beepo

"Guess that's all. See ya 'round, fellas!" Sonic yelled out as he walked out the door, dust picking up by the heel of his shoes the moment he speeds up to his more usual, more familiar tempo. The others also said their own versions of a goodbye. Some with a wave, some with smile, some with a laugh. But even as Amy exchanged each departure with a smile of her own, a certain kind grabbed her attention amidst all of it.

There's not really that many people who don't know him. The Ultimate Lifeform, he'd say. The Ultimate Weapon, some would exclaim. But only Shadow, as she knew him. Whatever title or name he goes by, it doesn't stop his crimson gaze to drag itself by the flooring of Amy's home, arms crossed, and expression tight as he remained in one of the more inconspicuous spaces in the room. But she noticed.

She always does.

And maybe that's why she walked up to him before he had the chance to leave just as fast. Maybe that's why his steps halted for half a second when he saw the sliver of pink moving into his line of sight. A broom in her hand, a soft expression on her face. Typical. She was always the type to tidy up after people, even if they left with their stomach full and appetite satiated. But what wasn't typical to him was the way she tilted her head just a bit to see his expression more clearly, and Chaos knows if he was ever going to be ready for it.

"Don't leave just yet," she told him, in a voice so sweet that he could swear it sounded more like an offer. Her brows knitted slightly as if trying to appear more serious, but it fell flat compared to him. "I'll make you some coffee."

A flash of something eerily similar to surprise appeared just beneath his gaze, but the only real tell you could ever get from him was the twitch of his ear. "What?" He breathed, "Why? That's unnecessary. I was just about to leave." But she didn't budge. Instead, she slowly placed the broom against one of the walls, already pacing to move towards the kitchen halls.

"You didn't touch any of the pastries, nor did you move from your seat." Her voice called out as her nimble fingers made quick work of preparing what she needed for his caffeine addiction. "The only real conversation you had was with Rouge and Sonic, and the one with Sonic happened because he was the one messing with you." She continued, and she could hear his footsteps closing in to go and see her, despite the resting scowl on his face. "Don't think i didn't notice." She smiled.

His heart skipped a beat at her little smirk at the end of her sentence. This back and forth had happened for longer than he would admit, and the flutter in his chest is growing bothersome with each passing day it continues. Perhaps a week or two has passed since they somehow started filling eachother's loneliness with quips and scoffs—his, at least. Two whole weeks since he could stand alone in solitude before she happened.

But perhaps, he doesn't entirely regret leaning under the tree alone that day. Even when it continues with him being pestered to join in with the rest by a certain rose, not even when he had to explicitly tell her that, no, he's not lonely, he enjoys solitude. And somehow, it ended up with her leaning against that same tree beside him. What did she say again? "Then, at least let someone else enjoy the quiet with you." Something like that.

Maybe he should've left that day, tell her that The Ultimate Lifeform doesn't need such a thing. But, would he be here now if he did? Would he ever experience what's it like to have someone you knew for so long, yet only ever had real conversations with less than a month ago, making him coffee just the way he likes it as if it was something she always knew how to do?

"You didn't have to do this," his fingers curled around the handle of the mug she slid to him on the table, warm smoke forming from the liquid like a gentle embrace. "I want to." She answered, wiping her hands clean on a nearby cloth as she placed all the dirty plates by the sink. Something she could always deal with later. "You should know that by now."

Unable to find an answer, he only watched the dark liquid swirl slightly in the mug. Bringing it up to blow some of the heat away before taking a proper sip. "Bitter," he said aloud. "It's good." And a soft clink as he placed it down. A smile perched itself on Amy's lips at that. "Good, at least you can now say you enjoyed something in today's visit."

Her words were met with a scoff, something that seemed paculiarly empty in terms of weight. "I enjoyed my time here just fine. As i said, this was unnecessary." He told her, and she simply raised a brow. "Even when Sonic was annoying you?" "Sonic always annoys me." Then, a soft chuckle, something Shadow had grown used to within these past few weeks. And yet, it was also something that would catch him off guard at times.

"Well, I'm not letting anyone leave until all my guests had fun. Including you." Her quills bounced slightly as she walked towards the couch, plopping down with a grace only someone who could wield a hammer like a feather could have. "Come here, and enjoy your drink." Her hand softly pats the space next to her, an invitation in its own right. "You're free to go once it's finished."

The red striped hedgehog stilled for a moment, torn betweein giving in or denying. But wouldn't that seem... mean? All she did was make him a cup of coffee to make up for the insufferable time he had to spend sitting in the corner as the others got together and basked in her presence, cooking, and words. And so he sighed before finally relenting to her request. The couch dipped slightly in response to his weight as he leaned back just enough to be comfortable, the coffee still in his hands.

"You know I'm fine, right?" The tone of his voice was flat even as he took another sip, which earned her attention again. "I don't need to be doted on." He continues, but Amy only tilted her head again. "I'm not doting on you," she starts, turquoise meets crimson as she holds his gaze. "But i don't think you're fine either." His brows furrowed at her answer, something slightly offended showing its tail in his voice. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, Sonic's fine, so are Knuckles and Tails. If i give them something, they accept. And when i hug them, they don't flinch. You, however..." her voice trailed just enough to insinuate just what she meant, which only caused him to narrow his eyes in response. "A hug is what makes you decide whether someone is fine or not?" Not exactly venom lacing his voice, no. He doesn't have the heart for it. But something just close enough to sarcasm that even she could catch it.

She sighed in response, posture straightening just slightly beneath his gaze. "Well, it's a good place to start, at least." She shrugged, "unless you're saying you're above it." A slight tease hidden under a small jab. Shadow didn't respond right away, but the way his stare softened only for a fraction of a second said a lot more than his mouth ever could.

"Just get it over with," he muttered, in which Amy's ears immediately perked up upon hearing him. But she didn't jump in immediately, not like how he was expecting. He told himself this was simply to indulge her, to somehow pay back for the annoyingly sweet moments she had tried to provide. But when her body shuffled closer just slightly, just barely...

"About time."

Her arms gently wrapped itself around him, keeping him in place yet not exactly trapping. She was mindful of the mug he's holding, conscious of the way he stiffened up beneath her touch. Her head dipped slightly to lean on his shoulder, still holding him close, but that wasn't the surprising part.

Her eyes shot open when she felt it, the weight. Like something leaning back just above her, like he wasn't trying to move away but instead decided to embrace it all the same. He wasn't hugging her back, not really, but with the way his head rested on top of hers? He might as well be. The corners of her lips twitched slightly, a smile threatening to come through with every time he adjusted his position against her hold.

"Seems like you need it." She hummed, but there was something just tender enough that it catches on his ribcage.

"Say something about this, and I'm never returning." He scoffs, yet the tone was less biting than usual. Amy giggled at that, her hold not yet leaving his sides. "Understood, I'll put this in my scrapbook instead."