Sonic One-Shots

Shadourge: A Second Chance

Requested by @Skhan_322, Shadow's POV (sequel to previous Shadourge chapter)

Tap.

I stir slightly, ear flicking at the sound invading my sleep.

Tap.

I turn over, grumbling, chasing the restful state I'm slowly emerging from.

Tap. Tap. TAP. I jerk upwards, finally coming to fully. I stare at my window, the apparent source of the sounds. TAP. A sizeable pebble comes soaring out of the darkness, striking the window, and I vault out from under the covers, swearing.

In less than a second, I have the window yanked open, and I lean out of it, squinting in an attempt to find who's throwing rocks at my house. It takes my eyes a moment to adjust to the low light, and a figure becomes clear in the dimness, standing on my lawn.

"Good morning!" He calls, and I'm stumped for a moment, mind still thick with exhaustion, before the voice registers.

"Scourge?" My tone betrays how incredulous I am, and I fumble at my wrist for my watch's light. "What in Chaos are you trying to do, chipping my window at 4 in the morning?"

"Did I chip it?" He asks hurriedly, sounding concerned. "I didn't mean to. It's just...really cold, and I was hoping to wake you up so I could..." He trails off, and I notice that he's shaking. To me, the chilly air isn't a bother, but the green hedgehog below me wasn't granted the same temperature-regulating alterations that I've come to depend on. At the thought, I quickly weigh the odds, eventually deciding it's probably alright to let him in.

"Hang on, I'll be right down," I call, withdrawing my head and relatching the pane. Then, attempting to smooth down my unruly quills with a hand, I exit my room to walk down the wooden staircase, past my kitchen, and to the door. Suddenly nervous, I hesitate as I go to unlock it, tired mind remembering with alarming clarity the last time I was alone with Scourge. He had used a No-Zone inhibitor to block my powers, using his physical advantage afterwards to press advances on me. To trick him into letting me escape, I had allowed him to believe I was reciprocating the affection. Upon getting my powers back, he painfully learned otherwise, and I had let G.U.N. arrest him.

Since then, I've visited him semi-frequently while he was imprisoned, but there were always cameras and guards, so we stuck strictly to casual conversation. Without that cushion... Well, I have no idea what's going to happen.

What do I even want to happen? I ask myself, unsure. My encounter with Scourge had been the first of its kind I had experienced; it introduced me to instinctual wants I hadn't known I had, and it left me confused about whether or not I was interested in seeking a healthy physical relationship. Directly after I had detained Scourge, I had hesitated in response to his question of whether I would consent to be courted, eventually answering "perhaps." I'm sure that's why he's here now, and my lips twitch at the thought, somewhere between a frown and a flat look, my hand still on the handle.

"Shadow?" Scourge queries outside, and I stiffen, coming back to the present. "You there?"

"Yeah, here," I say, fumbling a bit with the door's latch. "Come in." Scourge smiles a bit hesitantly at me, more subdued than his usual, shark-toothed grin. I do my best to return the expression, but, the moment he walks past me, my brows furrow together again.

"Nice place," the lime-furred Mobian compliments, and I give a stiff nod in response to his backward glance. "A lot warmer than outside, that's for sure." I don't reply, still standing by the door and debating with myself about what should happen, what could happen.

"Can I sit down?" He asks carefully, pointing at the couch.

"Sure," I croak, coughing to clear my throat. Nervous though I am, my ingrained sense of courtesy refuses to allow me to continue being such a bad host, and I head over to join him on the checkered cushions. As I lower myself beside him, I can see clearly that he's still shivering, and I quickly stand up again. "Here, I have a warmer jacket you can borrow; that leather isn't very insulated." I head for the closet, pulling out the fluffy gray plaid Rouge got me recently. Scourge looks surprised as I hand it to him, but he shrugs out of his jacket and folds it, placing it on the coffee table.