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On those days she’d make herself a cup of coffee to prepare for the long day ahead, and fly outside to sit on the roof, wrapped in a blanket, with a book stolen from Shadow’s personal shelf in her hands. She knew that he knew she took them, but he never said anything about it.

Shadow, for one, liked to pretend he never slept at all. Which was partially true, but not all the way there. She’d catch him napping sometimes, his ears flicking and face twitching, deep in a dream. But those occasions were rare; the Ultimate Lifeform hardly needed sleep, he liked to remind her and everyone else on many occasions. He was usually either reading, trying out new recipes in the kitchen or off somewhere Rouge couldn’t begin to guess.

But that wasn’t who was occupying her thoughts this early morning. No, it was another hedgehog entirely.

3am and midway through her book, she was most startled to hear a woosh, far too strong to be a bird but a little too concentrated to be the wind. She’d heard the sound enough times to recognize the sound of Sonic.

Usually his presence did not bode well for a peaceful morning, which was why she was confused when he simply stopped near the front of the house, and stood there instead of going in like she would have expected had it been something urgent.

Her curiosity trumped her concern and she closed her book silently, focusing her attention on him.

Sonic didn’t seem to be in a rush to get anywhere. In fact, he seemed oddly calm compared to the times she’d seen him darting around or chatting with his friends, waving his arms about as he grinned. That same face that she had hardly ever seen without a smile was blank as he studied her house.

Sonic snuffed, rubbing his finger under his nose. Then he sniffed again. This time, tilting his head up, nose pointed in the air.

Rouge had time to become conscious of the smell wafting from her steaming mug of coffee, and then suddenly Sonic’s eyes snapped to meet hers, green, almost brighter than the crescent moon.

For a moment, they simply stared at one another.

Then Sonic broke into a grin. “You’re up early.”

Rouge blew lightly across the top of her coffee and took a sip. “Of course, if I wasn't, how could you expect me to greet visitors?” It wasn’t pointed exactly, more teasing than anything, but still, there was a passive question there. Sonic seemed to find it funny.

“You’ve always been a pretty great host.”

Rouge thought carefully for a moment. While Sonic was known for beating around the bush at times, if it was truly serious he wouldn't have been exchanging small talk. In the end she decided to let it slide. “Would you like some coffee?”

“No thanks,” Sonic said lightly, rocking back on his heels. He seemed more energetic now that he was aware of her eyes on him. “I’m already well-hydrated!”

“Do you want to come inside then?” Rouge offered. She genuinely thought there might be a reason he was there, but Sonic simply shook his head.

“Nah, just out for a run. You know how it is.”

Rouge tilted her head. “At 3am?”

“Oh is it that time already?” Sonic didn’t sound at all surprised. “Guess I better get back home before Knuckles wakes up. I’ll see you around, Rouge.” And with a two-fingered salute, he was gone.

She honestly didn’t think much of the little encounter until Amy was complaining about how Sonic couldn’t help her with shopping because she loved to go in the morning before it got busy and he was always napping in his hammock until 2pm unless someone shook him awake. Then she thought about it rather often for a while.

She decided one early morning at 2am that she would investigate.

Wings flapping, it didn’t take long to find him.

He was zipping about, here and there, peeking in through windows, rooting through loose papers in recycling bins, and occasionally standing, completely still, staring off into the distance.

There was something different about him that she couldn’t place. But she was never one for wondering, so she decided she’d simply ask.

Sonic seemed genuinely startled when she landed in front of him.

“Rouge? Is something wrong?”

“If something was wrong I would have gone to Shadow, not you,” she said, putting her hand on her hip.

“So something’s really wrong then.”

“Do you do this every night?”

Sonic stilled. He stared at her.

Rouge stared back, undeterred.

Slowly, Sonic’s hand came up to rub the back of his neck. “...No.”

Rouge gave him her most charming smile. “Liar.”

Sonic sighed, shoulders slumping, head falling forward. “Okay, okay, yeah. I get restless, y’know? Just nice to go for a jog when it’s… quiet.”

It was a more sincere answer than what she’d been expecting from him. He seemed to feel similarly.

“Hm,” Rouge said. “We made flan,” technically Shadow had made the flan, but he’d sworn her to secrecy about his baking attempts, “would you like to come try some?”

Sonic blinked. “It’s a little early for flan, isn’t it? Shadow and Omega aren’t sleeping?”

Rouge scoffed at him. “Did you just ask me if a robot and the Ultimate-I-Don’t-Need-Food-or-Rest-Lifeform are sleeping?”

Sonic laughed. Quieter than she thought he might’ve if it had been in the sun. His ears drooped, almost sheepishly. “Right, yeah, duh. What about you though?”

“Sweetie, I’m already awake.”

Sonic shifted on his feet. “Okay. Sure. Flan. Why not?”

“That’s the spirit,” Rouge smiled at him. “Try not to get under his skin too much while we’re there.” She spread her wings and slowly rose into the air, beginning to head in the direction of home.

“Who, Shadow?” Sonic followed after her at a casual run, keeping pace easily. “He loves my jokes!”

“Is that why he had you in a headlock last month?”

“That’s how he shows affection, obviously,” he said, sounding very pleased with himself.

Shadow retired to his room, muttering about going to sleep the moment Sonic walked through the door and Rouge assured him there was nothing serious happening. She did see him peeking through a crack in his door to see Sonic take his first two bites of his flan, closing the door fully again once Sonic had declared it to be delicious.

“It is good, isn’t it?” Rouge said, loud enough for Shadow to hear.

“Yeah!” Sonic said brightly. “You guys did a great job on it.”

“We should do this again,” Rouge said brightly when Sonic headed out two hours later. “We could use another taste tester aside from Omega.”

Sonic gave her finger guns. “I make no promises. But this was fun! See you around, Rouge!”

He never did say why he was up in the middle of the night or why he was intent to get back home before his friends awoke. And, while curious, Rouge wasn’t one to pry when it was clear he didn’t want to share.