Chapter Text
“🎵 You got me overwhelmed … 🎶”
“🎶 You’re freezing cold and hot as hell … 🎵”
The bittersweet lyrics played over the shop’s speakers as Shadow leaned against the counter, scrolling through his phone mindlessly with eyes glazed over. Morning had been dreadfully slow, and the afternoon hadn’t been any better. This was the new normal ever since he became the sole owner of The Chocolate Bean. Business was slow, and foot traffic was almost non-existent.
It hadn’t always been this way. When his old partner had still been around, customers flocked in by the dozens just to say hello. They’d buy a cup of joe, take a seat on the couch or one of the armchairs, and chat for hours until the place closed for dinner. She’d greet every customer with a warm smile and entice them with that unique charm of hers that had a strange way of bringing people together and making them feel right at home.
She had been the face of the cafe, and he had been the one behind the scenes.
But now she was gone. And despite his best efforts, it was impossible for him to emulate the friendliness and hospitality that used to come to her naturally..
“Would it hurt you to smile? ” She’d nudge him with a smirk as he made espressos.
“I don’t smile just for the sake of smiling,” he’d grumble back while waiting for the machine to finish brewing.
“Shadow. You’ve gotta at least try to be friendly, or else you’re gonna scare the customers away! ”
Then he’d sigh, and give her an awkward grimace, and she’d throw back her head and fill the cafe with that beautiful, melodious laughter of hers.
Now, the cafe was quiet, except for the sound of Hot Honey’s newest album playing softly in the background.
A photo of a blonde haired girl appeared on his phone screen while he was swiping through his Instagram. He froze for a second, then shoved his phone in one of the apron's pocket before grabbing a packet of chocolate covered espresso beans. He shoved them into his mouth, pushing her out of his mind for the time being. His crunching echoed throughout the empty room.
When Maria died, the heart and soul of the cafe died along with her. There was no more joy, no more magic, and no more reasons for anyone to come by unless they were desperate for a caffeine kick. Everyday, he watched as people strolled past the front windows, peering in to see if their favorite cashier was working, and when they instead saw Shadow’s gloomy face staring back at them, painted with ennui, they’d quickly scurry by never to be seen again.
He thought about closing up shop more times than he could count, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. This cafe had been her dream, and getting rid of it would mean losing one of the last monuments to her life. She created something that brought people together and made them feel like they had a second home; to her, the customers were the family she had always wanted but never had. This was her impact on the world, a piece of herself she had left behind when she transitioned to the great beyond. When she had first told him about her vision, he had volunteered to help her run it and promised to stick by her side no matter if it was successful or not. But now that he was on his own, left to caretake the remnants of a long lost dream, he was completely lost.
And if things kept up like this, he’d have no choice but to sell. He was lucky to break even every month, and even then he only managed to get by on a slim margin.
As he crunched his espresso beans solemnly, thoughts simmering in his head, he heard the sound of the shopkeeper’s bell and turned to see who had come inside.
When his eyes fell on the enchanting beauty that had just entered his cafe, he felt his heart flutter like the soft wings of a butterfly.
She was a young woman around his age, a twenty-something hedgehog with sparkling eyes and a dazzling smile to match. She had short bobbed quills, peachy pink in color, and was donning a red apron with a style similar to the green one he was currently wearing. She beamed at him like he was an old friend, despite the fact that the two of them had never crossed paths before. Most people were intimidated by his perma-scowl and his unwelcoming demeanor, but she approached him with no sign of fear whatsoever. He found himself feeling a bit less tense by simply being in her presence.
“Hi,” she greeted him with a bubbly voice. “Are you still open? I wasn’t sure, the sign said ‘Closed’, but I saw the lights on.”
Crap. Shadow facepalmed himself. No wonder it had been dead all day.
“Did you forget about the sign again, silly? ” he recalled Maria’s teasing. It used to be part of their morning routine, since he always somehow forgot to turn that damned sign around despite the fact that they had been running this place for years. He found himself missing their back and forth dearly after hearing this new customer’s comment.
“... Yes. We’re still open. Until 6 PM.”
“Oh, great!” she exclaimed. “Can I please get a salted caramel iced coffee? With oat milk, please.”
“We only have almond milk,” his deep voice rumbled.
“Almond milk is perfect,” she grinned.
He punched in her order and read it back to her to confirm he didn’t miss anything.
“Medium cold brew with salted caramel, substituting milk with almond milk. Your total is $5.69.”
She reached over to her right side as if she was trying to grab a purse or a bag, but soon realized nothing was there. Her eyebrows furrowed as she dug through her pockets, and after a few seconds she looked back at Shadow with a sheepish expression.
“Ehehe… it seems that I’ve forgotten my wallet.”
He raised an eyebrow, opting not to comment.
“I’m sorry. I can come back later-”
“Don’t worry about it. It’s on the house.”
After he cut her off, she stared at him with wide eyes and a confused look.
“Uh, are you sure?”
He nodded, then walked over to the barista station before she could protest any further. He pulled out a jug of cold brew and all of the ingredients for her drink. Caramel syrup, unsweetened almond milk, chunks of frozen ice. As he mixed everything together, his ears perked up when he heard more of Hot Honey’s lyrics crooning over the speakers.
“🎵 I hate to go but I can’t stay… 🎶”
“🎶 Wish you could be right here with me… 🎵”
It was Maria’s favorite song. Or, rather, had been her favorite song.
Shadow felt the notes tugging at his heart strings and decided to shut off the music for now, lest he lose his composure in front of the only customer he’s had all day.
But as soon as he turned on his heel to go into the back office, he was stopped in his track by an airy voice singing quietly from the other side of the counter.
“Oh where have all the flowers gone… only satellites to wish upon…”
He listened curiously as his rosy-cheeked customer hummed the melody while browsing through the cafe's collection of mugs and tumblers, waiting patiently for him to finish her drink.
“A Hot Honey fan, I take it?” he asked, his genuine attempt to make small talk.
“Huh? Oh, yeah! They’re one of my favorite bands!" She said, eyeing a floral-printed tumblr. "Their music got me through some really hard times in my life. Or, I guess I should say they’re getting me through a hard time…”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” he said as he grabbed a lid for her cup.
“It’s alright! Everyday is a new beginning, right? We gotta keep pushing forward even if times get rough, and keep a positive attitude no matter what. Eventually, everything will turn out okay.”
She rambled on as he put the finishing touches on her iced coffee, hanging onto every word she spoke with that sweet, honey-like voice of hers. He found it difficult to fully accept her overly positive mindset, but he kept silent, not one to rain on anyone’s parade. Besides, her hopeful words made him remember why he had loved Maria so much...
He pulled out a permanent marker from a pocket on his apron and waited until she was finished speaking to address her again.
“What was the name for this order?”
“Amy,” she said, the corners of her mouth curling up. “Amy Rose.”
Amy Rose.
Fitting, for a girl like her.
He took his time writing her name, making sure it looked as pretty on the cup as it sounded to his ears, and when he finished he carefully handed it over.
“One caramel iced coffee, with almond milk.”
She gently took it from his hands, brushing her fingers against his in the process. His breath hitched for a brief fleeting moment, but passed as quickly as it arrived once her hand left the counter with drink in tow.
“Thank you, Shadow!” She bid farewell with a small wave.
“... How do you know my name?”
“Um, your name tag?”
She pointed to the tag clipped on the bib of his apron with bold printed letters that said ‘Hi, my name is Shadow.’
He facepalmed himself again.
“Have a wonderful day,” he said with contempt for himself. He felt his face grow hot and averted his eyes from her gaze.
She giggled, causing his blush to deepen.
“Thanks, you too! I’ll see you around!”
And with that, she was out the door. He watched her skip away to the right for a few seconds before she disappeared. A strange feeling bubbled in his stomach, and he found himself wishing he would’ve tried a little harder to talk to her. Maybe he should’ve asked her for her number or something.
Ha! Yeah, right. He could hear Maria now.
“She was cute! Why didn’t you ask her out?”
“I was working, Maria,” he said aloud without realizing. “And she was just being nice. Plus, we shouldn’t flirt with customers. That’s sexual harassment.”
“I bet she thought you were cute, too.”
“Oh, yeah?” he scoffed. “What makes you think that?”
Only silence answered him.
Chaos, he was truly losing his mind. He really had to figure out how to attract more customers, or else he’d spend the rest of his shifts talking to imaginary ghosts.
He looked at the clock on the wall opposite him. 5:50 PM. He figured it was time to close up. He doubted anyone else would come in the next ten minutes.
He went through the closing shift’s checklist with speed and dexterity, his body moving of its own accord from years of doing it nightly: he shut down all the machines, cleaned the stains and spills on the counter and floor, and counted the cash in the register to make sure the money was all accounted for.
Then, when it was all over and done, he grabbed his backpack and went out through the front door.
After checking the knob once or twice to make sure it was really locked, he picked up the sound of a familiar feminine voice. He looked to the left, and when he saw who was there, his jaw fell open ever so slightly.
It was Amy Rose, surrounded by flower pots, giant bouquets, huge bags of dirt, and cardboard boxes of various sizes piled up around the formerly-empty retail space next to the cafe. A U-haul truck was parked in front, and she was helping the movers bring everything inside. Her iced coffee was placed precariously on the windowsill; she stopped every minute or so to take a big sip before running back to the truck to grab something else.
She noticed him standing there gaping like a fool and flashed another pearly-white smile.
“Hey, neighbor!” She grinned. “I forgot to mention, we’ll be seeing a lot of each other from now on!”
He stared back at her for a second, then nodded, unsure what else to say. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Everything he came up with in his head sounded idiotic, so he went with the safest possible phrase.
“Very well. Have a good evening.”
He turned around and walked as fast as his legs could take him in the opposite direction, muttering unspeakable things under his breath.
Smooth, Shadow.
Real smooth.
Amy Rose collapsed in her bed that night with every muscle in her body screaming for rest.
Her feet hurt from walking around in heels all day, her back was sore from lifting all those heavy boxes, and her neck was so stiff she could barely move it around without something popping or crackling.
And this was only the first day. There was so much she had to get done before the grand opening of her new flower shop, The Wild Rose, and so little time. She only had a week or so before she planned to open her doors, and everything had to be perfect . With spring rapidly approaching, she had to make sure she was ready for busy season. Easter, May Day, Mother’s Day, graduations, weddings… if she hustled hard enough, she’d be able to make a killing. She had already missed Valentine’s Day and was kicking herself for it; if she had only signed her lease a month earlier, she would’ve had a nice little fortune set aside for summer.
But back then, they were still…
She let out a sigh as she remembered, once again, someone she wished she could forget. She thought that moving all the way out here to the big city would be enough to keep him off her mind, but it seemed that no matter how far she ran, he always managed to catch up.
She sat up with a huff and a determined expression.
No. She wasn’t going to let him damper her good mood. There were a lot of things she had to look forward to, none of which involved him. This was her new life, and she was going to be happy, god damn it.
She looked over at the framed picture on her night stand, the selfie she had taken with her ex when they’d gone to Twinkle Park for their last anniversary. Little had she known it would truly be their last. She barely recognized the girl in the photo: bright eyed, full of joy, without a care in the world. And him, handsome and cheeky, one arm wrapped around her while tossing up the peace sign with his free hand.
It wasn't fair. How was she supposed to get over a guy like Sonic?
She really missed him. The wound of heartbreak still felt fresh, despite the fact that they hadn’t spoken for months. It ached terribly, and it seemed like nothing would relieve her from the pain.
Why couldn’t she just move on? Hadn’t it been long enough?
She placed the frame face down and rolled over to the other side of the bed, hugging her pillow as the tears came back renewed. She let them flow freely, knowing that bottling them up wouldn’t do her any good. It really felt like she was doomed to cry over him until the end of time.
Breakups really sucked.
But maybe it wasn’t all bad. That guy that worked at the coffee shop next door was pretty cute. He wasn’t her usual type, but there was something about him that drew her in. Even though he was a bit distant, he still went out of his way to show her kindness when she foolishly forgot her wallet.
Then again… in her current emotional state, she was certain she never, ever, ever, wanted to fall in love with anyone again. Not if it meant suffering like this in the end.
And yet, despite her reluctance, she found herself unable to get the dark-spined hedgehog out her mind.
As she drifted off to sleep, she pictured the wistful barista working behind the counter with a slight frown, eyes intense and focused on his task. She wondered what his story was, how he got to running a cafe all by himself, and why the place had looked so empty when she’d gone in.
The last thing she thought of before she passed out was that look of longing and sadness in his eyes as he handed her the cup with her name written in neat, cursive letters.