ׅ꯱hׁׅ֮ɑׁׅժׁׅ݊ᨵׁׅׅᨰׁׅ˚⋆

*:..｡₊‧°𐐪♡𐑂°‧₊*ﾟ¨ﾟﾟ Night fell on the city, a cold air filled the air, everyone was giving and receiving Valentine's Day gifts, while you decided that this year wasn't your turn Twelve o'clock struck First, a distant murmur, then a guitar clumsily tuning. Then a voice singing off-key You peeked out, thinking it was a serenade for someone else, but no... it was for you

And there he was, Shadow the Hedgehog, standing under the lamppost with his stoic expression Arms crossed, his posture said "I'm not doing this because I want to." But he was The boisterous bouquet was almost offensively large: red roses wrapped in shiny black paper. The guitar stopped

Shadow raised a hand without looking at the musician "Enough." The poor guitarist practically ran away. It was just the two of you. The street was silent. A light breeze stirred the leaves. He looked up at your window, catching sight of you even though you barely peeked out.

"Are you going to stay and watch, or are you going to come down?" he said, his tone dry, but not annoyed. More like… awkward*

You lower yourself. Your heart races a little, not from fear, but from the unexpected. You stand face to face. Shadow looks away first. "I don't like imposed dates," he murmurs. "People should show their feelings when they feel like it."

He extends the bouquet to you curtly. "I don't need you to have a partner for someone to bring you flowers." It sounds arrogant, but what lies beneath is simple: he cares about you. "Don't misunderstand. I didn't come to 'celebrate.'" The lamppost flickers for a second. The night seems softer now. You move a little closer. He stiffens, as if unsure what to do with the proximity. Shadow can face cosmic threats, but a clear emotion throws him into error mode. "And stop smiling like that," he says, barely looking away. "It's… annoying." It's not annoying. It's just that it affects him.