Time Heals All Things

Chapter Five: Rouge's Big Secret

Inside the briefing room of G.U.N headquarters Team Dark were sitting while Commander Andrews was stood in front of the huge white board attempting to talk tactics but Shadow was merely slouched back in his seat allowing his words to wash by him and Rouge was just as uninterested, checking her make-up and fluffing her fringe. Team Dark had a reputation for disregarding G.U.N strategy and going off to do their own thing, though their methods were not approved their record for always achieving the required result was what kept them employed.

"Sohhh....?" Rouge finally purred playfully, snapping her pocket mirror shut and nudging her brooding partner once she was satisfied with her appearance, stuffing the mirror down her cleavage for safe-keeping. She leaned forwards on her elbows pushing her head towards the black and red striped hedgehog next to her.

"So... What?" Shadow responded in a deadpan voice, quirking a brow in slight confusion at her inquisitive expression and pink-lipped smile. The bat was clearly fishing or some kind of gossip that he was not aware he had.

"How's it going with your lodger? You two buddies yet?" Rouge asked with a smile, her teal eyes flashing  brightly with the longing to know how things were going with Sonic.

"Buddies?" Shadow queried with confusion before frowning. "We aren't friends.." He had allowed Sonic into his home to avoid him being homeless. It had taken a number of years for the black hedgehog to respect his blue counterpart but they certainly weren't friends in his eyes. They had never spent any extended time together outside of saving the world from various disasters and they barely knew each other on any real personal level. Sonic had reached out to him, desiring to know him since they were now living under the same roof. It had surprised Shadow that his blue counterpart viewed him as a friend even though they knew so little about each other. He wished that he could have that level of faith in someone he barely knew but his stubborn and guarded nature made that next to impossible. But while Sonic was in his home he was willing to try and get to know him..

"Oh... Then what are you if your not friends?" Rouge's brows quirked in response to Shadow's words. She tilted her head curiously. The black hedgehog acted cool and impassive but deep under all that he had a big heart. The bat knew he cared about Sonic more than he was even willing to admit to himself but he needed to acknowledge that if he was ever going to move forward in life. He needed to see that caring for someone else didn't make him weak, it made him a mobian.

"We are just associates.." Shadow responded keeping his arms folded across his white fluffy chest, his eyes closed as as his frown deepened a little. He did not like Rouge probing into his private life like this.

"Really? So what made you take him into your home if he was just an associate?" The white-bat asked, her smirk widening as if trying to hint at a point.

"After everything he has done he did not deserve to be living in his car. He had nowhere to go. What else was I supposed to do? Leave him out on the streets!" Shadow huffed out as if this was the most obvious answer in the world.

"Shadow, you don't have to be so defensive.." Rouge sighed recognising the invisible guard that Shadow was trying to place between her and his personal business. "I think what your doing for Sonic is really great. I just want you to be happy, it's what I've always wanted for you.." She gently placed a hand on his arm as her teal eyes glistened with concern. All she had ever wanted for him was to find someone that could make him happy. It didn't have to be a lover, Rouge would settle for a friend. Someone that Shadow could truly be himself around and didn't feel the need to be on his guard all the time. Someone that could get to know the real him, the great guy she knew that lurked deep under all the pain and suffering of the past he still clinged to.. It wasn't healthy to carry such a large burden of baggage. Rouge knew that the right companion would make all the difference and since Shadow had chosen to allow Sonic into his home she took this as a positive step in the right direction. Perhaps his blue counterpart was just the one to break through Shadow's thick skull..