random characters x reader

In the Dark, I Found You

The city lights below flickered like dying stars as Shadow the Hedgehog stood silently on the edge of a skyscraper, arms crossed, eyes narrowed. His black quills fluttered slightly in the wind, and his red stripes glowed faintly under the moonlight. He was used to the silence—welcomed it, even—but tonight, something gnawed at his focus.

He wasn't alone anymore.

Not since (Y/N) had entered his life.

It started small.

A chance encounter—an accidental crossing of paths during one of Shadow's missions. (Y/N) had been in the wrong place at the wrong time... or maybe, the right time, if fate had anything to say about it.

They weren't like anyone Shadow had met before. No fear in their voice, no trembling in their eyes. Just... curiosity. Honesty. A calm that made his guarded heart twitch.

He didn't mean to let them in. He never meant to let anyone in.

And yet...

"You come up here often?" a voice said behind him.

Shadow didn't have to turn to know it was (Y/N). He didn't even flinch.

"Most people don't climb 60-story buildings to check in."

(Y/N) stepped up beside him, panting slightly from the effort but still smiling.

"Most people don't stand on rooftops at 3 a.m. like dramatic anime protagonists either."

A faint smirk tugged at Shadow's lips. Just barely.

They stood together in silence for a moment, staring down at the sleeping city. The wind was colder up here, but not uncomfortable. Not with the warmth of someone by your side.

"You've been avoiding me," (Y/N) said gently.

Shadow exhaled through his nose.

"I've been... thinking."

"About what?"

His crimson eyes finally flicked toward them.

"You."

That single word cracked something open. The quiet between them shifted, no longer uncomfortable. Just heavy with the weight of unspoken things.

Shadow looked away again, his voice low and unsure, like he was speaking secrets he hadn't dared voice even to himself.

"I've done terrible things. I've hurt people. I've lost control. I'm not someone... anyone should care about."

(Y/N) didn't flinch. Instead, they stepped closer and rested their hand on his arm.

"And yet I do."

Shadow stiffened at the contact, not from discomfort, but from the terrifying, unfamiliar feeling blooming in his chest. Warm. Grounding.

Real.

"You think you're beyond saving," (Y/N) said softly, "but every time you show up to protect someone, every time you push people away just to keep them safe—you're proving yourself wrong."

Shadow stared at them. Their eyes, kind and fearless. The kind of gaze someone gave when they chose to see the light in you, no matter how dim.

"I don't deserve you," he whispered.

"Maybe not," they said with a shrug and a crooked smile. "But I'm here anyway."

Shadow blinked.

And then, slowly, hesitantly, he reached out and took their hand.