DEEP SECRET
By
The Nevermore Raven
* * * * * * *
Now I am in trouble... How did I just let someone find out about this? In anxiety, I watched the pink rose before me as her sparkling emerald eyes widened, staring into my own rubies. "Shadow?" I glanced away in embarrassment, aware of her newly implied knowledge. Now what? What will she think of me now? I was caught in a dangerous balancing act above a bottomless pit, and I just fell off the wire... So much for effort. "Shadow? Why didn't you tell me this?" I heard the rose ask.
"Because, Amy. I didn't want you to know," I answered in my rich and smooth voice, a wry smile curving my tan lips. How can I explain my way out of this mess? I doubt I can do that at all! You may assume the mentioned secret is love. That is a good guess, but that isn't the secret; I hesitantly confessed my love to this rare flower a week or so ago. We were on our first date, and it was going wonderfully - until now.
I had been eyeing Rose for a while, but the entire time she was chasing her cobalt hero, which only incited my intense jealousy and disappointment. When they started dating, I felt terrible. Rouge was a viable option, and she would've been a good one, had she treated me less like a prize to seduce and more like a person. Once she realized that, and I am glad she did, she was with that red echidna. Love stinks.
Rose didn't feel emotionally satisfied with Sonic, and now she's finally mine. I felt elated when she accepted me. My heart was about to explode as it pounded my ribcage and I felt dizzy from the erupting warmth in my chest, but I felt great nonetheless! So where do I start? The beginning is always good. It started one afternoon when a rainstorm decided to visit the city...
* * * * * * *
It was on a rainy, muggy afternoon that I decided to waste time by wandering aimlessly about, with no destination in particular and no planned route to get there. My head and quills were wet to a point, but the rest of me was dry thanks to the charcoal-grey overcoat I managed to buy the week before. It was double breasted, with a belt which I had tightened to keep snug from the rain. It had large, securely fastened buttons, and a fleece lining that I left back at home, for just the outer coat was plenty warm. It was a good fit for me, as it covered my form to just below my knees, keeping my entire body dry and warm. Getting soaked to the skin in a rain spell was no longer a problem, and I was quite content with the fact.
I lived comfortably in the guest room of a familiar and friendly fox's clubhouse with his parents. They were quite generous to give me a place to stay, and I still am grateful for their kindness. For once, my life was going along smoothly and without much hassle.
Surrounded by medium rise buildings, I was apparently within the residential area of town, rows of apartments all around me. From the distance, I heard two things I don't like to hear together. I heard a girl scream, and with it, the menacing laughter of several men. I shook my head in disapproval as I quickened my pace to solve the problem ahead, about ready to kick some ass and give them something to cry about...
I tuned the corner of a shopping window and saw a shape with a head of pink. There is only one person that came to my mind as pink. Amy Rose. Surrounding her, three idiots watched her as a fourth pushed her back and continued laughing. Two of them were human, one was a wolf, and the unlucky fool pushing the girl was a brown hedgehog. He will be first. With my trademark speed, I rocketed forward and slammed my fist into his stomach before I jumped up and kicked him in the chin, earning a startled yelp as he fell back and the others shouted out in surprise. The next got a swift kick in the groin, rendering him more or less on the cement as he clutched his privates in agony. The wolf got pushed down in my rage, and then I made a quick grab of Amy's arm and pulled her with me away from the buffoons while they still were struggling to find out what was going on.
I picked her shaken body up in my arms and carried her away from the mess, leaving the bastards behind us. Green frightened eyes looked into my own, and they recognized my deep crimson irises. "Shadow!? What are you doing out here?"
"I should be asking you the same, Rose. Did you need a bit of help?" I asked in reply, leaving plenty of distance and rain between her and the fools behind us. I turned a corner to lose the men for good, and walked in one random direction, away from the men that dared to touch this rose. I set the young maiden on the sidewalk as we waited on a shaded city street under a planted sycamore tree, standing beneath its spreading crown of distinctive, large and toothy leaves. The tree was greenish white up in its branches, and its trademark mottled bark covered the trunk in large flakes of brown, tan, and grey.
"I was just walking home when these guys jumped me! Shadow, if you didn't show up, I would've been toast!" Without warning, Amy embraced me and I suddenly, briefly felt a soft pair of lips caress my damp cheek. "Thank you, Shadow," I heard the girl softly sigh.
"You are welcome, Amy," I replied, feeling a wave of heat crawl up the back of my neck, erupting in a rosy blush on my tan cheeks. Amy softly laughed as she saw my burning cheeks. I smiled sheepishly as Amy had her next comment. Okay, it wasn't a comment, it was a reaction. I noticed her start to shiver as she wrapped her arms around her shapely form, inciting me to promptly unbutton my coat while she stared unknowingly at the sidewalk. She wore a sweater, not something that will keep you dry in the soaking rain. By the time my belt was unfastened, I draped the coat over her shoulders, earning a gasp from her softest of lips.
"Oh, Shadow..." It was her turn to blush, and my turn to smile.
"You are cold," I remarked as my body now was exposed to the rain, which wasn't terribly bad under the sheltering tree. I heard the girl emit a soothing, almost musical giggle. Rose stuck her arms through the sleeves as I shyly buttoned the coat's top button, earning another glance of her gorgeous emerald eyes.
"Shadow, you're quite a gentleman," Amy stated as she looked into my eyes, causing me to stare into hers.
"And you're quite beautiful," I replied, earning a second blush from Amy, causing her face to redden more than it had the first time. Her eyes... So deep... So pretty... I drowned in the emerald pools of her eyes as she continued watching mine. And just like that... we kissed. The kiss was shocking. I didn't expect it to happen, but ending it when it started sounded like a terrible idea. My cheeks burned several shades darker than they did originally as I felt soothing heat envelop my body and my heart thump madly in my chest. On impulse I embraced her and pulled her towards me as we held the kiss.
I felt like I would have burst into flames at any moment. Her lips were soft. Fragile. Sweet. Our first kiss was tender, gentle, and precious. Just like she is. With bashfulness overwhelming my senses, I slowly pulled back from her and sighed. Amy watched me with her glimmering, emerald green eyes. "Shadow..." She laughed again, her cheeks burned with as much heat as her very pink fur.
"Amy," I softly spoke to her. "Amy Rose, I believe I luh--" Before I could finish, I felt a finger land on my mouth as I was hushed by this lovely girl.
"Shadow..." Amy whispered. "I love you, too." Her response to my confession was followed by a firm and warm hug...
* * * * * * *
Yes, that was a moment I will never, never forget. Our date was the following Friday, and the evening weather was iffy, at best. I don't wear shirts often, since I don't really have any, but I brought my coat in case the weather decided to turn ugly and rain on our parade. Rose and I used to be five years apart in age, but then I was cryogenically frozen twice, putting my life on hold for a year each, which actually is convenient for me. I was frozen first before the Metal Overlord fight and Eggman managed to capture me the second time and put me in his cellar to leave me there for who knows how long, and I was freed thanks to the efforts of my friends.
Now I'm twenty and Rose is seventeen; that beats twenty and fifteen. Even then, we aren't getting "intimate" for a few more years, because I think neither of us is old enough for that. And we just started dating.
Our date was going to be at a decent restaurant. A rather average date, but it was our date. Some date...
I had my coat folded up and tucked beneath my arm, since I needn't wear it until it was raining. My date had her hand in my own, and I felt awkward holding hands with her. She loved to hold my hand, and I liked it also, but it felt just... plain weird. I wasn't wearing anything save my black pants and shoes, my coat in tow.
I know most of the male furries don't wear pants, but they don't think about one little... overlooked detail. If I was to sit in a seat, where many other guys were sitting before naked, just imagine the filth of that seat! What if one of them took a trip to the restroom? What if another had gas? Or crabs? It's disgusting! I shuddered at the thought. Obviously none of my buddies think about that, or they'd wear pants too. For furries, sitting on a seat is not too different than sitting on a public restroom toilet seat because of stuff like that. Yuck... So I wore pants. Not every place disinfects their seats after each use, so I take no chances.
The restaurant we dined at, I can't even remember the name of the darn place. I just remember we were seated in a comfortable dark room at a booth for two. The booths were shiny black, and the table was covered in white, one lonely candle next to the wall, with its bright yellow flame silently dancing in reaction to any turbulence nearby. We simply sat there, watching the other.
The order was almost immediate, and that partly explains what I was paying for. I hastily picked my order to get the waiter away from us so we could be alone. There were no loud or annoying people nearby, no one to laugh too loudly or scream, or yak too much. We were in a good spot as far as I was concerned. I turned to Rose and rested my hand palm up on the table. Only a moment passed when our eyes met and hands met simultaneously, as if showing something symbolic in their unity.
She hypnotized me. The way the soft candlelight reflected into the emerald green of her eyes, it reflected back to me in a startling palette of rich shades, vibrant hues, highlights and dancing, flickering green fire. My date and I stared at each other. "Amy," I began, interrupting the silence. "You have such lovely, emerald eyes. They shine with a brilliant fire that is more beautiful than any Chaos Emerald I will ever lay my eyes upon."
"Shadow..." The girl whispered before pausing to release a contented sigh. Her soft hands gently squeezed my own. "Thank you. I don't know what to say..." I gave her a brief smile.
"I love your eyes, Shadow." I got out of my thoughts and returned my attention to the rose before me.
"My eyes are scary, Amy. You don't need to lie like that," I sadly replied as I looked away. How many harsh remarks I have gotten for my eyes... But I also have received many complements. Amy put her free hand on my cheek, turning my sight back to her as a hurt look filled her pupils, her mouth was caught in a frown as her eyes widened in response.
"Shadow... Your eyes are absolutely gorgeous..." I heard the rose whisper softly. Her voice gradually rose in volume, to a more audible level. "I love your eyes. They are such a deep, beautiful red. They have this shining fire that's burning hot, so full of emotion. Your eyes are much more valuable than even the best choice of rubies." Her comment made me smile.
"I love you, Amy," I admitted as I squeezed her hand in my own.
"And I love you, Shadow. You're cute..."
"Uh..." The hot blush on my face was rewarded with a lighthearted laugh from Amy...
* * * * * * *
Now we were back on the sidewalk as we were walking home. Evening was progressing, and the sun was almost finished setting, slowly sinking into the ground as it turned redder and dimmer, finally to be gone, leaving nothing but its fading glow behind. That is, if we could see it. The sky was enshrouded in its dull, boring grey clouds, but that did nothing to our mood, good or bad. "So, Rose, did you like our date?" I asked as we walked hand in hand.
"Shadow... It was fun. I loved it," Amy replied with a dreamy sigh. I grinned as she looked at me and her emerald eyes seemed to shine with pleasure. It was getting dark rather rapidly, so I wanted to get Amy home soon. "Shadow?" I heard the rose female ask me.
"Yes, Amy?" I turned to her. "A waitress told me that you and I look very cute together," Amy gave me a gentle grin.
"She did? When did she say that?" I heard myself ask in response.
"She whispered that to me as we were on our way out the door, when you were opening the door for me," the girl replied with a laugh.
Oh... Heh, some things I miss. A faint roll of thunder echoed in the distance, and a gust of wind howled as it went through both of us, thankfully my fur kept me warm. Even then, the wind chilled my face.
"Shadow, that wind was cold," Amy remarked as she crossed her arms, attempting to preserve body heat. "I hope we get back soon, before it starts..." As if the weather read her thoughts, a dozen plops of rain landed on both of us, followed by hundreds of their watery siblings. "...to rain." I unfolded my coat and wrapped it around the rare flower, liberating a surprised gasp from her soft lips. Her surprise freed a warm chuckle from my mouth as she glanced as me before I buttoned the coat on her. That second time, I buttoned the top three of the five buttons, to keep my sweetheart snug in the chilling rain.
"Shadow, you don't have to..." Amy's protest was cut short as we hurried forward. I pulled her with my hand, hastening my steps somewhat.
"No time to chat now, Amy. I need to get you home," I explained as we continued forward...
A few minutes passed as we arrived at a very pale, pastel pink house in a nice looking neighborhood. Before it in its lawn, two trees stood. The first was pyramidal with dark green needles, and it looked remarkably like a Christmas tree. The second was of average size, with a rounded, full crown of rich green leaves. The house itself was a nicely sized two story house, with a covered front porch, and Rose's father stood there, waiting for his princess to come home.
He is a pretty likable guy. One can tell that he strives to be a good father, as he always cares about his daughter, always trying to keep her happy. He is a tan hedgehog of middle age, with eyes of a slightly more yellow tint than Amy's, but still a vibrant, pleasant tone of green. Keeping my date's hand in mine, I led her up the sidewalk to the steps of the porch, finally getting out of the bothersome rain.
"Hey, you two lovebirds, how was the date?" I heard the concerned father ask.
"It was wonderful, Dad. Shadow was quite a gentleman," Amy replied with a hint of pride.
"Was he, now?" Mr. Rose responded.
"Dad, you should have seen him!" Amy grasped my hand in her own, causing me to smile with a tug of my cheeks. "Shadow put his coat one me when it started, raining, and I didn't even ask him to," the pink hedgehog grinned to the man, and he looked back at me with a satisfied smirk. The rose unbuttoned the coat and handed it back to me, as I was on the verge of dripping wet. "Thank you so much for the date, Shadow!"
Amy embraced me with her tender warmth, and I could only hug her back. "You're welcome, Rose. Thank you for letting me date with her, Mr. Rose. She's quite a treasure," I said as I held my hand out to the man, and he shook it with his warm and dry hand, a contrast to my cool and damp one.
"Sure thing, son. I can tell Amy enjoyed spending the evening with you," he commented, a grin tugging his lips.
"Dad, he was very polite to me. He was soo cute!" Amy cooed, freeing a blush from my cheeks. I grinned sheepishly as I glanced at her father. He laughed as he saw my reaction to her excited remark.
"Well, then. I see he's a good boy," Mr. Rose chuckled as he gave me a friendly pat on the back.
"I love you, Shadow," I heard my date softly sigh, before hugging my damp body one more time. "Shadow, your chest is still warm," Amy cooed as she nuzzled her face into my chest tuft. "And soft..."
"I know, Amy. My mom called me 'Fuzzy' when I grew my warm chest tuft," I explained, recalling the nostalgic memory from my mind. But my family is gone now. Amy already knows about that, since the incident on the ARK was revealed. As Rose continued to rub her face in my chest, I couldn't help myself from twitching...
Rose looked up at me with surprise in her large eyes, raising her face from the shelter of my chest as both she and her father watched me.
Now I am in trouble... How did I just let someone find out about this? In anxiety, I watched the pink rose before me as her sparkling emerald eyes widened, staring into my own rubies. "Shadow?" I glanced away in embarrassment, aware of her newly implied knowledge. Now what? What will she think of me now? I was caught in a dangerous balancing act above a bottomless pit, and I just fell off the wire... So much for effort. "Shadow? Why didn't you tell me this?" I heard the rose ask.
"Because, Amy. I didn't want you to know," I answered in my rich and smooth voice, a wry smile curving my tan lips. How can I explain my way out of this mess? I doubt I can do that at all! We were on our first date, and it was going wonderfully - until now. "Only my sister used to know about this."
"Shadow? What are you talking about?" Amy asked me in response to my remark.
"Take a good guess, Rose." I replied with a sigh, preparing for whatever reaction I could.
The pink female grinned as she hugged me again, and her dad softly chuckled to himself. Oh no...
"Shadow," I heard Amy start, about to ask me the question regarding my deep secret. I knew it was coming, I could see it a mile away. Please don't find out. Please. But I knew they did.
Amy softly laughed as she tightened her embrace around my body before finishing. Apparently the revealed secret didn't displease her. I felt somewhat better then. She laughed again before she sighed in delight...
"...Shadow, are you ticklish?"
The End