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shichahnPosting another chapter, why not :D;; DAMN YOU MANDY
Fic is now officially NC-17... -_-;; I REPEAT: DAMN YOU MANDY
Today had been a very long day.
Shadow knew what he was doing, that was for sure. The destruction of the Breckenridge facility had caused a complete panic over at GUN Headquarters. Not only had that shipment of nerve gas to the Aran base camp been canceled indefinitely on account of the weapon no longer existing, they now had to contend with containing the VX agent that Shadow had set off inside the base. Decontamination would have them tied up for weeks.
Rouge had only been able to glean this information by listening carefully while passing by rooms she was currently banned from. She may normally have been entitled to any information she wanted, as GUN's top agent, but the GUN Commander, who never went by his actual name of Eric Davies but instead required everyone to address him by his title, knew well where her loyalty lay. The last thing he wanted was for her to relay vital information to her treacherous ally.
Of course, the Commander had underestimated her. And she was, in fact, about to call up the hedgehog when there was a quick double-knock on her apartment door. She recognized it as if it were his signature.
Leisurely, the bat strode over and composed herself with a smile that was almost a smirk. She opened the door to quite the sight. Dried red-brown streaked Shadow's cheeks and that tuft of white fur, and although the blood couldn't color the parts of him that were black, it made the fur look matted, without its usual glossy shine. Rouge grimaced in disgust.
"Well, aren't you a mess. I hope none of that's yours."
He pushed past her. "I need to use your shower."
"You'd better," she replied, wrinkling her nose.
As he headed down her short hallway, Rouge made her way into the kitchen and poured them both a drink of brandy. She was pleased he'd come here voluntarily; it meant he was listening to her warnings about spending too much time on the ARK. Anyway, it couldn't be good for him, psychologically, to stay there often. He was stressed enough as it was without having to be reminded of his past on a regular basis.
Taking both drinks, Rouge had a seat on the couch and waited. Despite her flippant attitude toward him, she really did care about Shadow. He was a valuable ally, but also a trusted friend. And now that he was wanted by the government for numerous acts of treason, destruction of GUN property, sabotage, murder, and who knew what else, she had to do her best to help him.
She couldn't help but think that it just wasn't fair. Where Shadow was concerned, it never seemed to be. He was doing his best to stop the war, thereby saving as many lives as he could. And while his methods were questionable, it was only because he didn't know anything else. GUN had wanted a living weapon when they funded the project some fifty-six years ago, now. What did they expect of him? Now they were sending out orders to have him captured, and if that couldn't be done, to have him killed. It was like condemning a dog for barking.
The hiss of water from the shower stopped, and Shadow emerged a few minutes later, fur still slightly damp but considerably cleaner. He took a seat next to her, and she handed him his glass.
"How's your arm doing?"
"Fine."
She could see a spot where the fur was parted slightly, revealing a small gash of bare brown skin where the wound was healing. One would never have been able to guess he'd been shot just yesterday.
"They can't know I'm coming here. If they see you with me, they'll take you in as a co-conspirator. You'll be executed."
Rouge just chuckled, shaking her head. "Worried about little ol' me? How sweet."
"I'm serious, Rouge."
"I know." She had a sip of brandy, then gave him a sly smile. "They won't be able to bug this place. I can see security cameras a mile away, and I can hear them and those little recorders, they haven't figured out how to mask their ultrasonic whine. As for you, I suggest you just let yourself in from now on."
He nodded, and she grinned, small sharp fangs glinting in the light. Yes, he could Chaos Control his way in whenever he wanted, and she certainly wouldn't mind.
Shadow knocked back some of the alcohol, and focused his eyes on her. "How did the Commander appreciate his wake-up call this morning?" Despite his deadpan tone, Rouge thought she saw mischief in his eyes.
"Ugh, I'm surprised anyone's allowed to leave the building with you on the loose. You know they called us all in at four in the morning? I need my beauty sleep!" She shook her head in mock disgust, but smiled. "I can't believe you took down Breckenridge so fast. The old man's going to die of an ulcer next week at this rate, you scared the hell out of him!"
She grinned, and he gave a small nod. "He needs a fright every once in a while. Keeps him from going soft."
"I got the impression he thought you were going to bring that last truckload back to HQ and gas us all. He really doesn't get it."
"Hm." He drained the last of the liquor. "Maybe I should give him a few days off."
"Why?"
"It'll keep him on his toes. Besides, I need to visit Aran."
"Sonic is over there right now."
"Is he? Interesting."
Rouge couldn't read the look on his face, and just hoped that the two hedgehogs wouldn't be at each other's throats the entire time. It was something of a shame that this one time they were working toward the same goal, there was no way they would be willing to work together. If Sonic knew what Shadow had been up to lately, and he almost certainly did, then he had to be upset. The fact that he hadn't come to take it up with his dark doppelganger meant he must be extremely busy already. Sonic didn't like GUN, but that wasn't enough of an excuse to look the other way when it meant people were being killed.
The last of the brandy went down easy, and Rouge reached for Shadow's glass, which he handed over.
"Were you planning on staying the night?" she asked teasingly.
Shadow watched her with a raised eyebrow. "Is that an invitation?"
Rouge noted the amusement in his voice. "I think you meant to say 'yes, please.'" She winked and strolled into the kitchen with the glasses, hips swaying seductively.
By now she was used to his little games, and was hardly surprised when she turned back around after setting the glasses down, and saw he was no longer sitting on the couch in the living room. Figuring he'd probably gone ahead into her bedroom, she strode forward through the doorway.
The moment she crossed the threshold, Rouge's back was shoved against the wall, and a warm dark body pressed up against her, claiming her mouth and cutting off her shout of surprise. She relaxed and sighed into the kiss, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and fluttering her wings uselessly against the hard surface behind her. He really was playing games right now, wasn't he? But if that's what got him off tonight, then she didn't mind. Nights like this were rare, and she wondered momentarily why he hadn't used his usual excuse of 'something more useful to do.' Weren't guys' brains supposedly 70 percent devoted to sex? Shadow seemed to be the exception. Kissing wasn't even his thing; he only did that because he knew she enjoyed it. It was nice that he was that considerate.
While one of his hands was wrapped around her waist, the other quickly slipped up between her legs, and she gasped into his mouth as he pressed with palm and fingertips, rough and never teasing. He always did cut straight to the chase. And in fact, the next thing she knew, her back was pressed down against her bed instead, and he was biting at the side of her neck while undressing her. He'd had a more difficult time of it years ago, when she still wore those catsuits. They were outmoded now. The low-cut black halter top and tight little skirt she was wearing tonight showed her curves just as well, and were much easier to remove.
Rouge slid her arms up his back, feeling the muscles shifting under his thick fur, and gripped the quills on his shoulders as he stripped away the last of her clothing, tossing the panties into a corner. He pulled her upright against him, suddenly, with the hint of a smirk playing across his lips, and then ghosted his teeth across her cheek as his hips moved sharply upward and he pulled her down onto him. She leaned forward against his chest, wrapping her thighs tightly around his waist, and gasped softly as he began to thrust into her. It was so nice to be with someone who knew her so well. With Shadow, she didn't have to do any of the work, and had plenty of fun. The last guy she'd been with... well, now wasn't the time to think about that. He hadn't been half as enjoyable.
Or demanding. The comforter seemed to rise to meet her again as Shadow pushed her back onto it and continued his assault, the coarse fur on his hips scratching against the soft skin on the insides of her legs. Rouge didn't even notice. She was too immersed in the sensations of Shadow's panting against her chest, one of his powerful arms wound around her hips and holding her against him while he teased her breasts and stomach and clitoris with his other hand, and all the while, she was trembling and moaning and desperately clutching him closer. Rouge realized suddenly that her eyes had closed under the onslaught, and she opened them partway. The sight of Shadow atop her, eyes unfocused and fur damp with sweat, made her breath catch in her throat.
When she managed to breathe once again, it came out as a gasped cry. The intense burning pressure that had built up was released in one long instant in which the world seemed to go white, and her legs tightened around his waist involuntarily. Her reactions must have carried the hedgehog over the edge. Shadow came with a low moan, clutching her tightly to his chest, and finished with a few more shallow thrusts. Then, panting, he pulled out of her and sat up a little, back arched and quills disheveled.
He was beautiful like this, Rouge always thought. It was one of those rare times when she could allow some silly romantic thought to cross her mind and genuinely mean it. Their relationship, if one wanted to call it that, wasn't a romantic one at all, but it didn't stop either of them from enjoying the pleasures each had to offer. In addition to being great fun in bed, Shadow provided some very appreciated eye candy. It would have been nice if he was around more often.
Rouge pushed herself up into a seated position, leaning back a little on one hand, and placed the other on Shadow's chest, just below that tuft of white. There was a gentle vibration there which matched his breathing, and she leaned forward to kiss him so she could feel the purr with her lips. When she pulled away, she gave him a teasing smile.
"What?" He had an eyebrow raised.
"Nothing~" Rouge kept a chuckle to herself. The fact that she could get the one who called himself the Ultimate Lifeform to purr would never stop being funny.
Shadow gave a soft grunt of dismissal and sank down onto the bed, laying on his side with his back to her, and looked out the window.
"Can't you wait a day? There's no need to go to Aran tomorrow, is there?" Rouge frowned.
"There's even less reason to stay."
It hurt a little, even though she'd been expecting something like that. She didn't really want to delay him, anyway, not that she could if she tried. He had his mission on his mind. But Rouge had found that while she'd liked her job before she met Shadow, and liked it even more when he joined GUN, it had become a lot less fun after he'd quit, and it wasn't just because they were hunting him now. He was probably the closest friend she'd ever had, and she missed him a little, she had to admit. Rare occasions like this didn't really make up for all the lost time.
Both comforting and yet also irritating was the fact that no matter how far across the world he'd gone, he was only a thought away, literally. The ability to teleport at will meant he could be anywhere in moments, reducing distance to nothing at all. But rarely did he choose to visit her, even though it would be so easy for him to do so - he was busy, and that given their current situation, he couldn't afford to visit often. That was his logic, not hers. It wouldn't be as hard to stop by every once in a while as he made it seem if he actually wanted to.
Rouge sank down behind him and reached forward, stroking his quills. "Be careful."
"I'll be fine."
She nestled her face against the back of his neck and exhaled softly, laying an arm around his waist. She felt his breath hitch, his muscles tense under his fur, for the briefest of moments, before he relaxed, and she sighed. There was no way to know exactly what he was thinking, since he never spoke about his thoughts, but by laying close to him like this, she could feel those tiny reactions that even he, master of masking his emotions, could not hide.
"If you need anything while you're over there..."
His chest moved as he gave a short huff of breath, but he gave no reply. They lay there in silence for several minutes, while Rouge gently stroked the hedgehog's chest. What was there to say? Shadow was obviously deep in thought about something, and was unwilling to give her any clues on it, so she had to resign simply to silent support - a role she acted in often with him, and one he actually seemed to appreciate, even if he never said as much.
"Don't do anything foolish."
She started slightly when she felt his voice echo as a soft rumble in her chest, not having expected the sound. She rolled her eyes at the back of his head.
"Like what? That sounds more like the advice I should be giving you."
"You know what I mean."
"Shadow, if the Commander hasn't realized I'm helping you yet, he won't find out anytime soon. Don't worry about me."
Whether or not he was satisfied by this response, he chose not to comment, and Rouge closed her eyes. The image of him bent over her, lips parted and chest heaving, beautiful in his ecstasy, would be enough to fuel her imagination for a good while, until he saw fit to come to her again.
---
She hadn't meant to fall asleep. She had wanted to stay up with him until he left, because there was no telling when she would see him again. But she wasn't surprised in the slightest when, after opening her eyes, she found that Shadow had already gone.
4:43 am. An unusual time to wake up at random. The lingering warmth beside her on the bed made the reason for her sudden awakening clear, and she sighed in exasperation, flopping onto her back and staring at the ceiling. Would it be so hard for him to say goodbye, for once? Or to stay a little bit longer than the bare minimum necessary, perhaps? He was terrible at that, always coming and going with the fewest of words and in the briefest of moments. Just like the blue boy, he was always on the move, always headed off to do something important somewhere else. Maybe, once all of this was over, he would find some time to slow down.
But, knowing him, probably not.
Rouge closed her eyes and soon returned to sleep.
Fic is now officially NC-17... -_-;; I REPEAT: DAMN YOU MANDY
Today had been a very long day.
Shadow knew what he was doing, that was for sure. The destruction of the Breckenridge facility had caused a complete panic over at GUN Headquarters. Not only had that shipment of nerve gas to the Aran base camp been canceled indefinitely on account of the weapon no longer existing, they now had to contend with containing the VX agent that Shadow had set off inside the base. Decontamination would have them tied up for weeks.
Rouge had only been able to glean this information by listening carefully while passing by rooms she was currently banned from. She may normally have been entitled to any information she wanted, as GUN's top agent, but the GUN Commander, who never went by his actual name of Eric Davies but instead required everyone to address him by his title, knew well where her loyalty lay. The last thing he wanted was for her to relay vital information to her treacherous ally.
Of course, the Commander had underestimated her. And she was, in fact, about to call up the hedgehog when there was a quick double-knock on her apartment door. She recognized it as if it were his signature.
Leisurely, the bat strode over and composed herself with a smile that was almost a smirk. She opened the door to quite the sight. Dried red-brown streaked Shadow's cheeks and that tuft of white fur, and although the blood couldn't color the parts of him that were black, it made the fur look matted, without its usual glossy shine. Rouge grimaced in disgust.
"Well, aren't you a mess. I hope none of that's yours."
He pushed past her. "I need to use your shower."
"You'd better," she replied, wrinkling her nose.
As he headed down her short hallway, Rouge made her way into the kitchen and poured them both a drink of brandy. She was pleased he'd come here voluntarily; it meant he was listening to her warnings about spending too much time on the ARK. Anyway, it couldn't be good for him, psychologically, to stay there often. He was stressed enough as it was without having to be reminded of his past on a regular basis.
Taking both drinks, Rouge had a seat on the couch and waited. Despite her flippant attitude toward him, she really did care about Shadow. He was a valuable ally, but also a trusted friend. And now that he was wanted by the government for numerous acts of treason, destruction of GUN property, sabotage, murder, and who knew what else, she had to do her best to help him.
She couldn't help but think that it just wasn't fair. Where Shadow was concerned, it never seemed to be. He was doing his best to stop the war, thereby saving as many lives as he could. And while his methods were questionable, it was only because he didn't know anything else. GUN had wanted a living weapon when they funded the project some fifty-six years ago, now. What did they expect of him? Now they were sending out orders to have him captured, and if that couldn't be done, to have him killed. It was like condemning a dog for barking.
The hiss of water from the shower stopped, and Shadow emerged a few minutes later, fur still slightly damp but considerably cleaner. He took a seat next to her, and she handed him his glass.
"How's your arm doing?"
"Fine."
She could see a spot where the fur was parted slightly, revealing a small gash of bare brown skin where the wound was healing. One would never have been able to guess he'd been shot just yesterday.
"They can't know I'm coming here. If they see you with me, they'll take you in as a co-conspirator. You'll be executed."
Rouge just chuckled, shaking her head. "Worried about little ol' me? How sweet."
"I'm serious, Rouge."
"I know." She had a sip of brandy, then gave him a sly smile. "They won't be able to bug this place. I can see security cameras a mile away, and I can hear them and those little recorders, they haven't figured out how to mask their ultrasonic whine. As for you, I suggest you just let yourself in from now on."
He nodded, and she grinned, small sharp fangs glinting in the light. Yes, he could Chaos Control his way in whenever he wanted, and she certainly wouldn't mind.
Shadow knocked back some of the alcohol, and focused his eyes on her. "How did the Commander appreciate his wake-up call this morning?" Despite his deadpan tone, Rouge thought she saw mischief in his eyes.
"Ugh, I'm surprised anyone's allowed to leave the building with you on the loose. You know they called us all in at four in the morning? I need my beauty sleep!" She shook her head in mock disgust, but smiled. "I can't believe you took down Breckenridge so fast. The old man's going to die of an ulcer next week at this rate, you scared the hell out of him!"
She grinned, and he gave a small nod. "He needs a fright every once in a while. Keeps him from going soft."
"I got the impression he thought you were going to bring that last truckload back to HQ and gas us all. He really doesn't get it."
"Hm." He drained the last of the liquor. "Maybe I should give him a few days off."
"Why?"
"It'll keep him on his toes. Besides, I need to visit Aran."
"Sonic is over there right now."
"Is he? Interesting."
Rouge couldn't read the look on his face, and just hoped that the two hedgehogs wouldn't be at each other's throats the entire time. It was something of a shame that this one time they were working toward the same goal, there was no way they would be willing to work together. If Sonic knew what Shadow had been up to lately, and he almost certainly did, then he had to be upset. The fact that he hadn't come to take it up with his dark doppelganger meant he must be extremely busy already. Sonic didn't like GUN, but that wasn't enough of an excuse to look the other way when it meant people were being killed.
The last of the brandy went down easy, and Rouge reached for Shadow's glass, which he handed over.
"Were you planning on staying the night?" she asked teasingly.
Shadow watched her with a raised eyebrow. "Is that an invitation?"
Rouge noted the amusement in his voice. "I think you meant to say 'yes, please.'" She winked and strolled into the kitchen with the glasses, hips swaying seductively.
By now she was used to his little games, and was hardly surprised when she turned back around after setting the glasses down, and saw he was no longer sitting on the couch in the living room. Figuring he'd probably gone ahead into her bedroom, she strode forward through the doorway.
The moment she crossed the threshold, Rouge's back was shoved against the wall, and a warm dark body pressed up against her, claiming her mouth and cutting off her shout of surprise. She relaxed and sighed into the kiss, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and fluttering her wings uselessly against the hard surface behind her. He really was playing games right now, wasn't he? But if that's what got him off tonight, then she didn't mind. Nights like this were rare, and she wondered momentarily why he hadn't used his usual excuse of 'something more useful to do.' Weren't guys' brains supposedly 70 percent devoted to sex? Shadow seemed to be the exception. Kissing wasn't even his thing; he only did that because he knew she enjoyed it. It was nice that he was that considerate.
While one of his hands was wrapped around her waist, the other quickly slipped up between her legs, and she gasped into his mouth as he pressed with palm and fingertips, rough and never teasing. He always did cut straight to the chase. And in fact, the next thing she knew, her back was pressed down against her bed instead, and he was biting at the side of her neck while undressing her. He'd had a more difficult time of it years ago, when she still wore those catsuits. They were outmoded now. The low-cut black halter top and tight little skirt she was wearing tonight showed her curves just as well, and were much easier to remove.
Rouge slid her arms up his back, feeling the muscles shifting under his thick fur, and gripped the quills on his shoulders as he stripped away the last of her clothing, tossing the panties into a corner. He pulled her upright against him, suddenly, with the hint of a smirk playing across his lips, and then ghosted his teeth across her cheek as his hips moved sharply upward and he pulled her down onto him. She leaned forward against his chest, wrapping her thighs tightly around his waist, and gasped softly as he began to thrust into her. It was so nice to be with someone who knew her so well. With Shadow, she didn't have to do any of the work, and had plenty of fun. The last guy she'd been with... well, now wasn't the time to think about that. He hadn't been half as enjoyable.
Or demanding. The comforter seemed to rise to meet her again as Shadow pushed her back onto it and continued his assault, the coarse fur on his hips scratching against the soft skin on the insides of her legs. Rouge didn't even notice. She was too immersed in the sensations of Shadow's panting against her chest, one of his powerful arms wound around her hips and holding her against him while he teased her breasts and stomach and clitoris with his other hand, and all the while, she was trembling and moaning and desperately clutching him closer. Rouge realized suddenly that her eyes had closed under the onslaught, and she opened them partway. The sight of Shadow atop her, eyes unfocused and fur damp with sweat, made her breath catch in her throat.
When she managed to breathe once again, it came out as a gasped cry. The intense burning pressure that had built up was released in one long instant in which the world seemed to go white, and her legs tightened around his waist involuntarily. Her reactions must have carried the hedgehog over the edge. Shadow came with a low moan, clutching her tightly to his chest, and finished with a few more shallow thrusts. Then, panting, he pulled out of her and sat up a little, back arched and quills disheveled.
He was beautiful like this, Rouge always thought. It was one of those rare times when she could allow some silly romantic thought to cross her mind and genuinely mean it. Their relationship, if one wanted to call it that, wasn't a romantic one at all, but it didn't stop either of them from enjoying the pleasures each had to offer. In addition to being great fun in bed, Shadow provided some very appreciated eye candy. It would have been nice if he was around more often.
Rouge pushed herself up into a seated position, leaning back a little on one hand, and placed the other on Shadow's chest, just below that tuft of white. There was a gentle vibration there which matched his breathing, and she leaned forward to kiss him so she could feel the purr with her lips. When she pulled away, she gave him a teasing smile.
"What?" He had an eyebrow raised.
"Nothing~" Rouge kept a chuckle to herself. The fact that she could get the one who called himself the Ultimate Lifeform to purr would never stop being funny.
Shadow gave a soft grunt of dismissal and sank down onto the bed, laying on his side with his back to her, and looked out the window.
"Can't you wait a day? There's no need to go to Aran tomorrow, is there?" Rouge frowned.
"There's even less reason to stay."
It hurt a little, even though she'd been expecting something like that. She didn't really want to delay him, anyway, not that she could if she tried. He had his mission on his mind. But Rouge had found that while she'd liked her job before she met Shadow, and liked it even more when he joined GUN, it had become a lot less fun after he'd quit, and it wasn't just because they were hunting him now. He was probably the closest friend she'd ever had, and she missed him a little, she had to admit. Rare occasions like this didn't really make up for all the lost time.
Both comforting and yet also irritating was the fact that no matter how far across the world he'd gone, he was only a thought away, literally. The ability to teleport at will meant he could be anywhere in moments, reducing distance to nothing at all. But rarely did he choose to visit her, even though it would be so easy for him to do so - he was busy, and that given their current situation, he couldn't afford to visit often. That was his logic, not hers. It wouldn't be as hard to stop by every once in a while as he made it seem if he actually wanted to.
Rouge sank down behind him and reached forward, stroking his quills. "Be careful."
"I'll be fine."
She nestled her face against the back of his neck and exhaled softly, laying an arm around his waist. She felt his breath hitch, his muscles tense under his fur, for the briefest of moments, before he relaxed, and she sighed. There was no way to know exactly what he was thinking, since he never spoke about his thoughts, but by laying close to him like this, she could feel those tiny reactions that even he, master of masking his emotions, could not hide.
"If you need anything while you're over there..."
His chest moved as he gave a short huff of breath, but he gave no reply. They lay there in silence for several minutes, while Rouge gently stroked the hedgehog's chest. What was there to say? Shadow was obviously deep in thought about something, and was unwilling to give her any clues on it, so she had to resign simply to silent support - a role she acted in often with him, and one he actually seemed to appreciate, even if he never said as much.
"Don't do anything foolish."
She started slightly when she felt his voice echo as a soft rumble in her chest, not having expected the sound. She rolled her eyes at the back of his head.
"Like what? That sounds more like the advice I should be giving you."
"You know what I mean."
"Shadow, if the Commander hasn't realized I'm helping you yet, he won't find out anytime soon. Don't worry about me."
Whether or not he was satisfied by this response, he chose not to comment, and Rouge closed her eyes. The image of him bent over her, lips parted and chest heaving, beautiful in his ecstasy, would be enough to fuel her imagination for a good while, until he saw fit to come to her again.
---
She hadn't meant to fall asleep. She had wanted to stay up with him until he left, because there was no telling when she would see him again. But she wasn't surprised in the slightest when, after opening her eyes, she found that Shadow had already gone.
4:43 am. An unusual time to wake up at random. The lingering warmth beside her on the bed made the reason for her sudden awakening clear, and she sighed in exasperation, flopping onto her back and staring at the ceiling. Would it be so hard for him to say goodbye, for once? Or to stay a little bit longer than the bare minimum necessary, perhaps? He was terrible at that, always coming and going with the fewest of words and in the briefest of moments. Just like the blue boy, he was always on the move, always headed off to do something important somewhere else. Maybe, once all of this was over, he would find some time to slow down.
But, knowing him, probably not.
Rouge closed her eyes and soon returned to sleep.
