(*this oneshot is inspired by a scene from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom*)
A black hedgehog trudged up to the door of a white bat's house, his body hunched over and weak. He was cut and bruised and bleeding, but he refused to collapse. He needed to get her help. He needed Rouge.
He hit the door with his hand, his once white glove stained red. He licked a cut on his lip and stared at the doorknob, waiting for it to turn. He let his eyelids droop and his arms hand at his sides; he was exhausted.
After what felt like hours, Rouge opened the door, a smile on her face. She was about to greet her favorite hedgehog with a hug, but before she could, she saw him. Her aquamarine eyes grew to twice their regular size as she realized what she was looking at.
"Shadow!" she cried, her hand covering her mouth. She rushed to him, putting her arm around his waist and pulling him into her side. She guided him into her house, kicking the door shut with her foot. Shadow draped his arm around Rouge's shoulders, putting nearly all his body weight on her.
The bat set Shadow down on the couch, putting a pillow behind his head. She ran to the kitchen to grab a first aid kit from one of the cupboards, a worried expression on her face. As she made her way back to the hedgehog, she looked him over, wincing at the sight of him. Rouge had never seen him so beat up and broken. It scared her, in a way.
"So, what happened?" she asked as she kneeled beside the couch and opened the kit on the floor next to her. She grabbed a few packets of antiseptic wipes and placed them on the couch cushion, never taking her blue eyes away from Shadow's drowsy red ones. At first, she didn't think he'd respond, but as he opened his mouth to speak, she gave him her full attention.
"...men were trying to steal a woman's purse..." he whispered, flinching. "...wouldn't give up without a fight..." He looked at Rouge, a pained look on his face. "They had knives, Rouge. One had a gun... Bullet grazed my shoulder. I dodged the others..."
Rouge blinked back ears; Shadow was such a good citizen. He had told her once before that he didn't belong in this world, but she was glad that he was here - back then and now. "How many men?" she asked, dreading the answer.
The black and crimson hedgehog's wine-colored eyes were conflicted as he debated on answering her question or not. Shadow had been in a romantic relationship with Rouge for a few months now, and he had learned that honesty and trust were two of the most important traits in their partnership. This was what made him answer her instead of ignore her. "Eight," he said as he lifted his hand and rested it at the base of his quills. "I'm sorry, Rouge. I had to help that woman. I couldn't just walk away."
The white bat cupped his face in her palms and leaned forward to rest her forehead on his. "I know, Shadow. I know," she murmured. "That's why I love you." She planted a kiss on his black fur and leaned back, a sad smile on her lips. His eyes were now closed, but he, too, was smiling.
Rouge grabbed one of the wipe packets and ripped it open, then pulled out the wet square as a clean smell filled the room. "This is going to sting just a little," she warned. "It shouldn't faze you at all, Mr. Ultimate Lifeform." As she pressed the wipe to the bullet wound on his shoulder, though, Shadow hissed in pain. His eyes shot open and his pupils dilated as he clenched his jaw. "Rouge!" he yelled and grabbed her hand, squeezing it. Rouge pulled the antiseptic wipe away and laced her finger with Shadow's, trying not to think about how watery his eyes were.
"Sorry," she mumbled. "Sorry." She put the wipe down and held his hand between both of hers. "Y'know, I heard that kisses make everything better..." She raised a brow. "As much as I love your lips, they are not touching any of these injuries," Shadow said, his voice deeper than normal.
Rouge pouted her bottom lip, then smirked as she got an idea. "Well..." the bat said, her voice low and quiet. "Tell me where it doesn't hurt." She let go of his hand and entangled her fingers into his fluffy white chest fur.
Shadow sucked in a breath; he still wasn't used to Rouge touching him in this way, no matter how long they had been dating. He lifted his hand and examined it with ruby eyes before pointing to his palm. "It doesn't seem to hurt too bad here," he offered with a sideways smile.
Rouge leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his gloved hand, letting her lips linger there. She kept her gentle turquoise eyes on his now soft red ones, waiting for his next request.
"Here's okay, too," he said, pointing to his forehead. Rouge slowly removed her hands from his chest and placed them on his shoulders instead, careful not to touch the wound from the bullet. She obediently kissed the spot where he had pointed, her body now halfway on the couch so she could reach his head. As she pulled away, she saw Shadow's hand move to his cheek. "Here," he breathed. He was blushing slightly, and when Rouge kissed the tan skin, it was very warm.
Shadow had had a plan ever since Rouge told him to tell her where it didn't hurt. His girlfriend seemed to be holding up fine, but he was already flustered. He still had one more step until the last one, but he didn't know if he could wait any longer. The hedgehog knew he couldn't skip the second to last step... Each step was just as important as the first and the last. He inhaled Rouge's flower scent before pointing to his nose, a nervous expression on his face.
The bat put on a seductive grin that made Shadow flush a dark maroon. He couldn't believe Rouge had chosen him over any other guy. He had no idea what he had done to deserve her love. She was brave and strong and just... Extraordinary. He was plain and disliked among most people. The only thing that kept him going before Rouge was his ego.
Rouge, on the other hand, was wondering what Shadow was thinking about. One moment, he looked distracted, and then the next, he was present. She knew that he kept a lot of thoughts in that head of his, and somehow he always managed to stay calm and collected. Ever since they had gotten together, though, Rouge had noticed that Shadow had become more open and talkative. This relationship was changing them both for the better, and that had to be a good thing.
As Rouge leaned forward to press her mouth to his black nose, she swung her leg over Shadow's body and sat up on her knees. She moved her hands closer to his neck but didn't go any farther than that. Normally, she would be all over the hedgehog by now, but she was trying to be cautious of his injuries.
Shadow's breath caught in his throat and his heart skipped a few beats, but he didn't lose control. Not yet. As eager as he was, he had to stay put for just a few more seconds...
Rouge sat back, holding herself just above Shadow's lower stomach. Her large ears were pressed back onto her head out of affection, and she couldn't get the genuine grin off of her face. She was excited to see where Shadow would point next, having a feeling that she knew where it would be.
Shadow touched his fingertips to his lips, then placed his hand on Rouge's cheek. This was the first time he had touched her since the game had begun, and now his patience was running very thing. Rouge leaned into his palm and brushed her thumb along his lips. She tilted forward and whispered, "I love you," before she let her mouth softly collide with his.
Shadow closed his eyes and relaxed into the sweet, innocent kiss for a moment, then completely lost it. He wrapped his arms around Rouge's waist and pulled her to his body, ignoring the pain it caused. Rouge's arms curled around his neck and buried themselves into his spikes as the kiss got very passionate very fast.
Shadow lifted his back off the couch, his muzzle smashing against the side of Rouge's face. He ran his hands along her sides a few times, then placed them on her hips, pulling her impossibly closer. Rouge sighed into his mouth and pulled his head to hers, their foreheads touching. She broke away but didn't go far. She breathed in and out a few times to catch her breath before going back in for another kiss. The bat sucked on Shadow's upper lip, causing him to tighten his grip on her hips.
Shadow let out a growl, extremely satisfied with this feeling. Sure, it was definitely painful on his wounds, but the intimacy outweighed any amount of pain he was feeling. He pulled away and pressed his lips to Rouge's neck instead, the sound of her moans the only thing making him continue.
Rouge tilted her head, giving Shadow better access. She opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling, letting him enjoy himself for a little while longer before pulling his head to her chest and wrapping her arms around him in a hug. She cradled his body, resting her cheek on the top of his head.
The black and red hedgehog exhaled and loosened his arms around Rouge, enjoying how comfortable the embrace was. He smiled warmly into her skin and basked in the silence, beyond happy to have Rouge in his life. He didn't know what he would do without her.
"I love you too," he breathed. "My angel..." Rouge smiled; he had never called her that before. She decided she liked it because it was different. It didn't have the same meaning as 'babe' or 'dear' or 'honey'. It was a stronger word that held a much deeper definition. Rouge had called Shadow 'love' a few times, and it seemed to please him.
She carefully grabbed him by the shoulders and held him at arm's length, an apologetic look in her aqua irises. "I have to clean you up or something's going to get infected," she said. Shadow's smiled dropped into a frown, and the frantic look in his burgundy orbs almost made Rouge want to just leave him be.
"I'm sorry, Shadow, but kissed aren't going to heal you completely," she pointed out, a stern look on her face.
"I wish they would, Rouge," he grumbled, followed with his classic, "hmph". He crossed his arms and began to pout.
"Shadow, just imagine what we can do once you're all better. I foresee some more kissing..." Rouge bribed, desperately hoping he would see it her way.
Shadow hesitated, realized that she was right. Love was stronger than pain, after all.
"Fine," he grunted, but he did not hide the smirk on his face. Anything for his angel.