Writer's Note:

In the year 2001, during Sonic the Hedgehog's 10th Anniversary, two new characters were introduced to the franchise in the well-known, well received and highly successful Sonic Adventure 2 for the Dreamcast: Shadow the Hedgehog and Rouge the Bat.

Since their debut, they have been loved by the fans. Over the years, thanks to their many interactions, the fan community has seen them as a potential couple next to Sonic and Amy. Thus, the Shadouge pairing was born.

While some seem to prefer Rouge with someone else like Knuckles and many seem to prefer Shadow being with somebody else or on his own, there is a huge majority that supports Shadow and Rouge being together, despite the odds that Shadow and Rouge might not become more than friends or acquaintances in canon.

For a while now, many have included the pairing in many Sonic fan projects and countless Shadow x Rouge fanfics have been written. This is where I dive in and write my own Shadouge story, having done a few fics involving the pairing in the past.

Note to Disclaimer: I do not own the characters for they are SEGA property. Rated Fiction T for violence, mild swearing and romantic themes, please enjoy...

Additional Note: Most of the story's events will occur simultaneously with the events seen in my SonAmy story The Best of Times, also, Shadow and Rouge WILL be G.U.N agents as both the two worlds theory and the idea that they don't work for G.U.N will be greatly ignored, not to mention Shadow will NOT be written as a jerkass edge lord.

Chapter One

Good Luck Romance During a Mission In Enemy Territory

Mechanical footsteps clanked along the metallic floor and machinery whirred with energy as Egg Pawns and other robots marched down the hallways in every corner of Doctor Eggman's base, the guards keeping their eye out for intruders.

However, unbeknownst to any of the robots, two undetected intruders were sneaking their way through the base. One was Shadow the Hedgehog, the Ultimate Life Form, and the other was Rouge the Bat, gem thief and G.U.N spy.

Shadow and Rouge were on another mission for the United Federation in Eggman territory, doing the usual of sneaking around the doctor's bases and doing damage to his self-proclaimed empire's infrastructure while learning of his plans and designs.

The two agents had snuck through air vents and were now sneaking along walls through every hallway, making sure to find cover whenever robots came closer as none of them wanted their mission to be jeopardized.

Rouge wore her revealing pink heart top and figure-accumulating black jumpsuit along with her white gloves and boots, while Shadow just wore his yellow inhibitor rings, white gloves and rocket shoes.

It had been several months since their last big mission for G.U.N and almost half a year since the Time Eater incident that unfolded during Sonic's birthday, the two were still close and had done well, especially with Omega on Team Dark.

When the two first met, Shadow never thought in the fifty years of his existence that he'd be working with the United Federation alongside Rouge and the bat never thought that they'd be together either.

But, after all this time, it had worked out. Shadow was a valuable ally and asset and, together, he and Rouge had made a team on the many missions against Eggman they'd taken. No matter what happened, Team Dark was inseparable.

Quietly sneaking their way through another hallway and narrowly evading detection by a group of spear-wielding Egg Pawns, Shadow pressed himself against the wall and so did Rouge. They looked at each other, then brought out the map scanner.

Looking at the diagram, a flashing dot indicated that they were close to the main target: The Central Hub. Looking closer at the scanner, they were a hallway left turn away. All they had to do was get in and smash stuff.

Shadow looked at Rouge, then he peaked around the corner to check to see if the coast was clear, spotting a sleeping and somewhat inactive Egg Pawn. He looked back at the bat, even as they heard mechanical footsteps somewhere not too far off.

"You do your thing and I'll demolish the main terminal." Shadow told the white bat. Just as he was about to head off, he felt two gloved hands hold his arm, holding him back. "Shadow?" Rouge said, she seemed to be worried about him.

"I'll be fine." Shadow said warmly, "I promise. It's not like Maria."

"Not that." Rouge told him, "It's just... good luck."

Before the black hedgehog could move or thank the bat for wishing him good luck, Rouge leaned in and planted a kiss on the cheek, making Shadow's eyes widen. In the heat of it, he realized something important that he nearly forgot... 'He loved her.'

"Rouge..." Shadow said breathlessly, holding Rouge's hand, "I-I love you."

"Aww, how sweet." Rouge replied teasingly, "I love you too, my edgy hedgy."

Nearly forgetting about their surroundings, the hedgehog and the bat started kissing, the bat placed her hands on the sides of Shadow's head and he placed his hands on her sides...

'This may as well be good luck romance.' Shadow thought, the two were caught up in their quick make-out, they never realized that the sounds of them kissing was waking up the nearby Egg Pawn guard, attracting its attention.

What snapped them back to reality was when Shadow and Rouge heard a robotic noise and looked to spot the Egg Pawn observing them up close. They were caught... or were they?

Shadow looked at Rouge. "Shhhh." The bat shushed.

Shadow shushed back and then turned to the Egg Pawn, a finger up to his lips and shushing it, "Shhhh."

The Egg Pawn, lacking a bit of intelligence, put a finger up to its robotic lips. 'Bzzt.'

The two agents quietly breathed a sigh of relief as the Egg Pawn walked off to parts unknown, with the robot gone, the coast was clear again for now. Rouge wished Shadow good luck again and the Ultimate Life Form made a break for the door.

Rouge smiled dreamily as she watched Shadow before she headed off to bust some Egg Pawns, for years she'd been a flirt and flirted with Knuckles, even teasing Shadow a lot. Now it was clear that she had feelings for the Ultimate Life Form.

Forget the red echidna, Rouge had a black hedgehog hybrid for a boyfriend...