Sally sat on a top of a hill, under a cool shady tree staring out to the beautiful field that has many variety of wild and grown flowers where her friends current were.

Sonic was helping Amy gathering pink and white lilies, presumably making a small bouquet and they seemed to be enjoying each other's company. Tails was talking to Cream and Cheese, the same thing was happening between Rouge and Knuckles with a bit more bickering then the two other younger mobians. The rest was either running around or taking an afternoon cat nap.

Sally however, was just sitting down, resting. Some of her friends would come by and asked her what's wrong, but she told them she was fine, she really was. She didn't get why they thought something was up with her, maybe because she distanced herself from the other. But she was perfectly fine, really, a little tired but overall she's great.

Her lips curved into a small wholehearted smile as she brought up her knees to her chest and let her back rest on the bark of the tree. She closed her eyes, letting the sound of laughter and the voices of her friends, maybe a few screaming from Knuckles and Amy, filled her ears.

It was a peaceful afternoon unless Eggman decided to show his face with an army of robot shaped insects again. That was highly unlikely since he just showed up a few couples of hours ago. That's why they were here in the first place. But take it for granted, this place is quite nice.

The sky's a clear blue with white cheerful clouds, and the sun didn't spread much unnecessary heat. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves as much as she was. It was like an unofficial picnic party without preparing pretty much anything.

"I take it you're enjoying yourself, princess?" Oh, right. And there's this black and red mysterious hedgehog named Shadow. She jumped a little, startled by his sudden appearance and look back at him with worried eyes. Shadow was standing right behind her, leaning on the same tree as she was. Hands folded and face straight, he didn't look out of the ordinary.

"Jeez Shadow, you scared me." She said with a sigh. Shadow looked unfazed by her, go figure. He shook his head and thorn his gaze towards one of their fellow inmates, the princess trailed her own blue set of cobalt blue to the direction of his gaze.

He was looking at Amy. She had her piko piko hammer in between her grasp, ready to crush the living daylights out of the seemingly frightened blue hedgehog.

Sally's eyes widened, she turned back to the black hedgehog as he did the same.

"Do you like Amy?" She asked him. Strangely, her heart was beating a bit faster than normal and she felt her stomach turned to knots as she was waiting for him to response. What is this feeling?

Shadow raised one of his eyebrows at her and shook his head. "No," She felt a huge relief and her heartbeat lowered down. Why did she felt that? She put one of her hands to her chest as the other one was still resting on the lush green grass of the hill. Shadow turned his head to the opposite direction, making her stare at his exposed back. The brown chipmunk's mouth fell to a frown.

"You didn't answer my question." he said without turning to face her. Knowing Shadow, he probably didn't have any expression at all, sure sometimes anger, but rather than that she never knows. Sonic did mentioned he grief towards a girl named Maria, she never know who that is either. She would ask, but she knew better not to mention someone's death.

"What question?" She asked, clueless. She wondered if Sonic's attitude has been rubbing in on her.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" He said, still not facing the blue eyed chipmunk. Sally's mouth shaped into an 'o' and paused to think about his question. Sure, she was enjoying herself, why did he asked?

"Well, yeah. I'm with my friends and this spot is great to take a nap. I'm enjoying myself very much," that wasn't a lie, and she was intending to do just so. He still haven't look at her. "How about you?" She received a shrug on the shoulder. Sally held back the urge to sigh at his demeanor.

Sally felt her mouth turned into a smug. "Is that a yes or a no?" She teased him. He should get a little humor in his life like she did, and he's not even royalty. Surely he had some time to have fun, what does he even do in his spare time? Shadow finally turned his head to face the princess once again, his face was, not surprisingly the same, with a little bit more irritation mixed to it.

"Maybe." His voice didn't even nudge, still the same old Shadow's deep, empty voice. He sounded like he never got excitement in his whole life for a hedgehog that has been through a lot, as Sonic told.

She rest back her head and leaned on the tree, enjoying the comfort given to her. Despite the cold look Shadow had, she didn't actually mind his presence. A friend of a friend is a friend to her too. It counts even if Shadow never admit anyone's his friends. She patted a patch of grass right beside her, inviting him to sit.

"Maybe you should rest for a few minutes, there's no hurt in that" she looked at his still frozen expression. "You seemed to need it." She saw his face shifted a bit, maybe angry because of her retort. Shadow let out a sigh as he accepted her small offer.

His move was stiff, it reminded Sally of what bending an action figure her brother used to have. She giggled, accidentally catching his attention.

"What?" She hurriedly shook her head.

"Nothing. Nothing!" A nervous laugh emitted before she shut it down. Sally continued to gaze forward, the flower field now seemed quieter then ever. Amy looked a little exhausted from more unnecessary running while Sonic was trying to give her a glass of water. Talking about Amy, she remembered something.

"If you don't like Amy, then is there something you wanted to talk about her?" She asked to the black colored hedgehog. He opened his mouth, but soon closed it at a lost of word. Shadow shook his head.

"She thought I was Sonic once." Cream laugh. Knuckles snorted. Sally stared at him and blinked twice. Maybe three more time before snickering at his statement.

"Oh I know, she told me. She hugged you didn't she?"

Shadow crossed his arms. "Hmph"

"You're close with her?" Shadow asked as the chipmunk's laughter died down.

Are they really seemed that close? Sure, Amy was a fun person to be with and she's great at keeping secrets. Not to mention a very good shopping buddy. But apart from that, Sally wasn't quite sure if she consider Amy as one of her closest friends.

"Not really. We hang out, but that's it." He nodded at her statement.

"What about you and Sonic?" She asked him a similar question. Shadow frowned. Or at least, he tried to. It didn't help if his face was always so frigid, he should smile more often. She never even see he smiled once.

Shadow scoffed. "That faker was even worse than Eggman,"

"How so?"

"He tends to be so full of himself while he can't even swim." Sally laugh again. From the corner of her eyes, his mouth moved upwards just a little bit before it disappeared. She stopped herself from frowning.

He looked good if he smile. Did she just thought of that? Thank goodness she's not the type of person to think out loud.

"You know, you should smile more often." Except that one. It accidentally slipped from her mouth. Oh the irony. To her luck, Shadow only raised his eyebrow and gave her a weird look.

"I don't do smiles, princess." Of course he doesn't, what was she thinking? She mean it when she said he looked good with a smile, and she may or may not be regretting saying that last sentence out loud.

"Of course you don't" Shadow open his mouth to speak before being interrupted by Sally bringing up another topic to discuss. "So, talking about Sonic and Amy. Don't you think they're both so cute together?" She gave him an innocent look, almost pleading.

"That's ironic. Gossips spread that you and faker are dating." Sally widened her eyes, her mouth agap, dumbfounded. People really think that? What do Shadow think about such thing? And the biggest question of all is that this cold hedgehog believed said rumor? It seemed very uncharacteristic of him.

"What? No! We're just childhood friends, that's all." She corrected, and he looked somewhat.. relieved? No way, that was probably her imagination. He nodded for a reply.

"Talking about childhood friends, do you have one?" She asked curiously. Sally didn't expected a mixed of yearning and determined look he got. At the first few seconds, he didn't reply. She started wondering if she somehow offended him. But when she was about to apologize to have asked something personal, he finally talked.

"I had one. She died years ago." Her heart broke in two when the words came out of his mouth. She can even see his saddened look. She felt bad having to ask.

"O-oh I..I'm sorry I've asked such thing." He exhaled a breath.

"No. I was supposed to moved on by now, it's not your fault." She oddly felt a pang of guilt. Maybe it's because he was being so apologetic about it. If it were one of her friends, she would still be heartbroken even if it occurred years ago. Maybe it was only a childish thought.

"I-is it by any chance, Maria?" He nodded.

"Sorry again, for asking." He looked into her eyes as it seemed to drain all the color out of her body with a pair of agonizing yet intense red glowing eyes. She gulped down a lump in her throat.

"Why are you being so apologetic about it? It's fine. It's not like you'd killed her," with those word said, a tear leaked out from his eyes. To say that she was surprised by his antics was an understatement.

"Wha-Shadow?! Are you okay?!" She screamed, not as loud to cause the entire group to look directly at them. A soft shout-whisper with a hint of worry and frighten. She reached a hand towards him, before getting it slapped by the black hedgehog himself.

He wiped the remaining tears from his cheek. "Ugh. I can't even think about her without being so pathetic." His voice was hoarse despite only shedding a few tears.

Sally punched him in the shoulder, not to hard to get him hurt, just for getting him back to his senses. "Who said mourning for a friend is pathetic?! She would be grateful if you did!" She closed her mouth with her hands at her little outburst.

Shadow was taken aback by her words. His eyes were wide as hers, only a different kind. He was shocked and she's, well, embarrassed.

"I-I-I mean, s-she'll be thankful if you did, b-but I think she wants you to move on too. Not that I know what she'll be t-thinking, but it seemed right. You know..?" She stammered, a light pink blush powdered on her cheeks as she averted her eyes to avoid his stare.

Her blush increases when he left her hanging from her own words. Before she stole a glance towards him, a dry laugh could be heard right beside her left ear, it sounded so familiar too. The laugh gotten more louder and longer than before, it sounded more serene too. She couldn't help but smile.

"You sounded so confident. Of course Maria's thankful, she's a good person," of course she was. She joined him and let out a small laugh.

They both stopped, but a genuine smile still reside on either of their faces. "And of course she wanted me to move on." Their eyes locked into each other. Red met blue, clearly opposites.

Thinking back to her last request, You should smile more often. It made her blush right in front of his very eyes. Maybe this is the last time she'll ever see something like this coming from him, but she didn't mind. She saw one, and that's all she needed.

Her blush turned a different color, red as one of his streaked quils. It didn't help when he stole a light peck on her lips. Good thing no one's watching. Or at least, that's what she think..

"You're not so bad..

princess."

Emerald eyes staring at every movements they made. From seemingly comforting, then crying, then blushing, then laughing. Just what in the world are they doing? And now this? He couldn't bare watching.

He almost came up to them if it wasn't because of a certain someone stopping him from doing so.

"Are you still watching them? Stop it, give them privacy!" The pink hedgehog sighed dreamily. Sonic's right eye twitched.

"Says you! You're the one who suggested we hide in a bush!" He complained before getting shushed away.

Ah.. my innocence. Sorry if the story lacks of plot, I just someday felt like "Hey! I wanted to do a cute Shadally one-shot!" And here I am three or four days later. It didn't took long to write, just the constant snacking and not focussing.