Oh my gosh, this isn't a songfic? WUUUT.
It actually bothered me that it didn't have a song but oh well, I hope you enjoy the story~

All Sonic characters belong to SEGA, not me.

The cold reality of autumn brought a miserable air over Station Square with its ink black skies consuming over the city and harsh winds bringing a nightmare of a rainstorm to past through the city. Everyone was locked within their desirable homes, cozy and snug by their fireplace or resting peacefully; all but one was not close to home or anywhere near comfort. Shadow, a silent black hedgehog graced with red sat alone as his burning eyes lay docile as he sat in his usual booth near the fireplace watching the bar slowly empty out.

Tipping the glass to his lips, he relished the strong intoxicating drink and peaceful atmosphere as his mind wondered around in deep thought. The complexity of his life loosened with every sip but was not strong to banish the appealing thoughts of a woman by the name of Amy Rose who had struck his life indirectly through one glace. Few words were shared and a common bond was found between them within the span of a few years; something hauntingly beautiful laid between those emerald eyes of his pink acquaintance. Beauty was captured in her petite form as her long silky quills were often pulled back to show her lovely face adorned with a smile; Shadow fought back the thoughts that pulled his mind into a trance. He questioned her, why was she addictive? Finishing off the last of his drink, he put a few bills on the table and walked out of the bar in hopes to be back in his home again where he could rest peacefully.

The dark hedgehog walked against the pelting raindrops and remained calm from the monstrous rumbling of thunder; like a brave soldier, Shadow took on the bullets and pushed past the bombs. Autumn was not as pretty as anyone had expected but turned into a monster overnight which did not trouble Shadow in the slightest bit but only allowed him to go out more often knowing that all of Station Square would be indoors and he could have some peace to himself; it was just him and the world. The wind blew powerfully through his quills and he did not mind the sudden clashes of lightning in the sky; it was the only element to light his way home. As he calmly walked his way past the dark alleyways, townhouses and quiet buildings, Shadow suddenly stopped as his ears picked up on a small voice.

Past the roar of the thunder.

Past the whistling winds.

A little whimper escaped from out of the dark.

Suspiciously turning his head from left to right, he saw the empty glossy streets held no presence of any stranger but his senses never betrayed him. Slowly moving away from the alley's entrance, Shadow swiftly jumped off the ground and landed onto the building's fire escape; crouching into the dark, his deep eyes watched for any sign of movement below him. The fire escape rails hummed as the cold rain pelted against the metal and lightning sparked across the sky bringing fire to the dark hedgehog's eyes as he waited, like a hunter, for his prey to immerge. His breathing was slow yet quiet, his stature unshaken by the monstrous storm and his anger simmering over the unpleasant presence that he could feel lurking around. Suddenly, when all the minutes spent waiting were worth it, a figure stumbled out of the alley way; letting out a growl, Shadow launched himself down from the fire escape and landed in front of the stranger. Grabbing a hold of the figure's forearms, he pulled forth the perpetrator towards him and glared merciless at the shadowed face when suddenly the lightning flashed above them.

"Shadow…" a little female voice whispered.

Green eyes gleaming wet with fear sent a twinge of shock through Shadow as he watched the loose pink quills blowing along with the wind; he knew those eyes well. The eyes that struck him the first night Shadow met the pink beauty, dazzling him with her intellect and charisma. It was Amy Rose, the young female that haunted his mind every passing day; her weak form shivered in the cold but her face was masked with bravely that struggled to show. Cold rain dripped down her smooth skin as her pale pink raincoat clung to her slender body providing no warmth for the young hedgehog.

"What do you think you are doing here?" Shadow asked harshly, "Do you want to get killed, Rose?"

"I could only find shelter in the alley; I never thought I could ever get back home through this storm." Amy said softly as her voice cracked.

"If I didn't know any better, you were just creating more trouble for yourself, Rose." Shadow scoffed at the lone rose.

Why am I doing this? Has she really captured my heart that I'd want to push her away for my own selfish needs? Secretly and discretely, I desired for her affections but I would not be weak to her tempting spell; how it crumbled me and pained me to ask her for her heart in return.

"Why do you have to get so fired up?" Amy hissed as he cocked his eyebrow.

Silence was dispersed and annoyance pierced through between the two hedgehogs' eyes; Amy could feel the waves of ice lick and pinch her pale skin when on the inside she could feel the butterflies within the pit of stomach burn through herself. What seemed like the devil's eyes she stared into were not always so terrifying to gaze into; the young flower could melt from those burning eyes.

"Because I don't want to see you hurt, Rose." Shadow said softly.

A chuckle escaped from dark hedgehog's lips as her eyes widened in confusion when Shadow's fingers gently held her chin and his lips slowly reached down to her ear. The further Shadow pulled Amy's against his body, the more fuel was added to the fire within her sending a burst of warmth through her body and a rush of blood to her cheeks. Indeed Shadow was pleased to see Rose again but his mind spun with confusion as to why she would ruin her health to come and find him. Without the treacherous shivers shaking his body or a tortured look of pain on his face from the harsh stormy air, Rose wasn't surprised by Shadow's immunity to the horrible weather.

"Are you warm now?" Shadow whispered into her ear as he watched the blushing rose bite her lip, "I'll take you home."

A sudden burst of thunder and lightning brought out a scream from the pink hedgehog and wrapped her arms against Shadow body as her fear shuttered through her petite body; she was beginning to grow paler and held tighter onto Shadow's warm body. Wrapping her closer to him, Shadow lifted her body up into his arms and sped through the dark storm; shielding her face into his neck, he began to relax as the scent of roses filled his head. They left Station Square far behind them in the dark but it didn't stop the storm from putting up a fight against the Ultimate Lifeform; the cold winds roared and the rain clawed at the dark hedgehog's face. Gritting his face, he let out a growl and could feel his limiters suddenly begin to shoot bursts of energy through him. Pulling out his glowing Chaos Emerald, the energy shot through him into the Emerald and soon the hedgehogs disappeared in a bright flash as they clung onto each other for dear life as they flew through a tunnel of gold and where suddenly enveloped in darkness.

"We're here." Shadow whispered as he appeared in front of a house.

The house perfectly suited Amy; it wasn't too small or too big, painted brightly with calming colours and was surrounded by a large garden. It would look prettier in the sunlight but it resembled a swamp from all the rain and harsh winds; even in the darkest storms, Shadow saw Amy that glowed bright as the only light in his life and the world's horrible blows couldn't take away her beauty or steal her optimism. Stepping from out of his arms, the cold air hit her fragile body, wishing to retreat back into his strong warm arms and her legs gave way from a sudden shock of pain making a gasp escape her pink lips. Grabbing Amy in his arms before she made impact with the cold stone porch, he pushed the door open and a fragrant, warm aroma burst out from the house calming Shadow's speeding heart. The house was cozy and decorated interestingly with foreign taste and he remembered how Amy would tell him about her trips around the world when she had a lot of time on her hands and it wasn't just her but ever since the mad scientist by the name of Eggman had disappeared, things weren't as exhilarating.

Walking into the family room, he gently placed her on the black leather sofa and walked into the nearest washroom; looking into the cabinet, Shadow had found some spare towels and pulled them all out. The last person he could remember taking care of was his beloved Maria, how she would just smile sweetly through her pain and laughed as if nothing was wrong; just like Maria, he saw Amy was strong. He admired her strong will, not to mention her hot headedness; he had to admit that it was amusing to see her angry, it was…cute. Especially to see the young flower blush and shy away from him showed Shadow that something was there and he teased her often to see the blood brighten her cheeks which was the prettiest thing he saw in her. After their sudden meeting, there was something she had been meaning to tell him and he would be all ears. Entering back into the family room, Shadow felt his heart skip a beat as the pink beauty in front of him took off her wet raincoat to reveal a pretty white V-neck sweater dress that brought out her curves and in his sweltering eyes, Amy was stunning as the dancing light from the fire place lighted her frame. Taking a seat next to her, Shadow placed a towel over her head and she let out a giggle as she began to dry out her quills.

"Thank you, Shadow, for everything." Amy smiled at the dark hedgehog as he took a towel for himself.

"Don't worry about it, Rose." Shadow replied as he shuffled the towels across his wet quills, "Now tell me why you out were in the storm?"

Amy took a minute to come up with her answer and looked back at Shadow who was patiently waiting, "I wanted to meet you at the bar but what seemed like a little drizzle turned into a storm and I took shelter in the alleyway. It was a miracle that we crossed paths because I never thought I'd be able to get home." Amy responded as her finger twiddled into her hair and braided out her quills.

"Keep it down."

"What?"

"Your quills…" Shadow said as his hand replaced her hand, laced through her braid and straightened them down, "You look nice with it down."

A bright blush bloomed across Amy's muzzle and she hid her face away from Shadow; she wasn't fond of blushing in front of him and she embarrassed easily so she noticed Shadow usually took it to his advantage to tease her. Amy kept her feelings towards Shadow hidden behind her and in her mind, she couldn't bear to face rejection again after she watched her friend, Sonic, walked out of her heart and declared his love to only the free wind on his chest; she wished and she hoped that one day that Sonic would see the day that he could settle down but she grew tired of waiting and soon enough Shadow stepped into her life and further on, into her heart. Clearing her throat and swallowing the heavy pressure in her chest, her green eyes averted back to the dark hedgehog whose eyes burned alive as he watched the flickering flames by the fireplace.

"Something is bothering you." said the pink hedgehog.

"Yes, there is, Rose." Shadow said decisively, "It's difficult to figure you out, Rose; you are a confusing book to read."

"What do you mean?"

"When you are with the others, you are open and outgoing but I've noticed that when it comes to me, I have to put in the effort to figure you out."

Her eyes shift to the blazing fireplace and thoughts consumed her mind as the flames brightened her green eyes bringing them out into an emerald glow. Shadow always wondered to himself who the real Amy Rose just as he questioned his identity; it usually clawed at his chest when Amy expressed herself with an air of mystery. She was no longer the silly little girl who would follow Sonic around in a red dress but the pink hedgehog had matured into a young lady who understood her virtues and her blessings but there was something new. The dark hedgehog remember how his affections for her grew after the ARK incident and he had to admit if it weren't for Sonic and Amy, he probably won't be here with a peaceful life or be beside Amy right now.

"I am who you see but with more flaws and a life of complexity just like anyone else." Amy answered as her eyes travelled back to Shadow's face, "I've never seen anyone put in a lot of effort to figure me out."

The faintest blush appeared on Shadow's muzzle and suddenly melodic laugh erupted from her chest filling Shadow's ears, sending a shock of sparks through him; it was the first time he ever heard her laugh uncontrollably. Finally the dark hedgehog understood everything about Amy, she held back whenever she was around him; he wondered if there was a possibility that the young pink hedgehog felt the same towards him but he wondered how he could coax it out of her.

"You're blushing." Amy giggled at Shadow.

"Hmph."

"Oh, Shadow! You're blushing with embarrassment."

"We'll just see about that." He whispered a growl.

Before Amy could register in what he said, she felt a sudden weight against her and her body was pulled against a soft yet strong surface; two arms were held firmly against her shoulder blades and suddenly a faint smell of mint began to intoxicate her. Opening her mouth to retort was suddenly replaced with a soft gasp when Amy felt a pair of soft, warm lips slowly press against the delicate skin of her neck. Although it was as quick as a flash, she began to feel light headed and felt her face begin to get hotter. Shadow pulled back away from the blushing rose; her cheeks were a bright exuberant shade of red as she stared into the burning eyes of Shadow. Bringing his hand up to her face, his fingertips caressed against her soft cheek bringing her closer to him; it was like he was trying to figure her out through her eyes and a chuckle escaped his lips.

"You think you can just play with my feelings?" Amy asked with a hint of annoyance.

"Before I said that I didn't want to see you hurt so why would I ever try to take advantage of you when my affections are true?"

Amy felt a rush of emotions when she heard Shadow; in all honesty, she was wondered if he had just confessed his love to her. There were so many pieces of their life she wanted to pick up with him and things that they could talk about but she wondered if the reality of her affections towards Shadow made her fear her own self and her heart; it wasn't as easy as Amy thought it would be to take that leap and she knew that encapsulated in Shadow was someone she longed to be with. Shadow wanted to show that he meant every touch, every kiss and every word he ever spoke to her was the hidden affections he felt towards her; his heart hoped that Amy would do the same.

"Are you trying to say that you love me?"

"Yes, Rose." Shadow said as laid his hand over hers, "I do love you."

Lacing her fingers with Shadow's, Amy looked up into his eyes and a smile graced over her muzzle; looking into his ruby red eyes, she could see that he meant every word. Shadow never lied to her, they had known each other for a long time and her head screamed at her to believe him; take a chance and love him. Wrapping his arms around the pink hedgehog, he leaned against the sofa arm as she rested on his tuff of white fur; slowly and lovingly, the pink hedgehog moved closer towards Shadow and placed a kiss on his cheek as his body tensed up and his breath was caught in his throat. Stroking her quills, her eyes began to droop and let out a soft whisper before falling into a peaceful slumber with her love.

"Please stay." Amy whispered sweetly.

Resting his head on top of hers, Shadow watched the flames dance along the walls and his mind was slowly pulled into the spell of sleep and began to feel it take its toll over him. Taking one last look at his sleeping Rose before closing his eyes, he felt at peace like he was free from all his demons and his burdens; one rose bloomed into his life and although he saw it was just a flower, Shadow saw that its petals had lifted him away from the dark and held him close and warm. He felt a spark of joy within him as held his love close and protectively as she dreamed peacefully and secretly promised Amy the same promise he made to his old friend, Maria, to make her happy.

OOOOOO~