a hedgehogs unlikely crush

ch 16

Perci's heart was still fluttering from their first kiss when she smirked at Shadow. "I didn't know you could be so romantic, Shady."

Shadow blinked, caught off guard by her words, and before he could stop it, a light blush crept onto his cheeks. Romantic? Him? He wasn't used to being described that way. He tried to look away, but the way she was smiling at him made it impossible to hide.

He quickly regained his composure, remembering how Perci liked to tease. If she was going to play that game, then so would he. Shadow leaned in closer, his voice dropping to that deep, smooth tone that sent shivers down her spine. "I didn't know you liked it when I was romantic, Butterfly," he said, his lips curving into a mischievous grin.

Perci's cheeks flushed instantly. She hadn't expected him to flirt back so effortlessly. "I-I didn't say that..." she stammered, suddenly feeling just as flustered as Shadow had been.

Seeing her blush only made Shadow more confident. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small lavender flower. He twirled it between his fingers for a moment before holding it out to her. "This," he said, his voice unusually soft, "matches your beautiful face perfectly."

Perci's breath caught in her throat as she stared at the flower. This couldn't be real—Shadow, the Shadow, giving her flowers and calling her beautiful? This was the kind of thing she had only dreamed of.

Before she could speak, Shadow's red eyes met hers, full of a sincerity she had never seen from him before. "Perci," he began, "would you... be my girlfriend?"

Perci felt her heart leap in her chest. She didn't even need to think about it—this was everything she'd hoped for. "Yes," she breathed, barely able to contain her excitement. "Yes, of course!"

Shadow, usually so stoic and closed off, couldn't help the faint smile that crossed his face. He hadn't expected to feel this way, but hearing her say yes made something inside him relax in a way he hadn't known he needed.

Perci, still riding the high of her emotions, grinned and decided to seal the deal. "You know," she said, tilting her head coyly, "if you really want to be my boyfriend... how about you live with me?"

Shadow blinked, genuinely surprised by the offer. Live with her? The idea was so foreign, but the thought of waking up next to her, of having a place where he wasn't alone—it wasn't as bad as he thought it might be. He took a deep breath, considering it for a long moment before nodding slowly.

"I think I'd like that," he said, his voice low and serious, but there was a warmth in his tone that hadn't been there before.

Perci's eyes lit up, and without another word, she threw her arms around him, hugging him tight. Shadow stiffened for a moment but then, with a small chuckle, wrapped his arms around her, letting the feeling of contentment settle over him.

For the first time in a long time, Shadow had something real, something to hold onto. And it felt... good.