Party

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters in this story.

Characters: Shadow and Rouge

Shadow hasn't yet had a taste of his Mistletoe Martini.

He hadn't really the desire to do so, either – the pungent aroma of cheap wines and beers alike had so deep an intricate imprint in the bearings known as Club Rouge, it made his insides flip with a sickening disgust and a zealous desire to not lower himself down to the grave level the other patrons had willingly set. Literally. The more intoxicated their appearance seemed, the more similarities they happened to share with their comrades of the six-feet-deep brigade.

No, he was more than a match for the standards established, the status quo where everyone bows down to puissant alcoholic beverages without so much as a second glance. It was an easy battle and victory, and one he had to fight each time he visited this establishment.

The reason he was here yet again was – unsurprisingly – the club's namesake: Rouge. She had told him via communicator she had news for him from G.U.N. Now, he was here . . . still waiting . . . and still thinking.

The exact opposite of activity to do here, and with the perfect remedy sitting right in front of him, no less. Still, Shadow refused to drink a drop; the closest distance he allowed himself was the rim of the glass as his fingers absentmindedly twiddled with the fake, decorative plant the brew was named for.

There had been no underlining reason or motive to purchase the drink – unless you count a hundred percent discount, since he knew the owner of the place – but it was a one-day specialty drink only offered this day of December. It was a somewhat-original twist on usual Christmas-special bar offerings, an idea proposed by a few of Rouge's employees.

Despite its limited edition status, Shadow felt no desire to even take one sip of the drink. Not to say that Shadow dislikes alcohol, but rather he has no particular interest with it (he just got it because the bar tender wouldn't stop insisting he buy it, and ultimately he concluded that there was no reason not to get it). For him, there was also no use for it, really. It dims the senses, the mind, and – depending on the person – can raise you up ten levels over the Crazy Eudiometer's highest reading.

And now, he needed his mind to be as crisp and clear as it could possibly be; apparently, G.U.N. had needed both he and Rouge for yet another mission, even though the commander stated that their last one would be indeed their last of the holiday season.

Oh, well, it wasn't as if he had plans anyway.

Unless you consider the Christmas party that Faker invited him to, to be a plan, even though Shadow didn't plan on being present; event though he had gotten closer to Faker and Rouge's other friends, he didn't always want to be around them. Matter of fact, the last few times he'd been with them hadn't actually been too bad; dare he say it, he found their company to be enjoyable, or – at the very least – they didn't get on his nerves as much as usual. Still, that didn't mean he wanted to go to their party.

All in all, there was just no benefit to him going, so he wouldn't. Simple as that.

Even if he wanted to go, the scheduled date for the party was tomorrow, and most of his and Rouge's missions last for multiple days, so there was almost no chance he'd even be free to go. If only the albino bat would actually show up, so they could start already. For that matter, why didn't she just tell me over the communicator? Shadow wondered as he checked said device to see if she had tried contacting him over it. Nope. The black hedgehog sighed exasperatedly. "Just how long am I going to be waiting?" he asked, directing the question to no one in particular.

"If you developed a little bit of patience, not too long," a familiar voice spoke from behind him. Finally. "So how's the drink?" Rouge questioned him as she took the seat on his right.

Scooting his glass over to her, he answered, "Wouldn't know; haven't tried it. You tell me." Rouge rolled her eyes and shrugged, used to his curt mannerisms. As she drank it, her companion eyed the wrapped package and envelope she set on the counter. The former seemed to be a medium-sized box, with dark red wrapping paper decorating the exterior, topped off with a black bow; casting a second glance at the parcel's ribbon, Shadow noticed that there happened to be a small note attached. Altogether, the bundle suspiciously appeared all too alike a Christmas gift, a notion backed up by the holiday-themed envelope. He swiftly caught on to the fact that these were – in no way – a gift from Rouge, and had to be the containers for their mission details; still, he couldn't help questioning the commander's motivations with the Christmas getup. "Are the contents of our mission in there?"

"Nope. There's no mission." Even though it would seem – to nearly everyone else – that Shadow remained as passive and disinterested as ever, Rouge was sure she spotted a gleam of confusion sparking in his crimson irises, as well as a slightly- aggressive glint (at the news of her sneaky deception), at the revelation. So she elaborated further: "I made the mission up, so you could meet me here. Someone wanted me this to deliver to you, because he figured you wouldn't take it from him." With that, she handed him both the package and envelope, and finished up the rest of the Mistletoe Martini.

Shadow didn't need to look further than the top of the envelope to figure out the sender. "Why'd he send me this?" he inquired, his voice taking on a guardedly-curious tone. Rouge simply shrugged.

"Said that he wouldn't be able to give it to you, since you said you're not going to the party tomorrow, but he wanted you to have it regardless," she answered promptly, standing up. "Even still, Shadow, maybe you should reconsider. You had fun at the party last year, and probably would this time as well." She turned to leave, but Shadow's indignant protest halted her in her tracks.

"I didn't have fun," he denied in a matter-of-fact voice; though his tone remained calm, and his voice at an indoor volume, his eyes sent a completely different message. Furiously glaring, he challenged the bat to push this idea any further. Which she did.

"Sure you didn't," she replied teasingly, not at all daunted by the livid gaze set upon her as she once again turned away. "Besides, don't you think you should return the favor and give him a present? Oh, and you can't forget about yours truly." Shadow remained silent, rolling his eyes; he would not be guilt-tripped into this. "Anyhow, I'd best be going. I'll see tomorrow, Shadow; remember to bring the presents." With a backhand wave, Rouge made her departure, sauntering her way through the drunken patrons.

When she was out of earshot, Shadow muttered begrudgingly under his breath, "I still didn't have fun." Shaking his head, he firmly fixed that thought into his head. That image disappeared as soon as he rested his eyes on the present – for him. I will not be guilt-tripped into this, Shadow repeated to himself, as he attempted to convince himself that it was true. Like most things, it's easier said than done.

Tearing open the envelope and reading its contents didn't help much; inside was a card, which thankfully was absent of any of those cheesy sayings and didn't have that obnoxious of a design, especially considering the two main colors were his two favorite: red and black. All in all, it seemed the card was specifically chosen for him. He actually wasted his time picking out a card I would like, Shadow realized with a start.

The inside of the card was even more thoughtful, as it contained a hand-written message, one that was surprisingly heartfelt and considerate. Right then – before even opening the gift – the black hedgehog knew two things. 1) He was going to be guilt-tripped into attending this party and 2) Faker planned for that to happen!

Smokestep: You know, I'm contemplating whether I should wait until after Christmas to release the 25th chapter. On the actual day, everyone will be celebrating with their families and whatnot, so maybe I should wait until after everyone's done celebrating. I don't know. What do you all think? Would it be more convenient for you if I did this way? Anyhow, if you have anything to say, you know where to click! Ihope you enjoyed this chapter and will join me for the next one.

Responses To Reviews:

Twin-books: To be completely honest, I'm nearly Christmas-ed out. Seriously, after the 25th, I'll never be able to write another Christmas prompt ever again. But I'm sort of looking forward to the actual holiday; it's just that the people that my mother and I are going to visit . . . well, tension's running high. We're still family, but we're not really as close as before. I hope you enjoy your Christmas! Thank you for your continued support; it means a lot to me!