Amy yawns, quickly washing her hands after a late-night bathroom trip, eager to return to the warmth of her bed. She's just reaching for the hand towel hanging next to the sink when she hears a faint sound from her bedroom.
"Mom? Dad?" she calls out in a whisper. The blood pounding in her ears makes it impossible to tell if there's an answer, and she decides then and there to swear off horror movies. It's a lie, of course, but the momentary distraction is enough to steel her nerves. She reaches for the doorknob with bated breath, twisting it as softly as possible before nudging the door open just enough to peer into the hallway.
Between the sliver of light from the bathroom and the dim glow from the hall's nightlight, Amy is just able to determine that nothing is amiss. Her parents' door is closed, and whatever ominous spectres she was expecting to jump out at her are blessedly absent. She heaves a sigh of relief, only to hear the sound again, followed by the muted but distinct squelch of something large and wet slapping against her bedroom floor.
Her heart renews its frantic pace, and she takes several seconds to gather her courage before daring to look into the darkened doorway.
The first thing her phone's flashlight illuminates is the window, which definitely wasn't open before she left, not with the storm currently raging outside. From there her eyes track downward to focus on the sopping lump that shudders beside her bed. For a moment Amy can't make heads or tails of what she's seeing, and then it moves, lifting its head to reveal red eyes that catch the light in a way no human's ever could.
She knows the eyes of a Black Arms General when she sees them—she's been fighting them for nearly two years now, after all. At one point she would have screamed at the sight before her, but if she does then her parents will wake up. Civilians complicate things at the best of times.
Swallowing down her nerves, Amy steps into her room and shuts the door behind her. The lump on her floor gasps. Her eyes scan around for her brooch, the one she's never without—except, apparently, when there's an evil alien in her room.
"What are you?" she asks, and she doesn't have to feign the fear in her voice.
The creature groans, collapsing sideways and unfurling to reveal an almost ordinary looking boy around her own age. Technically his red eyes aren't proof that he's Black Arms, but the inky black ichor pooling from his abdomen doesn't exactly leave room for doubt.
Behind him, on her nightstand where she leaves it every night, is the brooch that fuels Amy's transformations. She takes a tentative side-step along the wall.
"Hiding," the figure before her states, eyes fluttering shut. It takes a second for Amy to realize that he's actually answering her question, albeit not in the way she'd meant it. She takes another step and his eyes snap open, pinning her in place. The Black Arms are dangerous enough in her guardian form. Even wounded as this one is, she doesn't doubt he can take her if she doesn't power up. Still, she feels along the dresser beside her.
"Hiding from what?" she asks as she grabs the first thing her fingers come across—a wayward textbook from last night's cram session. He groans again, pushing himself to a sitting position. She uses the distraction to take another step.
"Black Arms," he finally answers, and that, more than anything else, gives her pause.
"You're hiding from your own kind?" she splutters, forgetting herself. As a civilian there should be no way she knows anything about them, much less enough to identify a member of the species.
She registers her mistake a split second before being slammed into the wall behind her, and her makeshift weapon hits the ground with a soft thud. This close she can see how the dark flecks in her uninvited guest's crimson irises cluster near his strange, slit pupils. They'd be beautiful if they weren't the last thing Amy was likely to see.
"Are you working for them?" he snarls, revealing a mouth full of inhumanly sharp teeth.
"No," she gasps out.
"Then how—"
"I've been targeted before," she hastens to explain, and it's technically the truth. "The Senshi saved me."
Just like that his strength leaves him, and he collapses against her as suddenly as he'd pinned her. "Oh, good. Then you know how dangerous they are." She tries to give him a look, despite their proximity. He must catch it because he has the grace to correct himself with a muttered "we are," followed by a "whatever" so quiet she suspects she wasn't meant to hear it.
Convincing her unexpected guest to remove his coat and shirt so she could perform first aid was easier than expected, but seeing the injury up close only served to make it clear that, despite his claims of some sort of 'healing factor', Amy couldn't just send him back into the storm. All of this serves to bring them to their current predicament, the two of them laying on opposite sides of her bed, very carefully not crossing the invisible divide down the middle.
"Do you have a name?" she asks the darkness.
"Of course I do," he growls. "We're not that different from your kind."
Silence settles over them like a heavy snow, but Amy is far too aware of the half-naked boy laying inches from her to fall asleep. She rolls over instead, examining him in the pale illumination of her nightlight; she can't really make out the smaller details, but it's plenty bright enough to trace his silhouette.
"That's not what I meant," she chides.
Glowing eyes crack open enough to glance her way. "It's not?"
His voice drips with distrust, breaking her heart as it occurs to her how lonely a life spent fleeing must be.
"No, I meant—" she has to hide her face in her hands, even though it's too dark for anyone to make out her flushed cheeks, even though he's the one being obtuse. With a groan she lowers her hands, only to find him propped up next to her, staring intently. She sighs, moving to sit against her headboard. He mirrors her with all the caution of a feral kitten.
"My name's Amy," she tries. "What's yours?"
It takes him far longer to reply than the question warrants. "I don't know," he eventually admits. "Shadow, I think."
Unsure how to respond to that, Amy lets the conversation lapse. The quiet isn't as suffocating now, but it isn't comfortable either. It doesn't take long for her need to fill the spaces left by silence to kick in again.
"Why are you running from y— from the Black Arms?"
She feels more than sees his responding shrug. "Don't know."
It's her turn to stare. "Do you know anything?" she blurts before she can stop herself. His answer takes so long she begins to think he's ignoring her, but just as she starts to consider trying to sleep for real, he answers.
"I woke up with no idea who or what I was a few years back. All I have to go on is the name 'Shadow' and the gruesome image of a girl dying. You likely know more about my kind than I do." The words are clipped, stiff in the way of a story rarely spoken out loud. She wonders if he's ever shared these facts before, and her heart breaks for him all over again.
"That sounds lonely," she whispers, not thinking twice before reaching across the intangible barrier between them to give his hand a squeeze. He starts at the contact, but when she tries to pull away he stops her by winding their fingers together—carefully so as not to accidentally stab her with his claw-like nails. There's a slight tremor to his grip, but whether it's a side effect of his injuries or a result of unfamiliar nerves, she couldn't say.
"It can be," he admits.
"Do you have any friends?" The question makes him pull his hand away, and she doesn't stop him.
She's surprised by how much she misses the contact, brief as it was.
"Sort of? It's complicated. I can't exactly go out where people could see me. There is one person who— Well, she doesn't know what I am, so my feelings are hardly relevant."
His words make her think of her own situation with Moonlight Mask, and she lets out a bitter laugh despite herself. Shadow's gaze snaps to hers with a sharpness she can't fault.
"Sorry, it just... Your words hit a little close to home," she explains. "I've been living something of a double life ever since— Since the Black Arms targeted me. It's getting harder and harder to maintain friendships these days, let alone— Well. Even if I had time for that sort of thing, I can't really be my whole self with anyone. Everyone just sees the face I put on in public."
Shadow's hand finds Amy's once again. "I'm sorry," he whispers, prompting her to make a sound that falls somewhere between a sob and a laugh.
"I should be the one comforting you," she protests. "At least I can show my face in public without being mistaken for a monster—"
His sharp intake of breath is her only warning before he makes to get up, but it's enough for her to realize her mistake. Quick as she can she moves to block his escape, hovering over him so he has to push past her if he wants to leave.
"Sorry, I'm sorry! That was totally insensitive, and I—"
He cuts her off with a scoff, but resumes his previous position against her headboard. "It was unkind, but not untrue. I am a monster."
Amy shakes her head vehemently. "You're not a monster. If you were, you would have attacked me by now."
When he replies it's in a voice so tinged with bitterness she half expects it to summon one of Black Doom's corrupting worms. "Are you forgetting how fast I had you against the wall?"
Amy frowns, reaching across him to flip on her bedside lamp and get a proper look at the lonely boy who's stumbled into her bed. He'd insisted she treat him in the dark, lest the people after him find them, but she figures it's been long enough.
He flinches at the sudden light before eyeing her warily. She ignores his attention to scrutinize him closer, taking in the red and black markings that line his eyes like kohl and the fine eyelashes she'd miss if she weren't so close. If she just pretends he's wearing contacts, it's easy to see him as an ordinary human boy. A beautiful one, at that.
"You don't look like a monster to me," she whispers, reaching out to run her fingers through his hair. It's silky-smooth, and while at first she'd thought it a really dark red that caught the light funny, she quickly realizes that's not the case. It's black with streaks of red throughout that match his eyes in terms of brightness.
"You're not looking very hard, then," he whispers back. The movement draws her eyes to his mouth and he licks his lips at the attention. They're full and look oh-so-inviting, wildly contrasting the razor-sharp teeth she catches sight of whenever he speaks; unmistakably carnivorous and entirely inhuman.
Perhaps it's the haze of sleeplessness that motivates her next actions, or maybe it's the subdued atmosphere of the room, but for tonight Amy decides she's tired of feeling alone.
His lips are softer than they look.
When he kisses back there's a gentleness to it that she isn't expecting, like he's holding himself back. Like she's something delicate that he's afraid of hurting if he tries to catch hold of it. Trembling hands find their way to the curve of her waist and then sit there with a level of reverence usually reserved for a bride on her wedding night. Amy buries her fingers into his hair in eager response to the contact, pushing her mouth more firmly against his until she feels sharp teeth through soft lips. She absently takes note of the strange, elfin shape to Shadow's ears as she tugs his hair and causes him to gasp into her mouth. She brushes her tongue over his lower lip in silent question, and he answers by pulling her more firmly against himself.
One kiss bleeds into another, and still more after that, until their position shifts and switches, leaving Amy laying on her back while Shadow holds himself up above her. If her parents saw the light under her door and decided to check in on her, they could be excused for assuming the worst, and yet despite the provocative positioning—not to mention Shadow's current state of undress—they would be mistaken. Shadow's touch never strays to indecent territories, and in return Amy keeps her hands firmly above his navel; even when he nips at her lower lip with the gentlest grazing of his teeth. She'd be embarrassed by the sounds his actions draw out of her if she weren't so lost in the sensations.
It's Shadow who winds up breaking the kiss, pulling away with a gasp before resting his forehead against Amy's. "I'm sorry," he chokes out, eyes clenched shut. "I shouldn't— there's someone else— I—"
How quickly euphoria drowns in the wake of clarity. "I know," Amy cuts in. "Or, I assumed. You said— and I—" she swallows the wave of bile and panic before it can assume her. "What I mean is, we're the same. I was just lonely, and you were lonely, and—"
It sounds terrible when she puts it like that.
"I just thought we could comfort each other," she whispers. It sounds better than I was using you to forget.
The breath he lets out is warm against her lips, and even through her shame she yearns to bridge the gap between them.
"Just... comforting each other?" he echoes. She nods slightly, just enough for him to feel it as he searches her eyes. He swallows. "So it doesn't... it doesn't mean anything? Just a one-time occurrence?"
Her voice catches in her throat when she tries to answer, so instead she settles for another nod.
He swallows once more before shooting her a tremulous smile. "Thank you," he whispers, angling his mouth to be a mere hairsbreadth from hers. It's an undeniably strange response to the situation, but then, this whole night has been strange. She hastens to meet him halfway.
Amy wakes up, alone, to the sound of her third backup alarm. For a moment she thinks she must have dreamt her entire encounter with Shadow, but then her fingers brush against a folded piece of paper tucked under her pillow. She pulls it out and finds a note, written in the glittery purple ink of her favourite gel pen on a sheet of paper clearly stolen from the diary she keeps on her bedside table.
Amy, it reads. Thank you for taking me in and tending to my wounds, both literal and metaphorical. I wish I could properly express my appreciation, but I fear I have nothing to offer. Though it is rude to leave without a goodbye, I suspect your family whoever you share a residence with would not react well to finding a stranger in your room, so I will be taking my leave now. I doubt we will meet again, but I won't ever forget the brave girl who was determined to fight a monster with nothing but a textbook in order to keep her loved ones safe.
May luck smile upon all your endeavours,
Shadow
Amy can't stop blushing by the end of the letter. That really happened, then. What would the other Senshi say if they knew their leader, a supposed paragon of loyalty and virtue, spent the night locking lips with the enemy?
Not that Shadow is the enemy, not really. He's just the same species as them. Except, if he's not bad then surely others of his kind—
"Amy!" her mother calls from downstairs, interrupting her spiralling before it can truly grab hold. "You're going to be late for school!"
Amy Rose is a klutz, has been since birth. Growing up she could hardly enter a room without knocking something over—some days she still can't—so when a glowing pink sphere appeared before her during one of the city's increasingly frequent monster attacks and started speaking of destiny and reincarnation, she'd naturally assumed she hit her head somewhere along the line.
And then it gave her the brooch, and convinced her to say "Rose Prism Power!"
Rosie the Rascal is nothing like Amy. She's confident and commanding. She kicks all the butt and never cries. Also, she has pink hair and can summon a giant 'fuck off' hammer.
That day, for the first time in her life, Amy rescued herself.
The days pass and Amy still feels guilty about her dalliance with Shadow. If she really loves Moonlight Mask, then how could she go ahead and kiss someone else? Never mind that for all the times they've worked together and all the moments they've had he's never actually made a move on her, or even made his intentions known. She's never even seen his face, hidden away behind a veil and mask as it is. She's only seen his eyes, and for all she knows they don't even look like that when he's not saving her life. After all, none of the Senshi retain their civilian appearances when powered up.
As if thinking of them is a summons, Sonic and Tails find Amy—Rosie, at the moment—where she's currently hiding on the roof of the Twinkle Park castle.
With his beautiful green eyes and easy confidence, there was once a time that Amy secretly hoped track star Maurice was Moonlight Mask. And then she caught Super Sonic—the temporary Senshi who stumbled upon and borrowed the power of Venus—de-transformating into Maurice, which was an eye opener in more ways than one. While the Senshi are very distinctly magical girls, it never occurred to Amy that the same couldn't be said for their civilian counterparts.
Of course, Maurice was all too happy to hand golden Venus' power of flight over to its rightful owner in exchange for the blue hair and speed of Mercury, leading to the birth of "just regular Sonic."
"What's up, Ames?" he greets, and not for the first time Amy feels a wash of relief that he isn't her mysterious paramour. With her childhood crush gone, it's all too easy to see that they would have been a poor match.
"Sonic," she chides, "you know we can't use our civilian names while powered up!"
He just shrugs, not even having the grace to look abashed. "Rosie, then. Whatever, it's not like anyone can hear us up here."
"Something's clearly bothering you," Tails cuts in before this can evolve into another spat.
Amy halts the rebuttal on the tip of her tongue as guilt washes over her anew. The cute little ears she has while powered up flatten against her skull, making it impossible to hide her feelings. "What if I kissed someone?" she asks, rather than wasting effort on fruitless denials. She can't tell them about Shadow, he's an enemy and they won't understand, but maybe they can help with her disloyal heart. "Other than Moonlight Mask, I mean," she clarifies in case that part isn't obvious.
Sonic furrows his brow. "Is that what's had you off your game all week?" he asks, and it's not unwarranted. There was an attack just last night, and Amy was such a mess through it that Sonic, Knuckles, and even Tails each got hit by errant hammer swings at least once during the fight.
She swallows again, hunching forward and hiding her eyes behind her bangs. "Yeah," she admits.
Sonic hums thoughtfully. "And you still love Moonie, yeah?"
"Of course I do!" she snaps.
"And the person you kissed?"
Amy's not sure her cheeks can get any redder, but they're certainly trying. "It was just a kiss. Or, two, or... well, it was just the one time. And it didn't mean anything!"
Sonic nods, but it's Tails who speaks next. "And they know that, right? That it was just kissing?"
Amy forces herself to nod, but she knows that this is it. They're going to see that she's selfish and awful and unfit to wield the power Tikal so generously bestowed—
"I don't see the problem," Sonic admits with a shrug. "You and Moonie aren't exactly official, and it's not like you lead this other guy—girl?—on. Like, maybe don't make a habit of it if you and Moonie are going to keep on, ah, whatever it is you two have going on; but once or twice? Whatever." The whole time he's speaking Tails is nodding along, and Amy can only stare. Is it really that simple?
She pushes aside her internal biases to consider it with the same objectivity she uses when Black Doom corrupts one of her friends.
She still loves Moonlight Mask, and Shadow? Well, she can't deny that kissing him was nice—amazing, even—but she doesn't really know him.
Would it bother her if she found out Moonlight Mask had been overwhelmed with loneliness and kissed someone else? Maybe a little, especially if he made a habit of it, but if it were just once or twice? No, being a hero is lonely work, a heavy burden even at the best of times, and he doesn't even have the other Senshi to fall back on like she does. She couldn't begrudge him a few fleeting moments of weakness.
She shoots her friends a watery grin as she realizes that yes, it really is that simple.
Three weeks after their first meeting, Amy is woken up by a tapping at her window. Pulling the curtains aside reveals a very sheepish, very wet, Shadow.
"What happened to I doubt we will meet again," Amy can't help but tease once she gets the window open.
Shadow winces at the greeting, bringing a hand up to rub the back of his neck. "Right, sorry. I shouldn't be here, I'll, ah... I should go," he mutters. It's clear from the way his words dip more and more that they're meant for himself, rather than for her.
Amy's not sure which of them is more surprised when her hand darts out to grab his wrist in response to his retreat from the window. His eyes lock onto hers, but she's too distracted by the warm colour rising up his neck and onto his cheeks to take much notice of his expression. And then his tongue swipes over his lips and she realizes that she's staring. Her heart skips a beat as she very determinedly does not think about kissing him again.
Dropping his wrist as quickly as she'd grabbed it, Amy instead twists her hands together in front of herself. "Sorry, I was just— It was a joke, but I guess it didn't land? I'm sorry, you can—" She fidgets a moment, before shuffling out of his way. "You should come in. To get out of the rain, I mean. Why are you here? Or, no that came out wrong. What are you doing here? Or, ah, do you need to hide again? Maybe—" She cuts her rambling off with a deep breath that does nothing to soothe her frayed nerves. "What's up?"
He slips in through the window, only to stand uncertainly by the discoloured patch on Amy's carpet, where she'd unsuccessfully tried to get his blood out. "I, uh. Could I sleep with you again?" He winces again, and the blush that has yet to dissipate from his neck and cheeks and the tips of his ears that just barely peek through his hair intensifies. "I mean! That's not— I—" He fumbles for a moment, but Amy is far too bewildered to say anything placating. "It's raining," he finally manages, "and my hideout isn't... I... Can I stay here? I can sleep on the floor, it doesn't have to— I mean, it won't be like last time. That's, ah, I just... Please? It's so cold..." The last bit is spoken so quietly that Amy has to strain to hear it, but it's what finally jump-starts her stalled-out brain back into action.
It's raining, and cold, and he has nowhere to go! Of course Amy will let him stay! She is a Senshi, after all. It's her duty to help people. Whether or not those people are incredibly attractive boys that kiss so good her lips still tingle with want when she thinks about it is irrelevant. Besides, he just said it won't be like the last time, and she decided weeks ago that making out with Shadow was a one-time thing. She swallows her nerves and forces a sunny smile.
"Sure, yeah, you can stay. Let me go get you a towel to dry off with," she answers, latching onto the first excuse she can think of to get away without making him feel unwelcome. She just needs a moment to breathe, is all. She was asleep not even five minutes ago, so of course she's not in the right state of mind to hold a conversation with him anybody.
After taking a few minutes to breathe, splash her face with water, and find Shadow a towel, Amy returns to her room. Shadow is standing exactly where she left him.
Her lips quirk into a little half-smirk of their own accord. "You can sit down, you know," she points out.
He lets out an uncertain huff of laughter. "I didn't want to get your bedding wet," he admits, making to push a hand through his hair and then wincing as one of his claw-like nails catches in a tangle.
Amy rolls her eyes, a part of her wondering how she was ever intimidated by such a dork. "That's sweet of you," she tells him, because he should know that his actions are appreciated, even when they're unnecessary.
"Oh, um, th—" Whatever he's about to say is cut off by Amy crossing her room to throw the towel over his head. She hears his breath catch when she starts using the towel to scrub the moisture out of his hair, and it only then occurs to her that it's probably weird to mother him the way she does her other friends. He doesn't protest or pull away, though. Instead, he leans into the contact, which catches her off guard until she realizes that Shadow is, by his own admission, alone. No friends, no family—other than rampaging aliens—and no memories. Given his circumstances, she can't imagine he's received much in the way of tender affection. So she says nothing, and if she maybe dries him off more than necessary, well, he's not complaining.
Eventually Amy pulls the towel back. "There, that's better," she announces with a smile.
Shadow swallows. "Thanks," he replies, voice much huskier than before.
"No problem." The silence they lapse into is thick with something that Amy tries not to notice. Instead, she claps her hands together in an attempt to draw attention away from... whatever it is between them. "Well! I don't know about you, but I'm tired," she announces. "Bed time?"
He hesitates for just a moment, and Amy pretends she doesn't notice the way he bites his lower lip before answering her. "Yeah, that sounds good."
She nods decisively and crawls into bed, turning off the lamp on her nightstand as she passes it and then scooting over to the wall to wait.
The silence goes on for too long before Shadow clears his throat. "Ah, do you have any extra blankets? And, perhaps a pillow?"
"Pardon?"
"Sorry, I know I'm already putting you out, but..."
It takes more time than it should for what he's asking to click into place alongside what he said earlier, but when it does Amy could hit herself. She must seem a terrible host!
"Right, sorry, I forgot you wanted to sleep on the floor this time. Just give me a moment and I'll—"
"You assumed I would be sleeping in your bed again?" Shadow cuts in, and Amy laughs nervously.
"Yeah, sorry about that! That was pretty presumptuous, wasn't it? I mean, I get why you'd be uncomfortable sharing a bed again, given the way I— Sorry, I'll go get you a blanket," Amy babbles, fumbling around for the light switch, only to be stopped by a warm hand settling on her own.
"That's— I'd definitely prefer a bed to the floor, if you're not opposed to my presence," he admits softly. Amy's heart skips a beat, and she's grateful he managed to stop her before she got the light.
"No, I'm not opposed," she whispers to the dark of her room. It's much easier to admit to a nebulous nothing than a definite Shadow.
The presence in her room shifts, and her bed depresses at the edge. Amy scoots back to the wall to give Shadow space. He doesn't let go of her hand and she doesn't pull away.
Amy dreams of darkness. She's alone in a tower, waiting for someone to rescue her. Except, she's not a damsel in distress! Even as she thinks it she realizes that she's not Amy right now, she's Rosie. She doesn't need anyone to rescue her!
She doesn't hesitate before leaping from the tower window, emerging in blessed sunlight. For a few blissful moments she's weightless, falling through the sky to freedom. And then she lands, and realizes the tower was her bedroom all along. She looks around her familiar neighbourhood, but despite the sun sitting high in the sky, she's alone. She keeps looking, searching for any signs of life, but finds nothing. Just picture perfect streets in an endless suburbia.
She wanders far and wide, but as time crawls by and her legs start to ache, she begins losing hope. It takes longer than it should for her to realize that time itself seems to be at a standstill. The sun hasn't moved from its position at the zenith of the sky since her emergence from the tower, but that can't be right...
When Amy was a kid, her parents told her she should stay still if she ever got lost, and while the hair on the back of her neck is prickling just as it does when she fights Black Arms assassins, she still stops to count the passing seconds. She reaches five thousand, give or take, without any changes to the world around her. No breeze stirs the leaves of nearby trees, no clouds meander across the sky, and even her shadow stands at exactly the same angle it did when she started.
If she stays still long enough, will she cease to exist? The thought settles heavily over her shoulders and spurs her into a panicked sprint. Anything is better than this, and she'd rather face an endless sea of monsters than risk disappearing. She's not sure how long she runs before a flash of white slipping over a nearby rooftop catches her eye. Her heart catches in her chest and she doesn't hesitate to change course, leaping onto the roof in pursuit of the first new thing she's seen in what feels like days and days.
Above the streets she finds Moonlight Mask shrinking in the distance. She's never seen him while the sun was out in the past, but the distinctive white Shemagh and cape he wears are too specific to belong to anybody else. She calls out to him, but he doesn't react. Already he's disappearing over the horizon, so she follows. She chases him across the rooftops of Station Square until the city eventually fades into grassland, and then she chases him through the fields and valleys of the surrounding area. Unfortunately, no matter how hard she runs, she can't seem to catch up. Every time it looks like she might be closing the distance she stumbles, and after each missed step her limbs grow heavier and slower, as if she's losing her powers. Only the presence of her ears and tail combined with the pink hair flying into her eyes assures her that she's still Rosie. Not that it matters, because as she runs the Senshi and the civilian are merging into one.
With her civilian level of ability, it's only a matter of time before a missed step proves disastrous. She reaches out to Moonlight Mask as she plummets off a cliff, desperately calling out to him. By some miracle he hears her this time, and he glances back in slow motion. Their eyes meet and she's not sure whose are wider. This time he's the one running after her, reaching out as if he can somehow bridge the distance between them with his hand alone, and—
"Amy!"
No, that's not right, he doesn't call her that. He doesn't know her name.
"Amy, wake up!"
She blinks as she hits the ground, falling one moment while Moonlight Mask's crimson eyes bore into her, only to awaken with a gasp beneath a different set of crimson eyes, much closer, hovering nervously. She doesn't think twice before throwing herself at Shadow and sobbing into the warmth of another person, revelling in the fact that she's not falling and, more importantly, not alone! Shadow gasps at the contact, but doesn't hesitate to wrap Amy up in his arms, holding her tight and shifting to cradle her against his chest. He doesn't say anything, and for that she's grateful. After all, what would she even tell him if he asked what she was dreaming of? How could she possibly explain it without sounding silly or giving her identity away?
She curls into him, nuzzling into his neck and selfishly enjoying the comfort of strong arms and a firm chest to rest against.
"Are you okay?" he asks when her sobbing subsides. She nods. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"It was just a nightmare," she whispers.
"About the Black Arms?"
"Yeah," she lies, taking the out he's offered her. He holds her tighter.
"Rosie the Rascal will stop them," he assures her, but she's heard that exact sentiment from so many people that it's ceased to hold any meaning to her.
"I hope you're right."
"I know I am," he replies with a level of conviction that almost starts her crying again. She wishes she believed in her other self even half as much as everyone else does.
"How can you be so sure?" she asks, hating herself for the sheer self indulgence of the question, even as she hangs onto every word of his answer.
"Because she can do anything. She's the strongest, bravest person I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. She faces her enemies with a single-minded determination, even when the odds are wildly out of her favour. Then, when all is said and done, she shows a level of kindness to the victims of Black Arms corruption that few could hope to achieve. Plus, her ability to chew her enemies out is, frankly, inspiring."
Tears roll down Amy's cheeks yet again, and before she can think better of it she grabs his shirt in her fists and yanks his lips to her own. Normally it bothers her when people go on about how cool and powerful Rosie the Rascal is, but normally they aren't talking about things like her kindness and ability to tell people off.
Shadow's teeth clack against Amy's and it's a miracle they don't bite into her lip at all, given how sharp they are. But they don't, and after taking a second to catch his bearings Shadow kisses back with a hunger that catches her off guard. Where last time his hands had hovered chastely, barely brushing against her waist and arms in an attempt to keep the clawed nails at the ends of his fingers from hurting her, this time he grabs her, tangling his fingers in her hair so he can angle her just so. When she opens her mouth to take a ragged gulp of air he takes the opportunity to press a trail of wet kisses down her neck before returning his mouth to hers. One of his hands stays in her hair, but the other wanders down, down, moving to her lower back to pull her more firmly against himself, nails pressing against her in a way that causes a shiver to run along her spine. She whimpers at the sensation, and his hands loosen in response, making to pull away. She whimpers in protest, leaning into the kiss and tracing his teeth with her tongue, marvelling at how alien they are.
The sound he makes in response sends a sharp thrill through her gut and she shifts to straddle him, desperately trying to erase any space remaining between them, despite their current proximity leaving nothing to her imagination. Shadow shifts beneath her, and for a heart-stopping moment there is plenty of space.
Shadow hits the floor with a gasp and Amy lands on him with a yelp, earning a second gasp. She's quick to scramble off of him, even as she hears a door fly open down the hall.
"Amy," her father calls out, freezing Shadow mid-motion. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, dad!" she calls back, praying he won't actually come into her room. "Just fell out of bed!"
"Oh. Well, do you need anything?" he asks, just outside her door.
"No!"
For a moment the teens hold their breath, until they hear the sound of retreating footsteps and a closing door.
And then the realization of what just happened—how it almost escalated—settles in, and Amy's struck by a fresh wave of guilt. She swallows down the feeling, glad that the lights are out. Picturing Shadow with kiss-bruised lips, hazy eyes, and tousled hair is bad enough; she's not sure her heart could take actually seeing it at the moment.
"So," she begins with more than a hint of awkwardness when it becomes clear he's waiting for her to take the lead. "Sleep?"
"Sleep is good," he answers, voice rough with—
No, Amy isn't going to think about that. Instead she crawls into bed, Shadow right behind her. They take up positions on opposite sides of the bed, very carefully not touching each other. It's only now, with the heat his words stirred in her fading, that Amy wonders if Shadow actually met her other self, and, if so, where and when it happened. Surely she'd remember him, right? She wants to ask, but the memory of warm hands and soft lips has her too flustered to form the question.
When Amy wakes up again she's alone, and a cold dread grips her heart despite the fact that this is in no way an abnormal occurrence for her. She sits up, wide-eyed and heart racing, desperately looking for signs of life. The familiar sound of morning traffic does much to soothe her nerves, as does the folded piece of paper she sees tucked snugly beneath her diary.
She grabs it with shameful eagerness.
Amy,
Yet again I find myself in your debt for shelter given without quarrel. I will make all haste in finding a drier hideout so that I do not need to intrude upon you the next time rainfall graces our city. In the meantime, I hope the morning light is enough to drive away whatever nightmares haunt you, though I understand if it isn't. I know full well that not all terrors disappear in the wake of the rising sun. If ever you find yourself in need of a friend, do not hesitate to leave some sort of sign. A letter in your window, perhaps? It may take a day or two, but I will be sure to check in with you as soon as I am able. It's the least I can do to show my appreciation for all you've done for me.
Until next time,
Shadow
PS. I hope you can forgive my lack of self control, I can't stop thinking If you ever again allow me to take shelter with you, I will endeavour to maintain appropriate behaviour.
Amy reads the note three separate times, wondering what he can't stop thinking. Of her? About how sorry he is? That he wants to kiss her again? She pushes the thoughts down in a desperate bid to avoid thinking of him like that. She shouldn't, she can't. She barely knows him and he doesn't know her. She's in love with Moonlight Mask! Even if she weren't, Shadow has... someone. Still, she can't bring herself to destroy the letter, so she tucks it away in her jewellery box with the other one, then sets about getting ready for the day.
The moon is just beginning its ascent into the sky as Rosie the Rascal faces her opponent. Dr. Robotnik is a volatile man, and his negative emotions often attract Black Doom's worms. He's been corrupted into Eggman many times, and part of her wonders if it's a conscious choice on his part. People corrupted by the Black Arms have increased speed and strength, minor magical powers, and a proclivity towards destruction—but their core desires are the same. Just... twisted. Selfish and devoid of consideration or empathy.
Stopping someone whose primary goal is to end world hunger doesn't feel great, but their willingness to achieve their goals with zero regard for who gets hurt along the way helps.
Luckily for Amy, Eggman just wants to rule the world, so no part of her is left to question whether letting him have his way would really be so bad. Still, with a goal like that, she has to wonder—
She shakes the thought off. Not only is it uncharitable and unsuited to the self-proclaimed Guardian of Love and Justice, it's also a slippery slope that would set a dangerous precedent if she were to act on it.
It's impossible to say how long he's been corrupted this time, but the mech he's using to fight her indicates that it's been a while.
That or he already had a Senshi fighting battle mech before he was corrupted.
It doesn't take long for Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails to show up. While they have yet to find the reincarnation of Jupiter, wielder of storms, the four of them have been more than enough to keep Mobotropolis safe so far.
"What's the sitch?" Sonic asks, planting a hand on his hip and surveying the situation. As he speaks the slots on the front of the mech come to a stop, revealing triple Egg Pawns. The slot reels pull up, and out of the space they leave pours a wave of the orange, round robots Eggman likes to use as grunts, each wielding a sizable orange lance.
"Eggman's back," Amy answers, as if that much isn't clear. "I've evacuated the civilians, but so far I can't find the source of the corruption." She takes in the situation before her anew, recalculating her options now that her team is here. "Sonic, can you focus on the things he's summoning while Knuckles, Tails, and I try to take the mech?"
The blue-haired guardian of mercury grins, shooting her a thumbs up. "Can do A— Rosie."
Amy shoots him a glare, but he's already a blur over the horizon. With a sigh she turns her focus to her own role, jumping off the building currently serving as her vantage point and holding up an expectant hand for Tails. He catches her with an ease born from years of experience and flies the two of them closer to their target, with Knuckles gliding beside them. Not for the first time, Amy wishes that Rosie had inherited some form of flight.
At some point roles get reversed, with Sonic taking on the mantle of distracting Eggman while Amy and Knuckles handle the waves and waves of enemies summoned by the Egg Dealer—Eggman's name for his mech. By the time Moonlight Mask joins the fray, they're on their fourth wave of summons. The current is a batch of the reptilian-humanoid warriors that make up a large chunk of the Black Arms army. They may not be as dangerous as a proper general, or even as the victims of Black Doom's corruption, but with their sharp claws and muscular limbs they still pose a significant threat.
As Amy brings her Piko Piko Hammer down on a warrior's head, a loud thud comes from behind her. She whirls on the spot just in time to see a streak of white take out one of Knuckles' opponents.
"You work on detecting the source of the corruption," Moonlight Mask tells Knuckles, integrating himself into the combat with a deftness Amy can only dream of achieving, even in her Guardian form. "Rose and I will keep the Black Arms at bay."
Usually the presence of their mysterious ally fills Amy with joy and determination, but today all it does is remind her that she has no idea where they stand or whether she owes him an apology for kissing Shadow. The guilt is almost enough to choke her, but fighting back-to-back with Moonlight Mask is such a familiar experience that she's able to rely on muscle memory to avoid any major mistakes.
With Knuckles free to feel out the source of the corruption, and Tails putting all his technological know-how into hacking the Egg Dealer's mainframe, the tide of battle is quick to turn. Tails disables the mech, Knuckles hunts down the Kill Worm, and Sonic continues to distract Eggman.
For a moment Amy and Moonlight Mask just stand there in uncertain silence, pointedly looking away from each other. She steels her nerves to glance his way, and is both relieved and alarmed when she can't catch his eye. There's no possible way he can know of her indiscretion, and yet why else would he be acting so stand-offish now of all times?
"Rose," he starts to say, just as she blurts "Can I ask—"
"Go ahead," he encourages, but she shakes her head, stalling.
"No, you first."
Whatever he might say in response to that is cut off by the distinct sound of a Kill Worm emerging from its hiding place, and their attention is drawn back to the battle at hand. Amy watches in familiar horror as the black-scaled, serpentine creature's face unfurls, revealing its strange, almost tentacled maw. The outside of each tentacle is lined with thorn-like protrusions, and the ends are capped off with strange, slit-pupilled eyes. Facing the corrupting worms is never easy, as their hides are highly durable and they prefer not to be exposed for long.
Moonlight Mask finally glances her way, only to avert his gaze the second their eyes meet. "Be ready," is all he says before leaping to join Sonic and Tails. Knuckles is nowhere to be seen, presumably hiding somewhere to recharge now that he's used his powers to force their target out of hiding.
As much as Amy wants to join the others in combat, she knows her role. Sonic and Tails will just barely be enough to keep Eggman away from the worm, and Moonlight Mask will keep it from submerging. Amy just needs to be ready for an opening.
She watches, and once the energy shifts and the time feels right, she acts; removing her tiara and allowing it to shift into the crescent sceptre of the moon. She holds it high above her head, channelling her energy into it until it starts emanating magic, then she begins the circular motion of her spell and speaks the command words to focus her intent.
"Rose... Healing... Escalation!" she cries out, feeling as silly now as she did the first time she activated this spell. Light pours out of the sceptre as it resumes its position at the top of the circle, washing over the battlefield to heal any non-fatal injuries caused in the span of Amy's transformation.
The pure light of the spell burns away the Kill Worm and all of its corruption, leaving Dr. Robotnik sitting in the wreckage of his attack with no memories of his time as Eggman. Amy holds back her frustration with having to face Eggman yet again to give Dr. Robotnik the proper care and attention owed to all victims of Black Doom's magic.
By the time she's made sure he's unscathed and able to get home on his own, Moonlight Mask is gone. That hurts more than it should. True, he never sticks around for very long, but he usually at least stays long enough to check on her and exchange a few words before pressing a kiss to her hand and disappearing into the night.
The guilt that previously threatened to choke her overflows, and she's only just barely able to find a hiding place before the tears start.
Amy isn't surprised when a Kill Worm shows up to corrupt her the day after Eggman's attack. If she feels anything about it, it's relief that it didn't come sooner. An attack on the way home from school means that Maurice and Miles should still be nearby, able to become Sonic and Tails and get to her in a hurry. She just has to escape the Kill Worm long enough for them to show up and distract it. Then she can transform.
It may not be common for people to avoid corruption long enough for the Senshi to save them, but it isn't unheard of. If a worm attacks in public, and the target is crafty enough, it can be done. Those fights are always the easiest, as Kill Worms aren't nearly as fierce when not yet bonded to a victim.
So she runs, sprinting as hard as she can through crowded streets. Except, that's no good. She needs to get it away from people before someone gets hurt. Any injuries acquired before she transforms are permanent.
She takes a sharp left into an alley, and sure enough the worm follows, burrowing and bounding and phasing through the concrete beneath them as if it were water. She's fast, but it's faster and only quick thinking and sharp turns keeps her out of its clutches.
If she's corrupted, the other Senshi will have to pool their powers together to free her, and without Jupiter there's a good chance it won't even work. Worse, her secret identity won't be so secret anymore, meaning her friends and family will be at risk.
Could she choose her duty to the Master Emerald over her loved ones?
It's a question she hopes she never learns the answer to.
Of course, Amy being Amy, she can only run for so long before she trips, falling hard and scraping over wet pavement. Her arms are shaking as she gets to her knees. It's too late. The Kill Worm is right on her heels, she'll never make it out in time—
A flash of white, gleaming in the afternoon sun, whisks her away, cradling her like something precious. Her heart stutters in her chest even before she looks up at her rescuer for confirmation.
She's never seen Moonlight Mask in the sun before, but it's definitely him. Except, the loose white trousers and shirt he usually wears under his Shemagh and cape are absent. Instead he's wearing... dark jeans and a black hoodies?
The idea of Moonlight Mask appearing in combat as a civilian, rather than some powered up alternate form like the Senshi, never even occurred to Amy. The idea is disorienting, but before she can chase the thought they reach a rooftop alcove, hidden from view of the streets, and he sets her down.
"Are you alright?" he asks, and his voice—so different in her human ears than the hedgehog ears she gains in her guardian form—is blessedly familiar. Despite her guilt, she's grateful for his presence.
"Yeah, I— I'm fine. Thank you," she replies, and if she sounds breathless, well, she was just rescued from a monstrous worm.
"Of course. Wait here, I'll come get you when the coast is clear," he says, but before he can disappear she grabs his wrist, fully aware that she won't be able to beat him here after the fight is over. It's easier to look at him without the deep pangs of guilt as Amy. Amy isn't the one he loves, after all. He won't know it's Amy who betrayed him.
"Don't worry about me," she tells him. "I'll slip out as soon as the Senshi arrive and get as far from here as possible. You just focus on keeping the beast distracted."
It's impossible to read his expression with his entire face covered as it is, but she hears him start to say something more than once before his shoulders slump and he nods. As soon as he's gone from view, Amy transforms into Rosie the Rascal and joins the fray.
She wonders how often he saves civilians. Is she special, or is this a normal occurrence?
Moonlight Mask still won't meet Rosie the Rascal's gaze throughout the entire fight, and the pit in her chest grows and grows. After subduing the Kill Worm and using her Moon Healing Escalation, he makes to leave. It takes all the enhanced reflexes and speed being a Senshi grants her to cut him off.
"Can we talk?" she asks, wringing her hands in front of her.
"No," he answers, and he must see the way the word burns her because there's panic in his voice as he clarifies. "Sorry, I just— there's something I need to do. Maybe next time?" He's holding himself so stiffly that she wonders what must have happened, until she realizes he's trying to keep her from seeing his street clothes. The idea that he was in the area—that whatever it is he does in his day-to-day life was likely interrupted by the Kill Worm—settles strangely in Amy's stomach. He has a life outside of her just as she does outside him, but the idea has never mattered as much as it does right now.
"You've been avoiding me," she says, the words soft so as not to sound like an accusation. He shifts in place and then, to her horror, he nods. "Why?" she demands, unable to keep her voice soft this time.
He takes in a shaky breath, still not looking at her. "I— I'm sorry, I— Later. Please?"
It's the 'please' that breaks her, and so she swallows the questions threatening to spill out of her and nods. "Okay," she breathes, barely able to force the word past the lump in her throat before she flees.
The sun has long since set by the time she stumbles through the front door, taking just long enough to kick her shoes off before shambling upstairs. Her parents are at some sort of fancy dinner, and she's grateful for their absence. There's no way she could handle any questions about what kept her out so late.
She opens her bedroom door and throws on the lights, but before she can step in she's struck by a wall of warmth. Her breath sticks in her throat as Shadow's arms wrap around her, tight and trembling.
"I was so worried," he whispers into her hair. "I was looking for something to eat when I saw you get chased into an alley by a Kill Worm, and then— And you just... I couldn't find you, I had no idea if you were safe or not. I knew Rose's magic would heal you if you were hurt, but I just—" His breath hitches, and he squeezes her even tighter.
At first she's too shocked to do anything, but as soon as she gets over it she leans into the contact, warm and welcome and comforting. Shadow was worried about her, so much so that he decided to wait until she got home to make sure she was safe. The thought is enough to make her blush.
"You're okay, right?" he asks, and she nods against his chest. She feels more than hears his relieved exhalation, and his hold on her finally loosens. She's quick to wrap her own arms around him, lest he release her entirely, and he relaxes into the hug, holding her tight once again.
She's not sure how long they stand there, wrapped in each other's arms, before he speaks again. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asks. She hums slightly, a wordless request for clarification that he's quick to oblige. "About whatever it was that upset you enough to attract Black Doom's attention."
"I," she starts, but hesitates. It's not his fault she's upset, but how can she explain the guilt she feels without him taking it as such? Still... "I shouldn't have kissed you," she admits, pulling away to wrap her arms around herself, instead of him. "Not the first time, and certainly not the second."
He fidgets in place, visibly unsure of what to do with his hands before he finally settles on shoving them into his pockets. "Do you regret it?" he asks in a voice much hoarser than she's expecting. She chews her lip as she considers it, refusing to meet his eyes. She thinks about how nice it is to feel wanted, and four crossed out words in a heartfelt note. She thinks about how right his lips feel against hers. And then she thinks about Moonlight Mask and his mixed signals and the fact that she knows even less about him than she does about Shadow, despite fighting side-by-side with him for the past two years.
You've been avoiding me.
She takes a deep, shuddering breath, then releases it. "No," she whispers.
"Then why—?"
"I feel guilty, Shadow. I feel like a bad person. I have, err, had someone else, at least I thought I did, and you said—"
"I can't stop thinking about you," he blurts, cutting off Amy's rambling speech before it can even begin. She stares, wide-eyed, as he continues. "You are the first person who's actually seen me and not run away. You're brave, and reckless, and when we kiss I don't feel like a monster. I tried to stay away from you, to keep you from getting wrapped up in my troubles, but I saw you fleeing down that alley and— Chaos, I can't recall ever feeling that afraid. And then after, when the coast was clear, I couldn't find you, and—" He groans, pushing a hand through his hair. "There is someone else, but she's— I'm tired of chasing a fantasy. You are real. You're solid and here and I—" He stops to take a deep, shuddering breath, before trying again in a lower tone. "You deserve better than kisses stolen for comfort and nothing else, and you deserve better than someone who doesn't see you and leaves you so unsure about— I mean, I... If you'd let me, I'd... Could— would you ever... I..."
By now Amy's face is redder than Shadow's eyes. His words float around her like a haze, and there's no way she isn't dreaming. "Would I ever...?" she prompts when it becomes clear he's lost whatever nerve spurred him along in the first place.
He swallows, finding some nebulous point above Amy's head to focus his attentions on. "I want to be more to you than comfort and guilt, if you're amenable. I know we barely know each other, but there's something here, I know there is. I... I want to explore that. I want to visit you when it isn't raining, and hold you for no reason other than I'm allowed, and I— I want to kiss you. So much. I will always hold affection for— For the other person, but I know that I'm in love with the idea of her more than anything, and— I will never reveal my true nature to her, and as long as that's the case there can be nothing between us, and I— I can't promise that my feelings for her will vanish overnight, but I'm done pining after dreams. It's past time I let my life move forward." He glances at Amy, and her heart skips a beat at the honesty in his expression.
Shadow is here and he wants to be with her and he's willing to take a risk and admit it. He respects her enough to say something, rather than leave her wondering at his intentions. She studies his inhuman eyes and the rigid way he's holding himself as he awaits her judgment.
Yes, she is definitely amenable. She closes the gap between them in one fluid movement, reaching up to cup his cheek and pull him in for a kiss, which he returns with a sweetness that makes her head spin. He kisses her slow and soft, gently parting her lips with his tongue. She pushes her fingers into his hair and traces the strange shape of his pointed ears as her fingers pass over them. As their lips meld together, Shadow lifts Amy, shifting her to sit on her dresser so he doesn't have to bend his neck quite so much. When they finally break for air he presses his forehead against hers.
"So is that a yes," he asks after a moment, and Amy can't keep her lips from stretching into a giddy smile.
"Yes," she whispers, and Shadow is quick to reclaim her smiling lips with his own.
Only to jump away at the sound of the front door flying open. The action is so sudden that one of his teeth scrapes against the inside of her lip, leaving a painful cut in its wake. "Shit, sorry," he hisses as Amy's dad hollers "Babycakes, we're home!" from the bottom of the stairs.
Amy herds Shadow to the window. "There's something I need to do tonight, but come back tomorrow?" she asks as he slides out, and the smile he answers with is breathtaking.
"See you then," he answers softly before pressing a chaste kiss to the corner of her mouth. And then he's gone, disappearing into the night as easily as breathing.
After her parents have retired for the night, Rosie the Rascal slips out of the house to seek out Moonlight Mask. She's never encountered him outside of battle, today's rescue notwithstanding, and she's unsure how exactly one goes about breaking up with someone they're not actually dating, but the sooner she gets this conversation over with, the sooner she can truly give Shadow the chance he's asking for.
Surprisingly, it doesn't take long for Moonlight Mask to fall into step beside her. She doesn't stop running across the rooftops, but he's never struggled to keep pace with her before.
"Another attack?" he asks after a minute of aimless running.
"No," she answers.
"Just going for a run, then?"
"Actually, I was looking for you," she admits, causing him to slow for a beat before catching up with her again.
"Well, here I am," he prompts when she doesn't elaborate.
"I know, I just—" Twinkle Park comes into view up ahead, her favourite place to think. "This way," she says, gesturing for him to follow before pushing herself to run faster. No civilian should be able to keep up with her, but he manages it with ease. Over the fence they go, before skirting along the outer wall of the amusement park until reaching the castle, which she climbs in leaps and bounds. At the top she takes her usual seat, feet dangling over the edge as she looks out over the lights and festivities. Moonlight Mask only hesitates for a moment before taking a seat next to her.
"You wanted to talk?" he prompts, and Amy sighs, unable to put this off any longer.
"I'm done," she tells him, and even through his mask and veil she can tell the statement has left him bewildered.
"Being a Guardian?" he asks after a moment of stunned silence, catching her wildly off guard.
"What? No! Not that, never... that." For all the troubles her status as leader of the Senshi has caused her, she wouldn't just give it up. This is her duty, and she will not foist it off on someone else just because it isn't easy. "I'm done with us," she clarifies, gesturing between the two of them.
He chokes, shifting so that his entire body faces her. "Us?" he echoes.
A part of her wonders if she imagined everything between them over the past two years, but even if that is the case, she still needs the closure. "You know, us, the longing glances? The touches? The way you always kiss my hand after a fight? Or, used to, at any rate. I... Are you telling me none of that meant anything?"
He blinks at her, eyes as wide as she's ever seen them. "No, I, of course not! But— I mean—" he rubs the back of his neck with a level of discomposure she's never seen in him before. "What do you mean you're done with us? What are you saying?"
She lets out a frustrated huff of breath. "I'm breaking up with you," she clarifies.
"But, we're not— I mean, we never— What?"
"Are you saying you're not in love with me?" she can't help but ask, unable to keep the hurt out of her voice as it looks more and more like this whole thing was just a wild misunderstanding. "Because I— I thought— I mean, everyone thought—! And you said— in interviews, you said you would— for me— and—" She tries her best to speak clearly, but her breath just keeps hitching, which is dumb! She's the one ending this, why should she be so sad about it? Even if it was never real and it was all in her head and—
"Okay, yes, fine," Moonlight Mask spits out, voice cutting straight through Amy's spiralling. "Rose, I am in love with you. I have been since the day we met. But it can never happen, which is why I never acted on it. Are you telling me," his voice cracks and he pauses to let out a laugh that borders on hysterical. "Are you telling me that, despite my best efforts to hide it, you knew? And, not only that, but you reciprocated?"
All she can do is nod weakly, and he laughs again, burying his face in his hands.
"I thought you knew," she admits, earning a derisive scoff from him.
"I am incredibly dense," he informs her, which comes as a huge surprise. "Why didn't you say anything?" he asks, voice muffled by his hands.
"I don't know, I thought you knew that I knew, and saw no reason to act until you started avoiding me, and then I realized how unhappy I really was with... whatever this is. Was."
He curses into his hands before looking up at her again. "I'm sorry, I had no idea. I— I never thought you'd want— I mean, I'm not stupid enough to think you don't have a life when you're not saving the world, and I'm not selfish enough to expect someone to be loyal to me without knowing who I really am. I—" He groans again, returning his face to his hands. "I never meant to lead you on, I thought I was chasing a fantasy, Rose."
His muttered words are an echo of a previous conversation, and Amy chokes as the details settle into place, slotting together so neatly that she wonders how she could miss them in the first place. He lifts his head to side-eye her, and she turns to him so quickly she nearly topples off the castle.
"You called me Rose," she says, and he just blinks at her.
"Uh, yeah? I always do?"
She shakes her head as the weight she's been carrying for weeks and weeks lifts. "No, not just now, earlier. You didn't know it was me, though." He watches her warily, and she can't stop the smile from lighting up her face. "It's only been a few hours, but, you said you knew Rose's magic would heal me, but you were scared anyways, and I was too shocked to notice it at the time, but no one calls me Rose. It's always Rosie, or Rosie the Rascal, or even just The Rascal on occasion, but never Rose. She watches his pupils blow wide, but he hesitates and she decides to make it even easier for him. "My lip is fine, by the way," she says, leaning closer and pulling her bottom lip down slightly to reveal the scrape left by his tooth, still tender, but long-since finished bleeding.
His breath hitches. "Amy?"
She leans closer, hovering a hand over his veil. "Shadow," she whispers, and his gasp is the final confirmation she needs to pull the obscuring garment down and press a kiss to his oh-so-familiar lips. He's quick to recover from his shock, and he pulls her into his lap so he can hold her tight without breaking the kiss. There will be plenty of time to figure out the implications of these revelations and discuss what the future holds later, but for now Amy is more than happy to live here, in this moment, for as long as she can.
Bonus scene:
"But how did you not recognize me?" Amy asks. "I don't even wear a mask!"
"You also don't have pink hair or hedgehog ears!" Shadow protests, causing Amy to laugh.
"So, what, you just thought I'd have pink hair and cute little animal ears in my daily life? How would that even work?"
Shadow splutters. "Hats exist!"