When Tikal looked at herself in the mirror, she was a little startled at what she was seeing.

The black dress Amy made her try on was more revealing… and tighter than she was expecting. She tugged at the hem of it on her left leg, feeling uncomfortable. The left side of it barely reached the middle of her thighs as the right side was slanted and went above her ankle. Both her shoulders were exposed, and she was almost too flustered to notice how the top of it emphasized the shape of her chest.

For all her life and eternities, Tikal had always been a modestly dressed woman. It was forbidden to dress so racy back in the tribe. It would give someone something to look at and she would shudder at the thought of depraved eyes staring her down.

Those memories were more than welcome to be blocked out.

She glanced down at the silver heels she was wearing. They were a far cry away from the flat sandals she'd been known to wear. It was difficult to walk in them, but she knew she had to get used to them eventually if she wanted to fit in with the standards of fashion these days.

She heard Amy call her from the other side of the curtain. "Tikal? Are you ready to come out now?"

"Yes, one second!"

Tikal adjusted the dress before moving the curtains and stepping out. She saw Amy piling up the rest of the clothes she tried on before the pink hedgehog looked her way.

"Oh wow!" Amy clasped her hands together in awe, "You look great, Tikal!"

"Amy, I-I'm not sure if this is something I want to wear for Rouge's party tonight…" The echidna said slowly, trying to keep in balance with her shoes, "It's too…"

"Out of your comfort zone?" Amy finished for her, a smile going across her features as she crossed her arms.

Scandalous, more like.

"Yes," Tikal admitted, her tone meek, "I feel… different. I don't really know how to explain it."

Amy took her hand and guided her to the mirror again. "I won't force you to choose it, buuuut I want you to know that you look beautiful!" The pink hedgehog said as the both of them looked at their reflection, "Feel confident in yourself and embrace it."

Tikal stared ahead, taking in her new look. She then smiled shyly and nodded, gradually gaining confidence in her choice. "Thank you, Amy," she turned to her, "...Then I think I'll buy it."

"I'll buy it for you!" Her friend beamed, "You're one of my closest friends. Tikal, I want you to be happy with your looks!"

She quickly shook her head. "You don't have to do that!"

Amy just grinned. "Oh, hush! You're not gonna tell me that you don't want Shadow to see you like this now, do you?"

As if she was a deer caught in headlights, an echidna in this case, Tikal felt her cheeks growing hot. "Th-That's not-!" She yelped and flailed her hands, "That's not true! This has nothing to do with him at all…"

She had become a little more connected to Shadow lately, something she would've never thought to have been possible a month ago. He would come in the café just before closing time and the two of them would converse in the quiet corners.

Amy raised an eye playfully. "Oh really? You've been spending quite a lot of time with him lately, haven't you?"

Tikal blushed deeper, her hands fidgeting nervously. "Well, yes, but that doesn't mean..."

Amy chuckled. "Tikal, remember. It's okay that you have feelings for him. You're allowed to explore those emotions and see where they lead you."

The echidna looked down, her voice barely a whisper. "I know, but…"

Hypothetically, if she was in a situation where Shadow did feel some sort of way towards her, she wouldn't know at first hand what to even do. She would be ecstatic, of course. The hedgehog she fell in love with felt the same way back! What next? How did it work? What would be the navigation through it all?

Would people talk about her? In.. a bad sense?

They probably would.

But she wouldn't care.

However, she quickly shook her thoughts away. Being together with Shadow in a romantic sense was a dream for her, after all. The reality was still so far away- to the point of no existence.

No existence.

She bit down the quiver threatening to overcome her lips.

Amy placed a reassuring hand on Tikal's shoulder. "You don't have to have all the answers right now. Just take it one step at a time. Trying out a new look, stepping out of your comfort zone, it's all part of discovering yourself."

Tikal nodded slowly, her gaze still fixed on the mirror. "I suppose you're right."

"That's the spirit! Now, let's go and buy that dress. You deserve to feel beautiful and confident, whether it's for Rouge's party or for… you know… any other occasion."

She didn't miss the implying tone and message from Amy's choice of words, and it made her heat up again in embarrassment. "Amy!"

While her mind did unconsciously visit those thoughts, they wouldn't stay for so long. She was starting to get comfortable just being with Shadow. She didn't want to ruin that by cascading her thinking into something so… desperate and depraved.

Even though her knees would momentarily buckle for a second.

Amy winked at her before bursting out into laughter. "I'm just getting you prepared for the future!"

"Thank you, Amy…"

The rest of the day went uneventful as the two of them had lunch and did some more last-minute shopping. As Amy went off to another aisle of the beauty shop they were in, Tikal found herself looking at the fragrance section, glancing over at all the names that she noticed were familiar. She saw a few of them in Amy's room one time, but as she walked across the section further, the names of the perfumes had gotten a little more… suggestive than she would've expected.

But her curiosity won and she went over to test out one of the sample bottles.

Orange Seduction, it was named.

Tikal pressed her lips together before giving it a quick spritz on the back of her palm. Already, the scent was overpowering her nostrils but it was pleasant. Yet, it wasn't too hard to figure out why the perfume was named that.

She cleared her throat quietly, staring and trying out the other ones but none of them seemed to be better than the one she first tried. Looking at the sample bottle one last time, she contemplated for a moment before putting it down and grabbing the newly boxed one behind it. Her eyes trailed to find Amy, but the pink hedgehog was still looking around. Thinking it would just be best to pay for it before she saw it and ask questions, Tikal quickly went over to the cashier and stuffed her purchase down into her bag.

She waited for Amy as the pink hedgehog paid and was beside her a few minutes later.

"You didn't get anything?" Amy asked as they left the store.

"No," Tikal lied, trying to keep the heat on her cheeks at bay, "There wasn't anything I needed."

"Oh, okay! Then let's start heading home!"

The evening came by quickly and before she knew it, it was already time to head to Rouge's house for the party.

Knuckles was struggling to get on his tie and Tikal laughed as she took over to help him.

"Can't believe I'm being made to wear this stupid suit," Knuckles muttered begrudgingly.

"You look handsome in it, Knuckles!" She said with a smile, finishing up with tying his tie, "I'm sure Miss Rouge will appreciate that you dressed so well for her!"

Her cousin closed his eyes with a scoff. "She better. This thing cost me a lot."

"More the reason for her to be thankful," Tikal chuckled. She straightened Knuckles' collar and stepped back to admire her handiwork."There!"

"Thanks," Knuckles sighed, fixing the cuffs on his shirt, "I'm sorry about earlier, by the way."

When Amy dropped her off at home, Tikal insisted that she'd stay for a bit so she could have some tea with her. She didn't realise that Knuckles was home and his reaction when she showed him her dress… was something she should've expected.

As soon as Tikal lifted the dress up from the bag, Knuckles fainted on the spot. It didn't last long though as he jumped awake and yelled, "Who is making you wear that?!"

It was then that Knuckles and Amy got into an argument, with Knuckles yelling that she shouldn't be wearing this and then Amy shouting that Tikal should wear whatever she wanted.

Tikal was stuck in the middle of it all until she stepped in and calmed the both of them down. She then sat them both down on the couch, made some tea and everything was better again.

It became more comical in her mind every time she thought about it now.

"It's okay, Knuckles," Tikal laughed and looked down at herself in the dress, "It's definitely something I wouldn't normally wear."

Knuckles shook his head. "I mean, yeah. You wouldn't. But…"

"But?"

He sighed before her gave her a smile. "You look great, Tikal."

And that incited a smile from her too. "Thanks, Knuckles."

"Are you trying to impress someone?"

There it was again. The question she was dreading. In the back of her head, she had a feeling that Knuckles would question her unusual appearance. Just like Amy, the implication in his tone was there, telling her that he knew exactly who that 'someone' was, but Tikal would have never thought he would make a comment either.

It made sense. Knuckles was protective of her by nature.

Tikal chuckled nervously, trying to play it off. "Impress someone? No, no, it's not like that. I just... wanted to try something different, you know? Stepping out of my comfort zone."

Lately, she had been lying so much. It was shameful.

Knuckles raised an eyebrow skeptically. He wasn't buying it.

And well… why did she expect him to at this point? He knew after all.

Tikal sighed, realising that she couldn't keep up the charade any longer. She looked down at her hands, fidgeting with the fabric of her dress.

"Okay, fine," she admitted reluctantly, "Maybe... maybe I am trying to impress someone."

Knuckles crossed his arms over his chest. "I thought so," he said with a knowing smile, "I'm pretty sure if it was my first guess as to who it is, I'd be correct."

Tikal glanced up at him, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "Y-Yes… you would be."

"Well, you have been around him a lot lately. And he seems to enjoy your company, by the look of things."

She anxiously bit the bottom of her lip. "Do you think he'll even be there tonight?"

"Shadow? Yeah, of course he will. He's on bar duty probably. That's so Rouge can't sneak in a few drinks when she's had enough. That damned bat…"

The orange echidna smiled a little. Even though Knuckles would scoff at such things about Rouge, he still cared about her. "The G.U.N must pay them well for Miss Rouge to have her own bar in her house."

"A little overboard if you ask me," Knuckles rolled his eyes before his expression turned serious, "I'm just gonna be worried about you, that's all. I know these types of settings were off-putting for you the first time."

Tikal giggled quietly. "You've always been the person to always worry about me, Knuckles."

"I just don't want a bunch of assholes taking advantage of you. Believe me, there's going to be at least some idiot there trying to get into your space," Knuckles's eyes suddenly turned vexed, "And if that happens, I'll fu-"

"Knuckles."

He stopped, blinked at her, realised his choice of wording, and then slowly took in a deep breath. "Sorry. What I meant to say was that if you don't want to stay there any longer, just call me and we'll get out of there ASAP."

"Okay," Tikal sighed but smiled again nonetheless at Knuckles's willingness to make the time to protect her. "I will."

When they arrived at Rouge's house, the music wasn't as loud as she was expecting as it was surprisingly toned down compared to last time, when the sounds were just blaring through the speakers. Rouge quickly came along once she saw them, complimented Tikal's dress, and then quickly encircled her arm around Knuckles, already dragging him away. Knuckles tried to put up a fight but ultimately failed as Tikal watched the both of them walk off. Before Knuckles disappeared completely, he locked eyes with her and gestured his phone.

Tikal smiled and nodded, making sure her phone was in her clutch purse.

She walked ahead, trying to spot Amy since she texted her. It wasn't too difficult to find the pink hedgehog as she sat next to Sonic, who had been leaning back in his chair as he looked more than unimpressed that he also had to dress smart for the occasion.

"Tikal!" Amy called out, waving her over. Tikal made her way to their table, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness in her chest.

"You made it!" Amy exclaimed, enveloping Tikal in a warm hug. "And you look absolutely stunning!"

Tikal blushed and thanked her, feeling a small surge of confidence from her friend's compliment. She took a seat next to Amy, glancing at Sonic who gave her a nod of acknowledgment.

"Gotta hand it to you, Tikal," Sonic grinned at her, "You look awesome."

"Thank you, Sonic," Tikal laughed, grateful, "You two are complimenting each other really well."

"See? Told you people will like you wearing a pink bow tie," Amy nudged the blue hedgehog by the shoulder.

Sonic rolled his eyes. "Ames, as much as you look gorgeous in that blue dress, I can't say the same for this dang bow tie. I feel like it's choking me."

"Only because you're not used to basic etiquette."

"Right on."

Tikal found humor in the two hedgehogs' next interactions as they bickered on about table manners and the way Sonic was slouching. She took a bite out of some of the food that was laid in front of her, idly taking a sip of her drink as the night slowly progressed.

She couldn't help but scan the room, searching for a familiar face among the partygoers. It was starting to get a little more crowded than she would've liked, as some G.U.N officers walked past her and gave her a greeting as they did.

Her eyes continued looking around before they finally found and landed on the black and red-streaked hedgehog.

There he was. Just as Knuckles said, Shadow was behind the bar, making and serving the drinks to the people who were waiting, She had to admit, he looked a tad bit out of place. She would've never imagined him in such a setting doing a mundane task, given who he was. However, he was doing an impressive job at it thanks to his speed. He was having no trouble meeting the demand.

She would catch his light scoffs whenever someone came back for another drink, or the slightly annoyed glare he'd give at the person who had one too many drinks to try and talk to him. He was essentially having none of it and eventually, his lack of words would make them crawl away.

For whatever reason, despite looking like he wanted to get out of there, Tikal found it funny and the hidden bemused smile on her lips definitely confirmed that she would like to see the hedgehog doing more tasks like this.

As if sensing her gaze, he looked up from his work and his eyes met hers. A jolt of electricity seemed to pass between them, and for a brief moment, the noise and commotion of the party faded into the background. It was just the two of them, locked in a silent exchange that spoke volumes.

Tikal quickly averted away, feeling her cheeks heat up. She couldn't believe she got caught staring at him, again. How many times was that going to happen now?

She tried focusing and joining in the conversation with Sonic and Amy but she couldn't shake off the feeling that Shadow was staring at her, now that he knew she was here.

With her stomach doing flips, she hesitantly looked in his direction again and found that he was staring right back at her. He had been leaned back against the wall, arms crossed and expression unreadable.

Using all the strength she had at that moment, she lifted up her hand and meekly gave him a wave, hoping that would incite any sort of reaction from him.

And it did. She was perceptive. Perceptive enough to see that his ever-so-stoic face had softened just for a second. He unfolded his arms and returned the gesture with a small nod, acknowledging her presence. He then reluctantly went back to serving the new coming patrons.

It was a subtle exchange, but she was happy.

And Amy, being the most perceptive friend she's ever had, noticed what had happened. The pink hedgehog leaned in closer and whispered, "Why don't you go to him?"

Tikal jumped, seeing that Amy was practically giving her a smug look to know that she was caught. She quietly cleared her throat from embarrassment before shaking her head. "He seems busy."

Amy looked back and Tikal followed her. "Well, it seems like he's taking a break and heading outside now…" The pink hedgehog gave her a soft nudge, "Maybe that's a secret invitation for you to go see him!"

The echidna pressed her lips together. "I-I don't want to misread the situation."

"You might as well go," Sonic suddenly chimed in and Tikal had almost forgotten he was there, "Someone needs to keep that guy company."

Tikal stared at him, at Amy, and then toward the direction where Shadow went. She blushed when she found herself slowly standing up. She looked at both Sonic and Amy, both of them sending her supportive gestures. Internally, she was shaking inside but she remembered to breathe and not overthink it.

The noise of the party gradually faded as she stepped outside into the night air. Nobody else was here. It was a chilly cold evening and it made her think twice about not bringing a jacket.

She looked around, her eyes immediately spotting him. He was leaning against the wall again, his arms crossed and his gaze idly looking up at the sky. The moonlight cast a soft glow on his sleek black fur, and Tikal couldn't help but admire it like the lovesick person she'd become.

Summoning her courage, she walked towards him, her heart pounding in her chest. As she approached, he turned his head and their eyes met once again. There was a brief moment of silence before Tikal finally spoke.

"Shadow," she greeted him with a small smile.

He didn't respond immediately, which she was half expecting. However, the other half of her mind had been panicking. Did he not want her to be here? Did he prefer to be alone? Was she right that she read the situation wrong?

The silence suddenly became deafening.

Tikal reeled back, concluding that he probably didn't want to talk. "I-I guess now might have not been a good time-"

Just as she was going to go back inside, she felt him take hold of her arm. Her eyes widened and steadily, she turned her head back at him.

Shadow's grip on her arm was gentle yet firm, preventing her from walking away. His crimson gaze seared into hers, and his usually stoic expression softened with a hint of curiosity. One that she had become familiar with.

He still hadn't said anything and Tikal was beginning to think something was wrong.

She felt herself stop breathing, just for a second, when his eyes briefly swept down her body. They lingered, but it was quick, and he was already looking at her again.

Tikal felt her heart racing for the umpteenth time in front of him, wanting to be uncertain of what that meant.

But she knew exactly what it meant.

And it made all the heat in her face rush down to the rest of her body.

Chaos.

"Tikal," Shadow finally broke the silence between them, his voice coated with a hint of something she couldn't quite decipher, "It's good to see you."

Her cheeks flushed a deeper shade of red, and she averted her look for a moment, trying to compose herself. She open her mouth to speak, but it hung- unable to find the words to say to him. Slowly, she dragged her eyes down at his hand holding her arm. He noticed and gently pulled it away.

She kept staring at where his hand was on her, reluctant to think deeper into it. Using the courage she had left, she lifted her head and made eye contact with him. The atmosphere between them felt different this time. Rather than feeling the cool air from the night skies, the echidna felt hot- her pulse quickening with silent anticipation.

Speak, Tikal! Speak!

"I-It's good to see you too," Tikal stammered, her hands anxiously gripping her purse, "How are you…?"

Shadow didn't respond immediately, leaving her question to hang. The tension was thickening every second, and she wasn't sure how long she'd be able to handle it. She was shifting her feet, her heels starting to ache.

Her eyes widened for a fracture of a second when she just caught him lingering down her body again, but he quickly turned his head away- as if it never happened.

"I'm fine," Shadow said, haste sounding in his voice that she could detect, "And you?"

She nodded, containing how stunned she was. "I'm fine. Thank you."

"Hm."

Tikal was feeling… uncomfortable and confused, debating whether what she saw was an illusion or was actually real. Just from those few times he had been glancing at her, he seemed to have been struggling to maintain eye contact. That was so unlike him.

She wanted to play naive, just for a moment- just so she wouldn't give herself false hope.

But… it was real, wasn't it? He had been really looking at her. The intensity of the moment was undeniable.

She focused her attention on his hand by his side. It was curled up into a fist, but she could see there was some strain as there were noticeable creases on his gloves confirmed what she was thinking.

He was refusing to look at her right now because of what just occurred.

The situation became awkward and Tikal was afraid that if she said or did anything more, he would close himself out. He'd never seen her wear anything outside of her work clothes or her tribal wear- so the reaction was expected, partially.

Was it the perfume? She had only put a few spritzes on herself before she headed out of the house.

…Did he not like it? Was he finding it too strong?

Tikal gnawed against her bottom lip, mentally berating herself. No. Probably not. She was just overthinking again.

The vague confirmation was there. She was just too stunned to believe it.

With this newfound information playing in her head, Tikal reluctantly shifted against her feet once more- trying to find the right words to say to break the sudden ice between them.

As she was staring at him, she found herself noticing small fresh scar marks against his forearm. She wouldn't have caught them if she didn't already have a keen eye for spotting such things.

"What happened?" She asked him, already reaching for his arm to get a closer inspection.

She didn't expect him to turn around so quickly and stop her hand from going any further as he gripped her arm.

"Nothing," Shadow replied, his tone direct and guarded.

Tikal was startled by his reaction. She could sense the tension in his grip, the way his body seemed to stiffen, and the way his red eyes seem to throw daggers at her own- like he was warning her not to do that again.

Her heartbeat quickened, and her lips began to quiver ever so slightly out of fear, something she hated to admit to herself anymore. She didn't want to be scared of him. She thought those days were long gone and over.

But for just that second, it was a stark reminder.

A stark reminder she really didn't know who Shadow the Hedgehog was.

Even though she thought she did.

And her heart was threatening to sink, slowly, into the depths of distress and anguish.

Tikal withdrew her hand, feeling a mix of dismay and regret. She couldn't understand why he reacted so strongly. He didn't last time. Had something changed? What was he not telling her?

She took a step back, wilting and trying to compose herself and hide her vulnerability- even though she was absolutely crushed inside.

"I'm sorry," she murmured softly. "I didn't mean to…"

She had hoped for a more open and relaxed interaction, but it seemed that he had built walls around himself. Walls that were forbidding her entry-

"You're misunderstanding it."

Tikal flinched when he grabbed her arm again. He pulled at it once bringing her closer to him, his fingers encircling themselves around her wrist. She blinked up at him, completely bewildered and taken aback. "What?"

Shadow leaned in and she felt herself stop breathing, a light gasp emitting past her lips when his eyes were deadset on her, trapping her in them. His scent, fresh and woody, barricaded her sense of thinking.

What?

"I said you're misunderstanding it," Shadow repeated, his voice low and filled with idle frustration and something else she couldn't quite place.

From their close proximity, Tikal could hear his bated breaths and it was sending a wave of chills down her spine as he leaned in even closer between the space of her neck and chest. A quiet inhale from him reached her ears which she almost missed. Before she could even ask or process what was happening, he pulled away from her completely and walked past her, going back inside without another word.

Left dumbfounded by the ordeal, Tikal stood frozen in place, her mind trying to make sense of what just happened. She could still feel his breath down her neckline and just… wondered what would've progressed if he hadn't left.

Steadily, she looked back in the direction he went and tried to come to terms with what the both of them got themselves into.

Misunderstanding what, Shadow?