After that, Fiona didn't come to class. Friday's choreo workshop came and went without any sign of her and Shadow couldn't figure out whether he was more annoyed or relieved. On the one hand, he spent time teaching this class for the benefit of his students with the expectation that they would be dedicated and hard-working. On the other, he was relieved not to have to deal with her after their last disastrous encounter.

He shook his head, clearing his thoughts. Regardless of what he was feeling, he had a class to teach and it wouldn't do for him to become distracted. With that decided, he turned his attention to his students. All members were present - Fiona notwithstanding - and currently drenched in sweat as Shadow guided them through the hard, fast moves of his choreo once again. They had been drilling the dance over and over again and he could see how close to perfection they all were. Doubtless he would only have one more class left of this particular choreography before he would have to come up with some new material.

Shadow glanced at the clock, making a catalog of the time. It was nearing the end of class and they still needed time to stretch before he ended for the night. His eyes were passing over his dancers from left to right, making a few mental notes for feedback later on, when the sound of a door latch turning caught his attention. He glanced up, locating the source of the noise just as the door opened and a blue hedgehog entered the studio.

Shadow narrowed his eyes.

The hedgehog was standing unobtrusively in the corner away from the action going on in the middle of the floor, and, as the dancers wrapped up the last portion of their choreography, Shadow took the opportunity to study the new arrival. The stranger was dressed in a loose black t-shirt, a red and black flannel button down wrapped low around his hips, and harem pants that highlighted long legs and ended in what looked like brand new red Adidas high tops. He was leaning casually against the back wall, legs propped out in front of him as he scanned the crowd. Shadow watched him sift through the sea of faces before, suddenly, the stranger's eyes alighted on his own.

And stayed there.

Shadow startled. As soon as they had made eye contact, something had changed in the blue hedgehog's demeanor. It was nothing obvious, only a slight slant of the shoulders, a tightening in the legs, but Shadow could read it just the same. Angling his head to his dancers, but keeping a firm eye on the stranger, Shadow cleared his throat.

"That's enough," he called, reaching back to turn off the music, "Today we end early."

The members stood momentarily stunned - Shadow calling off practice early happened about as often as a solar eclipse - but, after a quick exchange of confused glances, they scrambled off the dance floor to pick up their things. It might be strange but they sure as hell weren't going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

As they wrapped up and began filing out, Shadow remained unmoving. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Vanilla stiffen as she noticed the new arrival but, when she turned to look at Shadow, he gave her a slight shake of the head, his eyes still focused on the blue hedgehog. He didn't need any help with this one and he didn't want her staying around and getting involved. She hesitated, and behind her Shadow could see Manic do the same, but before he could bark at both of them to file out with the rest of the dancers, the blue hedgehog pushed off the wall and began making his way across the floor.

If there had been any doubt about the stranger's intentions before, there weren't any now. Although his expression hadn't changed, there was something inherently menacing in the way he was approaching Shadow, like a predator closing in on its prey, and Shadow slid his feet just a little bit farther apart, settling into a deeper stance.

"You must be Shadow," the stranger said, a friendly smile plastered on his face. Shadow wasn't fooled for a second.

"What business do you have with me?" he asked point blank. The mop he always used to clean the floor was less than two feet behind him, within easy range. The blue hedgehog grinned at him.

"I'm Sonic," he said, voice calm, almost mellow. Shadow's eyes flicked down to where Sonic's hands rested at his sides, ready, then back up to his face. "Fiona's told me a lot about you."

At the mention of Fiona's name, Shadow's eyes narrowed. Of course. This was the boyfriend that Vanilla had mentioned to him only a few days ago. Suddenly the bunny's earlier warning made sense.

"Did she?" Shadow said, his voice flat. At his tone, Sonic's mellow expression slid off his face and for the first time Shadow was able to see the anger flashing underneath that had been so clearly etched into his body.

"Yeah," he spat, all pretense of casual conversation falling away into flat out hostility. "Let me ask you something. Do you often make moves on your students?"

At this Vanilla stepped forward, clearly ready to jump in, but Shadow held up a hand to keep her back. "No, I can't say that I do," he said, sharp and cold as a blade of ice. But Sonic was unfettered. If anything, Shadow's tone only seemed to fire him up even more, so much so that he stepped forward directly into Shadow's personal space.

"That's not what Fiona told me," he growled and Shadow's fists clenched. "She told me you coming on to her made her so uncomfortable that she couldn't even come to class."

"Well it's obvious then isn't it?" Shadow forced through gritted teeth. "She lied."

Almost before the words were out of his mouth, Sonic was taking a swing at him. Faintly Shadow could register loud voices in the background, but he couldn't tell what they were saying. He was too busy stepping back out of Sonic's reach while simultaneously reaching back and grabbing the mop, whipping it around so the wooden handle smashed against Sonic's head with deadly force. Or at least it would have if the blue hedgehog hadn't blocked the hit. The mop smacked against Sonic's forearm with a satisfying thwack but before either of them could get another hit in, Manic and Vanilla were intervening.

"Stop," Vanilla said, a hand on Shadow's chest, at the same time that Manic called out "Sonic!" Over her shoulder, Shadow could see the green hedgehog restraining Sonic with both hands firmly clamped on his shoulders. The blue hedgehog was still straining, green eyes trained on red, and Shadow got ready just in case the idiot broke free but Manic managed to drag him away to the other side of the room.

"What are you doing, Manic?!" Sonic finally yelled and Shadow had a brief moment to wonder how they knew each other.

"Just shut up and listen!" Manic hissed.

"Are you okay, Shadow?" Vanilla asked and Shadow nodded, keeping an eye on the scene in front of him lest anything should happen. The two hedgehogs were currently having some sort of agitated conversation in hushed tones. Shadow had no idea what they could possibly be talking about but at least Sonic wasn't straining to run across the room to attempt bashing his head in anymore so it must be going well. "This is what I was talking about," Vanilla sighed and Shadow took his attention off the two arguers to face the rabbit.

"You knew this would happen?" he asked, disbelief clear in his voice, but the rabbit shook her head.

"Sonic's a nice guy," she explained. Shadow shot her a skeptical look but she plowed on anyway. "He's the type that would jump to help someone in distress. It's just his nature. Fiona must have said something to him - made you the villain and her the victim somehow - and with Sonic being the way he is and Fiona being his girlfriend..." she trailed off. Shadow hummed.

Across the room, the conversation between Manic and Sonic seemed to be slowing down, becoming less and less agitated and more and more awkward. At length they finally stopped and, after a silent exchange of messages communicated through looks, turned to make the slow procession over to where Shadow and Vanilla were standing.

Sonic stepped forward.

His demeanor now compared to when he and Shadow had first began talking could not have been more different. Suddenly he was hunched over and sheepish, nervously scratching the back of his head.

"I'm really sorry," he said, glancing up at Shadow from under his eyelashes, face flaming. "Manic told me- I mean, I didn't know you were-"

"Gay?" Shadow finished and Sonic cringed.

"Yeah," he finished lamely. Shadow let his gaze swing to Manic, who now looked equally sheepish so that the two almost seemed to mirror each other. The black and red hedgehog sighed. He had never been secretive about his sexuality - he wasn't ashamed of it after all. But he hadn't broadcasted it either and, honestly speaking, it wasn't any of this stranger's business. Since he had entered the studio he had done nothing but accuse and assault Shadow, and that didn't exactly put them on the best of terms. But what's done is done. There was nothing he could do about it now.

There was a moment of silence in which both Sonic and Manic progressively became more and more fidgity, and then Shadow finally grunted, nodding his acceptance before turning back to his work in clear dismissal.

Manic, recognizing the movement for the truce that it was, immediately relaxed, but Sonic seemed unsatisfied.

"Let me make it up to you," he said and Shadow glanced at him, momentarily thrown off guard.

It took a second to regain his composure and then he was shaking his head. "That's not necessary," he murmured but Sonic was having none of it.

"There's a great bar down the street - I go there all the time," he continued, "I'll buy you a drink."

Shadow opened his mouth to refuse, more vehemently this time, but before he could say anything Sonic was leaning into his space, looking up at him through those long lashes again. "Please?" Sonic murmured and the words shriveled on Shadow's tongue. The hedgehog's demeanor had changed again somehow - his stare was just as intense as before but with a smooth, velvety feel to it that made the blood rush through Shadow's veins. He swallowed.

Dimly he noticed movement around him, a shifting of bodies. Vanilla and Manic. They must still be waiting on his answer then. Mute, he gave a slow nod of the head, and Sonic flashed him a smile so brilliant it took his breath away.

"Great," he said and cocked his head at the door. Sensing his release, Manic grabbed his stuff and, with a last farewell, left the studio. After a moment, Sonic seemed ready to leave as well. "Let's go then," he said and began backing up, moving towards the door but the whole time never taking his eyes off of Shadow, and suddenly Vanilla leaned to whisper into Shadow's ear.

"Don't worry about this," she said, indicating the studio, "I'll lock up for you." And then she gave him a gentle push in Sonic's direction. Shadow took one stilted step forward then glanced back at her but Vanilla only nodded and smiled at him, serene in the middle of the dance floor.

So, taking a deep breath, he turned and followed Sonic out of the studio and into the night.