While her best friend slept more soundly than she'd ever seen – lying on his side in a more relaxed pose than on his back in his typical stiff-straight posture – Rouge tended to her club and the patrons who floated in and out through the evening. She checked on him periodically via the balcony door, but each time she only saw Shadow in a new sleeping position with his eyes still restfully shut. Whatever he'd been doused with, it had thoroughly knocked him out once he'd drifted off to sleep.

When her casino closed for the night, the bat started to get a tad worried about just how much he was sleeping. Twelve hours had passed between her business opening and closing, and her dear quiet crush still hadn't awoken to tell her he was okay. Rouge approached his bedside and looked over the slumbering hedgehog, wringing her hands and studying his changed body language. It was the first time she'd witnessed him sleeping on his side, facing the wall with his hands cradling his chest and legs pulled up a little to bend at the knees.

She sat down on the edge of the mattress, filling the vacant crook behind his legs, and watched the spines on his back steadily raise and lower with his deep, slow breaths. The side of his face that she could see looked peaceful, another new development; somehow, the Ultimate Lifeform had always seemed like he was scowling, even in his sleep. She wondered if he was dreaming. Then she mulled on the question of whether or not he could've been permanently altered in some way because of their slip-up.

But in what way, if any? He still seemed like himself, even while struggling to focus. And he's the perfect being, anyway, Rouge deduced. His body and brain could handle a little mind-fuck, even if it had been kind of intense. He'd been through worse. Nevertheless, she stayed where she was for a few more minutes, hesitating to wake him up herself, until he started to stir on his own. His body shifted to turn over, but dark-furred legs were halted by the barrier that was Rouge's back. The rest of him slowly twisted and his eyes cracked open.

Watching him wake up made the bat smile, and she spoke softly once red irises locked onto her face. "Welcome to the waking world. Your sleep schedule is fucked now."

Shadow couldn't see her perfectly in the dimness of the loft space, having to rub his eyes to get a clearer view after they'd been shut for so long. His voice was flat and husky when he asked, "What time is it?"

"Just after midnight. You slept through all the partying going on down below."

"I did?" He paused, lowering his hands to rest on his stomach and staring at the beautiful woman sitting beside him in the darkness. "That strange stuff had me more out of it than I thought."

Rouge sighed a little, before gathering the gumption to ask, "Shadow... do you remember much about what happened this morning?"

Nervous like she'd never been before, the jewel thief pointed the heart-shaped toes of her boots together while her heart rate rose in anticipation of his reply. One of his legs still rested propped against her back while he lay casually. She saw his index finger tap thoughtfully on the glove beneath it and instinctually dreaded the few seconds of silence he made her suffer through. The handsome hedgehog's brief hesitation served as his preparation to tell the truth, his heart also beating faster as he swallowed to wet his dry mouth.

"I remember everything," he answered, his tone a little sweeter than the neutral timbre he usually spoke in. "There's not a moment I can't recall."

Her worry soothed and she leaned closer to see him better. "And how do you feel now that it's over?"

"... Lighter. More free than I have in a long time." His eyes dropped from her face to her hand planted on the mattress; his own moved from resting atop his stomach to lay on top of her gloved fingers. "Though, I am concerned that I burdened you during our mission. I was useless towards the end of it and I'm sorry you had to get us out of there yourself."

"Well... it's true that I could've managed the task on my own," teased Rouge, a sly smile playing at the corner of her lips. "But I don't care about that. I'm just glad you came out of that weird state okay – I was worried for a bit there."

"Ah, Rouge," he started, shaking his head and smirking a little, "you worry about me entirely too much."

She feigned offense, balling her free hand into a fist against her hip. "And who else will, hm? Sorry, sir, but the Ultimate Lifeform will just have to accept that I care about his well-being."

Shadow exhaled a laugh through his nose and rolled his eyes. Then his partner lowered her unoccupied palm onto his hand, sandwiching it between hers, and changed the subject. "You said a lot of stuff before. And you remember it now. But... did you mean it? Was that really you?"

The lounging Mobian's expression softened, though subtly enough that Rouge couldn't tell through the dim lighting. He repeated the way he'd sat up before he'd gone to sleep, pulling himself towards her and meeting her turquoise gaze more sincerely. His lips parted and the charming baritone of his deep voice came off assuring and certain.

"It was really me." He squeezed the hand under his. "And I meant all of it. Everything I did and said... I'd been thinking about it for a while before that."

His teammate's mouth widened into a relieved grin. "And you were too prideful to admit it before? Or shy?"

Shadow leaned closer, their muzzles a mere inch away from each other. "I don't know what I was... foolish, I suppose..."

The gap between them closed when Rouge leaned in, kissing him for the first time in a purely sober state. He recognized that it felt almost as good as the initial intoxicated smooch, his soul just as embraced by the confirmation that she wanted a deeper connection as he did – only without the wavery imbalance of his pumped-up nerves or the worrisome pound of a fiercely thumping heart. It was much more calming this time around, more real as he could feel the soft, slick press of her lips for what it was instead of being hyper-sensitive to every slight grazing touch. Kissing his best friend was truly blissful.

Rouge also repeated her own action from the previous morning, leaning further to push Shadow back against the bed; but this time, she didn't pull away. His arms slipped around her waist and she kissed him a little harder, then broke it briefly to look into his eyes again. "You know, Shad..."

She trailed off and bit her lip, flashing sharp fangs as she betrayed the glee she felt with another grin. The dark man raised an eyebrow and let his smile creep upward, amused and intrigued as he spoke, "Yes? What's going on in that mischievous mind of yours?"

A chuckle slipped from Rouge's mouth and she twirled one finger into the patch of white fur on his chest. "Well... it's been a long time that we neglected to say anything about our feelings, right?"

He nodded. "Unfortunately."

"In that case," she said in a sultry tone, her bright teal eyes managing to twinkle even in the darkness, "we have a ton of lost time to make up for."

Shadow watched her expression change into the charming, seductive face he was used to, while she shifted her body to lift one leg over to the other side of his stagnant form. Hovering above him, Rouge cocked her head and stared a dreamy, lidded gaze at the relaxed hedgehog.

"What'ya say, sugar?" she muttered, her inquiry sounding a bit more like a statement than a question. "You wanna make this partnership a lot more exciting?"

It felt much more natural, being able to connect to the stunning lady with a clear head; and Shadow didn't want it any other way in that moment. The dim blanket of midnight made him feel more at ease, too. And being enticed by Rouge in this way was something he'd only dreamed of before. Now there was no worry, no suffocating paranoia – and no question as to the answer the stoic lifeform had for her. Shadow enwrapped his arms around her more, pulling the alluring temptress closer before replying in a deep, buttery whisper.

"More than anything."