CHAPTER 7

WHAT IF…

When Shadow stepped back inside of Rouge's bedroom, he saw her laying in bed glancing through a jewelry magazine looking quite bored.

When she heard the door shutting gently, she peeked her eyes away from the magazine and watched Shadow making his way towards the small window.

He was just mindless staring out into the dark night sky.

She began to get concerned for him. Judging by his mood, it seemed that his talk with Joseph didn't go very well. She set the magazine down on the small table beside the bed and turned to the hedgehog. "So", she began. "How did she take it? About bringing her to the Chaotix?"

It took a moment before Shadow even bothered to respond. "That didn't really come up…"

She gave him a grimaced look. "What do you mean it didn't come up?…Is she okay?"

"She's fine", he spoke in an unsure tone. "She's just sleeping."

She knew that there had to be more to what he was telling her. He had been in her room far too long to not say a single word to her. "What happened? Did you guys talk about something else or…"

He rested his head on the cold glass of the window. "She kept saying that she was going to die soon and that she was scared…very scared."

She gasped in horror when she figured that Joseph was still talking about killing herself. "She's talking about suicide again?" She got out of bed and walked over to Shadow. "We can't leave her alone in there all night if she's…"

When he finally turned to her, he saw her wearing quite a revealing red lingerie dress. "No I don't think it's nothing like that."

She gave him a doubtful look. By the way she was talking earlier, she seemed pretty serious about ending her own life.

"She acted like something was going to come after her. Like something had wanted to take her life instead."

She placed her finger on her chin. "She thinks someone is out to get her?"

He shrugged his shoulders as he became doubtful that anyone would just attempt to kill her. "I think she's just scared. All kinds of paranoia is running through her head."

Rouge had to agree that the state Joseph was in would freak her out so bad, she would begin to think death would be out to get her as well. She leaned her body against his and sighed while he held her in his arms. "I hope she'll be all right."

He could tell that she was already getting concerned for Joseph and didn't want to worry her anymore than she was. "She will. We just have to keep an eye on her until tomorrow." She made a nod agreeing with him. She suddenly heard a small chuckle coming from him. She lifted her head from his chest and gave him a confused look. "What?"

He made his way over to bed and sat on it. "Joseph saw us making out on the couch earlier."

A light blush of embarrassment formed on her face. "What? I-I thought she was asleep or something!"

He shrugged and started to take off his black trench coat. "Apparently she wasn't."

She sighed heavily and sat beside him while she crossed her legs. "Well I guess it could've been worse. She could've caught us banging on the couch instead."

After when she said that, he began to become grateful that she had only saw them kissing and nothing else. "Heh, I suppose you're right."

She saw him toss his coat to the floor. "So are you going to stay tonight?"

"Yeah I suppose another night here won't kill me. Besides, I'll be here in case something happens."

She thought it would be for the best since both of them were cautious of Joseph's behavior. "That sounds like a good idea."

He arched an eyebrow towards her. "Oh really?" When he had laid down on the bed, he forced Rouge to rest her body on top of his.

She couldn't help but to blush as her head rested on his chest.

He held her hand in his as they both rested on the bed. "Or did you just want someone to cuddle with tonight?"

Her blush deepened on her face, "Don't be stupid! I'm not that needy!"

"You're not as tough as you claim to be you know? Have you been counting the times I had to save you throughout the years?"

She made her way to the other side of the bed and laid beside him. She lightly punched him in the arm and giggled. "You're acting like such a cocky jerk!"

"What?" He got on top of her body and began to tickle the sides of her stomach. "I thought you liked cocky jerks?"

She started to uncontrollably laugh while he tickled her. "Stop! I'm ticklish!"

"You don't think I know that?" He spoke with a smirk.

She noticed that he had stopped tickling her and saw him slowly leaning close to her. Before she knew it she was caught in a passionate lip lock with him. The way he was acting towards her had shocked her. It was rare when Shadow would playfully flirt with her. She thought that maybe it was something Joseph said to make him act like this. She slowly pulled her lips from his and caressed his cheek lovingly as she stared into his deep red eyes. "Hey, Shad? I know we've been through this before but…what are we?"

He figured that she was asking about their relationship. He knew she wanted to know if he wanted them to remain friends or to become something else. "I told you before. I just don't know if I'm ready for us to give it a go just yet. Things are…complicated."

With her hearing that familiar answer yet again, she couldn't help but to feel slightly disappointed. She liked him a lot. Perhaps she even loved him and it hurt that he wasn't sure how he felt about her. "But you do care about me…don't you?"

He stoked his fingers through her white hair, "Of course I care about you, Rouge. I'm just not sure if this is love or something else. I just don't want to hurt you."

She slowly shifted her eyes from his. He tried to mean well and not get himself emotionally attached to her however, it was a little too late on her end.

"But I do know that you're the only woman to make me this happy in a long time. I don't know where I'd be without you."

After hearing him say that, she couldn't help but to make a warm smile and pull him into a passionate kiss.

As he returned the kiss, his hands began to slowly travel around her body.

It wasn't long before she felt her red lingerie dress being shifted and lifted as his hand caressed her bare thigh. A small moan escaped her when she felt her bare opening being stroked gently.

He gently nibbled on her neck. "No underwear? Were you expecting this to happen?"

She giggled as her hands traveled around his back. "Doesn't this always happen when you stay the night here?"

He couldn't help but agree with her. It was rare when they spent alone time together that they parted without having sex beforehand.

She let out a small gasp when she felt his fingers slowly being inserted into her wet opening. Her hands made her way to the belt of his pants. When she undid his belt, he had took his pants off and tossed them on the floor. As the two passionately kissed, her legs wrapped around his body. She winced slightly as he slowly penetrated her with his large and erect member. She gripped his shoulders as he went deeper inside of her. "Oh God, Shadow", she spoke seductively. "It feels so good."

"I'm glad you like this", he spoke with a smirk.

When he began to thrust himself in and out of her, her moans grew louder and louder. "Oh, Shadow! Yes! Your dick feels so good inside of me!"

He leaned over to her and whispered softly in her ear. "Be a little more quiet, sweetheart. Virgin ears are just down the hall."

Her eyes widened as she forgot all about Joseph being in the house as well. "Sorry I forgot."

He lightly chuckled and kissed her forehead gently before he continued to pleasure her.

When his thrusts had gotten faster, she didn't know if she could stay quiet. Her moans were still fairly loud.

Shadow rolled his eyes in annoyance. Rouge was never really a shy and quiet person to be around. Especially in bed. "For God's sake, Rouge. Just bite into my shoulder."

She gripped her hands around his body and sunk her teeth into his shoulder to perhaps help her with being so loud. When she noticed his thrusts getting harder and faster, she suddenly felt a warm and wet sensation explode inside of her. She slowly took her teeth from his shoulder and saw him collapse on the other side of the bed.

The two tried to catch their breath before speaking to each other.

Shadow rose up from the bed and turned to the exhausted bat woman laying beside him. "I never realized how fucking loud you are until now", he panted.

She placed her hand on her sweaty, heaving chest. "Shut up! Don't make fun of me!" She saw him lean over to her and gave her a quick peck on the lips.

"What are you gonna do? Yell and scream at me?"

She playfully hit his arm and turned away from him as she was about to go to sleep. "Shut up and go to sleep."

A warm smile formed on his lips as he stared at her body sleeping beside him. He had to admit that he couldn't get what Joseph had said to him out of his mind. Did he really want to live the rest of his days with her? He imagined what it could be like and he couldn't help but to have a warm feeling about the thought.

In The Next Chapter...

Rouge: She's gone! Joseph's gone!

Joseph: They were going to take me back...

Rouge: What the hell is that thing?

Shadow: Rouge, look out!