#nagichi writes

[nagichi-boop]

A Star That’s Out of Reach (Chapter 9)

[Previous] - [x]

[Masterlist]

It’s been a while since I updated this, huh? I saw the news about Keanu Reeves and it kickstarted another hyperfixation, so I decided now would be a good time to try and get at least a few chapters out. I can’t say my posting for this fic (or any fic) will ever be fully consistent though, sorry. ^^;;

Anyways, hope you enjoy~

— x —

Shadow quietly opened the door to the house, his ears drooped and his face pointed to the ground. Much to his dismay, Rouge was still awake and sat on the couch despite it being late. She immediately turned to look at Shadow, seemingly excited about his return, but her disposition shifted as she read Shadow’s body language.

“Hey, are you okay?” she asked worriedly, quickly flying over to him. Shadow remained silent and simply shook his head, feeling too emotional to respond verbally. “I see that you may not be up to talk about it. For now, why don’t you join me on the couch?” Shadow nodded compliantly, still refusing to make eye contact. Shadow laid on his side, resting his head against the armrest. Rouge took her seat next to him, occasionally glancing over at him to make sure he was okay. To her discomfort, he simply stared at the screen, showing no intention of falling asleep or moving. After a couple hours had passed, Rouge paused the tv.

“Shadow honey, I am happy to keep the show on, but maybe you should consider resting your eyes while you watch? You’ll wear yourself out if you don’t.” Shadow let out a small grunt and then closed his eyes compliantly, which brought Rouge a bit of comfort. She resumed the program and after checking on Shadow a few times and finding his eyes still closed, she allowed herself to fall asleep too.

Amy opened her eyes as the sun crept into her room. She rubbed her eyes, still incredibly tired from a restless night's sleep. Despite her best efforts, she couldn’t get her mind to calm down enough for her to sleep. Sighing defeatedly, she rose from her bed and drowsily wandered to her calendar. Her eyes widened and she read what she had scheduled for the day.

“Oh, that’s right,” Amy spoke to herself. “Silver and Blaze are coming to visit. Given everything that’s been happening, I sort of forgot.” She then stretched her arms out and exhaled again. “Right, I need to get myself ready.” She dressed herself and then headed outside, joining her friends outside Tails’ workshop where they had agreed to meet. They waved her over, then seemed to become uncomfortable as she approached.

“Woah Ames, are you okay?” Sonic asked worriedly.

“Of course I am! Why?” Amy panicked a little. “Is something wrong with my outfit?”

“No, it’s not that,” Tails interjected. “It’s just…uhm…”

“You look suuuper tired,” Knuckles added tactlessly, warranting an angry stare from both Sonic and Tails. “What? Am I wrong?”

Amy became flustered and shifted nervously in place, trying to decide what to do. “L-let me go back and change and-” Before Amy could even finish her thought, Silver and Blaze arrived in unison.

“Hey guys,” Silver called out, waving enthusiastically. Amy panicked and turned the other way, but then realised Blaze had come from that way.

“Hello everyone,” Blaze greeted politely. She almost immediately noticed that Amy was worried about something, then took note of her tired appearance. She decided, however, not to comment on it for the time being.

“It’s so good to see you both again,” Sonic beamed, high-fiving Silver as he approached. “How have you been?”

“Busy,” Blaze sighed. “I’ve been looking forward to this little vacation.”

“Pretty good on my end,” Silver added. “Though as much as I love the peace, I will admit I’ve been rather restless because of it. I’m happy for the distraction.”

“Is that your way of saying you want me to cause some future-altering disaster for you to help me fix?” Sonic teased, jabbing Silver gently with his elbow.

“I don’t feel like I can answer that without landing myself in hot water,” Silver replied anxiously, taking Sonic a little too seriously. The group laughed cheerily at this exchange, all energised by each others’ company.

“I’m starving,” Sonic then continued. “Let’s go get some breakfast.”

Blaze smirked as she sceptically placed her hands on her hips. “I hope by that you don’t mean chilli dogs.” Sonic looked away and whistled, to which Blaze softly chuckled in amusement.

“Don’t worry,” Tails chimed in. “When Vanilla heard you two were coming, she offered to host breakfast for us. I’m sure Cream will be excited to see you again, Blaze!”

“Well then,” Blaze spoke as she began to lead the group. “Let’s get going!”

The group of them made their way to Vanilla’s house, everyone chattering away except for Amy, who lagged behind the group a little. Blaze looked over her shoulder, observing the vacant expression on her face. Blaze slowed her pace to match Amy’s, now walking alongside her.

“Is everything okay, Amy?” she asked softly. Amy took a moment to respond, then appeared more attentive.

“Oh...y-yeah, I’m okay,” Amy stuttered in reply, her voice lacking conviction. Blaze raised a sceptical eyebrow at her. “I just didn’t sleep very well, that’s all,” she confessed due to nerves.

“Is there a particular reason for that?” Blaze enquired, causing Amy to tense up a little.

“No no, nothing!” Amy insisted, flailing her arms. She noticed Blaze staring at her doubtfully, then sighed defeatedly.

“If you insist,” Blaze conceded. “But I’m here to listen if and when you decide you would like to talk about it.”

Amy smiled gratefully. “Thank you.”

The group eventually made there way to Vanilla’s. Cream excitedly greeted Blaze with a hug, which was hesitantly but warmly reciprocated. They then all made their way into the house and enjoyed eating breakfast together, with Blaze, who was sat next to Amy, occasionally nudging Amy back to consciousness as she drifted in and out of deep thought. After some time, the group left the house, content from their fill of food.

“Man, I could really use a nap right about now,” Sonic spoke as he stretched out.

Blaze’s ear twitched as an idea formed in her mind. “Why don’t we take an hour to rest and then meet up later?” she suggested, which surprised the rest of the group. “No point in us doing anything heavy after such a large meal.” The group looked at one another then nodded in agreement with the plan. Blaze then looked over at Amy, which startled the pink hedgehog. “Amy, perhaps I can come over and help you set up for my stay tonight?” Blaze asked, hoping Amy would pick up on her ulterior motive. Amy stared blankly for a moment, then realised what Blaze meant.

“Oh sure, that’s a good idea!” Amy replied, mustering as much enthusiasm as she could.

“Can I come too?” Silver asked, waving his arm energetically. Blaze glared at him, causing him to flinch a little.

“I don’t mind,” Amy assured, giving Blaze a comforting look. “Did you want to spend your first night with Blaze and I?”

Silver beamed. “Yeah, that would be awesome!”

“Are you sure that’s okay?” Blaze reiterated, unsure of Amy’s thought process.

Amy placed a hand on Blaze’s shoulder. “It’s fine, I honestly don’t mind.”

“I actually have something I need to work on, so I’ll catch up with you all later,” Tails announced before turning and flying away, waving as he left.

“That settles that then,” Sonic sighed contently, then let out a yawn. “Smell ya later.” Sonic then dashed away in an instant.

“I’ll go check on the Master Emerald,” Knuckles stated before he excused himself.

“Well, I guess we should go too, then,” Amy thought aloud. “Did you guys bring any gear with you?” Blaze and Silver looked at one another, then shook their heads.

“I apologise, Amy, but this is actually my first slumber party,” Blaze confessed. “Being a princess doesn’t exactly accommodate this sort of tradition.”

“I’m usually on my own,” Silver followed up, scratching the back of his head nervously. “This is the first time I’ve ever been invited to one.”

“That’s okay,” Amy spoke. “I actually somewhat expected this, so I got some spares for you. Though I will admit, I was expecting Silver to sleep over with Sonic and the others.”

Silver tilted his head. “Is there a reason you don’t want me there?”

“Oh sorry, I didn’t mean it like that!” Amy panicked. “It’s just…unexpected. I wasn’t sure you’d want to sleep over with a couple of girls.”

Silver’s confused expression grew. “I still don’t get it.”

“Let’s just leave it at that,” Blaze suggested, keen to move along. “Amy, lead the way.”

The three of them made their way to Amy’s house, casually chattering along the way. They quickly arrived, then began to set up for later. Silver moved the furniture with ease using his telekinesis, following Amy’s instruction. Blaze rolled out the sleeping bags next to each other, placing a pillow at the head of each one. Once they’d finished, they all sat on the now moved couch.

“So,” Blaze spoke up. “Care to explain what kept you up last night?”

Amy’s cheek tinted red, then looked at Silver and Blaze, who were sat next to each other. “You promise not to tell anyone about this?”

“Of course not,” Silver immediately promised. “An important component to friendship is trust, right?” Silver’s expression shifted to one of sincerity and keen interest. “I know I may not seem like it, but I’m very good at keeping secrets.”

“You have my word that what is spoken of here shall not be uttered again,” Blaze assured. “Please speak your mind with confidence.”

Amy looked away, hesitating anxiously. “I think there’s someone that I like,” she confessed, twirling her fingers around one another.

“Do you mean Sonic?” Silver asked curiously, to which Amy shook her head.

“Well, I mean,” she stammered. “I do like Sonic, but I confessed to him a while ago.” Amy’s ears drooped a little. “He rejected me.” Blaze and Silver began to look concerned.

“I’m so sorry, Amy,” Blaze comforted.

Amy shook her head again and smiled. “It’s fine. I was anticipating it anyway.” She looked up sombrely. “This isn’t about him, anyway.” This peaked both Blaze and Silver’s curiosity.

“Who is it then?” Silver asked with blunt curiosity, though it was without a hint of malice.

“I’m…not comfortable saying,” Amy admitted as her face became redder. “It makes no sense.”

“Come on, we won’t judge!”

“Silver,” Blaze snapped sternly, causing Silver to recoil a little. She then sighed. “The ‘who’ isn’t what’s important.”

“Oh, you’re right,” Silver acknowledged, realising his misstep. “Sorry Amy. Please continue!”

“It’s just,” Amy continued. “He is such a nice guy despite what other people think. I have only ever seen him as a friend up until now.” Amy leaned forward in her seat, resting her chin in her hands. “But as soon as he confessed to me, I felt so overwhelmed. I was so sure I only viewed him platonically, but now…now I’m not so sure.”

“Is there something wrong with liking this person?” Silver asked genuinely.

“Not necessarily,” Amy answered. “I guess it’s just a bit…strange, from an outside perspective at least. I doubt he would be the first person you’d think of when you imagine someone compatible with me.” Blaze had a sudden look of realisation, but quickly stifled it.

“Just because something is unconventional, that doesn’t necessarily make it wrong,” Blaze commented.

“I know. I guess I’m just worried what would happen if people found out about us.”

“But they’re your feelings, right?” Silver noted. “It doesn’t really matter what other people think.”

“It matters to me!” Amy snapped accidentally, quickly covering her mouth in shock. She then looked at the ground, seemingly conflicted. “I get what you’re saying, I’m just worried what it would mean for everyone if we ever dated.” Silver seemed deep in thought, then suddenly lit up.

“Wait, is it-” Silver started, but was interrupted as Blaze made a cutting gesture at her throat. “Uhm, what I mean is, wouldn’t your friends want to support you regardless of who it is? Besides, knowing you, I’m sure there’s a very strong reason who liking this person.”

Amy remained silent for a moment, twirling her thumbs around each other. “I guess they’d be supportive, even if it takes some time. And this person is remarkably sweet, despite their cold exterior. I guess I’m just worried. It all feels so sudden.”

“You don’t have to rush into anything, right?” Blaze pointed out. “Should you both decide to date, there’s no reason that you have to rush the relationship. You can take it at your own pace. You don’t even have to label your relationship as romantic at first if you don’t feel comfortable doing so.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Amy acknowledged. “I guess I’m also worried that I might hurt him. I know he’s strong, but deep down I know he has a delicate heart.”

“I’m sure he feels the same way,” Blaze spoke softly. “But that’s something that you’ll only find out if you talk to him. The fact he even confessed to you shows how much he cares about you. I doubt he’d want to do anything to hurt you, just as much as you don’t want to hurt him.”

“Everyone hurts their friends at some point, right?” Silver noted. “No one’s perfect.”

Amy chuckled a little. “It’s funny. I remember saying something similar to him once before.” Amy took a deep breath. “I guess I really should talk to him. But not tonight – tonight is about you guys.”

“By all means, don’t hold back on seeing him on our accounts,” Blaze assured. “Equally though, please take your time. I want you to be comfortable in your decision.”

“I’m sure Shadow will understand and accept your choice either way,” Silver added. “I’m sure he just wants to be by your side in whatever capacity he can.”

Amy smiled. “Thank you both. Speaking to you both has been very helpful.” Amy’s eyes widened and she suddenly sprung up, her face burning red. “W-wait, how did you know it was Shadow?”

“Oops,” Silver croaked nervously.

“Apologies, Amy,” Blaze spoke up, raising her hand. “I also deduced who it was.” Amy stood stunned for a moment, then dived onto the couch face first, hiding her face and kicking her legs restlessly as she squealed from embarrassment.

“I-if its any consolation,” Silver nervously stuttered. “I think Shadow is an amazing person, so I don’t blame you for wanting to date him!” Instead of comforting Amy like he’d hope, he only furthered Amy’s embarrassment. Blaze glanced at the clock, hoping to find a way to bail both of her friends out of this uncomfortable situation, when she noticed the time.

“Oh, it appears our time is up,” she announced, causing the both of them to look at the clock as well. She then smiled warmly at the two of them. “Shall we meet up with the others?” Silver hopped out of the seat excitedly.

“I’m ready!”

Blaze stood up, then turned and offered her hand to Amy. The pink hedgehog sighed, then smiled and took her hand and was lifted onto her feet.

“Let’s go and have some fun, shall we?” Blaze suggested, hoping to ease Amy’s stress.

“Okay,” Amy responded. “Let’s do this!”

#shadow #shadow the hedgehog #amy rose #shadamy #silver the hedgehog #blaze the cat #tails the fox #sonic #sonic the hedgehog #rouge the bat #sonic fanfic #nagichi writes

[wickfur]

10 people you want to know better

Thanks for the tag @nagichi-boop 😊

Relationship status: Single, not really looking either xD

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Favorite colours: Green that goes towards the yellow side, like new spring leaves or moss. And I love blues and purples.

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Favorite foods: That's a bit hard. But Teriyaki chicken/beef. And I really enjoy chicken with fries and BBQ sauce. And anything sweet like candy, cakes, cookies you name it. I love when foods taste a lot of spices.

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Song stuck in my head: Drum go dumb by K/DA

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Last thing you googled: Italian how do you pronounce vermouth

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Time: 23:03am

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Dream trip: Japan, especially Kyoto, it seems so beautiful and Tottori (I wanna go to the Detective Conan museum/Conan town). Otherwise Disney world in florida, specifically animal kingdom so I can go to Pandora - The world of Avatar.

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Last thing you read: Um I guess if you must know.. xD Randen to Saga by AIKAWA Fuu, a delinquent BL/Shounen ai manga.

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Last book you enjoyed reading: Not a book but a fic series 😊 Ghost of the NYC by ASharksReadingGlasses on AO3 & @/the-stove-is-on-fire. It's a Danny phantom / Marvel crossover with Spideypool. It was very good 🥰

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Favorite things to cook/bake: Sockerkaka or Sponge cake, I believe it's called in English.

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Favorite craft to do in your free time: Writing and digital art! 😊 And I love costume crafting, especially tails of all kinds.

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Most niche dislike: The feeling of spider web on my skin and the noise it makes when you accidentally brush it away. Gross. I have to get a stick or a broom to take them away, Never with my bare hands. Weirdly I'm more okay with it if it's outside in nature, outside of manmade structures, which is strange… xD

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Opinion on circuses: I think I went one time as a kid, I don't remember anything but the half scary clown. I don't particularly care about it as long as they aren't hurting animals. That's something I heard happens. QvQ

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Do you have any sense of direction?: Sort of? I have a fair grasp on what direction I'm going from a peculiar point, like my house. But if I lose track of my origin point I get lost. I rely entirely on the memory of houses, monuments, trees and other stuff that caught my eye to get around. And I have to glance backwards from time to time too, otherwise I won't know my way back xD GPS All the way otherwise. Oh and my mental map consists entirely of roads to places. Most of the time I have no idea where places are in the world until they cross a path I know, like a giant puzzle missing pieces until they connect. And I get very disoriented in buildings, especially if they have multiple stairs and rooms. Anyway, I'm done xD Now who to tag.. If u want @katsukifatale, @nymphadorathetemplar, @glitchedcatto, @dee--eer, @airu27-rkgk, @theiris1002, @browa123, @xnicowritesx, @rainyfox3, @ueyyuey and whomever sees this and want to join in 😊

#chain #not art

[zukkaoru]

📁 & miya??

miya has asthma!! they make sure they have their inhaler with them whenever they're skating, but they don't tell anyone about it because they don't want to be seen as weak or be told they shouldn't be skating

#someday i'm gonna write a oneshot about miya with asthma #technically i have a rough draft written but i don't like it lol #miya chinen #sk8 #ask game #nagichi-boop

[lordtraco-fanfics]

@nagichi-boop the idea was too good I had to write it.

"And I got these adorable plushies! Look! Ingo the Plusle and Emmet the Minun!" Elesa held up the plushies with a huge smile.

"Bravo! They'll fit with your collection nicely!" Ingo said with a clap of his hands.

"Why am I the Minun?" Emmet asked.

Because your brother is a very positive person - no, too harsh... Because you own more electric types and electricity is only the flow of electrons emitted from the negative charge ingoing towards the positive charge. - no, too punny...

"Because you like blue." Elesa said.

"That's true!" Emmet nodded, unaware of her many other unspoken reasons.

#mini fic #nimbasa trio

[mimi-cee-hq]

A Wrong Guess - Tendou x Reader

Pairing: Tendou x f!reader

Summary: When Tendou sees you watching their practice, he makes a wrong guess and thinks you like Ushijima. But what he doesn't expect was for this timid girl to fall for him.

Genre: fluff!!!

Author's notes: I know for some people, it's physically impossible to tell that they are blushing. So whenever the reader is blushing, just pretend you're in the anime world where a blush is always visible no matter your skin colour. lolll.

Author's notes 2: I randomly wondered what it would look like if a timid girl liked Tendou because I like putting unconventional personality pairings together. So this was the result. :)

Words: 1,320

*****

“Hm? What are you looking at?”

“EEEEP!” You screamed, shivers running down your spines. You hesitated to look over your shoulder, but when you finally did, you saw Tendou’s large eyes expecting an answer from you. You looked down, fiddling with your fingers. You had been watching the boys' volleyball team, specifically Ushijima. You wanted to watch his spiking approach and form in secret, but now you were caught by Tendou.

Unfortunately, he figured out exactly whom you were watching. “Wakatoshi! I think Y/n wants to talk to you!” Tendou called out to him. But before you gave Ushijima a chance to walk to the gym doors where you stood, you ran away, not wanting to talk to the intimidating volleyball player.

“What's this, Y/n?" Tendou later asked that day. "Do you have a crush on Wakatoshi?” Sitting backwards in his chair and leaning onto your desk, he cocked his head in curiosity.

“I- I don’t,” you said, almost in a whisper.

“Then why were you stalking him?”

“I- I wasn’t stalking him!” you answered in a fluster. It must have looked that way to Tendou. “I was just - “ You stopped midway, wondering if Tendou would take it the wrong way. You didn't want him to think you were creepy.

Tendou did take your hesitation the wrong way, but not the way you expected. He was convinced you liked Ushijima and would try to get him to talk to you. He would even bring you to their team outings over the next few months.

One of those days included a typical Wednesday. Those were when both the boys' and girls' volleyball teams practiced in separate gyms. Tendou came just before practice ended and brought you to hang out with the boys.

“Now, now,” he told you and Ushijima, his arms around both of your shoulders. “Don’t be shy.” The three of you walked behind as the rest of the team went ahead into the convenience store. But what Tendou didn’t know was that over these months you had developed a crush on him.

You gave Ushijima a polite smile and he returned it with a nod. When he wasn’t looking, you took Tendou’s hand to stop him from continuing into the store.

“Hm?” Tendou tilted his head close to get a better look at your face. “Is there something wrong?”

“Umm…,” your voice stopped short of speaking your thoughts.

Tendou, noticing you were biting your lip, gave you a soft smile. “I’m listening,” he told you.

Your heart started to beat faster. You were reminded of how you fell for him. He was gentle with you and took the time to listen to you, knowing how shy you were. And here you were, with everyone else inside the convenience store, still hesitating while he was waiting for you.

“D- Do you want to watch me?” you stuttered.

“Eh?” Tendou blinked a few times.

“Volleyball,” you managed to spit out. “I want you to watch me play volleyball.”

*****

"Ehhh?" Tendou gently placed his hands on your shoulders from behind you. "So when exactly were you going to tell me that you were a middle blocker like me? Hmm?"

You felt Tendou's fingers dance on your shoulders. You blushed, hoping your teammates didn't notice. During the game, you heard Tendou's yelps and cheers - and of course his singing. He made one up on the spot just for you and you couldn't help but giggle during the practice game.

"I wanted to show you," you replied, playing with your fingers, not quite having the courage to look at him in the eye. "What did you think?"

"You're basically the ace, Y/n!" Tendou replied. "Ack! No offense!" He told the rest of your teammates while putting his hands up. (Your teammates waved off his comment because they wholeheartedly agreed with him.) "You might even be cooler than Wakatoshi," he said, his head over your shoulder. "Being a middle blocker is the best, isn't it?"

He slipped his arms around your neck. It was a habit of his that he developed these past few weeks. You placed a hand on his, stroking the back of his hand with your thumb. It was a natural gesture and he hugged you a little closer as your teammates continued to chat. One of them raised an eyebrow at you, noticing your blush.

"Gah!!!!" Tendou suddenly let go of you, raising his arms up in the air.

With your brows curled with concern, you asked, "What's wrong, Tendou?"

"Nothing!" he squeaked. "I - uh - just remembered something." You smiled at him, finding his dramatic gestures to be cute. His shoulders relaxed then gave you a grin that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Next time you should bring Wakatoshi, hm?"

Your stomach churned, forgetting he still thought you liked Ushijima. You stared at the floor as voices continued to mumble around you. Glancing up at Tendou, when he thought you weren't looking, you saw a conflicted smile on his face. You wondered what was troubling him to make him look like that.

*****

You slurped on your favorite cold café drink. Ushijima sat across from you, sipping on his coffee. You met him by chance while walking down the street when he offered to buy you something.

Your finger wiped the condensation off your cup, rubbing against your thumb and making your fingers moist. You suddenly jumped at hearing Ushijima's deep voice. Not paying attention the first time, you asked him to repeat what he said.

"Why haven't you told Tendou he guessed wrong?" he asked.

You gave a weak smile. "I don't know." The guilt started to gnaw at your stomach. He had misunderstood your feelings for so long. You didn't know how to tell him.

"He's outside," Ushijima pointed out. Peeking out of the café window, you saw a batch of red among the green bushes. You giggled at the sight, wondering if he knew his stealth skills weren't the best.

You approached Tendou without him noticing. Crouching beside him, you softly said, "Tendou."

"Gahhh!" he yelped, raising his hands up from being caught. "Eh?" he raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing here, Y/n? Aren't you supposed to be on a date with Wakatoshi?"

"It wasn't a date. And I left him."

"Why did you do that?" he said, his mouth gaping at you. "Weren't you having fun?"

You raised your eyes to look at his. Placing your palm on his hand, you told him, "No."

Tendou blinked for a moment, then his eyes grew when he noticed the warmth on his hand. "Hold on a moment," he said as he put a hand to his forehead. "It can't be me, right?"

You looked away, too shy to keep eye contact, but you gave him a definite nod so he wouldn't keep doubting himself. He finally guessed correctly. When you finally took a peak at him, you saw a sight you had never seen before. His face was covered in a pink that spread to the tips of his ears. The hand over his mouth also had a hint of red, and his eyes looked elsewhere, embarrassed at his current state. That look didn't help to ease your own blush.

"I guess it can't be helped, hm?" Tendou said after clearing his throat, trying to cover up what just happened in the last five minutes. Taking your hand, he told you, "I guess you're stuck with me now, princess."

You felt your hands shake from adrenaline. You couldn't tell if it was from the caffeine or from your new nickname. So you squeezed his hand a little harder to keep your hand still.

"Gah! I can't take it anymore!" Tendou suddenly wrapped his arms around you, somehow not letting go of your hand in the process. Resting his head on your shoulder as he hugged you from behind, he noted, "Ah! This is much better."

*****

I hope you liked it. Please check out my other writing if you liked this one.

Fun fact: I never even gave Tendou a thought before. Someone posted a tiktok here asking, "Which Haikyuu guy would do this?" One answer was Tendou, which made me go, "Oh, ohhh. That's cute."

Now I also want to see blushing Tendou fanart. lol.

General taglist: @dorkyama @the-black-birb @hqprotectionsquad @nagichi-boop @moonaaluna @muffins-puffins (let me know if you want to be added or removed through DM or an ask)

#haikyuucreations #tendou x reader #tendou fluff #haikyuu x reader #haikyuu fluff #tendou satori #ushijima wakatoshi #shiratorizawa x reader #shiratorizawa #haikyuu fanfic #tendou fanfiction #haikyuu fanfiction #haikyuu!! #haikyuu #haikyuu imagines #tendou fic

[kenmasgameboy]

ruin me.

chapter 8: who?

previous…next

masterlist

kuroo tetsurou came into y/n’s life when she needed him to fuck it up the most.

Kuroo tapped the notebook you where you were rewriting your notes for better organization. You looked over, eyes wide with the sudden eye contact he made. Fuck, he’s so hot. You thought this to yourself and had to look away.

“When do you have to close up?” Kuroo asked, his voice smooth in your ear as you become painfully aware of his gaze.

“Half an hour.” You mumbled, checking your watch. Thanks to the silence around you he still heard you.

“Perfect, uh.” Kuroo nervously fiddled with his pencil, trying to prepare himself to be rejected, “Could I walk you home when you’re done?”

“What?” You practically choke it out, your skin feeling hot and sweaty under your current predicament.

“It’s just getting late, I think Inuoka had to have gone home by now if you were planning on going with him. But I’d love to walk you. I really don’t mind.” Kuroo insisted. You gripped the page of your book, crinkling the corner of it between your thumb and index finger.

“Kuroo-san?” You finally gain the courage to say something above a mumble.

“You don’t have to be so formal—” Kuroo started but you needed to let it out before you swallowed it back down forever.

“Why are you messing with me? I know I tweeted that thing but I didn’t think you’d ever see that. I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable.” You said it in practically one long breath, trying to get it all out of your chest like blowing it into a balloon.

“What tweet? Oh the one where you said I was some good fucking food, something about being a delicious specimen, right?” He flashed a handsome teasing grin your way. Your whole body felt like cringing, curling in on itself until you turned into seafoam but restricted it to just your hands curling and your face wincing. Why did you ever forget the internet is forever?

“I’m just teasing you. Of course, I’m flattered. But I was interested in knowing who you were before I even saw that.” He insisted, his genuine smoothness spilling across the table.

“Oh.” You said, quickly turning your face into your opposite shoulder as to hide the panic and flustered expression you surely are wearing. Kuroo wanted to see that face so bad. A light breath was exhaled from his nose as he held back his laugh, you were amusing though he would give you that.

“Why don’t I walk you home?” He repeated himself. You remembered Inuoka’s long gone and the dark of the night had already settled in. You couldn’t walk home alone, but walking home with a guy you didn’t know very well also didn’t sound like a fun risk.

“Y/N-chan?” Your class representative suddenly had approached the desk, Nakamura Satoshi. You hadn’t spoken to him much, only when he needed you to do a certain task. He was #1 in your year, and was extremely popular with the staff and faculty. He wasn’t exactly Kuroo’s status with popularity, but he was up there. There was no doubt people knew who they were. And they knew who each other were.

You were so thankful that nobody else was in this library. As this would be quite the sight for anyone to see. Two of some of the most popular boys at this school hanging around the loner librarian assistant. What was next? Was an idol going to come try to talk to you as well? You set a reminder in your head to punch Inuoka for leaving you alone tonight.

“Ah, Satoshi-kun, I’m sorry I forgot you were here. Can I help you find something? I was about to close up.” You smiled lightly at him. Your interaction with this guy made Kuroo want to put his fist directly into Nakamura’s face. Did he not see he was working on something over here? He just had to come ruin it, huh? Why were you so familiar with each other? Kenma said you didn’t talk to anyone. Kuroo’s patience was coming to a stifling end.

“Ah not exactly, I’m sorry to keep you past your shift. Is the librarian coming to relieve you?” Satoshi asked you,

“No, I’m locking up tonight. She texted me a little while ago to let me know she couldn’t come back to do it.” You said. Kuroo was getting antsy, starting to pack up his things as he tried to urge this kid to stop talking. He was getting the need to be petty, jealous of how comfortable you were with him.

“Oh, I see.” He said, returning his voice to a normal level since nobody else was here, “I was wondering if you could help me understand this assignment from English? You got second highest in that subject last term, right?”

“Well, yeah. Second to you?” You turned your head to the side in confusion, but Kuroo didn’t miss a beat in understanding this guys game plan.

“I could help you.” Kuroo smiled nonchalant, playing coy as if he didn’t know a thing.

“Oh, Kuroo-san! My apologies, I didn’t see you there.” Satoshi bowed and smiled politely. Immediately it was like a surge of lightening went through both of their eyes, their competitive natures being at opposing sides with each other.

“No worries, I scored #1 in english the last 3 years, I don’t mind helping you.” Kuroo said, trying to draw his attention away from you.

“That’d be great, but I’d feel like I was cheating if i got help from someone as advanced as you. Besides, Y/N-chan always takes the best notes from what we covered in class today. I swear! They’re always better than mine.” Satoshi was being light-hearted but not even you could deny the air had gotten thicker.

“It’s okay, um. Is it this one? I’ll admit it was kind of difficult. Learning when to use past, present, and future tense verbs can get rather difficult especially if it changes mid-sentence.” You said this while looking down at the identical sheets, trying to ignore that half of the answer bubbles looked like they used to have writing in them but had been erased. But Kuroo certainly couldn’t ignore that.

“I know, I’ve been kinda struggling with it. Kuroo-san, this could take a little while. You shouldn’t have to wait for Y/N-chan. I can walk her home.” Satoshi tried to wave him off. Kuroo stood up, using his height to his advantage over Satoshi who was probably only 4 inches shorter than Kuroo, but still enough to make his point.

“I don’t mind waiting, I already got my studies done for the day. No need to rush.” Kuroo insisted, “Besides, L/N already told me she wanted me to walk her home.”

“I don’t remember her saying that.” Satoshi pointed out, causing Kuroo’s eyes to widen. So, he had been listening to them. “Y/N-chan, do you mind staying with me, I’d love your input about a few other things for our class? I’ll walk you home and buy you something from the vending machine.”

You wanted to explode. Right then and there felt like the perfect time to just implode actually, so why couldn’t you spontaneously combust.

“Uh..” You nervously fiddled with the end of your uniform sweater, you looked up to Kuroo for some kind of answer. You don’t know why you had done that, you just felt like he would help you in this. Inuoka normally would be that person for you, but now out of the two in front of you, you go to Kuroo. But he just stared down Satoshi instead, when you made eye contact with him you backed down again. You panicked under his gaze. He registered that look you were giving him a second too late, “Kuroo-san, I would feel bad making you wait for me. It’s okay to go on without me.”

Kuroo wished he could back track, he wished he had the right authority to just pick you up and take you with him. He wished he could’ve gone back to when you looked at him with those panicked eyes looking for an answer and answered for you again so that you would feel like you had an ally. Satoshi didn’t skip a single beat, he took the seat Kuroo had been sitting in for the last few hours to make sure he could be even closer to you than he had been to immediately start asking you questions to ignore Kuroo.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, L/N.” Kuroo couldn’t help but hang his head with his defeat. As soon as Kuroo left through the front doors, the rubber band you felt between the two of you that had been getting pulled tighter and tighter was cut by the doors of the library. It snapped back and hit the air out of your chest. You felt weaker without him, like you couldn’t focus on what Satoshi was asking you even though you were more familiar with him he never gave you the same feeling of blissful silence in the way Kuroo gave you today.

You didn’t know that Kuroo was going to give you up that easy. You didn’t know that he wasn’t. That he was waiting down the hall waiting for you to leave with that guy with you so he could prove his own suspicions. He was never going to give up that easily.

***

TAGLIST:

@firebonbon​ @ushiwakasthighs​ @koukamisblog​ @dragonxbabe​ @ari-hatake15​ @nohxmanity​ @chaelysian​ @whatevenisapaige​ @fern-writes-ig​ @haikyuufairy​ @ushiwakaismybae​ @kalesveggietales​ @tetsuswhore @starry-magicshop​ @iwanttogotopluto​ @cuddlesslut​ @bby-bokuto​ @nagichi-kenma​ @roseestuosity​ @prcttylittlcthing​ @its-bnha-babe​ @horsegirlbabey​ @90s-belladonna​ @insomniish​ @aquzaifus @johnnysactualgf​ @axolotleyeliner​ @boosyboo9206​ @berriesii​ @animewithmemes​ @gemswrites​ @incapableofacleverusername @jvhoone @i8bbflesh @sempiternal-amour​ @anejuuuuoy​ @rd-crew​

send a comment or an ask to be added to the taglist! if your name is crossed out it’s because i couldn’t find it! let me know if you’ve changed your username!

a/n wOW WHAT A MASSIVE CHAPTER! let me know what you guys think <3 a bit more drama-filled than normal hehe

#kuroo #kuroo tetsurou #kuroo x reader #kuroo smau #haikyuu kuroo #haikyuu #haikyuu x reader #hq #hq x reader #kuroo smut #kuroo tetsurou x reader #kuroo tetsuro #kenma #inuoka #haikyuu smau

[nagichi-boop]

It Wasn’t A Joke

February 14th 2024

This sucks sm lol

(Plain text under cut)

He asked me how I view my brother 

I told him we were practically roommates  

He laughed, he found it funny

But it wasn’t a joke. 

She listened as I talked 

I brought up the scarring things I’d seen

I laughed and played it off as silly

But it wasn’t a joke. 

Mother spoke to me in a café

In a moment of spontaneity, she jested;

“You don’t like me”

I smiled…

But it wasn’t a joke. 

I smile for peace,

I smile to be polite,

I smile to make it easier for them,

But it is never a joke. 

I treat my life as a joke. 

It’s easier that way. 

Isn’t that funny?

#trying to properly get into poetry #even if it’s not technical or anything #I guess I just want an outlet #trauma #emotional neglect #poetry #vent #nagichi writes

[nagichi-boop]

I'm Not an Idiot (ROTTMNT fanfic)

I was held at gunpoint and told to write this because I was being mean to myself. /j

Jk, I actually had this idea and was given an excuse to write it. So without further ado...

— x —

April scowled at her homework, impatiently tapping her pen against her head. Leo, who was sat reading a comic nearby, looked up to see his friend struggling.

“You good over there, April?” he asked curiously.

“Yeah, I’m dandy,” April answered sarcastically. She stared at her work for a few moments before before sighing loudly and leaning back in her seat. “This homework is impossible! Why did teach give us this during our holiday week? It’s not fair.” She took a deep breath. “Sorry, I don’t mean to be this ridiculous over this.” “Nothing ridiculous about it,” Leo replied sincerely. “Do you need help?” “I might need it,” April admitted. Leo stood up and had just made his way to April before she continued speaking. “Do you think you can get Donnie for me? It seems like something he is best able to help me with.” Leo tensed up a little.

“Sure thing,” Leo smiled through gritted teeth, then began to walk away. He stopped. “By the way, you need to divide by 4 to isolate x.” April looked up in surprise, but before she had the chance to say anything, Leo had already left the room.

After briefly visiting Donnie in his lab to deliver April’s message, Leo went to his room and flopped on his bed face first, burying his head in his pillow. He grumbled into it frustratedly for a while.

“Leo, are you okay?” Mikey asked as he peered around into Leo’s room, startling Leo.

“How long have you been there?” Leo responded, turning his head to the side. “I didn’t hear you walk up to the room.”

“Not too long,” Mikey answered, then smiled proudly. “I have been practicing my sneaking.”

Leo frowned, then turned his head to face the wall. “I’m not in the mood for jokes right now, Mikey.” Mikey paused for a moment before speaking again.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“Not really,” Leo huffed in annoyance. After the room fell silent, Leo began to feel guilty. “But…I guess I wouldn’t mind some company.”

“You sure? I can leave you be if that would be better for you.” “It’s fine,” Leo insisted, speaking more softly than he had before. Mikey walked into Leo’s room, sitting down and leaning beside his bed. They remained quiet for a bit before Leo began to feel restless. “If I tell you what’s wrong, you won’t snitch to anyone?” “Of course not,” Mikey assured. “Dr Feelings doesn’t share information about his patients.” “I don’t want to talk to Dr Feelings,” Leo bemoaned. “I want to speak to Mikey.” “Oh,” Mikey responded, a little surprised. He smiled again. “I can do that, too.”

Leo remained silent for a while, trying to compose his thoughts. “I guess…I’m just a bit annoyed that people seem to underestimate me all the time.”

“What do you mean?”

“April was doing her homework earlier and didn’t even ask if I could help before she told me to get Donnie for me,” Leo clarified. “I mean, I know I’m not very smart and Donnie is definitely in a better position to help April, but for some reason it still annoyed me.”

Mikey hummed thoughtfully. “It sounds a little like imposter syndrome to me,” Mikey commented. “Which…is a poor name for it.”

“What’s that?”

“Well, it’s more of a narrative that someone has rather than a syndrome, which suggest it’s an affliction that-”

“No no,” Leo interrupted. “I mean what is imposter syndrome?”

“Oh, my bad,” Mikey apologised, playfully poking his tongue out. “It’s a term people use to describe someone who believes they’re not qualified for something, even if there is plenty of proof to support the opposite. Everyone in the world could tell that person they are great at something, but they won’t believe it themselves. So in your case, you believe you’re not smart despite the opposite being true.” “Oh yeah?” Leo spoke, forcing an insincere smile. “What proof do you have of that?” “How many times have me, Donnie and Raph rushed into a situation that you insisted wasn’t safe? Who was is that accurately guessed what his brothers did when we fought against Shredder? Heck, who was it that tricked Big Mama in order to get the mystic collar?”

“I did,” Leo reluctantly acknowledged. “But you all still treat me like an irresponsible kid.” “That has less to do with you than it does us,” Mikey confessed. “Sometimes being aloof makes people make assumptions. They assume you’re irresponsible, stupid, immature; those kinds of things.” Leo spun his head around and looked down at Mikey. “That doesn’t mean that’s the truth, it’s just how others see it.”

“That was…awfully accurate and specific,” Leo remarked. He then paused and thought about it, then his eyes widened in realisation. “Wait, are you talking from personal experience?”

“See, you are smart!” Mikey chimed playfully.

“I’m sorry we’ve made you feel that way, Mikey,” Leo apologised remorsefully.

“It’s alright,” Mikey spoke half-heartedly. “I guess we are both a bit guilty of it, huh?” Leo sat up and began to pat beside himself, inviting Mikey to sit with him. His younger brother jumped at the opportunity, quickly standing and then taking a seat beside Leo. To his surprise, Leo placed his hand on Mikey’s head and gently guided it to his shoulder, then moved his hand to Mikey’s shoulder for a side hug. Mikey’s happy façade slipped a little and he closed his eyes to take in the moment.

“So you really don’t think I’m dumb?” Leo croaked insecurely.  

“Far from it,” Mikey replied without hesitation. “I know you insist you’re just the face man of the group, but I think we would all be genuinely lost without you.” They went quiet as Leo rested his head atop Mikey’s.

“I’m sorry for treating you like a kid sometimes,” Leo softly spoke.

“I mean, it’s not always a bad thing,” Mikey admitted. “I can go a bit off the walls sometimes. And you cut me a lot more slack than Raph does,” Mikey pouted.

“Yeah, I know what you mean,” Leo sighed. “But he’s not doing it maliciously. Raph just feels a heavy weight as the eldest sibling because he feels responsible for our safety.”

“But that’s not his problem,” Mikey spoke up, unaware of his volume, to which covered his mouth in shock.

“I know, but what we do and think isn’t always rational,” Leo noted. He then tensed up a little. “And, well…being put in the position of responsibility, I sort of understand how he feels.” Mikey looked up at him sadly. Leo took a deep breath, then smirked at Mikey. “I guess I’m glad I have such competent brothers.”

“And we are lucky to have such a smart leader,” Mikey grinned back. The two of them leaned closer into each other, smiling contently.

“Alright,” Leo suddenly spoke up, interrupting the silence. “Enough of this mushy stuff. What’s say we raid the arcade while Donnie is busy helping April?” “Are you sure you’re okay?” Mikey questioned out of concern. “I am here to listen if you have anything else on your mind.” “You’ve helped me plenty,” Leo confirmed. “But maybe I’ll take you up on that offer another day if that’s okay?” “I’m always down to listen to you,” Mikey assured.

“Thanks, little bro,” Leo spoke as he pet Mikey’s head. He then shot up off the bed, stretching his arms above his head before smirking smugly at Mikey. “Okay, enough stalling. Let’s race to the arcade. Last one there has to give up a slice of his pizza at dinner.” “Oh, you are so on,” Mikey contested. The two brothers grinned at each other knowingly, then immediately sprinted out of room on their way to the arcade.

— x —

I haven’t proof read this btw lol

#leonardo hamato #rottmnt leo #michelangelo hamato #rottmnt mikey #baja blast duo #portal duo #tidepod duo #april o’neil #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #rise of the tmnt #rottmnt #rottmnt fanfic #nagichi writes

[nagichi-boop]

A Star That’s Out of Reach (Chapter 1)

[x] - [Next]

[Masterlist]

That’s right besties, I’m making a Shadamy fanfic. It’s mostly self indulgent tho sooo…please keep that in mind for the cringe I write.

— x —

Shadow stood atop the hill overlooking the city, his gaze fixed up to the starry night. A cold breeze brushing over his shoulder, and despite not being that affected by the cold, he had his arms folded over one another. His ear twitched as a drop of rain fell upon it, to which he sighed and turned to leave.   

He gently opened the door to his house, doing his best not to disturb his roommates. Almost immediately though, Rouge’s ear flicked and she woke up from being asleep on the couch. 

“Have a nice midnight stroll, Shadow?” Rouge teased playfully as Shadow closed the door behind himself. As usual, Shadow didn’t answer. “You know,” she continued. “One of these days you really should tell your big sis’ where you wonder off two at these ridiculous hours.”

“I just like my private time,” Shadow replied, walking passed Rouge and heading to the kitchen for a glass of water. 

“I know, but if something were to ever happen to you, we wouldn’t be able to help you.” Shadow peered his head into the room. 

“I wouldn’t need your help to begin with,” he spoke disgruntled. “I can take care of myself just fine.”

Rouge smirked. “Yeah yeah, I know. Would it kill you to tell us though?” Shadow silently walked back in, taking a seat next to Rouge, who threw a spare blanket over him. 

“What are we watching tonight?” 

“Hmm, some show about food?” 

Shadow frowned at Rouge. “Why would you watch something like that so late? You know it makes you hungry.” Rouge pointed her foot at the coffee table at a bowl of popcorn, to which Shadow sighed. He then took a handful and ate some. 

“Hey, ya hypocrite,” Rouge barked. “Those are for me!”

“This is payback for you taking my snacks last time,” Shadow replied with a grin on his face. The two of them spent the rest of the evening quietly watching the show until Rouge fell asleep, to which Shadow then quietly got up and went to his room. 

The next morning started slow. Rouge stretched like a cat, then took her time getting off of the couch. She walked into the kitchen and put the kettle on to make herself and Shadow some coffee. While she waited, she went into the bedroom that she, Shadow and Omega shared. Omega was plugged in under the elevated bed.

“Mornin’ Omega,” she said, gently knocking on his head. Omega’s eyes then lit up and he stood up. 

“GOOD MORNING,” he responded. Rouge flew up to check the bed only to see that once again, Shadow was not there. 

“Ugh, that stubborn hedgehog,” she snarled. “Omega, did you hear him come in last night?”

“AFFIRMATIVE, THOUGH HE SNUCK OUT THE WINDOW A FEW HOURS AFTER COMING BACK.”

Rouge looked over to the bedroom window which was creaked open, then sighed. “Does that hedgehog really hate being here that much? It seems like he tries to get out of here any opportunity he gets.”

Shadow was out gliding around with his shoes with a slight restlessness in his chest. He came to a sudden halt when he heard what sounded like Sonic’s voice. He walked towards the noise and looked down from the hill he found himself on and saw Sonic and Amy talking. Soon after coming to observe them, Sonic dashed off as Amy reached a hand out to him, then lowered her head. Shadow furrowed his brows at this, then shook his head and turned to walk away. Something stopped him though. It didn’t sit right with him that she was being treated this way.

He turned and faced back, looking at the pink hedgehog. He wasn’t sure why, but he felt compelled to talk to her. He walked towards her, sliding down the hill. She turned and faced Shadow as he approached her. 

“Shadow?” Amy spoke. “What are you doing here?”

“I was passing by when I heard the blue hedgehog and you talking,” he answered. “What did he do?”

Amy became flustered all of a sudden. “Oh, no he didn’t do anything,” she exclaimed flailing her arms. She then returned her arms to her side, looking down to the ground. “Nothing out of the ordinary anyway.”

Shadow raised an eyebrow. “An interesting choice of phrase.”

Amy paused for a moment. “Well, I suppose it’s not really a secret,” she mumbled. She then looked at Shadow. “You know I like Sonic, right?” Shadow nodded. Amy smiled half heartedly. “Of course, that was a silly question. I am not ashamed of it so I don’t try to hide it.” She then glanced out to the direction Sonic ran off in. “I’ve liked him ever since we met and everyone knows it. I’m sure even he must know. But for whatever reason, he doesn’t reciprocate and he doesn’t even have the guts to tell me so. And seeing him be so playful with all his female fans makes me…jealous?” Shadow stared off in the same direction as Amy, staying silent. She suddenly grew anxious. “I’m sorry,” she said, once again waving her arms around. “I didn’t mean to ramble to you like that!”

Shadow looked at her with a neutral expression. “I wasn’t really bothered by it,” he replied bluntly. “Though I don’t really see why you are so fixated on him.”

Amy lightly chuckled. “Yeah, I suppose that makes sense.” Silence fell again momentarily. 

“I suppose given how he’s in the limelight a lot, it’s only natural that other people like him,” Shadow continued, to which Amy stared at him attentively. “Even if he reciprocated, would you be okay with the shared attention?”

Amy’s ears drooped. “I’d like to think I would be…but no, probably not.”

“I’m not saying that you shouldn’t pursue a relationship, but it’s also important to not become so wrapped up in someone else so as to lose yourself.” Shadow paused for a moment, looking uncomfortable within himself. “I once fell into that trap with someone I cared deeply about. I was so focused on her and wanting to make her happy that I almost lost myself. It almost caused me to make a horrible mistake.” Shadow smirked and looked at Amy. “Thankfully, someone took notice and talked me out of it.”

Amy smiled softly. “Wow, the person who did that for you must be pretty cool.”

“She is,” Shadow replied grinning. Amy was pleasantly surprised at Shadow. 

“I didn’t know you viewed me like that,” she said teasingly with a grin. “I guess contrary to what everyone thinks, you’re quite the softy.”

Shadow’s cheeks reddened slightly from embarrassment and he looked away. “I shouldn’t have said anything.”

“Ah, I’m sorry, that wasn’t very nice of me!” Amy said getting flustered again. “It’s just that I’ve not seen this side of you, but I shouldn’t have made fun of you for being sincere and-“ Amy stopped as she realised Shadow wore a smug expression on his face. She then puffed out her cheeks and began gently pounding her fists against Shadow’s chest. “You meanie, I was offering a heartfelt apology to you.”

“I know,” Shadow answered, gently pushing her back with a finger pressed against her forehead. “It just felt too easy.”

Amy stared at Shadow in disbelief. She was used to the cold, agitated Shadow, not whoever she was speaking to right now. The two of them then stood shoulder to shoulder, looking out to the horizon. “Hey Shadow,” Amy spoke gloomily. “The person that you were talking about, the one you cared for. Do you regret all you did for her?”

Shadow remained silent for a moment. “No,” he answered. “I don’t regret what we had. If anything, I wish it didn’t have to end.” He then glanced upwards. “I suppose I just regret what came after.”

Amy turned and softly cupped Shadow’s hand. “That wasn’t your fault,” she asserted. “You were manipulated by those you trusted. The important thing is you made up for your mistakes.” Shadow stared wide eyed at Amy, then let out a single chuckle.

“You never cease to surprise me, Amy,” he spoke sincerely. Both of their attentions were suddenly drawn away from each other as they saw a blue blue racing towards them, causing them both to split from each other. 

“Hey Amy, I’m back,” Sonic announced proudly. He then glanced over. “Shadow? What are you doing here?”

“I was just leaving,” Shadow replied disgruntled as he turned and began walking away. 

“Shadow, wait,” Amy called out, outstretching her arm in his direction. He didn’t reply, but instead simply raised his arm in the air to wave goodbye. 

“Well, that was unexpected,” Sonic added, placing his hands on his hips. “Were you guys talking about something?”

“Oh…no, it was nothing,” Amy chirped as she turned to face Sonic. “Let’s go, shall we?” Amy snuck one final glance over her shoulder as the two of them walked away together. 

#a star that’s out of reach fanfic #shadow #shadow the hedgehog #amy rose #shadamy #sonic #sonic the hedgehog #rouge the bat #omega #e-123 omega #team dark #sth #sonic fanfiction #sth fanfic #nagichi writes

[nagichi-boop]

This fic is a massive amount of projection. So if that isn’t your thing, maybe give this post a pass?

Also, this isn’t intended as a ship fic. I see Shadow and Rouge as a found family dynamic.

— x —

Shadow folded his arms as he walked alongside Rouge, lagging behind the rest of the large group. Rouge glanced over at the disgruntled hedgehog.

“What’s got you so fed up?” Rouge asked somewhat playfully. “You don’t like fireworks?”

“Hmph, don’t be pathetic,” Shadow replied grumpily. “I just don’t see the point in it.”

“Aw come on, sometimes it’s fun to just relax!”

Shadow raised an eyebrow at Rouge. “What’s fun about standing there watching rockers explode into colourful rockets in the sky?”

Rouge sighed. “Well…just give it a chance. You’ve never seen them before, right? It’s hard to express how it feels to watch them until you’re there. And if you reaaally hate it, you don’t have to do it again!”

Shadow fell silent for a while, then sighed. “Fine,” he scoffed, to which Rouge smiled. She knew that with Shadow, small victories are big enough.

The group arrived to a crowd of people who had also appeared to watch the show. Knuckles lifted Tails unto his shoulder, to which Cream bounced up and down beside Big, who Amy eventually promoted to imitate Knuckles. Shadow stared up at the sky, his arms still locked together. After some time of waiting, the show began.

The group stared in awe, making all sorts of noises in admiration. Shadow felt a thud in his chest with each explosion. Though he was used to this sort of thing, for some reason each bang made him feel more and more uneasy.

A large firework exploded. Shadow suddenly found himself surrounded by a glass tube. In front of him was a frail Maria, grasping onto a lever and speaking to him. He stumbled back, caught off guard by this sudden change in scene. Another bang and he was now running down the hallway, holding Maria’s hand tightly. Again. But this time, he found himself flying through space in the test tube, all alone.

Everything fell silence.

“…dow,” a muffled voice spoke. “Sha…dow…Shadow!” He snapped back to reality, stumbling back a little.

“Shadow, are you okay?” Rouge spoke, holding Shadow by the shoulders with a concerned look on her face. He suddenly realised everyone was staring at him, including strangers. But worse than that - he couldn’t seem to catch his breath. He impulsively slapped Rouge’s hands off of him and ran off. He continued to glide through the crowd, barging past anyone who wouldn’t move. He wasn’t sure why, but he needed to get out of there.

Eventually, he found himself alone by a tree atop a hill. He looked back to where he came from, noticing the now muffled sound of fireworks. Leaning against the tree, he tried to compose himself. He clutched his chest then slowly slipped down to the ground, hugging his knees to his chest and burying his head in them. His ears then twitched as he heard what sounded like someone panting and the flaps of wings.

“Ugh, there you are!” Rouge exclaimed, completely out of breath. Shadow lifted his head tried to talk to her, but he couldn’t get a word out of his mouth. Rouge landed gently, then approached Shadow, placing one hand on the tree. “What happened back there? You started shaking and mumbling to yourself and I couldn’t snap you out of it.”

Shadow refused to make eye contact with her. “It was nothing,” he replied dismissively.

“Come on now, babes, that definitely wasn’t nothing.” Rouge sat herself down with her back against the tree, turning her head towards Shadow. “You can tell me the truth - it’s just us.”

Shadow hesitated. “Maria,” he spoke suddenly. “I saw Maria.”

Rouge tilted her head curiously. “You…saw her? What do you mean?”

“I’m not sure myself, but I saw her. I was trapped in the test pod again. It was all some…jumbled mess of memories. But I don’t understand why it happened.”

Rouge suddenly had a look of realisation on her face. “I think I get it,” she spoke softly. “You must’ve been having flashbacks.” Without speaking, Shadow looked at Rouge inquisitively. “Sometimes the most random thing can trigger our memories like that - sounds, sights, even smells.” She reciprocated Shadow’s gaze. “Did you feel the emotions that you did back then?”

Shadow’s eyes widened. He then looked away and nodded gloomily. “I can’t quite explain it.”

“And you don’t have to,” Rouge responded, looking up towards the sky. “Not everything needs to be analysed into detail. Things just…happen sometimes. And it can be really scary when it comes out of nowhere.” The two of them fell silent for a moment.

“What a fool,” Shadow spoke abruptly, placing a hand on his head. “I can’t believe the ultimate life form was taken aback by something so ridiculous.”

Expecting a chuckle from Rouge, Shadow was surprised to see Rouge pivoting around the tree to get closer to Shadow. “You‘re not perfect, Shadow,” Rouge said non-judgementally. “None of us are. So what you’re the ultimate life form? You’re still allowed to feel.” Shadow went quiet. Rouge slowly extended her wing around Shadow, reading his reaction as she went. To her surprise, he put up no resistance. In fact, he eventually gave in, resting his head on her shoulder.

“I’m tired,” he spoke defeatedly. “Mind if I have a nap?”

Rouge smiled softly. “Oh, go on then, ya big goof.” She listened to the gentle crackles of the distant fireworks. After a minute or so had passed, she looked down to check on Shadow to find that he had fallen asleep already. She gently closed her wing in more on Shadow.

“It’ll be okay. I’m here.”

— x —

I edited the intro comments to sound less aggressive lol. Hope y’all enjoyed~

#might edit the author notes cuz they sound aggressive but I can’t be bothered rn #shadow #shadow the hedgehog #rouge the bat #tails #tails the fox #miles tails prower #knuckles #knuckles the echidna #sonic #sonic the hedgehog #cream the rabbit #team dark #sonic fanfiction #nagichi writes

[nagichi-boop]

A Star That’s Out of Reach (Chapter 7)

[Previous] - [Next]

[Masterlist]

I don’t have anything intelligent to say here, so let’s just get straight into it, shall we?

— x —

Shadow lay on the couch as Rouge tended to his wounds, occasionally flinching as she touched upon a sore spot.

“You should’ve just come home sooner to have these treated,” Rouge huffed. “Or even if you had just treated these injuries yourself.”

“You’re right,” Shadow agreed. “I’m sorry.”

Rouge looked up at Shadow with her eyes furrowed, then sighed. “I know, I guess I’m still just a little upset that you left,” she admitted. “But you’re here and you’ve apologised, so I need to just accept things as they are.” She cut off one last bit of tape to secure Shadow’s bandages, then return it to the first aid kid and closed the lid. “You know,” she continued. “You still haven’t told anyone why you ran away to begin with. Was it something to do with the ‘unfinished business’ you mentioned?”

Shadow tensed up, feeling his throat close up a little. His mouth twitched to form words, but nothing came out, which caused him to become discouraged, his ears dropping a little.

“It’s okay if you can’t talk about it right now,” Rouge assured. “I know that I need to be patient with you. I guess I just wanted some clarity.” She looked up at him and smiled warmly. “Tell me when you’re ready.” She stood up from the couch and stretched a little, then looked at Shadow. “Take it easy for a few days, okay? No reckless fighting. I’ll let Omega know too so you boys don’t end up brawling behind my back.”

“Yes ma’am,” Shadow replied sarcastically. Rouge scoffed, then went into the kitchen. Shadow laid down on the couch, staring up at the familiar ceiling. He then smiled and closed his eyes – he was happy to be home. He hadn’t realised just how fatigued he was, but he very quickly found himself drifting off to sleep.

“Shadow!” A soft voice called out to him, causing him to flinch.

“Maria?” he replied, then realised he was sat beside her, looking out towards the stars. “I must have fallen asleep again.”

“You sure did,” Maria chuckled. “I’m glad you’re back though.” Shadow glanced up at her, then back down again, his expression becoming more somber. “Is something wrong?”

“Nothing too big,” Shadow replied quietly. “I guess I’m just not sure what to do now. That’s the whole reason I ran away.”

“What do you mean?” Maria asked.

Shadow lifted his head upwards. “Ever since I lost you, I unconsciously vowed to myself never to get close to anyone. I didn’t want to go through that pain again or risk putting anyone else in danger like I did with you. But now…” Shadow gloomily looked down and away from Maria. “Now I’m afraid I have no choice.”

“You always have a choice, Shadow,” Maria assured him. “You could have run far away and hidden yourself forever, but some part of you wanted to stay. I think you know deep down that you’ve found a new family.”

“But I don’t want that!” Shadow snapped, hastily turning to face Maria. “I want…I want to be with you.” He held his hands together and clutched them close to his chest as his eyes began to well up. Maria gently wrapped her arm around Shadow.

“I know,” she replied softly. “I wish I could see you again. I want to sing and dance and play with you again. But we both know that isn’t possible.” She then glanced up with a hopeful smile on her face. “But you know, just as the sun isn’t the only star in the galaxy, I’m not the only one out there waiting for you. You can and should find a new family outside of what you lost in the past.” She wrapped her arm around Shadow and pulled him closer to her side. “It may take time for you to trust and let people in, but you deserve to have a loving family. Moving on doesn’t mean denying the past.”

Shadow opened his eyes a little, his eyes still full of tears. Unclasping his hands, he stared at them sadly. “But what if I end up hurting them again?”

“You will,” a different voice spoke. Shadow turned to see that Amy now sat where Maria was. “But that’s normal. You don’t have to be afraid.” She held Shadow’s hand gently. “And whenever you need me, I’ll be right here.” Her voice became more muffled as she spoke, trailing off at the end.

“I lov…”

“Shadow? Are you okay?” Rouge asked as she loomed over him. Shadow slowly sat up and rubbed his eyes, trying to adjust to being awake again.

“I’m okay, I was just sleeping”, he replied. “Why do you ask?”

“You were crying and whimpering in your sleep,” she answered glumly. Shadow stared at her for a moment before looking away. “Did you have another nightmare?”

“Not exactly,” Shadow said softly. “More like…a bittersweet dream.”

“‘Bittersweet’? How so?”

He anxiously fiddled with his fingers for a moment. “I was with Maria on the Ark. We were talking about family.” He looked up at Rouge. “She said I deserved to find a new one.”

Rouge’s eyes widened. “Oh, I see,” she spoke contemplatively. “How did you respond?”

He brought his legs up to his chest and hugged them. “I told her I was worried, that I was afraid that if I had a family, I’d hurt them like I hurt her.”

Rouge sat down beside Shadow. “You didn’t hurt her,” she acknowledged firmly. “The soldiers of GUN took her away from you. That’s not your fault at all.” She then placed a hand atop Shadow’s arm. “I know how special Maria was to you, but I’m sure she wouldn’t want you to deny yourself of happiness because of what happened.”

Shadow chuckled. “She said a similar thing,” he noted with a smile. He then looked up at Rouge. “Thank you.”

“Of course,” Rouge replied. “That’s what are friends for.” She then stood up and was about to go to the kitchen to get some water for Shadow when he said something under his breath.

“Family.” Rouge stopped then turned her head back to Shadow, who was looking intently at her. “We’re family,” he repeated louder. Rouge stared at him in bewilderment before she smiled with tears in her eyes. She then quickly turned away from him.

“You can’t just say things like that when I’m caught off guard, you jerk,” she replied playfully. “You’ll make me ugly cry.”

Shadow grinned warmly. Rouge disappeared briefly into the kitchen and then returned with a glass of water, which Shadow sipped slowly. After finishing his drink, Rouge took the class into the kitchen and began to wash it up. Shadow sat there quickly for a moment before standing and standing in the door way of the kitchen.

“I’m going to head out for a bit,” he informed her.

Rouge turned around, trying to conceal her worry. “Will you be back for dinner?”

“I will,” Shadow answered. Seeing Rouge’s worry, he added, “I promise.”

She smiled. “I’ll see you later then.”

Shadow walked towards the hill overlooking Station Square, deep in thought. He kept trying to think about what Maria said in his dream, but the image of Amy sat beside him kept flashing in his mind. He tried to deny understanding why she was there at all, but he had spent the past few days mulling it over. As he got closer to their meet-up spot, he suddenly froze.

“Wait,” he muttered to himself. “What am I doing? I’m not ready to see her yet.” After standing in place for a moment, he changed course and began aimlessly wandering away from their spot. Somewhat in a daze, Shadow was caught off guard when a gust of wind brushed past him, causing him to raise his arms in front of him defensively. As he lowered his stance, he heard another whooshing sound and was suddenly standing face to face with Sonic, who he realised had been the cause of the sudden gust of wind.

“Shadow?” Sonic exclaimed, raising an eyebrow. “What are you doing all the way out here?”

Shadow folded his arms uncomfortably. “Why is it any of your concern?”

Sonic placed a hand on his hip and tapped his foot. “Well, I suppose it isn’t. It’s just unusual to see you here.” Shadow scowled a little and glanced away. “Is something bothering you?”

Shadow turned to his side. “Don’t be foolish,” he snarled. He then gripped his arms a bit tighter. “I just got lost in thought is all.”

Sonic folded his arms and tapped a finger against his arm in thought. He then suddenly purked up. “Were you thinking about Amy?” Shadow suddenly tensed up, then he turned and lunged at Sonic, grabbing his shoulder tightly. “Dude, what gives?” Upon realising he had basically confirmed Sonic’s suspicions, he let go and backed up. He then sighed and facepalmed.

��This is ridiculous,” Shadow spoke defeatedly.

“What is?” Sonic asked, rubbing his now hurting shoulder.

Shadow lowered his hand and stared at it gloomily. “The whole point of my return was for me to come to terms with things, but when it comes to actually doing that, I turn and bail.”

Sonic once again raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t that normal?”

Shadow scowled at Sonic. “Perhaps for anyone else. But I’m the ultimate lifeform. Things like this are trivial.”

“Regardless, you still have these feelings, right?” Sonic commented. “Insisting you shouldn’t feel them because you’re the ultimate lifeform doesn’t make them go away. It just makes things harder on you.”

“Suppose you’re correct,” Shadow conceded. “Would it really be fair to act on these feelings?”

“What do you mean?” Sonic asked confused.

“If I told her how I feel, that would be unfair on her.”

Sonic tilted his head. “I’m not sure I follow, buddy.”

Shadow exhaled deeply, then looked back at Sonic. “She only confessed to you recently, right? Wouldn’t it be unfair of me to spring my feelings onto her when he feelings for you are still raw?”

Sonic closed his eyes, frowning and tapping his foot in thought. “I guess I can see that.” He then glanced at Shadow. “But isn’t it also unfair on you to hold them in? All that’s gonna do is make you keep running. I’m sure Ames wouldn’t want that, either.”

Shadow paused. “Would that be such a bad thing? I’m not exactly a good guy like she and you are. It probably wouldn’t make much odds if we never crossed paths again.”

“Sure, you two are pretty different,” Sonic acknowledged. “But you still like her despite that, right? Is it so hard to believe someone like her could love you back?”

“She loves you,” Shadow sharply replied. “You’re the icon of heroism.”

“And if it wasn’t for you, all of humanity would have been wiped out by now.”

Shadow became slightly frustrated. “I helped start that problem. If it wasn’t for Amy, I’d have gone along with the plan.”

“But you didn’t,” Sonic noted. “I feel like you’re not giving yourself enough credit here.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Shadow growled.

“You keep talking about the bad things you did,” Sonic sternly stated. “It’s good to acknowledge your faults, but only from the lens that you strive to be better. And in your case, you have. To keep using these past incidents as an excuse to deny yourself of happiness seems wildly unfair, not just to yourself, but to others who want to get closer to you.”

Shadow’s body relaxed a little. He stared at the ground, feeling conflicted by his feelings. Sonic sighed, then approached Shadow and placed a hand gently on his shoulder.

“Tell her how you feel,” Sonic advised. “That’s the only way you two can move forward, regardless of whether she reciprocates.”

Shadow continued to look away from Sonic. “What if she never wants to see me again?”

“Does Amy really seem like the type to do that to you?” Shadow didn’t respond. Sonic hesitated briefly, then backed away from Shadow a little. “Do you know how worried she was when she heard you had gone missing?” Shadow’s eyes widened and he finally looked Sonic in the eyes. “She didn’t say anything, but I could sense how anxious she was from the moment Rouge told her you were gone. In fact, she’s the one who convinced the rest of us to help find you. She really cares about you, Shadow. That won’t change even if the two of you stay friends.” Sonic paused again. “I guess the question is, do you want to move forward with her or do you want to pass up what you have over a hypothetical?”

Shadow stayed silent mulling over Sonic’s words. He then raised his head up suddenly. “Wait, why are you trying so hard to help me? Surely me being with Amy is the last thing you’d want?”

Sonic rubbed his nose. “It has nothing to do with me, pal.” He then returned his hand to his side. “But in all seriousness, I just like helping people out. I don’t care too much about the past. Besides, although you may not feel the same way, I’d like for us to be friends one day.”

“I see,” Shadow replied monotonously. He then sighed defeatedly. “I guess I’ll consider telling her how I feel.”

“That’s a start,” Sonic chirped positively.

“You tell no one of any of this, got it?” Shadow threatened, snarling and angrily pointing at Sonic.

“Why would I do that? It’s no one’s business but yours and Amy’s.” Sonic then turned around, about to sprint off. “Oh, but if you ever need a third party to confide in,” he continued, his head half turned to Shadow smirking. “You know where to find me.”

“Fine,” Shadow huffed, then smiled back. “Now get out of here so I don’t have to look at you anymore.”

“Aye aye, captain,” Sonic replied compliantly then dashed off, leaving Shadow behind. He stood there for a moment in thought, then took a deep breath in and out. He pulled out his Chaos Emerald and teleported away.

#a star that’s out of reach fanfic #shadow #shadow the hedgehog #amy rose #shadamy #rouge the bat #team dark #sonic #sonic the hedgehog #sonic fanfic #nagichi writes

[nagichi-boop]

A Star That’s Out of Reach (Chapter 8)

[Previous] - [Next]

[Masterlist]

Dw besties, I promise this isn’t an April Fools prank, I’m not creative enough for that. I just got reminded that I needed to update this today, so I’m doing it before I forget.

— x —

“Amy?” Cream spoke softly, gently shaking her by the shoulder.

“Oh, sorry,” Amy responded, snapping out of her daze. She looked down at her plastic teacup, remembering that she was in the middle of a tea party with Cream. She then pretended to drink from it, flaunting her best princess impression. “May I have some more tea, m’lady?”

“Of course, your highness,” Cream chirped, pretending to fill Amy’s teacup. Before Amy could lift the cup to her face, the two of them turned at the sound of the front door opening. “Mother!” Cream leapt up and ran to the door, to which Amy stood and followed behind.

“Hello sweetie,” Vanilla beamed, then looked up at Amy. “I apologise for being late! I forgot a few things from my shopping list and had to go back.”

“It’s okay, I have come to expect tardiness from you,” Amy teased playfully, resulting in a chuckle from Vanilla.

“If you don’t have somewhere to be, how about you stay for dinner?” Vanilla offered.

Amy shook her head. “I’m sorry, but I need to go home.” Cream pouted, prompting Vanilla to pat her head.

“Maybe next time,” Vanilla spoke softly. She then perked up having remembered something and moved her hand from Cream’s head. “Ah, bear with me one monument!” She gracefully dashed top the kitchen and returned with a tin. “Here’s some cookies I baked earlier for you as a thanks for your hard work today.”

“Aw, thank you,” Amy thanked gratefully as she took the box of cookies. “You’re always so generous.”

“I only try to imitate your example! I don’t think I could ever make enough treats to thank you for all of your hard work.”

Amy blushed and scratched behind her head shyly. “I do my best,” she chuckled. She then leaned over with her hands on her bent knees. “I’ll see you again soon, Cream – keep the tea warm for me!”

“Yes, m’lady!” Cream complied with a salute, enticing a giggle from both Amy and Vanilla. The rabbits then saw Amy out of the house, waving with large smiles on their faces as she walked away. Amy began to feel guilty for lying to Vanilla, but she felt that she couldn’t stay any longer. It was not her’s or Cream fault – actually, she wasn’t entirely sure what was wrong. Looking up to the sky, she noticed the sun making its descent and she was struck with an idea.

She wandered to her’s and Shadow’s secret spot where she hadn’t been for the past few days. Part of her was scared to see Shadow again after his disappearance, but she knew she couldn’t avoid him forever. There was so much she wished to tell him, however, so she decided she had to go. When she arrived, she noticed something underneath the tree.

“Hey Sha…” she began before peering round and noticing he was asleep, which caused her to hastily cover her mouth. After waiting a few seconds to see if Shadow would wake up, she knelt down beside him slowly, then waved her hand quietly in front of his face to double check. He didn’t move. She stared at his face for a moment in bewilderment, never having seen Shadow look so serene before. Deciding the seize the opportunity, she continued to make observations about Shadow – his soft breathing, the rise and fall of his chest and, most surprising of all, the relaxed expression on his face. A leaf then fell atop Shadow’s head, which much to Amy’s shock, did not wake the dark hedgehog. Nervously, she leant in and retrieved the leaf, smiling softly in amusement. Shadow’s ear twitched and he opened his eyes, only to be met with Amy’s face being very close to his. The two hedgehogs screamed and fell backwards in shock. Amy clutched her chest, breathing erratically while Shadow covered his reddening face with his brows furrowed in confusion.

“A-Amy?” Shadow croaked shakily from behind his hand, his heart pounding out of his chest. “What are you doing here?”

“Ah, well, uhm,” Amy stammered and flailed her arms, all the while refusing to make eye contact. She then pointed her finger up as a thought struck her. “I just remembered how, uhm, beautiful this place is for a sunset this place is and wanted to see it!”

Shadow stared for a moment, still trying to compose himself over his startling wake up. He took note of how red Amy’s face had become, but chalked it up to her being caught off guard. He inhaled, then let out a relived sigh.

“I see,” he said, moving his hand from his face to his forehead, scratching it nervously. The two of them remained in awkward silence for a moment, with Amy staring at the ground and twirling her fingers and Shadow looking away from her, scowling a little from embarrassment.

“It’s been a while,” Amy remarked. Shadow looked up at her affectionately, taking note of her bittersweet smile.

“I suppose it has,” Shadow acknowledged shyly. He shuffled and leant his back up against the tree again. After noticing Amy had not moved, he pat the ground next to him. Amy tensed up nervously, then crawled next to Shadow and sat beside him, her shoulders stiff from unease. The two of them stared out over the city and watched the sunset. Amy glanced over at Shadow who was intently watching the sun set. Somehow, despite everything, it was like nothing had occurred, as though Shadow had never gone missing.

“I’ve missed this,” she confessed softly. Shadow looked over at her to see her warm smile, which he then reciprocated.

“Me too,” he agreed, then the two of them continued to watch the sun fall until eventually it had disappeared completely, leaving a cool breeze behind. Amy began to rub her arms, to which Shadow shuffled closer to her and reluctantly placed an arm around her, which surprisingly Amy did not reject. She then leaned on Shadow’s shoulder, which startled him at first. He knew this meant nothing, but he couldn’t help but want to cherish this moment.

“Did you want to talk about why you left?” Amy asked, disrupting the silent.

“Not particularly,” Shadow answered monotonously. “I just had a lapse in my judgement. For what it’s worth though, I don’t intend on pulling such a stunt again.”

Though upset that Shadow would not open up, Amy smiled in relief. “I’m glad to hear that. I was very worried about you.”

Shadow remained silent for some time. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

Shadow hesitated, composing his thoughts. “You’re a friend of mine who has trusted me enough to confide in me and yet I have not been as open to you in return.”

Amy buried her head into Shadow’s neck a little more, closing her eyes as she smiled warmly. “That’s okay,” she replied. “I understand that your upbringing might make it more difficult for you to open up. If anything, I should be apologising to you for making you put up with my problems all the time.”

“Nonsense,” he quickly responded. “You’re not making me ‘put up’ with anything. I listen to your problems out of my own free will.”

Amy let out a little chuckle before the two of them once again fell silent, making up for lost time by simply enjoying each other’s company. Shadow felt a sense of nostalgia as he stared up at the stars. He hadn’t felt this sort of comfort since his days stargazing with Maria on the Ark. He felt his body subconsciously relax as he observed the stars peacefully with Amy’s head still rested gently on his shoulder.

“You know,” Amy suddenly spoke, to which Shadow let out a hum of acknowledgment. “That day that I told you I was going to confess to Sonic – you never did tell me what it was you wanted to.” Realising Shadow did not shift at all, Amy looked up at Shadow, who stared forward with a somewhat saddened expression. “Is everything okay?”

“I want to tell you,” Shadow replied in a melancholic tone. “But I don’t know that you’ll like what you hear.” Amy leant away from Shadow in order to get a better view of him having realised she had brought up a seemingly sensitive topic.

“You can tell me,” Amy assured. “I promise I won’t get upset.”

Shadow’s gaze drifted down to his hands, which he now nervously fidgeted with. “Perhaps, though I think you should be prepared for the possibility.” Amy’s head tilted in confusion. “I just want to ask that no matter what, we still remain friends after this.”

Amy smiled comfortingly. “Of course! Why wouldn’t we?”

“Because I love you,” Shadow confessed. Amy’s smile dropped and she stared at Shadow with widened eyes. She then laughed anxiously, assuming she had misunderstood Shadow’s words.

“Aw Shads, I love you too! You’re one of my closest friends.” Shadow looked at Amy with a serious expression, which caused her to tense up.

“Not like that,” Shadow re-emphasised somewhat sternly. “I meant as in…romantically.”

“Oh.” Amy was stunned by Shadow’s confession. She had absolutely no idea he felt this way, but then a wave of dread began to overcome her.

Shadow looked over at Amy, who had a dumbfounded look on her face.

“Are you okay?” Shadow asked anxiously.

“Huh? Oh, uhh, yeah…” Amy stuttered. “How long have you felt this way?”

“I’m not entirely sure,” Shadow admitted. “I didn’t even realise that’s how I felt until recently.” Amy nodded her head, still trying to collect her thoughts.

“Was I…the reason you ran away?”

Shadow hesitated. “Sort of,” he confessed, which stung Amy a little. “It was a whole slew of things really.” He then brought his knees up to his chest. “I guess I got scared about how close I was getting to others. That sort of closeness…scares me.”

The two of them remained silent, which only made the other that much more anxious. After some time, Amy slowly stood up, with a forced smile on her face. Shadow looked up at her worriedly, his mind racing with thoughts.

“Thank you for being honest with me about your feelings,” Amy chirped.

Shadow’s ears drooped. “Yeah,” he defeatedly replied. “I felt I owed it to you to know.”

Amy stayed silent for a moment before speaking again. “I have to go for tonight. And…I have some things to think about. I hope you understand.” Shadow looked away and nodded. “Goodnight Shadow,” Amy spoke softly before turning away and leaving. When she believed she was out of view, she began running. Unbeknownst to her, Shadow saw her flee, his hand reached out towards her. He then clutched his fist and curled up, hugging his knees and burying his face in them.

“I lost her, Maria,” Shadow whimpered to himself quietly.

Amy made good distance away from Shadow and then came to a halt to catch her breath. She then felt her face become warm, prompting her to cover her mouth with her hand.

“Shadow…likes me?”

#shadow #shadow the hedgehog #amy rose #shadamy #cream the rabbit #vanilla the rabbit #sonic the hedgehog #sonic fanfic #nagichi writes

[nagichi-boop]

ROTTMNT Fanfic - Teddytello

That's right, ya boy is writing rottmnt angst now. Be prepared for most of the angst I write to be about Donnie, I project onto him so much. And honestly, don't we all write angst for the characters we love the most? No? Oh well.

-- x --

"Ah, at last," Donnie spoke triumphantly, twirling around in his chair a few times with his newest creation in hand, raised high above him proudly. "I have finally invented something that will solve my greatest adversary. And, of course, simplicity is key." He lowered the item to eye level and stared contemplatively at it, pouting a little. "I just hope this doesn't become the new Albearto." He stood up from his seat, then after letting out a sigh, he left his lab to find his brothers, carrying his creation under his arm.

Donnie took confident strides towards the sewer's skateramp area where he knew his brothers usually gathered. As predicted, they were all there - Leo was practicing his skating while Mikey cheered him on and Raph cautiously observed.

"Excuse me, gentlemen," Donnie loudly called out, announcing his arrival. Leo, who was in the middle of a handstand atop his skateboard at the top of the ramp, wavered a little after being startled by his brother, which caused his skateboard to tip over the edge and slide down, with Leo falling off and sliding behind it. Mikey giggled at the spectacle and jogged over to his older brother, making sure he was okay. Raph turned to Donnie, then raised a curious eyebrow at him.

"Hey Donnie," Raph greeted, then glanced down at what was under Donnie's arm. "Whatcha got there?"

"Oh, this?" Donnie smirked smugly, placing his free hand on his hip briefly. Leo and Mikey, having recovered from the previous mishap, had now stood up and came closer to Donnie, also curious about what he was holding with mixed expressions. "Brothers, may I present to you...Teddytello!" He thrust the plush version of himself in his brothers' faces, causing them to back up a little. Mikey's eyes lit up excitedly.

"Wow Donnie, he looks just like you," Mikey complimented enthusiastically, flapping his fists a little. "So this is why you wanted to learn how to sew!"

Donnie chuckled confidently. "Why yes it is, my dear Michelangelo." He then held a fist up, dramatically preparing himself for an 'emotional' speech. "It took much blood, sweat and tears to perfect this latest creation of mine. But did I give up? No - I persevered. I had to finish this ingenious invention." He then turned to his brothers, extending an open hand to them. "I did this all for you, dear brothers."

The three of them stared at Donnie in confusion for a moment before Mikey smiled excitedly.

"Can I hold it?" he asked.

"Of course," Donnie replied, handing over the plush to his younger brother. Mikey held it by the torso, then rotated it in his hands to investigate.

"This looks incredible, Donnie," he praised once again. Donnie tried to hide his contentment.

"Is that all it is?" Leo groaned disappointedly, which warranted a disapproving glare from Raph.

"Oh how you underestimate me," Donnie answered, shakily his head. "Mikey, perhaps you wouldn't mind demonstrating a hug on Teddytello?"

Mikey nodded compliantly, then tightly held the plush, pressing his face against it. The plush proceeded to make soft chirping noises, just loud enough that the brothers could all hear.

"Woah Donnie, did you record this?" Mikey asked sincerely.

Donnie cleared his throat nervously, his cheeks tinting red. "I cannot comment on that." Before his brothers could call out Donnie's blatant avoidance, Mikey let out a surprised gasp.

"I think the plushie is warming up," Mikey commented nervously. "Is that meant to happen?"

"Indeed it is," Donnie assured. "I specifically designed this plush to heat up and make noise when it is held like this."

"I still don't get it," Leo confessed. "What is the purpose of this?"

Donnie went quiet for a moment, his confident façade dropping a bit. "Well, I know how physically affectionate you are. And how...uncomfortable it can make me. I know you all understand this about me and respect it, but I do feel guilty that I cannot provide for you in this way all the time." A smile crept on his face. "That's why I figured I should make this for those times that I am unavailable."

Raph's expression dropped a little, but before he could say anything, Leo snatched the plush from Mikey, squeezing it a little more fiercely than Mikey did. He then smirked.

"Wow Donnie, this is amazing," Leo praised, though only Raph seemed to notice the sarcastic tone. "This plush might even be a better hugger than you." Donnie clicked his tongue in annoyance.

"Yeah," Mikey agreed in blissful ignorance. "It's super soft and the warmth is comforting."

Donnie twiddled his fingers uncomfortably. "Yes, well, I did add the heat feature to simulate body warmth like you would receive from a hug." He was about to continue speaking, but after having his mouth agape for a moment, he closed it defeatedly. He then folded his arms nervously and began tapping his fingers restlessly.

"This is great, Donnie," Mikey chirped, happily bouncing up and down by bending his legs. "Now we can hug you whenever we want!" Donnie snarled quietly, trying to stifle his frustration.

"Say Donnie, did you program this plush to ramble at us?" Leo asked teasingly.

"No," Donnie answered bluntly through gritted teeth, a little hurt by the question.

"Awesome!" Leo then grinned smugly at Donnie. "Thanks for the new brother!"

"WELL, I'M GLAD YOU LIKE HIM SO MUCH!" Donnie snapped in annoyance, startling his brothers. His eyes widened for a second before narrowing again. He then yelled loudly and turned to leave the room. After he had left, Mikey and Raph scowled at Leo.

"What? I didn't say anything wrong," Leo excused as he looked between his brothers.

"You went too far, Leo," Raph huffed.

"Donnie puts up with our hugs a lot, even though it makes him uncomfortable," Mikey added, twirling his fingers anxiously. "But he doesn't completely hate it when we hug him, it's just that he likes it when he hugs us first."

"I don't see your point," Leo huffed in irritation.

"You acted like this plush is better than Donnie," Mikey continued sadly. "Wouldn't you be upset if we replaced you with something you gave to us as a gift?"

Leo frowned for a moment, then his expression softened. "I guess I took the joke a bit too far," Leo admitted.

"You think?" Raph sharply remarked.

"Okay, I get it, I acted like a jerk." Leo nervously scratched the back of his neck. "I'll go talk to him."

"I'll come with you," Mikey offered.

"Actually Mikey, could you give me 10 minutes with Donnie alone?" Leo asked gently, to which Mikey reluctantly nodded. Leo placed a hand on his shoulder. "Thanks, buddy." With the plush under his arm, Leo left the room, leaving Raph behind with a worried Mikey.

"Don't worry, big man," Raph assured, pulling Mikey into a side hug. "Those two may have their differences, but they always get through them."

Leo reluctantly entered Donnie's room, quickly scanning around the room to find Donnie laying facedown on his bed grumbling into his pillow.

"Hey, Donnie?" Leo spoke with a hint of playfulness.

"Go away," Donnie demanded, raising his head to speak before plopping it back onto his pillow.

"Can you hear me out first?" Leo asked cautiously. After a few seconds of silence, Leo took it as his cue to continue. "I'm sorry about what I said in the other room. You know I was only joking, right?"

Donnie suddenly turn on his side, scowling at Leo. "So because you were joking, that negates any of the negative repercussions of your actions?"

Leo flinched. "What? No, that's not what I meant." He broke eye contact, nervously rubbing the back of his neck.

"Ah, so you making comments about my tendencies to ramble and such were purely comedic and not at all coming from a place of self truth?" Donnie snarled sarcastically.

Leo's eyes widened. "Well, not exactly. I will admit, sometimes when you rabbit away at me about technical gibberish I get a little exasperated. But that's only because I don't really understand what you're talking about. I'm not saying I want you to shut up all together. In a way I am actually...a bit jealous of you."

"Jealous? Oh please, Leo, don't start trying to crawl out of this with such a desperate excuse," Donnie snapped angrily.

"I'm being serious, Don," Leo pressed with adamance, causing Donnie to untense a little. “You are incredibly smart and creative. We wouldn't be where we are as a team- no, as a family without you. When I see you and your tech, Mikey's artistry and Raph's strength, I feel so pathetic in comparison. I...don't have any of that." He forced a smile before continuing. "I think you'd all do fine or maybe even better without me." His smile dropped a little. "You all almost died because of me after all. You all wouldn't have let that happen if you were in my position, I'm sure."

Donnie sat up with a worried expression. "You...don't really believe all that, do you?"

Leo chuckled nervously. "I mean, I'm not exactly wrong, am I?" He then took the plush from under his arm and held it in his hands. "I guess that's why I am so competitive with you all. I just...I want a chance to be the best at something, anything, so I can stop feeling like the spare wheel." He unknowingly began to tighten his grip on the plush, his face scrunching a little whilst still trying to maintain his fake confidence. "Though, maybe I'd be more useful to you all in the Prison Dimension-"

"Don't you dare finish that thought, Leo." Donnie snapped with tears in his eyes, bringing Leo's attention back to his brother.

"W-wait, I didn't mean-"

Before Leo could finish his sentence, Donnie leapt out of his bed and hugged Leo tightly, catching him off guard and causing him to drop the plush version of his brother.

"D-Donnie? What are you..." Leo became choked up, his vision blurring from his tears. "I'm sorry," he whimpered, wrapping his arms around Donnie and nestling his head in his brother's shoulders. Donnie's eyes welled up more and he tightened his grip of Leo. The two of them stood there for a while as Leo attempted to cry as quietly as possible, not wanting his other brothers to overhear. Eventually he pulled away, wiping his eyes.

"Did that help?" Donnie asked nervously.

"It sure did," Leo answered, once again forcing a smile. "If I had to rate the experience, I'd say I am extremely satisfied." He smirked and winked playfully at his brother. Donnie smiled a little before looking at his creation and frowning a little.

"It probably would have been more satisfying coming from Teddytello," he reluctantly noted. "After all, I designed him specifically to be superior to me in hugging. Not that it's a particularly difficult feat."

"Well, maybe in theory it would be a better hugger," Leo spoke rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "But what makes your hugs so special is that it's you! And I know you don't always want to hug, but that just makes the times you do hug us all the more special!"

Donnie blushed a little from embarrassment. "Ugh, Mikey is way better for this mushy stuff." He looked at Leo, who was now grinning cheekily. "But...I suppose it's fine if it's you every now and then. It's not often we really open up to each other, huh?"

Leo scratched his cheek. "Yeah, you're not wrong about that. I guess neither of us really likes to be vulnerable." Leo then went quiet, looking away as he fell deep into thought, his face expressing guilt. "While we are being honest though, I just want you to know that no amount of tech or anything could replace you. You know that, right?"

Donnie fell silent. "Well...admittedly, it does appear to me that sometimes you value my inventions more than me. I've always somewhat believed that if my tech were to no longer be of use to you all, I'd have no use on the team. For a while, I became bitter than you were all using your mystic powers when all I had was my unreliable tech. It’s no wonder you appear disinterested whenever I create something new.”

"What are you talking about? Your tech is amazing!" Leo's eyes lit up with a genuine admiration. "It's always awesome to see what you can do. And sure, sometimes your inventions don't work as planned, but the same could be said of our mystic powers. Have you forgotten how long it took for me to get my portals to work how I wanted them to?"

Donnie chuckled. "I remember."

"Exactly." Leo smiled warmly. "Besides, without your tech, we would all be turtle meat by now. You saved us all from the Krang with your escape pod thingies." He glanced down before continuing, his smile fading. "Meanwhile, I was the one constantly putting you all in danger."

"Perhaps, but you were put in an extremely difficult position," Donnie spoke honestly. "You didn't know how important that key was before Casey arrived - none of us did. And for the situation to change so quickly...it's no wonder you became panicked. Could you have benefitted from listening to us earlier? Maybe. But I can't say I wouldn't have acted similarly in your situation. And when it came down to it, you were willing to risk you life to save us all. I...don't know that I would have had your resolve. We are all alive thanks to that sacrifice. And not just us, you saved everyone." Donnie looked away. "Though had you of not come back, I don't know if I would have been able to forgive you. I know you did what you had to in order to protect us, but you're still our brother, you know? Nothing and no one could have filled the void you would have left if we weren't able to bring you home."

Leo smiled bittersweetly. "I know. There was probably a million things I could have done differently. But in that moment, the only thing that mattered to me was keeping you all safe. I was willing to trade my life for you. And I'd do it again if it meant keeping you all safe."

"And I don't want to lose either of you," Mikey interjected, startling both of his brothers.

"Sorry guys," Raph apologised. "I tried to stop him but Mikey insisted on seeing you both."

Mikey teared up. "I love you both so much", he continued, ignoring what Raph has said. "I don't want to lose either of you, ever! You're both too important to me, with or without your weapons or your tech." He then began wiping his tears with his hands, helpless to stop the tears.

"I'm sorry, Mikey," Leo apologies, turning and hugging his brother softly. Without hesitating, Donnie joined them, wrapping his arms around his brothers, to which Raph gently held the three of them, doing his best not to make Donnie uncomfortable. They all teared up, recalling the events of when the Krang invaded. None of them ever wanted to experience that again.

"I'm okay now, guys," Mikey eventually spoke up sheepishly, which prompted the others to back off slowly. "I didn't mean to get emotional out of nowhere."

"It's okay, Mikey," Donnie assured, then side eyed Leo. "I think sometimes we all need a moment to just feel our emotions fully." Leo knelt down and picked up the plush Donnie again, pouting. He hugged it again, then scowled and threw it away, dusting his hands off after.

"Yeah no, I still prefer the real thing," Leo remarked. "With all due respect, Donnie, this might be the worst thing you've ever made."

Mikey giggled. "Yeah! I much prefer hugging you, even if that means I don't get hugs from you as often."

"It's super sweet that you did this for us, Donnie," Raph added. "But it's as the others said - there's no replacing the real thing."

Donnie beamed widely, blushing a little from the flattery. "Thank you, guys. It means a lot."

"Hug?" Mikey asked, opening his arms wide.

"Oh, uhh," Donnie stammered. "I think I might be at my capacity for hugs. Sorry Mikey." He glanced over at the plush, insecurity welling up inside of him.

"That's fine, I can wait," MIkey chirped. He then followed Donnie's gaze to the plush. "I don't need Dummytello, either. He's a terrible hugger." He then poked his tongue out at the plush, warranting a laugh from his brothers.

"Thank you," Donnie spoke softly. "I feel a lot better now."

"Anytime, bro," Leo said smugly. "Though next time you feel insecure about something, maybe don't make a plush replacement of yourself and just talk to us about it instead?"

Donnie frowned. "Speak for yourself, Liar-nardo."

Leo chuckled nervously. "Touché." He then cleared his throat. "So, uhh, you guys up for a family sleepover tonight? We can binge some Jupiter Jim movies. Eh? Eh?"

"Yay, sleepover!" Mikey cheered, bouncing up and down.

"Let's go get some pillows and blankets, Mikey," Raph suggested. "Leo and Donnie can get the films." As the two of them left the room, Raph nodded at them, then continued to make their way out.

"So what should we do with Dummytello?" Leo asked, pouting a little as he stared at the plush with contempt.

"Well, it would be a shame to completely scrap such a beautiful work of art," Donnie remarked playfully. "But I might be able to rework some of the components.

Leo then smirked. "You know, you never did answer Mikey on the chirping sounds the plush makes. Did you-"

"Aaand we are leaving," Donnie interrupted, bumping Leo as he left the room.

"Hey, wait up," Leo called out, catching up to his brother and leaving the room together as they engaged in a playful back and forth.

— x —

Not gonna lie, the idea sounded a lot better in my head. I’m bad at writing lolol~

#donatello hamato #rottmnt donnie #leonardo hamato #rottmnt leo #michelangelo hamato #rottmnt mikey #raphael hamato #rottmnt raph #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #rise of the tmnt #rottmnt #rottmnt fanfiction #nagichi writes

[nagichi-boop]

Psychonauts fanfic - Overworked (Pt.1)

[ x ] - [Part 2]

Of course the best thing to do when finishing all the playthroughs for Psychonauts is to write a comfort fic lol.

Just a quick note for when you read this: a dash “-“ between paragraphs indicates a switch between what scene we are in (so if there are characters in different places, a dash indicates we are going to where another character is) or a change in time. Any speech written in italics indicate that it was communicated telephathically.

Spoilers for Psychonauts 1 and 2

— x —

“Pootie? Little Pootie, are you up, baby?” Donatella called out to the caravan, which Raz had been convinced to sleep in the night before. He had a dorm within the Motherlobe now that he was a Junior Psychonaut, but given the events of the past few days, his parents urged him to sleep in his old room as it would be more familiar to him. Deep down, Raz wanted to sleep in his new dorm as a fresh start, but seeing the worry on his mother’s face was enough to convince him to sleep with the family for the night.

Raz drowsily opened his eyes which seemed to be heavier than usual, but he chalked it up to not having slept well for the past few days. He was too busy saving the world, after all. Raz slowly sat up, then felt a throbbing in his head, causing him to hold it. He then recoiled as he felt heat emanating from his head. He didn’t want to admit it, but he knew that he was sick with a fever. 

“Pootie sweetie, are you okay? Are you still asleep?” his mother called out again. Raz shakily got on his feet, taking a moment to gain his balance, then quickly threw on his clothes before walking to the door of the caravan. “Oh my little Pootie,” Donatella exclaimed. “Are you okay? You don’t look well.” Raz, still half asleep, stared blankly at his mother. “Let me check your temperature,” she added, which seemed to snap Raz out of his daze. He knew he wasn’t well, but he didn’t want to miss his first day as a Psychonaut. Who knew what might happen if he wasn’t there!

“It’s okay, mom,” Raz replied a little shakily. “I am still just a bit worn out from all that’s been happening. But I’ll be okay!” Before his mother could object, Raz activated his levitation ability and rolled away as quickly as he could. Once he’d gotten some distance away, he deactivated it, then stopped and stumbled sideways against a tree, catching his breath. ‘Did I really get that unfit since leaving the circus?’ Raz thought to himself, then shook his head dismissively and began to walk towards the Motherlobe, evading his family dotted around the forest as he made his way there.

He promptly walked up to the reception. “Good morning,” Raz chirped to the receptionist. He began to feel a bit faint, so he played it off by pretending to be smug, then rested his arm on the desk. “Are there any messages for me?”

The receptionist raised her eyebrow. “Weren’t you the intern that started here the other day?”

“Former intern, actually,” Raz corrected, briefly snapping back to his usual self. “It’s a long story, but today is my first day as an agent.”

“There hasn’t really been any announcements to pass along,” she replied.

Raz suddenly appeared a bit worried. “What do you mean? There has to be something, right?”

“Sorry int..agent, but there isn’t always some crisis that needs solving.” She then looked at the anxiety on Raz’s face. “If you are really looking for something to do, perhaps ask one of the other agents if there is anything you can help them with? At the very least it will give you a bit training.”

Raz lit up a little. “Thank you, ma’am. Have a nice day!”

She smiled back. “Enjoy your first day on the job, agent.”

Raz walked around the Motherlobe aimlessly for a bit, then was struck with an idea. “I know! I will go see if Agent Nein is doing any science experiments I can help with.” He coughed a little, then made his way to Sasha’s lab. He walked in, then noticed Sasha sat by his desk eating some food. “Hello Agent Nein!” Raz greeted cheerily. “Whatcha doing?” Sasha looked up at Raz then back to the papers in front of him. “Good morning, young man. I’m just eating some breakfast and talking with Agent Vodello while reviewing some paperwork. How can I help you?” “I was going to ask you that actually,” Raz replied. “The receptionist said that I should ask an agent if they needed any help in hopes of learning something.” 

Sasha pulled out a chair next to him, filling Raz with glee. To Sasha’s surprise though, he didn’t rush to get to the seat, taking his time to walk to the chair. Raz sat down beside Sasha, looking at the paperwork that he was reading.

“Is that…a list of applicants for next week’s Whispering Rock Camp?” Raz asked with a concerned tone. “I’m still surprised that is happening, all things considered.”

“Well, Coach Oleander has been dealt with thanks to your help. We have reviewed the situation and determined that there is no real risk to carrying out the camp next week. Plus as I told you yesterday, the camp is the Psychonaut’s main source of revenue.” Sasha mentally prepared himself for Raz to kick up a fuss, but to his surprise, Raz let at a quiet hum of acknowledgement and continued to blankly glance at the paperwork. “Is something wrong, darling?” Milla asked Sasha through their thoughts. “Your mind has gone oddly quiet.”

“Razputin seems to be hiding something,” Sasha replied sceptically. “He isn’t acting his usual energetic self. He seems sluggish somehow.” “Well, have you tried asking the poor dear?” Milla questioned.

“You know that isn’t really my specialty. Though I suppose given the events of late, it is worth asking at the very least. He has had a busy few days and a lot to process.”

Sasha glanced over at Raz, who he noticed was gently rubbing his arms. “Are you okay, Razputin? You don’t seem to be your usual self.” Raz flicked his head to look at Sasha as though he were frightened by his question.

“Of course I am,” Raz hastily responded, then remembered his mother’s words about lying and got nervous. “Well, okay, maybe I’m not 100% myself, but I think I am just anxious about it being my first day.” He rubbed his arms again. “Plus it’s a bit cold in here,” he added without thinking. “Cold?” Sasha replied confused. “It shouldn’t be cold in here. The heating is on.” Raz suddenly remembered that he was trying to hide his illness and began to panic, worrying he had tipped Sasha off.

“Oh it’s nothing, maybe I just felt a cold draft,” Raz spoke frantically, jumping up from his seat. He then stumbled back a little, instinctively grabbing his head again as it began pounding. He continued to wobble backwards as the room began to spin. “Actually, m-maybe if I can warm up the place up…” Raz’s voice began to wane. Sasha grew concerned and stood up, then walked a little towards Raz before he heard crackling to his side. He looked over and saw that the paperwork he was looking at was on fire.

“Razputin, calm down!” Sasha yelled, then took his jacket off and fanned off the fire from the paperwork. He then looked back at Raz, who was glancing around the room as though he were in a daze, his stance unsteady. “Razputin, can you here me?”

“What is happening, darling?” Milla asked with concern, but Sasha didn’t respond. He dashed towards Raz, who collapsed and was caught by Sasha. He then placed the back of his hand on Raz’s forehead and then quickly pulled it away after feeling how hot it was.

“Milla, do you think you could bring some cold blankets and ice packs and meet me at Razputin’s dorm room? I believe he has a fever.“

“Of course! I will be as quick as I can.” 

Sasha used his telekinesis to lift Raz up, then paused for a moment before deciding to carry him on his back. “It would be best to act with caution for his condition,” he whispered to himself aloud. He took one last glance at the burned up paperwork, then sighed and left his lab.As he approached Raz’s dorm, he met eyes with Milla who appeared very concerned. She then rushed towards Sasha. 

“Oh my stars, is the darling okay?” she asked frantically.

“It appears he is suffering from a fever,” Sasha answered trying to appear stoic. “And a bad one at that. He started using his pyrokinesis in my lab.” “Oh dear,” Milla spoke, then walked behind Sasha to inspect Raz. “He didn’t get hurt, did he?”

“He is fine. Once I ascertained that he was not well, I rushed towards him and caught him as he was fainting.” Sasha then paused for a moment. “He burned a few documents, but I am sure I can work it out later. It’s not like this hasn’t happened before.”

“Let us not delay, darling. The poor boy needs his rest.”

The two of them gently held Raz out in front of the Thinkerprint scanner, then entered Raz’s room. Sasha raised an eyebrow curiously as he walked towards the bed.

“It looks untouched,” he commented. “I didn’t think Razputin would be such a tidy person.” “Did he not tell you?” Milla asked. “He decided to stay with his family last night to recover from everything that happened.”

Sasha set Raz down on the bed carefully, then tried to figure out what had caused this situation. Raz was panting, his face streaming with sweat, to which Milla draped a cold blanket over him and placed an ice pack on his forehead. Sasha’s eyebrows then raised.

“Could it be that this fever was caused by overwhelming stress?” Sasha speculated. 

“Well that would certainly make sense,” Milla agreed. “I don’t know all the details, but he has been through a lot these past few days. Even agent Forsythe needed a break, and she didn’t even go through half of what the poor boy did!”

Sasha then looked at Raz who seemed to be relaxing a little, his breathing slowing down. “I don’t understand,” Sasha spoke somewhat agitatedly. “If he really was stressed, why wouldn’t he have told someone?” “Oh Sasha, darling,” Milla sighed. “The boy was so excited to do anything necessary to help, he probably didn’t even realise it himself. You more than anyone should understand what it’s like to not want to ask for help.”

Sasha stayed silent for a moment. “I suppose I will have to add how to ask for help on the list of things to train him on.” Milla raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean, darling?” She then smirked teasingly. “Do you intend to become his mentor?” 

“Well, he does need someone to train him. We all need to be taught things from time to time. Besides, his former mentor turned out to be the mole of the Psychonauts.”

Milla smiled approvingly. “I’m sure Razputin would be thrilled to work with you, but we have the camp next week, remember?”

“I am aware,” Sasha answered. “I will find some work for Razputin to do in my absence. Perhaps I could even have him on standby in case something happens.” “I am sure he would willingly agree to that, but is that really a good idea?” Milla questioned. “He has already fallen ill because of the work. Maybe it’s best we let him ease back into it, hmm?” The two of them silently stared at Raz for a while.

“He seems to be stable for now,” Sasha spoke. “But we should probably have someone to watch over him in case he starts reacting again.”

“I will try and psychically reach his father. I’m sure he will willingly look after his son.” They stepped out of the room and then Milla closed her eyes for a minute. “Alright, I have contacted his father and instructed the receptionist to have someone guide him to Razputin’s room and to give him temporary Thinkerprint access to Razputin’s room. I’ve also asked that we be granted access for the time being so that we may help out should something happen.”

“Very good. If you are free, let us go together to discuss what to do about Razputin when he feels better.” The two of them walked in silent thought towards Sasha’s lab. “You know,” Milla spoke up softly. “Perhaps the reason Razputin did not talk to us was because we made him feel that he couldn’t.” Sasha furrowed his brows. “Whatever do you mean?”

“When we were at camp, we didn’t exactly listen to him when he tried to warn us about what Coach Oleander was doing. And again when we ignored Coach being brainless. Perhaps if we had listened, maybe would could have protected him and Razputin would not have had to merge psyches with him.” “You know as well as I do that dwelling on ‘what ifs’ can be harmful, dear Milla.” 

“But not just that! He was told by Truman, or well Gristol, to keep his mission to help Ford secret. Is it possible he maybe feels responsible for that, too?” “Ridiculous,” Sasha scoffed. “Not even we knew what Gristol was up to, let alone that he was acting as Truman. It would be foolish for him to blame himself.” Sasha then took a moment to contemplate. “Then again, he is so capable that I often forget that he is still a young boy. And though we know parts of his past, none of the Psychonaut agents have been inside his mind. Perhaps it would have been wise to check up on him after recent events.” Milla gently took hold of Sasha’s hand. “You know, a wise agent once told me that worrying about ‘what ifs’ can be harmful.” Sasha chuckled, squeezing her hand back. “Let’s get to work so that we can be ready for when Razputin feels better, hmm?”

-

Raz slowly opened his eyes and stared up at an unfamiliar ceiling. His body ached and felt heavy, so he didn’t have the energy to move.

“Ah, you are awake,” a familiar voice spoke. Raz turned his head to the side sluggishly and saw his father sat smiling beside him. “How are you feeling, son?”

“I’m…tired,” Raz replied slackingly. “What happened?”

“I was told you passed out in Mr Nein’s arms.”

Raz’s face somehow became more red that it was. “I passed out…in Agent Nein’s arms?” he croaked anxiously. 

His father playfully laughed. “Don’t worry, my boy. I was told that he is only concerned about your feeling better.” Raz paused curiously. “How did you hear all of this?”

“That lady counsellor from your camp – Milla Vodello was it? She has been using her psychic powers to talk to me.” Augustus’ eyes lit up. “It’s rather fascinating actually. I never knew how much you could do with you mind.”

Raz smiled weakly. “You really have changed. Just a few days ago you would have…” Raz stopped, realising he didn’t want to finish his sentence. He then looked up at the ceiling. He chuckled anxiously. “Ah, never mind!”

Augustus became serious all of a sudden. “Razputin,” he spoke kindly. “I know the past few days have been difficult for you. They have been difficult for me, too. But you don’t have to do things alone anymore. You know that, right?” Raz briefly met eyes with his father before looking back up at the ceiling. 

“It’s just…” Raz paused for a moment, trying to compose his jumbled thoughts. “I keep having nightmares.” He moved the arm furthest from his father to his other hand, lightly scratching the back of his hand in an attempt to calm his nerves. “I end up back at that meat circus. You are there – or a version of you at least - taunting me from above. And then below…” Raz started to choke up. “And below me is Nona…no, Maligula. She is there trying to grab me. And when she pulls me down, you stand there…watching...laughing.” Raz suddenly pulls an arm up and wipes away his tears, then forces a laugh. “I’m sorry, it’s so silly. I know you’re not really like that.” Augustus suddenly holds Raz up to his chest, one hand on the back of his head and the other on his back. “I’m so sorry, son. You have been through so much all alone.” Raz whimpered in an attempt to speak, but instead burst into tears as he buried his head into his father’s shoulder, gripping the clothes on his back tightly. Augustus gently brushed the back of his son’s head as felt a tightness in his chest, leading him to start crying as well. The two of them held each other close, letting out the pent up pain they had been holding back until now.

-

The doors opened and Milla peered her head around the corner of the room, trying her best to avoid being noticed. 

“You can come in,” Augustus spoke, turning and smiling at Milla. “He went back to sleep.” Milla noticed the puffiness of his eyes, but decided that it was not worth commenting on.

“He looks very peaceful,” Milla commented. “He must be comfortable knowing you are here.” Augustus smiled. “I am thankful he has let me back into his life after everything I have put him through. But from here on out, I want to do my best to support him and look after him. I hope that one day I will become the father he needs and deserves.” Milla placed a hand on his shoulder. “I am sure Razputin will appreciate that. Please know that we will also do our best here to support him. We all deeply care about your son here and want him to be happy, too.“ She moved her hand off of his shoulder. “I will leave you two alone again, but please let us know if you need anything.” She then left the room.

Augustus stared blankly at the door for a moment, then his attention was suddenly directed to something grasping his hand. He quickly looked and saw that Raz has turned over and held his father’s hand, still sleeping soundly. Augustus smiled contently and brushed some hair away from Raz’s face.

“I love you, dad,” Raz mumbled in his sleep, catching Augustus off guard. He then hunched over, his shoulders quivering as he held back from crying. 

“I love you too, Razputin. So very much.”

— x —

Alrighty, that’s all for now! I don’t know whether to make a part two to this? Let me know if you think I should. Maybe having Sasha and/or Milla checking up on Raz when he feels a bit better and them having a heartfelt conversation about the events from the games and maybe having them apologise for not always listening to him and just generally caring for them.

(Also, please tell me if there are any errors. I think when I pasted this over from my Word document it pasted twice.)

#razputin aquato #augustus aquato #donatella aquato #sasha nein #milla vodello #psychonauts #psychonauts spoilers #psychonauts 2 #psychonauts 2 spoilers #psychonauts fanfiction #nagichi writes

[nagichi-boop]

A Star That’s Out of Reach (Chapter 4)

[Previous] - [Next]

[Masterlist]

Sorry y’all, life has been pretty hectic recently and I forgot to update this. I won’t add too much filler here, so here it is!

— x —

“Shadooow,” Rouge called from the living room before entering the bedroom. “Are you in here?” Shadow grumbled, then rolled to face the wall. Rouge flew up to see the dark hedgehog curled in a ball. “Hey, what’s up, buddy?” She reached and gently placed a hand on Shadow’s shoulder, who then swatted her away.

“Just leave me be,” Shadow growled, refusing to turn around.

“You can talk to us if something is wrong,” Rouge comforted, worried about Shadow’s unfamiliar demeanour.

Shadow stayed silent for a bit, then just as Rouge was about to turn and leave, he spoke. “My chest hurts and I don’t know why,” he huffed frustratedly.

“Your chest? Do you have a fever or something?” Rouge enquired.

“I don’t think so,” he replied. “It feels fine for a while and then gets worse when I start thinking about her.”

Rouge grew more concerned. “Do you mean Maria?” she asked hesitantly. Shadow suddenly realised he had said too much.

“No, forget I said anything,” Shadow requested, growing more anxious.

“A girl who isn’t Maria,” Rouge thought aloud. “The only other person I know other than me is…” She suddenly had a firm grasp of the situation. Rouge wrestled with the temptation to tease Shadow, but given how uncomfortable he appeared, she decided to take the empathic route. “Alright, let’s unpack this.” Without giving Shadow a chance to reply, she quickly whirled round and turned Shadow’s bed covers into a carrier and flew him into the other room, placing him on the couch before dropping the bed covers over his head.

“What are you doing?” Shadow snarled, pulling the bed covers off of his face.

“This unpleasant feeling you have isn’t going away until you talk about it,” Rouge replied bluntly. Shadow’s ears slanted backwards, irritated at the truth of Rouge’s words. Rouge comfortably crossed her legs, smiling playfully. “Now tell your big sister Rouge all that ails you.”

Shadow scrunched his face up, then sighed defeatedly. “You better not tell anyone about this.”

“Shadow, sweetie, whatever this is about is clearly bothering you. You have my word; I won’t tell a soul.”

He wasn’t sure she believed her, but he also knew he didn’t want to keep feeling this way. “It’s not about Maria,” he began admitting. “Or at least, I don’t think it is anyway. It’s…” Shadow hesitated anxiously. “That pink hedgehog.”

“Amy Rose?” Rouge asked, to which Shadow nodded while avoiding eye contact.

“I don’t know what it is, but recently when I’ve been around her, it’s like something is suffocating me.” Shadow’s expression slowly turned to that of upset.

“So,” Rouge piped up. “What do you plan to do about it?”

Shadow furrowed his brows in thought. “I think…I should stop seeing her.” Rouge suddenly began choking, which caught Shadow off guard, he quickly rushed to hit her back to help her.

“S-sorry,” she said, taking a sip of last night’s water. “I wasn’t expecting that answer.”

Shadow pouted. “Then what do you think I should do?”

“Do you like her?” Rouge asked sincerely.

“Well yeah,” Shadow answered directly. “She’s an important friend to me.”

“Then don’t give up on her,” Rouge suggested warmly. “That pain your feeling just means…you’re growing close to her.”

Shadow raised an eyebrow. “But I don’t feel that way when I’m with you. And to my memory, I didn’t feel that way with Maria.”

Rouge tried to calculate her words carefully. “This is…a different kind of closeness.” She looked up at Shadow who seemed even more confused. “I don’t want to assume I know, but I think I’ve got a pretty good grasp on what you’re feeling. But I don’t think it’s in your best interest to know.” Shadow scowled. “But,” she continued. “I am willing to do anything I can to help you find the answer yourself.” She flapped her wings to bring herself to her feet. “For now, I’ll make us some breakfast. Just relax and watch some tv or something while I prep it, okay?”

Shadow nodded compliantly, then wrapped his bed covers around himself. He turned the tv on then sat back, staring at the screen blankly while he thought about Rouge’s advice. She eventually came back into the room, handing Shadow a large stack of pancakes. The two of them ate together silently as they mindlessly watched the program that was playing. After they finished, Rouge took their plates. She washed them up, then returned to the living room, only to find Shadow was no longer there, causing her to let out a content sigh.

Shadow sped his way to his favourite spot, stopping to take a minute to collect himself. He looked out across the city before pulling out his green emerald and then performing Chaos Control. He teleported atop a low building, then began people watching. He observed mothers with their children, people doing their daily commutes to work, people jogging and…couples. He fixed his gaze onto a particular couple holding hands with a serious expression on his face. The couple giggled, then leaned in towards each other. Shadow stood up, rolling his eyes.

“Why do humans enjoy such close contact,” he mumbled to himself, before once again using the emerald to return to his usual spot. He knew what he had to do, so he folded his arms and waited.

“Shadow,” he heard Amy call out from nearby. He didn’t fully turn to look at her, but simply pivoted in place, which made Amy a little uneasy. “You seem serious today,” she commented shyly. “Is something wrong?”

“Not that,” Shadow replied monotonously. “I have something I need to tell you.”

“Me too,” Amy exclaimed, pepping up. “But you first.”

Shadow turned to face Amy, then shook his head. “Ladies first, as they say.”

Amy giggled. “I’ve come to a decision,” she started explaining, which caused Shadow to become a little tense. “I’ve decided I’m going to confess my love to Sonic – properly this time.” Shadow felt a prick in his heart that he couldn’t explain.

“You are?” Shadow spoke anxiously.

“I am!” Amy beamed, then approached Shadow and clasped his hands. “And it’s all thanks to your encouragement and advice!” Shadow stood motionless for a second, then flashed a bittersweet smile.

“I’m proud of you,” he spoke softly. Amy chuckled, releasing her grip of Shadow’s hands and twirling a little away from Shadow.

“I haven’t done it yet, silly,” she noted playfully. She then looked down at her hand with a determined expression. “But I won’t back down. This is something that is long overdue.” She then looked at Shadow. “Now it’s your turn – what is it you wanted to talk about.”

Shadow’s mouth gaped open a little, then closed and formed a smile. “It’s nothing,” he responded. “It can wait.”

“Are you sure?” Amy insisted. “You can tell me.”

Shadow shook his head. “Honestly, it was nothing. Don’t worry.” He then approached Amy and gently placed a hand on her head. “Go knock some sense into that hedgehog.”

Amy grinned giddily. “I will!” Shadow lifted his hand off her hand and used it to wave goodbye to her as she began jogging away from him. When she turned, Shadow’s expression dropped. He lowered his hand and watched as Amy disappeared from his sight.

Amy returned home, then began looking around for Sonic. It wasn’t long until she found him. She waved energetically, calling out to Sonic. The blue hedgehog turned and noticed Amy.

“Hey Amy,” he greeted as he walked towards her. “What’s up?” Amy’s playful demeanour quickly washed away as she was faced with the weight of the conversation she planned on having.

“I need to talk to you about something,” she answered seriously “You got time?” Sonic nodded, then the two of them ventured to Hedgehog’s Pass for some privacy.

“So Ames,” Sonic spoke up. “What did you want to talk about?”

Amy hesitated nervously. “I’m not entirely sure how exactly to preface this, so I guess I’ll get straight to the point.” She took a shaky breath in, then turned to Sonic. “Sonic, I like you.”

Sonic grinned casually. “Was that all?” he replied, taking Amy aback.

“Sonic, I’m being serious here,” she huffed in offence. Sonic’s face dropped.

“Oh, I see,” Sonic added, looking away from Amy and scratching his chin anxiously.

Amy felt her throat tighten. “I know I’ve been very obvious with my feelings towards you, but I have never actually properly confessed to you.” She met eyes with Sonic again. “Would you go out with me?”

Sonic paused. “I’m sorry, Ames,” he apologised. “I just don’t see you the way you see me.”

Amy exhaled. “Well, that settles that,” she sighed, folding her arms behind her head. “Thank you for being honest with me.”

“Are you okay?” Sonic asked.

“No,” Amy responded bluntly, then smiled. “But I will be eventually.” She then gave a thumbs up as she winked. “I always bounce back, you know?” Sonic smiled in relief. “Well, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go see Tails. He said he needed an extra pair of hands to help clean his workshop.”

“I’ll come help,” Sonic offered enthusiastically. “You know I’ll have it cleaned before you can finish saying ‘chilli dogs’.”

Amy chuckled. “It’s fine,” she assured. “Me and Tails have got it covered.” She then furrowed her brows at Sonic. “So you better not come and ruin our hard work, got it?”

“Aye aye, captain,” Sonic agreed with a salute. Amy then turned and walked away, waving as she left. Sonic waved back, then after she looked away, he hesitated before dashing off around the area to exercise.

Amy arrived to Tails’ workshop and knocked on the door, which was open. Tails beckoned her in without turning around, assuming it was Sonic.

“Hey Tails,” Amy chirped. Tails swivelled in his chair, surprised to hear Amy’s voice.

“Oh, hey there, Amy,” he replied cheerily. “I wasn’t expecting you to visit.” He hopped off his chair and briefly took flight, landing in front of Amy.

“This is going to sound really strange,” Amy began, nervously kicking her foot against the floor. “But I need a favour from you.”

“Sure thing! How can I help? Do you need me to make something?” Tails spoke enthusiastically.

“Nothing like that,” Amy responded. “I need you to tell Sonic I spent the afternoon helping you clean your workshop.”

Tails tilted his head in confusion. “I can do that, but why?”

Amy flashed a bittersweet smile. “I just need some time away from Sonic is all.”

Though Tails couldn’t quite understand what Amy was talking about, he nodded his head and smiled at her reassuringly. “Consider it done.”

Amy smiled then hugged Tails gratefully. “Thank you, Tails.” Before he could respond, she jogged out of his warehouse and left. He scratched his head, then shrugged and returned to his work.

After making it a good distance away from everyone’s homes, Amy stopped running and took a moment to catch her breath. She stared up to the sky gloomily and sighed.

“I should go see him,” she muttered to herself before starting to run again.

#a star that’s out of reach fanfic #shadow #shadow the hedgehog #amy rose #shadamy #rouge the bat #team dark #sonic #sonic the hedgehog #tails #tails the fox #miles tails prower #sonic fanfiction #sth #sth fanfic #nagichi writes

[nagichi-boop]

A Star That’s Out of Reach (Chapter 2)

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[Masterlist]

I wasn’t going to post again so soon, but seeing that I’ve made solid progress on writing other chapters, I figured I’d treat you to the second chapter tonight. Hope y’all enjoy it! (Hopefully it’s not too cringey.)

— x —

“You’re sure he has the emeralds?” Shadow asked as he, Rouge and Omega charged towards Eggman’s base. 

“As certain as the red highlights in your quills,” Rouge responded playfully. “But we better hurry. Our intel is already in there.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice,” Shadow scoffed. “You two make your way towards the emerald. I’ll try and keep everyone else occupied so they don’t interfere. 

“You got it, boss,” Rouge acknowledged as they hastened their speed towards the base, which already sounded busy. “Seems like our blue friend is already causing a commotion though.”

“Then let’s make this quick,” Shadow suggested as they entered the building. “I’ll catch up with you two later.” Shadow then dashed away from the other two who stuck together and fought through the Badniks in their path.  

Shadow sped through the base, occasionally bumping over a Badnik or two. He scanned through the hallways in search of Sonic or Eggman – whoever came first – in order to distract them from getting in the way of his mission with Rouge and Omega. He heard the sound of Badniks being destroyed and optimistically rushed towards it, but as he drew close he heard a shrill scream. He turned the corner to see Amy about to be jumped by Eggman’s machines. Shadow rolled up and launched a spin dash, breaking the robots that surrounded Amy. He landed just in front of her, his back turned. 

“Sonic, you saved-“ Amy exclaimed, then paused as Shadow turned to face her. “Shadow? You’re here too? Why?”

“I heard Sonic causing a ruckus,” Shadow answered. “I assume you’re here with him to stop Eggman from doing something?”

“Yeah, Eggman has been gathering up the Chaos Emeralds, so we decided we should get them back while he only has a few.”

“How many does he have?” Shadow asked fiddling with his wrist inhibitor. 

“We think he has four,” Amy answered. “Tails reckons he’s hiding them in the lowest basement level.”

“I see,” he noted.

“Shadow, incoming!” Amy yelled out, causing Shadow to twist round and notice the swarm of Badniks headed there way. “I have an idea. Do you trust me?” Shadow looked back and nodded. “Charge a spin dash - I’ll give you a boost!” Shadow curled up and spun as fast as he could, then Amy swung her hammer at him and sent him flying into the robots. As he approached the opposite wall, he used his legs to spring back of and dash into the remaining robots, then landed by Amy, his hand pressed against the ground to stop his momentum. 

“It’s not safe for us to stay here,” Shadow commented. “More of his bots will come. We have to move.” Before Amy could react, Shadow lifted her off her feet and began swiftly gliding through the hallways, searching once again for Sonic by listening for the sound of breakage. Eventually he found himself on a bridge overlooking a lower level of the building where he found Sonic bouncing between enemies. Shadow helped Amy to her feet, then without saying a word, he hopped down and began fighting alongside Sonic. The two of them soon found themselves stood back to back. 

“Hey buddy,” Sonic greeted with a grin. “Did you come to see my awesome moves up close?”

Shadow scoffed. “You wish.” The two of them began fighting again, making quick work of the robots. “Hmph, I’ll leave this to you,” Shadow chuffed before dashing away into the hallways again. After making some distance, he tapped on the communicator on his wrist. “Rouge, Omega, they’re being held on the basement level – there should be four in total. I’m guessing Eggman will be around there, so I’ll come join you.”

“Okay, copy that,” Rouge replied. 

Shadow darted around through the hallways, quickly making his way down to the basement. Before he could find his way to his teammates, he was interrupted by Eggman. 

“Hello there, Shadow!” Eggman spoke with a wicked grin on his face. “How nice of you to drop in.” He then proceeded to fire at Shadow, who dodged his attacks with ease. 

“I would’ve thought you’d be more concerned about Sonic being here,” Shadow piped up. “It seems him and his friends are here to foil whatever plans you have.”

“There’s too many of you rodents here today,” Eggman huffed, continuing his attacks in vain. “But I know that’s not why you’re here.”

“Sonic asked for reinforcements,” Shadow lied, wishing to buy his teammates more time. “I don’t have time for this,” he remarked before using Chaos Control to teleport above Eggman’s pod, sending him crashing to the ground. Shadow glanced down into the pod and noticed a Chaos Emerald was inserted into it, so he took it been jumped back to distance himself from Eggman. “I’ll take this as a welcome gift,” Shadow mocked before making a quick exit and outpacing the pursuing bots. 

“Shadow, we only found three emeralds,” Rouge spoke through the communicator. 

“That adds up,” Shadow responded. “The doctor had one on him.”

“Gotcha, we will meet you outside then.”

Shadow switched off his communicator and continued to make his way to the entrance. It didn’t take him long before he got there though, though he had arrived before his teammates did. 

“You jerk!” Shadow heard a sudden voice yell out. He turned around to see Amy storming out with her hammer over her shoulder. She then swung it and hit the ground next to Shadow, who was very confused at this display of anger. “I can’t believe you treated me like some damsel in distress.”

Shadow felt uneasy, though he wasn’t entirely sure why. “What are you talking about?”

“You left me on that balcony instead of letting me join in the fight. You didn’t even ask if I wanted to, you just assumed I needed to be protected.” Amy turned away from Shadow and folded her arms in frustration. “I thought you understood me, but you’re no better than Sonic is.”

Shadow suddenly felt his body tense up. “So that’s how you see me?” he snarled, sounding somewhat disappointed. Rouge and Omega darted out from the base, waving at Shadow. Without saying anything, Shadow turned and ran alongside his teammates, leaving Amy all on her own. 

“That was like taking candy from a baby,” Rouge cheered victoriously. 

“Fine by me,” Shadow added bluntly. 

Rouge looked at Shadow worriedly. “You seem angry? Did something happen?”

“Nothing really,” Shadow replied dismissively. “Just Sonic’s friends getting on my nerves.”

Rouge chuckled. “Don’t they always?” She expected a response, but Shadow just quietly continued to run beside them. 

Sonic, Tails and Knuckles finally met up with Amy outside the base. She looked at them to see they had a frantic look on their face. 

“I can’t believe it,” Tails remarked in a frenzy. “The Chaos Emeralds are gone!”

“Shadow and the others have them,” Amy stated frustratedly. “I’m sure of it.”

“Rouge was here?” Knuckles exclaimed before pounding his fists together. “That good-for-nothing thief!”

“I suppose it’s still better than Eggman having them,” Sonic commented, scratching his ear. “For now, let’s get out of here!” They all made their way to the Tornado, then took off into the sky, leaving Eggman’s base in the dust. 

Evening fell and as per usual, Shadow was unable to rest, though tonight felt different. Wishing to rid himself of the unfamiliar unease in his chest, he once again ventured out of the house to his usual spot overlooking the city. He looked up at the stars, but found that he couldn’t rid himself of the grim feeling in his body. 

“Maria,” Shadow spoke to himself. “I wish you were here to tell me what I’m feeling right now and what I should do. You always seemed more attune to these things than me.” Shadow’s ear was pricked by the sound of someone approaching. He looked over his shoulder to see a silhouette approaching. He quietly waited for whoever it was to come into view before making his move. To his surprise, he recognised them. 

“…Amy?” The pink hedgehog glanced up at Shadow. “What are you doing here?”

Amy stared for a moment before puffing up her cheeks. “None of your business,” she bluntly replied, folding her arms. Shadow furrowed his brows, then sighed. 

“Whatever it is you’re mad at me for, standing there pouting isn’t going to solve it,” Shadow remarked frustratedly. 

Amy flinched a little, fully aware that the dark hedgehog was correct. “Fine, I’ll tell you.” She walked up closer to Shadow, then pointed at him. “You lied to me!”

Shadow raised an eyebrow. “Lied? About what?”

“You made it sound like you came to Eggman’s base to help Sonic, but that was just a lie to get me on your side, wasn’t it? You were just trying to distract everyone so you and your…whatever they are to you, could take the emeralds for yourself.” Amy then looked down, her eyes welling up. “I can’t believe I actually believed in you.”

Shadow’s eyes widened. “Believed…in me?” He echoed, surprised by Amy’s words. He suddenly put up his defences. “Why would you be foolish enough to believe in someone like me?”

“Because I thought we were friends,” she answered almost immediately. Shadow stared in disbelief, then become uncomfortable and turned to face the city again. 

“That doesn’t make any sense,” Shadow mumbled to himself, seemingly frustrated with himself. Amy looked at him inquisitively. “We may have had an understanding on the Ark, but that still doesn’t explain your feelings for me. I almost killed you and still could.”

Amy’s anger began to subside. “That may be true,” she noted. “But you haven’t, right? In fact, you go out of your way to help us a lot.”

“I am only doing that to keep a promise I had,” Shadow replied bluntly. 

“Are you sure that’s why?” Amy asked. “If that was really true, why would you hang out with Rouge and Omega? Why are you talking to me now?” Shadow didn’t reply, he simply gripped his arms more tightly. Amy had a look of realisation. “Could it be…you’ve not forgiven yourself for what you’ve done?”

Shadow briefly eased his tension, then turned to Amy with a frown on his face. “Don’t speak like you know me, hedgehog,” Shadow snapped shakily. “You don’t know me or what I’ve been through.”

“You’re right, I don’t,” she acknowledged. “But I do know you’re not a monster. You’re hurt and maybe you feel like it’s dangerous to let anyone in. But you don’t have to live like that. You’ve got people who care about you – Rouge, Omega, me as well.” She hesitated before speaking again. “Maria would want you to be surrounded by people who care.” Hearing that name caused a twinge in Shadow’s heart. He didn’t respond to Amy, choosing to stare at the ground while he thought about her words. “I’m not saying you have to talk to me or be my friend,” she continued. “But please don’t shut everyone out just because you think you don’t deserve it.”

“Getting close to me is dangerous,” Shadow piped up. “Maria was proof of that. It’s best for me to keep people at arm’s length so they don’t get hurt.”

“That’s not fair on you or them though,” Amy replied. “What happened to Maria wasn’t your fault, it was just an unfortunate accident. As for the things that followed, you were manipulated by those you trusted, but you still turned things around in the end. And you’ve more than made up for all of that. Besides, to deny people the chance to be your friend is doing a disservice to them. There are people who genuinely care about you and want to be close to you, Shadow.” Amy stepped closer to him. “You don’t have to let them in all at once. Just take it slow and let them in at your own pace.”

Shadow thought for a moment. “And what if I hurt them?”

“You will,” Amy bluntly replied. “But that’s normal. You can’t get close to someone without accidentally hurting one another - it’s just something that happens as you learn what makes the other person tick.” She looked up at Shadow and smiled. “The important thing is that you work together to resolve those issues and work hard not to hurt each other in the future.” Amy took a moment to think about her next words. “Kind of like what we are doing now.” Shadow glanced over at her. “We are?” Amy nodded. “We had a fight and now we are talking it through. If I didn’t care about you or want to be your friend, we wouldn’t be talking this through right now. And I’m sure the reason you’re being so open and honest with me right now is because deep down, you want the same thing.”

Shadow continued to stare at the ground, then smiled while scoffing, causing Amy to tilt her head in confusion. “You’re very interesting, you know that?” Shadow confessed softly. “I don’t know what it is about you, but you are very easy to talk to. Almost like I was with…her.” Amy looked at Shadow, unsure of how to react to what he said. “Wait here for a moment,” Shadow instructed before pulling out the green Chaos Emerald and disappearing. Amy stood there idly before Shadow returned, holding another two Chaos Emeralds in his hands. Amy looked at them confused. “Rouge will probably kill me when she finds out, but take these. I know that’s why you and the others were there after all and they’ll see more use with you.”

Amy reluctantly took the Chaos Emeralds, particularly taking interest in the red one. She smiled warmly. “I love the red Chaos Emerald,” she chirped.

“I figured,” Shadow added. “I noticed you seem to like red a lot, so I chose this emerald specially for that reason. Consider this my apology gift.”

Amy beamed, then wrapped her arms around Shadow, who was at a loss for words. “Thank you, Shadow!” Shadow stood stiffly, baffled at what to do. He wasn’t really used to this sort of display of affection, but he didn’t mind it either. Amy backed away and was grinning contently. “And I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have been so quick to assume you had ill intentions. I’m sure you had your reasons for what you were doing.” 

The two of them stood side by side, gazing at the stars. Shadow then glanced down at Amy, admiring how the moon was shining gently on her face. After staring for longer than he planned, he looked away and scratched his chin anxiously. 

“I should probably take you home now,” Shadow stated. “It’s getting late.” “Actually, if it’s okay with you, I’d like to stay here with you for just a little longer.”

Shadow paused, then smiled peacefully. “Okay then.”

#a star that’s out of reach fanfic #shadow #shadow the hedgehog #amy rose #shadamy #rouge the bat #omega #e-123 omega #team dark #sonic #sonic the hedgehog #tails #tails the fox #miles tails prower #knuckles #knuckles the echidna #sth #sonic fanfiction #sth fanfic #nagichi writes