Hello my lovely readers!
I hope you like this chapter! Thanks to Wolfslegend for all the help :)
GUYS! In addition to this lovely story, I am now writing another story called Team Dark's Rose. It's another Shadamy, and I'm gonna be a little honest here, it's a little better then this story. But only because I am more experienced now, so it starts out a bit smoother then this story.
I would love to see you all in that story as well, as it has a different tone to it, and has been very fun to write! I will be uploading the 3rd chapter soon as well, so please take a look after this lovely installment and let me know what you think!
Special thanks to those who have already popped over to that story for a look, you know who you are and I feel so grateful that you liked my writing enough to give TDR a chance too. If you didn't know I uploaded another story, follow my author profile and you'll get notifications of new and exciting stories that I post!
I've had such fun with all of you in this story that I wish for it to continue in the next one :)
Anyways, happy reading! Please let me know your thoughts on this fluffy duffy chapter!
CHAPTER 29: 2 is the Happiest Number
The night was old, shrouded in the blue glow of a fading moon cradled low in a swarm of slender clouds. The hut creaked and moaned in tandem with the soft crash of waves against its stilts, contrasting the thick silence that enveloped the jungle. A rare hour were the things of the night begin to slumber, and the creatures of day begin to open bleary eyes, only to shut them once more in hopes of a few more hours of peace.
As the world outside slept and remained clouded in eerie stillness, a figure slipped by the open window of the hut. A female hedgehog made her way through the main part of the house to the kitchen. She hummed quietly and pulled the silken kimono robe that draped across her lithe shoulders closed. Her quills were shooting in all directions, fur matted, yet her face beamed with beautiful joy.
Practically skipping, she opened the door of her refrigerator and pulled from its bright depths a cake. It was layered in fruit, accompanied with a little chocolate sign placed carefully in its center. Still humming merrily, she opened her cabinets and pulled out two white plates and placed them beside the sweet masterpiece. Cutlery was added to the table before she stuck two candles on either side of the chocolate sign. Her humming ceased as she carefully set about lighting the wicks, and once the fire was lit, they illuminated the cursive letters swirling on the sign.
Happy Birthday Shadow
Smiling with twinkling, jade eyes, Amy picked up the cake and cutlery. Her arms were burdened under the weight of the convection so she decided to leave the plates. They wouldn't need them anyway. Moving through the house, she made her way back to her room. Once she stood in the doorway, she made sure to keep the cake to the side and out of view of the hedgehog who sat up in her bed.
Shadow had his eyes shut, and his arms were folded in reluctant patience. She giggled a little at the sight, amused that he had seriously listened to her command of keeping his eyes shut. At the sound of her laugh, Shadow's ears twitched in her direction and his mouth smirked.
"What are you doing? Can I open my eyes now?"
Amy's smile widened and she pulled the cake in front of her. She was admittedly nervous about what she had planned next, as it was slightly embarrassing, but she swallowed the feeling and cleared her throat.
Happy birthday to you~
Shadow flinched, the ghost of a smile on his face completely disappeared, and his cherry red eyes slowly opened. Before him Amy was walking slowly towards him, an extravagant cake held in tightly clamped hands. Candlelight shimmered across her face, dotting stars in her eyes until they appeared to glow like an Emerald, and cast a dancing shadow of her body across the walls. Besides the fairy lights which lined the walls and furniture, the lit wicks were the only light in the room. The end result gave off a feeling as though she were walking through space towards him, an ethereal being of beauty and light.
Happy birthday to you~
She had reached him now, and he noticed all the tiny things. The way one of her fingers rubbed the underside of the cake plate, evidence of her nerves. The way her voice trembled slightly with the word 'you.' Her awkward stance as she stood before him with her fruit laden burden. The way her quills fanned out against the lavish robe, fur curled and tangled. Every small thing he committed to memory, every curve of quill and touch of fire on fur and eyes, he burned into his heart.
Happy birthday dear Shadow~
His name was sung slower and longer as she drew it out with a smile.
Happy birthday my love~
Once she had finished, her smile became lopsided and a strong blush appeared underneath her fur. She extended her arms, effectively thrusting the cake into Shadow's face and stared at a point just above his head. Shadow, at the moment, was much too distracted by the warmth spreading throughout his chest, at the fire that coiled around his bones, and the pleasant heat that climbed up his spine one vertebrae at a time. It was the feeling of love, admiration, emanating from her and that adorable expression painted so perfectly across her face that had Shadow entirely forgetting about the fruity dessert.
After a few moments of heavy silence, Amy focused again on his face. He had the look of someone who had just come home from war to the warmth of his house and wife. His red eyes were smoldering embers, lips curling into a soft smile. She blinked, felt the brush of anxiety against her heart.
"Uh, Shadow… aren't you gonna make a wish? The wax is gonna mess up the fruit soon…"
Abruptly, as though forced out of a good dream, his face lost a bit of the unabated warmth. Slowly, ever so slowly, he looked up from her lips that he hadn't realized he'd even been admiring. Taking amusement in her discomfort, he smirked and lifted his arms to wrap them around her waist. He pulled her closer, and her arms bent to prevent the cake from being smashed between them. She was looking at him in surprise, when his eyes took on quite the mischievous glint, and his lips puckered ever so slightly. Amy's heart was in a panic, and she felt heat blazing through her body from the tips of her quills to the soles of her feet.
Shadow blew ever so gently, and the fire flickered as frantically as her chest, before being snuffed out. Smirking, his eyes never left hers. His eyelids were heavy, and the smoldering red was causing a flame of desire to build within her like water pulsing against a dam. Keep it together Amy... She gulped, and set the cake on the middle of the bedside table, before sitting herself down next to Shadow.
"Well, what'd you wish for?" She asked, hoping the question would distract from the obvious gluttonous lust that hung in the air.
Shadow's devious expression only seemed to worsen at her weak attempt of a diversion and he leaned in close to her twitching pointed ears, his fangs lightly scraping her skin as he whispered huskily, "It's a secret."
Unable to resist him any further, Amy turned, almost violently, and sealed his smirk with her own lips. It was Shadow's turn to be left unprepared, as anytime their lips touched, he seemed to lose all reason and ability to think rationally. And cruelly, just as it seemed as though they were going to have a repeat of earlier activities, Amy pushed him away. He quickly did his best to calm his face, but he doubted he fared any better than the female drunk on passion before him. Her eyes were dilated and her chest rose and fell frantically, as she desperately tried to fill her lungs with fresh air. Oh how he craved those lips that trembled slightly in her struggle… how he longed for one more taste…
"That's quite enough for now, if we don't start eating it, the cake is going to melt."
Not waiting for an answer, knowing full well that it'd lead to actions unbefitting of cake consumption, Amy stood, and took the couple steps to the bedside table to pick the dessert up. Shadow rolled his eyes in momentary defeat, and positioned himself towards the foot of the bed to give her room near the pillows. When she sat down, it didn't help matters that her kimono robe had slightly opened and revealed more than a proper lady should.
"Here," her voice interrupted his lustful thoughts, and his eyes were drawn from her dark crevouses to the metal fork she offered to him, "You first, birthday hedgehog."
Wasting no time, he took the fork from her hand, eager to humor her so that he could hopefully continue with the more racy parts of the night. However, once a bite of the treat filled his mouth, he once again was thrown into a universe of flavor explosion. It was one of the desserts he didn't mind eating too much; cheesecake. He found that it was dense, rich and sweet without the cheek pinching sugar feel that would leave him gagging uncontrollably. And Amy's cake took the tartness to the next level with an array of berries covering the top like little red and blue mountains.
Amy watched him, as his scowling face deepened and his fork stabbed into the presented delicacy, no care for the destruction of carefully placed fruit. The perfectionist within her flinched slightly, but she was just happy that he had begun eating it in the first place. She still had a hard time figuring out what the grumpy hedgehog actually enjoyed eating verse him simply eating to humor her into a state of complacency, and she hoped to Chaos Rouge had been right about cheesecake. However, the moment the creamy pile of fruit, cake and crust hit his taste buds, he couldn't hide the small flicker of delight in his red eyes and now it was her turn to smirk.
"Do you like it?" She asked unnecessarily, and her tone revealing she meant to tease him as he had her.
Choosing not to fall into her trap, Shadow ignored her, and instead went in for another bite. The action only served to confirm Amy's suspicion, but she held back further comments in order to allow him peace. Afterall, it was technically still his birthday… well at least she was going to allow it.
Grinning like a schoolgirl, Amy picked up her own fork, and started digging into the cake on her side. She, too, found the cake to be satisfying and delicious and for several minutes the two of them ate in silence. Neither of them had realized how hungry they actually were until they'd begun. They hadn't had a wink of sleep since the previous night, and with all the drama and wild emotions of a few hours ago, they found their stomachs had gotten quite empty.
It only took them about 10 minutes to finish the cake before them, and once all that was left was graham cracker crumbs, Amy fell back on the bed with a contented sigh. "I'm stuffed!" she announced with a grin, her right hand softly circling her abdomen.
Shadow grunted in agreement, and lifted the cake plate off the bed, so that he could lay down next to her. They lay in silence for a few minutes, staring up at the stars on her ceiling. Although the quiet felt peaceful to Amy, Shadow was another matter.
The gruff male was having a difficult time knowing how to act in this situation. Just a hour ago, the two of them had been connected and bonded in a way he'd never been with any other female. He'd had maybe one or two encounters of the intimate nature with random acquaintances, but those moments had been ones of carnal lust, and not deep, soul binding experiences that left him craving the feel of her skin, or the sound of her soft moans and panting.
Should he talk? Should he compliment her? Somehow he knew that wasn't the right move... what was it the bat had once complained to him about?
"Shad! You wouldn't believe it! After he was all done he just got up and said, 'Thanks babe, that was pretty nice, you really know how to please a man.' Then he just left without giving a girl a good time!"
Shadow stared at his partner and roommate with blank eyes. The news was playing in the background and he desperately wanted to turn around and continue watching the report about unrest in Furasia. However, he knew it would be worse for him if he took his attention away from her… he only made that mistake once. She stared at him with expectant eyes, and her foot tapped relentlessly. He frowned at her and narrowed his eyes, "Why do you care what some stranger has to say? You never meet up with them again, besides, isn't that a compliment? I don't see the issue."
Rouge's face morphed into a look that would kill a small puppy and she almost hissed at him.
"Why do I even try with you?! I should know by now that you don't understand a girl's heart!"
Shadow shrugged, and turned back to the TV. He had no interest in the conversation or the bat's 'love life.' He had given her enough attention in his opinion and it was time to finish up the segment on Furasia, but he was only able to watch a few seconds of it until the screen went black.
"Hey!" He growled, but before he could say anything more, Rouge had placed herself directly in front of him, blocking his view of the TV. Her right arm was stuck on her hip, and she was leaning forward with an angry look on her face. It was only now that she was so close to him, that he noticed the smeared mascara, and tear dried fur on her face.
"I'm going to tell you this for your benefit, if ever pigs fly, or Chaos materializes to personally hand me the Master Emerald, and you miraculously have a girlfriend. Don't ever thank, leave, or compliment a female on her performance in bed. In fact, the only thing you should do, if you really care for her, is to stay with her. Listen to her, get to know her. Otherwise you cheapen the experience and can potentially harm her. Do you understand?"
Shadow rolled his eyes, and leaned over to to quickly snatch the remote from her left hand. Rouge sighed heavily, but left him to his TV.
Shadow shut his eyes. Damn, this was stupid. Here he was, the Ultimate Life Form, getting anxious over a girl. Worrying about what to say, worrying about someone else's… feelings. It was still a new concept to him and if he was being completely honest, it was terrifying. Maybe he should just leave and go to his room. They could just talk in the morn -
He felt Amy gently take hold of his hand, and even though they had done much more intimate things earlier in the night, this touch sent electric currents through his body. He felt her rub his clenched fists, until he finally relaxed his grip. He felt her slim, fragel-like fingers, intertwine with his, and he tightened them around hers.
"Shadow… I'm… well, to be quite frank I'm terrified."
His heart stopped. Shifting, he lifted his head and stared at her with wide eyes, "What?"
She grimaced at his tone, "Well… it's just… I thought I knew everything about love and relationships… but last night, I was so out of my comfort zone, that I'm not quite sure what to do…"
Shadow's own thoughts were replaced with panic, as he thought about her words, "Are you… regretting what we just did? D-did I hurt you somehow?" He hated how he sounded, it was pathetic, it was -
"No! Of course not! I…" She turned and looked at him, her cheeks bright red under peach fuzz, "I actually… quite enjoyed that." She giggled slightly with embarrassment, and Shadow felt himself relax.
"Oh… Well that's good then. I," He gulped and his face took on an angry expression, Amy watched him with amusement. Shadow had, what she called, resting angry face.
"I… enjo - wouldn't mind doing that again." He said hurriedly and grimaced at the end. She smiled at him warmly, and squeezed his hand. Her face became slightly worried again, the emotion betrayed by the furrow in her brow.
"Well, it wasn't what we did after our fight, it was that fight that terrifies me."
Shadow sat up intending to give her some space but Amy moved her head into his lap. He flinched a second, before gently resting his hand on her head. She nuzzled into his palm, her eyes shut as he looked down at her.
"I… didn't recognize myself last night. I reacted in a way that hurt you," Her face scrunched up, and her eyelids tightened as her body stiffened, she was holding back tears.
"I treated you like a monster… I'm just scared that I ruined this. That you may not - well maybe not now, but what if I do something like this again. What if you start to… hate me?"
Her voice was trembling now, and Shadow felt his chest tighten, he opened his mouth, but she continued, a tear escaping her left eye.
"And the worst part about it, is that I had thought of you as a monster… I… I hated you. For a moment, I felt that disgusting feeling... I'm scared of myself, scared that I am too weak, and will end up hurting you again."
Shadow sat in silence for a moment, his hand on her head felt out of place, her shivering body looked foreign. He'd be lying if he said her words didn't slice him deep, or that it didn't hurt him. He could feel the all too familiar feeling of darkness creeping into his heart from the deepest corners. He gulped, his own eyes closing as he asked,
"Do you… do you still feel that way?" He despised the vulnerability in his voice, and worse, the feeling of doom that tightened around his stomach, threatening to cause the cheesecake to make an ugly return trip.
Amy bolted up, her eyes open, and in them he saw desperation, "No! Of course not! I-I thought I made that clear when I told you… that I l-love you."
She placed her hands on either side of his face, and they stared deeply into each others eyes. His crimson depths showed more emotion then she had ever seen in any person before. It was a collage of fear, hurt, frustration, and hope.
"I love you," She said again, her voice stern and steady, "In fact, I love you so much, that's why I'm afraid that I'll do something to hurt you again. You haven't said it, but Shadow, I know what I did to you tonight. I can see it all reflected in your eyes. I could tell that I had damaged you and I'm afraid of doing it again."
"You will." The statement shocked them both, and they blinked at each other. Shadow sighed, and brought his hands up to bring hers to his lap.
"Look… I may not know much about relationships, but isn't that what happens? I mean look at Knuckles and Rouge the two of them are fighting constantly, but they always make up. Amy you're going to hurt me again, just like how I hurt you."
"You didn -"
He squeezed her hand, "Yes I did. It may not have been my fault, because my past is something that I can't change anymore, and the decisions I made then, weren't always the right ones. But it hurt you, and it confused you," He chuckled darkly and looked to the right,
"Honestly I would've been more worried if you'd been totally fine with what I told you. I didn't tell you because I wanted you to like me, I told you becau -"
"Because… he... P-paul threatened you?"
Shadow blinked, and his gaze returned to hers. She was staring at him with worried eyes, she was searching his face, looking for any hints as to what had happened earlier in the day. And she couldn't completely hide the darkness that was creeping into the edge of her eyes.
"How - How do you know about that?" He asked, panic setting in. Did Paul somehow tell her something?
"Sonic told me." She said, and quickly grasped his hands as an angry tint began to enter his expression at the mention of the blue hero, "He said you guys had a r-run in with h-him… I just came to my own conclusion…" She trailed off, her eyes growing distant.
"Rose, it's okay. Nothing happened." Shadow's voice was surprisingly gentle and brought a hand up to stroke her cheek. She leaned into it, her eyes shutting as she tried to rid images and flashbacks that threatened to leak through her barriers.
"Are you sure…? It's just, you've never been open about this kind of stuff before… and Sonic said you were hurt, that Pa - he - w-was killing you…" She burst into sobs, her eyes tightening even more, as though she could stop the flow of water by mere willpower.
Shadow pulled her to him, and they collapsed back onto the bed, He held her close, their sides on the mattress, and she gripped his chest. The words were spilling forth from her mouth like an uncorked bottle, and he felt her body shaking like a leaf.
"Y-you almost died. I mean I didn't even think that was possible. It shouldn't be… right? I mean aren't you bulletproof? Aren't you immortal for Chaos sake? You can't be killed."
Shadow sighed, and looked past her head. Fucking Sonic and his big mouth. He hadn't wanted her to know for this exact reason. But now it was too late. He couldn't - wouldn't lie to her. She was just too important, and she had a knack of finding out what she wanted to know, one way or another. It would be better if she heard it from him.
"Rose, can you calm yourself for a moment? I need to explain something to you."
He looked down, while holding her slightly away from him. She sniffed and angled her head upwards, "Okay… I love you." She blubbered. Shadow chuckled,
"Now that you've said it once, there's no stopping you is there?"
She scowled and punched him in the stomach, causing him to cough, "Don't be a jerk…"
Shadow grinned at her, the corner of his lip bent in pain from the hit. Damn, she sure knows how to throw a good punch… his grimmence caused a crease of worry to form in her eyes, as though he were made of glass and she had just cracked it. He sighed, and made his expression less reflective of his inner thoughts.
"I'm fine. But that is actually a good example of my limits. Look, what I'm about to tell you, and what I told you before about my past, has nothing to do with that sicko, pest of a wolf. I want to tell you everything. Because…" He suddenly got quiet, and the worry that had been eating away at Amy, lessened slightly as she realized what he was trying to say.
His mouth moved around a bit, and that same scowl returned to his face. Adorable, Amy couldn't stop the thought from surfacing. She started to grin.
"Because… I lo - care about you. And I think you should know." He finished hurriedly, and it was Amy's turn to scowl. But she didn't want to push him. She could tell it was taking a lot for him to share what he already had, and she feared that if she pushed him too much, then he'd stop.
She sighed in irritation, but simply looked down to study his fluffy white chest fur as her fingers teased with it. She would let it go… for now. It did frustrate her that he had only said it when he thought she was gone, and whispered so quietly, it was as though he hadn't even said it at all. What'd a girl have to do to get this grumpy hedge to confess to her face his love?
"I can die." The words immediately brought her out of her pouting, and once again her full attention was on the hedgehog in her arms, a male who suddenly felt fragile in her grip.
"I'm immortal. Not invincible. And there's a huge difference between the two."
"But… I've seen you walk through bullets, I've seen you run through fire. And you never have a scratch on you…"
"Yes, I have those abilities, but it stops there." He sighed, and scratched the back of his head, "I don't like people knowing this… especially my enemies, since it will give them every opportunity to get rid of me. But... " He gritted his teeth, "But, you need to know. We… well I don't plan on separating from you anytime soon, and if we're going to be partners… you know dating and that sort of -"
She leaned up and gave him a small peck on the lips, "You're rambling, Shad. It's okay, I know what you're trying to say. You don't have to try so hard. What is it I need to know?"
His glowing red eyes looked down at her. They were soft, and she could just discern a fragment of sadness in them. Just what was he trying to say?
"You need to know how to kill me."
Amy lay in silence. He gaze fixed on the ceiling above her, the fairy lights had been turned off to allow the both of them some sleep, but even after she'd heard the soft snores of her lover beside her, she could not seem to shut her eyes. All that was running through her mind was the thought that Shadow was more fragile than she'd thought. But she supposed that everyone had a weakness… he was just a master at hiding it.
Choking. I am still made of flesh, and need to breathe, so if the air is cut off from my lungs, I will die.
Chaos… that wasn't something that was hard to do. Someone just had to squeeze and not let go of his thin neck, and with that his life would be taken. She had honestly never thought she'd have to worry about Shadow's life… she had thought it would be an advantage to dating him. How messed up was that?
Poison. It does take higher doses and longer exposure to it for me to actually experience the symptoms, but if it is lethal enough, and I am given enough, my organs will fail just like anyone else's.
The thought of Shadow being tormented by poison, the thought of his heart stopping, caused her own stomach to twist in pain.
Basically, anything that can affect my soft organs and internal functions can kill me. I do have healing abilities, but they have limits.
Limits. Why had she been under the impression he didn't have them? She realized with a shock, that she hadn't ever thought of him as truly 'Mobian.' Yes he looked like everyone else, and still had the basic needs of any living thing, but she had witnessed him perform impossible feats. For Chaos sake… she had watched him walk through bullet storms as though he were taking a walk in the rain. She had thought of him as a unbreakable weapon… she had unconsciously treated him like everyone else treated him.
She flipped to her side, and faced him. She studied his features, the way his brow was completely relaxed, the way his mouth was slightly agape, breathing gently and rhythmically. The patch of red just underneath his brow, his long nose twitching whenever her breath tickled it. He looked so peaceful, so… Mobian. He only ever seemed to look like this when he slept with her. The other times she'd seen him sleeping, his brow was furrowed and his arms usually crossed, as though he was waiting for an attack. Just how hard was his shell? Just what had he been through all these years, that he couldn't even sleep normally?
She felt a tug of affection in her heart. If she was able to make him calm enough to have a full night's sleep, then she would make it her mission to never leave him alone at night. She snuggled up to him, wrapping her arms around his toned torso, her face burying itself into his fluffy white fur. He moaned a bit, and his arms slowly, but firmly, returned her embrace.
"What is… it Rose? Can't… sleep?"
His voice was even huskier than normal with sleep, and his eyes remained shut.
"It's nothing, just wanted to hug you."
He chuckled, and breathed into her quills, enjoying the sweet, warm scent of summer strawberries that filled his senses, "If you say so… I don't mind… I love your hugs… even the first time it ever happened… I couldn't ever forget… that… fe… feeling…"
And with that his snores had returned, his grip a relaxed a bit as he drifted back to sleep. She blinked, her heart playing catch up with the surprisingly romantic thing he had just let slip. He liked - no - loved her hugs? And it wasn't just after they'd started dating, it was from the very first time she had hugged him. She thought back to that moment, it had honestly never crossed her mind until now. She had been looking around Prison Island on Earth, and thought she'd seen Sonic. She cringed as she saw herself dash over and squeeze the hedgehog, her mind filled with thoughts of blue.
At the time she had thought the hug had pissed Shadow off, he hadn't been the nicest to her, and had given her a glare that could kill. He hadn't said a word and dashed off. She stifled a giggle. What a difference between the Shadow then and the one that now lay in her arms and admitted he liked hugs. The thought suddenly defeated all the doubts and worries within her heart. Shadow was hers now, and he had proven to her that he cared about her, just by sharing all that he had this night.
Her jade eyes blinked sleepily, and she let out a breath that relaxed all her muscles as it left. Shadow would be fine. Hadn't he proven time and time again that he was very difficult, if not impossible to kill? And he wasn't the same as before, he held her just as much as she held him. They worked together like two puzzle pieces, and as long as they remained attached than nothing was going to hurt them.
Her muzzle curled into a smile, and she whispered those three words once more before drifting away to sleep.
She was sitting in a grass field, a gentle breeze whipping through the blades and and her quills. There were no trees in sight, no mountains or buildings, all there was, were blue skies and rolling, fresh green hills.
She sighed contentedly, and closed her eyes which matched the color of her surroundings. She felt so peaceful, no worries, no problems, just the sound of the wind in her ears. She felt safe there, among rolling fields.
She could feel the softness of the blades beneath her, and they reminded her of his quills. So soft, yet if handled the wrong way, could give you a nasty slice. She ran her fingers through them gently, imaging the green to be black and red. She smiled, and fell backwards to land in the warm embrace of the summer glade, but instead her head met with slimy brick.
Wha-?!
Suddenly she was up against that wall, the one she hasn't been able to escape ever since that fateful night. She felt cold, rough hands move all over her body. Her senses became soaked in his sewer smell, and his muzzle nipped at her lips and neck.
No…
She saw his grin, his sickening yellow eyes. She turned her face to the side and to her horror she saw those black and red quills. That body that was so strong, was now crumpled and twisted. His eyes, once shining ruby gems, were clouded and unstaring. Paul had done it… done what she had thought was impossible before this night. She screamed.
No!
He grabbed her waist, and pulled her to his groin, where she felt something push against her. His rancid tongue licked her cheek in show of just how powerless she was. And then his voice came forth in a eager whisper,
'There's no escape now my flower, no one to save you. You'll finally be mine!'
No, no, NO!
"Amy!"
Shadow yelled trying to get ahold of the hedgehog's attention. She was sitting straight up in bed, her eyes were open, but her mind was not awake. Screams of 'No!' were spilling forth from her muzzle like a banshee, and he felt panic settle into his chest. He moved to the front of her, grabbing both her shoulders, but as soon as his hands had touched her skin, her hammer came to life and smashed into him.
The attack was unexpected, and Shadow had no time to react. He was knocked off the bed, and to avoid smashing into the furniture and other things in the room, he stopped time. Standing, he slowly walked to the bed and climbed back on, he didn't have much power left to keep time stopped, but he didn't need it all. Moving to a position behind her, he pulled the hammer from her grasp, and held onto both her arms, effectively pinning them against her sides.
When time started again, she was panting in his arms. Her chest heaved and her body shook. She wasn't completely aware of her surroundings just yet, but she was finally awake, the image and feel of that alleyway was gone, but what remained was her fear. Shadow… dead. Her powerless… powerless to stop it, powerless to fight back. It had been as though she were that little girl again, watching metal claws burst through her father's chest, hearing her mother's cry. Powerless.
Her face twisted and tear flowed forward, her hands tried to some up to her eyes, but her arms were pinned to her sides. She blinked the tears from her eyes and glanced at what was preventing her from moving. Looking down she saw an arm, black fur and red stripe, and that ever present inhibitor bracelet. Shadow.
"Rose, are you alright now?"
Amy shut her eyes, and nodded her head. She felt the grip around her lessen, and she collapsed onto the bed, and curled into a ball. Her kimono was loosened around her body, but she barely cared. The cool air of the night on her fur helped to calm the heated nerves within her. Shadow reached for her, but she flinched. His hand retracted as though it had been stung, and her jade eyes shifted to look at him from between her quills.
"I'm sorry Shadow… I think I just need a minute… could you get me some water." She watched as his face tried to remain neutral, tried to look like there was nothing wrong, but she was a master at reading his eyes now, and she could see the worry painted as clear as day in those crimson depths. He rose without a word and exited the room. After he'd left she felt her entire body relax and fall into the bed. She felt as though she were floating in the deepest part of the ocean. Floating aimlessly without anything to hold onto, spinning softly in no direction in particular. She felt sick.
She had thought she was fine with what Shadow had revealed, thought she could get past the idea that he was vulnerable. But her mind had shown her the truth. She hated to admit it, and she could never say it to him, but that thin layer of safety she had felt around him was cracked. She no longer trusted him, and especially not herself, to save her from that monster's grasp. Was she being ridiculous? Dramatic? She couldn't tell. She needed to talk with someone, but she couldn't say this to Shadow. He would regret sharing with her, he would close her off again, and she didn't want that.
She felt the mattress sag as he sat beside her on the bed. She stopped breathing, not sure what she was going to do. She could see from between her quills him hesitating to touch her, but finally his hand came forth and landed on the middle of her back. She didn't flinch this time, so he started to rub it slowly and gently. His actions felt a little awkward and inexperienced, and she felt her heart calming in response to the touch. After a moment she sat up, her hand reached outward, and he placed the cup of ice water into her grasp. She loved that he knew she took her water with ice, she loved that he said nothing. She loved his touch.
"Rose are you alright?" He asked, his voice calm. She nodded and took a swig of water.
"Just a nightmare. I'm fine."
His right brow raised in an unasked question, but he remained silent while she finished the cup. After every last drop of precious cold liquid was gone, he carefully took the glass from her hand and set it on the nightstand. The morning sun was just starting to peak it's way through the jungle, and the dimmist of rays caused his fur to look almost purple in color. A deep purple like the center of the universe. She sighed, and held her arms out to him. He answered her invitation by laying down with her.
"Rose -"
"It's okay, I don't remember it. Let's just try to get some sleep. I have big plans for us tom - I mean today." She giggled lightly, and with it, she felt him relax.
"What plans?" He asked, his voice holding just a sliver of dread. She grinned, her jade eyes playful.
"You'll see! But it involves seeing Rouge, so we'll be making a trip to Angel Island later."
He groaned, "Must I?"
Amy closed her eyes and sighed, "Yes. Please, do it for me."
How could he say no to that? He sighed and held her to him, his grip strong and his chest beating against her like a lullaby.
"As you wish."
Amy smiled into his chest, and although she'd managed to avoid speaking about the dream, she felt guilty. Yes, she had plans for them, him teaching her to drive being the one of main reasons for her impromptu trip to the floating mass above Bygone Island. But the other unspoken - thing she wanted to keep hidden - was that she wanted to speak with Rouge. She need to talk with her, listen to what she had to say about everything that had happened the night before, and to gain strength from the strongest female she knew.
She battled with the ghost of his touch, and held onto Shadow tighter.
I'll be fine. Just gotta make it through the night…
