a hedgehogs unlikely crush

ch 1

Warning: This fanfic contains cursing. Reader discretion is advised.

Shadow scowled as he trudged through the dusty village path, his eyes cold and narrowed. The village market was buzzing with activity, and every cheerful voice grated on his nerves. The only reason he was here was to grab supplies—nothing more, nothing less. The last thing he needed was to be caught up in anyone's nonsense, especially not Team Sonic's.

Of course, the universe wasn't on his side today. As he rounded the corner, his eyes landed on the familiar blue blur and his entourage, standing in line at the market's supply booth. Sonic and his friends were chatting and laughing, oblivious to Shadow's mood.

"Oh, great," Shadow muttered under his breath. "Them."

Sonic, Tails, Amy, and Knuckles stood near the front of the line. Tails was picking up some new parts for his latest gadget, and Amy was chatting about a new plan for the village garden. Knuckles? He was just standing there, flexing his muscles as usual, without much of a clue.

Then, as if this day couldn't get worse, Shadow spotted Perci the Bandicoot at the back of the line, waiting patiently with a bundle of tools and parts in her arms. Her fur was dusted with a bit of oil, but it only added to the way she seemed to blend strength and beauty effortlessly.

For a moment, Shadow hesitated. Perci wasn't like the others. She didn't annoy him with meaningless talk or act like a fool. But he wasn't in the mood for waiting around. His patience snapped, and with a low growl, he shoved past Sonic and the others, ignoring their indignant yells.

"Hey!" Sonic shouted. "What the hell, Shadow?"

Shadow didn't respond. He kept walking, completely disregarding Knuckles' protests.

"Yo, what's the rush, dude? We were here first!" Knuckles huffed, puffing out his chest like it would intimidate Shadow, who didn't even spare him a glance.

But when Shadow reached Perci, something stopped him. She was calmly arranging the items in her arms, her attention focused on the vendor. She didn't flinch as he walked past, didn't give him a side-eye like the others. Instead, she stepped aside, letting him place his order first without a word.

"You can go ahead," she said, her voice even and calm, though there was a hint of a smirk in her eyes.

Shadow blinked, slightly taken aback. He wasn't used to people... not reacting to him like that. He gave a curt nod, placed his order quickly, and stepped aside, allowing her to finish hers. Sonic and the rest of the team stood there, stunned by the exchange.

"Wait—what just happened?" Knuckles scratched his head. "Did Shadow actually... wait for someone?"

Sonic exchanged a glance with Amy, who shrugged, equally as surprised.

"What the hell?" Sonic muttered, crossing his arms as he watched Shadow and Perci. "Since when does he have patience for anyone?"

Shadow caught Sonic's words, his crimson eyes flashing with irritation. "Mind your own damn business, hedgehog."

But as Perci walked past him with her tools, she gave Shadow a quiet nod of thanks. Something about the gesture left him momentarily off balance. He wasn't sure why. Maybe it was because she didn't treat him like a monster or a threat. Whatever it was, he wasn't about to stick around and think about it.

"Come on," Shadow muttered, turning away as fast as he could.

But as he left the market, he couldn't shake the feeling that this trip to the village was going to be more complicated than he'd planned.