Dark eyelids rose as the black hedgehog stirred from his slumber. In the dimness of a small wooden room, he looked up at the slanted ceiling and let his eyes adjust until a yawn escaped him. Once again, Shadow was waking up in the hidden attic of Club Rouge, lying flat on the extra twin mattress his partner always offered. It seemed she even kept it out permanently, as frequently as he decided to crash there after admitting it was a better sleep than snoozing on the grass or on a rooftop.
"Maybe you wouldn't be so grumpy if you got a proper rest every night," she'd said, finally coaxing him to ditch his loner tendencies.
And she was right, he realized. The days after he slept at Rouge's place always seemed more pleasant. This one was no exception, the Ultimate Lifeform already feeling lighter of heart as he sat himself up; but since it was still dark in the room, he had to wonder what time it was. He looked to his right, where the bed sat against the wall, and pushed aside the curtain that covered a little window. It was completely dark out, the midnight blue color of the sky only brightened by a few dots of light coming from other buildings' windows.
It was so quiet at this hour – more enjoyable than the interrupting traffic or wildlife he would hear while sleeping outdoors. And as Shadow's gaze trailed the other way to survey the room, he twisted his torso to release the tension that had built in his back during the night. One of the only flaws in his design was that his form stayed still while sleeping, something he hadn't realized caused a lingering stiffness until he started caring more about his comfort. A couple of pleasing cracks sounded out from the base of his spine, making the speedster sigh in relief.
At the same time, his crimson eyes dragged over to his friend's side of the room, where her bed sat against the opposite wall and closer to the hatch that led into the club. He expected to see the hostess sleeping peacefully, but instead, her mattress was empty. There was an open space between the blanket and pillow where she'd gotten out of bed. It wasn't unheard of for Rouge to wake up so early – as her sleep schedule was constantly shifting – but he couldn't help but wonder where she was, nonetheless.
Unhindered by the darkness, he turned to place his feet on the floor, then stood and took a few steps towards the skinny door on his left. It led outside, and when he nudged a sheer white curtain aside, he saw the jewel hunter through the single-pane window, her back to the entrance while she stood looking out from the tiny balcony. She was leaned forward a bit, seemingly placing her weight on her elbows and resting against the banister of the white platform.
She wasn't dressed for the day yet, wrapped up in a mulberry robe with heart-shaped slippers on her feet. But she looked to be in a place of tranquility, soaking up the sight of the dark sky above the city and the even darker plains past the outskirts; visible thanks to the short buildings whose roofs sat lower than hers. Shadow smiled to himself, content at the prospect of early-morning company, and opened the door to join her. Pretty white curls drifted to the right side of her back as the woman turned to watch him exit the attic, and a friendly smile grew from her unglossed lips.
"Morning," she greeted, her voice warm already – she must've been awake for a while.
"Good morning," replied Shadow as he approached the balcony to occupy the space on her left. "You're up quite early. Did you sleep well enough?"
She cocked her head and nodded, answering, "Yeah, I did. How about you?"
He mirrored her nod and rested his left hand on the banister. "It was nice. Thank you for letting me stay."
"Of course." Rouge let one brow lower in a cheeky expression. "But you don't have to thank me. It's not like it's a bother or anything."
"Right. I know that. I just want to express gratitude, considering it's technically unnecessary."
She then rolled her eyes, her smile pulling into a smirk, and shook her head. "I accept your appreciation, Shadow. But it's been long enough that I think you can drop that now. I mean, I practically had to beg you to stop sleeping outside so much, right?"
"Hah," the stoic man huffed. "You're exaggerating. It didn't take that much convincing."
"Well, regardless, this arrangement is leagues better than what you had going on before. And you deserve better! Besides... I like having you around here, anyway."
With that, her head cocked towards him, leaving little space between them on the small gazebo-shaped balcony. Her turquoise eyes stuck to his and Shadow could see a charming twinkle within them when she added, "So, my reasonings for offering a bed aren't completely selfless."
'I like being around you, too,' the lifeform thought to himself.
He wished he had the gumption to say it outright, but it felt so personal. So... intimate. They'd known each other a long time, but he certainly didn't feel they were on that level. Adventure after adventure, their relationship was mostly friendly with a huge helping of business. And until their team vowed undying loyalty – after a tricky mission filled with shortsighted planning and reckless decisions – the business had outweighed anything else. But with their deepening bond had come an emotion stronger than care, one Shadow hadn't been able to place for a while.
Though Rouge recognized how much she liked him at a steady pace, the realization of his own feelings didn't happen until much later in their friendship. And as the bat hadn't taken the reins to tell him anything about it herself, he assumed she didn't feel the same way. Through his nature of taking things far too seriously, the hedgehog was overanalyzing their dynamic and holding himself back, while she was going about things more casually. He didn't know she was working towards the same step he was afraid to take.
'You're pathetic,' his conscience echoed. 'Saying out loud that you have more affection for her than she realizes? That should be effortless. You've accomplished more difficult things in a single afternoon. It should be easy.'
It should've been – but it wasn't. Shadow still didn't like all the complex emotions he was capable of feeling. Most of them were uncomfortable, some of them painful, and there weren't enough that made up for it. He didn't even know what he would feel if she turned him down. Surely, she wouldn't be harsh in doing so, but it would still hurt, wouldn't it? Being friends didn't hurt. Being partners didn't hurt. But trying to push for more than that? He had no way of knowing how it would turn out, so it was actually easier to say nothing. There was no way Rouge would act the same way around him if a confession ruined their bond. And the unsettling possibility of that was stronger than the appeal of the alternative.
Shadow just didn't know how wrong he was, or how much he was psyching himself out for no real reason. Smiling at him and leaning a little closer than she was before, the ivory treasure hunter expected his confession at any moment. She could've said something herself, but that was less romantic; although, if he took much longer to spit it out, she thought she might have to. Did he like her back as she did him? Probably. And she wasn't so worried about tainting their partnership, because their connection was unbreakable. But she also had no idea how much importance he was putting behind his emotions.
Rouge couldn't read his expression beyond the content smile he still held, so when he didn't respond, she broke eye contact to look back out into the distance. A faint layer of orange was peeking from the horizon to coat the bottom of the dark blue sky. The sun was starting to rise, and the sight made her lips stretch from a smirk to a more genuine smile of enchantment. Shadow copied her action, trying to find the same joy; but his grip tightened around the banister as he fought with himself inside his head.
"You know," Rouge started, "as invasive as the sun can be, it sure is beautiful when it rises."
"... Yeah. I wish Maria could've seen it. She would've loved this."
The bat's brows upturned, switching her expression to one of solemn endearment as she looked over at him. "I bet. But you know what she would've loved more?"
Shadow turned his gaze to her, as well, silently waiting for the follow-up. Her pretty lips answered, "Seeing you enjoying it, too. I know, because it warms my heart to see you appreciating things like a sunrise; you wouldn't have done that before."
He couldn't meet her gaze anymore as the words overtook him. Ruby eyes, tinted orange by the ascending brightness, dragged downwards in contrast to his mouth, which curled instinctively. "A lot has changed, hasn't it?"
She nodded slowly, still softly staring at the hedgehog while he repositioned his weight to lean against the banister instead of holding it. His arms crossed and he was able to look at her again, causing a flutter in Rouge's heart, and she couldn't help but let out a slightly nervous chuckle. But before she could say anything else, their conversation was interrupted by a mechanical beep sounding out from beneath the sleeve of her robe. She pulled it up to reveal the communicator she wore around her wrist, and they both saw the small screen flashing from green to blue.
"Oh, the Commander's calling," Rouge said.
The faintest tinge of annoyance entered Shadow's voice. "This early?"
She gave him a glance that showed her vague irritation, as well. "Good thing we were already up, eh?"
Her ungloved finger tapped the screen and the human man's digitized voice came through the solid blue glow. "Rouge, come in, Rouge-"
"Yes, Commander, I can hear you," she replied, rolling her eyes and making Shadow smile. "To what do I owe the interruption of my morning?"
"Your next assignment. And Shadow's, if he's willing-"
"I'm here, Tower," spoke the lifeform, leaning closer.
"Ah, good to know you stick together. This mission is rather pressing, I couldn't very well wait. We were recently informed that an experimental and dangerous piece of technology was illegally acquired from overseas."
The Mobians shared an intrigued glance while he continued, "Now, thanks to our informant, we've been able to track it; and now that it's stopped moving, we know where it is. So, I need the two of you to infiltrate an establishment belonging to Doctor Golvin."
"Golvin?" Rouge cut in. "Isn't he a scientist, or something? I think you've mentioned him before."
"That's right, he is. But apparently, he isn't as adherent to the laws as we thought when we worked with him previously. This item he's essentially stolen is a weapon, one we haven't given clearance to obtain outside of guarded military bases. And Doctor Golvin has it stashed in one of his private homes, away from the public. I don't need to tell the two of you how risky it is to let him keep it, so you see why we need your skills immediately."
"Hmm," mused Rouge, pursing her lips and tapping her chin with her finger. Shadow smirked as he knew he hardly had to speak, as capable as she was of carrying the conversation. "Sounds like you want us to break-and-enter someone's house, Commander. You know, that's a crime we'd be committing."
"Consider yourselves preemptively pardoned for an act of bravery in service of the people's safety," he responded in a calculated manner. "And I assume your next comment will be about payment."
She teased, "You know me so well, boss."
"I'm prepared to offer five thousand, untraceable – you can split it how you like."
The jewel thief's eyes widened and her smug smile dropped. She looked at Shadow again and he raised his eyebrows to mirror her surprise. He verbalized the thought he knew was going through her head. "That much for a retrieval, sir?"
"I'm not complaining, just to be clear," his partner quickly added. "I love that you recognize the worth of our services."
They heard the man snicker through the screen, and his calm timbre followed. "It's an important assignment, and I have no way of knowing what setbacks you might encounter. So, I think it's only fair to compensate you on that basis."
"Hey, I'll take it," Rouge accepted, her smile returning, and she turned her attention to the hedgehog. "For all we know, this guy could have security bots around every corner!"
"Fair enough," Shadow conceded, shrugging and nodding at her.
Tower spoke again, "It's pressing, so you'll be doing this the minute he vacates his property. Report to my office ASAP and I'll give you what you need to finish the job."
"Yessir!" Rouge chimed, visibly eager at the promise of a huge payout.
The screen turned green as the human ended their connection, then the watch was hidden again as she slid the mulberry sleeve of her robe back down. Instantly, her bright eyes locked onto Shadow as she turned to face him, leaning forward and planting her hand on the banister.
"Five thousand, can you believe it?" Her face was closer to his than he'd been prepared for, illuminated on one side by the ever-lightening sky as the top edge of the sun became visible. He tightened his grip on both of his arms, still crossed over his chest, and held his breath while she beamed. "For a simple grab-n-go! I knew working for the government would be my ticket to fortune."
She pulled away and he let his breath out in a reserved chuckle, his heart rate higher than he liked. "What happened to 'security bots around every corner'?"
"Oh, p'shaw!" she scoffed, dramatically swatting the air. "We can handle any guards, you know that. I just didn't want Tower to think it would be easy and lower the payment."
She walked over to the thin door and opened it, talking over her shoulder at him as she went through. "Let's get a move on, handsome – duty calls!"
Shadow followed, holding onto the warmth he felt when she complimented him. It was nice, but he also kept his mind grounded by reminding himself that flattery was customary with her. He tried not to also think that it was all those words would ever be.