AN: Hello everybody! I can't believe it's July already. Time is flying by, yo. Anyway, I'm back for another chapter. I've already gotten a few people bugging me about updating. Trust me, I get it, guys! I pretty much always give you guys one chapter a month, sometimes two depending on circumstances. I will let you guys know that the next chapter could possibly be late. I'm starting a new job in August and I need to get settled into my new job, but I promise I'll give you all something!
I think you guys are really going to enjoy this chapter. I tried to make it as enticing as possible. Remember to leave me a review once you're done reading. I've been reading some of your comments from the last chapter and I love the predictions! Anyway, I've talked enough. ENJOY!
Thank you: Grey-Chan Fallen, Rebecca, Pirilaxa, RisingZero1984, Aliciathewolf45, CrimsonLove16, Yannvx, Firegirl19, Soni Rose Ameila the Hedgehog, and Tessa the Hedgehog for the reviews on chapter 12!
•~•
Finally returning home later that afternoon, Amy and Mighty were stationed on the couch together watching TV. Amy had calmed down after the police had come and collected evidence from Zonic's latest break-in in the house. The armadillo was lying on his back with a pillow behind his head and held a bag of ice against his left eye that had a large discolored bruise around it. He had also helped console Amy while the police had talked to her, which she greatly appreciated. The pink hedgehog finished massaging Mighty's legs and smiled hearing his pleasured exhaled moan. "Boy, those hands of yours are miracle workers, Ames," he grinned flirtatiously.
Amy giggled at his charm. "Are you feeling better then?"
"Loads," he smiled with a goofy grin. "I love having a beautiful nurse to look after my sorry ass," he cracked causing her to giggle again. "I hope you're feeling in higher spirits, too…"
Her smile dropped slightly as she was reminded of what only had occurred hours ago. "You've definitely cheered me up, that's for sure. I just hope this endless nightmare with Zonic ends. I've been running away from my past for so long…I just want to be free," she admitted.
He sat up slightly, wincing a bit in pain as he did. "Don't you worry, sweetheart. We've got your back and we'll protect you from that creep," he assured with a wink. Amy smiled at him, feeling her cheeks heat up from his charm.
Suddenly, the two stopped when they heard the front door opening. Amy looked behind her to see who was coming in. Shadow staggered inside, limping from his injured leg, and made a slight hiss. At that same time, Mephiles was walking downstairs when he spotted his brother enter through the front door. "Brother, where the hell have you been?" Mephiles interrogated coming from downstairs.
Shadow dropped his keys on the small table by the entrance. "Wrapping shit up," he responded dully.
"And by wrapping shit up, does this include getting arrested and held up at the police station?" he challenged passively.
Shadow smirked by his annoyed tone. "So, you did know where I was then," he pointed. "If that's true, then you'll know I was dealing with that A.T.F agent," Shadow started. "Thankfully, it's done now." Amy's ears perked as she eavesdropped in on the conversation from the living room over.
Mephiles crossed his arms over his chest, staring at his brother in scrutiny. "Yes, I heard all about it. The deputy called over and informed us all about your little spat with the agent at the diner in town this morning."
Shadow rolled his eyes at his brother. "Look, I wasn't charged for anything and the guy is long gone now," he justified.
Mighty looked over his shoulder at the ebony hedgehog. "I hope you kicked that guy's ass," he shouted from the living room with a fist pump.
Hearing Mighty's comment, Shadow slowly ambled into the room, grunting from his injured leg, and eventually made it in the room. He rested his arm on the wall to support himself. "I did," he smiled arrogantly.
Amy got up from the couch and wandered over to Shadow. "Is this true? You really got rid of Zonic for good?"
Shadow nodded slowly. "He's out of your hair forever, princess," he smirked playfully.
Amy's expression began to beam until she looked down at his leg. He was wearing some dark wash jeans, but she could see a tear in his pants where a bandage was wrapped around his leg oozing fresh blood. "Shadow, your leg!" she gasped.
"Yeah, that was him," he gestured hobbling slightly. "He got me with a switchblade. It doesn't hurt too bad," he lied.
Amy bent down to further examine it. "It looks like it needs to be tended to." She looked over to Mephiles standing in the background. "Mephiles, do you mind helping me get your brother into the examination room?"
"Not at all, my dear," he replied walking over to assist. Amy got underneath one of Shadow's arms and Mephiles put his brother's other arm behind the back of his neck.
Together, Amy and Mephiles guided Shadow into Amy's office. Wincing slightly, Shadow sat down on the medical examination table. Mephiles walked out and closed the examination room door, leaving the two alone together. Amy snapped on some clean gloves and used a pair of scissors to cut out the fabric surrounding his wound. "You know you didn't have to do this…"
He watched as she pulled away all the bloodied bandages. "Do what, get rid of a corrupt agent that's breaking the law? I'm pretty sure it was a given I had to do something," Shadow justified. "He was a threat both to you and our club."
After assessing the wound she glanced back at his face. "You'll need stitches." Amy discarded the dirtied bandages and pulled out some fresh ones alone with a sterile needle. "It's just—I know you and I just officially became friends, but I'm still surprised you would go through all of this for me," she explained.
"Well…" Shadow huffed at her comment, trying to pivot. "I'm just trying to pay you back for saving my life," he shrugged. His eyes drifted away, not wanting to look at the curiosity in her eyes anymore. Even he didn't quite know why he felt this urge to go this far in protecting her…or did he?
Amy smiled slightly and reached for a bottle with some clear liquid. "This is going to sting a little," she stated as she dabbed up some liquid onto a cotton ball. She gently patted it around the wound cleaning up dried blood.
Shadow bared his teeth hissing from the sting. "Fuck…"
Once the area was cleaned, she stitched and then re-bandaged it up for him. "There we go, all finished."
Shadow slowly moved off the side of the medical examination table. "Thank you, doctor."
•~•
The next morning, Amy came downstairs and was surprised to see Mighty and Manic carrying down two large kegs of beer into the basement. As she got down to the bottom of the staircase, she spotted Knuckles and Gadget carrying down a pair of speakers. Rouge came from the living room watching the boys do the heavy lifting. "Don't scratch the floors downstairs when you put them down!" she shouted.
Amy approached the white bat. "What's going on?"
"Apparently, our fellow M.C charter is coming into town for business prospects. We're hosting a little party tonight, so the boys are getting everything set up downstairs," Rouge explained. "Also, we're hosting our annual boxing match tomorrow. It's a gambling thing the club does from time to time," she shrugged indifferently.
"Well, do you need any help with anything? I'm available for any errand runs or cooking," she offered sweetly.
"Do you mind helping Shadow and I whip up some appetizers in the kitchen? It's going to be a pretty big crowd tonight and there will be plenty of mouths to feed," she alluded.
"Of course, I'd love to," she smiled.
Rouge placed a hand on her shoulder and guided her towards the kitchen. "Thanks, hun!"
•~•
In the kitchen, Amy worked on creating a homemade buffalo sauce for some chicken wings, while Rouge worked on making up an appetizer platter of assorted cheeses. While the three worked in silence together, Rouge looked over to Amy and hummed a thought through her mind. In the other corner of the kitchen, Shadow worked on his famous seven-layer dip. He was busy assembling the layers meticulously while listening to some music with his headphones. Rouge glanced over her shoulder over at the dark hedgehog and noticed he had headphones in. This would be the perfect time to gossip a bit with Amy while he wasn't listening. "So, what do you plan to do now that you're a completely free gal?"
Amy lowered her knife down from chopping to look over at the bat. "I'm not sure exactly. I don't really know if I want to rush into another relationship so soon, but I am interested in dating again."
Suddenly intrigued, Rouge turned fully to look at Amy at the counter behind her. "Then you absolutely HAVE to attend tonight's party. If you want to do some window shopping, you'll have plenty to look at, but if you're interested in just some good old-fashioned fun you'll find it here tonight, too," she smirked with a wink.
Amy smiled sheepishly at the thought. It had been some time since she had done any dating. She had been stuck with Zonic for quite some time and he refused to let her talk to another male without his presence there. "Heh, I'll guess we'll see tonight. There is someone I might be interested in," she considered thinking about the red and black armadillo.
"Let me guess, Shadow?" Rouge questioned with a grin causing Amy to gasp. "Don't think I didn't spot you two sharing a slow dance last night at the bar. You into tall, dark, and handsome hedgehogs now?"
"…Rouge," Amy groaned quietly, glancing in the dark hedgehog's direction. She felt her cheeks heat up as they talked about him while he was in the same room with them.
Rouge scoffed without hesitancy. "Oh, don't worry about him. He can't hear a thing with that music blasting in his ears," she assured with a hand wave. Amy watched as Shadow continued to work on his dip, not turning around at all to acknowledge their conversation. It seemed safe enough to talk with him presently there. "Now, as I was saying," Rouge continued coyly. "What do you think about him?"
"He's not into me at all. I mean, he has been nicer towards me, but we're just friends."
"Mhm…" Rouge continued organizing the platter she was working on. "I know this sounds weird, but I think you are totally his type. Honestly, I think you guys would be such a good match if he got his act together, but he's been so weird around you. I just don't get it."
Amy couldn't fathom why Rouge would think Shadow would be a good fit for her. Sure, he was extremely attractive and had displayed some charming moments, and had gone out of his way to take care of her wellbeing. However, thinking back to the night before, he had told her that she was beautiful. He also was in the middle of explaining his comment to her when they had been rudely interrupted by the bar brawl. Maybe Shadow did have feelings for her. Also, there was the fact that she felt the same butterflies with certain moments, in her stomach around him at times like she did around Mighty. Was it possible she had some attraction for the dark hedgehog as well?
"Well, anyway…" Rouge segued while she placed the finished and wrapped platter in the fridge. "I'm going to head downstairs and make sure the boys are done cleaning downstairs. When you wrap up here come downstairs and lend me a hand," she reminded.
"Got it," she smiled.
Rouge walked out of the kitchen leaving the two hedgehogs alone. Shadow removed his headphones from his ears and turned to look at Amy who was now in the process of tossing the wings in her homemade buffalo sauce. Unbeknownst to the two girls, he had been eavesdropping in on their conversation the whole time. He wasn't surprised that Rouge had seen them the other night getting closer, however, he was curious to know if Amy had felt any types of feelings towards him.
He cleared his throat as casually as possible. "Ahem, doctor?"
Amy was slightly startled and jumped slightly hearing his voice. She placed the bowl down she had been tossing the wings in. "Huh?"
"I was wondering if you could taste this dip I've been working on. I'd like advice from another expert cook before I finish here."
Amy wiped her hands off on a rag and laughed lightly and approached him. "Expert cook?" she repeated in amusement.
"You're the only other person in this household I'd hold to higher regards with cooking. I'll admit it. You can cook. Take it as a compliment," he shrugged. "I just want to know if it's good or if it needs any more seasoning, alright?"
Amy moved some of her quills over her left shoulder. "Sure, alright then. Um, so what exactly is in this dip anyway?" she inquired curiously.
"It's not too complicated but it's always been a hit when we host parties. It has refried beans, sour cream, guacamole, salsa, shredded cheddar cheese, green onions, and tomatoes, and a bit of siracha," he explained.
Amy stared at the glass casserole dish he had placed it in. She admired the perfectly layered and beautifully aesthetic layers. "Wow, it sounds pretty yummy, but I don't want to ruin it by digging in."
"Don't worry, I've got extra over here," he gestured over to a smaller container where he had a mini casserole dish with the remains.
She placed her hands together giddily. "Great, well I'd love to dig in."
Shadow reached over to his left on the counter and popped open a bag of fresh tortilla chips. He then extended out the open bag, allowing her to reach in and take a chip. Amy reached into the bag and pulled out a large chip and then dunked it into the dip getting a bit of each layer. Shadow leaned his back up against the counter and watched as Amy ate the dip, waiting patiently for her input.
Amy finished her bite and swallowed. "Wow, Shadow. It's really tasty."
He crossed his arms over his chest. "Do you think it needs anything else?"
She shook her head adamantly. "Not at all! It's got a great depth of flavors."
"Thanks," he said giving a small smile. "It's always a tradition to serve this around here."
"I can see why," she smiled back. "Oh, want to try out my buffalo sauce and give me your recommendations?"
"Of course," he nodded.
Amy walked over and dipped a clean spoon into the sauce and walked over for him to taste. She held the spoon out towards his mouth, and he leaned forward and tasted the coating off the back of the spoon. He licked his lips as he mulled over the flavors. "Mmm, it's got a nice texture, smooth, but has that kick near the end."
"Do you think it needs anything else? Should it be spicier?"
Shadow shook his head. "Not at all, you nailed it."
Amy smiled in accomplishment. "Gee, thanks, Shadow. That means a lot."
Shadow walked over and wrapped up his dip. "Want me to take it from here? I can clean up."
"Are you sure? I'd be glad to help out."
He shook his head. "Not at all, I've got it. Go and help Rouge with whatever errand she had tasked for you next. You want your sauce wrapped in the fridge to chill with the wings, right?"
"Yes, that'd be great." Amy took off her apron and hung it up on the wall and quickly washed her hands. "Okay, well, again, thanks, Shadow."
•~•
Later that evening, things were in full swing. The Brothers of Chaos: Southside arrived, and motorcyclists were all over the compound. Outside in front of the house, club members and associates of both sections gathered together, smoking cigarettes or joints, while others lounged on the front porch enjoying a beer. However, downstairs in the entertainment basement, things were quite busy down there as well.
There were party goers surrounding the pool table, enjoying a game of pool and socializing. Others kept themselves busy at the main bar, hitting back shots and talking with old friends. Subtle rock music played in the background.
Amy came downstairs meekly with Rouge by her side. Both of the girls were dressed up in casual party wear. Amy was wearing a blue off-the-shoulder crop top that showed an inch of her toned belly. On her bottom half, she wore a matching blue flared skirt that just hit above her knees and a pair of white heels. Rouge had put a bit of dark eyeshadow and mascara on just to glam her up a bit, even though Amy opposed wearing makeup. She also had her hair up in a high ponytail with a few framing quills.
Rouge, on the other hand, wore a tight dark blue satin camisole and matching mini skirt, and thigh-high black heels. Rouge went for a smoky eye and dark red lip to complete her full face of makeup. Getting down to the bottom of the stairs, Amy held onto the bottom of her skirt and looked around at the new group of rough-looking bikers. There were a few guys she spotted amongst the crowd who happened to be attractive, but overall, she felt overwhelmed with the thought of attending a party full of people she didn't know and would have to socialize with.
Rouge could sense Amy's dread and nerves and gave her assuring pat on the back. "Relax, these guys won't bite," she whispered. "Unless you want them to," she cracked with a light elbow jab.
Amy placed her right hand on her left arm. "Are you really sure it's okay for me to attend this party? Isn't it for M.C. business?"
"I mean, yes and no, it's for business but it's also for fun!" Rouge exclaimed. "Besides, there are plenty of hot guys here to choose from. Go have some…fun," she encouraged.
Amy glanced around the room again once more, already noticing a few eyes on her. "Yeah, but what about-"
"—Hold that thought," Rouge cut off as she spotted her husband chatting up a familiar female pink echidna at the bar. "I'll be back in a few minutes." Amy watched as she marched off towards the two, already feeling tension building in the air.
As Rouge finally got over to where Knuckles was, she impatiently tapped her foot loudly enough to draw their attention. Knuckles' eyes widened as he spotted his wife glaring in his direction. He already knew what had made her upset. "Rouge!" he exclaimed.
"Knuckles, what are you doing talking to her?" she seethed jealously.
Julie-Su, on the other hand, seemed surprisingly calm at the moment. "Look, Rouge, you don't have to feel threatened here," she assured. "Knuckles and I were just catching up," she explained. "I'm not here to try to nab him," she chuckled lightly.
Rouge crossed her arms over her chest and looked between the two echidnas. "I don't care what people say. Exes cannot remain friends." Her eyes locked on the red male. "Knuckles, let's go."
Knuckles looked peeved by her demandingness. "Babe, you need to calm down. Julie and I have done nothing wrong. We ran into each other a few months ago and-"
"—Excuse me?" Rouge cut off after hearing they had previously met without her knowing.
Knuckles blinked a few times. "Yeah, when we went to Finitevus' place to stash our merchandise. Julie was there so we caught up and decided we'd keep in touch."
Rouge scoffed in utter disgust and looked as if she had just witnessed the biggest betrayal. "I can't believe I'm hearing this right now. I can't believe it!"
Julie-Su could see things were only getting worse with the more Knuckles spoke. He really wasn't helping the situation despite the fact they really hadn't done anything to warrant her paranoia. She reached out and touched her arm gently. "Rouge, I can promise you. Girl to girl, Knuckles has not done anything. We're just good friends is all…"
Rouge swatted her hand away and backed up, feeling even angrier—believing Julie was being condescending in the moment. "Screw you, screw both of you!" she bellowed, drawing some attention towards the three. Members of both clubs watched as Rouge stormed off, wiping tears pricking at her eyes.
Knuckles groaned and quickly followed after her. "Rouge, Rouge—babe, come back!"
Amy cringed watching the whole scene unfold and slowly approached the pink female echidna. "I'm sorry about Rouge's behavior," Amy apologized. "I had no idea she'd react like that."
Julie-Su eyed Amy and shook her head. "No, no, don't apologize for her actions. The three of us have a long messy history. This isn't your fault…erm," she struggled for a name.
"Amy," the pink hedgehog offered with a sweet smile. "Amy Rose," she introduced with an outstretched hand.
Julie-Su shook her hand and smiled slightly. "Nice to meet you, Amy. I'm Julie, Julie-Su."
Amy eyed her up and down. "So, do you work with the Southside charter or…"
Julie nodded. "Yes, I'm one of their top escorts," she informed proudly.
Amy blinked a few times. She wasn't sure how to react to her response. "Oh, wow…uh that's great! I'm the medic here," she explained.
"Ah, right. I think I've heard a bit about you already," Julie smiled.
Near the pinball machines, Shadow leaned against the wall with a drink in hand casually watching Rotor, a larger purple walrus try his luck at one of the pinball games. Rotor banged his hand against the side of the machine as his last ball was sucked into one of the holes. "Damn it! I was so close…"
"Better luck next time, right?" Shadow commented.
"Yeah, I guess…" Rotor fished around in his pockets. "You got another 75 cents, man?"
Shadow placed his left hand into his pocket and searched for loose change until he noticed a pink figure in his peripheral vision. He looked over and spotted Amy Rose standing off in the corner talking to Julie-Su. Amy looked absolutely gorgeous tonight, but she was always pretty and put together on most days. However, tonight she looked absolutely stunning in her elevated party outfit.
"—Shadow, Earth to Shadow!" a voice called back near the dark hedgehog.
Shadow came out of his prolonged gawking and turned to look at the owner of the voice. Rotor stood there impatiently after having called his name several times. "What?" Shadow mumbled.
"I was asking if you had any change, remember?" he reminded.
"Right," Shadow realized before handing over whatever loose change he had in his pocket to the walrus. "Here." Rotor watched as Shadow pushed himself away from the wall and made a beeline in Amy's direction. Rotor wasn't familiar with the girl but was confused by Shadow's behavior. However, he shrugged and went back to playing his game.
As Shadow made his way over, he downed the rest of his Old Fashion and placed the empty glass on one of the nearby empty high-top tables. He wanted to approach Amy, but he wasn't quite sure of how to do that naturally. "Doctor, Julie" he began, gaining their attention.
Julie and Amy paused their conversation as the dark hedgehog encroached towards them. "Oh, hey, Shadow," Amy waved pleasantly.
"Yeah, hey there," Julie smiled. "Haven't seen you around in a while, stud," she cracked.
"I know, I haven't been to the Southside charter in some time now. I'm due for a visit I suppose," he shrugged until his eyes looked back to Amy. "You're looking lovely tonight, doctor," he complimented.
Amy smiled appreciatively and suddenly felt those butterflies in her stomach again. Settle down, she thought to herself. "Thanks, Shadow. I was afraid I might have overdressed."
Julie smirked to herself as she picked up on the subtle flirting coming from Shadow. She had known Shadow long enough to pick up on the cues. She raised her eyebrows suggestively before looking for an excuse to leave the two alone and allow the flirting to blossom. "So, I'm going to go mingle with some of the other guys. Nice meeting you, Amy," she said politely, leaving the two alone.
Amy waved at Julie's retreating figure. "Same here." She then looked back to Shadow as he looked like he wanted to say something else.
"Ahem." Shadow cleared his throat with a subtle cough. "So…"
Amy smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, so…"
"Well, I was wondering if you-"
"—Ames!" another voice cut off. The two looked only to see Mighty rush over and interrupt their conversation. The armadillo grabbed Amy by one arm and spun her around to get a good look at her attire. "Hot damn, Ames, you're looking smokin' tonight," he complimented checking her out from head to toe. "You do this all to impress me?" he teased flirtatiously.
Amy blushed slightly from his comment. "Thanks, Mighty," she replied, eying him herself. Mighty always had this confident swagger to his persona when she was around him. It was always very attractive in her eyes. "You're looking good too…"
Mighty glanced down at his attire, not as certain. "Meh, this what I always wear," he shrugged. "But, uh, want to come and hang with me? I can introduce you to some of my friends from the other charter," he offered.
Amy nodded, accepting the kind gesture. "Sure, that'd be great, but just hold on a minute." She turned to look back at Shadow. "What were you going to ask me before, Shadow?"
Shadow shook his head, dismissing the thought. It was obvious she was more interested in hanging out with Mighty than potentially hanging with him. "Nothing important, go enjoy yourself, doctor."
Amy seemed uncertain as she suspected he had wanted to ask something important, but before she could interject. Mighty slung his arm behind her back and guided her off further into the room. Amy took a quick glance over her shoulder to look at Shadow one last time before returning her focus back in front of her. Shadow watched her retreating figure, cursing internally that he hadn't been more forward. He was a bit rusty with this.
"Hey, Shadow!" Manic called, causing him to turn his head. He spotted the green hedgehog sat at one of the high-top tables with a rather attractive orange female echidna in an all-black latex ensemble. He approached their table. "I wanted to introduce you to Shade," he started.
The pretty female echidna lowered her eyelids at him seductively and stuck out her hand for him to shake. "Hello there," she smiled.
Shadow shook her hand formally. "I'm Shadow," he replied politely before quickly averting his gaze to see where the other two had gone. He spotted Amy and Mighty at the bar together ordering drinks but quickly looked back to Manic and Shade.
"Yeah, so, I met Shade back a couple of months ago when we went down to their headquarters to stash our supply. Shade and I, uh, had a lot of fun together and I know you've been pretty tense lately, so I figured I'd introduce you two, ya know?" he said with suggestive eyebrows.
Shadow glanced back at Shade who appeared to be completely down for getting busy later. He remembered hearing the long-winded kiss and tell Manic had bragged about once returning home that time. Shade was quite legendary in entertaining male guests and lived up to her career. Shadow glanced at her, while she made bedroom eyes with him. Then and there, he could see she was clearly checking him out and interested. As nice as the thought was, he was not attracted to her in that way—especially not now with this current feeling brewing inside him with Amy. However, at any other given time, he would not have hesitated to leap at the offer. "I appreciate it, Manic, but maybe some other time."
Manic seemed bewildered that Shadow would decline such an offer. "Fine, maybe Mighty will be more interested. Your loss, man." Shadow watched as Manic hopped off his barstool along with Shade and walked her over in Mighty's direction.
At the bar, Amy clinked her dirty martini with Mighty's Moscow Mule and the two cheered to each other before taking a drink. Mighty turned around when he felt a tap on the shoulder. "Hey, Mighty," Manic called from behind. Both Amy and Mighty turned only to spot Manic with a female echidna by his side. "I wanted to introduce you to Shade," he began. "She's the one that I couldn't stop talking about—you know the one," he hinted, using his hand to block his mouth from Amy overhearing.
Amy stared at the girl, completely oblivious to this story. Mighty contemplated it for a bit before a light bulb went off in his head. "Oooh, right," he smiled eagerly. He stuck his hand out to shake. "Nice to meet you, Shade. I've heard A LOT about you," he emphasized while smiling charmingly.
She giggled. "All good things I hope," she smiled while shaking his hand back.
Mighty pressed his back against the bar as his eyelids lowered suggestively. "Oh yeah, plenty of good things," he chuckled.
"Really," she purred. "Well, did you hear that I can-" She leaned in closer and whispered something into his ear. Amy felt like a complete third wheel as she stood between the two having a private conversation and awkwardly took a sip of her drink. Mighty focused on Shade's private comment and his eyes practically bugged out of his head.
He took a hold of her hand and moved forward. "Uh, excuse me, Amy," he apologized. He leaned in towards his friend. "Manic, keep Amy entertained. I'll be right back," he stated before leading Shade off with him.
Amy looked slightly disappointed as she watched Mighty flake off on her. "But…"
"He gets pretty sidetracked," Manic noted but saw Amy had no response and instead frowned. He cleared his throat uncomfortably. "You wanna go play a round of pool or somethin'?" Manic spoke trying to get her mood up.
She glanced up at him and smiled weakly not really focused on his compliment. "No thanks, Manic. If you'll excuse me…"
At the bar, Mephiles and Finitevus had a couple of beers while conducting their own business meeting. "So, you managed to get rid of the A.T.F for the time being then?" the white echidna questioned.
Mephiles nodded. "For now, as it seems. However, there's no doubt they'll be back. The agent that was directed to investigate us I can tell will be a future problem. She seemed rather gung-ho on finding us guilty."
"What's happening with the storage situation then?" Finitevus segued. "You promised this would be a temporary deal. We've been holding your merch for three months now. We've got our own agents sniffing around our place too, you know."
"Of course. I've been keeping tabs on our new place. Our newest warehouse is nearly complete in construction. We can transfer our goods over this next weekend, how's that?" Mephiles offered.
Finitevus nodded. "Sounds like a plan to me."
The two clinked glasses together. Mephiles threw back his glass of whisky downing the remnants left before slamming the glass down on the counter. "Round two, bartender!" he ordered. The bartender behind the bar scurried over to quickly refill his glass. While he waited, Mephiles craned his neck to look behind him and check out the atmosphere of the party. From a glance, it appeared most people were enjoying themselves. His eyes stopped on a familiar figure talking to one of Finitevus' guys. It was none other than Amy Rose looking as enticing as ever in her party wear. She had her backside facing him, so he couldn't help but check her out.
Seeing his prolonged ogling, Finitevus turned to look to see what he was looking at. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," he mumbled before staring at the white polar bear she was talking to. "Who's that guy over there talking to our dear doctor?"
Finitevus adjusted his black spectacles to get a better look. "Oh, that's just Bark. He's recently been patched into the club," he explained. "We don't normally take his kind in, but he's proved himself."
"He looks rather interested in our doctor," Mephiles observed.
Finitevus chuckled at his comment, clearly amused by his misjudgment. "I doubt that, he swings the other way."
Mephiles turned to look at his friend in surprise. "He's gay?"
Finitevus nodded. "As I said, we don't normally take in his kind. However, he's earned his position in our club."
Before turning back around, Mephiles also took notice that Amy and Bark also seemed to have another spectator not too far off. Huddled near one of the walls, Mephiles spotted Shadow watching the two like a hawk. "What are you up to now, dear brother?" he questioned internally.
Shadow made his way towards the two with another old fashion in hand. Amy was now talking to another guy from their charter—this time it was a male Polar bear. He had no clue if he was even interested in Amy that way, but he couldn't risk it. He wanted to hang out with Amy tonight and get to know her better.
"So, how'd you come to be a part of the Brothers?" Bark asked curiously holding his beer in hand.
"I'm their medic," she explained. "I found an ad online and they hired me."
"Ah, pretty cool," he noted with a smile. "Do you like working for them?"
"Yes, I love it here. Everybody for the most part has been really welcoming, friendly," she explained. "And—"
Amy felt a bump from behind her and accidentally spilled the remainder of her martini all over Bark's white t-shirt. Bark backed up feeling the splash of liquid drench his shirt and the floor beneath them. Amy looked at the empty glass in her hand and at Bark's drenched shirt apologetically. "Oh my gosh, I am so sorry!"
Bark batted at any loose liquid lingering on the surface of his shirt with his hand. He smiled sheepishly. "It's alright, it was an accident, right?"
Amy turned to look to see who had bumped into her strongly enough to make her lurch forward and spill her drink. She noticed a yellow female cat with black hair one of the other charter's many escorts. She had backed up hard enough into her to cause her to spill her drink. She turned around clearly drunk. She innocently looked at her. "Sorry, sweetie, I didn't see you there," she slurred.
Bark turned on his heel. "I'm going to clean up real quick," he stated before turning on his heel and heading upstairs.
The same drunken cat now stumbled straight into Shadow's arms. She purred as she nuzzled under his neck and pressed her body up against his. "I thought this body felt familiar. You feelin' lonely tonight, handsome?"
Shadow grimaced, feeling her hot drunk breath hit his nostrils. "Honey, I'm not in the mood for that tonight or anytime in the near future," he noted setting her upright.
She gave him her best bedroom eyes. "Are you sure? You're looking awfully sexy tonight…You remember when you, me, and-"
As Amy made her way through the crowd once again, she suddenly remembered that Mighty had said he'd be back to see her. She wondered if he had gotten side-tracked and began to search for him. Eventually, she found him in one of the far-left corners of the basement where some lounge chairs and couches were. It was there she found him among plenty of other couples making out. Mighty and Shade were planted side by side in a heated make-out session. Mighty's hand was firmly on Shade's right hip as they were turned towards each other kissing. One of Shade's hands roamed up his chest, while the other lingered near his crotch.
Amy stared at the scene feeling her heart sink before backing away starting to grow upset. She passed a table with two empty shot glasses filled with clear liquid and snatched both of them not caring if they belonged to someone else. As she walked away, she took both shots one after the other and then placed the empty glasses on another nearby empty table. She looked at the other members of her club engaged in conversation, playing pool, drinking, or dancing on the dance floor. Hell, even Shadow looked busy as that girl who had bumped into her earlier was cozied up to him. She felt so out of place, so suddenly incredibly lonely.
"Hey, what gives?" a female voice asked from behind. Amy turned around only to see Julie-Su. She looked concerned in her countenance seeing Amy so flustered. "…Are you okay?" she continued.
Amy shook her head. "No, not really…"
Julie placed a hand on her shoulder. "What's up then?"
"It's just stupid boy drama," she sighed.
She cocked a brow. "Which boy?"
"…Mighty," she replied.
Julie-Su seemed surprised. "Oh, you like Mighty? I thought you…" She glanced over to the ebony-striped hedgehog momentary on the other side of the room who was still busy trying to shoo away Honey. "…Nevermind."
Amy crossed her arms over her chest and felt her ears droop. "Yeah, but he keeps sending me all these weird mixed signals. I don't understand…"
"Sweetie, I get it. Mighty is a handsome fella but, uh, he's not really the steady-one girl-at-a-time kind of guy," she explained.
"What?" Amy shook her head in embarrassment. "Chaos, I feel like such an idiot!"
"There's not any other guys here you might like?" she urged, trying to shift the mood.
Amy's eyes glanced over to Shadow momentarily. The yellow feline with long black hair still had her arms thrown around his neck. Julie followed her gaze and smiled softly, happy to see the confirmation. "I-I, it's not possible…I don't even know what to think." Huffing in frustration, Amy rushed upstairs to get out of the basement.
"Amy, wait!" Julie called after her.
Just then, Shadow approached Julie after finally getting rid of Honey from clinging to him. "What happened?"
"Ooh, well, she's not having a very good night. It has something to do with Mighty," she worded carefully. "You should go talk to her, you probably know her better than I do," she urged. Shadow nodded and headed upstairs.
Once Amy was upstairs, she passed partygoers lingering in the living room and headed for the outdoors. Shadow followed Amy out of the basement. Looking for the pink hedgehog and eventually found her standing on the front porch by herself. She had her back to him as he approached her. "Are you alright, doctor?"
Amy glanced behind her and spotted the dark, red striped hedgehog. Amy rubbed at her nose, feeling her emotions begin to build. She did not want to cry in front of him again, but her anxiety was starting to grow. She was also starting to feel a little bit tipsy from the alcohol consumed. She had always been a lightweight. "I'm-I'm fine."
"You don't seem fine," he observed. "Do you want someone to talk to?"
She turned around to face him and leaned her back against the railing and crossed her arms over her chest. "You really want to listen to my problems right now?"
"Hey, I've done it before," he reminded, reminding her of their rooftop rendezvous.
"Well…" She mulled on it for a moment before caving in. She did want to vent a bit. "I-I thought I was going to hang out exclusively with Mighty tonight, but he blew me off for some other girl."
"Yeah, I happened to notice that," Shadow noted. "Sorry he let you down, I'll talk to him about it tomorrow when he's sober and coherent."
Amy sighed. "I just thought it would be exciting and different tonight now that things have changed…" she stated alluding to her new freedom status.
Shadow leaned his right shoulder against the post. When he glanced at her, he felt a tinge of disappointment. "…Do you really like Mighty that much?" he questioned curiously.
Amy glanced at Shadow as she considered the thought. "I-I don't know. I've only known him for a short time. I'd definitely say we're good friends," she admitted. "But I'd be lying if I didn't admit I've had a crush on him," she admitted shyly. "I think he's shown some interest, but I can't really read him right now. Especially with how he bailed on me so easily. Was I just wrong about his intentions?" she questioned aloud. "Gosh, I've been out of the dating world for so long since I was with Zonic…"
"I can't say you're right or wrong, because I simply don't know," Shadow admitted. "He flirts with you a lot, but I don't think serious relationships are his top priority," he explained.
She blinked in surprise. "So, Julie-Su was right then?"
"Well, what did she tell you exactly?" he questioned.
"She said he's not a one girl at a time kind of guy," she answered sadly.
"Don't get me wrong, I think he does like you, but as long as I've known Mighty he's been kind of a womanizer."
Amy groaned even further disappointed and dropped her head. "Oh great," she deflated. "I always fall for the wrong guys…"
Shadow moved in a little closer, growing bolder by the minute. He reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, don't let this get you down. You're beautiful and the right guy will come along sooner than you think."
Amy's ears perked up in surprise and she lifted her head to look at him. She inched in even closer and stared up at him—their eyes locking. "That's the second time you've said I was beautiful…" she noted thinking back to the time he had mentioned it at the bar.
He smiled weakly at her. "Well, it's the truth..." The two of them stared at each other for a moment in silence, each mentally begging for the other to make a move unbeknownst to the other's thoughts. Looking down at her, Shadow's eyelids lowered sensually. He gently grabbed her face, leaned forward, and kissed her. Amy's mind went blank the moment his lips melded with hers. Their lips moved slowly in sync and suddenly a warmth overcame her whole body. Amy closed her eyes reeling at the moment. However, just as she was starting to get into it, he pulled away looking at her lovingly before realizing what he had just done. His eyes widened in terror. "Shit," he cursed under his breath. He released his hold of her face and backed up.
Amy watched in utter confusion as he backed away from her and hurried off the front porch and back into the house. Getting her bearings of what had just happened, Amy quickly headed back inside the house after him. She looked in the different rooms' downstairs, making her way around the lingering guests. Eventually, she went upstairs and found Shadow sitting on the edge of his bed with his hands covering his face. She pushed his door open further making the door creak to get his attention. "…Shadow?"
He lifted his face from his hands and craned his neck over his shoulder to look at her standing in the doorway. "Look, I didn't mean to do that so abruptly," he tried to excuse. Amy walked into his bedroom closing the door behind her. "I'm sorry if it seemed like I forced myself on you. It just came over me and-"
"—Shadow, you don't need to apologize," she cut off. She slowly made her way towards him and stood directly in front of him sat on the edge of his bed. "It was…nice and I wanted you to kiss me just then."
He stared up at her—surprised by her response. "What?"
"I-I had no idea you liked me like that," she admitted shyly.
"Honestly, I didn't realize it for a while either," he admitted. "I only recently started to come to terms with these feelings I've had when I'm around you." Shadow felt his hair raise up on the back of his neck as he felt her hands rest firmly on both his shoulders.
Amy brought her body closer to him as he remained sitting on the edge of his bed. "I know this is going to sound crazy, but can I ask you to do something, Shadow?"
He looked up at her standing before him. "Of course."
Her fingertips danced along his shoulders. "Kiss me again," she whispered.
"…Are you sure?" he asked, confirming he had heard correctly.
She nodded, blushing slightly. "Yes…"
Shadow did not even bother to reply. His hands reached up and gently grabbed her by the waist. Amy slowly sunk down into his lap. Her knees rested on either side of his hips and she made sure not to sit in his lap and hurt his already still healing upper thigh. Amy pressed her lips against his as they began to make out. Slowly, Shadow began to lean back, eventually lying flat on his back with Amy on top. Amy's entire body began to grow hot from his gentle touch and incredible kissing. Shadow's right hand grazed up Amy's left hip. His fingers brushed just barely underneath her shirt, but enough for him to get skin-to-skin contact. His other hand gently traced circles on her thigh causing her skin to grow goosebumps.
As much as Amy was enjoying Shadow's touch and kisses, the ebony hedgehog was thoroughly enjoying his point of view too. Amy kept herself lifted above him with one arm but used her free hand to stroke the side of his neck. Her fingers brushed against the side of his neck before sweeping up the curvature of his muzzle. Their lips smacked together in unison and eventually, Shadow sat up somewhat eventually rolling them over so now he was in the dominating position. He broke away from kissing her lips and began leaving soft kisses across her muzzle and eventually down the side of her neck. Amy wrapped her arms around Shadow's neck and closed her eyes and panted as she felt his lips work down the side of her neck, suckling softly. She let out a subtle moan and tugged on the back of his quills begging for more. "Sha-shadow," her breath hitched.
Carefully, Shadow ground his hips into her pelvis rhythmically. Amy wasn't sure why—but she had never believed herself to be very sexual. She had never felt sexually empowered, but her body seemed to have a mind of its own tonight. Her hips thrust forward meeting his, begging for his crotch to meet hers. She was completely turned on by him. It was thrilling to be entangled in his arms, making out with him and rolling around on his bed. She loved breathing in his delightful scent of leather, smoke, cologne, and bourbon.
Shadow, on the other hand, was enjoying his make-out session with the doctor. It had been some time since he had spent quality time with a female and he was rather pleased to have it be Amy. The girl's lips were pillowy soft and her lily scented perfume drove him over the edge. He loved the way her soft and delicate body molded against his hard and lean muscular body.
•~•
As much as things were looking like paradise for some people upstairs, a few rooms down, Knuckles and Rouge were still arguing over Rouge's jealousy of Julie-Su. The two had been arguing and trying to come to terms for over an hour now and had yet to enjoy the party.
"You don't respect me," Rouge continued to drill. "You may think it's no big deal, but it is to me!"
Knuckles stood at their bedroom door looking at Rouge brooding while sitting on the edge of their bedroom window. "Rouge, why don't you trust me? I would never do anything like that to hurt you. I love you for fuck's sake!" he exclaimed.
"You were engaged to her once, were you not?" she challenged.
He sighed. "Yes, but that was a long time ago and then I met you," he reminded. "The two of us have moved on and don't hold any ill will towards each other—like adults."
She wiped at her nose. "If this isn't such a big deal, then why didn't you tell me months ago that you two had met in person at the other charter? Why'd you hide that from me?"
"I don't know," he shrugged. "All we did is talk and have a few drinks. I didn't think I needed to tell you that."
"Fine, the next time I bump into my ex I won't tell you a damn thing," she huffed.
Knuckles walked towards her. "Rouge, I'm sick and tired of talking in circles." He knelt down in front of her. "Just know that I'm sorry that I pissed you off and gave you some doubt. Right now, I only have eyes for you. I love you, Rouge…"
Rouge looked down at him practically on his knees and begging for forgiveness. In her heart, she knew he was being genuine in his apology. She sighed. "Alright…I forgive you."
Knuckles smiled and got up to his feet and embraced her. Rouge embraced him back, feeling tears stream down her face. She hated arguing, but she knew she needed to vent and get her side across otherwise this would just happen again. Knuckles rubbed her back. "I promise not to keep a secret like that again from you, okay?"
Rouge nodded. "Thank you."
He pulled back from his embrace and gave her a charming grin. "Want to have make-up sex?"
Rouge wiped at her wet eyes and laughed. "Obviously!"
•~•
Later that night, Shadow opened his eyes tiredly as they adjusted to the darkness. Within the blackness of his room, he could see the alarm clock on his dresser. The bright red font read 5:55 AM. Shifting over in bed he realized that Amy was still in bed with him—fully clothed along with himself. The two must have fallen asleep together after their long make-out session. It hadn't gone any farther than kissing and a bit of touching, but it was a nice moment he had shared with her. Shadow sat up, sitting on the side of his bed, and rubbed at his eyes. Quietly, Shadow moved off the side of the bed and opened his bedroom door, and peeked down the hall. Looking both ways within the darkened halls it was ridiculously quiet. Everyone must have gone to bed at this point. He walked down the hall and opened Amy's bedroom door before returning to his own bedroom.
Once he returned, he approached his bed and gently hoisted Amy up into his arms bridal style. Amy didn't even wake up from the movement. Carefully, Shadow carried Amy back into her bedroom and placed her in her own bed. When she was laid down, he took off her heels and placed them next to the side of her bed. Shadow grabbed a blanket near the end of her bed and threw it over her body, He tucked her in before departing from her room. He was anxious to see what tomorrow would bring now that he and Amy had elevated their relationship.
•~•