CARMINE

Summary: Even the Ultimate Life Form needs a break sometimes. ShadAmy.

Rated T for some suggestive stuff.

Genre: Romance/Angst

Shadow x Amy

Shiiiiet, I haven't written a Sonic fic on here in so long (although that's probably a good thing, my writing back then was absolutely atrocious, not that I'm amazing now or anything). Here's just something my brain spat out the other night. Hope it tickles your fancy!

Note: Amy's age is 16 in this story.

"Words."

'Thoughts, memories, etc.'

Self-assured.

Proud.

Powerful.

There were no better words to describe him as he made his way past the people through the streets of Station Square on that cold, busy night, with the snow falling all around him. He glared straight ahead, paying no mind to the people that surrounded him, staring and gawking at him, some even pointing fingers. He held little value to social status, thus what did he care for what those people thought of him? He had far greater things to achieve; things these people can never even dream of achieving nor could ever understand his desire. The snow crunched angrily beneath his feet, matching his irritated mood. He paused for a moment to glare at the sky.

He hated snow.

It got in his eyes and quills, its biting and irritatingly cold fingers digging themselves into his fur. Nonchalantly, he brushed off the offensive white diamonds off of his slender arms with the help of his gloves before continuing on his way. The whispers never stopped.

"Look, mom! It's the... "

"Hey, is that him?"

"Sure is. He really does look like Sonic."

Shadow narrowed his eyes, annoyed. He was always compared to that Faker. Always. Not that it hurt his confidence at all, but it did become rather tedious to hear the same comparisons time and time again. They should be comparing the Faker to him, if they were to compare anything at all.

Nonetheless, he continued his way.

Arrogant.

Collected.

Superior.

That was what he was to everyone else. He was calm. He was cool. He was Shadow The Hedgehog. They all feared him, and for good reason, too. He was well-known as a cold-blooded killer, and he knew that there was nothing he could do about it. Quite frankly, he preferred it this way, when everyone hated him and feared him. He didn't think he could stand it if he was treated with the same disgusting admiration as was the blue Faker.

He turned a corner, eager to get away into some obscure alleyway, where was the only place he could get any peace away from this cursed city that he had sworn to defend. Shadow looked down, shielding his face from the billowing snow that fell upon his face like salt. The chilly air outside gave the hedgehog goosebumps, not that he'd ever admit to having a pathetic weakness like that. He was, after all, a machine that felt nothing. That was unable to feel anything at all.

At least, that's what everybody around him said. He had come to believe in it himself.

Finally, he began to approach one of the less-populated areas of the city. Even so, there were still groups of friends and family all sitting on the benches or walking around or even drinking some strange liquids that Shadow had never seen before. All utterly useless acts, deemed Shadow. From what he heard, all of this flailing about was in honor of some strange holiday called 'New Years' Eve' as they called it. He was unsure of how drinking pale, suspicious substances and yelling across the entire city would make the New Year come any faster, and thus, why it was necessary at all.

'Humans are odd,' Shadow concluded to himself as he finally turned a corner, eager to get away from all the noise.

"Hey, Shadow!" a familiar voice called out, stopping the dark hedgehog dead in his tracks. Slowly, he turned around to see a familiar, rosy-cheeked face.

Amy Rose, in all her vigor, was running towards him with the shiniest smile sitting on her face. It was as if she had seen her true blue with the way her eyes were sparkling. She was so odd, Shadow thought. So strangely happy about everything in life, even the smallest conveniences overwhelmed her sometimes. It was almost… fascinating…

She bounded towards Shadow, her signature red dress sashaying in the wind, with her red boots making large marks in the snow. She carrying with her a furry peach-pink coat under her arm and a couple of colorful shopping bags in the other. Finally, she caught up to the hedgehog, catching her breath as she stood there, grinning up at him.

"Didn't think you were into holidays!" Amy commented, the smile never leaving her face.

"I'm simply looking for a place away from the snow," Shadow said simply.

"Don't you wanna spend some times with your friends, though?" asking Amy, a confused look on her face," where's Rouge and the others? Everybody's out partying tonight, you should join them!"

A small pause broke out between them, before Shadow finally spoke.

"I have no one."

Amy's face fell as she looked at Shadow with a look he couldn't quite decipher. It seemed like a mixture of sadness and understanding, which he could not understand.

"Don't say that… you have me!" Amy said, giving him a reassuring smile. Shadow's expression did not change.

"And what of you, girl? Do you not have your Sonic to chase after?" asked Shadow inquisitively. Amy looked down, kicking the ground in a distracted manner as she avoided Shadow's gaze.

"No... I can't find him anywhere…" Amy said almost shamefully," I mean, I've looked everywhere… malls, Tails' house, the streets, everywhere possible…"

She quickly replaced her downed expression with a million-dollar smile, covering up her disappointment.

"But that's okay! He's probably just really busy! And besides, I've found you so now we can spend New Years' Eve together if you want!"

Shadow stared at her. How could she place her trust in him so easily, when so many others steered clear of him? How could she so easily run up to him and offer him a chance to spend time with her so freely when the old lady that he passed by every other day in the streets would yell foul language at him and call him a 'heathen of Satan'? Even Sonic was cautious in Shadow's presence, and yet this oddball woman didn't hesitate to invite him to spend time with her.

"I have to go now, Rose," Shadow said flatly, turning around to leave. Amy stared at his backside hopelessly with downcast eyes, hoping quietly that he would change his mind.

Shadow paused, thinking about his situation. Perhaps this girl could be of use to him… her strange ways did once help to convince him that not all humans were fiends deserving of being torn to pieces. Perhaps she could somehow soothe the rage that was pent up in his heart for humans, as she did a long time ago.

Sighing, Shadow slowly turned around to face the pink hedgehog, walking back to her with the snow crunching noisily between his feet. He frowned at the sound. It bothered him.

Amy's ears perked up as she heard Shadow approaching. He looked down at her expectantly, a blank expression sitting on his stoic face. She smiled gleefully as she realized that he agreed to spend the time with her.

"Where are you taking me, Rose?" Shadow asked apprehensively. Knowing Rose, she would probably take him to some lively, social place with a lot of that strange liquid being drunk as he had seen before. Still, as much as he didn't want to admit it, he needed a distraction. Something to throw water over this burning rage he harbored in his heart for the humans of this land.

"Oh, you'll love it! It's really pretty and quiet, and you could see all the fireworks from up there!" Amy said happily. Inwardly, Shadow exhaled in satisfaction when he heard the word 'quiet'.

Wasting no time, Amy threw on her furry coat and quickly grabbed Shadow's hand as she rushed towards a strange staircase in the corner of Shadow's view. He glided as she pulled him across the street to the dank, cold staircase in between a pair of apartment buildings.

Snow piled and piled on top of Amy's hand, entwined with his, but she didn't seem to mind, or even notice for that matter. Shadow had no time to react or even pull away from her hand, she was already dragging him up the stairs before he even realize what happened. He saw the wet walls of the cramped staircase, catching the way that water from broken plumbing ran down the sides of said wall. He felt Amy turn around as her hand still clasped around his bigger one as she led him to the top of the stairs. He saw an open space as he soon realized that they were on top of one of the apartment's roof.

Amy smiled at him before sitting down near the edge of the roof against some slabs of cement. Shadow followed her lead, wondering why on earth she led him here. That was when he saw the view.

The sky was all around him, stars glittering brilliantly all around them with their silvery forms. Below them, the city, illuminated by what seemed like a million lights, stretched out before them in all of its cheerful splendor. He could see the buzzing streets, packed with people to the edges. He noted quietly how they all looked like rats in a sewer, scrunching up his nose slightly in disgust. He did admit to himself, however, that it was quite the sight. It almost seemed overwhelming, with how big the sky circled all around him like a never-ending ring. This was the Earth that he had wanted to visit, Shadow realized quietly.

He sat down near Amy in front of the cement blocks, noticing her bending her head and bringing her hands together, staring up into the stars. He gave her a questioning look.

"What are you doing...?" Shadow inquired, watching as Amy closed her eyes to the rest of the world, stuck inside her own little world of thoughts. She stayed still for a moment, a focused expression sitting on her naive face.

"Praying, Shadow," she said to him with a big smile after a few moments. "It's Watch Night!"

"Watch Night?" Shadow asked, clearly confused. Amy gave him a questioning look.

"Yeah... it's the night right before New Years' Eve! Everybody's praying and making New Years' resolutions tonight! Like me, I'm praying for God to finally make Sonic realize his love for me!" Amy chirped cheerfully, waiting for a reaction to dawn upon the dark hedgehog beside her. None came, to her disappointment, only a blank look. A pause ensued, before Amy finally collected her bearings.

"...haven't you ever prayed before, Shadow?" Amy asked, her jade eyes gazing at him. Shadow made a slight scoffing sound.

"I don't need your God."

Amy was taken aback, hurt by his words, but bit back her retaliation. She knew better than to say these words that she would later regret. Instead, she looked back up at the sky, marveling in the sheer beauty that the sky presented. She quietly reminded herself that he was Shadow; he did not have experience with humans or feelings. He was not brought up in the same way that others were, so maybe she shouldn't get mad at him for saying that. Not everybody had a life like hers.

Instead, she sat still on the rooftop, enamored by the show of stars in the sky, encrusted with the diamonds of the universe. It was almost oppressive - how big the universe really was, and she couldn't help but stare in awe. Never had she felt so intoxicated with such a sight, not even when she saw her true blue hero. It felt like a drug, a never-ending oblivion that made her dizzy with amazement. She hardly even noticed the dark figure sitting beside her.

Shadow examined Amy in an observant manner. He did not show it, but her blissful optimism never ceased to amaze him. He stared at her, trying to figure out her secret, as if she had some sort of potion for happiness hidden somewhere in those feminine boots of hers. He felt a twinge of resentment - jealousy even, for this strange creature who seemed to be able to light a candle with her own radiance if she so chose. She was hardly a teenager, and yet she had gone through the unthinkable. She underwent countless dangerous missions most adults would never even see in their lifetime. She chased after Sonic relentlessly despite his obvious reluctance at her advances. She had gazed evil straight in the eyes and survived. Despite this, she remained as pure and happy as any typical young girl, feigning ignorance of the world's troubles.

'Why?' Shadow asked himself, staring at the young girl skeptically. He watched her carefully, noting the way the deep pupils of her eyes enlarged as she was entranced by the beauty of the night sky. He examined every move she made, every little bat of her long, elegant eyelashes, to the smallest detail, wondering how this small, lithe little hedgehog could possibly contain such a large, bright heart.

Amy began to feel his eyes upon her as she glanced at him from the corner of her eyes. She shifted uncomfortably, wondering self-consciously if there was anything on her face. Shadow then spoke finally.

"You are a fascinating creature, girl," Shadow said, watching the way she clasped her hands together, trying to mask her discomfort with the way he was looking at her. Amy blushed; what could she possibly say to that? Furthermore, why was he continuing to stare at her like that? Doesn't he know that that's a little rude of him?

Shadow saw the way she blushed and squirmed under his words and smirked to himself. She was so easy to manipulate. It amused him, in fact. Perhaps if he kept on doing it...

"Shadow, you can't just stare at people like that," Amy said straight-forwardly, avoiding his gaze.

He was slightly deterred by her comment, his eyes narrowing significantly. This was not the kind of reaction he wanted.

"Why not? I can do whatever I please," Shadow said stubbornly, crossing his arms over his chest to amplify his point.

"It's rude and not very respectful."

This confused Shadow. He had little knowledge of social cues and norms in this bizarre world, but what he did know was that people liked to be looked in the eyes. It signified honesty and competence, which was always valued back on the ARK. What was wrong with this girl?

Shadow leaned back calmly, continuing to stare at the girl. Suddenly, she turned around swiftly with an annoyed expression on her face.

"Would you stop that please? How would you like it if I stared at you for like three hours?" she said in an irritated tone. Her hands itched for her hammer, but she tried to restrain herself. He was no Sonic.

Shadow smirked, amused at her reaction. She was so much like a puppet with strings that he could pull to make her react in various ways. It interested him - unlike the countless dull, mindless husks called humans that he encountered on a daily basis. She was an interesting specimen indeed.

"I would probably be forced to annihilate you," Shadow said, eyes drinking up her reaction with great amusement. Amy's face contorted into one of shock instantly.

'She really thinks I'm being serious,' Shadow thought to himself amusedly.

"That's not fair!" Amy exclaimed incredulously.

"Many things are not fair in this world, girl," Shadow said, looking up into the face of Heaven. Or whatever humans presumed to be Heaven, anyways.

The concept of God always baffled him; it was one of the many things about humans he had yet to understand. To him, it sounded like a fairy tale, a blindly optimistic ideal that was based foolishly and solely on faith. The idea alone confused him, for how can there be a God when things like what happened to Maria were allowed?

'It's weird,' Shadow thought to himself, closing his eyes slowly and drowning in the memory of his beloved Maria once again.

'Shadow...' he heard her voice, pleasant as music and soft as silk, ringing in his mind as if she were yet with him. The sound vibrated through his being, making him feel at peace in this strange, incomprehensible world. He could, and often did back then, fall asleep to the sound of her melodic voice. Then he heard the ominous sounds of guns piercing through the song of her voice, interrupting his musings. He flinched as the memory of Maria's dying eyes flashing in his mind corrupted his thoughts. His eyebrows furrowed deeply as he exhaled, trying to erase the memory from his mind, but how could you possible hope to erase it without erasing the entire person along with it?

'Shadow... bring hope to humanity'

Her last words.

But how could he bring hope to those who shunned him so openly? How could he save those who did not want to be saved by him? They all thought him to be a heartless monster, a killer, a stain in the book of humanity. He was a ruthless machine built to destroy, which was not completely untrue, but all the same, it was all anyone ever saw in him. They wanted a hero's face to be on their television screen, not his. One of the few things that Shadow learned about these confusing humans was that they judged solely on the outer layer, never bothering to look at what's inside. It was a notion that Shadow could never fathom; why throw away a gun away if you haven't checked if it's loaded or not?

He was so amazed simply to see what Earth would be like, back on the ARK. He heard different stories about the seemingly beautiful planet that always eluded them in every which way, and all of them made him want to go there even more. Yet all the humans here seemed so incredibly ignorant of the beauty of their own world, and what was worse, they were destroying it, cutting down the beautiful, stately structures known as 'trees' and other, wasteful things that Shadow could never understand.

"Shadow?" a small voice piped up. Shadow cracked open an eye to look at the girl sitting beside him. She was sporting a big smile, her eyes glittering like ocean water in the sun. It was a look not unlike Maria's whenever she would talk about Earth so excitedly, telling him the different plans she had for when they finally got to go there, what they would do, where they would go...

"Shadow, are you okay?" Amy inquired once again, and Shadow realized that he had zoned out and not heard what she said. He grunted slightly, signaling his attentiveness.

"I was just telling you that the fireworks are gonna start!" Amy chirped happily, pointing up towards the night sky. Shadow looked closely to where she was pointing. He didn't see anything.

"There is nothing there, girl," Shadow stated flatly. He saw Amy giggle slightly at his bluntness.

"No, you dummy! They're not going now, but they will in a few minutes. It's almost New Year's Eve!" Amy smiled at him ecstatically. Shadow stared at her. How could she feel so excited over such an insignificant notion? It was yet another year, yet another number added to the end of the digits. It was a day like any other, and will be a year like any other. Another year of labor and work, another year of living. Nothing changed from last year, and nothing will change this year. Why did she revel in it so?

"Why do you find that so exciting? It's just another year," Shadow said plainly, curious to know. Amy's smile grew even bigger.

"Because it's a celebration! It's a new start, you know? We're all starting on a new page, all together. It's like taking off an old pair of clothes and putting on some new clothes that you just bought. It's exciting!" Amy said. Shadow stared at her, raising an eyebrow inquisitively.

"Taking off an old pair of... clothes?" Shadow asked, confused by the analogy. Amy nodded her head.

"Yep! Out with the old and in with the new! Whatever's in the past is now cleared pretty much!"

'What's in the past is cleared…'

Could it be true?

Could he possibly walk down the streets into the snow at 1 AM in the morning tonight, and feel like a hero? Was it possible? Could he really clean the slate of his wrongdoings? Can he walk down the road past the old woman with the umbrella again and not be called a heathen?

It all seemed blasphemous to the crimson hedgehog, yet something in the sincerity of the young girl's voice made him believe otherwise. This… New Year's Eve may not be so useless after all. She seemed so full of life, as if she inhales happiness through the air that she breathes. It was the one thing he envied about her – her ability to make anything beautiful in life, her ability to strengthen people's resolve just by smiling at them, and the kindness that she so carelessly gave out to people. The latter was not something he envied, but rather he admired, even if she often was kind to the wrong people.

Her boundless range of emotions both intrigued and annoyed him. It seemed as if she never ran out of things to say or do, and her outward displays of affection to Sonic disgusted him. He always believed that such things were meant for the privacy of one's home, and that was why he never understood her need for such overt expressions of her love.

All the same, however, her personality interested him. He wondered what it would be like to feel just a fraction of what she felt, and wondered if it was as euphoric as he thought it would be. Silently, he wondered as he began to observe her quietly about the things that could possibly make him feel emotions. Amy caught his gaze.

"Shadow… you're staring at me again," Amy said, wringing her hands nervously. Shadow ignored her lament.

"Tell me, girl, what makes you happy?" Shadow asked, his eyes looking into hers intensely. She stared at him, unsure of what to answer.

"Oh geez, a lot of stuff…" Amy began, straightening out her dress with a peculiar smile on her face. She clasped her hands together in a cute manner as she cleared her throat.

"Well, first of all, I really really like blueberry pie, so that's one! Oh, and of course, who could forget about daydreaming about kissing my hero, Sonic," Amy said, blushing as she twirled a lock of her hair in her gloved finger," I also love shopping for pretty things for sale and hanging out with Cream and all my other friends! Reading books always makes me happy too, especially anything by Mark Twain, he's the greatest! Also, lights and fireworks and ice cream and chao; I just get so happy whenever I see them! They're really cute, aren't they? Also, I…"

She trailed off as Shadow began to process her list.

'…day-dreaming about kissing my hero, Sonic…'

Kissing?

He had seen it done before – kissing – people performing such acts right before the public in the streets did it all the time, yet he never really got the purpose. Could one communicate telepathically through the contact of each others' tongue? Was that what made everyone so interested in this rather strange, unhygienic act?

People seemed to thoroughly enjoy it. Perhaps this was an act of 'happiness' he could try?

"Oh, look Shadow! The fireworks are starting!" Amy cried out happily, an excited smile sitting on her lips. He bent his head low, biting his lip apprehensively. He just wanted to know what he'd feel if he…

"Shadow…? You okay?" Amy asked, turning towards him. He looked up at her with an odd look, a look that she'd never seen from him before.

Suddenly, in one swift motion, his lips were upon hers. He held the back of her head gently as she made a small noise of protest to hold her up as he pressed his lips to hers, trying to mimic the way he had seen it done. Amy squirmed slightly, her eyes wide open. Shadow suddenly remembered that he had to close his. He relaxed slightly and allowed his eyelids to drop, letting himself sink into the kiss. The girl beneath him started to panic, pulling away quickly. Shadow felt her move underneath him as she backed away from him fearfully.

"Shadow, what are you doing?" Amy exclaimed, her eyes wide with confusion. He narrowed his eyes. There was fear in her eyes: a complete reflection on him that he was still a monster on the inside.

"You want to be kissed by the Faker, do you not? Don't I look like him?" Shadow asked simply. He just needed to feel something other than hate… he was almost hungry for some small grain of love, however fake or pretended it may be at the moment. He was not sure how else to go about asking a girl this. From what he observed, guys just did it to girls right out of the blue.

Amy froze at his words, clearly shocked at his advances. Did he have any idea how inappropriate this was of him?

Then again, he knew next to nothing of how to act around women, that much she realized. He did have a point though… he did look like Sonic…

'Maybe if I just close my eyes and pretend…' thought Amy to herself as she slowly closed her eyes, imagining Sonic sitting before her. It wasn't the same, she realized, as no one could replace her true blue hero… but it was better than nothing.

"Just pretend, girl…" Shadow whispered to her as he leaned in, grasping her chin lightly in his hand as he had seen done by couples in the streets. Slowly, his lips grazed hers, feeling the soft, cushion-like walls to her mouth press against his rough ones as he felt a warmth pooling in his diaphragm. The warmth spread to his arms, and quickly he began to feel a rush, a strange kind of euphoria; something he had never felt before.

Amy fluttered her eyelashes as she deepened the kiss, feeling the rough texture of the crimson hero's lips caressing hers. She found it hard to pretend, especially the way her body recognized and somehow even enjoyed the dark hedgehog's unique presence, despite her closed eyes. She deepened the kiss, feeling Shadow's hand lose his fingers in her quills. He tilted his head, trying to get more of her this way, and found himself to be steadily enjoying this odd, apparently fairly clean act of affection. The warmth that he was previously embedded with cooled as he felt an alien feeling of satisfaction – he could not explain it, but it was felt with the heart. Amy's hands travelled to his chest fur, grasping it slightly as she pulled Shadow in deeper, teasing the front of his lips with her small tongue. She taunted his entrance, daring him to come out and play. Shadow smirked inwardly. The Ultimate Life Form never refused a challenge.

He felt instinct take over him as he dove deeper, mimicking Amy's actions as his tongue caressed her top lip, feeling her retaliate just as quickly with hers. Soon, it was a battle for domination with her clearly letting him win. She succumbed to him, just like the damsel in distress that she often played the part of. He felt her moan slightly as she fought back with her tongue, realizing that she was enjoying this just as much.

That was when the first firework shot into the sky. Amy and Shadow retracted from their kiss reluctantly as they looked out into the star-crested sky, watching the dozens of dazzling colors explode in a cacophony of different shapes and symbols. Amy's eyes widened as she stared into the sky like a child. The booms and screams and cheers of ''Happy New Year!" sounded in the neighborhood, while the church bells began to chime, signaling that it had struck 12. Shadow, too, looked out into the open air, and for once, relaxed amidst the loud sounds.

Maybe this really was the start of something new for him. Perhaps he really was presented with a chance at a new life. Maybe the Rose girl was right – maybe it didn't have to stay like this. Maybe he didn't have to remain hated in the eyes of the people – and furthermore, maybe he didn't have to hate the people themselves. Hell, maybe even Faker wasn't all that bad.

Shadow looked at Amy, seeing how her eyes drank up the sight of the fireworks greedily, wide with wonder. He could not help but feel a strange warmth spreading through his being and wondered briefly if this was what attraction to a woman felt like. The feeling was so foreign and yet so… peculiarly pleasant. He was no fool however – he knew he could never replace Faker in the young girl's heart. Yet he also knew that it did not matter. No woman could ever truly be with the Ultimate Life Form. He was created to kill, and kill he will.

But this year around, in the good of mankind.

Shadow leaned back and closed his eyes, listening to Amy's chatter, dozing off to the sound of her voice and to the orchestra of bells and booms.

Was this happiness? Or just satisfaction? He would never know.