Hello people glimpsing at this story! Seeing that I'm a HUGE fan of Sonic the Hedgehog, I figured it was about time I wrote something for it! This is dedicated to my favorite couple Shadamy! Enjoy! :D

Disclaimer: I don't own Sonic the Hedgehog. If I did, there would be a lot more Shadow and Amy interactions in the games! X3 Also, I don't own anything you happen to recognize.

Warnings: mild language (thank you Shadow)

Rated T to be safe

P.S The title for this was inspired by a line in the song "Welcome to Mystery" by the Plain White T's. The song nor the band belongs to me (last time I checked anyways...), but I highly recommend listening to the song and to the band :)

"Rouge?! What on earth are you wearing?!" Amy Rose looked in shock at her friend's costume. The voluptuous white bat wore a woman's Batman ensemble complete with a low-cut top that showed major cleavage, a tight yellow mini-skirt that captured wandering eyes, and glossy black high-heeled boots that made her taller and more mature.

Rouge seemed unfazed or even aware of her friend's consternation as she admired herself in the mirror. "What does it look like, hun, I'm dressed as Batman! And I think I look pretty damn good!"

Amy merely stared at her friend with incredulity as she exclaimed, "I know who you're dressed as but don't you think you could've grabbed something else?! I mean, this costume is just-"

"Gorgeous! I know! Now normally I'm not much of a superhero geek, but I must admit, Batman is a good look for me! This outfit really brings out my curves and makes my butt look great! Oh, and my wings give it some extra flavor!" She flapped her bat wings to emphasize her point. "Maybe next year I should try for Superman! No…Wonder Woman!" Her sapphire-blue orbs sparkled at the prospect while Amy sputtered with disbelief before deciding to let it drop.

Soon, they heard the door to the restroom open and close, and they turned to see their violet cat friend Blaze step out in her costume. She wore a Harry Potter uniform with a grey sweater vest under a grey blouse, black skirt, a red and gold striped tie, knee-high white socks, black shoes, a cape, and, for added fun, she carried a wooden stick acting as her wand.

Her gold eyes were bright with joy as she displayed herself for her friends. "What do you think? Do I rock a decent Hermione or what?!"

Amy beamed with approval. "I love it, Blaze! You look amazing!"

Rouge gave a nod as she smiled. "Yeah, you make a cute schoolgirl."

Blaze pouted with annoyance and said, "I'm not a mere Muggle schoolgirl, Rouge, I'm a witch from Hogwarts!"

Rouge playfully smirked and replied, "Just don't say that too often. People might make…jokes."

The cat mildly scowled before taking a good look at Rouge's costume. "Um Rouge…isn't that outfit a bit…much?"

The bat shook her head and flaunted her hips. "If by 'much' you mean it'll surely catch the eyes of some hotties then yes!"

"Wow! You girls look so pretty!" The three Mobians suddenly turned to see their youngest companion, Cream the rabbit, smiling widely at them.

"Hey, you don't look half bad yourself!" Amy remarked as she admired Cream's costume of choice. She had gone with a fairy: she wore a pale, sky-blue dress that had an assortment of glitters and appeared elegantly tattered at the hem, sparkling flats that matched, a wand in her hand, and fake wings strapped to her back. Her chao companion, Cheese, wore a handmade costume of his own—a wedge of Swiss cheese.

Cream's smile glowed like real magic as she politely responded, "Why thank you Amy! And I just love your Gypsy costume! You look beautiful!"

Amy smiled brightly as she twirled in her ensemble. She had on a white top that revealed her shoulders, a teal bodice with trims of gold, a long, flow-y purple skirt, a matching laced purple sarong, a magenta ribbon to tie her quills like a headband, and golden bracelets on each wrist.

"Thanks Cream!" Amy smiled at her before addressing everyone. "So I guess we're all ready so let's head out!" Each of the girls agreed, and soon they were on their way to Sally Acorn's Halloween costume party. There were some initial concerns about Rouge's somewhat revealing outfit, yet the girls let it go after some debating.

Once they arrived, the girls were instantly greeted by friends from school. They hung out with one another, dancing to the music for a while before they split to chat with different friends or, in Rouge's case, flirt with the random red echidna on the school's wrestling team. Everyone mingled, danced, talked, and socialized, and everyone admired one another's costume.

During the party, Amy happened to notice a very handsome blue hedgehog that wore a dark navy blue race car driver get-up and carried a helmet to go along with it. She swooned as she took in the sight of her longtime crush, Sonic. His laughter and confidence seemed to radiate throughout the entire party and put it into full swing. Amy desperately wanted to talk to him and managed to pull him aside for a five minute conversation where she eagerly babbled about school before he was taken away by a friend of his. Though she was disappointed, it didn't stop her from trying to find him again.

After a while, the hostess, Sally, got the DJ to stop the music, and everyone turned their attention on her. The red-headed squirrel smiled at everyone in her light-blue warrior-princess costume. "Hey guys, sorry to interrupt, but I just wanted to say that we're about to play 7 minutes in heaven right now! If you wanna play, then we'll be in the living room!" A lot of Mobians cheered and made their way to the living room while others shrugged and continued to dance when the DJ started playing again.

At the announcement, Amy suppressed a squeal of joy. 7 minutes in heaven? I LOVE that game! I haven't played since middle school with Sonic! The pink hedgehog smiled fondly at the memory of attending a friend's party and playing that glorious game and happening to share her first kiss with Sonic the hedgehog.

Ever since then, Amy just knew they were meant to be.

However, Sonic hasn't made a move or even mentioned their kiss since, remaining almost aloof about their moment and overall status. Yet, Amy didn't mind; she figured that they were still young and in middle school, and that he was probably shy and nervous at the thought of having a girlfriend. But now that they were in high school, just short of graduation, she knew that it was the perfect time for their relationship to blossom into something more than just mere friends.

Tonight's the night…I'm going to kiss my heart's true desire.

So without hesitation, she hurried over to the living room with the others. Just as she rounded a corner, she ran smack into someone's back. They turned around and frowned at her with crimson red eyes. It was a black hedgehog with red stripes in his exotically spiked quills, and he wore a simple black cape colored red on the inside, a white dress shirt with a red ruby connecting the collar, and black pants. This guy seemed to be dressed up as a vampire, a very alluring vampire.

Amy instantly blushed with embarrassment and exclaimed, "Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't see you there!"

The guy's eyes narrowed and he growled, "Obviously." Then without another word, he turned around and stalked down the hallway.

Amy watched him go for a moment before placing her hands on her hips. Well now that was rude! Why do hot guys have to be jerks?! She released a huffed out breath and continued her way to the living room. Then a thought occurred to her that made her smile and her heart melt. Oh, but Sonic's not a jerk and he's the best looking guy there is!

The hedgehog girl dreamily thought of her crush as she entered the desired room and unconsciously took a seat with the others. She snapped out of her reverie and took note that her friends weren't there. She last saw Rouge still flirting and grinding on the dance floor with that red echidna, Knuckles; she remembered seeing Blaze talking with a handsome hedgehog from her English class (Silver, right?); and then Amy recalled that Cream was grabbing some food with Sonic's best friend, Tails, while Cheese the chao happily munched on some cookies.

She smiled to herself. Looks like the gals are all hooking up tonight! Amy then glanced around the room to see who was playing, gazing at the various good-looking Mobians, and spotted Sonic lounging lazily amongst them. Excitement and pure joy exploded within her, and she beamed with the intensity of several thousand Suns. And maybe I will too! Oh my gosh, I can't believe Sonic's playing too! Maybe we'll get paired up again and we'll share our 2nd kiss and then he'll ask me out and then we'll be boyfriend and girlfriend and then we'll date through high school and college and then we'll get married! Eeeee I want our kids to be named Lily or Mackenzie if we have girls and Xavier or Dylan if they're boys! GAH!

Amy nearly flew off her seat yet managed to compose herself, keeping a bright smile on her face. Once people got settled in, Sally and her friend, Bunnie, both stood up with a top hat in their hands. "Alright, so here's how it works," Sally started, "everyone is going to write their name on a slip of paper and then put it in a hat. All the boys' names will be in one hat and girls will be in the other. Bunnie and I will choose one from each at random and then both people will be locked in the closet for 7 minutes exactly. There are no rules for what you guys do in there but remember, the game is 7 minutes in heaven." Sally playfully winked and soon the game got started: everyone wrote down their names and placed them in the hat. She and Bunnie shuffled them around and began picking names.

First off, it was Hunter and Zoey. Amy watched an exotic, Australian white tiger wearing an adventurer's outfit and a Goth-looking skunk girl wearing a military uniform walk into the closet, the tiger smiling brightly at the skunk who looked bored. However, 7 minutes later and they both emerged appearing flustered yet content and starry-eyed.

Next, it was Espio and Katelyn. A purple chameleon wearing a ninja costume stood up to enter the closet with an orange-furred tabby cat with a 'Last Airbender' water tribe outfit, her short blonde hair in a ponytail. 7 minutes later showed both of them blushing, yet the cat's blush was a lighter pink while the chameleon was red-faced and incoherent.

Then it was Bunnie and Antoine. Sally smiled as her female rabbit friend blushed and walked into the closet with a coyote wearing a princely get-up. After 7 minutes, the door opened to reveal the two in the middle of making out. They pulled apart once the door opened, and they both were embarrassed, yet they still wore goofy, love-struck expressions.

This went on a couple more times with different people and Sonic's name wasn't called once. Amy grew thrilled at the thought and just had a feeling that she was going to kiss her true love that night. Unfortunately, her dreams were dashed when Sonic suddenly got up and she overheard him tell Sally, "Hey Sal thanks for inviting me, but I gotta go. Manic's band is playing tonight, so Sonia and I are gonna head to his gig."

Disappointment stung Amy in contrast to Sally who smiled at him. "Alright Sonic, thanks for coming and have fun! Too bad you couldn't stay though—my name is in the hat too." Her smile curved in a teasing manner that bordered on flirtatious, and Sonic returned it.

"Yeah no kidding—I'll talk to you later!" He grinned at her, and she bade him good-bye with a quick peck on the cheek that lit up the hedgehog's face.

Amy watched in dejection as he left, and her vibrant, verdant orbs compressed into green pools filled with distress. Well, I guess I'm not kissing my true love tonight…

Yet, she wasn't given time to wallow in her sadness when Sally pulled out a new slip of paper and read out, "Amy Rose." The pink hedgehog's head shot up in alarm, her ribbon flapping to the side like a flag caught in a breeze. What?

Then her eyes widened, and her heart did somersaults as it dawned on her that she had been called. Oh no, it's my turn! I don't want to go anymore! I might get some creep! Amy instantly turned her attention over to a green hedgehog named Scourge, a notorious bad boy known for being a player and flirt. Out of all the people Amy would rather die than kiss, he was at the top of the list. Scourge sensed her staring and turned to look at her, smirking flirtatiously at her and throwing her a wink.

She suppressed a shudder. Please, anyone but him…

Amy waited breathlessly as Bunnie seemingly took a long time to dig through the hat. Eventually, she pulled out a slip a paper and took an eternity to read out the name. "Shadow Robotnik."

Shadow? Who's Shadow?

Amy looked curiously around the room and tried to mentally label the faces she knew. Nevertheless, Sally looked her way and jubilantly said, "Alright you two, get in the closet! Get up, Amy! You too, Shadow!"

Having no other choice, Amy reluctantly got up and walked over to the closet, picking up her long skirt as she did. From the corner of her eye, she noticed another figure get up. She lightly gasped as she recognized the black hedgehog she ran into earlier. He looked unhappy as he approached the closet with her and briefly glanced at her with a scowl.

Yeah well, I'm not too thrilled either, buddy.

Sally grinned at the two and lightly shoved them in. "Have fun you two!" Then she closed the door and Amy heard the distinct sound of a lock. She took a moment for her eyes to adjust and eventually somehow noticed Shadow within the obscurity. His silhouette was shrouded by the darkness as if he was a regular companion of the shadows, hence his name.

For a while, neither of them said a word or uttered a sound. Amy stood there awkwardly, not sure of what to do, until she vaguely noticed Shadow lean against the wall and slide down so he was sitting. After a second of internal debating, Amy did the same on the opposite wall, her knees bending so that her feet were behind her.

More silence ensued before Amy decided to clear her throat. "Um, Shadow-"

"I'm not going to kiss you," he brusquely cut in. "I don't give a damn if that's the rules of the game, I'm not going to."

It took Amy a moment to respond, her mind too busy wrapping around how deep and sensuous his voice was. It had a dark, mysterious edge to it that most people would avoid, yet drew Amy in like Alice to the rabbit hole opening the enchanted gateway to Wonderland.

Welcome to Mystery.

Eventually, Amy recovered and lightly frowned. "Actually, there are no rules to 7 minutes in heaven—two people could do whatever they want in the closet and kissing just happens to be an option, a very popular option." The girl smirked lightly as if she unveiled a big secret then settled more comfortably into her seat. "We don't have to kiss. We could just sit here and talk if you're so revolted with the thought of kissing me."

She sort of hoped that she made Shadow feel guilty with that, yet was annoyed when she was met with silence. After a moment or two, she indistinctly observed Shadow crossing his arms over his chest. "Very well—let's just sit silently until this foolish game is over."

Amy was not content with the idea of the two just sitting there and twiddling their thumbs as the clock slowly ticked. "Or we could talk the entire time."

"Or we could just sit in silence," Shadow said, his scowl practically present in his tone.

"Or we could just talk," Amy pressed. "I don't really want to sit in awkward silence, it's boring."

"Who says the silence has to be awkward?" Shadow levelly countered. "No silence is awkward unless you make it so."

"Well, trust me—it's awkward." When Shadow didn't respond, Amy sighed. "Look, I'm not really…happy about being in this closet with you either, but we should just make the best of it until the time runs out. Now personally, I don't want to just sit here so let's talk. It's not that hard and it certainly won't kill us."

It was silent for a couple of seconds before Amy heard Shadow grunt. She wasn't sure if it was in confirmation or not, but she took it as a good sign anyways. She beamed and said, "Okay, so how about we start by properly introducing ourselves? I'm Amy, Amy Rose. I'd shake your hand, but I'm not sure if I can see it."

She lightly giggled, hoping Shadow would ease up at her joke, but was instead met with his response of: "I know who you are—I heard the squirrel say your name when she called us up."

Amy's ears dropped minimally as she sighed again. "I'm sure you did, but I said we should properly introduce ourselves. So what's your name?"

"You heard it earlier."

Amy bit back a groan. Talking to this guy is like getting blood out of a stone! "Ugh, you know what, let's move on. I noticed your costume earlier—what are you supposed to be?"

She heard Shadow sigh in what appeared to be exasperation. Yup, blood out of a stone. "I'm dressed as a classic vampire."

I knew it! "I thought so! But I couldn't tell for sure because you weren't wearing any fangs nor did you have fake blood dripping from your mouth. What do you mean by classic though? Do you mean classic as in Dracula classic, Edward Cullen classic, Darren Shan classic, horror movie classic…?"

Amy frowned when she actually heard Shadow groan. "I'm not wearing fangs or fake blood because it's juvenile, and I'm meant to be something of a Dracula type. Satisfied?"

The girl's frown deepened. Make that stone into a boulder… "You don't need to get defensive, Shadow, I'm just asking a few questions. You can ask me stuff if you want to. Go on! Ask me anything!"

Shadow seemed to think for a moment before responding, "Alright…how much longer of this?"

Amy sighed yet pulled out her cell phone to check the time. "It hasn't even been a minute yet." Another groan was emitted from the ebony hedgehog, causing Amy to knit her brows.

"You're not afraid of being rude, are you?" When she only received a grumpy 'humph' as a response, she continued: "Well, if you don't like me or this game that much, then why did you put your name in the hat?" Then her jade orbs lit up at a sudden thought. "Wait, were you maybe hoping to be paired with a specific girl? Oh my gosh, was there a girl you wanted to kiss?"

Amy's blissful thoughts of the dark hedgehog having a crush on a girl made her giddy as the romantic side of her was awakened. Yet, they were suppressed with Shadow's gruff statement of, "No, there is no girl. What a ridiculous assumption."

Amy pouted slightly and folded her arms over her chest. "Well, then why did you put your name in the hat?"

"It wasn't my idea," he growled. "Someone put my name in the hat without my permission—I was set up."

Amy held back the giggle that threatened to escape her and cleared her throat to cover the sound. "Really? Who would do something like that?"

"I have my guesses, but I suspect it was the faker."

The hedgehog girl furrowed her brow in confusion and questioned, "The faker? Who's that?"

"My irritating clone and a wannabe, Sonic the hedgehog."

"Sonic? You think Sonic put your name in the hat?" Amy gasped at the thought and used her entire amount of self-control to hold back a fit of giggles. "Why on earth would he put your name in the game?"

"How the hell should I know? He probably thought it would be funny. Or maybe he wanted me to be paired up with a boy…or worse, himself."

Amy couldn't hold back and released a spasm of laughter. She wasn't sure why, but something about Sonic's mischievous grin as he wrote out Shadow's name was amusing—even more so by the appalled tone Shadow took on.

Said raven-furred hedgehog, however, wasn't as beguiled. Amy could practically imagine Shadow glaring at her as he demanded, "What's so funny about that?!"

"N-nothing," she managed to say through her giggles. "It's j-just you sound so-so horrified!" Another burst of laughter bubbled from her chest. "He's not that bad!"

Amy sensed that he rolled his eyes. "Maybe not to you, he's sweet on girls, but to his male peers, especially his equals, he's annoying."

The girl released a last giggle before shaking her head. "Okay, how is he annoying?"

"1) He's a cocky, arrogant show-off with little to no decency or courtesy, 2) He parades around the school like if he's the king, and 3) He's rash, impulsive, and stuck-up. In short, he's a pain in the ass."

Amy actually had to cover her mouth to smother a new set of oncoming giggles. She wasn't sure why she finds this so funny. Shadow was basically dumping on her man, yet it didn't bother her. In any other situation, she would've snapped at him and maybe even hit him by now in order to defend Sonic, but she was surprised to find herself more amused than angry or defensive.

"Are you jealous?" Amy asked playfully.

Shadow seemed almost taken aback as he sputtered incoherently, causing Amy to giggle some more. "I am not jealous of that obnoxious twit!"

"You sure sound like it."

"I am not!"

"Are you sure?"

"I think I'd know if I was jealous!"

"Maybe you would, but that doesn't mean you won't deny it to save face."

Amy lightly smirked when Shadow released a longsuffering, highly irate noise of frustration, vaguely noticing that he briefly threw his hands in the air. "Must you question everything I say? I feel like I'm being interrogated!"

The hedgehog girl giggled and quipped, "Well, I have contemplated whether or not to join the debate team."

"Ugh!" was Shadow's response as Amy noticed the silhouette of his hand rubbing his face irritably. She smiled fondly, already somewhat used to his blunt personality.

Then something occurred to her that made her frown in thought. "Wait a minute…Shadow, you said that Sonic is annoying to his equals…the way you said it…were you referring to yourself?"

She heard Shadow snort as if the idea were a joke. "Hardly—he thinks we're equals, but in reality, I'm better than him."

Amy's lips twitched into a smile. "How so?"

"I don't know if you know this, but the two of us are on the track team together." Of course Amy knew about Sonic being on the track team, she's attended his practices on occasion. Huh…I don't think I've ever noticed Shadow before. Maybe it was because my focus was on Sonic the entire time.

"It never fails," Shadow continued, "the two of us always try and outrun each other to see who's faster. We're both the fastest runners on the team, and we're the ones bringing home trophies so why not? Everyone is always wondering who's the faster runner so if we ever have a chance during practice, we race."

Amy found herself somewhat entranced by the thought of Sonic and Shadow racing and tried to picture it. "Who usually wins?"

Amy heard the hesitation in Shadow's response before he answered, "It's often a tie, and we have to do best 2 out of 3 and when we do…I win."

She scrunched her nose and quirked a smile. "Is that the truth or are you just saying that?"

"You doubt my skills?"

"I've never seen you race so I can't say anything."

Shadow seemed to contemplate her words before murmuring, "Fair enough, you'll just have to take my word for it."

"If you say so," Amy replied with a bright smile.

"…You don't believe me, do you?"

Amy giggled and shook her head though she doubted Shadow was able to see her. "Not even remotely."

"Well, how can you? You've never seen us race one another, so all you have is my word which I doubt proves to be trustworthy."

The hedgehog girl placed a finger on her chin in thought and replied, "You're kinda right, but that's only because we don't know each other very well. We don't have any classes together, do we?"

Shadow appeared to think about the question before responding, "No, but I believe we used to have English together at the beginning of the semester before I transferred out."

Amy's eyes widened at the thought of this mysterious entity sitting in the same room as her, yet she never observed him. How could someone as…intriguing as Shadow slipped by without her notice? She carefully reviewed the first few weeks of school and recalled some things about it: how the class read Macbeth together before they moved on into the poetry unit. Amy briefly remembers liking some of Walt Whitman and Robert Frost's poems, but that was about it—no Shadow. She could even imagine him as the type of student to sit in the back of the class, shrouded in the corner to be disregarded.

Now Amy would like to think of herself as very social and, for the most part, friendly to those she meets so she was surprised that she didn't witness any loner, Goth-type boy sitting by himself in English class, knowing that she surely would've introduced herself. How on earth did she look over a boy like that?

Yet, the more Amy thought about English class, she came across a revelation: Sonic is in that class too, and with the poetry unit focusing on romance at the time…

Looks like I was a bit distracted…

"I was in Ms. Vanilla's class for almost three weeks," Shadow continued, pulling Amy from her thoughts. "Then I joined the track team, and my schedule switched around to accommodate for my lack of necessity for PE. I remember sharing the class with you, and I saw you around once or twice. I even recall you reading an original love poem to the class."

Amy unconsciously straightened up at the reminder of what she considered to be the greatest piece of writing she's ever come up with. An assignment for class was to write a poem revolving around romance. Amy had been delighted, and she focused her theme on Sonic and what it meant to be in love. She worked for hours upon days just writing, scribbling down the right words, continuously thinking of how to describe her feelings while trying to successfully capture those enchanting senses, erasing phrases she found to be mediocre, and growing frustrated when she came up with a list of titles yet finding none satisfactory.

Eventually, she had settled for one she figured would do and then proudly read her masterpiece to the class, gazing starry-eyed at Sonic the entire time and hoping that he would take the hint and show her a sign of his gratitude and adoration. She even pictured him going up to her, holding her hands in his and saying 'wow, Amy I never knew you could write so magnificently…that was amazing.'

He was asleep when it was her turn.

Though Amy was disappointed that Sonic didn't get to hear her poem, she was nevertheless proud of it, and she kept in her folder for safe-keeping; she figured that maybe one day, when the time was right, she'd give it to him like on Valentine's Day or maybe as a birthday present.

"I appreciate the mythical and natural elements you used to enhance your thoughts and overall creativity." The sound of Shadow's alluring voice brought Amy back to reality like a lost soul towards a beacon of light. "I don't exactly recall any specific lines, but I remember you described love with examples of nature and music in a manner that I couldn't help but admire. I'll admit that such feelings of romance have never interested me, yet I was actually spellbound by how you had put your thoughts into words—all in all, I was impressed."

Amy's heart fluttered at his statements and stared at the dark figure in front of her. For a moment, she couldn't wrap her mind around what he just said and tried to absorb the amount of sincerity in his smooth voice, not hearing any form of deception. Yet, it proved to be difficult seeing that it was unlike Shadow to compliment anyone, let alone someone he just met.

"Really?" she practically breathed out as a whisper.

In the darkness, Amy vaguely saw Shadow shrug nonchalantly. "Yes, and I must say it is very hard to impress me so consider that as a sign that you did a decent job."

Again, Amy was struck speechless. Though Shadow was a lot less elegant and eloquent with this compliment, it was still a compliment nonetheless. Finally, she managed to say, "Thank you…I-I didn't think it was that good, but I'm flattered that you liked it." She unconsciously tucked a lock of her blush-soft hair behind her ear. "That poem actually took a long time to finish, and I think it was probably the first time I put my heart and soul into my homework. Did you, um, really like it or are you just being nice?"

"Since when am I ever nice?" Amy giggled at his wry response and could've sworn that he smirked in response. "Well, I don't lie to people to spare their feelings—if I feel you're doing something wrong then I will tell you without sugarcoating it. You said so yourself, I'm not afraid to be rude." Amy giggled again and shook her head knowingly. "To be honest though, I never knew you could write so remarkably. It was extraordinary, especially when you read it so vivaciously and full of passion. It shows how compassionate you are, and the vast amounts of love you have to offer."

At that moment, time stopped and Amy's heart skipped a note on a musical staff. She felt as if several delicate little faeries were in her stomach fluttering around and giving it a pleasantly ticklish sensation. Her mind went blank, yet began to paint into the picturesque thought that no one has ever said anything that nice to her before, that no guy has ever been that charming to her in such a way.

Amy was so enraptured by the words that euphoniously skipped through her eardrums that she almost missed Shadow unexpectedly murmuring, "In fact, you kind of remind me of an old friend of mine—if anything, she would've loved your poem."

The girl perked up with interest at the information. "Who are you talking about?"

Even within the blackness of the closet, Amy could see Shadow's profile stiffen and then suddenly the atmosphere changed from comfortable to tense. Amy was puzzled by the thick slice of awkward she tasted and was about to question it when Shadow brusquely asked, "How much longer now?"

The coldness in his voice caused Amy to nearly cringe back. What just happened here? But, nevertheless, she reluctantly pulled out her phone, squinted at the brightness of the screen, and became surprised by how much time has passed. "We have a little over three minutes left."

Shadow groaned in annoyance and appeared to press his back into the wall as if he wished it would swallow him up. Amy was utterly befuddled by this sudden mood change and wondered what on earth was the matter. "Um Shadow, are you okay?"

When he merely grunted in response, Amy thought for a moment and then testily asked, "So…you said I remind you of a friend of yours?" Shadow didn't say anything to confirm or elaborate so Amy pressed, "Is it someone I know? Does she go to our school? What does she look like? What kind of Mobian is she? Is she-"

"Enough with the questions just let it go," Shadow bluntly stated with a growl.

"But-" Amy tried to start but Shadow viciously snapped, "I said to let it go! Drop it!"

The hedgehog girl was quiet for a while, only clenching her fingers into her palms and biting her lower to keep in any pitiful sounds. She subtly took a deep breath, allowing the crisp, new air in her lungs to clear her mind and shove aside her hurt. I wonder why he's so touchy about his friend.

…Maybe this girl moved away and he's still sad about it or maybe they went out and now they're not together anymore. Either way, I guess it's personal.

Once that thought dawned on her, Amy immediately grew guilty, and she placed her hands on her lap, lowering her viridian orbs in shame. "Shadow…I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to pry. I have no right into your business so please forgive me for intruding. If you want, you don't have to talk to me, and we can sit in silence like how you wanted to. Pretend I never said anything."

And with that, Amy rested her head back into the wall, briefly closing her eyes and preparing herself for an awkward three minutes of silence. However, she was unprepared for when Shadow suddenly sighed in what appeared to be reminiscence and submission. "Her name was Maria."

Amy's eyes shot open, and she refocused on the gloomy outline of Shadow sitting cross-legged in the dark. Though her mind was screaming with questions, she held them back and waited (im)patiently for him to continue. After a moment of seemingly gathering himself, Shadow sighed again and said, "She was my best friend and my first real friend. We met in kindergarten and from then on we became inseparable. She was always fascinated by outer space so we used to watch the stars at night. She was kind, cheerful, and optimistic…we were very close."

He then stopped and didn't say anymore, as if waiting for Amy to comment or question. She, in turn, was stunned to hear how much sadness was in his voice, making it soft and vulnerable. Though Amy may not know Shadow very well, it seemed so unlike him to become so sentimental and to lower his defenses, unveiling a portion of his seemingly detached mask. For a moment, she didn't know what to say and ended up inquiring, "Were?"

It took a few painfully slow seconds until Shadow finally responded, "She was diagnosed with a terminal illness when she was a baby. The doctors couldn't give her an exact date of…departure so she treated every day as if it were her last. It's partially what made her look to the bright side so often." Amy didn't need the light on to know that he smiled fondly in memory.

"She lasted longer than anyone expected up until our 8th grade year. It was in the middle of summer when it happened…she never even got to experience what high school was like." His voice cracked at that momentary hesitation, and Amy's heart instantly went out to him. A lump formed in her throat, and she felt the familiar sensation of tears pooling in the back of her eyes. Nevertheless, she blinked a few times to prevent them from falling, and she allowed herself a few precious seconds to regain herself.

"She sounds amazing," Amy eventually managed to say. "I'm very sorry for your loss. I'm sure that can't have been easy for you."

She dimly saw him shrug. "It's fine, I'm okay. It's been years now, and I've come to accept her passing. Of course, I'll never forget her, but it's no use getting upset about it now—it's all in the past and I've moved on." Shadow then hesitated before softly adding, "It's just that…sometimes I can't…help but…"

"Miss her sometimes," Amy finished for him when he couldn't continue. Shadow didn't respond, but his silence was confirmation enough. "You do realize that's completely natural, especially since she was your best friend, right?"

After a moment or two of contemplative silence, Shadow quietly muttered, "Once you read your poem, I thought of her. It had…been a while since I last thought of her. I generally try hard not to think of her so much since it only brings up unnecessary grief."

Amy recognized that the multitude of emotions he conveyed made a considerable difference in his personality, making him seem more human than she originally perceived him to be. Sympathy waded in like waves upon a sandy beach within her, and Amy was struck by the urge to say something, to do something for him.

The girl considered something before she offered, "Would you like to keep it?"

Shadow's head lifted slightly in confusion. "What?"

"The poem…would you like to have it?"

There was a bit of silence before he asked, "Why would I want it?"

"So that whenever you read it, it'll be easier for you to think of Maria and, when you do, it'll bring out more of your happier memories of her."

Silence briefly reigned until Shadow gruffly stated, "I just told you that I'd rather not think of her, and yet you're offering me a poem that clearly reminds me of her? Why would you consider doing something so…ludicrous?"

A flash of distress discouraged Amy before her determination bounced her back. "Because like I said, the poem will remind you of the happier times you've had with her. You said so yourself that you liked it so I can only assume that it won't make you sad when you read it." When Shadow didn't say anything, Amy sighed. "You don't have to have it if you really don't want it, I'm only offering. I just thought that since Maria would've liked it, you would've liked it too and you might've been closer to her…spiritually." She shrugged though she doubted Shadow could see her. "I just want you to be happy and to not be so down about her. I may not know her, but she sounds like she meant a lot to you. Wouldn't you want to remember her in a good way and not in a depressing way?"

Even more silence ensued, and Amy was pretty sure Shadow wasn't going to answer this time. She suppressed a dejected sigh and almost regretted having offered him the poem. She honestly didn't mean any harm; she just wanted to do something nice for him. She wasn't sure why seeing that they don't know each other, but something about his sentiment and the great lengths he took to shield his emotions made her want to do something that'll prompt him to show more of who he really is.

If she had to be honest with herself, Amy rather liked Shadow and wanted to see more of his genuine side.

However, judging from his thick, lingering quietness, she wasn't going to behold any more for the day or maybe even never again. Her shoulders sagged in defeat and distantly wondered how much longer she and Shadow will have to stay in the closet, guessing that they probably had about a minute or two left.

Amy pulled her knees to her chest and rested her chin on them. "Shadow…I'm s-"

"I'll take it."

Amy instantly lifted her head, and her eyes briefly widened in shock. "What?"

"If you really don't mind, I'd like to accept your offer of the poem."

Amy's mouth gaped with surprise, but she quickly shut it as happiness bubbled within her, ready to burst like a balloon full of confetti. "Really?"

She noticed his silhouette nod in confirmation, and she couldn't help but release a small squeal of delight. "Okay! I obviously don't have it with me now, but the next time I see you in school, I'll give it to you! Oooh! I'll give it to you at your next track meeting! Your next meeting is Tuesday after school, right?"

"Um, there's no need to waste your time after school," Shadow said, sounding a bit hesitant. "I can easily find you at school-"

"No, that's okay," Amy interrupted excitedly. "I don't mind coming to your meeting! Besides, it'll give me a chance to see how fast you are! Maybe then we'll see if you're lying about being faster than Sonic or not!" She giggled gleefully at the thought, and she was thrown off when she observed a faint smile on Shadow's lips, not sure if it was a trick of the light (or lack of it).

"Yeah, I guess it's a date then."

Amy suddenly ceased her chuckles and stared the vampire-dressed hedgehog. He had said that so offhandedly, yet Amy could've sworn that there was something else in his voice that made her heart race. A date? Did he just say…?

No, he didn't mean it that way—it's an expression. Get a grip, Amy—the claustrophobia is starting to get to you.

"Out of curiosity," Shadow suddenly spoke up, "how much longer do we have?"

Amy blinked a few times to comprehend the question, and eventually pulled out her phone. She frowned when she discovered that they had approximately 35 seconds until their 7 minutes were up. She found herself disappointed that her time with Shadow was almost up and was surprised that she even was disappointed.

It's not like Shadow is Sonic or anything…

But that's the thing—Shadow isn't Sonic, they're nothing alike. Sonic is confident and easy-going and Shadow is, well, Shadow. He's alluring, mysterious, blunt, serious, wry, apathetic, surprisingly sentimental, caring, honest, eloquent, passionate, handsome…

Yeah, nothing at all like Sonic.

"Amy? Amy? Are you okay, Rose?" The pink hedgehog drifted out of her thoughts at the sound of that smooth, surly voice, realizing that she spaced out. Another quick look at her phone showed that they had 25 seconds left.

"Yeah, I'm okay," she replied as she snapped out of her reverie. Then she realized something that made the faeries in her stomach flock jovially again. "Wait—did you just call me 'Rose'?"

"Uh, yes I did," Shadow remarked, sounding a bit amused. "Is there a problem?"

"Oh no, no, I, uh, like it, it's nice."

She smiled slightly and was stunned to see him scoot closer until he was sitting in front of her. "Well, it suits you." For once Amy was appreciative of the dark because otherwise Shadow would've seen the blush that crept onto her cheeks.

"Thank you," she managed to whisper.

Shadow seemed to hum in response and then it was quiet. Amy could sense his presence close to hers and felt his eyes looking at her. Then she noticed the outline of his hand tentatively reaching up and pausing before he lightly cupped her chin. Her breath caught as that warm solid hand held her gently, his thumb softly, considerately brushing over her lips as if seeking them.

She waited breathlessly for him to say something, to do something as she unconsciously leaned closer. 15…14…13…

Suddenly Shadow's voice broke through the silence and darkness. "Ah…what the hell?" Then before she knew it, Shadow lifted her chin up and softly pressed his lips to hers.

Amy lightly gasped at the action, but instantly relaxed and melted into his gesture, closing her eyes to fully experience the moment; she allowed her body to loosen with ease, and she dropped her hold on her knees, bringing them down to get rid of the barrier between her and Shadow.

At first Shadow's lips were unmoving. but then once Amy responded by kissing back, he deepened the kiss. Gradually, their lips began to move with one another's rhythmically like a couple dancing alone in a ballroom as Shadow's hand released Amy's chin to instead use both of them to chastely rest them on her petite waist, bringing them closer. Amy's hands, in turn, moved to gingerly grasp the sides of his face so she can cup a strong jaw and pull him closer still before she wrapped her arms around his neck.

A warm, glowing sensation filled within Amy as her heart beat furiously like Cupid's wings as they raced him to the fated Capulet masked ball. She felt those fervent stomach-faeries settle down and instead transform into fireflies that lit up a clear dark-blue sky. For a moment, it was as if she and Shadow weren't in a dark closet at some Halloween party, it was as if it was just them two in their own world where it was okay for a vampire and a gypsy to get together. For a moment, she couldn't think of anything but of how wonderfully light she felt and how this kiss warmed her up like a comfortable fire on a brick-red hearth.

For a moment, she felt complete.

Amy was more than happy to continue doing this for an eternity until all of a sudden the darkness surrounding them disintegrated into light as it basked them in its bright glory. Both her and Shadow were startled as they immediately broke off and stared towards the closet door, revealing a room full of curious Mobian teens. However, their inquisitive expressions instantly shifted to knowing grins as they took in Shadow's arms around Amy and her arms wrapped around his neck. The hedgehogs simultaneously released their respective grips, and Amy was sure that she was sporting a blush that nearly matched the shade of Shadow's eyes.

Initially, neither of them could move until Sally's voice broke them out of their mortified dazes. "Alright guys, time's up! Your 7 minutes are over! Time to get out and let some others have some alone time!" She playfully winked at them and unknowingly spurred them to hastily get up and exit the closet. They then carefully made their way through a small handful of teenagers who threw them sly smirks and a few catcalls, more loudly noted from Scourge. Amy instinctively drew closer to Shadow who unexpectedly grasped her hand and led her out of the room.

The two exited the area and made their way through the hallway, past a few more rooms where the music was blasting through the night, and towards the front door. Neither of them said a word, and a quick glance at Shadow showed a blank, expressionless face. Amy couldn't tell what he was thinking and was hoping that he wasn't regretting the kiss. She was delightfully stunned that he even kissed her and was surprisingly glad that he did and that she enjoyed it. She briefly replayed the entire, blissful sequence in her head and found her previously retreating blush return and a soft smile playing on her lips, still tingling from contact.

Then Amy was unexpectedly hit by a cool breeze, and all at once realized that she and Shadow were outdoors, just outside Sally's house. She blinked to adjust to the new surroundings and looked at Shadow, focusing on the rubies that made his orbs. He gazed back at her for a moment before clearing his throat, seeming embarrassed. "Well, uh…that was an…interesting experience, Rose."

Her heart fluttered at the nickname, and she smiled at him. "I guess you can say that."

His mouth twitched at the corners before he became serious. "Look—I'd, uh, like to apologize for my behavior just now. What I did was entirely inappropriate, and I didn't mean to kiss you without your consent. My actions were completely spontaneous and highly unlike me at all so there's really no excuse for how I acted. You have every right to be angry with me, and I'll perfectly understand if-"

Amy instantly silenced him with a peck on the lips that quickly bloomed into a heartfelt kiss. At first, Shadow was caught off guard, but was quick to regain himself as he kissed her back. For a while, they remained in place, enjoying the explosion of emotions that a single kiss brought upon them before they pulled apart.

Shadow blinked to recover his senses and instantly locked eyes with Amy. She beamed at him and said, "What you did was amazing and definitely spontaneous. I'm not angry with you, and I wouldn't mind kissing you some more as you can tell." She blushed at that last bit, and he smiled fondly at her.

"Well, to be honest, I wouldn't mind that either."

Amy's grin widened in response, and then she grew shy as Shadow's captivating gaze threatened to erase everything else, only leaving the two of them in place. "So, um, I guess I'll give you that poem on Tuesday?"

Shadow nodded as a smirk lit up his expression. "Yes, that sounds acceptable."

"Great, I guess I'll see you then."

"Sure, unless we see each other sooner…such as this weekend."

Amy was initially puzzled by what he meant, but then it struck her and she giggled. "I might be at the mall tomorrow if you want to meet up for a movie."

Shadow pretended to think it over before nodding. "I might stop by."

She giggled again and then became bashful once more at the thought of her and him on a date, holding hands maybe, and kissing some more. "Cool so I'll, uh, see you around?"

"I guess you will," Shadow said mysteriously as his smirk softened, and then he suddenly became staid as he usually was and stated, "I should go now, it's getting late. I'll see you tomorrow, Rose." He then leaned in to give Amy a quick, soft, chaste kiss on her cheek before he turned around and headed for his mode of transportation: a jet-black motorcycle with crimson-red designs on it.

Amy gently held her cheek as she watched him go, a love-struck smile on her face and her verdant orbs glowing like a sunset on the beach. She stood there for who knows how long before her previously paused senses returned and she blinked into awareness, leaving the contours of her heavenly state of mind. A bubbly giggle escaped her, and she bit her lower lip to hold back any more. Then bouncing a little with giddy animation, Amy twirled in her spot and allowed her gypsy skirt to swirl in the breeze. Finally, she released a breath to let go of some of her elation and made her way back into the party.

7 minutes in heaven…wow I guess it really does live up to its name. I can't wait for tomorrow!

At that moment, Amy realized something that made her pause and reflect. Huh…now that I think about it, I never got to kiss Sonic a second time. Then she apathetically shrugged, finding herself not disappointed as she expected to be. Well, that's okay—it was still my night, and I guess I could say that I kissed my heart's true desire.

Satisfied and giddy as a schoolgirl, Amy practically skipped the rest of the way to the front door. Just as she reached it, her hand hovering over the knob, Amy couldn't help but glance back towards where Shadow disappeared into the night. She emitted a soft sigh as she managed to grasp the doorknob and give it a twist.

Sayonara Shadow…until tomorrow.

And there we go...my 2nd longest one-shot~

I'm sorry in advance for the off-the-wall title and if I messed up on any of the characters! Otherwise though, thanks for reading and I hope this was decent! Have a nice day! :D