A Simple Complication (Shadaze)

Their relationship truly was a mystery. A puzzle too complex for one to solve.
A maze with no clear path to the finish.

Both members held heavy reputations of concealing emotions, neither often showing obvious anger, happiness...especially love.

Yet the two were tangled in a knot so tightly, they were almost inseparable.

Despite being so, they hardly saw one another.

She would be reading a book on a bench, when a sudden warm envelopment of arms would encircle her from behind, his intoxicating scent of pine filling her nose. She would know who it is immediately, and at first not respond, refusing to acknowledge his presence. Growing impatient with her ignorance, he would nuzzle her ear, whisper words huskily in his deep voice, until she would finally give in and turn around to embrace him.

Other nights, she would be preparing for bed, shifting comfortably under the covers, when a bright flash of green would appear and diminish in a blink. There he would be, approaching her calmly, and nonchalantly crawling under the covers with her, pulling her heat radiating form against his chest and wrapping an arm around her waist. No words spoken, none were needed.

On occasional moments, she would find him, instead of vice-versa. He would be out running and unexpectedly knocked down by a wave of heat. The familiar feeling of hot flames and a long tail whipping past him would tease him to follow, in which he did so with pleasure.

Both were independent by nature, both feared to love and trust. Their fleeting moments were quietly treasured in themselves, few words exchanged, no whispered lullabies, no promises of lasting love...a simplicity of sharing intimate time together for few hours every couple weeks was all they needed.

Yet they were so tenderly complicated. What were they? Anyone who asked would simply receive a shrug in reply, a curt 'Emotions only cause problems, and create weakness.' from either individual, and they would leave you hanging with a blunt response and an unanswered hypothesis.

They knew the taste of the others' lips, their time together had indeed been filled with passionate kisses and fervent pulsing in the core, but still no labeled romantic relationship sprouted, remaining altogether platonic, so they claimed.

However, things began to strain when a number of months had passed, and neither had seen the other for a long stretch of days.

Shadow was irked with himself. He berated himself internally for the loneliness he felt in his time spent away from her. The promise they had made to keep emotions out of the way in their relationship was beginning to become a challenge as his heart churned. He longed for her company, and was rushing to finish his list of Missions givin' to him by GUN so that he could find her once again, and quench his desires fully.

Blaze busied herself. Trying with all her might to keep her thoughts from drifting to red eyes and silky black fur. She cursed under her breath, chastising herself for letting emotions capture her in it's twisted game that only giddy teenage girls fell for. A fairy tale, love is a fairy tale, something that does not exist. Then why does her heated flames do nothing to compared to the warmth she was comforted by in his presence?

Another string of curse words entered her mind as she continued her walk down the rain splattered street, umbrella handle wrung in her hand as she began counting raindrops to counter her thoughts.

The clapping of her shoes against the wet pavement rang in the quiet air, joining the beating drums of droplets bouncing off roof tops, as well as the crinkling of leaves being pelted with the force of water and gravity.

Her ears twisted at the sound of a fluctuating energy, and a bright flash of green that she knew well. Eagerly, she turned around, only to find the long street empty of the presence she yearned, only filled mud puddles spotted throughout the road.
Her ears and tail drooped marginally, as she continued her stoic walk down the path.

“Expecting someone particular?”

The taps of her shoes halted, and her grip on the umbrella's handle increased. From behind a large based oak tree, Shadow rounded the bend and showed himself, his usual angered look was just as angular and sharp as she remembered. He strode towards her despite the rain, his black and red fur soaking the liquid in hungrily.

She remained silent and emotionless, her nerves itching to do something embarrassingly much too girly for her taste.

“You're late.” she stated simply.

His deep chuckle thundered lightly, as he stood with arms crossed, just outside the rim of her sheltered umbrella. “I'm afraid so.”

Her amber eyes jerked away from his, as she began searching his form, “You're also getting wet.” she pointed out.

“I suppose that happens when one stands in the rain.” he teased bluntly.

Blaze frowned at his dull joke, reaching out her hand and pulling him under the shelter of the fabric that pattered like a window pane. “Hold still,” she ordered, reaching her free hand up towards his sleek dripping quills. He was quite a bit taller than her despite her pony tail, making it semi-difficult to run her hand along the top of his scarlet streaked spikes.

At first, he wondered what her intentions could be. When a sudden warm sizzle came from where his fur and her hand met, he realized she intended to dry his fur for him.

Her strokes were soft and gentle, despite the precarious flames she ignited within her palm, and Shadow was unintentionally closing his eyes, and leaning into her touch. The caresses of her hand against him were overwhelming, his body and mind urging him toward her, but his stubborn pride fighting furiously to out wit and over power the attraction and contained emotions he felt for the feline.

His stubbornness was winning the internal debate when her next brush of hands against him had lingered longer and slower than the previous, and all control he had gained was lost.

“Blaze...” he spoke, peeling his eye open to see her gently retract her hand to look at him in the eyes. She raised a rigid eyebrow, though mentally, she questioned why his tone had taken on one of defeat.

“Yes Shadow?” she finally voiced as the seconds between his responses seemed to slow.

Shadow blinked slowly again, trying desperately to convince himself to worm out of confession, but it proved fruitless, for she was swaying his thoughts with just being in mere presence.

Finally meeting her shielded gaze, he sighed in defeat. “Blaze, I can't always keep my promises.”

Her eyebrows furrowed in momentary confusion, before a look of shock and understanding flashed through her eyes.

The promise they had made to exclude emotions from one another. He claimed he had broken it...that would mean...

For a moment, Blaze searched his features for signs of confirmation that her guess was right. The rain seemed to grow in numbers as the droplets fell louder upon her fabric shelter, or was that just the unseen tension in the air?

Finally, Blaze responded, a small smile gracing across her features. “I guess we're even more alike than I thought.” she lightly bantered, despite the serious subject.

Shadow smirked, understanding her relay of emotions. With a slight hunch of his shoulders, he leaned down and crashed his lips with her awaiting ones, her warm face pressed firmly against his damp cool one.

Abruptly, Blaze pulled away and cocked her head at him playfully, “are we really doing something as cliché as kissing in the rain?”

The hedgehog cracked a grin, “We are.”

Blaze chuckled at the irony, “Amy would be so jealous.”

Neither noticed the green energy bouncing around Shadow, nor the flames flickering over Blaze's form through the heat of the moment as they kissed once again.