Chapter Text
Sonic felt a little anxious on the way to the bakery, wondering why he hadn’t found Shadow in his bed when he woke up.
Maybe he had used Chaos Control? But shouldn’t he have been awake to do that?
The thought made his skin crawl, and disappointment began to settle in his chest. He had really thought his relationship with Shadow was progressing… and he had to ruin everything.
If he had been awake… why hadn’t he punched him or something?
But hadn’t Shadow already used Chaos Control while sleepwalking before?
Heavens, how Sonic wished that had been the case. All he wanted now was that certainty.
But no. Now he was with Amy in a new bakery that had opened. When had they arrived? He hadn’t even noticed.
He couldn’t blame the girl. Even if she had threatened him with her hammer, he liked the occasional outings they had together.
Stopping to look around more carefully, Sonic realized the bakery was extremely cute. It was decorated mostly in pastel tones, especially pink, blue, and yellow. There were a few bows here and there, but nothing excessive. The desserts also looked delicious.
Cakes, chocolates, cappuccinos, and an almost infinite variety of sweets. The sight made his mouth water.
He sighed in relief. It didn’t look like a bakery Shadow would frequent. He wouldn’t even walk past it. So Sonic was safe.
“Sir?”
A sheep waitress stood beside the table, waiting for him to place his order. Apparently, Amy had already ordered, and he had been completely lost in thought.
“Ah, yes… I’ll take that strawberry cake, I guess?”
The waitress frowned. “If you’re not sure, you can take more time to choose.”
That was a good idea. Better than picking something he wouldn’t like. Honestly, Sonic wasn’t much of a fan of strawberries. They looked pretty, but they were too sour.
“Thanks, I’ll do that.” He offered her a small smile. She nodded and left to attend another table.
Amy and Sonic chatted about trivial things while he looked over the menu. She asked how things were going. Sonic hesitated at first, but he was about to comment on how strangely Shadow had been acting when…
Amy’s expression changed. First, surprise. Then, excitement.
Sonic was confused, until he heard:
“Shadow, Rouge! Over here!”
Sonic turned and froze.
He blinked twice before focusing on Shadow. Their eyes met, and the black hedgehog’s face turned slightly red.
Was he sick?
First the sleepwalking, now this…
Weird.
Sonic watched Shadow and Rouge talking, each exchange of words making the hybrid even redder, while he muttered something, trying to look annoyed. Then confusion… and then relief?
Oh, how Sonic wished he had super hearing at that moment.
•────•☆•────• S&R•────•☆•────•
Shadow planned to go to the new bakery that had opened. The place seemed quiet and had an aesthetic he secretly appreciated.
Not that he would ever tell anyone. It was a little embarrassing for the Ultimate Life Form to like something so… childish(?).
He didn’t care about others’ opinions, but he preferred to avoid unnecessary whispers.
Since he rarely appeared in public, it was unlikely anyone would recognize him.
Almost a perfect plan.
Almost.
As he left, he felt a presence behind him.
‘Of course she’d notice me leaving,’ he cursed internally.
He couldn’t even use Chaos Control. He didn’t have his own Emerald with him.
“Where are you going all dressed up like that, hun?”
Rouge’s voice filled the entrance.
“What do you want, Rouge?” He replied as he turned to face the bat.
“Can’t I know where my best friend is going?” She laughed, amused. Shadow rolled his eyes.
“…I’m going to the new bakery that opened.” He muttered and looked at Rouge, who seemed seconds away from turning purple trying to hold in her laughter. Shadow let out an irritated huff.
She finally let it out, laughing until tears formed. Shadow just watched. Honestly, he hadn’t expected a different reaction.
When Rouge caught her breath, after the space had been filled with nothing but her laughter and a visibly uncomfortable Shadow, she looked at him again.
“I’m going with you. I didn’t have any plans this morning anyway.”
She decided and walked out the door, passing in front of Shadow.
All he could do was sigh heavily. That bat really had no limits, as he remembered all too well. He wondered if she would keep that personality until death.
It was a good thing she was walking ahead of him. She couldn’t see the sad smile that formed on his face.
On the way to the bakery, they talked a little. Mostly Rouge complaining about that annoying echidna more than anything else. Soon enough, they arrived.
The familiar sound of the entrance bell echoed through the bakery.
Shadow headed toward an empty table with Rouge when something — someone — caught the agents’ attention.
“Shadow, Rouge! Over here!” The pink hedgehog waved excitedly from a table ahead.
Shadow intended to just walk past and ignore her when he saw—
Sonic.
Looking directly at him.
Memories of the previous afternoon came back like an embarrassing punch, reminding him of everything he had said and done.
His face turned stupidly red. He looked away, only to find Rouge watching him.
The wicked, teasing smile on her face made him fear what she would say next.
Had she noticed him looking at Sonic?
Chaos. He was doomed.
Rouge raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms, a smile far too slow to be innocent.
“Wow… didn’t know you were the type to stare like that first thing in the morning, Shadow.”
Shadow turned bright red.
“Shut up, bat!”
He managed to mutter, but it sounded even more pathetic with his voice slightly unsteady. His heart was racing. Had she noticed?
Rouge tilted her head, ignoring his attempt to stop her, pretending to follow his line of sight toward the table.
“I mean… everyone has their tastes, right?” She paused, her voice as teasing as ever. “Some prefer pink. Never thought that’d be your type.”
Shadow stopped internally panicking and stared at her, completely confused.
Then her smile widened into pure malice as her eyes landed directly on Amy Rose.
“But I’ll admit I’m surprised. Never pictured you being into the romantic hedgehog.”
Relief hit him hard.
Rouge thought he had been looking at Amy.
That was good… right?
•────•☆•────• S&F•────•☆•────•
Wrong.
Terribly wrong.
Shadow was now sitting across from Sonic, with Amy beside him. Rouge had insisted Amy sit next to him, claiming she wanted to be close to Blue since it had been a while since she’d seen him.
Shadow growled internally.
The worst part was that he couldn’t even say it wasn’t true. Rouge would add two and two and realize he had been looking at Sonic.
“You’re going to want the pink dessert, right, hun?”
Rouge smiled from the other end of the table, for the fifth time since they had sat down. It hadn’t even been ten minutes yet.
She apparently interpreted his anger as shyness around the pink hedgehog.
‘Shadow is weird when it comes to showing feelings,’ she thought. ‘So as a good friend, I’ll help him.’
She smiled triumphantly while Shadow glared at her with a murderous look.
Sonic and Amy remained confused by the whole situation. They didn’t understand Rouge’s sudden hyperfixation on the color pink, nor why Shadow seemed to want to strangle her every time she mentioned it.
Shadow noticed that Sonic looked uncomfortable whenever he looked at him, as if expecting some kind of reaction.
Had he done something wrong?
He shouldn’t have done that. The Shadow of the past wouldn’t act like this. But it hurt to keep pretending after everything…
“So, Shadow, what are you doing here?” Amy finally asked, trying to ease the uncomfortable silence.
To be honest, Sonic wondered the same thing. It didn’t seem like a place the black hedgehog would visit.
Shadow observed her for a few seconds. Seconds that felt eternal to Sonic. What was so interesting about Amy’s face, anyway? Before answering:
“…I like the bakery’s aesthetic.”
Sonic’s jaw practically hit the floor. He never would’ve imagined that.
Thinking about it, he realized he barely knew anything about Shadow.
That made him strangely uncomfortable. They had been rivals for years. How did he not know something like this...?
Amy immediately brightened and started chatting with Shadow. They seemed to have quite a bit in common. Shadow even admitted he liked a human singer Amy adored. Sabrina Carpenter.
Sonic’s frown deepened considerably.
A sharp stab of jealousy settled in his chest.
And so the morning went on. Amy chatting animatedly with Shadow, who responded briefly but seemed a bit more relaxed. Rouge, at his side, looked extremely satisfied.
It was unbearably unpleasant, in Sonic’s opinion.
Apparently, he was the only one who felt that way.
Sonic finished his dessert in silence and, when he noticed Amy had finished too, he grabbed her by the arm and said goodbye quickly.
“Bye, guys! Have fun, Amy and I have a lot to do, like… doesn’t matter.”
He almost forgot to leave the money on the table.
“What’s gotten into you, Sonic?”
Amy asked as they headed back toward the house he shared with his brother.
“Nothing.” He replied curtly, regretting it immediately.
“Sorry. I’m just not having a good day.”
Amy nodded, even without fully understanding. Sonic had seemed normal before. Anxious, sure, but that didn’t matter now.
She put on her headphones and connected them to her phone, listening to her favorite singer.
“Amy.”
Sonic’s voice called out to her. The hedgehog turned to him, eyebrow raised.
“What are you listening to?” Sonic asked, half desperately.
Amy frowned again before answering, but then immediately thought it was nothing.
“Sabrina Carpenter.”
She answered simply. Sonic wasn’t the type to enjoy that kind of music. She had tried to introduce him to it before, but he hadn’t been interested.
“Can I listen with you?”