*Sonic's POV*
"Shadow! It's so good to see you." I smiled and nervously laughed as I got up. Spike poured himself a glass of his favorite mixed drink while I wasn't looking. He then proceeded to pour me a glass of vodka and one for Shadow as well. I grabbed mine and chugged it, feeling like I would need it for this. Shadow raised a brow at me and took a drink from his.

"The mirror gave you away. It's low enough to see you." Shadow pointed behind me, I nodded as I kicked Spike from behind the counter. "Why were you hiding?"

"It doesn't matter." I waved my hand in the air, trying to change the subject. "What are you doing here? Or are you seriously just traveling?"

"I'm just traveling. When I came into this town, a man recognized me and said you worked here. He actually pushed me inside." He pointed at my boss, who was standing at the front door checking IDs. "Didn't think of you as a bartender."

"Been working here for 6 years. I come and go." I chuckled and refilled his cup when he finished it. "On the house."

"Thank you." Shadow nodded. It was nice to be around him. The time apart really must have helped.

"Is Rouge not with you?" I asked, and he shook his head.

"I haven't seen her in about 5 years either. Everyone separated. The only one who stayed behind was that echidna friend of yours because he still protects the master emerald. But he stays all the time on that island." Shadow said, but my eyes focused on Spike dancing while holding a beer bottle in the background. Whoever he stole it from was going to get mad.

"Really? Even Tails left?" I asked again as Shadow now turned to see where I was looking at. "Sorry, Spike usually starts fights here."

"Your friend left about 2 years after you. You don't talk to him? I would've imagined you two would be the ones to stay in contact." Shadow hummed then crossed his arms as he rested back on the counter. "Is he your boyfriend?"

"Nah, I wanted to give him his space and decide on his own what he wanted to do in his life. We both were by each other's side for so long that it was all we knew. Tails needed to start fresh and without someone getting him into more problems." I explained, then laughed at the second question. "No. Chaos. Spike isn't my type at all. He's a regular, I am in charge of keeping him in check, but he causes fights every day. At least when I'm here."

I turned when another customer asked for a beer and gave it to him, adding it to their tab. The guy winked at me and grabbed my hand, slipping me a piece of paper with their phone number, then they left.

"You're popular." Shadow said, now looking back at me. I chuckled and shrugged.

"Yeah, but I don't want to get burned anymore. Gave myself a rule not to date anyone who comes here. No one in this town takes dating seriously." I frowned.

"You? Seeing someone yet?" The question repulsed him. He made a face of pure disgust that he even looked away and shook his head. "Have you ever had a first?" I asked, making him glare at me, I laughed at that. "You know, I kind of missed that look you gave me all the time." I confessed.

"I forgot how ridiculously annoying you are." Shadow crossed his arms. "I have not." He confessed to me, making my ears go up realizing he had opened up to me about something private.

"Whoa, really?" I gasped. "Well, what are you waiting for?" I asked. "You can not tell me you've never liked someone, even someone as grumpy and edgy as you have had to have a crush before."

"I haven't." He said calmly.

"Really? Not even Rouge?" The thought of dating her made his face twist in visible disgust, eyebrows furrowed and nose scrunched up as if he had just smelled something foul. His hands instinctively pushed the idea away, palms out in a defensive gesture.

"Why would anyone even think of that? It's just... wrong." The very notion seemed to repulse him to his core.

"You two were oddly close." I shrugged and laughed at his reaction, then watched as he chugged down his drink. "So then, really? No one?"

Shadow stared at me for a few seconds, looking into my eyes as if deciding to tell me or not. He tapped his cup for another refill, so I did, and he chugged it again. When I thought he was done talking, he surprised me with an answer.

"No one, Hedgehog. I haven't even paid attention to anyone." He confessed.

"You're kidding." I instantly said, but Shadow shook his head. It was insane to me how honest he was at the moment.

"What about Amy?" I asked, earning a shake of his head. No. "Oh, thank chaos." I whispered, then quickly shook my hands in the air. "I didn't mean anything by that. It's just that it's good you don't have feelings for her, she is too clingy. You probably would have killed her on your first date. I mean, don't take it as if I liked her, I don't swing that way, so she never had a chance."

"I know." Shadow said calmly. Maybe he was beginning to get tipsy. Could the ultimate life form get drunk?

"Say, you have anywhere to stay the night?" I turned to look at Spike again and noticed a man walking up to him. "You can stay at my place if you like. Here." I wrote down my address quickly and handed it to him. "I get out in 3 more hours. The drinks were on the house." I smiled at him, then jumped the counter and sighed. "Here we go again."

By the time I came back from helping Spike out, Shadow had already left.