a hedgehogs unlikely crush

ch 34

The storm finally came to an end, with the rain tapering off into a soft drizzle. The clouds slowly parted, letting the moonlight filter through, casting a peaceful glow across the village. Inside, however, things were far from peaceful.

Shadow, still nursing a sore pride from his earlier tumble, had a plan. He was more than ready to get back at Sonic, but he wasn't going to do it with brute force. No, this time, he was going to hit him where it hurt the most—by being the perfect gentleman to Perci, right in front of Sonic's face.

"Hey, Perci," Shadow said, his voice smooth as he turned to her, giving her his most charming smile. "The storm's over. How about I walk you outside for some fresh air? You deserve it after all the craziness tonight."

Perci beamed at him, completely unaware of the mischief brewing behind his calm facade. "That sounds perfect, Shady. I'd love that."

Sonic, who was sitting nearby, rolled his eyes the moment he heard Shadow's tone shift. "Oh, here we go," he muttered under his breath.

But Shadow wasn't going to let that slide. He pulled Perci close, wrapping his arm around her waist as he led her toward the door. "Anything for my butterfly," he said, glancing over his shoulder at Sonic with a smug smirk. "You know, Perci deserves nothing less than the best."

Sonic's jaw clenched, his hands balling into fists. "Really, dude?" he muttered, but Shadow pretended not to hear him.

Outside, the air was fresh and cool, with the last few raindrops dripping from the trees. Shadow kept his arm around Perci, walking her slowly through the village while continuing his gentleman act.

"I was thinking, maybe tomorrow we could go for a picnic," Shadow suggested, his tone softer than usual. "I'll take care of everything—just you and me, away from all the noise."

Perci looked up at him with a dreamy smile, clearly loving the idea. "That sounds amazing. You're so thoughtful, Shady."

Sonic, who had followed them outside at a distance, couldn't take it anymore. The way Shadow was acting, the way he was trying to be this smooth, romantic guy—it was driving him insane.

"What the hell, Shadow? You're seriously laying it on thick, aren't you?" Sonic finally snapped, stepping closer with frustration etched on his face. "What's with the whole 'perfect gentleman' act?"

Shadow glanced at Sonic, his smirk only widening. "Jealous much?" he said, tightening his grip around Perci's waist. "Maybe if you weren't so busy being a cocky idiot, you'd know how to treat someone right."

Sonic's eyes narrowed, and his face flushed with anger. "Oh, screw you, Shadow! You think you're all high and mighty just because Perci likes you?"

"Correction," Shadow said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "She doesn't just like me. She loves me." He shot Sonic a look that could only be described as smug satisfaction. "And I'm going to make sure she knows just how much I love her too. So if you have a problem with that, go cry to someone else."

Perci, caught in the middle of the tension, looked between the two, slightly confused but amused. "Uh, guys...?"

But Sonic wasn't backing down. "You're full of shit, Shadow. All this 'Mr. Perfect' stuff is just a game to you. You're doing it just to get under my skin!"

Shadow's expression turned icy, and he stepped toward Sonic, keeping Perci behind him protectively. "Don't mistake this for a game, Sonic. I don't need to impress anyone—especially not you. But if it pisses you off that I'm treating Perci like the queen she is, then that's your problem."

Sonic scoffed. "Oh, give me a break! You're just rubbing it in my face because you know I can't stand it."

Shadow chuckled darkly. "You're damn right I am. And I'm going to keep doing it until you learn your place."

Perci sighed, rubbing her temples as the tension between the two grew thicker. "Come on, guys, can we not do this every five minutes?"

Sonic glared at Shadow, then crossed his arms defiantly. "Whatever, man. Keep pretending you're perfect. Just don't come crying to me when you screw it all up."

Shadow's expression didn't falter, but his eyes flickered with a silent promise of revenge. "Don't worry, Sonic. You won't be the one I go to. You can stay in your lane and keep dreaming about being half as smooth as me."

With that, Shadow turned away, guiding Perci back toward the house with a triumphant smile. Sonic could do nothing but glare after them, his fists clenched in frustration as he muttered curses under his breath.

Perci glanced up at Shadow, clearly a little confused by the tension but still smiling. "You really know how to push his buttons, huh?"

Shadow smirked. "Yeah. And I'm not even trying that hard." He kissed the top of her head as they walked back inside, leaving Sonic stewing in his frustration.