Forced To A Concert

A/N: I thought about this for a while and it unexpectedly infiltrated my dreams. . .I stayed up til 3 am writing this in a notebook and on my laptop lol. My post is probably lost in the void that is my blog, but Sandy is canonically a Texan black woman (stage plays never lie lol). Enjoy.

Shadow really had to wonder why he got dragged here of all places. Right, only one (1) person was responsible for this and he couldn't find her. Amid all the surging bodies, sticky floor, and beer stench, Amy Rose had run off for a better place to stand. If only knew her visiting brought him to a rock concert, he would've sent her home.

Don't listen what your girlfriend says, she reads those magazines

The crowd screamed as a woman walked on stage in a red tank top, black ripped jeans and steel-toed boots to top off the grungy look.

That say you failed the test, you don't have what she needs

Her voice was rough as she sang, easily reaching the chorus to a song Shadow never heard of. She did have a stage presence, he noted, gaze never leaving her as she walked across stage, arm tattoos gleaming under the overhead lights she high-fived a few people up front.

Love bites but

"Sing with me," she called, grinning as the crowd responded with 'so do I, so do I.' Shadow watched as she reached the end of the song, his own throat burning as she growled the last line, gripping the mic, muscles bulging.

He jumped, looking at Amy as she hollered, shaking him. Hair a mess as she shook him once more, shouting, "Wasn't that amazing? I can't believe I'm actually seeing Discarded Sun in the flesh."

Shadow nodded, remembering seeing a poster of the band the first and last time he visited Amy and. . .well, the other person wasn't even considered a friend, he knew that much.

A few more songs, Amy nearly blowing his eardrums, and an attempted mosh pit later, Shadow was entirely ready to head to bed. He had enough of social interaction for one day and being so close to this many people never sat well with him. At least Amy stayed by him this time.

"Alright y'all, settle down," the lead singer said, smiling as someone yelled they loved her. She was clearly out of breath as the lead guitarist, a blue squirrel, handed her a water bottle.

"Now what?" Shadow mumbled, watching as she paced the stage, boots thumping a steady rhythm.

"Y'all Talfryn folk have been such an amazing crowd," Sandy said, still pacing, green eyes scanning the crowd. "I think y'all deserve a reward."

The crowd roared in a series of hoots and whistles, only dying down when Sandy sat on the edge of the stage.

"I'll invite one of y'all up here fer a kiss, how's that sound?" she asked, earning frenzied screams and hopeful glances. "It'd make my manager happy too," she joked, standing back up on stage.

If this dragged out any longer Shadow felt like he was going to collapse.

"You," she said suddenly, pointing. "All the way in the back."

Amy squealed, pushing Shadow forward. "That's you. Lucky," she mumbled, smiling.

The crowd parted easily, Amy gripping his shoulder like she was picked.

"Ain't y'all just the cutest thangs." Sandy drawled, pulling Shadow up with ease after kissing Amy's cheek. He didn't have time to see her swoon as the singer stood in front of him. She looked taller on stage. "What's yer name, sweetpea?"

"Shadow," he answered, picking lint off his pants.

"Oo, edgy. Jus' might have to take you home with me, see if you ain't afraid of the dark," she said, playfully winking at him as a quick rimshot sounded.

"I don't have anything better to do," he replied as she handed the mic to the bassist.

"Spicy too. You alright with this, sweetness?" she asked, briefly messing with her lip piercing.

Shadow nodded. If he was being dragged somewhere, he might as well enjoy himself. The kiss was chaste, her piercing a cool contrast to the warmth of her lips. It slipped into something else, something magnetizing, when they dipped back in for another, the crowd's catcalls and hoots going ignored.

Sandy pulled away first, blinking up at him before smiling. "Well, certainly ain't no novice." She said, letting out a breathless laugh.

"No," he said, getting off the stage to go find Amy.

He hadn't been kissed like that in a real long time.

"She kissed my cheek," Amy said, easing off the gas pedal as a red light came up.

"I know, I was there," Shadow replied, looking down at the t-shirt the band had given them then the signed CD. The background was black, fading to blue as Sandy leaned against a single red chaise, long blonde, thick coils covering the side of her face, snarling at the camera as the rest of the band had their backs turned.

"She grew her hair out for that cover and then shaved the side," Amy piped up. "I'm never letting anyone kiss my cheek ever again."

"You have a whole husband,"

"I have a whole other cheek, Sonic'll live." She shot back, laughing. "Honestly, he talks—"

"Amy," Shadow interrupted. "Did you know she has a tongue piercing?"

He grunted as the car screeched to a stop before making a left turn. He cautiously looked at his friend as she gripped the steering wheel.

"Ugh, you really are lucky," she whined, briefly pouting. For a brief second, she wished she wasn't married. "Knew I should've gone alone." She joked, grinning.

Shadow rolled his eyes. "I'd never be able to live it down if you did, courtesy of one person." He said, getting out the car as she parked in his driveway. "Thanks for taking me though,"

Amy nodded. "It was fun, I might take you next time. See ya," She said, rolling the window up and turning the radio up until the bass thumped.

Shadow headed inside after Amy left, hearing Rune's claws click against the hardwood floor as he opened the door. He leaned back as Rune jumped up, paws digging into Shadow's shirt, tongue lolling out.

"I'm giving you a bath tomorrow, hope you know that." He said, patting the houndoom.

After getting ready for bed, Shadow looked at the signed CD before opening it. He blinked at the sticky note across from the disc.

Hey, sweetness,

Here's somethin' a lil extra for being a good sport.

And below that was her number, plain as day. Shadow looked up as his phone rang, he answered, pulling the phone away as Amy shouted, "She gave me free tickets!"

"Figured that's what she meant about 'extra'," he said, ending the call before Amy started to ramble about how amazing Sandy was.

He might just call the number she wrote. For curiosity's sake.