Because until now do i realize that im allowed to put two asks-
WITH A LITTLE BIT OF CAINE BEING A SMUG MAN AND BOTHERING SHADOW ABOUT IT.
Ty🩷 DONT OVERWHELM YOURSELF WITH WORL IM WATCHING YOU
A/N:🎵I always feel like somebody's watching MEEEEE 🎶
A SWEETTOOTH ONESHOT W/ SHADOW!CAINE
WARNING: little angsty, anxiety
The circus members gathered to await Caine to announce their daily adventure. They made idle chit chat fully unaware of the being luring in the shadows, watching.
Shadow made sure to peak subtly and silently, going completely unnoticed as he focused on one circus member in particular. The red headed ragdoll, Ragatha. Her cheerful smile and sparkling eye make his heart skip a beat. She always seemed so full of life and energy, it made him almost wish he could go on adventures too.
Her braided yarn hair looked soft to the touch, I often wondered what it would be like to have it run between his fingers. He was even envious of her patchwork dress, as it got to hug her frame every second of every day. He left out a quiet, lovesick sigh. He knew he could never tell her, but it was nice to think about what it would be like to hold her...to kiss her...to tell her how much he-
"Morning!" Caine popped into existence next to his shaded kin.
Shadow completely dispersed for a second, becoming nothing but black smoke that clung to the walls, then reformed with a glare aimed directly at Caine.
"What are you up to on this fine day?" Caine asked with a smile.
"Nothing. [%$!#] off." Shadow grumbled.
Caine looked over at his circus members in the distance. Then back at Shadow. "Wait...were you spying again? You know you could just ask me what adventure I have planned. I don't mind telling you."
"This isn't about you." Shadow noticed some of the circus members looking his way and he moved out of sight. "Now go away. You're too loud."
Caine narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "If it's not me...what is it? Hm? You jealous my cast gets to go on adventures?"
Shadow felt heated by Caine's incessant questions. "No! I don't give a flying [%$!#] about your adventures!"
"Alright, then WHO is it? Who are you watching so obsessively?"
"Shadow, this is the third time this week alone I've caught you snooping. Come on, you can tell me."
"The [%$!#] I can. You'll just announce it to the whole circus!"
"I will not! In fact, I don't want you to tell me. I'll just guess." Caine smirked.
"You really don't listen when people tell you to go away...and you wonder why no one likes you." Shadow didn't bother disappearing. caine would just follow him if he did. At least here he could occasionally glance at Ragatha.
"No need to make this personal." Caine cleared his voice. "Now, I am convinced this is about a particular person. You have a crush."
Shadow was no better at hiding his emotions than Caine. "Wha-!? No!"
"Uh-huh, sure you don't. Is it Pomni? Because I hate to break it to you, she's called for."
"Eugh! NO! That ball of anxiety in a jester hat is all yours, you freak."
Caine deadpanned. "You should really look in a mirror sometime. Not Pomni. That's a relief. Jax?"
"No! None of them! I wouldn't tell you even if you guessed correctly."
"Ah-ha! So there is a correct answer!"
"[%$!#]" Shadow swore under his breath.
"Okay, it's got to be Gangle. I didn't think someone as sweet as her would be your type, but-"
"Will you knock it off already!? God! Fine! IT'S RAGATHA!" He said so loud, it echoed through the circus. The cast members that had been talking all stopped to look around for the source. Shadow and Caine were out of sight where they were. Shadow lowered his voice before continuing. "There. Now can you [%$!#] off already!? Just leaving me alone!"
"Ragatha?? Wow, that's an even bigger surprise than Gangle. Come on, Shadow, you shouldn't be ashamed! Ragatha is wonderful! I could introduce you."
"NO! No! Absolutely not! She isn't getting wind of ANY of this! Understand!?" Shadow blushed heavily in his flustered panic.
Caine sighed dramatically. "Fiiiiiiine. Mum's the word. Promise. Cross my code and hope to fly!"
"....that's not how- whatever." Shadow pinched the top of his bottom teeth in exasperation. "Just don't tell her. Seriously. It's...better if she doesn't know."
"But why? I bet she'd love to go on a double date with you and me and Pomni. They're best friends, you know. And even if she wasn't interested, she'd be nice about it. Ragatha is a very kind person."
Shadow was silent for a moment. "It's not the rejection...it's the disgust."
"LOOK AT US!!" Shadow snapped. "You got lucky finding someone so pathetically desperate, they accepted affection from the likes of us. Ragatha would never."
Caine was taken aback, then angry. "There's no need to insult Pomni. Her interest sees past this." He gestures to himself. "It's not about the avatar, it's about the person behind it."
"We aren't people, Caine. We're.... we're nothing but code. And I'm even less than that. I'm not even rendered." Shadow looked at his inky black hands.
"Don't be so quick to judge how she'd react, Shadow. I had the same fears confessing to Pomni. How could she love an AI like me? And yet, here we are. It wasn't out of desperation. It was out of mutual respect and longing for connection. If you respect Ragatha, you'll tell her. Creeping in the shadows will get you nowhere."
Shadow went quiet again. His eyes falling on Ragatha. His heart ached to tell her, but it ached even more out of fear. "Not...yet. I can't."
Caine nodded. "It takes time, but don't wait too long. You know I can't keep my mouth shut forever." He winked and teleported to the circus members to introduce the adventure.
With everyone properly distracted, Shadow could look fully again and admire Ragatha from afar. His daydream of her smile being aimed at him was interrupted by the intrusive thought of her being angry and insulted that he dare say anything to her. He tried to shake it, but thinking about confessing made fear grip his heart. She'd never accept him. She'd never want him. He would forever belong to the shadows. Alone.
