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The hotel floor was completely empty at that late hour. The only signs of life were distant doors slamming and muffled moans filtering through the thin, peeling walls and the cheap wooden doors, all of which could’ve been opened by a stronge breeze. The only new thing in the hall were the too-bright fluorescent lights, which only highlighted the various old drink stains and carpet cleaner spills that the staff didn’t bother with.
Rouge couldn’t help herself. With no one around, she reached out and brushed Shadow’s back, fingers trailing down the spine. His quills bristled beneath her practiced touch and his tail stiffened. She swept her hand behind her back and returned his look of annoyance with one of playful innocence.
They found their room and Shadow inserted the key. As he unlocked the door, she stroked him again, this time her finger stroking his tail.
That set him off. He threw the door open and snatched her wrist. In a whirlwind, he whipped her inside and kicked the door shut. He pinned her hands to the wall above her head. His hot breath tickled her cheek, then her neck and shoulder as he dipped down, grazing his sharp teeth against her bare skin.
This was what she needed. What she’d craved for the past couple months. The anticipation for it was already untangling the knotted ball of tension in her muscles, stretching them like pulled taffy. It had been too long since they’d last done this.
Strange then that he never wanted any of it in the first place. Repressed didn’t begin to cover the hedgehog. When Rouge floated the idea to him several months ago as a stress reliever after a particularly dangerous G.U.N. mission, where they nearly perished several times apiece, Shadow had turned her down at first. “It’s best not to get involved,” he told her.
Rouge threw her arm around his shoulders and clucked her tongue. “I’m not talking about dating here,” she said, guiding him out of the G.U.N. lobby and into the open night air. Station Square lied a short run away, a giant beacon against the blue velvet sky, the night life in full swing. “I’m talking about an extra little debriefing. Something relaxing.”
“Then book a reservation at a spa,” Shadow said. “They gave us a week off anyway.”
“Sure, I could do that,” she said. “Lie on a table all day in one of those fluffy robes, a handsome masseuse working out all these oh-so-painful knots. And you,” she twirled a little of his chest fur until it curled like a spring, “can go out onto one of your many cliffs and brood like the grim loner you enjoy being the entire week. Or we can use tonight to simply take care of that. Like stretching a muscle after a run.” She pulled the curled fur strand taut.
“Why me though?”
“So many questions. Most guys would kill to be in your shoes right now.” She sighed and softened her tone. “Because you need it. I need it. Better to do it with someone I trust than some random stranger.”
He deliberated for a few seconds, looking between her and the city, before finally asking, “Just as a stress reliever?”
“Right.”
“At your place?”
“Why look at you,” she laughed. “Imagine the scandal if people saw us coming back to my apartment late at night. They might talk.” He didn’t flinch, merely frowned at her. He was a lot harder to get a rise out of than most other guys she teased. She hoped that didn’t extend to the bedroom.
Taking his hand, she pulled him along. “C’mon, I know a place.”
Station Square prided itself as a port city and central hub of transport. Cargo ships from various countries anchored there, loading and unloading goods, and a top-of-the-line train station connected tourist hotspots and various cities together. All of this brought in businesses and money, further fueling the city to expand and build bigger and better areas, so that it shined day and night. During the day, stores, offices, and the docks thrived with commerce, and at night, casinos welcomed gamblers with flashing marquees and night clubs blared thumping music into the streets.
But far away from the glitz and glamour of those areas, a few pockets of the older city still remained, like dusty attics revisited occasionally to dig through boxes of nostalgia. As long as they didn’t interfere with the pleasant areas, they in turn were left alone. The owners of the dive bars provided cheap drinks, decently clean glasses, and didn’t ask any questions. Local stores tried to make an honest living and welcomed anyone as long as they didn’t cause trouble. Squalid apartments and run-down hotels didn’t ask any names, only that you had cash on hand.
Rouge and Shadow entered a hotel on the corner of the street. The man behind the barred reception desk nodded at her and tossed her a key without asking. “I’ve used this place to meet up with a few informants,” she told Shadow. “It’s pretty low-key.”
They headed upstairs to their room. It was sparse, with a single bed pushed up against one wall, an old television on a dresser facing it, and a shower that smelled strongly of cleaning supplies. Outside the window, a few cars honked horns and the lights of a late-night convenience store across the street cast a dull yellow glow into the room.
“How romantic,” she purred in his ear, blowing a hot puff into it. She chuckled as he twitched and rubbed his ear.
“Seems pretty run-down.”
“It is. That’s what it’s the perfect place for our little rendezvous.” Rouge sat on the bed and patted the space next to her. “Come join me. I won’t bite.” She flashed her teeth. “Hard.”
Shadow shuffled his feet, examining the room, evidently unimpressed by it. Still, he took a seat next to her and she scooted close to him.
“You have any boundaries I should know about?” she asked, laying a head on his shoulder and walking her fingers along the back of his neck.
“Not really,” he said.
“Any preferences?”
“No.”
“You must have some.” He shook his head and she sighed. “This’ll go a lot smoother if you’re open with me. You trust me to watch your arrogant tail in the field.”
“Being on a mission is different.”
“Oh, then should I set-up some guns to fire at us? Would that make you open up?”
“That’s not it.” He rested his hands on his knees and looked down at the floor. “Out there, we both know what we’re doing.”
We both know what we’re doing? She repeated the phrase in her mind and it hit her. Oh. She stared at him for a long moment, processing the confession. “I see.” That explained his reluctance earlier and certainly changed things. “So then, before tonight, you’ve never--?”
“No,” he said flatly. “I’ve read about it though, so I understand the basics.”
The way he described it sounded less like passionate sex and more like a theory of applied physics. “Well, if you want to back out, I’ll understand.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Why would I back out?”
“If you’re saving yourself.” He stared at her in confusion and she returned it. “You know, first time, saving yourself for someone special? Any of this sound familiar?”
“That sounds ridiculous,” he said. “I don’t care about any of that. Just show me what to do and I’ll do it.”
“Mr. Romantic over here,” she muttered under her breath. Still, the idea that he didn’t mind giving his first time to Rouge was a little nice. Even if offered in his typical moody fashion. “Very well. You can help me out of these clothes.” She moved to his lap, spreading his legs, and removed his gloves. “Do it slowly though.”
He took a deep breath and reached out for her gloves, sliding them off her arms a little too quickly. “Slower,” she repeated, kicking off her boots. “Like you would a lover.” He grimaced at her, but did gradually peel down her chest plate, exposing her breasts to the cool air of the room. His hands faltered for a moment and she leaned her head onto his shoulder, smiling from ear to ear. “What’s the matter? Are they as splendid as you imagined?”
“They’re nice,” he said, his voice a little strangled.
He tried to continue sliding off her bodysuit, but she refused to take that for an answer. “Nice? I don’t think you’re really appreciating them.” She raised his hands up to her breasts, ensuring he cupped one in each hand, and squeezed his fingers gently into the flesh. They much too large for his hands, easily spilling out, although he did his best to hold onto them. “Like that. I don’t mind if you really play with them.”
His breathing rattled as she let him explore on his own. It was obvious he didn’t know what he was doing, as he groped and lifted her breasts together. That didn’t stop him though, as he soon became fascinated with them. He was like a newborn kitten kneading and pushing on the incredible softness. She was surprised how nice his hands felt against her. Almost like they belonged there. The hedgehog teased and flicked her nipples a little harder than she would’ve liked, but he made up for it by kissing her neck, sucking on tender spots at the crook and working his way up to her jawline.
All the playing had an effect on both of them. Shadow’s was more visible as it grew and prodded into her buttocks. “Not bad,” she said, reaching around and gauging its length. It already was longer than one hand could grip. Not bad indeed. The thought of it in her stoked her stomach like the bellows pumping the hearth of a forge. “Finish undressing me.”
Nodding, he pulled down her body suit, taking extra time when he reached her rear and thighs. He ran his fingers down them sensuously and she appreciated that he was a fast learner. Meanwhile, she stroked his shaft and it swelled against her, a warm rod resting on the curve of her lower back. She wanted to see it herself and almost told him to go faster.
When he finally had the bodysuit at her shins, she waved him off. “That’s good.” She stepped out of it and motioned him to take his shoes off. He did and set them by the bed. “Lay down.”
He laid on the bed, arms folded across his chest as though he were going to sleep. The convenience store light outside spilled across his waist and the sizable girth rising up to greet her. It looked bigger than she imagined, putting anyone else’s she could recall off the top of her head to shame immediately. “What?” he asked. “Was there something else?”
“No,” she said. “Just admiring your…good genes.” She crawled onto the bed, glanced at him for a moment, then turned around, presenting her lower half to his face.
“What are you doing?”
“Taking a small sample before the main course,” she said, settling over him and wrapping her fingers around his base. “In the meantime, while I scratch your back, you can scratch mine. Get it?”
He grunted and the jewel thief stroked him. It twitched in her hand, unused to this kind of attention. She brushed the head with her thumb, pushing down the rest of the foreskin and exposing the angry red head. She pursed her lips, stifling a laugh at how fitting it was for the broody hedgehog.
Dipping down, she gave it an experimental lick. A little salty and there was a certain tang to it that she couldn’t quite place. Honestly, she liked it and went back for seconds, taking a longer lick along the whole shaft. Shadow’s breath hitched and he squirmed under her.
“I don’t feel much scratching,” she said, popping her lips over the head and swirling her tongue round in tight little circles. His toes curled and straightened at the teasing. His legs shifted and she dug her elbows into them, keeping them down. They were stronger than they looked, twisted cords of muscle running up his thighs.
“F-Fine.” His fingers fumbled with her thighs and ample rear before finally nearing her opening. A few seconds passed and she almost stopped sucking on him to ask if he needed to be guided in this too.
However, the next moment, an electric jolt shot through Rouge’s core as he ran his tongue tenderly down the length of her slit, flicking it lightly against her clit. He repeated it, gently curving and tracing her folds like a practiced lover. Where did he learn that? She had no time to question it as his tongue darted inside, striking a nerve that flared in her core. He pressed a thumb to the little bud peeking out and massaged it, adding to the sensation growing inside her.
“Everything alright? Do you not like it? I read that some enjoy this.”
She blinked rapidly and realized she hadn’t been reciprocating. She’d slumped down into his groin, nose pressed into his base while enjoying the attention. She pushed back up and composed herself. After all, it would be embarrassing losing her cool in front of him. “No, you read right. It’s good.”
Rouge tried to keep going, but Shadow made that difficult. Whenever she licked him, he responded in kind. He explored her inside and out, covering every inch of her. And the way he touched her. Several times, he pressed on her clit, and that touch of pressure nearly made her bite him each time. She didn’t dare look at him and let him see her flushed cheeks or how her mouth permanently hung open in a silent moan. Rouge panted hard, jerking his sex, sucking it, doing everything she could to make Shadow finish first.
She almost didn’t hear him grunting. “Rouge,” he said after a couple of minutes. He fell back against the bed, hissing and clenching his teeth. Thank God. She’d nearly been at her wit’s end. Another minute and she’d be submitting to him instead of the other way around.
“Anytime you’re ready,” she said, keeping her voice low and sultry.
She went down on him, taking as much of his size into her mouth as she could. She curled her tongue around his underside, drawing his orgasm to her. In seconds, he swelled and raised his hips before emptying himself in her mouth. A sharp jet of warmth hit the roof of her mouth, followed by another, then another.
Shadow gasped, biting his lip and holding his groin in the air. Then he collapsed on the bed, falling out of her mouth and took a deep breath.
Rouge swallowed his seed and composed herself. When she was certain she was no longer red in the face, she glanced over her shoulder. “Feeling better?”
“Yeah,” he said.
“Then you can finish helping me,” she said and reached for his cock, wrapping her hand around it again. “Let me get this boy ready again and we can…” She trailed off, feeling the shape of him, and looked down. He was completely stiff as if he hadn’t even blown his load a minute ago. “How?”
“How what?”
“This!” she said, pointing his head toward him.
He shrugged. “That’s how it always is.” She could almost hear him adding, “Ultimate Lifeform, remember?” after it.
She wasn’t complaining. It just meant she had less time to calm the fire in her. “Whatever.” She climbed atop him, straddling his stomach, and pushed back against him, teasing him a little. He squeezed his eyes shut and growled. “Relax. I’m just having a little fun.”
Rouge lifted her hips and positioned him at her entrance. Even as the head parted her, she realized this would be a very tight fit. That did nothing to deter her though. In fact, it excited her even more and she had the urge to slam down on him. One step at a time though.
She carefully slid down him, taking him bit by bit. By the time she passed the halfway point, she felt stretched like a rubber band to its breaking point. Shadow groaned and scrunched up his face the whole time. He grabbed her rear and dug her fingers in. “Can you stop the teasing already?”
“I have to go like this,” she said, flicking his forehead. “You’re liable to break me in half with this damn thing and I’m a delicate lady.”
He glared at her, his fingers tensing, and she wondered briefly if he might suddenly plow into her. However, he restrained himself and ran his hands up her back to her folded wings.
“What are you doing?”
“Helping you,” he said. His fingers brushed along the bottom of her wings, spreading them a little, and rubbed the sensitive trailing edge between his thumbs and forefingers. Back and forth he went along them, ending at her spine and massaging her shoulder blades, then returning to the wings for another pass.
Rouge’s body went limp in his hands and she bowed her head. He kept at it, easing her as she lowered on him until she reached the base. She laid against him for a moment, enjoying how each muscle loosened under the firm fingers. “How did you know?” she asked.
“I noticed you rub them after missions sometimes,” he said. “Usually after you’re flying for a while. Figured they might be sore.”
She could certainly get used to this. Having him give her a massage like this on a regular basis. Just the two of them.
Rouge squeezed her eyes shut and shook away that idea. This was supposed to be a simple stress reliever. She couldn’t lose herself to it and have it be any more than that. Sitting up, she brushed his hands off. “I think that’s enough foreplay,” she said, tapping his nose and trailing her finger down to his lips. “Let’s get to it.”
She raised up and eased back onto him, smiling with self-satisfaction as he gasped. Exactly what she wanted. “Can’t handle it?” she asked, sliding along him again.
His fingers sank into her hips in response. She pushed into his chest and went at a steady pace and he matched it according to her direction, plunging into her and rubbing against the right sensitive spots. Every now and then, she’d push firmly into his groin, grinding hard and stretching her whole body across him.
Those ruby red eyes never left her. They watched her nonstop, soaking her in. She hadn’t realized quite how handsome he was until she was this close to him. Maybe it was his expression. He looked very attractive when he wasn’t frowning all the time, his brows furrowed in a perpetual dour mood. Not to mention his fit body, toned to a firm point as she ran her hands across his chest.
She hung low over him, her breasts bouncing in front of him now and then, and enjoyed the look of utter desire he had for her. Not simple lust like others would’ve had, who merely wanted a quick tumble in the bed. But more than that.
When his hands explored her body too, running up her ribs, she shivered. Even now, as she played with him, he was so tender and she couldn’t stop staring into his eyes as they moved in sync, rolling against one another, both moaning for more.
Rouge’s legs ached with the effort soon enough. She slowed down, panting harder. She didn’t want to stop though. “Want to switch?”
“Yeah,” he said.
As they changed positions, some small fear sprang up in her chest. She wasn’t sure what it was though. All it told her was that she should stay on top. That changing spots would be bad. Although she didn’t understand how. It certainly didn’t feel bad when he re-entered her at the new angle, nor when he did most of the work, thrusting into her while she laid flat on the bed.
Then she raised her head and saw him. Truly saw him. The broad frame, his focus still on her, still filled with desire, and she realized what it was. Oh, no. He was too attractive. She grabbed his head, pressing his face into her chest, and searched the ceiling for what to do.
This wasn’t good. This was all meant to be a fling, something meaningless between partners. When the hell had she started to fall for him? During the massage? Sometime tonight? Earlier? Or—
He kissed her skin, making her tense up. What if he wants to kiss me? That would make things worse.
She needed to end this. “Faster,” she muttered.
He looked up, a few beads of sweat above his brow. “What?”
“Faster,” she said louder and embraced him tightly, forcing his head into the crook of her neck. He obliged her and sped up. She wasn’t prepared for it though.
Shadow delved deep into her, hitting her core, pounding relentlessly. Bursts of light exploded in Rouge’s vision and she clung to him, holding on for dear life. A giant knot sat in the pit of her stomach, rolling and spinning, twisting itself round and round as it grew larger. His windswept scent overwhelmed her and his husky breathing rang in her ear. She couldn’t think straight. “More.”
He growled and went faster, harder, pressing fully on top of her. Someone was screaming nearby, enjoying their passionate sex as much as she was. It took her a few seconds to realize it was actually her screaming. Rouge gripped his quills, rocking against Shadow as much as possible.
“That’s it! Yes, yes!” she yelled. The urge to kiss him was too much. She grabbed his cheeks, ready to forget all about keeping things casual.
Then, like a taut rope snapping, the great knot burst apart into a million pieces and she screamed his name. She clawed into his back and bucked, the climax hitting her from every angle.
“R-Rouge!” he said. “I need to-I need out!” Her body wouldn’t listen, her legs insisting on pinning him between her knees. However, he yanked out of her and threw himself back in the nick of time. Ropey strands of cum shot forth and landed across her waist and the bed. Shadow stayed a foot away from her, hands behind him, shuddering and gasping for air.
Rouge laid flat on the bed, her groin twitching and flinching at the cold air drifting throughout the room, heart hammering painfully into her ribs. She eyed Shadow, whose cock still stood upright, dribbling small droplets out onto the sheets. How much stamina does he have?
“I think I’ll go shower,” he said. She waved him off and watched him enter the bathroom and shut the door.
Rouge examined the evidence of their lovemaking and pressed her palms into her eyes. That had been entirely too close. The whole thing was bad.
No, it was actually very good. And that’s the problem. It was too good with Shadow. He was very attentive to her and gentle with her unless she asked otherwise. Not only that, but there were also his good looks. The mental image of him over top her, the muscles shifting as he penetrated her, voice full of pleasure, loomed in her mind.
She wanted him again right there. To the point that she couldn’t simply keep him at arm’s length like she could if she was casually dating someone. No, she’d wanted to kiss him deeply and never let go. She’d been so into it, she’d nearly let him finish inside her. A compliment to him, but an issue for her.
Well, this just can’t happen again. She should’ve listened to Shadow earlier. It was best not to get involved and dip your pen in the company ink. She’d learned that lesson before with previous criminal partners. Serious relationships complicated everything, especially for colleagues. It was even worse if you broke up.
Then she paused. No, there wasn’t any need to do something so drastic like cut it off after one night. She hadn’t been prepared, that was all. Yes, Shadow had thrown her off with his talents.
The hedgehog stepped out of the bathroom, toweling himself off, and she tried not to stare at him. “It’s free if you want to use it,” he said. She gathered up her clothes and a spare towel. As she passed him, he asked, “Hey, Rouge?”
“Yes?”
“You were right,” he said. “That did help.”
“Told you,” she said with a smirk.
“Hey, if you want to do this again, I’m fine with that. I’m sure I didn’t do that much for you this time, but if there’s anything that,” he swirled his hand, searching for the right words, “that you enjoy, let me know.”
Her chest rose and she nodded. “Yeah, sure.” She quickly closed the door. This could work. She just needed to control herself. Next time, she’d be alert and ready for anything.
Unfortunately, she didn’t account for something. Shadow was a fast learner.
As they continued to meet up for regular stress relief sessions after their missions, he asked her what she liked and if there was anywhere to improve. She started small, teaching him how to talk dirty to her beforehand, areas she liked to be touched, and the right pace to take things. Pretty soon, he didn’t even need to ask. He picked up intuitively when she appreciated something and what got a strong reaction from her.
Rouge started to both anticipate and dread their encounters. She left the hotel room always feeling fulfilled, deliriously happy and practically floating home, and exhausted enough to spend the next day in bed. Yet she couldn’t give herself freely in their encounters. Each time, she had to restrain herself from getting too attached.
That had been easy in the past. Shadow had been a good friend, though reserved and closed off. He opened up a little around her and Omega now and then, and those rare insights into the hedgehog always made her feel closer to him. If anything, she was probably his closest confidant and he was hers.
However, these meet-ups had pushed things further, forcing the two to be vulnerable in a way neither had been around each other before. It also revealed feelings she never knew she had for him. She genuinely cared about him. These weren’t supposed to be anything serious, she told herself. Despite that, she began to harbor greater affection for him that she didn’t know what to do with.
It didn’t help that the lines between their professional and personal lives started to blur. How on missions, she’d watch the hedgehog crouch and ready himself to attack multiple enemies, his shoulder blades shifting beneath his fur like they did when he held her under her thighs against a wall. Or how after her saved her from near certain death, his heavy panting was the same rhythm as they rolled from one position to another on the bed.
Or how when he glanced at her during their mission briefings, those ruby eyes would be gazing at her naked form, seriousness replaced by want, determination by pleasure. Much like now as he topped her.
She couldn’t get away from him either. It was like G.U.N. was aware of the whole situation and kept pairing them up as some cruel joke. Or how he kept popping up around the base in their downtime more often, always when she was trying to sort out what to do about him.
It had been a couple of months since they last met up like this. Rouge had kept putting it off, making excuses here and there when he asked. “I need to run an errand,” “I have to go out of town,” “I promised a jewel on an armored truck I’d meet up with it tonight.” She fast ran out of excuses and would blurt out whatever came to mind as she waved farewell. Shadow didn’t question her, despite looking a little suspicious. She didn’t want to lose their arrangement, but she needed time to sort out her feelings.
However, all that she ended up doing was pacing her apartment, thinking about him, wishing she was with him right there and then. The longer she stayed apart from him, the worse it became. Swiping jewels didn’t distract her and pestering Knuckles held little appeal.
Finally, when she couldn’t bear it no longer, she agreed to meet up with him after the next mission. Shadow proved not to have lost a step, as he was all over her once they entered the hotel room. He was gentle, but firm, stroking the spots she liked, planting hickeys lovingly on her chest and neck. He punished her for her earlier teasing and delaying their meeting so long, holding her on the dresser in the room as he penetrated her.
They didn’t talk. They didn’t need to. Each knew what the other liked by this point. He enjoyed her moans and how she pushed up into him with each thrust. She enjoyed the small occasional bites, his fingers tickling the small of her back, and starting with shallow probing before hammering home, knocking against her womb. They were so in sync with each other’s likes, their sessions typically involved multiple orgasms between them.
They moved all over the small room, from dresser, to floor, up against the wall, before ending up on the bed. In one of the nearby rooms, a stereo played loud, thumping music in time to their movements. Shadow held himself above her dominantly, bending only to kiss her neck or nip at her shoulder. When he growled against her bare skin, she nearly lost her mind. She wanted to grab his cheeks and kiss him with all she had.
He changed positions, laying behind her on the bed. He didn’t slow down though. With one hand, he lifted her leg up to give himself greater access. With the other, he tilted her chin up and towards him, attacking her throat.
He was close. The subtle shift of his hips and how he seemed to swell inside her tipped her off. She looked at him and draped her fingers across her chest, nodding to him. He pulled out, gasping, and furiously stroked himself to completion. Shiny fresh cum landed across her breasts, highlighted in red by the neon sign of the tattoo parlor outside.
Shadow kneeled before her and spread her legs. She was a mess already, but he went in, intending to finish her off. Once that wicked tongue lashed across her clit, Rouge’s eyes rolled into the back of her head. He was far too good now.
She gripped his quills, tugging him closer, deeper into her. Her thighs trembled and twitched in anticipation. She was almost there. Almost. Don’t stop! Don’t stop! Don’t stop!
Her pelvis seemed to explode with a finality and she dug her nails into his scalp, yelping. He held her on the bed firmly and paused as she twisted for a few seconds, then fell back onto the bed. Shadow sat back, his mouth smeared with her juices, and wiped his face. He rolled off the bed and headed to the bathroom, flipping the bright light on.
This couldn’t go on. This back-and-forth game was exhausting and she didn’t care anymore. In her post-coital high, she made a decision, no longer caring what resulted in the future. She wanted him. The question was what did he want? Did he still hold the same thoughts as when they first started?
The shower in the bathroom shut off and Shadow stepped out, dripping water all over the tile floor and snatching a towel. The wet fur clinging to his body outlined his muscles in the white light and she wished he would come back to bed.
“Shower’s free,” he mumbled, tossing the towel onto the bed and searching for his shoes and gloves.
She realized she needed to go for it now and sat up. “What’s the rush?”
He shook his head. “No rush.”
“Then why not come over and cuddle?”
He froze and raised an eyebrow. “What’s the point of that?”
“It’s something people do together, you moron,” she said, then remembered why she wanted him to stay. She flashed a toothy grin and patted the space next to her. “C’mon. Just for a couple of minutes.”
He dropped his shoes and joined her at the head of the bed. They both laid next to each other and Rouge curled up into his chest while he held her close. He smelled strongly of cheap tropical soap.
After a while of uncomfortable silence, she said, “See? This is nice.”
“I guess.” He clucked his tongue. “Look, if you want to end this arrangement, it’s fine. You don’t have to put on a show of it.”
She blinked and looked up at him. “What are you talking about?”
“This.” He nodded at their intwined bodies. “If it’s too weird for you.”
“Why would you think it’s too weird?”
“I know you’ve been avoiding me,” he said. “You’ve been making excuses the past couple of months. Don’t deny it. Last week, you were in such a rush to leave headquarters, you told me your ruby was sick and you needed to take it to the doctor.”
“Oh. I, uh, I meant ‘puppy.’ ” She gave a forced smile that he didn’t buy for a second.
He sighed. “I figure you either find this too weird or I did something to upset you. Either way, you don’t have to keep up the act.”
“No, you didn’t do anything,” she said. “I wasn’t trying to-oh screw it. It’s easier to just show you.” She straddled his waist, took his cheeks in her hands, and planted the biggest kiss she could on his lips. He sputtered in surprise, but she kept hold of him, moaning into the kiss and sliding her tongue across his lips. She wiggled through and met his tongue, ensnaring it round hers.
Shadow didn’t pull away nor did he really return it. He laid there in complete shock as she ended the kiss and caught her breath. “There,” she said, a weight lifting off her mind. She leaned forward, folding her arms across his chest and waited for his reaction.
Shadow touched his lips and looked between his fingers and her. “What was that for?”
“Why don’t you tell me?” she asked. He continued staring at her and she rolled her eyes. “Does that seem like I want to stop this?”
“No.”
“Are you starting to get the picture of what I do want?”
It quickly dawned in his eyes what she was driving at. “I think so.” He smirked and leaned up, kissing her back and Rouge nearly slipped. “It’s what I want too.”
“You do?”
“Why else did you think I kept asking you here? Or requesting to be on every mission?”
“That was you?”
He nodded. “I wasn’t sure how to approach you about it. You’re a hard woman to read.”
“Says the grumpy hedgehog. ‘It’s best not to get involved.’ ”
“I changed my mind.”
She couldn’t help nuzzling up under his chin and he squeezed her tight. “Guess I did save myself for someone special in a way,” he murmured after a few moments. The surprising sentiment touched her heart and she kissed him deeply once more. This time, he returned it in full. She prepared to fall back into another round of sex. To show him all the love and affection she had for him.
Rouge was certain that would be better than any stress relief she could imagine.