a hedgehogs unlikely crush

ch 4

Shadow's glare grew darker as he spat out, "Sit back down and don't disturb me." His tone was cold, but there was a sharpness in it, a warning that Perci was pushing her luck.

Perci, still frustrated by his attitude, crossed her arms defiantly. "No."

That one word set something off in Shadow. His temper flared up, his fists tightening. "You really wanna test me, bandicoot?" he growled, rising slightly from where he sat, his entire body tense, ready to challenge her.

But before he could say anything more, the sky lit up with a crack of thunder, rumbling so loudly that it shook the cave. At that same moment, Shadow's expression twisted in surprise as a violent coughing fit suddenly took hold of him. He clutched his chest, doubling over as the harsh coughs wracked his body, his whole frame shaking from the intensity of it.

Perci, caught off guard by the sudden change, watched him struggle. Her irritation quickly turned to concern as she realized what was happening. "Shadow...?"

He didn't respond, too focused on trying to catch his breath. His coughing only grew worse, his body trembling as he stubbornly tried to suppress it, refusing to show weakness. It was painfully clear to Perci now—he had caught a cold, probably from the storm or from not taking care of himself.

But Shadow, being Shadow, wasn't about to admit it. His pride wouldn't allow it.

"Dammit," Perci muttered under her breath, moving closer to him despite the tension between them. She knew he didn't want help, but she wasn't about to let him suffer like this. "Shadow, you're sick. You need to rest."

"I'm—fine," Shadow rasped between coughs, trying to straighten up but failing as another fit shook him. "Just... leave me alone."

Perci sighed, shaking her head. "Stubborn as hell, aren't you?" She grabbed one of the blankets he had thrown earlier, moving to drape it over his shoulders. "You're not fooling anyone. You're freezing, and it's only gonna get worse if you keep acting like you're invincible."

He tried to push her away, but his strength was fading. "I said I'm fine," he insisted, though his voice was weaker now, betraying how much the cold was affecting him.

Perci didn't budge, gently wrapping the blanket around him. "No, you're not." She sat down beside him, trying to keep him warm. "Just let yourself rest. You don't always have to be the tough guy, you know."

Shadow glared at her, but his usual fire was dimmed by exhaustion. He hated being vulnerable, and even more so in front of someone like Perci, who had a way of seeing through his walls. But he didn't have the energy to argue anymore. Begrudgingly, he leaned back against the cave wall, his coughing starting to subside, though his breathing was still labored.

Perci sat next to him in silence, the tension between them momentarily replaced by a strange sense of calm. Despite everything, she wasn't about to leave him alone like he wanted. And somewhere deep down, Shadow knew that.