Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was day 15. 

Day 15 of sitting on that same hill, in that same position, thinking the same thoughts. 

This didn't bother Shadow; he was used to the repetition. He had a remarkably good patience for monotony.

Plus, despite what he wanted his peers to think, thanks to both Eggman and G.U.N.'s silence for the past few months, he had nothing better to do than watch Sonic and Tails play in their acre of a front yard.  

His spot on the hill was lovely. Though he couldn't make out any words from the duo as they enjoyed their sunny morning, the bellowing laughter that echoed through the hills was a welcome break from the quiet whispering of the wind that he had been so used to hearing recently. With no enemies or missions to bide his time, the hedgehog grew bored. He grew lonely. 

As far as he knew, nobody suspected that he had been watching them. The hill he watched from was far enough to let a lone Shadow watch the colorful blurs run around their checkered lawn without being noticed. His dark figure blended in with the shadows of the cliffs and trees around him. Nobody had ever suspected a thing. 

"Interrupting something?" 

Shadow tensed at the sound of the intruder. 

As he whipped his wide-eyed expression around, his glare locked with the aqua-colored eyes of a bat. She looked concerned as her wings flapped gently, ruffling Shadow’s fur with a gentle breeze. 

His muscles relaxed at the sight of her. "Just... watching,” he responded, relieved at who had found him. 

"I see that. Something on your mind, hon?" Rouge asked in a sweet cadence, gently landing on the ground beside him. 

"Nothing that concerns you."

Rouge expected this type of response. Shadow was always a tough nut to crack when it came to emotions. He had gotten better at opening up throughout recent years, but ever since his freelance work became unnecessary, he had seemingly shut himself away emotionally. 

He was a hard hedgehog to read, but sitting in one place and quietly watching Sonic and Tails for hours was a sure sign that something was up. And if he wasn’t going to talk about it, she was going to have to guess. 

Perhaps… this was a mission, somehow? If not for G.U.N., maybe it was simply for himself? Could he have been acting as a bodyguard, watching to see if anyone or anything attempted to attack the creatures in the valley below? 

"So... nobody's in danger, then?" 

"No, nobody is in danger."

"Hmm." There went that theory. She trusted that he would at least be honest with her about that. Rouge got more comfortable next to Shadow and watched with him for a moment.

"What are they playing?"

"Seems like baseball."

"With just the two of them? Huh."

"Knuckles was playing earlier as well. I'm not sure where he went."

You've really been watching them, haven't you? 

"Maybe they need another player. I'd imagine Blue is running circles around the little one. Literally." 

"Sonic lets him win."

"Huh?" Rouge questioned. She could have guessed that the hero would do something like that, so her concern wasn’t with him. Shadow clearly didn’t get what she was hinting at. 

"Not every time. Only some games,” he continued. 

"You don't think they'd like another player?"

"Why? Did you want to join them?" Shadow asked sincerely, looking toward Rouge without turning his head. 

"No, sugar, I'm saying I think you want to join them." 

"Oh," Shadow stated, monotone once again. He hugged his knees tightly. "I do not."

"Then what on Earth could be so entertaining about watching them from afar? You haven't moved an inch in hours." 

"I'm just thinking.” Shadow’s deep voice sliced through the air like a knife. 

"About what?" Rouge asked with spice in her tone. Her patience was running thin. 

"Like I said, nothing that concerns you."

Rouge rolled her eyes. "Fine." Time to get it out of him the hard way.

A gust of wind ruffled Shadow’s fur as the bat took off towards Sonic and Tails. They stopped mid-game and waved as they noticed her approaching. 

Shadow watched curiously through squinted vision. She was up to something. 

With a point of Rouge’s finger, both Sonic and Tails’ eyes turned to spy him atop his hill. 

He had been spotted.

How embarrassing. What was Rouge saying down there? 

He considered using chaos control to get out of sight, but before he knew it, Sonic was standing right in his gaze. His super-speed had brought him eye-to-eye with Shadow in no time at all.

"Hey, Shadow! Wanna play with us?" Sonic asked enthusiastically with a ball under his arm. It was not a baseball, but rather a softer, larger ball, likely used to ensure none of them sustained serious injuries while playing. 

Of course she told them he wanted to play, Shadow thought, berating Rouge in his mind. He angrily turned his head to see her blurry smug smile from afar. 

"No, I don’t," Shadow spoke, unwavering in his coiled up position. 

"Are you sure? We could really use an extra player!" He said, spinning the makeshift baseball on his finger. 

"You and Tails are playing just fine."

"Yeah, you're right. But between you and me," Sonic grabbed the ball in one hand and covered the side of his mouth with the other. 

 "As much as I love the kid, Tails isn't much of an opponent," he whispered. "I'd love an actual challenge.”

He winked and held out his free hand.

"I'm not interested," Shadow responded. Shadow wasn't lying, either; he didn't want to play. He liked watching. He didn't know why, but even though he had been doing it for days on end, he just wanted to continue to watch. 

"Suit yourself," Sonic said, leaving Shadow relieved that he wasn't going to push further. "Would you at least like to come watch a little closer?"

A small warmth shot into Shadow’s chest. Being invited to simply watch was unexpected. Did he want to come closer? 

Though he had been making the choice to watch from the hilltop for long enough, squinting his eyes to see from afar wasn't ideal for… Whatever it was he was trying to achieve. He didn't quite know what compelled him. 

Though it felt intrusive to agree, he could tell it was something he wanted, or at least something he preferred. 

"I... would like to. Yes."

Sonic flashed a big smile. "Awesome!! Meet you there!" He spoke, and with a salute, he was off. 

Shadow stood up and brushed through his quills with gloved hands. He wiped dirt from his legs and slowly skated down the hill. On the way down, he noticed that another game had already begun, this time with Rouge as a player. She flashed a glance at Shadow and smiled. Without thinking, the corners of his mouth curled back. It was barely noticeable, but it was there.

He arrived at the patch of grass where they were playing and sat criss-cross on the ground outside of it. Now that he was up close, he could actually hear their playful banter. It was way more engaging, and Shadow liked noting the differences between their voices as he listened to them rise and fall. Something about it was calming to him.

Rouge was pretty good at the game, too, which was now resembling baseball a little more with their extra player. Rouge’s skill was something that Shadow would have expected. Sonic definitely had the challenge he was looking for. 

Every now and then during the game, Sonic, amidst his high-speed dash around the makeshift diamond, would stop moving for an instant and give Shadow a quick thumbs up. 

This confused Shadow the first couple times. Why was he putting his chance of winning at stake to make hand gestures towards him? Was it part of a joke that he didn't understand? 

He remembered that the game wasn't about winning, proven by the countless times Sonic had let Tails beat him, and loosened up, though he still didn't understand the message being communicated to him. 

Sonic must have caught on to his confusion, because around the third or fourth time it happened, he tilted his cobalt head as if to ask a question while he gestured. He paused for longer that time, maybe a full four to five seconds, and mouthed, "Are you okay?"

Shadow furrowed his brow at the gesture. He was confused about the concern, but returned Sonic’s thumbs up. Sonic smiled in response, but as he lifted his leg to begin running once again, he was hit in the back of the head with a ball. 

"Out!" Rouge's voice boomed as Sonic rubbed the spot. 

Shadow couldn't help but chuckle. 

Sonic started walking off the field towards him, slouched in defeat. Tails and Rouge continued playing their own version of the game without him. 

"Are you okay?" Shadow asked sarcastically once Sonic was in earshot. 

"I think I'll live," Sonic responded, taking a seat next to Shadow in the grass. “One little hit in the head isn’t enough to deter this hedgehog,” he said, pointing his thumb at himself.

“I’ve noticed,” Shadow responded, the roll of his eyes practically audible in his tone. 

"Are you sure you don't want to play?" Sonic asked, doubling down.

"Yes, I'm sure,” Shadow affirmed. “I actually... like watching."

"I thought so, but I had to double check. You know you're always invited.”

This sentiment made Shadow feel odd. He always felt like an intruder around Sonic and his friends. 

"I am?" Shadow asked, feeling disgustingly vulnerable. He took note and planned to dial down his emotions. 

"Of course, Shadow! You're my friend too, you know. No matter how much you don’t want to admit it. You don't have to watch from the trees like a hawk. Even if you don't want to be a part of whatever game it is we're playing, we'd love to have you around,” Sonic said, chipper as always. 

"I'll keep that in mind," Shadow responded, closing himself off once again. He likely wouldn't take Sonic up on this offer. Sonic was nice to everybody. He would say this to anyone. How could Shadow be expected to believe that he was actually wanted? This conversation was just a formality for Sonic. An invitation that was made to be declined. 

Shadow looked down at the ground, feeling down once again. Sonic noticed.

"Is there any game you would like to play?" Sonic spoke, trying to direct the conversation back to Shadow. 

"Unlikely," he responded in a somber tone. 

"Not a game then," Sonic said, "Anything you'd like to do? We've been friends for a while and I feel like I don't even know your hobbies. Unless you count being brooding and mysterious as a hobby."

Of course, even when trying to be comforting, Sonic couldn't resist poking fun at Shadow. 

"I'd like to watch," he responded. 

Truth was, Shadow enjoyed Sonic’s company. He rolled his eyes and shrugged his shoulders often in his presence, but when it mattered, Sonic truly knew how to be kind. Shadow could see it in him. An effervescent goodness that just glowed from his cobalt body. It was why so many people loved him. Why so many people wanted to be around him.

It was why Shadow had been spying on him all this time. 

"Then I'll watch with you," Sonic said, changing his position to be criss-cross like Shadow's. 

He leaned away from Shadow's ears and yelled, "Tails! Rouge! I'm gonna sit the next couple games out!" 

His request was met with an understanding "Okay!" and "Alright!" from the field. 

This was… strange. Sonic rarely slowed down. Sonic rarely took breaks. He was always bursting with energy, and sitting still seemed nearly painful for him, as proven by Sonic’s restless bouncing knee. 

"I thought you liked playing," Shadow spoke, looking back up past Sonic’s eyes.

"I do. But I've been at it for hours and I really could use a break," Sonic responded, stretching his arms and torso while seated. 

"You've never had a break in your life, hedgehog. Why start now?"

"Hey, that's not true! I may have a lot of energy, but when I crash, I crash hard. Like, really hard. Tails told me I need to take breaks. As much as I hate to admit it, the kid’s right. Plus, it kills me to see him so worried about me. So I’ve been trying to... take it slow lately." Sonic winced as he said the last part. Almost like he was doing it out of respect for Tails rather than for the wellbeing of himself. “At least sometimes. Gotta learn to stop and smell the roses, am I right?”

“Worried about you?” Shadow asked. He hadn't seen Sonic do anything particularly worrisome despite watching him for over two weeks now. 

"Oh, that reminds me!" Sonic shouted, ignoring Shadow’s concerns at the whim of the thought that popped into his head. He stood up out of his seated position in super-speed, but caught himself halfway through.

With a pained expression, Sonic slowed back down to a normal speed. He leisurely walked to a pile of items nearby and picked up a water bottle. He jogged back to shadow and sat down with it.

"Tails usually has to remind me to drink water. I have this bad habit of forgetting, and then running really fast, and then nearly passing out... I actually did pass out a few weeks ago. It's what made Tails have the talk with me," Sonic mentioned before taking a big sip of water. 

A few weeks ago. That explained it.

"You... forget to drink water? Don't you get thirsty?" Shadow questioned. 

"Yeah, of course! But… if you think my feet move fast, you should see my brain! Or, maybe you shouldn't. That would be a total invasion of privacy.” He quickly downed the rest of the water in the bottle and let out a dramatic "Ahh!" to complete the sip.

"You know," Sonic continued, "I don't run into you in Green Hill very often," Sonic said, eyes widening as he reached a realization, "In fact, I don't even know where you live!" He stood up quickly in front of Shadow and made him jump.

"Or are you the silent vagabond... never daring to be tied down to one place!" Sonic said half-jokingly, raising a triumphant fist when he said it. His voice returned to a conversational tone as he continued, “Rouge said that's what she does when she's not staying in the city. But she can fly, so I think that makes it easier.”

"Where I live doesn't concern you," Shadow responded, looking away from Sonic while slouching and recoiling into himself. 

His blue body plopped back down onto the grass. Sonic was determined to get to know Shadow better. He fought the urge to poke fun at him for being so dramatic about it. Shadow’s body language was… odd. 

"Well, it may not concern me, but I-" 

Sonic's sentence was interrupted by a ball to the face. He dramatically fell back on the ground in response. 

Tails' voice was heard from the field yelling an apologetic "Sorry, Sonic!" though it was barely heard through Rouge's laughter. 

Shadow sharply exhaled through his nose in the place of a laugh as he smirked. Sonic sat up, shook his head, and yelled back "It's okay!" 

Shadow realized he was smiling at Sonic when Sonic turned to make eye contact with him. He quickly looked away and started getting up. 

"I... better get going." Shadow announced calmly while dusting himself off. 

Sonic wanted to continue talking and learning more about him, but decided to let him go. Shadow wouldn’t talk if he didn't want to. 

He stood up in a blue blur to say goodbye.

"Okay! Don't be a stranger!"

Shadow somberly nodded at this remark and began skating away. 

The yellow light emitting from Shadow’s air shoes caught Rouge’s eye. 

"Where's he going?" she whispered to Sonic as he walked back to the field. 

"Wherever he wants to, I guess. Nothing can hold him down.” Sonic’s voice sounded disappointed. 

"Right..." Rouge mumbled flying off after him. 

"Hey! Hon, where are you going?" The bat shouted as she began to catch up. 

"Just going."

"Did something happen?"

"Yes."

“Do you want to talk about it?"

"What do you think?" Shadow asked with a side-eye. 

"Okay, I get it. I should've clarified. You're going to talk about it."

"I don't think so."

Shadow sped up. Rouge followed. 

"You're my friend and I'm worried about you!" 

"I don't have friends."

She wanted to dig into him about that remark, but held back. 

"Okay, ouch. I'm choosing to ignore that. Hon, I know something has been up with you lately. I don't like the idea that you're dealing with it alone." 

"Why does it matter?" 

"I see you watch Sonic and his friends play every day and you always look so sad! Sadder than usual, anyway. I want you to know that I'm here for you. Please talk to me."

Shadow was angry now. Rouge had been watching him? She knew that he had been silently watching Sonic for weeks now? This was his business. Not Rouge's. He didn't owe her anything. 

He angrily sped up and turned abruptly, kicking up a cloud of dust in Rouge's face. 

She watched him run off without another word. She clicked her tongue and shook her head. Another day, she thought. I'll try again another day. 

Chapter Text

Another day came.

It was overcast. A chill down Rouge's spine told her that it would rain soon. 

Yet Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles were having a picnic in the same grassy patch as the day before. 

Tails was smart - he almost certainly knew that it would rain soon. Perhaps he knew exactly when and planned accordingly. 

Rouge was determined to speak with Shadow again today. She checked the hill he usually used to spy, but for the first time in weeks, he was not there.

She checked some neighboring hills with views of the valley where Sonic was, but still, he was nowhere to be found.  

She sighed to herself and flew down to the friends as they ate. 

They all greeted her joyfully and invited her to eat with them. She politely declined before asking, "Have any of you seen Shadow today?"

They all shook their heads. 

"Nope, but that's nothing unusual for Shadow. Is something up?" Sonic asked.

"He's acting strange–stranger than usual anyway. Yesterday he admitted to me that something was on his mind but he won't tell me what it is. I'm worried about him."

Sonic made a thinking motion with his hand. "Hmm... That must be why he ran off so suddenly yesterday. I thought he had something to get to, but... Hey, he really is mysterious, isn't he?" 

"He tries to be," Rouge said, rolling her eyes. "I wish he wasn't so scared of opening up."

Sonic hung onto Rouge's choice of words. 

"Oh, please," Sonic defied, "Shadow isn't scared of anything!" 

"That's what he wants you to think," Rouge sighed, "but I know it's not true. If he wasn't scared of anything, then he wouldn't have so many secrets."

Sonic thought about this. Shadow really was the most secretive person he had ever met. Tails, Knuckles, and himself were open books. But Sonic barely knew anything about Shadow. He had never seen that as a problem before, but Rouge was right. Not opening up to anyone... It must be because he's scared. But... scared of what?

"Do you want me to help you look for him?" Sonic offered, standing up abruptly. 

"I don't think he'd like that," Rouge responded, "But I sure would appreciate it. I suspect he's somewhere around here..." 

"I can help too!" Tails offered. 

"We will find that hedgehog," Knuckles announced. 

Rouge smiled. "Let's spread out!" She yelled. 

Sonic, of course, was the most efficient in the search for shadow. He used his super-speed to run around the entirety of Green Hill in the time it took the others to check only a few places. 

Sonic was impressed to find Shadow nowhere. He wasn't in any open area, atop any hills, or under any trees. Sonic thought for sure he couldn't be in Green Hill at all. 

Stumped, Sonic slowed down by a beach and leisurely walked around an area of Green Hill he rarely visited until he noticed something he'd never noticed before. 

Beneath a cliff sat an oddly, unnaturally placed wall of rocks. A moss-curtain hung gently, covering a gap between them. 

Whoah… he thought. What is this?

Sonic tilted his head in confusion. How oddly beautiful this place was. He swooped the soft moss to the side with a gloved paw and slowly peeked his head in. 

He was met with the cool, echoing, expansive darkness of a cave.

This expansiveness wasn't quite empty; the eerie space was filled with dripping stalactites and large, daunting stalagmites. Natural rock formations littered the cave, and behind one of them, Sonic noticed a flickering light. 

Sonic approached the light as slowly and quietly as possible. He peeked around the rock and saw the black and red hedgehog's back rising and falling as he lay curled up and asleep on a bed of leaves. 

Sonic's eyes widened. Why was Shadow sleeping in a cave? Maybe he really was a vagabond.

Careful not to wake him, Sonic tiptoed further into the makeshift room and glanced around. 

The light of a fire illuminated a small section of the cave beyond Shadow's bed. 

There was a very clearly handmade table and chair sitting a bit away. On top of it was a stack of parchment, likely also handmade, and a quill. Sonic began to approach the table to get a closer look at the writing on the papers, but before he knew it, he was pinned against the cold cave wall by a sleepy-eyed Shadow. 

"What are you doing here?" his deep voice growled. 

"Whoah, slow down, Shadow!" Sonic stuttered. He was still processing what little information he had. The table was poorly constructed, but undoubtedly took time and effort to make. There were piles of scribbled-on paper on the desk that he didn't get to read. Why would a vagabond need something like that? Why spend the time if you were just going to leave it the next day? 

The more he looked around, the more obvious the truth was to him. He felt a sadness rise into his chest. 

"Do you… live here? " 

"I'm not the one who needs to 'slow down,' Sonic. What is your problem? How did you find me here?"

With each new angry word, Shadow pushed Sonic further into the wall. He lifted his other fist like he was ready to punch him in the face. 

"Ok, ok, point taken!” Sonic yelled, eyeing the fist. “I was just worried about you, okay? You left so abruptly yesterday and I didn't know if it was something I said or–" He decided not to tell him it was Rouge's idea. 

Shadow looked him up and down. His grip got even tighter. "Worried? Why would you be worried about me ?” His words stung like embers from the small illuminating fire. 

"Because you're my friend, and I don't know anything about you!” Sonic blurted out. “You're so secretive, and it worries me. It worries all of us."

"That doesn't mean you can trespass in my home." 

Sonic felt a pressure in his chest. He didn't want to believe it. This was Shadow's home. This entire time, Sonic and his friends had been living in houses in Green Hill. Shadow had been sleeping – no, not just sleeping, living in a cave. Alone. He felt like an asshole for never taking Shadow’s secretive attitude more seriously. He was a loner, and Sonic thought he liked it like that... But seeing Shadow’s home… There was no way this was comfortable for him. Why didn’t he ask for help? Why didn’t he let himself be open?

“You... You live here?” Sonic asked softly, his voice hoarse with emotion.

Shadow’s grip loosened. His glare appeared sadder when he responded this time. “I do. And you don’t need to be here.”

“Well, I can’t exactly leave when you’ve got me pinned against the wall.”

Shadow let him go and refused eye contact. He pointed towards the doorway. 

“Get. Out,” He muttered. 

Sonic didn’t want to leave, but he knew that Shadow was likely not capable of productive communication in his heightened emotional state. He sighed and began walking towards the cave entrance.

Pebbles crunched beneath his feet as a loud crashing shook his concentration. The sound of heavy rain followed. 

A sudden downpour. 

Sonic looked back at Shadow with puppy-dog eyes. His black and red fur glowed in the light of the fire. He was in the same position as before, holding out his finger and looking down. He seemed even more tense at the sound of the storm.

“You know, I can’t run in the rain.”

Shadow lowered his arm and clenched his fist. “I know. The raindrops feel like bullets.”

“So, maybe I should–”

“You’ll walk home.” The sound of thunder punctuated his sentence.

“We’re really far from my house… Do you at least have an umbrella?” Sonic spoke nervously. He knew the answer. 

The rain got even louder. More thunder boomed outside.

Shadow knew how much Sonic hated water. Making him walk home in the rain would have been torture. As angry as he was at Sonic, he didn’t want to do that to him. 

“You can stay until the rain clears,” he hesitantly declared. “And then you must go home.” 

Sonic’s eyes lit up. Some alone time with Shadow could be golden . 

The leaves crunched underneath Shadow's ebony body as he curled back up in his bed. He was determined to pretend Sonic wasn’t there.

“That is very kind of you, Shadow. I didn’t know you had it in you,” Sonic spoke facetiously. He knew he was testing his luck, though, and remembered the gravity of the situation. To get through to Shadow, he would have to drop his persona. 

Shadow remained still with his eyes closed. Sonic gingerly walked over.

“Have you been in bed all day? Didn’t you sleep last night?” he asked, trying to gain information without lighting a fuse. 

No response. 

“Is your bed at least... comfortable?” Sonic prodded, knowing the answer but wanting to hear Shadow admit it.

Still no response.

Sonic rocked back and forth on his heels. He decided that he would have to get Shadow’s attention the hard way. 

He waltzed over to the table. 

The paper lying on top was covered in very beautiful handwriting. Each letter was delicately crafted. It was impressive. Did Shadow write this?   Sonic thought before reading what the beautiful penmanship portrayed:

“Another greener afternoon

Compels me like the silent moon

Compels the tides to jump to Heaven

From bluer shores to–”

Before Sonic could read the rest, he was tackled to the ground. 

“That’s private !” Shadow yelled atop his blue body. The echo of his voice bellowed through the cave and back again with force. 

Sonic’s breath was knocked out of him as his back was pushed into the cave floor. Shadow swiftly removed himself and ran to the desk.

The frantic sound of papers being flipped filled the tense air.

“You are not to invade my privacy after I invite you into my home,” Shadow spoke sternly. 

Invite is a strong word, Sonic thought as he attempted to raise his sore body from the cave floor.

The thunder crashed outside. Shadow cringed as his claws dug into his palms. “Why must you inject yourself into others’ lives? Have you ever considered that you may not be wanted? Where does your confidence stem from?" His rage grew to a yell. "Will your ego never cease?”

“My ego...” Sonic began to respond before being interrupted again. 

“Don’t your friends ever get tired of your antics? Why do they stick around? Why does Tails care if you drink water or go too fast?” Shadow’s voice got even louder. “What is there for him to gain?” 

Shadow’s voice boomed even louder than the storm outside. 

“Why are you here, Sonic? To mock me? To make me feel like a fool for daring to be in your presence? To use my words and my vulnerability to fuel your precious fucking ego?” 

“I’m...” Sonic muttered, struggling to take in everything Shadow was screaming. He had never seen him this emotional.

“I don’t want to hear you say you are worried about me. You know nothing about me. You have no reason to be worried about someone you have no reason to care about.” 

Shadow’s voice quivered. He raised his paws to his scalp and gripped his fur. He looked down and winced.

Shadow was trying not to cry. It was all too much. Sonic was in his home. He said it was because he cared, but why couldn't he feel it? 

“Stop lying to me. I hate it so fucking much,” Shadow whispered. 

Sonic didn't know what to do. He had just been insulted, yet he didn't feel offended. He felt like what Shadow was saying was important. This wasn’t Sonic’s ideal conversation, but seeing Shadow let out his emotions at least felt like progress.

“Is there anything I could say that you would even believe?” Sonic asked. 

“Tell me I’m just another pathetic acquaintance that you keep around to make yourself look better. Feel better. That befriending me would make you even more of a hero. That caring about me is really only caring about yourself,” Shadow croaked, choking on air. 

“Shadow…” said Sonic, holding out a desperate hand. He was at a complete loss for words. He didn’t think anything he could say would help the situation.

So he said nothing.

He calmly approached Shadow and raised his arm to his quivering shoulder. He flinched. 

The tears that had formed in the corners of his red eyes fell like stars in the midday sky. He didn't want them there. He choked on his own breath. He couldn't allow himself to cry like this. Not in front of him.

“What are you doing?” He sniffled. 

Warm arms wrapped around his shoulders as gentle as the breeze that had lapped at his fur up on his hilltop. It was new, but the comfort was familiar. His muscles tensed at the affection. He did not return the favor. 

Shadow's lack of reciprocity signaled to Sonic that he had made the wrong move. He let go. 

But Shadow, crying harder now than the rain that pelted their stone roof, bumped his head into Sonic’s shoulder. He rested his full weight against the hero as he wept. 

He was the clouds. Sonic was the rocks. The fire burned brightly, safe inside the protected abode. For the first time, the cold, muggy air of Shadow’s cave held him like the warm and comforting embrace he had found himself in.

He hated that it was what he wanted. He hated letting himself be seen like this, e specially by Sonic. But his emotions were in control. 

Sonic reacted by wrapping his arms around the weeping hedgehog once again. This time, Shadow leaned into it. He was warm. He did not wrap his own arms around Sonic, but focused on the comfort he felt.

“I don’t understand,” Shadow cried. “I... hate this. I hate this so much.” His words were slow. They stung . 

“I don’t think I understand it either,” Sonic said softly. “But I can try if you can talk to me.”

“I don’t...” Shadow muttered, choking on his words, “know... how.” 

“Then... we can figure it out together.”

“Why ‘we?’ Why should I–” Shadow gasped for air, “do that... with you?”

“Because you’re kind of crying into my arms right now.” 

Shadow pulled away, embarrassed. He wiped his tears with his gloves. He refused red-eyed contact with Sonic. 

Sonic thought the sight of crying Shadow was cute. He, of course, didn’t enjoy the sadness Shadow was forced to hold but rather cherished the vulnerability that his crying eyes represented. Such a stoic character like Shadow never let these things happen. This was important. 

“I’m... proud of you for crying,” Sonic said sincerely. He didn't know what else to say, and although it felt awkward to say this sentiment towards someone so brooding (he was used to saying this to Tails to encourage his younger brother to express his emotions), he felt it was applicable. 

“Wh- What? Why would you say that?” Shadow asked, still wiping his face with a curled gloved paw. 

“Crying must not be easy for you. I’m proud of you for doing something that scares you.”

“I don’t need your pride,” Shadow demanded.

“You’re right, you don’t,” Sonic responded. “But that doesn’t mean I can’t give it to you.” 

The air between them was still tense but looser than before. Shadow felt like he was exposed. He had no idea how to approach his feelings any way other than through anger. Crying felt good. He hated that it felt good. He hated that Sonic had to be the one to see him like this. He hated that Sonic was so sincere.

“Don’t tell anyone,” Shadow added.

“What? That you’re secretly a softie?” Sonic spoke playfully.

“I’m serious.”

“I got it.”

The sound of the pounding rain suddenly subsided. 

“Guess I should be going, then?” Sonic said. 

Shadow sniffled. “You should.” 

“You wanna come with me? We can meet up with everyone else and–”

“I don’t think I can be around anyone else right now,” Shadow interrupted. 

But Sonic wanted to stay with Shadow. It felt wrong to leave him after this. 

“Please, don't worry about me,” Shadow begged. “I’ll be okay. We can talk tomorrow. I need some time alone.” He didn't know if he would be willing to talk tomorrow, but he could cross that bridge when he got to it. 

Some time alone. Right. 

“Tomorrow,” Sonic confirmed, “Same time, same place?”

“Sure,” Shadow nodded. 

Sonic smiled and left the cave. He took a deep breath. 

That was incredibly strange. Shadow insulted him, cried in front of him, and let him hug him. Only one of those things was familiar. 

But even though Sonic was used to Shadow’s insults, what he said this time lingered in his mind. Sonic undoubtedly had a big ego, but his friends had nothing to do with it. He loved and cared for his friends, and he was positive they loved and cared for him, too. Sonic was annoying, and his friends accepted that about him. When they needed space, they would communicate it to one another. Sonic and his friends were open and honest, and therefore, their relationships worked. 

It occurred to Sonic that Shadow likely had major trust issues due to his traumas. Sonic knew only a little bit about Shadow’s past. He was no stranger to being involved with bad crowds. He was a victim for most of his life. Of course relationships would be hard for him.

He decided not to take Shadow’s outburst personally. Besides, tomorrow, they would talk it all out. 

Sonic ran back home to the others. They had all taken shelter in his and Tails’ home during the storm.

When he entered, he was met with the enthusiastic sound of his friends. 

“Sonic!” Tails and Knuckles yelled. Rouge simply raised her brows and smiled. 

“Hey, guys!”

“Any luck with Shadow?” Rouge asked. 

“Actually, yeah.”

Rouge gasped. “And?”

“He asked me not to talk about it,” Sonic continued, “But he’s... okay.”

“Where was he?” Tails asked. 

“Actually...” Sonic started, “I found him in a cave.” 

“A cave? Makes sense,” Knuckles said.

“That's what I thought, too, but he...” Sonic began speaking but realized that Shadow would be unhappy to know that Sonic was revealing his personal information. “Actually, I have an idea!” Sonic announced, interrupting himself. 

He pulled tails to the side and whispered.

“Tails, how fast do you think we can build a house?”

The fox looked shocked for a moment but began calculating in his head once he realized his friend was serious. “Well, with my gadgets, your speed, and knuckles’ strength...”

“Do you think we can finish it in one night?” Sonic interrupted. Tails looked even more shocked. 

“If we can get all the proper materials...” He held his chin in his paw. “I think so!” He said, wagging his tails at the challenge. It was still only morning, after all. 

Sonic smiled at his brother and turned to speak to the rest of the home. 

“Okay everybody... we’re building a house!” Sonic announced. He puffed his chest out in confidence. 

“Wait–what?” Rouge asked amidst the cheering of Knuckles and Tails. 

“For... for Shadow,” Sonic answered, quieting his voice when he said it. He wasn't necessarily trying to keep it a secret but wanted to keep talk about Shadow at a minimum. 

Rouge looked down in thought and then smiled back up at him. “I have an idea.”

Rouge took the others to the hilltop that Shadow had been watching from the past few weeks. She explained that he would like the spot because he could have his alone time but still be close enough to come and mingle when he wanted. 

“Sounds perfect,” Sonic stated with stars speckling his green eyes.

That night, on that hill, they were going to build Shadow a house. 

Chapter Text

Alone in his cave, Shadow felt strange. A wriggling warmth ate through his body like a parasite. It paralyzed him.

The crunch of the leaves beneath his back filled the exhausting silence. Cold water occasionally splashed against his fur as the stalactites dripped near him. 

Once again, despite these physical sensations, Shadow found himself trapped in his head.

He felt weak for breaking in front of Sonic. Surely, Sonic only responded the way he did because he felt forced to. What an awkward situation he had put him in. Surely, Sonic thought that hug was what he was supposed to do rather than something he wanted. 

And now Sonic was coming back tomorrow.

He half expected the hero not to show. He entertained the idea that maybe he just agreed to come by to get out of Shadow’s quills as fast as he could. 

In fact, half of him wanted Sonic not to show. That way, he would never have to talk about what happened ever again. No more vulnerability. No more breakdowns. Everything could go back to normal . 

He kept playing the scene in his head. The anguish, the comfort, the embarrassment... all of it. 

Before Sonic left, he told him “not to worry” about him. What an ugly thing to say. Why would he assume that Sonic would worry about him? Why would he assume that that was what was holding Sonic back? How selfish.

He rolled on his side, the warmth of his sadness taking over his body completely. He didn't want to talk to Sonic. He didn't want to talk to anyone. He didn't want to do anything. Feeling cared for by Sonic and his friends felt painful .

He felt like the fire that flickered beside him.

Always needing to be fed, yet always hungry. Growing more dangerous by the minute. 

With a deep sigh, Shadow mustered all his energy to get up and sit at his table. His limbs fell heavy to his sides. 

He wrote down his continuing thoughts in the margins of another paper. 

Always needing to be fed, yet always hungry. Growing more dangerous by the minute. 

Desperate to cause harm 

Desperate to burn 

Desperate to–

The weight of his body halted him from continuing. He could revise it later. He just wanted to get out his raw emotion.

After writing what he could, he slumped back down on his leaf bed and fell asleep. 

It was getting dark, and Sonic and his friends were nearly finished with Shadow’s new home. 

Tails had designed the majority of the structure, making sure it would be stable and remain temperature controlled. He made sure it had all the amenities and used some of his gadgets to get the building job done. 

Knuckles used his strength to help build what Tails had planned. He chopped wood, shaped metal, and held pieces together while tails secured them.

Rouge had been the creative director. She announced that Shadow would need a place where he could hole himself up. They built him a loft area with bookshelves and a window and placed his bed beneath it. Tails donated some of his books (Rouge picked the ones she thought Shadow would be interested in.) 

Sonic made sure there was a writing desk. It was at an angle, like a drafting table, and the chair included was much more comfortable than the rock stool Shadow was used to. 

The house was small, but it was cozy. Rouge even decorated the interior and exterior with some potted plants. She wasn't sure if Shadow would take care of them, but she figured that if he didn't, watering the plants could be a good reason for her to drop by. 

They left the house unpainted so that Shadow could decide for himself what color he wanted it to be. 

And just like that, the studio home was complete. The sun had now set, but a warm glow remained emitting from the house thanks to fairy lights strung across the ceiling and walls inside. It was beautiful.

As they stared up at their creation, Sonic wanted to add one final touch: a sign on the outside of the home indicating just whose house this was going to be. 

The paint job was messy and crude, but it was legible. In black and red paint, Sonic had written “SHADOW’S HOUSE!!” on a spare plank of wood, and Tails flew it up above the door and hammered it in with the final nail. 

Sonic looked up and contemplated his work with a hand to his chin. In a spur-of-the-moment decision, the hedgehog jumped up to the sign and wrote a couple more words in small black text. 

When he came back down, the sign read:

“our buddy

SHADOW’S HOUSE!!”

And with that, it was perfect . Everyone was exhausted from the impromptu build and were ready to go to bed. They all headed back to their respective homes and had a very rewarding sleep.

Shadow awoke in the middle of the night. That's what I get for sleeping all day, he thought, damn .

He tossed and turned as the leaves shifted beneath him and tried to get his body to let him sleep through the night again, but the cold floor was never comfy enough. It never had been. He refused to make it more comfortable for himself, despite having the ability to do so, because something in him told him that he deserved the cold floor. That a creature like him wasn't made for comfort. 

Shadow sat up and wiped his eyes. Of course falling back asleep couldn’t be that easy. He would need something to occupy his time until he grew tired again.

Of course, alone in his cave, there weren't many options. Only one thing piqued his interest, and it was out beneath the chilly night air. 

Shadow was going to take a walk. 

He headed out into the delicate cold. The stars were beautiful and bright. The sound of crickets swarmed his eardrums, but it was nice to feel connected to his senses. The world was peaceful.

Usually when Shadow would take night walks, he would be sure to stay near his cave. That way, when he no longer wanted to walk, he could easily make his way back home. But tonight…

Something compelled him to go further. 

Shadow’s feet took him past the hills that sat between him and Sonic’s home. They took him past the loop-de-loop. Past the trees. Past his conscious mind. With his thoughts about Sonic and the next day dancing circles around his head, he mindlessly wandered towards his lonely hill.

As he approached, Shadow noticed something odd. Something new. It was very dark out, but a faint glow emitted from the hilltop where he was used to sitting. Strange , he thought, and decided to investigate. 

The closer he got, the clearer it became. A building sat in a place it definitely shouldn’t have. What the hell? Had he been turned around? 

He looked down towards the valley. The light from the other homes shined back up at him gleefully. He was where he thought he was. This was new. 

Curious, Shadow made his way to the front door. He softly brushed the potted plant outside with his gloved paw and looked up at the new structure.

Faint lights illuminated what seemed to be words above the building’s door. 

He squinted to read what was visible in the dark: 

“SHADOW’S HOUSE”

His heart leapt into his stomach. This couldn't be right. This wasn't here a day prior. This couldn't have… well, it technically could have, but Shadow reckoned it shouldn't have been built in just one day. 

Even though the home was labelled, Shadow stood in disbelief outside the door for minutes. He double, triple, quadruple checked the door plate, but sure enough, it was his own name every time. 

Gloved paws slowly opened the door. He expected a creak, but the new hinges were perfectly silent.

Fairy lights speckled the room, reminding Shadow of the moment he had stepped outside of his cave. For just one fleeting moment, Shadow believed the stars themself had been trapped inside. 

As the door closed behind him, the warmth of the room embraced him like a loving hug. He felt himself lean into it. 

The smell of sawdust filled his nose. It was odd, yet effortlessly welcoming.

Shadow slowly walked to the right through the home. The dim lighting kept him from seeing the full picture all at once. As he walked along the right wall, he grazed his fingers against every new surface. Wooden walls, support beams, a… plush… bed?

Shadow checked again. Yes, the softness against his fingers was a bed. In disbelief, he slowly sat on the edge.

It was incredible. He fell back and sprawled across it. 

He stared at the shapes in the wood of the loft above him. A newfound warmth wrapped around him. It was almost overwhelming.

This wasn't something he had felt in a long time. 

The rate at which his chest rose and fell increased. His view of the ceiling blurred as tears graced his cheeks.

Shadow cried. 

He wasn't even sure why. He had no time to sort out his feelings before the sensation began. The comforter beneath him cradled him into warmth once again.

Something inside him told him that this was a mistake. This was not his bed. This was a cruel joke or a misunderstanding somehow. 

Shadow juxtaposed against the soft plush of a comforter... it wasn't right. 

He cried lightly into his paws as his body curled into a ball. 

His crying didn't last too long before the coziness of the bed took him. As his tears lessened and lessened, he fell slowly into sleep once again. 

Chapter Text

Sonic’s excitement woke him up with the sunrise.

Shadow would be expecting him a little before noon, but he didn't know how long he could hold out. He was so ready to show Shadow the home he and his friends had made for him. 

He was only able to stall for a couple hours after waking. Every aspect of a morning ritual was coated with the thought of what would happen today. He gave in before Shadow expected him. He had to.

He hoped that Shadow was awake…

When he arrived at the cave, he knocked his knuckles against the rocks outside to signal that he was there. He didn’t want another incident like the day before. 

“Shadow?” he yelled into the entryway. “Sorry, I know I’m a bit early, but I have a surprise for you!”

The only response was the echo of his question. Sonic entered the cave to find the glistening embers of a fire that had naturally gone out. It was sitting next to an empty leaf bed. 

“Shadow?” Sonic yelled again, met again with only an echo.

He looked around. Maybe Shadow had curled up in a different corner of his cave and was just a heavy sleeper.

He tiptoed around, examining the space further. As he approached the desk, he noticed that most of the papers were face down. Though... a few words were visible to him. 

"Always needing to be fed, yet always hungry. Growing more dangerous by the minute. 

Desperate to cause harm 

Desperate to burn 

Desperate to–"

A cold sweat fell down Sonic’s back. What did this mean? Why hadn’t he finished writing? Something felt wrong about this. 

After their conversation the night before, the lack of Shadow combined with what he had read was a scary sign. But hey , the angel on his panicked shoulder spoke, maybe he’s just on a walk. 

Sonic jogged back out of the cave and examined his environment. No Shadow in the immediate vicinity. 

He realized he would have to search all of Green Hill for him once again. 

Precisely like the day before, he checked every hill, valley, and hidden nook that he could find. No Shadow. 

Now he was really worried. Sonic began to panic. His friend had just opened up to him about something incredibly intense and disappeared. Did he skip town? Was he hurt? Captured? Or worse?

Sonic attempted to shake these bad thoughts out of his head. They made him nauseous . There must be an explanation , he reasoned. 

Sonic, aware of his panicking state, tried to slow things down like Tails had been advising him to. He breathed in and out slowly. He lay on the ground and felt the grass against his skin. He tried to think logically but remain positive. Shadow had to be somewhere.

Sonic meandered back home in a slump. He mourned the excitement he was prepared to feel. He supposed he would have to wait for Shadow to come to him. 

As he was about to enter his home, he looked up at the hill that held Shadow’s. It was so quaint, so cozy… Sonic wanted to take a peek to be reminded of the excitement that was yet to come. 

He dreadfully dragged his heels up to the hilltop and softly smiled at the home’s cozy exterior in the daylight. It was unlike Shadow in that way. It was so welcoming that Sonic entered with a plan to lay on the bed and think. 

What he found there was a lovely surprise. 

A black and red hedgehog lay curled up in a ball above the covers. His back gently rose and fell. He looked so peaceful.

Sonic's plan was now ruined, but somehow, this was better. Knowing Shadow had already fallen asleep on his new bed had to be a good sign. 

He contemplated laying there with him. He looked so comfortable, and thanks to the rushed production of the home, Sonic hadn't gotten a chance to test the bed for himself. Plus, Shadow seemed to be out cold, and the bed had more than enough space for the two of them to lay there comfortably…

Sonic decided he'd lay for just a moment. Careful not to wake the sleeping hedgehog, he lay on the edge of the bed atop the covers. Shadow’s curled up body didn't even touch him until Sonic heard a shuffle. 

Sonic began to hastily (but quietly) remove himself from the bed at the noise, but was stopped by the feeling of a stretching gloved paw near his chest.

Shadow, in his sleep, had reached an arm out to Sonic. He froze. 

Shadow shifted even more. He went from being curled up in a ball to his chest resting gently against Sonic’s side. 

A black and red arm sat atop his peach stomach. A feeling of electricity shot to where the paw now sat.

Sonic’s heart was racing. He didn't know what to do. If he got up, he was afraid Shadow might wake. Plus, he… kind of… liked it ? There was something wholesome about Shadow, a dark and brooding character, gently cuddling Sonic in his sleep. Was it rude to remove him? 

Did he want to? 

Sonic lay there and let it continue. He allowed his muscles to relax. The bed was very comfortable, he thought, before drifting into sleep. 

Shadow woke up to find himself completely entangled with another warm body. His drowsy mind didn't notice for his first few moments of consciousness, but as he became more lucid, he began to recognize it.

His head rested between the neck and shoulder of Sonic, his breath tickling blue fur. A black arm and leg lay atop him. 

Sonic’s arm was wrapped around him, pulling him closer. A sleeping cobalt head lay pressed against his own. 

Shadow felt his pulse rise. His face became flushed.

This was incredibly embarrassing. 

He quickly squirmed out of the position, alerting Sonic to wake. 

Shadow shot up to a sitting position. With such a red face, he dared not look back at his bedmate.

He didn't know what to say. He sat there with a quietly heavy breath until Sonic spoke up. 

“Good morning, Shadow,” he said, “I see you like your new bed!” 

Shadow was brought back to reality. His... new bed. That's right. 

“I… I do,” He responded, still looking the other direction.

“Apparently, so do I,” Sonic said with a yawn and a stretch. “Maybe we should be roommates.”

The sentiment, although facetious, made Shadow nervous. He stared away in awkward silence. 

“Eh, I'm just joking,” Sonic announced, continuing in a careful whisper. “Do you… like your house?”

Shadow softly raised his head to look up at the room. He hadn’t properly toured the building quite yet. The bed was all he saw the night before. Now that he was seeing it in the daylight, it was even more beautiful.

“My… house?”

“Yeah, duh! Didn't you see the sign out front? The gang and I whipped it up for you last night. Don't worry, I didn't tell them anything.”

“...Why?”

“Huh? Because you told me not to.”

“No, why did you build it?”

Sonic was caught off guard. He thought the answer was obvious. Did Shadow not like it?

“Because...” he had to think. “We wanted you to have a place to live that wasn't... so... sad.”

Shadows' ears drooped slightly as he fell into a slouch. It was sad. It was awful. I t was horrible, and he had been forcing himself to live that way. The contrast of this brightly lit home in comparison to his cave was obvious. It grabbed him by the throat and forced the truth out of him.

“It... was sad.”

“I know,” Sonic said in a comforting tone. “You don't deserve that.”

Shadow was torn. Compliments like that felt so unnatural. Some stubborn devil in his mind couldn't accept them. 

“Thank you.”

Sonic smiled. “You're welcome, Shadow,” he responded with sincerity. 

Shadow finally turned to look back at him. His red eyes held a profound sadness. The mere sight of them was enough to upturn Sonic’s eyebrows. 

“Hey, is something wrong? Is it the house? We can change anything you don't like-”

“No,” Shadow interrupted, “I just don't... understand.”

“What do you mean?”

“You... saw me... struggle. I thought you were disgusted with me. But you… and your friends... showed me such kindness. I feel... strange . I have nothing to offer in return.”

“You really don't get it, do you? Friendship isn't a business exchange. It's about being there for each other when we need help. And as much as you hate to admit it...” Sonic thought about the best way to say this, but Shadow, with his throat wrapped by the fingers of reality, finished his thought for him. 

“I needed help.” 

A somber silence followed, and Shadow continued.

“I... think I still do.” His shoulders tensed.

What was going on?   Why was Shadow allowing himself to respond in this way? He wasn't supposed to be vulnerable. Not like this. Not with him. Why was he  breaking ? 

“Well,” Sonic responded, careful not to lose the tone of the moment, “That's what friends are for.” 

Sonic's word’s hurt . Shadow was sitting in his new house, but he felt remarkably distant from himself. Like the reality he was living wasn't his own. Like nothing around him was really real , whatever that meant. He didn't know. It was scary. Why was it so scary? 

“I’m...” Shadow said, clutching his body, “I’m... afraid.”

Sonic scooched closer, careful not to touch him directly. 

“Do you know what you’re afraid of?” 

Shadow clutched himself tighter. 

“Myself.”

The answer was chilling. Sonic didn't quite know what this meant, but he wasn't sure if Shadow knew either. 

“Well, if it makes you feel any better, I’m not afraid of you,” Sonic said in a caring tone. 

What a strange response, Shadow thought. Of course Sonic would say that, he’s… he’s… 

He’s very kind. 

Shadow unclutched his torso and relaxed his muscles, subconsciously moving just enough so that his shoulder was grazing against Sonic's. 

He looked up at him, barely moving his head. 

Sonic was smiling. 

“I don't know if I can… accept this,” Shadow muttered.

“What do you mean?”

“Your… friendship. I mean– your… your… generosity. All of it. It’s too much for me.” 

“Well,” Sonic said, “If you don't accept it now, it's just going to sit here and wait. Both the house and my friendship. That goes for everyone else, too.”

Shadow frowned.

“And...” Sonic continued, trying to redirect the conversation, “we made sure that the house had everything that you needed. It would just be a waste if you didn't live here. Did you… want a tour?”

Shadow looked around the house from where he sat. There were so many details he hadn't yet seen. 

“I... suppose so.”

Sonic excitedly stood up and grabbed Shadow’s hands, gently tugging him off the edge of the bed. They stepped out to look at the loft.

“Well,” Sonic started, “This is your sleeping quarters! But you already know that,” Sonic said, winking, “We rigged it with some fairy lights because we know how much you like the stars.”

He quickly climbed the ladder that led to the loft area above. Shadow looked up from the bottom floor. 

“And this is your library!” Sonic yelled. “I'm not sure if you read, but Tails insisted on donating some of his old books. Rouge picked out the super boring ones for you.” 

Sonic super-sped across the loft toward the other side of the house. There wasn't anything up there but a potted plant. 

“And this is… I don't know what this is. It's whatever your heart desires! A sitting room, a yoga studio, a home gym, an indoor pool... okay, maybe not an indoor pool, but you get the idea.”

He jumped back down to the ground floor where Shadow was. 

“And this...” he announced proudly, walking towards a table and chair, “is your writing desk! I noticed you had one in your old place, and… I mean, I didn't look through your stuff or anything, but...” Sonic stammered, getting nervous, “You can write, draw, whatever you want! Look, it’s adjustable!” 

Sonic raised the back of the desk, tilting the surface at an angle. “Tails said it's called a drafting table. You can draft to your heart’s content!”

Sonic sat in the chair in front of the table. “And this chair! Ohh, this chair is the COMFIEST chair in all of Green Hill. Seriously. Your butt will thank you. Come on, you gotta try it out!”

Sonic was trying very hard to sell the idea of the house to Shadow. He didn't want to admit it, but if Shadow denied the home, Sonic’s heart would be shattered. This was so important to him.

Staring in shock at Sonic’s beaming face, Shadow slowly approached the desk. Sonic jumped out of the chair and ushered him to sit in it.

He sat in the chair as gingerly as he approached it. Sonic was right. It was comfy. 

He turned his body toward the desk. It was the perfect height for him, and the incline did look good for writing. His gloved paw made its way down to the handle of a drawer on the left side. It rolled open smoothly.

Inside were fountain pens, ink, pencils, and markers. They all seemed to be of nice quality. 

The drawer on the right contained both lined and unlined paper. 

“We thought we’d give you some stuff to get you started,” Sonic noted. 

Shadow was floored. Sonic had noticed and remembered. He saw what was important to Shadow and, despite not completely understanding it, made sure that he would have it. He wanted so badly for Shadow to feel welcome. 

Somehow, Sonic was able to prove again and again that he cared. The doubts in Shadow’s mind that had once run rampant began to thaw. He still felt unworthy of this kindness, but knew that if he brought it up, Sonic would just try to prove him wrong again. Sonic would make sure he felt appreciated and cared for. 

Sonic and Shadow had always been rivals. They would poke fun at each other and compete whenever an opportunity arose. Shadow always thought this was the end of their dynamic. He never considered that Sonic could care about him this much. Why should he, when all Shadow has ever done has been in defiance of him? 

What was this? Why was this happening?

Shadow felt warm. He was desperate to feel connected to the reality that was in front of him. Though the wall was falling, he needed it to be gone entirely. 

He stood up and wordlessly made his way over to Sonic, until the inches between them became none. 

He had pulled him into a tight embrace.

“Whoah! You’re welcome, buddy!” Sonic responded as he wrapped his arms around him. 

“Your kindness is sickening,” Shadow mumbled, still holding on tight. 

“Yeah? Well, yours is... painful. I didn't know you gave such good hugs, Shadow.” 

He pulled away. “Is that... sarcasm?”

“Uhh, the painful part was. Your hugs are actually very nice,” Sonic responded, pulling in Shadow once again.

“I actually don't think you're legally allowed to leave this hug now. It’s too good,” Sonic continued, poking fun.

Shadow squeezed even tighter. He was smiling. He felt it. He felt the warmth, the joy, the comfort of the hug. He didn't want to leave it. 

Shadow felt his cold core thaw just a little bit more. He nuzzled his face into Sonic’s shoulder. 

Butterflies settled in Sonic’s stomach. He instinctively stroked the back of Shadow’s head. 

Shadow loved it. He forgot he was there. For just a moment, there in the comforting arms of his rival, Shadow felt completely okay. 

Sonic pulled out of the hug first. 

Big crimson eyes looked back at him. Sonic noticed a spark inside of them that he hadn't seen before. 

“I want to live here,” Shadow said.

Sonic smiled. “You'll do it?”

“Yes. I will. Thank you.”

With super-speed, Sonic jumped around the house with excitement. He landed back by Shadow’s side. 

“Oh! I forgot to tell you. We left the place unpainted so you could choose the color. Think about it!” 

Shadow looked around the home. He wasn't sure yet what color he wanted. He would keep it in the back of his mind. 

“Oh, do you need help moving anything over? I mean, I know you didn't have much, but–is that rude to say? We kinda just had a breakthrough so I’m not trying to insult you. Was that rude?”

“I don't think it was rude. I can move my things over by myself. But... you should come with me, anyway.” Sonic’s presence was heartwarming. He wanted him around. 

Sonic was very excited to hear this. “Sure thing!” 

He sped out the door. Shadow rolled his eyes and, smiling, walked out after him.