#I would say they could be dating but I need that hedgehog romance for the desertion to work | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

writingattemptsxx · 4 months ago

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A Diamond and an Eel with a Clover

Trey starts dating Jade, and Cater finds himself picking up similar feelings.

—

First ever attempt at writing romance. This is just a ship I really like and wanted to share. This got way longer than I expected.

This is mostly Cater/Jade, but Trey and his ships are there.

—

Trey suddenly paused his mixing and looked up at Cater, giving him a smile. “Oh, I wanted to tell you, I’ve finally started dating someone else who I've been talking to forever now.”

Cater and Trey had opened up their relationship a while ago. They were both fine with it, thought it would be nice if anything, so after some conversations they both easily agreed. Cater was honestly a bit shocked his boyfriend didn't have someone hounding him sooner, but maybe that's just his bias.

“Aw! That's adorable! Who is it?”

“Jade Leech.”

Cater felt his eyes widen and his mouth part a bit. “Who? You’ve started dating who?” It's not like he didn't trust Trey to pick out someone nice, but it's impossible to not hear the rumors. That trio from Octavinelle didn't have any good words surrounding them.

Trey sighed. “Jade Leech. I know what you've probably heard, but trust me on this.”

“No no! I trust you. It’s just…” What was it? He couldn't say he didn't trust Jade, though that is probably the truest statement. “I was just a bit shocked tbh. Not something you would expect.”

“You’d be surprised what you learn when you actually get to know people.” His boyfriend gave a shrug and poured the batter into a tin as the oven started to beep. “Maybe you should get to know him. You two might enjoy each other’s company, plus it would be nice for you two to get along.” He wasn't even facing Cater anymore, fully turned to putting the cake in the oven.

“I can def try. We’ll just have to see how we get along.” That seemed to satisfy Trey who started to hum as he started to clean everything up. It’s not like Cater ever planned to intervene in any way. He truly does trust Trey. He could only sigh and hope things ended up well.

—

Trey! There he is. Why was Cater, the one without muscles, sent to get the extra bag of hedgehog food? Totes not fair.

It was only when he got a bit closer he noticed the baker talking to a tall person, dressed in their school uniform, and with light blue short hair. Jade Leech. The one who noticed Cater first.

Jade gave a sudden yet quick shift in his body language, guarding himself. It’s something that probably would have gone unnoticed by most others who didn't have experience doing the same. “Hello, Diamond. How are you?” He gave a fake smile that made Cater’s hair stand on end. He didn't scare Cater instantly as the rumors made him out to be, but he seemed as if he was hiding something. Right as Cater walked up to them too…

“Cater, hello. Do you need help with that?” Trey’s voice dragged him out of his thoughts. He nodded and handed over the bag of food.

“Riddle gave poor old me the job of getting the extra food bag, can you imagine that?” He leaned into Trey, gaining a chuckle in response.

“Oh, I definitely can.” He turned to Jade. “Forgive me, but I should probably help here.

Jade gave a small nod. “Of course. I wish you two a good day.”

With that, Cater and Trey started walking off to their dorm. Cater cuddled up to his boyfriend, thanking him for being his big strong savior, but he couldn't shake what he saw. He doubted there was any danger involved, but what was he hiding? No matter how much he thought he couldn't read any further into the mask. He, Cater Diamond, the one who worked so hard to being able to be friendly with all by being able to read them, couldn't read someone. He couldn't tell what bugged him more, that or his actual suspicions.

He simply took a deep breath. Trey wouldn't pick a bad person. He just needs to trust that.

—

For someone who's constantly on their phone, Cater actually doesn't bump into people often. It shocks him just as much as anyone else who he tells it to. Sadly, that luck doesn't hit every time. Sometimes he runs into people, like how he ran into Jade Leech this time.

They were both walking, so luckily none of them got hurt, it was just a corner blocking their view.

Cater looked up to Jade. “Hey sorry about that.” He was about to ask if he was ok, but as he took a step away, he noticed something off.

Jade’s smile seemed forced, as always. He had a barely noticeable lean away from Cater. His arms were crossed and held slightly too high up than someone calm, unusually close to the chest. His eyes were scanning Cater, but refusing to look at him for too long, looking anywhere else. His whole perfect posture felt stiff, as if he had to physically force himself there.

Was he anxious?

“Are you ok?”Cater didn't even know he was speaking out loud until he heard his own words hit his ears.

“Yes, I am perfectly fine. A small bump into another wouldn't cause any damage.” Jade finally looks at Cater’s face. His gaze felt soft. He had all these sharp features, yet with his eyes, they felt comforting. “Are you alright?”

“Oh, yeah. I'm good.”

Jade gave a small bow. “Then if you will excuse me.” He continued to walk off.

Cater couldn't help but watch him leave, remaining utterly confused. He wasn't the man who was supposed to be able to ‘read your soul’, was he? He seemed anxious, not aloof. It made Cater think of him… differently… In what way? Cater didn't know himself.

—

Cater normally loved helping Trey bake for Unbirthday Parties. His boyfriend always seemed to be in his element and it was adorable, but this time, his mind kept wandering. Every time he tried to just think about the now, a thought of Jade popped up. Was he just anxious every time? Was he always just good at hiding his emotions? Cater even started to look around for him and noticed the same traits every time Jade talked to someone or was in a crowded space.

He looked up from the bowl he was helping mix. “So, uh… Is Jade good?”

Trey quickly looked up from taking the previous batch of cupcakes out of the oven. “Last I checked he was fine, yes. Why? Did something happen?”

“Oh! No, nothing happened. I just noticed that he kinda seems constantly anxious.”

Trey’s worried face instantly changed to one of amusement as he tried to hold in a laugh. “Oh, he's fine. He's just… not good with people. You need to learn to start with context, Cater.”

“Hey! I was only worried. We bumped into each other and I noticed stuff there. It was weird seeing the famed Jade Leech as someone who's simply anxious.”

“Seeing him as Jade and not Jade Leech?”

“Yeah, pretty much that tbh. His gaze seemed soft. It felt weird.”

Trey paused what he was doing for a second, looked Cater’s face up and down, then turned back to his cooling cupcakes. “For someone who can read others so well, neither of you can read yourselves.”

“What does that mean?”

“Nothing. Don't think about it.”

“Wha-? Trey!” With every pout, Trey only told him it meant nothing.

—

Wow… Sam’s shop prices were definitely cheaper than expected, at least to Cater. He was so used to going to all those popular pop-up restaurants with sky-high prices that when he counted out the money Trey gave him to see what ingredients were the best to go for, he realized he could get the better-end items for his whole list.

Cater was even more shocked that the school store had the whole list. Strawberries. Blueberries. Heavy cream. Flour. Sugar. How did Trey JUST realize he was he was running low on all of this?

Next and last was cinnamon. He turned the corner only to find Jade looking at some spices and carrying his own basket of baking supplies. Was Monstro Lounge going to offer baked treats? There's no other likely reason. Right?

Seeing Jade made Cater’s heart jump. “Hey, Jade!” He gave his usual high-energy smile as he quickly walked closer. The closer he got, the more noticed Jade leaning away. He didn't know why, but Jade leaning away stung his heart a bit. Cater just stopped walking forward.

“Hello, Diamond.” Jade stood up, placed the baking powder in his own basket, and tried his best to return to his proper posture. But after what happened before, it wasn't hard for Cater to notice the signs of anxiety.

“What are you up to? Monstro Lounge going to make some new sweet treats? You should 100% let me see them. I bet they'll be totes cammable.” Cater tried taking a deep breath. Trey mentioned him being good at reading people, so maybe he was picking up on the fake smile vibes? Just a natural smile, that’ll lighten the mood.

Cater checked Jade’s reaction and he seemed to calm down slightly. He stopped leaning away, his posture looked less stiff, and maybe his mind was playing tricks on him, but it seemed like whenever Jade looked at his smile, a slight pink dusted across his cheeks.

“No, Monstro Lounge has no intention of offering sweets yet, though I may suggest that to Azul. Trey told me he just noticed he was running low on some ingredients, so I was getting him some.”

“Wait really?” Cater looked between his basket and Jade’s. They had only sugar in common, the rest of them were completely different supplies, just from the same isles. Did their kitchen really need a full restock? What's with the two separate lists? “Trey told me the same thing.” Cater lifted his basket, showing off his own ingredients.

“How does one notice they are suddenly running low on so many ingredients at once? When was the last time your dorm bought stuff for your Unbirthday Parties?”

“We stock up regularly enough. I didn't notice we were running low on so much stuff. I just thought Trey knew better than I did with how much he’s in the kitchen.” Were they truly running out of this much stuff? Was Trey planning something big? Did Riddle agree to whatever Trey was planning, if he truly did have a plan?

Jade sighed. “What is that man doing?”

“I never know what's in his head.” Cater gave a light chuckle “You want to check out with me? We can both head to Heartslabyul together if you want, or I can just carry it all back.”

The faint pink that Cater thought he saw on Jade earlier, but came back definitely noticeable this time. It came back when he mentioned going to his Heartslabyul together. What? Was he flustered about seeing Trey while he was doing whatever he was trying to do? He seemed a bit lost in thought.

“Whatever he’s doing, it’s probably not something he would be upset we caught him on.”

Jade snapped back to reality. “Oh! Yeah, he probably wouldn't.”

“Come on.” Cater grabbed Jade’s basket and started walking to the check-out. “Let’s check out then grill Trey.”

Jade slowly tagged behind. A very slight smile on his lips and his cheeks ever so slightly pinker.

—

Cater thoughts continued to roam despite the homework splayed out on his desk. Apparently, Trey had gotten Riddle to agree to some sweet treats for the dorm before upcoming tests.

While it was nice, it was all a bit unusual too. This is the first time Trey had ever mentioned even wanting to do something like this, and going straight to Riddle with no mention of it before to anyone else was a first for him. Not only that, only Cater and Jade were sent for ingredients. One single student from his dorm and one student from a separate dorm.

What? Was Trey using his boyfriend privileges to get free work from Jade? Couldn't he use his Vice Housewarden privileges to send more people from Heartslaybul? What is Trey doing?

Only him and Jade? Now that thought of it, Trey always seemed to look between the two of them whenever they bumped into each other, even if it was only just for a second. On top of that, after he mentioned he felt weird after he mentioned feeling weird after bumping into Jade that once, Trey looked at him funny, then said Cater can't read himself.

What’s up with Trey? If Cater wasn't crazy here, he felt there was some pattern. Only the two of them… Looking between them… Feeling weird around-

Cater has a crush on Jade and Trey instantly caught it and tried to set them up together.

He felt heat rise to his cheeks as he jolted up from his chair. Trey, that traitor! Trey-tor! Cater immediately started speed-walking out of his room and to the kitchen. There is no way he's letting Trey get away with this.

He didn't even know what he was going to do if his boyfriend wasn't in the kitchen. He was just hoping the ever-present want to bake would work in his favor. He was supposed to be making the sweets for their dormmates anyway. After the corner, he found sweets did work in his favor for once.

“You!” Cater pointed at Trey who stopped in his tracks.

“Cater! Do you want to give me a heart attack?!” Trey set the oven timer and oven mitts down roughly, as roughly as he could without breaking the timer, then turned to face him.

He stomped right up to his boyfriend. “I want revenge! You noticed my developing crush, somehow before I myself did, then tried to set me up with him! Absolute Trey-tor!”

Trey just doubled over in laughter, only getting words out in between laughs and gasps for breath. “Again, you need to learn to start with context. You can't just jumpscare me.” He stood up straight again, barely keeping in a few residual laughs. “But I have no clue what you even mean. Why would I set you two up? How would I even notice your crush? It’s not like your cheeks flush whenever he talks to you or like you look around whenever you’re in an area he’s likely to be in too, or even like you've been bringing him up more and more. No, I would never be able to tell.”

Trey's smirk as he leaned onto a countertop top only made Cater’s face feel hotter and hotter. He couldn't even say what emotion he was feeling. He just tried to show some part of that wasn't happy.

“Aw, you can pout somewhere out of my kitchen if you're not going to help. I have a lot of baking to do still.” Trey turned Cater to face the entrance and pushed him towards it. “But if you two were to date, with your crush that no one ever knew of before now, that would be nice.”

Cater opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. He could only stomp back to his room.

—

It’s been a while since Cater’s realization, and maybe Trey was right. His crush was kinda obvi. Even right now, he was looking around since there was even a slight chance he could have bumped into Jade. Could you blame him? He did it with Trey before they started dating too. Is it sad? Probably. But he can't help it. They didn’t interact much during the school day, and Cater just wanted to interact more.

Jade was probably somewhere here in this courtyard around this time of day. All he had to do was look… And there he is! Sitting on a bench and what looks like copying something off his phone onto some notebook. He looked completely peaceful.

Cater makes his way to Jade, keeping his pace nice and peaceful. Hopefully keeping his pace slow might slow his heart too. “Sup Jade?”

Apparently, he was too absorbed in whatever he was doing because when Cater’s voice came out, he practically jumped and his face became absorbed in pink. “Hello, Ca-Diamond. How are you?”

“You can call me Cater, no worries. And, I'm good. What are you up to?” Cater couldn't tell how he scared Jade so badly that he couldn't get Jade couldn't gather himself and was practically dunked in pink paint, but he must have. He couldn't see another reason for any of it. He could at least try and act calmly.

“Oh!” He turned back to his notebook which had a mostly finished drawing of some mushroom, a copy of the mushrooms shown on his phone. “I was drawing a Common Ink Cap Mushroom. It’s also known as an inky cap, tipper’s bane, or even scientifically, Coprinopsis atramentaria. It starts off as bell-shaped, but flattens as it disintegrates. As they disintegrate, they also make a black liquid that can be easily used to make ink. You can also eat the mushrooms as long as you aren't eating any alcohol with them.”

Cater couldn't help but continue to listen and hum some acknowledgments as Jade rambled on and on about these mushrooms. He seemed so interested and happy to talk about them. His focus was solely on the mushrooms.

While Cater made an effort to listen, it was all interesting facts, Cater’s focus remained mostly on Jade’s face. His whole face was lit up by his smile. The corners of his eyes were crinkled up on following his mouth. All of his sharp features seem to only reflect the light of his smile. And while the pink on his face seemed to have died down, some of it still dusted his cheeks. It all made Cater’s heart melt.

Cater immediately started wondering how he could hear him all the time, and as expected, one thought came up. “Do you have a Magicam or something? I bet so many people would love to listen to and learn all of this. I could follow you.” The instant those words left his mouth he regretted them. Did it seem like he was taking attention away from Jade? Why would anyone else have his Magicam addiction? Did that make Jade hate him? Ugh!

Jade’s pink grew back to the same level as when he first shocked him and he gave no response. Yup, he totally hated Cater now. Sure, he had a smile, but how he got just jumped with Cater’s addiction, that was probably nothing more than an awkward smile before letting him down gently.

“Of course, you don't have to make one or let me follow you! It’s good either way.” Cater tried to laugh it all off. Oh, this was so stupid.

Lucky for him, Jade snapped back to reality at his words, at least enough to respond while clumsily tapping on his phone. “I actually do have one, I just don't post to it much. You can follow me though, and I could try posting more. That would be fun.” He brought up a Magicam account with the user ‘MountainEel’. “The account isn't all mushrooms. There are some plants and animals, but it's mostly mushrooms.”

Cater quickly brought up his phone to search for the account. It only took a few seconds to find, but with how his heart was racing it felt like ages. He finally found it and hit the follow button. He swore his heart was seconds from stopping. Cater looked up to see Jade give him another smile. Yup, he's dead. He could barely collect himself to smile back and watch Jade’s pink face deepen in color.

—

“Unfair! Just totes unfair! Why did you get him first?” Cater had been whining into the corner of Trey’s neck for a good few minutes now. It had all started when they wanted to spend time cozy with each other by cuddling in bed, but cuddle time was disrupted by a notification Jade had posted, a daily thing since Cater followed. Trey teased him for how he instantly went to check the post causing Cater to bury his face in between his boyfriend's shoulder and neck, who only responded with a sigh and started playing with Cater’s hair.

“It’s far from unfair. I simply got to know him first.”

“Unfair! That was because you just had the chance to get to know him first. If I had that chance, I woulda done it too!”

“You still can. There's nothing blocking you from talking to him. Just hang out for a bit and try to be friends, it will evolve from there. No matter where it ends up, two of the people I love just getting along well would be nice.”

Cater removed his face from hiding to glare pouty daggers at Trey. “Easy for you to say! I was about to die when I ended up getting his Magicam. I almost died again every time I wait for his reply to my comments.”

“If he's posting more, he probably enjoys the comments and attention. He has been on his phone more.”

“Still doesn't stop my heart from racing.”

“Just let yourself hang out with him.” Trey thought about something before letting a fond smile grow. “You can also just look at him. If you can see past his initial barrier he can’t really hide anything.”

“I think I keep scaring him. He keeps getting all fidgety and can't compose himself while I'm around. He also blushes when he gets startled, which is cute.”

“He wha- Cater… Dear…” Trey sighed and cupped Cater’s face.

“What?”

“He doesn't- He’s not startled, well at least not only startled.”

“But I only see it when I say something out of the blue, like if I can walk with him or follow his account.”

Trey gave him a pitying look for a few seconds before taking a deep breath. “You’re lucky you’re cute. But, just hang out with him for a bit more. Try to learn his signs a bit more.” A playful smirk grew on his face. “You'll get plenty of chances to do that.”

“What does that mean? What’s with that smirk?”

Trey moved his hands from cupping Cater’s cheeks to covering his eyes “What smirk?”

—

‘Hang out’. ‘Why don't you just hang out?’ This is why! He was only walking through the halls while talking with Jade and it was taking all of his energy to not keel over.

What did Trey even mean by ‘learn his signs a bit more’? Cater was reading him pretty well, at least he thought he was. At minimum, he could tell Jade was happy when talking about his hikes, talking and listing about Trey, or listening to Cater talk about whatever he was caught up in at the moment.

“I did see a few beautiful birds on my last hike. Sadly, they flew away before I could get a picture, so I can't say their exact species.” Jade was standing tall, wearing a smile on his face, making the distance between himself and Cater ever so slightly smaller, and using his hands to gesture about the birds. See? Cater could read him. That's a happy eel.

“What did they look like?”

“They were small and ground songbirds. They looked to be some kind of finch.” His smile only grew as he continued to ramble on and on about the birds he saw, along with any animal, interesting plant, or cool fungus that crossed his path.

His smile only continued to grow. Every gesture he made fit exactly what he said. He leaned slightly towards Cater when he couldn't walk closer.

Cater just wanted to fawn over him. “You really are adorable.” It wasn't until his words hit his ears, that he even realized he said something.

Jade’s attention snapped right to Cater as he stopped walking and his face flushed. “Excuse me?”

“I- uh- I just-” Cater’s heart and mind were racing. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid! Who just blindsides someone like that, especially someone who probably gets a heart attack with how much you spook them? But mostly, why would you ever tell that to someone who would never love you back?

Cater wanted to die on the spot, but he couldn't so he did the next best thing. He pushed past Jade and ran away. He heard Jade call his name behind him, but he only darted to his room.

—

Cater spent the past day or two in his room or hiding from Jade. When class was out he took the most roundabout way to get to the next one, making sure it changed almost every day so no one could wise up and tell Jade. The second school was out for the day he went right to his room and didn't go out. Trey and his clubmates kept bombarding him with texts.

Cater can't do anything right can he? First, he accidentally half-admits his crush. Then he does what anyone else would call an overreaction. Finally, he made everyone worry about him wallowing in self-pity over a crush. He even noticed Jade hadn't posted since he ran, probably a bit awkward to post with him constantly lurking.

So why was he here? He was out in the open sitting on the same bench he found Jade on while sketching those mushrooms. Ink caps, right? Trey had texted him and told him to be here for a surprise. Trey practically demanded he come. Yet he's been here for about ten minutes and hasn't heard from Trey once.

He accepted his fate to just sit there in silence for the foreseeable future until he heard a loud voice.

“Nuh-uh! You’re going!” It was Floyd Leech holding his brother in a headlock and dragging him in the same direction as Cater. That can't be comfortable.

Jade continued to try and futilely push against Floyd while complaining. “I said I’m fine just sitting in my room!”

“Nope! He said he needed you here.”

“Who?!” Someone needed Jade here but didn't tell Jade himself? Who tells someone to forcibly drag their brother somewhere without telling the brother first?

Floyd noticed Cater and finally let Jade go, pushing him in Cater’s direction. “Bench.”

Jade looked up and at the bench, making eye contact with Cater, and Cater instantly knew who forced Jade out. The same man who force him out as well. The Trey-tor.

Jade stood stalk still only for Floyd to push him again. “Bench!”

Cater turned his face away when Jade slowly started walking closer with Floyd grumbling and walking away from both of them. What felt like after waiting ages, Jade sat down next to him. They both just sat there silently for another long while. Cater wanted to die.

“You ran away.” Jade spoke up out of nowhere. When Cater looked over at him he was curled up, his feet on the bench and his face slightly hidden in his knees. His eyes had even started to tear up.

“I- uh-” Cater didn't know what to say. He did run. They were having a nice time. He complimented Jade. Then he ran. That must have turned any compliment straight into an insult.

“I thought we were getting along. Then you said something that made me feel so, so happy, then you ran away.”

“I'm sorry.”

“No, don't be. I got my hopes up for our relationship because I couldn't help my own feelings.” Jade gave a sigh and placed his feet back on the ground.

“You're feelings?” Feelings? Cater thought he might have known what that meant, and it made his heart jump. No, he shouldn't get his hopes u-

“I’ve liked you for a while now.”

“You what?”

“Ever since I saw you genuinely smile and laugh when we bumped into each other while shopping. When you said I was adorable I thought for a second you might have returned my feelings, but then you ran away and I didn't know what to think. Now I guess I just think I got my hopes too high.”

Cater was speechless. Jade liked him? Jade liked him! Wait, wasn't that when the blushing started? Oh! That's probably what Trey meant.

“I know I probably sound stupid here, but I couldn't help letting my em-”

“-I like you too!” Cater let everything just come out. “My crush started probably around the time we bumped into each other in the hall. Random seeming time, I know. I just convinced myself you wouldn't like me back, so I tried to keep it to myself. When I accidentally let my feelings slip I got so flustered and embarrassed I only thought to run.”

“Why would you think I wouldn't like you?”

“When we first met you were always anxious and guarded when I came around, so I just assumed you hated me. Well, that and I suc-”

“-Don’t you dare finish that sentence.” Jade glared daggers at Cater. His face then quickly morphed into a pout. “You were the exact same with me. When we first met, you always had a strained smile around me. I didn't know what you were thinking under the fake smile, and I might have gotten scared…”

Cater let a laugh bubble up. “So we scared each other by trying to fake pleasantries and only tried harder after getting scared?”

Jade's face instantly melted into one of joy as he brought one hand to cup Cater’s cheeks. “With how your genuine smile and laugh are what caused me to develop a crush, I probably would have fallen for you instantly if I had seen that first.” Before Cater’s mind gathered what Jade said, he had wrapped Cater into a tight and comforting hug.

Cater moved to rub Jade’s back. “If you had fallen earlier, would it have been any better? With what Trey said of you, I doubt you would have done more than silently pine.”

Jade jumped out of the hug with a playful gasp. “Excuse you? I am amazing at bringing myself to confess. Also, what are you and Trey doing together? Slandering me?”

“Oh really? Who confessed to who with you and Trey? Also, it’s not slander if it's factual, btw.”

“Trey is irrelevant. I confessed to you.”

“What? No! I confessed. That’s what got us here.”

“Yes, because calling someone adorable and then running away is confessing.”

“Shut it!” Cater could feel his cheeks flush. The color only got worse when Jade started to genuinely laugh. It sounded perfect. This whole scene was perfect. Jade was perfect.

Cater moved his hands to Jade’s cheek, mimicking what Jade had done before. He gave Jade a small genuine smile, causing the other’s cheeks to regain some of that pink Cater couldn't help but love.

“What are you up to now?”

“Can I kiss you?”

The small amounts of color on Jade’s face immediately turned to vibrantly cover it. Jade stared at Cater for a quick second, looking between him and his lips. Finally, he gave a nod.

Cater didn't waste another second before pulling him into a kiss. It was clumsy and didn't last for more than a few seconds, but it felt wonderful.

Once Cater pulled away, Jade immediately melted into a puddle. He leaned on Cater as if he had no bones in his body, and hid his face in the crook of Cater’s neck.

Cater couldn't help but laugh. “Are you hiding?” He only got a huff in response. “Mister big strong ‘I-confessed-you-first’ can't handle a kiss? Are you sure you even could withstand confessing? I think my argument is proven.”

That earned Cater a bigger response, a pinch on his cheek and a pout.

“Alright, ow, got the message.”

From behind them, they heard Trey’s voice suddenly appearing, nearly giving Cater a heart attack. “So I assume all went well?”

“Trey! Don't sneak up on people!” Cater turned to see Trey. He had a small basket with what looked like freshly baked bread. It smelled delicious.

“Sorry! Sorry. I didn't know you didn't hear me, though I probably should have guessed based on how you looked.” Of course Trey would instantly go to teasing them. Jade immediately poked his head out of his hiding spot and gave Trey a pouty look.

Wait, Cater had forgotten in all this mess but Trey was the one who set them up. How dare he? “Oh, wait! I'm mad at you. You set us up with all your tricks.”

Jade gave a nod in agreement. “How could you? Such tricks on your own boyfriends.”

“Fine, sure, I did. But I know both of you. Nothing would have come of it otherwise. Though, as recompense, we can all eat this pumpkin bread together.”

“Should we, Cater? If anything, I think we deserve more. Like some cuddles.” Jade gave such a saccharine and fake innocent face before leaning on Cater.

“Fine, fine. You'll get what you want, but we should probably eat where there's more space.”

Jade and Cater both got up to walk with Trey to Heartslabyul. Jade tried to steal a piece of the bread multiple times, and Trey moved it away every time. Jade immediately pouted and leaned on Cater, calling Trey mean. And, as silly or weird as the scene may have looked, Cater found it perfect.

#writing blog #writing #twisted wonderland #fluff #finished #romance #twst jade #twst trey #twst cater #cater diamond #jade leech #trey clover #treyjade #caterjade #treycater #i tried #polycule ship #poly ship

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nightfurylover31 · 2 years ago

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A little Sonamy for New Year's

*Takes place after Forces but before Frontiers*

It was just a few minutes to midnight, and the start of a new year. Everyone was excited for it. Tails was making sure Omega would set off the fireworks in time (and only fireworks), Rouge was teasing Knuckles about a resolution with him and the Master Emerald, Cream and Vanilla were with the Chaotix, Shadow was being a wallflower but he liked it that way, and so many others were in celebration. But there was someone missing from the group.

"Tails, have you seen Sonic?" Amy asked the fox.

"I think he's on the roof," Tails answered, while trying to stop Omega from launching a ginormous firecracker.

Amy left and ran up the stairs to the roof. She was hoping to give Sonic his first hug of the new year. She gave up hope for a kiss a long time ago. After the war, she was just glad to have Sonic back. She did a lot of self-reflection over that time, and realized how annoying her advances had been. It was no wonder Sonic spent more time running from her that fighting Eggman. She was trying to do better, giving him space and respecting his wishes. But she still wanted to be there for him.

Sonic stood on the roof, looking up at the sky. He could see the stars, yet there were still clouds with small snowflakes falling.

"There you are!" Sonic turned and saw the pink hedgehog walking up to him.

"Oh, hey Ames."

"What are you doing up here? Don't want to be with the others?"

"I was just thinking." There was a serious tone in his voice.

"About what? Your New Year's resolution?"

"You mean besides kicking Eggman's butt?"

"Does it really count as a resolution if you do it every year?"

The two of them laughed. Nothing like a good Egghead joke to lighten the mood. Even so, Amy could tell there was a lot on Sonic's mind. She didn't want to force it out of him, but...

"Among other things," he said, finally breaking the silence. Sonic's normal lightheartedness disappeared from his face. Just a solemn expression. It almost made Amy worry. "You know, I don't think I ever apologized."

"Apologized? For what?"

"For how I treated you before. Always running off or ditching you. I was pretty insensitive at times."

Amy was surprised to hear Sonic say this. It wasn't like him to say he was sorry. "No, there's no reason for you to apologize. I mean, I was a pain back then. I don't blame you for not wanting to be around me."

The blue hedgehog quickly waved his hands in a 'no' motion. "That's not what I meant. You can be pretty overwhelming at times, but that's not a bad thing. You always help people when they need it, even if they don't realize it. I'm really glad I met you."

With that, Amy diverted her eyes downward, feeling the heat build up in her cheeks and ears. "It's not like you. To talk like that."

"Well, you spend six months locked up in a small cell with nothing to do, you tend to do a lot of thinking." It bothered Amy that Sonic said that so casually, but remained silent. He had his own way of dealing with things. Hedgehogs didn't like showing weakness. "Thought a lot about my friends. And... about you."

There was a long pause after that. A light shade of pink that seemed to form on Sonic's face. "I'm not very good at expressing myself, like you are. I'm not very good with relationships, and I'm not one for romances. And I don't want to ruin our friendship, but... I want to be there for you. But I still don't... ugh!" At this point, Sonic was just fumbling over his words. Amy couldn't help but let out a light giggle. Then, she wrapped her arms around him for a hug. Not a tight one, but just enough to give a sense of comfort.

"You don't have to try so hard. I told you before, I love you the way you are, and I don't want you to change. And you've always been there for me when I needed you. As long as we can keep going on adventures together, and you stay smiling, I'll be happy."

Sonic was surprised. He remembered all those times of her wanting to go out on dates, getting married, all that stuff. He hadn't really noticed how much she matured during the war. That she didn't talk like that anymore. "But is that enough for you?"

"It is for now. And that's what matters. Living in the moment, right?" She pulled away, staring into his eyes. Sonic couldn't help but smile. Not too many people could keep up with him, and seemed even less could accept all his quirks. But Amy always stood by him and helped him through some of his toughest times. Never lost faith in him. He truly was grateful to have a friend like her in his life.

The two were so busy talking, they didn't hear their friends counting down. The sky was suddenly filled with fireworks. Sonic and Amy looked up to see the dazzling display. It filled them both with wonder and hope for the future. Sonic glanced over at Amy.

"So? No New Year's kiss?"

Amy chuckled, and just rested her head on his shoulder. "No, this is perfect."

"Happy New Year, Amy."

"Happy New Year, Sonic."

#sonic the hedgehog #amy rose #sonic and amy #sonamy #sonic x amy #sth #fanfic #relationships are not just about romance #they're about support comfort and accepting who you are #you can't have love without friendship

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apatheticcrossovers · 1 year ago

Note

Can you write moxie x Millie x amy rose fic?

In this universe,Amy is hellborn hedgehog and is 25 years old

What would happen if hopeless romance like Amy meet newlyweds moxie and Millie?

Sure! I had fun writing this one, sorry if this seems like it ended a bit angsty, You can always come back an request a part 2! - Mod Apathetic

Hopeless Romantic

Fandoms: Helluva Boss, Sonic the Hedgehog Ship: Amy Rose (Sonic the Hedgehog)/Millie (Helluva Boss)/Moxxie (Helluva Boss) Characters: Amy Rose (Sonic the Hedgehog), Millie (Helluva Boss), Moxxie (Helluva Boss), Blitzo (Helluva Boss) Tw: None Summary: She just didn't understand! Amy Rose had been trying her best to find the love of her life for years! She just couldn't understand how the damn Imps were better at finding love than her!

She just couldn't understand how those two could be so happy! She had seen those Imps around the city, as well as in a commercial for their Company, and whenever she saw them, they always looked so happy together! Amy couldn't get it, how could those two somehow be so happy together? So, she created a plan, she'd agree to work at I.M.P. in order to get closer to the two, and then when she was alone with either of them, she'd question them about their relationship. It sounded perfect in her head, and totally not more work than what it's worth!

Getting into I.M.P. was the easiest part, Blitzo felt getting a non-Imp demon on their team might make people more willing to use their services. Plus, he was impressed with how well Amy knew how to use a hammer! The hard part was getting either Moxxie or Millie alone. Millie would be the easy part, just ask her to go out on a girl's day together, but Moxxie... She could probably figure that out later, right now, she just had to focus on the stuff she did know how to execute.

"You know Amy, it's really nice that ya' offered t' take me on this shoppin' trip!" Millie exclaimed, walking alongside the dark pink hedgehog with a smile. Amy simply smiled back, waving her hands dismissively.

"Oh, it's really no problem! Just don't buy too much though! I'm not exactly that wealthy..." Amy let out a nervous chuckle, thinking for a moment as she tried to phrase her next questions casually. "So... I've noticed you and that Moxxie fella get along pretty well! Are you two, dating or something?" She glanced down at Millie, who didn't seem at all bothered by this question.

"Oh, absolutely! We're married actually! I just couldn't be happier!" Amy nearly froze in her tracks, trying to hold back a bit of shock. Those two were only maybe a few years older than her, and they were already married?! Amy hadn't even gotten her first boyfriend yet! She couldn't help but feel jealous. "Amy dear? Are you ok?" Amy hadn't even realized the anger was written all over her face. She quickly shook her head and forced a smile back onto her face.

"Y-yeah, sorry, I just..." Amy was silent, trying to figure out what to say. "I guess I was just surprised, I'm 25 and haven't even gotten my first boyfriend, yet here you two are, only a few years older than me, and already living a happy life together!" Amy let out another laugh, Millie giggling slightly as well. She found the hedgehog's jealousy almost adorable.

"Awe, there's no need to be jealous! You're such a fine young lady, I'm sure you'll find someone soon!" Millie seemed so positive about the topic, trying to reassure Amy that she wouldn't be lonely for long. "Besides, who wouldn't want to date you? you're just the cutest darn thing!"

"I know right? I mean, I just don't get what I'm doing wrong! Like, what do you like about Moxxie so much that you wanted to marry him?" Amy was just genuinely curious about what was so great about Moxxie, but Millie must've thought Amy wanted to know so she could change herself to be 'more likable', as that's how Millie responded to it.

"Oh Amy, that's not important, I love him for being himself, and that means you have to find someone who loves you for being yourself." Amy wasn't sure what to say. This isn't how she expected this conversation to go. Millie's words did make her feel nice though, Millie was surprisingly nice for her profession.

"Thanks, Millie, you're pretty nicer, much nicer than I expected, no offense..." Amy let out a nervous chuckle, Millie waving her hand dismissively.

"Oh it's alright Sugar, I know how to be nice when I want t' be!" Sugar. That nickname made Amy's heart flutter, but she tried to push down the feeling of growing affection. She could deal with that later.

Later that same day, Amy ran into Moxxie alone, and after her conversation with Millie, she hadn't intended to actually confront him about anything, but she thought she might as well while she had the chance. "hey Moxxie, you got a minute?" Amy tried to sound nice, and tried to play this off casually, just like she did with Millie.

Moxxie raised an eyebrow, he had always been a bit cautious of Amy from the start. I mean, it's not every day you see someone like Amy willingly working with a bunch of Imps. "Uh, sure... What is it?" Amy fidgeted with her fingers slightly. "W-well... I hope this doesn't seem too personal, but, how are things going with you and Millie?" That didn't sound too odd to ask a coworker, but Moxxie still thought something was going on, Amy seemed just a bit too nervous.

"Things, are going, great, why do you ask?"

"Well, I've just been having, relationship problems lately, and... you two just seem to have it all figured out... I wanna know how you two can just, make it work..." Moxxie couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy. Finding love must've been so important to Amy.

"Oh, it really depends on who you're with. Some relationships take more work than others. Millie and I are practically perfect for each other, yeah, but that might not be the same for you." Moxxie tried not to sound too much like a downer, not wanting to upset the poor hedgehog. It didn't work too much, as Amy just sighed. Before she could even say anythign else though, Moxxie continued. "Listen Amy, you're perfect in your own way, and you need to find someone who thinks your perfect for them, and if you're lucky, they'll be just as perfect for you."

"You really think so? It's just that, I've tried too hard, and yet, all guys think I'm too annoying, or clingy..." Amy shrugged her shoulders, trying to laugh it off as she hugged herself.

"Well then clearly those guys weren't perfect for you. Besides, I don't think you're annoying at all, yeah you're a bit, weird, but I wouldn't say that's a bad thing!" Moxxie patted Amy on the shoulder, Amy letting out another sigh as she smiled and nodded.

"Thanks, Moxxie, I guess your right...." Amy's heart was racing again, the soft and sympathetic stare Moxxie was giving her felt so, loving. Not even her own parents had ever shown her such sympathy. "Well, I'll, see you around!" Amy felt in a much better mood than before, though she wasn't sure why.

Later that night, Amy tossed and turned in bed, Moxxie and Millie's kind words ringing out through her head like echos, the caring words, the way they made her feel like she could be loved, Amy hated to admit it, but... she was in love again, and this time it left her feeling even more hopeless cause the two were already married to each other.

#*✧･ﾟ:{anons}#*✧･ﾟ:{short fics/imagines}#*✧･ﾟ:{requests}#Millie x Moxxie x Amy Rose #Amy Rose x Millie #Amy Rose x Moxxie #moxxie helluva boss #millie helluva boss #amy rose #hellava boss #sonic the hedgehog #crossover ship #crossover shipping #proship #proshipping #tw aged up #ask to tag.

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razieltwelve · 3 years ago

Text

Advice (Final Effect)

Her Imperial Majesty Averia VII was having a conniption. Naturally, the first person she turned to was her beloved hedgehog.

“Help!” Averia cried as she picked up Lord Hedgeborough and held him up at eye level. “What am I supposed to do? What am I supposed to wear? What if this all goes horribly wrong?”

The hedgehog said nothing for a long moment. Averia was many things: a brilliant politician, a stellar field commander (on the rare occasions she took to the field), and a peerless administrator. She was not, however, particularly experienced when it came to romance.

Thanks to a combination of her own illustrious position, her general ineptitude in romantic matters, and a lifestyle that was far too involved and busy for casual dating, Averia had actually gone on far fewer dates or romantic interludes than Lord Hedgeborough. In other words, despite her many excellent qualities, Averia might actually rank amongst the worst of the Empire’s many rulers when it came to romance.

Indeed, the fact that she was even asking Lord Hedgeborough for advice was a gigantic red flag.

Despite being uplifted animals with intelligence comparable to humans and Faunus, Imperial hedgehogs retained much of their original approach when it came to finding mates. For an Imperial hedgehog, the most important qualities for a mate were personal compatibility and the ability to provide for any offspring both in a financial sense but also in a parental sense. No hedgehog wanted a mate that would not also be a good father or good mother. Lord Hedgeborough was, by all accounts, a very handsome hedgehog, but his mother had not married his father for looks. No. His father had been exceedingly plain as hedgehogs went, but he had all the qualities of an excellent father. And he had proven to be an excellent father, Lord Hedgeborough could say that proudly and without a shred of doubt.

Hedgehogs were much more upfront about their interests in one another, and once hedgehogs had decided to commit to a relationship, marriage was usually not far away either. It was simply their way. Unlike humans and Faunus, they did not see the point in dancing around the most important parts of a relationship. Did they want to be with their partner forever? Did they want to raise children with them? If the answer to both questions was yes, then why dither?

It might have seemed strange to humans and Faunus, but hedgehogs approached things differently. It was the same with other uplifted species. The cats and dogs had their own ways of appreciating relationships, and entire volumes could be written about some of the bizarre stuff the hamsters got up to. Honestly, being able to build a death ray to prove ones worthiness as a mate? Although he did like the custom of hamsters serving as ring bearers. Perhaps he could play the part for Averia?

“Lord Hedgeborough!” Averia made a sound close to a screech. “Come on! I need your advice!”

Lord Hedgeborough sighed and then gestured for her to come closer. When she was within reach, he gave her a gentle chop over the head with one claw. His message was simple.

Calm down.

Jahne had already devised the plan for their date with input from Claire.

All Averia had to do was show up.

And she shouldn’t worry about how to act or speak. They’d known each other for years. They had literally seen Averia get picked on by a sheep. They had already seen her at her best and at her worst. She just needed to be genuine. Keep being who she was.

As for what to wear, that’s why she had maids who were also experts stylists. She should ask them. He was a hedgehog. Technically speaking, he spent most of his time naked. And while he doubted Jahne or Claire would mind her going around naked, he was under the impression that humans didn’t usually go straight to the mating part like that.

Averia stared at him for a long moment and then nodded.

“Thank you.” She took a deep breath and the tension bled out of her. “Thank you very much.”

Lord Hedgeborough hopped out of her grasp and went over to rummage through a pack of his favourite snacks. He was her hedgehog. It was his job to protect her... even from herself.

Plus, it wasn’t like he wanted to be the only hedgehog in history whose ruler died due to a stroke caused by a romantic conniption. Good grief. The chroniclers would never let him hear the end of that.

#final effect #fanfiction #averia vii #lord hedgeborough

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mischiefandspirits · 3 years ago

Text

Oldest and Newest

Damian tugged down his face mask as he looked out over Gotham city. He was finally here.

After two decades of anticipation, after nearly a decade of work, it should have been a happy occasion.

He tugged the mask back up as he heard a scream nearby.

He stopped three muggings, saved a woman from assault, and stopped a robbery by the time a flicker of purple started following him.

He scared off some men that were following a woman then pretended to take off northward before ducking around a water tower and sneaking up on his pursuer as they tried to follow. He took them in before approaching.

They looked about five foot six. The dark body armor and cloak hid their build some, but the way they carried themself proved they were muscular even if not overly broad. As he grew closer, he could see that the armor was primarily black with dark purple detailing that matched the cloak’s color. They also wore a full face mask like his friend Vesper’s, though theirs had white lenses that stood out against the black fabric instead of being completely black like the older vigilante. They were cautious, yet sure-footed as they raced over the rooftops which showed a familiarity with the territory and an understanding of its dangers.

Similarly, their growing annoyance showed they’d realized they’d lost him so Damian swooped in to pin them against an air conditioning unit. They tried to throw him off, but his larger size and superior skills kept them pinned long enough to bind their hands and tie them to the unit.

“Who are you and why are you following me?” he growled, crossing his arms and looming over them.

They stared at him for a moment, head tilting to the side, then snorted. “No wonder he got mistaken for B a few times. Are you seeing this guy?” the young woman -- judging by her voice -- muttered to herself before saying, “I’m Spoiler and I’m following you because you randomly showed up in Gotham and started playing vigilante. Don’t you know Batman doesn’t like that?”

“And yet, here you are doing the same.”

“Excuse you, I’m Batman’s partner. I earned my place on these rooftops.”

“Right.”

She tilted up her chin and crossed her arms. “I am!”

Damian frowned, but didn’t move to redo the ties she’d slipped. Vesper had told him that his father was a solo hero. Batman worked with the Justice League and the Birds of Prey as necessary, but he’d never had a permanent confidant or taken on an apprentice like some of the other heroes. The closest thing he had to partners were the Batgirls. According to Vesper, though, neither ever developed a close bond with the man. The two might be called in as backup or would team up with his father when their paths crossed, but they never depended on one another. His father was more of an inspiration, patron, and occasional teammate than a partner to either woman.

Spoiler didn’t seem to be lying, however, and appeared too forward to be capable of deceiving him. Had something changed in the four years since he’d talked to Vesper? Perhaps he should have gone with his original plan of waiting to go out until after he’d spoken with her the next day after all.

Hindsight and such were not going to change the present, however.

He looked over the woman again. Girl, he realized. Given her proportions, she was likely in her mid-teens though he could be wrong as the armor was rather concealing. An apprentice, then, which explained why she had not fallen beside her supposed partner. The mission his father perished on must have been deemed too dangerous for her to accompany him.

He carefully thought over his next words. He was not ready to announce his presence yet as clearly he had some research to do and he needed to speak with Vesper. He also didn’t know how trustworthy Spoiler was. Even if she was telling the truth about being his father’s partner, that did not tell him just how far his father’s trust in her went and therefore how far he should trust her in turn.

He stepped back from the girl, dropping his arms and attempting to take on a less antagonistic posture. “Then I am sorry for your loss.”

“Loss?” Spoiler questioned.

“Batman’s death,” he answered slowly. Had no one told her?

“What? Batman’s not dead.”

Oh, no, she was simply trying to hide the truth. “My contacts within the Justice League say otherwise.”

Batman's death had left Flamebird uncharacteristically despondent of late, understandably given how close his father and Damian’s were and the fact Flamebird had been on the mission where Batman perished.

“Someone’s going to get an ass beating,” she muttered, storming to her feet. She poked him in the chest. “So what, you find out Batman’s gone and decide that means you have a free pass to just do whatever you want in my city.”

Damian pushed her hand away, fighting down the urge to stab it. “As I think we’ve established, I had no idea you existed. I simply had business in Gotham and thought I’d do some good for a recently undefended city.”

“Yeah, well, now you know the city is being defended.”

“By a child, yes,” Damian scoffed before he could stop himself and the girl bristled.

“Who the fickle frack are you to judge me?”

After being momentarily stunned by her euphemism, he answered, “I am Ẓill.”

She stared at him and slowly shook her head. “Yeah, no offense, it’s def a me problem, but if I try to say that I will totally beat it to hell and back with a tire iron then set it on fire and spit on it just for good measure. Is that an alien language?”

“Arabic.”

“Shit. Yeah, okay, that’s why I’m sticking to the Romance languages for now.” She glanced to the side. “Do you know Arabic?”

“I-” he started, but she waved him quiet.

“I thought you were going to learn after the last run-in with… Okay, yeah, that’s fair. So… Well of course he can, the little polyglot.” She turned back to Damian as he started to wonder if the girl was insane. “So your name translates to Shadow. Mind if I just call you that because, again, I will not be responsible for the atrocity that leaves my mouth if I try to pronounce Arabic without time to practice.”

“Shadow is fine.” She wouldn’t be the first, as it had taken both Flamebird and Beacon awhile to learn how to pronounce his name properly, and the Ismoian still called him that on occasion as a nickname. More accurately she called him Shadow the Hedgehog, but that was a reference he refused to investigate given Flamebird’s reaction to it. “Who are you talking to?”

She gestured to the side of her head. “Augur. He’s our eye-in-the-sky computer guy. Hacking, running comms, information gathering, strategy, all that fun stuff.”

“I thought Oracle worked with Batman when he needed assistance with that.”

“Oracle? I mean, she helped train Augur and helps out when he needs a hand, but she’s got the Birds of Prey and Vesper, not to mention helping out the Justice League sometimes. I think she used to do a lot more for Batman back before Augur, but she’s got her own shit to do now. Augur’s our main man.”

He really should have waited to speak to Vesper. Clearly his information was more out of date than he thought.

“So, Shadow Weaver, what brings you to Gotham then?”

“Shadow Weaver?” He growled when she nodded, radiating amusement. That was clearly another reference he didn’t want to know anything about. “My being here is none of your concern.”

“Random unknown vigilantes being in my city are, like, the definition of my concern,” she said, cocking a hip.

“Your city?”

“Yeah, my city. So either tell me why you’re here or get lost.”

“And if I don’t?”

She shifted into a fighting stance. “I’ll make you.”

Damian snorted at the threat, then was yanked backward by his hood. He brought his hand up to defend, which was knocked aside.

He froze when he recognized the featureless mask staring down at him.

“I told you to keep your head down,” Vesper reprimanded, poking him in the forehead.

“If you had warned me that Batman had picked up a disciple this wouldn’t have happened,” he huffed and Spoiler pretended to gag.

“Ew, gross, don’t call me that. Makes it sound like I worship B or something, which, yeah, no.”

“Stop picking fights with Spoiler,” Vesper said and poked his forehead again. “Batman is already going to be mad enough.”

Damian’s eyes darted away from his friend and, behind Vesper, he saw Spoiler flinch.

Vesper let him back up and shoved him away. She turned to Spoiler. “I’ll deal with him. He’s a friend. Sorry.”

The girl nodded and left.

“Come on.”

The older vigilante led him to the rooftop of a clock tower. She used a biometric scanner to unlock a hidden hatch and they slipped inside, dropping down ropes into a workspace.

There was an elaborate computer setup in one corner, oddly lacking a chair, and a workout space in the other. Mirroring that was a modest medical area in one corner and a kitchenette in the other with seating at the island. Elevator doors stood between the computers and medical area while a couch and some chairs sat at the center of the room.

Pulling off her hood and mask, Cassandra led him to the couch. He removed his own hood and mask then pulled his katana off his back to lean against his leg as he sat next to her on the couch.

“You look good,” she said, glancing over him.

“You too. It’s good to see you again.”

She nodded, then lightly slapped his arm. “What were you thinking, Damian? I know I told you how protective Batman is of his territory.”

Damian’s left hand came up to trace the phoenix engraved onto his right bracer. “When was the last time you spoke to someone in the Justice League?”

She frowned, studying him. “I have been on an Outsiders mission for the past month, and was busy with a show the month before that. If Oracle has worked with them in that time, she hasn’t said anything. Why?”

“A little under a month ago, a JL team went on a mission. I don’t know the full details, but it had something to do with Darkseid and… Batman did not make it back.”

She didn’t react visibly, but her voice was soft when she asked, “You are sure?”

“Jon was on the mission. He said Batman was vaporized right before their eyes. I’m sorry.”

She bowed her head and closed her eyes. After her moment of silence, she looked up at him, face blank. “Why?”

“Why?”

“Why are you here? Why do you care? You’ve always been interested in Batman, but this is… more.”

He sat up straight, hands fisting on his thighs. “I told you my name was Damian Naji, but that was a lie. My name is actually Damian al Ghul. My mother is Talia al Ghul… and my father was Batman.”

She studied him. “Batman… did not know?”

“Not as far as I am aware. Mother told me she told him she miscarried because I would be a distraction to him and the cause. After everything you’ve told me about him, I think she and Grandfather were just worried he’d take me from them. If she told him after I left, I don’t know.”

“Why didn’t you tell him? You could have come to him for help when you ran away from the League.”

“Tt. You know how I was back then. I was everything Father stood against. He wouldn’t have wanted anything to do with me. Not until I could prove I was worthy of him.”

She reached out to take his hand. “That’s not true. He knew my past and he accepted me.”

“You killed one person, instantly regretted it, and never killed again. I spent almost ten years as an assassin. It’s not the same. Besides, you were just an occasional teammate. I’m…”

“His son. Which is exactly why I know he would have loved you. Batman cares deeply for those who he considers his own. Even Oracle and I. He keeps -” She frowned and looked down. “He kept his distance from us, but only because he felt he didn’t have a right to us. Oracle had a parent and was independent, only needing help getting her feet under her. I was an adult, legally, when we met and Oracle took on my training since she was the one who found me and had practice working with younger heroes due to assisting Black Canary with the Justice League’s minor division. Had he found you, though, he wouldn’t have hesitated. You would have been his.

“He would not have been happy about how you were raised, but he still would have loved you. He would not have turned you away, even if you had wanted to continue down the path of an assassin. He would have seen that wasn’t what you wanted, though, and taught you a new way. You would not have had to do it on your own.”

Damian shook his head. “No, I had to prove that I wasn’t what my mother made me. I had to prove I could follow his rules, only then could I present myself as his heir.”

“You wouldn’t have had to prove anything to him.”

He pulled his hand away to trail it against his bracer again. “Perhaps you are right. You knew him better than I. But I did have to prove it to myself.”

She shook her head and wrapped an arm around his shoulders despite him being a head taller and twice as wide. “How?”

“My first kill was on my sixth birthday. I was fifteen when we met and I decided to leave behind the League’s ways in favor of Father’s. It… took me longer than I liked to push through the instincts to kill so on my sixteenth birthday I made an oath. Ten years of saving lives to atone for ten years of taking them. Only if I reached my twenty-sixth birthday without taking another life would I come to Gotham.”

“That is why you’ve come.”

“No, my birthday is still a few months away, but… Jon told me what happened. I realized I was too late so I am here to… I thought if I could never present myself to Father absolved of guilt, I could at least protect the city he devoted himself to since I believed it was now undefended.”

“You did not know about the others,” she chuckled.

“You told me he worked alone,” he growled.

“He did when we last spoke.” She pulled away, tilting her head. “Am I your only source for information?”

“Yes. I did not know if I could trust any other source given his reclusiveness.”

“But I only told you about Batman. What about behind the man under the cowl?”

He slumped back against the couch.

“You do not know who he is,” she said, amusement in her voice.

“Mother always told me I would learn who he was when I’d earned it. The only things I know are that I am his only family and heir. That’s why I asked you to meet me. I wanted to do this properly and cover his responsibilities in and out of the mask, but I can’t do that without knowing who he is. I’d hoped that either you would know or you could help me figure it out.”

She hummed and glanced to the side.

He followed her gaze to see a clock on the wall. It was nearing two in the morning.

Suddenly she hopped to her feet and dragged him up. “You said you are staying at Hotel Belle Monico?”

“Yes, room 3215.”

“Go straight back there and get changed.”

He nodded, figuring she wanted to get some rest. “Alright. I’ll see you later then.”

After getting her confirmation, he climbed up the ropes and did as told. It only took him fifteen minutes to get back to his room and another twenty to change out of his vigilante attire, lock all his gear away, shower, and put on his sleeping clothes. Once that was done he started to debate whether or not to get some sleep or do a bit of research first.

A knock came at his door.

He grabbed the small dagger he kept on him at all times and palmed one of the knives he’d hidden around the room as he approached the door. He peeked through the peephole, then tucked both weapons into his waistband and opened the door.

Cassandra had lost her own suit in favor of a casual teal dress and gold-brown leggings. She frowned as she took him in and started shoving him further into the room before he could say anything. “Get dressed.”

“What’s going on?”

“Clothes.”

Well aware he wasn’t going to get anything out of her, he slipped into the suite's bedroom and changed into some slacks and a polo.

“Good,” she said when he came out, then turned on her heel and left.

He quickly followed after grabbing his wallet and one of the room’s keycards.

“Where are we going?” he asked once they were in the elevator, but she just smiled at him.

The silence continued as they climbed into her car and she drove them through the city. He tried to ask again when they crossed a bridge out of the main city and into a neighborhood filled with mansions and old manors, but she remained tight-lipped until they pulled up to the gate of a larger manor.

She rolled down the window and hit the call button, which was soon answered over the video screen by an older gentleman in a butler’s uniform.

“Ah, hello, Ms. Cain,” the man said in a warm, British accent. “I was told you might make an appearance, but I didn’t think it would be so soon.”

“Hello, Alfred. Should this wait?”

“No, you might as well come in now. They’re all still awake after tonight’s events,” he sighed and the gates began to creak open.

“Sorry,” she said and he waved her off before the screen went dark.

Curiosity itched at Damian, but he stayed quiet as Cassandra drove up to the front door and they climbed out.

Alfred met them at the door. He gave Cassandra a kind smile then turned it to Damian. “Always a pleasure, Ms. Cain. And who is this?”

She looped her arm around one of Damian’s. “An old friend. Alfred, this is Damian Wayne. Damian, this is Alfred Pennyworth.”

He didn’t react to the name, assuming she’d just given him an alias, but the calculating expression on Alfred’s face as he stared at Damian’s had him second-guessing the assumption.

The expression was quickly replaced by a sad smile, however, as the man stepped back to allow them into the manor. “It’s wonderful to meet you, Master Damian.”

“You as well, Mr. Pennyworth.”

“Just Alfred, my boy. Please come in. The others are winding down in the family room.”

“Thank you, Alfred,” Cassandra said, then led Damian into the house by his arm. They went up the main staircase in the entrance hall and into the first door on the left where they found a room inhabited by a group of children.

The oldest were a pair of teenagers sitting on the couch.

The girl was white, but tanned with long blonde hair pulled into a messy braid and dark green eyes. She was thin but muscular and he could see her arms were covered in small scars thanks to her Gotham Sirens tank top. She was cradling a sleeping infant who was wrapped in a Wonder Woman blanket and clutching a stuffed Batman.

The other teen was more androgynous, body hidden under an overly large White Arrow hoodie and Supergirl sweat pants. They were Latine with their skin a pale brown and their eyes a silvery blue. Their hair was black and chin-length. They had a video game controller on their lap and a tablet in their hands.

The next oldest was a preteen boy with a book sitting sideways in an armchair, back against one arm and legs draped over the other. He was fair with freckles speckling his face around his navy eyes. His hair was short and a dark red, almost black color. He was thin and muscular like the girl, but there was a touch of broadness to his shoulders that spoke of a bulkiness to come with puberty. A German Shepherd was squeezed onto the chair with him, half-tucked under the boy's legs with his head on the boy's stomach for pets.

The last child was a few years younger than the preteen. He both had the most conditioned and the least combative build of the children, having more of a gymnast's figure. His skin was of a similar olive tone to Damian’s, though a few shades lighter, and his curly hair was brown-black. Damian couldn’t see his eyes as he was dozing on a rug in front of the tv with a three-legged pitbull puppy, both curled around a large stuffed elephant. A video game controller was abandoned behind the boy.

The three awake children turned to Damian and Cassandra when they entered. They all greeted her warmly, but the girl and boy eyed him warily while the androgynous teen studied him with sharp curiosity.

“Who’s your friend, Cassie?” the boy asked.

Cassandra shoved Damian further into the room. “Your brother.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So last month I made a post asking if anyone had written a story where the Robins' ages were reversed as is the trope, but they still got taken in by Bruce in the same order as well as giving some ideas for how that could work. No one ever got back to me on if that was already a thing so I figured I might as well write out one of the scenes that really caught my interest when brainstorming.

#batfam #damian wayne #cass cain #stephanie brown #batman #rabno #fanfiction

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ninjakasuga · 3 years ago

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Sonally Week Year 3 Day One

Another year, another of @gojira007 and their blog @boundforfreedomsonsal hosting another week of one of the best OTP’s of fiction. Here’s my entry for Day One: Dawn.

Foreward: Another year; another Sonally Week! Here’s my entry for Day One, and hope ya’all enjoy. This one is a sequel of sorts to my “Surprise” Day entry last year, where after some heckling over certain aspects of his romance with Sally; Sonic gets the news he’s gonna be a big brother! Instead of a literally dawn I decided to do a more thematic ‘dawn of a new part of life’ aspect than the actual time of day.

“Sonic.”

The blue furred Hedgehog in question continued to pace the floor, seeming to either not hear, or simply not regard the call of his name. He stopped, but not to reply, and began to tap his foot repeatedly as he often did in a show of impatience. Soon he was pacing yet again, causing the one trying to get his attention to sigh in exasperation, again.

“Sonic!” Raising her voice, just-oh-so-slightly, Sally again, attempted to get the attention of her fiancé’ this time reaching out and managing to grasp his tail and give it a small yank. Probably not the best thing for Sonic’s pride as he let out the cutest squeak in response, but Sally didn’t mind. Smiling coyly yet with a hint of apology in her eyes as he turned to face her, she reached for his arm, softly rubbing it. “Calm down a bit hun, you’re going to wear the floor out.” Rubbing his slightly sore posterior, Sonic gave his beloved a mild glare that softened almost as soon as it appeared; agitation giving way to the concern plaguing him. “Sorry Sal, it’s just, well it’s been over an hour since the expected due date. What’s the hold up?”

A voice quips from a chair along the opposite side of the waiting room from Sonic and Sally. “Well that’s how labor sometimes goes Sonny-boy. I mean you didn’t exactly pop out as soon as your Ma’s water broke. Slow-going was the name of the game.” Chuckled Charles Hedgehog, finding much amusement in his nephew’s impatience. An impatience he very much empathized with, but knew better than to get too riled up at this point. “So an hour past when the doctor expects the babies to come is small change, especially compared to how you made everyone wait a whole ten hours and ninety-one minutes before you finally graced us with your presence.”

Sitting besides Charles, Rosie Woodchuck let out her own dainty but hearty giggle as she reached to give the silver-furred Hedgehog a gentle squeeze of his hand. “Oh the language coming out of that room. We both feared for your brother’s manlihood if not his existence.”

“I wasn’t that hard on Mom was I?” Inquired Sonic with genuine curiosity mixed with a mild hint of indignity. His gaze only half-way went to his Uncle and Rosie; mainly because he still found it weird they were dating. Correction had been dating on the down-low since, well, a long time with the two only having a ‘break’ when he’d been roboticized all those years. He was genuinely happy for them, but it was still just plain weird to him.

“I think pregnancy is hard for any woman the first time around, or so I read and was told.” Mused Sally as she gently pulled Sonic to sit beside her, rubbing his quills to both straighten them out, and to soothe his nerves. Not unlike Sonic she was still processing the semi-recent revelation that her beloved former Nanny and Sir Charles had been dating under everyone’s noses for so long. Then again should she be surprised? Both were rather private people about their personal lives outside of whatever they did with friends and family. Not to mention the true reason they kept it quiet back in the day had more to do with concerns their positions in the Royal Court would cause unrest for some if their more intimate relationship came to light.

Looking toward Rosie, Sally was now curious about her own birth given the topic. “Were Elias or I rough on Mother?”

Rosie shook her head, “Not really, Elias took some time, but your dear Mother thankfully did not have too rough a time of it. Her calm demeanor kept up even dealing with labor pains, and the end result more than made up for it. You were much easier, as she knew what to navigate and you only took so many hours after the labor contractions began to grace us with your presence.” She smiled fondly, thinking about the two occasions, then giggled. “That said she wasn’t above occasionally reminding your Father it was his fault she was in that state, and well, that’s her story to tell more than mine.”

Snickering, Sally looked at Sonic with a very straight face, barely keeping a grin from forming. “I promise if we have kids, not to threaten your masculinity. That said, I will probably get my vengeance some other way.”

Lifting an eyebrow, Sonic elbowed his girlfriend-now-fiance’ gently in the arm. “Oh reeeeeeeally? Well you gotta catch me first Sal.”

“I already did.” She murmured, leaning in to kiss his cheek as she laced her fingers with his.

“Got me there,” Relenting, Sonic returned the smile, as well as the kiss, planting it on her fluffy cheek before leaning back in his seat. His concern for his Mother and his impending siblings, slightly alleviated for the time being.

The elder couple shared a look, one they had often shared when they were witness to the dear love and devotion between Sally and Sonic. From children to adults, the two always seemed to be a pair they fit so well, it was clear as day even when they were in diapers or arguing up a storm as toddlers, to their teen years. The small things in life that made all the gloom and doom of the past decade and some odd-change worth living for. Soon everyone’s heard turns as the double-door leading to the maternity ward opened and Doctor Quack limped out, leaning on his cane carefully, but with a confident stride; showcasing he’d come to master the walking tool quite well.

“Well-?!”

Holding up his free hand, both to interrupt as well as allow Quack to pull down his mask, his bill forming into a smile. “Your newborn sister and brother are here, healthy and loud, and your Mother is doing very well herself.”

The four cheer as they stand up, mindful this was still a hospital and kept it down, but their jubilation was completely understood.

“Can we see them?” Asked Sonic, already antsy and looking ready to speed down the corridor.

“Yes, we’ve already handled all the post-birth clean up, and checked their vitals as well as Bernie’s, who herself wishes to see you all as well. So I see no issue with allowing visitation right away, but do keep it brief, they do need their rest.” Advised the water-foul doctor as he kept himself straight, if just to fight off his own fatigue which was now creeping up after the long labor. “Just NO running Sonic, got it?”

At the mild admonishment, the Hedgehog simply grinned. “Me? Run through a hospital? Would I do thaaaaaaaaaaaat?”

“Yes, you would.” Everyone else remarked with amazing timing and matching deadpan. To which Sonic rolled his eyes.

“Sheesh, talk about a crowd! Anyway let’s go, let’s go!” Sonic urged, already half-dragging Sally along, forcing his beloved to keep in rapid pace close to him as they held hands still. Sally simply went with it, laughing softly at Sonic’s outright adorable impulsive need to see his new siblings. Chuck and Rosie merely followed at their pace, but there was certainly a spring in their step as well.

Eventually the group, along with Doctor Quack, reach the room designated for Bernie and her newborns. Managing to keep Sonic at bay enough, Quack pushed the door open for them and cleared his throat. “Jules, Bernie, your guests have arrived.”

Like an impatient puppy, Sonic squeezed past Quack, Sally trailing hand-in-hand still from behind. His emerald-green eyes, zeroing-in on the target, even as his breath hitched softly as a wave of emotion floored Sonic as he finally gazed upon his Mother and new siblings. As tired as Bernie Hedgehog looked, nothing could dull the intense love and adoration in her eyes and face as she held two swaddled bundles in her arms. Her husband Jules’ own expression was a mirror of his wife’s, only tinged with the pride only a Father can know. Each look up their expressions beaming more at the sight of their eldest child, with Jules instantly waving him over.

“Hey there son, come say hi to your baby brother and sister!”

Noticing that Sally seemed a bit frozen, Sally found back a ‘snerk’ that wanted to come out, and simply pulled him along. Upon seeing the two infants, mewling and cooing, her own eyes mist. “Awww, they’re adorable!”

“Y-yeah they are…” Sonic managed a dry chuckle, why did his throat feel so dry? He’d been psyched for this ever since his Mom laid the bombshell she was pregnant nine months ago! Of all the times for Sonic the Hedgehog to choke and lose his cool, it’s this? He didn’t lose his cool this much, asking Sally to marry him for Almighty’s sake! Leaning over he got a much better look at the two.

One of the two clearly favored their Mother’s more light-purple coat, another had the milder-blue of his Father. Both were cute as a button, and just, the sounds they made! Sonic usually wasn’t one to obsess over cute things, but he was entranced. “So we got names for these two? Or do I call em’ Li’ Sib one, and two?”

“We were thinking of Sonia, for this little angel.” Explained Bernie as she gently pet the back of her daughter’s head. The newborn curled against the warm hand that carried the scent of her Mother. “As for this handsome young man, I was thinking of something with M, like Manwell or Manny.”

“If he’s anything like Sonny-boy he’ll be one manic child.” Chuckled Charles as he and Rosie moved closer taking the end of the bed so as to not crowd anyone.

Something about that line struck a chord with Jules, who instantly adopted a thoughtful look as he rubbed his chin. “Manic, manic, why not Manic?” He grinned even as his wife looked at him rather funny. “Face it hun, if Sonic’s any indication, these two are going to be spirited, and it kind of goes well don’t you think?”

After a moment, Bernie tired rolled her eyes. “Fine,” she however smiled, “Manic it is. However if that name causes him woe, I’ll be sure he knows he has you to blame.”

“Anybody gives him or Sonia woe I’mma deck em’.” Sonic proclaimed, pounding his fists together.

“Nor alone,” Agreed Sally as she leaned against him. They weren’t her siblings biologically, but already she had decided she would help protect them at all cost.

“Triple, and quadruple so.” Added Rosie, who nodded along with Charles. The family was united on this front.

“Fantastic.” Giggling, Bernie kissed the heads of her newborns. “Hear that, your family is ready to murder for you.”

“You all can plot future murder later, as much as I hate to spoil the moment, Mother and both newborns need rest.” Spoke up Quack as he stood at the door, keeping silent until now.

Yawning, Bernie nodded in agreement, she was drained. Her gaze lifted to her husband. “You get some rest too, you’ve been up with me through all this.”

“I didn’t do even a fraction of the work; but, rest sounds good.” He yawned, quickly covering his mouth. “Mind if I just crash here Doc?”

“I’ve already asked an orderly to bring a rollaway for you. I know better.” Smiled the duck-doctor in a knowing fashion. “Now come now everyone, time to go.”

Looking at his parents, Sonic instantly stated. “We’ll visit tomorrow, promise.”

“Looking forward to it son, looking forward to it.”

Giving his siblings one last look, Sonic smiled and winked at the two infants. “Welcome to the world you two, hopefully by the time you can talk and explore the world there’ll be one last fat-man to worry about. That’s a big-bro promise!”

#boundingintofreedomsonsal #Sonic the Hedgehog #Princess Sally Acorn #Bernie Hedgehog #Jules Hedgehog #Chuck Hedgehog #Rosie Woodchuck #Manic Hedgehog #Sonia Hedgehog #Archie-Sonic

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shadowsfascination · 4 years ago

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Shadamy Swordland ch 6 |

Rouge brushed the dust from her clothes after scolding Shadow about his reckless move, whose attitude remained as indifferent as ever.

“Guys?-” Amy said, trying to get their attention.

“I knew what I was doing!”

“Sure didn’t look the part.”

“Guys, look!” The pink hedgehog shouted. “A floating city…?!”

Shadow and Rouge finally paid attention to her, turning their heads to look at her. Amy walked towards the end of a cliff and bent over to the edge to overlook the place they ended up on. Multiple sandstone paths winded across the skies along floating, vine-clad buildings with spiralling paths around them, leading to the top. Shadow joined her, hooking a finger behind her belt to keep her from a potential fall into the depths he couldn’t see the end of.

“It’s so beautiful… We should have a date here sometime.” Amy dreamily glanced at Shadow.

Rouge whistled, impressed by their discovery. She flew to the closest floating pathway across from the others and created a connecting road between them, closing the gap so they could cross. Amy ran forward to the path and yanked Shadow along with her, who had forgotten he was still hooked on her belt. The male tumbled onto her, his weight pressing on her, making her falter. He quickly unhooked his finger from her belt and curled his arm behind her back to catch her.

“Gotcha. You need to start watching your back more if you still want that date, Rose.”

_____________________________

Meanwhile elsewhere on a floating island above the sky-high ruin befallen floating city the three had set foot on, an echidna picked up the slightest of vibes of a familiar energy. He rested against the stone stairway that led to an altar, his eyes closed as he concentrated on the waves of energy that unexpectedly drifted among the upward winds. He rose and walked towards the bridge that connected the floating island to the city below.

‘Knuckles’, the guardian’s name, attempted to seize some shards of green energy that whirled up to the island, but couldn’t get a hold of it. They flew off in different directions, escaping the grasp of his hands. He doubted for a second.

“No, I’m sure of it. This has to be Chaos Energy!”

The quizzical expression however didn’t leave his face for the gemstones he was guarding were right here with him. They were the only thing he’d ever seen that could produce this type of energy waves. He was more than familiar with the stories of special Mobians possessing a strange power that could either use or produce Chaos Energy, but never saw one before.

“Guess it’s time for me to test out that sacred art skill.”

Every new-born member of the designated guardian family inherited a sacred art skill called ‘vision’ when they’d been given a name. After the naming ceremony, which would secure the bond between the Master Emerald and the future guardian, the skill would develop along with them as they grew up.

The ‘vision’ allowed them to sense Chaos Energy up to a 15 mile radius around them. It also gave them the ability to ‘jump’ into an image, zooming in on it like a telescope. The most important thing about it though was that the guardians could make the entire island temporarily invisible to hide it from outsiders.

Knuckles rapidly blinked three times in a row, activating the skill and zoomed in on the source of the Chaos energy. Taking in three Mobians he saw walking on the floating paths of the Sky Sanctuary he gasped with unease. The black one made him recall something like he recognized him.

“He looks like…-”

He ran back to the altar and quickly scanned the murals on it, his eyes widening at the shocking resemblance of the images and the Mobian strolling on the floating pathways below him. He looked at the black male again.

“It is him! But why? What’s he doing here? I’d better keep an eye on them.”

The guardian decided to track them from the island and casted a spell to turn the island invisible, not letting his curiosity getting the best of him.

___________________________

“So, what will you do when you’ve obtained the emerald, Rouge?” Shadow asked.

“I’ll take it to the man who’s willing to help me, like I told you.”

“What does he plan to do with it?”

‘He’s getting a little too interested in this. I’d better distract him.’ Rouge thought.

“Don’t you know it’s rude to ask so many questions?”

The bat acted overly insulted only to bump into Amy next when she wasn’t paying attention of what was ahead of her. The pink hedgehog had stopped walking without warning and the others immediately understood why. Unmistakably present was the amount of Chaos spores in the air ahead of them, leading upwards. Amy took a step forward.

“Amy!”

“What do you think you’re doing?” Rouge yelled.

“What?! I’m going up there! To that floating island.” Amy pointed upward.

“Floating island?” Shadow questioned.

“Sweetie, I don’t see anything up there. Maybe we should call it a day.”

“How- how can you NOT see it?! It’s right there! Look!”

Seeing the other’s puzzled expressions Amy finally believed they really didn’t see what she in fact saw: a bridge leading to a floating island. That’s where all the chaos energy’s concentrated. How could they not see it? Especially with their sacred arts levels higher than hers.

“It’s really there! I’m telling you it’s real. I’m not crazy, okay!”

Shadow and Rouge first glanced at each other with a kind of concern before shifting their gaze at Amy.

“I don’t rule out that there’s something up there, okay? But let’s call it a day and go back here another time. “ Rouge said.

“Agreed.” Shadow added.

“Fine. I’ll show you when we get back here.”

_______________________________________

After Amy and Shadow parted from Rouge they walked back to the academy in the dark. It had started snowing again and a bleak breeze flared up, dusting up the snow in tiny, cold whirlwinds of powdery snow. Before Shadow waved his student goodbye and paced on to his home, he told her to get a good night of sleep before the sword fight tournament tomorrow. He hoped she wouldn’t be too tired from today’s events. Bending over to the flower pot next to the front door to pick up his keys from underneath it, he suddenly felt someone’s hands on his shoulders.

“You and I need to talk!”

His fellow knight hissed at him while dragging him into the shadows of the alley next to the hedgehog’s house. Blaze yanked Shadow towards her, their metal breastplates clanking at their touch. The cat pulled him up by the little chest-fur that managed to pop out from under his armour, poking a finger in his muzzle. Her eyes fiercely glanced at his own crimson ones.

“Why are you still hanging out with her? On your day-off that is. Don’t you understand how this will add to the already existing rumours?”

He pushed her away and stepped back. “What’s your problem?! It’s dark and no one’s even here.”

“I am. I caught onto it. Someone else might as well.”

“We have been training in the woods today in preparation of the tournament tomorrow. I have nothing to hide apart from my trainee’s excellent swordfight skills, that is.”

“It doesn’t look like that, Shadow! You return in the dark after spending the day together. You’re constantly looking over your shoulder and scanning the place the entire way you��ve been walking with her as if to make sure no one catches onto you two.”

“We’re just trying to avoid causing more rumours. I’m not even the least bit interested in her like that. I don’t care about romance, Blaze.”

“Well, you’re clearly getting along with her. Even if what you say is true, it looks suspicious.”

“See what you wanna see. I don’t care.”

The lavender coloured cat grabbed his shoulders, genuine concern glistering in her eyes.

“Care about it a little more, will you?! As a member of the high order of knights you have a reputation to uphold! We all do. Your actions might affect all of us.”

“No need to remind me. Now stop sticking your nose in my business and worry about your own student. That hyper-annoying blue hedgehog is a real troublemaker.”

Blaze’s face showed a variety of changing expressions at Shadow’s statement. Sonic was an adventurous spirit with an impulsive nature and when he felt it was needed, he turned out to be a true rebel at heart. It often lead Blaze to the board’s office to apologize on behalf of him when Sonic refused to. Her cheeks coloured a bright pink, all much to Shadow’s amusement.

“That’s… beside the point right now! I propose the idea that you two will only train inside the training facilities and domes for a while, so you’d be in si-“.

“Rejected. It’ll disadvantage her in battle. Amy has as much right to develop her fighting style in secret as anyone else.”

“If you truly have nothing to hide, this shouldn’t be a problem.”

He shrugged himself free of her hold.

“This conversation’s over. Good night, Blaze.”

___________________________

“Hey Ames!”

Sonic excitedly waved at his pink friend when spotting her entering the Ruby Dome’s dressing room. He walked up to her, tossing her towel to her. Amy caught it with ease and wiped the sweat from her forehead while gulping down a glass of water.

“Ah, thanks! I needed that. Are you up next?”

“Sure am. How did your matches go?”

“I’ve won every single one of them.” Amy smiled like a victor.

The blue hedgehog gave her a thumb’s up while holding the door open for her to enter the main battlefield in the dome. Shadow and Blaze greeted their students and Amy proudly told her friend and trainer how she’d won all of her matches today. The cat expressed her gleeful surprise about Shadow and Amy’s secluded training session the other day, only to display the suspicion in her jade eyes.

“That’s me! Wish me luck, will you?”

“Good luck, Sonic!”

As Amy watched Sonic enter the battlefield, she saw Shadow enter after him. She’d completely forgotten Shadow competed against the seniors today. Amy knew very well that both Sonic and Shadow were crazily fast and both had outstanding sword and dodging skills. It was still likely for Shadow to win, but every spectator today knew this match ought to be very interesting.

Both hedgehogs had that peculiar look on their faces with a certain grin curling their lips and a certain seriousness in their eyes. Amy couldn’t help but feel a little uneasy. She took a seat next to Blaze whom she felt had a similar nervousness over her. Amy said a little prayer in her thoughts that Blaze wouldn’t start questioning her about Shadow. She felt guilty enough already as it was for lying to her.

“Good luck Sonic, you’ll need it” Shadow challenged him.

“Heh, we’ll see about that.”

Sonic’s grin widened and he scratched his nose. They nodded once at the referee, readying themselves at his countdown. The way the hedgehogs’ body language showed the energy inside them made it more than obvious both had long anticipated a match like this. At the sound of the ringing bell the two dashed forward, racing towards their opponent, leaving a cloud of dust behind.

Confidently preparing for the incoming impact of their swords clashing against one another, Shadow neared his opponent, effortlessly matching his speed. Searching for an open spot to strike, the two hedgehogs closed in on each other. Sonic’s eyes fixed on Shadow’s sword to block his upcoming strike.

Within the last two or three steps away from him, he felt his heart jolt inside his chest, his eyes drawn to their swords. The spectators screamed enthusiastically behind them. The small piece of emerald on the handgrip of Shadow’s sword flared with light as he dashed forward. The air filled with thousands of tiny turquoise fireflies, which Amy now knew were actually Chaos spores.

“Oh boy… “ Amy squeaked, holding her breath.

“You’ve seen this stuff before?” Blaze asked.

“Errr, yes! It’s some sort of energy.”

The metal swords clanked against each other with tremendous impact when Sonic blocked his opponent’s strike. His sword suddenly blazed like Shadow’s after their touch, creating a large bolt of nasty bright light. Like he had hit the break at once everything just stopped around them, totally frozen in time. He was only able to move his eyes and shifted his gaze from his sword to Shadow. The black hedgehog looked back at him, clearly experiencing the same thing.

In the blink of an eye a small emerald was laid in the handgrip of his sword, blazing as fiercely as Shadow’s. It sent a powerful rush through his body before the frozen world came back alive again. The bolt of light swung them high into the air, smashing them down on the opposite sides of the battlefield with a loud crash. Neither of them moved. Clouds of dust formed above the place the hedgehogs crashed into the ground while the crowd gasped in shock in the stands behind them.

________________________________

END NOTES

Pfff this took me long enough. I’m actually not at all satisfied with this chaper. I feel like it’s a little stiff. Bleh. I just don’t know how to write it differently. This always happens though. Somewhere along the process of writing a story I start to dislike what I write because it lacks decent quality imo... AAAAHH!

Anyway here it is! I still hope the ppl who do read it enjoy it. As always: annoying drammar mishaps/typos or tips and thoughts are welcome. Be friendly though :) Just message me.

I’m also working on a couple of oneshots and drawings. In between now and June I’ll be busy making a portrait of my grandpa who passed away in november (he had covid). I promised my grandma I’ll make her a painting of him for her birthday in june.

@shadamyheadcanons

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rhubarbbaby · 4 years ago

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Strawberries and Art 5

Jihoon x Y/N

Genre: College AU, Fluff Word Count: 5k Summary: Like every passionate art student, you spent most of your time immersed in your drawings and paintings. The day you meet Jihoon, your everyday life suddenly gets a lot more exciting…

All chapters: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5

Chapter 5

When Jihoon was younger he didn´t think teachers existed outside of school. It wasn´t a conscious thought, he just never took into consideration that teachers didn´t cease to exist whenever the bell rang. It had seemed as if his teachers simply started to be around whenever he entered a classroom. And as he sat there in his music class, having given up paying attention a while ago, he realized that he thought about you in the exact same way. You had so suddenly entered his life, he was having a hard time accepting that you actually were a real living human being.

Jihoon had never been much of a romantic. He had always thought of romance as a construct made up by the entertainment industry. He didn´t think badly of it, he just doubted that the kind of romance they portray in movies and books even existed. He didn´t long for it either. He had always been a realist. Love would come, or it wouldn´t. And suddenly there were you. You were just there, like you had just started existing. And he didn´t know if it was love. He didn´t even think about the word “love”. He hadn´t even wrapped his head around the fact that he maybe, only maybe might have a teeny tiny little crush on you. He just knew that he liked you. Really liked you. Talking to you was so easy and made him feel so light, in the most perfect way possible.

At lunch Jihoon sat with Hansol, who had grown a bit annoyed with him being zoned out. “Dude. What´s going on? I´m bored. Talk to me.” “I´m sorry.” Jihoon grumbled not even looking up from his plate to look at his friend. “Didn´t the date go well yesterday?” Only now Jihoon´s eyes met Hansol´s. “No. It went perfect.” “So?” “What so?” “Why aren´t you super happy?” Jihoon let out a small sigh. “I am. I´m just confused.” “What? How can you be confused about a perfect date?” “I´ve only known her for a few days and I think I already like her. It doesn´t make sense.” Hansol let out a hearty laugh. “Hey, it does make sense. It makes a lot of sense actually…you know when I met Jo I knew she would annoy the shit out of me. And holy shit she does, I swear if she talks one more time about that superhero guy with that metal arm…Beefy Barnett or whatever he´s called…I´ll have to kill her.” Anyone would´ve been able to read the loving smile that had formed on Hansol´s face, as much as he pretended to be annoyed by Jo he just couldn´t hide his fondness. “Anyways the point I was trying to make is that I knew she would be a pain in the ass but I also knew I liked her. I´m not saying it´s always like that or it has to be like that but I´m saying that yes it does make sense.” “Bucky Barnes.” Jihoon grinned. “What?” “That superhero guy. His name is Bucky Barnes.” “Oh my god. Not you too.”

It had been nice seeing Jihoon in the morning, even if it had only been for about 2.5 seconds. And even if you probably wouldn’t have liked to admit it, those 2.5 seconds were the only reason you had survived your morning classes. And that really says something because you even skipped art history which you admittedly did feel sort of bad about. The professor was always so disappointed seeing only so few students sitting in her class. That´s why you normally tried not to miss her classes but you just haven´t been able to get yourself to move out of bed this early today.

You were on your way to the cafeteria when you realized it was Tuesday, which meant Jo didn´t have classes today. You groaned, knowing you would probably have to eat your lunch alone. You didn´t like eating alone in public. The exposedness of the situation, the feeling of being watched, yeah you could definitely pass on that one.

Jihoon´s eyes lit up when he saw you. You were standing next to the door that led to the cafeteria, the very same door he was about to walk through. As you looked down at your feet while letting some other students pass in front of him, he realized you hadn´t noticed him yet. “Hi.” He smiled. You looked up and for a tiny moment Jihoon thought he had seen your eyes sparkle when you recognized it was him. “Hi.” “You come here often?” Jihoon asked, his voice comically serious. “Oh my god,” you sighed. “That was really bad.” you weren´t able to hide the grin that had spread on your face. “I´m sorry I´m sorry,” he held up his hands defensively, also smiling, “anyways…are you my homework?” “What?” the look of confusion on your face was priceless. “You definitely look like my homework…cause I´m not doing you when I should.” He winked. Your eyes widened at the realization of what he had just said - god you really were so innocent- and then you laughed. “That was even worse, Jihoon!” “You´re mean.” He pouted. “Also you don´t even need those bad pickup lines.” You giggled. “Oh?” he raised his eyebrows, a smug grin plastered on his face. “I don´t?” Immediately your mind wandered off to yesterday when he had buried his face in your pussy, giving you all those sickeningly sweet jolts of pleasure. “No. I don´t think you need those.” “And why is that, sweetie?” Your face had turned bright pink and you didn´t know what to answer. Why the fuck did he always have to tease you?? Your entire body had been filled with intrusive warmth and for a few seconds you were physically unable to say anything. You just felt so small under his gaze, his presence was overwhelming. “I mean…I already gave you a drawing of a hedgehog…that basically bonds us for life.” You stuttered. “Does it now?” Jihoon let out a hearty laugh “You really are so innocent aren´t you?” “I´m not innocent at all!” you tried to seem offended. “You sure?” “Yes!” Raising his eyebrows again he responded: “Guess I´ll just have to find out huh?” When he saw you were getting flustered again he had mercy and changed the topic “No but seriously, thanks for the drawing. I know it’s simple but it‘s the most adorable thing. I love it.” “I‘m glad you like it.” You smiled softly. “Of course. Also you drawing that for me is one of the cutest things…”He didn‘t get to finish the sentence he had started because you had grabbed his jacket and had pulled him so that he was now standing in front of you, your back facing the wall. “Oh my god. I´m sorry but you have to hide me real quick.” Jihoon didn´t know what was going on but he could see the freaked out look on your face, so he leaned in closer as to shield you. “I‘m so so sorry.” You let out a breathy giggle, still holding him by his jacket. “But behind you my art history professor just passed and I skipped her class today and I really didn´t want her to see me and I panicked and…” you let go of his jacket. “I´m sorry.”

Jihoon didn´t say anything for a moment, he was still processing what had just happened. But then a huge grin spread on his face. “You know, if you really wanted to be closer to me this bad you could´ve just asked.” “I swear it really was because of my professor.” You said trying to get yourself out of this awkward situation. Your heart was beating so so so fast. “So you don´t even wanna be close to me?” he asked and only now you realized how small the distance still was between your bodies. He was standing so close you could´ve counted all of his eyelashes. “I..that´s not what I meant.” You averted your gaze to the floor, not being able to keep looking into his eyes. “Look at me.” Surprised by his words you pulled up your view again. “You’re cute.“ Your cheeks flushed red and your mouth slightly agape you looked at him. He was smirking at you, knowing oh so well what effect he had on you. “And you’re mean.” You finally replied. He raised his eyebrows, grin still plastered on his face. “Mean? That’s not exactly what I would call a person who made me cum just yesterday.” “I…” Jihoon couldn’t help but laugh at your shocked face. “You sure you aren’t innocent, sweetie?” “I…” you buried your face in your hands “You really can’t stop teasing me, can you?” you finally muttered under your breath, voice way too quiet to sound confident.

And then Jihoon took your face in his hand, his thumb caressing your cheek lightly. “Can you blame me? You really look so pretty when you blush.” He was smiling but his voice sounded so serious. “Haven’t we had this talk already?”, you giggled. “We most definitely have.” “Jihoon, you’re horrible.” “Y\N, you’re wonderful.” “You’re cheesy.” “You’re pretty.” “You need to stop.” You grinned. “And you need to accompany me to that party the music institute is having tomorrow.” “What’s in it for me?” You crossed your arms over your chest and acted as if you were actually thinking about saying no. “I’ll buy you a drink and you’ll get to spend some quality time with me, your local handsome music student who apparently is really good at eating pussy or so I’ve heard…” You slowly shook your head at his boldness, the smile never having left your face. “I’d absolutely love that.” You said. “I know.” He winked. “I’ll text you the details later. I’m already late to class.” “Oh my god, sorry I didn’t know you had class.” He smiled and then he leaned in and gave you a soft kiss on the cheek. “Being late for class because of a pretty girl? Totally worth it.” He smiled. “See you tomorrow!”

You hadn‘t managed to fully comprehend that you would be going to a party with Jihoon the next day, not until you got home in the afternoon and sank down onto your sofa. A smile spread itself across your face when you thought of how he had sounded so genuinely hopeful that you would say yes. You were so incredibly attracted to him, in definitely more ways than one, you hadn‘t even thought of saying no. You would‘t call yourself especially insecure or self conscious but you couldn‘t deny having some trouble realizing that this unearthly being of a man was actually attracted to you. It didn‘t make sense, he was this beautiful, funny, (too) cocky, sexy person and you were normal. But he hadn‘t been sure. He had been hopeful. So there were only two options; either he was just as captivated by you as you were by him, or he just didn‘t have a clue of how attractive he actually was (very unlikely because: cockytm).

Jihoon: hI Jihoon: *ho Jihoon: shit! lol Jihoon: Good afternoon. Jihoon: I actually wanted to message you earlier but I only got around to it now. Sorry :( So about that party tomorrow… You: Hii. Very smooth start to a conversation I must say.

He must have seen that you had already messaged back because for a second the typing... on the top of your chat turned into online.

Jihoon: I tried 😫 You: I can see. Lol Jihoon: You‘re making fun of me :( You: Maybe. Jihoon: you‘re gonna regret that. Jihoon: :) Jihoon: so anyways…about that party tomorrow… Jihoon: I can come pick you up at 7 if that‘s ok for you? You: sounds good! You: Do I have to wear something fancy? What party is this?? Jihoon: No you don‘t have to. It‘s just some annual party the music majors organize every year in honor of some famous composer. Jihoon: Don‘t ask me who the composer is. I forgot. You: omg 😂 Jihoon: 🙄 Jihoon: So 7 is good? You: Yup.

It took you a bit of courage to send the next message.

You: Can‘t wait to see you again Jihoon: Goes both ways sweetie ;)

And then you were clinging to your phone like it was some incredibly valuable treasure (or a certain other person). You really could not wait.

Jo: Y/N!?!!?!??!??!?? Jo: You‘re coming to the party tomorrow??? Jo: Hansol told me Jihoon is taking you 🌚 You: 😳 You: He told Hansol about it… You: omg You: but yes I‘m coming…I guess you‘ll be there too. Jo: YES BITCG Jo: and of course he told Hansol about it. He‘s in love with you 😌 You: JO Jo: How was your lunch date yesterday? You: … Jo: Oh no was it bad? You: NO omg it was great Jo: oh Jo: OH 🌚 You: stop sending that emoji 😭 You: but yeah uhm we kissed and Jo: AND You: and then he kinda maybe gave me head on my kitchen table. Jo: you’re kidding You: I swear! Jo: He’s in love with you!!!!!!!! Jo: Also was it good? You: sooo good You: stop saying that I don’t even know what I’m feeling myself :( Jo: You don’t have to know yet tho. Just enjoy it. Jo: And I can’t wait to see you two together tomorrow. I bet y’all are adorable You: omg pls don’t make it weird LOL Jo: Let me rephrase that Jo: I am very looking forward to creepily stare at the two of you from across the room 🌚 You: omg

The next day you handed in your portrait assignment. You had put it in a green folder with your name neatly written on top. You were really happy with your end product and you most definitely didn’t regret having chosen Jihoon as your model. As your professor took the folder out of your hand she smiled: “You know whenever I see that folder of yours I always know it’s gonna be something good.“ “I…thank you so much. That means a lot.“ You stammered. With a friendly nod she averted her attention back to another student. And it was so weird, so utterly confusing that the first thing you thought of on your way home was how you couldn‘t wait to tell Jihoon about your encounter. How you couldn‘t wait to tell him how happy that had made you.

After having spent most of your afternoon on school work, you had forced yourself to quickly decide on an outfit you wanted to wear for tonight. You hated the idea of spending so much time just thinking about your clothes. You had chosen a skirt and a top you really liked, nothing special but you felt comfortable in it. You looked pretty but not as if you had spent much thought on how to do that (which you considered a big accomplishment). It was a few minutes before seven when you heard your phone buzz.

Jihoon: Heyy I’m outside :) You: I’ll be down in a sec!

He was standing on the sidewalk and he looked so casual so at ease, as if picking you up was something he did everyday. And fuck he looked hot. When he saw you walk out the door a puppy like smile spread across his face that broke the illusion of casualness. You couldn‘t help but reciprocate his exciting grin. Without hesitation you fell into each others arms. “Hi.“ he murmured against your hair while holding you. “Hi.“ “You know I’m really happy to see you again.“ “Goes both ways.“ You grinned which made him snicker. You slightly pulled yourself out of his embrace, you didn‘t want to wait any longer. You had been waiting the entire day to tell him. “You know I handed in my portrait assignment today.“ “And?“ he looked so excited. His eyes had actually lit up. “She hasn’t graded it yet but she said that she’s always happy seeing my folder because apparently it’s always good and I still can’t believe she actually said that.“ And then he laughed and there was no other thing to do for you other than to blush. You just stared at him in disbelief because what the hell was so funny. “I…I just…sorry but like of course she said that.“ he was still laughing “Y/N, I really don’t know much about art but even I, a fool, can see that you’re so fucking talented.“ You smiled “You really are a fool, Jihoon.“ “I compliment you and that’s your comment? I can’t believe it.“ He dramatically put his hand over his chest. “I had literally no other choice.“ You giggled. “But thank you so much.“

As you were walking he told you of his day and how he had been writing a lot of songs lately. You were a rather introverted person, talking to someone, even being around other people could be very exhausting for you. You liked being alone, not necessarily because there were no other people around but because you didn’t need to explain yourself. It wasn’t that you thought you were so different or oh so special but you just had always felt a certain disconnect between the thoughts and feelings you wanted to express and what actually ended up coming out of your mouth…which could be exhausting. But then there were people who seemingly were able to pick up what you were trying to convey. Not just the general message of your words but all those tiny little nuances that you had always been hiding unintentionally in your language. Jihoon seemed to be one of those people. Your conversation was not just question-answer-and saying things that were supposed to be said. It felt like you were having a monologue together. Your thoughts somehow intertwined, flowed into each other at the exact right time in the exact right places and that was just so fucking cool.

“Hey would it be ok if I held your hand?“ You giggled and turned your head to look at him. “Jihoon, you don‘t even have to ask.“ He took your slightly smaller hand into his and immediately interlaced your fingers. “I just wanted to ask because people are gonna see and they‘ll probably assume we‘re a couple and I don‘t want that to make you uncomfortable.“ You gave his hand a tight squeeze and smiled. “It won‘t.“

Jihoon had told you that they had rented the small concert hall for the party. When you got closer to the music building there were already a lot of (presumingly) students around. The doors to the hall were open and a lot of people were hanging out on the lawn in front of it. You had to stop yourself from laughing out loud when you watched a boy, who definitely wasn‘t 18 yet, throw up into a bush. It was only half past 7. “Poor kid.“ Jihoon stated without being able to hide the amusement in his voice. “You ever threw up before 8?“ you snickered. Your question was meant to be rhetorical. “I would like to exercise my right to remain silent.“ “Oh. My. God. You actually did.“ to accentuate your reaction you stopped walking and put your hands over your face. Mostly because you had a hard time hiding your laugh. You were standing at the edge of the lawn, still at a safe distance from the other party guests. “I didn‘t say anything!“ “I‘m shocked.“ “I know it‘s hard to imagine but there used to be a time where I was so nervous about talking to girls that I had to drink a lot and I mean A LOT of alcohol before doing so.“ he stated, a grin plastered on his face. “Awww Jihoon was actually scared of talking to girls.“ He let out a low chuckle and then he grabbed your hips roughly and pulled you into him. “I‘m not scared of talking to you right now though, am I?“ And holy fuck if that didn‘t make you nervous nothing else would but for some inexplicable reason you still managed to stutter out a response. “Maybe you‘re just good at hiding it.“ He looked at you, amusement still written on his face and it was so hard not to look away because his stare was so intense so intimate, you didn‘t know what to do with yourself. “God, you‘re killing me.“ You just smiled, too much in trance to say anything. His eyes wandered down to your mouth and only now were you realizing how you had been subconsciously biting your bottom lip. And fuck you were already waiting for the kiss, you swore you could already feel his lips on yours but… it didn‘t happen. Instead he pulled away slightly, leaving his hands on your hips. “You know, maybe you‘re right.“ he said and for a moment he seemed so incredibly vulnerable. “Huh?“ “Maybe, you do make me really nervous too.“ And then there was nothing left to do. Everything had stopped moving and there was nothing left to do. Nothing, except that one thing. And you really had no other choice because there was nothing. Only him and you. And then you took his face into your hands and kissed him. He returned it immediately, it was a soft, loving kiss, maybe even a bit innocent. “I‘m glad I can make you feel that way too.“ You released yourself from his grip and took a few steps backwards away from him. “Come on, let‘s join the others.“

There are several ways and techniques on how to draw attention to yourself. The classiest way, which would also have the benefit of not disturbing other people, would probably be to simply just wave in the direction of the person you wanted to get attention from. Jo however was not a classy person. “Hey! Y/N!“ Jo was literally jumping up and down while waving her arms. Hansol, who stood next to her, started to laugh and shake his head in disbelief. But one had to hand it to her, her method worked. You had immediately spotted her through the crowd. Jihoon turned his head to look at you, his voice oozing with sarcasm “I’m not sure but I think your friend might be looking for you.“ “I think you might me right.“ you giggled.

“I‘m so happy you are here!“ Jo stated before hugging you and Jihoon. “I agree. This one‘s kinda hard to deal with alone.“ Hansol said, pointing to Jo. Jo let out an overdramatic sigh and crossed her arms over her chest. “You‘re the worst.“ “I know.“ Hansol had pulled her into him and had given her a kiss on the top of her head, she scrunched up her nose in fake protest which in return had made Jihoon and you laugh. “I swear I have no clue how you deal with her on a daily basis. She is such a goblin.“ you said after having watched the scenario. “Finally someone who understands me!“ Hansol raised his arm to give you a high five, which you gladly reciprocated. “I really need some alcohol after this betrayal..“ Jo announced with a grin on her face.

You had expected to see more dancing, more drinking and more people getting fucked up but right now you were looking at a room full of students who were seemingly just chilling. Most of the chairs had been pushed to the side and a lot of people simply just sat on the floor, chatting with each other. Some students were dancing while some were standing next to the bluetooth speaker. They were probably arguing over the choice of music. The four of you were standing next to the bar which really wasn‘t a bar. To be precise the so called bar consisted of one folding table and a lot of bottles of alcohol that were stacked on the floor. Jihoon was standing next to you, your sides had been touching the entire time. It felt good to be close to him in such a casual way even though it did make you nervous. “That’s too much orange juice!“ Jihoon tried to keep Hansol from pouring more of the juice into his cup. “Dude it‘s gonna taste like shit.“ “It‘s literally just gonna taste like alcohol.“ “Yeah! Which tastes like shit!“ “Oh my god you have the taste buds of a baby.“ “Yeah he does.“ Jo chimed in which earned her an offended look from Hansol. “Ok but Hansol is kinda right. Like alcohol really tastes awful.“ you decided to defend Hansol. “You‘re cute.“ You hadn‘t even realized yet that Jihoon‘s compliment had been meant for you when Hansol started to protest. “So when Y/N says alcohol is disgusting it‘s cute but when I do it I have the taste buds of a baby??“ “Nah you both have the taste buds of a baby but Y/N is just cuter than you.“ Jihoon grinned and grabbed you side to pull you into him. You thought you were losing your mind. The concept of Jihoon complimenting you was already a hard enough concept to grasp but now he was doing it in front of your friends? You were sure he would be the death of you sooner or later. “I‘m outraged.“ Hansol let out a laugh. He looked like he couldn‘t believe Jihoon‘s boldness either. “Aww poor baby. You‘re cute too.“ Jo had pulled Hansol‘s face down to her height to give him a kiss on the nose. “Thank you.“ he pouted.

“Hey Jihoon! Hansol!“ “Hi! I didn‘t know you were coming too, Seokmin!“ Jo greeted the taller one of the two guys who had just approached you. You didn‘t know them but you were sure you had seen them somewhere on campus before. “Me neither to be honest. But Seungkwan right here didn‘t want to go alone.“ You looked at Seokmin. He was a tall guy who, for a second had seemed somewhat serious and intimidating, but when his entire face broke into a beaming smile that illusion was quickly eliminated. He had actually turned into an overgrown puppy. After everyone had greeted each other Seokmin introduced his friend: “Seungkwan, that‘s Jo and this is…I‘m sorry I think we haven‘t met before. You‘re not a music student right?“ he was looking at you now. “No I‘m an art student. I‘m Y/N.“ “Very nice to meet you.“ the guy who was apparently named Seungkwan chimed in. At a first glance Seungkwan had appeared to be very average looking, only now as you were actually looking at him were you realizing how pretty he actually was. He looked like an actual disney prince. “Seungkwan, how have you been? Haven‘t seen you in so long.“ Jihoon had turned his head to Seungkwan. “Yeah I’ve been real busy with school but besides that I’m doing pretty well.“ The two of them fell into a casual conversation about their school work and you thought Seungkwan was mentioning something about a new project but you couldn‘t be entirely sure because your thoughts had drifted off after about 10 seconds into the conversation, which was of course no one‘s but Jihoon‘s fault. His hand was still resting on your waist as if it were the easiest, most casual, thing to do. Bystanders probably didn‘t even notice but you clearly felt his hand rest on your hip a tad bit too firmly for it to be normal. You were so so so close to him. Your shirt had risen up just a tiny bit so his fingers were resting on your bare skin. You were already so hyperaware of his touch on your body you really thought you were losing your mind when he started to rub small circles into your side. You wanted nothing more than to be closer to him but you were already so so close and you were in public and he was literally having a conversation with someone right in front of your eyes. “Are you down for it too, Y/N?“ Seungkwan had mentioned your name. Oh no. You had no clue what he was talking about. “I‘m sorry, what did you say?“ you tried to save yourself. “We were talking about playing Seokmin‘s drinking game…“ “Yeah of course she‘s down for it.We’ll just get something to drink and then we’ll join you.“ Jihoon interrupted him. “Awesome!“ Seungkwan didn’t seem to question your lack of response. As Seungkwan was walking off to join Seokmin, Hansol and Jo for the ominous game you were about to play, Jihoon pulled you to the side. “Was I that much of a distraction to you sweetie?“ he was actually smirking. “I…“ you didn’t know what to say because fuck yes he had been that much of a distraction but you couldn’t just admit that even if you were aware that he already knew. “I didn‘t even do much.“ You were nervous again. You could feel your heart pounding in your chest and your entire body felt so hot. “You‘re just mean.“ you pouted. He let out a hearty laugh at your childish answer. “And you‘re just so innocent.“ “I‘m not.“ “You keep saying that but I just don‘t believe you, sweetie.“ He still had his hand on your hip and it felt like your skin was actually burning under his touch. You really didn‘t think you were brave enough but for some unapparent reason you managed to get your next words out of your mouth. “How can I prove it to you?“ He was surprised by your question, he had raised his eyebrows but his smirk had vanished a tiny bit. “Hey are y’all coming?“ Hansol’s voice had made both of you jump slightly. Jihoon slackened his grip on your waist and took a step back to lessen the tension between you. “We‘re on our way!“

“What even are we playing?“ you asked Jihoon as you were walking over. “If you would’ve paid attention you would know.“ he winked at you. You just rolled your eyes which made him chuckle. “It’s just some weird drinking game Seungkwan wanted to try for the longest of time. Apparently it’s a bit like truth or dare.“ “Oh, that sounds like fun.“ “It does. Maybe it‘s a chance for you to prove that you‘re not that innocent?“

Hi! It´s me, Jo. I´d like to thank you for reading my stuff! I really hope you enjoyed it. If you have any feedback, comments, requests, questions please let me know!

Also I’m very sorry it took me so much longer to upload a new chapter than I originally thought. University has been more stressful than I predicted :( Oh and if you’d like to be added to the tag list just let me know :)

Tag list: @3sriracha

#Jihoon x reader #woozi x reader #seventeen x reader #seventeen ff #seventeen #seventeen fluff #jihoon fluff #woozi fluff #kpop fanfiction #kpop ff #rhubarbbabywrites

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steve0discusses · 4 years ago

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S4 Ep 39: Pharaoh Can Fly (Selectively)

Guys, they’re back

Best storyboarder is back, and the visual difference between last episode and this episode is like when your art teacher picks up your charcoal and just fixes everything wrong with your gesture drawings. It’s like...I mean look at this:

I just really love and appreciate how illustrative this storyboarder is. And I say just storyboarder because this had about the same budget as the last episode--there wasn’t that much actual animation as per usual. But, all of the scenes were drawn so well, like panels out of a good manga. They just...they always nail it when they’re at the helm and I don’t know why they’re on Yugioh, but bless this storyboarder.

Plot wise, everyone got pulled into the dragon by gooey tentacles that came out of it’s stomach, don’t think about it.

Meanwhile, all of the minibosses could communicate with them and beg for help, yes, even the same miniboss who may have dressed up like Pegasus and catfished Seto Kaiba.

(keep reading under the cut)

The whole process of getting absorbed into the Orichalcos demon was a whole lot of symbolism and it was...kinda gross. Also kinda sketch. Also, for Kaiba it is a neat little nod to S1 when he had a vision that his brother was absorbed into a dragon mass.

I don’t think that the makers of the show remember S1, but either they just really like goopy dragons, or it’s a coincidence or I dunno, on purpose? Probably a coincidence.

And like I made this joke and realized...what if they actually meant to make that parallel though? This is the America crossover season, and they have referenced America’s love of trickster rabbits before with Pegasus but do they know about Br’er rabbit in Japan? Do they know? It’s a pretty Americana Deep-cut, and I have no idea how common this folktale is outside of the states.

I see anime busting out absorbing goopy masses all the time so I’m gonna assume that there might be a Japanese folklore I don’t know about which uses a similar structure (although I’m also assuming it has an extremely different history and association ((which I won’t be going into because I don’t feel like putting a trigger warning on this recap)).)

And looking at Wikipedia, there’s people that think the original reference to moist, absorbing creatures could have even come from as far as India. Which is...fascinating to how it also developed in Africa, and then the Cherokee also made the same story independently and then it fused together here in the States to make it what was eventually made into a Disney movie that will never be released again--this is just a really old ass story, all in all, possibly like over a thousand years old.

And a FASCINATING google deep dive I won’t go into for obvious reasons but knock yourself out.

Also, lets get distracted for a sec and see how well this storyboarder drew a fitted jacket at that angle. Dear Lord, did they get reference for that or did their brain just already know that those folds would be there? You can even tell that Pharaoh has just a little bit of padding at his shoulders. Ugh. Guys this storyboarder is so freakin good at these little fitted jackets.

So, once Yugi and his friends are absorbed into the mass, where they should have died...and maybe some of them did, but I don’t know if I should add that to the Death Count because like...they could have held their breath in the amount of time they were stuck in there...maybe...Anyway, they are saved by being tossed into the figurative briar patch--by the souls all hanging out in the Leviathan’s stomach--which again makes me wonder...did they pull a folklore on us? Again, I have no idea.

Like a lot of the people in this dragon have been thorns in their side this entire season, they’ve all tried to kill them at one point--all the minibosses, Mai, Pegasus--but now they have decided to team up with Pharaoh (along with the rest of the human race) and offer whatever they can to free them from the grip of the gross dragon mass.

And like, the ending of the folk tale is that the thorny ass briar patch is also where the rabbit lives usually. It hurts everyone else, but the rabbit--the rabbit can deal with it. And likewise, Pharaoh is freakin dead. He’s at home here. He’s surrounded by spirit power, his friends and their friendship power, this is like his zone, and now he’s crazy powerful for it and will be for the rest of the episode.

And like Yami is a very trickster God (especially Season Zero Yami) so like...it does make sense that he would mirror a folk tale based on trickster Gods, even if it is by complete accident.

So Pharaoh imagines everyone’s tears as individual drops in a glass or something--it’s not a literal glass or anything--it’s just there because the only thing actually happening on screen was his hand hanging out of this dragon’s weird puss skin.

And he’s now a fully charged Sonic the Hedgehog and no longer needs Kaiba or Joey at all. Just gonna grab his God card demons and take charge of everything else from here on out.

By first exploding his buddies right the hell out of this lizard and across hundreds of feet of open ocean.

Joey decides to remind Kaiba that he lost the Battle City tournament.

Seto’s roast was actually in the show, PS. He is not super excited to be reminded that Yugi owns every card that he spent 2 seasons failing to get.

And then Pharaoh did something really, really...

...just really really wild.

OH OK.

YEAH JUST TAKE OFF.

GO AHEAD THERE’S NO REASON THIS WOULD BOTHER ME.

I mean he IS super powered right now but like...

Like...WTF?

4 SEASONS. 4 SEASONS I thought this guy was glued to Yugi like Peter Pan’s Shadow and apparently--he can bounce.

Can Pharaoh do this every time Yugi asks Tea out on a date and tries to instead make the ghost in his head do all the work now? Can Pharaoh just be like “NOPE” and then phase out of the house, leaving Yugi to actually do the hard stuff?

It really adds a level of complexity to their relationship if Yugi can get a room.

(If not a room for romance, but at the very least a room to poop in.)

OR has he been able to allow Yugi to wicked poop in peace this whole time, but the show just never felt like telling us because they felt like it wasn’t important (although it is crazy important)?

Either way I am just...floored at this character development.

Yami just let Yugi out of his sight for like...I want to say 8 full minutes. Just incredible amount of trust on Yami’s part. Incredible. Knowing Yugi’s track record, he should have died in those 8 minutes but...he was being babysat by both Kaiba and Joey.

So Yami summons the Gods and they shoot lasers--you kinda expect this sort of thing.

And this is...probably...the real reason why Dartz didn’t bother trying to attack Pharaoh 5,000 years ago.

I can still think it’s because of Bakura but like...this is probably the real reason. It felt pretty chump to just shoot a laser at the bastard. Pharaoh just had to be reminded that this is a thing he can just do. If he felt like it.

Which he never feels like doing, because he’s too busy watching Yugi’s every move, and getting distracted by High School shenanigans.

After this happens, the giant snake falls to the ocean, splitting into just sooooooo many ghosts.

Over 7.8 billion ghosts, if we’re to assume that this is most of the population on Earth.

(thinking the weird-o in the hat is probably a Duel Monsters card? The duel monsters were throwing themselves into the Leviathan at one point so this is probably like a dark magician boy or something...I just don’t get very attached to the monster cards so it was like...whatever. The cards die like constantly so who cares?)

It is a pretty set dressing. Like Christmas lights but...dead people.

We also find out that the lost family of our minibosses Alister and Raphael, have indeed spent the last many years inside the Leviathan stomach, which is pretty tragic. We get a bitter sweet conclusion to Alister and Raphael’s story--although it’s not a full on ending for either character. Their life still hella sucks, they are in therapy for basically forever.

Where is Gurimo?

I don’t know what sort of job or life these two are qualified to have now, but youknow...Marik’s boat probably has jobs available.

Hold up. Can we talk about the windows?

I know absolutely none of you care about this, but I do, not to be picky or condescending to an overworked art team, but because I just want to know what they were trying to aim for.

There’s an iron stained glass style windowpane thing going on and that’s what’s really getting me. Like...I know these guys were technologically advanced, but why did you use this WW2 background? What happened to Ancient Greece that you were doing before?

Like doing a super past with future tech is so cool to me--I love that sort of concept art. That’s going into like Black Panther stuff where you’re referencing the earliest stuff in Africa and then blending it with stuff beyond our science. But Atlantis is a real big shrug and a “listen we ran out of time and had to press print,” and it’s such a shame. It feels less cohesive than even when this show does Egypt.

And yo this show and how it draws ancient Egypt--I feel like I’ve already talked about that. I have a feeling I’m going to talk a lot more about it next season. I’ll get to it when we get to it. I’m hoping that they have more time and budget to actually DO Egypt for once. (I say knowing they won’t)

Like it’s one of those things where this isn’t a history show, like at all, and it’s very much a fantasy. I’m not going to be like those sewing people on youtube that get annoyed because their TV show doesn’t have handsewn stitching in their Victorian bodices they rented from the costume department from an LA discount warehouse. Because, yo, it’s TV, and I can stretch my own imagination because it’s acting. (although I confess, I watch every single one of those videos).

But...the potential, y’all...the potential.

Anyway, Dartz isn’t dead. He was just taking his toot sweet time getting down the steps of his Gazebo.

This is where things get very anime. I get this problem a lot with anime, I really do--and maybe it’s just me. But like...sometimes it feels like anime changes the rules during the boss fight.

That happens a lot, right? Where suddenly the final boss reveals something that like...should have been addressed way earlier? And he’s alive but you don’t get why?

Anyway, Pharaoh reacts by getting maybe way too attached to his newfound independence.

Which like...I can understand Tea forgetting that Yugi is one people that is two people all the time, but the writers as well?

And what’s kind of great about this scene is that Dartz does see Yugi as two people here. He doesn’t look at Yugi, he looks at both. When Pharaoh is like “Leave me, Yugi!” Dartz heard all of that.

Just kind of a neat thing that we finally have a dude that can just...see Pharaoh for what he is, but it probably won’t matter because there’s like only one more episode left of this season.

Anyway, Pharaoh and Dartz have a chat about where evil comes from...and like...it’s some Yugioh lore, all right.

So before the show decides to give us the Genesis on Yugioh and reveal where the evil of the Orichalcos comes from, or if all evil was created by Orichalcos itself (which is IMPLYING stuff about Orichalcos) the snake shuts him the hell up.

As it should. Leave that Pandora’s box freakin closed. That’s going into extended universe of Star Wars books territory (RIP.)

As an aside--pretty sure that Yugi is standing outside that tornado. Maybe it was just the editing of the episode but like...

Yo I’m pretty sure Yugi is just standing there. For the first time, it’s not his nuts getting roasted. Wow. Tables have turned so much since he was dead.

Anyway, here’s the link for new people so you can read these in order

https://steve0discusses.tumblr.com/tagged/yugioh/chrono

There’s only one left! We can do it! We can finish this season in 2020! And actually get back to recapping Full Metal Alchemist! ~~Woooo~~

Oh man that movie better still be on Netflix or I’ll have to buy it lolol.

#Yugioh #ygo #Yu-Gi-Oh #Yami Yugi #Yugi Muto #Seto Kaiba #Joey Wheeler #Dartz #Alister #Raphael #Valon #Mai Valentine #My favorite storyboarder #who deserves to be listed as a character in the show #ep 39 #S4 #recap #photo recap #episode recap

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theflashdriver · 4 years ago

Text

Faux (A fake dating Silvaze Fic)

Here’s a little something I wrote to promote Silvaze Week 2020. It starts on September 27th, for more information please go see the Silvaze Week twitter! This story uses the oblivious prompt and is over 11,000 words wrong!

---------

“I still don’t think I get it, Blaze. If nothing’s changing, what’re you asking me to actually do?” Silver the hedgehog said, sat at the foot royal bed. A book was sprawled open in his lap, but his attention was fully focused on the princess.

Blaze the cat was supposed to be working at her desk. The sun was well on its way to setting yet papers were still stacked high before her; agreements to endorse and budgets to look over and constructions to sign off on, it was nothing too out of the ordinary. Rather than tending to those though, she’d turned her chair to discuss a more personal matter and project with her closest companion. She’d thought it would be easy to explain but, in hindsight, the plan she’d propose was nothing like their usual fair. It didn’t help matters that neither of them had any experience in this department. Well, as far as she knew, he didn’t.

“I’m proposing that you say and pretend that you’re my boyfriend, Silver. That’s really all there is to it,” She instructed, using as simple and plain terms as possible, “I’ll do the same for you and we’ll go on a date tomorrow,” She caught the flexing of his brow and elaborated further, “A fake date, of course, just something small, we could visit the beach for a picnic lunch?

“Right,” He nodded but confusion still twisted his face, “But I’ve never actually been a boyfriend before, how will I know what to do?” It didn’t surprise Blaze that he was willing to go along with this, but it did surprise her that, of all the first questions, he’d landed on that. Not why they were going through this in the first place, just what he was supposed to do; it was very like him, but it still managed to catch her off-guard.

“I’ve not been a girlfriend, we’re both going into this blind and I think that’s what’ll make the ruse more believable,” She answered, “Honestly, I don’t think you’ll have to do anything different. If anything, I’ll have to be a little more forward.”

“More forward?” His head gently tilted, and his eyes squinted; her phrasing was throwing him off. Perhaps she wasn’t being clear with him.

“We’re both new to this but I think it’s clear that I understand this potential task better than you. While I have not been in a relationship, those around me have,” Blaze elaborated, “That means I’ll have to take the lead, initiate bolder actions that’ll suggest to the public that we’re an actual couple; that we’re not just partners.”

Then again, that’d hardly be difficult. Silver was perfect for this plan because, frankly, that nature of their partnership was nebulous. They’d been mistaken for a couple more times than she could count. When Silver had first arrived in the Sol Dimension and her public had observed a total stranger hugging, laughing with and being doted on by the princess, rumours and gossip had quickly sailed to inform all corners of her kingdom. She’d never acknowledged that hearsay, denying a rumour only spread it further, but now she was going to use it to her advantage; she was going to turn that gossip on its head.

His ears were still slightly folded and, though it had faded, befuddlement lingered in his eyes and on his brow. The why was almost as important as the action itself, his curious nature would surely gnaw away at him and she wasn’t opposed to explaining. It was just a wordy and rather sad story, ideally the cliff notes alone would suffice.

“I know it’s all a little strange but my birthday’s only a couple of months away and I’m starting to worry,” Blaze began to explain, “When my mother turned eighteen, she started to get letters from suitors. People she’d never met wrote to her and asked for her hand in marriage. They were rich and powerful people, important to her kingdom but, equally, they were people she hardly even knew let alone loved,” The cogs in Silver’s head were turning, his fist tightened at what he surely thought and injustice, but Blaze thought it best to tell a more complete tale, “She was afraid to turn any of them down for fear of worsening her professional relationships but, atop that issue, she had already fallen in love with my father; she had a secret boyfriend. When that information became public those letters stopped arriving, but a few families felt as though they’d been led on and public relations worsened. Many of them refused to speak with her for several years, some won’t even speak to me.”

“What? People cut her off because she didn’t marry them, even though they didn’t even know her? Of course she didn’t want to marry them, why would she want to marry someone she doesn’t know?” Silver was aghast, she couldn’t help but smile at his innocence and the sense of justice behind it, “That’s awful! Did they just want to be in charge?”

“Yes,” Blaze affirmed, “They didn’t love her; they just wanted the royal name, be it to further their brands or grow their pride. A lot of parents wrote in on behalf of their children, many either much too old or much too young, offering them up to further the family’s social status.”

“So, you want to avoid all that by making them think you already have a boyfriend? That way, they won’t send any letters in the first place and won’t have anything to be angry about?” The hedgehog surmised. His stare was still galvanised by the tale of her mother.

“If you wouldn’t mind being that person Silver, yes,” Having made that request twice now, feeling a pang of guilt, Blaze hesitated, “I wouldn’t trust anyone else to do this, but I know it’s a lot to ask. It’ll take up time and, obviously, stop you having this kind of relationship with anyone else. If you’re uncomfortable then we don’t have to, I don’t want to impose-

“If it’ll make you feel more comfortable, I’m willing to do anything, Blaze. I’ve never dated anyone before, but I’ll do my best to do it right,” Before she could finish, he’d bounded from his seated position and let his book tumble to the floor. He’d flown forward and taken her by the shoulders. When the hedgehog agreed to something, no matter how small, he made it his duty to see it through. She should have known that he’d want to see this through, “Starting tomorrow we’ll tell people that we’re dating. It can’t be that hard!”

The hedgehog had never quite understood personal space, his forehead was practically against hers and it’d only take a small push for their noses to collide. Blaze rolled her eyes, reaching up and returning his hold, “Thank you, Silver. Really, you have no idea how much more comfortable this will make me. I’ve been worrying about it for months now, weighing my options.”

��I just hope I can play the part well enough to convince everyone,” He awkwardly smiled, failing to mask his concern, “I’ve never had to act before, let alone trick people.”

“I doubt you’ll even have to act, just be yourself, you’re a very…” She searched for the perfect word, “Passionate person. When your mind is set on doing something, you invest in it so deeply; I’m sure that’ll come through and it’ll be more than enough,” Concern faded from his eyes, just a little, “But, like I said, I’ll take the lead. If I don’t think we’re being convincing enough, I’ll make a move.”

“Do you want me to do anything to help prepare? What about tomorrow’s date?” He asked, already trying to help even more, “I’ve got stuff back at the hut, I could easily put together a picnic if we do want to do a beach date?”

“I think that would be perfect, Silver,” She admitted, having intended to imply that was what she wanted later. Though he claimed to love her cooking, she had a far more rational palette, “This should be the last weekend before the weather turns, it’s already getting too cold for beach going. The crowds shouldn’t be huge but hopefully we’ll be visible enough that the word will spread itself.”

“We can go around the rock pools, walk along the beach and look for shells,” A new idea popped into his mind, his eyes lit up, “O-Or we could just relax if you prefer? Take a few books to read, maybe even get ice cream and…” Silver seemed to catch himself, his eyes began to lower, “I’m sorry, I’m trying to plan all this out. I want to help you Blaze; you should be free to choose who you want to love; you shouldn’t have to do this in the first place.”

He wanted to make things right, of course he did. The princess found herself shifting just a little closer as her grasp on him grew just a little tighter. Silver’s strong sense of justice didn’t have as many opportunities to shine through in this dimension, the world’s state of relative peace contributed to that, but it was a part of him she adored seeing. He was willing to put himself through so much and try so hard, she didn’t think he was romantically interested in anyone but even still; he was willing to put future romances on hold just so she could be comfortable.

“It’ll be easy, Silver. Don’t think of this like a date, think of it as one of our usual outings; like stargazing or visiting the crystal caves, it’s nothing out of the ordinary. We’ll do whatever comes naturally. All you need to do is stay by my side and be how you always are, all that’s changing is how we refer to each other,” Despite her reinforcement, his gaze drifted further from hers. She reached across and pushed his chin, turning him to face her. The worry seemed to vanish from his bright yellow eyes, “Just act natural, it’ll be fine. I’ll do the heavy lifting; it was my idea after all.”

“I’ll do my best,” As he promised, their heads came to touch. The contact seemed to invigorate him, “I’ll be the best boyfriend I can be! You don’t have to carry all the weight; I’ll handle it!”

Her smile only grew as she pushed against his contact, “You’re so naïve…”

----

Whittling the evening away, talking and toying with Silver, proved to be foolish. By the time he’d left, midnight was mere minutes away and a good two hours’ work still lay upon her desk. Coffee had helped her through it all but, unfortunately, it’d also scared away sleep for an additional hour at least. By the time she’d finally drifted off, it couldn’t have been far from four.

The princess awoke just after nine, her head made heavy and ears brought to curl by the incessant blaring of her alarm clock. Groggily rising, stretching cricks from her body, Blaze managed to stumble the path from her bed into her en suite. Warm water and morning rituals washed away much of her morning daze, though a small pain continued gnawing just behind her forehead. She supposed it was her own fault for leaving so much undone, but it surely wouldn’t make today any easier.

This proved to be true as the princess entered her walk-in wardrobe only to find herself befuddled. She’d already chosen an outfit for today, the same outfit she usually wore (her long sleeved tabard and tights, her standard guardian-wear), but, for whatever reason, it wasn’t appealing to her. Something about it didn’t seem right for today, something she couldn’t quite put her finger on.

Though she didn’t fight her gut intuition, Blaze told herself that it was the fault of nerves and a want to be more convincing more than anything. After all, the public had seen her dressed like that and with him a good few dozen times. Rather than take the garb at the front of her closet, she pressed herself to take a few steps deeper inside. Her stomach fizzed at the sight of jeans, dresses and other casual wear. She’d never intended to wear most of these articles, but they’d gathered here regardless of her want.

Most of her alternate outfits were gifts sent from fashion designers and clothing chains, dropped on her in the foolish hope that the princess would act as their living advertisement. She’d learned as a youth that it was wiser to wait a year and donate them rather than simply send them back, it was just another way she managed to avoid sour responses. Still, as she found herself near the back of her closet, none of those gifted items called out to her. One ensemble was singing to her, both loudly and clearly, but it had a far more embarrassing origin.

When Amy Rose set her mind to something, it was difficult to stop her. During one of her brief excursions to the other world, the young hedgehog had dragged the older feline away to pick out some summer clothes. Blaze had successfully rejected most of Amy’s recommendations but one of them had managed to pierce her armour, early into the outing Blaze had been caught off guard by a certain garb and the hedgehog had built upon it.

She pulled the hanger free and its scary splendour was fully revealed to her. It was an amber sundress, the fabric littered with inconsistent clusters of white lilies. Once Amy had pushed her into a changing room, the pink blur had rushed off to gather some matching accessories. An amber scrunchie to replace her usual red ring, a set of saltwater sandals and a pair of white rimmed sunglasses had been shoved beneath the changing room curtain before Blaze was even half changed.

This outfit would play into their charade incredibly well, Blaze knew how much a change in garb could do, but her stomach was doing backflips. She knew she was overreacting, when she’d tried it on for the first time she hadn’t felt like this, but that knowledge did nothing to curtain her errant emotions. It was only after she donned the full outfit the Blaze realised why she felt quite so tense. Utilising the full-length mirror attached to the closet’s outer door, Blaze found that her reflection’s cheeks had turned scarlet. The dress was pretty, undeniably pretty, and the lower five sixths of it were fine… but…

The dress hung from her shoulder on two, rather thin, fabric straps. The white fur of her underbelly wasn’t quite visible but, this dress exposed her shoulders, her arms and almost the entirety of her collar. Everything else about it was perfect but those straps were just too thin for her liking and the neckline was just a little too deep. Perhaps it was made for someone with a different body shape?

Why was she wasting so much time on this? For whatever reason she wanted to wear this dress but, simultaneously, couldn’t overcome its collar. Blaze knew that if she’d just force herself to wear her usual attire this’d be over with already but something about this just felt… right for today. She was worried about fully convincing her public, perhaps this change really was needed.

Eventually, she managed to come to a compromise. She decided to wear the amber sundress, and all the additions Amy had piled upon her, but don her swimsuit beneath. It was a plain, dark purple, one-piece leotard intended for sport rather than casual use. Fortunately, the dress was baggy enough to hide the under-outfit but its straps were too thick to be covered by those of the dress. Well, it didn’t alter the outfit and it did immediately make her feel a lot more comfortable. It wasn’t uncommon for people to wear swimsuits under their beachgoing clothes, was it? Settled, she managed to finally leave her room and, having snatched a banana for breakfast on the go, made her way out the front doors of the palace.

Immediately, the arrival of sunlight forced her to don her sunglasses. They were supposed to be in autumn but, even despite her pyrokinetic nature, Blaze could feel the heat. It wasn’t even muggy; the day was dry, and the sky was totally clear, it was as though a summer day had been transplanted later into the year. That would complicate things a little, she assumed. It was better this than it being rainy, but the beach would probably be a little better stocked than she’d assumed last night. This was a Saturday too…

Regardless, it’d take more than a new garb and a little sun to stop her. Silver was waiting, everything was prepared, their late-night planning couldn’t go to waste!

----

The uproar on the beach wasn’t just a little louder than she’d anticipated, it was much louder. She’d arrived outside Marine’s driftwood-hut, a good hundred or so metres from the sands, but the princess could hear the sounds of families shouting and playing… so many families. She’d hesitated at the doorstep, that noise and all it implied had managed to paralyse the powerful pyrokinetic. A few eyes she could handle, she’d given hundreds of speeches, but this was different. Blaze told herself that she could endure the stares, but would he be okay with this?

She hadn’t known the hedgehog to get stage fright, but this was new ground for both of them. If she didn’t know how she’d handle this, what chance did she have of guessing how he would? Well, then again, she’d watched him more than she’d watched herself. They probably had a better idea of how the other would react than themselves. Hopefully, ideally, he’d be too focused on their task to notice anyone else.

Mustering all of her courage, the princess brought her knuckle to rap against the door. Her thoughts on the hedgehog’s state were split into two distinct pieces. The first was that he’d try his best to lie and put on a front, following her lead, but, ultimately, his inability to lie convincingly would make today more than a little silly. Perhaps that was for the better, maybe that’d make her feel more relaxed.

Alternatively, it was entirely possible that his obliviousness in regard to romance would make this incredibly easy. He’d play along blissfully unaware of what he was actually doing, entirely comfortable in his position. Try as she might; Blaze struggled to picture Silver being romantic, let alone in a relationship. He’d been through so much, both with her and without her, that ideas of who he’d want to be with, let alone what he’d want to do with another person, assumedly hadn’t arrived in his mind. He almost seemed too selfless for love, too focused on other things.

Blaze supposed she hadn’t really pondered it until recently, whether he actually had an interest in romance. Just before she’d proposed this plan, she’d considered it and come to a similar conclusion but now, for whatever reason, that questioning refused to abate. Was he actually interested in romance? Who would he even be interested in? Were it not for her discordant mind, she’d be far more comfortable making assumptions about his position. Something about this morning was simply off, working too late must have been taking its toll.

The feline, so lost in a world of her own, almost fell backwards as the door flew open. Marine the Raccoon, garbed in her usual green dress and wearing a ludicrously knowing grin, had reared her head in Silver’s place. It was as though she’d been up and waiting for this moment for hours.

“Picked out some nifty duds, didn’t ya? Strewth, I don’t think I’ve ever even seen them. You’re lookin’ for your fella, aren’t ya?” Her smirk seemed to grow evermore with every passing second. Before Blaze could even offer up an answer, the raccoon had turned her back, “Silver! Your Sheila’s here! How could you just leave her out on the doorstep, some boyfriend you are, are you even up? Oi, mate? Mate…?” She toddled back inside, leaving Blaze’s eyes to roll in the sailor’s wake.

Marine had been more than a little insistent that the pair were together long before this plan had been hatched. She’d undoubtedly been overjoyed to hear the false news from Silver, she’d probably been the first person it’d spread to. When the truth eventually came out, she’d probably be a little disappointed but, surely, she’d be old enough by then to understand the princess’ position.

That was a thought, how long were they going to keep this up? Months perhaps, but years? She supposed they’d have to, the moment they admitted to the contrary she’d likely be bombarded with letters and gifts. Well, they didn’t have to, but she couldn’t see herself finding a reason to stop. No one really appealed to her but if Silver ever wanted out, she’d let him out. If he met someone or-

“Oh, Blaze! You’re here!” Just as her mind had refocused on Silver, she heard the hedgehog approaching from behind. She turned to look over her shoulder and his smile almost knocked Blaze from her feet, “Sorry I’m late, I had something to pick up in town. I hope you didn’t have to wait too long?”

Something about him was different today… well, many things looked different. Like her, the hedgehog was wearing casual attire, but it was an outfit she recognised all too well. She’d bought it for one of his birthdays, when she’d noticed him outgrowing much of the wardrobe he’d been gifted upon his arrival to this dimension. It was a basic but well-fitting garb she’d picked out because she’d thought it’d suit him and, well, today it especially seemed to. He was wearing a button up, short-sleeved, teal and navy shirt with a set of long navy shorts. In place of his typical boots, Silver had donned a thicker set of walking sandals, almost intended for hiking. Naturally, his cuffs and anklets had to remain so she’d chosen colours that wouldn’t clash with his aura or gold.

The psychic had worn the outfit quite a few times, though only on occasions he seemed to consider important. For as plain as they were, the hedgehog was very much making them work. They let him look relaxed, as she always liked him to be now that he was safely away from the future, without looking untidy. She hadn’t noticed that the outfit rather… accentuated a distracting feature of his. His quills were pulled back into a messy ponytail, an attempt to avoid battle with the sea breeze, but the edge of his chest fluff had managed to breach his shirt. Hiding some of his fluffiness only drew her eyes to what little remained. She blamed her choice in neckline for that latter issue.

There was something else though, something deeper than fabric that was drawing her attention; causing some strange quaking in her gut. She told herself that it was just grogginess, that she was just being silly, but even as her eyes broke from his form, the hedgehog’s visage lingered in her mind. Blaze supposed she just hadn’t seen him dressed in them for a while, the hedgehog liked to wear clothes but his outfits were usually more ragtag; tempest tossed quills, a hoodie pulled over his bare shoulders, dirty boots and crumpled trousers. He’d made an effort for her and… well…

It’d paid off. Try as Blaze might; she couldn’t deny it, he wasn’t exactly unpleasant to look at. But then, why were her eyes locked onto the ground?

“He was up half the night putting everything together; the clothes, the food…” Marine listed from the corner of the feline’s eye, “I’m glad you both finally came to your senses, I always knew he’d make the perfect boyfriend for you.”

For whatever reason, those words had stoked something within Blaze. The wriggling within her stomach longed to go on the offensive and chastise Marine but, being such a foolish feeling, the princess knew it would do neither her nor them any good. Instead, she simply brought her toes to curl and fists to ball. When the hedgehog arrived at the doorstep, the scent of sweet goods hit her nose and further drew her attention.

“Marine, could you get everything I made last night? There should be a little basket on the kitchen counter,” Rather immediately, the little sailor scampered off to do what he asked, “So, are we still doing this?

“Y-Yes,” Her response was quick, but that stutter wasn’t a result of speed. She swallowed, “As long as you’re still okay going through with this, I’m okay.”

“I feel the same. I just wanted to make sure you were okay. This is still a little strange to me but then it must be for you too. We can do this, I’m sure of it,” He hesitated for a moment, blinking at her slightly, “I don’t think I’ve seen this outfit before. You look really pretty!”

Her face went from red to boiling, he clearly had no idea what he was doing to her. Well, to be frank, she had no idea what he was doing to her either. She scrambled for a reply, “Y-You look nice too,” Was that arrogant to say? She had bought him that outfit after all.

As she looked up to him- no, as she realised that their difference in height forced her to look up to him, the wriggling and jostling in her stomach exploded into two dozen angry butterflies. Something about him today, the way his eyes met hers and his shoulders seemed broader, was holding her full attention. It was as though she hadn’t seen him in a while, no… it was more like she hadn’t looked at him in a while. He was surely still the naïve hedgehog she knew, but Silver had grown. He looked far more mature than Blaze recalled even last night. What had changed beyond her clothes? She supposed they had fake titles for each other now? But why would that-

“Blaze?” A shock ran from the top of her shoulders to the tip of her tail, bringing it to dance and curl around her waist, “Are you alright? You were staring…” He reached up, rubbing at his muzzle, “Do I have something on my face?”

“N-No Silver,” The princess practically choked on her stutter, she tore her gaze from him again, “I just didn’t get much sleep last night, I was too busy… planning all this. It was a lot of work.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” He cringed slightly, “I would have stayed and helped if you’d said.”

“I-It’s fine, don’t worry about it. What’s done is done,” She was usually better at lying but, for whatever reason, today was proving to be an exception to all of her norms.

He didn’t look entirely convinced but Marine had returned, he gently stuffed his current bag into the she’d retrieved basket, “What’s the plan then? Are we still heading for the beach?”

“It does seem a little busy,” Blaze mused, trying to resign his worry to the business of the beach, “Perhaps we could keep to the cliff face, the near edge. That way we won’t be getting in anyone’s way and their attention should be towards the water.”

“That seems like a great idea, that way we’ll be seen but not too seen,” He enthusiastically nodded, “The cliff should keep our picnic in the shade too, it’ll be perfect!”

The excitement in his voice sent a wave of heat up her face to tip her ears, as her temperature rose the hedgehog’s gaze overwhelmed her; Blaze’s stare fell to the ground. Only three words managed to slip beyond her lips, “Y-You’re so naïve.”

With an awkward wave goodbye to Marine the two finally set off towards the beach, walking together as faux boyfriend and girlfriend for the first time.

----

The beach was just as busy as it had sounded; children were running wild, frolicking in and out of the water with reckless abandon. Beach towel after beach towel littered the sand, slovenly forms comfortably spread across each and every one of them. They’d stuck to their plan, keeping to the far side of the beach and walking alongside the great cliff edge that shaded it; passing into and out of its shadow based upon the warping of bluffs.

Talk had been, admittedly, sparser than usual. He had made attempts to start conversations, but her mouth had been rather useless today. Speaking seemed to further the heat on her face and strip her tongue of its rationality, resulting in stuttering. Thus, she’d kept replies brief; a handful of words at best, awkward nods and headshakes at worst. If she was walking with anyone else, they’d surely think she was being rude. At least with Silver, he’d been around long enough that walking quietly was normalised. Still, given the nature of this current outing, she couldn’t help but assume he was either worried or confused.

Blaze was a good half pace behind him, rending her stare from the sand to throw him a look every so often. Since their arrival on the beach, she’d kept her sunglasses firmly covering her eyes; both to partially obscure where she was looking and hide some of her panic. Unfortunately, they weren’t doing much to prevent her embarrassment.

Their difference in height was really throwing her off, the feline felt like she should have been walking on her tiptoes to better match him. Had it really been so long since she’d worn flats? Had the difference between their heights grown so great without her even noticing? The Silver she saw in her mind’s eye was sweet and insecure, she could hardly even identify him as anything beyond his name; he was simply Silver, her partner, a person she could trust above all others. Looking at him now it was… it was as though she was actually seeing him as a man and that was, somehow, far more embarrassing than being dressed as she was. She’d probably find it easier to publicly admit that they were together than spend five minutes eye to eye with him, something had changed; he wasn’t the same cute, naïve, hedgehog she’d once known.

Well, he was still naïve, and he was undeniably cute; just not in the way she recalled it, not in a way she could bring herself to describe internally let alone audibly. How had he gone from the amorphous, fluffy, form she pictured in her mind’s eye, to this in only one night? What had changed? It couldn’t just be his clothes. It was so fascinating and yet so hard to dwell upon.

As he turned to look at her, Blaze’s gaze darted towards the waters and stumbled between the people watching them. There weren’t too many gazes on them, at least not consistently. A few people were whispering, and an elderly pair were throwing some kind of stare their way but most of the public seemed squarely focused on their time at the beach.

“Blaze?” His words drew her stare back to him, there was concern in his eyes.

She couldn’t muster a word in response, only an acknowledging hum. Her tongue was weighed, if she spoke then she’d surely stutter. How long would this feeling last?

“Is everything okay? Am I doing this right?” He’d slowed and taken a step closer, her eyes dropped to meet what little chest fur was free before darting up to meet his eye again. At this distance, she had no idea if he could make out where she was looking, “You’ve been very quiet. I thought we were supposed to be making a scene, drawing attention to us being together.”

“O-Oh,“ She gulped, ballistic at herself for swallowing, “I’m not entirely certain how we’d go about that. I think we’re drawing enough stares as it is, it’s probably fine...”

“Is this making you uncomfortable? Is it too much?” He fumbled with the picnic basket, switching it into his right hand as he looked past her and to the beach, “We can swap places if you want, that way they’d be looking at me instead.”

Despite this feeling in her gut, Silver was still Silver. If he thought he could do anything to help, even the slightest thing, he’d offer it without hesitation. She didn’t have the heart to tell him he was wrong, let alone that she was being bombarded by feelings she couldn’t explain, “Thank you, Silver.”

He shifted to her outer side, acting as a barrier between her and the stares, but part of the endeavour caused her heart to skip a beat. Once he’d arrived on that side, Silver had slipped his left hand into her right. She almost stumbled and he quickly looked back at her, very clearly confused. This kind of contact was regular for them, whenever the other was troubled the other would take their hand or wrap an arm around their shoulder; last night even, he’d held her by the shoulders and she’d casually returned that grasp. They’d held hands thousands of times, more than she could ever hope to count but, today, this afternoon, there was something almost electrifying about that contact.

He was staring, waiting for some kind of response, but her tongue would surely fail her again. She had to make up for its lack of fluidity.

Bluntly, boldly, she brought her fingers to lock between his and squeezed his hand tight; forcing herself into the leading position, she spoke without turning back to him, “L-Lets find somewhere quieter to eat. I’m starving.”

Her cheeks were on fire, she locked her eyes on the path ahead but no matter how she charged or tried to distract herself; Blaze’s embarrassment refused to shift. A lack of sleep had never done anything like this to her, at least not before today. Was that all this was? Tiredness and the stupor brought on by it? It had to be, nothing else made sense.

He’d caught up, matching her quickened pace to walk beside her, “Somewhere quieter, okay, um…”

Silver cast his eyes to the beach and Blaze’s stare followed, it seemed that their shift in pace had caused them to draw more attention. Rather than one or two older couples, a larger group of multiple families seemed to have noticed them. That, or word had simply spread up the beach and the world had finally noticed them together; dressed differently and holding hands, more than likely on a date. She slowed her pace again, turning to the cliff face. She’d had an idea, born of his recommendation of picnicking in the cliff’s shade. It was a stupid thought, so very stupid, but she knew somewhere more private. People might still see them, people could still reach them, but it’d perhaps make her feel more comfortable long term… even if it was bound to make her less comfortable in the short term and draw many more eyes.

“What about up there? We’d be away from the beach itself, but it’d be a little more private. I think we’d still be seen enough,” She suggested, gesturing up the cliff face, “They’d see you carrying me up there, perhaps that’s enough of a sign that we’re...”

He came to a stop, glancing up the cliff’s edge before quickly turning to the beach behind them, “Are you sure you’d be comfortable with that?”

Blaze knew what he was implying. Not only would this draw more eyes to them initially, but it involved scaling to a height that, while not ludicrous, was a little beyond what he knew her to be comfortable with. The concern in his eyes was so genuine…

“I know you won’t drop me, Silver. I trust you,” She squeezed his hand again, “Just, please, make it quick but not too quick.”

He managed a nod, his worry quelled, and slipped his hand from hers to shift the picnic basket further up his arm. Without blinking or flinching, he turned and put his right hand to her back while crouching and lowering his left arm for her to swing her legs up and across. While she’d focused on his concern her embarrassment had faded. Now, the heat had returned.

This was how he usually lifted her, it was more comfortable to lie in his grasp than to cling to him as he flew, but, due to her addled and tired mind, she was having further thoughts. Usually she’d have stepped up without flinching, she’d allow her head to fall against his shoulder and focus solely on his face until they reached their destination. They’d make conversation, he’d distract her from the distance between them and the ground. Today however, that seemed more difficult. Her tiredness couldn’t be responsible for that. Was it because she was wearing a dress?

Briefly catching his eye again, Blaze rapidly neatened her clothes a little. As she finally brought her legs over his arm, she tried to keep herself decent. It was stupid, the skirt of her dress was long, but it didn’t do anything to dispel the heat on her face. Her head still found his shoulder and, although she’d been looking up at him all day, at least this was a more familiar view.

“Are you ready?” He made sure, she felt his grasp tighten just above her knee and around her shoulders. Something about that contact, contact she’d experienced hundreds of times, coupled with the view energised the butterflies in her stomach.

She forced her gaze to roll from him and to the rock wall in front of them, “Yes.”

Cyan light crept into her vision and weightlessness set in. Her choice to focus on the wall didn’t serve her well. While it was better than looking down, she could tell that they were rising and with each passing second the ground drifted further away. They weren’t going slowly, but Silver was making sure to keep things stable; ergo, their pace wasn’t as fast as she knew he could fly, or he’d even normally fly with her.

As his concern for her was made manifest and the shifting rockface began to make her queasy, the princess couldn’t help but return to her normal position. Historically, her cheek would be cushioned by the edge of his chest fluff but now his shirt was in the way. Why did she miss that comfort?

Her shifting brought his attention back to her; those piercing yellow eyes were upon her again. Without so much as thinking, she stuttered out; “Sh-Shouldn’t you be watching the sky?”

He responded to her request immediately, shifting to look upwards, so he didn’t catch her grimacing at her own stupidity. Her gaze lowered slightly, and she ended up staring at what little of his fluff was visible. Despite his endeavour to look presentable, a few tufts were out of place. If she was feeling more regular, she might have seen reason to undo its tugs and neaten him. As things were though, Blaze could only stare.

Though he stopped ascending when he reached the green grass that topped the cliff, he didn’t quite put her down. Instead, the hedgehog flew just a little more inland so that she wouldn’t have to see the worst of the height; they touched down a good twenty paces from the edge. He gently set her down, dipping her legs and allowing her to step free from his hold. The grass wasn’t exactly thin up here, they were a little off the beaten trail, but it seemed like a fine spot for a picnic. The tide was out, so they could see where the beach met the waves, and to their backs was a lush palm tree forest. They would only be visible to those close to the water’s edge and out at sea. More eyes were on them for the moment than had been before, a few kids had run up the beach to watch their flight, but she knew they would drift with time. In the long run, this was better.

“Here seems pretty perfect for a picnic,” He commented, taking in their surroundings, “This was a great idea Blaze!”

“I suppose it will do,” Blaze tried to underplay her decision, unwilling to claim praise for what was an impulse decision rather than a planned one, “Let’s just relax for a while, away from so many prying eyes, and return to our walk later.”

The princess wasn’t sure if she was instructing him or herself.

With a nod, Silver reached into the hamper and drew out a large plaid picnic blanket. Without so much as blinking, he tossed it into the air and caught it with his psychic aura; completely flattening it and holding it in the air. He slowly lowered it with a single glowing hand, the long grass beneath the blanket was made to bend down flat, free to pop up whenever the cover was removed but smoothed for their sitting. That done, he dropped to the ground and dug through the basket. First revealed was a flask and two tin mugs, next a reasonably sized plastic container and, finally, a smaller white paper bag that was, assumedly, the reason he’d been late to meet her

Everything set out, he caught Blaze in the midst of staring. Rather quickly, the feline dropped down to sit with him; positioning herself on the other side of their bounty. The lid was popped free from the container and steam rose from its depths. Six pastry parcels, surely too much for the pair of them to eat, were revealed, perfectly browned and sealed along their top.

“They’ve got prawn and salmon in them with a cream sauce and some vegetables,” He quickly explained, offering her the box.

She knew his taste; this was more for her than it was for him. Without so much as hesitating, she picked up one and took a bite. They’d managed to maintain their heat in the box, she’d known that by sight and touch, but the taste managed to fully draw her attention. The blending of flavours was perfect, the sauce didn’t overwhelm the fish and the fish didn’t overwhelm the sauce; the prawns were just small enough not to manifest in large chunks.

He’d been about to reach for the box himself only for a realisation to strike him, “I’m supposed to be being the best boyfriend I can, r-right, okay…” With a wave of his hand, the flask and tin cups were pulled toward him. He poured her a cup of tea, gesturing again to hover napkins, a small sugar-jar and a spoon from the basket. Once he’d presented her the mug, he unwrapped and opened the white paper bag. Inside was a small assortment of muffins and fairy cakes, “I would have baked us a cake, but we were a little too short notice. I hope that’s okay…”

She took the jar, adding two teaspoonfuls of sugar to her brew, “Silver, this is more than okay. I was expecting sandwiches or something small, not all this. How long did you stay up last night?”

Somehow, unlike the stares or most of today’s endeavour, that managed to prompt a bashful response from the hedgehog. His cheeks lit pink as he claimed a pasty of his own, “It took a couple of tries to get them perfect, but It wasn’t too long. I got up a few hours earlier rather than staying up late, I just wish I’d had a little more time.”

“Don’t be silly, I only planned the walk while you did so much; even though this was all my idea,” She passed him back the jar as he poured the flask.

He added far more sugar to his cup, the blush had spread from his muzzle to his ears, “But this is just what we normally do. If we’re pretending to be boyfriend and girlfriend, shouldn’t I be doing more?”

Having something to eat, as well as seeing his blush, seemed to reduce her own embarrassment, “This isn’t about actually embodying those roles so much as just making others think we are. You don’t have to go to extra effort like that, you do more than enough by just being you. A lot of people already debate whether we are a couple,” She managed to smile, blowing her tea to cool it, “All we need to do are the public things, the more blatant things. Go out together, hold hands and hug in public, those kinds of things. Don’t worry too much about the little details.”

“I’ll try not to, but I promised to do this right,” He affirmed as she took a sip. Despite his flush still lingering, he gave a proclamation, “I’m going to do my best, I’m going to be the best boyfriend possible!”

“Y-You’re so naïve,” She pretended to sigh and grumble, turning her attention towards the meal.

He’d probably said that both to renew his promise to her and to bolster himself for the coming task. Just as she’d begun to overcome her embarrassment, he’d managed to stoke it again. Despite that fact and despite the renewed heat on her face, Blaze flicked her sunglasses up. She couldn’t keep hiding forever and brewing thoughts were becoming too much to contain.

He wasn’t wrong to have done all this, and Blaze knew she should be showing more gratitude, but the feline’s state was making that impossible. The hedgehog had also led her to think on an interesting aspect of their plan; just what should they be doing, what would convince the public and what were they willing to do? Were there lines she wanted to draw and what lines would he like to draw? A certain concept, a thought, fluttered up to reach her brain that Blaze couldn’t help pondering. There was no easy way of broaching it though. Two questions were gnawing at the back of her head, a thought that was relevant to this concept, but she wasn’t willing to entertain.

Was she willing to kiss him, and would he be willing to kiss her? If they did kiss among the public, that was all the proof they’d ever need.

Last night she would have said yes to that question without hesitation. If it meant completing their ruse, she’d be more than willing. But as these feelings spiralled both in her head and through her gut, Blaze couldn’t help but squirm. She threw Silver a quick glance only to find him entirely focused on his meal, being up so early and going to the bakery had perhaps caused him to miss breakfast. He was willing to go so far for her, could she plant her lips on his for her own sake?

For a split second, her eyes drifted to her muzzle only to be torn away and thrown to the plaid blanket beneath them. She wouldn’t have been opposed to it before, so she supposed she wasn’t now, just a lot more nervous about it. If they did it, it’d only have to be a peck; nothing too scandalous, something small. Blaze had chosen him to play this role for a reason, she trusted him and was willing to do things with him that she wasn’t comfortable doing with others. She could see herself doing it, embarrassment aside, but what about him?

Silver was like her; he’d never been in a relationship before. While she’d accept him as her first kiss, would she be his? Would he want her to be his? Well, she’d brought up not knowing how to draw stares before. Perhaps she could ask through that? Now that the concept was in her head, Blaze wanted to know if there were any boundaries between them; was he saving certain things for someone else? As he reached for his next pasty, she took a deep breath and made a move.

“Well,” It was going to be roundabout, but she had to prompt this discussion somehow, “Is there anything you think would make it more obvious that we’re a couple? Something quick and easy, anything we can do to get the message across. I was up last night considering options but couldn’t come up with a concrete solution.”

“We already do most of the things couples do, right? We hug, we hold hands and we visit all kinds of places together,” He pondered aloud, tugging at what little exposed chest fur he had as he thought, “I guess there’s other stuff we can do; like writing each other love letters, wearing clothes that match or just telling others how much we’re in love. More blunt stuff,” Silver managed to answer, “I think that’s what couples do. You know, they kiss and stuff; give people some kind of undeniable sign.”

What he thought couples did; he’d phrased it so innocently but implied so much. He’d hit the nail on the head, brought up the very object of her curiosity. He’d been so casual, did that mean he was willing to do it?!

“R-Right, yes, th-they…” Her stuttering came to a head, her tongue was useless; she should have taken a moment and considered her words.

“Are you sure you’re okay, Blaze? You’ve been kind of red all day,” He, so helpfully, informed her.

“Yes, don’t worry, I’m fine,” She waved him off, almost pulling down her shades but catching herself before she could, “I’ve probably just caught a cold, they’re common at this time of year.”

That’d surely worried him, her brain was going a mile a minute. Blaze knew he’d never been in a relationship, but that didn’t mean his heart wasn’t set on someone. She didn’t know who they could be, a fact that made her want to assume that there was nobody, but a larger chunk of herself wanted to be sure.

“Silver,” She was fighting to keep a straight face, attempting to hold back her stutter merely forced Blaze to pause and hold her breath, “Have you ever actually…” She knew it was better to be blunt, best to keep things simple, but it was the most embarrassing way to ask, “Kissed anyone before?”

“No,” His reply was immediate, he didn’t even blink!

“Oh,” He looked confused at her response, “I-It’s just that, most people think first kisses are important. I wouldn’t want to take something like that from you. By having you pretend to be my boyfriend, I feel like I’m already asking a lot,” She was blabbering, not asking what she really wanted. Her fists clenched, “I-I wasn’t sure if you’d be okay with kissing me or…”

“Blaze,” He crawled closer, their knees almost came to touch, “You’re my partner. I agreed to do this because I want to help you, you’re not asking anything of me. I decided to do this, it’s not like you’re forcing me.”

“It’s still…” She wrestled with herself. There was only one way to reach her desired answer; to ask her desired question, “Is there anyone you’d want to be that first kiss?”

“Well, people only kiss those they’re close to, right? Specifically, the person they’re closest to and want to stay with…” He defined, clearly deep in thought but trying to relax her at the same time, “I’m not an expert on it or anything, but that’s how it always seems in books. I don’t really know a lot about this dating stuff, just what I’ve heard from Amy really.”

The mention of Amy immediately explained a lot of things; his change in garb, the holding of her hand and this picnic. Though they’d only met a handful of times, across both this and their past life, the pink hedgehog overabundant love for Sonic made sense as an informant to Silver’s understanding. She was though, admittedly, a terrifying informant.

Swallowing, she nodded, “Yes, that’s not how it always is but that’s how people romanticise it, Silver. If there was someone you wanted to kiss, that should be someone you care about in a way that’s different to how you care for everyone else.”

“Well, the person I’m closest to is you, Blaze. I don’t think I could ever share the kind of bond we have with anyone else,” That feeling was undeniably mutual, she knew where this was going but he wasn’t done talking. She felt the butterflies squirm in her stomach, “So, if I was going to kiss anyone, I guess I’d want to kiss you.”

Her heart skipped beats and she couldn’t help but shift, he’d called out her blushing before but now it was surely worse. He’d used such simple and honest words, the likes of which she had no defence against. His heart was on his sleeve, she couldn’t deny its existence; there was no front, there was no lie.

“Just, promise me you’ll say if that changes,” She insisted, taking on a sterner tone in an attempt to smother her slurring, “If, for whatever reason, you either don’t feel the same about us or you meet someone or… whatever it is, just promise you’ll say.”

“I don’t think that will ever happen…” She couldn’t help but frown at that. His eyes softened, her concern had gotten through to him, “If that happens then I’ll say, but I’ll still help you in whatever other ways I can. You’re my best friend and I want you to be happy.”

“Good,” She managed to huff, “A-And thank you.”

A moment passed. While he’d smiled at her response, after another sip of tea and a few bites, confusion crossed his brow and he dared to ask, “Blaze, have you ever kissed anyone?”

“No, I haven’t really considered…” Well, she had no more than a moment ago. She’d worried about whether he’d be okay with her kissing him, albeit to further their ruse. With that exception though; “I’ve never even thought about it. I worried so much that it’d be a suitor that I never considered who I’d rather k-kiss instead.”

She longed to snuff her stutter, but an immediate shift in Silver’s demeanour caught her off guard. His brow hardened and he’d set down his food, shifting closer still to put his hand atop hers, he said, “Well, now you will be able to think about that without worrying. You’re amazing, whoever you chose will be so lucky; after all, they get to be the closest person to you.”

He was just being protective, being a good friend and bearing his sense of justice, but the combination of his honesty and physical touch sent her senses into further disarray. She couldn’t meet his eye and, for what felt like hours, she couldn’t bring herself to speak. Part of her was screaming to admit, as he had, that Silver was the only person she’d truly consider kissing but another part kept promising Blaze that saying so would lead to ruination. He’d ask more questions, or he’d ask if they should kiss or something else naïve yet heartfelt.

“I-I only asked because…” Her tail was dragging across the ground without her consent, “If this goes on for too long, people might expect us to kiss. I’m glad you’re okay with that.”

“If you’re okay with it then I’m okay with it,” He swore, squeezing her hand, “First kisses are supposed to be important but, I guess, since we’re not actually together, it wouldn’t count if we kissed? So, you don’t have to worry about that.”

The way that was worded, it was almost an invitation to kiss him whenever she felt like it. While it didn’t outright state it, it implied that they could essentially practice using each other. Somewhat stunned, Blaze could only manage a meagre, “S-Sure, I guess so.”

“If you ever think we should, just say and we can!” He promised, as though it were the most normal thing in the world.

Thoughts and emotions bubbled and boiled; his hand was still in hers, had he even noticed? The butterflies had never settled in her stomach, but their vigour seemed to have been renewed. What was wrong with today, what was wrong with her today? Ever since she’d woken up, something had been off. Everything they’d done so far was regular for them, they’d regularly visit the beach and picnic, let alone hold hands and talk.

“Oh, huh,” The engine of her heart skipped a beat, bringing her train of thought to a ludicrously quick stop. What could possibly fall from his mouth next? “We’ve got the same hair now.”

The most bizarre concoction of relief, embarrassment and anguish flared across Blaze’s face. Her muzzle was cast in scarlet, but not the burning red of before, “Yes, I suppose that’s true,” Pushing herself, to speak more quickly proved unwise. Rather than complementing the change, her blush led her to chastise him, “You should take better care of your quills. I-If you kept them like this, they wouldn’t get into such a mess.”

Despite her rudeness he continued to smile at her and enjoy the meal, “They’re getting a little too long again,” He admitted, trying to look over his shoulder at those fluffy extremities, “Maybe I should cut them more properly.”

Despite her initial outburst, this conversation was a relaxing breath of fresh air compared to their last one. Drawing her tea to her lips, she tried to talk from her heart rather than her flushed face, “I wouldn’t clip them too short, just short enough that they’re easier to manage. I could do it tomorrow if you’d like?”

“That’d be great! We can try to have a more relaxed day,” He immediately grinned, but a realisation overtook him, “Wait, would that be our second date? Or would we just be doing that as friends?”

“It can be whatever we want it to be,” She practically blurted out before quickly realising what that implied, “I-It’ll be in private though, so we hardly have to call it a date. Perhaps, if someone asks about your quills, then we’ll say it was, but we can actually treat it like a normal day.”

“Alright, that’ll work!” He practically cheered, finally releasing her hand and drawing out another pastry from the box.

She took that opportunity to change her grasp, holding her teacup in both hands. Despite her pyrokinesis and the mug’s heat, her hand felt substantially colder without his touch. This grogginess was playing games with her senses now, what could be next?

She managed to turn her attention towards the picnic spread, quickly reaching down and claiming another pasty. It was only as she did that, that Blaze realised why he’d brought up their matching ponytails. He’d mentioned matching clothes before, clearly implying the likes of matching shirts and wedding rings, but their current hairstyles were a way they matched. While she didn’t think it made them look more like a couple, he had planned this out even more than she thought.

Attempting to distract herself, she began to eat the baked good and tried her hardest to focus upon its creamy flavour. Despite how delicious it was, it was not enough. Blaze found herself dwelling upon the shift in how she viewed their relationship; the change she had undergone but he hadn’t. She’d done all this to avoid marrying a suitor, but who did she want to take the place of a suitor? She’d convinced herself that this was for long term convenience, that it would give her the chance to find someone, but, the truth was, she hadn’t planned to look. She hadn’t considered where to start, let alone where to find someone she trusted as much as Silver. She couldn’t see herself being closer to anyone than she was to him; their bond had lasted beyond her death and into this next life, they’d survived the unsurvivable together. Who could even come close to filling his role?

She’d never considered her endeavours with Silver to be romantic, it was simply how they were with each other, but some combination of their lifted burdens, their actions’ current context and time had freed this realisation from her subconscious. Time was surely an important factor, in their last life things hadn’t had the opportunity to blossom this far; they hadn’t had the chance to grow both physically, as individuals, and as a pair. This time though, not only had they been in a more comfortable position for growth but they’d both learned what life was like without the other; they understood what that loss felt like. Not to mention, they were newly adults now; they’d aged further than that last life. No wonder she was embarrassed, she’d asked the only person she’d consider dating to pretend to go out with her.

She didn’t think she’d change much physically, but Silver had undeniably grown while she hadn’t been paying attention. The most obvious changes were physical, he’d grown taller and his shoulders had broadened, but there’d surely been internal shifts that Blaze couldn’t quite discern. Silver was still very naïve, his heart was attached to his sleeve and he’d shown his want for justice throughout the whole endeavour, but his living in a more peaceful world had led him to acquire hobbies and interests. She was seeing him at his best, better than he’d ever been. Many of his skills, his interests too, either matched or complemented hers.

Having finished the pasty just as her thoughts concluded, Blaze threw him another glance. He was fairly focused on the coast, absentmindedly making headway on a third pasty. Following his gaze, she found that his eyes had landed upon a flock of migrating birds; a sign of the coming Winter. This would be their last chance to walk the beach comfortably for at least three months. She should have been making the most of this.

She reached into the bakery bag, drawing out a muffin before pushing the bag his way, “Come on, let’s hurry and head down again.”

----

Unfortunately, despite now understanding her state, Blaze found herself no better equipped to combat her embarrassment. Talk was less scant than it had been last time, Blaze was trying her best, but she still wasn’t comfortable with this sudden upwelling of understanding. She’d stutter and stammer, catch herself staring, tear her eyes from him and, occasionally, chastise him when her embarrassment became too much to bear. It wasn’t perfect, but at least they were talking this time.

Still, she was managing to walk hand in hand with him. The hedgehog himself, seemingly in response to her slightly calmer demeanour, had shed most of his worry. He’d panic, just a little whenever she told him off too harshly, but he was certainly smiling more now. They were almost walking shoulder to shoulder, Silver on the water’s side, approaching the rockier far edge of the beach; where sand gave way to low crags, a prime site for rock pools. Of course, as a result of that, this part of the beach was particularly swamped. Many families with younger children were searching for the likes of hermit crabs and trying to make memories.

As they reached the shift in ground, Silver came to a halt. Before she could even fully turn to him, his hand had slipped from hers; both his left palm and right were suddenly on her shoulders. Her eyes collided with his and a pair of stern brows. The concern that she’d just thought abolished had returned in an instant, bringing her prior embarrassment with it.

“Is this going to be okay? Are there too many people over there?” He asked, his concern and care on display, “We can turn around if you want.”

Blaze looked over her shoulder, both to better scan how many families had gathered and, more primarily, to simply hide her renewed blush. The hedgehog’s hands were in the exact same position they had been last night; she had looked him in the eyes, returned his touch and thanked him for his aid. Right now, she could only think to avoid his gaze and call him naïve.

But she didn’t want to do that. There were families by the rockpools, yes, but before today she would’ve been entirely comfortable among her people and beside him. Her boosted bashfulness had swollen to such an extent that not only was Silver pointing it out, he was actively concerned about it. She couldn’t let this stick; she couldn’t let it drag into the future days! She’d promised to take initiative and that was exactly what she’d do.

Her hands came to latch on his biceps, her brow steeled, and lips pursed as she met his eyes once more, “W-Well, what about you, Silver?”

“Wh-What about me?” He asked, concern quickly being dashed by confusion.

“You’ve said it before, but I’ll ask again; are you okay with this?” She had to be more specific. She took a step forward; surprised, he almost stumbled back, “Are you okay with us being seen like this?”

“I am!” He swore without hesitation, “As long as you are, I am.”

“So, you do want to be here with me?” She went further, tightening her grasp and taking another step. As long as she kept moving, she could overlook the stutter in her voice and the heat on her muzzle. If she controlled the pace, if she took hold of the momentum, then she could manage all of this.

“Of course I do,” He immediately answered. His seriousness grew further but it couldn’t match hers, she’d always known this, “Even if we weren’t pretending to be together, you know I like being with you.”

He had no idea what she’d prompted from him but, essentially, she’d managed to tease free an admittance that he wanted to be here with her. That fact he’d admitted to wanting to be there, regardless of their overall scheme, went a long way to setting her at ease. Despite that though, she still had a point to get across.

“And as long as you’re okay with this, I’m okay with this. This was all my idea after all,” She forced her amber orbs to burn into his brighter set, “Don’t worry about me being uncomfortable, but I want to know if you are,” Blaze refused to let herself flinch and denied herself even the right to blink. She rose to her tiptoes and brought her head closer to his, mirroring the way he’d leaned down to her last night, “As long as you’re okay, I’m okay.”

“R-Right,” His stutter wasn’t born of embarrassment, merely a combination of surprise and confusion. He broke from her gaze and took a deep breath. His grasp had tightened when he met her eyes again, “Let’s do it then, it’ll be easy.”

“If you change your mind or worry about anything, you just have to say,” She wanted to press her forehead against his, but height wouldn’t allow it. Instead, she opted to take yet another step. With that, they escaped the shade of the cliff, “You can rely on me just as much as I do you, you know this?”

“I do, of course I do! I don’t know what I’d do without you,” He insisted, not so much embarrassed but flustered by her endeavour. Strangely, Silver somehow looked cuter still when positioned like this. Despite that, he managed to keep talking, “You look out for me and I look out for you, th-that’s what we do.”

She let herself drop to her heels, her arms left his, “Good. Then we’ll make it through this,” He, almost lost and confused, replicated her release; allowing her to turn back towards the rockpools, “We’ll look out for each other, no matter what.”

They resumed their approach, many eyes had turned upon them but, noticing their shift, were quickly dropping towards the pools. Blaze hadn’t had the gall to retake his hand, but she was still leading, she was succeeding!

This would be easy. If she could keep a tight grip on herself and control of the pace, then she was certain she’d make it through today’s date at least. Tomorrow would be a more private affair, prime for both self-discovery and prying further into how he felt. She wasn’t sure how long this fake dating scheme could last now, it would be immoral to steal kisses from him with her new understanding, but hopefully this state’s replacement would eventually grant her that freedom. She couldn’t help feeling embarrassed by that thought but, as long as she could subdue it, overcoming this meant future efforts would become easier. She just had to chip away at these feelings, work and practice until she could properly control th-

“Oh, I meant to ask earlier,” Her ear twitched, registering the return to his more casual tone, “Why’re you wearing a swimsuit under your dress, are we going swimming later?”

She’d entirely forgotten that was a choice she’d made; a choice that’d become especially obvious when his hands found her shoulders and she’d drawn so close. As Blaze’s cheeks reddened, and her temperature spiked, the undeniable became clear. She was far from overcoming this embarrassment. With a quick fumble, her sunglasses were made to lower again in a half-hearted attempt to hide her panic.

“It’s just, I didn’t bring my stuff with me,” He continued, seemingly oblivious, “I don’t want to ruin these-

“Sh-Shush!” She took hold of his hand again, dragging him towards the rocks with a speed unmatched by any prior, “It’s fine, don’t worry about it! Let’s just go find some crabs, o-or something.”

Finding her ideal partner, the very goal of this scheme, had taken no time at all, but being comfortable seeing him in such a light… that was going to take much longer.

#silvaze #Silver the Hedgehog #Blaze the Cat #sonic the hedgehog #sonic #silverxblaze #Marine The Raccoon #fanfiction #writing

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blackhakumen · 4 years ago

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Mini Fanfic: #687: Crushes (Super Smash Bros Ultimate)

6:56 p.m. at the Smash Mansion's Living Room......

Futuba: (Laying Down Sideways While Changing the TV Channel on Her Side of the Sofa) Hey, Shadow?

Shadow: (Reading a Book on his Side of the Sofa) Hm?

Futuba: You ever have a crush on someone before?

Shadow: (Lower his Book Down a Bit and Turn to Futuba) A crush?

Futuba: (Turns to Shadow) Yeah. You know? Romantic interest, someone you've fallen over heels for. All that Lovey-Dovey stuff.

Shadow: (Went Back to Reading his I can't say that I have any feelings for anyone, unfortunately.

Futuba: Really? Not even with Rouge?

Shadow: (Raised an Eyebrow at the Oracle Before Closing the Book Entirely) Why would I have a crush on Rouge of all people?

Futuba: (Shrugs) I dunno. You guys have been partners for a while now. So I kind of assumed one of you have feelings for one another.

Shadow: Well....I did thought about what our lives would be like if we we're both romantically involved with each other that one time..... Can't remember when though....

Futuba: Really?

Shadow: Yes. But after everything we've been through together, I began to see her more than just an partner. She's family to me. Same applies to Omega as well.

Futuba: (Heart Begins to Melt in Pure Happiness) Awwwwwwwwwww~ You really are a big softie!~

Shadow: (Starts Blushing a Little) Y-Yes. Well...... ('Clears Throat') What about you, Futuba? Do you have a crush on someone as well?

Futuba: Nope. Not sure if you know this about me or not, but..... (Starts Smiling Proudly While Pointing at Himself) I'm a proud, single gal when it comes to love and romance.

Shadow: (Already Has a Unconvinced Look on his Face) Really?

Futuba: Yep.

Shadow: So you absolutely have no sort of romantic feelings towards anyone?

Futuba: That's right~

Shadow: Not even towards that blue haired boy from your group of Phantom Thieves? I believe his name was.....Yu-

Futuba: (Her Smile Immediately Starts Turning into an Awkward One While Blushing) E-E-ESPECIALLY NOT TOWARDS THAT STUPID INARI!! (Chuckles Awkwardly as Well) C-Come on, Shadow! That's already ridiculous on paper!

Shadow: (Starts Crossing his Arms Together) You know I wasn't going to call him that to begin with. But since we're on that topic apparently, why do you always give him that nickname in the first place?

Futuba: Because......(Slowly Starts to Shrug Again) He's....an Inari? (Sighs Before Quickly Shaking her Head and Glaring at the Hedgehog) Look, just because I keep calling him that on an almost daily basis, that automatically mean I have feelings for him!

Shadow: (Raised an Eyebrow at Futuba in Silence) ...............................

Futuba: DON'T GIVE ME THAT LOOK! I'M TELLING THE HONEST TRUTH HERE!!!

Shadow: Right.... So do I really need to explain how much of an open book you are right now or do you want to make an even more of a fool of yourself? (Crosses his Arms Together) Either one is fine by me.

Futuba: (Put a Pillow on her Face and Groans in Utter Defeat) ('Uggggggggh') Fiiiiiiiiiine! You win! I DO have a small, tiny crush on that stupid Inari! Ya happy now!?

Shadow: I wouldn't say that exactly. (Smirks a Little) I'm just a bit more satisfied by the fact that I've been proven right this evening.

Futuba: (Pouts at Shadow While Slamming the Pillow Down onto the Sofa) Don't get cocky with me, Shadow the Hedgehog, or I'm telling Rouge on you!!

Shadow: ('Sigh') Alright. I'll cease my teasing. If you tell me how did you first developed those kind of feelings towards that boy in the first place.

Futuba: ('Sigh') I dunno. I guess....It all started once we started hanging out a lot more often than usual. And I guess, during those times, I...started getting to know him a little more. Which... eventually...(Starts Blushing While Looking Away a Little) Led me into having feelings for him.

Shadow: So you're saying that the reason you have a crush on him is because of all the times you spend together?

Futuba: Pretty much. But....('Sigh') I dunno. I still feel like I'm out of his league already.

Shadow: Why do you think that?

Futuba: The answer's simple really. He's obviously an artist prodigy and I'm just....(Looks Down on the Floor a Bit Sadly) Me. And trust me, I am nowhere near as being as artistic as he is.

Shadow: Maybe so, but you are very knowledgeable when it comes to hacking and anything technology related. That, in it of itself, is just as impressive as being artistic.

Futuba: You...(Slowly Looks Back Up to Shadow) Really think so?

Shadow: (Simply Nodded) Yes. I do. And on the topic of your crush, if you really do have those sort of feelings towards him, then I think it's in your best interest to tell him how you feel. It doesn't have to be today, tomorrow, or even the day after that. Just find a perfect opportunity to do so before it's too late.

Futuba: You think I have what it takes?

Shadow: I believe so. All you need to do is to have more confidence in yourself while doing it. The worst he could do is not return those feelings back. And if that were to ever happen, try not to let it get the better of you and keep moving on in life. Be it finding someone else who's interested in you or keep being single for as long as you want. Either one will do you wonders in the near future-

Futuba: (Happily Pulls Shadow into a Loving Hug)

Shadow: (Starts Blushing Again) W-What's with the hugging?

Futuba: It's thanks for being the most helpful hedgehog ever. You have NO IDEA how stressful that whole thought process was for me.

Shadow: You don't say?

Futuba: Yeah. I mean, I honestly don't how Ren-Ren and Ann managed to deal with having crushes on their love interest from time to time in the past, but I know it can't be that easy.

Shadow: I would agree to this, if I experience this beforehand.

Futuba: (Smiles Softly) You know, if you ask me, I think anyone would be lucky to date someone like you.

Shadow: (Eyes Widened in a bit of Genuine Surprise) You really think so?

Futuba: (Smiles Brightly) I know so, man. I mean, why wouldn't they be? You're the Ultimate Lifeform for crying out loud!

Shadow: (Chuckles Lightly) While being in a relationship would be a nice experience, I think I prefer being single a little longer.

Futuba: Hey as long as your happy is fine by me. My point still stands though. You're frickin amazing!

Shadow: (Rolled his Eyes) I know. The same could be said about you too.

Futuba: Thanks, Shadow.

@26shann

@keyenuta

@cyber-wildcat

@ma-lemons

@albion-93

@lovekittynoir

@caleb13frede

@italian-love-cake

@princekirijo

#super smash ultimate #shadow the hedgehog #futuba sakura #rouge the bat (mentioned)#omega (mentioned)#yusuke (mentioned)#ren amimaya (mentioned)#pure friendship #a lot of fluff #humor #crushes #valentine's month

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nothing-fancy94 · 5 years ago

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Accidental Love - Part 1

Hello people of tumblr! I’m back with another 2 part short! This time it is a Shadamy inspired by an ask given by @muffinbuttonfan to one of my best friends and fellow writers @another-sonic-blog! Please be sure to also check ASB’s version Love Potion

STORY SUMMARY: All Amy Rose ever wanted was to have Sonic love her back. But when a mistake with a love potion turns her world upside-down, will she chose an old or new love?

ENJOY! AND PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT!

ps. I didn’t proof read this, so apologies a head of time for errors ;)

~Part 1: The Mistake~

“Come on, Sonic! Just take a sip!”

“No, Amy, I’m not thirsty.”

“But I made it special for you!”

“Why are you being so insistent? It’s just a smoothie…”

Sonic’s eyes narrowed as he looked at Amy skeptically. She was standing before him with bright, pleading viridian eyes, and her little button nose twitched as she thought about the answer to his very simple question. She was wearing a different dress from her usual red and white trimmed one; a flowing soft pink sundress that gently fluttered in the summer breeze. And as he squinted, he noticed she’d put make-up on. It was something she hardly ever did, and as a result it was a bit sloppy. He would’ve thought it was cute if it wasn’t for the fact that Amy tended to only put in this amount of effort when she was up to something.

He looked down at the offered drink in her hand. It looked innocent enough, a watermelon pink with small flecks of red, indicating small bursts of fresh strawberries. It looked good enough that he almost took it from her, especially since it was a hot summer day and the cold, icey, sweet drink. Almost. However he had fallen for her tricks in the past and he didn’t plan on doing so again. In the past, she had resorted to sleep medicine to kidnap him on a date. He shivered at the memory. And as if to confirm his suspicions, Amy broke eye contact and looked off to the side while shuffling her feet.

“Just… I-I wanted to give you something nice on a hot day like today. I figured with all the running around that you do, you might want to have a cold smoothie…

“I put protein in it.” She added as though this would be enough to convince him to take the drink.

He scoffed and folded his arms across his chest as he looked her over.

“If there’s nothing wrong with it, then you won’t mind taking a sip before I drink it.”

Now it was Amy’s turn to narrow her eyes on her hero. She didn’t understand where the lack of trust was coming from, it wasn’t like she was gonna drug him… that hadn’t worked. Well, can I blame him? Especially considering I diiiid put love potion in the drink… She hadn’t planned on giving it to him, at least not at first.

She’d been window shopping with Cream in Station Square, and as they’d passed one of their favorite clothing stores, she had noticed a small shop that was wedged between the store and the alley. It was a store that Amy had never seen before despite having passed by this spot multiple times in the last few months. Stranger still, the store front looked like it had lived in the corner for fifty years.

Amy stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes following the curves of aged wood, peeling white paint, and landed on a small hanging sign that read in faded cursive: Regina’s Apothecary and Oddities.

Cream hadn’t wanted to go in, but the pink hedgehog ignored her friend’s pleas. Something was calling to her, whispering in her ear… and before she knew it she had twisted the rusty, iron door knob and entered the shop with the tinkle of a bell. The inside was full of shelves that seemed to carry on for miles into the store. Which should’ve been impossible considering the size of the exterior. The floor was made up of aged wood that at one point had been an attractive light brown, but was now almost black from spilled substances and ground-in dirt. There was a light mist of dust in the air, and barely any lighting to brighten the store. Bottles filled with herbs, unknown liquids and powders filled the shelves. Each one a different color, and size, each one carefully labeled and priced.

The ones closest to the door were sparkling in the small stream of sunlight that filtered through the foggy windows at the front of the shop. But as Amy looked at the ones a bit further away, she could make out a thin layer of dust settling onto the glass. Curiosity peaked, Amy made her way deeper into the store. Cream followed close behind, her trembling hands clinging to the hem of Amy's dress in a death grip. Her large brown eyes frantically darted around the store as they reached the dust covered bottles. Amy lifted a hand and wiped away dust to read the label. An Eye for an Eye.

“Looking to give someone a taste of their own medicine, dearie?”

The two young girls jumped and screamed, their arms instinctively wrapping around each other as the two turned to see an old, female cat. She smiled at the two girls from behind half-mooned glasses. One of her eyes was a startling amber color that shone as brightly and richly as the sun, while the other was white and unseeing. She chuckled and leaned forward on her cane.

“Sorry dearies, didn’t mean to frighten you. I’ve been told by other customers that I should wear a bell.” She laughed at her own joke while shaking her head. The two girls just stared at her with wide eyes and open mouths. The longer they stood staring at the old feline the more unsettled both girls felt. There was something in the air that hadn’t been there before, and it caused their hearts to race, and trepidation began to worm its way into them.

“Now don’t just stand there staring dearies, what can I help you with? I have a potion for any conceivable thing you could wish for!” She hobbled closer to the girls with a wide gaping smile, forcing them to press themselves against the shelves. Little tinks and clinks from jostled bottles rang through the air, but that didn’t stop the old feline from putting her hand beneath Cream’s cheek. The poor girl stood petrified, her large brown eyes close to tears.

“Maybe you want a way to grow up faster, but be careful that you pick the right potion. You may end up with one that will not change your age but make you taller than a skyscraper.” The woman cackled in humor, but it only served to make the young bunnie cower behind Amy.

“Oh, maybe a potion of courage for the young rabbit. I sense a wish to be brave in the face of danger. Do you have a tendency to run away, dearie?”

“L-leave her alone!” Amy finally managed to exclaim, her arm shooting out to block Cream from view.

The elder’s one good eye moved slowly to stare at her, while the other one stayed still and stared ahead. The eye was unwavering, and as it bore into Amy, she felt as though she was clawing through the young girl’s very soul. Searching for her innermost desires, emotions and fears. Amy felt a mental shiver at the sight, but refused to expose any fear in front of the old female. The cat’s lips curled upwards, and her only remaining fang glinted in the small amount of light.

“My eye can see there is no need for courage with you. Your determination rivals that of the most passionate minds of all time,” the female lifted herself on her tiptoes, and looked Amy up and down with her golden eye.

“Hmmm, maybe beauty…” The feline’s hand snapped out quicker than lightning and grabbed Amy’s hand, swiftly removing the white glove in one fluid motion.

“Hey!” Amy cried out, and tried to remove her hand, but the hold was ironclad. The shopkeeper’s tail flicked back and forth as her fingers brushed over the lines in Amy’s palm like the kiss of butterfly wings.

“You have a male who refuses to reciprocate your heart’s desire, do you not?”

Amy’s face twisted in horrified shock, and she once again tried to remove her hand but to no avail.

“No! How do you -”

“I can give you something that will make every male turn their eyes to you. A potion to make you the most beautiful female on Mobius. At a price of course,” the feline’s raspy voice cackled once more.

“No, thank you.” Amy stated firmly and finally succeeded in removing her hand from the cat’s grip. She turned, grabbing hold of Cream's hand and made for the door.

“Come on, Cream, let’s go.”

The small girl nodded in agreement, and quickened her pace. She wanted to leave the creepy store and more importantly, away from the terrifying feline who lurked the dusty isles.

“Not interested in vain looks, admirable. But what would you say to a... love potion?”

Amy’s feet stopped, and her ears twitched backwards in curiosity. A love potion. Something that she had read about in old books when she’d been researching ways to make a male turn their attention to her. She had thought that it was a myth, a legend that was as fragile as the pages she read the inked words on. However, an odd hope, no, desire, was awoken within her at the old shopkeeper’s tempting offer. Something about this store had called to her the moment it had appeared. The way it had appeared also solidified an odd weight to the elder’s words. It was a mysterious shop, with a shopkeeper, who while being creepy, was also oddly eccentric. Something about her told Amy that her offer was not an empty promise, and that this potion likely had a chance of working. How could she pass that up?

“Amy…?” Cream tentatively asked, her arm pulled at Amy’s, trying to guide the girl from the store. She looked up to plead with Amy, but she saw that fire burning in Amy’s eyes that only ever appeared when she was thinking about her next scheme to win the heart of her love. And when it came to Sonic and romance, there was nothing that could stop Amy from doing what she wanted.

“Love potion?” She whispered with her back still turned to the old feline.

Seeing that she had finally hooked one of the girls, the shopkeeper grinned from pointed ear to pointed ear.

“Oh yes. A harmless substance, meant to unlock the cage of the heart. Just a drop would be enough to turn your beau’s eyes in your direction.”

Amy’s body twitched, and Cream felt panic rise to her throat. She knew where this was going.

“Come on Amy… let’s just go.”

Unfortunately it was too late… Amy turned and tilted her head.

“And you’re sure this works?” She asked, taking a step closer to the cat. The elder smiled, and pulled her shaky finger twice diagonally across her chest.

“Cross my heart and call me a witch. 100% satisfaction guaranteed.”

“And it won’t hurt him, or make him grow an eleventh toe or some other crazy side effect?” She was almost to the old female now. The cat scoffed and made a face that looked like she was offended.

“I use only organic ingredients, and a splash of white magic, of course.”

“Amy… I really think we should just -”

“Show me.”

Amy moved forward and out of Cream’s grip, leaving the girl standing alone. Cream moaned in distress and looked at the door with wistfulness before following her friend deeper into the store.

They walked for a few minutes, while the tapping of a wooden cane was all that could be heard. Finally they reached a shelf with pink and red bottles. The shopkeeper ran her finger over several bottles, muttering all the while.

“Mother Knows Best, no… Scarlet L, well that’ll give desire, but not love… Puppy Love, no. Ah! Here we are!” Her raspy voice announced excitedly as she rubbed the label on an elegantly shaped bottle. As the dust cleared, they could see a very soft pearl shine on the pink glass, and the bottom of the bottle curve upwards into an inverted tear-drop. There was a crystal heart stopper plugged neatly into the opening, and the whole item was no larger than a jam jar.

The old feline blew on the bottle, and then thrust it into Amy’s hand.

“There ya are dearie! One Eternal Love potion for one lucky blue hedgehog!”

Cream almost gasped in surprise. How did this stranger know that Amy’s crush was a blue hedgehog?! She looked over at Amy, expecting the girl to be just as aghast, but instead Amy was smiling with jubilant eyes at the crystal vial in her hand. Either she hadn’t heard the old female, or she simply didn’t care.

“How much do I owe you?” She asked, and almost as if in a trance, Amy’s hand reached into her dress pocket and pulled out her wallet. The elder shook her head and pushed Amy’s hand down.

“No dearie. I deal in many worlds and places, your rings will do me no good!”

Amy’s ears drooped, and she felt her earlier excitement dwindle as a flame dying on a candle wick.

“Don’t worry, dearie, you may have something I want…”

“Tell me!” Amy replied, her face bright and hope once again filling her heart. Her desire outweighed her caution, and she was almost willing to give just about anything in return to have the potion.

“Do you wear those bracelets everyday?”

Amy blinked in confusion for a moment before looking down at her golden bracelets. She had worn them for as long as she could remember and usually forgot that they were even there.

“Yes, I do. Did you want them?”

She was hesitant to give up her favorite accessory, but then again she could always buy another pair, whereas she felt an odd sensation that this was her only chance to purchase the one thing that could give her what she wanted most. Sonic the Hedgehog’s heart.

“One will do dear. Gold worn by a pure maiden in love is difficult to come by.”

The fact that she didn’t have to give up both was enough to motivate Amy. Cream watched the scene unfolding in disbelief. How could Amy be so ready to trust this weird cat? It almost seemed like the young girl was under a spell. Amy quickly pulled her hand through a bracelet, and handed it over. The old witch snatched the jewelry like an angry viper, and shoved it quickly into her pocket.

“I don’t accept returns, dearie.” The old feline said hurriedly, and then began shoving the girls out of her shop.

“Now, I really must close, it’s time for me to do some cleaning. Enjoy your love!”

And with a final tinkle and slam of the door, the girls were back outside.

“Amy! Mobius to Amy!”

Amy blinked, her mind muddled from the memory. She looked up and saw Sonic staring at her with a concerned look. Right. She was with Sonic and trying to get him to drink the smoothie…

“Sorry, Sonic!”

“Jeez! If you weren’t so young, I would’ve thought you were having a stroke! Is everything okay?” Sonic stepped forward and looked closer at her face, trying to see if she was sick. Amy felt her cheeks burst into flame from their close proximity, and took the opportunity to shove the drink into his chest.

“I will be, once you drink this smoothie.” She replied with a smile. All concern immediately washed off Sonic’s face to be replaced with annoyance.

“Oh right… almost forgot. But it seems you also forgot that I’m not gonna take one sip of that until you try it first.”

Amy sighed in frustration. Chaos this hedgehog was stubborn. Well what's the harm right? I mean I already love him so drinking it shouldn’t do anything to me. She looked up at his smirking face, oh how she wanted that smirk to turn to a loving smile. To have infatuation gleam from those emerald eyes rather than arrogance. So she called his bluff.

“Fine, if taking a drink will convince you of my good intentions, then I’ll do it.”

She closed her eyes, and placed her lips around the straw and sucked. Sweet strawberry and banana flooded her mouth, and cooled her warm cheeks.

“Mmmm, see Sonic, it’s tasty!” But when she opened her eyes, Sonic was no longer in front of her. She blinked, but he still didn’t appear. Confused, Amy quickly turned around to look for him, when she bumped quite roughly into someone. The chest her head connected with was hard, and she saw stars at the edge of her vision. Smoothie splashed onto her pretty peony dress, and the unfortunate soul she had smashed into.

“Oh sorry! I didn’t mean to -” Her apology died on her lips when she looked up into the most blood red eyes she had ever seen. Beautiful, she thought.

“Chaos-dammit! You got smoothie all over this damn jacket Rouge forces me to wear. I’m never gonna hear the end of it.”

Amy blinked dumbly, unable to peel her gazed from his fiery eyes. They sucked her in, made her heart tremble, and her mind go blank.

“Sorry, Amy!” Sonic called as he came up behind her, his hands clasped together in apology, “I saw an old lady with a cane struggling to cross the road,” He laughed nervously at his excuse for ditching the girl. He’d learned from past experience that abandoning her was never a good idea.

“You know me, I can never turn my back on a lady in need!”

When she didn’t respond, and instead kept a steady gaze on the person in front of them, he tilted his head. Usually she would gush over what a gentleman he was for helping someone in need, but she barely even seemed to register that he was there. He looked up to see who had the girl’s attention and was surprised to see a dark, and pissed off hedgehog.

“Oh, hey, Shadow. Surprised to see you walking about during the day,” Sonic laughed, causing a growl to emit from Shadow. Sonic removed his hand from Amy’s shoulder and brought his hand to his chin as he looked the glaring hedgehog over. He noticed the pink drink dripping from ebony fur and leather jacket.

“Oh, looks like you did me a favor!” The hero laughed again, placing a hand on Shadow’s shoulder. The ebony male growled and smacked Sonic’s hand away.

“Don’t touch me with those weak hands, faker.”

Sonic smirked, and folded his arms, his lids lowered mockingly.

“Oh? Someone wake up on the wrong side of the cyro sleeper today?”

Shadow growled once more, his fists clenching in anger. He was about to insult the blue hero further when suddenly a pink barrier popped up between him and his object of hate. Both male hedgehogs looked down in confusion to see Amy standing with her legs spread in a firm stance, and her hands shoving into their chests. They’d forgotten that Amy was there, and she was looking back and forth between them with a stern expression.

“Stop it!” She commanded. Shadow rolled his eyes at the dramatic display, here we go. Another lecture from the number one Sonic Fangirl, on how to play nice with the blue imbecile. He really had no time for this, all he’d wanted to do was try a new cafe that had opened up and raved about their bitter americano. All he wanted was to drink an ice cold, bitter, refreshing drink, and yet he was cursed by these two idiots. Screw it, I’ll just -

“Don’t you dare talk to Shadow like that! He didn’t do anything wrong, I was the one that bumped into him!”

A pregnant silence fell upon the hedgehog trio as both males looked at each other and then back to the young girl in shock. She wasn’t glaring at Shadow like she normally would have. No, instead she was glaring fiercely at her self-proclaimed boyfriend.

“Shadow is the Ultimate Life Form! You should show him some respect!”

Silence. Sonic blinked rapidly, and stuck a finger into his ear to clean out any imaginary wax.

“Uh, Ames… what are you saying?” The hero asked, his expression was entirely stunned and confused, a comical look for the self assured hero, if the situation hadn’t been so bizarre. Amy huffed and stuck out her bottom lip before grabbing Shadow’s arm. She yanked it to her chest and stared at Sonic from behind it while sticking out her tongue.

“Wow! You really are dumb! Do I need to repeat myself twice?”

Sonic’s mouth popped open like a toaster, and his eyes flicked from Amy’s aggressive sneer to Shadow’s frozen face. What in Chaos's name is going on?

“HAHAHAHA!”

Sonic and Amy jumped from the unexpected sound, and were surprised to discover that it was Shadow laughing his ass off. Neither of Mobious’ heroes had ever seen Shadow smile let alone full belly laugh before.

“Looks like someone finally grew a brain! How does it feel to have your fangirl burn you like that faker?” Shadow chuckled some more before removing his arm from Amy’s grip.

“Well this has been interesting, but playtime is over.” His expression had returned to its usual glower, and he turned to make his way to his destination. He had only made it one step when he was yanked backwards by a pink hedgehog.

“Where are you going? Can I come?”

Shadow looked over his shoulder in disbelief to see Amy holding his hand and staring up at him with large puppy-dog eyes. What the fu -

“Amy! What the heck is going on? Is this some kind of joke or trick?!” Sonic exclaimed, his expression deeply concerned now. Amy was acting completely out of character as though someone else had taken control of her body. He had hardly ever seen her talk to the ebony anti-hero, let alone cling to Shadow like… well like she did with him.

Amy turned to look at Sonic once more, but she didn’t let go of Shadow’s hand.

“Nothing’s ‘going on.’ I just want to spend time with Shadow.”

Shadow flinched at the words, just what was this girl playing at? Spending time with someone she constantly berated as being ‘no fun,’ ‘dark and gloomy,’ and just plain mean. It was unbelievable, impossible. However, here she was, desperately holding onto his hand, and against his better judgement, he felt something stir within him.

“Seriously, Amy! You trying to make me jealous with another guy is so overused. Just drop the act!”

“What are you talking about?” Amy scoffed, and smiled sweetly up at Shadow. Shadow felt his heart stop for a single beat as he stared into clear jade pools of adoration. A look so honest and so raw that it cut through all of his barriers and walls, and pierced his ice-cold heart. Then those sloppily painted lips part, and a voice sweeter than honey announced,

“Shadow’s my boyfriend, of course I want to spend time with him!”

#sonic #sonic the hedgehog #sonic games #shadow the hedgehog #Amy Rose #Shadamy #love #love potion #romance #comedy #fun #fanfiction #writing #short story

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spell-card-fusion · 4 years ago

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Day 1 - Valentine’s Day (or something like it).

Summary: Rollin’s world has always been diverse, and with the introduction of humans and aliens into it it just seems to get more diverse over time. Rollin and Blaze talk about the various holidays in their respective world.

Rollin loved her planet, that much was obvious for anyone to see. She loved travelling and exploring every inch of Mobius. She loved trying all the new foods, meeting new people, learning about all the different plants and wildlife, that sort of stuff. Something she loved above all else about her planet was the different cultures and holidays. It was always interesting to see just how different people were all because of their roots, it always tended to be fun to join people in their celebrations even if she had been raised differently. Her world had many facets, and all of them were worth exploring, acknowledging, and accepting. It’s partially why she spent so much time in Station Square and other human territories once they rose up from the ocean, she couldn’t stand there being new places to run through and not exploring every inch of them.

Her wanderlust only increased when she learned of other worlds. It’s only been a year since she’s been dating Blaze, and this will be their first Lover’s Hunt together, just as it will be their first Lover’s Labour as well! Their world’s different holidays is something they both had discussed at length before, and that Blaze had actually convinced Rollin to help plan to some degree. They were very different holidays after all. As the couple made their way through the woods they both began to reminisce about the conversation they had about this a few months back. It had been near the end of the year. The Annual Descent was coming soon to Mobius, and Rollin couldn’t have wished for a single gift except to get to party with her packmate, exchange gifts, enjoy all kinds of good food, and kiss when Little Planet finally showed up at Midnight.

Sadly they both knew this couldn’t happen, as Blaze had The Annual Invasion to worry about back home. Rollin would’ve happily missed her favourite holiday to spend time with Blaze back in Solace, but the Prince had been adamant about avoiding any kind of meeting between Rollin and her family. She respected it, if only because she had her own family issues, but it didn’t stop her from worrying a bit. The hedgehog instead proposed to celebrate early, which Blaze had ALSO been hesitant about.

“I’m not sure it's a good idea,” She sat on the edge of the top of one of Green Hill’s loops. Her legs were carefully kept close together and her hands rested on her lap. She was sitting all fancy again, which Rollin knew was a sign she was growing less comfortable. “I’ve never been one for the holidays.”

“I get what’cha mean,” Rollin was laying on her stomach, legs kicking the air absentmindedly, an elbow resting on the grass, hand on her cheek. “But this is different! Different world, different rules, different holidays, different people! You’re not being forced to spend time with people you don’t actually like! It’ll be a good chance to loosen up!”

Blaze hated when Rollin made sense like that, just as she appreciated her for it. She was still apprehensive, but thinking about it she was really just going to spend time with Rollin’s-with both of their friends, and with Rollin’s family. It wasn’t the world she knew, or the same holiday season she often dreaded. She guessed in a way there was nothing to fear, except of course her brain still made her feel anxious for no reason.

Rollin picked up on it, she always did. “But you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to, dude! I’m sure we can have fun some other way.” She reassured with that ever-present smile, so much warmer than anything Blaze could ever produce.

She wanted to give back to that smile, so she kicked her anxieties down a flight of stairs and said yes to her initial proposal. If her brain had anything to say about it then it can climb back up the stairs later with those two broken metaphorical legs it has.

The party was actually fun. Blaze got to try more of Mobius’ cuisine, she got to get closer to her friends. One particular conversation however had baffled her at the time. One with a Mx Amy Rose.

“Ugh! You two are so lucky!” Amy said with a clear tone of frustration. “You’re gonna get to spend your first Lover’s Hunt together soon and I still haven’t found anyone to spend Seedlings with yet!”

Rollin rolled her eyes and had a chuckle, they did have this conversation every year. “Come on rosy, at least you’ll get to visit home soon,” She took a sip of her juice while Blaze was trying to figure out what they were talking about before everyone realized she wasn’t good at social interaction. “Plus I thought you and Tekno were a thing already?”

“Why does everyone keep saying that?!”

Rollin has a laugh, which is so contagious both Blaze and Amy actually start laughing. The pink hedgehog waves a temporary goodbye, sticking their tongue out playfully saying she needs to talk to someone else so they can try to ignore all the hearsay. Blaze is still left very confused.

“Seedlings?” She asks for clarification, and then she thinks one word questions make her look kind of uneducated so she turns away and takes a sip of her drink so that no one can see the shame on her face.

“Oh right! Sorry doll, that was probably kind of confusing.” She says while averting her gaze; She doesn’t want Blaze to feel uncomfortable if she doesn’t want anyone staring at her right now.

Unfortunately Rollin is entirely unaware of the huge kick to Blaze’s heartbeat she delivered when her wonderful packmate, in her beautiful dress, with her comforting voice and casual tone and absolutely smooth self called her ‘doll’. Blaze could only respond with a quiet, reserved, all too outwardly stoic yet innerly panicked “Mmhmm.”

“Okay so,” She takes a Chilli Dog from the table opposite to the wall they were standing close to and comes back in less than a second having already taken a bite of it. She swallowed. “Amy’s from Little Planet! She was raised by Seedrians- i already explained Seedrians right?” Blaze nods. “Okay so Seedrians celebrate Somber Seedling, which is when packs- or I guess bouquets as they call ‘em, they get together and write everything they love about each other down in leaves or petals, read them to each other. they tell each other all they want to say in case the other dies soon, they have a special kiss, then bury the box with all the compliments underground hoping their kids inherit all those good traits.”

The blush eventually fades out of Blaze’s face, and Rollin is none-the-wiser. “I see,” She makes a thoughtful hum. “So Lover’s Hunt is the Mobian equivalent?”

“Pretty much, yeah!” Rollin already finished her Chilli Dog, and a new one has found its way to her hand. Blaze didn’t even notice when she dashed off this time. “So in Lover’s Hunt we used to take long trips into the wilderness with our packs and hunt down food for the ancient tribes, we shared it in the woods, then we come back and share whatever’s left with our pals! Nowadays though people don’t really hunt anymore so what we do now is we take a bunch of food and camp for a few days away from everyone we aren’t dating, then share the food when we come back.”

“Interesting,” Blaze could tell Rollin had celebrated both of these traditions in the past. It was hard to imagine she had a hard time finding someone to spend any day with, something Blaze envies. She could travel the world, see any place she wanted, learn about every culture and celebrate every party- maybe even at once. Her envy was put aside for her curiosity, if only for just a moment. “What about the humans? Do they have their own...Love based holiday?”

“Oh boy do they!” It was hard to stay in any kind of sour mood when Rollin would just reply to her question like she’s just so excited to keep talking to her. Sure, she knew it was one of the hedgehog’s favourite topics, but it didn’t lessen the fact that she felt special. “The biggest one is Valentine’s day! It’s actually a pretty simple one, couples- most humans only do romance in twos for some reason? They exchange gifts, cards, and chocolate, then go on dates and stuff. It’s way more vague than our holidays but it leaves room for any kind of thoughtful gesture y’know? Oh! Also lots of heart symbols everywhere, cartoon hearts not the gross real ones.”

Blaze is just standing here hearing Rollin talk, and she’s just so entranced. Not just because she loves her pridemate (though that’s a big factor), but also because she’s just so...Excited about this. She didn’t think Blaze was stupid or ignorant for not doing research into this world’s cultures first, or ignore her question, or show any kind of annoyance really. She was just excited to talk about her home, about Amy’s home, about this planet that she’s lived on her whole life, and she does it with such love and passion. Blaze is often amazed by how much Rollin just loves life, she loves living, she loves being herself more than anything else and it's hypnotizing. She pulls her in like a raging wind that forces her to walk towards her direction. Blaze feels so much stronger next to Rollin, in and out of battle. It feels good, natural, Blaze starts to wonder if maybe Solmates are r-

“So you got any ‘quivs on your world?.” She asked, snapping Blaze out of her trance. Rollin chuckles a bit to herself, thinking the little surprised look on Blaze’s face is cute.

“What are ‘Quivs?” Sol, she is so bad at this.

“‘Quivs, apostrophe quivs, it's short for equivalent.”

Blaze has never laughed so freaking hard at anything, not at a party, not anywhere in public, and not in her entire life period. She doesn’t know why this is what gets her to cackle like a maniac. She’s had her guard up for so long that when something that can make her laugh finally HITS her it's a deathly blow. It doesn’t even cross her mind that people might be staring, that she might look ridiculous, only that Rollin is laughing too and it feels so contagious. Rollin actually stops laughin first. She has the proudest smile on her face, this is someone that has taken down entire robot armies on her own and faced gods without breaking a sweat, yet this has gotta be the proudest moment of her life. Her ego has never been so boosted.

“I’m literally the funniest person alive, add that to my list of great qualities.”

Blaze punches her lightly on the shoulder, but she doesn't refute her. “To answer your question,” Rollin’s eyes immediately shift into focus. Blaze’s heart skips a beat, she suddenly feels incredibly important in a non nerve wracking way. “We have Lover’s Labour. Originally prides got together to build homes on this day to make up for Tiny Fortress’ yearly invasion, a safe place to be together and such. Nowadays we just take the time to create something together, anything really. Something that would take effort and time, that people look back on fondly, a representation of something beautiful.”

“I freakin’ love that!” Rollin’s eyes shine a bit greener, not metaphorically. Her eyes literally shine a little bit brighter, there’s sparkles, little shining spots across her like a bunch of stars. Like Chaos itself, her eyes beckon anyone to make a wish. “We should do that!”

Blaze manages to keep a smile on her face and still look absolutely dumbfounded. At this point it’s not that it surprises her, not that this doesn’t make sense for who Rollin is, but she’s just so...New to all of this. To people in general really, or at least people outside her very small yet frighteningly big Political Drama bubble. She’s too used to her Shakespearean play of a life and leisure is just foreign to her. “I…”

She snaps back to reality. Her cheeks are heating up a lot, and while she’s far past setting herself aflame for no reason she’s still glowing slightly. “I was hoping we’d get to do Lover’s Hunt actually.”

“Gotcha!” Rollin puts a hand to her chin. Her other hand rests at her hip, her foot tapping on the floor rapidly as she thinks of something. Whatever it was it took her only a few seconds before she snapped her fingers, a victorious look on her face. “I have an idea!”

Months later they find themselves hiking through the woods. The sun shines kindly onto the earth below. Spots of sunlight sneak in to kiss Rollin’s skin everytime the wind blows gently through the branches and leaves to allow its passage. The wind caresses Blaze’s fur gently as they take their steps through this beautiful serene place. Blaze takes in a deep breath, it smells like fresh grass and dirt after the rain. Rollin is leading the path through this remote place, holding a map that she made herself.

“This is one of my private spots,” She says while walking. It occurs to Blaze that the two of them are just...Walking, it makes her glow a bit brighter. “Well, kinda. The actual spot is deeper into the forest, but no one really comes here. I guess this place is just for us!”

“Darling,” Blaze speaks up with a shaky voice and the brightest, reddest face. “I’m convinced that you’re trying to kill me at this point. No one is this nice, or this perfect. Do you mean to bury me where no one can see me? Setting this up in a forest where fighting back would harm nature around us is a good strategy, I think you’ll find that I’m not an easy mark.”

By the end of that sentence Blaze had gone from a flustered glow to a daring grin. The glow has gone from her body to her eyes, an intense yellow that emanates an aura that mimics the sun. Rollin had let out a chuckle initially, and then as she’s left mesmerized her resting face is still a silly smile. Her cheeks flush and her eyes sparkle and she just feels hypnotized. “You’re so freaking cool…”

“I know.” Her smile turns soft. They hold hands the rest of the way through.

They eventually reach a clearing. There’s a pretty little circular lake that is surrounded by flowers of various colours, that when seen from above look like a rainbow ring. There are Chao everywhere, rolling around the flowers, or swimming, or sitting on the branches watching everything with their little curious eyes. Overlooking the lake is the biggest tree Blaze has ever seen. She had seen it from a distance, but only now does it hit her how massive it is, absolutely dwarfing every other tree in this unnamed forest. Then there’s a second hit as Blaze once again realizes how much of Rollin’s world is like this, completely overtaken by nature. This world has so many huge trees and looping hills and floating landscapes that this beautiful little place has gone completely unnoticed by everybody else. Her heart aches, because for a moment she wants so badly to stay here and never go back to her world.

Blaze feels Rollin let go of her hand, her heart skips a beat. There’s a very real second where she fears waking up on her bed to a world where this was nothing but a dream. Instead she’s reassured by the breeze Rollin leaves behind as she dashes over to the lake. The hedgehog girl’s steps are so light, somehow managing to not crush a single flower as she steps over them. She jumps over the lake itself, striking a sick pose in the air, then curling into a ball as she falls, rolling on the grass then doing a handspring back onto her feet. She shoots Blaze her trademark grin, and really it’s hard to not be impressed, even if Blaze knows she’s just fishing for attention.

“Very impressive,” Blaze gives a gentle clap. It’s amazing how that’s enough to light up Rollin’s face even more. “Shall we get started?”

“It’s juice and jam time!” She gives a thumbs up and winks.

The next few hours were spent carefully hollowing out the tree without killing it. Rollin would Spindash into the tree making a door shape, then keep doing that while inside the tree to get rid of the inner layer. Blaze directed Rollin’s actions, making sure the measurements are correct, that there’s a ceiling, then a hole for that ceiling as well as wood to make stairs with before they move onto the next floor. Obviously they don’t finish it all in one sitting, the tree is too big for that, and even if they’re both fairly fast and efficient it still would take a great amount of time and coordination. Instead they focus on finishing the first floor. The first floor to their new secret base has a cute perfectly round window, and carpets. There’s pictures of flowers, chao, trees, and a couple of selfies Rollin took on the way here with her instant camera, now framed on the walls. There’s two chairs around a small perfectly round table facing each other, both still attached to the floor and just carved out of the wood that was already there. There’s a mantle over the table and cushions over the chairs.

The two girlfriends look at this, sweaty, somewhat tired, but satisfied. Rollin is already setting up the food on the table, which Blaze would’ve helped but Rollin got it done too fast. She sits down on the chair, patting her hands over the wood of the table and tapping her feet. She has a huge grin on her face. “Alright! Time for eats!”

“Wait!” Blaze takes out her phone. Rollin immediately notes how cute it is, the casing’s blue and has a little green emerald charm. She’s been taking pictures too of course. She takes quick pictures of the biryani, curry, and samosas. Then she leans into Rollin’s chest, who responds by putting a hand around her shoulder and giving a peace sign as she takes the selfie. She has a huge smile on her face as she looks at it on her phone. “Alright, thanks for the food.”

The meal is amazing. They eat and laugh and talk, and it’s the best day of their lives.

After the meal is done Blaze is ready to go out explore the woods with Rollin a little bit more, but she’s stopped at the door. Rollin has something in her hands, a heart shaped box, filled with chocolates.

“Happy Valentine’s Day” Rollin says with shining stardust in her eyes.

“Happy Valentine’s Day” Blaze responds, and she’s already starting to glow.

#sonaze #sonaze week 2021 #sonaze week #sonazeweek2021 #sonazeweek #sth #sonic the hedgehog #trans girl sonic #rollin the hedgehog #blaze the cat

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