a hedgehogs unlikely crush

ch 24

Shadow was pacing back and forth near the outskirts of the village, his mind racing as he frantically searched the ground. The locket—the one with his and Perci's initials, the one he'd given her as a sign of how serious he was about their relationship—was missing. And the card, that damn card, the one where he poured out the most vulnerable words he'd ever written, was gone too. His chest tightened with frustration.

"Where the hell could it be?" Shadow growled under his breath, the edge in his voice sharp enough to cut steel. He didn't lose things. He never lost things. And now, of all times, something so important had just disappeared.

He clenched his fists, his anger bubbling to the surface. It had to be somewhere. Maybe Perci had left it behind by accident, or maybe—

"Looking for this?"

Shadow's body went rigid as he heard Sonic's smug voice behind him. Slowly, he turned around, his red eyes narrowing as he spotted Sonic leaning against a tree, lazily spinning the silver locket on his finger like it was nothing more than a toy. And in his other hand—the card. The fucking card.

Sonic's smirk only deepened. "You've been pretty sloppy, Shady. Can't believe you left these lying around."

Shadow's eyes blazed with fury as he took a step forward, his voice a low, dangerous growl. "Give it back, Sonic. Now."

"Oh, I don't know," Sonic teased, holding the locket up to the light, examining it with mock interest. "You sure you deserve it? I mean, Perci's a pretty big deal. What if she sees this and realizes she can do way better?"

"You piece of shit!" Shadow snarled, his hands clenching at his sides as he fought the urge to lunge at Sonic right then and there. "That locket is hers. That's between me and Perci. You have no business touching it."

Sticks, who had been standing beside Sonic, suddenly chimed in, grinning ear to ear. "Oh, come on, Shadow! This is pretty funny, don't you think? You're all 'grr, I'm so tough,' but here you are, all desperate and mushy for Perci. Who knew the great Shadow the Hedgehog could be so... soft?"

Shadow's glare snapped to Sticks, his voice seething with pure venom. "Shut your mouth, Sticks, before I shut it for you."

Sonic took a step forward, tauntingly swinging the locket back and forth like bait. "Oh, you don't like that, do you? Poor little Shady, all wrapped around Perci's finger. I bet you've got it all planned out, huh? The happy little life, all the sappy bullshit. Must be nice."

Shadow's patience snapped like a frayed wire. He lunged at Sonic with the speed of a bullet, grabbing the front of his shirt and shoving him hard against the tree. "You think you're funny, don't you? Give it the fuck back, now!"

Sonic, to his credit, didn't flinch. He just grinned wider, knowing exactly how to push Shadow's buttons. "Hit a nerve, did I? You're getting real worked up over a little necklace. What's the matter, Shadow? Afraid Perci's gonna figure out she's too good for you?"

The crackle of chaos energy sparked around Shadow's clenched fist as his anger spiked to dangerous levels. He was ready to beat Sonic into the dirt, make him pay for even thinking about messing with him like this. But before he could strike, Sticks darted forward, holding up the card in front of his face, giggling like it was the funniest thing she'd ever seen.

"And what about this, huh?" Sticks taunted. "Your little love note. 'Oh, Perci, I love you so much, you're my butterfly, blah blah blah!' So romantic, Shadow! Didn't know you had it in you."

Shadow's jaw clenched so tightly it hurt. His eyes locked on the card, his pulse pounding in his ears. He needed that back. The thought of Sonic and Sticks having it—reading it, mocking him—was unbearable. He couldn't let this stand. He wouldn't.

"Sticks," Shadow hissed, his voice like a dark storm. "I'm warning you. If you don't hand that over right now, I'll make you regret it."

Sonic chuckled, stepping in front of Sticks as if to shield her from Shadow's rage. "What're you gonna do, Shady? Blow us up? You're already looking like a lovesick idiot. Maybe we should just keep these as souvenirs."

That was it. Shadow's fury erupted, and without warning, he swung his fist, aiming straight for Sonic's cocky grin. Sonic dodged just in time, the punch slamming into the tree, splintering the wood with the force of the blow.

"You think this is a fucking game, Sonic?" Shadow roared, his chaos energy flaring as he prepared to attack again. "I swear to Chaos, I'll rip you apart."

Sonic, still smirking, danced out of the way. "Oh, calm down, Shady. You're just mad 'cause I'm right. You're all wrapped up in Perci, and it's hilarious."

Shadow's hands twitched with rage. He needed that locket, and he wasn't about to let Sonic get away with this. But before he could make another move, Sonic held up the locket, tossing it casually into the air before catching it again.

"Tell you what," Sonic said, his tone almost mockingly generous. "I'll give this back... if you admit it. Admit you're whipped. Say it out loud, and maybe I'll consider it."

The air around Shadow buzzed with tension as his chaos energy flared brighter. His pride and rage warred inside him, but one thing was clear: Sonic had crossed a line.

Shadow took a slow, deliberate step toward Sonic, his voice dripping with menace. "I don't need to admit shit to you. I love Perci. And that's something you'll never fucking understand."

Sonic's grin faltered slightly, the weight of Shadow's words cutting through the tension. For a brief moment, something shifted between them. But it didn't last.

Sonic, ever the instigator, shrugged it off and smirked again. "Whatever, Shady. You're still whipped."

With one final burst of speed, Shadow knocked Sonic off balance, snatching the locket and card from his grip. Without a word, he turned on his heel, walking away, his fists still clenched in rage.

But as he left, Sticks couldn't resist one last jab. "Better hold on tight, Shadow! Wouldn't want to lose your little love tokens again!"

Shadow ignored her, his eyes focused straight ahead, his grip tight on the locket. He'd won the battle, but his anger still boiled under the surface. Sonic had crossed a line, and Shadow wasn't about to let him off so easily next time.

But for now, he had what was his. And he wasn't going to let anyone take it from him again.