Hi, you guys! I apologize for the delay, but aye, I'm updating now so yay! Thanks a bunch for your reviews, faves, follows, interest, and support. They are, as always, deeply appreciated. I'm open to requests, so if you have something you'd like to see happen, if it floats my boat, I'll see what I can do to make it happen.

Also, this is like a Valentine-themed one, so happy belated Valentine's Day! :D

37. Acceptance

Shadow couldn't believe he was actually doing this, and he absently wondered if he could Chaos Control himself back to his apartment because this, he thought with a slight grimace, was simply ridiculous. He was standing outside of Sally's door, a bouquet of white lilies in one hand while in his other hand was a red, heart shaped box filled with KitKat bars. Sally didn't like the boxes filled with assorted chocolates, so he had to improvise. Hopefully she'd enjoy the KitKats.

He wore a black tuxedo, a red dress shirt and matching tie; black slacks took the place of his hover shoes, though he still wore his usual gloves, his Inhibitor rings gleaming in the moonlight. He tugged on the collar of his shirt, feeling slightly constrained in his tuxedo, not understanding why he had to wear the damned thing.

It was Valentine's Day, and upon Rouge's insistence, they were going to go out to eat in celebration. Shadow didn't know what the hell he even had to celebrate. It wasn't as if he had his own valentine; he and Sally were paired off simply because they were the only two without dates. Amy was Sonic's date, Cream was Tails' date, Rouge was Knuckles' date, and Blaze was Silver's date. He and Sally were the only two without dates, so Blaze had said that they should go with each other.

Both had protested vehemently against such a notion. Shadow said it would be a complete waste of his time, and Sally said she would sooner rip off her fingernails and gouge her own eyes out than to subject herself to such horrible torture. Rouge didn't like that at all, and, to put it simply, she threatened them to come. She had threatened to dismantle his motorcycle and sell the parts if he didn't show up, and she had threatened to dye Sally's hair blonde in her sleep if she didn't show up as well.

Sighing, he knocked on her door three good times and patiently waited for her to answer it. He could faintly make out the sound of footsteps, the sound gradually growing closer and closer until the door swung open and revealed one Sally Acorn, a mild look of irritation on her face, though it immediately gave way to one of joy when she saw what Shadow had in his hands.

Meanwhile, Shadow was numb with shock as he took in her appearance. The dress she wore was a gorgeous red color; it neatly stopped right at her feet while a slit ran all the way up her thigh and stopped a few inches below her hip on her right side. It was long sleeved and hugged her body just right, highlighting her curves. Her hair was straightened to perfection and fell to her shoulders.

She wore black high heels, and the only jewelry she wore were the medium-sized black hoops gracing her ears. She wore no makeup, save for some black eyeliner and red lipstick that made her full lips look kissable. She was the embodiment of elegance and sexiness, and Shadow found that he couldn't stop staring at her.

He was aware of the quickening of his heartbeats, and he felt an odd combination of nervousness and excitement. Strange, she never garnered such a reaction out of him before. What had changed? Was it because he was just now realizing how freaking gorgeous she looked, especially in that dress. Her breasts were surprisingly ample, her hips were deliciously wide, and that dress showcased that perfectly.

"Wow, you even brought me flowers and candy! Thank you!" Sally's cheerful voice brought Shadow back from his daze, and shook his head to clear his mind. Sally, thankfully, didn't notice his lapse in concentration and instead gently took the beautiful bouquet and tasty candy from his hands. Smiling brightly, she gave him a kiss on the cheek, blissfully unaware of how Shadow froze, his eyes widening and the faintest of blushes staining his cheeks. "I'll put these up and then we can go." And she left without waiting for his response, her heels softly clicking against the hardwood floor of her living room.

Shadow was still staring where she had been standing, cupping the cheek she kissed with his hand. It was like his skin burned the most pleasant of fires when her lips touched them, and he found himself replaying the scene over and over in his mind. His lips twitched at the corners, and a ghost of a smile graced his lips before disappearing. Perhaps he'd profit from this ridiculous date thing after all.