a hedgehogs unlikely crush

ch 18

Shadow wasn't done yet. Not by a long shot. He was having too much fun watching Sonic squirm, and he knew exactly how to keep the act going. Perci finished her burger, wiping her hands with a napkin, when Shadow—ever the gentleman—picked up the wrapper and trash for her. He stood up from the table, holding onto the waste like it was no big deal.

"You need anything else, Butterfly?" he asked, his tone soft and only for her, completely ignoring the stunned silence from Sonic and the gang.

Perci smiled, enjoying the attention. "No, I'm good, Shady. Thanks."

But Shadow wasn't finished. He turned toward the counter, raising a hand to Dave the intern. "Actually, scratch that. Get her your biggest sundae—extra toppings. I'll cover it."

Dave blinked in confusion for a second before hurrying to fill the order, clearly not wanting to get on Shadow's bad side. Sonic, who had been trying to eat his chili dog in peace, finally lost it.

"Okay, seriously?!" Sonic slammed his hands on the table, glaring at Shadow. "What the hell is going on here? How did this even happen?"

Shadow turned around slowly, raising an eyebrow like Sonic had just asked the stupidest question in the world. "What do you mean, 'how did this happen'? You're not blind, are you?" He glanced down at Perci, who was smiling sweetly in her seat. "I have taste. Unlike you."

Sonic's eye twitched, and Knuckles choked on his drink, clearly enjoying the whole thing way too much. Tails and Amy exchanged looks, unsure whether to laugh or try to break the tension.

"So let me get this straight," Sonic continued, still in disbelief. "You, Shadow the Hedgehog—'I work alone,' 'I hate everyone'—are suddenly a doting boyfriend who buys sundaes and picks up trash? You've got to be fucking kidding me."

Shadow leaned on the back of his chair, folding his arms with a smug grin. "Believe it or not, Sonic, I know how to treat someone special. Something you might want to take notes on." He shot a glance at Amy, who rolled her eyes, trying to ignore the comment.

The sundae arrived in all its glory, piled high with whipped cream, chocolate sauce, sprinkles, and a cherry on top. Shadow took it from Dave, turning to Perci with that same soft look he'd reserved just for her. "Here you go, Butterfly," he said, setting it in front of her like she was royalty. "Anything else you want?"

Perci blushed, her smile growing wider. "No, Shady, this is perfect. Thank you."

Shadow sat back down, and instead of moving to another chair, he pulled Perci back into his lap, completely unbothered by the stares they were getting. He wrapped an arm around her waist, watching as she started to dig into the sundae with a grin of his own.

Sonic, clearly getting more pissed by the second, couldn't keep quiet. "Okay, seriously, Shadow, are you trying to rub this in our faces? What the hell?"

Shadow looked at him, calm as ever. "If you're that jealous, maybe you should've put in the effort like I did."

Knuckles, who had been sipping his drink, snorted. "Damn, Sonic, he's got a point."

Sonic shot Knuckles a glare before turning back to Shadow. "Effort? You barely talk to anyone—how did you even manage to...?" He gestured at Shadow and Perci like they were an impossible puzzle.

Shadow's grin widened. "You don't have to understand it, Sonic. You just have to accept it." He leaned down and whispered something to Perci, making her giggle. The sound was enough to make Sonic groan in frustration.

Perci was clearly enjoying the whole show. She ate her sundae happily, completely basking in Shadow's attention. And honestly, who could blame her? Here was Shadow, the usually gruff and distant hedgehog, making her feel like the only person in the room. He had paid for her meal, picked up her trash, and now was sitting there with her in his lap, looking at her like she was the most important thing in the world.

Shadow leaned back, stretching out his legs like he owned the place. He was absolutely basking in the jealousy and amusement of the group. Every eye in the restaurant was on them, but Shadow didn't care. If anything, it made him grin more.

Perci looked up at him, feeling the warmth of his chest behind her, and smiled. "You really didn't have to do all this."

"I wanted to," Shadow said, his voice low and soft, making sure Sonic and the others couldn't hear. "You deserve it."

Sonic threw his hands in the air, officially done with the situation. "I don't even know what to say anymore."

Shadow smirked at him. "Good. For once, you're speechless."

Amy leaned over to Sonic. "Just let him have this, Sonic. It's not worth the headache."

As the gang sat there in their stunned silence, Shadow turned his attention fully back to Perci, ignoring them like they didn't exist. He gently brushed a strand of hair away from her face, his fingers lingering a little longer than necessary. "You good, Butterfly?"

Perci nodded, still smiling, but her heart was racing. Shadow was being so sweet to her in front of everyone, and she couldn't help but feel like this was all a dream. "Yeah, Shady. I'm more than good."

Shadow smirked, pleased with himself. He had made her happy, put Sonic in his place, and basked in the amusement and jealousy of everyone around them.

For once, everything felt perfect.