The prince of hell

ch 1; My first encounter with red

Shadow looks curiously down on the clothes a few seconds.
Then he starts taking them on, like the way Knuckles had carried them.
Since Knuckles is larger built, and taller, the t-shirt is almost working as a dress on Shadow. Just a small part of the backside could be seen.
"... Thanks..." he swallows when he is dressed.
Shadow looks curiously at him.
"What could your friend lend me?"
"Clothes-..." Knuckles answers and glances shyly at Shadow. When he notices he is dressed, he lowered the arm.
"I'm Knuckles, by the way... Knuckles the echidna"
Shadow smiles.
"Nice to meet you Knuckles... As I already told you... I'm Shadow"

***

The bar, they entered, is crowded with people who enjoy a cold beer with low music in the background.
Rouge sits by the bar desk with a martini.
She brights happily up when he sees Knuckles.
"Well... Well... Isn't it Knuckles, my sweet friend?... You really look hot without any sweater... Maybe you should keep walking around without any" She smirks and raises the glas toward the lips.
She was about to take a sip, when she sees Shadow behind Knuckles.
"Oh?-..." Rouge lowers the glas, while Knuckles was rolling the eyes.
"He is handsome ... Who is your friend?" She asks curiously, and jumps down from the seat where she walks over to Shadow, and starts eyeing him.
Shadow starts squirming uncomfortable over the attention he gets from her.

Knuckles scoffs.
"That's Shadow-... And she needs borrowing clothes from you... She might be injury and needs seeing a doctor" he crosses the arms.
Rouge flinched, and stares confused at Knuckles.
"She?"
The echidna nods.
"Yes-... And she needs your help with borrowing clothes"
Rouge raises an eyebrow, and starts eyeing Shadow a slightly more.
"He isn't a she though... So, why don't you lend him your clothes?-... Not like I would mind seeing him in a dress or something " she smirks.
Knuckles grits the teeth, and points at Shadow.
"ARE YOU STUPID OR SOMETHING?! SHADOW IS A GIRL...A FEMALE!!!" Knuckles yells upset. Not sure if Rouge is only teasing him.
Shadow's heart skipped a beat over Knuckles' sudden outburst.

Rouge clicks the tongue, and makes a hand gesture.
"No I'm not-... But you surely are... Only a blind cow would miss he being male..."
Knuckles trembles in anger and clenched the fists.
"ARE YOU CALLING ME A COW?!"
"I'm male-..." Shadow interrupted their silly fight over his gender.
Knuckles grunts confused, while Rouge smirks.
Shadow inhales deeply.
"I'm sorry if I have caused any misunderstandings... My name is Shadow von Nightgale, son of Asmodeus, and grandson to Lucifer... I'm the oldest prince of hell... And male..." he says, with a side-look at Knuckles on the last part.

Knuckles wides the eyes, while un-clenching the fists.
Could Shadow really be the prince of hell? Doesn't that mean-... He is a demon?!
Not only that... Sadly he is male...
Knuckles shakes the head over the disappointment over his gender.
Like that would matter!... It's not like he is falling for him.
And even if he would, he is still bisexual.
So, male or female, wouldn't matter...
But-... It would be alot easier if he tried finding a girlfriend. At least then, he wouldn't risk some idiots would taunt them on the streets. Calling them by names, and maybe even spit on their faces.
He could still remember how people treated him and Sonic, when they were dating...
Knuckles shudders.

Rouge notices how Knuckles shudders. A bit unsure the reason behind his weird behavior.
But she thinks it might be about Knuckles' past with a same sex relationship.
The bat smiles toward Shadow.
"Oh my-... I never thought I would ever meet a prince... And especially not one from hell... If I knew... I would had chosen my best clothes, and even used the prettiest jewelries I have-..." she says, and glances curiously at Shadow's jewelries. Asking herself, how much those could be valued.
The bat points at Shadow's crown.
"-... But I must say... That crown surely is beautiful... Would you mind if I get a closer look?"
Shadow grunts surprised, and touched the crown with the fingers.
Knuckles flinched.
"Don't let her!"
Shadow jolts, and lowered the hand while looking at him.
The echidna glances at Rouge during few seconds.
"She is a thief..."he spits out.

Rouge snorts, and sits down on the seat, she sat earlier on.
"You make it sound as something filthy... Do you really have to put it, that way?"

Shadow raised a brow.
"Theif?" He tilts the head.
Knuckles nods.
"She steals things-... And if you've had given her your crown, you would most likely not getting it back..."
"Oh-..." Shadow exhales while looking at Rouge.
Then he leans toward Knuckles and grabbed his arm with his.
The echidna flinches blushing.
"S-shadow?"
The ebony hedgehog sighs.
"I'm hungry-... How do you get food up here?" He asks while snuggling closer the echidna whose heart pounds faster.

Rouge smirks at them.
Then she looks teasingly at Knuckles.
"Oh my-... It seems our handsome prince here, is more a meat-guy than a pie-guy~... Why don't you take him home, and feed him?"

Knuckles' cheeks heat even more up, and soon they were red as fire.
"SHUT UP, ROUGE!-... Or I will make you!" He flinched, and couldn't believe she just said that. In front everyone in the bar. And more importantly, in front Shadow!
The bat giggles.
"I would love seeing you try-..."
"OH YEAH?!" Knuckles clenched the fists.
"YEEAAH!" Rouge shoots back at him, and putted the glas away, and leans forward on the seat, toward him.

Shadow sighs.
Despite he would love seeing a fight, he doesn't wanna stay here any longer.
So, he yanks Knuckles' arm a little.
"I would like eating at your place..."

Knuckles grunt surprised, and stares shocked at him.
"W-what?!-..." The flushed echidna asks.
Shadow shrugs.
"If you don't mind, I would like eating at your place..."

Knuckles clears the throat few times while stuttering random noises.
Rouge snickers.
"Of course he doesn't mind!... Knuckles here is only shy... So-... Don't let me keep you... Go...Go..." she waves the hand up and down to dismiss them.

Shadow smiles sweetly at him.
Knuckles swallows hardly.
"Oh, well-... Let's do it... It might be time for food now anyway..." he says shyly and starts walking out from the bar, where Shadow soon let's go of his arm.
Which Knuckles was a slightly disappointed over...