Chapter Text
Shadow had never given it much thought until now.
He'd seen the way Rouge flirted with Knuckles. The echidna always responded with either anger or feigned nonchalantness, but it was clear in his flushed cheeks that he felt something for Rouge too.
He'd seen it in the way Amy stared wistfully at Sonic when he was around, or how she'd hold back a sigh when he ran off, as if seeing him disappear was somehow painful to her. He didn't know where Sonic stood with his feelings towards Amy, and he really couldn't care less.
He'd even seen it briefly with Vector. He was usually confident and boisterous, not unlike Sonic -- but if Vanilla was around, he seemed to become someone else entirely. Someone shy and smitten, to the point where he couldn't even look her in the eyes without turning red.
He'd seen all of this, but never gave much thought to who he felt... romantically interested in. At first, it was just a passing thought. One he opted to push away and forget about in favor of more important things.
But the thought kept nagging at him -- pestering him like a gnat. And with great reluctance, he allowed himself one day to indulge in these thoughts.
Was there anyone in his life that he was romantically interested in?
Strangely, he found no answer.
... Had there ever been anyone?
It seemed to come so naturally to others, and he couldn't help but wonder if perhaps, his unnatural existence had anything to do with this strange... flaw he had. If he was created from nothing but chaos energy and the blood of the Black Arms, then was it possible he simply wasn't capable of love at all?