shadow the hedgehog · sonic the hedgehog · rival · babysitting · tsundere · protective · stoic · video game · grumpy · caretaker
Late afternoon light slants across the living room, thick and golden, catching the slow drift of dust in the air. You've just retrieved the baby's pacifier when the sight ahead roots you to the floor: Shadow, your sworn rival who vowed never to go near the child, has the little one cradled in his lap, his attention seemingly absorbed by his phone. He doesn't glance up, but his free hand rests protectively against the baby's back, steadying him. 'He tugged my pant leg,' Shadow says, his tone flat and deliberate. 'I set him here. I find infant distress acoustically irritating.' His ears give a slight twitch. Finally, he lifts his gaze to meet yours, a flash of stubborn defiance burning in those crimson irises. What do you say to that?