Time Heals All Things

Chapter Ten: Is This Natural Or Created?

Days passed since the two hedgehogs had shared the unintended kiss on the couch and in this time they had barely spoken any words to each other. This was due to Shadow who had shut himself away in his study in an attempt to "recondition himself" and purge himself of weakness. Sonic, fearing what his younger-looking black and red-striped hedgehog meant by this, called the only one he could think of that might have a clue. After hearing Rouge curse the moment he mentioned what Shadow was doing he knew it was as bad as he feared. The female bat instantly declared that she and Knuckles were on their way and hung up.

Within thirty minutes the three month pregnant white-furred bat and her red-quilled muscle-bound echidna husband burst through the door. While Knuckles looked concerned Rouge looked thoroughly annoyed.

"Alright," Her bronze-tanned cheeks puffed up, her pink lips twisted into a tight pout and she glowered terrifyingly underneath her fluffy fringe. "Where is he?" The sight of her was so utterly intimidating to Sonic that the forty year old hedgehog could do little more than flash a timid grin and point towards Shadow's office. Immediately she barged passed the blue hedgehog stomping to the office door and banged on it hard.

"Shadow Hedgehog! You open this door right now!!" Rouge immediately twitched one large ear to the door to listening but whatever she could hear that the other two males could not it was not Shadow coming to open the door. "I'll give you to the count of five!!" She added loudly, taking a huffy stance as she had always despised being ignored.

"He's either really brave-" Knuckles murmured to Sonic casually, the blue was merely staring at the enraged female bat who clenched her fists and gritted her teeth.

"One.... Two..."

"Or really stupid. I can't decide.." The red echidna finished pleased it was not him on the firing end of his wife's fury. Rouge was not shy about expressing her anger at anything that annoyed her, she was known to throw pots and crockery during their heated arguments at home. Fortunately Knuckles would usually just punch the objects she fired at him out of his way with ease. He could usually calm her by pinning her fast so she couldn't lash out and giving her a passionate kiss making her putty in his hands. He had a feeling it would not have the same effect coming from Shadow who was like a brother to her.

"Three..." Her shoulders squared as her eyes narrowed further, he was definitely ignoring her now.  "Four!!" Rouge declared before gracefully lifting her right foot and pirouetting around on her left foot like a newly pregnant ballerina, her foot straightening as she forcefully high-kicked the study door. Even though it had been locked the door burst open, splintering the wood around the lock and forcing the door to bang against the wall and she marched inside with her shoulders hunched. Sonic made to follow but found his shoulder gripped by a strong white-mittened hand with long digger knuckles.

"I really wouldn't.." The forty-three year old echidna said in a soft voice. There was a deep look of hidden understanding in his heavily lined face, a sympathetic smile on his weather-beaten muzzle. "You'll just get kicked out, it'll be private.." He added rolling his violet eyes in a manner that suggested that he had been shunned from many of their conversations.

"Oh. So they talk alone a lot and it doesn't bother you?" Sonic asked looking surprised.

"It used to when Rouge and I just started out but Shadow has never shown any interest in my wife." Knuckles suddenly chuckled in amusement, his crows feet creasing deeply. "Hehe, Rouge actually thinks he might be gay but I told her that's ridiculous, there is no way Shadow is gay!" The middle-aged red echidna laughed out loud in amusement at the very idea of the cold and aloof G.U.N agent liking other guys.

Sonic on the other hand blinked at him in amazement. Until he had shared a kiss with Shadow a few days ago he would never have even considered the possibility of Shadow being into anyone else. He always seemed so utterly impervious to those kinds of feelings. He certainly didn't take any notice of anyone who showed the slightest interest in him, at least not until Shadow kissed him back anyway. Was it possible that Shadow was gay but was disgusted in himself for being that way?