A/N: Bonding chapter. Awwww.

Chapter 10: Lovesick Sonic

Sonic sighed as he rested his head on the back of his hand while he stared blankly at the computer screen. Currently, he was stuck in the high school library's computer lab with Silver beside him. His History class was given a few extra days to complete all of their work after the 'Chaos Crisis,' but he had been hoping for an exemption. Luckily his essay for Mr. Stewart was easy, just write about what he saw at the ruins. Well, he saw a lot. He didn't have to be a great writer to make it to 500 words.

He noticed his friend turn in his seat. "You done already?"

"Yeah," his amber eyes directed towards him. "Do you need more help? I can stay longer, if you want."

"Nah, you helped enough as it is. Thank you. I'm just about to wrap things up, but I might stick around to look some stuff up on the internet."

The white haired Mobian nodded. "Sure, maybe I'll see you later if the girls are all at my place again."

Sonic chuckled. "Yeah, Tails and I are looking forward to completing that movie marathon we started, so drop on by whenever. We can't finish it without you."

Tan lips smiled before he gave a small wave to the blue haired Mobian. The older of the two watched as the other gathered his things and left the library, leaving him alone with a bunch of students and staff. He noticed many stares being sent his way, as though he were a celebrity, but he dismissed them by avoiding them and returning his gaze to the computer screen. He typed up the last couple of sentences before saving his work and sending it to his teacher's email.

He leaned back in his chair and wondered if he had anything else to do. He skimmed through a few chapters of his book and the annotation packets for English, so that was done. His science class would be a study hall for the rest of the school year, so he no longer had to worry about homework there or about seeing a certain green asshole. Tails helped him catch up on all his Pre-Algebra during lunch, so that was the end to all the homework he had to do for the time being. He actually achieved total freedom. The same could not be said about Knuckles, though. What with his older brother guarding that Emerald all the time now, he was probably waaay behind on his school work. The redhead would probably try to copy his, and he let out a sigh knowing that he would let him. He was a great younger brother, he hoped the echidna hybrid realized that.

He scoped the library subtly, pretending to be stretching as he looked up from the monitor. Yep, people were definitely still looking at him. He wasn't sure how he felt about the attention. On one hand, he loved it. On the other...it was strange. After being bullied most of his childhood, he wasn't sure if he deserved the fame. A small part of him actually felt guilty about it. There was nothing special about him. Nothing, despite what people seemed to believed. It was his duty to protect people who couldn't protect themselves. He smirked and shook his head, deciding that he should at least enjoy the fame while he had the chance to.

He changed the tab on the computer to view the news about Station Square. There were many articles about him, as well as interviews and videos, but he ignored those to read about how the city and people were faring. Reconstruction was apparently going very well and everything should be the way it was, only improved, within a few weeks time. It was amazing how advanced their technology was to be able to complete such feats.

A tap on his shoulder startled him. He whipped his head around to see a pair of crimson eyes staring at him.

"I'd like to ask you some questions."

"Oh, well okay."

Shadow glared at a couple of nearby Mobians who were watching them curiously, they shied away and left. "In private."

The blue teen chuckled as he turned around and logged off the public computer. "Alright." He stood up and followed Shadow, who eventually led him off school grounds and through a forest at high speeds. It was fun, and he found himself enjoying the alone time with the other.

They stopped at the edge of a cliff, and the younger hybrid felt his mouth drop as he noticed the glimmering twinkle of lights in the distance while the sky's hues of red and orange began to mesh with the blue of the night sky. The blue teen felt a heavy blush creep onto his cheeks as he averted his gaze. Was it just him, or was this oddly romantic?

"Um, is there any reason you brought me to a sunset behind Station Square's skyline?" He asked nervously, hoping that it wasn't evident in his tone.

Shadow shook his head. "I just like to come here. I figured nobody would bother us." The blue teen's lips tightened into a straight line as the blush in his cheeks got deeper. His skin was so fair that it most definitely showed. He looked away when he felt Shadow stare at him. "Are you absolutely sure you have no idea how you were gifted with a tremendous amount of Chaos Energy?"

The serious, demanding tone caught him off guard, and instantly the blush died. He was able to face the other without feeling embarrassed. "Yes, I'm absolutely sure that I have no idea."

"It doesn't make any sense though." Sonic watched the other furrow his brows before giving him a lazy shrug and seating himself along the grass.

"I honestly don't understand anything that's happening, I'm kind of just taking in things as they come along." He plucked a dandelion from the ground and twirled it between his gloved fingers.

"I know the last time we discussed this, you told me that you've never come across a Chaos Emerald before. Is there any chance you did when you were very young and just don't remember?"

"Well, I was dropped off at an orphanage when I was a few days old and trapped there until Knuckles busted me out. I was like seven then. There was no way I would have ever come across an Emerald during that time."

"How about in the short time before?"

Sonic shrugged uncomfortably. "Maybe? Dude, I was a newborn. I can't remember that far..."

The other hedgehog let out a heavy sigh as he rubbed his temple before taking a seat beside the blue teen. "You're not as simple as I once perceived you to be. Your very existence defies everything I thought I knew."

"Is that your way of complimenting me?" The younger Mobian teased.

Shadow shot him an annoyed look before observing the sun set by the city. He enjoyed coming to this cliff. It was so calm, peaceful...beautiful. If only she could've been here with him. She would've loved it.

The blue Mobian watched the other sulk with a pained gleam in his crimson eyes. "Why are you always so serious?" He asked innocently. "Did something happen?"

The other hybrid scowled. "Nothing's happened."

Sonic pouted. "I can tell you're thinking over something you regret." He said calmly. "But really, I tell this to everyone I can: if you keep dwelling on the past, you won't make the future any better."

"You're speaking about things you don't understand. I'm different than you, the past is all I am."

The energetic teen scooted himself closer to the other. "I don't think so!" He grinned. "I'm sure if you tried, you could push the past behind you and start over."

"What makes you so sure that it's that easy? That's it even possible?" The darker Mobian snapped.

Sonic stared at the other. "I know it's not easy, but it's also not impossible." He let out a heavy sigh. "Listen, I've done it before. I've...gone down a rough road myself, but I moved away from it. If I stayed the way I was before, well, let's just say that I'd still be afraid of my own shadow...I'm sure you can overcome whatever you went through."

Shadow narrowed his eyes and averted his gaze. The blue Mobian bit the inside of his cheek as he worried that he upset the other.

"Just...at least try. Okay? I'm...here for you, if ya' need anybody." He stared intensely at the unmoving hedgehog while the tension between them lingered. "Hey," he said softly. "Don't be sad anymore. Smile." A grin appeared on his face. "If you don't smile, that'll make me the fastest person alive by default."

A barely visible smirk appeared on the darker hedgehog's face as he let out a low chuckle. "How the hell does me not smiling make you the fastest person? It seems to me you're afraid to have a rematch because you know I'll win."

"It makes sense because last time we raced we agreed it was a draw, and I'll recant if you don't."

"I only went through with that agreement so I wouldn't have to hear you whine about it."

"Oh, yeah? Is that so? I guess we'll have to have a rematch for our rematch."

"I suppose so."

oOo

Sonic entered the dorm with a warm feeling bubbling in his chest. He spent a good time racing Shadow, which was exciting. He loved running, was the only person he ever met who could actually keep up with him, was smart, obviously cared for him, wasn't controlling...and one of the few people he felt an attraction to.

"What's up with that face?" Amy teased from the couch. "You look like you're drunk!"

"Huh? I'm not making any face..."

The girl giggled, but patted the seat beside her. "Join me. Nobody else is home."

Sonic sat next to her. "Really? Where are the kids?"

"Tails went to work on his planes and the girls fell asleep upstairs. Blaze told me it was alright if they stayed the night. Now-" She shifted her position so that she faced Sonic comfortably. "Tell me what's got you so lovestruck!"

"I'm not lovestruck!" The blue teen argued.

"Yeah, right!" She squealed and waved her arms excitedly. "Who's the lucky girl? Boy? Is it me? Have you finally given in to your undying love for me?"

Sonic chuckled. "Let's clear this up first: I'm not lovestruck, but I will admit that I'm attracted to someone. A guy."

Amy, though slightly disappointed, instantly cheered up. "Really? Does his name begin with an 'S?'"

The blue teen raised a brow as an embarrassed blush filled his cheeks. "Is it that obvious?"

"Just an intuition!" She eased the boy. "So, are you gonna tell me his name or are ya gonna leave me guessing!"

He faced Amy and brought his knees to his chest, wrapping his arms around them and resting his chin on top. "Well...when I think about it, he's actually really handsome..."

"Sonic, just tell me!"

He sighed. "It's Shadow. I've liked him for a while, but...I've only just admitted it to myself."

The pink hybrid sucked in a breath and froze in place. That wasn't...expected. She thought that he had a crush on...No! This wasn't what she wanted! She didn't even like Shadow! The only time she ever really saw him was when he dragged Sonic out of the cafeteria. Why him?

The older Mobian frowned. "Ames? You okay? You look kind of...mad."

She frantically shook her head. "N-No way! Just tell me about this Shadow guy. What made you have a crush on him?"

He gave her a small smile. "I don't really know where to begin..." He squeezed his legs. "He's just so...perfect, I guess? He likes running just like me and he's not overbearing and sometimes he does things that really imply that he cares about my feelings...He's got a soft side and I think I'm one of the very few he's trusted enough to see it..."

"Really?" She asked with a tilt to her head. "What has he done?"

"He's helped me a lot- not that I needed it, of course!" He quickly explained. "But it's nice, knowing that he's watching my back."

"Details?" Amy probed, getting slightly excited. Maybe there was another side to this Shadow than previously thought.

"Um, well, I'm not sure if I ever told you this, but when I went to the Lounge with Scourge, I got...a bit drunk." He purposely left out important details she didn't need to know.

Her eyes widened. "You never told me about that! But, I suppose it doesn't matter anymore...continue."

"But Shadow came and took me to his place. He even let me stay until I felt better."

"Awww, that was very considerate of him."

"Yeah, it was pretty cool of him to do that." Sonic smiled before becoming dejected. "I wish I knew how to hang out with him more."

"That's easy," Amy said with a shrug.

"How?"

The pink Mobian hesitated. If she told Sonic, would it betray the white hedgehog she knew? But the other wasn't even aware of his feelings yet and he constantly dismissed them whenever they came up. However, Sonic really did seem happy about this Shadow guy...she sighed heavily. "Ask him out!"

"Ames, I can't just walk up to people and ask them out..."

She rolled her eyes. "Of course you can. That's how relationships start in the first place!"

"Really?"

"But I'd recommend spending a little more time with him first. Like, invite him to sit at our table tomorrow. Rouge already does, so why can't he?"

Sonic nodded. "That's a great idea! Then you guys can get to know each other better!"

The preteen laughed. "Yup. Now, how about we kill some time and watch TV?"

The elder of the two immediately stretched his arms and legs enthusiastically. "Alright!"

oOo

Hey, Shadow!" Sonic called out the next morning when he noticed the darker Mobian walking towards the cafeteria. Rouge had been beside him, eyeing Knuckles with predatory glint in her aqua eyes. The other scowled as the blue hedgehog ran towards him with a large group in tow. He wasn't one for socializing.

"Would you sit with me?" Sonic asked hopefully, with pink tinting his cheeks.

Shadow glared into the other's bright green eyes. "Isn't your table already full?" He nodded his head towards Sonic's family, Silver, Blaze, and the Chaotix. "I'm not particularly fond of crowds."

"I'm not forcing you to talk to them," He paused. "I'm asking you to sit with me."

The darker Mobian sighed, glancing at Rouge who had weaved her way to the echidna's side. She sent him a smile and nodded once. "Might as well." He avoided the curious stares the group gave him as they passed by slowly to enter the building.

"Awesome!" Sonic clasped his hands in joy before realizing Shadow's raised brow. He quickly retracted his hands and hid them behind his back, giving the other a nervous, cheeky smile. "I got a bit carried away."

"I can see that." Crimson eyes flickered to the entrance. "Are we going to follow?"

"Duh!" Sonic winked at the other. Shadow shook his head and let out a small sigh, but followed the other inside and watched as the blue teen got his meal.

"Aren't you gonna eat?" The younger hybrid asked, noticing that the other was empty handed.

"No."

"...Oh. Well, if you want a little bit, I'll share my food with you?"

"I'm sure I'll be fine, but thanks."

He frowned, but led the other to his table. As he arrived, he blinked in surprise before his brows furrowed together. "What is this?" He nodded towards the messed up table as his hands were occupied. "Do you not see the kids practically eating off their laps? Cheese can't even find a place to sit! Knuckles, get your crap out of their space!"

Everyone at the table stared at the blue hybrid, confused on how they were supposed to bring order to their disorganized table. Sonic groaned aloud, annoyed that he had to be the one to fix everything in front of Shadow. "How about on that side, we can have it be..." He observed the table and quickly calculated an arrangement that would hopefully satisfy everyone. "Rouge, Knuckles, Silver, Blaze, Cream, Charmy. Then my side can be Vector, Espio, Shadow, Me, Tails, Cosmo, Amy." He watched as everyone shuffled around the table and slid their trays to their new spots. Sonic and Shadow squeezed their way into their seats while the former beamed. He had this under control.

Shadow noticed the stares directed his way and glared at anyone who's eyes lingered on him for too long.

"Are you wearing eye shadow?" Knuckles asked rudely, staring at the red around his eyes.

The darker Mobian's eye twitched. "No, you idiot. It's genetic."

"Hey! I'm not an idiot!"

"Knuckles, can you not be rude? Please?" Sonic rolled his eyes while resting his head on the back of his hand.

"Hey, it was just a question!"

"A rude question."

Rouge poked Knuckles' arm to redirect his attention towards her. She knew Shadow better than anybody, and she knew that he wasn't one to be trifled with. The echidna hybrid looked at her with a raised brow, and she smiled, instantly teasing him so that he wouldn't start any trouble with her roommate. His hot-headed nature could get him into a lot of trouble with someone as serious as Shadow.

Sonic watched the transaction between the two and felt his chest tighten. Maybe he would ask Rouge later for advice on Shadow...after all, the two seemed really close as friends.

"Sonic?" Tails poked his arm, resulting in him to snap out of his daze and look at him. "Amy wants to tell you something."

He nodded and the blond returned to his conversation with the other kids. He leaned back in his seat and looked over at Amy, who was mouthing to him. He squinted his eyes as he observed her lips move slowly. 'Talk to him!' She silently gestured to the hedgehog beside him. He sent her a thumbs up before turning his attention to Shadow.

"So, Shadow, what's up?" He began casually.

"I'm sitting at your table." The darker Mobian replied coolly, though Sonic could hear the displeasure dripping in his tone.

"You should socialize with the others too! Espio is cool, have you tried talking to him?"

Shadow merely glanced at the purple chameleon who glanced back, they stared at each other for a few seconds before breaking contact. Neither had any interest in the other.

The blue teen sent him an uneasy glance as he pouted, then looked around his table. "How about Silver? Hey, Silver!" He faced the white hedgehog and was surprised by the sight before him. The other Mobian was pulling off the same attitude he hadn't seen since the first day of school. His amber eyes bore arrows into the darker hedgehog, and the scowl on his face was evident that he disliked the other. He was taken aback by the display. "What's wrong?"

Silver glared at Shadow for a few more seconds before facing him. "Nothing. Nothing is wrong, Sonic." He said in a monotone. The blue teen let out a low exhale and rubbed his temple. This was gonna be rough. Nobody seemed interested in getting along with his crush.

"So!" He began with a light clap. "Shadow, what classes do you have?"

The darker Mobian raised a brow. "I have mostly sophomore and a few junior classes."

"Oooh! Like what?"

"Calculus...Chemistry..." He shrugged.

"So, assuming I had proper education as a kid or was really smart, I'd be taking classes with you, right?" Sonic asked. "We could've been partners!" He felt a hard kick from under the table. He cursed in pain and glowered at Silver. "Um, ow?"

"Sorry," the white-haired hybrid said with a frown. Damn, he wanted to kick Shadow. What a jerk! Stealing all of Sonic's attention...he had some things he wanted to talk to him about! At least he would hold a real conversation! He was so much better than this...weirdo. He stared at his untouched food, unsure of the horrible feeling pooling in his gut.

Sonic's face softened. "It's okay, Silv. Just...aim somewhere else."

I plan to, Silver thought as he shot Shadow one last cold glare.

The darker hedgehog noticed this and glared back with a disgruntled expression. How dare that kid act like he was greater than him? He would make it a personal goal to piss him off. Noticing Silver's complete change in attitude when talking to Sonic, he figured…

The blue hybrid's left hand was resting on the table, completely alone and relaxed. Fortunately, it was also in plain sight. Shadow smirked and rested his hand on top of it, noticing how Sonic whipped his head around to face him with a shocked look on his face. He watched as Silver's mouth dropped in horror and felt a wave of satisfaction settle within. The blue teen gaped for a few seconds as he tried to grasp what was happening, but then began to blush profusely when reality settled in. The dark-haired Mobian glanced at him cockily before entwining their fingers together. They've done it before at the other's request, so he supposed he wouldn't mind if he took the initiative. Sonic merely tensed up in response and stared at their hands.

Not only was Silver completely aghast, but so was the rest of the table. Well, at least the older kids who were capable of understanding what was happening.

They were all shocked by the idea that something was going on between the two.

oOo

After classes, Sonic walked to the middle school to pick Amy up. Blaze had gotten the younger girls and chao so they could all hang out later, and he told her ahead of time that he would get the preteen.

"So, you noticed what Shadow did during breakfast, right?" He asked curiously. "What would you make of it?"

Amy nodded as she held her math book close to her chest. She turned and stared right into emerald eyes. "It was really cute, actually. For a second, I thought you two were seriously going out!" She giggled. "You should ask him if he likes you, then ask him out on a date if he says yes."

"...Really? Already?"

The pink Mobian rolled her eyes. "Sonic, people these days just randomly ask someone they've never met before on dates. If it works, they continue. If not, they just don't do it anymore. You don't know whether or not you'll work out, so dates are like small experiments. It's not like you're asking him to be your boyfriend or anything."

Sonic stuck out his tongue. "Whatever. I'll ask him on a date."

"Speaking of dates, you missed ours!" Amy scolded with exasperation.

"When?"

"The other day! You promised me that we'd go to the shopping district, but you fell asleep!"

"I thought we agreed that I got sent to a dimension of Arthurian Legend and had to fight the Dark Queen."

"We didn't agree on anything! You liar, you were asleep and you know it!"

"Amy, I'm totally serious right now. I am King Arthur."

She huffed. "If you're talking about in those stories you tell us, yeah sure."

"This time it wasn't just a dream, though! I was actually sent there and it was really weird because everything was kinda different from my dreams? Like, I actually got to go on a cool adventure instead of those small, silly ones. It was like an alternate universe from the one I tell you guys about!"

"Whatever."

"You know, the outfits we all wore were really cool. We should do that for Halloween."

"King Arthur?" The pink Mobian raised a brow. "Where would we get the armor and fancy clothing?"

"Amy, please." He waved his hand. "I am an idol, this whole past week I've been getting letters and crap from companies asking me to advertise their stuff. I've got some costume stores that want me to get their place popular for the holiday."

"So, am I still Nimue?"

"Of course."

oOo

"-But man, who'd have thought I was the real King Arthur?" Sonic asked as he finished his story for the night.

"You're not!" Amy huffed, still aggravated over the fact her older brother neglected to take her out shopping.

"Am too!"

"Not!"

"Guys!" Tails interjected. "I think we can agree that it was an amazing story. I really liked the part where you became Excalibur Sonic!"

"Right?" The blue teen cheered. "It was the coolest thing ever, except for when I became Super. But like, the power was really similar? Like, I could fly and I was wearing gold. Either way, it was pretty exciting."

"That outfit sounds so pretty!" Cream said from beside her older brother.

Cosmo nodded. "They all do. I feel Amy should be Nimue for Halloween; the dress sounded very beautiful."

"See, that's the thing," the preteen began. "We were planning on being the people from Sonic's King Arthur stories. It would be so cool!"

"Definitely not just stories anymore."

"Quiet, you!"

"That sounds so fun!" Cream exclaimed.

The Seedrian tilted her head, "Yes, but who would Cream and I be? We usually aren't in your knight stories, so I suppose we'd have to find a character ourselves?"

"You two can be King Arthur's little sisters." Sonic responded.

"Did King Arthur even have little sisters?" The rabbit hybrid asked, tilting her head.

He smiled at her. "Well, now he does."

Tails chuckled. "He had three sisters, but I don't think you should be them. They don't get happily ever afters..."

"Well, on Halloween, you two shall be my younger sisters, Princess Cream and Cosmo with their chao, Cheese." He gestured to the small chao sleeping next to his Mobian partner.

"So, does that mean Knuckles, Silver and Blaze are gonna join? You mentioned them in your story. What about Shadow and Rouge, even though she wasn't included?"

"What I wanna know is who was Sir Lamorak?" Amy added.

"This guy named Jet in my History class. I was confused, cause like, we never talk and he sits by Knuckles. It was really weird seeing him there."

"And what about Shadow? Are you two friends now?" Cream asked innocently.

"Um...Yeah, I guess you could say that! I'll ask him and Rouge if they want to join us."

"Who is this Shadow, anyways?" Cosmo inquired with curious blue eyes. "He seems rather intimidating, especially with the glares he gave everyone."

Sonic frowned. "I think..." He began as the six-year-old crawled between his legs and sat criss-crossed, with him playing idly with her short, dirty blonde hair. "I think he just needs a friend."

The pink Mobian across from him snickered. "Yeah, and plus the fact that you have the biggest crush on him ever!"

"Amy, that's not true!" He glared at her, though he had a slight blush in his cheeks.

"Oh, so that's why you invited him to sit with us?" Tails exclaimed with sudden realization.

"That's so cute!" Cream chirped. "Will you two get married? Can I be your flower girl?"

"C-Cream," Her older brother whined as he wrapped his arms around her waist and hid his head in her hair. "I'm way too young for marriage! Besides, I don't even know for sure if he likes me, even as a friend."

"Who doesn't like you?" Cosmo's eyes widened as the idea seem unfathomable to her.

"Yeah! Besides, he held your hand! That obviously means he likes you!" Amy squealed as both her hands clasped her cheeks. "Oh! You two are so cute!"

Sonic felt his lip curl down. "I don't know...maybe he did that for another reason?"

"What reason would he have?" The fox hybrid asked.

"I...don't know. I'm not really experienced in dating to know..." He admitted with a shrug.

"He likes you!" The pink preteen encouraged him. "Go for it! Ask him out!"

"Amy, how the hell would you know this? You've never even been on a date with anybody else, but me."

"Meanie!" She stuck her tongue out at him. "I've analyzed many books and movies, I know my stuff."

The eldest sighed. "Next time I'm alone with him, I'll ask him out. Just...don't tell anybody what you know."

The kids all smiled triumphantly while nodding.

Maybe for once, Sonic would get the happily ever after he deserved.

oOo

Rouge sat in her chair in the living room of her joint dorm with Shadow, contemplating the other Mobian. How did she managed to land herself this job? It all started off as a simple mission.

Look for any suspicious behavior on the school's grounds.

Originally she felt unsure about the idea of spying on her own species, but the reward of gems immediately made her forget her betrayal.

She was a woman who pursued her own desires. In the real world, one had to be ambitious to be rewarded.

Besides, what fun was being a hero if she had to be good all the time? No, working for herself was much more satisfying. Which was exactly why GUN had hired her. She was one filled with potential, and could do the job right.

She was a professional, despite her lack in training. Everything she knew was learned from personal experience.

Which brought her to her current issue: Shadow. The guy worried her at times, but sometimes, she could feel herself getting close to her roommate. She cared for him as a friend, yet at the same time they could be strangers. She hoped the barrier between the two would break, but so far, only one conclusion had come to mind.

Sonic.

She had watched the two from afar, and she could see the two slowly becoming close. Around the kid, Shadow seemed to lose his business-like attitude and became different. He became slightly more cocky, yet playful. Though the change was subtle, she with her quick, calculating eyes was able to pick up on it. She felt that only Blue could change Shadow for the better.

She rubbed her temple as she thought of her situation. Shadow. Shadow. Shadow. He had been working for Robotnik, the two were related, but his Chaos Energy was much like Sonic's, only with greater control. He had mastered the ability to hide under GUN's radar. The military didn't even know she was onto a big lead, what with the dark hedgehog's mysterious sudden appearance and how he managed to cause so much, yet so little attention at once. The feeling in her gut knew that he was related to the ARK incident 50 years ago as well as the break in on Prison Island many months ago, but how? He was an extremely powerful individual gifted with immortality, but why? This had been her old mission before being sidetracked and ordered to keep an eye on the two brothers next door, but she knew that if she didn't solve this soon, something bad would happen.

She would be willing to do anything to seek the truth.

The destruction of the world couldn't be risked, she smiled. After all, if the world went, its treasures would too, right?

And by treasures, she didn't strictly mean gems.

She let out a heavy sigh as she processed her thoughts and theories on Shadow. She had a feeling that he still held connections to the hidden doctor. She always knew her old science teacher was crazy. She would have to contact GUN later and tell them to disregard any upcoming actions, as she was planning to become a double agent after finding Eggman. The Commander always trusted her word.

"What's wrong?" Shadow asked after suddenly appearing.

"Nothing," she lied easily.

He narrowed his eyes in doubt, but nodded anyways. He wasn't sure if he could trust her.

"So, how's your relationship with Blue going? That act you pulled had me wondering..."

"That was nothing. I was trying to piss off that other kid."

Rouge chuckled, she was very well aware that Silver harbored feelings for the blue hero. It seemed that everyone besides the two involved could see it. "Jealousy, I see. But don't tell me you don't like him a little bit?"

Shadow hesitated for a moment before glaring at her. "He's a good rival."

"Just a rival? My, my. And here I figured you were showing signs of liking him, since he's head over heels for you."

"W...what?"

"Yeah, it's obvious he likes you. But look at you, playing with his feelings, you heartbreaker." She teased.

The darker Mobian scowled. "That doesn't concern me. He can get over it."

Her eyes widened. "Oh, the bad boy act? That'll only make him fall for you harder. It always does."

He growled. "What do you suppose I do about it?"

"If he has the courage to ask you out, accept it."

"So play along? How pointless."

The bat hybrid sighed. "Shadow, this is the boy that beat a god. We hardly know what he is or why he of all people was chosen to hold such power. Not just that, but this boy has an interest in you. If I were in your position, I'd use that to get answers out of him."

Shadow contemplated the idea for a moment before nodding. "Alright, I'll do it." He sent her a warning glance. "But let it be known that I'm doing this for my own needs, no one else's. Am I clear?"

She stifled a giggle. "Of course!"

He left the living room and headed outside, leaving her alone once again. Her lips curled into a smirk.

Well, hopefully that would speed up her mission a little bit.

oOo

The next evening, Sonic made it a goal to find the darker Mobian. This was it, he would finally ask the other out. He was confident, yet nervous. He managed to search all of school grounds and parts of the reconstructing Station Square. It looked like Twinkle Park would be open by the weekend...if Shadow accepted, perhaps they could have their first date there.

It was nighttime when the blue teen had decided to give up for the day. He walked past the quad towards the elevators that brought him to the underground dorms. The cool night breeze made him shiver as he let out a heavy sigh of disappointment. Damn, he had been so pumped too...

He reached his home feeling dejected. The day had been wasted, and all the time he had been looking for Shadow could've been used to read more chapters of his boring book for English. Ha, no way! He instantly cheered up and felt confident that if not today, then tomorrow. He prepared to turn his door handle until he heard his neighbor's door open.

There was Shadow, leaving his dorm with hands jammed into his pockets.

He couldn't contain the excitement that filled him. "Shadow!" He called as the other descended on the iron steps to the ground level. The other looked up with a mixture of subtle surprise and glare.

"Yes," He replied while he stopped moving, as the younger hybrid had already made his way towards him.

"I didn't see you all day! I was wondering where you went."

"That's none of your concern." He scoffed while avoiding eye contact.

"Shadow," Sonic whined. "Don't be such a grouch, Knuckles does that enough as it is."

He glanced at the blue teen and let out a small sigh as he saw the small pout on the other's face. "If you really must know, I was in the middle of a meeting."

"Really?" Emerald eyes widened. "With who?"

"I'd rather not say."

It was Sonic's turn to sigh. "Alright, I already made you talk once. I'll drop it."

"Did you not call my name? Do you have something you need to tell me?" Shadow inquired with narrowed eyes as he crossed his arms.

"Oh! Yeah, I was wondering..." His face became flustered as he subconsciously twiddled his thumbs. "Would you...er-"

"Would I what?"

"Go...on a date...with me?" He muttered between breaths while looking out of the corner of his eyes. It was too embarrassing and awkward to look at handsome hybrid before him.

"Pardon?" The darker Mobian said with a raised brow, not sure if he heard correctly.

The blue Mobian sucked in a breath while facing the other. "You. Go out. With me. On a date."

Crimson irises stared intensely at the blue Mobian blankly while he was in deep thought. The silence unnerved the younger, resulting in him shuffling in his spot as he waited for an answer. The other hedgehog recalled his conversation with Rouge the night before.

"Very well then."

The young teen was taken aback by the reply. "W-what? You're serious?"

Shadow nodded once and emerald eyes grew wide with bliss while their owner clapped his hands in joy and brought them to his chest. "Awesome! How about this weekend? Saturday?"

"Sure."

"I'm thinking Twinkle Park. Is that okay with you?"

"I don't care."

"Twinkle park it is then!" The young hybrid pushed a strand of his cobalt hair out of his face as he shot a glance at his home. "I should get going, but I'll see you around, 'kay?"

Shadow watched as the other sent him a wink and small wave before half-jogging to his dorm. He chuckled, before suddenly stopping himself. No, this wasn't in his nature...he had a mission to complete. A promise to fulfill. He couldn't let himself get close to the blue teen. He was using him, that was all. He walked away from the dorms to collect his thoughts.

A/N: I've never hated Amy, I've actually always found her adorable. When I was little I used to ship Sonamy, but when I got to be the age of 11/12 I realized "WOAH" that's not love. That's infatuation. Then I guess I just fell out of it and was kinda like "Sonic is ace" and started shipping Sonadow for fun. I dunno, I like their relationship, I feel it's very unique. There's a level of understanding between them that no one else can come intrude upon. I've been listening to Shadow's theme during End of the World in Sonic 06 a lot, and it's actually very emotional with it's female vocals (Which I'm pretty sure it's just him and Amy that have those, soooo). All in all, even though they will never be canon, they definitely have a strong bond between them so that they will always have each other's back.

I figured that Amy would be the best person for Sonic to go to when he's trying to get closer to Shadow. She's definitely a romantic, and I feel as though she would be a great confidant for him as he tries to sort out his feelings. They definitely have a close bond in this story, after all, he saved and took her in when she was 8. Since it was just him raising her, he had to adjust to taking care of a little girl instead of being surrounded by boys. They've had A LOT of adventures together (Like him trying to help her as she went through puberty lol). He's always been there for her and in turn, she's there for him whenever he needs to talk to someone. Tails is a little boy, and Knuckles is a definite NO, but Amy? She's good at what she does.

Contrasting Sonic and Amy, we got Shadow and Rouge. They have an unsteady relationship, but that's because of the situation they're in. Our favorite bat is spying on him, so she needs to be weary of him, but she can't help but grow close to him. She's constantly moving back and forth between perceiving him as part of her mission, and as her closest friend. When you live with someone, you start to get used to them. It's part of the mere-exposure effect. Shadow also has this effect going on with Rouge. He's her roommate, and acts distrustful towards her, yet notice how he goes through with her advice and takes her words into consideration. He won't admit it, but she's grown on him. At the end of the day, they're two lone wolves who are beginning to realize that it's okay to let people into their lives.

On a side note, next chapter is Halloween, so there's a special going on :)