Sonic Series Fan Fiction ❯ Everlasting Love ❯ (Mostly) Humble Beginnings ( Chapter 2 )

Disclaimer: I don't own Shadow or any other original Sonic the Hedgehog series character. Any other characters not part of that series are mine.

 

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Life…..

The great miracle and the great mystery…..

For thousands of years mankind has toiled, in pursuit of life's mysteries…….

Especially life's greatest mystery and achievement….

………………

Love

 

Everlasting Love; Chapter 1

 

Rain pelted furiously over the skies of Station Square, as if the heavens themselves were punishing the people for some wrong-doing. People everywhere were seeking shelter for the unforgiving droplets, weather it be in cars, houses, buildings or the shops that littered the streets.

 

But one girl……..simply walked in the street, getting completely drenched. Not that there was anything she could do about it. She didn't have anywhere to go.

 

She was short, but not so much so that it was too extreme. Her onyx and ruby-colored hair was beginning to separate from the echidna-like dreadlocks she had gelled in it. She never turned any heads on the street, which is just how she liked it.

 

Which was surprising, considering she was half-human, half-hedgehog

 

Yes, this girl had actually two forms to be in. A taller, human form, and the one she currently resided in, a red and black hedgehog form with human hair.

 

The girl shook her head vigorously, spraying water everywhere. She looked around dully, hoping for a place drier than this to spend the night. In the end, she found a small, narrow alley to take refuge.

 

Right as she was about to cross over to it, she saw two faces that were all-too familiar. Two faces that haunted her very being. Two men who violated her.

 

Quickly she ran into the alleyway, standing with her back against the cold wall. The darkness of the alley provided good camouflage as she shivered when the men passed without a glance.

 

With a sigh of relief, she sank down against the wall and wrapped her arms around her knees. Suddenly, she heard footsteps on the pavement outside. Were the men coming back? Instinctively she jumped and pressed herself against the back wall.

 

But what found her was not the two despicable men. It was the best thing that ever happened to her in her life.

 

A hedgehog appeared in the opening to the street. His fur was much like her own, black and red. But instead of hair he had quills, spiked upwards in the back of his head. Eyes narrowed with confusion, he cautiously stepped in. He could've sworn he'd seen someone in here…………

 

Them he saw her. Or, rather, her eyes. Beautiful glinting sapphires widened with fear and confusion. He couldn't explain why, but he was captivated by them. Slowly and gently, he offered her his hand. “Are you alright?” he asked softly.

 

The instant those words passed his lips, her fur bristled and she backed further into the wall, eyes narrowed. She gave no response.

 

To her surprise, he merely chuckled and smirked. “Not the trusting type I see. No matter.” He stepped closer, causing her edge away even more. “What's a hedgehog like you doing out here? Or did you not notice the fact that it's pouring? Why don't you head home?”

 

“Why don't you?” she snapped. “Do you stop and antagonize all girls you meet or am I just lucky?”

 

His smirk widened. “Someone's got a mouth. Didn't your mother ever teach you manners?”

 

She glared sharply at him, and then slowly her expression softened as she closed her eyes and turned away. Of all the things he could've said, he had to pick that?

 

He cocked his head. Apparently he'd touched a nerve. “Your mother not the teaching sort?”

 

“No,” she said in a voice just barely above a whisper. “More like the going to sleep, falling into a coma and dying while your family watches helplessly sort.”

 

His eyes widened. Of all of the answers to the question, he certainly hadn't expected it to be that. “……I'm sorry,” he apologized after a short pause.

 

“Don't be. You didn't kill her,” she said, facing him once more.

 

Locked with those captivating blue eyes again, he fumbled for words in his mind. “So………that still doesn't answer my last question. Why don't you head home?”

 

“I'd rather be struck by lightning in a storm like this than back in that hellhole.”

 

He gave her a confused look. “Hellhole?”

 

She nodded grimly. “Complete with Satan.”

 

He sighed. “Well, it certainly sounds like you've been through some rough shit. Believe me, been on that road. Still on it actually……….” He mumbled. “The least I could do is get you out of this rain.” For the second time that night, he offered his hand. “Although I should like to know your name first.”

 

For a moment, she simply sated at his extended hand. “Haley,” she said, grasping it.

 

He smiled. To his surprise, his entire body was suddenly warm as she took his hand and pulled herself away from the wall. “Shadow”

 

*********

 

Rouge ran from Station Square to Night Babylon, an expensive-looking gem clutched tightly next to her chest. Whew, wasn't sure if I could pull that one off. I should've known the guards wouldn't leave their posts in this weather. Oh well, it's still mine all the same. She thought with an inward smirk.

 

Opening the door to Club Rouge, she hurriedly stepped in. “Shadow?” she softly called, expecting to be asleep on the couch. What she found when walking in was not Shadow on the couch.

 

A hedgehog she'd never seen before was curled up on the couch instead, her body only taking up half the width of it. Heavy blankets enwreathed her, yet she still shivered. Shadow was lying on the floor in the fetal position with his arms around his head. Upon hearing her footsteps, his eyes gently opened and he turned to look at her. “Hello there, you're back early.”

 

She frowned at his nonchalant tone. “Shadow, who is that?” she asked, motioning her head towards the unconscious girl lying on the couch.

 

He sighed, closed his eyes, and after a long pause, opened them again and stood. “Rouge……she was in an alley, I didn't know what to do…..I panicked.”

 

She raised her eyebrows at the thought of him panicking about anything, but deciding she would antagonize him later about it she focused on the matter at hand. “What? You think this place is just some shelter for any hedgehog that ends up hurt or something?”

 

Shadow raised an eyebrow. “Look who's talking…” he trailed off at the irony. “That's too ironic for even you.”

 

“Oh shut up, I'm tired.” She said, giving him a playful push and heading towards her room. Normally, Shadow would do something cute or funny like a wave or roll of the couch randomly. Now, on the night when Rouge actually expected (and maybe even wanted) him to, he simply lay down on the floor near the couch and pulled a blanket over him.

 

****

 

Haley awoke to sunlight bursting in from the nearby curtains. Wait………curtains? She looked around in confusion. She was lying on a couch in what was either a fancy apartment or a small house. It had a connecting kitchen with the room she was in to the western side, a door on the eastern side, and a hallway with several doorways in it to the north.

 

Looking back towards the kitchen again, she saw someone standing at the opposite end of the couch. It was the stubborn hedgehog from the alley.

 

“Ah. Thought for a moment you wouldn't wake,” the hedgehog said with a smirk. That damn arrogant smirk……….usually Haley didn't trust anyone, especially if they had an inflated ego. They reminded her too much of her father. The entire reason her life was hell……..the entire reason she preferred life on the streets to even being close to him. For years she thought all guys were just like him.

 

But this one………

 

This guy was completely different. Most people ignored her, but he distinguished her from everyone else. He fronted him with her cover-up snotty attitude, and he saw right through it. Even his smile, it was arrogant, cocky, but at the same time it was inviting. Like a challenge and all she had to do was stand up to face it and everything would be fine.

 

While all these thoughts were going through her head, she didn't even notice she'd been staring at him the whole time. Shadow would've noticed as well, if he hadn't been busy speculating her. The girl puzzled him honestly. She was an average street girl, had an average tough-girl attitude to front with, and seemed to have average crises from wherever she came from. Everything about her was mostly average………

 

………so why did she stand out to him on the street?

 

There were hundreds of other people running around, yet with the way he spotted her she might've been the only one out there. Was it pity? Was it chance?

 

Or was it something else?

 

After about five minutes the two noticed their and the other's staring and looked away. Words failed them for a moment until Haley spoke again. “So this place is Club Rouge isn't it?”

 

“…yes,” Shadow answered with a confused expression. “How did-

 

“I've peeked in here through that window a couple of times,” she cut him off, motioning her head to the one in question. Then she shot him a highly arrogant smirk. “You're awful friendly with the bat who owns it aren't you?”

 

Shadow, however, was not fazed by the comment. “Not that it's any concern of yours,” he said, narrowing his eyebrows, “but that's all we are. Friends. Just-

 

“Really…..close friends” she finished, cutting him off again. She flashed him another smirk. “All work and no play makes Shadow a dull boy. I suppose you've never had any practice then.”

 

“Practice? Just what do you mean by that?” Although he was not aware of it, he was gently moving over her on the couch

 

“That depends on who you are.” Haley winked. “All boys need practice now and then.”

 

“Oh really? I suppose street guys have had all the practice they need then, that is if you do hang around them.”

 

“Nah, I could never be woman-candy for someone like that. I'm too sour. Once they pucker, I simply dissolve.”

 

Shadow couldn't help but laugh at that. “Wow, what a line.”

 

“Tch. But still, even with enough practice at anything boys can be guilty. Don't tell me you've never done anything wrong. Have you been a bad boy Shadow?”

 

“Hmph,” he grunted. “I don't think anyone on this earth is wholly good. What makes you think I'm bad?”

 

“I wasn't implying that you were bad. Maybe just a boy who doesn't behave.” She narrowed her eyebrows. She'd saw him nearing closer to her, but now he was completely on top of her. Boy, he's a strange one. “And the fact that you're in this position merely backs it up.”

 

He narrowed his eyebrows. What position? Then he realized he was on top of her. His brain told him to jump quickly to the side, yet his body didn't move. He just stared at her, blankly.

 

Oh great, got me a clueless boy. She sighed. Luckily she knew how to deal with almost any type of guy.

 

Almost

 

She shook the thought aside and gently moved her left hand across the top of the couch and then along down to the side of his stomach wearing a blank smile.

 

He watched the movement with slightly widened eyes, but made no move.

 

Replacing her smile with a smirk, Haley pinched his side, causing him to recoil sharply to the left. Seeing her opening, she swiftly rolled to the right and stood.

 

Shadow rolled until he was on his back on the couch, giving her a look of surprise, confusion, and amusement.

 

Swishing her hair behind her, she winked again. “Well, it's been fun. Thanks, I guess. That's all you wanted right?” She turned gracefully. “I best be off with the other street urchins then. Bye-bye Shadow, it's been a pleasure.” And before Shadow could say anything, she was out of sight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! ^^ Hopefully this story will see a lot more light. Got a bunch of ideas for it!~