Unwanted Distractions
It had been months since Rouge first began to wonder when her feelings for Shadow had taken root. She'd always admired him—his strength, his unwavering sense of duty, his quiet yet unyielding presence. But it wasn't just one moment that changed everything. Maybe it was the slow realization of how much he'd grown since they first met.
No, this isn't happening, she thought. Admiration is one thing, but this…?
Shadow had always been strong, but in the beginning, that strength was driven by uncertainty—a need to understand who he was. She'd seen him wrestle with those questions, trying to reconcile the fragments of his past. Yet, over time, he found himself—his purpose, his identity. He wasn't just the ultimate life form; he was Shadow the Hedgehog, someone who had faced his demons and emerged stronger.
Why do I keep thinking about this? she wondered. I've seen him change, but why does it matter so much to me?
There were moments when his struggles threatened to consume him, but he faced them with quiet resilience that left her in awe. She had seen him at his lowest, yet he always rose above it. It was that strength of character that drew her in.
Stop it, Rouge, she told herself. This is admiration, respect, nothing more. But deep down, she knew it wasn't that simple.
Then there were the quiet moments in between—the way he instinctively shielded her from danger, the rare smiles they shared when alone. He would turn to her when uncertain, or offer his shoulder after a grueling day. And those lingering gazes… they spoke of mutual respect, of trust, of their deep connection.
Why does this feel different? she wondered. It shouldn't. But her heart betrayed her, quickening at the thought of him.
She couldn't pinpoint the exact moment her feelings changed. All she knew was that it had crept up on her, impossible to ignore. It had become a constant internal battle—one she was determined to win. She couldn't let herself get distracted by something as fleeting as feelings. They were unnecessary, messy, and could only complicate things between them.
No. I won't let this distract me, she insisted. It's just respect, admiration—nothing more. But even as she repeated it, the truth quietly lingered.
She sat in the briefing room at G.U.N., her eyes fixed on the holographic map in front of her. This covert mission was different—special, in a way. It was the first time in weeks that she and Shadow were assigned to work together, and despite her best efforts to stay composed, a spark of excitement mingled with nervous energy bubbled up inside her.
The reckon mission was straightforward—nothing she and Shadow hadn't done a hundred times before. Despite the routine nature of the assignment, the anticipation of working closely with him once more brought a subtle, yet undeniable, excitement that she couldn't quite suppress. The combination of adrenaline from the mission and her conflicting feelings for him made it difficult to maintain her usual calm demeanor. Yet she found her attention wavering, her gaze shifting toward the doorway every few minutes, waiting in anticipation for him to arrive.
When he finally did, his aura filled the room without him having to say a word. Rouge's sensitive bat ears picked up the faint murmurs that followed him, as they always did. Whispers of admiration, envy, fear, and awe seemed to ripple at his arrival.
"Look, it's Shadow!," one agent whispered in admiration. "I can't believe we're finally doing a mission with him."
"At least we won't have to worry about anything when he's with us. If he even needs us..." another muttered, the tone tinged with both awe and jealousy.
"He's always working. Doesn't he ever relax?" came a quiet timid voice, almost in fear.
"He's so… intense," one agent murmured dreamily, barely able to contain their admiration. "I swear, I could watch him all day."
Rouge rolled her eyes but couldn't help the flash of amusement that tugged at her lips. It wasn't just Shadow's strength or reputation that commanded respect and attention—it was everything about him. And she wasn't immune to it, either, no matter how much she tried to pretend otherwise.
Shadow moved with that same purposeful stride that had always drawn eyes, his fiery red orbs quickly scanning the room before they locked on to her sky blue irises for a heartbeat longer than necessary, a brief exchange of energy that lingered just beneath the surface.
Focus, Rouge. She scolded herself, quickly turning her attention back to the mission at hand. This is ridiculous. You're better than this.
Shadow took the seat beside her, and instantly, his familiar scent enveloped her—smoky and woody, with sharp spice and a metallic edge. An earthy undertone, grounding and steady like him, lingered beneath it all, yet there was something cosmic in its depth. The scent was magnetizing, drawing her in with a force both comforting and maddening. It electrified her senses, making focus impossible.
Respect. Admiration. Nothing more.
Shadow leaned in closer, his breath brushing against her ear as he whispered, "Something on your mind?" His deep, baritone voice cut through her thoughts, low and deliberate, the rich timbre making her ears twitch and the fur on the nape of her neck stand on end.
She glanced at him, forcing a coy smirk onto her lips. "Just thinking about how easy this mission's going to be. I could handle it in my sleep, you know."
He raised an eyebrow, his expression unchanged, but there was a faint glimmer of something in his eyes—perhaps amusement, or maybe curiosity. "Confidence is good, but overconfidence can be… dangerous."
She shifted in her seat, feeling the heat rise in her cheeks. Dangerous. Yes, that was exactly what this was.
"Well, lucky for you, I like throwing myself into danger." She shot back teasingly, leaning back in her chair with a nonchalant wave of her hand.
"I'm just speaking from experience." His gaze lingered on her a moment longer than necessary, its weight making her pulse quicken.
"I know, I know. I won't let it get to my head." She reassured him with a friendly nudge, trying to lighten his concern.
Shadow allowed a faint smirk, mirroring her teasing tone. "Good. Because who else could keep up with me?" he jested, his eyelids lowering slightly. With a subtle shift in demeanor, he directed his full attention back to the hologram, the smirk fading as his face returned to its serious frown.
Rouge's heart skipped a beat at his words. After working closely together for years, she could finally get him to open up to teasing. Though it was rare, it still caught her off guard.
When did he become so... charming?
She felt her ears warming and instinctively swept her hand up, tucking a nonexistent strand of hair behind her ear in an attempt to soothe the tingling sensation as elegantly as possible.
She tried to ignore it, but the spell of his attention was undeniable.
Stop it. She told herself firmly.
Respect.
Admiration.
Nothing.
More.
Yet, the more she tried to believe it, the more hollow the words felt. His voice during the briefing was all she could register, caressing her ear while the usual strategic details faded into the background. Everything else became a blur, drowned out by the hypnotic echo of his words, reverberating in her mind.
Shadow noticed it—it was subtle at first, but unmistakable. What started as brief moments of distraction could have been chalked up to the usual stress of their missions. But recently, Rouge's focus had begun to drift more frequently. Her sharpness remained, but there was a newfound hesitation that hadn't been there before. Their latest mission—a high-stakes infiltration—had pushed them both. They succeeded, as always, yet...
Something is different.
He recalled it clearly—how she had paused, just for an instant, before disarming the final security system. It wasn't like her. In the past, she moved with effortless precision, but this time there was a slight hitch in her rhythm. Shadow had brushed it off at first, thinking it was just a fleeting lapse. Yet, the signs were becoming too consistent to ignore.
What is it?
It wasn't until after the mission, in the debriefing room, that Shadow's suspicions solidified. The subtle cracks in her usual composure were impossible to ignore. He knew Rouge too well to brush them aside.
A small, uncharacteristic gesture—the gentle grazing of her teeth against her plump lower lip, pulling it inward before releasing it with a soft exhale—caught his attention. She did it again, almost unconsciously, as if trying to soothe some restless thought. Each time, it stirred his curiosity a little more, the repetition becoming harder for him to ignore. His gaze lingered on her lips longer than he intended, a moment of awareness that slipped beneath his usual restraint.
Focus, Shadow.
He forced himself to turn back to the screen, trying to absorb the mundane debriefing reports.
Arms crossed over his chest, Shadow appeared attentive, though his thoughts kept drifting elsewhere. Rouge sat poised, her eyes fixed on the holographic map, but the stiffness in her shoulders betrayed the calm she projected. Her fingers, resting lightly on the table, tapped and brushed against each other in a silent display of discomfort and restlessness.
He didn't press further.
Not yet.
There would be time for questions later. For now, Shadow's discipline held him in check.
The mission comes first.
It always did.