Fate's Wretched Odyssey

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Shadow, for once in the past who knew how long, woke up peacefully. Joints stiff from sleep, he grunted a little when he lifted into a sitting position. "Oh, you're finally up. You came to bed last night after your little date with the new guy," Rouge drawled from where she was sitting at her vanity, touching up her makeup. "Don't be gross. And I was just feeling a little tired," he muttered in response as he stretched his muscles.

"After a whole week of staying up? Yeah, that's believable, even for a guy like you," his wife giggled. Her deep purple wings were lazily folded on her back, and her ears were wrapped in a towel; Shadow guessed she had just taken a shower. "Anyway, Knuckles invited me to brunch today and I don't wanna be late. You don't mind me taking a couple hours off work to go see him, right?"

Shadow shook his head and stood up, his back arching as he did a final stretch. "Just don't be too long. I need to go grocery shopping and-" Shadow stopped dead in his tracks. He didn't know how he hadn't noticed, but there on the end of the bed, was a cardboard box with some pretty red wrapping. "What is that?"

Rouge stopped applying the mascara that was in her hand, a honey sweet smile forming on her painted lips. "I went out and got you a present. It's our anniversary, remember? Two years on the dot." She stood up and approached her husband. "I know we don't act like how a couple should, but I still like the idea and sentiment of anniversary gifts," the bat said as she rested her jaw on one of Shadow's shoulders.

"But I didn't get you anything," Shadow stated, unable to deny the fact that a tiny feeling of guilt rested in his belly. "Oh, stop! I don't mind, you already gave me much more than I could ever ask for, while dating and during marriage," she snickered and gave Shadow a teasing kiss on the cheek. "Just go on and open it."

Hesitantly, the hedgehog approached the box, a look of suspicion on his muzzle. Rouge had pulled tricks on him before. And some of them had been mean. Real mean. The Chaos Emerald incident the week prior was a start, but far from the worst. Yet, building up some courage, Shadow set his hands on top of the box, only for a couple of holes pierced in the cardboard to make his ears perk a little.

"What game are you playing?" Shadow whipped around and hissed.

Rouge groaned dramatically and rolled her aquamarine eyes. "Just open it, for Christ's sake!" Shadow shot her a searing glare before he returned his attention to the wrapped box, carefully pulling the shiny golden bow off and proceeding to lift the lid of the box. Peering inside, Shadow's pupils immediately became blown. A small, fluffy tortoiseshell kitten was sitting in the corner of the box, gazing up at him with glimmering amber eyes.

"Oh."

With delicate hands, the male gently scooped up the small creature that lay inside the box. She didn't fuss as he lay her against his chest, loud purrs echoing throughout the bedroom. "Wha- why?" Shadow asked, breaking his gaze from the kitten to meet the eyes of his wife. The female sat on the bed next to where her husband was now seated with the small feline cradled in his arms. She sighed.

"Well, we didn't manage to get a kid — thank God. I think we would have been terrible parents... But I know you've been kinda lonely," her gaze shifted to her knees. "I've been spending lots of time with Knuckles, and you haven't said a thing, but I do know that you're upset. Even if only a little."

A gentle giggle left her. "I thought maybe getting you something that was a little cheaper and fluffier than a kid would do you some good. It'll give you something to do, and maybe even help you feel a little better," she explained as she leaned her head on his shoulder, watching as Shadow scratched the kitten's head. "Well... Thank you," he said, albeit a little awkwardly. Rouge beamed, endorsing in this soft moment before rising swiftly to her feet.