Tails yawned and cleaned her eyes with her tank top as she tried reading past her tears. What time was it? How long were they doing this for? Tails looked for her clock then realized why she was so tired.
"Shadow, it's almost eleven. Let's call it quits and go home." Tails yawned again and stretched. Her tank top untucked but she didn't bother to tuck it back in. She was too tired to care.
Shadow didn't acknowledge her at first. He simply finished jotting a few notes down then looked up at the clock Tails had found behind her followed by giving a nod. "Understood. I'll take you home and return tomorrow. We'll go over what we have then."
"Wait, no!" Tails stopped him, "I can't go home, Shadow, they have a key to my house! They'll just barge in an find me! I know it's asking a lot but… Can't I stay with you? Just a few more nights?"
Shadow crossed his arms and sighed. Why didn't look annoyed but his posture told her he was thinking about it. "Alright, Tails, you can stay. But keep in mind, Rouge stays the night occasionally. She'll get suspicious of you staying too."
Tails didn't like the sound of that. She rubbed her arm and thought about the best move they could do. "Well… Rouge has seen me already. She thinks I'm my own sister. So that should ward off suspicion. Let's just say your helping me find a place to live and get back on my feet. She'll understand, right?"
Shadow hummed. "It won't make her any less suspicious why I'm taking care of you personally instead of handing you off to GUN's welfare teams."
"Well… you said you were doing it as a favor to me," Tails reasoned, "Maybe that's reason for her enough."
Shadow shrugged. "It's possible. But I wouldn't put it passed her believe this relationship is more than platonic."
Tails visibly blushed. She tried to hide it by facing away and taking off her tool belt. "Well… that certainly sounds like Rouge… One problem at a time. It doesn't matter what she thinks. The facts speak for themselves."
Shadow picked up both their jackets and handed Tails' hers. "Perception is reality, Tails. What Rouge knows; everyone will know." There was no finer point Shadow could make right now. Rouge was an ear on the ground and the eyes in the back of everyone's heads. There was no way she'd keep sensitive information like Tails' presents quiet for long.
Tails took a deep breath as she donned her coat. "We'll cross the bridge when we get there. I'll think of something…"
"The way I see it, it's either tell them the truth or keep up this façade," Shadow opened the door for her, and Tails shut off all the lights. "Take your pick."
Tails didn't respond. Instead, she walked to the bike silently and waited for Shadow to set up. He mounted the bike after a few checks then invited her to sit behind him. After mounting with him, she held onto him as he started the bike and lifted his kickstand. Tails listened to the noisy engine and lost herself in it. She loved its growl and figured in her head what she could do with it. Bike engines were child's play compared to her normal projects.
"You know," She shouted over it to start a conversation. "I could tune your bike. Maybe upgrade it a little? It's the lease I could do for all the help you've given me."
Shadow nodded. "Maybe another time. Let's focus on you for now."
"I need a break sometime," Tails retorted, "Working on a project like this is a lot more fun than having to build something out of a science I don't understand so well. Please? I have to pay you back somehow."
Shadow didn't respond for a while. He stopped at a light and turned his head slightly. "…You don't owe me anything, Tails…"
At face value, it sounded like modesty. But how he said it led Tails to believe modesty wasn't the point. "Shadow?"
"It's nothing. If you want, I won't stop you from upgrading my bike. Your hands are more than capable. Just… be gentle."
Tails laid her head on Shadow's back and smiled fondly. "She'll be given the best care I can provide. I promise."
Tails fell silent. Shadow figured she'd found a way to sleep, despite the cold wind and the loud engine. He elected to drive a little more carefully to accommodate her. It was well past midnight when they had reached Shadow's apartment.
He parked then shook Tails lightly to wake her. "We're here. Come on. Wake up."
Tails hummed a question then took a deep breath. "You're a smooth driver."
Shadow merely grunted. It was probably meant to be a thank you. He waited for her to dismount the bike then followed her into the building.
"Can't we take the elevator this time?" Tails moaned, seeing Shadow go for the stairs.
"If you want," Shadow replied, but he didn't bother to follow her. "Floor twelve, room twelve twenty-eight. I'll be there soon." The door closed behind him.
Tails pouted and crossed her arms as a gust of wind sent a chill up her spine in the colder environment of the parking garage. She sighed an exasperated sigh and clicked the up arrow. The elevator hummed to life and quickly answered her summons.
"Stupid Shadow and the stupid stairs. Who doesn't take the elevator anyway?" Tails selected the twelfth floor and, in a manner of seconds, stepped off the elevator to try and find Shadow's room. It was much warmer than the parking garage. That was for sure. Tails traversed the halls, trying to find Shadow's room. "Twelve twenty-eight, twelve twenty-eight… Where is it?"
Tails was getting close. The numbers climbed and dropped. They were a bit confusing. She had trouble figuring out how the numbers even worked. "Well? Where is it?"
"Over here," Shadow's voice filled the silence.
Tails gasped and turned around. She realized she must have passed it. Shadow unlocked the door and opened it for her. What Tails was met with was Rouge, sitting on the sofa bed and watching the TV with a bunch of junk food next to her. She was laughing pretty hard. Even though Tails relucted to enter, Shadow pushed her the rest of the way in and closed the door.
"Shadow, welcome home," Rouge called, not looking away at the TV and taking a spoon full of ice cream. She laughed again as another joke received its punchline. She turned her head and her demeanor changed ever so slightly. "Oh, look who it is. Was Tails' home too messy to entertain guests?"
Shadow took off his jacket and hung it on the dining room chair. "He wasn't home."
Rouge hummed. "That so? Well, that's too bad. I'm sure he would have been ecstatic to see you, Honey."
Tails tucked herself shyly. "Y-yeah…"
Rouge giggled. "Well, a cute little thing like you is welcome here anytime; isn't that right Shadow?"
"Mm hmm," Shadow hummed as he checked his jacket pockets for something then brought to his room to put away. "Since Rouge is here, your welcome to use my bed. The sheets are clean, and it hasn't been used."
Tails blushed. "Y-your bed? B-b-but…"
"My, Shadow," Rouge began teasing, after pausing her show, "At least take her to dinner first. Or is that where you two went after looking for Tails?"
"Rouge," Shadow simply said her name coldly yet softly. She got the hint but only replied with a giggle.
"It wouldn't matter anyway. Shadow doesn't have to sleep. Just take him up on the offer, he's only being polite."
Tails stood there as a nervous wreck. "O-okay…"
Another giggle escaped Rouge. "Of course, you could join me. You might like this show. It's a romantic comedy."
Shadow returned to the living room and crossed his arms. "She's tired Rouge, and both of us would appreciate it if you quieted down. It's one in the morning."
Rouge put her hands up defensively. "Fine, fine. I suppose I've had enough ice cream. My leave started yesterday, by the way. Maybe, if neither of you are busy, you can take us shopping, Shadow."
Tails was quick to argue. "N-no thank you. I-I don't like shopping."
Rouge hummed and eyed her. "Honey, there is no girl in the world who hates shopping." Tails gulped. "Trust me, I'll take you and you'll see."
"Well, you'll have to go alone. I have a commitment to keep tomorrow."
"Wh-what?" Tails asked, fear spiking, "N-no!" She clung to his arm and started whispering. "Shadow, you can't leave me alone with her! She'll dress me up and put me in dresses! And she might figure me out!"
Shadow sighed. "Aw, so cute. You've got yourself a little friend, Shadow."
Shadow scolded Rouge with a glare, brought her to his room, then replied, "You need more cloths anyway. And I can't be with you every day. Sooner or later, you'll have to meet everyone as you are. When that happens, you can either tell them the truth, or keep pretending to be someone you're not. You're smart; you'll figure something out." He waited until she let go to begin moving again. Tails looked back at Rouge, who gave her a wink.
Defeated, Tails returned to the living room and sat down in a chair. Rouge closed her junk food and stood up to put it all away. Shadow made his way to the bathroom and turned the shower on. Now they were alone. Tails was free rein to Rouge's teasing.
She wasted no time beginning another grueling conversation "So, you're Tails' sister, right?
Tails swallowed and nodded in response. "Y-yes."
Rouge closed the freezer after putting a bucket of ice-cream away. "He never mentioned a sister before. Of course, I've never spoken to the cute little fox much either." Tails blushed. Rouge calling her cute without knowing it was a little unpredictable. "But still, you'd think he'd mention something about his own sister. What was your name again?"
Tails rubbed her arms nervously. "Tail-l-l…" Her eyes nearly popped out of her skull and her heart jumped as she realized what she was about to do. "..SKO! T-Tailsko! My brother called me… Tailsko. I… like it more than my real name."
"Tailsko…" Rouge repeated after examining the odd behavior. "Tailsko and Tails? So, you were twins?"
Tails nodded. "Yes…"
Rouge hummed. "Probably should have guessed. You practically look the same. But your so much cuter than he is." Rouge leaned in and put a hand beside her mouth as if to stop the sound from traveling. "Don't tell him I said that. He'd probably get jealous."
Tails blushed a deeper shade of red. She could never get used to being called cute. Why can't this conversation end already? Shadow, hurry up and get out of the shower! Tails internally screamed.
"Now, I have to ask," Rouge had on a mischievous grin. "What do you think of Shadow? You've spent a pretty sizable amount of time with him; so, you must have formed some opinion about him."
Tails took a deep breath. How did she know that question was coming? Tails complained internally and started thinking about a good answer. It was obvious she was trying to start something between them. And if she did that, it would be an awkward conversation when she'd have to tell the truth. The question alone attached another lock to that box. Now she was mentally stuck deeper into the lie. The humiliation she'd endure telling everyone the truth was going to be worse than the day Armageddon begins. Tails had been silent too long. She hadn't noticed until the atmosphere got thicker and Rouge's terrible grin got bigger. She had to say something, anything that would steer Rouge away from the wrong idea.
"Shadow is… scary…" Oh, what that really the best you could come up with! Come on! Tails hid her face in her arms and ran her fingers through her head fur. Just kill me! Someone kill me! Put me out of my misery and let me die with my leftover dignity… If I have any.
Rouge liked that answer. Oh, how counterproductive it was. She giggled and slowly came around the bar where she was leaning. "He may seem like that, but you'll get used to it. Spend time with him long enough and you might be surprised how 'scary' he really isn't."
"How do you mean?" Asked Tails. At least eh conversation was just about Shadow and not aimed at her.
Rouge softened. She wasn't teasing any more. She was telling a story she seemed rather fond of. "Well, he does a lot of extracurricular activities revolving around children. You might not know this, but more children admire Shadow than they do Sonic. Children want to grow up. They want to be seen as adults and as mature. Sonic influences a lot of independence in them. But Shadow is their ideal grown up. He's stoic, calculating. And doesn't show that much emotion if you haven't noticed." Tails and Rouge giggled together. "But he spends a lot of time with them. GUN has multiple programs for charity. A few, such as the St. Charles Memorial Hospital Blood Drive, the Disabled Dreamers' Society, and the Orphan's Food Drive all, are aimed to help children in need. Shadow is included in every one of them. Especially his favorite: the NIDS Awareness Program."
NIDS Awareness Program? Tails never heard of these programs, but the fascination made her less nervous and actually interested in talking to Rouge. "Why is that his favorite?"
Rouge didn't answer. Her smile was noticeably sadder yet still there. "The only reason he exists, is because he was supposed to be the cure… You probably didn't know that when you saw him, did you?" Tails was well aware of the mention of Project Shadow. But she'd never head that it was meant to be a cure to NIDS. "Its fatal. More so than AIDS or HIV. There's no stopping it, no slowing it down, or hoping it doesn't develop. If you develop NIDS your family it's stuck with you. It's a serious genetic illness. It stand for Neuro-Immune Deficiency Syndrome if you are curious. Shadow had a friend infected with it and… He lost her."
Tails knew this story. She didn't need to hear anymore. However, she couldn't let Rouge know that. "He lost her to the disease?"
Rouge was frowning now. "…Something like that."
Tails nodded. "I hope he feels better. I've lost friends before. No one should have to go through that."
"On the contrary… It's better if we do. 'If life is lived without pain, there's no lesson to gain.' Something my mother always told me. I used to think she was the wisest woman alive. Nowadays I think her cheesy proverbs are just that… cheesy. But I do understand why she gave them to me. Healing isn't something that happens. It's something you learn to do. If you can't learn to heal, you won't know how to live. So, while we may say losing a friend is something no one should endure, it's probably because we're so used to wanting to give everyone what they want. Wants aren't needs, Tailsko. If ever this world needs to understand something, it should be that." The shower stopped. Rouge began to grin again. "Mm, looks like we're about to get a show. This is one of my favorite parts of the day." Shadow stepped out with a towel and passed the two women to get into his room. But not without Rouge wolf whistling and flirting. "Drop the towel!"
Shadow glared at her but didn't say a word. Tails kept her head down so she wouldn't see. Her face was beat red. And it only got worse when she lost her mental battle and peeked at him. That was a mistake. That was a mistake! Why can't I look away! She was happy the door had finally closed. Oh, god… what is wrong with me!
Rouge caught the flustered fox and laughed. "Snuck a peek, hmm? No shame in that, honey, every girl needs a show once in a while. Don't worry, I'm sure he liked it as much as you did."
Tails covered her face. Now it was awkward again. "I need to shower…"
Rouge laughed. "I'd ask you to save some hot water, but I don't think you'll use it. Will you?"
"Mmm," Tails audibly whined and slammed the door. She leaned on the sink and started taking deep breaths. "Damn it, Rouge. Why? Why do you have to make this so hard?!" The image of the soaking wet hedgehog was burned into her skull. She recalled every detail of his chest, his abs; the towel just barely overing his lower body. He had worked to get the water out of his fur, but some of it rebelliously stayed to tease Tails and taunt her. She exhaled and turned the shower on. Dressing down, she again examined her body. She cupped her breasts insecurely, turned and examined her rear, swished her bushy tails, and ran her hands down her sids. A sigh escaped her. "Why would Shadow notice you? Just look at you, Tails. Two days ago you were just boy with a round stomach and now… you're a curvy girl… and not even an impressive one at that."
Tails took a deep sigh and lifted her breasts again, examining their size. "Way smaller that Rouge's. You wouldn't stand a chance." Again, she compared her rear. "And Rouge still has you down for the count. Your just… unimpressive. Average. You're better off turning things back the way they used to be…" That should be encouraging, Tails thought, but it just hurt. Tails sadly stared at her body. "Shadow doesn't see you…" That stung even more. "He's not interested… He knows what you really are…"
Why? Why did this hurt? Shouldn't she be proud of that? She'd been proud of it for twenty-two years before! What changed?
Tails needed to think about something else. She thought instead about Shadow. She imagined a world where he would turn to face her when she entered the room. He'd never smile except for her. And when they were alone, he'd touch her, feel this new body she'd been given, and accept her like this. Despite what she was. He'd feel her chests, her curves, her… sex. And he wouldn't ask about any of it. who wouldn't ask, "What changed?" He'd just love her… like this.
Before she knew it, Tails was messaging her middle. Her other hand stimulating one of her nipples. "Shadow…" She moaned his name quietly under her breath. What if he was behind her. He was taller than her by a foot at least. What would it feel like to have him wrap and arm around her to just grasp her breasts? Tails switched her hands so that her right hand was gripping her left breast and pinched it harshly.
She stifled a moan. "N-not so rough…"
Her left hand reached down and started to trace her womanhood. "Haah…" The Shadow in her mind would use his free hand to reach down and touch her. She'd bite her lip and gasp. She beg him to stop but he wouldn't. He knew what she wanted, and no amount of denial would hide it. He could read her like an open book. Tails opened her eyes and saw the shameless fox in the mirror pleasuring herself. A part of it made her feel ashamed, and yet, if she thought really hard, she could imagine Shadow behind her now. Her eyes closed to keep the image fresh in her mind. The shower was still going in the background, hiding her shameful sounds.
"Shadow…" His name was starting to taste sweeter. It made her feel excited. The mere mention of his name would make her feel happy. Just his presence alone would make her feel safe. How did it come to this? How did any of this develop? When everything went wrong and she was all alone, he was there. But if anyone else was there… would she fall for them too? Would she fall for Rouge? Amy? Sonic? Silver? Blaze? Was it just circumstance? Coincidence? Or even as a male, did she feel this way for Shadow and just turning female made it stronger?
"A-ah!" Tails had to catch a moan. She needed to keep quiet. Rouge was just outside, and Shadow was probably there too… What if he caught her? What if she moaned too loud and he though she was in trouble? Then he'd see her and… "MMfffaaaah." Tails sped up. Maybe he'd be shocked at first. Unable to look away. "D-don't turn away… keep watching."
She fell to her knees and stared at the door. Sure, all of this was fantasy but just… what if? She was getting close. "Shadow… Shadow… please… look at me… N-Notice me!" Finally, it was coming. She quickly snatched a hand towel and bit into it to muffle her scream. A warm fluid leaked down her legs. That had to be the best orgasm she'd ever had.
One deep breath later, her mind cleared, and she realized what she did. Shame scolded her for doing what she had done, and reality hit her like a ton of bricks. No, she was male and that was that. All of that was just female hormones taking over. Soon, she'll complete a machine to change her back and everything will be normal. She'll look back at this and probably be embarrassed. But eventually she'll look back and laugh. Probably have ammunition to argue with some of the girls. They'd have nothing on her when they claimed she didn't know what struggling as a woman was like. Oh no, she'd been there and done that. No way anyone could tell her otherwise. Soon, all of this would be a fevered dream and things could go back to the way they used to be…right?
