*Shadow's POV*
"Do you still like me?" He asked, I nodded, not being able to come up with the words. He smiled softly at my response. "If you don't talk, we may never get anywhere."

"I'm not good with expressing how I feel." I confessed as I pinched the bridge of my nose and rubbed my temples, feeling completely irritated with myself. "I can't find the right words to say."

"Then just speak. Don't think about it, just do." He suggested.

"I like you." I was finally able to say after a long pause. "I have for a long time." I swallowed as I waited for Sonic to say something. Anything.

"I want to give us a chance." He blurted out in one big word. Even Sonic had trouble expressing how he felt sometimes, I found it quite comforting to know that. His face had a small hint of pink across his muzzle as he spoke. "If you want to, that is."

"I do." I nodded.

"But I want to take things slow. Look, I know you don't know much about these kinds of things, so I have to learn about what you're comfortable with and what you aren't. Why don't we go on a date tomorrow, go for some coffee whenever we wake up? I know you only eat the beans, I know the owner, so don't worry."

I was a bit surprised at this, but I knew he was right. We hadn't seen each other in a whole decade it was just common sense to go on a date first. Suddenly, I was nervous, more than I have ever been in my life. This felt too important to mess up, and without Rouge, I didn't know what to do.

"Okay. We should go to sleep already then." I looked at the time before I got up, then looked at him. "Did you leave early so you could talk to me?"

He moved the bandana to cover his face and looked away. "I don't know what you're talking about. You must still be half asleep. Go to bed." He walked upstairs and into his room, closing the door behind him. I chuckled and went into the guest room.

I kept tossing and turning, trying to go to sleep, but I kept getting in my head. So much so that after 5 years of ignoring Rouge, I decided to text her.

Me: I have a date tomorrow.

Rouge: Who's this?

Me: You deleted my number, Bat?

Rouge: Shadow?!
Rouge: Oh, thank chaos!
Rouge: I switched phones and lost your number.
Rouge: I thought I would never hear from you again.
Rouge: Wait. You have a date?!

I was happy to see she wasn't mad at me.

Me: Yes. I don't know what to do.

Rouge: It's been 5 fucking years Shadow!
Rouge: You left me!
Rouge: How could you?!

I was wrong. She was, in fact, very mad at me. So much so that she video called me. I hesitated, but I answered as I got up and walked outside of the house, making sure to keep her muted until I was outside so Sonic wouldn't wake up.

"-and I'll watch as you so painfully beg me to stop." I heard the last part of what I assumed and so badly hoped was how she was going to torture me for leaving.

"Are you done?" I asked as I sat down at the stairs of the porch. She rolled her eyes, she was in bed, I could see she was wearing her eye mask on her forehead and was changed into some pijamas. She sighed and got closer to her phone, smiling.

"Yes. I am just thankful I hear from you again. I haven't stopped thinking about you, Hun." I looked up at the sky and nodded.

"Neither have I. I'm sorry I left." I finally apologized, something I should have done years ago. "I was dragging you down, Rouge. You would have never left G.U.N. if I had stayed with you."

"That's not true." She defended herself.

"It is. You left after I left. I couldn't stay in contact or you would have changed your life to adapt to mine. You were a good friend, too good for me. I thank you for that."

"You've changed over the years. You seem a bit more relaxed. Open. What happened? Who happened?" She took off the sleeping mask completely as she used the phone as a mirror and started checking her face. I chuckled and shook my head.

"It's new. I met someone. We are going on a date in the morning. I felt like it was something I needed to share with you." Even after all these years, Rouge still played a big part in my life. Even after leaving her and not talking to her for many years, she was still and will always be my best friend.

"Guy? Girl?" She asked.

"Guy." I answered.

"Who asked who out?" She smiled happily.

"Rouge." I rolled my eyes.

"Answer me~" She sang, making me sigh and shrug.

"I'm not entirely sure. Him." I said after a bit of silence. "We aren't dating. We are just going out on a date."

"So you're in the talking stage? The one before the actual dating stage." She hummed and nodded. "Are you ready?"

"No. I can't even get myself to go to sleep. I feel strange." My words made her smile grow even bigger.

"Look at you, all in love." Rouge giggled, making me look away again.

"Shut up." I chuckled and smiled softly when I looked back at Rouge, and she was still smiling at me. "What?"

"It's just so good to see you again, Handsome." I could have sworn I saw a tear come out, but she moved the phone, so I couldn't see. "I missed you."

"I -" I tensed up when the porch lights turned on. I turned around to see Sonic looking at me through the curtains still looking half asleep. He waved at me and mouthed if I was okay. I nodded and looked back at Rouge. "I have to go. I think I woke him up."

"You what? Wait, what? You're what?" She quickly asked. "Did you sleep with him?"

"Chaos, get your head out of the clouds. No. I'm staying in his guest room." I rubbed my temples, forgetting just how dirty minded she was. "I missed you too, Rouge. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Promise?"

"I promise." I said and hung up after she said goodnight.

"Was that Rouge?" Sonic said as he walked out of the house and sat beside me.

"Yes." I answered calmly, as calm as I could at having him this close to me. He rested his head on my shoulder and yawned, making me even more tense.

"How come you called her? Were you nervous?" I nodded again, earning a smile. "How is she?" He closed his eyes, making me relax and let my shoulders down.

"She's doing good. I missed her." I looked down at Sonics' hand, which sat on his lap.

"I'm nervous, too. I like you, Shadz. I don't want to mess it up."

"You? Messing it up? No. I'm the one who doesn't know anything about relationships. Chaos, the one mission I messed up was when I had to fake being Rouge's husband to infiltrate somewhere. I couldn't even keep a fake relationship."

"Real relationships are different. And I am patient. I know you're new at this, I know you're not good with your feelings, which is why I wanted to test the waters first. Know what you're comfortable with and what you're not. You don't seem like much of a fan of touch." He sat up straight. "So I won't -"

*Sonic's POV *
Shadow looked at his shoulder and then back up at me. Something about that little detail made me smile. He looked sort of upset that I even moved. I rested my head back on his shoulder and kept talking as if I didn't see anything.

"So I won't push it. Maybe this and holding hands may be okay?" I said as I reached for his hand but hesitated and pulled back. Shadow, to my surprise, reached for my hand and held it as he looked away. "Is it?" I asked, and he nodded.

We stayed like this for a little while longer, looking up at the stars and the moon. The conversation moved from our date to talking about the stars.

"Did you know that when we look at the stars, we're actually looking back in time? Some of the starlight we see left its star thousands, or even millions, of years ago. It's kind of like we're sharing a moment with the universe’s past." I said which earned Shadow to finally look at me and smiled.

His smile was magnetic, effortlessly pulling me in it's warmth and charm. While it was rare and unexpected, it softened the intensity that usually burned in his eyes. It was as if a weight had been lifted, and for the first time, his face showed something lighter—almost vulnerable. The tension in his jaw relaxed, and that smile, though small, seemed to light up a part of him that had been hidden for far too long. It was a powerful contrast to his usual anger, making it all the more captivating.