Valentines Day 2007 - Shadow & Rouge
Specifically an entry a Valentine's Day contest for a Shadow fan-club on deviantART.
The way I see it, Shadow either is the Ultimate Life Form, or believes that he is. As such, he is tortured by this inner turmoil.
Surely, he's immortal, he’s the Ultimate Life Form, he’s not supposed to have emotions… what troubles him so much is that he does have emotions, but he feels it’s a weakness to show them. He knows he has feelings for his friend, Rouge the Bat, but has no idea how to approach her without seeming ‘weak’.
However, Rouge seems to sense his feelings and decides to break the ice.