A Rose And A Thorn

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A Rose And A Thorn

Co-Written by Harley Quinn hyenaholic and Froggy22651

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Harley: This is a Shadow/Amy fanfic. If you don’t like the idea of Shadow/Amy, I’d like to know what the hell you’re doing here in the first place when I told you it is a Shadow/Amy fanfic in the fucking summary. Dumbass.

Froggy: All the normal Shadow/Amy things happen in this fanfic – things like Sonic getting jealous. And the sex, of course. It’s going to happen, there’s no escaping it. But it’s going to happen in a slightly different way.

Harley: Yes. Because we can spell and have vocabularies exceeding 10,000 words and a decent command of grammar.

Froggy: No, Harley. It’s because we’re actually exploring the characters. We’re gonna bloody well prove that Shadow and Amy belong together, not just write about it!

Harley: Oh yes, one more thing... we don't own Amy. Or Shadow. Or Rouge. Or Sonic. In fact, we don't own any of the characters in this fanfic. We're just fans.

Froggy: Well, we do kinda own Miss Flora. Who comes in later. But she's so insignificant that it barely matters.

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Chapter One: Girl’s Night In

"See you, Rouge!" Amy called through the window of Rouge's car, “I had a great time tonight!”

"Me too,” agreed Rouge, “Let’s do this again sometime soon. Are you sure you don't want a lift home?"

"No, no," said Amy, wobbling a little on her heels, "The walking is good exercise! And if anybody attacks me-" She flourished her Piko Piko Hammer and giggled.

“Sure thing, girlfriend!” Rouge grinned, brushing some confetti out of her fur, “Knock ‘em out!” She drove off.

Amy started walking in the opposite direction. But it only felt like three seconds later when the heavens opened and rain poured down, "Oh, geez..." she muttered, with feeling, and continued walking.

A black and crimson blur rocketed down the city streets, weaving around cars before the comparatively sluggish reflexes of the drivers could react. The sky opened up and rained down upon the earth, but it didn't bother him. The Ultimate Lifeform was above such discomforts, and mere rain couldn't slow him down. His mind was elsewhere, in another place and another time. He was trying to outrun bad memories and feelings, but no matter how fast he went he never truly could...

He slammed straight into a soaking wet Amy, who cried out in shock and fell over into a large, muddy puddle.

"Who..." Amy looked up, "Shadow?" her expression became a glare, "Shadow! You've just ruined my new best party dress!"

Shadow rubbed his head, which was aching slightly from the impact. He was angry with himself for making such a mistake and more than a little embarrassed to show it in front of someone else. Narrowing his eyes, he looked down at the muddied, soaked pink hedgehog that he had run into. His eyes widened slightly in recognition. He knew her. Amy Rose, that was her name if he remembered correctly. They had first met on Prison Island when she had run up and embraced him; somehow mistaking him for the blue faker... she seemed to have an unhealthy obsession with the other hedgehog. They had met again on ARK, where she had reminded him of a promise he had made, "I guess," he said in the monotone voice he used so often, "But if you hadn’t been in my way..."

Amy stood up and tried to shake herself off, "Shadow, you’re such a jerk sometimes!" she said, maintaining her anger for a few more moments. Then she burst into tears.

A strange fact about Shadow the Hedgehog, one he did his best to hide, was that he hated seeing girls cry. It conjured up protective instincts that, despite his greatest efforts, he seemed unable to get rid of, "Come on, it’s not that bad," he muttered, trying to calm her down. Amy wasn’t really listening, “Listen, I’ll… I’ll run you home, just stop crying, okay?”

Amy sniffled, “Okay,” she tried to wipe away her tears, smearing mud on her face.

He looked up at the sky, hearing the rumble of distant thunder, and looked back down at her, "Where do you live, anyway?"

"In the middle of Central City... just over the road from Central Labs..." Amy tried to wipe the mud off her dress again, succeeding only in smearing it all over her gloves.

Almost before she could finish the sentence, Shadow scooped her up into his arms and took off, jet skating towards her home.

Amy squealed, frightened at first, then excited. Cars, trains and even most planes didn't go this fast. She held on to Shadow, feeling secure in his arms.

He navigated the city quickly, Amy clinging to him. In no time at all, Shadow skid to a halt in front of the apartment she lived in, "You can get down now," he informed her, for she was still clinging to him tightly, tugging at his fur.

”Thanks,” Amy climbed out of Shadow's arms, and took her key out of her purse, opening the door. Suddenly she looked back at Shadow, standing in the pouring rain, "Would you like to come in for a while?" she asked him, "At least until it stops raining?"

Shadow didn't really need to go in. The rain didn't bother him, and he already had shelter. Rouge had offered him a place to stay; she seemed to have grown fond of the hedgehog, or at least, willing to put him up for a few small favours... "I would like that," he said, his deep voice rivalling the growing thunder, and he walked through the door.

Amy's apartment was predominantly pink. And frilly. The walls, the carpet, the ceiling and even the furniture were all pink. Shadow was amazed that there could be so many shades, "I'm just going to change," Amy told him, "Make yourself at home."

She went into her bedroom and changed out of her wet clothes quickly, washed her face and hands, and put on a pink and frilly nightdress. It wasn't deliberately revealing; it was just that was the sort of thing she liked to buy.

Shadow removed his jet shoes, deciding that it would be considerate to not track mud around Amy's home. Despite what some thought, he didn't need the shoes to move as fast as Sonic, although they did give him that extra edge. He felt out of place, a black and red creature capable of such terrible acts of violence in the middle of a frilly pink room. Another person might have laughed, but laughing was one of the things Shadow never did – unless it was at someone else’s expense. He looked around for something to sit on that wasn’t pink and frilly, and gave up. He didn't know where to sit... his fur was soaking wet and dripping everywhere.

Amy came back into the living room, "Would you like some tea?" she asked Shadow, "Or coffee?" She stopped when she saw how wet he was, "Or a towel?" she suggested, "I can get you a towel..."

"Yes, please. And I would like some tea," he added. It mystified him as to why she would be friendly to him, nearly a complete stranger to her and one with a known tendency to try and kill her crush.

When Amy came back again, she was carrying two steaming hot (and pink) mugs of tea, which she put on the table, and a towel, which she handed to Shadow. It was also pink.

"Shadow, I haven't seen you for ages," she said, "Where've you been?"

Shadow wrapped the towel around his damp body and started to rub himself dry, honestly starting to believe that it was possible to overdose on the colour pink, and that he was nearing the lethal limit. He sat down and took a sip of the tea, which was predictably sweetened. He preferred it without, but it would do, "I've been around," he said cryptically.

"You might not believe it, but we get worried when you disappear," Amy said, "At least... most of us... some of us..."

That was only partly true. Shadow was perceptive enough to read between the lines, which stated that it was primarily her who was worried about him. "You don't have to worry. I can take care of myself," he rumbled. He paused for a moment, considering her words. When was the last time anyone had actually cared about his well-being? "...But thank you for your concern."

"I think I have a right to be concerned," said Amy, "You're always so... sad. It's not healthy to be so unhappy. Or to dwell on the past."

"I don't get sad; I get even," he snapped, immediately regretting his choice of words. He was being defensive again.

"You ‘got even’ by nearly destroying the world," Amy looked up at him, "Then you helped to save it."

"I did it to fulfil a promise I made," he said, his voice having a distant quality to it, "I keep my promises."

"So now you've kept your promise... what are you going to do next?" Amy asked.

Shadow looked down at his hands, unwilling to meet her gaze, "I... I don't know," he admitted, "I need to know what I really am. I need to know my purpose. I am lost without that..."

"Why do you need to be given a purpose?" Amy asked, "Can't you just... make your own? That's what most people do."

Shadow looked up with his crimson eyes and looked into hers, green as his favourite emerald, "Make my own purpose?" he asked, as if he had never even considered it. In truth, he hadn't.

"Maybe your purpose is to help people, like Sonic?" Amy suggested, "Maybe you should... I dunno... keep on keeping your promise to Maria, and keep on making people happy?"

"I'm not like Sonic," Shadow said firmly. He couldn't stand constantly being compared to the blue faker like they were goddamn clones with a different paintjob.

"I know that," Amy replied quickly, "But you don't have to be angry and sad all the time just to prove you're not like him." She took Shadow's hand gently.

Shadow was taken off guard by this simple act of closeness. The loathing that had been directed at Sonic instead became more pleasant thoughts of Amy, "Why do you obsess so much over him? What is so great about him? He's immature, irresponsible, self-obsessed, and about as steady as the breeze."

Amy looked down, "Well... he saved my life once, when I was a little girl... I guess I never quite got over that. I'm not stupid," she sighed, "I know he doesn't feel the way about me that I do about him. I keep trying to show him that I'm strong, but... sometimes I get the feeling that he doesn't notice me because everyone else says he's special too," she confessed, "If I could just show him how much I care..."

She stopped. Nobody had ever put Sonic's faults before her so frankly. It wasn't that she hadn't noticed them, she'd just... trained herself to ignore them, to excuse them. Like a puppy dog. Was that how Sonic saw her?

With his free hand, Shadow reached over and lifted her chin, raising her face towards his, "If Sonic hasn't seen how much you care by now, he is blind and never will."

Amy gazed into his eyes again, "I know you're right," she admitted finally, "Sort of. Probably. Mostly."

"Then you have to let go," he said. He noted the irony of it, him telling someone else to let go of their obsessions.

"I... I don't know any other boys who would notice me though," Amy said sadly, "Even when Sonic was telling me to go away, it was some attention. Knuckles is all wrapped up in the Master Emerald, and Tails is just… more interested in mechanics than he is girls. And you... well... Rouge told me..."

"What did she tell you?" Shadow asked, a sudden sharpness to his tone.

Amy blushed scarlet just thinking about what Rouge had told her, "She told me that you and her are... you know... fucking?" she said, using Rouge’s words.

"We did it twice, a couple of months ago," Shadow explained, "And I haven’t been with her since."

"Can I ask why not?" Amy asked him.

Shadow thought about his words carefully. He hadn't spoke to someone this deeply about his personal problems since... well, since he was a freshly created experiment on ARK. He half-expected to look out the window and see Earth floating there. "...Rouge is a heartless bitch,” he muttered, “She only cares about what I can give her, not what she can give me. Either the use of my powers to help her thefts, or the use of my body for a cheap thrill. It's empty passion. I hate that."

Amy's eyes widened, "That's so mean!" she said, "And Rouge said..." she thought about the things Rouge had said about Shadow and men in general, "Oh Shadow, I'm so sorry!"

She leant forward and hugged Shadow. The hug lasted longer than she'd meant it to, and she pulled away, blushing again.

Shadow tensed up, surprised by the embrace, but as she pulled away, he found himself missing the feeling. No one had given him a genuine hug in... well, over 50 years. Rouge didn't count, "It's alright," he assured her, "She hasn't hurt me. Used me a little, but I'll get over it."

"I sometimes feel like Sonic's using me, too," Amy said, "Like some sort of ego buffer."

"He would..." Shadow mumbled to himself. Louder, he replied, "It is wrong of him to treat you as he has. He doesn’t deserve you."

"It's just..." Amy looked away, "I get lonely..."

Shadow nodded quietly. Loneliness was something he understood painfully well. It was... his darkest fear. Oh yes, Shadow could fear, despite the image he presented to the world, "...I've noticed you," he said quietly, "On Prison Island, and again on the ARK... I saw the kindness and strength in you then. And I think you were the only one who noticed me. Really noticed me."

"What do you mean, I was the only one who really noticed you?" asked Amy, "You saved all our lives! The whole world noticed you!"

The faintest hint of a smile crossed Shadow’s face, "You were the only one who thought I could turn back, and you were the one who brought out that speck of compassion in me that I had forgotten."

Amy smiled again. To Shadow, it was as if the whole room had lit up, "I'm glad," she said, and touched his cheek with her hand, "But it was there all along, or else nobody could have brought it out of you. You've far more than just a speck," she added.

Shadow reached up and placed his hand over hers. His crimson eyes held something other than anger, frustration, loathing, or sorrow for once. There was something... brighter about the look. As he looked into her eyes, he thought, This is what that faker has been running from? He couldn't believe that even Sonic could be so… stupid, "You... bring out the best in me."

Amy blushed again. They were very close now; she hadn't even noticed how close they'd become. For some reason, she couldn't look away from Shadow, nor could she think of anything to say. Finally she managed to whisper, "Me too," through a dry throat.

Shadow looked into her eyes and found something he had been looking for, for a long time. His expression brightened in realisation, "We don't have to be alone," he said quietly.

Amy leant forward just that extra inch, kissing Shadow gently on the lips. The kiss was brief, fleeting. But she could already feel her heart pounding and her head spinning.

Shadow’s lips tingled as she pulled away, his mind swimming in a confusing mix of pleasures. Her lips were so soft and sweet, a sweetness he enjoyed... so innocent in comparison to Rouge. Her scent flooded his senses, cutting him off from pain and grief. He slowly wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly and safely to him. His mind on autopilot, he leaned in close and pressed his lips to hers, returning her kiss gently, but much more slowly, drawing her in, taking his time.

Amy revelled in this second kiss, wrapping her arms around Shadow, running her fingers through his tousled quills, her body trembling as the kiss became ever more intense, but never forceful. Their lips separated for a moment as she gasped for breath, her chest heaving, "Oh, Shadow..." she whispered.

"Amy..." he whispered back. Then he did something she had never seen him do before. He smiled. Not a cruel sneer, or even a sarcastic smirk, but a genuinely happy smile. It didn't last long, but it was there.

Amy smiled with him, "You should smile more often," she said. She kissed him again, stroking the white fur on his chest gently.

Shadow leaned into the kiss. Something between a groan and a purr, deep and primal, rumbled from his throat as she stroked his chest fur. He didn't know why, but he loved being touched there. Amy continued to stroke his chest gently with one hand, but the other wrapped around his waist, stroking his quills gently, pulling him closer. He didn't resist. He wanted to be closer to her. He hadn't been truly close to anyone in a long time. He deepened the kiss, probing her lips with his tongue, his hands sliding down her back. Suddenly, he gathered her up in his strong arms, cradling her to him, his lips lowering onto her throat and gently suckling it.

Amy moaned softly in pleasure, a shiver running through her, "Shadow..." she whimpered, moving her hands rapidly over his body, her fingers pressing harder against his fur.

Shadow lapped at her throat with his rough tongue, savouring her soft moans, the tremors of her body and the touch of her fingers. He got off on making her feel good. It fulfilled him to cure her of loneliness. Maybe this was his purpose... the purpose he chose for himself. He was going to make her happy.

On a sudden impulse, he scooped the pink hedgehog up in his strong arms, and carried her into her bedroom, setting her down on the pink, frilly bed, sitting beside her. As he looked down at her, the only sounds he could hear were their combined breathing, the rain splattering against the windows, and the rapid pounding of his own heartbeat.

Amy sighed happily, and sat up, kissing Shadow again, her hands instinctively moving lower this time, touching his hips apprehensively. She'd never felt this way before, so scared and yet so thrilled. It was almost as thrilling as when Shadow had run her home, but different... more personal, more intimate. Unthinking, she took his hand and guided it up her nightdress.

Shadow leaned over her, supporting himself on one hand as the other moved under her nightdress. His fingers slid through her soft, pink fur, feeling the warm flesh underneath. His breathing sped up as his hand crossed over her belly, scritching carefully, and then over her breasts. He crawled onto the bed with her, over her, his ruby eyes and stark white chest fur the only things visible in the dim light, his body occasionally illuminated by flashes of lightning.

Amy took his face in her hands, kissing him again and again, running her tongue over his lips. Shadow had a strange, musky odour, one that she couldn't place. And she loved it. Her hands ran over his chest again, and then one moved further down brushing against his belly. She pulled off her gloves, and placed her bare hand against his crotch gently.

Shadow hissed sharply in the dark, feeling her touch him there. He felt his loins stir, stimulated by her soft touch. He sighed quietly and kissed her again, one hand taking hold of the nightdress and slowly pulling it away, over her head.

Amy pushed her hand between Shadow's thighs gently, and began to rub back and forth slowly. She guided his lips to hers with her other hand, and kissed him, this time her tongue slipping between them. She only hoped that he was enjoying this more than he had with Rouge.

But to Shadow, this was infinitely better than the white bat’s rough groping. This wasn't just another night of empty pleasure. This meant something to the both of them, and that made all the difference. He opened his mouth fully to her, inviting her tongue in, sucking on it as it tentatively slid across his own, while one hand still scritched at her belly slowly.

"Shadow..." Amy moaned through the kiss, "Oh... Oh, Shadow..." She moved her hand slightly faster, pulling him down so that he was lying on her, "Shadow... I..." Amy wasn't sure she wanted to say it, she'd said it so many times to Sonic, and in the end it had meant nothing.

Shadow groaned; her rubbing was starting to seriously arouse the ebony and crimson hedgehog. He leaned over her, looking down into her eyes, thunder rumbling across the sky, "Yes?" he asked quietly, his voice a strained rasp.

Amy didn't say what she wanted, but other words, "Shadow... please... I want you… I really want you... to be my first," Amy's voice was trembling, like the rest of her body.

Shadow swallowed nervously, his stomach in free-fall. Her first... he was afraid to accept the offer. He was afraid he would hurt her, afraid he might not be worthy of her, afraid of defiling something innocent and pure. But just the same, he couldn't say no, not to her, not here, not any more. He nodded, and whispered in the dark, "I will do this for you..."

"Do it for both of us," Amy replied softly.

That true, genuine smile flickered across Shadow's face again, "Do you trust me?" he asked in a whisper as he began to position himself over her. Looking down at her, she seemed so delicate and fragile.

"Completely," Amy answered, stroking his cheek and spreading her legs.

The storm outside was becoming more intense, the rain beating hard against the window, lightning flashing across the sky, thunder shaking the earth below, but inside was quiet and still, the air charged with energy. Shadow sucked in a breath as he felt the head of his erection touch her entrance. He was nervous, afraid of messing this up, of making this a moment she would regret, but one look into her eyes dispelled those fears. He leaned over her and gently pressed his lips to hers in a loving kiss. As he ended it, he started to enter her slowly, careful not to go too fast.

"Nnngh... Oh... Oh my… Oh..." Amy grabbed the bed sheets, moaning. Shadow felt himself up against a barrier, and pushed harder, breaking past it. There was some blood, and Amy screamed at the sudden pain. It was a shock, and a reminder that now there was nothing to stop them going all the way.

Shadow paused his entry, grimacing at her cry. He caressed her cheek with one hand, whispering, "I'm sorry..." He continued to stroke her cheek and quills, waiting, letting the pain pass.

"Oh... Shadow..." Amy panted, her eyes tearing up. She lay there for a few moments, recovering from the shock, then tentatively pulled him down again, kissing his neck and shoulders, "Oh... oh…"

Shadow closed his eyes and groaned as he finished the journey inside her. So tight that it almost hurt, so warm that it almost burned, but he welcomed every second of it. He stayed still, resting within her, his arms holding her to him tightly as she kissed his body. "Amy..." he whispered. The dark hedgehog placed his hands on her shoulders, opened his eyes, and pushed away, drawing himself almost out. His member tingled and ached in longing as it left her tight, moist insides. He pressed in again, a tremor running down his quilled back as he returned. The deep, rumbling purr escaped his throat again as he halted within her, tilting his head down and burying his face in her neck.

"Oh... oh..." Amy moaned, bringing her hips up against his, "Oh... yes..." Her hands wrapped around his back, clutching his fur.

Shadow kissed her neck, breathing in her sweet scent, his hot breath blowing through her fur. He placed his hands on either side of her head and raised himself up on them, pushing himself deeper into her. He kissed her forehead and then took the edge of one ear into his mouth, suckling it. As he did so, he began to move his hips, pushing in with short, quick thrusts, that deep purring rumbling through his chest and into hers.

Amy gasped in frantic pleasure. She could feel her heart pounding against her ribs, and she could feel Shadow's heartbeat too, they were pressed so close together. She moaned louder as Shadow moved inside her, unable to keep it stifled, "Oh... Shad... oh... Shad... oh..." she moaned to the rhythm that made her mind scream for more contact with him. She pulled off his gloves herself, wanting skin against skin so badly.

"Nngh... Oh Amy..." he rasped in her ear, and ran his bare hands down her sides, fingertips feeling through her fur. He rested his hands on her hips and gripped them firmly as he pushed in harder, faster, deeper. His breath tickled her damp ear, his musky scent heavy in the air.

"Shad... Oh! Shad... Oh!" Amy's cries became louder and sharper as she felt more pleasure in and over her body. She clutched at him tightly and began to kiss his chest, her tongue brushing against his fur as she cried out his name.

Shadow shivered, a moan mixing in with his purrs. He held her tightly to him, his heart hammering in his chest, tingles of pleasure racing from wherever she touched him. His breathing became a rasping gasp and he sped up faster still. All thoughts of his troubled past, his unknown purpose, all that he had lost... normally so painful, now they were drowned out completely by thoughts of the young woman beneath him. The storm above them raged harder, as if jealous of their passion.

Tears were still trickling down Amy's cheeks as her words degenerated into joyful cries, expressing all that she felt for him at that moment. She wanted to feel everything now, it didn't matter even if it hurt as long as she felt it with Shadow. Once she might have thought of Sonic; now it was the red and black hedgehog above her who made her body and soul complete. She cried out again as a new feeling spread through her, like before but amplified beyond anything she had dreamed of, "Shad... OH!" she cried out, "What's... happen... ing?!"

"AH!" Shadow cried out, holding her tighter, almost lifting her off the bed, thrusting harder, knowing what she was nearing, "It's alright..." he groaned, "Give... in to it! Oh!"

Amy gripped his fur tighter, sobbing frantically from the excruciating pleasure that was taking over her body. Trusting him, she let it happen, her body shaking and tensing around his. The feeling just kept coming, and somewhere in the last sane part of her mind, she knew she was having her first orgasm... with the Ultimate Lifeform.

Shadow cried out, her sobs of pleasure and tensing insides pleasing him in more ways than one. The purely physical side was obvious... but it also fulfilled his soul to know that he was the one making her feel this good, to know that she wasn't alone anymore, that neither of them were. He rode her orgasm out, lasting as long as he could while she pushed him quickly towards his own. Unable to hold out any longer, he gripped her painfully, crying out her name as he exploded inside her, his body tensing and quivering, "A-AMY!"

“SHADOW!” Amy wailed. Still shaking, she clutched him until he had fully unloaded into her. Then, gasping, she held him close and lay back down on the bed, sweating and breathing heavily, "Oh... Shadow..." she moaned, as her body calmed down. Sanity returned, and she realised that she had just made love to the hedgehog who had nearly destroyed the planet, who had fought her 'beloved' so many times, who was supposed to be so cold and heartless... and she couldn't bring herself to care about all that anymore. All she knew now was that what she had once called love was now nothing more than a childish infatuation, washed away by passion and real love as she had passed into adulthood. And that she loved Shadow.

~~~

Harley: Woot! Go, teamwork!

Froggy: Wow! A Shadow/Amy fanfic that doesn’t start with Sonic telling Amy that he hates her and doesn’t want to see her ever again!

Harley: Nor does Amy find Shadow lying half-dead in the rain after his plummetation from the ARK!

Froggy: This chapter has undergone some editing since it was first put up. Read and Review, right now!