Mother Knows Best
Chapter Six
Shadow had stayed in the kitchen and chatted with Kiera, with some flirtations tossed about between the two. They both made and drank multiple cups of herbal tea. Shadow was leaned back against the kitchen counter watching Kiera drink the remaining delicious and soothing liquids of her tea. She noticed him and gave him a teasing and suggestive look. Shadow laughed. "I'm sorry, Kiera."
She smiled. "Well, I do have that effect on men." She grinned with a mischievous glint in her auburn eyes.
Shadow laughed once again, enjoying Kiera's crude humour. "Joking, obviously. Maybe." She smirked, then laughed with him.
"You two look chummy. Is Kiera your new bestie, Shadow?" Rouge suddenly appeared in the kitchen.
Shadow and Kiera paused their enjoyable laughter and both turned to face Rouge. Kiera sighed, as did Shadow for a moment. "I suppose you have more things to say to me?"
Rouge glared at her. She didn't know where this growing hatred of Kiera came from. "Perhaps." Shadow rolled his eyes.
He doesn't know why Rouge was acting so rudely to Kiera. "Leave her alone, Rouge."
"One question: why do you insist on trying to hurt me verbally? I mean, why do it? As soon as Tails is done fixing your Omega, you won't see me again. So why?" Kiera questioned her, making her think about her actions – making her feel guilty.
Shadow glanced at Kiera, he hadn't thought of when he and Rouge left with Omega that he wouldn't see or hear from Kiera or Tails again. He didn't like the thought of that happening.
Rouge smiled. "For my own pleasure, of course." Kiera nodded, taking in her words. Shadow spoke up again.
"Leave her be, Rouge. Kiera has done nothing but be nice to you." Rouge frowned as she heard the disappointed tone in Shadow's voice.
She didn't want to make Shadow think any less of her and push away from her. So she tossed away all the negative and envious feelings and emotions she had towards Kiera and replaced them with a brand new start. "I am sorry for my words, Kiera. I would like to start again with you. If you will forgive me for my actions." Rouge apologized to her, with the up most certainty.
This shocked and surprised both Shadow and Kiera. Kiera opened her mouth to respond but Tails stalked into the room. "It seems that I won't be able to fix Omega by tonight. It seems you two will have to stay overnight."
Rouge nodded. "I saw a B&B in town."
Kiera waved that off. "Nonsense. We have two spare rooms that you two can use for the night."
Rouge hid her displeasure of not being alone with Shadow in a B&B but she thanked Kiera anyway, with an amount of distaste – as she still didn't particularly like Kiera. "Thank you, Kiera."
"If there is anything we could do for you in return, just say the word." Shadow said with a smile. Tails nodded keeping that offer in mind as he would need to use it when Rouge and Shadow leave with Omega.
Kiera clasped her hands together with a smile and turned to Tails. "What would you guys like for dinner?" Shadow was truly amazed by her. It was if Rouge's harsh words didn't seem to affect her at all; he was impressed and pleasantly surprised. To Shadow, Rouge was known to leave her victims with their hearts shattered and crushed, and their emotions all over the place. His fondness for Kiera is growing, Shadow knew that for sure. But, to what extent he didn't know.
"Lasagne?" Tails asked.
"If that is okay for you two?" He motioned to Shadow and Rouge, and they shook their heads. "No, that sounds perfect." Shadow commented.
Kiera nodded, accepting their answers. "I'll get to it, then." Kiera began to make their dinner in the kitchen.
Tails twisted himself and turned to Rouge and Shadow. "Shall I show you to your rooms for the night while Kiera prepares dinner?" He politely asked.
Rouge nodded, and smiled kindly at him. "After you, Tails." He nodded, and the three of them proceeded through the living room.
He led the two highly skilled agents to and down the hallway. Tails walked down the hallway with Shadow and Rouge in silence until Rouge broke it. "How did you and Kiera meet, Tails?" Tails' eyes widened. He didn't anticipate being asked about how he met Kiera.
It was a good thing only Tails' back was shown to the two agents. He skilfully used Kiera's lying technique "A long story, I'm sure it will bore you. Ah! Here we are." Tails switched the subject adeptly – as Kiera had told and taught him to, only if necessary – and pointed towards the two doors on the left side of the hallway.
Tails motioned to the one door on the opposite side of the wall. "This is my room." He then gestured toward the door at the very end of the hallway.
"That one is Kiera's. If you need something, don't hesitate to ask." Tails reassured them.
Shadow nodded, then he suddenly detected a heavenly smell in the air. He smiled at it, and the thought of Kiera in there with an apron tied around her waist and cooking dinner. His eyes widened, why did I just imagine that? This woman is going something to me, and why have I found myself wanting that – and her? He thought, and his heart froze for a moment, and then jump started again. He would have to think about what he was feeling, and his emotions towards Tails' adoptive mother figure.
Rouge raised an eyebrow at his immobilized expression. "You okay, Shadow? You kind of tuned out for a second there." She said with a concerned tone in her voice.
"Yeah. Yeah. I'm fine. Seems like Kiera is done with the Lasagne, I bet it tastes delicious." Shadow waved off her worry and concern, and twisted himself away from Rouge and Tails.
He shuffled himself through the hallway and through into the living room, leaving Tails and Rouge standing there confused. "Well, that's weird." Rouge commented.
Tails raised an eyebrow at Rouge. "That's never happened before?"
She shook her head. "No."
Tails' face twisted in confusion. He doesn't really know Shadow, not like Rouge but he knew – and so did she – that this was worrying. When the two of them first arrived at his home, Shadow was fine. Normal. Then, he met Kiera. His eyes enlarged, the he sighed with relief. It was Kiera. She is doing this to him, but how? Oh. My. God. He likes her. Shadow likes Kiera. Does he even know it? Tails thought.
Rouge had left Tails by himself to ponder on his thoughts. Does Rouge even know? She wouldn't like to know that Shadow has feelings for Kiera, he thought as he strode down the hall to the living room.
Tails somehow knew that Rouge had developed some romantic feelings for Shadow when he was back in Mobius. You would have to be an idiot not to see it. Shadow didn't see it, and if he did he ignored her feelings for him and carried on with his life knowing that his work partner has affections for him. How he did that was beyond Tails, honestly, he didn't know if a girl liked him or not. How could he learn to ignore them if he did?
Tails stopped in his footsteps in the living room. He inhaled the sweet smell of the lasagne, his mouth watered at the thought of devouring the delicious and sweet-smelling food. He always loved when Kiera cooked, everything was always perfect and delightful. He rotated himself to see Kiera in her little black apron around her waist, and her taking the lasagne out of the oven. He smiled at the sight. Rouge was sat at the dining table while Shadow was setting the table, helping Kiera.
"Smells delicious, as always, Kiera." Tails smiled and joined Rouge at the table. As much as Rouge hated to admit it, Tails was correct. It did smell delicious. Shadow sat beside Rouge, facing Tails. Kiera took her apron off, and rested it on the counter softly.
She brought the lasagne over to the table, and served a reasonable amount of lasagne for each of them on their plates. "I hope it tastes just as it smells." Kiera doubted herself, she didn't want to disappoint Tails' old friends from back in Mobius.
Shadow smiled up at her. "Of course it will." Kiera sat beside Tails and in front of Rouge. Rouge suspected that she planned the seating arrangement just to piss her off, but then, again, she has been nothing but nice to herself and Shadow when they arrived. She had no reason to doubt her motives or be cautious of her, and yet, she still was. Rouge didn't understand it, but she will later, she just wanted to enjoy the food first. It did smell delicious and look very appealing, and ready to devour.
Kiera glanced at Rouge, knows she was looking at her, she smirked. "Dig in." Rouge was left with a puzzled expression as Tails, Shadow, and Kiera began to eat the home made lasagne. Why can't I trust Kiera? She didn't give me a reason not to. She is Tails' adoptive mother, for god's sake. Tails full out and completely trusts her with everything. Why can't I? Rouge questioned herself, but then focused on consuming the lasagne. Oh, God. It is spectacular. How in the hell did she learn to cook like this? This is even better than mine. Rouge rolled her eyes back, the pleasant feeling of receiving wonderful food was excellent.
"Do you like it, Rouge?" Tails asked with a smile, already knowing her answer. She was practically moaning with pleasure with the food.
"Oh. My. God. Yes. How did you learn to cook like that, Kiera?" Rouge forgot all about her jealousy and smiled gratefully at Kiera. She returned the smile.
"My mother was a great cook for my family, I always helped her when she was cooking in the kitchen." Kiera pushed back any nostalgic emotions about her mother – especially her family.
"Well, it's magnificent. Better than anything Silver can cook, right, Shadow?" Rouge grinned at him.
Shadow nodded with a smile on his face. "Yeah, he isn't the best at cooking. How Blaze survives that each night is beyond me." Kiera knew about Silver and Blaze from Tails. He would talk about his former life back in Mobius, and his friends to her.
Tails told her many tales and stories about all the mayhem and adventures they all went on, and defeating Eggman a good dozen times. Kiera had questioned him why he left his friends back in Mobius and moved to Yukon River. He only said that he was tired of the adventure and he hated the fear of knowing that one of his friends could die at any moment at a young age.
Tails had told Kiera he didn't want to be a part of that. Kiera understood that his loved ones being alive was most important to him and he hated to see them get hurt – especially Cream, he hated how she was involved in it all. Kiera saw how he felt about Cream, but she was going to let him figure that out on his own. One day, he'll know, and he'll be happy.