was almost always trying to pry into his dating life, or lack of dating life to be more accurate.

"The look you have on your face when you look at Miss Sally is the same look Mr. Sonic makes whenever he looks at Miss Amy," she said in a matter-of-fact tone, her smile widening at how flustered and fidgety he was; it was so unlike what she was used to seeing. He tended to be composed and calm. Now, however, he was nervous and undone.

She giggled at his behavior and wondered if all guys acted like this when they liked a girl, but then she thought about how tongue-tied and nervous Silver and Knuckles acted when they were around Blaze and Rouge, she came to the conclusion that yes, guys were often prone to such hilariously adorable behavior.

Shadow scowled, crossing his arms and looking off to the side.

"It doesn't matter. She's a princess with brains, beauty, and riches. She could have any guy she wants, so I doubt she would actually give someone like me, who was a lab experiment that nearly destroyed the world twice, the time of day." He stood up abruptly, but a firm grasp on his arm stopped him. He looked over his shoulder and was somewhat surprised by the fierce look of determination on Cream's face.

"Well, not with that attitude she won't! I know Miss Sally, and she goes for the kind of guys who have heart, and you, Mr. Shadow, have lots of heart! You just down like to show it that much. I'm sure that if you tell Miss Sally how you feel, she'll return your feelings. You just have to show her that you really like her," said Cream, and her sincerity, faith, and positive attitude about this whole thing made Shadow feel more confident.

"Okay, kiddo," Shadow began, turning so that he could give her his full attention, "how exactly do I go about wowing Sally?" Cream pondered this for a moment, ideas running rabidly around inside her head.

"Well, Miss Sally would probably really appreciate something that came from the heart, so you should give her a gift like that." Shadow nodded his head, accepting her idea. Sally would definitely like such a gift.

"That would work. While I'm sure she'd accept jewelry, a gift that's more heartfelt would win her over. I just don't know what to get her that fits that description." He and Cream then thought of possible gifts he could give Sally, each sporting a look of deep concentration as they racked their brains for something that would work.

"I've got it! Why don't you bake her something? Miss Sally has a sweet tooth like you wouldn't believe, and she really, really loves sweets, especially chocolate. You could make her some chocolate cookies and give it to her. She'll love that for sure!" Shadow had to admit that that was a brilliant idea. There was just one problem.

"What if I accidentally burn them or something?" he asked, frowning and looking discouraged. But Cream, bless her sweet heart, was prepared for this.

"Don't worry, Mr. Shadow! Momma taught me how to cook, so we can just go to my house and make it there! And I won't actually do the cooking for you; I'll just supervise and help you if you get stuck," she suggested. This time Shadow's smile was bigger, and he stooped down and pulled the young rabbit into a hug, his way of showing his thanks. Smiling, she hugged him back, silently telling him he was welcome. He was like an older brother to her, and just like all of her other friends, she wanted him to be happy and she just knew he'd find that happiness with Sally.

Pulling apart, Shadow then scooped Cream into his arms and, using a Chaos Emerald, the red one, he used Chaos Control to teleport them to her house to put her plan into action.

Shadow found himself standing in the middle of Cream's living room. He gently put Cream down, helping her regain her balance before carefully tucking the emerald inside one of his jacket's pocket.

"Cream, dear, is that you?" they heard her mother call.

"Yes Momma, it's me! Shadow brought me home, and I brought you some flowers!" she answered back. A few seconds later, Miss Vanilla appeared, dressed in a yellow T-shirt and overalls. A straw hat sat neatly on her head, and smudges of dirt stained her cheeks. She smiled at them, her brown eyes twinkling. Cream made a beeline for her mother and jumped into her open arm, burying her face in the crook of her neck as she wrapped her arms around her in a hug. Miss Vanilla hugged her back, giving her a kiss on her cheek before putting her back down; her smile softened when Cream held out the basket full of flowers for her to take, which she did, smiling as she did so.

"Thank you for the flowers, Cream. They're gorgeous. I'll be sure to put them in a vase later. And thank you for bringing her home, Shadow," said Miss Vanilla, giving Shadow a warm and friendly smile that mirrored her daughter's. Shadow gave her a curt nod of his head. "What brings you here?"

"I would like to, if it's alright with you, bake something for a special friend of mine," Shadow answered, trying to be as low-key and discreet as possible. He wore a look of indifference, keeping his face blank of any and all emotions. He was trying hard not to give anything away.

Miss Vanilla looked at him for a long moment, her eyes narrowed as she scrutinized him, and it was sort of making him uncomfortable. It was like she was trying to search his very soul or something.

"Tell me, Shadow. This "special friend" wouldn't happen to have auburn hair and blue eyes, would she?" She smirked playfully at how surprised and flustered Shadow suddenly looked.

"How did you know? I didn't even say anything!" Dang it! First Cream did it, and now Miss Vanilla was able to see right through him. Ugh, he must be losing his touch or something. Miss Vanilla walked up to him and gave him a comforting pat on his shoulder, his head hanging low as he buried his face in his hands to hide his shame.

"You didn't have to say anything. I could tell from the look in your eyes. It's the same look Sonic makes when he looks at Amy. You two are just lousy at hiding it, although you do a much better job of it than Sonic does, I'll give you that much." All Shadow could do was groan, making both Miss Vanilla and Cream laugh. "Well, you're more than welcomed to use the kitchen, and I'll be outside in the garden if you need me. Good luck!" And with that, she left them to themselves.

Cream took his hand and led him to the kitchen, grabbing a small stool along the way. When they made it to the kitchen, she let go of his hand and sat down on the stool, her legs dangling in the air. Shadow simply stood in by the kitchen counter, looking slightly unsure of himself.

"Okay, all you have to do is follow this recipe and then you'll have a batch of cookies for Sally in no time!" the young rabbit exclaimed, walking towards him and handing him an index card. Shadow read over it and was pleasantly surprised to see that it wasn't that hard to do. According to the card, he would need the following ingredients: 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1 cup packed light-brown sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, 2 large eggs, 2 cups (about 12 ounces) semisweet and/or milk chocolate chips. That sounded easy enough.

So, he reached inside the cabinet and grabbed the flour, baking soda, sugar, salt, chocolate chips, and vanilla extract. He then went to the refrigerator and grabbed two sticks of butter and two eggs. He placed them all neatly beside each other on the counter and went to get the rest of the ingredient. Picking up the index once more, he looked at the directions. It read: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter with both sugars; beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low; add the salt, vanilla, and eggs. Beat until well mixed, about 1 minute. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Drop heaping tablespoon-size balls of dough about 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake until cookies are golden around the edges, but still soft in the center, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cool on baking sheet 1 to 2 minutes.

"That sounds easy enough," the hedgehog mumbled to himself. He walked to the stove and preheated it to 350 degrees like the card had instructed. He then walked back to the counter, and, stooping down, he looked under the sink for a small bowl. After finding it and grabbing a whisk, he proceeded to pour the flour and baking soda inside the bowl and whisked it; when he was finished, he set it off to the side.

"You're doing a great job so far, Mr. Shadow," Cream said, giving him an encouraging smile. Shadow nodded his head, flashing her a quick smile before returning back to the task at hand. He went back under the sink and pulled out the mixer; pouring in the correct amount of both sugars and putting the two sticks of butter inside of it, he, after making sure the mixer was plugged in and that the paddle was firmly attached, he began mixing the batter, keeping the speed on medium like the card instructed.

After a while, the mixture began looking lighter and fluffier, so Shadow set the speed on low and added the salt, vanilla, and eggs, throwing away the cracked eggshells in the trashcan. He continued this until everything was well mixed, which took around a minute or two.

Shadow grabbed the small bowl filled with the flour mixture and poured it inside the mixer bowl and mixed it until it was well mixed; opening the bag of chocolate chips, he stirred them inside of the cookie batter. He went under the sink for the last time in search for a medium-sized tray. After finding it, he reached inside the kitchen drawer and picked out an ice cream scoop. Using said scoop, he scooped out several pieces of dough and placed them two inches apart from each other. He did this until there was no matter left; there was twenty-four scoops of though in all on the tray.

"Good job, Mr. Shadow! I'll put these in the oven for you and set the timer while you clean up," Cream offered, taking the tray from his hands. While Cream did just that, Shadow began putting everything back in its proper place, cleaned the dishes he used, and thoroughly wiped down the kitchen counter. Ten minutes later and the oven dinged softly, signaling that the cookies were finished at last.

Donning on oven mittens, Cream opened the oven and carefully took out the tray of freshly baked cookies.

"They look wonderful!" Cream squealed. Shadow smirked, feeling ever so proud of himself.

"Thanks, kiddo. I'm sure the princess will love them. They were a labor of love, after all," said Shadow. They waited a couple of minutes for the cookies to cool off, and once they did, they were carefully placed inside of a container. Shadow picked up said container and held it in one hand while he used his other hand to hold the Chaos Emerald.

"Well, I suppose I should head out now. Your help is deeply appreciated," he said, patting Cream's head affectionately.

"Anytime, Mr. Shadow, and good luck!" she exclaimed. Shadow nodded his head, offering her a gentle smile, before chaos controlling himself to his desired destination.

Shadow stood in front of Sally's front door, the cookies still balanced carefully on his hand. He took several deep breaths, willing himself to calm the heck down, and lifted his hand to knock three good times on her door. The door was soon swung open, and Sally stood in the doorway, leaning against its frame. Her hair was up in a messy side ponytail, and her sapphire orbs shimmered in the sunlight. She had on a plain white T-shirt and ripped blue jeans, and her feet were bare.

She looked slightly puzzled, but a smile soon graced her face as she looked at him, happiness shining in the depths of her eyes.

"Hi, Shadow! What brings you here?" Sally asked politely. He handed her the container, his cheeks flushed and his stomach in knots.

"I made these for you. I hope you like them," Shadow managed to say without stumbling over his words, a feat within itself considering how nervous he was. Sally's eyes widened in surprised, and she slowly opened the container. She looked down, a small gasp leaving her mouth as she realized what it was. She wondered if Shadow had made them for her.

She looked up at him, her suspicions confirmed as she took in the flustered expression on his face and the small blush that stained his cheeks a pretty red color. Smiling brightly, she leaned forward and pressed a sweet kiss on his cheek, her smile widening as the blush on his face darkened considerably.

"Thank you so much for this, Shadow. I can't believe you went through all the trouble of making them for me."

"Consider it a labor of love, princess." Sally blushed, and it was Shadow's turn to smile at how flustered she now looked.

"Would you like to come inside and eat them with me?" Shadow walked closer to her, draping an arm around her shoulder and held her close, nuzzling her cheek. His heart nearly stopped when he felt her melt into his embrace, and he smiled softly at her, pressing a kiss against her forehead.

"Sure, princess."