Shadouge- Partners till the End.

Ch.19- A night off

Shadow's POV

        Shadow grunts as he walks out of a speed dating night. Espio suggested that he should try and meet someone, to help get over his one-sided affection for, Rouge. The night was taxable, half of them were too intimidated by him to even speak. While the other half he had no interest in, nore did they bring any personal values. Just them. Shadow isn't asking for much....

        He stops to get some coffee beans to snack on, on his way back to his new apartment. The human smiles at the customer, "What will it be?" She asked. "Do, you have any coffee beans?" She smiles apologetically, "Sorry, I used the last of it to make a pot earlier. Do you still want something?" 

         He took a sip of the bitter beverage, as he took a detour thru Chow Park. That's when someone caught his eye. Over by the water was someone he did not expect to see. The recently returned Princess Sally Acorn. Sally spins around when she heard someone approaching. "Easy. It's just me." Shadow told her. Sally quickly turned her back on him and wiped her face. Shadow assumed she was crying...

        "You, alright?" Shadow asked standing there. "Ya. Just wanted to sit for a while." Sally told him. Shadow walks closer and sits down too. "I'm not hurt." Sally protests. "If I wanted to know how you felt, I would have asked, "how you feeling. "." Shadow said. The two sit there in silence. Shadow noticed she shivers every now and again. "Here." Shadow hands her the still hot coffee. Sally takes it, gives it a sniff, then drinks some. Her face scrunches up to the bitter taste, as it warms her up. "Don't like the taste." Shadow stated, looking at her. "Taste just like my love life." Sally told him. After that, Sally opened up a little to him. After Shadow, helped reunite Sally with her family and friends, she started developing romantic feelings for her childhood friend, Sonic. However, he's with Amy Rose, and Sally doesn't want to be a home wrecker. So, her friend Tangle, suggested her trying to meet someone.

      Sally laughed sarcastically, "It's just dumb, right? Holding on to a childhood crush for all these years." Shadow looks across the Chow Pond. He was never good with these kinds of things, but he was taught to comfort those when they needed a shoulder. 'Professor, what would you do?' Shadow thinks to himself. "You, think I'm dumb about this, too." Sally's words snapped him out of his train of thought.

        "No, you're not." He tells her. She moves her hair out of her eye, as she wipes tears from her face. "... and... if you are, then I am, too..." He says. She cocks her head to the side examining him, seeing if he's being serious. She nudges him to continue sharing, hearing from Amy he's not one to open up. "I, have feelings... for my partner. But it's only on my side. I think?"

        "Your partner? You mean, that white Bat?." Sally asked. "Isn't she with... oh." 

          "Her name is, Rouge... and yes she's been with Knuckles for a while. I think you meet him when Elias introduced him at your return party.?" She nods. Shadow breaks eye contact with her and watches the water. His left hand scratches the back side of his ear as he talks. "Listen. I'm not the best at this kind of stuff, but if you ever need to talk about this, I could listen. Since I know how it feels."

        Sally smiles thanking him. "You can do the same with me, when you need too." She offers. Shadow returns the offer with, "I doubt it."

Rouge's POV.

        "I GOT POPCORN!" Amy cheers, brining in the overflowing buttery treat. Rouge takes some bites of the popcorn, while fixing Blaze's hair. Marine, Whisper and Tangle were to the side playing a board game.

        Marine pops some popcorn in her mouth as she talks, "I wish Cream ood haff come." She says. Amy tells her that she wanted to spend more time with her uncle, and the three of them are taking a short trio together. Rouge confirms that Burban even took some paydays off for it.