a hedgehogs unlikely crush

ch 10

The sun filtered in through the curtains, casting a warm glow across the room. Shadow stirred on the couch, feeling much better after a decent night's rest. He opened his eyes to find Perci already awake, sitting at the kitchen table with a mug in her hand, staring off into the distance.

"You're finally up," she said, noticing him shift. "Feeling better?"

Shadow grunted, sitting up and stretching out the stiffness from the night before. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Perci glanced over at him, her gaze lingering a little longer than usual. "Good. You had a fever, you know."

"Whatever," he muttered, brushing it off like it didn't matter.

But then, just as he stood up to stretch, Perci's question caught him off guard.

"Why do you live in a cave, anyway?"

Shadow froze mid-stretch, glancing over at her with narrowed eyes. "Why the hell do you care?"

Perci shrugged, trying to act casual. "Just curious. It's not exactly... homey."

Shadow shot her a sharp look, but before he could answer, his attention shifted to something else. He noticed her cheeks were flushed, and she was avoiding his gaze.

"What's with you?" Shadow asked, his voice low, suspicious. "Why are you blushing while you're talking to me?"

Perci blinked, caught off guard. "What? I'm not blushing."

Shadow smirked, not buying her attempt to downplay it. "Yeah, sure you're not."

Perci crossed her arms, trying to regain some composure. "It's nothing. Just... I don't know. Maybe I'm tired."

"Uh-huh," Shadow replied, his tone skeptical, but he let it slide for now.

As the morning dragged on, Perci kept busy tidying up, glancing at Shadow every now and then. He pretended not to notice, though he filed her strange behavior away in the back of his mind. When she thought he wasn't paying attention, he closed his eyes and lay back down on the couch, feigning sleep.

It wasn't long before he heard Perci mumbling to herself, just loud enough for him to hear.

"Damn it, Perci... Why did you say he was hot? Ugh, he'd probably laugh in your face if he knew. He's so... so damn handsome."

Shadow's eyes snapped open, and he felt a smug grin tug at the corner of his mouth. He didn't move, though—he wanted to hear more.

Perci continued, unaware of his awake state. "I mean, just look at him. Those eyes, that voice... Damn, why does he have to be such a jerk and still be so damn attractive?"

At that moment, Shadow had heard enough.

"You think I'm that handsome?" Shadow's voice cut through the air like a knife, his tone dripping with amusement.

Perci's eyes went wide, her heart practically leaping out of her chest as she whipped around to face him. "Wha—!? How long have you been awake!?"

Shadow stood up, a cocky grin plastered on his face as he stretched again, this time purposely flexing his muscles a little. "Long enough to hear you call me hot."

Perci's face turned beet red as she scrambled to come up with an excuse. "I... I didn't mean it like that! I mean, you—"

"Relax," Shadow cut her off, clearly enjoying the moment. He walked toward her slowly, his smirk growing. "So, I'm handsome huh?"

Perci fumbled over her words. "I... Well, I—"

Without thinking, Shadow stood a little taller, letting his intimidating yet impressive presence loom over her. He wasn't used to people admiring him, let alone calling him handsome. But there was something about Perci's reaction that was... satisfying.

"What do you think now?" he asked, leaning just slightly closer. "Still think I'm hot?"

Perci's mouth opened and closed, no words coming out as her mind tried to process what was happening. Her heart was pounding, and she could barely keep her thoughts straight. "I—"

But then, Shadow's expression shifted. Beneath the smugness, a flicker of doubt crossed his features. He pulled back slightly, frowning.

"Wait," he said, his tone dropping. "Are you just saying all this because you want me out of your house? Or do you actually—"

Perci blinked in surprise. "What? No! I didn't say any of that to get rid of you, Shadow."

He stared at her, his eyes searching hers for any sign of a lie. "Then why the hell are you being so... nice to me? You could've kicked me out. Could've let me freeze in that cave."

Perci took a breath, steadying herself. "Maybe because I don't see you the way everyone else does. Yeah, you're rough, rude, and a total jerk sometimes, but you're not evil. Not deep down. I wouldn't have gone through all this trouble if I didn't believe that."

Shadow's expression remained unreadable as he processed her words. Part of him wanted to scoff, to tell her she didn't know what the hell she was talking about. But another part of him—the part that felt something stir whenever she looked at him like that—made him stay quiet.

"Whatever," he muttered, turning away from her. But as he did, he couldn't shake the strange warmth spreading in his chest.

Perci, meanwhile, watched him carefully, unsure of what was going through his head. "Shadow," she said softly, stepping closer, "I wasn't trying to embarrass you. I just... I guess I wanted you to know that you're not as alone as you think you are."

Shadow paused, glancing over his shoulder at her, the walls he'd built around himself starting to crack, if only a little.

But before the moment could get too serious, Shadow grumbled and reached for another soda from the fridge. "You talk too much."

Perci smiled, shaking her head. "And you pretend like you don't care."

He shot her a sideways glance but didn't respond. Instead, he cracked open the can and took a long sip, feeling strangely... content, even if he'd never admit it.

But as they settled into a comfortable silence, Shadow couldn't help but wonder—maybe, just maybe, Perci really did like him. And that thought, as strange as it was, didn't feel so bad after all.