> Unfontunately that defeats the isolation part.

> Romanticizing Isolation

A haunting silhouette emerged. Not even needing to closely inspect the bike to *know* Sonic touched it- and obviously broke his prized posession. A hand to eject out, and grab a fist-full of the thin, loose skin surrounding the hedgehog's skull. The grip unweilding.

" H̵̢̢͔̼͚̞̦͇̫̱̥̰̤͗̾͑͂̉̾̈͒̅͘͘ ̷̢̧̡̝̰̠̪͎̺͖͆̍̐̓̈́̓̾̀͆͂͝͠͠ͅė̵̳̟̲̼́̀̽͑̓͆͗̈͘͜͝͠ ̴̢͙̦̥̱͕̣̞̫̥͉̬͖̺̜̬̣̲̰̽̆͊͑̀̆́́͗̈́̄̈́̕ͅd̸̨̮̖̫̪̩̦̱̮̘̘̹̣̺͇̓̓̾͒͌̂̆̀̀́̓̔͝ͅ ̸̢̨̦͓͔̱̬̠̙͇̣͉̯̹̪̀ͅg̴̛̖̭͚̺̺͚̰̅͗͑̒͜͝ ̴̢̡̣̻͔̥̟̰̰͖̠͎̗̠̮͚̭̐̑́́͋̊̍̀̏̕͝ȩ̵̺͎̪̞̗̕ ̸̨̛̥̯̠͎̺͚̦̀͂͊̽̐́̑͆̿̀̾̎̎̌͂̍͘̚͠ͅḧ̵͉̫̩͉͕̹̼̪̹̥̫̪͔͈͙̼̣̻͉̘̳͍́̕͝ ̵̢̢̛̟̪͖̳̌̈́͋͒̍̆̉̑͛̓̇̋͌̊͒̂̽̋̎̌͂͑̀͒́͋̽͘̚͜o̶̢̙̠̺̩͖̼̭̣̥̘̭̩͉̭͉̺̠̠͊̀̄͐̿͂̄͑͂͒̆͌̏͂̀̐̀̑̆͗̒ͅ ̴̧̨̛̗̤̖̩̜̯͚̦̖̻͚̰̩͛̽̂̍́̉̾̍͌͋̒͘͘͜ͅg̶̛̞͖̗̑̉͂͋̇̓̅́́̔̐͐̿̽̔͠ ̶̨̨̢̧̛̟̭̬̻̼͍̜̪̰̟͖̱̻̗́͛̀̇͗̽͝ͅ.̵̢̯̱̞͓̭̣̟͙̹̽̔̀́̈́̈́̔̍̕͝. "

HE AIN'T CALLED THE ULTIMATE LIFEFORM FOR NOTHING PRINCESS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Her hand lead to be placed back against his face. The heart of her palm resting against the soft skin of his face. The tips of her fingers just barely able to get lost in his branching out quills.

"Which means you're the most integral piece to the entire operation, Princess.~"

A tilt down of his face, his nose following the contour of her jaw. The faintest sensation of his lashes grazing against her earthy fur. Inquiry, fascination, and attraction intertwining, weaving a dangerous attraction.

"G.U.N. doesn't lend out their living weapon to just *anybody*, Sally.~"

"Tools don't retain my attention.~"

A small nudge, more now than just the corner of his lip now resting against the apple of her face. Advances made slowly, seeing just how far it would go.

"Nor get the pleasure of my services."

"Because if there is something I hate, it is a waste of my time.~"

"Oh, you're no tool at all, Princess."

"Tools are, disposable."

"You are- far more valuable than that."

The corner of his lip now imprinting itself onto her cheek. Allowing the steady, warm breaths he took trace over her hair and fur. His fingers spreading out along the small of her back.

Not that Sally was aware that experience happened. Nobody knew- except Rouge and Omega. But they have likely forgotten it ever transpiring. Such was the curse of being the hero and the one to ensure time passed correctly- just like Sonic.

"I have eternity to figure out happiness, you do not."

A silence. As this wasn't the first time he had been posed that question. Even so- he would ponder it again.

"I made a promise, I won't break it."

Unspoken, but interacting with Maria recently had only hardened his resolve. As the second go-around, it was by his fault he had lost Maria, again.

His answer gotten in her next statement. Brows lifting as dots connected that his actions were giving off mixed signals. Fingers to pinch the zipper together and close her vest in response. His arms withdrawing back.

"I don't."

At least- not since he saw *her* in White Space. His grimace returned.

Maybe it it had been anyone else but Shadow, Sally's assumptions would have been correct. But Shadow was- unique. From his history, to his immortality, and even the way he carried himself through the lives of others. He was simply *himself*- for better or worse.

"What else would you call it?"

An inkling of a feeling that if he asked what it was all about, she would play it off. So, he wouldn't- but it would be kept at the back of his mind. Head lifting back upright as Amy asked her question. His tail lifting up just a bit at the concept of "coffee cake".

"Yes, please."

Her reaction was noted, though he wasn't able to surmise why she had reacted so strongly. Blinking in ignorance to what had momentarily set her off. Once again, entirely left in the dark. Her quick recovery not slipping by, making his head tilt to the side in mute questioning.

"..."

"You're Welcome."

A hum as he had let her answer hang in his thoughts. Wondering what in the world that had made them.

Not friends, not enemies. A strange place that was blurred somewhere beyond a single word- and Shadow wasn't familiar with the label that would have described what they are

A lift to carry her, having her sit against his arms- as he hadn't dared to move her face out from being buried in the white tuft of fur on his chest.

"No more leaving the house without me."

It wasn't a request.

In due time he would know who or *what* had done this to her too.

And when he did...

Not having the heart nor words to confess the conflicting sensations that ate him from the inside out. His arms gathering up the smaller hedgehog into his arms the more she fussed about to have as much of him against her as she could get. A slight kneel as he wrapped an arm behind her knees.

An illness that soured with a kiss. Feeling, undeserved. But not once had that feeling of rot escaped to show on his face. Merely blinking as he was showered further with attention he hadn't earned. A tension that paralyzed his chest to continue holding a breath for far too long.

"I am protecting you."

A noticeable tug at the corners of her jacket's ends. Shadow not needing to say what was going on- it was implied. Eyes affixed outwards- staring with his voice kept a low rumble.

"Sonic isn't the only one that gives you glances, Princess."

Guilt that would remain unvoiced. Perhaps never escaping to the surface. But shown now-after the damage had already been done.

"Amy-"

"Let's go home."

An entire month in darkness, and now presented with the unvoiced request to wait longer to know where on Mobius Amy had disappeared off to. As it was no secret *something* happened. Pain that could have been avoided if he had just lingered back awhile longer- if he hadn't been so consumed by G.U.N..

They hadn't. Not a single one got by his eye- but now hadn't seemed like the proper time to address it. An unspoken, silent anger festering beneath the surface. Fingertips tracing the lines left behind, reminders to failure. Left to exist and plague his consciousness without a word.

💎:

MY BOY GOT TIMBS!!!!

💎: Anyway uhh