Chapter Text
Rouge found it pretty hard for certain hedgehog to open up. Being signed with GUN to discover every information about the Doom family, Rouge disguised as Shadow, the so-called Ultimate Lifeform, PA at the office and roommate sharing the same apartment, renting under the same person.
She tried to seduce him into her. Which is not working, obviously. What type of man would reject her? That's one of the reasons Rouge knows Shadow gay. She tried another trick, alcohol.
There's 2 problems with drinks.
One, Shadow is not the most sociable person. No alcohol unless it is casual business stuff. Rouge did buy some hard stuff to the office late at night so they could drink together.
Which ends up at problem number 2.
He's never tipsy. No matter how much Rouge pour or how strong the alcohol is, Shadow never lost his composure. It's the same kind of stoic eyes, darting around, studying surroundings without a single mark of red muzzle. It will always end up with Rouge blackened out. Making Shadow had to drag her home to their apartment. The more reason why Shadow doesn't want to drink.
What kind of training Doom has put Shadow into? Rouge which she knew...
For now, Shadow just gets comfortable enough to tell her his favorite food, coffee bean. His favorite drinks, coffee and his favorite flower, lavender. That's all, but better crumbs than nothing, right?
***
At Shadow office place. Being the boss, his space being separated by others with glass section. Shadow never lifts the curtains up, irritated by others' eyes, his words.
Dress in black suit and red tie, Shadow kept himself busy signing and rechecking some of the work on the table. He looks like he focuses, but Rouge knows better.
Tiny mouth twitched, sigh escaped his mouth more frequently than usual, eyes darting across paper. Like everything is wrong, like he’s about to burst anytime.
Something had happened.
Looking at her clock, ticking 2 pm, and they had not had lunch yet. Maybe that's why he irritated, Rouge thought to herself. Other than client being totally shitty this morning, Shadow hasn't ate anything since waking up. Even his coffee bean.
"Honey, it's lunch time now," Rouge reminded Shadow, groaning. Looking at the table full ahead of the meeting after this. She just realized how hungry she is. "Better eat some real food, I'm starving....".
Shadow snicker, rolling his eyes, "Go by yourself..."
"I'm not leaving you here with an empty stomach. I don't want Mr. Grumpy get more grumpy with cramps in his stomach".
Shadow looked at her, eyes pure shock, "Cramps?"
"Yes, indeed cramps darling."
Shadow shook his head. Annoyed, he came back to his work, dismissing Rouge.
"Shadow...", Rouge's voice softened, "Are you okay? You can tell me anything..."
She tried to break the thick walls Shadow had, always tried. She did saw it on his eyes, within second. Just a glimmer of desperate need of help, before coming back to his stoic expression.
"You had nothing to do with it..."
Rouge sighs, she grabs her access card and handbag, "Ok, but you know I'm here to help you, no matter what it is. I go grab something, then we can talk. What do you want?"
"There's no things to talk about," irritated, Shadow almost slammed his table, but his tone was provoking enough. He sigh, eyes darting, thinking. "Strawberry cakes."
"Sure, darlings~" Tidying her skirt, Rouge heels stomp at the floor.
***
Rouge walks toward the elevator, following through a corridor. She saw Sonic in the way, doing the patrolling as usual with his cocky smile.
“How's it going?” Sonic waved and she did waved back. Wearing his worn out white shirt with black slack trousers and bright red sport shoes. Beaming with his usual smile and brighting emerald eyes. “You look like pickle…”
Rouge snorted, “How dare you, with a woman like me? Pickle?”
Sonic had work at here for 3 years as the security guard of the company. His not the perfect image of a worker, instead lacking fit him better. Rouge could sense his cautious guard every now and then.
Sonic laugh, an honest one. Before his eyes saw someone behind Rouge.
“Hi, Tails!”
Rouge turn, giving a simple nod to Tails. Tails looking slightly confused eyes darting between his tablet and them.
The youngest people on data analyzer, Tails just work here and he is only 17. Showing a significant impact and high IQ for such a young age. Rouge did know they both are siblings. Much more like adopted siblings because they don't nothing alike.
“Oh, hi Sonic. Hi Rouge.” He sighed again, “Since you here, Sonic, what did you do in the middle of night yesterday here? Your record said you clock out at 4 a.m!” Tails look at Sonic sternly. “Wasn't your shift in the morning yesterday?”
“Woah, buddy…,” Sonic chuckles. Awkward, his eyes look at Tails with a grin. “Well….”
How can he forget Tails, the one who arranges all the stupid data? Usually Sonic is not this sloppy.
He moved his eyes to Rouge. As a cried for help.
Rouge knows there’s something. Her institution spoke to safe him.
“It’s on me Tails, he's helping me,” Rough intercept. “I’m alone last night. You can imagine how dangerous it is for a beautiful woman like me to be alone here.”
Tails looks at Sonic and Rouge repeatedly, she swear he can sniff something off.
“Urgh, whatever it is… Don’t make my work more complicated.” Tails sigh, “Later.”
“Later!” Sonic frantically waves at Tails. Grinning widely at Rouge. “Phew…That was closed…”
Rouge smirk, with curious tones, she asks, “What actually happened?”
They walk together toward the lift. Continuing their conversation.
“Wwwhat?” Sonic laughs, “Pfft, nothing. It’s just something I don’t want my lil bro to know.”
“Uuuhhh,” her smirk only grew bigger, “Something spicy, I see?”
Sonic eyes, in split seconds, Rouge saw how it dilated. But Sonic is faster. He’s always faster.
“Spicy?” he snorts, “What do you expect? Am I having an affair with someone here?”
Rouge laughs at that. Playfully nudging Sonic shoulder. “But seriously, what is it?”
“Like I don’t know you will gossip about it to the girls,” shaking his head, Sonic brushes her arm off his shoulder. “You’re the worst when it comes to my secret.”
They arrived in the front lift. “Which floor?” he asked.
“Cafeteria.” Sonic nod, pushing the G button.
“Come on Blue~” teasingly, Rouge is still trying. “Entice me with a little tea won’t hurt~”
The lift ding, the doors open. They both get in, trailing in the same direction.
Sonic rolled his eyes. Looking in another direction, not facing Rouge in the lift, but his reflection.
While Shadow never dropped his stoic expression, Sonic's smile never faltered down.
“I think I messed up badly this time, Rouge…”
Crack, the voice that never fit Sonic, finally heard by Rouge.
“I… just,” he stopped himself before he would start rambling. “Is he o-… you know what, never mind….”
“Hey,” Rouge tried to look back at Sonic's eyes. “I won’t tell a soul if it’s really sensitive to you. I promise.”
Sonic laughs, but she still can hear the crack in his laugh. “Thanks, but no need. It’s my problem anyway…”
Looking at Sonic wanting to close the conversation, Rouge tried another approach. “Who do you want to ask me about actually?”
“No one, my brain just rambles nonsense,” he shrugs easily. Likes it’s really nothing.
“If it’s about Shadow,” installing her bait, she looks deeply in Sonic. Sonic does take the bait, his ears perk up, signaling his interest. “Not really, he seems…distracted.”
“Yeah, distracted by his defeat, haha.” Sonic grinned at that thought. “We had a race, and he became more rusty. Not my fault when-” again, Sonic stops himself.
“When?”
“He always loses like a sore loser now.”
Still smirking, still with that cocky confident rodent.
Covering a layer. That Rouge hopes she can tear it bare open.
Rouge smiles back, “I’m not sure why yet… but he will come back and kick your ass harder.”
Sonic laugh, loud. Slowly, collecting himself, by inhaling oxygen through his nose, before coughing out.
“Never thought about that.”
The lift ding, Sonic the first who moves first. "See you around!"