Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic the Hedgehog... but I will someday... wait and see...

"No!"

"Oh, just try them, who knows? You might look good with green eyes!"

"NO!"

"Hold still... you're going to get hurt if you keep moving!"

"I don't want green eyes!"

"Please?"

"...uh... I... I don't know..."

"We'll take them out if you don't like them, okay?"

"Well..."

"Pretty please?"

Sonic and Tails grinned as they listened, ears pressed against the bathroom door.

"I can just imagine... those big puppy dog eyes..." Sonic snickered.

"Absolutely no way to resist," Tails giggled.

"There, you look great! Let's go show Sonic and Tails!" Amy opened the door, causing Sonic and Tails to fall face-first at her feet.

"Um... hi Amy?" Sonic laughed nervously.

Amy sniffed, then pushed Shadow in front of her. She smiled. "What do you think?"

Sonic stared at the hedgehog in front of him. His eyes widened.

"Wow..." he squeaked.

"They look like... carbon copies," Tails said in awe.

Shadow's face flushed. "Do I really look that different...?"

Sonic stood up. "We could pass as family..." he muttered.

"Perfect!" Amy said. "If anyone asks, we'll just say he's your cousin or something... Oh! I've got the greatest finishing touches..." She ran excitedly up the stairs.

"Wonder what she's up to..." Tails said, standing up.

Sonic looked at where Amy had gone. "...I think I'll follow her..." He walked cautiously up the stairs.

Tails and Shadow watched until Sonic and Amy were out of sight. Then a yell echoed down from the upper floor.

"NO WAY!"

"Oh, Sonic, it's only for a little while."

"Listen, giving him blue fur is okay! Giving him green eyes is... okay! But... Amy, you're taking this too far!"

"Sonic! You don't even wear them anymore!"

"Amy? What exactly are you trying to do to the guy?!"

"Nothing! But he can't walk around barefoot in the city!"

Shadow and Tails shrugged at each other in confusion.

"Stop paying so much attention to him!"

"Sonic, if I didn't know you better, I'd say you were jealous."

"W-what? No!"

"Then let him have them!"

"...fine..."

Sonic stomped downstairs, in a visibly bad mood, followed by Amy, who was carrying an old pair of Sonic's shoes and gloves. She held them up to Shadow.

"Here, try them on!"

Shadow took the shoes and gloves, glancing sideways at Sonic, who was looking in the opposite direction. He gingerly tried them on. They fit.

"See? Now you can have something to wear," Amy giggled.

"At least until you get your own things..." Sonic grumbled.

Tails nudged Sonic. "What's wrong with letting him use your old shoes?"

Sonic scratched the back of his head. "Um..." He grabbed Tails by the arm and took him outside. Once they were there, he explained.

"It's not so much about letting him use my stuff. I mean, I'm more than happy to... it's just, watching... I mean, I just think she's paying way too much attention to him, it was my idea anyway..." Sonic trailed off.

Tails grinned. "You're jealous."

Sonic retorted, "Am not," but couldn't help his face turning a little red.

Tails smiled. "Yeah you are. But it's not like she likes him."

"I... I know."

"She's just got another person to play around with, and Shadow doesn't exactly know how to say no to her."

"Yeah... yeah, I guess."

Tails started to walk back inside. "...but you were jealous. Admit it."

"No, I wasn't!" Sonic followed his best friend inside.

As Sonic walked inside, he saw Shadow look at him, then pull off the shoes and gloves. He handed them back to Sonic.

"Um... if you don't want me to have them..." he shrugged nonchalantly.

"...nah, you keep them," Sonic pushed them back. "Keep 'em... you don't have to return 'em or anything..."

Shadow looked surprised. He looked down and smiled at the clothes in his arms. "Th... thank you," he murmured, then slipped them back on and left for outside. Sonic shrugged, then walked back to his room.

Outside, Shadow smiled lightly at his new shoes and gloves. Even so, he knew nothing would replace his old hover-skates... the ones the professor had made...

He looked around the small beach. He took off at a sprint, trying to get used to running without levitating a few inches off the ground.

The increased friction tired him out faster, and he walked back inside for a rest. He sat down on Sonic's chair, then looked at his shoes again. He smiled. 'Interesting,' he thought, 'how a getting small thing like shoes can make someone feel good...' He lay down to sleep for a while...

~*~

Meanwhile, Sonic sat against the wall of his room.

'Must be getting soft...' he thought, then settled down for the night.