Still thinking about a big multi-chapter story and a Knuckles and Rouge one-shot, but I wanted this off my laptop and on the website before I deleted it.

It's weird, I love this story but I can't stand it anyway. It's cute, I guess, and kind of funny.

Oh, and yes, it is Shadaze. (I'm hoping to add some variety to my Sonic stories, but I find this couple the easiest to write for! XD)

Disclaimer: Sonic and co. are not mine!

Blaze fingered the gun gingerly, like an explosive ready to go off. Shadow watched her, cocking an eyebrow when her eyes met his.

"This is my first time seeing a gun," Blaze finally admitted.

"You didn't know what a gun was?"

Blaze narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm not stupid, I knew what a gun was. I just never saw one before."

Shadow remained as stoic as ever. "Then, I guess it is safe to deduce you never fired a gun either."

"Well, no, but..." Blaze flushed in embarrassment, "it's not like I want to."

Shadow walked passed her. Blaze opened her mouth to ask where he was going, but before she could speak, he was already setting up a flat piece of wood a good distance away. Her stomach did a flip-flop when she realized what exactly he was doing that for.

"I'm...I'm not firing this gun!" Blaze protested, but she went unheard. Shadow came up behind and straightened her arms out. She practically knocked him over when she whirled around to face him. "Take it, I don't want it."

Shadow smirked sly. "Why, afraid of a weapon, your Highness?" he taunted, even more satisfied when she growled at him.

"I'm not afraid of anything."

"Not according to Faker."

Blaze's ears perked, then flattened. What did Sonic say now? "What does that mean?"

"I mean, that a certain blue annoyance informed me that you had a fear of heights."

Blaze flew into anger. "Why would he tell you this? What else did he tell you?"

Shadow's ruby irises took an almost dark glow to them when they met Blaze's. "Does it really matter? We are getting off-topic here."

Blaze forced her fingers to unclench so she wouldn't start a fight with the ebony hedgehog. It was typical of Shadow to do this, keep people hanging and frustrated. It was just one of the many skills he had, sadly.

"Do you want to try this out or not?" Shadow asked once again. Blaze looked from the gun in her hand to Shadow before glancing at the target. Sighing, she gave in and took a stance before the target. She hated being so foreign to so many things, but she was lucky to have people to guide her, whether it be Sonic or Amy or Cream, and this moment, Shadow.

Shadow watched her try to aim the gun. Frankly, it was pitiful. Shadow stood directly behind her, like before, and fixed her arms in the right position. "Keep your arms steady. Don't shake."

The closeness of his voice made Blaze quiver (which didn't help her aim at all). She wanted to yell, "Too close! Too close!" but her voice was nowhere to be found. So, that's how they stayed: only an inch separating them.

Blaze wanted to kill him.

"Now try to find your grip on the handle. Don't squeeze it in a death grip, but make sure your fingers are firm in the grooves. The pointer should rest not on the trigger, but right beside it."

Following his instructions, Blaze was able to get a comfortable grip on the handgun after a few attempts. It became painfully obvious that the gun was much too big for her hands, but since it was Shadow's custom, they ignored it. While she had been correcting herself though, her arms had drooped a considerable amount. Shadow "hmphed" as he wrapped his hands around hers, his head peering over her shoulder and closing any gap between them. Shadow found it hard to ignore the closeness. "Your arms aren't made of spaghetti, keep them leveled."

Why is he so close? Why is he so close? Why is he so close? WHY IS HE SO-

"Blaze, are you even listening?"

A blush grew across Blaze's muzzle. "Yes, I was. Maybe if you weren't so impatient, I would have had the chance to take my time."

"Hn," Shadow grunted, rolling his eyes. The arms straightened. The fingers were placed. Her shoulders were lowered a smidgen. He knew that if she was going to shoot, it would be now.

"Are you ready," he asked, knowing the answer.

"Yes," came from the reply. She felt Shadow's hands move her finger on to the trigger. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Blaze remembered what Shadow had told her earlier.

"Keep both eyes open."

Golden eyes opened, aimed at the center of the trigger.

BANG!

The sound and force of the bullet leaving its chamber startled Blaze. She was flung back into Shadow, knocking them both to the ground. Even as they fell, they could hear the bullet pierce the wood. Blaze beamed at the thought. She had hit her target. Blaze rolled over, only to meet Shadow's face. They mirror the other's surprised expressions, yet, they were unable to move.

"Thank you."

Shadow's eyes widened. He hadn't expected her to say that. To be truthful, neither was she.

"You're welcome."

Blaze could have sworn that their faces were drawing closer to each other. She could have sworn that she staying on top of Shadow because she didn't want to get up. Blaze could have sworn that she had gotten close to the hedgehog within weeks of meeting him. Maybe that was why she wasn't protesting the closeness. Maybe she had wanted it.

Maybe she had a crush, but that was preposterous.

Shadow's feelings were harder to convey. He wasn't controlling himself now, but he wasn't fighting against it. He was letting it happen, but he managed to convince himself that it wasn't because he wanted to. It was just inevitable.

Their eyes slowly closed.

Their faces were only an inch away.

"Whoa! Are we interrupting something here?"

Blaze and Shadow's eyes flew open. Jumping up, they saw everyone there.

Everyone.

Sonic laughed even harder. "Sorry to ruin the moment on you guys. We were wondering where you were, but I would have never guessed this!"

"Sonic..." the two hissed in unison.

"Ah, so you did have a crush on Shadow!" Amy exclaimed. "I knew it! You were totally lying when I asked you about it!"

Blaze's face grew to a tomato red. "I wasn't lying! Nothing happened. You got the wrong idea."

"Hey, what's this doing here?" Knuckles asked, holding the handgun.

Shadow snatched it from his hands. "Blaze wanted me to show her how to shoot."

Sonic's emerald eyes gleamed with mischief. "Oh, I see, so you were just teaching Blaze a few things, huh?"

Shadow glared at him with dangerous intent. "Faker-"

"I would be careful, Blaze, if I were you. From what I heard, Shadow has a tendency to, er, pull the trigger, prematur-"

Shadow's fist made contact with Sonic's face, cutting him off. The blue blur flew into the sky before crashing to the ground. Shadow made his way to him, hungry for blood.

"I don't understand," Blaze commented to Amy and Rouge. "What did Sonic mean? I thought Shadow was the best with guns around here."

Rouge bit her lip to keep from laughing, while Amy and Cream shrugged cluelessly. Knuckles just shook his head before watching Sonic and Shadow punch each other to oblivion.

"Well, Blaze, my dear, how about you come back to my place with Amy and me, and I'll tell you guys what everything Sonic says means."

As they were walking away, Rouge grabbed Knuckles by the dreadlocks, dragging him along. "You need a lesson, too. You're just as oblivious as the others."

"Ow! Okay, okay! I'm coming!"

As the group walked away, Blaze took a moment to glance back. Sonic and Shadow were slowly trailing behind them, probably too nosy not to know what was going on. Supporting each other as they walked, Blaze muffled a giggle at the bruises covering them and the vicious glances they would give one another.

Shadow's eyes eventually reflected in golden ones. There was a moment of hesitation before they broke eye-contact, pretending it never happened.

Even if no one else saw it but themselves...

...they smiled.

Hate it? Like it? Love it? Let me know, I appreciate all the feedback :)

Thank you for reading!