YAAU - Chapter three - Differentiate
“C’me on, I’ll take you home.”
“Huh?”
“You’re exhausted. You should get some rest.”
Amy Rose nodded at him, agreeing that it seemed better if she’d get some rest even though she still was unable to reflect on the entire situation- let alone reflect on how she was feeling right now.
He knelt next to her on the grass and lifted her up in his arms. Her body was numb and she only looked at his face to find out what was going on.
“Work with me, okay?”
“What?”
He sighed when he looked at her face that showed she had no clue at all what he was talking about because she was kind of drunk. His sense of responsibility popped up when Amy subsided in the grass and made him conscious of the situation that was going on.
“Pull your arms around me and hold on tight.”
“Okaaay.”
He dashed off into the distance with an amazingly high speed that she was used to because Sonic had held her in his arms while running this fast many times before- but this… This was different. This time, there was no threat from and enemy to fight against like the times when Sonic ran off with her in his arms. Shadow’s movement was so smooth and the cold night breeze cooled her heated body. It was like she was dreaming. Everything felt so serene. The starry skies, the speed they were traveling at. He was closing in on her house and started to slow down until they had stopped.
Still a little drowsy, she found herself oddly drawn to him. His smell, the lines that formed his silhouette and that attitude of him that made him so mysterious… She caressed his chest fur with her right hand. I can feel his heartbeat! Slowly she tilted her head to look at him.
“Your heart rate is fast.”
“What are you trying to say?”
She didn’t answer and lifted her right hand to softly pet his back quills and noticed his heart beat even faster than before and she locked eyes with him.
“It’s speeding up.” She whispered.
He rolled his eyes at her, feeling frustrated that she was making stupid comments that made him more conscious about how uneasy he felt.
“And why do you think that is?”
The tone in his voice showed he was agitated, but the dreamy, drowsy Amy Rose didn’t seem to understand.
“Because you ran a couple of miles with me in your arms?”
“But I’m not out of breath, now am I?”
It was a little seductive, the way he spoke, with that low voice of his. Amy thought about it: his condition was so good; he almost never was out of breath. Suddenly it hit her.
“Might it be… me?” She asked almost inaudible.
He looked away from her and remained silent.
“You… make me quite nervous too, you know?” she whispered.
Shadow’s cheeks reddened instantly and his shoulders stiffened.
“Shadow?”
He reluctantly turned his face towards her and tried looking at her. Amy’s jade eyes shimmered into the bright night and suddenly he felt like he lost it, driven by the tension between them, wanting to hold her as close to him as possible, wanting to kiss her and everything. Those thoughts alarmed him that he shouldn’t let his guard down and he suddenly shook her off, putting her on her own legs again and made a step backwards.
“You should get some rest, Amy.”
The pink female held onto his hand and stared at the ground. He could see an inner dialogue taking place inside her mind.
“What if I don’t want to?”
she continued: “What if I… wanted you to stay with me?”
Her explicit question made him shiver and suddenly he realized how cold it was.
“Would that be all right?”
“I can’t.”
“Why?”
“Just because.”
“That’s not good enough, Shadow. Give me a proper reason.”
“Then tell me why you want me to stay.”
“It’s just like you said: I need you right now, as much as you do need me.”
Great. Of all the things he said tonight, why was it this thing that she remembered? And he didn’t even mean it like the way she used it right now…
“Amy, you’re drunk and I feel like I’ve drank too much as well. I can’t… you know? It’s not right.”
“You’re the one who kissed me in the first place.”
Her voice was showing some agitation. He remained silent because she proved a point.
“Listen, Shadow, I don’t want to force you to come with me if that’s not what you want, but I don’t believe you don’t want to. We don’t have to… I mean… I’m not asking you to… sleep with me.”
“Of course you’re not!” He blunted at her.
Her cheeks were bright red by the time those words came out of her mouth and his eyes widened instantly.
How could she possibly just say that? Might she have been thinking that’s what he was thinking?
He wasn’t thinking that she wanted him to sleep with her while she thought he might have jumped to that conclusion. It was a stupid thing to say. Of course she wasn’t asking him to sleep with her. It made her feel major embarrassed.
“I just want you to hold me.”
It took a lot of courage, but she dared to look up and face him, still uncertain of what he would say or do. Time seemed frozen and his movement appeared to be in slow motion as he placed one foot before one another. It was like she had a fever; flushing from hot to cold; watching as he moved towards her. Shadow took her hand and dragged her inside the house and closed the door without even turning on the lights. He placed her against the wall of the hallway and stepped in on her. The sudden, yet gentle touch of him placing his hands around her waist was heating up her body through her dress. She put her hands on his chest and looked up at him.
He rolled his eyes at her, wanting it to appear that he didn’t care.
“Guess I can do that much.”
Her heart skipped a beat as he looked at her in the dark with that mysterious glance in his eyes that barely showed any emotion, feeling his breath touching her lips, was he teasing her? She pressed her body onto his, making herself able to feel his heartbeat through her own chest.
“Heh.” She laughed somewhat victoriously.
“Now what?” The dark colored hedgehog lifted one eyebrow.
“That mysterious attitude of yours. You’re playing the responsible hero; almost never showing anyone how you really feel, keeping people away with it, but I can tell.”
“Tell what?”
“That you’re fighting yourself right now.”
“You’re not making any sense.”
“Yes, I do, but it’s tremendously attractive when you’re like that- and I run out of breath…”
“You’re one to talk. You can’t even speak properly anymore.” He spread a smirk upon his muzzle.
“Hmph.”
Amy’s hands found their way alongside his cheeks up to his head. They started stroking his quills. It made him shiver. She was right. He was on the edge of giving in to her. The pink female pushed herself up to stand on her toes and whispered in his ear: “When did you become so incredibly handsome?”
Again he pressed his lips to hers firmly and pulled her closer to him. His kisses were soft, but strong and left Amy dwelling in his arms. She totally poured into him. Amy suddenly broke away from their kiss, getting a slightly confused look from Shadow.
“What’s wrong?”
“Let’s sit. My legs feel so tired, I can’t stand any longer.”
She smiled at him and gently stroked his chest fur. He put one hand underneath her legs and the other around her back and lifted her to walk them to the couch. He sat down on it, still holding her in his arms. She turned around to face him, putting one leg at each side of his thighs, put her arms around him and rested her head on his shoulder. Shadow returned her gesture by embracing her and caressing her back. She smelled so good and her skin was so soft.
“What happened between us just now? Why does this all feel so right?” She softly whispered.
He remained silent and kept petting her back. She knew talking about feelings wasn’t one of his specialties… Still: she wanted to know what was going on inside his mind.
“Shadow, why did you kiss me tonight?”
She leaned back to make eye contact with him and lifted his chin with her index finger when he didn’t looked back at her.
She continued: “I know we both agreed that we needed someone to hold but, is that all there’s to it?”
“We also hit the glass too hard.” He raised one eyebrow and smirked at her.
“That’s not what I meant.”
She playfully pushed him and realized she had to use another tactic to get him talking. So, she closed in on him until they were millimeters away from each other’s face and let their lips almost touch. He tried to kiss her, but she leaned back, lowered her eyelids and stared into his eyes. She saw it left him hungry for her kisses, but she was gonna get the answers she wanted from him. It made her laugh inside, feeling victorious.
“That’s a dirty trick.”
“Then tell me what you’re really thinking.”
He unlocked eyes with her and kept quiet for a couple of seconds that seemed to last an eternity.
“It’s just that… lately, I find myself oddly drawn to you, Amy.” His hands were gently cupped around her muzzle.
“I mean: we’re hanging out more lately and I seem to enjoy your company, not just tonight, but since a few months. I didn’t mean for it to happen. ”
“Honestly? I didn’t notice until tonight.”
“I knew you didn’t know. I’m sorry for kissing you out of the blue… but when you returned my gestures…”
“I was a bit taken aback by it at first, but somehow I couldn’t… resist you anymore…”
She felt so hot, she was afraid she might begin to sweat in front of him and she felt embarrassed only thinking about that, which made her sweat even more.
“Shadow, we’ve been good friends for a while now. I’ve got to be honest with you.”
She pointed her finger at him, accidentally poking his nose from the temporary lack of coordination. “Until tonight, I never really thought about you like this, but suddenly there was this tension…”
“I already told you: we both drank too much.”
He removed the finger that poked his nose.
“Not that!”
In a gust she closed in on him and kissed his neck and he spontaneously forgot how to breathe for a second and then burst into laughter from her sudden, passionate move.
“What?!”
“You, know? I was gonna ask you if I could kiss you again, but I think I already have my answer.” He winked at her.
“You… just make me shiver somehow” the pink hedgehog whispered timidly.
“I can tell.”
Her face turned bright red and she avoided his look, feeling too uncomfortable.
“It just feels so… natural because I know who you are with my mind and touching you is so…-“
“I know.”
He softly kissed her lips, leaving her longing for more of him. She placed kisses on his neck and noticed his breathing became irregular. It left him dwelling in a pleasurable state, almost drooling at her touch. Just when she wondered if the tension would push them to take a next step, he opened his mouth;
“Amy…”
“Huh?”
“Let’s go sleeping for now.”
An almost inaudible ‘oh’ escaped her lips.
“I don’t want you to think that I’m only holding you because we both agreed we needed somebody to hold tonight or that we’re making out because we’re drunk. I want to treat you with the respect you deserve. And that means that we have to stop right here, not in the last place because you look exhausted and I have to admit; even I’m beat.”
“Even you?”
“Even me.”
She smiled at him. The things he said made her want to be near to him even more and she couldn’t stop herself from kissing him again, but he was quick to break away from it.
“Stop…right here.” His smile vanished and he tried to look serious, even though on the inside it made him feel somewhat proud that she couldn’t stop herself from kissing him.
“You’re so disciplined!”
“Stop teasing me. We need to get some rest.”
“You’re secretly such a gentleman.”
“Don’t tell anyone.”
She giggled.
“I’ll carry you upstairs.”
He put her on her bed, pet her forehead and turned around to leave the bedroom.
“I’ll sleep on the couch.”
“Bu-“
“Amy, I’m in the military. I sleep in odd places all the time. I think I can handle your couch.”
“At least know where the blankets are, you stubborn hedgehog.” She said while handing one to him.
“Thanks. Good night.”
“Good night.”
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Previous chapter: read here
Next chapter:
Text in italic = thoughts
Artists/author’s notes:
- About the first picture :When I finished the picture I realized I drew Shadow a right hand on his left arm. I didn't know to stop laughing or crying. I put so much effort into that stupid hand and I'm too lazy to change it, but I'd also feel a little guilty if I wouldn't mention it.
- Storyline: It won't fully be a romance story. Things will get more serious and slightly darker in the next chapters.
- Artwork: I didn’t draw the illustrations in chronological order, so the styles may change during the story.
